5. George Roop taking out Josh Grispi.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Coming into his UFC debut, Josh Grispi was a 14-1 unstoppable wrecking machine that was thought of as one of the sport’s best Featherweights. He has now lost back-to-back fights in the UFC, and will more than likely be cut very soon. In this fight against Roop, Grispi showed that he’s still unable to put it all together when inside of the Octagon. Meanwhile, Roop showed that he’s got plenty of fight left in him and is constantly evolving as a striker. Seeing Roop tactfully pick Grispi apart was one of the major highlights of the TUF 13 Finale undercard.

4. Kyle Kingsbury toughing it out and beating Fabio Maldonado.

This was a very close fight, as evidenced by the unanimous 29-28 scores given by the judges of this fight. But Kingsbury’s face was also evidence of a close, hard-fought war: Kingsbury struggled through a lot of adversity, with one eye that was practically swollen shut, in order to win this fight. It wasn’t the prettiest three-round war, but it was definitely a war, and you’ve just got to respect something like that.

3. Ed Herman demolishing Tim Credeur.

Who doesn’t love a super-fast knockout? Coming into this fight, I had almost wholly counted out Ed Herman. He had lost three out of his last four bouts prior to this fight, after all. But it appears that the time spent away from the Octagon was a big breath of fresh air for Herman, who looked quite awesome when he blitzkrieged Tim Credeur and got the first-round stoppage. It was hands down the quickest victory of the night, and also one of the most impressive.

2. Scott Jorgensen blasting Ken Stone.

I’m a big fan of Scott Jorgensen, and I admit I was a little confused as to why the UFC decided to make his UFC debut such a non-affair. Ben Henderson fought on the main card of UFC 129, while Scott Jorgensen gets the prelims of a free Spike TV card? Judging by his performance, Jorgensen felt equally as confused and proceeded to knock out Ken Stone from guard, which is very rare and takes a huge amount of power. When Scott Jorgensen screamed “I’m back” at the end of this fight, not only did I believe him, I think he said much more than that and has in fact put the entire UFC Bantamweight division on notice.

And my personal pick for the best moment of “The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale” is…

1. Tony Ferguson knocking out Ramsey Nijem.

Tony Ferguson is the real deal. And one bad moment should not define your life, nor should it define your career. Tony Ferguson may have become TUF 13’s biggest villain by the time the season was over, but he is now unquestionably that season’s best fighter. In fact, he appears to be the most-dominant TUF champion to appear in any of the last several seasons of TUF. Ferguson could go a very long way, and seeing him take the first big step towards realizing his full potential was undoubtedly the best moment of “The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale”.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering.

Next for Chris Cope/Ramsey Nijem: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. This fight makes a lot of sense: during the thirteenth season of TUF, Nijem is the one that kicked Cope out of the tournament with a TKO in the Semi-Final round. But Cope won at this event while Ramsey lost. I think a rematch would do a good job of gauging where both men are at, even this early into their UFC careers.

Next for Kyle Kingsbury/Ed Herman: I usually group fighters together because I want them to fight each other, but I’m making a rare exception here. I think that these two are in very similar situations, so I’m grouping them together. For the most part, I see both men fighting mid-level competition for the rest of the year. Both men need several more fights to prove themselves before I buy either one of them as possible top-division talent. Their win/loss record by the end of 2011 will clearly indicate whether they’ll stay mid-level talent or if they’re worthy of at least one fight against a divisional gatekeeper.

Next for Anthony Pettis: If Jim Miller is able to beat Benson Henderson, then I think it’s high time for a rematch between Henderson and Pettis. If not, I think there’s a lot of other Lightweight fighters Pettis could fight right now. Chief amongst them are two names: George Sotiropoulos and Dennis Siver. Siver has scored some big wins lately, and I think a fight with Pettis could be very exciting. Sotiropoulos was once the can’t-miss prospect at Lightweight, and I think he could regain some of that luster in a fight with Pettis.

Next for Clay Guida: Whoever it is, I hope they knock Clay out. That’s really what it boils down to. In his immediate future, I think Guida will face either Melvin Guillard or Jim Miller. My best guess is that, if Guillard beats his upcoming opponent, Guillard and Guida will battle it out with the winner getting the next title shot… after Jim Miller gets his shot, of course. In more general terms, I predict that Clay Guida is going to have a very rocky rest of 2011 as he struggles to regain the fans that are departing in droves thanks to the “Lay and Pray” tactics he used against Pettis.

Next for Tony Ferguson: Ferguson has already stated that he’s considering dropping to Lightweight, and if not that, he’d like to fight Amir Sadollah. I say: give the man what he wants, whichever option he ends up choosing. I think Ferguson would be a very interesting addition to the Lightweight mix if he can cut the weight without diminishing his striking power. Against Sadollah, it’d be a great way of putting two heavily-hyped “Ultimate Fighter” winners against each other to see which one has real staying power in the UFC. In the here and now, Ferguson looks to have a very positive rest of 2011.

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

Clay Guida vs. Anthony Pettis: I believe in Anthony Pettis. It really doesn’t get much simpler than that. Clay Guida is an amazing fighter, it’s been my pleasure to see him grow and evolve into a legitimate top-flight Lightweight from his days as “that scrappy brawler with the wild hair”. But it’s “Showtime’s” time, now. I wholeheartedly believe that Pettis is going to take the UFC by storm or die trying. It’s going to be an amazing fight and probably very close, but Anthony Pettis will win by Unanimous Decision.

Ramsey Nijem vs. Tony Ferguson: Part of me wants Nijem to win solely because of Ferguson’s drunken rant that turned him into public enemy #1 overnight. But a much larger part of me recognizes that Ferguson’s skills in the cage have been unmatched in all of his TUF 13 fights. Nijem is definitely for real, but Ferguson has been the favorite to win it all since the start of the season. I do think Nijem will take him to a decision, but I’m predicting that Tony Ferguson wins by Unanimous Decision.

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Fabio Maldonado: At 18-3, not only does Fabio Maldonado possess a bigger record than Kyle Kingsbury, he also has a better record than his upcoming opponent. However, Kingsbury has fought in the UFC four times, Maldonado only once. In the end, two factors lead me to pick Maldonado: he has twelve wins by (T)KO, while Kingsbury already has one TKO loss due to strikes. I’m pretty confident in predicting that Fabio Maldonado will win by (T)KO in Round 2, possibly Round 1.

Ed Herman vs. Tim Credeur: The thing that’s so interesting about this fight is that both men are returning from very sizable layoffs. Herman hasn’t competed since August of 2009, Credeur since September of 2009. Both men also lost those fights. However, Credeur had won six of his last seven while Herman had gone 1-3 in his last four. With that kind of disparity, it’s going to take an entirely new Ed Herman to beat Tim Credeur. I won’t rule that out, and I know both men are going to show up very rusty, but I think Tim Credeur will beat Ed Herman by Unanimous Decision.

