Takanori Gomi Signs With WVR

He was courted and brought all the way across the pond to UFC 80, but not surprisingly, the deal fell through with the American Zuffa company and #1 Lightweight in the world as well as Pride FC Grand Prix Champion, former Shooto Champion, and current Pride FC Lightweight Champion, the "Fireball Kid" Takanori Gomi 27-3 has been signed to World Victory Road!

A major free agent aquisition for the new Japanese MMA promotion as Gomi is widely cosidered the best Lightweight in the world even coming off a loss to Nick Diaz almost a full year ago. The UFC seemed to be the front runner of companies trying to sign the wildly popular fighter, but I for one am not surprised Gomi stayed home.

World Victory Road, or Pride FC lite, is a Japanese promotion which allows Takanori to stay home for his training and fights. He is a mega-star there and would be almost starting completely over in the USA while in the "land of the rising sun" he almost certainly is the #1 contender the WVR belt, or maybe they just keep the old Pride FC belt.

It seems a steal at only $190,000 a fight (US dollars) and the WVR gets the "face" of their promotion and a proven hometown superstar. Maybe this will lead to signings of other Japanese greats such as Hidehiko Yoshida, "Mach" Sakurai, and Kazuyuki Fujita to WVR as well.

UFC 81 Breaking Point

Interim Heavyweight Championship
Tim "Maine-iac" Sylvia 26-3 vs Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira 30-4-1 Main event with the Heavyweight title at stake and they don't even make it onto the poster. Damn. Ah well, Nog comes in after a nice 7 months off and a lackluster win over Heath Herring. Tim is returns after slapping around Brandon Vera and getting no credit for it as usual. I like the anti-attitude of ole Tim and think he gets a bum rap. The guy has loads of power in his hands, great takedown defense, and has been Champ or at least in the title hunt for the UFC for the last 5 years! Do people realize that? The guy is boring sometimes but a win is a win and is rarely stopped in his few defeats. Nog is the vet who has been in so many wars, I wonder if it is beginning to catch up with his body. He just looked bad against Herring and was almost KO'd before Heath let him off the hook. Now he claims he is in better shape and hungry to be a two company champion. He has underrated boxing (the guy has boxed 3 professional fights), some of the best Jiu-Jitsu in the world, and normally an iron chin and will. He has fought giants in the past like Semmy Schilt (6'11), Bob Sapp (6'5 350 lbs.), so I don't think size is an issue. He has also survived against Cro Cop, Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, and Sergei Kharitonov, all of whom I believe can beat Sylvia. Watch those hands and "Big Nog" makes it a rough night for Tim, tiring him on the feet and floor for an eventual late round win.

WINNER-Nogueira by submission

Frank Mir 10-3 vs Brock Lesnar 1-0 I gotta say I am shocked to see all the people picking Mir in this fight. He's in great shape back to his old self but my god Brock is an absolute monster! I have trouble believing Mir can keep the fight on the floor with his great Jiu-Jitsu long enough to secure a submission. Mir's stand up looks improved but how hard does Lesnar throw those oak trees he calls arms? I more look for Lesnar to lay on top of Mir and grind out a slow victory but I'm hoping Mir pulls some shit and quiets the loud mouthed giant in his UFC debut.

WINNER-Lesnar by decision

Nate Marquardt 28-7-1 vs Jeremy Horn 88-16-5 I love Horn I do, but I'm just not seeing him win much in the sport anymore. The guy just looks tired these days and rightfully so with 109 pro fights. Nate is coming off a tough loss to Anderson Silva and looking to rebound in impressive fashion. If Greg Jackson has this kids mind right, I don't see Horn doing much but surviving. Nate is better on the feet, equal on the ground with better stamina and power. Horn is an amazing fighter and one of the best teachers in the world, just don't know how much he really wants to fight anymore.

WINNER-Marquardt by decision

Terry "Lil Tyson" Martin 18-3 vs Marvin "Beastman" Eastman 14-7-1 Lets bang muthafuckas! These guys are coming to throw bombs. Martin was kicking Chris Leben's ass but he came in fat yet again for a fight and ran out of gas. To prove how smart he is he hurt Chris and then dropped his hands to taunt him. Enter righteous KO and Martin needs a big win as he starts over again. Marvin got a win in the IFO after his loss to eventual champ Rampage Jackson and wants to be relevant in the UFC. Really either guy can win this and a smart Eastman makes it a boring fight on the floor for the win. *UPDATE* Both men say they want to showcase their wrestling so switch it to Eastman because apparently Martin is an idiot.

WINNER-Beastman by decision

Tyson Griffin 10-1 vs Gleison Tibau 27-3 Tibau likes the floor game but Tyson is the amazing wrestler with impressive power for a Lightweight. Tyson wins this by early G&P or rolling to a decision victory.

WINNER-Griffin

Chris Lytle 34-15-4 vs Kyle Bradley 13-4-1 How great did the new and improved Chris Lytle look in his last fight with Thiago Alves? The guy was non-stop coming forward with barrages of punches like he was Wanderlei Silva or something. The former fire fighter is sick of the "boring" label and began to whip the shit outta Alves until a cut ended his evening early. Kyle rides in on a 7 fight win streak against a bunch of nobodies and a KO stand up game. Chris should just have too many tools for this kid but that 1 shot and goodnight punch is there for Kyle. I always play the percentages and that spells a win for Lytle.

WINNER-Lytle by submission

David Heath 9-2 vs Tim Boetsch 6-1 Hey Dave, how does it feel coming back from a shit talking effort against Babalu that got your bitch ass choked unconscious? Before that he lost a decision to Lyoto Machida. Tim's a big rugged fella coming over from the IFL so he doesn't get much cred here. *UPDATE* Heath looks flabby and Boe looks big. changing my mind.

WINNER-Boetsch somehow?

Ricardo Almeida 8-2 vs Rob Yundt 7-0 Ric returns to MMA after a 2 year absence to apply his Jui-Jitsu brilliance. Rob is an undefeated Alaskan fighter who steps in on very short notice to replace a sick Alan Belcher. Ring rust is a big concern, but at one time Ricardo was supposed to be the next big thing even notching a win over fellow card fighter Nate Marquardt. Never bet on the short notice guy anyway.

WINNER-Almeida by submission

Keita Nakamura 14-2-2 vs Rob Emerson 8-6-1 Seriously Rob still has a job? This guy sucks ass. He's not even impressive in his true sport of kickboxing and the guy knows shit else. "K-Taro" has had a tough go in the UFC (0-2) but got a confidence building KO in November at Cage Rage and the guy has tons more talent than Robby.

WINNER-K-Taro

Kinda weak card but I can't say I'm not intrigued to see how Lesnar and Mir for that matter look in action. The Heavyweight Title bout makes sense despite what the critics are saying, and dammit if I'm not a sucker for the sport anywho. Everyone's gonna buy the PPV so lets just hope its exciting and Brock falls on his face for fun. BodogFight also has a card but it is just awful, so just look for the Nick Thompson/John Troyer fight and move on.

