Chris got the takedown early on Manny against the cage after trading light jabs. Christ pinned Manny’s arm down with his knee and began to tee off, giving him the obvious advantage in round number one. Manny is able to keep Chris from attaining the rear naked choke, but was really just allowing himself to be dragged around the ring. Manny almost used the cage to push himself over Chris’ back, but was unable to finish this move. This was a total domination for Chris. He was being very effective at keeping Manny on the ground. Chris got the full mount and Manny moved around and exposed his back. Manny did a decent job of avoiding another rear naked choke. Chris was looking a little gassed and his attempts at submission did not come to fruition. Manny stood himself back up and the two started swinging. He looked completely exhausted. Chris was finally able to get his rear naked choke after taking Manny down one last time. Winner at 4:51 by submission, Chris McCray.

Fight #2 Levon “The Main Man” Maynard (Global Martial Arts Academy) vs. Kyle “The Alleycat” Baker (MMA Institute)

Kyle started using obvious Muay Thai clinching. Maynard threw the first knee in the clinch. Kyle landed a huge right knee as the two remained in the clinch, bouncing off the cage walls. Mynard’s knees were looking a little weak as the round progressed, neither man wanting to exit the clinch. Maynard apparently had enough and separated himself from the Muay Thai specialist. Kyle showed nice form in his Muay Thai, slipping some quick elbows and good body shots. At the same time they both just seemed to put their hands down away from each other. It became a striking match where Maynard landed a strong right cross. Maynard’s form got a little sloppy once he started getting confident, and Kyle made sure he paid for it. Round ended after a few well placed shots from Maynard. Maynard was showing good timing at the beginning of round two before Kyle took him down. After a few ground and pound shots Maynard was able to stand it back up, but not without taking a hard jab. Kyle half landed an overhand right before clinching up and landing another big knee. Inside the clinch Kyle was able to land combo after combo, finally wearing Maynard out and nearly knocking him out where he stood. Mario Yamasaki called the fight at 2:57 of the second round, winner by TKO, Kyle Baker.

Fight #3 Iman “Mannie” Achhal (Capital BJJ) vs. Felice “Lil’ Bulldog” Herrig (H.I.T. Squad)

Iman got the bear hug in deep right from the start. It looked as if she’s going for a body slam of some kind, but to no avail. Iman began to work the leg with her knees. Felice could not seem to get out of that bear hug. Iman got the takedown, although sloppily, and was able to almost get a nasty looking guillotine choke on Felice. Iman was like a tick, not letting go once she got those hooks in. Felice began to start showing some striking prowess before getting locked up in the clinch again. A bit of a weak start to the match. Felice began round two with a flurry of fists and legs, able to catch Iman a bit off her guard. Once again they ended up back in the clinch, Felice trying to swing some kind of offense through Iman’s hooks, and Iman unwilling to engage in a striking game. Finally Iman was able to secure a huge takedown, but was unable to capitalize, allowing Felice to right herself on her feet. Felice reared back and landed a huge front kick into Iman’s stomach. The following combination was enough to swell Iman’s eye nearly shut. While back in the clinch, both fighters were looking spent and ended round two by trading knees. Within the first few seconds of round three, Felice landed a gorgeous left hook, giving her the clear advantage, and making Iman clinch her up for protection. Iman, after a lengthy clinch, was able to take Felice to the ground, and after a bit of work, was able to take full mount. A failed rear naked choke later, Felice stood herself back up as the audience went nuts. Iman scored another takedown, smothering her on the ground before the ref stood them back up. Felice wasted no time, and fired off a well placed combination that staggered Iman in her step just before the round ended. Winner by judges decision, Iman Achal. The crowd was a roaring mix of boos and cheers, to the point where I couldn’t hear her after fight interview with the announcer.

Fight #4 John Doyle (LionHeart MMA) vs. Cody “Donnybrook” Donovan (High Altitude Martial Arts).

Their nerves seemed to explode when they finally clinched. Cody was able to take John down quickly, causing blood to pour out of his mouth and nose. After attaining full mount, Cody was in complete control of John, whose strategy seemed to be to clinch Cody’s body as close as possible to him. Cody rained down blows on him, until finally the official had to call the match. Winner by TKO, Cody Donovan.

Fight #5 Herbert “Whisper/Gorilla” Goodman (H.I.T. Squad) vs. Ron “The Choir Boy” Stallings (Team Lloyd Irvin)

Whisper’s very first punch was a hard right that landed right on Ron’s face. He then picked Ron up and slammed him into the cage, not much for damage, but a nice aesthetic move for sure. Not a whole lot happened while Whisper was on top. In Whisper’s corner, Matt Hughes remained relatively quiet. Finally, Mario Yamasaki stood them up to continue their fight. Whisper did a well timed counter, taking Ron onto the canvas once again. And once again, not a whole lot happened from this position. Whisper was unable to land any really devastating punches, and Ron was unable to do anything to really help his situation. With 20 seconds left, Mario stood them up for the last time that round. Ron landed once of the hardest knees I’ve ever personally seen, right into the face of Whisper, knocking him out cold. Winner by KO, Ron Stallings.

Fight #6 Richie “The Dirty Samurai” Hightower (Genesis MMA) vs. Marcus Foran (Team Greg Jackson)

Both fighters were wary of each others’ prowess. Their nerves were causing big swings and over-movement when it came to clinching and knees. You could just tell these guys’ adrenal glands were working overtime. After an extended clinch Hightower made a beautiful sweep that slammed Foran hard into the mat. Foran, however, did a very impressive move where he twisted and spun into Hightower’s guard. From on top he continued to work the body of Hightower. Hightower was able to stand it back up again. Blood smeared on both men in the clinch. The two kept trading for position on clinch right before the round ended. Foran started by using his legs to soften Hightower up a bit. But instead of acting on it Foran appeared to be waiting for a counter attempt. After another extended very extended clinch, without either fighter really making any productive moves, the two were separated after an accidental groin shot by Hightower. The two ended up back in the clinch, and with Foran’s head lowered Hightower brought his elbow down into what looked to be the back of Foran’s head. Clearly something was up, as the judges went inside the cage to talk to the official about the placement of Hightower’s blows. Decision is made to “No Contest” for reasons of illegal strikes by Ritchie Hightower. “Dirty Samurai” indeed.

Fight # 7 Jose “This Pistol” Villarisco (team Lloyd Irvin) vs. John “The Magician” Dodson (Hybrid Academy/MMA Institute

I have to say, Team Irvin really brought the numbers to show support for their figthers. The speed on these guys made it that much more fun. Dodson started the round by landed a big right you could see phased Jose a little. After a good fist/knee combination from Jose, John dragged that same leg and slammed him into the canvas. These fighters were trading blows fairly evenly. Jose was showing a little more control in the cage, but Dodson is known as a very elusive fighter. Dodson really enjoyed using those jumping Superman punches, but Jose answered back and let him know that he was still paying attention. Dodson picked Jose up again for a slam, not as hard as the first, but still demoralizing I’m sure. At the start of round two, Dodson landed an impressive jumping roundhouse into Jose’s guarding elbow. After a good combo by Dodson he snarls after Jose, taking a knee for his over-excited furor. He is able to take Jose down, however, but these quick fighters never seem to stay down for long. A good knee from Jose seemed to begin the turn towards Jose’s favor. Dodson was a hard opponent to catch, only engaging when he deemed fit. Blood started to trickle down Dodson’s head as his takedown attempt was stuffed. The second time worked, as the entire ring shook with Jose’s impact just as the round came to an end. Jose was beginning to each punches, still having to chase Dodson around the ring. Dodson landed a huge combo, the right and left landing square on Jose’s jaw. Gun shy, was the best word to describe Jose’s changed fighting style. Another slam from Dodson started to take the hope away from Jose, that is until “The Pistol” almost snagged a well placed arm bar. With the entire crowd cheering his name, Jose made one last attempt to knock out Dodson. John was able to take Jose to the ground, putting a stop to any last ditch effort Jose had to try and claim the round. Winner by split decision, John Dodson.

Fight # 8 Jamal “The Suit” Patterson (Gracie Academy Virginia) vs. Antwain “The Juggernaut” Britt (Hybrid Academy/MMA Institute)

Jamal took a hit right at the start that if Britt pushed probably could have ended. Through the sprawling Jamal was able to get a quick guillotine placement on Britt, and seconds later Antwain tapped out. Winner by submission, Jamal Patterson.

Fight # 9 Justin Robbins (H.I.T. Squad) vs. Mike “The Hulk” Easton (Team Lloyd Irvin)

Both men respected the other’s abilities. This was noticeable by how much distance they gave each other in between scuffles. They danced around each other a lot, shooting a strike here and there in a match considered to have a significant impact on the lightweight MMA world. After round one, I wasn’t so sure. Justin’s form looked sloppy, as round two was a near carbon copy of round one halfway through. His leg kicks lacked any hip rotation, and he was bouncing off the walls anytime Easton pressed. Perhaps this was due to the extremely short notice they put this fight together; Easton’s original opponent (Chase Beebe) having not shown up for weigh-ins the previous day. Round two ended in boos. Easton looked much more aggressive in round three, a sweeping right hook enabling him to take Justin to the ground. Robbins ate some big knees while in Easton’s side mount. He was able to pull Easton into his guard, but this didn’t do anything great for either fighter. I kept wondering when this amazing fighter was going to pop out of Easton with two minutes left in the round. Justin seemed to have had enough, easily letting his neck slip into a guillotine choke. Winner by submission, Mike Easton.

- Eric

We’ve been in boxing the last 20-plus years. We expected MMA to start off slowly until people caught up, and I’d have to say that that’s not the case. It’s right up there with some of our highest rated sports programming.

We’re thrilled to be getting back into this space and equally excited to get back into it with Strikeforce and Scott Coker. There’s no one better and classier in this business. We’re really looking forward to launching this platform together. We now have a great compliment on the network again to our NFL programming and our boxing programming. And I can’t wait until April 11.

FRANK SHAMROCK:
I want to thank SHOWTIME for once again not only taking the risk with MMA but also embracing it wholeheartedly. My experience with Scott Coker is a very long one and a very successful one.

Scott was that guy that got me out, got me back in the cage and got me going again. I put my trust in him and put my faith in him to promote me well and to present us with honor and respect that I think the athletes deserve. In that way I think Scott is a tremendous friend and promoter.

SHOWTIME, man, you guys are good guys. You’re commitment to MMA is honorable. I, as an artist, really, truly appreciate that. It’s been 15 years since I’ve been a professional mixed martial artist and I can’t imagine having another job or wanting one.

(For) April 11, they called me and I took my suit off and put my training clothes on. One thing Strikeforce is really good at and SHOWTIME is really good at is making and booking exciting fights. My opponent for April 11 is an exciting fighter. He’s a guy who throws, talks trash and on April 11, I’m going to knock him out. And his name is Nick Diaz.

