Jeremy Horn versus Forrest Griffin

Here is Jeremy Horn fighting Forrest Griffin at IFC Global Domination which took place on 9/6/03 in Denver, Colorado.

In that event, Forrest (19-7) had submitted Chael Sonnen in his previous bout. Horn (91-22) had submitted Mikhail Avetisyan. Forrest would go on to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame following his epic TUF 1 match-up against Stephen Bonnar and career victories over Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and Rich Franklin. He retired after a 2012 win over Tito Ortiz and has been working for the UFC ever since.

Horn probably has officially retired from competition after tapping due to strikes against Egidijus Valavicius in 2015. Horn had a 19 year career which included wins over Chuck Liddell, Gilbert Yvel, Josh Burkman, Chael Sonnen and Dean Lister.

UFC Hall of Fame

Commentary on the 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 and Tito Ortiz. The late, Charles "Mask" Lewis was inducted as a contributor to the sport.

(Dan Severn Pictured)

Tito Ortiz (16-11-1, 15-11-1 UFC) (LHW belt holder) is the latest entrant into the Hall.  Ortiz kept the UFC in the limelight during the dark ages, winning the LHW belt after Frank Shamrock left the UFC. He defended the belt five straight times, a mark just tied by Jon Jones. Victories over Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, 3X Ken Shamrock, Jerry Bohlander, Ryan Bader, Evan Tanner, Yuki Kondo, Vladimir Matyushenko, Wanderlei Silva and a split with Guy Mezger anchor his resume.

Hall of famer Chuck Liddell's UFC career came to a crashing halt at the hands of Rich Franklin at UFC 115, marking his 3rd straight loss.  However, Liddell will always be remembered for his epic knockouts of his opposition.  The Iceman notched UFC wins over Kevin Randleman, Vitor Belfort, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, Wanderlei Silva and owns Pride wins over Guy Mezger and Alistair Overeem.

9X UFC champ Matt Hughes (45-8, 18-5 UFC) was another recent entrant. Hughes, known for his wrestling, submissions and ground game, is the most dominant 170 pounder in the history of the UFC. Hughes holds victories over Frank Trigg, Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Newton, Royce Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Sean Sherk, Hayato Sakurai and split with BJ Penn.

My hope would be that the UFC would look at inducting Don Frye and Pat Miletich into the Hall of Fame next. Each is long overdue, especially considering what they have accomplished inside and outside the UFC. Bad blood was definitely created when each joined the IFL as coaches, but I believe that has passed.

Don Frye (20-9, 9-1 UFC)(UFC 8, UU96 belts)- Plowed through the competition in UFC 8 to win the belt. Won the UU96 and UFC 8 title's in a epic fashion defeating Tank Abbott and Gary Goodridge, respectively. Runner-up at UFC 10.  Was an innovator with solid stand-up with excellent take down defense. 


Pat Miletich (29-7, 8-2 UFC)(UFC 16 Lightweight tourney winner, WW belt holder)- Won two bouts to take UFC 16. Won a slim decision over Mikey Burnett to take the WW belt. Defended 4 times before losing to Carlos Newton. Other wins over John Alessio and Shonie Carter. Bigger impact may be in the UFC champions he has trained over the years.

Locks for the Hall of Fame:

1. Georges St. Pierre (24-2, 18-2 UFC)(WW belt holder)- Currently, Georges has looked unbeatable during his 9 fight win that has spanned four years. GSP has TKO's over BJ Penn and Matt Serra, while submitting Matt Hughes and taking decisions over Dan Hardy, Jake Shields, Thiago Alves, Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck. Other victories over Sean Sherk, Josh Koscheck, Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Frank Trigg, Jay Hieron and Karo Parisyan.


2. Anderson Silva (33-4, 16-0 UFC)(MW belt holder)- Has crushed all comers while rarely getting touched in his matches. Worked over James Irvin, Stephen Bonnar and Forrest Griffin in the first round at 205. Won the belt in his second UFC fight over Rich Franklin and has defended eight more times. Victories over Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin 2X, Nate Marquardt, Travis Lutter, Thales Leites, Demian Maia and Chris Leben.


3. Rich Franklin (29-7, 13-5 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. More recent wins over Chuck Liddell, 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. BJ Penn (16-9-2, 12-8-2 UFC)(LW and WW belt holder)- Won the LW belt over Joe Stevenson and then defended against Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez as the most dominating 155 in UFC history. Won WW belt from Matt Hughes in a great fight, recently scored a KO over Hughes. Victories over Din Thomas, Matt Serra, Caol Uno and split with Jens Pulver. Two of his losses are to GSP at 170.


