Video of the Day - Aldo v. Young

Here is Jose Aldo fighting Micky Young at FX Battle of Britain which took place on 10/15/05 in the UK.

Aldo (25-1, 8-0 UFC) will be fighting Conor McGregor (18-2, 6-0 UFC) at UFC 169 this Saturday for the unification of the featherweight title.

Bobby Green on Bully Beatdown

Bobby Green is a colorful character in the MMA universe, once having come out dressed as Santa Claus for his fight with Charles "Krazy Horse" Bennett. He also has lost a brother to gang violence, and organized an anti-violence march.

Here is one of the bigger beatdowns, and one of the only "matches" never to make it into the second round. His opponent was a pudgy white rapper named Evermont. Was Bully Beatdown an MMA show? Not really, the matches had one round of grappling, one of kickboxing. Were they hilarious? Almost 100% of the time.

Green, a King of the Cage champion, has pushed his MMA record to 23-5 after defeating Josh Thomson in a close split decision. He next fights Edson Barboza at UFN 57.

Video of the Day - Barboza v. Figueroa

Here is Edson Barboza Jr. fighting Jose Figueroa in a lightweight title fight for RMMA - Renaissance MMA 16 which took place on 3/5/10 in New Orleans, Louisiana. There is a bigtime finish around the 3:50 mark.

Barboza (14-2, 8-2 UFC) next fights Bobby Green (23-5, 4-0 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 57 this Saturday.

Video of the Day - Osiris v. Copeland

Here is Josh Copeland fighting Angel Osiris in RMBB Bad Boys which took place on 5/10/13 in Sheridan, Colorado.

Copeland (9-0) TKO'd former BYU football player Jan Jorgensen, then 7-0, at RFA 16 for the HW championship and punched a ticket to the UFC. Copeland will face Ruslan Magomedov (12-1) in his UFC debut.

Video of the Day - Oleinik v Cro Cop

Here is Alexey Oleinik or "Olesky Olynyk" fighting Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic at Legend - Part 2 Invasion, which took place on 11/8/03 in Moscow, Russia.

Oleinik (49-9 or so) had a successful UFC debut over Anthony Hamilton (12-2) using this exact same choke. He next fights Jared Rosholt (11-1) next at UFN 57.

Video of the Day - Cavalcante v. Gaethje

Here is Justin Gaethje fighting Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante at World Series of Fighting 2 which took place on 3/23/13 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Gaethje (12-0) is a rising star in the MMA world with TKO's over Nick Newell, Brian Cobb and Dan Lauzon in WSOF and Drew Fickett in Rage in the Cage. The former NCAA All American from Northern Colorado has tenacious striking and athleticism to go with his dominant wrestling.

Gaethje next defends his WSOF LW title against UFC veteran Melvin Guillard(32-13).

Video of the Day - St. Preux v. Day

Here is Ovince St. Preux fighting Jason Day at EFC 5 - Summer Rumble in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Jason Day (19-12) had a solid MMA career with victories over Alan Belcher, David Loiseau, Krzysztof Soszynski and Jonathan Goulet.

Ovince St. Preux (16-6) has UFC wins over Ryan Jimmo, Gian Villante, Nikita Krylov and Cody Donavan. He will next fight Shogun Rua (22-9) at UFC Fight Night 56.

*Fight begins at 8:50.

Video of the Day - Magalhaes v. Weidman

Here is Vinny Magalhaes going against current UFC fighter Chris Weidman in a 2009 ADCC qualifier match. Vinny went on to take a bronze in both the absolute and under 99KG's in 2009. He would win the over 99KG division this year.

Wiedman, who took 3rd in the NCAA's at 197 pounds in 2007, has started his MMA career off with 9 straight victories, going 5-0 in the UFC. His last win was a KO of Mark Munoz.

Vinny's M-1 Global contract finally expired, opening his way to a return to the UFC. He has won 6 straight, including an M-1 belt. Vinny submitted Igor Pokrajac at UFC 152 with a beautiful armbar. An argument can be made that he deserved the submission of the night over Jon Jones. He will next fight Phil Davis at UFC 159.

Video of the Day - Torres v. Khanbabian

Here is former WEC BW Champ Miguel Torres fighting Alex Khanbabian at Iron Crown 8 which took place in Hammond, Indiana on 10/20/04. The fight was under Shooto rules.

Torres (43-7) next fights Desmond Green (12-3) at Titan FC 31 which takes place October 31, 2014 at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida.

Video of the Day - Duffy v. McGregor

Here is rising UFC star Conor McGregor fighting Irish Joe Duffy at CWFC 39 - Uprising which took place on 11/27/10 in Cork City, Ireland.

McGregor has gone 4-0 in the UFC, TKO'ing Marcus Brimage, Diego Brandao and Dustin Poirer, while winning a decision over Max Holloway. Duffy has a submission win over UFC fighter Norman Parke and recently submitted Damien Lapilus.

Video of the Day - Shamrock v. Hume

Here is Ken Shamrock fighting Matt Hume in Pancrase - Road to the Championship 4 which took place on 7/6/94 under modified submission rules.

Hume would go on to TKO MMA pioneers Eric Paulsen and UFC HOF'er Pat Miletich in his career. Hume is currently an MMA trainer to various fighters including Demetrious Johnson.

Ken was developing the legendary Lion's Den at the time and his popularity was growing with every fight. He would earn submission wins over MMA pioneers Bas Rutten, Masakatsu Funaki, Dan Severn and Maurice Smith in his UFC HOF career.

Sergei Kharitonov v. Alistair Overeem 2

Here is Sergei Kharitonov fighting Alistair Overeem at K1 - Hero's which took place on 9/17/07 in Yokohama, Japan.

Overeem (37-14) next meets Stefan Struve at UFC on Fox 13 on 12/13/14. Kharitonov (21-5) will next fight Satoshi Ishii at M-1 Challenge 53 on 11/11/14 in Beijing, China.

Kazushi Sakuraba v Katsuyori Shibata

Here is Kazushi Sakuraba fighting Katsuyori Shibata at K-1 Hero's from Yokohama, Japan on 9/17/07.

Sakuraba will take on Renzo Gracie at Metamoris 6 in a submission grappling match on 11/22/14.

Renzo Gracie v. Maurice Smith

Here is Renzo Gracie fighting Maurice Smith from Rings - Kings of Kings 2 which took place on 12/22/99 in Osaka, Japan.

Renzo Gracie will take on Kazushi Sakuraba in a rematch of their epic Pride 10 battle 14 years ago at Metamoris 6. The submission grappling event will take place in on November 22, 2014.

Renzo.Gracie.vs.Maurice.Smith by trAumAxHD

Video of the Day - Bigfoot v. Cabbage

Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva fighting Wesley "Cabbage" Correira at Elite XC - Destiny, which took place on 2/10/07 in Southaven, Mississippi. Bigfoot would go on to capture the Elite XC heavyweight title however would test positive for steroids.

Bigfoot (18-5, 2-2 UFC) next fights Andrei Arlovski (22-10, 11-4 UFC) at UFN 51.

Video of the Day - Lashley v. Larsen

Here is Bobby Lashley fighting Matthew Larsen at GWC - UK v. USA which took place on 6/29/13 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Lashley will next fight at Bellator 123 which takes place this Friday night at the Mohegan Sun Casino. *Big slam at 38 seconds.

Video of the Day - Sahinbas v. Overeem

Here is a bout between Alistair Overeem and Can Sahinbas from a 2 Hot 2 Handle event in Holland circa 3/5/2000.

Overeem (37-13, 2-2 UFC) will next fight Ben Rothwell (33-9, 3-3 UFC) at UFN 50. The fight starts at the 2 minute mark.

TUF 20 Cast and Favorites

The 20th season of the Ultimate Fighter will features an all female cast, with sixteen fighters vying for the 115 pound straw weight championship. Four straight wins and you are the champ, just like that.

There are several high ranking fighters on the cast, including about 5-6 of the top 10 fighters at 115 pounds. It is a shame that WSOF snagged #1 ranked Jessica Aguilar (18-4, 2-0 WSOF), who won the WSOF 115 pound championship subbing Alida Gray, then following it up with a decision win over Emi Fujino. Aguilar beat season favorite Carla Esparza via split decision at Bellator 46 and has defeated cast mates Angela Magana and Lisa Ellis.

