maudlin career Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 With UFC and Strikeforce both seeing a fair amount of sales and high critic reviews on their current-generation licensed MMA titles, MMA fans the world over stood in agreement that if there was ever a right time to get into MMA, 2009-2010 was the year to do it. That statement even has the evidence to support it. Mauricio Rua beating Lyoto Machida once, and arguably twice. The Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) making its first venture to the United Arab Emirates city, Abu Dhabi. The destruction of Frank Mir bringing in the era of Brock Lesnar followed by the quick fall at the hands of Cain Velasquez. Hell, how about Fedor Emelianenko, arguably the greatest fighter of all time, succumbing to the submission expertise of Fabricio Werdum. Quite honestly, 2009-2010 was the year for MMA…or so we thought. In October of 2010, UFC President, Dana White made a huge announcement that would structure the landscape of the MMA world for the years to come. Gone was the excitement of the Bantamweights and Featherweights of the Zuffa LLC’s little sister promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) as Zuffa LLC heads Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta both officially decided to call it quits with the company. While many in the MMA world over were disappointed in the announcement, Dana White made a quick rebound by announcing that the Featherweight and Bantamweight divisions, along with the WEC’s Lightweight division, would be absorbed into the UFC. What this meant for all parties involved: pay upgrade and recognition for the WEC branded fighters, a firm assertion of UFC’s status as the #1 pound for pound MMA company in the world, and more quality fights for the fans. Now in January 2011, just three weeks removed from UFC 124: St. Pierre vs. Koscheck MMA media and fandom alike will get to see just what this merger will do to the UFC and MMA as a whole. At first, the card seemed in slight peril with the removal of UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo withdrawing from a title bout with Josh Grispi. Reed Harris, former WEC President, used his first action as UFC Television President, to swap around fights where he promoted the WEC Lightweight Championship fight between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis to the co-main event spot of UFC 125: Resolution. Now, UFC fans world-wide will get their first look at the undisputed kings of MMA. This is UFC: Undisputed. OOC: I’m not wanting to reveal the roster as it’s a fairly large list to go through. You know the names of the guys fighting in the UFC currently. There aren’t any unexpected surprises. New signings will happen in game. This is just a trial Diary, to test JT Money’s mod so unless I really find that I like what he’s put together, don’t get too attached . Also, I’d rather not post the Divisional Rankings as I’m not a fan of how they’re set up in the beginning of the save. Let me put away a few events and will get cracking on them. The gamesave starts in January so I wasn’t able to accurately do WEC 53 at all. Some of the more interesting fights from that card will spill over into future fight cards. With that, enjoy the show! UFC Champions UFC Heavyweight Champion (206 – 265lbs) *Cain Velasquez (10/23/2010 - )* Next in line: Junior dos Santos (TBA) UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (186 – 205lbs) *Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (5/8/2010 - )* Next in line: Rashad Evans (TBA) UFC Middleweight Champion (171 – 185lbs) *Anderson Silva (10/14/2006 - )* Next in line: Vitor Belfort (Saturday February Week 1, 2010) UFC Welterweight Champion (156 – 170lbs) *Georges St. Pierre (4/19/2008 - )* Next in line: Jake Shields (TBA) UFC Lightweight Champion (146 – 155lbs) *Gray Maynard (1/2/2011 - )* Frankie Edgar (4/10/2010 - 1/1/2011) Next in line: Ben Henderson(Unification Bout) WEC Lightweight Champion (146 – 155lbs) *Ben Henderson (1/10/2010 - )* Next in line: Gray Maynard (Unification Bout) UFC Featherweight Champion (136 – 145lbs) *Jose Aldo (11/18/2009 - )* Next in line: Winner of Josh Grispi vs. Michihiro Omigawa (Saturday February Week 1, 2010) UFC Bantamweight Champion (126 – 135lbs) *Dominick Cruz (3/6/2010 - )* Next in line: Scott Jorgensen (TBA) http://www.cdn.sherdog.com/_images/bgd/spacer.gif UFC 125: Resolution Ultimate Fighting Championships Saturday January, 2010 Las Vegas, Nevada Main Card UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) OOC #2: Since the first UFC card in my save is literally two weeks from start, I figured I'd get right to the card. Future cards will feature build up and hype and I'll also post some of the bigger highlights in the rest of the MMA world. Now let's get to predicting, boys and girls! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dakydaky Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) I think I do not really know who will win here so I am going to say Edgar because I think Maynard will not rise to the ocassion. Prediction: Edgar by UD WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) This one is hard pick but I think Henderson got what it takes to Retain Prediction: Henderson by UD Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Crippler will probably dominate this one heavily. Prediction: Leben by KO in Round 1 Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Vera is very solid, but Silva is owner of probably strongest hits in MMA. Prediction: Silva by UD Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) I think Gomi will edge this one in very close fight. Prediction: Gomi by UD Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) I am a big fan of Tavares and Baroni really have almost nothing to show more to UFC. Prediction: Tavares by UD Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) This one will probably go to Mckee just because I think he is more solid fighter. Prediction: Mckee by TKO in Round 2 Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieFnG Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Main Card UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayT23 Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeGood Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Main Card UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdale2k Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) Prediction: Gray Maynard, TKO WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Prediction: Ben Henderson (submission) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Prediction: Leben TKO Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Prediction: Silva, UD Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Prediction: Guida, UD Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Prediction: Tavares, UD Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) PredictioN: McKee, UD Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Prediction: Visher, UD Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Prediction: Roberts, submission Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Prediction: Noke, KO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladiator Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Main Card UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokey al Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Main Card UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BYU 14 Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Main Card UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) Maynard did once, he can do it again. WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) This should be a great one, slight edge to Pettis Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Like Leben in a brawl Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Vera on the downswing Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Probably a bad pick, but I love how Guida is such a warrior Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesterx7769 Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 UFC