STRIKEFORCE: Lawler vs Shields

Main Card
Catchweight 182lb bout: Robbie Lawler vs. Jake Shields I like both guys but the "Scrap Pack" Jiu-Jitsu expert lacks any sort of decent standup skills while Lawler can sprawl and brawl with KO power and wrestling from Matt Hughes HITSquad. The catchweight is a non-issue.
WINNER-"Ruthless" by TKO
Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Brett Rogers The "Pitbull" has far better boxing skills and cardio than "The Grim" not to mention experience and athletic ability usually reserved by announcers for black fighters. Let's hope Rogers doesn't tap the glass chin and Arlovski takes it on points.
WINNER-Andrei by running man decision
Catchweight 179lb bout: Nick Diaz vs. Scott Smith "Diablo" shocked the world when he dismantled Frank Shamrock, and Smith proved to be the comeback kid again after losing badly to Benji Radach, only to snatch victory from the jaws of Julia Stiles with a hail mary KO. Diaz continues his run as a man without a weight class pitting pinpoint accurate striking and Jiu-Jitsu against KO power and little else. Sure, "Hands Of Steel" can KO everyone and KJ Noons showed a good striker can hurt Diaz, but the percentages say Nick has far more tools to win the fight and I just plain don't wanna pick against my boy.
WINNER-Nick Diaz by "Come on bitch" decision
Welterweight bout: Phil Baroni vs. Joe Riggs Geez, 2 egomaniacs who like to throw bombs and each have some wrestling skills. Riggs has better technical skill on the feet and the floor, but Philly has the power edge on Diesel in this coin flip who cares match of the assholes.
WINNER-Joe Riggs by TKO via G&P
Light Heavyweight bout: Kevin Randleman vs. Mike Whitehead 2 fights in the last 3 years for the oft injured and near death "Monster," who explodes at the beginning of fights, and then peters out a couple of minutes in. Whitehead reps Xtreme Couture with good submission skills, and at least enough air in the tank to last 3 rounds. Mike is 14-1 since leaving the UFC but why is this fight on TV?
WINNER-Mike Whitehead by clinching decision

Prelims
Light Heavyweight bout: Rafael Cavalcante vs Mike Kyle "Feijo" is Team Nogueira's secret weapon who should have received a title shot against Mr. Sobral but instead got stuck on the undercard while Whitehead and Randleman inexplicably make it on Showtime. I'm not a "Mak" fan and think the AKA man ain't got a shot in hell.
WINNER-Rafael by TMNT TKO
Welterweight bout: Tyron Woodley vs. Sal Woods Also no chance from Sal, against the prospect "T-Wood" who represents the Lou and the event is in his hometown!
WINNER-Tyron by Nelly entrance and wrestling clinic
Welterweight bout: Jesse Finney vs. Josh Bumgarner Jess is a 3-0 "Rumble" fighter while Josh Bumgartner (or Bumgarner?) is 5-0 and I have no idea who either guy is.
WINNER-J-Guy
Middleweight bout: Scott Ventimiglia vs. Lucas Lopes "Air Vent" is a submission specialist against ATT fighter with an awful 9-8 record.
WINNER-Lopez?
Lightweight bout: Pat Benson vs. Dave Cochran 3-5-1 and 16-19 respectively, makes me wonder why this fight was even made.
WINNER-Benson?
Heavyweight bout: Booker DeRousse vs. James Wade Booker T is 1-1 and James is 3-6, what the fuck happened to the end of this card?
WINNER-Booker T by axe kick (anyone get that one?)

Note:
Alistair Overeem injured his hand in a bar fight defending brother Valentijn, and was unable to defend the Strikeforce Heavyweight title at this event. He will likely return to the cage in August. Andrei Arlovski steps in to replace him. Light Heavyweight Champion Renato "Babalu" Sobral left the event to fight Gegard Mousasi for Affliction August 1st.

MMA Melee: Your #1 MMA News Outlet! (As Voted By MMAFO)

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad "Sugar" Evans have been tapped to coach the 10th season of the Ultimate Fighter. Rashad is coming off his KO loss to Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida and Rampage got a close unanimous decision win over Team Jackson's Keith Jardine. Many thought Jackson would be in line for a title shot, but it seems Quinton would rather verbally spar with Evans for a season and then fight him in the UFC at their December show. Both men exchanged heated words after Rampage's said victory over the aforementioned Jardine, and Quinton actually requested to Dana White, that Rashad be added as the other coach. Me smells some "Dragon" ducking by Rampage, but there could be some really entertaining moments for TUF and a cast of much needed Heavyweights.
Speaking of Lyoto "Dragon" Machida, it looks as though Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will get the opportunity after defeating Chuck Liddell in his last fight. The bout is not finalized yet, but sources say the deal is immanent.
Fedor Emelianenko is slated to face Josh Barnett at Affliction's 3rd show in a highly anticipated dream match for the WAMMA Heavyweight Championship August 1st. This is the matchup I've been wanting for Fedor though it scares me as Barnett probably has the best game to possibly defeat Emelianenko on points at least.
Tim Sylvia, a former victim of the "Last Emperor," has signed on to fight Paul Buentello at the same Affliction show. Before that bout, Sylvia is scheduled to box Ray Mercer who is still trying to die in the ring, June 13th.
Veteran Frank Trigg (19-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is returning to the UFC after signing a four-fight deal with the organization. He is 7-2 since leaving the organization in 2005. Trigg has fought for ICON Sport, where he defeated Jason “Mayhem” Miller to win the organization’s Middleweight title in 2006. He’s also appeared in PRIDE, HDNet Fights, World Victory Road’s “Sengoku” event series and Strikeforce. Trigg is currently riding a four-fight win streak, with six wins in his past seven fights. He will return as a Middleweight, not the Welterweight class he fought in the UFC before. Welcome back MMA's mad mouth!
Clay Guida has stated recently on his beautiful mane of hair, "In Columbus, Dana White offered me $10,000 to cut it. First it was $5,000, and then $10,000, and I laughed. I told him to add a couple zeros and we'll talk. The hair's here to stay. It's part of my style, part of my trademark." The "Carpenter's" toughest UFC bout to date is coming up against Diego Sanchez at the TUF 9 season finale. The "TUF Killer" has already bested Nate Diaz and Mac Danzig, 2 former TUF winners.
At 6-foot-4, 265 pounds and with a fighting nickname of "The Thrashing Machine," Tim Hague may not seem like a former kindergarten teacher, but he was. But when his small Canadian town produced only two kindergarten-ready students, his job was cut. Another opportunity, though, was right around the corner. Soon after earning a degree in education from the University of Alberta, Hague took up MMA from scratch. Hague quickly took to the sport. He made his pro MMA debut in 2006 and racked up a 9-1 record while fighting primarily for King of the Cage. "I just kept fighting and winning my fights," said Hague (9-1), who eventually won a KOTC heavyweight title.
The ballad of Vitor Belfort and Gegard Mousasi continues as their proposed bout is still in limbo. Belfort was given the contract but hesitated questioning the marketability of the fight and Mousasi's star power. Gegard was MMAFO's 2008 "Fighter Of The Year" and won the DREAM Middleweight tournament as well as recently dispatching Mark Hunt in the 1st round of the "Super-Hulk" Open Weight Grand Prix. The 25-2-1 fighter seemed befuddled at the "Phenom" (18-8) being disinterested in the fight. "To be honest, I don't really care," said Mousasi. "But for me, his comments are strange because his paycheck will be unchanged whether he fights a bigger name than me or not. It is also strange that he does not see me as a challenge when many rankings have me ranked higher than him at Middleweight."
So, that led to the challenge.
"If (Belfort) does not want to fight at middleweight, why not fight me at a catchweight?" he said. Still no word from Vitor's camp as of yet.

