Champion GSP will look to make his fifth successful title defense against foe Koscheck. The two had met previously at UFC 74, where the American Kickboxing Academy product was riding a 5-fight win streak inside the cage coming into the bout, meanwhile, “Rush” was coming off of a disappointing and shocking knockout loss to the unheralded Matt Serra at UFC 69.

While competitive in spots, St. Pierre was able to dominate the wrestling department against the former NCAA champion, en route to a unanimous decision victory.

UFC officials made the fight-card official yesterday, with GSP vs Koscheck serving as the headliner. While the card is filling up quickly, no co-main event has been announced as of yet.

The rematch is 3 years in the making, and both competitors have improved leaps and bounds. While GSP has gone undefeated since then, eventually reclaiming his welterweight title against Matt Serra in a rematch at UFC 83 in his native Montreal Josh has faltered against some of the top competition in his division. With losses to Brazilians Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago inside of a three-fight stretch, Josh was able to bounce back with three-straight wins over Frank Trigg, Anthony Johnson, and most recently UFC castoff Paul Daley (UFC 113), have enabled the brash and cocky fighter his shot at the title.

No other bouts have become official as of yet, however the following bouts are rumored for the fight card as well.

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the fight card so far? With the bout officially official, who do you think takes the rematch? Sound off in the comment section below.

Israel FC, an upstart promotion out of–you guessed it–Israel has began to take on a steady stream of veterans in for their promotional debut in what is turning out to be an all star cast of competitors.

MMAFighting.com first reported the event and it’s full lineup reads as the following:

Jeff Monson vs. Sergey Shemetov
Frank Trigg vs. Roy Neeman
Ricco Rodriguez vs. Daniel Tabera
Hermes Franca vs. Moshe Kaitz
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Valdas Pocevicius
Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett vs. Ariel Abergel
Daniel Gracie vs. Martin Wojcik
Shonie Carter vs. Jeremy Knafo
Thiago Meller vs. Fabrice Riconneau
Vitaly Shemetov vs. Alexandro Ceconi
Joshua Hewlett vs. Ido Pariente
Akop Stepanyan vs. Marc Berger
Serob Minasyan vs. Vitali Krbrsky

Hermes Franca, perhaps one of the most notable veterans on the card, is coming out of retirement to return to action here in Israel against the unheralded Moshe Keitz. Franca was last seen inside the UFC when he lost to lightweight standout by knockout at UFC 103.

It was only the second time the Brazilian had ever been knocked out, however, when Franca aimed for a comeback after his UFC release, he suffered an additional knockout victory, against Eric Wisely. In a rematch, Franca lost yet again to Wisely just three days ago at an SFC event, however made it to see the final bell. He lost on points, when Eric took home the unanimous decision victory, and left Franca with his third loss in a row.

So, MMA peeps, any other fighters stand out to you here? Looks like Trigg is aiming for a comeback, following his own UFC release, which ended a two-fight losing streak, which included two-knockout losses to Josh Koscheck and Matt Serra, respectively. The former two-time UFC title challenger brings a worlds of experience into the cage, as well as a chin that has seen better days.

Sound off, and let your opinions be heard in the comments section below.

But first, here’s how the Middleweight roster breaks down. Looking at the title picture from left to right, the EA Sports Middleweight roster features Benji Radach, Lyman Good, Matt Lindland, Luke Rockhold, Frank Trigg, Joe Riggs, Kazuo Misaki, Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, Tim Kennedy, Pat Miletich, Jake Shields, Nick Thompson, Melvin Manhoef, Robbie Lawler, Dan Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Jason Miller, Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Frank Shamrock, and Ronaldo Souza.

It should be noted that eight fighters in the Middleweight division are carry-overs from the already-announced Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions. There’s some debate going around the internet gaming forums as to whether or not this is a cheap move in order to cut the time down on coding and creating different fighters, or a good way to ensure quality cross-division super-fights. I personally think it’s a little of both: I think the roster is a little limited, but the fact that you can play as your favorite fighter in several different weight classes mostly balances that out. Plus, with download-a-fighter being included, I think this game’s roster will be massive once people start creating famous MMA fighters are putting them online for anybody and everybody to download.

