We head to MMA Weekly for the story. According to their report, UFC officials recently confirmed that Kongo/Mitrione will be added to the UFC 137 fight card. The event is quickly becoming the can’t-miss MMA event of the fall, headlined by Georges St. Pierre taking on Nick Diaz. Other big matches include George Roop vs. Hatsu Hioki and Mirko Filipovic vs. Roy Nelson.

A veteran of over twenty fights, Cheick Kongo has been in the UFC for about half a decade. In that time, he’s made several interesting runs and at different times was thought to be only a few fights away from a shot at the championship. It never quite worked out that way for the French striker, and throughout the years Kongo has become the UFC Heavyweight division’s premiere gatekeeper. In his most-recent fight, in one of the most-dramatic comeback victories I’ve ever seen, Kongo survived an all-out flurry by Pat Barry and nailed Barry with two miraculous Hail Mary strikes that stone-cold KTFO’d his “UFC on Versus 4” opponent.

But if it weren’t for that dramatic turn of events, Matt Mitrione likely would have walked away from “UFC on Versus 4” with a “Knockout of the Night” award. Mitrione is just five fights into his professional MMA career, having made his debut inside the Octagon and after a stint as the bad-boy of season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter”. To date, Mitrione is a flawless 5-0 with four (T)KO victories. At “UFC on Versus 4”, Mitrione made short work of Christian Morecraft.

Make no mistake about it, this is definitely a “gatekeeper” fight. What’s strange is that this is actually a gatekeeper fight for Cheick Kongo as much as it is for Matt Mitrione.

For Matt Mitrione, it’s definitely all about getting past Cheick Kongo in order to take on the best Heavyweights in the division. Kongo has been a gatekeeper for years, and to be honest, he’s been pretty successful at it. He gives his cynics plenty of ammo with his lack of ground game and his tendency towards some illegal tactics in particularly close fights, but the man is still knocking people out. If Matt Mitrione can’t beat Cheick Kongo, then he really deserves to stay where he is for the time being.

But there’s a lot on the line for Cheick Kongo too. A lot of people are talking about Kongo now, and you can bet that the UFC wants to capitalize on that upswing in popularity. If Cheick Kongo beats Matt Mitrione, Kongo will get another shot at a top-division opponent. He’ll face Frank Mir again, or maybe the winner of Cro Cop/Nelson, or even Brock Lesnar depending on how that works out.

Make no mistake, this is a pivotal fight for both men. And since both men match up with each other so well, this also could be one of the best fights of what is already looking to be a stellar card.

Head on over to MMA Fighting for the full interview, it’s quite the good one. Here are some highlights: “I got knocked out, but I’m still alive. I can get up, walk around, still function. I’m okay. It’s not as bad as I thought… If [the referee] would have stopped that fight, with the way it turned out, it would have been a terrible injustice. We would have all missed one of the greatest 20 seconds in MMA ever… I came into that fight just fearless. Kill or be killed… I’m HD, man. That’s what I do. I’m going to win all the way, or I’m going to lose all the way. I’m going to lose better than everybody.”

Whenever I see a fight where Pat Barry loses, I always think that it’s too bad that “HD” had to lose. I always think “wow, it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy”. It’s not like Barry isn’t that good of a fighter, either. He’s looked all kinds of beastly against some of his UFC opponents.

I think it’s very, very refreshing that a fighter like Barry has such an open and honest opinion of himself after being on the wrong end of a highlight-reel KO.

I feel bad for Pat Barry, sure, but Pat Barry isn’t throwing himself a pity party and I’m going to honor him for that. So I’d instead like to say the following: in a small way, I’m glad that Barry got knocked out for much the same reason that Barry is glad that he got knocked out. Sometimes, fighters are simply afraid to fight to their fullest in fear of getting dropped and stopped. We see this with fighters that play it safe both after getting KO’d or when facing a fighter known for his KO power. It’s a very real element of the mental game going into a fight, and it’s affected the performances of fighters all up and down the rankings.

It took a lot of courage and heart for Pat Barry to admit that he’s been holding back in fear of getting KTFO’d, and now that he’s been KTFO’d I believe Pat Barry when he says that he’ll never fight with fear again. That’s really what his nickname “Hype or Die” boils down to. He comes to finish or get finished, but no matter what happens, at the end of the night you’re going to remember the name Pat Barry.

And in the end, that’s what interests MMA fans. Those are the kinds of fighters that the UFC will continue to employ, that they’ll give second or even third chances to. Without exciting fights, without fighters willing to take risks in order to get finishes, all we’re left with is a bunch of fighters playing it safe and going to boring decisions. And I know that there’s nothing wrong with going to a decision if the fight is entertaining, but I also think that we’re all really, really starting to get tired of boring decisions.

So, as both a fighter and as a person, I’m really growing to like Pat Barry. Give him a few more fights and a few more awesome interviews like this one, and Barry will become a real “dark horse favorite” for me. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Pat Barry.

The Cecil Peoples Award For Best Display Of Utter Blindness And Ineptitude: The referee that did nothing after looking directly at Charles Oliveira when Oliveira kneed his grounded opponent. How do you miss something like that, honestly? Multiple replays show that he was in full view of the illegal strike. We’re already sick of bad judging with judges that seem to not know how a fight works, must we now be plagued with referees who forget or maybe even don’t know the rules? Where the heck is Herb Dean when you need him? That’s not a knock on Dean, by the way. That’s just a small joke, because really, if I don’t make at least a small joke about this situation I’ll probably launch into a tirade.

The “Brand New Day” Award: Rich Attonito, who looked like a new man when he debuted at Welterweight on this card. He took on a very tough Daniel Roberts and simply out-worked him. This fight went all over the place, and while it wasn’t an all-out domination, I can’t remember the last time Attonito looked that good. I think it’s going to be very interesting to see what kind of a future Rich Attonito has at Welterweight.

The Underappreciated Undercard Award: This award goes to the entire “UFC Prelims LIVE” broadcast for “UFC on Versus 4”. UFC fans with a Facebook account got to see seven fights for free, with four of those fights ending in stoppages and most of the decision victories being entertaining, competitive fights. We basically got a second event for free on Facebook, and it wasn’t a bad event at all. Once more the “UFC Prelims LIVE” broadcast impressed me and leaves me believing that these fights are far more than “just the prelims”.

The “Comeback King” Award: Cheick Kongo, for giving us a topic to talk about for months. Should the fight have been called before Kongo staged his comeback? Where does this comeback rank amongst the UFC’s greatest? Where does this leave both Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry? It certainly was a history-making moment, but how big of one? As a guy that used to consider Cheick Kongo one of his “dark horse favorites”, I’m very glad that Kongo turned so many heads at “UFC on Versus 4”. I don’t know what the future holds for Cheick Kongo, but I am glad that he’s breathed some new life into his career. It was one of the most dramatic come-from-behind victories in MMA/UFC history, and I’ve just got to commend it one last time.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. And remember, it’s all in good fun… mostly.

5. The fight between Nik Lentz and Charles Oliveira… up to the illegal knee.

It’s very, very unfortunate that this fight will be known primarily because of an illegal knee strike that wasn’t seen. It’s already being called one of the biggest referee blunders of the last few years, given that multiple replays clearly show that the knee strike was in full view of the referee. Up until that strike, this was a dramatic and super-exciting match-up that saw both men engage frequently and have downright beautiful ground sequences that involved frequent scrambles and reversals.

4. Joe Lauzon completely demolishing Curt Warburton.

I told this to my good friend when I watched the end of this fight live: when he’s angry or motivated, Joe Lauzon is a dangerous fighter. Lauzon didn’t take too kindly to being back on the prelims again, and he said in his post-fight interview that he was hunting for a post-event bonus. And when you have a fighter like Joe Lauzon that comes into a fight both angry and motivated, that fighter is downright scary. And Lauzon’s all-out blitzkrieg-smackdown of Curt Warburton was one of the best moments of the night.

3. Charlie Brenneman putting the puzzle pieces together and defeating Rick Story.

This was definitely a major “Rocky” moment for Charlie Brenneman. He came into this fight on twenty-four hour’s notice, after sitting on the sidelines, and managed to beat one of the hottest prospects the UFC currently has under their roster. He didn’t utilize one tool in particular to beat him, he simply managed to put it all together and get the win. It definitely was one of the most unexpected outcomes of the night, and also one of the most entertaining.

2. Matt Mitrione KO’ing Christian Morecraft and calming walking away without a care in the world.

You know what’s really scary, fans and friends? Seeing a grown man stone-cold KO another man and then walk away as if it was an everyday occurrence. Mitrione’s three-hit combo that knocked out Christian Morecraft came so fast that part of me wondered why Mitrione was walking away. I honestly thought that Mitrione was showboating, and that it was just another flash knockdown that needed to be pounced upon… and then I saw Morecraft hit the floor and stay there. Now Mitrione is being praised for walking away and saving Morecraft from unnecessary damage. That’s power. That’s confidence. And that’s why Matt Mitrione takes the second spot on this list and likely would’ve taken the top spot had it not been for the obvious.

And my personal pick for the best moment of “UFC on Versus 4” is…

1. Cheick Kongo rallying and KO’ing Pat Barry while semi-conscious.

You know it was coming, I knew it was coming, so here it is. I have no earthly idea how Cheick Kongo survived Pat Barry’s initial rush. From my perspective, and this is just my opinion of course… but from my own personal perspective, it looked like Kongo was legitimately unconscious at least two times while Barry was trying to finish him. It may have only lasted for one or two seconds, if that… but for those one or two seconds, the lights weren’t “dimmed”, they were out. Fully out. And then Cheick Kongo comes back and KTFO’s Pat Barry. You can’t make stuff like this up, fans and friends. Anything can happen in MMA, and of course this moment takes the top spot.

So there you have it: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from this event.

Next for Nik Lentz/Charles Oliveira: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. If you believe some rumors, this fight may have already been changed to a No Contest. I think that’s great, but I also think Oliveira deserves a rematch so he can clear his name and prove that he can beat Lentz. Plus, Oliveira seems to bring out the best in Lentz. The Nik Lentz I saw at “UFC on Versus 4” was not the fighter I had grown to dislike, it was a new fighter that was exciting, willing to engage, and had a really awesome ground game. So I think an immediate rematch is definitely called for.

Next for Matt Mitrione: Give him Cheick Kongo, or even Shane Carwin. Why not Roy Nelson too? Whoever it is, Matt Mitrione deserves a top Heavyweight. People are very high on Mitrione now, although some point out that he’s only looked good against low-level Heavyweights. My answer to that is simple: beating low-level Heavyweights in dramatic fashion is one of the ways you get to face high-level Heavyweights. Mitrione is ready for a high-level Heavyweight.

Next for Matt Brown: If Matt Brown loses his next fight, he’s going to be cut. Even though he won at “UFC on Versus 4”, that’d make it four losses in five fights. I honestly wasn’t impressed with Brown’s performance, I actually considered his fight one of the most-boring of the broadcast. Brown staved off the executioner momentarily… but not for long.

Next for Rick Story: Story will take some time off to readjust and rethink, and he’ll show up to his next fight a new man. There’s still a very bright future in the UFC for Rick Story, he’ll just have to wait a while to fully realize his potential. No matter what the future holds for Rick Story, I wish him the best.

Next for Pat Barry: My heart went out to Barry when I saw the look on his face as the referee raised Cheick Kongo’s hand and not his. Barry looked utterly devastated, which is heartbreaking considering how much of a genuine good person he is, and how he continues to improve and looked great at “UFC on Versus 4” before getting clipped. Unfortunately for Barry, this loss means that he’ll continue to have to fight lower-tier Heavyweights until he gets another shot at a gatekeeper.

