MMA Call Outs

Wanderlei Silva stated after Chuck Liddell and Shogun Rua's shocking losses, "I’d like, in view of the last event and also as a vengeance for my friend, to fight with this Forrest Griffin. I guess it could be a good name for me." He went on to say
"Shogun has the talent and it all depends exclusively upon him. He will figure out what went wrong and will not make the same mistakes next time. Yesterday he was not the Shogun who I know. I hope he continues bringing joy to this fans including myself, for I am also his fan."

Rumors immediately flew after Liddell's loss that he was contemplating retirement. Chuck's trainer said,“He’s already said he’ll be back in the gym next Monday,” said John Hackleman, who has coached Liddell for 16 years. “He’s going to fight again, hopefully as soon as possible, maybe in December. We’re looking at Shogun."

Well this could work out nicely and sort the Light Heavyweight division for us. Here's hoping UFC matchmaker Joe Silva is listening to the chatter. Keith Jardine could also rematch his loss to Houston Alexander or battle the (hopefully) incoming Ricardo Arona. The Champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will be out until at least January with a hand injury and lest we forget, Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz will have their rematch in November. Lots of good movement in the Light Heavyweight division to contemplate.

Bad Babalu

Renato "Babalu" Sobral 28-7 has been fined $25,000 by the NSAC for refusing to release the anaconda choke he applied to David Heath at UFC 74. He was also cut from the UFC because of his actions.

Now move along bitches. Babs has a temper and when his opponent wears a picture of his mugshot from a bar fight to the ring and calls him a "mutherfucker" at the weigh ins, expect repercussions. The extra seconds were not that bad and how come nobody seemed to notice when BJ Penn did the same thing to Jens Pulver in their rematch? Hmm, could it be the UFC was looking to shake his contract or was it because he wasn't a reality show name?

Either way watch for Babalu to arrive in Elite XC soon to wreck some bitches. Bitches.

MMA Ranking System

After the upsets this weekend and the continuing curse of the Pride FC fighters, everyone is yapping about how to rank everyone with all this inconsistency. Here's how I see it.....

#1 Is do you win (obviously)? #2 Do you own a belt which you defend and retain? #3 Are you an active fighter or have you disappeared from the face of the Earth like Lightweight Tatsuya Kawajiri who hasn't fought in 9 months? Takanori Gomi and Matt Lindland also need to address this issue. #4 Who have you beaten and in what way? Did you dominate and get a decisive win via submission or KO, or squeak by in a controversial decision (looking at you Tito Ortiz)? Are you beating quality opponents or are you fighting in Bodog? #5 Do you jump weight classes so often or fight at "catch weights" that you cannot be lumped into a single division (see Dan Henderson, BJ Penn, & Nick Diaz)? #6 Something a lot of people overlook, are you consistent? Everyone loses every now and again but you must look at their whole body of work. Its a sport people look at with a "what have you done for me lately" attitude, you must consider the entire career.

These are the main components to my personal ranking system and yes, I consider all the MMA companies and fighters not just the ones in America. I don't care about popularity when it comes to rankings and your skill level and whether or not you rise to the challenge in each and every battle will always be the determining factor.

UFC 76 Jardine & Griffin Continue The Year Of The Upsets

Well how about that for some interesting and very close fights? The aptly named UFC 76 "Knockout" yielded 6 decisions (2 of which were split decisions) and 3 submissions though all of the bouts were very entertaining.

Keith Jardine came out and took to Chuck Liddell and his legs scoring a split decision win over the former Light Heavyweight Champ and putting himself back into title contention. Jardine did what he always does, establishing the hard leg kicks early and keeping his opponent occupied with them while he sneaks in the rights and lefts. Chuck was in the game though, landing some good flurries of his own but it was the knockdown of Chuck that probably gave the fight to Jardine. Keith landed the big punch almost in the same way Quinton Jackson did and Chuck folded to the ground exactly as he did against Rampage. The difference was it was a flash KO and Liddell immediately got to his feet, and almost did enough to take back the round. Jardine pulled away in the 3rd and Chuck got his 1st back to back losses in his career, while Jardine got his biggest win of his career.

After the fight, Liddell said he is contemplating retirement, but the guy takes losses hard and I'd say we will see him back in the octagon. Keith now moves on in the now jumbled Light Heavyweight division.

Forrest Griffin absolutely dominated the awful looking Shogun Rua in his UFC debut. Rua looked out of shape and was completely gassed by the 2nd round. Rua could not hang with the well trained Forrest who has obviously adopted the practices of his mentor Randy Couture using the clinch trips, head and body movement, and absolute cardio. Forrest sunk in the rear naked choke just before the end of the 3rd as Shogun was ready to get out of the fight.

