The MMA Report

The MMA Report with Dennis "The Menace" Bermudez

2011-10-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

Bellator BW Tourney: Young Prospects, Decorated Grapplers and Rematches

2011-09-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Bellator’s Season 5 Bantamweight Tournament kicks off this weekend at Bellator 51 in Canton, Ohio. The winner of this stacked eight-man tournament takes home a check for $100,000 and the chance to fight Bellator 135lb Champion Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky (13-2). The tournament is full of young prospects, highly decorated grapplers and plenty of intrigue, as 7 of the 8 fighters have fought either another participant or the current champion.

The night’s main event features Joe Warren (7-1), on his quest to hoard all the gold he can, against undefeated Alexis Vila (9-0). Warren, the current Bellator Featherweight Champion, has been quite vocal about his desire to capture the 135lb title while defending his 145lb title and making a run for a gold medal in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics.

If Warren is in need of some advice about Olympic glory, he’ll have to look no further than across the cage. Vila won a bronze medal in Freestyle Wrestling at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics for his native Cuba.

Vila has fully committed himself to MMA and hooked up with American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL. The best way to describe Vila is powerful. He drives through his takedowns, slams his opponents, throws heavy strikes on the ground and has finished 8 of his 9 opponents. But the 40-year old Vila, who is normally a flyweight, will have a noticeable size disadvantage in the biggest MMA fight of his career.

The match will showcase two truly world-class wrestlers. Warren is a former World Champion and was a frontrunner to make the 2008 US Olympic Team when he tested positive for Marijuana during trials and was suspended for two years. Warren’s takedowns and wild standup have put him into danger in his fights, but they have also secured him several close decisions in his short career.

The second tournament quarterfinal will showcase another highly respected grappler, Brazil’s Wilson Reis (12-3), facing off with one of the best 135lb prospects in the world, Nova Uniao’s Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Dantas (12-2).

After being eliminated in the semi-finals of three Bellator Featherweight tournaments, Reis will take a shot at the bantamweights. His confidence will be bolstered by a 2008 submission victory over current Champion Zach Makovsky.

At the age of 22, Dantas already has 14 professional fights on his resume, and has been a staple of Shooto Brazil cards since his 18^th birthday. That year, Dantas fought five times and stunned the MMA world with a win over Shooto Bantamweight (123lb) Champion ‘BJ’ Kojima in a non-title fight.

Dantas is a high intensity fighter that can be wild and aggressive, but he never gets flustered when he’s hit. ‘Dudu’ has shown the ability to use his reach and long legs to keep opponents outside of striking range, but he rarely sticks to a conservative gameplan for long. He uses plenty of kicks and flying knees because he has a slick submission game and is completely unafraid of fighting from his back.

Dantas will be well advised to keep the fight standing instead of letting Reis get into his comfort zone on the ground. Dantas will also have to adjust to the crowd as he makes his debut on US soil against a seasoned veteran.

Not to be outdone by the highly decorated wrestlers in the main event, two-time Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Marcos Galvao (9-4-1) will take on former WEC Bantamweight Champion Chase Beebe (19-7).

As one of the best grapplers in the world, Galvao entered the MMA scene with plenty of fanfare, but he has struggled to convert his vast skills into submission victories. The Nova Uniao fighter is coming off of a controversial loss to Joe Warren in a catchweight fight. Although Galvao appeared to control the opening round by outwrestling Warren and went on to land several big knees in the second, Galvao managed to lose a unanimous decision that included one 30-27 scorecard.

Beebe was on the rise after defeating Eddie Wineland for the WEC title and then outgrappling ADCC Champion Rani Yahya. But Chase hit a skid that saw him drop 6 of 8 fights, including a fight against Joe Warren in Japan that was stopped due to a cut and an outrageously bad decision against Mike Easton that will go down as one of the worst decisions in MMA history.

Chase, who’s brother appeared on Wednesday night’s TUF season premier, has now won his last 5 fights and hopes to continue his run as he steps back up onto the bigger stage, but he’ll face a much stiffer challenge in Galvao.

The main card will open up with a fight between two of the lesser-known fighters in the tournament. Season three’s bantamweight tournament finalist Ed “Wild” West (16-5) takes his first step towards a rematch with Zach Makovsky by taking on dangerous Brazilian prospect Luis Alberto Nogueira (11-1).

West had a seven-fight win streak snapped in the Makovsky fight. He has found a good balance between his striking and jiu-jitsu but his wrestling is a weakness. West battled hard and showed great conditioning in the five-round title fight, but the former DI wrestler, Makovsky, was able to grind out a clear unanimous decision with repeated takedowns and ground and pound throughout all five rounds.

Nogueira is a luta livre fighter and another veteran of Shooto Brazil. He is on a seven fight win streak that includes a victory over Jerod Spoon that earned him a spot in the tournament. ‘Betao’ is a Brazilian National Wrestling Champion with a solid striking game. He loves to showcase all of his tools, including flying knees, spinning back kicks and bone-crunching leg kicks.

Nogueira may be hoping for some favorable matchmaking that will give him a chance to avenge his lone defeat at the hands of Eduardo Dantas. Nogueira will also have to work hard on his defense to avoid taking as many clean shots as he did in the Spoon fight. West has dangerous submissions and does not fear working from the guard, but he is also willing to stand and trade from both a traditional MMA stance and a karate/TKD style side stance.

This Weekend in MMA (Japanese Edition)

2011-07-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Although it may be a while before any North Americans get to see them, there will be some tremendous fights in Tokyo, Japan this weekend. Here's a look at just a few of these fine matchups.

Dream.17 7/16

Gegard Mousasi (30-3-2) © vs Hiroshi Izumi (4-1)

Dream LHW Championship

Gegard Mousasi is one of three fighters from the April Strikeforce: Daly vs. Diaz card fighting at Dream.17. ‘The Dreamcatcher’ will defend his Dream LHW title for the first time against Japanese Judoka and Olympic hero Hiroshi Izumi.

Mousasi, the former Dream MW and Strikeforce LHW Champion, will look to bounce back from a disappointing majority draw against Keith Jardine by returning to a promotion with which he has had so much success. Including Dynamite!! 2009, Mousasi is 8-0 under the Dream banner. In fact, the 30-3-2 Mousasi has found success all around the world. With 28 finishes to go with multiple kickboxing and amateur boxing wins, he is one of the most dangerous and exciting fighters in the world.

Izumi is just 4-1 in MMA and will be taking a huge step-up in competition. The biggest win of his career came at Dynamite!! 2010 against the much smaller but always game Minowaman. But the 29-year old will have plenty of experience to draw from as the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in Judo. The Tokyo fans will surely be excited for the possibility of Izumi unseating the champ, however small that possibility may be.

Hiroyuki Takaya (15-9-1)© vs Kazuyuki Miyata (11-7)

Dream FW Championship

Hiroyuki Takaya will put his recently captured Dream Featherweight Title on the line against “Little Hercules” Kazuyuki Miyata. Takaya won the belt from Bibiano Fernandes at Dynamite!! 2010 by unanimous decision in a rematch of the FW Grand Prix final.

