Ultimate Fighting Championship: Post-Strikeforce & Beyond

Griffo · March 4, 2013

Great work man! Plenty of effort going into the write-ups

Hands of Stone · March 5, 2013

UFC 158 Preview: On eve of grudge match, GSP and Diaz both looking for respect
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 15TH, 2013 AT 7:00 PM ET

After witnessing the epic confrontations between the likes of Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz, Matt Hughes and Matt Serra, Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva, and Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans, it's obvious that like all pro sports, the UFC is no stranger to blood feuds.

But in the fight business, scores are settled in a very personal way.

On Saturday, the UFC will add yet another storied rivalry to its archive, as Welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre (23-2 MMA, 17-2 UFC) will defend his UFC Welterweight Championship for the eighth time against the highly outspoken and controversial Nick Diaz (26-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC). For St. Pierre, the fight marks more than a defense of his prized welterweight crown. As has been the case for so many historic fights in UFC history, this time it's personal.

As one of the most iconic yet humble and respectful champions the sport has ever seen, St. Pierre has rarely engaged in 'trash talk' against opponents, a common endeavor used as a promotional tool. Sure, he has traded verbal barbs with the likes of BJ Penn, Dan Hardy, and Josh Koscheck, but in the end it was all in good fun, and even as St. Pierre himself is quick to admit: to market the fight.

Nick Diaz changed all of that.

After a 7-0 run in Strikeforce that included a reign as the promotion's welterweight champion and a vaulting up the world rankings as one of the division's best, Diaz was set to face St. Pierre in October of 2011 at UFC 137. After a series of missed media appearances, UFC President Dana White pulled Diaz from the bout and replaced him with fellow contender Carlos Condit, putting Diaz up against BJ Penn in the co-main event slot. After an injury to St. Pierre canceled the title bout, Penn-Diaz was promoted to the main event, which Diaz won by unanimous decision after battering Penn for the better part of three rounds with superior boxing.

In the post-fight interview, Diaz chose to eschew his feelings about his victory over Penn, and instead targeted the champion St. Pierre. He infamously remarked "Where you at Georges?" and insinuated that St. Pierre was faking or at least embellishing the extent of his injury. A camera showed a calm and collected St. Pierre in the crowd, who feigned cowardice.

Calm and collected St. Pierre was not. Reports began surfacing that St. Pierre was irate and felt intensely disrespected by Diaz. Soon after at the UFC 137 post-fight press conference, White confirmed such speculation. St. Pierre was to have alleged that "[Nick] is the most disrespectful human being [he's] ever met, and [he's] going to put the worst beating you've ever seen on him in the UFC."

Fighting words indeed. Given St. Pierre's desire to face Diaz, a title fight between the two was re-instated set for Super Bowl weekend in 2012. But disaster struck once more, and St. Pierre re-aggravated his injury, this time tearing the ACL in his right knee. With St. Pierre sidelined, an Interim Championship bout between Diaz and Condit was booked. Condit would go onto win a highly-contested unanimous decision, much to the chagrin of Diaz. Feeling cheated, Diaz announced his retirement after the fight, and much ado was made about his perceived sore-loser attitude.

As many expected, Diaz didn't retire. St. Pierre went on to defend his title against Condit this past November in what was an instant classic. And although matchmaking science favoured dangerous contender Johny Hendricks (who had just punched out Martin Kampmann moments before St. Pierre and Condit's fight) as the new challenger, St. Pierre had other plans. For once, St. Pierre didn't care about the rankings. He didn't care about the toughest challenge, or who deserved it most.

He wanted Diaz.

And so it was booked. March 16th, in St. Pierre's back yard, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, where he had turned back Condit, Josh Koscheck, and won back the belt from Matt Serra, he would get to put his hands on Diaz. Fans and pundits scoffed at the matchup, noting that controversial as it may be, Diaz was coming off of a loss. To boot, Diaz was still serving a one-year suspension handed down by the NSAC for testing positive for marijuana metabolites in his bout against Condit.

Despite his words and actions (or lack thereof sometimes), Diaz too feels disrespected in the fight game. He shuns the nice-guy attitude and what he feels are phony pleasantries. He bemoans the media coverage, the lack of financial compensation for such a demanding job, and despite his relative ease at playing the villain, his disdain for having to resort to call-outs and dissing to advance in the sport. He sees it as a game he's forced to play. Others see it as social anxiety rearing its ugly head. Nevertheless, Nick Diaz has got the world-class talent and unique personality to provide plenty of intrigue as a top challenger.

Yes, the bout has lost some of its original bite now given the fact that Diaz lost to a man that St. Pierre has just beaten, but with the trash talk heating up again, the bout being almost canceled thanks to more Diaz antics, and intense weigh-in staredown this afternoon where Diaz waved his hands in St. Pierre's face after the two successfully made weight. Although White ensured that the fight did not get underway 24-hours early, the tension and the excitement in the air was readily measurable.

So now that the hype, the promise, and the anticipation are finally set to give way to the real thing, what will this fight look like. As anyone knows, St. Pierre has become the de facto #2 pound-for-pound fighter on the basis of his overall excellence as a true mixed martial artist. Having trained from the ground up in all of the core martial arts and fighting styles (wrestling, Muay Thai, boxing, and BJJ, to name a few), St. Pierre's understanding and application of technique puts him in elite company in the sport. He has out-struck career strikers, out-wrestled college champion wrestlers, and put on displays of unprecedented dominance inside the Octagon. He may have a habit of letting too many opponents hear the final bell, but that does not mean they were any closer to victory than a fighter who is knocked unconscious in the first 10 seconds.

How does he accomplish holding such a well-rounded and world-class skillset? By learning from everyone he can. From training with legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach, to tweaking his spinning kick with UFC colour commentator Joe Rogan, St. Pierre is a true student of the game. His ability to constantly learn and improve results in fight fans witnessing a better, stronger and smarter Georges St. Pierre every time he steps into the Octagon.

But all of this preparation means nothing to Diaz. Skills, accolades and ability can't help you when you are in a dogfight with someone who wants to beat you up, he says. When Diaz speaks of his preparation, he simply insists that he has trained with people who are better, push him farther, and make him dig deeper. He scoffs at every possible method of victory for the champion. Want to stand and bang? Go ahead. Take him down? Be his guest. Diaz says that he will fight the fight on his terms, whether St. Pierre realizes that or not.

If toughness is the one thing that has stopped St. Pierre from a handful of finishes in his title defenses, he will be in deep against Diaz. Save for a TKO stoppage resulting from a cut in his first fight against KJ Noons, Diaz has been stopped one time in his career, and that was way back in 2002 when he was but 18 years old. Near 30, Diaz is the one who hands out beatings. Fighters who have tried their luck at standing with Diaz find themselves running an impossible race, quickly worn down by a man who regularly competes in triathlons and has the gas tank of a jumbo jet. Those who have looked for an escape from the patented 'Stockton slap' by going to the ground have found themselves tapping their hands in desperation to be saved from a Diaz submission.

When the referee calls the start of the fight, whose willpower will prevail? Will St. Pierre stifle Diaz like so many before him with a conservative yet untouchable performance that has casual fans up in arms, or will St. Pierre make good on his word and make Diaz rethink his career choice with the beatdown of a lifetime? Will St. Pierre's intense emotional state lead to a costly error or miscue that lets Diaz score the massive upset? Or will it simply be a case of Diaz bringing the fight to St. Pierre like he's never seen before, and riding back to the 209 with gold around his waist? We'll all have to tune in to find out.

Other main card bouts:

In the fight game, rematches are often saved for when an athlete is on the downturn of their career and is looking for a unique albeit lesser challenge after enjoying their glory years at the top of the sport. Whether it is to settle an old score, get revenge, or just to re-live a classic moment, fighters in their twilight years are fond of taking on old foes who represent a time when their career was on the upswing.

For Rory MacDonald, things are a bit different. At just 23 years of age, MacDonald has his whole fighting career ahead of him, but he wants to atone for the only blemish on his small but impressive resume. MacDonald (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will look to avenge his lone career defeat when he takes on Carlos Condit (28-6 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in a rematch of their June 2010 encounter. By most accounts, MacDonald was winning the fight when he was stopped by Condit with just seven seconds remaining in the final round. Now, after running through his last four opponents, including legend BJ Penn, MacDonald has requested a re-do with the former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion. Understanding, Condit has accepted, and here we are. The fight promises to be just as exciting as the first, as both men have grown tremendously in skill. But one area where MacDonald may have the edge is his physical growth. Despite fighting in the same weight class at 170, MacDonald has gained power, size and speed, largely a benefit to his body, which is in the final stages of development. But make no mistake, Condit has looked better since their last encounter too. He made quick work of the likes of Dan Hardy and Dong-Hyun Kim. He almost ended the reign of Georges St. Pierre with a single kick. His killer instinct is second to none in the sport, hence the nickname, 'The Natural Born Killer'. MacDonald has read the headlines, and he knows that he is destined for big things. But he can't relish any of his potential until he makes good on his only career mistake. And if Condit can make lightning strike twice, he will find himself right back in pursuit of the Welterweight Championship he so covets.

When Johny Hendricks sent Martin Kampmann to dreamland with a single punch in their November 2012 encounter, the fight world was finally ready to see how the Oklahoma native would fare in a title fight, and so was Hendricks. Unfortunately for him, champion Georges St. Pierre was taking the names, and Hendricks' was not first on the list.

So, much to his chagrin, Hendricks (14-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will be forced to make a lateral movement and take on fellow contender Jake Ellenberger (28-6 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in a matchup that will feature two NCAA wrestling alums with hands capable of stopping a fight on a moment's notice. The two combine for an impressive 22 wins via TKO or KO; Hendricks has put away the likes of Jon Fitch and Martin Kampmann whereas Ellenberger has notable knockouts over Jake Shields and Mike Pyle. Although both fighters are aggressive, how they communicate it in the Octagon is slightly different. Hendricks is known for his small, short bursts that often come as deadly counter punches that are lower in volume. Ellenberger, on the other hand, soldiers forward with tight, powerful combinations that often drain his gas tank, and have cost him in the past. He claims to have made the necessary adjustments in his game, and it showed in his rematch with Jay Hieron, a fight where he was much more conservative. Still, when two fighters with such heavy hands meet in the center of the Octagon, all it takes is one.

