The first hurdle was subjective. While this writer was not bothered by the supposed lack of star power, there are those who came into the show viewing it as a potential subpar card.

Next was the challenge of producing a well-paced telecast on Spike TV. Despite the bug on the screen that said “Live From London,” this show was tape delayed. The challenges that a tape delayed show on Spike TV faces are a bit different than different live shows on Spike TV.

Both shows must certainly hit a specific number of commercial breaks. However, with a tape-delayed show such as this one, the production team does have the opportunity to tighten up the show in post-production before its airtime. There is also the opportunity to clean up certain kinds of mistakes, such as sloppy graphics and bad shots. This, of course, isn’t the case with a live telecast.

PACING -

Initially, the pacing of UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson was disappointing because of its slow start. Starting off the show with the Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago fight was a solid choice, if only for the reason that folks/fools like myself expected “Kos” to win in explosive fashion. Yet, we were 14 minutes into the show before the fight started. In addition, it was 32 minutes before the second fight of the night, Chael Sonnen versus Demien Maia, began.

However, the pace certainly picked up, with the Stefan Struve vs. Junior dos Santos fight starting at the 44 minute mark. Unfortunately for Struve, he was officially outclassed by the 45-minute mark. Thirteen minutes later, the Nate Marquardt vs. Wilson Gouveia fight began – and eventually ended with a spectacular finish by Marquardt.

By the time the show concluded, viewers were treated to a Spike TV-record nine televised fights. Six of those fights ended with a KO/TKO, two ended via submission and just one fight, the main event of Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson, went the distance. The only fight on the card not televised was Paul Kelly’s unanimous decision victory over Troy Mandaloniz.

It’s pretty hard to complain about getting that kind of value, whether you paid for it or not. Therefore, I will complain about a couple of other things.

The telecast went to break after the Marquardt vs. Gouveia pre-fight package, which was essentially lifted from the Countdown to UFC 95 show. However, if they chose to do this, was there a need to waste more time with Bruce Buffer’s introductions after coming back from commercial break? My apologies if you find it necessary for Buffer’s fighter introductions to be televised for each and every fight, but I don’t.

If a more in-depth package just ran that introduced both fighters, did we really need another introduction? I don’t think so. Since the UFC/Zuffa had time to tighten up this telecast before it aired in the United States, they should have come back from commercial to the referee asking both fighters if they were ready to fight. The purpose of the package was to build up the drama before the fight. Some might say showing the package before break was a good teaser to the fight. I disagree – the commercial break, plus the fighter introductions, took the air out of what was a short, but well-done package.

In past columns, I’ve mentioned my idea of starting off a show by going right to the octagon for the start of a televised show. The telecast would begin and you’d hear the referee asking the fighters if they were ready – and bam – we get right to the action.

I would have loved for this show to start off that way, especially since the production team had the opportunity to fine tune things because of the tape delay.

ANNOUNCING -

Joe Rogan is the best-mixed martial arts analyst in the business, hands down. Viewers who practice MMA would most likely agree with his technical assessments of what’s happening in the octagon during a fight. And for those such as myself who do not practice MMA, I have actually learned a few things from him. For example, his breakdown of Maia’s triangle choke submission over Sonnen was like an instructional video.

Rogan is also not afraid to put his analysis “on the line,” so to speak. For example, both Mike Goldberg and Rogan were extremely opinionated in pointing out Thiago’s habit of holding his left hand too low, which in turn left him exposed to Koscheck’s huge right hand.

“Paulo Thiago has some fundamental problems with his striking,” said Rogan. Which, at that point in the fight, was true.

But 15 seconds later, Thiago knocked out Koscheck with a fantastic right uppercut. This is a great example of why this sport is so great. Rogan was spot on in his analysis, yet wrong for one split second, and the result was a huge upset. I would imagine that because of the sport’s unpredictability, some analysts may hold back on exposing a fighter’s flaws, simply because they don’t want to look bad if they end up being wrong. Kudos to Rogan for not falling into that category.

Rogan’s explanation of any referee’s stoppage, but in particular, the Koscheck vs. Thiago fight, also deserves credit. Rogan immediately recognized two things: the disappointment the viewers may have had in the stoppage and the disappointment that Koscheck had. Rogan spoke about why the fight was quickly stopped from the referee’s perspective, saying that while Koscheck seemed okay several seconds after the stoppage, he could have taken severe punishment had the referee not stepped in when he did. That, said Rogan, could have resulted in Koscheck taking unnecessary strikes.

Without doing so in a preachy, obnoxious kind of way, Rogan relayed to the viewers at home how safety for the fighters always comes first.

OVERALL PRODUCTION VALUE -

After the end to the Koscheck vs. Thiago fight, director Anthony “Pasquale” Giordano did a really nice job in capturing a good balance of both Thiago celebrating after his shocking KO and Koscheck reacting in disbelief. It was a no-brainer to stay on the volatile Koscheck after what he thought was a quick stoppage.

On a negative note, you absolutely, positively need to have Rogan get Koscheck’s post-fight reaction. Koscheck is outspoken and a “bad boy” type of “character” in the UFC. If they couldn’t get him immediately after the fight, then you send a crew to the locker room to get it and roll it in later. Drama sells. If it didn’t, then why does the UFC bother to produce their pre-fight packages? The answer is because it sells a storyline for the upcoming fight. To decide against continuing the storyline for this particular fight was a huge whiff. Matter of fact, not hearing from Thiago, even with a translator, was another whiff. It almost makes you wonder if they shy away from these kinds of post-fight interviews in order to avoid controversy.

To be fair, “Kos” may have declined the chance to speak to Rogan because he was so upset. If this were the case, then tell the viewers at home that.

We may never know for certain why we didn’t hear from the fighters, but shame on the UFC/Zuffa for handling it this way and being lazy in this aspect of the production.

The “Inside The Numbers” full screen graphic put up before the Sanchez –  Stevenson fight was a nice touch. The graphic showed that (entering the fight) Sanchez lands 29% of his takedown attempts, while 50% of Stevenson’s wins in the UFC have come by guillotine choke. We also learned that Sanchez lands 56% of his ground strikes to 62% by Stevenson. Again, this begs the question (all together now): why doesn’t the UFC/Zuffa do this for every fight on every telecast? It literally takes about 10 seconds of time while setting up a fight, and, if done properly, can be a sponsored graphic, which means a company would pay money to have their logo attached to it. Again, the only answer I can come up with would be found somewhere in the uncreative and lazy sections of the Production 101 handbook.

THE FINAL WORD -

The bottom line is, we tune in to see good, entertaining fights, and UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson delivered with nine of them. How these fights are presented from the beginning of the broadcast until the end isn’t always perfect, but for entertainment purposes alone, this show was a big success.

The production team behind the show certainly doesn’t control the outcome of these fights, but they deserve credit where credit is due for cramming in nine of them – especially after a slow start to the telecast.

Goldberg did a very nice job with his blow-by-blow call, but it was Rogan who once again shined. Rogan is funny and knowledgeable, but most important, ego-free. He took a stance in pointing out Thiago’s flaws, yet didn’t make the story about himself when Thiago effectively told Rogan to “stick it” with his shocking KO. He sided with the referees at a time when the viewers – and even fans in attendance – may have disagreed with certain stoppages. But he did so not because he wanted to be the loudmouth, obnoxious analyst that certain people in other sports have become; but because he’s a fighter himself and understands how important safety is to both the fighters and the sport of mixed martial arts.

As UFC 100 continues to get closer and closer, I personally hope that the production team behind UFC telecasts takes a step back and assesses how they can work towards making that special card a special broadcast. In doing so, they can use it as a springboard to enhance all future televised shows.

There are simply too many missed opportunities taking place in their telecasts. The sport is growing in popularity, the UFC is growing in popularity and more people are watching their televised shows than ever before. And this is all great news. But now, the challenge is retaining those new viewers. And, with constant rumors of the UFC pairing up with such and such network, enhancing their broadcasts in any way possible is important, especially if Dana White and company insist on retaining creative control over their televised productions.

Following up with storylines such as Koscheck after his loss… providing viewers with just a wee bit more information via graphics… enhancing their pre-fight package angles to make them more personalized towards the fighters… these are just some of the improvements that the UFC and Zuffa can execute.

Is it an absolute necessity to do this right now? Maybe not. But we’re all in this for the long haul, and as the UFC continues to expand their horizons, the televised presentation of their shows needs to do so as well.

Sanchez, the original winner of The Ultimate Fighter at middleweight, was taking a big risk dropping down to lightweight. Naturally walking around at 190 pounds, many thought the drop to 155 for weight-ins, and the jump back up to 170 for the actual fight, would throw his body for a loop. And unless you’ve experienced that loop first hand, its hard to say how your body will despond. A loss of speed, a lack of energy, and poor cardio were all issues many thought would hamper Sanchez in his first go round.

Add in the fact that he would be facing Stevenson, one of the UFC’s top lightweights, early projections were not in Sanchez’s favor.

From the opening minutes though Sanchez seemed to dispel his critics. He seemed quicker than at welterweight, his power seemed to transfer over along with his natural skill set.

Sanchez was able to pick apart Stevenson at ease, and everything became even easier when it was apparent Stevenson had no intentions of taking the fight to the ground. In what became a kickboxing match Sanchez utilized the jab from his waist to control the tempo of the one dimensional fight.

Now no longer just a ground and pound fighter with an inability to stop fights, Sanchez seems to be a complete fighter in every asset of his game.

