TUF 14 Rumors and Preview

The Ultimate Fighter 14 debuts tonight, September 21, 2011, with head coaches Jason "Mayhem" Miller opposite Michael Bisping. The show will be the first to feature the lighter weights, with tournaments for the 135 and 145 pound divisions.

(Michael Bisping pictured)

After multiple complaints, the show will again feature an elimination round to get into the house. As such, there will be 32 fighters starting out, with 16 in each bracket. In addition, there will not be a wild card fight. With injuries a constant in the show, that also is a good move.

(Jason "Mayhem" Miller pictured)

Listed below are the contestants which have been confirmed on numerous MMA websites and seen in the teaser videos.

The obvious front-runners in the 145 division are Micah Miller and Eric Marriot, each of whom have big show experience with solid overall skills. Hopefully Dana White doesn't match them up in the opening match-ups. The featherweight division has some interesting prospects as well, including KOTC's 135 pound champ Jimmie Rivera, undefeated fighter Stephen Bass, Jesse Newell and Team Alpha Male's Bryan Caraway.

The 135 division seems more open, with experienced John Dodson likely being the favorite, though he normally fights at 125. TJ Dillashaw is an interesting fighter, having wrestled for Cal Sate and training under at Team Alpha Male. Brandon Merkt is an undefeated fighter at 11-0, but really has faced only sub-par competition.

There always seems to be a well traveled veteran that rises to the occasion and notches some wins on the show. With it being the 135 division, several bantamweight fighters have usually fought up one or two weightclasses to get experience. We'll see how 24+ fight vets Matt Jaggers, Paul McVeigh and Johnny Bedford do in the tournament.

135 - Bantamweight

John "The Magician" Dodson (11-5)- Team Jackson trained fighter who normally fights at 125, only losses due to decision. Last fights were victories over John Moraga (7-1) and Jessie Riggleman (10-2). Record also listed at 14-5.

T.J. Dillashaw (4-0)- Based out of Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw was a collegiate wrestler at Cal State Fullerton. Was victorious over then undefeated Taylor McCorriston (5-1) in his last bout via TKO.

Paul McVeigh (18-6)- A BJJ brown belt, owned the Cage Warriors belt in the UK. Enters the tournament on 3 straight wins, his last over Andreas Bernhard (7-2).

Brandon Merkt (11-0)- Fighting out of Wisconsin, Merkt has steamrolled regional competition. Best win over Billy Jochum (10-5).

Matt "Jagger Bomb" Jaggers (20-7)- An Indiana fighter who has fought for Sengoku, Bellator and ShoXC, Jaggers has 17 finishes on his resume. He defeated Orville Smith (11-3) in ShoXC and Peter Dominguez (2-2) in Bellator.

Carson "Little Juggernaut" Beebe (6-1)- Younger brother of former WEC champ Chase Beebe. Training out of the Midwest Training Center, has four stoppage wins out of 6.

Dustin Pague (9-4)- The current Ring of Combat 135 pound champ, Pague has 5 straight wins. Pague, who has delivered all nine of his wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

Louis Gaudinot (5-1)- This New York based fighter from Team Tiger Schulmann has fought exclusively in the Ring of Combat organization. Defeated Jesse Riggleman (10-2) in last bout via guillotine.

Johnny Bedford (17-9, also seen 22-9)- A five year fight veteran, Bedford won via rear naked choke over WEC vet Frank Gomez (10-4) in his last bout. All-American wrestler has won belts for the Superior Warrior Championship and Elite Combat League.

Bruce "BJ" Ferguson (6-2)- Won his only big fight against TJ Barber at Bellator 30. Has a KO win over Jeremy Pender (7-2).

Orville "Pooh Bear" Smith (12-3)- Once held the Legends of Fighting 135 pound belt. Fought in ShoXC. Holds a split decision win over castmate Josh Ferguson.

Roland Delorme (6-1)- Fighting out of Winnepeg, Canada, Delorme was 6-0 with 4 subs and 2 TKO's before a split decision loss to Eric Wilson (5-1) in his last fight.

Josh "Taz" Ferguson (7-3)- Younger brother of BJ Ferguson, all seven wins have come via submission. He has not fought since a split decision loss to Jessie Riggleman on 10/3/09.

John "Prince" Albert (6-1)- Was 6-0 with 3 subs and 3 TKO's before last bout, where he lost to Roy Bradshaw via guillotine choke. Fights out of Washington's Victory Athletics.

Casey Dyer (6-1)- A ridiculously tall 6'1" and 135, Dyer has never gone the distance in his MMA career with 3 KO's and 3 Sub wins. Lost his last fight via triangle to Jeremy Pender.

Tateki Matsuda (6-3)- Fighting out of Boston, Matsuda lost to Saul Almeida in his last bout at Bellator 48.

145 - Featherweight

Micah Miller (17-4)- Younger brother of UFC's Cole Miller, Micah last fought at Tachi Palace 7, defeating Isaac DeJesus (9-3) with a neck crank. Has career wins over Diego Saraiva (21-15), Bruce Connors (8-3), Anthony Morrison (16-10) and Jesse Moreng (9-1).

