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

UFC Ultimate Ultimate 2013

I recently got an email regarding who the best 10 fighters are in the UFC if there were no weight classes. That got me in the mood of the mid 90's and I began to construct a tournament of my own.

Since there are athletic commissions now, I have instituted one tournament for above 206 pound fighters and another for 185 and under. I'm playing UFC's match-maker Joe Silva's job, so only Zuffa fighters under contract are eligible, sorry Josh Barnett.

The emailer thought that Jon Jones could beat almost every heavyweight UFC, but some might be able to "get their fat" on them. Jones would come in as the fastest 235 or so and would likely have a reach advantage on most. I would think a big grappler who could get on the inside and force the clinch could have success on Jones.

I have seeded with current actual UFC match-ups in mind. Since we are in 2013, the tournament would run over 4 events over the course of a year.

UU 13 - Open Weight 206+

1. Cain Velasquez- 11-1, Current UFC HW Champ
16. Rashad Evans- 17-2-1, UFC LHW Champ

8. Stefan Struve- 25-5, 9-3 UFC
9. Mark Hunt- 8-7, K-1 GP Champ

5. Daniel Cormier- 10-0, SF HW Champ
12. Frank Mir- 16-6, former UFC HW champ

4. Alistair Overeem- 36-11, SF/Dream/K-1 WH Champ
13. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva- 17-4, Elite XC Champ

3. Junior Dos Santos- 15-2, UFC HW Champ
14. Phil Davis- 10-1, NCAA Champ

6. Fabricio Werdum- 16-5, ADCC 99KG+ Champ
11. Antonio Noguiera- 34-7-1, Pride HW Champ

7. Dan Henderson-29-8, Pride Champ
10. Lyoto Machida- 18-3, UFC LHW Champ

15. Chael Sonnen- 27-12-1, rightful WEC MW Champ
2. Jon Jones- 17-1, Current UFC LHW Champ

What Was Wrong With UFC on Fox 1?

The problem with UFC on Fox 1 wasn't the Junior Dos Santos versus Cain Velasquez fight. The knockout was awesome. The problem was the mindless chatter and commercials over the other 58 minutes of the night.

The ratings tell you that plenty of people were flipping back and forth waiting for the fight to start. Most sources report around 5 million viewers during the off time, and 8 or so million for the fight.

Mindless chatter doesn't sell the sport of MMA. Exciting fights sell the sport. The UFC easily could have put both the Damarques Johnson's KO and Dustin Poirer's submission on the broadcast. Or they could have put on a highlight reel of the Ben Henderson versus Clay Guida fight. Casual fans aren't watching fights streaming on Facebook. Many are watching at the bar or a friends house.

One of the biggest problems with Elite XC's broadcasts on CBS were the long breaks in action following a quick finish. They would opt for cliched fighter interviews and Mauro Ranallo blabbering, rather than showing an exciting undercard fight on delay.

UFC on Fox 2 will take place January 28, 2012, at the United Center in Chicago. The broadcast time is rumored to be two hours. Hopefully, the UFC makes sure at least five fights are aired and the mindless chatter is eliminated. Fights sell the sport.

Mailbag - Who Wins Between Velasquez and Dos Santos

DesMoinesMMA asks: Who do you think will win between Cain Velasquez (-180) and Junior Dos Santos(+150)? Who would you bet on for this card?

I really think the Junior Dos Santos versus Cain Velasquez title fight is a flip of the coin type of fight. The longer the fight stays standing, the more I like Junior Dos Santos. With UFC debuting on Fox, odds are the fighters feel the pressure to deliver an exciting fight.

Junior Dos Santos stand-up is crisp, powerful and dynamic. Velasquez prefers a boxing type attack and often goes into brawl mode. Velasquez does possess the edge in the wrestling department as an NCAA All-American. It would be good strategy to attempt to get Dos Santos to the mat. However, he will have to take some serious punishment on his way there.

Expect Dos Santos to control the center of the cage, avoiding the fence where takedowns come easier. In the end, I think it will be close, but the guy connecting more standing will win. I'd lean towards Junior Dos Santos, but won't be putting money on the fight.