5.  Jon Jones (18-1, 12-1 UFC)(LHW belt holder)- In 5 years, Jones has gone from JUCO wrestling champion to the greatest 205 pounder to ever fight in the UFC.  He has dominated all foes, looking vulnerable only on one occasion when Vitor Belfort had an armbar briefly locked in.  Jones has won over Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida, Shogun Rua, Rampage Jackson and recently Chael Sonnen despite a dislocated and gnarly toe injury.

6. Forrest Griffin (19-7, 10-5 UFC, LHW belt holder)- Two back to back victories over the number one light heavyweights in Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson. Won a decision in one of the sports biggest fights over Stephen Bonnar in the 1st Ultimate Fighter.  Lost the LHW belt to Rashad Evans, then was crushed by Anderson Silva. He rebounded with a victories over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin. Dana White has stated that Griffin will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in short order.

Former champs who are close:

1. Frank Mir (16-7, 14-7 UFC)(HW belt holder)- Biggest win by far was the arm break of Tim Sylvia for the HW title and then the knee bar come from behind win over Brock Lesnar. His most recent wn was an arm breaking victory over Antonio Noguira for the interim belt following his stint coaching TUF.  Other wins over Pete Williams, Tank Abbott, Roy Nelson, Cro Cop, Cheick Kongo and Roberto Traven.

2. Rashad Evans (18-3-1, 13-3-1 UFC, LHW belt holder)- Won the LHW belt over Forrest Griffin, but then was KO'd by Lyoto Machida in brutal fashion in first defense.  Has since rebounded with wins over Thiago Silva, Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz. Defeated Sean Salmon with a nasty high kick. KO'd Chuck Liddell and Jason Lambert. Decision victories over Dan Henderson, Micheal Bisping, Stephan Bonnar and Brad Imes for the TUF 2 HW belt.

3.  Lyoto Machida (19-3, 11-3 UFC)(LHW belt holder)- Won LHW belt with brutal KO of Rashad Evans, took a controversial decision win in first defense over Shogun Rua, before being KO'd in the rematch.  Brilliant kick to the face of Randy Couture for KO win in last fight.

4.  Vitor Belfort (23-10, 12-6 UFC)(HW tourney/LHW belt holder)- A big draw in the early days of the UFC when he won a 4 man tournament at UFC 12 TKO'ing Tra Telligman and Scott Ferrozzo in 2 minutes in total.  He defeated Randy Couture for the LHW belt via cut.  He blitzkrieged Wanderlei Silva for a 44 second KO.  Other wins over Anthony Johnson, Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin and Tank Abbott.

5. Tim Sylvia (31-9, 9-4 UFC) (HW belt holder)- Won HW belt over Ricco Rodriguez at UFC 41, reclaimed at UFC 59 over Arlovski defending twice. Other victories include Brandon Vera, Jeff Monson, Gan McGee and Assuerio Silva. He has gone 1-2 since leaving the UFC, losing in 36 seconds to Fedor Emelianenko, then in 9 seconds to Ray Mercer.

6. Andrei Arlovski (19-10, 10-4 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 under card. After KO'ing Roy Nelson in Elite XC, he has really fallen off the radar losing four straight.

Too bad - 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.

Shamrock then submitted Jeremy Horn with a kneebar and John Lober submitted to punches in his next two defenses. Shamrock defended the belt once more in one of the best fights in MMA history against Tito Ortiz. The UFC has a rocky relationship with Frank, after his retirement as he fought and comments with rival Strikeforce and was a coach in the IFL.

Maybe - 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.

**All text copyright of MMA Blaster**

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

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**

UFC 106 Review

UFC 106: Griffin v. Ortiz took place on 11/21/09 and featured nine bouts making the broadcast on Spike and PPV. Forrest Griffin won a narrow split decision to push himself closer to a title shot. Josh Koscheck also moved closer to a title shot with a victory over the uber athletic Anthony Johnson.

Forrest Griffin def Tito Ortiz via split dec- Forrest and Tito battled for three rounds in this compelling three round fight. Tito and Forrest fought a close first round, with Forrest controlling the stand-up and Tito managing to get one takedown. In the second, Tito was able to take advantage of a takedown to land some elbows, opening up a cut on Forrest.

