Pride FC Shockwave 2006

Fedor vs Hunt: If Fujita can rock Fedor, Hunt definitely can. Look for the smarter Fedor to avoid the stand up game and dominate this fight on the floor. Hunt has a puncher's chance, and if he can keep it standing, a better shot than people think.

WINNER-Fedor by decision

Antonio Nogueira vs J.Barnett: I don't believe in Josh's striking ability. Nog gets this one and its on to the rubber match.

WINNER-Nogueira by decision

Shogun vs Nakamura: Love Nak, but he is outclassed here. Bring on the stomps.

WINNER-Shogun by TKO

Kawajiri vs Melendez: This is Gilbert's big chance and he should be ready. Look for El Nino to wear down Kawajiri on the way to a win.

WINNER-Melendez by decision

Gomi vs Ishida: Why isn't this fight for the title? Anywho, good fight but Gomi has the power.

WINNER-Gomi by TKO

Hansen vs Aoki: Despite people thinking this will be close, Hansen by brutality.

WINNER-Hansen

Yoshida vs Thompson: My UPSET pick! Yoshida can't keep the big man down!

WINNER-Thompson by TKO

Minowa vs Tamura: Yawn, expect a long boring fight.

WINNER-Tamura by decision

Fujita vs smaller guy who has never fought MMA before.

WINNER-Fujita by KO

UFC 66 Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz 2

Top to bottom, the best UFC card of the year. A lot of good fights so let's just get to it.


Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell 19-3 vs "The Hunnington Beach Bad Boy Tito Ortiz 15-4 : Though most people have Chuck the favorite, I'm not so sure. Yes, his hands are deadly and there is little chance Tito can hang there. Tito does not have to strike with Chuck. He learned from the first fight not to stand with the Iceman. Simple, constant shots will do two things. It keeps Chucks hands low for defense, allowing for some Tito jabs (which are better than most believe; watch the 1st round of their 1st fight). Second, eventually, Tito should ground Chuck, though it may take a couple of rounds. There, Chuck exposes himself when trying to get to his feet (he is open for submissions), or if he can't get up, he will be punished worse that what Randy did to him in their first meeting. A simple cut from an Ortiz elbow, could end the fight early, whether Chuck is wants it to or not. Cardio also plays a part. Chuck hasn't gone past the 2nd round, since August of 2005! Tito is a cardio machine, will not doubt, push the pace of this fight as much as he can. This could easily become a long fight, which will slow Chuck's punches, and force the dropping of his hands.

All of this being said, Chuck does have those deadly, fast, and awkward strikes. They catch many people off guard with their weird angles, and pure power. If you are playing the percentages, Tito just has more weapons, and is a more well rounded fighter. I'm not even going to get into who wants it more, or has the hype made either man soft. I don't believe it.
WINNER-Tito Ortiz by decision I hate to say it, and I hate the man, but in this 50/50 battle, the odds favor him.

Forrest Griffin 13-3 vs "The Dean Of Mean" Kieth Jardine 11-2-1: Both men love to strike, and cut easily. So expect a lot of action and blood. Forrest has better cardio and striking, but Jardine may have the edge on the ground. Being able to out sprawl Tito, I would think Forrest could defend Keith's takedown attempts, and out strike the slower Jardine. Griffin knows Keith's best weapon has been his leg kicks, and must, and most likely will, avoid them. Then it is just a matter of time till he picks apart Jardine, much like he did to Bonner in their rematch.
WINNER-Forrest Griffin by decision

Andrei "Pitbull" Arlovski 9-5 vs Marcio "Pa de Pano" Cruz 2-1: Arlovski needs a boost of confidence, and Cruz should deliver that. If Cruz can take Arlovski down, which I doubt, he can't keep him there. Andrei is a sambo technician, so he will be comfortable on the mat, and should easily have the strength advantage to take things back to the feet. Cruz strikes are amateur at best, and I don't think he can pull the upset, like he did with Mir.
WINNER-Arlovski by KO

Michael "The Count" Bisping 11-0 vs Eric "The Red" Schafer 7-1-2: Eric is the ground master, and I don't like this match for Bisping. He has been inactive for 6 months, and he hasn't faced any really well rounded fighters like Schafer. Depending on how good his defense is, he might be in for a long night on the mat, even if he avoids the submissions. Still, Mike has great strikes, and might be able to get the fight back to the feet, easier than people think. The striking is the key, and I think that rocks Eric early and often.
WINNER-Bisping by TKO

