Anderson Silva in a Muay Thai Match

Here is video of Anderson Silva v. Tadeu Sanmarzino in a muay thai bout. The dangerous and elusive fighter puts on an epic move around the 2:50 mark.

Anderson next fights Nick Diaz in the headliner of UFC 183.

Video of the Day - Carneiro v. Silva

Here is UFC champ Anderson Silva fighting Roan "Jucao" Carneiro at Meca Vale Tudo 6 which took place in Curitiba, Brazil on 1/31/02.

Anderson (33-5, 16-1 UFC) will next attempt to reclaim his middleweight title in a rematch with Chris Weidman at UFC 168.

Carneiro (15-9) is certainly no slouch in his own right, picking up wins in the UFC against Rich Clementi and Tony DeSouza. He has also defeated Matt Horwich, Jorge Patino and Luis Ramos in his career.

*You might recognize that the ref for the bout is none other than Pedro Rizzo.

UFC 168 takes place on December 28, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be broadcast on PPV, FX and Facebook.

PPV Card

Chris Weidman v Anderson Silva - MW Title
Ronda Rousey v Miesha Tate - Women's BW Title
Josh Barnett v Travis Browne
Fabricio Camoes v Jim Miller
Diego Brandao v Dustin Poirier

FOX SPORTS 1 CARD - 8 p.m. ET

Uriah Hall v Chris Leben
Michael Johnson v Gleison Tibau
Manny Gamburyan v Dennis Siver
Siyar Bahadurzada v John Howard

FACABOOK CARD - 7 PM EST

William Macario v Bobby Voelker
Estevan Payan v Robert Peralta

Fighter Rankings

Heavyweight

1. Cain Velasquez
2. Junior Dos Santos
3. Daniel Cormier
4. Fabricio Werdum
5. Antonio Silva
6. Alistair Overeem
7. Josh Barnett
8. Frank Mir
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
10. Roy Nelson

Light Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones
2. Lyoto Machida
3. Dan Henderson
4. Phil Davis
5. Alexander Gustafsson
6. Glover Teixeira
7. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
9. Rashad Evans
10. Ryan Bader

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva
2. Chael Sonnen
3. Chris Weidman
4. Vitor Belfort
5. Yushin Okami
6. Luke Rockhold
7. Mark Munoz
8. Michael Bisping
9. Costas Philippou
10. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

Welterweight

1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Carlos Condit
3. Nick Diaz
4. Johny Hendricks
5. Demian Maia
6. Martin Kampmann
7. Jon Fitch
8. Jake Ellenberger
9. Ben Askren
10. Rory MacDonald

Lightweight

1. Benson Henderson
2. Gilbert Melendez
3. Frank Edgar
4. Gray Maynard
5. Nate Diaz
6. Michael Chandler
7. Anthony Pettis
8. Donald Cerrone
9. Jim Miller
10. TJ Grant

Featherweight

1. Jose Aldo
2. Pat Curran
3. Chan Sung Jung
4. Chad Mendes
5. Ricardo Lamas
6. Clay Guida
7. Hatsu Hioki
8. Dennis Siver
9. Cub Swanson
10. Darren Elkins

Bantamweight

1. Renan Barao
2. Urijah Faber
3. Michael McDonald
4. Eddie Wineland
5. Raphael Assuncao
6. Brad Pickett
7. Scott Jorgenson
8. Bibiano Fernandes
9. Tyson Nam
10. Eduardo Dantas

Ultimate Ultimate 13 - 185 and Under

Continuing on with the Ultimate Ultimate Open Weight tournament idea, I have crafted a bracket for 185 pound and under fighters.

UU 13 - 185

1. Anderson Silva- 33-4, Current UFC MW Champ
16. Winner- Josh Koscheck v. Robbie Lawler

8. Carlos Condit- 28-6, WEC WW Champ
9. Rory MacDonald- 14-1, 5-1 UFC

5. Luke Rockhold- 10-1, SF MW Champ
12. Jake Shields- 27-6, SF/Elite XC Champ

4. Chris Weidman- 9-0, 5-0 UFC
13. Vitor Belfort- 22-10, UFC LHW Champ

3. Yushin Okami- 28-7, 12-4 UFC
14. Hector Lombard- 32-3, Bellaotr MW Champ

6. Johnny Hendricks- 14-1, NCAA Champ
11. Jake Ellenberger- 28-6, 7-2 UFC

7. Demian Maia- 17-4, ADCC Champ
10. Jon Fitch- 24-4, 14-2-1 UFC

15. Nick Diaz- 26-8, SF/Elite XC Champ
2. Georges St. Pierre- 23-2, UFC WW Champ

Video of the Day - Silva v. Henderson

Here is Anderson Silva fighting Dan Henderson at UFC 82 which took place on 3/1/08 in Columbus, Ohio.

