Both men competing in the night’s main event, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans, were tested and the results came back as negative.

Other fighters who’s tests came back clean on fight night were George Roop, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, Krysztof Soszynski, Kyle Bradley, Brock Larson, Frankie Edgar, Chael Sonnen, and Matt Hughes.

Evans suffered a brutal knockout loss to Lyoto Machida. He has been suspended from having contact until July 8 for precautionary reasons, which is customary when a fighter suffers a knockout loss.

Two of the recommended suspensions can end immediately following a doctor’s clearance. Drew McFedries (right wrist) and Kyle Bradley (right hand) must have X-rays and if their doctors give them the OK, they will be cleared to fight right away. If not, each fighter is suspended until December 10.

The full list of the NSAC’s medical suspensions is listed below:

*Rashad Evans is suspended until July 23 with no contact until July 8 for precautionary reasons.

*Drew McFedries must have his right wrist X-rayed and cleared by an orthopedic doctor. Otherwise, he’s suspended until Dec. 10.

*Xavier Foupa-Pokam is suspended until July 8 with no contact until June 23 for precautionary reasons.

*Sean Sherk is suspended until July 8 with no contact until June 23 for precautionary reasons.

*Patrick Barry must have his right foot X-rayed and cleared by a doctor. Otherwise, he’s suspended until Dec. 10. Even if cleared, he has a minimum suspension until June 23 with no contact until June 14 because of the injured foot.

*Phillipe Nover is suspended until June 23 with no contact until June 14 for precautionary reasons.

*Kyle Bradley must have his right hand X-rayed and cleared by a doctor. Otherwise, he’s suspended until Dec. 10.

*Andre Gusmao is suspended until July 23 with no contact until July 8 for precautionary reasons.

*Dave Kaplan is suspended until June 23 with no contact until June 14 due to a nose laceration.

According to NSAC figures, the event brought in a live gate of approximately $3.4 Million and dished out $957,000 in payroll.

Individual payouts were as follows:

Lyoto Machida – $200,000 (includes $60,000 “Knockout of the Night” bonus)

Rashad Evans – $200,000

Matt Hughes – $260,000 (includes $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus)

Matt Serra – $135,000 (includes $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus)

Drew McFedries – $34,000

Xavier Foupa-Pokam – $6,000

Chael Sonnen – $50,000

Dan Miller – $15,000

Frankie Edgar – $40,000

Sean Sherk – $40,000

Brock Larson – $102,000 (includes $60,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus)

Mike Pyle – $15,000

Tim Hague – $10,000

Pat Barry – $7,000

Kyle Bradley – $8,000

Phillipe Nover – $10,000

Krzystof Soszynski – $16,000

Andrew Gusmao – $5,000

Yoshiyuki Yoshida – $16,000

Brandon Wolff – $3,000

George Roop – $16,000

Dave Kaplan – $8,000

The bonus amounts and recipients were made public last night during the events post-fight press conference.

Lyoto Machida was awarded with “Knockout of the Night” honors for his dismantling of Rashad Evans, Matt Hughes and Matt Serra both earned bonuses for their three round battle and Brock Larson‘s submission over Mike Pyle put some extra cash in his pocket.

Larson’s arm-triangle over Pyle was a little flashier in the minds of the UFC than Pat Hague‘s guillotine of Pat Barry or Yoshiyuki Yoshida‘s guillotine over Brandon Wolff, awarding Larson with the much sought after “Submission of the Night” bonus check.

Hughes and Serra’s grudge match lived up to it’s hype in the eyes and minds of the UFC, rewarding both with “Fight of the Night” honors. Hughes survived being wobbled by an inadvertent headbutt in the first to come back strong, winning the second and third rounds with strong takedowns and top control.

Machidas electrifying knockout of Evans not only earned the Brazilian the UFC light heavyweight championship, but he also came away with a cool $60,000 for his troubles.

It’s been a long time coming for the brilliant tactician in Machida. Having watched his very first UFC at the age of 15, he worked hard incorporating jiu-jitsu and other fighting elements in with his Machida karate to create to unsolvable style he employs with tremendous success today.

“I have said before that this is a chess game. I study and I study, and I waited on what he wanted to do,” Machida was quoted as saying in a post-fight interview with UFC.com immediately following his championship victory over Evans.

Nothing was ever given to Machida. Everything he has earned in mixed martial arts, the accolades, the praise, the victories and the UFC light heavyweight championship have come to Lyoto the old fashioned way, from years of blood, sweat and tears.

“I believed all the time, all the time. Training every day hard. I cried, I trained, and now I am the champion,” said a teary eyed Machida.

The evolving process is far from over for the undefeated 205 pound champion. The win over Rashad just marks a new chapter in the constantly unfolding story of “The Dragon”.

“I am very, very happy and I will train more to keep my belt for a long time,” said the new king of the light heavyweight division.

Both Fedor Emelianenko and Lyoto Machida have earned their reputations as two of the best fighters in the planet by defeating the best competition the world has brought before them. Neither has suffered a legitimate defeat in their battle tested careers (outside of Fedor’s bogus loss due to a cut suffered to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in 2000 which he avenged with a wicked beating in 2005). These are the obvious comparisons.

Another thing that jumps out about both of these fighting gentlemen is the fact that you will likely see neither throwing up their middle fingers or dropping F-bombs anytime in their respective careers. As a matter of fact I have never once heard Fedor mumble the expression “Otebis”, or Lyoto being quoted as saying “Va’ se foder!” during any of the interviews I have seen.

Machida and Fedor could both truly be seen as ambassadors to the sport with their quiet and respectful demeanor outside of the cage. Even upon entering the ring both are extremely familiar in the way that they seem to be somewhere else far away mentally, in their happy place, with their power animal.

Style-wise they couldn’t be any more different though. Machida is the least hit fighter in the history of the UFC, he employs an elusive counter striking style on a level that has never before been seen in mixed martial arts, while Fedor is more of a man-bear. Sure Fedor doesn’t make it a habit to block punches with his jaw by any stretch of the imagination but he has long been known for utilizing a more aggressive overpowering style where he simply imposes his will and superior technique on his victims.

From an age perspective both men are similar with Fedor being 32 years of age while Machida is just 30. Either fighter could choose to remain active for another 5-10 years safely based on their styles of fighting combined with a mutual ability to avoid punishment.

However, Fedor is much older as far as ring time is concerned. He began his professional fighting career in May of 2000 and Lyoto got things started in May of 2003. Fedor has more than doubled the Brazilian’s time in the ring competing in 32 professional matches compared to Machida’s 15.

Let’s just be real for a second. Emelianenko has been considered the best in the game for quite some time now and we need to seriously start to consider how much longer we will have the opportunity to watch the legendary Sambo expert wreak havoc on the heavyweight division. The man is filthy rich in Russia, living the good life. I’m sure that money isn’t everything to a champion as proud as Fedor, but realistically, what’s left for “The Baddest Man on the Planet” to prove to himself or the sport for that matter. I think we’re going to have the heavyweight king for another two or three bouts max, and this is the point where Machida will very likely assume the role as the mystical, unbeatable champion.

Even though Lyoto accomplished what is considered to be the pinnacle of fighting when he knocked out Rashad Evans to capture the UFC’s light heavyweight championship last evening, something tells me that he is far from done evolving and proving what he has set out to prove in this sport before he considers stepping away.

Many are waiting for someone to figure out the riddle that is Machida’s impenetrable fighting style, unfortunately for the rest of the men that plan on competing at 205 pounds, the answer to that riddle may take longer to solve than previously expected.

I invited a few people over and the usual suspects found excuses as the time approached to not be able to make it but I was able to get two people to stick to the invite and give the card a shot. I preached long and hard about the potential blockbuster main event and how I believed the critics would be wrong and it would produce fireworks. I sold them on the exciting potential of the lightweight clash between Frankie Edgar and Sean Sherk. Being from Long Island I didn’t have to sell long and hard about the animosity between NY native Matt Serra and future UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes.

Before the show started I scored some points by putting on UFC Undisputed 2009 and allowing my four year old son to school my two 30 something year old friends inside the virtual octagon. I have to say the realistic nature of the game got everyone instantly pumped for some hard hitting mixed martial arts action. Even my wife was asking questions.

At 9:30 the UFC showed why they are the leader in the industry by previewing the fights, specifically the light heavyweight title bout between Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida and the grudge match two years in the making between Matt Serra and Matt Hughes. They do a fantastic job of getting you excited.

I must tell you that the two people I had over aren’t noobs to the sport. In fact one of them even attended UFC 94, but they aren’t normally the type to sit for three hours thoroughly involved in what’s going on. They find reasons to get distracted and take way too many smoke breaks. They know who the combatants are but they needed some refresher courses on what each fighter has been up to and who they last fought. Of course I don’t mind telling them in explicit detail as I feel as though that is my job. As the card is about to start we score again as both my children have fallen asleep.

The Edgar vs. Sherk bout was a good choice for openers. I went over each fighter’s qualities focusing on their wrestling backgrounds. I explained that while Sherk was the more experienced and the stronger of the two he has shown a penchant for keeping his fights standing recently and was content on turning his fights into a kickboxing match. I further explained that I felt that Edgar was at a severe disadvantage in size and would be better suited at 145 pounds in the WEC. Boy was I wrong and I am more than happy to admit that as Edgar fought a perfect fight and made the fight look easy. Now these two are excited as the underdog won and did so in outstanding fashion.

