MMA News & Rumors

August 12th, Nick Diaz (12-6) returns to MMA in the Warrior's Cup (formerly ICO). The former WEC and IFC champ's little brother, Nate Diaz (4-1), will be joining him in action as well. This is the 1st time the brothers have fought on the same card. The Cesar Gracie trained Nick Diaz will fight TBA at 170lbs. while Nate will compete at lightweight.


In Pride FC news, Sergei Kharitonov will fight Aleksander Emelianenko September 10th, at the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix. What is interesting about this bout, is that it is now the "reserve" bout for the tournament. That means, if anyone gets hurt in the tournament and cannot continue, the winner of Kharitonov/Emelianenko will step into their spot. This is strange because Roman Zenstov already won the "reserve" bout at the 1st round of the tournament. No reason has been given as to why he is no longer the "reserve" fighter. Sergei and Aleksander are both coming off losses (to Alistair Overeem & Josh Barnett respectively) and need the win just to remain as an elite heavyweight in Pride.

Rumors are flying that Phil Baroni's opponent at UFC 65 (featuring many Pride fighters) may be none other than Frank Shamrock! Frank and Phil have had problems with each other for years and even met in the ring at Strikeforce to promote a possible upcoming bout. It seems now, Zuffa (UFC) is trying to sign Frank to a 3-fight deal that could lead to a title fight against Rich Franklin. That doesn't mean the deal will get done, but Zuffa is trying. Frank has also made known how much he despises UFC and wanted to begin his own promotion with his own money. More on this story as it develops and any number of things could still happen.

Roy Jones Jr Back To His Winning Ways

After 10 months away from the ring, and three devastating losses in a row, Roy Jones Jr. came storming back tonight in a dominating performance over Prince Badi Ajamu. Roy's 50th career win (50-4, 38 KO's) came by unanimous decision through a sometimes dirty fight.

Prince came out strong winning the 1st round by pinning Jones against the ropes and letting his fists fly. Then from the 2nd round on, Roy returned to form with blazing speed and high number combinations. Roy continued work to the body and Badi lost points in the 7th & 8th rounds for low blows (and was almost disqualified). Roy captured the NABO Light Heavyweight championship and said after the fight he was looking to gain one last belt by defeating a major opponent. Congrats to Roy Jones Jr. on another great win.-MMA Mafia

Roy Jones Jr. vs Prince Badi Ajamu

On July 29, 2006, Roy Jones Jr. will return, for perhaps the last time as a boxer. Having dropped his last 3 fights, 2 by KO, Roy desperately needs a win just to retire upon. Standing in the way, Prince Badi Ajamu 25-2-1. Unfortunately for Jones fans, Roy chose an up and coming talent. Ajamu holds no less than 3 belts and has worked his way, steadily, up the rankings to #5 in the world. Roy did not choose a slouch and give him credit for that, but he is facing a fighter who easily adapts to his opponents styles and has sparred with Bernard Hopkins and Antonio Tarver. Roy's chin is still a point of worry though he did go the distance with Tarver in his last fight. In the 11th round, Roy looked out on his feet (though he survived) and his KO loss to Glenn Johnson looked career ending. If Roy loses this fight expect him to end his career on a loss.

Most people are overlooking this fight in Boise, Idaho of all places. Finally, Roy looked fast as ever in his last loss, and gained much needed confidence in the bout. It should be an interesting fight and Vegas has Jones the favorite. -MMA Mafia

Minowa vs Butterbean

In odd news, even by Pride FC standards, Pride has announced that Ikuhisha "Punk" Minowa will face Butterbean August 27th at Bushido Survival. Pride loves to put their "Giant Killer," Minowa, against freaks (see his matches against, Giant Silva, Kimo, & Baroni, ect.). Minowa will give up near 200lbs. to the much fatter Butterbean. Minowa is the new sacrificial lamb now that Sakuraba has moved on to K-1. Not that Minowa will lose, he'll probably win. The story is how much punishment will his body take in the process. Sakuraba's body has worn down over the years after taking on much heavier fighters like Randleman, Cro Cop, Silva, and Kimo to name a few. Many in the MMA community feel Minowa is heading toward the same early deterioration.

