The American Top Team product debuted in the organization in December of 2007, following a semi-final run through the sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Ben eventually racked up three-consecutive victories, keeping his then undefeated record alive.

A savage TKO victory over Brandon Wolff, which was complimented by successive knee’s to the head thanks to his 6’4 frame, catapulted Ben into the top of the welterweight class. However, Saunders went on to compile a 1-3 record over his next four fights, and was eventually released from the promotion. The UFC’s loss was Bellator’s gain.

The organization officially announced Saunders as a now active fighter on their roster, and he is expected to debut in the promotion as early as March, when they kick off their fourth-season which is to be televised on MTV2.

However, Ben will NOT be a participant in any of the upcoming tournaments, which has been a staple in furthering the popularity for the upstart organization, which has crowned several champions since their inception into the mixed martial arts world including wrestling standouts Cole Konrad, and Olympian’s Ben Askren, Joe Warren among others.

Since his release from the UFC, Saunders has picked up submission win over Elijah Harshbarger, which was the result of an onslaught of punches and elbows which had Elijah wanting out of the fight inside of the first-round.

During his tenure, Ben’s only losses were to top-flight competition in the likes of Mike Swick, Dennis Hallman, and Jon Fitch.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the addition of Saunders to the Bellator fold? Sound off in the comment section below.

After Anderson pulled out a Hail Mary, fifth round submission, after challenger Chael Sonnen dominated the Brazilian for the better part of 4 and half rounds, the Blackhouse teammate was able to pocket “Fight of the Night” and “Submission of the Night” honors, on top of a hefty payday.

The figures below, which is formatted from MMAJunkie.com, were originally disclosed by the California State Athletic Commission, following the bout on August 7.

Anderson Silva: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. Chael Sonnen: $35,000

Jon Fitch: $108,000 (includes $54,000 win bonus)
def. Thiago Alves: $60,000

Clay Guida: $56,000 ($28,000 win bonus)
def. Rafael dos Anjos: $12,000

Matt Hughes: $200,000 ($100,000 win bonus)
def. Ricardo Almeida: $35,000

Junior Dos Santos: $80,000 ($40,000 win bonus)
def. Roy Nelson: $15,000

Rick Story: $22,000 ($11,000 win bonus)
def. Dustin Hazelett: $18,000

Phil Davis: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus)
def. Rodney Wallace: $6,000

Johny Hendricks: $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus)
def. Charlie Brenneman: $8000

Tim Boetsch: $32,000 ($16,000 win bonus)
def. Todd Brown: $6,000

Stefan Struve: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Christian Morecraft: $6,000

Dennis Hallman: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Ben Saunders: $12,000

So, Anderson and Matt Hughes were the night’s top earners, deservedly so, but…is anyone surprised by the numbers? For a long time, Anderson has been coveted by UFC President Dana White, as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, however his numbers don’t represent that. 6 figures, yes, however, a 12-0 i run in the UFC, and moves to light heavyweight would attract a larger base pay and win bonus for the Brazilian, should GSP rack in larger numbers.

Some can make the argument that yes, Georges St. Pierre is a much more popular fighter than Silva of course, at least with Anderson’s most recent performances (aside from UFC 101 and 117), but should popularity or credentials be more decisive come contract time, and a fighters due?

It’s something I run back and forth with, and can’t really decide. I guess that’s why they leave it up to head honchos to figure that kind of stuff out, but what do you think? Performance vs Popularity, which is greater?

Ben Saunders always entertained me whenever I saw him fight, I’ll say that much. Even if it was usually against less-than-excellent competition, Saunders always displayed a lot of skill. Getting TKO’d by Mike Swick put a real dent in his career and his prospects, but he rebounded in about the best way possible by KO’ing Marcus Davis. Davis has always been a gamer, willing to slug it out with the best of them, and that’s one of the biggest reasons that he still has a job in the UFC. And in all those wars, he was never once knocked out…that is, until Ben Saunders hit him with a knee so sick it sounded like you could hear it a mile away. Saunder’s defining moment in the UFC was a lot better than most UFC drop-outs.

That said, I think you can argue that Saunders deserved at least one more fight, although I can understand that the UFC is super-competitive and that only the best can still call the organization home. Saunders lost a decision to Jon Fitch…but let’s be honest. At this point it seems like almost everyone in the UFC Welterweight division has lost a decision to Jon Fitch. Fitch has displayed unstoppable wrestling/grinding against every fighter not named Georges St. Pierre, period. There’s no shame in losing to Fitch. Losing to Hallman is another argument entirely. But I honestly think that all that fight did was drop Saunders back to the minor leagues of the UFC’s welterweight division, not out of the UFC entirely. However, I can grudgingly admit that Saunders had proven unable to really leave his mark on the UFC outside of knocking out Marcus Davis, and he had mostly proven unready to take on the UFC’s best Welterweights. If you’re given a chance against the best and repeatedly fail, then you’re not cut out for the UFC. At least, that seems to be the UFC’s reasoning behind firing Ben Saunders. And like it or not, that argument does hold some weight.

