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.

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?

UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar, is deep into his training camp for the trilogy fight with Gray Maynard in May.  Part of that training includes tutelage from John Danaher, one of the best Jiu Jitsu coaches and strategists in the game based at Renzo Gracie‘s gym in New York City. Recently, Edgar took time to talk with Fighters.com about training with Danaher, fighting Gilbert Melendez in the future, his new T-shirt, Ricardo Almeida‘s retirement, and if he has decided the walk out music for his third consecutive title-fight defense.

Click through to watch the interview.

In part 2 of our audio discussion with MMA nutrition specialist, Mike Dolce – founder of The Dolce Diet, we talk about a number of UFC fighters and their weight cut issues or lack there of, in the case of Frankie Edgar. Dolce takes you inside his work with welterweight Mike Pyle and his amazing weight cut and rehydration at UFC 128. He also comments on Anthony Johnson, who just defeated Dan Hardy, but has had trouble making weight in the past.   Interesting topic for MMA fans.

Click through to listen to part 2 with Mike Dolce.

Mike Dolce is the founder of the “The Dolce Diet,” a revolutionary diet and lifestyle program gaining fame in the world of MMA, yet also being utilized by everyday athletes and folks seeking better health. Dolce has gained a huge following due to his work helping such UFC stars as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Thiago Alves, Chael Sonnen, and Gray Maynard to effectively make weight while maintaining strength and stamina.

“The Dolce Diet” has been a lifelong passion for Mike Dolce, as he indicated in this edition of Fighters.com Radio.  Dolce takes us back to his youth, when he became interested in fitness and nutrition … then talks about common mistakes fighters are making today, the value of water, and his work with Thiago Alves.

In part 2, coming tomorrow, Dolce gives an inside look at the amazing weight cut and rehydration he guided Mike Pyle through at UFC 128 and his candid thoughts on the weight and career of Anthony Johnson.

Click through for Part 1 with Mike Dolce.

Fascinating!

UFC Lightweight Champion, Frankie Edgar, has a huge trilogy fight with Gray Maynard looming in May. But first, he is helping a host of Team Almeida fighters prepare for their big night.  Edgar will be in the corner for Ricardo Almeida‘s fight at UFC 128 Saturday against Mike Pyle. Then, his close training partner, Chris Liguori, fights in Ring Of Combat on April 8th. While helping his buddies peak for their fights, he is ramping up his own camp for another title defense against Gray Maynard at UFC 130.

I spoke with Edgar yesterday on these topics and more.

Click through to watch the video.

UFC 130 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 28, with a stellar card that fans won’t want to miss.

Heading into their rubber match, both Edgar and Gray have a lot to prove, as the two men produced firework’s in their last meeting, earning both “Fight of the Night” honors, despite the bout being ruled a split-draw. While most draw’s are highly unpopular in the sport of mixed martial arts, it was not panned, and was rather viewed as a just call on all accounts.

Both men will meet once again in order to prove who truly is the number one lightweight fighter in the world, and take home the coveted UFC title.

Also in action, former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will be returning to the octagon after coming off of a pivotal decision win over Lyoto Machida last Novemeber and will likely be returning to title contention, should he get passed rising contender Matt Hamill. Hamill is currently riding a five-fight win streak inside the cage, and in his last outing defeated former champ Tito Ortiz with a dominant decision win at UFC 121 last October. Matt steps in as a replacement for Thiago Silva, who has since been speculated to have taken some form of Performance Enhancing Drugs in his last outing at UFC 125 in January, after he defeated Brandon Vera in a clean sweep unanimous decision.

Here is the rest of the card as it stands (format courtesy of MMAJunkie.com):

MAIN CARD

Champ Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard (for lightweight title)
Matt Hamill vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson
Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve
Jorge Santiago vs. Brian Stann

PRELIMINARY CARD

Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story
Brad Pickett vs. Miguel Torres

So, MMA peeps, are you surprised at all by the way the bouts are ordered? Do you prefer to see one over the other? Keep in mind it all might change as the card begins to develop. Sound off in the comment section below.

It wasn’t enough that he took home the belt originally when he defeated arguably the greatest 155-pounder of all time in BJ Penn last April. But, the Toms River native had to repeat the gritty performance just four-months later in his first title defense. Instead, Edgar thoroughly dominated the Hawaiian and solidified his spot as not only the number one lightweight in the world, but as the undisputed UFC champion.

However now, after ending an early “Fight of the Year” candidate bout with rival Gray Maynard in an anti-climatic draw at UFC 125 at the beginning of this month, he will have to challenge the Xtreme Couture product for a third time and solidify his standings as the best. But how does Edgar welcome the challenge? With open arms.

“Just to get some closure. You get to have a fight like that and no one ends up the winner, it kind of sucks, but I’m glad I get another crack at it”, said the New Jersey based fighter, who recently spoke with MMAWeekly.com about the proposed rubber-match.

Though nothing has become official, all signs are pointing for the third encounter to headline an as-of-yet announced pay-per-view event, UFC 130 which is said to take place once again at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“There’s definitely been talks about it. I’m not sure that’s 100 percent”, said the Ricardo Almeida protege.

“I haven’t signed anything, but I guess Dana talked about it, so it’s probably set in stone…I’m super excited, I can’t wait to get back in there to be honest with you.”

Early in the first round of their second encounter (the first of which Maynard claimed a victory over Edgar in 2008 by decision, marking the only loss on the champions record) “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran was able to drop Frankie several times with hard shots, however Edgar was able to battle back in the closing rounds, which ultimately caused the draw in the main event of the Jan. 1 event.

He looks to his fights with BJ, where in the first meeting it was a closely contested fight, however the second time around Edgar was able to up the pace on the former titleholder and thoroughly dominate him en route to a unanimous decision. He’s hoping to do the same this time around with Gray.

“I plan on turning it up even more from here,” said the former collegiate wrestler.

“As far as improving as a fighter, it’s my main objective. I’m not only looking at Gray as the main thing, I just want to get better. So after Gray, whoever it may be, I’m prepared for that guy. I’ve got a tough challenge ahead of me, but the last fight with B.J., I was able to step it up, and hopefully I’ll be able to do it again.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Edgar’s comments? Who do you have pegged as the favorite heading into the third fight? Both have improved dramatically since their first encounter nearly three years ago, and sure enough after a few hard months spent to train, we could see another mark of improvement from either man. Sound off in the comment section below.

@john_moody

Risk your status as the next man to challenge for the worlds most prestigious title by taking a fight to bide the time, or wait on the wings for close to a year for a trilogy to play out before you see the goods?