Chris Cope vs. Chuck O’Neil: This fight is interesting because both men displayed a lot of skill during their run on TUF Season 13 only to both be stopped in the semi-finals. O’Neil was also the “wild card”, so he did lose more on the show than Cope. However, I think O’Neil displayed more growth on the show. Plus, O’Neil looked to absorb significantly more damage than Cope before he went down. I think it’s going to be a close, competitive fight, but Chuck O’Neil has simply impressed me more. O’Neil will probably win by Unanimous Decision, though I wouldn’t rule out a TKO in the third or even second round.

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

5. If you’re a long-time TUF fan, you’ve got Tim Credeur taking on Ed Herman.

With very few exceptions, the UFC loves to keep former “Ultimate Fighter” contestants employed. Tim Credeur has been around since the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Ed Herman was around way back in TUF’s third season. Credeur has been out since 2009, while Herman has had a hit-or-miss record in the UFC. But if these two do bring out the best in each other, we should expect a fun fight.

4. TUF 13’s Chris Cope and Chuck O’Neill will be fighting each other at this event.

If you were a fan of either of these two during Season 13, you’ll be pleased to know that they’re fighting each other at this event. This is a battle of semi-finalists, with the winner making his way into the UFC despite not winning “The Ultimate Fighter”. A big win may even put the winner of this fight on more or less even ground with the winner of the TUF 13 Finale fight. Both men were also dropped and stopped in their semi-final fights, so they’ve got plenty of motivation to show up and give their all.

3. Can Ramsey Nijem go from “Stripper Ramsey” to a legitimate UFC fighter?

My initial reaction to Ramsey Nijem was to roll my eyes and asks “why?” As in, why can’t we got a single TUF season without the wild fighter-fratboy hybrid that just wants to goof around on television and generally be a chore to watch? But then Nijem started winning fights and finishing people. Nijem is a character for sure, but so far, he becomes a different man inside the cage. And that man is a dangerous, entertaining fighter. It’ll be interesting to see if Nijem can make that transformation in what is probably the biggest fight of his life.

2. Even with his fair share of inner demons, Tony Ferguson was a wrecking machine on TUF and should turn in a fantastic performance.

All it takes is one moment of idiocy to ruin an entire season’s worth of hype. For his classless personal insults, Tony Ferguson went from the season’s can’t-miss prospect to the blackest of black sheep. Then he went out and heinously assaulted the man who wanted to take his dreams away while getting revenge for his friend, the man Ferguson insulted. Love him or loathe him, Tony Ferguson demonstrated that he was by far the best fighter of this season, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll do at this event.

And the number-one reason to watch “The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale is…

1. It’s Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida. No other explanation is required.

I’ve spent so much time talking about this fight that I really don’t have much else to say. It should be an amazing fight, and it’s one of those instances where I wish neither man had to lose. I’m a huge fan of Anthony Pettis, but I’ve been a fan of Clay Guida for longer and a large part of me hopes he finally gets the title shot he’s been chasing for so long. But another part of me thinks Anthony Pettis was robbed of his justly-won title shot and deserves nothing more than to rocket his way to the top. A whole lot of questions will be answered in this fight, and there’s no way I’m missing it.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see “The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale”.

The Event: The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, currently scheduled for June 4, 2011 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card is scheduled to be broadcast live on the Spike TV network starting at 9:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: As with any “Ultimate Finale”, this is the culmination of many weeks spent watching “The Ultimate Fighter”. It’s now time to see which one out of the many cast of hopefuls is good enough to earn a place in the UFC. As if that wasn’t big enough, WEC star Anthony Pettis makes his UFC debut by fighting Clay Guida, who is widely regarded as one of the most popular Lightweight fighters in the UFC.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: In Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida, you’ve got a fight that’s nearly a lock for “Fight of the Year” candidacy. Both men are very engaging strikers, Pettis loves to try and knock people out while Guida has made his name off of several amazing brawls. Both men have iron chins and iron hearts, and want nothing more than a shot at a championship. It’s going to be a barn-burning war of attrition, and it should not be missed.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Tony Ferguson has set himself up as the best fighter of TUF Season 13, but he also quickly became the season’s biggest villain right as the season was winding down. Meanwhile, Ramsey Nijem has gone from just being “that guy”, the party animal that seems to only be there to get his fifteen seconds of fame… to a versatile, hungry fighter that likes breaking the will of his opponents. It’s going to be very violent, and it has a high likelihood of ending with a dramatic stoppage.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Without hyperbole, Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida should be on a Pay-Per-View and it’s one of my most-anticipated fights of 2011. I cannot wait to see these two go head-to-head and toe-to-toe. I think Nijem vs. Ferguson will also be a very interesting fight, depending on how both fighters have changed since TUF stopped filming.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I don’t mean to take anything away from anyone else on this card, but this is definitely a two-fight event. Other than the main event and co-main, nothing on the main Spike TV card screams “must watch”. There’s a chance that those fighters will surprise you, but then again, there’s a chance that you’ll end up not missing much of anything at all. Watching anything other than the co-main or main event really depends on how much free time you have and whether or not you’re a fan of any of the night’s other fighters.

Closing Thoughts: This has all the makings of a solid event with two big fights anchoring it and some potential lower-card fights that could end up being surprise hits. It’s not the biggest MMA event in June, it’s not even the biggest “Ultimate Finale”, but it’s got its fair share of appeal. I plan to watch every single fight, and I’ve got a good feeling that by the end of the night I won’t leave feeling disappointed.

5. Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers

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

4. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo

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

3. Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin

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

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum

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

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

1. Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida

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

The two men are tentatively rumored to be headlining “The Ultimate Fighter” season 14 finale, which is scheduled for the The Pearl at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on June 4.

Pettis was promised his shot at the UFC lightweight title upon his arrival from the organization’s sister promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting–which has since been merged with the UFC in order to incorporate the lighter weight classes into the juggernaut organization.

MMAJunkie.com has been able to confirm the TUF 13 headliner with sources close to the organization.

Though Anthony was previously mentioned to have his shot at the title between the winner of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, all hopes for an immediate title shot were squelched when Edgar was able to retain the title, though in anti-climatic fashion. In their second meeting, both Frankie and Gray battled for 25-minutes in some of the most exciting action of the year to date. Maynard was able to knock Edgar down early in the first, however the New Jersey fighter stormed back in the final frames which ultimately led to a draw.

The Duke Roufus product opted to return to the cage rather then wait it out and see how the rubber-match between the two fighters would play out, and now he will meet with perennial contender and all-around wildman, Clay Guida.