Chris "Crippler" Leben 16-2 vs Jason "Athlete" MacDonald 17-7: Leben has been very dominant save the quick loss to future champ, Silva. His hands are lethal and his chin strong. Nobody has really done much with him on the ground, though he claims to be good there as well. MacDonald will be looking to go to the mat, but first must tire Leben with his high pace, while avoiding the KO punch. Athleticism exposed Leben against Silva, and pushing the pace into later rounds, I believe MacDonald can catch Leben in a submission (much like the one that shocked Ed Herman), or at the least, out point him to a victory.
WINNER-MacDonald by decision

Yushin Okami 18-3 vs Rory Singer 10-5: Yushin has fought much better competition, and has the better all around game. On the feet Rory has no chance, and on the mat very little. Okami should out power Rory in every category and gain the victory. Yushin is legit, and Rory has never impressed me.
WINNER-Okami by TKO

Thiago Alves 9-3 vs Tony DeSouza 10-2: I'm glad to have the kookie cat named DeSouza returning yet again. His unorthodox style poses problems for all opponents. DeSouza is bigger and stronger, while Alves has been skittish, at best, in his recent efforts. Should be exciting in the beginning, but expect Tony to slowly become more and more dominant on his way to victory.
WINNER-DeSouza by submission

Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga 9-1 vs Carmelo "The Fury" Marrero 6-0: Carmelo shocked the UFC with his win over Kongo, and Gabe is still returning to form after the death of his daughter. Marrero will be faster but he lacks true power in the heavyweight division. Gonzaga has the ju jitsu blackbelt, better striking, and is a true heavyweight. Napao could move up quickly in the title hunt if he can win here, and score a fight with a legit contender (say Monson, Vera, or even Kongo).
WINNER-Gonzaga by submission

Anthony "The Hippo" Perosh 5-2 vs Christian Wellisch: Both of these inexperience heavyweights will want to have a chess match on the mat. Wellisch can strike some and wrestle some, but is vulnerable to submissions, which bodes well for the ju jitsu blackbelt, Perosh.
WINNER-Perosh by submission

Mirko "Cro Cop" Flipovic Officially UFC

We told you to be patient, and it has finally happened. Mirko Cro Cop has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC. He will be introduced this weekend at UFC 66. His first fight will come against Eddie Sanchez (6-0), probably at UFC 67 in February (& at the latest UFC 68 in March).

Heath Herring has also officially signed with the UFC, coming over as a veteran of K-1 and Pride FC. He has fought some of the best in the world including Cro Cop, Fedor, Nogueira, and many more. He is a solid veteran, who has a real shot of helping to shake up the heavyweight division.

So with these newest acquisitions, how does the Heavyweight rankings stack up in the current UFC?

Champion Tim "Maine-iac" Sylvia

1 Mirko "Cro Cop" Flipovic 21-4-2 With the talent he has faced in the past, and the previous year's accomplishments, Mirko is the #1 contender in all the Heavyweight classes.

2 Brandon "The Truth" Vera 8-0 Still undefeated, and after a quick destruction of former champ Frank Mir, Vera has only to decide if he wants to stay in the Heavyweight game, or return to his natural weight at 205.

3 Andrei "Pitbull" Arlovski 11-5 Though a 4th fight with Sylvia is out of the question, should Tim lose the belt anytime soon, the Pitbull is but one win away from being in title contention once again. However, Andrei did land the lead in the upcoming "Never Submit" movie, so he will be taking time off this summer to begin his acting career.

4 Jeff "Snowman" Monson 24-5 Also a perennial top tier talent, Monson has a fight against Fedor (in Bodog) for March. Win and he's top in the world. A competitive loss, and he could still gain ground.

5 Heath "Crazy Horse" Herring 26-11 He is coming off a win against former star Gary Goodridge. He's faced the best in the world and is a well rounded fighter with a ton of experience and savvy.

6 Gabriel Gonzaga 6-1 Though not the most exciting fighter in history, he is back on track after dealing with the death of a daughter. Now refocused, he possesses the tools on the ground to submit anyone.

7 Jake "Irish" O'Brien 8-0 The wrestler is still racking up wins. A step up in talent will help his chances and allow us to see just how good this guy can be.

8 Carmelo "The Fury" Marrero 6-0 The man who took out Kongo (though in the most boring fashion possible) is riding high and looking to make a more exciting bout this weekend.

9 Cheick Kongo 19-2-1 Scratching his head after the loss to Marrero, Cheick is still exciting to watch, and will no doubt get many more opportunities from the UFC.

