5. Josh Koscheck

Koscheck did just suffer an ultra-deflating loss to Georges St. Pierre… but BJ Penn knows a little something about being dominated by GSP. Even with the loss, Koscheck is still one of the top fighters in the division. Plus, he’s Jon Fitch’s teammate. Koscheck and Fitch aren’t mirror images of each other, but they do share some similarities and I think this would be a pretty good match. The unknown status of Koscheck (he’s still healing from a broken orbital bone) is the only reason he’s not ranked higher on this list.

4. Amir Sadollah

At one time, Sadollah was thought to be the next big thing. That hype and mystique didn’t last. But in the here and now, Sadollah has won two straight fights and just got done dominating DaMarques Johnson. This would be a big step up for Sadollah, but it would finally prove whether or not he’ll ever live up to his potential. His Muay Thai looked crisper and quicker and deadlier than ever against Johnson, and it’s been quite some time since Penn has faced a striker like Sadollah. I think this fight would be a lot closer than most people think.

3. Dong-Hyun Kim

“My name is Stun Gun and I want GSP”. That’s what this fighter said after beating Nate Diaz earlier this year. I scoffed at this notion, but if Kim were to beat Penn he would definitely prove that he’s worthy of a title shot. Kim is a very strong, very interesting fighter that’s never been defeated, although he does have one draw and one overturned fight. This would be a clash of both styles and nations, and Kim’s powerful wrestling could pose some interesting threats to BJ Penn.

2. Carlos Condit

When Carlos Condit entered the UFC, he had won the WEC’s Welterweight Championship and defended it three times. After a deflating loss to Martin Kampmann, Condit is currently in the midst of a great three-fight win-streak, finishing his two most-recent fights with back-to-back (T)KO’s. Condit has arguably never looked better than in his last fight, where he crushed what up until then had been the iron chin of Dan Hardy. Condit is both ready and willing to fight Penn, so I say: if he wants it, let him fight.

But the number-one fighter I’d like to see BJ Penn fight is…

1. Anthony Johnson

I think this fight has the most potential for excellence of all the potential fights on this list. Anthony Johnson is a different breed of Welterweight: he’s got one of the biggest weight cuts in the business, and it leaves him with near-unstoppable power, especially when it comes to taking down his opponents. I think it would be very engaging to see what Penn could do against such a powerful and athletic wrestler, since that’s been one of his weaknesses for a long time. Can Johnson fully move up to main-event status? Or will Penn’s latest comeback fully right itself after the draw with Fitch? I’d love to find out.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Who would you like to see face Penn now that Fitch is out?

It’s always been the knock against Sadollah, his lack or rather inability to properly defend the takedown, but to his credit, he is facing higher levels of competition than he may be accustomed to. Most people forget that this welterweight prospect cut his teeth as a mixed martial artist inside the UFC.

Sadollah has had no professional fights outside of the octagon, and while he has been viewed as the whimsical, fan-favorite with a clever sense of humor, maybe now people will take him more seriously as a fighter with his dominating win over Johnson

Johnson, a member of the famed H.I.T Squad who also trains alongside former UFC title contender Jeremy Horn, utilized his better wrestling skills to work Sadollah to the floor not once, not twice, but three times throughout the first-round. While working minimal ground-and-pound strikes, DaMarques was wary of Sadollah’s underrated Jiu-Jitsu, as Amir continued to work his legs higher and higher on Johnson searching for either an armbar or triangle hold–two of the Xtreme Couture product’s specialities. The round closed with Sadollah working his way back to his feet and taking down Johnson, which was later a sign of things to come.

In the second, Amir continued to press the action on his feet, utilizing his superior stand up to slowly wilt the fatiguing DaMarques on the feet. Several times did Johnson tumble backwards against the cage, and when Amir sensed the end, he poured on the strikes. Eventually, DaMarques found himself on his back, with Amir mounted. Trapping an arm, Sadollah continued to hammer away before referree Mario Yamasaki mercifully halted the bout in the late moments of the second-round.

With the win, Sadollah is now on a two-fight win streak and has won four of his last five bouts inside the octagon.

So, MMA peeps, what did you think of the win? Do you think Amir is ready for stiffer competition, and how do you think he will fare against top-10 opponents? And where does Johnson go from here? He will likely stay around, as he was able to muster up the courage and battle with a big heart on just two weeks notice. Sound off in the comment section below.

The event, which is also dubbed “UFN: Nogueira vs. Davis” will feature a light heavyweight match-up with talents Antonio Rogerio Nogueira–twin brother of former PRIDE and UFC champ “Minotauro” Nogueira–and Phil Davis, in the main-event of the evening.

DaMarques steps up on short notice for an injured James Wilks, who was originally set to meet with Sadollah in an anticipated welterweight affair, pitting two winner’s of the popular TUF series.

MiddleEasy.com has been able to confirm the bout with DaMarques, who will be stepping up on just a couple of weeks notice for his bout with Sadollah. Wilks was originally a fill in for Duane Ludwig, whom has since bowed out due to injury. It looks like James has followed suit, however no word on Wilks’ departure from the event has been confirmed as of yet.

Johnson was last seen in action when he submitted veteran Mike Guymon with a first-round body triangle–only the second such submission in the entire history of the UFC. The win came in late January where Johnson was able to best “The Joker” in front of his fellow brother in arms at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex.

Sadollah, meanwhile, is coming off of a win of his own. Last November, the New York native was able to decision the young and tough Peter Sobotta in a clean sweep over three-rounds at UFC 122 in Oberhausen, Germany–Sobotta’s backyard. The win helped Amir bounce back from a decision loss to budding contender Dong Hyun Kim.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Who do you think comes out on top? Of course, Amir would have a decided advantage in preparing for the full amount of time, whereas DaMarques has stepped up on just two weeks notice, however “D-Zilla” holds an advantage in experience, having nearly three-times more fights than the witty Sadollah. Sound off in the comment section below.

First up is MMA Weekly, and a report that states that Mario Miranda has signed on to face Aaron Simpson at “Fight Night 24”. Simpson entered that UFC at a perfect 5-0 in his professional career and was able to extend that record to 7-0 before running into two big roadblocks: Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. Mario Miranda entered the UFC at a perfect 11-0, having only gone to a decision twice, but as of now his UFC record stands at 1-2.

Next up is MMA Junkie, where a report states that a fight between Duane Ludwig and Amir Sadollah is being ironed out. At one time Sadollah was thought of as the next big can’t-miss prospect: his first-ever professional MMA fight saw him beat CB Dollaway to win “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7. It would take Sadollah over a year to find another opponent, and he would end up losing to Johny Hendricks by TKO. In the here and now, Sadollah’s overall record stands at 4-2. Meanwhile, Duane “Bang” Ludwig recently broke a two-fight losing-streak with a win over the recently-released Nick Osipczak. Ludwig is a veteran of over thirty professional MMA fights.