Also on the card will be the 2nd round of the Middleweight tournament as well as exciting fighters Takanori Gomi, Ishida, and the debut of Gilbert Melendez and the return of Jason Black. -MMA Mafia

Bas Shines In Return of WFA

Though he was in the co-main event, Bas Rutten clearly stole the show at the WFA's return to MMA. The event was somewhat mired by fighter bans (Kimo), small attendance, and some rather lazy fighters. Still, for their 1st show in over 4 years, the WFA has a lot of promise.

Bas Rutten defeated last minute replacement Ruben "Warpath" Villareal by KO via leg kicks. Kimo was forced out after testing positive for steroids and many thought Wes Sims would be the replacement. Then Wes pulled out to stay in the memorial show for Ryan Bennett (for which he is taking no money). Tank Abbott was even called, but finally Warpath stepped up and took the fight on just 48 hours notice. The guy is always game but completely outmatched here. When Bas' music hit, the house erupted heralding the return of "El Guapo" after 7 years of retirement. When the match began, Bas landed perfect punches square to the jaw of Warpath. To the Native American's credit, he didn't even flinch though he was repeatedly tagged. Then Bas went to work on the almost 300lb. man with ultra fast and deadly leg kicks. Finally, the giant fell and could not continue.
Bas looked absolutely amazing. He was fast, crisp, and in great shape, though he opponent was not necessarily an upper tier fighter. Still, the fans loved it and what is even more impressive, is that Bas fought with a torn ACL and a pulled rib. A true warrior Bas never considered pulling out of the fight. Welcome back El Guapo!

Though Bas stole the show, Rampage and Lindland put on a war. The bout seemed dead even with each man slamming the other. Lindland even secured two submission attempts which almost ended the fight. Rampage won the battle on the feet landing good shots and a flying knee, though nothing stopped Lindland from coming forward. In the final round, Rampage took Matt down and delivered punches as the bell rang. The judges scored the bout a split decision for Rampage, though some saw it the other way. It was a war and a great fight where neither man really lost in the eyes of the fans.

Mayhem Miller took 1 round to submit Lodune Sincaid by rear naked choke. What was most exciting about the fight was the wild flashy entrance by Mayhem.

The mystery man Lyoto Machida disappointed all by having a horrible fight with gamer Vernon White. Neither man did a whole lot though Ryoto did enough to get the decision. The fighters never really engaged and the crowd boo'd almost the whole match.

Ivan Salavarry dusted off the rust of a year off from MMA to KO Art Santore. Ivan has been called "boring," but this fight saw a devastating high kick before the punch KO.

Ricco was fat as always and there isn't a need to talk about his lame fight. Ricco won.

Razor Rob decimated Sarmiento's legs in the 1st round and the guy was gutsy just to stay in the fight after that. Rob couldn't finish him but dominated to avenge his past loss by decision.

Marvin Eastman and Jorge Oliveira was another disappointing match. They just did very little, perhaps respecting each other too much. More boo's and a draw to add to the boredom.

Martin Kampmann stepped in late to TKO Edwin Aguilar in the 1st for a nice debut.

Not great, but not bad for the WFA. Maybe Ryoto will face Rampage in the future and we can see just how good he is. Lindland vs Salavarry would be good for hardcore MMA fans, and we need someone to challenge the exciting Razor Rob at lightweight. The next WFA event in rumored to be in October, giving the WFA some time to sign new talent. Decent start and congrats to the WFA.-MMA Mafia

WFA King Of The Streets PPV

First things first, one of the main events has changed. Kimo has tested positive for Stanozolol, a banned substance, and will not be able to have the grudge match with Bas Rutten. After all the trash talk about "putting Bas back into retirement," it looks like Kimo had to cheat to prepare for the fight and may face a lengthy suspension since this is the second time he has failed a urine test. Also, Jose Landi-Jons will not compete but for different reasons. On to the card......