For the 23-year-old, Pettis doesn’t think it’s in his best interest to wait while a grudge is settled. Instead, the Milwaukee native could be returning to the cage as early as May, serving under a main event pitting his two possible future opponents in title challenger Gray Maynard and current UFC champ Frankei Edgar.

Anthony captured the WEC lightweight title last December when he defeated Ben Henderson in what turned out to be one of the best fights of 2010, even cementing his own “Showtime Kick”, flooring the Arizona native with a leaping-push kick off the cage, however Ben recovered and eventually Anthony walked away with the decision win.

At WEC 53 where the title changed hands, it marked the promotion’s final event before it was fully assimilated with it’s sister organization, the UFC, and with the win Pettis secured the number one contender spot for the UFC title, which was to be contested between rivals Gray Maynard and current title holder Frankie Edgar on Jan. 1.

After a shaky first round where “The Bully” was able to floor Edgar on several occasions with heavy shots on the feet, the Ricardo Almeida protege was able to storm back and command the majority of the fight with quick foot work, effective boxing and a few takedowns of his own. The fight was very closely contested, and in the end the bout ended in a split-draw, leaving the title picture in dissaray. Ultimately, UFC President Dana White opted for the rubber match between Frankie and Gray (the two met originally in 2008 with Maynard picking up a decision win) and left Pettis with two options: wait till the dust settles, or fight.

“I think if the stars aligned and the world was perfect, [the title shot] would probably be October or November, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said Pettis’ manager Mike Roberts, who spoke with MMAJunkie.com about his champion. “We think there’s a pretty good chance that the winner of that fight is going to take some time off. It just ain’t worth the gamble.

“You can’t take a 23-year-old kid and sit him on the sidelines for 12 or 18 months and have him doing nothing. It’s just not a good idea. We don’t think this is Anthony’s last shot. We think he’s going to be in the mix for a long time.”

So in the mean time, Roberts had discussed plans for “Showtime” to take up a fight either by May or June.

If it is in May, and if victorious in his bout, it would set up a great arc for the promotion to properly introduce the title unification bout between Pettis and the winner of Edgar/Maynard, which is also targeted for the late spring. The trilogy is expected to take place at UFC 130 on May 28. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Pettis’ decision? Foolish? Perhaps. But even should Anthony lose, he has plenty of time to climb back up the lightweight ranks at the age of 23, and he has already proven that he has the skills to be competitive against anyone in the 155-pound division. But who would you like to see him take on next as he makes his anticipated UFC debut? Sound off in the comment section below.

Both Edgar and Maynard were last inside the octagon just last weekend where both lightweight competitors turned in an early candidate for “Fight of the Year” (though both men will have to settle for just “Fight of the Night” at the UFC 125 pay-per-view event) as they battled it out for an exciting 25-minute affair at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Now, both men have been rumored to return to the same venue, same city, to determine who is the best 155-pound fighter in the world.

MMA Live, an ESPN program featuring Jon Anik and Kenny Florian as a regular co-host, have reported that Edgar vs. Maynard III is tentatively scheduled for UFC 130, which takes place May 28.

Also on the card, former light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is also rumored to appear opposite of Brazilian slugger, Thiago Silva.

During their recent 25-minute title clash, both men had their moments, with Maynard definitively taking the first round with successive knockdowns over the wily Edgar, however the champion returned strong in the final frames, and in the end forced a close and narrow fight, which was ultimately scored a split-draw.

Though Anthony Pettis, the WEC lightweight champion, was promised his shot at the UFC title in order to unify the two-promotions belts, Maynard more then did his share in order to redeem himself and possibly claim the 155-pound title in 2011.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the lightweight title tilt? Maynard may have definitively defeated Edgar over 2 years ago, but now that Frankie has improved leaps and bounds, which was made evident in their last fight, who do you think claims the rubber match? Sound off in the comment section below.

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”?

Arguably the UFC’s most undersized lightweight fighter, Edgar has done the impossible, twice in defeating former division king BJ Penn en route to his current position as the organization’s 155-pound champion.

Now, the only man to defeat Frankie in his professional mixed martial arts career is on deck next for “The Answer”, and while the Toms River, New Jersey native has done everything to prove his contention as the best in the world, not nearly enough people are giving him the respect that he deserves, namely other professional fighters.

Sherdog.com recently posted their usual “Pros Pick” series for “UFC 125: Resolution” which features the aforementioned title fight pitting Edgar and Maynard against one another, and as such professional fighters from around the globe were able to cast down their favorite for the lightweight affair.

While it was decidedly even, Maynard came out the favorite with 25 votes against 22 for the Xtreme Couture product.

The slight edge to Maynard could be due in large to the fact that Gray remains to be the only man that has defeated the Ricardo Almeida product, albeit two and a half years ago.

Former WEC featherweight contender and all around mixed martial arts veteran Javier Vazquez was one of the many fighters asked to throw in his pick for tonight’s 155-pound main event affair and he had this to say:

“I think that this is a much more difficult style matchup for Frankie Edgar than B.J. Penn was. Not because Gray is a better fighter than BJ; it’s because the type of game plan Gray will try to implement”, said Vazquez.

“The key for Frankie is movement. Stick, move, sprawl and break the clinch of Gray Maynard. We already know Frankie has the gas to go five five-minute rounds and look good doing it. The question is can Gray? The key for Gray in this fight is to cut off the Octagon, clinch with the smaller Edgar and manhandle him to the ground. Both fighters have made significant improvements in their skills over the past few years, and takedowns will not come as easily as they did in the first fight for Maynard. Gray will use his much-improved boxing to strike and setup takedowns against the quicker Edgar en route to a five-round decision. I pick Maynard.”

So, MMA peeps, do you agree with Javier? Will “The Bully” be able to out work and out muscle the smaller Edgar once again, or will Frankie prove the doubters wrong yet again and score the victory in their second meeting? Sound off in the comment section below.

After defeating the likes of Tyson Griffin, Hermes Franca, and Sean Sherk, Edgar eventually worked his way to a coeveted title shot against legend and dual champ BJ Penn.

At UFC 112, Edgar shocked the world when he defeated the manic Hawaiian over the course of a five-round war, which saw him edge Penn only slightly. The two men rematched just a few months later at UFC 118 in August, and if there was any doubt whether or not Frankie won their previous affair, it was all laid to rest following the bouts conclusion, where Edgar thoroughly dominated the legend en route to another unanimous decision win.

Now, Edgar will take on the only man to claim a victory over the New Jersey native during his 5-year career as a professional mixed martial artist in Gray Maynard at UFC 125 which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Jan. 1 in Las Vegas.

Maynard has remained to be the only man to date to claim a victory over the spark plug lightweight in Edgar. While both men hold collegiate wrestling credentials, it was “The Bully” that was able to dictate all of the action on ground, and in the end walked away with a unanimous decision win over Edgar in April of 2008.

