UFN 15 served as a lead-in for the TUF premiere and aired live from 8-10 p.m. ET. Competing against ESPN’s telecast of Major League Baseball and ESPN2′s college football broadcast in the same time slot, UFN 15 outdrew both shows combined in the coveted young male demo.

To be exact, the Spike telecast drew 913,000 men 18-49 and 465,000 Men 18-34. By comparison, ESPN’s telecast of the Red Sox vs. Rays and ESPN2’s Louisville vs. Kansas St. college football game drew a combined 858,000 men 18-49 and 373,000 men 18-34.

Overall, UFN 15, headlined by Nate Diaz’s split decision victory over Josh Neer, earned a 1.6 in M18-49, a 1.6 in M18-34, and an average audience of 1.8 million viewers. The viewership peaked for the Diaz vs. Neer main event with 2.3 million viewers tuning in.

Then, between 10-11 p.m. ET, TUF 8 debuted to a 1.2 household rating with an average audience of 1.6 million viewers. According to Spike, the show was number one in its timeslot on basic cable in the male 18-49 demographic, garnering a 1.5 rating. The premiere also drew a 1.5 rating in males 18-34.

The amount of the bonuses for the Spike TV event was $30,000 per award with Nate Diaz, Josh Neer, Alessio Sakara, and Wilson Gouveia.

Diaz won a split decision over Neer in the main event of the show but both fighters were winners after their bout was declared the “Fight of the Night” by UFC officials. Neer stated in pre-fight interviews that he planned to test Diaz’s chin but the two went to the ground early where they displayed a fluid series of submission attempts along with a variety of freestyle wrestling and judo takedowns.

Both Sakara and Gouveia competed in non-television undercard bouts. Sakara, who dropped to middleweight at UFC 82 after compiling a 3-3 record as a light heavyweight in the UFC, recorded his first win as a 185 pound fighter when he TKO’d Joe Vedepo at 1:27 of round 1. The fight earned Sakara “Knockout of the Night” honors.

Gouveia earned “Submission of the Night” honors after tapping Ryan Jensen with an armbar at 2:04 of round 2. The fight marked his debut at middleweight following a 4-2 stint as a light heavyweight in the Octagon. A member of American Top Team, Gouveia has solid standup to complement his slick submission game and is a name to watch in the UFC’s 185 pound division.

Main Card -

• Nate Diaz def. Josh Neer via split decision
• Clay Guida def. Mac Danzig via unanimous decision
• Alan Belcher def. Ed Herman via split decision
• Eric Schafer def. Houston Alexander via submission (arm triangle) at 4:53 of round one

Preliminary Card:

• Alessio Sakara def. Joe Vedepo via TKO at 1:27 of round one
• Wilson Gouveia def. Ryan Jensen via submission (armbar) at 2:04 of round two
• Joe Lauzon def. Kyle Bradley via TKO at 1:34 of round two
• Jason Brilz def. Brad Morris via TKO at 2:54 of round two
• Mike Massenzio def. Drew McFedries via submission (Kimura) at 1:28 of round one
• Dan Miller def. Rob Kimmons via submission (rear naked choke) at 1:27 of round one

Josh Neer vs. Nate Diaz

Michael Huckaby: This is a strange matchup to main event with to me. I think it will be an exciting fight but I really don’t see Neer KOing Diaz and Diaz is going to have a hell of a time submitting Neer. Diaz is going to look more impressive on the ground and try more submission attempts, winning the judges’ hearts, but if Neer can in any way keep it standing he will take full advantage. Unless I’m missing some secret Diaz improvement in his striking he’s either going to take this in the third round with a quick submission or win a decision. Maybe I give Neer too much credit, as I like him very much, but say what you will he doesn’t go down easily. Winner: Diaz, decision

Adam Morgan: Neer is tough as nails and deserves all the credit that Huckaby is giving him but I think Diaz is ready for this kind of test. I bet against him in his fight against Pellegrino, a fight he was losing until the quick submission, and I won’t get caught doing the same thing again. Diaz’s reach will keep him away from Neer’s power and his ground game should be enough to overcome Neer’s strong wrestling base. Diaz via submission, round three.

Sam Caplan: I still have questions about Diaz’s all-around skills but his submissions has been all he’s needed thus far. A brown belt under Cesar Gracie, Diaz would have been promoted to black belt a while ago by most jiu-jitsu instructors. Neer is usually hit or miss and has pulled off upsets before, but I don’t see that happening this time.

Clay Guida vs. Mac Danzig

Michael Huckaby: You might be sick of my “Joe Silva Rule” but I’m applying it here. The UFC feels this is a strong test to see where Danzig is at and I don’t know if they would have made it if they didn’t think he could pull it out. Guida is always game and this should be an incredibly entertaining rollfest but I think Danzig will prove with the better striking and positioning that he deserves the decision and poor Guida becomes bridesmaid again. Winner: Danzig, decision

Adam Morgan: I think Huckaby is smart to break out the “Joe Silva Rule” here and it aplies because Guida has shown an inability to finish top level fighters. Danzig is on the cusp of breaking out in the UFC’s crowded lightweight division and I don’t think that Guida has what it takes to finish a fighter as tough as Danzig. Danzig’s standup is very good, his ground game is superb, and his wrestling base is solid. I think he’s more well-rounded than Guida and takes this fight home in the third frame. Mac Danzig via submission, round three.

