Next for Joe Stevenson: “Daddy” will dine on a diet of prospects for the foreseeable future. Stevenson promised that 2011 would be his year, but clearly that is not the case. Stevenson has now lost three straight, and although I hate to say this, I’m going to be bluntly honest and say that I firmly believe that Joe’s time has passed him by. If he wins his next fight, he’ll be the UFC’s Lightweight gatekeeper until he either retires or goes on enough of a losing streak to get the boot. And if he loses his next fight, he’ll get the boot.

Next for Damacio Page: I can also see Page being put into the role of a gatekeeper. Or if not that, someone who likes to brawl. Page is always down to fight, and any day now there’s going to be an influx of lighter-weight fighters hungry to come into the UFC and get their fair share out of the world’s biggest MMA promotion. As a member of the old guard, Page would do best as one of the ones to meet the charge of those incoming hot prospects.

Next for Brian Bowles: If he keeps the momentum going from his UFC debut, Bowles is only a fight or two away from a shot at the championship. I think a rematch with Miguel Torres is definitely called for. It’s the right move for all involved, since Bowles needs another huge win and Torres was the biggest win of his career. Plus, it would likely be a totally different fight from their first encounter due to Miguel’s completely different style. If not “Angel”, look for Bowles to get another top-division fighter whenever he fights next.

Next for Chris Weidman: Another middle-tier opponent, someone who can really test Weidman’s skills both as a wrestler and a striker. I think Chris Leben would be a pretty good choice, considering that he’s coming off of a big loss but he’s also still a very dangerous opponent. If not Leben, then perhaps CB Dollaway, who’s in the same exact position as “The Crippler”. No matter who Weidman draws in his second UFC fight, expect no easy tests for the hot prospect now that he’s proved himself against a tough, grizzled veteran.

Next for Mark Munoz: I’d like to see Munoz take on Jorge Rivera, personally. I think that would be a very entertaining fight. It would definitely test Munoz’s stand-up, and it would be a close and competitive match. I’d also like to see what Dan Miller would be able to do against someone like Munoz. Although Munoz is still a far cry away from championship contender status, he definitely took a step up the ladder when he KO’d CB Dollaway.

Next for Diego Sanchez/Martin Kampmann: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. Once again, this fight was a perfect example of judges not being able to appreciate the finesse of a truly skilled MMA fighter. Sanchez threw wildly and missed plenty of shots, but simply because he threw like a madman the judges thought he was in control. In reality, Kampmann never seemed to be in any real danger and reduced Diego’s face to mush before their fight was through. I say make the rematch to give Kampmann the shot at vengeance that he rightfully deserves.

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 “UFC on Versus 3”?

The Lightning Strikes Twice Award: Brian Bowles, for beating the same man, by the same maneuver, at the exact same minute of the very same round. On both March 3, 2011 at “UFC on Versus 3” and on August 3, 2008 at WEC 35, Brian Bowles beat Damacio Page by Submission due to a Guillotine Choke at 3:30 of Round 1. Also, both times he was awarded a “Submission of the Night” bonus for doing so.

The “Hills Have Eyes” Award: Diego Sanchez, who looked like someone had shot him in the face during his bout with Martin Kampmann, and who looked like a “Hills Have Eyes” reject after the final bell had rung. In typical Sanchez fashion, “The Dream” fought better when he was pushed around and bloodied up, turning it on in the later rounds and even wobbling Martin Kampmann at one point.

The Greg Jackson Award For Silliest Nickname: Diego Sanchez, for changing his nickname from “Nightmare” to “The Dream”. At least “Nightmare” was somewhat original even if most people rolled their eyes when they heard it. “The Dream” just sounds like Sanchez is trying way too hard to distance himself from his former nickname. And does anyone else notice how so many of Greg Jackson’s fighters have ridiculous nicknames? “Sugar” or sometimes “Suga”, “Rush”, “The Carpenter”, “The Natural Born Killer”, “The Engineer”, and now “The Dream”. The team with some of the best fighters on the planet has most of the ridiculous nicknames. Go figure.

The Leonard Garcia Award For Outstanding Achievement In Windmill Imitation: Damacio Page, who fought Brian Bowles by doing what he always does: throwing caution to the wind and swinging for the fences with huge looping punches that even the crowd can see coming a mile away. It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but at least Page tried to make the bout exciting. It’s a shame that he would end the night in an unconscious heap, because he helped give fans one of the best fights of the night.

The Scott Smith Award For Most Inspiring Comeback After Getting Your *** Kicked: Shane Roller, who received one hell of a beatdown at the hands of Thiago Tavares for much of the first round of their preliminary fight. Roller, however, would come back strong in Round 2 and nail a Hail Mary punch on Tavares that hit so solidly and with so much power that Tavares was unconscious before he hit the ground. It’s just further proof that anything really can happen in MMA.