Many of you guys know him. He’s sort of the other bad boy that I haven’t beat down yet. But come April 11 we’ll take care of that.

QUESTIONS:
Do you plan to continue to cross promote?

SCOTT COKER:
We haven’t had the sit down with Ken and the guys at SHOWTIME, but my thought is that the co-promotion fights that we did together with EliteXC and Gary Shaw were probably two of the best fights we’ve ever done. When organizations get together and have compelling matchups that make sense and are relevant that work out in the end for both fighters and all parties, I feel why wouldn’t we? I think if it’s good for business that I will support it. But it’s something we still have to iron out.

On fighting Ken Shamrock.
FRANK SHAMROCK:
I do plan to fight more often. I had a program which was kind of fighting twice a year, but think I need to tie them a little closer so I don’t get out of shape.

In reference to fighting Ken, it’s a fight I’d always want to do. I think it’s a very compelling story. Ken’s going through some personal and emotional problems right now and we’re letting him do that. But this fight is something that is very personal for me. I think it’s very important that we tell the story of the sport and the Shamrock family and what type of influence the family has had on the sport. I think it’s important that I kick his butt, but right now we’re putting it on the back burner.

What went into Shamrock-Diaz?
KEN HERSHMAN:
Everything I’ve seen from Frank is there is never a dull moment. With Nick, you know what you’re getting from him. He’s just going to come at you and not stop.

When I program boxing I’m much more involved in the matchmaking. I look for styles that will make compelling contests and will make compelling fights. When we talked to Scott about this matchup this was one of those that was like three seconds. Do it. These guys are going to go at it. It’s going to be fun. Who knows who wins? Frank has to lose some weight and that’s a challenge for him and Nick has to fight a guy that is a legend. So come April 11 all I can say is I won’t miss it.

Has there been Kimbo Slice contact?
HERSHMAN:
Well there is a lot of reasons why (there hasn’t been contact with Kimbo Slice yet). We had to work through the whole EliteXC thing and unwind that transaction. It was a big bit complicated and a bit cumbersome. My hat goes off to Scott and his team for hanging in there. It was a long road, but we got there. And now we just closed this deal a few days back. We’ve already put together an event. Scott’s already matched up the main event and a couple of other cards. Now we’re going to go to the next step, which is to secure those fighters that we want and Kimbo is one that we think we have a future with. We’re going to make every effort to get him done. But there are only so many hours in a day. He’s an important part of where we’re going and we’re going to see if we can line that up with him in the coming weeks.

SCOTT COKER:
We have been in touch with I think half of the fighter roster. Yesterday, I did talk to Kimbo Slice’s lawyer, just to say hello and let him know we will be in touch shortly and that we are very excited to have Kimbo fighting with Strikeforce and getting him back into the cage as soon as possible. My goal is to get these guys back working and back fighting as soon as possible.

We will have reached out to everybody by the end of day tomorrow. And then we’ll start putting the matches together and move forward.

KEN HERSHMAN:
I think that we are going to have at least five major events this year and hopefully at least five of our up-and-comer series which was so successful before. As Scott said, we are going to sit down and go through the calendar and try and space these things out. But you know SHOWTIME hasn’t had MMA on the air with live, new events since September of last year, so we’re chomping at the bit. We can’t wait to get going and we’re looking forward to this April show to kick it off. You’re going to see a number of events in pretty rapid succession thereafter.

CHRIS DEBLASIO:
Just to clarify, there will be the championship level events and the up-and-comer series which is similar to our boxing series ShoBox, which showcases young fighters who are up and coming and trying to make their way to the big time championship fights.

Plans for women’s MMA:
SCOTT COKER:
Being from a martial arts background, we’ve always looked forward to women’s fights. At the end of the day, this is a martial arts contest. I’ve always supported women’s martial arts competitions. MMA is just taking it to the next level. We’ve had some compelling matchups. When you look back at the history of the women’s fights in Strikeforce there are a couple fights that are right up there with the big boys as far as exciting matchups. They can bring it. There’s no difference. A kick is a kick. A punch is a punch. An arm-bar is an arm-bar. If a girl is 125 pounds doing it, it’s still effective.

We’re going to continue supporting women’s MMA and we’re going to be inviting Gina Carano to come fight on April 11. And we’ve already got confirmation from Cris Cyborg that she is available if we can put that match together. And if not maybe we’ll put Cris Santos-Cyborg on the April 11 card. But those matchups are still to be determined and nothing is confirmed on that end. But we will be supporting women’s MMA in Strikeforce.

What’s the status of Cung Le?
SCOTT COKER:
Cung has been doing his movie star career. He’s had some success with it, he’s doing very well and we’re all happy for him. I talked to him about a week ago and he is itching to get back in the cage. He does have an injury on his elbow right now which is stopping him from fighting in this show. Otherwise, he would be fighting on this show because his schedule is open. He’s just injured. You will see Cung Le back in the cage on Strikeforce at least two times before the end of the year. I haven’t say down and talked to Frank about it, but the fight between Cung and Frank number two is a fight that actually should happen before the end of 2009. We are planning on having Gilbert Melendez fight (on April 11).

What is solidified for April 11?
SCOTT COKER:
Frank and Nick are going to be the main event. The other fight that we have matched is Benji Radich, who is an amazing fighter and great striker. He will be fighting Scott Smith, who in the last Strikeforce event knocked out Terry Martin in the first round. Those two guys will probably go right to the center of the cage and start throwing as hard as they can because that’s how they work.

The fighter that we are looking to match is Gilbert Melendez.

What’s the status of Josh Thompson?
SCOTT COKER:
I haven’t sat down with Josh yet, but we would like Josh to fight and the opponent we are going to invite to fight Josh, who is not confirmed, is KJ Noons.

Question on EliteXC Titles:
We should give them the ability to come fight and unify the titles at some point in ’09. We’re offering it to KJ because KJ was the EliteXC champion and Josh Thompson is our champion. That would be an amazing fight and that’s why we’re trying to put that together so we can unify the belt. But to get through all the weight classes that we have and they have, I think it is going to take the remainder of the year.

Announcers and start times:
KEN HERSHMAN:
I think we are going to stick with it the same way we did with EliteXC, which is mostly a 10 p.m. start time, east coast. The announce team we are putting in place as we speak. We haven’t figured out a way to have Frank Shamrock fight and announce at the same time, but I’m sure he’ll figure that out. I think we would like very much to bring Gus Johnson back, who did the CBS shows and is now our main commentator for boxing, and then we’ll round out the crew from there.

Title ramification for catchweight fight between Shamrock and Diaz:
SCOTT COKER:
This fight works because Nick Diaz fights traditionally between as low as 150 and up to 180. He goes back and forth depending on the matchup. He was fighting at a lower rate and I talked to Cesar Gracie (Nick’s trainer) and he said ‘we can’t make that weight anymore so we want to fight at 170.’ That’s were he would like to go back and fight and make his match. As you know, Frank is in the 185-pound weight class.

Putting those two fights together, it just made a lot of sense to me because of the history behind Cesar, the Gracie’s and the Shamrocks. I thought it was a compelling story. And it would be a fantastic matchup because of the styles. That’s why we put that fight together.

We’ve had a few fights at a catchweight, not that many. But once in a while to put one on that’s very special together like we are able to do for the launch with SHOWTIME and do it here, at our home, with Frank and Nick it just made a lot of sense and we’re very excited to do it.

In terms of exclusive fights:
SCOTT COKER:
If we had a fighter under contract but we couldn’t keep them busy then we would let him fight here or there. But based on the schedule, I think we are going to be very busy and we’re going to need the athletes to come participate because we are going to have so many fights. For right now we’re going to need athletes to fill these slots.

Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce heavyweight champion) will be fighting for Strikeforce. The question is when? I’m hoping to get him back before the end of the year. He’s just had a very busy schedule in Japan and fighting in Europe. One of my top priorities is trying to work out his next fight with us.

Kimbo against Bob Sapp?
SCOTT COKER:
That fight was just a conceptual fight. How great would it be if Kimbo and Bob could ever work out the weight and have that fight? I think it would be an entertaining fight to say the least. But by no means was that something that was contracted or talked about with both sides. It was just a “what if.”

Does Shamrock have the need or desire to avenge the loss to Cung Le?
FRANK SHAMROCK:
A need or desire, no. They’d probably pay well very well and it would probably be the fight of the year again. Other than that, fighting is fighting to me. It’s a transaction between two artists and somebody wins.

Shamrock’s comments on Nick Diaz:
FRANK SHAMROCK:
I do know Nick personally. It’s rare that I do know fighters on a social level. Nick Diaz is very similar to me. He grew up in a broken home and had abusive parents and really had a tough childhood. He and I have that in common and we’ve spoken about it a few times. He’s also gone on his MMA quest and traveled around to all the gyms. He ended up with my father for a minute training with him. So we have common ties that tie us together. I know for a fact hat he wasn’t too happy when I knocked out his coach Cesar and he said some words afterward that got him into this fight. But we’re going to fight and I don’t care about Nick. He’s a nice guy and I’m going to knock him out. Then I’ll move onto the next one.

Question about ProElite:
KEN HERSHMAN:
The reality of the situation is that ProElite ran into funding problems as many, many companies much bigger and far flung are in this world today. We had to figure out a way to unwind the relationship in a way that worked for everybody and that allowed MMA to have a life and to continue on SHOWTIME. That was very important to me and it was very important to SHOWTIME that we continue to showcase this programming for our subscribers.

Absolutely we had a say in that (the ProElite deal with Strikeforce). We were a stockholder number one and we had a programming agreement. We had to be very comfortable with the partner we were going to continue with. We absolutely had input there and we’re very happy with the way it worked out.

Why Strikeforce?
KEN HERSHAMN:
There were a lot of factors that went into it. First and foremost, we wanted stability that I think Strikeforce has demonstrated in their long tenure of operating successfully. We like their roster of fighters and we like the combination of rosters between the EliteXC fighters that we’re picking up and their current fighters. It presented a lot of compelling content in a very short time frame for us, so we didn’t have a building process.

What did you learn from failures of EliteXC?
KEN HERSHMAN:
They learned a lot as we did throughout this process about expansion too quick, too much, too fast. Things like that we’ll apply here. We just want to have a steady partner. We want to put on great shows. The benefit of our model and Strikeforce’s model is we’re not dependent on pay-per-view. So we don’t have to go out there month in and month out and charge our fans $40 or $50 to see our content. You get SHOWTIME, you can watch them every month, month in and month out. We think we have a really good model that will allow us to grow in the future and we’re looking forward to it.

