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 104 Preview

UFC 104 takes place on Saturday, October 24th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The event will feature a ppv card as well as at least 2 undercard bouts on an hour lead-in segment on Spike TV. If one of the undercard bouts ends in the first round it could make one of the broadcasts.

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua- The undefeated champ Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0) will look to defend the title he aquired while violently KO'ed Rashad Evans in the second round of their 205 bout. Shogun (18-3) will look to continue the momentum he has built off a first round KO of Chuck Liddell.

Lyoto Machida and his karate base make a fight with the Brazilian very difficult. Shogun will look to utilize his muay thai, attacking his knees, kicks and elbows. Machida is very elusive and often forces his opponents to lose their cool and rush in, leaving an opening for Machida to pick them apart.

(Lyoto kicking Rashad at UFC 98)

Machida's undefeated run includes wins over Rich Franklin, BJ Penn, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans. Shogun was a fixture in Pride before coming to the UFC and has victories over Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem, Rampage Jackson and Kevin Randleman.

(Shogun Rua pictured)

Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez- Former IFL Heavyweight star Ben Rothwell will take on fast rising Cain Velasquez in a fight that could send Velasquez to a potential title shot. Rothwell would likely need another big time victory.

Cain Velasquez (6-0, 4-0 UFC) has the wrestling advantage, and his best strategy would be to get the fight to the ground and delivering a healthy dose of ground and pound. Velasquez' defeated Cheick Kongo in his last match via decision, while taking a couple big punches. He also has victories over Jake O'Brien and Denis Stojnic.

(Cain Velasquez pictured)

Ben Rothwell (30-6) compiled a 9-0 record while in the IFL, defeating the likes of Roy Nelson, Krzysztof Soszynski, Ricco Rodriguez and Dan Bobish. Look for Rothwell to keep the fight standing, throwing power punches while utilizing his height and weight advantage.

(Ben Rothwell pictured)

MAIN CARD

Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau
Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

SPIKE TV

Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer
Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk

UNDERCARD

Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera
Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley

Ultimate Fight Night 18 Review

Ultimate Fight Night 18 got off to a bang and then really fizzled out. The broadcast was hampered by extended commercial breaks and hyping of The Ultimate Fighter 9 and UFC 97. With the Miller v. Browning fight ending in a minute and 58 seconds, they should have gotten another 2 minute fight in.

MAIN CAR RESULTS

Martin Kampmann def Carlos Condit via split dec
Ryan Bader def Carmelo Marrero via unanimous dec
Tyson Griffin def Rafael Dos Anjos via unanimous dec
Cole Miller def Junie Browning via sub (guillotine choke) R1, 1:58

UNDERCARD RESULTS

Gleison Tibau def Jeremy Stephens via unanimous dec
Ricardo Almeida def Matt Horwich via unanimous dec
Brock Larson def Jesse Sanders via submission (rear-naked choke) R1, 2:01
Tim Credeur def Nick Catone via submission (guillotine) R2, 3:45
Jorge Rivera def Nissen Osterneck via split dec
Rob Kimmons def Joe Vedepo via submission (guillotine) R1, 1:54
Aaron Simpson def Tim McKenzie via TKO (strikes) R1, 1:40

UFC Fight Night 18 Preview

UFC Fight Night 18 will air next Wednesday, April 1st. The card features former WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit v. Martin Kampmann. After the show will be the premier of The Ultimate Fighter Season 9. With 8 undercard fights, expect some quick finishes to make the two hour timeslot.

Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann- I expect these two to test it on the feet before Condit attempts to get the fight to the ground. Carlos Condit (23-4, 0-0 UFC) is a superb grappler with 13 submissions 10 T/KO's on his resume. Condit won the WEC WW title against John Alessio and defended against Brock Larson, Carlo Prater and Hiromitsu Miura. Condit has fought in Pancrase and Rumble on the Rock with wins against Frank Trigg, Koji Oishi, Ross Ebanez and Renato Verissimo.