In a surprise announcement, Silva will next fight Stephen Bonnar at UFC 153. Fight starts at the 14 minute mark.

Video of the Day - Silva v. Barreto

This could be Anderson Silva v. Jose Barreto in Meca Vale Tudo 2 which took place on 8/12/00 in Curitaba, Brazil.

Anderson will meet Chael Sonnen at UFC 148 on July 7th.

Anderson Silva versus Neo

Here is Anderson Silva in a fan made video trying to put him in the Matrix.

Video of the Day - Silva v. Frykland

Here is Anderson Silva fighting Tony Frykland at Cage Rage 16 - Critical Condition which took place on 4/22/06 in London, England.

Anderson will fight Yushin Okami this Saturday at UFC 134 - Rio.

UFC Title Picture

Here is the title picture for the UFC.

HW Champ- Cain Velasquez
Contenders- Junior Dos Santos, Frank Mir, Brock Lesnar
*Velasquez fights JDS at UFC 138 for the title
*Velasquez defeats Lesnar at UFC 121 for the title
*Dos Santos defeats Shane Carwin at UFC 131 for #1 spot
*Frank Mir defeats Roy Nelson at UFC 130


LHW Champ- Jon Jones
Contenders- Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Phil Davis, Lyoto Machida
*Jones fights Rampage at UFC 135 for the title
*Evans defeats Ortiz at UFC 133
*Rampage defeats Matt Hamill at UFC 130
*Griffin defeats Rich Franklin at UFC 126
*Griffin fights Shogun Rua at UFC 134

(Jon Jones pictured)

MW Champ- Anderson Silva
Contenders- Yushin Okami, Brian Stann, Vitor Belfort, Mark Munoz
*Anderson Silva defeats Belfort at UFC 126
*Okami defeats Marquardt for #1 contender at UFC 122
*Silva fights Okami at UFC 134 for the title
*Belfort KO'd Akiyama at UFC 133
*Stann on three fight win streak
*Munoz defeats Maia at UFC 131

(Anderson Silva pictured)

WW Champ- Georges St. Pierre
Contenders- Nick Diaz, Jon Fitch, Carlos Condit, BJ Penn, Diego Sanchez
*GSP defeats Jake Shields at UFC 129
*Fitch and BJ Penn fight to a draw at UFC 127
*Nick Diaz relinquishes Strikeforce belt
*GSP will fight Diaz at UFC 137 for the title
*Condit KO's Kim at UFC 132

(Georges St. Pierre pictured)

LW Champ- Frank Edgar
Contenders- Gray Maynard, Clay Guida, Benson Henderson, Melvin Guillard, Anthony Pettis, Dennis Siver
*Edgar fights to a draw with Maynard at UFC 125
*Edgar and Maynard out with injuries
*Guida defeats Pettis at the TUF 13 Finale
*Guillard wins 5th straight over Roller at UFC 132
*Siver wins 4th straight over Wiman at UFC 132
*Henderson defeats Miller at UFC on Versus 5

(Frank Edgar pictured)

FW Champ- Jose Aldo
Contenders- Kenny Florian, Chad Mendes, Manny Gamburyan
*Aldo defeats Hominick at UFC 129
*Chad Mendes defeats Yahya at UFC 133
*Florian defeats Nunes at UFC 130
*Aldo v. Florian likely for the next title bout

(Jose Aldo pictured)

BW Champ- Dominic Cruz
Contenders- Demetrious Johnson, Scott Jorgenson, Brian Bowles, Joe Benavidez
*Dominic Cruz defeats Faber at UFC 132
*Johnson defeats Torres at UFC 130
*Bowles defeats Mizugaki at UFC 132

(Dominic Cruz pictured)

UFC Rio Preview

With the UFC looking to make a huge splash in its first event in Brazil since 1998, Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami will square off in the main event at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The event is the first since the major news of a UFC and Fox partnership.

