UFC Fight Night 2: Florian vs Gomi

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 21: March 31, 2010
Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina

Main Bouts (On Spike TV):
Kenny Florian (12-4) vs. Takanori Gomi (31-5) I've always been a "Fireball Kid" fan but the UFC didn't go easy on him in his 1st Zuffa fight. "Kenflo" is always in the groove and looking to remain in the hunt should someone dethrone BJ Penn. Be that as it may, Florian's striking is now on par with Gomi though his power is not. Ken has a much better ground game and Takanori has been subbed 3 times in his career, and obvious Achilles heel. Florian is known for how much research he does on opponents and I have little doubt he will employ a winning game plan that may include his notorious jagged elbows that Gomi has never had to deal with. There really isn't a whole lot going for the "Kid" as he has been lackluster in recent years with sloppy training and a basic disinterest in fighting. Stepping up to "Kenflo" ain't gonna help except maybe to wake him up after the loss and get his ass back in the gym to legitimately vie for the Lightweight crown.

WINNER-"Kenflo" by Decision

Roy Nelson (14-4) vs. Stefan Struve (19-3) I gotta think the big guy's power against the giant glass jawed Netherlander is going to come into play sooner rather than later. "Skyscraper" is actually a submission fighter with reach and not much else punching wise (take the awful striking against Paul Buentello as an example). "Big Country" can go ground but loves to stand and using that classic American body he'll bully the taller man around before putting his lights out.

WINNER-Roy Nelson by Rd.3 TKO

Nate Quarry (12-3) vs. Jorge Rivera (17-7) "El Conquistador" returns after a 2 fight winning streak and the tragic death of his daughter. The consummate nice guy meets another kind fella in "Rock" who brings some power striking but has just looked in slow motion recently and has taken unnecessary damage in his bouts. I like Nate's chin to be better, the striking to be odd, and no ground game from either fighter. Quarry by a nose.

WINNER-Nate Quarry by Decision

Ross Pearson (10-3) vs. Dennis Siver (15-6) Din din has found his groove as of late quietly winning 4 straight setting up this stern test for last year's TUF winner and fan favorite. The "Real Deal" has really surprised me with his vast improvements and I'm picking this 1 solely based upon heart. Ross, stay off the ground!

WINNER-Ross Pearson by Decision

Prelims (Non-Televised):
Andre Winner (10-3-1) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (10-2) Andre looked soo good against Roli Delgado in his last bout but it was also against Roli Delgado. Now the Team Rough House member faces a real test in the Jiu-Jitsu "Tractor." Will Andre's fast hands be enough before Rafaello takes him down and submits him with haste?

WINNER-Andre because of his last name.

Jacob Volkmann (9-2) vs. Ronys Torres (18-2) "X-Mas" is back with his lame ass nickname employing his stellar wrestling in a styles clash against my Nova Uniao favorite who employs Jiu-Jitsu and stumbled his 1st time out for Zuffa.

WINNER-Ronys Torres by Submission

Rob Emerson (9-8) vs. Nik Lentz (17-3-2) God the "Saint" needs to fight Matthew Riddle in a loser leaves town match so we can finally get rid of at least 1 of these awful fighters. The "Carnie" (yes he opted for the "Carnie") is on an 8 fight winning streak (if you don't count those 2 Draws) and will drag the standup fighter down to hell where he grinds him into dust.

WINNER-Nik Lentz Rd.2 Submission

Caol Uno (25-12-5) vs. Gleison Tibau (20-6) Well Joe Silva has a sense of humor as he puts 2 of the most boring fighters in existence against each other. I'm not watching this tell me who wins.

WINNER-Gleison Tibau by Decision

Lucio Linhares (13-5) vs. Yushin Okami (23-5) Oh "Thunder," so close to the title shot for so long and after a humbling loss to Chael Sonnen, you find yourself at the bottom of the card. Time to make an example of the "Spartan" and hopefully, oh giant Buddha please, let Okami get a stoppage!

WINNER-Yushin Okami by Decision

Gerald Harris (14-2) vs. Mario Miranda (11-0) An 8 fight winning streak coming in for mean face while the striker is undefeated. *Drinking Game Alert* You must drink every time the announcers use a version of "athletic" or "explosive" in this bout of black on black crime. Flip a coin on this one.

WINNER-Gerald Harris?

Charlie Brenneman (11-1) vs. Jason High (9-2) The "Kansas City Bandit" gonna get off the "L" side against a wrestler I have never heard of. Zuffa stole High from DREAM so he must have something going for him.