At 11 wins and 7 losses, Miyata does not bring the most impressive record into the ring, but he has put together a six fight winning streak to earn himself a shot at the title. His last two fights, wins over UFC/Pride veteran Caul Uno and former Shooto champion ‘Lion’ Takeshi, were the most impressive of his career. Miyata is an impressively strong fighter that competed in freestyle wrestling at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Hiroyuki Takaya is another of the Dream fighters coming off of a fight with Strikeforce, and his journey may be the most disappointing of the three. ‘Streetfight Bancho’ saw his record fall to 0-3 on American soil as he dropped a split decision to previously unheralded prospect Roberto Peralta of Honduras.

Takaya is a good technical striker with power in both hands. He used his leg kicks effectively in defeating Fernandes, and he’ll need to use them again to wear down the legs and slow the shot of Miyata. Takaya has been put on his back in multiple fights, but he never stays there long. He is a prototypical Sprawl and Brawler.

The 35-year old Miyata, who speaks English well and has expressed interest in becoming an international star, recently secured a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike and can propel himself to stardom with a win over Takaya. Miyata’s grinding style and international wrestling credentials make him a great fit for the cage and the 10-9 scoring system. Strength will be Little Hercules’s biggest assets as he was able to easily suplex both Takeshi and Uno multiple times, but cardio may be his weakness. Miyata was noticeably tired after his 15-minute fight with Takeshi, even after taking plenty of time to recover from a pair of low blows.

Tatsuya Kawajiri (27-7-2) vs. Drew Fickett (41-14)

“Crusher” Kawajiri is the final of the Strikeforce trio fighting at Dream.17. Kawajiri, a borderline top 10 fighter, will take on UFC and Strikeforce veteran Drew Fickett in a lightweight battle that brings two experienced veterans into the ring.

Former Shooto champion Kawajiri is a powerful wrestler with great control, but he will have his hands full with Fickett’s active ground game. Kawajiri uses his strength well in the stand up game and he is not afraid to trade leather. He proved that by getting into a K-1 superfight with kickboxing great Masato.

Kawajiri’s first fight in the US did not go any better than his fellow Dream fighters. Kawajiri lasted just 3:14 in his LW title fight against world-ranked Gilbert Melendez in a rematch of a 2006 Pride fight. Although he has a tendency to come up short in his biggest fights, Kawajiri has been in the ring with some of the best 155-LB fighters in history including Melendez, Takanori Gomi, Shinya Aoki, Eddie Alvarez and Shaolin Ribeiro.

Fickett (41-14) will hope for better luck than his opponent found on foreign soil as he brings his extensive resume, including 30 submission victories, to Japan for the first time. Fickett began his career back in 1999 at the age of 19 and amassed 12 victories before his 21^st birthday. The submission master was 4-3 in the UFC including landing a last minute desperation knee to the head of Josh Koscheck that lead to Fickett's rear-naked choke victory.

Shooto - Shootor's Legacy 3 7/18

Yasuhiro Urushitani (18-4-6) © Yuki Shojo (11-5-2)

Shooto World Flyweight Title

Japan's top flyweight, Shooto Champion Yasuhiro Urushitani, will attempt to defend his title and avenge his 2008 loss against Yuki Shojo. The champ enters the fight with an 18-4-6 record and has won four straight fights since the Shojo loss.

In their first fight, Urushitani was the superior striker and proved too quick for Shojo in open space. That was until he landed a straight right that dropped Urushitani with less than two minutes remaining in the fight. Shaken by another combination, he dropped for a sloppy takedown and was forced to tap from a guillotine choke.

Urushitani is a supremely accurate striker with tons of speed that he uses to stay out of range. With the confidence to throw a flying knee at any time, he has to fight the urge to be too flashy. It was a spinning back fist that left him exposed to Shojo's right hand.

Shojo is an aggressive fighter with good cardio but he has only fought twice since September 2009. He'll need to be more successful in the clinch this time around if he wants to control the fight this time around.

Rumina “Moon Wolf” Sato (26-14-2) vs. Masakatsu Ueda (12-1-2)

Rumina Sato is a true pioneer of Japanese MMA. He has been fighting Shooto since 1994 and this will be the 17^th year in a row that he has fought. The veteran will face stiff competition in former Shooto Featherweight Champion Masakatsu Ueda.

Ueda is one of the best featherweights in the world with his only loss coming from an amazing Brabo Choke by Shuichiro Katsumura from rubber guard. Ueda has extensive grappling credentials in both Japanese college and Combat Wrestling and has developed a solid technical striking game with excellent kicks. Rumors of Ueda coming to fight in America have persisted but never come to fruition.

Sato is an excellent submission fighter himself, but he is not as dangerous as he once was. Sato started his career by submitting nine of his first eleven opponents and defeated Charles Diaz (11-5) via flying armbar in just 6 seconds. Recently “Moon Wolf” has been reckless in his striking which has lead to some spectacular finishes in his last few fights.

Knothe Off Shark Fights 17 replaced by Doug Williams

2011-07-15T12:03:00.001-07:00

Due to a miscommunication, Karl Knothe (19-6) will not fight former UFC HW Champion Ricco "Suave" Rodriguez (46-11) in tonight's Shark Fights 17 co-Main Event. Knothe claims that he was unaware of the 230-pound catchweight when he weighed in at 253.7 LBs. Knothe will be replaced by Doug Williams (5-12).

Williams was originally scheduled to fight Daniel Almeida.

This Weekend in MMA (American Edition)

2011-07-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

Shark Fights 17: Friday, July 15 - Live on HDNET

Jake Rosholt (11-3-0) vs Matt “Suave” Horwich (27-18-1)

Three-time NCAA National Champion Jake Rosholt will enter his sixth fight of 2011 against Matt “Suave” Horwich in the Main Event of Shark Fights 17. The fight is a rematch of a 190-pound catchweight match that ended in a 3^rd round TKO victory for Horwich, a 10^th Planet Jiu-Jitsu fighter.

Rosholt showcased his strengths throughout the first round with strong takedowns and dealt damage from the top position. Horwich took over the fight after the first with a wide array of ground skills, including sweeps off of his back and submission attempts. Eventually, Horwich was able to take the back of a tired and beaten Rosholt and finished him with strikes from the back in the third.

Few athletes entered the sport of MMA with the build-up of Rosholt. Fresh out of Oklahoma State University, Rosholt joined Team Takedown, an MMA management

company that pays high-level wrestlers to train MMA. Rosholt was put into the spotlight early with portions of his fourth pro fight and the training leading up to it airing on Versus as part of the TapouT show. His fifth fight was on the main card of WEC 36, and amid some talk about a TV clause in his contract Rosholt’s UFC debut at Fight Night 17 aired on SpikeTV.

