First up is a report over at MMA Weekly that confirms that Guillard/Lauzon have agreed to meet in a major Lightweight showdown at UFC 136. Lauzon was one of the many fighters that Guillard has recently set his sights on, and one of the few to respond with a “let’s do it”.

We then head to MMA Mania for a report that states that Kenny Florian will challenge Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 136.

And rounding out the trilogy of major match-ups, MMA Fighting recently released a report stating that UFC 136 is also being targeted as the event that will host the third and likely final fight between Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard, with the UFC Lightweight Championship on the line.

Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard have quite a history with one another. Maynard is the only man to ever beat Edgar, and earlier this year at UFC 125, the rematch with Edgar’s title on the line was an early contender for “Fight of the Year”. After absorbing a near-inhuman amount of damage in the earlier rounds, Edgar would end up rallying and the fight would be ruled a draw.

When Kenny Florian fights Jose Aldo at UFC 136, it’ll either be “third time’s the charm” or “three strikes and you’re out”. Florian has already fought for a championship on two separate occasions, and has lost both bouts in humbling fashion. He also lost a potential third shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship via an equally-humbling loss to Gray Maynard. Florian recently dropped to Featherweight for the first time in his career and earned a tough win over Diego Nunes.

Joe Lauzon is currently 2-2 in his two most-recent fights, but he can take solace in the fact that he’s been fighting some pretty tough opponents. Lauzon can also take pride in the fact that when he does win, he tends to do so in almost frighteningly-dominant fashion.

His opponent, Melvin Guillard, is widely regarded as the premiere finisher in the UFC’s Lightweight division. Guillard is currently on a five-fight win-streak with three stoppages, and has won eight of his last nine fights.

All I can really say is… wow. Wow, it only took one day for UFC 136 to become mostly-complete. I mean, with these six fights announced, you’ve got to think that the UFC 136 Pay-Per-View card is now locked up. And wow, WOW, does this look like an amazing card.

First off, two title fights! You know it’s a stacked card when they give you two title fights. You’ve also got Guillard/Lauzon, which should be a great fight considering how both fighters love to dramatically finish their opponents.

And let’s not forget: way before everyone was falling over themselves to praise Edgar/Maynard 2, back when everyone thought it would be a boring snooze-fest, I was out there practically shouting from the rooftops that it would be an epic fight. Turns out I was right, and with that said, I can’t wait for this trilogy to come to a close.

I’m also very excited for Aldo/Florian. This is Florian’s last shot at some gold, I truly believe this, and I think that’s going to bring out the best in him. But Jose Aldo is a destroyer, and he could humble Florian.

All in all, UFC 136 and 137 have both become “can’t-miss” events almost in the blink of an eye. And that makes me a very, very, very happy MMA fan.

Here are some very interesting quotes from Guillard courtesy of MMA Mania: “I feel like a lot of the guys at the top of the heap were overrated… Me personally, I think Frankie Edgar is overrated… He’s the champ right now, but he’s not a finisher. To me, a lot of the guys who aren’t finishing fights are overrated…  I just feel overall that I’m the best 155′er and I’m content with that.”

Guillard makes an interesting point, and I find myself firmly agreeing and wholeheartedly disagreeing with several of the things he said during this interview. Let me start with something positive: there’s not a doubt in my mind that Melvin Guillard is a top-division Lightweight and definitely deserves to be “in the mix”.

And I’m glad he is, since Melvin has always struck me as someone with an amazing amount of potential that, for one reason or another, never managed to realize it… until now, of course. Now, Guillard has won five straight fights with three (T)KO stoppages, all three of which were worthy of any highlight-reel. The UFC Lightweight scene is crowded with top contenders and fantastic fighters, but Guillard is definitely one of the best.

Here’s where I disagree with Melvin, though: Frankie Edgar is not over-rated, and fighters that don’t finish fights are only over-rated if you make a blanket assumption and don’t take the time to examine things in-depth.

What I mean by that is this: let’s give a quick look at some of the people Frank Edgar has fought lately. He had a draw with Gray Maynard… no one’s beaten Gray Maynard. He beat BJ Penn by decision twice… BJ Penn has been stopped two times in his entire career. He fought Sean Sherk to a decision… Sean Sherk has been stopped twice in his entire career.

This reminds me of a point Dominick Cruz raised when people questioned why he’s not finishing more fights. I’m paraphrasing here, but Cruz basically said “Look at the opponents I’ve faced. Who’s finishing these guys?” Cruz’s answer, which was the correct answer by the way, was simple: no one.

My point is this: as you move higher and higher up the food chain, it becomes harder and harder to finish an opponent. That’s why a fighter like Anderson Silva, who routinely demolishes anyone put in front of him, is regarded as one of the greatest fighters ever. I think Guillard is wrong to criticize Edgar for beating people by decision when the fighters Edgar’s beaten have massive records and have only been stopped a few times in their entire careers.

So while I do think Melvin Guillard is one of the best Lightweight fighters in the UFC and definitely the best finisher at 155… I think he may be in for a rude awakening as he moves closer and closer to a title shot. Sooner or later, Guillard will run into a fighter that simply won’t go down. It’s happened before, and with how good many of the UFC’s Lightweights are right now, it’ll happen again.

MMA Junkie brings us the most up-to-date entry in this breaking news story. According to their sources, Frank Edgar suffered an injury to his ribs while Gray Maynard suffered an injury to his knee. Apparently, neither injury is serious and Edgar/Maynard 3 could happen as early as August 2011. The two were originally set to meet for a third time at the main event of UFC 130, which is currently scheduled for May 28 and will be the only UFC show to take place in May of this year. It has also been announced that the co-main event, a fight pitting former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton Jackson against Matt Hamill, will now take the main event slot.

I’ll be honest, the removal of this fight has caused UFC 130 to take a major hit in my eyes. I’m a huge Matt Hamill fan, and a pretty big “Rampage” fan as well, but Edgar/Maynard 3 was something special. I love bringing this up and I apologize if I begin to sound repetitive, but I was one of the most vocal advocates for Edgar/Maynard 2. I constantly defended that fight against all of its many critics, and just as I thought, Edgar/Maynard 2 was an instant classic. So of course I was looking forward to their third showdown, which I think could be just as good if not better.

This also strikes a nerve in me for a totally different reason: Anthony Pettis. I hate how Pettis is the “odd man out”; I hate how he may have to wait even longer to finally get his shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship even if he wins his upcoming fight against Clay Guida. No matter what, I still think Pettis should have gotten the next title shot.

I think the UFC 130 card did take a big blow, but it’s not something it can’t recover from. With several other big match-ups, the show is definitely salvageable and should be pretty entertaining. It may not be the super-stacked card I was hoping for, but considering that this is the only event the UFC will be running in May, I think the phrase “beggars can’t be choosers” applies pretty well to this situation.

So, without Edgar/Maynard 3, what’s left of UFC 130? Quite a lot, actually. In addition to Rampage/Hamill you’ve got Frank Mir taking on Roy Nelson, Stefan Struve vs. Travis Browne, Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago, and Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story. You’ve even got names like Miguel Torres and Kendall Grove all set to compete at UFC 130. So while it is pretty disheartening to see UFC 130’s main event get cancelled, ultimately this should still be an event that’s well worth watching.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on the situation?

According to MMA Junkie, the UFC 125 medical suspensions are as follows.

Frankie Edgar: Suspended until July 1 due to nasal fracture, though a doctor can clear him early. Minimum suspension until February 16 with no contact until February 1.

Gray Maynard: Suspended until February 16 with no contact until January 23 due to facial lacerations.

Chris Leben: Suspended until February 6 with no contact until February 1 for precautionary reasons.

Brandon Vera: Suspended until July 1 due to nasal fracture, though a doctor can clear him early. Minimum suspension until February 16 with no contact until February 1.

Marcus Davis: Suspended until July 1 due to nasal fracture, though a doctor can clear him early, Minimum suspension until March 3 with no contact until February 16.

Josh Grispi: Suspended until July 1 due to a jaw injury, though a doctor can clear him early. Minimum suspension until February 16 with no contact until February 1.

Phil Baroni: Suspended until July 1 due to nasal fracture, though a doctor can clear him early. Minimum suspension until March 3 with no contact until February 16.

Diego Nunes: Suspended until January 23 with no contact until January 16 due to left-eye contusion.

Greg Soto: Suspended until July 1 due to a left-shoulder injury, though a doctor can clear him early.

It should come as no surprise that all four brothers of the broken nose had their noses wrecked, since all four received some brutal punishment throughout the night. Phil Baroni showed some early promise in his bout with Brad Tavares, but once again Baroni proved that his chin is suspect when hit cleanly, as Tavares ended up TKO’ing Baroni in Round 1. Marcus Davis looked to be doing good in his Lightweight debut against Jeremy Stephens… until Stephens landed a bomb that knocked Davis out cold. Brandon Vera’s injury needs no introduction, and it’s something that has to be seen to be believed. It truly is one of the most gruesome breaks I’ve ever seen in MMA. And Frank Edgar’s broken nose was most likely the result of the utterly insane amount of damage that he absorbed in Round 1, and to be honest, I’m still utterly baffled at how Edgar was able to survive Maynard’s onslaught.

All in all, I hope everyone heals up, because a lot of fighters put on some very entertaining performances at UFC 125 and I look forward to seeing all of them back into the Octagon sooner rather than later. And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of the UFC 125 medical suspensions?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Several sources around the internet have already confirmed it, including MMA Weekly. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports was apparently the first man to get the scoop. According to the report, Dana White has changed his mind and opted to make an immediate rematch between Edgar and Maynard. No definitive timetable for Edgar vs. Maynard 3 has been revealed as of this report.

