Bloody Elbow

Quote of the Day: Tito Ortiz Talks Anderson Silva

2009-11-20T21:02:30Z

Chad Dukes: "Anderson Silva has expressed interest in fighting you, and that's a guy that's looking for a big payday. Clearly you pull in pay-per-view numbers, people pay to watch you fight. There's a guy like that that wants to fight you, you've seen the strengths he has, you see how tough he is for people to try to fight.

Tito Ortiz: "Well... it's funny that Anderson Silva wants to fight me. I guess you know you're famous when a world champion can't get the Pay-Per-View buys and wants to fight someone who gets him more Pay-Per-View buys. That says a lot about my name, and I've got to thank him for calling me out, that's awesome."

Tito Ortiz appearing on the Chad Dukes Show on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C.

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UFC 106 Preview: Healthy Tito Ortiz Makes Return in Rematch with Forrest Griffin

2009-11-20T20:00:24Z

UFC 106's main event light heavyweight tilt will feature the return of what many consider to be one of the most influential fighters among the casual fanbase the UFC has ever produced. Tito Ortiz (15-6-1, 14-6-1 UFC) will finally make his return to the ranks of the UFC following a year-and-a-half layoff due to a contract dispute, free agency talks with other promotions, an appearance on The Apprentice, and back surgery. His return match-up will be a rematch of his controversial split decision victory over Forrest Griffin (16-6, 7-4 UFC) back at UFC 59. Ortiz will not only get the opportunity to prove that he's finally back to 100% healthy for this fight, but he'll also be thrown into the mix immediately with the chance to redeem himself of his past loss.

Ortiz will enter this contest riding a 0-2-1 record in his last three appearances in the Octagon. His loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 84 was easily his worst performance of the three encounters, but many fans still give Ortiz credit for nearly submitting Machida in a triangle choke late in the fight. Ortiz's draw with Rashad Evans, another eventual champion, was mostly blamed on the fact that Ortiz grabbed the fence at one instance during the fight while fending off a takedown. He was deducted a point, and thus the fight was ruled a draw.

Ortiz has blamed the lackluster performances on an ailing back that has bothered him for a number of years and taken the wind out of his sails in terms of explosiveness in his wrestling ability. While it's a debate among some fans whether Ortiz is simply making excuses for his losses, Ortiz did have back surgery to repair his back and has mentioned that it will be at 100% for his bout with Forrest Griffin.

He's also taken it upon himself to improve his skill-set from its mostly one-dimensional form of takedowns and ground and pound to a much more dynamic skill-set in which he can be dangerous in different areas. He trained with Cleber Luciano, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Judo, for this fight. You may remember Luciano as one of Christiane "Cyborg" Santos' trainers. Ortiz also employed the services of famous boxing trainer Freddie Roach to improve his techniques in the boxing department for this fight.

This fight still won't be an easy endeavor despite the increased health and newer training methods. Griffin offers good size, solid kickboxing ability, damaging hands, and a natural toughness to withstand a beating. He doesn't possess a granite chin by any means, but he is able to take a beating and continue to come forward. He has solid jiu-jitsu tactics on the floor, and it'll really become a question as to whether Ortiz can power through Griffin's abilities to keep his posture down as Griffin's guard is pretty tough to break.

Conditioning will also be a factor as Ortiz has been off for quite a long time while Griffin has continued to show that his level of conditioning is top notch in his past fights. From most of the interviews and reports we've seen, Ortiz has been pushing himself to the limit in terms of conditioning, and his training camp at Big Bear should help him in that regard.

Ultimately, I think this will turn into what the last fight eventually became... a sloppy boxing battle between two guys who are considered wrestlers rather than strikers. While Forrest tends to strike more than wrestle, he's still not a surgical technician with his strikes. Neither is Ortiz. Both men don't present some sort of blazing fast speed advantage, so Forrest probably won't be ridiculed into a sprint for the locker room after the fight.

Tito's new back will probably be tested as I'm sure he'll look for explosive takedowns, but Griffin has shown a good sprawl in the past. I could see Griffin getting taken down and pounded on in this one, and I'm more inclined to believe Ortiz's new health will show itself here. I'll take Ortiz via decision here as I think he'll show some improved boxing and explosiveness in his shots. Don't bank of Griffin stuffing everything unless Tito's back completely goes.

Poll

UFC 106 Main Event: Ortiz or Griffin?

Matt Serra (16-6-0 MMA, 6-6 UFC) vs. Frank Trigg (19-7-0 MMA, 2-4 UFC) set for UFC 109, Feb...

2009-11-20T20:32:49Z

Matt Serra (16-6-0 MMA, 6-6 UFC) vs. Frank Trigg (19-7-0 MMA, 2-4 UFC) set for UFC 109, Feb 6th:

Rumored card so far:
- Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort [in jeopardy]
- Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman
- Matt Hughes vs. TBA
- Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg
- Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller
- Renzo Gracie vs. TBA
- Rob Emerson vs. Phillipe Nover
- Rolles Gracie vs. Mostapha Al Turk
- Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres

HT: thefightnetwork.com
UFC 109 coverage

USAT/SBN November Consensus MMA Rankings: Featherweight

2009-11-18T22:32:11Z

Rank	Fighter	%	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Mike Brown	100	WEC	1
2	Urijah Faber	90	WEC	2
3	Jose Aldo	84	WEC	3
4	Bibiano Fernandes	75	DREAM	5
5	Hatsu Hioki	73	WVR	4
6	Leonard Garcia	71	WEC	7
7	Rafael Assuncao	59	WEC	6
8	Marlon Sandro	55	WVR	11
9	Michihiro Omigawa	54	WVR	19
10	Mackens Semerzier	48	WEC	10
11	Hiroyuki Takaya	46	DREAM	12
12	Wagnney Fabiano	43	WEC	8
12	Josh Grispi	43	WEC	13
14	Masanori Kanehara	39	WVR	17
15	Takeshi Inoue	37	Vale Tudo Japan	9
16	Joe Soto	34	Tachi Palace Fights	15
17	Yuji Hoshino	31	WVR	14
18	Norifumi Yamamoto	26	DREAM	16
19	Takafumi Otsuka	25	DEEP	18
20	Joe Warren	20	DREAM	26
21	Jameel Massouh	19	WEC	19
22	Deividas Taurosevicius	17	WEC	NR
23	Chan Sung Jung	15	WVR	30
24	Luis Palomino	15	G-Force Fights	NR
25	Masakazu Imanari	14	DEEP	22
25	Kazuyuki Miyata	14	DREAM	25

Old Man Strength still rules the day.

American Top Team's #1 Mike Thomas Brown may be 34 but continues to be the top-ranked fighter in MMA's featherweight division. As of the time of this writing, he is set to defend his title against #3 Jose Aldo at WEC 44 on November 18th in Las Vegas. As many have suggested, no one has truly challenged the Novia Uniao black belt, but the rising Aldo has also never faced the type of fighter that Brown is nor this level of competitor in professional MMA.

If you follow him on Twitter, then you know #2 Urijah Faber is back in the gym and training like a mad man after breaking his hand against #1 Mike Brown in their epic rematch. The Team Alpha Male leader is set to take on #7 Rafael Assuncao at WEC 46.

Making a monster leap into the top five for the second time is DREAM's Featherweight Grand Prix winner #4 Bibiano Fernandes who bested Joe Warren and #11 Hiroyuki Takaya at DREAM's October 6th show.

"The Iron Broomstick" in #5 Hatsu Hioki drops a spot after getting robbed by the judges in his loss to #9 Michihiro Omigawa at Sengoku's November 7th show. Omigawa was supposed to challenge #14 Masanori Kanehara for the title on New Year's Eve, but no word yet as to whether the bout is scrapped.

After besting #21 Jameel Massouh at WEC 42, Greg Jackson-product #6 Leonard Garcia climbs one spot to six. As of the time of this writing, he is set to take on recent featherweight convert Manny Gamburyan at WEC 44.

Landing himself back in the top ten is the Featherweight King of Pancrase #8 Marlon Sandro. After being robbed in a decision loss to Omigawa, the Brazilian rebounded at Sengoku's November show where he knocked out #17 Yuji Hoshino in the first round.

After a shocking triangle choke win, #10 Mackens Semerzier is still sitting in the top ten by besting Novia Unaio product #12 Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 43. As for Semerzier, we don't know when he'll return to action, but it's likely to be sooner rather than later as he sustained virtually no damage in his WEC debut.

Based on the premise that all MMA rankings are subjective but that it’s still useful and informative to know who the online MMA community as a whole ranks as the best fighters in MMA, we collect and average the rankings of the top MMA websites to produce our consensus rankings. Show more "

We compile the top MMA rankings from each of our sources and award 25 points for a first place ranking, 16 for a 10th place ranking, 1 for a 25th place ranking. A formula is used to "normalize" the data so all fighters are awarded points from those lists that do not include a full 25 fighters. This formula ensures that each ranking site awards the same number of total points regardless of how many fighters they choose to rank. Each fighter’s total is divided by the number of possible points to determine their standing in the Consensus Rankings.

Gambling Spotlight: UFC 106

2009-11-20T18:15:10Z

Jokes on everyone else. I had Lifefail by Bacterial Infection, round 1 at +150000.

Since you poor schmucks didn't hit the sweet line, I'll let you in on the other money making opportunities for this Saturday at UFC 106.

Forrest Griffin #5 Light Heavyweight Former UFC LHW Champ	vs.	Tito Ortiz #25 Light Heavyweight Former UFC LHW Champ
-132 (Bookmaker)	Best Line	+125 (5Dimes)
30	Age	34
6'3"	Height	6'2"
16 - 6 - 0	Record	15 - 6 - 1
3 / 7	TKO / SUB	8 / 2
Xtreme Couture	Camp	Team Punishment
L - Silva (TKO) L - Evans (TKO) W - Jackson (UD)	Last Three	L - Machida (UD) D - Evans L - Liddell (TKO)

I liked this fight as a co-main with Lesnar/Carwin, but I think it's pretty bland as a standalone headliner. The redemption angle for Forrest draws interest, but the fight itself shouldn't stray too far from the first. And when you remove the name's involved, their first encounter wasn't particularly impressive.

Nothing and everything has changed since UFC 59. Following a hiccup with Keith Jardine, Griffin defeated "Shogun" Rua and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to briefly stand atop the 205 pound division before Rashad Evans derailed his success. The superfight with Anderson Silva that followed ended with Forrest living up to his name.

Ortiz went on to beat up Ken Shamrock not once, but twice before Chuck Liddell obliterated him for a second time. He later drew Rashad Evans in a dreadful fight, followed by getting the Mexican beaten out of him by Lyoto Machida at UFC 84. Since then, Ortiz has been busy teasing Strikeforce, having trouble speaking for Affliction, and telling panhandlers to get a job (sir).

Their style and ability have gone nearly unchanged. Forrest has refined his brawling style to a more sophisticated barrage of high-volume strikes. Besides that, neither guy has made significant strides since 2005. Ortiz and Griffin still don't have KO power because they seem unable to throw from their core. Ortiz will still try to hit more doubles than Albert Pujols. And with their cardio and workrate, we should expect a pretty high-paced 205 bout.

