Prior to leaving for the UFC, McKee put together a streak of almost eight years fighting without a loss. From 2003 until his bout against Jacob Volkmann at UFC 125, his only non-win in that span was a draw to Akbarh Arreola.

In Cobb, McKee will be facing a fighter who has defeated the likes of Rad Martinez and Drew Fickett during his current four-fight win streak.

“The fans of Maximum Fighting Championship action, they want exciting fights, and they want to be impressed by the fighters,” MFC President Mark Pavelich said through an official press release. “When he’s pressed into a corner, McKee comes out fighting, and there’s no way in the world that Cobb will let McKee just coast through this fight.”

The 41-year-old McKee won his last bout, submitting Jai Bradney in August at an event for Cage Fighting Championship. Cobb won his MFC debut against Fickett this past June, and is also 0-1 in the UFC having lost to Terry Etim in 2009.

In the co-main event, former UFC fighter Wilson Gouveia meets Dwayne Lewis in a five-round affair. The last loss for both men was to MFC light heavyweight champion Ryan Jimmo. Gouveia was cut from the UFC back in 2009 after losses to Nate Marquardt and Alan Belcher.

“Both (Lewis) and Wilson Gouveia are looking to get on track after long layoffs,” Pavelich said of the MFC 32 match-up, “so there’s no better way to figure out who’s for real than to let them smash their way back into the mix.”

PHOTO CREDIT – MFC/UFC

Although not officially announced it has been reported the bout is in the final stages of negotiations. MMAWeekly.com is stating both parties have agreed and expected to finalize the deal shortly.

Belcher is coming off a close decision loss to Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 100. The loss, which many believe was won by Belcher, stopped a two-fight win streak he had going into UFC 100. “The Talent”, is currently 14-6 as a professional, with his latest wins coming over Ed Herman and Denis Kang.

Wilson Gouveia hasn’t fought since UFC 95, where he suffered a TKO loss at the hands of Nate Marquardt. He was supposed to fight James Irvin at UFC 102, until Irvin withdrew due to an injury. Gouveia is currently 12-6, with notable wins over Jason McDonald and Jason Lambert.

UFC 107 has not been officially announced, but is expected to take place Dec. 12th at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tenn.

Below is a full list of the expected bouts for UFC 107:

• B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez

• Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo

• Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida

• Thiago Alves vs. Paulo Thiago

• Wilson Gouveia vs. Alan Belcher

• Todd Duffee vs. TBA

Editors Note: It has recently been revealed that Gouveia has suffered a back injuury and will be unable to compete at UFC 102 as expected in a report from MMAJunkie.com. No news of a replacement opponent for Ed Herman in this musical chairs of injured fighters is available at this time.

With James Irvin sidelined due to a knee injury, Ed Herman (15-7 MMA, 4-4 UFC) has agreed to step in as a replacement and fight Wilson Gouveia (12-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) on the preliminary card of UFC 102 on August 29 in Portland, Oregon.

The news of the expected match-up comes courtesy of a recent report by Sherdog.com.

Herman was originally supposed to face Aaron Simpson at UFC Fight Night 19 in September. While the bout is still posted on the UFC’s official website, it will now be canceled so Herman can meet Gouveia at UFC 102.

Herman last stepped into the Octagon in April, earning a unanimous-decision win over David Loiseau at UFC 97. The victory snapped a two-fight losing streak for Herman.

Gouveia is hoping to rebound from a third-round TKO loss to Nate Marquardt at UFC 95 in February. Gouveia had recorded back-to-back victories over Jason MacDonald and Ryan Jensen before his loss to Marquardt.

The expected card for UFC 102 is listed below:

MAIN CARD

Randy Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brandon Vera

PRELIMINARY CARD

Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Wilson Gouveia vs. Ed Herman
McCully vs. Mike Russow
Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague
Nick Catone vs. Mark Munoz
Evan Dunham vs. Matt Veach

The bout has recently been confirmed in a report by MMAweekly.com.

UFC 102 will take place on August 29 from Portland, Oregon and is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight match-up between former UFC champions Randy Couture and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Irvin was recently forced out of a scheduled UFC 98 bout with Drew McFedries due to a torn miniscus. He is expected to rehab the injured knee for five weeks before he can return to regular training for the bout against Gouveia.