Make no mistake, fans and friends: if Anthony Pettis and the whole WEC Lightweight Championship situation didn’t exist, I wouldn’t just be another MMA fan calling for an immediate rematch. I’d shove my way to the front of the line, grab a megaphone, and start leading the charge. I had some high hopes for Edgar vs. Maynard 2, and even with that in mind the fight outright exceeded my expectations. I knew it was going to be good, and a lot better than many people thought it would be, but even I wasn’t fully expecting the amazing performance both men turned in. The rematch is definitely a no-brainer, especially when you consider how divided the fanbase is becoming on who they thought won and why.

The only problem with this situation is that it’s completely unfair to Anthony Pettis.

I realize that not having an immediate rematch is unfair to Gray Maynard, but Anthony Pettis has done nothing wrong and shouldn’t be forced to wait on the sidelines. What’s the alternative for Pettis? Fight in the UFC for the WEC Lightweight Championship, a championship for a promotion that no longer exists? After he gave us one of the best fights of all time and, without a shadow of a doubt in my mind, the greatest strike that’s ever landed in MMA history? Pettis has earned his shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship, and he’s fully deserving of debuting in the UFC in a main event for one of it’s major championships. The man is incredibly humble and unbelievably talented, and shoving him to the sidelines is an outright disservice to him.

In the end, I’m honestly approaching Edgar/Maynard 3 with some mixed feelings. I know it’s going to be an amazing match, and I think it should be made. I think that both men have finally proven to everyone that they’re not boring fighters, so they should definitely capitalize on that momentum by finally closing out their epic rivalry. I just don’t like the fact that Anthony Pettis has basically been shoved under the rug through no fault of his own, and is looking at quite a long layoff before he ever gets the title shot that he fully, unquestionably earned.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about the UFC Lightweight Championship situation?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Both men are high-level wrestlers. There are two things, one bad and one good, that usually happens when two gifted athletes who share the same top attribute (in this case, it’s both men’s wrestling) meet each other for a fight. The first and worst is that they nullify each other and we’re left with a rather mundane fight. But sometimes two gifted athletes get into an amazing war and push each other’s skills to the limit. People are wrongly associating Maynard/Edgar 2 with the first scenario and not the second. Based on both men’s recent performances, the second scenario seems far more likely.

4. Edgar performed brilliantly in his most recent fight. Has anyone ever out-worked BJ Penn like Frank Edgar out-worked BJ Penn? Penn has had to deal with tough losses in the past, but who else dominated Penn like Edgar? Only Georges St. Pierre in his second fight with BJ Penn comes anywhere close, and that fight was mired in the whole “GreaseGate” scandal. In Penn/Edgar 2 there was no scandal, no question as to who won, and Penn was beaten and humbled in his own weight class. Edgar/Penn 2 proved that Frank Edgar can compete and dominate at the highest level, and I see no reason to believe that that’s a trend that’s going to end.

3. Edgar has the confidence necessary to stay at the top. Confidence always seems to be the “X” factor that can change the outcome of a fight no matter how uneven the fight looks on paper. Edgar knows he can compete against the best in the world, and he knows he can beat them. With this knowledge, he’ll continue to improve and look to dominate his opponents. When you know you’re the best, you perform at your best, so long as you take your opponent seriously. And based on their history, Edgar is taking Maynard very, very seriously.

2. Maynard has the confidence necessary to make a serious run to the top. Confidence swings both ways, and in the case of Gray Maynard, how can you not have all the confidence in the world going into this title fight? Maynard has beaten Edgar once before, when it comes to confidence-building, nothing else really comes close. And based on his recent destruction of Kenny Florian, Maynard also knows that he can compete at a high level and dominate.

1. There’s a very real, decidedly bitter rivalry here. For Frank Edgar, it’s all about getting revenge on the only man that’s ever beaten him in his entire career. But make no mistake; revenge is also a huge motivating factor for Gray Maynard. Edgar lost to Maynard yet Maynard was passed by and overlooked, while Edgar rocketed to the top and began headlining Pay-Per-Views. Bitter rivalries sell fights, and while this rivalry stems from professional reasons rather than personal vendettas, it’s still remarkably bitter and both men are still very eager to pound each other’s faces in. And that always makes for an awesome fight.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five reasons why this fight should be one to remember. But what about you? What are your feelings on Maynard/Edgar 2?

In an exclusive interview with Tapology, Edgar recently said the following in regards to the criticism he’s had to deal with ever since emerging as a top-division Lightweight: “We’re all going to find out whether or not I can beat Maynard on January 1st, so hopefully that will shut everybody up… He gets a lot of flack for not being the most entertaining guy, but that’s not what it’s about. He wins… I do hear [the critics]. I’m not really a computer guy, but I do hear it. I do think I’m an exciting fighter, though… It’s just the fans and the media. You hear dominant wrestlers getting a lot of flack.”

I think Edgar is preaching to the choir… I’ve been a strong supporter of both him and Jon Fitch for quite some time now. Frank Edgar made a firm believer out of me in his second fight with BJ Penn, so I just don’t understand why people still think he has something to prove. Make no mistake, fans and friends; I do think that some of the flack wrestling-based Mixed Martial Artists get is justified. I hate “lay and pray”, I hate “wall and stall”, and I positively, absolutely loathe wrestlers who constantly shoot for takedowns and do nothing with them.

But Frank Edgar isn’t the type of fighter that does that, and it’s unfair that so many people are still grouping him in that category. I’ve followed Frankie for some time, and I’ve never once felt like he’s been inactive on the ground. He does go to the ground a whole heck of a lot, but he’s always hunting for something or doing damage. When it goes to the ground, Frank Edgar wants to mount you, he wants to punch your face in, he wants to put you in the most disadvantageous position possible and score as many points as he can, and even finish you outright if that’s possible. Edgar is willing to fight tooth-and-nail for every takedown and he’s just as willing to get into a prolonged battle once the fight ends up on the ground. And it both saddens and frustrates me that so many people don’t give him the kind of respect that type of wrestling-based style deserves.

A boring fight is a boring fight no matter if it’s fought on the ground or on the feet. But Frank Edgar doesn’t compete in boring fights. He may have narrowly beat out BJ Penn the first time (even I had my doubts), but the second time around he made it look easy and handed Penn arguably the most embarrassing loss of BJ’s entire career. Edgar fought for and won my respect way before he ever fought for and won top-division status. His two victories over Penn simply sealed the deal and made me an outright fan of the man. It seems like I’m one of the rare ones both in the media and the general fanbase that can’t wait to see Edgar face Maynard. And I’ve got to tell you, fans and friends… it shouldn’t be that way.

But of course, that’s my opinion. What about you? What are your thoughts on Frank Edgar and his recent comments?

Here are the highlights from an interview Pettis recently had with MMA Weekly: “I’m going to go back home Monday and we’ll figure out both styles and whoever wins the [Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard] fight, I’m going to have to fight either one of them, I think I’ll fight both of them eventually. I want to be the best in the world. That’s the place to do it at.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I really do think that Anthony Pettis will emerge as the UFC Lightweight Champion once all is said and through. And it’s not just because I find him so entertaining, which of course I do. It’s because he has the uncanny ability to entertain while still approaching his fights with a very cerebral, technical mindset. He may have tried something crazy, but the reason he tried it was sound: he knew he had to do something big in order to definitively win the fight. And Pettis did have the courage to try something big: he landed something that’s usually only seen in movies and video games. Pettis seems to grow by leaps and bounds on a per-fight basis, and I think this win over Henderson was a massive learning experience for him.

Looking forward, the toughest tests of his young career certainly do lie ahead, and that’s said with absolutely no disrespect meant towards the talented men “Showtime” has beaten in the past. Whether it’s Gray Maynard or Frank Edgar, Pettis is in for a long fight against a fantastic wrestler. Frank Edgar truly is “The Answer”, he’s not particularly amazing at one thing but manages to mix everything together so well that he’s emerged as the undeniable best Lightweight on the planet. Meanwhile, Gray Maynard is an incredibly dominant wrestler who’s shown outright disdain for his opponent’s strengths and has fully lived up to his nickname “The Bully” in the countless fights he’s had where he completely shuts down his opponent’s offense and literally bullies them around the Octagon.

So, can Anthony Pettis really beat Gray Maynard and Frank Edgar? The possibility certainly exists. His ground game is very good, he nearly submitted Ben Henderson several times. It just so happens that “Smooth” seems to be a human Gumby. Against stocky wrestlers like Frank Edgar or Gray Maynard, Pettis may be able to grab hold of something whenever the fight inevitably winds up on the ground. And the “Showtime Kick” proves that we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Pettis’ potential as a striker. I think big, big things are in store for Anthony Pettis, and I can’t wait to see him debut in the UFC.

But what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about Anthony Pettis and his chances in the UFC?

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the highlights of an interview Melendez recently did with MMA Weekly: “Of course I want to fight Frankie Edgar and Eddie Alvarez… I really want to figure out who’s No. 1 in the world. [Those fights] would help me figure it out right there… I think I’ve been the one making the most noise about this and I think I’m finally starting to get heard… I know Eddie wants to fight me, I want to fight Eddie… Win or lose, I just want to figure out if I can beat this guy or not. I can’t live with myself not knowing.”

Now that’s a warrior speaking right there, ladies and gentlemen. Gilbert Melendez simply isn’t the kind of fighter that turns down fights or ducks fighters. His past performances are all I need as proof in order to believe him when he says that he would gladly take on both the Bellator and UFC champion. I think the Lightweight division in MMA in general has been blown wide open this year. With new talent, the fall of BJ Penn, and the announced merger of the WEC and UFC, MMA’s 155 division will be one of the ones to watch in 2011.

