First up we have a report from MMA Weekly that states that the UFC is looking to hold a “Fight Night” event at the LG Arena in Birmingham, England on November 5.

However, there’s a conflicting report on Sherdog that says that, according to their sources, the event will actually be UFC 138 and not a “Fight Night Live” special. The Sherdog article also states that the LG Arena is being targeted as the venue of choice, and adds that the event will more than likely be headlined by a Middleweight clash between Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. The event will more than likely air on Spike TV via tape delay in the US.

Since debuting in the UFC in 2009, Mark Munoz has maintained his role of a competitive gatekeeper. Recently, however, Munoz has taken several large steps towards breaking out of that role thanks to some very convincing victories. Munoz is currently on a three-fight win-streak and has won six of his last seven, and he scored a hard-fought victory over former UFC Middleweight Championship challenger Demian Maia in his most-recent bout.

Chris Leben, meanwhile, recently rebounded from a tough TKO loss to Brian Stann by KO’ing MMA legend Wanderlei Silva in under thirty seconds. Leben has won four of his last five fights, with three stoppages. In addition to his victory over Silva, Leben holds a major victory over Yoshihiro Akiyama .

In all honesty, I kinda hope that this event is a “Fight Night Live” special after all. I’ve raised this point before, but since it keeps happening, I think I need to raise it again: I think it’s time the UK fans finally started asking more of the UFC.

Let’s face facts here: the UFC is making this a “numbered” UFC event in order to enhance its prestige. If it’s marketed as a Pay-Per-View, it’ll probably get more money, more attention, and more fans in seats than a “Fight Night” special. But the question we must ask ourselves is this: is this an event worthy of Pay-Per-View status?

Of course, we Americans get it for free so that’s great. But for the UK fans, this is a glorified “Fight Night” special that they now have to pay for. I say this without an ounce of disrespect intended towards Chris Leben and Mark Munoz, but that fight is simply not a fight that headlines a Pay-Per-View. It’s just… not.

It’ll probably be a good fight, and I’m sure the UFC will announce some other good match-ups to entice us to watch this show in November. But I still contend that UFC 138 is already off to a bad start, especially considering how super-stuffed the UFC is making UFC 136 and UFC 137.

5. Melvin Guillard KO’ing Shane Roller

For the longest time, Melvin Guillard was an entertaining Lightweight fighter with a penchant for crazy finishes. Unfortunately, he was also generally perceived as a journeyman. At UFC 132, however, Guillard took another big step towards top-contender status when he laid out Shane Roller. Roller had never been stone-cold KO’d before, and he did take a lot of shots before he went down. But the end result was a highlight of the night: Roller stiffened up, in the “fighter’s crucifix”, and with Guillard giving us another outstanding finish in a division that’s known for decisions.

4. Rafael dos Anjos KO’ing George Sotiropoulos in under a minute.

Wow… who would’ve thought that Rafael dos Anjos of all people would KO George Sotiropoulos? It’s sad to see George fall from grace so harshly, and I didn’t like that dos Anjos gave George some unnecessary strikes after the initial KO. But it was one of the most unpredictable moments of a card that thrived on its unpredictability. And that’s why it deserves a spot on this list.

3. Chris Leben KO’ing Wanderlei Silva

We got what we were promised… two guys stepped into the Octagon and started throwing bombs, and then one guy went down. That’s what this fight was all about, that’s what everyone wanted to see, and that’s what we got. But it came at the cost of seeing one of MMA’s all-time greats unconscious on the canvas once again. If you’re a Leben fan, it made you practically ecstatic. If you’re a fan of Wanderlei, your heart sank about as low as it could go. It was one of those “best of times/worst of times” moments, and undoubtedly one we won’t soon forget.

2. Carlos Condit KTFO’ing Dong Hyun Kim.

I’ve rarely been this happy to see a high-level fighter get KTFO’d. I just couldn’t stand “Stun Gun” Kim coming into this fight, he seemed downright egotistical and he talked a whole lot about how he was not only better than Condit, but how he was better than virtually everybody else and how Condit was over-rated. To see him get put in his place made me so very happy that only one other finish outshone this one. Carlos Condit was my white knight in shining armor at UFC 132, and he delivered a stunning KO flurry that I won’t soon forget.

And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 132 is…

1. Tito Ortiz nearly KO’ing and then submitting Ryan Bader.

This was just… wow. WOW. With his career on the line, with everyone picking against him… for one night, Tito Ortiz morphed into the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” of old. That’s the only way to describe how he took a young upstart, nearly knocked him out, and then choked him out in the very first round… before the fight was even two minutes old. Not even Jon Jones finished Ryan Bader in the first round. With an incredible “risen from the ashes” story behind it, there’s no doubt in my mind that Tito Ortiz’s victory over Ryan Bader was the best moment of UFC 132.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from UFC  132 “Cruz vs. Faber”.

Next for Melvin Guillard/Dennis Siver: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. These two have been tearing through the Lightweight charts recently, although Guillard gave the better performance at UFC 132. Then again, Siver was generally thought of as higher on the food chain than Guillard coming into UFC 132. With those two factors in mind, this fight makes perfect sense, and with both men’s styles, this would also be a wildly entertaining fight.

Next for Carlos Condit: If his huge win at UFC 132 fight didn’t earn Carlos Condit the next shot at the title, he’s only one fight away from doing so. There’s a host of potential high-level Welterweight fighters that Condit could face, but the one thing most of them have in common is that Georges St. Pierre has already beaten them. I say we roll the dice and simply make Condit the next championship contender once GSP and Nick Diaz get through fighting. With his penchant for amazing finishes and his long years as a veteran, I think it’s deserved.

Next for Ryan Bader: Coming into UFC 132, Bader was still generally thought of as a top-division fighter. With this loss, he’s been sent packing to the middle of the division. I think a very smart match-up to make would be to put Bader up against another fighter who’s trying to escape the mid-level after a long time spent as a journeyman. Luis Cane comes to mind.

Next for Tito Ortiz: Some breathing room… for the first time in a long time. Some of the power now lies in Ortiz’s hands, and I think we’re going to see him back in the Octagon soon. Perhaps a third and final showdown with Forrest Griffin? Maybe a rematch with Rashad Evans if he loses to Phil Davis? Either way, don’t expect Ortiz to get anything less than top-division talent for his next fight. He was put to the final test at UFC 132, and he succeeded. So while the rebirth has started, another war is also about to begin for Tito Ortiz.

Next for Wanderlei Silva: I honestly don’t know. Retirement maybe? Silva’s chin just can’t seem to hold up anymore. He’s lost a lot more than he’s won lately. If not now, I think Wanderlei’s retirement is only one or two more losses away. Whatever happens, I certainly wish him the best and I’ll follow him wherever he goes.

Next for Chris Leben: Leben is now more or less on the same ground he was on coming into his fight with Brian Stann. Leben just might be able to make a serious run, but it’s not certain. When you rebound from a humbling KO loss with a fantastic KO win, there are still some questions that linger. If he’s willing to wait that long, a great match-up for Leben would be the loser of the upcoming Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller fight.

Next for Urijah Faber: Faber won’t be going anywhere until he decides to retire. The UFC loves him, the UFC fans love him, and he continues to put on entertaining fights win or lose. As much as some people dislike it, expect Faber to keep getting a title shot every time he strings together two/three wins.

Next for Dominick Cruz: Whoever it is, they probably won’t beat him. Cruz is one of the most complete fighters out there, and that was clearly evident at UFC 132. The sky’s the limit for Dominick Cruz in the UFC.

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

Dominick Cruz defeats Uirjah Faber by Unanimous Decision . Chris Leben defeats Wanderlei Silva by KO (Punch) at 0:27 of Round 1. Dennis Siver defeats Matt Wiman by Unanimous Decision. Tito Ortiz defeats Ryan Bader by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:56 of Round 1. Carlos Condit defeats Dong Hyun Kim by TKO (Strikes) at 2:58 of Round 1. Melvin Guillard defeats Shane Roller by KO (Punch) at 2:12 of Round 1. Rafael dos Anjos defeats George Sotiropoulos by KO (Punch) at 0:59 of Round 1. Brian Bowles defeats Takeya Mizugaki by Unanimous Decision. Aaron Simpson defeats Brad Tavares by Unanimous Decision. Anthony Njokuani defeats Andre Winner by Unanimous Decision. Jeff Hougland defeats Donny Walker by Unanimous Decision.

There’s so much I’d like to say about this event, so I guess I’ll just start from the beginning.

I really, really enjoyed the “UFC Prelims LIVE” fights for UFC 132, both on Facebook and on Spike TV. The Facebook fights kept going to a decision, but they were all very entertaining fights. Jeff Hougland and Donny Walker really impressed me, and I can’t remember the last time Anthony Njokuani looked that dominant. Add in some other interesting performances, and you’ve got a solid Facebook stream.

Then, of course, the Spike TV prelims came out and blasted everything on Facebook right out of the water. Despite the fact that he ended the fight with unnecessary strikes as the referee was pulling him off of his opponent, Rafael dos Anjos looked awesome against George Sotiropoulos. As a semi-fan of “G-Sot”, it’s really hard to see him take such an epic fall from grace. Melvin Guillard also looked amazing on Spike TV, and has now turned into a bonafide title contender.

And now we get to the epic Pay-Per-View card.

When it comes to the first fight of the night, all I can really say is this: I literally screamed myself hoarse shouting “YES! YES!” when Carlos Condit KTFO’d Dong Hyun Kim. That made my night, and it was the first fight of the card.

After that, I got to see Tito Ortiz utterly shock the world and demolish Ryan Bader, looking like the Tito Ortiz of old. That also made my night, since I’ve been an Ortiz semi-fan for quite some time. It’s too soon to say Tito is back, but I know that I can’t wait to see what he does in his next fight.

After that, Dennis Siver won a tough, semi-controversial fight against Matt Wiman. I personally think that Siver deserved the win, but I’d love to see a rematch.

As a fan of Wanderlei Silva, it broke my heart to see Chris Leben destroy him. But as a fan of fun fights, I’m very glad that this fight was as brutally amazing as it was hyped to be. I don’t know where Silva goes from here, but I wish him nothing but the best.

And in the main event, Dominick Cruz again proved that he’s the best in the world while simultaneously getting revenge on the only man that’s ever beaten him. It was a very tough fight and was pretty close, so I’d love to see a rematch for this fight as well.

Overall, this was one of the best MMA events of the year. UFC 132 had a little bit of everything for everyone, and it’s a night of fights I won’t soon forget.

5. Several good fights anchoring the “UFC Prelims LIVE” broadcasts on both Spike TV and Facebook.

The UFC is spoiling me. I freely admit it. For so long, we only got to see unaired preliminary fights on UFC DVDs or when the UFC needed to fill time on their Pay-Per-View broadcasts. But in the here and now, we get the opportunity to watch every single fight from virtually every single UFC card and it barely phases us anymore, it’s basically become an expected occurrence. But if the UFC ever took these preliminary fights away from me I’d inevitably spiral into an all-out temper tantrum and demand my free fights back. I’ll freely admit that as well. For the UFC 132 preliminaries, we’ll get a chance to see (for free!) names like Brian Bowles, George Sotiropoulos, Melvin Guillard, and more. The free prelims remain one of the biggest reasons to check out all the latest UFC events.

4. Can Dennis Siver rise above the tumultuous Lightweight scene and capture the next title shot that so many other fighters are pursuing?

Everyone wants a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship nowadays. What’s changed since the BJ Penn era is that there’s so many Lightweights deserving of a championship and that could prove a serious threat to the champion. One of those fighters just so happens to be Dennis Siver, and he’ll have a big chance to prove himself at UFC 132.

3. In a world where nearly every top-division Welterweight has felt bitter defeat at the hands of Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim are new, interesting threats.

This is assuming that GSP gets past Nick Diaz, of course. And when (not if) Diaz beats GSP, the last thing the UFC needs to do is give Diaz all the old fighters that GSP dominated. Condit and “Stun Gun” Kim are two very different fighters, and they add an interesting dynamic to an always-crowded Welterweight top-contender scene. If this fight ends in stunning fashion, it’s not too far-fetched that the winner will become the next challenger to the UFC Welterweight Championship. With that kind of opportunity on the line, that should bring out the best in these two and give us one of the best fights of the night.

2. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben… wow. It makes so much sense I have to wonder why it hasn’t happened sooner.

Stylistically, you can’t really imagine a more fitting opponent for Wanderlei Silva than Chris Leben. Leben has grown less one-dimensional with time, but he has been and always will be a brawling-based fighter. He loves taking two to give one, it’s a strategy that’s worked out well for him for the most part, even though his chin has been suspect as of late. With the way Silva’s chin has also become a bit suspect, there’s a chance that either fighter could end this fight in stunningly vicious fashion. And that’s a huge incentive to both check out this fight and the event in general.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC 132 is…

1. Two of the best Bantamweights fighting today do battle in the main event, with a championship on the line and a bitter rivalry fueling both men.