Anderson Silva (30-4, 13-0 UFC) has unequivocally had the most unprecedented run in the UFC, winning 13 straight in the promotion, including 9 for the title. Mixing precision striking with elite Muay Thai skills, Anderson has made many top notch MMA stars look like amateurs during his run.

Anderson will look to punish Okami standing, mainly using his fists to avoid an Okami takedown. Anderson could look for the Muay Thai clinch with knees early and often, while looking to scramble if taken down. Anderson KO'd Vitor Belfort in his last bout with a front kick with follow up punches, with other UFC wins over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Nate Marquardt and Demian Maia.

(Anderson punching Forrest Griffin)

The only chink in Silva's armor during his UFC run has been a near defeat to Chael Sonnen, who tagged Silva with punches and accomplished takedowns at will during the first four rounds of the title fight. In the fifth, Silva nailed a miraculous triangle/armbar to retain the title. Sonnen has been training with Okami in preparation for the bout.

Yushin Okami (26-5, 10-2 UFC) has experience with Anderson Silva before, fighting him in BJ Penn's Rumble on the Rock tournament. Anderson punished Okami with leg kicks, Okami's failed a couple takedowns before getting a single leg, then Okami was rocked by an illegal upkick while grounded.

(Okami punching Rory Singer)

Okami should know that his takedowns must be set-up from the clinch in order to work. Okami probably also knows that while his stand-up has improved greatly since the first match-up, it is no where near the level of Anderson's. Expect Okami to look for the clinch early and often to neutralize the range of Anderson.

Here is a look at the full card:

PPV CARD

Anderson Silva v. Yushin Okami
Forrest Griffin v. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira v. Brendan Schaub
Edson Barboza v. Ross Pearson
Luiz Cane v. Stanislav Nedkov

SPIKE TV CARD

Spencer Fisher v. Thiago Tavares
Dan Miller v. Rousimar Palhares

FACEBOOK CARD

David Mitchell v. Paulo Thiago
Raphael Assuncao v. Johnny Eduard
Erick Silva v. Luis Ramos
Felipe Arantes v. Yuri Alcantara
Yves Jabouin v. Ian Loveland

Video of the Day - Seagal on the Front Kick

At UFC 126, Anderson Silva pulled off yet another amazing finish using a ridiculous front kick to the face to send former champ Vitor Belfort to the canvas.

In the post fight interview, Anderson credited his new mentor Steven Seagal for showing him the manuever. Here is what Seagal says about the move and the UFC in general.

Anderson trains with Seagal:

Sonnen Pre-Positive Test Interview

Here is an interview done by friend of MMA Blaster, Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV. The video was filmed the day before the positive steroid test was revealed by the California State Athletic Comission.

In the video, Sonnen makes some usual wild claims, such as nobody who Silva has beaten is still with the UFC, and that Silva told Sonnen his rib hurt during their epic battle at UFC 117. Well, Sonnen, Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt and Forrest Griffin are still in the UFC and close to title contention.

Why would Silva tell Sonnen mid-fight that his rib hurt? Seems like that would be the worst thing you could do, telling your opponent a weakness for him to exploit. Sonnen goes on to call Silva a "dirtbag" and a "bully" who ducked Sonnen for four years. Interesting. Take a look for yourself below.

Video of the Day - Silva v. Stout

Here is Anderson Silva fighting Curtis Stout at Cage Rage 14 which took place on 12/3/05 in London, England.

Anderson defeated Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 for the 185 pound title via a miracle 5th round triangle.

UFC 117 Preview - Anderson is Back

This Saturday in Oakland, California, Anderson Silva will attempt to erase his odd performance at UFC 112 against Demian Maia with a solid performance against trash talking Chael Sonnen in this stacked card.

Chael Sonnen (24-10-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has talked and fought his way into a title shot in his current UFC run by winning three straight decisions over Dan Miller, Yushin Okami and Nate Marquardt. Each victory was dominant for the Bodog, WEC and Pancrase veteran, who has used his Greco Roman wrestling to perfection and has dropped some vicious ground and pound in the process.