10 Marcio "Pe De Pano" Cruz 2-1 He must have a strong showing against Arlovski, and if he could pull the huge upset, he could rocket to the top 5.

On The Bubble Anthony Perosh, Christian Wellisch, Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva

K-1 New Year's Eve Card

We don't cover every K-1 card around the world, but the New Year's Eve show is always important, and this card has some interesting fights.

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto 14-1 vs Istvan Majoros 0-0: The "Kid," is the K-1 Hero's Lightweight champion, and Istavan has an Olympic gold medal in wrestling, which Yamamoto wants. Norifumi supposedly, dropped out of MMA to go for the Japanese Olympic wrestling team. He changed his mind, returned, and should be very motivated to beat Majoros in his debut.

Kazushi Sakuraba 20-9-1 vs Yoshihiro Akiyama 9-1: Now this, is a great match! Sak recovered from an illness that dropped him cold in practice, and had him rushed to the emergency room, which brought along yet more rumors of his retirement. Sak has been in more wars than anybody in the sport, and is coming off a win against Smirnovas, in which Sak was knocked completely out, through the ropes, and yet the ref did not stop it! Sak then woke up from even more punches, and managed to stumble to his feet, and eventually secure the win with an armbar submission (perhaps the greatest match of Sakuraba's career, and one everyone should see)! Akiyama is a judo stud, who has fought and beaten super-heavyweights, as well as some of the top fighters in K-1. Yet, Sak always seems to step up and win the big fights (except against Silva thrice), but with his illness and worn down body, how much does the MMA legend have left?

Genki "Neo Samurai" Sudo 14-4-1 vs Damacio Page 7-2: Genki is possibly the 2nd best Lightweight fighter in the world, and one of the most exciting, and entertaining fighters to watch. He is coming off an injury that has kept him sidelined since March. Damacio is a tough, but beatable. This match should be about the return of Genki, and setting up a possible rematch with Yamamoto for the title.

Royler Gracie 5-3-1 vs Hideo Tokoro 15-11-1: One of my favorite Gracie's (he has always fought top talent, and men in any weight class), Royler, returns to the ring against the very tough submission fighter, Tokoro. Both men love the mat work and this should be a technical fighters dream.

Hong-Man Choi 0-0 vs Bobby Ologun 2-0: 7'2" 360lbs., the former SSirum wrestler, makes his debut in a MMA rules match. Bobby is a well known TV personality, as well as a fighter who once battled Royce Gracie. Bobby is a big guy, but he is facing a giant who will probably crush him. This fight is notable because if Choi can show any MMA talent, he will be a major force in the Super-Heavyweight division.

Chad "Akebono" Rowan 0-3 (more like 0-6) vs "Giant" Silva 1-6: 400lbs. vs 7'2" 385lbs. A freak show of epic proportions. This fight will involve a lot of technique, as well as grace and agility. That, or it will be amusing to watch these two blubbery ogre's attempt to fight and not break the ring.

MMA News Roundup and Rumors

Da Da Da Daaaa! Could "Captain America," Randy "The Natural" Couture be returning from retirement to fight again!?! Possibly, yes! While in an interview where he was breaking down Liddell/Ortiz 2, Randy picked Chuck to win, and then mentioned, "If Tito finds a way to beat Chuck, I'm going to have to come out of retirement, and give Tito a whack." Gee, I wonder if Dana White and the UFC would offer much money to Randy for that? Take the quote for what its worth, anything can happen.

Brandon Vera attended the inaugural press conference for Elite XC, the MMA show appearing on Showtime. He stated he had 1 fight left on his UFC contract, and would go to whomever paid him the best. Now, Pride FC has announced that Vera will appear at their show in February. This could not be signed unless, an unhappy UFC released Vera already. Brandon has been saying he is done with the Heavyweight division, and wishes to return to his natural weight class of Light Heavyweight. The UFC needs him to stay at Heavyweight. True or false, Vera is garnering a lot of attention, and as a top prospect, could land anywhere.

Vitor Belfort and Pawel Nastula were banned from US competition for 9 months, and fined for their failed drug tests at Pride's US debut. Vitor claimed ignorance on how he failed, while Pawel stated his Pride contract said he could ingest said illegal substances. Pride will most likely not honor these decisions on Japanese soil. Kevin Randleman's appeal will be heard soon. He is still claiming innocence on his failed test, which contained non-human urine. Do with that what you will, eesh.