Never one to shy away from blood, Forrest came alive in the third round. Tito cardio started to falter, or he felt he was up on the scorecards. Forrest landed punches and kicks at will, winning the third round in convincing fashion. With the win, look for Forrest to fight Antonio Noguiera or Thiago Silva if he beats Rashad Evans.
*MMA Blaster readers correctly choose Griffin 44-28.

(Forrest Griffin pictured)

Josh Koscheck def Anthony Johnson via sub (RNC) R2, 4:27- The first round saw Anthony Johnson controlling much of the action and defending takedowns. With Koscheck getting up, still on his knees, Johnson threw and elbow and came through with a hand, grazing Koscheck's eye. The round continued with Johnson looking strong.

In the second, a Koscheck open hand punch sunk fingers into Johnson's eye. Johnson appeared shaken, and didn't return to form. Shortly after getting back into action, Koscheck got a takedown and choked out Johnson with a rear naked choke. Koscheck would like to fight number one contender for the 170 pound division, Dan Hardy.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def Luiz Cane via TKO (punches) R1, 1:56- Nogueira's UFC debut was stellar, as his boxing looked crisp as he systematically picked apart Luiz Cane.

Paulo Thiago def Jacob Volkmann via unanimous dec- Thiago controlled the grappling game and managed to land more strikes to win the decision.

Amir Sadollah def Phil Baroni via unanimous dec- Phil Baroni was able to land some power punches and get a takedown in the first round, but Sadollah dominated the clinch and long distance striking from then on. In the third, Baroni slowed down and Sadollah took advantage, peppering him with strikes and clinch work.

Ben Saunders def Marcus Davis via KO (knees) R1, 3:24- Ben Saunders dominated the fight with the use of his devasting thai clinch. Saunders popped Davis with knees from every direction, eventually sending Davis to the canvas.

Kendall Grove def Jake Rosholt via sub (triangle) R1, 3:59- Rosholt dominated the grappling game, getting take downs and landing heavy right hands and knees. However, Rosholt made a wrong move and landed in a triangle choke.

Brian Foster def Brock Larson via TKO (strikes) R2, 3:25- Larson disappointed again, getting run over by Brian Foster. Foster dominated Larson with a heavy dose of ground and pound in the second, stopping the fight.

Caol Uno vs. Fabricio Camoes declared majority draw
George Sotiropoulos def Jason Dent via submission (armbar) R2, 4:36

Video of the Day - Forrest v. Rampage Netgun

Forrest faced off with Rampage in TUF 7, hyping up a championship bout between the two at UFC 86. In this video Forrest shows off his net gun skills. Forrest fights Tito Ortiz at UFC 106. Pretty sure a TUF 7 marathon on Spike is in the near future.

UFC 106 Preview

UFC 106 takes place on Saturday, November 21st in Las Vegas, Nevada with Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz headlining. No titles will be on the line, so expect 6 to 7 fights to make the broadcast. In addition, at least two fights will make a Spike broadcast proceeding the pay per view.

Tito Ortiz (15-6-1, 14-6-1 UFC) is returning to action after being on the shelf since his May 8, 2008 decision loss to Lyoto Machida and back surgery. His opponent, Forrest Griffin, is returning from a devasting KO loss to Anderson Silva in August. Forrest rose to fame with his TUF 1 victory over Stephen Bonnar and his LHW title victory over Rampage Jackson.

(Forrest Griffin pictured)

Look for Forrest to press the action and use his boxing to keep Tito at a distance. Tito will look to close the distance and get in the clinch. Once there, Tito will look for a takedown to utilize his ground and pound. Tito won the 205 pound belt with a victory over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 25. He defended 5 times, including wins over Evan Tanner, Yuki Kondo and Vladimir Matyushenko.

(Tito Ortiz pictured)

Anthony Johnson vs. Josh Koscheck
Phil Baroni vs. Amir Sadollah
Luiz Cane vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Dustin Hazelett vs. Karo Parisyan

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

Marcus Davis vs. Ben Saunders
Kendall Grove vs. Jake Rosholt

PRELIMINARY CARD (Could Air)

Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann
Brian Foster vs. Brock Larson
Fabricio Camoes vs. Caol Uno
Jason Dent vs. George Sotiropoulos

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)

Video of the Day - Griffin v. Sayegh

Here is a video from Forrest Griffin v. Steve Sayegh from King of the Cage which took place on 12/15/02. Forrest will next take on Anderson Silva at UFC 101.

