The official announcement of Barao-Faber went down on last night’s episode of the Ultimate Fighter.

“Now that I have someone to focus on and game plan, for it gets me motivated. (My training) will definitely change. (Cruz and Barao) are polar opposites,” said Faber of his new opponent. “Barao is a guy that starts hard, and looks for the finish right away, but seems to fade a little bit as the fight goes on. Dominick is really tricky, has great conditioning and is always looking to out point in a long fight. I’m a good combination of those two put together – I’m dangerous and I thrive in long fights.”

Barao’s name had been associated with the bout since the need to create an interim strap first arose, receiving credit from Faber as the most-deserving 135er out there. He holds an overall record of 28-1 and hasn’t lost since his professional debut in 2005. Over that span he’s finished nineteen of his opponents and racked up five wins under the Zuffa banner including those against Brad Pickett and Scott Jorgensen.

By comparison, though Faber does not have the momentum of Barao’s impressive winning streak behind him he’s still considered to be one of the best bantamweights in the sport. The 33-year old fan-favorite is 26-5 in his career and is coming off a second-round submission victory over former champ Brian Bowles.

UFC 148 is scheduled for July 7 and features a headlining tilt between middleweight king Anderson Silva and fierce rival Chael Sonnen.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The 25-year old Barao, who is already slated for action at the same event, is apparently on board with that idea and excited about the possibility of fighting Faber let alone for divisional gold.

“It would be great. Actually, I fight any guy UFC tells me to. I’m prepared and I can fight anyone,” said Barao in an interview with TATAME.

However, according to Barao, he still hasn’t heard from the UFC yet though that’s not to say countless other outlets haven’t been lobbying for his attention since the announcement surrounding Cruz’s health.

“People on Facebook and Twitter want me to be in this fight and Faber himself pointed me out. The champion got injured and Faber is fighting. I’d be really glad to confront him. That’s all. They haven’t said anything to me.”

UFC 148 is scheduled for July 7 in Las Vegas. The UFC is likely to make an announcement in the next week or two surrounding an opponent for Faber given the amount of time required to train for a five-round title-fight against an adversary like “The California Kid”.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

With Cruz out of the picture until at least the first quarter of 2013, and having already missed the past nine months due to a hand injury as well as TUF, White explained the organization will create an interim title to keep things going at 135 pounds with Faber serving as one of the two contenders. “The California Kid” will compete at UFC 148 as expected though the typically outspoken executive stopped short of revealing who his opponent would be.

Currently the men believed to be the most likely options in order of relevance are Renan Barao, Michael McDonald, and Ivan Menjivar. Barao is almost certainly the organization’s first choice, as well as Faber’s, with a 28-1 record and his only loss occurring in his professional debut more than seven years ago. Comparably, McDonald (15-1) is coming off an impressive knockout of Miguel Torres at UFC 145 and has eight straight victories, while Menjivar (24-8) is a seasoned veteran with a trio of triumphs in his last three outings.

No information was provided in terms of when Faber’s opponent will be announced.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/WEC

“I’m just waiting to hear what happens,” said Faber in a video he released through his website. “I’m thinking an interim title, he’s been out almost a year-and-a-half now once this surgery goes through, it’s going to be another nine months, so I’m hoping for a top contender. Renan Barao in my opinion is next up, Michael McDonald after that, and Ivan Menjivar after that, so I’m just waiting to see.”

Barao is scheduled to fight at UFC 148 against Menjivar, while McDonald recently defeated Miguel Torres.

Cruz suffered a torn ACL during a practice session and will be sidelined for several months as a result. It remains unknown how the UFC will handle the situation.

See what else Faber had to say in his video by checking it out below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

In it White captures Urijah Faber outside the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas where the company is currently filming the Ultimate Fighter 15. However, Faber doesn’t realize he’s being filmed thanks to a mirrored window, proceeding to preen/pose with his shirt off while eating lunch and talking on the phone.

“We got the whole f*cking pose-down, Arnold,” a guffawing White jokes to Faber after the scenario unfolds.