The NEW International Fight League

I have always been very critical of the IFL and their team style of MMA. They are a fledgling company and have now decided to promote Coach/commentator Bas Rutten to Vice President of "Fighter Operations" and he is delivering on a new IFL. The company changed their logo, and also their approach to the "team" concept. Instead of the "League Teams" such as Quad City Silverbacks and Portland Wolfpack, the teams will represent the true camps and coaches. Pat Miletich's team has been re-named to the Miletich Fighting System, which is the real camp name his fighters have always fought from. Ken Shamrock's team returns to the Lion's Den, Matt Lindland to the world famous Team Quest, Mario Sperry's World Class Fight Center, Randy Couture and Xtreme Couture, Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and soon a camp from Great Britian coached by Ian Freeman.

Yet this is only the beginning. The door has been left open for separate teams from the world of MMA to come in and challenge IFL teams with their own squads for special events. Tito Ortiz and his Team Punishment have already expressed interest and how can proud academies like Chute Boxe, Hammer House, American Top Team, Black House, Greg Jackson, Brazilian Top Team, and perhaps even the notorious Russian Red Devils resist the temptation to battle camp vs camp? I think this is a much better approach to the "team" concept and will allow for more solid teams with more cohesion.

The IFL also goes into 2008 with Champions for each weight class. This allows for title fights pitting the best against the best with that gold that the fans always seem to want to see. Lightweight Champ Ryan Schultz, Welterweight Champ Jay Hieron, Middleweight Champ Matt Horwich, Light Heavyweigth Champ Vladimir Matyushenko, Heavyweight Champ Roy Nelson, and newly created Featherweight Division Champ Wagnney Fabiano will all be defending their respective titles in the coming year. This adds the excitement of the title fight along with the team style battles on the same cards.

Finalized deals with MyNetwork TV and Fox Sports Net along with video releases by Warner Home Video will continue to push the IFL into new markets not to mention they will finally be broadcasting "live" fights instead of taped bouts that people read about on the Internet and don't watch. For you game fanboys, an IFL video game is currently in the works.

This "new" look IFL definately looks vastly improved from the 1st version, though I wouldn't go out and buy their stock just yet. On the other hand, it is awfully cheap for a company making that run at the mainstream of MMA.

Brock Lesnar Headliner Before He Even Gains 1st UFC Win, + his penis tattoo

In other important Pro Wrestling related news, Brock Lesnar still has a penis tattooed on his chest for all time. Rumors had surfaced that he had the embarrassing error in judgement removed but this is not the case as he just had it touched up to add some balls and hair to the mix. Brock is also slated to headline the UFC 86 event in London before he has even made his debut. No opponent has been named but UFC 81 Breaking Point, and former UFC Heavyweight opponent Frank Mir had only a confused look to respond to these revelations.

Bobby Lashley Leaves WWE For MMA

Former WWE "Superstar" Bobby Lashley, who also attended Missouri Valley College, where he won three national amateur wrestling championships between 1996 and 1998, placing fourth in 1995 has decided to quit pro wrestling and become a MMA fighter. Throughout 1997 and 1998 he was the NAIA National Wrestling Champion, competing at the weight of 177 pounds. Lashley later joined the United States Army,and continued to wrestle. He became a successful WWE wrestler winning the ECW title and others while becoming a fan favorite. Bobby follows in the steps of Ken Shamrock, Brock Lesnar, and many famous Japanese MMA fighters making the jump from fake fighting into the true fighting world. Now at 275 lbs., Lashley might perhaps become a force to be reckoned with in the Heavyweight division, though he stated he does not at this time want to work for the UFC. This is probably due to his lack of experience which he wants to achieve in lower profile organizations. Bobby has officially been released from his WWE contract and is currently training MMA and entertaining offers from various MMA organizations for this surprising new fighting prospect.

UFC Fight Night Brawls & Boredom

Well surprise surprise, Kurt "Batman" Pellegrino and Nate Diaz steal the show on a lackluster UFC Fight Night Card. Of course, it seems as though we didn't see the good bouts.

1st things 1st, Nate Diaz had to quiet a lot of critics including myself with his dominant defeat of Alvin Robinson. We all knew the kid had great ground skills, but the way he used his long limbs and slick Ju-Jitsu to triangle choke out Robinson was just a thing of beauty. He may look like he weighs 5 lbs. going into a fight with a muscular built fighter, but he looks like a young Royce Gracie with agile and constant Ju-Jitsu maneuvers from position to position as if it were nothing. Pulling guard was the biggest mistake Alvin could make and he paid for it being finished in 1 round something supposed "contender" Kenny Florian also did. Perhaps young Nate does need some bigger name fish to fry.

Kurt Pellegrino came out with a shot and immediately got rocked by a stiff kick from Alberto Crane that almost ended the fight. Kurt shot some teeth through his bottom lip and yet still fought on beginning to establish himself on the feet in the round. He continued into the 2nd with pinpoint strikes begging Crane to come forward and face him. From there he tore the guy apart with a brutal punches cutting the fighter even more than in the 1st bloody round. To the ground Crane fell and turtled up and Kurt unloaded until ref Herb Dean stepped in, perhaps early. Even so, the gashes and swollen eye of Crane would not have allowed him to continue much longer and Kurt snatches the win from an almost instant defeat to go 11-3 in the "Fight Of The Night."

Mike Swick seemed unsure of himself as Josh Burkman went with wild kicks, backfists, and stuffed takedowns in the main event. Lackluster at best, but an easy 1st round win for Burkman. In the 2nd as the crowd boo'd the boring affair of constant leaning against he cage, Swick finally landed a significant kick to Josh and a few punches to win a very close 2nd round. How about some more boring action? Well the 3rd provided it though Mike seemed to finally get comfortable at his new weight landing some combinations but not a lot of damage. It was a fight neither fighter should be proud of but Swick gets the proper decision nod.

Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote, the Canadian came into a fight where everyone (including myself) thought he was outgunned on the feet with Drew McFedries. Couldn't be further from the truth as Patrick Cote landed well on the feet and accepted shot great shots to his granite chin. From there Patrick got busy landing a brutal uppercut that sent the Miletich fighter to the canvas and then gave the ground and pound out for the victory in TKO fashion. Big win for Cote who seems to have survived his earlier "cursed" UFC daze to become a contender.

Thiago Thavares where are you? The brilliant Brazilian looked anything but in a sloppy decision win over journey man Michihiro Ohmygodwa. Thiago won every round but should have dominated this fight with a giant headed opponent he seemed to be leery of. This will not help his cause to return to the UFC Lightweight Top 10 but hey, a win is a win, is a win.

Gray Maynard exhausted Denis Siver in route to a decision victory, as Corey Hill also dilapidated his opponent and won with a long limbed TKO. Jeremy Stephens upset Cole Miller (the Upset pick I wanted to make but was too scared) with could not handle the power of his opponent as body shots and slams took their toll in route to a barrage of elbows and punches on the floor. Matt Wiman broke Justin Buchholz nose to get a rear naked choke and a win that still keeps him well below the Top 10 Lightweights.

Interesting show as the best fights (save Diaz & Pellegrino) weren't shown on TV as we were subjected to the paced efforts of Thiago, Ohmygodwa, Burkman, and Swick. Didn't see that coming and the picks went 6-3 but wait........the Japanese Athletic Commission has overturned the Misaki KO over Akiyama since his KO blow was delivered while Yoshihiro was on the ground (as I originally said mind you). Kazuo loses his win and I drop off one of my loss picks.