Lightweight Championship UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) WEC Lightweight Championship WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Lightweight Takanori Gomi (32-6) vs. Clay Guida (27-11) Spike TV Card: Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Preliminary Card: Featherweight: Bryan Caraway (12-5) vs. Brandon Visher (13-2) Welterweight Daniel Roberts (11-1) vs. Greg Soto (8-1) Middleweight Kyle Noke (18-4-1) vs. Jesse Bongfeldt (21-6-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudlin career Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 Brad Tavares: It’s always been a dream of mine to fight here in the UFC. I’m not going to let someone like Phil Baroni ruin that for me. Phil Baroni: I’ve been kicking ass in this sport for a while. He’s not ready for a test like me. Antonio McKee: My record speaks for itself. This is a long time coming and I’ll get to show the world who the best kept secret is. Aaron Riley: With no disrespect, who has even beaten? He says his record speaks for itself, but I don’t see one relevant win under his name. He’s mistaken if he thinks he’s going to use me as a stepping stone to advance in the Lightweight Division. UFC 125: Resolution – Spike TV Card http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JCJ5GVU5as Mike Goldberg: Hello, fight fans, welcome to UFC 125 on Spike TV where we are just one hour away from UFC 125: Resolution. Call your local Pay Per View or satellite provider with information on how to order UFC 125. With me, I have my partner in crime, Joe Rogan, Joe what a night, right? Joe Rogan: What a night indeed. Two Lightweight Championship matches in Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis and Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard. On top of that, throw in Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida, Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera, and Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann and you have yourself one hell of a card. Mike Goldberg: You said it, partner! Only an hour left until we shift to our Pay Per View broadcast, so first we present a Lightweight encounter between debuting Lightweight fighter, Antonio McKee, and the always game Aaron Riley. Lightweight Antonio McKee (25-3-2) vs. Aaron Riley (30-12-1) Round 1 Aaron Riley is immediately bumrushed to the canvas with a double leg from Antonio McKee. McKee fires elbows off from Riley’s guard, but Riley covers up to withstand any potential damage. Antonio McKee then decides to fire shots off to Aaron Riley’s body, but they’re done for no other purpose than to frustrate McKee’s grounded opponent. Antonio McKee grinds away at Aaron Riley from the guard and though the referee eventually decides on standing them up, Aaron Riley didn’t have the time to capitalize. Mike Goldberg: Antonio McKee would not be denied that takedown, Joe. Joe Rogan: And the thing about Antonio McKee is that he’s well respected in the MMA community. Several fighters have sought him out to work on their own wrestling technique. He’s a good addition to this division. Round 2 The second round was more or less the same as the first with Aaron Riley practically stepping into a takedown from Antonio McKee. Once again, Antonio McKee, completely content with staying in Aaron Riley’s guard continued to chip away at Aaron Riley’s defense with some elbows and light punches. Aaron Riley just didn’t seem to have an answer for Antonio McKee and thus the second round came and went without much of a bang. Joe Rogan: This guy is going to present some major problems for some of the fighters in our division who are weak in the wrestling department. Aaron Riley just has no answer for his wrestling. Round 3 Antonio McKee decides to entertain Aaron Riley in this round by standing up with him. McKee manages to connect with a weak pair of jabs and then followed it up by returning to his bread & butter, the power double-leg takedown. Aaron Riley lied in guard pretty much allowing Antonio McKee to continue his assault. The clock winded down and it was pretty obvious who was taking this fight. Bruce Buffer: Our judges have to come to a decision with all three scoring it as 30-27 making it a unanimous decision in favor of Antonio McKee Antonio McKee wins via Unanimous Decision Mike Goldberg: Up next, TUF 11 contestant Brad Tavares goes one on one with “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni Middleweight Brad Tavares (6-0) vs. Phil Baroni (13-12) Round 1 A jab from Brad Tavares finds its mark on Phil Baroni whose head snaps back following the impact. Phil Baroni steps away, but Brad Tavares chooses to follow him in. Phil Baroni looks to capitalize on his opponent’s aggression by swinging some violent punches Brad Tavares’ way. Brad Tavares manages to step back and counters with a hook that knocks Phil Baroni out cold at 2:43. Brad Tavares defeats Phil Baroni via knockout (punch) Joe Rogan: You absolutely decimated Phil Baroni out there! Wow! Brad Tavares: I come to fight, man. Keep putting me on fight cards and I promise you’ll see more of this. Joe Rogan: I’m sure Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will be hard at work figuring out what next to do with you. Where would you personally like to go from here. Brad Tavares: I’ll fight anyone out there. I’m here to put on a show for you guys! Joe Rogan: Well there you have it, what an excellent performance! Give it up for him ladies and gentlemen! Mike Goldberg: Brad Tavares could be going places, that’s for sure. However, I’d like to take you guys back to a fight that happened earlier in the broadcast when Featherweights Brandon Visher and Bryan Caraway met in the cage. Preliminary Featherweight Brandon Visher (13-2) vs. Bryan Caraway (12-5) Round 1 The two circle around the cage and a missed looping punch from Bryan Caraway leads to Brandon Visher exploding on him with a series of punches that force Bryan Caraway into the cage. Bryan Caraway covers up, but an uppercut from Brandon Visher soon crumples the hurt Featherweight and the referee jumps in to save Bryan Caraway from a further beating at fifty-eight seconds. Brandon Visher defeats Bryan Caraway via TKO (strikes) Mike Goldberg: Alright fans, I’m here with UFC President Dana White. Dana, tell us why we should buy UFC 125. Dana White: Why? Because there’s a lot of really good ****ing fights on there, that’s why. Haha. No, you have the best Lightweight in the world, Frankie Edgar, taking on the only man to defeat him in mixed martial arts. On top of that, you have the WEC Champion and Contender Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis co-headlining the card. Then, if those fights weren’t interesting enough, the two winners of those fights will meet at a later date to unify both titles. Then, there’s Chris Leben and Brian Stann and both of those guys know how to provide an entertaining fight. Mike Goldberg: How about Thiago Silva and Brandon Vera? Dana White: Man, I’ll tell you what, those two are going to bring a war. And Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida? Like I said, a lot of really good ****ing fights. Mike Goldberg: Well, you heard it from the man himself. With five minutes left, it might be a good time to call your cable or satellite provider for information on how to order UFC 125: Resolution. I’m Mike Goldberg and this has been a Spike TV broadcast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudlin career Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 Frankie Edgar: A lot of people think that this fight will play out a lot like our last one did. A lot has changed in two years. I’m a different person. I’ve fought and beat the best in the world. Gray Maynard will see that. Gray Maynard: As much as he says he’s changed, I know I’ve changed just as much. He’s quick, but my boxing is better. He may be the best Lightweight in the world, but let’s ask him if that’s the case after tonight. Ben Henderson: He’s just another obstacle who stands in the way of me reaching my ultimate goal. Anthony Pettis: I’m not thinking