“The Sandman” will be looking to return to his winning ways after being stopped by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a light heavyweight contest that was held in July of 2008. Prior to that loss Irvin had knocked out Houston Alexander at UFC Fight Night 13 in just eight short seconds.

Gouveia was looking impressive following back to back stoppage victories over Ryan Jensen and Jason MacDonald before being stopped himself by TKO in his most recent bout against Nate Marquardt at UFC 95.

Both men are highly regarded for their finishing capabilities and the bout is sure to be one of the most electrifying on the card.

A full list of the bouts expected for UFC 102 are listed below:

Randy Couture vs. Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira

Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

Nate Marquardt vs. Demian Maia

Matt Hamill vs. Brandon Vera

Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt

Junior dos Santos vs. Justin McCully

James Irvin vs. Wilson Gouveia

Mark Munoz vs. Nick Catone

Evan Dunham vs. Matt Veach

Sources close to the bout recently confirmed the match up to MMAWeekly.com.

Sonnen, a two time National Champion and NCAA All-American wrestler, will be looking for his first win in the UFC after falling short in his three previous attempts. Sonnen’s latest bout was a first round submission loss to Demian Maia at UFC 95. He trains with the likes of Matt Lindland, Dan Henderson and others at Team Quest.

The American Top Team trained Gouveia holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that he compliments with a punishing stand up attack. He has gone 6-3 in close to three years with the UFC, but his most recent bout saw him being dismantled by Nate Marquardt in the third round of their contest at UFC 95.

While no official date for UFC 102 has been announced as of yet, there has been talk of the event taking place on August 29th in Portland, Oregon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FiveOuncesOfPain.com: How was your camp?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FiveOuncesOfPain.com has now also confirmed that a verbal agreement has been secured for Marquardt to face American Top Team middleweight Wilson Gouveia.

Gouveia just recently improved his overall record to 12-5 following a first round submission over Jason MacDonald during last Saturday’s live finale for the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. The win improved Gouveia’s record to 2-0 since leaving the UFC’s 205-pound division and increased his lifetime record inside the Octagon to 7-2.

If finalized, the fight will mark Marquardt’s first since bout since recording a first round TKO over Martin Kampmann at UFC 88 this past September. Prior to beating Kampmann, the former King of Pancrase had lost a controversial split decision in London against Thales Leites.

A veteran of eight UFC fights, Marquardt is 6-2 lifetime when competing inside the Octagon and is 27-8-2 overall with notable victories in his career over Yuji Hoshino, Kazuo Misaki, Shonie Carter, Yves Edwards, Jeremy Horn, Ivan Salaverry, and Joe Doerksen.

The news comes courtesy of a report by MMA Weekly, which quotes MacDonald’s manager, MFC promoter Mark Pavelich, as the source.

MacDonald, 21-10, last competed at UFC 88 this past September, where he submitted Jason Lambert with a rear naked choke at 1:20 of round 2. Prior to the win against Lambert, MacDonald competed less than a month earlier at UFC 87. Facing renowned grappler Demian Maia, MacDonald tapped to a rear naked choke at 2:44 of round 3. A veteran of eight fights in the Octagon, the Canadian’s overall UFC record is 5-3.

Gouveia is a member of Florida’s American Top Team and recently dropped from light heavyweight to middleweight. Debuting at 185 pounds at UFC Fight Night 15 this past September, Gouveia submitted Ryan Jensen with an armbar at 2:04 of round 2. His lifetime record in the UFC is 5-2.

In addition to MacDonald vs. Gouveia, also scheduled for the TUF 8 finale are the finals of the lightweight and light heavyweight tournaments as well as a welterweight rematch between Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns.