Now both men will go at it once again, however with this time with much more on the line. Maynard remains undefeated as a professional and now has the chance to become the new lightweight champion, while Edgar has the opportunity to redeem a loss and hold onto the gold.

So what will be Frankie’s answer for Maynard’s obvious wrestling pedigree? Jiu-Jitsu, which is mostly thanks to his work with UFC fighters Renzo Gracie and Ricardo Almeida.

“When he took me down the first fight, the first couple of rounds I was able to get up. The third round, he did a good job of holding me down,” said Frankie who recently spoke with Sherdog.com. “I didn’t really have the jiu-jitsu that I have today. … Now I have jiu-jitsu techniques that I think will aid me in getting back to my feet.”

With his fast pace action he brings in every fight, Frankie hopes that in the waning moments of the fight he will be able to take control over Maynard, who he thinks will be fatigued when he enters the championship rounds, which is something that Edgar has done twice in his last two fights with Penn.

“I’m sure Gray’s preparing for the [five five-minute rounds], but there’s nothing like having the experience doing it like I have my last two fights,” said Frankie. “I’m hoping to take him in deep water and hoping I can wear him out. In four and five rounds, I’m expecting to hopefully take control.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think will be his key to success? Will Maynard tire as the fight wears on, and will Edgar be able to rewrite history and defeat Gray and exact revenge? Sound off in the comment section below.

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?

UFC 125 has some obvious sales points mainly centering around the main card title fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.  However, some second tier questions will also get solved or advanced towards solution come January 1^st.

What is the future for Brandon Vera?

Vera was heralded as a multi weight-class phenom when he knocked out Frank Mir in 2006.  Then he went into exile for a couple years when he had contract issues with Dana White.  Since his return, he has rarely flashed the same cage dominance.  Now, after consecutive losses to Randy Couture and Jon Jones the question is … will we ever the see Brandon Vera circa 2006 again?  Thiago Silva, his opponent at UFC 125, will provide more than an adequate measuring stick towards that answer.  I think Vera needs to win or must engage in a dynamic “Fight Of The Night” style affair to keep his good graces with the UFC.  However, working in his favor to stay with the UFC is his Phillipino heritage.  With the UFC expanding to Asia, Dana White may well give Vera every chance to keep his job.

Is Marcus Davis fighting to keep his career alive?

The Bangor Maine pugilist may be in his last UFC fight unless he wins on January 1st.  At 38, and 1-3 in his last four fights, Davis was unable to execute his brawling style against Nate Diaz, Ben Saunders, and Dan Hardy.  His opponent at UFC 125, Jeremy Stephens, may be just what the doctor ordered for Davis.  Stephens is a guy who is all about getting into a fist fight.  Davis will need to overcome his shortcomings from his last fight against Nate Diaz … which was finding way into range to connect.  Stephens does not have the reach that Diaz carried, so he may find more success.  If this is the end for Davis, he has had a tremendous career considering he started as a boxer and was able to round out his skill set to compete out at the highest levels of MMA.

Will a Nate Diaz win elevate him to serious contender status at 170lbs?

Nate Diaz, at times, has shown to be as talented as any fighter in the UFC as he shuttled between the 155 and 170-pound weight classes.  Apparently settled now at the 170lb level, Diaz now looks for his 4th win in his last 5 fights against Dong Hyun kim.  Diaz has used his smothering jab and peppering boxing style to keep opponents at bay while dropping a heavy volume of leather to the body and brain.  Despite impressive wins over Marcus Davis, Rory Markham, and Melvin Guillard of late, Diaz has not been considered in the top 6 of either weight class. If Diaz can beat Kim and settle into the 170lb class, he certainly has the talent to compete at the highest level.  Can this fight start his rankings climb?

It’s all yours folks … will UFC 125 answer these questions for Vera, Davis and Diaz?

@john_moody

If Edgar shows with the same confusing, stunting boxing discipline he used to humble Penn and Sean Sherk, this could be a long night for Maynard.

Here are the three keys to an Edgar victory at UFC 125.

1. Take-down Defense

Edgar needs to stay standing.  Not that he can’t compete in a wrestling match with Maynard, but why go to the one place that makes this a 50/50 fight.   Edgar has been stuffing takedowns since grade school on the Jersey Shore.  If he can frustrate Maynard by stopping his early takedown attempts, he will win the mental game and put the fight in the pocket of his dizzying standup arsenal.

2. Psychology

Edgar’s movement is probably more devastating from a mental angle than a physical angle.  Do you remember how defeated BJ Penn appeared as early as round 2 in the their last fight?  He could not find Edgar in range let alone connect.  Maynard is not the striker Penn is, so this advantage will only be more pronounced.  When Maynard realizes he can’t hit Edgar, he becomes predictable, his wrestling loses value, and he loses any mental edge.

Cardio

3. Both fighters will enter the Octagon in prime condition.  However, Edgar has the experience and knowledge that his cardio is fight tested for five rounds. He has proven he will be as strong in round-5 as round-1.  He has gone the distance in his last two fights and his bouncy treadmill style became another weapon game against the fading Penn.  If this one goes to the fifth round, expect a slight edge for Edgar.

In no way do I expect a repeat fight of Edgar / Maynard 1.  Edgar has evolved too far and developed more options and weapons to allow Maynard to keep this fight a pure wrestling match.  Edgar wins via TKO in round 4.

It’s in your hands folks.  Do you agree with my breakdown?

@john_moody

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”?

Team leader André Pederneiras recently spoke to TATAME and had the following to say: “Aldo fighting Ultimate’s champion, the fourth in the world, is one thing… But the [proposed fight with Florian] was not interesting… I think he’s an excellent athlete, but he’s coming from a bad result and, unfortunately for him, he was never [a UFC] champion… I couldn’t see why this fight should happen… Aldo wanted to fight, but who turned it down was me… It wasn’t because we were afraid of the other guy, it was because I thought [it] wasn’t worth it.”

If we’re being brutally honest, I can see where Pederneiras is coming from. The time to make Aldo/Florian happen has passed, Florian really isn’t that big of a name now that Gray Maynard outworked, outmaneuvered, and generally outshone him in their recent three-round scrap at UFC 118. That fight famously caused UFC President Dana White to say “Kenny Florian chokes in big fights”, which quickly caused its fair share of controversy around the web. Putting it plainly, Kenny Florian’s one-sided loss to Gray Maynard caused him to tumble back down the Lightweight rankings, and Florian fighting Aldo would ultimately have been far more beneficial to Florian than to the man who holds a major belt in another promotion and would have been jumping up in weight.