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (24-6) vs Matt "The Law" Lindland (18-3) When Rampage "found Jesus" (apparently he was over in Japan), he began to lose and fight uninspired lackluster fights. Rampage has claimed he "is back," and the WFA is banking on it since their return ad campaign has been focused on Jackson. Quinton is a great wrestler with spectacular slams and a tough noggin. He'll have about 20lbs. on Matt and much better striking. Rampage will be looking to not only win, but impress the USA fans who may not know him that well. Matt Lindland or "Mr. Grumpy" as I like to call him, has been on an absolute tear ever since being fired by the UFC (because they didn't want him to fight, and beat Rich Franklin) winning 7 straight fights. Matt is also a wrestler, but he frustrates his opponents by smothering them with his constant bothersome fight style. This fight could be slow at times, but technically amazing. WINNER-Rampage wins by decision with just too much power and athleticism.

Bas "El Guapo" Rutten (27-4-1) vs Wes "The Project" Sims (11-8-1) Don't let the record or last minute replacement status of Wes fool you. Wes began fighting with very little experience and has been in training (with Hammer House) for an upcoming show so he will be in shape. But make no mistake about it, Wes will be battling the returning legendary fighter who is one of the best of all time,.......Bas Rutten! Bas can do it all but is known mostly for his great strikes. Bas has not fought since 1999 and is now 41 years old. He was only coming back to settle a grudge with Kimo, but since he had to cheat while training and is now sitting his pussy ass at home, Wes will step in. I don't think it will change Bas' desire in this fight, since he will want to impress and see if he possibly wants to fight a few more times (as he has hinted). WINNER-Bas by KO sooner rather than later.

Jason "Mayhem" Miller (15-4) vs The "Vanilla Gorilla" Lodune Sincaid (9-2) Everyone knows that crazy bastard Mayhem should win this fight. The problem is, Lodune is a very tough wrestler who has gotten serious about his career winning his last 3 bouts. Mayhem could be overlooking Lodune to his next fight, a title shot against Robbie Lawler. Mayhem will also be fighting at 205lbs. for the 1st time in his career. WINNER-Mayhem Jason won't squander his big opportunity here at the WFA. Jason will be crazy and as unpredictable as ever probably winning by submission.

Ryoto "Lyoto" Machida (7-0) vs Vernon "Tiger" White (24-27) Ryoto is famous for beating BJ Penn and handing Rich Franklin his only loss. He is a mystery man who doesn't fight that often but studies karate and can strike very well. Though his record sucks, Tiger always brings a great battle and is a great striker as well. Vernon is susceptible to submissions where most of his losses come. This fight should stay on the feet. WINNER-Lyoto Most people don't give Tiger a chance but in a strikers game, anything can happen. Still, I think Machida has the slight edge in this exciting bout.

Ivan Salavarry (11-4) vs Art "Pachuco" Santore (14-4) Ivan is an amazing submission veteran who was canned from the UFC after a boring fight with Nathan Marquardt. Its been almost a year since then and he'll be looking to re-establish himself as a prominent Middleweight. Pachuco (what a great name) is a KO fighter with good submissions as well. Winning this fight would establish him as a contender and propel his career to a new level. WINNER-Ivan Salavarry Ivan wants redemption but must be very careful with this Team Quest fighter (Santore). Ivan's slickness gets him a submission win in a very competitive and close fight.