Much like the UFC including the famous Madison Square Garden in their “UFC Undisputed” games, it’s recently been confirmed that EA Sports MMA will have the Cowboys Stadium as an in-game venue despite the fact that a major Mixed Martial Arts event has never been booked there. An online image has already surfaced, which you can view here. Even as a huge fan of UFC Undisputed 2009, I think Madison Square Garden was really under-played in both UFC 2009 and 2010. Not so with Cowboys Stadium- the images revealed so far look downright amazing. I may actually get goosebumps when my Create-a-Fighter either defends or tries to get at the Strikeforce Championship in that mega-arena.

The last time I was this excited for a sports game, my hopes met quite the rude awakening. So, even with all the hype I’m buying into, I know that there’s still a chance for EA Sports MMA to let me down in much the same way that UFC Undisputed 2010 let me down. But until that day, I have to say…this is shaping up to be a genre-defining game. Every time I hear something new about this game, it’s something I think I could find myself enjoying immensely. When October 19 hits, I’ve got a pretty good feeling that there’s going to be a new Undisputed Champion of Mixed Martial Arts video games.

But what about you, fans and friends? How high would you rate your anticipation of “EA Sports MMA”?

Trigg was laid out in the first round by “Terror” Matt Serra (10-6).  Coleman was dominated and eventually submitted by fellow HOFer “Natural” Randy Couture (18-10) in the main event.

For Trigg, it was his second consecutive first-round knockout loss since returning to the UFC for the first time since exiting on consecutive first-round rear naked choke submission losses in 2005.  It seems clear to Fighters.com that Trigg is not a UFC-level talent any longer and giving him his walking papers is justified.

But, Coleman got a raw deal and so did fans.

After winning a unanimous decision over “American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (11-6) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas last July, Coleman was hyped by the UFC into a main event versus Couture.  That was a ridiculous stretch.  Bonnar has lost four of his last six fights in the UFC’s 205-pound division, only managing wins over Mike Nickels (8-3) and “Ravishing Red” Eric Schafer (12-5-2).  Couture was coming off a narrow, but legitimate win over “Truth” Brandon Vera (11-4).  Coleman and Couture should’ve never been matched to begin with because Coleman hadn’t earned victories in the division at the same level Couture had.

And the fans got to pay for the bad matchmaking.  I asked a casual fan last night if they had watch UFC 109 and he said, “That was Couture-Coleman?  Psht… No!”  And after I described the result of the main event, he said, “Well, of course…”

And, you know, that’s about the right reaction.  The rest of us though, the core MMA fans were going to buy UFC 109 anyway.  And, we were shorted on a true main event, because Couture-Coleman surely wasn’t.

This furthers the pattern of bad matchmaking in the UFC Fighters.com has been writing about over the last year or so.  It’s disappointing particularly because UFC President Dana White has promised he wouldn’t let mixed martial arts devolve into the mess that professional boxing is in because of bad matchmaking.  However, White is doing precisely that.

But, Coleman also suffers from the UFC’s bad matchmaking.  Coming off the win over Bonnar, Coleman probably could’ve earned another couple of UFC wins at Bonnar’s level and a little above, putting together a nice run either back into legit main event status or into retirement.  But, because he was overmatched versus Couture, the UFC is de facto forcing him into retirement off the loss.

It seems the bad matchmaking will continue too.  As Reverend Turk Vangel wrote at Fighters.com Tuesday, now Couture is being overhyped as a potential 205-pound title contender.  Just think about this.  Couture beat a guy whose most illustrious win in the last four years is over a guy who is 2-4 over his last six fights.  As was expected, Couture dominates that guy so thoroughly the UFC cuts him.  And, that earns Couture talk of title contention?  Dominating Coleman, who himself is only 1-3 in the last four years? Dominating a guy whose only win in the last four years is a guy who is two for his six?  Dominating a guy who the UFC has conceded by cutting him that he doesn’t even belong in the UFC 205-pound division?  This earns Couture talk of a title shot?