The Cecil Peoples Award For Best Display Of Utter Blindness And Ineptitude: The judges of “UFC on Versus 3” that gave Diego Sanchez the win against Martin Kampmann. This just further shows that most MMA judges either don’t understand or don’t appreciate the finesse and skill involved in picking your shots and not wildly swinging for the fences like your life depended on it. Even though I’m a Diego Sanchez fan, it’s clear that Kampmann was the more tactile and successful puncher, and as Kampmann himself stated, simply look at his face compared to Diego’s to see which one really won this fight.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Any thoughts on this new series?

As always, I like to start this piece with a bit of context. For the most part, Mark Munoz has been a non-entity in the UFC’s Middleweight division. He was one of those fighters that most people simply don’t pay attention to, for one reason or another. It probably has to do with his position on UFC cards: for the most part, Munoz was never a highly-marketed fighter. He had some pretty good wins on his record, but those were overshadowed by high-profile losses to both Matt Hamill and Yushin Okami. So, in a nutshell, Mark Munoz was a pretty entertaining fighter that, for one reason or another, no one ever really paid any sincere attention to.

Compare this to CB Dollaway, his opponent at “UFC on Versus 3”. Dollaway had the benefit of being on the popular UFC reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter”, in fact, he made it all the way to the finals of the “TUF” season he competed in. Dollaway was also on a pretty good three-fight win-streak, and leading up to this fight, many were calling for Dollaway to win this fight in dramatic fashion and take an important step towards realizing the potential he had been struggling to capture since losing “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 7 to Amir Sadollah.

In short: Munoz was Dollaway’s stepping stone to mid-tier competition.

But of course, that didn’t happen. What did happen was this: Munoz came out guns blazing and caught CB Dollaway in a huge way, putting him on the floor and in serious trouble. A few seconds later, Mario Yamasaki, the referee in charge, halted the action and gave Munoz the TKO win. Dollaway would pop back up to his feet several seconds later and complain about an early stoppage.

However, it was clear that the damage had been done. Dollaway may have recovered quickly from going out, but he definitely went out. Even if it was for only a few seconds, Mark Munoz knocked CB Dollaway unconscious. And as longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan pointed out, one of the cameras perfectly captured CB Dollaway’s face shortly after Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight. Putting it plainly: it was clearly evident that Dollaway had no clue where he was.

So, in the end, I think this was a justified stoppage and I commend Mark Munoz on his brilliant performance. Munoz completely took me by surprise at “UFC on Versus 3”, and I think I’ll definitely be paying attention to him from now on. For stepping over and knocking out the fighter who was supposed to be using him as the stepping stone, Mark Munoz earns my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who took home your unofficial end-of-night accolades?

5. Chris Weidman dominating and slicing open Alessio Sakara.

It’s always tough to debut in the UFC. It’s even tougher when you’re relatively new to Mixed Martial Arts as a whole. It’s even tougher still when you debut against a tough veteran, both in MMA in general and in the UFC in particular. That’s exactly the spot Chris Weidman found himself in when he took on Alessio Sakara, and Weidman absolutely made the most out of the opportunity: with his constant wrestling and some vicious elbows, Sakara was a bloody, defeated mess by the time the fight was over. It was a big win for the newfound newcomer, and definitely a highlight of the night.

4. Shane Roller “Hail Mary” KO’ing Thiago Tavares.

Comeback KO’s are always a thing of beauty. Not only that, they represent one of the best things about this sport: its utter unpredictability. Sometimes it only takes one punch, and that’s a lesson that Tavares unfortunately had to learn at “UFC on Versus 3”. Shane Roller somehow found a way to survive the numerous onslaughts of Tavares in the first round of their fight, and in the second, Roller saw one brief opening and capitalized on it immediately. Seeing Tavares go from looking like a stone-cold killer to being stone-cold unconscious was definitely a big “WOW!” moment.

3. Mark Munoz knocking out CB Dollaway.

I have to admit, I thought both men would grind their way through a tough fight. I fully expected this one to go to a decision. Instead, Mark Munoz shattered my expectations and, in the process, shattered the chin of his opponent. I absolutely do not think that the ref stopped this fight too early, and I give Munoz all the respect he rightfully deserves. Seeing him KO Dollaway was one of the best moments of the night for me.

2. Brian Bowles choking out Damacio Page.

This fight and its outcome gets the number two spot for two main reasons. First and foremost, as a WEC fan I’m very glad that this fight lived up to its potential. It was a fight that featured constant action and lots of punches, and it ended quite dramatically. Secondly, I’m glad that Brian Bowles is back. Bowles is a proven champion, and I think he’s going to go very far in the UFC. I enjoyed seeing him debut in the world’s premiere MMA organization very, very much.