(WEC Champ Carlos Condit pictured)

Martin Kampmann (14-2, 5-1 UFC) comes from a kickboxing background, but he has an excellent submission game. He is most popular for the come from behind arm triangle victory against Drew McFedries at UFC 68. Kampmann's UFC victories have come against Jorge Rivera, Crafton Wallace, Thales Lietes and Alexandre Barros.

(Martin Kampmann kicks Thales Leites)

Ryan Bader vs. Carmelo Marrero- This is a grappler v. grappler match-up that favors TUF 9 champ Ryan Bader. Bader won TUF 9 with a nasty KO of Vinny Magalhaes. Bader (8-0, 1-0 UFC) may stand and trade with Marrero, denying his takedown attempts. To get to the finals of TUF, Bader subbed Kyle Kingsbury, KO'd Tom Lawlor and won a unanimous decision over Eliot Marshall.

(Ryan Bader pictured)

Carmelo Marrero (10-2, 1-2 UFC) was also wrestler in college, but competing in the junior college circuit doesn't compare to Bader's All-American status at ASU. Marrero is most known for his split decision defeat of Cheick Kongo at UFC 64. After that win, Marrero lost to Gabriel Gonzaga and Wilson Gouveia and was cut from the UFC. Marrero has stormed back, winning 4 fights straight with his last over Steve Steinbeis in the WEC.

(Carmelo Marrero pictured)

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Tyson Griffin- Tyson Griffin (12-2, 5-2 UFC) is a top level wrestler with some big wins in and out of the UFC. Inside the UFC, Griffin was within grasp of a title shot, but lost to Sean Sherk last October. Before the UFC, he TKO'd Urijah Faber and Duane Ludwig. Inside the UFC, Griffin has decision wins over Clay Guida, Marcus Aurelio, Gleison Tibau and Thiago Tavares while submitting David Lee.

(Tyson Griffin pictured)

Dos Anjos (11-3, 0-1 UFC) was dominating Jeremy Stephens with excllent grappling for two rounds of his UFC debut. Unfortunately, in the third round Stephens unleased an uppercut that put out dos Anjos out. Outside the UFC, dos Anjos has wins in Brazil and Japan, with his biggest win over Takafumi Otsuka

Junie Browning vs. Cole Miller- Surprising Cole Miller is the one running his mouth before this fight saying he will give Junie a beatdown in this battle of TUF veterans. Cole Miller (14-3, 3-1 UFC) is a lanky 155 pound fighter, who has an excellent triangle. Miller has a last second submission of the night victory over Jorge Gurgel in his last fight. Prior to that, Miller lost to Jeremy Stephens, beat Leonard Garcia via decision and Andy Wang.

(Cole Miller pictured)

Junie Browning (3-0, 1-0 UFC) looked impressive in the TUF 8 finale, beating up Frank Mir favorite Dave Kaplan. The first round Junie looked to have good stand-up and in the second was able to get an arm-bar. My guess is that Junie will look to keep the fight standing, getting inside to take away Miller's reach.

(Junie Browning's Hand Grenade Tattoo)

UNDERCARD

Jeremy Stephens vs. Gleison Tibau
Ricardo Almeida vs. Matt Horwich
Brock Larson vs. Jesse Sanders
Nick Catone vs. Tim Credeur
Nissen Osterneck vs. Jorge Rivera
Rob Kimmons vs. Joe Vedepo
Tim McKenzie vs. Aaron Simpson
Ryan Jensen vs. Steve Steinbeiss (bout canceled after Jensen admitted Adderall usage)

TUF 8 Finale Results

The TUF 8 finale lived up to the hype as it featured some excellent fights. Gameplans proved to be key in the tournament finals, as Bader kept the fight standing and Efrain used his superior wrestling.

Efrain Escudero def Phillipe Nover via unanimous decision for the TUF lightweight tournament championship- Efrain dominated in the takedown and ground and pound department to win a unanimous decision. It was a great strategy as Phillipe didn't have an answer from Efrain's relentless attack. Phillipe's best offense came in the third round when he was able to lock in a shoulder lock/omaplata attempt. Phillipe just couldn't finish the move. Efrain, at 22 years old, has some definite potential in the 155 pound division.