Exclusive deal with Strikeforce?
KEN HERSHMAN:
We weren’t exclusive to EliteXC either and we’re not exclusive with Strikeforce. But I will tell you that when we’re in with a partner, we’re in with a partner. We feel like we’re going to be doing a lot with Scott. I’m not sure we have the capacity or the desire to do anything with anyone else. If somebody came along with something compelling we would examine it and also talk with Scott about how he felt about it because that’s the type of partnership we’re going to have.

What synergy is there between boxing and MMA?
KEN HERSHMAN:
I think that when we looked at our sports platform and the ways to expand it we looked at boxing and that is, in essence, one of the original extreme sports. Adding mixed martial arts, to me, is a very natural extension of that. Obviously that sport has evolved and developed in a very quick fashion and has caught the attention of a young demographic, which we will see. And we have the NFL, which, on a lot of levels, is as extreme and challenging of a sport as a combat sport. We love the triumvirate of those three together. We think that they all cross-pollinate each other and we expect that fans of one will become fans of each of the other.

Most easily-predicted fight outcome: We have a tie! Ninety-six percent of our users knew that Nick Catone would defeat Derek Downey, and ninety-six percent also knew that Cain Velasquez would beat Denis Stojnic.

Most surprising fight outcome: Josh Neer’s triangle victory over Mac Danzig was a surprise to the 78% of people who predicted Danzig would win. Danzig’s grappling is considered to be very good, so this was not expected at all.

It’s worth pointing out that ninety-three percent of predictors knew that Joe Lauzon would beat Jeremy Stephens last night, so that armbar was no real surprise. Lauzon’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu looked really slick as he moved from one attack to another. Stephens needs to work on his mount defense. Just my 2 cents there.

- Caleb

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Most easily-predicted fight outcome: Ninety-eight percent of our users knew that UFC veteran Jon Fitch would defeat the tough Japanese fighter Akihiro Gono. Fitch ended up winning by judges’ decision.

Most surprising fight outcome: Ninety-two percent of our predictors incorrectly guessed the outcome of the fight between Chris Wilson and John Howard. Only eight correctly percent believed Howard would take this one, which he did by split decision.

- Caleb

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For fans of mixed martial arts looking for that perfect gift, check out Octagon (Ultimate Fighting Championship). This book has been around for over a year but in a version that cost between $2,500 and $7,500. Luckily the UFC decided to release a book that the rest of us can afford: while the book will be $40 in retail outlets, on Amazon.com it is currently only $26.40.!

This hardcover UFC book is 360 pages and will be released on December 15th and can be delivered in time for Christmas.

All I can say is, “Ohhhhhhhhh, man.”

It was the most predictable of fight cards, and it was the least predictable of fight cards. Here’s what I mean:

Half of the fights were big upsets in which the vast majority of our predictors were incorrect. But, the other half of the fights on the card were correctly predicted by 90% or more of our users!

Our normal categories of most-easily predicted and most surprising fights do not describe this card very well, but for the sake of tradition, I’ll post them here…

Most easily-predicted fight outcome: yaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwnnn. Two fights on this card were correctly predicted by every predictor on this site. That’s right, 100% of people got this right. That should not happen. Anyways, the two fights that everyone knew what would happen were David Avellan’s loss to Aaron Simpson and Carmelo Marrero’s victory over Steve Steinbeiss.

Most surprising fight outcome: Yep, Urijah Faber’s loss to Mike T. Brown was not foreseen by 96% of our users. This was Faber’s second loss in his career, and I can already feel in my bones the WEC executives plotting a rematch.

- Caleb

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There were three fights on this card where our predictors had no problem at all guessing who was going to win. In those three fights, more than 90% of our users correctly guessed the victor. Does that mean the UFC is guilty of bad matchmaking? That’s a long discussion best suited for somewhere else. But here are the winners for the easiest to predict and the biggest shocker from UFC 90…

Most easily-predicted fight outcome: Ninety-eight percent of our users knew that UFC veteran Spencer Fisher would defeat San Diego’s Shannon Gugerty, who was making his UFC debut. You have to give Gugerty some credit for making it almost the fourth minute of the third round before being caught in Fisher’s triangle submission.

Most surprising fight outcome: Do I even need to tell you? Okay, for the record, ninety-six percent of our MMA predictors here on the site thought Fabricio Werdum would defeat fellow Brazilian MMA fighter Junior Dos Santos. Unfortunately for Werdum, who had “title-shot contender” associated with his name prior to last night, he would lean his chin directly into a rocketing uppercut from Dos Santos early in the first round, shocking all but four percent of our predictors.

- Caleb

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Today Sam Caplan is confirming the news that appeared yesterday on OnTheMat.com that EliteXC is no longer.

So I wonder…

• Since EliteXC bought all those other regional promotions (King of the Cage, ICON, SpiritMC, etc), are those areas now bereft of MMA? If so, would the sport of MMA have been better if there were never an EliteXC?
• What happens to women’s MMA, and fighters like Gina Carano and Shayna Baszler? While EliteXC did do a great job of getting women’s MMA in front of millions of faces, to be honest there is no large outlet anymore for women. The UFC won’t touch them at this point.
• Most importantly, where in the world will we be able to watch KrazyHorse!?!?!??

- Caleb

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A few details about UFC 89…

Most easily-predicted fight outcome: Ninety-seven percent of our predictors knew that Shane Carwin was going to remain undefeated after his encounter with Neil Wain.

Most surprising fight outcome: Eighty-two percent of predictors thought Sam Stout would defeat the Brit Terry Etim but were incorrect. An upset of similar magnitude took place between Team Quest’s Thierry Sokoudjou and Luiz Cane. Eighty-one percent of our predictors thought The African Assassin would defeat the Brazilian but were incorrect.

- Caleb

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UFC 89 will be free on Spike TV! Although it takes place in England, the broadcast will begin at 9pm Eastern and Pacific here in the United States.

After UFC 89 we will know much more about Thierry Sokoudjou and Brandon Vera. Although both drew immediate acclaim for their early MMA fights, neither has been particularly inspiring recently.

NEW YORK, October 17, 2008 - Donald Trump, Affliction Entertainment and M-1 Global today announced plans to begin filming a new, ground-breaking MMA reality series called “Fighting Fedor.” The shows theme is to find the next Fedor Emelianenko, by creating an elimination tournament between undiscovered MMA talent, with the winner fighting Fedor himself. Fedor is the star of Affliction Entertainment’s new Mixed Martial Arts league and the number one fighter in the world.

“We are excited about the new show and feel it will be a channel to discover more talent for our MMA product,” said Tom Atencio, Vice President of Affliction Entertainment Group. “Our feeling is that the key to success is to surround ourselves with good partners, and with our new partnership it will allow us to reach an even greater fan base.”

“I don’t know who is going to make it through, but whoever it is will be incredible,” said Donald Trump, Chairman and CEO of the Trump Organization. “The show will be spectacular, unique, and is going to be a special event. It will be taped in St. Petersburg, Russia. I’m going to be there, but I don’t want to compete on the show.”

Sixteen fighters screened by both companies and Fedor himself, not only for their athletic ability but their character and marketability, will compete in a tournament culminating in a face-off against the pound-for-pound champion of the world.

“What Fedor means to Affliction is what Michael Jordan was to the Chicago Bulls and the NBA, what Mike Tyson was to boxing, and what Tiger Woods is to golf,” said Michael Cohen, executive vice president and special counsel to Donald J. Trump, and COO of Affliction Entertainment Group. “Through his abilities, Affliction Entertainment intends to attract more fighters to the sport that represents the highest standards of athleticism.”

In addition to announcing the new reality series, Affliction Entertainment also announced the renewal of their relationship with M-1 Global. With the M-1 Global partnership ongoing, the reality series will look to build worldwide popularity for Mixed Martial Arts, Fedor, and Affliction Entertainment. .

“The goal is to continue to build visibility and truly to find the next Fedor,” said Joost Raimond, Operations Manager of M-1 Global. “Talent might not always get the opportunity to get into mainstream. You might have a great fighter in Spain but he needs a door to enter into this world. We want guys that we are convinced can fight Fedor and win.”

“Fighting Fedor” will be filmed in St. Petersburg, Russia to further capture the international audience and to discover the future star of Mixed Martial Arts through rigorous competition. The fifteen episode series will commence shooting in April, with the earliest possible premier date targeted for June 2009.

Most of you may know George Mason University from their Cinderella-like basketball run a few years ago in the college circuit. From the halls of their athletic system came the Ultimate Warrior Challenge’s own fight card consisting of a variety of local fighters, and a few from as far away as New Mexico and Colorado. Although not the sold out venue that graces the likes of UFC or WEC events, the spectators were enthusiastic (as my eardrums can attest to) as some were, well…just drunk. Many of the fights were quick wins, ending in the first round. This shouldn’t surprise people, seeing as how for some this was their first professional debut into MMA, and I can only imagine how overwhelming it may be to fight outside of a small studio, and into a crowded arena. Enough about the not-fighting, let’s get to the is-fighting overview of the night.

The first fight on the card was between Joey Kirwan and Kris McCray, two fairly large 185 lbs fighters. As soon as the horn sounded (for one reason or another the bell next to the judges wasn’t being used) they came out swinging, both looking to create the pace for the fight and turn it into their own. During a clench McCray picks up the tangled Kirwan and slams him into the mat. From here it was a scrambled mess, McCray looking to fire off elbows and fists and Kirwan trying to find the best way to defend himself. After one minute exactly McCray was able to secure the rear naked choke and submit the exhausted Kirwan. Winner by submission, Kris McCray.

Fight number two was between Reston, Virginia native Wade Drake, and Colorado visitor Cody Donovan. Wade was definitely a local favorite, the drunks behind me killed more of the cells in my ears than the loudspeakers or that Clapton concert I went to a couple years back. Cody wasn’t without his fans either though; a concentrated section of younger guys chanting his name as he stood in his corner waiting for the match to begin. After the ready checks the two fighters moved into the center of the ring, Wade firing off a strong right and Cody taking the low road (not as far as conduct, just direction) and fired off a strong shin kick to the outer leg of Wade. They both scramble to get back into a strong standing position, and a failed shoot attempt enabled Cody to knock Wade onto his back. It was all downhill from here, as Donovan pummeled Drake on the mat causing the official to call the match. After Cody was pulled off, Wade still wasn’t getting up, moving, but not getting up. When they finally placed him in a chair to sit there was blood moving around his ear, and the winner by KO was Cody Donovan.

For the 170 lbs match of the night there was a very familiar face in the ring. Not a fighter, but Mario Yamasaki, known for officiating many of the UFC fights. Tonight he would be calling the match between Levon Maynard and Toby Johnson. As the match began Toby was in a very traditional Muay Thai stance, hands up and open, leaning back a bit on the right leg with the left slightly elevated for effective knee strikes. At first they just moved around each other, gauging the others stance and fighting style. As the two clashed into each other they moved into a clench against the fence with a failed throw attempt from Levon. One thing I noticed was the amount of space Levon left between himself and Toby, even while clenching up. Basic rules of Muay Thai and clench work emphasis keeping your head pressed against your opponents, a great way to keep any stray elbows or first from sneaking up you. Luckily for Levon, Toby wasn’t taking advantage of this, and after a take down from Levon the fight was pretty much over. Levon did a great job of firing shots from the top, and Mario Yamazaki was forced to call the fight 3 minutes and 40 seconds into the first round. Winner by TKO, Levon Maynard.