WINNER-"KCB" by Decision

Nate Diaz Hates Kurt Pelligrino

New "World" MMA Rankings

Heavyweight Division

Gabe Gonzaga's mind numbing loss to Junior Dos Santos causes him to freefall out out of the Top 10 while moving Dos or dos Santos above Cain Velasquez as well. Junior has fought far better competition than Cain and especially Shane Carwin who does get a bump for crushing Frank Mir into a heap of a man. Mir is now 11-5 in the UFC as a former UFC Heavyweight and Interim Heavyweight Champion so don't rule him out of the mix just yet. "Minotauro" is on his farewell tour a rematch with Mir is likely. Aleksander Emelianenko is out for inactivity while Brett Rogers moves in right before he faces Alistair Overeem for the title or maybe not.

Light Heavyweight Division
"Lil Nog" begins burning up the charts as he heads to a May showdown with Forrest Griffin while Jon "Bones" Jones makes his inaugural visit to the Top 10 after embarrassing the big mouthed Brandon Vera in a round. Randy Couture vs. Rich Franklin will clean up some ranking business as well along with the epic grudge match between Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson. Could be a lot of movement in this division during summer. Thiago Silva is kinda the odd man out right now but he'll be back in soon enough.

Middleweight Division
The non-fighting Vitor Belfort comes crashing to Earth while Demian Maia and Anderson Silva will settle things in April while nobody else really moves and Robbie Lawler hangs on by a thread. When Dan Henderson steamrolls Jake Shields April 17th, watch Shields exit the division and Strikeforce beginning work on the UFC's Welterweights where he belongs.

Welterweight Division
No change here as GSP continues to dominate as Dan Hardy makes his 1st appearance thanks to a loss that actually made his stock go up! Jay Hieron is nudged out since he doesn't fight anyone of note and continues to call out Nick Diaz for a suicide attempt I guess.

Lightweight Division
The division that has changed the most and changes the most often finds the 3 top Champions all at the top. Shinya Aoki may hold 2 belts right now but he's got a big date with Gilbert Melendez in April that will have gold shining everywhere. Tyson Griffin getting zero press hangs tough while Kenny Florian is still there and has a chance to improve next week with a big win over Takanori Gomi who wants to rejoin the elite of the 155ers. "JZ" fights about as often as Aleksander Emelianenko or he would be higher himself.

Featherweight Division

Our 1st foray into the Featherweight division finds the WEC Champ running game on everyone and a "Fight Of The Year" candidate with Urijah Faber soon.
1 Jose Aldo WEC Champion
2 Mike Brown
3 Urijah Faber
4 Bibiano Fernandes Dream Champion
5 Wagnney Fabianno
6 Masanori Kanehara Sengoku Champion
7 Marlon Sandro
8 Raphael Assuncao
9 Darren Uyenoyama
10 Hatsu Hioki

Bantamweight Division

Another 1st as we tackle the Bantamweights and try to figure out how to put these rankings into the sidebar with the others!?!

1 Dominick Cruz WEC Champion

2 Brian Bowles

3 Joseph Benavidez
4 Miguel Torres
5 Scott Jorgenson
6 Masakatsu Ueda
7 Antonio Banuelos
8 Masakazu Imanari
9 Damacio Page
10 Takaya Mizugaki

UFC 111 Post Post

It didn't take long for people to begin complaining that Georges St.Pierre needs to stop opponents and wins by Decision too often. Two fights in a row with "Rush" shutting out Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy for 10 straight rounds. If you still don't think GSP is the supreme Welterweight in the world, consider these facts. While St.Pierre was unable to finish the "Outlaw," the wrestling clinic he put on set three new career highs for GSP:

11 takedowns landed (previous high, 10 vs. Thiago Alves)
6 submission attempts (previous high, 5 vs. Josh Koscheck)
26 positional improvements (previous high, 14 vs. Jason Miller)

Give Dan credit, he should have been tapped twice (Armbar in the 1st & Kimura in the 4th) but held on with pure guts alone. It's hard to win a fight when you are playing defense for 5 rounds but give the savage rude boi some love. Hardy will come away from this fight improved and could make some really interesting fights at Welterweight against Josh Koscheck, Anthony Johnson, Thiago Alves, Martin Kampmann, though I fear a fight with Jon Fitch would go pretty much the same as it did with GSP. Basically there is still and need and desire to see the "Outlaw" fight.