The UFC doesn't seem interested in having foreign speaking fighters on TUF 20. I can't imagine having 2 or 3 translators for 7 hours a day would be very pricey. It would bring an interesting dynamic to the show. Top ten fighter Mizuki Inoue (7-2) has wins over cast mates Bec Rawlings and Alex Chambers. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (5-0), out of Poland, has been getting hype out of the KSW promotion and borderline top 15 fighter in Tina Lahdemaki (5-0) of Finland fights Claudia Gadehla at UFN 45.

UFC signee Claudia Gadehla (11-0) of Nova Uniao is considered a top 5 fighter in the division and was rumored to be on TUF, but dropped out because she didn't believe she could make weight for the duration of the show.

Here are my rankings:

1. Carla Esparza (9-2)- The reigning Invicta FC 115 pounder has college wrestling experience and fast hands. She has used grappling successfully to dominate most fights, where her submission game has been improving and she has solid GNP. Carla defeated cast mates Felice Herrig at XFC 15 and Bec Rawlings in Invicta via unanimous decision.

                (Carla Esparza GNP)

2. Joanne Calderwood (8-0)- The Scottish striker holds several Muay Thai titles including the ISKA World Flyweight title, IKF European title, the WKL European title and the WBC UK title. Joanne's best wins have come over highly touted Katja Kankaanpaa (9-1) and Lena Ovchynnikova (9-3).

           (Joanne Calderwood throws a knee)

3. Tecia Torres (4-0)- Training out of American Top Team, the Muay Thai specialist has 7 additional amateur wins on her record. Fighting exclusively in Invicta FC, she defeated UFC signee Paige Van Zant and fellow cast mates Felice Herrig and Rose Namajunas via decision.

4. Jessica Penne (11-2)- Most recently competing at 105, making weight won't be difficult for the former Invicta 105 pound champ. Penne has defeated cast mates Lisa Ellis via TKO and Angela Magana via submission. She has also submitted Jewels 105 pound champ Naho Sugiyama.

                                  (Jessica Penne GNP)

5. Justine Kish (4-0)- The RFA veteran and former Golden Gloves boxing champ has competed and trained in Muay Thai in Thailand. Training out of Blackhouse, she owns wins over  Jin Tang (12-4) and fellow cast mate Randa Markos (4-1).

                                 (Justine Kish body kick)

6. Aisling Daly (14-5)- The current NAAFS 125 pound champ will drop down to 115 for TUF. Fighting out of Ireland, Daly recently submitted Karla Benitez via armbar and has a win over UFC fighter Jessica Eye (10-2).

7. Felice Herrig (9-5)- The spunky striker has a reported kickboxing record of (23-5) with strong leg and body kicks. She has decision wins in Bellator over Patricia Vidonic, cast mate Heather Clark and TUF 18 runner-up Jessica Rakoczy.

                              (Herrig kicks Patricia Vidonic)

8. Bec Rawlings (5-3)- The well rounded Australian fighter has decision losses to season favorite Carla Esparza and highly touted Mizuki Inoue, with an armbar win over Jasminka Cive (5-2) and TKO win over Christina Tatnell (5-1).

                     (Bec Rawlings, formerly Bec Hyatt)

9. Rose Namajunas (2-1)- The Grudge Training Center fighter previously trained at Roufus Sport, fighting pro exclusively in Invicta. You probably know her name considering the 12 second flying armbar she pulled off at Invicta 5 over Katrina Catron (4-3) and relationship with former UFC fighter Pat Barry. Rose has a 3rd round sub over cast mate Emily Kagan (3-1), with a decision loss to cast mate Tecia Torres. She went 4-0 as an amateur with 2 KO's.

(Rose Namajunas with Pat Barry)

10. Alex Chambers (4-1)- The 5'3" Australian will be moving up from 105 for TUF. Her last bout was in Invicta where she subbed Jodie Esquibel, then 3-0, in the 1st round. She also has a TKO wins over Mika Nagano (14-9) and Claire Fryer (4-1).

11. Lisa Ellis (15-8)- With over 10 years of MMA experience, Ellis has not competed since a 2012 armbar win over Amy Davis (4-4). Ellis' biggest wins have come over cast mate Aisling Daly and a 2006 submission of Jessica Aguilar, who was making her pro debut.

12. Angela Magana (11-6)- The seven year MMA veteran has been around the block, normally fighting at 125, and possessing split decision wins over highly ranked Jessica Aguilar and Barb Honchack. Magana will enter the tournament on a two fight losing streak, having been subbed by prospect Stephanie Eggink and losing a decision to 135 pounder Jessica Eye.  Two of her losses have come to the aforementioned Aguilar.

                               (Angela Magana pictured)

13. Randa Markos (4-1)- The Canadian grappler has 3 wins via submission on her record, with a loss to cast mate Justine Kish.

14. Emily Kagen (3-1)- A Jackson-Winkeljohn fighter, Kagen narrowly won a split decision over Ashley Cummins in Invicta in her last bout.

15. Angela Hill (1-0)- Hill is a Muay Thai fighter out of Maryland has a reported undefeated 14-0 amateur MMA record and 2-0 kickboxing record.

16. Heather Clark (6-4)- An XFC and Bellator veteran, Clark has 2 TKO's and 3 submissions on her resume.

Cro Cop Elbow

Here is the Cro Cop elbow that cut open Satoshi Ishii which eventually led to a stoppage at IGF which took place on 8/22/14 in Tokyo, Japan. I will post the full fight video once it comes available.


Full fight:

Video of the Day - Grabowski v. Tybura

Here is Damian Grabowsi (19-1) fighting Marcin Tybura (10-0) for the M-1 Heavyweight Title at M-1 Challenge 50 which took place in St. Petersberg, Russia on August 15, 2014. A strong case can be made for the winner drawing significant interest for the UFC heavyweight division.

Video of the Day - Dolan v. McMann

Here is Sara McMann wrestling Canada's Megan Dolan in the Chicago Cup in February of 2007.

McMann (7-1, 1-1 UFC) will try to rebound from her first career loss when she fights Lauren Murphy (8-0, 0-0 UFC) at UFN 47.

Video of the Day - Barnett v. Rizzo

Here is Josh Barnett fighting Pedro Rizzo at Affliction Banned which took place on 7/18/08 in Anaheim, California.

Barnett recently submitted Dean Lister at the grappling event Metamoris 4 winning the inagural heavyweight belt.

Video of the Day - Cormier v. Silva

Here is Daniel Cormier fighting Antonio Silva in the Strikeforce Grand Prix on 9/10/11 in Cincinatti, Ohio.

Cormier would go on to win the Strikeforce Grand Prix, dominating Josh Barnett to win it all. Cormier (15-0, 4-0 UFC) will next fight Jon Jones at UFC 178 for the 205 pound title. Cormier has postponed surgery for a torn LCL in his knee for the bout.

Video of the Day - Dillashaw v. Suarez

Here is TJ Dillashaw fighting Michael Suarez in Rebel Fights - Domination that took place on 10/2/10 in Roseville, California. Dillashaw wrestled for Cal State Fullerton.

Dillashaw (10-2, 6-2 UFC) will defend his bantamweight title against Renan Barao (32-2, 7-1 UFC) at UFC 177 on August 30th.

Video of the Day - Scott v Murphy

Here is Lauren Murphy, then known as Lauren Taylor, fighting Jennifer Scott at Legacy FC 18 which took place on 3/1/13 in Houston, Texas.

Murphy (8-0) will next fight Sara McMann (7-1, 1-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 47 in Bangor, Maine.

Video of the Day - Sanderson v. Cormier

Here is Daniel Cormier wrestling Cael Sanderson at the 2001 NCAA Wrestling Championship.

Cormier (15-0, 4-0 UFC) next meets Jon Jones at UFC 178. Sanderson won the 2004 Gold Medal at the Athens Olympics in addition to a perfect NCAA career. As a coach, Sanderson has won 4 straight NCAA team championships.

Video of the Day - Manhoef v. Lawler

Here is Robbie Lawler fighting Melvin Manhoef at Strikeforce - Miami which took place on 1/30/10 at the Bank of America Center in Sunrise, Florida.

Lawler (23-10) returns to action in a number one contenders match against Matt Brown (19-11) as the main event of UFC on Fox 12 this Saturday.

Video of the Day - Sexton v Jedrzejczyk

Here is UFC and Bellator veteran Rosi Sexton fighting new UFC signee Joanna Jedrzejczyk at CWFC 69 which took place in London, England on June 7, 2014.

Jedrzejczyk (6-0), a native of Poland, will make her UFC debut at UFC on Fox 12 against Juliana de Lima Carneiro (6-1).

