UFC Fight Night 23 represented a very good night of fights for a great cause.  This Fight for the Troops 2 event, deemed such because it benefitted those in our military that suffer from brain trauma via the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, was an eye opener in many ways.  Along with this, we'll attempt to detail five things we learned from UFC Fight Night 23 below. ...

During an exciting night of fight's, just three fighters stood out amongst the rest and for their efforts, those men have now pocketed an additional thirty-thousand dollars. UFC President Dana White tweeted post-fight the amount earning of $30k for the award recipients who all fought hard before our fellow countryman's soldiers at "UFC Fight for the Troops 2" at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex. ...

He once ruled the lightweight division with an iron fist. Then after a few years of inconsistent and lack luster performances, Yves Edwards looks to have returned to true form. In Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex. Edwards, a product of American Top Team, put on a show before our fellow troops when he battled Cody McKenzie during tonight's Facebook televised preliminary fight for "UFC Fight for the Troops 2"--choking out the choke artist. ...

You wanted more free fights? The UFC is happy to oblige. Whether it’s Spike TV, ION Television, or on the internet, the UFC continues to answer fan demands for more MMA action at no additional cost. The UFC broke new ground recently when it was announced that they would stream two free preliminary bouts from today’s UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” event on their Facebook page, and just hours before the event is scheduled to get underway, news is hitting the internet that the number of fights has doubled. ...

Fresh off of an impressive ufc debut, one of the most recent additions to the UFC's lightweight roster, Cody McKenzie will make a quick return back inside the octagon when he faces one of the pioneers of the division, Yves Edwards. It's a tall task for the equally tall six-foot Alaskan fisherman, but he's up for the challenge. Cody made quick work of fellow cast mate on the twelfth season of TUF in Aaron Wilkinson, where he was able to submit the soft spoken Brit with a first-round guillotine choke, which has become McKenzie's trademark maneuver, having finished his last ten opponents in a row with the same maneuver. ...

Yves Edwards is unarguably a pioneer. When people thought of the lightweight division in it's infantile stages, they pointed to Edwards. Heralded as the promotion's "uncrowned" champion during the dark era of the division. During that time, then champion Jens Pulver had a falling out with the UFC, and ultimately left the promotion for a bigger payday else where. Then, when the organization attempted to crown a new champion, BJ Penn and Caol Uno fought to a draw at UFC 41 in 2003. So, when you saw Yves Edwards creating highlight reels inside the UFC, taking out top level competition--most notably, his head kick knockout of former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson some years ago, you can understand why the 34-year-old Edwards hates when he's reminded of the fact that he's never held UFC gold, despite being recognized as the best. ...

Previously reported as off the deck, a scheduled event for January 22 is back in the works, to help ring in the new year. Already, ufc 125 has been officially announced for January 1 in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will feature a championship headliner between current UFC lightweight title holder Frankie Edgar, who looks to exact revenge and successfully defend his title for a second time against the only man to defeat him, powerhouse wrestler and Xtreme Couture product, Gray Maynard. Following the event, UFC 126 is taking place on February 5, with champion Anderson Silva and former teammate Vitor Belfort claiming top billing as the main event for the evening, vying for the UFC middleweight title. ...

Ceasar Gracie fighter Nick Diaz finally gets his STRIKEFORCE rematch against KJ Noons on October 9th in San Jose, CA.  Diaz has been red-hot in the cage since his 2007 loss to Noons winning seven in a row.  Based out of San Diego, CA, Noons now has six wins in a row and has career victories over Jorge Gurgel and Yves Edwards. Noons, with speedy hands, expects Diaz to try and take this fight on the ground.  Earlier this week, Noons spoke to the media and shared thougths on his bitter rivalry with Diaz and the fight ahead. ...

Former top UFC lightweight contender Yves Edwards, is finally back with the UFC...it's about time. While most would indicate that Edwards is either past his prime, or not caught up with the present botch of talent that exists in the lightweight ranks nowadays, Edwards is exciting and an old-school commodity. ...

