Fights to Make After UFC 135 and UFN 25

UFC 135 and UFN 25 were two solid events that shook up the landscape of the UFC. Most notable was another excellent performance by Jon Jones at UFC 135 and Jake Ellenberger's nasty KO of Jake Shields at UFN 25.

Here is a mock look-in at some potential bouts down the line:

Jon Jones against Rashad Evans- Jones is coming off a dominant performance against Rampage Jackson, utilizing his range, landing low kicks at will, and ending the fight with a 4th round rear naked choke.  Rashad has been chomping at the bit for a title shot, last fighting Tito Ortiz at UFC 133 and winning via TKO.

Jake Ellenberger against winner of Condit v. GSP- Ellenberger has been on fire since his insanely close loss to Carlos Condit, winning 5 straight fights. His last was the pinnacle with a destructive KO against title challenger Jake Shields.

Josh Koscheck against Tim Boetsch- Koscheck was able to stop Matt Hughes via TKO at UFC 135 as time was expiring. With hints at moving to 185, and the UFC not eager to see GSP v. Koscheck III, it is time for him to make the jump. Boetsch notched another big time peformance at UFC 135, crushing Nick Ring, before that he stopped Kendall Grove.

Travis Browne against the winner of Kongo v. Mitrione- Browne now stands at 12-0-1, taking a unanimous decision against Rob Broughton at UFC 135. With the draw coming against Cheick Kongo, a rematch would make sense should he win against Mitrione. Mitrione has confused many with his striking and athletic ability. Mitrione v. Kongo happens at UFC 137.

Nate Diaz against the winner of Mac Danzig v. Matt Wiman- Diaz is coming off a pinpoint performance against Takanori Gomi. Looking to make another run at 155, after alternating wins and losses at 170, the next logical step would be a fight against the winner of these two TUF vets.

Erik Koch against loser of Jose Aldo v. Kenny Florian- Koch was dominant in his decision win against TUF winner Jonathan Brookins extending his win streak to 4, defending takedowns and punishing his opponent. With Chad Mendes owning the title shot, Koch needs a high profile bout to push him into conention at 145.

UFC 124 - Montreal Madness

UFC 124 will take place on December 11, 2010 featuring a main card bout between UFC 170 pound champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Josh Koscheck. St. Pierre will have the hometown advantage as the event will take place in Montreal, Canada.

Back at UFC 74, St. Pierre (20-2) won a unanimous decision over Koscheck following his upset loss to Matt Serra. St. Pierre used a steady diet of takedowns and ground and pound to win every round. That win catapaulted St. Pierre to his current seven fight win streak. That streak has featured wins against Dan Hardy, Jon Fitch, BJ Penn and Thiago Alves.

(St. Pierre punching Matt Hughes)

Josh Koscheck (15-4) burst onto the MMA scene through the TUF 1 reality series, where he again played the villian, eventually losing to Diego Sanchez. The NCAA wrestling champion is currently riding a three fight win streak, with wins over Paul Daley, Anthony Johnson and Frank Trigg.

(Josh Koscheck pictured)

I expect St. Pierre to stand and trade with Koscheck before looking for the takedown. From the first match-up, Koscheck is definitely aware of St. Pierre's wrestling prowess and no doubt has been concentrating on his takedowns and takedown defense. I wouldn't be surprised to see this fight boil down to a kickboxing match.

In the co-main event, two massive fighters will look to take a step closer to relevence in the heavyweight division. The 6'11" Stefan Struve (20-4) will look to build on his 2nd round comeback KO over Christian Morecraft at UFC 117. The tall Dutch fighter has a decent stand-up game, and long limbs that have helped him secure 14 submission wins.

(Struve's UFC Topps Card)

Sean McCorkle (10-0) has used his internet persona to start a trash talking campaign against Struve. This hype largely has parlayed him into his current fight. The 6'7" fighter has fought mainly in the midwest, sometimes against 300+ pounders in the super heavyweight division. His only UFC appearance resulted in a straight armbar submission of Pride vet Mark Hunt.

