An interesting, if not disappointing, UFC Fight Night. Some big upsets, KO's, and head scratching fights.

Rashaad Evans foung himself losing to relative unknown Sean Salmon after the first round. Sean was able to push the action, and land a few more shots, as well as execute some takedowns. Then in the 2nd, a patient Rashaad waited for an unprotected Salmon to lower his head in an exposing situation, and landed one of the most devastating high kick KO's in recent years. Salmon was on the canvas for quite some time, but is alright, and was released from the hospital the next day. Evans is now 15-0 and improving with every single fight.

The build up to the introduction of Heath Herring to UFC fans, turned out to be a big disappointment. Heath, suffering from a torn mcl, was taken down time after time in the three round bout. Heath initiated all the action from the ground every time, and got up over and over again. Still, the wrestling skill of O'Brien got him the takedown constantly, though once on the ground, Jake did little but the classic lay and pray. The crowd boo'd and the ref did not stand them up very often. Knowing he was behind on the cards, Heath came out as a blitzkrieg in the end, and got his second knockdown of Jake, but Jake would again get the top position on the ground and lay until the unanimous victory. Herring wanted a fight, but lost a wrestling match.

Hermes Franca must have solidified himself as the #1 Lightweight contender, after a brilliant TKO victory over the tough as hell, Spencer Fisher. Franca's wild punching style seemed to confuse Fisher. Franca got takedowns where the action stale mated. Then on the feet again, Franca unloaded a barrage of awkward looping punches, that forced the ref to halt the action and save the battered Fisher.

Nathan Marquardt defeated Dean Lister by decision after a rough and tumble fight. Marquardt seemed to have Lister hurt badly a couple of times, but Dean held on to lose a lopsided decision. Marquardt moves on to be one of the top 3 Middleweights currently in the UFC game.

Din Thomas outlasted an always game Clay Guida in an exciting tough fight. Though more marked up by the fight, Din got the judges decision. Din moves up the Lightweight rankings and continues as a legit title threat.

Ed Herman got back on track with a beautiful submission win over the overweight Chris Price. Price could not make the 185 limit, but Ed chose to fight him anyway.

Rich Clementi defeated Ross Pointon, with guess what, a submission. The gladiator just can't hang with the well rounded MMA guys. Ross we love ya, but maybe boxing is the way to go.

Josh Burkman beat Chad Reiner by decision and nobody cared.

The best Fight Night to date, though I still don't understand why O'Brien was allowed to just lay on top of Herring for three rounds without being stood up, but hey. Franca's the man to beat, Rashaad is getting scary good, Marquardt deserves a title shot, Clay must be brought back, and Ed isn't finished yet. Good fight, and good night.

Rashaad Evans 14-0 vs Sean Salmon 9-1 These guys are very similar in what they bring to the cage. This could easily be a ground war, but I believe both will be looking to be exciting early. Once it gets to the ground, Rashaad is just too explosive and strong. He's the guy who always upsets his opponents, and for once is a favorite to win. Salmon has little experience and should get overwhelmed in the end.

WINNER-Evans by Decision

Heath "Texas Crazy Horse" Herring 26-11-1 vs Jake O'Brien 9-0 Welcome home Heath. Herring has fought over sea's for years against guys named, Fedor & Nogueira. He has much, much more experience, and is chomping at the bit to become a star in his home country. Jake is a really tough wrestler, but just seems to green at this point, and Heath has been working the stand up game and should show vast improvement, where Jake needs a lot of work. The infamous Herring will bring his deadly knee's, only muay style, instead of on the mat which is now illegal. Watch this kid, Herring is going to be a star.

WINNER-Crazy Horse by TKO

Spencer "King" Fisher 20-2 vs Hermes Franca 17-5 Fight of the Night! Both of these guys are absolute studs, and a strong case can be made, that the winner of this fight becomes the #1 contender for Sean Sherk's Lightweight Title. Both men fight fast and hard, though Fisher has the advantage on the feet, while Hermes excels on the mat. The difference maker is this, Hermes likes to trade punches which is a bad idea with the King. It won't be easy for Hermes to get Fisher to the ground, and he can handle himself well there too. Cardio will play a part which also leans toward Fisher. Real close fight, but Fisher edges the victory.

