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. ...

UFC 131 is now in the history books, and it was an interesting and mostly-entertaining night of fights. Now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after Junior dos Santos dismantled Shane Carwin? What happens now that Kenny Florian has successfully debuted in his fourth weight class? Here’s my answer to just that: a new edition of my “What’s Next for the Winners and Losers” series of articles, now featuring UFC 131 “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”. ...

Another Saturday gone, another live UFC Pay-Per-View down. This time it was UFC 131, featuring a main event between Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos. Seven free preliminary fights were made available, with several highlight-reel stoppages occurring. The Pay-Per-View portion was also interesting, with Kenny Florian beating out Diego Nunes in the co-main event to likely become the next UFC Featherweight Championship challenger. And in the main event, Junior dos Santos sealed his fate as the next UFC Heavyweight Championship challenger with a three-round destruction of Shane Carwin. Here are the full results as well as some early commentary on UFC 131: “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”. ...

We’re now only a few days away from UFC 131: “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”. In the main event, a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship will more than likely be on the line as knockout artists Shane Carwin and Junior dos Santos meet in the middle of the Octagon. The co-main event will also be an interesting match-up, as Kenny Florian fights in his fourth weight class and will debut as a Featherweight against Diego Nunes. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring UFC 131: “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”. ...

On June 11, 2001, the UFC will hold its highly-anticipated “Dos Santos vs. Carwin” event, featuring Heavyweight wrecking machines Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin going toe-to-toe. Also, Kenny Florian fights at Featherweight for the first time in his career in a fight against Diego Nunes that has serious championship implications. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch UFC 131: “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring UFC 131: “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”. ...

Perennial contender Kenny Florian has racked up some impressive victories in his career. Whether it be his first-round submission victory over former title challenger Joe Stevenson, his dominant decision victory over Roger Huerta, or his third-round submission win over former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi--Florian has an impressive body of work in the 155-pound class. However, as Florian prepares to make the drop to the featherweight division, he was so bold as to ask his friend and employer, UFC President Dana White if he will be next in line for a shot at the title, to which White answered in the affirmative. ...

By John Moody In a luxury suite high above the cage in the Prudential Center at the recent Strikeforce show featuring Antonio Silva Vs. Fedor Emelianenko in New Jersey, one the card's fighters had his boss looking on intently with a vested interest.  It was not Scott Coker, the leader of Strikeforce who signs the checks, rather it was the weekday boss of John Cholish, who sheds his daytime suit and tie working as a New York City energy broker to transform, at night, into one of the most promising young lightweights in MMA.  Cholish shined on the undercard of the marquee heavyweight clash, taking out former UFC Ultimate Fighter standout, Marc Stevens.  He recently sat down with Fighters.com to talk Strikeforce, foot stomps, and the rising price of oil. Click through to watch the video. ...

A while back it was confirmed that two-time UFC Lightweight Championship contender Kenny Florian would be dropping down in weight to test the waters of the UFC’s newly-implemented Featherweight division. Florian is expected to face Diego Nunes for his 145 debut, a fight that is currently scheduled for UFC 131 in June. In a new interview, Florian took time to talk about where he sees himself fitting in with the best Featherweights the UFC has to offer. ...

After a few days of rumor and speculation, it’s now official: Kenny Florian is dropping down in weight. With the addition of two new weight divisions in the UFC at the start of 2011, thanks to the WEC/UFC merger, it was widely assumed that several UFC Lightweight stars would be dropping down to Featherweight to test the waters and revive their careers. Kenny Florian is now one of the first to do just that, and in a recent interview, it was confirmed that Florian will be hunting for a championship the moment he steps into the Octagon for the first time as a 145-pound fighter. ...

Recently, two prominent Lightweight fighters have expressed interest in dropping down to the UFC’s newly-established Featherweight division in order to test themselves against a new crop of challengers and hopefully breathe new life into their careers. One is former UFC Lightweight Championship contender Kenny Florian, the other is the tough Tyson Griffin. Here’s an interesting question that I think should be asked: if both of these talented fighters want to drop down in weight, why not do it against each other? ...

