According to the one and only Sherdog, “UFC Live 4” recently had its lineup finalized. The list of matches now stand as such: Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson, Patrick Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft, Tyson Griffin vs. Manny Gamburyan, Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vasquez, Joe Lauzon vs. Curt Warburton, Matt Brown vs. Rich Attonito, T.J. Grant vs. Charlie Brenneman, Charles Oliveira vs. Nik Lentz, Matt Grice vs. Ricardo Lamas, and Michael Johnson vs. Edward Faaloloto.

As expected, this fourth event falls right back into the “buffer zone” that has become synonymous with this series of shows. I think Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson is more than worthy of being on a Pay-Per-View, just not in the co-main or main event. The same goes for Barry vs. Kongo: it’d make an interesting opener to a Pay-Per-View or a good main event of a “Fight Night Live” card.

I don’t mean to put the “UFC on Versus” series in a harsh light, I’m actually a huge fan of this series. It’s just that, to this day, I still miss the WEC. But I realize that it’s a little unfair to the “UFC on Versus” performers to keep holding that against them, and in a way, I’m not. It’s going to be a good event… the WEC super-fan in me just remembers how things used to be.

Now, with that said, I can’t wait to see what Nate Marquardt fights at when he debuts at Welterweight for the first time. I’ve been a fan of “Nate The Great” for quite a while now, and I’ve always felt that something was holding him back from reaching his full potential and getting another shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship. Marquardt’s main Achilles Heel at Middleweight was the dominant wrestler, and hopefully the drop in weight negates that. Then again, Anthony Johnson is a monster Welterweight and a very dominant wrestler. And that’s one of the reasons this fight is so interesting.

Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo should be an excellent war between two good strikers. So long as both men never leave their feet, this could even be the best fight of the night. I don’t mean to typecast either man as a one-dimensional fighter, I’m just pointing out that I’ve enjoyed both men the most when their striking is at the forefront.

Finally, I’m also looking forward to seeing Matt Mitrione back in action. Mitrione is a character, through and through, but he’s also a constantly-evolving fighter that’s becoming increasingly dangerous. Mitrione is a big Heavyweight with big power, with an interesting style and comparably good cardio. If Mitrione wins this fight, I think this will be the last low-to-mid tier opponent that the UFC gives Mitrione. If Morecraft falls, it’ll be only the best from then on. And that should be a very, very interesting time to be a Matt Mitrione fan.

Overall, this card is quickly shaping up to be the UFC’s can’t-miss free TV event of the summer.

According to Sherdog, the official lineup of “UFC on Versus 4” now looks like this: Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson, Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft, Manny Gamburyan vs. Tyson Griffin, Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vazquez, Joe Lauzon vs. Curt Warburton, Michael Johnson vs. Edward Faaloloto, and Matt Brown vs. Rich Attonito

Their report also states that the following fights are rumored but not officially confirmed as of yet: Matt Grice vs. Ricardo Lamas, Nik Lentz vs. Charles Oliveira, and T.J. Grant vs. Matt Riddle.

It’s going to be pretty interesting to see what Nate Marquardt looks like as a Welterweight fighter. To be perfectly honest, Marquardt has been showing up to his fights so big lately that I would’ve expected him to move up a weight class, and not down, if he wanted to reinvigorate his career. Then again, I guess I shouldn’t be talking about difficult weight cuts when his opponent is Anthony Johnson, who is rumored to cut weight from as high as a monstrous 230.

But I don’t think it’s just the weight cut that could harm Nate Marquardt. I’ve been a semi-fan of “Nate The Great” for some time now, but I think it’s very apparent that his biggest Achilles Heel is a dominant wrestler. And even if it wasn’t the slugfest we all wanted it to be, Anthony Johnson recently manhandled and dismantled Dan Hardy thanks to his dominant wrestling. And let’s not forget, Johnson was coming off of a substantial layoff and still looked pretty good against Hardy. With the ring rust shaken off, Johnson will be a big threat to Marquardt. But I do think Marquardt has a chance, and I certainly respect him for making his Welterweight debut against such a formidable opponent.

Another big  bout between two big men that I’m looking forward to is Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo. These two fighters match up ridiculously well with each other. Say what you will about either man, but they both are very impressive so long as the fight is played out exclusively on the feet. And that’s more than likely what this fight will boil down to: a technical war between two high-level kickboxers. So long as it lives up to its potential and is a pure striking contest, this should be a great fight.

Overall, I think this will be a good “UFC on Versus” event. It really doesn’t make up for the fact that the WEC is no more, but that’s neither here nor there. I’ll take what I can get, since that’s really the only thing I can do, and the only thing anyone can really do. Thankfully, this card doesn’t seem like a throw-away event at all, and even though the future is very uncertain when it comes to the UFC’s plans for the Versus network, we should at least all appreciate and respect the UFC for trying to make these “UFC on Versus” events something special.

And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on this card?

According to MMA Fighting, the following four matches are now confirmed for the “UFC on Versus 4” broadcast: Nate Marquardt vs. Anthony Johnson, Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo, Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft, and Matt Brown vs. Rich Attonito.

Also, several bouts remain unconfirmed by the UFC but do appear to be in the works. Those bouts include Martin Kampmann vs. John Howard, Manny Gamburyan vs. Tyson Griffin, and Joe Stevenson vs. Javier Vasquez.

I think it will be very interesting to see how Nate Marquardt adapts to being a Welterweight. I’ve always thought of Nate Marquardt as a very muscular Middleweight, and when he’s at his bulkiest I’ve even thought that he could make Light Heavyweight with not much effort. I supposed Marquardt is tired of having to start over again and again in the Middleweight division and is interested in trying his hand at a different weight class.

I also think it’s too soon to tell how successful Marquardt will be at Welterweight.  Anthony Johnson has just come off a very convincing performance against Dan Hardy, and I think Johnson is well on his way towards realizing the potential seen in his first few UFC fights. In facing Anthony Johnson, Nate Marquardt is dealing with an explosive, very muscular wrestler that can knock people out but can also totally control them on the ground. And his deflating loss to Chael Sonnen proves that Nate Marquardt still has a weakness against dominant wrestlers.

In regards to the other “UFC on Versus 4” fights, I’m looking forward to seeing both Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft.

I think Barry/Kongo is the perfect match for both striking-based fighters. It’s become painfully obvious that Cheick Kongo will never have any sort of ground game other than basic Ground and Pound, but Pat Barry loves to keep the fight standing and he’s coming off a very dominating performance. It may not be the most technical fight ever, but we should see fists flying a mile a minute and it could just be one of the best pure brawls of the last several months.

I feel mostly the same way about the Christian Morecraft vs. Matt Mitrione match-up. To be honest, I was hoping that Mitrione would get someone a little higher on the food chain, but I do understand that Morecraft is just coming off of a big win over Sean McCorkle. It’ll be two big, big Heavyweights swinging leather, and with the skill level both men have shown in their recent fights, it should definitely be an entertaining scrap.

All in all, I’m definitely looking forward to this show. And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on the current, confirmed “UFC on Versus 4” lineup?

Perennial middleweight contender and one-time title challenger Nate Marquardt will be returning to the welterweight division for the first-time in the long time. In his way will be another perennial contender in Anthony Johnson, who hopes to derail the 170-pound UFC debut of Marquardt by upsetting the former King of Pancrase.

Many may forget that Marquardt began his career in the 170-pound division, though bouts with Yves Edwards and Genki Sudo highlight his list of notable opponents in the weight class earlier in his career.

Both Marquardt and Johnson is expected to headline the event, which takes place on June 26 at the Energy Consol Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Nate “The Great” was last seen in action this in March when he defeated the always scrappy Dan Miller at UFC 128. Marquardt was able to grind out a decision win over the New Jersey native, successfully bouncing back from a disappointing decision loss to current title challenger Yushin Okami, at UFC 122 last November. While Marquardt has come up short on several occasions to claim top-contender status in the middleweight class, a win over Johnson could immediately vaunt him into title contention at 170.