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

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

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

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

Based on NSAC documents obtained by Bad Man Sports, the suspensions include:

• Mike Swick – must have right hand X-rayed and cleared by doctor or no contest until July 22
• Michihiro Omigawa – suspended until February 23 with no contact until February 14
• Kurt Pellegrino – suspended until March 9 with no contact until February 23 due to a laceration through lower lip
• Alberto Crane – suspended until February 23 with no contact until February 14 due to lacerations on left cheek and lip
• Dennis Siver – suspended until February 23 with no contact until February 14 due to lacerations under both eyes
• Cole Miller – suspended until March 9 with no contact until February 23 due to left eyebrow laceration
• Joe Veres – suspended until February 23 with no contact until February 14
• Justin Buchholz – suspended until March 9 with no contact until February 23 due to a left cheek laceration

Check out more UFC Fight Night 12 content on FiveOuncesOfPain.com.

There’s no two ways about it. The judge who score the fight 29-29 was absolutely dead on correct. Burkman won the first round. Swick won the second. The last round was a 10-10 round and therefore the fight is a draw. Neither fighter did anything to gain an advantage in the last round. Swick landed a couple of shots and Burkman landed a couple of shots. Was it really Swick’s takedown defense that won him the fight? For either man to win that fight was an injustice to the other. It’s a shame that Burkman now has a loss on his record for a fight that he didn’t lose. No one likes draws, especially when it comes to combat sports but sometimes that’s just the way it has to be.

Is Swick strong enough for 170 lbs.?

That’s the big question coming out of this fight. He looked overpowered by Burkman against the cage and in the clinch. He showed very good takedown defense but still got bullied into the cage a lot by a very strong Burkman. I don’t think that Swick has the strength to deal with the top welterweights in the division. That’s a strange thing to say seeing as that was the big knock on him at 185 lbs. but it could be a problem for him at 170 lbs. as well. I don’t see Swick being able to handle the strength of anybody along the lines of Georges St. Pierre, Matt Hughes, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, or even Diego Sanchez. Swick will stay at 170 lbs. because he’s committed to the weight class but I don’t think there’s a division that exists for a fighter of his size and frame in MMA right now.

Get well, Drew McFedries.

Drew McFedries looked like he did not want to be in the Octagon tonight. Who can blame him? His mother was tragically murdered three weeks ago and the loss had to have an impact on him. He looked flat tonight and lacked any kind of fire and rightfully so. To ask him to fight on a nationally televised card in front of millions of viewers just weeks after his mother passed is a tall order. Props to McFedries for fulfilling his obligations and not canceling the fight. Here’s to hoping that McFedries is able to get his mind right and comes back strong.

Nate Diaz outclassed Alvin Robinson.

Nate Diaz took it to Alvin Robinson from the outset. He landed a left hook that set up a shot and slammed Robinson to the mat. From there on it was Diaz’s fight. Even when Alvin Robinson swept him on two separate occasions, Diaz ended up with an omoplata the first time and ended the fight with a triangle choke the second time. His jiu jitsu continues to improve and he is becoming a more well rounded fighter each time out. Alvin Robinson was many peoples’ upset pick of the night and Diaz pretty much steamrolled him. Diaz looked great and it’s going to be fun to watch him develop in the UFC.

Thiago Tavares came out flat.

Where was the Thiago Tavares that fought Tyson Griffin? Tavares likely just had a bad outing but he lacked the tenacity and aggressiveness that he showed during the Tyson Griffin fight. Omigawa has a reputation for being tough to finish but Tavares narrowly escaped with a decision win over a fighter that he’s leaps and bounds ahead of. Omigawa is no Tyson Griffin. Tavares is a great young prospect and he has a bright future ahead of him, but tonight was a small hiccup.

MAIN CARD
• Mike Swick vs. Josh Burkman – Unanimous Decision
• Patrick Cote def. Drew McFedries – TKO (Strikes) @ 1:44 of Rd. 1
• Thiago Tavares def. Michihiro Omigawa – Unanimous Decision
• Nate Diaz def. Alvin Robinson – Submission (Triangle Choke) @ 3:39 of Rd. 1

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Kurt Pellegrino def. Alberto Crane – TKO (Strikes) @ 1:55 of Rd. 2
• Gray Maynard def. Dennis Siver – Unanimous Decision
• Jeremy Stephens def. Cole Miller – TKO (Strikes) @ 4:44 of Rd. 2
• Corey Hill def. Joe Veres – TKO (Strikes) @ 0:37 of Rd. 2
• Matt Wiman def. Justin Buchholz – Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) @ 2:56 of Rd. 1

MAIN CARD
Mike Swick (170) vs. Josh Burkman (170)
Drew McFederies (185.5) vs. Patrick Cote (184)
Michihiro Omigawa (154) vs. Thiago Tavares (155)
Alvin Robinson (155) vs. Nate Diaz (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Alberto Crane (155) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (155)
Dennis Siver (154) vs. Gray Maynard (155)
Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Cole Miller (155)
Joe Veres (155) vs. Corey Hill (154)
Justin Buchholz (155) vs. Matt Wiman (155)

Head over to UFC.com for video of the weigh-ins.