Preceding Saturday's welterweight triple-header will be a middleweight tilt between Nick Ring (13-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Chris Camozzi (18-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who served briefly as teammates on Season 11 of 'The Ultimate Fighter'. Both fighters would eventual exit the show due to injuries. Now, they have carved out successful careers in the 185 ranks. Ring is coming off of a victory over Season 11 winner Court McGee, and Camozzi is on a three-fight roll, with wins over Dustin Jacoby, Nick Catone and Luiz Cane. The fight could feature prolonged striking exchanges, as these two possess iron chins: Camozzi has never been knocked out and Ring has never been stopped altogether. Ring will look to entertain his home Canadian crowd, where he has secured eight of his 13 career victories. Whereas the winner will not produce an immediate contender, it may indicate which fighter has any real potential to find themselves 'in the mix' one day.

Opening the card are a pair of lightweights looking to redeem their shortcomings. Ultimate Fighter runner-ups Mike Ricci (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), and Colin Fletcher (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) will square off looking to earn a permanent spot on the UFC's ever-selective roster. Ricci, who was a favourite in his tournament finale bout against Colton Smith, was unable to answer the wrestling of the former Marine, and lost a unanimous decision. Similarly, Fletcher hung tough but could not put enough offense together against Ireland's Norman Parke in the lightweight finale of 'The Smashes', which pitted a team of British fighters against their Australian counterparts. Ricci may possess more technical ability and skill, but the edge has to go to Fletcher in the area of toughness and heart. Experience-wise, they're dead even, as both men have 10 professional bouts under their belts. Ricci has long pined for a return to 155 after his run at welterweight on the reality series, so the shredded weight could give him a power advantage.

The full UFC 158 card includes:

Main Card (PPV, 10PM ET)
Welterweight Bout: Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz - UFC Welterweight Championship
Welterweight Bout: Rory MacDonald vs. Carlos Condit
Welterweight Bout: Johny Hendricks vs. Jake Ellenberger
Middleweight Bout: Nick Ring vs. Chris Camozzi
Lightweight Bout: Mike Ricci vs. Colin Fletcher
Preliminary Card (FX, 8PM ET)
Welterweight Bout: Patrick Cote vs. Bobby Voelker
Featherweight Bout: Antonio Carvalho vs. Darren Elkins
Welterweight Bout: Dan Miller vs. Jordan Mein
Lightweight Bout: John Makdessi vs. Daron Cruickshank
Preliminary Card (Facebook.com, 6:30PM ET)
Welterweight Bout: Rick Story vs. Sean Pierson
Bantamweight Bout: TJ Dillashaw vs. Issei Tamura
Bantamweight Bout: Yves Jabouin vs. Johnny Eduardo

...

Hands of Stone · March 7, 2013

UFC 158 Results: St. Pierre drops Diaz in second to retain title
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 17TH, 2013 AT 2:00 AM ET

It may have not been the "worst beating" we've ever seen in the UFC, but for Georges St. Pierre, it will do just fine.

In his highly anticipated grudge match against Nick Diaz, the UFC Welterweight Champion dispatched the gritty Stockton native in the second round, scoring a TKO victory to defend his title for the eighth consecutive time.

The end came just 38 seconds into the second frame. After Diaz missed one of his patented combinations, St. Pierre launched forward and connected with a vicious spinning back fist that caught Diaz flush on the chin. Diaz dropped and St. Pierre swarmed, scoring a uppercuts from above. Diaz tried to roll to safety, but St. Pierre followed and began landing hammerfists. After Diaz failed to defend the sixth consecutive shot, referee Herb Dean stepped in and called the fight, giving St. Pierre his first legitimate stoppage since recapturing the belt from Matt Serra in April of 2008.

In the first, St. Pierre was aggressive, as promised. He rushed to the center of the Octagon and had Diaz on the defensive, showing rapid head movement, excellent footwork and precise striking. After pushing Diaz up against the cage and landing some punishing shots in the cage, it was Diaz who tried to wrestle St. Pierre down to the canvas. Although he could not get the champion off of his feet, he was briefly able to reverse the position and give himself breathing room. Still, St. Pierre was able to soon break apart and resume the fight at the center of the cage. Diaz again shot in on St. Pierre, but takedown was in vain as St. Pierre sidestepped it easily. For the remainder of the round, St. Pierre was content picking his shots as Diaz tried to goad him into a wild brawl.

St. Pierre's aggressive strategy would pay off, as it would pressure Diaz into making an error in the stand-up game that would cost him dearly. Having avoided catastrophe keeping his hands low against previous opponents, Diaz employed the same carelessness against St. Pierre, but the world-class champion made him pay.

After the fight, St. Pierre spoke with Joe Rogan, with the Bell Centre dying to know what was on the champ's mind.

"You know, lot of guys come to talk, and they talk about me. But the fight is different. I show my actions in the Octagon. I am very impressed with my performance tonight and 'appy to fight in Montreal. I tink that Nick Diaz learn 'is lesson tonight. You have to back up what you say."

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Diaz was not ready to accept defeat.

"I don't think the fight should have been stopped, but you know, whatever. I was still in it. I wasn't out. But whatever, credit to Georges, he's the champ."

St. Pierre (24-2 MMA, 18-2 UFC) has now defended the UFC Welterweight a staggering eighth consecutive time. In doing so, he may have quieted detractors who bemoan his relative lack of stopping power. As one of the sport's pound-for-pound best, one has to wonder if a long-awaited GSP-Silva superfight is finally on the horizon.

Diaz (26-9 MMA, 7-6 UFC) fails to capture UFC gold for the second consecutive time, and is now on a two-fight losing streak after rocketing up the welterweight rankings. However, given that his two losses come at the hands of two of the best fighters in the sport, it is hard to imagine that his job is in any immediate jeopardy.

MacDonald outduels Condit in rematch

Rory MacDonald has his revenge.

In Saturday night's co-main event, MacDonald was successful in avenging his lone career defeat, as he scored a unanimous decision victory over former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit.

All three judges awarded the fight to MacDonald with a 29-28 score.

Barely resembling the scrawny and peppy 20-year-old that first fought Condit in 2010, the toned and muscular MacDonald was much more composed and strategic in this fight. He stayed away from wild striking exchanges, instead opting to wear Condit down by pressuring him up against the cage and on the mat. In the first round, Condit was almost completely neutralized by the clinch work of the young Canadian, as MacDonald was simply too strong to be budged from a dominant position. Condit had to settle for landing some clubbing blows to MacDonald's back, but they were merely an attempt to stay busy. MacDonald did attempt a standing guillotine choke, but Condit quickly writhed his way to safety before the round ended.

The second round went better for Condit. After recovering from an early takedown and stuffing a second attempt from McDonald, Condit was able to keep the fight at range, where he could land sharp combinations and avoid much of MacDonald's power. It was clear that Condit still held a speed advantage, and began scoring more points by landing his shots first and with greater consistency. McDonald made another attempt to tie up with Condit, but he paid the price, eating some stiff shots to the temple before finally relenting and letting Condit back off. Condit swung for a home-run by trying for to land the same flying knee that took out Dong-Hyun Kim, but MacDonald saw it coming and moved to safety.

In the third round, Condit began using unorthodox tactics in an attempt to deceive the young MacDonald and score a knockout blow. He faked a double leg takedown and then loaded up with a massive right hand, but MacDonald was just out of range and the punch sailed wide. MacDonald responded with an nice combination to the body, and the two engaged in a low-impact but high-volume striking exchange. With the fans buzzing, Condit tried for a jab, but he missed and put himself off-balance. At that point, MacDonald leaped into the air and caught Condit clean, his right foot connecting with Condit's jaw. Amazingly, Condit stayed on his feet, but he was clearly wobbled by the shot. MacDonald saw this and pursued Condit, once again trying to apply a standing guillotine. On shaky ground, Condit was unable to slip away, and MacDonald locked the hold on very tight and then dropped into guard. Tightening the hold, the fight looked to be over, but Condit was able to get to one knee and eventually writhe free after MacDonald's grip loosened. On top of MacDonald, Condit was at an advantage, but still clearly rocked from the head kick. He landed a few punches in desperation and tried to pass to side control, but MacDonald kept him firm. As the fight ended, MacDonald scooted back and stood up, helping Condit to his feet. The two embraced, and went to their corners.

After the scores were read and MacDonald was announced the victor, the two hugged and shared a respectful conversation. In meeting with Joe, MacDonald was more than happy.

"I worked for this win so hard. This training camp was brutal. It was more grueling than the last three or four combined. I wanted this win so bad, you have no idea. It's too bad that I couldn't get the finish, but my hat is off to Carlos. He almost became the champion, so I know he is one of the very best in the world, and it's great getting a win like that. I know that a lot of people thought it was rude for me to want a rematch so bad, but I meant no disrespect to Carlos or anyone. I am just very competitive, and I had to show that I was better than that first fight. Thank you Montreal, and thank you to my training partners who helped me prepare for this fight. Good luck to GSP!"

With the win, MacDonald (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) not only gets his revenge, but makes a hefty move up the welterweight ladder by beating a top-ranked opponent. However, given that training partner and friend Georges St. Pierre is atop the heap, it may be a long time before MacDonald challenges for the title. Condit (28-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has now dropped two straight fights, but still remains an exciting and important member of the welterweight ranks. Given the entertainment value of their first two fights, MacDonald and Condit should never discount the idea of a rubber match one day down the road.

Ellenberger flattens Hendricks to spoil title shot

The name 'Jake Ellenberger' may serve to haunt Johny Hendricks for quite some time.

After the welterweight contender was forced to settle with a bout against Ellenberger after champion Georges St. Pierre opted for his grudge match with Nick Diaz, Hendricks' title aspirations took an even larger blow on Saturday night. A slight underdog, Ellenberger was able to overpower Hendricks and score a first-round TKO victory with vicious ground and pound.

