MMA Melee: Everything Old Is Old Again

Well lets begin the round up of MMA news with Kim Couture getting starched in her match with Kerry Vera and all the things wrong with it. A nice bit of revenge for the Vera family after husband Brandon Vera was screwed by the MMA judging in his bout with Kim's former husband Randy Couture, so nothing wrong there. One of the most obvious things wrong with this bout is the fact that "Sugar Free" just doesn't belong on a Strikeforce card, all be it one designed for emerging MMA talent. She has shown very little improvement in her game after her bloody debut when Kim Rose broke her nose (that rhymed!). After a win over a defeated fighter, she got co-Main Event billing on her ex-husbands name alone. As bad as that is, she was also paid $10,000 just to fight (there was no win bonus), while the Main Event winner, Tyron Woodley, was given $3,5oo to show, and a bonus $3,500 to win!

The main problem with this whole error in judgement, is that Kim Couture is not near ready to take on serious female fighters and is eventually going to get hurt. Well, hurt worse. Her takedown attempts on Kerry were telegraphed and poorly executed, while her obvious sub par striking let to an attempted stand up war where she ate vicious knee's and credible combinations in route to getting completely mauled until the reprieve TKO was given. The financial restitution and the spot she took up on the card could have been used for a promising fighter who has dedicated her life to MMA. People are already out to knock women fighting professionally, lets not give them pretty faces that are disfigured before our eyes. If we want that we'll watch "Real Housewives" on E channel.

Matchmaker Joe Silva has made an uncharacteristic error in judgement as well signing Randy "The Natural" Couture vs Mark "The Hammer" Coleman at UFC 109. I get it, two hall of famers fighting for the first time and two amateur "wrestling gods" collide, but this fight is going to suck. Randy already bored the crap out of us in his eye raising possibly fixed win over Brandon Vera, and Coleman is known for boring fights on the floor resulting in little more action than man hugging. Now there will be two geriatric has beens hugging it out for a full 15 minutes that is sure to either bore you to sleep or at least make you uncomfortable. This has to be the highest chance of an in cage heart attack ever! Neither man is near the peak of their respective careers, and a win for Randy over Mark had better not earn him a title shot! If Coleman wins, well besides the "aw good for him," people will just chalk it up to Couture is finally done. Putting this fight up on Super-Bowl weekend has a better chance of being embarrassing more than anything, and if you expect people to pay for this as a Main Event, you are high.

The UFC has also found the perfect candidate to fight Matt Hughes,....Renzo Gracie. Yes, the 13-6-1 Gracie who has not fought since 2007 when he took some illegal knee's to the dome against Frank Shamrock and faked his way out of the fight. The 42 year old has never been a world beater per say, but that Gracie name will help pad the record of future Hall Of Famer Hughes, though I doubt the fans are going to put much stock in the catchweight bout and even hardcore fans are saying "Uhh, OK I guess." Renzo is a durable opponent but so was Royce Gracie and expect a similar thrashing at the hands of the greatest Welterweight of all time this summer.

Robbie Lawler is again looking for an opponent for the December 19 show. Benji Radach's camp claims he has not had enough time for training after surgery on his right hand and I agree. Strikeforce should not get into the habit of last minute matchmaking like the Japanese organizations. Its not fair to the fighters and you can't promote the fights properly. Lawler will fight on the card but not in rematches with Jason Miller or Nick Diaz as fans had hoped. Instead it is looking more and more like a rematch with Joey Villasenor, though Strikeforce is trying to land Holland striking machine Melvin Manhoef for the bout.

It will be fireworks in Australia as "The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva will now face Michael "The Count" Bisping at UFC 110! It will be the Middleweight debut for Silva who is coming off a Decision loss to Rich Franklin, and Bisping is coming off a very impressive TKO of Denis Kang. The 1st UFC trip to the land down under was supposed to be Silva vs Yoshihiro Akiyama, but the Zuffa brass thought this bout would be more interesting to fans and a bigger draw. No word yet if Akiyama will still be on the card against another fighter. The always endearing Wanderlei had this to say about his future opponent. “I need to study more English because all my friends and fans come here and talk to me. My American fans tell me, ‘hey kick his ass!’, but I don’t know what this is so much,” a very confident Silva continued.“I’m going to be kicking the Bisping ass. I don’t know what is correct but I’m going to kick Bisping’s ass for my fans,” the former champion proclaimed. You just gotta love the guy. 1 more time for Pride FC!

UFC 107 Video Preview

Lowkick | Indepth Look At UFC 107 Penn vs Sanchez

MMA On The Fringe: Tyron "T-Wood" Woodley

Its been a while since MMAFO dubbed a fighter the next big thing or "On The Fringe" as we say, but we finally have a very worthy prospect.

Tyron "T-Wood" Woodley is a 6-0 Welterweight training with American Top Team who has never seen the 3rd round of a fight winning every one by submission. He has been All American in Division I wrestling (2003, 2005), the Big 12 Champion (2003), Mizzou Team Captain (2003-05) was ranked 7th in 160 lbs. division (2005), and has 110 Career NCAA Wins. The 27 year old then went 7-0 in amateur MMA before moving to the Professional level and taking his game to Strikeforce where he now has 4 fights left on a 6 fight contract.

The St. Louis native seems to have the entire package learning quickly how to strike with all points of the body and has endurance 2nd to none. Tyron is also a very humble man who cites his fiancee and his 6 year old son as his inspiration to excel in life. Woodley also has a goal to open a

non-profit facility to expose troubled children to sports and teach them life skills.

"T-Wood" has run off 5 impressive wins in 2009 and looks to continue to be a busy fighter into 2010 as Strikeforce has major plans for him in the future. Besides ATT, Tyron has trained at Team Quest with Matt Lindland, the HIT Squad with Matt Hughes, and Lightweight legend Yves Edwards.