Whenever Aldo does make the transition to Lightweight (and I think it’s inevitable that he will), he deserves to immediately get the UFC’s best athletes. Kenny Florian is occasionally considered one of the UFC’s best, but right now there are a lot of questions surrounding him. He’s 0-2 in battles for the belt, and a lot of people are wondering what kind of future Florian has in the Lightweight division. Florian is an established name, but that name has been damaged by his recent high-profile losses. Despite all the negative press and fan backlash they received for their decision, ultimately I’m siding with Team Aldo. I truly believe that declining the Florian fight was the best option available to Jose Aldo as he moves forward and transitions into the UFC.

I will say one thing, though: it’s very tough to side with a camp and a fighter when he refuses fights. Aldo only gets a pass because the exact right circumstances fell into place: Aldo is a dominant champion, Aldo would have moved up in weight and switched organizations before it was ever revealed that the two organizations would be merging, Florian’s status had taken a sizable hit in his loss to Maynard, etc. etc. If Aldo keeps turning down fights, his reputation will quickly sour and his credibility will plummet. I’m willing to let Aldo and his camp off with a warning, but it’s a stern warning: champions aren’t made by turning down fights.

And what about you, fans and friends? Do you think Aldo’s camp was justified in turning down the Florian fight now that these new details have surfaced?

The winner between Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson will not only move into the UFC following the WEC’s last event in December due to the merger, however, the winner will also go on to unify the WEC title with the UFC’s.

The move can be likened to when dual champion Dan Henderson made his way over to the organization after the acquisition of PRIDE, and unified both his welterweight (183-pound title) and middleweight title (205-pound title) with the UFC’s middleweight and light heavyweight belts, against Anderson Silva and Quinton Jackson, whom were both successful in assimilating said titles within the organization.

Now that both Pettis and Henderson have the opportunity not only to become UFC fighters but potentially champion’s, it’s a big deal to say the least. And nobody knows that more than these two.

“I was speechless (when I heard the news) this morning. It’s crazy,” said the lightweight title challenger while speaking with Sherdog.com.

“I was training hard, but now I’m pushing even harder. There’s so much to look forward to in this next year.”

For Henderson, the current WEC lightweight champion, the pressure is all on him. Having already successfully defended his title against rival and friend Donald Cerrone in his last performance at WEC 48 last April, submitting Donald inside of the first round. To date, “Smooth” is the only man to finish “Cowboy” in his mixed martial arts career. Should he retain his title against Pettis, he will go on to vie for the UFC championship against the winner between January’s tussle pitting current champion Frankie Edgar against foe Gray Maynard.

“It would mean a lot [to become the UFC lightweight champion],” said Henderson to the Sherdog.com crew.

“It’d be a dream come true. I want to be the best on the planet, so I’ll probably eventually fight both guys. I want to beat everybody — not my buddies, but everybody else.”

So, MMA peeps, who do you think will come out the victor of each respective bout? Do you think Edgar and Henderson will retain their titles and eventually meet in 2011? Or will Pettis and Maynard upset the champions and vie for the unification bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

Frankie Edgar, currently recognized as the UFC’s lightweight champion will be defending his title on January 1 at UFC 125 against rival Gray Maynard. Meanwhile, WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson will look to defend his title for a second time when he squares up with the ultra-talented Anthony “Showtime” Pettis at WEC 53 in December.

So, what does it mean when you have two champions being absolved into one weight class?

Well, they would have to fight, of course.

Zuffa was bound to run into this problem sooner or later. A featherweight and bantamweight class did not exist prior to the merger, so to determine a “true champion” was never the case, until now.

Both fighters, Edgar and Henderson, have been dominant within their respective promotion’s, however will arguably face their toughest tests to date when they meet their adversaries, inching close to the new year and a new beginning.

Frankie Edgar, the reigning UFC lightweight champion will meet the only man to defeat him in his mixed martial arts career, undefeated wrestling powerhouse Gray Maynard. Maynard is recently coming off of a decision victory over former two-time title challenger Kenny Florian at UFC 118, in Florian’s own backyard.

Edgar, meanwhile, is coming off of his second consecutive victory over BJ Penn at UFC 118 as well, putting to bed any controversy that their original bout at UFC 112 garnered by thoroughly dominating Penn from bell to bell, en route to a unanimous decision victory, winning every round on the judges score cards.

Henderson has remained undefeated in his WEC career in his last performance, when he was able to submit the durable Donald Cerrone, inside of the first round of his first title defense at WEC 48 last April.

Pettis, is riding a three-fight win streak in the WEC promotion, none of which have gone the distance. After a shaky start in his lightweight match with powerful wrestler Shane Roller, Pettis was able to eventually submit the Texan with a third-round triangle choke, which set him up for his shot against Henderson.

The winner of each respective match up will vie the UFC’s undisputed title sometime in 2011, unifying the titles in what will turn out to be an exciting turn of events.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Sound off in the comment section below.

Next New Year’s, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC will return to Nevada with a lightweight title fight pitting current champion Frankie Edgar, who is riding on a 5-fight win streak (which included two back-to-back victories over former champion BJ Penn) will look to exact revenge when he defends his title against the only man to defeat him, undefeated UFC lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard.

Also in action, former Interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin is coming back to action after succumbing to his first defeat as a professional at UFC 116 when he tangles with the former IFL heavyweight champion and season 10 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Roy Nelson.

Nate Diaz has recently been announced as a new addition to the card. Making his third consecutive trip to the welterweight division, Diaz will look to go three-in-a-row following some recent success with victories over Rory Markham and Marcus Davis (respectively) finishing both competitors before it went the distance.

Meeting Diaz will be Korean Judoka, Dong Hyun Kim. An undefeated prospect in the 170-pound division, Diaz will arguably be his toughest test to date, and should Dong come away from the bout in impressive fashion, it could spell title implications.

While no official word has come as far the order of the match ups, though I would assert that the card should look something like this. Here is the event in it’s entirety, though additional match ups are soon to be announced.

Main Card:
-Lightweight Championship bout: Frankie Edgar (champion) vs. Gray Maynard
-Heavyweight bout: Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson
-Lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
-Middleweight bout: Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann
-Welterweight bout: Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Preliminary:
-Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva
-Middleweight bout: Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares
-Lightweight bout: Antonio McKee vs. Jacob Volkmann

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of match ups so far? Any additional bouts you would like to see make the main card? Which bouts do you think, should they be featured, for the Spike Prelims special?
Sound off in the comment section below.

Edgar recently has successfully defended his title against BJ Penn at UFC 118, dominating the former dual champion en route to a unanimous decision victory, with a clean sweep of scores with 50-45 across the board, between all three judges.