Next for Cheick Kongo: With this dramatic win, Kongo’s career will go one of two ways. The first option is to have Kongo face another upstart Heavyweight (like Matt Mitrione) and see if he can put together a two-fight win-streak as one of the UFC’s premiere gatekeepers. The other option is to have Kongo face a top-division Heavyweight right off the bat and give him another chance to get into title contention. Kongo staged a fantastic comeback, but his future is still very uncertain. Nevertheless, never let it be said that Cheick Kongo doesn’t know how to finish a fight.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

Cheick Kongo defeats Pat Barry via knockout at 2:39 in round 1.  Charlie Brenneman defeats Rick Story via unanimous decision. Matt Brown defeats John Howard via unanimous decision. Matt Mitrione defeats Christian Morecraft via knockout in round 2. Tyson Griffin defeats Manny Gamburyan via majority decision. Javier Vazquez defeats Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision. Joe Lauzon defeats Curt Warburton via submission (kimura) in round 1. Rich Attonito defeats Daniel Roberts via unanimous decision. Charles Oliveira defeats Nik Lentz via submission (rear-naked choke) in round 2. Ricardo Lamas defeats Matt Grice via TKO in round 1. Michael Johnson defeats Edward Faaloloto via TKO in round 1.

After a few hit-or-miss “UFC Prelims LIVE” shows, the preliminaries came roaring back at “UFC on Versus 4” and convinced me once again that I made the right call when I made this series my new “dark horse favorite”. The UFC gave us seven free preliminary fights for this event, and many of them ended with fantastic stoppages.

I was very disheartened when Charles Oliveira caused a firestorm of controversy when he hit Nik Lentz with an illegal knee and then proceeded to beat him with a choke. I thought it was an excellent fight up to that point, and I know that Oliveira can beat Lentz. All I hope is that there’s a rematch when this fight inevitably gets changed to a No Contest.

Of all the people that shined on the prelims, Joe Lauzon nearly went nova with another all-out blitzkrieg domination stoppage. Curt Warburton had nothing for him, Lauzon’s striking was too crisp, his hands were too heavy, his submission game was too excellent. Lauzon continues to impress when he’s angry and has something to prove, and I think we’ll see him back on a Pay-Per-View very soon.

Matt Mitrione deserves a top Heavyweight. I’ve said it, I believe it, and I’ll keep saying it until the UFC gives him one. It took him a few scant minutes to perfectly time Christian Morecraft, and by the end of their fight it seemed as if Mitrione was outright toying with his hulking opponent. I’m going to remember the sight of Matt Mitrione calmly and confidently walking away after KO’ing Morecraft for quite some time. Matt Mitrione has arrived, and I think it’s time he faced someone like Shane Carwin or Cheick Kongo.

And speaking of Cheick Kongo… insanity. Insanity and madness. Those were the two words that kept running through my head as I saw Pat Barry drop and nearly stop Cheick Kongo at least two times before Barry walked into a clipping shot and then the Hail Mary power punch. I’m a passionate fan when I watch a particularly exciting bout, and to be truly honest, I screamed myself hoarse by shouting “WHAT?! WHAT?!” multiple times as I saw Pat Barry crumple to the mat, his eyes glazed over, his body in the “fighter’s crucifix” position. Surely this was one of the most amazing, most unexpected comebacks in MMA history.

All in all, I was highly impressed with this “UFC on Versus” event. I think this event has even raised the standard of all other cards on the Versus network. This is the new benchmark, fans and friends. It’s going to be very tough for another “UFC on Versus” event to out-perform “UFC on Versus 4”.

5. “UFC on Versus” events tend to deliver more often than not.

Even though this will be only the fourth in the “UFC on Versus” series, this show does have a lot to live up to. The first two events in this series both featured Jon Jones in the main event, dominating his opponents with the same ruthlessness that would lead him to capture the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. The third event featured stars like Diego Sanchez, Brian Bowles, Mark Munoz, Alessio Sakara, and more. This is a series with a very good track record, and that’s important heading into a new event.

4. Seven (seven!) free fights on Facebook.

The UFC continues to spoil its fans with free fights on Facebook for virtually every event they’ve ran. At times they’ve cut it  little close in announcing that the fights will appear on Facebook, but they’ve been giving these free fights to us for so long now that I honestly would raise a serious fuss if they were ever taken away. For this event, the UFC is giving us seven free fights for the price of a “like” on their Facebook page. That’s nothing compared to the quality of fights these preliminary attractions tend to deliver.

3. Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft is guaranteed fireworks.

Matt Mitrione has said that he wants to explore areas of his game where he’s not comfortable, but in this fight with Morecraft I think he’s going to have to fall back on his brawling roots. The good thing about that is that these two men have the potential to put on an epic brawl. If it lives up to its potential, there’s a very real chance that this will earn “Fight of the Night”.

2. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo should be a very technical, very exciting match-up between two very gifted kickboxers.

Many people have criticized Cheick Kongo for being one-dimensional, but few seem to remember that the reason why he’s been in the UFC for so long is because he’s very dominant in that one dimension. Against a fellow kickboxer like Pat Barry, Kongo will be able to let loose the full force of his brutal kicks and punches. As technical as both men are on their feet, I see this one getting very ugly very fast. It’ll be a “beautifully ugly” fight, and one of the night’s best.

And the number-one reason to watch this event is…

1. The main event features two very different men with two very different styles and two very different goals fighting each other.

Nate Marquardt both wants and needs to prove that he doesn’t choke in big fights. Much like Kenny Florian, who has also been accused of this in the past, Marquardt is dropping down in weight in hopes that it will alleviate his problems. But will it? Rick Story is no joke, he’s a fantastic young talent and I’ve been impressed with him more and more as I’ve gotten to see him fight more and more. But is Story really ready for someone like Marquardt? It’s questions like these that are on just about everyone’s minds as we head into this event, and it’s definitely the number-one reason to check out this show.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see “UFC on Versus 4”

Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story: This is a rare moment where my head and heart are in agreement, although parts of both do question my logic. As a realist, I think a drop down in weight is a great thing for Marquardt and he’ll show up hungry, motivated, and at his best. As an optimist, I think Nate Marquardt has always been good and he’ll continue to be a tough opponent for anybody. Rick Story is a very good prospect and I think he has a very bright future in store for him, but in terms of facing top-division competition, facing Marquardt will be a matter of “too much too soon”. It’ll be close at times, but ultimately Nate Marquardt will win by Unanimous Decision.

Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry: I used to like Cheick Kongo, at one point I even considered him under-rated thanks to his high level of kickboxing skill. But I think time simply hasn’t been kind to the UFC’s premiere Heavyweight gatekeeper. If someone like Frank Mir can rattle Kongo’s chin, Pat Barry could very well KO him. And Pat Barry has looked mostly impressive in the UFC, especially during his last bout where he completely dominated his opponent. I think Barry will out-work Kongo first, softening him up with leg kicks and counter-strikes before going in for the kill. Pat Barry wins by TKO in Round 2.

Matt Brown vs. John Howard: What a weird fight… you have a man that’s lost three straight fights going up against a man that’s lost two straight fights. I just can’t see a way for Matt Brown to win this one: he’s lost three straight with all three losses coming by way of second-round submission, his record is 11-10, he’s been inactive since November 2010 and he hasn’t won a fight since 2009. John Howard may have lost his two most-recent fights, but he won seven straight before those losses. Plus, Howard has six submission wins and Matt Brown has been submitted eight times. John Howard wins by Submission in Round 2.

Matt Mitrione vs. Christian Morecraft: Mitrione certainly has come a long way from his days as “Meathead” on the tenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. From his background as a former football player that was little more than the “villain of the season” during TUF 10, Mitrione now stands poised to ascend to top-division status, in much the same way that Brendan Schaub is about to and in much the same way that Roy Nelson has done. Morecraft is tough, but Mitrione is tougher. Morecraft hits hard, Mitrione hits harder. Morecraft has good cardio and technique, Mitrione has better cardio and great technique. This is going to be the fight where people start taking Mitrione seriously as a top-division Heavyweight. Matt Mitrione wins by (T)KO in Round 1.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

The Event: “UFC on Versus 4”, currently scheduled for June 26, 2011 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The entire preliminary card of the event will be streamed live and for free at the UFC’s Facebook page starting at 4:55 PM ET. The main card will be televised live on the Versus network starting at 9:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This event sees former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Nate Marquardt drop down to Welterweight to face Rick Story. A drop down in weight could wholly revitalize Marquardt’s career: he’s always been an entertaining fighter, but as of late he’s struggled to keep up with the Middleweight elite. Plus you have Ricky Story, one of the UFC’s best can’t-miss prospects at Welterweight. And to top it all off, you’ve got a big pair of Heavyweight encounters that should guarantee fireworks.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: When Nate Marquardt is “on”, he sure is on. We’re talking about a man who (T)KO’d both Demian Maia and Rousimar Palhares and made it look easy. And that’s just in recent history. But when he’s off, he’s been outright dominated. So, which Marquardt shows up, especially now that he’s in a new weight class? Plus, can Rick Story live up to his potential? Depending on who wins this fight, we could either see a “changing of the guard” moment or the debut of a new Nate Marquardt that has his eyes squarely set on the UFC Welterweight Championship.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Ever since his slightly-embarrassing loss to Mirko Cro Cop, Pat Barry has been a man possessed. In his recent fight with Joey Beltran, he’s never looked more vicious and his strikes have never seemed more powerful. On the other side of the Octagon you’ve got Cheick Kongo, who’s one of the UFC’s premiere gatekeepers and is a tough opponent for any man on any given day. With both men’s love of striking, this should be an epic encounter between two tough kickboxers.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The story behind the main event is quite interesting, as both men need a major win over a tough opponent in order to establish themselves in the Welterweight division. And not only do you have Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo in a good fight, you’ve also got entertaining brawlers Matt Mitrione and Christian Morecraft stepping into the cage and throwing leather. And let’s not forget that the UFC is giving us over five free fights on Facebook.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: As much as I like the dynamic of Nate Marquardt vs. Rick Story, I have to admit that I think this is a weaker fight than the original “UFC on Versus 4” main event, which would have seen Marquardt face Anthony Johnson. In general, this is a card that’s been plagued with fighters pulling out, fights getting shuffled back and forth, and even some fights being cancelled. It’s still a good card… it’s just not as good as it could have been.

Closing Thoughts: Like all the other events in this series “UFC on Versus 4” strikes me as a happy medium between a Pay-Per-View and a “Fight Night Live” event. It features an interesting mix of stars both new and old, smartly booked against each other in fights that should bring out the strengths of all involved. It looks to be a good card on paper, perhaps great when all is said and done, so I’m definitely going to be watching this one.

5. Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers

Both men have an avalanche of questions surrounding their careers right now. Is Brett Rogers just a flash in the pan? Is Josh Barnett worth the risk, given his many scandals? The fight between these two should answer all that and more. If Brett Rogers can knock out a skilled wrestler like Josh Barnett, he’ll have given his career the shot in the arm that it so very desperately needs. The same goes for Josh Barnett if he’s able to beat the man who became famous as a wrecking ball on legs.

4. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo

A lot of people don’t like Cheick Kongo, considering him a journeyman and one-dimensional. Both of those statements are not without merit, but when in his element and when against a certain caliber of opponent, Cheick Kongo is a great and very entertaining fighter. He’ll be in his element against Pat Barry, and Barry is the right kind of opponent for Kongo. Win or lose, it’s going to be a great war of attrition between two powerful strikers.

3. Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin

Something tells me that this fight won’t go past the first round. I would only be slightly, slightly surprised if it went past the third minute. I’d be utterly flabbergasted if it went to a decision. These two men swing with bad, bad intentions, and they’ve left a trail of cracked chins in their wake. Junior dos Santos is an expert striker with smart timing, pacing, and laser precision. Shane Carwin can throw a whole lot of punches in a short amount of time (even if he gasses out immediately afterward), and any single one of them can knock a man out. It should be very violent and it will probably end very quickly, but it’s definitely one of the biggest can’t-miss fights of the month.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum

I truly believe that Alistair Overeem is unstoppable. He’s a champion in Strikeforce, in the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, and in K-1, which is the largest and most prestigious kickboxing organization in the world. But if anyone could stop him, it’d be someone like Fabricio Werdum, who possesses a tremendous heart, an iron will, and one of the best ground games in MMA, regardless of weight division. Whoever wins this fight has got to be the favorite to win the entire Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

And my personal pick for the number-one can’t-miss fight of June 2011 is…

1. Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida

A lot of people, even Clay Guida himself, are already calling this a Fight of the Year contender. Not only am I in that bandwagon, I’m up in front and leading the charge. Clay Guida may be a journeyman, but he’s one of the most entertaining journeyman fighters I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Anthony Pettis is an amazing fighter that has already given me a fight that I consider one of the best of all time. No matter who wins this fight, it’s a perfect match-up between two fantastic fighters. You absolutely must not miss this fight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’ll start off by explaining why I think both men suffer from a bit of undue criticism.

For Pat Barry, it’s his fight with Mirko Cro Cop. Many people continue to hound Barry over that loss and his somewhat-bizarre actions during the course of the bout. But the thing a lot of people seem to forget is that Cro Cop was one of Barry’s idols. It’s one thing to meet your idol, it’s another thing entirely to have to punch him in his face.

In his most recent fight, I think Pat Barry proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that his killer instinct is alive and well. The only reason he didn’t win by TKO is simply because he fought an opponent that’s got an incredible pain threshold. Don’t ask me how Joey Beltran was able to stay standing, I have no earthly idea.

The same goes for Cheick Kongo. A lot of people are quick to criticize him as well. However, like Barry, I think some (though not all) of that criticism is unfounded. In particular, I take issue with some cynics who wonder how Kongo still has a job in the UFC. Simply put: Cheick still cashes a check (pardon the pun) because he’s been with the UFC for almost five years, and in that span of time he’s never lost more than two fights in a row, he’s only lost four times, and he’s got a host of impressive (T)KO victories.

In the UFC, Kongo holds a record of 8-4, with one Draw. The only person that’s ever, and I do mean ever, stopped Cheick Kongo in the UFC is former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. Even Cain Velasquez, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, couldn’t finish Cheick Kongo. Cheick Kongo may never be a champion, but don’t doubt for a second that he belongs in the UFC. His striking alone has kept him active and with a winning record inside the world’s most prestigious MMA organization since he debuted in the UFC in July 2006.

This fight simply makes sense, and it makes a whole lot of sense. These two may never be technical wizards on the floor, but on their feet they’re very entertaining fighters. Both men need a big and dramatic win, and with this fight nearly guaranteed to stay standing, the chances of a crazy finish are very high. It’ll be a few weeks before I narrow down my prediction to anything more than “it’ll be a great fight”, but in the here and now, I’ll say that loudly and proudly. This is going to be a great fight.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your thought on Pat Barry meeting Cheick Kongo?

Two of the most dynamic strikers in the heavyweight division will now be pitted against one another, as fan favorite Pat Barry will be taking on Cheick Kongo in their next bouts.

Both men are expected to meet with one another this June for “UFC on Versus 4″, which is tentatively scheduled for June 26, however no venue has been mentioned at this time.

MMAWeekly.com initially reported the match-up, and several other news outlets have since confirmed the same.

Barry was last seen in action when he bested the tough-as-nails Joey Beltran in late January for “UFC: Fight for the Troops 2″. Pat used his signature kickboxing skills in order to stifle the forward movement of Beltran, crippling “The Mexecutioner” with crackling leg kicks, which eventually wore down Beltran en route to a decision win. The victory helped Barry bounce back from a third-round submission loss to legend Mirko “Cro Cop” in June of last year.

Kongo, meanwhile is looking to bounce back from a disappointing performance against Travis Browne in his last outing. At UFC 120 in Kongo’s adopted home of London, England, the two heavyweights battled for the full fifteen-minutes, where a point deduction for Cheick (excessive grabbing of the shorts) cost Kongo the bout when in the ended it was ruled a draw. If Kongo had not had the point taken away, he would have taken home the unanimous decision.

In the past, fans have been familiar with Kongo for his striking prowess, which has resulted in six knockout wins for the French striker inside the UFC.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match-up? This fight should be a sure-thing of fireworks, with either men taking home the “Knockout” or “Fight of the Night” award–but what do you think? Sound off in the comment section below.

Courtesy of Middle Easy, Kongo recently said the following: “[Matt Mitrione] is a favorite of mine in the UFC, a great guy… If the UFC offered me this [match-up], I would gladly take it.”

I think this is a great fight for Matt Mitrione for several reasons. First and foremost, it gives him the opportunity to truly test his hands against a legitimate, feared striker. Kongo is known primarily as a one-dimensional kickboxer, but with that one dimension he’s been able to earn nine of his fifteen wins in professional Mixed Martial Arts by way of (T)KO. Mitrione has looked dominant standing, but Kongo is on an entirely different level than any of the competition Mitrione has faced before. It would certainly be a tough test and a real proving point if Mitrione decided to see how his stand-up measures up to Kongo’s.

Another reason that this match would be interesting is that it would give Mitrione a chance to explore his ground game. Mitrione has stated several times that he’d like to go to the ground more in order to gain experience, and let’s be honest, Mitrione would have plenty of time to work his game if he gets Kongo down. Kongo’s Achilles Heel has been and most likely always will be the fact that the man’s strategy when taken down is to turtle up and get hit often.

I’m now going to say what I know we’re all thinking: this is Mitrione’s gatekeeper fight against the guy who’s been the gatekeeper for the last several years running. But even if you look at it that way, is that really such a bad thing? Yes, Kongo has been put into this role of gatekeeper, looking fantastic against lower-level opponents and then washing out against top-division talent. But he’s still a veteran, he still holds more victories in the Octagon than he does defeats, and he still has the ability to viciously and quickly separate a man from consciousness.

And if we’re being so bluntly honest about Kongo, let’s be bluntly honest about Mitrione: he’s not nearly at the level required to challenge the best in the division. Who has he beat? Marcus Jones, Kimbo Slice, Joey Beltran, and Tim Hague. Mitrione has looked dominant while compiling this 4-0 win-streak, but he’s looked dominant against low-level threats. With the exception of maybe Joey Beltran, none of Mitrione’s opponents have an ounce of relevancy in the UFC, and three of them aren’t even UFC fighters anymore.

This is the perfect fight for both men, and catches both men at a time when they need it the most. Kongo needs to keep winning so he can set himself up for another shot at top-tier relevancy. Mitrione needs to beat Kongo to prove that he’s ready for more than just the bottom of the barrel. I think this would be a great fight, and I’d definitely enjoy watching it happen.

And what about you, fans and friends? Would you like to see Mitrione vs. Kongo? And who do you think would win?

According to MMAWeekly, UFC 120’s prime-time tape-delayed showing on Spike TV was watched by an average of 1.9 million fight fans. The report also lists some humbling figures when compared to this event: both UFC 105 and 95, two other British cards shown via tape-delay in the UFC, out-performed this event considerably. 95 had an average of 2.4 million viewers, while 105 saw a big 2.9 million viewers tune in to see Randy Couture take on Brandon Vera.

And in a case of the UFC perhaps being too over-zealous, all twenty UFC 120 performers were handed medical suspensions after the bout according to Sherdog. The UFC controls fighter suspensions from British cards since Britain lacks an athletic commission of the kind that oversees UFC events and handles things like these. The shortest suspension was for only 14 days, with several of those being handed out. Several fighters were suspended for thirty and forty-five days. The report also states that Mike Pyle, Travis Browne, Cheick Kongo, and Rob Broughton have all been handed down six-month suspensions, pending various medical check-ups to properly diagnose the severity of some of the injuries they sustained at the event. Of course, just like normal athletic commission suspensions, these six-month suspensions will be reduced substantially if the fighters are medically cleared.

I’m a bit disheartened that “Bisping vs. Akiyama” under-performed, for the most part I enjoyed the show and was hoping that it would deliver in the ratings. I usually enjoy the UK shows a lot, they’ve got a great atmosphere and a lot of the fighters put on a good performance even if the actual Pay-Per-View card isn’t filled with top-name UFC talent. I suppose some of this could be blamed on the rampant spoilers that were posted online, with ESPN being the main culprit, but still, that kinda sweeps the pre-existing issue with this show under the rug. I think this event is further proof that UFC fans are a fickle bunch and want big stars to justify tuning in, even if the show is free.

In regards to the medical suspensions, I do think that the UFC is being a bit over-protective. However, ultimately that’s a good thing. The UFC is proving that when they’re in charge of taking care of their fighters, they can react accordingly and ensure that no one rushes back into training before their body is fully healed up. Most of the suspensions were brief, so I think the medical suspensions of UFC 120 would have basically flown under the radar had there not been the fact that everyone on the card got suspended.

Overall, I’m thinking UFC 120 was more of a success than a failure even with some lackluster ratings. The UFC once again raked in the green and were rolling in it by the time UFC 120 was over, based on the live attendance and gate attendance numbers. It may not have performed as well in the US, but still, it firmly established that the UK still wants as much UFC as they can get. And in the grand scheme of the UFC’s rapid push for international expansion, that’s a very good thing.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of UFC 120’s ratings and medical suspensions?

According to Sherdog, the UFC was able to draw 17,133 fans for UFC 120. According to the report, that number is big enough to crack the top ten list of the most-attended UFC events in UFC history, placing at number nine. The event also made in the area of 1.6 million pounds.

Also courtesy of Sherdog, here are the performance bonuses handed out after the event to the standout stars of UFC 120. Carlos Condit earned “Knockout of the Night” for his thunderous KO’ing of Dan Hardy, who had never been KO’d before. Preliminary fighter Paul Sass earned “Submission of the Night” for his win over Mark Holst. “Fight of the Night” went to the three-round war between Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama in the night’s main event. All four fighters were given $60,000 bonuses in addition to their awards.

I think all the ingredients were there for the UFC to deliver another sold-out house, and I’m glad to see that that’s just what they did at UFC 120. The UFC had it all: two big-name British stars, two up-and-coming British stars, and a long layoff from their last event in the UK. I think this show once again demonstrates the crazy drawing power Michael Bisping has in the UK. Love him or hate him, the man has become a boon to the UFC’s international expansion. Expect to see him stay at or near the main event for any and all UK UFC cards for quite some time.

Speaking of Michael Bisping, I wholeheartedly agree with him and his opponent getting the “Fight of the Night” award. Both Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama put on a great performance, and it was by far the night’s most competitive fight. Both men left it all out there in the Octagon, and I’m glad to see that their hard work was rewarded.

I also fully agree with Condit’s KO getting “Knockout of the Night”, I don’t think anything else even came close. In fact, that win was the highlight of the show for me. Honestly, who thought Condit had enough power in his hands to KO Dan Hardy? Hardy had displayed an awesome jaw in every fight beforehand. Condit needed a good win and he got a huge win, this is one KO that’s going onto his highlight reel and staying there forever.

Overall, UFC 120 was a good show and I’m glad it was a resounding success. And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of the UFC’s (and Michael Bisping’s) drawing power in the UK? And do you disagree with any of the “Of the Night” bonuses?