Now Jon Fitch dominated Ben Saunders in their bout but gained another Decision win (that's some form of Decision in his last 7 fights) but really didn't impress as people can't help but notice he is one-dimensional. Granted that one-dimension is brutally effective, but somebody (besides GSP) is going to figure it out eventually. Dana White still wants Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch to fight but the AKA buddies are not likely to do it. It would clear things up in the division a bit but they will probably schedule Alves/Fitch 2 for the 73rd time. I know its not Thiago's fault but the guy pulls out more than Peter North. People are just getting bored of Fitch and it's going to be harder and harder to sell the guy much like Yushin Okami. Things usually shake themselves out in fighting and I would love Koscheck to get the rematch with "Rush" before anyone else.

Frank Mir is not as fragile as people think. Granted, Shane Carwin's left uppercuts in the clinch buckled the former Champion before he was ruthlessly pounded into sleep, but that was the referee's fault. That fight went on far too long to the point Joe Rogan wanted it stopped as did the world. If Dan Miragliotta can't get in position, or is just plain blind or retarded, he should not be allowed to referee fights! That was bad and Mir took so much unnecessary punishment. As far as his fragility keep this in mind, the Heavyweights hit so damn hard anyone can go down quickly. Also, Frankie was pounded out by 280 lb. monsters (Brock & Carwin) not to mention a formally amazing striker in Brandon Vera back when he was still a shell from the motorcycle accident, and Marcio Cruz when he was 8 months pregnant. Mir will be back but he's about to become labeled the dreaded "gatekeeper" of the division.

Shane Carwin has a puncher's chance against Brock Lesnar, and nothing more.

Nate Diaz looked like a badass at Middleweight (nice work Rory), more filled out, and with punching power. His reach is just deadly and you can see how much his striking has improved and now mirrors older brother Nick. Nate is going to be a force as he grows but I dislike his idea of jumping back and forth between Lightweight and Welterweight. Stick to 170 homie. Rory Markham is 1-2 in the UFC and should probably exit Zuffa soon. Losing and being unprofessional don't mix well.

And where, oh where, is the "Batman?" As far as the Lightweight division goes. Kurt Pelligrino earned the "Submission Of The Night" clamping a RNC on Fabricio Camoes and has rattled off 4 consecutive wins. Kurt was in a lot of trouble in the 1st before he face planted the Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt who was riding his back oh so close to a RNC himself. Very impressive defense and all around performance against a very game opponent. Unfortunately, Batty will always be in the mix but that "gatekeeper" label is always going to be there. Why not match him up with another crowd pleaser like Clay Guida for some fun fireworks between to great guys. It might not effect the Lightweight division much but it could also be a "Fight Of The Year" candidate. And that slam was legal UG readers.

Rousimir Palhares was suspended 90 days by the NJSACB for holding the leg lock far too long in his bout with Tomasz Drwal. This is stupid because there is little chance Rousimir would compete within that time so what is the punishment? A monetary fine would be better but thankfully the "Gorilla's" leg had no breaks in the MRI. Still ridiculous and remember when Renato "Babalu" Sobral got bounced by Zuffa for choking out David Heath and not releasing the hold which was beautiful. I'm just saying.

Funny Verbage

Kudos to Brock Lesnar as he entered the Octagon to meet #1 contender/Interim Champion Shane Carwin when he said, "It was a good fight. He’s still wearing a belt that’s a make-believe belt. It’s all good. I got the championship belt. That’s the bottom line." Good show jackass.

Joe Rogan was nice enough to point out the rubberguard technique was useless against GSP which Rogan's best friend Eddie Bravo had been teaching Hardy for the last few years. Represent 10th planet!

Mike Goldberg said, "Give GSP all the credit." to which Joe Rogan responded, "Who else would you give the credit to?" It was a "meteoric rise" for "well spoken athletics."

UFC 111 Results: GSP, Nate Diaz, & Shane Carwin Embarrass The Competition!

Matt Riddle wins by DQ via Illegal Upkick against Greg Soto. I'm not even going to address the fact that the kid quit because he knew it would give him the fight. Oh, I guess I just did.

Jared Hamman defeated Rodney Wallace by Unanimous Decision leaving me a bit shocked. "Sho-Nuff" is officially on the snide. * "Fight Of The Night" winner.

Rousimar Palhares Heel Hook'd Tomasz Drwal into a Submission that had the "Gorilla" screaming in pain! Drwal slipped after a kick on the Bud Light symbol (way to go guys) and that is all the Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt needs to rip your leg off. "Toquinho" says he didn't mean to hold the lock too long but he did. The referee bounced into him and was waving doing everything possible to inform the Brazilian, who is English challenged, to stop. Thomasz may be hurt bad and Palhares should be fined.

Ricardo Almeida landed a big elbow which led to the RNC on the underwhelming Matt Brown in a boring bout.

