Courtesy of an interview Cerrone recently had with MMA Junkie: “I wanted to beat him at his own game. I got the win, so I can’t complain … (but) a couple of things I did wrong I need to go back and look at… In the gym, I have no problem getting going and putting combinations together. In the fight, I just can’t seem to put them together. That’s something I need to work on… I guess I need to go back and start working on my striking again… Cole Miller is the guy I’m chasing down… It’s a fight I’ve wanted since as long as I can remember.”

According to the report, Cerrone has been hunting for a fight with Miller for years, ever since Miller fought and beat his friend and teammate Leonard Garcia back in 2007. Most recently, Miller is on a two-fight win-streak of his own, with impressive submission victories over both Ross Pearson and Dan Lauzon. Both submissions earned him “Submission of the Night” awards.

Personally, I think Donald Cerrone’s striking is just fine. It’s certainly come a long way, that’s for sure. In the end, I think what held him back in the Horodecki fight is the simple fact that Horodecki is the better striker. Cerrone’s best asset has always been his ground game, that’s why he ultimately made his opponent tap out. Horodecki’s strength has always been striking, he’s got seven (T)KO wins on his record. It’s true that Cerrone’s striking could always stand to improve, but every fighter’s everything could always stand to improve.

I think a fight with Cole Miller would be a fantastic first fight for Donald Cerrone in the UFC. Both men are submission experts with wicked ground games: combined, they have over twenty wins via submission. They’ve shown an incredible amount of resiliency in the past, so I think it’s very possible that both men would rather be choked out than tapped out. And they’d be fighting to get out of it every step of the way, up to and including the moment when they inevitably lose consciousness.

All in all, I’m really excited to see Donald Cerrone debut in the UFC, and I hope that the UFC finds him a good opponent sooner rather than later, even if it’s not Cole Miller. Cerrone ended his WEC career by once again proving why he was one of the WEC’s biggest stars, so I think he has an incredible amount of potential as he heads into the Octagon and into the shark-tank that is the UFC’s Lightweight division.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about Donald “The Cowboy” Cerrone in regards to both his most recent performance and his chances in the UFC?

According to Sherdog, the official “Fight for the Troops 2” card now stands as follows: Kenny Florian vs. Evan Dunham, Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague, Mark Hominick vs. George Roop, Pat Barry vs. Joey Beltran, Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman, Yves Edwards vs. Melvin Guillard, Mike Swick vs. David Mitchell, DaMarques Johnson vs. Michael Guymon, Chan Sung Jung vs. Rani Yahya, Waylon Lowe vs. Willamy “Chiquerim” Freire, and Amilcar Alves vs. Charlie Brenneman.

UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” is scheduled to take place January 22, 2011 from the Fort Hood military post in Killeen, Texas.

The more and more I look at this card, the more and more I think that this will be a standout event in its own right. Despite the problems he’s had in the past with facing top-level competition, Kenny Florian is and perhaps always will be one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC Lightweight division. Florian looks amazing in most fights, and this fight should be no different. Evan Dunham will also likely show up in top shape and top form after getting a taste of the top when he fought (and many would say “beat”) former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk recently.

The undercard has several great fights as well. I’m particularly looking forward to Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague, I think Mitrione has the potential to take a lot of people by surprise and go far in the increasingly-competitive UFC Heavyweight division. You’ve got WEC stars like George Roop and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, you’ve got Mike Swick and Melvin Guillard, and you’ve even got DaMarques Johnson and Pat Barry. If it all goes according to plan, we may be in for a  great night of non-stop action.

And don’t forget the most important aspect of this card: this is all being put on to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The IFHF is a non-profit charity that raises money for veterans with traumatic brain injuries. The first “Fight for the Troops” event raised an estimated four million dollars for the organization.

While I’ve been known to criticize the UFC in the past (but, hey, I criticize everyone eventually, it comes with the territory), I’ve got nothing but good things to say about “Fight for the Troops 2”. It’s a great cause, it’s a great card, and it should be a great night of fights. And I’d like to encourage all of those who can give, to give generously.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on “Fight for the Troops 2” and what fights are you looking forward to?