Ed Herman vs. Alan Belcher

Michael Huckaby: If you ask me (and you didn’t) this is the most competitive fight on the entire card and the one I’m most looking forward to watching. Though Herman is only 3-3 in the UFC with no very significant wins, anyone that has watched him knows he’s getting progressively better each time out and he’s actually starting to look like a prospect (if you can call him that). On the other side of the cage is Alan “Skull Showman” Belcher, a man I find very entertaining but one I feel will be overpowered and outmatched on the ground against the ever improving Herman. If Belcher can keep it up and land, and I don’t think he will, he can win this fight. I think the opposite is much more likely and Herman is getting him down and beating him one way or the other. Winner: Herman, sub, Rd2

Adam Morgan: This is undoubtedly one of the most competitive fights on the card with Herman having a strong wrestling base and underrated jiu jitsu and Belcher having a very complete Muay Thai arsenal at his disposal. You’d think it would be a slugfest as both guys like to stand and trade but I believe Herman is smarter than that. Belcher will want to clinch and use his strikes from there but I think Herman should be able to take him down from the clinch and either use ground and pound or possible submissions to end the fight. Ed Herman via unanimous decision.

Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer

Michael Huckaby: Who could imagine they’d give Alexander, on a two fight losing streak, an opponent with a questionable chin and probably not enough game to take advantage of his weaknesses? In his home city? I’m SHOCKED. It’s almost as if this is tailor made for a fun Alexander knockout against an overpowered, yet game, opponent. Winner: Alexander, strikes, Rd1

Adam Morgan: I have to disagree with Mr. Huckaby here as Alexander is the one with the questionable chin. Schafer is so much more of a dynamic fighter than Alexander it’s not even funny. If he can get through Alexander’s initial barrage and take the fight to the ground, Alexander’s arm is going in an armbar or his neck is going into a choke. Dana White just said that Alexander needs a win to stay in the UFC even though he just signed a new contract. Houston loses his third in a row here, no doubt. Back to the XFO for him. Eric Schafer via submission, round one.

Alessio Sakara vs. Joe Vedepo

Michael Huckaby: When judging an Alessio Sakara fight I always ask myself a simple question: can his opponent box at all? If the answer is yes Sakara is going down and going down hard as one could tell with his impressive zero pro boxing wins over anyone that had ever won a fight before. On the flip side the UFC loves him because he’s an action fighter and maybe Joe Silva knows something about Vedepo I don’t that will give Sakara an easy win and a reason to keep him under contract when he clearly doesn’t deserve to be. Winner: Sakara, strikes, Rd2

Adam Morgan: Why is Sakara still in the UFC and getting fights? At this point one has to believe that he’s there to showcase new talent like Joe Vedepo. Vedepo will take this fight to the ground and end it before Sakara knows what happened. Joe Vedepo via TKO, round two.

Wilson Gouveia vs. Ryan Jensen

Michael Huckaby: Sidenote that has nothing to do with the fight: why is it every time I click a fightfinder profile and then click another one I eventually see Ryan Jensen’s name? He’s had like 15 fights and yet he’s the MMA version of 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. Okay, now that I’ve said that I think Jensen is a really tough dude who really just hasn’t had the chance to show it yet. On the other hand he can’t hang with Gouveia either but I think he’ll put up a hell of a fight and maybe pull off a surprise. Watch out for your legs Ryan. Winner: Wilson Gouveia, decision

Adam Morgan: Ryan Jensen is aggressive and has decent striking ability but I believe he’s way in over his head here against Gouveia. Gouveia should handily defeat Jensen on the feet or on the ground. This is a cupcake fight for Gouveia’s first go-round at 185 lbs. and it should be a successful one. Wilson Gouveia via TKO, round two.

Joe Lauzon vs. Kyle Bradley

Michael Huckaby: The UFC was building up Lauzon brilliantly and I assume Florian was just a top tier test to see where he was at. If he won you had another young superstar on your hands, if he lost it was no big deal because he’s just a kid. Now we get the long road back with more experience and an easy win over Kyle Bradley. Poor Bradley caught a poor break against my boy Chris Lytle and he’s going to catch another one here on his way back to the minor leagues so the 26-year-old can get more fights in. Winner: Lauzon, sub, Rd1

Adam Morgan: If ever there was a time to use the “Joe Silva Rule,” as Huckaby says, it’s this fight. Kyle Bradley is tough as nails but Lauzon is being set up so he doesn’t lose two in a row. Lauzon is too slick on the ground and competent enough on the feet to handle Bradley.

Jason Brilz vs. Brad Morris

Michael Huckaby: Brilz is another hometown boy and I’m not even so sure you can call his record inflated with the casualties he’s gathered. On the other hand I’m not going to judge Brad Morris for getting absolutely destroyed by future UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez either. Again I’ll go with my Joe Silva logic and say he’ll matchup the hometown boy to get a win and rev the crowd up for the rest of the event. By what? No idea. Winner: Brilz, sub, Rd2

Adam Morgan: Brad Morris is dropping down from heavyweight after the clobbering her took from Cain Velasquez and I feel he’s being set up to take another fall here against Brilz. Brilz’s UFC debut will be a successful one. Jason Brilz via submission, round two.