Guida was last seen in action at UFC 125 where he submitted former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi. The win was pivotal for Clay in order to continue his arduous climb up the rankings, and he is currently riding a three fight win streak.

A win for either man here could likely warrant them a title shot, seeing as how Pettis was promised the number one contender status to begin with (in order to unify both the WEC and UFC titles).

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Both Pettis and Guida are a welcomed addition for the TUF 13 Finale, though no other fighters have been rumored for the event as of yet. Season 13 features heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos as the head coaches of the TUF series, which will feature an all-welterweight cast. Who do you think takes home the victory here–Guida or Pettis? Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Because ring rust is very real, and a long layoff probably isn’t in Pettis’ best interests.

Anthony Pettis has fought fourteen times in three years. Pettis completed four times in 2010 and five times in 2008. Clearly, this is a man that thrives when presented with constant competition. Not only that, but long layoffs have hurt a lot of champions and championship contenders in the past. “Ring rust” is not a clever buzzword or an unsubstantiated rumor, it’s very real and a big obstacle that even the best in MMA have failed to overcome at times. And while it’ll never be known if Pettis would have been able to overcome the ring rust, I applaud him for not leaving it to chance and keeping active, rather than playing it safe to ensure his title shot.

4. Because Pettis can get any UFC debut jitters out of his system in this fight and not the one that unifies the championships.

Most major stars that sign to the UFC have to overcome a few hurdles before they find their flow and get back to their dominating ways. A chief example is Jake Shields and his UFC debut: Shields had some kinks to work out and he’s a better fighter for it. It’s not guaranteed that Pettis will have problems in the Octagon, but much like ring rust, this is a proven fact that can negatively affect certain fighters. Once again, Pettis is being smart and not leaving anything to chance when the time comes to unify the titles.

3. Because the fight has serious “Fight of the Year” potential.

Let’s forget the whole situation revolving around Pettis, Frank Edgar, and Gray Maynard for a second. Judged solely by its own merit, how can you not look forward to a fight like Clay Guida vs. Anthony Pettis? This is one of the most exciting WEC fighters the promotion ever saw facing one of the most exciting UFC fighters that has ever stepped into the Octagon. It’s going to be wild, it’s going to be frenetic, and it’s going to be an amazing fight. This is the kind of fight you build a reputation off of, so if you look at it that way, Pettis definitely made the right decision.

2. Because as much as I hate to admit it, people still aren’t all that familiar with the WEC in general and Pettis in particular.

One of the reasons I was so vocal in my support of the WEC is that the promotion struggled to bridge the mainstream gap up until it inevitably closed. I don’t like admitting that most fans probably don’t know that much about Anthony Pettis, but I also won’t deny it. By fighting Clay Guida, Pettis avoids any UFC fans asking “Who is this guy?” when Pettis challenges for the championship.

And my number one reason is…

1. Because beating Clay Guida solidifies Anthony Pettis as a championship contender.

Guida will be fighting his fortieth professional MMA bout when he steps into the Octagon against Pettis. “The Carpenter” has held his own against the best the UFC has to offer, and win or lose, he remains one of the biggest names in the UFC Lightweight division. Even better, Guida is on a three-fight win-streak and fans are once again buzzing about his potential and wondering if he can finally break the glass ceiling and emerge as a true championship contender. If Pettis beats Guida at this stage of Guida’s career, he’ll immediately prove himself once and for all as the worthy champion that every WEC fan knows he is.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Do you think Pettis made the right call, and why or why not?

This fight is going to a decision, I want to make that clear from the start. I absolutely do not see either man being able to knock each other senseless. I also think the probability of a submission is rather slim.

My reasoning is simple: Clay Guida has one of the toughest chins in the UFC Lightweight division, and pound-for-pound, he’s got to have one of the toughest chins in the entire UFC. I’m not saying Guida would have walked through the “Showtime Kick” if it’d been him receiving it and not Ben Henderson. But like Henderson, I do think that would’ve rattled Guida but not permanently put out his lights. Pettis is an incredibly dynamic striker, but Guida’s tough chin is near-legendary.

What’s not quite so legendary, however, is Clay Guida’s punching power. This is why I think Pettis won’t be on the wrong end of a KO either. Guida is a gamer, he loves to break guys down and drain their cardio at a blistering rate. His style doesn’t lend itself to one-hit KO power, he likes to do cumulative damage in order to score points and win the favor of the judges. In fact, Guida’s last (T)KO came in 2008 against Samy Schiavo. And let’s not discredit Pettis: he’s got a pretty good chin too.

There’s also a very simple reason why I don’t see this fight ending by submission: both men are really good at submissions and they’re likely going to nullify each other. It’s very hard to submit Anthony Pettis, it’s also very hard to submit Clay Guida. Likewise, Clay Guida loves to trap people and submit them, and so does Anthony Pettis. Guida definitely has more submission wins (fifteen to Pettis’ six) but Guida has also been fighting for a lot longer. It’s not going to be a boring fight on the ground, I don’t mean that at all. In fact, I’m sure we’ll probably get plenty of close calls and amazing escapes before it’s all over. But both men are just too good at getting out of tricky situations.

So, with no KO’s and no submissions, what are we left with? Quite simply, we’re left with an awesome fight. I’m a big fan of both men, and I think that both men have earned the right to face the best the UFC has to offer. This should be an amazing encounter between two dynamic fighters that can pretty much do everything well and have done it all in the past. These two are very evenly matched, and I think this fight has serious Fight of the Year potential.

As to who I think will win it all? I’ve just got to go with “Showtime”. I’m unwavering in my support of Anthony Pettis, I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying this until it happens: Pettis will be the next UFC Lightweight Champion. I’m more than willing and actually quite happy to go out on a limb and take that sort of stance, because I truly do think that Pettis will reach the top of the world a lot sooner rather than later.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on the planned Pettis vs. Guida match-up?

The World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion will now be making his UFC debut either by May or June, and it looks like Clay Guida will be part of his welcoming party.

Pettis originally earned the UFC number one contenders’ position when he earned the WEC lightweight title last December, when he bested former titleholder Ben Henderson during a rousing five-round affair. Cementing the win in the fifth-round with a flashy jumping-push-kick-off-the-cage that floored Henderson, Pettis returned cage side at UFC 125 on Jan. 1 to see who he would be fighting next in order to unify the WEC-UFC titles, however champ Frankie Edgar drew with Gray Maynard and now the two studs will fight again.

Rather then wait for the fight to play out and be sidelined for the better part of 2011, Pettis will risk his chance at the title when he meets with the Greg Jackson fighter.

“It’s a fight we’re working on,” said UFC President Dana White regarding the Pettis-Guida fight, during a teleconference earlier today, promoting “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ which takes place on Jan. 22.