The Embarrassment Of DREAM 9

Well we knew DREAM 9 would be bad, I just didn't know it would be that bad and filled with poor sportsmanship. 1 of the things I like about MMA is that guys go in there and throw down, then hug each other after, and go have some beers. Its just a sport and even when personal, it is usually left in the ring and done with (ie- Matt Hughes vs Matt Serra). However, in DREAM 9, we saw pathetic fights, and classless actions to ruin the event.

1st ass up, Jason "Mayhem" Miller and all his "monkeys" can go fuck off. The guy straight kicked Ronaldo Souza in the dome while he was down. Not only was the act illegal, it was completely intentional (despite the excuses made by the announcers). After he did it a bad cut was opened upon "Jacare's" head but he begged to continue the fight. They restarted the fight but blood was streaming down and the referee had to halt the action again. At this time Mayhem said "Fuck you motherfucker!" to Souza who almost restarted the fight on his own. The bout was called a No Contest though it should be changed to a Disqualification for the blatant rule violation. Here is what genius Jason had to say about the incident in a post on MMA.TV (the Underground).
"It was a mistake. Jacare calls me a clown and disrespects me all the time, headbutted me and opened a cut on my eye. If he could've done it to me, he would have. I'll beat the shit out of him legally next time. What's he gonna do? Submit me? LOL Kayo me? LMMFAO.
Brazillian nuthuggers can suck my mother fuckin dick, that gets more pussy than any one of you could imagine, due to my MTV show, my good looks, and my tons of money.
How is that for classy? Oh you know what, I don't give a fuck what you think, I'm the fucking man. Hey CRE, what was your down syndrome Brazillian gonna break? NOTHING. Bitch ass had me on the ground for 3 seconds.
Let me get my bread for fucking him up in a rematch, and watch you all cry about how I "don't respect the sport." In the words of Dana White, "Fuck you you fucking cunt."
Go jerk off to TUF."
Wow, this guy is a total moron. Rubber match coming.....

Hong Man Choi beat Jose Canseco like everyone knew he would. Jose danced around and threw some kicks and punches, then got hit and turtled up until the referee stopped the fight. Shocker!
Ikuhisa Minowa, now being referred to as MinowaMan in Japan, tapped out every one's favorite big bitch in Bob Sapp who was at his career fattest. At least he didn't have the class to shake the hand of the guy who embarrassed him and tried to help him up.
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou didn't want to be outdone by Mayhem, and took down Jan Nortje for the TKO win. Problem was, he didn't stop hitting Jan as the referee dove in and tried to push him away as he landed 5 or 6 extra and classless shots. Nortje's camp exploded into the ring and trainer/K-1 legend Ray Sefo had to be restrained from attacking the Team Quest jackass. Man I would like to see Soko fight Ray Sefo!
Gegard Mousasi took down Mark Hunt who isn't even trying anymore and tapped him out with a straight armbar. Just stop the madness already and retire Hunt.

Tatsuya Kawajiri defeated Gesias Cavalcante by unanimous decision and I haven't seen the fight yet but am trying to effort it.

Featherweight Tournament Results
Hideo Tokoro got the rear naked choke on Abel Cullum for the submission win while Hiroyuki Takaya TKO'd Yoshiro Maeda at the end of the 1st (10 minute) round. Bibiano Fernandes out pointed Masakazu Imanari for a unanimous decision while upstart and now 2-0 Joe Warren pulled the huge upset by defeating Norifumi Yamamoto by split decision!! "Kid" is 1 of the best "Pound 4 Pound" fighters in the world and Warren just beat him in his 2nd pro MMA fight! Interesting card, though not good in any way shape or form, and we go a dismal 5-4 on the picks.

UFC 98 Results: "Karate Is Back!"

The Main Event of UFC 98 saw 2 undefeated fighters square off for the Light Heavyweight title. Lyoto Machida comes out to Linkin Park and that alone makes me hate him. Rashad Evans enters to Redman's "Time For Some Action" which used to be Anderson Silva's theme (he should come out to System Of A Down's "Sugar"). The 1st round is as expected as both fighters are cautious of the other and only 3 strikes (by Machida) are landed in the 1st 3 minutes. At the 1 minute mark Machida floors the champ and pounces like a madman though Rashad is able to get back 2 his feet. Not much after that and the 1st stanza ends in favor of the challenger. Evans looks awful nervous as the 2nd begins and mocks Machida just before he hits the canvas for the 2nd time. Evans is hurt badly but talking shit and trying to bob and weave like he isn't hurt, as he did against Forrest Griffin. The result is not the same as Lyoto's pinpoint accuracy KO's Evans in brutal Gabe Gonzaga over Mirko Cro Cop style to become the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion! Too much respect shown by "Sugar" who just waited and accepted punishment instead of dirty boxing and even perhaps pulling guard to force the ground battle I envisioned. Horrible gameplan from Greg Jackson leaves his former champ embarrassed as an emotional "Dragon" accepts the title.