I think “Fight Night 24” is shaping up to be one of the “sleeper hits” of the year. It probably won’t measure up to some of the fantastic Pay-Per-View events that are already being planned by the UFC for 2011, but in regards to free MMA on free TV, I really don’t see how it gets much better. Ortiz vs. Nogueira and Johnson vs. Hardy both have a lot of potential to end up being amazing fights.

In regards to these two recently-announced fights, I’m looking forward to both of them, albeit for different reasons. I think Miranda and Simpson both entered the UFC with a lot of promise but have struggled to find their footing in the world’s largest and most competitive MMA promotion. Only the absolute best enter the UFC unbeaten and stay unbeaten, and that’s said with absolutely no disrespect towards either man. I look forward to both men figuring out their place in the UFC by taking on each other.

In regards to Sadollah vs. Ludwig, I’m one of the ones that more or less bought into the Amir Sadollah hype. I really was looking forward to seeing him take the UFC by storm, but as we all know, that didn’t happen. I still think Sadollah is a very marketable fighter that can put on some pretty entertaining performances, so I hope he puts on a good show at “Fight Night 24” and walks away the victory.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of these two new match-ups and the “Fight Night 24” card in general?

Beginning his career in the 185-pound division where he had picked up some of the largest wins of his career, which includes an 18-second drubbing of former middleweight champ Dave Menne, in what has to be remembered as one of the greatest knockouts of all time.

Emaciating himself to the 170-pound division for his last several fights, “The New York Bad Ass” returns to where it all began in, when he makes his way back to the middleweight division in hopes to deliver another career highlight reel.

In his way, will be fellow banger in the young Hawaiian, Brad Tavares, as MMAJunkie.com has reported. Competing on the eleventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, the 22-year-old finished as a semi-finalist, eventually losing on the show to finalist and TUF winner, Court McGee.

Professionally still undefeated, Tavares was able to return on the shows finale and earned a unanimous decision victory over fellow castmate Seth Baczynski.

Baroni, meanwhile, is riding a two-fight losing streak. After being released by Strikeforce in June of 2009, following a decision loss to Joe Riggs, Baroni was signed to the UFC and competed against season seven winner of TUF, Amir Sadollah at UFC 106 in November of that year, in his last outing. Phil had his moments, however, the then 1-1 Amir was able to outwork the veteran en route to a decision victory.

Phil will likely be fighting for his place with the promotion, where he finds himself with a compiled 3-6 record inside the cage.

UFC 125 takes place on January 1., in Las Vegas, Nev., in what is expected to be the date where Frankie Edgar will look to defend his title for a second time against former for, Gray Maynard, in a rematch stemming back from 2008.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of this match up? Will Tavares be the victor, or will Baroni probe that an old dog can still learn new tricks? Sound off in the comment section below.

It was already known that Belfort had planned to return in November. The UFC’s November outing will be UFC 122, which is expected to take place in the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany. The tentative date is November 13. The event, like most overseas affairs for the UFC, is expected to air via tape-delay on Spike TV. This fight would headline a card with rumored fights that include Jason Brilz vs. Vladimir Matyushenko, Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara, and Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta.

While it may not be the most eagerly-anticipated main event, I think this is a good headline attraction for an overseas Pay-Per-View, since non-US and non-Canadian shows have developed a bit of a reputation for not having the same quality of fights that the US and Canada gets. I hope that doesn’t paint either man in a negative light, since I’m a big fan of both Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami. I think this fight will accomplish a lot: it will give Belfort a win against an actual Middleweight, a point that many held against him when it was announced that he would be next in line to challenge Silva. If Okami wins, it will give him that one major victory over a big name that has constantly eluded him in his eleven-fight career in the UFC.

In regards to the fight itself, this seems to be a very interesting clash of styles. Belfort has always been known to bum-rush and brawl, it has lead to almost all of his famous victories. However, his move to Middleweight has resulted in a more refined Belfort, someone who has the same deadly strikes but is far more technical in their implementation. Okami is a gamer, and knows how to take a punch, having only been stopped once in his entire MMA career while having a majority of his wins via Unanimous Decision. Even though Belfort only has four (T)KO wins over Okami when you take the time to look at both men’s records, the striking advantage obviously goes to “The Phenom”. Down on the ground, though, it may just be Okami’s fight to win.

This fight will most likely determine the next man to face Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship, and I’m strongly in favor of that. I think this latest career rebirth has resulted in the best Vitor Belfort that there’s ever been, and I think Silva/Belfort would be a real dream-match super-fight. Okami has always been a dark horse candidate for #1 contender, consistently beating opponents without ever really making any waves. He’s still the last man to ever beat Anderson Silva (even though it was because Silva got DQ’d when he threw an illegal kick), so there’s some good history between the two. I think Okami’s shot at the belt is long overdue, while Belfort’s utterly dominating wins at Middleweight would justify him receiving a title shot so soon. It’s an interesting fight between two great fighters, so I think the German fans have an awesome fight to look forward to.

But what about you, fans and friends? How excited are you about the prospect of Vitor Belfort fighting Yushin Okami? And who do you think wins this fight?

The night started with prelims thanks to Spike TV. “The Upgrade” Dan Lauzon (12-4) came into this fight against Efrain Escudero (8-1) after having a disagreement with his coaches and his brother, UFC fighter “J-Lau” Joe Lauzon (18-5). They refused to travel with him to the fight because they felt he had not spent enough time in the gym and did not follow their plan correctly. This fight proved that the older brother knows best as Dany seemed to tire quickly in the fight. He was never able to score much and Efrain had his way the entire fight. What shocked me was Efrain not using his wrestling background more in the fight. While Efrain is a good prospect he will have to work on becoming more aggressive, looking for the finish and finding the balance between striking and wrestling.

Next up was Dong Hyun Kim (10-4-2) versus Amir Sadollah (3-2) in the final fight on Spike TV before the pay-per-view (PPV) started.

Kim used his solid wrestling base to take Amir down at will during this fight. The one thing that stood out was that while Amir has improved his striking, you can’t do much of that if you can’t stop takedowns. I was shocked at the number of people on Twitter stating that they thought Amir would now get cut from the UFC. Since winning “The Ultimate Fighter” season seven he has gone 2-2 in the UFC and was coming off of back-to-back wins before running into the takedown machine named Dong Hyun Kim. That does merit a cut from the organization and one has to remember he is the face of “Inside the Octagon” on Spike TV. Amir will need to go back to work and spend a ton of time with high quality wrestlers in order to succeed in the UFC. I look for Joe Silva to allow him to do just that and his next fight will probably be against a striker.