Despite practically being the spokesperson for MMA fighters with laid-back attitudes, to this day Urijah Faber is not without his fair share of cynics. One of those men, Dominick Cruz, just so happens to be the UFC Bantamweight Champion. He also just so happens to be the man that Faber humbled so badly at Featherweight that the loss spurred Cruz’s original drop to Bantamweight. Despite his recent troubles, Faber seems to have found new life in a smaller weight class. It just so happens to be the class Cruz is reigning over with an iron fist. It’s always great when a big rivalry gets settled inside the Octagon, but when it’s this fierce of a rivalry between two fighters as good as Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, then that’s an absolute can’t-miss fight.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see UFC 132.

Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber: Faber has simply had too many losses lately, and Dominick Cruz has been looking too good lately. If this was the Faber before the TKO loss to Mike Brown, before the rematch that saw him get controlled by Mike Brown, and before the fight with Jose Aldo that saw Faber practically eaten alive in the stand-up… then this fight would be just about dead-even. As it stands, Cruz is just too good even if he hasn’t finished anybody in a while. Dominick Cruz wins by Unanimous Decision.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben: I want to believe in Wanderlei Silva… I do believe in Wanderlei Silva. I think Wanderlei wants to win this fight very badly, and I know he’s a better brawler than Chris Leben. Leben could catch Silva with a good punch and possibly KO him, Silva is also coming off of a long layoff. But that just isn’t enough to force me to pick against one of my favorite fighters in the game. This will be a very tough test for Wanderlei, but one that I both hope and believe he will pass. Wanderlei Silva wins by Unanimous Decision.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader: It’s curtains for Tito Ortiz, fans and friends. I just don’t see him beating a hungry upstart like Ryan Bader, especially with Bader coming off of an incredibly humbling loss. Bader will take his recent loss to Jon Jones and turn it into a learning experience, and this will be the fight where Bader begins to realize his full potential. Ryan Bader wins by TKO in Round 2.

Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim: We all know what I want to happen: I want Condit to go out there and take “Stun Gun” Kim’s head off. If Kim does try and stand with Condit, that’s exactly what’s going to happen, and Carlos Condit will win by KO in either Round 1 or 2, most likely Round 2. But if Kim does what everyone is suspicious of and decides to blanket himself on Condit for three rounds, he’ll win a Unanimous Decision. As much as I dislike the notion of Kim winning this fight, I have to admit that it’s definitely a possibility.

Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman: Both men are within shouting distance of each other’s records, but MMA today is a constant game of “what have you done lately?” And lately, Dennis Siver has looked like a wrecking machine in the cage. It becomes tougher and tougher to finish a Lightweight fighter as you get higher and higher up the food chain, which is why I’m thinking Siver won’t get the (T)KO. But I do think Siver will control and even dominate Matt Wiman with crisp, precise kickboxing. Dennis Siver takes a very clear Unanimous Decision.

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

The Event: UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber”, currently scheduled for July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four free preliminary fights will air over the UFC’s Facebook page starting at 6:15 PM ET. Two additional preliminary fights will air on Spike TV starting at 8:00 PM ET. The five-fight main card will be broadcast live on Pay-Per-View starting at 9:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This is the UFC’s big summer event, it takes place on Independence Day weekend and it features the UFC debut of Dominick Cruz. Even better, he faces one of the most popular and skilled lighter-weight fighters of all time, Urijah Faber. Then you’ve got Wanderlei Silva facing Chris Leben in what should be an epic brawl, plus Tito Ortiz fights with his job, nay, his entire career on the line against Ryan Bader. And on top of all that, you’ve got two big match-ups at Lightweight and Welterweight that should establish the winner as a top contender in the division. And, of course, you get a bunch of free fights on Spike TV and Facebook.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Dominick Cruz hates Urijah Faber… truly hates him. Cruz losing to Faber sparked a fire that has now resulted in Cruz claiming the mantle of the best Bantamweight on the planet as of now. Urijah Faber wants to breathe new life into his career, and he wants to do so not just by beating Dominick Cruz, but by humbling him in the same way he humbled him in their first fight. Both men are two of the best Bantamweights in the world, and their intense rivalry will bring out the best in each other. This fight could end in many different ways, and seems destined to be a “Fight of the Year” contender.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Are you kidding me? Who doesn’t love a fight between guys like Chris Leben and Wanderlei Silva? These two love to have wild brawls, Silva will probably go down as one of the best brawlers in the history of the sport once all is said and done. This fight could end in an instant, or it could see both men swing for the fences for three straight rounds and never give an inch. If you’re a fan of good fights, this is one you just can’t miss.

Why You Should Watch This Card: It may not be stuffed with superstar talent, but UFC 132 features a host of big names in very well-booked fights. A lot of these fights are brimming with potential thanks to the fact that so many fighters match up stylistically well with their opponents. We may not get to see the biggest stars the UFC has to offer, but we’ll probably be getting a boatload of good-to-great fights.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: The only fights I’d recommend missing are the prelims if you absolute have to and the bout between Dennis Siver and Matt Wiman, also only if you have to. Every fight on this card has plenty of potential, but I’m not so optimistic that I believe that every fight will live up to its potential. I think most of them will, though, and this should be a good card.

Closing Thoughts: I’m very, very, very pumped up for this card. I think it’s going to be a sure-fire “Event of the Year” contender, although I don’t think anything will out-shine UFC 129 this year. Still, I think this one is going to be a hit and I’m going to walk away at the end of the night a very happy UFC fan. Definitely count me in for UFC 132.

Chris Leben is one of the original “bad boy” fighters that fans of “The Ultimate Fighter” developed a “love to hate” relationship with. Leben, as well as fellow Season 1 cast member Josh Koscheck, practically pioneered the “that guy” role on “The Ultimate Fighter”. You know the one: the guy that shows up and lives like a rockstar, seems to be only interested in his fifteen minutes of fame, and does several incredibly stupid things (usually with the help of large amounts of alcohol) that makes him an enemy of almost everyone else in the TUF house.

Leben’s UFC career has been an up-and-down whirlwind of good brawls, tough losses, and epic KO’s. At one point, Leben strung together five wins in the Octagon before running into a fighter by the name of Anderson Silva. Leben would go on to lose that bout and two of his next three. He would then go 2-2 before a big three-fight win-streak that included big wins over Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama. But Leben would falter once again, recently losing to Brian Stann via first-round stoppage. But even with his hit-and-miss record, it should be noted that Leben has usually been a very entertaining fighter to watch.

His opponent, Wanderlei Silva, is one of the biggest legends in the game. Known as “The Axe Murderer” and once feared as the scariest, most dangerous striker on the planet, Silva is now adored by many due to the respect he commands and the close relationship he has with his fans. Silva’s original run in the equally-legendary PRIDE FC promotion simply cannot be touched: Silva faced some of the best competition in the world and beat them all, winning fifteen out of seventeen fights with one No Contest and one Draw.

Dark days were ahead for Silva in 2006, though. Towards the end of 2006, Silva embarked on a downward spiral that saw him lose five out of his next six bouts. Even worse, three of those losses were by KO. It’s true that the losses were to some of the best competition in the world at the time: Dan Henderson, Chuck Liddell, Quinton Jackson, Rich Franklin, and Mirko Filipovic. But the huge win/loss disparity prompted Silva to drop to Middleweight for the first time in his career. In a thrilling back-and-forth exchange, Wanderlei Silva narrowly beat out top Middleweight Michael Bisping and breathed new life into his career.

Heading into this fight, I think one question and one question only will determine the outcome: will Wanderlei Silva’s chin hold up? I’ll never question Silva’s heart or fortitude, I know how badly he wants to win and I know how good he is when he gets fired up. He beat Michael Bisping, who is a great fighter and generally a better fighter than Chris Leben. But Chris Leben strikes harder than Michael Bisping, and he’s knocked out plenty of people.

Everyone knows this fight is going to turn into a brawl, and if Silva shows up ready and focused, I think he can win that brawl even though he’s coming in after a long layoff. But can Silva withstand Leben’s repeated power punches for three rounds, if need be? If he can, Silva will weather the storm and may even knock Leben out. If he can’t, Chris Leben may add another KO loss to Silva’s record.

And that’s another down and only one more to go! Stay tuned as “A Closer Look At UFC 132” wraps up with my next entry, which will take a look at the big Bantamweight showdown between UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and former WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber. I’ll see you there, fans and friends.

We head to the one and only Sherdog for news that the UFC recently made almost a dozen fights official for the July 2 card. UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber 2” will now featuring the following match-ups: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben, Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz, Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim, Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller, George Sotiropoulos vs. Rafael dos Anjos, Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki, Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Aaron Simpson, Andre Winner vs. Anthony Njokuani, and Erik Koch vs. Cub Swanson.

I think UFC 132 is a very interesting card. It does feature some big stars, but not any of the UFC’s mega-stars: no Georges St. Pierre, no Jon Jones, no Anderson Silva, etc. However, the great thing about this card is that it’s not dependent on any one match in particular. What I mean by that is simple: this isn’t a one-note show, every single fight looks very interesting on paper.

In fact, this entire show looks so interesting on paper that I hope the UFC pulls a UFC 129 and makes every single fight available either through Facebook, Spike TV, or Pay-Per-View. The preliminary card of this event is so good, in fact, that I think you could make a serious argument that it’s “UFC Fight Night” caliber.

That’s not hype talking: the undercard features popular Lightweights Melvin Guillard and George Sotiropoulos as well as former WEC Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles. You’ve event got Jason Miller competing, who recently signed to the UFC from Strikeforce and made some pretty big waves by doing so.

As if that wasn’t good enough, the Pay-Per-View card is shaping up really nicely as well. I think Dennis Siver has truly begun to realize his potential and is starting to turn a lot of heads. Depending on if he beats Wiman and also how he beats him, Siver may find himself amongst the shortlist of possible UFC Lightweight Championship contenders. You’ve then got Carlos Condit taking on “Stun Gun” Kim in what I think will be a fight that will put the winner as the next challenger to the UFC Welterweight Championship, so long as the finish is dramatic enough.

And further atop the card, you’ve got a trifecta of big matches, with a whole lot on the line in each and every one of them. There’s no other way to put this: if Tito Ortiz loses to Ryan Bader, he’ll most likely be fired and he’ll also most likely retire. The situation isn’t as dire for Wanderlei Silva, but if he wants to make one final comeback before he too decides to retire, he’s got to beat Chris Leben.

And in the main event, you have two great fighters who absolutely despise each other stepping into the cage and trading leather. Dominick Cruz is definitely the most “complete” fighter in the UFC’s 135-pound division, but Urijah Faber is considered one of the best lighter-weight fighters of all time. I don’t think Faber will beat Cruz, but I certainly won’t rule out the possibility.

In the end, this looks like it’s going to be a great card and I plan to see as much of it as I possibly can. And what about you, fans and friends? Anyone out there anticipating UFC 132?

Rain, rain, rain.  Something about rain that is conducive for writing.  Creates a pensive mood here on Broadway and 77^th in the Big Apple.

*My first MMA interview was with Kalib Starnes at UFC 71 in Las Vegas.  Starnes beat Chris Leben at that event, the under card of Chuck Liddell v. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.  Oh how Starnes and Leben’s careers have gone in different directions.  Starnes recently lost to Patrick Cote at RingSide MMA 10 in Montreal.  Leben will be in a featured fight against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 132.

*Will we ever see a long shot outside of the top six in a division get a title shot, a la Matt Serra upset of George St. Pierre at UFC 69.  With each division so stacked (more-so with the Strikeforce acquisition), it is hard to envision. Watching VCU make a tremendous run in the NCAA basketball tournament and golfer Charl Schwartzel surprise most us at the Masters this past weekend, reminded me how fun it is for the underdog to come from nowhere to challenge for a big title.  Unfortunately, as the UFC grows and so much money is on the line with every event, I fear we will never again see a long shot get a title shot, unless a large tournament format is adopted.  Not likely.

*Frankie Edgar has a new website and branded T-Shirt.  Looks good.  I am intrigued and curious just how much money these top fighters make aside from their formal fight paychecks.  Understandably, careers are short, and they have to cash-in while their name is hot.  I suspect most make strong five figures just for the signage on their shorts.  Most now have signature T-Shirts for each fight … more $.  Then, many do seminars for a nice payday and more and more own MMA gyms.  If they play their cards right – with a solid 2-3 years on UFC PPV shows, many guys can set themselves up for a long time, as they should, this is a dangerous game.

*Mark Bocek has a fun promo video for his fight in Toronto at UFC 129.  Check it out here.

*Foo Fighters have a new album.  Very Good.

*I first met UFC fighter Matt Brown in 2007, when he was a trainer at Crunch Fitness on 83^rd St between Amsterdam and Columbus. One day, I saw him shadow boxing around the heavy bag and asked if he was a fighter. He was living in NY for a short time and soon to try out for the Ultimate Fighter show on Spike TV.  He had a very average pro record and was almost signed to the IFL, which would have prevented him from going the reality TV show route. My goodness, he turned out to be far from a typical NYC gym trainer.  Hope he picks up a win next time out.