Under that logic, should Serra now be back in the 170-pound title picture after his knockout of Trigg?

UFC and White need to take the UFC back to it’s matchmaking principles and return to merit-based matchmaking, not WWE-, professional boxing-style overhyping of fighters creating poor value for fans and shorting fighters like Coleman of a chance to win in legit matchups.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Gospel on this one is Mike Swick by Decision.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Gospel is Maia by late third-round submission

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gospel: Frank Trigg by unanimous decision

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

This leads us to the much talked about main event.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dana White, president of the UFC, has taken notice of all the social media outlets today and is using it to build a bigger and more loyal fanbase. Dana can be found on Twitter quite often giving the people that follow him small updates as to what he is doing and what we can expect from the UFC in the coming future. This allows fans to feel like they are a part of the UFC as a company or that they are getting inside information.

Dana has used Twitter, a free social networking and microblogging service, to stir up a frenzy for tickets to events. He regularly posts his location in the weeks and days leading up to fights via Twitter and tells fans to find him for free tickets. Quite the genius move by a very savvy Mr. White. Fans flock to find him with hopes of not only scoring tickets but a chance to get their picture taken with the man many believe has made MMA what it is today. MMA Gospel writer Josh Turner actually took advantage of this and ended up with two tickets directly from Dana himself for UFC 104. The sports world should take notice of this as this is the cutting edge of building a lasting fan base. When was the last time owner of the Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Brown, gave out free tickets to fans even when the organization was in danger of not selling out a home game and then getting blacked out on local television?

The MMA media is also using the social media outlet to bring stories to their readers much faster than ever before possible.I have personally seen many breaking news stories come directly off of Twitter. I broke the story of Fighters.com seventh-ranked heavyweight Shane Carwin (10-0) getting a title shot at UFC 108. This fight was called off due to the illness of second-ranked Brock Lesnar (4-1) however the story was broke via a message from Shane himself. This, in conjunction with live news feeds on sites like Facebook are changing the way fight fans get the latest in breaking news.

Fighters are always looking for a way to build a larger fan base and they have done so in the past with MySpace. Now with the rise of Facebook and Twitter they are able to communicate with fans and build that following in a much more efficient manner than in the past. Fans on Twitter are constantly telling others to follow a certain fighter. Fighters such as Shane Carwin, “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4) and “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-7) are some of the most active on the site. They post pictures of themselves doing everything from eating and training to just relaxing and playing video games. Twitter alone as become a top tier marketing tool for these fighters but it is not just fighters using it to gain an edge.

MMA radio shows such as MMA Gospel Radio and most major MMA websites are now using the tool to bring more traffic to their shows and sites. As the founder and host of MMA Gospel Radio I can say that the social media sites have been one of the main keys to generating a following for my show. We are only 28 episodes old and already have generated a very loyal following. Trying to become successful at building a MMA radio show just a year ago, without the aid of one of the most visited websites would have been impossible. We have essentially done just that. Although we now are partnered with Fighters.com it did not start out that way. It started small and unlike TAGG Radio, I did not have a star fighter like Frank Trigg to make the show an instant hit. Social media was the key to the rise of the show.

Social media is being used by fighters, promoters, websites, radio shows and fans. Fans are using the social media to talk to their favorite fighters and more importantly, meet other fans of MMA that are as passionate and knowledgeable about the sport as them. Many MMA fans use their computer to follow fighters and friends via twitter but when on the go the majority seem to use their cell phones as well. Never out of touch with fighters and the latest news due to cell phone applications, MMA fans today may very well be the most well informed fans of any sport.

Thanks to promoters, fighters, fans and all others involved involved in the sport, MMA is leading the charge in social media and showing why it is such a powerful tool. I have no idea what we will see next but I am sure I will find out via Twitter or another social media site and I will share it with the world. Follow me at www.twitter.com/mmagospel to find out more.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On 15 August at the Britannia Arms in San Jose, Arlovski will join “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2), Cung Le (6-0), and Jon Fitch (19-3) to “Knock Out Dog Fighting”.

