Just a handful of the notable names listed on the main card are Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Anthony Pettis, Ryan Bader, Yoshihiro Akiyamo, Mark Hunt, Tim Boestsch, & Yushin Okami. The headline fight is in defense of the Lightweight belt for Frankie Edgar as he faces Benson Henderson in the five round bout. Many pros pick Edgar with the win, the majority says via decision. The champ has been questioned about the size difference between he & his opponent, but he is not worried about it. Frankie has been at a size “disadvantage” against Maynard & Penn by at least two inches in height or more, but he has retained his title. Henderson is hungry for the title & ready for the fight. Benson is quoted on his UFC fighter profile noting that Edgar is “a great champion…He beat the greatest lightweight champion of all time, not once but twice. [Benson] feels like [Edgar] really is the most underrated UFC champion there is. It’s going to be an honor taking the belt from such an amazing fighter and established champion.” Both fighters have good cardio & will no doubt be able to withstand the five round battle. This will be Henderson’s first overseas fight & only his second title match, whereas Edgar’s first victory for the UFC lightweight belt was in Abu Dhabi & has defended his title three times since. Do you think Henderson will get “stage fright” this weekend in Japan or will he be able to showcase his talents & claim the belt? How do you think this weekend’s card will play out?

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This week is promising to be a very exciting week for North Texas fight fans! Wednesday February 15 is the kick off night for UFC on Fuel TV with an impressive card. The headline fight is Jake Ellenberger vs. Diego Sanchez.

Ellenberger is a Nebraska native, returning to fight Sanchez in front of local family, friends, & fans. In September 2009, Jake got his first shot in the UFC when he lost to the newly named UFC interim welterweight champ, Carlos Condit. Ellenberger has a strong wrestling past & is studying BJJ. Diego “The Dream” Sanchez is expecting a “war” in his fight against Ellenberger & that’s why he signed up! Sanchez is a black belt in Gaidojutsu; a martial art founded by Greg Jackson, which combines wrestling & kickboxing basics with judo locks. Diego trains at Jackson’s school in NM with the likes of the undisputed UFC welter champ (GSP) & the interim champ (Condit). This match up should prove to be an entertaining battle between Ellenberger & Sanchez. Tune in to Fuel TV Wednesday night!

A few days after the fights in Nebraska on February 18th right here in North Texas, the Xtreme Knockout will kick off its 2012 season with the XKO 14 live in Arlington! If you can’t make it out to Arlington for the fights, they will broadcast live on TXA 21 at 9pm. For all local MMA fans this is an exciting & promising event! The main event on the card is Ciprian Hangan vs. Jay Jay Sanchez. Hangan holds the honors of 2011 XKO “Knockout of the Year” with 2 devastating knockouts in his last 2 XKO appearances. Both Ciprian & Jay Jay are fast rising XKO stars & their match up is highly anticipated by XKO fans! With other local favorites like Donnie Bell, Keith Miner, Brad Cox, Hayward “The Hybrid” Charles, Burt McDonald & more- every viewer is sure to find someone to “fight” alongside during the event. If you’re looking for something to do this Saturday night & a local/live broad cast fight sounds like a good idea, come join DOM as we watch the fighters battle it out! For more info on the XKO 14 event go to www.xtremeknockout.com & we hope to see you out in Arlington this weekend! (or better yet- just tune in to TXA 21 at 8pm!)

Ben has a highly regarded wrestling background, having made a name for himself as a former US Olympian. Askren is entering into this Canadian hosted bout with a blemish free record. With Ben’s reputation as one of the greatest wrestler’s of the MMA world, Douglas has been focusing on his wrestling in prep for the fight. Lima has a reputation for delivering powerful punches & finishing his fights well.  Douglas & his brother Dhiego, an up & coming MMA fighter, train together out of Atlanta. Lima has a strong support through his family, gym & training team. I’m excited to watch as Douglas Lima steps into the ring with the current champ; Douglas has everything to gain in this fight & I know that he will make this an unforgettable match up! Tune in April 6, 2012 to MTV2 for the LIVE Bellator Welterweight World Championship battle hosted by Caesar’s Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

At this past Saturday’s bout in Las Vegas, UFC president Dana White confirmed that the rematch between Chael Sonnen & Anderson Silva was set to occur. White, during the post-fight press conference, said that an agreement with Silva was reached during the event. Final agreements are currently being negotiated, but the fight is said to take place on a yet-to-be-determined day in June in San Paulo, Brazil.  While Sonnen has had a hard time keeping his mouth shut about the potential rematch & his opinions of a need for one; Silva has remained fairly quiet, letting his win do the talking. Other potential names on the card in Brazil include Vitor Belfort vs Wanderlei Silva (the final bout between the first-ever TUF: Brazil tournament coaches & finalists.)  As the UFC in San Paulo event gets all the details ironed out & in these months leading up to the fight, no doubt the mudslinging between the bitter rivalries of Sonnen & Silva will escalate. The battle in June is sure to be a great one to watch!

This is our first time in the Centennial state & we are excited to bring our innovative gi’s & popular fight gear to the area! If you are in Denver this weekend, come out to the Tournament of Champions 10 sponsored by Fight to Win. Stop by Saturday February 11th to the National Western Complex to watch some BJJ & get your Dom Fight Gear straight from the source!

The season 5 Featherweight Tournament winner, Pat Curran, is one fight away from his first world title. Curran is set to fight “The Baddest Man on the Planet” Joe Warren on March 9, 2012. Warren, the current Featherweight Champion, will fight to defend his title against the “hometown” favorite. Curran is sure to have the crowd support with his hometown less than 2 hours from Hammond. While Curran may have an immense desire to earn his first title, Warren has the repertoire & experience to crush any extra confidence Curran’s fan support may bring at the match. Be sure to check it out on March 9, 2012 at 7 p.m. CT on MTV2 or live streamed starting at 6 p.m. on spike.com!

SOPA, PIPA, White & Anonymous…is this a futile battle?

I don’t know how wise it may be to fully support a bill or any legislation that you only partially care about, but that is what Dana White has chosen to do with SOPA/PIPA. A large portion of potential revenue is lost every day due to fights being pirated & White has every reason to want the stealing to be stopped. Unfortunately, regarding his decision to support the controversial bill, the UFC president had some not-so-pleasant response on the UFC website. @Youranonnews members hacked the UFC site in retaliation to White’s support of the government’s bill to stop more of his fights being stolen. The twitter feud that unfolded is somewhat ridiculous to me. One punch after another is thrown, both fighters are sloppy; the whole thing seems petty. While both sides make some valid arguments, you can’t help but get irritated that innocent bystanders got “hit with some mud” as it has continued to be thrown. From the CA officer who had his words twisted to the multiple people who were affected by the ‘Dana White personal info leak’ debacle, it’s been pathetic. I think this battle has made both sides look a little less respectable. (Although, Dana did go & personally apologize to one of the women affected by the personal info leak…I definitely give him props for that one!) I’ll be glad when this drama passes, how about you?