(Efrain Escudero pictured)

Ryan Bader def Vinny Magalhaes via TKO (strikes) R1, 2:18 for the TUF light heavyweight tournament championship- Bader's strategy for the fight was to keep it standing to avoid Vinny's submission game. Bader threws some punches and kicks before a launching a big overhand right. The punch was partially blocked but clipped Vinny in the temple. Vinny crumpled to the canvas, and tried to roll on his back. Unfortunately, Vinny had to eat a few more punches before the ref stepped in. Bader showcased superior power throughout his stint on the show. He will give 205 pounders problems for some time.

(Ryan Bader pictured)

Anthony Johnson def Kevin Burns via KO(kick) R3, 0:28- Johnson got revenge after sitting out 5 months after getting poked in the eye in their last fight. Burns was close with a triangle choke attempt in the first but was unsuccessful. In the second, we saw mostly Johnson ground and pound. In the third, Johnson let loose a nasty high kick that saw Johnson's shin strike Burns directly in the jaw. Burns went straight back, knocked unconscious. That kick will be on the UFC's highlight reel for years to come.
*Johnson won KO of the night.

Wilson Gouveia def Jason MacDonald via sub (strikes) R1, 2:18- Gouveia made short work of Jason MacDonald, despite missing weight by 3 pounds the day before. Gouveia landed a straight right to MacDonald's jaw then a barrage of hammerfists and punches to win the fight.

Junie Browning def Dave Kaplan via sub (armbar) R2, 1:32- Junie looked crisp in his striking and cardio. He landed strike after strike on Kaplan in the first. To his credit, Kaplan wasn't knocked out. He was armbarred in the second round however, as Junie looked much improved from his time on the show.
*Browning and Kaplan won fight of the night.

Krzysztof Soszynski def Shane Primm via sub (kimura) R2, 3:27- Krzysztof's awkward stand-up style looked to confuse Shane Primm from the start, as he was able to land punches on Primm. Near the end of the first, Krzysztof almost had a kimura. In the second, Krzystof went for the submission again and tweaked Primm's arm for the tapout.
*Soszynski won submission of the night.

Eliot Marshall def Jules Bruchez via sub (rear-naked choke) R1, 1:27- Marshall walked through Bruchez to get the rear naked choke.

Tom Lawlor def Kyle Kingsbury via unanimous decision
Shane Nelson def George Roop via split decision
Roli Delgado def John Polakowski via sub (guillotine choke) R2, 2:18

TUF Finale Set

The finale for TUF 8 has been set for December 13th. The fights feature 16 fighters from the TUF 8 house.

Efrain Escudero vs. Phillipe Nover (LW Final)- Efrain Escudero took out quality veteran Ido Pariente in the first round, Shane Nelson in the second and Junie Browning to make it to the finals. Definately wins over the best run of any fighter so far. Efrain's strength is his wrestling game. He also has a quality submission game and decent hands.

(Efrain Escudero pictured)

Phillipe Nover also had a tough first round opponent in Joe Duarte. In the second he defeated Dave Kaplan and then walked through George Roop. Nover has looked excellent standing and in his submission game. He also seems to be extremely athletic. He recently received his BJJ black belt.

(Phillipe Nover pictured)

Ryan Bader vs. Vinicius Magalhaes (LHW Final)- Ryan Bader, the two time All-American wrestler is lightning quick in his takedown ability. He is very strong and doesn't lack in the cardio department. Bader took out Kyle Kingsbury, Tom Lawler and then Eliot Marshall to make the finals. Bader may try to keep the fight standing to avoid Vinny's steller BJJ game.

(Ryan Bader pictured)

Vinny Magalhaes is world renowned in his BJJ skills. The blackbelt beat Lance Evans with some body kicks, then got submissions on Jules Bruchez and Krzysztof Soszynski to advance to the finals. In his fight with Krzystof, Vinny pulled guard trapping his arms and getting an armbar. Vinny might have a tough time pulling guard with Bader.