Check out the full video below and make sure to think twice before flexing your bicep in a reflective surface:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

However, Iaquinta escaped the bout with a Split Decision win and finally got Team Faber onto the board. While Faber isn’t one to normally bask in the wake of a victory, this time around even he admits Iaquinta’s success brought on some much needed relief.

“It does feel good. We needed that,” said Faber in an interview with MMAJunkie. “I do my best to disassociate from wins and losses that other people are doing, but it does feel great to get a win. We really needed that, and Al knew that also.”

Faber will be looking to even the squads’ scores on this week’s episode and feels he’s put his team in a good position to do so given the match he was able to make thanks to Iaquinta’s win. Rather than employ Cruz’s headhunting strategy, Faber instead went with what he felt was an advantageous pairing by putting Michael Chiesa up against Jeremy Larsen.

“The logic was that Dominick trained with Larsen in Arizona. He also picked him last, and he also said he has trouble with good wrestlers,” explained Faber of his approach. “We put Chiesa, who’s one of our toughest wrestlers, up against him.”

Larsen holds an overall record of 8-2 while Chiesa is 7-0 with five submission stoppages to his credit. Fans can catch them fight at the end of Friday’s episode, set to air at 10:00 PM EST.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

To assist in polishing the pugilists he picks into potential winners Faber will transplant his camp from California into the UFC Training Center for the season’s taping meaning the very men who will help him prepare for an eventual title-shot against Cruz are going to be intimately involved with his TUF team as well.

When asked about his assistant coaches on the show in an interview with the UFC’s website, Faber listed off a number of familiar names known in some cases for teaching and others for taking to opponents.

“Master Thong, Fabio Prado, Dustin Akbari, Justin Buchholz, Lance Palmer. And then my guys, Chad Mendes and Joseph (Benavidez) and Danny Castillo and T.J. Dillashaw, they’ll be coming out to help out as well, and I’ll probably have some guests coming in, different specialists that will come in and add their two cents and give these guys some cool techniques and stuff like that,” revealed Faber.

However, Faber also knows it isn’t just about his team back home over the coming season but the one he creates in Las Vegas.

“For me, I get a lot of exposure for myself, my team, my guys. Three months is a long time, and every week you have a bunch of viewers watching us and seeing how we interact and who we are and stuff like that,” the 32-year old explained. “But it’s also an opportunity to help out another group of guys. I’ve been a guy who’s been able to scout talent since I got in this game before it was even really popular, and I think I’m gonna be able to help out here as well, so I’m excited about that. It’s gonna be fun to help another group of guys reach their goals and do big things.”

Things kick off at 9:00 PM EST on FX with a two-and-half hour special featuring all of the qualifying fights, highlighting the fact this will be the first version of the long-running season with live action every week.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

While Faber is certainly amped at the idea of beating Cruz as a coach first, then as a fighter, it turns out his true motivation for accepting a role as one of the team-heads has to do with his love of the sport rather than his hate for “The Dominator”.

“That’s what I’m most excited about man,” replied Faber in an interview with MMAFightCorner when asked about watching the teams perform on a weekly basis. “I mean, I’m a huge fight fan. I mean, dream come true to watch two guys that are like, who have everything at stake, fight live each Friday. It’s going to be something great for me, that’s for sure.”

Of course, getting to one-up Cruz isn’t a bad prospect either as far as Faber is concerned based on their long-standing feud. While “The California Kid” may not be an instigator looking to cause problems, that doesn’t mean he won’t be ready to respond appropriately when need be.

“It’s a long history between us. And it’s basically, and I’ve always said, I feel like he chose me as an enemy. I don’t even know the guy and he already started you know, being kind of a jerk off,” said the 26-5 Faber. “So, I accepted it and I’ll run with it. I don’t have any enemies, but I’m not scared of the confrontation, that’s for sure.”

“I’ve never been in a situation where I’m training to basically fight and do harm to someone, and then also have to live in the same area as him and see him every day. So, it’s gonna be interesting man. I don’t know exactly how it’s gonna go, but it’s going to be interesting,” he concluded.