Expect Sonnen to move forward, throw his jab, then look for the clinch for takedowns. Sonnen will have problems with Silva's striking, so expect him to close the distance as soon as possible. Sonnen will also have to avoid the submission, as Anderson is a BJJ black belt, and Sonnen has been submitted 6 times in his career.

(Sonnen dropping bombs on Nate Marquardt)

Anderson Silva meanwhile began his career in the UFC in epic fashion, taking Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, Nate Marquardt, Forrest Griffin and James Irvin to school with his beatdowns. While he allowed some takedowns against Travis Lutter and Dan Henderson, each was submitted in the second round.

(Anderson Silva front kick to Dan Henderson)

Then Anderson's elusive style got him in a little trouble with fans, who were dissappointed at his efforts against Thales Leites and Demian Maia. The bone-headed short sighted fans have all but forgotten Anderson's monumental performances, focusing instead on the two boring fights. With much to prove, expect Anderson to counter strike with punches and knees as Sonnen looks for takedowns and pushes forward.

MAIN CARD

Thiago Alves v. Jon Fitch
Rafael dos Anjos v. Clay Guida
Ricardo Almeida v. Matt Hughes
Junior Dos Santos v. Roy Nelson

PRELIMINARY CARD

Dustin Hazelett v. Rick Story
Phil Davis v. Rodney Wallace
Tim Boetsch v. Todd Brown
Charlie Brenneman v. Johny Hendricks
Christian Morecraft v. Stefan Struve
Dennis Hallman v. Ben Saunders

UFC Hall of Fame - Who's Next?

UFC Hall of Fame - Who's Next by MMA Blaster

The UFC is the only mixed martial arts organization with a Hall of Fame. As of now, the members of the hall include Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Mark Coleman, Matt Hughes, Pat Miletich, BJ Penn, Forrest Griffin, Stephen Bonnar and Tito Ortiz. The late Charles "Mask" Lewis and Jeff Blatnick have been inducted as contributors to the sport. The fight Matt Hughes v. Frank Trigg 2 is reckognized as well.

Bas Rutten (28-4, 2-0 UFC) will next be inducted as a pioneer of the sport. Rutten was a beast in Pancrase and won the UFC heavyweight title and defended once. My hope would be that the UFC would look at inducting Don Frye, Kazushi Sakuraba and Frank Shamrock as the next group of pioneers. Georges St. Pierre is an obvious choice to come next.

Don Frye (20-9, 9-1 UFC)(UFC 8, UU96 belts)- Won the UU96 and UFC 8 title's in a epic fashion defeating Tank Abbott and Gary Goodridge, respectively. One of the most epic brawls in MMA history at Pride 21 against Takayama following a split decision win over Ken Shamrock at Pride 19. One of the first with devastating boxing and a solid wrestling base.



Guaranteed inducted upon retirement:

1. Georges St. Pierre (25-2, 19-2 UFC)(WW belt holder)- GSP has TKO's over BJ Penn and Matt Serra, while submitting Matt Hughes and taking decisions over Carlos Condit, Jake Shields, Nick Diaz, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck.


2. Anderson Silva (33-6, 16-2 UFC)(MW belt holder)- A recent failed drug test for steroids has put a major black eye over the legacy of Silva. Last three bouts have been two devastating losses to Chris Wiedman and having his win over Nick Diaz overturned. TKO's over Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt. Submission wins over Dan Henderson and Sonnen.


3. Rich Franklin (25-5, 12-4 UFC) (MW belt holder)- Won MW belt from Evan Tanner and defended twice. Victories over Yushin Okami, Jason MacDonald, Ken Shamrock and Evan Tanner 2X. Recent wins over Travis Lutter and Matt Hamill with a close decision loss to Dan Henderson. Was crunched twice by Anderson Silva at 185. Defeated Wanderlei Silva at a 195 pound catch-weight then was TKO'd by Vitor Belfort.



4. Andrei Arlovski (25-10, 14-4 UFC)(HW belt holder)- Won HW belt from Tim Sylvia with an achilles lock. Defended twice against Justin Eilers and a 15 second KO of Paul Buentello. Other victories over Vladimir Matyushenko, Marcio Cruz, Ian Freeman, Fabricio Werdum and Jake O'Brien. His contract expired after the O'Brien fight and the UFC shunned him to the undercard. After beating Roy Nelson in Affliction, he got KO'd by Fedor and Rogers, then dropped a decision to Bigfoot Silva. But Arlovski has risen from the ashes, notching big victories over Brendan Schaub, Bigfoot Silva, Travis Browne and Frank Mir.