However, I have the same feeling about Ben Saunders as I do about fellow UFC cast-off Keith Jardine: they’ll be back one day. A stint in the minor leagues will be a refresher course, and the desire to get back into the UFC will likely drive both Saunders and Jardine to put on some incredible performances. Even a stint in Strikeforce seems likely, since Strikeforce’s Welterweight division is wide open for the most part, even if Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz will most likely rule atop the division for quite some time. In the end…all hope is not yet lost, and this is just a momentary setback for “Killa B”. He’ll be back eventually, and when he steps inside the Octagon one more time, I think Saunders will truly be ready to take on the upper echelon. Wherever he ends up going, I’ll be watching.

And what about you, fans and friends? Did Saunders deserve to be released, or should he have had one more fight? And what do you think is next for him?

While there will be no SpikeTV broadcast of the preliminary card, I felt that there was some attention that was need to be made to our untelevised bretheren.

Ben Saunders vs Dennis Hallman

Saunders, one of the larger welterweights in the UFC, has had an impressive run so far in his young career. After opening up to three straight victories inside the octagon, including a one round drubbing of Hawaiian Brandon Wolff, which looked reminiscent of an Anderson Silva like clinch beating, Saunders hit a road block in the form of scrappy veteran Mike Swick, but quickly rebounded with a highlight reel knockout of former contender Marcus Davis.

While his standup game is impressive in of itself, his grappling still leaves more to be desired.

And while his grappling is playing catchup with his clinch prowess, Hallman is not the kind of guy you want to have stand across from you if your still part of that learning curve.

Hallman–the proverbial journeyman, who owns an impressive 2-0 submission win streak against UFC hall of famer: Matt Hughes, is coveted as one of the more dangerous jiu-jitsu practitioners in the UFC. While he isn’t likened to a Demian Maia or even a Thales Leites, some respect is due, as 33 of his 42 wins have come by submission.

While Hallman himself is coming off of a loss to the hard-nosed John Howard in his inaugeral return to the octagon, Saunders lack of takedown defense will seal the deal for Hallman to return to form with a unanimous decision nod over the TUF vet.

Dennis Hallman via Unanimous Decision

Tim Boetsch vs Todd Brown

UFC veteran Tim “The Barbarian” Boetsch makes his return to the octagon after a three-fight stint outside the promotion, as he welcomes newcomer Todd Brown, on August 8.

Brown, a former heavyweight turned 205-pounder, comes in on the heels of a 5-fight win streak, as the 37-year old hopes to make an immediate impact in his debut against a respected veteran in Boetsch, has faced some of the toughest fighters the UFC’s light heavyweight division has to offer, including Matt Hamill, Vladdy Matyushenko, and Jason Brilz.

While Browns 11-1 record looks impressive in of itself…its not. His lone loss comes to one-time UFC fighter Josh Hendricks (who lost in a first round knockout against perennial heavyweight contender Gabriel Gonzaga), his biggest win to date stands against failed kickboxer-turned-mixed martial artist, Rick Roufus.

Expect Tim to be the agressor early, and live up to the monicker of “The Barbarian”, as he pressures Todd early with powerful hooks, before eventually connecting and following up on the ground for a TKO finish.

Tim Boetsch via TKO (good ole’ Ground-and-Pound)

Stefan Struve vs Christian Morecraft

Struve, who has been hot and cold (3-2) since entering the UFC, with his debut opposite of title contender Junior Dos Santos, leaves more to be desired.

His frame, an astounding 6’11–reminiscent of the days Semmy Schilt graced the octagon, never has there been a more intimidating gumby-look-alike. At just 22 years old, while his record in the UFC does seem a tad bit pedestrian, he has a world of potential. His improving stand up game mixed in with his great ground game, will prove to be the difference maker in years to come. Rarely does a heavyweight do well off of his back, and Struve is one of the proud and few.

Mean while, Stefan will face Christian Morecraft, who’s relatively young as well in the sport, hold a perfect 6-0 record, with a penchant for punching people in the face.

While in most cases, I might go with Morecraft, as it has been well documented that Struve doesn’t have the world’s strongest chin, as he has been dropped in every single one of his UFC’s bouts, all aside from a submission victory over Chase Gormley, Morecraft exposes himself too much.

Though he may connect early with Struve, his over exuberance may be his downfall. Case in point, his fight Lee Beane was a display of true heavyweights (Morecraft, who weighs in regularly in the 260 range) slugging it out in wild exchanges and trading sloppy grappling technique is what highlighted the bout, and against Struve, thats just the wrong type of approach.

So, while I think Morecraft will be able to clip Struve, his inexperience will be his downfall, as he will rush in foolishly, leaving Struve to able to lock in another submission victory, triangle, and bouncing him back into the win column.

Stefan Struve via Submission (triangle) Rd. 2

look out for part 2, coming up..

MMA Gospel Radio (MGR): Welcome Ryan, I have to say, I am happy to hear you got another shot. (in the Bellator tournament)

Ryan Thomas: Yeah, I am too, it’s one I definitely deserved I think. I think people are happy to see me back in this Bellator tournament.