Traveling a much different path through life, Horwich reached the UFC four months before Rosholt but in his 36^th fight. Both fighters, coincidentally, lost their debuts to Dan Miller. Horwich, also known as “The Fighting Hippy,” is the definition of a journeyman in both his life and career. A reformed addict and self-professed lover of God, The Bible and quantum physics, Horwich has fought in the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce, Bellator, IFL and over a dozen other MMA promotions.

Ricco Suave Rodriguez (46-11-0) vs. Karl Knothe (19-6-0)

Former UFC HW Champion Ricco Rodriguez will fulfill the Suave requirement for the co-Main Event as he takes on Karl Knothe at a 230-pound catchweight. Fighting off the radar, Rodriguez has put together an 11-fight win streak in less than 20 months by taking every fight offered to him. To make that point crystal clear, Ricco is already scheduled to face Seth Petruzelli at Bellator 48 in August.

Karl Knothe will enter the cage sporting a 12-fight win streak that has seen him finish each opponent in the first round. The Minnesota native and former St Cloud State University wrestler boasts a professional record of 19-6, but he told MNMMAnews.com that his true record is 59-6 when including the long list of fights that went unreported. Knothe has a good mix of power in his hands and both the ability and willingness to fight on the ground.

He will need all of those tools to best Ricco Suave. Rodriguez won gold and silver medals at the 1998 ADCC submission fighting championship and took the UFC title from legend Randy Couture in 2002. Since then, Rodriguez has struggled to fit into a proper weight class and has battled addiction to both prescription and illicit drugs. He notably appeared on the first season of VH1’s Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. This will be Ricco’s third straight fight at a catchweight.

MASS – Inauguration 7/16

Jacob “The Hunter” Kirwan (8-2) vs. Jimy “The Kid” Hettes (6-0)

MASS Featherweight Championship

The first ever Martial Arts Super Sport main event will feature two promising American featherweight prospects. Jacob “The Hunter” Kirwan won the Ring of Combat FW Title in February and he’ll have to go through Jimy “The Kid” Hettes if he wants to add another title to his mantle.

UFC matchmaker Joe Silva tapped the undefeated Hettes as a late replacement for Leonard Garcia at The Ultimate Fighter 12 finale, but Hettes was already locked into a fight at Northeast MMA’s Cage Fight 6. A NEPA Gracie fighter, Hettes has submitted all six of his professional opponents and has spent some time training with Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, NM.

If the fight hits the ground, fireworks are sure to follow. Kirwan is a BJJ brown belt under Luke Rinehart and has won five of his eight fights via submission. As a former Maryland high school wrestling champion, Kirwan has a strong grappling pedigree.

The card is being held on July 16^th at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT and will feature Ultimate Fighter veterans Kris “Savage” McCray and Joseph “Leonidas” Henle in separate fights.

Elite-1 MMA – Moncton 7/16

Elite-1 Light Heavyweight Championship

Jeremy “Gumby” Horn (87-21-5) vs Shawn Marchand (8-6)

With 113 fights under his belt, Jeremy Horn is one of the most prolific fighters in MMA history. “Gumby” fought an amazing 21 times in 1999 and has been in the cage with a who’s-who of fighters that include: Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock, Dan Severn, "Minotauro" Nogueira, Chael Sonnen, Ricardo Arona and Matt Lindland.

Horn will add another fight to his resume this weekend when he battles for the Elite-1 Light Heavyweight Championship against Canadian Shawn Marchand. Horn is a dangerous fighter with great submissions and plenty of experience. He is a UFC veteran and former title challenger.

Marchand is a local fighter that has found a home in Elite-1. He also holds the promotion’s Middleweight Title, although he missed the 185 LB mark in his last fight. In that fight, Marchand had a lot of trouble handling the stand-up of fellow Canadian Joe Doerksen and only lasted 43 seconds after eating several head kicks and right hands. With only one fight on his record that went the distance, you can expect this fight to end well before the final bell.

Stann is the man we want our sons to become. Chael Sonnen is a hero that has fallen from grace

2011-07-07T12:22:00.000-07:00

As I sat on my couch on the 4th of July, drinking from a Budweiser can draped in the American flag and watching a man shovel 62 hotdogs into his mouth, I couldn’t help feeling like the personification of everything wrong with America. The Budweiser in my hand, now owned by Belgium based AB-InBev, displayed a false sense of patriotism as I sat motionless reveling in the country’s true national pastime, eating.

American heroes were once heralded for their courage and humility. Now, foul-mouthed celebrities are celebrated and made more famous by every mug shot and inflammatory comment.

Brian Stann is a true American Hero. He is a warrior and an ambassador of martial arts. Stann is the man we want our sons to become. Chael Sonnen is a hero that has fallen from grace. As an aspiring politician, disgraced realtor and felon recently back from a PED suspension, he is a representation of America’s troubled state. And in true WWE fashion good and evil will meet at UFC 136, except this time both men will be draped in the American flag.

Both Stann and Sonnen know full well the responsibility and dedication required to wear the stars and stripes. Stann served in two tours of Iraq and earned a Silver Star for “zealous initiative, courageous actions and exceptional presence of mind." Sonnen, an All-American at the University of Oregon, earned a spot as an alternate on the United States Greco-Roman Wrestling team at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Since entering the spotlight, the two men have followed very different paths towards Houston’s Toyota Center. Dana White describes Stann perfectly. “He is on his way to becoming a superstar," White said. "Not only are his skills getting better, everything that comes out of this kid's mouth is a homerun.”

Sonnen, on the other hand, has taken a Dana-like, pro-wrestling inspired approach to the microphone (Sonnen 3:16 says I just mocked your ass). Whether it’s Lance Armstrong or the entire country of Brazil, nobody is safe from his taunts. Both in person and through the twitter account that he has both promoted and denied the existence of, Sonnen is a lightning rod for controversy.

Through ESPN.co.uk, Sonnen recently said, "Wanderlei tells me that he's going to send me to the dentist… I will cut the power to your house and do a home invasion. You will hear me climbing up the stairs in a pair of night vision goggles I bought in the back of 'Solder of Fortune' magazine. The next thing you'll hear is me picking the lock of your bedroom door and taking a photograph of you in bed with the Nogueira brothers working on your jiu-jitsu.”
What Sonnen failed to mention is that Wanderlei was telling Chael to be more respectful of Brazil and that MMA legend Silva spoke to Chael face-to-face, not behind his back or through the media.

In stark contrast, after his UFC 130 TKO of Jorge Santiago, Stann said, “I’d always love to fight Wanderlei. He’s one of my favorite fighters ever. It would be a dream come true. But, if I never have to fight him, then maybe I can just get a picture with him and an autograph. That would be pretty cool.”

If this were the WWE, the fans in Houston would explode when Stann locked up a submission victory and marched from turnbuckle to turnbuckle waving the flag and leading the fans in the familiar chant of “USA! USA! USA!” But MMA is not fake, and Sonnen is the toughest opponent of Stann’s life. The toughest opponent not firing a gun in his direction.