The bout was a meeting between two former collegiate wrestlers known for their devastating striking power, and for once, the fight followed formula. Ellenberger threw some range-finding punches before shooting in for a takedown. Although Hendricks tried to catch him in a guillotine, Ellenberger made good on his attempt and landed in the Oklahoman's guard. Ellenberger looked to land heavy punches right away, but Hendricks kept him in closed guard and avoided taking serious damage. However, Ellenberger did not slow down, and slowly made his way towards mount. Hendricks soon struggled to keep up, and was absorbing more punches than he was blocking. He looked for a way back to his feet, but Ellenberger remained heavy on top of him, pushing down with his hips. The punches got bigger and faster, and Hendricks found himself mounted as he covered up from a big right hook. Powerless to defend, Hendricks was blasted with a succession of hammerfists, and was warned by referee Yves Lavigne to fight back. The best he could do was to turn over to his back, and Ellenberger kept up with the punishment. With no defense being offered by Hendricks, Lavigne halted the bout at 3:23.

With Hendricks out of the way, Ellenberger threw his name into the mix as a possible contender.

"Well, he was supposed to get a title shot, and I think its about beating the man who beat the man. Maybe it's my turn? Either way, I am just happy to get a big win tonight here in Montreal. Hendricks is one tough son-of-a-gun, but I can't stop until I win that belt."

Although he has a good point, his win over Hendricks creates a bit of a conundrum for some of the division's top ranks. Despite his win over Hendricks, Ellenberger is still on the rebound from a crushing knock out loss to Martin Kampmann that he suffered in 2012. Kampmann, of course, was knocked out by Hendricks in under a minute last November. With this triangle of wins and losses, its hard to say who has the edge as the most deserving contender.

Nevertheless, Ellenberger (29-6 MMA, 8-2 UFC) is still among the top welterweights in the division and may be just on the outside of a shot at gold. Hendricks (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will have to go back to his camp and re-group after suffering the first stoppage loss of his career. However, he too could find himself back in the driver's seat with one or two big wins.

Ring survives early trouble to tap Camozzi in middleweight thriller

Winning a fight after being dropped isn't all that unheard of. Getting dropped twice and then submitting your opponent with an armbar? That's slightly more rare.

But that's exactly how Nick Ring's night played out. The Calgary native survived a pair of knockdowns in the first and second rounds to come away with a thrilling submission victory over Ultimate Fighter castmate Chris Camozzi.

The trouble for Ring started early. Within the first minute of the fight, Camozzi checked a leg kick and then hit a barrage of left hands that caught Ring flush. He stumbled backwards and ate another punch and fell to his back, with Camozzi on top of him. Landing punch after punch, the fight looked to be stopped soon, but Ring was able to hang on and pull Camozzi into half guard. Unfortunately, Camozzi felt comfortable standing and backed off, forcing Ring back to his feet. Camozzi landed another left hand that wobbled Ring again, forcing him backward. Camozzi moved forward looking to follow up, but Ring saved himself with a quick takedown that caught Camozzi off guard. Gathering his wits, Ring threw some light punches that were easily handled by Camozzi. Still not entirely recovered, Ring struggled to hold onto Camozzi, who was able to quickly scoot back towards the cage and use the fence to stand up. Ring held him against the cage, each man trying to score points with body shots as the round ended.

Going into the second round, the troubles continued for Ring. Almost identical to the first round, Ring missed a leg kick and Camozzi landed a solid combination that dropped Ring quick. He scrambled and tried to return to his feet, but Camozzi pushed him over and landed a good elbow. Ring survived the blow and then pulled Camozzi close to avoid punishment. He pulled Camozzi's head in for a guillotine, but was unable to generate much torque from half guard. He then let Camozzi go, who again stood up and let Ring get back to his feet. Shaking off the cobwebs, Ring engaged with Camozzi, but was unable to connect much with the leather. Camozzi rifled off a head kick, but Ring covered up just in time, and fired back with a jab. Catching Camozzi on the wrong foot, he shot in on a single leg and put Camozzi onto his back. A scramble ensued, with Camozzi moving Ring off of him using a butterfly sweep. Ring came to his knees to Camozzi's left, who tried get to his feet. But as he came to all fours, Ring clasped to his back and locked up his right shoulder and flipped him over, landing in a picture perfect armbar. The hold was deep, and as soon as Ring applied torque Camozzi had to tap, sealing the incredible comeback win for Ring. The Bell Centre went wild for the Canadian, who emphatically jumped to the top of the Octagon to celebrate his unlikely victory.

"He was kicking my ass in the stand up, he hits very hard. I knew I had to get out of there quick. My jiu-jitsu has always been great, so I made a beeline for that arm. I took it, and he tapped."

Camozzi did not go home empty handed. Both he and Ring were awarded $75,000 as winners of the 'Fight of the Night' bonus.

Ring (14-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has now won two straight and moves to 4-1 inside the Octagon. His lone career setback was a decision loss to Tim Boetsch at UFC 135. Camozzi (18-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) snaps a three-fight winning streak that had vaulted him up the middleweight rankings.

Colin Fletcher works wrestling game to decision Mike Ricci

When Mike Ricci goes back to training camp, it may benefit him to work on his takedown defense.

After the 'TUF 16' favourite was upset in the finale by the wrestling of winner Colton Smith, Ricci was again vanquished by the takedown, surrendering a unanimous decision to 'TUF: The Smashes' runner-up Colin Fletcher in the main card opener on Saturday's pay-per-view broadcast.

Fletcher, not traditionally a wrestler, was able to plant Ricci on his back a staggering eight times on his way to victory.

Ricci was certainly the bigger fighter and looked crisper and more at home in the striking game and during the clinch work. But any time that Fletcher ran into adversity or found himself stalling, he was able to get Ricci to the canvas with a variety of takedown maneuvers. Ricci became tired early on, allowing Fletcher to work his gameplan to even greater success. Ricci made one early attempt to lock in a kimura, but Fletcher was wise to defend and got out of trouble before long, shifting away from Ricci's grasp.

The bout was fairly routine, and went off without a hitch, save for a low blow that Ricci suffered late in the fight. A wayward kick from Fletcher caused the damage, who immediately recognized the error and apologized to his opponent. Fortunately, the damage was minor and the bout soon continued.
Ricci used the restart as motivation to go for the win, as he became much more aggressive and began throwing heavy punches. The efforts were in vain, as he was not able to secure a finish on the durable Fletcher.

Fletcher was awarded the bout with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28.

Fletcher (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) proves his value in the lightweight division by getting a win over a quality opponent, and will look to move forward from here. Ricci (7-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) drops his second straight bout inside the Octagon and could be headed back to the regional circuit.

Cote slips by Voelker in welterweight debut

It wasn't picture perfect, but Patrick Cote has his first win as a UFC welterweight.

The former middleweight title challenger won a tightly contested striker's matchup against Strikeforce import Bobby Voelker, capturing a 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 split decision in the final preliminary fight on the FX broadcast Saturday.

Both men came into their fight known for their stand-up game, and that is exactly how the fight played out. Both men kept the fight on their feet, looking for a home run blast. That didn't happen, but each man absorbed plenty of punishment and wore it on their faces following the bout.

Cote employed a more technical approach whereas Voelker was aggressive and rangy, looking like a welterweight version of famed slugger Leonard Garcia. Nevertheless, the fans were entertained, as there were no slow moments throughout the 15 minute fight. When one man looked to be gaining serious momentum with a series of sharp combinations that backed his opponent off, the other would return fire with some solid strikes of their own, ensuring that no fighter had a clear advantage after each of the three rounds.

The fight's highlight came in the third stanza, when Cote swung a body kick that was caught by Voelker. As the fighters came in close, Cote began feeding Voelker with a series of uppercuts. But Voelker didn't falter, and instead hit a right cross that spun Cote around and backed him off. Voelker attempted a head kick but Cote ducked under and landed a head-body-head combo that got the fans buzzing.

In the end, it would be Cote who had his hand raised in victory. His hometown crowd at the Bell Centre roared in approval, as Voelker hugged him and thanked him for a great fight.

Cote (19-8 MMA, 6-8 UFC) is now on a winning streak, albeit a technicality of sorts. His first win came back in November when opponent Alessio Sakara was disqualified for striking Cote multiple times in the back of the head. Voelker (24-9 MMA 0-1 UFC) loses his UFC debut but should be sticking around after a gutsy performance against a veteran like Cote.

'Pato' taps Elkins with picture-perfect armbar in second

If you want to be a successful wrestler in the UFC, you have to study up on your submission defense.

Darren Elkins learned that the hard way Saturday, as his four-fight winning streak came to a snapping halt when he was submitted by an Antonio Carvalho armbar at the end of the second round of their featherweight tilt on Saturday night's FX preliminary broadcast.

Following a quiet first round that saw Carvalho try to strike from the outside and avoid Elkins' wrestling, Carvalho was able to take control of the ground game following a takedown of his own and secure the armbar after doing some serious damage on the ground. He was able to get Elkins into side control, where he landed some heavy, heavy knees that winded him. Carvalho scooted off of Elkins and quickly applied the armbar, using maximum pressure. Elkins tried to stack him up and powerbomb him, but by the time he got vertical he had to tap.

The stoppage came at 4:43 of the second round.

Carvalho (16-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has now won three straight since dropping his UFC debut to Felipe Arantes in January of 2012. Elkins (15-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) snaps a promising four-fight win streak that had him within reach of the upper echelons of the featherweight division.

Carvalho's good fortune didn't end with the win. He also netted $75,000 for securing the 'Submission of the Night' bonus.

Miller improves to 2-0 at welterweight, chokes out Mein

When you put together two durable fighters with storied records and a long list of finishes, something's gotta give.

Dan Miller would falter first, but it would be Jordan Mein who made the final mistake that allowed Miller to capitalize and secure a first round submission win via guillotine choke, spoiling the Canadian's UFC debut on Saturday night.

Miller was caught with his hands down late in the first round when Mein clipped him with a heavy left hand. Miller buckled and fell to the ground, and Mein did his best to pounce on him and rain down heavy shots. He eventually worked his way to half guard, but as he tried to wear Miller down with his top game offense, he left his head unprotected and the submission savvy Miller grabbed a hold of a tight guillotine choke, even from a half guard position. Mein looked to be fighting it momentarily by trying to create separation in Miller's hands, but he tapped shortly after.

