The telecast, which emanated from the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina, was planned with the goal of raising charitable contributions for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF).

IFHF provides assistance to our nation’s military heroes and their families who have been critically injured in the performance of their duty. The Fund is currently seeking to raise a total of $65 million for a new medical facility in Bethesda, Maryland to be named the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE).

NICoE will be a 75,000 square foot, state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation center to provide leading edge services and support for soldiers with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The center will also conduct research, test new protocols and provide comprehensive training and education to patients, providers and families while maintaining ongoing tele-health follow-up care.

In the release, IFHF President Bill White commended the UFC and Spike TV for the success of the event.

“We are profoundly grateful to the UFC and Spike TV for their extraordinary support of our nation’s Wounded Warriors,” White said. “Their efforts have moved us that much closer to complete the traumatic brain injury center in Bethesda for the service members that are fighting for our freedom overseas.”

Weigh-ins took place at the Sports USA Bar, which is located on federal ground at the Fort Bragg army base.

Official weights for the 10-bout card are as follows:

• Heavyweight: Justin McCully (228 lbs.) vs. Eddie Sanchez (246 lbs.)
• Lightweight: Dale Hartt (156 lbs.) vs. Corey Hill (155 lbs.)
• Welterweight: Ben Saunders (170 lbs.) vs. Brandon Wolff (170 lbs.)
• Welterweight: Steve Bruno (170 lbs.) vs. Johnny Rees (169 lbs.)
• *Welterweight: Luigi Fioravanti (173 lbs.) vs. Brodie Farber (174 lbs.)
• Lightweight: Jim Miller (156 lbs.) vs. Matt Wiman (156 lbs.)
• Middleweight: Tim Credeur (186 lbs.) vs. Nate Loughran (185 lbs.)
• Light Heavyweight: Steve Cantwell (206 lbs.) Razak Al-Hussan (205 lbs.)
• Welterweight: Mike Swick (171 lbs.) vs. Jonathan Goulet (171 lbs.)
• Welterweight: Yoshiyuki Yoshida (171 lbs.) vs. Josh Koscehck (171 lbs.)

With both Fioravanti and Farber weighing in over the welterweight limit, the fight was converted into a 173 lbs. catchweight bout.

Hartt told FiveOuncesOfPain.com in an exclusive interview that he started packing his things immediately after his loss to Gugerty and made the move to the MMA training capital of the world, Las Vegas. The Bangor, Maine native left Marcus Davis and Team Irish to ensure to himself that he would not be able to offer up any excuses after he leaves the Octagon on Wednesday night. Alternating between Xtreme Couture, Cobra Kai, Master Toddy’s and Phillipi Sports institute has turned the young fighter into a virtual sponge of MMA technique that he hopes to showcase with an impressive performance in the most pivotal bout up until this point in his career.

Cory Brady: What are your thoughts on Corey Hill?

Dale Hartt: I think Corey poses some very unique challenges just based on his physical dimensions. I’ve been setting up a Corey Hill dummy at the gym and the first time I set it up I was like “Holy [expletive]!”. I was trying to figure out how long his arms were so I set it up to be as tall as he is and have the same reach and it’s crazy. He has some crazy dimensions.

Cory Brady: Is it hard to find guys with the same body type as him to train with?

Dale Hartt: It is. Especially as light as he is. Luckily I live in Las Vegas which is the MMA training capital of the world. I have a really good stand up guy I scrounged up. He’s 6’3″ and I think his stand up is a lot better than Corey’s. I’m banking on it. Then I have another really good guy to roll with that’s like 6’8″. I’ve rolled with VinnyMagalhaes a little bit but he’s not skinny like Corey. He’s been giving me a lot of thoughts and helping with my gameplan for Corey. I think there are a couple of areas that are problem areas with Corey Hill. There are a couple things I have to be really careful about and as long as I stay away from those things I should be successful.

Cory Brady: So I know you have been training at Master Toddy’s, Xtreme Couture and Phillipi Sports institute. How are you breaking up your training between the three places?

Dale Hartt: I don’t eat or sleep. No, I had to cut it down because for a while I was going to three places every day. I was getting up in the morning and I would hit pads at Master Toddy’s or I would be at thePhillipi Sports Institute then I was going to Xtreme Couture at 4:00 pm and I would go to Cobra Kai at night.

Cory Brady: How were you able to keep up that kind of pace with your training?

Dale Hartt: I was like the walking dead. I was doing that for like three weeks and I just died. I wasn’t performing that well so I cut it down to two a day for the most part. I alternate now. I got to Master Toddy’s four times a week in the morning, I go to Phillipi Institute twice in the morning and twice at night and then I’ll go to Xtreme Couture for the rest. I’m going to pick back up at Cobra Kai once I’m done with my fight.

Cory Brady: What are some of the things that you have to capitalize on to win this fight?

Dale Hartt: I think I have to capitalize on controlling the distance. I feel like controlling the distance and the angles are essential to my victory. I think I have to stay away from Corey’s right hand. I need to minimize that. If he hits me a couple of times it’s not the end of the world but I think I have to minimize that and I need to stay off of the cage.

Cory Brady: How do you visualize the fight with Corey ending?

Dale Hartt: I think Corey’s a tough kid and I think he’s tenacious but I don’t think he has been in too many crappy spots in his life. I realize that he worked at Wal-Mart which is pretty crappy and he’s supported his family and he seems like a good guy but I just don’t think he’s been in the trenches of crap like I have. I just think that mentally he will break. I have to be honest, I’ve had my ass kicked like a thousand times and I’ve never broken once so I don’t think he can break me. He’s not going to do anything to me that I haven’t already had done to me.

Cory Brady: Do you think that this is definitely a do or die fight for you as far as the UFC is concerned?

Dale Hartt: Oh absolutely. I have no doubt about it. I don’t know if he’ll be sent home. A lot of people think that this is a do or die fight for the both of us. I know it’s a do or die fight for me but it’s probably 50/50 for him depending on how he looks in defeat.

Cory Brady: Do you feel like you need to not only win but win impressively to make a statement in the UFC?