Nate Diaz represents Stockton and the Middleweight division (his opponent didn't come near making the weight limit for Welterweight) as he earns a TKO victory over Rory Markham in the very 1st round. Rory would throw 1 punch and be met by 4. The scene just replayed itself over and over as Diaz looked much better at 170 lbs. with more powerful strikes, and abused Markham. I like how the weight was never even an issue for Nate who just wanted to whoop some ass and did just that. Bet.

Jim Miller was not going to lose in his hometown as he got the Unanimous Decision over Mark Bocek. It was a better fight than I thought it would be. After all, Mark didn't leave on a stretcher.

Jon Fitch did what he do racking up another Unanimous Decision win over Ben Saunders. I love the courage of "Kill-B" but his game is not advantageous against an AKA wrestler.

Kurt Pellegrino hits the RNC on Fabricio Camoes to get "Batman" to a 4 fight winning streak, also in his homeland. "Submission Of The Night" in impressive style.

Shane Carwin KO'd Frank Mir with his just brutal devastating striking in the 1st round. People have questioned Mir's sturdiness in the past, but this is just juggernaut power that if touches you, destroys you. Sorry Frank, that rubbermatch with Brock Lesnar just ain't gonna happen but maybe ole Shane can shock the intestinal holed Champ as well. "KO Of The Night"

Georges St. Pierre just plain shut down Dan Hardy winning every round in a dominant never even remotely close title fight. Poor "Outlaw" had nothing for "Rush" and though the guy has a lot of heart, he got embarrassed tonight. 2 Decision wins in a row and let's begin to count the idiots who say "but he doesn't finish fights."

8-2 on the picks ladies. Well that was an average at best night of fighting. Eh.

UFC 111: Georges St.Pierre vs Dan Hardy Predictions & Prognostications

UFC 111: March 27, 2010
Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

Main Bouts (PPV):
Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre (19-2) vs. Dan Hardy (23-6) GSP is absolutely jacked up for this fight and comes in the huge favorite. We all know the Matt Serra story but so does "Rush," and he has a full grasp of history going into the fight against a heavy handed striker with an average ground game. GSP is going to steamroll him into takedowns which will spell the end of the night for the "Outlaw." There is no reason to stand and trade and I seriously doubt Pierre will. Hardy will throw atomic bombs but he'll have mere seconds to do it before he lands on his back and begins eating elbows and knees. Dominance will be the name of the game in this short title fight.

WINNER-GSP by Submission Rd.2

Frank Mir (13-4) vs. Shane Carwin (11-0) (for Interim Heavyweight Title) Mir again looks to become the Interim champion as Carwin looks to prove himself against a decent fighter of which he has little on his resume. Shane may be undefeated but he has beaten absolutely nobody worth a damn en route to this psudo-title shot. Mir has had success and failures against the best Heavyweights in the world but at least he has faced them. With the rubber match against Brock Lesnar looming, Frank would have to be an idiot to believe his "new standup striking" is a good idea against a limited wrestler whose only true weapon is very, very heavy hands. Even if Mir out struck Shane, that 1-punch KO power is always waiting. Just ask Gabe Gonzaga who was winning their fight before the crippling right hand landed. I also believe the longer this fight goes, the more it favors the once cardio challenged Mir, as Carwin has never even seen the 2nd round in his career. He will Saturday as Frank wears him down before the eventual submission and more comments about maiming and killing Brock Lesnar in the Octagon make everyone feel awkward.

WINNER-Frank Mir Rd.3 Submission

Kurt Pellegrino (14-4) vs. Fabricio Camoes (10-4-1) "Batman" gets bumped into the main card and fights "Morango" who I seriously doubt will be ready for Kurt's better all around game. Also, Pelligrino is near his hometown and has been on a roll like calamari so look for an Upset Pick somewhere else.

WINNER-Batman by Decision

Jon Fitch (21-3) vs. Ben Saunders (8-1-2) Thiago Alves has pulled out of his 80th bout in a row (seriously guy WTF), and "Killa-B" actually asked to step in and face the dominant #2 of the Welterweight division! Careful what you wish for fighting a guy who has 1 21 of his last 22 fights with honestly, a 1 dimensional style. It just so happens Fitch is so damn good at the G&P, that nobody can hang with him (save for GSP of course). "Killa-B" brings a Joker smile intensity, length advantage, and those Muay Thai knees. He, like Dan Hardy, needs to throw while he can before he lands on his back for a 3 round beating. Ya know I love ya "Killa-B," but you may not be ready for this dog yet.

WINNER-Jon Fitch by Decision

Jim Miller (16-2) vs. Mark Bocek (8-2) Um, in Jimmy's hometown against a guy who will have nothing for him.