MGR: First off, what got you interested in MMA and how long have you actually been training?

RT: I have been wrestling my entire life, ever since I was about five years old. All the way through college. I wrestled for two years at a junior college and then transferred to Eastern Illinois University. That is where Matt Hughes and Matt Veach wrestled at and I was there for a year. Then my program got cut while I was wrestling there and I wanted to keep competing. My assistant coach at Eastern, Clay French,he was the King of the Cage Champion and I started training with him. I also trained with Chase Beebe, the WEC bantamweight champion. Derick Noble worked out with us back then and been fighting ever since, about four years now. It has been a roller coaster ride, that’s for sure.

MGR: You experienced something this week something I would imagine very fighters have had to experience. With all the ups and downs it should make you feel unique.

RT: Yeah it does, it has been pretty cool and has really helped to get my name out there. That is part of the whole game though. If you want to be one of the best in the world you have to jump on these opportunities, roll with the punches if things don’t go your way. When they do you have to adapt and be flexible and that is what I am trying to do, make the best out of it, keep my head up and hope to get back in there and win this tournament.

MGR: What would say right now are your strengths and weaknesses as a fighter and how have you been working on each of the weaknesses?

RT: I guess I could have started younger with the jiu jitsu and the muay thai but anymore people are starting much younger. I know my opponent Jacob McClintock has been doing jiu jitsu since he was like 12 years old. One weakness I have is I am training in East Central Illinois and there aren’t very many gyms around there and the people I am competing against are at real big gyms that have all the resources at their fingertips. They have a muay thai coach, a jiu jitsu coach and a wrestling coach and surrounded by world class fighters as training partners all in one facility. I am driving all over the midwest, Chicago and Indianapolis and in little Matsue, Illinois where my main gym is but it has been worth it. It got me in the UFC and now in Bellator and I am going to make the best of it.

MGR: Do you ever envision yourself maybe moving to another location, for instance New Mexico or Vegas where there are some of the larger gyms?

RT: Yeah, I am. That is something me and my coaches have been talking about. They all agree with me that I have kind if outgrown where I came from in East Central Illinois. I have outgrown the gyms there and may need to move to a bigger gym where I have more high quality training partners than what i have got right now.

The only bad part is I just graduated from college with my elementary education degree in December. I am taking a couple extra classes so I can be a P.E. teacher also. So I can’t leave right now because I am in the middle of these classes. I need to wait until May till these classes are over. When I signed up for them I didn’t expect to be in Bellator and was having a hard time getting fights so it was the right thing to do at the then. After this semester I am probably going to have to go elsewhere.

MGR: You started your career at middleweight and since dropped to welterweight after just a few fights. Some people find it hard to understand how much difference there is in size from a middleweight compared to a welterweight. Did you feel a big difference in the strengths of opponents when you fought at 185 as opposed to 170?

RT: I don’t think the strength was that big a deal for me because when I first started. The more I fought and as I got to welterweight I stated to fight tougher opponents and a lot of them were stronger than the middleweights I fought. I think welterweight is my home because as I train and learn more about nutrition I have gotten leaner and leaner and I like to cut a little weight anyway so it works out well for me.

MGR: Your two fights in the UFC were against Ben Saunders and Matt Brown. How stressfull was it fighting in the UFC and can you give us just a few thoughts on each of those fights?

RT: The first one I took on short notice, it was 12 days and I had to cut 26 pounds. I really didn’t get to fight to my full potential in that one. I am not happy with how I performed. In that one everything happened so quickly, I did not have time to really enjoy with trying to get in shape and getting medicals. I really didn’t get to have fun with that one like I hoped to. The next one I was supposed to fight Matt Riddle but he got hurt so I got Matt Brown instead. I fought him pretty tough and definitely thing I was winning that fight and I just got caught in an armbar. Yeah, it was pretty awesome fighting in the UFC, it has always been a dream of mine.

MGR: Very few people can say they were able to do that and if you win Bellator you could possibly be back on your way there.

RT: Yeah maybe, I am happy with Bellator. If I can win this tournament and get that belt I am not going to want to go anywhere. I am happy with Bellator and how Bjorn Rebney (Bellator CEO) has treated me.

MGR: We had Bjorn on the show and all our listeners were impressed, as were we and it is nice to hear that you would like to stick with them.

RT: Yeah, they have treated me great. I was really happy for them to bring me on board for the tournament and then after everything that happened last Thursday he made me the first alternate and here I am in Connecticut getting ready to throw down again. He is a great guy. He didn’t have to do all this. With me fighting Thursday in Chicago, I guess Connecticut is one of the stricter commissions and they really didn’t want me to fight but Bjorn pleaded with them and really put his neck on the line and kind of talked them into bringing me on board. He told them what happened to me and the promise he made me about being the first alternate and he really came through for me.

The next installment will be up tomorrow and we will get to hear about the fight with Askren and much more.