Dale Hartt: I think the most important thing is to win. I don’t want to be a boring fighter but at this point if it came between having a boring fight and winning, I’d rather win. I have to be honest, being boring isn’t really in my nature. I’m kind of a go for broke kind of guy but just technically speaking I’d rather have a boring fight and win with the UFC then have an exciting fight and get booted. I try not to focus on the results and not the process. I’m focusing on the changes I have needed to make and setting myself up for success. I’ve been working hard and doing really good in training so we’ll see.

Cory Brady: What were some of the factors that came into play with the loss in your UFC debut against Shannon Gugerty?

Dale Hartt: I won’t lie to you. The Gugerty fight was the worst performance of my life. I didn’t think I would get the UFC jitters but now that I look back at it I was definitely getting some UFC jitters. The thoughts I was having during that fight were not thoughts that I normally have and they were not good thoughts. I wasn’t letting things happen. I was trying to force them. When I was in my guard I was being reactive instead of proactive. I think in any position in MMA you have to be proactive. You can’t wait for the other guy to do things, you have to make them happen and I wasn’t doing that. I don’t blame anyone for that loss but myself. The biggest thing for me was when Shannon had me on my back, I was all set there. I was totally calm. He didn’t hurt me once but in my head I was thinking that I was having a boring fight. I kept thinking in my head “You’re having a boring fight. You’re having a boring fight” and I was so petrified that the UFC was going to be unhappy with me. I just said screw it and just tried to roll over and when I did he took my back. I tried to roll over and “Chuck Liddell” it. Like just get to my knees and stand up but I didn’t have the Chuck Liddell skills.

Cory Brady: So you think because you were so worried about putting on an exciting performance it may have cost you that first win in the UFC?

Dale Hartt: Yeah. I realize that the UFC runs an entertainment business and I realize that everyone wants to have an exciting fight but for his one, lets just get a win out of the way. I’m sweating bullets because there’s so much riding on this. I really like fighting in the UFC and I don’t want to go anywhere so lets just get this win and then we’ll focus on being exciting from there. I just want this win and then I’ll start rocking and rolling. I have no worries about my skill and desire I just want to allow myself to be able to showcase those things.

Cory Brady: Did the loss have anything to do with you leaving Team Irish and making the move to Las Vegas to train?

Dale Hartt: I was getting ready to move anyways but the day I lost to Shannon I was already packing my stuff. I moved as fast as humanly possible. Bangor, Maine is great and Marcus Davis is awesome. He is such a smart MMA guy. He has a really analytical mind and he’s really focused on the details. Especially with his boxing. He’s so good with the details of punching, it’s phenomenal. He has helped me so much and he’s still helping me here because there are still things that I need to fix and I know in my head what I need to do. Marcus is just an unbelievable coach in that way. Where my problem lies is that most of the guys are bigger than me and when Marcus is gone there’s nobody near my size to train with. When Marcus would leave I would be left with nothing but 205′ers to train with. I’ll never say a bad word about Marcus or Team Irish. It’s an amazing place to train and it got me to the UFC. Lord willing I’m going to give Marcus his first student UFC victory. This is what I wanted to do with my life and I didn’t want to make excuses up, I wanted to make a solution and that’s why I came to Las Vegas.

Cory Brady: What are some of the benefits you have already noticed since moving to Las Vegas?

Dale Hartt: You have so many looks out here and just so much talent. When I go to Xtreme Couture’s the only day I can’t find someone to kick my butt there is Christmas. I have grown so much since coming here but it’s not only that, I’ve really seen my growth potential. Las Vegas can take you as far as you can go. I call Cobra Kai the “snake pit.” I get such good rolls every time I go there. It’s like all out war most of the time with those guys. That kind of attitude is developing some really talented grapplers down there. Master Toddy’s has some really beautiful muay thai. Everything is really good out here.

Cory Brady: Is there anyone you want to thank?

Dale Hartt: I really want to thank CombatFitness.us, MMA Fan Shop, Ranger Up, Complete Fighter and Respek Fightwear.com.

But while Wednesday’s lineup for “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight for the Troops” (Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET) might not be one of the strongest in recent memory, this is one of the few events you’ll ever see promoted by the UFC in which the primary focus of the show are not the fights.

Wednesday’s event was scheduled to help raise funds to to build a hospital for traumatic brain injuries for the brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces. The event will be held at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, North Carolina with the crowd populated largely by soldiers from nearby Fort Bragg.

While many of us will be home for the holidays at the end of December, it is important to remember that the U.S. is still involved in two major military exercises in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

In Iraq, total casualties of members from the U.S. Armed Forces has reached 4,209 with the total in Afghanistan now at 1,022. Tens of thousands more have been injured while representing our country and the funds raised on Wednesday will help many of them recover from their injuries.

Economic times are tough in the U.S., but if you are in a position to donate and feel compelled to do so, you can contribute online at www.FallenHeroesFund.org or by calling 1-800-340-HERO.

Scheduled to compete at UFN 16 are five veterans of both the Marines and Navy, which includes Tim Credeur, Dale Hartt, Brandon Wolff, Steve Bruno, and Luigi Fioravanti. All but Fioravanti, a retired Marine, served in the Navy.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has a preview of the five bouts scheduled to be televised during Spike TV’s special three-hour telecast.

– Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida: Yoshida destroyed Jon Koppenhaver during his Octago debut at UFC 84 in May when he submitted “War Machine” just 56 seconds into the fight. The impressive performance has prompted some pundits to predict an upset win for Yoshida, who has become a trendy fighter to support amongst hardcore fans.

And while Yoshida is a strong acquisition to the UFC’s welterweight division, I don’t see him having enough to defeat Koscheck. Yoshida’s Judo skills normally will be a huge factor in most fights, but Koscheck’s leg attacks will prove to be too strong and too fast.

Koscheck, 11-3 overall and 9-3 in the UFC, will look to rebound from a losing effort in his most recent fight at UFC 90 this past October. Alves’ superior athleticism neutralized Koscheck’s shot, forcing the fight to primarily be contest on the feet. While Koscheck’s standup has improved a great deal over the years, he was no match for Alves’ Muay Thai skills.

Against Yoshida (10-2/1-0), Koscheck should have the advantage when it comes to striking. And on the ground, the former NCAA wrestling standout should have an advantage as well.