Another 185 lbs match was between Tony Sousa and Ron Stallings. Stallings received the loudest reaction from the crowd so far that night, even so much as to drown out the know-it-alls sitting behind the press box. Sousa was a very stocky 185 lbs, at least a head shorter than Stallings, which would work against him later in the match. Stallings came out firing, using two knees to immediately take control of the fight. In the clench, Tony was too short to get his knees up to Stallings’ chest. The clench work definitely went to Stallings, and after making Sousa eat two huge fists Ron tries to end the fight by raining down upon his opponent. Tony had a couple opportunities in between to stand up, but either from exhaustion or trying to bring the fight to a jiu-jitsu level, decided to remain on his back. To Sousa’s credit, he is a very tough individual. He was taking a lot of strikes that would have knocked out any normal person, and when the first round ended he had a little trouble getting up. The second round Sousa was looking for the knockout hit, swinging huge hay makers, but after he ends up on his back again the official called the match from Stallings onslaught, one minute and two seconds into round two. Winner by TKO, Ron Stallings.

Fight number five was between local fight instructor Johnny Curtis and another Colorado fighter named Brendan Schaub at the 205 lbs weight class. This fight was fast, a quick clench that resulted in Schaub flinging Curtis to the cage-side like a rag doll where he jumped on top of him. Curtis did a good job of maneuvering to the top position, but Brendan used his amazing strength to just fling him off and roll back to the top position. They scramble to their feet, and after a quick combo from Schaub, Curtis was on the ground, fast. From where I was sitting I thought he got caught by a fist, and the way he was lying on his back seemed to support this conclusion. It wasn’t until the replay when I saw that for a split second Curtis reached for his knee, buckling under the pain from some sort of sustained injury. As the ring doctors came over he was pointing to his left leg, from what one would thing was a very serious injury to have the fight called in Schaub’s favor. However, Curtis was able to stand up and walk out of the ring under his own weight, after a one minute and seven second round.

The last 185 lbs fight for the evening was between Chris Reedy and Marcus Foran. These two guys seemed to be buddies, kind of shrugging at each other and smiling from across the ring as their names were announced to the crowd. In the fight, however, they were anything but. Right out of the gate Marcus went for a shoot, getting stuffed by Reedy. Marcus used his position on the bottom to pick Reedy up and slam him into the canvas, where Reedy looked to be struggling from the sheer strength of Foran. Chris arches his back up and picks Foran up into the air, but with a poor position that enabled Foran to slide his right forearm under Reedy’s neck, in a rarely seen suspended guillotine choke. Unable to put Foran down from his legs locked around Reedy’s waist, Reedy was forced to tap out 38 seconds into round one. Winner by submission, Marcus Foran.

Fight number seven was the fight of the night by far. The 155 lbs weight class was between Kyle Baker and crowd favorite James “Binky” Jones. At the beginning of the match Binky was the dominator, doing well in clench control and keeping Kyle from getting a headlock and a rear naked choke. After a mad scramble on the ground the two looked more tangled up from Kyle’s arm bar attempt than my computer chords. Kyle then used the cage to stand back up to his feet where he managed to completely take control of the fight. In the clench Kyle landed huge body shots and quick elbows to Binky’s face, causing Binky to bleed from the left side of his face. This was, in my opinion, enough to give the round to Kyle. At the start of round two neither fighter looks tired, their conditioning must be incredible after all the exertion in round one. Binky gets a good technical Muay Thai throw, but Kyle managed to swing his way to top position. Even into round three Kyle did a fantastic job of striking and using the clench, even to the point of letting his hands drop to his sides and taunting Binky into a stand up match. What made my eyes pop open was when Kyle knocked Binky to the ground, then instead of jumping on top of him (which would have probably ended the fight) he backed away and let Binky stand back up. Four seconds left into the final round Kyle lets a huge overhand right fly that knocks Binky back to the ground, clearly giving him the round, and the fight. Winner by unanimous decision, Kyle Baker.

The co-main event of the evening was between two very quick 132 lbs fighters, Jon Dodson and Mike Easton. Before the fights even started I watched as Dodson would throw himself into the cage walls, bouncing off of them over and over. I thought he was just testing them for stability, or working out the jitters. This was actually a part of his strategy, using his speed and agility to use the cage to bounce off of and either avoid or counter Easton’s attacks. Both of the fighters were incredibly fast, but Dodson’s speed was faster just to the point that Easton seemed almost wary of the counters. After a couple of times that Dodson used the cage to avoid attacks, the crowd began to get PISSED. And after three rounds of avoiding, countering, Dodson’s two take downs, and Dodson’s ability to catch just about every kick thrown at him, the judges gave the round to…Easton. I was surprised, but I think the crowd was thrilled. Regardless, an impressive display of speed and agility from both parties.

And finally, the main event, Terry Cohens vs. Antwain Britt. Another very quick one-sided fight, where after catching a fist from Britt, Cohens went to the ground. Hammer fist after hammer fist caused Mario Yamazaki to call the fight 31 seconds into the first round in Britt’s favor. Antwain has got some very heavy hands, and although Cohens looked a little surprised by the call, it was probably appropriate for the time being.

At the sidelines of these events was WEC Champion Urijah Faber and WEC Champion Carlos Condit, two very nice guys I had the pleasure of meeting, and who really seemed to support the local MMA events. The intermission where they were being interviewed on stage was a little campy, and both seemed to realize it, but were good sports about everything. I don’t think many guys could complain when surrounded by at least six ring girls wearing what seemed to be painted on tops and bottoms. Either way, a great production all in all, although the sound could have used a little work with clarity. I highly suggest that if you get the chance to see an amateur or local MMA event in your area, you purchase a ticket and enjoy some of the best entertainment a live sport can offer.

- Eric

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PRESS RELEASE

Nine of the 10 fighters who will compete on CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS this Saturday, Oct. 4, attended Wednesday’s final press conference at the BankAtlantic Center at Sunrise, Fla.

The third installment of CBS’s primetime mixed martial arts event will be broadcast live from 9-11 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

The televised lineup for CBS ELITEXC SATURDAY NIGHT FIGHTS: Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock (heavyweights); EliteXC 170-pound champion Jake Shields vs. Paul Daley; Andrei Arlovski vs. Roy “Big Country” Nelson (heavyweights); Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold (140 pounds); and Murilo “Ninja” Rua vs. Benji Radach (middleweights).

Tickets start at $30 and are available at StubHub and at the BankAtlantic Center box offices (phone number (954) 835-7825).

The BankAtlantic Center box offices’ normal business hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The box office will be open the day of the event beginning at 10 a.m. The first live fight begins at 6 p.m. ET.

What the fighters had to say Wednesday:

KIMBO SLICE
“Ken’s fighting in Florida, which is no place for an old man. I’m mentally prepared and ready to do it and represent the crib. It’s going to be ‘305’ (his area code) all day.

“I work all the time on being an all-around fighter. I am very competitive by nature so I train very hard and have the best coaches (Bas Rutten and Randy Khatami).

“I am going to get criticized all the time, but I enjoy MMA and try to represent the sport the best way I can. I have kids. I want to be the best kind of example I can be.

“I do not feel like I am carrying (this promotion, the sport, etc). Gina, all these fighters, we are all in this together.

“I am going to win this fight in any fashion I can. I want to annihilate him and win by knockout, but if I win it on the ground, that is all good, too.

“I come from a bare-knuckle background, so fighting with gloves is like hitting with mittens.”

KEN SHAMROCK
“Kimbo has gained a lot of notoriety, but, in my opinion, he doesn’t deserve it. Snap, crackle pop. I am going to walk across the ring, hit him on his ugly beard and break his leg.

“I love to fight, that’s what I do. I want to thank CBS and EliteXC for putting me on this card. It is going to be a great one. I really appreciate all my fans’ support throughout all the ups and downs.

“What CBS is doing is really giving back to the fans. To just be able to turn on the TV and watch is a great thing.

“Most of the talking has all been said, so I will save the rest of my talking until Saturday.’’

JAKE SHIELDS
“It’s great to be back fighting on CBS and defending my title. I’m in great shape and ready to fight. I’m on a roll and want to keep it going.

“Having CBS involved has obviously been huge for this sport. Now, people of all ages are watching where, before, maybe only the hard-core fans paid attention.

“I know a lot of people watching now that never watched or maybe didn’t pay that much attention. Fans are getting an education and a good look at what MMA is all about, and I am proud to be part of it.’’

PAUL “SEMTEX’’ DALEY
“This is a huge opportunity for me and a huge fight for the fans in the UK. At the moment, I am very relaxed. I try not to focus too much on the magnitude of this fight, or the exposure I am going to get fighting on CBS. I don’t want to get nervous.

“For me, it was always about collecting belts and fighting the best and Jake is most certainly one of the best in the world. I want to make my country proud and want to thank ProElite, EliteXC and CBS for giving me the chance. I am very excited and looking forward to Saturday.’’

GINA CARANO
“It is an honor for me to be at the dais with all these great fighters. I am looking forward to an amazing match. I would like to thank CBS and EliteXC for continuing to give us the platform to show what we can do. Having two women’s fights on this card says a lot.

“Whether you’re in the arena or watching on television, it’s going to be a great night of fights.’’

KELLY KOBOLD
“Thanks to CBS and EliteXC, I do not have to explain to everyone what I do. The exposure women’s MMA is getting has been fantastic and has opened a lot of doors for us. We are legitimate fighters. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of this event. I would be very disappointed and surprised if this wasn’t the best fight of the night.’’

ANDREI ARVLOSKI
“Fighting on CBS is a very big opportunity for me and very exciting. I promise I will show a great fight.

“They are talking like the winner of my fight will face Fedor, but I have heard that kind of talk before. I have learned not to believe anything until it happens. So I will wait and see and continue to only focus on Saturday and on Roy.

“I am happy to be on a show with so many great fighters. Fans new to the sport or fans who know the sport very well are in for a great fight. I want to thank all the fans for their support.’’

MURILO “NINJA” RUA
“I’ve trained very hard for this fight and will show the fans how much I have prepared. I have a good opponent. This could be the fight of the night.’’

BENJI RADACH
“This is an excellent matchup and style-wise should be a tough and exciting fight. Ninja is strong and big with heavy hands and comes to fight. But I feel I match up with him very well and will control the fight.