And my person pick for best moment of “UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann” is…

1. Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann. The entire fight.

Even though the end of this fight was very controversial, with many people thinking that Martin Kampmann should have won, this was still a great fight. There’s really no other way to describe a three-round war that saw both men wobbled by punches and bloodied up. Kampmann was tactile and effective, while Sanchez was fiery and once again showed his fearlessness. Even if you think Kampmann should have won (and believe me, I do), I think at the end of the day you’ve simply got to give this fight the credit it deserves. It was a great main event.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from “UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann”. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?

Diego Sanchez defeats Martin Kampmann by Unanimous Decision. Mark Munoz defeats CB Dollaway by TKO at 0:54 of Round 1. Chris Weidman defeats Alessio Sakara by Unanimous Decision. Brian Bowles defeats Damacio Page by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 3:30 of Round 1. Cyrille Diabate defeats Steve Cantwell by Unanimous Decision. Danny Castillo defeats Joe Stevenson by Unanimous Decision. Shane Roller defeats Thiago Tavares by KO at 1:28 of Round 2. Takeya Mizugaki defeats Reuben Duran by Split Decision. Dongi Yang defeats Rob Kimmons by TKO at 4:47 of Round 2. Rousimar Palhares defeats Dave Branch by Submission (Heel Hook) at 1:44 of Round 2. Igor Pokrajac defeats Todd Brown by TKO at 5:00 of Round 1.

For the most part, I enjoyed the free preliminary fights on Facebook. Danny Castillo and Joe Stevenson fought a very tough, very close fight, and gave us several solid minutes of entertainment. The Cyrille Diabate vs. Steve Cantwell fight was entertaining at times, but dragged on a bit due to Diabate’s inability to go for the kill even when it was practically screaming at him. Cantwell looked dead on his feet from the start of the second round, but Diabate either didn’t want to risk getting caught with a Hail Mary salvo or he gassed himself out. Either way, the fight was a bit underwhelming. However, at the end of the day it’s still two free fights on Facebook. I really can’t complain too much.

I’m glad that the fight between Brian Bowles and Damacio Page lived up to its potential even though it was so short. Part of me really hoped that Page would somehow pull off the miracle/upset and land one of his huge looping punches that I’m sure Bowles could see coming a mile away, but in the end, the outcome of this fight didn’t surprise me in the least. With this win I think Brian Bowles has officially staked his claim in the UFC, give him one or two more fights and Bowles will be right back up there, challenging for the championship.

I was pretty happy to see Chris Weidman pick up a win over Alessio Sakara. I think Weidman definitely proved that he’s got a very bright future in the UFC, and I think we may be talking a whole lot more about him before the year is through. Weidman showed up with very little time to prepare and proceeded to control and slice open a very respected UFC veteran. I can only imagine what Weidman fights like with a complete training camp under his belt.

I’m siding with Joe Rogan on Mark Munoz vs. CB Dollaway. In a world of horrendous referees, Mario Yamasaki has never struck me as one. He’s actually one of the few refs I consider fair and balanced. The stoppage may have been a bit premature, but Munoz had Dollaway in deep, deep trouble, and I think Yamasaki saved CB from some extra and unneeded damage.

I found myself immensely enjoying the main event that saw Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann battle to a thrilling three-round decision. Both fighters took several hard shots throughout the bout, and Diego’s face was a bloody mess by the time all was said and done. It was a great main event, and a fitting end to what turned out to be a very solid, very entertaining event.

And there you have it, fans and friends: another UFC show has come and gone. But what about you? What did you think of “UFC on Versus 3”?

I think there are a lot of good preliminary fights on this card, and I hope I get to see at least a few of them. In particular, I’d like to see Joe Stevenson’s fight, because he’s usually pretty entertaining. Steve Cantwell vs. Cyrille Diabate should also be a good fight. I’d like to see Takeya Mizugaki fight too, he’s always good for a fun fight win or lose. I’d even like to see Rousimar Palhares fight.

I really think Damacio Page vs. Brian Bowles is going to be the “sleeper hit of the night” if it lives up to all of its potential. This has all the makings of a fast and furious brawl that could go all three rounds or just as easily could be stopped within the first few minutes. It all depends on how hungry both men are for a win and how badly they want to push the pace. However, I have to be honest and admit that part of me is dreading that this fight could turn into a near-duplicate of the recent Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos fight, which I found very boring and supremely disappointing. I certainly hope it doesn’t come to that.

Part of me really wants Chris Weidman to win, but another part thinks that Alessio Sakara just has too much of an edge on him. I think Weidman has a very tough test for his UFC debut, and if he does win, he’ll immediately make some waves. However, I just think this is a matter of “too much, too soon”. My head is 100% behind Alessio Sakara, but my heart does wish that Weidman finds a way to pull off the upset. It’ll certainly be an interesting fight no matter how it unfolds.