Looking at the undercard is where you will find the mismatches.

Mike Pierce (-350) vs. Paul Bradley (+265)
Aaron Rosa (-135) vs. Matt Lucas (+105)
Mackens Semerzier (-135) vs. Robert Peralta (+105)
Cole Escovedo (-300) vs. Alex Caceres (+230)
Ricardo Lamas (-130) vs. Cub Swanson (EVEN)
DaMarques Johnson (-280) vs. Clay Harvison (+220)
Norifumi Yamamoto (-370) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (+280)
Ben Henderson (-280) vs. Clay Guida (+220)
Dustin Poirier (-280) vs. Pablo Garza (+220)

Cole Escovedo (-300) is a virtual lock against Alex "Bruce Leroy" Caceres. Escovedo has better technical skills standing, and is levels ahead on the ground. Escovedo has beaten quality B-level fighters before, while Caceres has not. As long as he avoids a flashy kick or two, I expect Escovedo to get a first round submission victory.

My upset play would be Robert Peralta (+105) against Mackens Semerzier. Peralta has serious power in his stand-up game with 11 TKO's on his resume, while Semerzier is often tenative standing. Peralta is riding an 8 fight winning streak, which includes his UFC debut against Mike Lullo and Strikeforce debut against Hiroyuki Takaya. Meanwhile, Semerzier is 1-3 in his last four fights, with his only win against Alex Caceres.

Another good play is Matt Lucas at (+105), as Aaron Rosa weighed in at 260 just 5 months ago for his heavyweight loss against Joey Beltran. Rosa needs to cut 44 pounds to make the cut to 206, with the one pound allowance. Lucas, an All-American wrestler out of Northern Colorado, has solid wrestling skills and ground and pound attack. With Rosa drained, takedowns should get easy for Lucas as time goes on. Rosa seemed a little slow at 260.

I also like Kid Yamamoto and Dustin Poirer.

*To have your MMA question answered, send an email to mmablaster@gmail.com.

Video of the Day - Velasquez v. Constant

Here is Cain Velasquez fighting Jeremiah Constant in Bodog Fight - Russia which took place on 12/16/06. This was Cain's last fight before coming to the UFC.

Cain destroyed Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 to take the UFC heavyweight title. Fight stats at the 5:15 mark.


Here is a recent Cain Velasquez interview/mobbing with Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV.

UFC 110 - Cain Delivers

As the dust settles on UFC 110, several fighters maneuvered closer to title shots in their respective weight classes. Most notably, Cain Velasquez threw some of his own thunder from down under, brutally knocking Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira out of the title picture.

Cain looked fast and explosive in his bout, throwing quick kicks to the leg, body and head of Nogueira, with most leg kicks finding their mark. As both fighters threw big hooks near the end of the first round, Velasquez' found its mark first and Nogueira was finished. With the win, Cain may get Brock Lesnar should the winner of Frank Mir v. Shane Carwin get injured. A potential fight with the winner of Gabriel Gonzaga v. Junior Dos Santos could be next for Cain.

(Cain Velasquez pictured)

Wanderlei Silva finally got back in the win column, defeating TUF 3 winner Michael Bisping in a 185 pound clash. Wandy was calm in his attack, looking pretty sharp with his kickboxing. Wandy was able to floor Bisping near the end of the third, and almost lock in an arm-in guillotine at the end of the second. Look for Wandy to fight someone like Alan Belcher, Nate Marquardt, Yoshiro Akiyama or Chael Sonnen next.

(Wanderlei Silva pictured)

George Sotiropoulos scored the biggest upset of the night as the native Australian dominated TUF 2 champ and former title contender Joe Stevenson. Sotiropoulos' reach and ground game proved too much for Stevenson. George now is 5-0 in the UFC and will look for a big test in his next bout. Perhaps the winner of Kenny Florian v. Takanori Gomi, or a bout with Tyson Griffin or Gray Maynard.

In other action, TUF 8 champ Ryan Bader kept his undefeated streak alive, tagging Keith Jardine in the third round to score a KO. Mirko Cro Cop also got in the win column, beating up an outclassed Anthony Perosh.