Up next was Chael Sonnen vs. Dan Miller and I explained to them the virtues of both fighters. Miller, the New Jersey native who possesses outstanding submission skills who had won his last ten decisions against Sonnen, the uncrowned WEC middleweight champion who was a strong Greco-Roman wrestler. Neither one of them was familiar with either fighter and I told them that Miller would come out on top due to Sonnen’s inability to stay out of danger when it comes to being submitted. While Miller was able to put a scare into Sonnen on a few occasions Sonnen stuck to a solid plan and ground and pounded his way to a win. There were some ooh’s and aah’s whenever Sonnen landed some of those vicious elbows and punches to the fallen Miller.

Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam was over before it started and one of my friends based upon the highlight reel shown before ths start of the bout correctly proclaimed that McFedries would deliver a devastating 1st round knockout. Although both men were impressed with Foupa-Pokam’s knees shown in his highlights neither man thought he had enough to stand a chance against McFedries and they both were right. The Miletich student showed why the UFC keeps him around due to his put it all on the line go for broke style.

Fast forward to Hughes vs. Serra as we took a break during the Soszynski-Gusmao bout but we came back in just in time to see the devastating finish. Even after the knockout delivered by The Polish Experiment I was unable to sell either man on his abilities even though I was more than clear that he was not going to ever be a championship contender. The pre-fight hype leading up to the Hughes-Serra bout was fantastic and once again had us sitting on the edge of the couches waiting in anticipation for the bout to begin. I can’t say that we were disappointed in the fight but we were less than enthused watching Hughes lay on top of Serra for the majority of the second round while inflicting little damage. The first round and third rounds had some exciting moments but the fight fell short of the fireworks we were waiting for.

At last it’s main event time and thankfully one of my friends knew a lot about both Machida and Evans. The three of us were in agreement that Machida was the favorite and that Evans was in for a long night. I explained to them that based upon the way Evans came out on his walk to the cage and his ridiculous dancing once inside the octagon that he looked to be nervous and was trying to hide that fact. Meanwhile Machida was looking strong, confident and stoic. The first two minutes left a lot to be desired as both men were waiting for the other to engage. Then like a bat out of hell the fireworks began as Machida did what no one else has been able to do and figured out the Rashad Evans puzzle. He was landing his shots at will and was not wasting any unnecessary energy all the while never putting himself in danger.

Watching Machida work was just what I needed to turn two more than casual fans into what I believe to be hardcore dedicated fans last night. By the time Evans was sent crashing to the canvas Machida and the UFC had two more fans that asked me if there were any spots left in the suite that I was going to be in at UFC 101.

What a night, knockouts, some strong submissions and a couple of upsets. Yes there were two undercard fights left but by that time we were heavily involved in conversation about who would give Machida his toughest test. I also explained to them that we would now get to see Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 leading to a bout between the two after the show was completed.

So spending $49.95 last night not only meant that I could share the joy that is the UFC not just for this particular card but for future shows as well. Most of my friends are stubborn and content with baseball, football or whatever sport they are watching in a particular season. I have tried to convert a few of them but they are set in their ways and too lazy to invest the time to get to know these great athletes. They obviously do not know what they are missing. Last night the two friends that took the time to watch and ask questions went home in awe and eagerly anticipating next month’s UFC 99. I can mark down two more for that show and all other shows from here on in beginning with Strikeforce card featuring Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields in June.

The night featured some actioned packed brawls, surprising finishes and vicious knockouts.

Come along as we take a closer look at some of the key match-ups from UFC 98.

Sean “Muscle Shark” Sherk (33-3-1) vs. Frank “The Answer” Edgar (9-1-0)

Edgar came out aggressive and looked quicker and more comfortable with his 5-inch reach advantage. Edgar seemed more than happy to stand and exchange with Sherk early on and it worked as he hurt the Muscle Shark with combinations and leg kicks. Sherk attempted a leg kick in Round 1 but Edgar caught him and took him to the ground but was unsuccessful in a guillotine attempt. I gave the first round to Edgar pretty easily.

Sherk continued to stand with Edgar in Round 2, which surprised me given his wrestling background. Edgar’s quickness on his feet really gave Sherk problems, yet the Shark refused to try and take the fight to the ground. You could tell Edgar was gaining more and more confidence as the fight moved on. Sherk looked like the older fighter, as he was always the second guy to get off. Another easy round for Edgar, as he just picked Sherk apart.

Sherkfinally took Edgar down early in Round 3 but Edgar got right back up to his feet, avoiding any damage. Sherk tried another takedown but failed and Edgar made him pay with a couple of shots to the head. The round ended with Edgar almost getting Sherk in a guillotine as the bell sounded. A tough round to score but I gave it to Edgar.

I saw the fight 30-27 Edgar and all three judges scored it the same way.

I didn’t get Sherk’s gameplan at all. I know Edgar is a great wrestler but so is Sherk and with Edgar being the younger, quicker fighter, it didn’t make a lot of sense for Sherk to stand with him for three rounds. Sherk certainly looked every bit of 35 years old, while it was another very impressive win for Edgar, as he positions himself for a lightweight title shot.

Winner: Frank Edgar by unanimous decision

Dan Miller (11-1-0) vs. Chael Sonnen (21-10-1)

Sonnen took down Miller early but got himself caught in a tight guillotine. Luckily for Sonnen, Miller had to release it. For the rest of the round, Sonnen performed some impressive ground and pound on Miller. It was a round full of fists, forearms and elbows for Miller. Other than the early mistake, it was a dominating round for Sonnen.

The exact same thing happened in Round 2. Sonnen took Miller down, got caught in a guillotine but Miller couldn’t hold it. Then, it was back to the ground and pound for Sonnen. Miller used up all of his energy trying to fend off Sonnen’s attack. Miller got Sonnen in an arm bar but couldn’t hold him. Another one-sided round for Sonnen.

Heading into Round 3, Miller knew he needed a stoppage of some kind after getting dominated in the first two rounds. The problem for Miller was he had nothing left in the tank. Early in the third, Sonnen took Miller down once again and it was game, set match.

I –and anyone else with eyes – scored the fight 30-27. An easy unanimous decision win for Sonnen.

What a dominating performance for Sonnen. If someone wants to teach a young fighter how to master an opponent with ground-and-pound, throw in the tape of this fight. Miller had won nine straight coming into this fight but Sonnen made him look like an amateur. Sonnen was a late replacement for this fight and it looks like someone forgot to tell Dan Miller.

Winner: Chael Sonnen by unanimous decision

Drew “The Massacre” McFedries (7-5-0) vs. Xavier “The Professor X” Foupa-Pokam (20-10-0)

This will be the easiest analysis I ever do. McFedries came in, connected with a crushing right hand, pounced on Foupa-Pokam and the fight was stopped. Drew McFedries by TKO in 37 seconds but the fight was essentially over in 10 seconds. Everyone figured this fight was going to end early; I just wish it lasted a little longer than 37 seconds.

Winner: Drew McFedries by 1st round TKO

Matt Hughes (42-7-0) vs. Matt “The Terror” Serra (9-5-0)

Hughes came into the ring and looked in tremendous shape, which I took right away to be a bad sign for Serra. I was wrong early as Hughes got stunned with a head to the jaw and then ate a couple of right hands. Hughes, the pro that he is, was able to recover and slow the fight back down. Hughes took Serra down and attempted a rear naked choke but Serra displayed great defense and was able to get a reversal. A good round of action that clearly went to Serra.

Hughes took Serra down again early in Round 2 but Serra once again showed strong defense. Hughes wasn’t doing any really damage on the ground but he was controlling Serra and dominating the round. Not a very exciting round at all but a big round for Hughes because he was able to regain his composure and win it easily.

I had the fight dead even heading into Round 3, so this was for all the marbles on my card, and I imagine most other peoples. Hughes hit Serra with a stiff right and took him down to the mat. Hughes held full guard and went to work. Serra tried some submission attempts from the bottom but Hughes fought them off. Not much action at all and the referee finally stood the fighters up. Serra took Hughes down late and did some damage. Tough round to score but I gave it to Hughes by a hair

I scored the fight a 29-28 win for Matt Hughes. The judges scored it a 29-28 unanimous decision for Hughes.

The fight ended up being what most of us were afraid it would be: kind of boring. When the most exciting moment of the fight comes from a head shot to the jaw, that’s not exactly what you are looking for. Even though Hughes won, I hope he retires. The old Hughes would have ended this fight much sooner. Serra is a good guy and in my opinion, he would make an excellent announcer. Both fighters have been great for the UFC and Hughes is an all-time great. However, I can go without ever seeing either guy fight again to be honest. Any top contender would most likely knock them out at this stage in their career.

Winner: Matt Hughes by unanimous decision

“Sugar” Rashad Evans (13-0-1) vs. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (14-0-0)

The fight went almost two minutes without either fighter doing anything before Machida connected with a head kick. Evans looked really tentative early on and wouldn’t let his hands go. Machida hurt Evans badly with a kick to the body followed by a straight left that floored the champ and almost ended the fight. Evans was able to recover and finish out the round but a huge opening stanza for Machida.

Round 2 began and Evans looked even more confused than he did when the fight started. Machida saw an opening but Evans countered and just missed a big uppercut. Evans looked like he was beginning to tire, while Machida was still very calm and cool. Big uppercut by Machida rocks Evans. Machida goes in for the kill. Evans is out on his feet. Say goodnight and hello to the new light heavyweight champion.