*On the case of first encounters …  I first met Frankie Edgar in Neptune, NJ, also in 2007.  He was wielding a blowtorch installing urinals at the local high school that day.  We were doing a feature on him for NBCSports.com.  After eight hours working as a plumber he logged four hours in the gym.  I learned that day Frankie Edgar is a hard worker, to put it mildly.

*Ricardo Almeida will soon be judging MMA fights in New Jersey.  Ex fighters becoming judges is a huge plus for this sport.  Hopefully, in the future, all judges will be required to be ex fighters.

*I hope George St. Pierre watched Nick Diaz fight last Saturday.  Unfortunately, I don’t think it will change his ways any time soon.  Meaning: his preference for safety over going for it!

*I have stopped following two people today on Twitter.  Too much noise.

*Fights at UFC 129 I am excited about:

-Jose Aldo v. Mark Hominick

-Nate Diaz v. Rory McDonald

-Jason McDonald v. Ryan Jensen

-Randy Couture v. Lyoto Machida

*Charlie Sheen played Radio City Music Hall last night.  As a media strategy – he would have done better just continuing to offer himself out in short bursts, on Ustream, Twitter, Blog video.  I think we like him in short bursts of crazy talk, not sitting for two hours, 100$ poorer.

*I am glad Chael Sonnen is back on the scene.  I love his honesty, bravado, machismo, salesmanship, huge ego, and carnival barker ways … all wrapped in one.

Time to face the rain.  Cheers.

With credit going to MMA Fighting, the current UFC 132 card is now: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, George Sotiropoulos vs. Evan Dunham, Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller, Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben, and Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader.

There’s been a lot of bad blood boiling between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, so I honestly wasn’t surprised when it was announced that Faber would be getting a shot at the championship after winning only one fight in the UFC. I am and always will be a Urijah Faber fan, but I think even the biggest super-fan knows that Faber has a habit of getting rushed right back into the title picture because of how well-known and marketable he is. Making him the headlining attraction of a major card should fully test his marketability in the UFC, and at the end of the day, I’m looking forward to this bout.

Another bout I’m really, really looking forward to is Chris Leben vs. Wanderlei Silva. I will admit, though, that I would’ve liked it more if Wanderlei fought Vitor Belfort when the UFC returns to Brazil later this year. But this is a pretty great alternative. This will be a hard-hitting brawl and I don’t think it’ll go past the second round. It may not even make it out of the first. But regardless of how long it lasts, it should be one of the most entertaining fights of the night, and depending on how long it lasts, it may even go down as a possible Fight of the Year candidate.

I’m also looking forward to seeing Melvin Guillard back in action after his supremely dominating performance against Evan Dunham. Guillard faces an interesting challenge in Roller, who is coming off a two-fight win-streak that saw him take home both a “Submission of the Night” and a “Knockout of the Night” award.

Speaking of Evan Dunham, he should be an interesting challenge for George Sotiropoulos, especially with George coming off of the first loss of his UFC career. And the man that beat him, Dennis Siver, will also be in action against an interesting opponent: Matt Wiman is currently on a three-fight win-streak.

And to top it all off, I’m even looking forward to Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz. This will absolutely be Tito Ortiz’s last call. When it comes to him finally making good on his promise of an epic comeback, it’s now or never. With his job and possibly his career on the line, perhaps the dominant Tito Ortiz we all once knew will finally make an appearance in the modern-day UFC.

Overall, this may not go down as one of the best UFC events of the year or one of the most star-studded, but already I’m thinking that I’m going to enjoy a majority of these bouts. And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on UFC 132 as it stands right now?

10. Antonio McKee – The GameBattles Wannabe

This is the type of player that does have some skill, but suffers from a horrendously inflated ego and thinks that they own the lobby and that all other play styles are inferior. The GB Wannabe is best recognized by its constant use of the dropshot and its uncanny ability to use his team as meatshields. Antonio McKee, who has gone as far as to call himself the Muhammed Ali of MMA, would be right at home with this holier-than-thou bunch.

9. Lyoto Machida – The Camper

Often misunderstood and always controversial, the camper is the type of player who hides in a strategic location, waits for enemies to come to them, and then mows them down thanks to the element of surprise. Some live and die by this strategy, others hate it immensely. Much is the same for Lyoto Machida, who usually relies on his counter-striking and superior strategy to win fights even while some cynics deride him as boring and afraid to engage. And just like Machida, when a camper is caught unprepared he’s usually soundly defeated in humiliating fashion.

8. Paul Daley – The Knifer

This is the type of player that literally brings a knife to a gun fight. They run around and use a combination of stealth and rushing tactics in order to knife their enemies before their foe has a chance to shoot them down. Paul Daley is much the same, he’s a one-dimensional striker fighting in a sport that prides itself on its multi-dimensionality. But since he knows how to use the tools he has, he generally wins fights, and sometimes posts up dominating victories. Much of the same can also be said when describing the experienced knife-only player.

7. Chris Leben – The Rusher

In both COD and Mixed Martial Arts, the rusher can always be depended on for making the next few minutes exciting. This player recklessly charges forward and practically spends the entire game holding down the sprint button. Much like Chris Leben, the rusher just can’t sit still and shines brightest in rapid-fire, extremely-close, usually-brief altercations.  Also like Chris Leben, the rusher’s win/loss percentage can vary wildly depending on the type of opponent he’s facing and their skill level.

6. Tank Abbott – The Nube Toob Jerk

This is the kind of player that is almost universally loathed, but every once in a while they’ll own the lobby. The “Nube Toob” is gamer slang for any sort of incendiary launcher, be it missiles or grenades. It is generally accepted that this is a “cheap” way to win since it requires virtually no skill and even less precision. The same holds true for Tank Abbott: his style of emptying his tank in the first twenty seconds and praying that something lands takes almost no skill and no focus. Like Tank, the Nube Toob Jerk blasts as quickly as possible, prays that something hits, and then has absolutely nothing else to give after their initial onslaught.

And so ends part one of this groundbreaking series! Stay tuned for Part 2!

And on a serious note, remember that this is just a joke and I’m only poking light fun at both the gamer types and the MMA fighters. I hold both COD and MMA close to my heart, and I’m quite proud of what that says about me and my nerdish habits. So while any and all comments are appreciated, remember that this is all in good fun.

5. Demian Maia

After several big “fall from grace” moments that came in the form of a KO loss to Nate Marquardt and a humiliating Unanimous Decision loss to Anderson Silva, it appears that Demian Maia has finally begun to win back some of the luster he had when he first entered the UFC and was being hailed as the next Royce Gracie. Stann has only been submitted once, but he’s never faced an expert the caliber of Maia. This fight would prove that Stann is well-rounded enough to overcome any threat in all areas of the MMA game, because make no mistake, Maia is still an ace on the ground and his stand-up continues to show noticeable improvement.

4. Alan Belcher

This fight would test Stann’s adaptability and especially his takedown defense. It would be entertaining, of that there can be no doubt, because Belcher has no problem making it a brawl if you want to make it a brawl. The test for Stann, however, lies not in who brawls the best, but what he’ll do if and when Belcher feels that he’d stand a better chance of winning the fight by taking Stann down. If Stann can deal with Belcher’s strong takedowns and his brawling prowess, he’d set himself up for several major match-ups in the future.

3. Michael Bisping

We know Brian Stann can beat Chris Leben, but we also know that, for all intents and purposes, Michael Bisping is a better version of Chris Leben. Bisping has better Octagon control, more precise punches, and a very good ground game. Much like Leben, Bisping is also on a pretty good win-streak right now and once again he’s flirting with top-division status. If Stann puts another halt to another good win-streak, he’ll have earned a sizeable amount of credibility with the UFC top brass, who will most likely begin taking him seriously as a true top-division threat.

2. Nate Marquardt

I think we’ve all been forced to realize that Nate Marquardt shines against mid-level competition but consistently falters when matched up against high-level threats. More than any other fight, this one would prove which of those two classes of fighters Stann belongs to. If Stann isn’t ready for the absolute best, Marquardt should be able to beat him and perhaps even beat him dramatically. But if Stann is a true championship contender, he’ll prove that by beating Marquardt.

And my #1 pick for Brian Stann’s next opponent is…

1. Wanderlei Silva

I admit that this is the Wanderlei Silva fanboy in me talking. A lot of people have taken to calling out Wanderlei recently, now that he’s established some credibility in the Middleweight division by scoring a thrilling victory over Michael Bisping. I think Wanderlei vs. Stann would be an epic brawl that would only end with one man face-down on the canvas and out cold. Even though Silva is still in the process of finding himself in the crowded UFC Middleweight division, this fight has the most potential to be exhilarating, entertaining, and a firm step in the right direction for whomever ends up winning it.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think of Brian Stann, and who would you like to see him fight in the future?

Next for Clay Guida: Once again it’s time to see if Clay Guida is ready to fight top-division talent. Guida looked great against Gomi even though he’s already being accused of doing a fantastic Willow Smith impersonation (because HE WHIPS HIS HAIR BACK AND FORTH HE WHIPS HIS HAIR BACK AND FORTH HE WHIPS HIS… you get the point). Even though Guida normally always ends up with a deflating loss whenever he goes on an impressive hotstreak, few can doubt that he’s once again earned his chance to prove everyone wrong and finally ascend to top-division status.

Next for Nate Diaz: Even though I think Nate Diaz has progressed admirably in his most recent run at Welterweight, it’s still very clear that the Diaz style, at least the way Nate utilizes it, is still a work-in-progress. Diaz was in no trouble on the ground, but he kept getting taken down, and he needs to address that issue. If he truly wants to excel to the highest levels of the UFC, Nate needs to realize that completely relying on your ground game and having virtually no takedown defense is an incredibly one-dimensional way of thinking.

Next for Brandon Vera: Strikeforce, Shark Fights, DREAM, SHINE Fights… take your pick. Putting it plainly and bluntly, I’d be shocked if Brandon Vera kept his job after this performance. With this loss to Thiago Silva, “The Truth” has permanently put himself into the “what could have been” files. It was a humiliating defeat, and one that will likely haunt Vera for some time. I honestly don’t know how successful Vera will be on the minor circuit or in second-tier promotions… I just know he’s headed there.

Next for Brian Stann: The world is Stann’s oyster, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer, more deserving individual. Stann has an incredible backstory and a lot of skill, so he’s got all the tools necessary to become a major draw and also a top-ranked athlete. Stann really and truly impressed me at UFC 125, and I think he’ll quickly find himself fighting top-division talent as he rolls into 2011 with an incredible amount of momentum.

Next for Chris Leben: This was a crippling blow for “The Crippler”. As harsh as this sounds to say, I think this fight finally closed the book on Leben’s championship aspirations. The man has been in too many wars, he’s eaten too many big shots and while his style is entertaining, it’s “take two to give one” nature continues to be his biggest downfall. I don’t think Chris Leben will ever be outright fired from the UFC, he’s got the skills to be a mid-level threat for quite some time and he’ll always be a marketable bad-boy brawler, but I do think that we’ve seen the last of any serious talks of Chris Leben as a top-division athlete.

Next for Frank Edgar: Anthony Pettis, of course. I know how a lot of people are already calling for an immediate rematch, but it just doesn’t seem fair to make Pettis wait until after Maynard/Edgar 3. So I’m all for “The Answer” meeting “Showtime” and giving us the much-talked-about WEC/UFC Lightweight Championship Unification Bout.

But how is Edgar going to do against the final WEC Lightweight Champion? If his performance at UFC 125 is used as a basis…  Frank Edgar is going to get knocked out. If Pettis catches Edgar the way Maynard caught Edgar, Pettis has the kind of killer instinct necessary to finish the job and emerge the champion. My respect and even admiration for Frank Edgar continues to grow on a per-fight basis, but I’ve been saying that Pettis will become the UFC Lightweight Champion for a while now. And while his fight at UFC 125 was excellent, Edgar simply didn’t show me enough to make me change my stance.

So that’s what I see when I gaze into my crystal ball and try to channel my inner Nostradamus, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of UFC 125: “Resolution”?

Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard fight to a Split Draw. Brian Stann defeats Chris Leben by TKO (Strikes) at 3:37 of Round 1. Thiago Silva defeats Brandon Vera by Unanimous Decision. Dong Hyun Kim defeats Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision. Clay Guida defeats Takanori Gomi by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:47 of Round 2. Jeremy Stephens defeats Marcus Davis by KO (Punch) at 2:33 of Round 3. Dustin Poirier defeats Josh Grispi by Unanimous Decision. Brad Tavares defeats Phil Baroni by TKO (Strikes) at 4:20 of Round 1. Diego Nunes defeats Mike Brown by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Daniel Roberts defeats Greg Soto by Submission (Kimura) at 3:45 of Round 1. Jacob Volkmann defeats Antonio McKee by Split Decision.