Ultimate Fight Night Wednesday: Swick vs Burkman

Mike Swick 12-2 vs Josh Burkman 20-4 Swick makes his debut at 170 lbs. after being manhandled by Yushin Okami at 185, and deciding a drop in weight was needed. Burkman just narrowly defeated Petz by split decision and was also worked before that by Karo Parisyan. Both men need the win and a good showing. On the feet Swick has the power and the speed but Josh also has the quickness combined with great wrestling. My theory is Mike will over power Josh at this weight class and be able to escape any bad positions on the ground in route to dominating on the feet for a decision victory.

WINNER-Mike Swick by decision

Patrick Cote 12-4 vs Drew McFedries 6-2 Cote has had his share of bad luck in the UFC, but a 3 fight winning streak and a KO of popular Kendall Grove has put him back in the picture. McFedries is returning from a sick win over Radev and a vicious staff infection. Both men have bombs for hands and this will no doubt be a brawl on the feet. Who lands 1st wins. My heart is for Cote, but I think Drew has more power, better accuracy, and that intangible explosiveness that takes him to a TKO win. However, if Cote is smart, he takes this fight to the floor where Drew is inexperienced and tires him out to take the win on points. 1st upset pick of the night!

WINNER-Drew McFedries by TKO

Nate Diaz 7-2 vs Alvin Robinson 10-2 Nate is still trying to prove he belongs after winning TUF, but he is facing a fellow submission artist who has much more bulk and perhaps can toss around the lanky frame of Nate. We know the Diaz brothers are tough but I don't see Nate hurting Alvin in the stand up game and Robinson out muscling him to a victory provided he isn't caught in a sneaky slick Diaz submission. 2nd upset pick of the night!

WINNER-Alvin Robinson via TKO

Thiago Tavares 16-1 vs Michihiro Omigawa 4-5 Thiago Tavares returns angrier than ever after losing an ultra close decision to Tyson Griffin. His title hopes were derailed by that loss so it seems the UFC decided to give him someone to punish. Oh my god Omigawa is in for a hurting.

WINNER-Thiago Tavares by however he pleases

Kurt Pellegrino 16-3 vs Alberto Crane 8-1 Batman returns after a spirited loss to former #1 contender Joe Stevenson to battle Crane who was just flat out abused by Roger Huerta. It was ugly and I expect Kurt to G&P his way to a victory as well.

WINNER-Kurt Pellegrino by TKO

Gray Maynard 4-0-1 vs Dennis Siver 11-4 Gray returns after a 9 second KO punch win in his last fight! Siver has some power in the hands but I think Gray just smothers him with his superior wrestling and apparently his powerful strikes.

WINNER-Gray Maynard by decision

Cole Miller 13-2 vs Jeremy Stephens 14-2 Jeremy likes to stand up while Cole has excelled with his long limbs on the ground. I think this could be a very competitive fight with Cole not getting an easy pass here for being a TUF alum. Jeremy could pull the upset here but I'm going to play it safe with the favorite since I'm picking ridiculous upsets for this card.

WINNER-Cole Miller ???

Joe Veres 5-2 vs Corey Hill 1-0 Joe is the guy who lasted a whole 9 seconds against Gray. Corey is the super popular TUF alum who doesn't have any real experience to speak of. So who wins? Beats me. Something tells me Veres has a little more in him than his last fight, but how can he get past the reach of the tallest UFC Lightweight (6'4) who has been training with Matt Hughes and the Miletich camp on occasions?

WINNER-Corey Hill by determination

Justin Buchholz 8-1 vs Matt Wiman 8-3 Justin comes to us with crazy orange hair and even crazier up and down frantic style. Wiman is yet another TUF alum who has yet to reach his potential. Watch the Wiman rise.

WINNER-Handsome Wiman

Isn't it odd that a Spike TV event is better that the UFC PPV that was last Saturday? I mean really, there is better talent on this card across the board and some interesting fights. And this is free! Ah well, do people even know this event is happening this week?

The UFC Exodus Begins.......

When the initial signs of Pride FC's demise began to surface, Mirko Cro Cop was the 1st major super-star to leave the company. As Pride FC was purchased by Zuffa (UFC) and the realization that them continuing the brand was a purchasing illusion, fighters began to scramble with their contracts mostly void, to find work in the emerging MMA world. Some did land contracts in the UFC such as Antonio Nogueira, Akihiro Gono, Ryo Chonan, Dan Henderson, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Rameau Sokoudjou, & Wanderlei Silva all found a new home with varying degrees of success (*Quinton Jackson & Lyoto Machida came from WFA, Heath Herring from K-1, & Anderson Silva from ICON & Cage Rage*). Many great fighters such as Takanori Gomi, Hidehiko Yoshida, Josh Barnett, Ricardo Arona, Mark Hunt, Joachim Hansen, Kazuyuki Fujita, still have yet to resurface. The fighters had lost their bargaining strengths when the UFC began to become the untoppable monopoly that dominated 2007. I am starting to see some cracks in the UFC armor as some major stars are looking elsewhere and beginning a possible mass exodus of the unyeilding company.

Randy Couture, the comeback story of the year, and hero to millions re-gained the UFC Heavyweight Title only to lose interest in potential opponents when the UFC could not sign reigning Heavyweight Ruler Fedor Emelianenko to a strict and unrealistic contract. He also felt as if the money aspect of the Zuffa ran business was getting out of hand. Fight "bonuses" were meant to make up small dollar contracts for fighters but were not mandatory. Couture found this out when he defeated Gabriel Gonzaga and was never given his "promised" $250,000 fight bonus. The legendary Hall Of Famer simply "resigned" from the UFC and has given up the title he worked so hard to retrieve. He will sit out the remainder of his contract until it becomes void in October and he can sign with upstart M-1 Global to make the dream fight with Fedor a reality. The UFC has responded with a lawsuit and a sudden bad mouthing of the man they once heralded as the greatest fighter of all time.

Andrei Arlovski, another fan favorite and former Heavyweight Champion, has been sitting on the UFC bench simply because he is refusing to talk contract extension until his final fight is up. The UFC seems to have finally relented giving him a fight in March which will be 11 months since his last fight and victory! Arlovski's management has been very verbal in their disgust with the UFC's handling of their fighter and Andrei will most likely find his way to M-1 Global, Bodog Fight, Elite XC, or K-1, all which are willing to pay big money with "open contracts" (fighters can fight for other promotions while under contract with the companies permission).

As another UFC Top 10 Heavyweight exits, Fabricio Werdum, whom Andrei Arlovski defeated in his last bout, has been named the #1 contender after defeating Gabe Gonzaga at UFC 80! The 10-3-1 fighter will face the winner of Tim Sylvia vs Antonio Nogueira. Werdum has rarely defeated top talent like the aforementioned Gonzaga, while already losing to Antonio Nogueira and is 2-2 in his last 4 fights. That is your #1 contender?

Now the always bitchy and unhappy Tito Ortiz has stated that he has accepted a fight with Lyoto Machida and stated "I’m just looking to get my final fight over with the UFC.” after being told by the UFC brass he wasn't worth the money ($210,000 a fight) and no longer a "commodity" to them. Ouch. I've never like the ass but you can't deny people want to watch the guy fight (he had the 2 highest PPV buys for the company before last year) and he is a skilled fighter (I just threw up a little). Now he is leaving as well.