Expect big things from this young man in the future as he reps ATT and the Lou with his nearly complete MMA game and limitless potential. His latest victory is featured in the video post below.

Tyron Woodley vs Rudy Bears Strikeforce Video

UFC 106 Results In Fouls, Fakes, & Forrest

George Sotiropoulos looked pretty impressive against Jason Dent earning an Armbar submission in the 2nd round. Dent hung tough for a while but on the floor in the 2nd, the Aussie started working for an armbar. Jason defended it well until Sotiropoulos used an "Arm Crush" to free things up for the tapout. I had never seen the arm crush before and was fascinated.

Caol Uno and Fabricio Camoes go to a Majority Draw in their close fight. Fabricio threw an upkick into a downed Uno's face and we have our 1st foul and point deduction of the evening. Keep score at home kids and play a drinking game. Two judges scored the fight a draw with 1 giving the bout to Caol and the world is unimpressed.

Brian Foster took Brock Larson to the woodshed before getting a Submission win via punches in the 2nd stanza. Larson looked off his game as Foster tossed him around the cage and peppered him with punches. On the floor in the 1st, Larson tried to push Foster away with a foot but it landed in the face to the downed opponent and we have our 2nd foul of the evening and a point deducted. Action continues and Brock accidentally knees Brian in the dome while he is down for our 3rd foul of the evening and Larson loses a 2nd point in 1 round which has to be a record. After that, Brian was on point and just busted up Brock making him look very 1-dimensional. During the beating a defeated Larson tapped out and he may be exiting the UFC for a 2nd time while Foster gets back on the winning tip.

Kendall Grove got pummeled by Jake Rosholt who made a rookie mistake and got caught in the uber-long spyder legs of "Da Spyder" losing via Triangle Choke which he seem to tap to before the thing was even sunk in. A sad performance for Jake and now we are stuck with Grove for at least another bout in the future.

Ben Saunders destroyed Marcus Davis by KO with his deadly knees. It took just 1 round as "Killa-B" used a padlocked Muay Thai clinch to land knee after knee to the "Irish Hand Grenade" who was cut badly (as per usual) as his face swelled up like Jenna Jameson's lips (that's for you Tito). Dominating win for Saunders while a continually mangled Marcus may not be able to take many more beatings like this.

Amir Sadollah weathered the early storm of Phil Baroni who shocked the world when he ran out of gas in a single round! The "NYBA's" classic fade and get abused strategy aside, Amir looked improved with better kicking and he threw elbows more than punches as he spilled Baroni's blood. Sadollah moves on and hopefully the UFC moves Philly out.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira school'd Luis Arthur Cane with a quick TKO win. Wow did "Minotoro" make that look easy as he used his boxing and left hand to decimate "Banha" pasting him into the canvas. It could not have been a better UFC debut for "Lil Nog" who served notice to the Light Heavyweight division!

Paulo Thiago defeated Jacob Volkmann by Decision and I think I dozed off during the fight.

Josh Koscheck secured a RNC on Anthony Johnson but not without a ton of controversy. In the initial round “Kos” is finding a home for the right hand early on “Rumble” until he begins to use the traditional jab. When Koscheck is rocked and against the cage, he shoots in on Johnson setting up the “controversial” knee. Josh was down when Anthony threw an illegal knee that looked like it grazed the right eye. I think it only slightly landed but Johnson brushed his finger into the left eye of Koscheck which caused the pain. Kos does a bit of acting for a while after that but the knee was illegal and so are eye pokes. Nice veteran move to take the time to recover and referee Yamasaki takes a point away from Tony (4th foul of the night!). Hate all you want, it was a smart move to take the 5 minutes to rest. Eventually the fight resumes and Koscheck gets a beautiful single leg that took some real effort and timing from the distance he attempted it. Josh gets the takedown and looks for the RNC but doesn’t get it as time expires. 10-8 Kosckeck

In the 2nd, Josh lands a high kick, solid right hand, and body shot that hurts Anthony who gets the return eye poke (a point is not taken but we have foul #5 on the night and I'm getting tipsy). They begin yet again and Koscheck takes the lead in the eye poke game 2-1. It was a gross eye gouge shades of the 1st Kevin Burns fight. It got both eyes for our record setting 6th foul but again, no point deduction as when he did it he wasn't even looking at his opponent. Both men go to war striking until Koscheck gets the takedown. Josh is landing nasty elbows bloodying Rumbles nose until sinking that RNC and Tony taps with only 15 seconds left in the round!

*Whew that was ugly and I'm guessing we will see a rematch in the future. Neither guy had time to train properly for this bout and with all the controversy and fanfare another fight seems to make sense. Damn you have to feel sorry for "Rumble" who just keeps taking nails to his eyes over and over again.