FULL RESULTS

Cain Velasquez def Antonio Nogueira via KO (punches) R1, 2:20
Wanderlei Silva def Michael Bisping via unanimous dec
George Sotiropoulos def Joe Stevenson via unanimous dec
Ryan Bader def Keith Jardine via knockout (punch) R3, 2:10
Mirko "Cro Cop" def Anthony Perosh via TKO (cut) R2, 5:00
Krzysztof Soszynski def Stephan Bonnar via TKO (cut) R3, 1:04
Chris Lytle def Brian Foster via sub (knee-bar) R1, 1:41
C.B. Dollaway def Goran Reljic via unanimous dec
James Te Huna def Igor Pokrajac via TKO (strikes) R3, 3:26

UFC 110 Preview

UFC 110 airs from Sydney, Australia on February 21, 2010 in the UFC's first venture down under. There are numerous fights with title implications, though no belts will be on the line.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez- Expect Cain Velasquez, the two time All American wrestler from ASU, to look to get the fight to the ground early and often. He will look to throw punches and elbows in bunches from the guard. The explosive Velasquez (7-0, 5-0 UFC) has six TKO's on his resume, defeating Ben Rothwell, Cheick Kongo and Ben Morris in his last three fights.

(Cain Velasquez pictured)

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1, 3-1 UFC) is a legend of the MMA world after his epic run in Pride. Big Nog's UFC results have been somewhat mixed, as has battled staff infections and nagging injuries. In his last fight, Nog battled UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, defeating him via decision. Nog also has victories over Tim Sylvia, Sergei Kharitonov, Mirko Filipović, Mark Coleman and Dan Henderson in his career.

(Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira pictured)

Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva- This 185 pound tilt will push the winner one step closer to the title. Both are primarily stand-up fighters who will be swinging for the fences. TUF 3 champ Michael Bisping (18-2, 8-2 UFC) will be looking to get his second straight win after TKO'ing Denis Kang in his last fight. Bisping also has UFC wins over Eric Schafer and Chris Leben.

(Michael Bisping pictured)

Wanderlei Silva (32-10,2-5 UFC) was a legend in the Pride organization, known for his brawling Muay Thai arsenal. However, Wandy has been on a slide as of late, losing 5 of his last 6 fights. Wandy is the former Pride Middleweight Champ (205) having defeated Rampage Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Guy Mezger and Minowaman in his career.

(Wanderlei Silva pictured)

George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Stevenson- This fight pits two excellent grapplers against each other. Stevenson (31-10, 8-4 UFC) has the distinct experience advantage and has battled much better competition. Stevenson, a TUF 2 winner, has looked revitalized since joining Greg Jackson's camp, going 2-0 defeating Spencer Fisher and Nate Diaz.

(Joe Stevenson pictured)

George Sotiropoulous is a solid grappler who will be fighting on his home court in Australia. George was on Team Serra during TUF 6, KO'ing Jared Rollins and submitting Richie Hightower before getting KO'd by runner-up Tommy Speer. Since joining the UFC, he has gone 4-0 submitting Billy Miles, George Roop and Jason Dent.

Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Anthony Perosh- Ben Rothwell, Cro Cop's original opponent has withdrawn from the fight due to illnes. Cro Cop (25-7, 2-3 UFC) has not looked good in his UFC career, but should rebound against Perosh. Cro Cop is a former K-1 kickboxer and Pride superstar was on top of his game in 2006, winning the Pride Open Weight Grand Prix, defeating Josh Barnett, Wanderlei Silva, Minowaman and Hidehiko Yoshida.

(Cro Cop KO's Aleks Emelianenko)

Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine- This fight pits TUF 8 winner and All-American wrestler Ryan Bader (10-0, 3-0 UFC) against TUF 2 veteran and unorthodox striker Keith Jardine (15-6, 6-5 UFC). Expect Bader to utilize his wrestling to overwhelm Jardine. Bader has defeated Eric Schafer, Vinny Magalhães and Carmelo Marrero in his UFC career.