WINNER-Fisher by TKO

Nate Marquardt 27-6-1 vs Dean "Boogeyman" Lister 9-4 Now is the time for Marquardt. Because of a lackluster fight against Salavarry eons ago, he has been held back from a title shot he deserves, far more than most in the Middleweight division. A win over UFC management loved Lister, gets him there. Lister is the king of the ju jitsu game, but Marquardt has fought better men, is much stronger, can strike better, and is a submission machine. Lister is good, but not at this level.

WINNER-Marquardt by decision

Clay Guida 21-3 vs Din Thomas 21-7 Another great lightweight fight! Clay comes the entire fight with a fury that will surprise most opponents. He will need one of his legendary gutsy performances to beat the uber-talented Thomas. Din is slick as they come. Great on the feet, good on the ground, very athletic, and cocky. He'll have to withstand the early barrage, but his talent overcomes the gritty style of Guida. Should be a brutal exciting match.

WINNER-Thomas TKO

Ross "Gladiator" Pointon 4-8 vs Rich "No Love" Clementi 21-6 Yes, Ross is 1-7 in his last 8 fights. Yes, the UFC fed him to Rich because they want to build Clementi up for future shows. Yes, nobody gives Ross a chance in hell of winning his last contracted fight. Well fuck it! I love Ross and the fear absolutely nothing and punch to kill style of the Brit. He's a hilarious genuine guy, and deserves this upset win. It only takes one from Ross, and that one is coming!

WINNER-Ross Pointon by KO

Ed "Short Fuse" Herman 13-4 vs Chris "Exorcist" Price 8-1 Out of the gate in the UFC, Ed is 0-2. Everyone is counting him out, and saying he was a fluke. Well, those people are retarded. Ed is a great athlete and wrestler. He beat Kendall Grove in their fight, but the blind ass judges missed the first two rounds of the fight. Then he got caught by Jason MacDonald. It happens, people get caught. Ed is still star in the making, and is angrier than ever to get that first elusive win. Marine boy Chris showed absolutely nothing in his first match in the UFC, and is outclassed here as well. This fight is a lock guarantee.

WINNER-Herman

Josh Burkman 18-3 vs Chad "Grinder" Reiner 13-1 Josh is a prick and is coming off a big win over tough Josh Neer. Chad is really stepping up in competition here, but he has been impressive. This is a 50/50 fight, where either guy can win. Pick it if you dare.

WINNER-?

This is the best UFC Fight Night card to date, so make sure and watch it!

How Crazy Is Matt Lindland?

THIS CRAZY!

Matt "The Law" Lindland has shocked the MMA world again, this time by stepping in to fight "The Last Emperor," Fedor Emelianenko in Bodog. Jeff Monson was originally scheduled to face the pound for pound best fighter in the world, but could not come to an agreement on contract details. Monson is now planning to return to Cage Rage in the UK, to defend his Heavyweight Championship. Not only has Lindland, a Middleweight (185 lbs.), signed to face Fedor at Heavyweight (206 lbs. & above, + Fedor weighs in around 240 lbs.), he will have a total of 3 fights with Bodog, all at Heavyweight! Matt has never backed down from a challenge, but this looks more like a suicide mission. Lindland will journey into Fedor's homeland of Russia, for the now rescheduled show. First, Lindland will fulfill a contract with the IFL, to fight Carlos Newton.

Matt said, "I don't make a habit of taking fights, I don't feel I can win." This is apparently the exception to the rule as the Law will be a heavy, heavy underdog. Money must've been thrown at Matt in large amounts, and I'm guessing some future incentives. If Matt lives through the fight with Fedor, it will be interesting to see how he does in his next two fights at Heavyweight for Bodog.