“I thought he would have posted up a little and done a little more ground-and-pound, thrown some more elbows, but he controlled the fight,” Fitch told the post-fight press conference. “He lost some vital opportunities to finish with the kimura, armbars and even his back control.  I still see flaws in his game and that’s why I want to fight him next. There’s nothing more important to me right now than fighting for a title.”

For his part, St. Pierre agreed, saying “I was not that pleased about my performance.  I won, but I haven’t beat my performance of last time, so I’m not happy.  I wanted to finish, you know, have a clean win and for me, like this, it’s not clean.”

But, Fitch himself only managed a UD over tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-2-2), his sixth consecutive victory by decision.  Fighters.com thought it was quite ironic and a bit ridiculous for Fitch to criticize St. Pierre for not finishing his opponent.

TMZ broke the news stating “UFC’s Thiago “Pitbull” Alves will not fight at Saturday’s UFC 111, because a CAT Scan shows an irregularity in his brain, TMZ has learned. Thiago was scheduled to rumble with Jon Fitch on Saturday, but a pre-fight CAT Scan revealed an irregularity. A source close to 26-year-old Pitbull tells TMZ the irregularity involves an artery in the brain.

UFC honcho Dana White tells TMZ he will fly Pitbull to a specialist for further evaluation. White says, “If it’s true, it can be career-ending.” No one will replace Pitbull on Saturday.

The last statement about no one replacing Alves is not quite true as news is breaking as I write this but I will get to that in a minute.

First, this is awful news for Alves who has been a top contender for some time now. No one wants to see such a strong fighter go out due to a brain irregularity. We at MMA Gospel and Fighters.com hope the best for Thiago and hope to see something positive come from all of this.

Now back to the UFC 111 fight card and what the UFC is doing to fix this problem. Alves was slated to face third-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (20-3) but now it looks like the UFC has bumped Jake Ellenberger (21-5) from the card in order to give fight fans a fight between Fitch and Ellenberger’s original opponent tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2).

This is a fast move by the UFC and one I will applaud. Not only are they working hard to still give fans quality fights but they have paid Jake his show and win money for the last minute change. This is a show of class and just goes to show that contrary to many reports, the UFC does care about the fighters on their roster.

Stay tuned to Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio for more information on Thiago’s ongoing medical problems.

No, UFC 1 created the most prominent forum ever for martial arts styles to mix, but the philosophical underpinnings of MMA began in the San Francisco Bay area in 1965 by an ingenious martial arts pioneer: Bruce Lee, known in his native China as Jun Fan.

Lee’s daughter, Shannon, spoke exclusively about her father’s contribution to mixed martial arts and her efforts to assert his legacy within the sport.

Mrs. Lee recounted the story that lead Bruce to the epiphany on which modern MMA is founded.  The story is now legendary, but rarely told in context of the history of mixed martial arts.

Lee was already challenging traditional notions by 1965.  He was a practitioner of Wing Chung kung fu under Master Yip Man in Hong Kong and had been teaching the art since 1959 after expatriating to the United States.  Lee was calling his style Jun Fan Gung Fu, but it was essentially his approach to Wing Chun.  After opening his school in Oakland, his teaching of non-Chinese began to cause controversy among other Chinese martial artists in the San Francisco Bay area.  Lee defended his spreading of Wing Chun and a duel was arranged between Lee and a fighter fielded to defend the art’s tradition of Chinese exclusivity.

The fight was to be no holds barred.  If Lee won, he could continue to teach Jun Fan Gung Fu to anyone he desired.  If he lost, he’d close his school and quit teaching to non-Chinese.

The duel wasn’t televised on pay per view and no documentation exists but a few first-hand accounts, including Lee’s own, his wife Linda’s, and his opponent Wong Jack Man’s (which, notably, differs dramatically from Bruce and Linda’s).

Shannon Lee told Fighters.com the version told by her parents.  The fight lasted three minutes and, after absorbing strikes from Lee during the first minute, Man began to literally run from Lee.  But, Lee desired a conclusive victory and chased Man, beating him into verbal submission.

But, Lee felt the fight should’ve ended quicker. He was disappointed with his physical conditioning and the limitations of his traditional Wing Chun martial art.  This was a key turning point in the history of mixed martial arts, a philosophical evolution from traditional to modern, the way fighters think and train today.

After the fight, Lee had an image created of a burial mound with a tombstone to symbolize his death as a traditional martial artist and his rebirth as the first modern mixed martial artist, though of course the term “mixed martial artist” would’ve been unknown to Lee.

Lee went on to inspire generations of Westerners to train martial arts through his cinematic work and even developed an entirely original fighting style based on his epiphany he called Jeet Kune Do.  It was his writing and research in cross-training traditional styles with a focus on practicality and emphasis on physical conditioning leading him to create Jeet Kune Do that is truely the foundation of MMA as we know it today.

Shannon Lee doesn’t consider Jeet Kune Do a linear precursor to MMA, but a style all it’s own.  However, she does encourage Fighters.com’s tenth-ranked welterweight “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) to talk about his foundation in Jeet Kune Do and it’s influence on him as a professional mixed martial artist.  Through her LeeWay Media Group she produced “How Bruce Lee Changed the World” for the History Channel last year, which included commentary by Saunders, Fighters.com and UFC middleweight champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4), tenth-ranked heavyweight “Natural” Randy Couture (18-10), and UFC President Dana White.  The documentary is available to rent on NetFlix.