It is back to the regional circuit for Dan Lauzon, who many tabbed as an MMA wunderkind when he first broke on the national scene at UFC 64 fighting Spencer Fisher.

Lauzon lost to Fisher and then to Deividas Taurosevicius but subsequently railed off seven straight wins in 2^nd tier shows before beating Bobby Green at the last Affliction show in Anaheim, CA in 2009.  That rip of wins got him another shot in the UFC.  However, “The Upgrade” was still not prime time material as he lost to Cole Miller and Efrain Escudero in the big show.

Still very young at 22 years of age, Dan Lauzon needs to find some maturity and discipline in his training.  It was widely reported that Dan and his brother Joe had a “falling out” prior to Dan’s last UFC fight when he lost to Escudero.  However he feels about his big brother, Dan could certainly use a dose of Joe’s work ethic and passion for prepartion and game-planning a fight.  Anybody who watched the younger Lauzon rip through opponents in the WCF (World Championship Fighting) in 2008 can see the raw talent.  Yet, when faced with an equal skill set across the cage, Lauzon must understand how to manage a game-plan.

Fighting at the Snow Brawl and Damien Trites will be good start on the road back for Lauzon.  Promoter Crutchfield is a believer, of course, in his main event but also his entire night of fights for folks looking for MMA in the Northeast.  In addition to Lauzon v. Trites, Mike Campbell faces Tony Hervey at lightweight and Mat Santos gets his rematch against BJJ stud Everilton Silva.

“This is our third MMA show and it promises to be the best by far. “We’re improving each show in order to give fans what they want – action and compelling match-ups. Lauzon and Trites don’t like each other and that’s certainly going to show in the cage. Campbell’s ready to bounce right back from a disappointing loss on our first show, also at Twin River, but he’s going to have his hands full with a tough veteran like Hervey. Mat Santos kept MMA alive in this state and we’re excited to have him back fighting with the opportunity for him to avenge a controversial loss against Silva. Our matchmakers are rounding out the remainder of what promises to be a power-packed undercard for our last show of 2010.”

Clearly Dan Lauzon is the calling card for this night given his UFC pedigree, the question is – will he start to live up to all the hype he garnered back at UFC 64 and perform to his highest abilities?

Your thoughts.  Will Dan Lauzon ever make it back to the UFC?  He is still very young.

The two lightweight standouts first became familiar with one another on the fifth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. Early on, Wiman was pegged as one of the favorites to win the show’s coveted six-figure contract in the end, while Miller (in stark contrast) was considered to be one of the series weaker competitors.

Well, the roles have certainly been reversed.

MMAJunkie.com first made news of the 155-pound contest, which will be taking place on New Years day at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 125, which will be headlined by a lightweight match up pitting current champion Frankie Edgar looking for his second successful title defense against the only man to defeat him to date, undefeated Xtreme Couture product Gray Maynard (whom was also a cast member on said season of TUF).

It’s too early to tell if the two lightweights will be featured on the main card of the pay-per-view event, though it’s unlikely with big names such as Roy Nelson, Shane Carwin, Clay Guida, Takanori Gomi, and Nate Diaz adorning the card.

Season five of “The Ultimate Fighter” is arguably the promotion’s deepest pool of talent that the UFC has collected to date. Gray Maynard, a semi-finalist on the show is now vying for the lightweight title, Cole Miller has become a perennial contender in the weight class (though hot and cold at time), Wiman had ridden a 4-fight win streak inside the UFC inching closer to a title shot, and Nate Diaz has become widely successful both in the lightweight and welterweight ranks.

Both will Cole and Matt will look to improve their stocks in the lightweight division in a bout that is a true “throwback” to any hardcore fan.

So, MMA peeps, who do you think takes this match up? Sound off in the comment section below. 10 points if you can guess who Miller is punching in the picture.

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.

News broke straight from Escudero’s Twitter account, where he tweeted the following: “Hello true fan I was released by the Ufc today speaking to strikeforce and bellator. Taking a week off and make my way back!!!!!”