Jardine has been up and down in his UFC career, scoring monster wins over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Brandon Vera, while being KO'd by Thiago Silva, Wanderlei Silva and Houston Alexander.

UNDER CARD

Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Brian Foster vs. Chris Lytle
C.B. Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic
Igor Pokrajac vs. James Te Huna

UFC 104 - Dragon Fire

I waited to release my review of this event until I watched the Lyoto Machida versus Shogun Rua fight again. After five lackluster but technically impressive fight was won by Lyoto Machida on all three score cards. However, the viewing audience, Joe Rogaine and myself all saw it for Shogun.

Here are the results:

Lyoto Machida def Shogun Rua via unanimous dec- This title fight has turned controversial following all three judges awarding the fight to champion Lyoto Machida with 48-47. Throughout the fight Shogun seemed to land hard leg and body kicks. Machida seemed to back peddle and throw punches.

The body and leg kicks thrown by the more aggressive Rua led to me believing he had won the 1st, 4th and 5th rounds. Rua continually controlled where the fight to place and was consistently showing better aggression. Machida did gets some nice punces in at times, but seemed to never get into rhythem.

Dana White has indicated both fighters have agreed to an immediate rematch. Unfortunately, Machida suffered a laceration to his lip and was suspended without contact for 60 days. Look for the fight to possibly take place in February.
*MMA Blaster readers correctly choose Machida 90-27

Cain Velasquez def Ben Rothwell via TKO (punches) R2, 0:58- Cain Velasquez bullied the larger Ben Rothwell, eventually knocking him senseless in the second round. Velasquez dominated Rothwell with his superior wrestling and power punching from the ground.

The victory would have seemed to earn Cain a title shot. However, champ Brock Lesnar suffered an illness pushing back his fight with Shane Carwin. It appears Velasquez could fight Junior Dos Santos next.

Joe Stevenson def Spencer Fisher via TKO (elbows) R1, 4:03- Joe Stevenson continues his rise back up to the top of his game since joining Team Jackson. The submission grappler knew his best shot at victory would be to get the fight to the ground. Fisher was able to deny Stevenson's takedowns for a little while before succeeding.

Once the fight was on the ground, Stevenson was able to get Fisher's arm trapped in a crucifix, reminiscant of the Roy Nelson versus Kimbo fight. Elbows came in bunches and the ref was forced to stop the fight.

(Joe Stevenson pictured)

Anthony Johnson def Yoshiyuki Yoshida via KO (punch) R1, 0:41- Anthony Johnson sacrificed some pay for missing weight in this contest, but he didn't sacrifice his performance. Johnson briefly attempted to clinch, backed out and crushed Yoshida with a right hand knocking him into another universe and ending the fight.

Pat Barry def Antoni Hardonk by TKO (punches) R2, 2:30- In what turned out to be the fight of the night, Pat Barry and Antoni Hardonk threw down in an absolute battle. Hardonk started the action landing some big leg kicks and big punches. Barry looked to use his quickness, before Barry then was struck deep in the eye by Hardonk.

After a brief injury time out, Barry began to find his range with straight punches. Barry dropped Hardonk with a jab, landing in side mount dropping additional punishment. In the second round, Barry's speed was too much for Hardonk as he dropped him with straight punches before the finisher, a right hand to Hardonk's temple.
*Barry wins Fight of the Night and KO of the Night Bonus

(Pat Barry pictured)

Stefan Struve def Chase Gormley via sub (triangle) R1, 4:04- After the gigantic Struve landed some big kicks, Gormley worked the fight to the ground. From there, the two attempted leg locks. After Struve got top position he worked for a triangle and leaned to his back, getting Gormley to succumb to the choke.
*Struve wins Submission of the Night Bonus

Gleison Tibau def Josh Neer via unanimous dec
Ryan Bader def Eric Schafer by unanimous dec
Chael Sonnen def Yushin Okami via unanimous dec
Jorge Rivera def Rob Kimmons via TKO (punches) R3, 1:53
Kyle Kingsbury def Razak Al-Hassan via split dec

UFC 104 Preview

UFC 104 takes place on Saturday, October 24th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event will feature a ppv card as well as at least 2 undercard bouts on an hour lead-in segment on Spike TV. If one of the undercard bouts ends in the first round it could make one of the broadcasts.