UFC 92: Ultimate 2008 Results

Rashad Evans def. Forrest Griffin via TKO (punches) R3, 2:46- Rashad and Forrest traded shots for the first two rounds. Forrest probably got the better of Rashad in the first two with more punches and kicks landed. In the third, Rashad was able to get a takedown from a Griffin kick and then unleashed a flurry of punches and hammerfists forcing the ref to intervene.

(Rashad Evans pictured)

Rashad, with the 205 pound belt in hand, now has to be the most accomplished fighter to emerge from TUF. Evans now has 8 straight official victories inside the octagon. He had three additional wins in TUF that are not official.
*Fight of the Night Bonus
*MMA Blaster readers picked Evans over Griffin 17-15

Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via TKO (punches) R2, 1:54- Frank Mir dominated the fight as Nogueira never mounted any offense. Through the two rounds, Mir looked to be the better striker, knocking Nog to the floor and bouncing his head back throughout the fight. After knocking Nog to the ground in the second, Mir followed with punches until the ref stepped in. While the stoppage may have been a little early, Nog wasn't intelligently defending himself.

(Frank Mir pictured)

Mir, with Interim HW Belt in tow, will now face Brock Lesnar sometime next year. My guess would be that the fight happens sometime in March or April. This will be a repeat of the fight which ended in a Mir victory via kneebar. Mir was getting beat up before securing the submission in that fight.


C.B. Dollaway def. Mike Massenzio via TKO (strikes) R1, 3:01- CB was technically sound in this fight getting the takedown, mount and then throwing strikes until the ref had to step in and stop the fight.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Wanderlei Silva via KO (punch) R1, 3:21- Rampage emphatically got the the demons off his back in this fight. After losing a razor thin decision to Forrest Griffin, and a public meltdown, Rampage desperately needed a victory. Rampage landed a flush left hook sending Silva to the ground then followed it with strikes until the ref stepped in.

A fight with Rashad Evans for the 205 pound title will probably be Rampage's next fight. Rampage had lost his previous two fights with Wanderlei.

Cheick Kongo def. Mostapha Al-Turk via TKO (strikes) R1, 4:37- After some inadvertent knees thrown by Kongo, he found his mark. Kongo threw a right hand that dropped Al-Turk then brought elbows and punches until the fight had to be stopped.

Yushin Okami def. Dean Lister via unanimous decision- Lister could not get any offense going in his loss to Okami. Okami used a systematic approach to grind out the decision.

Antoni Hardonk def. Mike Wessel via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:09- Wessel looked good in the first round, but in the second, Hardonk turned the tide. Hardonk got a sweep, then dominant position, then threw strikes until the bout was stopped.

Matt Hamill def. Reese Andy via TKO (strikes) R2, 2:19
Brad Blackburn def. Ryo Chonan via unanimous decision
Patrick Barry def. Dan Evensen via TKO (injury) R1, 2:36

UFC Ultimate 2008

UFC Ultimate 2008 will take place on December 27, 2008. It will feature two title matches and a superfight between Wanderlei Silva and Rampage Jackson. The fights will take place in Las Vegas. All 20 fighters made weight at the weigh-ins, as a Wanderlei and Rampage scuffle served as a highlight.

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad Evans- This UFC light heavyweight title match will most likely become a slugfest. Rashad has been testing his foes on his feet in recent matches. Forrest will look to defend the takedown and find a rhythm to Rashad's sometimes style.

Champ Forrest Griffin (16-4) won the title with a very slim decision victory over Rampage Jackson. Prior to that fight, Griffin dominated Pride superstar Mauricio Shogun Rua, finishing him with a rear naked choke. Griffin has defeated Stephen Bonnar, Hector Ramirez, Elvis Sinosic, Chael Sonnen and Jeff Monson in his career. Griffin won TUF 1 in an epic battle against Stephan Bonnar.

(Forrest Griffin pictured)

Rashad Evans (14-0-1) knocked out Chuck Liddell to earn a shot of the title in September. Previously Rashad won a split decision over Michael Bisping, drew with Tito Ortiz, and viciously knocked out Sean Salmon with a head kick and Jason Lambert with ground and pound. Rashad won the heavyweight season of TUF in the second season with a victory over Brad Imes.

(Rashad Evans pictured)

Champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir- This fight is for the interim Heavyweight Title. The winner will face Brock Lesnar sometime next year in a unification match. Nogueira won the fight with a come from behind guillotine choke victory over Tim Sylvia last February.