We are seeing a new kind of animal with Lyoto Machida. I don’t know how anyone fighting right now is going to beat this guy. Forget about beating him, first someone just has to hurt him. His fighting style is a thing of beauty. As a fight fan, I feel honored just to be able to watch him perform. He toyed with Evans tonight. Think about that. He absolutely destroyed the unbeaten light heavyweight champion of the world without breaking a sweat.

I picked Machida to win this fight by decision so I’m not surprised he won. I know how good of a fighter he is but he is so good right now it’s scary. But that’s why MMA is the best sport in the world. There is always a Matt Serra waiting to knock out a GSP, so no matter how dominant Machida looks, anything can happen inside the octagon. Anyway, Lyoto Machida is a very deserving champion and I don’t see him giving up that belt anytime soon.

Winner: Lyoto Machida by 2nd round TKO

A full list of the results from UFC 98 are listed below:

Lyoto Machida def. Rashad Evans via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 3:57

Matt Hughes def. Matt Serra via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Drew McFedries def. Xavier Foupa-Pokam via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:37

Chael Sonnen def. Dan Miller via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Frankie Edgar def. Sean Sherk via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Brock Larson def. Mike Pyle via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 3:06

Tim Hague def. Pat Barry via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:43

Kyle Bradley def. Phillipe Nover via TKO (strikes) Round 1, 1:03

Krzysztof Soszynski def. Andre Gusmao via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 3:17

Yoshiyuki Yoshida def. Brandon Wolffvia submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 2:24

George Roop def. Dave Kaplan via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 30-27)

Headlined by a UFC light heavyweight title bout between champion Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida UFC 98 will air tomorrow night at 10pm on pay-per-view.

In the co-main event two former welterweight champions will meet in a bout that has been two years in the making. Matt Serra will finally get it on with Matt Hughes. They were originally scheduled to fight back in December of 2007 at UFC 79 when Serra was still UFC welterweight champion.

As noted earlier here on FiveOuncesOfPain.com, Mike Pyle has stepped in for Chris Wilson and will face Brock Larson in a welterweight bout.

Pyle did not weigh in during the official weigh-ins and when he did, he came in at 172. It was ruled that Pyle would proceed without penalty as he took the fight with little time to prepare.

Here are the full results of the weigh-ins held earlier today.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans (205) vs. Lyoto Machida (204)
Matt Hughes (170) vs. Matt Serra (171)
Chael Sonnen (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
Sean Sherk (156) vs. Frank Edgar (155)
Xavier Foupas-Pokam (186) vs. Drew McFedries (185)
Brock Larson (171) vs. Mike Pyle (172)
Tim Hague (263) vs. Patrick Barry (237)
Phillipe Nover (156) vs. Kyle Bradley (156)
Andre Gusmao (206) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (206)
Yoshiyuki Yoshida (171) vs. Brandon Wolff (170)
Dave Kaplan (156) vs. George Roop (154)

Yes folks I am talking about Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and “Sugar” Rashad Evans, this fight is what championships are all about. Not very often if ever do you get to see two fighters both unbeaten compete for a belt, it is a rarity especially in an organization such as the UFC known for having the highest level of competition.

Evans is a fighter who has evolved so greatly, he started off as a simple good wrestler, and now has become something quite scary. The champ has shown he can knock people out like its second nature, due to the dynamite that seems to be planted in his hands and feet. He has a good ability to keep the fight where he wants it due to his great wrestling, and has not shown any weakness in his always evolving game. In his last 3 fights he has compiled victories over Forest Griffin at UFC 92, Michael Bisping at UFC 78, and his most devastating over Chuck Liddell at UFC 88.

Machida as well is another puzzle all in his own, making many of the guys who have fought him look very amateur as if it were their first fight. The Dragon is a great mma fighter, having started training in Shotokan Karate since the age of 3, he was awarded a black belt at age 12, since then he has trained in many other martial arts ranging from Sumo to Jiu-Jitsu. In his time of mma competition Machida has compiled wins over some great opponents such as Rich Franklin while in Japan at Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003, BJ Penn in K-1 Hero’s 1 in 2005. He recently recorded victories over Tito Ortiz at UFC 84, and Thiago Silva at UFC 94.

This is going to be a war, Machida showed when he fought Silva that he could handle business quick, he finished the fight with a brutal knockout in the first round with literally one second remaining. Evans I don’t need to go into about power, but you saw the train wreck that was remaining after one solid punch landed on Liddell, and the flailing man that was Griffin getting completely handled.

So both have shown they can finish a fight fast, but they have also shown us boring fights as well that were heavily criticized upon. Lets not forget the Bisping fight with Evans, or the Ortiz fight with Machida (I didn’t hate it myself, he made Ortiz look very new to the sport except for the triangle attempt at the end of the match).

I am also very curious to see the gameplan Greg Jackson developed for Evans, he has been doing nothing but amazing things with the fighters who represent his camp. Machida is probably going to be the toughest opponent Jackson has had to strategize for, and Evans has ever faced.

The same can be said for Machida, sure he has faced wrestlers but never any that can punch or kick the way Evans can. So I have to say this fight is truly a toss up in my eyes, it all depends on who implements their tactics better, and who is the better fighter that night.

One way or another we are in for a battle that can be as monotaneous as an infomercial, or the most action packed battle since a Tony Jaa flick, but either way I will be watching with both eyes glued heavily on my tv screen.

The grudge dates back to the fourth season of The Ultimate Fighter when Hughes openly mocked Georges St. Pierre in front of the other cast members. The seed was planted in Serra’s head then and he let his thoughts on the welterweight champion be known right then and there, and they weren’t happy thoughts by any means.

Fast forward to the sixth edition of The Ultimate Fighter built around the grudge with Serra and Hughes acting as coaches and you will find countless lines drawn in the sand between the two leading up to tomorrow evening’s inevitable clash of personalities at UFC 98.

In the countdown to UFC 98 which was aired on Spike TV Hughes made it clear that in no way is he impressed by the outspoken Long Islander’s fighting resume.

“Years down the road they’re going to look at past champions, and they’re going to look at Matt Serra and say ‘who the heck is that guy’,” Hughes said during the broadcast.

“I wouldn’t rank him in the top ten welterweights in the world,” the Illinois farmboy went on to say. “He’d probably be lucky to make the top twenty.”

It’s not just Serra’s resume that Hughes isn’t impressed by, he’s not a huge fan of the dangerous grappler’s inability to bite his tongue either.

“It’s funny, when Matt Serra walks in the room you may not see him because he’s so short, but you’ll hear him because he just likes to run his mouth,” said the former two-time UFC welterweight champion.

“I’ve always said that there’s two types of people in this world,” continued Hughes. “There’s doers and there’s talkers. You’re not good at both. He’s obviously good at one of those two things.

“He’s scared and that’s why he’s talking as much as he is.”

As far as the game plan for Hughes is concerned, nothing less than complete and utter domination is on the agenda. It’s time for the sultan of slam to get back to his roots, causing damage.

“I’m going to go out there and be the aggressor,” explained Hughes. “He’s going to be on defense the whole time. I’m going to do what I want the whole time.”

What’s next for Hughes after the bout with Serra is the question on many minds heading into UFC 98. Win or lose, what will the future UFC Hall of Famer do with himself at the conclusion of Saturday evening’s bout with Serra?

“I think I could walk away from Matt Hughes the fighter and be Matt Hughes the farmer, the family man, the coach,” confessed the veteran of fifty professional fights against the best competition the world has to offer.

“After this Serra fight we’ll just see what happens,” concluded Hughes.

I have a strong suspicion that we may be in for an extremely emotional post-fight interview with Joe Rogan and Hughes at UFC 98 one way or the other. Sometimes you don’t realize what you have in this sport until it’s gone.

The always outspoken Serra made his feelings known about his rival on the countdown to UFC 98 which recently aired on Spike TV.

Serra feels strongly that Hughes has a hard time getting past the fact that he was able to knock Georges St. Pierre senseless when the Canadian champion has decimated Hughes in their last two bouts.

“I just think that Hughes has to make himself feel better that this little 5’6″ of dynamite took out a guy that just man handled him a couple times,” said Serra. “So I think that he just has to make that right for his own ego….and uh……..Dude, did I mention he’s a (expletive)? ……Did I?”

Much has been made about this fight being a legacy fight for Serra, and while he won’t deny that for a second, above all he just want to make Hughes feel the pain.

“I want the W, but more than anything I want to give a beating to Matt Hughes,” explained Serra.

Evans finds himself in a position where there are many that feel as if he still has something to prove. A devastating knockout over former UFC champion Chuck Liddell and a TKO over Forrest Griffin to become the UFC’s light heavyweight champion have, unfortunately, done little to increase the phenomenal athlete’s stock in recent days.

So it comes as no surprise to the champ when today’s odds are favoring the challenger in tomorrow night’s bout. Currently Bodog has Machida listed as a -200 favorite to Rashad’s +160.

That’s just fine with Evans, he wouldn’t want it any other way. Being the underdog is a position the undefeated fighter is extremely familiar with.

“People don’t beleive in me, that’s the best thing about it,” Evans was quoted as saying in the countdown to UFC 98 that aired on Spike TV.

More than simply confident, Rashad went a step past guaranteeing victory when he went on to name the specific round that the fight would end.

