Filling the card’s co-headlining spot was a bout between Cain Velasquez (9-1) and Antonio Silva (16-3). Both men were coming off losing performances but possess elite skill-sets as evident in past victories over the likes of Nogueira, Andrei Arlovski, Fedor Emelianenko, and Brock Lesnar. In the end the fight was all Velasquez who got an early takedown and pummeled Silva from above, earning a TKO stoppage in the opening round and also leaving the canvas painted crimson thanks to a well-placed elbow strike on the Brazilian’s face.

Read below for a full rundown of outcomes:

Mike Brown def. Daniel Pineda via Unanimous Decision
Glover Teixeira def. Kyle Kingsbury via Submission Round 1 (Arm-Triangle Choke)
Paul Sass def. Jacob Volkmann via Submission Round 1 (Armbar-Triangle Choke)
Dan Hardy def. Duane Ludwig via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes)
C.B. Dollaway def. Jason Miller via Unanimous Decision
Jamie Varner def. Edson Barboza via TKO Round 1 (Strikes)
Darren Elkins def. Diego Brandao via Unanimous Decision
Stefan Struve def. Lavar Johnson via Submission Round 1 (Round 1)
Stipe Miocic def. Shane del Rosario via TKO Round 2 (Strikes)
Roy Nelson def. Dave Herman via Knockout Round 1 (Strikes)
Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Silva via TKO Round 1 (Strikes)
Junior dos Santos def. Frank Mir via TKO Round 2 (Strikes)

Daniel Cormier, who won the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix last weekend, will be a keen observer as both a regular training partner of Velasquez and possible title-contender in the near future. Plus, with his pending arrival to the UFC, “DC” will have a great opportunity to “scout” the rest of the competition as the entire five-fight main card consists of heavyweights.

When asked to give his take on the evening’s two featured bouts by Brazilian news outlet TATAME Cormier offered up his thoughts on the road to victory in each match-up.

“Cain’s got every advantage in the fight. I expect Saturday night to be pretty successful for him,” Cormier said, undoubtedly biased given his relationship with Velasquez.

In terms of the headliner, the unbeaten Cormier explained, “I think Junior dos Santos will win that fight. Frank Mir has shown that he doesn’t do well when he’s in bad situations, and I’m pretty sure Junior will put him into bad situations.”

Cormier is scheduled to have at least one more Strikeforce bout before heading to the UFC. Prior to the tilt he is set to undergo hand surgery later this year after breaking his hand against Josh Barnett last Saturday night.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE

News of the match-up was first rumored after a Twitter exchange between Huerta-Baroni and has since been confirmed by MMAWeekly.

Huerta has only entered the ring a single time since his 2010 stint in Bellator, losing by way of TKO to War Machine this past November. The former lightweight stand-out holds an overall record of 21-6 even though he’s fallen in three straight and has racked up past wins over Matt Wiman, Leonard Garcia, and Clay Guida.

Baroni has also struggled as of late, dropping four of his last five fights with a decision win over Nick Nolte the only exception. However, the “New York Bad Ass” could add a win to his 14-14 mark a few weeks prior to his meeting with Huerta, as Baroni is scheduled for action at a June 2 show.

ONE FC 4: Destiny of Warriors is set for June 23 in Kuala Lumpur with other featured bouts including Masakzau Imanari-Leandro Issa and Renato Sobral-Tatsuya Mizuno.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/TITANFC

When it comes to their clash Johnson understands Struve is a threat on the ground due to his lanky limbs, though he’s not necessarily concerned about being forced to tap.

“I don’t have much respect for my ground game, but I came out here to fight,” Johnson joked in an interview with Fuel TV after the weigh-ins. “If it goes to the ground I think I’m good enough to get back up and keep it standing. I don’t think Stefan really wants to take it to the ground (anyways). He has a lot of confidence in his stand-up and I think he wants to come out and test his tools, see what’s going on, and put on a good show.”