Nogueira is an indestructible opponent who has never been submitted or knocked out. He seems to be able to take a monstrous amount of punishment and can't be stopped. Nogueira has victories over Josh Barnett, Heath Herring, Fabricio Werdum, Sergei Kharitonov, Mirko Filipovic, Mark Coleman and countless others.

(Nogueira getting the guillotine)

Frank Mir has been on a mission since his horrific motorcycle crash that broke his leg. Mir won over Antoni Hardonk via kimura before his kneebar victory over Brock Lesnar. Mir did not look good in the fights prior to that looking slow in his loss to Brandon Vera, decision victory over Dan Christison and loss to Marcio Cruz. Mir holds an arm breaking victory over Tim Sylvia and submission victories over Roberto Traven and Pete Williams.

(Frank Mir pictured)

Quinton Jackson vs. Wanderlei Silva- This fight will more than likely result in another war. Silva has won the past two in devasting fashion. However, what most people forget is that Rampage has had opportunities to win the two fights. If Rampage can get some takedowns he will have a chance to win. Silva will look to keep the fight standing and utilize his superior Muay Thai game.

C.B. Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio
Mustafa Al-Turk vs. Cheick Kongo

UNDERCARD
Dean Lister vs. Yushin Okami
Antoni Hardonk vs. Mike Wessel
Reese Andy vs. Matt Hamill
Brad Blackburn vs. Ryo Chonan
Pat Berry vs. Dan Evensen

UFC Title Picture

With UFC 89 and 90 taking place within a span of seven days, here is the current breakdown of the UFC Title picture.

LW- BJ Penn(Champ)- BJ will fight GSP at 170 before returning to 155. The bout will take place on January 31st at UFC 94.

Contenders- Kenny Florian v. Joe Stevenson- rumored to be the fight for number one contender. The fight takes place at UFC 91.
Sean Sherk- recent victory over Tyson Griffin at UFC 90 moves him closer to another shot at reclaiming the title.
Nate Diaz- has put together 5 straight victories in the UFC, recently against Josh Neer. A rumored bout with Clay Guida has been scratched as Guida injured his foot.
Gray Maynard- has 4 straight victories, momentarily crushing Rich Clementi and Frank Edgar's title hopes.
Roger Huerta- shot at a title dashed by Kenny Florian.


WW- Georges St. Pierre(Champ) v. BJ Penn- The fight will take place at UFC 94.

Contenders- Thiago Alves- With dominating performances over Josh Kosheck at UFC 90, Matt Hughes at UFC 85 and Karo Parisyan at UFN 13, Alves is next in line for a title shot.
Jon Fitch- Recently lost a five round fight with St. Pierre, probably needs a win or two to get another shot.
Diego Sanchez- has two wins in a row since back to back decision losses to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch.
Josh Koscheck- Title hopes put on hold after loss to Alves.
Jake Shields- I'd like to see the Elite XC champ come to the UFC and fight a top tier opponent or two before a title shot.


MW- Anderson Silva(Champ)- Anderson is sitting pretty on top of the division with his latest victory over Patrick Cote. Anderson could turn up at 205 before another fight at 185, but we will see. Anderson was not pleased with his performance at UFC 90 and would like to jump back in the UFC as soon as possible.

Contenders- Yushin Okami v. Dean Lister- A win by Okami at UFC 92 could thrust him into the number one spot. Okami won over Silva via disqualification in January of 2006 for a an upkick that KO'd Okami while he was still on his knees.
Dan Henderson v. Rich Franklin v. Michael Bisping- The word on the street is that the winner of Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin at UFC 93 will coach TUF 9 opposite Michael Bisping. The overall winner could get a shot at Silva.
Thales Leites- five victories in a row since his loss to Martin Kampmann. That includes a controversial win over Nate Marquardt at UFC 85.
Nate Marquardt- recently won in dominant fashion over Martin Kampmann after the Leites loss. Needs another victory to get a rematch with Anderson Silva.
Robbie Lawler- could get into the UFC sooner rather than later. Lawler is 8-1 since leaving the UFC capturing the Elite XC belt.
Cung Le- the movie star and Strikeforce MW champ presents an interesting stand-up match-up for Anderson Silva.


LHW- Forrest Griffin(Champ) v. Rashad Evans- This match for the light heavyweight title will take place on the stacked UFC 92 card.

