Fedor v. Pedro Rizzo

Here is the end of Fedor Emelianenko fighting Pedro Rizzo at M-1 Global - Fedor v. Rizzo which took place on 6/21/12 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Fedor (36-4) returns to action against Matt Mitrione at Bellator 180 this Saturday.

Jacare's Pro Debut Against Jorge Patino

Here is Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza fighting Jorge Patino at Jungle Fight 1 which took place in Manaus, Brazil on 9/13/03.

Souza (23-4) is fresh off a TKO win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 198. The former ADCC and Strikeforce champion has career victories over Robbie Lawler, Tim Kennedy, Gegard Mousasi and Yushin Okami.

Patino (38-18) is a heavy hitter who has wins over Pete Spratt, Efrain Escudero and Beau Baker in his career while fighting in WSOF, Bellator, LFC and once in the UFC.

Michael "Venom" Page v. Ben Dishman

Here is the pro debut of Michael "Venom" Page, who fought Ben Dishman at UCMMA 26 which took place on 2/4/12 in London, England.

Page (12-0, 7-0 BFC) next fights Derek Anderson at Bellator 179 which takes place on May 19, 2017 at Wembley Arena in London, England. Page puts his karate on full display during the finish.

Finish:

Full Bout:

Ruth v. Friev

Here is Team USA's Ed Ruth wrestling Spain's Taymuraz Friev at the 2014 Beat the Streets wrestling event hosted in Times Square in New York.

Ruth, a 3X time NCAA champ, appears to be considering a debut in Bellator MMA in late 2016.

Vitaly Minakov v. Josh Copeland

Here is former Bellator champion Vitaly Minakov fighting UFC veteran Josh Copeland at EFN - Fight Nights Moscow which took place on 12/11/15 in Moscow, Russia.

Minakov (17-0) next fights K-1 and Bellator veteran Peter Graham at Rizen 2.

Buentello v. Prindle - Super Heavy

Here is UFC veteran Paul Buentello fighting Eric Prindle at Abu Dhabi Warriors 4 which took place on 4/24/16 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Video of the Day - Vereb v. Askren

Here is Ben Askren wrestling Hungary's Istavan Vereb in a freestyle wrestling match from the 2008 Olympics round of 8.

Askren (14-0) last fought Luis Santos (61-9-1) to a no contest after an accidental eye poke at One FC 26.

Video of the Day - Huerta v. Alvarez

Here is Eddie Alvarez fighting Roger Huerta at Bellator 33 which took place on 10/21/10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Eddie Alvarez (25-4, 0-1 UFC) will look to rebound from a decision loss to Donald Cerrone when he fights Gilbert Melendez (22-4, 1-2 UFC) at UFC 188.

Video of the Day - Kitaoka v. Brooks

Here is Will Brooks fighting Satoru Kitaoka at Dream 18 which took place on 12/31/12 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

This was the last fight for Brooks (15-1) before Bellator, where he has gone 7-1 with back to back wins over Michael Chandler for Bellator's LW Title. Kitaoka (36-13) is a 15 year MMA veteran with career submission victories over UFC veterans Takanori Gomi, Paul Daley, Kurt Pelligrino and Carlos Condit.

Brooks will next defend his title against Dave Jansen (20-2) at Bellator 136 on April 10th.

Best Champions The UFC Needs

Without a doubt, the UFC holds the vast majority of talent in MMA. However, some legit rising fighters exist outside the UFC who should get a shot in the UFC. I've left off Jake Shields and Rouisimar Palhares, as I think more time needs to pass for either to get a shot back at the UFC. I just don't forsee Cyborg making 135 pounds in the UFC, so I left her off.

Here is a look at the top 10.

1. Ben Askren (14-0) the NCAA champ and Olympic wrestler has been devasting his last 4 bouts earning 3 TKO's and a 1st round arm triangle submission. The current One FC welterweight champ next defends his title against Bellator veteran Luis Santos (61-9). Askren had contract discussions with the UFC, but no offer was officially made and One FC offered Askren good money. With a few fights still on his contract, Askren won't hit the market in the near future. With the best wrestling at 170 and increasingly good submission skills, Askren can compete with anyone in the top 10 right now.


