For the first part of my look at ufc 136 called “A First Look At UFC 136”, I took an in-depth look at three match-ups that would more than likely anchor the UFC 136 main card and undercard. It was the first three of six major match-ups that were all announced nearly at the same time for the increasingly-epic UFC 136 event. Now it’s time to focus on the other three matches, and they’re all huge: we’ve got Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard for the UFC Lightweight Championship, Jose Aldo vs. Kenny Florian for the UFC Featherweight Championship, and Melvin Guillard vs. Joe Lauzon. Let’s dive right in. ...

Now that he’s knocking out people left and right and solidifying himself as a top-division athlete, Melvin Guillard is calling out basically every top Lightweight under the UFC banner in order to get himself an eventual shot at the UFC championship. Guillard has called out people like Joe Lauzon and Jim Miller, and recently, he set his sights squarely on the man currently holding the UFC Lightweight Championship: Frank Edgar. Here are all the details. ...

One of the most-anticipated rematches of the year is now off the table. In news that is currently sweeping the internet, it’s now official that the UFC 130 main event is cancelled. The third and likely final fight between UFC Lightweight Champion Frank Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard will be postponed due to both fighters suffering injuries in training. Here are all the details as we know them so far. ...

ufc 125 “Resolution” featured a great night of fights that ended with a fantastic main event between Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard. It was a hard-hitting night of action, with several great knockouts, some slick submissions, and easily one of the most heinous broken noses ever seen during the course of an MMA bout. But the night was actually filled with several nasal fractures, not just Brandon Vera’s hideously crooked honker. With the release of the UFC 125 medical suspensions, no less than four fighters will be out for at least thirty days in order to get their noses repaired. Here are all the details. ...

ufc 125 “Resolution” was pretty much a fantastic event from start to finish. This event marked the first time the UFC ever appeared on network TV, it was a night filled with fantastic finishes and interesting fights, and in the main event, Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard fought for five stellar rounds in an encounter that few will soon forget. The UFC handed out their traditional “Of the Night” awards and bonuses after the event, and new gate receipts and attendance figures have recently been turned in for UFC 125. Here are all the details. ...

How soon the MMA world changes. Many fans were lukewarm and even outright cynical of a proposed rematch between Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard, and now fans are clamoring for a rematch to the rematch now that both men recently gave us an early Fight of the Year contender in the main event of ufc 125. Early post-fight reports saw UFC President Dana White remain adamant that Anthony Pettis, the final WEC Lightweight Champion, would be the next man to get a shot at Edgar. Now it appears that White has succumbed to the peer pressure of the situation after all, and we will indeed be getting an immediate rematch. Here are all the details. ...

The after-shocks of UFC 125 "Resolution" will likely be felt for quite some time. Clay Guida beat feared striker Takanori Gomi by adopting a bizarre fighting style that saw him constantly ducking and dodging. Brian Stann made an immediate impact by TKO'ing Chris Leben. Dong Hyun Kim set himself up as a possible top-division talent, while in the main event, Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard fought to a draw in an amazing Lightweight encounter. As is customary for a major card, here's the latest edition of "What's Next?" featuring UFC 125: "Resolution". ...

The first MMA event of 2011 is now over and done with, fans and friends: UFC 125 “Resolution” is now a thing of the past. The event saw several memorable fights and several highlight-reel moments, both on the main card, the preliminary card televised for the first time on network television, and even the untelevised undercard. And in the main event, the two best Lightweight MMA fighters in the world proved many doubters wrong and gave us an early Fight of the Year contender for 2011, even though its decision was mired in controversy . Here are the full results as well as some early commentary for UFC 125 “Resolution”. ...

UFC 125 “Resolution” features an incredible cast of UFC performers. Throughout the course of one night, we’ll see wrestlers, strikers, grapplers, submission specialists, and talented all-rounders from many different weight divisions. And in the main event, Frank Edgar defends the UFC Lightweight Championship against Gray Maynard. As is customary when a big card is just around the corner, here’s another edition of “Picks and Predictions”, featuring my thoughts on who I think will win and why. ...