Eric Marriot (20-5)- A Bellator and M-1 veteran, Marriot is a well traveled Midwest fighter. Holds 2 wins and 1 loss against Ryan Roberts (16-9), submission win over Demi Deeds (15-10) and a decision win over Chris Mickle (28-15).

Jimmie "El Terror" Rivera (8-1)- Reigning KOTC 135 pound champ after a 5 round split decision victory over Abel Cullum (18-5). Defended the belt with a decision over Jared Papazian (13-6). Possible that he is in the 135 pound bracket, but everything I've seen has him at 145.

Bryan "Kid Lightning" Caraway (15-5)- A Team Alpha Male fighter based in California, Caraway has fought in the WEC, Strikeforce and Elite XC. Caraway defeated Marlin Weikel (7-2) in his last fight, and has Strikeforce wins over Alex Zuniga and Alvin Cacdac.

Jesse Newell (6-1)- A BJJ purple belt under BJJ master Fabio Leopoldo, and kickboxing instuctor at Gracie Ventura. Newell is the only fighter to beat Diego Grijo (7-1). Only loss to Brandon Bender (8-0). 3 TKO's and 3 submission wins in his career.

Stephen "Bigfish" Bass (10-0)- Fighting out of Champions Training Center in Georgia, Bass is undefeated with 5 submission wins. Has wins over Bellator vet Bryan Goldsby (13-13) and ShoXC vet JC Pennington (21-12).

Hamid "Akira" Corassani (9-3)- Fighting out of Sweden, Corassani has done well on the European MMA circuit with career wins over Graham Turner (17-6), Ivan Buchinger (16-3), and Peter Mettler (7-2).

Marcus Brimage (3-1, incomplete)- This will be the second reality show for Brimage, who was on the worst MMA reality show of all-time, BET's "Iron Ring," where he made the finals. Fighting out of Alabama, Marcus defeated UFC veteran Kyle Bradley (15-8) in his last bout.

Steven "Super" Siler (18-9)- Fighting out of Victory MMA, Siler has fought almost all of his bouts on the Utah circuit. He has defeated well traveled veterans Enoch Wilson (16-7), Nick Mamalis (17-7) and Olly Bradstreet (35-11) once, after dropping three to him.

Josh Clopton (4-0-1)- Training out of San Francisco with Gilbert Melendez, Clopton last fought in November of 2009, taking a split decision over Mike Baskis (3-3).

Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez (7-2)- Began career 7-0, before being subbed in his last two fights. Has a win over UFC veteran Shannon Gugerty.

Diego "Ceara" Brandao (13-7)- Tough 6 year fight veteran currently of Team Jackson MMA and riding a 3 fight win streak, he has compiled 8 KO's and 3 submissions in his career. Originally from Brazil, Diego's big wins have come over Fabiano Silva (16-4), UFC veteran Brian Foster (15-5) and James King (15-10).

Brian Pearman (7-1)- Fighting out of Missouri while training mainly with TUF 12 runner-up Michael Johnson, Pearman notched his biggest win in his last fight with a decision over then undefeated Mike Richman (9-1).

Karsten Lenjoint (7-1)- Fighting out of Wolfslair gym in the UK, Lenjoint's only loss came to TUF 9's Jeff Lawson (14-5). 4 TKO's and 3 subs on his record, with last win a TKO over Dean Reilly (5-2).

Bryson Hansen (5-1)- Fighting out of Hawaii, Hansen has 3 TKO's on his resume. Last bout was a submission loss to Russell Doane (5-0).

Dustin Neace (22-16)- Indiana based fighter has fought exclusively in the Midwest, compiling 18 submissions wins and 4 TKO's. Wins over Corey Mahon (9-4) and Johnny Bedford (17-9) highlight his resume.

UFC 120 Preview

UFC 120 - Bisping v. Akiyama will take place in The O2 Arena in London, England this Saturday, October 16th. The card could be called Europe v. World, as it has a distinctly international flavor. The fights will be shown in the states for free on Spike TV via tape delay.

The main event features a middle weight match-up between judoka Yoshihiro Akiyama and TUF 3 champ Michael Bisping. Conventional wisdom would tell you that Akiyama will look to get the fight to the floor early and often, while Bisping goes for a big time KO.

(Michael Bisping throwing a kick on Josh Haynes)

In other action, John Hathaway (14-0) is riding a four fight win streak in the UFC, including his latest, a dominant performance against Diego Sanchez. Submission specialist Mike Pyle (19-7) is standing in his way. Pyle has gone 2-2 in the UFC alternating wins and losses. Pyle has 17 submission wins on his resume, including wins over Dan Hornbuckle, Jon Fitch and Chris Wilson.

(Mike Pyle weighing in for Affliction)

MAIN CARD

Yoshihiro Akiyama v. Michael Bisping
Carlos Condit v. Dan Hardy
John Hathaway v. Mike Pyle
Travis Browne v. Cheick Kongo
Claude Patrick v. James Wilks

PRELIMINARY CARD

Cyrille Diabate v. Alexander Gustafsson
Rob Broughton v. Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz
Steve Cantwell v. Stanislav Nedkov
Mark Holst v. Paul Sass
Spencer Fisher v. Kurt Warburton
Fabio Maldonado v. James McSweeney

UFC 114 - Russow's Rampage

Once again, elevated levels of trash talk have translated in to a generally cautious fight. The main event of UFC 114 pitting Rashad Evans against Rampage Jackson translated into a rather pedestrian affair, with Rashad scoring takedowns and a couple decent shots standing.