Heavy.com were the first to report the proposed lightweight affair earlier this week, though no date has been pegged yet for the 155-pound fight. UFC 130 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 28, and UFC 131 is rumored for the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C, Canada–both event’s could be home to the lightweight fight, though nothing is set in stone yet.

The trilogy to Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard is rumored to play out at the May pay-per-view event, and should Pettis be featured on the card (and beat Guida) it would be a perfect segway to a potential title fight further down the road.

Though defeating Clay is no small task. “The Carpenter” has seen a career resurgence, and has won 6 of his last 8 fights inside the octagon. He’s currently riding a three-fight win streak, having last been inside the cage on Jan. 1 opposite of former PRIDE champion and all-around mixed martial arts legend, Takanori Gomi. Clay was able to avoid big shots from the lightweight-bruiser, eventually worked the action the mat in the second round and closed out the show when he submitted the Japanese star with a tight guillotine choke.

Both Pettis and Guida set a high-tempo that not many fighters could handle, and if anything else should produce an early candidate for “Fight of the Night” wherever the bout ends up.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the future 155-pound fight? Does Pettis get the job done in his UFC debut, or will Guida spoil the show? If the fan-favorite spitfire defeats Anthony, should he earn the title shot against the winner of Gray and Frankie? Sound off in the comment section below.

In a new interview seen on MMA Junkie, Guida recently said the following: “There’s no exact number (of fights before I expect to get a title shot). Definitely by the end of 2011…The key in this fight in training was to not get punched by Gomi too much… He loves when guys stand in his range and want to get in trading wars with him. That’s not what I wanted to do… I’m going to keep growing… I just want to get back in the gym and see what the UFC’s got for me next.”

With the victory over Gomi, Guida’s record improves to a colossal 28-11, with thirteen fights in the famed Octagon and three straight victories in his three most recent outings, all of which have been won by submission, and two of which have earned him “Submission of the Night” bonuses. As crazy as it sounds, Clay Guida will more than likely celebrate his fortieth fight as a professional Mixed Martial Artist before he celebrates his thirtieth birthday.

I really can’t think of a reason to dislike Clay Guida. I’ve heard people criticize him for over-embellishing his “caveman” persona, rolling their eyes with disdain as he burps during round breaks and gets slapped in the fight as his pre-fight ritual. To which I say… there may be some embellishing, but like all great characters, Guida is simply playing an enhanced version of himself. Guida is a scrapper that doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him and shows up to every single one of his fights looking to give the fans a good show. It’s no small wonder why he’s become one of the most popular stars in the UFC.

But, and this is said with absolutely no disrespect to the man, it’s also no small wonder why he’s yet to emerge as a legitimate championship threat. Guida loves to take chances, and sometimes he takes the wrong kind of chances. In the Gomi fight, however, he stuck to his guns and pulled out a great victory. If he can simply stick to his gameplan, Guida has all the tools necessary to finally break the glass ceiling, since he’s always been an incredibly skilled fighter and also because he trains with the best.

So, fans and friends, is that optimism you’re reading in a published MMA opinion column? Dare I say it, I believe it is. I like Clay Guida, I respect Clay Guida, and I’d love to see Clay Guida fight top-division competition and maybe even one day challenge for the UFC Lightweight Championship. I think 2011 could be a huge year for Guida, and I’ll be hoping for the best and attentively paying attention. 2011 is shaping up to be a banner year for MMA in general, but it should also be a banner year for “The Carpenter”.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Clay Guida?

MMA Junkie reports that UFC 125 “Resolution” managed to put 12,688 fans into the seats of the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was not revealed how many complimentary tickets were handed out. The live gate receipted totaled $2,174,780.

As always, the UFC handed out several post-fight awards at their post-fight press conference, and we head to MMA Mania to get the scoop. For their efforts at giving fans an early Fight of the Year contender, both UFC 125 headliners, Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard, were awarded “Fight of the Night”.  For his crushing and some would say come-from-behind KO of Marcus Davis, “Lil’ Heathen” Jeremy Stephens was awarded “Knockout of the Night”. Clay Guida ended a bizarre but perhaps brilliantly tactical fight with Takanori Gomi by submitting him with a Guillotine Choke, and for his efforts Guida was awarded with “Submission of the Night”. All four men received a $60,000 bonus for their efforts.

Of course Edgar/Maynard 2 was Fight of the Night. As good as some of the UFC 125 fights were, and some were pretty good indeed, I just don’t think that anything held a candle to the fireworks both men gave us in their five-round tilt. I’ve already got a ton of respect for Frank Edgar, and it just continues to grow after UFC 125. Gray Maynard also fully proved that he’s one of the best Lightweight MMA fighters currently in the game. I’m very happy that both men are earning so much praise for their performances, since I seemed to be one of the few MMA fans leading the charge and swearing up and down that this fight would be worth watching.

Clay Guida’s performance against Takanori Gomi may be the butt of several jokes for the next several weeks, but it’s undeniable that it ended up working. Guida’s style confused us all, but most importantly, it definitely confused Takanori Gomi. Guida put together so many feints, he changed levels so many times, that Gomi was probably seeing double or even triple by the time the fight was over. Guida has always been a bizarre man, but he’s also always found a way to make it work for him, most of the time. I’m a Guida fan to begin with, and even if I wasn’t, I can’t hate the technique, because it worked. So I’m glad that Guida won so dramatically and earned himself a nice little bonus in the process.

It really saddened me to see Marcus Davis KO’d so viciously, but I think “The Irish Hand Grenade” has no one to blame but himself. I distinctly remember sitting in baffled silence, wondering if Marcus Davis had just cost himself the fight, when Davis had Stephens hurt and hurt badly early in the fight and then proceeded to try and grapple with him rather than finish the job and knock him out. I also distinctly remember thinking “Jeremy Stephens wouldn’t let an opportunity like that pass him by if he got the opportunity.” And he did get that opportunity, and just as I thought, he didn’t let it pass him by. While I’m sad that Marcus Davis’ Lightweight debut was spoiled in such a dramatic fashion, I’ve got no real problems with Jeremy Stephens and I commend him for his brilliant knockout.

And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of UFC 125’s award-winning performances?

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”?

Here are some great quotes pulled from an interview Guida recently had with MMA Weekly: “He’s standing in the way of my destiny and my dream, and that’s becoming the lightweight champion… This is definitely a step up in competition, but we know we’re ready for it… This will be the biggest test to date for me. He’s a very devastating striker… I have better hands on the ground, and that means my ground and pound… That’s where the fight (is) going to be won for us. Out-wrestling him, not getting caught in a war, not getting caught up in a brawl.”