MMA fans have a lot to look forward to this week, as not one but two high-profile fight cards are scheduled to go down. I’ve already talked at length about the upcoming DREAM/K-1 super-card “DYNAMITE!! 2010”, but the one and only UFC is holding its own New Year celebration. UFC 125 on New Year’s Day is fast-approaching, and features both a fantastic main event and several great undercard fights. So what is UFC 125: “Resolution” all about? Let’s find out with a new edition of “Crash Course”. ...

As recently as two days ago I talked about how I felt like I was one of the few MMA fans that’s really looking forward to the upcoming Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2 fight, which headlines UFC 125: “Resolution” on New Year’s Day and is for the UFC Lightweight Championship. In fact, the more and more I think about this match, the more and more I really begin to feel pumped about it. Don’t believe me? Still skeptic? Here’s five reasons, in no particular order, why Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2 will be a lot more exciting than you think. ...

Frank Edgar is unquestionably and undoubtedly the number one Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world. Some people still have trouble accepting this, some even outright reject it. A contingent of fight fans have even took it upon themselves to react to the upcoming UFC 125: “Retribution” main event, which features Frank Edgar defending his UFC Lightweight Championship against Gray Maynard, the only man that’s ever beaten him, with outright disdain. But this type of hostility is nothing new to “The Answer” and in a recent interview, the UFC’s premiere Lightweight stated that he’s once again looking forward to shutting everybody up. Here are the highlights. ...

Anthony Pettis is many things. He’s a relative newcomer to MMA, having only competed for about three years. He’s also a very young, at only 23 years of age. But most importantly, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis is an incredibly dynamic, vastly entertaining fighter that fully deserves his status as the current and final WEC Lightweight Champion. Anthony Pettis recently clutched an excellent five-round war against then-champion Ben Henderson at WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” with one of the craziest strikes that’s ever landed in the history of Mixed Martial Arts. And as hard as it is to believe, given his brilliant performances in the WEC’s blue cage, “Showtime” swears that the best is still to come. ...

Another ufc event has recently been made official, with eleven bouts now confirmed to be taking place. While anything could happen between now and then, the UFC recently released their lineup for UFC 125: “Resolution”, which takes place on New Year’s Day and features Frank Edgar defending his UFC Lightweight Championship against the only man that’s ever beaten him, Gray Maynard. With credit going to MMA Junkie, here’s the official lineup for the event, which is scheduled to take place January 1, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. ...

Who’s ducking who, now? In a rivalry that seems to be growing bitterer by the day, Bellator FC CEO Bjorn Rebney and Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez continue to seek a “champion vs. champion” match against Strikeforce and its Lightweight Champion, Gilbert Melendez. Rebney and Alvarez officially played the “ducking” card a few turns ago, insinuating that Strikeforce had too much to lose if Alvarez beat their champion and that Melendez was being protected. Recently, the Cesar Gracie-trained “El Nino” fired back with a burst of his own. In summary: Gilbert Melendez will fight anybody and everybody, and ducks nobody. He’d even fight the UFC’s champion if he got the chance. ...

A lot of people are getting in their picks for their favorite or most-wanted “UFC vs. WEC” fantasy match-ups now that it’s been announced that World Extreme Cagefighting will be folded into the UFC at the start of the new year. However, one fantasy match-up recently took a firm step into the land of reality. Current UFC Lightweight Champion Frank Edgar recently revealed that he would be more than willing to drop down to Featherweight if it meant taking on WEC wrecking machine and current Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. Here are all the details. ...

We’re only a day removed from the shocking news that the UFC and WEC would be merging at the start of 2011, and already both fans and insiders have been tossing around several fantasy match-ups that would see the WEC's best and brightest take on the UFC's biggest stars. So, of course, you know I just had to get in on the fun. Without further ado, here’s my personal Top 5 list of the “WEC vs. UFC” match-ups I’d love to see. ...