The difference in 2009 is that both guys are three-plus years older. That means three more years of strain on Ortiz's notoriously bad back. It means Forrest has three more years of experience, confidence, and time working with Xtreme Couture. In MMA, three years makes a world of difference.

If you hopped on Griffin when the line opened. Congratulations, you've been paying attention. The line peaked at Griffin -180 before settling at the current price. I like Griffin a lot under -150 and up to just under -200. Ortiz will have to repeat the first fight to win this one, and while I think there's a significant chance that happens, it's much less likely in 2009.

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson #16 Welterweight	vs.	Josh Koscheck #4 Welterweight
-125 (5Dimes/Bodog)	Best Line	+105 (5Dimes)
25	Age	31
6'2"	Height	5'10"
8 - 2 - 0	Record	13 - 4 - 0
6 / 0	TKO / SUB	4 / 4
unknown	Camp	American Kickboxing Academy
W - Yoshida (KO) W - Fioravanti (TKO) W - Burns (KO)	Last Three	W - Trigg (TKO) L - Thiago (KO) W - Yoshida (KO)

"Rumble" opened at a plus number, I missed it, and now he's a slight favorite. If the fight reminds you of Koscheck/Alves, good job. There's two significant differences I see on paper. One, Johnson hasn't shown ability to defend takedowns (mostly because he hasn't really been tested), but he does have a wrestling pedigree that Alves lacked. Secondly, and more pressing, how does Johnson fight off his back? Rich Clementi tooled him on the floor two years ago, but we need to consider that 1) Johnson has improved his game since then and 2) Johnson took the fight on very short notice. Also just like Thiago, there are concerns about the weight cut, so if you're froggy about that, I suggest you hold off until after the weigh-ins.

I've heard a lot of rumbling that Kos will run Johnson over, but I just don't see it. I like a small (less than a unit) play on Rumble.

Phil "The New York Badass" Baroni	vs.	Amir Sadollah
+180 (5Dimes/Bookmaker)	Best Line	-200 (Bodog)
33	Age	29
5'9"	Height	5'11"
13 - 11 - 0	Record	1 - 1 - 0
9 / 2	TKO / SUB	0 / 1
American Kickboxing Academy	Camp	Xtreme Couture
L - Riggs (UD) W - Alfonso (UD) W - Verdadero (UD)	Last Three	L - Hendricks (TKO) W - Dollaway (SUB)

Remember how I hated on Mike Swick in the run-up to UFC 105? Yeah, that's how I feel about Baroni, but the other way around. There's just something about Phil, amongst all his faults and failures, that draws my adoration. So, take the following with a grain of salt. I kinda like the New York Bad Ass at the current price. Sadollah, TUF aside, has two fights to his record. He armbarred what has turned out to be a less-than-stellar prospect in CB Dollaway; and, early stoppage or not, got punched up by Johny Hendricks. I also have serious doubts that Amir can take Phil down, which really hurts his chances to beat Baroni. I like a half-unit flier on the NYBA.

Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira #9 Light Heavyweight	vs.	Luis "Banha" Cane #10 Light Heavyweight
-140 (5Dimes/Bookmaker)	Best Line	+130 (Bodog)
33	Age	28
6'2"	Height	6'2"
17 - 3 - 0	Record	12 - 1 - 0, 1 NC
4 / 6	TKO / SUB	8 / 1
Black House	Camp	American Top Team
W - Staring (SUB) W - Matyushenko (TKO) W - Rimbon (UD)	Last Three	W - Cantwell (UD) W - Sokoudjou (TKO) W - Lambert (TKO)

The books just put this up, and the line opened the opposited of how I hope (though, it is the "correct" line). If Rogerio was not a member of Familia Nogueira, I think I might be conducting an express train to Valuetown right now. As it stands, the line looks fairly efficient. Little Nog showed in the Shogun fight that he can pick apart Muay Thai strikers. And Shogun is a lot more dynamic and technical than Cane, who tends to stalk (GOLDBERG!) in a plodding manner.

Both guys are tough and durable as all get-up, and I might make a play on this going to a decision.

Corey Hill fights tonight at Unconquered 1: November Reign The rumored fight is Corey Hill (2-2)...

2009-11-20T18:33:51Z

Corey Hill fights tonight at Unconquered 1: November Reign

The rumored fight is Corey Hill (2-2) vs. Dave Zitnick (0-1). I hope Corey isn't rushing things.

HT: unconqueredma.com

Strikeforce Challengers V Preview: Kim Couture Battles Kerry Vera, Tyron Woodley Headlines

2009-11-20T18:05:47Z

With UFC 106 looming on Saturday evening, many fans will be itching for some relevant MMA action to get them in the mood for the big event tomorrow. Fortunately for us, Strikeforce has come through to fill your need. The fifth installment of Strikeforce's Challengers series (ShoMMA) will take place this evening from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, and it will air live on Showtime at 11 PM EST (Delayed on the West Coast).

The card will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Missouri wrestling standout and two-time NCAA D-I All-American Tyron Woodley and Kansas City-native and Chinese Kenpo black belt Rudy Bears. Also featured on the card will be a women's bout featuring the same names as the main event from UFC 105. Brandon Vera's wife, Kerry Vera, will battle Randy Couture's former wife, Kim Couture, in a 135 lb. women's division contest. It will only be Vera's second fight and Couture's third fight professionally. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante will also make his return against Aaron Rosa on this card.

Welterweight: Tyron Woodley (5-0) vs. Rudy Bears (10-3)

Woodley's NCAA credentials should be the deciding factor in this fight. He has the ability to be a dominating force on the floor, and his submission game is good enough to get him through some of the lower-echelon fights at this stage in his career. There was some criticism of Woodley in the Zach Light fight as Light gave up some pretty bad positions in the first round, and Woodley was unable to sink in submissions that were there for the taking. Regardless of those faults, Woodley is still a rather green competitor who should hopefully show some improvement in this bout.