Bellator Fighting for A Spot on Saturday Night

2011-04-05T17:43:00.000-07:00

With a highlight reel full of devastating knockouts and impressive submissions that seems to grow every week, Bellator Fighting Championships has solidified itself as must-see TV for hardcore MMA fans. And after struggling with a constantly shifting schedule and being preempted by major sports telecasts on Fox Sports, the organization has found a new home on MTV2, but they have not taken the easy route.

Fighting on Saturday Nights is a bold choice made by CEO Bjorn Rebney, as there will be competition from bigger MMA organizations almost every week. Through the first five Bellator events of the season, three have been on the same night as a UFC or Strikeforce card. Bellator drew their best ratings, a combined 471,000 viewers for the live and replay telecasts of Bellator 36, on one of the weeks devoid of competition.

With Bellator's tournament format, the fights will continue to get better and the names will get bigger. Bellator 40-42 feature tournament semi-finals on top of non-title matches for US Olympian Ben Askren (Welterweight) as well as non-title fights for champions Joe Warren (Featherweight), Zach Makovsky (Bantamweight) and Cole Konrad (Heavyweight). Bellator 39 featured the first title defense of Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez.

But the big names and big fights will not guarantee big ratings. The unopposed Bellator 39 drew a combined 263,000 viewers and Bellator 40 will go against a stacked Strikeforce card headlined by title fights featuring Nick Diaz vs Paul Daley and Gilbert Melendez vs Tatsuya Kawajiri.

Increased viewership will come down to how well Bellator can market itself to the casual fan. MTV already features the popular show Bully Beatdown featuring Strikeforce fighter Jason “Mayhem” Miller. But one thing is for sure, the fights cannot get much more exciting. Bellator already has early contenders for KO of the Year with Patricky Pitbull's flying knee and Submission of the Year with Richard Hale's inverted triangle.

35 – 200,000 (127,000) March 5 vs Strikeforce Hendo vs Feijao

36 – 230,000 (241,000) March 12 Unopposed

37 – 173,000 (150,000) March 19 vs UFC 128

38 – 150,000 (90,000) March 26 vs UFC Davis vs Nogueira

39 – 174,000 (89,000) April 2 Unopposed

40 – April 9 vs Strikeforce Daley vs Diaz

41 – April 16 Unopposed

42 – April 23 Unopposed

Who Will Step Up to the Prodigy?

2011-03-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

An injured knee will keep the 23-3-1 Jon Fitch out of the Octagon for UFC 132, but it is unlikely to disappoint fans, many of whom consider Fitch’s conservative wrestling style boring. The February 27th draw with BJ Penn was the ninth straight Fitch fight to go to a decision.

There are several top 10 welterweights eager to replace Fitch and move closer to a shot at the title currently held by George St. Pierre. Based on Sherdog.com and USA Today/SB Nation rankings, the four most deserving candidates are Thiago Alves (18-7), Josh Koscheck (15-5), Carlos Condit (26-5) and Diego Sanchez (23-4).

Alves, ranked #3/4 respectively, is 10-4 in the UFC with wins over Chris Lytle, Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck. “The Pitbull” is a 3x Brazilian State Champion in Muay Thai, where he started training at 15-years old, and a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Alves is a fighter that will pose problems for Penn with his powerful striking and huge weight advantage. Alves has been unable to make the 170 LB weight limit twice in his UFC career and has been suspended for the use of a banned diuretic in another. Penn, the former lightweight and welterweight champion, weighed in at just 169 pounds for his fight with Fitch and his latest battle with Matt Hughes.

Since Alves’ latest weight cutting failure at UFC 117, he has turned nutritional duties over to MMA fighter and nutritionist Mike Dolce.

"The Dolce Diet helped me out a lot," Alves told MMAJunkie.com after UFC 124. "It's not just a diet. It's a life choice. Everything that he tells you, you've got to surround yourself with healthy people that are going to help take you to where you want to get. I always train hard. I've got a great camp with me, but it's pretty much the diet and the life choice that made a huge difference in this fight.”

Although Alves is undoubtedly a bona fide contender at 170, he is just 1-1 since his title fight with George St. Pierre with a loss to Jon Fitch and a victory over John “Doomsday” Howard. Alves is currently scheduled to face Rick Story on the prelims of UFC 130.
When asked about this potential fight in 2009, GSP told MMAFighting.com, "If you put Thiago Alves and BJ Penn in a fight, I would bet all my money on Thiago Alves. No doubt about it."

Josh Koscheck, ranked #5 by both Sherdog and USAToday, is 13-5 in the UFC and a member of the original cast of The Ultimate Fighter. He has big wins over Paul Daley, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Diego Sanchez.

Koscheck was a standout wrestler at Edinboro University, where he was a 4-time All-American and won a National Championship at 174 pounds. Koscheck has been accused of abandoning his wrestling background in favor of a more exciting sprawl-and-brawl style in many of his fights, but has begun to use more of his wrestling in recent fights.

His unanimous decision victory over Daley gave Koscheck an opportunity to face GSP at UFC 124 in Montreal, but Koscheck left the Bell Centre with a loss and a broken orbital bone as souvenirs.

Because of the injury, Koscheck has been unable to train and is unlikely to be ready for a July fight. He told Dana White on a UFC 127 Vlog in February that, “This [right] side of my face has been numb the whole time and my teeth still are numb from the nerve damage. I’ve got like five months probably. So, it kind of sucks, but I’ll be back. I’m going to start riding the bike. I can’t do any running because of the bouncing.”

Carlos "The Natural Born Killer" Condit, #7 on both rankings, is the least known of the four fighters with just four fights in the UFC. Condit was the last welterweight champion of the WEC and holds victories over Rory MacDonald and Dan Hardy. The later of which earned him KO of the Night when Hardy and Condit threw simultaneous left hooks. Condit's was harder and more accurate.

The MacDonald fight also earned Condit Fight of the Night honors. Condit battered MacDonald throughout the third round, but he was on the verge of losing a decision.
During the fight commentary, Joe Rogan said, “If I was in Condit’s corner rather, I’d be telling him ‘You gotta get on top of this kid… You’ve got to try and stop this fight. It’s in his home town and he won the first two rounds.’” Condit finished the fight with ground and pound just ten seconds from the finish.

After hearing about the injury to Fitch, @CarlosCondit tweeted, “It would be an honor to fight a legend like BJ Penn, one of my favorite fighters ever. If the call comes, I would take the fight in a second.”

The final UFC welterweight with a chance to replace Fitch in a title eliminator is the newly renamed Diego “The Dream” Sanchez. He is 12-4 in the UFC, the middleweight winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter and ranked #10/9 in the two rankings.

Sanchez holds wins over Kenny Florian, Paulo Thiago, Martin Kampmann and Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz. He was a New Mexico state wrestling champion in high school, made his MMA debut at the age of 20 and won his first 17 fights.