It was thought before this fight with Stevenson that Sanchez was dropping to lightweight to avoid the top talent at welterweight. After losses to Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, Sanchez just didn’t seem like the same fighter anymore. Now the move seems like a calculated career move, with a huge upside.

If he’s able to continue to make weight at 155, and that could become an issue, Sanchez can make a serious run at dominating the weight class.

His future could hold a second fight with Kenny Florian which presents an intriguing match up for both the fighters and the UFC. Both men are totally different fighters since they squared off at TUF season one finale. A title shot vs. B.J. Penn will need to be earned despite this impressive victory. Many people might point to Sean Sherk as his next likely opponent, but a match with Clay Guida might be the most alluring. Both men like to keep up an extremely fast pace to their fights and look to slug it out on their feet or on the ground.

One thing is for sure his next fight will be against one of the upper echelon fighters the division as to offer and we will see if he was for real in his debut, or if the win was product of the fight being one dimensional.

At 170 a motivated Sanchez was a huge challenge for anyone to take on, but motivated and determined at 155 might be a scary and unstoppable proposition to tango with.

If everything goes his way, Sanchez could unleash a nightmare on the UFC lightweight division in 2009.

Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson earned bonuses as they were awarded fight of the night honors. These two lightweights kept going right at each other commencing a great fight with a final flurry as the fight ended. Sanchez won a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 and 29-28).

The knockout of the night could have gone to a host of fighters including hometown hero Dan Hardy as he knocked out Rory Markham in just 1:09. Nathan Marquardt capped an exciting middleweight battle with Wilson Gouveia at 3:10 into the third round with a flying knee-head kick combination for the knockout. Junior dos Santos captured his second first round knockout in as many tries in the UFC as he defeated Stefan Struve 54 seconds into the first round.

Terry Etim utilized a head kick followed up with strikes as he knocked out Brian Cobb just 10 seconds into round 2. If that wasn’t enough the man who won knockout of the night honors went into his fight as a heavy underdog. Paulo Thiago 10-0 in a career that never saw him fight outside his native Brazil shook off some serious punishment from Josh Koscheck and caught the stand-out wrestler with an uppercut left hook combination for the knock out at 3:29 of round 1.

In a battle that may have determined the number 1 contender for the middleweight championship. Demian Maia ran his record to 5-0 in the UFC and 10-0 overall with a slick triangle choke submission over the returning Chael Sonnen. The two battled back and forth for the first half of round one until Maia was able to take Sonnen down and lock in the choke at 2:37 of round 1. Maia earned his fourth submission of the night bonus in just five tries.

FOR THE LIVE EVENT CHAT ROOM CLICK HERE

Results:

Paul Kelly def. Troy Mandaloniz by Unanimous Decision.
Mike Ciesnolevicz def. Neil Grove by (Heel Hook)Sub-Round 1 – 1:03
Evan Dunham def. Per Eklund by KO-Round 1- 2:14
Junior dos Santos def. Stefan Struve by TKO-Round 1- :54
Terry Etim def. Brian Cobb by TKO- Round 2- :10
Paulo Thiago def. Josh Koscheck by KO- Round 1- 3:29
Nathan Marquardt def. Wilson Gouveia by TKO-Round 3-3:10
Dan Hardy def. Rory Markham by KO- Round 1 -1.09
Diego Sanchez def. Joe Stevenson by Unanimous Decision
Main Card Bouts (Spike TV telecast) -

• Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson
• Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago
• Nathan Marquardt vs. Wilson Gouveia
• Chael Sonnen vs. Demian Maia
• Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham

Non-televised Preliminary Bouts -

• Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve
• Evan Dunham vs. Per Eklund
• Brian Cobb vs. Terry Etim
• Neil Grove vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz
• Paul Kelly vs. Troy Mandaloniz

The most notable development was Diego Sanchez successfully cutting down to 156 pounds in order to meet the mandate weight requirement for the lightweight division.

Sanchez, who has competed at middleweight and welterweight in the UFC, decided late last year to drop to the UFC’s 155 pound division. His debut in the weight class will take place in the night’s main event against Joe Stevenson, the welterweight winner of the second season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Sanchez’s drop to lightweight was a rapid one, as the season one TUF middleweight winner revealed during a conference call last week that he weighed 194 pounds on Christmas Eve.

Complete weigh-in results are available below…

Televised Main Card -

• Diego Sanchez (156) vs. Joe Stevenson (155)
• Dan Hardy (170) vs. Rory Markham (170)
• Wilson Gouveia (185) vs. Nathan Marquardt (185)
• Demian Maia (184) vs. Chael Sonnen (185)
• Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Paulo Thiago (169)

Non-Televised Preliminary Card -

• Junior dos Santos (239) vs. Stefan Struve (240)
• Brian Cobb (155) vs. Terry Etim (156)
• Paul Kelly (169) vs. Troy Mandaloniz (168)
• Mike Ciesnolevicz (235) vs. Neil Grove (263)
• Evan Dunham (154) vs. Per Eklund (155)

The two are set to square off on Saturday at UFC 95 at the O2 Arena in London, England in a bout that is scheduled to open Spike TV’s telecast of the event in the United States.

“He’s disrespected my punching power and I’m not really scared of his,” Hardy remarked. “I think he’s underestimating how hard I can punch and I think he’s going to be surprised.”

Hardy also seems unconcerned as to whether Markham’s comments are merely an attempt to bait him into a standup battle.

“Yes, possibly,” Hardy responded when asked if he felt Markham’s comments to the press were a ruse. “But if that’s what he’s looking for then that’s exactly what he’s got.”

Hardy, who was successful in his UFC debut at UFC 89 against Akihiro Gono this past October, also apparently isn’t worried about Markham’s ground game.

“I haven’t really seen too much of his wrestling,” said the U.K. native. “He really hasn’t demonstrated much of it. In fact, from what I have seen, there’s nothing I am too concerned about. He’s very good on the ground at surviving. He takes guard back and he does have that triangle that he keeps throwing up. Whether that’s successful against somebody that has some decent sub(mission) defense, I’m not sure. But it’s certainly not something that’s going to concern me.”

The entire interview is now available at CBSSports.com by clicking here.

The twenty nine-year old Denver, Colorado native was recently rumored to be under serious consideration to become one of the coaches of the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter before Dan Henderson was announced to fill the spot, and it’s not very hard to see why Marquardt would be given that type of consideration. He has long been respected as one of the sports most well rounded and battle tested athletes.

“I had discussed possibly becoming one of the coaches for the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter but they didn’t choose me this time,” explained Marquardt in an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Although the stars didn’t align right for Marquardt to make his television coaching debut this time around, he’s not counting it out for the future. As a matter of fact, the idea is one that he welcomes.

“I’m sure that it’s a possibility for the future because it’s definitely something that I would want to do,” Marquardt went on to say.

In 2009, being considered one of the best will no longer be enough for the freakishly powerful 185 pounder. This is the year that Marquardt aims to take over the middleweight division and assert himself as the most dominant predator in a division filled with carnivores.

In order to obtain that goal, Marquardt absolutely requires success in an impressive fashion this Saturday night against another of the division’s most dangerous combatants, American Top Team trained, Wilson Gouveia. The two will face off at UFC 95 from London in a bout where the winner will be undoubtedly sky rocketed in the consideration of who should get the next crack at the middleweight championship.

Marquardt has never had an easy time of it since his arrival in the UFC. He has consistently been matched up with some of the best the promotion has had to offer. Marquardt’s impending battle with the vicious Gouveia will be just another day at the office for the formidable octagon veteran.

“Wilson is a tough guy,” admits Marquardt. ”He’s just as tough as anyone that I have faced. At this level of fighting you’re not going to get an easy opponent.”

There is no denying that Gouveia, is as hazardous as they come in the UFC, whether it be on the ground or on the feet, the crafty Brazilian has the capability to end any contest at the drop of a dime. Marquardt’s a realist though. He knows his opponent is a threat, but a threat that Marquardt assures that he will be able to handle come fight time.

“He’s good on his feet and he’s good on the ground,” Marquardt assessed. ”I think that it just boils down to, I’m better.”

Never one to question his ability or training before a fight, the Greg Jackson trained fighter possesses an abundance of confidence heading into his bout with Gouveia this Saturday night and leaves no question as to what his intentions will be once the cage door is slammed shut.

“I feel really good about this fight,” Marquardt said. ”I just want to go out there and put on a really good performance and hopefully finish him. I definitely want to finish him.”

Being focused on a finish in his fight with Gouveia is a good place to be, mentally, for Marquardt. Outside of his pending date with Gouveia, he only has one thing on his mind, and it’s redemption.

Redemption for coming up so short and under performing to his full abilities when it mattered most. Marquardt wants another chance at current middleweight king, Anderson Silva, and a convincing win over someone of Gouveia’s caliber could be the final push that Marquardt needs to go in that direction.

“I really feel that a win over Gouveia would put me in line to have another shot at Anderson Silva,” contends Marquardt. ”As long as I put on a really good performance I think that a rematch with Silva would be a good possibility.”

Regardless of how impressive Marquardt is in this Saturday’s bout with Gouveia, he knows that he will have to wait his turn, as an extremely familiar face has the next shot at the seemingly unstoppable Silva.

At UFC 85, Marquardt put on one of his most impressive performances in a losing effort against scheduled Silva challenger, Thales Leites. Nate was dominant in the bout, repeatedly pummeling Leites throughout, but was penalized points on two separate occasions. One of the points deducted was for striking to the back of the head and was seen as highly questionable by most of the MMA community. It was that point that cost Marquardt the bout in a contest that he had visibly won.