Eventually, Rampage was able to effectively counter punch in the third round, landing a big punch to send Rashad to the ground. After a brief ground and pound assault by Rampage, Rashad was able to counter, ending up with a takedown of his own and ground and pound. In the end all three judges gave the match to Rashad. Rashad will now meet Shogun Rua for a shot at the title.

A co-main event of Michael Bisping and Dan Miller played out like a technical kickboxing match, with Miller failing to get a takedown until the third round. Bisping proved the better kickboxer, getting the better of all the exchanges. Look for Bisping to fight Nate Quarry or Tim Credeur next.

Mike Russow notched one of the most epic come from behind victories in UFC history in his defeat of the younger and much more chiseled Todd Duffee. While both fighters weighed in at 253, Duffee was far more lean, pushing the pace throughout the fight.

Duffee landed shots at will on Russow sending him to one knee after landing an uppercut in the first round. Russow stayed moving, attempting takedowns that were stuffed by Duffee every time. Midway through the third round, Russow landed a big right hand to the temple of Duffe, then added another shot as Duffee went tumbling to the canvas. Russow is now 2-0 in the UFC, and will likely face a fighter like Cheick Kongo or Gabriel Gonzaga next.
*Russow earns KO of the Night

Full Results:

Rashad Evans def Quinton Jackson via unanimous dec
Michael Bisping def Dan Miller via unanimous dec
Mike Russow def Todd Duffee via KO(punch) R3, 2:35
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira def Jason Brilz via split dec
John Hathaway def Diego Sanchez via unanimous dec
Dong Hyun Kim def Amir Sadollah via unanimous dec
Efrain Escudero def Dan Lauzon via unanimous dec
Melvin Guillard def Waylon Lowe via KO (knee) R1, 3:28
Cyrille Diabate def Luiz Cane via TKO (punches) R1, 2:13
Aaron Riley def Joe Brammer via unanimous dec
Ryan Jensen def Jesse Forbes via sub (guillotine) R1, 1:06

UFC 114 Preview

UFC 114 is set for this Saturday, May 29th in Las Vegas, Nevada. TUF 10 coaches Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans will finally fight in one of the longest feuds in recent memory. During the trash talking at TUF 10, Rampage poked fun of Rashad's KO loss at the hands of Lyoto Machida. Meanwhile, Rashad brought up Rampage's KO losses to Wanderlei Silva and Shogun Rua.

At the conclusion of the show, Rashad Evans won the coaching war by putting two of his fighters in the finale. Roy "Big Country" Nelson eventually took the trophy by KO'ing Brendan Schaub in the very first round. Rampage's strategy of picking heavyweights based on size obviously didn't work out.

With the fight being delayed due to Ramapage filmed the movie A-Team, Rashad was in a training camp. Evans (14-1-1) fought Thiago Silva at UFC 108 emerging victorious with a unanimous decision, but nearly tasted defeat in the third round. Evans won the second season of TUF as a heavyweight, defeating Brad Imes to kickstart his career. Since, he has notched victories over Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell and then Forrest Griffin for the 205 pound UFC title.

(Rashad Evans Pictured)

Rampage Jackson (30-7) has had a legendery career first made famous by his epic slams and KO's in Pride. Rampage went high altitue with ferious power while slamming Masaaki Satake, Igor Vovchanchyn, Minowaman to create a stir. But, he really made a name for himself by KO'ing Kevin Randleman and Chuck Liddell. The power bomb on Ricardo Arona will live forever in the history of MMA. His other victories have came over Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Keith Jardine, Matt Lindland and Ninja Rua.

(Rampage slam of Arona)

In the co-main event, TUF 3 champ Michael Bisping (18-3) will look to rebound from his unanimous decision loss to Wanderlei Silva with a win over Dan Miller (11-3). Expect Bisping to look to use his striking early and often, looking for a big knockout blow. Bisping owns career victories over Denis Kang, Eric Schafer, Chris Leben and Jason Day.

(Michael Bisping Pictured)

Miller's greatest chance at victory comes in getting his European foe to the ground and securing a submission. Miller, a former IFL champ, is an accomplished BJJ player with 7 submission victories on his record. Miller's career wins have come over Matt Horwich, Jake Rosholt, Rob Kimmons and Ryan McGivern.

Rising heavyweight star Todd Duffee (6-0) will look to improve on his 7 second KO of Tim Hague against underrated heavyweight Mike Russow (12-1). Look for Duffee to try to keep the fight standing and pepper the slower Hague with power punches. Russow (12-1) will likely do whatever he can to get the fight to the ground, looking for a submission.

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3), otherwise known as Minotoro or Little Nog, seeks to build on his 6 fight win streak with a win over late replacement Jason Brilz (18-2). While Brilz is a great wrestler, he will have his hands full dealing with the boxing of Nogueira, who also possesses top notch BJJ. Look for Minotoro to be throwing some heavy leather, looking for a knockout of the night bonus.