Renato "Babalu" Sobral was bounced for holding a choke hold too long on a fighter while BJ Penn did the exact same thing and earned a title shot that would eventually win him the Lightweight Title. Denis Kang had similar reservations as Fedor about UFC contracts and signed with K-1. Matt Lindland still refuses to sign with the UFC which has earned him much money all over the world. But these men are just free agents that were allowed to slip through the UFC's hands.

T.U.F 5, UFC fighter and former Sportfight Champ, Brandon Melendez has asked for and was granted his release from the UFC so that he may pursue other options, and have a regularly active fight schedule. Paul Buentello, Shonie "Mr. International" Carter, Edwin Dewees, Nick Diaz, Robbie Lawler ICON & Elite XC Champion, Frank Trigg, Jeff Monson, Trevor Prangley BodogFight Champion, Nick Thompson BodogFight Champion, Jay Hieron IFL Champion, Alex Schoenauer, Josh Neer, Scott Smith, Phil Baroni, Bang Ludwig, and many more have walked away from the UFC in recent years due to mistreatment and contract disputes.

My point is options have grown for MMA fighters and the UFC does not have the stranglehold they once possessed over talent, and the participants know it. I expect to see more and more fighters exit the UFC and their strict contract and money practices for freedom and new life. They are still the "big dog" in MMA, but if they don't relax a little and begin respecting their fighters, more Randy Couture's and Andrei Arlovski's will be heading for the exits while the current roster begins to weigh their options more carefully. It only takes one, but Randy Couture is not alone anymore as voices are beginning to raise and support for independance and fairness grows.

UFC 80 Fight Links

BJ Penn vs Joe Stevenson
http://ballhype.com/video/b_j_penn_vs_joe_stevenson_at_ufc_80/

Jorge Rivera vs Kendall Grove
http://rutube.ru/tracks/407764.html?v=f30f9e1aeffdef7c2499fc1c4b2e6f7e

Marcus Davis vs Jess Liaudin
http://rutube.ru/tracks/407837.html?v=230b9396e5100546443b06b48bcd8141

Wilson Gouveia vs Jason Lambert
http://rutube.ru/tracks/407854.html?v=664b1c987042f0e2dfb69c692c8dba8f

The UFC hates me right now.
Be patient as the host sites are very busy since the PPV ended.

UFC 80 Results *spoilers* Before PPV Airs

Sam Stout led off the affair with a decision win over Per Eklund. I really expected Shammy to dominate this fight and end it quick. Instead, we got a slow lackluster fight and a lot of boo's from the Newcastle, England fans. Its a win but its not going to help Stout much in the Lightweight rankings.

Sakara defeats James Lee in a bout handed to him by the UFC for a win. Sakara has had 7 fights now in the UFC for some odd reason. He isn't the "great" striker we all heard about and he has a 3-3-NC record against all weak opponents. His only "name" fight was a loss to Dean Lister and I continue to wonder why this guy has a job. Even in his wins, like this one, he doesn't look impressive and his opponent seemed to have hurt his back causing the eventual loss here as well. They seem to like the Roman overseas, but I hope he stays there.

Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor had a great fight of stand up exchanges but it was the wrestling of Kelly that would earn him the nod from the judges. Pretty good fight overall and I guess we should have listened to the "insiders" who were saying the Wolfslair Academy fighter (Michael Bisping, etc.) would out work the fellow Brit.

Antoni Hardonk came out with his deadly leg kicks and a couple of punches to TKO Colin Robinson in just 17 seconds! It would have been more impressive against a decent opponent. Keep in mind Hardonk was tooled by Frank Mir and Justin McCully for christ's sake. Hardonk moves right up in the Heavyweight Division to the top 100.

El Conquistador delivers "my upset pick" with a complete dismantling of the overrated Kendall Grove. It took 1:20 for Jorge Rivera to takedown Kenny and pound the living shit out of him with an unyielding barrage of punches forcing the ref to step in and stop the fight. Listen, Jorge came off an embarrassing loss to Terry Martin who has Tyson like power and KO'd him flat. Evens so, Rivera took Rich Franklin to the brink, has fought Champ Anderson Silva, as well as Travis Lutter, David Loiseau, Lee Murry, and Mark Weir to name a few, garnering him much knowledge and experience at a higher level than glass chin Grove. Don't count the old man out yet as he took out the odd bodied and quite overrated Kendall. I say again, Kendall is oooooverrated!

Wilson Gouveia just got outworked non-stop by the juggernaut Jason Lambert in the 1st round. Lambert just did everything right and dominated. Then came the 2nd round and the phrase, "everyone gets caught." Wilson just landed a left hook that had Jason out cold before he hit the mat. Ouch, tough loss for Lambert but a great win for Wilson.

"The Irish Hand Grenade" Marcus Davis do what he do and dropped those cannon fired punches into the grill of Jess Liaudin, dropping him and winning the bout to continue his now 11 fight winning streak in just 1:04!! I heard a lot of talk that Jess was going to win the bout and I just laughed. Liaudin is a nice crazy fighter, but Davis is for real and is training and learning at a faster pace than about anyone I've seen in years. He has completely changed himself from a one trick pony to an MMA knowledge sponge. Sho you right!

Fabricio Werdum's Chute Boxe training pays off as he wins again in the rematch with Gabriel Gonzaga by TKO of all things. Gonzaga's game plan was to attack the legs with kicks and actually try to fight the fight on the ground. Did not work. Werdum, not wanting an ugly performance like his last bout with Andrei Arlovski, wanted action and delivered the punches and elbows brilliantly. In the 2nd round, Gabe continued the leg assault but seemed fatigued already! Werdum moves in with the patented Chute Boxe knees and punishes the big man before dropping him to the canvas for a decimating attack of elbows and punches in rapid fire succession forcing the ref to save Gonzaga. Wow, not only because of the upset, but how dominate and greatly improved Werdum has become in a short time with the stand up game. Was Gabe out of shape for this, or did the training at Chute Boxe just help Werdum out pace the odd game plan of Napao? Strange goings on.

BJ Penn came out and sent Joe Stevenson to the floor with a great uppercut. He looks like the young BJ of old. Penn tries to finish but pulls back sensing Joe has recovered. In Stevenson's guard, Penn drops a cutting elbow opening a bad gash on Joe's head to end round 1. Joe is bleeding badly. Stevenson tries to get to work quickly in the 2nd but BJ is just a much better striker and the blood continues to flow. Cut checked, fight continues with Joe getting dazed and seeking refuge on the floor. Penn gets mount landing brutal punches forcing Stevenson to give his back and Penn immediately puts on the rear naked choke to become the new Lightweight Champion in dominating fashion! A focused in shape BJ, is a monster MMA fighter.

6-3 on my picks here with one upset correct and Gouveia getting lucky and Werdum's vast improvment the surprises for me.