While Struve’s stand-up has also earned him a number of victories Johnson has no reservations about engaging with him even if the 24-year old Dutchman’s arms were recently re-measured at 84.5 inches, tying him with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones for the longest reach in the UFC.

“My reach is not too far off,” responded Johnson to the challenge, mentioning his reach was in the 82-inch range. “And I think I use my reach a little bit better. I think I’ll be able to get in and put a couple of scratches on him at least.”

Struve-Johnson kick the PPV off at 10:00 PM EST as the first of five heavyweight tilts.

Watch the complete interview below including Struve’s responses:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Lavar Johnson (17-5) vs. Stefan Struve (23-5)

Something tells me there is no real winner in a bout with Struve. Sure, the kid is young, always improving, etc., but does anyone ever say “Wow! He beat Stefan Struve!” or “Whoa, Struve looked awesome”..? No. The only guaranteed thing is entertainment. Struve can easily win this by submission, but, he has ZERO wrestling skills and Johnson is a huge dude. As such, “The Rock” wins this with fists.

Winner – Lavar Johnson defeats Stefan Struve via Knockout Round 1

Stipe Miocic (8-0) vs. Shane del Rosario (11-0)

In a bout that pits two awesome undefeated heavyweight prospects, the latest Strikeforce import, Del Rosario returns after 15 long months away from the cage. He faces a really tough challenge in Miocic, and unfortunately for Shane ring-rust is a bitch. As such, I think Miocic rocks him and beats him down for fifteen straight minutes.

Winner – Stipe Miocic defeats Shane del Rosario via Unanimous Decision

Dave Herman (21-3) vs. Roy Nelson (16-7)

What a terrible match up for Herman in terms of style! Nelson gets a much needed win here, using his beard to throw off the near hairless Herman, and walking through Herman’s three minutes of offense, to take a very, very ugly Unanimous Decision.

Winner – Roy Nelson defeats Dave Herman via Unanimous Decision

Cain Velasquez (9-1) vs. Antonio Silva (16-3)

Velasquez is not the kind of guy you want to make your UFC debut against. “Bigfoot” has a hell of a jaw, and he can handle himself against some of the best fighters in the division, without a doubt (See: Fedor Emelianenko), but I just see things going all sorts of wrong for him in this bout. Cain is hungry, healthy, and goddamn does he look angry. I fully expect a violent finish here.

Winner – Cain Velasquez defeats Antonio Silva via TKO Round 1

Junior dos Santos (14-1) vs. Frank Mir (16-5)

Mir hates being punched in the face. Good for him he doesn’t have to worry about that against Juni.. oh, damn. Well, it was a good run, Frank. Junior is going to make poor Mir look like he did after he fought Shane Carwin, that is to say, face down counting sheep in the center of the cage. However, I don’t see Mir gutting his way through the adversity like Carwin did. Can Frank pull off some miracle and submit JDS? Yes. Will he? Hell no.

Winner – Junior dos Santos defeats Frank Mir via Knockout Round 1

The main card goes down at the usual 10:00 PM EST on PPV. If you like violence and bad tattoos, then seriously, don’t miss this card. Enjoy the fights!

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Also, on an unrelated note, contestants Chris Tickle and Daron Cruickshank nearly came to blows in the house when the former threw a water bottle at the latter’s groin while he was trying to sleep. Cruickshank responded by getting up, rushing Tickle, and dishing out a number of punches/kicks. In a surprising show of maturity, Tickle laughed the incident off and said he wasn’t looking to get tossed out of the house with only a week to go. The two of them have been matched up to fight at the Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale.

Joining them on the card will be the bulk of the other contestants though Mike Rio and Andy Ogle were not booked for health-related reasons. An emotional Ogle approached UFC President Dana White after the announcement, pleading for a shot on the company’s September show in England and receiving it.

In terms of the semifinals, Al Iaquinta put together a convincing albeit not aesthetically pleasing performance against Vinc Pichel to come away with a decision, while Michael Chiesa gutted out a late submission attempt in the opening round of his fight with James Vick before scoring a takedown in the second, advancing into mount, and landing enough shots from above to merit a TKO stoppage.