In regards to Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez, I honestly think that fight would be a toss-up. Just because Gilbert Melendez beat Shinya Aoki while Shinya Aoki beat Eddie Alvarez does not mean that Melendez will beat Alvarez. That’s a pretty obvious example of “MMA Math”, and I’ve never once believed in that system of thinking. A fight is a fight, a fighter can reinvent himself countless times over and simply holding a win over an opponent that beat your upcoming opponent isn’t something you can take for granted. It’s certainly a feather in your cap and a great way to get yourself motivated, but you’ll lose sight of your opponent as he is right now if you focus on how he performed in the past.

When it comes to Gilbert Melendez vs. Frank Edgar, this one definitely isn’t happening. But as far as “fantasy fights” go, this is an awesome one. It would be a very competitive, very fast-paced fight, but ultimately I’ve just got to favor Edgar. Edgar is making a habit out of proving people wrong and doing it in spectacular fashion. Against Melendez we’d see the same incredible drive, the same determination, the same insane cardio… taken by themselves I think Melendez could deal with Edgar, but when you put them all together you get a total package that only Gray Maynard has been able to stand up against.

While I won’t hold out hope for Melendez vs. Edgar anytime soon, I honestly think that we’ll see Melendez vs. Alvarez before 2011 is through. It’s just such an interesting fight, and this rivalry is starting to gain quite a lot of traction in the press. Personally, I’ll continue to cover this rivalry because I want to do whatever I can to push both promotions towards co-promoting. A Bellator vs. Strikeforce rivalry would give us some guaranteed “Fight of the Year” candidates, and I’m all in favor of excellent match-ups between amazing fighters, regardless of what banner they’re waving.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Melendez’s comments and the Bellator/Strikeforce rivalry in general?

Here’s what the unlikely (at first) Lightweight Champion had to say regarding his future plans, which apparently include Aldo, courtesy of MMADiehards.com: “’l’ll keep proving people wrong if I have to… When I got in the UFC, (1)55 was the smallest division. I could have fought in the WEC or other places, but I wanted to fight (1)55 and in the UFC… A fight with [Jose Aldo] would be huge. It would be a guy my size. He’d be a very dangerous opponent. (A cut to) (1)45 wouldn’t be too hard for me. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aldo cuts more than I do.”

If it ever happens, this fight will most likely be a “Champion vs. Champion” encounter. Fights like that are always difficult to put together, so I won’t get my hopes up just yet. But I do see both men keeping their titles for the foreseeable future. Jose Aldo needs no introduction; the man has been an engine of destruction since he first walked into the WEC. Nothing will be stopping him anytime soon, and I think Aldo’s aura will grow even larger as he opens himself up to a new legion of fans when he demolishes foe after foe inside of the UFC’s famous Octagon.

When it comes to Frank Edgar, he may be an unlikely champion, but his recent performances have proven that you simply can’t count him out of any fight, ever. Edgar has insane cardio, there’s virtually no difference in his pacing from the first round to the fifth. He’s an excellent grappler, and his takedown ability is downright scary considering that he’s not hugely muscled like a Sean Sherk or possesses the wrestling pedigree of a Georges St. Pierre. Frank Edgar is living proof that the best gameplan can overcome even the best of athletes.

And that’s what I think will make the difference if this fight ever came to fruition. I won’t pick against Jose Aldo, time and time again Aldo has destroyed every man in his path with relative ease. But I think Frank Edgar would have a far better shot than virtually anyone would ever give him credit for if these two champions fought each other. Edgar is easily one of the smartest fighters currently fighting in the UFC, his gameplans are virtually unmatched and his abilities are right up there with the UFC’s best. Jose Aldo will continue to inspire fear in virtually every single Featherweight currently walking the planet, but Frank Edgar will also continue to prove people wrong again and again and again. Aldo/Edgar would be fiercely competitive and I’d love to see it happen.

But what about you, fans and friends? Would Aldo run right through Edgar as he’s ran right through so many of his former opponents, or would Edgar pull off another mammoth upset?

5. Jamie Varner vs. Nate Diaz

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

4. Donald Cerrone vs. Clay Guida

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

3. Anthony Pettis vs. Diego Sanchez

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

2. Ben Henderson vs. Frank Edgar

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

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

1. Jose Aldo vs. BJ Penn

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

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

With transcription courtesy of Versus.com, Soares said the following: “To be honest with you, if you were to say, What would be your dream fight for [Aldo]? I think a dream fight for him, which I think would just be a fight that everyone would love to see, would be Frankie Edgar vs. Jose Aldo. That fight to me is the fight that everybody would want to see simply just because, not to disrespect anybody at the 155-pound division to think that Jose has the right to go up there without fighting in it, I just think that, as their styles, the way they match up, it would be one of the greatest fights of all-time, I think. It has the potential to be, just because of their styles.”

I think this is a fight that has amazing potential. I take a lot of pride in my blatant fanboyism of Jose Aldo, but only because he’s earned over single ounce of it. I don’t know what the future holds for Jose Aldo, but right now he seems to have unlimited potential. He’s focused, driven, very calculating, and extremely talented. Every single one of his fights in the WEC have produced at least one highlight-reel moment, and even his decision win over former long-reigning champ Urijah Faber was an excellent performance, as Aldo turned Faber’s leg into a mass of bruises and swelling from top to bottom.

But you simply can’t count out Frank Edgar. Not anymore, not after he’s beaten an athlete the caliber of BJ Penn twice, with the last encounter being a landslide and a clear win for “The Answer”. Edgar seems to have found the perfect mix: he may not have the raw talent of some of the UFC’s best at Lightweight, but he’s found a way to integrate all of his various skills into a winning formula. He may have been one of the most unlikely UFC Lightweight Champions in recent history, but he’s also an incredibly motivated performer that knows how to construct the absolute best game-plan in order to win.

I think the winner of this match will be determined by a number of things. First and foremost, how will Aldo look at 155? He’s a phenom inside the blue cage, but he also looks like a natural Featherweight. I don’t pretend to know the man so I can’t say for sure what weight he walks around at, but if his successes at 145 are any indication, Aldo’s home is at Featherweight. If he can deal with the weight gain, this one belongs to Aldo.

However, Edgar has been putting together some amazing game-plans recently, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that this would be the case against Aldo.  I’ll even go as far as to say that if this fight were to happen, it would be one of the toughest challenges of Aldo’s career. Edgar has done the seemingly-impossible twice now, you’ll never see me count him out again.

As far as “dream fights” go, this one registers pretty high on my radar. And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of this fantasy match-up, and who do you see winning it?

I think this attitude will benefit Penn in a number of ways when fight-time rolls around. For one, I think his last few fights have proven that a frustrated BJ Penn is a rather lackluster BJ Penn. If Penn were to come in with a chip on his shoulder, feeling a large amount of animosity towards Hughes, he likely would have been frustrated at Matt’s new “nothing fazes me” attitude. Hughes has said on more than one occasion that he’s competing just for the sake of competing nowadays, so Hughes’ relaxed nature may have had a not-inconsiderable effect on Penn’s mental strategy.

In many ways, it seems as if Penn is in fact adopting Matt’s recent attitude. However, it remains to be seen if Penn really means this. After all, he did say that he trained hard for the Edgar rematch, and then went out and got humbled in a huge way. But if Penn can adopt a no-pressure attitude in earnest, I think he’ll be quite successful in his return to 170.

At the end of the day, veterans like Penn and Hughes need to realize that they have nothing left to prove. If they can come to terms with the fact that they may never hold a championship again, they may end up getting another shot at the gold after all. With no pressure, with their legacy more or less set in stone, fighters like Penn and Hughes can take crazy chances just to see if they’ll work. It’s why Hughes choked out a highly-decorated submission specialist like Ricardo Almeida.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that everyone should adopt this mentality. For the young guns it’s very important to be incredibly driven to the point of falling asleep at night and dreaming about the belt being around your waist. But for the veterans, removing the stress and just fighting for the sake of fighting is a very smart, very mature move that will likely do more good than harm. I wish both Penn and Hughes all the best in this third showdown, which should be decidedly epic.

And what about you, fans and friends? Do you believe Penn when he says that he doesn’t harbor any ill will anymore towards Hughes? And who do you see winning the third encounter?

Perhaps the most unlikely champion in years, Frank Edgar shocked the world at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi when he defeated top-ranked pound-for-pound darling BJ Penn in a semi-controversial fight that was quickly given an immediate rematch. At UFC 118, “The Answer” left nothing to the imagination, defeating “The Prodigy” yet again in a five-round blowout that left absolutely nothing to the imagination and saw absolutely no one question his Unanimous Decision victory.

Gray “The Bully” Maynard has slowly been working his way towards a title shot since entering the UFC in 2007, and remains undefeated both in the UFC and his professional MMA career as a whole. The lone blemish on Maynard’s record came in his first official fight in the UFC, a No Contest that occurred when he accidentally KO’d himself trying to slam Rob Emerson, a slam which Emerson tapped to. Maynard was last seen beating up former top-ranked Lightweight and two-time championship contender Kenny Florian. Maynard also holds the only victory over the current UFC Lightweight Champion: when he and Edgar met in 2008, Maynard wrestled his way towards a Unanimous Decision win.

This is going to be a great rematch for a number of reasons. First and foremost, both men are at radically different points in their careers and both men seem to be very different fighters. There are no more arguments left to make: Frankie Edgar is the best Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world right now. And when it comes to his opponent, Maynard’s undefeated record and lopsided manhandling of “KenFlo” makes “The Bully” a very worthy championship contender. When they first met both men were fighting for Lightweight legitimacy. Now they’ll be fighting for Lightweight dominance. It’s a great story, and it should make for an entertaining fight.