(Vinny Magalhaes pictured)

Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason MacDonald
Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson
Junie Browning vs. Dave Kaplan

PRELIMINARY CARD

Shane Primm vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Jules Bruchez VS. Eliot Marshall
Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor
Shane Nelson vs. George Roop
John Polakowski vs. Rolando Delgado

TUF Episode 8 - Oddball Edition

This episode featured a fight between 155 pound fighters Dave Kaplan and Phillipe Nover. What ensued before the fight was one of the more bizarre and crazy displays ever seen on an episode of The Ultimate Fighter.

After seeing a recap of the Vinny Magalhaes victory over Jules Bruchez things go off base. At the house, bored Team Nogueira fighters decide to steal Tom Lawlor's fruit tray. While on the show, fighters can put anything on a wish list for the producers to get. Lawlor keeps asking for his fruit tray, and it is eaten prior to him getting home from practice.

With Lawlor getting more peeved he decides to retaliate. He does so by urinating in his own fruit tray that he recently got. Then Shane Nelson, Vinny and Junie decide to add a little of their own flavor to the tray. On cue, Ryan Bader of Team Nogueira grabs the tray after practice and the team eats it. Lawlor has a good time telling them that there was pee in the tray. While Kyle and Bader don't seem to care, Phillipe is freaking out.

The retailiation, Phillipe has noticed that his sushi he orders keeps getting eaten. Knowing that it is probably Dave Kaplan from Team Mir, he tries to brainstorm a way to get back at him. Kyle Kingsbury figures a good way would be to bust one out on the sushi. Lets just say, Kaplan ate it and threatened to poop in everyone's stuff.

The next Fear Factor like moment came when Phillipe ordered a Filipino and Asian delicacy called Balut for his teammates. It is a fertilized duck egg, just about ready to hatch. Phillipe goes first, eating his Balut and egging on his teammates to try. Of course, Kyle Kingsbury is the first to join in with Bader and others giving it a try. They say it tastes like egg with the dark meat of a chicken.

In between, Junie complains that his team isn't training and tries to give Phillipe some advice going into the bout. If anything, it just gives Phillipe more confidence. Junie is annoyed with Kaplan's self confidence and Kaplan thinking he is smart. Kaplan rattles off capitols of various countries, including Zaire, now known as the Republic of Congo.

Finally, the fight occurs and Phillipe is very impressive. He blasts Kaplan with three unanswered punches, gets the takedown and rear naked choke. Everyone was impressed with his performance, including Dana White, who commented that Phillipe looked like a young version of GSP.

A defeated Dave Kaplan with his eye busted up still thinks he should have won the fight and is a better fighter than Phillipe. To close the show, Mir says, New Zealand, and Kaplan rattles back, Wellington. Now that is deadpan comedy.


Teams are tied with 3 wins each, (Team Mir italics)
Second round LHW- Ryan Bader, Vinny Magalhaes, Eliot Marshall
Second round LW- Phillipe Nover, Efrain Escudero, Junie Browning

Two fights remain in the first round - LHW- Kyle Kingsbury v. Krystof Soszynski and LW- John Polakowski v. George Roop.

TUF Episode 4 - Efrain Backs It Up

In another fantastic episode of TUF, we mainly see another breakdown of fighter Junie Browning. In the previous episode we had been clued into Junie's inability to drink alchohol. In this episode we see a mean drunk come out again, but this time we see that he is crazy with or without the bottle.

The episode kicks off with the fighters watching UFC 84. This is a huge treat for the fighters as they haven't been able to watch any television so far during their stay in the house. Shane Nelson and Junie, both Mir team 155'ers, decide to break open some wine. After a few bottles while watching the show both guys snap.

Prior to this incident Shane Nelson had been actually a nice guy according to most fighters. However as someone put it, he has the alchohol tolerance of a 16 year old girl. Shane begins to pick a fight with Efrain Escudero and Roli Delgado, pushing and harassing the fighters.

Junie meanwhile torments the 205 pound guys, mostly Shane Primm and Kyle Kingsbury at this point. It comes to a head when Junie throws nuts and eventually his wine glass at Kyle. After it breaks and the prospect of cutting yourself is realized, Junie and Shane are banished to the downstairs to find somewhere else to play.