Few lightweight mixed martial artists have been where Yves Edwards (36-15-1) has been and are still strapping on four-ounce gloves.  Edwards has fought champions, and been written-off as washed up.  He's fought around the world and in most major MMA promotions since 1997.  And, now Edwards will ride a two-fight win streak into Maximum Fighting Championship in Edmonton February 26. Edwards TKO'd Kyle Jensen (36-11-2) at Raging Wolf V October 10 and tapped James Warfield (1-1) in a triangle choke at Shine 2 September 4, both intense performances for the veteran who has recommitted himself at American Top Team to returning to the top of the lightweight division. ...

American Top Team lightweight Yves Edwards (35-15-1) tapped late replacement James Warfield (12-5) in a triangle choke at 4:48 of round two at Shine Fights in Miami Friday night.

The end came after Edwards doubled over Warfield with a straight left to his body and followed with a Thai clinch. Warfield threw Edwards to the mat and followed into the Edwards triangle choke.

Warfield was determined not to tap as Edwards held the technique for a full minute as Warfield struggled, but eventually tapped out.
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Fighters.com will post live results from Shine Fights’ American Top Team VS The World Friday night at 8:00 PM. The fight card: "Jucao" Roan Carneiro (12-8) v "Macaco" Jorge Patino (22-11-1) "Buscape" Luiz Firmino (12-4) v "Irish Assassin" Ryan Healy (10-5-1) "Sobrevivente" Flavio Alvaro (24-6) v "White Bear" Jean Silva (16-8-3) Yves Edwards (34-15-1 v James Warfield (12-4) Junior Assuncao (8-4) v "Gladiator" Gideon Ray (15-10-1) Micah Miller (11-3) v Anthony Morrison (7-6) "Whisper" Herbert Goodman (5-4) v James Brasco (5-1) Phil Friedman (1-1) v Brian Fuery (0-0) Danny Chavez (2-1) v "Tagarela" Jonatas Gurgel (3-0) ...

American Top Team lightweight Yves Edwards (34-15-1) will fight German Mario Stapel (13-11) at Shine Fights’ American Top Team VS The World in Miami 4 September, Fighters.com has confirmed. Fighers.com reported yesterday Edwards would likely fight Kyle Watson (13-6-1), but should've waited for the ink to mark the paper. Fighters.com was aware Stapel had been mentioned, but was told by multiple sources at ATT that Watson was Edwards's likely opponent. Stapel tapped "Hitman" Harris Sarmiento (25-20) in a guillotine at Shine's original show in Columbus 9 May. Edwards lost a UD to “Bang” Duane Ludwig at Strikeforce in San Jose last November and will be fighting to end a two-fight losing run. ...

Lightweight Yves Edwards (34-15-1) will likely fight Kyle Watson (13-6-1) at Shine Fights’ American Top Team VS The World in Miami 4 September, Fighters.com has confirmed.

Watson is on a four-fight win streak, most recently tapping out Steve Reyna (5-4) in a rear naked choke at Corral's Combat Classic in Indiana last February.

Edwards lost a UD to “Bang” Duane Ludwig at Strikeforce in San Jose last November and will be fighting to end a two-fight losing run.

Though Edwards has agreed to fight Watson, the contracts aren't yet inked and other fighters are being considered. ...

Wandering thug-jitsu warrior Yves Edwards (34-15-1) confirmed to Fighters.com Wednesday that he'll enter the cage at Shine Fights' American Top Team VS The World in Miami 4 September.

"I don't even know [who I might fight]," Edwards said. "I'll know later tonight."

Edwards's resume includes the fights in the UFC, Strikeforce, EliteXC, HDNet Fights, Bodog Fights, PRIDE, WEC, MFC, Shooto, and KOTC. He'll X-off the American Top Team half of the theme and await a 155-pound challenger.

Edwards lost a UD to "Bang" Duane Ludwig at Strikeforce in San Jose last November and will be fighting to end a two-fight losing run.