Bears has a solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu background coupled with the accolades of being a kickboxer who has won regional ISKA events and titles. He'll be looking to pummel Woodley with strikes early, but he should be adept enough to ward off some attempts by Woodley on the ground. The problem is that Woodley's strength and wrestling should be able overcome Bears' jiu-jitsu tactics on his way to a dominating victory. Tyron Woodley should improve his record to 6-0 in this contest.

Women's Division (135 lbs.): Kim Couture (1-1) vs. Kerry Vera (1-0)

I'm really not sure what to say about this fight. Kim Couture looked absolutely awful against both Kim Rose and Lina Kvokov in her previous professional bouts. She actually broke her jaw in half in one of those match-ups and was commended for her toughness. While she definitely showed she was a tough competitor, a jaw breakage doesn't inspire confidence in anyone thinking she'll win against an adept puncher like Vera.

Kerry's debut against Leslie Smith was quite impressive in comparison to that of Couture's debut. She was very quick with her feet, throwing quick lefts and rights and mixing overhands, some decent kicks, and good technique in her delivery. While she didn't show tremendous power, she did manage to land significantly more than her opponent.

Kerry should take this via decision and batter Kim Couture with punches. I don't see how Couture can handle Vera's speed unless she's improved substantially over the last year.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears

Light Heavyweight: Rafael Cavalcante (7-2) vs. Aaron Rosa (12-2)

In my mind, this isn't a fight in which Rosa has a great chance to win. Rosa's win over an Anthony Ruiz was unimpressive due to Ruiz's sloppy, looping strikes and uncoordinated movement. It really didn't seem like much of a challenge from a technical standpoint for Rosa, but Ruiz made it a fight as he miraculously landed some of those looping shots. Fortunately for Rosa, he was able to submit Ruiz late in the round.

Rosa's real chance at stardom came in a bout against Jared Hamman at ShoXC III, and while Rosa was deemed a potential favorite in the fight -- he was quickly battered by Hamman, who just fought in the UFC. Unfortunately for Rosa, this fight won't see him as the favorite. Cavalcante's striking is much more precise and devastating. He should be able to put leather on Rosa's chin quickly and end his night in spectacular fashion. If not, he'll still be able to control Rosa on the floor with top notch jiu-jitsu. "Feijao" takes this one.

Welterweight: Bobby Voelker (20-7) vs. Erik Apple (10-1)

Apple is the former magazine mogul turned X-Games announcer turned professional MMA fighter who at the young age of 18 had some of the biggest media companies in the world on the fence because of his coverage of the xtreme sports industry that was blowing up at the time. Apple's rough lifestyle of surfing, skateboarding, and xtreme sports took its toll on his body, and he moved to mixed martial arts, surprisingly a safer activity that what he previously had been doing.

Voelker is a product of the American Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Kansas City, a camp that has produced successful MMA fighters L.C. Davis and Rob Kimmons. Oddly enough, jiu-jitsu doesn't seem to be his strength in his offense, but he does present some powerful ground strikes from a takedown-based attack.

Apple will look for the submissions while Voelker will want to gain the better position and pummel Apple. It could make for an interesting chess match on the floor, and both men don't really have an edge in terms of experience against better competition. This should be one of the more even battles on the card, but I'll take Apple via submission in this contest.

Middleweight: Kevin Casey (2-1) vs. Chad Vance (5-3)

If you don't recall, here's a reminder. Kevin Casey is the MMA fighter who holds an entourage with Spencer Pratt. Yeah, ya know... the guy who's married to Heidi Montag and both of them are attention whores. Yeah, those two... I know. You hate them with a passion.

For the love of God, Chad Vance... please win. Vance has a few losses on his record, but he did drop losses to rising star Mario Miranda and veteran Chuck Grigsby. He also has some power in his hands, and the fact that Kevin Casey somehow miraculously lost via TKO to Ikuhisa Minowa makes me pick Chad Vance. That and I hate Spencer Pratt. WAR CHAD VANCE!

UFC 106 Preview: Tito Ortiz Talks Strategy

2009-11-20T17:30:19Z

The Heavy.com crew caught up with Tito Ortiz who discussed his strategy heading into the fight with Forrest Griffin this Saturday. Here's the video of that interview:

Let’s see if Forrest can take the pounding. Let’s see if he can defend the shot when he kicks. Because every time he kicks he’s going to get taken down. A lot of fighters don’t take advantage of that. When they see Forrest kick they try to check all the kicks. To hell with that. I’m putting him on his back and it’s back to the old Tito Ortiz man. I might ground and pound. It’s lethal. The first round it will be lethal. If he survives, the second round will be the same thing. If he lasts through that, the third round will be the same thing. They’ll be carrying him out on a stretcher.

USAT/SBN November MMA Consensus Rankings: Lightweight

2009-11-18T22:00:59Z

Rank	Fighter	%	Promotion	Last Rank
1	B.J. Penn	100	UFC	1
2	Shinya Aoki	96	DREAM	2
3	Eddie Alvarez	86	Bellator/DREAM	3
4	Kenny Florian	81	UFC	4
5	Frank Edgar	80	UFC	5
6	Gray Maynard	77	UFC	6
7	Diego Sanchez	73	UFC	7
8	Sean Sherk	54	UFC	10
9	Tatsuya Kawajiri	53	DREAM	8
10	Joachim Hansen	51	DREAM	9
11	Joe Stevenson	39	UFC	14
12	Tyson Griffin	39	UFC	11
13	Gilbert Melendez	36	Strikeforce	13
14	Mizuto Hirota	35	WVR	12
15	Kazunori Yokota	25	WVR	33
16	Jorge Masvidal	24	WVR	38
17	Nate Diaz	22	UFC	21
18	Clay Guida	22	UFC	19
19	Kurt Pellegrino	20	UFC	19
20	Eiji Mitsuoka	19	WVR	18
21	Satoru Kitaoka	18	WVR	17
21	Takanori Gomi	18	WVR	23
23	Gesias Cavalcante	18	DREAM	15
24	Josh Thomson	17	Strikeforce	16
25	Jamie Varner	16	WEC	21
25	Toby Imada	16	Bellator	34

Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.