Unfortunatley, more drama insues as Shane and Junie throw a bunch of furniture in the pool. Krzysztof Soszynski, who had enough of Junie's antics that day, decided it would be a good idea to throw Junie's clothes in the pool. As predicted Junie snaps and pushes Krzysztof, Bader, Kyle and everyone else. For the second episode in a row, Junie apologizes and cries.

Dana appears the next day and calls Junie and Nelson's behavior retarded. He gives both a second chance, but tells Nelson that he is fighting next. According to Ryan Bader's blog, he stated that Dana said he wouldn't have cared if Krzysztof or Bader had knocked Junie out. Team Nogeria decides what better than to have Nelson fight one of their top dogs Efrain. Efrain was happy about the fight as Nelson had tried to pick on him the day before.

The fight was a two round affair that saw Efrain doing all the work. The only danger Efrain came in were a couple high kicks that he blocked. Efrain will have to watch his head movement in further fights. Efrain landed some good knees in the clinch. He was able to get a takedown in round one and land a couple strikes.

In the second round Efrain was able to get a takedown and get control. Nelson was able to try to get an ankle lock, and when unsuccessful Nelson ended up in top position. Nelson had to work fast to try to win the round, and after taking some bait from Efrain, ended up in a triangle choke. Efrain worked it over and Nelson tapped.

Afterward, Junie started yelling loudly from outside the cage that the UFC didn't need another boring wrestler. That statement is almost comical as Efrain just finished his opponent with a triangle in the second round. It was a very exciting fight. Nogeria and Efrain implied from inside the cage that Junie is next. Junie in turn jumps over the octogan fence ready to rumble and the episode ends. Talk about a cliffhanger.

*Pic of Efrain found on photobucket

The next episode will feature a guest appearance with Anderson Silva, so don't miss it. He looked to be almost kicking the bags out of guys hands.

Darth Bader Strikes First

The 3rd Episode of Ultimate Fighter debuted on Wednesday. It is the fighters introduction to the house as the previous two episodes featured fighters fighting for their spot in the house

Unfortunately quite a few fighters were injured during the first round of fights to get into the house. I can see how that can happen with wanting to make it in the house, trying to impress the coaches and Dana White, and other factors will lead fighters to go all-out. Karn Grigoryan and Brian McLaughlin had very short stays in the house. Each sustained fractures to the nose which prompted 180 day suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission. In addition, Krzysztof Soszynski noted in his blog that he had injured his hand during the KO of his first round opponent.

In to replace Grigoryan is Kyle Kingsbury, who fought hard in the opening round against one of the front-runners Ryan Bader. Replacing McLaughlin is originally a mystery fighter before Roli Delgado. Both fighters seemed very happy to be back, with Kingsbury sporting a little bit of a black eye.

Next, teams are picked with Mir using his first pick on Soszynski. Nogeria chooses Ryan Bader. Nogeria won the right to choose the first match as Mir got first pick.

Team Mir
205
Krzysztof Soszynski
Vinny Magalhaes
Eliot Marshal
Tom Lawlor

155
Junie Allen Browning
Shane Nelson
David Kaplan
George Roop

Team Nogueira
205
Ryan Bader
Shane Primm
Kyle Kingsbury
Jules Bruchez

155
Phillipe Nover
Efrain Escudero
John Polakowski
Roli Delgado

We got to see a decent amount of training time. Mir introduced Ken Hahn for stand-up and Robert Drysdale for BJJ as his two coaches. Drysdale is world class in his ju-jitsu game as he is a blackbelt and ADCC champ. Mir looked pretty good teaching technique to his fighters. He remarked that fighting is an individual thing, even though you are on a team, you are fighting for yourself.

Nogeria in contrast talks about having respect for the team and coaches. He wants to build team unity, reminding me of Tito Ortiz when he was a coach on TUF 3. Nogeria has dinner with the guys the day before the first fight and they all sit around a table like a big family. Nogeria has Daniel Valverde for his BJJ and a 67 year old maniac Al "Stankie" Stankiewicz.

In the meantime, Junie Browning got pretty drunk and Soszynski and others shrink wrapped Team Nogeria's undies to the diving board. Bader also had some clothes shrink wrapped to his bed.