“I’m going to beat Lyoto Machida in the third round,” promised the Greg Jackson trained champion. “I’m not sure how it’s going to happen. I just see it. I’m going to beat him in the third round.”

Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida

Dustin James:Is this a tough fight to pick or what? I’ve honestly been going back and forth on this one since it was announced and now it’s officially time to pick a winner. Usually when I’m stuck on who to pick in a fight I jump to MMAth. Now, I know fighters will always match-up different with other fighters so MMAth doesn’t always work….but at a time like this, it’s all I have! Rashad and Lyoto have each faced Stephan Bonnar, Tito Ortiz, and Sam Hoger. Rashad defeated Bonnar via majority decision, Hoger via split decision, & ended up fighting to a draw with Ortiz. Now, Machida defeated Bonnar via TKO, Hoger via unanimous decision, and Ortiz via unanimous decision. Therefore you haveto give the “MMAth advantage” to Team Machida. Now when I look at how these fighters match-up with each other….I haveto give the advantage again to Machida. I can’t see Rashad finally being the guy who hunts Machida down and knocks him out. I just don’t think that’s going to happen. I also can’t see Rashad taking Machida down very easily. Machida’s “elusiveness” (how many times will Goldberg and Rogan discuss Machida’s elusiveness on the PPV?) should be able to keep Rashad at bay and I believe we will once again see a new UFC light heavyweight champion crowned. In a perfect world, Evans would get the win and then go on to coach the next season’s “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. However, that’s the problem with “long term booking” in MMA….it doesn’t always work out. Winner: Lyoto Machida, Decision.

Bryan Levick: I believe a lot of people are worried that this will be a boring fight but I am thinking the opposite. You have two guys who want to justify their spot and are looking to change the fan’s opinion about them. That doesn’t mean that either fighter will deviate from their game just to please the crowd but it what you will see is two guys who will go toe to toe and put on a great performance. I actually enjoy watching Machida, he is a master at what he does and while I can’t stand Evans he has progressed very nicely in his time with the UFC. Machida put it on a very aggressive fighter in Thiago Silva which nobody expected. Evans has a bad habit of starting off slow but he will not have that luxury here. He can ill afford to give up any rounds to Machida who if given the opportunity to win the early rounds will not let the fight slip out of his hands latter on. I see this going all five rounds and both fighters leaving the fans impressed. Machida by unanimous decision.

Tom Casale: I have gone back and forth on this one. If you breakdown both fighters two things standout: Machida’s unique style and Evans uncanny knack to pull out a fight. I believe Machida is going to be ahead on the scorecards and if it goes to a decision, he will win. He’s too tough to rack up points on and his precision striking is a thing of beauty. The only question is, will Evans find a way to pull out the fight like he did against Forrest Griffin and to a certain extent Tito Ortiz (To get a draw)? I say no this time. Machida is just too smart a fighter to let that happen. He will rack up points early, hurt Evans, and then stay away late, earning a decision win and making Machida the light heavyweight champion of the world. Winner: Machida by decision

Dustin Zuch:In talks with people regarding this fight I’ve learned two things: casual MMA fans think Machida is overrated and hardcore MMA fans think Evans is underrated (Thank you Josh Stein for that realization). The seems to be an accurate portrayal, considering I myself as a hardcore fan have picked against Evans in his last four fights (he ended up going 3-0-1 of course). Evans’s coach, Greg Jackson, has made waves in the MMA community withhis masterful game planning abilities. Evans has a huge strength with Jackson at his side. That being said, I don’t believe this style matchup works out well for Evans at all. Evans will be looking for what he does best: a knockout punch or a takedown. I expect Machida to frustrate Evans with his trademark illusive style, stifling any attempts for Evans to get close enough to display his punching power or wrestling ability. Machida doesn’t make mistakes and I don’t expect him to start now. If Evans still has his belt by the end of this bout, I will never pick against him again. Winner: Lyoto Machida by TKO in Round 4

Brendhan Conlan:Machida and Evans are two sides of the same coin and picking a winner between the two is little more than a flip of it. Bothmen are intelligent, calculating fighters who both possess excellent grappling and a precise, multi-tiered striking attack. Neither has shown more than a sliver of weakness inside the ring. In fact, don’t tell Dana White I said this, but Tito Ortiz has been closer to beating both men than any other fighter drawing a Zuffa paycheck. He’s responsible for the lone flaw on Evans’ near-perfect professional record and had more than a few people thinking Machida’s career “0” was on the brink of extinction courtesy of a Triangle Choke at UFC 84. And yet both “The Dragon” and “Sugar” ‘Shad were still able to avoid defeat against him as they have against every opponent they’ve collectively faced. When it comes to their bout at UFC 98 I think Machida’s kicks/knees will keep the former Michigan State wrestler’s takedownsat bay while Evans will get the best of any striking exchanges that occur. Witha total of 14 decisions in 28 collective fights between them, and the strong possibility each individual will neutralize the other’s offense, I have no problem saying the ringside officials will ultimately decide who walks away with the UFC Light Heavyweight strap. Oh…and that coin-flip I was talking about…it says – Winner: Lyoto Machida, Judges’ Decision

Cory Brady:Now this is the epitemy of what a mixed martial arts contest is all about. Not a lot of holes in either of these men’s games. I would much rather just call this fight a draw but that would make a super weak prediction. I’ll tell you guys what, if one fighter has an advantage anywhere it’s going to be Rashad in the wrestling department. Now I don’t expect for Rashad to take Machida down at will by any stretch of the imagination, but I do think that the threat of the takedown will keep Machida off balance throughout the fight. I said it. Machida and his elusive style will be given fits by Rashad’s ability to keep him guessing. Winner: Rashad by Decision

Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra

Dustin James: Wasn’t this fight suppose to happen back before the dinosaurs got wiped out? It sure seems like it. Either way, I’m still pretty psyched to see it. Why? Because there’s nothing like seeing two enemies battle it out in MMA. It seems like forever and a half ago that we have seen either Hughes or Serra fight therefore it’s a little difficult to pick the winner here. Do either of these guys still have “it”? Does Serra still have that punching power that knocked out Georges St. Pierre a few years back? Will Hughes be able to muscle Serra to the ground and control the fight? It’s hard to tell how these fighters will do due to their inactivity over the last year…but it should be a good “farewell” fight for the loser….who will more than likely be named “Matt”. Winner: Matt Hughes, Decision

Bryan Levick: The ultimate grudge match, it doesn’t matter that it is almost 18 months after their initial bout was scrapped. The hatred these tow have for each other is real and time has not healed any of the wounds. We all know what each fighter’s strengths are. Hughes is a powerful wrestler who is as smart as any fighter alive today. He knows how to exploits his opponents weaknesses, but being that he has slowed down a bit and fighters have evolved he can no longer rely solely on his wrestling. With subpar stand up Hughes will look to take Serra down and control him from the top. Serra has awesome BJJ, better standup and has pretty powerful hands but he is smaller and does not possess the strength that Hughes does. Call me crazy but Hughes has shown a penchant for being able to get hit in his last few fights and I believe Serra will catch him at some point and while Hughes is down Serra will submit him. Serra by 2nd round submission.

Tom Casale: I see a lot of people picking Matt Serra in this fight and I just don’t get it. Matt Hughes is one of the greatest MMA fighters ever and by all reports this is not only his final time in the octagon, but he really doesn’t like Serra. No way will Hughes lose this fight. While it’s true that Hughes wasn’t himself against Thiago Alves his last time out, keep in mind that’s the only man other than GSP and B.J. Penn to beat Hughes in the UFC since 2000. You won’t be adding Matt Serra’s name to that list. Hughes eats him up and dominates this fight. Winner: Hughes by 1st round TKO

Dustin Zuch:In a vast majority of MMA bouts I have a particular fighter that I’d like to see win. In this bout, I simply do not care who wins. I’m personally not a big fan of either of these guys. If they both put the same effort into the development of their fight game that they do into trash talking and being pompous… they’d both still be world champions. One of the big things that stands out in my mind when picking this fight is Serra’s TKO of GSP. Maybe there is a possibility he can test Hughes’s recently weakened chin (After the Thiago Alves knee, it’ll never be the same again). However, I think the concept of Serra being able to pull of an upset like that again is a bit far fetched. He has very little to offer offensively. Hughes’s cardio and strength is far superior and his defensive wrestling is too good to get submitted by Serra. Keep in mind that despite being known as a world class grappler, Serra has not submitted anyone in a bout since 2002. I think we’ll see Hughes rely on his trademark takedowns and ground-and-pound ability en route to a very one sided decision. Winner: Matt Hughes by Unanimous Decision

Brendhan Conlan:I’m sure Serra fans everywhere are frustrated by the overwhelming number of people picking Hughes to take home the dubya on Saturday night. However, I see the bout as being much closer than the majority seems to think, so in the infamous words of your beloved former UFC Welterweight Champion from the East Coast, “Breeeeeeathe!!!! Breeeeeeeathe!!!!” The only real thing Hughes has going for him in this bout is strength. Yes, his wrestling is clearly superior to Serra’s, but “The Terror” is a skilled enough submission-grappler to fend off any half-hearted takedown attempts Hughes throws his way. The brash New Yorker also has a mixture of decent power and accurate hands so he’ll be able to make everyone’s favorite farmboy pay if things go that route. All that being said, and this is coming from someone who is not personally a fan of Hughes, I think the best case scenario involves a Serra loss. It would likely mean Hughes’ retirement, as he’s stated this will be his last fight (and I don’t see him hanging up his gloves on the heels of a loss), as well as the Ultimate Fighter Season 4 champ possibly dipping his toes back into a lightweight pool better suited to his body frame. Winner – Matt Hughes, Judges’ Decision