However, I have to at least grudgingly admit that the cynics could be right. The potential is there for this fight to be boring. I disagree wholeheartedly with the assertion that this fight will be an abysmal stall-fest, but I’m not going to ignore that claim and pretend that it has no merit. At its absolute worst, this fight could be atrocious. But you can say the same thing about any fight. And that’s my point: I think both men are being unjustly criticized just because they’re wrestling-based fighters with a large amount of wins by decision.

A fight can still be entertaining even if it goes to the judges, even if both men are wrestlers, even if we’d rather see fighters like BJ Penn or Kenny Florian in the Octagon fighting for that big hunk of gold that means so much. I think both men will put on a fantastic performance, and I honestly believe that this early criticism will do nothing except make Edgar and Maynard want to win that much more. So lighten up and don’t worry so much, fans and friends. I’ve got a feeling that this is going to be a good one.

But what about you? What do you think we’ll see when Edgar/Maynard 2 finally happens?

Here’s what Miller had to say regarding the situation: “When you boil it down it’s a sport. We’re not gladiators battling to the death, there is no real animosity in most fights. Sometimes sure, sometimes guys just really don’t like each other, but most of the time we’re just competitors. We’re in there because we enjoy it and we like the taste of a win. Doesn’t matter who you’re fighting, you’re still going to go for it.”

In theory I think Jim Miller makes an excellent point. Fighting your friends is just a necessary evil you’ll have to endure if you want to really prove that you’re a best-in-the-world athlete. It happens all the time in other sports: for one reason or another a player gets traded to another team, and eventually, that player will have to face off against his former friends. It certainly makes for dramatic television, and in several cases, it’s brought out the best in all involved. And frankly, it may even be downright unfair to the fans of MMA, who have kept the sport’s resurgence growing at near-exponential rates, to not have fighters face their teammates. As consumers, we deserve the best possible fights. And a lot of them aren’t happening simply because almost all of the best fighters train at the same camps.

But I have some hesitations once this is put into practice. I know it’s easy to point at team sports and say that competing against your friends is something you have to accept, because you’ll likely be doing it at least a couple of times in your career whether you like it or not. But a fight is a fight, and there is perhaps no better way to potentially ruin a friendship than to knock out or submit your opponent. I can certainly relate to a fighter not wanting to jeopardize a friendship that has grown over years (in some cases decades) just for the sake of a fifteen minute fight that they’re literally forced into. There’s also the possibility that close friends would keep it safe and play it easy with one another, resulting in some very boring fights.

Yet when it all comes down to it, I think all parties involved should own up to their fears, face them dead-on, and fight their teammates. I want to see fights like Josh Koscheck vs. Jon Fitch. I want to see how Anderson Silva would do against Lyoto Machida. We’re being deprived of what could end up being some of the best fights in MMA history simply because fighters aren’t willing to put their friendships to the test. I think we as loyal fans and proud supports deserve fights like that, and that fights like that would bring in some massive Pay-Per-View buyrates.  So leave the pride at home, check the friendship at the cage door, and go out and prove once and for all who the best in the world is.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How do you feel on teammate vs. teammate fights, and if they ever happen, what are some teammate vs. teammate fights you’d like to see?

Here’s what Dana had to say on the matter: “There’s no such thing as an automatic rematch. Back in the day, in boxing, when they would negotiate contracts, there would be a rematch provision, meaning ‘if I have the title and I lose this fight I get an automatic rematch.’ Used to happen all the time, that doesn’t happen in the UFC. In the UFC, we rematch fights that we think either A) deserve it or B) people want to see. So there really is no automatic rematch. There’s no such thing.”

I’m glad that Dana White put a definitive end to this branching section of the larger debate. I wouldn’t call an “automatic rematch clause” a dirty tactic, but it’s certainly a cheap one. If a champion is so afraid of losing his championship that he won’t fight an opponent without an automatic rematch clause, then that fighter it’s truly championship-caliber.

However, sometimes immediate rematches just need to happen. All sports are prone to mistakes, errors in judging and whatnot, and MMA is not immune. For the most part, immediate rematches have been used as a way to rectify mistakes either glaringly obvious or hotly debated. MMA judging and even MMA refereeing have come under fire a lot lately, with blown calls and bad decisions being handed out seemingly once every major Pay-Per-View. The quickest and easiest way to solve this problem and to ease fan backlash is to simply book another go-round.

And you can say whatever you want about Dana White, I’ve said plenty in my time, but the man responds to what his fans want. If enough fans demand it, he’ll make it happen, sometimes even if it doesn’t make sense. It’s the reason why Chael Sonnen is getting an immediate rematch with Anderson Silva even if Silva definitively finished the fight and Sonnen tapped out. Even if you think an immediate rematch after a stoppage victory is ludicrous (and trust me, that’s a huge debate in and of itself), the simple fact of the matter is that Dana White listened to what the majority of his fans wanted and now it’s pretty much confirmed that Chael Sonnen will be given an immediate rematch.

At the end of the day, I think we should judge a fighter on the quality of the fight they put on in the rematch, and not criticize them so harshly solely because we think their immediate rematch isn’t deserved. Both Mauricio Rua and Frank Edgar made the most out of their immediate rematches. Chael Sonnen will likely have a fantastic rematch with Anderson Silva. So long as immediate rematches are handled on a case-by-case basis rather than as a whole, I’ll continue to judge them not as a whole but on a case-by-case basis. If an immediate rematch makes enough sense (if people want to see it, if it’s a big money fight, if the ending was controversial, etc. etc.), I say just bite the bullet and make the rematch, no matter how the first fight ended.

But what about you, fans and friends? Even though it’s now confirmed that there’s no “automatic rematch clause” in the UFC, how do you feel about the recent string of immediate rematches?

In an interview with SB Nation, Gray Maynard said the following: “Who is stopping them? Name a name and I’ll bow down, but who is stopping these guys? That’s why I can’t pay attention to these people. If you’re a true sports fan who enjoys MMA and really try to understand it, you’ll get it. Look at Edgar. He’s only ever lost to myself. Huerta has never been stopped. Pretty much the same thing with Nate Diaz. Florian did get stopped by Penn, but you see what I mean. It’s an excuse, but that’s just how it is. I’m asking for the top guys. The decisions are just part of it.”

I agree with Maynard in theory, but not in practice. I think getting a decision win should absolutely not be held against you. You did your job, you won your fight, you deserve your acclaim. How backwards does it sound that fighters who tough it out and fight hard all three rounds are getting ostracized like they had a Scarlet Letter? Fighters should be praised for having the cardio, mental fortitude, toughness, and heart to go the distance, and those that do so and still dominate their opponents deserve even more praise. That’s the theory.

In practice, though…people want to see fights finished! You simply can’t ignore what the mainstream wants, and the mainstream wants to see awesome KO’s or slick submissions. We’ll even settle for a wild brawl or an active ground game. But these no-stoppage shut-outs are unappealing to fans who crave action in their sports. You can call it backwards thinking all you like, but the mainstream MMA fan holds true to one core belief: “intricacies be damned, we’re here for a fun show”. There will always be fans, especially MMA fans, that go in just for the blood, guts, and glory. You can hold your head high with the knowledge that true fans appreciate what you do and respect your ability to do it, but at the end of the day, exciting fighters sell Pay-Per-Views.

Perhaps this wouldn’t even be such a big issue if Maynard was correct in his belief that most Lightweights don’t finish their fights. But that’s the thing: they do! There are a lot of Lightweight fighters (and fighters that had runs at Lightweight) known for their stoppage victories: Kenny Florian, BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Shinya Aoki, Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone, Ben Henderson, Josh Thomson, KJ Noons, Anthony Pettis…just to name a few! They may not dominate the division, but they’re out there.

I’ll make one thing clear before I go: I don’t have a problem with Gray Maynard. I think he’s a fantastic athlete, and I think his rematch with Edgar will be far more entertaining than what any of the doomsayers are predicting it to be. I just don’t like that Maynard answered the question of why he doesn’t finish anybody with another question, which was “Does anybody finish anybody at Lightweight?” Because the simple answer is: yes. Yes they do. And if you really want people to stop calling you boring, why not try and finish a fight every once in a while? It couldn’t hurt.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How important is it to you that fighters finish fights, and are you excited for Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2?

First off, I don’t believe for a second that the Lightweight division has passed Penn by. Penn outright demolished Kenny Florian, who up to that point was on a fantastic win streak and looking better in every single fight. Penn also dominated Diego Sanchez, a dynamic striker, by out-striking him. I don’t think Penn is done. I don’t believe for a second that he’s peaked at the age of 31. The only thing I think holding back BJ Penn is BJ Penn.

Because honestly, it seems like you never know what BJ Penn you’re going to get nowadays. He’s been dominating people in brilliant fashion ever since Caol Uno nine years ago. Then again, his inability to measure up even when the odds are ridiculously stacked in his favor is also rooted in history, ever since he lost to Jens Pulver in 2002. When Penn first started his Lightweight rebirth, he was frank in admitting that, for the most part, he slacked off in training and allowed his off-the-charts natural ability to carry him through. With Penn’s newfound honesty and determination, he looked unstoppable as a Lightweight. But I think it’s clear that old habits die hard when you’re BJ Penn.

I want to say that BJ Penn needs a challenge to really bring out the best in him, but he had a challenge at UFC 118 and still didn’t measure up. So in all honesty, I don’t know what BJ Penn needs right now. Leading up to UFC 118, Penn had every reason to put on the performance of his life. What we got is something that will probably one day be remembered as one of worst performances of his career. Penn was motivated, he was determined, he wanted that belt back really, really bad. But it just didn’t happen.

There are two things I think Penn needs to do in the here and now. To start, I think Penn needs to go back to basics. His gameplan against Edgar was predominantly striking-based. He needs to bring back his awesome Brazilian Jui Jitsu game in a big way. He needs to use his striking to set up submissions, rather than to out-box his opponent. But perhaps most importantly, he needs to take a break. Penn has been running himself ragged, he’s fought two grueling five-rounders in the span of four months. Penn needs a break to rejuvenate, rest up, tend to any lingering injuries no matter how minor, and most importantly, he needs to get away from it all at least for a few months so he can have the proper amount of time to search his soul and determine what his next career move is.