Forrest Griffin gets the Split Decision win over Tito Ortiz that he earned the 1st time around and was denied! Round 1 begins and Forrest comes out landing a straight right hand. Both men feel each other out a bit and when Tito throws the high kick, Forrest unloads a combination showing his scouting of the kick. Some sloppy striking from both men and then Ortiz gets that coveted takedown. Nothing for Tito in his position and Forrest uses the Kimura to escape to the feet with the help of the cage as well. For the rest of the round, Griffin lands punches and leg kicks far more than Ortiz but nobody is hurt. 10-9 Forrest

For Round 2 Tito comes out landing a good left punch and gets the takedown again. The "HBBB" lands some solid elbows and controls a while until Forrest gets back up. Griffin lands a front kick to the huge dome of Ortiz and his mouth piece flies out. The ref halts things to replace it and then Forrest mixes things up with body kick, left and right punches, only to be taken to the floor yet again. Forrest defends the attack well enough but a mouse forms on his left eye from elbows. Tito lands a big elbow on the right eye and Forrest is bleeding very badly. The O.G. of TUF is a crimson mass (thank you J.R.) but reverses the position and gets on top. Griffin lands a bit and when the round ends the combatants shove each other and the referee steps in. 10-9 Ortiz

Before the final round begins Tito comes almost all the way across the cage but the referee pushes him back as Forrest calls him on! For the 1st 2 minutes of the round its all Griffin who looks like he is practicing his boxing and kicking as Ortiz does hardly anything. Forrest stuffs a takedown attempt and begins landing right left combinations, a nice body punch, and Ortiz is looking tired. Forrest just cruises striking at will as Tito wilts. 10-9 Forrest
*The official judges score it a Split-Decision just to keep up their image of horrible judging and after the fight Forrest points to Anderson Silva ringside saying that he broke him referring to his embarrassing loss and the rumors surrounding his bruised mental state. He also says he broke his foot though we don’t know if its before the fight or during. Tito claims a bulging disc injury (again) and a cracked skull for his loss and both men want the rubber match. Me thinks they’ll get it.

Piss poor picking gives me 4-5 on the dismal night.

UFC 106 Ortiz & Griffin 2 Predictions

UFC 106: NOVEMBER 21, 2009
Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada

PPV Bouts:
Forrest Griffin (16-6) vs. Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) The Rematch to save a PPV is on! Since we last saw these two fellas brawl, Tito beat a shell of a man in Ken Shamrock (twice), went to a Draw with Rashad Evans, and lost to Chuck Liddell (again) and Lyoto Machida. Griffin has been embarrassed by Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans, and Anderson Silva, as well as getting quite good wins against "Shogun" Rua and "Rampage" Jackson, the latter of which earned him a cup of tea with the Light Heavyweight title. Consider the ring rust for Frito as he has been sidelined for 18 months with a back injury he swears is fixed and brought him into his prime. I'm not buying into the talk Ortiz is using to hype himself up and like Forrest in almost every aspect of the game. Griffin brings the energy, desire, and all around game that is vastly superior to Ortiz and his 1 trick pony take em down for the G&P. Get in the trenches and grind it out to a rough but consensus decision.
WINENR-Forrest Griffin by, oh, I already said.
Josh Koscheck (13-4) vs. Anthony Johnson (8-2) Now this is a tasty bout that puts one of these young guns in the running for the Welterweight title in the future. "Kos" has looked stellar in the UFC except for a TKO loss stumble to Paulo Thiago. Josh has also been topped by GSP and Thiago Alves via decision but I only believe those bouts served to make him better. "Rumble" is the hot prospect of the day after starching Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Tony has only lost to Rich Clementi by RNC and has gone 5-1 over all in the UFC (I'm not counting the 1st bout with Kevin Burns and the dreaded eye poke that the athletic commission should have overturned to at least a NC). Both have guns but Johnson's are stronger. Both have wrestling but Koscheck's is better. Granted everyone is in love with girlfriend beating Johnson and his highlight reel finishes, but he is not the technically better striker and a smart Josh could at the least blanket Tony long enough to get the decision. I like Koscheck to do better than that but he must stay focused and not make the cocky mistake that cost him so dearly against Paulo.
WINNER-Josh Koscheck by Decision
Dustin Hazelett (12-4) vs Karo Parisyan (18-5) What had the possibility of being a real interesting fight, has been replaced with the "Heat" pulling out of the fight just 1 day before the entire roster's press conference because he cannot stop abusing pain killers. Parisyan also had his last bout against Dong Hyun Kim overturned because of painkillers in his drug test. It would be Karo's 2nd, last second retreat from the UFC (the last being caused by "anxiety") but it will be his last. Dana White took no time in unceremoniously bouncing the fighter from the roster with no shortage of harsh words. The question now is whether Parisyan can rebound from this setback in another MMA company, or will he continue his fall from grace much like Drew Fickett. Hazelett will be paid his entire purse and will hopefully return soon on a future UFC show.
Paulo Thiago (11-1) vs. Jacob Volkmann (9-0) "Elephant Ears" comes in from the deep end of the Welterweight pool and a workman decision loss to perennial #2 guy Jon Fitch. Jacob whose nickname is "Christmas" (wtf??) looks like the most normal average ever day white guy you have ever seen. Yet, Jacob will go hold for hold with Thiago in the Jiu-Jitsu department and according to the hype and his grotesque ears, has insane division I wrestling. It may not be exciting, but watch out for the undefeated new guy to make his UFC debut a successful one.
WINNER-Volkmann by Decision
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3) vs. Luis Arthur Cane (10-1) "Lil Nog" makes his debut with the UFC while "Banha" is looking for that "big name" win that would get him some deserved respect in the Light Heavyweight division. "Minotoro" has met some of the best in the world in his MMA career, but I have never been in love with his boxing which I think he will employ against ATT standout standup striking Arthur. Cane can toss elbows and knee's as well as the boxing skills and I think will have a higher gear in the fight. Sprawl and brawl is a must for Luis but expect a razor's edge decision either way.
WINNER-Luis Cane by Split-Decision
Amir Sadollah (1-1) vs. Phil Baroni (13-11) Really? Zuffa brought back the "NYBA?" Really!? Gee, how could this fight possibly go? Baroni comes out like a man possessed, gasses in a minute, and then gives up. Hmmm, we've only seen that a hundred times. Amir is going to use his length to keep Phil at bay before either subbing him or practicing a little boxing until the final bell.
WINNER-Amir Sadollah by Decision