Contenders- Lyoto Machida- has won five straight including a victory over Tito Ortiz.
Rampage Jackson v. Wanderlei Silva- the winner of this UFC 92 bout could be setting himself up for a title shot.
Keith Jardine- Recent win over Brandon Vera, but before that was knocked out cold by Wanderlei Silva.
Chuck Liddell- recently lost to Rashad Evans.
Rich Franklin- recently won over Matt Hamill in his recent fight at 205. Has an upcoming match with Dan Henderson at UFC 93.


HW- Randy Couture(HW Champ) v. Brock Lesnar- This match will be for the heavyweight title at UFC 91 on November 15th. Winner to face the victor below in their next bout to unify the title:

HW(I)- Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira(HW Champ Interim) v. Frank Mir- After Couture's brief second retirement, the UFC decided to put an interim belt HW belt on the line which Nogueira beat Tim Sylvia for.

*This is basically a four man tournament for the unified belt. Both matches should be very entertaining and are highly anticipated.

Other contenders- Fabricio Werdum's potential title hopes were shot down in his loss to Junior dos Santos. Cain Valesquez and Shane Carwin have looked impressive with each capturing first round TKO's in their first two victories. Cheick Kongo hasn't been able to put three straight victories together in a row. Heath Herring alternates wins and losses.

UFC 86 Results

Justin Buchholz def. Corey Hill via Sub (Rear-Naked Choke) R2 3:57
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Justin McCully Submission (Kimura) R1 1:57

Melvin Guillard def. Dennis Siver TKO (Punches) R1 0:36 - Guillard rocked Siver with some solid shots.
*KO of the night

Cole Miller def. Jorge Gurgel Submission (Triangle Choke) R3 4:48 - You can watch this one on UFC.com. It was a match that I had Gurgel winning going into 12 seconds left in the match. Miller locked in a triangle at the last second.
*Submission of the night.

Tyson Griffin def. Marcus Aurelio Decision (Unanimous)- Griffin was the clear winner as he unleased kicks, punches and lunging attacks to get the decision victory.

Josh Koscheck def. Chris Lytle Decision (Unanimous)- Koscheck was able to get takedowns and throw down elbows to win one of the most bloodiest fights of the year.

Joe Stevenson def. Gleison Tibau Submission (Guillotine choke) R2 2:57- This was an exciting fight as Steven looked for submission after submission. He had a very close attempt at a guillotine in the first, and ended up securing one in the second.

Patrick Cote def. Ricardo Almeida Decision (Split)- Cote barely scored a victory after losing the first round and probably taking the second two. Almeida was able to get takedowns, but got tired after the first. Cote had good energy, but didn't look like a guy who should be getting a title shot right away.

Forrest Griffin def. Quinton Jackson Decision (Unanimous)- Jackson won the first round with a punch that sent Forrest to the canvas. Rampage had suffered damage to his leg in the first however, which slowed him in the first. Griffin won the second round on more leg kicks. The rest of the rounds saw Jackson landing more punches and Griffin more kicks. I had it scored very close, as Griffin came out the winner.


With the win, Griffin has proved he is the real deal. It will be interesting to see what match-ups are possible. We could see Forrest v. Wanderlei Silva, Forrest v. Chuck Liddell, Forrest v. Lyoto Machida, or possibly Forrest v. Rampage 2.
*Fight of the Night

UFC 86 Preview

Here is a quick preview to UFC 86, which takes place on July 5th. I won't be watching live, as I will be in the wilderness. I'll get a review up once I see all the fights.

Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin (LHW Championship)- Rampage has respect for Forrest's ground game, so expect this one to stay standing. Jackson has been training at a high level, as is Forrest. Both will look to keep this an entertaining fight. Forrest is always in top shape, so don't expect him to gas.