However, Anthony hopes to steal Marquardt’s thunder with a win. After a 16-month layoff due to a severe knee injury, Johnson came back in true form when he utterly dominated one-time title challenger Dan Hardy at UFC Fight Night 24 last month. After an early knockdown courtesy of a strong high kick, Johnson was able to utilize his wrestling background to work Hardy to the mat over and over again. Though it wasn’t quite the bout most people expected, Johnson was able to walk away from the bout with a clear-cut decision win.

MMAJunkie.com were the first to report the welterweight bout, and have learned with sources close to the event that say that both Marquardt and Johnson have verbally agreed to the match-up.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the fight? Who do you favor and do you think a win over the respective opponent will put the winner into title contention? Sound off in the comment section below.

Johnson is recently coming off of a dominant, yet eye gouging at times, performance against fellow striker Dan Hardy. Last Saturday, the two men served as the co-main event for “UFC Fight Night 24″ in a fight that both men promised to stand in the center of the cage and bang it out.

While Anthony showed a glimmer of said promises in the first-round, when he knocked down the Brit with a vicious high-kick, he never followed up. Instead, Johnson took down Hardy for the entire 15-minutes of the fight and controlled the Team Rough House product on the mat and took home a decision win.

Howard, among others, were not particularly impressed by the win and has now the bad feelings have resurfaced, and he hopes to get a crack at Johnson in the immediate future.

The resentment for one another when Howard turned down a bout with Johnson early in his UFC career, simply because he wanted to get his footing within the organization first before taking on a tall task like “Rumble”. The decision seems acceptable, though Johnson got word of Howard having turned down the fight, and ever since then, the back-and-forth banner has ceased to end.

“What happened was, (the UFC) offered the fight to me for my second fight in the UFC”, said Howard in an interview with MMAWeekly.com

“And I told them, ‘no, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m still new in the UFC and I still want to be making some money out of it, and don’t want to be fighting some of the top 20 guys already.’ He took it like, oh, I was scared, I’m a (expletive), I’m a (expletive) and all this. And then call me a ‘cotton picker.’

Needless to say, Howard did not take kindly towards the harsh words thrown his way, and even after coming off of back-to-back losses top divisional greats Jake Ellenberger and Thiago Alves (respectively), he would be willing to risk his UFC career if it means that he could fight Johnson next.

“Yeah, I definitely want to shut that dude up, man,” said Howard of Johnson.

“It’s one of those fights where I don’t care about winning or losing. I just want to smash this dude. I think it’s better to (have it) happen in the UFC before it gets to the streets. That’s how bad it is between me and him. I don’t like this kid. I think he’s a big bully.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Howard’s statements? Both men are tough welterweight standouts, and despite the recent losses, Howard is no one to be overlooked. Powerful striker with strong wrestling skills is a dangerous combination. Sound off in the comment section below.

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?

In part 2 of our audio discussion with MMA nutrition specialist, Mike Dolce – founder of The Dolce Diet, we talk about a number of UFC fighters and their weight cut issues or lack there of, in the case of Frankie Edgar. Dolce takes you inside his work with welterweight Mike Pyle and his amazing weight cut and rehydration at UFC 128. He also comments on Anthony Johnson, who just defeated Dan Hardy, but has had trouble making weight in the past.   Interesting topic for MMA fans.

Click through to listen to part 2 with Mike Dolce.

The “Big Sleepy” Award: I’m giving this one to “Big Sexy” Sean McCorkle for getting put to sleep while standing upright. Seeing him get choked out in such an unconventional way was rather bizarre, but it also made for one of the best moments of the night. In typical McCorkle fashion he recently posted a mass tweet to “the haters” saying that he lives a live his detractors could only dream of even if he gets cut from the UFC. Always a class act.

The “Smiling Through The Pain” Award: Alex Caceres, whose smile could light up a dark room from the second he first stepped into the Octagon up until the end of the fight and all during the gigantic beatdown Mackens Semerzier gave him. “Bruce Leroy” just seemed so genuinely happy to finally be getting his shot in the Octagon that I was honestly a little sad that Semerzier made such quick work of him. Even after he lost he was still smiling.

The “Don’t Hate The Player, Hate The Game(plan)” Award: Anthony Johnson, for promising to stand and bang with Dan Hardy in the weeks leading up to their fight only to spend a majority of the fight taking Hardy down and grappling with him. A certain section of the fanbase is very angry at Johnson for his bait-and-switch, but honestly, I think Johnson needed a win and employed by far the best tactic to get one. He’s primarily a wrestler, and he out-wrestled someone who has never and likely will never have any sort of significant ground game. Johnson may have played it safe, but he also played it smart. So I’m honestly not that upset with “Rumble” and I’m glad to see him back in the UFC.

The “Cliché Breaker” Award: In reference to C-C-C-C COMBO BREAKER, this one is being given to Phil Davis for the many, now-cliché references made between him and current champion Jon Jones. Before the fight everyone was harping on how they were so similar, now that the fight’s over everyone is harping about how they’re so different. I say we should let Jon Jones be Jon Jones and Phil Davis be Phil Davis. I look forward to seeing where both men go in their careers, but I’m honestly tired of seeing them compared to each other again and again and again… and again. I’m partly guilty of this myself, so this’ll the last you’ll hear from me on this subject.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. And remember, it’s all in good fun… mostly. What about you? Any thoughts/opinions ready to be shared?

5. Mackens Semerzier’s all-out blitzkrieg on “Bruce Leroy” Alex Caceres

I had my hesitations with Caceres from the get-go, and I think this fight proved above all else that he’s not ready for the UFC. I also had my doubts with Semerzier, but he definitely proved me wrong and I’m honestly glad he did. I think Semerzier took a big step on the comeback trail with this win, and it was definitely one of the most dominating wins of his career. There’s just no way you utterly storm through an opponent and not end up on a list like this.

4. Christian Morecraft’s Standing Guillotine Choke.

Up until the end of the fight, Christian Morecraft was comfortably ahead on my scorecard in his bout against Sean McCorkle. I had Morecraft winning it two rounds to one, although I wasn’t ruling out a third-round resurgence combined with the always-puzzling judges possibly giving McCorkle the decision win. But Morecraft wouldn’t let it go to the judges, and sunk in a Standing Guillotine Choke, a move that rarely seems to work. But work it did: after a few seconds of struggling, McCorkle went limp and his unconscious body flopped to the canvas seconds later. It was simply one of the most impressive finishes of the night, and that’s saying something.

3. Amir Sadollah rightfully (finally?) coming into his own.

Here’s some honesty for you: up until last night I had never bought into the hype surrounding Amir Sadollah. Up until last night he had only ever finished one opponent, and it’s hard for me to forget that he sat on the sidelines for over a year only to come back and get TKO’d in twenty-nine seconds. But when Sadollah fought DaMarques Johnson, everything just seemed to click with him. In short, Sadollah finally made me believe that all the hype surrounding him back when he won “The Ultimate Fighter” might not have been in vain. It was a head-turning performance that turned my head and made me rethink my opinion of Amir Sadollah, so of course it gets a spot on this list.

2. The first-ever UFC victory by Twister. ‘Nuff said.

Of all the things I thought I’d see when Chan Sung Jung and Leonard Garcia met for a second time… I never thought I’d see a win by Twister. Not only is that a very complicated and intricate move, it was also done by someone who’s primarily known as an iron-chinned power-puncher. How could this crazy submission win not get one of the highest spots on this list?

And my personal pick for the best moment of Fight Night 24 is…

1. Michael McDonald and Edwin Figueroa’s epic three-round war.

“Epic” and “war” pretty much sums up this fight. From the first second to the last, both of these fighters tried to finish each other and had each other in pretty big trouble at several times throughout the course of the bout. It was clear that McDonald had won, but it was also clear that Figueroa had made it far closer than anyone was expecting. This is the kind of bout everyone loves to see, no matter what your preference is. This was two fighters putting all of their heart and soul into a fifteen-minute brawl, and it was honestly one of the better fights of the year so far.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from Fight Night 24. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?