David Andrest: I’m going to pick Brad Morris in this fight. Morris may not be a special HW but the truth of the matter is Cain Velasquez is going to make many more UFC HW’s look bad. I think this is a “Do I belong here” fight for Brilz. With the shallow end of the pool being the 206+ division, a good showing for Brilz may garner him another payday. Winner: Morris: TKO RD 2

Drew McFedries vs. Mike Massenzio

Michael Huckaby: McFedries might be turning into another Alessio Sakara when it comes to the UFC. He’ll never be a champion and he’s going to lose a few bouts but since he puts on an entertaining standup war they certainly want him around. I’m not a Mike Massenzio expert having only seen him once and I can’t imagine they’d give McFedries another fight to lose. Though as history shows just because they want someone to win doesn’t mean he will. Winner: McFedries, strikes, Rd1

Adam Morgan: McFedries is another guy who’s a middleweight gatekeeper and really only possesses a brawling style and lots of power in his hands. Massenzio is a budding East Coast prospect and is being thrown right into the frying pan in his UFC debut but it’s a test I think he’ll pass with flying colors. Mike Massenzo via TKO, round two.

David Andrest: Massenzio is another in a crop of 185′s the UFC will try to sell me as having a tremendous upside, and he just may. McFedries has proven KO power and he is a better fighter than many believe. Winner: McFedries vis KO Rd 2

Dan Miller vs. Rob Kimmons

Michael Huckaby: I really like this matchup but for all the wrong reasons when it comes to a Pain Poll. I think this fight will tell a great deal for future entries of mine for their bouts but coming into this one it’s not so easy. I like Miller and give him the edge only because I think he has a more well rounded jiu-jitsu game. I like Kimmons’ strength though so Miller better control the action if he’s not going to finish it. Winner: Miller, sub, Rd2

Adam Morgan: Dan Miller is one of the best young middelweights in the game and comes out of a great Renzo Gracie camp. His brother, Jim, is also a great young lightweight prospect and I expect Dan to make the most of his UFC debut. Kimmons poses strength problems but Miller’s jiu jitsu game should be enough to overcome that weakness. Dan Miller via submission, round one.

Nate Diaz (9-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is the brother of supremely talented problem-child Nick Diaz. Not only do they share a distaste for “mean-muggin”, but a true aptitude for submission fighting. Nate is a brown belt under Cesar Gracie in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but definitely operates at a black belt level as 7 of his 9 professional wins are from submissions. He defeated Manny Gamburyan in the finale of the Ultimate Fighter season 5 when Gamburyan separated his shoulder and had to concede the victory even though most perceived that Gamburyan was winning the fight. Since winning the ultimate fighter in somewhat controversial fashion, Diaz seems to exhibit a desire to prove his legitimacy in each of his fights. As a result, Diaz has capped off a 4 fight winning streak inside the UFC with a stunning come-from-behind victory over a very tough and underrated Kurt Pellegrino by triangle choke. With his middle-finger laden win Diaz has served notice that he is a threat to everyone in the lightweight division.

Although Diaz is a very talented BJJ practitioner, he is still an evolving fighter. Diaz is severely lacking in the wrestling department. He has a tendency to get bullied by stronger fighters with superior wrestling, as Pellegrino did when he used his wrestling to ride and pummel Diaz for the first 5 minutes of their tilt. But Nate showed he is as head-strong as his brother, never giving up even after being utterly dominated in the round. Diaz is very resilient, what he lacks in physical strength he makes up for with his length and patience on the ground in the submission game. He waits for mistakes and will set up multiple submissions when he sees an opening. Diaz’s overall length gives his stand up an added dimension as well that very few possess in the lightweight division, even though he is still learning how to use it to his best advantage. Diaz also lacks the overall strength to do any real damage to an opponent, but his striking is effective enough to force opponents into poor decisions. He is still learning how to set up his takedowns with his striking, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Diaz possesses a weak single leg take down and relies too much on his greco clinch. Lucky for him it doesn’t matter if he gets the takedown or is taken down himself, as his guard is absolutely treacherous. The definition of perilous, Diaz has proven that his guard is one place most lightweights do NOT want to be for long as it may be the most active guard in the division.

Josh Neer (24-6-1 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is a very savy veteran at a very young age. He trains at the Miletich camp and exhibits the standard “tough as nails” attitude that all of the MFS fighters possess. He is not outstanding in one area but is above average everywhere that a fight can go. Neer is a lifetime wrestler who has evolved into a complete fighter over the last few years and his fights show it. After fighting his whole career at 170lbs, he never seemed to be able to get that big win to put him on the map. He followed impressive wins over Melvin Guillard and Joe Stevenson in the UFC with disappointing losses to Josh Burkman and Nick Diaz. Looking for a second chance at the big time at 170lbs, he was building momentum in smaller shows until his fight with Mark Miller in the IFL. He simply got caught and was knocked out in 54 seconds, but it was enough to push Neer to make a change. A drop to lightweight followed and the UFC gave him a new lease on life. He had a dominating and imposing win over a very formidable Din Thomas. Although it was a unanimous decision, he pushed the pace and had stretches of complete mastery over Thomas. Neer proved he is going to be a menace at lightweight.

While Neer does not excel in one specific area, he brings all the intangibles that make him the type of opponent that fighters try to avoid. He has a ton of experience. He has excellent cardio. He has a cement chin. He is deceptively strong. He is extremely aggressive and in your face for the length of the fight.