2. Marcin "Tybur" Tybura (11-0)- The Polish HW and BJJ black belt has 5 submissions and 4 TKO's on his resume. The M-1 HW Champ seems to be at his best when he throws a few punches, backs his opponent against the fence and works a takedown. From there, Tybura has a solid submission game from top position and uses ground and pound to set up submissions. Tybura's contract status with M-1 could be murky with a champions clause. Tybura hasn't fought since his 1st round submission of hot prospect Denis Smoldarev (11-1). With an aging HW division, the 29 year old Tybura would fit in well as he is in his prime.

3. Justin Gaeje (13-0)- The 26 year old former wrestler has been dominant as WSOF's 155 pound champion. He last defended the title with a close split decision win over Melvin Guillard in his most lackluster performance to date. Prior to that fight, he had 7 straight T/KO's including a 1st round TKO over JZ Cavalcante and 2nd round TKO's over Dan Lauzon and Nick Newell. Gaethje is on his 6th WSOF fight.

4. Shinya Aoki (37-6)- The insane submission specialist is One FC's current 155 pound champion. He last fought on NYE in Inoki Bom Ba Ye, submitting Yuki Yamamoto with a rare twister. He has won 7 straight since a TKO loss to Eddie Alvarez in Bellator. Aoki may be resistant to a move for the US based UFC, as he has gone just 1-2 stateside. Aoki has career wins over Rich Clementi, Kamal Shalorus, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Lyle Beerbohm and Joachim Hansen. At 31 years old and having been TKO'd 4 times in MMA and once in kickboxing, time is not on Aoki's side.

5. Patricio Friere (23-2)- Bellator's 145 pound champ has been on a tear since a narrow split decision loss to Pat Curran at Bellator 85. Winner of season 4 and 9's featherweight tournaments, Friere won a decision over Pat Curran for the title and defended by submitting Daniel Strauss. He also has KO wins over UFC vets Diego Nunes and Wilson Reis.

6. Will Brooks (15-1)- The tenacious wrestler won Bellator's season 9 LW tourney and followed it up with a split decision win over Michael Chandler, then TKO'd Chandler in the rematch. With 8 career Bellator fights, Brooks loyalty might be with the organization. Brooks next fights Dave Jansen at Bellator 136.

7. Jessica Aguilar (19-4)- The current WSOF 115 pound champion has won 10 straight since a questionable split decision loss to Zolia Gurgel in Bellator. Generally ranked #1-2 in the world at 115, Aguilar holds a split decision win over UFC 115 champ Carla Esparza which took place on 6/25/11 in Bellator. Aguilar holds decision wins over Megumi Fujii, Emi Fujino and Lisa Ellis in her career, with a sub over judo expert Alida Gray. Aguilar's solid grappling would give anyone in the 115 pound division trouble.

8. Vitaly Minakov (14-0)- Bellator’s reigning HW champion has not fought much lately. With a background in Sambo, he knocked out countryman Alexander Volkov to win the Bellator belt in November 2013 and then defended with a decision win over UFC vet Cheick Kongo in April. With crisp boxing to go along with black belt judo, Minakov would be a welcome addition. Questions have arisen due to the long layoff whether Minakov is injured or if he is dealing with contractual issues.

9. Marlon Moraes (14-4)- the WSOF 135 pound champ has won 9 straight fights, defeating former WEC champ Miguel Torres, TUF vet Cody Bollinger and Josh Hill(then 10-0). With Dominick Cruz's career likely over, Moraes would look good on the roster. The 26 year old is 1-2 fights into his new WSOF deal which is a multi-fight, multi-year deal.

10. Liam McGeary (10-0)- The new Bellator LHW champ just dominated Emanuel Newton for five rounds at BFC 134. The 6'6" McGeary had never been to decision before that fight, winning the Bellator LHW tourney with TKO's of Egidijus Valavicius and Kelly Anundson. He has 7 straight Bellator wins.

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.

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.

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 - 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 - 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.