The stoppage came at 4:05.

"Jordan hit me really hard. I haven't been hit that hard since the Palhares fight. I thought he was going to finish me off, but I hung in there and got the win."

One of the UFC's gustiest performers, Miller (15-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) improves to 2-0 at welterweight and still has yet to be finished in his MMA career. Mein (26-9 MMA, 0-1 UFC) drops his UFC debut and suffers his first stoppage defeat since 2008.

Makdessi smashes Cruickshank in comeback thriller

John Makdessi has made it pretty clear: if he wants to, he'll knock you out on a moment's notice.

The Laval native survived a hellacious beating from Daron Cruickshank in the first round to score a highlight-reel knockout of the TUF veteran in the third round of their preliminary bout on Saturday night.

In the first round, Makdessi was troubled by Cruickshank's striking early, and midway through the round he was dropped by an uppercut. He recovered, but Cruickshank wound up in his guard and laid down a drubbing that consisted of punches and short elbows. Makdessi did his best to survive, doing just enough to prevent Yves Lavigne from stepping in to stop the fight. Although he escaped the round still in the fight, Cruickshank had tuned him up remarkably, opening up a large gash over his left eye that his corner struggled to seal.

Makdessi didn't fare much better in the middle frame. He again was knocked down from a stiff Cruickshank combination, forced to hang on for dear life as Cruickshank looked to rain down punishment from full guard. Makdessi was much more effective at defending elevating his hips to keep Cruickshank at a safe distance. In addition, Cruickshank's torrid pace began to take its slow, and the 'Detroit Superstar' had a much more limited output near the end. Still, he was clearly winning the fight, with most onlookers giving him 10-8 scores in the first if not both rounds.

But with a single move, those scorecards became irrelevant. A step fresher than Cruickshank, Makdessi stayed at a distance to avoid Cruickshank's tight combinations, and it worked. Cruikshank came in looking to find a home for a jab, and left himself wide open. With a burst of energy, Makdessi ran forward and caught Cruickshank clean with a flying knee that made a resounding thud throughout the noisy Bell Centre. Cruickshank was out like a light, and Makdessi had his comeback win.

The knee came at 1:05 into round three.

"I am a kickboxer. That's what I train for. To be dangerous from start to finish. He wasn't careful, and he got caught, but credit to him for kicking my ass for almost the entire fight. I know there are areas I have to be better."

Almost a certainty from the moment it happened, Makdessi was awarded $75,000 as the night's "Knockout of the Night" bonus winner.

Makdessi (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is now on a two-fight winning streak, and has yet another spectacular knockout win in his young career. His spinning back fist knockout of Kyle Watson at UFC 129 is a regular on highlight reels. Cruickshank (12-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) loses his first fight in the UFC, in a similar manner to his knockout loss to James Vick on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Story gets close win over Pierson in snoozer

By the time the final bell rung to close the fight between Rick Story and Sean Pierson, not many people had yet entered the Bell Centre for UFC's 158 pay-per-view, but the ones that had were not impressed with what they just saw.

Fighting to keep his spot on the crowded welterweight roster, former top prospect Rick Story was able to control the slow pace of his battle with Sean Pierson to earn a unanimous decision victory over the Canadian veteran.

Story edged ahead of Pierson in Octagon control and the wrestling department, but that was about all that separated the two fighters in what was a rather lackluster affair.

Pierson did show some promise of making a comeback late in the third round by partially dragging Story into his high-risk, high-reward style of striking. But Story remained composed and opted to take Pierson down and ride out the round in full guard.

The judges' awarded Story the fight with 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 scores.

Story (15-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has now won two of his last five outings and will look to gain some more permanent traction in the stacked welterweight division. Meanwhile, Pierson (13-7 MMA, 3-3 UFC) sees a two-fight winning streak go by the wayside.

Dillashaw blasts Tamura early to roll to third straight victory

A popular saying in the world of mixed martial arts extols the virtue of having a short memory in the fight game.

For TJ Dillashaw, it appears to be paying off.

The bantamweight runner-up of Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter registered his third straight victory inside the Octagon on Saturday night, earning a quick TKO victory over Japan's Issei Tamura.

The end came at 3:57 of the first round, after Dillashaw easily secured mount and began pounding away on Tamura. After a series of hammerfists were not answered, referee Herb Dean halted the bout. Tamura looked to be unconscious but the victory was ruled a TKO.

Dillashaw (7-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has three straight wins since coming up short in the tournament finale against John Dodson. The Team Alpha Male fighter has plenty of options, including a drop to flyweight. Tamura (7-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has been stopped in consecutive bouts and at 1-2 inside the Octagon, may find himself on the regional circuit soon.

Eduardo uppercut puts Jabouin out in second

In the opening fight on the Facebook.com preliminary stream, Brazil's Johnny Eduardo was able to silence the Quebec crowd with a second-round knockout of Haitian-Canadian striker Yves Jabouin.

The knockout was a one-off shot that caught Jabouin coming in looking to follow up on a leg kick. The punch landed flush, and Jabouin was out before he hit the canvas.

The win was a comeback of sorts for Eduardo, who was unable to execute his desired grappling game against Jabouin the first and was feeling the constant pressure from Jabouin's striking game. The same pattern had been playing out in the second round until the stoppage.

The stoppage came at 3:26 of round two.

Eduardo (27-9 MMA, 2-1 UFC) moves to 2-1 inside the Octagon, and will look to continue his climb up the 135-pound bantamweight ladder. Jabouin (18-9 MMA, 3-3 UFC) has now been knocked out in back-to-back fights after a promising 3-0 start at bantamweight.

Full UFC 158 results:

Georges St. Pierre def. Nick Diaz via TKO (strikes) at 0:38 of Round 2 - retains UFC Welterweight title
Rory MacDonald def. Carlos Condit via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Jake Ellenberger def. Johny Hendricks via TKO (strikes) at 3:23 of Round 1
Nick Ring def. Chris Camozzi via submission (armbar) at 4:43 of Round 2
Colin Fletcher def. Mike Ricci via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Patrick Cote def. Bobby Voelker via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Antonio Carvalho def. Darren Elkins via submission (armbar) at 4:43 of Round 2
Dan Miller def. Jordan Mein via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:05 of Round 1
John Makdessi def. Daron Cruickshank via KO (flying knee) at 1:05 of Round 3
Rick Story def. Sean Pierson via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
TJ Dillashaw def. Issei Tamura via TKO (strikes) at 3:57 of Round 1
Johnny Eduardo def. Yves Jabouin via KO (uppercut) at 3:26 of Round 2

Fight of the Night: Nick Ring vs. Chris Camozzi
Knockout of the Night: John Makdessi
Submission of the Night: Antonio Carvalho

Attendance: 23,409
Live Gate: $4,096,575
Buyrate: 1,276,000 (second all time, behind UFC 100)

UFC 158 Post-Fight Press Conference:

-Nick Diaz did not attend the conference. Dana mentioned that he is unsure of what is next for him.

-GSP finally has the monkey off of his back. As for his next fight, Dana said that the Silva superfight is always a possibility, but Silva still has to fight Bisping. The Ellenberger fight muddied the water a bit at 170 and he isn't sure who is next in line.

-Huge buyrate numbers coming in, and they are expecting to do over 1.3 million. That would be second all-time behind the record for UFC pay-per-views, which was set by UFC 100 in 2009 with 1.6 million.

-Rory MacDonald is very happy with his win. When asked about the welterweight title and GSP, he says that he will not fight GSP for the title, no questions asked. He is happy to develop his skills by fighting other top contenders, or perhaps test out a fight at 185.

-The UFC is happy with their trip to Canada. Fans were great as usual. Expect two (if not three) UFC events by the end of 2013, with most of them being pay-per-view.

...

Hands of Stone · March 8, 2013

UFC on Fox 7 adds Guida-Phan, Uyenoyama-Gaudinot and Viana-Figueroa to round out 13-bout card
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 18TH, 2013 AT 11:00 AM ET

A trio of bouts including Clay Guida (29-14 MMA, 9-8 UFC) vs. Nam Phan (18-11 MMA, 2-4 UFC), Darren Uyenoyama (8-3 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Louis Gaudinot (6-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Hugo Viana (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Edwin Figueroa (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) have been set for the UFC on Fox 7 card on April 20th.

'UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez' features a lightweight superfight between UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson and former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez. The four-bout main card airs live on Fox, with six bouts airing on the FX preliminary broadcast and three bouts streaming on Facebook.com. The event will becomes the first of the UFC's events to officially adapt to a 13-bout format in an attempt to accommodate the promotion's burgeoning roster.

Clay Guida will look to stop a dangerous three-fight skid when he takes on the well-traveled veteran Nam Phan. Guida's debut at featherweight ended in disaster when he was submitted by Hatsu Hioki in January. He will look to get back to his winning ways against Phan, a well traveled fight veteran who served as a member of Team Koscheck on Season 12 of 'The Ultimate Fighter'. He was the only Koscheck fighter to advance to the semi-finals. All six of his Octagon bouts have gone to a decision, with Phan posting a 2-4 record. His most recent outing was a lopsided loss to Dennis Siver in December.

Darren Uyenoyama will look to continue his promising start in the UFC's Flyweight Division when he battles the colourful Louis Gaudinot. Uyenoyama made waves in his UFC debut with an upset of Japanese legend Kid Yamamoto. He would not fight again for 11 months, but in his Octagon return he submitted Phil Harris this past October. Gaudinot, a bantamweight on Season 14 of 'The Ultimate Fighter', made his flyweight debut in May, where he defeated Brazil's John Lineker via technical submission in a back-and-forth bout.

Brazil's Hugo Viana will look to stay undefeated in his MMA career when he takes on the dangerous striker Edwin Figueroa. 'Wolverine' participated as a featherweight on the first ever Brazilian version of 'The Ultimate Fighter', and after leaving the show he caught on with the UFC with a split decision over castmate John Teixeira. In his next bout, he knocked out Reuben Duran in December at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale. Figueroa, who fights out of Texas, has won three straight against the likes of Jason Reinhardt, Alex Caceres, and Francisco Rivera. Ironically, he likely gained most of his fans in his UFC debut, which was a loss to top contender Michael McDonald. Taking the fight on short notice, Figueroa defended several of McDonald's submission attempts and engaged in entertaining striking battles throughout the fight.