WINNER-Jim Miller by whatever he feels like

Prelims (On SpikeTV):
Nate Diaz (11-5) vs. Rory Markham (16-5) A round of applause for Rory who didn't even come close to making weight (177 lbs.) and then had the audacity to try and stare down not only Nate but big brother Nick as well. Bad move homie as Nate is going to use he reach advantage to get near you, and then judo throw you to the floor where you will be tapped out for the 1st time in your career right before you exit the UFC.

WINNER-Nate Diaz by Rd.2 Submission

Ricardo Almeida (11-3) vs. Matt Brown (11-7) I've never been overly impressed by Brown and if this fight hits the mat, the "Big Dog" will own it. Ricardo and Matt have both shown endurance problems but Brown should have that fixed thanks to trainer extraordinaire Matt Hume, while Almeida is experimenting for the 1st time with the Welterweight division. Barring that big power shot from Brown, Ricardo should win fairly easy.

WINNER-Big Dog by Decision

Prelims (Non-Televised)
Jared Hamman (11-2) vs. Rodney Wallace (9-1) "Sho-Nuff" back in the hizzle after suffering his 1st career loss in his UFC debut against the tough Marine Brian Stann. Hamman looks like a skinny accountant but he will have a serious reach advantage and can throw a punch quite well. I just think "The Master" will steamroll him thanks to the chip on his shoulder and well spoken athleticism.

WINNER-Sho-Nuff by KO Rd.1

Tomasz Drwal (17-2-1) vs. Rousimar Palhares (10-2) The unexciting "Gorilla" meets the little brick house that submits in a who will be relevant in the Middleweight division fight. I like the little fella to as always, find a way to drag you to the floor where he will molest you into a tapout. I mean that in the nicest way.

WINNER-"Toquinho" by Rd.2 Submission

Greg Soto (7-0) vs. Matt Riddle (3-1) Maybe I just hate this little brat that much, but I'm smelling an upset from Kurt Pelligrino's protege here. Sadly Matt will just lay on top of him for 3 rounds and then go home to his mom's house. God somebody beat this bitch outta the UFC.

WINNER-Blanket by Decision

Fedor Emelianenko vs Fabricio Werdum in June!

We have all heard the rumors that the WAMMA Heavyweight Champion of the world, Fedor Emelianenko, was going to fight Hidehiko Yoshida in Astra, some scrub in an exhibition for M-1 (that may still happen), and most likely Rickson Gracie. It turns out as the contract dispute between M-1 Global and Strikeforce is still on, but Fedor will be stepping back in the cage to face Fabricio Werdum in a 5 round fight for the WAMMA title.

Strikeforce President Scott Coker finally spoke up on the situation saying, "Fedor is now scheduled to fight in June towards the end of the month in America against Fabricio Werdum." When asked about the potential bout with Yoshida, Coker said. "I've heard the rumors as well, and as I know more I will let the media know in American, and let the media know here, but I believe that's just a rumor."

I'm just glad the "Last Emperor" is coming back and as a fellow fan of Ping Pong, I believe Fedor and I could be best friends forever. Why hasn't he contacted me yet?

DREAM 13 Results: The Deadly Toe Hold

Ikuhisa Minowa finally got a Toe Hold on the big wop/Jersey Shore lookin' Jimmy Ambriz for the submission in round 2. "Minowaman" now rides a 4 fight winning streak and must, I say must get a title shot soon. But which weight class? Oh Minowa, you King of the freak fights.

Katsunori Kikuno never let Kuniyoshi Hironaka get his game going as he quickly dispatched his opponent with a KO punch that put the lights right out.

Cole Escovedo landed a highlight reel Head Kick KO to Yoshiro Maeda in the 1st round of their fight. A right leg kick landed and Maeda bent down to try and block which led to the full power unchecked left kick that sent him skidding across the mat and into DREAMland!

Ryo Chonan defeats Andrews Nakahara by Unanimous Decision and who cares?

KJ Noons also got a Unanimous Decision win in his MMA return over Andre Amado and fuck that stupid Hawaiian.

Josh Barnett was able to submit Siala Siliga but not before the Californian made a game of it. "Mighty Mo" stunned Josh early on and even dropped him with a punch Barnett quickly recovered from. The “Babyfat Assassin” was landing some leg kicks when an errant one caught "Mo" in the pills dropping him to the canvas in obvious pain. After some well deserved recovery time, “Mighty” stuffed some takedown attempts. Josh’s clinch game to get the takedown was failing but the double-leg did not. From there Josh put on the tight Kimura to seal the victory.
*Nice effort from "Mo" on about 2 weeks notice but we didn’t gain any new information on Barnett. He’ll slowly work his way back into the Heavyweight world scene before failing another drug test down the line and becoming a full time fake pro wrestler.