Next for James Wilks: If it weren’t for the fact that he won a season of “The Ultimate Fightter”, I’d say that James Wilks should begin worrying about whether or not he’ll still be a UFC fighter by 2012. But the UFC has given their TUF winners a lot of second chances, so I think Wilks will head back to the drawing board, get off the main card, and face a step down in competition. Look for Wilks’ next fight to be the opener to a “Fight Night Live” event or on the preliminaries of a PPV card.

Next for Travis Browne: Someone like Antoni Hardonk, a bottom-level UFC Heavyweight that Browne will look good against if he runs right through him. I hate to paint Hardonk in such a negative light, but Browne needs another stepping stone to erase his bad performance at UFC 120. He seemed right on the verge of KO’ing Kongo, but he never fully pulled the trigger. When Kongo started attacking his legs, Browne had no defense and it severely diminished his punching power. Browne is still a work-in-progress, he needs an opponent to reflect that.

Next for Cheick Kongo: Even with a Draw instead of a Loss on his record, I think this fight firmly establishes Cheick Kongo as a divisional gatekeeper. It honestly struck me as one of the worst performances he’s ever given in the UFC. His tentativeness after getting rocked was bad enough, but his blatant cheating was just inexcusable. Kongo needed a big win to remain relevant, what we got was further proof that he’s best used as a warm-up fight for surging Heavyweights with championship potential.

Next for John Hathaway: I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: sometimes a rookie is just a rookie. This loss doesn’t prove that Hathaway was just hype. I still believe that John Hathaway has a bright future in the UFC. This is just a temporary stumbling block. I don’t have any idea who his next opponent might be, but I do think he’ll rebound with a big win. Hathaway has an incredible amount of potential, and while he didn’t realize much of it against Pyle, I think Hathaway’s next fight will firmly set him on the comeback trail.

Next for Carlos Condit: Somebody big, I’m thinking maybe Thiago Alves. Condit has earned his shot at another top-division talent with his thunderous KO of Hardy. I think this fight proved that Condit still has a lot left to give and a lot of gas left in his tank, and I don’t think it’s impossible for him to continue this epic comeback and even challenge for the UFC Welterweight Championship before 2011 is over and done with.

Next for Dan Hardy: A mid-level talent looking to establish himself with a big win over a big name like Hardy. Now that “The Outlaw” has lost two straight, look for the UFC to put him in the role of a divisional gatekeeper in his next fight. If he loses again, he may find himself in an unemployment line. If he wins, it’ll be the first step on what I think will be a long road back to divisional relevancy.

Next for Yoshihiro Akiyama: If Akiyama loses again, he’s fired. Of that I have no doubt. Despite how popular he is, the man has consistently had problems with his cardio. I think Akiyama’s job will be in danger even if he wins his next fight, what “Sexyama” needs more than anything right now is to get a huge and incredibly dominant KO or submission on his record. The man is a great fighter that usually produces great fights, but even that isn’t enough to save your job in the UFC nowadays.

Next for Michael Bisping: He wants a rematch with Wanderlei Silva, I say give it to him. I think Bisping can beat Wanderlei Silva, even knock him out, if he just stays focused and isn’t forced into playing Wanderlei’s game. If Bisping can hit smarter and not harder, he can beat Wanderlei. If not Wanderlei, look for Bisping to receive another big name to once again see if he’s ready for top-division fighters.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Now it’s your turn: what’s next for the winners and losers of UFC 120: “Bisping vs. Akiyama”?

Michael Bisping defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via Unanimous Decision, Carlos Condit defeats Dan Hardy via KO due to strikes at 4:27 of Round 1, Mike Pyle defeats John Hathaway via Unanimous Decision, Travis Browne and Cheick Kongo fight to a Draw (Kongo was deducted a point for holding Browne’s shorts), Claude Patrick defeats James Wilks via Unanimous Decision, Alexander Gustafsson defeats Cyrille Diabate via submission due to a Rear Naked Choke at 2:41 of Round 2, Rob Broughton defeats Vinicius Quieroz by submission due to a Rear Naked Choke at 1:43 of Round 3, Paul Sass defeats Mark Holst by submission due to a Triangle Choke at 4:45 of Round 1, Spencer Fisher defeats Curt Warburton by Unanimous Decision, and Fabio Maldonado defeats James McSweeney via TKO due to strikes at :48 seconds of Round 3.

I think UFC 120 had a bit of a slow start but really found its niche towards the end. Claude Patrick didn’t put on the performance of a lifetime in his win against James Wilks, but he did seem very dominant and I think he certainly has a bright future in the UFC now that he quite easily dispatched of an “Ultimate Fighter” winner.

However, the second Pay-Per-View fight was a huge black mark on the event. Cheick Kongo put on a downright horrendous performance and blatantly cheated in order to stave off the serious punching power of Travis Browne. Kongo’s knee strikes did sap Browne’s power and succeeded in leveling the playing field after Browne rocked Kongo early on in the fight, but those smartly-timed and very vicious strikes were overshadowed by Kongo constantly holding Browne’s shorts in order to land them. To be bluntly honest, I think both men wilted under pressure and I think dark times are ahead for both fighters.

While I’m sure nobody liked him due to his apparent mile-a-minute mouth leading up to the fight, I was very impressed by Mike Pyle and his downright domination of John Hathaway. In today’s UFC the whole “young gun vs. old warrior” type of fight tends to overwhelmingly favor the young, talented rookie, but sometimes no amount of pure talent can overcome years and years of hard-earned experience. John Hathaway is still jam-packed with potential, but sometimes a rookie is a rookie no matter what his future may hold.

Carlos Condit knocking out Dan Hardy was easily the highlight of the night for me. I think both men were a bit tentative in the early minutes, but they definitely started swinging for the fences and we definitely looked to have on awesome war on our hands. However, Condit simply caught Hardy at the right time, the right moment, and with the right punch. All the ingredients were there, and I think Condit’s stock rose considerably with this win. I think Dan Hardy is down but not out, although it will be interesting to see how his chin reacts to a hard shot going into the future now that Condit has proven that it’s not made of steel.

While Condit vs. Hardy was my favorite moment, Bisping vs. Akiyama was my favorite fight. Bisping’s cardio, heart, and determination once again pulled him through some scary moments in Round 1, to the point where I think Bisping decisively won the last two rounds of action. However, I think it’s very debatable that Bisping won Round 1. It was a very close round, but although I can kinda-sorta see why the judges seem to have believed that Bisping did enough at the end of the round to steal it, I personally had it 29-28 Bisping, with Akiyama winning Round 1.

Overall, I think this was a solid event and a very good UK card. I even think this would have been a good “Fight Night Live” card. It probably wasn’t good enough to be a UFC Pay-Per-View, but for the most part, I found myself consistently entertained. Other than Kongo/Browne I’ve got no major complaints. But what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of UFC 120?

James Wilks vs. Claude Patrick: Patrick may have more experience, more wins, and fewer losses, but Wilks is well within shouting distance of his record. I also think that Wilks has faced better competition, although I wouldn’t say that either man has ever been fully tested against a world-class athlete. I’m going to favor the TUF winner for this one, I think Wilks has a good future ahead of him in the UFC. Wilks will take a Unanimous Decision.

Cheick Kongo vs. Travis Browne: Much like every single fight Cheick Kongo has ever been in; this fight all depends on how quickly Browne puts him in a disadvantageous position. If Browne can dominate Kongo early and often, I think Kongo has a track record of ultimately wilting under pressure. I don’t see him getting knocked out or submitted (at least, not by Travis Browne), but I can see Browne taking a Unanimous Decision. But I think it’s far more likely that Kongo’s crisp striking and power punching will give him the KO in Round 1. Kongo is simply the more experienced striker, and while that experience proved to be null and void when he lost to Cain Velasquez, I think it will apply itself wholeheartedly against Travis Browne.

John Hathaway vs. Mike Pyle: I honestly haven’t gotten too caught up in the apparent rivalry between these two, but I’m still picking John Hathaway to win with a blowout performance. I think Hathaway really set himself apart by beating Diego Sanchez at UFC 114, a win that extended his undefeated streak that’s lasted since the start of his career in 2006. Meanwhile, Mike Pyle is 2-2 inside the UFC, although I will say that he has faced worthwhile competition. Unless Pyle pulls off a crazy submission in Round 1, I think John Hathaway walks away from UFC 120 with another Unanimous Decision win on his record.

Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit: On paper, this has all the makings of a “Fight of the Night” fight. I think both men need and want wins very badly, so we’re going to see fireworks from the opening bell to the final second, if it lasts that long. And I honestly think it won’t- someone is getting finished in this fight. Neither man has ever been (T)KO’d before, and I’m thinking that will change once the dust from this fight settles. Condit is by far the more well-rounded fighter, but Hardy hits hard, won’t tap out, never gives up, and has been in there with the best and impressed. I’m picking Hardy to score a second-round (T)KO.

Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama: I have to admit, it’s pretty much a toss-up at this point. Yet I’m still picking Michael Bisping, a pick I made over a month ago. I think Bisping isn’t given enough credit and is a good fighter with inklings of the fantastic. Akiyama is also a good fighter, but just hasn’t hit his stride in the UFC. Now that he’s not combating a year-long layoff, I think Akiyama will really hang in there for all three rounds and give us a great fight. But Bisping has more Octagon experience, better striking, and the hometown advantage. Still, it will be a very, very close fight. Look for Michael Bisping to take a Split Decision.

And that’s where I stand, fans and friends. But what about you? We’re down to the wire here, so it’s your last chance: who’ve you got winning and losing at UFC 120?

Michael Bisping (185) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (185), Dan Hardy (171) vs. Carlos Condit (170), John Hathaway (171) vs. Mike Pyle (170), Cheick Kongo (228) vs. Travis Browne (251), James Wilks (170) vs. Claude Patrick (171), Cyrille Diabate (204) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (204), Rob Broughton (257) vs. Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz (239), Paul Sass (155) vs. Mark Holst (155), Spencer Fisher (155) vs. Curt Warburton (154), and James McSweeney (205) vs. Fabio Maldonado (204).

I think it’s interesting to note that several fighters took advantage of the one-pound-over allowance, including Dan Hardy. One pound likely won’t make a bit of difference against someone as skilled as Carlos Condit, but Hardy always struck me as a rather lanky welterweight. He’s buff, sure, but he’s no Georges St. Pierre. Other than that, nothing of note seems to have occurred at the weigh-ins, and that’s a good thing more often than not.

While I can’t say it has me as excited as the next UFC event, UFC 121: “Lesnar vs. Velasquez”, I can say that I will most definitely be giving UFC 120 a watch. Some of the fights, both on the main card and the preliminary card, seem to be loaded with potential. I always enjoy watching Michael Bisping fight, win or lose he usually puts a lot of heart and determination into his performances. It’s true that he’s been very hit-or-miss in his UFC tenure, but I still think Bisping can be a force to be reckoned with if he can just find the right formula.

The same holds true for Dan Hardy, who I’m not that big of a fan of although he definitely earned my respect after his refusal to tap several times during his recent loss to current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. Dan Hardy is also a fighter that produces a lot of entertaining fights, and with his rivalry with Condit reaching a fevered pitch, we’re almost guaranteed some excellent exchanges and a really enjoyable fight.

And to top it all off, we’ve even got Cheick Kongo, who always seems one step away from a title shot before he’s knocked back down in the rankings. Once again, I’m not a huge fan of the man but I am a fan of the way he fights. I’ll be the first to admit that the man is little more than a dying turtle if he’s put on his back, or in just about any disadvantageous position for that matter, but his striking has always looked good and he’s hung in there with some of the UFC’s best. It will be interesting to see if Cheick Kongo still has something left for the UFC’s elite, or if Travis Browne knocks Kongo down to gatekeeper status once and for all.