Marvin "Beastman" Eastman (13-6) vs Jorge "Van Damme" Oliveira (2-1) Jorge has the distinct advantage on the ground (he is Gracie trained) but as a "newbie" he lacks experience. The Beastman is the former WFA Light Heavyweight champion and only lost the title because the promotion went under. Marvin is an explosive striker with good wrestling. Look for Marvin to come out fast and strong looking to get noticed for a future title shot when "his" belt returns. Marvin has stated this year is make or break for him. He'll either do well or retire. WINNER-Marvin Eastman by TKO

Ricco "Tubby Bitch" Rodriguez (22-6) vs Ron "H2O" Waterman (13-3-2) Holy crap, Super-Heavyweights is right! Ricco has ballooned to around 300lbs. and doesn't like to train. Ron is 285 and likes to overpower people. Ron's last win is over, guess who, Ricco last year. Ricco used to be very talented on the ground before his tits got in his way. Ron likes to overpower people. WINNER-definitely not the fans. Why they made this match I have no idea. Who wins, who cares?

"Razor" Rob McCullough (12-3) vs Harris Sarmiento (18-14) Rob is a WFA vet and this is actually a rematch when McCullough lost to Harris. Look for Razor to avenge that loss in brutal fashion. Rob is a brilliant striker with submission wrestling. Harris is a striker and comes off 4, yes 4, losses in a row. He must win or face unemployment. WINNER-Razor Rob End by KO avenging his loss.

Edwin Aguilar (8-6) vs Martin Kampmann (11-2) Martin is a last minute fill-in for Jose Landi-Jons. Aguilar is mostly a striker. Martin hails from Denmark and is well rounded compared to his boxing opponent. WINNER-Kampmann by submission at some point.

Antonio McKee (16-3-2) vs Adam Arredondo (4-6) McKee trains with Rampage and Mayhem and should overpower Adam with superior wrestling. McKee is always in great shape but has trouble stopping opponents. WINNER-McKee by decision

After a four year absence, the WFA returns with a much better card than anything the UFC has put together in recent memory. WFA brought us Marvin Eastman, Jason Black, Frank Trigg, and Rich Franklin before, and now returns Bas Rutten while signing popular free agents Lindland and Rampage. Also, the always exciting Razor Rob and Mayhem Miller. Machida and Ivan are fighters to watch and for the chubby chasers we have Ricco. Something for everyone, so get the PPV and support new MMA.-MMA Mafia

Sakuraba to Debut for K-1 Hero's Promotion

Kazushi Sakuraba is slated to have his 1st fight in the K-1 Hero's promotion August 5th for the Light Heavyweight Tournament. The legendary warrior will be facing Kestutis Smirnovas from Lithuania.

Also on the card Carlos "Ronin" Newton will face Holland's heavy hitter Melvin Manhoef and Rodrigo Gracie will battle Shungo Oyama.

Rumored fighters also on the card include Kid Yamamoto, Caol Uno, Hideo Torkoro, and MMA legend Don Frye. More fight announcements will be made soon.-MMA Mafia

MMA News Roundup

The UFC was on ESPN's Hotlist for the 1st time Monday. Dana White spoke 1st on how he took over the UFC and the evolution of the sport. It was the average explanation of the state of the fight game but necessary to new viewers. Next, Matt Hughes and George St. Pierre came on to be interviewed and promote their upcoming title fight.

Along with Wanderlei Silva, Pride is reportedly sending Phil Baroni and Ironhead Fujita to the UFC to fight on the same card. The opponents are TBA but Baroni has claimed he will be facing a "top Welterweight." Also, Fujita reportedly had his elbow broken in his bout with Wanderlei Silva so his participation is suspect.

The "Final Four" for Pride's Open Weight Grand Prix is set. Wanderlei Silva will face Mirko Cro Cop while Josh Barnett will battle Antonio Nogueira. Silva and Cro Cop fought once before to a draw in a special rules bout. Shogun Rua may also return from injury on the same card as well.

Hidehiko Yoshida suffered a broken leg and torn ligaments from his fight with Cro Cop. Yoshida is out indefinately.

Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar will do it again in a rematch August 26, at the Babalu/Liddell PPV. Both men desperately need a big win after coming off losses. A loss could push one man to the bottom of the ladder in the UFC.

Shane Mosely did it again, and this time left no doubt, KOing Fernando Vargas in round 6 of their rematch.