Diego Sanchez (21-3) is returning to the 170 pound division after 2-1 stint at 155 pounds, which saw him lose a title fight to BJ Penn. Standing in his way is the undefeated British rising star John Hathaway (12-0). Look for Diego to get the fight to the ground with several takedowns and ruthless elbows and punches from the top position.

(Diego Sanchez Pictured)

SPIKE TV PRE-LIMS

Dong Hyun Kim vs. Amir Sadollah
Efrain Escudero vs. Dan Lauzon

PRELIMINARY CARD

Melvin Guillard vs. Waylon Lowe
Luiz Cane vs. Cyrille Diabate
Joe Brammer vs. Aaron Riley
Jesse Forbes vs. Ryan Jensen

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 100 Review

UFC 100 proved to be an excellent card as champions Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre dominated their respective opponents to defend their titles. Even though there have been many more than 100 events in UFC history, including Fight Nights and the ever popular UFC 37.5, this card stuck out as one of the best.

Yoshihiro Akiyama def Alan Belcher via Dec (Split)- Akiyama and Belcher slugged it out in the first televised fight of the night. Akiyama seemed to land clean punches and high kicks. Belcher worked the legs with low kicks. Akiyama closed the first by getting dazed by a Belcher punch, then getting a takedown.

In the second it was all Akiyama, as he was able to get a takedown and rain down some solid punches from top position. Belcher was able to get a few leg kicks to close the round. In the third, Belcher scored a nasty superman punch in the third pushing it off the fence. Akiyama wouldn't be deterred as he scored a very close split decision. I gave the fight to Akiyama, taking the first and second rounds.
*Akiyama and Belcher win Fight of the Night bonus.

Dan Henderson def Michael Bisping via KO (Punch) R2, 3:20- Dan Henderson completely destroyed Mike Bisping throughout the fight. In the first round, Henderson was able to stun Bisping with a punch and brutalize him with knees. In the second round, Bisping was circling into Henderson's big right hand. One big one connected, and Bisping was out cold. Henderson threw one extra punch to seal his KO of the night award.
*Henderson wins KO of the Night bonus

Georges St. Pierre def Thiago Alves via Dec (Unanimous)- Georges St. Pierre looked phenomenal in this fight that featured takedowns, ground and pound, and precision striking. In the second round, St. Pierre busted up a couple cuts while getting in shots in the mount position. GSP was also able to get the back of Alves on numerous occasions.

Every round in this fight went to St. Pierre who ran into trouble in the third round. In that round, in the only time St. Pierre went to his back, he injured his groin when Alves attempted to pass guard. In the fourth round break, GSP was heard saying that he pulled his groin. Trainer Greg Jackson said that he didn't care. GSP headed his advice and continued to beat him up to seal the unanimous decision.

(WW Champ Georges St. Pierre pictured)

Brock Lesnar def Frank Mir via TKO (Punches) R2, 1:48- Lesnar was able to get revenge in this much hyped title fight. After Mir pulled out of their proposed bout at UFC 98, then talk serious smack, Lesnar's hatred began to build. Lesnar came to the bout ready for war. Mir looked a little banged up with a completely taped knee and recently drained hematoma.

In the first round, Lesnar was more cautious and focused fighter, as he was able to get a takedown and do damage. He looked to get position on Mir pinning his arm up and throwing punches. He landed numerous shots from the ground to cause serious damage. In the second, Mir had his best chance as he briefly stunned Lesnar with a knee. However, Lesnar was just too much as he clobbered Mir with punches until Herb Dean stopped the fight. Lesnar unifies the HW belts.
*MMA Blaster readers correctly choose Lesnar 104-79.

(HW Champ Brock Lesnar pictured)

Jon Fitch def Paulo Thiago via Dec (Unanimous)- In this fight, squeezed in at the end of the show, Fitch laid a whooping on Paulo Thiago. Fitch consistently scored takedowns, got Thiago's back, and nearly won by TKO as the bell rang.

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Shannon Gugerty def Matt Grice via Sub (Guillotine) R1, 2:36
Dong Hyun Kim def T.J. Grant via Dec (Unanimous)
Jon Jones def Jake O'Brien via Sub(Guillotine) R2, 2:43
Jim Miller def Mac Danzig via Dec (Unanimous)
Mark Coleman def Stephan Bonnar via Dec (Unanimous)
Tom Lawlor def CB Dollaway via Sub (Guillotine) R1, 0:55
*Lawlor wins Submission of the Night Bonus.

UFC 100 Preview

UFC 100 has been much anticipated in the martial arts world. There have been rumors swirling around potential new UFC Hall of Fame inductees Chuck Liddell and Charles "Mask" Lewis, as well as the reveal of the official TUF 10 cast. Here is a look at the fights that are scheduled for July 11, 2009 at the Mandalay Events Center. Here is the line-up:

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir (HW Title)- Expect some fireworks in this dynamic heavyweight match-up. One of the strongest men in all of mixed martial arts, Brock Lesnar (3-1, 2-1 UFC) will try to avenge his lone pro loss against elite submission artist Frank Mir (12-3, 10-3 UFC). In the first match-up, Brock Lesnar dropped Mir with a solid right hand, then smothered him with ground and pound.