And that’s it on my end. Check back here tomorrow for my official “Picks and Predictions” post where I detail who I think will win the main card matches and why. But what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of UFC 120, and will you be tuning in to watch it?

Read on for questions 2-7…

2. How will Carlos Condit fight in the first round vs. Dan Hardy?  Why is this important? Because, “The Natural Born Killer” has been extremely slow to get going in his last two fights vs. Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald, needing big comebacks to pull victory from the jaws of defeat.  Against Hardy, if he is slow to fire, he may never get his chance in the third round, instead falling prey to Hardy’s heavy hands.

3. Has Dan Hardy truly developed a sturdy takedown defense?  I am interested to see, not how good his wrestling and Jiu Jitsu have become once on the mat … I want to see if he has improved his takedown defense.  This is the most important element in his growth. No matter how good he gets on the ground, his bread and butter will always be his standup.  His long-term success requires he keep fights standing against all the great wrestlers he will face going forward.  He needs to stay on his feet to leverage his greatest asset.  Chuck Liddell is the best example of this.  He became a master at stopping takedowns to keep fights in his sweet spot.

4. Can Michael Bisping finally deliver a thrilling offensive performance from start to finish?  In his last several fights we have seen a tentative, strategic Bisping unable or unwilling to let all his artillery fly.  He needs to win, first, but then be exciting to capture back the idea that he is title contender worthy, provided he keeps winning.  UFC suits would love for him to thrill so they can leverage his UK fan base and keep growing “The Count” into an international star.

5. Will Yoshihiro Akiyama display the crisp and crunching standup weapons we saw in the first three minutes of his fight against Chris Leben?  This version of “Sexyama” should be able to dispatch the UK’s Michael Bisping.

6. Will Mike Pyle finally show the UFC a dominating performance?  Pyle has long been lauded as one of the more talented mixed martial artists in the game to those around the sport. He has been a core cog in team Randy Couture and a Couture MMA trainer in Las Vegas.  However, his UFC performances have been hot and cold.  He has impressive career wins against Jon Fitch, Dan Hornbuckle, Shonie Carter, and Matt Horwich, but has gone 2-2 in the UFC alternating wins and losses recently.  Yes he beat Fitch, and not only did he beat him way back in 2002, but is the only man to ever submit the UFC welterweight star.  I have a gut feeling on Pyle at UFC 120 that he is ready to let loose a decisive performance.

7. Has Cheick Kongo diversified his MMA tool kit?  Before losing to Cain Velasquez, Cheick Kongo had started 7-2 in the UFC and was on a three fight win streak and starting to be in title discussion.  But the losses to Velasquez and Frank Mir set him back into more of grizzled seasoned veteran role.  Can he start another run?  Has he evolved to a new level?  We shall see in his fight against Travis Browne.

Here’s what Frank said in its entirety regarding the situation: “I don’t know if he’s ever really lost his step. I just think the fighters now in the UFC are just a little bit more aggressive than the fighters in PRIDE. Studying tape on him, I noticed that guys that back away from him and give him that respect, it seems like they get unleashed on a little harder than the guys that come forward… I think Cro Cop has a good sprawl; he has a good double underhooks. I think if I were to try to just drop and shoot on him, he would stop my shot. I think standing up with him is actually the route to go at first and then eventually when you work in the clinch, going to the ground is obviously a lot easier to do with him than Nogueira.”

I think Frank Mir has a point, but only when it comes to aggressive opponents being Cro Cop’s kryptonite. Cro Cop first gained his fearsome reputation by brutally knocking out opponents that were mostly wrestlers, and in the case of Igor Vovchanchyn and Dos Caras Jr., a fighter that was past a prime that was never all that good to begin with and a Mexican Luchador that had no business in a PRIDE ring. By the time he took on predominantly striking-based fighters, those fighters were wary to engage with a man whose highlights involved knocking opponents senseless with legs seemingly made out of concrete.

Ever since Gabriel Gonzaga decided to not buy into the hype and instead try to beat Cro Cop at his own game, Cro Cop has floundered and flopped his way through two very boring, uneventful runs in the UFC. It’s true that Cro Cop is 5-1-1 since a loss to Cheick Kongo sent him out of the UFC in 2007, but Cro Cop hasn’t faced anyone with any skill and actually won since he beat Josh Barnett in 2006. Cro Cop has been feeding from the bottom of both the Japanese and UFC barrels in order to pad out his record with meaningless wins. Even past his prime, Cro Cop is still too much to handle for these bottom-level talents. It’s when Cro Cop faces somebody, anybody, with actual skill that he loses and loses convincingly.

So I applaud Frank Mir for keeping it clean against Cro Cop, but in all honesty, he’s got a lot to work with if he ever decides to get his hands dirty. You’ll never see Mirko Cro Cop win a UFC Heavyweight Championship. You’ll never see him reach the same heights as he did in PRIDE. What you will see him do is consistently fail against the UFC’s growing top-tier of Heavyweights, then go back to Japan and pick up a few decent wins over the slim pickings there. Expect Mir to win this one and win it quickly, either by out-boxing Cro Cop or taking him down and submitting him.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Does Mirko Cro Cop have a career rebirth in him, or do you agree with me in saying that his best days are long over?

Frank Mir, a former heavyweight champion who first obtained championship gold after a run through the 265-pound division after compiling an impressive 5-1 run before defeating then heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia, with a 50 second armbar, into the first round, back at UFC 48.

Mir, though, has fallen on tough times, as he has lost two of his last three bouts. An impressive win over division standout Cheick Kongo is sandwiched between two losses to current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and most recently a loss to heavyweight contender and alleged steroid user Shane Carwin, at UFC 111 in March of this year.

“Cro Cop”, a Pride superstar made headlines back in 2006 when he decided to sign with MMA juggernaut, The Ultimate Fighting Championship, though he competed with mixed results, garnering a 1-2 run with his first outing with the UFC.

After a brief stint with DREAM, Mirko is now on the heels of a two-fight win streak inside the octagon, and a 5-1 record in his last 6 fights, with wins over Anthony Perosh and an impressive performance against the dynamic, Pat Barry at UFC 115 last June. Filipovic was in rare form, after being knocked down twice in the first round, Mirko stormed back to steal the second frame, and eventually was able to overwhelm “HD” in the third with a barrage of strikes, dropping the New Orleans native, and eventually securing a rear naked choke to close the show, and pocketed “Submission of the Night” honors for his efforts.

I think fans, and media alike, are pleased with the sudden change up, as UFC 119 was first sought to be where Brock Lesnar would make his title defense against challenger Cain Velasquez, before his fellow Minnesotans. However, after having just competed at UFC 116 in a successful title defense against challenger Shane Carwin, the heavyweight king pin needed some time away from the cage, and with the family, while Lesnar was expecting his next child to be born that July, the same month he last competed.

Then, Mir vs Nogueria II, a rematch nearly two years in the making, was put into effect, to some dismay as the waning interest in the fight was found to be null. However, in a term of both unfortunate and fortunate events, Nogueria was pulled from the card after the former Pride and UFC heavyweight champion suffered a hip injury.

“Cro Cop” was expected to make his return at UFC 123, a rumored event for Germany that is riddled with people of Croation descent, making him an ideal candidate for the card.

However it appears that Mirko had no qualms about stepping up on short notice against Mir, a Jiu-Jitsu specialist who now has a penchant for striking.

So, what do you think? Is everyone pleased with the change, or were we all anticipating the Nogueria vs Mir rematch?

Can “Mir KO” pull out a victory, or is defeat imminent?

Daley versus Koscheck

“SemTex” Paul Daley (20-9-2) had a few things to say about his next opponent Fighters.com seventh-ranked welterweight Josh Koscheck (14-4). This comes from the UFC: “I know Koscheck is afraid of me. I know he is. Kos was actually in my training room for my first UFC fight against Martin Kampmann, making a load of noise. He’s a major irritant to everyone around him and everyone just wanted him to leave.”

“After I thumped Kampmann, he went totally quiet around me. I knew then he was scared. I also tried to say “Hi” to him backstage after I knocked out Dustin Hazelett at UFC 108, but he pretended he didn’t see me. Again, I could tell he would rather have a root canal done than be around me. I just laughed to myself.”

“I just hope the referee doesn’t fall for his ‘I’ve been poked in the eye and taken an illegal knee’ BS once I rock him. And I will rock him with my first shot. I will walk through a thousand of his right hands which he throws from his behind his arse, land one and say goodnight.”

The war of words between these two has been a good one so far and I hope the fight lives up to the smack talk.

Condolonces

Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio would like to send our condolences to UFC fighter Alessio Sakara (15-7) who has had to pull out of his fight against “The Great” Nate Marquardt (29-9-2) due to the death of his father.

Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo and Frank Mir

“Big Country” Roy Nelson (15-4) was supposed to face Cheick Kongo (15-6-1) in a fight rumored to take place at UFC 116 on July 3 however due to a back injury that fight seems to be off. The rumor that Roy has heard is that he will possibly be facing Fighters.com third-ranked heavyweight Frank Mir (13-5). This is a fight I would love to see hit the ground as both men are very well versed in grappling.

Strikeforce Melee Update

After the massive brawl witnessed by many of us live on CBS, Strikeforce is taking action as suspensions may be issued from the athletic commission.

“Mayhem” Jason Miller (23-6) was pulled from the headlining spot next month on Strikeforce: Los Angeles and now it seems “Diablo”  Nick Diaz (21-8) has lost his bid to appear on the June 26 fight card in San Jose, California. MMA Junkie cites a source close to Nick’s camp told them he was turned down due to the role he played in the nationally televised melee.

Strikeforce is playing it smart here by not putting fighters on cards that they be pulled from if the commission levies suspensions. They are essentially saving themselves money and a major headache.

Nelson is  coming off a knockout of 6’11″ heavyweight prospect “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve (23-4) in 39 seconds at UFC’s Ultimate Fight Night 21 in Charlotte March 31.

Kongo submitted “Head Hunter” Paul Buentello (25-12) on elbow strikes at UFC on Versus 1 March 21.

The matchup is the one Fighters.com feared the UFC would make in lieu of promoting Nelson to higher competition in the division.

But, that reminds me of a story my friend’s dad – good ol’ Paul Heck – told me years ago.  He’s a Vietnam veteran and told us how he enlisted to go to Vietnam.  They’d ask incoming soldiers to rank the top three destinations they would like to be stationed.  Seventeen-years old and seemingly invincible, Mr. Heck scribbled Vietnam atop his list.  He wanted to fight!  But, he didn’t realize then that the military never sent soldiers to Vietnam if they listed Vietnam as their top choice.  The military figured that if you wanted to go to Vietnam you either had a death wish or would be too reckless in battle.  They wanted soldiers in Vietnam who wanted to come home alive.  So, Mr. Heck was stationed in The Philippines and served honorably.

But, that’s my hunch about Nelson and Couture being a little too eager to fight Toney. Regardless of Toney’s ground skills, he and any boxing champion are going to be no joke on their feet.  By virtue of his boxing background, Toney’s hand speed, punching accuracy, and footwork is already among the best in MMA, even as an aging boxing champion.

My concern is that both Nelson and Couture know they could put Toney on his back and finish the fight toot sweet.  They want to try to box him!  And, both will knocked out if they box Toney in a cage, in a ring, in a backyard, or wherever.  It wouldn’t be pretty.

So, what’s the point point of either matchup?  If Nelson or Couture wanted to, they could put Toney on his back and finish the fight pretty quickly.  But, by making either matchup, the UFC risks either popular fighter getting a wild hair up their ass and getting knocked out.  Nelson’s career would survive of course, but he’s bankable and rising.  I’m not sure Couture’s career would survive a knockout loss to Toney.