The first fight is set by Nogeria as Ryan Bader v. Tom Lawlor are set to fight. Each has a pedigree in wrestling, but Bader has the 2X All American thing going for him. Neither fighter has a problem making weight as Lawlor looks to maybe have a little extra weight on him.

The fight starts with brief exchanges of punches. Bader next tried to get a take down and failed. After, Bader was able to get the takedown and was trying to work in some punches and another arm triangle, but Lawlor was able to escape back to his feet.

Lawlor next rushed in on Bader, however that is not a smart thing to do against a wrestler. Bader got the double leg slam take down that took the wind out of Lawlor's sails. Bader landed a couple punches, and then was standing holding one of Lawlor's feet. After an attempted up kick, Bader threw a nasty punch directly to Lawlor's face, knocking him out.

After the victory, Stankie led the cheers and Bader was eventually hoisted on someone's shoulders. Nogeria will be picking the first 155 pound bout next week.

*Picture of Ryan Bader from photobucket

TUF 8 Episode 2

In this episode, the next 8 fighters to enter the house is determined. The episode wastes little time as virtually all we see are the preliminary fights. I was very dissapointed to see the two most experienced 155 pounders fight in the first round. I was also dissapointed to see two of the most experienced 205 pounders fight eachother. Whatever, it is easy to be critical of the UFC.

Westly Murch v. John Polakowski- This was the fight between two interesting characters. Murch is from England making the trip over to represent his country. Polakowski has ADHD and enjoys giving people hugs. After a brief exchange, Murch spent a great deal of time on top of Polakowski. However, Polakowski got in quite a few strikes from the bottom. When they stood up, Murch let loose a snapping low kick, however it was checked by Polakowski. The bell sounded right after that kick and Murch fell to the ground. He was in some serious pain, but came out like a true warrior. However, it didn't take long before he couldn't put any pressure on the leg and went to the ground.

Polakowski, who was very happy wasted no time in giving Big Nog, Dana White and Frank Mir hugs. Frank said that if John was on his team there would have to be a 3 second rule on the hugs.

Sean O'Connell v. Shane Primm- O'Connell spoke about his love of Forrest Griffin and having watched every season of TUF. However, he was simply outmatched by Primm. After taking some knees, O'Connell got a double leg takedown. However he is immediately defending an arm-bar, then a guillitine, then is submitted with a rear naked choke.

Ido Pariente v. Efrain Escudero- This match should have taken place in the semi-finals, not the prelims as these the most experienced of the 155 pounders. Ido was able to get a trip takedown on Efrain, however Efrain soon gets to his feet. Efrain then gets his own takedown and gets Ido's back, securing a rear naked choke victory.

Ryan Lopez v. Tom Lawlor- Lopez is a bounty hunter by day, and fighter by night. While Lopez came out absolutely shredded at 205, he probably should have worked on his technique a little more. Mir talks about how he likes Lopez' raw talent and athletisim. However, this isn't a body building match, it is a fight. Lawlor takes Lopez down, rains down punches and gets a rear naked choke.

Roli Delgado v. George Roop- These two very tall 155 pounders. It was a sloppy fight that was shown pretty in highlight fashion. Roop outworks Delgado and gets the unanimous decision victory.

Ryan Bader v. Kyle Kingsbury- This was a very questionable match-up as they have the 2nd and 3rd highest win totals of any other 205 pounders. Kingsbury was able to get the best of Bader standing landing some punches. However, Bader was able to get some slam takedowns and pushed the pace of the fight. In the second round Bader was able to secure an arm-triangle right before the bell for the submission win. On a side-note, Kingsbury looked good.

Charles Diaz v. Shane Nelson- According to Frank Mir, Diaz was talking a huge game before the fight, hyping himself up. Well, don't believe the hype, as Nelson worked his kicks and overwelmed Diaz taking the unanimous decision.