Now Forrest is still a step behind Keith Jardine who won tonight (since he just lost to him) but definitely in the title mix. Shogun is rumored to have suffered a cerebral hematoma (bleeding of the brain) after his fight with Forrest and is in the hospital. The Chute Boxe camp is keeping their mouths shut at this point so we just send along our hopes that Shogun will be alright.

Jon Fitch also got the split decision nod over Diego Sanchez. We really need to look and see how fights are scored. I picked Fitch to win and don't like Diego but, Sanchez won that fight. Just because a fighter has top position, does not mean they are winning. It all comes down to the 2nd round (because I believe everyone scored the 1st for Fitch and the final round for Jon). Diego was very active from his guard landing elbows and moving constantly for submissions. Though impressive, Fitch was on the defensive so how he shouldn't get a decision on avoiding being tapped out. The 2nd was a lot of activity from Diego and a nice odd slam from Fitch. Other than that move, did he win the round?

Just my opinion and the judges already scored the fight so Jon Fitch is an unknown no more and moves ever so close to a title shot. Diego has now stated he may make the move down to Lightweight.

Tyson Griffin got the unanimous decision over the very exciting Thiago Tavares. This fight was a beautiful ground war with transitions, escapes, and action at every turn. "Fight of the Night" and everyone should watch these to men fight! I also scored it 29-28 for Griffin who is nearing a title shot as well while Thaigo doesn't lose a whole lot of clout for this competitive loss.

Matt Wiman got the win over Michihiro OMyGodwa in an exciting fight. Send Mich to the WEC because he is too small for Lightweight and would be a great fit against Uriah Faber and the Featherweights. The guy weighed in at 150 lbs. in the 155 division, against guys who cut from 175 to fight. He was impressive but a better fit in the WEC in his proper weight class.

Ryoto Machida got a decision win (can you believe it, he went to decision?) over the hilarious Kazuhiro Nakamura who wore his pants around his nipples with a doctor's mask at the weigh in. A great character but not enough against the guy who could get a title shot if he had not won 7 of his 11 fights by decision.

Others won as well but we don't need to mention them now and the PPV recap is complete without my picks which were on a sheet of paper and not "official" by being on this blog (7-2 in case you were wondering). Now scramble to the Rankings which are now a mess.

UFC Fight Night Results 9-19-07

The main event saw Kenny Florian put himself in title contention yet again, in an overpowering victory over the cocky Din Thomas. "Kenflo" started out quickly keeping Din at bay with high and low kicks. Thomas seemed to bore of this and turned his back dancing away and showing off for the crowd. Ken didn't take well to this and pursued his opponent with some good strikes and as Din shot in, he blocked it and stole the takedown for himself. There he absolutely threw down countless punches and Din covered up well but did little to defend. He knew he had to make a move or the ref would stop the fight so Din tried to roll but the ju jistu warrior sunk in the rear naked choke and Kenflo jumps right back into the Lightweight title mix. I tell ya, Kenny just keeps improving in leaps and bounds every fight. Boston's Sityodtong is in the hizzy and Florian is 4 real!

Nate Quarry returned from back surgery, a brutal KO, and much adversity to KO Pete Sell for the 2nd time to put to rest all the doubters from their 1st match. Nate looked decent early on but so did Sell as they traded like warriors and blood spilled from both men. Quarry got the 1st round but Sell stormed back in the 2nd and even floored Nate with a punch that many thought would end the night. Quarry rose quickly to his feet and survived the round. In the final round both men were still throwing with abandon but Pete seemed to be pulling away as Nate got more and more tired and sloppy. Then the world turned as Nate landed a punch that sent Sell to the floor! Nate stood over him inviting him back up but the glazed eyed "Drago" just laid there and the "Rock" dropped one final hand to seal the deal. What an amazing comeback inside and outside of the ring tonight for one of the most stand up decent guys in the biz. Congrats Nate.

Another Nate with the last name of Diaz got a sweet submission victory locking up the guillotine on Junior Assuncao. Not much happened until the fight went to the ground where Nate did his thing as always and secured a tapout in Cesar Gracie Ju Jitsu style.

Chris Leben grabbed the fence in the 1st round, which cost him a point, got out muscled and out boxed for the rest of the round and the 2nd, almost got KO'd in the 3rd, and then won the fight! I mean really, you could immediately tell Terry Martin didn't train for the fight and he was gassed in 1 round. He was dominating all the way through despite his horrible cardio, until he had Leben out on his feet and decided to taunt his opponent. Its the cardinal sin in combat sports and Martin paid the price as he immediately got KO'd. Learn a lesson moron, and you've got to hand it to Leben for hanging in there and his incredible chin.