Prediction: If Koscheck has the advantage standing and on the ground, where does Yoshida win this fight? Koscheck via unanimous decision.

– Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet: Swick appeared to be on the fast track to success after beginning his UFC career 5-0 as a middleweight with notable wins over Joe Riggs and David Loiseau. However, a disappointing performance at UFC 69 against Yushin Okami prompted Swick to drop to welterweight.

While Swick is 2-0 while competing at 170, he’s yet to show the same dynamic finishing ability he displayed at the start of his UFC career. In victories over Josh Burkman and Marcus Davis, Swick fought tentative at times. The most likely reason could have to do with the fact that the American Kickboxing Academy-trained fighter has been dealing with an assortment of injuries over the course of the last year.

Swick most recently underwent elbow surgery and is claiming to be the healthiest he’s been in quite some time. Against Jonathan Goulet, he will have a chance to improve to 3-0 as a welterweight and regain some of the mometum he has lost over the course of the last year.

Goulet, 22-9 overal and 4-3 in the UFC, hasn’t exactly had the best luck when it comes to competing at UFC Fight Night events. Facing Duane Ludwig at UFN 3, Goulet was TKO’d just 11 seconds into their fight. Since that time, the 29-year old Canadian has won his fair share of fights against inferior competition. But when matched up against higher-caliber fighters such as Koscheck, Dustin Hazelett, and Jason Day, Goulet has been unable to step up.

Facing a healthy Swick, Goulet could find himself over-matched yet again.

Prediction: Goulet is rugged, tested, and experienced, but not skilled enough to pull off the upset. Swick via second round TKO.

– Jim Miller vs. Matt Wiman: Miller, 12-1, accepted this fight on literally a week’s notice. To top it off, learned of the potential fight almost as soon as he returned from his honeymoon. Based on the circumstances, many pundits are predicting Wiman to win. However, Miller should not be counted out.
One of the top lightweight prospects on the East Coast for several years, the only reason why it took this long for Miller to arrive in the UFC was because he wasn’t getting enough exposure. He’s actually been UFC-ready for at least a year now.

A good all-around fighter, Miller’s strength is on the ground. However, his standup is solid and Miller has enough potential that he could emerge as a top ten lightweight within the next 12-16 months. Yes, Miller is that good and he’s being understimated because he’s not just taking this fight on short notice, but a lot of people simply haven’t been exposed to him.

Miller made his UFC debut at UFC 89 in October, where he scored a third round submission of David Baron. Unfortunately, the impressive victory didn’t make the live broadcast. But even though he’s competing on short notice, I expect Miller to make an impression that puts him on the radar of both hardcore and casual fans alike.

Wiman has been on a roll as of late, going 4-0 in his last four UFC bouts. A veteran from the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Wiman will have a significant reach advantage. If Wiman keeps the fight standing, he should be in good shape as his striking skills have improved greatly and the reach will be a factor.

This fight will contend for “Fight of the Night” with the winner moving on to bigger and better things.

Prediction: If this fight goes into the third round, Miller could start feeling it. But while cardio could be an issue, I still feel compelled to pick Miller via unanimous decision as he takes the first two rounds.

– Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan: Cantwell, 6-1, is the former WEC light heavyweight champion, a title that he won following a second round TKO victory over Brian Stann this past August at WEC 35.

The win not only earned Cantwell his first major singles title, but allowed him to avenge the only loss of his career. Cantwell vs. Stann III was supposed to happen on this show but an injury forced Stann off the card and opened up this slot for Al-Hussan.

Al-Hussan, a solid prospect who made a name for himself in the Midwest, had been slated to make his UFC debut during the summer but an injury prevented that from happening.

Hussan, 6-0, needs to get the figth to the floor as soon as possible. It’s unlikely he’ll be able to stand with Cantwell and if he gets to the fight to the mat, there’s a good chance that he’ll be able to use his solid submission skills to end the fight.

Prediction: Cantwell isn’t anything special on the ground, but he showed in his title win over Brian Stann that his Muay Thai has come a long way. I believe Cantwell uses his aforementioned Muay Thai skills en route to a second round TKO.

– Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran: Both Loughran and Credeur are 1-0 in the UFC and are strong submission-based fighters. Loughran is 9-0 but has yet to defeat a top-level fighter. At 10-2, Credeur’s record isn’t too shabby. Most of his wins have come against regional-level competitors, however, the Louisiana native has tested himself in the past against Joey Villasenor and Chael Sonnen. But Credeur lost both fights and like Loughran, he’s yet to defeat a major national-level competitor.

Since both fighters are so strong on the ground, look for them to try and engage in the standup in hopes of exposing a weakness. However, look for the fight to end up on the floor at some point, where we could see some very exciting exchanges between the two.

Prediction: The ground will be a stalemate and these two will look to slug it out with Loughran pulling off the upset unanimous decision victory.

Credeur will be looking to follow up his impressive UFC debut with another victory when he takes on undefeated submission specialist Nate Loughran at the “UFC Fight for the Troops” card from Fayetteville, North Carolina on Wednesday. Neither fighter is known for letting fights go the distance and this bout is sure to follow the trend. The finisher will move a little higher up the ladder in UFC’s middleweight division and the finisher will have a much more difficult road ahead of him. This could very easily be seen as a battle for legitimacy at 185 pounds in the UFC.

When FiveOuncesOfPain.com had the chance to speak with Credeur in an exclusive interview he was overflowing with confidence going into his bout with Loughran. He also expressed additional excitement over the new mixed martial arts gym he has launched in his home state of Louisiana.

Cory Brady: I heard you opened a new gym in Louisiana called Gladiator’s Academy. What can you tell me about it?

Tim Credeur: We have a section for fighters and then there’s a lot of MMA classes, Muay Thai and boxing. Also we teach kids classes and we teach a fight fitness class for women so we have something for everybody. MMA is getting so big as a sport that I kind of feel like it’s our job as fighters to kind of give back a little bit. The gym is for sure a place for me to train and get better. A place for me to work with my boxing coaches and my wrestling coaches and at the same time it’s an opportunity for me to coach some of the up and coming guys and help a lot of different people that want to get involved with MMA that don’t necessarily want to get punched in the face. It’s awesome. We had like seven guys fight at an event last weekend and they all came away from victories so it’s doing really well.