Andrei Arlovski has torn ligaments and extreme swelling on his leg after his fight with Tim Sylvia. Andrei's boxing coach Mike Garcia, stated the knee area swelled to 4 times its normal size after the fight. Arlovski received a cast on his leg from the calf down and is recovering.

Wanderlei Silva vs Chuck Liddell

During the worst PPV in recent memory, there was one HUGE announcement that seemed to be completely overlooked by the fans in attendance. Dana White brought "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva into the UFC cage, and then came Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. The idea is to have them fight in November, but there are a lot of "ifs" to this dream matchup.

First things first. Congrats to the ignorant TUF crowd in attendance, who barely noticed one of the greatest fighters of all time from the rival MMA organization, standing before them. Kudos oh ignorant flock.

In order for the Chuck/Silva fight to take place, a lot must happen in sequence. First, Chuck must defeat Renato "Babalu" Sobral in August. This is very risky, as many within the industry know that Babalu has a very good shot of beating Chuck. Renato has ground skills the destroy anything the "Iceman" could do, and he has good stand up as well. Of course, they fought before and Chuck KO'd Sobral with a leg kick, so we shall see.

The second event to fall in order, is to have Wanderlei Silva make it through the Open Weight Grand Prix in Pride. It won't matter if he wins or loses, because his Light Heavyweight title will not be on the line. The questions remain, will Silva come out healthy enough to fight Liddell, and keep in mind, Silva will have to drop his newly acquired weight to meet Chuck at 205lbs.

If all goes well, Chuck and Wanderlei will meet in November, reportedly in a UFC cage. It is not known at this time if any title will be on the line, but hardcore MMA fans don't care. This is a dream matchup all have wanted for a long time. When Chuck called out Wanderlei after defeating Randy Couture for the Light Heavyweight title in their rematch, nobody ever thought it possible. Fast forward to 2006 when Pride is having trouble staying on TV in Japan, and rival K-1 is stealing their most popular fighters (Sakuraba). A TV show called the Ultimate Fighter catapults UFC into the mainstream in the United States as the money begins rolling in. One companies misfortunes, and another's fortunes, create the fight of a lifetime.

So where does this leave Tito Ortiz who was promised a title shot after his bout with Ken Shamrock (which was an absolute travesty but I'm still to annoyed to talk about it)? And where does this leave all the fighters in Japan who want a shot at Silva's title and have been paying dues? Well, who cares? We have possibly two of the hardest, most precise, and devastating strikers in all of MMA going head to head in battle. And who knows, maybe both sides like the partnership and we see more Pride fighters fighting in the UFC and vice versa. Either way, November has never seemed so far away.-MMA Mafia

UFC 61 WORST PPV EVER!!!!!!!!!!

After what was the worst MMA PPV of all time, UFC fans are now wondering if they will ever buy another event again. Lets get to the debacle and MMA Mafia's opinion on the whole mess.

Tim Sylvia def Andrei Arlovski bu unanimous decision after 5 rounds. It looked as though it might end early with Arlovski getting caught by some big punches by Tim. Andrei then began to leg kick the giant and scored some good points. As the fight progressed into the later rounds, Andrei stopped throwing the leg kicks that were damaging and scoring points. Tim used his reach advantage striking, though there would be no more big power shots. Both men began to slow and throw less and less as the crowd reigned down boo's. Andrei never tried for the takedown and just seemed content to prove he would not be KO'd. The decision was read and Tim did win a boring and head scratching fight. The crowd seemed to care less.

Tito Ortiz was given a gift by ref Herb Dean, stopping the fight with Shamrock early in the 1st round. As the bell rang, Ken charged in landing some decent punches. Tito then got both of Ken's legs and took him down. Ken struggled to get away as Tito began launching down around 5 elbows. The shots did land but Ken was not in trouble. Oddly, ref Herb Dean stepped in stopping the fight to the absolute shock of Ken and the crowd. Nobody could believe the stoppage that seemed almost Pro Wrestling style fake. The stadium filled with boo's and Tito of course acted like the ass he is. Worst stoppage ever.