Sanchez is one of the more eccentric fighters in the UFC, known for screaming yes as he walks to the ring, or does cartwheels, and doing yoga in thunderstorms to harness its energy.
Of the four fighters, Sanchez is the only one who has previously fought Penn. In their LW title fight at UFC 107, Sanchez offered little resistance to Penn and was finished with a head kick that caused a cut stoppage. After the loss, Sanchez returned to welterweight and defeated contenders Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann.

With three months remaining until UFC 132, it would appear that Condit is the fan favorite to take over the spot. Condit is an exciting, well-rounded fighter, who would likely make for a more exciting matchup with Penn than Jon Fitch. The other three fighters have less than two wins since their last chance at a title. But the argument can be made that Condit has faced the easiest competition of the four and holds no wins over a current top 10 welterweight.

WEC 34 Results

2008-06-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

WEC 34
ARCO Arena Sacramento, CA

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Danny “Last Call” Castillo

Donald Cerrone	Danny Castillo
Age: 25	Age: 28
Height: 6'0”	Height: 5'9”
Weight: 155.5Lbs	155 Lbs
Reach: 73”	Reach: 71”
Record: 7-0, 1 NC	Record: 5-0

Round 1:
Castillo comes out fast. Good knee to the chest by Castillo and Cerrone goes down and pulls full guard. From the bottom, Cerrone uses his long legs and pulls for an awkward armbar. Castillo slips and moves parallel to Cerrone, but he keeps the armbar, and the ref stops the fight at 1:30 of the first.

Winner: Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone by armbar 1:30 into the first round.

“Razor” Rob McCullough vs. Kenneth “The Black Ninja” Alexander

Rob McCullough	Kenneth Alexander
Age: 31	Age: 20
Height: 5'8”	Height: 5'9”
Weight: 155.5 Lbs	155.5 Lbs
Reach: 69”	Reach: 72.5”
Record: 15-4	Record: 5-2, 1 NC

Round 1: Both fighters circle for the first minute without throwing a punch and the crowd gets restless. Alexander shoots for a takedown but McCullough sprawls and ends up on top. McCullough brings the fight back to the feet, McCullough lands a knee as they break. Alexander shoots again but can't get the takedown. McCullough blocks a high kick and counters with leg kicks. Both fighters exchange missed high kicks and clinch. They break. Alexander shoots again but is stuffed. McCulough follows with a flying knee that just missed.

10-9 to “Razor” Rob

Round 2: Alexander throws a body kick, gets a body-lock and the takedown. McCullough gets an underhook and stand up right away. McCullough blocks another shot and the fighters exchange a few kicks. McCullough just misses with another flying knee as Alexander goes low. McCullough end up on top but McCullough stands up. Alexander gets a body-lock and a takedown with :15 seconds remaining. Alexander stays on top until the bell.

10-9 Alexander

Round 3: The fighters come out and exchange punches. McCullough throws a low kick and stuffs another takedown. Alexander just misses with a knee and a superman punch. McCullough
follows with a couple of strong body kicks, a low kick, superman punch and a knee. Alexander clinches and pushes McCullough to the cage. Alexander is hit with a low blow knee and the ref breaks them up and gives Alexander time to recover. On the restart, Alexander still cannot take McCullough down and McCullough hits a flying knee to the chest. Alexander clinches but McCullough breaks free. Alexander fails at another shot attempt. McCullough goes for a body kick, Alexander catches it, sweeps the leg and takes top position. McCullough again stands right up. The match ends with three straight failed shots by Alexander

10-9 Alexander
The MMA Report scores the bout 29-28 “Razor” Rob McCullough

Judges score the bout:
30-27 “Razor” Rob
29-28 Alexander
30-27 “Razor” Rob

Winner: “Razor” Rob McCullough by split decision

Mark Munoz vs. “The Reverend” Chuck Grigsby

Mark Munoz	Chuck Grigsby
Age: 30	Age: 35
Height: 6'0”	Height: 6'6”
Weight: 205.5 Lbs	204.5 Lbs
Reach: 71”	Reach: 78”
Record: 3-0	Record: 15-3

Round 1: The fighters circle and Munoz, the former DI National Wrestling Champion, goes for a couple of half-hearted shot attempts. Grigsby sprawls on the second attempt and goes for a front choke. They stand and break. Grigsby lands a good uppercut in a combination. Munoz shoots a single and pushed Grigsby to the cage. Munoz lifts the legs and gets the takedown into side control. Grigsby pushes to guard. Munoz stands and controls Grigsby's legs. Munoz lands a strike on a jumping guard pass and lands in the North-South position. Munoz lands another good strike, stands and ends up at Grigsby's feet again. Munoz throws another good strike from the jumping guard pass and ends up in side control. Grigsby goes for a Kimura but Munoz postures up and lands and elbow. Munoz stands, again throws Grigsby's legs to the side and lands a stiff right, Grigsby goes for a leg lock but his head is flat against the mat. Munoz lands three good strikes to the face and Grigsby goes out 4:15 into the first.

Winner: Mark Munoz by TKO

WEC Bantamweight Title MatchMiguel Angel Torres © vs. Yoshida Maeda

Miguel Torres	Yoshida Maeda
Age: 27	Age: 26
Height: 5'9”	Height: 5'7”
Weight: 135 Lbs	135 Lbs
Reach: 76”	Reach: 68”
Record: 33-1	Record: 23-4-2

Round 1: Fighters circle. Torres throws a leg kick. Maeda catches the kick and pushed Torres to the mat. Torres stands and the fighters clinch. Torres throws a knee, breaks and throws a kick and slips to the mat. The fighter scramble and Torres goes for an omaplata. Torres loses the shoulder and Maeda slips out and the fighters stand. Maeda misses a high kick and Torres throws a low kick high kick combination. Again a low kick, high kick this time followed by a knee from Torres. Maeda throws a superman punch and the fighters exchange knees and go to the ground with Maeda on top in half-guard. They stand and Maeda throws a high kick and a front kick. They clinch and exchange knees. Maeda throws left and right body kicks as the round ends.

10-9 Maeda

Round 2: Maeda throws a right low kick and a left hook. Torres was off balanced and goes to the ground but Maeda lets him up. Torres thrown a left and right low kick and again slips to the ground. Torres lands a good up kick to the face of Maeda and Torres stands up. Torres throws a combo and grazes with a high kick. The two exchange kicks and Torres throws a low kick, 2 body kicks, misses with a high kick and follows with a right body kick. Maeda looks tired and momentarily drops his hands for the second time in the fight. Torres throws a combo, followed by a knee, Torres slips and the fighters end up back on the ground. Maeda goes for a heel hook and an ankle lock. Both men attempt toe holds and exchange heel kicks. Torres takes the top but is swept but he throws a short back elbow. Torres tries a weak triangle and the fighters stand up. Torres goes for what looks like a weak guillotine, but Torres uses it to bring Maeda down and take the mount. Torres throws elbows, Maeda rolls and Torres takes the back. Torres rotates and ends the round throwing heel kicks to the back of Maeda. Maeda's right eye is swelling up.