Prelims:
*Free Bout On Spike TV* Ben Saunders (7-1-2) vs. Marcus Davis (16-5) "Killa-B" talked the talk, and then got bitch slapped against the cage by the recently fallen Mike Swick. "The Irish Hand Grenade" repeatedly ran into the elbows of #1 Welterweight contender Dan Hardy who turned his face into the character from the Cher debacle, Mask. I love both of these guys but Ben isn't going to have much success even with his ridiculous reach advantage. Davis has better hands, better wrestling, and stronger submissions. I don't expect this to be a good outing for Davis either as a victory here doesn't do a whole lot for his title hopes.
WINNER-The Celtic Warrior by Decision
*Free Bout On Spike TV* Kendall Grove (10-6) vs. Jake Rosholt (6-1) In the battle of the arrogant pricks, Grove brings his glass jaw and eye sore lanky limbs into the fray with Jake the wrestler smother from Xtreme Couture who wears the gaudy shark tooth necklace. If, and I say if, Jake has any sort of cardio which he has lacked in the past, he should steamroll "Da Spyder" into da mat. Obviously, if his awkward striking finds his way to "Da Spyder's" chin, da fight is ova!
WINNER-Rosholt by Decision
Brock Larson (29-3) vs. Brian Foster (12-4) Everyone included Mr. Larson was surprised when Mike Pierce was able to lay atop him for 3 rounds doing absolutely nothing, and lost a boring as hell decision. Me thinks he comes into this bout a bit angry and looking for an explosive finish. Brian is in for a world of hurt with average wrestling from Matt Hughes' HIT Squad, and is susceptible to the submission loss which has ended his evening 3 times before.
WINNER-"Brockasaurus" Larson by Rd.1 Submission
Caol Uno (25-12-4) vs. Fabricio Camoes (10-4) "Morango" is a Jiu-Jitsu expert from Brazil (if you can believe that) while Dos is trying to recover from a lackluster loss to Spencer Fisher, and a spirited loss to Shinya Aoki. This is the toughest fight to call but I lean toward Caol who has tested himself at the much higher level and can at least out wrestle Fabricio (hopefully).
WINNER-"Uno Shoten" by Decision
George Sotiropoulos (12-2) vs. Jason Dent (28-9) George has busted out 3 wins in a row in his UFC career and has yet to meet the final round. "Dynamite" is also on the winning tip but basically, anything Dent can do, Sotiropoulos can do better. I like George's all around talent a lot and am happy the Zuffa brass has nicely brought him along slowly against decent but not world beating talent. After this bout, I and George are ready to step up the competition level and see what this Lightweight prospect can really do.
WINNER-George Sotiropoulos by TKO Rd.2

Brock Lesnar Leaves The UFC Heavyweight Title Scene In Flux

The UFC has been suffering though the most injuries to top MMA talent ever seen this past year, and it ain't getting any better.

Middleweight Champion Anderson "Spider" Silva is out with elbow surgery until next year as is Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida with a hand injury. Frightening Heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee has pulled out of his next bout with an undisclosed injury while Thiago Alves suffered a knee injury and cannot rematch Jon Fitch. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira cannot fight Cain Velasquez because his staff infection has returned while Mark Coleman is also on the shelf until 2010 but luckily nobody cares.

Finally, the biggest draw in the company and the Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar is out of commission and possibly out of the sport altogether. Originally Lesnar pulled out of his bout with Shane Carwin at UFC 106 due to the H1N1 virus that had sickened him for 3 weeks and halted his training camp. So the UFC rescheduled his fight for UFC 108 in January only to have the rumor change from the swine flu to mononucleosis. Then came the surprising news that Brock Lesnar as out of the title fight and out of fighting until further notice.

Dana White said,"Lesnar collapsed while spending time on a retreat in Canada and was checked into a hospital. [Lesnar] is in bad shape, and the reality is they don't really know all that's wrong with him," White said. "He owns a bunch of property in Canada. He went up to Canada just to get away from his house, to go up there and just kind of chill out up there."

"He [expletive] dropped. He went down, and he had to go to the hospital. They ran every test on the planet on him, and they ended up finding out something else was wrong with him."
“He’s in a hospital up in North Dakota somewhere right now,” explained Dana. “He went to Canada and some bad stuff happened to him, so we’ve got to figure it out.
“He doesn’t want to talk about it publicly, but he’s in bad shape. He’s not well and he’s not going to be getting well anytime soon.”
When asked if Lesnar’s current problem’s cant be attributed to the recent report of mononucleosis, White wouldn’t limit it to that alone, explaining, “He has other problems too. He is not good. He is very, very sick and he’s going to be out for a while.”
According to the UFC President, there’s no question about it; the situation is one for concern, and there are stills questions that need answering. “I am worried about it,” explained White. “You know, I can’t really talk about it right now, but he’s in rough shape. He’s in really bad shape. We’re going to have to do some stuff to take care of this guy. He is not well and he’s not getting any better."

The gossip rag TMZ is reporting White told their website, that Brock was currently suffering from an intestinal disorder that will require major surgery. Dana also added rather cryptically, "There's a possibility Lesnar will never fight again."

Who knows what is really happening because I trust the word of Blaf and TMZ about as much as I trust Denis Kang not to quit in a fight. Maybe Brock is in real trouble, but maybe White is covering up something else and looking to hype up the sports biggest draw and his climactic return. Either way, I'm more interested in what we do with the Heavyweight title scene.

Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin seem to be the top 2 contenders but Shane won't be ready to fight until after UFC 108 for a possible Interim title. Junior Dos Santos and Gabriel Gonzaga makes sense for the 3 and 4 spots and they will meet at UFC 108. Both Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo are coming off losses but a win in their UFC 107 bout would keep 1 of the men in the mix and near the top of the pecking order.