Dustin Hazelett got a win as did Luke Cummo, Thiago Alves, Cole Miller, as did Gray Maynard by KO in 9 seconds! Nine freaking seconds people! All of this and UFC 77 this weekend with Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine, Jon Fitch, Diego Sanchez, and the debut of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua all on an great card! BEEP!, the Underground knows what I mean.

UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Thomas

Alright yet another free MMA event from the UFC. I may bag on them a lot but they are delivering some good shows, and for free! #1 contender matches, returns, rematches, and heavy hitters line up for this Fight Night.

Kenny "Kenflo" Florian 6-3 vs Din Thomas 20-6 Ken has been an ever improving fighter since he left the TUF show and even fought Sean Sherk for the title (though he lost a 5 round decision). The loss showed us the improvement and durability of the Boston kid and his subsequent wins have shown his flawless ju jitsu skills. Can he hang with the well rounded and lethal Thomas? The American Top Team fighter has been perfect since returning to the UFC after a stint on the TUF Comeback series. Din has mad scrambling skills and I don't see him getting caught in one of Ken's submissions. He is the better striker as long as he stays clear of the razors attached to the end of Kenflo's elbows. Thomas has fought and beaten better like current Welterweight Champion Matt Serra, former Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver, and recently the gritty tough Clay Guida. A nice resume and a guy who just seems to keep improving. It may not end before the judges are called on, but Din outpoints his way to become the #1 contender for the Lightweight Championship (vs Sean Sherk if he wins his steroid appeal or vs ??????? if the appeal fails and Sean is stripped of the title).

WINNER-Din Thomas by decision

Chris "Crippler" Leben 16-4 vs Terry "Mini Tyson" Martin 18-2 Coming off 2 straight losses Chris desperately needs the win. However, he is facing a mini monster truck in the form of the sledgehammer wielding fists of Martin. Terry has won 4 in a row and has looked so much better now that he has dropped to Middleweight. Time for Leben to find a new job as Martin is going to come in and drop bombs like George W. Bush on innocent foreigners.

WINNER-Terry Martin by TKO

Nate Diaz 6-2 vs Junior Assuncao 6-2 Jr. is no slouch and the most recent TUF winner must be prepared to battle wherever the fight takes place. Jr. can do it standing or on the floor though Nate's ju jitsu is absolutely sick and no one can seem to hang with him there. I give the edge to Nate because he trains with some of the best in the world and knows he must live up to the hype of winning the reality TV show.

WINNER-Nate Diaz by decision

Nate "Rock" Quarry 14-2 vs Pete "Drago" Sell 7-4 (rematch) Welcome back Nate, what a long road it has been. After rising to stardom from the very 1st TUF season, Nate got a title shot vs then Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin in which he was brutally KO'd and then disappeared for almost 2 years! The man went through a difficult back surgery, and long recovery, and a bitter falling out with former partners at Team Quest. Now with his life back on track and in shape, Nate returns to fight Sell again after he KO'd him in their 1st meeting in which the stoppage may have been premature. Can Quarry come back after all this time and be the man he was? How will he react from the surgery and the debilitating KO that made highlight reels everywhere? We shall see, but don't think for a moment Drago is a great fighter. He is average at everything, and his claim to fame is beating the once important Phil Baroni. There is no reason Nate should lose this fight, save he's not the man he once was.

WINNER-Nate Quarry TKO

Gray Maynard 3-0-1 vs Joe Veres 5-1 "Hi, my name is Joe and I am out of my depth against a very pissed of wrestler who trains with Randy Couture." Gray is coming off his NC (no contest) against Rob Emerson who he destroyed, but in the process of slamming him, KO'd himself as well. Some of the craziest shit I've ever seen. Now, Gray's back and Veres pays the price.

WINNER-Gray Maynard by school yard stomping

Edilberto Crocota 10-1-1 vs Luke "I Drink My Own Pee" Cummo 8-4 I like Luke but seriously you tell people you drink your own pee for medicinal purposes and what do you expect? Mad scrap and scramble time. These 2 boys get after it in crazy ways. This fight could be anywhere and everywhere. Luke has the edge on the feet, while the Croc can submit in the blink of an eye. Good luck picking this one.

WINNER-Crocota?

Thiago Alves 17-4 vs Kuniyoshi Hironaka 11-3 Yet another return as American Top Team's Al returns from a 9 month suspension for an illegal diuretic (water pill for cutting weight). Hironaka loves the decisions and usually waits to long to pull the trigger, so expect Thiago to do it for him.

WINNER-Thiago Alves by TKO

Cole Miller 12-2 vs Leonard Garcia 14-2 This is a submission specialist match with both men being very talented on the floor. This is no Andy Wang so Cole will be tested. I'm not too sure who to pick herr (as Nelly would say) so good luck.

