Jon Jones defeats Mauricio Rua at 2:37 of Round 3 to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Urijah Faber defeats Eddie Wineland by Unanimous Decision. Jim Miller defeats Kamal Shalorus by TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of Round 3. Nate Marquardt defeats Dan Miller by Unanimous Decision. Brendan Schaub defeats Mirko Filipovic by TKO (strikes) at 3:44 of Round 3. Luis Cane defeats Eliot Marshall by TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of Round 1. Edson Barboza defeats Anthony Njokuani by Unanimous Decision. Mike Pyle defeats Ricardo Almeida by Unanimous Decision. Gleison Tibau defeats Kurt Pellegrino by Split Decision. Joseph Benavidez defeats Ian Loveland by Unanimous Decision. Nick Catone defeats Constantinos Phillippou by Unanimous Decision . Erik Koch defeats Raphael Assuncao by KO at 2:32 of Round 1.

Although I once again enjoyed the four free fights the UFC gave us as part of their ongoing “UFC Prelims LIVE” series of shows, I have to admit that my expectations were completely backwards.

I was looking forward to the Facebook stream a lot more, because it boasted bigger names and veteran talents. However, I thought Almeida, Tibau, Pellegrino, and Pyle all put on rather pedestrian affairs. They weren’t bad fights, but they definitely fell short of my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised by the Spike TV broadcast, which featured a great TKO win by Luis Cane and a very, very entertaining striking war between Edson Barboza and Anthony Njokuani.

I rarely dislike being right, but I’m not without a heart. I don’t like seeing Mirko Cro Cop lifeless on the mat. This is the second time in a row that Cro Cop has lost by KO, and I think it may be time for him to call it a career. I could possibly see Cro Cop moving down to Light Heavyweight, but I think Cro Cop’s days of being relevant as a Heavyweight are now firmly and finally over and done with, and not even the staunchest Cro Cop supporter can argue against that.

I’m glad Nate Marquardt beat Dan Miller, but I have a new appreciation for how tough Dan Miller is. I didn’t think he would be able to deal with Nate Marquardt’s power for three rounds without going down, and he proved me dead wrong. So here’s some credit where it’s rightfully due: his performance coupled with the fact that he took this fight on ultra-short notice means that Dan Miller far exceeded my expectations at UFC 128, even in losing.

With his win at UFC 128, I think Jim Miller has firmly staked his claim near the top of the UFC Lightweight division. Miller has got to be only a few fights away from a title shot, there’s just no way he’s not unless the UFC doesn’t realize what they have in him. In Jim Miller you’ve got a fighter that will fight anyone anywhere, he’ll strike with strikers and he’ll try to submit high-level Brazilian Jui Jitsu fighters. Miller has the raw talent to go very far in the UFC’s Lightweight division, and his performance at UFC 128 proves that he’s living up to his potential. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Jim Miller.

Eddie Wineland is one tough fighter, but Urijah Faber proved that he still has it at UFC 128. I was happy enough knowing that Faber finally debuted in the UFC, but seeing him win and win big while still retaining his very entertaining style was one of my favorite moments of the night. I think this was a very important, very big step on the comeback trail for Urijah Faber, and I think 2012 could be the year where Faber becomes a champion again. Depending on how things shake out, we may even enter 2012 with Faber as champion.

I called it, fans and friends. I gave Rua his due, I said he could beat Jon Jones, now give me my due. This is the new era, now. Jon Jones is “the chosen one”. Like some mythical fairy-tale, the young champion has now ascended to the throne and will be the one to break “the curse”. It’s a whole new ballgame now, and Jon Jones is the best Light Heavyweight fighter in the world.

And that’s what I thought about UFC 128, fans and friends. What about you? What’s your opinion on “Shogun vs. Jones” now that it’s all said and done?

The pay-per-view event takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey and will feature a main-event pitting champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua against the talented Jon Jones.

And while Marquardt’s aspirations are to one day become the UFC middleweight champion, he will first have to deal with Dan Miller, who has proven in the past to be no pushover and is currently riding a two-fight win streak heading into their pivotal match-up.

Dan was originally scheduled to face Nick Catone, however after the withdraw of Yoshihiro Akiyama from his bout with Marquardt due to the tragedies over in Japan, Miller has since taken his place.

Dan is currently riding a two-fight win streak, as mentioned before, which has since helped the New Jersey native rebound from a dissapointing three-fight losing streak inside the octagon, however the losses came to divisional greats Chael Sonnen, Demain Maia, and finally Michael Bisping, who are all top contenders in the division.

After suffering through personal adversity, the death of a child, Miller had become refocused and has since submitted John Salter and taken home a contentious split-decision from veteran Joe Doerksen in order to regain footing in a crowded middleweight class.

While Dan has often times relied on his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, which eventually earned him his black belt late earlier last year, he also has a tight stand-up game which compliments his ground skills. However, what has often been lacking is his takedowns defense as well as his inability to take adept wrestlers down.

And while Marquardt is certainly not an adept wrestler, he does have takedown defense, which was not on display during his bout with Chael Sonnen. His biggest asset has always been his physicality and well-rounded game. While market may be a better striker more than anything, he does have solid wrestling that go hand-and-hand with his Jiu-Jitsu game. Perhaps Nate’s only problem has been against stifling wrestlers, ie: Sonnen and Yushin Okami.

But is Miller a wrestler? No. While you can never really bet against a Miller brother, here Marquardt would have to be the obvious choice. I like him either by way of late stoppage or a dominating decision, as Miller’s any chance at winning would be to take the action to the mat, which he will find is easier said than done against a fighter the caliber of “The Great” Nate Marquardt.