MAIN CARD

Georges St-Pierre v Josh Koscheck
Sean McCorkle v Stefan Struve
Jim Miller v Charles Oliveira
Mac Danzig v Joe Stevenson
Thiago Alves v John Howard

PRELIM CARD

Mark Bocek v Dustin Hazelett
Jesse Bongfeldt v Rafael Natal
Sean Pierson v Matthew Riddle
Joe Doerksen v Dan Miller
Ricardo Almeida v T.J. Grant
Pat Audinwood v John Makdessi

TUF 11 - Bruce Lee-Roy

The second episode of the 11th season of The Ultimate Fighter featured team selections and the first fight in the second round. The lightweights only season coached by Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck can be seen on Spike TV Wednesdays at 10/9 Cent.

GSP and his team seem to have plenty of tricks up their sleeve, as GSP makes a fake list of picks with Koscheck's former wrestler Marc Stevens at the top. Letting Dana White know that it is strategy, Koscheck forgoes his #1 pick Michael Johnson and takes Stevens. Here is the rest of the draft:

Team Koscheck (Yellow)

1. Marc Stevens (12-5) 4 fight W streak, big KO in opening round
3. Sevak Magakian (8-3) 7 first round sub wins
5. Sako Chivitchian (5-0) Armenian judo fighter
7. Andy Main (4-1) East Coast fighter
9. Nam Phan (15-7) Strikeforce and Sengoku vet
11. Aaron Wilkinson (6-3) UK fighter w/4 sub wins
13. Jeff Lentz (6-1) East Coast fighter w/3 TKO's

Team GSP (Red)

2. Michael Johnson (9-4) Gracie Barra fighter
4. Jonathan Brookins (11-3) WEC veteran, excellent grappler
6. Spencer Paige (5-2) stand-up fighter w/2 head kick KO wins
8. Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres (4-2) flashy fighter from Florida
10. Kyle Watson (12-6) sub specialist out of Hit Squad
12. Cody McKenzie (11-0) 11 submission wins
14. Dane Sayers (7-1) North Dakota fighter

I was a little surprised that Cody McKenzie was not chosen until the 12th pick. McKenzie (11-0) has 11 submission wins on his resume and choked out Amir Killah unconscious in his first round bout.

Writing on his blog, Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres explained that many of the other fighters did not want the first fight due to injuries, he stepped up and asked for Jeff Lentz. Lentz was seen smoking cigerettes and drinking shots the night before the team draft. Arrogantly, Lentz stated that he would never tap to a choke, and rather would go to sleep.

The first round of their match-up saw Jeff Lentz control the first round as he threw some decent high kicks and then pinned Caceres against the fence. With time running out in the round, Lentz nailed a nice hip toss to seal the round.

In the second, Lentz again got Leeroy against the fence, but when he went for another throw, Leeroy was ready. He snuck behind Lentz, but Lentz was able to reverse. From there Leeroy worked for a triangle, controlling an arm and sneaking his legs over. As Lentz went to slam out, Leeroy made the choke tighter, eventually coaxing a tapout.

(Bruce Lee Pictured With Double Numchucks)

TEAM GSP - 1 TEAM KOSCHECK - 0

Advancing to 3rd round- Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres

TUF 12 Coaches and Contestants

On September 15, 2010, the 12th season of TUF will kick off pitting coaches Georges St. Pierre against TUF 1 veteran Josh Koscheck. The lid has been tight on rumors surrounding the show, as barely any names have been leaked.

(GSP punching BJ Penn)

The assistant coach names have all been leaked and are fairly predicatable. St. Pierre has tabbed his striking coach Phil Nurse, John Danaher, Jean-Charles Skarbowsky and Shawn Williams. Koscheck has an AKA heavy presence with Dave Camarillo, Bob Cook, Daniel Cormier and Javier Mendez.

(Josh Koscheck Pictured)

The show will feature 28 lightweight fighters that will be whittled down to 14 making the house. They will again feature the "wildcard" bout in the second round. In TUF 11, Kris McCray won the wildcard bout over Kasey Uscola and made his way to the finals.

TUF 12 Fighters Revealed

UltimateFighter.com

See More: TUF 12

Here is a of contestants:

Cody McKenzie (11-0)- Team Fancy Pants member has 9 straight guillotine wins fighting in the Pacific Northwest.

Mike Richman (7-0)- The former Marine has 5 submissions and 2 TKO's while fighting in Minnesota mostly at 145.