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua- The undefeated champ Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0) will look to defend the title he aquired while violently KO'ed Rashad Evans in the second round of their 205 bout. Shogun (18-3) will look to continue the momentum he has built off a first round KO of Chuck Liddell.

Lyoto Machida and his karate base make a fight with the Brazilian very difficult. Shogun will look to utilize his muay thai, attacking his knees, kicks and elbows. Machida is very elusive and often forces his opponents to lose their cool and rush in, leaving an opening for Machida to pick them apart.

(Lyoto kicking Rashad at UFC 98)

Machida's undefeated run includes wins over Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans. Shogun was a fixture in Pride before coming to the UFC and has victories over Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem, Rampage Jackson and Kevin Randleman.

(Shogun Rua pictured)

Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez- Former IFL Heavyweight star Ben Rothwell will take on fast rising Cain Velasquez in a fight that could send Velasquez to a potential title shot. Rothwell would likely need another big time victory.

Cain Velasquez (6-0, 4-0 UFC) has the wrestling advantage, and his best strategy would be to get the fight to the ground and delivering a healthy dose of ground and pound. Velasquez' defeated Cheick Kongo in his last match via decision, while taking a couple big punches. He also has victories over Jake O'Brien and Denis Stojnic.

(Cain Velasquez pictured)

Ben Rothwell (30-6) compiled a 9-0 record while in the IFL, defeating the likes of Roy Nelson, Krzysztof Soszynski, Ricco Rodriguez and Dan Bobish. Look for Rothwell to keep the fight standing, throwing power punches while utilizing his height and weight advantage.

(Ben Rothwell pictured)

MAIN CARD

Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau
Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

SPIKE TV

Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer
Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk

UNDERCARD

Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera
Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley

UFC 99 Review

UFC 99 featured the promotions first journey into German soil. The fight card featured many decisions, much to dismay of the rowdy crowd. Overall, there were some solid fights in Ben Saunders v. Mike Swick and Franklin v. Silva.

Results:

Dan Hardy def Marcus Davis via Dec (Split)- This fight was very close as the fight could have easily been called a draw. The fight was hyped a little too much as the fireworks didn't really happen. Davis probably took the first with a trip takedown and inflicting the most damage. In the second, Hardy dropped Davis with a knee and in the third Hardy looked more fresh opening a cut on Davis' nose.

Spencer Fisher def Caol Uno via Dec (Unanimous)- This fight generated quick a few boo's from the German crowd that was probably getting a little bored with the decisions. I thought Uno and Fisher were close through two rounds, and Uno stole the third round with a takedown and ground and pound.

Mike Swick def Ben Saunders via TKO (Punches) R2, 3:47- This fight turned out to be one of the more entertaining bouts on the card. Swick and Saunders seemed evenly matched lanky fighters for 170 pounds. Swick was the quicker fighter of the night, getting takedowns and doing more damage with his strikes. Saunders got off a couple knees, but wasn't able to match Swick. In the second, Swick began to dominate, landing a flush right to the temple of Saunders. Swick followed it up with a massive flurry to win the TKO.
*Swick wins KO of the Night bonus.

Mirko Filipovic def Mustapha al Turk via TKO (Punches) R1, 3:06- Mirko Cro Cop was the more precise and game fighter, damaging Al-Turk from all different angles. After defending a takedown, Cro Cop dropped Al-Turk with punches. Going in the guard, Cro Cop landed some ground and pound before allowing Al-Turk to stand. From there, it looked as if Cro Cop landed a nasty eye poke, which wasn't seen by the ref and ended in Cro Cop punishing Al-Turk for the TKO.

Cain Velasquez def Cheick Kongo via Dec (Unanimous)- Velasquez was struck twice hard by Kongo which stunned him standing. Unfortunately for Kongo, as soon as that happened, Cain took Kongo to the ground and landed numerous strikes. Cain scored about ten takedowns throughout the fight. He will likely fight Shane Carwin for a title shot.