Kim, while impressive with his takedowns and top control, never seemed to go for the finish in the fight except when he had the neck tie position. This position is rarely seen in MMA and I have to give credit to Amir for fighting through it. I am looking forward to seeing what UFC matchmaker Joe Silva does with Kim after this win.

The first fight on the PPV was the first fight back inside the Octagon for “The Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-4) after his lopsided loss to then UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” B.J.  (15-6-1). He decided after that loss to move back up to 170 and last night against “Hitman” John Hathaway (12-0) it was apparent that the move was a bad decision. He was simply outclassed by the young Hathaway. I stated in this article that Diego is not an elite fighter and this is further proof of that. His best bet would have been to stay at lightweight and work to get back to the title just like “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (13-4) did after being defeated in his title shot. Diego will continue to have a home in the UFC, as a stepping stone.

Hathaway however is the complete opposite from Diego. A prospect that at 22 has nowhere to go but up after a win over “The Ultimate Fighter” season one winner. He did much better than many expected him to in this fight. He showed excellent takedown defense which he will need as he wades into the deep end of the division. I will enjoy watching the young man develop over the years.

Six weeks ago Forrest Griffin (17-6) had to pull out of his fight that was scheduled for UFC 114. The UFC replaced him with “The Hitman” Jason Brilz (18-3-1). Many thought that his opponent “Lil Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) would walk right through Brilz. Brilz shocked the MMA world by not only going all three rounds with Nogueira but actually dominating him at times during the fight. This fight ended up being a split decision win for Nogueira which brought boos from the crowd and talks of bad judges from those on Twitter.

This was a close fight with Lil Nog controlling the stand up in the first round. The second was a battle of position with Lil Nog using amazing sweeps off his back and both fighters working for guillotines. Brilz sunk in a very deep choke that many would have tapped out to but Lil Nog is a black belt in jiu jitsu and showed great poise in the position.

No matter the outcome, Jason Brilz was the winner in this fight. He gained respect from many in the MMA community and garner quite a few new fans as shown by the massive increase in followers on his Twitter account. Noguiera will continue to rise through the division and Brilz will follow closely behind him. I hope the UFC and Joe Silva decide to put these two back inside the Octagon together sometime in the future.

The hype surrounding Todd Duffee (5-1) was not unwarranted contrary to what you may have heard. Yes, Todd was viciously knocked out in the third round by his opponent Mike Russow (13-1) who is the complete opposite of Duffee in the physique department. This does not mean he is a bad fighter or that the high praise was not deserving. His first fight inside the Octagon was a seven second knock out and he almost repeated that performance by rocking Mike early in the first. Russow was being dominated until the third round. Todd was able to stop any takedown attempts, push away from the clinch and landed strikes at will on the very durable chin of Russow. Then as writers all across the country were starting to pen their pieces on another Duffee win inside the Octagon, Russow stunned the world by catching Todd with a right hand that had put him out cold.

I have my doubts about Russow making it very far in the division. He carries around a lot of unnecessary weight and may be better off trying to work a new conditioning program. His striking was bad until that right hand and he never could get the fight to the mat where he wanted it.

Todd will learn from this mistake and grow as a fighter. He is only 24 and has much to learn and will need to work cardio as well. He seemed to burn out and lose a lot of steam in the middle of the second round. He will need all the cardio he can muster if he plans on making a major push to the top of the UFC heavyweight division.

What can I say about “The Count” Michael Bisping (19-3) and his win over tough Dan Miller (11-4)? Miller looked lost from the start of the round and I have to wonder about his decision to not look for takedowns earlier in the fight. Bisping was the better striker and is great at beating mid-level fighters. I am still not sure he has what it takes to beat the best in the division. Sadly to all the Bisping fans out there, I see him as a gatekeeper in the division. Only time will tell if I am wrong.

There of course is the main event but that will have to wait for another article. After the fights were over I was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I was let down for some reason and I am not really sure why. In a night that had a clear favorite being pushed and one being beaten, a knock out by a guy who was never in the fight and the “most anticipated grudge match in UFC history” one would think I would have been excited afterward but that was not the case.

UFC 114 let me down and that is the Monday Gospel. What did you think of UFC 114 overall?

Make sure to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mmagospel where I tweet live during the fights.

UFC 107 takes place in Memphis Saturday headlined by Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (12-4-1) versus tenth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2-0).  A fight we are not scheduled to see is undefeated Johny Hendricks (6-0) versus UFC newcomer Ricardo Funch (7-0) as it is slated for the prelims. This is robbery at it’s finest.

Johny Hendricks was brought into the UFC after the WEC eliminated the welterweight division. His first fight was the coming out party for The Ultimate Fighter 7 winner Amir Sadollah (2-1). Amir had dropped out of two previously scheduled fights due to a leg infection and a broken clavicle respectively. So at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8, Amir was set to make his post-TUF debut.

Enter Hendricks, who has been on my personal radar for some time now. He was a two-time NCAA Division 1 national champion wrestler at Oklahoma State University as well as being a two-time All American and three-time Big 12 Conference champion. His amazing wrestling worked for him when he worked to get a D’Arce choke against Richard Gamble (2-3) at Extreme Fighting League on HDNet.

Against Amir, wrestling would not play a part. It would be the hands of Johny that would spoil the return to the Octagon for Amir Sadollah. The fight would end in 29 seconds as Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight due to strikes. Many criticized the stoppage as you can see Amir start to get back up in the replay, but his words to Dan were the telltale sign. He asked Dan what happened and only a fighter that was rocked would ask that question.

Whether you believe the stoppage was correct or not, Hendricks came away with the win and in outstanding fashion. Amir lost and yet his next fight was on the main card of UFC 106 against “New York Badass” Phil Baroni (13-12).While Phil may not be an elite fighter, he has fought the best in the business and always puts on a show, even if it only lasts for one round. Yet, Hendricks, the man who crushed Amir, is stuck on the prelims against a UFC newcomer. Shouldn’t beating the TUF winner so decisively warrant a spot on the main card?

With that TKO of Amir, the UFC has all the ammunition it needs to promote Hendricks as a star in the welterweight division. This is a time when the UFC finds itself in a situation with marketable stars at a premium with fighters such as second-ranked, UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar (3-1) out with illness indefinitely.

Some may wonder how he can be marketed with such a small body of work. His wrestling background is a start. We have seen the UFC market many fighters simply by touting their wrestling pedigree. Hendricks has proved to not be the prototypical wrestler though. Wrestlers take time to develop a striking game and yet Johny currently has four stoppages via (T)KO in 6 fights. All of this by a wrestler who most seem to expect to work for a take down and work ground and pound. He is becoming a complete fighter in short order and an exciting one at that. WEC footage of his “Fight of the Night”, the fast slaughter of a TUF champ and his wrestling background would make it easy to push him up the ranks. He is more than marketable and this fight makes no sense when they are looking to build new stars to fill what has recently been lackluster pay per views.