Joseph Duffy (7-0)- The Irish uber prospect started as a kickboxer and has since relied on his BJJ skills to rattle off 6 submission wins. Biggest win over Norman Parke who is currently 11-2.

Sako Chivitchyan (5-0)- California based Armenian fighter has 3 submission wins.

Pablo Garza (6-0)- This North Dakota based fighter is also listed at 7-0, with 5 submission wins.

Jason Brenton (3-0)- Colorado based fighter also listed at 6-0.

Nam Phan (15-7)- The popular California based fighter is a Strikeforce and Sengoku veteran, with TKO wins over Saad Awad, Hideki Kadowaki and Shad Smith.

Johnathan Brookins (11-3)- Bellator and WEC veteran has wins over Luis Palomino, Stephen Ledbetter, Yves Jabouin and TUF 5's Allen Berubie.

TJ O'Brien (14-3)- Iowa based fighter is tall with long limbs he uses for the triangle. TJ has 13 submission wins, 11 via the triangle.

Mike Budnik (9-4)- former pro rollerblader went 1-3 in the WEC beating Greg McIntyre.

Dane Sayers (7-1)- North Dakota based fighter has 6 first round wins.

Marc Stevens (12-5)- Ring of Combat veteran is currently on a 4 fight win streak, has fought in 185, 170 and 155 divisions.

Jeff Lentz (5-1)- New Jersey based lightweight has 3 TKO's and 1 sub on his resume.

Steve Magdaleno (6-2)- Pancrase veteran trains at the VMAT gym with Vladimir Matyushenko. Also listed at 5-1.

Sevak Magakian (8-3)- The tall judo fighter has 7 submission wins in the 1st round.

Toby Grear (7-4)- California based fighter has a victory over IFL/Affliction veteran Brett Cooper.

Kyle Watson (12-6)- Watson trains out of Matt Hughes' Hit Gym, he currently has a 4 fight win streak, 10 of his wins have come via submission.

JJ Ambrose (13-2)- AKA product has fought for Affliction.

Aaron Wilkinson (6-3)- Fighter from the UK has 4 sub wins.

Alex "Bruce Leeroy" Caceres (4-2)- Florida based fighter is a KOTC and G-Force vet with 2 TKO's and 2 Subs in his 4 wins.

Andy Main (4-1)- New Jersey based fighter trains with Dan and Jim Miller.

Spencer Paige (5-2)- East Coast fighter hasn't fought since 2007, has 2 head kick wins on his resume.

Daniel Head (6-2)- Indiana BJJ fighter has 6 first round finishes.

Mike Johnson (9-4)- Missouri based Gracie Barra fighter. Record could be 9-10.

Amir Khillah (6-4)- Jeremy Horn trained fighter has 4 submission wins.

Paul Barrow (3-1)- Florida based fighter out of Gracie Tampa.

Ariel Sexton (6-2)- Canadian figher has never gone to decision, fought mainly in Costa Rica.

Ran Weathers (13-7)- Weathers trains out of Team Jackson in New Mexico.

Sneak Peek: TUF 1201

UltimateFighter.com

See More:  TUF 12 • Georges St Pierre • Josh Koscheck • Dana White

*Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett was originally rumored, but definitely isn't in the cast having fought in June and July. Eric Wisely is also not in the cast having fought in July. Paul Sass (10-0) and Pat Audinwood (9-0) were initially rumored, but were given outright contracts to the UFC.

UFC 113 - Sho-Nuff

The 205 pound championship changed again this weekend in Vancouver, Canada at UFC 113 as Shogun Rua destroyed Lyoto Machida in the very first round. In other action Paul Daley punched his ticket out of the UFC with an ugly sucker punch, and the Kimbo Slice era has probably come to a close.

Koscheck meanwhile has finally earned his title shot against Georges St. Pierre with his 13th official win in the UFC. GSP and Koscheck will coach the 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter to promote the title fight.

Shogun Rua joins the list of revolving champions in the 205 pound division. After shaking off Machida takedowns, Rua unleashed a fury of ground and pound to take the title. Since Chuck Liddell defended four straight times, the title has bounced to Rampage Jackson, Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, Lyoto Machida then Shogun Rua.