There can be no doubt that the WEC is home to the absolute best lighter-weight fighters in the world. Their recent string of fantastic shows proves that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Consider that, and then consider how dominant you would have to be for people to already be thinking that you should move up in weight because nobody in the WEC in your division poses a worthwhile threat. That’s exactly where current WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo finds himself: many fans and insiders are calling for a move up to Lightweight in either the WEC or UFC despite the fact that the WEC’s featherweight division is far from dead. And according to famed manager-to-the-stars Ed Soares, Aldo’s dream-fight does indeed lie within the Octagon and not the blue cage. It’s even against a UFC champion. Here’s what the sometimes-controversial manager/interpreter had to say in an interview on The MMA Hour. ...

If nothing else can be said about former two-division UFC champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn, it’s that he knows how to take a tough loss in stride. At UFC 118, Penn was faced with perhaps the most humbling loss in his entire career, a five-round thrashing given by big underdog Frank Edgar. A former title holder in both the UFC’s welterweight and lightweight divisions, Penn is hoping for another career rebirth when he jumps back up to 170 to face long-time rival Matt Hughes for the third time at the upcoming UFC 123: “Rampage vs. Machida” event. And according to Penn , time heals all wounds and he feels no animosity towards the man he once hated. Read all about it here. Here's my response, and why I think this is the absolute best frame of mind for him to have. ...

It was one of four possible outcomes when the ufc’s Lightweight division recently figured itself out, and for many it seemed the most unlikely. But it’s going to happen, and now we know exactly when it’s all going to go down. According to a report by MMAFighting.com, Frank Edgar will defend his UFC Lightweight Championship against Gray Maynard at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2011. And while some have been decrying this match from the moment it first became set in stone, I have to say that I’m honestly looking forward to it. ...

Jim Miller is a dynamic ufc Lightweight, and a recent guest of Fighters.com Radio, looking for another shot at breaking into the top of his division when he faces veteran Gleison Tibau at UFC Fight Night 22: “Marquardt vs. Palhares”. A loss to Gray Maynard halted Miller’s ascension to best-in-the-world status, but his four straight wins since that defeat is all the proof I need to know that Jim Miller could go far in the UFC. In a recent interview with MMAWeekly Radio, Miller discussed the often-debated topic on whether or not teammates should fight teammates in the UFC. ...

It’s become the subject of some pretty intense debate lately: when does a fighter deserve an immediate rematch? This debate has been given new life due to a string of immediate rematches: Mauricio Rua vs. Lyoto Machida 2, BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edgar 2, and the seemingly-inevitable Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2 are the most obvious examples. Some fans have even wondered if some UFC fighters had “automatic rematch” clauses in their contracts. UFC President Dana White recently revealed that there are no automatic rematches in the UFC, and that every rematch is decided on a case-by-case basis. ...

Lately it seems that ufc Lightweight Gray Maynard has had a noticeable (and some would say rightly justified) chip on his shoulder. Maynard was passed over in favor of the man he beat, Frank Edgar, for a shot at then-champion BJ Penn. Of course, Edgar would go on to make the most out of that opportunity and beat Penn not once but twice, first at UFC 112 via a close, hotly contested Unanimous Decision win, and then again at the recent UFC 118 event via a dominating Unanimous Decision win. Maynard has also been the subject of recent criticism for not finishing any of his fights, with his last stoppage occurring almost three full years ago. But in his latest interview, Gray Maynard has fired back and poised an interesting question: who really finishes fights at Lightweight anyway? ...

It’s hard to be a fan of BJ Penn nowadays. It amazes me that a man so many people, including myself, consider the best Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist ever is 2-3 in his last five fights. What’s worse, there’s no more excuses for Penn’s seemingly declining ability. Against Georges St. Pierre, Penn was faced with a large opponent that is also frequently in the middle of the “best of all time” argument, and of course, there was the whole “greasing” controversy. Against Frank Edgar at UFC 112, the fight was so close that many in Penn’s corner cried foul and fluke. But UFC 118 had no controversy: a natural Lightweight dominated BJ Penn for five straight rounds. So naturally, everyone is wondering: where does BJ Penn go from here? Here are my thoughts on the entire situation. ...

