UFC & WEC Merge January 1, 2011

The move was finally announced that the UFC will absorb the WEC in the new year. The 155 lb. Lightweights will join the roster as will the Featherweights (145 lbs.) and the Bantamweights (135 lbs.). This will up the roster of the Zuffa company quite a bit and losing will include banishment much quicker than before. Matt Riddle and Kendall Grove, your days are numbered.

The UFC will continue its relationship with Versus Network putting on 4 shows next year as well as 4 shows with Spike TV (UFC Fight Nights).

What a great opportunity for the always exciting smaller weight classes to really make some money and steal those fight bonuses from the big fellas. Also time for fighters like Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, "Cowboy" Donald Cerrone, Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson, and Miguel "Angel" Torres to become the big stars they should be (I already consider Urijah Faber a well known star).

We will also have the chance to see some amazing fights we have always dreamed of like perhaps a rematch of Urijah Faber and Tyson Griffin or Clay Guida vs Jose Aldo etc. There are a ton of good match ups out there and now fighters can go to the weight classes the should be fighting out without "losing" money or standing in MMA by going to a lighter weight class.

The 1st major business will be the situation with 2 Lightweight Champions. Ben Henderson will defend the WEC Lightweight title against Anthony Petitis at WEC 53 December 16th in Arizona with the winner facing the UFC Lightweight Champion which will be decided at UFC 125 January 1, 2011, between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. At 1st glance I'm betting we see Ben Henderson vs Gray Maynard but that's just me.

More money, more fights, and more fighters means a win, win, win for the fans and Zuffa alike. I am personally very excited that the lighter weight classes have a chance at the spotlight which I believe they will steal. If the UFC needs more roster space they can always cut Tito Ortiz' boated salary down to 0, since he hasn't even won a fight in 4 years.

And finally the most important news, WEC Ring Girl Brittney Palmer will be joing UFC Ring Girls Arianny Celeste and Chandella Powell. So don't worry fellas.

UFC 121 Post Post (With Pictures)

Notes:

Josh Koscheck told TMZ in an interview after UFC 121, "Tito should retire. He should retire. I was up there yelling at him, like, get your old ass out of the Octagon."

The WWE's professional wrestler the "Undertaker," was ringside for the nights events and caught the eye of Brock Lesnar as he walked by. The two men glared at each other and Brock even stopped briefly in front of the Undertaker who said, "You wanna do it?" Lesnar walked away but reports are swirling that the WWE is interested in bringing back Lesnar for a Wrestlemania event with the Undertaker. The question could be looked at as asking if he'll do the match, if Brock wanted to fight ('Taker said the two's issues were "personal"), or perhaps to meet up later for sex.

Tito Ortiz made no excuses in the post fight presser save that he came back from surgeries that would retire a normal human man and still came off as an irrelevant to the Light Heavyweight division has been.

Brendan Schaub is feeling his oats and called out Frank Mir for his next bout.

Daniel Roberts could not stop smiling after his impressive "Submission Of The Night" and even gave teammate Jake Shields a hard time, claiming he didn't get a submission against Martin Kampmann so "Ninja" could get the bonus money.

Court McGee broke his right hand in the 2nd round of his fight and admitted to being quite nervous but battle back from being knocked down multiple times to secure a submission win.

Brock Lesnar & The Undertaker Meet After UFC 121

UFC 121 Results:The Man Called Cain Dethrones Brock Lesnar

Jon Madsen takes down the "Hurricane" Gilbert Yvel and pounds him out via TKO, in the very 1st round. Good. Yvel doesn't deserve to be in the UFC anyway.

Chris Camozzi took a very questionable Split-Decision win over Dongi Yang. Oh god these judges.

Sam Stout and Paul Taylor had the exciting bout everyone expected with the "Hands Of Stone" winning by Split Decision as expected.