Is he bothered by the fact that Leites is getting the next crack at Anderson? Not at all according to Marquardt, just as long as he doesn’t win.

“If he’s able to use his game plan to get Anderson to the ground, he could put Anderson in a lot of trouble,” theorized Marquardt. ”Thales is a world class fighter on the ground and Silva is definitely not a world class fighter on the ground.”

“It doesn’t bother me at all. Actually it’s kind of flattering that he’s getting a title shot but it might bother me a little bit if he beats Silva because I want to be the one to beat him.”

Marquardt has been on an absolute tear through the middleweight division since his loss to Silva at UFC 73. He is convinced that the loss was a positive thing for him. It has helped to focus in on what is the most important thing to him in his established fighting career, being known as the best.

“Technically I have gotten a lot better in so many areas since fighting Anderson,” explained Marquardt. ”I have gotten technically better with my stand up, with my wrestling, my endurance and my strength has gone way up.

“I think that the main thing is that I am a lot stronger mentally and I think that would be a huge factor in a rematch with Anderson. I’m an a lot more dangerous fighter now.”

Gouveia has tried to cultivate that talent in the light heavyweight division and had early success. After a loss to Keith Jardine in his first UFC bout, he rattled off four wins in a row before running into a speed bump that goes by the name Goran Reljic.

After losing to Reljic, Gouveia decided to re-invent himself at middleweight with the hopes of fast tracking himself to a title shot in a much less crowded division. With two quick wins in the middleweight division, Gouveia finds himself on the precipice of the middleweight elite with only a win over Nate Marquardt standing in his way.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com was able to catch up with Gouveia as he prepared to leave for his UFC 95 fight this Saturday in London. I was able to get his thoughts on a wide range of topics from his thoughts on Georges St. Pierre vs. B.J. Penn to if a win over Marquardt should guarantee him a title shot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How was your camp?

Wilson Gouveia: The Training has been amazing, very intense so far. No injuries, I feel great and can’t wait to fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: As this is your third fight at 185 lbs., is the weight cut getting any easier for you?

Wilson Gouveia: I will give you a good explanation about everything that happened. When I fought (Ryan) Jensen it was my first cut to 185lbs and I was very afraid to not make the weight so I started losing the weight three weeks before the fight. It came off very easy, I was 185lbs two days before the weigh-in so it was very easy for me. For the Jason MacDonald fight I was over confident because it was so easy the first time that I thought it would be just as easy the next time. It was a huge mistake because I miss the cut the last day of weigh ins and I think I had some salt two days before weigh-ins so that made me hold some water. I learned my lesson and a week before the fight I am already under 200 lbs. and everything looks very good.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How much weight do you cut the day of weigh-ins?

Wilson Gouveia: To be honest that Friday morning I do not want to be more than one pound over. I may even wake up 185 lbs. exactly on Friday morning. Every interview I give I am asked about this so I don’t want to take chances.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How many pounds do you think you put back on between weigh-ins and the fight?

Wilson Gouveia: It depends you know? In my first fight at 185 lbs. I think I put back 15 or 18 pounds. I think in this fight I will be around 200 lbs. by the fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If you win the fight with Marquardt, do you see yourself ready for a shot at Anderson Silva’s title or would you like another fight first?

Wilson Gouveia: This is a tough question, I am not different from anyone else in my position, of course I want my shot at the title. I want my chance to fight for the belt. But at the end of the day the UFC decides who I fight next.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: You train at one of the biggest fight camps in the country, American Top Team. Do you have one main training partner or do you train with everyone regardless of size?

Wilson Gouveia: I train pretty much with everyone, but usually the heavier guys like Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva, and Antonio Silva.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If given the opportunity would you like a rematch with Goran Reljic?

Wilson Gouveia: Well I never pick my fights but of course I would like a rematch. He says he wants to drop to 185 lbs. also, but I don’t think he can make the weight. When we fought at 205 lbs., he is a pretty big guy and dehydrated to make 205 lbs. He is 6’3” or 6’4”, he is a very big guy. He was very lean at 205 lbs., I just don’t see him making 185 lbs. but who knows? I would love a rematch.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Most MMA fighters have different opinions on video study. Do you watch video on your opponents or do you just let your trainers do that for you?

Wilson Gouveia: Sometimes I do and sometimes I do not. I am not the guy who keeps watching his opponents video over and over. My coaches do that, they search the videos and try to find the weaknesses of my opponents, what they do good and what they don’t do so good. I have seen one or two fights of Nate’s, I have a lot of respect for him. After the champ I think he is the number one guy at 185 lbs. He has good striking, good wrestling, and good Jiu-Jitsu. I expect a really tough fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Without giving any gameplan away, do you see yourself with a distinct advantage in any one area?

Wilson Gouveia: To be honest, I see his wrestling as better than mine of course, but I see my striking as better than his striking. He says he is a pretty strong guy and I believe him. But I don’t think he has any idea what’s coming. He needs 10 shots sometimes to drop his opponent, but I only need one punch to drop someone. So he can be a very strong guy with his wrestling and on the floor, but he can’t compare to the punching power I have to what he’s got.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: If you win this fight and they offer you a title shot with Anderson Silva but inform you that the wait might be six to nine months before Silva is ready to defend against you, would you be ok with waiting or would you want another fight in between and risk the title shot?

Wilson Gouveia: That’s a good question. Probably that is a conversation I have with my manager and my camp but to have that conversation I have to beat Marquardt and that will not be an easy task. I will focus on Marquardt and dream about the title shot.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What are your thoughts on the other middleweight bout on the card, Demian Maia versus Chael Sonnen?

Wilson Gouveia: I think Maia has incredible Jiu Jitsu, but I am not impressed with Sonnen at all. He is a good fighter, don’t get me wrong, but he has 1 win and 2 losses in the UFC. I think he is gonna get his third loss. His last fight he beat Paulo Filho, Ok, but who knows if Filho should have even fought with all his personal problems. I think Sonnen is going to be in big trouble with Maia. But MMA is MMA, you never know what is going to happen.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: I have noticed that traditionally you have averaged about two fights a year until 2008. In 2008 you have four fights and even this fight is on about 10 weeks turn around. Do you prefer to fight often or is this just how the schedule broke out for you?

Wilson Gouveia: I can’t complain the way the UFC has treated me. I can’t complain at all. I love those guys. I guess they like me. I know guys that only fight once a year. It is very hard. This is how I feed my family so I gotta keep fighting. I am not a champion yet so I am not making the huge money but I make decent money and I want to keep it that way. The more you fight the more money you make. I want to keep doing that. If you ask me I want to fight every month.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Will the travel over to London for UFC 95 effect your preparation at all?

Wilson Gouveia: Last year around the same time, I think I fought in January in New Castle, England. I have no complaints. I like the British fans over there, they are pretty cool. They are very respectful people. I know it’s a little cold over there, and I don’t like the cold, but its my job and I will do what I have to do.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Is the food as bad over there as every fighter says it is?

Wilson Gouveia: No the food is not very good at all. But I will be on a diet, I won’t be eating much. I will be bringing my food with me so it won’t make a difference.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What were your thoughts on the Georges St Pierre versus B.J .Penn fight?

Wilson Gouveia: I am always a big fan of B.J. Penn. I was expecting a better fight than that but I guess it wasn’t his day. But I guarantee that B.J. will be back and stronger than ever. But I am not impressed with GSP, my boy Thiago (Alves) is going to fight him and I think a lot of people will be shocked after that fight.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: What hobbies do you have outside of fighting? What do you do on your down time?

Wilson Gouveia: I was trying to be a pilot about five years ago. Actually I have about 150 hours logged in little planes. I have a lot of friends that are pilots and they take me to fly jets sometimes. That is my main hobby. I have a flight simulator at home with everything, controllers, throttle, and three monitors. I spend a lot of time on it. I also love to play video games with my son. He is six years old and he loves video games. We play everything.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: Wilson, thank you so much for your time. Any sponsors you would like to thank?

Wilson Gouveia: I would just like to tell my fans and friends that I am very prepared for this fight and I will do my best to give an exciting performance.

Hardcore fans know all about Markham’s penchant for amazing fights-UFC fans got a taste for the first time with his dynamic knockout of Brodie Farber at UFC Fight Night 14 this past July.

FiveOuncesofPain.com recently had the chance to talk with Markham about his fight with Hardy, keeping his mind right, and stepping into some big shoes in Bettendorf.

Jonathan Snowden: Dan Hardy is on his home turf. How much inspiration does it give you, to know the odds are stacked against you and that the crowd will be solidly against you? How does that affect your mental preparation for the fight?

Rory Markham: It adds a little extra anxiety, a little extra stress. Of course, if you know how to use that as fuel, you can turn it into a positive emotion, which I have learned over the years. I’m using it to get out of bed earlier, make sure I do my miles, my sprints, just making my life training a little easier.

Jonathan Snowden: I’ve talked to other fighters that have gotten offended in your situation, like Zuffa is putting you in to lose to the hometown guy. Do you think that’s the case, or are they just looking for an exciting fight?

Rory Markham: I think they are absolutely looking for an exciting fight. More than anything, I’m very pleased with where the UFC has put me on this card. I think anyone that would think I’d be brought in there to lose wouldn’t be a very educated fan. I think this is a very well matched fight. I see a lot of strengths where I can implement my game plan and I think this is a very good fight for me. I think I was brought in to England because I’m exciting, he’s primarily a standup fighter, and it’s a good recipe to fill a card that needs an exciting bout. That’s why it’s taken the priority it has on the night’s televised card.