Video of the Day - Miller v. Buck

Here is Jim Miller fighting Al Buck for the lightweight title in the CFFC promotion which took place on 4/13/07 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Miller (24-4, 13-2) next fights Donald Cerrone (23-6, 10-3 UFC) in the main event of UFN 45.

Practice What You Preach - Rev Returns to MCC

On June 27, 2014, Chuck "The Reverend" Grigsby (23-9) will look to collect the 6th championship belt of his MMA career at MCC 54. He will take on Robert "The Destroyer" Morrow, a tough veteran of the Midwest fight circuit. The five round title fight will headline a 14 bout card at Hy Vee Hall in Des Moines, Iowa.

Robert Morrow is a power puncher with some solid victories on his resume, and certainly isn't a fighter to be underestimated. In speaking about what he knew about him, Rev said, "the guy across from you in the cage is the toughest guy in the world until you beat him. That guy is the best, strongest and most skilled guy. You have to respect your opponent. You have to respect the game. You don't get this far in MMA without respecting the game."

Chuck won't be watching any tape on Morrow, or any of his future opponents for that matter. "I used to watch tape earlier on in my career and it didn't help. Some guys would look fast on tape, and it didn't translate to the fight. Sometimes they'd look stronger on tape. You never know until you get in there with them."

(MCC 54 Promo Poster)

In his last bout, Chuck steamrolled Dan McGlasson in just over twenty seconds. In describing the fight, he said, "I had respect for him, but he filled in at the last minute. I work way too hard preparing for my fights, mentally and physically. I don't think he was prepared. You can't get in there with me if you aren't prepared."

(Rev gets the quick finish)

When describing the amount of fights that have fallen through, a major problem for fighters, Chuck didn't want to point fingers. "Nowadays people pull out, think about what the outcome might be. I might have been able to make more money that way. I haven't had the greatest management all the time. You have to make your own opportunities. Embrace every opportunity and prepare the best you can."

The biggest topic I wanted to ask Rev about was the bout at VFC 40 against Houston Alexander. "Alexander is this big scary guy everyone is afraid of. I wasn't. He lay and prayed the first round. The referee wasn't the greatest and let him lie there. I started to do better in the second, and in the third was really causing damage." It looked like Chuck had opened up a cut with an elbow, with blood coming out near Alexander's right eye. When asked about what happened in the fourth, Rev explained, "my mouth guard came out for the first time in my career. I made eye contact with the ref and I thought he was going to let me put it in. When I went to grab it, I got hit and knocked off balance. I take full responsibility for the loss."

(Rev throwing a big uppercut)

When I asked about a potential rematch, Chuck said, "I'd be excited about taking that fight. That would be an great fight for the fans. A lot of people would like to see it. Really it is the one fight of my career where I'd like a re-do. I feel like I can win that fight and I'd be better prepared. Of course, he'd be better prepared for me. But, I don't think he will take the fight."

(Rev throwing the jab)

Chuck is proud of what he has accomplished in his career, from amassing regional titles, representing Team USA East to a silver medal in M-1, fighting around the world and being in the MCC Hall of Fame. Currently training out of Omega MMA and Westchase Impact Martial Arts under Alexey Petrov, Rev explained that he is training with some up and comers that not many people know about yet. However, MMA is not a team sport, "it is about self discipline, respecting your opponent, preparing yourself for every scenario. You can never do enough. I've seen so many up and coming fighters with potential have 3, 4, 5 fight careers. The thing about MMA is that it exposes you mentally."

(Rev with Team USA East)

Overseas fighting really opened up Chuck to several things and expanded his game. "Not many American fighters go overseas to fight, I've fought in Amsterdam, Bulgaria, Russia. Win or lose, it makes you a stronger person. I've been lucky to get those opportunities." Not everything goes according to plan overseas however. "You have a fourteen hour flight, you are in different time zones, new food, new environments, there are a lot of unknowns."

(Rev throwing a punch)

Rev actually was in Sochi, Russia, before last years Winter Olympics. "They took us around to lots of the construction sites. It is a resort area, kinda like the Florida of Russia." When asked about the stray dogs that were made popular in the news, Rev said, "Now that you mention it, there were lots of stray animals running around. Not just dogs."

(Rev in Sochi)

I was wondering about the best wins of his career, and one fight that came up was his battle with Bellator veteran Atanas Djambazov (18-4) of Bulgaria. "Over in Bulgaria, I didn't know who was a friend or foe. That guy is a monster. I actually pulled my groin in the first round of the fight. They have a canvas on the floor of the ring over there, it is way different. It was bananas. I just kept battling and pulled off the decision. I left everything in the ring. Afterwards we were treated like kings. We all went to dinner after the fight and were treated very well. They respected us for having good sportsmanship, representing ourselves well and leaving everything out there."

I asked about the nickname "the Reverend" in our first interview, but wanted to learn more. Rev said, "You know, I originally wanted to be called The God Son for my first fight." But that nickname didn't get close to sticking. "Everyone was calling me The Reverend for that fight anyway. It actually started in high school, and I don't know who started saying it. My coach Tom Lee had all the basketball players wear a suit and tie to school on Friday game days. I'd never had a reason to have a suit or a tie before. I guess one of the kids saw how I looked and how I was carrying myself, and called me "The Reverend." It snowballed from there.

"It isn't religious at all. It is a positive thing and I do take pride in the name. I don't want to be an Axe Murderer or an Assassin. I'm proud of the nickname." Pressing a little more I was able to get Rev to talk more about what got him into MMA, he said, "maybe it was insecurity, trying to prove something to someone. I've been very fortunate to always have success. I wasn't sure who I was, and maybe [MMA] helped me. You learn something about yourself."

My first interview with Chuck was six years ago. He is the same genuine high character person today as he was then. The biggest difference seems to be his motivation for fighting. Early on, Chuck's motivation seemed to be more about accumulating belts and getting to a bigger stage. Now it is all about fighting for the Grigsby family, or as he calls it the "G-Unit."  "I want to thank my family most of all. They've had to sacrifice for me to do this. I also want to thank my inner circle, my role models, coaches and friends. I don't want to list names because I'll accidentally forget someone, but you know who you are. I also want to thank Joe from MMA Blaster. He let's me talk and really does a great job translating."

(Rev repping Team Revolution)

*Click on photos to enlarge

Video of the Day - Machado v. Almeida

Here is Thomas Almeida fighting Caio Machado at Legacy 32 which took place on 6/20/14 in Bossier City, Louisiana. The two undefeated fighters met for the Legacy bantamweight title belt and receiving a call from the UFC.

Video of the Day - Comert v. Payakaroon

Here is Thai kickboxing legent Samart Payakaroon fighting Murat Comert on October 2, 1993.

In addition to being considered one of the greatest Thai boxers of all-time with well over 100 victories, Samart also was a professional boxer (21-2), winning the WBC superbantamweight title in 1986 KO'ing Lupe Pintor (56-14). He would defend with a TKO over Juan Meza (45-9) before losing to Jeff French.

Video of the Day - Aguilar v. Gray

Here is Jessica Aguilar fighting Alida Gray at WSOF 8 which took place on 1/18/14 in Hollywood, Florida.

Aguilar (17-4) will defend her WSOF straw weight belt at WSOF 10 this Saturday against Emi Fujino (13-7). I would expect the UFC to come calling after Aguilar wraps up her WSOF contract as they are set to launch the 115 pound division shortly.

Video of the Day - McDonald v. Grigsby

Here is Chuck "The Reverend" Grigsby fighting Rob McDonald at VFC 26 which took place on 2/20/09 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Grigsby (23-9) will next fight for the MCC LHW title on 6/27/14 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Video of the day - Brock v. Johnson

Here is current UFC flyweight champ Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson fighting Jesse Brock at AFC 68 which took place on 2/10/10 in Anchorage, Alaska.

Johnson (19-2, 7-1 UFC) captured the UFC flyweight belt by defeating Joseph Benavidez and has successfully defended against John Dodson, John Moraga and Joseph Benavidez in a rematch. Johnson next fights Ali "Puncher" Bagautinov (13-2, 3-0 UFC) at UFC 169.


(Demetrious Johnson landing a knee against Dodson)

Video of the Day - Ashford v. Gastelum

Here is TUF 17 champion Kelvin Gastelum fighting Mike Ashford at RITC 161 in Chandler, Arizona.

Gastelum (8-0, 3-0 UFC) next fights Nicholas Musoke (12-2, 2-0 UFC) at UFN 44 this Saturday. Fight starts at 2:00 minutes in.

Video of the Day - Te Huna v. Perosh

Here is James Te Huna fighting Anthony Perosh in CFC 10 which took place on 8/21/09.