After being one of Season 8’s standout stars, the Mexican-born Escudero won the TUF 8 competition by taking a Unanimous Decision against Phillipe Nover. Escudero’s popularity and relevancy took a bit of a hit when he took an almost year-long absence from MMA for various reasons, but he bounced back in the best way possible and seemed on the fast track to Lightweight gold after TKO’ing Cole Miller. A win over Dan Lauzon was sandwiched between losses to Evan Dunham and Charles Oliveira, and apparently those losses were a good enough reason to let go of what could have been a major star, especially when you consider how the UFC has been milking the heritage of UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Cain Velasquez.

I respect that the UFC is trying to be very strict about who’s allowed to compete within the Octagon, but I can’t say I agree with this firing. I haven’t heard of any attitude problems with Escudero, so I’m left to assume that his firing was performance-related. I think that the UFC should lay the hammer down on fighters who obviously aren’t cutting it in the world’s biggest and best MMA promotion, but Escudero’s record was 3-2. It’s not the best in the world, but it’s by no means the worst.

In regards to what the future holds for Escudero, I think both Bellator and Strikeforce would be happy to have him. Strikeforce’s Lightweight division is rather weak, save for a few obvious exceptions, and they could really use someone who’s both popular and has the skills to (usually) back up his fame. Bellator would also see a big boost in their legitimacy by having someone like Escudero compete in their tournaments, the same kind of boost they received when Roger Huerta made the jump from the UFC to Bellator.

But no matter where he ends up, I think the future looks bright for Efrain Escudero We haven’t heard the last from “Hecho in Mexico”, oh no. I think he’ll get back into the UFC one day, and it may take years of grinding it out against mid-level competition both in and out of the UFC, but I think Escudero could challenge for a championship one day. He’s got all the makings of a star, and he’s got a huge amount of heart. It’s always darkest before the dawn, and I think that Escudero will rebound from this setback in a big way.

And what do you think, fans and friends? What promotion do you see Escudero signing with, and what are some non-UFC names that you’d like to see him compete against? And do you think the UFC acted too harshly when they fired Escudero?

The bonuses were delivered last night following the conclusion of “UFC Fight Night 22″, which took place in Austin, Texas in front of a stellar crowd at the Frank Erwin Center before an estimated 7,724 people in attendance.

While it has been in rare form that no more than one bonus in each category be given out, UFC head honchos Dana White and the Fertita brothers felt the need to praise those who performed well, and it was well deserved.

Brian Foster out of the H.I.T Squad, picked up the “Knockout of the Night” award for his one-minute drubbing of veteran Forrest Petz. In the early going, Petz was game to stand and trade with the heavy-handed Foster, but it ultimately led to his demise when a straight right hand delivered by Brian sent Petz to the canvas. Foster followed up with additional blows, but the end was already decided and Foster moves his record in the UFC to an even 2-2 and picks up $40k for his performance.

Charles Oliveira made the most of his opportunity when he stepped on short notice to face season 8 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Efrain Escudero–who came in a staggering 8 pounds over weight for his lightweight bout with the Brazilian. Not only did Efrain forfeit 20% of purse, he also gave Charles the honors of “Submission of the Night” when the Jiu-Jitsu specialist was able to capitalize in a scramble and submit “Hecho en Mexico” with a standing rear-naked choke in the third round. This is Charles’ second time winning the submission bonus in his only two outings in the UFC.

Cole Miller also earned the “Submission of the Night” award after defeating fellow TUF veteran (and Season 9 winner) Ross Pearson by a rear naked choke of his own in the second round, after dropping the British slugger with a left hook and followed him to the ground, cinching the choke, the victory, and the bonus.

In preliminary action, Jared Hamman and Kyle Kingsbury let it all hang out. Kingsbury, who has been absent since a decision victory over Razak Al-Hassan at UFC 103 in September of last year while honing his stand up skills in Thailand, looked every bit of the improved fighter that he set out to be. Hamman, though, gave him everything he could handle. After three round of heated stand up exchanges, take downs, and fireworks throughout, Kyle–the American Kickboxing Academy product–came out on top with the unanimous decision victory, but both men claimed an additional $40k for their efforts as they both rightfully earned the coveted “Fight of the Night” award.