Cory Brady:I’m not going to sit here and lie to you. My gut’s telling me the same thing that these guys are telling you. Hughes should be able to win a unanimous decision.  But come on, everyone seems to be picking Hughes and I don’t think it’s unreasonable that Serra could clip Hughes at some point in the space of fifteen. I know a country boy can survive, but just to make things interesting I’ll say that he won’t tomorrow night. There are a lot of people that forget about the huge punch that Serra decked Karo Parisyan with in the opening moments of their bout. The bottom line is that Serra can bang at 170, the GSP fight was no illusion. Winner: Matt Serra by Knockout

Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen

Dustin James:Doesn’t it suck that Yushin Okami got hurt? I don’t got anything personal against Chael Sonnen, but a Dan Miller/Yushin Okamifight was looking DAMN good from my perspective. Oh well. The main question going into this fight is, how prepared is Sonnen? He took this fight on just a few weeks notice and getting a win against Miller is not going to be an easy feat. Miller may be one of the best submission fighters in the UFC’s middleweight division and that could spell trouble for Sonnen. I honestly see Sonnen putting up a good fight against Miller, but in the end I keep seeing him struggle against Miller’s submissions. Winner: Dan Miller, Submission, Round 2

Bryan Levick: I like both guys and Miller has a great future ahead of him. Sonnen is an outstanding wrestler but has shown a weakness against guys who have good submission skills. Miller has won his last 10 decisions and just tore through Jake Rosholt who is a great wrestler in his own right. Sonnen is coming off a disappointing performance against Demian Maia at UFC 95 where he fell once again to a submission. Out of his 10 career losses 6 have come by submission and with the way Miller has been fighting I have to go with him in this one. Miller by 2nd round submission.

Tom Casale: Miller is 3-0 in the UFC and has won nine straight fights overall, including a decision over Matt Horwich at UFC 90. Sonnen lost his last bout to Demian Maia and is a late replacement for Yushin Okami in this fight. Sonnen is a dangerous fighter and not the kind of guy you want to see as a replacement but with the way Miller is fighting right now, it shouldn’t matter. Miller runs his streak to 10 straight. Winner: Miller by 1st round TKO

Dustin Zuch:Folks, I havea confession to make. Ever since I saw Dan Miller submit Dave Phillips in an IFL bout back in 2007, I have been a self-proclaimed Dan Miller nuthugger. I guess it’s no secret now as to who I’m ultimately going to pick to win this. But seriously, for all the right reasons! Dan Miller is a fantastic grappler and an adequate enough striker to keep his opponents where he wants them. Sonnen has good wrestling and solid striking ability, but has shown a lack of submission defense as of lately and is also not too comfortable off his back. Six of Sonnen’s ten losses have come via submission. Against a slick grappler like Miller, the odds are certainly against him. Winner: Dan Miller by Submission in Round 1

Brendhan Conlan: Fans of ADCC should be stoked about UFC 98 as this bout is yet anothergrappler-centric affair on the televised portion of the card. Bothmen are above-average wrestlers with Sonnen slightly edging Miller out in that department. However, I think Sonnen’s striking leaves a lot to be desired as does his submission defense, and unfortunately for him Miller is sharp on the ground and willing to keep things standing if need be. More than half of Chael’s losses have come via tap-out, plus who can forget his inability to knock Paulo Filho down/out (while Filho was busy conversing with Harvey the Rabbit)? The elder Miller brother may not have the same tools as the Team Quest fighter when it comes to taking an opponent down or advancing into a mounted position, but he uses his abilities more fluidly and should be able to use his well-versed jiujitsu arsenal to take advantage of the holes in Sonnen’s game. Winner – Dan Miller, Submission, RD 3

Cory Brady: I’ve never been completely sold on Sonnen belonging in the UFC. I’m sure there are plenty that would disagree with me, but either way Miller will win this fight and who knows what will happen to Sonnen after that. I definitely do not expect this fight to have a remote chance of winning Fight of the Night honors. Winner: Dan Miller by Decision

Sean Sherk vs. Frankie Edgar

Dustin James:Sean Sherk is a scary fighter. There….I said it! Not only does Sherk have great wrestling skills, but the dude truly is a MUSCLE SHARK and really gives the majority of the UFC lightweights match-up problems with his size and ability. Edgar is one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC. He’s 9-1 with his only loss coming at the hands of Gray Maynard. Maynard is one of those great wrestlers who has the ability to control a fight. Unfortunately for Edgar, Sherk is the same way. I keep replaying this fight over and over again in my head and I just can’t see how Edgar can get a win here. Hopefully these two will at least keep us entertained for three rounds….because the fight is more than likely going to the judges. Winner: Sean Sherk, Decision

Bryan Levick: A battle of two great wrestlers where a win will probably grant Sherk a title shot and a win will send Edgar flying up the ranks in the lightweight division. I see one of two things happening here. They either keep the fight standing the entire time much like Sherk-Griffin or Sherk uses his size and strength advantage to lay on top of Edgar for 15 minutes. As much as I like Edgar he really is too small to keep up with the bigger lightweights in the UFC. He would be a monster at 145. Sherk by unanimous decision.

Tom Casale: Sherk is now 35 but when you are as well-conditioned as he is, age isn’t a huge factor. Both Sherk and Edgar come from a wrestling background but Sherk has the edge in regards to strength and power. However, give Edgar the nod in the speed and quickness department. Edgar is used to having his way with opponents on the ground, so it will be interesting to see how he reacts early on if he’s being controlled by the stronger Sherk. Edgar is 4-1 since entering the UFC in 2007 and if he can withstand Sherk’s early onslaught, I think “The Answer” pulls the upset Saturday night. Winner: Edgar by decision

Dustin Zuch:Both Sherk and Edgar are well-rounded with strong, solid roots as wrestlers. The major difference here is that Sherk is a much bigger, stronger wrestler who certainly beats Edgar in the experience factor of this fight. Edgar has shown lots of heart in previous bouts and even ousted other solid wrestlers such as Tyson Griffin. We’ve seen first hand, however, that Edgar has a lot of trouble dealing with bigger, stronger wrestlers in his loss to Gray Maynard where he was basically tossed around for three rounds. Look for this to be a three round domination with Sherk exhibiting the power of his dominant top game that once made him the lightweight champion. Winner: Sean Sherk by Unanimous Decision

Brendhan Conlan:I have a suggestion for anyone reading this breakdown who wants a more-realistic preview of the fight than what I can offer in text. Find your favorite blanket, soak it in water, and then lay it on top of you for fifteen minutes. In doing so you will have likely performed an accurate simulation of what Sherk vs. Edgar has the potential of being (withthe role of the wet blanket played by either man). Neither man is known for finishing fights while both are recognized as being high-level wrestlers. I believe“The Muscle Shark” will be too strong for the kid from Jersey and plod his way to a decision win. If that’s the case I hope Edgar will finally bite the bullet and drop to 145 pounds. While the lights might not shine as bright in the WEC, Edgar is too small to be a competitive lightweight in the UFC and could do huge things as a featherweight. Winner – Sean Sherk, Judges’ Decision

Cory Brady: I am a newly converted Sherk fan. I’ve been a fan of stand-up fighters since I can remember, and that was always my largest criticism over Sherk, no stand-up. That was before his recent boxing match with MMA gloves against Tyson Griffin where he totally redeemed himself. I give Sherk the slight edge in the boxing and the wrestling. This will be an amazing fight between two phenomenal athletes. Winner: Sean Sherk by decision

Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley

Dustin James:Nover really needs to be careful here. He was the lightweight runner-up on last season’s “The Ultimate Fighter”. The light heavyweight runner-up on the show (Vinny Magalhaes) lost two straight fights in the UFC and was sent packing. If Nover drops this fight to Bradley, it will be his second straight loss in the UFC and we may very well see him gone as well. The only problem there is, I don’t see that happening. Bradley is currently 0-2 in the UFC and will more than likely be unemployed by sometime next week. Winner: Phillpe Nover, Submission, Round 3

Bryan Levick: I have been a big fan of Nover’s since his time on TUF and because he was absolutely one of the classiest guys I have ever interviewed. The guy put me on hold to administer an IV to a patient!! He really is a tremendous talent possessing very good submission skills, good stand-up and great conditioning. He is susceptible to a good wrestler but he has been working on that a lot since his lost on the live finale of The Ultimate Fighter. Bradley has lost two in a row to Chris Lytle and Joe Lauzon. He seems to have good hands but does not excel in one skill that he can rely on to dig himself out of a hole. He has been knocked out 4 times in 6 losses and I think this one will be number 5. Nover by 1st round TKO.