Next for Sean McCorkle: What to do with Sean McCorkle? He’s an excellent trash-talker and up until December of last year he was unbeaten at 10-0, but now he’s on a two-fight losing-streak with both losses by stoppage. How do you package and market a guy that just got choked unconscious, and before that was beaten to a bloody pulp? McCorkle may be cut from the UFC following this loss, and if he isn’t, he’ll be right back on the undercard for a third and final time. There’s no way the UFC keeps Sean McCorkle employed if he loses three times in a row.

Next for Michael McDonald/Edwin Figueroa: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. It really says something that this fight, on the preliminary Facebook broadcast, was so good that it earned “Fight of the Night” for an event filled with some pretty big names in the UFC. I’d love to see these two go at it again, especially considering that Figueroa had one week to train for his opponent. With both men getting a full camp’s worth of training in, their second encounter could be even better. I say book the rematch as soon as possible and put it on the main card.

Next for Leonard Garcia: Even though Garcia recently lost, I think he should still have a rematch with Nam Phan. “The Korean Zombie” got his shot at revenge and gave us the first-ever UFC win by Twister. I’d love to see what Phan would be able to do in order to even their rivalry to one win apiece. Plus, for the first time in a long time, Garcia actually seemed to be sticking to his gameplan. Considering the very controversial nature of their first fight and the interesting changes Garcia seems to have made, I think a Garcia/Phan rematch still makes a whole lot of sense.

Next for Dan Hardy: Dana White recently said “not necessarily” when asked if Dan Hardy losing three straight fights would result in him getting his UFC pink slip. To which I say: everyone is expendable eventually. If Dan Hardy does get another fight in the UFC, it will absolutely be his last shot. There’s just no way that Dan Hardy stays in the UFC after losing four straight fights. It’s do or die time for “The Outlaw” and no matter who his next opponent is, Hardy will be fighting for his UFC career.

Next for Anthony Johnson: Anthony Johnson is in a pretty interesting position: he came back after over a year off and only looked a tiny bit rusty, but still, he won a somewhat-boring fight. It was the win he needed, but not the one the fans wanted. I think Johnson should rematch Josh Koscheck, who’s coming off of a deflating five-round thrashing at the hands (mostly the jab) of Georges St. Pierre. Not only would it be a fun and marketable fight, the winner of Koscheck/Johnson 2 would definitely take a big step in the right direction.

Next for Phil Davis: As I said before, I considered this fight Phil Davis’ “entrance exam” into the upper echelon. I think Davis is ready for fighters like Ryan Bader, or perhaps Lyoto Machida if Machida loses his  upcoming fight to Randy Couture. Davis is in a weird position with me: I’d consider him “the bottom of the top”. He needs tough challenges, but based on his Fight Night 24 performance, I think the cream of the crop would be too much for him right now. In the immediate future, look for Davis to be back on a Pay-Per-View against another Light Heavyweight that’s trying to break into the top of the division, or a top-division talent that’s on his way down.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? What do you see happening in the near and not-so-near future of the big winners and losers of Fight Night 24?

Phil Davis defeats Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via Unanimous Decision. Anthony Johnson defeats Dan Hardy via Unanimous Decision. Amir Sadollah defeats DaMarques Johnson via Submission (Strikes) at 3:27 of Round 2. Chan Sung Jung defeats Leonard Garcia via Twister Submission at 4:59 of Round 2. Mike Russow defeats Jon Madsen via TKO (Doctor Stoppage) at 5:00 of Round 2. Mackens Semerzier defeats Alex Caceres by Rear Naked Choke at 3:18 of Round 1. John Hathaway defeats Kris McCray via Split Decision. Michael McDonald defeats Edwin Figueroa via Unanimous Decision. Christian Morecraft defeats Sean McCorkle via Standing Guillotine Choke at 4:10 of Round 2. Johny Hendricks defeats T.J. Waldburger via TKO at 1:35 of Round 1. Aaron Simpson defeats Mario Miranda via Unanimous Decision. Nike Lentz defeats Waylon Lowe via Guillotine Choke at 2:24 of Round 3.

I enjoyed three out of the four “UFC on Facebook” free preliminary fights, with one decent bout and one mundane one. I thought Mike Russow and Jon Madsen was an o.k. fight, although I was a bit puzzled by the decision to end the fight. It certainly wasn’t a fight that lit the canvas on fire, but it was competitive. John Hathaway’s win over Kris McCray did absolutely nothing for me, though.

I definitely enjoyed seeing Mackens Semerzier and Christian Morecraft win, both were very entertaining and dominating performances. I liked Morecraft’s victory a whole lot, it takes a lot of power to choke someone unconscious with a standing guillotine.

But far and away my favorite fight of the Facebook broadcast was the three-round all-out war between Michael McDonald and Edwin Figueroa. Both men simply left it all in the center of the Octagon, for fifteen minutes they brought out the best in each other and set one of the quickest paces of the night. I’d love to see a rematch between these two, since Figueroa had barely a week to train for this fight. Judging on both men’s performances, it’s pretty clear that the UFC will be calling them back before long. This was just another reminder that the lighter-weight fighters consistently deliver some of the best action around.

Speaking of lighter-weight fighters, how insane was it to see the first-ever Twister submission in the UFC? Before the fight-ending submission I honestly wasn’t enjoying this rematch between Chan Sung Jung and Leonard Garcia nearly as much as I had enjoyed their first encounter, but that wicked Twister more than made up for it. I didn’t lose an ounce of respect for Garcia for tapping out with one second left on the clock, for a fighter like Leonard Garcia to tap out you know he must have been in an excruciating level of pain.

I think Amir Sadollah really came into his own with his performance against DaMarques Johnson. All of Sadollah’s punches were very crisp, and in my opinion, he hasn’t looked this good since he won the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. I think it will be very interesting to see where Sadollah goes from here.

Although ring rust is very real, Anthony Johnson’s wrestling is realer. So is Dan Hardy’s one-dimensionality. Johnson fully proved me wrong and to be honest, part of me is glad that he did. Although it wasn’t the flashiest win, this was still a big feather in Johnson’s cap. With a little improvement and an active schedule, Johnson could very well end 2011 by recapturing the potential and hype that surrounded him when he debuted in the UFC.

Phil Davis didn’t exactly give a “wonderful” performance, but a win is a win and he clearly beat “Little Nog”. However, this wasn’t the big win everyone thought would propel Davis into prime title contention against Jon Jones. This was Davis’ entrance exam into the upper echelon, and while he passed it, he didn’t ace it. Davis needs at least two more fights against top-flight competition before he’s ready for a title shot.

Overall, I enjoyed this event. A few of the fights were hit or miss, but in the end there were more hits than misses. Some of the fights weren’t all that enjoyable, but some of them really were. Overall, it was a solid if not super-amazing night of fights.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What are your thoughts and feelings on Fight Night 24?

While the first-round looked to live up to the hype early, Anthony Johnson quickly reverted back to what was later looking like what was his game plan all along.

And after an extended layoff for “Rumble”, he looked like he never missed a step once he returned to the octagon, in true form, and will now be looking to climb up the ranks once again of the welterweight class.

It was unanimous that everyone thought this bout would end in of two ways: one will leave the victim of a knockout, or it would be an early candidate for “Fight of the Night”–neither of which came to fruition.

Most people may forget Johnson’s background, which lies primarily from a wrestling background, however he reminded everyone in attendance of that for the rest of the bout when he controlled all the action to the floor.

Early in the first-round, Johnson dropped Hardy with a hard left high-kick–which initially looked to be defended properly, the force of the blow leveled Hardy to the canvas. Anthony followed up for the finish, however the Brit proved to be too resilient, and survived. From there, it was all Johnson from there on out. Hardy glued his back to the mat for the rest of the match, where Anthony worked for position and ground-and-pound blows.