5. Evan Tanner (32-8, 11-6 UFC) (MW belt holder)- Wins over Robbie Lawler, Homer Moore, Phil Baroni 2X and David Terrell (MW belt). Unfortunately, Evan Tanner has passed away. With 17 total fights in the UFC and a title, I think Tanner deserves a spot. If Tank Abbott gets in with his 8 wins out of 18 in the UFC, Tanner should with his 11 wins in 17 fights in the UFC.


6. Frank Mir (18-10, 16-10 UFC)(HW belt holder)- Biggest win by far was the arm break of Tim Sylvia for the HW title. Victories over Brock Lesnar, Antonio Noguira, Pete Williams, Tank Abbott, Antoni Hardonk, Cheick Kongo and Roberto Traven. Has some big losses and recent big KO wins over Todd Duffee and Bigfoot Silva.

7. Rashad Evans (19-3-1, 14-3-1 UFC, LHW belt holder)- Won the LHW belt over Forrest Griffin, but then was KO'd by Lyoto Machida, but  rebounded with a win over Rampage Jackson. Defeated Sean Salmon with a nasty high kick. KO'd Chuck Liddell, Chael Sonnen and Jason Lambert. Decision victories over Michael Bisping, Stephan Bonnar and Brad Imes for the TUF 2 HW belt.

Pioneer- Frank Shamrock (23-10, 5-0 UFC)(LHW, then called MW belt)- Entered the UFC winning the MW belt (now LHW) over Olympic Gold medalist Kevin Jackson (4-2) with an arm bar in 16 seconds. He then slammed undefeated Igor Zinoviev (4-1) into retirement in 22 seconds in his first title defense. He beat Jeremy Horn and John Lober in his next two defenses. Shamrock defended the belt once more in one of the best fights in MMA history against Tito Ortiz (15-5).
*The UFC would have to let him have another fight, I don't see it happening.

Dana White said he would put in:

Tank Abbott (11-14, 8-10 UFC)- His selection would be more to do with popularity and helping build the UFC in the early days. His best performances were at UFC 6 and UU96. At UFC 6, Tank delivered a highlight real KO of John Matua 20 seconds in, rising up the crowd. In his second fight, Tank crushed the "Polar Bear" Paul Varelens in the first reving the crowd into a fury. Oleg Taktarov then beat Tank in the final. In UU96 he crushed Cal Worsham in an intense flurry in the first round then KO'd Steve Nelmark at 1:03 in his second fight. He almost beat Don Frye in the final after a big punch to the face, but lost. Other notable wins were against Hugo Duarte and Steve Jennum.

**All text copyright of MMA Blaster**

What happened to Anderson Silva?

Anderson Silva had a bizarre fight performance against Demian Maia at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Silva clearly dominated the first and second rounds, looking like he had the opportunity to finish the fight.

What happened next were strange taunting actions, clowning, circling, running, and refusing to engage from Anderson Silva. Granted, Silva dominated Maia during the fight, but it seemed that he may have had a mental breakdown or simply felt unchallenged.

Were the antics a disgrace to the sport? That might be a little extreme, but it was one of the oddest fights in the UFC since the Kalib Starnes v. Nate Quarry debacle. In that fight, Starnes, who had reportedly suffered an injury, ran from Quarry extensively during the fight.

Here is a video from Jim Rome's "Rome is Burning" show featuring Dana White.


Dana White states that Anderson did not act like a champion or UFC fighter during the fight. He also called the worst thing he had seen in the sport, including boxing. White stated that he might have thought that Anderson had a mental breakdown in the fight. Near the end, Dana White stated that he would cut Anderson if he repeated the fight.

Dana confirmed that Anderson Silva will fight Chael Sonnen next. He implied that Sonnen will be looking to use the double leg to get the fight to the ground.