UFC President Dana White and UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva have done a fantastic job thus far when it comes to building stars. Usually I have no issues whatsoever with who they bring up through the ranks, but I see this as a misstep of epic proportions. A victory over Funch really adds nothing to his resume other than another “W”, while a loss cripples his chances at getting on the televised portion of a pay-per-view in the future. This is all risk and zero reward for the UFC as well as for Hendricks.

One must strike while the iron is hot so to speak and right now, Johny Hendricks is as hot as War Machine is wanted by the police.

Maybe I am not seeing the entire picture and somehow I have missed where Hendricks deserves to be on an under card against a fighter that is not equal to an Amir Sadollah in name recognition. Then again maybe I am right and Johny Henricks has been robbed of stardom thanks to Joe Silva and the UFC.

Topping the bill is the return of former UFC light heavyweight champion “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) as he is set to face former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) in a rematch of the 2006 fight that was Griffin’s first loss in the UFC.

Although a winner of the inaugural Ultimate Fighter reality show, to many observers Griffin’s loss to the veteran Ortiz was the fight that catapulted the Xtreme Couture fighter into the deeper ranks of professional MMA. Now currently coming off a two fight losing streak, Griffin has a lot to win and a lot to lose when he faces Ortiz for the second time.

For Ortiz, UFC 106 will be a triumphant return to the promotion following over a year of bad blood with the organization. His last appearance in the Octagon was a losing effort at the hands of current UFC light heavyweight champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) at UFC 84 in May, 2008.

UFC 106 will also feature two heavy-handed welterweights as Josh Koscheck (13-4) is set to clash against “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-2) in the co-main-event. Johnson is recently coming off a devastating win over “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) in 41 seconds of a catchweight bout at UFC 104.

The fight card is rounded out by a series of bouts that set a theme of old versus new when veteran of the UFC and PRIDE Fighting Championship “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (13-11) returns to the Octagon for the first time since UFC 51 in 2005 to face off against The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-1).

Fighters.com seventh-ranked light heavyweight “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) and fellow Brazilian ”Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (12-3) continue the theme of veteran versus up-and-comer. Nogueira makes his UFC debut following a near decade-long career worldwide.

Remaining main card bouts for UFC 106 include UFC veteran and Judo superstar “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) as he meets Dustin Hazelett (11-4). “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) is set to fight American Top Team’s “KIlla B” Ben Saunders (5-0-2 ). And the Ultimate Fighter 3 winner, “Da Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-6) will take on wrestler and WEC alumnus Jake Rosholt (6-1).

UFC 106 is rounded out by Paulo Thiago (7-1) versus Jacob Volkmann (9-0), Brock Larson (27-3) versus Brian Foster (9-12), Caol Uno (25-11-4) versus Fabricio Camoes (6-0), and George Sotiropoulos (10-2) versus Jason Dent (29-9).

UFC champ and Fighters.com’s second-ranked heavyweight Brock Lesnar (4-1) will defend his title versus sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) in the UFC 106 main event.

Also on the card, light heavyweights “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) and “Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-9) will fight in a battle of UFC legends.

Inside Fights reports the matchup will be at UFC 106 in Las Vegas 21 November.

Baroni was released by Strikeforce 14 August before signing to return to the Octagon for the first time since going to sleep in a guillotine by “Drago” Pete Sell (8-5) at UFC 51 in Las Vegas in February 2005. Baroni called his UFC contract “an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

In an unusual press release, Strikeforce stated in explanation: “The 33-year-old Baroni has lost four of his last seven bouts. In his last appearance, a welterweight matchup with “Diesel” Joe Riggs (30-11) [in St. Louis 6 June], Baroni sustained a one-sided defeat by way of unanimous judges’ decision.”

“I did not get a phone call or even a letter [from Strikeforce]. My agent, Ken Pavia, told me [I was cut],” Baroni told Fighters.com Thursday. “I dont know why a show would send out a press release they cut somebody. Bush league and really shitty in my opinion.”

Sadollah will return after a 29-second TKO loss to John Hendricks (6-0) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia 8 August, a controversial referee stoppage that really wasn’t.

Miragliotta emphasized, “You know me and have spoken with me about other fights, my job is to protect the fighters and I try and do my best to do that.”

Sadollah began the fight lunging forward in a 1-2 combination, but ate a Hendricks straight left that backed Sadollah up stunned. Hendricks smelled blood in the Octagon and followed Sadollah landing a series of uppercuts.

Miragliotta said, “What made me stop the fight was the fact that, after the multiple uppercuts by Hendricks, I felt that Sadollah was out and went limp. He fell down to his hands and knees and just stayed there. From where I was, I could not see his eyes to see if he was out, but I felt that he was not defending himself and, after several more punches that went unanswered, I stopped the fight.”

The skyrocketing popularity of MMA combined with former WWE professional wrestler and Fighters.com’s second-ranked heavyweight Brock Lesnar‘s (4-1) rapid ascension to the UFC title has brought hundreds of thousands of new fans to the sport, many of whom aren’t familiar with combat sports and the rules of MMA. Fighters.com ruled the stoppage appropriate immediately after the fight based on Sadollah’s lack of intelligent defense as Hendricks wailed on his head, which is the standard used by MMA referees to ensure the safety of fighters. It’s the responsibility of the fighter to intelligently defend themselves, not the responsibility of the referee to risk the fighter taking permanent damage as the ref tries to verify the fighter’s state of conciousness.

A proud professional, Miragliotta verified his call immediately after the stoppage: “When I stopped the fight and got between Sadollah and Hendricks, Sadollah still looked glassy eyed and asked me what happened. I feel that he was still a little out of it while standing there talking to me.” And, when Fighters.com spoke to Miragliotta, he had just finished watching the fight again to examine his work.

The frightening effects of head injuries are well-documented. The father of former wrestler Chris Benoit blamed the severe brain abnormalities caused by multiple concussions for Benoit’s murder of his wife and child and subsequent suicide. Last March, actress Natasha Richardson passed on after what she considered a mild head bump after a tumble while skiing.

Sadollah is a 28-year old promising martial artist who’ll return from his first loss to win many fights. There was no reason to risk the potential head injury that could’ve been caused by allowing Sadollah to absorb more punishment from Hendricks while Sadollah didn’t defend himself.

Miragliotta made the correct call at UFC 101.

Sadollah lunged forward with a sharp 1-2, but Hendricks weaved a straight left inside Sadollah’s guard. Sadollah backpeddaled and Hendricks stalked with another left that dropped Sadollah. After several undefended left hooks to Sadollah’s head, referee Dan Miragliota ended the fight.