Although neither man has really stood out in the Middleweight division, CB Dollaway vs. Mark Munoz is a very solid match. I haven’t ever really followed both men throughout their careers, so I can’t say much besides that. I do think it’ll be a pretty entertaining fight, though. I just don’t know what the future holds should they win or lose.

I think the main event will be a terrific fight, but again, only if it lives up to its potential. I think Sanchez will push Kampmann and throw Kampmann and bully Kampmann, unless Kampmann shows up at his best. I think the best is yet to come for Diego Sanchez, and I think before the night is through we’ll see him once again run screaming across the cage with his opponent on his shoulders. This is going to be a very close fight, but ultimately, I’m hoping Diego picks up the win.

And that’s it, fans and friends! Those are my final, assorted thoughts on “UFC on Versus 3”. But what about you? And final thoughts or predictions for this card?

Brian Bowles vs.  Damacio Page: I’ve simply got to favor the former WEC Bantamweight Champion. It’s been almost a year since Bowles last fought, though, so I expect him to show up a bit rusty. Even so, Damacio Page simply hasn’t been able to do too much against top-ranked competition. Even worse, Bowles has beaten him once before. But thanks to ring rust and Page’s toughness, I’m predicting that Brian Bowles wins by Unanimous Decision.

Alessio Sakara vs.  Chris Weidman: I hate to pick against Chris Weidman, because I really think the man has a very bright future both in the UFC and in general, but this is a terrible first fight for him, especially considering that Sakara is on a fantastic three-fight win-streak that includes two (T)KO wins, one of which earned him a “Knockout of the Night” award. This is simply a matter of too much experience, it’s too tough of a test for Weidman’s first go-round in the UFC. Part of me hopes that Weidman proves me dead wrong and wins by TKO in Round 1, but I’m going to side with my head and not my heart on this one and call for Alessio Sakara to win by TKO in Round 2.

C.B. Dollaway vs.  Mark Muñoz: This is definitely a tough fight to call, since both men share so much in common. They’re both relatively new to the sport. They’ve both lost twice. They’ve both had some pretty dominating victories in the Octagon. Both have stumbled against some tough competition in the past. In the end, I’ve simply got to go with the man that’s currently on a three-fight win-streak, and took home a “Submission of the Night” award for his last fight. CB Dollaway will win by Unanimous Decision.

Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann: This is certainly the toughest fight to call, given how multi-dimensional and evenly-matched both men are. I think both men are incredibly motivated for this fight, and that they’re at their best when they’re this motivated. It’s going to be a total war, with lots of give-and-take, but I simply think that Sanchez has it in him to give Kampmann the first two-fight losing-streak of his career. Diego Sanchez wins by a very tough, very close Split Decision.

And that’s what I think will happen when “UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann” goes live on the Versus network, fans and friends. What about you? Who do you think will win big at “UFC on Versus 3”, and why?

5. Plenty of solid undercard bouts we’ll probably end up seeing.

Most live UFC shows tend to have a few preliminary fights shown during the official live broadcast, that’s just the nature of the game when you’re broadcasting a sport as unpredictable as MMA. Depending on how fast the main card fights end, we could see some pretty entertaining preliminary fights on Versus, featuring stars like Joe Stevenson, Steve Cantwell, Takeya Mizugaki, and more.

4. We have to support MMA on Versus or else one day we might end up not getting MMA on Versus.

When it was revealed that the UFC/WEC merger would result in a noticeably diminished schedule of live MMA events on the Versus network, UFC President Dana White basically said “yeah, sorry, we’ll try to make it up to you by making the cards worthwhile”. And I firmly believe that if these “UFC on Versus” shows aren’t successful, the UFC very well may choose not to sign a new deal with Versus once their current deal expires. I know I’ve said “free MMA on TV is rarely a bad thing” countless times, but I also fully believe that the reverse is true as well: less MMA on TV is rarely a good thing.

3. Let’s see if Chris Weidman can live up to the hype.

There’s been a lot of talk about Chris Weidman and his impending UFC debut, especially on fighters.com. Weidman is an undefeated 4-0 prospect and he’ll basically burst onto the main stage if he’s able to beat talented veteran Alessio Sakara. It’s always interesting to see whether or not a fighter lives up to the hype, and seeing Weidman try to live up to his should be one of the most interesting moments of the night.

2. Brian Bowles vs. Damacio Page should be a wild brawl.

In a way, I think this is the fight that Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos should have been. In one corner we’ve got a former WEC champion, the first man to ever stop Miguel Torres, who had both won and finished every single one of his fights as a professional MMA athlete up until he lost to current UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz. In the other corner is Damacio Page, who always shows up to entertain and either finish his opponent or get finished. If it lives up to its potential, this should be one of the best fights of the night.