TUF 15 debuts at 9:00 PM EST with a two-and-half-hour special featuring sixteen qualifying fights with winners moving on to get a spot in the house, one step closer to a season title and six-figure contract.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The Ultimate Fighter 15 begins on March 9 on FX with coaches Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber heading teams of lightweights/welterweights. Then, in July, Cruz will defend his UFC bantamweight title against Faber with both men looking to settle their rivalry.

Faber, a former WEC champion, defeated Cruz earlier in their careers while last year Cruz successfully defended his UFC belt against “The California Kid”, picking up a decision win.

Last night both Cruz and Faber joined Jon Anik for an interview during UFC on FX 2: Alves vs. Kampmann where “The Dominator” focused on how the fighters will react to being live each week.

“(Being live) is going to bring the heat up on all the guys,” Cruz said. “They know everything is going to be live and that will make them want to perform that much better.”

On the other hand, Faber is excited for both the opportunity to fight Cruz again and try to defeat him in the coaching aspect of TUF.

“I am going to enjoy the process,” Faber said. “I don’t have many enemies, so it is nice to have one for a change (in Cruz). I am not afraid to get into any kind of confrontation, physical or verbal.”

A “real time” format will be used for TUF 15 involving highlights from the previous week and a live fight between the competitors looking to advance to an eventual season crown and six-figure contract.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Though both bantamweights are supremely talented neither seems to respect the other, even where ability is concerned. Faber recently elaborated on his mindset regarding Cruz, saying the champion poses little danger in the cage other than when it comes to picking up points and winning a decision.

Unphased by Faber’s remarks, Cruz responded on this weekend’s episode of Inside MMA where he referred to their fight last July, saying, “I’ll always fight him better than he’ll fight me. As much as he wants to talk about being the more dangerous fighter, this and that, the dude was on his heels the entire fight. He didn’t want to come forward. He was countering the whole time (or) looking to counter because he didn’t know when I was going to come or go.”

“There’s a style that he doesn’t understand…that he chooses to say negative things about….because he can’t understand it,” Cruz continued. “What you don’t understand you choose to talk bad about. He’s not gonna beat me. He doesn’t know how. I’m gonna go in there and have my way with him just like I did the last fight.”

TUF 15 debuts on March 9. Though no specific date/event have been attached to the rubber-match between Cruz and Faber it is believed their bout will go down at UFC 148.

Check out Cruz’s complete response to Faber on below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Fertitta confirmed the UFC’s plans via Twitter.

“The California Kid” will be looking to avoid a case of déjà vu when he clashes with Cruz after losing a hard-fought, five-round decision in July allowing rival Cruz to retain his title and even the score at 1-1 a piece. Faber beat Cruz as a featherweight in WEC. The 26-5 Faber submitted Brian Bowles in his only fight since the scrap, his third victory in four outings.

Meanwhile, Cruz will be looking to close the chapter of his life dedicated to Faber by edging him out in their trilogy. The 26-year old champ holds an overall record of 19-1 and hasn’t been beaten in five years.

TUF 15 is set to debut on FX come March 9 and will feature Faber/Cruz serving as the heads of two teams comprised of lightweights/welterweights.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

“Lesnar had a long way to go,” Faber explained in an interview with the UFC shortly after UFC 141 had concluded. “It’s unfortunate that he’s stopping already and not gonna put in some more time because a great athlete, he has a strong mind, but he just needed to do more training in MMA. This isn’t the old days of MMA where you can be one dimensional.”

Though Faber did credit Lesnar for having an improved jab he appeared far from impressed by the showing as a whole.

Talk also turned to another fighter in the Faber family, albeit one whose battle was legitimately life threatening in comparison to the 32-year old’s chose profession. Faber offered an update on his sister, Michaella Faber, who was seriously injured in a November accident and whose recent brain surgery prompted him to shave his standard shaggy do.

“She had two brain surgeries, a collapsed lung, a fractured spine, was in a coma for six days and she’s already doing phenomenal…walking and talking. She just has to put her skull back in and she’ll be ready to go.”