Frank Mir def Dan Christison by decision. This was one of the most boring, slow paced fights, between two very out of shape fighters. Mir looked absolutely horrible. He was badly out of shape, and seemed tired after the 1st 40 seconds. Dan didn't do much either and Frank wins a bout that made Cruz/Monson look exciting.

Josh Burkman def Josh Neer in an odd bout though partially exciting. Both men looked good, but when Neer got hurt, he would stand back motioning to Burkman to bring it on. The problem was, the proved and did nothing as Burkman continued to score and get the win.

Joe Stevenson def Yves Edwards in a great bout. Yves controlled the 1st rd and landed some big shots. In the 2nd, Joe Daddy took control and opened a huge cut on Yves that spilled the most blood I've ever seen! Yves survived the round but the doctors wouldn't let him continue giving a big and impressive win to Stevenson.

Hermes Franca dominated Joe Jordan to get the submission win.

Drew Fickett submitted Pelligrino in the 3rd rd.

Jeff Monson KO'd Perosh to establish himself as the #1 contender to the Heavyweight title.

Cheick Kongo impressed in his UFC debut KOing Aldana.

Only a couple of decent fights and we didn't get to see any of the undercard. A terrible PPV that had the crowd in attendance and at home upset all evening. There was a HUGE announcement, but we will address that in an upcoming article. -MMA Mafia

UFC 61 Bitter Rivals Picks

This coming saturday, the UFC will present UFC 61, Bitter Rivals. The heavyweight title will be on the line as well as some interesting lightweight matches, and the well touted grudge match.

Tim "The Maniac" Sylvia vs Andrei "The Pitbull" Arlovski: Here we go again. The series is tied at one a piece with both finds ending very quickly in the first round. Tim currently has the strap and Arlovski wants it back. Personally, I think Tim was given a bit of a gift in the rematch. Granted, Arlovski was rocked and knocked down, but in a title fight, you have to give the fighters a chance to recover (ie Trigg/Hughes). Still, Arlovski never complained about the stoppage, instead focusing on the rubber match. We all know Tim has powerful punches but he moves slowly and has never really been tested upon the ground. Arlovski also has KO power (he dropped Tim in both fights) but is a much better athlete and has good submissions on the ground. The question is, will Andrei risk standing with Tim again, or take him down to a position where the odds are much higher in his favor. WINNER-Andrei Arlovski I believe Tim got lucky the second time, and Arlovski took him a bit lightly. That won't happen again. Arlovski may stand and trade some with Sylvia, but he will keep his distance moving constantly and avoiding Tim's hands. Anything can happen with heavyweights who have KO power, but smart money is on Arlovski, especially the longer this fight goes. Arlovski by TKO rd.3

"The Hunnington Beach Fag Toy" Frito Hortits (13-4) vs Ken "Formerly Dangerous Man" Shamrock (26-10-2): The only reason this fight is happening, is for Tito to win and rematch Chuck Liddell in January for the title. This is Dana White's plan. Both men claim to be healthy and in perfect shape. The problem is Ken is 43 years old! Let me say that again, Ken is 43 years old. Shamrock has lost 4 of his last 5 fights, 4 by TKO. Sakuraba, not known for KO power, severely rocked Ken in their bout before getting the win. Before that, Franklin dismantled Ken, then the quick Kimo win for Shamrock, and the 1st fight with Tito (where Ken was abused brutally for 3 rounds) to start the downward trend. Ken has always been a warrior, but time is not on his side and he is known to have problems fighting fellow wrestlers. Tito beat Forrest and Belfort by (controversial) split decision, and beat Cote who took the fight on short notice. Tito hasn't quite been the Tito of old, but enough to get key wins. The ground and pound is always solid when he can score the takedown. Ortiz has only been KO'd once in his career (Liddell) and is always in phenomenal shape. WINNER-Tito Ortiz Look I can't stand the guy, but he is 31, in his prime, and climbing his way back to a title shot. Ken is 43 (did I mention that) just trying to get a win at the twilight of his career. Ken's one shot is to catch Tito with a lucky punch (though his striking isn't amazing), or get a submission. This is Ken's last shot at glory and I wish him luck. Though after seeing their first fight, I wish Ken his health come Sunday morning. Tito by TKO rd.3