Eliot Marshall v. Karn Grigoryan- This was actually a pretty entertaining fight, but one in which I thought Marshall should have won in the first two rounds. When there was a third round I was kinda shocked. While in the third, Marshall almost had a triangle, got mount, opened up a cut on Grigoryan, and almost had him finished. By some fluke occurence the judges handed the victory to Grigoriyan. I don't know what they were watchign during the fight, but it wasn't the fight. Those judges have to be reprimanded.

Anyway, it is disclosed that Antwain Britt, who had won in the previous 8 fights, broke his hand and will be out for 6 weeks. That opens the door for Dana to bring back Eliot Marshall. Justice is served I guess.

*On a sidenote- That was one of the worst decisions I have seen in a while. I hope NSAC does something about those judges.

205
Krzysztof Soszynski (15-8, 3-4 IFL)
Ryan Bader (7-0)
Vinicius Magalhaes (2-2)
Eliot Marshall (5-1) replaces Antwain Britt (3-1)
Shane Primm (2-0)
Tom Lawlor (4-1, with DQ loss to Shane Primm)
Jules Bruchez (0-0)
Karn Grigoryan (4-0)

155
Shane Nelson (9-3)
"Junie" Allen Browning (2-0)
Efrain Escudero (10-0)
George Roop (8-3)
Phillipe Nover (5-0)
Brian McLaughlin (5-0, wins in Ring of Combat)
John Polakowski (2-1, all three fights v. Olaf Alfonso, 2 in the WEC)
Dave Kaplan (3-1)

-Looking at those records, I'm sure you can tell why I was a little upset that 205 pounder Kyle Kingsbury at 7-1 didn't get an easier first round fight. Also Ido Pariente at 155 who is 13-4 didn't get an easier fight.

Videos of the Day - Ryan Bader

The first is a highlight video of sorts from TUF 8 participant Ryan Bader. This was from his first six fights, he fought and won once more after this video was made. The second is his "interesting" audition video he made to get on TUF 8. He said it was all a joke.

TUF 8 application video:


Bader and CB in Mexico

TUF 8 Trailer and Cast

*Joe Duarte

Here is the trailer for the next Ultimate Fighter show that debuts September 17th after Ultimate Fight Night 15. The coaches are former HW Champ Frank Mir and current HW Champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Not really sure why they didn't have heavyweights on the show as it is a division the UFC needs to bolster. Plus, the coaches are heavyweights.

The cast will feature a roster of light heavyweights and lightweights. Like last season, there will be 32 fighters coming in with 16 making it into the house. Thankfully, my original rumored contestants were all confirmed, plus I have added those that have popped up on Sports Illustrated.

LHW- * means seen in first episode (W/L next to name)
*Krzysztof Soszynski (15-8, 3-4 IFL W), Ryan Bader (7-0), *Ryan Jimmo (6-1 L), *Lance Evans (2-2 L), *Vinicius Magalhaes (2-2 W), *Antwain Britt (3-1 W), Shane Primm (2-0), Eliot Marshall (5-1), Tom Lawlor (4-1, with DQ loss to Shane Primm), Kyle Kingsbury (7-1), *Jules Bruchez (0-0 W), Karen Grigoryan (4-0), *Jason Guida (23-16 OVERWEIGHT), Ryan Lopez (5-4), *Eric Magee (3-1 L), Sean O'Connell (SI has 1-0, I found 0-1), *Mike Stewart (L)

LW- * means seen in first episode (W/L next to name)
*Joe Duarte (3-0 L), Shane Nelson (9-3), *"Junie" Allen Browning (2-0 W), Efrain Escudero (10-0), George Roop (8-3), Spencer Paige (5-2), *Phillipe Nover (5-0 W), Wesley Murch (3-2), *Jose Aguilar (L), *Fernando Bernstein (2-0 L), Rolando Delgado (7-3), Charles Diaz, *Brandon Garner (4-1 L-NC), *Brian McLaughlin (5-0, wins in Ring of Combat W- NC), Ido Pariente (13-4, 1-1 in K-1 MMA), John Polakowski (2-1, all three fights against Olaf Alfonso, 2 in the WEC), *Dave Kaplan (3-1, W)




^Ryan Bader is pictured above. He is a former 2X All-American wrestler at ASU.