With every other UFC champ on the shelf for an indeterminate time due to injuries, Dana White better cross his fingers and hope that whoever wins the UFC 107 title fight between #1 B.J. Penn and #7 Diego Sanchez emerges from the fight injury-free and ready to fight soon. Sanchez is relatively under-accomplished at 155 lbs but his size and aggression present a legitimate threat to the fearsome Penn.

#2 Shinya Aoki will face #9 Tatsuya Kawajiri at K-1 Dynamite! on New Year's Eve. That is a very dangerous fight for Aoki as Kawajiri's fearsome ground and pound plays right into his weak spot, but there has been more buzz for Aoki's potential plans to fight in Strikeforce than for his NYE title defense.

#3 Eddie Alvarez took a hard-fought win over Katsunori Kikuno at DREAM.12 in October, puncturing some of the hype for the rising Japanese Karateka. No word on what's next for Alvarez. Bellator has announced its new TV deal will cover a new season of fights starting in April, so it's possible Alvarez will not fight again before that.

#4 Kenny Florian takes on #18 Clay Guida at UFC 107. Florian is in a bit of a career cul-de-sac after losing his second title fight to B.J. Penn at UFC 101, a win over the very tough Guida will keep Florian in the upper-ranks of the division. Conversely, a win for Guida could put the popular scrapper into title contention for the first time in his UFC career.

#5 Frankie Edgar squares off with #19 Kurt Pellegrino will face late substitute Matt Veach at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in December. If the favored Edgar wins, he'll have to be pulling for #17 Nate Diaz to get the upset over #6 Gray Maynard at Ultimate Fight Night 20 in January. The loss to Maynard is the only blemish on Edgar's otherwise stellar UFC record and it would seem that one of them is next in line for a title shot.

#8 Sean Sherk will be facing Rafaello Oliveira at UFC 108. This would seem to be a gimme fight to let Sherk come back from the injury that forced him out of UFC 103 -- where Oliveira dropped a decision on the undercard to Sherk's training partner Nik Lentz.

#21 Takanori Gomi might not be the world-beater that he once was, but his current trip to the U.S. where he is rumored to be in talks with Strikeforce and the UFC is creating some buzz online.

UFC 106 Preview: Anthony Johnson Draws Toughest Test of Career in Josh Koscheck

2009-11-20T15:04:10Z

One of the highly-anticipated battles that will take place at UFC 106 will be a welterweight showdown between rising star Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (8-2, 5-2 UFC) and UFC veteran and The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 contestant Josh Koscheck (13-4, 11-4 UFC). The bout will feature the Sanshou striking prowess and wrestling of Johnson versus Koscheck's NCAA Division I wrestling pedigree combined with a newfound powerful striking game, a recipe for fireworks. Johnson enters the contest with three straight victories with his most recent coming only a month ago at UFC 104 against Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Koscheck crushed Frank Trigg in his last outing at UFC 103 in only 1:25 via TKO.

On paper, this is a pretty even match-up with Johnson's striking background and training with Sanshou expert Cung Le as his distinct advantage in the stand-up department. There is, however, a huge disparity in their perceived wrestling ability. Johnson was a national champion in college at Lassen Community College while Koscheck was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American with one NCAA title at Edinboro University. On paper, Koscheck obviously has a huge edge in terms of wrestling talent over his competition.

Unfortunately for Koscheck, MMA has a strange way of making these wide gaps in backgrounds become less of an issue due to the striking aspect of the sport. Johnson's length and strikes could make it a difficult task for Koscheck to explode for takedowns, but if Koscheck can manage to pull down Johnson -- he should be able to win the ground war with his better wrestling skills. If Johnson can tag him with strikes before that happens, Koscheck may be hindered from shooting to avoid that type of damage, which would completely nullify Koscheck's offense.

Johnson does have some physical gifts that will pose problems for Koscheck in a scramble for takedowns however. He cuts down heavily from around 185-195 while walking around well over 200 pounds. At fight time, he'll likely balloon to 180-190, and Koscheck will have to deal with that added wieght and the length of Johnson. After all, Johnson is nearly 4" taller than Koscheck.

Koscheck's heavy-handed striking ability will probably be nullified by Johnson's reach and kicks. He has a lot of power, and it'll be a huge mistake for Koscheck to try to wade through his reach to pummel his chin. It wouldn't surprise me if he tried though, but I think Koscheck's ultimate means to win this fight come in his conditioning and wrestling.

Johnson hasn't always shown the best conditioning, and for a guy who cuts down to 170 from such a high weight -- conditioning will always real its ugly head in the later rounds. If Koscheck can push the pace and put Johnson on his back, look for Koscheck to take this via decision.

Don't ask me why, but Koscheck's recent resurgence has made me a fan of the once-hated menace of Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter. He seems much more focused on shutting up his competition over talking loads of trash before a fight. While his headhunting has put him in the loss column during his recent run, he still exhibits an aggressive style with that huge chip on his shoulder that he's out to prove everyone wrong about him. I find that to be an intriguing attribute. But this will be by far his toughest fight since Thiago Alves. I'm picking Josh Koscheck as he'll hopefully go back to that wrestling base after realizing he can't wade through Johnson's strikes, but it isn't a pick I'm completely sure about. It should be an exciting fight though.