Maynard, the only man to defeat Edgar to date, is coming off of arguably the biggest win of his career, when he defeated former title challenger Kenny Florian, at UFC 118. In Maynard fashion, he used his dominant wrestling prowess to control the Boston native on the ground, and won a clear-cut and otherwise uninspired unanimous decision. The bout was for number one contender spot and allowed him his chance to challenge for the title, for the first time, in his undefeated career.

The New Years day event was revealed on a new addition of “The Ultimate Insider“, a UFC web-related series which speaks with some of the biggest names in the organization.

Also rumored for the event is another lightweight showdown between former PRIDE lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi against the wild man, Clay Guida. Gomi, who initiated his UFC career this year in March, was submitted in the third round by the aforementioned Kenny Florian in a disappointing debut, however, bounced back in a big way when he was able to knockout perennial contender Tyson Griffin in a swift fashion, with just 60-some-odd seconds inside of the first round, at “UFC Live: Jones vs Matyushenko”, last August.

Guida, meanwhile, has bounced back from a two-fight losing streak to a two-fight win streak with submission victories over the likes of Shannon Gugerty, and most recently, Rafael dos Anjos, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt (albeit due to injury) at UFC 117.

A recently announced heavyweight match up between former interim champion, Shane Carwin and former IFL champion, Roy Nelson, is expected to serve as the night’s co-main event.

Shane is coming on the heels of his first defeat as a professional, when he was submitted by current champion, Brock Lesnar. After a strong first round, where Carwin managed to drop Lesnar after a bevvy of punches, outworked himself with a vicious ground-and-pound assault. Still in the fight, Brock was able to survive the onslaught, and came storming back in the second, eventually taking down the fatigued Greg Jackson fighter, mounting, then submitting him with an arm-triangle choke.

Nelson, meanwhile, is coming off of a loss to current number one contender Junior dos Santos. After being rocked on multiple occasions throughout the bout, and dropped twice in the first round alone, Nelson was able to gut it out and survived to see the final bell, though the decision ended up going to dos Santos.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match ups so far? Any complaints? Sound off in the comment section below.

Although his in-ring antics against Mizuto Hirota at “Dynamite!! 2009″ would inidicate otherwise, the grappling ace usually keeps to himself and refrains from doing a lot of outlandish things. Maybe that’s why the Japanese have embraced him as their leading man in the world of mixed martial arts.

However, most recently, the famed Judoka has stepped out of his shell and lit the MMA world abuzz once again, with his almost brutal honesty, on how he views the Western MMA scene (um…us) and how they can benefit by tuning into DREAM, once in a while.

Here is a transcript from a short interview Aoki, the DREAM lightweight champion, had done with Grappling Dummy, in an official DEEP affiliated gym, in Tokyo, Japan. Props to MiddleEasy for the find.

If you’d like to read the transcript in it’s entirety, the tread along, otherwise, if your looking for the meat and potatoes, what he thinks about the UFC, his favorite fighters, etc, then scroll on down towards the end.

GD: Are you any closer to achieving the “ideal self” you talked about in recent interviews?

SA: Yes… by practicing everyday, I get closer to my ideal self. It’s the training itself, every day.

GD: Amateur Wrestling is helping out a lot of fighters win fights. Do you think you can counter it by training more wrestling?

SA: I am not a wrestler, so… But I do have elements of wrestling in my style. I don’t think I’m going to change what I do that much.

GD: Now that prize money is offered in grappling competitions like Abu Dhabi Pro, would you compete in jiu jitsu again?

SA: Abu Dhabi Pro… What’s the prize money?

GD and Associates: (scuffling, and some back and forth) Do you have any idea? No, I don’t know. Maybe it’s like… five thousand dollars. Pretty small.

SA: Multiply that by ten and I might do it!

GD: How do you feel about the western fighters comparing themselves to the samurai of Japan?

SA: Samurai are the guys with the chon-mage haircut and swords… They aren’t walking around today. It’s probably a misunderstanding of the Japanese culture.

GD: Are martial arts just fighting or do they teach you to be a better person?

SA: Well, it’s my job. I don’t really know if it would benefit me… A lot of people say that fighters are good people, but I’m not sure how useful it is for a professional fighter to be a nice guy.

:::: Free conversation, starting with BJ Penn‘s loss to Frankie Edgar ::::

SA: BJ lost the fight, but… I am a really huge fan of BJ Penn. In fact, he’s my favorite fighter. Technically he lost, but… Real martial arts means a knockout or a submission. I still think he is the “number one”. I think the problem in the fight was that BJ didn’t try hard enough to get the submission and finish the fight. I think that was the problem. Maybe technically it was a good game, but not very interesting.

GD: Do you want to see Gray Maynard vs Frankie Edgar?

SA: I don’t! (laughs).

:::: Free Conversation Concerning Western MMA; Specifically, the UFC ::::

SA: I am a really big fan of the UFC. I love it. But the wrestling style of take down, holding… Standing, a little boxing, then another take down… It’s boring. Going for the submission, the KO, is much more interesting. That’s what Japanese MMA is all about. Lately, in the UFC, there are some amazing fighters, but… It’s not always exciting.

:::: Favorite Fighters ::::

SA: My favorite fighters are BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Kenny Florian, Melvin Guillard, Nate Diaz. I like aggressive fighters. All this wrestling is boring.

:::: The Gilbert Melendez fight in Strikeforce, last April; his last loss ::::

SA: (In the Melendez fight) it had nothing to do with the cage. I was simply weak. I can’t really explain it in words, but… Step by step, I’m improving. It will be fine.

:::: His opinion on the top 4 fighters in the lightweight division ::::

SA: BJ Penn, Eddie Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar… Anyway, there’s four (top lightweights). With BJ as number one. The most aggressive is Eddie Alvarez. The most defensive is Franke Edgar. Gray Maynard!…He’s a…(hesitating) good wrestler.

:::: MMA Promotions Aoki watches ::::

SA: I watch all the American MMA shows. From Elite XC, then Strikeforce, the UFC… Basically I watch everything. When a fighter get’s released from the UFC, they move down to a local promotion. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. With tough fighters coming up, it’s good.

GD: How much weight do you cut?

SA: Five or Six kilograms (which translates to 11 to 13 pounds). (Cutting lots of weight) is not good for the body. American fighters train so hard, they use a lot of supplements. So their fighting peak is pretty small.

(except Randy Couture)

SA: (Smiles and nods)

I encourage everyone to watch the video when they have a chance. I’m sure the little nuances and such would be much better translated on video instead of me writing it all out, inch by inch.

So, MMA peeps, what’s your take on Aoki now? Have your views changed? Do you agree with his assessment of the Western MMA scene? Sound off in the comment section below.