Jonathan Snowden: Obviously, like you said, he’s a standup fighter. He’s been over to China to explore the striking arts.How will that play into your game plan, knowing many of the British fighters have a weakness defending the takedown? Will you try to exploit a weakness and take him to the ground?

Rory Markham: I going to try, in every fight not just this one, to go out there and be a better fighter. Be a better version of my former self. I model myself after Georges St. Pierre. Georges is doing the right things. He still goes out there, implements a game plan, but still finds a way to make it very exciting for the fans. Every time we see GSP compete, he’s a better version of himself. That’s something I’m looking for, from the educated MMA fans. I want them to tune in and say ‘Every time I see Rory he just looks better and better.’ That’s something I’m looking forward to in this journey.

Jonathan Snowden: You’ve never fought to a decision before. Win or lose, it’s always been decisively. What does it mean to you? Is that kind of a by-product of trying to be an exciting fighter?

Rory Markham: Yeah, I think it’s directly a by-product of trying to be an exciting fighter. My biggest concern, coming up in the IFL and now trying to reestablish myself in the UFC, is that I want the fans to tune in and know they’re going to get an exciting bout. I don’t want anyone to go ‘Oh God, here’s this kid fighting again. Everybody go make popcorn.’ I want to make sure that they now when they tune in they’re going to get their money’s worth. I don’t want them glued to their seats. I want them standing up when I’m fighting. That’s something I really pride myself in.

The layman can identify with a back and forth standup fight easier than they can a fight on the ground now. I would love for, ten years from now, everyone to understand the ground game. But let’s be honest-more often than not, guys come to a fight and they want to see knockouts. They want to see exciting standup fights. And that was always a very big concern. It’s still an enormous concern for me, but I also want to go out there and prove to my fans that I’m becoming a better mixed martial artist.

Jonathan Snowden: Chris Lytle and others publicly proclaim that they are going to try for fight of the night honors. Is that something that you think about? How important is it, as an up and coming fighter, to get that extra cash bonus? Is that a big motivator for you?

Rory Markham: Absolutely, but that’s something that’s so out of my control. If you focus on that, it’s going to take away from your game. All you can do is hope you have the style to produce the end result- a fight of the night, a knockout of the night, a submission of the night. You’ve just got to let that become a by product of the fight and not focus on that at all.

Definitely against Farber, I didn’t go in there and say ‘Alright, it’s time to get knockout of the night.’ I just went int there to fight how I fight and what’s going to come to me is going to come to me. I just think my style is made to win fight of the night or knockout of the night more often than not.

Jonathan Snowden: I just finished reading the book Blood in the Cage?

Rory Markham: Yeah!

Jonathan Snowden: It features you quite a bit. Are you still living above the gym?

Rory Markham: That’s where I’m at right now.

Jonathan Snowden: Besides having no excuses for missing practice, how does that help you stay focused on the fight game? Is it that healthy to be so tied into that world, even when you try to go home?

Rory Markham: What’s great about it for me, is that I get to come up here to Iowa I get to live above the gym and you’re right. There’s no excuses. There’s no travel. It’s kind of like I’m on a ship. I don’t have to go anywhere. I’m all set. My foods here and I just have to walk downstairs. The gym door is directly next to my front door. This is my Rocky environment. I come down here, the apartment’s not in the best shape, there’s a draft, there’s no T.V. Marvin Hagler (legendary boxer) said it best: ‘How do you get up and run at 4 a.m. when you’re sleeping on silk sheets?’ This is my domain. It puts me in the right state of mind and gets me ready for war.

At the same time, to answer the other part of your question, a big part of my training camp is going back to Chicago on the weekends, going back to my hometown. Every single weekend without fail. I own a house there, stay with my girlfriend and we hang out. We push the reset button, unplug, turn off both of our phones, and focus in. It’s a good time to let the fight world go. My friends know not to try to call me and talk about fighting. So when I come back here, to Iowa, I’m ready to focus and do my work. I couldn’t even tell you how to get to a bar in Iowa.

Jonathan Snowden: That’s a good plan. It sounds like you are keeping your life balanced that way.

Rory Markham: I model it after Matt Hughes. He was the first to do it. I really looked hard at him and figured if he could do it, I could do it. He had such great success with it and that’s what I’m finding.

Jonathan Snowden: What does Pat Miletich provide as a trainer that makes him stand out?

Rory Markham: What’s great about Pat, and under no circumstance am I knocking any other trainer, I really truly believe that when Pat invests himself 100 percent, he is the best trainer in the world. Most trainers out there, in some way, shape, or form, have modeled themselves after Pat. He was the first one to find the successful recipe to make champions. He has more world champions than any trainer in the entire world.
When I get my morning sessions with him, when I get my hour alone with him, it’s just like Yoda teaching me the Force. He just knows all these little nuances. I can do something 110 percent perfect, but he can always find a way to change it and make it just a little bit better. He has so many outs and options for me. He’s just a wealth of knowledge. I know I’ll never be able to tap that well.

Jonathan Snowden: How has the split, even though it’s been friendly, between Pat and Hughes affected you and your training? I know Robbie Lawler has been a particularly inspirational voice in your corner in the past?

Rory Markham: It’s a little different. For me, I just always look for the positives. I get a little bit more of Pat’s time now. Now I’m one of the premiere leaders in the gym. I’m one of the two or three guys who help lead the gym. Most importantly I get more of Pat’s time. I know that Pat was the one who made Matt and Rob the fighters they are today. That’s just the reality of it. Having more of his time is only going to benefit my career.

Matt and Rob, they helped me out immensely. They’re very, very missed. I still stay in touch with them. We’re still great friends. Rob especially, in my corner and as such a great friend. And Matt, in that he showed me the ropes. I wasn’t as nervous at my first UFC, because I’d been to a couple with Matt. I’ve gotten a lot from them and I welcome my new position as a leader in the gym.

Jonathan Snowden: How much pressure is it to step into a leadership roll in a gym that’s seen Jeremy Horn, Jens Pulver, Hughes, and Tim Sylvia. You’re kind of filling that roll now. How much pressure is that on you?

Rory Markham: None at all. It’s very welcome. I’m a little more apt to tell guys what to do. In a very nice way of course, in a learning environment. I get to show them how to do certain techniques. Guys are looking to me now wondering ‘How does he do it? Okay, I’ll do it like that too.’ It gives me great introspection into my own technique. If I’m going to reiterate it and try to teach it, I’m going to make sure I’m doing it properly and saying it correctly. I think it’s making me a better fighter. I welcome the responsibility.

Jonathan Snowden: You guys still have plenty of great fighters, but in the overall scheme of things it seems to be a down period in the history of Miletich Fighting Systems. How does that affect the training and attitude in the gym? Does it make you hungrier to try to regain that status?

Rory Markham: The great thing about it is that it’s made Pat hungrier. He’s reinvested himself. Everybody goes through hills and valleys. There’s time when you need to invest yourself in your gym and there’s times when you need to invest yourself in other things. With Pat reinvested in us, every morning we’re back to team practices, he’s teaching us things. Just from this six to eight week camp alone, I’ve learned a ton. Enough to go over for a year and work on. Having him back, you’re going to see a lot more champions. Not only that, but after a changing of the guard, it takes everyone a year or two to catch their stride again. We had all those champions and now it’s young guys. Myself, Ryan McGivern, Ben Rothwell, L.C. Davis, Jesse Lennox. It’s a changing of the guard. Those guys are going to come forward and we’re going to show the world a new Miletich team.

Jonathan Snowden: How has fighting in the UFC been different than fighting in the IFL or Adrenaline MMA?

Rory Markham: Me and Mike C. (Mike Ciesnolevicz) were talking about this last night. We were sitting next to each other and Mike C said ‘I could fight all over the world, any country, any continent, any show, and if I didn’t make it to the UFC, I wouldn’t have accomplished what I set out to do.’ I felt the same way. AS a fighter, we all aspire to be there. It’s the pinnacle of the sport. Anyone who says otherwise is trying to convince themselves of something that’s not true. It’s the pinnacle of the sport. We all know it. It’s where the best talent is, the best competition. In all reality, it’s the big leagues. When you make it, you can say you’ve been to the end of the earth in this sport. I really don’t think if I’d gone on to have a very successful career elsewhere in other organizations, I don’t think I’d feel 100 percent satisfied. I think I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

Jonathan Snowden: All that said, I was a big fan of the IFL. Why do you think the IFL didn’t make it? Everyone associated with it seemed to love it? What are your thoughts about coming up in the IFL as a young fighter?

Rory Markham: What a great experience for me. It was the perfect opportunity. It groomed me for these moments in the UFC. What an excellent idea, especially for fighters. We had five other guys fighting next to us. We had our coaches with us. That was the best part of it, that team camaraderie, busting chops and joking around with one another.

I fought some pretty tough guys in the IFL and it gave me a great sense of security in these upcoming fights. I’m not really that nervous about going to London to fight a guy in his hometown. I’ve been there and done that against guys from the hometown teams in the IFL. It’s nothing new to us.

Jonathan Snowden: How concerned are you about the referee in a fight. I know you’ve been knocked down several times and then come back to win. How much do you worry about an early stoppage? How much do you think about how the referee will respond in the cage?

