As previously anticipated, a lightweight title showdown between champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard will go on as scheduled for January 1st, serving headliner duties for ufc 125, in Las Vegas, Nev. 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. ...

Shinya Aoki is probably one of the most reserved fighters in the sport. 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. ...

An exciting lightweight match up has been added to the seemingly stacked UFC 127 card, which will be taking place in February of next year, in Las Vegas, Nev. 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. ...

Antonio McKee, if anything else, is a dominant fighter. 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. ...

Well, it isn't the New Years show at UFC 125 as most expected, but it's a championship fight none-the-less. 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. ...

It was one of four possible outcomes when the ufc’s Lightweight division recently figured itself out, and for many it seemed the most unlikely. But it’s going to happen, and now we know exactly when it’s all going to go down. According to a report by MMAFighting.com, Frank Edgar will defend his UFC Lightweight Championship against Gray Maynard at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2011. And while some have been decrying this match from the moment it first became set in stone, I have to say that I’m honestly looking forward to it. ...

As a fan of Kenny Florian, it really hurt when I realized that Dana White was completely right when he said in a post-ufc 118 interview that Kenny Florian chokes in big fights. Florian has had two unsuccessful attempts at gaining the UFC Lightweight Championship, and most recently, failed against Gray Maynard in a fight to determine the next #1 contender. Many are wondering what’s next for “KenFlo”, and few seem optimistic about his future. But according to Florian himself, it’s going to take a lot more than a few losses to stop him from reaching his goal of UFC Lightweight supremacy. ...

It’s one of the biggest debates going in today’s decision-filled world of big fights not living up to their potential: why are wrestlers rewarded for taking their opponents to the ground and doing nothing? Depending on whom you, ask there’s a growing feeling of resentment (some have even entered the land of legitimate hatred) towards decision-heavy wrestlers like Jon Fitch, Gray Maynard, and to some extent, even Georges St. Pierre. In a recent column with This is Nottingham, former #1 Welterweight Contender Dan Hardy went on a lengthy tirade on the subject. Hardy was quick to vehemently criticize wrestlers going to the ground and stalling out the fight. Here’s what he had to say. ...

It’s that time again, fans and friends. That unfortunate time that comes after an MMA event, a time to evaluate how many bruises need healing and how much time needs to be spent sitting on the sidelines. UFC 118 featured a host of great match-ups, from Nate Diaz dismantling Marcus Davis to Frankie Edgar dominating BJ Penn, and of course, the utter obliteration of aging pro boxer James Toney at the hands of Randy Couture. The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission has recently revealed the list of medical suspensions for UFC 118, and while most got off lightly, a few may have a bit of a stretch spent recuperating rather than training. Here’s how it all breaks down. ...

Jim Miller is admittedly just outside the top 5 or 6 ranked UFC lightweights, but all that could change with a convincing victory over Gleison Tibau on September 15th in Austin Texas at UFC Fight Night 22.  Miller is on a powerful four fight win streak and has only one loss in the UFC ... to title contender Gray Maynard.  Miller took some time to speak with Fighters.com recently about his upcoming fight and Frankie Edgar's recent victory over BJ Penn at UFC 118.  Click through to listen! ...

Lately it seems that ufc Lightweight Gray Maynard has had a noticeable (and some would say rightly justified) chip on his shoulder. Maynard was passed over in favor of the man he beat, Frank Edgar, for a shot at then-champion BJ Penn. Of course, Edgar would go on to make the most out of that opportunity and beat Penn not once but twice, first at UFC 112 via a close, hotly contested Unanimous Decision win, and then again at the recent UFC 118 event via a dominating Unanimous Decision win. Maynard has also been the subject of recent criticism for not finishing any of his fights, with his last stoppage occurring almost three full years ago. But in his latest interview, Gray Maynard has fired back and poised an interesting question: who really finishes fights at Lightweight anyway? ...

With the titles changing hands in several of the UFC's more prominent and popular divisions, I felt it was necessary to pay close attention to the change of the guard that is looming our way. 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. ...

As if the upcoming UFC 118 fight between top-ranked Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard didn’t have enough riding on  it already, UFC President Dana White recently stated in a radio interview that the winner of the fight would most likely receive a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship. This makes a whole lot of sense since, even though Frank Edgar did the seemingly-impossible and defeated BJ Penn at UFC 112, the Lightweight division is still recuperating from BJ Penn’s reign of dominance as UFC Lightweight Champion. I was already looking forward to Florian/Maynard for several reasons, but now I can’t wait to see this fight because I think that all four title fights that could possibly be made each possess some very interesting stories. So here’s what I think about the individual match-ups: Penn vs. Florian 2, Edgar vs. Florian, Edgar vs. Maynard 2, and Penn vs. Maynard. ...