Well, that sure was surprising wasn’t it? UFC 118 was filled with awesome fights, big winners, and big losers. From Nate Diaz choking out Marcus Davis to James Toney getting choked out by Randy Couture, UFC 118 lived up to just about all of its potential. Looking forward, here’s what I think is next for some of the big winners, and even some of the big losers, of UFC 118: “Edgar vs. Penn 2”. ...

UFC Lightweight Champion Frank Edgar certainly has a lot to be angry about, so it’s remarkable that he has virtually no ill will for BJ Penn or anybody that’s counting him out of his main-event rematch with Penn at the upcoming UFC 118. No one expected him to beat BJ Penn at UFC 112. Then he did, and people called it a fluke. Going into this rematch Edgar once again finds himself in the position of the underdog, even though he’s the one holding the weighty piece of gold. Edgar, always known as a humble fighter, recently talked to 5th Round and made a statement that some find shocking: he basically admitted that beating Penn might indeed have been a fluke. People are already forecasting doom on Edgar, but now they’re also thinking that Edgar won’t be showing up in the right frame of mind for this fight. My response: admitting it is the first step, and Edgar isn’t going to go down without a fight. He may even do the impossible once again. ...

As if the upcoming UFC 118 fight between top-ranked Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard didn’t have enough riding on  it already, UFC President Dana White recently stated in a radio interview that the winner of the fight would most likely receive a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship. This makes a whole lot of sense since, even though Frank Edgar did the seemingly-impossible and defeated BJ Penn at UFC 112, the Lightweight division is still recuperating from BJ Penn’s reign of dominance as UFC Lightweight Champion. I was already looking forward to Florian/Maynard for several reasons, but now I can’t wait to see this fight because I think that all four title fights that could possibly be made each possess some very interesting stories. So here’s what I think about the individual match-ups: Penn vs. Florian 2, Edgar vs. Florian, Edgar vs. Maynard 2, and Penn vs. Maynard. ...

Heading into his UFC 118 Lightweight Championship fight with current champion Frank Edgar, former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion BJ Penn has perhaps never been more focused on getting his belt back. Penn lost his Lightweight championship at UFC 112 via a very controversial Unanimous Decision loss to Edgar, a decision that was in fact so controversial that it convinced UFC President Dana White and other assorted UFC top brass to make an immediate rematch. Penn’s focus is entirely zeroed-in on reclaiming his championship and returning to his once-dominant ways, but Penn recently stated that a return to the UFC’s Welterweight division was not out of the question. ...

For a man known for his numerous career rebirths, it appears that former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion BJ Penn has entered yet another phase in his career. As he readies himself for his upcoming rematch with current UFC Lightweight Champion Frank Edgar, Penn recently talked about the struggles he’s faced as one of the best, most famous Mixed Martial Artists ever, and how he’s come to now view the Lightweight Championship. In short: Penn believes that he began to get caught up in his own hype, which was the key to his downfall and Frankie Edgar’s success at UFC 112, where Edgar shocked the world and took the Lightweight Championship that had sat on Penn’s shoulders for over two years. Penn was even bold enough to say “The only thing that's real is the fight, everything else is fake." And you know what? I find myself agreeing with “The Prodigy”. ...

As a massive fan of BJ Penn, I was one of the most vocal proponents of an immediate rematch following his loss to Frank Edgar at UFC 112. We will indeed be getting a rematch at UFC 118, and while I personally think that “Baby Jay” will come back better and hungrier than ever, let’s face facts here: 2010 has been the year of the massive upset, and there’s a very real possibility that Edgar will beat Penn once again. If it does happen, I think the MMA population in general will finally have to accept Edgar as the #1 Lightweight in the world. And if he does beat Penn, he’ll have practically blown the UFC’s Lightweight division wide open and opened himself up to a host of worthy contenders. Looking ahead, here are three fighters I’d love to see challenge for Frankie Edgar’s title, should he manage to get by Penn. ...