The rhythm of the bout continued for the rest of the match, and in the third-round, Anthony turned up the action when he was able to take the back of Dan, a former UFC welterweight title challenger, and eventually secure mount. From there, Anthony locked up what looked like a a tight arm-triangle choke, however as was on display in Hardy’s bout with champion Georges St. Pierre, he’s nearly impossible to submit. A neck crank for Johnson later followed, however he settled for a few shorts punches, which helped secure the round and the decision, when all three judges scored the bout for Johson, 30-27.

With the win, Johnson now bounces back from a long layoff dating back to UFC 106 in November of 2009, and is now back in the win column after a loss to Josh Koscheck. Hardy has now lost three-fights in a row.

So, MMA peeps, what did you think of the bout? Did it go the way you had anticipated? Where do either man go from here? Sound off in the comment section below.

With that said, most of the attention shared on the weigh-in ceremony largely surrounded the seemingly gargantuan Anthony Johnson, whom in the past has had a difficult time cutting to the welterweight limit of 170-pounds.

However, today he looked as lean and svelte as he ever has before, as did everyone else who hit the scales, as not one fighter had an particular issue making their own specific weight class.

Johnson, a 6’1 knockout powerhouse in the welterweight class, has had an extended layoff due to a lingering knee injury that in 2010 finally took a toll on his body, which he paid for later with the subsequent surgery that had him sidelined for the rest of the year. Anthony used every bit of the welterweight limit to make weight today, as he tipped the scales at 171-pounds (given the one pound allowance as per the Washington State Athletic Commission) as did his opponent and friend, Dan Hardy, who also came in at 171.

After the co-main event was out of the way, the rest of the attention laid upon the main event fighters, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis who both came in at the maximum of 206-pounds for their light heavyweight match-up.

The full weigh-in results are formatted as per MMAJunkie.com:

MAIN CARD (Spike TV)

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (206) vs. Phil Davis (206)
Dan Hardy (171) vs. Anthony Johnson (171)
DaMarques Johnson (171) vs. Amir Sadollah (170)
Leonard Garcia (145) vs. Chan Sung Jung (146)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

Jon Madsen (261) vs. Mike Russow (256)
Alex Caceres (146) vs. Mackens Semerzier (146)
John Hathaway (171) vs. Kris McCray (170)
Edwin Figueroa (136) vs. Michael McDonald (135)
Sean McCorkle (266) vs. Christian Morecraft (265)

PRELIMINARY CARD

Johny Hendricks (170) vs. T.J. Waldburger (170)
Mario Miranda (185) vs. Aaron Simpson (185)
Nik Lentz (155) vs. Waylon Lowe (156)

Part of me has to wonder if the UFC’s decision to add three more fights to their Facebook stream was done in order to at least somewhat compete with Bellator. With this new start time, there will be at least a handful of Facebook fights that compete head-to-head with Bellator’s offering on Saturday night. I’ve spoken out about watching two shows before, and how I don’t normally like to do so. Yet it looks like I’ll have to do so once again. At least I’m content with the knowledge that those Facebook fights certainly seem appealing.

I can’t wait to see Leonard Garcia vs. “The Korean Zombie” and I really hope that it lives up to its potential. I’m honestly a bit worried that Chan Sung Jung will change it up too much, he vowed to make some pretty drastic changes following his first-ever KO loss. I know Garcia won’t change up anything, love him or hate him he fights his own style and it entertains a lot of people. Garcia is either too prideful or too dumb to be afraid to engage. If Jung isn’t afraid to engage, this could be a fight that’s every bit as good as their first encounter.

I think I’ve been a little unfair to Anthony Johnson, so I’d like to make one thing clear: I don’t really have anything against the man. I think he’s very entertaining and could be a major force sooner or later. But there’s just too many factors against him in this fight with Dan Hardy. For one, Hardy is a great striker and he wants to get back in the UFC’s good graces in a major way. Johnson has also been out for a long time, over a year. So long as Hardy can keep it standing, I feel pretty safe in picking Hardy to win this one.

But let’s give credit where credit is due: if Johnson takes this one to the ground early and often, he could outright dominate Dan Hardy. Hardy doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him, but he is and likely always will be a one-dimensional striker. Hardy has simply never been good off of his back, and against a high-level wrestler like Johnson, the chances of Hardy losing are high if Johnson is able to stay in control on the ground and not gas himself out.

The main event certainly has a lot of potential, and part of me really wants Rogerio Nogueira to win. I have a massive amount of respect for both Nogueira brothers, and I always look forward to seeing them fight because they’re master tacticians on the ground. But Davis is just too new-school, and in a lot of ways this fight should mirror Jon Jones’ recent thrashing of Mauricio Rua. Rogerio has more of a chance since he’s stayed active and has a world-class ground game, but I feel that Davis is just too strong and will Ground and Pound his way to a big and very convincing victory.

And that’s that, fans and friends. What about you? Any last thoughts on Fight Night 24?

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis: As much as I don’t like to admit this, it seems that an experienced wrestler with a tough chin and punching power is an Achilles Heel to Rogerio Nogueira, at least at this point in his career. He barely beat Jason Brilz, he didn’t beat Ryan Bader, and I don’t think he’s going to beat Phil Davis. Not only has Davis never been (T)KO’d or submitted, he’s never lost, period. He’s also proven very versatile in his short time as a fighter, with two (T)KO’s, two submissions, and three decisions. I think this one will be another decision win for him, since Nogueira is very tough. Little Nog’s chin will hold and his submission game is too good, but in the end he’s going to spend the majority of the match on his back eating punches. Unless Nogueira lands something unexpected and catches Phil Davis, Phil Davis wins by Unanimous Decision.

Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson: As Mauricio Rua most recently proved, “ring rust” is very real. Anthony Johnson has been on the sidelines for over a year, and even when he was active he struggled to make weight. Johnson is a monster Welterweight in a promotion filled with monster weight cuts, and due to both that and the rust, I think Johnson will struggle to make weight for this fight and only barely do so. I expect Johnson will be very rusty and gas easily, and Hardy will be able to finish him. Hardy wants it bad and has always been a great striker, while Johnson has simply been out for far too long. Dan Hardy wins by TKO in Round 2.

Amir Sadollah vs. DaMarques Johnson: Johnson is coming off of a crushing (literally) victory over Mike Guymon that saw Johnson nearly snap his opponent’s spine in half with a wicked Body Triangle. Amir Sadollah never fully lived up to his potential, he’s currently 4-2 and has only ever finished one opponent. But Johnson has also experienced defeat many times, his overall record is at a marginal 12-8. However, I simply think Johnson wants it more and will work harder, because unlike Sadollah he wasn’t put into the role of a can’t-miss prospect right off the bat and instead had to work hard to stay in the UFC. DaMarques Johnson wins by Split Decision.

Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung: As much as I like Leonard Garcia, to the point where I’ve vocally defended him despite his recent controversial wins, I think a time of reckoning is at hand. “The Korean Zombie” may have had his chin finally cracked, but I just don’t see it weakened enough to the point where Garcia will be able to stop him. I think Jung is hungrier than he’s ever been and will do whatever it takes to win his UFC debut. Garcia will gas himself out like he always does, and a refined and even more dangerous version of The Korean Zombie will beat Garcia via Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Who do you see winning, and why, at Fight Night 24?

5. Plenty of goodness on the undercard that we’ll probably get a chance to see.

A lot of main-card UFC fighters have been finishing their fights lately, and that’s a great thing for several reasons. First and foremost it makes the fights more exciting. But we also get more fights, with the UFC filling any time gaps with preliminary action from earlier in the evening. And the non-Facebook preliminary action features fighters like John Hathaway, Sean McCorkle, Aaron Simpson, and more.