So, MMA peeps, agree or disagree? Who do you favor in the bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

The two middleweight fighters were originally scheduled to meet on the main-card televised portion for the pay-per-view event “UFC 128: Jones vs. Shogun” which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey next Saturday.

In Akiyama’s place, UFC veteran Dan Miller will now be meeting with the Greg Jackson product in an effort to record possibly the biggest win of his career, that would undoubtedly catapult him up the middleweight ladder.

UFC President Dana White released a statement concerning the new match-up and had this to say:

“New Jersey native Dan Miller proves once again that he will fight anyone, anywhere, any time by agreeing to step up from the prelims to face Nate Marquardt…Marquardt has long been a top-10 ranked middleweight, and Miller jumped at the opportunity to face him.”

According to recent tweets by the UFC head honcho, Akiyama and his family are fine following the recent earth quakes and tsunami’s that have errupted in Japan, however no time table of his return has been confirmed.

Miller is currently riding a two-fight win streak inside the cage, where he most recently picked up a split-decision win over tested veteran Joe Doerksen this past December. The recent positive stretch helped snap a disappointing three-fight losing streak, though those losses came against some of the division’s best in Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, and Demian Maia–all by decision.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new match? Of course, Marquardt will be heralded as the early favorite heading into the bout, though Miller is competitive in all of his contests and should not be overlooked. Sound off in the comment section below.

Here are the highlights from a recent article posted on Sherdog that features several quotes from Miller: “I was trying to gain a little respect, to be honest. [Oliveira] was the favorite, and I didn’t understand that… I was trying to leave my mark and do what I’m capable of doing… I’m not going to lie. It does eat at me a little. I’ve done nothing to show I shouldn’t be number three…I want my shot at revenge.”

For those keeping score, Jim Miller has only lost twice in his five-year MMA career. And those two men just happen to be headlining UFC 125: Miller lost to current UFC Lightweight Champion Frank Edgar back in 2006, and in 2009 he lost to Gray Maynard, Edgar’s upcoming opponent. Between the loss to Edgar and the loss to Maynard, Miller compiled an eight-fight win-streak with two wins in the UFC. Since the loss to Maynard, Miller is on a six-fight win-streak that includes three stoppages. His submission over Oliveira even got him a “Submission of the Night” bonus.

I’ll freely admit that I was one of the many who predicted that Charles Oliveira would beat Jim Miller. I can’t definitively point to one reason in particular as to why I felt that way, it was more or less a combination of several different reasons. Maybe it was the fact that Jim Miller had basically flown under my radar despite his ongoing win-streak. Maybe it was because Charles Oliveira seemed to perfectly fit the mold of the next can’t-miss prospect that storms through the UFC. Maybe I just like rooting for Oliveira because he fights out of Houston and I’m a proud Houstonian.

But no matter the reason, Jim Miller proved me dead wrong. And in the process, Miller more than earned my respect. I’d even go as far as to say that I’m now an unabashed fan of Jim Miller. With this big win over Oliveira, I think I’m finally beginning to see just how far Jim Miller can go in the UFC’s Lightweight division. There seems to be no stopping him.

If Jim Miller can keep active and keep winning, I think it’s highly likely that we’ll see him in a “contender eliminator” fight. Remember, whoever the UFC Lightweight Champion is once Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard fight must then immediately take on the winner of the upcoming Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis WEC Lightweight Championship fight. A whole lot could happen between now and then. 2011 is shaping up to be a very interesting year for the UFC’s top-division Lightweights, and Jim Miller can now unquestionably count himself amongst those ranks. He earned my respect, he even earned me as a fan… let’s see how far Jim Miller can really go.

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

According to MMA Weekly, 12-4 Dan Miller will be taking on 46-13 Joe Doerksen. Doerksen was last seen being submitted by C.B. Dollaway, Miller was last seen snapping a three-fight losing streak and quite possibly saving his job when he beat John Salter at UFC 118. In a report also posted on MMAWeekly, 18-2 Jim Miller will face 14-0 Charles Oliveira. Oliveira was last seen submitting an overweight and now unemployed Efrain Escudero at the recent UFC Fight Night: “Marquardt vs. Palhares” event. Jim Miller also competed at the same event, earning a Unanimous Decision win over Gleison Tibau and extending his winning streak to five, having not lost since Gray Maynard outpointed him in March of 2009.

I can’t say that I’m a hardcore fan of both men, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a cynic either. Dan Miller is an incredibly tough fighter that has hit a rough patch as of late, but I still think he could one day be an asset to the UFC. Both he and his opponent badly need a big win, so I think that extra motivation will really make this fight stand out. When it comes to Jim Miller, the man is far better off than his brother. He’s won five straight and the lone blemishe on his UFC record comes to a fighter that is next in line for a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship. And the only other blemish on his entire MMA record is a loss to Frank Edgar, the current UFC Lightweight Champion. I think it’s not stretching it at all to say that Miller’s fight with Oliveira may be a contender-eliminator, with the winner firmly planting himself “in the mix” and maybe even getting a title shot outright if their performance is good enough.

In regards to who I think will win, I’m picking both Miller brothers to excel at UFC 124. Joe Doerksen is a highly-skilled veteran, but I’ve seen the potential inside Miller from his hard-fought losses to Demian Maia and Michael Bisping. I truly believe that there’s a champion in there somewhere, even if his three-fight losing streak is still very fresh in a lot of people’s minds. I think Dan has the heart, the endurance, and the will to take everything Doerksen has and keep going.

But to be honest, I’m far more excited for Jim Miller’s fight. This is one that we can all really sink our teeth into. Jim Miller has looked fantastic in his UFC run, you don’t go 7-1 and stay unnoticed for long. Oliveira may only have two fights in the UFC, but they’ve both been very good, extremely heartfelt performances. But when it comes right down to it, experience favors Jim over Charles. It’s going to be a war, but I think Miller will win another big one in another big way and really set himself up for a title shot in the near future.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of these match-ups, and what do you think the future holds for both Miller brothers?