about what it would mean to be the last WEC Champion in history. I’m not thinking about a future bout for the UFC Lightweight Championship. Tonight my focus is on Ben Henderson. He’s my prime target. Ben Henderson: He’s the most dangerous opponent that I’ve fought in that cage yet. He’s not gun shy and I know he’s going to be looking for a knock out. I’m the WEC Lightweight Champion for a reason, so I welcome the challenge. UFC 125: Resolution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JCJ5GVU5as Michael Goldberg: Hello, fight fans, welcome to UFC 125: Revolution. Hi, I’m Mike Goldberg along with my broadcast partner, Joe Rogan. Joe, welcoming the New Year with two exciting Lightweight title bouts, how about that? Joe Rogan: The UFC WEC merger couldn’t come at a better time. Frankie Edgar will look to have plenty to prove in shutting down Gray Maynard, the only man to defeat him inside the UFC. But on top of that, the winner of Henderson and Pettis will go on to meet Edgar or Maynard in a title unification bout. This is going to be one hell of an event. Michael Goldberg: In addition to our two title fights, TUF 1 veteran, Chris Leben will square off with Brian Stann. Joe Rogan: Excellent fight here, Chris Leben gave his all in an three round war with Yoshihiro Akiyama slapping on a triangle choke to pick up the submission victory. Brian Stann is a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion. Shortly after the Phil Davis fight he decided to cut down to the 185lb Middleweight limit where he had a successful debut victory over Mike Massenzio. A victory over Chris Leben will certainly put Stann’s name on the boards. Michael Goldberg: But up next, a Lightweight encounter between hard hitting Japanese sensation, Takanori Gomi and the always energized Clay Guida! Lightweight Clay Guida (27-11) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-6) Round 1 Takanori Gomi and Clay Guida move within range of one another to tap gloves out of respect before any attempts at downing the other opponent. After the show of respect, Gomi pumps a jab to try to lure Clay Guida into swinging with a counter to allow an opening for himself, but Clay Guida doesn’t commit and steps out of range. Clay Guida returns the favor by moving in to toss a jab, but Gomi tries to fire back with a leg kick that Clay Guida quickly slips away from. Takanori Gomi, showing a sense of recklessness, unloads a series of punches on his opponent and Clay Guida takes it as an opportunity to lock up with the fiery Japanese fighter. Takanori Gomi wrestles free of Clay Guida’s grasp and catches him with right hook that causes Guida to stand back. Takanori Gomi sees this as his opportunity to put an end to the fight, but the bell sounds and that’s it for round one. Mike Goldberg: Clay Guida showing early respect for Takanori Gomi’s hands by smothering Gomi’s combo with a close wrestling clinch. Joe Rogan: Takanori Gomi is one dude you don’t want to stand up with. Clay Guida was on wobbly legs after that right hook. You have to believe Clay’s brother, Jason, is telling him to turn this into a wrestling match. He’s just getting battered right now. Round 2 Takanori Gomi returns to his jab feints, but Clay Guida manages to disrupt Gomi’s flow with a sloppy looking left. Joe Rogan’s insight seemed to be fairly keen as Clay Guida wasted little time on trying to hook Takanori Gomi’s legs for a takedown. The Japanese fighter, however, doesn’t go down and he manages to spin out from Clay Guida who could now be a potential victim to Gomi’s striking game. Takanori Gomi stalks the cut-off Clay Guida, but as he’s striking, Clay Guida circles in the opposite direction and fires off a pair of looping punches that go no where. Gomi picks at Guida with two solid jabs, but Guida manages to avoid a looping punch and ends the round by catching Gomi with a right straight. Mike Goldberg: Well, partner, Clay Guida tried to work the wrestling game on Gomi, but it just did not work. Joe Rogan: The interesting thing about Takanori Gomi is that before he was known for his one punch knock out power, he entered the sport as a one-dimensional wrestler. The takedown defense is obviously there. I just don’t see an answer for Clay Guida yet. Round 3 Clay Guida makes the mistake of trying to pick at Takanori Gomi with a low kick to the shin, but Takanori Gomi counters with a right hook that plants Clay Guida on the canvas. Clay Guida covers up the second he hits the canvas and Takanori Gomi looks to put him away with some ground and pound. Takanori Gomi’s cardio, or lack there of, gets the better of him and Clay Guida’s resiliency saves him from a stoppage. Takanori Gomi, however, continues to slowly chip away with some punches in a half guard position, before Clay Guida eventually closes the posture. Takanori Gomi’s looking to work out of side control, but Clay Guida uses a foot to push off the cage and manages to sweep Takanori Gomi. Clay Guida surprises the Japanese fighter by taking side control where tries to seize an Arm-Triangle Choke on his tired opponent. Takanori Gomi, refuses to fall victim to the choke and rolls from under Clay Guida to escape it. Clay Guida quickly responds by taking Takanori Gomi’s back where he gets the hooks in for a Rear Naked Choke. Takanori Gomi shows some early resistance, but eventually gives in and taps out at 4:58. Clay Guida defeats Takanori Gomi via submission (Rear Naked Choke) Joe Rogan: Clay Guida! Clay Guida, what a performance you just put on in that cage. Takanori Gomi was picking you apart and almost picked up a stoppage victory. Clay Guida: The first thing my corner told me was that I should force him to fight on the ground. That man is deceivingly strong and when he powered out of my takedowns, I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know, I guess things fell into place. Joe Rogan: Now Guida, if you just want to walk us through that third round. That punch from Takanori Gomi knocked you down and he just started blitzing on you. Clay Guida: He was getting tired in the second round, but I don’t think anyone has ever hit me as hard as he did there. Once we were on the ground and I could feel the punches hitting me slower and weaker, I just had to stay calm. I’ve seen cage walking work for other fighters, so I figured I’d try it. It paid off. Haha. Joe Rogan: Alright, Las Vegas, give it up for Clay Guida! Clay Guida: I just want to thank my coaches and my sponsors. They prepared me well for tonight. Thank you, Las Vegas! Mike Goldberg: Coming up next, a Light Heavyweight encounter between Brandon “The Truth” Vera and the always dangerous Brazilian Thiago Silva. Light Heavyweight Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2) Round 1 There is no feeling out process in this fight for the two as both individuals are hungry to rebound from past losses. It’s Thiago Silva who manages to send Brandon Vera on rubbery legs with a succession of rights, but Brandon Vera sends Thiago Silva to the canvas with a desperation right kick to the head. Brandon Vera pounces on Thiago Silva looking to finish him off, but Silva covers up well and pushes him off with a kick. Vera looks for some ground and pound, but Thiago Silva’s up-kicks eventually lead the two in a struggle for ground supremacy that eventually sees the referee reset the fight in the stand-up. The two begin exchanging punches with one another and a right hand from Thiago Silva sends Brandon Vera to the canvas. Brandon Vera lies in a guard position awaiting an onslaught from Thiago Silva, but the bell sounds to end the round. Mike Goldberg: This is what the UFC is all about, baby! Joe Rogan: Both guys are hungry for a win in their column and you could see it in this fight. There’s no way this is going the distance. Round 2 Brandon Vera pokes at Thiago Silva with a leg kick, but then changes it up with a kick to the body. Thiago Silva circles opposite of Brandon Vera and shrugs the kick off before clipping Brandon Vera with a hook. The two fall into a clinch where Thiago Silva pushes Brandon Vera up into the