The UFC on Fox 7 card now includes:

Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez - UFC Lightweight Championship
Frank Mir vs. Daniel Cormier
Josh Thomson vs. Nate Diaz
Matt Brown vs. Dan Hardy
Ramsey Nijem vs. Michael Johnson
Jorge Masvidal vs. Tim Means
Lorenz Larkin vs. Francis Carmont
Darren Uyenoyama vs. Louis Gaudinot
Clay Guida vs. Nam Phan
Roger Bowling vs. Mac Danzig
Clifford Starks vs. Yoel Romero
Hugo Viana vs. Edwin Figueroa
James Vick vs. Norman Parke

...

UFC 159 adds Perez-Bedford and Young-McKenzie to April 27th card
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 18TH, 2013 AT 11:05 AM ET

A pair of bouts in the UFC's lower weight classes have been signed to complete the 13-bout lineup for April 27th's UFC 159 card in Newark, New Jersey.

UFC 159 features a coaches battle between UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen, who are currently opposing one another on Season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter. The fight will also be for Jones' UFC Light Heavyweight title.

Erik Perez (13-4 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will look to continue his impressive start in the UFC when he takes on tall and rangy Johnny Bedford (19-9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC). Perez has won his first three bouts at bantamweight, his most recent coming against Byron Bloodworth in December. Bedford also secured his latest victory in December, scoring a knockout of Brazil's Marcus Vinicius at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.

Jason 'Shotgun' Young (9-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) and Cody McKenzie (13-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will likely be fighting for their spot on the featherweight roster when they hook up on the preliminary card. Both men are coming off decisive, lightning-fast knockout losses; Young was dispatched by Robbie Peralta in just 23 seconds in their September bout, whereas McKenzie was put out by a Chad Mendes body shot in 31 seconds in July. McKenzie of course is known for his famous 'McKenzietine', a modified guillotine choke that has been his method of victory in 12 of his 13 wins.

The UFC 159 card now includes:

Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen - UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Jim Miller vs. Gray Maynard
Vitor Belfort vs. Alan Belcher
Cheick Kongo vs. Roy Nelson
Phil Davis vs. Vinny Magalhaes
Gian Villante vs. Ovince St. Preux
Sara McMann vs. Sheila Gaff
Yancy Medeiros vs. Rustam Khabilov
Erik Perez vs. Johnny Bedford
Al Iaquinta vs. Joe Proctor
Nick Catone vs. James Head
Jimmy Hettes vs. Steven Siler
Jason Young vs. Cody McKenzie

Hands of Stone · March 10, 2013

Issei Tamura released by UFC
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 19TH, 2013 AT 10:00 AM ET

Today, our sources confirmed that Japanese bantamweight Issei Tamura (7-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) has been released by the UFC.

Tamura competed on Saturday`s UFC 158 card on the Facebook.com preliminary stream, where he faced TJ Dillashaw, who replaced original opponent Mitch Gagnon. He was defeated via TKO in the first round.

Tamura leaves the UFC with a 1-2 record. He debuted with a knockout win over Tie Quan Zhang in February of 2012, but was stopped by Raphael Assuncao in July of the same year.

...

Hands of Stone · March 16, 2013

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35025" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Episode 8 Quick Recap BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 18TH, 2013 AT 10:30 PM ET -The quarter-finals begin. In the first matchup, Team Jones #7 Sean Strickland will be battling top Sonnen pick, Nick Klein. Sonnen thinks that the fight will be easy pickings for Klein. He respects the fact that Strickland is a powerful puncher like Klein, but what separates them is their discipline and caution in the cage. He feels that Strickland will swing like a wild man and get caught early. Jones plays the other side to the coin, and believes that Strickland has more heart and determination and will catch Klein being lazy. -Weigh in time. Strickland weighs in at 184, and flexes in approval. Stoically, Klein walks up to the scale and looks emotionless as Keith Kizer adjusts the scale. He's 185, on the dot. Klein and Strickland face off and things get a little heated when Klein blows air in Strickland's face. Coaches Sonnen and Jones make sure that the fists don't fly a day early. -Klein dismisses Strickland as a threat. He says he knows that former teammate Greg Rebello (who Sonnen kicked off the team) fell into the trap of being unprepared, but his confidence is different. He will have his hand raised as he moves on to the semi-finals. -Strickland knows Klein doesn't respect him, and that motivates him even further. He took advantage of Rebello's lack of enthusiasm and if Klein wants to be cocky, he'll pay for it dearly. -Fight time. Strickland comes running through the door full steam, and he looks ready to fight for his life. Klein is calm and collected, and takes his time getting to the Octagon, dressing down to his fight gear, and stretching patiently. He walks into the cage and walks right past Strickland in a dismissive way, adding one last page to his mental game. Referee Dan Miragliotta is the third man in the Octagon, and he is set to officiate the bout. As always, UFC President Dana White reads the rules surrounding the fight's duration and Quarter-Final Bout: Team Jones' Sean Strickland (10-0) vs. Team Sonnen's Nick Klein (3-0) -No touch of gloves, as expected. Klein moves slow and takes calculated approaches, throwing range finding punches as Strickland moves erratically in an attempt to confuse or startle Klein into making a costly mistake. Spinning back kick by Strickland misses badly, but he re-adjusts before Klein can counter effectively. The fighters briefly engage in a tie-up but Strickland breaks off, and switches to a southpaw stance. Klein is able to land a stiff shot to the body that freezes Strickland momentarily. Klein tries to land a takedown but Strickland still moves away in time. Keeping up the pace, Klein lands a quick combo that has Strickland moving his hands wildly to cover up. Although Klein gets on the offensive, Strickland manages to deal with the volume level and creates some distance. Klein comes in hands down, looking to land a scorching overhand right, but Strickland sees him coming. He lands an elbow flush, and Klein drops like a rock in the ocean. One follow up punch on the ground is all that is necessary, as referee Miragliotta steps in to save an unconscious Klein from further damage. Result: Sean Strickland def. Nick Klein via KO (elbow) at 3:29 of Round 1 -Dejection for Team Sonnen, who has just lost their first overall pick with the snap of a finger. Strickland, meanwhile, is just as elated as with his first victory, jumping up in the air and then being hoisted up by Coach Jones. Sonnen slowly walks over to his fallen fighter, who is just now coming to. He is helped to a stool and the people in and outside of the cage applaud his recovery. He doesn't appear to fully grasp what happened, but does seem to accept that there is no trickery behind his defeat. -Klein doesn't have much to say about what happened. He was happy with the fight up until the point of the knockout, and he says he fought the best he could until it ended. Strickland acknowledges that Klein came to fight, but he exposed himself in one crucial moment, and in mixed martial arts, that is all that it takes. -With that, Sean Strickland becomes the first fighter (and Team Jones' representative) to move on to the semi-finals. One more win and he will be off to the live finale. Next week, Team Jones' #3 Logan Clark will take on his counterpart Warren Thompson, third overall pick of Team Sonnen.</div></blockquote> ...

Hands of Stone · March 16, 2013

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35025" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>dos Santos-Bigfoot and Bader-Shogun join UFC 160 on Memorial Day Weekend BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 20TH, 2013 AT 11:00 AM ET For a few weeks, the MMA world has known that John Dodson will defend his UFC Flyweight Championship against perennial contender Joseph Benavidez on May 25th at UFC 160 in Las Vegas. Wednesday, the UFC announced two major matchups that will be joining the Memorial Day Weekend card. In what is sure to be a barn burner of a co-main event, former UFC Heavyweight Championship Junior dos Santos (15-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) will look to make his way back towards the title when he squares off with fellow Brazilian Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva (17-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC). dos Santos will fight for the first time since surrendering the heavyweight crown to Cain Velasquez in their December rematch at UFC 155. Unlike their first fight, Velasquez was able to find immediate success with the takedown, overwhelming dos Santos and scoring a first-round TKO win. Up first for dos Santos will be Antonio Silva, who will look to prove his worth in the heavyweight division after sliding to 1-2 in his first three outings. He was starched by Alistair Overeem at UFC 156 on Super Bowl Weekend, losing via TKO in under two minutes. Overeem earned a shot at Velasquez with the win. Also headed for the card are 'Ultimate Fighter 8' winner Ryan Bader (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua (21-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC). A solid 3-1 in his past four bouts, Bader will look to follow up a routine victory over Vladimir Matyushenko with a defeat of the legendary Brazilian. For Rua, the fight against Bader will provide yet another opportunity at gaining traction in the competitive 205-pound division; Rua was stymied by the rising Alexander Gustafsson in his past fight, losing a unanimous decision. Before that, he had a pair of memorable bouts against Brandon Vera and Dan Henderson, the latter going down as one of the most memorable fights in mixed martial arts history. The UFC 160 card now includes: John Dodson vs. Joseph Benavidez - UFC Flyweight Championship Junior dos Santos vs. Antonio Silva Ryan Bader vs. Mauricio Rua </div></blockquote> ...