All in all, there’s still a future in the UFC for BJ Penn. I just don’t know what that future is, and I don’t think even BJ Penn knows what his future holds right now. But Penn is far too talented to ever completely vanish from the MMA landscape. He’s pulled through some tough times and came back from some big losses before, and I have no doubt that he’ll do it again. It’s just a matter of time.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Where does BJ Penn go from here?

Next for Nate Diaz: A fight with another good technical striker: Dan Hardy. Even if it’s not Hardy, look for Diaz to get a shot at a top-tier opponent. Perhaps even Thiago Alves should be the next challenge for Nate.

Next for Marcus Davis: Once again Davis has been stopped in dominating fashion. While I don’t see him losing his job anytime soon, if ever, I also think that this fight permanently moved Davis to mid-level gatekeeper status. Look for him to receive a steady stream of UFC newcomers for his next several fights.

Next for Kenny Florian: He needs to come to grips with the fact that he’s a divisional gatekeeper if he doesn’t improve his ground game from the bottom. When fighters are able to take “KenFlo” out of his element, Florian has always looked downright lost in the Octagon. Florian is still one of the best fighters in the Lightweight division, but his inability to come back when the odds are stacked against him is a real hindrance.

Next for Demian Maia: In Maia’s continued quest to regain his Middleweight relevancy, his domination of Mario Miranda was a big step in the right direction. I think Maia is ready for a rematch with Nate Marquardt. If not Marquardt, I say give Maia another good striker, like Chris Leben, in order to highlight the submission skills that made him so famous and/or to highlight his admittedly improving striking.

Next for Randy Couture: Why not Jon Jones? Couture has had nothing left to prove for the last several years and he’s still had more wins than losses. Now that he’s got a three-fight win-streak under his belt, why not welcome Jon Jones to the UFC’s elite in a big way with a very tough opponent? I think it would be amazing to see how Jones’ wrestling holds up to Couture’s, and if Couture can stand up to the dynamic striking of Jonny Bones.

Next for James Toney: Kimbo Slice in a boxing ring. I don’t see James Toney going anywhere near an Octagon for at least a couple of years. If he ever does return to the UFC, he’ll likely face a predominantly striking-based fighter, someone like Cheick Kongo. I think Kimbo vs. Toney is very likely if only because the fight will generate a lot of interest and make everyone involved a boatload of money. Look for Toney to take the KO, by the way.

Next for BJ Penn: It’s tough to say. Has the Lightweight division finally caught up to BJ Penn, or is Frankie Edgar simply his kryptonite? If BJ stays at Lightweight, he’s got to learn how to deal with today’s version of the dominant wrestler, as opposed to someone like Sean Sherk, who Penn outright dominated. This issue is even further heightened if Penn moves to Welterweight, since it’s practically controlled by dominant wrestlers. Tough times are ahead for BJ Penn, whether he or his fans or anyone else wants to admit it or not.

Next for Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard: Each other, obviously. Look for this to be heavy on the wrestling, with Maynard trying to nullify Edgar’s impressive speed and off-the-charts cardio by holding him constantly and trying to grind out a decision. I think Edgar will be a wholly different fighter for this rematch, so I’m betting that Edgar evens it to 1-1. Maynard impressed against Florian and I have no doubt that he’s ready for his shot at the gold, but Frankie Edgar simply impressed me far, far more.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Where do people like Penn, Edgar, Couture, Florian and Maynard go from here?

But first, here’s the exact quote. In the interview, Edgar talked of the first fight with “The Prodigy” and said the following: “Honestly, I really only watched it once and then I’ve been watching it here and there with my boxing coach and my teammates – just for studying for this next fight. I really don’t gloat in the glory, in other words, because you’re only as good as your last fight… I don’t know, man. We fought a 5 round decision, you know? It wasn’t like I caught BJ with a punch or a submission or anything like that. Who knows? It could be, man. It could be. Maybe [beating BJ] was a fluke, but I don’t think it was.”

Sounds a little ominous, right? But remember, Edgar didn’t come out and say that it was a fluke- only that it could be seen that way. In fact, he came right out and said that he doesn’t consider the fight a fluke at all. I think Edgar is just being humble and responding to the critics the only way he knows how: maybe it was a fluke, maybe it wasn’t, but at the end of the day, Edgar has the belt and Penn is the challenger. I’ve come to grips with that, even as a massive BJ Penn fan, and I think everyone needs to come to grips with it as well. Regardless of how you scored the fight, can we at least agree that it was highly competitive and quite a bit surprising? I mean, who honestly believed that BJ Penn’s toughest test at Lightweight would be Frankie Edgar? He deserves a lot of credit for that even if you think BJ Penn won at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.

Now, here’s something you probably wouldn’t expect to hear from a big BJ Penn fan: Frankie Edgar might just beat Penn again. A fighter’s motivation can make all the difference, and I can’t imagine a world where Frank Edgar doesn’t want to win this rematch with every fiber in his being. The thing is, Penn wants to win this fight and reclaim his legacy just as badly. So, yeah, I think Penn will win this one. There’s a chance that Penn will even destroy Edgar. But I’m not counting Edgar out, and if he gives us a performance at UFC 118 even half as spirited as the one he gave at UFC 112, you’ll never see me count him out again. Frankie Edgar made me a believer at UFC 112, and while I’m going with the group and stacking the odds against him, I’ve got a nagging feeling in the back of my brain that Edgar may just pull off the huge upset once again. Anything can happen in MMA, fans and friends. Absolutely anything.

But where do you stand on this particular fight? Will Penn reclaim the throne and go on another run of domination, or will Edgar do the seemingly-impossible once again and become the undisputed best Lightweight in the world?

Penn vs. Florian 2 would be interesting for a number of reasons. Penn and Florian share the unique characteristic of coming back better than ever whenever they face adversity. The Kenny Florian that fought Sean Sherk is vastly different from the one who faced BJ Penn, and he’ll be vastly different if he faces BJ Penn again. Likewise, Penn will likely be a completely different fighter if he takes on Florian one more time. I once said “in a world without BJ Penn, Kenny Florian would be a dominant UFC Lightweight Champion”, and I still firmly believe that. Of course, this means that Penn would take the rematch, which is something I also firmly believe.

This is why I think Edgar vs. Florian honestly has more potential than Penn vs. Florian 2. Florian is a rarity in the Lightweight division: he finishes fights. Frankie Edgar’s decision victories outnumber his (T)KO and Submission victories combined. Florian’s ground game has been consistently under-rated, but Frankie Edgar’s striking has always been under-rated as well. Florian needs to close the distance and continuously go for broke, and if he does so, he may just become the first person in history to ever stop Frankie Edgar. If Edgar can keep his wits about him and strike smarter, not harder, he’ll be on his way to another Unanimous Decision victory.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not really looking forward to the possibility of a Frankie Edgar/Gray Maynard rematch, simply because it isn’t the most exciting fight on paper. Like Edgar, Maynard has made the Unanimous Decision win his home, and he seems willing, able, and even content to live there for the foreseeable future. I think both men would come out looking to finish, but I’m not sure that either man has the striking power to finish the other. After all, the only man to ever KO Gray Maynard was Gray Maynard himself, and it’s been three years since either man had a (T)KO on his record. Of course, both men have a penchant for making their decision victories pretty entertaining, so I’m not totally against a rematch.

Penn vs. Maynard does interest me a bit more. However, I don’t see how Maynard could win this one. Yes, yes, I know: no one could see how Edgar would beat Penn either. But both on paper and deep down in my heart of hearts, I think Maynard is going to have to do a hell of a lot more than he’s done in any of his UFC fights so far in order to take down “The Prodigy”. Nothing is impossible, but I think Penn’s striking and grappling are a couple of levels above Maynard’s.

Ultimately, I’m going to pick against Penn, one of my favorite fighters ever, and say that Kenny Florian vs. Frankie Edgar interests me the most out of all the possible match-ups. It would have the biggest contrast of both styles and techniques, and should make for a very interesting fight. Regardless of who wins Penn/Edgar 2 or Florian/Maynard, I think it’s going to be very interesting to see what the future holds for the Lightweight division in the next several months.

And what about you, fans and friends? Which of the four possible fights would you most like to see, and why?

It’s generally agreed upon that a divisional champion should not switch weight divisions, however permanent or impermanent that switch may be, until he has thoroughly ran through his division and eliminated any and all worthwhile contenders. Penn seemed on the verge of doing just that with a win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 112, but as we all know, Edgar pulled off the upset. However, Penn raised an interesting point recently regarding that generally-held rule: in a promotion as large and intensely competitive as the UFC, no weight division remains free of championship contenders for long. Penn said this specifically: “Even if you do clean out the division, then you go to welterweight for a little while, there’s going to be another new Frankie, and all these guys. They’re always going to be popping up.”

This holds true for a number of reasons. However brief a break a champion takes from his division, it always seems that a new contender emerges to fill in the gap. Look no further than the case of Anderson Silva, perhaps the clearest example of a MMA fighter almost completely cleaning out his division. Even with mismatched opponents like Thales Leites, Patrick Cote, and Demian Maia, Silva always had someone to defend against, no matter how deserving or undeserving of a title shot they seemed to be. And now that Silva has gotten past a brief absence of quality Middleweight contenders, the Middleweight division seems to be recuperating and bringing up several worthwhile challengers to the throne, with the prime example being Chael Sonnen, who dominated Silva for nearly 23 minutes in their recent championship fight. Other than a rematch with Sonnen, a superfight with Vitor Belfort is waiting in the wings, and there are several perennial Middleweights that are finally becoming championship-caliber: Alan Belcher, Michael Bisping, even Chris Leben. 2010 has proved that no one is invincible or unbeatable, so even if a division has to go through a period of recuperation, no division in the UFC has ever been permanently down and out.