Known as the “Pitbull”, Arlovski has long been a defender of man’s best friend. His own best friend’s name is Maximus.

You can RSVP for the event, which will be from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, at:

http://www.arlovski.com/events/knock-out-dog-fighting-charity

On 22 August at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, the former soldier known as “Captain America”, Couture, will host a Texas Hold-Em poker tournament to benefit his charity, the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation. Fighters.com has supported Couture’s foundation by the Xtreme Couture Operation Freedom 5k Run in May 2008.

You can play with Couture, “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-7), “American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (11-6), and “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-6) in Couture’s poker tournament. More information is available at:

http://www.xtremecouturegifoundation.org

Both former middlweight title prospects who dropped weight to compete at 170-pounds, neither Swick nor Kampmann have proven themselves against the UFC’s established competition: former champions “Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) and Matt Hughes (41-7) and former title challengers “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and Jon Fitch (19-3).

Swick trains with Fitch and former welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (12-4) and most recently outclassed “Killa B” Ben Saunders (7-1-2) with a second round TKO at UFC 99 in Cologne last month. But, Swick’s most noteworthy “W” is a unanimous decision over nails-tough “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-5), who never cracked the top ten himself.

Kampmann’s most impressive 170-pound notch is a split decision over former WEC welterweight king “Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit (23-5) at Fight Night 18 last April, though Condit himself had remained largely untested against top welterweights in Zuffa’s other promotion.

Koscheck will also fight on the card versus returning former UFC title challenger “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-6).

Koscheck was upset by TKO by UFC debuting Brazilian Paulo Thiago (6-1) at UFC 95 in London last February.

Trigg has peeled off four consecutive wins, most recently a UD over overmatched Danny Babcock (5-2) at Rumble in Race Town in Daytona Beach last February.

Former lightweight title challenger Hermes Franca (19-7) will fight Xtreme Couture’s Tyson Griffin (13-2).

Franca won a grudge match by UD over former training partner “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (18-7) at UFC 90 in Chicago last October.

Griffin won a UD over Rafael dos Anjos (12-3) at Fight Night 18.

Judges’ scores were 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

After the unimpressive performance, Trigg talked retirement:  “I’ve got a few fights left.  I’m not ready to retire yet, but we’ve started preparing for that.”  Trigg plugged his clothing line, Triggonomics.  “I’ve got a passion for fashion.”

Trigg landed a straight left in the first round that forced Vitale to the fence.  Trigg closed distance and hammered elbows, mostly grazing Vitale.  Vitale exploded from the fence with a combo of punches.

But, that was as exciting as the fight got.  Twice in the third round, the crowd booed when it appeared the fighters had mutually agreed to take a break.

“It wasn’t the altitude,” Trigg contended.  “It was the fact that I have a one-month old child at home.  It’s hard to be an MMA family.”

Trigg also welcomed a son, Stone, to his family in September.  Congratulations from Fighters.com.

The remainder of the Middleweight Top Ten was on holiday last month…well, at least at middleweight.

Top contender “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) made a successful return to light heavyweight in Atlanta 6 September.  He remains wishy-washy about his future in either division.

But, before Franklin could move-up to 205, Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) beat him there.  Franklin must wonder whether Silva is going to move to Cincinnati and start teaching high school math too.

Silva is preparing to defend his Fighters.com and UFC titles versus “Predator” Patrick Cote (13-4) in Chicago 25 October.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho‘s (16-0) WEC title defense versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) was postponed from tonight to 5 November due to Hurrican Ike.

Fourth-ranked EliteXC champ “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4) is rumored to be considering a rematch versus Joey Villasenor (26-6), whom Lawler KO’d in 22 seconds in 2006.

Seventh-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) will fight “Benkei” Zelg Galesic in DREAM’s Middleweight GP semi-final in Saitama 23 September, then, if Souza wins, the winner of Gegard Mousasi (22-2-1) versus “Marvelous” Melvin Manhoef (22-4-1) in the final the same night.

Ninth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) will fight “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10) in Beverly Hills, north of Los Angeles, 20 September.