Its an odd mix to say the least, and though I am not a fan of Brock Lesnar or his childish antics, I wish him the best of health so that maybe one day we can see his full potential squashed out by the "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko.

MMA Melee: Premiere MMA Camps, More UFC Injuries, & Boxing?

Anyone else notice Rough House ran game on UFC 105? Ross Pearson, Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy, Andre Winner, and even Nick Osipczak all got wins at the UK show. Before them, fellow team member Paul "Semtex" Daley made his UFC debut in September and KO'd Welterweight contender Martin Kampmann. The crew based in Nottingham, England has stepped up and past fellow their Brits at Wolfslair to become the premiere MMA camp in the Empire. When is the last time you saw 4 winners in 1 night from respected camps like Greg Jackson Submission Fighting, Miletich Fighting System, American Kickboxing Academy, American Top Team, Xtreme Couture, Team Quest, Chute Boxe, Brazilian Top Team, and Black House? Very impressive.

The dreaded staff infection has returned and ruined the Heavyweight #1 contender bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez. Now "Minotauro" will be heading back to the hospital for antibiotics and out of UFC 108. Perhaps Shane Carwin could step into this bout as Brock Lesnar is not going to return to MMA for quite some time and possibly ever. More on that later.

Hey Brandon Vera, what do you have to say after the judges at UFC 105 gave Randy Couture the win in a dismal effort from both men? "I’m pissed, I’m really pissed, but the sport of MMA, she, MMA, is a bitch and if you let it go to the judges, you let it out of your hands, you know?"said Vera who lost a close and controversial MMA decision much like Shogun Rua who got jobbed against Lyoto Machida. "I’m super happy I got to fight Randy Couture, my hero, my legend, and let the rest of the light heavyweight division know that I’m going to whip your ass if you get into the Octagon with me." moaned Brandon. Why is it too much to ask that judges get decisions correct? Not every fight can end in a stoppage but the MMA world tends to blame the fighter for not finishing things instead of the "professional" judges who often consistently get bouts dead wrong?

Dan Hardy upset Mike Swick to become the #1 contender to Georges St. Pierre's Welterweight title, but may have to wait for the actual fight. It looks as though the UFC brass is looking for both men to host The Ultimate Fighter Season 11 which with gathering the talent and shooting the series, could take up to 6 or more months.

In a rare bit of boxing news, Manny Pacquiao thoroughly trounced Miguel Cotto in a fight that lasted almost all 12 rounds though should have been stopped earlier. It was definitely a gruesome sight and after the 9th round, Cotto’s wife and kid who were by the ringside left the arena to avoid the unpleasant visuals. Cotto was beat to shit and maybe Manny can be everyone's hero and shut the big mouth of Floyd Mayweather.

Finally, how about nobody mentioning Randy Couture showing up to UFC 105 with a bleached blonde teenage girl who looked too young to even be his daughter! I mean the balls on this guy are spectacular. He drops the beautiful Kim Couture as his fame rises (his 2nd divorce) without even broaching the subject with her, and then trots out his new barbie doll as if its no big deal he's hitting the axe wound of a fresh faced debutante 40 years his junior! God bless America!

UFC 105: Randy Couture Earns The Screw Job Over Brandon Vera In An Awful Main Event

Andre Winner defeats Roli Delgado with a brutal KO at 3:22 of the initial round. Winner lands an overhand right that drops the 95 lb. fighter to begin the evening. I’m suddenly hungry looking at Roli who could snap a limb a la Corey Hill at any moment. Andre dicks around before landing that overhand right again that absolutely starches Roli into unconsciousness. Winner lands some extra shots that are completely unnecessary but blame the fat assed referee who was out of position. Delgado is attended to by a gaggle of medical staff and Andre moves forward to eventual mediocre in the Lightweight division.

Alexander Gustafsson pokes the eye of Jared Hamman to begin their sloppy slugfest. Then as Jared touches gloves with Alex to resume battle, he is clocked by a straight down the pipe right hand and delivers the punishment to get him the KO in only 41 seconds into his debut. Don't get me wrong there was nothing wrong with the fight ending strike and Goostoff proves Erik is tough.

Dennis Siver, the little pocket rocket surprises me and Paul Kelly with a Spinning Back Kick and Punches to get the TKO win in the 2nd round. Wow, didn't see that one coming.

Nick Osipczak gets a TKO on Matt Riddle and I'm beginning to feel as if I have no business picking fights. I may have picked the fight wrong but I could not be happier that someone beat that douche bag.

Terry Etim restores order to the world tapping Shannon Gugerty with a Guillotine Choke at 1:24 in the 2nd frame.

John Hathaway out points fellow countryman Paul Taylor in 15 minutes of work.

Ross Pearson looks absolutely bloody brilliant as he abuses Aaron Riley until the Doctor stops the contest at 4:38 in the 2nd round. The "Real Deal" mixes up the fight with greatly improved boxing, aggressive attack, and a destructive Thai clinch Aaron keeps sticking his head into. Look Riley, if you are not going to listen to Greg Jackson in your corner this type of thing will keep happening. Instead of attacking as he was told, Aaron retreated as Pearson just fought a beautiful fight and gashed Riley's nose open with a high knee. The doctor seemed grossed out by the cut so you know he stopped the fight. Wow did Ross look good and congratulations to a great humble guy in MMA who is pure heart and determination. Very impressive!