4. More free fights on Facebook.

The UFC continues to deliver free preliminary fights over multiple channels, and for Fight Night 24, they’re giving away more free fights from an already-free event. Even better, they’re both really interesting fights: Mackens Semerzier takes on Alex Caceres (aka “Bruce Leroy”) while Jon Madsen fights Mike Russow. They may not be the best fights of the evening, but they’ve got their own fair share of potential and should be two fights that are well worth watching.

3. Garcia/Jung 2? Wow.

The first fight between Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung Jung was an amazing display of will, skill, heart, and fortitude. These two battled back and forth, exchanging huge punches at will, and somehow both of them were able to stay standing. It was particularly eerie to see “The Korean Zombie” walk through all of Garcia’s punches without flinching. Both men may have come under fire recently, with Garcia winning another controversial decision while Jung got KO’d for the first time in his career, but this should still be a great fight.

2. Anthony Johnson vs. Dan Hardy, for free? Even more wow.

The first time I heard about this bout, I wondered why it wasn’t being featured on Pay-Per-View. But the facts are the facts: Johnson has been out for over a year and Hardy has lost two straight. Putting them on a Fight Night just makes sense. What’s good about that, though, is that both men will come in hungry and wanting to get back on Pay-Per-View by making a big statement. Before he took his hiatus, Johnson was a can’t-miss prospect. Even though he’s lost two straight, Hardy is still a great striker. Both men may be down on their luck, but this could easily be the best fight of the night.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC Fight Night 24 is…

1. The main event could be a huge sleeper hit.

Phil Davis vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is a fight ripe with potential. Both men have been a bit overlooked recently, especially in the UFC’s ultra-competitive Light Heavyweight division. But this bout could end up being an amazing fight. Davis is young, strong, and possesses a dominant top game. Nogueira is wise, packs quite a punch, and possesses the kind of submission game that goes with being a Nogueira brother. It could go anywhere and everywhere, and both men could finish each other at any time. This is going to be a fantastic main event.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see Fight Night 24. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

The Event: UFC Fight Night 24: “Nogueira vs. Davis”, currently scheduled for March 26, 2011 at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. Two free preliminary fights will be streamed at the UFC’s Facebook page starting at 9:00 PM ET. The main card portion of the show will be televised live on the Spike TV network starting at 10:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: Now that Jon Jones is the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, a certain section of the fanbase has brought Phil Davis to the forefront as a possible challenger everyone needs to start paying attention to. But in order to step into that role, he’ll have to beat “Little Nog”: tough, skilled veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Also, Dan Hardy and Anthony Johnson fight with both men’s Welterweight relevancy at stake.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Phil Davis is a very imposing physical specimen, and he’s currently undefeated. However, Rogerio Nogueira has very powerful hands and a world-class ground game. Can Davis repeatedly shoot for the takedown and not get hit by a big knee or uppercut? Can “Little Nog” get the submission against a high-level wrestler that’s got both power and speed, and whose ground game continues to improve? Both men pose some very big threats to each other, so this should be a great fight.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Both Anthony Johnson and Dan Hardy need big wins to stay at or near the top of the division, since both have had to deal with some difficult losses in their most-recent bouts. Both men are going to be hunting for the finish from the second the first bell rings. Simply put, this is going to be a match-up between two very tough fighters that are near the top of a very hotly-contested division. There’s so much potential for fireworks that this fight honestly could have been put on Pay-Per-View.

Why You Should Watch This Card: This is simply one of the best-looking Fight Night cards in recent memory. Both the main event and co-main event have a whole lot of potential, and for very different reasons. You’ve also got the rematch to one of the best WEC fights I ever saw, Leonard Garcia vs. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. Add two more recently-announced free fights on Facebook and you’ve got a great night of live, free UFC action.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: A lot of these fighters are honestly on the decline. The fights might be good, but I have to wonder how much they’ll matter in the grand scheme of things. Phil Davis is certainly undefeated, but everyone else? Their recent fight record is a little underwhelming: “Little Nog” is 1-1, Dan Hardy is 0-2, Anthony Johnson is 1-1 and is returning after over a year off, Amir Sadollah is 1-1, DaMarques Johnson is 1-1, Leonard Garcia is 1-1, and “The Korean Zombie” is 0-2.

Closing Thoughts: All things considered, I’ve still got some decently-high hopes for this show. Many of these fights look like they’ll be a lot of fun, so I’m going to go ahead and just enjoy a free night of UFC action. I really do think this is a very solid card, especially for a “Fight Night”, so I’m definitely going to watch this event.

And what about you, fans and friends? Anybody out there looking forward to Fight Night 24?

5. Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson at UFC: “Fight Night 24”.

Both men are at a pretty interesting crossroads in their careers right now. Dan Hardy was the tough Brit who would never quit and had an iron chin… until Carlos Condit knocked him out. Anthony Johnson was supposed to be the next big can’t-miss prospect at Welterweight… then Josh Koscheck submitted him in November 2009 and “Rumble” hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since. Both men have a lot to prove in this fight, and it should be a fantastic fight.

4. Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland at UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”.

This entry definitely makes the list mostly because I’m an unabashed WEC fanboy, but this is one occasion where I have no problem letting my fanboy flag fly free. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Urijah Faber, and I think he’s found his fire again after dropping down to Bantamweight. I’m really looking forward to seeing Faber debut in the UFC and letting all the non-WEC UFC fans know what they’ve been missing, especially given the disappointing debut of Miguel Torres.

3. Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann at “UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann”.

I’m going to enjoy this fight even if Diego Sanchez loses, simply because it has all the makings of an epic encounter. This is the type of match perfect for the main event of a TV card: it’s two semi-big names in a smartly-booked fight that plays to both men’s strengths. Whoever emerges the winner takes a big step towards championship relevancy, and this should motivate both men to perform at their best. And when they perform at their best, they’re very entertaining. And performing at their best against each other? That will be even more entertaining.

2. Dan Henderson vs. Rafael Cavalcante at Strikeforce: “Feijao vs. Henderson”.

As a massive fan of the old school, part of me really wants Dan Henderson to beat Rafael Cavalcante. But as a moderate fan of Rafael Cavalcante, another part of me wants “Feijao” to beat Henderson in order to both legitimize his championship reign and bring stability to Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight division. It’s a tough fight to call, and it could go either way, and very few things are for certain until these two step into the cage. But one thing is for certain: if it lives up to its potential, this will be an awesome match.

And by quite a large margin, my number-one most-anticipated fight of March 2011 is…

1. Mauricio Rua vs. Jon Jones at UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Jones”.

I’ve talked about this match a whole lot, and I’ve had to deal with my fair share of criticism for my views. But I can’t wait to be proven right, because I wholeheartedly believe that I know exactly what is going to happen. I think Mauricio Rua’s mega-hyped comeback is all smoke and mirrors, and I think Jon Jones will prove once again that he’s the future of the Light Heavyweight division. A new era is about to dawn: Jon Jones will break the streak of Light Heavyweight Champions losing the belt in their first few defenses, a chain that has remained unbroken since Quinton Jackson famously dethroned Chuck Liddell all the way back in 2007. I absolutely cannot wait for this match.

And there you have it, fans and friends! But what about you? What bouts are you most looking forward to for March 2011?

The Brit will be returning to the octagon next year on shaky footing with the promotion following back-to-back losses inside the cage, though to top flight competition.

Hardy vied for the promotion’s welterweight title earlier this year opposite of reigning and defending champion Georges St. Pierre. At UFC 111, Dan fell short of his dream to claim the UFC strap when GSP defeated him with a convincing 5-round clean sweep, earning the unanimous decision victory.

The Team Roughhouse product returned later this year at UFC 120 when he took on former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit on the night’s televised portion of the SpikeTV broadcast, however succumbed to his first knockout loss inside of the first-round.

Hardy will hope to bounce back from his recent skid when he takes on former welterweight contender Anthony Johnson in March.