Cory Brady: How often do you guys have events out there in Louisiana?

Tim Credeur: It’s Louisiana, every weekend. Within a hundred mile radius there’s fights every weekend. There’s guys that have been fighting and training whether there was a gym or not for the last five or six years.

Cory Brady: Do you find that there’s not a lot of exposure for the events and fighters in your neck of the woods?

Tim Credeur: It’s tough for me to break out the scene out here. There’s not a lot of coverage, media or Internet coverage. There’s just a bunch of guys out here that are really tough that have backgrounds in different things that get together and work hard and try to get involved in the sport the best they can.

Cory Brady: So what made you decide to really put the whole thing together?

Tim Credeur: I just saw an opportunity to kind of unify a lot of those guys and give them somewhere to train. It’s kind of the first of it’s kind. Rich Clementi has a gym about two hours away and my gym and his gym are two of the only ones out here in Louisiana that are really putting out quality fighters. So I’m just going to kind of keep working on it from the grassroots level. This is the kind of thing that built MMA from the beginning. For it to get bigger and bigger these kind of things need to happen. I’m glad to just be part of it and help build the next generation of fighters.

Cory Brady: Is this something you have been wanting to do for a while now?

Tim Credeur: When it comes down to it I’m a fighter. I’m just a fighter. I’ve lived here for the last three or four years and I never had a gym necessarily. I travelled a lot while I was here. I trained with Rich Franklin, Alan Belcher, had a boxing coach out in Baton Rouge. I was just kind of a renegade. I was the states first black belt in jiu-jitsu and I never really had a gym because I didn’t really care. I just wanted to compete. The real reason I got my black belt is because I was a competitor. I was just competing every weekend and as you do that you just get better and better over time. The belts just came quickly and then eventually I was a black belt. I never wanted to use my black belt to open a school and teach children. It was never my goal. I have a business degree in college so I just wanted to fight as long as I could and then go get a real job. I never thought I would be able to make money do this. Being in the game for such a long time I’ve seen a lot of guys just basically take a vow of poverty opening gyms and trying to make MMA a career but I think that’s changing.

Cory Brady: Do you find that there’s a lot more interest to train in mixed martial arts coming from the younger generation?

Tim Credeur: Before a lot of the kids would go to those traditional martial arts schools and they don’t want to do that anymore. They know that front kicks and karate chops are garbage. You can’t convince a kid that karate works anymore. They watch “The Ultimate Fighter” on TV for free. hey know what armbars and rear naked chokes are. They know what that stuff is and they want to learn how to do it. I’m talking about nine-year olds. I have nine-year olds in my class that want to learn how to do heel hooks. That’s crazy talk. I had never even heard of a heel hook until I was about eighteen years old. So seeing that kind of shift of consciousness in martial arts kind of let me know that there may really be a possibility for me to be able to do what I love for the rest of my life.

Cory Brady: Has opening your own gym helped you elevate your training to an even higher level?

Tim Credeur: Just being in the gym all day has really helped me step up my game. I train ten times more now than before because I don’t have a choice. I’m in the gym all day anyway. It’s really exciting. It’s exciting to see the general public be interested so I’m really excited. Excited to have my own gym and excited to be fighting in the UFC.

Cory Brady: So it seems like everything’s really falling into place with your mixed martial arts career.

Tim Credeur: Yeah it is and it almost didn’t. I was very much on my last leg there right before “The Ultimate Fighter.” I was walking away at that point. I first started fighting back in 1996 and I never really got the opportunities that some of the other guys got for one reason or another. It was kind of frustrating for me seeing my wife have to deal with the rigors of being married to a psychopath that wants to fight for a living when he’s not making any money. It’s frustrating. Especially when you’re sitting on a degree and there’s all kinds of great job offers coming in and I’m turning them down just so I can keep getting in the ring but my wife talked me into staying. She talked me into giving it another six months and I rattled off a bunch of first round victories, got the call from the UFC and it’s history since then. I thank my lucky stars and my wife otherwise I could be stuck working at some dumb oil company or something.

Cory Brady: Who are some of the key people that have been helping you prepare for your upcoming bout with Nate Loughran?

Tim Credeur: My boxing coach is James Georgetown. He’s a former professional boxer that’s been coaching boxing for years. He has a really aggressive boxing style. I’ve been training with him for the last three or four years and in the last year we have started to make some real strides in my game. We work together five or six times a week. My jiu-jitsu coach is Rodrigo Medeiros. I work with him regularly and then all of my fighters as well.

Cory Brady: Did you travel anywhere to prepare for this one?

Tim Credeur: I went to Las Vegas for a while to work with Forrest and some of the guys at Xtreme Couture but all of my coaches are the same coaches that they have always been. I don’t think I’ll be the kind of guy that gets some recognition in MMA and stats switching coaches. I don’t really agree with that. These guys got me where I’m at. There’s no reason to change whats been working.

Cory Brady: How are you feeling right now physically?

Tim Credeur: Phenomenal. I feel like one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse. I feel great. training has been really difficult. I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself in practice and I feel great. I’m excited to fight in front of the troops and to put on another impressive performance in the UFC.

Cory Brady: Have you been able to study any tape on Nate and how do you feel you guys match up?

Tim Credeur: I’m not really the kind of fighter that studies a lot of tape and picks apart my opponent. I’m a really aggressive fighter. I’m going to fight the fight my way. I’m going to try to finish the guy the whole fight. I don’t care what Nate’s going to do. I’m coming out there to do my job.

Cory Brady: Neither of you guys let fights go the distance so do you think it’s safe to say this on will end with a finish one way or another?

Tim Credeur: Somebody is going to be finished. There’s no doubt about it. I don’t think either of us fight for decisions ever. The fights that I’ve been in that have gone the distance have had a lot more to do with the other guy than they had to do with me. I think the both of us are looking to finish the fight and move on to bigger and better things. I know I am for sure.

Cory Brady: How do you visualize this fight ending?