However, Mir recovered after an ill-advised ref stand-up and next tapped Lesnar out to a knee-bar. Lesnar is the 2000 NCAA Heavyweight wrestling champion and WWE Heavyweight champ. Lesnar smoked judoka Min Soo Kim in his first fight in K-1 Hero's. After the loss to Mir, he destroyed Heath Herring then Randy Couture for the title.

(Brock Lesnar pictured)

Frank Mir was first supposed to fight Brock Lesnar at UFC 98, however Mir suffered a knee injury in training. Mir is coming off his best stand-up performance of his career against Antonio Nogueira. Mir captured the UFC HW title previously in an awesome arm breaking arm bar at UFC 48. He has other victories over Wes Sims, Pete Williams and Antoni Hardonk.

(Frank Mir's winning kneebar pictured)

Georges St. Pierre vs. Thiago Alves (WW Title)- St. Pierre (18-2, 12-2 UFC) has been on a roll since the upset loss to Matt Serra at UFC 69. He turned in dominated the competition rolling off five quality wins against Josh Koscheck, Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Jon Fitch, and most recently BJ Penn. Look for GSP to get takedowns and then work ground and pound before a submission.

(Georges St. Pierre pictured)

Thiago Alves (16-3, 9-2 UFC) is a massive 170 pounder who may have a slight strength advantage against GSP. In his last fight, Alves was able to stay off the ground against Josh Koscheck, winning with his stand-up skills. Alves is a power puncher with good knees. His career victories include recent KO's with knees and punches against Karo Parisyan and Matt Hughes.

(Thiago Alves pictured)

Jon Fitch vs. Paulo Thiago
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Alan Belcher

UNDER CARD

Stephan Bonnar vs. Mark Coleman
Mac Danzig vs. Jim Miller
Jon Jones vs. Jake O'Brien
C.B. Dollaway vs. Tom Lawlor
Matt Grice vs. Shannon Gugerty
T.J. Grant vs. Dong Hyun Kim

TUF 9 , Ep 9- Showing Heart

Throughout the season, Frank Lester has been the type of guy who just wants to fight. Frank came in as an alternate and won his first match with a nasty kimura after Kiel Reid knocked himself unconscious. In his second match, Frank had all his artificial teeth knocked out by James Wilks.

When it came time to find a replacement for injured fighter Jason Pierce, only two fighters who were injured themselves could step in. Frank Lester, with a black eye and teeth gone or Mark Miller with a broken nose. Frank seemed to want it more and was given the opportunity to fight. As he begins to get ready, he puts in his mouthpiece to find a couple teeth still embedded in the mouthpiece.

Dave Faulkner represents Team UK, winning his first match with a knee bar. Faulkner has some mental issues, not being able to keep a mouthpiece in. He ends up going to a hypnotherapist to see if he could get rid of his gag reflex. Unfortunately, the new age tactics didn't work.

During the first round of the fight, Lester and Faulkner traded punches and kicks with a lot of circling and clinch work. The only takedowns Faulkner got were immediately denied when Frank stood back up.

In the second, Faulkner started to lose his steam after attempting numerous takedowns. Frank was able to connect with jabs and straights. His hooks were usually countered well. Dan Henderson continued to shout jab throughout the fight, as Lester owned a 4 inch reach advantage. After the second bell, the judges declared it a draw, meaning there would be one more round.

Unfortunately for Team UK, Faulkner would not answer the bell, saying he was finished. Bisping tried to tell him that he was throwing away a big opportunity, but it was to no avail as ref Steve Mazagatti called the fight. Team USA captured its 4th victory to even the score 4-4. Frank Lester showed tremendous heart in the victory.

In the crowd throughout the fight was Mask, the now deceased originator of the Tapout brand.



Here are the quarterfinalists:

155 US- Jason Dent, Cameron Dollar
170 US- Damarques Johnson, Frank Lester

155 UK- Ross Pearson, Andre Winner
170 UK- Nick Osipczak, James Wilks

TUF 9 Episode 6 - Dollar Bills Y'all

This episode featured two fights, the first between lightweights Cameron Dollar and Martin Stapleton and the second between welterweights Frank Lester and James Wilks. The episode featured some surprises and irony.

The episode begins with Bisping explains his absence during the Dean Amisinger v. Damarques Johnson fight. Apparently, Bisping has been dealing with jet lag and overslept. My question is why an alarm wasn't set or a coach banging on his hotel door. Bisping really let down Dean in that fight.

Before the fight with Stapleton, Dollar was again portrayed as an arrogant young guy, telling Dean how to escape from a triangle after his loss. Dollar then shows a more humble side, as he is very scared and nervous about fighting. His stand-up game is also suspect in training, as he routinely misses targets held by striking coach Cyrille Diabate.

Stapleton is portrayed as a battle hardened UK Marine with tremendous cardio. Bisping hypes him up, as does the team. Lester tells Dollar that while Stapes is a tough guy, tough guys have been beaten up before.