Hands of Stone · March 16, 2013

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="35025" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Four matchups added to UFC 160, including Grant-Lauzon lightweight tilt BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 21ST, 2013 AT 10:00 AM ET The UFC 160 card continues to swell. Today, UFC President Dana White took to the social networking platform Twitter, to announce four matchups headed to the Memorial Day Weekend Card. They include TJ Grant (20-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC) vs. Joe Lauzon (22-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC), Khabib Nurmagomedov (19-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) vs. Abel Trujillo (10-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Donald Cerrone (21-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) vs. Jamie Varner (21-7-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) and Pat Barry (8-5 MMA, 5-5 UFC) vs. Mike Russow (16-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC). Grant, a former welterweight who hails from the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, will aim for his fifth straight victory in the lightweight division. After a 3-3 run at 170, Grant dropped to 155, where he has four straight wins over the likes of Shane Roller, Carlo Prater, Evan Dunham, and most recently, Matt Wiman, who he submitted in January. He will look to continue his build towards contention with a win over Lauzon. Lauzon will look to rebound from a submission loss to Jim Miller at UFC 155 in December by spoiling the rise of Grant. The Boston area fighter had Miller hurt and in danger in the first round, but was eventually submitted in the second. In 30 career fights, Lauzon has been to the final bell just once: a decision loss to Sam Stout in January of 2010. Surging Russian lightweight prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov will meet up with entertaining striker Abel Trujillo with a chance to start his career at an impressive 20-0. Nicknamed 'The Eagle', Nurmagomedov has indeed soared into the UFC, with three wins over quality opponents in Kamal Shalorus, Gleison Tibau and Thiago Tavares. Trujillo, who trains with the Blackzillians, will fight for the first time since December at UFC on Fox 5, where he made his promotional debut. Fighting replacement Marcus LeVesseur, Trujillo scored a second round TKO with a series of devastating knees to LeVesseur's body. In what should be a highly entertaining trilogy bout, lightweight contenders Donald Cerrone and Jamie Varner will bring their rivalry to a close when they meet on May 25th. Cerrone, who has won seven of his last eight, will look for the last word in the feud with Varner. The two first met in January of 2009 at WEC 38, where Varner captured a controversial split decision on a technicality after Cerrone hit Varner with an illegal knee in the fifth round and Varner was unable to continue. The fight was for Varner's WEC Lightweight Championship. In the re-up, Cerrone got revenge, defeating Varner at WEC 51 via decision in his home state of Colorado. The two campaigned for a bout at the final WEC show in December of 2010, but the fight never materialized as Varner instead faced Shane Roller and Cerrone faced Chris Horodecki. Now, the two will meet and look to build their star resumes with hopes of challenging for UFC gold. Cerrone is on a three-fight winning streak, having dispatched Jeremy Stephens, Melvin Guillard and Anthony Pettis. Varner is 2-1 in his latest UFC tour, having wins against Guillard and Edson Barboza and a loss against Joe Lauzon. Lastly announced by White is a heavyweight clash that should introduce opposing styles. Chicago-based wrestler Mike Russow will look to start another winning streak when he tangles with charismatic fan favourite and K-1 veteran Pat Barry. Russow is coming off of a quick submission win over Shawn Jordan at UFC on Fox 6, which reversed a crushing defeat to Fabricio Werdum in June. Barry was able to score a come-from-behind knockout of Shane del Rosario in December, after nearly being submitted in the first round. The UFC 160 card now includes: John Dodson vs. Joseph Benavidez - UFC Flyweight Championship Junior dos Santos vs. Antonio Silva Ryan Bader vs. Mauricio Rua TJ Grant vs. Joe Lauzon Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner Mike Russow vs. Pat Barry </div></blockquote> ...

Hands of Stone · March 23, 2013

Six matchups added to UFC 160 to complete Memorial Weekend Day card
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 22ND, 2013 AT 10:00 AM ET

Today, UFC officials announced that six matchups have been added to May 25th's UFC 160 event in Las Vegas, bringing the total number of fights to 13 and effectively filling the card.

Chief among them are two welterweight fights including Mike Pyle (24-8-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) vs. Gunnar Nelson (11-0-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Amir Sadollah (6-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. Stephen Thompson (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC). Also announced were Robert Whittaker (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Colton Smith (3-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), Jeremy Stephens (20-9 MMA, 7-8 UFC) vs. Estevan Payan (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Justin Salas (11-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Jorge Gurgel (15-8 MMA, 3-4 UFC), and Yves Edwards (42-18-1 MMA, 10-6 UFC) vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg (13-3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Pyle, a noted grappler, will look to continue his recent hot streak when he takes on fellow submission wizard Gunnar Nelson. Although noted for his mat skills, Pyle's last three wins have come via TKO or KO, over the likes of Ricardo Funch, Josh Neer, and James Head. Nelson, the first Icelandic mixed martial artist to compete in the UFC, is undefeated in 12 career outings. His first two wins inside the Octagon have come against Ultimate Fighter veterans DaMarques Johnson and Justin Edwards.

In what should be a very different fight than Pyle vs. Nelson stylistically, Season 7 winner of 'The Ultimate Fighter' Amir Sadollah will put his vaunted Muay Thai skills to the test against young kickboxing phenom Stephen Thompson. Sadollah, who is just one of two fighters to have contested all of his professional bouts under the UFC banner, will look to rebound from a disappointing loss to Dan Hardy in September of 2012. Thompson, whose switch kick knockout of Dan Stittgen last February had the MMA world buzzing at his potential, will look to regroup after being stifled by the veteran Matt Brown in his last fight, where he suffered his first defeat as a pro.

In what will be the seventh meeting between two winners of The Ultimate Fighter reality series, Australia's hard-hitting Robert Whittaker will look to turn out the lights on former Marine and wrestling standout Colton Smith. Whittaker competed on 'The Smashes' last year, which featured a team of fighters from the United Kingdom taking on a team based in Australia. In December at UFC on FX 6, Whittaker defeated England's Brad Scott to become the welterweight winner of the show. The next night at The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale, Smith was crowned the winner of the sixteenth season when he upset Canada's Mike Ricci by unanimous decision.

Looking to stop a three-fight losing skid that has his job in jeopardy, explosive lightweight Jeremy Stephens will make the drop to 145 pounds to face Strikeforce import Estevan Payan. Stephens will look to erase the painful memory of his last bout, where he was knocked out by Yves Edwards in December. It marked the first time in Stephens' career that he was stopped by strikes. For Payan, the fight represents an opportunity to impress the UFC brass after a solid start to his MMA career, compiling a 13-3 record. Payan last fought for Strikeforce in January of 2012, defeating Alonzo Martinez via decision.

Styles will clash when Denver-based wrestler Justin Salas tangles with third-degree BJJ black-belt and MMA veteran Jorge Gurgel. Salas, who trains out of the respected Grudge Training Center in Denver, Colorado, recently shocked onlookers with a highlight reel knockout of dangerous striker Edson Barboza in January. He must now prepare for an entirely different fight against Gurgel, one of the sport's most accomplished grapplers. Of Gurgel's 15 career victories, 11 of them have come by way of submission. After compiling a 3-4 record in the UFC from 2006 to 2008, Gurgel was welcomed back to the promotion after a submission win over Adriano Martins at the final Strikeforce event in January.

In another fight featuring a UFC veteran welcoming a Strikeforce fighter to the Octagon, the 'Thugjitsu Master' Yves Edwards will look to start a new winning streak when he touches up with Greg Jackson fighter Isaac Vallie-Flagg. Edwards is riding a wave of momentum: as mentioned, he became the first fighter to knockout the heavy-handed Jeremy Stephens this past December. Vallie-Flagg, a long-time member of Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, is undefeated in his last 11 professional bouts. His last defeat came in 2007 at the hands of regional veteran Rudy Bears. While in Strikeforce, he compiled a 2-0 record, defeating Brian Melancon and Gesias Cavalcante both by split decision.

The UFC 160 card now includes:

John Dodson vs. Joseph Benavidez - UFC Flyweight Championship
Junior dos Santos vs. Antonio Silva
Ryan Bader vs. Mauricio Rua
TJ Grant vs. Joe Lauzon
Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner
Mike Pyle vs. Gunnar Nelson
Pat Barry vs. Mike Russow
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo
Amir Sadollah vs. Stephen Thompson
Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Robert Whittaker vs. Colton Smith
Justin Salas vs. Jorge Gurgel
Jeremy Stephens vs. Estevan Payan

...

Hands of Stone · March 23, 2013

Six bouts added to UFC on FX 8 card on May 18th
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 22ND, 2013 AT 11:00 AM ET

Hot off of the announcement of six bouts being added to the UFC 160 card on May 25th, UFC VP of International Affairs Marshall Zelaznik confirmed the addition of six fights to the UFC on FX 8 card a week prior.

The card features a heavyweight headliner between MMA legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and giant-killer Fabricio Werdum, is set for May 18th at the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil. The fight will serve as a rematch; Nogueira bested Werdum via decision in 2006 during their time in PRIDE.

Added to the card are middleweights Cezar Ferreira (5-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Daniel Sarafian (8-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), light heavyweights Fabio Maldonado (18-6 MMA, 1-3 UFC) and Roger Hollett (14-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC), lightweights John Cholish (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Gleison Tibau (26-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC), flyweights Jussier Formiga (14-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and Chris Cariaso (14-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC), welterweights Sergio Moraes (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Kyle Noke (20-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and middleweights Chris Leben (22-9 MMA, 12-8 UFC) and Ronny Markes (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC).

In what will serve as an unofficial final of last summer's 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' middleweight tournament, Daniel Sarafian will get his chance at vindication when he takes on Cezar Ferreira. The stocky and explosive Brazilian was set to face his countryman last June after reaching the finals, but was forced to bow out with an injury. Ferreira went on to defeat semi-finalist Sergio Moraes, who stepped in as a replacement for Sarafian. Since then he has been inactive. Meanwhile, Sarafian was able to get an impressive victory over CB Dollaway back in January at UFC on FX 7.

As promised, gutsy Brazilian boxer Fabio Maldonado has another shot in the UFC, and this time it comes against Canadian wrestler Roger Hollett. Maldonado debuted with the UFC in October 2010, where he submitted James McSweeney. Since then, he has come up short in three notable wars with the likes of Kyle Kingsbury, Igor Pokrajac, and Glover Teixeira, arguably winning the first two bouts. In all three bouts, Maldonado displayed expert boxing skills and incredible heart and determination. Despite his third consecutive loss at the hands of Teixeira, UFC President Dana White assured his job was safe given Maldonado's willingness to take the fight on short notice. After losing his UFC debut to the returning Matt Hamill on home soil, Hollett notched his first win inside the Octagon when he turned back the challenge of Brazil's Wagner Prado in January, using a variety of wrestling maneuvers to stifle the dangerous prospect.

Wall Street day-trader John Cholish will have an entirely different challenge on his hands when he steps into the Octagon with long-time UFC fighter Gleison Tibau. The New Yorker is coming off of a decision loss to Danny Castillo and now meets a massive lightweight in Tibau, an 18-fight veteran of the UFC who was most recently knocked out by Evan Dunham in spectacular fashion in February at UFC 156. Home-field advantage figures in big on this one: Tibau is 15-1 when fighting in his home country.