Daniel Roberts throttled Michael Guymon before securing the Anaconda Choke in the 1st stanza. The "Joker" is a good guy but I'm just not so sure that he belongs on the big show. The Cesar Gracie Camp fighter came out swinging and once Mike was back peddling, he went in for the sweep and took him into a guillotine, then moved to a standing Anaconda Choke, before swinging his hips out and taking them both to the floor where the tap was inevitable. We'll see what the new "Ninja" can do from here. "Submission Of The Night" (and a candidate for Submission Of The Year)

Tom Lawlor defeats Patrick Cote by Unanimous Decision. I don’t care if I never watch Tom Lawler ever again. I know, I know, if you can’t stop dominant wrestling its your own fault, but this was boring L&P with just enough work to avoid the stand up most of the time. Cote should be embarrassed for not solving his ground game deficiencies and doing so little on the feet. Nice obvious illegal fence grab to get out of an arm triangle choke by the Predator in the 1st. Cote might get fired and unfortunately we’ll have to see “Filthy” again.

Brendan Schaub defeats Gabriel Gonzaga by Unanimous Decision in a spirited affair. Schaub was far faster with really nice technical striking and was just so much faster while pressing the action until both men gassed for the 3rd. The game slowed severely at the end but for the crowd to boo this stand up affair was just greedy. The "Hybrid" has a lot of potential and this beating up a talented Heavyweight gatekeeper will only serve his career well.

Matt Hamill defeats Tito Ortiz by Unanimous Decision proving the "Huntington Beach Bad Boy's" relevance in the UFC is over. Tito came out with a strong attack early which helped him take the 1st round. After that, it was expected as the shots failed and Hamill landed more on the feet with his normally inadequate striking. Tito was cut and moused up at the end and is still highly promotable with his big mouth and past standing, but his sun is setting fast. Matt gets a nice win and then loses when he faces top 10 Light Heavyweight competition.

Diego Sanchez defeats Paulo Thiago by Unanimous Decision. A judge had this fight 30-27 which is laughable and 1 even gave Diego a 10-8 round which is ridiculous. Still, Diego powered back from a tough 1st round and with a screaming slam and that never tiring work ethic put the Brazilian cop to rest in the Welterweight discussion. The "Nighmare" is back with the help of Greg Jackson and company while Thiago is going to look to stay employed as more than a gatekeeper for the division. "Fight Of The Night"

Jake Shields defeats Martin Kampmann by a razor close Split Decision. Jake must have had a bad weight cut returning to Welterweight from Middleweight as he gassed early and looked dead by the end of the fight. His saving grace was a good start and Marty being happy to keep the ground game close instead of staying on the feet where he may have been able to stop the new Welterweight #1 contender. Does this lackluster win keep Shields from a title shot with GSP? I don't think so. Yes, Shields was off a bit tonight and very weak for a guy who last went 25 minutes with Dan Henderson after almost being put away in the opening frame, but he has won 15 fights in a row which is a list of the best Welterweights not in the UFC today. Despite the tough 1st outing in the UFC, Jake more than deserves the title shot and will be prepared for the seemingly unbeatable GSP.

Cain Velasquez dethrones Brock Lesnar by TKO in the initial round. Brock came out strong and fast but also wreck less like a train running off the tracks. Off balance and stumbling, Lesnar was caught against the cage with his hands down and Velasquez landed well timed and accurate strikes along with a brutal knee that put Brock back on the canvas. It was too much too soon for Brock as he shot his wad while Cain retained remarkable poise and began the G&P which Lesnar had no answer for much like the former Champion gave to Frank Mir in their rematch. Brock ate a lot of good strikes and turtled up as Cain brought hell to the moused up and bleeding Champion. The referee stepped in and nobody could save Lesnar this time (sorry Shane Carwin) as the 2nd Mexican Heavyweight Champion (Ricco Rodriguez was the 1st as a partial Mexican) was crowned in emphatic fashion. Such poise and a high level fight I.Q. earned the proud Latino the strap and the accolades. "(T)KO Of The Night"

* Next for Cain is Junior Dos Santos and avoiding the stand up war while returning to his wrestling roots. For Brock, a finale with the needed rubbermatch and Frank Mir, makes financial success with all the pre-fight trash talk and a definitive Lesnar victory to make the former champ the #1 contender and selling that future PPV as well.

8-3 on the picks though I feel Dongi Yang got a bit robbed.