Jens Pulver and BJ Penn will be the Lightweight coaches on season 5 of the Ultimate Fighter, and then, have their long awaited rematch at the season finale! There is some bad blood there between the fighters, and both are outspoken and confident, which should make for an interesting season. (Jens won the first fight between the 2 men to become the first UFC Lightweight Champion)

Oh yeah, Showtime named their MMA promotion, Elite XC (lame), and stated their first show will have Renzo Gracie vs Frank Shamrock. Hold the phone there Showtime, Frank is still signed with Strikeforce, who are already claiming Frank must face Phil Baroni first, at their 2007 show. Frank says no, so let the mess and court battles begin. Frank really needs to just fight and stop all the talking and end all the problems away from fighting. Showtime has also signed Joey Villasenor, Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva vs Cabbage Correira, David "The Crow" Loiseau, KJ Noons, and the so so damn beautiful Gina Carano! Gina is a female fighter by the way. Interesting stuff, but after seeing the shows by unimpressive Strikeforce, Bodog, and the IFL in America, I won't hold my breath.

UFC, WEC, WFA: So What's The Deal?

OK, so, unless you have been living under a rock that doesn't get constant news on the MMA scene, you already know the UFC has purchased the WFA & WEC. Fine, ok. But what does this all mean, and what exactly has the UFC gotten out of this?

Well, the first thing they got, was rid of two competitors. Granted, the WEC was a more, minor league, type of promotion. Still, they do have some talent and present the UFC with a smaller circuit that they can grow younger fighters from, and send fighters who need more work (looking at you Joe Riggs). We could see Uriah Faber come up to the UFC if he can make 155lbs. instead of his normal 145. He is an exciting fighter who has long been a fan favorite. WEC also had former UFC fighters, Lodune Sincaid, Terry Martin, Ron Waterman, and re surging heavyweight, Justin Eilers. Mainly, the WEC show is planned to appear on a weekly TV program, along the lines of ESPN's Friday Night Fights, on a smaller cable channel (not yet named) to showcase up and coming fighters.

Great, so what about the WFA? Well my curious little friends, they of course, had Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The UFC has long wanted to gain his contract so they could rematch him with Chuck Liddell. Fans have begged for this fight for a looong time. First, Quinton Jackson will try to avenge a loss of his own, against Marvin Eastman (included in the deal) on February 3rd. Matt Lindland's contract did not come with the WFA purchase. He is signed with the IFL, and was not included in the deal. UFC also gains "Razor" Rob McCullough, who is a tough 155er, and brilliant striker. Watch for him! How about Ryoto Machida, who gave Rich Franklin his first loss. As well as Ivan Salaverry, a very talented fighter who is close friends with Tito Ortiz. Don't forget Vernon "Tiger" White and Bobby Southworth, wait, go ahead and forget them.

Anywho, the UFC takes out another competitor and gains some good talent as well as more fighters they can immediately throw into the WEC show (which will keep its name by the way). Its a good strategic move, and UFC is still trying to sign some major Pride fighters as well (keep watching, the Cro Cop announcement is coming soon). An interesting note, the UFC can just drop some of the WEC & WFA contracts if they do not want the fighters to save money or for various other reasons. New blood, creates new fights, and hopefully, less rematches. Stay tuned, and watch for the new recruits to pop up soon on UFC shows.

Dominent Diego Destroys Riggs

So after a stiff jab dropped Joe Riggs, Diego Sanchez charged in and landed a knee completely knocking Riggs out cold! He wins easily. So now, what do you do with Diego? GSP has Matt Serra next, and the rubber match with Matt Hughes is already scheduled for April 7th in Canada. If Diego just waited for his due #1 contender status, he would be looking at sitting for around 7 months given the amount of time needed on average to recover from a fight in April. That is a long time to sit idle. Luckily, I have a solution.

BJ Penn! Bj is coming off 2 losses but is still right up there with Hughes & GSP. BJ would obviously be Diego's biggest test to date, and that is a fight that would definitely sell a PPV (as a co-main event) or headline a Spike show. This would also secure Diego his #1 spot if he wins. If he loses, it only gives Sanchez 1 loss to a high quality opponent, and he could get back in the title hunt easily with a few more fights while GSP/Hughes/Penn all settle their business. It seems like a win win situation.

So what about the other 170 contenders? Karo Paryison just won a "fight of the night" against a very game Drew Fickett, and he is in that top 5 contenders. Either set up a fight for Karo versus the up and coming Jon Fitch. Josh Koscheck could face takedown defense specialist, John Alessio, who came oh so close to beating Diego.