And the number one reason I think fans should watch “UFC on Versus 3” is…

1. The main event is going to be awesome.

Again, it all has to do with living up to the potential the match has on paper. On paper, these two are a perfect match for each other. They’re fast, they’re fluid, they’re good at basically everything. Both just don’t want to win, they want to dominate in order to prove that they belong at the top of the division. This fight easily could have been on Pay-Per-View, so it’s great that we’re getting it for free on Versus and it’s definitely the biggest reason to tune in and give this show a watch.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see “UFC on Versus 3”. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

The Event: “UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann”, currently scheduled for March 3, 2011 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The main card will be broadcast live on the Versus network starting at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT.

Why You Should Care: With the WEC officially being folded into the UFC at the start of the year, these are the sole live MMA outings left on the Versus network. That’s a big gap that the UFC must fill, and with it comes a smaller amount of shows than WEC and Versus fans are used to. To overcome that problem, the UFC is putting together a solid card that seems to be a step above their usual “Fight Night Live” outings.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: In his last fight, Diego Sanchez re-discovered the fire inside him when he ran right through Paulo Thiago. Sanchez seems to be a new man thanks to famed trainer Greg Jackson. Meanwhile, Martin Kampmann is still chasing the shot at the championship that he’s never been able to firmly grasp hold of. Both men want and need a win pretty badly, so expect plenty of fireworks for this fight.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Expect a fast pace and a lot of hard work when CB Dollaway and Mark Munoz battle it out. Both men could use a big win on their records right now, and both are coming off of pretty decisive wins. Dollaway in particular is on a three-fight win-streak, so expect him to show up very motivated. They may not be the brightest stars on the card, but these two workhorses should put on a pretty entertaining scrap.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Simply put: potential. The potential is there for all the “UFC on Versus” fights to not only be entertaining, but surpass your expectations. The main event should be a great fight, and a lot of the undercard bouts feature smart match-ups between tough fighters.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: The card has undergone some pretty significant changes since it was first announced, so several of the must-see match-ups have gone through serious revisions. As a whole, the card just isn’t as appealing as it was when it was first announced. It’s still a pretty solid event, but only the main event comes close to “must watch” status, and given that Sanchez is just barely starting a comeback and Kampmann lost his last fight, it may not even deserve that status.

Closing Thoughts: The card honestly isn’t as good as it once was, but that’s hardly the UFC’s fault. I really like the main event of this show, and free MMA on TV is rarely a bad thing, so I’m definitely going to be tuning in to watch this event. If it happens, it wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve come into a show with relatively low expectations and proceeded to be blown away by the quality I’m presented with. There’s a chance that this show could be underwhelming, but there’s also a chance it could be a great night of fights. I’m willing to take the risk.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on “UFC on Versus 3”?

In baseball it goes … “good pitching beats good hitting.”

In MMA should it go … “good wrestling beats good standup?”

Lawlor had three exciting fights, albeit going 1-2, leading into UFC 121, and showed a mixture of ground and standup skills across those matuch-ups. In a thrilling win over CB Dollaway he pulled the upset in a frantic ground battle ending with Lawlor sinking in the guillotine to finish in the first round.  Against Aaron Simpson, Lawlor stormed his opponent with improved standup, nearly ending the fight in the first, but gassed in the third to lose a close decision. However, it was highly entertaining, due to each fighter bringing strong wrestling skills to the cage, negating each other, which prompted Lawlor to look to his standup.

Wrestler v. Wrestler: ala Frankie Edgar/Tyson Griffin usually is entertaining as neither can leverage the ground game as much and one looks to stand and bang or we get a diverse multi-level fight.

Puncher v. Puncher: ala Chris Lytle/Marcus Davis usually is entertaining as each wants to use the hands and knows the other is not natively inclined to work for the takedown.

In Lawlor v. Cote, both fighters are responsible for the fight staying down.  Clearly Lawlor took the fight to his sweet spot, but Cote can be knocked for not being able to stop the takedown.  Stopping the takedown seems to be the greatest weakness pure standup fighters have.  Dan Hardy had no take down defense v. George St. Pierre, Phillipe Nover had no takedown defense against Efrain Escudero in the Tuf – 8 Finale, and Andre Winner had difficulty as well in this area against Nik Lentz.  If Hardy, Nover or Winner could stop the takedown, just half the time, all those fights may have had a different outcome and likely more entertainment value.

Note: I am not criticizing Lawlor for his strategy.  He was in a “must win” situation from a career standpoint.  He did exactly what he had to do to get a win.  I am just looking down from 50,000 feet and a business/entertainment value standpoint and all the elements a matchmaker has to consider before booking a fight.