Neer’s stand up is very crisp and he is extremely accurate with his strikes. He also only throws to connect, he is not one to throw punches in bunches and waste energy. He is a very good wrestler and his BJJ game is above average for most fighters coming out of MFS as they are not known for a staggering ground game. He is new to 155lbs division, only fighting twice, and both wins. He is 7-1 in his last 8 fights since leaving the UFC.

This fight is going to be a back-and-forth affair with a very high pace in the first round. I think Neer is going to be extremely confident in his ability to force the action and effectively bully Diaz around the ring and possibly into poor decisions. And I think that confidence may be his undoing. Diaz is a fighter capable of losing 14 minutes of a 15 minute fight and then catch you in a dazzling submission to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Will Neer’s submission defense be enough to effectively ground and pound Diaz, or will he abandon his ground game altogether and choose to push the stand up battle?

Look for Neer to dominate the fight early on and possibly damage Diaz heavily in the first round, as he is self-admittedly a very slow starter. Diaz will finally get some extended periods on the ground in the second round, and there is where he will catch Neer being over-aggressive with his ground and pound for the triangle choke tapout. A win for Neer goes a long way towards establishing him in the upper tier of an extremely crowded lightweight division. But a win for Diaz moves him into the top five or ten at 155lbs and one more marquee win away from a title shot. Josh Neer is a durable and hard-nosed fighter, but Nate Diaz is an extremely talented grappler riding a wave of confidence right now which should be too much for Neer’s tenacity to overcome.

All “UFC Fight Night 15″ fighters made weight Tuesday at the event’s official weigh-ins.

The weigh-ins took place at Omaha Civic Auditorium, site of tomorrow night’s event.

Official results as follows:

MAIN CARD (Televised)

* Nate Diaz (155) vs. Josh Neer (155)
* Mac Danzig (155) vs. Clay Guida (155)
* Ed Herman (185) vs. Alan Belcher (185)
* Houston Alexander (205) vs. Eric Schafer (205)

Preliminary Fights

* Kyle Bradley (155) vs. Joe Lauzon (155)
* Wilson Gouveia (185) vs. Ryan Jensen (185)
* Mike Massenzio (185) vs. Drew McFedries (185)
* Jason Brilz (205) vs. Brad Morris (205)
* Rob Kimmons (185) vs. Dan Miller (185)
* Alessio Sakara (185) vs. Joe Vedepo (185)

Danzig was a known commodity in the MMA world before going on TUF and now he’s a household name. With a strong grappling background, serviceable standup, and a tenacity that is often unrivaled, he is looking to climb the lightweight ranks by defeating Clay Guida. Danzig is coming off back-to-back wins over Tommy Speer and Mark Bocek. What’s impressive about these two victories is the fact that Danzig was able to take on a much larger opponent than him in Tommy Speer and choke him out in a single round and that Danzig was able to choke out a BJJ black belt in his fight against Bocek.

There’s a lot to like about Danzig. His ground game is obviously a strength as most of his victories come via submission. His wrestling is solid, his standup is more than serviceable, and he’s an extremely tough kid. All of those things combined make for a pretty nasty competitor at 155 lbs. in the UFC. One of the biggest areas where Danzig could improve, however, is his standup. Hayato Sakurai ate Danzig up on the feet during their fight at PRIDE 33. Even though Danzig lasted a long time in the fight, Sakurai was never in trouble and took his time taking Danzig apart with leg kicks and eventually dropped him with a huge right hand. Danzig’s chin is also questionable as well as he took several shots from Sakurai that dropped him during their fight. However, I don’t think the standup will be an issue during the fight with Guida as I feel that the two are roughly equal on the feet.

Clay Guida, on the other hand, lives and breathes wrestling, ground and pound, and a high motor. It’s his trademark. His standup is good but his wrestling and conditioning is where Guida makes his money. This often can be a blessing and a curse. When Guida can’t take someone down and pound away at them then he is often left without a backup plan to attack. And when he does get people on the ground, in a position to finish them, he is often unable to do so. Case in point: Roger Huerta. Guida had Roger Huerta on the edge of defeat with a huge shot but was unable to finish him with strong ground and pound. Instead Guida just put together a flurry of useless punches that scored points but didn’t do enough damage to stop Huerta. And what happened after that? Huerta submitted him with a rear naked choke at the beginning of round three. Same thing happend in his loss to Tyson Griffin. Many believed that Guida had won the fight but he left it up to the judges. The judges ruled in favor of Griffin. Guida has not been able to finish high caliber lightweights.

I think this is where Danzig’s main advantage will be. I expect Danzig to be on his back at some points during the fight. I expect him to eat some punishment from Guida. But I also expect him to weather the storm, hang around, and eventually submit Guida. There are holes in both guys’ game. No one’s a perfect fighter. But I believe Guida’s proven time and time again that he has an inability to finish higher caliber fighters. He’s proven he can finish the Sammy Schiavo’s of the world but he hasn’t yet been able to finish the high level of opponent that he needs to take the next step.

This should be one hell of a scrap. Both guys are very tough, both like to scrap, scramble, and claw their way to victories. Guida’s conditioning should be very good, as it always is, and this will be one of Danzig’s toughest tests to date. Outside of Sakurai I don’t think he’s faced a tougher opponent. Guida is a very, very good opponent and it won’t surprise me if he’s able to win. But if I had to choose, and I do, I think he lets Danzig hang around way too long and gets submitted sometime in the third round.