Frank Mir (8-2) vs Dan "Another Guy Nicknamed Sandman" Christison (8-3): After the disappointing loss to Pe De Cruz, this is yet another comeback for Mir, who was stripped of the heavyweight title after a motorcycle accident. Frank is a great ground fighter with slick submissions. Dan is a submission fighter (so why the Sandman nickname?) who can get KO's. He has reeled off 6 wins in a row. The deal is that when he stepped up in talent level (Severn twice) he has lost. This will be a big test for Dan, but a win puts him in the title hunt. WINNER-Frank Mir The loss to Cruz was a setback, but he suffered a brutal cut from which he could not really cover. I still think Frank can fight, and is at a higher level than Dan. Rumors have stated that Frank is not in great shape, but another loss could drop him from the UFC. Mir by submission rd.1

Josh Burkman (6-3) vs Josh Neer (17-3): Team Punishment (Burkman) vs Miletich Camp (Neer). This should be a really good fight with two very well rounded fighters. Both have all the tools on the feet, and on the ground. The strength edge goes to Burkman, but toughness goes to Neer. This is the hardest fight to pick on this card. WINNER-??????????? I don't know. Burkman is coming off a loss and must win, while Neer has been on a roll climbing the ladder. I'm just hoping for a good fight.

Yves Edwards (29-10-1) vs Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (24-7): Yves was on his way to the title fight when he was upset by Hominick. Stevenson took his fight with Neer lightly, and lost before his debut (now) in the lightweight division. Stevenson is brutal when in shape and motivated, but even then, getting down to the 155lbs. weight limit is tough. Both need the win, and the loser drops out of the lightweight title contention. WINNER-Yves Edwards Though both are experienced, Yves has been doing it at a higher level, and should have better stand up, and stamina. Yves by decision

Hermes Franca (14-5) vs Joe Jordan (19-9-2): Hermes is the current WEC lightweight champ and on a roll after a disastrous 2005. Joe is a decent fighter, but he is taking this fight on short notice and facing a higher caliber of talent than he is used to. WINNER-Hermes Franca Joe is just outmatched here and on short notice. Franca by submission rd.1

Drew Fickett (26-4) vs Kurt Pellegrino (6-1): Drew is coming off a loss to Burkman, but is a great submission fighter who is very tough. Kurt is relatively new and hasn't yet fought someone of this caliber (does this show seem full of mismatches, anyone?). WINNER-Drew Fickett Drew must win this against a relative unknown or look for new work. Fickett by submission rd.2

Jeff "Snowman" Monson (21-5) vs Anthony Perosh (5-1): The Snowman is a super strong submission fighter on the cusp of a heavyweight title shot. Anthony is relatively new and, damn I seem to be saying that a lot on this card. Anywho, can do subs as well. WINNER-Snowman Uh yeah, if Jeff loses this, I'll be shocked. Snowman by guess what, submission rd.2

Gilbert "El Peligro" Aldana (5-1) vs Cheick Kongo (7-2-1): Both guys are purely strikers, so this should be fun and quick. WINNER-Cheick Kongo C'mon, the guy has an awesome name, and hails from Holland (land of the strikers). Kongo by KO rd.1

Well, as far as PPV's go, this one is rather weak. There could be quite a few lopsided fights, but this is "The Year Of The Upset," so we'll see. I'd just save my money.-MMA Mafia