So, MMA peeps, were the awards justified? Anyone else you had in mind? Sound off.

“Jesus, I love you,” shouted Belfort in the Octagon after the fight, and in his dressing room he added,  “God gave me a gift and I’m using it.  And, I’m ready.  A lot of people thought I was done, you know, and that’s what I’m bringing to this game – hope, faith, and hard work.

In Dallas, Franklin’s disastrous strategy most evidently handed Belfort his fifth straight victory since losing a UD to “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-7) at PRIDE 32 in Las Vegas in 2006.  The usually cool as a cucumber Franklin pawed impatiently at Belfort with his right jab, leaving himself exposed to Belfort’s quick hands.

“First round, you have to feel your opponent, see where he are,” explained Belfort post-fight.  “I saw he was kind of rushed trying to pace the fight.  And then, I was just taking my time.”

One lunging Franklin jab too many and the quick-handed former UFC champion dropped Franklin with a grazing counter left hook and pushing right hook.

“I just listen to all my coaches,” said Belfort.  “They were saying, ‘Find your distance and throw.’”

Franklin fell to his knees, face down; and, Belfort crammed another left hook into Franklin’s jaw.  Franklin’s body limped up; and, referee Yves Lavigne pushed Belfort off Franklin.

Though Belfort and Franklin fought at 195 pounds, Belfort’s last several wins were earned in the middleweight division.  He now finds himself contending with Henderson and “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) for a title shot against Fighters.com Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4).

Franklin falls to 1-2 in his last three and remains without a clear future at either middleweight or light heavyweight.  “Losing wasn’t part of my plan,” Franklin admitted after the loss.  “So I’m just going to have to let the dust settle and figure out what’s going on.”

In the co-main event, heavyweight prospect “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (9-1) forced once-feared “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (25-8-2) to quit at 2:00 of round three after a dos Santos straight right blinded Filipovic.

Though Filipovic overpowered the larger “Cigano” in the clinch in the first two rounds and connected a smattering of straights that left a healthy mouse beneath dos Santos’s left eye, “Cro Cop” phoned in another jittery performance in the Octagon. 

“My game is to move forward and be attacking at all times,” “Cigano” described after the fight.

When dos Santos advanced whipping combos at “Cro Cop”, “Cro Cop” backpedaled and threw his hands out to halt dos Santos’s advance.  Though Filipovic’s defensive strategy had the sophistication of a playground brawl, it actually kept the fight within reach for two rounds.

In round three though, dos Santos connected an uppercut beneath Filipovic’s defensive tactic and unloaded an assault of knee strikes to Filipovic’s body and head, until a knee to Filipovic’s body in the clinch against the fence opened “Cro Cop” up for the punch that left him blinded and waving off the fight.

“I’m here to finish fights,” proclaimed dos Santos after the third win during his 11-month UFC career.
 
Welterweight “Semtex” Paul Daley (19-9-2) TKO’d Xtreme Couture’s “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (15-3) at 2:31 of round one in Daley’s UFC debut.  Daley staggered Kampmann with a left hook, sending Kampmann reeling to the cage.  Another left hook clammed Kampmann up as Daley teed off in the barrage of punches that ended Kampmann’s night.  Referee Yves Lavigne stepped in to stop the fight while Kampmann was still on his feet.

“I was saying to myself at the beginning of the fight, standing across the cage from him, ‘I’m going to knock you out.  I’m going to knock you out,’” Daley said after the fight.  “I just kept repeating it in my head.  ‘I’m going to knock you out.  I’m going to knock you out.’  I stood there looking at him thinking, ‘I’m going to knock you out.’  And, there you go.”

American Kickboxing Academy welterweight Josh Koscheck (13-4) TKO’d “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-7) with a straight right at 1:25 of round one as Trigg clutched the cage.  Trigg dropped to the mat and Koscheck followed-up with two right hands before the referee stepped in.

After the victory, Koscheck announced, “I know there’s a guy who just signed a new contract.  His name is Matt Hughes. I’ve been asking for that for a long time.”