UFC 121 Lesnar vs Velasquez: Pick Predictions

UFC 121

Main Card (On PPV)
UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez The "biggest Heavyweight title fight of all time" comes to fruition with the horrible penis tattoo versus the potentially racist tattoo. Lesnar is coming in from a shaky win over Shane Carwin (who I think should have won the fight that the referee should have stopped) but leaner and as mean as always. "Brown Pride" just has game everywhere and if, if he can survive the early juggernaut's attack, the cardio plays into his favor as does his heavy handed stand up prowess. Brock can KO you with his toaster fists but can he catch Velasquez? I'm not so sure Cain doesn't keep this fight standing where he sticks and moves while avoiding the takedown at all costs. Its really a pick em fight but I do see some chinks in the heavy armor of the Champion that Cain will exploit with a smart safe gameplan and a 2nd wind near the end of the night.

WINNER-Cain Velasquez by Decision

Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann The great long awaited debut of Shields comes against the very well rounded and nearing a title shot himself, "Hitman." Marty should try to keep this standing where the advantage is his, but Shields always finds a way to floor opponents during his 14 fight win streak. Kampmann is good, but he's no Dan Henderson and Jake is hungry and desperate to impress. I like Jake to find the positions to win the fight though it should be competitive.

WINNER-Jake Shields by Decision

Paulo Thiago vs. Diego Sanchez This could be a real interesting fight with "Nightmare" clinging to relevance in the UFC and bringing the "Yes!" crazy. Thiago is a bad ass who will spank the insane attack style of Sanchez and keep him on the end of big punches. If they do go to the floor the Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt is more than capable of hanging with the wrestler and the size and power will be the difference as Diego hits a wall in his career.

WINNER-Paulo Thiago by Decision

Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill Tito said Hamill has a "softer head" because he is deaf! "What?" is pissed and looking to destroy his old mentor to defend the deaf community. Nobody believes Ortiz has anything left to give and against a younger better version of himself, the talking won't save him. Matt is a better striker with stopping power and is probably better than Frito on the floor as well. Hopefully Matt pounds Tito through the mat claiming he could not hear the referee tell him to stop, but we will probably go to the cards and another unnecessary Tito ortiz excuse-fest after the students hand is raised.

WINNER-Matt Hamill by Decision

Brendan Schaub vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Its the new super-athletic Heavyweight versus the gatekeeper of the division who should be a world beater, but is known for crumbling when challenged or hurt which happens more and more. This fight is hard to pick though and I feel Brendan is still a bit green though his KO power disagrees. "Napao's" chin is pretty questionable at this point and I lean toward the "Hybrid" finding the sleep button and following it up with some fight ending G&P.

WINNER-Brendan Schaub by Rd.2 TKO

Prelims (On Spike TV)

Court McGee vs. Ryan Jensen I could not be less impressed with either of these guys though like Mike Guymon, McGee is a great story coming back from drug addiction. This has all the makings for a very boring fight. The "Crusher" has enough game to control on the floor if things get dicey on the feet not that Ryan is a very good striker. This is a build up fight for McGee and a win via judges nod.

WINNER-Court McGee by Decision

Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor I like the "Predator 2" ta to stop the "Filthy" one perhaps after he settles down a bit. Its been a long road back for Cote but he has 1 punch KO power and takedown defense to frustrate Lawlor who must be on top to be competitive. Cote will find a home for that hammer of Thor hand and sends Tom out of the UFC.

WINNER-Patrick Cote by Rd.2 TKO

Prelims (Non-Televised)
Michael Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts Neither guy here really impresses though the "Joker" is a good story (battling depression & suicide) but I think Roberts has too many tools in the box. Dan can win anywhere and Guymon won't impress the Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu student which is kinda his only option.

UPSET WINNER-Daniel Roberts by Decision

Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor This is going to be an exciting stand up war. Taylor always lives up to his name "Relentless" though his crazy sloppy striking is going earn him a drumming at the "Hands Of Stone." Stout is too technical and can keep distance with leg kicks while picking Paul apart. Should be exciting because Sam can't seem to stop anyone and Paul can absorb the punishment.

WINNER-Sam Stout by Decision

Gilbert Yvel vs. Jon Madsen The "Hurricane" has to bring the old furor to remain employed against his greatest weakness, a wrestler that L&P's for 15 minutes. Yvel is going to got crazy instantly but I'm guessing he will be taken down and dry humped.