Randy Couture Returns

Randy "The Natural" Couture IS coming out of retirement. Randy's big announcement should come Thursday on Inside the UFC on Spike TV. The fight is set to take place March 3rd (1 year & 1 month since Randy "retired"), at UFC 68 in Ohio, against current Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia.

So why you may ask? Cha-ching $$$$$. The UFC is supposedly paying Randy a very hefty sum of money to spice up their Heavyweight division. Couture is a former Heavyweight Champ, but one has to question, whether or not at age 43, he can stand in front of KO artist Sylvia, and if he can take the 6'8 265 pounder to the ground for his only shot at winning. Not to mention, if he does get a takedown, can he hold Tim there long enough to do damage. Randy was also KO'd by Chuck Liddell in his last two fights, and once you get concussions, it becomes much easier and easier to lose that way. In the past, big heavyweights like Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez, were just too much for the Natural, and overpowered him. Now he is attempting to best a man who dwarfs both those men in size.

Obviously, the whole point of thing, is to get people interested in Tim Sylvia, and up the PPV buys. Tim is not exactly beloved by fans, though he has a 16 TKO's to his credit. Tim flipped off the fans after his last fight, when they practically boo'd him out of the arena, for a lackluster bout. It is a win, win, for the UFC. If Tim wins, they build his resume with a victory over a hall of fame legend. If Randy wins, everyone would want to see Randy Couture vs Mirko Cro Cop for mucho dinero!!

Sadly, Gabriel Gonzaga gets screwed along the way by all of this. Napao has amassed a solid 7-1 record, with his only loss coming against top 5 heavyweight in Pride, Fabricio Werdum. Gabe is a BJJ blackbelt, and has finished all 3 of his UFC fights (2 with TKO & 1 with a submission) and was in negotiations for the #1 contender spot, before the whole Randy thing popped up. He falls by the way side, simply because fans don't know who he is. That bothers me because the sport of MMA should be about the top fighters, not who is "popular" and can sell the most PPV's.

At any rate, the Tim Sylvia, Randy Couture thing is going to happen. I only hope Randy doesn't get seriously hurt in this David vs Goliath match up. My gut tells me Tim's big hands are going to drop Randy faster than Chuck did.

2007: The Next Steps In MMA

FIGHTER OF THE YEAR: Mirko "Cro Cop" Flipovic The Croation steamrolled his way through the Pride Grand Prix, and then signed with the UFC, for the largest guaranteed sum ever! Cro Cop dominated Minowa, Yoshida, W.Silva, and Josh Barnett yet again, to win the best tournament in many years. Now coming to America, Mirko looks to kick his way through the weak UFC Heavyweight division, in route to Tim Sylvia's belt. Is Tim too big? Remember what Cro Cop did to Aleksander Emelianenko? Cro Cop should have the belt by the fall, and a lot more fame and fortune.