Mrs. Lee also told Fighters.com that she plans to make her father’s place in MMA history more apparent over the next year through her production company, licensing company, and the non-profit Bruce Lee Foundation.

Shannon said she’s had talks with the major MMA apparel companies over the years to license Bruce Lee’s image and market it to MMA fans, but that nothing substantial or, she thought, worthy of her father’s legacy had come about until recently. In the next year she told Fighters.com that MMA fans will have to opportunity to honor Bruce Lee’s connection to the sport with apparel that’ll be designed and marketed for them.

And, this is at an opportune time for the sport and Bruce Lee’s legacy.  Mrs. Lee told Fighters.com that the People’s Republic of China has been promoting Bruce Lee as a model Chinese, including commissioning a 50-part documentary on Lee for CCTV produced by Mrs. Lee’s production company.  There are also talks of converting Bruce Lee’s childhood home in Hong Kong – now a by-the-hour hotel, Shannon laughed – into a Bruce Lee Museum.  This is all while in-roads are being made for MMA in China.  The Beijing-based Art of War FC has been staging MMA events in China since 2005.  And, the UFC recently signed an agreement with Sohu.com to stream UFC events live to its 2 billion Chinese users.  Associating PRC-condoned Bruce Lee with MMA in China can only grow both the sport and the legacy of Bruce Lee.

And, as far as Fighters.com is concerned, it’s about time Bruce Lee be given his proper place in the history of modern mixed martial arts.  He was thirty years ahead of his time in the way he thought about reality fighting, but also his passion, charm, and grace is a model for the sport.

Ellenberger TKO’d “Quicksand” Mike Pyle (19-7-1) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2, his first victory in the Octagon.

Saunders enters the fight off his biggest victory, a knockout of “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-6) at UFC 106 in Las Vegas last November and verges on entering serious title contention.

Kampmann suffered a cut over his eye that required stitches and forced him from the fight, he told MMA Weekly.

Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) are set to battle for the top spot at UFC 111 in Newark March 27.  Predictions range far and wide, from Hardy has one foot in the grave to Hardy is the man to upset St. Pierre like “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) di at UFC 69 in Houston in 2007.

Fighters.com doesn’t worry about Hardy’s health, but think he’ll be easily handled by the champ.

An exciting rematch between second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and third-ranked Jon Fitch (20-3) has also been rumored for UFC 111.  Fitch TKO’d Alves at UFC Fight Night 5 in 2006 and claims he gets a rematch versus St. Pierre if he stops Alves.

Fourth-ranked Paulo Thiago (8-1) and ninth-ranked “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3) of American Top Team will matchup at UFC 109 in Las Vegas Saturday.  Thiago is 1-1 versus ATT, knocking out seventh-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4) and losing a decision to Fitch.

Koscheck will take on “Semtex” Paul Daley (20-9-2) at UFC 113 in Montreal May 8.

Eigth-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7) and and PRIDE veteran Renzo Gracie (13-6-1) will fight at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi April 10.

Tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) and “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) will matchup at UFC 111.

Sixth-ranked Jake Shields (24-4-1) has moved to middleweight as the champion in Strikeforce.

Fighters.com’s February Welterweight Top Ten

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

6. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

7. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

8. Matt Hughes (41-7)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

10. “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2)

If Hardy wants to win he has to be aggressive, unlike second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) was when he turned into a poodle in the Octagon versus St. Pierre at UFC 100 in Las Vegas last July.

Now, it’s likely…  No, let me correct myself.  St. Pierre is going to slam Hardy to the mat every time Hardy throws a combination.  But, St. Pierre is going to do that anyway.

So, my message to Hardy, if he’s reading, is this: Go ahead and let me know now whether you’re going to be satisfied with going five rounds on your back just so you can claim you went the distance.  That way I can save $44.95.

However, if you want to take the slim chance that you can connect on GSP and, if not finish him, at least reset the dynamics of the fight and give yourself an oppotunity for an upset, then you can have my $44.95.

On the undercard of UFC 111, newly tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) and “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) will matchup.

Saunders made the list this month and Hardy jumped from ninth to fifth after Hardy’s disqualification loss to “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4) in 2007 expired from Hardy’s two-year record.  Yoshida will need to prove himself to return to the welterweight top ten.

Fighters.com’s January Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

6. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

7. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

8. Matt Hughes (41-7)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

10. “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2)

The hour-long broadcast will run commercial-free followed by UFC 106 live on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM. ET. Additional fights from the UFC 106 undercard may also air on SpikeTV depending on the length of the two scheduled bouts.

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.

The fight began with an unintentional low blow by Saunders. Upon the restart, Saunders landed a strong head kick followed by an aggressive and accurate swarm of knees and punches. Displaying clinchwork reminiscent of UFC middleweight champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4), Saunders bloodied and bruised Wolff in decisive fashion.