Matt Brown defeats James Wilks by TKO in a battle of the inept and cardio challenged. Brown showed he had the power to hurt Wilks early but just could not seem to put it together to stop the early ailing Brit. Matt hurt James even worse in the 2nd round and how he didn't put "Lightening" away is a bit of a mystery to me. Breathing like 2 fat kids racing to the cotton candy stand at the fair, the 2 men wheezed into the 3rd until Brown finally and mercifully put an end to a fight that should never have gone past the 1st round.

*Both of these men seem to be attending the Takanori Gomi school for cardio when they should visit Greg Jackson. Neither man will come near contending in the Welterweight division but its always nice to see an overrated TUF winner lose quickly in the UFC.

Michael Bisping shows some true heart to defeat Denis "I Continually Give Up" Kang by TKO in the 2nd round to the roar of the British crowd. The "Count" is trying not to circle left but can't seem to help himself as he is floored by a straight right hand from Kang. Mike shows amazing defense on the floor and Denis can't do anymore damage though he obviously won the round (10-9 Kang). Bisping returns to his roots in the second frame gaining the takedown and abusing Denis on the floor. Cut and hurt, Kang turtles up as Michael unloads his G&P which I believe is his best offense. Up to the feet and down again as the "Count" finds his rhythm and pounds on Kang. As sure as yearly taxes, the South Korean turtles again while receiving punishment until the ref is forced to stop the bout.

*Denis Kang when in trouble will crumble like the twin towers. You can just bank on it. Mike Bisping proved the haters wrong coming back from a disastrous 1st round to a commanding win. If you didn't enjoy Mike and his son playing around in the Octagon after the bout you are evil.

Dan Hardy defeats Mike Swick by a Unanimous Decision The 1st round shows us little as Dan lands the only good shot of the round hurting Swick a bit as both men spend the 5 minutes pressed up against the cage jockeying for position. Knee to thigh strikes rule the day and Swick looks tentative failing repeatedly to get that wanted takedown. (10-9 Hardy)
In the 2nd, Swick is rocked early by Hardy and then calls him on to inflict more punishment. The “Outlaw” gives Mike an out pressing him against the cage again as both men stall out. Superman punch lands for “Quick” and then a good left that Dan shakes off. The AKA fighter finds a home for the left 3 times but at the bell the Rough House fighter dings Swick’s dome again. Dan countered and landed far more shots and hurt Mike again. (10-9 Hardy)
In the final round Joe Rogan makes a funny saying "maybe its better to lose." nodding to the fact the winner will get destroyed by GSP. Good exchanges as the strikers finally begin to let loose. Swick is very wobbly and again Hardy makes the mistake of trying for the takedown and almost gets caught in a guillotine. Mike looks hurt bad and is getting sliced by Hardy elbows. The fight is stood up oddly and the left for Dan lands again! Dan Hardy cups his ear as the crowd chants for him and Swick is gun shy. Easy fight to call as the Brit out-smarted and out-fought the cocky American. (10-9 Hardy)
*Sometimes being able to cut a lot of weight is a bad thing. Mike looks so gaunt at 170 he should be Ethopian. Dan carries the weight much better and "Quick" should look to return to Middleweight where at least he had power and I couldn’t see all of his organs. The “Outlaw” moves to a title shot against GSP where at least the pre-fight hype will be entertaining and “Quick” keeps the “runner-up” trophy. Oi-Oi!!

Randy Couture helps the WWE fans argument that MMA is fixed with a Unanimous Decision win over Brandon Vera. The "Truth's" reach is vastly apparent in the staredown and as the fight begins Brandon unloads a flurry of strikes until they end up in the clinch against the cage. A battle for position ensues until the ref breaks them apart as Grandpa looks for the elusive takedown. The crowd boo’s the stalemate and the gay round. (10-9 Vera)

In round 2, The “Natural” gets an eye poke that halts things for a bit but Brandon lands 2 knee’s in the 1st minute. The “Truth’s” agility keeps him on his feet but Father Time is smothering him with zero damage. The referee separates them and Vera lands a body kick, high kick, and then drops Randy with a nice set of strikes. Methuselah plays defense and stood up again, finally lands a little dirty boxing. (10-9 Vera)
This fight sucks and the crowd knows it. Brandon gets caught in the dirty boxing clinch scoring the best moment for Moses. Randy is holding shorts by the way but works a bit looking for a takedown while landing strikes every now and then. Another body kick hurts randy and a high kick followed by another body kick. Brandon tries to take Randy down and the crowd absolutely hates this fight. Vera gets the takedown and falls into mount. Randy shows a lot of heart but just got beat in not dramatic, but just plain sad fashion. (10-9 Vera)
*All the judges give the bout to Randy Couture (29-28) in yet another fucking obscene decision in the UFC. There is no reason for Randy to have been given the win and this is almost as bad as the NBA referee’s. I cannot believe how badly Brandon got fucked here and feel sick as Randy tries to tell Joe Rogan how he won in the post fight interview. Holy Jesus fucking the dead body of Marlon Brando that was a disgusting decision. As badly as I did on the fights, I am not going to count picking the Main Event correct after such an egregious rendering of lies.

6-4 on the picks and something needs to be done about UFC judging!!!!!!!!!!!

UFC 105 Predictions & Prognostications

UFC 105: November 14, 2009
Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England

Main Bouts:
Randy Couture (16-10) vs. Brandon Vera (14-3) "Captain America" has seen and done it all but the whole older than dirt question is always there. The "Truth" is looking to make his name against the "Natural" with striking while Randy wants a floor battle where he tests the questionable heart of Vera. I haven't seen Vera look impressive in the least since he took out a fat and still recovering Frank Mir back in 2006. Since that time he has gone 3-3, changed weight divisions, and only stopped Mike "Average At Best" Patt. Every time Brandon faces an upper tier fighter (Tim Sylvia, Fabricio Werdum, & Keith Jardine) he just doesn't bring that confidence that he once used to claim he was going to win the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight titles at the same time. Couture will fight at a higher pace against the man 14 years his junior, and has the mental marbles to figure out his opponents before, during, and after the fight.