Herman (14-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC) was a finalist for season 3 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” losing a tough, back-and-forth decision to Kendall Grove. He was offered and signed a contract with the UFC regardless, and has had fluctuating results since. His first fight after the show, he was systematically taken down and submitted by a fighter who was offered a spot on the same season but passed, Jason MacDonald.

Herman seemed to finally find his stride as a UFC fighter in 2007 with 3 straight wins against increasingly tougher competition, culminating with handing Joe Doerksen his first knockout loss of his career. In came 2008 and a loss to Demian Maia at UFC 83. Not much to take from that loss, as Maia has been exposing everyone he has faced to possibly the best submission game in the middleweight division, if no the whole UFC. Herman has shown his best attributes are his wrestling and overall ground game with improving stand up. He has also shown he still has a way to go with his takedown and submission defense, as well as overall conditioning.

Belcher (12-5 MMA, 3-3 UFC) is a fighter from Biloxi, Mississippi who may be slightly guilty of believing the hype of his nickname a little too much. “The Talent” has had an up and down UFC career starting by filling in for the oft-injured David Terrell at UFC 62 against Yushin Okami. Belcher lost a tough unanimous decision against Okami, but demonstrated that he belonged in the big leagues.

He followed with an impressive head-kick knockout of Jorge Santiago at UFC Fight Night 7, showing his impressive stand up skills also pack knockout power. A bit of a schizophrenic fighter, his performances are very erratic. He has excellent Muay Thai skills and decent wrestling to go with them, but his ground game is very rudimentary as he sports a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He may be an occasional victim of his own overconfidence, as demonstrated in his last fight at UFC 83 where he was to face Patrick Cote.

Cote succumbed to a knee injury two weeks before the fight and he was replaced with Jason Day, a first time UFC fighter. Belcher looked visibly relaxed and somewhat sloppy in the early going as Day asserted himself on the ground and then surprised Belcher on the feet with a hard elbow that open the floodgates to an impressive TKO victory over Belcher.

Both fighters come in with big expectations in the UFC. They are also coming off of disappointing losses with a “must-win” mentality and maybe just a little something to prove to themselves as well as everyone else. The oldest adage in our sport applies here, as it is striker versus grappler in this bout. Whoever can control the flow of this fight will win, with Herman wanting to take down Belcher and work his ground and pound while Belcher will try to keep it standing and work for the knockout on his feet with his superior striking.

Who wins the position battle? In my opinion Belcher has just enough take down defense to stave off a rather average single leg takedown that Herman possesses. This should enable him to expose Herman on the feet. Herman does not have a great chin as he has shown time and time again in his losses, and was even rocked a few times in his win over Doerksen. Belcher has very good knockout power in both his hands and feet, and should be able to keep the fight standing long enough to win via TKO.

Herman has very good potential that he has never seemed to be able to reach at Team Quest. I think he needs a change of surroundings with a new striking coach that can get through to him. I look for Belcher to win via TKO in round 2 and possibly give Herman a chance to look for that new camp after another disappointing loss.

Going into this fight there is a lot to prove for both fighters. Houston Alexander is coming off two consecutive losses, one to James Irvin via superman punch and one to Thiago Silva via ground and pound. So far we’ve seen some good things and some bad things about Houston Alexander. Firstly, Alexander has good power and a lot of athleticism going for him. He proved that with knockout victories over Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara. Those are very good attributes to have on your side. Secondly, he has absolutely zero ground game and a weak chin. Thiago Silva mounted him within a matter of minutes and pounded him out from the top and James Irvin knocked him out in eight seconds with a superman punch. These are not so great attributes. So while there is a lot to like about Houston Alexander, there’s also a lot to dislike.

Eric Schafer, on the other hand, is much more well rounded than Alexander is. He’s a BJJ black belt under Pedro Sauer. His wrestling is very good. And he’s been training kickboxing under Duke Roufus, one of America’s premiere kickboxing coaches. So all in all, he’s capable of handling the fight wherever it goes. His jiu jitsu is top notch, his wrestling is much better than average and his hands are more than serviceable should the fight stay on the feet. The problem with Schafer is that he is willing to sacrifice position to get the fight to the ground. He often pulls guard and brings his opponent down to the mat but leaves too much space in between him and his opponent so that his opponent can rain down ground and pound from the top. Michael Bisping and Stephan Bonnar both finished Schafer this way.

Obviously both fighters have their strengths and their weaknesses as any fighter does. But whose weakness will be more exposed during the fight? For my money, it’s Houston Alexander’s weakness. Alexander once told me in an interview that his ground game was “as good as anyone’s in the UFC.” Obviously he was just posturing. His ground game is terrible. I asked him if he worked jiu jitsu with a gi or no gi and he simply responded “I do it all.” The fact of the matter is that Alexander has a very rudimentary ground game. Schafer is light years ahead of him on the ground and will find a way to get it to the ground either with a takedown or by clinching and pulling guard to bring Alexander down on top of him. Once it hits the ground, it’s over. There’s only so much that someone at a white belt level can do against someone who is a black belt.

And I know, I know. “This is MMA. BJJ doesn’t always work while you’re getting punched in the face.” To an extent, that’s right. But I’d like to think that Schafer has learned from his mistakes and that if Alexander is on top that he won’t let him create space and pound him from the top. He should be able to utilize his guard and either sweep Alexander or throw up submissions from the bottom. If Schafer ends up on top? I don’t think we even have to go there.