Perennial contender and two-time title challenger, Kenny Florian has become one of the premier fighters in the lightweight division. However, "The Ultimate Fighter" veteran has always struggled when trying to ascertain his goal of becoming a world champion, twice dropping the ball when trying to claim ufc gold against former titleholders Sean Sherk and then BJ Penn. Most recently, Florian lost an uninspired decision to top contender Gray Maynard at UFC 118 last August. Kenny must once again start from the bottom of the weight-class and work his way back to the top, or perhaps a new change is in order, in an effort to reinvigorate his career. ...

Whenever an MMA fighter claims that he’s one of the best fighters in the division, he basically paints a large target on his back. By inviting this kind of competition, the fighter opens himself up to a host of challengers willing to take him up on his offer. After his dominating performance over Evan Dunham at the recent ufc event “Fight for the Troops 2”, Lightweight veteran Melvin Guillard made just such a claim. And already one high-profile Lightweight is stepping up to the plate and challenging Guillard to live up to his word: former two-time championship contender Kenny Florian. ...

Two UFC fighters will be returning to action in the foreseeable future, hoping to make impacts once again in their respective weight classes. Former title challenger Kenny Florian and former interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin are both set on a collision course for potential returns at UFC 131, a rumored pay-per-view event which is said to take place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., Canada on June 11. ...

It’s mostly been confirmed that the last WEC Lightweight Champion will have to wait for his unification bout against the UFC Lightweight Champion. But Anthony Pettis isn’t the kind of man that sits on the sidelines. While Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard fight for a third time in order to finally find out which one of them is the better fighter, Pettis will look to prove himself in the UFC with or without a title being on the line. But who should “Showtime” face in his first Octagon bout? Here are my personal Top 5 opponents for Anthony Pettis. ...

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. ...

Former title challenger Kenny Florian was set to make his return this January for "ufc Fight Night 23" which has also been dubbed "UFC Fight for the Troops 2". The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt was expected to face rising contender Evan Dunham in the main-event of the evening, however has since backed out of the lightweight match due to injury. Florian was last seen in action when he took on wrestling powerhouse Gray Maynard in his backyard of Boston, Mass. at UFC 118 last August. "Ken-Flo" dropped a unanimous decision victory to Maynard in a bout that was to decide the number one contender to current champion Frankie Edgar's 155-pound title. ...

As the clock turns ever-closer to 2011, the UFC has several big fights and events lined up to kick off the new year in style. Perhaps one of those most important events is not the New Year’s Day UFC 125 or the Super Bowl Weekend UFC 127, but the second edition of “UFC Fight for the Troops”, a “Fight Night Live” event designed to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. 11 fights have recently been made official for the card, and while not PPV-caliber, it is star-studded nonetheless. Here are all the details. ...

It’s an event that’s been rumored and speculated for quite some time, and now it’s finally official: the Ultimate Fighting Championship will host another “Fight for the Troops” show. Today the ufc and Spike TV officially made “Fight for the Troops 2” official, announcing that the event will take place on January 22 in Fort Hood, Texas. Another prevalent rumor was also confirmed, as it was announced that Kenny Florian would be taking on Evan Dunham in the night’s main event. Here are all the details so far. ...

For the most part, WEC Featherweight Champion (and soon-to-be UFC Featherweight Champion) Jose Aldo has maintained a squeaky-clean image outside of the cage while demolishing his opponents in brutal, dominating fashion inside of the cage. However, Aldo earned himself a bit of controversy when it was revealed that he had turned down a fight in the UFC against Kenny Florian (this was before the announced UFC/WEC merger). With Aldo’s next fight set (he’ll face Josh Grispi at UFC 125), the “Junior” camp recently revealed that the Florian fight wasn’t turned down due to the fear of Aldo being beaten: it’s because Kenny Florian wasn’t perceived as a big enough name for Aldo to face in his UFC debut. ...