Jackson has six straight victories, including 3 straight in the UFC. Forrest has two straight victories in the UFC since his loss to Keith Jardine. Forrest is coming off a huge victory over Shogun Rua. Jackson is coming off huge wins over Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell and Marvin Eastman. Both have been on the shelf for quite awhile because of The Ultimate Fighter reality show.
*MMA Blaster pick - Jackson via KO, R3 - WRONG

*From Jackson v. Liddell 1

Ricardo Almeida vs. Patrick Cote- This is a grappler (Almeida) v. striker (Cote) match-up. The fight will likely come down to whether or not Almeida can get Cote to the ground. Almeida debuted in the UFC at UFC 31 against Matt Lindland. He had 6 straight wins before he decided to take a four year break. His only fight since his comeback was a Guillotine Choke victory over Rob Yundt at UFC 81. Cote has 4 straight victories since his loss to Travis Lutter in the TUF 4 finale. 3 have been in the Octagon, with his latest a TKO over Drew McFedries.
*MMA Blaster pick - Almeida via armbar, R2- WRONG

Joe Stevenson vs. Gleison Tibau- Stevenson's last fight was a submission loss to BJ Penn in January for the LW title. Tibau is coming off a decision loss to Tyson Griffin.
*MMA Blaster pick - Stevenson via rear naked choke, R3- CORRECT

Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle- Koscheck is coming off an impressive victory over Dustin Hazelett. He will look to keep the fight on the ground and away from Lytle's boxing skills. Lytle is coming off a victory over Kyle Bradley at UFC 81. If Koscheck wins it sets him up nicely for a potential title shot or number one contender match.
*MMA Blaster pick - Koscheck via decision - CORRECT

Marcus Aurelio vs. Tyson Griffin- Tyson currently has 3 straight decision victories in the UFC. Aurelio has two straight victories since a split decision loss to Clay Guida. Both are excellent grapplers, this bout has the potential to be very exciting or slow.
*MMA Blaster pick - Griffin via decision - CORRECT

Undercard
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully - MMA Blaster pick - Gonzaga via submission, R3 - CORRECT
Jorge Gurgel vs. Cole Miller - MMA Blaster pick - Miller via decision - CORRECT
Melvin Guillard vs. Dennis Siver - MMA Blaster pick - Guillard via KO, R2 - CORRECT
Justin Bucholz vs. Corey Hill - MMA Blaster pick - Hill via TKO, R3 - WRONG
*MMA Blaster Picks- 6-3

TUF Road For Amir

Here is a look at how Amir Sadollah's run on The Ultimate Fighter stacks up to some of the previous season's champs. Amir had to win more times than anyone else, 5, as for the first time there were 32 competitors in the tournament. Amir's first opponent, Steve Byrnes had fought in the UFC. Gerald Harris had two fights in the IFL, and Matt Brown had ample experience.

Season 1
LHW- Forrest Griffin- Alex Schoenauer, Sam Hoger, Stephen Bonnar
MW- Diego Sanchez- Alex Karalexis, Josh Rafferty, Josh Koscheck, Kenny Florian

Season 2
HW- Rashad Evans- Tom Murphy, Mike Whitehead, Keith Jardine, Brad Imes
WW- Joe Stevenson- Marcus Davis, Jason Von Flue, Luke Cummo

Season 3
MW- Kendall Grove- Ross Pointon, Kalib Starnes, Ed Herman
LHW- Michael Bisping- Kristian Rothaermel, Ross Pointon, Josh Haynes

Season 4 - The Comeback
WW- Matt Serra- Pete Spratt, Shonie Carter, Chris Lytle
MW- Travis Lutter- Scott Smith, Pete Sell, Patrick Cote

Season 5
LW- Nate Diaz- Robert Emerson, Corey Hill, Gray Maynard, Manvel Gamburyan

Season 6
WW- Mac Danzig- Joe Scarola, John Kolosci, John Kolosci, Tom Speer

Season 7
MW- Amir Sadollah- Steve Byrnes, Gerald Harris, Matt Brown, C.B. Dollaway, C.B. Dollaway

TUF Episode 6 Recap

The sixth episode of The Ultimate Fighter got off to a bang. The fight between the ever intense Matt Brown and obnoxious Jeremey May promised to be one fought with malice. Pre-fight Brown discussed his run-ins with the law, brushes with death and drug and alcohol problems. During the training clip, you saw him go head to head with Forrest for some time after the bell. Brown's teammates have the utmost respect for him, and make some Chuck Norris like jokes about him.

Conversely, May seems to be hated by just about everyone in the house. The lime juice in the dip pissed Brown off, but everyone in the house seems to be annoyed with him. Riddle willfully gave Brown information that May had suffered a knee injury (which May later said wasn't bad). Furthermore, in training, May hasn't been doing much of anything except ride a stationary bike.

The fight kicked off to May throwing some big unorthodox hay makers. As the punches and kicks came, Brown blocked them and denied May's offense. As Jeremy May ran out of gas, Brown brought the pain, and a couple knees and a kick to the face later, the fight was over. Brown had ice on his foot and 10K in his pocket, and May had a broken nose and ego.