Fifth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1), sixth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4), nor tenth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5) have fights on their dockets.

September Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last year.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the November rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4)

“Ruthless” rides a five-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, and Joey Villasenor.

5. Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the the result was a NC. He choked out Katsuyori Shibata in his July comeback.

6. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okamihas been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ, the late Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (17-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees and UD of Makoto Takimoto.

8. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with two big wins to take the DREAM GP.

9. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler, a stoppage by Trigg, and a lost decision to Souza into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

Mitsuoka advanced to the second round of the Sengoku lightweight tournament, the winner of which will fight second-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3).

Gomi headlined Sengoku’s fourth battle with a narrow decision over DEEP Lightweight Champion Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).

It was Bang who provided the bang in his stand-up exchanges with the notorious big-puncher Gomi.

But, Gomi edged Bang with stinging leg kicks and championship conditioning for the decision.

Seventh-ranked middleweight “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (17-6) grounded Olympic gold medalist judoka Makoto Takimoto (4-5) at will with single- and double-leg shots, then rained a dominant G’n'P over three rounds to pick-up a unanimous decision in his first fight since December 2007.

In other lightweight tournament match-ups, PANCRASEism’s Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) tapped eighth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes‘s H.I.T. Squad pupil Clay French (16-3) in an Achilles lock at 31 seconds of round one.

IFL Champion “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-10-1) suffered a surprise second-round knockout by Cage Force Lightweight Champion and former Shooto rookie champion Mizuto Hirota (10-2).

Finally, in an ugly-as-sin slog, Grabaka’s Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) won a unanimous decision over Slovenian “Zelva” Bojan Kosednar (6-2), who earned two yellow cards for holding and grabbing the ropes.

Yokota saw yellow too for causing Kosednar to see stars with a low blow.

In undercard fights, heavyweight Dong Yi Yang (3-0) TKO’d Polish judoka Pawel Nastula (1-4) in a strange decision by the referee.

In the second round, Nastula worked an armbar, but released it for Yang to rise.  Nastula remained grounded and pointed to his cup, prompting to referee to call the fight at 2:15.

Europe Top Team light heavyweight Moise Rimbon (13-7-3) tapped Aussie kickboxer Peter Graham (0-2) in rear naked choke at 42 seconds of round two.

Valentijn Overeem (26-22) knocked out Yoshiki Takahashi (28-24-3) at 2:43 of round one with a flying knee.

The event will feature a rematch between welterweights “Bang” Duane Ludwig and “Squeeze” Sam Morgan (19-10).

Morgan knocked out Ludwig in 52 seconds at Ring of Fire 16 in 2005.

Denver-native Ludwig lost his last fight to Fighters.com’s third-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3).

Morgan is coming off back-to-back TKO losses, first to current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and April’s Fighter of the Month Cung Le (6-0) in November, then to “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-6-2) in January.

The promotion also announced Thursday that Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked middleweight “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6) would face “Niko” Falaniko Vitale (26-8), although Trigg refused to confirm the match-up, according to MMA Junkie.

“I plan to fight for Strikeforce on Oct. 3, but I don’t want to commit and then not be able to fight,” he said.

“I definitely want to fight, but I just don’t want to make that promise and then not be able to compete because of an injury or something from [next week's] fight in Japan…. I don’t even want to talk about the October fight.”

Trigg last fought in December, tapping “Babyface” Edwin Dewees (35-13) with a first-round kimura.

“Niko” most recently won a unanimous decision over “Coyote” Joey Guel (13-6) in January.

The UFC seemed intent that sixth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (21-4-1) miss his de facto UFC top contender challenge of Silva, marketing Cote versus “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3) in Las Vegas 5 July as an eliminator fight even before Okami pulled up lame with a broken hand.

Cote won by split decision.

Okami, who holds a DQ “W” over Silva from 2006, dropped a rank for August on the ascension of fourth-ranked EliteXC Middleweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4).

In Stockton, east of San Francisco, 26 July, Lawler erased the ellipsis left at the end of his May No Contest with “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (13-5) and etched in a exclamatory second-round TKO over Smith.