UFC WEIGHT DIVISIONS

• WELTERWEIGHT WAR: Georges St. Pierre shocked the MMA world, not by beating Matt Hughes, but by absolutely dominating him! Now he must get healthy, and be ready for a busy 2007. The Welterweight division is stacked with contenders like Diego Sanchez, Matt Hughes, Karo Parisyan, and contenders Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Chris Lytle, a returning BJ Penn (later in the year), and of course, his obligation to school TUF 4 winner, Matt Serra. Easily the best division in the UFC, the 170 class is just sick with talent. I love GSP and his "riddum," but keeping the belt all year long is unlikely, with this littnay of challengers.
• CHUCK LIDDEL'S 205 DIVISION: Yes, it is Chuck's division. He has absolutely dominated Randy Couture, Babalu Sobral, and Tito Ortiz this year alone! Tito and Babalu should fight soon (there is much bad blood there after Tito's recent snipes at Babs), but the winner can't get a shot against Liddel since he's beaten both, twice. If Quinton "Rampage" Jackson thinks he is ready, he'll get the #1 spot for sure, since he is the only loss Chuck has yet to avenge. Brandon Vera could deserve a title shot, if he comes down in weight. First, he must decide if he is staying in the UFC. In the contenders area, Mike Bisping works his way in slowly (this guy is for real, and a legit superstar), along with Keith Jardine who upset Forrest. Forrest Griffin is still in the mix, but needs a big win against fellow mid-pack stars like Rashaad Evans (this guy is improving at an alarming rate), and Eric Schafer (granted he just lost, but he has tons of talent, and a will be heard from again). If Chuck does get beat (he is the only Champ who kept his belt all year), Tito and Babalu are right back in, and the weight class is wide open.
• MIDDLEWEIGHT MADNESS: Expect Anderson Silva to beat Travis Lutter, but not Rich Franklin in their forthcoming rematch. Rich got caught at a bad, unhealthy time, but I believe he'll come back with renewed vigor, to reclaim his title. Rich has more tools, and he won't fight stupid again. From there the division is a little murky. Nathan Marquardt is a legit contender, but the UFC doesn't seem to want him to get a title shot. Mike Swick's potential is still unknown, and he must face more top tier talent, before being thrown to the lions in a title match (though Mike thinks he's ready, & the UFC wants him there because he is so marketable and popular). David Terrell is still out there somewhere (I think), but Cote isn't a contender, neither is Leben, Scott Smith, Dean Lister, or Kendall Grove. Yushin Okami has potential, as does Ed Herman (yes, he'll rebound), and Jason MacDonald (though his next fight is a true test against Rich Franklin). Rich Franklin is still the man to watch in this division, where he has a good shot at ending the year with the belt. By the way, is Nate Quarry ever coming back?
• HEAVYWEIGHT HIJINX: Cro Cop the champ, not so fast. Tim Sylvia's next title defense is against Gabriel Gonzaga. People may laugh, but the ju jitsu black belt has a real shot of winning. Unlike Monson, he has the size, and some striking, that will allow him a much better chance of taking Tim down and submitting him. Either way, Cro Cop will beat whoever holds the strap. Heath Herring comes in, but what does the old vet have left? Arlovski is an instant contender if, and only if Tim loses (since he lost twice to Sylvia), but below him it is thin at best. If Monson can pull the upset of the year and beat Fedor in Bodog, he'll be in the mix. But I doubt it. Jake O'Brien has potential, but he's years away from contention. Kongo? Perosh? I think not. Brandon Vera may be leaving the UFC, and even if he stays, he wants to go down to the 205 division. Its not really the UFC's fault, there just aren't that many good big men out there.
• THE BEST, MOST EXCITING, AND DEEPEST DIVISION: The Lightweight champ, Sean Sherk, is recovering from shoulder surgery. Hermes Franca and Spencer Fisher fight soon, and the winner will really be at the top of the class. Both men could also give Sherk a tough fight. Kenny Florian is there on popularity alone, while Din Thomas, Melvin Guillard, and possibly Jorge Gurgel, are vying for the top spot as well. Talented youngsters include Tyson Griffin (powerful guy), Clay Guida (one of the toughest in any weight class), and Dan Lauzon (who upset Jens Pulver). After TUF 5, which features all Lightweight fighters, we'll have even more fighters to add. Don't forget BJ Penn and Jens Pulver will fight as well. A win puts Jens in a top spot, but a win for BJ probably just sends him back to the 170 or 185 division (his words not mine). Sean Sherk should have his hands full, and with all this talent losses seem undeniable, but he has size, and experience on about everybody.