WINNER-Jon Madsen by Decision

Dongi Yang vs. Chris Camozzi I like to say Dongi and I think he does win his UFC debut. The "Ox" is a South Korean buzz saw that has stopped every opponent (all but 1 by [T]KO) in his young 10-0 record. Camozzi is a TUF throwaway that doesn't impress anywhere and has a jackass looking grenade tattooed in the center of his chest. C'mon! Yang makes it good for the fans and gets a stoppage.

WINNER-Dongi Yank by Rd.1 TKO

UFC 120 Results: The Underdogs Rule The Day

Fabio Maldonado ends James McSweeney run in the UFC with a TKO.

Spencer Fisher defeated Kurt Warburton by Unanimous Decision.

Paul Sass tapped Mark Holst with a Triangle Choke. Everyone needs to watch this cat fight. He just constantly pulls guard but does it in an exciting way before the inevitable tap. "Submission Of The Night"

Rob Broughton subs Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz by RNC.

Alexander Gustafsson upsets Cyrille Diabate by RNC Submission.

Claude Patrick defeats James Wilks by Unanimous Decision.

Cheick Kongo and Travis Browne battle to a Draw. Travvy came out gunning but could not put away Kongo in the 1st round. In the 2nd, Cheick brought out the leg kicks and began the trend of leaning against the cage and illegally grabbing shorts. Browne was ready to gun again for the final round but Kongo didn't want to fight and instead held Travis against the cage grabbing his shorts until a point was taken away and the judges still could not get the decision correct.

* We learned here the judges are still stupid and Kongo's days in the UFC are nearing a close. Perhaps we'll get a rematch here with the rare Draw, but Browne could be interesting if he gets some cardio and a game plan.

Mike Pyle shocks John Hathaway and take the Unanimous Decision. Pyle just out grappled, out hustled, and out gunned the British prospect who was caught completely off guard. That's a veteran fighter, trained well at Xtreme Couture, and hungrier than the media darling rook.

* John has a ton of time at 23 to develop into what everyone thinks he will be and "Quicksand" looks for a step up in competition and perhaps a "name"opponent.

Carlos Condit KO's Dan Hardy in the very 1st round. The "Outlaw" never seemed to find the distance and rhythm but Condit came out firing and his stand up has never looked better. So much for Greg Jackson fighters being "boring" as "NBK" shocks all of England.

* Condit meets the winner of Shields/Kampmann and Hardy gets the loser of GSP/Koscheck 2.

Michael Bisping puts it all together and defeats a very tough Yoshihiro Akiyama by Unanimous Decision. "Sexyama" hurt Bisping with the very 1st punch of the night, but the "Count" recovered and just took the fight. The boxing was so crisp even thought the takedowns were not. Akiyama was game to scrap and the fight was good, but kept looking for the big bomb instead of fighting his fight. A brutal shot to the pills and Yoshi is floored on the mat and spent a long time in anguish. Akiyama should be commended on continuing the fight at all but Bisping would not be denied and ran away with the spoon.

* Bisping thinks he's 1 fight away from the title but he is crazy. A possible rematch with Wanderlei Silva or a bout with Demian Maia.

6-4 on the picks. Awful.

UFC 120 in England & FREE on Spike TV!

UFC 120: OCTOBER 16, 2010
O2 Arena in London, England

Not sure why there is so much hate on a FREE card but you'll tune in anyway. I find a lot of intriguing bouts on this card as well as many new faces which is always interesting. This is simply a warm up card before "Brocktober's" big PPV finale next week so take it for what it is. Also if you don't think Hardy/Condit is going to be an exciting, bloody, and vicious affair, you are mistaken.

Main Bouts (On Spike TV):
Michael Bisping (19-3) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-2) "Sexyama" gassed out against Chris Leben in a fight he should have won while Bisping cautiously defeated Dan Miller by Decision in their respective last outings. I'm not sure Akiyama will be able to catch the "Count" who will use his speed and accuracy to out point Yoshihiro as he does most opponents. Akiyama has the power to finish the fight while Bisping does not, but he'll never get close enough.