WINNER-Cole Miller by decision

Jonathan Goulet 19-8-1 vs Dustin Hazelett 10-3 Neither guy is consistent but Goulet has been nothing but a disappointment so the nod goes to the other guy by default. (note-Mike Swick is not fighting Goul due to injury)

WINNER-Dusty Hazelbum

Da da da da some close fights here and the new season of the Ultimate Fighter to follow. Enjoy the hilarity and banter of the Matt's, Serra and Hughes.

MMA Roundup

The news is stacking up like bodies lying in the wake of a pissed off JZ Calvancanti (I just wanted to drop the guys name again because no one in the states knows who this Lightweight is) so we return to the MMA Roundup.

The Ultimate Fighter reality show returns Wednesday with Welterweight Champion Matt Serra forming a team to battle his arch rival and former Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes. These guys don't like each other at all and expect fireworks leading up to the finale where they will fight for the title.

Snort em if you got em. Ricco "Dear Sweet Jesus I've Let Myself Go" Rodriguez returns from his cocaine suspension to step in as a last second replacement to fight Ben Rothwell at this week's IFL show. Ricco, once a talented prospect and man who weighed under 300 lbs., has managed to spiral his career into the toilet and let his weight balloon out of control. Seriously I don't know if he can make the 165 lb. Heavyweight limit but we shall see. Should be amusing none the less.

Speaking of walking disasters, Evan Tanner has fallen off the wagon again admitting he is broke, homeless, and not signed to fight again in the UFC. The former UFC Middleweight Champ has battled and lost to his demons time and time again and it seems he is really struggling to get by. His blog entry on MySpace said he is trying to get back into the gym and rebuild his life. Seriously, I hope for the best Mr. Tanner, you have a ton of talent and more importantly I hope you take care of yourself and your problems.

In better news, the talented Brazilian tank Ricardo Arona of Brazil's Top Team has inked a deal with the UFC. This monster will no doubt make an immediate impact on the Light Heavyweight division and be close to competing for a Championship soon after his arrival. Arona has notable wins over Wanderlei Silva, Ninja Rua, Sakuraba, Jeremy Horn, Dean Lister, and one Dan Henderson.

Ryo Chonan, another Pride FC favorite has signed with the UFC as well. The very exciting and flamboyant Middleweight will be a great addition to the roster. He sports wins over Joey Villasenor, Carlos Newton, Mach Sakuri, and the UFC's current Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva!


Chute Boxe is having some personnel problems as Wanderlei Silva has pissed off Shogun Rua by training for his UFC debut at Xtreme Couture with Randy Couture and Shogun's opponent, Forrest Griffin. Ninja Rua, Shogun's brother, stated last weekend that they have not spoken to Silva since his move to the states and are upset with his current training with the enemy.

Tito Ortiz is close to re-signing with the UFC and still dates a whore (cum dumpster Jenna Jameson) who withers away before our eyes everyday. They are so perfect for each other:) His rematch with Rashad Evans will be the 1st order of business.

Finally, the UFC really let one slip through their fingers as Middleweight super-star Denis Kang has signed with K-1 Hero's! It had been rumored for a while and it looks like K-1 will allow Denis to occasionally fight with Spirit MC in his home of Korea. That and a lot of money locked up one of the best Middleweights in the world.

There ya go kiddies. UFC Fight Night will be Wednesday followed by the debut of the new Ultimate Fighter season so set your VCRs. Oh wait, I'm the only one who uses that dead technology. Well, just watch it and shut up.

K-1 Hero's Results & A Legends Return?

K-1 Hero's had their annual Lightweight tournament, and Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti won for the 2nd year in a row! JZ has just been a storm in K-1 demolishing everyone put in front of him. The only problem is that the K-1 roster is so small there really aren't a lot of talented challengers. He did take apart Vitor Ribeiro, an amazing ju jistu blackbelt and winner of his last 10 fights, in only 35 seconds. Onto the finals and his 2nd bout of the evening, he dispatched Andre Amade with an armbar in the 1st round to be crowned Champion again. Its a shame we can't see JZ against the top tier talent in the UFC. It would make for some amazing fights.

Speaking of under utilized and amazing fighters, Kid Yamamoto returned to MMA from his Olympic wrestling journey, to skate to a decision victory over a nobody. Kid is the best 145 lb. fighter in the world (though WEC's Uriah Faber begs to differ) but he cannot find any decent opponents over in K-1.

Kazushi Sakuraba notched his 22nd win with an armbar coming off his lackluster performance to Royce Gracie. The old man can still submit with the best of them, and is still one of the most popular fighters in Japan.

Sergei Kharitonov got revenge in his rematch with Alistair Overeem KOing him through the ropes while Melvin Manhoef shockingly won with his 17th TKO (he has 18 career wins). Also Japanese fan favorite Ikuhisa "Punk" Minowa got a TKO win but the big announcement of the night was made by the legendary 400-0 Rickson Gracie!