I look forward to BJ Penn giving the welterweight division another go-round for one main reason: there’s a lot of good, quality competition he hasn’t faced, and the competition at Welterweight he has faced are at different points in their careers and I’d honestly enjoy seeing some rematches. I’d love to see how Jon Fitch or Josh Koscheck would fare against BJ Penn, and I think rematches with Matt Serra, Matt Hughes, and even Georges St. Pierre would make for exciting fights. I still think Penn has it in him to beat GSP, and a trilogy fight to prove as much would likely bring in huge buys, especially with MMA now being legal in Ontario and Hawaii. Like Penn, I think it’s critically important to only be paying attention to the rematch with Edgar, but one more run at Welterweight would likely only further add to the already-great legacy of BJ Penn’s career.

And what do you think, fans and friends? If BJ Penn were to make the trip to the land of 170 once again, how successful do you think he would be?

This is something I’ll always agree with no matter who is saying it: the fighters make the championships, the championships don’t make the fighters. The only reason the UFC has the world’s most prestigious divisional championships is because they have all the best fighters in the world. You don’t gain credibility from getting the belt, the belt gains credibility when it’s around the waist of a great fighter. Without a line of credible champions and worthwhile challengers, championship gold is nothing more than a large chunk of expensive jewelry.

For a more concrete example, think of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and how it remains so highly regarded and prestigious despite the fact that every single champion since the glory days of Chuck Liddell has lost the championship in their first few fights. Even with the strap being ping-ponged around the top of the division, no one can deny that all the Light Heavyweight Champions since Liddell earned their spot by fighting and beating the best in the world. There’s a difference between “paper champions” and a highly-competitive division. If the Light Heavyweight Championship were to change hands as often as it did without the benefit of being passed from one fantastic athlete to the next, the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship would have virtually no meaning. Instead, it’s one of the UFC’s best divisional championships.

In regards to BJ Penn, I think this is a great attitude for him to have as he prepares for his rematch with Frankie Edgar. During his reign as Lightweight Champion, Penn had put so much pressure on himself to both stay champion and stay dominant that it was bound to catch up to him. If Penn is honest enough to admit that he believed his own hype, I’ll be honest and admit that it’s pretty easy for Penn to fall back into the trap of just letting his natural abilities pull him through.

That above all else seems to be the cause of Penn’s continued downfall, and if he can finally look past the superficiality of being a champion and/or people calling him “the best ever”, he should have no problem taking the belt back from Edgar. With a renewed sense of dedication combined with the skills that have made him so famous, I think Penn is ready for another career rebirth.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Do you agree or disagree with Penn’s assertion that only the fight itself matters? And who do you have winning the UFC 118 rematch between BJ Penn and Frank Edgar?

3. Sean Sherk

Sean Sherk has always had a tough career. After a long time spent attempting to get at the UFC Welterweight Championship, Sherk hit the highlight of his career after dropping down to Lightweight and winning the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship with an incredible, blowout performance over Kenny Florian. Tough times were still ahead, though, as he would go on to be stripped of his title and then lose to BJ Penn. Before Edgar’s win against Penn, his win over Sherk was the only win over a legitimately high-level name Frankie Edgar had on his record. I think a rematch would be worlds apart from their first fight, both because Edgar has progressed a lot since that fight, and because Sherk would likely go back to his dominant wrestling given that the first fight clearly proved that Edgar was the better striker. There’s always a certain excitement that comes with any big rematch, but since I think both men will bring many different things to the table this time around, this rematch is particular is one I can definitely get behind.

2. Gray Maynard

Now this is the kind of rematch rivalries are made out of. When both men were trying to break through to the top of the UFC Lightweight division, Gray Maynard was the first man to ever beat Frankie Edgar. Now that Edgar is holding the belt and Maynard is hovering near the top of the division, this rematch is a no-brainer. There’s even a possibility of a third match if Edgar manages to beat the man that was the first to beat him. Much like a possible rematch with Sean Sherk, this rematch has so much appeal because both men would be very different fighters if they were ever to once again step inside the Octagon against each other. With the added grudge that Maynard was the first man to ever beat Edgar, we’re looking at an intense rivalry that would develop into an intense, awesome fight.

But the fighter I’d most like to see challenge Frankie Edgar is…

1. Kenny Florian

I’ve said it in the past, and I’ll say it again: in a world without BJ Penn, Kenny Florian would be the UFC Lightweight Champion. In his four years at Lightweight, Florian has only lost twice, and both fights had the title on the line. After both losses, Florian improved tenfold and is currently one of the most exciting fighters in the entire UFC. I think Florian is destined for another shot at the gold, and I think the third time would finally be the charm, especially if it’s against Edgar. Kenny Florian has developed both his striking game and his ground game to the point where he’s one of the most complete, versatile fighters in the entire UFC. Aside from BJ Penn, I think Kenny Florian would be the toughest test Frankie Edgar would ever have as UFC Lightweight Champion. No matter who wins, this fight has “Fight of the Year” written all over it.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Who are some fighters you’d like to see take on Edgar? And do you think Penn will beat him, or will Edgar once again pull off the upset?

5. Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves

You can say whatever you want about Jon Fitch’s penchant for grinding out decisions, but don’t try and tell me that Fitch doesn’t deserve another shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship if he manages to make it 2-0 against the dynamic and constantly improving Thiago Alves. You just can’t overlook five straight wins in a row, especially given that Fitch has gone up against some of the stiffest competition in the division, and will face perhaps his toughest test since Georges St. Pierre in this rematch with Thiago Alves. This one has been shelved several times for several reasons, which has only served to heighten my anticipation. When it does (finally) go down, I think both men will be out to prove a whole hell of a lot, resulting in a wild fight that should see some type of finish.

4. Quinton Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida

As I talked about in my previous article regarding Machida vs. Jackson, both men possess an awful lot of similarities despite their vastly different fighting styles. I think Jackson will come out hungry and hunting for the knockout, due to the fact that he’s been critical of Machida’s elusive style, and also to prove that he still belongs near the top of the UFC Light Heavyweight Division. Machida will come back with a redefined style: not a drastic overhaul, but a series of subtle tweaks that could and probably will allow him to regain his aura of invincibility. Even though I’m siding with Machida, this is simply a fight that features two of my favorite fighters and two of the best fighters in the world stepping inside the Octagon and throwing hands. It doesn’t get much better than that.

3. BJ Penn vs. Frank Edgar 2

I truly believe that the UFC Lightweight Championship should still be around the waist of BJ Penn. In the first encounter, I had Penn winning a very close, very tough fight…but I had him winning nonetheless. This return fight should prove once and for all that Penn is still the Lightweight wrecking machine he has always been… or it will prove that Edgar’s victory was not a fluke, and he’ll finally and fully be given the mantle of “Best Lightweight in the World”. If Penn can finally bring it back to the ground, which is something he hasn’t done in his last few fights, I’m thinking that he can finish Edgar quickly.

2. Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva

After so very much trash-talking, Chael Sonnen’s date with destiny is growing ever nearer, and I can’t wait to see how it all goes down once “The Spider” can finally make Chael answer for his comments. I think we’ll see the return of the “scary” Anderson Silva in this fight, with Silva abandoning the dance routine and obliterating Sonnen the same way he’s obliterated nearly all of his UFC opponents. If Sonnen can win this one, it’d be one of the bigger upsets in a year already packed with big upsets. If Silva wins once again, it will further cement his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.

And my top pick unquestionably goes to…

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez

This is going to be an awesome fight. Cain has serious knockout power in both hands and the cardio to keep throwing them for five straight rounds. Lesnar has shown an ability to absorb crazy amounts of punishment, but it remains to be seen if he can absorb the type of shots he took from Shane Carwin for five straight rounds. It will once again be a battle of the behemoths, and it should once again be a truly epic encounter.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What are some fights you’re looking forward to for the rest of 2010?

“The UFC contacted us yesterday, and I think they want to put a rematch together, so I think a rematch is in the works,” Penn went on to say “I think the next three months, four months at the most,”

This is would seem to put the fight at at either the August 1 Versus show in Oakland or the August 28 fight that takes place in Boston. After the main event disaster at UFC 112 it might make sense to give the fans this fight for free by putting it on Versus. Then again a Boston event is close enough to the home of the new UFC lightweight champion “The Answer” Frank Edgar (12-1) that it may be the best option.

There are those out there that felt BJ won that fight even though he did not look himself. Gone was the killer instinct we usually see from him. This may be attributed to what his trainer Rudy Valentino said when talking to Cage Potato. “He was also battling a sinus infection and was on antibiotics, so he was not one hundred percent. I’m not making any excuses, that is just what happened.”

According to Rudy BJ had a fever in the week leading up to the fight and the infection he had prevented him from training as hard as he should have for a couple of weeks. Originally I contribute Penn’s lackluster performance to him deciding to keep his camp in Hilo, Hawaii rather than coming to the RVCA training facility in California.

Penn  has stated in the past that he had troubles training as hard as he should have in Hawaii due to the distractions and the laid back attitude. The laid back attitude is all part of the Aloha spirit and “Island Time”, where you do things at your own pace with no real sense of urgency. I thought he looked the best we had seen him in his past two fights where he came to California and got away from the things that took him away from hard training.

While nothing is official yet, expect BJ to push for this rematch rather than UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and president Dana White offering it to the only man to have beaten Edgar, fifth-ranked lightweight “The Bully” Gray Maynard (9-0).

Stay tuned to Fighters.com as this story develops further.