As a massive fan of BJ Penn, I was one of the most vocal proponents of an immediate rematch following his loss to Frank Edgar at UFC 112. We will indeed be getting a rematch at UFC 118, and while I personally think that “Baby Jay” will come back better and hungrier than ever, let’s face facts here: 2010 has been the year of the massive upset, and there’s a very real possibility that Edgar will beat Penn once again. If it does happen, I think the MMA population in general will finally have to accept Edgar as the #1 Lightweight in the world. And if he does beat Penn, he’ll have practically blown the UFC’s Lightweight division wide open and opened himself up to a host of worthy contenders. Looking ahead, here are three fighters I’d love to see challenge for Frankie Edgar’s title, should he manage to get by Penn. ...

Fighters.com top-ranked lightweight "The Prodigy" BJ Penn (15-6-1) was interviewed on 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C. and said the UFC had contacted him about a rematch in the next three to four months. ...

Fighters.com's seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4) and recent UFC signee, former PRIDE champion “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) are on a collision course as a runaway train of hype grows for a showdown between the two fighters. ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (9-0) will apparently be skipped over by UFC President Dana White again for a UFC title shot versus Fighters.com Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1). ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked lightweight "Bully" Gray Maynard (8-0) and Nate Diaz (10-5) will rematch an The Ultimate Fighter 5 exhbition match tonight at UFC Fight Night 20 in Fairfax, Virginia. ...

The main event of UFC Fight Night 20 on January 11 is Fighters.com fifth-ranked lightweight "Bully" Gray Maynard (8-0) versus Nate Diaz (10-5) in a battle for title contention. Many questions will be answered in this fight about these two fighters who are both searching for that title shot against Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" B.J. Penn (15-5-1). ...

UFC lightweight title contender “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2) debuted at tenth in Fighters.com's Lightweight Rankings in November due mostly to former top tenner Katsunori Kikuno's (5-1-1) stoppage loss to third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (16-2) at DREAM.12 in Osaka October 25. ...

Fighters.com's fifth-ranked lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) will matchup versus Nate Diaz (10-5) at UFC Fight Night 20 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and will air on Spike TV January 11, the UFC announced Monday. ...

Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion "Prodigy" BJ Penn (14-5-1) will defend his titles from unranked, but popular The Ultimate Fighter 1 champion “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2) at UFC 107 at the FedExForum in Memphis December 12, the UFC officially announced Tuesday. ...

Xtreme Couture lightweight "Bully" Gray Maynard (8-0)  defeated "El Matador" Roger Huerta (20-3-1) via split decision victory at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City Wednesday night. ...

Ultimate Fighter Nathan Diaz (9-5) will square off across the Octagon from lightweight banger "Young Assassin" Melvin Guillard (22-7-2) and former lightweight contender "El Matador" Roger Huerta (20-2-1) will return from a 13-month hiatus versus "Bullly" Gray Maynard (7-0) at UFC's Fight Night in Oklahoma City 16 September.

Diaz and Guillard cross paths moving in opposite directions.

Diaz is on a two-fight losing streak, most recently getting manhandled in a UD loss to a relentless "Daddy" Joe Stevenson (30-9) at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in Las Vegas last month.
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Fighters.com's Middleweight Champion "Spider" Anderson Silva (23-4) won by TKO at UFC 90 in Chicago Saturday night when "Predator" Patrick Cote's (13-5) knee popped at 39 seconds of round three. Top welterweight contender "Pitbull" Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once. Fourth-ranked heavyweight "Vai Cavalo" Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian, but virtual unknown "Cigano" Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21. Fifth-ranked lightweight "Muscle Shark" Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges' scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once. Thales Leites (14-1), "Bully" Gray Maynard (6-0), "King" Spencer Fisher (22-4), Dan Miller (10-1), "Drago" Pete Sell (8-4), and Hermes Franca (19-7) were all winners inside the Octagon. ...

The UFC officially added lightweight bouts Friday between “The Bully” Gray Maynard (5-0) and “No Love” Rich Clementi (32-12-1) and between Shannon Gugerty (11-2) and “King” Spencer Fisher (21-4) to the UFC 90 undercard in Rosemont, just outside Chicago, 25 October. Maynard last fought in April, winning a unanimous decision over “The Answer” Frank Edgar (9-1). Clementi most recently won a unanimous decision over Terry Etim (10-2) in May, his sixth consecutive victory. Gugerty won his UFC debut in July with a first-round submission victory over fellow debutant Dale Hartt (5-1). Fisher most recently faced Jeremy Stephens (13-3) in June, and earned the unanimous decision win. ...