So much for the “Muhammed Ali of MMA”, it appears as if Antoni McKee was a victim of his own hype… hype that pretty much only existed in his own head. Speaking of failed hype, Josh Grispi looked completely out of his element against Dustin Poirier, it was honestly a downright embarrassing performance. I guess Dustin wasn’t lying when he said that we’d all know his name before UFC 125 is over. I can’t wait to see how Poirier builds off this pretty huge win.

I was very impressed by Thiago Silva’s performance, and I think that this was one of those fights where you can undoubtedly say that the winner is “back”. Silva looked fantastic as always on the feet and seemed to have found new life on the ground, plus he gave Brandon Vera one of the most heinous broken noses ever seen in MMA. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Thiago.

Brian Stann made a gigantic statement at UFC 125, and I think huge things are in store for this man in the future. He’s already incredibly marketable due to his backstory, but being the man to end arguably the hottest hotstreak of Chris Leben’s career immediately puts him into a prime position in the UFC. We might just have seen a possible UFC Middleweight Championship contender emerge at UFC 125.

The main event was wildly entertaining and fully lived up to the amazing potential I just knew it had. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for both competitors, and I think Edgar/Maynard 2 has officially set the quality benchmark for 2011. While I am disappointed that the fight didn’t have a clear winner, I think both men proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re far from boring and are two of the UFC’s absolute best and brightest. I can’t wait to see what’s next for both men.

All in all, I was pretty glad that I tuned in to UFC 125. The event had several memorable fights and several fantastic finishes. I was a bit gutted that some of my perennial favorites like Marcus Davis, Chris Leben, and Nate Diaz would all lose, some of them dramatically, but all in all, I hesitate to call any of the UFC 125 fights bad. The UFC had a pretty good kickoff to 2011, which is already shaping up to be an utterly amazing year.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your early thoughts on UFC 125: “Resolution”?

To prepare for UFC 125 here is your Chris Leben homework.  Watch Leben’s 2003 battle with Otto Olson in Seattle.  This type of affair has become indicative to how Leben fights.  Trouble early, then lookout!

They say styles make fights in the cage.  In the case of Brian Stann vs. Chris Leben, this fight is made by virtue of their styles outside of the cage.  Brian Stann is a well documented war hero from his service in Iraq and was awarded the Silver Star, America’s third highest award for valor in combat.  A graduate and former football star at the Naval Academy, Stann enters his UFC 125 fight against Chris Leben as the quintessential vision of American goodness with a serving of apple pie to boot carving a squeaky clean image.

On the other hand … Chris Leben has a more accomplished Octagon record yet a far more checkered personal story … to say the least.  Much of the country was first introduced to Leben on the first season of the Ultimate Fighter show on Spike-TV.  Leben grabbed attention when he got drunk and urinated on another fighter’s bed.  Later in the series Leben punched out a window after being sprayed with a hose.  Leben has also been suspended from the UFC for steroid use and was recently arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in Hawaii.   So, it is clear Leben has had issues away from the cage which has painted a far different caricature of him than that of Brian Stann.

Is it good guy vs. bad guy?  No, I don’t see it so black and white.  Leben is not a bad guy by any means. He has just traveled a more difficult personal journey due to many factors … many we surely don’t even know about.  But for sports talk purposes, it is an intriguing contrast likely to play a role only in the sense that Stann is probably the more disciplined fighter and will stick to his game plan.  Is that due to his military training? – probably.  But, anybody familiar with Chris Leben knows he thrives on the chaos of a fight.  When a structured fight becomes a messy brawl is when he is best and has made a ton of money in fight bonuses over the last few years for just this reason.

How will this fight go?  Well, Stann was impressive in winning via triangle choke over Mike Massenzio in his last fight, but that was an aberration.  Yes, he has been working on his ground game, but Stann is a stand-up fighter first.  A good one, but not as good as Leben.  In my view, he is tailor made for Chris Leben.  Leben has good ground skills as evidenced in his win over Yoshihiro Akiyama but “The Crippler” is a banger at heart and in his blood.  Leben has more cage savvy and multidimensional skills to pull from if needed, but shouldn’t.  He is also nearly impossible to knockout with an otherworldly ability to take punishment. Like many of his fights, Leben will weather the first round and may lose it on the scorecards.  However, he will gain momentum and cage control of the fight as the rounds move on until he lands a decisive blow and starts to finish a tiring Stann.

It will be fun to talk about the radical differences between these two fighters outside of the cage, before and during the scrap, but in the end “The Not All American Kid” Chris Leben will be too much for Brian Stann.

Chime in peeps.  Who do you think will win this one?

@john_moody

Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi: I think Gomi still swings hammers when he throws punches, but I also think that Clay Guida knows this. This fight will all depend on the mentality Clay Guida brings when he faces the former PRIDE FC destroyer. If Guida avoids brawling and sticks to taking Gomi out of his element, Guida is well-rounded enough to virtually coast to an easy Unanimous Decision win. But if Clay Guida comes in looking to strike for whatever reason, I think Gomi will eventually land something huge and be the first man to (T)KO Clay Guida, probably in the second round.

Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim: I’ve enjoyed watching “Stun Gun” go to work in his time with the UFC, but I think this fight will focus almost exclusively on the continuing evolution of Nate Diaz. Diaz seems to have finally learned how to duplicate his brother Nick Diaz’s vaunted “punches in bunches” style, and both Diaz brothers have never looked better. Diaz may be a dark horse when it comes to a future shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship, but I’m very confident that he’ll win this fight by TKO in Round 2 or 3.

Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva: It’s been an interesting, long, winding, and considerably rocky road for Brandon Vera, the “next big thing” that never was. Vera is dangerously close to the precipice, one more loss gives him a three-fight losing streak, and it’s become generally accepted that that’s the golden number where you start looking expendable in the eyes of the UFC. Unfortunately for “The Truth”, I think Thiago Silva is just too much for Brandon Vera. Thiago Silva will win by Unanimous Decision.

Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann: Chris Leben should come out of his corner swinging like his life depended on it, because in a way, it does. While this may be a co-main event, Brian Stann is a step backwards compared to the talent Leben has been facing and beating recently. A loss to Stann would be the absolute worst thing to happen to “The Crippler” since Anderson Silva made his UFC debut by pounding Leben’s face into mush. The added pressure combined with Leben’s already-aggressive style has me thinking that Chris Leben wins by KO in Round 1.

Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: Get ready for a war, because this one is going all five rounds and both men are going to tear each other apart from the first bell to the final second. Expect to see big takedowns, huge slams, lots of striking, and an amazing pace. If Gray Maynard doesn’t show up in monster shape, Edgar’s uncanny cardio may be his biggest ally in the fight with “The Bully”. I don’t know how he’ll specifically do it, but every indicator I have points towards Edgar once again coming into a big fight with the best gameplan possible and once again forcing everyone to shut up and take him seriously. Frank Edgar wins by Unanimous Decision.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you see emerging as the big winners and losers when UFC 125 is over?

The Event: UFC 125 “Resolution”, scheduled for January 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will air live on Pay-Per-View starting at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: The UFC is starting 2011 with a bang. The #1 Lightweight in the world defends his championship against the only man that’s ever beaten him, Gray Maynard. Despite the criticism this match has been getting, I’ve vehemently defended it as what should be a very entertaining fight between two amazing wrestlers. Plus, you’ve got big names like Nate Diaz, Thiago Silva, Chris Leben, Brandon Vera, Clay Guida, Marcus Davis, and Mike Thomas Brown all competing at some point throughout the night.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Constant, blistering action between two men with fantastic cardio and serious wrestling skills. There’s a very personal rivalry between these two, and with the championship on the line, they’ll be bringing their absolute best for this event. Maynard will continue to try and live up to his nickname “The Bully”, while Edgar will once again look to combine his ridiculous cardio with his uncanny ability to put together the best gameplan possible. It’s going to be close, it’s going to be a war, and it’s going to be an awesome fight no matter what anyone else says.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Look for two big strikers to come out headhunting the second the bell rings. Leben wants to end this decisively and quickly, since he’s arguably never been this close to getting a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship. Brian Stann is fighting for relevancy in the increasingly-crowded UFC Middleweight division, and being the man that ends the best win-streak Chris Leben has ever been on would immediately put him on everyone’s radar. It won’t last very long, but it’ll be immensely entertaining until someone gets (T)KO’d.

Why You Should Watch This Card: This card is a strong indicator that the WEC/UFC merger is already paying dividends. This card is filled with fantastic talent, and they’re all smartly booked. It’ll be the first MMA event of 2011, but I have a feeling that it’ll also be remembered as one of the best events of 2011.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I honestly, sincerely cannot think of a good reason. The only thing you can really hold against this card is that there’s only one championship on the line. Even though the main card is loaded with potential, most of the fighters involved are working their ways towards top-division status rather than actually being top-division talent. Still, even the untelevised undercard is filled with interesting match-ups and potential. From Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi to Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim, this looks to be an action-packed night of fights that has a little bit of something for everyone.

Closing Thoughts: The UFC may not be throwing us its biggest guns and its brightest stars to start off the New Year, but they’ve put together an incredible card nonetheless. The only question surrounding this card is whether or not it can live up to its potential. I’ll certainly be giving it a watch, and while it’s true that anything is possible in MMA, I’m very confident when I say that this show should be well worth a purchase and even repeated viewings.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on UFC 125?

Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard for the UFC Lightweight Championship, Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann, Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera, Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim, Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida, Marcus Davis vs. Jeremy Stephens, Josh Grispi vs. Dustin Poirier, Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares, Mike Thomas Brown vs. Diego Nunes, Daniel Roberts vs. Greg Soto, and Antonio McKee vs. Jacob Volkmann.

My early thoughts on this card are very simple and easily summarized: wow. This is an awesome-looking card. I say this without hyperbole: I think all of the main card fights could have headlined their own “Fight Night Live” special. Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann should be a great back-and-forth war. Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera is going to end very, very violently. Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim should be an important stepping stone and proving point for both men, especially if either one is able to finish and finish convincingly. And then you have Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida: it won’t be technical by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s going to be one entertaining scrap and a fantastic way to kick off the PPV portion of the show.

We’ve even got some pretty good names on the undercard. Marcus Davis always steps into the Octagon ready to brawl. Josh Grispi would have been the next man to face Jose Aldo if Aldo hadn’t pulled out with an injury. Mike Brown is a former WEC champion. You’ve even got veterans like Antonio McKee, Phil Baroni, and Jeremy Stephens. Some may say that the preliminary card has a lot of fighters that are down on their luck in their most-recent fights, but I personally think that shouldn’t and ultimately doesn’t overshadow the fact that they almost always put on entertaining fights.

And in the main event, you’ve got two great Lightweights competing for the championship of a division that’s been blown wide open ever since Frankie “The Answer” Edgar managed to beat BJ Penn not once, but twice. In an era where “The Prodigy” is back at Welterweight and Frank Edgar is the #1 Lightweight in the world, it’s literally anyone’s ballgame. This should be a fantastic fight between two great wrestlers, and I personally can’t wait to see it happen. I know that some fans are quick to criticize how both men haven’t finished their opponents in what feels like forever, but I’m willing to give both these men a pass since they’re entertaining throughout their long wars that end up going to the judges. Don’t believe the doom-sayers, fans and friends: Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard is going to be an awesome fight.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Now that everything is “officially official”, what’s your opinion on UFC 125: “Resolution”?

We go first to Fighters Only, where current #1 contender to the Middleweight Championship Vitor Belfort had this to say in regards to a recent blog post where Wanderlei predicted that Belfort would find himself in a whole heap of trouble when he met Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship: “I didn’t waste my time watching [Wanderlei Silva's video blog]. It’s just a spectator’s opinion. Spectators can say whatever they want. He just wanted to get some attention for himself. I don’t take it seriously.”

Next up is MMA Fighting, where the returning Alan Belcher recently said the following: “I want to fight Wanderlei Silva. And I think he needs to fight someone like me, a top young guy, to really stay in the mix. He needs to do that to stay a legit fighter and not just a legend selling pay-per-views because he has a name… I think a passing of the torch is the perfect way to put it… I feel I’m better than him. Wanderlei definitely poses a threat…but at this point, I am more technical, well-rounded and I can beat him in any part of the game… I want to make myself a legend off of this fight.”

And finally we head to MMA Mania, who compiled the following message from Wanderlei Silva’s Twitter account: “You know, I was missing something. But then I found out I needed a rival. I never trained as hard as the time I fought (Ricardo) Arona. But now, I want (Vitor) Belfort, and I’m already trained for you. I’m gonna get you, you’ll see!”

I think both these fights would be awesome and really boost Wanderlei Silva’s credibility as he ventures down this latest career path. Silva and Belfort last fought over ten years ago at the UFC’s “Ultimate Brazil” show, with Belfort famously TKO’ing Wanderlei forty-four seconds into the round. If most people look forward to a rematch a year or two down the road because of how different both fighters have become, just imagine how different a Belfort/Silva rematch would be now that both men have had over ten years to hone their craft. More than likely it will be an incredible stand-up war.