Xtreme Couture lightweight Tyson Griffin (14-2) TKO’d Hermes Franca (19-8) at 3:26 of round two.  Griffin crumpled Franca with a straight right, then pounced in a flurry while dodging Franca’s submission attempts until Griffin landed flush to end the fight on the mat.

Lightweight Efrain Escudero (8-0) TKO’d American Top Team’s “Magrinho” Cole Miller (15-3) at 3:36 of round one.

Middleweight “Gorilla” Tomas Drwal (17-2) tapped out Miletich Fighting Systems’ “Massacre” Drew McFedries (8-6) in a guillotine choke at 1:03 of round two.

Lightweight “Mongoose” Jim Miller (15-2) won a TKO 45-seconds into round two when Steve Lopez (2-2) injured his shoulder in his Octagon debut.

Lightweight “Carny” Nik Lentz (14-3-1) won a three-round unanimous decision over “Tractor” Rafaello Oliveira (8-2).

Welterweight Rick Story (6-2) tapped out Brian Foster (12-4) in an arm triangle at 1:09 of the second round.

Light heavyweight Eliot Marshall (7-1) won a three-round split decision over “Hitman” Jason Brilz (17-2-1).

Light heavyweight “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (23-4) won a three-round unanimous decision over Igor Pokrajac (14-6).

Lightweight Rafael Dos Anjos (13-3) won a three-round unanimous decision over “Saint” Rob Emerson (9-8).

New UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) demoralized and upset former Champ “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) by unanimous decision Saturday night in Las Vegas.

“This is the greatest night of my life,” Griffin said after toppling the odds.

Though Jackson won the first round by staggering Griffin with a left, then dropping the challenger with a right uppercut, Griffin laid the groundwork for his decision victory by whittling away at Jackson’s lead leg with low kicks.

“He jacked my leg up,” Jackson admitted.

In the second round, Griffin buckled the champ with a leg kick and passed to mount on the mat, grinding elbows into Rampage’s head, but doing little damage.

Rampage limped into round three searching for a knockout, but managed only a combination that Griffin weathered, though he admitted, “Every punch that motherfucker threw hurt.”

Jackson scored a fourth-round takedown; but, Griffin wrapped a leg triangle, then transitioned to an omoplata when Jackson freed himself from the triangle.

Jackson stood out of the submission and cracked Griffin with a right hand, opening a cut on the challenger’s right eyelid, then followed with a left as the bell ended the round.

It was back-and-forth and both fighters felt they needed the final round to win; but, Jackson seemed disappointed by the situation, while Griffin was inspired.

Griffin got back to game plan in the fifth round, stinging Rampage’s lead leg, as Jackson threw desperate haymakers without landing.

The judges scored the fight 48-46 twice and 49-46 once for Griffin. Fighters.com scored it 48-46 for Griffin, our new champion.

“He whupped my ass,” Jackson admitted after the battle; but, Griffin said, “It was close and I think we’re gonna have to do it again.”

Cote Wins Title Shot

“Predator” Patrick Cote (14-4) won a spot in line to the UFC Middleweight Championship owned by Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) by winning a split decision over “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3) Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Cote explained the split decision, “I got three knockouts in a row. I can’t do that all the time, especially against this kind of guy.”

Judges scores were 29-28 twice for Cote and 29-28 once for Almeida. Fighters.com scored the fight 29-28 for Cote.

But, it didn’t feel like Cote’s night in the first round.

Almeida pulled guard into a guillotine to open the fight; but, Cote defended; and, the fighters regained their feet.

Almeida shot and passed into Cote’s half-guard where “Cachorrao” stuffed lefts down Cote’s throat, winning the round with G’n'P.

Between the first and second round, there was a curious delay as Almeida’s glove seemed to have busted at the seams and needed to be repaired.

Cote may have changed the tide at the end of a slow second round when a right hand found Almeida’s head as the horn ended the round.

“My game plan was to sprawl’n'brawl and that’s exactly what I did the last two rounds,” Cote said after the fight.

Almeida was winded by round three; and, it was a Cote kickboxing academy in the third as “The Predator” lined-up straights with both fists and lit-up Almeida’s legs with kicks.