The headliner, a rumored bout pitting UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva against former teammate Vitor Belfort is tentatively scheduled for the event, as well as light heavyweight bouts pitting former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin against one another, as well as Ryan Bader versus phenom, Jon “Bones” Jones.

Said lightweight match up, which will be Kenny Florian against Evan Dunham, is a fight that no true mixed martial arts fan would want to pass up.

Florian was last seen in action when he faced the talented and suffocating wrestler in Gray Maynard, in Kenny’s own backyard of Boston, Mass., for UFC 118. Against Maynard, “Ken-Flo” never pulled the trigger, and was taken down almost at will, over and over again. The uninspired loss snapped a two-fight win streak for Kenny, and also had him elude a third run at the lightweight title. He was unsuccessful in his initial attempt to capture the gold at UFC 63 against Sean Sherk, for the vacant title, then lost against former kingpin BJ Penn at UFC 101, by fourth-round rear-naked choke.

Dunham, meanwhile, is on the upswing of his career, despite coming on the heels of a loss in his last UFC outing–his first loss in his MMA career at that.

Undefeated as a professional heading into UFC 119, Dunham had impressed many, by seemingly coming out of nowhere with his rise above the heap in the lightweight division. Wins over season 8 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”: Efrain Escudero, Marcus Aurelio, and perennial contender Tyson Griffin cemented his spot as the next big thing in the 155-pound ranks. With the very controversial loss to Sean Sherk, which saw the Xtreme Couture product dominate the former champion standing up with effective combination’s (kicks and knees galore) as well several submission attempts, his star has only grew brighter.

Florian, albeit “choking” in big fights (ala Dana White), is talented nonetheless. An adept Muay Thai striker with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenny has been a thorn in the side of several up-and-coming fighters in the lightweight division, including notables Clay Guida, Joe Lauzon, and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi–all of whom, the Boston native has finished.

The part-time ESPN personality announced the news on “MMA Live” just yesterday, saying “We’ve verbally agreed to fight Evan Dunham, which is great news. Phenomenal opponent, which I’m very excited about, and it looks like it may happen on Super Bowl weekend”.

UFC 127 takes place on February 5th, at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Who do you think takes this fight, in what has the potential to be an early candidate for “Fight of the Night”. Sound off in the comment section below.

He hasn’t put together the most exciting fights in his career, which is made evident by his 18 decision victories in his 25 wins as a professional, but his wrestling base has been something that has carried him through a 13-fight win streak (with 1 draw in the 14 fight stretch). However, since turning a corner in his career, finally at the ripe old age of 40, McKee is now on the heels of a two-fight finishing streak, most recently dispatching notable veteran Luiz Azevedo in defense of his MFC lightweight title.

The 7 years Azevedo has competed as a professional mixed martial artist, he has defeated some of the sports best, including Rodrigo Damm, Din Thomas, and currently holds a victory over WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo–the Novia Uniao product’s only career defeat.

Making a promise to himself in an effort to finish fights as a last “hoorah” to the big time, McKee has finally reached the pinnacle of his career when he was recently acquired by the worlds largest organization: the UFC.

The recent acquisition of Antonio has now set up a lightweight battle between two talented wrestlers, as “Mandingo” is now slated to face Jacob Volkmann in January, for UFC 125 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC 125 is expected to be the showdown of fellow lightweights Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar, who will do battle for the New Jersey native’s 155-pound title.

While McKee’s road to the UFC has been a long one, almost 11 years in the making to be exact, he has finally reached a goal that at times seemed almost unattainable. And while he’s picked up some fans along the way, he’s also picked up some slack as well from the media for his previously lack luster performances, which MMA legends Guy Mezger and Bas Rutten often found themselves apart of the band wagon. None the less, McKee took the time to thank all of them, and what better way to do it than on Twitter.

The following excerpt is what @ELNegro01 had to say (aka McKee).

“My time to show the world that I keep my word! I AM THE BEST! The UFC will put me to the test! 1st victim will fall JAN 1st, 2011! MAd love to everyone out there! My family, friends and fans who have supported my 10 yr fight journey so far and to my HATERS: I love you even more! You made this possible for me, all you keyboard warriors and shit talkers led by your heartless ringleaders Bas Rutton and Guy Metzger, ha”

Aside from the obvious grammatical errors, MMA peeps, what do you think of Antonio’s inception into the UFC? Do you think he can become a force to be reckoned with? And what do you make of his statements towards his doubters? Sound off in the comments section below.

Vitor Belfort recently announced via his twitter account that he is expecting to face Anderson Silva for the middleweight title, on Super Bowl weekend, for UFC 127 on February 5.

The event is expected to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, though no venue has been tapped yet for the event.

Just a few hours ago, “The Phenom” and former UFC light heavyweight champion made it known to the public of his title bout with champion Anderson Silva, stating “Hey guys look like I will be fighting on (February) on superbowl week”, said the Brazilian.

No other bouts have been rumored for the event as of yet, but the 185-pound match up is expected to be the main event of the evening.

Originally rumored for the January card in Las Vegas, which will feature a lightweight title bout pitting wrestlers Frankie Edgar (champion) against top contender Gray Maynard, however the change should come as no surprise. Prior to his bout with former top contender Chael Sonnen, who was recently believed to have been linked to steroids post-UFC 117, “The Spider” suffered rib injuries which he is now recuperating from.

The champion is healing up correctly at home in Brazil, where he will begin his training regime once his body is back in full form.

Belfort, mean while was pulled out of a number one contenders bout with Yushin Okami for the Spike TV live broadcast event for UFC 122, when Sonnen was found to have come in positive for Steroids, sidelining the Team Quest fighter for one full year since he will be serving his suspension.

Vitor was originally granted his shot at the title after a knockout victory over Rich Franklin back UFC 103 in September of last year, however pulled out of a scheduled UFC 112 meeting in April of this year when he had a shoulder injury. Now fully recuperated, Belfort will be waiting for Silva to be on the mend before the two explosive strikers meet, come February 5.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the timing of the card? It was originally believed that Silva-Belfort was to help generate numbers for the Maynard-Edgar fight in January, since no one believes that that particular fight can rightfully carry a Pay-Per-View. Sound off in the comments section below.

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?

In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, Florian had this to say: “Losses are blessings in disguise. I’ve never been more motivated in my life. I kind of feel like this was one of the most frustrating losses that I’ve ever had and it was a fight I definitely learned a lot from. I’m very motivated and I had to come back to training quickly. I’ve already started training… I’m just motivated to work very hard and get right back into it. I need to make sure my game is capable of beating everybody in every aspect and it wasn’t. ”

Here’s what I think. I think Kenny Florian does have all the necessary skills for true UFC greatness. Some just need a lot of honing, others are right at championship-caliber. In his fifteen fights within the world’s best MMA promotion, he’s grown and matured by leaps and bounds. He has fantastic submissions, crisp striking, he’s faced fighters of all shapes and sizes and he’s won far more than he’s lost. And perhaps most importantly, in a world growing increasingly rife with decision-heavy fighters, Kenny Florian finishes fights.