ALSO… Don’t forget to hit up our LIVE RESULTS AND CHAT tomorrow night… BE THERE EARLY!!!!

Mike Swick (10-2) vs. Josh Burkman (9-4)

Adam Morgan: Mike Swick was getting manhandled by the larger middleweights in the UFC but faced and defeated very stiff competition there as well. Swick moving down to 170 should be good for him. He’ll be a larger welterweight with extremely fast hands, a very dangerous combination. Burkman has good power and good grappling but has shown a less than technical striking game. Forrest Petz beat him up with body shots, gassing him in the late second round and that’s something Swick should be aware of. Mike Swick won’t want to lose his debut at 170. Mike Swick via unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: I’ve never really been impressed with Burkman in all aspects of his fighting style and I just think Mike Swick will be too fast and too good. I’ve been tossing up whether or not this will be victory by Swick-otine or vicious knockout but eventually came to the conclusion that after Burkman is unable to take Swick down, “Quick” will go Alex Schoenauer on his ass. Mike Swick via first round TKO.

Paul Balsom: Other than a wild punch that flatlines Swick, I do not give Burkman much of a chance in this fight. Swick has taken out some pretty solid opponents at 185, and he was a grossly undersized 185-pounder. Burkman does enough to keep himself alive against good competition, but has not finished anyone since Drew Fickett at UFN 3. I definitely do not think he will finish off Swick, unless Swick makes a big mistake, but rather I see Swick outscoring Burkman in every round. Swick via unanimous decision 30-27.

Sam Caplan: I think Swick can be a force at welterweight and I expect him to be competing for the 170 lbs. title by year’s end. Against Burkman, I think he’ll just be too much for him. Burkman is the better wrestler but Swick’s ground game is better than most people realize. Plus, you already have to consider him as one of the top strikers in the UFC’s welterweight division just behind Georges St. Pierre. My pick is Swick via first round TKO.

Mike MacLeod: I really like Mike Swick as a welterweight. Burkman is a solid wrestler, but Swick outclasses him in everything else. Burkman won’t get caught early and may give Swick some problems in the early going. However, Swick will eventually get him into position for a third round submission.

Ram Maramba: I’ve been eagerly waiting for Swick’s welterweight debut ever since he announced the move and this is the perfect fight for him. Burkman’s workman-like game will keep him in the fight, but Swick’s trademark quickness transcends weight-class. It’s a test for both fighters, but Swick is well-rounded in most aspects and outclasses Burkman’s striking by a large margin. After a competitive first-round, Swick will TKO Burkman midway through the 2nd.

Thiago Tavares (12-1) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (4-5)

Adam Morgan: Omigawa is 0-1 in the UFC and 4-5 overall and shouldn’t prove to be much of a problem for the talented Tavares. Tavares is coming off of a tough loss to Tyson Griffin, a fight that some people thought Tavares should have won. Tavares should be better than Omigawa at everything plus he won’t want to lose two in a row. Thiago Tavares via submission, round two.

Sam Cupitt: Ah yes, Michihiro Omigawa, just like Akira Shoji and Daijiro Matsui before him he is the typical Japanese fighter who knows enough in every aspect to survive a fight but not enough to win it. Obviously, this is a strategy that doesn’t lead to a positive record. Tavares will have the skills and gas tank to outwork Omigawa all 15 minutes. Thiago Tavares via Unanimous Decision.