I commend Guida for his smart gameplan and I hope he ends up sticking with it. I fully agree with Clay, the key to this fight will be taking Gomi to the ground, smothering him constantly, and trying to force a stoppage. And even if that’s not possible, be active enough on the ground to leave no doubt in the minds of the judges. I know some people want nothing but stand-up wars and cringe at the thought of any fight going to the ground, but this is Clay Guida we’re talking about. He could probably fight a corpse and make it entertaining. In fact, I’d love to see Clay Guida take on some zombies. But I digress.

Crafting a good gameplan and saying you’ll stick to it is very important to winning a fight, but it pales in comparison to actually sticking to the gameplan once you start getting punched in the face. Guida has been and always will be a brawler, there’s a good chance that he’ll abandon the gameplan and just start banging it out once he gets fired up because that’s what he does and that’s who he is. And being completely honest, that’s playing directly into Gomi’s hands. Takanori Gomi may not be what he once was, but the man still has huge KO power in his hands. You don’t KO a guy that’s never, ever been KO’d in his entire six-year, nineteen-fight career without having two shotguns for arms.

In the end, I think this fight’s pivoting point will be what Clay Guida shows up from the opening bell to the last minute. If Guida aggressively and consistently hunts for the takedown, not only will he get it, but he’ll have the power and the cardio to keep Gomi down and pound away on him without ever being accused of being inactive on top. But if Guida’s inner brawler starts to emerge once Gomi lands a few shots as Guida dives for a takedown, Gomi may be able to crack Guida’s seemingly-impervious chin and once again become the first man to ever KO an iron-chinned UFC Lightweight and veteran. It’s got all the makings of a pretty amazing fight, so I’ll definitely be tuning in to watch this one.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on this match-up?

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?

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”?

5. Jamie Varner vs. Nate Diaz

This is assuming that Diaz would be willing to drop back down to 155. I think this would be a excellent match-up between two bad-boys that has a whole lot of potential. I think it would be great to see how Varner deals with Nate’s “punches in bunches” style, and if this fight goes to the ground, this could end up being a very engaging and wildly entertaining ground war. Plus, could you imagine the kind of venom both men would spew leading up to this match? I can’t even begin to imagine how bitter this rivalry could get if Diaz and Varner began to trade barbs.

4. Donald Cerrone vs. Clay Guida

Donald Cerrone is one of the most entertaining fighters in the WEC’s Lightweight division, and the same could be said for Clay Guida in the UFC’s Lightweight division. This would be a bench-setting brawl where both men would absorb incredible amounts of punishment and just keep swinging. Cerrone would most likely win, but Guida would pull a Fight of the Year contender out of “Cowboy” before all was said and done.

3. Anthony Pettis vs. Diego Sanchez

I don’t think I can accurately put into words just how crazy this fight could be. Sanchez seems to have rediscovered the fire inside himself following his huge victory over Paulo Thiago at UFC 121. For “Showtime” Anthony Pettis, that fire has never gone out and in fact continues to grow. This would be a wild, wild fight, with constant action. Both men would practically be flying around the cage if they show up in top condition and start to get competitive. On paper it has all the right ingredients for one of the most explosive matches in recent history.

2. Ben Henderson vs. Frank Edgar

It’s a battle of the underdogs-turned-champions, and I’d love to see it happen. Both men share very similar fates: no one thought they had it in them to be champion, and now they stand tall as the unquestioned best of their promotion’s Lightweight division. Both men are hard-working champions that have the impressive cardio to last five rounds and be dangerous from the first bell to the last. Take my word for it, if it ever happens this fight would be a lock for Fight of the Year.

But of course, my #1 “UFC vs. WEC” dream match just has to be…

1. Jose Aldo vs. BJ Penn

I know, I know. This could be considered “cheating”. Aldo would have to move up in weight while at the same time Penn would have to move down, since “The Prodigy” is heading back to the land of welterweights and is unsure of when he’ll return to 155. But if it happens, just imagine how a fight between a prime Jose Aldo and a focused BJ Penn would turn out. Aldo would come out throwing everything he has at “Baby Jay” with Penn not giving an inch and even returning the favor more often than not. If this fight ever sees the light of day, it will probably go down as one of the best fights of the last several years.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What about you? How is your fantasy “WEC vs. UFC” card filled out?

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.

Edgar recently has successfully defended his title against BJ Penn at UFC 118, dominating the former dual champion en route to a unanimous decision victory, with a clean sweep of scores with 50-45 across the board, between all three judges.

Maynard, the only man to defeat Edgar to date, is coming off of arguably the biggest win of his career, when he defeated former title challenger Kenny Florian, at UFC 118. In Maynard fashion, he used his dominant wrestling prowess to control the Boston native on the ground, and won a clear-cut and otherwise uninspired unanimous decision. The bout was for number one contender spot and allowed him his chance to challenge for the title, for the first time, in his undefeated career.

The New Years day event was revealed on a new addition of “The Ultimate Insider“, a UFC web-related series which speaks with some of the biggest names in the organization.

Also rumored for the event is another lightweight showdown between former PRIDE lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi against the wild man, Clay Guida. Gomi, who initiated his UFC career this year in March, was submitted in the third round by the aforementioned Kenny Florian in a disappointing debut, however, bounced back in a big way when he was able to knockout perennial contender Tyson Griffin in a swift fashion, with just 60-some-odd seconds inside of the first round, at “UFC Live: Jones vs Matyushenko”, last August.

Guida, meanwhile, has bounced back from a two-fight losing streak to a two-fight win streak with submission victories over the likes of Shannon Gugerty, and most recently, Rafael dos Anjos, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt (albeit due to injury) at UFC 117.

A recently announced heavyweight match up between former interim champion, Shane Carwin and former IFL champion, Roy Nelson, is expected to serve as the night’s co-main event.

Shane is coming on the heels of his first defeat as a professional, when he was submitted by current champion, Brock Lesnar. After a strong first round, where Carwin managed to drop Lesnar after a bevvy of punches, outworked himself with a vicious ground-and-pound assault. Still in the fight, Brock was able to survive the onslaught, and came storming back in the second, eventually taking down the fatigued Greg Jackson fighter, mounting, then submitting him with an arm-triangle choke.

Nelson, meanwhile, is coming off of a loss to current number one contender Junior dos Santos. After being rocked on multiple occasions throughout the bout, and dropped twice in the first round alone, Nelson was able to gut it out and survived to see the final bell, though the decision ended up going to dos Santos.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match ups so far? Any complaints? Sound off in the comment section below.

After posting a disappointing 1-2 record in 2009, with big losses to Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida will finish out 2010 on the sidelines but with a two-fight winning streak to his credit. The iron-chinned, caveman-esque Lightweight has burped and belched his way into the hearts of many, and always shows up to bang. A recent addition to the famed Greg Jackson MMA fight team, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida has seemingly found the perfect coach to round out his brawling-focused style.