cage. Before the crowd could show any signs of disappointment at the possible stalling tactics of Thiago Silva, the Brazilian fighter broke away with the clinch and caught Brandon Vera with another series of rights and lefts who was lucky to get out of the exchange conscious. The two continue to exchange in what has turned into a stand-up war as the second round ends. Joe Rogan: Brandon Vera started the round off with some nasty kicks and you don’t want a Muay Thai artist like Brandon Vera to work that kind of game. Thiago Silva turned it up, though, near the end of the round. I’d hate to be a judge in this one. Mike Goldberg: We might not even need the judges for this one, partner! Round 3 Thiago Silva misses a right hand and steps into a right high kick from Brandon Vera. Thiago Silva crumples to the canvas and as Brandon Vera stalks over him, it’s more than apparent that the kick was enough as Thiago Silva is out cold at twenty-two seconds in the third round. Brandon Vera defeats Thiago Silva via knockout (kick) Joe Rogan: That was a fight! Ladies and gentlemen give it up for these two! Brandon Vera: I hope he’s ok, but I’m putting everybody on notice now: The Truth is back! I’ve struggled at Light Heavyweight, but I’ve finally got a good diet, a good nutritionist, I’m back and I’m feeling good! Joe Rogan: I’ve never seen two guys swing on each other like that. Brandon Vera: I’m not going to lie. He’s a scary and tough dude. He caught me pretty good in that first round, but I’m not going to be denied. Vegas make some noise! Joe Rogan: I’m sure having a win in your pocket definitely feels good, when will we see you again. Brandon Vera: Man, I feel so good, put me on the NEXT show! Haha nah, I’m going to back to my camp and review this fight, because I know I made some sloppy mistakes. But the second any one of these top ten Light Heavyweights get free, Joe Silva, hit me up. Mike Goldberg: That fight brought the arena to its feet. Just as I’m sure this one will: the next time UFC will be on Pay Per View is February 5th, when UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva meets #1 contender Vitor Belfort. The most feared striker in UFC history returns to Las Vegas for an astonishing eighth title defense on February 5th. His opponent, however, is also known for his lightning quick speed and dangerous knock out power. ”This guy truly is a phenom!” ”Vitor Belfort has knocked out Rich Franklin. Wow!” Pound for Pound King Anderson Silva. ”Forrest Griffin didn’t even see that punch coming!” ”Sonnen tapped! Unbelievable!” Meets Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Also, former UFC Champions will meet on the card as Rich “Ace” Franklin ”He just knocked out Chuck Liddell broken arm and all.” Takes on Forrest Griffin. “That’s what I do, I’m a dog. I love to fight.” Plus, a pair of contenders matches will feature Light Heavyweight sensation Jon “Bones” Jones taking on Ryan Bader with Light Heavyweight Championship ramifications. Josh Grispi will also meet with Michihiro Omigawa to determine UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo’s opponent. All of this and more at UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort. Only on Pay Per View. Mike Goldberg: Up next is a Middleweight encounter between one of the original Ultimate Fighters, Chris Leben, and former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, Brian Stann. Middleweight Chris Leben (24-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3) Round 1 Brian Stann forces Chris Leben into the fencing with a body lock. While it would be assumed that he’s using the lock as an attempt to take the heavy handed striker Chris Leben to the ground, he’s comfortable with using the clinch as a way of grinding down the clock. The referee, however, has seen enough and forces a break and the two are soon circling around the center of the octagon. Leben fires away at Stann, and Stann covers up and backs away to end a pretty lackluster round. Mike Goldberg: Brian Stann a little cautious to stand with Chris Leben. He knows what Leben’s hands can do. Joe Rogan: Not much to go off of in the first round, at all. The clinching might give Brian Stann the advantage on the score cards, but we’ll have to see. Round 2 Brian Stann feints a jab and changes levels for a takedown, but Chris Leben knows Brian Stann’s game and successfully struggles to keep his balance during the attempt. Brian Stann breaks away from Chris Leben and continues pumping a jab, but a sudden right hook from Chris Leben puts Brian Stann out of commission at 2:37 Chris Leben defeats Brian Stann via knockout (punch) Joe Rogan: Chris, you looked a little troubled in the first round. Chris Leben: To be honest, I couldn’t tell you what happened, Joe. You know me, these fights are a blur to me. Stann wasn’t giving me many openings in the first. Joe Rogan: You seemed frustrated. Chris Leben: He’s a strong guy, man. I just wanted to go out there and put him away instantly, but man, he really forced me off of the game. In the second he tried to exchange strikes, so there was my moment. Joe Rogan: And that was a brutal knock out. Chris this is three straight for you, where would you like to go from here? Chris Leben: Oh, man, that’s a tough one. Joe Silva is who you should be asking. He knows better than I do. Joe Rogan: Give it up for Chris Leben! Mike Goldberg: And now the moment many have been waiting for. WEC Lightweight Champion, Ben Henderson, takes on Anthony Pettis. WEC Lightweight Championship Ben Henderson© (12-1) vs. Anthony Pettis (12-1) Round 1 Anthony Pettis connects with a crisp left jab, but Ben Henderson’s adrenaline surge allows him to ignore the sting and initiate a grapple with Anthony Pettis where he forces the Duke Roufus kickboxer to the canvas. Ben Henderson proceeds to connect with small shots to the body of Anthony Pettis to set-up for a guard pass, but Pettis keeps his legs solidly locks around Ben Henderson’s waist. Anthony Pettis’ tight guard play allows for a stand-up call from the referee, and while it looks like the advantage will play in Anthony Pettis’ favor now, Ben Henderson gets an ankle pick and takes Anthony Pettis back down to the canvas with a single leg. Ben Henderson now in a position closely resembling half guard hits Anthony Pettis with more frustrating shots to end the round. Joe Rogan: Anthony Pettis tried to light Ben Henderson up with that jab right there, but the dude just walked through it. Anthony Pettis is one scary dude and for Ben Henderson to just walk through that punch, that’s tough. Mike Goldberg: It seems that Ben Henderson will be relying on his grappling background to neutralize Anthony Pettis’ stand-up. Joe Rogan: Pettis has an excellent guard, though, and Henderson couldn’t get through to do much of anything. Round 2 Ben Henderson tries with a kick to the leg, but receives a light right jab from Anthony Pettis for his aggression. Anthony Pettis follows up with another jab and chains it into a spinning back fist that Ben Henderson was well out of the way of. Ben Henderson, having seen enough of Anthony Pettis’ stand-up decides to switch levels for a double leg and though Anthony Pettis could see it coming this time, he still ended up on flat on his back. Ben Henderson grinds away at the clock from Anthony Pettis’ guard to end the round. Joe Rogan: You’d have to think that Pettis is down two rounds to none on the judges’ score card. There’s still three rounds left, but he might want to do something big in this third round if he wants to change the momentum. Mike Goldberg: I’d like to remind those watching at home that the winner of this bout will move on to face the winner of our main event at a later date. Round Three Ben Henderson moves out of the way of a left hand from Anthony Pettis and the missed punch provides a window for Ben Henderson to grasp Anthony Pettis where he follows up by slamming his challenger to the canvas. Ben Henderson works some ground and pound on Anthony Pettis, but it seems to be getting no where. The referee decides to stand them up, but much of