Rory Markham: You think about it for a second or two when you get hurt. That’s when I tell myself, ‘You better get moving because I’m not going to have this guy stop it on a phony call.’ I try to give the referee the look, an eyeball, to let him know, ‘I’m okay man.’ I hope to God he’s watched some tape on me, because I can take a beating.

Jonathan Snowden: That’s for certain. One thing we’ve learned, watching you fight, is that you have a lot of heart and determination. How much of your success is skill and technique, how much is athleticism, and how much of it is that warrior spirit?

Rory Markham: I’d say 50 percent technique, zero percent athleticism, and 100 percent heart and warrior spirit.

Jonathan Snowden: There are so many great fighters in the UFC in your weight class. You talked about GSP being one of your role models. Are you ready to compete with the likes of GSP?

Rory Markham: I think this fight will definitely give us a barometer for where I am. That’s why I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s the perfect opponent for me-he has one win in the UFC and I have one win in the UFC. He has roughly 20 fights, I have 20 fights. We will see where I’m at. It’s the perfect test for me.

Jonathan Snowden: How much did training with an elite 170 pounder like Hughes help? Does it give you confidence that you can compete with a guy like that?

Rory Markham: Rolling with Matt, getting my butt kicked by Matt, was always great for me. Him and Pat, the two most dominating welterweights to ever grace the UFC, going with them full out always gave me great confidence.

Jonathan Snowden: What should fans expect from your fight on Saturday

Rory Markham: Obviously, excitement. If anyone knows me as a fighter, they know I fight with my heart. It’s no secret that I can take a punch and I go out there and immerse myself in the fight. I try to have fun with it. That’s the biggest thing for me. I hope to get hit less, have an exciting battle, and hope I win a lot of fans. Especially the ones in England, because my ultimate goal is to be an internationally recognized fighter.

UFC 95 set to air at 9 p.m. ET this Saturday, the event will be free to those who are able to afford basic cable. Instead of another PPV that costs $44.95, the fan is instead being presented a bonus UFC Fight Night card.

However, the lineup on tap for Saturday is vastly superior to recent UFN offerings, as the main event matchup between season one and season two alums of The Ultimate Fighter Diego Sanchez and Joe Stevenson is a strong matchup on paper.

The card will also feature intriguing middleweight matchups between Nathan Marquardt vs. Wilson Gouveia and Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen. Below is FiveOuncesOfPain.com full preview of the event (including the non-televised undercard) along with predictions (remember to check back this Saturday for live play-by-play starting at 12 noon ET)…

Lightweight (155 lbs.):

Diego Sanchez (19-2) vs. Joe Stevenson (29-9)

A lot of people are counting Stevenson out in this one based on the fact that he’s coming off bad losses to B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian where he failed to impress. Sanchez fits the mold of the kind of eltie level fighter that Stevenson has yet to beat in the UFC. However, Saturday will mark Sanchez’s first cut to 155.

As recent as December Sanchez revealed that he was over 190 pounds and he was candid during a conference call last week in revealing that the cut has been difficult for him. He was at 162-163 pounds two weeks out so I believe he will make 156.

However, I am concerned about Sanchez’s cardio in the second and third rounds. The longer the fight goes, the more it benefits Stevenson. The fact that Stevenson has abandoned the temptations of Las Vegas also is a sign that he could be re-focused on his career.

I expect an upset in this one with Stevenson winning via unanimous decision against a gassed Sanchez.

Welterweight (170 lbs.):

Josh Koscheck (12-3) vs. Paulo Thiago (10-0)

A perfect 10-0 record is something to respect no matter how it was accumulated. Some of Thiago’s early fights in Brazil didn’t present much of a challenge, but his more recent fights while competing for the Jungle Fight promotion were a solid test. However, the submission specialist is going to be taking a major step up in competition at UFC 95 against Josh Koscheck.

Koscheck probably doesn’t want to spend too much time on the ground with Thiago and giving his world class wrestling a night off wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. After all, Koscheck’s striking continues to make major strides and he recorded one of the most vicious knockouts of 2008 when he dropped Yoshiyuki Yoshida in the first round during the “UFC Fight for the Troops” event this past December.

I expect Koscheck’s athleticism to prove to be too much for Thiago and for the former TUF 1 veteran to record a second round TKO victory.

Middleweight (185 lbs.):

Nathan Marquardt (27-8-2) vs. Wilson Gouveia (12-5)

I know that the average fan isn’t overly excited about Saturday’s show but how do you not get excited for this fight? Marquardt vs. Gouveia is a strong matchup between two large middleweights who have the ability to compete whereever a fight may go.

Gouveia trains out of American Top Team and could eventually become the middleweight division’s version of Thiago Alves. He’s a good athlete with excellent size for the weight class and can fight on the feet or on the floor.

Marquardt also comes from an excellent camp, as he is a part of Greg Jackson’s extended family of fighters. Since a disappointing performance agaisnt Anderson Silva at UFC 73, Marquardt has impressed and continues to improve.

This is a fight that will have tremendous implications on the middleweight food chain in the UFC with the winner possibly moving onto the fast track for a middleweight title shot.

Picking a winner in this fight isn’t easy but I will give the nod to Marquardt via split decision. There are still concerns about Gouveia’s ability to properly cut to 185 and Marquardt’s high-atltitude training could give him an advantage when it comes to stamina.

Middleweight (185 lbs.):

Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) vs. Demian Maia (9-0)

Sonnen vs. Maia is another reason to get excited about UFC 95. Aside from Koscheck vs. Thiago, there isn’t a match scheduled to air on Spike TV that doesn’t have me intrigued.

Sonnen is perhaps one of the most underrated fighters in all of MMA. A seven-year veteran, he has been training with Team Quest before it was known as Team Quest. A real estate agent by trade,

Sonnen has put himself in a position where he can focus solely on fighting if he wants to by earning a strong contract with the UFC following three credible performances in the WEC, two of which came against one-time consensus top ten ranked middleweight Paulo Filho.

Having won seven of his last eight, Sonnen comes into this fight with a lot of momentum. However, he doesn’t have nearly as much heat behind him as Maia, perhaps one of the brightest prospects in all of MMA.

Undefeated at 9-0, four of his wins have come inside the Octagon. All of the jiu-jitsu black belt’s wins in the UFC have come via submission. As good as Sonnen is, he likely won’t be able to hang very long on the ground with Maia, a former jiu-jitsu world champion.

If Sonnen can use his solid wrestling to keep the fight standing, we could see Maia’s lack of standup exposed and witness his first career loss. However, Maia has always found a way to get the fight where he wants it and I expect we’ll see him win via third round submission.

Welterweight (170 lbs.):

Dan Hardy (20-6) vs. Rory Markham (16-4)

Fireworks in the cage will open up the Spike TV telecast. Markham has questioned Hardy’s punching power and Hardy feels like his hands are being overlooked.

One might think that Markham is trying to bait Hardy into standing with him, but if he’s looking to bang, he doesn’t need to resort to giving Hardy bulletin board material. Hardy is a strong striker in his own right and his standup is much more versatile than Markham’s.

Markham has spent a great deal of time over the years working on his wrestling while a part of Miletich Fighting Systems in Davenport, Iowa, but he’s not world class in that department. Yet again, the ground is another area in which Hardy possesses more versatility.

Hardy via unanimous decision is the pick here based on the fact that I consider him to be the more well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Non-televised Preliminary Bouts…

Heavyweight (206-265 lbs.):

Junior dos Santos (7-1) vs. Stefan Struve (16-2)

Struve is an M-1 Challenge veteran and based on his Dutch heritage, one might assume he’s a strong kickboxer. While he isn’t bad on his feet, the reality is that 12 of his 16 wins have come via submission.

He’s being counted out against dos Santos, who caused quite a stir at UFC 90 when he pulled off an upset first round TKO of Fabricio Werdum that caused Werdrum to get pink slipped.

I’m not so sure Struve should be overlooked because what did we truly learn about “Cigano” in just 1:21 of UFC action? That he can knock out an unprepared and out of shape Werdum?

Dos Santos trains under the Nogueiras so there’s no way the guy is a fluke. As such, I am going to predict him to win Saturday via second round TKO.

Lightweight (155 lbs.):

Evan Dunham (7-0) vs. Per Eklund (14-3-1)

Dunham accepted this fight on short notice but all indications are that he’s in fighting shape and ready to go. An undefeated lightweight prospect, Dunham’s hallmark is his wrestling. Eklund also has a solid ground game so we could see these fighters spend a lot of time standing in hopes of exposing a weakness.

Dunham is definitely a prospect but because Eklund has proven himself against higher caliber opponents such as David Baron, Rafael Dias and Samy Schiavo, I am going to give him the nod via unanimous decision.

Lightweight (155 lbs.):

Brian Cobb (15-4) vs. Terry Etim (11-2)

Cobb vs. Etim is a classic wrestler vs. striker matchup.

Cobb took this fight on short notice after Justin Buchholz was forced to withdraw due to injury. Fortunately for the former amateur wrestling standout, Cobb was already slated to compete on Feb. 21 for the M-1 Challenge so he was in full training camp mode when he got the call to fight.

Etim possesses good kickboxing skills and has solid UFC wins over Sam Stout and Matt Grice. The latter win against Grice was against a fighter who has a similar style to Cobb. However, Cobb is good enough of a wrestler that he was considered a hopeful for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

I think he uses his wrestling to control Etim while grounding out a unanimous decision victory.