However it all pans out, the 170 division is stacked with talent, and Diego, though odd and cocky, must be given his due. He has come into his own wherever the fight takes place, and shown real toughness and skill.

On to the rest of UFC Fight Night:

• Marcus Davis easily beat Shonie Carter to the punch, and almost put away Mr. International in the 2nd round. In the end, Davis got a big decision win.
• Josh "Blanket" Koscheck lived up to his nickname by laying on Jeff Joslin (who did well and should be brought back to fight) to win a boring decision, again.
• Karo Parisyan defeated Drew Fickett in the fight of the night. Both men fought hard on the feet, as well as the ground and both were very bloody at the end. Karo suffered a huge cut over his eye, but still out worked and out struck Drew to win all three rounds to get the decision.
• David Heath won a split decision against Victor Valimaki.
• Alan Belcher defeated Jorge Santiago by KO.
• Luigi Fioravanti put away Dave Menne, via TKO.
• Bock Larson defeated another Nakamura by decision.
• Logan Clark defeated Steve Byrnes by decision.

Pretty lame show overall. Diego/Riggs was short, but Karo/Fickett was great. The other two TV fights were boring but it is for free.

Next up will be the New Year's Eve PPV's, and reaction to UFC buying WEC, & WFA, as well as Fedor and Mirko Cro Cop developing news!

Ultimate Fight Night: Sanchez vs Riggs

Ultimate Fight Night on Spike TV Wednesday the 13th, features Diego Sanchez vs Joe Riggs as well as some other compelling fights and developments. On to the picks...

Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez 16-0 vs Joe "Diesel" Riggs 25-8: Barring a lucky punch from "the incredible shrinking man" known as Riggs, Diego should control this fight. Riggs is an inconsistent fighter who goes up and down from 185lbs. to 170lbs. which takes a toll on his body. Riggs is also coming off a quick loss to Mike Swick via submission. Sanchez is still undefeated and on his way to meet the winner of Hughes/St. Pierre 3. Diego has cardio for days and will wear down Riggs for an eventual G&P win. Just too much talent for the yoga freak unless Riggs can keep the fight on the feet where Diego is vulnerable.

WINNER-Sanchez by Dr. stoppage

Karo "The Heat" Parisyan 15-4 vs Drew "Master" Fickett 27-4: Karo is coming off his controversial split-decision loss to Diego and yearning to get back in the 170 title hunt. Drew is getting back into gear after a win in July. Both guys are talented all around, though Karo has better stand up and his judo skills are usually the fight winner for him. Drew is no joke however, and can hang with anyone. This could easily be the fight of the night. I just believe Karo is coming in angry and hungry after being screwed by the judges in the Diego fight. He is also very strong and his judo will set up everything.

WINNER-Parisyan by exciting decision

Josh "Blanket" Koscheck 9-1 vs Jeff "Inferno"Joslin 5-2: Josh is a wrestling machine. Joslin is a KO man who must not get taken down! If he does it is over. Josh will however get him to the ground for an easy punishing win. UFC is pushing this kid and don't want him to lose, i.e., the old wrestler vs boxer match.

WINNER-Koscheck by Dr.stoppage

"Mr. International" Shonie Carter 34-15-7 vs Marcus Davis 9-3: Shonie is Shonie. Marcus has improved a lot and kept very busy since the Ultimate Fighter show. Shonie may have his hands full, and if he doesn't have his cardio up to par, he could lose. This is Shonie's big return to the UFC after being gone for 7 fights, so he should be looking good. You just never know with this guy and his unorthodox style.

WINNER-Shonie by ?????

Dave Menne 39-14-2 vs Luigi Fioravanti 9-1: Menne has seen better days but he is a former UFC champion with a lot of experience and good submission game. Luigi has power in his hands and his only loss was to Chris Leben by decision. This match is really to see what Menne has left. He has so much more skill, but is susceptible to a KO which Luigi will be looking for. This could easily be a decision match and that leans toward Menne.

WINNER-Menne by decision

David Heath 6-0 vs Victor Valimaki 8-2: Huh,who are these, why is this fight, oh well shit. Your guess is as good as mine, but Heath is one of those hard working never say die guys.

WINNER-Heath

Brock Larson 18-1 vs Keita Nakamura13-0-2: Alright, two very high quality ground fighters. This should be a pretty exciting match between two really good prospects.

Jorge Santiago 11-6 vs Alan Belcher 8-2: Jorge seems to falter when stepping up in talent, and Belcher definitely has talent. Both men are solid all around and this fight could end up anywhere.