(Shogun Rua Pictured)

MAIN CARD

Shogun Rua def Lyoto Machida via KO (strikes) R1, 3:35
Josh Koscheck def Paul Daley via unanimous dec
Jeremy Stephens def Sam Stout via split dec
Matt Mitrione def Kimbo Slice via TKO (strikes) R2, 4:24
Alan Belcher def Patrick Cote via submission (RNC) R2, 3:25

UNDER CARD

Joe Doerksen def Tom Lawlor via submission (RNC) R2, 2:10
Marcus Davis def Jonathan Goulet via TKO (punches) R2, 1:23
Johny Hendricks def T.J. Grant via majority dec
Joey Beltran def Tim Hague via unanimous dec
Mike Guymon def Yoshiyuki Yoshida via unanimous dec
John Salter def Jason MacDonald via TKO (injury) R1, 2:42

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

UFC 103 Review

UFC 103's preliminary card might have been loaded with slow decisions, but the Spike TV teaser matches and the PPV card was loaded with fireworks. Vitor Belfort, Junior Dos Santos and Josh Koscheck all pushed their way up the UFC contender ranks.

Vitor Belfort def Rich Franklin via TKO (strikes) R1, 3:02- Vitor Belfort looked fast and precise as he picked apart Rich Franklin for the TKO victory. Belfort landed what looked to be a glancing blow, but threw punch after punch as Franklin hit the canvas. With Franklin turtled up, the ref had to call the fight.

With the victory, Vitor Belfort has pushed his name directly to the top of the challengers to Anderson Silva. An ecstatic Belfort thanked Jesus before saying he missed the "UFC vibe" and that he would fight anyone Dana White and Joe Silva put in front of him.
*MMA Blaster readers choose Franklin incorrectly 20-25

(Vitor Belfort pictured)

Junior Dos Santos def Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic via sub (verbal) R3, 2:00- Dos Santos pushed his name up the heavyweight ladder as he picked up a huge win against MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop. In the beginning of the fight, Dos Santos did his best work in the clinch utilizing his dirty boxing. After a big knee and a couple punches found their mark Cro Cop had no choice but to verbally submit.

Paul Daley def Martin Kampmann via TKO (punches) R1, 2:31- Daley rocked Kampmann early and often, blasting him with devastating hooks. After taking a nasty combination that had Kampmann stunned the ref called the fight. While Kampmann was still standing, the stoppage was justified as he couldn't defend himself.

Josh Koscheck def Frank Trigg via TKO (punches) R1, 1:25- Koscheck worked through Frank Trigg with ease in this fight, pushing him back in contention at 170 pounds. A big right handed landed flush, knocking Trigg to the canvas. Once he was there, Koscheck threw punches until the ref jumped in to save Trigg.

Tyson Griffin def Hermes Franca via KO (punches) R2, 3:26- Tyson Griffin looked like the stronger fighter, utilizing his strength and boxing to win this fight. In the second, a ruthless display of ground and pound by Tyson Griffin ended Franca's night.

(Tyson Griffin pictured)

Efrain Escudero def Cole Miller via TKO (punches) R1, 3:36- After a feeling out process for the first two minutes, TUF 8 LW champ Efrain Escudero landed a big 1-2 punch combination sending Miller to the mat. Escudero put together more punches before the ref saved Miller from more punishment.

Tomasz Drwal def Drew McFedries via submission (RNC) R2, 1:03- In the first, both fighters were content throwing punches on standing. Near the end of the round, Drwal laid down some serious punishment on McFedries before attempting a submission. With McFedries looking a little dazed to start the second, Drwal landed a big left hand and followed McFedries to the ground before he got his back and locked in the fight ending rear naked choke.

Jim Miller def Steve Lopez via TKO (injury) R2, 0:48
Nick Lentz def Rafaello Oliveira via unanimous dec
Eliot Marshall def Jason Brilz via split dec
Vladimir Matyushenko def Igor Pokrajac via unanimous dec
Rafael Dos Anjos def Rob Emerson via unanimous dec
Rick Story def Brian Foster via submission (arm-triangle) R2, 1:09
*Story wins Submission of the Night bonus. Each fighter wins Fight of the Night bonus.

UFC 95 Preview

UFC 95 will be taking place this Saturday in London, England. Lucky for us fans, the event will be shown live on Spike TV. All fighters made weight and will be ready to go tomorrow.