“My conditioning was there. I was running against him in the third round and my conditioning was still there,” said Cote.

Cote pleaded in the locker room after the victory, “I want some credit, man. I want some credit that I’m well-rounded. I’m not just a slugger. I proved tonight that I’m able to wrestle, I’m able to do on the ground, I can kick, I can elbow, I can do jiu-jitsu.”

Daddy Guillotines Tibau

After a first round spent bothered, but not troubled in a Gleison Tibau (15-6) omoplata attempt, “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (34-8) caught the Brazilian in a guillotine when Tibau shot for a double-leg takedown at 2:57 of the second round.

Fought mostly on the mat, and lingering for several minutes in a Tibau omoplata attempt, Stevenson and Tibau decided to compare BJJ belts.

Tibau came up short, though defended two guillotines before Stevenson locked in the winner as Tibau shot.

Stevenson explained after the fight, “Honestly, you know, he just put his head there and I took it. It was nothing fancy.”

Koschek’s Elbows Open Up Lytle

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked welterweight “Kos” Josh Koscheck (13-2) chiseled crevices above both eyebrows of “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) during a UD for “Kos” Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Koscheck planted Lytle on the mat in all three rounds and worked elbows and leather like pistons to Lytle’s forehead, opening gashes in the second round.

“I thought they were going to stop it,” Koscheck said after the fight, “because he had some pretty bad cuts.”

Lytle wasn’t “Lights Out” though, catching Kos in two guillotines at the shots and a heel hook in round one; but, Koscheck was ice cube-cool defending the subs and returning to work on Lytle’s head.

“The only [guillotine] that got really tight was the last round there,” Koscheck explained, “But, I’m pretty good at getting out of them. I just roll…like an alligator.”

With his blood puddled on the mat, Lytle mustered one final flurry after referee Yves Lavigne stood the fighters in round three.

Kos avoided any damage and walked out of the Octagon with crimson-tinged hair and a decision by 30-26, 29-27, and 30-28, but declaring respect for the man he had just mangled.

Dominant Tyson Griffin UD

Lightweight Tyson Griffin (12-1), known as a wrestler, performed a breakout kickboxing display in a UD over “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-6) Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Over all three rounds, Griffin tenderized Aurelius’s ribs and nearly spun his BJJ blackbelt opponent around with leg kicks.

The body barrage left “Maximus” worn by round two. He made only weak attempts to take Griffin to the mat, but stayed away from most of Griffin’s upstairs bombs.

Griffin admitted after the fight, “I hit him with some good shots; and, he didn’t fall down, so…hey!”

Unable to put Aurelius away on his feet, Griffin scored a single-leg takedown in round three.

“I don’t want to be a guy that dominates two-and-a-half rounds and gets caught,” Griffin explained, “so, you know, I decided to take him down, control the rest of the fight, and, you know, get that ‘W’.”

Aurelius sucked up Griffin’s left arm, then his right; but, Griffin defended and bloodied the right side of Aurelius’s face until time ended the fight.

Griffin scored 30-27 three times for the “W”.

Gonzaga Mauls McCully

Tenth-ranked heavyweight “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3) wasted no time getting back to winning by tapping Justin McCully (8-4-2) in a Kimura 1:57 of round one.

Gonzaga dropped McCully with a leg kick, pounced, passed to mount, and applied the shoulder lock surgically to force the tap.

“I come from real Brazilian jiu-jitsu school and I’m proud of my Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills,” said Gonzaga after the fight.

Miller Taps Gurgel With 12 Seconds Left

American Top Team lightweight “Magrino” Cole Miller (14-3) tapped Jorge Gurgel (12-4) in a triangle with 12 seconds remaining in their fight.

It was a hot one!

The first round was a back-and-forth brawl that saw both fighters score in combinations, with Gurgel getting the best of Miller.

Miller decided to take Gurgel to the mat in round two and scored from top position with G’n'P while passing to half-mount.

“I was just getting out-pointed, so I thought on the ground would be the best bet,” explained Miller after his victory.

Gurgel scrambled free, but found himself in a guillotine, which he defended.