“I feel great. It has been quite a journey. A lot of ups and downs but I feel like I’ve earned my spot in the finale and I’m very excited to seize the moment,” said Chiesa after the win. Throughout the season the bearded brawler dealt with the death of his father who passed away shortly after Chiesa qualified for the TUF 15 house.

Chiesa-Iaquinta will settle their score next Friday night at the finale alongside a bout between welterweight contenders Jake Ellenberger-Martin Kampmann.

TUF 15 Season Summary:

Cruz’s Team: Justin Lawrence, Sam Sicilia, Myles Jury, Mike Rio, James Vick, Vinc Pichel, Chris Tickle, Jeremy Larsen

Faber’s Team: Al Iaquinta, Cristiano Marcello, Daron Cruickshank, Joe Proctor, Michael Chiesa, John Cofer, Andy Ogle, Chris Saunders

Team Records: Faber 9, Cruz 5

Advancing to Final: Michael Chiesa, Al Iaquinta

Eliminated: Daron Cruickshank, Cristiano Marcello, Myles Jury, Jeremy Larsen, Chris Tickle, John Cofer, Sam Sicilia, Mike Rio, Justin Lawrence, Joe Proctor, Chris Saunders, Andy Ogle, Vinc Pichel, James Vick

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Mike Brown (25-8) vs. Daniel Pineda (17-7)

Brown is an old man in MMA terms. The young lion Pineda will be out for his third straight win inside the Octagon, and for both men a win could mean big things in terms of placement in the division. I expect Brown to take Pineda to the mat, and from there Pineda will be in all kinds of trouble.

Winner – Mike Brown defeats Daniel Pineda via Submission Round 1

Paul Sass (12-0) vs. Jacob Volkmann (14-2)

Sass has had one of the best runs in British MMA history. Being undefeated and having eleven submission wins is no easy feat. He faces the most dangerous man in America though – the enemy of Obama i.e. Volkmann. Sass has some fancy tricks, but Volkmann has no time for, or interest in, such folly.

Winner – Jacob Volkmann defeats Paul Sass via Unanimous Decision

Glover Teixeira (17-2) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (11-3)

Glover walks through Kingsbury. It’s going to be violent, ugly, and not competitive.

Winner – Glover Teixeira defeats Kyle Kingsbury via TKO Round 1

Duane Ludwig (21-12) vs. Dan Hardy (23-10)

Two men who desperately need a win are almost destined to put on a damn good show, and I suspect that’s what we’ll see here. Look for Hardy to shock everyone with a slightly more well-rounded game, and while he will be technically outclassed, he will either knockout or steal a decision over Ludwig.

Winner – Dan Hardy defeats Duane Ludwig via Unanimous Decision

C.B. Dollaway (11-4) vs. Jason Miller (23-8)

With excuses aside, Miller looked absolutely horrid against Michael Bisping. He faces a considerably easier challenge in Dollaway who has him beat in the wrestling department but doesn’t offer too much that I can see beyond that. I expect Dollaway to take him down, get careless, Triangled, and tapped.

Winner – Jason Miller defeats C.B. Dollaway via Submission Round 2

Jamie Varner (19-6-1) vs. Edson Barboza (10-0)

Welcome back Varner! Enjoy your stay since it won’t be a long one. Coming in as a late replacement for Evan Dunham, that poor fella has to fight Barboza, an unenviable task. I fully expect Barboza to kick Varner’s legs off en route to a unanimous decision win.

Winner – Edson Barboza defeats Jamie Varner via Unanimous Decision

Diego Brandao (14-7) vs. Darren Elkins (13-2)

In the final and perhaps most violent preliminary bout, Brandao is going to kill Elkins. Elkins has some solid wrestling, and yeah, I don’t doubt that he could but Brandao on his back, but even then what can he do from there other than get submitted? Good luck surviving an absolute firestorm of fists to get Brandao on his back. I don’t see it happening.