Matt Hughes was one of the most dominant fighters the UFC welterweight division. Matt has stepped into the Octagon 21 times and only tasted defeat a total of five times with three of those coming in the last four years.

The former champion controlled the Octagon like no other before him using his far superior wrestling which included highly dominant top control. That dominant control lead to a UFC record nine straight title defenses in which he beat a legend in Royce Gracie (14-3-3) at UFC 60.

I know that for many the fight between Royce and Hughes was hard to watch. It is difficult to watch the man many give credit to for bringing them into the sport and falling in love with jiu jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA) get thoroughly beaten. Enter Renzo Gracie to defend the family name.

Renzo has been involved in MMA for a long time now and as a Gracie, he feels the need to defend the family name. This is something we have seen time and time again from the Gracie family. When one man goes down another steps up to take his place. Renzo very well could be on the verge of revenge.

Royce was dominated in his fight with Hughes but that was almost four years ago. The Matt Hughes then is not the same Hughes we see today. This is a fight many would think would end up being a stand up war like so many fights between wrestlers and jiu jitsu guys. They cancel each other out and end up trading. I don’t think this is how this fight will go down though.

Hughes has said he needs to get back to what got him the title in the first place. That would be his wrestling and even though he seems to have lost a step, I believe he can get Renzo down. The problem is that Renzo works very well off his back unlike a former opponent Matt faced.

Matt fought “The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) at UFC 98 where he won a unanimous decision. During that fight Hughes put Serra on his back often. Serra is a jiu jitsu black belt but rarely have we seen him work well off his back. Yet in that fight he did well off his back and some believe Serra could have won that fight. Renzo is a different beast altogether though.

Renzo will work to not just tie up Hughes on the ground but will be looking to use the infamous Gracie jiu jitsu to submit the man that beat his cousin.

This may be a fight between two men who are past their primes but how can one not be intrigued by another Gracie inside the Octagon looking to defend his families honor against a dominant ex-champion? Regardless of age or recent defeats, drama can be found in this fight and should be rather than be dismissed as a battle between two men who have no significance in the division at this time.

You also have to take into consideration that if Renzo wins this fight he will be looking to drop down to 155 so that he can work to avenge his own loss to the top-ranked and UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) which came at K1: World Grand Prix in 2005. Renzo dropped a decision in that fight and has talked of dropping down after this fight. A win will allow him to do that while a loss makes that possibility very slim even though BJ has talked about moving to 170 once again if he can get past “The Answer” Frank Edgar(11-1) on the same night.

As fans we must be willing to look past age, significance of the fight in the division and many other factors. We can always find something that makes the fight worth watching and something to look forward too.

Saturday will be round two in the battle between Gracie versus Hughes and I am one that is excited to see the results.

Dana White has said he does not believe they will receive any rain but that the wind could be an issue. Dana was not very keen on holding an outdoor event and it took much convincing to get him to buy into it.

“I’ve always been terrified of doing an outdoor show,” White said during a recent interview with Rogers Sportsnet.

What has shocked me is that with the risk of rain and wind the UFC has not put together a back up plan. “If it starts raining and the wind starts blowing..right now there is no Plan B” said White.

While it may not rain on the UFC’s parade in Abu Dhabi, it very well might kick up a nasty wind storm. Dana stated “Wind could be a factor. It’s very dusty and sandy there. I’m worried about the wind”

If the wind does start to kick up this could be a major problem for Dana and the UFC. The last thing they or the fans want is any sort of controversy with fighters. Imagine a fighter losing as the wind had picked up and stating he had sand in his eye and could not see. This could happen mid-fight and a fighter turn due to this and similar to an unseen eye-poke, the fight could get stopped.

Not only that but you have to worry about fighter safety inside the Octagon. If the floor of the Octagon becomes covered in sand, even the smallest amount, it would wreak havoc on fighters who are trying to fight off their back. It is enough to be on your back, avoiding some vicious ground pound but to also have to deal with what amounts to sandpaper taking off layers of skin on your back, that is to much to ask of any fighter.

According to many, the fighters should only feel a breeze as the design of the venue reportedly minimizes the concern. The facts remain, fighter safety must come first, weather is unpredictable and titles are on the line.

UFC 112 will see two title defenses as Fighters.com and UFC middleweight champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4) defends his crown against sixth-ranked middleweight Demian Maia (11-1). The other title up for grabs belongs to none other than top-ranked and UFC lightweight champion “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) as he does battle against sixth-ranked challenger “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1).

One of the other concerns raised by many is the religious climate. A country that is known for being predominately Muslim but also tolerant of other religions is a new aspect for a UFC crowd. All across the internet I have talked to fans who seem to wonder what type of crowd the fighters will be dealing with during UFC 112. Will the crowd be like a pumped up, loud and rabid group of fans here in the states or will they be more like the calm and quiet Japanese MMA fans?  Really it is difficult to try and predict anything in the way of crowd reaction.

I feel certain that the crowd will see less of the booing we tend to see here in the states when a fight hits the ground due to the rich history the region has with Jiu Jitsu and submission grappling but other than that I have no idea what to expect.

Will the crowd be tolerant of the swimsuit clad UFC ring girls in a country where the burka is common place? There are many questions lingering about this foray into a new country and the reaction the UFC gets could very well determine if they push into some of the other countries they are looking to explore in the middle east.

Saturday all of this will be answered if the entire event is not wiped out by a massive sandstorm.

If you want to discuss more about UFC 112 you can join myself and Gary Friedman tonight on MMA Gospel Radio from 8-9:30 PM EST/ 5-6:30 PT as we will be joined by Keith Florian and Jake Rosholt. We can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel. Come kick back and listen or join in the live chat during the show.

MMA Weekly reports Penn as saying, “If everything goes well on April 10, I definitely would consider moving up to 170. Not that I’m – not that it’s 100-percent guaranteed.”

And, Penn will be taking his time moving up.  He added, “If I do make that move I’m going to move slow. I’m not going to try to rush anything. Maybe I would think about it more as testing the waters. I’d talk to [UFC President Dana White] and see if he would want me to vacate the belt, but maybe try do something like [Anderson Silva] is doing, test the waters, see how everything is going and see how everything plays out.”

Penn is 1-3 in the UFC’s welterweight division, beating seventh-ranked and then-champion Matt Hughes (43-7) for the title at UFC 46 in Las Vegas in 2004 before vacating to fight outside of the UFC.

Fighters.com seventh-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (43-7) and PRIDE veteran Renzo Gracie (13-6-1) will also matchup on the undercard.

Zuffa, LLC, parent company of the UFC and WEC, has sold a 10% stake to Abu Dhabi government-owned Flash Entertainment, Zuffa earlier this month.

The event will be the UFC’s first outdoors.

Also announced, the UFC will collaborate with Sohu.com to stream UFC pay-per-views live to China beginning at UFC 109 in Las Vegas February 6.

In November 2008, Florian told Fighters.com, “I would love to [fight lightweights from Japan].  You know, there are so many great lightweights out there.  There’s a ton in the UFC already; so, it’s not like it’s not competitive right now.  But definitely, I’m always looking for new and exciting fighters to compete against; and, definitely there’s a lot over in Japan, and I’d love to be able to compete.  I just want to keep competing against the best and whether they’re in Japan or in the United States, then that’s great.”

But, the UFC has chosen to build lightweight talent domestically and from within the organization rather than sign already established fighters from abroad.  Fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (9-0) and sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1) are the best examples of American fighters who have come to prominence with the UFC.

But, earlier this month the UFC brought some fresh blood and established foreign talent to the division with the signing of Gomi.  It’s an interesting choice for the UFC because, though Gomi is an established name as the long-running PRIDE champion, he’s suffered losses to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) at Sengoku in November 2008 and Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) at Sengoku in January 2009.  And, Gomi had even hinted recently that he was considering retiring from fighting to focus on surfing.

But, Wednesday Florian’s brother and head coach, Keith, told MMA Weekly, “I think Gomi would be a great fight for Kenny. He’s one of those people who was No. 1 in the world for a long time, and I think that would be a great fight for us.”

After losing his second title shot to Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8, Florian is focused on cementing his legacy.  Bagging a Gomi is more for historical posterity than contemporary competition.

Florian could also matchup versus Maynard, and Keith told MMA Weekly, “I think Gray Maynard would be a great fight with Kenny’s new wrestling, and we can still expose those tools that Firas [Zihabi] has, he has Olympic level wrestlers, and we could form a really nice strategy against him.”

It seems Maynard is being skipped over for a title shot again by UFC President Dana White in favor of Edgar.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, White named sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1) as Penn’s likely next opponent at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi April 10.

Edgar’s one loss is to Maynard at UFC Fight Night 13 in April 2008, while Maynard remained undefeated with a split decision victory over Nate Diaz (10-6) at UFC Fight Night 20 in Fairfax, Virginia Monday night.

Edgar is coming off a stoppage victory over H.I.T. Squad’s Matt Veach (8-1) at SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Maynard has been Penn’s top UFC challenger since Penn stopped seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4) at UFC 101 in Philadelpia August 8, but was skipped over in favor of ninth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Since Penn stopped Florian, Maynard has won decisions over Diaz and “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 16.

Diaz won the original exhibition match and eventually the TUF 5 championship.  But, Maynard has bullied ahead of Diaz since TUF 5, with big decision victories of UFC contenders sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1) and “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1).

With vengeance tonight versus Diaz, Maynard will have proven himself as the top contender in the UFC’s 155-pound division and will deserve a title fight versus Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1).

In fact, Maynard deserved the title shot over Penn’s last challenger ninth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3).  Penn stopped Sanchez in the fourth round at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.  It was never a competitive contest, primarily because Sanchez hadn’t put in the work in the division to earn the fight.