Te Huna will next fight Nate Marquardt at UFN 43 this Saturday in the UFC's debut in New Zealand.

Video of the Day - Page v. Mohamed

Here is Michael "Venom" Page fighting Ramdan Mohamed at Super Fight League 15 which took place on 4/12/13 in Mumbai, India.

Page is a dynamic English karate and kung fu stylist, currently training with London Shootfighters. He next fights Ricky Rainey (8-2, 1-0 BFC) in his toughest test to date.

2014 NCAA Wrestling Results

Here are the winners and runner-ups of the 2014 NCAA National Wrestling tournament. Penn State captured their 4th straight team national title with Ed Ruth and David Taylor capturing titles for the Nittany Lions.

Logan Steiber and Ed Ruth captured their third NCAA titles. Ohio State's Steiber has one more year left of eligibility to make a run at his fourth straight title. David Taylor of Penn State capped off an undefeated season at 34-0 and captured his second NCAA title.

Many of these elite athletes will try to continue a path of amateur wrestling, but some will come to mixed martial arts. Strength, conditioning, mental toughness, the ability to cut weight and quickness are all traits of most high level wrestlers.

The biggest skill that transfers to MMA is the ability to take someone down and defend the take down. However, the mental aspect cannot be overlooked as most of these guys take part in over 100 combat matches over a college career.

125- Jesse Delgado (ILL) def Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) via dec 3-2
133- Tony Ramos (Iowa) def Tyler Graff (Wisc) via tie break
141- Logan Steiber (OSU) def Devin Carter (VA Tech) via dec 10-1
149- Jason Tsirtsis (NW) def Joshua Kindig (Ok St) via SV
157- Alex Dieringer (Ok St) def Dylan Ness (MN) via dec 13-4
165- David Taylor (PSU) def Tyler Caldwell (Ok St) via dec 6-0
174- Chris Perry (Ok St) def Andrew Howe (Ok) via dec 4-0
184- Edward Ruth (PSU) def Jimmy Sheptock (Mary) via dec 7-2
197- J`Den Cox (Mizzo) def Nick Heflin (OSU) via dec 2-1
285- Nick Gwiazdowski (NC St) def Anthony Nelson (MN) via dec 4-2

Team Standings

1. Penn State - 109.5
2. Minnesota - 104
3. Oklahoma State - 96.5
4. Iowa - 78.5
5. Edinboro - 62

(2014 Wrestling Champs, click to enlarge)

Video of the Day - Foster v. Daniels

Here is UFC veteran Brian Foster in a kickboxing bout against WCL veteran Raymond Daniels at Glory 11 - Chicago, which took place on 10/12/13 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.

Foster (21-6, 3-2 UFC) has stoppage wins over Matt Brown, Forrest Petz and Brock Larsen in the UFC. He is currently 2-0 in 2014 having submitted Mitch Whitesel and Rodrigo Soria via armbar.

Daniels is a 6th degree black belt in American Kenpo and Shotokan Karate, possessing a 5th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Daniels was a stand-out in Chuck Norris' World Combat League, where he defeated Chidi Njokuani, Jamie Fletcher, Damion Caldwell and Andreas Spang among others.

(Raymond Daniels throwing an axe kick)

Video of the Day - Shlemenko v Minowaman

Here is Alexander Shlemenko fighting Ikuhisa "Minowaman" Minowa at Super Fight League 2 which took place on 4/7/12 in the T-Box Mobile Arena, Chandigarh, India.

Shlemenko (50-7, 11-1 BFC) will next move up from 185 pounds to fight at 205 against Tito Ortiz (16-11, 0-0 BFC) in the Bellator's first PPV. I expect Shlemenko to try to attack with kicks to the body and legs early and often. Tito should try to use his size advantage to try for a takedown or grind Shlemenko against the fence.


(Shlemenko landing a vicious body kick)

Video of the Day - Barao v. Nunes

Here is Renan Barao fighting Marcio Nunes in the Eagle Fighting Championship which took place on 9/26/09 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Barao (32-1, 7-0 UFC) won the interim 135 pound title at UFC 149 winning against Urijah Faber, defended by submitting Michael McDonald, TKO'd Eddie Wineland, then TKO'd Faber in a rematch at UFC 169. Barao will next defend the title at UFC 173 against TJ Dillashaw (9-2, 5-2 UFC).


(Renan Barao lands a kick against Michael McDonald)

Video of the Day - King Mo v. Wiuff

Here is Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal fighting Travis Wiuff in Sengoku 5th battle which took place on 9/28/08 in Tokyo, Japan. As is customary in Japan, King Mo, making his debut, fought a veteran, Wiuff, who was fighting in his 66th recorded fight.

King Mo (12-3, 4-2 BFC) next fights Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (34-11, 2-0 BFC) in a 205 pound tournament final.

Video of the Day - Vetell v. Nelson

Here is Roy Nelson fighting Bryan Vetell in the IFL Grand Prix Semifinals which took place at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois on 11/3/07.

Nelson (19-9) would go on to win the IFL HW title and the TUF 10 title. He next fights Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (34-8) at UFC Fight Night 39 in Abu Dhabi.

(Roy Nelson with his TUF trophy)

Video of the Day - Walraven v. Rosholt

Here is Jared Rosholt fighting Jason Walraven in C3 Fights "Summer Slamfest 2" which took place on 8/2/13 in Newkirk, Oklahoma.

Rosholt (9-1), a three time NCAA All-American wrestler, won his UFC debut against Walt Harris and will next fight Daniel Omielanczuk (16-3) at UFC Fight Night 39 in Abu Dhabi on April 11th.

(Rosholt in the 2010 NCAA finals)

Video of the Day - Gomi v. Palling

Here is Takanori Gomi fighting Stephan Palling from Superbrawl 12 which took place on 6/1/99 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Gomi (34-9, 3-4 UFC) next fights Isaac Valli-Flagg (14-4, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 172.

Video of the Day - Riggs v. Grove

Here is Joe Riggs fighting Kendall Grove at Pro Elite - Arlovski v. Lopez which took place on 8/27/11 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Longtime MMA vet Joe Riggs (40-14) was the tournament champion of Bellator's Fight Master reality show. He defeated Rob Mills, Eric Scallan, Evan Cutts, Cole Williams then Mike Bronzoulis in the final. Since winning the show, Riggs had an injury setback and does not currently have a fight scheduled. Riggs has career wins over Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle, Phil Baroni and famous MMA ref Herb Dean.

TUF 3 champion Kendall Grove will next fight Brett Cooper in the Bellator Season 10 middleweight tournament on March 28th. Grove went 7-6 in the UFC, notching submissions over Alan Belcher and NCAA champ Jake Rosholt, while capturing decisions over Evan Tanner, Ed Herman and Goran Reljic.

Video of the Day - Shields v. Cooper

Here is Jake Shields against Ray Cooper for the Shooto MW title in Shooto: Hawaii which took place on 7/9/04. Shields faces Hector Lombard at UFC 171 next.

Shields has held belts in Strikeforce, Elite XC, Rumble on the Rock and Shooto and holds other career wins over Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler, Demian Maia, Tyron Woodley, Mike Pyle, Carlos Condit, Yushin Okami, Martin Kampmann and Dave Menne.

Video of the Day - Judge v. Suzuki

Here is Nobutatsu Suzuki fighting Austin Judge at ZST 30 which took place on 11/23/11 in Tokyo, Japan.

Suzuki will next fight UFC veteran Brock Larson at One FC 14. The winner will fight Ben Askren for the One FC welterweight title.

Video of the Day - Kim v. Ando

Here is Dong Hyun Kim fighting Jun Ando in Deep 27 which took place on 12/20/06 in Tokyo, Japan.

Kim (18-2) will next fight John Hathaway (17-1) in the headliner of TUF China Finale.

Video of the Day - Pulu v. Cummins

Here is recent UFC signee Patrick "Durkin" Cummins fighting Ricky Pulu in Xplode Fight Series which took place on 3/16/13 in Valley Center, California. Pulu was over matched for this bout.

After Rashad Evans pulled out of his bout with Daniel Cormier due to a leg injury, it seemed as thought the bout would be moved to UFC 172. However, with strong campaigning by Cormier for any opponent to step up, Cummins answered the bell.

Cummins is an 2X All American wrestler out of Penn State with a 4-0 record in MMA. He has had difficulty finding bouts at the regional level to gain experience but the stars aligned for him to get this opportunity. He trains with Mark Munoz at Reign MMA.