Paul Balsom: Michihiro Omigawa has a losing record and does enough, with the exception of a couple flash KOs (one being delivered by Calvancante and another by a kick to the head), to survive for three rounds. He has never been submitted, which is an interesting statistic for this particular bout. I think Thiago Tavares will manhandle Omigawa for three rounds, and we will see a performance out of Omigawa much like that of Kazuhiro Nakamura in his recent bout against Lyoto Machida at UFC 76 in the sense that Omigawa will not look good but just survive. Omigawa will show some decent heart and solid submission defense and Tavares will outscore him in all three rounds. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision.

Sam Caplan: I’m torn between whether to categorize this as a layup or free throw win opportunity for Tavares? Wait, I actually think it’s a slam dunk. Tavares via first round submission.

Mike MacLeod: This matchup tells me that the UFC is looking to build up Tavares to make him an intriguing opponent for Sherk or Penn down the road. This is going to be a squash. Tavares via submission in the first round.

Ram Maramba: I’m leery of calling Omigawa chum for Tavares after a couple of stunning wins by apparent underdogs at UFC 80. Tavares however has shown world-class grappling skills and was impressive in his last two fights. His loss to Griffin was an exciting bout and a very close loss; against Jason Black he controlled the fight from start to end. That his fight with Black looked like a “That 70′s Show” Fez vs. Hyde cagematch was a bonus. I think I’ll grow a pair and call the cocky Brazilian by flash submission in the 1st round.

Patrick Cote (11-4) vs. Drew McFedries (6-2)

Adam Morgan: Cote is coming off of a big victory over Kendall Grove at UFC 74 and McFedries is coming off a vicious knockout victory over Jordan Radev. This should be a slugfest. McFedries has extremely heavy hands and likes to swing for the fences but Cote is not afraid to stand and trade as well. McFedries seems to have the better power, Cote the more technical striking. Where I think Cote has the advantage is the grappling game. McFedries has not shown much on the ground whereas Cote trains with Fabio Holanda out of Brazilian Top Team Canada. If Cote’s smart, and I think he will be, he’ll take this to the ground and pound McFedries out for a stoppage. Cote via TKO, round two.

Sam Cupitt: Drew McFedries is just plain and simply a brawler. If you listen to his interviews he doesn’t really seem too concerned about the other areas of MMA. Does this mean Cote will exploit this? No. Even though Cote is the more accomplished Mixed Martial Artist he also likes to hit people and he likes it more when his opponent just wants to hit him too. This fight may go to the ground occasionally if they clinch but it’ll be back up soon enough. When it comes to predicting the winner, I think Cote is at the start of a streak of a wins and McFedries will be win number 3 after gassing in the 2nd before he’s TKO’d. Cote via TKO in the 2nd round.

Paul Balsom: Chin test for Patrick Cote. McFedries has a decent sprawl being a part of the Miletich camp, so like Sam said, I can see the fight maybe going to the ground from a clinch situation, but this will be far from a ground battle. Unless McFedries knocks Cote out in the first half of the fight, he will most likely become inoperable and lose his wind. I’m not betting money on this fight, so what the heck, I’ll take McFedries via KO early in Round 2.

Sam Caplan: I disagree with Adam’s assessment of McFedries’ ground game. Just because we really haven’t seen it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Training at MFS, you know McFedries has to at least have some kind of ground game. And I don’t really care that Cote is the most technical striker of the two. You aren’t going to get much more technical than Marvin Kampmann and McFedries’ power was so much that Kampmann had to take the fight to the ground. After the tragic loss of his mother, I think McFedries shows a lot of aggression in this fight and wins via second round TKO.

Mike MacLeod: Here is your fight of the night as well as knockout of the night. I’ve changed my mind three times in recent days about who I think will come out on top. As of this writing, I’m giving McFedries the nod as he may eat a couple jabs before landing a KO strike. McFedries via KO late in the first round.

Ram Maramba: Cote showed he can bang in his KO victory over Kendall Grove, but McFedries is a different animal. If Cote doesn’t get suckered into a slugfest, he stands a chance. Maybe Kampmann is a quick study, but an MFS-fighter getting arm-triangled by a kickboxer-by-trade still sticks in my mind. Cote hasn’t always stuck to gameplans however, and McFedries’ terrible loss of his mother last month might focus his energy in the right direction. Slugfest it is, McFedries by KO in the 1st round.