“Obviously, I am looking forward to fighting on CBS and getting the exposure that comes from fighting on CBS, and making my EliteXC debut.

“Being on CBS means even the casual fans, or sports fans unfamiliar with us, can watch. It is a tremendous deal for the fighters, fans, everybody.’’

CRIS CYBORG
“I am very happy to be fighting on this card and thank everyone involved for making it happen. I expect a hard fight. I want to win and then fight Gina. That would be a fight the fans would love to see.’’

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Sept. xx, 2008) – Sycuan Ringside Promotions (SRP) is diversifying its business portfolio by jumping into the hot-as-ever world of mixed martial arts.

Sycuan Ringside Promotions in association with Total Combat Entertainment will present Total Combat “Notorious” on Thursday, Oct. 2 live from the Sycuan Resort & Casino, located just fifteen miles east of downtown San Diego.

SRP, more commonly known for its boxing promotional business than its recent foray into MMA, is looking to bring quality MMA fights to the sports savvy community of San Diego.

“Everyone in the boxing business has seen the growth and potential of mixed martial arts,” said Scott Woodworth, president of SRP. “It only makes sense for us to get involved in the sport. The San Diego community is very big on MMA and we’re aiming to bring competitive and exciting fights to the fans starting on October 2.

“Total Combat Entertainment is well known in Southern California and we’re extremely happy to be partnering with them for this event at Sycuan Resort & Casino.”

In the main event, experienced wrestler and Temecula, Calif. native Jesse Taylor will mix it up with the veteran and dangerous Drew “The Master” Fickett of Phoenix, Ariz. in a three round welterweight fight.

Tickets are on sale and can be purchased online at http://www.sycuan.com/ringside or by calling the Sycuan Box Office at (619) 445-6002. Tickets are priced at $200, $75, $50 and $40. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. PT.

In the co-main event, San Diego-native Kevin Dunsmoor will take on Total Combat veteran Ian McCall of Laguna Nigel, Calif. in a three round bantamweight bout.

The card also features two aggressive females. Kim Rose, who is coming off a win over MMA legend Randy Couture’s wife Kim Couture, will face Megan Gangitano. Both Rose and Gangitano are from the San Diego area and will compete in the 135-pound division.

Another bout to keep an eye will be the 140-pound match up between Nick Alvarado of San Pasqual, Calif. against San Diego local Rolando Perez.

UFC President Dana White has called this match up the biggest in UFC history. There’s a good chance he is right.

Randy Couture has spent almost a year in legal battles with the UFC. In September it was announced that the heavyweight champion had reached an agreement with the UFC and was ready to fight again.

Shortly thereafter it was announced that his opponent would be a man whose global fan base is many times that of Couture’s: Brock Lesnar, the former pro wrestler.

Though Lesnar only has an MMA record of 2-1, his immense size will make the 42-year old Couture’s night a very long one in Las Vegas on November 15th at UFC 91.

Get your tickets now for what may truly be the biggest UFC fight in history!

“Everyone has their own niche in life. I just seem to gravitate towards physical violence.” So says Gina Carano, one of the major attractions on the upcoming EliteXC on CBS.

At a recent conference call held for the press, Carano gave the impression she is training hard at Randy Couture’s Xtreme Couture and takes her opponent seriously. Here are some quotes from the call:

“I’ve got one of the toughest fights of my life coming up. I’m coming ready to fight. I’m going to give it my all.”

“I’ve handled the press and won’t let it get to my head. I’m just living my life and doing my best.”

“It’s been unbelievable to be at the forefront of women’s MMA. Raising the recognition of the sport has been a blessing. The fan support has been amazing. I’m standing up here because of the fans.”

“There is something so pure and honest about two women fighting. The fans just love it.”

“My dad told me to stay in school because he wanted the best from me. But I think I’ve learned some of the best lessons in life from fighting. I don’t have the college degree I was going for, but I have the experiences.”

“America is a strange place to be when you are a star. I wish our culture would respect people as human beings and not as objects. When you’re in the spotlight they love you, but that is very short lived.”

“This training camp has been going very well. I have a lot of knowledge of what I’ve been doing right and what I’ve been doing wrong.”

“I’m a fighter. My job is to fight.”

“EliteXC is doing great things for the sport. I’m not trying to be a promoter. I just put on a good show and hope that people watch it.”

“I am a recognized female in the sport, but I don’t think that I am the face of women’s MMA. It’s just a label. I’m Gina Carano. You can label me that.”

“I am a different person everyday. I may not look my best at a weigh in, but I’ll be good the next day.”

“Kelly Kobold is well rounded and she is coming to fight. I’m glad I’m going to be tested.”

“My game plan is to fight a good fight. I’ve been studying her style, how she reacts under pressure and when she gets hit, but nothing compares to when you get in there and the fight starts.”

“I’m a fighter first and foremost. American Gladiators was a good experience. I’m motivated by learning experiences, not by money or fame, so it opened my mind to a lot of things.”

Will Gina be able to keep her undefeated streak alive? Kobold, from Minnesota, is a tough fighter indeed with three times Carano’s MMA experience!

- Caleb

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This was to be Gracie’s third mixed martial arts fight, but his ribs were injured during stand up training with fellow Gracie Barra member Braulio Estima.

No word yet on a replacement for Wiuff.

- Caleb

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The fights leading up to this match up were a bit disappointing in my opinion. Dong Hyun Kim, a fourth degree judo black belt went up against Matt Brown, a strong, conditioned fighter who has been showing great promise over his MMA career. However, when dealing with a Judo master as it were, these skills should be enough to throw any opponent around like a ragdoll. This, was embarassingly not the case. Instead, Kim climbed over Brown through out most of round one like a spider monkey. Suspending himself on Brown’s back almost finishing with some suspended rear naked chokes that never quite made it. This was enough for him to take the round though. In two, Brown puts a halt to most of Kim’s attempts at judo throws and grapples, and actually was the better when it came to the clench and firing off of knees. That round definitely went to Matt Brown. But the third round Brown came out looking cocky, to the point of arrogance, and I believe this is what bit him in the end. Through this confidence (if you want to call it that) Kim gets some good clench work in and a takedown that he’d been looking for since round one, although not looking like a fourth degree black belt by any means. After a second takedown by Kim he opens up Brown’s face with a sharp elbow that I’m sure will scar. By judges decision Kim was announced the winner. Then came the ever intelligible Joe Rogan. I’m not sure what fight he was watching, but his exact words to Matt Brown were, “…I thought you won the decision…” Thank you Joe.

The fight between Martin Kampmann and Nate Marquardt was a bit anticlimatic as well. Nate, who is known for his power and bull strength completely imposed his will on Kampmann. After Nate landed a high kick to the top of Kampmann’s head he was a like a shark smelling blood in the water. A fury of fists were unleashed as uppercut after hook after cross took its toll, and Kampmann could clearly not do anything but turtle under his arms. The fight was called, and Nate Marquardt was winner by TKO in the first round.

Another let-down fight of the night was between Dan Henderson and Rousimar Palhares. Palhares has one of the fastest jiu-jitsu games I’ve ever seen on the ground. What looks like a mad scramble for control ends up being an arm bar or triangle choke in Palhares’ favor. Dan Henderson was apparently well aware of this, and throughout the fight did a fantastic job of stuffing Palhares’ shoot attempts. In round three Rousimar seemed to be getting the picture and was actually looking better as a striker than Henderson at first. Palhares had many attempts when the fight actually did go to the ground to end it, but Henderson was able to worm his way out every time. It almost seemed that Rousimar would intentionally fall to the ground during a strike exchange just to have Henderson come to his level; a baiting technique if you will. This backfired in the final few seconds, while on the ground Palhares ate two huge punches from Henderson, clearly giving Dan the fight. Winner by decision, Dan Henderson.

The match up between Rich Franklin and Matt Hamill had a lot of promise leading up to it. Two great fighters in their respective areas, both great sportsmen, and nice guys all around. Franklin jumped up in weight classes to the 205 divison, which showed in his size and his speed. The match began with Franklin taking a note from Forrest Griffin it seemed, firing off leg kick after leg kick to Hamill to keep him from being able to move around too quickly. In fact, for the rest of the fight Franklin was the obvious dominant striker. Hamill, on the other hand, seemed to have a stuck game plan in mind and continuously tried to force it to work, to no avail. If Hamill would get an ankle or leg, he would hold onto it for dear life, often having to eat punches and kicks as a result. Hamill did manage to give Franklin one of the nastiest cuts I’ve seen in a while. An inch by inch and a half gash above his right eye that, even when applying the vasoline to keep it from bleeding, you could just tell was really hurting. Hamill also seemed to be desperately trying to land these lead uppercuts, a good move at the beginning of a fight but not so much when it becomes a staple of your strategy. In round three Franklin lands a huge shin kick to the stomach of Matt Hamill. If you’ve never had a kick to the liver/diaphragm area before, I don’t care how tough you are, you buckle. I felt for Hamill, I really did. And when he couldn’t get back up the fight was called. Winner by TKO, Rich Franklin.

And finally, the main event of the night. Chuck Liddell versus Rashad Evans was an interesting match up in the fact that in the interviews before the fight both fighters spoke with a lot of respect towards the other. Yes there was the occassional verbal jab, like Evans calling Chuck “Old,” and Liddell saying he was going to be the first guy to beat Evans in the ring. Expected. Also interesting is the way these two strikers move in the ring. Evans is very jumpy, moving around a lot with his body, shooting jabs and crosses from wherever his body happens to be. This is a great way of sneaking in shots. Liddell is like a tiger in a pen, stalking his opponent and just firing off straight, hard punches in a very rigid but powerful fashion. Liddel used this to success in round one. In round two, after Evans landed a few hits he started becoming more confident. This was the gamebreaker. A simultaneous punch from both fighters; a strong right uppercut coming from Liddell, and a huge overhand right from Evans that was just a split second faster. That’s all it takes to get caught though, as anyone who trains or fights can tell you. Liddell got rocked, and was out before his body even hit the ground. Herb Dean ran over and called the fight before Evans could even get over to land anymore hits. I’m sure my jaw wasn’t the only one on the floor, and many people were upset, but that is the nature of the sport, one I’m very impressed to see each time it happens. Winner by KO, Rashad Evans.

- Eric

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Will Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell’s badly injured leg be ready to withstand Rashad Evans?

Will UFC veterans Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson overcome in their respective battles against eager newcomers Matt Hamill and Rousimar Palhares?

Jon Koppenhaver no longer exists, at least in a legal sense. In this video the UFC fighter explains his decision to legally change his name to War Machine, his fighter nickname.

You can check out this 2 minute video with War Machine in the YouTube video above or download a higher-resolution video here.

War Machine concludes by saying that he expects to be fighting in the UFC again in November and that fans can expect a great MMA fight from him.

- Caleb

Wondering what is up with your prediction data? Read this!