Watch below as Faber discusses Lesnar, being a TUF coach, his love of Donald Cerrone vs. Nate Diaz, and more…

The latter group had their beliefs affirmed this week when UFC bantamweight Urijah Faber published a video of him shaving his head in support of his sister, Michaella, who was injured in a serious auto accident and recently underwent brain surgery necessitating the need to give her a buzz.

Thus far her prognosis for recovery looks good, as Faber recently pointed out that she’d been released from the hospital and would be looking at having part of her skull reattached at some point in the near future. With love and support like that received from “The California Kid”, known to her as “big brother”, there’s little doubt she’ll be back to full speed sooner than expected. It’s the Faber way.

Check out the endearing video below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/TWITTER

The show, which has aired on Spike TV since it’s premiere in 2005, will move to FX starting in 2012 and take on a live format for the first time ever. Each week fans will not only see Cruz and Faber train their team of competitors but they’ll see the elimination fight live on the show.

“We’re producing ground-breaking television with ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Live,’ and we can’t wait to kick this season off with FX in March. It’s going to be can’t-miss TV,” said UFC president Dana White. “Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are two incredible personalities who also happen to be two of the best fighters in the world. They genuinely dislike each other, and I expect this to make for the best season yet.”

Once the show wraps up, Cruz and Faber will meet for a third time in a five-round title fight for Cruz’s divisional strap. The two are 1-1 in their series with Faber handing Cruz the only loss of his career back in 2007 in a featherweight title fight via Guillotine Choke. Cruz extracted a measure of revenge earlier this year in July when he defeated Faber by unanimous decision and defended his bantamweight title.

Both fighters are upbeat about not only coaching on the show, but also to get another chance to beat each other up.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a gym rat and love learning and teaching mixed martial arts,” stated Cruz. “This is a dream come true. To get a chance to coach TUF and beat Faber again is all the motivation I need. This is going to be an insane season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’”

Faber had similar thoughts, saying, “I am looking forward to mentoring a bunch of hungry and talented fighters. The new cast needs to be ready to work hard and learn. Having Dominick coach on the opposite side couldn’t be more perfect. I’m not too thrilled about being in each other’s space for an extended period of time, as I am sure we are going to get on each other’s nerves. But I can’t wait to mentally beat him up as a coach and then literally beat him up in the cage and swipe that UFC strap.”

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Dillashaw, who trains with Faber as part of the Team Alpha Male unit out of Sacramento, California, was defeated by Dodson, a Jackson MMA student alongside Jones. Due to Dodson’s victory, Faber was forced to post a video of him doing 100 pushups, while saying Dodson’s name each time.

“Here you go ‘Bones’ Jones, Dodson looked tough, T.J. will be back better. Same bet for a rematch,” Faber wrote on Twitter.

Enjoy watching how fast “The California Kid” executes his pushups in the video below (and feel like less of a man in the process to boot)…

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Faber and Cruz are 1-1 against each other, with “The Dominator” having claimed a decision earlier this year. Faber had won two straight, with his lone losses since 2005 coming in championship matches to the likes of Cruz, Jose Aldo, and Mike Brown.

Bowles, meanwhile, is 10-1 with his lone career loss coming via doctor’s stoppage to Cruz in 2010 for the WEC bantamweight title.

“I think I am a little bit faster and a little more elusive and can be more creative in there. I know I will probably frustrate him a bit. I know Brian Bowles, he is a buddy, he is also a tough guy that doesn’t say much, no bark and a big bite,” said Faber, in a recent interview with ABC News. “Not many people know who he is, but they’ll know when we have this fight how tough he is and how tough I am and I am looking to make statement.”

UFC 139 features a main event pitting Dan Henderson against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and takes place this Saturday from San Jose, California on pay-per-view. Faber-Bowles will be part of the main card, as well match-ups like Rick Story vs. Martin Kampmann and Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

White’s confirmation came in a recent conversation with ESPN where he referred to Demetrious Johnson’s current streak and victory over Miguel Torres as reason for receiving an October shot at current champ Dominick Cruz rather than awarding the opportunity to Faber/Bowles.