But I really do think that Kenny Florian’s worst opponent in big-value fights is himself. Florian seems unable to cope with the limelight, and despite his epic victories in the past, he put on incredibly weak performances in the three fights where he had a shot at true greatness: Sean Sherk outwrestled him, BJ Penn outclassed him, and Gray Maynard outmaneuvered him. In all three fights, Kenny Florian quickly became lost and unable to cope when his opponent took him out of his gameplan and forced him to readjust his strategy. Florian’s physical toughness is unquestioned, but his mental toughness leaves a lot to be desired whenever he’s put in a situation that he does not have absolute control over.

Despite all that, I’m rooting for Kenny Florian to make one last comeback, the one that will finally stick this time, and become the UFC’s Lightweight Champion. I think the division has been blown wide open now that Frank Edgar is on top. If Florian works hard at improving his abilities as a defensive fighter, his abilities as an offensive fighter should be able to finally get him the belt he’s wanted for so long. “KenFlo” isn’t done yet, and I look forward to seeing where he goes from here. And no matter where this next path in his career leads him, I’ll definitely be watching and supporting.

And what about you, fans and friends? What changes do you think Florian needs to make in order to finally capture UFC gold? And as far as future opponents go, what do you think would be a good next fight for him?

“There are a lot of people out there calling themselves ‘UFC fighters’ who are nothing of the kind. In the UFC, you should go for finishes. You should work for 15 minutes to knock your opponent out, submit him, or improve your position to give yourself the best chance of doing either. But there’s guys out there who just want to use wrestling to hold a stalemate for 15 minutes, without ever risking going for ground and pounds or attempting submissions. This isn’t ‘cheating within the rules’ – it is actually against the rules. ‘Timidity’ is outlawed in the Unified MMA rules and what better describes [that than] the act of holding on to an opponent and waiting for the clock to tick down with no attempt or inclination to do any damage? …The Athletic Commissions need to look at the scoring and refereeing to stop this from becoming a problem. If a guy is in a dominant position, but not actually doing anything offensive – stand ‘em back up. If he is consistently trying to tie the other guy up to avoid actual fighting – warn him and then start taking points. It is supposed to be a fight.”

Here’s what I think. Hardy earned my respect for the toughness he displayed while Georges St. Pierre was busy dominating him in every conceivable way possible, but let’s be honest here: is Dan Hardy saying anything we haven’t heard/read/seen/etc. hundreds of times before? It’s coming out of Dan Hardy’s mouth, but it’s the same old argument.

And if you’re wondering, it’s actually an argument I agree with. Fighters should be penalized for stalling. Fighters should be penalized for not engaging. There’s a difference between playing it safe and being a coward. Randy Couture played it safe when he immediately took down James Toney and submitted him. Georges St. Pierre played it safe when he took down Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy time and time again and proceeded to Ground and Pound them and try to submit them. But fighters who use “lay and pray” or “wall and stall” are simply detrimental to the sport as a whole.

However, I don’t see this issue going away anytime soon. Why? Simply put: one man’s inactivity is another man’s dominance. Where do we draw the line between tactics and stalling? Is there a mathematical formula, an X amount of punches/submission attempts you have to land/go for per Y minutes on the ground, in order to not be classified as a “lay and pray” fighter? Unless there are some drastic changes, I don’t see decision-heavy, wrestling-based UFC fighters changing their styles just because it draws the ire of some fans and even some fighters. How they win is a tactic like any other, and until the referees and judges put their foot down on the matter, look for the zombified corpse of this debate to continue to rear its ugly head time and time again.

And how do you feel on the matter, fans and friends? How harshly should wrestlers be penalized for their inactivity, and perhaps most importantly, where do you draw the line between an active and inactive ground game?

Nick Osipczak was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. Greg Soto was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days for precautionary reasons. Amilcar Alves was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. John Salter was suspended for up to 180 days due to a possible left hand fracture, pending X-ray results, with a minimum suspension of 30 days with no contact for 21 days. Dan Miller was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons.

Gabe Ruediger was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. Nate Diaz was suspended for a maximum of 180 days due to a possible nasal fracture, pending X-ray results, with a minimum suspension of 60 days with no contact for 60 days. Marcus Davis was suspended indefinitely due to possible head trauma, pending a CT Scan, with a minimum suspension of 60 days with no contact for 30 days. Kenny Florian was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days for precautionary reasons. Gray Maynard was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons.

As is the case with most medical suspensions, most of the fighter’s suspended won’t really be affected. Many fighters take a month off to rest anyway, and since most UFC fighters only fight a handful of times a year, it’s not like they’ll be missing any opportunities. I was surprised at Nate Diaz’s suspension, though, the barrage Davis hit him with at the beginning of their fight must have done a lot more damage than it looked like. Then again, Davis has always had some very powerful hands. Here’s hoping Nate is cleared by his doctors and gets back into the Octagon soon, because I think he’s quickly becoming a great addition to the UFC’s welterweight division.

Speaking of Marcus Davis, I wish him the best and hope that nothing goes wrong with his CT scan. I want to say that the athletic commission may have over-reacted based on how gruesome Davis’ face looked after the Diaz fight, but then again, you can never really be too careful when it comes to head trauma. I still think much of the damage Diaz did was superficial, though. What I mean by that is: Nate put a real hurting on “The Irish Hand Grenade”, but I don’t see Davis developing any sort of lasting trauma because of it. It sure looked nasty, but it’ll heal up fine. Davis is a tough guy, and I have a pretty good feeling that he’ll bounce back from this.

With only a few major suspensions that will likely be reduced pending a full examination by a doctor, I’d say the UFC 118 fighters pulled through pretty well.

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?

Circa the Chuck Liddell era, the light heavyweight title always had a steady stream of challengers, but none who were able to match “The Iceman” on the feet or find the way to take him down.

Then came Quinton Jackson…then Forrest for Quinton…then Rashad for Forrest, and so on and so on.

Each title has seen a champion rule its weight class with an iron fist, defending its title on more than one occasion, creating a lapse in time when its champion seemed infallible. Those days however, seem to be behind us. Current champions are either newly minted or have chinks in their armor that have been exposed.

So, let’s take a quick look at one weight class at a time and see what’s in store for each division in the imminent future, and who has what it takes to solidify themselves as a true champion. Who will demonstrate a true era of dominance?