UFC 80 Rapid Fire *do not order this ppv*

*Early Disclaimer, do not, under any circumstances order this PPV. Reasons given below.*

Quick Picks

BJ "Prodigy" Penn 11-4-1 vs. Joe "Daddy" Stevenson 28-7 W-BJ

Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga 8-2 vs. Fabricio Werdum 9-3-1
W-Gabe

Jason "Punisher" Lambert 23-6 vs. Wilson Gouveia 9-4
W-Lambert

Sam "Hands Of Stone" Stout 12-3-1 vs. Per Eklund 12-2-1
W-Stout

Alessio 11-6 Sakara vs. James Lee 13-2
W-Sakara

Paul Taylor 8-2-1 vs. Paul Kelly 6-0
W-Taylor

Marcus "Irish Hand Grenade" Davis 13-3 vs. Jess "Joker" Liaudin 12-8
W-Davis

Kendall Grove 8-4 vs. Jorge Rivera 14-6
W-Rivera (upset pick)

Antoni Hardonk 5-4 vs. Colin Robinson 9-3
W-Hardonk

*Final disclaimer. If MMA fans continue to order weak ass PPV's like this one, the UFC will keep putting them on. The fact that the UFC has raised their prices to $45.00 is maddening enough, but to begin the rate hike with suck a lackluster event is just stupid. This is a weak card even if it was free on Spike TV! Dana White and the boys at Zuffa continue to use shady business practices to squeeze every last dollar out of the fan while trying to squash every upstart and legit MMA company out there to maintain their monopoly of the sport. You can watch the PPVby the end of the day (since in England it will be early our time) on many Internet outlets such as Megaupload, Daily Motion, YouTube, V Sandbox, Rapid Share, and many many more sites that cater to your inner pirate. Use your voice by keeping your money in your wallet this Saturday, and still see the event. That will doubly piss off the UFC and hopefully, eventually, force them into decent PPV's (which they have the talent for) and respect for the fans that make them money.*

MMA MMA MMA, & The Like

1st up on the MMA information super-wire of rumors and delusions. Despite rumors saying Chute Boxe (who has officially disassociated themselves with the American camp that adopted their name) is coming to form a permanent American camp seem to be wrong. While Wanderlei Silva did return to Brazil to meet up with his former running mates Cyborg, Ninja, & Shogun, they are not, at this time, going to bring camp to the U.S. Shogun has stated he and his brother will remain with their new training team in Brazil and not reunite with Chute Boxe or Silva. Shogun wants to continue with their new team and focus on returning to fight in the UFC in April, while he did leave the future open to training with Wanderlei and Chute Boxe members in the future.

In a battle of the undefeated, Thiago Alves (Chute Boxe) is slated to face Rashad Evans (Jackson Submission Fighting) in May. Both Light Heavyweights are on the cusp of title contention after padding their perspective records as of late. Rashad is coming off a judges gift decision over Michael Bisping while Thiago just obliterated the aura of power punching Houston Alexander. One thing is for sure, Thiago will force Rashad to not fight the boring fight he is known for.

Speaking of "The Planet" Houston Alexander, he has an upcoming puncher's war with fellow stand up stand out James Irvin. Both have nothing on the ground and great power in the hands so a KO is inevitable for one of the men.

Karo Parisyan (18-4), who most consider the #1 contender for the Welterweight Title after the Serra/GSP fight, is rolling the dice in a reported fight with Thiago Alves (13-3). Thiago is a definite up and coming Welterweight who could derail Karo's title hopes for the 2nd time (injury cost Parisyan his 1st title shot). Thiago is coming off a lucky win via cut over Chris Lytle in a bout he was losing while Karo returns is coming off an impressive win over Pride FC vet Ryo Chonan. Give Karo the credit, he could just sit on the sidelines until after the Serra/GSP rematch, but he wants to stay active and make sure he gets a title shot.

Jeremy Horn (79-16-5) has stepped in and out of retirement to face Nathan Marquardt (25-7-2) after Middleweight contender Thales Leites (12-1) had to withdraw with a broken hand. Marquardt is looking to recover from his title defeat at the hands of the "2007 Fighter Of The Year" Anderson Silva, while Horn returns as one of the most respected fighters of all time, trying to get back on track after disappointing 2-2 in the last few years. A win puts Horn back in the mix, while a win for Marquardt keeps him near title contention provided someone can beat Silva.

Undefeated Lyoto Machida (12-0) has accepted a fight with Tito Ortiz (15-5-1) (who has yet to sign). Tito is coming off his draw with Rashad Evans and a stint on the reality show "The Apprentice," while Lyoto needs one more big win to be a Light Heavyweight #1 contender. He should be already but hey, you also need to have a "name" in the UFC for a title shot. By the by, Vitor Belfort had an interview with the UFC about returning to the organization and said his 1st order of business was a rematch with Tito. Stay tuned.

Eddie Alvarez (11-1), former Bodog Fight Welterweight Champion has signed a deal to fight for Elite XC. Eddie is a top and vicious talent who needs to be brought to a larger market. Though a bit small for Welterweight, Alvarez is a standout who KO's the crap out of competition and has a huge cult following. Expect big things from this man soon on Showtime.

Strikeforce Champion Frank Shamrock (23-8-1) will fight San Shou legend and ultra-exciting MMA up and comer Cung Le (5-0) for the Middleweight title March 29th. Many have said Le has not yet been tested in MMA and that Frank hasn't had a truly elite opponent since his return to MMA action, so this fight may sate all fans. Cung has amazing striking ability with the legs and hands while Frank is a veteran who was once the greatest in the world. The fight is sure to draw an enormous audience and will the winner face Renzo Gracie?

Hall Of Fame fighter Pat Miletich says he would like to rematch aforementioned Renzo Gracie this year and possibly Frank Shamrock as he plans to continue to tarnish a formerly great legacy.

Finally and inevitably, the UFC has officially launched a lawsuit against former/current? Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture. Obviously, they want him to fight for them before his contract expires in October and block at all costs a dream bout against one Fedor Emelianenko. I continue to believe that both parties in this are wrong and that the only losers in the long run will be the fans.

Ryan Shamrock's Professional MMA Debut

Ken & Ryan Shamrock Sign With Elite XC

In somewhat surprising news, Elite XC has announced that they have signed Ken Shamrock and his 19 year old son Ryan Shamrock to multi-fight deals. Ken (26-12-2) has lost his last 4 fights at age 43 doesn't seem to have a whole lot left in the tank besides a desire to prove himself over and over again. I can respect that, but who Ken actually fights, and if he can actually get back on the winning track are 2 very important aspects of his 3rd comeback. A legitimate fight with pro wrestler Kurt Angle (an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling) was proposed by the IFL, but Kurt turned down the fight citing not enough time to train for his MMA debut. The promoter of Elite XC Gary Shaw, has long been interested in the Shamrock name, and a future fight with step brother Frank Shamrock which is already rumored to be set up for December of this year. There is no doubt that Ken has drawing power, but who would he fight on the Showtime's MMA promotion roster would be important to validate his return or a possible fight with his brother. If Ken fights an unknown or a "can" and wins, what does that prove? At the same time, a bigger named opponent gives him a loss and the future Frank fight becomes even more irrelevant. It will be interesting to see what the future holds, even if it is an eventual and not surprising let down.

For his son Ryan Shamrock, he has had but 1 fight (1-0) at 135 lbs. which Elite XC doesn't even have as a weight class yet. Granted he's there for his name, but a 1-0 fighter with his dad's name isn't going to impress anyone anytime soon.

Gary Shaw continues to make some odd choices for his company, but this deal is set for March 8th, in London England, for father and son to compete on the same card.