To make the scattering of middleweights across promotions more frustrating, the entire top three – Silva, second-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3), and third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) – are throwing their hats into 205-pound bull ring.

Filho, who announced in February that he intends to move to 205-pounds, will rematch Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) in Hollywood, north of Miami, 10 September.

Perhaps Filho’s announcement was amidst his mysterious malaise, for which he’s been successfully treated; but, the WEC will shit-can their middleweight division before the end of 2008 and Filho, who signed with the WEC to avoid a confrontation with his pal Silva, will have to make a decision about which UFC weight class to compete in: the middleweight division Silva rules or the light heavyweight division Silva’s getting his kicks in.

Fifth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1) returned from an eight-month holiday to tap woefully mismatched Katsuyori Shibata (2-5) in Osaka 21 July.

Sixth-ranked “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6) will return from a nine-month holiday to fight Olympic judoka Makoto Takimoto (4-4) at Sengoku in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August.

Trigg’s deal with Sengoku could lead to a rematch versus eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2), but not before Misaki makes his North American debut versus a yet-to-be-named opponent at Strikeforce 19 September in Los Angeles.

Ninth-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1) has drawn legit kickboxer “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (9-3) in DREAM’s Middleweight GP, to be fought in Saitama 23 September.

“Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-6) holds steady at tenth without any announced or rumoured bouts.

August Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last year.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the September rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-4)

“Ruthless” rides a five-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, and Joey Villasenor.

5. Yoshihiro Akiyama (11-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the the result was a NC. He choked out Katsuyori Shibata in his July comeback.

6. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with better opponents.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

Trigg last fought in December, submitting “Babyface” Edwin Dewees (35-12) with a first-round kimura at an HDNet Fights event.

Takimoto, an Olympic gold medalist in judo, most recently faced “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11) at Sengoku 1 in March and was submitted in the first round via Achilles lock.

Glazer will provide the play-by-play commentary. He is a senior writer for Fox Sports, sideline reporter for NFL on Fox, and co-hosted PRIDE FC shows on Fox Sports Net.

Trigg will be colour commentator. Trigg (16-6), a PRIDE and UFC veteran and Fighters.com’ seventh-ranked middleweight, co-hosted PRIDE on FSN with Glazer, and currently co-hosts MMA Weekly and TAGG radio shows.

McCarthy, as previously reported, will commentate and also conduct interviews.

Michael Buffer will be the ring announcer. Buffer announces boxing and professional wrestling matches and is known for his catchphrase, “Let’s get ready to rumble!”

Mauro Ranallo, who was previously believed to be part of the team, was not mentioned in the press release.

But, the cold, hard ledger reveals Hendo’ hasn’t had a win at 185-pounds in two years.

Hendo’s previous rank was filled by tenth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-6), falling a notch to newly ninth-ranked “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1).

Souza debuted in the top ten after pulling off a tight two-round unanimous decision over Miller in DREAM’s Middleweight Grand Prix 15 June.

Also in June Japanese action, “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) cemented his seventh ranking with a UD over “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark at Sengoku.

Misaki now seeks revenge over new Sengoku add-on, seventh-ranked “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6).

No Sengoku match-up has been announced for Trigg; but, one would assume Misaki’s home nation promotion wants to match the old enemies as soon as Trigg is ready.

Sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) was pulling away from “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) in the third round of their EliteXC title fight 31 May in Newark, west of New York City, when a thumb to Smith’s eye rendered the result a No Contest.

Lawler held steady in June, as did the entire middleweight top five.

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) wisely avoided a move to 205-pounds to fight fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) in September.

The UFC’s July match-up between “Predator” Patrick Cote (12-4) and “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) is being marketed as winner-get-Silva.

Baffling, since the UFC’s obvious top contender is fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4), who seems to be lingering in limbo after knocking out former UFC Champion Evan Tanner (32-7) in March.

Fighters.com predicts Okami will draw “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-2).

Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1) continues to flirt with DREAM and will probably be the Middleweight GP champion’s first mandatory.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) is out of rehab and training for a September WEC title defense rematch versus Chael Sonnen (20-9-1).