Video of the Day - Machida v. Franklin

Here is a fight between Lyoto Machida and Rich Franklin back in New Years Eve 2003. At the time, Machida was 2-0 and Franklin was 12-0. The fight took place at the Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye - Inoki Festival in Kobe Wing Stadium in Japan.

Machida (20-4) will next fight Gegard Mousasi (34-3-2) at UFC Fight Night 36, which takes place in Santa Catarina, Brazil. A win by Machida could push him into title contention.

Video of the Day - Popovich v. Askren

Here is Pablo Popovich grappling Ben Askren at the 2009 Abu Dhabi in the 77 KG (169 pound) division which took place in Barcelona, Spain.

Pablo Popovich, a 4th degree BJJ blackbelt, has several accolades including a 2009 ADCC championship, and grappling wins over Marcelo Garcia, Gregor Gracie, Jake Shields, Renzo Gracie and Saulo Ribiero. He was recently in the news after Thiago Silva came to his gym with a gun honking his horn. Silva is currently in jail awaiting a trial on aggravated assault charges.

Askren was coming off an appearance in the 2008 Olympics in freestyle wrestling. Askren defeated Toni Lindin via submission in his first bout. Later in 2009, Askren would win gold in the 2009 FILA World Grappling Championships defeating UFC veteran Jacob Volkmann. Askren will next compete in One FC in May of 2014.

Video of the Day - Jacare v. Murphy

Here is BJJ blackbelt ace Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza fighting Ian Murphy in Dream for the opening of the middleweight tournament on 4/29/08 at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Jacare next fights Francis Carmont at UFC Fight Night 36.

Undefeated 3-0+ Fighters of 2013

It keeps getting harder to stay undefeated with 3 or more wins in MMA. In addition to staying injury free and finding fights, a fighter also needs a little luck in hoping their opponent makes it to the fight. There are some interesting names in this list, many of whom will soon be fighting in the UFC, Bellator and WSOF. The deeper you go, the more obscure the names will be.

If you have a fighter you want me to list who was 3-0 or better in pro fights in 2013 that are documented on a legit MMA website, please list them in the comments and I'll get them up.

15-0

Julio Cesar Neves, Jr.- The 145 pound "Morceguinho" fought anyone who was willing to get in the cage with him in 2013. The 19 year old pushed his overall record to 28-0, and is rumored to have signed with Bellator to debut in the coming season. His best wins were probably over Maikon Jonathan de Carvalho (8-4) and Dener dos Santos (11-7) in 2013. There were several 0-1, 0-2, 2-2, type fighters on his win list. Nevertheless, he notched 10 KO/TKO's and 4 submissions. It will be interesting to see how he does against real competition.


8-0

Kevin Croom- The tall 135 pounder went on a Travis Fulton-esque run in 2013, fighting mainly near his home base of Kansas City, highlighted with a 1st round TKO win over Brian Davidson (11-4) at RFC 6 but also venturing out beating hometown fighters. He went to Ciudad Juarez, Mexico where he TKO'd Javier Lujan in World MMA and Almaty, Kazakhstan where he TKO'd Aslan Toktarbaev (6-2) in the Alash Pride promotion. Croom also won his kickboxing debut World Striking Challenge 1 in Miami, Florida.


5-0

Alexey Oleinik- The Russian Boa Constrictor went 5-0 in 2013 with 4 quality wins to punch his ticket to the UFC. The Bellator and M-1 submission fighter started the year by TKO'ing Leo Pla before submitting former KOTC champ Tony Lopez with a triangle choke, submitting UFC veteran Jeff Monson with a rear naked choke, submitting Dion Staring before getting his best win, a neck crank submission win over Mirko Cro Cop.

Jared Rosholt- The 3X All American HW wrestler out of Oklahoma State had a big 2013, culminating with his UFC debut. Rosholt started the year by winning a decision over Richard Odoms, then a decision over Bobby Brents, before a TKO of Richard White, KO of Jacob Walraven, then a decision over Walt Harris in the UFC.

Luis "Sapo" Santos- After a disappointing Bellator run, Santos rebounded in 2013 with five first round finishes. Fighting primarily in the XFC promotion, he started with a TKO over TUF vet Shamar Bailey, then TKO'd Sebastian Latorre, KO'd Dave Courchaine with a head kick, KO'd Justin Davis with a head kick, then submitted Edilson Franca with a kneebar. With a record of 59-6, with several unreported bouts, expect Santos to stay busy in 2014.


Nazareno Malegarie- "El Tigre" bounced back from an unsuccessful Bellator stint, notching 2 subs and 2 TKO's in 2013. His best win was a decision over Jose Souza (19-12).

Thomas De Almeida- The undefeated 22 year old Brazilian Chute Boxe 135 pound fighter pushed his record to 15-0 in 2013, notching 5 TKO/KO's in 6 months, with only one bout making it out of the 1st round. After winning 4 times in his native Brazil, De Almeida TKO'd George Pacurariu at LFC 26.

Henry Cejudo- The 2008 freestyle wrestling gold medalist began his pro MMA career in 2013, notching 3 TKO's and 1 sub via punches. Facing less than stellar competition, his biggest win was in his Legacy FC debut, winning a decision against Ryan Hollis, then 4-1. Cejudo returns to Legacy FC on January 31st, when he takes on Elias Garcia (4-0).

Magomed Biboulatov- "Gladiator" turned pro in 2013, going a perfect 5-0 while notching 3 subs and 2 decision wins. He ended the year with a decision over previously unbeated Taylor Lapilus who was then 5-0.

Livia Souza- "Livinha" began her pro career in 2013, notching 4 submissions and a decision win over Aline Sattelmayer (5-4) at Talent MMA 4.

Kalindra Faria- The Brazilian had 2 TKO's and 3 subs in 2013, with her most impressive win over Carina Damm (21-10) at MMASH - Super Heros.

Larissa Pacheco- The Brazilian 135 pound prospect moved to 9-0 in 2013 by notching 3 subs and 2 TKO's. Her best win was TKO over Irene Aldana, then 3-0, in Jungle Fight.

4-0

Urijah Faber- Pushing himself into the number 1 contender spot at 135, the former WEC champ had an awesome 2013. Faber had 3 submission wins, including a submission of the night performance in his most recent bout against Michael McDonald. Faber posted rear naked choke wins over Ivan Menjivar and Scott Jorgensen to start the year. His only decision was over Iuri Alcantara, which saw Faber get in trouble and lose a round, then win the next two for the decision victory. With Dominick Cruz getting injured yet again, Faber will meet Renan Barao for the BW title at UFC 169.


Emmanuel Newton- The Hardcore Kid burst on the MMA scene in 2013 dominating Bellator's 205 pound division. In the opening round of the Season 8 tournament, Newton submitted Atanas Djambazov before notching one of the biggest upsets in 2013 by KO'ing King Mo Lawal with a spinning backfist. Newton would take the tournament title with a win over Mikhail Zayats, then take a decision over King Mo in a rematch to take the Interim belt. With LHW champ Atilla Vegh bitten by the injury bug, it could be awhile before a unification fight.

Ryan LaFlare- A five year pro, Ryan LaFlare made a name for himself in 2013. He started the year returning from a three year layoff due to wrist and knee injuries, capturing the ROC welterweight belt by submitting Andrew Osborne. Making his UFC debut at UFC on Fuel 9, he defeated Ben Alloway via decision. He next was dominant in his decision win over Santiago Ponzinibbio before winning a decision on short notice against TUF champ Court McGee.

Sergio Pettis- The 20 year old younger brother of UFC LW champ Anthony Pettis had his best year as a pro fighter, making a successful UFC debut with a decision win over Will Campuzano at UFC 167. After beating James Robinson via decision, the inaugural RFA BW belt by KO'ing Dillard Pegg in the 1st round, then won the NAFC BW belt with a kimura over James Porter. Expect Pettis to stay active in 2014, eventually getting a test against an experienced grappler.

Charlie Brennemen- The Spaniard made a push to get back to the UFC, taking the CFFC lightweight title against Kyle Baker via rear naked choke. With 3 submission wins, Brennemen will be looking for a finish in his return to the UFC at UFN 35 against undefeated Beneil Dariush.

John Howard- Doomsday notched 2 first round KO's to start the year in 2013 against Jason Louck and Chris Woodall, before returning to the UFC on short notice to defeat Uriah Hall via split decision and win a unanimous decision over Siyar Bahadurzada at UFC 168.

Alida Gray- The judo fighter will next fight Jessica Aguilar at WSOF 8 for the inaugural 115 pound title. She began her pro career in 2013, with 3 TKO's and a submission over Patricia Vidonic (9-6).