Chris Horodecki vs Ryan Schultz

A Ridiculous Amount Of MMA Madness

After an absolute plethora of fights in a succession of baffling PPV's, we finally tally up the scores and look to the future of MMA in 2008 after we hit the high points of UFC 79 Nemesis, Yarennoka, K-1 Dynamite!, and god help us even the IFL Grand Prix Finals.

The Main Events

Well a god he remains as it took Fedor Emelianenko a predictable 1:54 to submit Hong Man Choi with an armbar. Not much new to see here as Fedor brought the giant down on himself and worked for the armbar early, only to have Choi escape impressively and even land some tough shots to Fedor's dome. Back to the feet and back to the floor as Choi would not escape the armbar again. After the bout Fedor said his management is talking to Randy Couture's people now but he will fight in March and hopefully 3 or 4 times in 2008!

Georges St. Pierre dominated Matt Hughes once again to win their rubber match by forcing Matt to verbally tap to an armbar. Matt was the one taken down and out wrestled as GSP moved from position to position doing whatever he pleased in the fight. In the 2nd, GSP out powered the veteran again taking him to the ground to continue the beating. GSP mounted and looked for a kimura which Matt blocked only to fall into GSP's flawless transition to an armbar in which Hughes called to the ref to stop the fight. GSP looked as though he dispatched "greatest welterweight of all time" with absolute ease as he took off the "Interim" Welterweight Title saying the real belt was around the waist of Matt Serra and that was the belt he wanted.

Kazushi Sakuraba defeated MasakatsuFunaki as expected via 1st round armbar. Not a whole lot of action to speak of in the match so let's talk a little future here. Saku says he still trains with Chute Boxe and wants to fight more in 2008. Presumably, he is speaking of a fight with Rickson Gracie which is supposed to take place next year between the two legends. Though their skills have both deteriorated, you cannot deny the curiosity factor that would bring many fans to watch two of the greatest MMA fighters of all time together for a Dream/Super-Bout!

Chuck Liddell got back in the win column posting a decision win over Wanderlei Silva who showed a lot of heart, and that his limbs are just a bit too short. After an initial feeling out process, Chuck used his range to land often on Silva who swung wildly and could not get into Chuck's grill. Some of the punches really seemed to hurt Wanderlei though he kept coming but his eyes became glassy and his legs lacked their normal pep. In the 2nd, Wanderlei went for broke and actually knocked down Chuck twice in the round, but Chuck kept battling back bloodying the face of Silva and getting in some deadly shots as the round closed. For the final round Chuck had his range and absolutely tee'd off on Silva backing him into the fence and throwing punch after punch which left the crowd wondering when Silva was going to fall. He didn't. The former multi-belt champion never gave up as Liddell began to gas but still landed more and punished Wand as the time ran out. The unanimous victory went to a happy Chuck who jumps back into title contention, while a battered looking Silva graciously thanked the crowd, UFC, & Chuck saying he would be back. Liddell's career now back on track while Silva has lost 3 bouts in a row and looks just like he has been in far too many wars. How much does the Brazilian have left in his fighting career, and who will the UFC put him up against next?

Kid Yamamoto needed 2 whole rounds before he KO'd Rani Yahyi. Yamamoto has quietly become like Fedor with only one blemish on his 17-1 record stemming from a cut. Somebody out there needs to challenge the awesome dominance of this Featherweight (I'm looking at you WEC to put Uriah Faber or Jens Pulver up against this machine).

K-1 Dynamite! Results & Such

Ikuhisa Minowa entertained the crowd as he literally ran from Zulu for 3 rounds before being taken down and pounded out by the near 400 lber. Minowa only 32, has had 73 pro fights and likes to get at least 5 or 6 bouts per year. Is he going for Jeremy Horn's 100 pro fight record, or Dan Severn's shady at best 102 fight record? Dan, who is 54 mind you, fought 8 freaking times last year though never against anyone good. Jeremy Horn at least had the brains to retire so these two maniacs can battle it out, or even better, perhaps fight each other!

"Hellboy" Hanson scored another win and Bobby Ologun embarrassed himself again putting out a pathetic effort against Bob Sapp and someone tell me why either of these guys keep fighting? I mean really, what the hell? Sapp can only fight for 1 round swinging mad crazy like King Hippo, while Ologun has never offered any sort of skill in any of his disconcerting fights. Just stop it. Melvin Manhoef out boxed the Japanese boxer Nishijimi on the floor and beat him silly. 7 fights on a weak ass card as some bouts were cancelled at the last minute but I would be remiss if I didn't point out I predicted 100% of the card correctly. That is probably all I will mention about my picks.

UFC 79 Nemesis Round Up

"Hello, my name is Sokoudjou and I can only fight for 3 and a half minutes before I decide to give up on a fight." With all the hype coming in on Soko, and for him to perform that badly, jesus what a let down. Lyota Machida did his job and got a stoppage so if he isn't in line for a title shot in the UFC something is very wrong. Me gut thinks they'll still make him fight Chuck Liddell or Keith Jardine but he has earned a shot already with a 4-0 record in the UFC and 12-0 for his career. Back to the ass clown who wore the Predator mask to the ring. I hope Dan Henderson (his coach at Team Quest) gives him an absolute beating when they get back to the gym. The guy came out hard and fast and when Lyoto picked him apart with his jabs and dominated him on the ground the guy flat out gave up! You could just see him quit. Team Quest and more importantly Soko's fans should be embarassed for that more than for a loss. Giving your all in defeat is one thing, but when things don't go your way and you just quit like a bitch is quite another.

Rich Clementi beat up Melvin Guillard almost choking him unconscious. Maybe Melvin should not have walked to the center of the Octagon and flipped off Rich before the fight, because then he got owned and when Rich let the choke go he gave Mel the old "suck it" crotch chop and proceeded to call him a "bitch" who "needs to go and learn Ju-Jitsu" while waving goodby an irate Guillard was escorted away. So much for sportsmanship but it was pretty funny. The rest of the show yeilded very little so I move on.

Yarennoka Stuff

Aoki, Sakurai, & Kawajiri all got decision victories as did one Mitsuhiro Ishida. His win is noteable because he was the guy who gave up his Shooto belt to fight Takanori Gomi but was KO'd for his efforts. Now a year later he not only came back with a win, but upset the #2 Lightweight in the world Gilbert Melendez handing him his 1st career loss! The Lightweight rankings are going to be all jacked up now after all of this, but congrats to the gutsy little T-Blood member who showed he is an elite fighter.

Akiyama knocked the dancing Misaki on his ass and when following it up couldn't put him away. He then proceeded to leave himself open at the end of the round allowing Misaki to land the hail mary followed by a kick to the face (on the ground, legal or not in Yarennoka rules? Not sure.) for the KO. Its not over till its over Akiy, pay attention or grease up more.

IFL Grand ( I don't know how grand it was) Prix

Ryan Schultz shocked the IFL world by his brutal destruction of their "posterboy" Chris Horodecki who was previously undefeated. Team Quest got Ryan ready on short notice for a rematch in which he lost the 1st time out. This time it was a beautiful left arm trap, that allowed Schultz to land 11 or so unanswered punches while the ref was sleeping to become the 1st IFL Lightweight Champion!