Another aspect likely considered in the case of “The California Kid” was the fact he fought Cruz earlier this month at UFC 132, falling in the end by way of Unanimous Decision. Faber entered the match-up having won back-to-back fights since dropping down from featherweight and holds an overall record of 25-5 with wins over Eddie Wineland, Takeya Mizugaki, Jeff Curran, and in a 2007 clash with Cruz.

Bowles also saw action at the July 2 event, emerging with a victory over Mizugaki after submitting Damacio Page at UFC Live 3 in his previous pairing. Bowles is 10-1 with the only flaw on his record coming as the result of an injury stoppage after breaking his hand in a WEC title-fight with Cruz.

UFC 139 is scheduled for November 19 in San Jose. The only other officially announced bout involves middleweights Chris Weidman and Tom Lawlor, though a heavyweight headliner between champ Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos has been rumored for the show.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

According to the UFC, the former 145-pound champ will face Brian Bowles, a bantamweight belt-holder in WEC, at UFC 139. It is believed the event will take place in San Jose on November 19 with a headlining heavyweight title-fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos.

“Before a possible trilogy can be considered between Faber and his rival, Dominick Cruz, he will take on one of the division’s truly elite fighters,” explained promotional head Dana White. “A win over Faber would be massive for Bowles’ bid to challenge for the belt that was once his. The stakes are high and the fight will be intense.”

Both men fought earlier this month at UFC 132 with differing results, as “The California Kid” lost a Unanimous Decision to Cruz while 10-1 Bowles outpointed Takeya Mizugaki in preliminary action. The win was the second in a row for Bowles after losing his gold at WEC 47 due to an injury-related stoppage. Among his ten total victories are finishes against Marcos Galvao, Damacio Page, and Miguel Torres.

Faber has gone 2-1 since dropping to 135 pounds but holds a number of notable victories from his time in WEC including success against Jens Pulver, Raphael Assuncao, and Jeff Curran, as well as in his original 2007 match-up with Cruz. He holds an overall record of 25-5 with thirteen submissions and seven TKOs.

While Velasquez vs. Dos Santos is rumored for the show, the only other officially announced fight for UFC 139 features TUF 8’s Tom Lawlor taking on undefeated middleweight sensation Chris Weidman.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

News of the bantamweights’ upcoming battle was reported by way of the UFC’s Twitter account and seems to indicate neither will serve as coach on the next season of the Ultimate Fighter as had been speculated.

The two talented 135-pounders met once before in March 2007 while “The California Kid” held WEC’s featherweight title, a bout resulting in a 98-second submission of the debuting Cruz, and have been linked to a second go-round based on their success since then as well as an open, mutual dislike of one another.

“He chose me as his enemy and I accept,” Faber stated when speaking about Cruz on a recent conference call with media.

Cruz has won eight straight since the loss including a pair of point-based victories over Faber’s protégé Joseph Benavidez under WEC’s banner. He is 17-1 in his career with the bulk of his wins coming by way of decision including success against Brian Bowles and Scott Jorgensen.

The July 2 fight will mark an attempt by Faber to go 3-0 since dropping to bantamweight after losing a Unanimous Decision, and the ability to walk without a limp on a temporary basis, to Jose Aldo at WEC 48 last April. The 31-year old West Coaster holds an overall record of 24-5 including wins at 135 over Takeya Mizugaki and Eddie Wineland.

PHOTO CREDIT – WEC
In addition to Faber’s bid for gold and Fitch/Penn settling their UFC 127 draw, UFC 132 is also set to feature fights between on-the-cusp lightweights George Sotiropoulos and Evan Dunham as well as former 205-pound champ Tito Ortiz and TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader.

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

Welcome to “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s regular weekly feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column.

After seeing Urijah Faber’s debut at 135-pounds last week, would you rather see him get an immediate shot at the UFC bantamweight title or involved in a “super-fight” against Miguel Torres?

Tool: I know I’m not alone in craving the Faber/Torres match-up, as it’s been talked about for years. It may have been more appealing back when each man held WEC gold, but I don’t think there could be a better time than now to make this fight. Both fighters are desperate to reclaim gold and a bout between them would give the winner an undisputable claim to top contendership in the bantamweight division. I say that if Torres makes it past Antonio Banuelos in February the UFC should go ahead and do Faber vs. Torres as soon as possible, but I won’t be surprised if they don’t.