Lauren Murphy- Finishing the year by taking the inaugural women's BW title in Invicta FC, the Gracie Barra product will likely join the UFC soon. After not fighting at all in 2012, Murphy started the year with a TKO of Jennifer Scott, before rattling off 3 wins in Invicta, beating quality veterans Kaitlin Young, Sarah D'Alelio and TKO'ing Miriam Nakamoto.

Carlos Diego Ferreira- The Brazilian lightweight had a breakthrough 2013, winning 3 in Legacy Fighting Championships to take the 155 pound title in his last bout. He started the year by subbing Danny Salinas, then won a decisions over UFC vet Carlo Prater, previously undefeated Chris Heist then took the belt winning over Pride/Strikeforce veteran Jorge Patino.

Chris Lokteff- The Australian HW prospect won 4 straight in 2013 to push his record to 12-1. The 27 year old started the year by TKO'ing Peter Kennedy with knees, then submitted Andrew Machin and Cam Bracewell, before a decision over Bellator and KOTC veteran Tony Johnson.

Joanne Calderwood- "Jojo" won 3 fights in Invicta and 1 in Cage Warriors to extend her professional record to 8-0 and earn a spot on TUF 20, which will result in the crowning of the first UFC women's 115 pound champion. The BJJ blue belts best win was over Katja Kankaanpaa, then 8-0, in Invicta.

Kalib Starnes- The TUF 3 and UFC veteran at 185 had a bounce back year fighting exclusively in Canada at 205 and over, which culminated with a standing elbow KO of Dwayne Lewis on the televised broadcast of WSOF 7. He added a TKO's of Clay Davidson and David Perron with a decision over UFC veteran Tim Hague at HW. Expect Starnes to get a high profile fight next in WSOF and a potential shot at their inaugural LHW belt.

Alan "Nuguette" Alves- From fighting in Jungle Fight to getting a ticket into the UFC, Alves pushed his record to 11-0 in 2013. He started the year TKO'ing Murilo Filho, then won decisions against Kelles Santos and Claudiere Freitas before a 1st round TKO of Garret Whitely at UFN 29 in his UFC debut. He fights John Makdessi next at UFC 169.

Satoshi Ishii- The Japanese heavyweight beat some longtime veterans of the sport in 2013, winning decisions over Jeff Monson, Kazuyuki Fujita and Pedro Rizzo. His lone stoppage win was over Clayton Jones via TKO.

Xavier Foupa-Pokam- Professor X fought in Russia, India and England in 2013, finishing all his opponents. He started the year by TKO'ing Dan Edwards, then TKO'd John Troyer and Gennadiy Kovalev before submitting Aleksey Shapovalov. Despite his opponents not having name recognition, they all have 9+ wins with a combined record of 43-22.

Rob Font- Figthing exclusively in the CES promotion, Font began the year with a decision over Saul Almeida (13-5), then beat Lucas Cruz (6-2), Chris Foster (7-3) and Matt DiMarcantonio. He fights Ahsan Abdullah next.

Ray Borg- The 20 year old Fit NHB prospect pushed his record to 5-0 in 2013, with 2 subs and a TKO win at 125 pounds. The grappler's two best wins were a decision over longtime KOTC fighter Angel Sanchez (12-5) and a RNC of Jeimeson Saudino (7-2).

Bethe Correia- Training with the Pitbull Freire brothers, Correia won an insanely close split decision in her UFC debut against Julie Kedzie to close out 2013.

Faith Van Duin- The New Zealander turned pro in 2013, going 4-0,winning the Storm MMA women's belt by latching on a 4th round triangle against Kate da Silva (5-1).

Holly Holm- The former pro boxer stayed active in 2013, fighting in Bellator, Legacy FC and FP - Havoc, landing 2 head kick KO's.

Brett Johns- The Welsh fighter ended the year by defeating Jordan Desborough for the Cage Warriors 135 pound belt, pushing his record to 8-0.

Stephan Puetz- The 26 year old 6'6" German prospect at 205 pounds fought in four different promotions in Germany in 2013, earing 2 TKO's and 2 decision wins.

Cody Gibson- The Californian stayed close to home in 2014, picking up a TKO win in the Diaz brothers War MMA.

3-0

Demetrious Johnson- Mighty Mouse had three successful title defenses in 2013, keeping the flyweight belt in tow for the duration of its existence in the UFC. He started the year with a decision win over John Dodson, then began to show his finishing ability. He subbed John Moraga with an armbar at UFC on Fox 8 then brutally KO'd Joe Benavidez at UFC on Fox 9. With 2 wins over Benavidez and John Dodson sidelined with a knee injury, the title picture is a little murky at 125. Winners from the early 2014 bouts of Bagautinov/Lineker, Pickett/McCall and Makovsky/Sampo all could be in the mix.

(Johnson v. Benavidez at UFC on Fox 9)

Vitor Belfort- The Phenom made a huge statement in 2013, scoring 3 devasting KO wins in the main event. The 36 year old began the year with a head kick and punches KO of Michael Bisping. He then landed an amazing spinning heel kick KO of Luke Rockhold. In his last fight he KO'd MMA legend Dan Henderson with a head kick. Expect Belfort to lobby for a shot at the winner of Weidman v. Silva.

Glover Texiera- The BJJ blackbelt worked his way to a title shot against Jon Jones by winning a decision over Rampage Jackson, submitted James Te Huna, then TKO'd Ryan Bader. With 20 wins in a row, including 5 wins in the UFC, Texiera will have his hands full in his next bout.

Robbie Lawler- Looking rejuvenated and sharp at 170 pounds, Lawler made a huge statement in 2013. Following a disappointing loss at 185 pounds to Lorenz Larkin to end his Strikeforce career in 2012, Lawler returned to the UFC and TKO'd Josh Koscheck at UFC 157 winning the KO of the night bonus. He next KO'd Bobby Voelker with a head kick and punches at UFC on Fox 8. At UFC 167, he defeated Rory MacDonald to punch his ticket to a title shot against Johnny Hendricks at UFC 171.

Travis Browne- Hapa bounced back from his loss to Bigfoot Silva in a big way during 2013. He started the year by crushing Gabriel Gonzaga with elbows off a failed takedown for a TKO. He then KO'd Alistair Overeem with a front kick and punches, before using the same elbows in the Gonzaga fight for a TKO of Josh Barnett. Browne will fight Fabricio Werdum for the shot against Cain Velasquez and the title.

Ronaldo Souza- Jacare made a big splash in 2013 as he moved from Strikeforce to the UFC finishing off all 3 opponents in 2013. In his final Strikeforce bout, he submitted Ed Herman with a kimura. In his UFC debut, he defeated Chris Camozzi with an arm triangle choke. In his next bout he crushed Yushin Okami via TKO in the first round. The former ADCC and Strikeforce champ will next fight Francis Carmont for a step closer to a title shot at 185.

Chad Mendes- Money Mendes popped some tags in 2013, starting the year by KO'ing Darren Elkins and Clay Guida. Inching closer to a potential rematch with Jose Aldo, Mendes closed out 2013 by winning a decision over Nik Lentz. Cub Swanson and Chad Mendes would seem like the next challengers for the title.

Daniel Cormier- The Olympic wrestler continued his dominance in the heavyweight division by TKO'ing Dion Staring, before moving to the UFC and winning decisions over Frank Mir and Roy Nelson. Cormier is rumored to be moving to the LHW and possibly taking on Rashad Evans or Phil Davis before getting a title shot.

Khabib Nurmagomedov- The Russian rose up the LW ranks in 2013, rattling off his 3 quality wins in the UFC and pushing his overall record to 21-0. The Eagle TKO'd Thiago Tavares in the 1st round at UFC on FX 7, then won decisions over Abel Trujillo and Pat Healy. Expect the combat Sambo and Judo stylist to face top competition in 2013.

Alexander Shlemenko- "Storm" rode a tidal wave of momentum in 2013, winning the vacant Bellator MW belt with a 2nd round KO of Maiquel Falcão to start the year. After a sluggish 5 round title defense of the title against Brett Cooper, he destroyed Doug Marshall with a body shot KO at BFC 109. Look for Shlemenko to defend his title against former DIII wrestler Brennan Ward (9-1) early in 2014.

Alexis Davis- The Strikeforce veteran had a smooth transition to Invicta and then the UFC in 2013, beginning the year with a RNC of Shayna Baszler in Invicta, before winning decisions over Rosi Sexton and Liz Carmouche in the UFC. She next fights Jessica Eye at UFC 170.