Let me tell ya, Jesus does love his freak of a fan Matt Horwich. Benji Radach was rocking and rolling all over the kid until the light shined down upon him from the sky and he delivered a KO punch to pull the 2nd upset for the title that evening. Crazy Matt is now your IFL Middleweight Champ and god is good.

Congrats and atta boy to Jay Hieron, who has been trying to climb back to the top after his success peaked at the loss against GSP in 2004. The fan favorite and nice guy finally finished 1st pounding Heleno through round 1 and Delson could not continue for round 2 giving Jay his 1st title as IFL Welterweight Champion. I bet Bas Rutton is still hugging Jay right now.

Roy Nelson is your IFL Heavyweight champ folks, I'll let that sink in a bit. Geez these guys need some decent Heavyweights. Wagnney Fabiano wins the instantly created Featherweight Title while Vladimir Matyushenko had previously won the Light Heavyweight Title. OK, some weak champs in a downright awful tournament but hey, the IFL is growing and changing things up in '08 so we wait and see.

It was an orgy of MMA action in a short span and I'm still not fulfilled. 2008 promises some major matchups (Henderson/A.Silva, Jackson/Griffin), possible dream bouts (Emelianenko/Couture, R.Gracie/Sakuraba), super-star returns (Rickson again as well as Mirko Cro Cop, Andrei Arlovski, Evan Tanner, & Takanori Gomi who was at the last UFC), and legit promotions (Strikeforce, Bodog Fight, Elite XC, M-1 Global, K-1 Hero's, IFL) all challenging the king UFC for fighters and viewers.

Yarennoka Picks & Breakdown

Well the card didn't turn out quite as expected with Hidehiko Yoshida, Aleksander Emelianenko, and Ricardo Arona not making appearences on the card, and Gesias "JZ" Calvancante getting injured and pulling out of the event. Still, its a nice farewell to Pride FC from a combined effort from the K-1 and M-1 Global staff to put it all together.

YARENNOKA December 31, 2007

“The Last Emperor” FEDOR EMELIANENKO 26-1 vs “The Techno Goliath” HONG MAN CHOI 1-0 Hong man is the Japanese sensation, is getting the fight of his life after a kickboxing decision loss only two weeks ago in K-1. He is an enormous 7'2 352 lbs. Kickboxer, who has power in his striking, but is slow, and is basically a baby to MMA and with his long limbs is an easy takedown for Fedor who will submit the giant in the beloved Japanese freak fight. Fedor doesn’t do much but tune up here for future opponents (Pedro Rizzo, Jeff Monson, Josh Barnett, don’t hold your breath for Randy Couture) in 2008. Still, we get to see “the man” return to MMA action after an 8 month hiatus.
WINNER-Fedor The Great by submission

Strikeforce Lightweight Champion GILBERT “El Nino” MELENDEZ 13-0 VS MITSUHIRO ISHIDA 15-3-1 The MMAFO #2 Ranked Lightweight is coming in off a sluggish win in October at the Playboy mansion which could distract anyone. Ishida was a Top 10 Lightweight until he was destroyed in his last fight with Takanori Gomi. Mitsuhiro was overpowered by Gomi, and Melendez is known for overpowering his opponents in non-stop action. This should go the same unless Mitsu can hold down Gilbert which I just don’t see happening. Gilbert makes all fights exciting and Ishida has only lost to the very best (Ribeiro, Gomi, and his 1st fight back in 2001) so expect to be entertained until Gil’s hand is raised.
WINNER-Gilbert Melendez by TKO

TATSUYA “Crusher” KAWAJIRI 19-4-2 vs LUIZ AZEREDO 11-6 Kawajiri fell out of the Lightweight Top 10 only because he didn’t fight at all in 2007 and his last fight was a loss to aforementioned Melendez. Make no mistake Tatsuya is a high caliber fighter who can hang with any in the world with a well rounded game and powerful TKOing hands. Luiz is a submission fighter who left Chute Boxe and likes to think he can stand and bang with fighters and has also been out of action for a year. Luiz is crazy to think he can hang with the “Crusher” and will be dismantled as Kawajiri climbs back into the Top 10.
WINNER-Tatsuya Kawajiri by TKO

KAZUO “Grabaka Hitman” MISAKI 18-8-2 vs YOSHIHIRO AKIYAMA 10-1 Kazuo rose to prominence in 2oo6 winning the Pride Middleweight Grand Prix though he lost his opening fight but went to the finals because others got injured and defeated an unmotivated Dan Henderson by decision. I’ve always found Misaki overrated and his weak loss to Frank Trigg in his last outing (February 2007) helped confirm it. Akiyama is the guy who “greased up” and was DQ’d against Sakuraba but came back to just KO the crap outta Denis Kang in October to prove he is a Middleweight contender! The Judo practioner has beaten some heavy competition and easily at that. Expect Akiyama to continue to roll here though Misaki will do his best to slow the bout to a boring crawl.
WINNER-Akiyama by decision

MURILO BUSTAMANTE 14-6-1 VS MAKOTO TAKIMOTO 3-3 The ever inconsistent and yet former UFC Middleweight Champion Murilo can be one of the best in the world (like against Matt Lindland & Dave Menne) or just look lousy (like against Amar Suloev & Kazuhiro Nakamura). He has faced competition like Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Minowa, Jerry Bohlander, and the aforementioned names (I’ve used that word twice now) so he has seen it all! Makoto has seen very little, including success, though he is a Judo champ and did upset Zelg Galesic in his last fight by kimura. Makoto has a lot of heart, but if the BTT trained Murilo shows up around 75%, he should take this one by submission or at the very least, decision.
WINNER-Bustamante

SHINYA “Tobikan Judan” AOKI 11-2 vs BUKYUNG JUNG I can't find out jack about this replacement Jung guy except that he does judo. Big help. Either way he gets submitted by triangle, everyone does.
WINNER-Aoki

ROMAN ZENTSOV 16-11 vs MICHAEL RUSSOW 6-1 Mike is a big fella coming in against the Red Devil on short notice. Roman was on a roll recently until he got laid upon by Brandon Lee Hinkle and lost a decision over at Bodog. Look for a rebound here as Zentsov gets a KO and keeps things off the floor where Russow excels at submissions.
WINNER-Zentsov

HIDEHIKO HASEGAWA 14-8-4 vs. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai 30-7-2 Hidehiko was the DEEP Middleweight Champion but is coming off a loss followed by a draw. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't Mach sign with the UFC and was shown at one of their PPV's? Surprised they allowed this fight but Mach is going to win against the bigger bully with his hands and speed.
WINNER-Sakurai

UFC 79 Nemesis Breakdown

We all know the names, we all know this is potentially the biggest PPV of the year for all the right reasons. It is time that 2 dream bouts come true so lets get to the action!