Frankie Edgar defeats BJ Penn via Unanimous Decision to retain the UFC Lightweight Championship. Randy Couture defeats James Toney via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 3:19 of Round 1. Gray Maynard defeats Kenny Florian via Unanimous Decision. Demian Maia defeats Mario Miranda via Unanimous Decision. Nate Diaz defeats Marcus Davis via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:02 of Round 3. Joe Lauzon defeats Gabe Ruediger via Submission (Armbar) at 2:01 of Round 1. Nik Lentz defeats Andre Winner via Unanimous Decision. Dan Miller defeats John Salter via Submission (Ninja Choke) at 1:53 of Round 2. Greg Soto defeats Nick Osipczak via Unanimous Decision. Mike Pierce defeats Amilcar Alves via Submission (Armbar) at 3:11 of Round 3.

And here’s what I thought of the event itself.

I was right that Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis had a good shot at stealing the show. It was certainly the best fight of the night up to that point. As much as I used to hate the Diaz brothers, it’s plain to see that their “punches in bunches” style has finally found its niche. Diaz just completely dominated Davis in the striking, even though Davis had Diaz in a lot of trouble early in the fight. I think that brush with disaster calmed Nate down and brought the killer out in him. I see big things in store for Nate Diaz.

It killed me to see “KenFlo” so thoroughly dominated. I’m a huge fan of Kenny Florian, but he just doesn’t know what to do when he’s not in complete control of a fight. Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar should be a lot of fun even though people are already predicting that it’s going to be boring. Based on how good both men looked at UFC 118, I’m going to give that fight the benefit of the doubt.

For those wanting my opinion on Couture/Toney, you can read all about it here.

In regards to the main event, Frankie Edgar proved once and for all that he’s the best Lightweight in the world right now. Penn honestly looked lost in the later rounds. Frankie Edgar’s cardio is amazing, his punching is so crisp and fast, and his takedowns look more unstoppable by the minute. Frankie Edgar put the world on notice in this fight: he’s no fluke champion, and that belt belongs around his waist. I have a lot of respect for Frankie Edgar, I respected Edgar even before he beat Penn the first time, but now you can officially call me a fan of the man. We’re entering a whole new chapter in the UFC’s Lightweight division, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

And how about you, fans and friends? What do you think of UFC 118, and as far as “Event of the Year” goes, where does it rank with you?

Petruzelli announced the fight, which takes place July 3, via his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Seth takes the spot that had been reserved for “Robot” Steve Cantwell (7-3). Cantwell was expected to fight until the Nevada State Athletic Commission pulled him from UFC 108 in January. Since that time they had re-licensed Steve but this fight with UFC newcomer Romero fell apart in the past few weeks.

Petruzelli is not just known for his underdog victory of Kimbo, he made it to the semi-finals of “The Ultimate Fighter” (TUF) season two.

After the show he stepped into the Octagon twice, losing both times before being released. The losses were to “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (7-2) and Wilson Gouveia (12-8) with the last loss coming at UFC Fight Night 9 in 2007.

Since that time he has gone 4-0 with the hopes of getting back into the UFC. Many speculated that we might me see Seth back inside the Octagon after Kimbo’s stint on TUF. The UFC had a chance to put together a rematch that many would have liked to have seen. That did not happen and here we are with Seth about to fight a highly touted Romero.

Romero has signed a four-fight deal with the UFC and recently began training at AMA Fight Club with UFC veterans “The Mongoose” Jim Miller (17-2) and Dan Miller (11-4). Over half of Romero’s wins come via first-round stoppage.

What are your thoughts on Seth being back in the UFC? Should they have brought him back to face Kimbo before cutting him?

The night started with prelims thanks to Spike TV. “The Upgrade” Dan Lauzon (12-4) came into this fight against Efrain Escudero (8-1) after having a disagreement with his coaches and his brother, UFC fighter “J-Lau” Joe Lauzon (18-5). They refused to travel with him to the fight because they felt he had not spent enough time in the gym and did not follow their plan correctly. This fight proved that the older brother knows best as Dany seemed to tire quickly in the fight. He was never able to score much and Efrain had his way the entire fight. What shocked me was Efrain not using his wrestling background more in the fight. While Efrain is a good prospect he will have to work on becoming more aggressive, looking for the finish and finding the balance between striking and wrestling.

Next up was Dong Hyun Kim (10-4-2) versus Amir Sadollah (3-2) in the final fight on Spike TV before the pay-per-view (PPV) started.

Kim used his solid wrestling base to take Amir down at will during this fight. The one thing that stood out was that while Amir has improved his striking, you can’t do much of that if you can’t stop takedowns. I was shocked at the number of people on Twitter stating that they thought Amir would now get cut from the UFC. Since winning “The Ultimate Fighter” season seven he has gone 2-2 in the UFC and was coming off of back-to-back wins before running into the takedown machine named Dong Hyun Kim. That does merit a cut from the organization and one has to remember he is the face of “Inside the Octagon” on Spike TV. Amir will need to go back to work and spend a ton of time with high quality wrestlers in order to succeed in the UFC. I look for Joe Silva to allow him to do just that and his next fight will probably be against a striker.

Kim, while impressive with his takedowns and top control, never seemed to go for the finish in the fight except when he had the neck tie position. This position is rarely seen in MMA and I have to give credit to Amir for fighting through it. I am looking forward to seeing what UFC matchmaker Joe Silva does with Kim after this win.