The fight card from Philadelphia includes:

“Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-5-1) v “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-3) for the UFC lightweight strap

Fighters.com’s third-ranked light heavyweight Forrest Griffin (16-5) v UFC middleweight champ ““Spider” Anderson Silva (24-4) in 205-pound matchup

The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-0) v John Hendricks (5-0)

“Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (10-3) v The Ultimate Fighter 3 champ “Spyder” Kendall Grove (10-5)

“Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (14-4) v “Dentist” Josh Neer (25-7-1)

Aaron Riley (27-11-1) v Shane Nelson (11-3)

“Doomsday” John Howard (11-3) v “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (11-2)

Thales Leites (14-2) v “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (13-7)

Dan Cramer (3-0) v Matt Riddle (2-0)

George Sotiropoulos (9-2) v George Roop (9-2)

“Indio” Danillo Villefort (7-2) v “Ox” Jesse Lennox (13-1)

Danzig announced his fight via MySpace and Catone confirmed the bout to iguillotine.

Catone and Sadollah were originally scheduled to fight at UFC 91 in November, but Sadollah was forced to withdraw days before the bout due to a leg infection.

Danzig will look to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to “Carpenter” Clay Guida (24-9) at Fight Night 15 in September.

Neer also lost his last fight at the same event via split decision to Nathan Diaz (10-2).

Catone, who will be making his UFC debut, won his last three fights via first-round TKO.  Most recently he defeated Eric Tavares (5-9) in June.

Sadollah last fought in June, submitting “Doberman” CB Dollaway (7-1) with an armbar to become the winner of TUF 7.

Sadollah was scheduled to face UFC newcomer Nick Catone (6-0) Saturday in Las Vegas.

The UFC was unable to secure a replacement, so the middleweight match has been cancelled.  Instead, the welterweight match-up between “McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (12-4) and “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (10-1) has been bumped up to the main card on pay-per-view.

Hazelett submitted “People’s Warrior” Josh Burkman via armbar in round two at the TUF 7 finale in June.

McCrory won a unanimous decision over Luke Cummo (6-6) at UFC 87 in August.

Sadollah submitted “Doberman” CB Dollaway (7-1) via first-round armbar in June to win the previous season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Catone, who will make his UFC debut, finished his last four fights in the first round, most recently TKO’ing Eric Tavares (5-9) in June.

Stephens dropped a unanimous decision to “King” Spencer Fisher (21-4) in June at the TUF finale.

UFC newcomer dos Anjos is riding a nine-fight win streak, most recently winning a split decision over Takafumi Otsuka (6-3-1).

- Amir Sadollah (1-0), TUF 7 Champion

The future shines brilliantly for The Ultimate Fighter’s newest blast into the mainstream consciousness, Amir Sadollah (1-0).

In his professional debut, Sadollah tapped “Doberman” CB Dollaway (6-1) in an armbar at 3:02 of round one to win the seventh season of the popular SpikeTV reality show contest.

“Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2), one of the two original Ultimate Fighters, looked physically fitter than ever in his third-round TKO of American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti (12-4) at 4:07.

After back-to-back “embarrasing” losses, “Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-5), TUF 3 champion, recaptured past glory in a three-round split decision over former UFC titlist Evan Tanner (32-8).

The likeable young TUF walk-on from Virginia, Sadollah, versus the cocky All-American favorite, Dollaway, was a rematch of an exhibition fight fought on the final episode of last season’s The Ultimate Fighter.

Saturday’s finish was almost a replay of that fight’s end.

But, unlike the first fight, Dollaway made haste taking the samboist to his back and pounding him, opening a shallow cut on Sadollah’s forehead.

Sadollah flailed for position, eventually sucking up the “Doberman’s” left paw and swinging his legs over Dollaway’s head to secure the armbar.

Dollaway stood and remained standing as Sadollah worked the technique.

Finally, Dollaway ended the fight with a single tap causing referee Herb Dean to step in.

Sadollah leapt to his feet and threw his arms in the air.

Dollaway threw his hands out to his sides, complaining about the stoppage; but, replays clearly showed Dollaway tapping.

And, as “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) famously said, Dollaway exhibited in his immature and ridiculous post-fight protest: “Tapping is for bitches.”

“Nightmare” Sanchez showed off a leaner physique and tighter striking game versus a pudgy and lethargic Fioravanti.

In his southpaw stance, Sanchez stalked with his right lead extended and left fist cocked, both of which he used to tag Fiorivanti, who was hesitant to engage on his feet or on the mat.

When Sanchez was able to down Fioravanti, “Nightmare’s” trademark G’n'P dominated.

But, it was Sanchez’s refurbed striking game, highlighted by a roundhouse kick, that won the fight.

In the third round, Sanchez snapped a left kick to Fioravanti’s head, sending Fioravanti backpedaling.  Sanchez followed with a flying knee flush to Fioravanti’s jaw before pounding out the stoppage with his fists.

It was do or die for both Grove and Tanner in the main event, both fighters coming off of knockout losses and at career lows.

However, 6’6″ Grove was just too physical for the former champion, Tanner.

At range, Grove launched long rights that split Tanner’s guard.

But, most of the fight was fought in the clinch, with Tanner, sporting a full beard, resembling a homeless mugger assaulting the Hawaiian for change.

Grove laid on Tanner, wearing Tanner down, while Grove split open Tanner’s head with elbows and peppered Tanner’s body with knees.

The judges ruled it a split decision “W” for Grove by scores of 30-26 twice for Grove and 29-28 once for Tanner; but, Al Lefkowitz, who scored the fight for Tanner, couldn’t have even been in the arena.

Fighters.com scored it 30-27 for Grove.

On the undercard, “McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (11-4) tapped “People’s Champion” Josh Burkman (9-6) in an armbar at 4:46 of round two.

Hazelett won “Submission of the Night”.

Lightweight brawler “King” Spencer Fisher (21-4) ground out a unanimous decision over fellow Iowan Jeremy Stephens (13-3).

TUF 7 contestant Matt Riddle (1-0) won his pro debut with a unanimous decision over Dante Rivera (10-3).

Middleweight Andrew McFedries (7-3) overwhelmed “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (15-8-1) from the bell to score a quick TKO at 1:08 of round one.

In a rematch from 2006, TUF 7 contestant Matt Brown (7-6) TKO’d TUF 6 “No Regard” Matt Arroyo (3-2) at 3:40 of round two.

Veteran “Boogieman” Dean Lister (11-5) submitted über-veteran “Gumby” Jeremy Horn (79-18-5) in a first-round guillotine choke at 3:52.

Similarly, Rob Kimmons (21-3) tapped Rob Yundt (6-2) in a first-round guillotine choke at 3:58.

Immediately, both fighters came out striking and spent the first part of the round striking and circling, feeling each other out.  Amir landed a left roundhouse kick to the body of CB, knocking CB to the mat. However, Amir moved in too quickly and CB was able to get a double leg take down that he turned into a slam.