Heavyweight (206-265 lbs.):

Neil Grove (7-1) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (16-3)

I was on the Neil Grove bandwagon after the unknown strolled down wearing a Karate Gi in his Cage Rage debut in July of 2007 and shocked everyone with a 10-second knockout of James Thompson. However, since the big win, I’ve seen a few holes in his game, such as suspect cardio and not much of a ground game.

Ciesnolevicz is a former IFL veteran and the Miletich product has long been overlooked by the MMA media. A well-rounded fighter, Ciesnolevicz normally competes at light heavyweight but has yearned for a shot at the UFC for so long that he was not only willing to take the bout on short notice but also move up in weight class.

Grove is a big heavyweight and if he connects with a punch on Mike C. — who could be giving up as much as 30 pounds on fight night — it’s likely lights out. However, I believe that Ciesnolevicz is going to turn the fight into a mixed martial arts bout as opposed to a brawl and I think his veteran savvy will prove the difference here. I like Ciesnolevicz to take the fight into deep water and record a third round TKO against a gassed Grove.

Welterweight (170 lbs.):

Paul Kelly (7-1) vs. Troy Mandaloniz (3-1)

We haven’t seen “Rude Boy” since he TKO’d Richie Hightower during the live finale for the sixth season of TUF way back in December of 2007.

The UFC has hung onto him but he likely will need to impress in order to remain on the UFC roster. Mandaloniz is a hard hitter but not a well-rounded fighter.

He could have some trouble against Kelly, a solid prospect who trains with Michael Bisping out of the Wolfslair Academy. I expect the 7-1 Kelly to win via unanimous decision.

MMA is not a sport that offers accommodations for congeniality but if there was a Lady Byng Trophy in MMA, undefeated UFC Brazilian middleweight Demian Maia would be a leading contender.

Despite being one of the most skilled jiu-jitsu black belts in the world and being capable of ripping multiple limbs from the human body within seconds, Maia just happens to be one of the sport’s true gentlemen.

The classy Maia is set to return to the Octagon this Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, England at UFC 95. His calm temperament will once again be on display in a middleweight matchup against Chael Sonnen that is set to air as a part of Spike TV’s telecast in the U.S.

So how does Maia remain so even-keel in a sport that can at times be known for its ruthless aggression?

“I think my mentality comes from my belief in jit-jitsu,” Maia began to explain during an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com. “Jiu-jitsu is what I believe in because the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been founded on the mentality to get the victory without hurting yourself by controlling your opponent without hurting him too much.

“It’s about getting the submission instead of kicking and punching. For me, it’s the nicest way to win. It’s nice to win that way in a sport that is as aggressive as MMA. To be able to walk away with a victory without a scratch to me or my opponent, for me, it’s priceless.”

The 30-year old Sau Paulo native says that one of the reasons why he transitioned from competitive grappling to MMA was so that he could apply the principles of jiu-jitsu in an aggressive style of combat.

“I wanted to prove that you didn’t need to be a violent guy to win in an MMA competition,” he said. “You can use your technique and if you put on good technique then you can win very clean fights.”

But do not let Maia’s compassionate temperament fool you. While he may not be a savage warrior, he is a sportsman and a true competitor in every sense of the word. While he may not enjoy smashing an opponent’s face, he’ll do it if that’s what it takes to win.

“Of course I know I’m fighting MMA,” he began to answer when asked if his reservations for inflicting pain could come back to haunt him. “I know that I need to punch my opponent as hard as I can. I am fighting MMA and not in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If I can win without (punching my opponent), I prefer (that). But if I need to do (then I will). This is a sport and I am not here to be a nice guy, I am here to win.”

And win he has. Since joining the UFC, Maia is 4-0 with four submissions while competing for an organization he has dreamed of fighting for since watching Royce Gracie’s remarkable tournament victory at UFC 1 in 1993.

While Maia says he’s not in the UFC to be a nice guy, he’s exactly that. Which is why it was somewhat out of character when he called out Michael Bisping following his most recent victory over Nate Quarry at UFC 91 in November.

However, Maia was quick to point out to Five Ounces of Pain that he holds no animosity towards Bisping and was simply looking for a chance to serve opposite him as a head coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.

“The reason why I said I wanted to fight Bisping was because he was one of the guys picked to coach on The Ultimate Fighter,” Maia began to explain. “I heard that they needed another coach and that’s why I said his name. I actually didn’t want to fight him specifically. I just wanted to be a head coach on The Ultimate Fighter.”

Maia has accomplished a great deal in a short amount of time. However, there will be no shortage of challenges for him in the UFC’s middleweight division. Future clashes with Bisping and Henderson could be on the horizon and according to Maia, the 185 pound class in the UFC is about to get a major upgrade with occasional training partner Wanderlei Silva looking to drop down in weight.

“Yes, we’ve talked about (his move to middleweight),” Maia said of the legendary Brazilian star. “I think he’s just doing it for the experience and he may move back up after he does it. He wants to see how he looks (but) I don’t think he’s just going to fight at 185. He just wants to try it and see how it goes.”

While a fight against Wanderlei Silva unlikely due to their friendship, a fighter that goes by the same namesake could be next for Maia after Saturday.

“My next fight could be for a title shot if I win,” Maia responded when asked how soon he felt he might be in line to challenge for the UFC middleweight title that is currently held by Anderson Silva. “I hope so but it doesn’t depend on me, it depends on the UFC. But I want to fight for the title if I (defeat Sonnen).”

During a recent interview with the USA Today, Sonnen went on the record to state that Saturday’s fight between him and Maia will determine the UFC’s best middleweight. When asked how he felt about Sonnen’s proclamation, Maia expressed a more diplomatic tone.

“I think both of us could win against Anderson but I don’t think we are better than he is. I think he is the best fighter in the world. He’s a complete fighter; very good standup (and) good ground. He’s very good in all aspects… He’s just the best fighter in the world.”

As much respect as he has for Silva, Maia isn’t willing to concede victory.

“Even though he might be the best, I still think me or Chael can win against him because the type of game that we have. I think our grappling game can make a difference vs. Anderson.”

The WEC middleweight division may be no more, but Sonnen showed enough to convince Zuffa officials to give him a second chance to establish himself in the UFC.

When Sonnen faces Demian Maia at the O2 Arena in London, England this Saturday at UFC 95 (9 p.m. ET on SPIKE TV) it will commence his second tour of duty inside the Octagon. His first tenure ended in disappointment as the long-time Team Quest veteran was not re-signed by the UFC after going 1-2 from in bouts contested in 2005 and 2006.

In addition to losing to Renato Sobral at UFC 55 and Jeremy Horn at UFC 60, Sonnen’s lone win in the UFC — a unanimous decision victory over Trevor Prangley at UFC Fight Night 4 — was widely regarded as a boring encounter.

But Sonnen has gone 7-1 since leaving the UFC and finds himself in a position at UFC 95 where a win could put him in contention for a UFC middleweight title shot.

FIveOuncesOfPain.com recently had the opportunity to catch up with Sonnen as he made his final preparations for Saturday. During our conversation, we asked him to share his thoughts about his bizarre two-fight saga vs. Filho in the WEC as well as whether a win vs. Maia will be enough to guarantee a title shot.

Bryan Levick: You are now on your second tour of duty with the UFC. In between you have fought with both Bodog Fight as well as the WEC how would you compare fighting for those two organizations as opposed to fighting for the UFC?

Chael Sonnen: I don’t know how to compare them, I have had good experiences everywhere that I fought. Bodog was great but they are gone now so there isn’t a whole lot to discuss about them. The WEC is the same thing but it’s just a different acronym, the contract is with Zuffa and Dana White signs the checks. The rules are all the same. The people that you deal with are all the same and working for Zuffa is awesome. They are the leaders, the trailblazers they have been great and I can’t complain about anything.

BL: Paulo Fihlo had a lot of hype behind him coming into your first match-up do you feel as though he was overrated or he was he as good as the pundits made him out to be and simply had taken a few steps back?

CS: No I think Paulo is great he was ranked number four in the world for our first fight and #2 for our second fight. Paulo was great no one was able to beat prior or since. He still has a great record that includes some great wins.

BL: Did his management ever deliver the title to you as promised after you defeated him in your second fight?

CS: The title no, the physical belt yes. I do have the physical belt hanging up in my garage right now. He will still be recognized as the last WEC middleweight champion according to the commission.  It was a nice gesture by them and it’s a nice piece of hardware to have but the actual title does not belong to me.

BL: Do you see any similarities between Damian Maia and Paulo Fihlo?

CS: Well sure, they are both Brazilian, they are both jiu-jitsu black belts with competitive grappling backgrounds. There are some similarities right there, they are both cage fighters and neither of them have had to show a lot of stand-up but I am not convinced that’s because they don’t possess it they are just so good at what they prefer to do and they haven’t had to show it yet. I think there a lot of similarities there.

BL: Do you feel as though this fight is a must-win in order to maintain your spot on the UFC roster?

CS: For sure I think they all are imagine if I said the other way and that I could lose and my job would be safe that would be ridiculous. You need to win them all, is it a must win no probably not, I don’t think my job is in jeopardy but they are all important to win. I am not in this sport for any other reason than to be the champion. I am not in this to get famous or make money I am in it just specifically to be the world champion. For me they are all a must win I can’t afford to go backwards.

BL: How many fights are left on your current contract?

CS: I have four fights left.

BL: Is this under the same contract when you entered the WEC or is the a new contract?