His opponent, Takanori Gomi, is on the long road back home to Lightweight relevancy after quite the fall from grace. The man known as “The Fireball Kid”, who once held a ten-fight win-streak in the legendary PRIDE FC promotion, has gone 3-3 in his last six fights and made his long-rumored and long-anticipated UFC debut back in March in a “Fight Night” bout with Kenny Florian that headlined the card. Gomi would go on to lose by submission, but he recently proved that there’s still some fire left in “The Fireball Kid”.In his last fight, Gomi became the first and only man to ever KO highly-respected Lightweight Tyson Griffin.

On paper, this fight has all the right ingredients to result in a fantastic showdown. Guida seems to possess an iron chin that simply can’t be beat, but Gomi has proven that he can still swing and land with brutal power. This likely won’t be a technical fight, in fact, it should get downright ugly. But Clay Guida has always excelled at ugly fights, both as a fighter and as an entertainer. I think it’s unlikely that this one goes to the ground, and with two men so good at dishing out and receiving punishment, this likely could go all three rounds. If both men show up in top shape, it could easily be one of the wildest brawls of 2011.

I’m going to favor Guida for this match, though. It’s true that Gomi still has some serious KO power in his hands. But, and this is meant in no way to disrespect Tyson Griffin, Tyson Griffin does not have the chin of Clay Guida. Guida’s chin has got to be one of the best in the business, he’s absorbed so much damage over the years and just kept right on walking. While Gomi’s last win was definitely huge for him, Guida has been in there with some of the UFC’s best and boasts a ton more experience inside of the Octagon than Gomi. So did Tyson Griffin, but again, Clay Guida is not Tyson Griffin. With his penchant for getting the most out of an exchange far more often than not, and with that near-infallible chin of his, my early prediction is that Guida will take a Split Decision in what should be a highly competitive and thoroughly entertaining contest.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about UFC 125 as it stands right now, and who do you see winning Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi?

The epidemy of strength, speed, and entertainment–these two always delivered. However, Lashley’s foray into his new world, in mixed martial arts, has not gone quite as swimmingly.

Since his inception into MMA, which started on the regional circuit, garnering notable victories over the likes of journeyman Jason Guida (that’s right, the former “The Ultimate Fighter” season 8 hopeful and brother to lightweight fighter Clay Guida) and former K-1 star Bob Sapp.

A 4-fight unbeaten streak helped set him up in the big show of Strikeforce, where on his third fight in the promotion, he lost via TKO against the unheralded Chad Griggs.

Now in need of a gimmick to get Bobby back into the limelight, why wouldn’t this be the best time to bring in “The Animal” to lock horns with “The Dominator”–at least, that’s what Scott Coker thinks.

While a guest on “The MMA Hour” with journalist Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, Coker discussed his desire to bring “Batista” into the show, and why he thinks a match up between him and Lashley would make sense.

“I know there’s ongoing dialogue between (Strikeforce matchmaker) Rich [Chou] and Bautista, and they are trying to come to an agreement of the minds, but right now Bautista has a couple of movie offers and it’s just tying up his time. Let’s see where it goes from there,” Coker said.

“I think that fight should happen. If we sign Bautista, why not make that fight?”

Don’t be confused or upset–Bautista is how his name is really pronounced. I know. I checked. On the internet. And yes, I was just as disappointed as you all must be.

While the former WWE star in “Batista” holds no professional mixed martial arts bouts under his belt, Coker feels like the time to make his inception into Strikeforce, let alone against Bobby Lashley, would be now, considering the set back that Lashley took against an opponent that was not of the “elite” level that Bobby had been hoping to make a push for, towards the top.

“The thing with Bobby is, he’s a great athlete, he wants to be an MMA fighter, I mean, he is an MMA fighter, don’t get me wrong, but he wants to be at that elite level where he can fight the top guys in the world. But after Chad, he’s going to probably have to take, not a step back, but I would recommend to him to go to Challengers, fight three or four fights, and work your way back up.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of this match up, should it come to fruition? Is this just a pipe dream, or somebody smoking a pipe and having a “dream”? Sound off in the comment section below.

The headliner, a rumored bout pitting UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva against former teammate Vitor Belfort is tentatively scheduled for the event, as well as light heavyweight bouts pitting former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin against one another, as well as Ryan Bader versus phenom, Jon “Bones” Jones.

Said lightweight match up, which will be Kenny Florian against Evan Dunham, is a fight that no true mixed martial arts fan would want to pass up.

Florian was last seen in action when he faced the talented and suffocating wrestler in Gray Maynard, in Kenny’s own backyard of Boston, Mass., for UFC 118. Against Maynard, “Ken-Flo” never pulled the trigger, and was taken down almost at will, over and over again. The uninspired loss snapped a two-fight win streak for Kenny, and also had him elude a third run at the lightweight title. He was unsuccessful in his initial attempt to capture the gold at UFC 63 against Sean Sherk, for the vacant title, then lost against former kingpin BJ Penn at UFC 101, by fourth-round rear-naked choke.

Dunham, meanwhile, is on the upswing of his career, despite coming on the heels of a loss in his last UFC outing–his first loss in his MMA career at that.

Undefeated as a professional heading into UFC 119, Dunham had impressed many, by seemingly coming out of nowhere with his rise above the heap in the lightweight division. Wins over season 8 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”: Efrain Escudero, Marcus Aurelio, and perennial contender Tyson Griffin cemented his spot as the next big thing in the 155-pound ranks. With the very controversial loss to Sean Sherk, which saw the Xtreme Couture product dominate the former champion standing up with effective combination’s (kicks and knees galore) as well several submission attempts, his star has only grew brighter.

Florian, albeit “choking” in big fights (ala Dana White), is talented nonetheless. An adept Muay Thai striker with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenny has been a thorn in the side of several up-and-coming fighters in the lightweight division, including notables Clay Guida, Joe Lauzon, and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi–all of whom, the Boston native has finished.

The part-time ESPN personality announced the news on “MMA Live” just yesterday, saying “We’ve verbally agreed to fight Evan Dunham, which is great news. Phenomenal opponent, which I’m very excited about, and it looks like it may happen on Super Bowl weekend”.

UFC 127 takes place on February 5th, at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Who do you think takes this fight, in what has the potential to be an early candidate for “Fight of the Night”. Sound off in the comment 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.

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sanchez has certainly fought in some of SpikeTV’s most memorable fights, including his most recent split decision victory over perennial gatekeeper “Carpenter” Clay Guida (25-10) at The Ultimate Fighter 9 finale in Las Vegas June 20.

But, UFC lightweights fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) and sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) are more deserving of a title shot, though admittedly less well-known to casual UFC fans.

Maynard won a split decision over another unranked, but popular UFC lightweight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 16.