After three Gurgel takedowns led to nothing for the Cincinnatian, Miller took advantage of the final trip from Gurgel. During a scramble, Miller locked in the triangle choke and forced Gurgel to tap at 4:48 of round three.

“The biggest mistake I think he made was just not being in as good of shape as me,” Miller reflected. “He left his hand in there. He was a little more tired than me.”

Guillard Big Punchin’

“Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (22-7-2) registered a hit on German lightweight Dennis Siver (11-6) in a 36-second TKO.

Guillard fired a big right at the opening bell, dropping Siver.

Siver wasn’t out though. The German defended Guillard’s follow-up G’n'P with an armbar attempt.

But, Guillard yanked free and finished the job with strikes.

After the TKO, Guillard said, “If I get [Roger] Huerta after [Kenny] Florian done with him, that’s good. If I don’t, oh well. But, that’s a rematch I want. I want to avenge that to myself. That’s something personal.”

Buchholz Taps Hill

Lightweight Justin Buchholz (8-2) tapped stringbean-physiqued Corey Hill (2-1) in a rear naked choke at 3:57 of round two.

The young fighters burned a furious pace into the second round. Buchholz pulled guard for the second time in the fight and tried to contort a gogo’ that Hill defended.

In defense, Hill gave his back; and, Buchholz scrambled behind Hill and locked in the choke.

Buchholz described the finish after the fight, “Got the rear naked and choke just started praying, ‘Please God tapout. Please God tapout!’”

Rampage weighed in at 205-pounds, as did eighth-ranked title challenger Forrest Griffin (15-4).

Xtreme Couture’s Griffin said, “It’s nice to fight in your hometown.  Thank you, guys.”

Griffin smirked in the gaze of an intense Rampage stare down.

All fighters on Saturday night’s card made weight.

Only lightweight Gleison Tibau (15-5) missed the mark, but by the allowed one pound at 156-pounds.  Tibau will fight “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (33-8).

6’4″ lightweight Corey Hill (2-0) looked absolutely emaciated at 155-pounds.

All the weights from Vegas are below.

“Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) 205-pounds v Forrest Griffin (15-4) 205-pounds

“Predator” Patrick Cote (13-4) 185-pounds v “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) 185-pounds

Fourth-ranked“Kos” Josh Koscheck (12-2) 170-pounds v “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5) 170-pounds

Tyson Griffin (11-1) 155-pounds v “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-5) 155-pounds

“Daddy” Joe Stevenson (33-8) 155-pounds v Gleison Tibau (15-5) 156-pounds

Tenth-ranked“Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) 249-pounds v Justin McCully (8-3-2) 236-pounds

Jorge Gurgel (12-3) 155-poundsv “Magrino” Cole Miller (13-3) 155-pounds

“Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (21-7-2) 155-pounds  v Dennis Siver (11-5) 155-pounds

Corey Hill (2-0) 155-pounds v Justin Buchholz (7-2) 155-pounds

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked welterweight “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2) is set to face rugged vet “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5).

Both fighters come off exciting TKOs in their previous bouts.

In February, Lytle ran roughshod over UFC debuting Kyle Bradley (13-5) in just 33 seconds.

“Kos” and “McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (10-4) traded evenly for a round before Koschek tagged “McLovin” with punches and kicks 1:24 into round two in March.

Hazelett’s trainer, Jorge Gurgel (12-3), will fight 6’1″ “Magrino” Cole Miller (13-3) at 86.

Miller of Georgia comes off his first UFC loss to Jeremy Stephens (13-2), a second-round TKO in January.

Gurgel won a unanimous decision over John Halverson (16-6) in March.

Rising middleweight “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) will face streaking “The Predator” Patrick Cote (12-4) on the card.

Cote has won four straight, three consecutive by first-round stoppage.  Most recently “The Predator” devoured Andrew McFedries (6-3) in 1:44.

Almeida returned to MMA after a four-year hiatus to submit Rob Yundt(6-1) in a guillotine choke in February. “Cachorrao” boasts wins over Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) and UFC title contender Nathan Marquardt (26-7-2) in the early ’90s.