"The Axe Murderer" Wanderlei Silva 31-7-1 vs Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell 20-5 Either man touches you on the chin and you go to sleep. This super-fight has been years in the making though it took some odd circumstances to come true. Both coming off losing their respective belts and 2 bouts in a row desperately needing to re-establish themselves at the top of the food chain. This really is a who lands 1st fight. Chuck is always the counter fighter and Wanderlei always the aggressor. So Wand comes forward but does he land 1st or get taken out by the counter hook of Chuck? This fight is almost impossible to call but we have to play the percentages. Chuck is older at 37 (Wand is 31) but Silva has been through more wars and sustained more damage. Don't talk about the loss of Pride FC rules because Silva still has more tools to call on than Chuck. Chuck strikes and when taken down gets up. Wand will use aggression, knees, kicks, punches, the clinch, and god forbid a ground game based in Chute Boxe Ju-Jitsu (he does have a black belt though we never see him use it). Based on their war chests alone and who they have battled, the nod goes to Wand, but with these 2 KO artists you never know and in an instant one will go to sleep. It just has to end that way.
WINNER-Wanderlei Silva by TKO

Matt Hughes 43-5 vs Georges "Rush" St. Pierre 14-2 Take a deep breath people and put away your personal feelings on these guys. Matt Hughes has an experience that far exceeds Georges resume. They each won a fight against each other though "Rush" was winning the 1st as well before he got caught in an armbar. The 2nd time he decimated the legendary Welterweight. Time has passed and have Matt's skills diminished, or is he still an alpha MMA fighter? St. Pierre has only gotten better training with Greg Jackson's camp (Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquardt, etc.) and returning at times to his Canadian home camp BTT Canada. He did however take the fight on short notice (4 weeks) though he claimed he was training with his partners as if he had a fight coming up himself. I don't think GSP takes this fight unless he knows he can be ready, as he knows it is the defining fight in his career to date. What does Hughes really have to prove after all this time as a dominant champion? He has found inner peace and is a future Hall Of Famer. I do think his skills are slowing while GSP is getting faster though that does not count him out. Don't look for a fast fight as both men come in cautious and take this fight into the very late rounds if not a decision. Once they get comfortable, either GSP pulls away with pure athletic talent, or Hughes frustrates GSP into a mistake. I believe GSP takes this on points in a long grueling match.
WINNER-GSP by decision

Lyoto "Ryoto" Machida 11-1 vs Ramaeu Sokoudjou 4-1Soko debuts in the Octagon with a possible title shot looming if he can pull off yet another upset. Here's the thing about this match, Soko is an aggressive striker while Lyoto is a passive striker who enjoys brisk walks on the beach before a decision win. Soko isn't going to allow that as the Team Quest trained fighter pushes the pace against a fighter who loves to take things slow. Watch Ramaeu test the chin of the undefeated fighter (which hasn't been tested) and dispel the rumor that he himself has a glass chin. Ryoto will get out wrestled, out hustled, and out judo'd (I know that's not a word and don't care) unless he lands the miracle punch (does he have the power?) as Soko cements himself as a legit Light Heavyweight.
WINNER-Sokoudjou by TKO

Melvin "Returning From A Cocaine Suspension" Guillard 39-7-3 vs Rich "No Love" Clementi 37-12-1 Either of you guys got any experience? Anywho, these guys freaking hate each other by the way. According to shaky reports, Melvin "sucker punched" Rich backstage at a small MMA show after they had both been trash talking each other on the Internet. Rich apparently put out his hand in a good will gesture and received a punch for it. Since, the former friends (yes they once were friends) have been pushing UFC matchmaker Joe Silva for a bout. After Melvin was cleared from his suspension for using cocaine, yes cocaine the fucking moron, the fight was on! Now both men come in swinging for the fences. Look I don't like the cocky prick, but Melvin has better wrestling, stand up, power, and pure athleticism than ole Clementi. Guillard proves "nice guys finish last" by taking out "No Love" early.
WINNER-Melvin Dullard by TKO

"The Hulk" Soa Palelei 8-1 vs Eddie "Known For Being Cro Cop's Punching Bag" Sanchez 9-1 I'm actually excited to see what the big fella from Australia can do in the U.S. He barely makes the Heavyweight 265 lbs. limit and has massive power in his hands and actually a few submissions. Eddie, I'm sure he's a nice guy and all but the UFc just keeps sending him to the slaughter. He's not that good, though he has a lot of heart, but gets crushed here.
WINNER-Soa by KO

James "Sandman" Irvin 12-4-1 vs Luis "Banha" Crane 8-0 Irvin has unbelievable power in his hands there's no doubt about that. I question his stamina, game plan, and ground game which always seem to be lacking. Can't say I know a whole lot about Banha but he comes to throw (6 TKO/KO's) and has some submissions coming out of his home of Brazil. You know the rule, "when in doubt go with the guy from Brazil."
WINNER-Banha by TKO

Manny "The Manvel" Gamburyan 5-3 vs Nate Mohr 8-4 Don't let the unimpressive records fool you, Nate was brought in to lose to the runner up (via injury) TUF fighter. Manny is an absolute hoss and can out muscle about anyone in the 155 division. It may not be that easy though for the talented Nate has some skillz. In the end Manny out maneuvers the Iowan for a win on points.
WINNER-Manvel by decision

Dean Lister 9-5 vs Jordan Radev 16-2 My "Upset Pick" special. On the ground Dean can take anyone with some of the best Ju-Jitsu in the world. If the Bulgarian can stop the takedowns, he has more power, and much stronger strikes than Lister. Radev must have a good showing after getting schooled by Drew McFedries in his UFC debut. He's better than that and tough too. Look for him to hurt Dean and wrestle his way off the floor when in trouble. Its a risky pick by I think Dean isn't as good of a MMA fighter, though a better Ju-Jitsu fighter. There is a difference.
WINNER-Radev by decision

Roan "Jucao" Carneir0 11-6 vs Tony DeSouza 10-3 The "Souz" is back after a KO loss to Thiago Alves a year and a day later. Roan is also coming off a loss only to Jon Fitch, a competitive fight he started out winning before falling victim to a submission choke. The BTT fighter is also well versed in the submissions which will take this fight to the floor for both men's talents. Roan looked really good against Fitch and Tony doesn't always come in the best of shape for his matches. I think Roan outlasts him and handles him to an eventual victory. This could be a slow, though technical fight. I imagine the drunk fans booing already.
WINNER-Carneiro by decision

Mark Bocek 4-1 vs Doug Evans 6-1 The Canadian Bocek is coming off a loss to Frankie Edgar (who is beating everyone) but is training with the likes of Thales Leites & Vitor Ribeiro so he excels in the Ju-Jitsu. Bocek has little experience and has only fought 2 men with above .500 records. Mr. Evans gave Roger Huerta a run for his money early before gassing and getting pummeled. Evans is a great wrestler but lacks an all around MMA game in his young career. These two relative rookies put to the test which skill is better, wrestling or Ju-Jitsu in a bout nobody pays attention to.
WINNER-Don't care

Well that's a lot to absorb but a lot is going on in this mega-PPV year end event. Not a bad card especially with those 2 dream co-main events. Time to get busy people, K-1 Dynamite, UFC 79, and Yarennoka should they ever finalize their card all in the span of 3 days. Oh, and the IFL is doing something as well.

UFC 79 Nemesis Betting Odds

Wanderlei Silva -125
Chuck Liddell -105

Georges St. Pierre -240
Matt Hughes +190

Sokoudjou -105
Lyoto Machida -125

Soa Palelei -140
Eddie Sanchez +110

Melvin Guillard -250
Rich Clementi +195

Dean Lister -325
Jordan Radev +235

Manny Gamburyan -500
Nate Mohr +350

Roan Carneiro -130
Tony DeSouza -130

Don't touch either of the main events but that Lister/Radev fight is very interesting.........