UFC Lightweights Top Ten

MMA Mafia's UFC Lightweight Division Top 10

1 Sean Sherk (30-2-1)-Coming off his win over Nick Diaz at 170lbs., Sean is the consensus pick to win the new title. Sean is an overpowering wrestler with vicious elbows and great submissions. His two losses come from Matt Hughes and GSP at 170. I don't know of anyone at 150lbs. who can hang with this monster. His next bout is supposed to be at UFC 62 against Kenny Florian for the belt.
2 Jens Pulver (21-6-1)-Jens is the only holder of the UFC Lightweight title,...ever! He has beaten BJ Penn, Dennis Hallman, and Joe Stevenson (ranked 6). His recent losses come to Gomi and Sakurai. He is a Miletich veteran with heavy, heavy hands who loves to put on a show. In my opinion, he should get the first title shot, and is still the champ until beaten. He is only ranked number two because he won't get the first title shot.
3 Kenny Florian (4-2)-Overrated or not, he has put together three straight wins in the UFC, two of which came out of his weight class. He is a ju-jitsu fighter with sharp elbows. The problem is, he has never faced anyone elite as of yet. If he does get the rumored title shot at UFC 62, look for Kenflo to be demolished by Sean Sherk beginning his fall down the ladder.
4 Mark Hominick (11-5)-Mark shocked the world beating Yves Edwards and then kinda snuck a win over Jorge Gurgel. He has world class kickboxing ability but has his problems on the ground. He needs at least one more win to get into title contention.
5 Hermes Franca (14-5)/Roger Huerta (14-1-1)-Hermes had a dreadful 2005, but is back on track this year with four straight wins. Franca has good hands and submissions as well as past UFC experience. Huerta is a young striker who hasn't faced anyone the level of Hermes Franca yet. He gets his opportunity at UFC 61 Bitter Rivals. The winner is in great position in the Lightweight division at number five. The loser possibly drops out of the top ten.
6 Yves Edwards (29-10-1)/Joe Stevenson (24-7)-Yves was the pick to fight for the title before the upset loss to Mark Hominick. Yves has the complete game and a ton of experience. Joe is the wrestler who suffered his first loss since 2002 at UFN4 to Josh Neer. The knock on Joe has always been his desire and work ethic. When he is in shape and prepared properly, he is hard to beat. But can Joe make the weight limit? The winner of this fight at UFC 61 Bitter Rivals, jumps right back in the mix. The loser drops hard and fast.
7 Melvin Guillard (20-5-2)-Melvin is coming off a very impressive KO win. He has amazing blistering speed and wrestling. He could really shake up the division with his youth and KO power.
8 Spencer Fisher (18-2)-The reason Spencer is ranked so low is the loss to Stout. Granted he took the fight on short notice but a loss is a loss. Not to mention he will not fight fellow Miletich member Jens Pulver. Spencer is coming off a win and look for him to climb back up the rankings very quickly.
9 Jorge Gurgel (9-2)-The man known as Rich Franklin's friend, lost to Hominick in an unimpressive UFC debut. He has solid ju-jitsu and good hands, but that loss will haunt him for a while until he can get consecutive wins.
10 Sam Stout (9-2-1)-Sam was ranked up around 3rd until the horribly embarrassing defeat to Kenflo. Sam has great kickboxing skills but his lack of a ground game makes him very beatable. He must get some wins to be even in consideration now.

Pride Open Weight Grand Prix Round 2 Results

Tournament Matches
Wanderlei Silva defeats Fujita by TKO (strikes) rd.1

Mirko Cro Cop defeats Yoshida by submission (verbal) rd.1

Josh Barnett defeats Mark Hunt by submission (kimura) rd.1

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira defeats Werdum by unanimous decision

Non-Tournament Matches

Pawel Nastula defeats Edson Drago by submission (armbar) rd.1

Nakao defeats Eun Su Lee by TKO (doctor stoppage) rd.1

Vitor Belfort defeats Takahashi by KO (punch) rd.1

Nakamura defeats Cyborg by submission (armbar) rd.1

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by TKO (towel thrown in) rd.2