nothing else is produced from the round. Joe Rogan: The story of the fight so far is Ben Henderson’s grappling. Anthony Pettis’ corner needs to tell him to be more aggressive out there. A jab could possibly keep Ben Henderson back, but right now, this fight is all Henderson. Round Four Anthony Pettis finds his groove in this round by clipping Ben Henderson with a nice left. Henderson decides to step in for a leg kick, but it’s countered with a right kick from Anthony Pettis to Henderson’s thigh. Anthony Pettis catches Ben Henderson with a right and then decides to let the leather fly, but Ben Henderson uses the aggression as an opportunity for a takedown, but Anthony Pettis finally denies Ben Henderson and the two remain on their feet. Anthony Pettis continues his aggressive striking tagging Ben Henderson with several left hands, but the round comes to its conclusion before anything decisive can take place. Mike Goldberg: Anthony Pettis seemed to have found his rhythm in that round, Joe. That leg kick dug into Ben Henderson’s thigh. Joe Rogan: Yeah, but it’s unfortunate that it came so late. Right now, unless the judges for some reason are on drugs, I have it three rounds to one for Ben Henderson. Round Five In this round, it seems that Ben Henderson’s stamina is beginning to let him down as the WEC Lightweight Champion starts off the round getting picked off by a steady right jab from Anthony Pettis. Ben Henderson looks to attempt a takedown, but a stinging leg kick forces the champion to think twice about his attempt. Anthony Pettis continued to whittle away the champion with a series of jabs. Ben Henderson tried for another double leg, but Anthony Pettis finally got what he was looking for as he wobbled Ben Henderson with a clean right shot. Henderson backed away and crumpled into the cage and Anthony Pettis looked to become the fourth man to end a UFC bout in the fifth round, but the bell sounded to end the fight. Joe Rogan: Man, if Anthony Pettis was just a little quicker on the trigger he could have won this fight. Look at that jab work there, Mike. Ben Henderson had no answer for it in the slightest. Mike Goldberg: Well, according to the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, Anthony Pettis was certainly the aggressor in the last two rounds, but Henderson’s takedowns were the story of this one, partner. Joe Rogan: Absolutely. Bruce Buffer: Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to first ask you to give it up for these valiant warriors! I’ve been formed of the judges’ decision and here are the scores. 49-46, 49-46, and 50-45 making the winner by a unanimous decision and STILL WEC Lightweight Champion, Ben Henderson! Ben Henderson wins via unanimous decision to retain the WEC Lightweight Championship Joe Rogan: Ben, congratulations on your victory tonight and your second title defense. Ben Henderson: I just want to say that all things can be done through the power of Jesus Christ. Can I get an amen!? I want to apologize, because I know I could have given a better performance tonight, but my camp and I knew what dangers Anthony Pettis presented in the stand-up. Joe Rogan: You looked great, didn’t he look great ladies and gentlemen? Now you already know your next opponent will be the winner of tonight’s main event. What are your thoughts on that fight? Ben Henderson: I would like to thank Dana White and the Fertittas for giving me the opportunity to shine on a bigger stage. I don’t know who’s going to win between Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, but I they’re both tough guys. Right now, I need to focus on the training camp that’s ahead, because they’re both fighting for the belt that I want. Joe Rogan: Congratulations, Ben Henderson. Las Vegas give it up for the WEC Lightweight Champion. Mike Goldberg: Now we come to our main event. Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar defends his title against the sole person responsible for defeating him, undefeated Gray Maynard. UFC Lightweight Championship Frankie Edgar© (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0) Round 1 Frankie Edgar used his footwork to stay on the outside of Gray Maynard, frustrating his undefeated opponent by tagging him with light jabs on command. Gray Maynard committed to a right hook and gave Frankie Edgar the perfect opportunity to shoot in for a takedown, but Gray Maynard surprisingly countered with a sprawl. Gray Maynard caught Frankie Edgar with several frustrating shots and Frankie Edgar finally managed to scramble out from under Gray Maynard. Gray Maynard, however, stuck to his championed opponent and ended up taking his back. Gray Maynard began swinging away on Frankie Edgar and while the shots weren’t taken seriously by Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan, Frankie Edgar looked like he wasn’t in the right frame of mind and the referee eventually broke the two off. Gray Maynard surprised the Las Vegas crowd by picking up his first stoppage victory in over three years at 4:57 of the first round. Gray Maynard defeats Frankie Edgar via TKO (strikes) to win the UFC Lightweight Championship Joe Rogan: Wow. Where did you get power like that!? Gray Maynard: I’ve been working with boxers for the last two years. The guys at the gym know me for my power, but I’ve never gotten the opportunity to show it in the cage. Joe Rogan: Well, you showed it here tonight. Frankie Edgar has never been stopped before! Gray Maynard: I came into this fight determined. I get criticized by fans for not finishing. I had already beaten Frankie Edgar before. This was my chance to get this title, Joe! Joe Rogan: Now up next you have this man, Ben Henderson, to fight. Ben what did you think of that performance? Ben Henderson: I’m speechless. Like I said, both guys are tough, but I didn’t think he’d put Frankie Edgar away like that.. Joe Rogan: UFC President Dana White has a special announcement to make as well. Dana? Dana White: First off, wow. Gray Maynard, that was one hell of a performance. And Ben, you looked good out there, too. Now, obviously, it’s been known for the past few months that these two title holders would meet in a unification bout. Well, I would like to take this time to announce that the TUF 13 coaches will be UFC Lightweight Champion Gray Maynard and WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson. We’ve got thirty-two Welterweights already lined up to compete for a spot in the house. Filming starts next week and will wrap up in early March. Hopefully, we’ll have the show aired on SpikeTV by late March or April. With the finale show airing in June and the unification bout taking place in July. Joe Rogan: Ben, Gray, did either of you know about this coming into tonight? Ben Henderson: This is all news to me, but it gives me an opportunity to pick up a larger fanbase and help develop future stars. Gray Maynard: The show was a launching pad for me so I know first hand what things can come your way. I look forward to it. Joe Rogan: Alright fans, it looks like July we will see the Lightweight Championship unification match. I can’t wait for that. Mike Goldberg: July can’t get here fast enough. To the victor goes the spoils and well, Gray Maynard and Ben Henderson have landed a TV gig because of their victories. Coaches in March, opponents in July in a history making fight. But that’s not all we saw tonight as both Chris Leben and Brandon Vera picked up devastating knock out victories in their bouts. How about Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida? Some are probably even calling it an early Fight of the Year contender. And we’re only in January! Well, I’m Mike Goldberg, this was UFC 125: Resolution. See you again in February! Quick Results Jesse Bongfeldt defeated Kyle Noke (Unanimous Decision) Daniel Roberts defeated Greg Soto (Unanimous Decision) Brandon Visher defeated Bryan Caraway (TKO R1) Antonio McKee defeated Aaron Riley (Unanimous Decision) Brad Tavares defeated Phil Baroni (KO R1) Clay Guida defeated Takanori Gomi (Sub R3) Brandon Vera defeated Thiago Silva (KO R3) Chris Leben defeated