Alan Belcher represents a very different threat to Wanderlei Silva, but still a pretty big one. Belcher has excellent wrestling, the kind of chin required to consistently shoot for takedowns, and his stand-up isn’t anywhere close to bad. It would be a clash of styles for sure, and highly competitive too. It would also be an important milestone and proving point for both men. All that added up makes me think that Belcher/Silva would be an amazing fight.

And after all that, Chris Leben still waits in the wings. No matter who Wanderlei Silva fights next, I’m looking forward to seeing him return to the Octagon. Silva’s legions of fans will follow him and support him no matter what, but I personally think that the time is right for a rebirth and return of “The Axe Murderer”. It may not happen overnight, but it may just be that the best is yet to come when it comes to Wanderlei Silva.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you think Wanderlei should fight next, and what do you think of his chances against Leben, or Belfort, or Belcher?

“People are paying good money at home to watch this fight and people in the audience are paying better money to put on a good show.  I think it is your job, it is an obligation you have to give them what they are looking for.  I am not going to run from my opponent, I am not going to lay on top of him.  I am going to finish every fight I am in.”

Rivera has certainly backed up this point throughout his career.  He has gone 6-3 in his last nine UFC fights and all but two ended in KO or TKO.  Sakara will be a test, but Rivera will not be in awe.  For MMA newbies, Rivera has career wins over Travis Lutter and David Loiseau and losses to Anderson Silva and Rich Franklin.  At 38, Rivera shared with Fighters.com that he wants to win but he also wants to thrill.

“I want to be known as an exciting fighter. A guy who comes to lay it all on the line win or lose I am coming.  I train hard.  Doesn’t matter who I am fighting I have to train hare.  This is the top tier in MMA right here.  Every single person in this organization is good and they belong.  To take anybody lightly to train soft is going to cost you in the ring.”

El Conquistador certainly must fit in Dana Whites list of favorite fighters and has been rewarded by fighting for the UFC since 2003.  White needs guys who generate oohs and ahhs from the house and this is what Rivera does best.  Rivera loves to bang, but also knows that this is entertainment and wants to give the people what they want.

“The fans are the ones to do it all.  When my career is over. I want to be remembered. Some of these guys may have more wins than I do.  May have fought tougher guys. But if they are boring, nobody is going to remember them.  I want to be remembered.  When my name comes up, I want people to say – ‘I loved watching him fight.’

Such a quote must be music to Dana White’s ears.

–

Give it up folks.  Can Rivera KO Sakara?  How will this fight play out.  Chime in now.

Hawaii News Now reports that “The Crippler” was driving on the H-1 Freeway, lost control of his vehicle, and crashed into a wall near an off-ramp. It is currently not known how seriously Leben was injured in the crash, if he was even injured at all. When the police arrived at the scene, Leben was arrested on suspicion of operating the vehicle while intoxicated. According to the report, Leben was also driving without insurance and even without a license. Leben quickly posted bail and is now a free man, but is expected to appear before a Hawaiian judge next month. Leben could be looking at some very serious repercussions for this, since this is not the first time he has been charged with driving under the influence. In fact, Leben served thirty-five days in jail in 2008 after violating his parole, which he had been serving due to a previous DUI.

All the details are not out yet, this story hasn’t even begun to unfold, all the facts have not been made clear. Yet make no mistake: this does not mean that I can’t be critical of Chris Leben. If this is true, and I have a sinking feeling that it is, then I think that Chris Leben just crippled his career.

This honestly could not have come at a worst time, of that I’m definitely convinced. Chris Leben has finally gotten himself on a good win-streak and is truly and emphatically getting back into the title hunt for the first time in what feels like forever. Leben is even scheduled to face Brian Stann at the next UFC “super card”, UFC 125: “Resolution”. After years of “so close but so far away”, Chris Leben has finally begun putting all the pieces together and finding a working formula for success. And now he’s likely facing even more jail time if he really did operate a vehicle without a license, without insurance, and while intoxicated.

That’s a trifecta of stupid right there, it’s a Holy Trinity of “you done goofed”, it’s a triple-threat of bad driving etiquette. Chris Leben will have his day in court, of this I’m certain. I won’t gather the mob just yet, my pitchfork and lantern will stay safely tucked away. But I’ll say this right now: if the facts come out, and if they say beyond a reasonable doubt that Chris Leben was operating a vehicle without a license, without insurance and while intoxicated…if all that happens, then Chris Leben is a colossal moron and should be ashamed of himself.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Will Chris Leben bounce back from this setback, or are we witnessing another self-implosion that severely hinders his career?

Next New Year’s, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC will return to Nevada with a lightweight title fight pitting current champion Frankie Edgar, who is riding on a 5-fight win streak (which included two back-to-back victories over former champion BJ Penn) will look to exact revenge when he defends his title against the only man to defeat him, undefeated UFC lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard.

Also in action, former Interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin is coming back to action after succumbing to his first defeat as a professional at UFC 116 when he tangles with the former IFL heavyweight champion and season 10 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Roy Nelson.

Nate Diaz has recently been announced as a new addition to the card. Making his third consecutive trip to the welterweight division, Diaz will look to go three-in-a-row following some recent success with victories over Rory Markham and Marcus Davis (respectively) finishing both competitors before it went the distance.

Meeting Diaz will be Korean Judoka, Dong Hyun Kim. An undefeated prospect in the 170-pound division, Diaz will arguably be his toughest test to date, and should Dong come away from the bout in impressive fashion, it could spell title implications.

While no official word has come as far the order of the match ups, though I would assert that the card should look something like this. Here is the event in it’s entirety, though additional match ups are soon to be announced.

Main Card:
-Lightweight Championship bout: Frankie Edgar (champion) vs. Gray Maynard
-Heavyweight bout: Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson
-Lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
-Middleweight bout: Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann
-Welterweight bout: Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Preliminary:
-Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva
-Middleweight bout: Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares
-Lightweight bout: Antonio McKee vs. Jacob Volkmann

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of match ups so far? Any additional bouts you would like to see make the main card? Which bouts do you think, should they be featured, for the Spike Prelims special?
Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Demian Maia

If Bisping wants to prove once and for all that he’s truly ready for top-level competition, he needs to face a top-level grappler. Maia has fallen from grace pretty hard, but he’s still a submission expert and Bisping would be in a lot of danger if it ever got to the ground. This fight would be a perfect showcase of Bisping’s well-roundedness if he wins it, so it’s definitely good enough to make this list.

4. Nate Marquardt

This is assuming that Nate Marquardt loses to Yushin Okami at UFC 122. I think a win over Marquardt would be huge for “The Count” and immediately put him into title contention. Marquardt has been looking fantastic in his fights lately; this would be a tough all-out war that would earn Bisping a lot of credibility if he won it.

3. Chris Leben

This is the perfect rematch: both men are at very different points in their careers than when they first met, and both men have displayed some interesting improvements since that first encounter. They’ve always been good strikers, yet we’ve recently seen how well-rounded both men are. This would still be a war, but it would be a lot more technical than I think a lot of people would give both fighters credit for leading up to this second fight.

2. Vitor Belfort

This is assuming that Belfort loses to Anderson Silva at UFC 126. I personally think a win over Belfort as he is now (a resurgent “Phenom”) would be as big for Bisping as a win over Dan Henderson would have been if Bisping beat Henderson at UFC 100. Bisping would enter top-division status with a roar and not a whisper if he managed to take down Vitor Belfort. This would likely be the toughest test for him out of anyone on this list, but it comes in at number two simply because I think my top pick is one that everybody wants to see.

And of course my number one pick goes to…

1. Wanderlei Silva

As a huge fan of Wanderlei Silva, I say this with absolutely no malice: Silva only won the first fight with Bisping because he stole some rounds with his round-ending flurries, and I think Bisping can beat and even KO “The Axe Murderer”. If Bisping fights in a style designed to drain Wanderlei’s energy, and if he avoids any and all flurries towards the end of the round, Bisping will be able to tee off on Silva at will by the third round, and Silva’s chin simply isn’t what it once was. This would be a huge rematch for both men, and I think nothing would erase the errors of the past for Michael Bisping quite like a big win over Wanderlei Silva.

But what about you, fans and friends? Who would you like to see Michael Bisping get in the Octagon against, and what did you think of my picks?

Bisping has much to gain from a stylish win on Saturday.  Not only would he move closer to a title shot, but the UK card will be beamed live over free Spike TV in America, so a huge stateside audience will be watching which never hurts the sponsor cash flow.  Additionally, a Bisping win would further solidify his standing as the face of MMA in the UK and much of Western Europe as the UFC continues to emphasize international expansion.

So, much is on the line in Bisping vs. Akiyama come Saturday, but the Ultimate Fighter-3 winner has expressed no doubts in the lead up.

“I am improving all the time, I am a much better fighter than one year ago and feeling like I am maturing now and coming into my peak as a mixed martial artist … I am preparing for a hard fight, but a fight I know I am going to win, but it is going to be tough.”

His opponent, Yoshihiro Akiyama is coming off a disappointing loss to Chris Leben at UFC 116.  In preparation, he has spent part of his training camp with famed MMA coach and strategist, Greg Jackson, in New Mexico.  Bisping is not concerned.

“I couldn’t care less who he is training with.   What I am focusing on these days is what I do.  He can worry about what I bring to the table.  My training is going fantastic.  I feel in the best shape.  I have improved all my areas, regardless of who he is training with. To answer your question, I could care less.”

Bisping vs. Akiyama may just be the 2010 UFC bout with the greatest international appeal. Akiyama is a crossover star in Japan with a model girlfriend, Nike footwear deal, and a long history as a MMA star in Japan.  Bisping will have most of the UK tuned-in as well to see if he can overcome what may be his most diverse opponent to date.

While the career stakes will rise quickly if “The Count” stops “Sexyama,” Bisping feels his small town roots will keep him grounded.

“I live in a small town in northwest England, live with same friends and family I have grown up with my whole life, and to be honest nothing has changed.  Ultimately, I am the same guy, I still live in the same place, same small town, not a lot has changed, and am able to train and continue with my regular lifestyle.”

—

Are you ready for UFC 120.  Bisping or Akiyama?  Who are you betting on?  Sound off.

In a video posted on the YouTube channel of MMACanada.net, here’s what the former PRIDE FC Middleweight Champion  had to say: “My plan [is to be back in] March. I want to try to make my next fight in Las Vegas or in Canada. I think Chris Leben is my next opponent. Nothing is official, but I’m thinking it probably is him.”

Directly after his winning performance against Akiyama, Chris Leben loudly called out Silva in his UFC 116 post-fight interview, shouting out “Come on Wanderlei, I’ll take you out, too!”. After serving a hefty suspension for testing positive for steroids following a loss to Michael Bisping in 2008, the future looked bleak for the notorious “Ultimate Fighter” bad boy, as he lost his return bout in 2009 against Jake Rosholt. Since then Leben has been on a tear, winning three straight and getting the victory over Akiyama with little less than two weeks to prepare for the fight. Leben’s next opponent is Brian Stann at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day.

I think the fight with Silva is inevitable, and it’s one that all the fans want to see. If Silva does return in March, it would give Leben about two months to prepare for their fight. As active as he’s been lately, I think it’s very possible that we’ll see this one go down sooner rather than later. And even if it doesn’t, this is a fight that simply needs to happen. Even if Dana White has shown some hesitation to making this fight in the past, you just don’t keep two of your best strikers in the division away from each other for long. Sooner or later they’ll have to trade wits and fists.

And it’s going to be epic. I’ve been a fan of Wanderlei Silva for a very long time, and like my recent turnaround concerning Nick Diaz, I’ve begun to appreciate Leben as a fighter even if sometimes I still don’t fully respect him as a person. If Silva wants to prove once and for all that he’s still a force to be reckoned with in Mixed Martial Arts, he needs to become only the second person in history to ever KO Chris Leben (the first being long-reigning and record-breaking UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva) . This fight will be all strikes from the first bell to the final second, and as far as wild brawls go, this has potential to be one of the wildest in recent history.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about Leben/Silva, and who do you see winning the showdown?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States.

While some categories have changed, in order to be politically correct, must stay the same. Voting continues until November 26, where till then you can cast your votes online at All winners are determined by a fan vote, and ballots can be cast through Nov. 26 at www.worldmmaawards.com.