Matt Serra comes out to "Gonna Fly Now" (Rocky's theme) which is commendable but a little known fact, Serra KO'd his friend Pete "Drago" Sell with his shoulder by hugging him by accident. Shockingly no touch of gloves as the bout begins. Not much early and Matt Hughes doesn't look comfortable in the unusual south paw position. Then both men clash heads followed by Serra's (man he hits to the back of the head a lot huh GSP) strike to the back of the head, and Hughes is knocked almost unconscious. Visibly on queer street, Hughes absorbs punishment and somehow gets a much needed takedown (which will now be referred to as a t-down). Serra gets up and is talking trash to Hughes whose eyes seem to be in another world. The 1st round ends and in the corner Hughes asks if he was knocked down! Still looking uncomfortable in the south paw stance and a glazed over look in his eyes, Hughes proceeds to get another t-down though Serra employs pretty good defense. The crowd boo's but Hughes is employing good G&P via body work. Hughes is in autopilot as the round ends and he cannot find his corner for the 2nd straight round and still looks rocked! The final round begins and Hughes hands are completely down. Finally, a good right from Hughes into a t-down but Serra puts on a shoulder lock to prevent any offense. Serra has developed a small mouse under his left eye as the referee stands them up. Serra is now daring Hughes to punch his chin and then scores a t-down of his own followed by his patented strikes to the back of the head (I'm just getting sick of that). Both men hold on to go to the inevitable decision and Hughes actually hugs Serra and raises his hand showing the class Hughes is known for. The judges award Hughes the 29-28 decision (I had it 30-28 Hughes) and the Welterweight legend has tied Chuck Liddell for 16 (most all time) wins in the UFC!!! Hughes states he is now a free agent but will only fight for the UFC and wants at least 1 more fight in the UFC, hopefully close to home.

Frankie Edgar used a plethora of striking combos and brilliant footwork including t-down attempts to keep the stuck in concrete Sean Sherk honest in their Lightweight bout. The lack of reach was very evident as Edgar just looked awesome doing whatever he wanted to the former Lightweight Champion. Sherk had no "Answer" for Edgar who looked so impressive in his unanimous decision win over the 1 trick shark. Ownage 30-27!

Chael Sonnen grasped the Republican party power given by Satan to take a commanding decision win over Dan Miller. Danny grabbed a deep guillotine early, but couldn't finish and gassed his arms. The Team Quest veteran then used his cardio and size advantage to lay and pray (literally I'm assuming) over the game but outworked Miller. The crowd did not approve.
Professor X is a really good dancer, but could not withstand the brutal assault of the unbelievably heavy handed Drew "Massacre" McFedries. Do not stand with this HitSquad fighter who just landed that 1 initial shot that led to full demolition. Protest all you want X, he could've killed you!
My now named "Special K" Krzysztof Soszynski, got a KO win over Andre Gusmao in what many thought would be a Jiu-Jitsu clinic at the battle of the IFL alumni. I'd just like to say nice Fedora hat and somewhere Bas Rutten is proud of his former student.
Brock Larson finally made PPV air defeating a very game Mike Pyle by arm triangle choke. Pyle made Xtreme Couture proud taking this bout on last second notice and constantly transitioning from submission to submission before being caught himself. My favorite nose in MMA gets the win and the other UFC Welterweights had better pay attention.
Pat Barry came out hands down against Tim Hague who he almost KO'd with a head kick and subsequent punches. It ain't over till the ref calls it and a wounded Tim Sylvia/Heath Herring love child fought his way back and got a text book guillotine choke for the comeback win! Barry should be embarrassed and ashamed of himself for that come apart loss and a humble Tim "Quivering Lip" Hague honors all of Canada.
Phillipe Nover lost again to Kyle Bradley but in all fairness, referee Yves Lavigne dropped the ball on this 1. Nover did get dropped by a right hand, but returned to his feet as Lavine had already stepped in once and looked unsure of what to do. The contest was halted and Yves would be boo'd for the remainder of the evening as was fitting. I don't know if the athletic commission will overturn this fight, but Nover our favorite sunglasses wearing at the weigh-ins guy, loses again after being touted by Dana White as the 2nd coming of Anderson Silva (ha!).

Yoshiyuki Yoshida tapped Brandon Wolff twice via guillotine in their bout. Referee Steve Mazzagatti missed the 1st tap but a calm Yoshida calmly rolled over Wolff for the 2nd victory in 1 bout as the UFC referees continue to look stellar on this card.

George Roop got the split decision win over Dave Kaplan (who will soon be cut by the UFC) and I still don't care.

Who is in line for a shot at Lyoto Machida's title as Forrest Griffin has a date with Anderson Silva? My guess is 1 "Rampage" Jackson is not looking forward to facing the new Light Heavyweight "man." Rashad Evans needs to take a little initiative on his own and Matt Hughes should retire though I still think Matt Serra isn't shit. Chael Sonnen isn't afraid to bore his way to a decision and Frankie Edgar just opened the eyes of everyone in the Lightweight division. Sean Sherk probably won't be cut but I wish he would be. Drew McFedries will never contend for a title but will always be exciting as win or lose he hasn't gone past the 1st round in 9 straight fights (with a record of 5-4). I have nothing left to say about this card save it wasn't worth $44.95 but I knew that going in so who is really at fault here? 7-3-1 on the picks as I will not allow Yves Lavigne to fuck me like he did Phillipe Nover which sounds like a gay porno star.

DREAM 9 Picks & Predicaments

1st Round Super Hulk Grand Prix
Bob Sapp vs. Ikuhisa Minowa The Japanese "Punk" has submitted some giants but I just don't think he'll have time as Sapp uses his 2 minutes of cardio to pummel "Mullet" Minowa. Ikuhisa will probably throw some amusing unorthodox strikes anyway.

WINNER-"The Beast" Rd.1 TKO
Hong Man Choi vs. José Canseco Not real sure that the steroid monster of Baseball is even going to show against the Techno-Goliath. Forget that Choi is a 7'2" 352 lb. trained K-1 fighter, and Canseco is having money problems. This fight probably won't happen and if it does expect 1 punch and Jose hitting the floor and immediately heading to the back for his paycheck.

WINNER-Hung Man by TKO Rd.1
Jan Nortje vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Uggggh, both of these guys suck! The MMA Predator has no cardio and collapses when hit, while Nortje is 6'11" K-1 kickboxer who can hit, or be submitted the minute he hits the floor. No love for either bitch but I know that Soko can take Nort down, and sticking and moving he'll probably land enough low kicks to fold up the big mans legs like origami.

WINNER-Predator by TKO Rd.1

Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt Ah, MMAFO's "2008 Fighter Of The Year" returns as he has decided to become a Light Heavyweight, or even Heavyweight fighter. Hunt doesn't give a shit anymore and doesn't train though he will always have that Samoan power and iron chin. The Red Devil will take Titty McGee to the ground and tap him out in some fashion or another.