Edgar will follow-up his unanimous decision over former UFC champ ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23 versus “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Diaz beats unrelenting, but beatable Guida and gets a title shot versus Penn.  Edgar beats the former champ Sherk and is notched down to fight Pellegrino.  Explain that…

Sherk was scheduled to fight Gleison Tibau (16-6) at UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24, but withdrew with an injury.

Most recent UFC title challenger, seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4), will swap opponents with Diaz when he fights Guida at UFC 107.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific second-ranked DREAM champ “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) avenged his most recent loss in the division with an armbar submission of fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) at DREAM.11 in Yokohama October 6 and is already slated to defend his title from eighth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at Dynamite!! 2009 north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve.

Third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (16-2) and tenth-ranked Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1) will fight at DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25 for the next DREAM title shot versus the winner of Aoki v Kawajiri.

Fighters.com’s October Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10. Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1)

“These six athletes provide a strong, varied base for our first UFC series,” said Damon Lau, Round 5 co-owner. “There are established champions like Chuck Liddell and George St. Pierre, popular up-and comers like Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian and guys like Clay Guida and Lyoto Machida who have loyal, growing followings.”

“We think fans will really connect to these collectibles through their detail and the enhanced packaging,” said Barron Lau, Round 5 co-owner. “We want them to feel that by owning a Round 5 figurine, they, in a sense, own a piece of that fighter.”

The UFC-themed packaging accompanying each figure will include action photos of each fighter’s most memorable moments and a short bio.

Diaz is on a five-fight win streak, most recently earning a split decision over “Dentist” Josh Neer (24-7-1) at Fight Night 15 in September.

Guida won a unanimous decision at the same event over Mac Danzig (17-5-1).

Danzig never got into the fight.  The best he could do was stall Guida with a Kimura attempt after being taken down in the first, then work to his feet; but, Guida slammed him back to the mat.

In the second round, Danzig tagged Guida with a front kick to Guida’s face; but, Guida countered with a straight left and ran Danzig to the mat.

Near the end of the second round, Guida downed Danzig again with a suplex slam.

The pattern of Guida takedowns continued through round three.

The judges’ scores were 30-27 once and 29-28 twice, all for Guida.

Last month, Danzig denied rumors that he would fight Guida in Minneapolis, but left open the possibility of eventually fighting the relentless scrapper.

Guida TKO’d Samy Schiavo (10-5) in 4:15 in Denver 2 April and is considered a test for any fighter vying for contendership in the UFC.

In Montréal 19 April, Danzig hammered knees to the head of Mark Bocek (5-2) before catching the BJJ fighter in a rear naked choke at 3:48 of round three.

In a bulletin entitled “Some MMA blogs will post anything.”, Danzig posted the following on MySpace Thursday:

“Mac is NOT fighting at UFC 87 and never was supposed to (despite the rumors on websites).”

Fighters.com reported Tuesday that MMA Junkie had reported Danzig had signed to fight “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (29-9) at UFC 87.

Danzig added, “There are talks of Clay Guida as a possible opponent, but nothing is signed yet.”

Danzig, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 6, submitted his most recent opponent, Mark Bocek (5-2), at April’s UFC 83 via rear naked choke at 3:48 of the third round.

“The Carpenter” was tapped in a rear naked choke in the main event of The Ultimate Figher 6 by “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1), but TKO’d Frenchman Samy Schiavo (15-5) in the first round on Ultimate Fight Night 13 last month.

Edgar will be looking to bounce back from his first professional loss. At Ultimate Fight Night 13, “The Bully” Gray Maynard (5-0, 1 NC) won a UD over Edgar.

With respect to MMA’s classiest act, I disagree.

The UFC’s stranglehold over the top of the sport has ensured the best fighters fight each other.

The best match-up in boxing right now is WBC welterweight titlist Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus WBA and IBF welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto.

For those not in the boxing know, it ain’t happenin’.

Mayweather is ducking the young bull Cotto for more lucrative, less competitive rematches with Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton.  Those happen to be match-ups Mayweather is more likely to win.  Hell, he’s already beat them both.

It’s the UFC’s umbrella over the sport that has made sure champions fight contenders, not pretenders who allow champions to hold on to belts maximizing the marketability of their reign.

You see, when free agent fighters and their management pick their opponents, whether in boxing or MMA, they tend towards safe fights.

Exhibit A:  Everyone’s favorite MMA ducker, sixth-ranked heavyweight “The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1).

While a showdown with third-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5) has been an option, Emelianenko has picked fights against middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (20-5) and kickboxer “Techno Goliath” Hong Man Choi (1-1).

Such is matchmaking when managers and free agent fighters seek to prolong their marketability versus the safest reasonable opponents.

I mean, Lindland and Choi are both world champions, right?  Nevermind that their championships were in a different weight class and sport respectively than Emelianenko.

I’m not advocating for the UFC.  I could care less about which promoter logo is atop a fight card.  It’s the card itself that interests me.  The fact is, the UFC’s centralized organization of the sport has produced the best fights and, by definition, avoided “becoming a fractured sport the way boxing has.”

Notes From Around MMA

* Top Strikeforce lightweight contender “The Punk” Josh Thomson (14-2) maintains “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9) oiled up before their March 2006 title fight, won by Guida by UD.  Thomson claims, “I mentioned it to Clay’s brother one time.  I said, ‘Clay was really slippery in that fight…’  He just looked at me, shrugged, and said, ‘You do what you have to do to win.’  I just thought, ‘Whatever, douche bag.’  But, Clay…I think his career has leveled off.  He got a few big wins, but he’s taken some losses the last couple of years.”

* Couture (16-8) told IGN he’s pursuing a video game deal with EA Sports.  He also claimed, “I don’t care where the fight happens,” in response to a question about fighting sixth-ranked Emelinanenko in the UFC.  Couture had previously expressed his desire not to fight Emelianenko in the UFC.

* UFC middleweight Rob Yundt (6-1), who lost his UFC debut in February to “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2), will return to the Octagon 21 June on the TUF 7 finale versus one of the TUF contestants.  The UFC won’t reveal Yundt’s opponent to him until that fighter is eliminated on the show.

* The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill to legalize and sanction MMA in the state by a vote of 95-2.  The bill is held-up in the Senate by Senators Dewayne Bunch of Cleveland and Bo Watson of Hixson.  The two southeast Tennessee legislators have attached an amendment earmarking the profits from MMA events for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Division I wrestling team.  According to the Nashville Post, the amendment may violate NCAA rules.  Tennesseans are urged to contact their state Senators and urge the passing of the bill next week without the earmarking amendment.

* Fourth-ranked welterweight “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) and UFC light heavyweight “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1), both New York state residents, and UFC executive Marc Ratner were lobbying New York state Senators Tuesday to legalize and regulate MMA in the state.  A bill legalizing and regulating the sport in New York has passed the state’s assembly, but is opposed in the senate.