Bibiano Fernandes retained the Featherweight title over Joachim Hansen in a very close Split-Decision. This fight was fast, back and forth, and all over the map. Bibiano would get the takedown but "Hellboy" would punish him from his back over and over again. Toward the end of the fight I thought Hansen was pulling away for the win and landed a vicious uppercut that sent Fernandes' mouth piece flying. 2 judges saw things the other way and maybe this fight should have just been ruled a draw. Either way, Joachim looked just fine at his new Featherweight home and we definitely need a rematch here.

5-2 on the picks pro's.

UFC On Versus #1 Results: "Bones" Jones, Dos Santos, & "Doomsday" Howard Destroy

Jason Brilz defeats Eric Schafer by Decision perhaps giving "Red" the pink slip.

Mike Pierce swept the cards against Julio Paulino winning a lopsided Decision.

Brendan Schaub fulfills the prophecy and TKO's punching bag Chase Gormley at 0:47 of the 1st stanza in his home town.

The creative haired John Howard KO'd Daniel Roberts through the mat in the very 1st round leaving the UFC rookie with his 1st loss. "Doomsday" had trouble early as he was put on his heels from the git go as Roberts took him down and went for submission after submission. However, the powerful and some might say "athletic" Howard pulled a slam and then threw a left hand that just starched Daniel for an uncomfortably long time. Daniel is OK while John now has a quiet 7 fight winning streak.

Darren Elkins is gifted a TKO win over Duane Ludwig who injured his ankle quickly into the bout. If you don't like nasty injuries do not watch this fight.

Vladimir Matyushenko won a razor thin Split-Decision over Eliot Marshall. It now begs the question, can you get cut for winning if you are the most boring fighter on the planet?

Clay Guida took care of business as he slapped an Arm-Traingle Choke on Shannon Gugerty to earn the tapout in the 2nd. Clay said after the bout he was mad about his performances against Diego Sanchez (2009 "Fight Of The Year") and Kenny Florian so somebody had to pay. The "Carpenter" should get matched up with someone like Sam Stout, Caol Uno, or Kurt Pelligrino.

Alessio Sakara punched James Irvin in the face getting the TKO win. The "Sandman" claimed he was poked in the eye but it was a knuckle shot to the face and nothing wrong with that. Irvin just plain sucks and looked even worse at 185 lbs. Listen, you can hear the minor leagues calling James home and unfortunately we are stuck with Sakara for a bit longer.

Cheick Kongo elbowed Paul Buentello in the thigh causing an odd tapout. Paul has no business fighting in the UFC and that was a sad win for the average Sammy Sosa wannabe.

Junior dos Santos cracked Gabriel Gonzaga in the dome dropping him to the canvas where "Cigano" unloaded until "Napao" was out cold. Jr. is just sick and getting better. This guy deserves a title shot before Frank Mir and Shane Carwin. Ah well.

Finally, Jon Jones defeats Brandon Vera with a straight up brutal elbow (legal this time) and sets the Light Heavyweight division on notice that "Bones" is here for your soul. Vera just couldn't hang with the 22 year old and will probably come out of this saying "I'm not playing around anymore" like he does every time he loses. "Bones" is nasty, exciting, and going to whoop some ass in the UFC. Bring on the victims!

7-4 on the picking game and guess what? The Versus network sucks and so does Mediacom! Also, this event sucked. Only 2 fights were actually competitive and the rest complete blow outs. Lame beginning on Versus.

DREAM 13 Picks

DREAM 13: March 22 ON HDNET
Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Japan

Bibiano Fernandez (7-2) vs. Joachim Hansen (19-8-1) The "Flash" defends his DREAM Featherweight crown for the 1st time as he faces the former DREAM Lightweight Champion "Hellboy." Bibby is a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner while Hansen prefers to use Muay Thai brutality in this clash of styles. "Hellboy" has dealt with the floor fighters before and I think he has little problem putting Fernandez to sleep providing he can make the weight cut. Joachim is about to become a multi-division champion for DREAM.

WINNER-Hellboy by Rd.1 TKO
Josh Barnett (24-5) vs. Siala Siliga (3-1) The "Babyfat Assassin" returns to action without drug testing to ensure the fight with K-1's "Mighty Mo" comes off. Don't expect much here as Barnett takes down the Humpty Dumpty built Californian who will not be able to defend on his turtle like back. Barnett runs a clinic here as he tries to climb back into relevance after yet another run in with the steroid monster.