Tim Credeur: A win’s a win to me. I’m not biased in any way. Knockout or submission is fine with me. I’m not going in there to get anything other than the win. I’m looking to go out there and to take what Nate gives me.

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

Tim Credeur: Denaro Sports Marketing, Graffight Apparel, and Gladiator’s Academy in Lafayette.

Koscheck is a teammate of Fitch’s at the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose and is also represented by the same management company, Zinkin Entertainment. The former NCAA wrestling standout is set to face Yoshiyuki Yoshida at “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight for the Troops” on Dec. 10 in Fayatteville, North Carolina.

McNeil expressed uncertainty as to whether Koscheck will continue fighting for the UFC following the bout’s conclusion.

“If he loses – and even if he wins – this may the last fight he has in the UFC,” said McNeil. “As far as I know, he hasn’t signed the licensing agreement and has no intention of signing it.”

At the time of Fitch’s release, UFC President Dana White denied reports that he was released for his refusal to sign a contract with the UFC that would grant the company lifetime rights to his likeness for the purpose of future video game releases. Instead, White indicated the release was the result of strained relations with Fitch’s camp.

“(The release) doesn’t have to do with Jon Fitch either,” White said during a Nov. 19 interview on “The Carmichael Dave Show” on KHTK radio in Sacramento. “I like Jon Fitch. I’ve never had a bad word with Jon Fitch. The problem is with the idiots that run AKA. I won’t use any names; the idiots know who they are.”

During an exclusive interview with CBSSports.com last month, Koscheck refused to respond to questions pertaining to the controversy between his camp and the UFC.

“I don’t think I’m really going to comment on it too much so that’s pretty much all I’ve got to say on the whole thing,” Koscheck began to respond when asked about the highly-publicised spat. “I’m not focused on the problems of contracts or the whole AKA and Zinkin Entertainment vs. the UFC thing. I’m focused on Yoshida on Dec. 10 and that’s where my priorities are right now.”

The day after Fitch’s release, reports surfaced that the former welterweight title challenger had contacted UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and had opted to sign the video game licensing agreement. At the time, the reports also indicated that communication between the UFC and AKA/Zinkin had resumed in hopes of coming to a resolution regarding Koscheck and undefeated heavyweight prospect Cain Velasquez.

Velasquez reportedly has said he has every intention of remaining with the UFC, however, McNeil’s recent comments cast a shadow of doubt regarding Koscheck’s future with the promotion.

Replacing Edgar will be another New Jersey based fighter, up and coming lightweight prospect Jim Miller.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com learned of the news exclusively after speaking with a source close to one of the fighters.

Miller currently trains out of the AMA Fight Club and possesses an impressive mixed martial arts record of 12-1-0. Miller holds victories over Nuri Shakir, Chris Liguori, and Bart Palaszewski. Incidentally, his sole loss came against Edgar, the fighter he is replacing.

Formerly of the IFL, Miller made his UFC debut at UFC 89 in October, where he submitted French fighter David Baron with a rear naked choke at 3:19 of round 2.

Wiman, an alum from the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality television show on Spike TV, has been on a roll as of late and saw his profile in the UFC’s lightweight division increase greatly following a second round knockout over Thiago Tavares at UFC 85 in June.

Prior to appearing on TUF, Wiman had fought once before in the UFC, losing to Spencer Fisher at UFC 60. However, since appearing on the show he is 4-0 inside of the Octagon.

“UFC Fight for the Troops” will air as a live three-hour special on Spike TV and is being promoted to raise funds for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a charity founded to help brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces recover from traumatic brain injuries.

In addition to Wiman vs. Miller, co-featured fights will include bouts between Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida and Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet. The undercard will feature five veterans of both the Navy and the Marines.

The Sanchez defeat killed positive momentum that Fioravanti had generated following impressive back-to-back victories with his most recent coming against cagey UFC vet Luke Cummo. Following the Cummo upset, Fioravanti appeared to be rising fast in the welterweight division.

The American Top Team fighter knows that coming off of a loss in the UFC can be a very dangerous thing. Fioravanti told FiveOuncesOfPain.com in an exclusive interview that he views his upcoming fight with Brodie Farber at the “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fight for the Troops” card on December 10th as a must win.

What more fitting card for Fioravanti to make his return on than on the first event put on by the UFC where the proceeds will go to those that have served in the military and their families? Fioravanti began serving his country when he joined the marines right out of high school and went on to play a part in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

“I was in the infantry in the Marines and I was the anti-tank assault man,” said Fioravanti. “I had a rocket launcher that I had to carry around. I’d have to shoot if there were any tanks or fortified buildings or anything like that.

“We started in Kuwait in the middle of March and we went from Kuwait up through the middle of Iraq pretty much. We just went from town to town until we got to Baghdad. It was a pretty hectic time in my life. It was a life experience.”

Surprisingly, it was actually during his time with the marines that the heavy handed welterweight first got his introduction to training for mixed martial arts.

“In the Marines we would be watching the UFC or Pride and stuff like that and we would kind of just end up beating up on each other,” said Fioravanti. “We would do hand to hand combat and stuff.

“We would have these little sessions where we would just get in there and fight each other. Just to get used to it in case in case you had to do it in combat.”

Knowing how important the fight with Farber will likely be to his UFC career, Fioravanti has done his homework on his rangy opponent.

“I match up well with him,” said the retired Marine. “I’m the better wrestler and I might have the better ground game. Standing up I’m the shorter guy so he’ll be punching down at me. It’s going to be a lot harder for him to keep his hands up.

“In his last fight with he didn’t have his hands up when he got kicked in the head so I might have to take advantage of that.”

American Top Team is easily one of the best gyms for mixed martial arts on the planet and the benefits that come from training at such a camp will be priceless for Fioravanti when he steps in the octagon to wage battle with Farber on December 10th.

“I’m feeling really good,” said Fioravanti. “My camp’s been intense so I’ve been training really hard. I’ve been training with everybody down at American Top Team. I’ve been training a lot with Yves Edwards, Steve Guerrero, Oboyo, Jorge Santiago. I’ve been focusing a lot on my jiu-jitsu so I’ve been training with a lot of jiu-jitsu guys too.