Rickson Gracie, 49 years young, announced he wanted to fight forever, though he realized he could not, but had one fight left in him. It is rumored he will face Judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida at the New Year's Eve Hero's show. Rickson's "final match" has been rumored for years but he was actually in the ring announcing it so maybe it will happen. We've heard this all before, but we wait with baited breath for the legend to return one final time. The greatest fighter of all time may be returning to MMA for a final swan song!

WCF Produces A Gogoplata & Gunfire

The "Hillbilly Heartthrob" and Missouri's own Brad Imes got a gogoplata submission victory at this weekends World Championship Fighting card, "Downtown Throwdown." Hosted by the Target Center (home of the Timberwolves), Imes is only the 3rd man to pull off the difficult submission move along with Nick Diaz and Shinya Aoki. What is most impressive about this is that the guy is a freaking Heavyweight and was able to not only pull off the legendary move, but choke his opponent unconscious. Niiiiice.

Travis Wiuff got a quick TKO win to continue his inconsistent career but raised his record to 47-11. The guy has so much talent but just cannot seem to sustain any momentum for his career.

Sadly the festivities were interrupted by gunfire, though exact details of the incident are still unknown. Rumor is that two men got into a fight at the arena and one shot at the other. Nobody was reportedly hurt and Police say that no one has been arrested, though they have a suspect’s name. The event continued after the gunshot just to prove a little gunfire cannot kill a good time.

Elite XC Uprising Results

"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler continues to never even grin though he won the Elite XC Middleweight Championship, while Gina Carano and Nick Diaz find smiles after impressive wins at this weekends "Uprising" card on Showtime.

Robbie Lawler won the Middleweight Title from Ninja Rua via ground and pound TKO in the 3rd round. Though Robbie got a nice slam in the 1st, Rua would outpace the Team Hughes fighter with brutal leg kicks and stiff jabs to take the opening round. More of the same in the 2nd as Rua is outpointing his challenger but seems very gassed at the end of the round. In what would be the final round, Ninja has little energy left and Robbie sensing his plight, unloads dropping Rua to the canvas with a left and right. From there he pounced and reigned down blows until the ref stepped in and halted the action.
Ninja, I thought we had this whole cardio issue behind us. Ninja just plain ran out of steam and Lawler absorbed all his shots until he knew he could safely invoke his powerful stand up, similar to what he did in his last outing with Frank Trigg. Robbie takes his 2nd belt (he is also the ICON Sport Middleweight Champion) and the fans are left wondering why Ninja Rua wasn't in proper shape for his title defense.

Nick Diaz had his hands full with Mike Aina who really brought the fight. In the 1st round, Mike brought a stand up war while Nick really looked rusty from his 6 month layoff. Diaz takes the shots on his iron chin and shrugs it off going into the 2nd. Now Diaz finds his range and is landing at will with punches, elbows, and nicely placed knees. Aina storms back knocking down Nick with a nice punch, but Diaz quickly recovers and turns on the action. Nick is everywhere and besides a flurry of punches here and there, Diaz owns the round, though it was close because of the knockdown, Diablo easily won the boxing war and secured a tight armbar though time would run out. In the final round its all Diaz who now has his rhythm and is just abusing Mike who seems to be trying to hold on for a decision. Diaz takes the Hawaiian to the floor, gets in the hooks, and establishes control though he could not secure the choke.
The judges give a split decision to Nick Diaz as the crowd boo's at the loss for the hometown boy. I scored the fight 29-28 for Diaz, and the only close round was the 2nd when Nick was knocked down by a nice punch. However, a flash knockdown followed by no offense, and getting hammered for 4 minutes doesn't win you a round just like getting a takedown and doing nothing with it doesn't earn you points for a decision. Good fight, and me thinks me sees a new title in the future at 160 lbs. with Nick Diaz being one of the challengers (you heard it here 1st).

Gina Carano didn't leave her fight up to the judges as she gained her 1st submission win with a rear naked choke over Tonya Evinger. Though before the fight Tonya said, "I'd rather make out with Gina than fight her." she quickly overwhelmed Carano on the feet and took the fight to the floor where she employed her superior wrestling. Evinger sinks in a tight guillotine but a patient Carano pops her hips to the side, pulls her head out, and takes the back of her opponent. Tonya seemed confused by the sudden reversal of fortunes and Gina sinks in the choke causing the tapout. Impressive recovery for "Miss Conviction" as she remains undefeated in her MMA career.