Faber is easily the biggest star from the WEC so in that regard I anticipate that he’ll be placed into the top contender spot against the winner of Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgenson. The first UFC bantamweight champ will undoubtedly be the #1 fighter in the division, and he’ll also be a name that most UFC fans are completely unfamiliar with. The best way to raise the current champ’s profile is to slot him in against a well-known competitor, and Faber fits that bill better than anyone.

Conlan: Similar to Tool, I would also prefer to see the Faber/Torres fight finally come together but instead envision “The California Kid” getting an immediate opportunity to win the bantamweight belt based on his popularity (not to mention how sharp he looked in his divisional debut against Takeya Mizugaki).

However, as I said, the thought of the two WEC icons finally facing off in the cage is a far more appealing prospect in my opinion than another one-win title-shot for Faber. I also think their personalities, well as experience as head-trainers, are perfectly suited for an upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter. TUF has done an excellent job of building marketable Mixed Martial Artists, and I can’t think of many better ways to introduce fans to a new group of potential 135/145-pound stars to fans who may not necessarily be overly familiar with the weight-classes.

Sixteen of the UFC’s last twenty PPV main-card bouts have gone to decision. Is such a statistic troubling, and, if so, how would you propose the promotion fixes it?

Tool: I don’t think it’s all that troubling, even though as a fan I can’t help but long for more finishes. The fighters that call the UFC home are amongst the best competitors in the world, and as such they’re not the type of guys that will go down easily. In my opinion the rise of decisions speaks more to the toughness of the fighters rather than a problem with the current system. You look at some of the fighters that have lost these recent decisions, guys like Nate Marquardt, Paulo Thiago, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, and these are fighters that are notoriously difficult to put away. It’s a credit to UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva for creating match-ups that are so evenly matched, because if that wasn’t the case I’m sure we’d see more fighters blowing their over-matched opponents out of the water.

Of course the increase in decisions is also a bit troubling given the current state of MMA judging. We hear the phrase “never let it go the judges” all the time, yet that’s exactly what plenty of fighters are doing. It’s unfortunate that we can’t always rely on judges to make the right decision when they hand in their cards at the end of a fight, and it seems like a simple thing like giving judges monitors could help eliminate this problem sooner than later. Truth be told, I’m not nearly as worried about the number of overall decisions as I am about the number of questionable decisions popping up. I’d be fine with a five-fight card featuring every fight going the distance, just as long as I don’t have to worry about anything before Bruce Buffer reads the scorecards.

Conlan: I don’t know that the statistic is necessarily troubling, but I do think the percentage of decisions over the past few months is a point worth noting. To echo Tool’s statements, with the ever-deepening pool of talent in MMA the sport’s top competitors aren’t always going to be able to finish each other in fifteen, even twenty-five, minutes when throwing down in the ring. Also related to MMA’s evolution, there is too much on the line in terms of money/opportunity to always throw caution to the wind. The number of Chris Leben-like, balls-to-the-wall fighters is going to continually decrease as long the involved stakes remain on the rise. Legitimately, in today’s market, the difference between a win and a loss can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions in the long run.

I think it might be worth comparing results from the past year or two with those of mid-to-late 2010 before worrying too much. However, if decisions are indeed on the rise, especially with the afore-mentioned issues with ringside scoring, it might be worth discussing the potential outcome of increasing the number of involved rounds (five for regular fights, seven for title-bouts). Maybe even adding a fourth/sixth frame with the possibility of a single five-minute “overtime” if necessary at the end of the bout’s allotted time would work.

Regardless, one of Mixed Martial Arts’ most-appealing qualities in comparison to boxing is the number of ways a fight can be finished as opposed to involving a ton of stalling and an outcome where neither involved individual has a mark on his/her face. If you lose the anything-can-happen aspect, and every PPV starts featuring 3-4 decisions, MMA’s reputation will take a hit it can ill afford.

What percentage of likelihood would you assign to the possibility of B.J. Penn retiring from MMA if he loses decisively to Matt Hughes this weekend?