Poll

Anthony "Rumble" Johnson or Josh Koscheck? Pick your horse.

Rodrigo "Comprido" Medeiros Says Brock Lesnar Will Be Fighting Again Within 6 Months

2009-11-20T14:29:22Z

Brock Lesnar's friend and BJJ trainer talks to TMZ.com:

"Brock is getting better and that is the most important thing ... He will be fine and be fighting again within 6 months."

"I can just say that the heavyweights can stop laughing and get ready to start crying because the champion will be back soon."

There is still no official word from the UFC or Brock Lesnar on his return.

Jose Aldo: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus) def. Mike Brown: $15,000 Manny Gamburyan:...

2009-11-20T14:26:56Z

Jose Aldo: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Brown: $15,000

Manny Gamburyan: $36,000 ($18,000 win bonus)
def. Leonard Garcia: $14,000

Karen Darabedyan: $6,000 ($3,000 win bonus)
def. Rob McCullough: $20,000

Shane Roller: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. Danny Castillo: $9,500

Manny Gamburyan top earner at WEC 44.

Full payout amounts at MMAJunkie.com

This Fan Post was promoted to the front page by Nick Thomas.
WEC 44: Brown vs. Aldo coverage

USAT/SBN November MMA Consensus Rankings: Welterweight

2009-11-18T22:26:38Z

Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.

Rank	Fighter	%	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Georges St. Pierre	100	UFC	1
2	Jon Fitch	95	UFC	2
3	Thiago Alves	92	UFC	3
4	Josh Koscheck	83	UFC	4
5	Mike Swick	78	UFC	5
6	Matt Hughes	75	UFC	6
7	Paulo Thiago	54	UFC	9
8	Carlos Condit	50	UFC	8
9	Jake Shields	45	Strikeforce	7
10	Paul Daley	42	UFC	11
11	Dan Hardy	41	UFC	13
12	Martin Kampmann	40	UFC	10
13	Marius Zaromskis	34	DREAM/Strikeforce	12
14	Jay Hieron	28	Strikeforce	15
15	Karo Parisyan	27	UFC	16
16	Anthony Johnson	23	UFC	22
17	Hayato Sakurai	22	DREAM	19
18	Matt Serra	22	UFC	17
19	Nick Diaz	22	Strikeforce	14
20	Dan Hornbuckle	21	WVR	18
20	Chris Lytle	21	UFC	24
20	Marcus Davis	21	UFC	21
23	Mike Pierce	20	UFC	25
24	Dustin Hazelett	20	UFC	20
25	Brad Blackburn	20	UFC	NR

#1 Georges St Pierre's tyranny over the Welterweight division has been on hold since he tore an abductor muscle in his victory over #3 Thiago Alves at UFC 100 in July. Word is he'll be able to return in March where he'll face #11 Dan Hardy (note that these rankings don't account for Hardy's win over #5 Mike Swick at UFC 105). GSP may be looking past Hardy, however, he's putting on weight and talking about moving up to face middleweight champ Anderson Silva.

Hardy's rapid rise is a testament to the role of luck in MMA. Had multiple injuries not intervened, Swick would have faced #12 Martin Kampmann at UFC 103 for the title shot and Hardy would have fought #30 Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim in a fight with no title implications. But luck can only do so much, and once he was given the opportunity, Hardy seized the initiative. Time will tell if the hard-hitting Brit is ready for the powerful and well-rounded GSP.

Speaking of (bad) luck, #2 Jon Fitch was going to face #3 Alves at UFC 107, in an epic fight that could very well have put the winner right back into immediate title contention. But then Alves hurt his knee. Instead he'll face the tough but utterly unheralded Mike Pierce in a fight with no upside for Fitch beyond a pay day.

#4 Josh Koscheck has a chance to make people forget his losses to Alves and #7 Paul Thiago when he faces #16 Anthony Johnson in the co-main event at this weekend's UFC 106. Johnson is much hotter than his ranking reflects and the high profile nature of the fight will bring a lot of momentum to the career of the winner. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see the winner of this fight get a title shot -- provided that they win in spectacular fashion.

#6 Matt Hughes was rumored to be facing Renzo Gracie in a senior circuit match early in 2010 but that fight is not happening for whatever reason. That's too bad as that fight is perfect for Hughes at this point in his career. After two losses to GSP and a KO loss to Alves, it is clear that his days as a top contender are over and he has no interest in being used as a stepping stone by younger fighters.

#7 Thiago had his own bit of luck -- we'll see what he makes of it -- when his scheduled UFC 107 bout with Thiago Alves was changed. Instead, he'll face undefeated UFC newcomer Jacob Volkmann at UFC 106. I'm just glad I didn't have to live blog the battle of the two Thiagos.

#8 Carlos Condit gets a chance to recapture the momentum he brought into the UFC from the WEC when he tackles #10 Paul Daley at UFC 108

UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2 Weigh-in Results

2009-11-20T13:58:05Z

Embeded after the jump. Join us at 7:00 PM EST:

Main Bouts:
Forrest Griffin (16-6) vs. Tito Ortiz (15-6-1)
Josh Koscheck (13-4) vs. Anthony Johnson (8-2)
Paulo Thiago (11-1) vs. Jacob Volkmann (9-0)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (17-3) vs. Luis Cane (10-1)
Amir Sadollah (1-1) vs. Phil Baroni (13-11)

On Spike:
Marcus Davis (16-5) vs. Ben Saunders (7-1-2)
Jake Rosholt (6-1) vs. Kendall Grove (10-6)

Preliminary Bouts:
Brock Larson (29-3) vs. Brian Foster (12-4)
Caol Uno (25-12-4) vs. Fabricio Camoes (10-4)
George Sotiropoulos (12-2) vs. Jason Dent (28-9)

-- photo via Sherdog.com

HT: UFC.com Click Watch Now.