Joe Silva may have contemplated … ‘what if Cote stuffs Lawlor’s first three take-down attempts?’  How does the fight play out?  Lawlor loses confidence, Cote inches forward and unloads his hands and we have a crowd pleasing brawl.  But Cote, couldn’t stay on his feet, Lawlor had to have a win via wrestling, so this becomes a relatively boring ground affair.  What if Lawlor came out as he did against Aaron Simpson, with fists flying?  Then, Joe Silva may have pondered, …’we have a fight of the night candidate.’

One thing I am sure Silva is learning, is that, when push comes to shove elite level wrestling always has the potential to neutralize the excitement value of an opponent with strong standup skills.

As wrestlers continue to mute opponents with strong hands and take the zing out of fights, it will be interesting to see how this affects UFC matchmaking going forward.

—

Do you agree?  How should fights be booked?  Should Joe Silva match pure wrestlers with pure boxers?

Headlining the nights festivities will be former light heavyweight champions Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida in a non-title bout, with a trilogy between former welterweight champions Matt Hughes and BJ Penn being completed that night, serving as the co-main event of the evening.

Prior to these bouts, a pair of middleweights and 170-pound fighters will be in action as part of the Spike TV special, which will have the potential to reach 96.1 million people at home in these United States.

MMAJunkie.com has indicated that match ups between middleweights Mark Munoz vs Aaron Simpson, and Matt Brown vs Rory MacDonald, will serve as the two bouts selected for the Spike broadcast.

Munoz, a heavy handed wrestler is coming off the sting of his first defeat in the middleweight division, where he lost a close split-decision to top contender Yushin Okami. The Japanese star brought it to the former NCAA champion early and often, dropping Munoz on one occasion and stuffing all of his take down attempts. Mark hung tough, and even managed to wobble Okami to the ground and pressured him with his improved stand up arsenal. In the end it wasn’t enough, and Munoz saw a three-fight win streak snapped with the loss.

Aaron, meanwhile, is coming off a loss as well, his first as a professional mixed martial artist. A two-time NCAA champion in 96′ and 98′, became an assistant wrestling coach for Arizona State, where he initially compiled 110 victories for the university.

There, he coached the likes of UFC standouts CB Dollaway, Ryan Bader, and current UFC heavyweight number one contender, Cain Velasquez. Being bit by the biting bug, Aaron opened up to the idea of fighting as a living in 2007, and compiled a perfect 4-0 before joining the UFC. Going on to garner a three-fight win streak within the promotion, his run was snapped when Simpson met with Chris Leben at “The Ultimate Fighter” season 11 finale, losing by TKO in the second round.

Both Rory MacDonald and Matt Brown are coming off losses as well. The Canadian shined though, in his bout against former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit, last June at UFC 115. Arguably ahead on the score cards going into the third round after getting the better of the stand up against Condit, Rory was notably fatigued in the final round. Carlos was eventually able to work the fight to the floor, eventually mounting the former King of the Cage lightweight and welterweight champion, pounding him out for a TKO victory in waning moments of the fight. Prior to the loss, MacDonald made a successful debut into the organization with a first-round arm bar over fellow KOTC veteran Mike Guymon at “UFC Fight Night 20″ in January of this year.

Brown, however is feeling the sting of defeat well and hard. The former contender is coming on the heels of two consecutive losses, submissions at that, to standouts Ricardo Almedia and most recently current top contender Chris Lytle.

In the bout with Lytle at UFC 116, which was the second in the series, the two traded blows early, Brown effective on the feet, the welterweight battle found its way to the floor in the early stages of the second round. Both fighters were jockeying for position, and Lytle was eventually able to secure an arm, and completed the bout ends with an arm bar victory over Brown.

Prior to the losses to Ricardo and Chris, Brown was riding a three-fight win streak in the organization and four of his last five overall. However now on the cusp of his UFC career, this is a must-win situation for both Brown and MacDonald. A loss for either could spell pink slips, which can also be said of Munoz and Simpson.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the UFC 123 prelims? Worthy? Do you have any other bouts in mind as far as what you would rather see in place of said matches? Sound off in the comments section below.

SpikeTV officials were able to confirm that the one hour special will two bouts, both in the middleweight division.

According to Spike, winner of the eleventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Court McGee will make his second appearance inside the octagon, and first after winning the competition. The former drug addict-turned sober fighter will take on veteran Ryan Jensen, as part of the “UFC on Prelims” feature, for UFC 121–headlined by a heavyweight clash between champion Brock Lesnar who attempts to defend his title against top contender, Cain Velasquez.

Additionally, fellow “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran and wild man, Tom Lawlor will take on former middleweight title challenger Patrick Cote, on the aforementioned “UFC on Prelims” special, on October 23, at the Honda Center, in Anaheim, Calif.

Lawlor, though colorful, charismatic and clearly talented, will likely be fighting for his spot in the UFC alongside Cote, as both middleweights are coming off back-to-back losses against top competition.