“I heard his reaction. He was grunting,” said Saunders following the bout. “I knew I had him hurt. It was beautiful. I love it.”

Formerly a Navy SEAL, the game but battered Wolff was visibly rocked and unsteady on his feet following each break from multiple clinches early in the opening round. By fight’s end, Wolff’s face was was a mess of blood and tremendous swelling.

After the quick first round destruction of his opponent, Saunders was enthusiastic in response to Joe Rogan’s comparison of his performance to that of the current UFC middleweight champ.

“That’s awesome man because Anderson Silva is one of my idols,” stated Saunders.

Ben Saunders officially won via TKO due to strikes at 1:49 of the first round.

A member of American Top Team, Ben Saunders is poised for a return to the Octagon at the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops” 10 December, north of Charlotte. During the live charity event being televised on SpikeTV, Saunders is set to face former Navy SEAL, Brandon Wolff (5-2).

An almost comic book mythos fills the air as a soldier of the military special forces faces a soldier of the Dragon. One question from the curious is how will Jeet Kune Do continue to fare in the mixed martial arts arena. Much less against a fighter with former military combat training.

Bruce Lee’s legacy has stirred a reasonable amount of debate within the modern world of MMA for years but it also provides a guiding light of sorts for Saunders as he battles his way up the rough path of Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight ranks.

During his first introduction segment on “The Ultimate Fighter,” Saunders laughed as he announced that his style of fighting was Jeet Kune Do. Many viewers where left with questions as to whether Saunders was merely joking around for the benefit of the camera eye. But he was not joking. He was serious.

Saunders recently told Fighters.com, “if it wasn’t for Bruce Lee I would not be where I am today. I wouldn’t be who I am today. Bruce has influenced my life since I was around eight years old.”

Finding the true definition of Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do is different according to who you ask most times. After all, Bruce has departed long ago. And in the void that “The Little Dragon” left, questions and arguments abound. Is Jeet Kune Do a style, a system or just a philosophy? Is it something more akin to concepts such as the Bushido code of Japan or is it a practical fighting application?

According to Saunders, “A lot of people look at the legend behind Bruce Lee and the whole Jeet Kune Do concept  a certain way because not many people have fought in MMA with a Jeet Kune Do background and done very well. I’ve seen a few fights with people who have claimed Jeet Kune Do as a style or whatever and they got destroyed.”

In some circles, the idea of Bruce Lee is nothing more than a fable of the Hollywood machine. But to an often older generational segment of the martial arts community, an argument is pushed forward that Bruce Lee was not only an authentic fighter but even the father of mixed martial arts itself. Ben Saunders and other UFC notables such as “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (8-2-0) are vocal proponents of Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do in the face of criticism many times.

“I have been messed with over Jeet Kune Do since at least 1995 or 1996,” Saunders told Fighters.com. “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing where the premiere styles at that time. The thought was that if you didn’t know Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Muay Thai everything else was garbage.”

Saunders continued, “Even myself. I would look at Tae Kwon Do or Karate and think that it was just not practical. But the truth is that any technique is practical if a person trains it enough and they can accomplish it in a live scenario.”

One clear idea birthed from Jeet Kune Do is improvisation. “Be like water” became a common motto within the realms of Bruce Lee as well as a constant assertion to cast off what is useless within combat settings. These ideas are certainly echoed by Saunders.

“Bruce Lee believed in simplicity,” affirmed Saunders. “You know, things like direct attacks instead of doing something that might require a lot more cardio or place stress on the muscles to perform,” Saunders told Fighter.com.”

Skeptics of the Bruce Lee legend often solely play the Hollywood card at some point within any debate regarding the practicality of Lee’s ideas in real fight scenarios. Much less Lee’s invention of mixed martial arts or even some distant influence on the now wildly popular combat sport. But Saunders staunchly defends his hero’s contributions and Lee’s Hollywood success as pivotal to MMA’s creation.

“Look back on the seventies and how “Enter the Dragon” blew up and then suddenly everybody started taking Karate and Tae Kwon Do. It was then that martial arts became a huge success in America and really around the world,” said Saunders.

Saunders continued, “I don’t know where the world would be now without Bruce’s influence. The UFC definitely would have never happened when it did. There’s no way the Gracies would have been able to come over here in 1993 and put on that first event if Bruce Lee hadn’t made martial arts as big as he did beforehand.”

But the question still remains. How is Jeet Kune Do applied in a the sporting environment of a mixed martial arts bout. In this evolved age of MMA where gameplans are celebrated and augmented by well-roundedness within several different martial arts disciplines, many critics of freeform fighting concepts ridicule Jeet Kune Do as a reckless and risky approach within a highly competitive sport.

Saunders told Fighters.com, “The biggest thing is that Jeet Kune Do is a philosophy. It is about practical application of martial arts techniques. And it’s also a way of life. Most any technique is practical and can be done in MMA.”