The first fight on the PPV was the first fight back inside the Octagon for “The Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-4) after his lopsided loss to then UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” B.J.  (15-6-1). He decided after that loss to move back up to 170 and last night against “Hitman” John Hathaway (12-0) it was apparent that the move was a bad decision. He was simply outclassed by the young Hathaway. I stated in this article that Diego is not an elite fighter and this is further proof of that. His best bet would have been to stay at lightweight and work to get back to the title just like “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (13-4) did after being defeated in his title shot. Diego will continue to have a home in the UFC, as a stepping stone.

Hathaway however is the complete opposite from Diego. A prospect that at 22 has nowhere to go but up after a win over “The Ultimate Fighter” season one winner. He did much better than many expected him to in this fight. He showed excellent takedown defense which he will need as he wades into the deep end of the division. I will enjoy watching the young man develop over the years.

Six weeks ago Forrest Griffin (17-6) had to pull out of his fight that was scheduled for UFC 114. The UFC replaced him with “The Hitman” Jason Brilz (18-3-1). Many thought that his opponent “Lil Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) would walk right through Brilz. Brilz shocked the MMA world by not only going all three rounds with Nogueira but actually dominating him at times during the fight. This fight ended up being a split decision win for Nogueira which brought boos from the crowd and talks of bad judges from those on Twitter.

This was a close fight with Lil Nog controlling the stand up in the first round. The second was a battle of position with Lil Nog using amazing sweeps off his back and both fighters working for guillotines. Brilz sunk in a very deep choke that many would have tapped out to but Lil Nog is a black belt in jiu jitsu and showed great poise in the position.

No matter the outcome, Jason Brilz was the winner in this fight. He gained respect from many in the MMA community and garner quite a few new fans as shown by the massive increase in followers on his Twitter account. Noguiera will continue to rise through the division and Brilz will follow closely behind him. I hope the UFC and Joe Silva decide to put these two back inside the Octagon together sometime in the future.

The hype surrounding Todd Duffee (5-1) was not unwarranted contrary to what you may have heard. Yes, Todd was viciously knocked out in the third round by his opponent Mike Russow (13-1) who is the complete opposite of Duffee in the physique department. This does not mean he is a bad fighter or that the high praise was not deserving. His first fight inside the Octagon was a seven second knock out and he almost repeated that performance by rocking Mike early in the first. Russow was being dominated until the third round. Todd was able to stop any takedown attempts, push away from the clinch and landed strikes at will on the very durable chin of Russow. Then as writers all across the country were starting to pen their pieces on another Duffee win inside the Octagon, Russow stunned the world by catching Todd with a right hand that had put him out cold.

I have my doubts about Russow making it very far in the division. He carries around a lot of unnecessary weight and may be better off trying to work a new conditioning program. His striking was bad until that right hand and he never could get the fight to the mat where he wanted it.

Todd will learn from this mistake and grow as a fighter. He is only 24 and has much to learn and will need to work cardio as well. He seemed to burn out and lose a lot of steam in the middle of the second round. He will need all the cardio he can muster if he plans on making a major push to the top of the UFC heavyweight division.

What can I say about “The Count” Michael Bisping (19-3) and his win over tough Dan Miller (11-4)? Miller looked lost from the start of the round and I have to wonder about his decision to not look for takedowns earlier in the fight. Bisping was the better striker and is great at beating mid-level fighters. I am still not sure he has what it takes to beat the best in the division. Sadly to all the Bisping fans out there, I see him as a gatekeeper in the division. Only time will tell if I am wrong.

There of course is the main event but that will have to wait for another article. After the fights were over I was left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. I was let down for some reason and I am not really sure why. In a night that had a clear favorite being pushed and one being beaten, a knock out by a guy who was never in the fight and the “most anticipated grudge match in UFC history” one would think I would have been excited afterward but that was not the case.

UFC 114 let me down and that is the Monday Gospel. What did you think of UFC 114 overall?

Make sure to follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mmagospel where I tweet live during the fights.

UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi is where the fight will take place and many seem to be writing off Maia. While Maia has obvious weaknesses in his stand up game there are other points we must take into consideration. Before doing that though we need to examine Silva and what he brings to the table as one of the most dominant champions in the history of the UFC.

Anderson Silva busted onto the scene by systematically destroying everyone they put inside the Octagon with him. If he should beat Maia he would hold the all-time record for title defenses in a single reign. His next record should he win at UFC 112, would be the most wins in title matches for a career. That record is currently held by both Matt Hughes (41-7) and “The Natural” Randy Couture (18-10) who have nine and Silva sits at six currently. Since his introduction to the UFC he has finished every fight except for one and has yet to taste defeat inside the Octagon. Other than a disqualification back in 2006 for an illegal upkick, his last loss was in back in 2004. Dominant is a word that seems to fit perfectly when discussing Silva.

Maia is stepping into the Octagon with a man whose biggest strength is his biggest weakness. We were able to witness just how behind Maia is in the striking game when he decided to stand in his fight with “The Great” Nate Marquardt (29-9-2) at UFC 102. Maia came out looking to use some kicks and in :21 seconds the fight was over after Nate put him out cold with one punch. However after that fight it became very clear that Maia was focusing on his striking when he fought Dan Miller (11-3) at UFC 109. Dan is another fighter in the UFC with very good jiu jitsu but just not on the same level as Maia. Most, including myself, expected Maia to get back to his bread and butter and take the fight to the ground and show Miller just what elite level jiu jitsu is all about. That was not the case in the least bit. Maia actually kept the fight standing and used much improved head movement and a jab that before was nowhere to be found. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea and think that due this I believe Maia can stand and trade with Silva. Miller’s striking is much different than Silva’s and light years apart. However it is a part of the game Maia has improved on and will need to use in order to avoid the big shots from Silva.