Winner – Diego Brandao defeats Darren Elkins via Knockout Round 1

Check out the preliminary bouts starting at approximately 6:30 PM EST on the UFC’s Facebook page with the FX card starting at 8:00 PM EST. Also, don’t forget to check back later today for my look at the nearly 2500-pound main card.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Brimage, who emerged as a star-in-the-making on TUF 14, is currently enlisted in the Air National Guard while also building up some career momentum as a 2-0 featherweight in the UFC. The 5-1 stand-out was last seen beating Maximo Blanco twice at UFC 145 – once in the Octagon and again during a hilarious post-fight flip-off.

Carmouche made a name for herself in Strikeforce with an impressive performance against Marloes Coenen on short notice and recently came away with a first-round TKO of Ashleigh Curry at Invicta FC 1. She is also a former Marine who spent time serving in Iraq.

Last but not least, Robichaux transitioned from life as a Marine into BJJ almost seamlessly, leading one of the top schools in Houston while also racking up a 12-2 record in the ring including eleven submission stoppages. In addition to teaching and fighting he also works with fellow veterans suffering from PTSD.

Interested listeners can also contribute to the show by submitting questions for guests via Twitter or email (RebellionMMARadio@yahoo.com).

It will no doubt be a special show for multiple reasons given the guests and proximity to UFC 146. Make sure to tune in to hosts Bryan Levick and Mitch Ciccarelli (who himself is in the United States Air Force) this Sunday at 6:30 PM EST and check it out.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/STRIKEFORCE

Konrad came out strong, taking the overmatched Prindle down and submitting him with a quick Kimra to push his record thus far in MMA to 9-0 since transitioning from a career on the mat as an accomplished amateur wrestler. The win also snapped Prindle’s streak of seven straight since losing his professional debut four years ago including five finishes in comparison to Konrad’s five decisions.

Nogueira looked strong as well, avoiding the takedown attempts of Nakamura to damage him in the second and third round where he ultimately finished the job with a beautifully timed combination.

In other tournament action, though Hawn and Weedman’s bout didn’t feature a stoppage it was entertaining all the same. In the end Hawn came away with a decision win after doing the bulk of the damage early with strikes and outlasting a third-round resurgence by Weedman.

The organization also announced featherweight champ Pat Curran will defend his belt against Patricio “Pitbull” Freire on August 24 with Bryan Baker-Karl Amoussou sorting out the promotion’s next welterweight contender on the same show.

Read below for a full list of Bellator 70 outcomes followed by highlights from the show:

Kevin Tiller def. Jeremiah Riggs via Verbal Submission Round 3 (Kimura)
Derek Arcement def. Blake Dufour via Unanimous Decision
Jonas Billstein def. Mike Seal via Technical Submission Round 1 (Rear-Naked Choke)
A.J. Matthews def. Charlie Rader via Knockout Round 2 (Head Kick)
Rich Clementi def. Derek Campos via Submission Round 1 (Guillotine Choke)
Luis Nogueira def. Hiroshi Nakamura via TKO Round 3 (Strikes)
Cole Konrad def. Eric Prindle via Submission Round 1 (Kimura)
Rick Hawn def. Brent Weedman via Unanimous Decision

PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR

The gym plays home to a number of pugilistic peers calling the UFC home including one of the key players in Miller’s newfound mindset – Mark Munoz.

“Probably the most important part of this training camp has been Mark Munoz, the nicest guy in MMA. Also, one of the toughest men on Earth at 185 pounds. Mark’s been very helpful in this camp because he’s a former wrestling teammate of Dollaway and also KO’d him in thirty seconds,” said Miller in a Fighter Diary produced by the UFC. “Me and Mark and face-punch friends. Sometimes when we spar we basically fight. It’s hard to find a guy I can spar with that intensity.”

Turning to his bout with Dollaway, Miller made it clear he sees the big picture. Win and he’ll live to fight inside the Octagon another day; lose and he’ll be likely be looking for employment elsewhere.