Amir then pulled guard and attempted and arm bar as CB worked the ground’n'pound that has thus far been successful for him.  Amir was able to avoid most shots as well as stopping CB from passing his guard.

Eventually, Amir was able to sweep CB off of him and get to his feet where he landed a body shot that visibly shook up CB.  However, CB recovered and was able to get another take down.  He passed to half guard, then took Amir’s back with 15 seconds to go in the round.  The round ended with CB in mount on Amir.

Round two opened up with more striking.  Again, Amir got the better of it when he landed a front kick to CB that knocked him to the ground.  Amir again rushed in and CB scored another take down, this time ending up in half guard.

Amir was able to adjust, pull full guard and attempt an arm bar.  CB pulled out of it again, then landed a vicious elbow under Amir’s eye, opening up a large cut.

The fighters were soon after stood up.  CB looked exhausted and frustrated, but managed to get one more take down as the round expired.

Round three began with a show of respect, with both fighters touching gloves.  Immediately after, Amir unleashed a flurry of punches, sending CB into the fence.  CB was able to recover and reverse positions, pinning Amir to the fence instead.

Amir was able to avoid the first two take down attempts before CB was able to score the takedown and get into position to sink in a rear naked choke.  However, Amir was able to spin towards the choke and pull guard on CB yet again.

Amir immediately attempted an arm bar that ended with the fighters in north/south position. Amir then attempted a key lock on CB’s foot, which then switched into Amir being in inverted guard and attempting a triangle.

Again, Amir pulled guard and CB tried to stand and rain down some strikes.  Amir was able to control CB’s arm and swing his leg around CB’s head, securing an arm bar.  CB was forced to tap out.

It looked as though the finals were set for The Ultimate Fighter finale. And they were set, for about two days.

In that two days span, three unnamed fighters and finalist middleweight Jesse Taylor (6-2) decided to rent a limo and spend a few extra nights in Las Vegas after the show had ended.

Security footage released to Dana White from hotel security at the Palace Station Casino showed a stumbling drunk Taylor emerge from a limo after evidently kicking out a side window.  White then went on to explain that Taylor went into the hotel bar and harassed some of the female guests.

When security arrived, Taylor was confrontational and announced that he was a UFC fighter, perhaps trying to condone his actions.

White was not amused.

Fighters.com’s Ligh Heavyweight Champion“Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) and eighth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4) were brought in to be appraised of the situation and confront Taylor.

When Taylor arrived he was not forthright in his admission; but, White pressed the issue and scolded Taylor for his behavior before announcing that Taylor was kicked off the show and the subsequent finale match against Amir.

It was then up to the two coaches and the UFC president to find a replacement for Taylor.

Enter Tim Credeur (10-2) and CB.

Both fighters were flown back in and told of what had happened.  They then had three weeks to prepare for their second chance at making the finals.

Amir was also brought back in and told that he would no longer be fighting Taylor at the final.  He and White were ringside to see who would come out between Tim, a grappler, and CB, a wrestler.

Round one opened with both men on their feet striking and stayed there.  Both fighters seemed to respect the other’s particular talents and opted to trade strikes.

Tim seemed to get the better of most exchanges working counter punches and landing combinations and flurries in response to CB’s jab and cross.  CB was able to land the most solid kicks, but they seemed to do little damage.

As the round came to the end, Tim landed a strike that knocked CB down and as he went into finish.  CB was able to reverse position and work a guillotine choke.  Tim was able to work out of it and both fighters stood.

With just two seconds left in the round, CB managed a double leg take down.

Round two began with more striking and CB going for, and getting, an early take down.  Tim attempted to counter with a heel hook as CB stood, but wasn’t able to grab CB’s foot and both fighters went back to their feet.

After trading a few more exchanges, Tim was caught with a right hook and slipped to his butt.  CB didn’t pursue and stayed standing.  Tim attempted a couple of up-kicks and kicks to CB’s knees with no results and again got back to his feet.

This time it was CB who unleashed the flurry that sent Tim into the cage and knocked him to the ground. Just as it seemed that the ref was about to step in, Tim managed to get to his feet and spin away from the cage.  Though visibly worn down, Tim stayed on the offensive, pressing the action.

CB was able to get another single leg take down and Tim pulled guard, where the fight stayed as time expired.

Round three opened with CB landing a strong right cross and following it up with a take down.  Again, Tim attempted a heel hook and managed to get back to his feet.

At that point in the fight, Tim continued to move forward, but it was CB that had more power and speed in his punches and landed them more often.

Twice more as the round went on, CB was able to take Tim to the ground, but either stood just out of reach of Tim, slowing the pace of the fight, or, as the round ended, staying low in Tim’s guard, landing shots with his head down.

This fight went to the score cards determining the winner by unanimous decision, “The Doberman” CB Dollaway.

Two were slated for the chopping block on Wednesday night’s episode with the winners moving on toward the prize of a six-figure contract.

Dante Rivera (10-2) was pitted against Jesse Taylor (6-2).

Matt Brown (9-6) scrapped with lanky amateur Amir Sadollah (0-0).

With the quarter finals looming, a coin was flipped to assign the coaches to the four fighters.

Jesse and Amir had Forrest Griffin (15-4) backing them.

“Rampage” Quinton Jackson(29-6) cornerd Dante Rivera and Matt Brown.

Jesse, who confessed he enjoys dipping microwaved cheeseburgers in ranch dressing, put on the rubber suit and, like fighters have done for years when they need to cut weight…played Ping Pong?

By the time Jesse left for the hot tub, the table and floor were splattered with pools of sweat.

He was courteous enough to step away from the hot tub where he politely urinated in his shorts, claimed it “feels good on my leg”, splashed his feet in the yellow puddle, and jumped back into the water.

His opponent joined him soon after and soaked in Jesse’s waste, a sign of things to come.

Just before the Octagon door was shut, Jesse offered his last words: “Dante, I love you man, you’re a great guy, but I’m gonna have to kick your ass.”

Rivera had his eyes on the money.  “I’d like to put $10,000 in my pocket.”

The horn blared and, within seconds, Rivera threw a looping and slow hook.  Jesse easily ducked and the takedown was almost a gi’me.

The mat was pretty much where the fight stayed.  Again and again, Jesse threw punches, elbows, and hammer fists, most of which connected somewhere on Rivera’s head or body.

Rivera managed to pull guard, but it was for naught.  Jesse pounded out a winning round with Rivera attempting the occasional impotent submission.

Round two was a mirror image of round one.  Rivera threw an easy to see loop of a punch, Jesse ducked for the takedown.

“Get up,” was Rampage’s main chunk of advice.  “You ain’t doin’ nothin’ on your back.”