WINNER-"Young Vagabond" by choke Rd.2

Lightweight Bout
Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Gesias Calvancante Now here is the "Fight Of The Night" as 2 bad ass Lightweights with great striking and serious MMA game collide. "Crusher" has been on the verge of becoming an elite fighter only to fall against top tier talent. Takanori Gomi, Gilbert Melendez, and Eddie Alvarez all found ways to beat the T-Blood fighter though they are still some of the best in the world. "JZ" rode a 13 fight winning streak to stardom until Shinya Aoki took him out via decision. The American Top Team fighter has better striking than Kawajiri but anyone can be dropped in a fight. I just like JZ to be better almost all facets of the game including garnering points to gain the win in what could be a "Fight Of The Year" candidate.

WINNER- JZ by decision

2nd Round Featherweight Grand Prix
Abel Cullum vs. Hideo Tokoro Cullum is Abel (damn I'm funny)to take out Tokoro who has only won 3 of his last 8 fights, and does the 3 tap symphony for the former janitor.

WINNER-Cain's brother by lets say armbar
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Hiroyuki Takaya Maeda is a tough as they come striker (see his loss against Miguel Torres) and "Streetfight Bancho" (no, I have zero idea what that nickname is about) will accommodate with his better striking ability including devastating head kicks.

WINNER- Bancho by decision
Masakazu Imanari vs. Bibiano Fernandes The "Ashikan Judan" is a submission "leg man" while "The Flash" is only 4-2 and a relative mystery to me. Ah, now back from YouTube I'll take DC Comics hero by lightening speed.

WINNER-Flash by decision
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Joe Warren No need for a 1st round fight, "Kid" cruises in to the tournament against the upstart collegiate wrestler who shocked the world winning his debut fight against talented Chase Beebe. Yamamoto is actually not the better wrestler for probably the 1st time in his career, but experience and brilliantly brutal striking end the day for the future prospect.

WINNER-Kid via the dreaded TKO Rd.1

Dream Middleweight Title Fight
Jason Miller vs. Ronaldo Souza (Rematch) Gegard Mousasi gave up the Middleweight belt as he begins his climb to the upper weight divisions giving way to this rematch. The 1st time around Miller played defense and had no answers for Souza's Jiu-Jitsu as "Jacare" got the win. I'm not sure Miller's on again off again love affair with MMA will do him any favors here. Jason has his MTV show, "Bully Beatdown," and loves to search for the spotlight when he is "retired." Souza is just improving and joining Wanderlei Silva's fight team won't hurt his striking. Expect another decision win as the Brazilian becomes the Middleweight target for DREAM.

WINNER-Ron Souza by aforementioned decision

It may be a freak show debacle for the Super-Hulks, but the Featherweights are impressive and the 2 feature fights show 4 very talented fighters in what will be an odd but entertaining card.

UFC (yawn) 98 Picks & Predicons *Updated*

Main card
Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida The Champ is an underdog? People are buying the "Dragon" hype but I'm not. Rashad is faster, stronger, and can out wrestle the Japanese living in Brazil karate fighter. Power of the uni-brow be damned, I look for Greg Jackson to coach his man into what may be a long and "boring" fight. It'll all be about points which Rashad garners edging out the game competitor in the battle of the undefeated fighters. If Rashad cannot take down Machida, the tables could turn in favor of Lyoto who will score more, but hurt less, on the feet. Just so you are aware, everyone and their dad is picking the karate kid.
UPSET PICK WINNER-Sugar by decision
Welterweight bout: Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra Anyone think the greatest Welterweight of all time will lose his 50th pro fight? Me either. 13 months off for Serra and 11 for Hughes, so expect a slower, almost rusty bout, that turns into a mat battle (Matt battle get it?). It will end up on the floor where Hughes has better wrestling and technique, which will best the Jiu-Jitsu of Serra who begins his fade from the UFC scene back into obscurity.
WINNER-Matt Hughes by decision
Middleweight bout: Drew McFedries vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam Punch em if ya got em. These 2 guys are going to fire shells but "Professor X" has more experience and better all around game than the heavy handed Miletich fighter. X lost his UFC debut to Denis Kang but everyone loses their 1st match (isn't that right Denis) and I expect more from Foupa.
WINNER-Professor X by TKO in back 2 back UFC events!
Middleweight bout: Dan Miller vs. Chael Sonnen *Updated (Twice)* Team Quest's veteran is going to impose better wrestling, cardio, and power against the younger fighter. I've wavered back and forth on this one but critics be damned, I think Carl Rove's evil spell will just be too much.
WINNER-Sonnen by God's will
Lightweight bout: Sean Sherk vs. Frank Edgar 2 excellent wrestlers with average striking but once again 1 man does it all better than the other. I don't know anyone giving Frankie much of a chance here but he's tough and will give a game performance before he is shut down late by the steroid infused "Muscle Shark." Frank is destined for the 145 lb. division in the WEC.
WINNER-Sherk by TKO late 3rd
Prelims
Welterweight bout: Brock Larson vs. Mike Pyle I've been touting Brock Larson for a while now and he delivered in his dominant UFC return. **Update** Wilson is out of the fight after being robbed and then not being able to file his medicals on time. Thus, Mike Pyle steps in on short notice with Xtreme Couture backing him and his brilliant submission skills. I never, as a rule, pick last second replacements and this one will be no different even though "Quicksand" is very talented.
WINNER-Larson by Savage Dragon (where are the comic book fans for that one?)
Heavyweight bout: Patrick Barry vs. Tim Hague Who will win the fight of the retarded nicknames? Will it be "Get Hype," or "The Thrashing Machine?" I'm going K-1 striking, leg destroyer guy.
WINNER-Patty by TKO Rd.2
Lightweight bout: Phillipe Nover vs. Kyle Bradley Phillip is back after blowing the finals of last season's TUF which everyone and their dad thought he would win (except me: check the picks history). Phil Nover goes pop on Kyle to get back on the right track. Kyle's got nothin' and this was scheduled to bring Nova back to the winning side of things.
WINNER-Kyle Nover by TKO Rd.1
Light Heavyweight bout: Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Andre Gusmao Krzysztof is coming off his easy win over Brian Stann and Gusmao a loss to the new sensation Jon Jones. Both want that Jiu-Jitsu ground battle and big K's cardio does scare me a bit, but against a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner what could happen?
WINNER-"Polish Experiment" by decision
Welterweight bout: Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Brandon Wolff Yoshida got stood up and KO'd against Josh Koscheck, and Wolff's head became more dented than Tyra Banks ass against "Killa B." Back for revenge Yoshida has little problem with the little fighter and takes him out Yakuza style.
WINNER-Yoshiyuki by TKO Rd.1
Lightweight bout: Dave Kaplan vs. George Roop Who wins, who cares in a battle to stay employed in the UFC. Either way the fans lose here.
WINNER-Roopio by reach

Pretty weak as far as UFC PPV cards go, still, how mucha wanna bet I buy it? Stay tuned Super Hulk fans.................