WINNER-Josh Barnett Rd.1 Submission
K.J. Noons (7-2) vs. Andre Amade (6-3-1) KJ returns to MMA repping Strikeforce in this co-mingling of talent that the sport so desperately needs and the UFC refuses to do. "Dida" has lost 3 in a row and is especially susceptible to the KO so who do you think wins here?

WINNER-KJ Noons Rd.2 TKO
Katsunori Kikuno (12-2-2) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (16-6) "Kit Kat" surprised everyone by almost stealing a win from Eddie Alverez last time out and Hironaka will be more than happy to exchange on the feet with him. A coin flip standup battle here but Kuniyoshi is defending the honor of DEEP here as their Lightweight Champion though I think it will all be for nought in the end.

WINNER-Kit Kat by TKO
Ryo Chonan (16-10) vs. Andrews Nakahara (2-1) The "Piranha" is also repping DEEP here against a green yet decent fighter from Brazil that I know very little about. What I do know is that Ryo is nearing the end of his career while Andrews is just beginning his.

UPSET PICK WINNER-Andrews Nakahara by Decision
Ikuhisa Minowa (44-30-8) vs. Jimmy Ambriz (14-12-1) The "Super-Hulk Champion" and mountain tamer/fan favorite is back again against another giant with little skill. I could see this fight going either way but I'll play it safe and go with the "Japanese Punk" to find a way as he tends to do in these freak fights.

WINNER-Ikuhisa Minowa by Decision or late Submission
Cole Escovedo (15-4) vs. Yoshiro Maeda (26-7-2) The "Apache Kid" rides a 4 fight winning streak into this 135 lb. fight while Maeda looks to capitalize on his current duo streak. This is a close match in my book with both men well rounded and ready to scrap. I like Escovedo to surprise a lot of people in this close match gaining a nice big win in Japan.

UPSET PICK WINNER-Cole Escovedo by Decision

UFC On Versus #1 Picks

UFC On VERSUS: March 21, 2010
1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado

Main Bouts (On Versus):
Jon Jones (9-1) vs. Brandon Vera (11-4) Oh the odds makers hate on Vera who seems to refuse to finish a fight (Randy Couture) but lets not count out the "Truth" just yet. That egregious decision against the aforementioned "Natural" may stick in his craw enough to bring the funk that made him so impressive back in 2006. I don't think so, but you never know. "Bones" is going to bring hell as he always does and Brandon just cannot hang with the 22 year old crazy inventive striker with really good wrestling that people underestimate. The constantly jobbed Vera will most likely be finished for the 1st time in his career (sorry Fabricio Werdum that was an early stoppage) and may be looking for new employment as his world continues to crumble around his once feared legs. Anyone else feel this loss is going to make Vera snap into a Quinton Jackson-esque insane state?

WINNER-Bones Jones by Rd.3 TKO
Junior Dos Santos (10-1) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4) The match gets remade after "Napao" got hurt the 1st time around and shows he has no fear or perhaps no common sense. Jr. is about to become the representative of Black House as "Big Nog" fades and "Cigano" begins his rise to what I believe will be an eventual title shot. The Gonzaga bulldog matches up well with him especially with a better floor plan, but Santos is just too fast and powerful with fluid movement as opposed to slow and steady Gabe. It will be a good solid fight but Jr.'s fists lead the way to the judges nod (*Neither man has ever gone to decision in their careers and I inexplicably think that is what will happen here?)

WINNER-Cigano by Decision
Cheick Kongo (14-6-1) vs. Paul Buentello (27-11) How exactly did the "Headhunter" age 50 years between facing Kirill Sidelnikov and Stefan Struve? I don't know either but he did and the not even average Kongo is younger, stronger, and more powerful in route to a stoppage of Paul who will exit the UFC again for the last time. I'll miss you Burrito (UG respect).

WINNER-Cheick Kongo by Rd.2 KO
James Irvin (14-5) vs. Alessio Sakara (14-7) Jeezus, 2 guys who throw bombs and have suspect jaws. Both of these guys suck balls and neither should be in the UFC but following Houston Alexander around the minor circuit. Who wins who cares?

WINNER-James Irvin by KO

Prelims (Non-Televised):
Clay Guida (25-11) vs. Shannon Gugerty (12-4) How in the hell is the "Carpenter" not on the TV show while forcing us to watch 2 horribly limited fighters in Irvin and Sakara? Anywho, Guida returns after a RNC loss to the venerable Kenny Florian while the tough Gugerty is adept on the floor, he is going to be stalked like celery and punished as Clay flexes the new work with the Greg Jackson camp. Clay may be crude as oil, but unrefined and slick enough to let out his lion's mane and take out a man named Shannon.