Grammar aside, Rampage was correct.  Rivera, clearly outsized by cheeseburger-loving Jesse, was frustrated and mostly flat on his back, his hips rarely raised for an easily thwarted offense.

Jesse pounded down strikes to end the round.

Dana White chimed in with a scowl about Dante’s seeming lack of skill or effort.  “And Jesse, he didn’t look like a world-beater either,” White said, not impressed with the decision win by Jesse.

The second fight was, of course, expected to be a stark contrast to the slow pace of the first.

Stark indeed.

Brown and Amir admitted they had become good friends while rooming together.

“If you’re going to lose, it’s better to lose to a friend than an enemy,” Amir said, sporting a black eye going into the match.  “I don’t think I’m gonna fold.  I don’t think…”

Forest commented on Amir’s apparent lack of confidence and dare I say it, even fear?

“It’s exactly the feeling every fighter has,” Forest said, laughing.  “He’s just sissy enough to vocalize it.”

Jackson believes if Brown was in Japan, he would be a Samurai.

“I think Matt was born to be a fighter.  He has a fighter spirit.  I have that same spirit,” Jackson said about the former “Team Brown Nose” fighter in his corner.

The first minute showcased excellent stand-up work from both men.  Amir, the rangier fighter, used foot jabs to keep distance.  Brown’s punches were tight and accurate, at least touching Amir with nearly every attempt.

Amir responded with classic Muay Thai technique while against the fence.  A hard knee crashed into the rib cage of Brown, near the liver.  Brown moans and sinks a little.  He showed why everybody believes he’s made of the right stuff by staying clinched.  That body shot that would have dropped lesser men.

Amir showed great takedown defense as Brown tried to wrestle him to the ground.  Off the cage, the two threw almost an equal number of strikes, with both fighters hitting with regularity, though Brown started to edge ahead when the horn ended the violent round.

Brown came out in round two like a man on fire, but Amir withstood the attack and mounted his own offense, chasing Brown and throwing a flying kick (sure, it didn’t land, but it made it into the preview last week).

The action slowed a little, to the level where most fights peak.  Brown landed a knee on Amir’s head from the clinch.  Amir responded with a foot jab to Brown’s face.

Amir grabbed a body lock and tripped Brown to the mat.  Amir worked into mount, got pushed to guard, and worked to mount again.  Brown, turning on his side and hipping into Amir, pulled guard again.

After this position exchange again, a scramble ensued with Brown landing on top.  Amir, with no professional fights on his record and a “striker”, slipped a triangle around Brown and the Cincinnati fighter tapped.

Amir and Jesse moved on to the quarter finals.

UFC President Dana White began this week’s The Ultimate Fighter episode explaining what many people have had on their minds since last week’s episode: Why didn’t the fight between Cale Yarbrough (0-0) and Patrick Schultz (5-1-1) go to a third round?

Simple.  Round two was scored 10-8 in favor of Yarbrough.

While Schultz has a legitimate beef, it was Fighters.com’s top-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) who took his aggression out on fifth-ranked light heavyweight Forrest Griffin (15-4), telling Griffin that there upcoming title fight won’t go to a decision.

Forrest then had what he referred to as a “man period”, smashing through one of the doors in the training center and shadow boxing while a very confused White was left to wonder exactly what was happening to his coaches.

Meanwhile, the remaining fight was set between “Doberman” CB Dollaway (6-0) and Nick Klein (4-0).

CB is a former All-American wrestler at Arizona State University and entered MMA because he lacked options after college wrestling.  His strength and skill have made him a dangerous fighter, as Rampage found out first hand.

After being mocked by Rampage for getting caught in a kneebar in practice, CB delivered a light kick to Rampage’s side, provoking his coach to strip off his socks and go toe-to-toe with CB.

Rampage shot for a double-leg takedown which CB turned into a guillotine choke, submitting the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champ.

While Klein had received praise from his coaches for his jiu-jitsu and all-around ability, he seemed to be a bit self-deprecating, referring to himself as the “weak link” on the team.

Back at the training center, Forrest found a way to release some of the tension he was carrying from Rampage’s earlier comments.

Griffin found a net gun and proceeded to shoot Rampage as he sat against the cage after a sparring session.

Rampage took it all in good spirits, seeming to be more concerned that his family saw him “get netted” on national television, than anything else.

As for the fight between CB and Nick, it was fast, intense, and technically advanced.

The fight opened with CB attempting a leg kick, which Nick caught and turned into a takedown.

CB rolled with the takedown and attempted a guillotine choke.  Nick escaped and turtled up.  CB rotated to the back, but made no attempts to sink his hooks in.  Nick went for a knee bar escape from turtle and almost sunk it before CB was able to twist free.  Nick countered by rolling to guard and attempting an arm bar, which CB muscled out of.

CB then began reigning down punches inside Klein’s open guard while attempting to pass to side control several times.  After finally passing Nick’s guard, CB maintained side control only for a moment as Nick was able to pull half-guard again and attempt another arm bar.

Once again, CB passed the guard and Nick rolled to turtle position.  CB continued to reign down punches, most of which landed on the back of Nick’s head, opening a small cut.

Again, Nick rolled to guard, attempting one final arm bar that failed just as time expired in the round.

Round two began with Nick coming out and working his jab.  CB countered with leg kicks that seemed to upset Nick.  So, Nick returned the leg kicks before attempting a few more jabs.  Then, to the dismay of his corner, Nick pulled guard and took the fight to the mat.

Nick was able to keep CB’s posture broken for a short time while he tried to land blows from the bottom; but, CB began to pass and Nick again rolled to turtle.  Klein then attempted another knee bar escape.

Unfortunately for Nick, CB seemed prepared this time and rolled with the attempt, ending up in guillotine position.  CB then pulled half-guard and sank the choke.  Nick was forced to tap out.

Winner by second-round guillotine choke submission: CB Dollaway

With the final preliminary fight out of the way, it was time for the semi-final match-ups to be set.

Fighters were called in one at a time and asked whom they would most like to fight.  Most fighters were ambivalent about their next opponent, except CB who only wanted to fight Cale.

Cale’s mocking comments had been piling up on CB and finally tipped the scale when Cale made a comment questioning CB’s sexuality and choice of sunglasses.

The semi-final match-ups were set:

Jesse Taylor (6-2) v Dante Rivera (10-2)

Amir Sadollah (0-0) v Matt Brown (9-6)

Daniel Cramer (0-0) v Tim Credeur (9-2)

CB Dollaway(6-0) v Cale Yarbrough (0-0)

Team Jackson drafted Gerald Harris (6-2) to face Team Forrest’s Amir Sadollah (0-0) in what Rampage dubbed “the classis wrassler” versus kickboxer match-up.

Rampage was high on Harris, with whom he shares fight styles.  They like to slam opponents and pound them.