MMA Melee: May 5th, 2009

Kurt Angle has found another way to pretend he is a MMA fighter by shooting a movie called "Warrior" that is sure to suck balls. It is an MMA movie with Nick Nolte starring as a retired mill worker and alcoholic who raised his sons to be wrestlers, but they switched to MMA and are favorites to win a $5 million tournament. Angle plays one of the fighters in the tournament in Atlantic City known as a Russian killer named Koba (perfect casting for the man who created an image as the All-American). I almost wish Kurt would get into MMA so somebody could snap his surgically stiffened neck.

World champion submission grappler Roger Gracie and Strikeforce are close to finalizing the terms of a multi-fight contract, the promotion's CEO Scott Coker confirmed to SI.com Tuesday. "Their lawyer is looking at a draft of what we're doing," Coker said, "but I think we're pretty much done." He declined to provide specifics of the pending deal. The 27 year old fighter is 2-0 in MMA and one of the top submission grapplers around today. In 2005 he captured the ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships at 98 kilograms, as well as the tournament's prestigious open-weight division. In doing so, Gracie became the first competitor to win each of his eight bouts by submission.

Chuck Liddell isn't dead yet despite the insistent tone from Dana White who had already decided for him that he was retired. “I’m going to take some time off and figure out what I want to do, and see what else I think I can do.” said Liddell. The "Iceman" will make a definitive decision on whether or not to retire within the next year, but he is not ready to make it just yet. “I’m too emotional to make a rational decision, so I want wait and take my time. I’m not going to make that decision until I sit down and look at it after a little while. I need some time off anyway, and when everyone stops worrying about it, I’ll make my decision on my own.” Liddell said. Nice to know BLAF doesn't speak for everyone under the UFC banner.

In "I've Lost My Fucking Mind News," Lyoto Machida is believing his own hype these days saying he wants a shot at monster Brock Lesnar. "He's a huge guy, showed himself as someone who is very aggressive and strong, who knows if one day we can fight. I respect him as a fighter, he's very strong, but I'm a professional and I'd like to test myself." Riiiight, 1st up focus on Rashad Evans and the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

Randy Couture has served his wife of over two years, Kim Couture, with divorce papers. The news was a shock to those close to the couple and even more to Kim, who pulled out of her televised main event fight due to the devastating news. This marks Randy's third divorce. Nice to see "Captain America" keeping it real and looking for some new trophy meat. You know, Mandy Moore frequents UFC events often.............

MFC 21 saw Bobby Lashley earn his 3rd MMA win with a guillotine choke only 24 seconds into the bout! On the same card, former UFC veteran Trevor Prangley defeated Emanuel Newton to become the new Light Heavyweight Champion after 5 grueling rounds of fighting. John Alessio and Marvin Eastman also got much needed wins at the event.

Vladimir Matyushenko defeated Jason Lambert at Call To Arms in Canada. Lambert has fallen on hard times losing 5 of his last 6 bouts. "The Janitor" got his 21st win and deserves a contract with a good promotion that can put on shows at least semi-annually (ahem, Affliction get your shit together and put on a show already!).

Wanderlei Silva is beginning to worry me these days with jarring losses and feuding with Anderson Silva, a once close friend in the early days of Chute Boxe. It doesn't help that the "Spider" is helping Rich Franklin (Silva's next opponent) train. Not at a loss for friends, Wand has brought in Heath Herring, Paulo Filho (a once bitter enemy), Demian Maia, and his old Chute Boxe coach Rafael Cordeiro. “I have trained so much and Rich won’t last two rounds. I think it is good Anderson has been preparing him. I hope he is also on the corner. I want to dare him to bet $50,000. I put these amount and Anderson or his sponsors, Ed Soares or Joinha, bet another part. Who wins takes the money.” Oh this is getting silly quick.

Tito Ortiz' whore, I mean wife Jenna Jameson, gave birth to twins which doctors originally thought had water on the brain syndrome, but it turns out the kids are just Tito's and not 1 of the other 764 possible fathers. The delivery was pain free as the toddlers reportedly walked right out twirling canes.

Don't forget upcoming events including UFC 98 featuring Rashad Evans putting his Light Heavyweight title up against fellow undefeated Lyoto "Dragon" Machida as well as a grudge match between Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. Also, DREAM 9 will be Monday with Gesias "JZ" Calvancanti vs Tatsuya "Crusher" Kawajiri in what could be a "Fight Of The Year" candidate. Also on the card is the beginning of the "Super Hulk" Tournament and the semi and finals for the Featherweight Grand Prix. Early money has got to be on "Kid" Yamamoto. Bet.

Fedor Emelianenko's Punch Out!

Fedor Emelianenko vs Shinya Aoki 4/29/09

The WAMMA Champions of their respective weight classes, met for an exhibition bout through Russia's M-1 Global promotion. It was an entertaining event, with all smiles, held in Japan.

Kyle Maynard: No Arms, No Legs, MMA Fighter

For his own safety, should Kyle Maynard be allowed to fight in MMA? He recently held his 1st fight via his own website and lost a 3 round decision. There are a lot of different feelings here so make yours known.

Super Hulk Tournament

In a true Japanese MMA style/spectacle, FEG has announced its second tournament series of 2009. It will be an 8-man Open Weight Grand Prix for DREAM 9 on May 26th. The freak show dubbed the "Super Hulk Tournament" features Super Heavyweights as well as lighter weight class fighters and an infamous rookie making his MMA debut.

• Ikuhisa "Punk" Minowa (41-30-8) vs Bob "The Beast" Sapp (10-3-1) No stranger to the little guy role, the Minowa will be outweighed by around 165 lbs.
• Rameau Sokoudjou (5-4) vs Jan Nortje (2-5) The 6'11' Jan, a former K-1 fighter turned lackluster MMA fighter, will outweigh Soko by around 128 lbs.
• Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1) vs Mark Hunt (5-5) Probably the best 2 fighters matched up, 2008's Fighter Of The Year Gegard has wanted to test the upper weight classes and now gets his chance against the dangerous New Zealand striker.
• Jose Canseco (0-0) vs Hong Man Choi (1-2) Yes that steroid using Baseball moron is looking for more publicity and premature death by stepping in with the "Techno Goliath" who is 7'2' 350 lbs. of kickboxing machine.
  

5 K-1 fighters in the tournament, 1 Middleweight in Minowa, 1 Light Heavyweight in Soko, and who knows what Canseco and the growing Mousasi will weigh by fight time. The rest of the field are all Super Heavyweights as the David vs Goliath Japanese spectacle continues.