Dustin Zuch:This may be a must-win situation for both of these lightweights. Nover’s early domination of opponents on The Ultimate Fighter made him an early favorite to win the show last season. That is until he faced the wrestling-bred Efrain Escudero. Nover was afflicted with what could be described as an embarrassing display of takedown defense, which made him doomed from the very first takedown. That being said, I believe Nover is a bit more well-rounded than Kyle Bradley, withhis strength being in Muay Thai. Bradley is a dangerous boxer with one punch knockout ability. Nover needs to be patient and lessen his aggression. Getting on the inside of a boxer like Bradley could spell trouble. Nover should be smart enough to have worked on his takedown defense in case that comes into play. I think this bout will be contested with Nover playing it Machida-style. Winner: Phillipe Nover by Decision

Brendhan Conlan:May 23 could very well be Kyle Bradley’s swansong in the UFC. He’s 0-2 in the Octagon, succumbing to strikes on both occasions. Couple that statistic withNover’s aggressive style and Muay Thai skills and you’re looking at a recipe for a release from MMA’s premier organization. Phillipe’s TUF 8 Championship loss to Efrain Escuderono doubt left a taste in his mouth as sour as a Balutthat’s been sitting in the Texas sun for a week. As a result, I expect the world’s baddest nurse to come out strong in the first round in an attempt to finish things as quickly as possible. Bradley has good hands but I don’t think he’ll be able to weather Nover’s attack for three full rounds. Winner – Phillipe Nover, TKO, RD1

Cory Brady:I mean no offense to Kyle Bradley, but why is he in this fight. I’m calling shenanigans on this one. I know you don’t want to match up Phillipe with Tyson Griffin or Joe Lauzon just yet but Bradley is 0-2. There is no place for a fighter that has been unsuccesful in two chances with the UFC when there are hundreds of deserving lightweights that would gladly lop off a finger or toe to have a chance to shine in the worlds largest fighting promotion. Besides that, I’d have to disagree with my compadre D-Zuch. This is without a doubt a must win fight for Bradley but not for Phillipe. I know, I know, Vinny Magalhaes, but Phillipe is a much more wel rounded fighter with potential that Dana White firmly beleives in. Bottom line, Phillipe is going to dominate this fight. His weakness is a strong wrestler and Bradley isn’t Escudero on the mat. Winner: Phillipe by TKO

Chris Wilson vs. Brock Larson

Dustin James:One of the big questions going into this fight is….how focused is Chris Wilson? Last week it was revealed that Wilson and his family were victims of a home invasion in Brazil. Could this have come at a worst time for him? He honestly could be fighting for his UFC career here. A loss to Larson would make him 1-3 with the company and very vulnerable to being released once Dana White decides to trim the roster again. Larson on the other hand is looking to keep his “hot streak” going. He’s riding a 5-fight win streak right now and is looking to become a contender in the UFC’swelterweight division. If Larson is able to pull off an impressive victory here against Wilson, it may not be long before we start whispers of a possible Brock Larson/GSP fight. Winner: Brock Larson, Decision

Bryan Levick: Everyone will be wondering what will Wilson be like mentally come fight night after being robbed at gunpoint last week in Brazil. To be honest it doesn’t matter as Larson should be able to control Wilson with his superior wrestling. While Wilson may hold the edge in striking it will only be a matter of time before Larson is able to take him down and submit him. Larson is 25-2 with his only losses coming against Carlos Condit and Jon Fitch. He has 17 submissions in his 25 wins that is an outstanding 68% We can add number 18 here with a 1st round submission.

Dustin Zuch: In recent fights Larson he has shown a penchant for ending fights quite quickly and I think the same will go for this fight with Wilson. Unfortunately for Wilson, he will be facing an opponent with the majorly explosive style that he seems to have trouble with (i.e. John Howard). Wilson’s well-rounded skills will be overshadowed quite quickly, and I expect to see Larson chalk up another tally in the quick win column. Winner: Brock Larson by TKO in Round 1

Brendhan Conlan:On paper this bout favors Larson and is one of the least competitive match-ups of the night. That’s not to say the Wilson doesn’t have a chance. He’s comfortable on his feet, has solid wrestling, and has no qualms about allowing the action to hit the mat. He has wins over talented opponents like Jay Hieron, Pat Healy, Derrick Noble, and Rory Markham. However, the “other Brock from Minnesota” is a different animal. In 27 pro fights he’s only lost to Carlos Condit and Jon Fitch. That in itself says quite a bit. His wrestling is top notch, as are his submissions, and he pushes the pace of the fight from start to finish. I think he’ll stuff Wilson’s takedown attempts while scoring a few of his own along the way (which he’ll take advantage of in terms of procuring dominant positions in order to deliver strikes/sub-attempts). Winner – Brock Larson, Judges’ Decision

Cory Brady: Both of these guys are well rounded mixed martial artists. Really tough fight to call. On paper it looks like Larson should have the edge but that can mean nothing in the fight game. Winner: Larson by Decision

Patrick Barry vs. Tim Hague

Dustin James: Wow, Tim Hague’s UFC debut is slipping under a lot of people’s radars. For those of you who have never heard of Hague, before his loss to Miodrag Petkovic back in February of 2008 he was widely considered one of the top 15 heavyweight fighters in MMA. Since that loss, Hague has fought four times and went 4-0 during that stretch….including a “revenge” win over Petkovic! Needless to say the UFC came knocking on his door after seeing him go 4-1 in 2008. However, they aren’t doing him any favors by throwing him in against the hard hitting Pat Barry. I honestly hope this fight makes the main card because it’s sure to be a stand-up war with someone getting KO’d! Winner: Pat Barry, KO, Round 2

Bryan Levick: Barry made quite an impression in his UFC debut against Dan Evensen at UFC 92 in December. He basically kicked the crap out of Evensen with leg kicks causing an injury to his knee. Hague is 9-1 with victories over Sherman Pendergast and Ruben Villareal to his credit while fighting for King of the Cage. He seems to have good power in his hands but I really like Barry and his potential. I see a nice slugfest here with Barry coming out on top. Barry by unanimous decision.

Dustin Zuch:Hague is making his UFC debut and can be described as a relatively one-dimensional brawler. He is a massiveheavyweight and loves to stand up and bang. Barry is somewhat reminiscent of a Brandon Vera at heavyweight (relative to size). He is slightly small for the division but has already proved himself as able to hang with the big guys. He performed a lumberjack routine on Dan Evensen, chopping him down with leg kicks until forcing a TKO. Hague will more than likely lack the sort of leg kick defense that Dale Harrt shattered Corey Hill’s leg with. Withthe technique so effective the first time around I’m pretty sure Barry will stick to the same sort of plan. Winner: Pat Barry by TKO

Brendhan Conlan:I’m not sure if it’s due to Barry’s powerful striking or his opponent’s relative obscurity on the “big show” scene, but quite a few people seem to think Hague is going to be a walk in the park for the 4-0 kickboxer out of New Orleans. However, I happen to believe“The Thrashing Machine” is going to be a major test for Barry and I won’t be surprised if Hague hands him his first professional loss. He’s fiveinches taller, 20-30 pounds heavier, has never been knocked out or submitted, and boasts an equally impressive 9-1 record with wins over notable fighters like Ruben Villareal and Sherman Pendergarst. Barry has admitted he has a lot of work to do when it comes to being competitive on the ground and Hague appears to have the skills necessary to test that theory given the two submission wins he can lay claim to. I expect Barry to do his best to keep Hague at bay with low kicks but I’m not sure how long he can keep it up before things hit the canvas. Winner – Tim Hague, TKO, RD2

Cory Brady:I agree with my boy Brendhan when he says that people are looking past Hague in this one. His size and experience make him a hazard. It’s not going to matter though. Barry trains his jits with “Red” Schafer so he’s no newborn on the ground. Hague is going to have to deal with the bright lights and the big show for the first time, and going up against a vicious striker like Barry could just add to the pressure. Pat needs to win this one because he’s not going to do his techno-viking entrance until he makes the main card. Winner: Pat Barry by Knockout

Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam

Dustin James:This fight is on the main PPV card, but is more than likely a “loser leaves the UFC” fight. How can you NOT love these fights? Two guys fighting for a job….in today’s economy, now that’s a selling point baby! Anyone who follows McFedries’ career knows how one-sided of a fighter the man truly is. When he faces someone who has a good submission game (Martin Kampmann, Thales Leites, etc) he’s in big time trouble. While “Professor X” isn’t a submission wizard by any means….he’s still good enough to take McFedries down and submit him. I totally expect to see Foupa-Pokamcome out looking impressive and submitting McFedries in the first round. Winner: Xavier Foupa-Pokam, Submission, Round 1

Bryan Levick: The loser of this bout will probably be shown the door. Pokam looked nervous in his loss to Kang last month at UFC 97 which was his first fight inside the octagon. He seems to have good all-around skills with 11 of his 20 victories coming by knockout and 7 coming by submission. McFedries is 3-4 in the UFC and has lost his past two in less than three minutes combined to Thales Leites and Mike Massenzio. I see the younger Pokam continuing that trend with a first round knockout.