Saunders continued, “Once a fighter hits an advanced level where they have their basics down; whether it’s Jiu-Jitsu or Muay Thai; Once they reach an advanced level then it doesn’t really matter what a fighter uses. Through Jeet Kune Do there is no style. The lack of style and open-mindedness and just techniques in general is what makes everyone individual martial artists.”

Prior to the rise of MMA in 1993 at UFC 1 through the introduction of the Gracie family, there has always been a constant, contemporary voice for Jeet Kune Do in the larger martial arts universe. A voice that continued Bruce Lee’s concepts of a hybrid fighting approach based on a mixture of several otherwise opposing combat styles.

Respected martial artists such as Dan Inosanto and others such as Matt Thornton heralded Jeet Kune Do from the seventies into the eighties and beyond. Ben Saunders holds such Jeet Kune Do developers in high regard as many of these contemporary Jeet Kune Do personalities served as a direct influence on his current fighting style.

“I’ve read tons of books on Jeet Kune Do. And watched videos,” Saunders told Fighters.com. “When I was fourteen I trained with Sifu Neal Cauliffe. And Neal trained under Dan Inostanto. That’s where a lot of my basic striking came from. You know, jabs, crosses, hooks, low kicks, side kicks and stuff like that. I always wanted to meet Dan Inosanto obviously.”

Saunders revealed, “I actually got the privilege to meet Bruce’s daughter Shannon Lee just a couple of weeks ago. There’s a documentary about Bruce Lee being made and I was asked to be involved in it.”

“Shannon Lee interviewed me,” continued Saunders. Dana White was the one that told them about me. They were doing interviews with UFC fighters and Dana told them I was a hardcore Bruce Lee fan. So, I was flown out to Las Vegas to do the interviews.”

In the current hour, the clash of Saunder’s Jeet Kune Do concepts within the sport of MMA can be further gauged by his upcoming performance against Brandon Wolff during this week’s UFC fight night. When asked about the challenge, Saunders strongly but respectfully announced his confidence going into the fight.

“Honestly, I think I am better in all aspects of the game. Whether it be the stand-up, wrestling, takedown defense or jiu-jitsu,” said Saunders. “But, none the less, Wolff’s supposed to be a really tough guy. That fact alone has a tendency to make for one of the hardest people to fight. You know, those people that just do not give up.”

The remaining bouts are:

Luigi Fioravanti (13-4) v Brodie Farber (13-4)
Dale Hartt (5-1) v Corey Hill (2-1)
“Berserk” Ben Saunders (6-0-2) v Brandon Wolff (7-2)
Timothy Credeur (10-2) v Nate Loughran (9-0)
“Hater Hurter” Johnny Rees (10-1) v Steve Bruno (11-4)
Justin McCully (8-4-2) v Eddie Sanchez (8-2)

Five fighters on the card have served in the military.  Fioravanti was a Marine, Hartt, Credeur, and Bruno served in the Navy, and Wolff was a Navy SEAL.

Missing from the card is a previously announced match between former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion “All American” Brian Stann (6-1) and current champ Steve Cantwell (6-1).  Stann, a former Marine, has reportedly sustained a foot injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the event.

Fioravanti last fought at the TUF finale in June and was TKO’d by “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2) in the last minute of round three.

Farber had his six-fight win streak snapped at Fight Night 14 in July when Rory Markham (16-4) KO’d him with a head kick at 1:37 of the first round.

Hartt suffered his first career loss in July at his UFC debut, submitted via first-round rear naked choke by fellow debutant Shannon Gugerty (11-2).

Hill, a TUF 5 lightweight, lost his last fight to Justin Buchholz (8-2) via rear naked choke in round two in July.

Saunders, a TUF 6 alum, won his last six, most recently submitting Ryan Thomas (9-2) with a second-round armbar in August.

Wolff will be making his Octagon debut.  He won his last fight in May with a split decision over “The Grinder” Chad Reiner (18-6).

Credeur, from TUF 7, TKO’d Cale Yarbrough (0-1) in round one in July.  He has gone past round one only once,

Loughran, who has submitted all but one opponent, caught Johnny Rees with a first-round triangle choke at their UFC debuts in July.

Bruno lost his Octagon debut in August by unanimous decision to Chris Wilson (14-4).

McCully was submitted via kimura in 1:57 by Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked heavyweight “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3) in July.

Sanchez was TKO’d in round two by Antoni Hardonk (7-4) at UFC 85 in June.

The win facilitates an apparent New Year’s Eve champion-versus-champion rematch between St. Pierre and Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn (13-4-1), who was invited into the Octagon after the main event to challenge St. Pierre, saying, “I want to put this fight together.”

St. Pierre accepted Penn’s challenge, proclaiming, “I’m a proud champion.”

In the co-main event, Brock Lesnar (2-1) dominated a three-round unanimous decision over Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked heavyweight “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-14) by scores of 30-26 three times.

“I fell off the horse,” Lesnar told the 15,082 spectator hometown crowd referring to his Octagon debut loss to former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir (11-3), “but, tonight I got on that stallion and rode it out of town, baby! Wooo!”