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“Bang” Duane Ludwig (18-8) defeated Yves Edwards (34-15-1) in a surprising unanimous decision Friday night at Strikeforce: Destruction in San Jose. After Edwards muscled Ludwig to the mat at the start of the match, he spent most of the remainder of the round smothering Ludwig, while Ludwig threw a few ineffective punches.  Ludwig twice attempted a triangle, which Edwards fended off with hammers.  The lack of any real action elicited boos from the crowd as the horn signaled the end of round one. The start of round two was promising, as Edwards caught Ludwig’s chin in a right uppercut and attempted a knee while Ludwig countered with some looping rights.  Edwards tripped Ludwig but they didn’t stay down for long.  It continued that way until the horn went, with Ludwig throwing knees into Edwards’s midsection. Round three was more of the same, but this time Ludwig spent more time on top, dropping elbows into Edwards’s gut.  Back to standup, Ludwig push-kicked, and Edwards charged forward, wrapping his arms around Ludwig’s waist.  Edwards picked him up and the round ended on the mat. The judges scored it 29-28 across the board for Ludwig, to the disbelief of many in the crowd. ...

Fighters.com was live at the Strikeforce: Destruction weigh-ins Thursday night at the Hotel DeAnza in San Jose. All fighters made weigh and, despite a delayed start and “Diesel” Joe Riggs’s (28-11) displeasure at having to strip, everything went smoothly. Riggs was not the only one who had to strip further than his ginch; the California State Athletic Commission requested that each fighter have only one crack at the scale, resulting in several weigh-ins behind towels. Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-4) looked cut.  He told Fighters.com Thursday afternoon that he had hired a new strength and conditioning coach. “Everybody’s been commenting on how my physique looks and how I’ve been performing.  So we’ll see how I perform tomorrow night,” Southworth said. Join Fighters.com Friday night for the live results. ...

Strikeforce has confirmed the full line-up for its Destruction event, which takes place 21 November in San Jose. Two title fights, between Strikeforce Lightweight Champion “The Punk” Josh Thomson (14-2-1) and Yves Edwards (34-14-1) and between Light Heavyweight Champion Bobby Southworth (9-4) and “Babalu” Renato Sobral (29-8), will headline the event. Also featured is a welterweight bout between “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10) and Luke Stewart (4-1). The rest of the card includes: Lemont Davis (1-2) versus Brian Schwartz (0-1) at 175 lbs Brad Royster (1-1) versus Darren Uyenoyama (4-1) at 135 lbs Tony Johnson (0-1) versus Eric Lawson (2-2) at 185 lbs Alvin Cacdac (3-4) versus Jose Palacios (1-1) at  145 lbs Bobby Stack (2-1) versus Cyrillo Padilha (1-1) at 155 lbs Zakary Bucia (0-1) versus Jaime Rodriguez (0-0) at 155 lbs Kurt Osiander (2-0) versus Raul Castillo (2-0) at 185 lbs Nik Theotikos (5-0) versus Luke Rockhold (2-1) at 185 lbs ...

Strikeforce Lightweight Champion "Punk" Josh Thomson (16-2) will defend his title in a rematch versus Yves Edwards (34-14-1) in San Jose 21 November. Edwards knocked out Thomson in the first round at UFC 49 in Las Vegas in August 2004. "This rematch is about winning back something that I let slip through my fingers last  time," Thomson explained.  "It was a  fluke, but that’s part of the fight game – anyone can get caught.  I blame my error last time on my cockiness.  This time, I’ve got to stamp my mark on it." Thomson had been seeking a big name lightweight for his first title defense and Fighters.com first reported 10 October that "Uno Shoten" Caol Uno (25-11-4) and Chris Horodecki (12-1) were being sought by Strikeforce. ...

Saturday night in Honolulu, EliteXC 160-Pound Champion "KJ" Karl James Noons(7-2) TKO'd challenger Yves Edwards (34-14-1) in 48 seconds. "I’m the champion and have the EliteXC belt," Noons declared after his impressive victory.  "I’ll fight anybody!" Noons may be destined for a rematch with the fighter EliteXC created the 160-pound division to crown as champion, Nick Diaz (17-7). ...