The only way I have heard that people think Maia can win is if he can get it to the ground. I think that is pretty obvious but I am shocked by those that think his chances of taking Silva down are slim to none. Silva will easily be the bigger man in this fight but that does not mean Maia can’t take him down.”Hendo” Dan Henderson (25-7) took Silva down and controlled him from top position until he got away from his own game-plan. I know that Maia is not the wrestler Hendo is but look at his fight with another top contender in the division, Chael Sonnen (24-10-1). Maia came out and shocked people by out wrestling Sonnen. There is no question what happened in that fight. He takes his shot, works off of Chael’s whizzer attempt and then uses better wrestling to gain the dominant top position.

This is what people seem to be glossing over when discussing Maia’s chances of taking Silva down. Anderson Silva does have a long reach and strikes from odd angles and Maia will have to avoid that brutal shot to get inside and take this fight to the ground. Yet Maia has much better wrestling than he is being given credit for and I feel he will be able to put Silva on his back. Once there he will have to make sure to not get locked up in the body triangle Silva loves to work off his back and this is where the fight could become quite the battle.

Demian Maia will surprise a lot of people by being able to do what only a could have been able to accomplish thus far, putting Silva in a spot where he is least comfortable. Will Maia walk away the champion this Saturday? I have no idea but I do know Maia should be as easily dismissed as he is being right now from other media outlets.

I was very excited to see another Gracie step inside the Octagon but that fight was hard to watch. I am shocked the UFC actually showed the fight. I would have probably ended the broadcast early before showing that to awful display of MMA to fans. Neither fighter was worth watching and rarely, if ever, do I say that.

“The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) had me eating crow as I called for “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-8) to use his wrestling to dominate the smaller Serra. Frank did not look for the shot and ended up getting knocked out by Serra.

Fighters.com sixth-ranked Demian Maia (11-1) has been working his striking and it was very evident in his fight with Dan Miller (11-2). Let’s not jump the gun here though. He could never stand with a clean striker but his improvement shows he is serious about trying to become the UFC champion.

This is the worst I have done with picks on any fight card,ever! Fighters.com ninth-ranked “Quick’ Mike Swick (14-4) did not help me out any. His loss to the man I am now calling the “AKA Hunter”, fourth-ranked welterweight Paulo Thiago (9-1) made a statement to the division. Paulo is a fast rising star in the division and his D’arce choke was very well set up.

Phil Davis (5-0) showed why he is such a great prospect. While his striking was sloppy, his speed and athleticism shined through. He moved from dominant position to dominant position during the fight. The UFC will need to bring him along slowly and allow his stand-up and submissions to improve before throwing him into the deep end of the division. He will be one to watch in the future.

After watching UFC 109 and thinking about the last Strikforce card, the UFC production team does a very good job of moving seamlessly from one thing to another. Plus they get prelim fights on the pay-per-view. Strikeforce will need to work harder to provide a painless broadcast like we saw last night.

A card that many mocked ended up with some entertaining fights, a knock out, great submissions and some shockers. All this and I did not have to sit through painful post-fight interviews by the fight professor.

Paulo Thiago (8-1) versus “Quick’ Mike Swick (14-3)

Fighters.com fourth-ranked welterweight Thiago takes on ninth-ranked Swick. Thiago was originally slated to fight seventh-ranked “Kos” Josh Koscheck(14-4) but that fight feel through and his teammate stepped up to get revenge.

Thiago is primarily known for his grappling but after the brutal uppercut KO of Koscheck many have been talking about his punching prowess, including Paulo himself.

Swick is a fast and aggressive striker with amazing takedown defense. His striking, while not technically perfect, has vastly improved and his use of the counter-punch is something he has relied on after his stint on The Ultimate Fighter Season One.

Thiago has a great chin and even though he knocked out Kos, his striking is sloppy. He loves to drop his hands and against the speedy Swick this could be trouble.

Swick is looking to get a rematch with fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) and even though he is taking this fight on short notice he has quite the advantage in training with Kos and third-ranked Jon Fitch (20-3). Fitch, in his usual style, ground out a decision win over Paulo.

I know Paulo could throw that Kos shot and catch Swick but I feel Swick is going to work to keep this fight standing and try to look for those dropped hands of Thiago. The one trend from Swick that concerns me is when he has fought in big fights in the past he seems to hold back.

The Gospel on this one is Mike Swick by Decision.

Demian Maia (10-1) versus Dan Miller (11-2)

Dan Miller is a hardcore MMA fan’s dream. Just a gritty fighter who loves to grind and usually puts on quite the show.

Fighters.com sixth-ranked Damian Maia has the best MMA jiu-jitsu in the sport and is looking to rebound from his crushing knocking out at the hands of fourth-ranked “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2).

Miller has good but not great muay thai skills and just recently received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. There are differences in skills from one black belt to the next and I feel Dan will want nothing to do with hitting the mat with Maia.

Maia has rudimentary striking at best and will need to take this to the ground but Dan has a good grappling game and will need to use that to keep this fight standing where he has the clear advantage.

This fight may hit the mat and get stalled. I don’t think this will be a Fight of the Night candidate but I feel Maia, if his psyche has recovered from that KO, will catch Miller.

The Gospel is Maia by late third-round submission

“The Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) versus “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-7)

The smack alone before this fight has been epic however I don’t feel the fight will live up to the hype. Serra has said he refuses to lose to a man with a tramp stamp while Trigg has made cracks about Serra being a guido. Great stuff from these two guys.

The fight though will not be a barn burner. Matt Serra is another jiu-jitsu black belt but in contrast to Maia, he has not finished a fight via submission in eight years.

Trigg is a wrestler at heart and although Serra has not posed a threat on the ground in years, Trigg’s kryptonite is the rear naked choke.

Serra will likely want to turn this into a stand up war that will make boxing fans cringe as neither man has very clean striking.