Nate Diaz (7-2) vs. Alvin Robinson (9-2)

Adam Morgan: Alvin Robinson was beaten thoroughly in a fight with Kenny Florian and bounced back nicely with a victory over Jorge Gurgel at UFC 77. While Robinson is scrappy, athletic, and powerful, I think this fight is Diaz’s to lose. Even though Robinson beat Gurgel, Gurgel controlled him handily for the first round from the top. Once Alvin had Gurgel on his back he dominated. Diaz will be more active than Gurgel was on top or on his back, a place where he seems to excel in throwing up armbar and triangle attempts. Diaz’s experience and expertise on the ground will win this one. Nate Diaz via submission, round three.

Sam Cupitt: I like Nate Diaz as a fighter and that’s why I don’t like the feeling I’m getting about this fight. Robinson seems to me to be fairly strong for a lightweight and being a BJJ black belt, I’m thinking he may be able to achieve top position against Diaz and maintain it. Look to this fight going to one of those controversial decisions where the judges have to decide between submission attempts from the bottom against slow and methodical ground and pound. My uneasy gut feeling has me thinking Robinson via Split Decision… or it could just be gas.

Paul Balsom: I was there live for Alvin Robinson publicly embarrassing Jorge Gurgel. Nate Diaz is no Jorge Gurgel. I think after a little bit of trading on the feet, Robinson may get Diaz down, but Diaz finds his home on his back. Nate Diaz’s advanced jiu-jitsu is something Robinson will not have an answer for. Diaz via submission in Round 1.

Sam Caplan: Morgan, who cares if Gurgel controlled Robinson for a round, it was Robinson who still won the fight. And he won it going away, as Paul alluded to. Diaz is the better grappler but not by much. Remember, Robinson’s grappling lineage is also tied to a Gracie. Nate is a brown belt under Cesar Gracie but Robinson’s lineage goes back to Royce Gracie. On the feet, there’s no comparison — Robinson is way better in that category, which is where the fight will be lost by Diaz and won by “Kid.” Robinson via second round TKO.

Mike MacLeod: I expect that this will be a great match for fans of the ground game. We should see plenty of submission attempts and counters followed by more counters. Neither fighter will finish off the other, nor will he dominate enough to win a decisive decision. That’s why I’m calling Nate Diaz via split decision.

Ram Maramba: If I get my wish, this’ll be ADCC in the cage. Diaz may find he’s got some of his brother’s standup skills, but chances are this is going to the ground with the quickness. Once it hits the mat, the attempts will come a-flyin’. Diaz has shown an extremely active game from his back, but Robinson pounded Gurgel once he was on top. Diaz doesn’t look the type to tap, so I see this as a unanimous decision win for Robinson after some nice GnP.

Kurt Pellegrino (10-3) vs. Alberto Crane (8-1)

Adam Morgan: This should be a great grappling matchup because both of these guys are super legit jiu jitsu practitioners. I liked Crane’s gameness in his fight against Huerta but he clearly lacked the MMA experience that Huerta had. Pellegrino has quite a bit of “big league” MMA experience and he’s a standout grappler as well. I like Crane as a prospect down the road, but I give this fight to Pellegrino based on experience. Kurt Pellegrino via unanimous decision.

Sam Cupitt: This is a tough fight to call. Crane surprised me a bit against Huerta at UFC 74 when he showed his world class jiu jitsu while Pellegrino was very game against recent lightweight title challenger Joe Stevenson. “Batman” Pellegrino appears to be real hungry for a victory and once he survives a dangerous round and a half, I think Crane will gas and Batman will ride out a decision. Pellegrino via unanimous decision.

Paul Balsom: I am not going to reiterate everything Sam just said that I pretty much agree with. I also see Pellegrino being able to hold a fast-pace for the entirety of the three rounds and Pellegrino will win via unanimous decision.

Sam Caplan: If I was Pellegrino, I’d keep it on the feet. He’s a great grappler, but Crane gets the nod there. Where Pellegrino can earn points is on the feet because Crane is one-dimensional and Pellegrino has the better overall MMA skills. Pellegrino by unanimous decision.

Mike MacLeod: I should get my picks in earlier so that I can have something original to say. Ditto all of the above. Pellegrino by unanimous decision.