WINNER-Mike Bisping by Decision

Dan Hardy (23-7) vs. Carlos Condit (25-5) The "Outlaw" is always jacked up and fun to watch but with a bitter taste in his mouth after getting schooled by GSP, he has taken the time to make his game, especially wrestling, better. Now put Hardy back in his homeland and of course the trash talk that "NBK" never cares for, and we have the makings of a war. Carlos fears nothing and will scratch and claw his way to victory even when it seems he is out of the fight (much like in his last outing versus Rory MacDonald). Matching up Hardy has the better striking but Condit is more adept on the floor though he will be drawn into Dan's style of a brawl because Carlos just can't resist. That will be his undoing. Sticking to the Greg Jackson game plan would make it close, but I believe we are about to see a new Hardy fight the old way winning on the cards in front of his peeps.

WINNER-Dan Hardy by Decision

John Hathaway (14-0) vs. Mike Pyle (19-7-1) The cat is out of the bag with Hathaway but that isn't going to help Pyle much. The Brit is a large Welterweight while Mike is a skinny minnie. Pyle can catch anyone in his submission web, but Hathaway has the power, striking, and enough takedown defense that I don't see a whole lot going Mikey's way.

WINNER-John Hathaway by Decision

Cheick Kongo (15-6-1) vs. Travis Browne (10-0) Again with the Kongo guy? Damn I hate watching a guy this big who fights so poorly. Browne showed a lot of power in his 1st UFC date by putting out James McSweeney in the very 1st round. I'm going waaay out on a limb here but judging by Kongo's conservative style, I think he'll be caught a bit off guard by a no fear rookie who is going to bring the thunder immediately.

UPSET WINNER-Travis Browne by Rd.1 KO

James Wilks (7-3) vs. Claude Patrick (12-1) Oh I gots Claude for days here. People are going to learn this soft spoken cats name very soon as he begins to rise through the ranks. Wilks doesn't impress me much and Patrick should not have too much trouble getting "Lightening" outta there early.

WINNER-The "Prince" by some sorta Choke in Rd.2

Prelims (Non-Televised):
Cyrille Diabate (16-6-1) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (9-1) I screamed for the "Snake" to be in the UFC for years and he made me proud in his debut by stopping Luis Cane. Unfortunately, the Swede is pretty brutal and has only stumbled against Phil Davis who is going to be a future star. Diabate can't hang on the ground and though Alex doesn't like to spend time there, he can. As long as he trained for the southpaw style, I think Gustafsson runs away with the decision but might even earn the TKO.

UPSET WINNER-Alex Gustafsson by Rd.2 TKO

Rob Broughton (14-5-1) vs. Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz (5-1) The chubby dough boy from England, or the killer from Chute Boxe. C'mon. You should know who I'm picking.

WINNER-"VKQ" by Rd.1 KO

Stanislav Nedkov (10-0) vs. Steve Cantwell (7-3) The "All-American Robot" should run game on the Bulgarian all night long.

WINNER-Steve Cantwell by Decision

Mark Holst (8-2) vs. Paul Sass (10-0) We have 2 hot prospects here but I don't think Holst is quite ready while "Sassangle" (whatever the hell that means?) is just wrestling skills away from being scary.

WINNER-Paul Sass by "Sassangle" Choke in Rd.3

Spencer Fisher (23-6) vs. Curt Warburton (6-1) The "King" is giving up a lot of reach in this fight but I do love me some S.F. The peak days of the "King" are behind him but he always brings an exciting fight and always bleeds through his tissue paper skin which fans seem to enjoy. Curt isn't ready to challenge the "King" and wherever this fight goes, Spencer holds the advantages.

WINNER-Spencer "The King" Fisher by Decision

James McSweeney (4-5) vs. Fabio Maldonado (17-3) "McWeeny" is back after another loss (check that stellar record) while the Team Nogueira's heavy handed fella has ran off 10 wins in a row. I'll roll the dice since I thinks James is 1 of the most overrated fighters on the UFC roster today.

UPSET WINNER-Fabio Maldonado by Rd.1 TKO

Heyman Hustle With Nick Diaz

Fedor Emelianenko Interview

Strikeforce Results: Diaz Retains Title!

Tyron Woodley disposes of Andre Galvao by KO in the very 1st round. Dre never had a shot in this thing once his takedown was obviously going to be thwarted time and time again by the Mizzou alumni. Pat Miletich called "T-Wood" the "most athletic MMA fighter today." That is some pretty high praise from a man who knows his MMA. Strikeforce has set the blueprint on how to bring along a prospect but now it is time for Ty to step into the mix. Perhaps facing Evangelista Santos or Joe Riggs would fit the bill.