The second fight saw Daniel Cramer fight Luke Zacharich. The fight broiled down to a Frye v. Takayama slug fest. Pretty boy Cramer can really take a shot, as can Zacharich. After both burned a significant amount of energy in the first, Cramer took advantage. After getting the mount, he worked over Zacharich for the TKO victory.

I was very happy to see Rampage get a victory. Rampage's impromptu break down of the Cramer v. Zacharich was pretty funny. His spirits were lifted to say the least. Here is a recap and breakdown of who is left in the tournament:

Team Forrest 4 - Wins- Jesse Taylor, Tim Credeur, Dante Rivera, Matt Brown
Left to fight- Amir Sadollah, Cale Yarbrough, Nick Klein

Team Rampage 1 - Wins- Dan Cramer
Left to fight - Gerald Harris, CB Dollaway, Patrick Schultz

TUF Episode 3

This episode started as the respective teams were picked by Forrest and Rampage. Rampage won the toss and elected to choose the first fighter in CB Dollaway. Forrest went with the experienced BJJ blackbelt Tim Creduer. I was surprised to see Gerald Harris go as Rampage's #5 pick, Dante Rivera as Forrest's #6 and Zacharich go last overall. Here is what I think the teams broke down to:

-Rampage-
C.B. Dollaway
Matt Riddle
Paul Bradley
Daniel Cramer
Gerald Harris
Mike Dolce
Jeremy May
Brandon Sene

-Forrest-
Tim Credeur
Amir Sadollah
Jesse Taylor
Matt Brown
Cale Yarbrough
Dante Rivera
Nick Klein
Luke Zachrich

Afterwards, Rampage is talking to his team and sees a nasty rash on Paul Bradley's neck. It is found to be herpes, and subsequently he is booted from the show. It sucks that he had to give up his wrestling coach job, but with a rumored contract with Elite XC, I don't feel too bad for him. Guess he should have been packing Valtrex. In his place comes Patrick Schultz, one of the few guys who didn't get hurt in his fight. I would have taken Mike Marrelo if I was choosing.

The first match pits Mike Dolce v. Jesse Taylor. Taylor does look somewhat like a Big John McCarthy and Nick Cage love child. Rampage checks up on his team while at the house and talks about life and fighting. He also asks about what his fighters do for a living outside the ring, interesting that Matt Riddle has no driver's license and lives with his mom.

The first prelim fight featured Dolce stuffing Taylor's first takedown and landing some punches. Dolce eventually is reversed, and gives up his back. Dolce fought the choke, got a reversal, but the round was controled by Taylor. In the second Dolce landed another punch on his feet, but was taken down again. This time Taylor was able to land cleaner punches while on the ground, softening up Dolce for the choke. For his win and the stoppage, Taylor won 5K from Burger King, and 5K from the UFC. (How much he makes for just appearing on the show is a mystery)

*Jesse Taylor had a nice victory celebration, throwing up in a bucket.

Team Forrest has control to pick the next fight with the win- 1-0.

Rampage Jackson v. Forrest Griffin

Light heavyweight champ Rampage Jackson (29-6, 3-0 UFC) and TUF 1 star Forrest Griffin (15-4, 6-2 UFC) will apparently serve as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter season 7. The show debuts April 2nd immediately following Ultimate Fight Night 13. As UFN 13 will run 3 hours, there will be 4 hours of UFC action. After the show wraps, they will probably fight for the light heavyweight title at UFC 86.

There are also many changes in the show that have been planned for the seventh season. One is that there will be 32 fighters starting out. They have to win on the first day to stay in the house.



Standouts include: 2-Time All American wrestler Paul Bradley (5-0), All American wrestler C.B. Dollaway (6-0)(video below, 1st Rd TKO of Hans Marrero (11-5) in HDNet Fights), Steve Byrnes (6-1, 1 loss in UFC), Luke Zachrich (7-1), IFL vet Gerald Harris (6-2), Bodog Fight vet Timothy Credeur (9-2)(two losses to MMA vets Chael Sonnen and Joey Villensensor), Jesse Taylor (6-2)(two losses to quality fighters, victory over Jorge Ortiz (13-4)), Mike Marrello (6-1-1)(only loss to an undefeated fighter), IFL vet Dante Rivera (10-2), and IFL vet Mike Dolce (3-4).