“I’ve been focusing a lot on my ground game. I’ve been doing a lot of gi stuff. I’ve been trying to get better on the ground and just get better overall with my striking and wrestling as well. I kind of made Diego look good in that last fight. I was supposed to be the guy coming in there and beating him up on the feet but it doesn’t always work out that way.”

The Orlando native has no doubt in his mind how the fight with Farber will end and points to experience in the octagon as a key factor to the outcome.

“I’m visualizing me knocking him out on the feet, taking him down and submitting him or TKO’ing him on the ground,” he said. “I’m more experienced when it comes to fighting in the UFC and I’ve fought tougher guys.”

The powerful 170 pounder makes no bones about how important this fight will be in his fighting career. Never a big fan of losing, the significance of this match up will make his thirst for victory that much more intense.

“Every fight’s a must win fight for me,” explained Fioravanti. “I freaking hate losing, I really do, and this is definitely a must win fight for me.

“Especially to a guy that’s 0-1 in the UFC. The UFC higher ups are going to look at that and be like, ‘Why are we keeping this guy around?’ So it’s definitely a must win fight. It means a lot. I want to go out there and put on a good show for the UFC and my fans. I want to shut some of the critics up and work my way up to title contention eventually.”

There were a few people that Fioravanti wanted to thank for contributing to his mixed martial arts career.

“I want to thank Tapout, American Top Team and all of my trainers at American Top Team and all the guys that have helped me get ready for this fight,” Fioravanti said in closing.

Koscheck, coming off a unanimous decision loss last month against Thiago Alves at UFC 90, indicated that he will be at full strength when he fights Yoshida.

“… After the fight I had some minor injuries,” said the veteran of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. “Just some bumps and bruises (and a sore) shin and ankle. But today, right now? I’m 100 percent healthy”

But just what would possess Koscheck to take such difficult fights so close together?

“Why not take two fights with a short turnaround time?,” he responded. “It’s business and I like to fight. I’m always in the gym training. It’s a good opportunity to get the name out there and get some wins”

And because we know you’re wondering, Koscheck was asked about last week’s controversy involving his American Kickboxing Academy teammate Jon Fitch receiving his release before being brought back 24 hours later. It appears that the former NCAA wrestling standout won’t allow it to be a distraction.

“I don’t think I’m really going to comment on it too much so that’s pretty much all I’ve got to say on the whole thing,” Koscheck began to respond when asked about the highly-publicised spat between his camp and the UFC. “I’m not focused on the problems of contracts or the whole AKA and Zinkin Entertainment vs. the UFC thing. I’m focused on Yoshida on Dec. 10 and that’s where my priorities are right now.”

To read the interview in its entirety, including Koscheck’s feelings about competing at an event intended to support injured veterans of the United States Armed Forces, just click here.

Well according the MMA Junkie, that may not be the case. Sources close to Al-Hussan have informed them that he has accepted a bout versus Cantwell at “UFC Fight Night 16: UFC Fights for the Troops” and that they are waiting for Cantwell to accept the bout.

Both fighters will be making their UFC debuts with Al-Hussan having made a name for himself on regional shows in the Midwest, compiling a 5-0 record in professional MMA with three of his five victories coming via submission. 

Cantwell, who is 6-1 in MMA with his only loss coming to Brian Stann, is coming off an upset victory over Stann via secound round TKO in a rematch at WEC 35 this past August. In winning that fight, Cantwell won the WEC light heavyweight title from Stann. However, the title reign was short lived as WEC’s middleweight and light heavyweight divisions are being slowly folded into the UFC. Cantwell and Stann were two of the first fighters to appear in the UFC from WEC’s ranks.

A victory for either fighter would go a long way toward cementing their place within the UFC and a win for Cantwell could possibly set up a tiebreaker fight with Brian Stann sometime in the near future.

PRO: Cecil Peoples scored a fight correctly. But how funny is it that the first time this happens in the history of the world that the wrong guy won? It’s poetry in motion. With two points taken away from Marquardt and Leites winning the first round the correct score was indeed 28-27 for Thales Leites. This was the first time Cecil Peoples has been right about anything since giving someone an accurate fatality code for Raydan in Mortal Kombat (toward 2, away 3, A) at an arcade in 1993. Yet even then Marquardt clearly dominated the fight and was the better fighter. There is just something beautiful about that. The first time you’re right in 15 years and you’re still wrong.

CON: Marcus Davis: YOU’RE NOT IRISH. This needs to be said. Look we have this understanding in the United States that it’s assumed we’re all American so we frequently talk about our ancestry as we’re a melting pot from around the globe. Namely it’s the Irish and Italians but people have Native American history, Jewish history, Polish history and any number of places their grandparents came from. But when you travel internationally you’re an American. To fight in the UK and be UBER-IRISH with the kilt and clovers and shorts and overkill like having a drunk leprechaun as your #2 (okay, I made that one up) is just too much. He even said in this interview with BK, “I see a lot of kids who are from European decent ignore that and grab a hold of this MTV generation and hip hop culture and run with it. I am Irish, Scottish and Welsh and proud of it.” What? We all know MTV sucks and while many of us have considered hating our country over it that’s a bit of a lame reason. Over at 411, “My mom raised me as my dad was not a part of my life growing up. He was an in and out kind of father you know. I mean I haven’t spoken to him in over seven years. My mom’s side of the family is Irish so I feel closer to them. I wear my kilts as my way of saying this is who I am.” So because your mom’s family is kinda Irish you’re totally Irish? Do I even need to mention that your nickname, The Irish Hand Grenade, was so offensive the UFC had to change it for your UFC 72 fight in Ireland itself? Did this not tell you anything? Isn’t that like Akihiro Gono being born and raised in Canada and nicknaming himself “The Japanese Enola Gay?” What exactly is wrong with you?

CON: The crowd booing at some point during nearly every fight. Isn’t this England? The country that loves soccer? So let me get this straight, you can watch two hours of guys lazily kicking a ball to each other on grass with a final score of 0-0 but a ten minute fist fight upsets you and bores you to tears? Then you’re doing the wave and chanting 10 seconds later? I don’t know what the hell you people are on but I want some.