Cote, who returned to the UFC after a long absence due to a knee injury following a loss to Anderson Silva in a bid for his title back in 2008, returned last June at UFC 115 in Vancouver, in a losing effort to contender Alan Belcher by rear naked choke in the second round.

Lawlor, meanwhile earned his bid in the UFC after defeating fellow cast mate on the eighth season of TUF, Kyle Kingsbury by unanimous decision. The fight was contested at light heavyweight, where after the 205-pounder turned middleweight defeated CB Dollaway by guillotine choke, at UFC 100. The win nabbed the American Top Team product “Submission of the Night” honors for his efforts.

Since then, Lawlor dropped a split decision to fellow wrestler Aaron Simpson, after rocking Simpson early with a barrage of punches, and appearing to have gassed in the latter parts of the fight. He then took on late-replacement Joe Doerksen at UFC 115, losing by rear naked choke against the veteran who has competed in nearly 60 fights as a professional.

Is everyone pleased with the match ups, or would you have rather seen a different fight on the prelims special for Spike?

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (233.2 lbs./106 kg) vs. Cain Velasquez (242 lbs./110 kg)

Wanderlei Silva (184.8 lbs./84kg) vs. Michael Bisping (184.8 lbs./84 kg)

Joe Stevenson (154 lbs./70 kg) vs. George Sotiropoulos (154 lbs./70 kg)

Keith Jardine (204.6 lbs./93 kg) vs. Ryan Bader (204.6 lbs./93 kg)

“Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (233.2 lbs./106 kg) vs. Anthony Perosh (215.6 lbs./98 kg)

Stephan Bonnar (204.6 lbs./93 kg) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (204.6 lbs./93 kg)

Chris Lytle (169.4 lbs./77 kg) vs. Brian Foster (171.7 lbs./78 kg)

C.B. Dollaway (184.8 lbs./84 kg) vs. Goran Reljic (184.8 lb.s/84 kg)

James Te Huna (205 lbs./93 kg) vs. Igor Pokrajac (205 lbs./93 kg)

Dollaway suffered a disappointing 55-second tapout loss by guillotine to “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (6-1) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas 11 July.

Miller hung in there with former WEC middleweight champ Chael Sonnen (22-10-1) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas 23 May, but lost by UD.

The favorite to win TUF’s seventh contest, Dollaway is just 2-2 in the Octagon and needs a win more than Miller, who hadn’t lost in the UFC until his last fight.

Miller had been recruited to fight “A-Train” Aaron Simpson (4-0), replacing “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (15-7) who was to replace injured “Sandman” James Irvin (14-5) versus Wilson Gouveia (12-6) at UFC 102 in Portland 29 August.

Shortly after, Gouveia pulled from the fight with an injury and the UFC reset the Simpson v Herman matchup.

Simpson TKO’d “Wrecking Machine” Tim McKenzie (10-6) in his UFC debut at Fight Night 18 in Nashville 1 April. He told Fighters.com that he was a little annoyed by the switchups, but would fight anybody at the end of the day.

Herman won a unanimous decision over “The Crow” David Louiseau (18-9) in Montreal at UFC 97 18 April.

Dollaway, after submitting to Amir Sadollah (1-0) at the TUF finale in June, rebounded with a submission via Peruvian necktie over Jesse Taylor (7-3) in July.

Massenzio won his UFC debut in September, submitting “Massacre” Drew McFedries (7-4) with a kimura at 1:28 of the first round.

“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.

The wrestlers will meet at Fight Night on 19 July in Las Vegas.

Taylor was kicked off The Ultimate Fighter for drunken antics after the show wrapped.  He was to face Amir Sadollah (1-0) in the finale.

Dollaway was Taylor’s replacement after winning a fight-off with Tim Credeur (10-2), but lost the finale match via first round armbar to the new TUF champ Sadollah.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

White was not amused.

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

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

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

Enter Tim Credeur (10-2) and CB.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tim Credeur (9-2) versus Daniel Cramer (0-0) and “Doberman” CB Dollaway (6-0) versus Cale Yarbrough (0-0).

Just peep their records.

Fighters.com’s top-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) laid out Dollaway’s strategy for Yarbrough: “Whip his ass.”

Jackson reminded Dollaway before the fight that “[Yarbrough] aksed for everyone but you!”

At the first bell, Dollaway commenced Jackson’s strategy.  After a few half-hearted stand-up exchanges, Dollaway shot for a double-leg slam, passed to mount, and pounded Yarbrough.

Yarbrough rolled to his stomach, then turtled up as referee Herb Dean repeatedly warned him to fight back.

After the fight, Dollaway accused Yarbrough of doing what he had to do to end the fight.