Diego Sanchez vs. Joe Stevenson- The main event pits two TUF champs against eachother in a 155 pound bout. This will be Diego's first match at 155 pounds. I expect Diego to try to keep the fight standing, attempting to utilize his reach advantage. Stevenson will likely try to take the fight to the ground looking for ground and pound.

Sanchez (19-2) has been on a roll beating Luigi Fioravanti and David Bielkheden in his last two bouts. Previous to those bouts, Diego lost two decisions to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, while battling a staff infection that took a chunk out of his leg. Diego has big wins against Kenny Florian, Jorge Santiago, Joe Riggs, Nick Diaz and Karo Parisyan.

(Diego Sanchez pictured)

Joe Stevenson (29-9) enters this bout needing a win to stay relevant as a contender in the 155 pound division. In his last three bouts he has lost to #1 contender Kenny Florian, beat Gleison Tibau, and lost a title fight with BJ Penn. Stevenson has been fighting since he was 17 and has big wins over Melvin Guillard, Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Luke Cummo and Kurt Pellegrino.

(Joe Stevenson pictured)

Dan Hardy vs. Rory Markham- This fight pits hometown English fighter Dan Hardy (20-6) against hard hitting Midwestern brawler Rory Markham (16-4). In Markham's debut, he destroyed Brodie Farbar with the nastiest head kick of 2008. He will be looking to brawl and get the KO of the night. In his 16 wins, he has 11 KO/TKO's and 5 submissions. Markum's big wins have come over Brad Blackburn, Pat Healy and Mike Pyle.

(Rory Markham gif)

Dan Hardy is a solid fighter with technically sound stand-up. At 6 feet tall, he usually has a reach advantage when he fights. Hardy won a razor thin split decision over Akihiro Gono in his UFC debut. Hardy's big wins have come over Hidetaka Monma, Chad Reiner and Daniel Weichel.

Dan Hardy pictured

Wilson Gouveia vs. Nate Marquardt- A win by each of these 185 pound vets would put them that much closer to a potential title shot. Marquardt (27-8-2) is a former King of Pancrase who has gone 6-2 in the UFC. In his last fight he overwelmed Martin Kampmann in a first round TKO. Marquardt has victories over Jeremy Horn, Dean Lister, Joe Doerksen, Kazou Misaki and Yves Edwards. Look for Marquardt to take Gouveia to the mat.

(Nate Marquardt pictured)

Wilson Gouveia (12-5) started at 205 pounds in the UFC before moving down to the 185 pound division. The American Top Team fighter mainly can strike and has a BJJ blackbelt. Gouveia has 7 submission and 4 (T)KO wins with victories over Jason MacDonald, Jason Lambert, Jon Fitch and Seth Petruzelli in his career.

Demian Maia vs. Chael Sonnen- This bout would seem to be a grappling war. BJJ blackbelt Demian Maia has made everyone he's fought in the UFC look out of his league. Chael Sonnen is a superb wresler who will probably stand and trade with Maia, using his wrestling to keep the fight standing.

Demian Maia (9-0) has dazzled submitting each of his four UFC opponents. He has wins over Nate Quarry, Jason MacDonald, Ed Herman and Ryan Jensen in the UFC, securing submission of the night honors three times. Maia also won the 2007 ADCC submission grappling 83 KG division.

Chael Sonnen (21-9) has gone 7-1 in his last eight fights beating Paulo Filho in an odd bout in the WEC. Since the 185 pound division dissolved, Chael made the jump to the UFC, his second stint in the promotion. Chael's career has seen him defeat Tim Credeur, Amar Suloev, Trevor Prangley and Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

Josh Koscheck vs. Paulo Thiago- TUF 1 alumnus Josh Koscheck (12-3) is coming off a highlight reel KO victory over Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Josh is a highly decorated wrestler who has devoted himself to learning the striking game. Koscheck has victories over Diego Sanchez, Dustin Hazelett and Dave Menne in the UFC.

Paul Thiago (10-0) is a relevative unknown in this fight. He has fouht primarily in the Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight. This will be his first fight in the United States. He has 7 submission victories with a win over Luis Dutra Jr.(7-2) and Ferrid Kheder (10-4).