A previously announced match up expected to take place at UFC 125 on January 1st will now be moved to a later date. Said match up, a pivotal lightweight affair pitting former UFC lightweight title challenger and top contender Evan Dunham will now be set to headline "UFC Fight for the Troops 2". The event takes place on January 22, at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex. Florian, a two-time challenger to the lightweight title (and unsuccessful in both attempts) is recently coming off a unanimous decision loss to current title challenger Gray Maynard at UFC 118, which was held in Florian's backyard of Boston, Mass. ...

Aldo has been every bit as dominant as his mentor and friend Anderson Silva has been in the UFC. While Jose takes the reigns of the WEC featherweight division, where he rests proudly as the promotion's champion, many have already speculated that there simply aren't enough challenges that exist in his weight class. Aldo began his career as a lightweight, even as low as 135-pounds in the bantamweight division, however found his best suit for him at 145 pounds, where he hasn't ran into any problems, going an amazing eight wins in a row under the WEC banner. ...

A previously rumored event for January 29th, which was dubbed as ufc 126, has been pulled off the table. While the event, which was to be a pay-per-view card, was under consideration by the promotion, has now been dubbed null altogether. UFC 125, which is expected to be headlined by current lightweight champion Frankie Edgar defending his title in a rematch against fellow wrestler Gray Maynard, will be taking place on January 1 of the new year, and now what was originally considered to be UFC 127, will now become 126. ...

Shinya Aoki is probably one of the most reserved fighters in the sport. Although his in-ring antics against Mizuto Hirota at "Dynamite!! 2009" would inidicate otherwise, the grappling ace usually keeps to himself and refrains from doing a lot of outlandish things. Maybe that's why the Japanese have embraced him as their leading man in the world of mixed martial arts. However, most recently, the famed Judoka has stepped out of his shell and lit the MMA world abuzz once again, with his almost brutal honesty, on how he views the Western MMA scene (um...us) and how they can benefit by tuning into DREAM, once in a while. ...

An exciting lightweight match up has been added to the seemingly stacked UFC 127 card, which will be taking place in February of next year, in Las Vegas, Nev. The headliner, a rumored bout pitting UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva against former teammate Vitor Belfort is tentatively scheduled for the event, as well as light heavyweight bouts pitting former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin against one another, as well as Ryan Bader versus phenom, Jon "Bones" Jones. Said lightweight match up, which will be Kenny Florian against Evan Dunham, is a fight that no true mixed martial arts fan would want to pass up. ...

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. ...

After a prolonged period of restless uncertainty, the future is now set for famed ufc fighter BJ Penn. Widely regarded as the best Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist of all time, “Baby Jay” has hit some tough times recently, and although a November return was seemingly confirmed, an opponent was still very much unknown. No longer. It’s recently been confirmed by MMAFighting that BJ Penn will meet arch-rival Matt Hughes at UFC 123, which is scheduled to take place November 20 in Detroit, Michigan. It is widely believed that the fight will be the co-main event of a show headlined by a Light Heavyweight showdown between former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions Lyoto Machida and Quinton Jackson. ...

As a fan of Kenny Florian, it really hurt when I realized that Dana White was completely right when he said in a post-ufc 118 interview that Kenny Florian chokes in big fights. Florian has had two unsuccessful attempts at gaining the UFC Lightweight Championship, and most recently, failed against Gray Maynard in a fight to determine the next #1 contender. Many are wondering what’s next for “KenFlo”, and few seem optimistic about his future. But according to Florian himself, it’s going to take a lot more than a few losses to stop him from reaching his goal of UFC Lightweight supremacy. ...

It’s that time again, fans and friends. That unfortunate time that comes after an MMA event, a time to evaluate how many bruises need healing and how much time needs to be spent sitting on the sidelines. UFC 118 featured a host of great match-ups, from Nate Diaz dismantling Marcus Davis to Frankie Edgar dominating BJ Penn, and of course, the utter obliteration of aging pro boxer James Toney at the hands of Randy Couture. The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission has recently revealed the list of medical suspensions for UFC 118, and while most got off lightly, a few may have a bit of a stretch spent recuperating rather than training. Here’s how it all breaks down. ...

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? ...