Tom Casale: So does Dana White just not like Brock Larson? How does this fight get on the main card over Larson-Wilson? McFedries has lost 3 of his last 4 and none of his fights have seen the 2nd round since 2003. Meanwhile, Foupa-Pokam lost to Denis Kang by unanimous decision in his UFC debut just a month ago. On the bright side, both fighters are aggressive strikers, so it should at least be an exciting bout. I’ll go with “”The Professor” By knockout here. Winner: Foupa-Pokam by 1st round KO

Dustin Zuch:Despite a recent decision loss to Denis Kang, Foupa-Pokam appears to be ready to silence the haters and prove why he is in the UFC. Foupa-Pokam without a doubt has much more well-rounded abilities than his straight-up striking foe McFedries. In an effort to capitalize on a relatively one dimensional opponent, I have a feeling that Foupa-Pokam will come out of the gate a bit too overzealous and get caught early. McFedries, however, must be on his complete guard and avoid at all costs going to ground– a place which we all know resonates with TAP TAP TAP for him. This will be my highlighted underdog pick of the night and quite possibly one of the only deep-in-sleep knockouts of the night. Winner: Drew McFedries by KO

Brendhan Conlan:McFedriesis one of the UFC’s more-interesting cases. He’s only slightly above .500 in his career and a losing record inside the Octagon. However, while those statistics would likely earn most Zuffa employees a pink slip, McFedries keeps getting invited back to the dance because of his rock-em-sock-em style of fighting. The uncanny Foupa-Pokam, otherwise known as “Professor X”, is a tough draw for the Miletich product. Foupa-Pokam is well-rounded and has finished 18 of the 20 opponents he’s beaten. Save for a perfectly timed punch from McFedries I don’t see any way the Frenchman loses this fight. Foupa-Pokam would be wise to take Drew down from the get go, thus avoiding the possibility of a powerful strike connecting, and utilize his submission skills to take home the “W”. Winner – Xavier Foupa-Pokam, Submission, RD1

Cory Brady:I think “professor X” is going to have a lot more trouble getting McFedries to the mat than a lot of people are thinking. Winner: McFedries by Knockout

Brandon Wolff vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Dustin James:Brandon Wolff is in a lot of trouble here. I still consider Yoshida one of the best welterweight fighters in the UFC and I totally expect him to come out here with guns blazing! Winner: Yoshiyuki Yoshida, KO, Round 1

Bryan Levick: Yoshida was last seen asking for the license plate of the truck that had just run him over after Josh Koshcheck planted him on the canvas in December. Wolff was also on that card as he was the recipient of about 50 knees to his face courtesy of Ben Saunders. Yoshida is the more experienced of the two and is considered a good finisher so I will go with Yoshida by 1st round submission.

Dustin Zuch:Put your chairs and table in their upright positions and prepare for landing. Yoshida will be returning from a recent trip to Mars compliments of Josh Koscheck’s right hand. Wolff is a classified striker and will look for one thing: sending Yoshida back up into space. Yoshida will rely on what he never had time to rely on in his bout with Koscheck: his far superior judo and submission grappling. In this case I believe that Wolff will be left dumbfounded when he is thrown to the mat like a rag doll and given a lesson that he could normally only learn from a stint in a NAGA tournament. Winner: Yoshiyuki Yoshida by Submission in Round 2

Brendhan Conlan:December 10th, 2008 is a date both Wolff and Yoshida would likely rather forget. It was “UFC – Fight for the Troops” and the last time either man set foot inside the Octagon. Wolff had his face tenderized by Ben Saunders’ knees and Yoshida was rendered into roadkill thanks to a well-timed strike from Josh Koscheck. Expect each man to leave it all in the cage at UFC 98 in hopes of finding himself back on the right end of a highlight reel moment. I think Wolff’s grappling is good enough to contend with Yoshida but I don’t see him utilizing it in a way that allows him to finish “Zenko” off. Contrarily, I believe Yoshida’s striking and submission techniques are of a high enough quality to earn victory before the third round expires. I think he’ll tire Wolff out in the first round and pound out the victory somewhere in the second frame. Winner – Yoshiyuki Yoshida, TKO, RD 2

Cory Brady: Anyone else ever wonder why fights like this one are made? Or why Yoshida would even sign a fight like this? Sigh, whatever, enjoy the highlight reel Yoshida and I look forward to your real UFC debut. I apologize if I expect competetive fights from the biggest fighting promotion on the planet. Winner: Yoshida by….whatever

David Kaplan vs. George Roop

Dustin James: Two former “Ultimate Fighters” battling it out to save their UFC careers. SMELL THE DRAMA! Still, I’m not interested in the slightest. Winner: George Roop, Submission, Round 1.

Bryan Levick: I don’t understand this bout at all. I don’t see any real potential in either one of these guys and both of them lost in their first official UFC bouts in the Ultimate Fighter Finale 8. Kaplan made Junie Browning look like an actual professional that night while Roop lost via unanimous decision to Shane Nelson. I don’t know. I will go with Roop by 2nd round submission.

Dustin Zuch:Both fighters come into this bout with relatively similar skill sets, Roop possibly having the slight advantage over Kaplan with his Jiu Jitsu from the bottom. It’s extremely hard to pick Roop in this fight because he is incredibly small for the division and can be easily outwrestled by the stronger Kaplan. I don’t expect to see any real fireworks come out of this fight and will look for this one to grind out the first two rounds with Kaplan on top. However, I have an inkling that Kaplan will be incredibly gassed by the third round and get caught in a submission as he attempts to grind out a decision from the top. Winner: George Roop by Submission in Round 3

Brendhan Conlan:When did UFC 98 become the Ultimate Fighter Season 8 Finale Part Deux? Look, I like good MMA on any level and I will gladly watch Kaplan vs. Roop if it makes the broadcast, but I have no interest in who actually wins the fight because I have zero expectations for either man’s long-term prospects in the UFC. Kaplanis 0-2 in his last two fights and was submitted in both bouts. Roop is a submission specialist withsolid wrestling. He’s never been knocked out in a career spanning twelvefights, whereas “Diamond Dave” has never won via any other method. I expect more of the same come Saturday night. Winner – George Roop, Submission, RD2

Cory Brady:This is going to be an exciting  fight one way or the other. Roop is from Tucson, Arizona, I’m from Tucson, Arizona….Winner: Roop by submission

Andre Gusmao vs. Krzysztof Soszynski

Dustin James:Just one year ago, Andre Gusmao was considered one of the top up-and-coming light heavyweights in MMA. After starting out his MMA career on a 5-fight win streak, the UFC finally came calling. However, Gusmao ended up losing his UFC debut to another UFC newcomer named Jon Jones. Now, Gusmao is trying to remind us why he’s still considered one of the top up-and-comers in MMA. His opponent, Krzysztof Soszynski, is a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter” and is currently tearing up the MMA world by KIMURAING (I just made that word up!) anyone he comes across! While Gusmao has the talent and ability to defeat Soszynski, Krzysztof is currently on a hot streak right now. This is a pretty difficult fight to pick so I guess I’ll just use a coin flip! Winner: Andre Gusmao, KO, Round 2

Bryan Levick: I like how Soszynski has progressed. He has some good submissions for a big guy but Gusmao will be a lot harder to submit that Brian Stann was. Gusmao hasn’t fought since last August, that is a lot of time to be on the shelf while Sos just fought last month at UFC 97 but finished his fight in the first round. I see Soszynski winning this bout by unanimous decision.

Dustin Zuch:Gusmao will need to be moving quickly on his feet at all times and needs to avoid being caught flat footed. He has relatively good hands and has the ability to beat up Soszynski from the inside. Given Soszynski’s recent track record, the former statement is a moot point. Personally, I think this will go much similar to Soszynski’srecent bouts. The powerful Polish warrior will display superior strength and work a dominating top control. When the smoke clears you’ll see Gusmao tapping from a Soszynski submission (maybe even another Kimura!) Winner: Krzysztof Soszynski by Submission in Round 1

Brendhan Conlan:With previous professional outings against Mike Ciesnolevicz and Wotjek Kaszowski it seems only right that Andre Gusmao should be paired against another fighter with a Scrabble-friendly name in the form of Krzysztof Soszynski. Gusmao is a bit crisper on his feet than the former Ultimate Fighter, but Soszynski makes up for any athletic shortcomings withbrute strengthand a powerful ground attack. I think I also give “The Polish Experiment” an edge due to his experience and professional activity. He has more than 4X as many in-ring appearances as Gusmao and has fought eight fights since January 2007 in comparison to only three for the similarly aged Brazilian. I expect Soszynski to neutralize Gusmao’s stand-up with wrestling, wear him out on the mat, and eventually grind out a decision win. Winner – Krzysztof Soszynski, Judges’ Decision

Cory Brady: This fight can go two ways in my head. Either it ends in the first round or it winds up being one of the more lackluster bouts on the card ending in a decision. I like to think that the glass is always half full. Winner: Soszynski by Decision

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

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

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

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

It would be a rubber match this time around and also a match for interim welterweight title. The first fight would be for a vacant title after then champ B.J. Penn had disputes and left the organization. Hughes would win their first match in 2004 at UFC 50 by a nice armbar in the first round of the fight with literally one second remaining on the clock he secured his victory and reclaimed the belt.

Their rematch would be in 2006 at UFC 65, GSP would prove to be the better fighter that night, and finished the bout in the second round due to a sharp head kick followed up by punches before the ref halted the bout. The rubber match would once again prove in the favor of GSP when he finished off Hughes with a nicely transitioned armbar in round two, forcing the Hillsboro native Hughes to verbally submit

St. Pierre would then move on to face a recovered Serra at UFC 83, this time for the official title of welterweight champ, GSP proved the first fight to be a fluke and dominated the bout no matter where it went. It was in round two when the interim champ began brutalizing the body of Serra with consecutive knees and no answer back, the ref was forced to stop the fight in favor of St. Pierre.

Since all of this occurred, Serra has been inactive after losing the title back to GSP (due mainly to injuries he was put on the shelf), Hughes had one more match where he fought on short notice to the now # 1 contender Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves at UFC 85, and in round two of the fight he was finished after a flying knee landed flush making the former division best collapse, which gave Alves the incentive to finish the fight with a barrage of followed up punches he claimed (T)KO victory and contender status.