PRO: Jason Lambert. Despite what I’m about to say I love Jason Lambert; I believe I listed Lambert when I once listed my ten favorite fighters. Just something about that belly is unsettling. I remember the main critique I heard from the media after the highly publicized Liddell/Rampage II UFC event was that Liddell didn’t look in shape or like a dedicated athlete. Enter Lambert. Who could probably cut to 145lbs if he wanted and has the reach of Vern Troyer. Seriously, Jason, I love you. I was rooting for you (even against Adam Morgan’s man crush Cane) but you gotta do something about the belly. Cut to 115lbs, move to Bangladesh and maybe Jordan Breen will rate you in a top 10.

CON: “Defend at all times.” I really hate this saying and it never bothered me more than seeing a couple of people type it after Marquardt hit Leites with the illegal knee. I’ve also seen it said on multiple occasions when a fighter went to touch gloves and his opponent just took an easy swing at him (hi Manny Gamburyan and the guy from that boxing clip). I understand the sentiment but how are you supposed to protect yourself from something you can’t see coming or an illegal shot? It’s the same reason you never see a sucker punch coming, that’s why they call it a sucker punch. You can only defend yourself from things that are probable. Will someone on the Sherdog forums complain when a nut with a gun hops in the cage and shoots Ryo Chonan because fighters should always protect themselves while in the cage? Fighters aren’t preventing shots to the back of the head because it’s illegal and they have more pressing concerns at the moment.

CON: Joe Rogan, I enjoy your thoughts on fights. But please stop with the superior striker/grappler thing during the match. None of that crap is valid unless you apply it to MMA. I remember him saying Leites was above and beyond Marquardt on the ground. REALLY? Nate Marquardt has been submitted only twice in almost 40 fights by two of the best MMA submission guys you can find, Ricardo Almeida and Genki Sudo. Leites is a fine fighter and excellent athlete but to say he’s leagues better than Marquardt on the ground is an insult not just to Marquardt but to the things Marquardt has done to adjust the style to MMA. Yes, in a pure BJJ tournament I’m taking Leites but this is MMA and Marquardt was going to pound the crap out of him and avoid submissions easily. Marquardt is a powerful tank and he’s not going to be tricked by a gi-induced choke. This isn’t Abu Dhabi. Like when they say Alessio Sakara was a pro boxer. Have you ever looked at Alessio Sakara’s boxing record? According to boxrec the guy was 6-1 and the combined win total of all 6 guys he beat? ZERO. A combined 0-19 record of the six guys he beat when he beat them. This is probably why you pick against him whenever he fights anyone that knows how to punch. Sure, he was a pro boxer…. and he also gets knocked out by anyone with power. You have to look beyond the general background and adapt it to the actual sport they’re competing in.

PRO: Fightfinder MMA Experts. This was a big day for us, the crazy people that actually watch all of the fights. Mark my words, a couple of years from now someone (again, probably on the Sherdog forums) will make a statement in favor of Thales Leites winning a fight and will reference how he beat Nate Marquardt. We will know that person is an idiot. This is one of those fantastically obvious fights we will remember and down the road someone will simply look at fightfinder to back up their argument and pick a fight result without actually knowing that fight. We’ve all ran into it before but a fight like this only picks up our spirits. You can’t know a fight unless you saw it. How many fights end in a random punch or bad decision? People that watch the fights remember these things, people that just use fightfinder for results and arguments do not. Down the road this fight will be used by someone that didn’t see the card to argue for something and we’ll all be there to laugh. Rejoice. Rejoice.

PRO: Me remembering I’m a man. Earlier this week I closed my garage door, which takes about eight seconds, and a mouse ran in. For the first four seconds I reacted like a girl and made a high pitched “EEEEEEEE” sound and might or might not have had my hands at my head shaking. Then in the second four seconds I remembered that I possess a penis and testicles, grabbed a broom and swatted it out with a baseball bat style swing. Way to go me.

CLICK HERE to read more UFC 85-related content from 5 Oz. of Pain!

Vera was very disappointed at Fabricio Werdum’s comments at the post fight press conference with Werdum stating that he didn’t want an immediate rematch with Vera and that he should “go to the queue again” which according to Vera is in direct contrast to comments he made directly after the fight.

When asked about his thoughts on the fight and what he thought he deserved after it, Vera replied:

I’ve got a lot to say about that fight. That ref sucks.

I’m kinda disappointed in Fabricio, he said yes, earlier in the cage, right after. At least that’s what I thought. He shook his head like, “yeah, we’ll do it again”. Now he’s telling me to get back in queue. I understand why he doesn’t want to fight me again. I hope you win that title Fabricio because I’m really looking forward to fighting you again. I don’t agree with that stoppage and ah… yeah, I’m pissed.

There are plenty more post fight interviews over at UFC.com  if you want to get the thoughts of many of the other fighter’s on the card.

Read more Brandon Vera  and UFC 85 content  on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

Yes and no. Can he compete at the top of the 170 lbs. division anymore? I don’t think so. Granted, he took the fight on short notice and Alves missed weight but it’s become clear that Hughes is a one-dimensional fighter with no backup plan if the takedowns and ground and pound aren’t working. I think he has one fight left in him and that’s the fight with Matt Serra and then he’s done. Certainly the UFC will let him compete for however long he wants because of what he’s done for them and his legacy but even Hughes has to know that his time is nearly up. A retirement bout with Serra is the only fight that makes sense at this point and I don’t think Hughes wants to be the gatekeeper at 170 lbs. It’s never been clearer that he is no longer fit to fight the competitors at the top of the division.

Thiago Alves in no way deserves a title shot.

Getting busted for diuretics and then not making weight against Matt Hughes are grounds enough to dismiss him back down the welterweight ladder in my opinion. Saying you’ve been a “good boy” in the post-fight interview and asking Dana White for a title shot doesn’t make you qualified for a title shot. And on top of that, I don’t think being a “good boy” usually involves getting busted for a diuretic and not making weight in the biggest fight of your career. Alves is good, don’t get me wrong, and he looked good in this fight, but he has a little bit more proving to do before he’s granted a shot at the title.

Brandon Vera needs to seriously consider light heavyweight.