As the fight begins, the fighers circle and measure each other. As Stapleton comes forward and exchanges, Dollar nails him in the side of the head with a hook. From there, Stapleton was fazed and looked for a takedown. Dollar was able to get his back, took his time with strikes, then eventually got a rear naked choke. Dollar was humble in his victory, and with a good grappling game, may be a force in the tournament.

Before the second fight, shadow boxer Frank Lester is profiled. Frank is slightly crazy and liked by most of the team. Coach Dan Henderson attempts to clam him down, but Frank can't seem to contain his sudden hatred for Wilks. Wilks meanwhile is pretty calm, boasting a BJJ game and decent stand-up skills. Before the fight a $100 bounty is offered by Team USA for a Wilk's tooth.

The first round was an absolute war, with each fighter landing big shots. Frank is winding up his punches though, and eating too many knees and punches. As they clinch during the end of the round, Wilks nails Frank in the face with a knee. That knee knocked out the front fake teeth of Lester, which he lost as a young kid.

During the break, Henderson tries to pry the teach out of Lester's mouthguard but they don't come easy. After Bisping complains, Lester gets his mouthguard and is a totally different fighter. He drops his hands and has no energy left. Maybe too much shadow-boxing. Wilks takes advantage and brutalizes Lester before getting an armbar. Team UK now has a 3-2 on Team US.

(Cameron Dollar pictured)

Team USA Second Round- LW- Cameron Dollar, WW- Damarques Johnson
Team UK Second Round- LW- Andre Winner, WW's- Nick Osipczak, James Wilks

TUF 9 Cast Revealed

TUF 9 will premier directly after the conclusion of Ultimate Fight Night 18. Spike TV has announced the first 32 participants in the 9th season of The Ultimate Fighter. The UK and US teams will each face 1st round elimination fights before making it into the house. Coaching Team USA will be Dan Henderson, with assistants Krzysztof Soszynski Vinny Magalhaes. Coaching Team UK will be Michael Bisping with Cyrille Diabate as a stand-up coach.

Team USA Welterweights:

Mark Miller (10-4)- Mark was a former member of the IFL's Chicago Red Bears. His career highlights have been a devastating KO of UFC fighter Josh Neer at IFL Chicago and a decision victory against UFC fighter Brad Blackburn. He is mainly a stand-up fighter with a solid Muay Thai game.

(Mark Miller KO's Josh Neer)

Kevin Knabjian (10-3) is a former Eastern Illinois wrestler who brings a four fight win streak into the tournament. He has wins over decent competition in TUF alum Josh Rafferty (9-6), Jacob Kuester (8-3), Mario Stapel (14-11) and Nino Marroquin (5-1). He has 6 KO's and 4 submissions on his record.

Jason Pierce fights out of Miletich Fighting Systems in Iowa. He has a (9-0) or (6-0) record depending on what database you look at. He has fought in the Extreme Challenge promotion with his biggest win over Luke Gwaltney (11-11).

Other US WW's: Ryan Biglar, Christian Fulgium, DaMarques Johnson, Kiel Reid and Ray Elbe (profiled in video below)

Team USA Lightweights:

Jason Dent (19-9) fought twice in the UFC, losing decisions to Gleison Tibau and Roger Huerta. The submission specialist has 14 submission victories on his resume with wins over Hawaiin veteran Kolo Koka (12-11), Harris Sarmiento (25-19) and team USA member Josh Souder (7-2).

(Jason Dent pictured)

Santino DeFranco (13-4) fought once in the IFL losing to Rafeal Dias. With 9 submissions on his resume, his big wins are against Melvin Guillard (21-7), Kevin English (11-7) and Jamal Perkins (9-3).

Richie Whitson (4-0) is an Alaskan fighter now fighting out of Team Quest with coach Dan Henderson. The striker has KO wins over Ray Cooper (14-9) and Schon Ellis (6-2).

Other US LW's Paul Bird, Cameron Dollar, Tom Hayden, Waylon Lowe and Josh Souder.

Team UK Welterweights:

Che Mills has a record of (7-2) or (6-1) depending on what database you look at. He has heavy hands and power in his punches. He has fought primarily in the Cage Rage promotion with big wins over Ross Mason (14-9), Marius Zaromskis (8-2) and Oriol Gaset (6-3).

James Wilks (5-2) trains out of Eric Paulson's gym in California. He has wins over Ray Lizama (7-5) and Roman Mitichyan (5-2).

(James Wilks pictured)

Nicholas Osipczak (3-0) trains out of Pancrase UK. None of his fights have gone out of the first round. His biggest win was over Brendan Flanagan (3-2).

Other UK WW's- Dean Amarasinghe, James Bateman, David Faulkner, Tommy Maguire and Alex Reid

Team UK Lightweights:

Andre Winner (9-2)- Winner was (8-1) before his last two fights where he drew against Abdul Mohamed (16-6) and lost a majority decision to Bendy Casimir (17-5). He has notable victories over Mario Stapel (14-11), teammate Jeff Lawson (13-2) and Daniel Thomas (9-6).

Jeff Lawson (13-2) is probably the frontrunner in the LW division with 11 submission victories on his resume. After a loss to teammate Andre Winner in 06', he has pulled off 10 straight wins. His big wins have come against Greg Loughran (18-11) and Joakim Engberg (4-3). He has crushed alot of cans in his young career. The judo blackbelt was a member of the British national judo team.