PRIDE FC FUTURE

• Wanderlei Silva has a bad 2006, and 2007 doesn't look better. His first title defense will be against Rogerio Nogueira, who could win the fight. Wand is getting worn down, and has seen many, many wars. Ricardo Arona seems like he will take the title in time, while Shogun awaits his turn. Nakamura isn't quite there. A Grand Prix in this weight class this summer, will decide a lot.
• Can anyone beat Fedor Emelianenko? Monson has the next shot, Barnett will happen at some point in 2007, and Hunt just put himself up there as well. Nogueira has already fought Fedor 3 times, while Werdum continues to improve, and everyone is forgetting the legit Sergei Kharitonov. They need new blood here almost as bad as the UFC.
• Dan Henderson's title is in real trouble with guys like Denis Kang, Paulo Filho, and Misaki (Grand Prix winner). I can see Denis or Paulo taking the belt away. We wait for both men to heal, and one of these two will be the class of the division.
• Gomi, Gomi, Gomi. Takanori is back to his old "Fireball" self it seems. He has recoverd from his burnout and is ready to take on all comers. And there are a lot. Gilbert Melendez was challenged by Gomi, and that could be fight of the year! Aoki, Sakurai, and Kawajiri are all top tier fighters. Melendez seems to be the toughest test, but I wish Pride would bring in underrated Kid Yamamoto from K-1, to really make things interesting.

Pride's biggest concern for 2007, will just be keeping their fighters, and establishing themselves in America.

• Frank Shamrock returned for about 15 seconds in 2oo6. He and Showtime's Elite XC are supposed to turn heads in '07 but we'll see.
• The IFL is adding new teams by the day, but nobody is watching. How long can they last with all of this spending, and little to show for it in ratings?
• Matt Lindland went out on his own and became, possibly, the best fighter in the 185 division, and the most sought after free agent in the world. You can be a force in MMA without a promotion company behind you.
• Bodog is just unwatchable, and don't expect to see Fedor there after the fight in Russia. Their TV show returns in 2007, but their first attempt was god awful.

Holy shit that's a lot of information, but it was tearing apart my brain. Now its all down in print, and we can look forward to a truly momentous year in MMA!

New Year's Eve MMA Roundup

• UFC 66: Chuck Liddell is the man. Chuck revealed to Dana White after the fight, that three weeks out from the fight, he tore his ACL. His team told no one, and Chuck still knocked down Tito twice in their three round bout on the way to a TKO win. Shockingly, Tito didn't complain about the possibly, quick stoppage, probably because it could've been stopped in the first, when Chuck knocked Ortiz silly with an overhand left to the temple. You would have to think, if Quinton "Rampage" Jackson wins his debut in the UFC, he is next in line for Chuck.
• Also at UFC 66, Jardine shocked the world when he caught Forrest Griffin with a good punch, and stood toe to toe with the fan favorite. Jardine knocked down Forrest and exploded with vicious shots until the ref had to stop it. Forrest was visibly upset with himself, as Jardine had shook up the 205 title picture. Jardine is right in there, and with a win over perhaps Tito, Babalu, or someone else of not, a title shot may not be far away.
• Fedor Emelianenko defeated Mark Hunt in a tough title fight. Mark hung in there well, and almost had a kimura upon the champ. Fedor just seems able to get out of anything, and his speed, and sambo throws, eventually got Hunt into trouble where Fedor finished.
• Other Pride Shockwave results, saw Minowa get destroyed by Timura, who yelled at the ref for not stopping the fight sooner, and causing the Punk to be beaten unnecessarily. James Thompson upset Japanese favorite Yoshida (as predicted on this site), while Nogueira rebounded against Josh Barnett, with a unanimous decision. Takanori Gomi bludgeoned top challenger Ishida, and Gilbert Melendez and Kawajira had the predicted, fight of the night, with Melendez scoring the victory, and probably a title shot at Gomi.
• Genki Sudo made quick work of Damacio Page, and shocked the world in announcing his retirement from the sport (more on that later)!! Sakuraba got worked yet again, as Akiyama TKO'd him, probably a couple of times, to victory. Sak complained Akiyama had something slick on his body, but the refs found nothing. Sak did not look good again, and took a bad beating. Can his retirement be far away?

Pride and UFC put on some good shows, while K-1 seemed rather predictable. Still, with the sport of MMA exploding in popularity, and fighters starting to shift to different promotions, 2007 looks to be a really interesting year for combat sports.