Marloes Coenen pulls the impressive Upset and armbars Sarah Kaufman into a submission to become the new 135 Women's Champion! The Golden Glory product looked great at her proper weight class and Sarah was out gunned in the 1st. For the 2nd, Kaufman got her game going with a takedown followed by G&P. Marloes looked like she might be in trouble when she threw up her legs and trapped Sarah in the hold. Kaufman was immediately upset that she tapped and Coenen didn’t release the hold immediately. If you watch the replay, its hard for Marloes to tell that the ref is stepping in and she said she never felt the tap. At the end of the day, Sarah was fine and Marloes is the new champion.

Josh Thomson got the hometown treatment as the blind judges gave him a Unanimous Decision over the deserving Gesias Cavalcante. The "Punk" had a knee brace on with a pad which is illegal and he was forced to remove it during the introductions. Josh began to complain about a head butt early into the fight and when he went to bitch again, "JZ" rocks Thomson with a short right hand and locks on a guillotine choke. Somehow Josh escapes which set up the 2nd round which was boring but obviously for Thomson. "JZ" gives Josh a taste of his own medicine in the 3rd with the L&P dry hump for the final 5. It wasn't pretty but even the commentators were shocked that not only Josh was given the win, but one idiot judge scored every round for Thomson. Ridiculous but I give Josh credit for saying the judges all need to get together and work things out in a clinic. We need an immediate rematch.

MMAFO score 29-28 Calvacante
Official Judges 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, for Thomson?

Nick Diaz defeats KJ Noons by Unanimous Decision to retain his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship. Diaz seemed to be rolling in the 1st but lost the 2nd due to inactivity and an inability to decide where to take the fight. I don't know if Diaz was bored or unhappy not fighting a "big name" but this fight was lacking for his standards. Nick controlled the fight and though he did get cut open, he ran away with the fight as KJ could only look through his hair and watch.

* After the fights in the back, Jason Miller and Nick Diaz locked eyes which caused the even tempered Champion to throw a water bottle at "Mayhem." They tried to fight but were separated. If Nick wishes to fight the best he has got to stop this backroom brawling. Still it does set up a nice potential dream bout with the two scrappers.

* KJ Noons broke his jaw and left hand during the title fight.

* Compustrike was wrong about the number of strikes landed in the fight due to a "glitch" in their system.

*FightMetric got the stats correct.

DIAZ NOONS

Significant Strikes 130 110

Total Strikes 150 139

Head Strikes 115 71

Body Shots 22 61

Leg Strikes 13 7

* The #1 Lightweight in the world Gilbert Melendez did a fine job commentating and I’d be happy to see him do more commentary a la Kenny Florian style.
* I still laugh every time I watch Frank Shamrock talking with his ginormous braces.

3-1 on the picking side.

Strikeforce Showtime: Diaz vs Noons II Predictions

STRIKEFORCE: October 9, 2010
HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.

Main Bouts (Showtime):
Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz (22-7) vs. K.J. Noons (10-2) [Rematch] We all know what happened in the 1st match. KJ dropped and bloodied Diaz and between the 1st and 2nd round, and the doctor stopped the fight via cut. That was in 2007. Since, Diaz moved up a weight class to Welterweight where this fight will take place, and has not only won 7 in a row, he did them all by stoppage. Noons fought only 4 times. In DREAM he barely won and looked horrible. Against Jorge Gurgel in his last bout, he struck the warrior after the bell in the 1st, and KO'd him into next week with a knee to the downed opponent. Now Noons will move up in weight class to try and defeat Diaz again this time for the belt. If this bout lasts past 3 rounds KJ will be screwed. If this bout hits the floor KJ will be screwed. If Diaz follows a smart game plan of tucking his chin and firing 400 punches per round or taking down the ground challenged Noons, KJ will be screwed. All KJ has to offer is boxing and power and Diaz' boxing may now be better. Despite the 1st meeting, Diaz should roll through this cat. The bad blood is there and every Diaz fight is exciting.

WINNER-Nick Diaz by Rd.3 Submission

Bantamweight Women's Champion Sarah Kaufman (12-0) vs. Marloes Coenen (17-4) Mr. Kaufman is going to train wreck "Rumina." Its S&B all night long as Kaufman defends her title successfully.