Ram Maramba: Crane looked great in the 1st in his fight against Huerta, but I don’t know what else he has. Pellegrino stuck it out with a wrestling and grappling stud like Joe Stevenson for three rounds, so I know what he’s got. Crane’s got the skins keep from being submitted, but Pellegrino will pull out the decision.

Cole Miller (13-2) vs. Jeremy Stephens (12-2)

Adam Morgan: I’ll have to agree with Caplan here and say that I like Stephens as a prospect but he’s not ready for a grappler the caliber of Cole Miller. Traing out of American Top Team, Miller has only gotten better each fight out and thoroughly dominated a game Leonard Garica his last time out. Stephens’ relative inexperience on the ground and Miller’s jiu jitsu will be the deciding factor in this one. Cole Miller via submission, round two.

Sam Cupitt: Jeremy Stephens and Cole Miller have both showed off in their two fights in the UFC that they’ve got game. To me though, Stephens still as a questionable ground game and Miller being the larger of the two fighters should be able to take Stephens there and get him to tap, or most likely go unconscious in the second round. Miller via Submission in the 2nd round.

Paul Balsom: Cole Miller via decision.

Sam Caplan: Stephens still impressed me even in a losing effort to Din Thomas. He’s a good athlete and is aggressive. He’s also coming off two wins since the loss to Thomas at UFC 71. One of those wins came outside the UFC so I’m not sure how excited I am about it. The other win was a unanimous decision against Diego Saraiva, who has since been dropped from the UFC. So while I like Stephens’ potential, I’m just not sure he’s ripe enough for the UFC. He’s certainly not ready for a grappler the level of Miller. Miller via second round TKO (strikes on the ground).

Mike MacLeod: Stephens is going to shock a lot of people as he will not be manhandled by Miller. This will also shock Miller when he gets caught early. Stephens via TKO in the first round.

Ram Maramba: I like Stephens a lot; even in a loss he looked pretty good. Miller showed some craftiness in his stint on TUF and some crazy Gumby-kicks in his impressive KO of Andy Wang. Miller will get close with a couple of submission attempts, but in the end it’ll be Stephens by GnP stoppage.

Matt Wiman (8-3) vs. Justin Buchholz (7-1)

Adam Morgan: I think this is where we say goodbye to Matt Wiman in the UFC. Buchholz is making his UFC debut and is a pretty highly touted prospect. He’s a former ICON Sports lightweight champion and trains with Urijah Faber’s camp. Wiman’s a better wrestler but I expect Buccholz to stuff his takedowns and keep the fight standing. Buchholz via vicious knockout, round two.

Sam Cupitt: The UFC seems to be trying to build up Wiman and Buchholz seems to be just the next dude for Wiman to beat. I don’t really get the attraction to Wiman’s game unless he’s taking flying knees to the head. Anyway, he’ll comfortably ride out a decision here. Matt Wiman via Unanimous Decision.

Paul Balsom: Kind of a crazy pick. Justin Buchholz is on a bit of a KO win streak right now, so I will say that he continues the streak and does the same thing against Wiman. Buchholz via KO/TKO in Round 1.

Sam Caplan: Sam, I don’t get the attraction to Wiman’s game either which is why I don’t think Buchholz is being brought in as the next due for “Handsome Matt” to beat. Buchholz is legit and is coming off a dominant first round victory during EliteXC’s “Uprising” show in Hawaii this past September. I think Buchholz pulls off the minor upset when he wins via TKO in the second round.

Mike MacLeod: Buchholz has only been in one fight that has made it through the first round. This one will be the same. I like Buchholz a lot and I don’t like Wiman much at all. Buchholz via first round knockout.

Ram Maramba: Buchholz has a pretty glitzy record coming into the big time. I’m speaking out of ignorance since I’ve never seen any footage of his fights, but his wins are varied and training with a guy like Urijah Faber has to be a good thing. I have seen Wiman fight and his submission game looked nice until he caught a flying Spencer Fisher to the face. I have no idea, so I’m rolling the dice for the newcomer Buchholz by flying tiger elbow followed by furious spinning monkey kick to Wiman’s inner Chi in one of the three possible rounds.