Johnson has been out of action for all of 2010 due to injury. However in 2009 “Rumble” was much more active, fighting three times during the year, which included big knockout victories over veterans Luigi Fioravanti and Yoshiyuki Yoshida. However in the biggest fight of his career, Johnson fell short of a victory when he took on former title challenger Josh Koscheck. Though the fight was mired in controversy due to “alleged” illegal knees and eye pokes, Koscheck still inevitably submitted Johnson in the waning moments of the second round.

The fight pitting Johnson and Hardy against one another will likely serve as the co-main event for the rumored UFC Fight Night 24, which is expected to take place on March 26 in Seattle, Wash. Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira is expected to serve as the nights headliner.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Both men hold a penchant for punching people in the face, and have proven knockout power, though I would give the edge to Johnson. Who do you think will walk away with the victory and return to contender status in the UFC? Sound off in the comment section below.

I think this will be Dan Hardy’s “do or die” fight, but not in the way everyone is thinking. First and foremost, I don’t think that Dan Hardy will be released if he loses this fight. For one, I think the UFC doesn’t want to run the risk of the UFC Welterweight Championship losing some of its prestige if a former contender is fired almost immediately after challenging for the title. Secondly, I think UFC President Dana White and all the UFC top brass know exactly what Dan Hardy is: he’s a controversial “finish or get finished” striker in a division filled with wrestlers that usually take their fights to decisions. And finally, Hardy is a big star in Britain, which is quickly emerging as a key player in the UFC’s international efforts. For all these reasons, I think Dan Hardy will get one last shot in the UFC even if he loses to Anthony Johnson.

In regards to the fight itself, it has all the makings of an amazing encounter. Dan Hardy is still very much in a “do or die” scenario in this fight, his divisional relevancy is at a tipping-point and he needs a big win over Johnson to prove that he can still hang with the UFC’s best. With a victory over Hardy, Anthony Johnson rights the ship that nearly crashed after a deflating submission loss to Josh Koscheck. Both men are very entertaining, unorthodox Mixed Martial Artists that have a majority of their wins by (T)KO.

I think this fight is Dan Hardy’s to win. I think Hardy knows full well that mistakes were made in his fight with Carlos Condit, and that Hardy’s penchant of abandoning his underrated technical striking in favor of banging it out when he gets excited is what caused him to get KO’d for the first time in his career. With this in mind, I think Hardy will come into the fight with Johnson with a renewed focus on attacking at angles, countering constantly, and setting up combos. I’m not saying Dan Hardy will put on a boring performance, I just think we’re going to see a new Dan Hardy in this fight: one that fights smarter, not harder.

If that Dan Hardy shows up, Anthony Johnson is done for. Johnson is a wrestler with big power in both hands, but he takes a lot of chances when he tries to punch out his opponents. If Johnson comes to strike, his striking isn’t up to Dan Hardy’s level. Hardy should have more than enough skill, timing, and power to take Johnson to a Unanimous Decision or even outright KO him.

However, if Johnson focuses solely on his wrestling for this fight, Dan Hardy is in for a very, very, very long night. Johnson is all muscle, he takes his opponent’s down with authority and he knows how to keep them there. And despite the fact that Dan Hardy won’t tap unless something snaps, the man still has virtually no ground game to speak of. On paper, Johnson should be able to outright dominate Hardy on the ground.

So, in the end, this will be a classic “striker vs. wrestler” match-up. Johnson simply isn’t as good of a striker as Dan Hardy, but Dan Hardy’s ground game doesn’t hold a candle to Anthony Johnson’s. This is going to be a very interesting, wildly entertaining bout.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your early thoughts on this planned encounter?

Champion GSP will look to make his fifth successful title defense against foe Koscheck. The two had met previously at UFC 74, where the American Kickboxing Academy product was riding a 5-fight win streak inside the cage coming into the bout, meanwhile, “Rush” was coming off of a disappointing and shocking knockout loss to the unheralded Matt Serra at UFC 69.

While competitive in spots, St. Pierre was able to dominate the wrestling department against the former NCAA champion, en route to a unanimous decision victory.

UFC officials made the fight-card official yesterday, with GSP vs Koscheck serving as the headliner. While the card is filling up quickly, no co-main event has been announced as of yet.

The rematch is 3 years in the making, and both competitors have improved leaps and bounds. While GSP has gone undefeated since then, eventually reclaiming his welterweight title against Matt Serra in a rematch at UFC 83 in his native Montreal Josh has faltered against some of the top competition in his division. With losses to Brazilians Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago inside of a three-fight stretch, Josh was able to bounce back with three-straight wins over Frank Trigg, Anthony Johnson, and most recently UFC castoff Paul Daley (UFC 113), have enabled the brash and cocky fighter his shot at the title.

No other bouts have become official as of yet, however the following bouts are rumored for the fight card as well.

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the fight card so far? With the bout officially official, who do you think takes the rematch? Sound off in the comment section below.

The eye poke issue is a hot topic and one that needs to be addressed right away before an athlete has their career ended due to a finger in the eye socket. Fighters have always been subjected to the occasional poke and maybe it is me but it seems to be happening more frequently as of late. It could be attribute to the fact that we now are able to witness more MMA than ever before but regardless, something needs to be done.

In order to fix the problem we first need to look at some of the more severe cases we have seen in recent days.

At Strikeforce Challengers in February the fight between Karl Amoussou (12-2-2) and Trevor Prangley (21-4-1) had to be stopped due to an accidental eye poke from Prangley in the first round. The doctor checked on Amoussou and once he told the doctor he could not see out of his eye, the doc and heard enough and stopped the fight. The fight ended up being a ruled a draw and both fighters would like to get back in the cage and finish this.

“Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-3) has been involved in two fights where the orbital jab had a profound effect. The first fight took place at UFC: Silva versus Irvin in July of 2008. Johnson took such a bad eye poke it dropped him and the ref thought it was due to an uppercut. Sadly, he lost due to TKO and had some major eye problems to deal with. He later came back and fought Kevin Burns (8-4) again and this time he won.

The second fight was against Fighters.com seventh-ranked welterweight Josh Koscheck (14-4) at UFC 106. Johnson actually caught Kos in the eye and then later Josh returned the favor, twice!

These are just but a few of the major incidents. I could  continue to discuss fights like those above but I feel like we now have seen enough to move forward and discuss how to fix a problem such as this.

The first idea to fix this problem can be found by in the now defunct Pride Fighting Championships. Pride had a glove design that was much different than the current glove used by the UFC. The UFC uses a glove in which all the fingers are separate and the padding does not extend all the way to the finger tips. Pride however used a loose thumb but all four fingers were connected as well as having padding that extends all the way to the finger tips. There is no need to use a glove like the UFC has at this time. Never did anyone in Pride have issues with not being able to sink in submissions due to the glove style. It did however cut back drastically on eye pokes.

Does this mean there were never any Stooges style pokes in Pride? No, there were but they were far and few between. I am still not sure why the UFC has decided to go with the gloves they currently have but as this trend continues both the UFC and athletic commissions will be forced to examine what changes they can make to better protect the fighters.

There is another way to work on eliminating eye pokes but I don’t feel it is as effective as a change to the gloves. This would be to make it a foul in which an eye poke could lead to either a one point deduction or to a loss of a percentage of a fighter’s purse.

Many fighters like to push off to keep the distance or the paw the jab out there with fists that are not closed all the way. This leads to possible career ending injuries. Force the fighters to make a full fist when striking. Making an eye poke a foul in which the fighter gets a point deducted could make a big difference.

However I think using something more similar to the Pride yellow card system would better motivate fighters to close the fist. Pride used a yellow card if fighters were inactive. Once it was issued, that fighter lost ten percent of his fight purse that night. It made fighters become more aggressive and using this for eye pokes could be just what the sport needs to eliminate this foul.