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3) won a blow-out unanimous decision over “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-2-1) by 30-27 on all three judges’ score cards in a UFC top contender bout.

“I trained to not got to the judges,” a somber Florian confessed after the fight. “A little disappointed in myself, but I’m going to learn from this.”

An even more disappointed, but dapperly dressed Huerta in vest and tie insisted after his loss, “I played into his gameplan. I made mistakes and I’ve got to fix those things.”

Florian’s victory and presumed ascension to the UFC’s top lightweight contendership spot leaves the Boston native in limbo after the UFC’s promotion of a champion-versus-champion showdown between St. Pierre and Penn.

One got the feeling Florian knew before his victory that a win didn’t earn him an immediate title shot when he replied to UFC commentator Joe Rogan’s question about a title fight, “We’ll wait and see.”

Florian beat Huerta walking away, literally.

In round one, Florian ducked under Huerta’s unwieldy haymakers and put “El Matador” on the mat, then mounted him. Huerta rolled into a Florian rear naked choke, but defended successfully.

In round two, Florian continued to let Huerta come to him, backpedaling and tagging Huerta with right hooks as Huerta marched aggressively forward.

“I was chasing him in the fight and that’s something I shouldn’t have done,” admitted Huerta, then he chided Florian, “If I wouldn’t have chased him, there wouldn’t have been a fight.”

In round three, Florian zapped Huerta with a front kick to the face, the second one Florian connected in the fight.

Florian praised, “I had him in some tough positions, had him rocked a few times, but he came back. He has a heart of a champion. That’s what I expected.”

St. Pierre’s vanquished challenger, American Kickboxing Academy’s Fitch, showed the heart of a champion too in his first title fight.

Despite being floored in the first round by a St. Pierre straight right as Fitch launched a leg kick, Fitch, bloodied and stunned, battled into round two through an onslaught of punches and elbows from a mounted St. Pierre.

“I rock him,” St. Pierre said after the fight. “He’s got a very good chin.”

St. Pierre yanked the reigns in a paced round two, which Fighters.com scored 10-9 for Fitch after Fitch pummeled St. Pierre’s body and landed a clean left hook to St. Pierre’s head.

“I was not in trouble,” St. Pierre insisted. “I was trying to pace myself because after the first time I rock him and I couldn’t finish him, I was like, ‘Man, this guy, I’m going to have to almost to kill him to win.’”

Round two would be the last round in which Fitch would challenge St. Pierre.

St. Pierre took Fitch down at will throughout the five rounds and, in round three, replayed the G’n'P onslaught that Fitch endured in round one.

The damage accumulated; and, Fitch’s stand-up, which, ironically, produced the former wrestling All-American’s best offense, grew sloppier.

St. Pierre began to land cleaner shots and more often, including a spinning backfist in round four that drove Fitch to the cage.

Round five was dominated on the mat by St. Pierre; but, both fighters were spent and produced little meaningful offense in the round.

“This loss is maybe the best thing that happened to [Fitch],” said St. Pierre. “It will only make him stronger.”

In heavyweight undercard action, Cheick Kongo (12-4-1) out-classed Octagon debuting Dan Evensen (10-3) in a first-round TKO at 4:55, then presumptuously asked the UFC for a title shot.

Welterweight Chris Wilson (14-4) won his UFC second chance over Steve Bruno (11-4) by unanimous decision.

“I’d like to not start waiting five and six months. I need to fight more often,” Wilson revealed after his UD. “So, if Uncle Dana [White] is willing to put me in sooner… He’s the boss.”

Lightweight Robert Emerson (8-6) knocked out TUF 5 runner-up “Pitbull” Manvel Gamburyan (8-3) in twelve seconds with a right overhand, followed by a left to Gamburyan’s temple as he fell to his back.

“I saw him throwin’, so I threw. You know, luckily mine landed first,” described Emerson after his impressive second UFC win. “Things are lookin’ up for me.”

Middleweight Abu Dhabi champion grappler Demian Maia (8-0) tapped a game, but out-classed “Athlete” Jason MacDonald (20-10) in a rear naked choke at 2:44 of round three in a dramatic back-and-forth mat battle.

“I just go and fight,” Maia said matter-of-factly after the stoppage.

TUF 6 middleweight “Berserk” Ben Saunders(6-0-2) remained undefeated with an armbar submission of Ryan Thomas (9-2) at 2:28 of round two.

“People go for the takedown, get a leg. I swung around to almost like a half-back type position. Did my homework, figured out exactly what I can do from there and [the armbar] was one of them, man,” described Saunders after the fight.

Welterweight “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (9-1) won a unanimous decision over TUF 2 finalist Luke Cummo (6-6).

“I thought I broke his arm [in an armbar],” McCrory said after the fight. “I felt a little ring rust, but, I mean, I felt pretty good for nine months off. I’m ready to get drunk, man.”

Light heavyweight Jon Jones (6-0) won a unanimous decision over Andre Gusmao (5-1) in his Octagon debut.

“The win feels great,” Jones said. “I thought about this many nights, dreamin’ about it.”