» Fighter: David Baron

Lightweight Jim Miller (12-1) tapped Frenchman David Baron (16-3) in a rear naked choke at 3:19 of the third round at UFC 89 in Birmingham Saturday night.

Miller scooped a Baron low kick and dumped Baron to the mat, scrambling into full mount.

“It was there; so, I went for it,” said Baron.  “His hands were kind of high and his hips weren’t where they were supposed to be to defend the takedown.”

Read More About UFC 89: Miller Relentless in Submission of Baron…

All UFC 89 fighters made their weight today at the NIA for Saturday’s card in Birmingham.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read More About UFC 89: Bisping & Leben Make Weight…

The UFC officially pulled the light heavyweight match between Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) and tenth-ranked Thiago Silva (13-0) off the UFC 89 card Wednesday, happening 18 October in Birmingham.

The organization also confirmed a lightweight match between between David Baron (16-2) and Jim Miller (11-1) at the same event.

Silva withdrew last week due to a back injury, and now Machida has also been removed completely from the card.

Machida told Tatame, “There’s no way to find an opponent now, and I’ll have to wait another event to fight.  I don’t know who I’ll face, UFC didn’t say anything yet, only that I won’t fight at UFC 89.  It’s sad because I was focused, training hard and prepared, but this kind of things happens.”

Machida most recently faced “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1), winning a unanimous decision at UFC 84 in May.

Shooto veteran Baron won his last fight via first-round guillotine choke over “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-8-2) in May.

Baron has not been defeated since Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) caught him with a rear naked choke at PRIDE in 2008.

Miller last fought in the IFL, winning a unanimous decision over “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (29-11) in April.

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-8-2) succumbed to a guillotine choke submission in the arms of former European Shooto king David Baron (15-2) in Tokyo Saturday.

Baron sank the death blow as “Mach” shot for a takedown.  The final tap touched the mat at 4:50 of the first round.

The “L” is Sakurai’s first since getting KO’d by third-ranked “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) in 2005.

Baron hasn’t lost since 2006, ironically to Gomi by rear naked choke submission.

The Shooto Tradition event also featured a 154-pound title fight between Takashi Nakakura (10-2-1) and Ganjo Tentsuku (9-3-2).

It was a hard-fought slog for both Japanese warriors, but the judges saw the fight 30-28, 30-29, 20-39 for Nakakura.

“Ironman” Akitoshi Tamura (12-6-2) ended a 143-pound war with Shooto vet “Moon Wolf” Rumina Sato (24-12-2) at 2:37 of round three with a north/south choke submission.

“Savant” Trenell Young (9-7), recently of the IFL, upset “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (14-3) by two-round UD scored 19-18 all around.

Fighters.com will post an interview with Young about his surprising Shooto debut this week.

123-pound Yasuhiro Urushitani (14-3-6) and Ryuichi Miki (6-2-3) fought to a majority draw, Urushitani’s second consecutive draw, and third draw in his last four fights.

Top 155-pound contender Yusuke Endo (11-2-1) submitted debuting vince Ortiz (0-1) in 3:34 of round one.

Frenchman Bendy Casimir (14-4-2) won a unanimous decision over “Torao Supernova” Shinji Sasaki (6-2) in another 155-pound contest.

Hayate Usui (9-6-1) won a majority decision over Sakae Kasuya (3-3-3).

“Shinpei” Noboru Tahara (4-2) cut Katsuya Murofushi (3-3), causing a stoppage by TKO :46 of round two.

“Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-7-2) will fight former European Shooto Champion David Baron (13-2) of France 5 May at Shooto’s Tokyo event.

Sakurai himself is a former Shooto World Champion and comes off a mauling of Hidetaka Monma (14-8-3) at DREAM.1 last month.

Baron fought last December, submitting Niek Tromp (4-2-2) by guillotine choke in the first round.

The fighters share a common opponent from their past.

Former PRIDE Lightweight Champion “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) iced Sakurai in the first round of 2005 PRIDE fight.

Gomi tapped Baron by rear naked choke eight-months later, also in PRIDE.