CarmichaelDave - Fun UFC rumor: Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz to coach TUF 11, then fight at the end...

2009-11-20T05:38:51Z

CarmichaelDave - Fun UFC rumor: Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz to coach TUF 11, then fight at the end of the season.

CarmichaelDave - Fun rumor Pt 2: Urijah Faber to get shot at Jose Aldo in May with win over Rafael Assuncao in January.

This Fan Post was promoted to the front page by Nick Thomas.

http://twitter.com/CarmichaelDave

USAT/SBN November MMA Consensus Rankings: Middleweight

2009-11-18T22:28:14Z

Rank	Fighter	%	Promotion	Last Rank
1	Anderson Silva	100	UFC	1
2	Nate Marquardt	94	UFC	2
3	Dan Henderson	94	Free Agent	3
4	Demian Maia	79	UFC	5
5	Vitor Belfort	79	UFC	6
6	Chael Sonnen	71	UFC	7
7	Jake Shields	61	Strikeforce	12
8	Jorge Santiago	58	WVR	4
9	Yushin Okami	57	UFC	8
10	Yoshihiro Akiyama	52	UFC	10
11	Robbie Lawler	44	Strikeforce	9
12	Kazuo Misaki	30	WVR	11
13	Mamed Khalidov	30	WVR	NR
14	Paulo Filho	29	DREAM	14
15	Nick Diaz	23	Strikeforce	18
16	Michael Bisping	22	UFC	13
17	Ronaldo Souza	21	DREAM/Strikeforce	18
18	Nate Quarry	21	UFC	17
19	Alessio Sakara	20	UFC	15
20	Thales Leites	18	MFC	22
20	Alan Belcher	18	UFC	20
20	Ricardo Almeida	18	UFC	23
23	Wilson Gouveia	17	UFC	24
24	Gegard Mousasi	16	Strikeforce	27
25	Rich Franklin	16	UFC	NR

Rankings compiled by Richard Wade.

Fans are used to #1 Anderson Silva toying with opponents, but in recent months we've been treated to the spectacle of seeing Silva and his manager Ed Soares toy with the UFC. First he wants to fight #5 Vitor Belfort and will be ready for UFC 108. But snap, he's having elbow surgery. No wait, no surgery, he'll be ready. Then he doesn't think Belfort is worthy of a title shot. And the surgery is on again. Now they're on the verge of signing that fight for UFC 109. We'll see.

Meanwhile, #2 Nate Marquardt will be facing #6 Chael Sonnen at UFC 110, while #3 Dan Henderson twists in the wind. A Marquardt win will surely earn him a second bite at the Anderson Silva apple.

Not quite as sure that Sonnen will get to try for gold with a win, but surely the Zuffa brass are full of gratitude toward Sonnen since he banished the specter of a #9 Yushin Okami title shot.

#4 Demian Maia is rumored to be facing Dan Miller at UFC 109. A win against the tough Miller should put Maia back in the title hunt.

#7 Jake Shields solidified his unlikely status as a top middleweight by beating Jason "Mayhem" Miller at Strikforce: Fedor vs Rogers and taking the Strikeforce middleweight belt. Strikeforce boss Scott Coker has stated that Shields could return to welterweight now that they've beefed up that division a bit more. Shields is talking about becoming a two division champ. Time will tell.

#8 Jorge Santiago dropped four slots after being upset by (the previously unranked) #13 Mamed Khalidov at Sengoku XI. This is a disaster for Santiago who at one point was scheduled to face Belfort at Affliction's final show. Two years of momentum building in Strikeforce and Sengoku have suddenly evaporated.

#10 Yoshihiro Akiyama is expected to headline UFC 110 against legend Wanderlei Silva. This fight, at the UFC's Australian debut will also air during prime-time in Japan and South Korea. Akiyama was a crucial acquisition for the UFC, a true star in Asia, who has shown the ability to hang in the UFC. He will be sorely tested against the former PRIDE champion.

Strikeforce Challengers V: Woodley vs. Bears Weigh-ins: Main Card: Tyron Woodley (5-0) 171 vs....

2009-11-20T03:34:44Z

Strikeforce Challengers V: Woodley vs. Bears Weigh-ins:

Main Card:
Tyron Woodley (5-0) 171 vs. Rudy Bears (10-3) 170
Kim Couture (1-1) 136 vs. Kerry Vera (1-0) 135
Bobby Voelker (20-7) 170 vs. Erik Apple (10-1) 170.5
Rafael Cavalcante (7-2) 205 vs. Aaron Rosa (12-2) 206
Kevin Casey (2-1) 185 vs. Chad Vance (5-3) 185

Make sure to join us at BloodyElbow.com tonight for live play-by-play, commentary and discussion of Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears beginning at 11 PM EST.

This Fan Post was promoted to the front page by Nick Thomas.
HT: Punch Drunk Gamer
Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears coverage

Bloody Elbow Betting Game: UFC 106 Ortiz vs. Griffin II

2009-11-20T01:18:30Z

Another week, another event. So join already.

Rodriguez over at Fightlinker somehow thinks he is capable of leading a charge against Bloody Elbow, the biggest betting camp on MMA Playground and vanguard of a new cultural innovation. This notion is immediately refuted by a personal performance which results in $260 spendable, fake dollars, a loss of $740 off the starting amount, and a 57% picking percentage for fights. One can compare this to BE's camp leader who manages $27,582 in phony cash and a picking percentage of 70%. As for the MMA4Real, we are tied or nearly tied as a camp in the judged criteria after 7 events, which, of course, really pains me to write or admit.