* Canadian kickboxer “Black Sniper” Michael McDonald (1-1), 2002 and 2004 K-1 North American Grand Prix Champion, won a decision over American kickboxer “The Jet” Rick Roufus (1-1) in an MMA bout fought under the radar in Romania last month.

* “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) and “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (1-1) will go head-to-head 31 May in a ratings battle.  SpikeTV will air Ultimate Iceman to compete directly with CBS EliteXC Saturday Night Fights at 9:00 PM EST.  SpikeTV will air an entire day of UFC programming on 31 May, beginning at 11:00 AM EST.

* Star magazine reported that actress/singer Mandy Moore has a crush on top-ranked welterweight “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2).  Moore was in the UFC 83 crowd last month when St. Pierre claimed the UFC welterweight title from Serra (9-5).

* You know it’s a slow MMA news cycle when eighth-ranked lightweight “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1) testing negative for steroids in a Nevada State Athletic Commission test is a headline.  Of course he tested negative!  The headline is if he had tested positive…again.

* As I concluded after the first episode of this season’s The Ultimate Fighter, Jeremy May (5-5) is a douche bag and nothing could’ve made me happier than seeing him get smashed by fellow-Cincinnatian Matt Brown (9-6) last night.

The former title challenger from Sityodtong, Florian, dominated the quirky computer tech.

“KenFlo” opened a gash on the back of Lauzon’s head with elbows from his full guard in the first round, but was warned by referee Herb Dean for striking behind the head.

It was a call Dean missed while refereeing a lightweight fight between “Cleat” Rich Crunkilton (16-2) and Sergio Gomez (7-2) at last week’s Las Vegas WEC event.

After the stand-up, Lauzon clinched for a takedown and stepped over Florians body in half-guard for a knee bar that turned into a Achilles lock that Florian yanked free from.

Lauzon snatched an ankle again and reclined into a heel hook that Florian was again able to wriggle free from to end the round.

The frantic mat work and elevation exhausted “J-Lau” for the second round and Florian was able to score a takedown into full mount that Lauzon never bucked free from.

Florian poured on a cocktail of elbows, straights, and hammerfists from the mount, but Lauzon defended.  Dean called an end to the fight after it was clear Lauzon was to spent to transition out of the bad spot.

In a grueling war game between undefeated wrestlers, “The Bully” Gray Maynard (5-0) won a decisive unanimous decision over “The Answer” Frank Edgar (8-1).

Maynard set the pace in the first round by stuffing Edgar’s takedown attempts and deciding when he’d take the inevitable wrestling match to the mat.

Edgar made it a scrap in the second round with crisp 1-2 combos that scored, but Maynard continued to stuff “The Answer’s” shot and score his own powerful takedowns, though neither fighter did much more than molest the other on the mat.

Edgar was gassed by round three and the bigger “Bully” slammed Edgar three times to convince all three judges he was dominant.

Earlier in the night, “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-1) pummeled TUF finalist Tom Speer (9-3) over 51 seconds, knocking home the stoppage “W” with a clean straight right that slumped Speer against the cage.

“I’m crunk right now, I’m real crunk,” said Johnson after the fight.

Johnson began the end with a left kick to Speer’s head as the wrestler attempted to shoot, followed by a knee that backed Speer to the cage.   Speer was out on his feet when he absorbed the death blow.

In a welterweight clash, “The Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3) crumpled “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) with a left knee strike to Parisyan’s head in the second round as Parisyan sought the clinch.

At 34-seconds of the round, referee Steve Mazzagatti dove across the downed fighter as he defended Alves’s follow-up pounding.

“The referee did a good job,” Alves claimed after Parisyan disputed the stoppage.  “He was out!”

Parisyan had won round one with deft, one-off striking versus the American Top Team trained kickboxer, who appeared wary of Parisyan’s takedowns. 

In his UFC debut last February, “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (7-2) surprised David Heath (7-3) with an onslaught ending in a first-round Boetsch TKO.

Tonight, “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1) weathered Boetsch’s first round avalanche of strikes to reveal “The Barbarian” couldn’t continue his barrage passed the first five minutes.

Hamill began the fight with a powerful double-leg takedown, but couldn’t capitalize before the referee stood the fighters.

Boetsch proved effective with a repeating knee strike that split Hamill’s lip like a ripe peach, splashing blood across Hamill’s chest.

In round two, Boetsch heaved heavily from his corner.  He shot for a single-leg takedown and held Hamill’s leg as the champion wrestler hovered over him hammering punches.  Boetsch rolled into guard, but had nothing left as “The Hammer” finished him at 1:25 with undefended plugs to Boetsch’s face.

Fast-rising Nathan Diaz (9-2) submitted Kurt Pellegrino (11-4) in an air-tight leg triangle choke in the second round of their undercard match, flashing double middle fingers in the air as Pellegrino tapped helplessly.

Diaz was cut on his right eyelid by Pellegrino punches in a first round controlled on the mat by Pellegrino.

Pellegrino dumped Diaz at will and hammered punches and elbows inside Diaz’s full- and half-guard.  Pellegrino passed to side control and pinned Diaz’s arms, hammering Diaz’s unprotected face to open the cut.

But, durable Diaz escaped a lost first round.

The second round continued as the first, with Diaz getting dumped to the mat by Pellegrino.  This time, Diaz ran his guard up Pellegrino’s back and submitted the lightweight in a leg triangle at 3:06 of the round.

“He shouldn’t have pinned me down like that,” Diaz scolded Pellegrino after the hard-won “W”. 

In the televised card’s first fight, “The Assassin” Houston Alexander (8-3) got touched by “The Sandman” James Irvin (14-4) in the first exchange of their light heavyweight match.

Alexander was beaten to the punch by a right Superman punch from Irvin as Alexander launched his own right cross.

Alexander fell to the mat and Irvin followed with a right exclamation point to Alexander’s noggin as referee Steve Mazzagatti dove to Alexander’s rescue at :08 of the fight, tying a UFC record for quickest KO.

“I was still conscious,” Alexander repeated after the stoppage.

Amidst boos, Irvin challenged, “We can do it again right now.  If you want to go out into the parking lot, we can do it right now.”

 In untelevised fights, “The Dentist” Josh Neer (24-6-1) won a unanimous decision over “Dinyero” Din Thomas (20-8), who was returning from a knee injury in his last outing.

 ”Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-5) submitted lightweight Ryan Roberts (8-3) 16 seconds into the fight.

“Pitbull” Manvel Gamburyan (8-2) submitted Jeffrey Cox (9-5) in guillotine choke at 1:41 of the first round.

“The Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9) TKO’d lightweight Samy Schiavo (10-5) at 4:15 of round one.

Finally, welterweight George Sotiropoulos (9-2) TKO’d Roman Mitichyan (5-2) 2:24 into round two.