WINNER-Belcher

Logan Clark 3-0 vs Steve Byrnes 6-0: By the way, Byrnes is a Marine. This event is going to be held at a Marine base. Ya think the UFC has set up Byrnes to win? Me thinks so.

WINNER-The Marine (not John Cena)

Fedor Emelianenko Signs To Bodog Fight!!!!

Hoooly Crap! Fedor Emelienenko Emelianenko (Russian spelling, & US spelling) has signed with Bodog Fight. The bout is to take place in March at his home of Russia, against former UFC #1 contender Jeff "Snowman" Monson. Fedor's last contracted fight with Pride FC is against Mark Hunt on New Year's eve for the Heavyweight title. After that fight, Fedor is going to fight contracted deals for one fight at a time only. This is what has allowed him to already sign with Bodog. The UFC is interested in the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world as well, as they have stated they are going after everyone in 2007!

Even if the world began to collapse and Fedor lost the title to Mark "Fat Ass Who Doesn't Deserve A Title Shot" Hunt, he will most likely return to Pride FC to either reclaim or defend the title he has held for so long. What this does however, is make it a possibility that Fedor could fight with the Pride title around his waist in the UFC or other top promotions. This could solidify his position as the best heavyweight of all time! A big loss to Pride who is losing their grip on their top fighters, but great for MMA fans who want to see top fighters against each other, regardless of their affiliated promotions.

* This just in....Mirko "Cro Cop" Flipovic will also have his final contracted fight with Pride FC on New Year's Eve as well. He is currently looking over a contract sent to him by the UFC reportedly worth a million dollars or more! Cro Cop admitted to having the offer in a recent Croation newspaper, but said he has made no decisions as of yet.

MMA News & Notes

First things first. Congratulations to Frank Trigg who soccer kicked his way back into MMA competition, against Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Saturday's Icon Sport Event. After a short retirement due to frustration, the under-dog Trigg came in and absolutely bullied Mayhem around the ring, showing his new found power from moving up to the 185lb. division. Old "Tinkle Toes" is not done yet, and we await his first title defense in 2007.

Bodog Fight had their first PPV with lackluster, at best, results. Bodog aired to many filler segments with their musically untalented transvestite, Bif Naked. The crowd actually boo'd her constant interruptions. The fights were weak as well, save Josh "Goat" Thompson's war with Ansar Chalangov.

Roger Gracie did win his MMA debut against Ron "H2O" Waterman. Ron took Roger down, only to be caught quickly in an armbar by the Abu Dhabi champion. The heavily publicized fight between Aaron Riley/Eddie Alvarez didn't even make on the air because the PPV ran out of time.

If all this wasn't enough, the Super-Heavyweight fight between Antonio Silva and Eric Pele was stopped very early. Silva was dominating Pele until he was dropped by a sharp left to his jaw. Clearly awake and defending, the ref stopped the fight Ala Shamrock/Ortiz 2. Silva's corner argued but the decision was final. Its a shame especially considering Bodog was planning to push the undefeated Silva to American fans. Still, the talented 6'4 300lbs. fighter will recover, and I expect great things from him in the future! Remember the name, Antonio "Junior" Silva.

WFA had to cancel their recent PPV, and reschedule for early 2007. Funding is a problem, and if the company folds, as the rumors are saying it will, expect Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to sign with the UFC as well as instant #1 Middleweight contender, Matt Lindland.

The World Fighter organization that supposedly signed Frank Shamrock for a 2 million dollar contract, seems to have already folded since they did not land the deal with Showtime. Nick Diaz and Cesar Gracie have already pulled out of their contracts with the fledgling company.

Vince McMahon's "professional" wrestling group, has expressed interest in forming their own MMA company in 2007. WWE officials met with Pride FC officials recently, but Vince has decided to do the promotion on his own. Vince will obviously lend credibility to MMA (sarcasm people), and with the success of former business venture like the XFL, how can he fail? Though admittedly, they would have a lot of money to throw around at talent and know how to promote.

With the IFL officially trading stock in its company, and groups like Showtime, Bodog, WWE, joing MMA as well, expect some major changes in the coming year. The UFC is even thinking of buying smaller promotion, WEC, and creating a weekly show, much like ESPN's Friday Night Fights. Pride FC is still in major trouble, they have lost another major fighter (an article focusing on this move is forthcoming), and Josh Barnett was seen being courted at the Bodog PPV. Lots of new MMA movement daily, so check back for more info.