Brian Stann (KO R2) Ben Henderson defeated Anthony Pettis (Unanimous Decision) Gray Maynard defeated Frankie Edgar (TKO R1) Scores: dakydaky - 6 out of 10 EddiefnG - 7 out of 10 JayT23 - 9 out of 10 DeeGood - 6 out of 10 mdale2k - 8 out of 10 Gladiator - 7 out of 10 smokey al - 4 out of 10 BYU 14 - 7 out of 10 jesterx7769 - 4 out of 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudlin career Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 UFC 125 Postmortem: The Unexpected If there was anything all MMA fans would have agreed on with no complaints, it would have been that UFC 125 headliners Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar would not have the capacity to finish one another. Yet only a mere 48 hours after UFC 125’s conclusion we’re all still reeling our heads around Gray Maynard’s surprising first round TKO stoppage over “The Answer”. Along with that surprise came another big bombshell from UFC President, Dana White: both WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson and UFC Lightweight Champion Gray Maynard would be the next coaches on the latest season of reality series, The Ultimate Fighter, en route to facing one another in July to unify their respective Lightweight Championships. Next for Gray Maynard: An appearance as coach for The Ultimate Fighter season thirteen which will feature Welterweight competitors. Gray Maynard can then look forward to a unification bout with Ben Henderson. Next for Ben Henderson: See above. Next for Frankie Edgar: With Kenny Florian, Evan Dunham, Jim Miller, and George Sotiropoulos in the division, there are plenty of relevant fights left for Edgar. Next for Chris Leben: Undoubtedly someone who will provide fireworks with hard hitting scrapper. Wanderlei Silva comes to mind. New Questions: UFC 125 Will all of the new exposure put extra pressure on Ben Henderson? Ben Henderson noted his own dissatisfaction with his performance on Saturday against Anthony Pettis. There is speculation that his lackluster performance could have been due to all the new publicity he’s received for co-headlining his first UFC event. On top of that, with all the talks of unifying the WEC and UFC Lightweight straps, it’s hard not to how thin spread Ben Henderson’s mind is. However, coaching on The Ultimate Fighter will not impact Ben Henderson’s future as much or as less as it will Gray Maynard. Keep in mind that up until Saturday night, Gray Maynard was one of the least talked about contenders in the division. With his TKO victory over Frankie Edgar, pressure will be on him to follow up that performance just as much. Is Chris Leben a Contender? Chris Leben appeared to be approaching the twilight of his UFC career after a submission loss to Jake Rosholt at the August 2009 UFC 102 event. Since then, the scrappy TUF 1 alum has gone on to win four straight fights, accumulating stoppages over Aaron Simpson, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Brian Stann in the process. If that’s not enough, Chris Leben only had fourteen days in between two of those bouts. Chris Leben will undoubtedly continue to struggle with strong grapplers as Brian Stann easily took control of the first round with a body lock. However, Chris Leben’s stand-up has evolved into a more controlled and patient game. When you combine that with the power he possesses in both hands. Someone will go to sleep. He could be a danger for anyone in UFC’s Middleweight Division. Can Takanori Gomi Not Hang With The UFC Lightweights? After Saturday night’s performance against Clay Guida doubts began to resurface from MMA fans as Takanori Gomi submitted to a Rear Naked Choke in the third round. While the choke itself isn’t necessarily a problem, it’s the fact that Clay Guida, a fighter not particularly known for his outstanding submission offense, managed to slap it on him so effortlessly. But let’s not revise the fight. After all, it was Takanori Gomi who picked Clay Guida apart with precise jabs in rounds one and two before dropping Clay Guida in the third. If anything, it was Takanori Gomi’s cardio that lost him the fight and fighting a guy like Clay Guida, who seems to have an endless gas tank, didn’t help matters in the slightest. Takanori Gomi is still adjusting to the new UFC game. His first fight against Kenny Florian ended in disappointment, but he bounced back by dropping Tyson Griffin, a man with arguably better wrestling than Florian, with a violent hook. Takanori Gomi is going to take this loss as a learning lesson and his next opponent will find that out the hard way. Notes 18,517 fans filed into the arena for UFC 125, but Pay Per View buyrate estimation has not been released. The rumored number is expected to be around 350,000 – 400,000. Clay Guida took both the Submission of the Night and Fight of the Night awards along with Takanori Gomi. Chris Leben edged out Brandon Vera for Knockout of the Night. All awarded took home a $30,000 bonus. --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjhabeeb Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 Love the presentation....great work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudlin career Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 UFC Newswire #1 Frankie Edgar on Return: As Soon As Possible Coming off a surprising first round TKO stoppage to challenger, Gray Maynard, former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar addressed the lost at the UFC 125 press conference and stated that he doesn’t want a long layoff time between fights. “I still don’t know what happened out there. Part of me feels like I underestimated my opponent which is something you never do. I’m not happy with the loss, but I’m not going to sit back and stew on it, either. Gray Maynard is a great fighter and I want to get back in the cage as soon as I can to get a third chance to avenge my loss. Third time’s the charm, right?” Dana White hasn’t officially announced when we’re likely to see “The Answer” return to the octagon. With the WEC/UFC merger, though, there’s not a lack of relevant fighters at Lightweight to give Frankie Edgar a challenging fight. --- Vitor Belfort: Anderson Silva’s Good, But Not Unstoppable If there’s anyone who knows what it’s like to have their aura of invincibility shattered, it’s Vitor Belfort who didn’t adopt the nickname “The Phenom” because he thought it sounded cool. “I know what it’s like to be that person, you know? When I first started doing this, I was knocking out everyone. Just look at the tapes, they were calling me the Mike Tyson of this sport. When I lost to Randy Couture, that’s when my image shattered. I’m going to do the same to Anderson Silva.” Vitor Belfort, currently boasting a record of 19-8 with three straight knock out stoppages will meet the current king of the UFC Middleweight division, Anderson Silva at UFC 126 on February 5th. --- Phil Baroni Released From UFC Phil Baroni who was handed a five month medical suspension after suffering a crippling right-hook knockout from Brad Tavares has officially been let go by the UFC as of January 7th. Phil Baroni had fought for the UFC as early as 2001 and was resigned in 2009 where he accumulated two back to back losses. --- Ten Fights to Finalize UFC 126 While ten fights had been rumored to be slated for the upcoming UFC 126 card, all ten fights have officially been confirmed at UFC.com. On the main card, Vitor Belfort and Anderson Silva will vie for the UFC Middleweight Championship while Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin will take the responsibility as being the lead-in for the title bout. Two pair of contenders matches have been lined up with Michihiro Omigawa taking on Josh Grispi for Featherweight Championship rights while Jon Jones will meet with Ryan Bader to determine the challenger for the winner of the upcoming Mauricio Rua and Rashad Evans UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. WEC veteran and former WEC Bantamweight Champion, Miguel Angel Torres will open up the card by taking on Antonio Banuelos. UFC will return to Spike TV for an hour UFC 126 