“I say it’s the most important fight of my life but that’s some cliché bullsh*t I think every fighter says every time they fight. The only difference is this time it’s true,” admitted Miller.

Miller-Dollaway can be seen as part of the FX-bound preliminary card with other match-ups including Jamie Varner-Edson Barboza and Dan Hardy-Duane Ludwig.

You can watch the full Fighter Diary below where Miller also outlines the benefit of having Krzysztof Soszynski handling his diet:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Interestingly enough, Branch also came in heavy at 189.25 pounds though Johnson still agreed to pay him a percentage of his purse to agree to a catch-weight fight.

The situation is similar to that this past January when Johnson hit the scale at 197 pounds before a bout with Vitor Belfort, drawing UFC President Dana White’s wrath and influencing the organization’s decision to release him after losing the fight. The 10-4 Johnson’s problems with making weight have been well-documented with two other instances under the UFC’s banner prior to the Belfort debacle.

Weight issues aside, Johnson-Branch will battle it out this evening on HDNet with the Titan FC broadcast starting at 10:00 PM EST.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

The card features a tournament final and a title-fight, so let’s roll!

Kelvin Tiller defeats Jeremiah Riggs via TKO Round 1
Blake Dufour defeats Derek Arcement via Unanimous Decision
Kyle Bradley defeats John Harris via Knockout Round 2
Charlie Radar defeats A.J. Matthews via Knockout Round 1
Josh Shockley defeats Keith Schneider via Submission Round 3

Francisco Derek Campos (9-2) vs. Rich Clementi (42-21-1)

A long time veteran of the sport, Clementi looks to be a headache for yet another upcoming fighter in Campos. Campos, a relative newcomer, has some serious skills, and I would not be shocked to see him start submitting folks in the Bellator cage. Clementi has a hell of a lot of advantages in this bout, but I doubt his ability to hang with Campos after the first 5 minutes, and I expect the Texan to take it to the veteran.

Winner – Francisco Derek Campos defeats Rich Clementi via TKO Round 3

Luis Alberto Nogueira (13-2) vs. Hiroshi Nakamura (15-5-4)

This fight isn’t going to be pretty. The Japanese fighter, Nakamura, took Rodrigo Lima out of contention, and with his grappling chops he could do the same to anyone. Nogueira, however, isn’t going to lay down for anybody. He has fantastic takedown defense, is young, quick, and has the stamina to go 25 minutes, let alone 15. He takes a long, boring, and likely close decision.

Winner – Luis Alberto Nogueira defeats Hiroshi Nakamura via Unanimous Decision

Rick Hawn (13-1) vs. Brent Weedman (20-7-1)

Weedman is not someone that should be overlooked. With his experience, his skills, and his heart, he could very well play the spoiler and win this tournament. Having said that, it just seems like it’s Hawn’s time to shine. Hawn has some serious power, and I just don’t see him being beaten. He takes the lightweight tournament in exciting fashion.

Winner – Rick Hawn defeats Brent Weedman via Unanimous Decision

Cole Konrad (8-0) vs. Eric Prindle (7-1)

I’m just not sold on Prindle. His claim to fame is getting kicked in the anus, and… yeah. Konrad, who is a bad, bad man, is going to take Prindle down and pound him into the mat, and then tap him out.

Winner – Cole Konrad defeats Eric Prindle via Submission Round 1

For the last time this season, Bellator airs live on Spike.com at 7:00 PM EST with some preliminary bouts with the main card going live at 8:00 on MTV 2, TheScore.com in Canada, or on Spike.com.

Enjoy the fights!

PHOTO CREDIT – BELLATOR

Saturday night, Nelson will try to slip back into the win column when he takes on Dave Herman in a main card bout at UFC 146.

After a loss to Fabricio Werdum in his last bout, Nelson knows he needs to win to stay relevant in the UFC. That, however, isn’t his only mission.

“In our sport, it’s definitely entertainment first. If we weren’t selling ratings, we wouldn’t be on TV,” said Nelson during the recent UFC 146 pre-fight press conference. “As long as fans are happy, it doesn’t really matter (if I win or lose).”