I am of course not a fan of taking money from fighters. After all, not all fighters make the big bucks, even in the UFC. However I am first and foremost for fighter safety and I think it is the job of the organizations and the athletic commissions to protect these men and women. Right now, both are failing to make a positive impact where one is clearly needed.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the eye poke and possible solutions for the problem. As always you can comment here or join myself and Gary Friedman every Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST/ 5-7 PM PST on MMA Gospel Radio by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel.

The UFC has not officially announced the withdrawal nor a potential replacement for Johnson.

Johnson has been the recent recipient of a lot of hype, but Fighters.com doesn’t buy-in yet.

Johnson is a physically imposing welterweight with a solid 6’2″ frame and 78-inch reach.  But, in two of his eight UFC fights he’s been unable to take his body under 175 pounds, nowhere close to the 171-pound welterweight limit.

His most impressive victory was his first-round knockout of then-ranked Japanese welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4).  But, that was one of the fights Johnson weighed-in five pounds overweight.

Many will argue that the weight advantage isn’t significant to the outcome of the fight.  Fighters.com argues that the process of dieting and dehydration his opponent experienced to make weight is significant, and Johnson evidently didn’t endure that process to the extreme Yoshida did.

And, if making weight isn’t a big deal, then Johnson should be able to do it more than 75% of the time.

Even more telling of Johnson’s true place in the division was his second-round rear naked choke submission loss to seventh-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4) after Johnson successfully made weight.  That was Johnson’s first significant test.

Johnson also succombed to a rear naked choke to natural lightweight “No Love” Rich Clementi (36-15-1) at UFC 76 in Anaheim in 2007.

Like three other Johnson opponents, Clementi is no longer in the UFC.  And, a fifth, Kevin Burns (7-4), is on a three-fight losing streak.

Indeed, his knockout of Yoshida is Johnson’s only significant victory, and he was overweight by five pounds.

And, this matchup versus Howard marks the second time Johnson has had to withdraw from a UFC matchup with an injured knee.

Johnson certainly has potential, but Fighters.com thinks the hype has got way ahead of Johnson’s actual accomplishments.

The fight had been renegotiated as a 172-pound catchweight fight after Daley couldn’t make the 171-pound welterweight limit Friday.

Among hardcore American UFC fans, the fight was to be a second coming out for Hazelett, considered one of the best MMA submission grapplers in any division.  But, for Daley and his English fans, it was a coming out for the explosive kickboxer instead.

Hazelett utilized his four-inch height advantage with jabs and teep kicks to keep Daley outside early.  And, Hazelett launched a snapping high kick to keep Daley honest, though Daley blocked the brunt of the kick.

But, 15 seconds or so after the two minute mark of the co-main event, the jiu-jitsu blackbelt, Hazelett, and Muay Thai champion, Daley, stood toe-to-toe in an exchange that ended with a Daley looping left hook flooring Hazelett.  Daley pounced, but it was academic as Hazelett was finished after the big shot and the referee ended the fight.

The win for Daley is marred by his inability to make the 170-pound limit and therefore doesn’t count towards the division rankings, though he was awarded the $50,000 Knockout of the Night award denied to “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-3) after he missed weight then KO’d eighth-ranked welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) at UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24.

Ironically, UFC President Dana White announced after the fight that sixth-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4) is a likely next opponent for Daley.  Koscheck was Johnson’s follow-up to Johnson’s overweight KO performance and Koscheck tapped Johnson in a rear naked choke at UFC 106 in Las Vegas November 21.

Daley is without question an exciting kickboxer, but Fighters.com remains skeptical Daley will be able to compete at the top of the division due to his lack of basic grappling skills.  He’s been submitted five times, most recently in an armbar by second-ranked Jake Shields (24-4-1) at EliteXC Heat in October 2008.  Though the UFC’s emphasis on exciting stand-up fights has benefitted Daley in his two knockout wins, Daley will be put on his back eventually like “Assassin” Houston Alexander (9-5) before him.

The loss is particularly disappointing for Hazelett.  It was his second time stepping up in competition and again ended in Hazelett layed out on his back.  And, it’s the third consecutive disappointment to come out of the Cincinnati-based camp headed by Jorge Gurgel (13-6).

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).

Sherdog reported Wednesday morning that UFC prospect “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-2) will fight Koscheck.

Fighters.com has not confirmed the report.

Johnson knocked out eighth-ranked welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) in 41 seconds of a catchweight bout at UFC 104 in Los Angeles Saturday.  Johnson had weighed-in five pounds over the welterweight limit Friday rendering the matchup a 176-pound catchweight fight rather than a welterweight fight.

Fighters.com’s second-ranked heavyweight and UFC champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) withdrew from his UFC 106 title defense main event versus sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) due to illness.  That matchup has been rescheduled to UFC 108 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas January 2.

The UFC 106 rematch between fourth-ranked light heavyweight Forrest Griffin (16-5) and “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) has been promoted to main event status.  The Koscheck versus Johnson fight would support that main event and bolster the card.

Doors at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas open at 7:00 PM local time November 21.  Tickets starting at $100 can be purchased at Ticketmaster.  The pay per view broadcast will begin at 10:00 PM EST.

Johnson had weighed-in five pounds over the welterweight limit Friday rendering the matchup a 176-pound catchweight fight rather than a welterweight fight.

Johnson’s size advantage was apparent both at the staredown and during the contest.  As the Japanese judoka, Yoshida, grasped for a hold of Johnson leaving his head defenseless, Johnson zipped a right hand to Yoshida’s face and Yoshida fell to the mat.

That punch should’ve earned Johnson an extra $60,000 for “Knockout of the Night”, but UFC President Dana White declared during the post-fight press conference that Johnson was ineligible due to his weight issues.

“First thing I want to say is I’m sorry to the UFC, and I’m sorry to the fans. I tried to make weight,” Johnson confided after the fight.

Rua weighed in at 204.5 pounds.

Machida has weighed in to a UFC light heavyweight fight as low as 199-pounds and is undefeated, however he has been more likely to win by stoppage when weighing 204 pounds or more the day before a fight indicating his weight does affect his performance.  Machida might expect a stand-up war versus the crisp striker Rua and therefore want to be lighter on his feet.

On the flips side of the coin, welterweight prospect “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2) weighed 176 pounds, five pounds over the welterweight limit, for his fight versus eighth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2), who weighed in at the limit.  The two agreed to fight regardless of Johnson’s apparent disregard for the rules and disrespect for Yoshida.

Lightweights “Dentis” Josh Neer (25-8-1) and Gleison Tibau (16-5) both missed weight in their matchup.  Neer weight 156.5 pounds and Tibau weighe 157 pounds.

The rest of the card made weight:

Cain Velasquez (6-0) 238 pounds v Ben Rothwell (26-6) 265 pounds
“Daddy” Joe Stevenson (30-9 155.5 pounds v “King” Spencer Fisher (23-4) 155 pounds
“Darth” Ryan Bader (7-0) 205 pounds v “Red” Eric Schafer (12-4-2) 205.5 pounds
“HD” Pat Barry (2-2) 237 pounds v Antoni Hardonk (8-5)  249.5 pounds
Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked middleweight Chael Sonnen (22-10-1) 185 pounds v “Thunder” Yushin Okami (23-4) 185 pounds
“El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (16-7) 185 pounds v Rosedale Reaper” Rob Kimmons (21-4) 185 pounds
Kyle Kingsbury (8-2) 205.5 pounds v Razak Al-Hassan (7-1) 204.5 pounds
Chase Gormley (2-0) 262 pounds v Stefan Struve (13-2) 243.5 pounds

For St. Pierre, it’ll be his first fight since injury his groin in a UD over second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas July 11.

Though it’s not official, Alves is expected to fight fellow Brazilian fifth-ranked Paulo Thiago (7-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Third-ranked Jon Fitch (19-3) is expected to fight unranked “Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (11-3) at UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas November 21, though again the fight hasn’t been officially announced.