Rich Franklin def Wanderlei Silva via Dec (Unanimous)- Franklin was the more precise fighter this night, landing strikes and getting takedowns. In the second, Franklin was able to drop Silva with a stiff jab, but took his own big punch from Silva moments later. Near the end of the second, Franklin landed a nice head kick. In the third, the match was pretty even with Franklin probably getting a takedown to seal the fight.
*Franklin wins Fight of the Night bonus.

Undercard-

John Hathaway def Ricky Story via Dec (Unanimous)
Stefan Struve def Denis Stojnic via Sub (Rear-Naked Choke) R2, 2:37
Paul Kelly def Roli Delgado via Dec (Unanimous)
Paul Taylor def Peter Sobotta via Dec (Unanimous)
Dennis Siver def Dale Hartt via Sub (Rear Naked Choke) R1, 3:23
Terry Etim def Justin Buchholz via Sub (Brabo Choke) R2, 2:38
*Etim wins submission of the Night bonus.


(Rich Franklin pictured)

UFC 99 Preview

UFC 99 has a 6 fight main card, headlined by former UFC MW Champ Rich Franklin against former Pride LHW Champ Wanderlei Silva at a catch-weight of 195 pounds. Also on the card is former Pride superstar Mirko Cro Cop. Rising ASU wrestling star Cain Valasquez will take his undefeated

MAIN CARD

Rich Franklin (24-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-9)- Both fighters are well versed strikers who have brawled with the best in the world. Look for this fight to be a stand-up war, as Wanderlei will look for big punches and knees in the clinch. Franklin will try to utilize his reach and counter-punch.

Wanderlei Silva is known to the MMA world as a brawler having devastating punches and knees. Wanderlei won the Pride LHW Championship over MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba at Pride 13. He has victories over Rampage Jackson, Dan Henderson, Keith Jardine and Yuki Kondo.

(Wanderlei Silva pictured)

Rich Franklin won the UFC's MW Championship with a TKO over Evan Tanner at UFC 53. He would go on to defeat Nate Quarry and David Louiseau before being crushed by Anderson Silva. Since then he picked up victories over Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami before losing to Anderson Silva again and deciding to move to the LHW division defeating Matt Hamill and Travis Lutter.

(Rich Franklin pictured)

Cheick Kongo vs. Cain Velasquez- The winner of this match will probably meet Shane Carwin for a potential title shot in the heavyweight division. Cain Valasquez (5-0, 3-0 UFC) has looked excellent in his UFC career, defeating Brad Morris, Jake O'Brien and Dennis Stojnic. Cheick Kongo has been prone to excellent wrestlers, and Cain will be looking for a takedown and ground and pound.

(Cain Valasquez pictured)

Cheick Kongo (14-4, 7-2 UFC) has won three straight UFC fights since his split decision loss to Heath Herring. Kongo will look to utilize his striking and sprawl to keep the fight standing. Kongo has career wins over Cro Cop, Mustapha Al-Turk and Antoni Hardonk.

(Cheik Kongo pictured)

Ben Saunders vs. Mike Swick
Marcus Davis vs. Dan Hardy
Spencer Fisher vs. Caol Uno
Mustapha al Turk vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic

UNDER CARD

Justin Buchholz vs. Terry Etim
Dale Hartt vs. Denis Siver
Peter Sobotta vs. Paul Taylor
Roli Delgado vs. Paul Kelly
Denis Stojnic vs. Stefan Struve
John Hathaway vs. Rick Story

UFN 17 Results - Lauzon Wins

UFC Fight Night 17 took place on Saturday, February 7th at the Sun Dome at the University of South Florida. There seemed to be a decent sized crowd and there were some entertaining fights.

Joe Lauzon def. Jeremy Stephens via sub (armbar) R2, 4:43- Joe Lauzon took another step closer to a top contender spot at 155 pounds. In the first, Lauzon was close to a couple submissions from the bottom position, but ate many Stephens punches and elbows. In the second, Lauzon scored a beautiful fireman's carry takedown, got mount to a rolling armbar.
*Lauzon wins the submission of the night bonus.