World Victory Road confirmed that In the SENGOKU Lightweight Champion Series 2008 1st Round, Yuki Kondo faces Yuki Sasaki, Evangelista Cyborg takes on Siyar Bahadurzada, and Ryan Schultz will fight Jorge Masvidal at Sengoku 5 lightweight one much.

SENGOKU 5
Date : September 28th, 2008
Place : Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Fight : Ryan Schultz vs Jorge Masvidal [Lightweight]

Middleweight GP Series 2008 1st Round :
Yuki Kondo vs Yuki Sasaki
Evangelista Cyborg vs Siyar Bahadurzada

Participants :
Xande Ribeiro
Roger Gracie

Middleweight GP Series 2008 1st Round participants :
Kazuhiro Nakamura
Jorge Santiago

SAN JOSE, Calif. —Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Champion Bobby Southworth (9-5) will face the greatest challenge of his nine-year mixed martial arts (MMA) career when he puts his belt on the line against superstar Renato “Babalu” Sobral (30-7) at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Saturday, September 20th.

“He is the protector and I am the hunter,” said the 32-year-old Sobral, a former UFC world championship challenger and Brazilian national wrestling champion. “I am already in shape and prepared to take it from him. I want to be the new Strikeforce world champion and , if I could become champion while fighting at a venue like the Playboy Mansion, that would make a good win even better.”

A student of Ruas Vale Tudo, the hybrid combat system created by MMA legend Marco Ruas, Sobral is coming off a convincing, unanimous judges’ decision triumph over Mike Whitehead on July 19th. The bout marked Sobral’s third straight win, a streak that he kicked off with his second round submission of David Heath at UFC 74 on August 25, 2007.

“It was a good performance for me and helped prepare me for this championship fight ahead,” said Sobral.

Prior to being stopped by then-UFC champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell in the main event of UFC 62 on August 26, 2006, Sobral had reeled off 10 consecutive victories, including decisions over fellow superstars Trevor Prangley and Jeremy Horn and submissions of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Chael Sonnen.

The 38-year-old Southworth retained his title during Strikeforce’s “Melendez vs. Thomson” world championship card at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on Friday, June 27th, by fighting off a determined Anthony “A-Train” Ruiz for five, five-minute rounds before being awarded a unanimous judges’ decision.

The win provided Southworth with a sense of bittersweet revenge after he had initially faced off with Ruiz in a non-title bout on November 16, 2007 and sustained a cut around his eye that required the referee to stop the fight at the 52 second mark of the second round.

One of the original members of San Jose’s fearsome fight squad, Team AKA, Southworth introduced himself to the masses as a contestant on Spike TV’s inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

“Strikeforce At The Mansion II” will also be highlighted by a showdown between 2006 Pride Fighting Championship Grand Prix winner and world top 10 ranked, Kazuo “Grabaka Hitman” Misaki (20-8-2), and 25-year-old former UFC star, Joe “Diesel “Riggs (28-10). Newly crowned Strikeforce World Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson will also return to action against an opponent that has to be named. The event lineup will be comprised of 10 bouts.

In addition to a full night of MMA action, all “Strikeforce At The Mansion II” guests will be entitled to a top-shelf, open bar; buffet-style, gourmet dinner; and wine-tasting party featuring the spirits of various California gold medal wineries.

Strikeforce wrote a new chapter in sports history when it produced the first-ever MMA event at the Playboy Mansion last September. Amongst the host of celebrities who attended the affair were Hefner and “The Girls Next Door;” comedians Gary Shandling and Joe Rogan; actress and model Jaime Pressly; actors Michael Duncan Clarke, Christina Fulton, Ethan Suplee, Ernie Hudson, and Page Kennedy; MMA legends Royce Gracie and Bas Rutten; and superstars Cung Le, Frank Shamrock, Josh Barnett, and Andrei Arlovski.

LOS ANGELES—Coming off a pair of explosive performances in their first appearance for Affliction, #4 WAMMA Ranked Heavyweight and former UFC ® Heavyweight Champion Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (13-5) will take on #3 WAMMA Ranked Heavyweight and former UFC ® Heavyweight Champion Josh “The Babyfaced Assassin” Barnett (23-5) in a WAMMA Elimination fight at “Affliction: Day of Reckoning” on October 11, 2008 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. The winner will earn the right to face WAMMA World Heavyweight Champion Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko in his first title defense later this year.

Both fighters were impressive in victories at Affliction: Banned. Arlovski knocked out former IFL® titlist “Big” Ben Rothwell in the third round. Barnett avenged his only knockout loss with a second round KO of Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo.

“We couldn’t be more excited to see Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett faceoff for the right to take on Fedor for the WAMMA World Heavyweight Championship,” said WAMMA CEO Dave Szady. “In the spirit of crowning undisputed champions, we couldn’t be happier than to have two of the fighters who arguably deserve a shot at Fedor fighting it out for the chance to take on the champ.”

Tickets for Affliction “Day of Reckoning” go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 9 and are available online at www.unlvtickets.com or by calling 702.739.FANS. Ticket prices range from $75 to $500. Arlovski vs. Barnett is available live on cable and satellite pay-per-view and closed circuit television.

The Oct. 11 card will feature 10 bouts, showcasing Affliction heavyweights Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski vs. former UFC heavyweight champ Josh Barnett. Arlovski and Barnett both participated in “Affliction Banned” held at the Honda Center July 19 in Anaheim, Cal. Competing in separate bouts, both fighters registered impressive wins over Ben Rothwell and Pedro Rizzo respectively, and will now face each other which could possibly set up a future showdown for the winner with Fedor Emelianenko, the recognized undisputed heavyweight champion of the sport. Both fighters are excited to be a part of Affliction “Day of Reckoning.”

“I am looking forward to a very exciting fight with Josh Barnett on the Oct. 11 Affliction show,” said Arlovski. “I was extremely pleased with my last performance and looking forward to giving fans another great fight.”

“Andrei is a very talented fighter with a lot of skill and heart,” said Barnett. “But fighting in Las Vegas in front of the most knowledgeable MMA fan base in the country will be a great motivator for me to train hard and give him the challenge of his career.”

Other fighters stepping into the ring that evening will include Matt Lindland, a native of Oregon City, Oregon, fighting against former UFC champ Vitor Belfort; International Fight League light heavyweight champion Vladimir Matyushenko taking on Antonio Rogerio Nogueira; and Las Vegas native Roy “Big Country” Nelson taking on Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello.

A complete list of bouts on the card for Affliction “Day of Reckoning” will be announced at a later date.

• Rafael “Feijao” Custodio
• Travis Galbraith
• Wilson Reis
• Brian Caraway

EliteXC’s next show is supposed to include the return of its two most popular names, Kimbo Slice and Gina Carano, although their opponents have not been officially revealed yet.

- Caleb

Wondering what is up with your prediction data? Read this!

If you are in the Southern California region and are a fan of mixed martial arts, be aware that San Diego’s Total Combat will be holding another evening of MMA action on Saturday at 7:30 pm.

Total Combat has been the proving ground for such MMA stars as:

• Eddie Sanchez
• Jon War Machine Koppenhaver
• Ultimate Fighter winner Kendall Grove
• Team Quest’s Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou
• the WEC’s Dominic Cruz
• Ed 9mm Ratcliff
• and Shannon Gugerty, who recently made his successful UFC debut at UFC: Silva vs Irvin.

The event will be hosted at the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park in the Pan American Plaza near Aerospace Museum and the Automotive Museum. The address is: 2005 Pan American Plaza San Diego, Ca 92101.

For those interested, weigh-ins will be held August 1st, 2008 at Balboa Parks Starlight Theater 2pm.

- Caleb

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SHOWTIME fights begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Three fights will be shown there during a one hour show:

• Antonio Silva vs Justin Eilers
• Travis Galbraith vs Rafael Feijao Custodio
• Wilson Reis vs. Brian Caraway

The fights on CBS will run from 9 p.m.-11 p.m. ET/PT and include:

• Scott Smith vs Robbie Lawler
• Shayna Baszler vs Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
• Thomas Denny vs Nick Diaz
• Nick Thompson vs Jake Shields

- Caleb

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Well Nick Diaz has been saying it for a while now: he does not like it when MMA fighters like Thomas Denny decorate themselves for the purpose of getting attention.

The two fighters were supposed to fight in early 2007 at the Gracie Fighting Championships, an encounter which never materialized. In the interviews leading up to the fight, Diaz stated that Denny, “seems like the type that juices up, dyes his hair, and is basically a walking billboard.”

Tomorrow night the two Californian MMA fighters will have a chance to finally work out their differences live on national television at CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights, which begins at 9pm Eastern and Pacific.

- Caleb

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Did you hear? SpikeTV will be showing UFC 84 at 9 pm Eastern and Pacific tomorrow night. The event was headlined by BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, with action also from Wanderlei Silva and Tito Ortiz.

That is just so weird because that’s the same time of the fights on CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights, headlined by Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith!

Maybe Spike just didn’t have anything lined up for that time slot and approached the UFC for some ideas! Just such a coincidence…

All sarcasm aside, this is one of the nice things about competition between companies. We the consumers win. Now go set your DVRs!

- Caleb

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They will be there to offer autographs for fans from 2:30 p.m. PT until 3:15 p.m. PT, which is when the first fight starts at the Stockton Arena.

Fights from the event will be televised on SHOWTIME premium cable television channel for one hour and another two hours will be displayed on CBS.

California’s Jake Shields will take on Minnesota’s Nick Thompson. Shields, whose training partner Nick Diaz will also be fighting that evening, said he has been spending time with Jon Fitch to prepare for Thompson.

Thompson, who has been competing in MMA all over the world since March 2003, is now splitting his time between fighting and studying for the bar exam to become a lawyer.

- Caleb

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Renato “Babalu” Sobral speaks in this video after his victory over the tough Mike Whitehead at Affliction: Banned on Saturday.

Topics that Babalu covers:

• training with Josh Barnett to get ready to fight Whitehead
• that he would fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira but would prefer to fight others (and suggests that it could be Tito Ortiz!)
• why he is behaving so uncharacteristically mellow

If you’d like to see the three minute video in higher definition, you can download it here in m4v format.

- Caleb

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The Scorpion King, starring Randy Couture, is available for pre-order on Amazon.com for $21.99, marked down from $29.98.

In it, Randy Couture actually plays the antagonist as King Sargon, and the protagonist seeks revenge against Randy for killing his father.

Currently Couture is awaiting news of how the courts will decide on his ability to be free of his fight contract with the UFC. If Couture is able to fight it is expected that he may finally be able to pursue the fight against Fedor Emelianenko, who brutally defeated Tim Sylvia on Saturday at Affliction: Banned.

- Caleb

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Josh Barnett’s signature sense of humor comes through in this video shot on Saturday evening at Affliction: Banned, after he defeated Pedro Rizzo by knockout.