For people who still don't know Jake Shields (training partner of the brothers Diaz) you are missing a star. Jake was taken down early by the game "Charuto" Verissimo, but quickly got back up and took the BJ Penn fighter to the floor. From there it was over as Jake unloaded upon Charuto with punches and elbows from full mount. The ref waits far too long as Verissimo takes an unnecessary amount of punishment as Shields impressively wins his 8th fight in a row. This guy is on an absolute tear and the Welterweights of the world should be concerned.

Joey Villasenor also scored a split-decision win (though it should have been unanimous) and the rest of the card,.......crickets..........crickets...., well, nobody cared. Matt Hughes who was cornering his fighter Robbie Lawler, inexplicably stormed into the cage after his man's win screaming at official Mario Yamasaki, for some unknown reason. At least he made an ass of himself yet again to help promote his new Team Hughes group. Matt Hughes, and Robbie Lawler did not have a falling out with Pat Miletich, their now former coach. “I don’t blame him. He’s been training up here 8-9 years. It’s not easy being away from your family all the time, so I don’t blame him. I wish him good luck and hope it goes well for him. We had a lot of good years. I’m sad to see him go.” said Pat Miletich.

Elite XC's main card was very good, and here's hoping they continue to put together bigger and better shows now that they have purchased Cage Rage and King Of The Cage to develop more talent.

Classic MMA Sakuraba vs Smirnovas

K1 HEROS Sakuraba vs Smirnovas
Uploaded by J3nova

MMA "On The Fringe"

MMA "On The Fringe" is a new column in which we will devote some attention to some rising stars in the combat game who are not yet household names.

First up, Brian Stann. Brian is a US Marine who sports a perfect 5-0 record in which he has yet to have an opponent go more than one round with him. He currently fights in the WEC and has begun to train with Randy Couture at Xtreme Couture. The guy is just a solid beast with brutal hands much like a Houston Alexander. He has been just so dominant in such a short career that the sky seems the limit for the Silver Star active Marine Corps Officer in the Light Heavyweight division. Now developing his all around game, the "All American" with the cult following and is possibly in line for a title shot at Doug "Rhino" Marshall.
Watch for this guy.

Elite XC Uprising

Elite XC returns with yet another MMA event on Showtime from beautiful Hawaii. First things first, Pro Elite (Elite XC's company) has purchased the King Of The Cage MMA organization in a move to bolster their roster and fill the upcoming weekly fights on Showtime. Pro Elite already made waves when they purchased the England promotion Cage Rage, and currently in talks with Korea's Spirit MC and Icon Sport of Hawaii. This consolidation will allow the "brands" to continue with their names and cards, but allow Elite XC to cull fighters for their shows as well as battle with the UFC (who has purchased WEC and Pride FC). Now to the card.

Murilo "Ninja" Rua Elite XC Middleweight Champion 14-7-1 vs "Ruthless" Robbie Lawler 14-4 Well they'll be no shortage of striking here. Both men love to stand and bang on the feet. Robbie has the power advantage but Rua has a more well rounded game. I really don't know who to pick in this even matchup. New member of Team Hughes, Lawler can KO anyone, at any time, but my heart roots for the Chute Boxe star.

WINNER-Ninja Rua?

Nick "Diablo" Diaz 14-6 vs "Iron" Mike Aina 8-5-1 Diaz returns from his stunning submission victory over Pride FC Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi and a bogus suspension for smoking marijuana. Seriously, you suspended him for pot? As if Nick didn't have enough of a bad attitude before, sitting on the shelf for 6 months surely didn't help. We all know Nick's style though he has earned his Ju Jitsu blackbelt since we last saw him, but Aina is somewhat of a mystery. Mike trains with BJ Penn and enjoys the striking though he isn't amazing. I would believe Diaz could dominate on the feet and if not, he'll go to the ground for a win. Mike better have improved greatly or he'll have a short night.

WINNER-Nick Diaz via submission

Joey Villasenor 23-6 vs Riki Fukuda 8-2 Joe didn't have the greatest 2006, but was said to be back in the mix until he fell badly at the hands of Ninja Rua in their last fight. Fukuda is a highly touted Japanese prospect who has an amazing amateur wrestling background, has trained with Kid Yamamoto, and is now working his striking game with American Top Team. Riki has a lot of tools though he is young to the game, but I think he'll overpower and out maneuver Joey to a get a victory and possibly a title shot against the winner of Rua/Lawler.

WINNER-Riki Fukuda by decision

Jake Shields 18-4-1 vs Renato Verissimo 7-4 Yet another BJ Penn student steps in to throw his hands with the highly underrated Shields who trains with the brothers Diaz. Jake can do it all and holds impressive wins over Mach Sakurai, Yushin Okami, and Carlos Condit. Renato has KO power but just isn't at the level of Shields.