EliteXC 160-Pound Champion Karl James Noons will make his first defense versus Yves Edwards April 26 in Honolulu. Noons, 6-2, TKO'd Nick Diaz on cuts last November to become the first EliteXC 160-pound champion. Edwards, 33-13-1, knocked out James Edson Berto last weekend via flying knee to make three straight wins after a three-fight winless streak. Nick Diaz has been taunting Noons for a rematch after the brawler's controversial loss on cuts, accusing Noons of ducking him. Noons and Edwards have been friends for awhile. ...

Before a sellout crowd of 6,187 that produced the single largest gate in the history of the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami, Kimbo Slice registered a spectacular 43-second, first-round knockout over David Abbott Saturday on Showtime. The exciting event, which was presented by Los Angeles-based ProElite, Inc.’s EliteXC, aired on Showtime at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).  It will be replayed a few times in the next several days, including Wednesday on Showtime at 11 p.m. ET/PT. As far as homecomings go, it doesn’t get better than this, as the incredibly popular Pride of Perrine, Fla, gave the raucous but well-behaved fans what they came to see: a devastating knockout win. A YouTube legend and legitimate mixed martial arts superstar, Kimbo’s performance put an exclamation point on what was an excellent night of MMA action. “We promised the fans a good, classy show and we delivered a great one,’’ said “EliteXC Live Events President and University of Miami alum, Gary Shaw.  “EliteXC showed tonight, once again, what MMA is all about.  There were great fights with dramatic finishes, a little bit of everything for everybody. “As a promoter, you want the fans to leave with a good taste, and I truly believe that each and every person in attendance here tonight left the venue happy and completely satisfied. “I couldn’t be prouder of the athletes, who acted like world champions before, during and afterward, or the fans, who turned out in record numbers.  We look forward to returning to Miami again. “This was just a tremendously exciting night from start to finish.  Honestly, I don’t think any organization puts on better, more competitive fights that we do.’’ Kimbo (2-0), who may indeed be more popular than sliced bread, wowed the crowd en route to demolishing Abbott, an MMA icon who entered the cage to win.  But Tank spent more time on the ground than on his feet, going down three times from legitimate punches and a couple other times from slips. “I wanted him to get up, I wanted to bang,’’ Kimbo said.  “I had to push him off because we were too close.   Then I just knocked him down.  It was great fighting in front of the hometown fans.  I’d be lying if I told you they didn’t jack me up. Miami, you are my home.  “I have a lot of respect for Tank.  This was one of my dream fights, along with Mike Tyson.  But I am ready to fight anybody and ready to fight again really soon. “I want to thank Showtime and EliteXC for making this night possible for me and my family.”  Abbott (9-14), of Huntington Beach, Calif., gave it his all, as expected.  “I tried to take it to him at the start and take him to the ground, but then I just said, the heck with that and started to fight,’’ Tank said.  “But I ran into one and that was it. I was just getting started. “It is still too early to know how good or great Kimbo will be.  But what I do know is that I absolutely want to keep fighting. Maybe I will go after Ken Shamrock.’’ In other Showtime fights Saturday, “Big Foot” Antonio Silva (10-1), a highly touted Brazilian who lives in Coconut Creek, Fla., recorded a hard-fought three-round split decision over former champion Ricco Rodriguez (27-8), of Staten Island, N.Y., unbeaten Brett Rogers (8-0), of  St. Paul, Minn., blasted out England's "The Colossus" James Thompson (16-8) in the first round, “Hands Of Steel’’ Scott Smith (15-4), of Sacramento, Calif., knocked out Australian "The Ozzie" Kyle Noke (14-4-1), the bodyguard of the late Steve “Crocodile Hunter’’ Irwin, in the second round and Yves Edwards (33-13-1), of Conroe, Tex., stopped  "Little Tiger" James Edson Berto (14-5-1), of Tampa, Fla., in the opening session. In non-televised undercard fights that aired for free on MMA Internet site,  ProElite.com: Moyses Gabin (2-0), of Miami, registered a 2:32, first-round knockout over Jirka Hlavaty (1-2), of Miami, Lorenzo Borgameo (3-0), of Miami, won by submission (triangle) at 4:11 of the second round over Mike Bernhard (3-1), of Miami; Eric Bradley (3-1), of Las Vegas, Nev., took a unanimous  decision over Mikey Gomez (6-4), of Orlando, Fla.; Dave Herman (10-0), of Indiana, scored a third-round TKO over Mario Rinaldi (6-3), of Miami, Yosmany Cabezas (5-0), of Tampa, Fla., won by second-round submission (rear naked choke) over Jon Kirk (10-3), of Houston, and Rafael Feijao (4-1), of Brazil, knocked out John Doyle (6-2), of Allentown, Pa., at 2:17 of the first round. All the fights were scheduled for three, 5-minute rounds.  Silva, whose initial nine victories had come in the first round, got the nod on two of the judges’ cards by the scores of 30-27 and 29-28. The third judge had it for Rodriguez, 29-28. “Ricco is a dangerous fighter,’’ said Silva, who was making his second start since dropping down after competing as a 300-pound super heavyweight.  “I knew it was going to be a tough fight.  I fought hard and came out with a victory, but it was a difficult fight for me.   “I want that belt.  I am sorry that this was not the best night of fighting for me, but I promise I will deliver in my next bout.  I want that heavyweight title.” Rodriguez entered the cage with a vast advantage in experience, having fought and defeated some of the biggest names in MMA, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Tim Sylvia, Jeff Monson, Andrei Arlovski, Pete Wilson, and Randy Couture.  “The reality is, I didn’t train as long for this fight as I needed to, but I think I showed that I am still dedicated and can fight,’’ Rodriguez said.  “I am in this for the long haul and appreciate the opportunity EliteXC is giving me.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we fought a rematch.  I would love to fight Silva again.’’ Smith, who has won all 16 of his fights inside the distance, knocked out Noke in devastating fashion.  After losing the first round, he came out blazing in the second.  Two brutal right hands did all the damage.  The referee halted matters at 0:07 of the round.  “I’m sorry for that first round, that’s not the way I fight,” Smith said.  “I didn’t start to get comfortable until toward the end of the round. “When I got to my corner between rounds, I told my trainer that I had found my range.  I came out pumped and made up for it.  I was fighting way too much on the outside, but once I got inside -- bam, I knocked him down.” Noke had a four-fight unbeaten streak (3-0-1) end.  “This is a different feeling for me,’’ he said.  “I’ve never been knocked out by a punch before.  I felt good after the first round, but I got caught in the second. Scott is a good, strong fighter.” Edwards earned his fourth consecutive victory by knocking out Berto with a knee and punch combination at 4:56 of the first round. Berto had a three-fight winning streak snapped. “I am back and ready to fight anybody,’’ Edwards said.  “I’d love to fight [EliteXC lightweight champion KJ] Noons.  He’s the guy with the gold.  If you’re not doing this to be a world champion, you better do something else.’’  In an upset in the first Showtime fight, the hard-hitting Rogers spoiled the United States debut of Thompson, bringing “Colossus” down to size with a flurry of powerful combinations at 2:24 of the first round. “I don’t think I have to say anything; it showed for itself,” Rogers said.  “He’s got a weak chin and I knew it was going to happen. “All he kept trying to do was wrestle me to the ground.  I got back up and I knocked him out.  When I touch him, he’s going down.  There’s going to be more of Brett Rogers on EliteXC.” Thompson offered no excuses.  “He caught me with good punches,” he said.  “He hits a lot harder than I thought.  I’m very disappointed.  My confidence isn’t where it should be or where I would like it to be since after my last fight.  I would fight him again in a rematch.’’ ...