I like a Toney versus “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (4-1) matchup because of they’re both relative novices.  Toney would have a huge advantage on his feet, but Slice would have a slight advantage anywhere else because of his two years of intensive MMA training.  And, it’s a bankable fight on pay per view.  But, evidently it won’t happen.

So, since Toney is going to sell PPV buys regardless of who he fights, I like a matchup versus anyone in the bottom half of the UFC heavyweight division with average or less ground skills.  “Head Hunter” Paul Buentello (25-11), Cheick Kongo (14-6-1), and “Mexicutioner” Joey Beltran (11-3) all fit the bill.

I noted to a friend recently that an MMA Junkie article listing the UFC’s top heavyweight talent included, of course, UFC champion and Fighters.com’s second-ranked heavyweight Brock Lesnar (4-1), his title challenger Shane Carwin (10-0), next in line Cain Velasquez(9-0), ”Cigano” Junior dos Santos (10-1), recently defeated former UFC champion Frank Mir(13-4), and former PRIDE and interim UFC champion “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira(32-6-1).  The article also threw Struve and Cheick Kongo(14-6-1) into the mix at the top of the UFC’s heavyweight division…but no Nelson.  My point to my friend was that I wouldn’t mind leaving Nelson out of a discussion of the UFC’s top heavyweights, but if you’re going to throw in Struve and Kongo, you have to include Nelson.

Struve and Kongo benefit from the same inclination to overhype.  They’re both physically imposing.  Kongo looks like he was chiseled from a 6’4″ chunk of obsidian and Struve stands literally head-and-shoulders above the Octagon cage.  But, with his mullet and soft belly, Nelson fights like Struve and Kongo look like they should fight.

Nelson is good! But, Nelson’s record indicates his ceiling.  He’s been knocked out by former UFC heavyweight champion “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (15-7) and lost decisions to former UFC title challenger “Snowman” Jeff Monson (33-9) and former IFL champ “Big” Ben Rothwell(20-7).  There’s a clear delineation between the level of talent Nelson has beat and the level of talent that beats Nelson.

The UFC’s heavyweight division is more interesting now than it has been in years.  Lesnar is the undisputed champion, but still only has a five-fight record that includes a loss.  Is he legitimately dominant, or just yet to be figured out?  Well…figured out again.  Carwin’s KO of Mir earned him the clear top contender spot, but Velasquez’s KO of Big Nog’ puts him just a notch beneath.  That latter knockout also clears the way for Fighters.com’s favorite in the division, dos Santos, who is trained by Nogueira.  Then there’s the old guard of Mir and Nogueira.

Any one of those fighters represents a step up to the level at which Nelson has consistently lost. There are some interesting matchups in the middle of the division, over which Nelson now seems to reign.  So, where does Nelson go from here?

He could await the winners in the UFC 115 matchups between “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (26-8-2) and “HD” Pat Barry (3-2) and “Big” Ben Rothwell (29-5) and “Hurricane” Gilbert Yvel(33-13-1).  In fact, if Rothwell beats Yvel, a Nelson-Rothwell rematch could clearly define how far both fighters have come or what either has lost since their original matchup in April 2007 when Rothwell won by split decision.

Or, Nelson could take on one of the old guard – either Mir or Nogueira – and try to sap from them any of their remaining cache.  Wins over Mir and Nogueira have propelled Carwin and Velasquez to the top of the division, and a win for Nelson over either would push him not far behind.

Or, Nelson could take on either of the top contenders – Velasquez or dos Santos – and try to replace them in line for a title shot.

One fight Fighters.com would loath to see is a matchup between Nelson and Kongo.  I’m so bored with the UFC trying to pass-off Kongo as anything more than a physically imposing, middle-tier heavyweight.  If you want to argue with me, first Google Kongo’s record.  It tells the story.  And, the fact is, Nelson would beat Kongo handily.

Fighters.com’s preference would be for the Rothwell-Nelson rematch to determine whether Nelson has truly improved his game or he’s benefiting from generous matchups in the UFC.  If Nelson could beat Rothwell, he’d have proven he could step-up to the next level of competition.  However, Rothwell has to beat Yvel first and Nelson would have to want to wait until August to fight again.

Where do you think Nelson should go after his impressive knockout of Struve?

UFC on Versus is headlined by “The Truth” Brandon Vera (11-4) versus “Bones” Jon Jones (9-1). The co-main event for the event has “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4) taking on Fighters.com fifth-ranked heavyweight “Cigano” Junior Dos Santos (10-1) in a fight to determine yet another challenger for the UFC heavyweight title.

I am excited to watch Vera take on Jones and see if he can get back to the Vera we knew before his year long layoff due to contract disputes. We keep saying this could be his comeback fight and it never seems to happen for Vera. He has looked tentative and seemingly OK with grinding out decisions. Could this be the last of Vera or will he expose the much younger Jones on his rise to the top?

Either way this will be a thrilling fight but maybe not quite as brutal as when we see Cheick Kongo (14-6-1) versus “The Executioner” Paul Buentello (27-11). These two men love to stand and trade and this could very well be the fight that gives us the “Knock Out of The Night”.

Eventually we will shift from the UFC over to Japan for DREAM 13 which is scheduled for five full hours on HDNet. DREAM starts at midnight PST and any fight should be tuning in to this for a few reasons.

Pride Fighting Championships is now a long lost organization that many hardcore fans swoon over. The loss of Pride left an empty pit the size of the Grand Canyon in the world of Japanese MMA. Japan loves MMA and has some of the most knowledgeable fans in the entire world. DREAM may be the last chance to revive those long lost days of glory and fill that void.

DREAM has seen it’s fair share of issues though with financial instability, soon very bad ratings and matches that seemed to defy any real sense of reason. Their saving graces thus far though have without a doubt been the grand prix tournaments and the recent partnership with Strikeforce. Those alone will not carry the promotion but a fantastic night of fights tonight could endear them in the hearts and minds of fight fans around the world.

Fighters.com fourth-ranked lightweight “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-8) finally makes the much anticipated drop to featherweight to take on DREAM’s featherweight champion and jaw dropping grappler, “The Flash” Biannual Fernandes (7-2). These two fighters are both great grapplers and yet neither are afraid to stand and throw down toe to toe.

This fight is already being talked about as a Fight of the Year candidate then add the fact that these guys are both top-tier elite fighters and no fan of combat sports in their right mind should miss this.

Also on the DREAM card is the return of KJ Noons(7-2) after almost a two year hiatus from the sport. His fight against “Dida” Andre Amade “(6-3-1) is not going to be the easy win some are making  it out to be this week. While Andre is not a very technical striker, he has the heart to gut it out and Noons lack of any significant power leaves this fight wide open.

Do I need to mention every hardcore MMA fans Japanese super hero? “The Punk” Ikuhisa Minowa (42-28-8) steps back inside the ring once again to the delight of fight fans everywhere. Watching him fight is always a treat and I suggest everyone tune in as you never know when we may see him finally retire. Get it while you can!

There is much more in store tonight on DREAM 13 including the chance to listen to one of the best announcers in all combat sports, “The Voice” Michael Schiavello and his amazing one-liners.

Until next time, in the words of The Voice, Goodnight Irene!

Hopelessly overmatched Kongo was KO’d in 1:12 by Fighters.com’s  third-ranked heavyweight Frank Mir (13-4) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

The same night, Buentello narrowly lost a majority decision to “SkySkraper” Stefan Struve (23-3).

A lot is on the line for both fighters.

Kongo has lost consecutive fights and is consistently disappointing when matched above the middle tier of the UFC.

Buentello just earned a spot back in the UFC’s heavyweight division and, with one loss already recorded, the UFC rarely holds onto a fighter with consecutive losses at the beginning of a contract.  A loss to Kongo could be Buentello’s pink slip back onto the open market.

Both fighters should be motivated to fight their A-games and, for both, that’s striking.  Buentello is a heavy-handed brawler with good footwork.  Kongo is a European-style kickboxer with viscious knees.

Emelianenko’s fallen foe at M-1 Global/Strikeforce, fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-1), wants to comeback versus Strikeforce heavyweight champion “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (29-10).  And, Overeem seems ambivalent about who he fights and whether or not he’s defending his title or not.

And so,  four men makeup what Strikeforce and M-1 Global might call “a good problem to have” atop the Strikeforce heavyweight division.  Especially since the UFC is finding it hard to find four top heavyweights who are healthy enough to fight.

Second-ranked UFC champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) is out indefinitely after minor intesting surgery, but is excpect to return versus sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0).

Fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) has had to postpone a fight versus Cain Velasquez (6-0) for the interim UFC title until UFC 110 in Sydney February 21 due to a staph infection.

And, seventh-ranked “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (9-1) lost his UFC 108 opponent, “Napão” Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4), due to Gonzaga’s staph infection.

Third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4) will fight Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Eighth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) is negotiating a return to Pancrase in 2010 to defend his heavyweight King of Pancrase title.

Tenth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10) has moved down to light heavyweight.

Fighters.com November Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-1)

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)

3. Frank Mir (12-4)

4. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1)

5. “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-1)

6. Shane Carwin (10-0)

7. “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (9-1)

8. “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5)

9. “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (12-4-1)

10. “The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10)

“In this sport it sometimes takes years for fighters to find the weight class where they’re at their best,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement at UFC.com Tuesday.  “I don’t think there’s any question that BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez have finally found their homes at 155 pounds, making the UFC 107 main event a fight between the best Penn and Sanchez we’ve ever seen.  BJ hasn’t lost in this weight class in years, and Diego has looked unstoppable in his lightweight fights, and when these two meet in the center of the Octagon, it’s going to make our first trip to Memphis one fight fans will never forget.”

“I can’t wait to defend the title,” Penn told UFC.com. “I know what kind of competitor Diego Sanchez is and I am training very hard. This will be a good test.”

“I’ve always wanted to face the best,” Sanchez said.  “I’ve worked so hard for this and now I finally have a shot at the title. I’m training like I’ve never trained before and I expect an all-out war.”

Also officially confirmed Tuesday, Fighters.com third-ranked heavyweight Frank Mir (12-4) will fight Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) and second-ranked welterweight “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and fifth-ranked Paulo Thiago (7-1) will matchup.

Missing from the card, of course, is perhaps the primary reason Zuffa lobbied so vigorously for Tennessee to sanction MMA: now-retired fifth-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7).

It’s the UFC’s second visit to the state after debuting in Nashville April 1 with UFC Fight Night 18.

Fighters.com has learned Rogers has trained at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose for the fight, where UFC contender Cain Velasquez (6-0) and “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (27-9) train full-time.

In September, seventh-ranked “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (9-1) cemented his ranking for October when he forced once-feared “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (25-8-2) to quit at 2:00 of round three at UFC 103 in Dallas.  The win wasn’t enough to push dos Santos ahead in the rankings though.  Let’s face the fact that Cro Cop is a shell of the fighter he once was.  Still, the “W” further justifies dos Santos’s place among the elite heavyweights.

The heavyweight “Cigano” forced from the top ten with a first round KO at UFC 90 in Montréal last October, “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1), returned to the elite list in October at the nine spot.  He tapped “MAK” Mike Kyle (11-7-1) in a guillotine in 1:24 at Strikeforce in San Jose August 15.

Second-ranked Brock Lesnar (4-1) will defend his UFC title from Shane Carwin (10-0) UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas November 21.  The hype around this monster fight has been strangely muted, hasn’t it?

Former UFC champ and recent challenger, third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4) will fight Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis 12 December.

Tenth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10) has evidently followed through on his intimations to leave the heavyweight division and return to 205 where he’ll fight “Truth” Brandon Vera (11-3) at UFC 105 at M.E.N. Arena in Manchester November 14.