Items that Josh Barnett mentions:

• how he considers Pedro Rizzo to have a “beautiful soul”
• his preparation with Renato “Babalu” Sobral
• potentially fighting again in World Victory Road’s Sengoku
• what would happen if he fought Fedor Emelianenko

If you’d like to see the four and a half minute video in higher definition, you can download it here in m4v format.

- Caleb

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• Tim Sylvia $800,000
• Fedor Emlianenko $300,000
• Mark Hominick $5,000
• Savant Young $7,000
• Terry Martin $30,000
• Vitor Belfort $70,000
• JJ Ambrose $5,000
• Mike Pyle $15,000
• Edwin Dewees $15,000
• Antonio Rogerio Nogueira $50,000
• Matt Lindland $225,000
• Fabio Nascimiento $20,000
• Mike Whitehead $50,000
• Renato Sobral $60,000
• Pedro Rizzo $70,000
• Josh Barnett $300,000
• Andre Arlovski $500,000
• Ben Rothwell $250,000
• Justin Levens* $6,000 (did not fight due to time constraints)
• Ray Lizama* $3,000 (did not fight due to time constraints)
• Paul Buentello $60,000
• Gary Goodridge $25,000

TOTALS 2,866,000

I think it’s safe to say that Fedor Emelianenko received more either in direct bonuses from Affliction or from the Russian MMA promotion M-1 Global, who was co-promoting this event.

- Caleb

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After losing to Fedor Emelianenko on Saturday at Affliction: Banned, Tim Sylvia joked that he did not believe Fedor is human. A reporter later asked Fedor what he would do if he had to fight himself. Here’s how Fedor answered.

If you’d like to see the one minute video in higher definition, you can download it here in m4v format.

- Caleb

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Cultural norms and Affliction: Banned be damned,
your inebriation decided
the world needed another sweaty shirtless man.

An indoor arena? “So what!
Megadeth’s metal bombardment demands
my bare chest!” you thought.

Your involuntary fits of invisible percussion
in the rows behind you
sparked much discussion.

So thank you, you rockin’-out-machine
and the hilarious air-drummer
of the Honda Center’s section 219.

- Caleb

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By Eric Davidson

UFC’s answer to Affliction’s spawn of MMA events (Affliction: Banned) tonight went off predominatly hitchless. UFC Silva vs Irvin wasn’t the best fight card of the year by any means, but entertaining (and not to mention free) none-the-less. For further details you can check Caleb’s scribblings here. I digress, allow me to get back on focus to the events of the night. In the words of the late Heath Ledger, “And here…we…go.”

Fight one went to Jesse Taylor and C.B. Dollaway. I was interested to see that Dana White let Taylor come back and fight so quickly after his appropriate dismissal from The Ultimate Fighter. However, from a business standpoint this was a smart move. From the start of the round both men looked as if they were trying to make a point with their agression, showing the audience who was hungrier for an open road in the UFC. Nothing substantial was landing, both men were moving around throwing light combos untill Dolloway secured a good takedown on Taylor. As they were rising from the ground Dollaway shot an illegal knee to a downed Taylor which resulted in a point being taken away. After taking a few seconds to recover himself Taylor shot at Dollaway that C.B. nicely turned against his attacker and secured a full mount which he then quickly rotated into a back mount. The moment of the fight, however, came as Dollaway was rising from the ground and Taylor swung a huge right hand that C.B. quickly dodged. Taylor seemed to lose his balance and then turtle himself onto the mat that Dollaway took full advantage of, ending the match in a Peruvian Neck Tie, a signature move of his from the show. Winner by submission, C.B. Dollaway.

Fight two was perhaps one of the most confusing decisions I’ve ever covered in an MMA match. The match was between Anthony Johnson and Kevin Burns, two fighters who through out round one were very evenly matched. Each fighter was effectively striking and using the clench, one that I’m sure the judges had a hard time scoring. Round two obviously went to Johnson, who was able to land more combos, and effective striking over Burns. Then the fight went to the ground, a spot that both fighters seemed to be using to recover from the brawling which the audience was suspiciously quiet for. Right at the buzzer of round two Johnson scored another takedown, which he’d been using to gain points for the duration of round two. The third round is where things get fishy. Johnson makes two more takedowns in this match from which the official Steve Mazzagatti stands them up from, but after the second time Burn’s finger slides into Johnson’s eye socket that he said was meant to be a palm strike. Mazzagatti calls the round over and it goes to the judges. For whatever reason, one I am still unable to comprehend, the fight goes to Burns. Even Burns himself couldn’t believe the call, but instead of pulling a Nick Diaz and storming out of the ring or throwing a hissy fit, Johnson showed amazing class by hugging and shaking hands with Burns, even going so far as to ask the audience to stop booing him. Johnson proved that even though he lost, he’s a bigger man than most.

Another relatively short round, fight three was between Cain Velasquez and Jake O’Brien. Jake was obviously hungry for a win, however his initial momentum he used to throw his first punch worked against him as Cain used it to put him on the ground. From here it wasn’t even a fight, Velasquez pinning his arms down using his body and proceeded to pummel the buh-jesus out of O’Brien’s face. When it was clear that O’Brien could no longer defend himself the fight was called. Winner, Cain Velasquez.

To continue the path of one sided fights, fight four kept the tradition alive with Hermes Franca and Frankie Edgar. Franca looked solid coming into this fight, however Edgar just used his agression to overpower and manhandle Franca for all three rounds. Each round was similar to the next, Edgar striking and taking the fight to the ground where it seemed as if Franca was going to catch Edgar in an arm bar or two. However, after each attempt Franca looked more and more drained, to the point where in round three it was clear that Edgar was going to take this bout. At the end of round three the winner, by judges decision, was Frankie Edgar.

The fifth fight was something most MMA fans were looking forward to; a slimmer and hopefully quicker and more endured Brandon Vera would be fighting Reese Andy. And that was in the case, in round one. Vera was being very adept as using his range and superior striking to keep Andy outside his reach, and in order to close the distance Reese got sloppy and opened himself up to attacks, if Vera was using that effectivly, which he wasn’t. In fact, the rest of the fight was a series of tired clenches, a few strikes thrown when the fighter’s energy allowed it, and Vera’s lack of pushing the fight to its breaking point. There were several occasions where if Vera had pressed his attack he would have come down hard on Andy. At the end of the match, and a degreed of bored booing from the fans, the winner by judges’ decision was Brandon Vera.

And finally, the main even everyone had been waiting for (you may want to go make yourself a sandwich because this one will take a while), Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin. Both sides come out with some ranged kicks, and after Silva shoots a light combo Irvin attacks with a strong leg kick that Silva takes, then holds onto. This is followed by a hard right that puts Irvin on the ground, where Silva proceeds to land scarilly accurate punches, causing the fight to be called. Winner by KO, Anderson Silva.

So, in the epic match up that was the UFC vs. Affliction, which fight card was the better? Post your thoughts in our MMA forum and discuss it amongst yourselves.

- Eric

Wondering what is up with your prediction data? Read this!

Please note that if you’ve made predictions here on the site for Affliction: Banned or UFC Silva vs Irvin, that part of MMAPredictions’ functionality is not working at the moment. You can make predictions but we are unable to run the calculations and show you how you did. (Frustrating, I know.)

4:06pm: At the moment fans are slowly starting to trickle in to the Honda Center, where the UFC’s most recent challenger Affliction has put together an impressive list of fighters for tonight’s show. Megadeth’s stage has been set up at one end of the arena and the smoke machines are slowly releasing smoke into the air of the arena, which is lit mostly by strong red lights hanging over the ring in the center of the arena.

MMA fighters here to watch the event live this evening spotted so far include Ken Shamrock, Chris Horodecki, Joe Riggs, Javi Vazquez and others.

4:49 PM: Gary Goodridge vs. Paul Buentello

The judges score it 30-27 unanimously for Buentello after three relatively slow rounds. Both fighters exchanged periodic strikes. For most of the fight Buentello delivered more and regular damage. Goodridge’s cardio seemed to fade in the third round, although he was able to generate an occasional fast and wild right hand, and a token leg kick. Buentello managed to entertain with a spinning back kick in the second round.

Vitor Belfort vs Terry Martin

The first round sees a much thinner Belfort than we’re used to strike from the outside while Martin attempts to overcome his significant reach disadvantage from the center of the ring. The two trade quick exchanges of punches but neither lands anything of much interest.

In round two Martin takes Belfort down a minute and a half into the round after catching Belfort’s leg during a kick. The two spend one minute on the ground with Belfort working from the guard. One minute later they stand and Belfort lands a huge flying knee and follows up with a gigantic left hand, sending Martin into the ropes unconscious. Belfort is declared the winner 3 minutes, 12 seconds into the match.

6:02 PM: Megadeth has just begun performing Symphony of Destruction. As the band launches into the guitar solo, the remaining fighters on the card file out two by two with their respective opponents onto the runway leading to the ring. The crowd loves the surprise and all are now on their feet.

JJ Ambrose vs Mike Pyle

Ambrose begins with a bull rush and takes Pyle into the corner. Pyle grabs a body lock on Ambrose and takes him down. From there Pyle quickly obtains the mount, from which he takes Ambrose’s back. It’s moments later that Pyle finally sinks the rear naked choke for the win at 2 minutes and 51 seconds. The time on the clock is 6:14 pm.

6:26 PM: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Edwin Dewees

Early into the first the two fighters go to the ground and Nogueira finds himself fighting from Dewees guard. After a healthy dose of ground and pound, Nogueira stands up and Dewees follows. Nogueira and Dewees exchange on the feet a bit until Nogueira corners Dewees and cranks up the dial on the headpunch-o-meter to eleven. Dewees crumbles in the corner and Nogueira obliges with more striking on the ground which is unanswered by Dewees. Ref Herb Dean calls an end to the action by TKO for Noguiera at the 4 minutes 6 seconds mark.

Fabio Negao vs Matt Lindland

This fight could’ve been Matt Lindland versus anybody-you-want. With the exception of a nasty arm-in-guillotine that Lindland attempted in the first round and Negao fought off, each round played out in textbook Lindland fashion: “The Law” began with aggressive striking in each round and worked for a takedown, where he worked some ground and pound in the corner of the ring. The pace slowed noticeably in each round to a turtle’s pace in the third, but after three rounds the judges all see it unanimously for Lindland 30-27.

7:13 PM: Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs Mike Whitehead

The first round in the Babalu and Whitehead encounter played out on the feet as the two tried to soften each other a bit. Babalu landed a takedown with thirty seconds remaining but Whitehead returned to his feet quickly. In round two, Whitehead was the one on top after a takedown, landing him in Babalu’s guard. Babalu attempted an omoplata but Whitehead escaped, smiling. In the final frame, Babalu worked tirelessly for takedowns but was unable to land any. Whitehead for his part did land a takedown, and Babalu again went for an omoplata from the guard, which almost landed this time, but Whitehead slipped out. 7:34 PM: The judges scored the fight unanimously 30-27 for Gracie Barra’s Renato Babalu Sobral.