Lightweight:

Unstoppable did BJ Penn seem for the lightweight division. After an initial disappointing run at 155 in the UFC, where Penn was defeated by then champion Jens Pulver then drew with Japanese star Caol Uno for his second shot at redemption, it was on his third attempt where Penn was able to snatch the elusive title.

After defeating Joe Stevenson at UFC 80 to claim the then vacant title, after former champion Sean Sherk tested positive for steroids, Penn was able to establish his dominance. With a lightening quick jab, heavy punches and obvious ground prowess, BJ was able to notch up additional lightweight victories over the aforementioned Sherk, and then standouts Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian–both of whom were finished in the championship rounds, fifth and fourth respectively.

However, when Penn met his match against the wily wrestler from New Jersey Frankie Edgar, the Hilo native had no answer for him. Close in their first meeting, Penn ended up losing a unanimous and debated decision to current champ Edgar at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, which also played host to the bizarre and un-entertaining bout against Anderson Silva and challenger Demian Maia–but we’ll get back to that later.

A rematch was set, and the Hawaiian was given the opportunity to close the show once and for all, and move on with the legacy that he was supposed to create–at least that’s what we bought into. Pre-UFC 118, BJ illuminated the internet with talks of an illness before the bout, and claiming that the belt is just a formality and what he really wanted to do was finish Edgar. Between last April till August, BJ Penn must have left the window open and suffered from several illnesses–or excuses as I like to call them–because he looked every bit of a fighter who was dominated and otherwise outclassed in nearly every facet of their rematch at UFC 118.

It’s undeniable that Penn is a heavy fan favorite, and the match up was likely the UFC throwing Penn a bone in order to retain their PPV draw as champion, but Edgar had other plans. Penn, a former welterweight champion as well, falls to 2-2 in his last four fights, both losses coming to the Toms River, New Jersey native.

While Penn wont be able to climb back to contenders status so easily after succumbing to back-to-back losses to the current champion, a new challenger has emerged. And while Edgar is enjoying a high that only comes after you beat the supposed “greatest lightweight of all time” not once, but twice–he has a new problem to deal with…a “Bully”, and he wants his belt.

Edgar is as dynamic as they come. A skilled boxer, who puts heavy emphasis in speed, foot work and head movement, he has always relied on his wrestling pedigree to secure him the nod, should the fight go the distance. Prior to his initial meeting with Penn, Edgar had been riding a three fight win streak that dated back to 2008, where before the lightweight spitfire suffered his first and only loss in his professional mixed martial arts career. Unfortunately for Edgar, it also happens to be his next number one contender to his title.

In April of 2008, Gray–an Xtreme Couture product now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada–faced Edgar, who at the time was riding high on a three fight win streak inside the octagon and likely then looking at contenders status. But from the get go, Maynard–one of the larger lightweights in the world, which is in heavy contrast to Edgar who remains one of the sports smaller 155 pounders–was able to control the pace of the fight at his rate. The wrestling stud was able to take Frankie down at will, time and time again. Not by sheer technique, or a will to win, but just by facts: Gray is bigger, better, and stronger wrestler than Edgar, and a second go around shouldn’t be all that much different.

Some might say, that Edgar has changed a lot since his fight with Maynard, and I agree. But all the things that Frankie has improved on won’t change the outcome of the fight. BJ, though dominated in their last meeting at UFC 118, was able to take down the wrestler from New Jersey, but wasn’t able to capitalize. Maynard will have “The Answer” for Edgar, and use his smother first, ask questions later approach.

Long live “The Bully”.

So from BJ, to Edgar, to “seemingly” Maynard–what’s next for the UFC 155 pound strap? How many more times will the title change hands? And who will even be the next viable contender, who can also replicate the kind of draw and attention that BJ Penn does? None come to mind.

If you agree, disagree, make your opinions heard below. Part Two will be coming up, featuring Middleweights and the headache Anderson Silva is causing.

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?

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?

“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.

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)

After winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5, Nate ripped off four straight wins inside the Octagon until being matched up against “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (25-11) at UFC 94 where he lost a split decision. Then he faced “Daddy”Joe Stevenson (31-9) at TUF 9 finale, losing by way of unanimous decision. He got back to his winning ways at Fight Night 19 submitting “The Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (22-8-2).

 He now faces Maynard for the second time. They faced off on TUF 5 in the semi-finals when Diaz beat Gray with a guillotine choke and sent him packing while he moved on and took the title as The Next Ultimate Fighter as well as a six figure contract.

Gray has done nothing since that loss but string together win after win after win. He has six straight wins inside the Octagon including tough victories against Jim Miller (16-2), “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) and fourth-ranked ”The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1). He is the only one to have beaten the very tough Edgar in the UFC’s lightweight division thus far. We have seen much improved striking from Gray since his stint on TUF where he was more of a lay and pray wrestler. Granted all but one of his wins inside the Octagon have been via decision but you can’t argue with the progress he has made.

After leaving the TUF house Gray went to Xtreme Couture to train with some of the best in the fight business. Since then we have seen him use head movement in the striking game as well as decent footwork. This may not seem like a big deal but for a guy who could not do much but take you down and hold you there on The Ultimate Fighter, this is a huge step in becoming a top contender.

The fight against Diaz will prove to be a very tough test for Gray. Both Diaz brothers have a very odd striking style that consists of throwing “punches in bunches”. Many of these strikes are not the type that will knock out an opponent but they seem to throw off the rhythm of even the best striker. This is where his footwork, head movement and new found counter strikes will come into play. He may be able to push use those to rock Diaz. My money would be on Gray trying to get in and out of exchanges landing the harder blows and working his way to a decision victory, however he did get submitted the last time they fought.

Nate is a very legitimate black belt training under Cesar Gracie. He uses his jiu jitsu very well in the cage and has frustrated many wrestlers by throwing up submission attempt after submission attempt. Gray may want to keep this fight standing in order to stay clear of those submissions. If he doesn’t then we will find out just how far along he has come with his submission defense.

Nate trains with another great wrestler in Fighters.com second- ranked welterweight and Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (24-4-1). I am sure Nate is working hard with Jake, one of the classiest guys in the sport, on his take downs and take down defense.

Gray is a stronger fighter than Nate and I see it being next to impossible for Nate to take Gray down unless he decides to pull guard and drag him down into the depths that is Gracie jiu jitsu.

Will we see the wrestler out strike the submission expert? Maybe we will see them stand and trade for the entire 15 minutes since they both have dangerous ground games, albeit worlds apart. No matter how the fight ends we will get answers to the questions about both of these fighters and one just might be working his way towards a title shot or a showdown with newly acquired fighter “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6).

This a fight that could very well showcase each discipline a true mixed martial artist studies each and every day. I know I will be watching with anticipation, will you?

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)