If you look at Anderson's record, he has gone 11-0 in the UFC with 7 KO's and 2 submission wins. The two decisions have been very lackluster, but come on. 8 of his 11 fights have been extremely entertaining fights. Looking at other fighters, I'd say that is a good percentage. Let's see what Anderson does against Sonnen.

UFC 112 Preview

UFC 112 will be the UFC's first venture into the middle east, with Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emerites (UAE) hosting the event. The festivities will play out at the Concert Arena at the Ferrari World theme park on Yas Island. This will be the first UFC event at an outdoor arena.

The evening will feature two title fights for the first time since UFC 100. Unlike UFC 100, the current title holders, Anderson Silva and BJ Penn are heavy favorites coming in. Currently, Anderson Silva and BJ Penn are -1100 and -850 favorites on Bodog.

Current line-up:

Anderson Silva vs. Demian Maia- This 185 pound five round tussle is a classic grappler against striker match-up. Anderson Silva has cemented his legend in the MMA world with ridiculous knockouts during his 10-0 UFC run. Maia comes from a BJJ background, having won the 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Championship in the 87 KG bracket.

Anderson Silva is undoubtably the top striker currently in mixed martial arts. Silva busted into the UFC steamrolling Chris Leban in 49 seconds. He then destroyed Rich Franklin with knees to take the title which he has yet to relinquish. His path of destruction has seen him roll through Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt, James Irvin and Forrest Griffin.

(Anderson Silva pictured)

Demian Maia, a second degree black belt in BJJ, bust onto the UFC scene with 3 consecutive submission of the night performances. He owns victories over Jason MacDonald, Dan Miller, Nate Quarry and Chael Sonnen. It will be critical for Maia to find a way to takedown Anderson Silva to look for a submission.

(Demian Maia Pictured)

B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar- In this lightweight tilt, champion BJ Penn will look to defend his title for the fourth straight time. Penn, who is also a world jiu-jitsu champ, has flashed an ever improving boxing and wrestling game during his recent victories over Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk and Joe Stevenson. Look for BJ to pepper Edgar from the outside and counter punching to loosen up Edgar before getting top position, looking for a submission.

(BJ Penn pictured)

Frankie Edgar, a former collegiate wrestler, has displayed a well-rounded blend of kickboxing and wrestling game during his 6-1 stretch in the UFC. In his last three bouts, Edgar has shown no chinks in his armor, winning over Matt Veach, Sean Sherk and Hermes Franca. Look for Edgar to test the waters with his boxing before trying to get the fight to the floor to utilize ground and pound.

Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie- This fight will pit two MMA legends against eachother. Hughes is a sure-fire UFC hall of famer with exceptional wrestling. He previously defeated Renzo's cousin, Royce Gracie, at UFC 60. Renzo will look to use his black belt submission skills in this bout. Expect either a Hughes decision or Renzo submission in this bout.

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Terry Etim
Kendall Grove vs. Mark Munoz

UNDER CARD

Phil Davis vs. Alexander Gustafsson
John Gunderson vs. Paul Taylor
Nick Osipczak vs. Rick Story
Brad Blackburn vs. DaMarques Johnson
Paul Kelly vs. Matt Veach
Mostapha Al Turk vs. Jon Madsen

(Ferrari World Theme Park)

UFC 101 Results and Review

UFC 101 was not the most exciting event, but we did see two superstars elevate their respective legacies. BJ Penn looked sharp and on his game, as did the larger 205 version of Anderson Silva. While the crowd initially rooted again the two, by the end of their fights, the tide had turned.

B.J. Penn def Kenny Florian via sub(rear-naked choke) R4, 3:54- BJ Penn displayed excellent skill and cardio as he defeated Kenny Florian to claim a submission of the night bonus. While Florian attempted takedowns throughout the fight, BJ defended superbly, wearing Florian down with knees.

While both were standing, BJ seemed to land the harder punches, wobbling Florian on seperate occasions. Kenny's best offense seemed to be some leg kicks. In the fourth, Penn continued his dominance, stuffing a Florian takedown before getting his own. From there he passed the guard, got in mount and soon found Florian's back. BJ took his time working the rear naked choke until it was in too deep.
*BJ Penn wins Submission of the Night Bonus.
*MMA Blaster Readers correctly pick BJ Penn 69-43

Anderson Silva def Forrest Griffin via KO (punch) R1, 3:23- Anderson again looked invincible in this quick three and a half minute fight. While Forrest attempted to move forward he was hit flush with punches to the jaw. Forrest was knocked down twice, and on the second occasion, Anderson didn't want to follow him down and asked Forrest back up. After Forrest rose to his feet, he was hit flush again and the fight was over.