(Jeff Lawson pictured)

Ross Pearson has an (8-4) or (9-3) record depending on the database you look at. He is the Strike & Submit British LW Champ and Ultimate Force LW Champ. In his last fight he beat Ian Jones (6-5) via submission.

Martin Stapleton (5-1) is primarily a Muay Thai fighter with solid kicks. He hasn't beaten a fighter with an above 500 record, with his biggest win over Martin Begley (5-9)

Other UK LW's- James Bryan, Dan James, Gary Kelly and A.J. Wenn

UFC 89 Preview

Here is the confirmed line-up for UFC 89 that will be airing on Spike TV for free this Saturday. Michael Bisping v. Chris Leben is the headlining bout and will more than likely result in a stand-up slugfest. Bisping looked very quick and sharp in his first bout at 185. Leben is known for his brawler mentality, it will definately delight the English crowd if the fightet turns into a brawl.

Televised Card
Michael Bisping vs. Chris Leben
Keith Jardine vs. Brandon Vera
Luiz Cane vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
Chris Lytle vs. Paul Taylor
Shane Carwin vs. Neil Wain
Marcus Davis vs. Paul Kelly

Prelim Card
Akihiro Gono vs. Dan Hardy
David Bielkheden vs. Jess Liaudin
Terry Etim vs. Sam Stout
David Baron vs. Jim Miller
Per Eklund vs. Sammy Schiavo

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

UFC 85

Paul Taylor def. Jess Liaudin via split decision
Antoni Hardonk def. Eddie Sanchez via TKO- R2, 4:15

Martin Kampmann def. Jorge Rivera via submission (guillotine choke)- R1, 2:44- Very good to to see Danish fighter Kampmann do well in his comeback. He has been sidelined for over 15 months with various injuries after injuring his knee. Kampmann now has 4 straight victories in the UFC.

Matt Wiman def. Thiago Tavares via KO (punch)- R2, 1:57- Both fighters got the fight of the night bonus' for their efforts. It was a back and forth battle with both fighters getting punched, going for submissions, and defending. In the end, Wiman was able to rock Tavares for the KO. Quietly, Wiman now has four straight victories.

Kevin Burns def. Roan Carneiro via submission (triangle choke)- R2, 2:53- This fight won submission of the night. Burns was able to submit Carneiro, who is a black belt in BJJ. Burns has fought mainly in Des Moines, Iowa.

Luiz Cane def. Jason Lambert via TKO (strikes)- R1, 2:07- Cane landed the crisper shots while Lambert was looking for a takedown. After Lambert was dazed, it was all over as Cane capitalized and forced a ref stoppage.

Fabricio Werdum def. Brandon Vera TKO (Punches)- R1, 4:40- This was a controversial fight in that Vera was able to stun Werdum with strikes in the beginning of the round. After a takedown and scramble, Vera ended up covered up and eventually mounted. Werdum threw quite a few strikes, seldom of which landed, most of which were blocked. Unfortunately, the ref stopped the fight. Vera was very angry at the stoppage. While I agree it was an early stoppage, Vera should have done something to improve his position. With the win, Werdum has moved higher up the heavyweight ladder.

Thales Leites def. Nathan Marquardt Decision (Split)- Marquardt basically lost the fight on an illegal knee and strike to the back of the head point deductions. Back in the day, Marquardt would have probably won the fight. Regardless, not a convincing victory.

Mike Swick def. Marcus Davis Decision (Unanimous)- Swick basically took down Davis and used position to win the fight.

Michael Bisping def. Jason Day TKO (Punches)- R1, 3:42- Bisping came out and dominated Day from start to finish. After a trip takedown, Bisping rained down punishment until the action was called.

Thiago Alves def. Matt Hughes TKO (Knee and punches)- R2, 1:02- The first round was close, but Hughes was rejected in his takedown attempts and then Alves landed some clean shots before the bell. In the second, Alves landed a knee clean to the body and followed it up with shots to the face to finish off Hughes.
*After two losses in a row the only logical fight for Hughes would be Matt Serra.
*Alves has moved up the ladder in the 170 pound class, the win is blemished by him being overweight. I wouldn't be surprised in a fight with Josh Koscheck or Diego Sanchez.

UFC 83 - Canada Edition - Preview

MAIN CARD

WW Champ Matt Serra (9-4) vs. Georges St. Pierre(15-2)- St.Pierre last fought in the UFC 79 near New Year's eve and beat Matt Hughes via armbar. Serra hasn't fought since April of 2007, having coached on The Ultimate Fighter and than suffering a significant back injury. St. Pierre has looked extremely focused and unstoppable in his victories against Koscheck and Hughes.
*MMA Blaster Pick- GSP via TKO round 3.
*MMA Blaster Poll- Currently has GSP as the favorite by a 2-1 margin.