WINNER-Sarah Kaufman by Rd.4 TKO

Josh Thomson (17-3-1) vs. Gesias Cavalcante (15-3-1) The "Punk" faces a big challenge as "JZ" comes to America for the 1st time in his storied career. I'd like JZ to return to form and power through the litany of injuries, but my guess is he'll be grounded and bored to a loss at the hands of fellow injury prone "Punk."

WINNER-Josh Thomson by Decision

Tyron Woodley (6-0) vs. Andre Galvao (5-1) Its All-American wrestling vs. Nogueira Jiu-Jitsu. ATT's "T-Wood" will run game while repping the STL in propa style. Galvao's Muay Thai and Woodley's boxing will cancel each other out while wrestling continues to top wrestling in today's MMA.

WINNER-Tyron Woodley by Decision

Prelims (Non-Televised):
James Terry vs. Bret Bergmark
Josh McDonald vs. Ron Keslar
Jess Bouscal vs. Luis Mendoza

WEC 51= 1 Of The Best Events Of The Year!

Demetrious Johnson bests Nick Pace by Unanimous Decision.

Antonio Banuelos defeated Chad George by Unanimous Decision.

Diego Nunes takes the Unanimous Decision over Tyler Toner.

Chris Horodecki snuck by Ed Ratcliff by Split-Decision.

Mike Thomas Brown gets back in stride with a TKO on Cole Province in the very 1st round. Destruction made simple. Cole doesn't like the stoppage but he was turtled up for winter. Fight Grade= C+

Tie Quan Zhang made China proud in his USA debut but locking a Guillotine Choke on Pablo Garza for the Submission win. China is supposed to be far behind in grappling, but Zhang held patient until he locked the hold in and Garza had nowhere to go. Now we wait to see his lauded stand-up skills in his next WEC bout. "Submission Of The Night" Fight Grade= B

Mark Hominick should have won 30-27 on all the cards, but still beats Leonard Garcia by Split-Decision. How do these judges keep siding with Garcia? The cat throws hard but that is it. He throws and never lands! Hominick used far superior boxing to land whenever he felt like it and make the tough Mexican look silly. This fight was never close but decent to watch. Fight Grade= B-

George Roop upsets the "Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung by coma inducing highkick KO. From possible "Fight Of The Year" (though he was screwed by the judges) to the wrong end of the "KO Of The Night," Jung has had an exciting 2 fights in the WEC. Somebody bought in his own hype and left his hands down as he inched forward, flat footed, allowing the average at best George to land the high kick that will land Chan in the highlight reels. Roop moves on to whatever but Jung's manager will buy back your "Korean Zombie" T-Shirts if you wish. So many fans bought into this kid after the Leonard Garcia fight that nothing short of decapitating his opponent would suffice and he got lamped! Can Jung rise from this grave? "KO Of The Night" Fight Grade= B

Miguel Torres ends the madness and takes his time to choke out Charlie Valencia with the RNC. "Angel" once owned a 17 fight winning streak before a couple of shocking losses. Now he gets back in stride and if Urijah Faber can win his next bout, we get the greatest Bantamweight dream match eva! Fight Grade= A

Donald Cerrone avenges the controversial previous defeat to Jamie Varner by taking a Unanimous Decision in front of his hometown. Oh my the "Cowboy" came out hard and fast dropping "C-4" twice in the 1st round. It was wrestling that lost him (sort of he should have won) the last fight and wrestling that won it this time. Learning from his mistakes, Cerrone decided to whip Varner at his own game just pounding the kid and never letting up. Jamie has got guts though and walked through some tough punches while delivering some of his own. Don just owned the day and was better at every position though he gassed out which may have prevented the fight finish we all wanted. The bad blood is still there and next they go to Jaime's hometown to finish this epic 3-fight series. "Fight Of The Night" Fight Grade= A

Jose Aldo remains the #1 P4P fighter in the world as he gains the KO on Manny Gamburyan in the 2nd round. The "Manvel" actually won the 1st round but "Jr." was just studying his opponent before he unleashed hell in the 2nd. An uppercut just dropped Manny in his tracks and Aldo's Fedor style G&P just annihilated the challenger. Can anyone challenge the #1 P4P Fighter in the world? Fight Grade= B