Second-ranked “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3) is being pressured by the UFC to move to 205-pounds to clarify their middleweight rankings, but Franklin is resisting.

June Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback in the September rematch will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (9-1)

“Jacare” finally fulfilled the hype surrounding the BJJ world champion by overwhelming Miller on the way to a UD in June, but his besides “Mayhem” his record needs bolstered with better opponents.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

“There are no details as of yet for the WVR card,” Trigg said Monday afternoon.  He also quashed rumours that he will fight “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11) on 27 June’s Strikeforce card in San Jose.  “I have no Strikeforce fight coming up.”

WVR announced after Sengoku Third Battle Sunday in Saitama, north of Tokyo, that the promotion was “in negotiations” with Trigg.

In February 2007, Trigg won a UD over eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) at PRIDE 333.

Misaki now fights in Sengoku and challenged, “I would like to get revenge on [Trigg] in the near future.”

Trigg tapped “Babyface” Edwin Dewees (35-12) in a Kimura in the first round on HDNet Fights in December.

Trigg was announced for DREAM’s Middleweight Grand Prix, but denied he agreed to participating and has not fought for the Sengoku rival.

In April, second-ranked “Ace” Rick Franklin (23-3) finessed out of an armbar executed by TUF champ “Serial Killer” Travis Lutter (9-5) to pick apart the Texan in two rounds, but Franklin has no where to go after two stoppages to Silva.

As mentioned in 3 May’s Bushido Sheet, Franklin was offered a main event versus tenth-ranked “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) at UFC 85, but turned down the fight.

Franklin continues to consider interesting match-ups at 205-pounds.

Hendo’ dropped a rank in May after his 2006 UD over eighth-ranked “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) fell from his two-year record leaving “Hollywood” without a win at 185-pounds in two years.

His March stoppage to Silva leaves him with few good match-ups but for Franklin.  At this point, Hendo’ just needs a win in the Octagon.

The trail on the “Hitman” Misaki has gone cold since his March submission of Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at Sengoku.

Third-ranked “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0) is recovering from a substance abuse problem in Brazil.

He’s scheduled for a rematch with Chael Sonnen (20-9-1) to defend his WEC title, but don’t hold your breath for a Silva versus Filho title unification bout.

Filho and Silva are friends and refuse to fight each other; and, Filho plans to move to 205-pounds win, lose, or draw to Sonnen.

Fourth-ranked Yoshihiro Akiyama‘s (10-1) run at the DREAM Middleweight Grand Prix championship ended before it began when he re-injured a nasal bone fracture in training, causing him to withdraw.

Fifth-ranked “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4) remains the most likely candidate to take a swat at “Spider”, but no official word yet.

Sixth-ranked “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4) may be the face of the division when his EliteXC title defense versus “Hands of Stone” Scott Smith (13-4) is broadcast on national television across North America at the end of May.

Ninth-ranked “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5) debuted before the Nipponese in May with a first-round TKO of Katsuyori Shibata (2-4), but the “W” does little to propel him forward in the division.

May Middleweight Rankings

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3)

Despite two stoppages to Silva, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” finessed from a Travis Lutter armbar to pick the TUF champ apart in April and outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (21-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.

10. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7)

“Hollywood” served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn’t follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit.

Trigg had insisted to MMA Junkie over the weekend that he had never signed to fight on the card.

“Twinkle Toes” had been matched versus BJJ stud “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (7-1).

Souza will now fight American amateur wrestler Ian Murphy, who has never competed in professional mixed martial arts.

Murphy wrestled collegiately at Cal State Fullerton.

Trigg was the only Fighters.com top ten ranked middleweight in the Grand Prix.

The judoka re-injured a nasal fracture originally suffered in a New Year’s Eve No Contest with “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2).

At a press conference in Tokyo Monday, DREAM’s producer Keiichi Sashahara announced, “Even a slight blow will cause such heavy bleeding that will have every doctor stop the fight.”