WINNER-The Old Man by Rd.3 TKO
Mike Swick (14-2) vs. Dan Hardy (22-6) We all know this is set up for Swick to get the title shot/sacrifice against GSP but expect the "Outlaw" to make it exciting. Swick has the speed and power against the man who loves to scrap. The Rough House fighter is tough but if he doesn't get shut down, he ain't winning the decision against Mike who when in trouble, can take you down and get the points for the win. AKA represents and Swick returns the "Runner-Up" trophy to the comical Hardy.

WINNER-Mike Swick by TKO Rd.3
Michael Bisping (17-2) vs. Denis Kang (32-11-1) This is a coin flip fight. Both men have similar skills and talent though the hometown edge is easily in the "Count's" corner as he is ultra-popular in Britain. Kang can do it all but makes stupid costly mistakes. Mike is looking to rebound after a disastrous and embarrassing loss to Dan Henderson. The will to win leans to Bisping who has a lot to prove and honestly, as much as I like him, I have seen Kang just kinda ride a fights out instead of trying to win them. Potential "Fight Of The Night" candidate here but your guess is as good as mine.

WINNER-Bisping by Decision
James Wilks (6-2) vs. Matt Brown (9-7) Now I don't believe the "Immortal" is a world beater, and granted he doesn't have much of a ground game, but I expect Matt to curb stomp the TUF winner. Wilks has great ground game but he takes a lot of punches and won't be able to survive those shots against Brown.

WINNER-Mike Brown by KO Rd.1
Ross Pearson (9-3) vs. Aaron Riley (28-11-1) To me this is a tough one to call. Coming off the last TUF as the Lightweight winner, Ross does not get an easy fight against the tough as they come veteran Riley. Both men have serious heart and serious iron jaws. In his 41st professional fight, Aaron joined up with the Greg Jackson Camp and looks to make that final run in his career. I like Riley just about everywhere and a tough night for the pup.

WINNER-Aaron Riley by workman Decision

Prelims:
Terry Etim (13-2) vs. Shannon Gugerty (12-3) Super-Long Etim brings the lanky limbs that seem to tap lots o' people but that is not the game to employ against City Boxing's 2nd best floor man (Dean Lister still holds #1). Throw the bones, almost literally as the skinny to the point of being frightening Terry, cuts up Gugerty with his many sharp points.

WINNER-Terry Etim by Rd.2 TKO
Paul Taylor (10-4-1) vs. John Hathaway (11-0) "Relentless" always brings the heat to the game and it will be no different against Johnny boy. The billionth man to be nicknamed "Hitman" is more calm and skilled in the striking game Taylor enjoys. The battle of the 2 hometown boys could be the sleeper "Fight Of The Night" but the reach and height advantage will take their toll for the more well-rounded fighter.

WINNER-John Hathaway by Decision
Matt Riddle (3-0) vs. Nick Osipczak (4-0) The most boring fighter in the UFC will win again with the lay & pray method as usual.

WINNER-Matt Riddle by Decision
Paul Kelly (9-1) vs. Dennis Siver (14-6) Telly's brings da power representing Wolfslair against the adorably small Siver. Dennis can win the ground game if on top, but striking, surviving, and cardio all favor Kelly. Paul can outwork about anyone and loves to brawl his way to a win enchanting the crowds favor.

WINNER-Paul "Telly's" Kelly by Decision
Alexander Gustafsson (8-0) vs. Jared Hamman (10-1) Both men are making their UFC debuts and the Stockholm Shootfighter brings his TKO game into play for the Swede. However Hamman loves to throw hands as well for this Light Heavyweight punch fest. Despite the similar records, Jared has more experience at the higher level and will adapt to the big show better coming from ShowXC. Still, he looks like an aged fighter to say the least and I have a friend with the same last name and how often does that happen with such a rare name? I'll take Erik here thank you.

WINNER-Erik Gustafsson by TKO Rd.2
Andre Winner (9-3-1) vs. Roli Delgado (6-4-1) Andre needs his 1st UFC win and will find a way to do just that at home. Dre is better about anywhere but he also showed be a lot of heart in his runner up loss to Ross Pearson in the last TUF finals, and his clinch game will hurt Delgado. Roli gets bounced after this fight and goes to the minors to improve his game.

WINNER-Andre Winner by Decision

Fight Life MMA Documentary

Strikeforce News & Fallout

Well, all is right with the world as Fedor Emelianenko is still the greatest fighter in the world though he did pay a price. The "Last Emperor" did not brake his nose as previously reported, but does have a deep gash according to Stephen Bash of the M-1 camp. Fedor had a soft cast on his left arm all the way past the elbow from a dislocated thumb, though his camp was not sure if anything was broken. Emelianenko will visit another doctor today to assess the damage.

The Red Devils went 2-0 but Gegard Mousasi was not happy with his performance against Sokojoke. Mousasi said he changed up his training and tried to use the sauna more often to help his endurance but it completely backfired and "was not smart." Gegard also said he was more nervous for Fedor's fight and happier to see him win than himself.

Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1) stated, “It’s my turn now. I have a lot of respect for Fedor. He is the best in the world. I already fought (Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion) Alistair Overeem in Japan. It’s my turn to fight Fedor. I believe in my techniques and if it goes to the ground, I believe in my jiu-jitsu.” Werdum did defeat Overeem in 2006 with a Kimura but since Alistair has gained about 400 lbs. of muscle.