I think Frank’s size and strength advantage will play a huge role in this fight

In the end Trigg will need to use a smothering top game to defeat Serra as a loss for him could mean leaving the UFC.

Gospel: Frank Trigg by unanimous decision

I will skip the Sonnen versus Marquardt fight as I wrote a piece this week on my thoughts of that fight..basically it will be Nate winning and getting the next title shot.

This leads us to the much talked about main event.

“The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10) versus “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-9)

You either love this fight or hate it. Some see it as two over-the-hill fighters making their last stand and trying to stay in a sport that is passing them by. Others see it as a fight they have been waiting to see since UFC 17.

Tenth-ranked heavyweight, but now fighting at light heavyweight, Couture is a greco roman wrestler who helped to define dirty boxing in MMA.

Mark Coleman is a freestyle wrestler who is the inventor of brutal ground and pound.

Mark has not evolved over the years like Randy has and this is a major area of concern in this fight.

Randy has taken his wrestling and used it to push fighters against the cage, use his dirty boxing and win fight after fight when he has been told he is to old.

While Mark did beat Couture the last time they met, in the 1989 Olympic Wrestling Festival, it was only by a point and much has changed since then.

The first key to this fight is obviously wrestling. While I feel Mark was the better wrestler, the additions to Randy’s game will help him to keep this fight standing where he has a huge advantage over Coleman.

The second key is cardio, cardio, cardio. Randy has it and Mark lacks it. Randy will want to keep the pressure on Mark, pushing him against the cage, using his dirty boxing and wearing him down.

Mark needs this fight to hit the mat with him in top position so that he can use that ground and pound to shock the world. Sadly for Mark he will not see this come to fruition.

Randy will tire Mark out and end up getting the takedown himself and beat Coleman at his own game.

I am a born and bred Buckeye and it hurts me to say, Randy Couture wins via TKO due to ground and pound in round two.

Today’s UFC 109 presser gave us this news and according to Dana, he has always considered a co-main event a number one contender’s bout. “We always had it in mind,” White said. “These are two of the top five [middleweights] in the world depending on what you look at.”  I don’t think anyone can argue that Nate is deserving of a shot.

White told those at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Mizuya Lounge in Las Vegas his thoughts on Nate. “Nate’s been deserving it for a while,” This is an assessment I can agree with as Nate is 4-1 since he lost to Fighters.com and UFC middleweight champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4). His lone loss since that time was a split decision loss to Thales Leites (15-3) that many feel should have gone to Nate.

What I don’t understand is the Sonnen getting a shot with a win. I know many will say that if he can beat Nate then he deserves a shot at Silva but let’s look at what he has done since his second arrival in the UFC shall we?

After coming over from the WEC he was matched against submission wizard Demian Maia (10-1) at UFC 95: Sanchez versus Stevens. Chael found himself on the losing end of a triangle choke in the first round. His next two fights, while both wins, were hardly performances befitting of a title shot. He ground out decision victories over hardcore fan favorite Dan Miller (11-2) as well as Yushin Okami (23-5).

Okami was on a three fight win streak until the Sonnen fight but those three wins were not against what I would call quality opponents. Dan Miller was on a four fight win streak until being derailed by Chael. Looking at the fact that he killed the win streaks of two fighters might lead one to believe he is worthy of a shot. The only thing that would make him worthy would be a very convincing win over Nate.

If he were to grind out a decision win over Nate is that spectacular enough to put him in the Octagon with Silva? Does it matter how you win as long as you win? The latter is a tough question as many believe you need to finish fights or at the very least dominate them in order to gain a title shot. I have long been of the opinion that a win is a win and racking up a string of victories should be enough to get you a fight for the title. Chael Sonnen in a title fight with Anderson Silva just does not scream pay-per-view main event to me.

Before I go any further I should say that I feel the likely-hood of Sonnen winning this fight is slim to none. Having said that, I find it hard to believe anyone other than Sonnen actually believes he could beat Anderson Silva. This would be a fight that did nothing but add another highlight reel knock out to the already long list the UFC has thanks to the champion.

What was once a stacked division has become a division of one with all others not being on quite the same level. I do believe that we will see Silva lose in a years time but I can tell you it will not be at the hands of Chael Sonnen.

As the host of MMA Gospel Radio, I offer you the chance to join us in our live chat room to discuss this topic or any other MMA story you would like to discuss. The show airs each Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST. Head over to www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel and join in the debates.

This fighter grappled to a draw with former UFC two division champion “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-8) in a 2006 submission grappling contest and has only lost to fifth-ranked “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (23-2-1) in MMA since 2003.

Souza’s climb up the ranks, second-ranked Jake Shields‘s (24-4-1) hold on the top contender spot, and Strikeforce’s signing of third-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-7) gives Strikeforce four fighters in the 185-pound top ten.  (Of course, Mousasi has abandoned the division to take the Strikeforce 205-pound title.)

It’s likely Shields and Hendo’ will settle the top contender spot and fight for Strikeforce’s title in April, with the winner legitimately claiming the rank of best matchup for Fighters.com and UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4).

Silva will fight tenth-ranked “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8) at UFC 109 in Las Vegas February 6.  Belfort can’t be overlooked at 185 pounds with Silva coming off of elbow surgery and five months hiatus.

Fourth-ranked “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) and seventh-ranked Chael Sonnen (23-10-1) will battle the same night for the next title shot.

And sixth-ranked Demian Maia (10-1) will test strong prospect Dan Miller (11-2), making a trio of UFC 109 fights with maximum impact on the division rankings.

Also in December, ninth-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-1) submitted Tatsuhiko Nishizaka (3-5-1) at Bitetti Combat 5 in São Paulo December 12.  If Filho can get his act together, Fighters.com wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Strikeforce soon.