(Joe Lauzon pictured)

Cain Velasquez def. Denis Stojnic via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:34- Cain Valasquez was disappointed in his performance, but he looked dominant yet again. Cain battered Stojnic standing with knees and combinations. He was able to get a takedown in the second and punch his way to the TKO.
*Velasquez wins the knockout of the night bonus.

Josh Neer def. Mac Danzig via sub (triangle choke) R2, 3:36- Josh Neer handed TUF winner Danzig his second straight loss in the UFC. The stand up battle was pretty even as both dished out punishment. In the second, Neer got a takedown, rained down elbows, and then got a triangle from his back. Neer put the pressure on Danzig the entire bout and looked impressive.
*Neer and Danzig win fight of the night bonus.

Anthony Johnson def. Luigi Fioravanti via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:39- Johnson looked shredded at 170 pounds and came out throwing kicks and punches. Johnson eventually overwelmed Fioravanti, who turtled up after a takedown and ate strikes until the ref jumped in.

Dan Miller def. Jake Rosholt via sub (guillotine choke) R1, 1:03-NCAA champ Jake Rosholt was far too reckless in his UFC debut. Not looking relaxed he shot with his head out with his corner telling him to watch for the guillotine. But Rosholt kept the pressure anyway, and Miller was able to sink in the choke.

Matt Veach def. Matt Grice via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:34- This fight was a back and forth affair with Veach nearly losing after eating punishment off his back. After getting up, Veach flattened Grice with an overhand right and then followed him to the ground. Grice thought it was an early stoppage.

Kurt Pellegrino def. Rob Emerson via sub (rear-naked choke) R2, 3:14
Gleison Tibau def. Rich Clementi via sub (guillotine choke) R1, 4:35
Nick Catone def. Derek Downey via sub (keylock) R2, 1:15
Matthew Riddle def. Steve Bruno via unanimous decision

Ultimate Fight Night 17 Preview

UFN 17 takes place this Saturday night from the University of South Florida. The event will be shown for free on Spike TV. It features a main event of Joe Lauzon v. Jeremy Stephens. Below is a video of Joe Lauzon v. Antoine Skinner from Combat Zone 12 in November of 2005.



MAIN CARD

Joe Lauzon vs. Jeremy Stephens
Denis Stojnic vs. Cain Velasquez
Mac Danzig vs. Josh Neer
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Anthony Johnson

UNDERCARD

Rob Emerson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Dan Miller vs. Jake Rosholt
Matt Grice vs. Matt Veach
Rich Clementi vs. Gleison Tibau
Nick Catone vs. Derek Downey
Steve Bruno vs. Matthew Riddle

UFC Cutting Fighters Quick

Thoughts by the MMA Blaster

UPDATE- Looks like Fitch is back with the organization. I'm guessing that he signed his likeness away to the UFC.

It is being widely reported that the UFC will be cutting Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, Cain Valesquez, and various other star fighters from American Kickboxing Academy(AKA). The move has come over a contractual dispute regarding fighter likeness in video games.

Apparently, the UFC came to the fighters and requested that they sign away all rights to their likeness for life to the UFC. If they didn't sign, the existing contracts would be ripped up and the fighters cut. Fitch explained that the would sign away for five years or ten years, but not for life.

Dana White, not pleased with the fighters actions, decided to cut the fighters rather than negotiate.

I find that the move represents a unilateral action by the UFC that will only benefit private shareholders of the organization. The video games, DVD's, and clip shows will continue to make money in perpetuity forever. The fighters will not see a dime of that money under the deal Dana wants to force on them. That deal hardly seems to provide any consideration to the fighters.

Dana's main counter was that Jon Fitch made $169,000 from the title fight with Georges St. Pierre, and that Fitch couldn't get that type of money elsewhere. I think Dana is missing the boat with this argument. It isn't about pay for a fight, it is about the UFC being able to make money over the likeness of a fighter for no compensation.