10-9 Torres

Round 3: Torres is the aggressor early and lands a good knee and throws combos with his hands. They clinch and Torres throws another knee. Maeda lands an overhand left and Torres responds with a good combo leading with the left to Maeda's swollen eye. Maeda slips a punch and take Torres down. Commentator Frank Mir mentions a Torres “reach around.” Maeda can't do anything on top and they stand up. Maeda's eye is really closing up. Torres lands a right body kick and two more left jabs. Maeda is holding his swollen right eye but is saved from more punishment by the round. Referee Herb Dean is taking a close look at the eye of Maeda.

10-9 Torres

Mid-round the Doctor stops the fight. Maeda's right eye is completely closed.

Winner: Miguel Torres by Doctor Stoppage after round 3 to retain the WEC Bantamweight Title.

WEC Featherweight Championship match
“The California Kid” Urijah Faber © vs. Jens “Little Evil” Pulver

Urijah Faber	Jens Pulver
Age: 29	Age: 33
Height: 5'6”	Height: 5'7”
Weight: 144.5 Lbs	155 Lbs
Reach: 69”	Reach: 70”
Record: 19-1	Record: 22-8-1

Round 1: Urijah Faber lands the first punch with a very good overhand right. Faber throws a high kick, another right hand and the fighters exchange knees. Faber with an upper-cut, another overhand right and three straight rights. They clinch and Faber throws a knee, separates for a kick and slips to the ground. Pulver is in Faber's guard. Faber holds tight, Pulver stands and receives an up-kick and Faber stands. Pulver gets poked in the eye and the fight is paused foe a brief moment. They restart and Pulver lands an upper-cut in the clinch. Faber throws the right and Pulver lands a knee. They clinch and exchange more knees. Faber fires off a combo followed by a high kick and a counter left. Faber kicks and missed and exposes his back. Pulver grabs Faber from behind but the fighters break apart and Faber throws a back fist. Pulver lands a left-right combo. Faber continues to lead with the right as the bell sounds.

10-9 Faber

Round 2: The round starts off with an early kick that lands low on Jens Pulver. After a short stoppage, Faber continues to work the lead right and uses it to set up a takedown against the cage. Faber pulls into Pulver's full guard and lands a strong elbow but Pulver is able to scramble and stand. A left hook by Faber puts Pulver down and Pulver looks rocked and grabs for a leg. Faber continues to rain down shots on Pulver, and lands a left upper-cut. Faber throws a left but is hit flush with a left from Pulver and looks hurt. Faber shoots the single and gets another takedown, but the fighters end up in a wrestling start with Pulver on top going for the choke. Faber is able to stand and switched to Pulver's back. They break and exchange combos with Faber landing another overhand right.

10-9 Faber

Round 3: Pulver lands the first big strike of the round with a body kick. Faber responds with a combo and finished with his own body kick. Faber shoots again and is stuffed by Faber. Faber stand, switches and takes Pulver's back. Faber launches Pulver for a suplex but Pulver is able to post and avoid major damage and get back to his feet. Faber throws the straight right and a left upper-cut. Faber fakes the shot and throws another right left combo, but Pulver catches Faber with an upper-cut of his own. Pulver throws a left body kick which looks to hurt Faber, who begins to walk away from Pulver. Faber gets back into the pocket and throws a series of body kicks and shoots again but ends up on the bottom in half-guard. Pulver throws elbows but is swept and ends up in Pulver's half-guard. Faber throws a right elbow followed by a left. Pulver is able to hip out into a right butterfly guard. After inactivity, the ref stands the fighters who are both slow to restart. Each fighter throws a kick and the round ends.

10-9 Faber

Round 4: Faber shoots in and eats a big left from Pulver. Faber lands a right upper-cut. Faber throws a left body kick and an overhand right. Faber doubles up on the left jab and follows with two more weaker jabs. Pulver throws a combo and Faber counters with another straight right. Faber clinches and sweeps the leg for the takedown and lands in Pulver's full-guard. Faber uses his elbows to Ground and Pound. Pulver is hurt by a big right elbow. Pulver's face is beginning to swell up around the right eye. The round ends with Faber on top, throwing elbows.

10-9 Faber

Round 5: Faber shoots but is stuffed. A left cross hurts Pulver. Pulver throws a good left hook and stuffs another shot by Faber and Pulver throws a few good lefts. Faber responds with a good knee. Pulver gets a bodylock and attempts to throw Faber, but Faber lands on top. Faber smothers Pulver for the rest of the round and throws up the Hang-Loose sign with the fight coming to a decisive end.

10-9 Faber
The MMA Report scores the fight 50-45 Faber.

Judges score the bout:
50-45 Faber
50-44 Faber
50-44 Faber

Winner: Urijah Faber by unanimous decision to retain the WEC Featherweight Title.

Opinion on Kimbo vs. Thompson

2008-06-01T16:11:00.000-07:00

MMA made its Network TV debut on CBS with the highly publicized Elite XC: Saturday Night Fights. The debut marked a major stepping stone for the movement of MMA from the underground to mainstream, but many longtime MMA fans were disappointed by the overall production.

The main event, a high profile affair between two mid tier heavyweights, featured street brawler Kimbo Slice and British HW James Thompson. The fight showed how far Kimbo has to go before his martial arts talent imathced his media hype.

Thompson had no intention of standing with Kimbo, and repeatedly attempted sloppy takedowns. Once on the ground, Thompson was able to easily pass Kimbo's guard,. but unable to keep himself in dominant positions. Thompson managed to be swept while holding Kimbo in a scarf hold.

When the fight was on the feet, Kimbo was clearly the aggressor and landed the best strikes of the fight. Thompson was rocked several times, but he was easily able to take the fight to the ground when necessary.

Both fighters showed poor conditioning. Both were dead tired before the end of the second round. The round ended with Thompson in a dominant position, but "The Colossus" was only able to muster weak punches and elbows, and allowed Kimbo to last through the round.

The third round was brief. Thompson was too tired to shoot for a takedown, and received several big shots. One shot ruptured Thompson's terrible left cauliflower ear, which commentator Gus Johnson repeatedly referred to as an "alien life-form." The fight was called to a controversial stoppage 38 seconds into the round.

The fight was the equivalent of the NHL having a pee-wee hockey game on NBC to bring hockey fans back after the work stoppage. Both fighter showed poor wrestling and ground skills and the stoppage was questionable. James Thompson showed no boxing ability, but was saved most of the fight by his historically weak chin.

This fight makes it clear that Kimbo is not ready for the spotlight that he has been pushed into. At the post-fight press conference, Brett "Grim" Rogers, who won his fight over Jon Murphy by TKO earlier on the card, said it best by calling the fight "garbage." Kimbo and Rogers followed with a brief confrontation that may haunt Elite XC President Gary Shaw's dreams. Rogers and Kimbo will both push for a match, and Rogers will be a strong favorite to smash the media aura of the undefeated Kimbo Slice.