The full list, which was formatted by MMAJunkie.com, of finalists includes:

CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva
* Brock Lesnar
* Frankie Edgar
* Jose Aldo
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
* Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 116
* Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 14

KO OF THE YEAR

* Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki at WEC 45
* Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 113
* Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee at UFC 114
* Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR

* Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon at UFC 108
* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 118
* Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum”

BEST PROMOTION

* Bellator
* DREAM
* Strikeforce
* UFC
* WEC

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR

* Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder and CEO
* Dana White, UFC president
* Joe Silva, UFC VP of talent relations
* Michael Schiavello, HDNet broadcaster
* Scott Coker, Strikeforce founder and CEO

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Alistair Overeem
* Dan Hardy
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Shinya Aoki

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Charles Oliveira
* Evan Dunham
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Jon Jones

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
* Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii
* Miesha Tate
* Sarah Kaufman
* Zoila Frausto

COACH OF THE YEAR

* Cesar Gracie
* Firas Zahabi
* Greg Jackson
* Rafael Cordeiro
* Shawn Tompkins

GYM OF THE YEAR

* American Kickboxing Academy
* American Top Team
* Black House MMA
* Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting
* Wand Fight Team

RING GIRL OF THE YEAR

* Arianny Celeste
* Brittney Palmer
* Chandella Powell
* Natalie Skyy
* Rachelle Leah

BEST LIFESTYLE CLOTHING BRAND

* Affliction
* Fight Chix
* RVCA
* Silverstar
* TapouT

REFEREE OF THE YEAR

* “Big” John McCarthy
* Dan Miragliotta
* Herb Dean
* Josh Rosenthal
* Mario Yamasaki

MOST MEMORABLE RING ENTRANCE

* Anderson Silva
* Clay Guida
* Jason “Mayhem” Miller
* Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal
* Tom Lawlor

BEST TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT BRAND

* Everlast MMA
* Fairtex
* Hayabusa
* TapouT
* Venum

BEST TECHNICAL CLOTHING BRAND

* Bad Boy
* Hayabusa
* Jaco
* TapouT
* Venum

MEDIA SOURCE OF THE YEAR

* “Inside MMA” on HDNet
* MMAjunkie.com
* MMAWeekly.com
* MMAFighting.com
* Sherdog.com

MMA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

* Aaron “Tru” Teweles, Freelance
* Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/Versus.com
* Conner Cordova, MMAReligion.com
* Gareth A. Davies, Telegraph.com
* John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? Anyone you would have liked to seen in some of these categories? Who do you think will take home some of the honors of the night? Sound off in the comments section below.

Belfort, who was originally set to meet fellow contender Yushin Okami at UFC 122 in November in Germany, has been pulled from the bout in light of what has happened to Sonnen and his failed post-fight drug test from UFC 117 in August, and will now meet the fellow Brazilian.

Another interesting middleweight bout has been added to the card, and will be a sure crowd pleaser for all in attendance.

According to MMAJunkie.com, who confirmed the bout with sources close to the event, Leben, a former cast member on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” will take on the former WEC light heavyweight champion and Iraqi war veteran Brian Stann, in a middleweight match up.

The bout will serve as Leben’s 17th fight with the promotion (impressive) and “The Crippler” will be looking for his fourth straight win. After a slide of 4 losses in 6 fights from 2006 through 2009, Leben has since rebounded with three straight victories.

Most memorably, after defeating the previously undefeated Aaron Simpson at “The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale” on June 19th, Chris returned just a little over two weeks later on short notice, filling in for an injured Wanderlei Silva, who was expected take on Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama in the nights co-main event at UFC 116. After a tough back and forth battle in the first two rounds, Akiyama succumbed to a triangle-choke in the waning moments in the third round–marking the first time that the revered Judoka was submitted in a mixed martial arts bout.

Stann meanwhile, has since just transitioned to the middleweight division after a career made in the WEC at 205, where he laid claim as a top prospect in the light heavyweight division after defeating then champion Doug Marshall for the promotions title. After the WEC’s light heavyweight, middleweight, and welterweight divisions were merged into the UFC’s, Stann had found some troubles. After losing his title and first professional mixed martial arts bout in the WEC against foe Steve Cantwell (who he later re-matched and defeated for a second time), Stann then met Krzysztof Soszynski and lost by the Canadian’s patented submission, kimura, inside of the first round at UFC 97.

After some early growing pains, and a snapped two-fight win streak inside the octagon after meeting collegiate wrestling star Phil Davis at UFC 109 in February, Stann looked in true form when he defeated another wrestler in Mike Massenzio. After an early back and forth battle where both competitors appeared to have traded round for round, Stann showed the full gamet of his new game, when he rocked Massenzio early in the third, and eventually submitted him in the waning moments on the final round.

This marked “The All American’s” first submission victory and his first win at 185.

Both noted banger’s, the bout between Leben and Stann is expected to take place on the nights televised portion of the pay-per-view, and is a near guarantee for either “Fight of Night” or “Knockout of the Night” honors.

So, MMA peeps, what say you about the match up? Who do you think takes it? How do you think it will play out? Let your opinions be heard in the comments section below.

5. Chris Leben

Admit it: you could see Chris Leben leading a pack of raiders. Sometimes only the lawless survive in a world without law. With his iron chin, bad-boy status, and that “I’ll fight anybody” mentality of his, Chris Leben would have no problem getting together a gang of…well, he’d have no problem forming a gang. Look for Leben at a deserted highway or shopping mall near you…wearing tight leather, riding a motorcycle, carrying a shotgun, and shouting insane gibberish.

4. Clay Guida

Guida is already famous for being the closest thing to a caveman the UFC will ever see, but when the sky rains nukes, look for Guida to actually become a caveman. The decay and death of society will cause groups to go back to simpler, more primitive times: hunting and scavenging, migrating with any food source, eating their meat raw and killing it with sharpened sticks. Guida’s ability to absorb punishment would be a great advantage when trying to kill an evening meal, so look for him and his ever-growing tribe to burp, belch, fart and growl their way to a decent life even in the harshest of circumstances.

3. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Women want him. Men want to be him. None can stand up to the power of Sexyama. After both sexes turn to Sexyama in droves for comfort, look for Akiyama to establish a large harem of men and women that travel the lands seeking to comfort weary travelers and relieve them of their money. Now unquestionably the biggest pimp in the world, Akiyama would control both his hoes and his customers with an iron fist, judo-throwing non-payers to the side of the road while pimp-slapping any skank who dares question his authority. With unequaled sexiness and virtually unchallenged fighting prowess, Akiyama may end up being one of the most successful businessmen to ever set up shop amongst the wastes.

2. Georges St. Pierre

GSP seems to have the entire country of Canada on his side nowadays, so look for him to gain a sizable following once the Canadian government fails, just like all governments will fail, when the nuclear apocalypse begins. With his natural charm and intense fighting ability, I see GSP becoming King of Canada in about a month. GSP will probably have a tough time controlling his new domain, though, since the inevitable global warming will likely make livable the 80% of Canada that is currently nothing but frozen tundra, inviting a host of new fiefdoms and warring city-states. But when the time comes, I see all Canadian men and women bowing to the Riddum.

And my #1 fighter most likely to survive a Nuclear Apocalypse is…

1. Randy Couture

Everyone loves Randy Couture. Honestly, try and find someone that legitimately hates him and has a legitimate reason to. Couture is already a pretty big symbol of hope in the UFC, when the apocalypse happens, he’ll become a symbol of hope to humanity as a whole. “Captain America” will become a champion of the little people, inspiring pride and confidence in all, driving men to realize their potential, lifting civilization out of its crumbling depths and into a bright new future. Look for Couture to establish a haven that all men flock to, but only he can control. Plain and simple, Randy Couture is humanity’s savior. With him at your side, even a nuclear apocalypse doesn’t seem so bad.

So if/when the nuclear apocalypse does happen, seek out for any one of these five and you should be set. But what about you, fans and friends? Which MMA fighters do you see thriving, and not just surviving, after a nuclear holocaust?

I think the main problem with Michael Bisping is that his attitude overshadows his attributes. I don’t want to call anybody xenophobic, but maybe we should admit to ourselves that it’s easier to hate a cocky Brit than a lot of other cocky fighters? Some people loved Chael Sonnen’s antics, some people loved Brock Lesnar’s. But it seems like almost every American fan is unified in hating Michael Bisping for his cocky, brash attitude. It’s very easy to embellish the losses and understate the victories of a fighter you passionately hate, and quite a lot of people really can’t stand Michael Bisping.

But Bisping has far more experience inside the Octagon than Akiyama. It’s true that both men started fighting in 2004, but Bisping has a whopping twelve UFC fights to Akiyama’s two. Bisping’s record stands at 9-3 inside the world’s best and biggest MMA promotion, Akiyama’s is 1-1. And if you argue that Bisping should be 8-4, resurrecting the zombified corpse that is the Matt Hamill vs. Michael Bisping fight, then you must also take into consideration that Akiyama should be 0-2, as his debut win against Alan Belcher at UFC 100 was not without its own fair share of controversy. Bisping has fought some of the best Middleweights and Light Heavyweights in the UFC, and even if he’s lost a time or two, that experience has propelled him to continually refine himself and emerge a better overall performer each time he’s faced adversity. Now that Akiyama has tasted defeat in a big way via a loss to Chris Leben’s fight-stealing Triangle Choke at UFC 116, it will be interesting to see if Akiyama has such rebirths in him.

I’d also argue that Michael Bisping has better striking than Yoshihiro Akiyama. It’s true that, in the eyes of many, Akiyama got the better of heavy-handed striker Chris Leben in their recent fight, but Leben and Bisping have very different styles. And did you know that, despite being known for his striking far more than Michael Bisping, both Bisping and Leben actually have the same number of (T)KO’s on their records? And after the particularly humbling KO loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 100, Bisping’s striking has gone up several levels. Against Dennis Kang it looked unstoppable, against Dan Miller it looked inescapable, and despite it failing him in the Wanderlei Silva fight, Bisping held his own in a predominantly stand-up fight with one of the best strikers MMA has ever seen.

Now, this is not to say that Michael Bisping is invincible, or that Akiyama is without skill. The title says “probably beat”, not “will beat”. In fact, if this article convinces you that Bisping has at least some chance, rather than none, then I’ll consider it a success. In truth, I like both of these guys. I think this will be an awesome fight, and while I can grudgingly admit that it’s a less-than-stellar main event for a PPV card, it’s a very solid fight and a great main event for British fans, where Bisping is most famous. Bisping is simply deserving of a lot more credit than I see being given to him leading into this fight.

But what do you think, fans and friends? How good of a chance does Bisping have to beat Akiyama?

The news, which was highlighted previously on Fighters.com , where according to Vitor himself on Twitter, “this year I am not going to fight for the title because the champion (UFC Middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva) is hurt but November we will be in action for sure that is what I can say.”

Silva, who was later reported injured prior to his bout with contender Chael Sonnen at UFC 117, is on an indefinite hiatus away from the cage. Anderson sustained fractured ribs before his last outing with Sonnen, while training with Judoka Satoshi Ishi and former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.

So, that definitely rules out Anderson for the rest of the year, and Vitor accordingly. But what about Sonnen? According to Belfort, in an interview with Sherdog.com, Chael is off the table as well for the surging middleweight, who began his career at 185 initially with a victory over Terry Martin under the Affliction banner in 2008, knocking out the UFC veteran on strikes in the second round.

The Brazilian followed up the performance with another commanding stoppage over the well traveled and well respected Matt Lindland, knocking out the former top middleweight in just 37 seconds, in January of 2009.

In his UFC return after the collapse of the aforementioned promotion Affliction, Belfort immediately put himself on the map when he needed just over three minutes to top former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 103 in Dallas, Tex., knocking out the former math teacher turned MMA fighter last September.

Since then, Belfort’s absence has gone noticed, and while many speculated that a match pitting both Sonnen and Vitor would be the next logical step, that doesn’t appear so likely now.

“I talked to Lorenzo (Fertitta) this week and will return in November,” Belfort said in his interview with Sherdog.com. “I just asked him to not be (on the November card in Germany). I’m tired of traveling. I would like to return to fighting here in America. According to my conversation with Lorenzo, my opponent will not be Sonnen, but another guy that will be decided soon.”

So, if not Sonnen, and not Anderson, than who? The only middleweight fighter that stands out to me, who isn’t already tied up in a fight, would have to be Chris Leben–or even Yushin Okami.

Nate Marquardt is tied up in his middleweight affair with Rousimar Palhares at UFC Fight Night 22 in September, Demian Maia is mixing it up against Mario Miranda at UFC 118, Alan Belcher is sidelined with a detached retina that may keep him away from fighting for good, and in my mind, there are no other viable contenders besides Okami and Leben.

Do you disagree? Anybody else in mind for Vitor?

Let’s start with the basics: everybody loves a comeback, and Belfort’s latest career comeback is perhaps his best, as the fourteen-year veteran hasn’t been beaten since 2006 and has finished all but one of his fights since that loss by (T)KO, including fantastic victories over Matt Lindland and the aforementioned Rich Franklin. Belfort has fought and at times excelled in three different weight classes: Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, and now Middleweight. His eight losses were all humbling for one reason or another, but they also all happened to be against some of the greatest Mixed Martial Artists ever: Kazushi Sakuraba, Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, etc.