GSP has held on very strong to the title and defended it two times since defeating the loud mouthed New Yorker, and will have his third consecutive defense at UFC 100 where he faces “The Pitbull”.

At Last…..Let’s Get ready to Ruuuumble!

So now we have a set date at UFC 98 on May 23, no injuries, two fighters, both former champs, both former rivals on The Ultimate Fighter, and they both want to beat the crap out of one another, which in my eyes usually equals fireworks and a fight that never hears all 3 rounds finish. Hughes of the two has a far more extensive career, his record is still a very game 42-7-0, Serra on the opposing end holds a record of 9-5-0 which in comparison pales. However even though he doesn’t hold nearly as many fights to his name, the Long Islander is a strong opponent who matches up very well with Hughes.

Serra is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu trained under Renzo Gracie, and was the first American to earn a black belt under the training of a Gracie on May 23, 2000. In grappling tournaments he holds wins over the likes of Takanori Gomi and others. Serra has strong hands but he is not known for knocking people out, actually his only (T)KO to his credit is the one he holds over GSP.

He currently is running Serra Jiu-Jitsu with fellow black belt, and brother Nick Serra. They of course have the Serra Jiu-Jitsu fight team which holds such fighters as Pete Sell, and Luke Cummo, which can do nothing but help in training.

On the opposite end of the rope we have Hughes who is known for his extremely strong wrestling ability, and is considered to be one of the greatest champs to ever grace the octagon (nine time welterweight champion). The former champ is also very diverse in his abilities, he has finished 18 of his opponents by submission, and 15 by (T)KO, he has strong credentials where ever it may go. The guy is capable of competing with the best, and during his prime he seemed almost unbeatable.

In over a decade of competing, the 35 year old Hughes has given us some very memorable fights. From the crazy defeat of Carlos Newton which earned him his first belt at UFC 38, to his battles with B.J. Penn, and his utter destruction of Royce Gracie, he truly deserves the respect for how much he has accomplished. Hughes currently is still running his HIT Squad team and gym out of Granite City, Illinois which houses the like’s of “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, Matt Veach and other veterans and up and comers. He is known for being one of the hardest workers in MMA, and growing up working a farm during the year did nothing but make him stronger.

Who do you think will win?

I am not going to go and say that one fighter will beat the other, because to me this fight is really close and could go either way. Sure if it goes to the ground the Gracie trained fighter should have a dominant defense, but we have also seen that many fighters with a strong wrestling ability and decent knowledge of Jiu-Jitsu can nullify submission attempts.

Call it what you want, but I call it an excellent fight that is way too long in the making. Look for both of these fighters trying to prove that modern MMA has not passed them by like many fighters from the earlier MMA generation.

What we have seen is Serra doesn’t knock out everyone but he has the ability to finish the best given the right opportunity, and the same can be said about Hughes if not more (he is actually impressive when you look at who has beat him recently, they are all top dogs in the division).

So, yes the height will be working in favor of the HIT Squad leader being that he stand’s 5’9” in comparison to a stout 5’6”, but this is height difference that is something Serra is used to at this point in his career. To the credit of Serra he has a tough chin seeing only 2 (T)KO losses in his career.

So now with some brief history on both fighters you can make your call and tell us who you think will win when these two former champs face off on Saturday May 23 at UFC 98 which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Nevada. Look forward to hearing everyone’s thoughts regarding the fight and actually seeing the event in just under three weeks.

MMAJunkie has a report detailing the Alexander injury that will force him to miss out on his bout with Andre Gusmao. They are also reporting that Gusmao will still be on the card but no opponent has been named as of yet.

UFC 98 has seen a rash of injuries decimate the card which is scheduled for May 23 and will feature a main event pitting two unbeaten superstars battling it out for the UFC light heavyweight championship. Champion Rashad Evans will defend his title for the first time against Brazilian Lyoto Machida. The original main event was to be for the undisputed heavyweight title as champion Brock Lesnar was to face interim champ Frank Mir in a rematch of their UFC 81 bout that saw Mir win by first round tapout. Mir sustained a knee injury and that fight was moved to UFC 100 in July.

Also forced off the card due to injury is James Irvin who was scheduled to fight Drew McFedries. Xavier Foupa-Pokam has stepped in to fight for Irvin. Josh Koshcheck was scheduled to fight Chris Wilson but a foot injury has seen him replaced by Brock Larson. In a middleweight bout Yushin Okami was set to fight Dan Miller but he was injured as well forcing Chael Sonnen to step in to fight Miller.

The card is still packed with great fights including a welterweight grudge match between the coaches of season 6 of The Ultimate Fighter and former UFC welterweight champions Matt Serra taking on nemesis Matt Hughes. These two were originally scheduled for UFC 79 back in December of 2007 but a back injury forced Serra out of that bout, and Hughes injured his knee in a bout with Thiago Alves at UFC 85. Frankie Edgar will return from a knee injury to fight Sean Sherk in a lightweight battle that could go a long way in determining who faces the winner of the B.J. Penn-Kenny Florian fight at UFC 101 in August.

Here is a full list of the bouts for UFC 98:

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: (Champion) Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida (Challenger)

Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra

Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Drew McFedries

Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen

Frankie Edgar vs. Sean Sherk

Undercard Bouts:

Brock Larson vs. Chris Wilson

Pat Barry vs. Tim Hague

Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley

Andre Gusmao vs. TBD

Brandon Wolff vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

David Kaplan vs. George Roop

Chael Sonnen has recently agreed to the match-up with Miller that will take place at UFC 98 according to multiple reports.

UFC 98 is scheduled for May 23 and will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Sonnen is an NCAA All-American and a two time National Champion wrestler and a veteran of the Pancrase, Bodog Fight, WEC and UFC organizations. He was recently submitted in the first round by Demian Maiain his return to the UFC in February. Sonnen was previously espected to face off with Wilson Gouveia at UFC 102 but opted to forfeit that bout in favor of the UFC 98 match-up with Miller.

Miller’s first and only professional loss came to Mike Massenzio in the form of a split decision over three years ago. He has established himself as a legitimate threat in the UFC’s middleweight division with impressive victories over the likes of Rob Kimmons, Matt Horwich and most recently Jake Rosholt in February. He is the brother of UFC lightweight challenger Jim Miller.

UFC 98 is set to be headlined by a light heavyweight championship match-up between Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida and will be co-featured by a welterweight grudge match between Matt Hughes and Matt Serra.

A full list of the bouts expected for UFC 98 are listed below:

Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida

Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra

Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen

Sean Sherk vs. Frankie Edgar

Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley

Chris Wilson vs. Brock Larson

Patrick Barry vs. Tim Hague

Houston Alexander vs. Andre Gusmao

Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Brandon Wolff

David Kaplan vs. George Roop

According to a report from the U.K. based “Fighters Only Magazine”, the UFC has decided that Irvin’s replacement will be none other than French-born fighter Xavier “Professor X” Foupa-Pokam.

Foupa-Pokam, 20-10, recently made his long awaited UFC debut at UFC 97 on April 18 in a losing effort to highly ranked middleweight Denis Kang.

The Cage Rage and Palace Fighting Championship veteran is looking to get back on the winning track. He was on a 7-fight win streak which included wins over Kyacey Uscola, Andrey Rudakov, among others. Before dropping a decision-loss to Kang at UFC 97, it had been over 16 months since Foupa-Pokam was on the losing side of a fight. Murilo “Ninja” Rua was able to submit “Professor X” with a rear naked choke back at Cage Rage 24 in December of 2007.

The fight between Foupa-Pokam and McFedries could very well be considered a “loser leaves UFC” fight. If McFedries is unable to secure a victory it would mark his third straight loss in the UFC and with the company looking to cut people who they don’t feel are “title contenders”, the loser of this fight could very well be shown the door.

UFC 98 is scheduled to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The show will be headlined by Rashad Evans defending his UFC light heavyweight title against Lyoto Machida. In addition to Evans vs. Machida, the televised card will feature Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra, Dan Miller vs. Yushin Okami and Frank Edgar vs. Sean Sherk.

Irvin vs. McFedries was originally scheduled to appear on the televised portion of the show, however since the UFC has yet to confirm Foupa-Pokam’s appearance it is currently unknown which fight will now be shown on the pay-per-view.

The event is scheduled to take place on May 23rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Wilson was originally slated to face off with Josh Koscheck on the card before the veteran of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter suffered a foot injury during training that forced him to withdraw from the bout.

Wilson has compiled a UFC record of 1-2. He came up short in his octagon debut against the top rated Jon Fitch, rebounded with a decision victory over Steve Bruno at UFC 87 before losing a decision to John Howard in his most recent trip to the cage.

Larson is fresh of of his successful UFC return on April 1st where he submitted Jesse Sanders with a rear naked choke in the opening round. He has put together an extremely impressive MMA record of 25-2 during the course of his career with his sole two defeats coming at the hands of Carlos Condit and Jon Fitch.

A full list of the bouts expected for UFC 98 are listed below.

Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida
Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra
James Irvin vs. Drew McFedries
Dan Miller vs. Yushin Okami
Frank Edgar vs. Sean Sherk
Brock Larson vs. Chris Wilson
Pat Barry vs. Tim Hague
Kyle Bradley vs. Phillipe Nover
Houston Alexander vs. Andre Gusmao
Brandon Wolff vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
David Kaplan vs. George Roop