While Nelson may feel that way, it is obvious that wins and loses do determine if you remain in the UFC. The former Ultimate Fighter winner has also come under heavy scrutiny for his weight, which he seems to be lowering with each passing fight.

The 35-year-old is just 1-3 in his last four fights since claiming two straight knockout victories over Stefan Struve and Brendan Schaub. Nelson is 16-7 in his MMA career.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Fans may remember Ferreira from last week’s episode of UFC Primetime when he asked Dos Santos if he could go with him to Las Vegas for the fight. At the time “Cigano” indulged the child’s interest by saying it was a possibility, though in reality it seemed unlikely anything would come from the exchange other than a nice moment in front of the cameras.

However, as it turns out Dos Santos did in fact fly Ferreira to Vegas along with his mother and teenage brother to take part in the process while simultaneously fulfilling the wish of an impoverished child and showing him good things happen to good people who dedicate themselves to positive endeavors.

“He didn’t have a passport, his mother didn’t have a passport but I was a little guy once and people helped me. If we could make the little guy’s dream come true, if we were able somehow, why wouldn’t we,” asked Dos Santos rhetorically in a UFC video documenting the process. “At this point in my career, I can be a motivation and role model for these little guys from home. The kids see that all the fighters from the gym have good cars; they can see that hard work does lead to something good in life.”

Based on some comments it appears Ferreira has certainly enjoyed the experience thus far with his assessment of the situation likely warming even the coldest heart.

“It’s just so exciting being here in Las Vegas. Even to get to sit on an airplane was like a dream. I could see all things out of the window, big buildings and we were really high above them, flying like a dream. Our room here is so nice and everyone is being so nice to me, but I’m here to help Cigano defend his title,” explained Ferreira after referring to his hotel room being as large as his house in Salvador, Brazil. “‘Cigano’ is the strongest man in the world. He can defeat anybody even though he is nice. He will beat Frank Mir on Saturday. I’ve seen him in the gym and he will win with a left hook followed by a big right uppercut. This will be in the first round.”

Dos Santos will enter the Octagon as champion with status as the #1 heavyweight in the sport. Whether he exits it with the same two distinctions in tow remains to be seen. Still, it is clear that in the eyes of one lucky boy the label placed on the 27-year old title-holder will not change regardless of what happens once the cage door closes – that of hero.

Check out a video of Ferreira’s journey with some initial build from the episode of UFC Primetime:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Caceres, who is also known as “Bruce Leeroy,” is coming off a Split Decision defeat at the hands of Edwin Figueroa. Late in 2011, Caceres, a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter 12, defeated Cole Escovedo for his first UFC victory.

Page has dropped each of his last three bouts since a two-fight winning streak. Along with UFC defeats by submission to Brad Pickett and Brian Bowles, Page was also submitted by Demetrious Johnson in WEC.

UFC officials confirmed the bout on Thursday. The card will feature a main event between Mark Munoz and Chris Weidma, along with fights involving Jon Fitch-Aaron Simpson and Brandon Vera-James Te Huna. Caceres-Page is likely headed for the prelims.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Rather than succumb to the pressure of avoiding back-to-back stumbles or question his own ability, the 29-year old Velasquez has used the defeat as a positive due in large part to his realistic approach to competition.

“I wasn’t thinking that I was going to go through my entire career undefeated. You kind of expect to lose sometimes. It’s the kind of thing that just happens,” explained Velasquez in an interview with the UFC’s website, saying the difference between winning/losing is little more than, “If you were better on that day.”

“In wrestling, I’ve lost matches before and stuff like that, so it’s always a thing where you kind of learn from it,” he continued on the topic of how he’s dealt with his knockout loss to champion Junior dos Santos. “You just watch film but you don’t really keep it with you and always think about it. It’s the kind of thing where you just learn from it right away and then move on.”