“I hate that guy,” fifth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4) admitted about Dollaway.  Griffin explained, “He’s just so cocky.  And, he backs it up.  God bless him; but, I hate him.”

Before the fight, Jackson and Griffin took their teams to Pole Position for bumper car racing and Coach Jackson burned rubber around the track, beating Griffin and the other racers.

Cooped up for five weeks in the house, the few hours out was like someone forgot to lock the cages at the zoo.  When the fighters returned home, Dollaway lead a thorough thrashing of the house.

The episode had begun with a “Return of the Douche Bag” sequence starring Jeremy May (5-5).

May had walked in while Jesse Taylor (6-0) was spouting off choice synonyms for “Jeremy May”.

May plotted his revenge by pushing Taylor’s buttons to the point Taylor would hit him and be sent home early.

Remember, Fighters.com reported Taylor’s claim that he’s still undefeated after the show; so, there was a bit of drama when May began calling Taylor a bitch.

Taylor stood, but the house’s cooler heads held him back from taking a swipe at May.

The final quarter final match-up actually proved tougher for Credeur than one would’ve expected.

“Babyface” Cramer came out swinging and actually scored the first takedown on the submission fighter, Credeur.

Cramer quickly stood out of Credeur’s guard and pounced on Credeur with a barrage of strikes as Credeur stood up.

Credeur clammed up and absorbed a lot of punches before tripping Cramer to the mat and wrapping up Cramer’s leg in a hell hook as Cramer attempted to stand.

Credeur fulfilled his promise of “16-year old girls cry” by beating Cramer.

All that was left to do was choose the semi-final match-ups; and, Griffin had already decided he wanted Taylor to fight Dollaway, leaving Credeur versus Amir Sadollah (0-0).

It looked like Griffin would get his way when “Rampage” overslept and missed the matchmaking; but, UFC President Dana White had a different idea.

White matched Taylor versus Credeur and Dollaway versus Sadollah for the semi-finals.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner by second-round guillotine choke submission: CB Dollaway

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

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

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

The semi-final match-ups were set:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner by technical knockout: Amir Sadollah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winner by decision: Cale Yarbrough

Rampage was upset, thinking Schultz had won round one.

Forrest offered Yarbrough for another round.

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

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

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

Next week, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) and Forrest Griffin (15-4) will be choosing fighters for their team.  Assuming you’ve watched the first two episodes, who would you choose?

Would you choose fighters who’re rough, but you think have a higher upside; or, fighters who’re already more complete?

Would you choose fighters with styles most like yours?  Or, would you try to fill out a well-rounded squad?

UFC President Dana White was right tonight when he stated, “There are no pussies here.”  The elimination round has held some of the best fights of any TUF season.

The episode opened with Dan Simmler (0-0) versus Mathew Riddle (0-0); and, Riddler came to battle.  He scored a sweet toss early and worked inside the jiu-jitsu fighter’s guard.  But, Riddle gassed shortly into round one and Simmler had the mo’ going into the second.

That mo’ was floored almost immediately in what “Rampage” called, “The gruesomest knockout I’ve ever seen.”

As Simmler launched a kick, Riddle decked him with a right hook, followed by two vicious hammerfists after Simmler hit the floor.

Simmler moaned for several minutes, then woke-up repeating, “Was this a real fight or practice?”  He was carried away by ambulance.

Brutal.  Riddle takes a bed.

In the next fight, Patrick Schultz (5-1-1) looked mean at the bell and piled on Cincinnatian Luke Zachrich (7-1); but, Zachrich woke-up after taking a few shots and rolled Schultz into a guillotine to take another bed.

Erik Charles (2-5) bragged before his fight with Timothy Credeur (9-2) that he was “one of the fastest guys out here.”  He was right!  Charles tapped out in a Credeur armbar quicker than any other fighter in the competiton.  Credeur takes a bed.

In highlights, “Mohawk” Brandon Sene (2-0) beat Aaron Meisner (2-0) by rear naked choke.

Gerald Harris (6-2) was all over Mike Marrello (7-1-1) with G’n'P for a unanimous decision. 

Jeremiah Riggs (1-0) “put Mississippi on the map”, but Daniel Cramer (0-0) put “Mississippi” on the mat for a first-round G’n'P TKO.

Jesse Taylor (6-2) had a quick night taking down, mounting, and wrapping Nick Rossborough  (8-3) in a rear naked choke submission.

Finally, Cincinnatian Matt Brown (5-6) weathered the early pressure of wrestler Josh Hall (1-2), who escaped two tight triangle chokes only to succumb to a G’n'P stoppage.

My team picks, in alphabetical order:

Matt Brown
Timothy Credeur
CB Dollaway
Gerald Harris
Nick Klein
Matthew Riddle
Dante Rivera
Cale Yarbrough

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

Eight middleweight fights were contested on Wednesday’s episode.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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