My overall grades on the fight:

Striking: Kimbo B, Thompson F
Wrestling: Kimbo F, Thompson D
BJJ: Kimbo F, Thomspon F
Conditioning: Kimbo D, Thompson D
Overall Fight: D

MMA Live

2008-05-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

New episode of MMA Live, every Thursday at 6PM

Great to see MMA on ESPN, even if it is only on the internet.

Preview: WEC 34 Faber vs. Pulver

2008-05-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

When WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber steps into the cage on June 1^st, ARCO Arena will be shaking from the cheers of his faithful hometown fans. But when the cage door closes, the only person Faber will have on his mind will be former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens “Little Evil” Pulver.

Before the fight, months worth of training will flash through each competitor's mind. When the bell rings, both warriors will push it all aside and look to end the fight right away. “There's no way this fight is going five rounds,” Pulver said. Nobody knows how long the fight will last, but every fan knows that it will be exciting while it does. “I think everybody has it right, there's no way it goes out of the first round.”

“It's gonna look like a tornado,” said Faber, who will come into the fight with a 20-1 record and a twelve fight win streak. He has watched Pulver's fights since Little Evil's earliest days in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. “I've always dreamt of fighting him, before I even knew I was going to be a fighter,” Pulver said. “I've been training for this fight my whole life. Going into high school and college.”

Coming from Isla Vista, California, and wrestling at UC Davis, the Sacramento crowd will heavily favor “The California Kid.” And Faber fits in perfectly in SoCal with his clean cut looks and flowing blond hair, but after watching him in the cage it is clear where the 145 LB champion is most at home. “Jens needs to be a little fearful of the ground game,” Faber said, “When it goes to the ground that's going to be my world.”

Over the course of 33 years, many things have been said about Jens Pulver, fearful has never been one of them. “I'm not running from anyone,” said Pulver, a nine year veteran of professional MMA. Pulver grew up in an amazingly different world than the sunny surf and holistic healing that nurtured Faber. Pulver grew up in what he called a “daily hell” under his father, and professional jockey, Jens Pulver Sr. in Maple Valley, Washington.

With anger and rage building up within him, Pulver managed to focus much of it into his wrestling. Fighting to become a state champion for Tahoma High School and an All-American at Highline Community College led Pulver to a college scholarship at Boise State University. But when a wrist injury ended his wrestling career, Pulver began to concentrate on MMA.

But as different as their two lives have been, their paths will meet in the cage with the WEC Featherweight Title between them. “It's going to be a great win under my belt,” Faber says. At his Roseville, CA gym, Faber has been training at a feverish pace with world class kickboxing champion Dave Marinoble and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion Cassio Werneck.

“I'm prepared to do anything to win this fight,” said Faber who has traveled the world in preparation for this fight. Faber went as far as Hilo, Hawaii to train his ground game with the last man to beat Pulver, UFC Lightweight Champion BJ “The Prodigy” Penn.

The ground may be where Faber feels comfortable, but Pulver doesn't plan on letting the fight get that far. “If I land my shots, fight's over,” Pulver said, “At 145 pounds, you know I've got nine fights, eight knock outs.” And even BJ Penn knows about the dynamite that Pulver packs in his left hand. Penn once made the mistake of trying to take the UFC Lightweight Title from Jens Pulver, and Little Evil handed BJ his first defeat, and his only one at 155 pounds to date.

“I can go in there and do one of two things,” Pulver said, “I can make some fans happy or I can rain on everyone's parade...They're going to be pissed off when it's over because I'm going to bring the belt home.” Pulver pulled off a similar feet in the backyard of his last opponent, Cub Swanson, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Pulver even showed a second side of himself, submitting Swanson with an Anaconda choke just 35 seconds into round 1.

But Faber is confident enough in his own skills to take on Pulver. “He's a legend in the sport, already,” Faber said, “I'm the number one fighter in the world at my weight class.” And after his recent submission victory over Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Jeff Curran, there aren't many who can deny it. “It's my belt!”

The fireworks are set to explode both in the arena and in the cage. Where most boxing fans wait for the explosive KOs that come from the heavyweight division, MMA fans know that the real excitement comes from the lower weight classes found in the WEC. “We go all day, and that's the way we're supposed to do it,” Pulver said, “Slapping titties and bear hugging, that's for heavyweights...You don't want to miss this.”

EliteXC : Primetime Card

2008-05-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

EliteXC: Primetime on CBS (undercard on CBSsports.com and Proelite.com)
5/31/2008 from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ

Undercard:
Joe Sampieri vs. Mike Groves
Zach Makovsky vs. Andre "Gigetto" Soares
James "Blinky" Jones vs. Calvin Kattar
Justin Robbins vs. Wilson Reis
Nick "The Mad Monkey" Serra vs. Matt Makowski
Chris Liguori vs. Jim Bova
Carlton Haselrig vs. Carlos Moreno

Main Card:
Brett "The Grim Reaper" Rogers vs. Jon "The Sherpa" Murphy
"The NY Bad Ass" Phil Baroni vs. Joey "Dream Smasher" Villaseñor
Gina "Crush" Carano vs. Kaitlin Young

Middleweight Championship:
"Ruthless" Robbie Lawler(c) vs. Scott "Hands of Steel" Smith

Main Event:
Kimbo Slice vs. James "The Colossus" Thompson

The Report Writer Rumble I

2008-05-27T19:18:00.001-07:00

The MMA Report Wrap-Up

Welcome to The MMA Report's first discussion. Our first debate comes on the heels of UFC 84: Ill Will and will take on the UFC LW Championship battle between Sean Sherk and BJ Penn.

For our first debate we are bringing in two people who will be mainstays at The MMA Report, Daniel Holzhauer and Michael Price II. If you would like to take part in one of our discussions, or want to send in an idea for the site, contact us at theMMAreport@gmail.com.

Dan, you're first.

Round 1:

Dan: According to the UFC, this fight was to determine the greatest lightweight in MMA history, but what we really saw was how much better BJ Penn is than the rest of the UFC LW division. BJ is so much better than everyone in the division that he doesn't even want to stay in it, and I don't blame him. I know that anything can happen in MMA, but BJ Penn is not losing to Kenny Florian, who was dominated by Sherk, Roger Huerta, Tyson Griffin or any of the young, inexperienced lightweights in the UFC. If the UFC really wants to showcase the 155-pound division, they can't have just one top 5 fighter.

Michael: You're insane! The 155 pound division is stacked with talent. Besides the guys you mentioned, there is Frankie Edgar, Clay Guida, Nate Diaz, Manny Gamburyan, Gray Maynard, Joe Stevenson and several other balanced LW fighters who can challenge BJ over the next two years.

Round 2:

Dan: And we saw the best of that entire bunch, Sean Sherk, get bruised and battered by BJ Penn's stand-up. We watched a supposed “world class” wrestler be too scared to fight BJ Penn on the ground. With Takanori Gomi, Shinya Aoki, Gilbert Melendez and Tatsuya Kawajiri fighting outside the UFC, there is nobody at 155 with the skills to even phase BJ Penn.