Yes, it was a bad stoppage and Vera probably could have survived into the second round but he seriously needs to eat his pride and consider dropping down to a more natural weight class. He would automatically have some of the best Muay Thai and wrestling in the division and could be extremely cut at that weight. Vera was at a distinct weight disadvantage with Werdum in the mount and even thought Miragliotta’s stoppage was poor, there was nowhere for him to go. I know Vera wants both titles but at some point you have to man up and decide what’s best for your career and I think light heavyweight is where Brandon Vera belongs and can do the most damage.

Mike Swick looked much more comfortable at 170 lbs.

Swick looked lackluster in his fight against Burkman and didn’t look too comfortable at 170 lbs. This time around, though, he looked like the weight cut didn’t affect him as much, he had a good gameplan, and he stopped an opponent that was on an absolute tear in the division. He had some good guard passes, a solid striking game, and used his reach and height to his advantage. While I don’t think Swick is ready to take on the top dogs in the division just yet, he certainly proved that 170 lbs. is really where he belongs right now in the UFC.

Michael Bisping at 185 lbs. is a dangerous man.

I know, I know. He’s only beat Charles McCarthy and Jason Day at the weight class but he has absolutely steamrolled them in devastating fashion. Day is a guy that the UFC thinks has a lot of potential and is an up and comer and Bisping put the serious work on him. I don’t think Bisping is a world beater at 185 lbs. and I certainly don’t think he could beat Anderson Silva on even his best day, but it’s clear that this weight class is where he belongs. Unlike Brandon Vera, Bisping has eaten his crow and moved down to a weight class that suits him better and it has paid dividends. I still would love to see Bisping vs. Leben as that would be a true test of Bisping’s will at 185 lbs.

Nate Marquardt got robbed.

The point deduction for the knee to Leites when he was down was clearly the right thing to do. The point deduction for the elbow, however, was complete B.S. and robbed Marquardt of a fight that he clearly won. Marquardt lost the first round but clearly won rounds two and three and the fight should at the very least have been a draw. This was the best fight on the entire card and it turned out to be a sham when Leites’ arm was raised. A rematch needs to happen. As a side note, Marquardt’s use of body shots was a solid gameplan. Body shots are so underutilized in MMA and they’re a devastating weapon so it’s nice to see some fighters starting to use them more.

Other musings..

• Marquardt’s piledriver probably should have been another point deduction seeing as how spiking an opponent’s head into the ground is a clear violation of the rules.

• Why in the hell would Eddie Sanchez decide to stand and trade with Antoni Hardonk? That is the worst gameplan ever. It’s been established by many people that the way you beat Hardonk is to put him on his back and pound him until the ref stops it. Sanchez deserves the beating he took if that was his gameplan.

• Luiz Cane is a nice looking prospect and I’ve had a man-crush on him ever since it was announced that he’s coming to the UFC. He showed that he could defend a takedown and beat Lambert up on the feet. Solid, solid showing from Cane. It was a beatdown in the same vein as Houston Alexander vs. Keith Jardine. Lambert took his licks and kept getting up but wasn’t ever able to recover.

• Kevin Burns submits Roan Carneiro? The sky is falling. Burns is a blue belt, Carneiro a black belt. Just goes to show that anything can happen in MMA. This had to be the most shocking result of the evening.

• And in the same category of shockers, Matt Wiman knocks out Thiago Tavares. I did not see this one coming and thought Tavares would make quick work of Wiman. Tavares did his best Kendall Grove and Steve Nelmark impression against the cage. Wiman has clearly been working his ass off to make everything of his opportunities inside the Octagon and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him moved up to the main card the next time around.

• Martin Kampann looked to have zero ring rust and made short work of Jorge Rivera. I’m glad to see Kampmann pick up a quick win because that means we can see more of him in a shorter period of time as I think he’s one of the best young middleweights that the UFC has to offer.

• We’ve talked about undercard bouts being do-or-die fights to stay in the UFC and I think that we’ll see at least a couple of casualties from these results. Eddie Sanchez, Jess Liaudin, and possibly Jorge Rivera may have fought their last fight in the UFC.

• The crowd was terrible. Any time the fight hit the ground they started booing and at points, paid no attention to what was going on inside the cage. The singing was cool the first time around in the U.K. but has become tired. Do the English do this at every sporting event? If so, I don’t want to go to English sporting events.

Main Card Results:

• Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera via TKO at 4:40 of round one
• Thales Leites def. Nate Marquardt via split decision
• Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis via unanimous decision
• Michael Bisping def. Jason Day via TKO at 3:42 of round one
• Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes via TKO at 1:02 of round two

Undercard Results:

• Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO at 4:15 of round two
• Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin via split decision
• Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert via TKO at 2:07 of round one
• Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro via submission (triangle choke) at 2:53 of round two
• Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares via TKO at 1:57 of round two
• Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:44 of round one

WHEN: Saturday, June 7th at 2 p.m. ET

WHAT: FiveOuncesOfPain.com’s Live Results and Chat!

For more UFC 85-related content on 5 Oz. of Pain, click here!

For more UFC 85-related content on 5 Oz. of Pain, click here!

For more UFC 85-related content on 5 Oz. of Pain, click here!

Alves weighed in at 174 pounds but the match will remain on the card and will be contested as a catchweight. However, you have to wonder what this will do for the stock of Alves in the eyes of the UFC.  Should he win, will a victory at catchweight be viewed as a step closer to a welterweight title fight? The fallout should be interesting.

Below are the full results of the weigh-ins:

• Thiago Alves (174) vs. Matt Hughes (170)
• Jason Day (184) vs. Michael Bisping (184)
• Mike Swick (170) vs. Marcus Davis (170)
• Thales Leites (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (185)
• Fabricio Werdum (247) vs. Brandon Vera (228)
• Martin Kampmann (186) vs. Jorge Rivera (185)
• Thiago Tavares (154.5) vs. Matt Wiman (155)
• Roan Carneiro (171) vs. Kevin Burns (170)
• Luiz Cane (204) vs. Jason Lambert (205)
• Jess Liaudin (169) vs. Paul Taylor (169)
• Eddie Sanchez (244) vs. Antoni Hardonk (247)