One of Brazil's most popular lighter-weight fights will make his first Octagon appearance in his home country, as world-ranked flyweight Jussier Formiga looks to secure his first Octagon victory against the versatile and conditioned Chris Cariaso. Formiga made his UFC debut in October of 2012, where he was stopped by John Dodson in a title eliminator bout. Dodson then went on to win the UFC Flyweight Championship in January of this year. Dropping to flyweight for the first time, Cariaso also saw his immediate title hopes take a hit when he suffered a decision loss to hot prospect John Moraga in December, snapping a three-fight winning streak in the process.

The jovial and spirited Sergio Moraes will get another UFC fight in his home country, as he will lock horns with Australia's Kyle Noke in an intriguing welterweight bout. Moraes, the Cinderella Story of last year's 'The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil' reality series, nearly became the unlikely winner of the tournament when he replaced injured finalist Daniel Sarafian to face Cezar Ferreira. Despite falling behind in the early goings, a late surge from Moraes that stunned Ferreira nearly sealed the upset. Following that, Moraes submitted castmate Renee Forte at UFC 153 in October. Noke, meanwhile, looks to get on a roll in his new weight class: the former 185er made good on his welterweight debut, when he smashed Charlie Brenneman in the first round of their September bout.

Looking to avoid a dreaded fourth loss in five outings, the reckless fan favourite Chris Leben will meet up with Brazil's Ronny Markes in a middleweight bout likely to take place on the event's preliminary undercard. In his return from a year-long suspension for testing positive for banned substances, Leben was run over by Strikeforce import Derek Brunson in their December meeting, losing via first-round TKO. Markes, meanwhile, was unable to solve the undefeated Andrew Craig, losing a split decision to the Texan in January. Not known for his explosive outbursts, Markes may provide an interesting stylistic foil for Leben.

The UFC on FX 8 card now includes:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Fabricio Werdum
Ronaldo Souza vs. Constantinos Philippou
Daniel Sarafian vs. Cezar Ferreira
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham
Sergio Moraes vs. Kyle Noke
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Mike Rio
Ronny Markes vs. Chris Leben
Fabio Maldonado vs. Roger Hollett
Gleison Tibau vs. John Cholish
John Lineker vs. Azamat Gashimov
Jussier Formiga vs. Chris Cariaso
Paulo Thiago vs. Lance Benoist

...

Hands of Stone · March 25, 2013

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Episode 9 Results: Clark smothers Thompson to book semi-final spot
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 25TH, 2013 AT 11:00 PM ET

It was by no means a pretty victory, but Logan Clark will take it all the same.

The Team Jones' fighter was able to use his elevated wrestling skills to stymie the aggressive attack of Team Sonnen's Warren Thompson, earning a 20-18 unanimous decision to earn a spot in the final four of Season 17 of 'The Ultimate Fighter'.

Thompson came out swinging, but Clark avoided being lit up and instead took the fight to the canvas quickly with a takedown, where Thompson found himself trapped for the majority of the first round. He threatened Clark briefly with a kimura, but the staunch defense of the Team Jones' third pick was up to the task, allowing him to get out of danger. After the first, Thompson was visibly drained by having a 185-pound man pushing down on him for nearly five minutes.

This fatigue would set the pace for the second round, as Clark was clearly the fresher fighter and was able to easily glide past Thompson's wayward striking game, which was reckless and off the mark. Desperate for a finish, Thompson began ignoring his corner's advice, which only played into Clark's strengths. Able to take advantage of strategical miscues, Clark was able to control Thompson up against the cage and on the canvas after dragging him there in the latter stages of the round.

At the end of the fight, it was no surprise that Clark's name was read as the victor of the fight. Thompson congratulated his opponent and hung his head as he walked to his corner, his TUF dream over. Clark celebrated with his team, now putting himself two fights away from a highly treasured UFC contract and a return to the organization he fought for on one occasion in 2006.

Elsewhere in the house, tempers flared, as Team Sonnen squadmates Jack Marshman and Trey Houston nearly started their quarter-final bout early after Houston used some choice words to describe his upcoming opponent. While relaxing with other teammates, Houston criticized Marshman's upbringing and heritage, and word got back to Marshman. The Welshman was none too pleased to hear it, and when he confronted Houston, Houston called him a "little bitch" and said he was going to make him cry in the Octagon. Fists flew, but fortunately teammates were able to step in before any serious blows landed. Coach Chael Sonnen had a serious sitdown with both men, and although things went amicably, neither man spoke to one another while in Sonnen's presence. The animosity between the two men should make for a good fight next week.

Up on the next episode: Marshman and Houston settle their blood feud in the first of two quarter-final bouts. Then, Brazilian underdog Ildemar Alcantara takes on Team Jones' highest remaining draft pick, Brandon Hunt for the last spot in the final four.

...

Hands of Stone · March 29, 2013

Jose Aldo meets Erik Koch in UFC 161 co-headliner in Brazil
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 30TH, 2013 AT 9:00 AM ET

Jose Aldo's journey back to the UFC Featherweight Championship has its first stop.

Early Saturday, UFC officials announced that Aldo (21-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will square off with contender Erik Koch (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) in the co-main event in Aldo's home country of Brazil at UFC 161 on June 15th.

Taking place at the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, UFC 161 features UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva defending his strap against Michael Bisping.

Aldo was the reigning 145-pound division champion until February, when he met former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar in Super Bowl Weekend's UFC 156 main event. The New Jersey shrugged off Aldo's merciless speed and power and eventually scored a fourth-round TKO after wearing the champion down, becoming the new titleholder.

For Aldo, a quick and dominant performance could land him in a return fight with Edgar. At the moment, Edgar has not been booked for his first title defense, but plenty of names, including Cub Swanson, Ricardo Lamas, and Chan Sung Jung have drawn interest as challengers.

Although Koch finally gets his meeting with Jose Aldo, it is perhaps bittersweet. After all, Koch was set to face Aldo twice in 2012, with much more at stake. Koch was first set to face Aldo in July at UFC 149, but the fight was cancelled when Aldo withdrew with an injury. The fight was rebooked for UFC 153 in October, but this time it would be Koch who would bow out with an injury. He was replaced by Edgar, but the fight was scrapped altogether when Aldo himself was unable to compete as a result of an injury sustained in a minor motorcycle accident in Brazil. Despite Koch's previous claim to top contendership, UFC officials decided to rebook the Aldo-Edgar fight due to its appeal among fans. Koch went on to face Ricardo Lamas at UFC on Fox 6, where he lost via unanimous decision, and Aldo surrendered the title just a week later.

Should Koch score the upset over the rebounding Aldo, a title shot isn't likely, but he will have placed himself in good company and perhaps the right to compete in a title eliminator against one of the division's top fighters. For Aldo, defeat is not an option: a losing streak in one of the most competitive weight classes could mean a fall from contention for a significant amount of time.

The UFC 161 card now includes:

Anderson Silva vs. Michael Bisping - UFC Middleweight Championship
Jose Aldo vs. Erik Koch

...

Hands of Stone · March 30, 2013

Contract issues force Estevan Payan out of UFC 160; Yaotzin Meza steps in to face Jeremy Stephens
BY AARON TYLER ON MAR 30TH, 2013 AT 4:00 PM ET

In a somewhat bizarre turn of events, Strikeforce import Estevan Payan (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has pulled out of a featherweight bout with Jeremy Stephens (20-9 MMA, 7-8 UFC) at UFC 160 due to contract issues.

According to a report from Payan's agent, the fighter and UFC officials are currently negotiating a discrepancy in the contract for the May 25th bout. With the bout agreement not signed, Payan opted to wait on the sidelines, forcing the UFC to find a replacement.

In his place steps Yaotzin Meza (18-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC), a training partner of UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson. Meza will now face Stephens looking to secure his first UFC victory. On short notice, the Arizona native debuted with the UFC in December of last year, taking on Chad Mendes as an injury replacement for Hacran Dias. Meza was knocked out in short order by the featherweight contender, having a clear disadvantage in the striking department.

He now faces an aggressive fighter with a known proficiency in the striking game in Stephens. The Iowa native has had 15 of his 20 career victories come by way of T/KO. Most recently, Stephens found himself on the wrong side of a knockout for the first time in his career, when he was blasted by the veteran Yves Edwards in the first round of their December meeting at UFC on Fox 5. On a three fight losing streak, he now drops to 145 desperately seeking a victory.

Stephens and Payan were set to open the card on the Facebook.com preliminary stream. It is not expected that the bout's change-up will affect its standing in the fight order.

The UFC 160 card now includes:

John Dodson vs. Joseph Benavidez - UFC Flyweight Championship
Junior dos Santos vs. Antonio Silva
Ryan Bader vs. Mauricio Rua
TJ Grant vs. Joe Lauzon
Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner
Mike Pyle vs. Gunnar Nelson
Pat Barry vs. Mike Russow
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo
Amir Sadollah vs. Stephen Thompson
Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Robert Whittaker vs. Colton Smith
Justin Salas vs. Jorge Gurgel
Jeremy Stephens vs. Yaotzin Meza

Very strange. Payan was under UFC contract, and then when I went to book the fight, he was suddenly a free agent. For the time being, he is rejecting my approach, so I will hopefully be able to reign him in at a later time.

Hands of Stone · March 31, 2013

The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen Episode 10 Results: Marshman, Alcantara move on with decision wins
BY AARON TYLER ON APR 2ND, 2013 AT 11:00 PM ET

Season seventeen of The Ultimate Fighter has its final four.

In the season's penultimate episode, Team Sonnen fighters Jack Marshman and Ildemar Alcantara were able to book their spots in the semi-finals with their respective decision wins over Trey Houston and Brandon Hunt.

Houston was also a member of Team Sonnen, having been picked one spot before Marshman. Hunt was Team Jones' second pick.

The highly anticipated grudge match between teammates Marshman and Houston did not disappoint. The two began swinging for the fences early on, and many punches landed with force. Still, the men kept marching forward, determined to put the other to sleep.

Closer to the end of the round, Marshman's reach advantage began to work in his favour, as he was able to land quality punches when Houston stepped out of the pocket. A late takedown to end the round in top secured Marshman the round, 10-9.