The Houston Alexander bandwagon has lost a lot of passengers. Is the guy a great story? Sure. Anyone who’s a single father with a multitude of children, a full time fighter and a DJ is someone to be respected. A father who will give his extra kidney to his child, such as Houston did, is a feel good story. But feel good stories and heartwarming moments don’t matter inside the Octagon. It’s Houston’s lack of total MMA knowledge that will be his downfall in this fight. The weak ground game has hurt him before. It’s going to hurt him again. Look for Schafer to submit him in the second round.

Miller is the younger brother of UFC lightweight competitor Jim Miller and is also a former middleweight champion in the IFL and Cage Fury Fighting Championship promotions. He will make his UFC debut at UFN 15 against Rob Kimmons.

Massenzio, a former amateur state wrestling champion in New Jersey, will take on Miletich Fighting Systems’ product Drew McFedries.

Also officially announced is a bout featuring another newcomer, Jason Brilz, who will be taking on former heavyweight competitor Brad Morris in a bout to be contested at light heavyweight.

UFN 15 will air on Spike TV on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at 9 p.m. ET and will emanate from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. The card, which will precede the season premiere for the eighth installment of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will feature a pair of solid lightweight bouts between Nate Diaz vs. Josh Neer and Mac Danzig vs. Clay Guida.

Hometown hero Houston Alexander will also be featured in a light heavyweight bout vs. Eric Schafer.

(Pictured: Mike Massenzio)

Massenzio’s bout is currently slated to make the Spike TV portion of the card, which will be telecast as a lead-in for the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” It’s somewhat ironic that he’ll be debuting during a TUF premiere night considering he was recruited to be a part of the cast for TUF 7. But the UFC wasn’t alone in their desire for Massenzio. He has been on the radar of talent evaluators for several national organizations after amassing a 10-1 record in MMA following a standout wrestling career in Junior College.

Last spring, Massenzio made the decision to leave the regional ranks. However, some industry insiders were surprised upon hearing that Massenzio had chosen to go with the International Fight League. With the IFL having ceased operations, Massenzio was given a second opportunity to join the UFC’s middleweight division.

Massenzio recently granted FiveOuncesOfPain.com an interview where he discussed the reasoning behind turning down the TUF 7 invite and eventually signing with the IFL. During our exclusive interview, he not only spoke about his career moves but also talked about how competing for the UFC will be the realization of a dream; fighters he looked up to while being a fan; what he has planned for McFedries; whether he’s ready for a shot at Anderson Silva; and much more.

Sam Caplan: I first wanted to congratulate you on signing a four-fight contract with the UFC. It’s a tremendous honor.

Mike Massenzio: Definitely. It’s a great feeling. I’ve been waiting my whole life. This is a lot of peoples’ dreams.

Sam Caplan: With the UFC having been a dream of yours are there any fighters you’ve enjoyed watching or have looked up to while watching in recent years?

Mike Massenzio: I love GSP. I love St. Pierre. That’s a style that I like: constant pressure. And just mixing it up and not just doing one thing and being able to go from one thing to the next. You can never know what he’s going to do next so I’ve enjoyed watching him. And Wanderlei Silva is my all-time favorite.

Sam Caplan: After having spoken with sources in the past, I know this wasn’t the first time that the UFC has come after you. Is it true that you were invited to be a participant on the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter?”

Mike Massenzio: Yes, it’s true.

Sam Caplan: What was behind your decision for not going on the show:

Mike Massenzio: At the time I had just fought three fights in a row in September, October, and November. I just needed a little time to rest and relax. I was doing my thing and doing well and I felt I needed to take some time off and rest before getting ready to go.

Sam Caplan: Around that same time I had heard from a source that EliteXC tried to get you to sign and had plans for you to debut on the 1/25 ShoXC show. Is that true as well?

Mike Massenzio: There’s some truth to that. My manager is Gary Marino (of GVM Sports Management) and we were keeping in touch. He handles all of that stuff. But yes, that was a scenario that was run by me at that time.

Sam Caplan: So you had all of these promotions coming after you and around that time you made the decision to sign with the IFL. What was behind the decision to go with the IFL as opposed to other promotions that had approached you?

Mike Massenzio: The IFL was a good step up. It was a big step up from what I was doing. I would have love to have been on (TUF 7) but there were just a couple of other things I was trying to take care of. I had to take care of a couple of injuries here and there and like I said, I really wanted to get some rest after having fought three times in a row. But I have a good bunch of people around me and they had advised me that the IFL was a step in the right direction.

Sam Caplan: When the IFL canceled its August show and basically suspended operations, did you receive an immediate release from your contract?

Mike Massenzio: I’m not really too sure. Gary handles all of that. He takes care of all the inside work.

Sam Caplan: I spoke to Gary right after you had signed with the UFC and he made the point that it is rare for the UFC to sign a fighter coming off a loss. You had lost to Danillo Villefort during the IFL’s show in May. Were you surprised when you got the call from the UFC?

Mike Massenzio: It caught me a little off guard. They usually don’t want to take a guy coming off a loss. I lost to Danillo but he’s a great athlete and he’s super-tough. It was a bad fight to make a judgment on me. At the time, I was a little disappointed but I was ready to go at all times. I feel like I belong in the UFC and I’m excited to be a part of it. It’s the best organization in the world and I’m taking this as a second chance.