“Minotauro” Rodrigo-Nogueira”>Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) and “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) are waiting in limbo for potential title shots, Nog’ versus the winnner between Lesnar and Carwin and Barnett possibly versus “Junior” Antonio Silva (13-1) for a Sengoku title.

Fighters.com October Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1)

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)

3. Frank Mir (12-4)

4. “Minotauro” Rodrigo-Nogueira”>Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1)

5. “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-0)

6. Shane Carwin (10-0)

7. “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (9-1)

8. “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5)

9. “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1)

10. “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10)

If you’re not North American or you’re one of the 50,000 or so North Americans who plunked down $34.95 for PRIDE 32, your poster depicts Emelianenko within a golden aureole striding a mound of pummeled flesh bags that includes fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1), tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7), and former UFC heavyweight champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-6).

If you’re North American and cut your MMA teeth on The Ultimate Fighter circa 2007 or anxiously anticipating the first F5 stoppage in MMA history, your poster depicts Emelianenko cowering within the block-headed shadow of the man-mountain that is second-ranked UFC champ Brock Lesnar (4-1).

Both posters are idealized. It’s time we get real.

Emelianenko told a post-Strikeforce signing press conference, “I’d like to develop MMA and also make some money at the same time. If Strikeforce is able to offer more than the UFC, why should we sign with the UFC?”

For Emelianenko, MMA is strictly business. It’s quite literally all about the Benjamins.

“If the numbers published on the Internet were the real numbers, we would’ve signed with the UFC,” Emelianenko added, referencing the $5 million per fight reportedly offered by the UFC.

Emelianenko even directly addressed UFC President Dana White’s criticism, “This guy doesn’t want to fight the best in the world,” by admitting, “I don’t think that I need really good fighters because the last two fights I’ve had were really good opponents.”

For the former group of fans to understand Emelianenko, they have to take the halo off of his head. For the latter group, they have to recognize that there was MMA before The Ultimate Fighter and Lesnar, and even before Dana White.

The reality is that Emelianenko is a great fighter in the second half of his career. Today Emelianenko is the best heavyweight in the world, but he turns 33-years old on the 28th of this month and is starting consider how best to taking care of himself and his family when he’s no longer the world’s greatest heavyweight.

“I feel very sorry for my fans,” Emelianenko admitted after declining the last, best opportunity for him to fight in the UFC. “But, I also think I deserve some respect to look out for my best interest.”

His best interest is establishing M-1 Global, the promotion he co-owns with Vadim Finkelchtein, as a lasting, stable international MMA promotion. That’s why Emelianenko flew from Stary Oskol to New York City for an open workout promoting his Strikeforce/M-1 Global fight versus fifth-ranked “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-0) in the autumn, then flew the next day from New York City to Kansas City to spar the same night around 4:00 AM Stary Oskol time with Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) in front of approximately 1500 Midwestern fans, and the following day flew back home to his family in Russia.

And, headlining that M-1 Global card in Kansas City was forty-year old former UFC champion “Smashing Machine” Mark Kerr (14-11), who replaced forty-three year old former UFC champion “Predator” Don Frye (20-7-1), both still fighting past their prime because they weren’t lucky enough to be dominant in MMA during a period when you could turn the sport into a comfortable retirement. That’s what Emelianenko is trying to avoid.

Emelianenko has drawn a legit opponent this autumn in Rogers, who is ranked higher than Lesnar’s next opponent at UFC 106 in Las Vegas 21 November, sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0). So, at least in the short-term, no one should have any complaints about either matchup.

At UFC 102 in Portland last Saturday, fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) notched up a spot after a UD over ninth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10), who dropped a notch this month. Nog’ has publicly called for the winner between Lesnar and Carwin for a UFC title fight, but White hasn’t committed to the matchup.

As reported by Fighters.com, third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4) will fight Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis 12 December. Mir will have to remaine focused as he forays outside of the top ten.

Seventh-ranked “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (8-1) will try to legitimize his spot in the top ten versus former top tenner “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipoic (25-7-2) at UFC 103 in Dallas 19 September.

After testing positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, and causing the cancellation of Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy, eighth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) will probably return to Sengoku in Japan. Barnett was never enthusiastic about fighting Emelianenko, whom he considers a friend, at Trilogy; and, Fighters.com wonders if testing positive isn’t some kind of subconcious self-fulfilled will of Barnett’s. For the record, Barnett denies using steroids, the the California State Athletic Commission confirmed Barnett’s B sample also tested positive.

Finally, tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) is a man without a promotion since Affliction cut him and UFC President Dana White recently remarked that he has no interest in signing Arlovski. Arlovski has stated he plans to make his professional boxing debut at the end of September or early October, but Fighters.com couldn’t get a firm answer from Arlovski’s manager concerning his first boxing bout.

Fighters.com’s September 2009 Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (30-1)

After two years fighting freak shows, Emelianenko has stopped consecutive top tenners: Arlovski and then-ranked Tim Sylvia to establish legitimacy as Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champ. He’ll keep it elite when he faces Rogers in the autumn.

2. Brock Lesnar (4-1)

Lesnar’s dominance over Mir in their rematch demonstrated how far the UFC champ has come since his Octagon debut, earning him the top contender slot. He’ll fight a game opponent very similar to himself in Carwin in November.

3. Frank Mir (12-4)

Mir’s second wind after a career-threatening motorcycle crash has earned him two distinctons: the only man to beat UFC champ Lesnar and the only man to knockout former PRIDE champ Nogueira. He’ll try to maintain focus versus Cheick Kongo in December.

4. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1)

Though unable to stop Couture, Nog’ clearly whooped the legend to add his name with Barnett and then-ranked Tim Sylvia as former UFC champs he has slain in the last two years.

5. “Grim” Brett Rogers (10-0)

Rogers’s 22 second knockout of Arlovski welcomed him into the top ten, but no one could imagine then that it’d also be a ticket to a matchup versus Emelianenko. We’ll see what Rogers is really made of this autumn.

6. Shane Carwin (10-0)

Carwin has never been out of the first round, but the 1:09 knockout of Gabriel Gonzaga has earned him a five-round title fight versus Lesnar in November. Can Carwin neutralize the force of nature that is Lesnar?

7. “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (8-1)

Nog’s pupil came out of nowhere, like his uppercut that KO’d Fabricio Werdum. Not much is known about “Cigano” and his record reveals a 2007 tap out to another Brazilian unknown, but he’ll be tested versus Mirko Cro Cop in September.

8. “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5)

“Babyface Assassin” is on a tear with a KO of Pedro Rizzo, UD over Jeff Monson, and submission of Hidehiko Yoshida, but no recent work at the top of the division. Unfortunately he flubbed the biggest fight at heavyweight: Emelianenko.

9. “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10)

Is Fighters.com going to have to be the first to say Couture is starting to look his age? There’s no shame in being overpowered by Lesnar, nor coming up short versus Nog’, but it might be time for the final retirement.

10. “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7)

“Pitbull” got his bite back versus Ben Rothwell and Roy Nelson, but was a chew toy for Emelianenko and Rogers. The free agent is going to throw his hat into the boxing ring in late September.

M-1 Global isn’t asking for 50 percent of the UFC in exchange for Fighters.com Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko‘s (29-1) viscerally craved debut inside the Octagon.

Fighters.com isn’t sure whether that’s UFC spin strategized to pressure Emelianenko to surrender his co-promotion demand by persuading fans he’s unreasonable or a genuine misunderstanding by White about what Emelianenko is demanding.

M-1 Global isn’t demanding any ownership stake in the UFC at all. To present their demands in such a way is either disingenuous or ignorant of White and Iole. Their demands are only on revenues derived from particular events and merchandise featuring Emelianenko.

Iole wrote, “The demand was kind of like an owner in the Continental Basketball Association demanding 50 percent ownership in an NBA team before allowing his player to sign.”

That’s a dishonest analogy. A better analogy is an actor who earns enough fame to carry movies on name recognition alone. Said actor creates a production company to increase their share of revenues from films they perform in. They have slim functional role in the film’s production and promotion, but are given an honorary “Executive Producer” credit and their production company’s logo appears on the film’s marketing.

Fighters.com isn’t arguing that Emelianenko’s demands are reasonable or deserved, just explaining what M-1 Global is actually demanding as opposed to what the UFC is claiming they’re demanding.

Fighters.com has confirmed that Emelianenko has three offers he’s seriously considering, among them the UFC’s and Strikeforce’s. But, Emelianenko’s most likely adversary in Strikeforce, “Grim” Brett Rogers (8-0), who notched up a spot to fourth this month, isn’t banking on a showdown with the world’s best heavyweight.

Rogers’s manager, Mike Reilly, told Fighters.com about a potential fight with Emelianenko, “We have really heard nothing of the sort. We are planning on fighting in October. No idea who. Doesn’t even matter at this point.”

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1), who rose to the second slot this month after pummeling now third-ranked Frank Mir (12-4) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas 11 July, probably isn’t banking on a fight versus Emelianenko either. He told Jim Rome last month that he’d like several more fights before challenging Emelianenko. If Emelianenko doesn’t sign with the UFC, Lesnar will fight the winner of sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) versus Cain Velasquez (6-0) to take place at UFC 104 in Los Angeles 24 October.

Mir will take on Velasquez’s seconds against Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in December, Kongo confirmed to Fighters.com.

This month in Portland at UFC 102, battle-hardened vets fourth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1) and eighth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-9) will battle to determine who becomes a threshold for rising prospects and who has a glimmer of hope for another title run, though Couture has hinted at returning to light heavyweight win or lose.

Next on the top ten heavyweight agenda, seventh-ranked “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (8-1) will fight one-time feared heavyweight “Crop Cop” Mirko Filipovic (25-7-2) at UFC 103 in Dallas 19 September.

After testing positive for 2a-methyl-5a-androstan-3a-ol-17-one, an anabolic steroid, and causing the cancellation of Affliction M-1 Global’s Trilogy, ninth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) will probably return to Sengoku in Japan. Barnett was never enthusiastic about fighting Emelianenko, whom he considers a friend, at Trilogy; and, Fighters.com wonders if testing positive isn’t some kind of subconcious self-fulfilled will of Barnett’s. For the record, Barnett denies using steroids, the the California State Athletic Commission confirmed Barnett’s B sample also tested positive.

Finally, tenth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-7) is a man without a promotion since Affliction cut him and UFC President Dana White recently remarked that he has no interest in signing Arlovski.

The UFC has not confirmed the matchup.

Mir took a beating from UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas 11 July, but had been on a three-fight win streak that included a tapout of Lesnar.

Kongo lost a unanimous decision to Cain Velasquez (6-0) at UFC 99 in Cologne 13 June, but had also been on a three-fight win streak, though against lighter competition than Mir.

Both fighters hold stoppage victories over Antoni Hardonk (8-5), Kongo by TKO at UFC 97 last April and Mir by Kimura submission at UFC 74 in 2007.

French heavyweight Cheick Kongo (12-4-1) will meet UFC newcomer Mustapha al Turk (1-0), “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-2) will meet Reese Andy (7-2) in a light heavyweight bout.

Other bouts announced were “Piranha” Ryo Chonan (15-8) versus “Bad” Brad Blackburn (12-9-1), Antoni Hardonk (7-4) versus Mark Burch (10-2), and Dan Evensen (10-5) versus Pat Barry (1-0).

Kongo defeated Evensen with a first-round TKO at UFC 87 in August.

Al Turk defeated Gary Turner (3-1-1) by first-round submission due to strikes in March.

Hamill is hoping to come back from a third-round TKO loss to second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (25-3) at UFC 88 in September.

Andy is also looking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to “The Truth” Brandon Vera (7-3) in July.

Chonan won a split decision over “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-8) at UFC 88.

Blackburn TKO’d James Giboo (8-3) in round two in July.