Tool: I’d put it at around 5%. Penn’s mindset is an impossibly difficult thing to predict, and the man has hinted at retirement on more than one occasion. While Penn has spoken about retirement in the past, he’s talked more frequently about wanting to be one of the best fighters of all time. While his career accomplishments will certainly put him in that category, I don’t think that he’s ready to be done just yet. Someone that wants to be one of the best of all time would probably not be satisfied with ending his career on three straight losses. There are plenty of interesting match-ups left to be made for Penn in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions, so unless he thinks his best days are behind him I don’t believe we’ll see the end of Penn’s UFC career this weekend.

Conlan: I’ll go with 1%. However, if Penn hadn’t come out recently and said he’s interested in a return to lightweight, as well as more fights at 170-pounds, I’d give it a much higher percentage.

He’s hard to predict and he certainly doesn’t have to fight anymore from a financial perspective. If he falls to Hughes it will be a massive blow to his ego, as well as the first three-fight losing streak of his career. Penn is a prideful person, and dropping bouts to a 37-year old who himself has hinted at hanging his gloves up in the not-too-distant future, as well as someone who might be even better as a featherweight (Frank Edgar), isn’t exactly the stuff confidence is built of. Again, because he’s expressed a desire to continue competing beyond this weekend I don’t think it’s likely he’ll retire with a loss, but if the former double-divisional champ had been more ambiguous on the subject of his in-ring prospects in 2011 I think the possibility of permanently heading back to Hilo would be far more distinct.

Which UFC 123 competitor do you think will fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship sooner: “Rampage” Jackson or Phil Davis?

Conlan: At first glance I asked myself, “Is this a serious question?” Then, after giving it a little more thought, I realized the inherent brilliance involved. The obvious answer is clearly “Rampage”, yet he’s facing an exceptional opponent at the event and has also hinted at prematurely retiring from MMA to focus on his acting career. On the other hand, Davis has an opportunity to 4-0 inside the Octagon against a tough adversary in the form of Tim Boetsch while also maintaining his unblemished record after eight professional fights.

However, regardless of their respective match-ups at UFC 123, or records and statuses after this weekend, I think Jackson is more likely to get a shot at the UFC’s 205-pound crown before Davis based purely on name value and past accomplishments in the sport. Even if “Mr. Wonderful” beats Boetsch he still won’t possess a win over a “Top 10” opponent while “Rampage” has beaten, or been highly competitive against, a number of top-ranked fighters. He’s also extremely marketable whereas Davis can likely still walk down a street in Los Angeles without getting approached by anyone who recognizes him. Jackson can go 3-1 over his next four fights and get a title shot whereas the same luxury won’t be afforded to the former Penn State All-American wrestler.

The only way Davis gets a crack at the belt before Jackson is if “Rampage” hangs his gloves up for good and I think he loves fighting too much to retire and risk finding himself wondering “what if” at 40-45 after a middle-of-the-road run in Hollywood.

Tool: I’m not sure if that’s the only way Davis gets a shot at the belt before Jackson. We do need to consider the possibility (sad as it may be) that Jackson is on the decline as far as his skills in the cage go. After all it’s entirely possible that “Rampage” won’t win against a quality opponent ever again. I don’t think it’s very likely, but it’s certainly possible. He didn’t get completely blown out by Rashad Evans but he didn’t exactly look competitive for the majority of that fight. I’m willing to give him some leeway due to the long layoff he experienced heading into that fight, and his performance this weekend should give us a much better idea of which direction his career is heading. Obviously Jackson’s name value gives him an edge in terms of where he stands in the division, and Brendhan’s right in his estimate that it won’t take more than a few solid wins to get “Rampage” back into the title picture.