WINNER-Jake Shields by submission

Gina Carano 4-0 vs Tonya Evinger 4-2 Everyone's favorite and beautiful as she is deadly fighter, Ms. Carano returns to face a good striker in Evinger. Gina has been training at Randy Couture's gym and was really impressive in her last outing showing more tools than her striking. Both will probably want to stand but I think Gina will have a better shot on the ground. Either way expect fireworks because both of these ladies love to bring it.

WINNER-Gina Carano by decision

There are 7 more bouts on the card that I'm not going to cover because I either don't know the fighters or don't care. Still its the best card to date for Elite XC and here's hoping we can rebound on the picks a little bit.

UFC 75 So Sad To Say

Well that didn't go too well did it? Lets start off with the picks for once. We went a gawd awful 4-4! That is just unacceptable and we must rebound, much like Mirko Cro Cop must take a step back and rebuild his now waining career. Who woulda thunk it? X-Mas comes early for Bisping and Rampage is the legit Champ. Now on to it.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson survived a tough 1st round to go on to a decision win over Dan Henderson to unify the Pride FC and UFC Light Heavyweight titles. It was really a war of attrition as Rampage just seemed to slowly pull away in this fight, as his size and power just seemed too much for Middleweight Dan. Good fight none the less and Dan hung in there winning a few rounds but was dropped at the end of the 5th and if the fight had gone on longer, he would've been stopped. Congrats to Rampage for silencing the critics, and now we should unify the UFC and Pride FC Middleweight titles with Dan Henderson vs Anderson Silva (if he gets past Rich Franklin in their rematch). Who's with me?

Merry X-Mas Michael Bisping, the judges in England gave the hometown boy his gift early this year with a split decision win over a much improved Matt Hamill. Matt came out and straight dominated the 1st round out striking Bisping the striker! In the 2nd, Mike found a little more of his rhythm but it was still Matt's fight winning the takedowns and most of the stand up as well. It was a close round which would come in to play at the end. In the 3rd, Matt was gassed and Bisping took over though he could not finish the fight, he easily won the final round. We the score cards were read, Bisping got the decision which was partially boo'd by the British crowd! The judges were all over the place with one giving Matt all the rounds which was wildly incorrect, and the others narrowly nodding to Mike. Controversy, and Bisping will have a lot of critics now while Matt is looking like a much improved and dangerous fighter.

Cheick Kongo broke Mirko Cro Cop's rib in the 1st round, then his nuts in subsequent rounds. The giant of France lost he beginning stanza, but roared back in the 2nd outworking Cro Cop in every facet of the game and making Mirko look confused and at a loss. Cheick also landed another knee to the groin (the one in the 1st was missed by the ref), and yet another while the ref was trying to stop him! A point should have been taken as Cro Cop knelt to the canvas in obvious pain. In the final round Cro Cop's rib took all his air away and he couldn't do anything except defend Kongo who paced himself to a decision win. Now mind you, with the point deduction that should have happened, this bout would be a draw. But it is none the less a devastating loss for the Croation, and the 1st back to back losses in his career. A huge upset as Kongo moves back into contention and Mirko goes home to reevaluate a career in major trouble.

The "Fight of the Night" was delivered by the "Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis, who survived a brutal head kick and subsequent ass whipping at the hands of Paul Taylor. Davis seemed almost out of the fight when he miraculously rebounded to turn the tide and deliver some punishment of his own until he secured the armbar for the tapout win. This guy has come so far from his boxing roots and The Ultimate Fighter that he is almost unrecognizable. He has developed a ground game, still has his powerful hands but with better control, and is on a 10 fight winning streak as he continues to improve in leaps and bounds. Watch this kid, he is on the rise in the Welterweight division. For his stellar performance Marcus was awarded an extra $40,000 for "Fight of the Night," and $40,000 more for "Submission of the Night" on top of his regular salary. Guess Dana White is starting to hand out the money after all.

Chute Boxe's hot prospect Thiago Silva survived a brutal 1st round at the hands of Germany's Tomasz Drwal to gain another TKO in the 2nd period and run his perfect record to 11-0.

Houston Alexander did it again KOing Alessio Sakara in just over 1 minute of their fight. I'm saying this again people, do not trade punches with Houston and for God's sake, do not clinch with him. Amazing KO!

Jess Liaudin defeated "Crush" Torres and Dennis Siver beat Naoyuki Kotani in a fight I didn't even know was on the card.

Yet another great card from Merry Ole' England and free to boot! My question is who will step up to be the legit #1 contender for Rampage's title? If Chuck Liddell beats Keith Jardine at the next PPV he is supposed to fight Wanderlei Silva, and if Keith pulls the upset he still needs more fights after the embarrassing loss to Houston Alexander. If Shogun Rua can get past Forrest Griffin, he's a lock, and a man who already beat Jackson. If he falters, Griffin isn't ready though it would sell PPV's. Maybe they shouldn't have fired Babalu Sobral so fast?