Shinya Aoki- Re-upping with One FC in 2013, Aoki moved from 155 to 145. Aoki started the year with a rear naked choke of Japanese veteran Kotetsu Boku, won a decision over Cody Stevens, then won a technical submission over Toshikatsu Harada.

Vitaly Minakov- The Bellator HW champion pushed his undefeated record to 13-0 with 3 quality TKO wins. He first KO'd Ron Sparks in the first round before TKO'ing Ryan Martinez in the second round, then took the belt with a first round TKO of Alexander Volkov in November. Hopefully Bellator can get a worthy HW to fight Minakov sooner rather than later.

Edson Barbosa- The dynamic muay thai fighter came back in a big way after finishing 2012 with his 1st career loss against Jamie Varner. He began the year with Lucas Martin sub due to punches, TKO'd Rafaello Oliveira with leg kicks, then finished the year with a split decision win over Danny Castillo which won him a fight of the night bonus.

Tom Niinimaki- The Finnish fighter pushed his six year undefeated streak to 12 straight by going 3-0 in 2013, including his successful UFC debut. "Stoneface" took out three quality opponents with decision wins over Rani Yahya and Chase Beebe while submitting UFC veteran Walel Watson.

Douglas Lima- The 170 pound Bellator tourney champ had a great 2013, pushing his record to 25-5 with 3 KO wins. Lima started the year using leg kicks to TKO Michail Tsarev, before KO'ing Bryan Baker with a punch, then Ben Saunders with a head kick KO to claim the tourney championship.

Justin Gaethje- The top prospect in the WSOF, Gaethje's striking skills continued to improve in 2013 as he pushed his record to 10-0. He first TKO'd JZ Cavalcante in the first round, then TKO'd Brian Cobb with leg kicks before a dominant KO win over Dan Lauzon. He next fights Richard Patishnock for the WSOF LW belt.

Zach Makovsky- Fun Size made a huge statement in his late notice UFC debut, taking all three rounds in a decision win over Scott Jorgensen. Makovsky also took decisions over Claudio Ledesma, and Matt Manzanares, capturing the RFA belt. The former 135 pound Bellator champ has re-invented himself at 125, and fights former CFA champ Josh Sampo next at UFC 170.

Josh Sampo- "The Gremlin" had a break through year in 2013, earning and defending the CFA 125 pound belt before having a successful UFC debut. He started the year with a 5th round submission of Bellator/WSOF vet Alex Villa (13-4), won a 5 round decision over Sam Thao (7-2) then subbed Ryan Benoit at the TUF 18 Finale.

Brandon Thatch- The lanky 170 pounder showed exceptional striking in 2013, capped by KO wins in his first two UFC appearances. After submitting Mike Rhodes at RFA 7, Thatch entered the UFC and TKO'd Justin Edwards winning the KO of the Night bonus. In his next bout, he crushed Paulo Thiago with a devastating knee to the body. After receiving a lengthy medical suspension after UFC Fight Night 32 for ankle and shoulder injuries, we may not see him again until mid 2014.

Marlon Moraes- Following a huge upset win over Miguel Torres to close out 2012, Moraes had an excellent run in WSOF in 2013. He KO'd Tyson Nam with a headkick at WSOF 2, won a decision over Brandon Hempleman, then KO'd Carson Beebe with punches in just 32 seconds.

Jesse Taylor- The wrestler controlled the action in the cage in 2013, picking up 3 quality wins to push his record to 27-9 and punch a ticket to the WSOF 185 pound title finale. He began by winning a decision over TUF 3 champ Kendall Grove, submitted John Phillips with a guillotine then dominated MFC champ Elvis Mutapcic.

Georgi Karakhanyan- The "Insane" fighter had a breakthrough 2013, taking the inaugural WSOF FW belt by submitting previously undefeated Lance Palmer with a 3rd round guillotine choke. His other two victories were against UFC veterans Din Thomas and Waylon Lowe.

Magomedrasul "Frodo" Khasbulaev- The Russian hobbit had a furious 2013 taking the Season 8 Bellator FW tournament championship. He started with an arm triangle finish over Fabricio Guerreiro at BFC 88, then TKO'd Marlon Sandro at BFC 92 before winning a decision over Mike Richman. Expect Frodo to challenge Daniel Strauss for the title in the near future.

Dennis Bermudez- The TUF 14 runner-up eeked out an undefeated 2013 by a hair, winning split decisions over Matt Grice and Max Holloway before winning a unanimous decision over Steven Siler. The Grice v. Bermudez fight was an absolute barnburner, check it out if you missed it. Dennis next fights Jimmy Hettes at UFC 171.

Ali Bagautinov- The 125 pound "Puncher King" kept punching in 2013, winning TKO'ing Seiji Ozuka with punches before making his UFC debut. At UFN 28, he TKO'd Marcos Pancini (20-6) then won a decision against Tim Elliot at UFC 167. Ali will next fight John Lineker at UFC 169. Expect both to swing heavy leather.

Justin Scoggins- The 21 year old flyweight had his best year as a pro, TKO'ing Chris Cain and KO'ing Len Cook, before moving to the UFC and TKO'ing Richie Vaculik in the 1st round at UFN 33.

Takeya Mizugaki- The Japanese striker notched 3 decisions in 2013, winning splits over Bryan Caraway and Eric Perez before a unanimous decision over Nam Phan.

Katsunori Kikuno- The Dream/Deep veteran punched his ticket to the UFC with a successful 2013. The Kyokushin Karate and Judo black belt started the year with an odd palm strike KO win over Takafumi Ito, then won twice in Deep, KO'ing Jutaro Nakao and submitting Yong Jae Lee. Kikuno defeated Quinn Mulhern at UFN 34 to start off his 2014 with a bang.

Alp Ozkilic- The Turkish fighter had a breakthrough 2013, TKO'ing Josh Robinson and UFC veteran Antonio Banuelos, before making his UFC debut and picking up a split decision over Darren Uyenoyama. Alp fights the undefeated Louis Smolka at UFN 35 next.

Dustin Ortiz- After taking decisions over Aaron Ely and Mike French, the Roufusport fighter made a successful 125 pound debut in the UFC against Jose Maria Tome with a 3rd round TKO. Ortiz will next get his biggest fight to date at UFN 35 against John Moraga.

Tecia Torres- The 115 pounder will next compete in TUF 20 for the women's title, after taking decisions over Felice Herrig, Rose Namajunas and Paige Van Zandt in Invicta FC in 2013.

Kyoji Horiguchi- The 23 year old Japanese prospect made a successful debut in the UFC with a TKO of Dustin Pague at UFC 166. Prior to that, he defended his BW Vale Tudo Japan belt with a TKO of Shintaro Ishiwatari, and won via submission over Hiromasa Ogikubo. He next fights Chris Cariaso at UFC 169, presumably at 125 pounds.

Vagner Rocha- The UFC veteran took a step in the right direction in 2013, winning 3 times for the Florida based Fight Time promotion. He started by winning a decision over Kamrin Naville, subbed Bellator veteran JP Reese, then had a triangle choke win over Randy Barroso.

Damian Grabowski- The Polish Pitbull pushed his record to 19-1, his lone loss to Cole Konrad in Bellator in 2010. The HW won a decision over Stav Economou, then TKO'd Tadas Rimkevicius before submitting former M-1 champ Kenny Garner with an arm triangle choke.

LC Davis- The WEC and Sengoku veteran had a great 2013, going 3-0 in 3 different promotions to push his record to 20-5 while moving to 135 pounds. The athletic Davis had a TKO over Jacob Akin, followed by a TKO of Dominic Davis before winning a decision over James Saville.

Vyacheslav Vasilevsky- The Russian MW and one time Bellator fighter pushed his overall record to 23-2 in 2013, defeating Charles Andrade via decision, then TKO'ing UFC vet Trevor Prangley and Vitor Nobrega.

Jesse Juarez- The 7 year veteran fighting out of Antonio McKee's Bodyshop Fitness had arguably his best year as a professional, notching 2 wins in Bellator. He started the year with a split decision over Jordan Smith (18-5), TKO'd Daniel McWilliams, then submitted Fight Master quarter finalist Joe Williams with a 1st round guillotine.

Cody East- The 6'3" Jackson's MMA HW had a strong 2013, capturing the King of Cage title with a decision win over Nick Rossborough in June despite breaking his fibula in the fight. East added first round finishes of Strikeforce vet Lolohea Mahe and Esteves Jones to cap off 2013.