UFC 97 Results In....Eh

Anderson Silva defeats Thales Leites by unanimous decision in a heavily boo'd affair. Both fighters snoozed through the 1st round but at the Championship level you don't want to take any chances. Leites actually won the 2nd round taking Anderson to the mat and controlling him well for a time, though he could not secure a submission or land any real damage. Silva stepped things up in the 3rd but Thales kept moving away avoiding the action. The 4th saw Silva now obviously frustrated, land 3 consecutive kicks to the knee which were interesting, as Thales became MMA's Vlade Divac flopping to the floor constantly wanting a ground war that the "Spider" wanted no part of. Interesting to see Anderson Silva drinking a Red Bull (is that even legal?) in his corner before the final round. Again and finally, Anderson landed some but could not put away Leites who seemed happy just to take the Champion the distance. For all the hate and disappointment from MMA fans, Anderson had good sprawls, attacked when he could even punching Leites' foot (which I've never seen before), and tried to make a fight of it but its hard to impress when your opponent is so careful and unwilling to engage. Beautiful line from Mike Goldberg saying about Thales, "he is overwhelmed emotionally." Huh? That's 10 wins in a row for Mr. Silva.

Shogun Rua finally looked in good shape as he and Chuck Liddell had a really entertaining 1 rounder. Both men were the aggressor at times, landed solid strikes, and each got a takedown. Rua just missed a beautiful leg lock but the "Iceman" would have none of it. Shogun came with a left hook that dropped Chuck and Rua dropped hammer fists down until the referee had seen enough. Rua swept in so quickly with the left that Liddell just didn't have time to avoid it

Krzysztof Soszynski took Brian Stann to the floor with a beautiful takedown (almost a slam), moved into half guard and then side control before eventually locking up that kimura he loves tapping out the young prospect. Krzysztof looked in much better shape this time and is so much more comfortable as a Light Heavyweight improving each time out.

Nate "Rock" Quarry just decimated Jason MacDonald with brutal unchecked elbows leaving him in a crimson mask on the floor. The cut was huge and would have stopped the fight if it had been checked by a doctor, but it didn't matter though the ref let the slaughter go on too long. Really good win for Quarry.

Denis Kang got his 1st UFC win with a unanimous decision over "Professor X" while TJ Grant, Eliot Marshall, Sam Stout, Ed Herman, and Luis Cane, also got judges nods. Cheick Kongo beat Antoni Hardonk by TKO but I'm still not impressed and Mark Bocek represented for the redheads with a RNC submission win over the soon to be fired David Bielkheden.

Well, despite the criticism, Anderson Silva keeps rolling along and now Shogun is considered in the hunt for the Light Heavyweight title as Chuck Liddell has lost 4 of his last 5 fights (3 by [T]KO) and finds himself at a crossroads of retiring or trying to continue on much like Wanderlei Silva. How strange that these 2 men's careers have taken similar downward spirals after being so dominant for so many years. Ya gotta love Chuck defending Anderson Silva at the press conference and if you haven't seen it you should! Nate Quarry looked real good but I wouldn't be sending Jason MacDonald home just yet. Look for Hardonk, Bielkheden, Chonan, and possibly Vinny Magalhaes to be on the chopping block. An absolutely dreadful 6-6 on our picks and my sincerest apologies.

UFC 97: Anderson Silva vs Thales Leites

UFC 97 is a damn good card and by far the best event the UFC has put together in 2009. The "Spider" deals with a legit contender, the "Iceman" vs "Shogun" fan favorite match, a great bout between "Rock" and the "Athlete," Denis Kang tries again, a loser leaves town match, and the return of the "Crow" (much deserved I might add).

Main Card
Middleweight Championship bout: Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites The "Spider" is pissed about his last performance against Patrick Cote, and gets a ridiculous reach advantage. The 14-1 fellow Brazilian got here with a wrong Split-Decision win over Nate Marquardt and a RNC sub over journeyman Drew McFedries going 5-1 in the UFC. The ground is his only prayer but Anderson won't be denied, rising to his feet when grounded and putting away a good challenger early.

WINNER-Anderson Silva by TKO Rd.1
Light Heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua The Iceman is best when he faces aggressive fighters who chase him allowing for counter strikes from odd angles and trained mad for Jiu-Jitsu problems he may face. Rua is that aggressive fighter with questionable cardio and the always fragile surgically repaired knees. This is Chuck's last shot at going to the top and he won't let us down as Shogun finds him on the edge of UFC obscurity.

WINNER-The Iceman by TKO Rd.3
Heavyweight bout: Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk Leg kicks be damned, Kongo is given a guy he should dominate on the feet.

WINNER-Cheick Kongo TKO Rd.2
Light Heavyweight bout: Steve Cantwell vs. Luiz Arthur Cane "Banha" is a Brazilian bomber and Cantwell is the arm breaking last WEC Light Heavyweight Champion. I don't think Steve wants to stand with Luiz but he probably will, thus getting himself out struck and hurt.

WINNER-LAC by TKO Rd.2
Light Heavyweight bout: Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann The Pollack from Team Quest is a personal fav, but Stann is a heavy, heavy handed prospect learning at Xtreme Couture. The experience is all Sos but people don't usually survive more than a round with Bri guy. Whoever imposes their game wins.

WINNER-The Polish Experiment by submission Rd.1
Prelims
Light Heavyweight bout: Eliot Marshall vs. Vinicius Magalhães Eliot wanted this fight a while ago and gets his wish against last season's TUF runner-up. Vinny has a questionable chin and Marshall has some damn good Jiu-Jitsu of his own but not at Magal's level.

WINNER-VinMag by submission Rd.1
Middleweight bout: Denis Kang vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam Kang who inexplicably floundered in his UFC debut last time, now faces "Professor X" a better and absolutely frightening fighter with explosive put em away stand up. The Frenchman matches up really well with Kang who has great game but glaring holes in his defense. Kang has to win and will not fuck around taking X to the floor for the G&P and eventual stoppage.

WINNER-Denis Kang by submission Rd.2
Middleweight bout: Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry This has to be the "Fight Of The Night" with 2 fighters I really like. Hoping they both do well isn't an issue as they both fight with big hearts every time they step in the Octagon. Jason just has a much better all around game but knows he cannot stay standing with the heavy handed Quarry. On the floor Jason cuts up Nate and attempts many submissions en route to an exciting victory.

WINNER-Jason MacDonald by decision
Middleweight bout: David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman 3 years for "The Crow" to return to Zuffa's cage, and he's doing it in front of his Canadian comrades. Ed's cardio is questionable but his grappling and submission game are spades above Loiseau. A gritty fight looms but I actually am not going the popular way of the decision and believe Loiseau puts Ed away late with piercing elbows.