So I honestly can’t wait to see Vitor Belfort back in the UFC. Even with the Anderson Silva fight still a distant (though not hopeless) possibility, there are a lot of great fights for Vitor Belfort at Middleweight. Chael Sonnen vs. Vitor Belfort would kill two birds with one stone, besides the fact that it would also be an excellent fight. Should he win, Belfort would have a big win at Middleweight, which is what many people think he needs to have before getting a shot at the Middleweight Championship. If Chael wins, he would also have a big win over a very credible opponent, which is what some people think he needs to get before he gets a rematch. Fights with Michael Bisping, Yoshihiro Akiyama, and Chris Leben would also be all-out wars that would cement Belfort’s status as a worthwhile competitor.

But I think the best match for Vitor Belfort’s return to the UFC would be a Middleweight mega-fight against another Silva: “The Axe Murderer”, Wanderlei Silva. It’s been over a decade since these two stone-fisted warriors met at “UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil”, and it would be a sad understatement to say that both men have changed a lot since that first fight. Despite being one of the most popular fighters of all time (and with damn good reason, I say), Wanderlei Silva needs to continue winning at Middleweight to prove that he’s still got a lot left to give the UFC. If Vitor Belfort were to win, it would prove that he’s still a threat to anyone and everyone in the UFC’s Middleweight division, including the man that was once thought of fondly as the most dangerous man walking the planet. I think Belfort/Wanderlei is a fight the fans would love to see, a fight that would both impress many and prove quite a lot, and it may just steal the Fight of the Year award when all is said and done. But regardless of who he fights and when, look for Vitor Belfort to put on some amazing performances when he returns to the UFC.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Will Belfort make an example of someone and prove that he does deserve a shot at Anderson Silva? If not, who do you see as being the one that brings Vitor’s comeback dreams crashing back down to earth?

In an era where reality television shows were getting increasingly insane in their gimmicks in order to cash in on the success of such runaway shows as Survivor (see: Joe Millionaire, Boot Camp, etc. etc.), The Ultimate Fighter was so simple that it actually became quite the breath of fresh air: a bunch of fighters have to live in a house with each other and ultimately fight each other. They’re split into two teams, each team led by a big-name UFC star. They’ll learn from the best, train with the best, and try to live with each other despite the fact that they’re all competing for the same thing: a six-figure UFC contract. For a reality television show, there were relatively few gimmicks. And that’s one of the main reasons the Ultimate Fighter proved so successful: the UFC effectively worked past the stigma of MMA fighters being ruthless animals by presenting real, candid footage of how these talented men think, train, live and breathe.

That’s not to say that the first season was without controversy. We’re talking about a cast of fighters that included Diego Sanchez and Chris Leben, after all. “TUF” established from relatively early on that there will always be one or two attention-hogs that desperately want their fifteen minutes of fame. But honestly…the jackasses are part of what makes reality TV so much fun. It just makes the moment when they finally gets what they deserve all the sweeter. And while a bunch of fans may have tuned in the first time to see what crazy thing Chris Leben would do next, they kept tuning in because of the great fights and engaging fighters.

It all culminated in what is perhaps the biggest coming-out party in North American MMA history. An induction in its own right, TUF Season 1 ended with a stellar war of attrition between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar, the headline of a show that would ultimately pull a 1.9 rating, which was completely unheard of for a Mixed Martial Arts show. Many of the TUF 1 alumni would all go on to have stellar careers in the UFC, with quite a few competing and in some cases winning UFC gold.

Let’s not sugar-coat it, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 1 was a gamble. But it paid off beautifully. It set the precedent that MMA fighters are real people, real athletes. Some are crazy, some are funny, some are stupid, some are just there to hog the camera…but at the end of the day, everyone had their turn to fight in the cage and prove themselves to both their coaches and the nation. TUF Season 1 broke down barriers, it paved the way for the UFC’s current reign of dominance, where they stand virtually unchecked as the biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion in the world. It all had to start somewhere, and for the UFC, it started with TUF. And that’s a “Great Moment in MMA History”.

Here are my top 10 fighters who succeed when the fight becomes a brawl.

10. Sam Stout: While Stout showed more consistency in his last win over Jeremey Stephens, he made his name in two epic slugfests with Spencer Fisher where each showed disregard for personal health and let the leather fly. Under the sound guidance of trainer Shawn Tompkins, his stand-up game is more and more refined. However, in his back pocket, Stout always carries his true MMA DNA, which is waiting to emerge when needed and pull a win from the edge of defeat by taking a structured fight into the gutter to make a measured fight a brawl.

9. Carlos Condit: Condit’s last two UFC wins over Jake Ellenberger and especially Rory McDonald exposed to the world his genius for reversing a losing situation late in the contest when each fighters textbook form is long gone and all that is left is dripping blood, burning lungs, and a dwindling time clock.  As McDonald lost his shine in round three, Condit found a way to rock the heralded Canadian, put him on his back, and drop the leather and elbows.  McDonald, who entered round three comfortably ahead, learned a painful lesson of how Carlos Condit works best when things look the worst.

8. Roger Huerta: I almost think the more Huerta tries to diversify his skill set the less effective he becomes.  This guy is a grit fighter Hall of Famer, and does his best in unstructured brawls where it is a matter of will and guts.  Nobody may have more guts than Huerta givin his remarkable journey in childhood.  His UFC 69 win over Leonard Garcia is Huerta’s perfect fight – where he simply needs to be a survivalist and let his hands go.  The more technical a fight gets, the less it is to his advantage.

7.  Chris Lytle: Ever since Lytle lost to Matt Serra in the finals of the Ultimate Fighter in a very lackluster fight, he pledged to let it all hang out in the cage every time.  It is never boring when Lytle fights and until his last two submission wins, fans could bank on Lytle loading up on his right hand to move a fight from neutral or negative to his advantage with a furious stand-up game.  Most opponents strategize to stay out range with Lytle, but as the gas tank empties, the Indianapolis firefighter usually finds the range and turns the fight into a brawl.

6.  Stephan Bonnar: It was in his last win over Krzysztof Soszynski that Bonnar got the #6 spot in this article …  by pushing the match into his comfort zone – a messy bloody scrum – to finish the fight.  Early in the second round Bonner was behind, but as The Polish Experiment faded slightly, Bonnar unloaded his entire arsenal to capture the win.   Aside:  Fatigue is critical in allowing the “inner brawler” to emerge.  With fatigue, the edge comes off and a fighter’s most natural fighting style steps forward.

5. Chris Leben: Leben would have been higher on this list if he had not showed such an evolved game in his last win over Akiyama.  However, rest assured, in at least one point of every Leben fight he will push the fight into a sloppy, swinging affair that always benefits “The Crippler.”  Leben often looks least effective early in the first round, but as opponents slow and they start to question their own game plan, he turns the fight from a thinking affair to a brawl and slugging war … and right into his sweet spot.

4. Chan Sung Jung (Korean Zombie): The Zombie has garnered near legend status with MMA fans off just one fight on American TV against Leonard Garcia.  I had him winning the slugfest, but was absolutely fascinated with his utter disregard to pursue any sort of pace or game plan for this fight.  He simply walked forward and looked to throw the hardest punch possible at every moment possible.  Fascinating for the drama of this style, but also for the conscious disregard for never trying to structure the fight in any way.  In this age of Greg Jackson/GSP game plans, it was strangely refreshing.

3. Leonard Garcia: Garcia first gained awareness in his battle against Roger Huerta at UFC 69 as fans ate up the back and forth war.  What makes Garcia unique is that he seems to utterly relish standing in the pocket throwing bombs with no regard for taking punishment.  His legend status (for me) was sealed in the epic battle with The Korean Zombie in what should be fight of the year 2010.  I will cancel appointments, turn off the phone, and basically stop time to watch Garcia fight.

2. Wanderlei Silva: He is the legend, the godfather of this style of fighting.  A man who has thrived the most when the fight may look the worst from a technical standpoint.  While he has added skills to his tool box in recent years, Silva will always find his cage home in the moments when a fight becomes unhinged from structure and the fighters could as easily be brawling in a parking lot instead of in front of 20,000 fans.

1. Scott Smith: Never have I felt more secure that a hurt fighter would win a fight as when Scott Smith appears nearly unconscious.  From the moment he pulled victory from sure defeat against Pete Sell at the Ultimate Fighter-4 in 2006, Smith has made a good living absorbing way to much punishment and finding a fifth gear to out slug opponents who likely felt they were in total control of the fight.  Smith was virtually finished against Benji Radach and Cung Le-1 before he gathered himself and his right hand to turn a sure loss into a breathtaking win.

**While MMA has evolved in so many ways, and many like to tout (including myself) how technical this sport is, I contend, these types of fighters, engaged in these types of fights, is what really sells tickets.  It gets fans saying “can you believe that fight,” generates hysteria in the building, and ultimately helps MMA grow.

What are your thoughts?  Who should be on or off this list?

Brendan Schaub: Aside from a humbling TKO loss to Roy Nelson, Brendan Schaub has looked like an all-out wrecking machine in the UFC. I don’t see him vaulting up the division in the same way Roy Nelson did, but I do see him being a big threat to the UFC’s middle-of-the-road Heavyweights. If Schaub can give us at least one (but preferably two) more dominating wins, he may even be ready to break into the top tier.

Stephan Bonnar: Stephan Bonnar could have easily found himself in the same unemployment line as recent UFC castoff Keith Jardine: a talented fighter that puts on great performances win or lose, but just can’t measure up to the current star power of the division he competes in. Bonnar fought like his life was on the line (rather than just his livelihood) at UFC 116, and has earned the right to stay in one of the UFC’s most dangerous divisions. Next up for Bonnar: a long uphill battle to see if he is finally ready for the best of the division.

Chris Lytle: A veteran of over 14 UFC fights, with over 50 professional MMA fights, Chris “Lights Out” Lytle has become one of my “dark horse” favorites. Lytle’s ground game continues to be under-rated, and with two back-to-back impressive submission victories, one more impressive win could give Lytle the chance to mix it up with the division’s best, something he hasn’t done since 2008 when he lost a decision to Josh Koscheck.

George Sotiropoulos: George Sotiropoulos continues to show flashes of brilliance in his constantly-improving UFC outings, and may in fact only be a couple of fights away from a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship. In a Lightweight division that was blown wide open when current UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar defeated former champion BJ Penn, Sotiropoulos as champion is a very real possibility. Next for George: either an all-out brawl with Clay Guida or a highly technical showdown with Kenny Florian.

Chris Leben: Chris Leben earned the respect and admiration of many when he showed up on two week’s notice to take on the world-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama. Only something as amazing as the thrilling submission victory by UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar over former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin could have stolen the spotlight from Leben’s thrilling come-from-behind victory via triangle choke. Moving forward, I think Leben will get his wish in the form of a fight with Wanderlei Silva, but it’ll be later rather than sooner. Silva is one of the toughest Mixed Martial Artists of all time, but I see him out for several months due to various injuries. If Leben keeps busy and keeps winning, a showdown with “The Axe Murderer” is inevitable.

Brock Lesnar: So much has already been said about Lesnar’s thrilling victory at UFC 116: how he absorbed insane amounts of damage in order to survive Round 1, his struggles with diverticulitis leading up to this mega-fight, his newfound stance as a humble champion, I could go on and on. But rather than looking at why his future is so bright, let’s focus on his future, period. Cain Velasquez may prove to be a stiffer test for Lesnar than even Shane Carwin. If Lesnar can beat Cain in the same thrilling way as he did Shane Carwin, then I truly think we’ll have entered the “Era of Lesnar”. Love him or hate him, if he keeps winning in one of the UFC’s most stacked divisions, Lesnar could one day be viewed in the same light as Anderson Silva or Georges St-Pierre, even Fedor Emelianenko: one of the best of all time.

So how do you have it, fans and friends? What’s next for these performers, and what fights would you pay to see them in?

The two men will go to war to determine who will become the TUF season 11 champion and earn the six-figure contract from the UFC.

Court was a true dark horse coming into the competition but one Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio felt was highly promotable due to his background story.

Court has stated he is a drug addict. His story is one of redemption after being clinically dead from a heroin overdose.

“I’d lie, cheat, steal. I didn’t have anything. I pawned the majority of the [expletive] I had. I didn’t have anything. I lost pretty much everything I had. Life wasn’t looking good. Guys at my workplace didn’t want me around and I got switched from crew to crew. My life was horrible. It was nothing. I was a waste,” he told Yahoo Sports.

His first venture into black tar heroin is one he will never forget. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” McGee says. “I remember what vein it was in. I sat there and he made one up in a spoon. He shot it, just a little bit, and I remember I fell back in my seat and two tears rolled out of my eyes. They hit my earlobes and I just went ‘Ahhhh.’”

Court tells us about the night his life changed when he took that does of heroin that had him declared dead.