Hardonk defeated Eddie Sanchez (8-2) with a second-round TKO at UFC 85 in June.

Burch, a UFC newcomer, TKO’d Alex Rozman  (0-4) in round one in May.

UFC rookie Barry won his last fight in May with a first-round TKO of Mike Delaney (26-17-2).

UFC 92 is headlined by a title fight between Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) and “Sugar” Rashad Evans (12-0-1), a bout between second-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (44-4-1) and Frank Mir (11-3) for the interim title, and a light heavyweight match-up between second-ranked “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (26-7) and sixth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1).

Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked middleweight “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4) versus “Boogeyman” Dean Lister (11-5) and “Doberman” CB Dollaway (7-1) versus Mike Massenzio (11-2) are also on the card.

Jackson had joined the Wolfslair two-weeks prior, after parting with Ibarra upon losing his UFC and Fighters.com titles to Forrest Griffin (16-4) in Las Vegas 5 July.

“[Kongo] was having some problems negotiating his new contract with the UFC and was looking for somewhere to train so it was an easy decision for him to join his mates,” said Wolfslair co-owner Anthony McGann.

Kongo was close to signing a fight versus Brock Lesnar (2-1) before sixth-ranked UFC champ “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8) and the UFC negotiated a deal to bring Couture back into the promotion to defend his title from Lesnar.

McGann told Eurosport, “Cheick excels when he fights strikers so if he is going to step up there and keep improving, we know we need to improve his ground game.  We are very pro-UFC and they want him to work on his ground game; we hope we can get a striker for his next fight in the meantime.”

Kongo TKO’d Dan Evensen (10-3) in the first round in Minneapolis 9 August.

Despite his imposing stature, Kongo has failed to realize his potential in MMA, due almost entirely to his pedestrian ground skills.

Wolfslair is also home to middleweight “Count” Michael Bisping (16-1) and Paul Kelly (7-0).

Kharitonov TKO’d “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (28-11) in Yokohama in September 2007; but, has been more active on the rumor mill than in the ring since.

He was floated as “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic‘s (23-6-2) opponent at DREAM.4 in June and lately was mentioned as a challenger for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship versus “Bigfoot” Antonio Silva (11-1).

Kharitonov found his way into neither fight and may have a short stint as a top ten big boy as fighters beneath him line-up legit matches.

A spot opened for Kharitonov when “Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring (28-14) was mauled by physical phenom Brock Lesnar (2-1) in Minneapolis 9 August, shoveling Herring out of the eighth rank.

Eighth-ranked “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3) and ninth-ranked Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3) each moved up a spot respectively on Herring’s loss.

“Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) retained the Fighters.com Heavyweight Championship during a slow month that saw no changes in the top seven spots.

Emelianenko pulled out of Affliction’s second event in Las Vegas 11 October in which he was matched versus fourth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (13-5) with a hand injury sustained in his 36-second destruction of seventh-ranked “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-5).

Emelianenko was replaced by third-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (22-5) in the main event.

Top contender “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira‘s (31-4-1) title challenge versus Frank Mir (11-3) got slightly more interesting when Lesnar, who got tapped by Mir in February, dominated Herring…but only slightly.

The UFC’s top heavyweight contender, fifth-ranked “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1) will probably draw either Lesnar or Cheick Kongo (12-4-1) in his next fight.

Sixth-ranked “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8) is rumored to be considering a return to the UFC; but, Fighters.com has not confirmed that.

Sylvia (24-5) licks his wounds and awaits a match-up at Affliction’s return.

September Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1)

Emelianenko took his right-left combo and used it to erase “doubt” from Fighters.com’s rankings when he dismantled Sylvia.  The depth of his recent opposition remains shallow; but, taking Sylvia apart quicker than anyone else earns him the Fighters.com Heavyweight Championship.

2. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1)

It ain’t pretty! Nogueira has turned “blocking punches with your face” into a winning strategy versus top teners Sylvia, Barnett, and Werdum in the last two years, earning him the Fighters.com’s top contender spot.

3. “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (23-5)

“Babyface Assassin” is on a tear with a KO of Pedro Rizzo, UD over Jeff Monson, and submission of Hidehiko Yoshida, but no recent work at the top of the division.  Arlovski will be his toughest fight since losing a decisiong to Nog’in 2006.

4. “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (13-5)

“Pitbull” got his bite back versus Ben Rothwell, adding the KO to a UD over Werdum and a pair or wins over lesser competition.  Arlovski will need all the bite he has versus Barnett in October.

5. “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-3-1)

“Vai Cavalo” spanked Gonzaga like a bad monkey in January, then played a samba on Brandon Vera‘s head in June.  Werdum is streaking into a rematch with Noguiera for the UFC and maybe Fighters.com title.

6. “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8)

The best strategist in a weight class of brutes returned to solve the 6’8″ riddle of Sylvia over five grueling rounds to reclaim UFC’s title, then forced Cro Cop-slayer Gonzaga to wish MMA had timeouts in a bloody three-round TKO.  Does he have a winning strategy to return to MMA?

7. “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-5)

The oft maligned “Maine-iac” has meshed his stature with world-class striking, championship cardio, and a Jeff Monson-tested ground game. His losses are only to legends Emelianenko, Nogueira, and Couture.

8. “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3)

After mauling Mirko Filipovic in Manchester, “Napao” risks becoming a footnote in MMA history with consecutive stoppage losses to Couture and Werdum.  The big man has the tools to remain top ten for years to come, but does he have the heart?

9. Aleksander Emelianenko (13-3)

Fedor’s li’l bro’ isn’t lost in the shadow of “The Last Emporer”. In the last two years, the man with the coldest stare down in MMA has outclassed his brother in competition, losing only to top ten heavies while TKOing fellow Russian Kharitonov.

10. Sergei Kharitonov (15-3)

Kharitonov followed a TKO loss to Aleksander Emelianenko with consecutive first-round stoppages of Michael Russow and Alistair Overeem; but, has been laid up in Russia for the last year. His return would give a the division a needed dose of excitement.

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.”

Evensen is primarily a BodogFight product, going 3-0 in that now-defunct promotion.

Evensen won his last fight in November by unanimous decision over Konstantin Gluhov (2-2).

The Norwegian’s record lists an April 2006 loss to UFC heavyweight “Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (8-3).

Kongo seemed slated for stardom by the UFC after forcing a unanimous decision “W” over “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2).

After UFC 77 in October, fourth-ranked “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (24-4) called out the surging Frenchman as an alternative to a then-uncertain title challenge versus top-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1).

When Sylvia scored his title shot versus Nogueira, Kongo was matched against Herring.  An unimpressive wrestling slog saw Herring take a split decision.

The “L” added to another split decision loss to “Fury” Carmelo Marrero (7-2) in October 2006 and a majority decision Kongo squeaked over Assuerio Silva (13-6) in April 2007.

Evensen’s 10-2 record belies his pedestrian competition.

The match-up reveals the UFC’s waining confidence in their statuesque kickboxer.

Kongo needs a stoppage victory in the UFC’s current heavyweight climate which has seen Filipovic, Sylvia, and “Irish” Jake O’Brien (10-1) cut loose.

However, it was UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva who left Nationwide Arena big pimpin’ with a total disclosed payday of $260,000 for his second round submission of “Hollywood” Dan Henderson.

Silva received $70,000 to show, a $70,000 win bonus, a $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus, and a $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus.  Mo’ money, mo’ money, mo’ money!

Henderson received a $60,000 bonus for participating in Fight of the Night.  “The Crippler” Chris Leben received $60,000 for Knockout of the Night in his victory over “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara.

Despite making the PPV broadcast in an non-stop stand-up war, Josh Koscheck and Dustin Hazelett lost out to Silva v Henderson for Fight of the Night.

The entire run-down below:

Andrei Arlovski: $170,000
Anderson Silva: $140,000
Heath Herring: $140,000
Dan Henderson: $100,000
Diego Sanchez: $60,000
Chris Leben: $50,000
Cheick Kongo: $30,000
Yushin Okami: $28,000
Evan Tanner: $25,000
Josh Koscheck: $20,000
Alessio Sakara: $17,000
Luigi Fioravanti: $16,000
Luke Cummo: $16,000
Jorge Gurgel: $14,000
Dustin Hazelett: $12,000
Jake O’Brien: $11,000
David Bielkheden: $8,000
John Halverson: $3,000

The kickboxer from Curitiba vanquished former PRIDE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion “Hollywood” Dan Henderson in a rear naked choke at 4:52 of the second round.

The first round illustrated why Henderson, 22-7, was pegged as Silva’s last great challenge at 185-pounds.

The wrestler from California nixed the champion’s world class stand-up with lateral movement that prevented Silva from setting and delivering his laser-like strikes.

Henderson grabbed hold of the “Spider” and dumped him to the mat in an awkward half guard that allowed “Hollywood” to smother Silva while peppering him with hammer fists.

The frustrated champion endured to the second frame.

In a sloppy Thai clinch, Silva slammed a knee to Henderson’s chiseled chin, causing the the top contender to crumble.

Silva pounced!  A barrage of strikes convinced Henderson to give up his back, the fatal flaw leading to a rear naked choke submission with just eight seconds to spare in the round.

While UFC broadcasters Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan wondered allowed who could challenge the champion, Silva seemed to indicate a third tussle with former UFC Middleweight Champion “Ace” Rich Franklin was due.

In the broadcasted card’s only heavyweight rumble, “The Texas Crazy Horse” Heath Herring tumbled into a split decision “W” over Cheick Kongo of France.

The Parisian kickboxer insisted on wrestling, to the surprise of everyone including Herring.  Kongo dumped the Texan by force of will, but never capitalized on his advantageous ground positions as Herring consistently swept and reversed into safer territory.

In the end, Herring’s pitter-patter of pounding and Kongo’s cluelessness on the mat served Herring the “W” and a possible rematch with current interim UFC belt holder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, whom Herring came within a hair of beating last year.

In untelevised heavyweight action, former UFC titlist “The Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski wrapped-up his current UFC contract and possibly his Octagon career with second round TKO of Jake O’Brien.

Arlovski has openly entertained the idea of quitting the UFC for greener opportunities.

Another pair of middleweights made the PPV broadcast when former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner was knocked silly…er with a knee from the Thai clinch by Yushin Okami.

The fight was Tanner’s first since April 2006 and the vet seemed to gas late into the first round before eating the death blow at 3:00 of the second.

18-4 Chris Leben TKO’d 185-pound newbie “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara of Italy at 3:16 of round one.

“The Crippler” Leben knocked Sakara to his back with a left hook behind the ear, then pounced on the Roman with six unanswered punches before referee Herb Dean waved the affair closed.

Welterweights Josh Koscheck and Dustin Hazelett lit each other up for a round before a Koscheck kick found the button behind Hazelett’s ear a minute into round two.  Koschek pummeled the fallen fighter until the referee called it a TKO for Koscheck.

The PPV opened with the longest three rounds of my life between welterweight contender Jon Fitch and UFC-debuting Chris Wilson of Team Quest.

Wilson spent most of his Octagon initiation on his bicycle while Fitch tried to chase him down.  The judges awarded Fitch a unanimous decision for aggression and superior wrestling positioning.

The rest of the untelevised portion of the card included a unanimous decision  “W” for 12-3 welterweight Luigi Fioravanti over Luke Cummo, who falls to 6-5.

“Nightmare” Diego Sanchez was tossed a bit of red meat in Sweden’s David Bielkheden after dropping two consecutive fights.  Sanchez devoured Bielkheden in a first round strikes submission.

Lightweight Jorge Gurgel took a unanimous decision over John Halverson to improve to 12-3, 3-2 in the Octagon.

 UFC 82 sold out Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.