Jake Shields made mention of the fact that Cung Le vacated the title he won last night to pursue acting, and yet has now signed to fight Scott Smith in December. Shields said Le is ducking him but Cung answered that his movie was moved back so he had time to get a fight in. The event called Strikeforce:Evolution, will take place December 19th in California.

Strikeforce head honcho Scott Coker stated that soon the promotion will be announcing the signing of 2 top Heavyweights. Speculation is that former WWE pro-wrestler Bobby Lashley will be one of the men, but the other is still unknown. Strikeforce also showed off many newly signed talent like WAMMA & DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki, veteran Team Quest member Matt Lindland, beloved Japanese fighter Hayato "Mach" Sakurai, Wanderlei Silva protege Ronaldo Souza, striking juggernaut Marius Zaromskis, and the dynamic and well spoken Muhammed "King" Lawal. Aoki may move up to Welterweight to fight Jake Shields if he doesn't defend the Middleweight title against Jiu-Jitsu assassin Souza first. I'd love to see Lawal fight Heavyweight out of his mind Herschel Walker and Lindland take on Frank Shamrock.

During the undercard portion of Saturday’s Strikeforce show, the Mark Miller vs Deray Davis fight was skipped over from it’s scheduled slot to make sure the women’s bout would have adequate time to get in before the start of the CBS broadcast. The ladies only took a few minutes to get their fight taken care of and there were thirty minutes left before the show went live. Still, the Miller/Davis fight didn’t happen. The media was told that the fight was going to be moved to after the main event, yet the fight never took place. No word yet on if the fight will be rescheduled, but the men did get their fight money, but will not receive sponsor money since they did not make it onto the card which has to hurt the pocketbook.

Before the Strikeforce card UFC President Dana White continued his war of words on the "Last Emperor." "He's [Fedor] fighting a dangerous guy," White recently noted. "I don't think he's [Fedor] that good, I think he's overrated and I think he might get knocked out." Rogers admitted to being surprised by White's statement and responded, "I really don't care what he thinks, but I guess I'll take it as a compliment." UFC announcer Joe Rogan immediately Twittered after the fight that "Fedor got exposed." He is currently being raped on the Internet by hardcore MMA fans who normally side with the comedian. Don't they ever get tire of being wrong?

Strikeforce on CBS: Fedor Reigns Supreme

Christian Uflacker gets the Unanimous Decision over Jonatas Novaes.
Nate Moore unloads on Louis Taylor forcing him to Submit to his punches in Rd.2.
Shamar Bailey Decisions John Kolosci.
Jeff Curran forced a rib injury to Dustin Neace giving him the win and snapping his 4 fight losing streak.
Marloes Coenen used her size and skill to Submit Roxanne Modafferi with an Armbar in the 1st. She then made the mistake of calling out Cristiane "Femborg" Santos for a title fight.
Fabricio Werdum found a very game Antonio Silva in front of him, but toughed it out to win the Decision. In the 1st "Bigfoot" was patient and knocked down "Vai Cavalo" a couple of times with strikes dominating the round. In the 2nd, it seemed Silva forgot the gameplan and decided to venture into the guard of Werdum where the exciting Jiu-Jitsu battle raged but Fabricio dominated. In the last round Antonio was gassed out completely and Werdum began to land more and more knee's while continuing to dominate the spirited ground battle. This bout showed a lot of heart from Fabricio and you had to be impressed at how good the fight was on the floor between these 2 Heavyweights. In the post fight interview, Fabricio expressed his desire to fight Fedor Emelianenko next in Strikeforce.
Gegard Mousasi actually struggled with Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou who looked very good for the 1st round. Soko came out striking well and finally showing us that Judo he has been touted for but we have rarely seen. His hip throws were on point and Rameau had Mousasi in some bad spots and easily won the 1st stanza. You just had to know what was coming in the 2nd round. Once again, Soko came out strong and almost as if on cue, began to lose his energy and give up on the fight once Gegard took him to the floor. If the boys at Team Quest can teach Sokoudjou some cardio training he could be a force at Light Heavyweight. The problem is glaring though and something he seems to refuse to fix. For Mousasi, he looked average and perhaps took his opponent too lightly and seemed disappointed in his performance as was I. Its a good reminder to Gegard that every opponent should be considered a real threat and he extends his winning streak to 14!
Jake Shields put a wrestling clinic on Jason Miller though the crowd did not approve and boo'd the entire fight. Jake is just amazing on the floor but someone has got to teach this kid how to strike with some sort of power and leverage. "Mayhem" sunk in a rear naked choke at one point but the round ended and he could not gain the tapout. Other than that, he didn't offer much in offense as he was constantly on the defense from Shields constant and impressive ground assault. The crowd sucked as this ground war was impressive from both men. After the bout Jake stated he will fight at Middleweight as well as Welterweight and called out Cung Le who recently vacated his shiny new belt, saying the former champ was obviously ducking him.
Finally, Fedor Emelianenko won a tough bloody affair with Brett Rogers throwing his entire body into the punch that got the TKO win for the "Last Emperor." The 1st jab from Rogers broke Fedor's nose and blood began to pour out. Pressed up against the cage, Fedor was able to bide his time and used his hip control to toss Brett to the floor though he could not keep him there or land any real damage. "The Grim" seemed to grow more confidence as the round progressed and even put some brutal G&P on Emelianenko, landing 5 really good punches that marked up the greatest fighter in the world's face. In the 2nd, Fedor continued to come forward with the attack and threw the punch that just rocked the jaw of Brett dropping him to the canvas. Emelianenko then pounced on the downed opponent and landed a few shots before veteran referee John McCarthy halted the contest for the reigning WAMMA Heavyweight Champion who now rides a 27 fight winning streak of his own!!

5-2 On The Picks