As far as Davis goes, I’m fairly certain that this weekend’s match-up is designed to showcase his talents to a wider audience. Given the pattern the UFC has shown in bringing along their other prospects I’d be willing to bet that we’re still at least two years away from Davis entering the mix of contenders. That being said, it could certainly be a much quicker process if Davis gets the right kind of wins against the right kind of opponents. The upper level of the light heavyweight division isn’t as stacked as it used to be, and with several fighters on their way down the ladder now is the perfect time for a few new faces to rise up. Obviously guys like Jon Jones and Ryan Bader are pretty much there already, but there’s still plenty of room. I imagine that we’ll be seeing much more of Davis after this weekend and if the fans get behind him in a big way we could see him knocking on the door of contendership sooner than expected.

BUY/SELL – George Sotiropoulos should become the #1 contender in the lightweight division if he beats Joe Lauzon this weekend.

Conlan: “BUY”, though he won’t be next in line for a title-shot since, according to Dana White, the winner emerging from WEC lightweight champ Ben Henderson’s upcoming title-defense against Anthony Pettis is already entrenched as being next in line for a chance at competing for the UFC’s lightweight belt.

However, this is a “BUY” for me because the operative word in the question is “should”. In beating Lauzon (if he does), Joe Stevenson, and Kurt Pellegrino – not to mention the other four opponents he’s consecutively defeated in the Octagon – Sotiropoulos has accomplished more on a bigger stage against a higher-quality of opponent than both Pettis/Henderson and should get his due.

That being said, I don’t disagree with the logic behind the UFC’s decision to promote a unification bout, as MMA is a business after all. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m obligated to feel the most-deserving person is going to face Gray Maynard/Edgar if the Aussie is able to get by Lauzon at UFC 123, something that’s far from guaranteed by the way.

Tool: I’ve got to go with “buy” as well, and the only other guy I’d want to slot into the top contenders spot would be Evan Dunham. If Dunham gets past Kenny Florian in January I expect we may see these two matched up to determine the next top contender while we wait for the UFC & WEC titles to be merged. I’m still not sold on the idea of the WEC champion being the #1 contender right away, but at this point it’s useless to try and argue against the idea. Sotiropoulos is one of the hottest fighters in the lightweight division so here’s hoping he gets his shot sooner than later. Obviously he needs to get past Lauzon first, but unless the Aussie brings a terrible gameplan into the cage this weekend I think it’s safe to say that he’ll maintain his undefeated record inside the octagon.

Whose performance at UFC 122 impressed you the most?

Conlan: Alessio Sakara’s stomach bug for helping free up Jorge Rivera to fight Michael Bisping while also opening the main card up for a fun fight between Duane Ludwig and Nick Osipczak?

But seriously, though I always appreciate the effort and athleticism exhibited by Mixed Martial Artists, I wasn’t close to “impressed” with anything I saw at the event other than perhaps the German crowd’s passion for the sport and their countrymen competing in the cage.

Ludwig and Osipczak both looked good, as did Krzysztof Soszynski, Dennis Siver, and Amir Sadollah, but none of them made me feel as though they’ll be divisional threats at any point in the foreseeable future. I didn’t see anything from Yushin Okami giving me confidence in his ability to beat Anderson Silva (or Vitor Belfort for that matter) and I think Nate Marquardt would have won that very same fight five-out-of-ten times if it was replayed for a separate judging panels. Overall, it was a ho-hum event for me as it seems to have been for most who took in the show, and I it would be dishonest of me to act as though I was blown away by anything I saw last weekend.

Tool: UFC 122 was an utterly forgettable event, but there were a few bright spots to be had during the show. I was impressed with Karlos Vemola, but I’m not ready to jump on that bandwagon until I see how his cardio holds up in a fight that’s longer than 5 minutes. I always enjoy seeing the continuous improvement of Amir Sadollah, but Brendhan’s right when he says that the TUF 7 champ isn’t likely to threaten for the welterweight title anytime soon. I also have to tip my hat to Vladimir Matyushenko, as “The Janitor” picked up a much-needed stoppage victory to keep his UFC career alive.

I suppose I need to give the nod to Siver though, as he’s now won six of his last seven fights. The names under his win column aren’t enough to put him into talk of title contention, but his habit of finishing fights in exciting fashion is bound to keep him on the UFC main cards for the foreseeable future. He’s a tough draw for anybody in the lightweight division and I imagine we’ll see him in the cage against a much tougher opponent for his next fight.