Fighters.com’s December Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4)

2. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

3. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-7)

4. “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2)

5. “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (23-2-1)

6. Demian Maia (10-1)

7. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)

8. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-2)

9. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-1)

10. “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (18-8)

Belfort earned the title shot by upsetting ninth-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (26-5) in just over three minutes in a 195-pound catch weight bout at UFC 103 in Dallas September 19.  Due to the catch weight, the victory over Franklin doesn’t earn Belfort a ranking in Fighters.com’s middleweight top ten.

After former champ Cung Le (6-0) stepped aside to focus on another film role, second-ranked Jake Shields (23-4-1) will fight for the vacant Strikeforce 185-pound title versus “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-5) in Chicago November 7.

Seventh-ranked Chael Sonnen (22-10-1) will fight “Thunder” Yushin Okami (23-4) on the untelevised undercard of UFC 104 in Los Angeles October 24.  Fighters.com thinks it’s outrageous to relegate this battle of contenders to the untelevised undercard.

Tenth-ranked “Sexyama” Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-2) is rumored to follow-up his victorious UFC debut versus “The Talent” Alan Belcher (14-6) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas July 11 versus tenth-ranked light heavyweight “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (33-10-1) at UFC 108.  Silva will be debuting at middleweight.

Third-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (24-7) is a free agent and in negotiations to return to the UFC, but Hendo’ told Sherdog negotiations aren’t going well.

Fourth-ranked “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) and Hendo’ will probably fight for the next UFC title shot if Henderson and the UFC can agree to a contract soon.

Fifth-ranked “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) has stated he won’t return to the middleweight division and now holds the Strikeforce light heavyweight title; but, Fighters.com has met Mousasi and he’s a small 205er.  If Mousasi decides to compete at the top of the 205-pound division, he’ll be at a severe disadvantage.

Sixth-ranked Demian Maia (10-1) will look to rebound soon from his first-round KO loss to Marquardt at UFC 102 in Portland August 30.

Eighth-ranked Dan Miller (11-2) is recovering from an injury which kept him from fighting “Doberman” CB Dollaway (8-2) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 19.

Franklin is in limbo after losing to Belfort and continues to contemplate his future at 185- and 205-pounds.

Fighters.com October Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4)

2. Jake Shields (23-4-1)

3. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (24-7)

4. “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2)

5. “Dreamcatcher” Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1)

6. Demian Maia (10-1)

7. Chael Sonnen (22-10-1)

8. Dan Miller (11-2)

9. “Ace” Rich Franklin (26-5)

10. “Sexyama” Yoshihiro Akiyama (14-2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Simpson TKO’d “Wrecking Machine” Tim McKenzie (10-6) in his UFC debut at Fight Night 18 in Nashville 1 April.

Miller lost a unanimous decision to Chael Sonnen (22-10-1) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas 23 May.

Simpson was originally scheduled to fight “Short Fuse” Ed Herman (15-7) until Herman replaced injured “Sandman” James Irvin (14-5) versus Wilson Gouveia (12-6) at UFC 102 in Portland 29 August.

Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.

Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian, but virtual unknown “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

Thales Leites (14-1), “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0), “King” Spencer Fisher (22-4), Dan Miller (10-1), “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4), and Hermes Franca (19-7) were all winners inside the Octagon.

Silva Wins Via Cote Injury

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4) won by TKO when “Predator” Patrick Cote‘s (13-5) knee popped at 39 seconds of round three.

It was an odd conclusion to Silva’s longest fight since 2004. At the beginning of round three, Cote was visibly excited to make it further than any of Silva’s previous UFC opponents, but, 39 seconds later, he was on the mat holding his knee and grimmacing in pain.

“It’s an old injury,” Cote explained. “I busted my knee in the second round and I tried to come back in the third and my knee just popped out.” Cote added, “I’m so sorry.”

Silva said, “I came here to fight. Patrick came here to fight. He was exchanging. It was a fine fight, but unfortunately he got hurt.”

In fact, in round one, it didn’t seem as Silva came to fight as he circled Cote for two full minutes before slapping a low kick to Cote’s thigh. Cote scored with a body kick; but, Silva followed-up with a knee that split Cote over his right eye.

In a bit of showboating, Silva actually offered to help Cote off the mat in round two. Cote had pulled guard and landed elbows from the mat before Silva stood out of Cote’s guard and extended his hand.

Silva landed elbows and knees more frequently in the second round.

The third round and, really, the fight had barely began when Cote’s knee gave and ended the night.

Silva is probably on his way to a 205-pound match-up at UFC 92 in Las Vegas 27 December.

Alves Easily Defeats Koscheck

Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.

With the win, Alves should cement himself into the UFC’s top contender spot to fight the winner between Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) and Ligthweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1); though, UFC President Dana White has already begun floating a St. Pierre versus Silva match-up if St. Pierre wins.

Alves hammered Koscheck’s legs to mush over three rounds. By the third round, Koscheck was wobbly and vulnerable to a Superman punch.

Throughout the fight, Koscheck answered Alves’s aggressive striking consistently; but, Alves’s strikes added up, earning him the decision.

“Cigano” Crumbles Werdum

Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.

“I knew that once my hand would get in there and hit him, I could knock him out,” explained dos Santos after the fight. “I just waited for the right time and I put my fist in his face.”

Werdum crumbled at the end of a “Cigano” right uppercut; and, dos Santos followed-up with several shots as Werdum lay on the mat.

“The uppercut is one of my best punches,” dos Santos added. “Once I hit him with a couple of jabs I knew that he always dropped his head.”

“Cigano”, a pupil of second-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) was making his UFC debut.

Werdum had been guaranteed a title shot with a victory.

Sherks Wins First in 15 Months

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

“This is the first win I’ve had in 15 months, believe it or not,” Sherk said after he dominated the young talent most of the fight. “I definitely want to get back out there and get a shot at that belt.”