In video games for the NFL, NBA, and MLB, the players association collects a sum of money from the league for use of the likeness and distribute the money. EA recently had to pay former stars of the NFL over 20 million dollars for using their likeness in video games. In the games, former stars names weren't listed, but the exact height, weight, and number were used.

I believe that fighters that appear in the video games should be paid accordingly. It is simply unfair to allow the UFC to unilaterally collect all the revenue for the game. You aren't fighting in the game with a Dana White character.

(Jon Fitch pictured)

The UFC Should Pick Up Roy Nelson

The UFC heavyweight division has some excellent new heavyweight prospects in Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar. Roy Nelson from the IFL might not be ripped, but he hits like a freight train. Anyone who saw the Brad Imes fight knows Nelson has some serious power. He was has a 13-2 overall record, going 6-1 in the IFL with 5 TKO/KO's and a very narrow decision loss to Ben Rothwell.

Antoine Jaoude v. Roy Nelson Round 1


Here is the second round from Antoine Jaoude v. Roy Nelson

*While it hasn't been made official, Roy could be headed to Affliction.

Ultimate Fight Night 14 aka Anderson Silva at 205

After Affliction's heavyweight all-star card was almost together, the UFC decided to launch a counter-attack. They are bringing a free card on Spike TV that has some star power, mainly in the form of UFC MW Champ Anderson Silva.


As you can see, there are 3 former IFL fighters making their UFC debuts.

Anderson Silva (21-4, 6-0 UFC) vs. James Irvin (14-4, 4-3 UFC)- Expect this to be a stand-up battle. This is Anderson's debut at 205 pounds. Anderson has looked unstoppable in his 6 fights in the UFC so far. In his last fight, Anderson beat Pride Champ Dan Henderson in the second round. Irvin is a stand-up guy, and has some notable wins on his resume over Terry Martin, Houston Alexander, Scott Smith and Doug Marshall.

Brandon Vera (8-2, 4-2 UFC) vs. Reese Andy (7-1, 5-1 IFL)- Vera is coming off two losses in the heavyweight division to Fabricio Werdum and Tim Sylvia. He is making his debut in the 205 pound division, and it is likely his first cut to that weight. He usually comes in around 225 for his heavyweight fights. Reese Andy is making his UFC debut after fighting in the IFL. He has a 4 fight win streak but hasn't fought for a year.

Frankie Edgar (8-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Hermes Franca (18-6, 6-3 UFC)- Franca has been suspended a year for using steroids in the Sherk fight. Edgar was pushed around by a bigger Gray Maynard in his last fight and lost a decision. I wouldn't be surprised to see the loser of this fight go to 145.

Jake O'Brien (10-1, 3-1 UFC) vs. Cain Velasquez (3-0, 1-0 UFC)- Both of these guys are big time wrestlers. O'Brien is coming off a loss to Andrei Arlovski in his last fight and may look to trade with Velasquez. Velasquez has earned TKO victories in each of his three fights.

Kevin Burns (6-1, 1-0 UFC) vs. Anthony Johnson (5-1, 2-1 UFC)- The Iowa based fighter Kevin Burns is coming off an outstanding submission victory over BJJ black belt Roan Carneiro. He has four straight victories. Johnson displayed extreme power in his hands in his KO's of Tom Speer and Chad Reiner. His only loss came via submission to Rich Clementi.

C.B. Dollaway (6-1, 0-1 UFC) vs. Jesse Taylor (6-2)- This was the latest bout announced for the main card. CB is coming off another arm bar loss to Amir Sadollah. Taylor is coming off kicking out a limo window and acting a fool If Taylor wins it could potentially set up a bout with Amir Sadollah, but Sadollah may already be eyeing the 170 division.

Probably Not Televised
Brodie Farber vs. Rory Markham(IFL Vet)
Brad Blackburn(IFL Vet) vs. James Giboo
Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees
Shannon Gugherty vs. Dale Hartt

*Interesting Note- The UFC should look at fighter Jason High. He is (6-0) with victories over main card fighter Kevin Burns and under card fighter James Giboo.

*Cool Anderson Silva pic on photobucket