“At the time, they were using Meth and the rule was nobody in the house but me,” McGee says. “They walked in and saw this girl there and they were angry right away. ‘Who the [expletive] are you?’ They were freaking out that she was there. And she was freaking out and yelling back, ‘I think he’s dead. I think he’s dead.’ “

After coming back to life Court spent time in a rehab facility and as with most addicts he relapsed a few times. Once, as talked about on TUF, he took a drink in Las Vegas and wound up in Iowa with a long sleeve shirt on and no pants, unsure of how he’d gotten there but craving Meth.

His turn-around came on April 16 2006, Easter Sunday where he quit drinking and doing drugs for good. He has been sober ever since. Hoe fought drug addiction and now faces another fight, the fight to become “The Ultimate Fighter”.

Standing in his way is a very tough Kris McCray. Kris began studying martial arts at the age of 12 with Tae-Kwon-Do and Karate. As Kris got older he played many other sports but none gave him that excitement he felt from wrestling and kickboxing.

After a successful high school wrestling career, Kris went off to college, while teaching high school wrestling in his spare time. Kris entered the U.S. Army Reserve at age 21, spending 6 years in service. During this time, Kris began learning Jiu Jitsu and joined Team Gold Medal Grappling, a Master Lloyd Irvin affiliate. Kris also worked many odd jobs to support himself, ranging from taking tickets at a movie theater to bouncer, security guard, butcher, and anything else he could do to make ends meet.

Kris started fighting amateur MMA in 2006/2007 and went undefeated, with a record of 10-0-0. His talent caught the eye of MMA promoter S. Marcello Foran and in October 2008, Kris began fighting on the professional MMA level. He quickly became a rising star in the UWC – Ultimate Warrior Challenge. After going 4-0-0 (all first round victories), it was clear Kris was ready to test himself against the best in the world.

Now he sits ready to make a name for himself and earn the six-figure contract that all the men entering TUF 11 wanted to call their own. He had a hard road to the finals actually setting a TUF record of fighting five times.

This will be a battle of two very good wrestlers who also love to stand and bang. Fighters.com expects this to be one heck of a fight that will likely end up being a stand-up war.

The official line up for “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ finale is as follows:

MAIN CARD

Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine
Court McGee vs. Kris McCray
Chris Leben vs. Aaron Simpson
Spencer Fisher vs. Dennis Siver
Rich Attonito vs. Jamie Yager

PRELIMINARY CARD

John Gunderson vs. Mark Holst
Seth Baczynski vs. Brad Tavares
Josh Bryant vs. Kyle Noke
Chris Camozzi vs. James Hammortree
Travis Browne vs. James McSweeney

Leben, an original The Ultimate Fighter contestant, is required to have a CT scan of possible facial fractures before his suspension is lifted.

Heavyweight Chris Tuchscherer (15-2) has been suspended 45 days with a facial laceration after his first-round TKO loss to “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (11-4).

Middleweight “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (15-8) was TKO’d with a left knee injury in his fight versus Aaron Simpson (5-0) and has been suspended indefinitely until cleared by a physician.

Middleweight “Phillipine Wrecking Machine” Mark Munoz (4-1) suffered a right elbow injury in his split decision over Nick Catone (7-2) and has been suspended 30 days.

Heavyweight “Nsane 1″ Justin McCully (9-5-2) has been suspended 30 days with a possible left eye injury following his UD loss to Michael Russow (12-1).

All UFC 102 fighters were suspended a minimum of seven days. Headliners Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked heavyweight “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-5-1) and eighth-ranked “Natural” Randy Couture (16-10) have both been suspended 30 days. Besides Herman’s indefinite suspension, Canadian “Thrashing Machine” Tim Hague (8-2) received the longest suspension, 60 days after being KO’d in seven seconds by American Top Team’s Todd Duffee (5-0).

Leben will be suspended for nine months and forfeit one-third of his fight purse.

Stanozolol is an anabolic steroid derived from testosterone.

UFC President Dana White said, “I am obviously disappointed with Chris, who has made great strides getting his life back on track.“

White added, “To his credit, he has taken responsibility for his actions and is accepting the punishment that has been handed down.  But as always, the UFC puts the safety of its athletes first and foremost, and we won’t tolerate anyone using performance enhancing drugs in our organization.”

Leben’s fight versus Bisping was originally scheduled for UFC 85 in June in London, England, but had to be postponed while Leben served a prison sentence for an old DUI probation violation.

“It was a tough fight, don’t get me wrong; but, I felt comfortable all the way through it,” Bisping said after the “W”.  “At no point did I feel really in danger.”

As Leben promised in his pre-fight hype, “Crippler” came out aggressive, landing kicks to Bisping’s body and legs.  But, the Brit caught-on and countered Leben’s low kicks with a 1-2 combo, then a head kick.  Bisping began peppering hard shots to Leben’s head as Leben came forward relentlessly.

In the second round, Leben paired his forward march with wild hay-makers; and, Bisping connected counter right hands like he was getting paid by the punch.  Leben got frustrated with Bisping’s slick boxing and dropped his hands, begging Bisping to slug it out.

“The whole game plans was to do that,” said Bisping.  “I knew he was going to come forward.  Just use my footwork, spin on the left hook, jabs and right hands, and keep picking him apart.”

The accumulation of punches taken and wasted energy throwing hay-makers had taken its toll on Leben by round three.

Leben scored a single-leg takedown and landed a left hand; but, Bisping crawled up the cage and jawed Leben with a straight right.

Leben was knocked out by Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva(22-4) in 49 seconds and isn’t ranked in the division; so, it’s unclear how close Bisping’s win takes him to a title fight.

“Count” Michael Bisping (16-1) 185 pounds v “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-4) 186 pounds

“I’m glad you guys let me into your country,” main event fighter Leben said at Thursday’s press conference.  “I was a little worried on the plane.”

Leben was originally scheduled to fight Bisping in London 7 June, but opted to put to rest legal issues in Oregon stemming from an earlier DUI arrest to ensure a legal UK visa.

But, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Brit Bisping, who told the press, “I am on a quest.  Losing this fight for me is not an option.”

Leben, wearing tight cornrows, chided his opponent, saying, “It seems to me that, when Michael Bisping fights, self-preservation is top on his list.”

A brawl would certainly benefit Leben.  Bisping’s stand-up style is a bit more circle-and-poke, while Leben is happy to plant and throw bombs.

“We’re going to be lettin’em fly!  We’re going to be having fun doin’ it,” Leben promised, which usually means they’ll knock their heads together shooting for takedowns at the opening bell.

But, let’s hope not.

Eighth-ranked “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) 205 pounds v “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) 203 pounds

At the pre-fight press conference Thursday, a very serious Vera turned to Jardine and challenged, “We’re going to be together for 15 minutes in the Octagon and I hope, I hope we get to find out a lot about each other before one of us goes to sleep.”

Jardine agreed, and quipped, “He’s got a real pretty style; and, me, I got a real awkward, real mean style.  So, it’s kind of going to be kind of like a beauty and the beast type thing.”

Jardine is coming off a 36-second knockout loss to seventh-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-81) in May; and, Vera made a disappointing debut at 205-pounds in a unanimous decision “W” over Reese Andy (7-2) in July.

Vera, a former heavyweight, summed up the meaning of the fight: “Me and Keith are both at a point in our career right now where we get either to take one huge step forward or end up taking two or three steps back.”

“Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) 169 pounds vs. “Tellys” Paul Kelly (7-0) 169 pounds

Davis will try to come back strong from a loss to “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2) in June versus Kelly, who Davis called “a brawler.”

Davis put down the weights for this fight in favor of getting back to his boxing background.

“I’m going to make-up for it in technique and speed.  Being able to fight off angles and stuff like that.  It might look like I’m right in front of him, but I’m actually not going to be right in front of him,” Davis said.

Kelly, of Wolfslair Academy, revealed, “You never know where it’s going to be.  It’s MMA.  You know?  I can’t guarantee I’m going to put Marcus on the mat.  We’ve worked on what we think he’s going to do.”

Ninth-ranked “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) 205 pounds v “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) 206 pounds

“Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) 170 pounds v “Relentless” Paul Taylor (9-3-1) 170 pounds

Akihiro Gono (28-12-7) 171 pounds v “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (19-6) 169 pounds

Shane Carwin (9-0) 264 pounds v “Old Skool” Neil Wain (4-0) 254 pounds

David Bielkheden (12-6) 156 pounds v “Joker” Jess Liaudin (12-10) 155 pounds

Terry Etim (10-2) 155 pounds v “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-4-1) 155 pounds
 
David Baron (16-2) 155 pounds v Jim Miller (11-1) 155 pounds

“Dog” Samy Schiavo (10-5) 156 pounds v Per Eklund (13-3-1) 156 pounds

Clips of a reunion special filmed recently at the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas will air throughout the marathon.

TUF 1 cast members involved in the reunion are Fighters.com’s Light Heavyweight Champion and current UFC champion Forrest Griffin (16-4), Chris Leben (18-4), “American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (11-4), Josh Koscheck (11-2), “Rock” Nathan Quarry (10-2), “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3), “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2), Bobby Southworth (9-5), and “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2).

The reunion special will be hosted by Joe Rogan, and UFC President Dana White will also be on hand to discuss the impact the show has had on the UFC and on the sport of mixed martial arts.

Zelaznik made the announcement Thursday on the Setanta News Ultimate Talk Show, a weekly UFC news show airing in the U.K.

Bisping and Leben were previously scheduled to fight at UFC 85 in London 7 June, but the match was scrapped when Leben had to serve time for a parole violation.

The Count faced Canadian “Dooms Day” Jason Day (17-6) instead, punching him out to a TKO in the first round. It was his second consecutive win since dropping to the middleweight division.

The Crippler is also riding a two-fight win streak, knocking out Terry Martin (17-4) in the third round in September and finishing “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (12-7; 1 NC) at UFC 82 in March with a first-round TKO.

Leben is scheduled to fight “The Count” Michael Bisping (15-1) in London 7 June.  The fight remained on the card at the UFC’s official website Friday morning.

Leben was credited for eight days served, which means he will be released just days before UFC 85.

Since Leben will be unable to appropriately train, his fight with Bisping is likely to be scratched from the UFC 85 card.

As reported by Fighters.com, the main event matches grappler “The Snowman” Jeff Monson (24-7) versus wrestler Michael Russow (9-1) in a mat struggle.

“The Snowman” will fight Russow just two weeks after taking on Fighters.com’s third-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assasin” Josh Barnett (21-5) at Sengoku II in Tokyo.

UFC fighter turned boxer Terry Martin (16-4) will fight Japanese middleweight Daiju Takase (7-11-1) before his hometown crowd.

Martin comes off UFC losses to “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-4) and “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (15-7-1), but won his boxing debut 12 April with a knockout of Ricardo Upchurch (0-2 in boxing).

Lightweight jiu-jitsu player Alberto Crane (8-2), who lost both of his UFC fights, will bounce back matched against King of the Cage vet Clay French (15-2).

IFL lightweight standout “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (28-11), who’s taken three tough losses consecutively, will rebound in his hometown versus Jeffrey Cox (9-5), who lost his UFC debut to “Pitbull” Manvel Gamburyan (8-2) last month in Denver.

Also on the card to be held at the Sears Centre:

“The Freak” Tony Fryklund (14-9) v Brian Gassaway (28-17-2)
Taiwan Howard (4-1) v Rory Markham (13-3)
James Giboo (11-2) v Mark Miller (8-3)
“Herc” Antoine Hayes (6-5) v “Meat Truck” Kerry Schall (21-9)
Rob Kimmons (20-3) v Hector Urbina (11-4)
Aaron Rosa (10-2) v “Killing Fields” Ron Fields (22-25-1)
Dom O’Grady (4-0) v Mike Stumpf (9-1)
Joe Jordan (39-12-2) v Ryan Williams (5-2)
Christian Reynosa (6-2) v John Hosman (7-3-1)

Leben is on the UFC 85 roster to fight “The Count” Michael Bisping (15-1) in London 7 June.

Not Leben’s finest moment; but, big deal, I say.  Big deal you say?

We’re not U.K. Immigration.

Leben’s arrest is likely to lead to visa complications with the Brits and may knock him out of his showdown with “The Count”.

Since losing by unanimous decision to Kalib Starnes (8-3-1) last year, Leben has relocated to Hawaii and looked in the best shape of his career while knocking out Terry Martin (16-4) and “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (12-7).

Bisping is Leben’s biggest opportunity since getting obliterated in 49 seconds in Fighters.com’s first-ranked middleweight “Spider” Anderson Silva‘s (21-4) UFC debut.

Fresh from a first-round TKO of “Chainsaw” Charles McCarthy (10-5) in Montréal, “The Count” Michael Bisping (15-1) will fight “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-4).

Leben TKO’d “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (12-7) in March.

Also, “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) has been added back to the card after his original opponent, “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5), was pulled with an injury.

He’ll face “The Sandman” James Irvin (14-4), who comes off a UFC record eight-second KO of Houston Alexander (8-3) in Denver earlier this month.

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.