*Anderson Silva wins KO of the Night
*Griffin and Silva win Fight of the Night

Johnny Hendricks def Amir Sadollah via TKO (strikes) R1, 0:29- This fight was short and sweet. While Sadollah was content to throw kicks, Hendricks defended and threw counter punches. A couple uppercuts landed and Sadollah went to the ground. Hendricks followed up with ground and pound, but Sadollah appeared to block most. The stoppage seemed early.

Aaron Riley def Shane Nelson via unanimous dec- Aaron Riley landed the more powerful shots and ground and pound throughout the fight to win a unanimous decision.

Ricardo Almeida def Kendall Grove via unanimous dec- Rather slow fight in which Almeida got the better of the ground game. Grove landed a couple decent knees from the clinch.

Kurt Pellegrino def Josh Neer via unanimous dec- Pellegrino took Neer down at will throughout the fight. Neer tried to look for arm-bars and triangle atttempts, but he wasn't able to secure one.

UNDER CARD RESULTS

John Howard def Tamdan McCrory via split dec
Alessio Sakara def Thales Leites via split dec
Matthew Riddle def Dan Cramer via unanimous dec
George Sotiropoulos def George Roop via sub (kimura) R2, 1:59
Jesse Lennox def Danillo Villefort via TKO (cut) R3, 3:37

UFC 101 - Penn v. Florian Preview

This Saturday UFC 101 will take place in Philedelphia, Pennsylvania in the Wachovia Center. The main card features two mega stars in Anderson Silva and BJ Penn. BJ will be defending his lightweight title against TUF 1 runner-up Kenny Florian. Meanwhile, current MW Champ Anderson Silva will jump up to 205 pounds to face TUF 1 and former TUF and LHW Champ Forrest Griffin.

(Anderson Silva pictured)

Here are a list of the bouts:

B.J. Penn vs. Kenny Florian - LW Title -This fight for the title will see a much improved Kenny Florian (11-3, 9-2 UFC) against a rejuvinated lightweight champion BJ Penn (13-5, 9-4 UFC). Penn is coming off a loss to Georges St. Pierre, which included allegations of greasing. Regardless of whether grease or vaseline was used, BJ Penn was dominated by GSP during the duration of the fight at 170 pounds.

Kenny Florian has resurged since his loss to Sean Sherk at UFC 64 for the lightweight title. Florian has rattled off a string of six wins in a row including quality wins over Joe Stevenson, Roger Huerta, Joe Lauzon and Din Thomas. Kenny will look to use his Muay Thai game to mix it up with BJ standing. If the fight does go to the ground, Kenny will look to utilize his vicious elbows in a ground and pound assault.

(Kenny Florian pictured)

BJ Penn is one of the legends of the sport since his arriving in the UFC 31 with a first round TKO of Joey Gilbert. BJ would look even more explosive in his next two bouts defeating Din Thomas in the first round and viciously knocking out Cael Uno in 11 seconds with knees and punches. After a narrow decision loss to Jens Pulver, BJ defeated former UFC champ Matt Serra and Pride champ Takanori Gomi.

Next would come the victory that catapaulted him into the stratosphere was a rear naked choke victory over Matt Hughes for the UFC welterweight championship at UFC 46. At the time, Hughes seemed unstoppable coming off 13 straight wins and 6 in the UFC. Penn has kept performing at a high level winning over Sean Sherk, Renzo Gracie, Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver cementing his place among the all-time greats of the sport.

(BJ Penn pictured with a bloody Joe Stevenson)

Anderson Silva vs. Forrest Griffin- MW Champion Anderson Silva (24-4, 9-0 UFC) has looked unstoppable during his current ten fight unbeaten streak. His has utilized his sharp, quick and precise striking ability. His UFC run has included victories over Rich Franklin two destructive times, Chris Leben, Travis Lutter, James Irvin, Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt. His last two efforts against Pate Cote and Thales Leites have been slightly lackluster, but Anderson was barely touched in the bouts.