WINNER-The Crow by TKO Rd.3
Lightweight bout: Mark Bocek vs. David Bielkheden The ATT ginger vs the Swede in what I see being a ground war. Bocek will out wrestle Dave who see's his UFC dreams slip away.

WINNER-Ginger Mark by decision
Welterweight bout: Ryo Chonan vs. TJ Grant The "Piranha" has been a dismal 1-2 since heading to America and consistently an inconsistent fighter for some time. Teej and his giant forehead are making their debut in the UFC bringing a rather impressive submission game. Ryo has fought the likes of Paulo Filho, Dan Henderson, "Mach" Sakurai, Carlos Newton, and tapped out Mr. Anderson Silva. If Chonan can get out of his slump early, watch him clinch his way to a decision as he has only been submitted 1 time in 24 fights. If not, there may be a changing of the guard and a pink slip for Ryo.

WINNER-Ryo Chonan by decision
Lightweight bout: Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman I wouldn't say I'm impressed by Wiman, but at least he has some semblance of a ground game which Sam has never learned, thus allowing Matt who knows better than to stand with an elite striker, to take things to the floor for some old fashioned G&P.

WINNER-Matt Wiman by decision

Nick Diaz vs Frank Shamrock Results In Destruction!

When the lights went down and the pyro went up, strange occurrences began at Strikeforce 2.0's Showtime debut. Nick Diaz came out to some boo birds as expected in Frank's hometown and home arena the Shark Tank. But then, Frank Shamrock entered with his hilarious towel over the head bathed in smoke, glorious "look how unbelievable I am entrance." Shamrock could not stop smiling and looking so confident. As the introductions are made, a 1st in MMA as both men are boo'd heavily for the main event (who are the fans rooting for?)! At the staredown, Frank shook his head refusing to touch gloves and almost couldn't contain his laughter as he smiled non-stop at Diaz.

Then the bell rang and I was nervous, sure that 1 punch would crumble Nick at the higher weight than he has ever been ending in a terrible loss. Yet, Diaz came out stalking Frank and talking and talking more shit while they were engaging. Frank continued his huge smile as Diaz took over landing with his long reach and taunting the "Legend" with his hands wide open in the air, or completely at his side. As the round progressed, Frank took a misstep and Diaz took the top position almost securing a keylock for the submission. Shamrock scrambled and back on the feet, Diaz continued with the jab almost always in the face of Frank who could not find the range or mount any offense. The round closed easily for Nick as Frank continued his laughing at the young fighter and seemingly unhurt.

The 2nd round began and it was again Diaz landing a constant flow of technical, though not brutal, strikes as Frank couldn't manage any sort of offense. "Diablo" is relentless as Shamrock's hometown now roars a chant of "Diaz, Diaz," through the arena. Backed into the fence and looking weary, Diaz landed a big left hand that hurt Frank. Now Nick lands yet another brutal body shot though this time Frank goes down! Now on top, Diaz unloads with his most powerful punches of the night reigning down pain and obliterating Shamrock. The ref has to stop the fight and Diaz helps up an embarrassed and thoroughly defeated Shamrock.

Diaz hugs and gives respect to Frank as the beaten veteran slumps onto a stool. Nick was uber respectful saying he did what he had to in order to win (i.e. talking to Frank and getting into his head while showing no fear). Shamrock looks tired and vows to return but actually says, “I give everything to Nick Diaz, I knew he was a dangerous opponent. Nick kicked my ass tonight; there’s no two ways about it. Nick was just the better man. He hit me in the guts, and that was about all the juice I had. I doubled over, and he put a whoopin’ on me.” The "Scrap Pack (Jake Shields, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Diaz) " of Cesar Gracie students celebrate with Nick in the ring.

Strikeforce Results & Reverie

Strikeforce 2.0 on Showtime was an especially exciting card with lots of action and shocking endings!

Brett "The Grim" Rogers went to the 2nd round with Ron Humphrey but used the Thai clinch to put away the undefeated Heavyweight. Docked a point in the 1st for hair grabbing, Rogers finally got his range with the BET "Champion" and brutally KO'd him with knees and punches. Rogers now looks to fight either Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem, or respected Heavyweight Fabricio Werdum possibly in June. I think either man may prove too difficult for the young 9-0 prospect.

"Femborg" Santos thrashed another Josh Barnett student, as Hitomi Akano really gave a valiant effort but was TKO'd in a lopsided affair. Akano who fights at 130 lbs. normally, fought Christiane (who missed weight due to a "female problem) who had to be around 160 lbs. The crowd cheered every time (and there were many) the camera showed the beautiful Gina Carano who will undoubtedly face Femborg next. Shame on the crowd for booing the 12 year old Hitomi who was fighting what I am guessing is really a shemale.

The "Fight Of The Night" was of course Scott Smith's amazing KO win over Benji Radach. Both men came to bang and both men were knocked down and seemingly out at different times in the 1st round, but kept coming back. In the 2nd, Smith was battered badly by Radach's all around attack as Scott was bloody and seemingly finished. In the 3rd, bleeding heavily and weary, Smith is slammed hard to the canvas. Smith rallies with a right hand and Radach is hurt. Radach retreats and then stops Smith in his tracks with a straight right. Seemingly almost out, Smith a counter right hand bomb that puts Benji out for good! Smith falls in the center of the ring as Radach stumbles groggy to his feet. Amazing fight as the"Cardiac Kid" does it again snatching a victory from immanent defeat pulling out a better comeback than Jesus on Easter!

A nice freakish skinless corpse like graphic of two bodies fighting is shown before the "Interim" Lightweight title fight. Why this is an "Interim" fight is beyond me but hey. Gilbert Melendez do what he do as he takes Rodrigo Damm to the floor and abuses him for the full round. What was unexpected, was the left right combo in the 2nd round that glazed Damm over like "El Nino" was Peter North. Completely unconscious, Rodrigo fought the referee and was out in scary fashion for quite some time as Melendez cracked Damm's egg head. Very impressive.

Pat Miletich stepped in as the color commentator for the event and did a much better job than Frank Shamrock usually does. Is was so nice to hear a well spoken intelligent veteran fighter call the action so well unlike the debacle Tito Ortiz pulled at Affliction. Pat is up there with Frank Mir as the best color commentator in the biz.

Mauro Ranallo is another story. The well rehearsed to the point of annoyance Renallo interviewed Middleweight Champion Cung Le, who proceeded to mangle and brutally rape the English language in an interview that was so hard to listen to you became embarrassed for them. Awful.