In the second, Houston tried to shock Marshman with a flying knee attempt, but Marshman was wise to it and was able to avoid the devastating blow. Still, Houston gained momentum by keeping up the pace, and pressuring his larger opponent against the cage with some grueling body punches. Marshman would eventually escape by reversing position and dropping Houston with at perfectly executed outside trip. As Houston returned to his feet, another firefight emerged, and Houston looked to be in loads of trouble as he was caught eating punches against the cage. However, his speed came to the rescue, allowing him to duck under a left cross and back away from Marshman's range.

Marshman sealed his chances again at the end of the round when he was able to get a hold of Houston and bring him to the canvas with an emphatic slam that echoed in the UFC Training Center. UFC President Dana White, never one to shy away from profanity, remarked "Holy $&@!" when Houston hit the ground.

At the reading of the scorecards, there would be a polarization of emotion inside the cage. Marshman dropped to his knees and raised his arm to the ceiling in apparent appreciation of God, while Houston's head sunk low and he shrugged away. Coach Chael Sonnen had the awkward task of consoling one of his fighters while congratulating the other.

After the fight, cameras showed Marshman approaching a lowly Houston in the hallway, a towel on his head. Marshman bent down and embraced his teammate turned foe. He told him that they don't have to like one another, but he had forgiven Houston for what he said and that he respected him as a man, and knows he will do great things. Houston appreciated it, but chuckled and said that losing still sucks.

In the second quarter-final fight, the Jiu-Jitsu of Brazil's Ildemar Alcantara once again worked wonders, as the brother of UFC Bantamweight Yuri Alcantara was able to stifle the wrestling prowess of Brandon Hunt with a grappling showcase that would make some Abu Dhabi champions blush. Although Hunt was able to score three takedowns in the fight, the control quickly shifted to Alcantara once the fighters were on the ground. At will, Alcantara used hip escapes and sweeps to gain advantageous positions, threatening Hunt at various times with D'Arce chokes, guillotines, and kimuras. Credit was due to the Team Jones fighter for his diligent submission defense, which was no doubt hammered home in his training with his coaches. Still, he was powerless to escape to his feet, and was only granted such a reprieve on two occasions when referee Dan Miragliotta deemed that there was not sufficient activity from Alcantara to keep the fight on the ground. Hunt tried to work the stand up game, but Alcantara was non-committal, and would only paw a rangy jab or two before stepping away from Hunt entirely.

Hunt's frustration as the scores were read was palpable, but he knew he had lost a battle of styles. Alcantara grinned from ear to ear as he heard his name read, and he spoke confidently into the camera in Portuguese.

With that, just four men remained in the quest to become the next 'Ultimate Fighter': Team Jones' Sean Strickland and Logan Clark, and Team Sonnen's Jack Marshman and Ildemar Alcantara. The season had clearly been one for the underdogs, as Marshman, Alcantara and Strickland were three of the last four fighters picked.

After Alcantara had finished celebrating his win, it was time for Dana White to meet with the two coaches to discuss the semi-finals for the following week's final episode. Both Sonnen and Jones admitted that they would love to see the tournament finale be contested between the two men in their team colours, but knew that the move was too risky, and agreed that teammates should face off to guarantee that both a Team Sonnen and Team Jones fighter would make the finale. White agreed, and the semi-finals were set: Sean Strickland vs. Logan Clark, and Ildemar Alcantara vs. Jack Marshman.

White and the two coaches returned to the training center, where the matchups were announced. The teammates clapped and cheered as the two sets of teammates squared off before shaking hands.

With that, the episode ended, leaving just one more episode to go before the TUF 17 Finale on April 13th! Who will represent Team Jones? Will it be the dangerous and confident underdog Sean Strickland, or the one-time UFC veteran and tough-as-nails Logan Clark? Who will vie for the prize from Team Sonnen? Heart and soul Welshman Jack Marshman, or cool and collected Jiu-Jitsu player Ildemar Alcantara? Tune in next week to find out.

I should have the UFC on Fuel TV 9 preview up tonight or tomorrow.

Hands of Stone · April 4, 2013

UFC on Fuel TV 9 Preview: Kyle returns to UFC hoping to play the role of spoiler
BY AARON TYLER ON APR 5TH, 2013 AT 7:00 PM ET

For the first time in over eight years, Mike Kyle will return to the famed Octagon, and he will have no small task in front of him.

Kyle (20-8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will take on surging contender Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in the main event of 'UFC on Fuel: Gustafsson vs. Kyle'. The event airs live from the sold out Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, where Gustafsson will have an energized home crowd behind him.

Kyle enters the UFC on the heels of a stunning upset of the world-ranked Gegard Mousasi at the final Strikeforce event in January. A 4-1 underdog in some circles, Kyle was able to drag Mousasi into his rough-and-tumble striking game against the cage, where he was able to blast the Dutch-Armenian with a counter hook that knocked him out cold.

Now, he turns his attention to Gustafsson. A proven striker who has excellent speed and movement for a light heavyweight fighter, Gustafsson has stunned the likes of Mauricio Rua and Thiago Silva in his latest outings. His ability to change angles quickly has confused and frustrated opponents, as he is always attacking from a new direction. On the ground, he is equally well versed, and has used his lanky frame to smother and control opponents.

Kyle of course, is an all-or-none fighter. His high-risk, high-reward style has led to stunning victories as well as crushing defeats. He is not one to shy away from a firefight, and if he can engage Gustafsson in a wild brawl, he may have the advantage. That being said, it is unlikely he will be able to goad the cautious Swede into doing so: Gustafsson has been content to pick his shots and use his long reach to fight his fight on the outside.

For Gustafsson, the stakes are very high. On the heels of a six-fight winning streak, the young Swede could very well be one win away from a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. A loss to Kyle, who is just trying to make his mark in the UFC could damage his title hopes for the near future.

Other main card bouts:

The son of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, Ryan (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will finally make his UFC debut against tough competition in Ross Pearson (14-6 MMA, 6-3 UFC) Couture had a successful end to his Strikeforce career by choking out the durable striker KJ Noons, but now meets a step up in competition Pearson. A notable boxer with stopping power and a durable chin, Pearson has honed his ground skills in anticipation of the fight going to the canvas. He was able to dispatch grappler George Sotiropolos in the third round of their December fight, marking a successful return to 155.

Mike Easton (13-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will look to rebound from his first professional loss in over five years when he takes on the gritty and determined Eddie Wineland (19-9-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC). After starting in the UFC at 3-0, Easton was upset by Raphael Assuncao in their December meeting, and will now look to start a new road to title contention against Wineland, which will be no easy task. Although his record in the UFC stands at 1-3, Wineland has faced elite competition since his move from the WEC, and should never be underestimated. His striking is his top asset, particularly in the way that he can transition from a technical and measured approach to an all out brawl at the drop of a hat. More importantly is Wineland's granite chin, which could give Easton - a fighter who enjoys letting his hands go - serious trouble. The same could be said for Wineland, however: Easton has yet to be finished in his burgeoning career.

Diego Brandao (16-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will look keep rolling against the slender submission specialist Pablo Garza (12-3, 3-2 UFC) in their featherweight bout on the main card. Brandao, arguably one of the most tenacious and aggressive fighters in the UFC, was able to dominate Joey Gambino for a decision win and his first since capturing the Season 14 title of 'The Ultimate Fighter'. He has an ability to explode with a short burst of punches that leave opponents unconscious, and as seen in the Bermudez fight, his Jiu-Jitsu is excellent as well. Garza is an inexperienced striker, so he may want to get the fight to the ground sooner rather than later. With his tall frame, he may be able to duplicate the success that Darren Elkins had against Brandao in their May 2012 fight, where the wrestler exploited Brandao's vulnerable cardio en-route to a unanimous decision victory.

Matt Mitrione (5-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) will have his back against the wall against Todd Duffee (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a battle of two heavyweights that will likely be swinging for the fences. Both men have earned all of their victories by way of TKO or KO, and Mitrione's October 2011 loss to Cheick Kongo marks the only time that either man has heard the final bell. After a blazing 5-0 start against mid-tier competition in the heavyweight division, Mitrione has now dropped two straight, and could be out of a job should he lose to Duffee. Duffee, who returned to the UFC in late 2012, was submitted by Phil De Fries after failing to execute his lethal boxing game against the British grappler. A loss for him could also mean a return to the regional circuit.

In the main card opener on Fuel, pint-sized featherweight Marcus Brimage (6-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will look to continue his successful post-TUF run with a win over highly touted debutant Conor McGregor (12-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC). A native of Dublin, Ireland, McGregor has been on an absolute tear since 2011, winning seven straight fights via knockout or submission. In his past two fights, he claimed the vacant Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Championship belts with astonishing ease. That was good enough for the cocky Irishman to get a call up to the UFC, where he will put his explosive style to test against Brimage, who has a surprising ability to strike at a distance given his minute reach.

On the prelims, some home grown talent will look to use the Swedish faithful to their advantage. Akira Corassani will battle Robbie Peralta, while Chris Spang will host Adlan Amagov in a battle of Strikeforce imports. Note the time change for the card, which starts an hour earlier than previously scheduled.

The full UFC on Fuel TV 9 card includes:

Main Card (FUEL TV, 2PM ET)
Light Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Gustafsson vs. Mike Kyle
Lightweight Bout: Ross Pearson vs. Ryan Couture
Bantamweight Bout: Mike Easton vs. Eddie Wineland
Featherweight Bout: Diego Brandao vs. Pablo Garza
Heavyweight Bout: Matt Mitrione vs. Todd Duffee
Featherweight Bout: Marcus Brimage vs. Conor McGregor
Preliminary Card (Facebook.com, 11AM ET)
Featherweight Bout: Akira Corassani vs. Robbie Peralta
Welterweight Bout: Chris Spang vs. Adlan Amagov
Welterweight Bout: Ben Alloway vs. Ryan LaFlare
Welterweight Bout: Besam Yousef vs. Papy Abedi
Lightweight Bout: Reza Madadi vs. Mitch Clarke
Middleweight Bout: Michael Kuiper vs. Karlos Vemola

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Ultimate Fighting Championship: Post-Strikeforce & Beyond

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