CS: This is a new contract. I had one fight left with Zuffa. It may have one or two I am not sure. Joe Silva said let’s tear it up and do a fresh one right now. This will be the first fight of a new four fight contract.

BL: Has the UFC mentioned anything to you about fighting for the middleweight championship if you come out victorious against Maia?

CS: They have hinted at things and this match between Damian and I will certainly bring one of us a lot closer to a shot but there is nothing promised to me or insinuated. It has come up somewhere in this four fight deal I will meet Anderson Silva.

BL: Have you had to alter your training regiment because of the time difference over in the U.K.?

CS: No not at all I still practice every day at three.

BL: How long have you been training with Team Quest?

CS: I have been Team Quest even before it was called Team Quest. I started there in 1999 when it was just Randy Couture, Dan Henderson and I. It was just the three of us and we were wrestling. We were trying to make the 2000 Olympic team. Those two already had fighting backgrounds and were taking a year off to train just for the Olympics and I tagged along and got in with them. After 2000 we continued to train every day together but instead of training wrestling we began trained in MMA. I am not sure when Team Quest became the official name I believe it was created somewhere around 2002, maybe 2001. So I have been there since the beginning even prior to the inception of Team Quest.

BL: Matt Lindland is still an integral part of Team Quest I believe?

CS: That’s correct.

BL: How is he doing after his fight with Vitor Belfort?

CS: He is doing great. Physically his fine, I was in his corner that night and we went out to dinner immediately after he left the hospital that night. The reason I referenced dinner was because he was punched in the face and he could still chew. He was able to carry on a conversation and he didn’t have a swollen jaw. He didn’t any teeth knocked out or anything like that. He was just fine he just got hit really hard.

BL: You have fought a lot of big names throughout your career. Can you tell me who your toughest opponent was?

CS: I have had a lot of tough opponents. The toughest fight I was in was against a guy named Terry Martin from Chicago. Terry is a very good opponent and there were a few factors that made that fight very difficult. I can’t recall them all now because it was a number of years ago but I remember that was the toughest fight I have ever had.

BL: Who are some of the fighters that you really enjoy watching when get a chance to watch MMA?

CS: I always like to watch Randy fight, that’s probably a bit of a boring answer because most people probably say that. Randy is a lot of fun to watch. St. Pierre is the best fighter out there right now. I enjoy watching him compete. I enjoy watching Urijah Faber fight and I really enjoy watching my teammates fight like Matt Lindland and Dan Henderson. I like to watch Ed Herman compete. The fights I really like to watch are names that you probably wouldn’t recognize because they are amateurs. I really enjoy watching the guys who are just starting out. There looking to get in to the sport and are competing for all the right reasons, they don’t let money get involved. They are out there for the purity of the sport so the amateurs are my favorite guys to watch.

BL: Is there any fighters training with Team Quest now that you feel will be someone to watch out for in a couple of years?

CS: We have guys who are ready right this second they are just waiting for their chance. Aaron Stark is one of them. Two of the best kept secrets in the sport, one of them is a guy names Tyson Jeffries and the other is Nate Coy. We also have an undefeated fighter named David Jansen who I believe is 16-0 including his amateur record. I believe he just won his ninth pro fight last Friday (February 6th) in Atlantic City.

BL: What do you feel are your strengths?

CS: I really don’t know how to answer that question humbly. I have been competing my whole life since I was nine. I have learned to train properly and deal with adversity. I have fought injured, sick and tired. I have had a lot of those experiences. I don’t get rattled too easily, I would have to say that is my biggest strength. I know how to compete.

BL: What areas do you feel like you need to work on the most?

CS: I don’t know that I would want to reveal those. There is no one area where I am secure. There is no one area that I feel confident and I say I have this mastered. I need work and I do work on everything almost every single day.

BL: Now I realize you have Maia coming up and most fighters refuse to look past an opponent no matter how good they are or how inexperienced they may be but have you given any thoughts on who else you would like to fight in the UFC’s middleweight division?

CS: There sure is and I will gladly answer that question for you the evening of the 21st, but right now I have to keep my mind focused on Demian Maia. He presents a lot of problems and I am still working on some of those in my mind trying to figure out how I am going to deal with him. There are a few guys under contract that I have a moral obligation to beat up. Zuffa has a few thugs under contract that I would like to help them get rid off but first things first Demian Maia next Saturday.

BL: Do you have any final messages for your fans or sponsors you would like to thank?

CS: I would like to thank you for taking the time out to interview me I appreciate you thinking of me.

UFC 95 will emanate from the O2 Arena in London, England and will air in the U.S. on a tape-delay basis starting at 9 p.m. ET. The event will feature season one middleweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter Diego Sanchez taking on season two welterweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter Joe Stevenson.

For Sanchez, the fight will mark his debut as a lightweight. During a conference call last week he revealed that the cut to 155 pounds has been tough for him and that the move down in weight will not be permanent. However, he expressed that he has his sights set on fights with Kenny Florian, Sean Sherk, and eventually current UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn.

He’ll be taking on Stevenson, who is looking to bounce back after consecutive losses to Sherk and Florian. A win over Sanchez puts the young veteran in a position to begin his climb back to the top of the lightweight ladded.

The complete lineup for UFC 95 is as follows:

Main Card Bouts (Spike TV telecast) -

• Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson
• Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago
• Nathan Marquardt vs. Wilson Gouveia
• Chael Sonnen vs. Demian Maia
• Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham

Non-televised Preliminary Bouts -

• Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve
• Evan Dunham vs. Per Eklund
• Brian Cobb vs. Terry Etim
• Neil Grove vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz
• Paul Kelly vs. Troy Mandaloniz

• Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson
• Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago
• Nathan Marquardt vs. Wilson Gouveia
• Chael Sonnen vs. Demian Maia
• Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham

Non-televised Preliminary Bouts -

• Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve
• Evan Dunham vs. Per Eklund
• Brian Cobb vs. Terry Etim
• Neil Grove vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz
• Paul Kelly vs. Troy Mandaloniz

Joe Stevenson Interview:

Deigo Sanchez Interview:

However, at UFC 95 on Feb. 21 in London, England, that will no longer be the case.

In an exclusive interview with FiveOuncesOfPain.com, Cobb confirmed a previous Sherdog.com report stating that he has been tapped to replace Justin Buchholz next week in a non-televised lightweight preliminary bout against Terry Etim.

“I got a call right around 3 (p.m. PT on Thursday) from Urijah Faber saying Justin Buchholz has a staph infection in his knee and that he was going to pull out (and he) asked if I had a valid passport. I said ‘yeah” and he said ‘Do you want to fight in the UFC?’ And I said ‘Yes!’ and the next thing I knew my manager and agent were calling me left and right. I went through a whirlwind of paper work and made sure my all my physicals and blood work up to date… It all began around 3 o’clock and didn’t end until around 12:30 last night.”

Away from the cage, the 28-year old has a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Kinesiology (the study of the body and human movement) from Cal State-Bakersfield. As a fighter, Cobb has accumulated an impressive 18-4 record during his four and half year MMA career and holds notable wins over M-1 Challenge veteran David Gardner and former UFC lightweight competitor Diego Saraiva.

Currently the Palace Fighting Championship’s lightweight champion, Cobb also indicated to Five Ounces of Pain that in addition to signing a bout agreement for UFC 95, he has also inked a four fight contract with the organization.

For Cobb, the call to the big leagues is a dream come true.

“It’s awesome,” he responded when asked about how landing a contract with the UFC felt. “My camp and I have been talking for the last year now about taking on better opponents so that we could make the jump to the UFC… It’s been a lot of hard work. I worked really hard when I was in wrestling in college but now I have to work hard on wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and striking. I’ve just really put my life into it.”

Previously slated to fight on Feb. 21 in Seattle in the 2009 season opener of the M-1 Challenge, Cobb is currently set to finish a training camp up on Sunday. Scheduled to leave for the U.K. on Monday, Cobb indicated that he is prepared for Etim in spite of the short notice.

“I was supposed to fight on the M-1 card and more or less it’s the same exact scouting report I had for my other opponent,” said Cobb. “I’m traditionally a wrestler and I know he’s got a good submission game since nine of his 11 wins are by submission. He’s also traditionally a kickboxer so he poses a threat everywhere. I just need to be smart about it and put him outside of his comfort zone and use my cardio as an advantage.”

The event features The Ultimate Fighter champions Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez (Season 1) making his debut in the lightweight division, and Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (Season 2).

The event will air on SPIKE TV and will emanate live from the O2 Arena in London, England on Saturday, February 21.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com live blogged the conference call. Below is our minute-by-minute recap.

12:54 p.m. – We’re on hold and listening to some great elevator music. Feel free to chat away in the comment thread while we wait to get started.

12:58 p.m. – Leave a comment and let me know that you’re out there!

1:01 p.m. — The operator came on and said we’re waiting for additional participants.

1:09 p.m. – Still on hold. Conference calls starting late is nothing abnormal though.

1:13 p.m. — We’re starting without Diego (possible cell phone issues). But Joe Daddy is in the house!

1:15 p.m. — Joe says he feels great coming into this fight. Said that he’s hit a turning point in his camp where he’s excelling emotionally and spiritually. He said he was upset at all the comments on the Internet with his last fight and in a bad mood heading into the bout but that he’s avoided the Internet this time around.

1:16 p.m. – Joe says that Diego is a true professional and he doesn’t think his first cut to lightweight will be a factor.

1:17 p.m. – Diego is now in the house.