Fifth-ranked light heavyweight Forrest Griffin (15-4) had questions about Amir’s confidence before the match.

 Gerald Harris (6-2) v Amir Sadollah (0-0)

Ding, ding!  Harris immediately shot in and drove Sadollah to the fence for a double-leg takedown.

From Amir’s half-guard, Harris landed a few punches and short elbows.  Amir controlled his posture to minimize the damage.

Sadollah was able to stand back up and Harris clinched him up looking for another takedown.  Again, Harris brutally slammed Amir like a child.

After some light G’n’P, Gerald once again slammed Amir and fought from Sadollah’s open guard.

Working to their feet again, Amir threw a big knee, but missed, setting up Gerald for the low single.  Gerald grabbed on to Amir’s leg; but, Amir managed to reverse the position before Gerald could take him down.

Amir was trying to get Harris in the crucifix position, popping Harris with two elbows to the body in the process.  Gerald escaped as Amir tried to take his back and Harris drove Sadollah against the fence to finish the round.

Amir began round two determined to keep his feet.  He connected with a couple of sharp leg kicks before Harris pushed him against the fence again for the takedown.

From the top, Gerald landed a wide-arcing elbow before standing again.

Amir, who had been getting dominated to this point, responded with a knee that looked like it stunned Harris.  Gerald looked immediately for another takedown and shot in low, grabbing Amir’s leg near the ankle.

Refusing to the let go of the leg, Gerald eats a few body shots from Amir, who tries to take his back.  Harris escaped the ensuing scramble and took Amir down against the fence.

The fighters stand back up; and, Amir, sensing defeat landed a right knee to the jaw of Harris that dropped him for a flash knockout.

Harris turtled-up and grabbed Amir’s leg instinctually.  Sadollah threw a few punches before the referee stopped the fight.

Winner by technical knockout: Amir Sadollah

Rampage was depressed because Gerald was one of his favorites.  Harris was crushed and enraged.  Neither had time to lament on the loss as the final fight pairings for the first round were quickly named.

Team Forrest selected Cale Yarbrough (0-0) to face Team Rampage’s replacement fighter, Patrick Schultz (5-1-1), leaving Team Forrest’s Nick Klein (3-0) versus Team Rampage’s top pick, CB Dollaway (6-0)

Both Yarbrough and Schultz are stand-up specialists and make a “no jiu-jitsu” truce. 

Forrest said Yarbrough could beat anyone in the house as long as they stayed away from “that hippie stuff”, referring to wrestling and jiu-jitsu.

Patrick said he was looking forward to having a kickboxing match ending in a knockout.

Cale Yarbrough (0-0) v Patrick Schultz (5-1-1)

Early on, the fight between Yarbrough and Schultz looked exactly as hyped.  Yarbrough threw a high kick that Schultz caught and used to send him to the mat; but, Schultz allowed Cale to stand right back up.  They wanted to bang!  The boxing match continued and Schultz was effectively working his jab, mixing in a few power punches.

Both men were content to strike and neither would capitalize on the many openings for takedowns.  Schultz appeared to have a more technical boxing game and was getting the best of the stand-up.

Finally, with 1:45 left in the round, Cale realized he was getting picked apart.  He shot in for a double-leg takedown and, with no defense from Schultz, got in Schultz’s guard, pounding him with hammer fists.

After about a minute, the fighters stood and Cale scored another easy takedown, ending the round with some light G’n’P inside Schultz’s guard.

Fighters.com scored this round 10-9 for Schultz.

Schultz, looking gassed, wanted no part of the ground game.  He came out swinging to start the second round.

Cale got another takedown into Schultz’s half-guard.  The fight stayed on the mat the entire round; and, Yarbrough was dominant.  He connected with punches and a few elbows while keeping Schultz’s back on the mat.

Cale looked like he was getting stronger and gaining confidence as the round wore on.

Schultz, however, was gassed out.  He wasn’t trying to escape, just trying to avoid the stoppage.

Fighters.com scored the round 10-9 for Yarbrough.

When it was announced that a third round wasn’t necessary, everyone knew the outcome.

Winner by decision: Cale Yarbrough

Rampage was upset, thinking Schultz had won round one.

Forrest offered Yarbrough for another round.

Schultz told Forrest, “Go back to your corner.  I can’t wait until you fight Rampage.”

Forrest countered with a “Who the fuck are you?” stare.

Rampage warned Forrest, “I bet my whole purse our fight doesn’t end in a decision,” then stormed off.

This season added the twist of doubling the field to 32 and matching wannabes to make the cut after just 48-hours in camp.

Eight middleweight fights were contested on Wednesday’s episode.

IFL vet Mike Dolce (3-4) earned the first bed with a first-round right hook knockout of Gurgel Academy fighter Prince McLean (4-5).

McLean confessed before the loss, “I don’t know what I’m going to do [if I don't make the cut].”  The Cincinnatian broke down in tears on his way back to the Queen City.

Season seven coach Forrest Griffin (15-4) warned that a wrestler was the worst match-up for his friend Cale Yarbrough (0-0), but the MMA amateur impressed versus wrestler John Clarke (6-2), who had to ditch 17 pounds to make weight for the fight.

Yarbrough wiggled out of two near armbar submissions before pummeling the exhausted Clarke to a TKO in the first round.

Another amateur, Amir Sadollah (0-0), also looked tough versus former Marine Steve Byrnes (6-1).

I kept waiting for Byrnes to remove his Davy Crocket cap, but apparently “coon tail” was the look he requested on his last barber shop visit.

After a scrap that didn’t make me feel so out of shape, Sadollah submitted Byrnes in an armbar in the second round.

Jeremy May (5-5) is an early contender for the inevitable “Douchebag I Can’t Wait to See Smashed” award after taunting season seven’s other coach, “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6), after wrapping Jackson’s childhood friend David Roberts(5-7) in a leg triangle to earn a bed.

“I like making people scream like that,” May bragged after the “W”.

In highlights, CB Dollaway (6-0), Dante Rivera (10-2), Nick Klein (3-0), and Paul Bradley (5-0) earned beds in the TUF house.

White dogged relentlessly on the wrestler Bradley for a lay’n'pray decision victory.

The drafting of Jackson for coaching duties this season is already paying entertainment dividends.

He claimed it was Dolce’s B.O. that knocked out McLean in the first fight, saying, “The funk came in the punch!”

Is it just me, or is there an irony in center Octagon of the world’s most demanding athletic endeavor being papered by a fast-food sponsor?

Regardless, it was the fighters’ skills on display in the first episode, not their personalities; so, it’s hard to latch on to any of the first eight to earn their spot in the final field of 16.

Next week will feature the final eight qualifying matches before the coaches choose their teams for the big TUF tournament.