Sherk took Griffin’s back twice in the first round, once after taking Griffin down and another transitioning from a Griffin takedown attempt. Griffin defended both times.

In the second round, Sherk countered Griffin’s leg kicks with jabs and Griffin’s punches to the body with left hooks.

“People really do underestimate my hands,” explained Sherk.

Griffin landed punches more frequently in round three; but, Sherk often answered him with his own punches.

“He rocked me a few times,” Sherk admitted. “The kid hits hard. The kid’s really aggressive. He’s 24-years old, he’s not going anywhere.”

After winning, Sherk emphasized, “I want to be a two-time UFC champion.”

Leites Quick To Tap McFedries

UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites (14-1) wasted no time tapping “Massacre” Andrew McFedries (7-5) in a rear naked choke.

Leites took down McFedries quickly; and, McFedries rolled to his stomach to escape. Leites hopped on McFedries’s back and wrapped up the choke at 1:18 of the first round.

Maynard Takes Decision Over Clementi

Lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0) remained undefeated after a unanimous decision over “No Love” Rich Clementi (32-13-1) by judges’ scores of 30-27 three times.

“He’s a vet, man; and, I could tell,” Maynard said after the fight. “So, I was like, ‘Alright. Let’s try the takedown.’”

Maynard slammed Clementi in every round.

Maynard said, “He’s crafty! Like, tied me up, like, at all times. He would just keep close and keep it tied up.”

Neither fighter did much damage on the mat. In the second round Maynard locked up a guillotine; but, Clementi freed himself and attempted an armbar moments later.

Maynard spent most of the third round controlling the fight from the top position.

“King” Fisher Taps Gugerty

“King” Spencer Fisher (22-4) tapped lightweight Shannon Gugerty (11-3) in a triangle choke at 3:56 of round three.

Gugerty wrestled Fisher down in the third and landed inside Fisher’s guard, from which Fisher applied the choke and forced the tap.

Fisher had dominated the fight with aggressive striking and work in the clinch; but, Gugerty nearly caught Fisher in a guillotine choke in round two.

Miller Wins Again, UD Over Fellow Ex-IFLer Horwich

In his Octagon sequel, middleweight Dan Miller (10-1) spoiled fellow former IFL fighter “Suave” Matt Horwich‘s (22-11-1) UFC debut in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.

Miller opened each round with a takedown of Horwich, but got swept and nearly tapped in a rear naked choke in round two. Miller defended the choke and Horwich had to settle for landing shot from the mount as the round ended.

However, in rounds one and three, Miller controlled position and landed shots from the top position to pick up his second UFC “W”.

Sell Wins First in Octagon Since 2005

Welterweight “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4) served “The People’s Warrior” Josh Burkman (18-8) his third consecutive loss in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.

After losing the first round to Burkman on the mat, Sell tagged Burkman to the body repeatedly in rounds two and three. After softening Burkman up, Sell took Burkman to the mat and ended the fight latching a guillotine choke around Burkman’s neck. Burkman defended the choke to the final bell.

The win is Sell’s first in the Octagon since February 2005.

Franca Dispatches Former Training Partner Aurelio

Lightweight Hermes Franca (19-7) won a unanimous decision over “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-7) by judges scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

Unfortunately, little of the bitterness between the two former training partners motivated them between the first and final bell; though, Franca pushed Aurelio inside the Octagon before the fight; and, Aurelio refused to shake hands with Franca after the fight.

Franca won the judges’ favors by consistently landing a leg kick throughout the three largely uneventful rounds.

Former IFL Middleweight Champion Dan Miller (9-1) has agreed to replace him, although no official announcement has been made.

Miller won his UFC debut in September, submitting “Rosedale Reaper” Rob Kimmons (21-4) in the first round via rear naked choke.

Horwich was the IFL’s first-ever Middleweight Champion and will be making his UFC debut.  He most recently scored a unanimous decision over “Coyote” Joey Guel (13-7) in May.

Omaha-native Brilz fought only once since late 2006, submitting Erik Jenks (2-4) via first-round rear naked choke in May.

Australia’s Morris last fought in April and was TKO’d in 2:10 by Cain Velasquez (4-0).

Miller was the IFL’s final Middleweight Champ. In his last fight he submitted Ryan McGivern (12-6) with a kneebar in May to win the title.

Kimmons, from Kansas, submitted Rob Yundt (6-2) with a guillotine in round one during the TUF finale in June.

“Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-9-1) defended his IFL lightweight title in a five-round unanimous decision “W” over tough Lithuanian Deividas Taurosevicius (9-3).

Middleweight Dan Miller (8-1) blew through IFL Middleweight Champion Ryan McGivern (12-6).  At 3:36 of round one, Miller sucked up McGivern’s right leg in a kneebar to tap the champ and take his strap.

On the undercard at the Mohegan Sun, “Indio” Danillo Villefort (7-2) tapped middleweight Mike Massenzio in a kneebar at 3:25 of round one.

Jorge Gurgel-trained lightweight “Pitbull” Josh Souder (7-2) dispatched Zac George (12-3) by TKO in 47 seconds.

Middleweight “Suave” Matt Horwich (23-10) won a unanimous decision over “Coyote” Joey Guel (13-6).

Welterweight “Doomsday” John Howard (9-3) TKO’d Nick Calandrino (4-1) at 2:24 of round three.

Light heavyweight Aaron Stark (6-4) won a unanimous decision over “Philly Bad Ass” Lamont Lister (4-4), fresh off his win at YAMMA Pit Fighting.

Lightweight John Franchi (4-0) remained undefeated tapping Frank Latina (4-2) in a rear naked choke at 2:19 of round one.