WINNER-Clay Guida Rd.3 Submission
Eliot Marshall (8-1) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (23-4) An intriguing match up between the young unimpressive TUF alum who has decided to learn the game, and the aging quickly "Janitor." Sure Vlad has all the experience in the world and can bore his opponents into sleep before they realize they have lost a decision, but he keeps slowing down and will not evolve past his current state. Eliot has put some good work into his hands and the floor is fine but this is a big step up from the likes of Jason Brilz. I'll take my famous and always incorrect Upset Pick Special to end the run of the old man.

UPSET PICK WINNER-Eliot Marshall by (yawn) Decision
Duane Ludwig (19-10) vs. Darren Elkins (9-1) "Bang" is supposed to run game on Elkins but Darren can throw hands as well and possesses some semblance of a ground game which the Bas Rutten protege never learned. Still, the K-1 ability should come through enough to frustrate Elkins before the inevitable TKO.

WINNER-Bang Ludwig by Rd.2 Stoppage
John Howard (13-4) vs. Daniel Roberts (9-0) "Doomsday" is going to have to work for it but he will find the way if not by stoppage, then by points. Roberts comes in short but give him a proper camp and he'll do alright for the division as a tester for prospects.

WINNER-John Howard by Decision
Brendan Schaub (4-1) vs. Chase Gormley (6-1) Brendan got starched but "Big Country" in the last TUF finals but does have a good game and is coming along as a green fighter. Chase has nothing but wrestling and has little business in the UFC to begin with. This fight was made for Schaub to win so Zuffa can continue to promote the good looking kid and begin to bring him along slowly into the Heavyweight division.

WINNER-Brendan Schaub by TKO Rd.2
Mike Pierce (10-3) vs. Julio Paulino (17-2) Mike put himself on the Welterweight map just by surviving a bout with Jon Fitch though he didn't even win. If the guy would take off the sunglasses he could be a fan favorite for toughness and heart, but Julio is a crazy "Dominican Demon" looking to bring a blitzkrieg upset. Not gonna happen here but I'd like to see the UFC rookie in a stand up war for his next bout. Here he gets smothered and suffocated.

WINNER-Mike Pierce by Decision
Jason Brilz (17-2-1) vs. Eric Schafer (11-4-2) You gotta go with the "Red" here as both guys have not really put the Light Heavy division on notice, but he has a blistering Jiu-Jitsu if he will just use it and avoid the slugfest that usually spells disaster for Eric. Bye bye Brilz.

WINNER-Ginger Pride by Decision

Tito Ortiz Out Of The Ultimate Fighter 11

It was to be the rubbermatch between Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddel after coaching TUF 11. Now things are a bit more complex. Rumors have been circulating about cryptic messages left by Ortiz on his Twitter account. It seems like he was hinting that he and whore/wife Jenna Jameson may be splitting up. The gang bang money shot video prostitute said she was "sad" on her Twitter and "taking the time to take care of her babies." Ortiz wrote "it is time for him to focus on his fighting career full time" and now Ortiz has left TUF 11 though the show is not done shooting.

Zuffa moved fast and has flown out company man Rich Franklin to take over coaching duties and finish out the season. Immediately rumors circled that "Ace" would fight the "Iceman" in what would be a very intriguing fight but Dana White has put those rumblings to rest saying Rich's UFC 115 fight with Randy Couture is still on. No new opponent has been named for Chuck Liddell.

Well its a sad state of affairs when a life long cum dumpster cannot make things work with a steroid headed excuse making broken back having cowardly piece of shit like Tito Ortiz. I cannot believe they didn't make it. Here's hoping they both now die of AIDS, alone (special thanks to Marcus Davis for inspiring that joke).

WEC 47 & Sengoku 12 Results

WEC 47

Dominick Cruz UPSET Brian Bowles by TKO after the former champ broke his hand on the very 1st punch of the fight. After that, it was all Cruz power as he punished Brian to the point he would not answer the bell for round 3.

Joseph Benavidez cut an absolutely hideous gash across the head of Miguel Torres and then secured a deep guillotine which forced the former champ to tapout. "Angel" took 20 stitches to the forehead and cited the cut which caused him to swallow blood while blind, and the eventual end of the fight. This is an even bigger UPSET than the title fight as Miguel drops 2 in a row after a 17 fight winning streak and pure dominance of the 135 lb. division.

Sengoku 12

Jorge Santiago avenged a non-title loss last year by out pointing Mamed Khalidov in a 5 round affair.

Akihiro Gono defeated Diego Gonzalez by decision on a lackluster card gaining a 3rd win in a row. This promotion is really in trouble with this eh card and nothing much planned for the future.