Sam Caplan: You’re one of the top prospects coming out of the East Coast. It just seems like a lot of fight prospects in California and the Midwest are always getting opportunities. Do you feel East Coast fighters are getting the same kind of love from the major national promotions?

Mike Massenzio: I see it coming a little bit more and more. A lot of the best schools, training camps, and facilities are out West in Vegas and California, so they’re probably going to get a look first. But there are a lot of tough East Coast guys coming up and I feel I am one of them. I’m just excited to be on a show where I can demonstrate what I can do on an elite stage.

Sam Caplan: You were a standout wrestler at Bergen County Junior College. What made you decide to get in MMA?

Mike Massenzio: My whole life I’ve been an athlete. I’ve been wrestling since I was five years old. My ultimate dream in the wrestling world was to go Division I but I never really got a chance to get to that level (because) coming out of high school I was academically ineligible, which forced me to have to go to Junior College. And coming out of JUCO I actually was signed by Rider University to a full scholarship. Right after coming out of Bergen, I was just burnt out coming from the whole wrestling world and I had always wanted to do MMA. I had to make a decision about what I wanted to do; times were real rough (as) I had been living on my own since I was 18-years old. I had to pay bills and MMA was brand new to me. It was exciting during a time when I was burnt out so I made the switch.

Sam Caplan: When you fought for the IFL, you fought a jiu-jitsu black belt in Danillo Villefort. You’ll be making your UFC debut against a puncher in Drew McFedries. As a wrestler, do you have a preference of going against a grappler or a puncher?

Mike Massenzio: Honestly, I feel that I am very well-rounded in every aspect: my jiu-jitsu, my standup, and obviously my wrestling is on top of its game, I feel. I’ll fight anybody. If it’s a striker, a wrestler, a jiu-jitsu guy, I approach every fight the same way; I want to have the same intensity. I’ll go over films and devise strategic moves to counter their best areas. But for the most part I just approach every fight with the right mindset and do what I’ve got to do out there.

Sam Caplan: McFedries is a tough opponent. He certainly won’t be an easy debut. Have you started watching film in order to scout him and prepare for the fight?

Mike Massenzio: Without a doubt. As soon as I had heard I had the fight with him we started going over what we felt his weaknesses and his strengths were. We just have been trying to pick his game a part so that I can put a gameplan together and figure out how I am going to approach the fight.

Sam Caplan: I know you can’t talk about your gameplan too much, but I wanted to know if there is one area you’ve seen in his game that you feel you can exploit?

Mike Massenzio: My whole thing is whoever I fight, I want to be aggressive. From the opening bell to the final bell, I want to apply constant pressure. I want to give it everything I’ve got, no matter what. He’s a great fighter and this is a great fight. It’s an honor being able to fight a guy like this. But I feel I am at his level and I’m at all of these guys’ level and this is just a great fight because I can prove what I can do. Like I said, I’m just going to pressure the whole time and go out there and give it everything I’ve got.

Sam Caplan: Ideally where would you like to be in the UFC a year from now?

Mike Massenzio: A year from now I hope I’ve won all of my fights. I hope I am undefeated in the UFC. I can’t really predict what’s going to happen in the future; all I know is that I have to worry about what’s going on today. Before I can look ahead, I need to get past Drew McFedries first but I would love to win all of my fights within a year and then see what’s going on then.

Sam Caplan: I assume fighting for the middleweight title is a goal of yours. How soon do you think you’d be ready for Anderson Silva?

Mike Massenzio: My dream is to be a world champion in the UFC but I’m just taking one step at a time. Drew McFedries is just the first guy in my way. It’s hard to say but I hope that within a year or two that I’m in title contention.

According to Shnerer, the bout is off the Sept. 17 fight card because of a knee injury sustained by Lister during training.

UFN 15 will emanate from Omaha Civic Center in Omaha, Nebraska and will feature a lightweight main event between Nate Diaz, the winner of the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and Josh Neer.

The event will serve as a lead-in for the season premiere of the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and will also feature bouts between Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer, Clay Guida vs. Mac Danzig, Joe Lauzon vs. Kyle Bradley, Alan Belcher vs. Ed Herman, Jeremy Horn vs. Wilson Gouveia, and Drew McFedries vs. Mike Massenzio.

Here’s the latest on UFN 15:

• Nate Diaz vs. Josh Neer @ LW
• Mac Danzig vs. Clay Guida @ LW
• Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer @ LHW
• Alan Belcher and Ed Herman @ MW
• Joe Lauzon vs. Kyle Bradley @ LW
• Jeremy Horn vs. Wilson Gouveia @ LHW

Fight card subject to change; bouts will be added as we confirm them.

Save 15% on Nathan Diaz t-shirts from BrawlMall.com. Use code “5Ounces15″ at checkout.

Check out more UFC Fight Night content on Five Ounces of Pain

Neer, 24-6-1, according to Sherdog’s fight finder, is currently on a three fight win streak and was victorious in his UFC return at UFC Fight Night 13 this past April. Taking on Din Thomas in a lightweight encounter, Neer won the bout via unanimous decision.

Diaz, the younger brother of EliteXC competitor Nick Diaz, is 9-2 in 11 pro bouts and is a perfect 4-0 during his brief UFC career with victories over Manny Gamburyan, Junior Assuncao, Alvin Robinson, and Kurt Pellegrino.