We still have time to step our performance with the three events remaining in the season. Beat MMA4Real. Destroy Fightlinker.

Reminder on prizes. UFC 105 Results. UFC 106 Playground lines in extended entry.

Important: If you wish to join the BE betting camp, send me a message on MMA Playground with your BE user name or leave a comment in this thread so I can send you an invite. Please make sure your MMA Playground login name is the same as your BE name or as close as possible so we can give you the proper credit.

~ Camp Results After 7 of 10 Events ~

~ BE Camp Leaders After 7 of 10 Events ~

The Hierarchy of MMA's Judging Criteria Should Be Emphasized

2009-11-20T01:00:13Z

Martin McNeil for ESPN.com

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Last weekend's UFC 105 main event light heavyweight match-up between Randy "The Natural" Couture and Brandon "The Truth" Vera cemented itself as one of the tougher bouts to score from a judge's point of view during this year's long list of close decisions. Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua should be thrown in the mix as well as a recent bout that also spawned a lot of debate among fans, but the Couture vs. Vera decision focuses solely on a subject within the context of MMA's judging criteria that has hidden from criticism.

While most of the debates come down to certain exchanges landing and the value of specific strikes in opposition to other methods of scoring (i.e. the value of leg kicks versus jabs, takedowns vs. escapes), the hierarchy of the criteria used in judging a fight was the central issue at UFC 105. Per a discussion on the Sherdog forums back in 2007 regarding judging criteria, someone posted the criteria for judging MMA bouts when Marc Ratner was the head of the NSAC. We also had the discussion here. The root of the issue comes in the Criteria Evaluation:

If 90% of a round is grounded with one fighter on top, then:

   - Effective Grappling is weighted first, with Clean Striking weighted next. If Clean Strikes scored in the round, the Judge shall factor it in. Clean Striking can outweigh Effective grappling while the fighters are grounded. Octagon Control is next (Pace, Place, & Position)

The same rational holds true if 90% of the round were standing:

   - Clean Striking would be weighed first, Clean Grappling second, then Octagon Control. Which fighter created situations that led to effective strikes.

If a round was 50/50, then:

   - Clean Striking and Effective Grappling are weighed more equally with Octagon Control being weighed next.

Now, keep in mind -- these were the rules under Ratner's reign at the NSAC and these could have been changed since those days, but I think these make the case against what some fans have argued over the past week. This obviously hints that there is a hierarchy when it comes to Striking, Grappling, Effective Grappling, and Octagon Control. Striking and Grappling receive a lot of weight in a battle that's mostly standing and grappling as equals, but when entire rounds shift to the ground, the criteria is weighted to specific portions of the criteria.

This is exactly how the criteria should work, and it shocks me that we've seen arguments that some of Vera's blows in the first round would suddenly nullify anything Couture did in terms of Effective Grappling and Octagon Control. The only real problem with my view is that technically... Couture stood for much of those clinching exchanges. His style, however, was basically a grounded battle against the fence in the clinch.

Because of the way the fight went with Couture controlling Vera against the fence, weight would be pressed on the Effective Grappling and Octagon Control portions of the criteria versus Striking in the first round. The problem we see, however, is that some fans want to throw substantial weight on a few strikes when Couture controlled the round. Say what you want about how Couture worked the round... call it boring if you want, but I can't see an argument in giving Vera huge points for a few blows because Couture simply controlled him while landing barely effective strikes against the fence.

If a judge actually puts significant weight on a few clean strikes in a round that is dominated by positional control, we have a problem. It's a huge problem if a judge cannot use the rationale outlined above, and we see these problems in commissions that aren't within the list of major commissions in the United States. I have no doubt in my mind that the NJSACB and the NSAC have the competence to do their jobs using this rationale, but I know for a fact that other commissions would look at this type of scoring with bewilderment.

Without that rationale, a fight in which 90% of the round took place on the ground with a top controlling fighter doing some damage could be stolen by a fighter who gained his legs at the end of the round and landed a couple of clean strikes that didn't even daze the opponent. That is exactly what some of the arguments suggest should be the criteria for scoring a fight, and that's ridiculous.

The issue with MMA judging is that judges are open to interpretate the criteria in their own way, but interpretation of what a heavy vs. average strike looks like, the importance of leg kicks, and the entire debate regarding escapes, submission attempts, and ground tactics are the areas open for discussion.

This shouldn't be much of a debate. If Vera nearly knocked out Couture with a few strikes after being positionally dominated for the entire first round, we'd be debating what "heavier strikes with efficiency" means against the rationale that if 90% of the round is in a specific setting, more weight is put on a specific portion of the criteria. To be perfectly honest, that occurrence would lend itself to a draw round in my eyes moreso than a debate as to who barely scraped by with a winning round. But I don't think the Couture vs. Vera fight was much of a debate until the third round, a round that had a lot of different positions and areas in which the fight took place.

Anderson Silva Not Recovering Well From Surgery

2009-11-19T22:30:10Z

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More bad news for UFC 109. The anticipated middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort seems to be receding off into the distance. Fighters Only translates from Portal das Lutas:

Anderson Silva says his recovery from elbow surgery has not gone as expected, and that there is still enough pain to stop him practicing simple jiu jitsu positions.

"I went to the doctor who takes care of me in Brazil on Monday. I had surgery in the United States but there is communication between the two medical teams. To sum it up, some movements aren't at the expected stage [of recovery]," he revealed to Portal das Lutas.

...

The news will not thrill UFC bosses, who are faced with a mounting injury list of high profile stars. Silva was wanted for a headlined fight with Vitor Belfort in February but unless he is back to full training by next month that will be unlikely.