Donald Trump is shown in the crowd sitting next to Tito Ortiz, who’s in a bright white suit.

Mark Hominick vs Savant Young

The first round of these lightweights was marked by lightning fast exchanges of punching which had no real effect on either fighter. (After the first round, the camera on the jumbotron turned to Tim Sylvia backstage, eliciting loud boos from the crowd. Next it switched to a shot of Fedor Emelianenko who was preparing for his fight by playing cards with his Russian trainers, which drew a very energetic round of cheers from the crowd.) Midway through round two, the fight goes to the floor and Hominick has Young in his guard. Young almost falls for a sweep and on his way back into Hominick’s guard falls into a triangle! A moment of struggle later, Young escapes, the crowd cheers, and he’s now back in Hominick’s guard. A moment later Young falls into another triangle, he escapes, but escaped right into an armbar from Hominick. Hominick gets the tap from Young with 32 seconds remaining in the first round.

7:57pm Megadeth takes the stage again, playing a song whose name I don’t know because they must’ve released it after I stopped listening to them in 1993.

Josh Barnett vs Pedro Rizzo

The first round has been relatively slow paced, with both fighters offering standard exchanges that develop into tie-ups against the ropes. Occasionally a loud strike evokes “ooo!”s frmo the crowd but fans spent more energy booing the slow pace of the round. (In between rounds a shot of Arlovski and another of Rothwell backstage is shown. Again, if you trained with Miletich you got booed in these moments.) In round two the fans are growing increasingly uneasy, shouting for the fighters to engage and get down to business. During one period of perceived slow action, an exchange heats up and the Babyfaced Assassin makes Rizzo’s head spin around like the girl in the Exorcist with a left hand. Pedro Rizzo is knocked out and Barnett wins at the 1 minute 45 second mark. In the post fight interview, John McCarthy asked Barnett who of the other heavyweights on tonight’s card he would like to fight next. Barnett responded, “…(I’d fight) any of them… they’re all bad asses - but they’re not me!”

Andrei Arlovski vs Ben Rothwell

Arlovski is clearly the fan favorite here judging by fan response in the Honda Center. Arlovski brings Rothwell to the canvas with a trip halfway through the round, and the Bielorussian attempts a heelhook on the large man from Wisconsin. Rothwell escapes and the two return to their feet. Not much else to report in the first round. In round two the two trade furious bunches of punches drawing the crowd to their feet on multiple occasions. Again Arlovski takes Rothwell down and winds up in Rothwell’s guard. After some punches, Arlovski sits into another straight footlock but it is sloppy and Rothwell escapes, and now finds himself in Arlovski’s guard. With thirty seconds left in the second round, the two are stood up. The crowd is electrified in the closing moments as Arlovski explodes forward and unloads at least a dozen punches on the retreating Rothwell, who manages to survive the round. One minute and thirteen seconds into a round three, the heavyily-bearded Arlovski knocks out Ben Rothwell with a right-handed uppercut and the crowd is again screaming and on their feet as the bloodied titan hits the canvas.

The stadium goes dark and Megadeth begins plays another song I don’t recognize.

Tim Sylvia vs Fedor Emelianenko

The fighters are on their way to the ring and the American in the fight is the one getting booed on his way to a fight against a Russian. Times have changed!

Fedor comes out on fire and blasts Sylvia multiple times in the face. Sylvia buckles, winds up on all fours, and Fedor quickly jumps on his back, sinking the read naked choke in just thirty-seven seconds!!! Fedor Emelianenko is the heavyweight champion of WAMMA.

- Caleb

The first fight of the night shown was between Tyson Griffin and Marcus “Maximus” Aurelio. Perhaps Marcus should recheck Imdb.com and see that Marcus Aurelius and Maximus are two separate characters. One is an old man who is smothered in his sleep, the other is a Spanish General who cannot be beaten. Perhaps he should just keep his nickname for the old man.

Round one begins with Griffin (not to be confused with the headlining Griffin) gauging his distance with the clearly overreaching Aurelio. It takes a few moments for him to finally take the confidence in order to close the distance and begin his assault. Griffin begins with a shoot that ends in a take down that goes the way of full guard by Aurelio. If you have been watching the U.F.C. for any extended period of time you know the drill; takedown into full guard, and the clench-fest that ensues. However Griffin is known for his deadly guillotine chokes, so this was a dangerous position for Aurelio. Griffin continues to dominate the match through round two and three in an impressive display of wrestling training against a BJJ black belt. Aurelio wasn’t able to capitalize on his abilities from his jiu-jitsu because of Griffin’s impressive control over the wrestling game. At the end of round three with no knockout on either side, the judges scored in Griffin’s favor in a unanimous decision. Winner by decision, Tyson Griffin.

The second fight of the night was also the standout, bloodiest match of the evening between Josh Koscheck and Chris Lytle. Lytle was the obvious crowd favorite at the beginning, if not by the end of the match. From round one Lytle was the obvious aggressor, throwing hands and a few kicks for the entire match. Koscheck played a very defensive game, seemingly waiting for the opportune moment to strike (to quote Jack Sparrow). Round one ends with nothing substantial, but it isn’t until round two after Koscheck lands some heavy elbows that cut Lytle’s face wide open. It’s a series of two huge gashes above his right eye that, while on his back against the fence, Koscheck exploits to cause the blood to flow like a fountain pen. With this “pen,” Koscheck proceeds to paint the canvas with Lytle’s blood, creating a crescent pattern with the paintbrush that is Lytle’s head. At this point I was wondering if the official was able to even see the damage done to Lytle; having seen many fights been called due to much less blood loss (ie. the horrible match up that was Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson). The round ended and the doctors patch up Lytle enough for him ton continue the third round, at which point he crowd is clearly in his favor. The official continued to stand them up towards the end of the match in order to keep the fight entertaining (go Yyves) where the round ended and they literally painting the arena red. The obvious winner, Josh Koscheck by judges decision.

The next fight went to Patrick Cote and Ricardo Almeida. I’ll save you the trouble of a long explanation and keep it simple. Cote, known for his stand up fighting and knockout power, was unable or unwilling to fight to the best of his ability. As a MMA practitioner myself, it was very frustrating to watch the match and watch someone not take advantage on dozens of openings that they teach you in month one of your training. Ricardo, who is a renowned jiu jitsu ace, was also unable or unwilling to best his opponent with his preferred skill set. The crowd booed as the opponents ended up in clench after clench, seemingly slow dancing with each other that climaxed at the matches end with both fighters raising their hands, and no fan base cheering for either one. Winner by split decision, Patrick Cote. On a side not, if Cote’s nickname is “Predator,” that personae must have been cloaked the entire time, because we didn’t see him at all.

And finally, a fight that leveled on excitement with The Dark Knight (for me), the main event; Rampage Jackson versus Forrest Griffin. The prediction board had Jackson favored to win 76% to 24% against Griffin, while the U.F.C. vote in standings had the match at an equal 50% each at one point. Round one started the way I’d hoped it would, with both contenders coming out swinging. Griffin landing some key outside leg kicks to Jackson’s lead leg that would prove beneficial in the latter rounds of the match. Jackson solidified round one by landing a huge uppercut that took Griffin to the ground. Round two, however, went exclusively to Griffin by way of complete domination after he took Jackson to the ground. Griffin smothered Jackson with his elbows and forearms which Jackson said later he was using to recover. Round three, however, could have gone either way, and after round four went to Jackson, and five to Forrest (neither of which utilizing anything but stick and move jabs, with Jackson showing that even with a damaged lead leg his hands are still quite deadly), the match could have gone either way at decision. At the end of one of the best five round championships I’ve ever had the pleasure of covering, Forrest Griffin was announced the winner by unanimous decision. However, although the crowd favorite, there was actually booing by the fans as Griffin gave his victory speech. It boggled Griffin, as well as this reporter to no end. Griffin wasn’t without class though, as when asked by the ever *cough* intelligible Joe Rogan if he was ever hurt he replied “I wasn’t ever really hurting…every f*cking punch he threw… hurt.” Described as the best moment of his life and words of praise to Jackson, Rampage responded with “What can I say, he just whooped my ass.” An impressive display of respect between two amazing Light Heavy Weight fighters.

- Eric

Wondering what is up with your prediction data? Read this!

Randy Couture’s biography

Randy Couture has been making MMA news in the octagon his whole career and more recently outside the octagon, as his dispute with the UFC has made him a bellwether for those who are unhappy with their fight contracts. In this episode of MMAPredictions Radio, we will learn all about the new book on Randy Couture’s life.

Some of the questions Loretta answers in this interview:

• How did the idea of writing Randy’s biography come about? Did she approach him? Did he approach her?
• What does Loretta Hunt think makes Randy Randy?
• A lot of other fighters have put their personal stories in book format recently including Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, and most recently Tito Ortiz. Has she had a chance to look at those? Would she say her book with Randy follows the same mold as those?
• The book is published by Simon Spotlight Entertainment. Was getting this book published a tough sell? Do they have experience with this sort of thing?
• Did she learn anything that really surprised her about Randy in the course of writing this book?
• What was her favorite moment she shared with Randy when putting this book together?

Click here to listen to the 20 minute mp3!

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- Caleb

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Thanks for visiting MMAPredictions.com, where you can make predictions on the outcomes of mixed martial arts fights. If you’ve been around for much time on MMAPredictions, you probably know that - among other issues - the site has had problems in presenting the correct data after events, and sometimes goes offline and is unavailable after MMA events, which is exactly the time you’d think the information here would be of most interest.

MMAPredictions went live in June 2007 and I was hoping to post a note celebrating our one year anniversary this month. Unfortunately, the site was unreachable on its anniversary and I was not able to post such a note.

Basically the issues we’ve had here on the site over the past year continue to this day despite fixes and other repairs which shouldn’t have ever been necessary. I can no longer continue saying that “the site will be fixed soon” because I do not have faith anymore in our software developers to get the job done.

So moving forward, here’s what you can expect. You’re welcome to register on the site, and even make predictions on the fights. The site will accurately display on fight cards what percent of predictors picked each fighter. But the numbers in your personal profile and on each fight card’s Detailed Results page will be incorrect because the site is unable to complete the calculation routine and locks up and goes offline whenever it tries to do so.

I apologize to all our users and other visitors. I have tried all I can to ensure that this is a fun place for MMA fans.

If you’d like to reach out to me (maybe you’re a programmer looking for pro bono work? lol), you can do so by emailing Caleb_AT_ mmapredictions DOT com.

All the best,

- Caleb

Click here to listen to the 3 minute mp3!