UNDERCARD

Junior dos Santos vs. Stefan Struve
Brian Cobb vs. Terry Etim
Paul Kelly vs. Troy Mandaloniz
Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Neil Grove
Evan Dunham vs. Per Eklund

UFC: Fight For Troops Results

The Fight For the Troops card ended out to be one of the best shows in recent memory. It also was one of the most brutal, as the injury list for this card will end up being long and plentiful. The fights themselves were exciting. There was an abundance of star power giving support to the Intrepid Fallen Hero's fund. Some were Jack Black, Charlie Sheen, Lauren Prepon and Everlast.

Josh Koscheck def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via KO (punch) R1, 2:15- Koscheck and Yoshida briefly circled before Koscheck threw a massive right hand. The punch connected and Yoshida was knocked out standing. Koscheck followed up the punch and Yoshida collapsed violently to the canvas before the ref stopped it. The brutal KO won the knockout of the night award.

Mike Swick def. Jonathan Goulet via TKO (strikes) R1, 0:33- This fight didn't last long as Swick threw a quick combination that landed. While stunned, Goulet went for a single leg. Unfortunately for Goulet, Swick unleased a fury of punches before Goulet was out cold and the ref jumped in.

Steve Cantwell def. Razak Al-Hassan via technical sub (armbar) R1, 4:04- Razak Al-Hassan pressed the action from the start of the bout, throwing body kicks and punches. Al-Hassan was dropping his hands after the strikes however, and Cantwell answered with a high kick which dropped Al-Hassan. After some time on the ground, Cantwell secured an arm-bar. Al-Hassan didn't tap and tried to roll out of it. Unfortunately, it was too deep and Cantwell wrenched it until the ref stepped in. The arm was likely broke and a tendon damaged. I'll try to update you on his condition.

Tim Credeur def. Nate Loughran via TKO (injury) R2, 5:00- Tim Credeur dominated the stand-up in route to winning his second straight fight inside the UFC. Credeur has an awkward stance that makes it difficult for opponents to time. Credeur also looked good when the fight hit the mat. In the second, Credeur struck Loughran in the ribs a couple times with kicks and a punch, and it appeared that was the reason he couldn't continue.

Jim Miller def. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision- This was the first fight broadcast of the night and lived up to the fight of the night honors that it received. Miller hit Wiman with punches, kicks, body kicks, body punches, a tight guillotine choke, and an upkick, but Wiman didn't go down. The fight ended with Miller trying to sink another submission. Miller took the fight on short notice and fought with some serious fire.

Ben Saunders def. Brandon Wolff via TKO (strikes) R1, 1:49- Saunders put on his best Anderson Silva impersonation to work over Brandon Wolff. He threw knee after knee after knee before crumpling Brandon Wolff. He left with a massive lump on his head after the fight. I haven't seen a hematoma like that in some time.

Dale Hartt def. Corey Hill via TKO (leg injury) R2, 0:20- Corey Hill was winning the first round of this fight before coming out in the second and throwing a low kick. The kick was checked in the shin by Dale Hart and Hill's tibia snapped. It was one of the most gruesome injuries you will see. It looked like Jose Landi-Jons from TKO 32.

Steve Bruno def. Johnny Rees via sub (rear-naked choke) R2, 3:44
Luigi Fioravanti def. Brodie Farber via unanimous decision
Justin McCully def. Eddie Sanchez via unanimous decision

UFC: Fights For Troops

This Wednesday, Spike TV will host UFC: Fights for the Troops from Fayetteville, N.C. in conjunction with Fort Bragg. They will be raising money and promoting the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Koscheck v. Yoshida is the headlining bout. Koscheck is fresh off a loss to Thiago Alves at UFC 90. Yoshida was supposed to face Karo Parisyan a couple months ago, but Karo was injured. Yoshida's last fight was an awesome 56 second anaconda choke that put War Machine unconscious.

The card also features a bout between Johnathan Goulet v. Mike Swick. Swick is coming off surgery to clear bone fragments from his elbow. Swick last defeated Marcus Davis via unanimous decision. Goulet has won two straight in the UFC over Kuniyoshi Hironoka and Paul Georgieff.

*All fighters made weight except Brodie Farber and Luigi Fioravanti. Farber and Fioravanti are meeting at a catchweight of 174 pounds.