Forrest Griffin (16-5, 7-3 UFC) has shown to be an exciting, agressive, non-stop fighter in the UFC. He initially rose to stardom winning the epic bout against Stephen Bonnar, but his popularity has continued to soar with wins over Rampage Jackson for the UFC LHW title and Shogun Rua. Griffin will look to push the action against Anderson, and you can bet someone will get knocked out.

(Forrest Griffin pictured)

Johny Hendricks vs. Amir Sadollah
Ricardo Almeida vs. Kendall Grove
Josh Neer vs. Kurt Pellgrino

UNDER CARD

Shane Nelson vs. Aaron Riley
John Howard vs. Tamdan McCrory
Thales Leites vs. Alessio Sakara
Dan Cramer vs. Matthew Riddle
George Roop vs. George Sotiropoulos
Jesse Lennox vs. Danillo Villefort

(Matt Riddle pictured)

UFC 97 - Liddell Gone

UFC 97 was kind of a sad affair for die hard MMA fans. The card likely ended the Chuck Liddell era in MMA. Liddell was knocked out yet again, his 3rd KO loss, 4th overall in his past 5 fights. Dana White has been adament that if the Iceman didn't win and have a good performance that he would no longer be a fighter in the UFC. Liddell has had a masterful career, building the UFC while winning the LHW belt and defending 4 times. He is a sure fire UFC Hall of Famer.

Also, for the second straight time, Anderson Silva put on a lackluster performance. Thales Leites didn't want to engage the entire fight, and began flopping in the third round. However, Silva still seemed to have some advantages that he just didn't take advantage of.

Anderson Silva def Thales Leites via unanimous dec- Silva looked tenative the entire fight. He brutalized Leites lead leg the entire fight with inside and outside leg kicks, front kicks to the knee, and near the end punches to the knee. Silva also landed a couple body kicks and came close on a high kick. Problem was, there was so much feeling out time that the crowd got angry.

Leites best offense came with a takedown. But, while there he was blasted with Silva elbows and the fight eventually was stood back up. The fight was the first to go to decision for Silva since 2004 and the first to go past 15 minutes. Silva could face Yushin Okami, Nate Marquardt or Demian Maia next.

Sam Stout def Matt Wiman via unanimous dec- Stout and Wiman had a solid fight lasting the full frame. Wiman scored more on takedowns, while Stout got the better of the action standing. Wiman came close in the third by taking Stout's back and nearly getting the rear naked choke. However, Stout did too much in the first two rounds to win the fight 29-28.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua def Chuck Liddell via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:28- Both fighters briefly exchanged punches before Rua got a takedown. Like an expert, Liddell quickly got back to his feet. Unfortunately for Liddell, while throwing a punch, Rua countered with a left that sent him to the canvas. A couple more Rua hammerfists and the bout was called. With the win, Rua inches closer to a potential title shot. Liddell is likely retired.

Krzysztof Soszynski def Brian Stann via submission (kimura) R1, 3:53- For the second straight fight, Sosynski has utilized a kimura to win his bout. After trading leg kicks, both fighters clinched against the fence with some dirty boxing. After being seperated, Sosynski was successful in a takedown, landing in half guard. From there he worked the kimura to perfection.

Cheick Kongo def Antoni Hardonk via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:29- Kongo looked very impressive in his third straight win in the UFC. The first round saw Kongo get the better of Hardonk in the stand-up game, landing body and leg kicks. Kongo also managed a takedowns and good hammer-fists and ground and pound. The second was more of the same as Kongo overwhelmed Hardonk, landing a kick and punch that send Hardonk to the canvas, and ground and pound eventually ends the fight.

Luiz Cane def Steve Cantwell via unanimous dec- Cane landed the more consistent strikes to win the decision. Cantwell had a couple good looking head kicks, but they were blocked for the most part.

PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS

Denis Kang def Xavier Foupa-Pokam via unanimous dec
Nate Quarry def Jason MacDonald via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:27
Ed Herman def David Loiseau via unanimous dec
Mark Bocek def David Bielkheden via sub (rear-naked choke) R1, 4:57
T.J. Grant def Ryo Chonan via split dec
Eliot Marshall def Vinicius Magalhaes via unanimous dec


(Cheick Kongo Pictured)