preview show that will feature a Lightweight class between Sam Stout and Paul Kelly and a Featherweight bout between Chan Sung Jung and Mackens Semerzier that has the makings of an all-time classic. To round up the preliminaries, Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft will take on the returning Antoni Hardonk, Chad George will take on Clint Godfrey at Bantamweight, and Amilcar Alves will face David Mitchell at Welterweight. UFC 126 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada and will be Live on Pay Per View February 5th. --- Eight Fights Set for UFC Live 3 UFC will return to TV channel, Versus on March 3rd with UFC Live 3. President of Television, Reed Harris has confirmed that Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez will headline the card while Mark Munoz and C.B. Dollaway will co-feature. The remaining two fights on the main card will feature Alessio Sakara taking on Maiquel Falcao and Norifumi Yamamoto will make his official debut in the Bantamweight Division by taking on Demetrious Johnson. The preliminary bouts for UFC Live 3 will feature Javier Vazquez taking on Rani Yahya at Featherweight, Yves Edwards against Cody McKenzie at Lightweight, Frank Gomez will face Ken Stone at Bantamweight, and Karlos Vemola will square off against Tom Blackledge. UFC Live 3 will take place on March 3rd and will air live on Versus. --- Brendan Schaub and Frank Mir to Co-Headline UFC 127 along with BJ Penn and Jon Fitch; George Sotiropoulos Donald Cerrone On Tap An expected bout between Brendan Schaub and Frank Mir has been confirmed by Dana White as taking place as a co-headliner at UFC 128. Shortly after his victory over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 121, Brendan Schaub stated his interest in fighting Frank Mir. Though, surprised by the challenge, Frank Mir stated that he was not opposed in taking Schaub up on the fight. Brendan Schaub and Frank Mir will co-headline with BJ Penn and Jon Fitch at UFC. Australia native, George Sotiropoulos has also been named to take on Donald Cerrone on the event’s undercard. UFC 127 is expected to take place on February 27th in Sydney, Australia and will air live on Pay Per View. --- Shane Carwin vs. Antonio Nogueira On Tap for UFC 128 It has been reported, but not confirmed, that Heavyweights Shane Carwin and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira have been listed as possible headlining opponents for March 12th’s UFC 128 card. Shane Carwin’s last fight was a submission loss to Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 for the UFC Heavyweight Championship in July. Antonio Nogueira last appeared in February’s UFC 110 event where he suffered a knockout loss to current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. UFC 128 is expected to take place on March 12th in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air Live on Pay Per View. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maudlin career Posted December 17, 2010 Author Share Posted December 17, 2010 UFC 126 Preview: Main Card Stacked UFC events are almost always synonymous with Superbowl weekend. February 5th’s UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort is no exception. Middleweights Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort will clash in the event’s main event in a fight that is not only expected to bring fireworks, but end in a brutal knockout. If the Middleweight Championship bout wasn’t a selling point in itself, former UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin will clash with Forrest Griffin in tonight’s co-feature that will certainly shape the future rankings of the Light Heavyweight rankings. While Franklin and Griffin look to jockey for a higher position on the rankings, Ryan Bader and Jon Jones will vie for a greater prize as Dana White has announced their bout will determine the next #1 Contender for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The Light Heavyweight Championship isn’t the only title that will decide a title contender as Josh Grispi and Michihiro Omigawa will scrap in a fast-paced Featherweight bout to determine Jose Aldo’s first UFC Featherweight Championship opponent. WEC Legend and UFC Hall of Fame shoe-in, Miguel Angel Torres will make his UFC debut against tough challenger Antonio Banuelos. Needless to say, each individual fight provides a slew of questions. Here’s a breakdown of the bouts. Anderson Silva (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (18-9) It’s hard to argue that Vitor Belfort hasn’t found resurgence in his career since dropping to Middleweight. “The Phenom” has his share of criticism as an undeserving challenger with his returning UFC fight against Rich Franklin at 2009’s UFC 103 being a 195lb Catchweight. Looking past that, though, Vitor Belfort has accrued three straight victories with two consecutive knockouts at the 185lb limit outside of the UFC. With that said, a tall order still looms over Vitor Belfort in the way of UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva who, since joining UFC in 2006, has gone undefeated. With nine overall stoppages in the company, including two at Light Heavyweight, it’s difficult to believe Vitor Belfort has the tools to defeat Anderson Silva or is that a wide overstatement? Anderson Silva’s elusiveness and perfect counter-striking has made him a nightmare for opponents at both 185 and 205lbs. Vitor Belfort, however presents a threat that Anderson Silva has yet to face in UFC: boxing fundamentals. With excellent footwork, quick manspeed, and one punch knockout power to complement those attributes, Vitor Belfort actually seems to have a better chance than what critics want to give him. Rib injury or not, if Anderson Silva competes against Vitor Belfort like he did Chael Sonnen, Belfort will have plenty of chances to put him out cold. Forrest Griffin (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (28-5) The co-headlining fight of the night is one that’s a little hard to gauge compared to the other bouts featured on the televised card. Neither fighter managed to make any monumental progress in the careers in 2009 with Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin suffering knockout losses to Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort respectively. Forrest Griffin did go on to rebound from his loss by defeating Tito Ortiz in November 2009’s UFC 106 and Rich Franklin managed to put away UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell with a KO at 2010’s UFC 115. And maybe that’s where the answer lies. Forrest Griffin hasn’t had a fight since 2009 and Rich Franklin did at least appear to be more active with his June 2010 bout at UFC 115. If there is such a thing as ring rust, it will certainly play an antagonistic role opposite of Forrest Griffin. An out of shape Forrest Griffin could fall victim to a knockout capable Rich Franklin. Jon Jones (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (12-0) If there’s anything that’s been learned time and time again, it’s been that Jon Jones is very capable against top tier wrestlers. No matter how many times the dynamic Light Heavyweight proves this to be true, he still stands opposite against a wrestler who’s better than the last. This time, though, Jon Jones might be against his first real tough test. Though Ryan Bader, showed in his September bout with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira that he’d rather step out of the striking exchanges and work his wrestling. Jon Jones will undoubtedly look to light Ryan Bader on the feet, and will probably succeed in doing so, but Ryan Bader is an extremely durable wrestler who has an explosive double-leg and brutal ground and pound that could look to be a real challenge for “Bones” Jones. Josh Grispi (11-1) vs. Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1) With a record like Michihiro Omigawa’s, it’s rather perplexing to view him as a legitimate Featherweight Championship Contender, but since debuting at Featherweight almost three years ago, Michihiro Omigawa has pulled an impressive 8 and 2 record to enter the Featherweight rankings. His opponent, Josh Grispi, is a man who in all but one of his twelve wins, has managed to stop his opponents with an assortment of submissions and knockout victories. A fight between the two for UFC Featherweight Championship contention just makes sense. One would have to Omigawa’s training will play a major factor in the fight. Many see Japan as being several years behind their North and South American counterparts. If Michihiro Omigawa’s training camp hasn’t modified his training regiment in preparation for his bout with Josh Grispi, it could be a disappointing return for Omigawa. Miguel Torres (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Miguel Torres will make his official UFC octagon debut at UFC 126 and there’s not much doubt that opponent, Antonio Banuelos will provide enough of a challenge to spoil his debut. With that said, a fight is a fight, and if there’s anything to be learned in MMA, it’s that anything can happen. After all, how many people thought Mike Russow would be capable of knocking out Todd Duffee after a thirteen minute mauling? If nothing else, Banuelos and Torres will provide the early fireworks to get the main card rolling in the right direction and at the end of the day, that’s what sells most: a good clean scrap. Look for leather to fly in this one. --- UFC Schedule -UFC 125: Resolution (1/2/2011) -UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort (2/5/2011) -UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch (2/27/2011) -UFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann (3/3/2011) -UFC 128: Carwin vs. Nogueira (3/12/2011) --- UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort Ultimate Fighting Championships Saturday February 5th, 2011 Las Vegas, Nevada Main Card UFC Middleweight Championship UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (#1 P4P, #1 MW) (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (#7 MW) (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW) (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (#9 LHW) (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (#3 P4P, #4 LHW) (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (#10 LHW) (12-0) Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (#6 FW) (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (#3 FW) (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (#6 BW) (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) OOC: Sorry for making you guys wait so long! Get the predictions rolling and expect the UFC 126 results sometime Saturday morning if not tomorow night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldenvdk Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 UFC 126 Anderson Silva (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (12-0) Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieFnG Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Main Card UFC Middleweight Championship UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (#1 P4P, #1 MW) (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (#7 MW) (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW) (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (#9 LHW) (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (#3 P4P, #4 LHW) (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (#10 LHW) (12-0) Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (#6 FW) (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (#3 FW) (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (#6 BW) (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokey al Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 UFC Middleweight Championship UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (#1 P4P, #1 MW) (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (#7 MW) (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW) (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (#9 LHW) (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (#3 P4P, #4 LHW) (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (#10 LHW) (12-0) Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (#6 FW) (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (#3 FW) (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (#6 BW) (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayT23 Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Anderson Silva (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (19-8) Forrest Griffin (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (28-5) Jon Jones (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (12-0) Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (12-1) Miguel Torres (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdale2k Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 UFC Middleweight Championship UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (#1 P4P, #1 MW) (27-4) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW) (17-6) Light Heavyweight Ryan Bader (#10 LHW) (12-0) Featherweight Josh Grispi (#3 FW) (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (#6 BW) (38-3) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) Featherweight Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeGood Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Main Card UFC Middleweight Championship UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (#1 P4P, #1 MW) (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (#7 MW) (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW) (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (#9 LHW) (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (#3 P4P, #4 LHW) (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (#10 LHW) (12-0) Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (#6 FW) (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (#3 FW) (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (#6 BW) (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BYU 14 Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 UFC 126 Anderson Silva (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (12-0) Could be the match of the night! Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladiator Posted December 17, 2010 Share Posted December 17, 2010 Main Card UFC Middleweight Championship UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (#1 P4P, #1 MW) (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (#7 MW) (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW) (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (#9 LHW) (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (#3 P4P, #4 LHW) (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (#10 LHW) (12-0) Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (#6 FW) (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (#3 FW) (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (#6 BW) (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damonster Posted December 18, 2010 Share Posted December 18, 2010 Main Card UFC Middleweight Championship UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson SilvaUFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva (#1 P4P, #1 MW) (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (#7 MW) (19-8) Light Heavyweight Forrest Griffin (#6 LHW) (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (#9 LHW) (28-5) Light Heavyweight Jon Jones (#3 P4P, #4 LHW) (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (#10 LHW) (12-0) Featherweight Michihiro Omigawa (#6 FW) (12-8-1) vs. Josh Grispi (#3 FW) (12-1) Bantamweight Miguel Torres (#6 BW) (38-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (18-6) Spike TV Card Lightweight Sam Stout (16-6-1) vs. Paul Kelly (11-3) Featherweight Chan Sung Jung (10-3) vs. Mackens Semerzier (5-3) Preliminary Card Heavyweight Christian Moorecraft (6-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-6) Bantamweight Chad George (11-6) vs. Clint Godfrey (11-3) Welterweight Amilcar Alves (11-2) vs. David Mitchell (11-1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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