MAIN CARD

Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Jonathan Goulet vs. Mike Swick
Razak Al-Hussan vs. Steve Cantwell
Tim Credeur vs. Nate Loughran
Jim Miller vs. Matt Wiman

UNDERCARD

Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully
Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees
Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff
Dale Hartt vs. Corey Hill
Brodie Farber vs. Luigi Fioravanti


(Josh Koscheck pictured)

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)

UFC 90 Preview

I will be at UFC 90 this weekend in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Just a short trip on the blue-line will send me to the Allstate Arena in Rosemont to see one of the best mixed martial artists of all-time, Anderson Silva. Needless to say, I am ecstatic.

MAIN CARD

Anderson Silva (22-4, 7-0 UFC) vs. Patrick Cote (13-4, 4-4 UFC)- MW Title Fight- Anderson Silva is on the most dominating run in UFC history winning the belt in his second UFC fight and defending four times, then beating James Irvin at 205. Not one fight has entered the third round. Rich Franklin's nose has been destroyed twice. Nate Marquardt was dominated, and Dan Henderson choked out. Anderson has displayed some of the finest stand-up skills ever seen in mma fighting.

Cote has a tall task ahead of him if he wants to stomp out the Spider. Cote is on an impressive run, winning five straight with four wins in the UFC. He has beaten Ricardo Almeida, Drew McFedries, Kendall Grove and Scott Smith in the UFC and Jason Day in the Canadian based TKO promotion during that time.

The fight will be a stand-up affair. Cote has a strong chin and will be able to take punches. Cote will have to look to counter and throw his punches with precision, while blocking Anderson's kicks. Silva has the superior ground game, and may use it to take out Cote if eating too many blows.


Thiago Alves (15-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (11-2)- Koscheck is replacing Diego Sanchez who had to withdraw due to injury. Alves is on a big run with 6 victories in the UFC including TKO wins over Matt Hughes, Karo Parisyan and Kuniyoshi Hironaka. Koscheck meanwhile has rattled off two wins since his loss to Georges St. Pierre. He looked excellent in his recent wins over Dustin Hazelett and Chris Lytle.

I expect Koscheck to try a takedown to ground and pound as he is a superb wrestler. Alves meanwhile is a devastating striker who will try to keep this one standing. It will be interesting to see how the fight unfolds and the winner will be positioning themselves for a potential shot at the title.

*pic of Thiago Alves

Fabricio Werdum (11-3) vs. Junior dos Santos (7-1)- Poor Fabricio Werdum. With the Lesnar/Couture and Mir/Big Nog match-ups in place, it will likely take Werdum to win this fight and another against one of the aforementioned big four to get a shot at the title. Werdum has quality wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brandon Vera since his uneventful loss to Andrei Arlovski.

Dos Santos is an unknown fighter hailing from Brazil. All his wins seem to have come in Brazil against quality local fighters. We will see what "Cigano" is made of when he faces Werdum. Werdum has wins against Aleksander Emelianenko, Roman Zentsov, Alistair Overeem and Tom Erickson on his resume.

*pic of Werdum

Tyson Griffin (12-1) vs. Sean Sherk (32-3)- Sherk is attempting to rebound from his loss for the title against BJ Penn. The previous fight happened with the dark cloud a failed appeal for a postive Sherk steroid test. Griffin has four straight decision victories in the UFC since his loss to Frankie Edgar. That includes wins over Marcus Aurelio, Thiago Tavares, and Gleison Tibau. Prior to Sherk's loss to Penn, he had won three straight times in the UFC via decision over Hermes Franca, Kenny Florian and Nick Diaz.

Sherk is going to be looking for a takedown and ground and pound. I would expect Griffin to try to keep the fight standing. We could see a lot of clinching from Sherk to wear down his oppoenent.

*pic of Sean Sherk

Rich Clementi (32-12) vs. Gray Maynard (5-0)- Clementi is riding a six fight win streak, with four straight in the UFC over Sam Stout, Anthony Johnson, Melvin Guillard and Terry Etim. Maynard meanwhile has three straight victories in the UFC over Joe Veres, Dennis Siver and Frank Edgard. Expect Maynard to look for the takedown and Clementi to keep the fight standing.

UNDERCARD

Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries
Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
Matt Horwich vs. Dan Miller
Marcus Aurelio vs. Hermes Franca
Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell

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