Michael: So then where does BJ go? The UFC is not going to co-promote with DREAM or Sengoku World Victory Road, and BJ doesn't deserve another fight with George St. Pierre. GSP showed who the better fighter was in their first fight. If BJ wants to move up to welterweight, he has to to earn a title shot like everyone else. The 170 LB division has a lot of talent who have been working for a title shot. Why should BJ Penn just step in for another shot at the WW title? He lost his way into his previous title shot. Let him fight Matt Hughes again if he wants to move up.

Round 3:

Dan: Are you kidding? There are so many things wrong with your post, I don't know where to start. GSP won a split decision victory over out-of-shape BJ Penn. GSP won by the slimmest of margins and he was the fighter in the hospital after the fight. BJ “The Prodigy” Penn is a former Champion at 170. After Jon Fitch, nobody at WW has a chance against GSP. Hughes was dominated, Koscheck was out-wrestled, Karo got blanked 3 rounds to none and Serra was beaten down. Even GSP knows that BJ Penn is his toughest challenge. This is a true “superfight.” Five Rounds to determine the second best P4P fighter in the world, and the winner gets Anderson Silva.

Michael, you get the last word.

Michael: BJ Penn is the most overrated fighter ever. If he wants to be remembered as the greatest ever, he needs to find his place. Is he 155 Lbs, 170 Lbs or 185 Lbs? The 155 pound division is the future of the UFC, in fact it is the future of all MMA. If Penn keeps winning, the challengers will come calling. You know Gomi wants to avenge his defeat at the hands of Penn, and you know the winner of the LW DREAM tournament will want to fight the best in the world. And you know American born Gilbert “El Niño” Melendez will find his way to the UFC. The best BJ is a 155 pound BJ.

UFC 84 Quick Recap

2008-05-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

UFC 84: Ill Will

Quick Recap:

Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch

In the first fight of the night, UFC Heavyweight newcomer Shane Carwin (9-0) defeated UFC veteran Christian Wellisch (8-4) via KO 44 seconds into the first round. The impressive Carwin has finished each of his 9 opponents in the first round.

Jason Tan vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Korean Dong Hyun Kim (10-1-1) came into his UFC debut 10-0-1 in his last eleven fights. Kim quickly took the action to England born Jason Tan (5-3). Kim used an array of skills, including several beautiful Judo Throws to control the fight from the start. In the third round, Kim followed a hip throw with brutal elbows from the ground and pound position to finish the fight 25 seconds into the third round.

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Jon Koppenhaver

Japanese “Zenko” Yoshida (10-2), also making his UFC debut, made quick work of former The Ultimate Fighter contestant Jon “War Machine” Koppenhaver (5-2-0). Yoshida quickly used a judo throw from the clinch and caught War Machine in a guillotine on the scramble. Yoshida transitioned to an Anaconda Choke and finished the fight 56 seconds into the first. The choke came so quickly that Koppenhaver didn't have time to tap. Referee Herb Dean did a good job recognizing that Koppenhaver was out and ended the match swiftly.

Rich Clementi vs. Terry Etim

In one of only two matches on the card to go to a decision, former star of The Ultimate Fighter: The Comeback, Rich Clementi (32-12) won a unanimous decision over Liverpool's Terry Etim (10-2). Clementi spent most of the match inside of Etim's guard, almost succumbing to a Guillotine Choke in the second. But Clementi's ground game was too much for Etim, and he took the decision 29-28 on a three judge's cards.

Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura

In a battle between two contenders, and former Pride FC fighters, on the fringes of the UFC Light Heavyweight division, “The African Assassin” Sokoudjou (5-2) stopped Japan's Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8). Sokoudjou landed a stiff straight right that collapsed Nakamura just before the bell in the first round. In a scene reminiscent of “Cro Cop” vs Gonzaga, Nakamura caught his ankle and knee under him as he fell and was unable to answer the bell for the second round.

Ivan Salaverry vs. Rousimar Palhares

Middleweight Rousimar Palhares (8-1) thrilled the crowd in his UFC debut with a quick submission victory over UFC veteran, and Pankration fighter, Ivan Salaverry (12-7). Palhares took Salaverry down early in the first round and transitioned to the mount and eventually took Salaverry's back. Palhares fought for the rear naked choke and forced Salaverry to try and turn in and escape. Palhares quickly locked up Salaverry's arm for an arm bar to end the fight 2:36 into the first.

Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes

Undefeated Brazilian Thiago Silva (13-0) made quick work of another UFC newcomer and countryman Antonio “Samuray” Mendes (14-2). Mendes stunned Silva with an early left head kick. Later in round 1, Mendes failed an attempted judo throw and ended up on the bottom. Silva quickly took the mount and forced Mendes to Tapout from strikes at 2:24 of the first.

Tito Ortiz vs. Lyoto Machida

Rising through the ranks of the UFC LHW division, Lyoto Machida (13-0) marked another notch on his belt against former UFC Champion, and MMA legend, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6). Machida used his Karate influenced style to pick and choose his strikes while backing out of Ortiz's range. A frustrated Ortiz was unable to push the pace and eventually caught a strong knee to the body from Machida in the third. With the fight finally on the ground, Machida barely escaped both a triangle choke and an arm bar from inside Ortiz's guard. After three rounds, Machida took the unanimous decision 30-27 on all three scorecards.

Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic

Undefeated Croatian BJJ artist Goran Reljic (8-0) made his UFC debut against Brazilian Wilson Gouveia (10-5) in the most back and forth fight of the night. Reljic controlled the first round, landing punches and kicks, until Gouveia nailed Reljic with a strong right to the body. Gouveia took control of the final moments of the round, but Reljic jumped guard and persevered. Reljic was again floored by a combo from Gouveia to start the second, but Reljic eventually gained his feet and floored Gouveia with a left. Reljic pounced and Herb Dean stepped in at 3:15 of the second.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Keith Jardine

On a three fight losing streak, nobody was more determined to win at UFC 84 than “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1). And Silva showed the shocked crowd why he earned his nickname with a 36 second KO of “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine” (13-4-1). Silva caught Jardine with a right hook to the top of the head and followed with a barrage of punches that floored Jardine. Silva did not stop his striking. He caught Jardine with one hand around the throat and Knocked-Out Jardine.

UFC LW Championship:

In the highly anticipated Lightweight Championship fight, Champion BJ Penn (13-4-1) out struck former champion Sean Sherk (32-3-1), and won the fight via TKO after three rounds. The two fighters boxed for three rounds inside the Octagon. Penn cut and bruised Sherk's face with a conga line of jabs. Sherk's crisp combos could not connect enough to phase Penn. With time running out in the third, Sherk was backed into the cage by an uppercut. Sherk went low and caught a flying knee/thigh to the face. Penn followed up with strikes and sent Sherk flat to the mat. Penn continued to work through the bell. The fight was stopped before round four, and BJ Penn defended his 155-pound title.

UFC 84: Ill Will Card

2008-05-27T16:58:00.000-07:00