Gray Maynard (3-0) vs. Dennis Siver (11-4)

Adam Morgan: Gray Maynard is one of the real up and comers from the fifth season of TUF. He’s found a home training at Xtreme Couture with some of the world’s best fighters and has great wrestling and knockout power. Siver may put up a game fight due to his wrestling credentials but Maynard will eventually overwhelm him. Gray Maynard via TKO, round one.

Sam Cupitt: Maynard is another fighter the UFC is looking to build up and Siver is another opponent being thrown to the wolves. I doubt Maynard will knock out Siver standing so I guess that means he’ll live up to his nickname of ‘the bully’ and will pressure Siver by scoring takedowns and midway through round 2 will achieve the stoppage. Maynard via TKO in the 2nd round.

Paul Balsom: Maynard is showing pretty solid takedown and wrestling skills, and seems to love the ground and pound. He has great training partners and Dennis Siver will even not live up to Maynard’s sparring sessions. Gray Maynard via TKO (GnP) in Round 1.

Sam Caplan: Siver has a good wrestling background and while the amateur wrestling scene is very respected in European countries other than the UK, I still don’t think he’s the caliber of wrestler that Maynard is. Siver may have won via knockout at UFC 75 but I still don’t consider him to be a threat on the feet. I basically agree with Paul here and think Maynard will be too much for him. I agree with Paul so much that I am just going to copy and paste his prediction: Gray Maynard via TKO (GnP) in Round 1.

Mike Macleod: I like Maynard a lot and I’m already envisioning a full mount with fists flailing on Siver’s head. I too will copy and paste from Paul. Gray Maynard via TKO (GnP) in Round 1.

Ram Maramba: I’m a bit surprised at this matchup. The UFC seems to covet fighters they can market in Europe — going so far as inventing one in Marcus Davis — and Siver fits that description. He’ll be outmatched here by the swollen Gray Maynard, who’s a huge 155. Once Maynard gets his paws on Siver, it’s only a matter of time. Maynard by GnP halfway through the 1st.

Joe Veres (4-2) vs. Corey Hill (1-0)

Adam Morgan: Corey Hill’s size and athleticism alone might be able to win him this fight. Luckily he’s been training with Miletich Fighting Systems, one of the best camps in the world, and hopefully has become a much different fighter than the one we saw on TUF. Pat Miletich has been talking him up, so I’m willing to buy into it. Corey Hill via TKO, round two.

Sam Cupitt: Corey Hill comes into this fight with a large amount of expectation behind him. It’s not hard to see why, as Hill is a 6 foot 4 lightweight. Pat Miletich has huge wraps him and especially his wrestling ability, even going as far to say that Sean Sherk would struggle to take Hill down. Veres on the other hand is a 9 second UFC veteran after meeting Gray Maynard’s fist at UFN 11. I expect Joe Veres to go through absolute hell trying to get within reach of Hill and this fight to eventually end with Hill standing in Veres’ guard throwing bomb after bomb. Hill via TKO in round 1.

Paul Balsom: Like Sam mentioned, according to the folks over at Miletich, Corey Hill is the second coming of RoboCop and he is going to kill everyone in the 155-pound division. Veres is going to eat Robo-fists while he sits on the outside, and if he happens to make it in close and the fight makes it to the ground, Hill will be on top and exhibit some Robo-ground and pound, and all of this will happen in round 1. Corey Hill via TKO in Round 1.

Sam Caplan: We saw that Hill was quite an athlete based on his showing during TUF 5. We now know that he has the intelligence needed to succeed in MMA after he decided to leave Matt Hughes’ H.I.T. Squad for Pat Miletich’s Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa. We also know he can learn at a rapid pace so I think we’re going to see a completely different fighter than what we saw on TUF. I’m going with Hill via second round TKO.

Mike MacLeod: Corey Hill and his camp have talked a lot about how good his training has been. In fact Hill says he envisions becoming the “Anderson Silva of the lightweight division.” And he’s never lied before, right? Ummm.. Even still, Hill via first round KO.

Ram Maramba: Hey, Pat Miletich likes him. What does it matter if I don’t? Hill TKO via Dhalsim-strike in the 1st.