UFC 75 Title Unification

UFC 75, "Champion vs Champion" is a truly an historic MMA event as the Pride Lightweight Champion will face the UFC Lightweight Champion for an undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the world! The live fights will be Saturday morning, so I'm doing my picks now before I catch the free replay Saturday night on Spike TV.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson UFC Light Heavyweight Champion vs Dan "Hollywood" Henderson Pride FC Light Heavyweight Champion Oooh, this will be a goody. Dan is actually fighting out of his normal weight class as he is a natural Middleweight, but that has never stopped him before. He took the higher weight class title by KOing Wanderlei Silva in their rematch while already holding the Pride FC Middleweight title. If you check Dan's record, he has only lost once to a Middleweight (in a fight he didn't train for and cared little about losing the decision) and every other loss has come from Light Heavyweights or Heavyweights. Size does not matter to Henderson and his devastating right hand. Rampage only seems to lose to guys who come at him non-stop and force a high tempo pace, but he has improved so much over recent years he now has an all around game very similar to Dan's. So how do you pick a winner?

Henderson is the type of guy who will not stop coming and testing your cardio while striking and using his superb wrestling skills. Rampage is no slouch on the mat, and his hands are very heavy, ask Chuck. If Quinton cannot catch Hendo (who has a strong chin) with one of those KO blows, I think Dan can outwork him to win rounds. Though Jackson should be in amazing shape, he has had wind problems and Henderson never will. Jackson has admitted to getting nervous before big fights, while Dan has seen it all and nothing fazes him. I look for Dan to survive early, win some rounds, and frustrate Jackson into making mistakes into the later rounds where he begins to pull away for the victory.
WINNER-Dan Henderson by decision (upset pick)

Mirko Cro Cop vs Cheick Kongo We all saw Cro Cop get Cro Cop'd by Gonzaga, but Mirko has been living ever since and he is pissed. Sure he underestimated the cage, elbows, and Gabe, but he has rectified all those situations, and an angry Cro Cop, is the best Cro Cop. Kongo is a striking beast of a man, but he doesn't have the resume, and Mirko has dealt with bigger men before (i.e. KO of Aleksander). Its a striker's war and whomever lands first will probably win. Still, you just have to pick Cro Cop with all he has done against the inexperienced Kongo.
WINNER-Cro Cop by TKO

Michael "The Count" Bisping vs Matt "What?" Hamill The true TUF 3 finale, finally happens. It would've happened before if Matt had not gotten hurt and was unable to compete in the TUF finals. Now they meet in Mike's homeland after both have had 2 successful bouts in the UFC. The Count to me just has far too many weapons as long as the hometown pressure doesn't burn him out like it almost did last time against Elvis Sinosic (who is a great fighter and person by the way). Matt has wrestling skills for days, but doesn't like to get hit, a Bisping specialty, and can't strike worth a damn. Mike can also roll on the mat and get to his feet quickly Ala a Chuck Liddell. I hoope Matt tas is telf weady for war, tas Mik is doing to bwing it.
WINNNER-Bisping via TKO

Marcus "Irish Hand Grenade" Davis vs Paul Taylor Our 2nd striker's war. Both men love to throw and Taylor is the hometown England hero, but Marcus will have some Irish natives in the house as well. Davis has heavier hands and has developed on the ground where I really haven't seen Taylor go. I'll take the fellow Irishman on his heritage alone.
WINNER-Davis by TKO

Houston Alexander vs Alessio Sakara Striker war #3. Neither man does anything else so let the hands go. However, Jardine has just woken up from the beating Alex gave him which was one of the worst I have seen in years, and Sakara has been nothing but inconsistent in his UFC career. I smell another win for the hungry man from the planet Houston.
WINNER-Alexander by KO

Gleison Tibau vs Terry Etim England's own (I'm seeing a trend here) Etim survived an early scare in his last UFC fight to get an impressive sub win and continue his perfect record. Gleison doesn't take punches well, and Terry will be handing them out rapidly with his long, lanky, kickboxer frame. Tibau's only chance is on the ground but the guy really doesn't impress me much.
WINNER-Etim by TKO

Thiago Silva vs Tomasz Drwal Seriously, I spelled Drwal's name correctly, that's what it is. Z German iz very imprezzive but he iz fazing the Chute Boxe rizing star, z undefeated Thiago. This fight could go either way with both men being very good and evenly matched. I'm just picking my favorite.
WINNER-Silva by decision

Anthony Torres vs Jess Liaudin Jess is a gamer and fighting at home, but Torres is more well rounded and should get the win here. Either way I don't care.
WINNER-Torres by decision

This is a great card and its free people! This is much better than the next UFC offering so enjoy it now. England fans are insane, enjoy the buffet. I like italics today.