UFC Fight Night 14 is expected to be held at the Pearl at the Palms and will serve as a prelude to the season premiere of the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” on Spike TV. In addition to the Neer vs. Diaz bout, fights between Houston Alexander vs. Eric Schafer and Tamdan McCrory vs. Luke Cummo are rumored as well.

Involved with the call were Chuck Liddell, Keith Jardine and Kenny Florian. Dana White and Din Thomas had been advertised for the call but did not attend. UFC PR rep Jennifer Wenk indicated that White was on another call. At one point they thought he might be able to join in later in the call, but that wasn’t the case. There was no word on why Thomas was not available.

There was nothing all too earth-shattering, but here’s a general rundown of several things the fighters said:

(to read the rest of this article, just click here)

Din Thomas was also not available even though he had been advertised. Chuck Liddell, Keith Jardine, and Kenny Florian were all on. There was nothing Earth shattering coming out of the conference. I reported on it for MMAjunkie.com and my notes on it should be available there soon.

MMAWeekly.com was able to confirm the report with American Kickboxing Academy instructor “Crazy” Bob Cook. According to the site, Swick injured his ribs during training.

The injury to Swick leaves the main portion of the card sans one fight. Still scheduled for the main card are bouts between Din Thomas vs. Kenny Florian, Chris Leben vs. Terry Martin, and Nate Diaz vs. Junior Assuncao.

If the UFC feels it needs a fourth match for the show, they can choose from a preliminary card that’s slated to include fights between Cole Miller vs. Leonard Garcia, Kuniyoshi Hironaka vs. Thiago Alves, Nate Quarry vs. Pete Sell, Luke Cummo vs. Edilberto de Oliveira, Gray Maynard vs. Joe Veres, and Goulet vs. TBA.

My vote for a fourth TV bout would go to Hironaka vs. Alves but I’d also be real curious to see Quarry vs. Sell.

As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, Spencer Fisher is off the UFC Fight Night card on September 11 due to staph infection. Kenny Florian has been moved from the UFC 78 card in order to take Fisher’s spot against Din Thomas.

That’s going to be a very strong match.

Also, staph has apparently spread like wildfire at MFS in Davenport, Iowa as reports indicate that both Tim Sylvia and Drew McFedries have it as well.

Ouch.

The release covers a lot of matchups we’ve already reported on, however, it’s been announced that Nate Quarry will be making his return against Pete Sell and Cole Miller will also be fighting on the preliminary portion of the card, against Leonard Garcia (nice matchup!).

Here’s the official release:

New York, NY, July 31, 2007 – For The Ultimate Fighter^® alumni Din Thomas (Season 4), Nate Diaz (Season 5 champ) Chris Leben (Season 1) and Mike Swick (Season 1), the Ultimate^® Fight Night^™ on Spike TV Wednesday, September 19 at 9:00pm ET/PT will provide a golden opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a nationally televised audience. Each fighter is facing a tough test with the winners moving up the UFC^® ranks and another step closer to a title shot. The two-hour live fight card will take place live from The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, NV.

Din Thomas (23-7) may have gained national recognition on Season 4 of The Ultimate Fighter last year, but the 30 year-old fighter was already well-known to mixed martial arts fans with a resume including an impressive win over current welterweight champ Matt Serra at UFC 41 in 2003. Now, the American Top Team product out of Port St. Lucie, Fl. looks to ascend the lightweight ranks against Spencer “The King” Fisher (21-3). The 31 year-old Team Miletich fighter from Bettendorf, Iowa earned national acclaim when he won a hard-fought decision over Canadian Sam Stout on Spike TV in June.  With three wins in his last four UFC fights, “The King” is inching closer for a shot at the UFC lightweight throne.   

A bold personality from Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter, Chris “The Crippler” Leben (16-4), was a rising star in the UFC with five straight victories until his career was sidetracked by a devastating stoppage at the hands of current middleweight king, Anderson Silva, last June. Leben, fighting out of Gresham, Ore., has lost two of his last three bouts, and is desperate for a win against Chicago’s Terry Martin (18-2). The 26-year-old Martin, working toward a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, is on a two-fight winning streak in the UFC including a first round TKO over Ivan Salaverry at UFC 71 in May.

   The Ultimate Fighter 5 champ Nate Diaz (6-2) gets his first big opportunity as a UFC fighter against the tough Atlanta-based Junior Assuncao (6-2). Diaz was awarded a six-figure multi-fight deal with the UFC when he defeated Manny Gamburyan in the second round of their nationally-televised bout in June.  Diaz will look to use his impressive array of submission skills against the hard-charging Assuncao.   

Mike Swick (10-2) was on the fast track to a UFC title shot with a five-fight winning streak since appearing on The Ultimate Fighter 1 with wins over vets David Loiseau and Joe Riggs.  However, the talented 28-year-old fighting out of San Jose, Calif. lost a decision in a three-round war to Yushin Okami at UFC 69 in April.  Now he is dropping down to welterweight to fight Canadian Jonathan “The Road Warrior” Goulet (19-8), who trains with UFC star Georges St-Pierre, and is making his fifth appearance on a Spike TV fight card. 

The undercard will also feature prominent The Ultimate Fighter alumni as Gray Maynard (Season 5) takes on Joe Veres, Cole Miller (Season 5) battles Leonard Garcia, and Pete “Drago” Sell (Season 4) takes on Nate Quarry (Season 4).