George Sullivan- The CFFC 170 pound champion had 3 straight 2nd round TKO wins via punches in 2013. He started by TKO'ing TUF vet Julian Lane, then Brandon Becker, before finishing out the year with a TKO of Jesus Martinez.

Cael Uno- The longtime veteran had a bounce back year in 2013, notching 3 submissions in Vale Tudo Japan and Shooto. After a RNC over Kyu Hwa Kim, Uno submitted Team Alpha Male's Anthony Avila with an RNC. He then submitted Daniel Romero with an inverted triangle choke.

Scott Askham- The English prospect pushed his record to 11-0 in 2013, capturing the BAMMA MW belt in his final bout of the year. He started by submitting Harry McLeman before winning decisions over Jack Marshman and Jorge Luis Bezerra.

Alex Garcia- The Dominican Nightmare capped off 2013 with a win in his UFC debut, KO'ing Ben Wall via punches at UFN 33. His other wins were against then undefeated fighters, winning a decision over Ryan Dickson, then 6-0, and a rear naked choke of Chris Heatherly, then 5-0.

Derek Anderson- The Team Xplode prospect had a huge 2013 pushing his overall record to 10-0, capped off by winning a decision over Patricky Freire in his Bellator debut. Anderson also had a TKO win over Craig Flynn and an armbar win over Ray Carter.

Steve Mocco- The Olympic wrestler pushed his overall record to 4-0 by recording a north/south submission over Rashad Brooks and a submission over Alonzo Roane. His decision win over Bellator/IFL vet Lew Polley in August at RFA 9 was the best victory of his young MMA career.

Anthony Hamilton- The 265 pound Hamilton had a great 2013 becoming the HW champ of the MFC organization. He started by submitting Will Courchaine with an armbar, then TKO'd Matt Kovacs before capping it with a brutal head kick KO of Smealinho Rama, ending the hype around the formerly undefeated HW.

Sean Strickland- The King of the Cage 185 pound champion pushed his record to 13-0 by KO'ing Bill Albrecht, taking a decision over Yusuke Sakashita then getting a TKO win over Matt Lagler.

Liam McGeary- The 6'6" Brit made a successful Bellator debut in 2013, winning all three of his bouts in the first round. He started with a TKO of Anton Talamantes, then KO'd Beau Tribolet before ending the year by submitting Mojtaba Najim Wali. Look for McGeary to be a tournament competitor next year.

Steve Cleve- Cleve ended the year with a TKO of Isaac DeJesus (10-6) in Bellator and added a submission of Rocky Johnson (20-12) and TKO of Gilbert Jimenez in 2013.

Alexander Yakovlev- The longtime M-1 veteran notched three decision wins in 2013, including the biggest win of his career over UFC veteran Paul Daley. His other wins were over Murad Abdulaev and Reinaldo da Silva.

Andy Enz- Despite losing a decision in an exhibition bout to Uriah Hall on TUF 17, and suffering a broken arm in the process, Enz had a solid 2013 fighting exclusively in his native Alaska. Enz pushed his overall record to 7-0 by submitting Thomas Ide with punches, then submitted Chris Cuff and Mike Fannon.

Jim Alers- The 145 pound prospect fought exclusively for the Cage Warriors promotion in 2013, defending his FW title. He started the year with a submission of Joni Salovaara, then won a decision over Martin Svensson before submitting longtime Scottish fighter Graham Turner.

Michinori Tanaka- The undefeated 135 pound Japanese prospect fought exclusively with the PXC promotion in 2013, defeating Caleb Vallotton via triangle, then Crisanto Pitpitunge, and Kyle Aguon via 5 round decisions to retain his PXC BW belt. With a 2012 win over recent UFC addition Russell Doane (12-3, 1-0 UFC), Tanaka (9-0) should get a UFC invite soon.

Hernani Perpetuo- The Brazilian prospect notched some quality wins in 2013, defeating Andre Santos (36-9) via decision, Sergio Souza (10-5) via TKO and Tommy Depret (10-5) via decision.

Konstantin Erokhin- The Russian HW fought exclusively in Moscow in 2013, continuing to gain momentum after losing his pro debut last year. With 3 first round finishes, Erokhin TKO'd Nikolai Danilov, then TKO'd Evgeny Erokhin before getting a quality KO win over M-1 veteran Denis Komkin.

Albert Tumenov- The Russian 170 pound prospect pushed his overall record to 12-1 with 3 first round TKO wins in 2013, stopping Viskhan Amirkhanov and Roman Mironenko with punches before TKO'ing Yasubey Enomoto via head kick and punches.

Ivan Buchinger- "Buki" had a solid 2013, fighting exclusively for Cage Warriors. He started the year by winning a decision over Jason Ball, submitted Jamal Magomedov via triangle armbar then subbed Mick Sinclair with a scarf hold. The wins earned him a LW title shot against Steven Ray at CWFC 63.

Edimilson "Kevin" Souza- The Brazilian FW made a successful UFC debut at UFN 28 with a split decision win over Felipe Arantes. His other wins were TKO over Joao Antonio de Oliveira Gois and Fabiano Nogueira.

Louis Smolka- The 5'9" 125 pound fighter will next make his UFC debut against Alp Ozkilic at UFN 35. He earned his shot by dominating in the PXC promotion, with rear naked choke wins of Alvin Cacdac and Jessie Rafols before getting a TKO of Ale Cali.

James Brum- The English prospect pushed his record to 14-2 in 2013, earning a Cage Warriors title shot against Brett Johns. Fighting all 3 times in Cage Warriors, he beat Olivier Pastor, Ruslan Abiltarov (15-4) and Marat Pekov (10-5).

Mizuki Inoue- The Japanese 115 pound women's prospect began the year with an armbar win over Seo Ye Jung, then won decisions over Bec Hyatt and Emi Fujino.

Rob Lisita- The Phuket Top Team member ended the year with a bulldog choke win of Takeshi Inoue (21-9) and also had a TKO of Rodolfo Marques Diniz (15-3) in 2013.

Yuta Nezu- The 6 year veteran of Shooto and Vale Tudo Japan had his best year as a pro, winning decisions over UFC/Pancrase vet Motonobu Tezuka (20-7) and Dream veteranAkiyo Nishiura (12-8).

Jozette Cotton- Pusing her record to 4-0, "The #1 Headbusta" had 2 TKO's to go along with a decision win over Jessica Halverson.

Seo Hee Ham- The women's 105 pound fighter began the year with an armbar win over Ryo Mizunami, then won decisions over Naho Sugiyama (9-3) and Sadae Numata (5-2).

Alexandre Passidomo- The 125 pound prospect pushed his record to 14-1 in 2013, earning a victory over Lincoln de Sa (11-4) in Shooto Brazil to close out the year.

Tatsumitsu Wada- Earning 3 wins in Deep, the 125 pound propsect ended his year with his best win, a decision over Haruo Ochi.

Tina Lahdemaki- The women's 125 pound grappler pushed her record to 5-0 with 2 subs in 2013, including a triangle over Karla Benitez (11-6).

Alexa Grasso- The 125 pound prospect out of Mexico won the XK tournament by defeating Alejandra Alvarez and Karina Rodriguez in the same night in 2013.

Szymon Bajor- The Polish HW notched 3 stoppage wins beginning with a armbar of Rafal Niedzialkowski, then a kimura over Blazej Wojcik before a TKO of Chaban Ka.

Nina Ansaroff- Winning her 5th straight overall in 2013, the women's 125 pound prospect had 3 T(KO)'s, including a KO of Munah Holland in her Invicta FC debut.

Timo-Juhani Hirvikangas- The 135 pounder fought all 3 times in the Finnish "Cage" promotion, submitting Evgeniy Odnorog (11-2), Artemij Sitenkov and Niko Gjoka.

Video of the Day - Mostafa v. Chope

Here is rising prospect Will Chope fighting Mostafa Ashouri at MFC 6 which took place in Lumpur, Malaysia on 5/25/13.

The 6'4" Chope will make his UFC featherweight debut this Saturday against Max Holloway at UFN 34.

Video of the Day - Patishnock v. Gaethje

Here is Justin Gaethje fighting Richard Patishnock at WSOF 8 which took place on 1/18/14 in Hollywood, Florida. The bout is for the inaugural WSOF lightweight championship.

Video of the Day - Dos Santos v. Neves Jr.

Here is Julio Cesar Neves Jr. fighting Dener dos Santos at WOCS 28 which took place on 8/10/13 in Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil.

Neves Jr. (28-0) is rumored to be fighting on the upcoming season of Bellator. As you can see, he has a little Capoeira in his arsenal.