Rich Franklin (22-3) vs. Travis Lutter (9-4)- Franklin is coming off minor knee surgery and his second loss to Anderson Silva in October of 2007. Lutter's last fight was over a year ago, and was also a loss to Anderson Silva. This was also the infamous failure at making weight. To Lutter's credit, he was able to get Silva to the ground and get mount. One of the few times that Silva has looked in trouble in the UFC. If Lutter can get Franklin to the mat, I believe he can get a submission. If Lutter is stuffed in his attempts and is forced to slug it out it will be Franklin with his hand raised.
*MMA Blaster Pick- Lutter via armbar round 3.

Nate Quarry (9-2) vs. Kalib Starnes (8-2) - Quarry last fought in September of 2007, when he KO'd Pete Sell. Starnes last fought in October of 2007, when he lost after suffering a cut to Alan Belcher. Both fighters will be shaking off a half year of ring rust, and will probably stand and trade. I think Quarry might get the better of it.
*MMA Blaster Pick- Quarry via decision.

Michael Bisping (14-1) vs. Charles McCarthy (10-4) - Bisping is coming off a split decision loss to Rashad Evans in November of 2007, and the Hamill decision. McCarthy last fought in the TUF 4 finale in November of 2006. Bisping has been talking some smack, and I believe he is very confident going into the bout. McCarthy hasn't fought in a long time and I believe this will show.
*MMA Blaster Pick- Bisping via TKO round 3.

Marc Bocek (5-1) vs. Mac Danzig (17-4) - Bocek is coming off a decision win over Doug Evans on the pre New Year's eve show of 2007. Danzig's last fight was his win over Tom Speer in the TUF 6 Finale in December of 2007. Danzig has the experience and I believe he will overwelm Bocek.
*MMA Blaster Pick- Danzig via KO round 2.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Joe Doerksen vs. Jason MacDonald- MMA Blaster Pick- MacDonald via sub round 3.
Rich Clementi vs. Sam Stout- MMA Blaster Pick- Stout via KO round 2
Alan Belcher vs. Jason Day- MMA Blaster Pick- Belcher via sub round 3.
Jonathan Goulet vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka- MMA Blaster Pick- Hironaka via decision
Ed Herman vs. Demian Maia- MMA Blaster Pick- Herman via TKO round 3.
Brad Morris vs. Cain Velasquez- MMA Blaster Pick- Cain via decision

UFC 78 Recap - Snoozidation

Recap by the MMA Blaster

I always said leading up to this event that the card had great #3 or #4 ppv fights on it but didn't have a title fight and every ppv card should have a title fight. I stand by that statement and believe this is a card that could have gone live on Spike.

Here are the results:

Akihiro Gono Tamden McCrory Submission (Armbar) 2 3:19
Marcus Aurelio Luke Caudillo TKO (Strikes) 1 4:29
Joe Lauzon Jason Reinhardt Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 1 1:14
Thiago Alves Chris Lytle TKO (Doctor Stoppage - Cut) 2 5:00
Frank Edgar Spencer Fisher Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
Ed Herman Joe Doerksen KO (Punch) 3 0:39
Karo Parisyan Ryo Chonan Decision (Unanimous) 3 5:00
Thiago Silva Houston Alexander TKO (Strikes) 1 3:25
Rashad Evans Michael Bisping Decision (Split) 3 5:00

I was happy that they showed the Lauzon fight, as I predicted he destroyed the smaller and untested Reinhardt. Ed Herman delivered his best UFC performance to date, avenging his loss and looking sharp with his strikes and his game. Silva exposed the Houston Alexander weakness, the ground. Apparantly if you get Houston to the ground he is toast.

In total, this was not the UFC's best card. The three decisions were uneventful and the three stopage wins were completely one-sided. I give the event a C.

UFC 78 Rashad Evans v. Michael Bisping

"Sugar" Rashad Evans (10-0-1) v. Micheal "the Count" Bisping (14-0) -analysis by Blaster

Both of these TUF winners are coming off of unspectacular fights that led to somewhat controversial results. Michael Bisping is coming off a split decision victory over Matt Hammill (3-1). Many fight fans, myself included, had Hammill winning that fight. Tito Ortiz and Rashad Evans fought a hard and somewhat boring fight, with fence grabbing by Tito leading to a draw. Sugar Rashad will probably stand and trade with Bisping for the first round. I expect Bisping will get the better of the action standing, but one needs only remember the brutal Salmon head kick to know Rashad has been working on his stand up game.

Rashad's game plan should focus on taking Rashad to the mat with authority and smashing Bisping with elbows and hammerfists on the ground. Bisping is a well versed fighter, but I don't think Rashad will be allowing another display like the flying knee KO of Pointon on TUF. Bisping's strategy will probably include standing and popping Rashad on his feet.

Bisping's best victories are over Eric Shafer (7-3), which Bisping was taken down before unleashing a fury, and dangerous UFC vet Elvis Sinosic. Rashad's top victories include a brutal KO of Jason Lambert (23-6), Elite XC vet Jaime Jara (16-6), Hector "Sick Dog" Ramirez (6-3 victory over Kendall Grove) and long time mma vet Dennis Reed (41-39). Bisping's best victories are over Eric Shafer (7-3), European fighter Jakob Lovland (9-3) and dangerous UFC vet Elvis Sinosic.


My prediction, Evans by unanimous decision.

Rashad Evans HL



Bisping v. Miika Mehmet