As far as what Velasquez is expecting this weekend, other than a victory, the 9-1 competitor appears to be ready for anything given Silva’s rare combination of size, strength, and polished technique.

“‘Bigfoot’ is just a big guy. He has a lot of power, and he does everything well,” admitted Velasquez. “He’s good on the ground, he’s good on his feet with his punches, kicks, and knees, and he has good cardio, so he’s a guy that’s really well rounded everywhere.”

Fans can catch their fight as part of the UFC 146 PPV when things fire up at 10:00 PM EST.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC

Nelson has racked up sixteen wins in his career including those over Stefan Struve, Brendan Schaub, and Mirko Filipovic while earning a reputation for toughness along the way, only being finished once and offering current UFC heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos his toughest fight to date inside the Octagon.

This Saturday night Nelson will take on Dave Herman at UFC 146, approaching the 21-3 talent with the same attention he gives every opponent. While his strategy to beat Herman may not involve the word “squa-doosh”, it will involve another key aspect of a certain animated film featuring an ursine ass-kicker with a midsection similar to Nelson’s – kung fu!

“Kung fu is the root for, I’d say, 95% of all martial arts,” said Nelson in a preview for his upcoming bout with Herman. “I practice every day.”

Nelson has been training in kung fu since his teens, applying the techniques he learns at the Lohan School of Shaolin in his MMA career.

“Basically you’re just working on body positioning and body movement where you’re actually feeling their energy, and then try to manipulate that to your advantage,” explained Nelson, referring to a drill known as “sticky hands”.

“Working on the wooden dummy, you can work on striking. And you can also work on different grappling like grabbing the leg or pushing the hips away,” he continued, turning to another drill before referencing an exercise meant to sharpen one’s mental state rather than physical prowess.

“Meditation can help make your more mentally strong, especially during a fight. It slows everything down so you can kind of control the chaos.”

Check out the full preview below with other segments featuring Herman utilizing a unique trampoline/ball-game to up his conditioning as well as a look at the bout between Cain Velasquez-Antonio Silva:

(Nelson-Herman stuff starts at about the 4:00 mark)

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/DREAMWORKS

Hamman confirmed the match-up via Twitter, adding his excitement over fighting “three miles from my house.” The bout is scheduled for the prelim portion of the lineup.

UFC 150 is scheduled to take place August 11 in Denver, Colorado. The main event will feature a rematch between champion Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title.

PHOTO CREDIT – ELITEXC/UFC

Chael Sonnen Named Jim Rome’s “King of Smack” (MMAPayout.com)

“Mayhem” Miller Says He’s Looking Past C.B. Dollaway (Fightline.com)

UFC Plans to Implement Testing for PED Use (5thRound.com)

Bob Sapp Says He Doesn’t Throw Fights, He Quits Before He gets Hurt (TheFightNerd.com)

A Look at the UFC Schedule in June (FightOpinion.com)

UFC Headed to Indianapolis for Fuel Event (MMAConvert.com)

A Talk with Bellator Tournament Finalist Brent Weedman (MMAMania.com)

Roy Nelson Talks UFC 146 (Heavy.com)

The Best Submissions of the Last Five Years (BleacherReport.com)

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC/TAPOUT

Recently, both Dos Santos and Mir appeared on UFC Tonight where they each offered up how they feel the championship match will end.

“Knockout in the second round,” said Dos Santos with Mir answering, “I win by submission early in the first round.”

The two opposing camps have experienced a little friction in the final build up to the contest with Dos Santos questioning Mir’s heart and Mir continuing to bring up he broke the arm of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, a mentor and training partner of Dos Santos.

Dos Santos will be defending the gold for the first time this weekend after claiming the belt with a first round victory over Cain Velasquez in November. Since that time, “Cigano” has undergone knee surgery and even had his opponent changed from Alistair Overeem to Mir.

Mir, meanwhile, moved from a #1 contender match with Velasquez – who faces Antonio Silva on the same card – into the title bout after Overeem ran into issues with his T:E level. He has won his last three fights including the December win over Nogueira.

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC