K-1 Fields Dynamite 2009 Predictions

DYNAMITE!! 2009: December 31
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan

Its a war between 2 Japanese MMA promotions as DREAM and Sengoku pit their elite fighters against each other for the "Raiden Championship."

Satoshi Ishii (0-0) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (8-7-1) Its the "passing of the torch" match as the old Judoka meets the young. Yoshida is forever a hero in Japan but has lost 4 of his last 5 and time has caught up to him. Ishii is the new hope for the island country as the Judo silver medalist makes his debut in MMA after some training in America with Xtreme Couture and ATT. A weight and power advantage combined with his youth will prove the undoing of Hidehiko who prepares to send his career into the sunset.

WINNER-Satoshi Ishii Rd.1 TKO
Gegard Mousasi (27-2-1) vs. Gary Goodridge (23-19-1) "Big Daddy" was brought in to be the sacrificial lamb to the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and build his already impressive resume. Gary has lost 4 in a row and didn't even compete in 2009. Guess the result.

WINNER-The "Young Vagabond or Dreamcatcher" by Rd.2 TKO
Kazuo Misaki (22-9-2) vs. Melvin Manhoef (23-6-1) Who will impose their game plan in this clash of styles. Both men are up and down constantly in their careers but while the "Grabaka Hitman" may have a more well rounded repitoire, Melvin comes in to blast you "into a living death" before his small gas tank expires. I like Manhoef to gong, dash, and destroy before he makes his debut for Strikeforce in 2010.

WINNER-The "Man Ho" by Rd.1 TKO
Shinya Aoki (22-4) vs. Mizuto Hirota (12-3-1) The #2 Lightweight in the world brings his DREAM and WAMMA titles against a stout striker looking for a major upset. The mat magician will have to survive the strikes early, as always, but eventually will grab a limb of his choosing for a tapout win.

WINNER-Shinya Aoki Submission Rd.3
Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) vs. Kazunori Yokota (11-2-3) We have a Lightweight throwdown scheduled between 2 very tough fighters but there is little reason to think the "Crusher" won't win with his vaunted toughness and experience and this bout has distance written all over it.

WINNER-Tatsuya Kawajiri by Decision
Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (17-2) vs. Masanori Kanehara (15-7-5) The seemingly unbeatable "Kid" may have gotten robbed in his Featherweight tournament loss to Joe Warren, but he is given a hand picked opponent to destroy for all of his Japanese fans. Expect fireworks.

WINNER-Yamamoto by Rd.1 TKO
Hideo Tokoro (23-19-1) vs. Jong Man Kim (?-?) Marlon Sandro is out with an injury which takes Tokoro from potential loser to potential winner. Lucky for Hideo.

WINNER-Tokoro by Decision

Hayato "Mach" Sakurai (35-9-2) vs. Akihiro Gono (30-15-7) Both men are looking to recover from recent troubles but "Mach" is still the more powerful striker and has more ability to win against the fading Gono. Akihiro will make a nice entrance though.

WINNER-Mach by Decision
Hiroyuki Takaya (12-7-1) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (8-8-1) In a meaningless fight between to very average fighters, your pick is as good as mine but who really cares?

WINNER-Omygodwa??
Katsuyori Shibata (4-6-1) vs. Hiroshi Izumi (0-1) Despite the ugly records, this should be an interesting bout. Izumi is another Judoka prospect looking for that 1st MMA win, while Shibata is a former New Japan Pro Wrestler/K-1 fighter who is starting to slowly develop into a real mixed martial artist. Should be an intriguing fight.

WINNER-Katsuyori Shibata
Alistair Overeem (31-11) vs. Kazuyuki Fujita (15-8) Poor "Ironhead" is bowing out of fighting in the wrong way as the "Demolition Man" continues to pad his record with meaningless fights while refusing to defend his Strikeforce Heavyweight title in the States. This story got old a long time ago.

WINNER-Alistair "Fears Fedor" Overeem by Rd.2 TKO

Super Hulk Openweight Tournament Final:
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (7-4) vs. Ikuhisa Minowa (43-30-8) OK, the mullet madman who goes by "Minowaman" these days will throw some bizarre move at the beginning and then get shutdown by "Sokojoke." Worthless fight except for watching the humerous Minowa and his odd antics.

WINNER-Sokoudjou by Rd.1 TKO

K-1 Rules Bouts:
Masato Kobayashi vs. Andy Souwer The "Destroyer" has 134 kickboxing wins while Masato has 54 and both have been K-1 World Max Champions! I'll take the hometown boy that has said this is his retirement fight.

WINNER-The "Silver Wolf" by Decision
Yosuke Nishijima vs. Ray Sefo Nish is a former Japanese Pro Boxer who failed to get a win in his 5 MMA bouts. 0-1 in K-1 rules matches he is about to go 0-2 against a legendary kickboxer with 54 career wins about to make it 55.

WINNER-"Sugarfoot" by Decision

2009 MMA Awards

Fighter Of The Year: Jose Aldo The Brazilian Featherweight may be soft spoken, but his blitzkrieg assault is devastating. Aldo entered the year with a 1st round KO of Rolando Perez and then put the TKO down on Chris Mickle. It was the spectacular 8 second flying knee KO on Cub Swanson that really turned heads and earned Jose the Featherweight title shot against Mike Thomas Brown. Mike was the only man to make the 2nd round with Aldo but then got pounded out on the floor for his efforts. The Nova Uniao member rattled off 4 impressive wins in 2009 showcasing his blazing speed, power, and without having to use his Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt. 16-1 with newly minted gold around his waist and the sky may not even be the limit for this kid.

Fight Of The Year: Diego Sanchez vs Clay Guida The "Nighmare" loves to attack and ran across the cage tearing into the "Carpenter" and almost kicking his head off. The 2nd saw Clay bounce back from near death to even the odds on the judges score cards. It was a very close and non-stop affair earning Diego the Split-Decision win of the year!

Honorable Mention: Mike Brown vs Urijah Faber II The "California Kid" wanted his Featherweight title back and wasn't going to let something like 2 broken hands stop him. Urijah threw elbows and knee's like they were going out of style but just could not overcome Brown's steady attack.

Honorable Mention: Donald Cerrone vs Ben Henderson It would have been the "Fight Of The Year" had the judges not screwed the "Cowboy" at the end. The men came out and absolutely went for broke for 5 rounds earning "Smooth" the "interim" title.

KO Of The Year: Fedor Emelianenko's KO on Andrei Arlovski All the way back in January, people were foaming at the mouth as the "Pitbull" came to do the impossible. Arlovski had a plan in tow that found some success but got cocky and leapt into the air with a flying knee. The "Last Emperor's" overhand right from hell was waiting and Andrei was nicely tucked into the canvas for bed.

Honorable Mention: Vitor Belfort almost kills Matt Lindland The "Phenom" raised his stock as he dropped the "Law" and then stiffened him up on the ground leaving the Team Quest co-founder unconscious long enough to make everyone nervous.

Honorable Mention: Dan Henderson shuts Michael Bisping up. It was a 1 sided war of words with "Hendo" doing his talking in the Octagon. At UFC 100 Dan just wrecked the "Count" with that famously heavy right hand and followed it up with a flying forearm just for fun.

Submission Of The Year: Toby Imada's Inverted Triangle Choke The Dawg Pound fighter was getting a brutal beating at the hands of Jorge Masvidal at the Bellator Fighting Championships, when he leaped over the back of "Gamebred," and secured a the unique triangle in mid-air! Jorge was in deep trouble and when the 2 men fell to the ground, he went to sleep completely. A stunning come from behind win with a move I didn't even know existed!

Honorable Mention: Brad Pickett's Peruvian Necktie on Kyle Dietz. A little undercard fight nobody was paying attention to brought out the runner-up submission winner with a beautiful choke that nobody can escape from.

Breakout Fighter Of The Year: Marius Zaromskis A relative unknown from Lithuania, the "Whitemare" won 4 fights with 3 of them in spectacular fashion. Marius cut his teeth in England's Cage Rage for the most part and then entered the DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix. The 1st round saw a Decision win over Seichi Ikemoto and then it was on to face the dreaded Japanese hero Hayato "Mach" Sakurai whom he brutalized. A bloodied "Mach" ate a high kick and was dispatched by Zaromskis with some brutal G&P. From there it was a highlight reel head kick KO in the finals over Jason High to become the 1st DREAM Welterweight Champion! Marius finished the year with yet another high kick KO on Myeon Ho Bae at DREAM 12. Now Zaromskis signed a contract with Strikeforce and will debut next year against Nick Diaz for their inaugural Welterweight title.

Strikeforce Evolution & WEC 45 Results

Scott Smith should add the "Comeback Kid" as a 2nd nickname as he did the impossible by getting throttled by undefeated Cung Le for 3 rounds before delivering that patented "Hands Of Steel" KO blast. Cung Le had a break in his schedule of making movies and got his nose broken which may put that Hollywood career on hold even longer. Le came in with no ring rust landing an amalgam of kicks, a spinning back fist, and some hammer fist G&P for 3 solid rounds of Smith bashing. Beating a guy for 3 rounds can take its toll and Le began to slow when Smith threw the bomb that dropped Cung who fought valiantly, but was overcome by Scott. A very impressive win for never say die Scott who adds Cung to the list of near death comebacks along with Pete Sell and Benji Radach. Smith puts himself right back into the Middleweight mix and isn't it funny that he called out Le so long ago wanting the title shot, and if Cung would have granted it an unlikely fighter would be the Champion. Cung will take this in stride knowing his stock is still high and only has 1 loss in 24 MMA fights (including San Shou). Frank Shamrock is really going to want that rematch now.

Gilbert Melendez had to recover from a bad 1st round in his rematch with Josh Tompson but then ran off 4 straight impressive round wins regaining that lost Lightweight title. Both men put on an entertaining "fight of the year" style bout but Gil found his rythm in the 2nd when he repeatedly dropped the "Punk" but could not put him away. The rubber match is a ways down the line with "El Nino" hoping to get Shinya Aoki and his "WAMMA" Lightweight title as well (the DREAM Lightweight title would not be on the line). Josh wants to fight early and often like his AKA brother Josh Koscheck so we may see him again in January.

Ronaldo Souza ran a clinic on Matt Lindland with new and improved striking following it up with his dizzying Jiu-Jitsu for an Arm-Triangle submission in the 1st round. The "Law" looks old as shit but sustained no damage and is already asking to be on the January card knowing 2 straight losses do not look good on a 28 fight career that had never seen that slide before. Expect "Jacare" to settle the score with Jason "Illegal Kick" Miller in the meantime.

"King" Mo Lawal made a flashy entrance and emphatic debut for Strikeforce putting away Mike Whitehead who came in at around a fluffy 260 lbs. Not a good recipe for facing the super-fast Lawal but lesson learned for the journeyman. Mo has made it clear to all who will listen that he wants to fight Fedor Emelianenko but join the long list. He will most likely drop back down to Light Heavyweight next.

Antwain Britt put a whoopin' on Chuck Liddell's boy Scott Lighty in a lopsided affair that saw Scott unable to answer the bell in the 2nd. Lighty isn't going away soon but his 1st MMA loss should help him gain some perspective on his rather inexperienced career. The "Juggernaut" is going to continue to be a sneak up and kill you type of opponent until he beats a big name fighter.

Justin Wilcox got a workman like Decision win over Daisuke Nakamura while Alex Crispim also got the judges nod over AJ Fonseca proving once again that I cannot pick Featherweight fights correctly. Anyone know what happened to the Stack/Douglas fight that never occured?

WEC 45 Results

Donald Cerrone finally tapped Ed Ratcliff with the RNC in the 3rd but not after a bevvy of low blows that taint the victory a bit.

Anthony Njokuani had zero trouble with Chris Horodecki who got damaged and turned away only to catch a chin to the face. Chris was then pounded out in cruel fashion as Njokuani just looks amazing at Lightweight. Watch out for this kid!

My man Brad Pickett pulled out the Peruvian Necktie out on Kyle Dietz getting the beautiful submission win. I love the rarely used submission when applied correctly.

Joseph Benavidez got a TKO on the 1-trick pony Rani Yahya and Scott Jorgenson found a Decision win over Takeya Mizugaki. Finally, Bart Palaszewski was awarded the Split-Decision nod over Anthony Pettis.

An unimpressive 8-6 all around on the picks.

The UFC Fires Logan Stanton and that other girl!

The UFC has fired Logan Stanton and that other blond ring girl who I couldn't give a shit about. How, how could they? The most beautiful woman to ever hold a number above her head gone without a reason or a phone call. I have seen the Zuffa organization make some awful moves in their day but this is the worst! Damn you Dana White. Damn you.

WEC 45 Predictions

WEC 45: December 19, 2009
The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas

Main Bouts (on Versus):
Donald Cerrone (10-2) vs. Ed Ratcliff (7-1) As a big fan of the "Cowboy" who agrees with the world that he got fucked in the "Interim" title fight with Ben Henderson, I can't wait for Don to unleash hell on Eddy. 9mm has odd but good stand up but can't compete with Cerrone who if he gets in trouble, will hit the ads and force the submission.

WINNER-The Cowboy by Rd.1 Submission
Chris Horodecki (13-1) vs. Anthony Njokuani (11-2) I've been waiting for Chris to get a steady job ever since the IFL folded and now he has his chance to build his career up in the WEC. Unfortunately, the baby faced cherub is facing "No Joke," who is more than game on the feet, with power striking which the "Polish Hammer" does not. I also think the reach factor will keep Chris at bay but this will be a nice exciting fight on the feet.

WINNER-Njokuani by Decision
Joseph Benavidez (10-1) vs. Rani Yahya (15-3) Joe is an adorable little guy coming off his 1st career loss to Dominick Cruz (by Decision). Yahya is just ridiculous on the mat but he has some of the worst stand up and suspect gas tank. 14 submission wins means I grab and tap you but Joey is going to do some beating while he tires the Brazilian.

WINNER-Benavidez by Decision
Takeya Mizugaki (12-3-2) vs. Scott Jorgensen (7-3) Takeya impressed me in a gritty loss to Miguel Torres and got back into play by edging Jeff Curran in his sophomore WEC bout. The Idaho wrestler will shoot through you to take you to the dirt but wants to show off his hands. If Tak gets taken down, I fear a L&P decision loss. If Miz can employ his pretty good takedown defense, the free hands show Scott needs more pad work in the gym.

WINNER-Takeya Mizugaki by Decision

Prelims:
Bart Palszewski (30-13) vs. Anthony Pettis (7-0) Bart was tough as hell in the IFL but lost his last 2 WEC bouts and then won a match Tyler Combs in the XFO which isn't saying a whole lot. Pettis has good hands and is an all around fighter while Bart seems to have hit that "ceiling" in his career for refusing to evolve.

WINNER-Tony Pettis by Rd.3 TKO

Brad Pickett (17-4) vs. Kyle Dietz (5-1) "One Punch" has come a long way since the Bodog debacle and I have been a fan for a while and I like his hat.

WINNER-The Pikey Rd.2 Submission

Strikeforce Evolution Predictions

STRIKEFORCE: Evolution December 19, 2009
HP Pavilion in San Jose, California

Main Bouts (On Showtime):
Cung Le (6-0) vs. Scott Smith (16-6) The San Shou superstar takes a brief hiatus from Hollyland to battle "Hands Of Stone" Smith. Scott doesn't so much look for wins anymore as he tries to keep things exciting and leave the fans clamoring for more which he usually accomplishes in dramatic fashion. Here he will be out gunned as former Middleweight Champion Le uses his kicks like jabs to ensure distance before slowly setting up the end. Eventually as Cung "Fu" finds his range from the outside, a body kick will hurt Scott leading to a flurry of hands that bring Frank Shamrock out of his seat screaming for a rematch.

WINNER-Cung "Fu" Le by Rd.2 TKO
Lightweight Champion Josh Thompson (16-2) vs. Gilbert Melendez (16-2) Its the long, long awaited rematch of bangers who bring well rounded games. Gil became the "interim" Champion when the "Punk" broke his leg on 2 separate occasions. This will be Josh's 1st bout in 13 months but his crew at AKA claim he is better than ever. Equal wrestling skills and gas tanks mean this could go a long time much like the 1st meeting but Thomson having a bit of an edge on the feet. "El Nino" will have to tone down the sloppy striking and hope for some ring rust against a guy who can barely edge him out in almost every category. Neither man will probably be able to finish the other, but expect a high paced amazing fight with the bad guy getting the "w."

WINNER-Jackass Thomson by Decision
Matt Lindland (21-6) vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (10-2) Both Middleweights make their debuts for Strikeforce with Matt wanting to employ his wrestling and prove he can take a punch after Vitor Belfort starched him into the floor in a scary scene. Ronny has ridiculously sick Jiu-Jitsu on the floor and improved striking thanks to Wanderlei Silva. I just believe at 39, the "Law" isn't the man he used to be. His slow and steady brawl style will not work against an attacker who will bother you with his hands just enough to drag you to the hell that is his technically brilliant mat work. The gas and work ethic just aren't there for the Team Quest Godfather as "Jacare" steps into the spotlight.

WINNER-Ronaldo Souza by Rd.3 Submission
Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal (5-0) vs. Mike Whitehead (24-6) Finally "King Mo" makes his real USA debut (*fights do not count against Mark Kerr anymore) against the always durable if not so exciting "Iron." Look its like this, ask anyone who has trained with this cat and they will tell you he is without a doubt, the future of MMA. The kid was always a stud wrestler, now has pretty good powerful hands, and can trash talk better than Josh Barnett and Tito Ortiz combined. This is the coming out party for the king who may not stop Whitehead who he refers to as the "pimple he is going to pop." but he will win and don't forget the extravagant entrances with eye popping ladies before Mo runs a train on Mikey.

WINNER-King Mo by dominant decision

Prelims (Non-Televised):
Scott Lighty (5-0) vs. Antwain Britt (9-3) Scott is famous for being Chuck Liddell's "boy" who also trains at the Pit and came from the kickboxing scene. Britt is the large "Juggernaut" who has bit power in both hands and won on TUF Season 8, but a broken hand forced him out of the show. Scott has not faced anyone like Britt yet and quite frankly doesn't blow me away with his "vaunted" striking prowess. This is a fans delight as these 2 bang it out but expect Antwain to eventually put Lighty's lights out.

WINNER-Juggernaut by KO Rd.2
Justin Wilcox (7-3) vs. Daisuke Nakamura (20-11) Suke should win this bout but you never know with the "Silverback" looking across at you. He is a tough lil' wrestler wit a go gt em' attitude and will probably have more steam and a relentless attack. Nak is just too wild for my taste.

WINNER-Silverback by Decision
David Douglas (4-2) vs. Bobby Stack (6-1) "Tarzan" is crazy fun to watch on the feet, but lacks any real game on the mat where Stack does his business. Clash of styles flip a coin.

WINNER-Bobby Stack by Rd.3 Submission
Alex Crispim (3-2) vs. A.J. Fonseca (4-1) Finally some Featherweights to end the card. If there is 1 thing I have learned about Featherweights, its that I can pick em wrong almost every time. Still, I know who I believe will win.

WINNER-AJ by stopping my Featherweight losing streak

MMA Melee:That Guy Is Huge!

Strikeforce will hold its 2nd CBS show in April of 2010. CBS Primetime Senior Executive Vice President Kelly Kahl confirmed the event and fighters Fedor Emelianenko and superstar Dan Henderson in separate fights. Jake Shields wants to put his Middleweight title on the line against "Hendo" claiming if he doesn't get the fight he will return to the Welterweight division. This is just a bad idea for Jake as Dan can defend the takedown and brawl all night long pushing Shields limited gas tank until he Bisping's him into oblivion with the right hand from hell. No opponent has been named for Fedor as of yet.

Strikeforce has also signed Heavyweight prospect Bobby Lashley who has been putting his time to good use training in TNA and plans on being exposed in 2o10 by much more talented fighters.

Speaking of Heavyweight prospects, 5-time Worlds Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski recently made his MMA debut against former pro boxer Marcin Najman who got cut down by massive leg kicks and then collapsed into the fetal position. The only showing part of the bout was that it was viewed by nearly 6 million live viewers during last weekend’s KSW 12 card in Poland. The 300 lb. freak of steroids has trained in Kyokushin Karate and Boxing his entire life though we have no idea how he would fare in a fight lasting more than a minute at this point. An obviously high Mariusz has begun saying he wants to fight Brock Lesnar but will most likely face Aleksander Emelianenko 1st in a KSW/M-1 Global co-promotion. Bob Sapp has also been mentioned as future record padding.

Frank Mir is going for that coveted Interim Title for the 2nd time in his career at UFC 111 against Shane Carwin. Mir recently called Shane a "better version of Brock." which will make this good practice if Lesnar ever returns to fighting. This would be the 2nd actual top Heavyweight fighter that Carwin has faced in his 11-0 career of crushing tomato cans. It will also be around a year since Shane has fought anyone.

The UFC is coming to join younger brother WEC over on the seldom watched Versus network in 2010. According to a report on Sherdog.com, Brandon Vera and Jon Jones have agreed to face off at a yet-to-be-determined event on the network in a bout that is sure to have major implications on the light heavyweight title picture and should feature some impressive stand-up from each man. Both fighters will be looking to bounce back from controversial losses suffered in their previous Octagon appearances. The "Truth" was ass-raped by the judges against the highly overrated Randy Couture while "Bones" earned a DQ against Matt Hamill thanks to referee Steve Mazagatti blindly missing the 2,000 legal strikes that rendered the "Hammer" speechless.

I love the insanity of the sport as well and former UFC Lightweight Din Thomas has signed with Shine Fights (whoever the hell that is) and called out former pro boxer Ricardo Mayorga who has also penned his name with the company. Din actually phoned the Mayorga camp daring the 29-7-1-1 to face him. Good luck with that and with getting Ricardo to actually compete in MMA.

Alan Belcher & The Kim Jong Il Tattoo

Alan "The Talent" Belcher had some words for our friends over at MMA.tv after his most recent win at UFC 107. Some of us have been giving Belcher a lot of heat for his new ink. Glad to see Alan can take a joke and give one right back.

UFC 107 Results: Penn & Mir Destroy!

*Where is James Toney who claims to be in town searching for Dana White and a job in the UFC. Dana twitters that he wants to meet Toney!

T.J. Grant gets a nice TKO win over Kevin Burns which will lead to the "Fire" being fired on Monday.
DaMarques Johnson had a decent scrap with Edgar Garcia who was wearing him out on the feet when he got sloppy, took an upkick, and fell into Johnson's waiting Triangle Choke. I gotta give the TUF 9 runner-up credit for showing heart in a tough match.

Rousimar Palhares found that Heel Hook he was looking for on Lucio Linhares to gain the tap in the 2nd.

Johny Hendricks got a Decision win over Ricardo Funch bunch as did Matt Wiman over Shane Nelson.
Stefan Struve vs Paul Buentello
Rd.1 Stefan pulls guard and employs a body lock with his 100 inch legs. Paul is trapped within this lock for almost the entire round defending the RNC but doing nothing else. 10-9 Struve
Rd.2 The boys begin with some exchanges and eventually Struve throws a flying knee but meets a right hand that drops him to the floor in spectacular fashion! Paul can’t put him away and back on the feet they throw with reckless abandon with Paul getting just a bit more. Both men are very tired. 10-9 Buentello
Rd.3 Paul is gassed out completely and Struve keeps coming though the strikes though they are weak. Leg kicks are starting to undo Buentello and he is moving very slow. Buentello looked every bit of 35 and Struve every bit of 21 en route to a clear cut decision. 10-9 Struve
*Struve gets the correct Majority Decision win and the ignorant crowd boo’s. Stefan says it should have been a draw but nice humility never hurts in front of a hostile crowd who probably doesn’t like him because he is foreign.

Kenny Florian vs Clay Guida
*Clay runs into the arena with his usual blitzkrieg style and greets many fans along the way. He is then just singing his heart out to the music and how can you not love this guy! He enters the cage and the place just erupts! The Memphis fans actually boo Florian during the intro which just seems wrong.
Rd.1 Its a feeling out process with Clay landing some leg kicks and a missed head kick allows Guida to get on top. Ken kicks the "Carpenter" off but has a small cut on his forehead as the crowd chants, "Guida, Guida!" Good brawling and then "Kenflo" looks for a takedown but Clay nicely transitions out. Clay has single but ends up with bad forehead cut from a hatchet elbow and gets slammed. Time called and Guida is a bloody mess as the doc comes in. Its a nasty cut but Clay lets out his standard loud burp and they finish the round. 10-9 Florian
Rd.2 Blood is just pouring into Clay’s eye and Florian starts to get his punching rhythm. Kenny lands a right under his Guida's bloody left eye and the "Carpenter" is rocked and dropped. Florian pounces sinking the RNC and Guida taps.
*You can see Clay’s skull from the cut and he is upset. Kenny is nice about the fight and the replay doesn’t work for a nice laugh. Florian wants a 3rd title shot. Now the 2 annoying brothers Keith Florian and Jason Guida should fight.

Jon Fitch vs Mike Pierce
*Fitch comes out to Johnny Cash's cover of “Rusty Cage“ which oddly the Memphis crowd loves. Ever notice Fitch has a two symbol Japanese tat on his left peck just like GSP?
Rd.1 The 2 wrestlers throw hands early but Fitch pulls Pierce to the ground from the back. Jon has his hooks in and brings the breaking punches. Mike eventually escapes and gets a small slam on Fitch. Jon gets back up and the ref separates them for a clean restart. Fitch is landing nicely but his left eye is bleeding. 10-9 Fitch
Rd.2 The ring girl Logan is so beautiful but as action begins its Mike who presses Fitch to the cage landing knee to leg shots. Nice left jab and kicks from Jon and gets the takedown. Fitch can’t hang on the stocky venomous fella and Pierce starts to land with a jab and right hook. Methodical pace and Fitch is starting to lose the standup and gets a takedown. Still can’t gain any good positioning . At the end Fitch swarms and but gets as much as he gives in a very close round. 10-9 Fitch
Rd.3 Good aggressive start and they trade and grade. Knee’s start coming from Jon but good body work by Mike. Left catches Jon flush and then again. Fitch lands a 2 punch combo and a beautiful uppercut before a takedown. Mike to his feet again and this cat is tough. Knee lands by Jon but he gets hurt by a left right left and buckles. Fitch is hurt and wobbly as Pierce lands more but lets it get away as Fitch was in real trouble. 10-9 Pierce
*Jon gets the Unanimous decision but is marked up and Mike showed some heart and skill as well in defeat.

Frank Mir vs Cheick Kongo
*I instantly get nervous for Frank who has put on 20 lbs. of muscle, yes I said muscle, but talked a lot of shit. Kongo enters to some gay sounding dance music. The lights dim and an always calm Mir comes in with dad in tow to some equally gay auto-tune altered crap. Cheick has 3 extra inches of reach but Frank weighs 25 lbs. more. Kongo points across the Octagon to Mir and no glove touch during the staredown.
Rd.1 First left hand from Mir drops Cheick and Frank grabs a guillotine choking Kongo into unconsciousness!! Wow!!!
*Mir shows class and goes over to hug Kongo as the beef seems to be squashed. Frank sends wishes of health and love to Brock but reiterates he wants the rubbermatch.

Alan Belcher vs Wilson Gouveia
Rd.1 The hometown boys comes out in pink draws and cornrows with the Kim Jong Il tattoo. Alan misses wildly and Wilson works the left jab. Finally the war erupts and both men start striking with abandon. Wilson landing the old 1-2 but a temple shot and uppercut drops Gouveia and the swarming of strikes ensues. The "Talent" gets a big win in his hometown and rednecks everywhere celebrate by slapping their wives/sisters.

BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez
*Interesting statistic, neither fighter has ever been knocked down in their respective careers, and Sanchez has never been stopped. Diego comes out with his yell of “Yes,Yes!” Tony Robbins act and his standard Spanish music. He is the scariest homosexual in the world. "Yes!" Nightmare enters the Octagon and runs around like a angry crazy person. "Yes!" From the blackness lilts BJ’s Hawaiin music. I don’t know if he has been crying, is focused, or its just the reported head cold he is suffering from. The weirdest staredown face from Diego but a touch of gloves none the less.
Rd.1 The advertised gong and dash doens’t happen as the "Prodigy" takes the center of the Octagon. A right hand drops Diego (there goes the impressive stat) and BJ unloads some ground and pound. Sanchez is hurt but survives and gets to his feet though he looks a little weary. The ref almost stepped in good that he didn’t. Right uppercut drops Diego again for a very brief moment and he looks for the single leg takedown, but lands a big right elbow. Penn lands a good left and right and sprawls out of a takedown attempt. Left is landing for BJ and yet another right startles Diego. 10-9 Penn
Rd.2 The corner tells BJ "he aint got shit and he falls every time you touch him.” BJ stalking the "Nightmare" and Sanchez can't get the takeown. Diego can't land on Penn while BJ seems to land when he wants. BJ threw a leg kick! and lands 1-2-3. Diego can’t get past the left hand or land a tackle. 10-9 Penn
Rd.3 Small knot over Diego's left eye and a left hand startles the "Nightmare." The commentators think Penn is blowing him out but there's a lot of time left in the fight. Diego kinda lands that high kick he is looking for. Good dirty boxing by BJ every time Diego tries and fails at the takedown. The "Prodigy" is roughing the challenger up now. 10-9 Penn
Rd.4 Diego's lip is cut bad and how is he going to place a dick on it later? A big 1-2 lands for BJ and Sanchez continues to miss with the high kick. Its a mauling and a shut out so far with BJ cruising. 10-9 Penn
Rd.5 BJ is dancing around before the bell looking excited as Diego, marked up, looks game. The fun is continuing for Penn and Diego becomes a crimson mass after a vicious high kick from the "Prodigy." There is a Jenna Jameson's vagina size cut over Diego's left eye and Herb Dean wants a doctor to look at the wound. Blood is everywhere and the fight is stopped with one of the nastiest cuts I've seen since the Marvin Eastman vs Vitor Belfort fight. Vampire BJ licks the blood off his gloves getting the HIV and Sanchez face is destroyed! An ecstatic Penn celebrates! "YES!"

9-2 on the picks ending the year true to form!

UFC 107 Penn vs Sanchez Picks &

UFC 107: December 12, 2009
FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee

PPV Bouts:
B.J. Penn (14-5-1) vs. Diego Sanchez (21-2) "Two words, destiny." said Diego Sanchez at the weigh-ins. "Yes," the guy is a freak of nature, and "Yes" he is an odd and annoying chap, but "Yes" the kid has talent, fury, and believes himself to be a modern gladiator. His talent is very scary with speed, power, and a whole bag of striking weapons against the "Prodigy." BJ has a cold coming into the fight and I still don't believe his cardio will be an issue. Both guys are on point for the lungs department, but who I ask you, has slicker submissions, textbook boxing, and flexibility that allows one to tap an opponent with toes? Penn has a much heavier jab not to mention great head control against a very stiff necked Sanchez and will find a way to gut you on the floor for all to see. A lot of heart for Diego will serve him well, but in most of the positions these 2 fighters could find themselves in, BJ is superior.

WINNER-BJ Penn by exciting Decision
Frank Mir (12-4) vs. Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) Kongo is so mad at Mir's mouth that he wouldn't even look at him for the weigh-in, giving him the back treatment. As pissed as Cheick may be, he sure does have a glaring hole in his game the size of 1 of his ginormous pecks. Zero ground game is not ideal against Frankie Mir. Mir's stand up has greatly improved but we all know where his best chances lie. Anger is the enemy and Mir may get a boring decision here before claiming his new respect for Brock Lesnar.

WINNER-Frank Mir by Decision
Kenny Florian (11-4) vs. Clay Guida (25-10) Both men changed camps to up their respective games but Clay just has never really evolved as a fighter. He is a takedown energy machine but has very limited striking, not much ability to finish a fight, and though he could probably fight for 27 rounds in a row, ADHD hilarity doesn't win fights. "Kenflo" did evolve learning the striking and submission games while also turning his body into a fighting machine. Florian is what Clay must do to continue his career and not fade away. Hopefully the Greg Jackson camp will serve my favorite Guida well, but not yet, and not here.

WINNER-Kenflo by Decision
Jon Fitch (19-3) vs. Mike Pierce (10-1) An odds on slobber knocker as Fitch looks for a stoppage the fans have been clamoring for (he's gone the distance in his last 5 fights) against the indoor shades wearing and ultra-boring Pierce. I don't know that Jon will finish this contest but I do like him to continue to hang around the Welterweight division as the 2nd best fighter waiting for GSP to die.

WINNER-Jon Fitch by Decision
Paul Buentello (27-10) vs. Stefan Struve (18-3) Welcome back the UG loved and honorable nice guy against the super tall "Skyscraper." The "Headhunter" is coming to impress with his heavy hands against the tissue paper thin chin of Struve. This won't last long as Paul lands one jab knocking Stefan into oblivion.

WINNER-Burrito by Rd.1 TKO

Prelims:
Wilson Gouveia (18-6) vs. Alan Belcher (14-6) The endurance challenged yet heavy handed Gouveia meets the "Talent" who is fighting as the hometown hero of the evening. If Alan can avoid that big shot, he should be able to weather the early storm, and when Gouveia gives up on the bout as he tends to do, the worst tattoo of Johnny Cash ever painted will be raised in victory.

WINNER-Alan Belcher by Decision
Shane Nelson (12-4) vs. Matt Wiman (10-5) "BJ Penn is my buddy so I keep getting undeserved fights in the UFC." said Nelson when I asked him how the hell is he still in the UFC. Wiman is better all around and if you had to pick your "lock of the night," this would be it.

WINNER-"Handsome" by lopsided Decision
Johny Hendricks (6-0) vs. Ricardo Funch (7-0) I really like this Welterweight fight between 2 very interesting and undefeated prospects. Mr. Funch got the job training with buddy Gabriel Gonzaga but sold me on the braided hair. There is "Fight Of The Night" potential here but the Sooner's wrestling ability will get him the judges scribbles

WINNER-Johny Jonny Johnny by Decision
Rousimar Palhares (9-2) vs. Lucio Linhares (13-4) The little Brazilian that could returns to face a fellow Jiu-Jitsu practitioner from the homeland. "Toquinho" may be 4 feet tall, but he is a anvil of power who has dealt with the distance issue his entire career and the "Spartan's" 4 inches aren't scaring the ladies. Rousimar's relentless ferret at your feet attack will get Lucio to the floor before he can throw damaging hands where mat scale tilts heavily for Palhares.

WINNER-Toguinho Rd.2 Submission
DaMarques Johnson (12-7) vs. Edgar Garcia (7-1) Eddy has some hands and Johnson shows me absolutely nothing even with his padded record. I think Garcia finds a way even if it takes a bit to stop or stomp DaMarques into unemployment.

WINNER-Edgar Garcia by Rd.2 TKO
Kevin Burns (10-3) vs. T.J. Grant (14-3) The "Cornea Killer" comes in with his open hands to face a man with 12 subs on his record. Burns is tough but very stiff and not so impressive. Look for TJ to out point him in a forgettable fight.

WINNER-TJ Grant by Decision

*What's the deal with the scales in Memphis? Every damn fighter was over by a pound or pound and a half which makes me think something is wrong with the scale or the weight taker. At any who, party at BB King's after afta.

The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale Results: Big Country, Kimbo, & Edgar All Win

Mark Bocek reps the ginger clan by securing the RNC on the standing Joe Brammer in only the 1st round. Take note people, this ATT Lightweight has found his rhythm in the UFC and is gunning for the top.
John Howard brought "Doomsday" down on Dennis Hallman but I'm sure how high either of these guys are going to rise.
Brian Stann gets the Decision nod over Rodney Wallace who put up a good fight. Give "Sho Nuff" time to get comfortable in the UFC and he might make an impact just yet. The "All-American" notches his 8th pro win and will continue to muddle around the mid-level of the Light Heavyweights.
Jon Madsen stole a close Split-Decision win over Justin Wren. Another wrong decision for MMA judging and this is a bout to watch if you would like to see inept striking at its finest. Good luck to both men in the minor leagues.
James McSweeney looked much improved thanks to the Greg Jackson camp gaining a respectable TKO over Darrill Schoonover who will be rewarded with an all expenses paid trip to Afghanistan funded by the US government. James may just find himself a spot in the Heavyweight division.
Matt Mitrione put the haters and Marcus Jones to sleep with a quick 10 second KO in round 2. If someone could get Mitrione into a decent camp and put some solid muscle on that big frame he might become decent. Jones chin is so glassy you can see his molars. Combined with his late age he probably won't become notable in the Heavyweight division as we had all hoped. The guy is a sweetie and may just find a career as a commentator which I would welcome.
Frankie Edgar finally got that much needed stoppage over Matt Veach with the RNC. Frank looked tiny next to Veach but he isn't going to the WEC's Featherweight division so people should stop talking about it. One more big win and he'll gain that title shot.
Kimbo Slice chased Houston Alexander for 1 of the most boring MMA rounds in a while but turned it up in the 2nd with a nice slam, followed by G&P that did show improvement. ATT has done well for Kevin but I just cannot see him making much noise in the Heavyweight division. His name and reputation will continue to be a draw so put him up against big Tim Hague, Mostapha Al Turk, or maybe even Antoni Hardonk for the stand up wars everyone wants to see. Umm Houston, what the hell was that? You said you wanted to "throw down" with Ferguson but instead rode your bike around the warning track of the Octagon looking like Kalib Starnes vs Nate Quarry. My guess is you are going to receive your walking papers for that mess.
Jon Jones just obliterated Matt Hamill with elbows on the floor to the point it was hard to watch and people around the world were screaming at the TV for referee Steve Mazagatti to stop the handicap abuse. Then Jones dropped 2 illegal downward elbows which did bring in the ref to take a point and ultimately DQ "Bones" when deafboy could not continue. The elbows were illegal but the bout should have been stopped looooooooooong before it was. Jones took it all in stride not complaining and blaming himself as the crowd boo'd the egregious decision. Two illegal elbows did not end Matt's night but the 400 legal ones that came before it, did.

*Interesting Note: This is the 1st time the referee and the NSAC used instant replay in MMA. Nice to know they got it wrong!
Roy Nelson KO'd the cocky Brendan Schaub through the floor to become the "Ultimate Fighter" of season 10. I told people to stop judging "Big Country" on his body and instead his body of work. Schaub learned the hard way and Nelson will begin to wade into the deep end of the Heavyweight division.

Not the greatest event or season for prospects but the real fighters all showed up. 5-3 on the picks with 2 bullshit calls I am not going to acknowledge. Something has to be done about all these glaring errors by judges and athletic commissions or this is going to turn into boxing.