1:18 p.m. — Diego apologizes for being late. He said he was late because he’s working on his cut. Said he was 193 lbs. on Christmas Eve and has dropped about 30 pounds. Said he wanted to make the cut because it’s a challenge and that losing the last few pounds has been tough.

1:19 p.m. – Diego said cutting carbs out of his diet has been tough but that he hasn’t had to cut water out and as such, he’s feeling strong.

1:20 p.m. – Diego says he’s been training in the high altitudes of Lake Tahoe since January 4. Brought his jiu-jitsu coaches out for the camp and said that Jake Shields also helped him. He mentioned that Joey Gilbert and Jacare also helped him out.

1:21 p.m. — Diego doesn’t think he’s going to be a lightweight permanently. Believes that since he’s young that now is the time to make the cut because when he gets older, it might not be an option. Says he’s been told once he hit his 30s that cutting weight gets much tougher.

1:22 p.m. – Diego said he’s not looking past Joe but that he’d like a fight vs. B.J. Penn. He believes it will be a huge fight and that it’s something the fans will get excited about.

1:24 p.m. – Joe says he rooted for Diego while watching TUF 1. Says he knows Diego from King of the Cage. Also said the two know each other from doing press appearances together. Joe also said that some people get him confused with Diego Sanchez.

1:25 p.m. — Diego’s phone is dying and he is calling in on another phone.

1:26 p.m. — Diego said he watched Joe on season two and that he’s a fan. He said he knew Joe was going to win season two. Said he really likes Joe and it’s not really a fight he wanted. Said he’d rather hit someone in the face that he doesn’t like.

1:28 p.m. – Diego is talking about traveling overseas for a fight for the first time. Said he doesn’t want to over-analyze things and just wants to focus on the fight. He mentioned that he heard the food sucks in the U.K. and Joe laughed. From personal experience, I can tell you the food has gotten a lot better over the years. The Indian and Japanese food is especially good since both countries were former British Commonwealths.

1:30 p.m. — Joe has said he’s moved away from Vegas since the lost to Penn. Wanted to get away from temptations. Says he no longer drinks. Said that his 8-year old son asked him for Christmas to stop chewing (Tobacco) and that he granted his son’s wish.

1:32 p.m. — Joe is asked about pre-fight nutrition. Says he’s at about 2,200-2,400 calories a day. No simple carbs. Complex carbs. Mainly proteins. Limited sugar intake. No more than 30 grams of fat a day. After the workout, he has a recovery drink. Says the day of a weight cut that he cuts 8-9 pounds of water but still eats breakfast that days.

1:34 p.m. – Diego says he starting “supplementing” in high school. He said he’s experimented with all kinds of diets. Said on TUF 1 he would eat rice krispies treats every night and well done red meat because he was told to do that. Says he’s worked with Oscar De La Hoya’s nutritionist since then and eats better. Said the diet was fine for 170 but that he had to change to make 155 and cut even more fats out. Said he’s only eating small meals because he can only take in 1,100 calories a day. Eats a lot of fish and avoids eating a few hours before bed.

1:37 p.m. – Joe asked Diego if still he uses the “Magic Bullet” blender and Diego laughs and said he has a real blender now. Diego says he’s doing the whole “organic” thing now and that he just tries to eat clean.

1:38 p.m. – Joe is asked about a matchup between past opponents Kenny Florian and B.J. Penn and he said he believes Penn wins that. Said he had a facial cut leading up to the Florian fight and it limited his training and that he couldn’t work his wrestling or spar. Joe wants another shot at Kenny.

1:40 p.m. — Diego weighs in on Penn vs. Florian. He said before the St. Pierre fight that he would have picked B.J. but that after watching the fight, he thinks it’s a bad time for B.J. to be fighting. Said if B.J. couldn’t have better cardio for the biggest fight of the life, that there are issues there. Said it’s a bad time for B.J. to fight Florian and that if Florian can take the fight deep that he will win.

1:42 p.m. – Fighters are asked about their heroes in MMA and who they like to watch. Joe said Dan Henderson. Diego prefaces his response by apologizing to Dana White and said for him, it’s Fedor Emelianenko. Said he doesn’t even know if he’s human. Said he has no emotion in his fights and respects how he comes into fights wearing “the cross” and “honors the lord” after the fight. Said he also looks up to Anderson Silva but that he sees holes in Silva’s game.

1:44 p.m. – Joe also said he looks up to Fedor.

1:50 p.m. — Joe said he usually walks around at 174 lbs. Joe said he loves Vanilla wafers but can’t eat them until after he weighs in. Diego said he’s had to deprive himself from a lot of food but that he likes the kind of shape he’s in and said after the fight he plans to keep himself at check. Said he craves pizza the most when he’s cutting weight. Diego is asked about drinking and said he doesn’t drink too much these days. Said he used to party a lot and that it really set him back in his career.

1:52 p.m. – Diego said after the fight that he’s planning a trip to the Napa Valley and plans to do some wine tasting.

1:56 p.m. –Diego said he’s not worried about the big weight cut having a negative effect. Said he’s kept his strength up.

1:58 p.m. — Joe said he usually weighs 170 lbs. in the morning and then weighs 165 lbs. after his workout. Diego said right now he’s 167 in the morning and weighed 162.8 after last night’s workout. Diego said he believes he’s pretty close to striking distance for his final weight before the cut.

2:00 p.m. – The fighters are asked about the GSP “greasing” incident. Diego said he knows Greg Jackson and knows he would never intentionally cheat. However, he said they did it and even though it was by accident, they shouldn’t have put the Vaseline on his body. Joe mentioned that they should do a third fight and that maybe B.J. should focus on coming in lighter next time and try to be quicker and faster. Diego said he sees no reason for a third fight between B.J. and GSP because it’s going to be the same outcome.

2:01 p.m. — Joe says by fighting since such a young age that he feels like he’s 47 even though he’s only 26. Says it hurts when he wakes up sometimes but that with the right training and proper nutrition there’s no reason why he can’t get properly prepared for his fights. Asked about retirement and Joe said he’s going “to ride this car until the wheels come off.”

2:04 p.m. – Diego says that despite having competed since a young age as well that he feels his age (27) in spite of all the wear and tear.

2:05 p.m. – Joe told Diego “G-d Bless” and Diego also had nice sentiments for Joe as well. These two guys really respect and like each other. Joe also congratulated Diego on “the baby.” That concludes our call. Hope you enjoyed the blog.

MMA Weekly was first to report the news and FiveOuncesOfPain.com has since confirmed the story with sources close to both fighters.

UFC 95 in scheduled for Saturday, February 21 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The debuting Grove had been scheduled to fight Justin McCully but McCully has been forced to withdraw due to injury.

A former light heavyweight title challenger in the IFL, Ciesnolevicz will move up to heavyweight in order to replace McCully on short notice. A five-year veteran of the sport, the six foot Ciesnolevicz has accumulated a 16-3 record and holds notable wins in his career over Alex Schoenauer, Aaron Stark, and Brent Beauparlant.

His opponent, Grove, is 6-1 and comes from a background in Karate. The 6’6” behemoth might be best known for his 10 second knockout victory over James Thompson during his Cage Rage debut in July of 2007. The win was considered to be an upset at the time, as Grove was signed to the card as a last-minute replacement and he had fought just two times prior.

Following the Thompson victory, Grove would go on to win his next two bouts via first round stoppages, improving to 5-0. However, he suffered the first blemish on his record following a decision loss to Rob Broughton at Cage Rage 25. Grove would rebound at Cage Rage 27 this past July, where he recorded his second career TKO victory over Robert “Buzz” Berry.

UFC 95 will be televised on Spike TV and feature main card matchups involving Diego Sanchez taking on Joe Stevenson in Sanchez’s debut at lightweight; Josh Koscheck squaring off with the debuting Paulo Thiago; middleweights Nathan Marquardt and Wilson Gouveia going head-to-head; Demian Maia putting his undefeated record on the line again Chael Sonnen; and welterweights Dan Hardy and Rory Markham in action against each other as well.

The non-televised undercard will feature Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve, David Baron vs. Per Eklund, Shannon Gugerty vs. Jeff Lawson, Justin Buchholz vs. Terry Etim, and Paul Kelly vs. Troy Mandaloniz in addition to Ciesnolevicz vs. Grove.

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.

MMAjunkie.com was the first to report the news on Wednesday.

Kelly is 7-1 and trains with Michael Bisping and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at the Wolfslair Academy in England. UFC 95 will serve as the third time Kelly has fought in the Octagon with his record in his previous two fights standing at 1-1.

Kelly made his UFC debut at UFC 80 last January, where he defeated Paul Taylor via unanimous decision in a fight that earned the promotion’s “Fight Night” bonus for “Fight of the Night.” The Englishman returned at UFC 89 this past October and submitted to a guillotine choke by Marcus Davis at 2:16 of round 2.

Mandaloniz, a native of Hilo, Hawaii has trained in the past with B.J. Penn and now currently trains with TUF 3 middleweight winner Kendall Grove.

The bout vs. Kelly at UFC 95 will mark the first time Mandaloniz has fought since December 8, 2007. Facing Richie Hightower during the live finale for TUF 6, the 29-year old improved to 3-1 following a first round TKO.

Other reported matchups for UFC 95 include Joe Stevenson vs. Diego Sanchez, Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago, Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen, Nathan Marquardt vs. Wilson Gouveia, Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham, Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve, Shannon Gugerty vs. Jeff Lawson, and Justin Buchholz vs. Terry Etim.