But, Fighters.com worries recent UFC signee “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) might take Maynard’s shot even if Maynard wins versus Diaz for the same reason Sanchez did.  Gomi is a bigger name, despite his recent disappointing performances.

Gomi is the type of fighter UFC President Dana White would crack jokes about if Gomi wasn’t now a UFC fighter.  Since reigning as PRIDE lightweight champion, Gomi’s focus on fighting has been lax.  He’s lost consecutive fights to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) at Sengoku in November 2008 and Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) at Sengoku in January 2009 and has expressed desires to spend the rest of his years surfing rather than fighting.  He’s evidently changed his mine.  Even as PRIDE champion, he dodged losing his title in non-title losses to “Maximus” Marcus Aurélio (18-7) in 2006 and Nick Diaz (20-8) in 2007.  (The Diaz loss was later ruled a no contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after Diaz tested positive for marijuana.)  And, as PRIDE champion, his matchups followed the Japanese pattern of one legitimate contender, followed by one tomato can, and so on.  What’s disappointing about Gomi is that his losses to Aurélio and Goliaev were supposed to be his tomato can fights.

Fighters.com’s point is that, while Maynard has earned a title shot, Gomi should be required to earn a fight versus Penn.  Sanchez didn’t earn his title challenge and the result was an obviously unprepared Sanchez versus a particularly lethatl Penn.

Fighters.com January Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4)

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

9.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3)

10. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

Edgar followed up a jab-hook combo with an overhand right that turned Veach around.

“I seen he was hurt and I wanted to go in for the kill,” Edgar described after the fight.

Edgar shot in, took Veach to the floor, and mounted, pounding clean shots as Veach wormed his way to his back.  Edgar rolled Veach over and sank a deep guillotine choke.  Veach tapped out.

Veach had all but dominated round one, scoring three powerful slams in the first round and absorbing only a body kick in response, though Edgar was also able to regain his feet after each slam.

Having won ten out of 11 fights in MMA is impressive enough; but, when you look at the opponents against whom Edgar has amassed this record, it puts the mark into a whole new perspective.  He holds victories over ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1), former UFC lightweight challenger Hermes Franca (18-6), “The King” Spencer Fisher (21-4), Mark Bocek (5-2), Tyson Griffin (12-1), and Jim Miller(11-1). Had he been able to get past fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0), he would have completed a sweep of a murderers row of lightweights.

Veach brings to the Octagon more questions than answers. He has been dominating in his run to an undefeated mark, but it is difficult to place his readiness for a fighter of Edgar’s stature. Veach is best known for taking out “Wolverine” Matt Grice (9-1) in one round at UFC Fight Night 17 in Tampa February 7, but his list of opponents pales significantly to Edgar’s opponents.

Both fighters come from a wrestling background, which Edgar has used effectively to maul through a number of decision victories. Veach, despite his wrestling background has a respectable spread of knockouts and submissions on his resume.  It will likely be this disparity in ending fights that sets the tone for this one.

Veach will come out fast and hope to keep things standing for a while.  Edgar, on the other hand, will take it the ground and use his advantage in strength. After an exciting first round, experience will win out and Edgar will maintain enough control to win by unanimous decision.

Timely too!  Sanchez is scheduled to fight Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Top contender “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) has a few options for his next challenge.  He could fight Sengoku champ Mizuto Hirota (9-3) when Japanese promotions DREAM and Sengoku collaborate north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, but told a press conference announcing the collaboration he didn’t know who Hirota is.  Or, he could take the previously rumored matchup versus eigth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at the same event.  Or, Aoki could make his Strikeforce debut, as the Japanese star has signed with the UFC’s top competition to make his American debut in 2010.

Fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) was challenged by former foe and top tenner Eiji Mitsuoka (15-6-2) for the DREAM/Sengoku collaboration, but no confirmation of the matchup has been announced.

Fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) will fight Nate Diaz (10-5) at UFC Fight Night 20 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia January 11.

Sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) will take on late replacement for “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4), undefeated Matt Veach (8-0), at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) announced he’ll fight “Tractor” Rafaello Oliveira (8-2) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2.

Fighters.com November Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

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

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fighters.com’s October Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

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

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10. Katsunori Kikuno (5-0-1)

Edgar suffered his first career loss in April, a unanimous decision that went to “Bully” Gray Maynard  (5-0), but rebounded to win a unanimous decision over Hermes Franca (18-7) in July.

Wiman, a TUF 5 alum, is coming off four consecutive wins, the last one being a second-round KO of Thiago Tavares (13-3) in June.

“The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2) def. Reese Andy (7-3) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 29-28).

“The Answer” Frank Edgar (9-1) def. Hermes Franca (18-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27).

Cain Velasquez (4-0) def.  Jake O’Brien (10-2) via TKO, 2:02 of round one.

“The Fire” Kevin Burns (7-2) def. “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-2) via TKO, 3:35 of round three.

“Doberman” CB Dollaway (7-1) def. Jesse Taylor (6-3) via submission (Peruvian necktie), 3:58 of round one.

Timothy Credeur (10-2) def. Cale Yarbrough (0-1) via TKO (punches), 1:54 of round one.

Rory Markham (16-4) def. Brodie Farber (13-4) via KO (head kick), 1:37 of round one.

Nate Loughran (9-0) def. Johnny Rees (10-1) via submission (triangle), 4:21 of round one.

“Bad” Brad Blackburn (15-9-1) def. James Giboo (11-3) via TKO (strikes), 2:29 of round two.

Shannon Gugerty (11-2) def. Dale Hartt (5-1) via submission (rear naked choke), 3:33 of round one.

Franca completed a one-year sentence for testing positive for the banned substance Drostanolone after losing a UD to then-UFC Champ fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1) in Sacramento 7 July, 2007.

Franca will be required to take a piss test before fighting Edgar.

Fighters.com never questioned Penn’s talent, just his recent body of work at 155-pounds.

Though Penn fought unquestionably tougher competition last month, “Tobikan Judan” stole the show in the division by pulling a gogoplata from the mount out of his hat to tap Katsuhiko Nagata (4-3) 15 June in Tokyo.

It seems impossible for DREAM’s magician from Tokyo and the UFC’s warrior from Hilo to settle the cross-Pacific lightweight question; but, UFC President Dana White is desperate to keep Penn’s eyes from wandering out of the young UFC 155-pound division.

Penn told the post-UFC 84 press conference that, after out-boxing Sherk, it’s hard for him to get motivated to fight the winner of seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) versus “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1) to be fought in Minneapolis 9 August.

Penn wants Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2).

White wants Penn to focus at 155-pounds.

Fighters.com predicts White is committed enough to the division and keeping Penn in it to sign some of the top lightweights not already in the UFC.

Maybe Aoki. Maybe not.

Maybe sixth-ranked Eddie Alvarez (14-1), who draws “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-4-2) in DREAM’s Lightweight GP in Tokyo 21 July.

Alvarez is on loan to DREAM from Adrenaline MMA, run by Alvarez’s manager Monte Cox.

Cox has a good relationship with the UFC and and his fighters.

Fighters.com speculates Cox would gladly send Alvarez to the big show for awhile if he feels like Adrenaline can’t give Alvarez the fights that best capatalize on Alvarez’s success in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Aoki fights on the same card as Alvarez in July, matched versus tenth-ranked “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4).

Third-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) returns versus a yet-to-be-named foe 24 August in Tokyo, keeping Fighters.com questioning why we’ve seen so little of the former PRIDE Champ since losing to Nick Diaz (17-7) in February 2007.

Eighth-ranked Hermes Franca (18-6) returns in Las Vegas 19 July from his suspension for testing positive for banned substances. He’s matched versus rising talent “The Answer” Frank Edgar (8-1).

Third-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1) and ninth-ranked “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1) are both on the shelf after losing in DREAM’s Lightweight GP.

June Lightweight Rankings

1. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-2)

Aoki has eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Joachim Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.

2. “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk. Will he stay at 155-pounds?

3. “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida. A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned last month with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

4. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1)

“JZ” has brushed Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

5. “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian. In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eddie Alvarez (14-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade and a UD over Joachim Hansen.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second run at the title, but will first face Roger Huerta for the UFC top contendership.

8. Hermes Franca (18-6)

Despite a year suspension, Franca has been busy the last two years with stoppages of Spencer Fisher, Nathan Diaz, and new WEC champ Jamie Varner. He’s only dropped a UD to Sherk and returns 19 July versus Frank Edgar.

9. “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1)

Since a UD over Uno, Amade has been stopped consecutively by top tenners Alvarez and Calvancante. In the last two years, “Dida” has also stopped Artur Oumakhanov and Hiroyuki Takaya.

10. “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4)

Uno splashed into the top ten with a submission of former PRIDE title contender Mitsuhiro Ishida. The former UFC and K-1 star now begins a run in DREAM that leads to Fighters.com Champ Aoki in July.

White denied the reason to hold the event was to counter the Affliction’s Banned debut, on pay-per-view the same night.

UFC and Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “The Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) is expected to headline against “The Sandman” James Irvin (14-4) in light heavyweight match-up.

Silva will not give up his middleweight title and is expected to return to that weight division.

Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked lightweight Hermes Franca (18-6) versus “The Answer” Frank Edgar (8-1) will also be on the card, up from their scheduled fight in Minneapolis 9 August.

As well, heavyweight “The Truth” Brandon Vera (8-2) and Reese Andy (7-1) will meet in a light heavyweight bout; and Cain Velasquez (3-0) is to face Jake O’Brien (10-1).

Franca lost a five-round unanimous decision to fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1), then UFC Champion, in July 2007.

Franca tested positive for banned substances after that fight, admitted his violation to the California State Athletic Commission, and was suspended for one year.

Edgar muddled through his first loss in April to bigger, stronger “Bully” Gray Maynard (5-0).

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

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

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