The aforementioned Tito Ortiz was in attendance and got into a war of words with Light Heavyweight Champion "Babalu" Sobral and both men had to be separated. Their eventual fight is a long time coming but 1st Renato will defend his title against the very dangerous training partner of Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

Jake Shields will defend the "Scrap Pack" honor as he goes up in weight to face Robbie Lawler June 6th at the next Strikeforce event. Kevin Randleman has been signed to the same event though hopefully he passes his pre-fight screenings and doesn't bring along fake urine. 9-1 on the picks bitches, and damn I'm happy about the 1 bout I picked wrong!

Strikeforce Champions

• Heavyweight Champion-Alistair Overeem
• Light Heavyweight Champion-Renato "Babalu" Sobral
• Middleweight Champion-Cung Le
• Welterweight Champion-vacant
• Lightweight Champion-Josh Thomson

Strikefore Shamrock vs Diaz Picks

Strikeforce Weigh-in Results:
Frank Shamrock vs. Nick Diaz At a catch weight of 180 lbs., "Diablo" feels pretty confident as MMA's perennial "underdog" with a lot to say to Frank, but I don't like this fight for the Gracie protege. Frank has so much more power on the feet and Diaz will be hard pressed to take down the 36 year old. Even if on the floor, I don't know what kind of trouble Nick can really put the savvy veteran in. I'll always root for Diaz but he has just a bad match up here at a new weight. Look for Shamrock to bust Nick open and work the power shots on the youngster for the win against another Gracie.
WINNER-Shamrock by TKO (cut) Rd.3
Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos vs. Hitomi Akano Why in the hell Akano took this fight when Santos didn't come close to making weight is beyond me. She has to pray the weak attempt at weight cut slows "Femborg" but I'm guessing the little girl gets pummeled all the way back to Japan.
WINNER-Femborg by TKO Rd.1
Benji Radach vs. Scott Smith This is your "Fight Of The Night" as both men have heavy striking and love to stand and exchange bombs. Radach has a better all around game but if they just keep things on the feet, look for Smith's superior technique to shut down Benji in a barn burner.
WINNER-Scott Smith by decision
Gilbert Melendez vs. Rodrigo Damm Gil is in great shape for what he thought was a shot at his former Lightweight title, but injury pulls Josh Thomson out and egg head here is going to pay for it. Happy Easter melon head.
WINNER-"El Nino" by raging storm
Brett Rogers vs. Ron Humphrey 2 unbeaten heavies throwdown but "The Grim" has reach and size advantage in spades (oops). Brett comes with the thunder and probably calls out Kimbo Slice again.
WINNER-Brett Rogers by decision
Luke Rockhold vs. Buck Meredith 2 Middleweight prospects battle with Buck bringing the Team Quest camp and Luke has a more submission based though both rock, the ground game. WINNER-Puke by decision
Eric Lawson vs. Waylon Kennell Waylon steps up a few levels to face a Strikeforce veteran and the man on the 4 fight winning streak. I'll take....
WINNER-Eric
Raul Castillo vs. Brandon Michaels
WINNER-Raul by following the rules
Zak Bucia vs. James Terry
WINNER-James I guess?
Jeremy Tavares vs. Shingo Kohara 0-3 vs 0-0 pick em how ya want em.
WINNER-Shingo??
Hey is that Mickey Rourke in the crowd?

Aleksander Emelianenko Survives A Scare @ ProFc

Aleksander Emelianenko took a perfect right hand from Ibragim Magomedov at ProFC 5. The lil' bro of Fedor hit the floor but bounced right back up attacking in Red Devil style punishing Ibragim on the floor. Aleks opened a bad cut on Mag which swelled his eye shut and forced a doctor stoppage (TKO/Cut).

"Mach" Sakurai Destroys Shinya Aoki @ DREAM 8

Mach Sakurai destroyed Shinya Aoki at DREAM 8. This bout was at 170lbs. as both men enjoying jumping back and forth between Welterweight and Lightweight. There is actually bad blood between these 2 men for over 3 years but it would all be settled tonight between 2 of Japans favorite superstars. "Mach" did the "gong and dash" which landed him on this back as submission wizard Aoki went to work. He would not have the time to set up as Sakurai blasted him with knees (I love knees on the ground) and punches knocking Shinya unconscious. The old veteran just stomped the new Japanese sensation and continues on in the Welterweight Grand Prix.

Also furthering in the tournament are Jason High, Marius Zaromskis, and Andre Galvao. Hello there Jeff Monson who has now reeled off 6 wins in a row counting his choke out win over the always tough Russian, Sergei Kharitonov. Vitor "Shaolin" Ribeiro raised his Lightweight record to 20-2 being the best Lightweight nobody in the U.S. knows about, and Riki Fukuda bested a struggling "Ninja" Rua by decision.

UFC Fight Night 18 Kampmann Steals A Close One

Martin Kampmann showed a new weapon in his arsenal as he used his wrestling to win round 3 and a Split Decision over Carlos Condit. The "Hitman" surprised the "NBK" with a guillotine that almost tapped the debuting Condit but he struggled free and Carlos cut him deeply under the left eye. Condit never stopped attacking when he could, but was just shut down as Kampmann narrowly out pointed him to victory saying, "“That was a war, he’s a true warrior.”

Tyson Griffin survived a scare when he had his leg contorted backwards causing seemingly little damage but looked painful as hell as he again fought to a decision win over Raphael Dos Anjos. Tyson was content to slug things out after almost being submitted in the 1st, and though he struggled to find the range he landed enough good power shots to leave do doubt who was the winner. 7 out of 8 fights going to decision there Tyson. Just throwing it out there.

Oh sweet Junie Brown showed his lack of heart and courage yet again as a motivated Cole Miller shut up and shut down the big talking hick. Cole showed no respect for Junie's "power" striking as Brown stood still as if in concrete, and allowed Miller to pick him apart and wrap him up in a tight guillotine for the win and a little shit talk on his way to getting his hand raised.

Ryan Bader bored the crap out of everyone looking like a Matt Hamill clone only with better hearing, and laid and prayed his way to lopsided decision win over Carmelo Marrero.
Aaron Simpson got the lone TKO of the night over Tim McKenzie. It took 1 round for Rob Kimmons to tap out Joe Vedepo with a guillotine while veteran Jorge Rivera survived a close Split Decision win over Nissen Osterneck. Tim Credeur continues his UFC winning streak buy submission over Nick Catone and Ricardo Almeida out gamed "Bible Thumper" who has lost his 1st 2 UFC fights. Brock Larson is a Welterweight to watch as he worked Jesse Sanders capturing a dominant RNC. Gleison Tibau and Jeremy Stephens couldn't make weight for their fight but the decision was not close as Tibau dominated.

Interesting little card but a bit disappointing for the most part setting up what could be a really entertaining season of the Ultimate Fighter as the Brits take on the Americans starring Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping vying for a title shot at Anderson Silva! 8-3 on the picks fellas.