Fourth-ranked Jake Shields (21-4-1) has apparently abandoned the division and will challenge “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-5) for the vacant Strikefore middleweight title at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates 33 miles northwest of Chicago November 7.

At UFC 103 in Dallas September 19, sixth-ranked Josh Koscheck (13-4) bounced back from his loss to Thiago at UFC 95 in London February 19 with a first-round knockout of “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-7) then called out seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7).

Hughes rebuffed Koscheck, but remains tight-lipped about his opponent when he returns to the Octagon in 2010.

Eighth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) will fight division prospect “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2) at UFC 104

Fighters.com October Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (19-3)

4. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

5. Paulo Thiago (7-1)

6. Josh Koscheck (13-4)

7. Matt Hughes (41-7)

8. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-2)

10. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (22-6)

Slotted instead are the main event between Fighters.com and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (15-0) and sixth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-3) and co-main event between heavyweights Cain Velasquez (6-0) and “Big” Ben Rothwell (26-6) as well as the following matchups:

Gleison Tibau (16-5) v “Dentist” Josh Neer (25-8-1)
“Daddy” Joe Stevenson (30-9) v “King” Spencer Fisher (23-4)
“Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2) v “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3)

The Sonnen/Okami matchup could make the PPV broadcast if those fights run short and the Sonnen/Okami fight is both exciting and fits into the remaining time.

Okami is 7-1 in the Octagon and holds the distinction of being the only UFC fighter to hold a win over Fighters.com and UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4), albeit by disqualification at Rumble on the Rock 8 in Honolulu in 2006.  Okami’s only loss in the UFC was a tight UD to Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (26-5) at UFC 72 in Belfast in June 2007.

Slated for the undercard with Sonnen v Okami is:

Antoni Hardonk (8-5) v “HD” Pat Barry (2-2)
“El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (16-7) v “Rosedale Reaper” Rob Kimmons (21-4)
“Darth” Ryan Bader (7-0) v “Red” Eric Schafer (12-4-2)
Kyle Kingsbury (8-2) v Razak Al-Hassan (7-1)
Stefan Struve (13-2) v Chase Gormley (2-0)

On 15 August at the Britannia Arms in San Jose, Arlovski will join “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2), Cung Le (6-0), and Jon Fitch (19-3) to “Knock Out Dog Fighting”.

Known as the “Pitbull”, Arlovski has long been a defender of man’s best friend. His own best friend’s name is Maximus.

You can RSVP for the event, which will be from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, at:

http://www.arlovski.com/events/knock-out-dog-fighting-charity

On 22 August at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, the former soldier known as “Captain America”, Couture, will host a Texas Hold-Em poker tournament to benefit his charity, the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation. Fighters.com has supported Couture’s foundation by the Xtreme Couture Operation Freedom 5k Run in May 2008.

You can play with Couture, “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-7), “American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (11-6), and “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-6) in Couture’s poker tournament. More information is available at:

http://www.xtremecouturegifoundation.org

Johnson earned “Knockout of the Night” with a head kick that dropped Kevin Burns (7-2) to the mat in the third round.

Browning and Kaplan’s two-round brawl was “Fight of the Night”, which Browning finished via armbar.
Soszynski won “Submission of the Night” with his second-round kimura on Shan Primm (3-1).

Both fighters came out trading leg kicks. A body kick by Burns was answered by a body kick-jab combination by Johnson. Burns shot for the double-leg takedown and landed in Burns’s closed guard. Burns climbed his legs up Johnson’s back but Johnson stood out of it and threw a few punches into Burns’s midsection until he moved into side control. Burns’s legs moved up again, this time securing a triangle choke. Johnson was able to slide out, however, back into Burns’s full guard. Referee Mario Yamasaki stood them up. Johnson landed a left body kick and jab-straight. Burns was flipped onto his back when Johnson caught a kick, but Yamasaki allowed him to stand back up.

Johnson and Burns again opened the round trading kicks. Johnson shot for the single leg, but although Burns defended, he got the takedown. Burns worked a kimura with Johnson in his half guard, but Johnson slipped out, ending up in full guard. They spent the rest of the round in this position, throwing short strikes to the body, and Johnson landing a few elbows into the face. Burns attempted another triangle choke and an armbar, and ate a hammerfist for his efforts.

Round three began with strikes, and ended soon after when Burns was felled by a left head kick, out cold. Johnson’s revenge for his TKO loss in July via eye-poke was completed at 0:28 of round three.

Following the broadcast the UFC announced the full lineup for the live finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir 13 December in Las Vegas.

Also on the card are a previously reported bout between middleweights “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald (19-10) and Wilson Gouveia (11-5), and a rematch between Kevin Burns (7-1) and “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-2).

Rounding out the main card is a lightweight match-up between TUF 8 competitors Junie Allen Browning (2-0) and David Kaplan (0-0).

The remaining ten competitors will also fight:

“The Experiment” Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8-1) v Shane Primm (3-0)

Eliot Marshall (4-1) v Jules Bruchez (1-0)

Kyle Kingsbury (8-1) v Tom Lawlor (4-1)

Shane Nelson (9-2) v George Roop (8-1)

Rolando Delgado (5-3-1) v John Polakowski (2-1)

In the semi-finals, Nover defeated Roop via first-round kimura, Escudero submitted Browning with a D’arce choke in round two, Bader won a unanimous decision over Marshall, and Magalhaes armbarred Soszynski in the first round.

Johnson will look to avenge his loss to Burns via eye poke in July, which was severe enough to require surgery.

NSAC Executive Director Keith Kizer stated, “Based on advice from the Nevada Attorney General’s office, the appeal was rejected due to lack of remedy.”

The 19 July welterweight bout was stopped in the third round by referee Steve Mazzagatti when Johnson was poked in the eye and he fell to the mat.

The TKO victory was awarded to Burns, despite a previous warning not to eye-poke.

Johnson has undergone surgery to repair a detached retina and has since fully recovered.

The bout ended in the third round when Johnson was accidentally poked deep in the right eye, despite a previous warning to Burns.

“It’s not Kevin’s fault, it’s basically [referee Steve] Mazzagatti’s fault for making that call,” he said.

“If he would have said something at the beginning when he first started poking me in the eye, then maybe the fight wouldn’t have ended the way it did. We could have had a better outcome, maybe he could have knocked me out or something crazy, different would have happened besides a poke in the eye.”

Johnson suffered a conjunctival laceration as a result.

Burns explained that he broke his left hand three times in the last sixteen months and is unable to throw it as a closed fist. He is open to a rematch with Johnson.

“The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) def. Reese Andy (7-3) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 29-28).

“The Answer” Frank Edgar (9-1) def. Hermes Franca (18-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27).

Cain Velasquez (4-0) def.  Jake O’Brien (10-2) via TKO, 2:02 of round one.

“The Fire” Kevin Burns (7-2) def. “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-2) via TKO, 3:35 of round three.

“Doberman” CB Dollaway (7-1) def. Jesse Taylor (6-3) via submission (Peruvian necktie), 3:58 of round one.

Timothy Credeur (10-2) def. Cale Yarbrough (0-1) via TKO (punches), 1:54 of round one.

Rory Markham (16-4) def. Brodie Farber (13-4) via KO (head kick), 1:37 of round one.

Nate Loughran (9-0) def. Johnny Rees (10-1) via submission (triangle), 4:21 of round one.

“Bad” Brad Blackburn (15-9-1) def. James Giboo (11-3) via TKO (strikes), 2:29 of round two.

Shannon Gugerty (11-2) def. Dale Hartt (5-1) via submission (rear naked choke), 3:33 of round one.

Johnson KO’d former TUF finalist Tom Speer (9-3) in 51 seconds in April.

Johnson’s only loss is via rear naked choke to “No Love” Rich Clementi (32-12-1) at UFC 76 last September.

Burns won “Submission of the Night” with a triangle choke of “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) in round two of his Octagon debut earlier this month in London.