Though DREAM continues to list an opening round Grand Prix match-up between Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked 185-pounder “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6) and “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (7-1), Trigg denied to MMA Junkie that he’s agreed fight for DREAM.

With both Fighters.com top ten middleweights pulled from the Grand Prix, the favorite to win is Canadian Denis Kang (29-9-1); but, Kang is 1-2 in his last three fights.  In the first round, he battles surging Armenian Gegard Mousasi (20-2-1), who has won seven straight.

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked middleweight “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6) will welcome Brazilian jiu-jitsu stud “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (7-1) to the big leagues.

Trigg, a former WFA and Icon champion, is the favorite to win the tournament.  He comes off a 1:40 Kimura submission of former UFC tough guy “Babyface” Edwin Dewees (34-12) in December.

“Jacare” is on a seven-fight “W” streak after losing his MMA debut by KO in 2003.  The ADCC absolute division runner-up last submitted Wendell Santos (0-1) in October.  Souza has never fought competition like “Twinkle Toes”.

“The Punk” Ikuhisa Minowa (39-27-8) will stand across the DREAM ring from Taiei Kin (2-2) on the same card.

Croation “Benkei” Zelg Galesic (7-3) has been matched against Russian Magomed Sultanakhmedov (4-1).

Finalyly, veteran PRIDE and K-1 judoka Dong Sik Yoon (3-4) will fight Shungo Oyama (7-10) in the tournament’s opening round.

Three other Middleweight Grand Prix fights were announced previously.

1. “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4)

“Spider” fights like he’s hacked the matrix, making top-tier opponents look like they’re clumsily swatting at a web. In March he choked out former PRIDE champ Hendo’. His two-year record has both volume and quality with a “W” next to each challenger.

2. “Ace” Rich Franklin (22-3)

Despite two Silva stoppage losses, Franklin is still the best of the rest, even according to Silva himself. “Ace” outwrestled notoriously powerful Okami for a decision last July and out-classed “The Athlete” Jason MacDonald before that.

3. “Ely” Paulo Filho (16-0)

Filho’s perfect rap sheet lists solid foes, but only an ’06 KO of Misaki among top-tenners. Chael Sonnen gave him hell in a controversial stoppage, but Filho missed the March rematch. A strong comeback and top-ten challenge will solidify Filho’s ranking.

4. Yoshihiro Akiyama (10-1)

The Zainichi judoka ran the K-1 gauntlet of weight-mismatched spectacles before bursting into 185-pound contention with a KO of Denis Kang. Akiyama drew Misaki on NYE, but the end was deemed illegal and the result a NC. He also needs a strong comeback.

5. “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4)

Okami has been most active among the top ten in the last two years and comes off a knockout of former UFC champ Evan Tanner.  His only UFC loss was to Franklin, but could’ve conceivably been a “W” had he went after “Ace” before the final two minutes.

6. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (15-4)

“Ruthless” rides a four-fight “W” streak since being choked out by Miller in ’06, including a KO of Trigg and stoppages of solid fighters Murilo Rua and Joey Villasenor. Upcoming versus Scott Smith won’t prove much unless he loses.

7. “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (16-6)

With all Trigg does, you may have missed his comeback at middleweight the last two years, starting with a TKO of Miller and a UD over Misaki. Lawler iced him at Icon, but he’s returned with a quick stoppage of Edwin Dewees. He’s my division wildcard to watch.

8. “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2)

Misaki has made successful hits on Denis Kang and Hendo’, but also dropped decisions to Trigg and Hendo’ and a stoppage to Filho. Regardless, he’s won and lost among the division’s best, and may have added a “W” versus Akiyama if PRIDE rules ruled K-1.

9. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7)

“Hollywood” served Silva his first losing round in two years, but couldn’t follow-up in round two.  Yo-yoing between weight classes has resulted in a mixed record for the last PRIDE champion in two weight classes.  If he wants 185, he’ll have to commit.

10. “Mayhem” Jason Miller (20-5)

Always entertaining “Mayhem” has thrown in a stoppage over Lawler and a stoppage by Trigg into a mixed bag of competition the last two years.