"KenFlo" Kenny Florian (9-3) finished fellow Bostonian lightweight "J-Lau" Joe Lauzon (16-4) in a vicious pounding from the full mount at 3:28 of round two in the main event of Ultimate Fight Night Live in Denver tonight. The former title challenger from Sityodtong, Florian, dominated the quirky computer tech. "KenFlo" opened a gash on the back of Lauzon's head with elbows from his full guard in the first round, but was warned by referee Herb Dean for striking behind the head. It was a call Dean missed while refereeing a lightweight fight between "Cleat" Rich Crunkilton (16-2) and Sergio Gomez (7-2) at last week's Las Vegas WEC event. After the stand-up, Lauzon clinched for a takedown and stepped over Florians body in half-guard for a knee bar that turned into a Achilles lock that Florian yanked free from. Lauzon snatched an ankle again and reclined into a heel hook that Florian was again able to wriggle free from to end the round. The frantic mat work and elevation exhausted "J-Lau" for the second round and Florian was able to score a takedown into full mount that Lauzon never bucked free from. Florian poured on a cocktail of elbows, straights, and hammerfists from the mount, but Lauzon defended.  Dean called an end to the fight after it was clear Lauzon was to spent to transition out of the bad spot. In a grueling war game between undefeated wrestlers, "The Bully" Gray Maynard (5-0) won a decisive unanimous decision over "The Answer" Frank Edgar (8-1). Maynard set the pace in the first round by stuffing Edgar's takedown attempts and deciding when he'd take the inevitable wrestling match to the mat. Edgar made it a scrap in the second round with crisp 1-2 combos that scored, but Maynard continued to stuff "The Answer's" shot and score his own powerful takedowns, though neither fighter did much more than molest the other on the mat. Edgar was gassed by round three and the bigger "Bully" slammed Edgar three times to convince all three judges he was dominant. Earlier in the night, "Rumble" Anthony Johnson (5-1) pummeled TUF finalist Tom Speer (9-3) over 51 seconds, knocking home the stoppage "W" with a clean straight right that slumped Speer against the cage. "I'm crunk right now, I'm real crunk," said Johnson after the fight. Johnson began the end with a left kick to Speer's head as the wrestler attempted to shoot, followed by a knee that backed Speer to the cage.   Speer was out on his feet when he absorbed the death blow. In a welterweight clash, "The Pitbull" Thiago Alves (14-3) crumpled "The Heat" Karo Parisyan (18-5) with a left knee strike to Parisyan's head in the second round as Parisyan sought the clinch. At 34-seconds of the round, referee Steve Mazzagatti dove across the downed fighter as he defended Alves's follow-up pounding. "The referee did a good job," Alves claimed after Parisyan disputed the stoppage.  "He was out!" Parisyan had won round one with deft, one-off striking versus the American Top Team trained kickboxer, who appeared wary of Parisyan's takedowns.  In his UFC debut last February, "The Barbarian" Tim Boetsch (7-2) surprised David Heath (7-3) with an onslaught ending in a first-round Boetsch TKO. Tonight, "The Hammer" Matt Hamill (4-1) weathered Boetsch's first round avalanche of strikes to reveal "The Barbarian" couldn't continue his barrage passed the first five minutes. Hamill began the fight with a powerful double-leg takedown, but couldn't capitalize before the referee stood the fighters. Boetsch proved effective with a repeating knee strike that split Hamill's lip like a ripe peach, splashing blood across Hamill's chest. In round two, Boetsch heaved heavily from his corner.  He shot for a single-leg takedown and held Hamill's leg as the champion wrestler hovered over him hammering punches.  Boetsch rolled into guard, but had nothing left as "The Hammer" finished him at 1:25 with undefended plugs to Boetsch's face. Fast-rising Nathan Diaz (9-2) submitted Kurt Pellegrino (11-4) in an air-tight leg triangle choke in the second round of their undercard match, flashing double middle fingers in the air as Pellegrino tapped helplessly. Diaz was cut on his right eyelid by Pellegrino punches in a first round controlled on the mat by Pellegrino. Pellegrino dumped Diaz at will and hammered punches and elbows inside Diaz's full- and half-guard.  Pellegrino passed to side control and pinned Diaz's arms, hammering Diaz's unprotected face to open the cut. But, durable Diaz escaped a lost first round. The second round continued as the first, with Diaz getting dumped to the mat by Pellegrino.  This time, Diaz ran his guard up Pellegrino's back and submitted the lightweight in a leg triangle at 3:06 of the round. "He shouldn't have pinned me down like that," Diaz scolded Pellegrino after the hard-won "W".  In the televised card's first fight, "The Assassin" Houston Alexander (8-3) got touched by "The Sandman" James Irvin (14-4) in the first exchange of their light heavyweight match. Alexander was beaten to the punch by a right Superman punch from Irvin as Alexander launched his own right cross. Alexander fell to the mat and Irvin followed with a right exclamation point to Alexander's noggin as referee Steve Mazzagatti dove to Alexander's rescue at :08 of the fight, tying a UFC record for quickest KO. "I was still conscious," Alexander repeated after the stoppage. Amidst boos, Irvin challenged, "We can do it again right now.  If you want to go out into the parking lot, we can do it right now."  In untelevised fights, "The Dentist" Josh Neer (24-6-1) won a unanimous decision over "Dinyero" Din Thomas (20-8), who was returning from a knee injury in his last outing.  "Maximus" Marcus Aurelio (16-5) submitted lightweight Ryan Roberts (8-3) 16 seconds into the fight. "Pitbull" Manvel Gamburyan (8-2) submitted Jeffrey Cox (9-5) in guillotine choke at 1:41 of the first round. "The Carpenter" Clay Guida (23-9) TKO'd lightweight Samy Schiavo (10-5) at 4:15 of round one. Finally, welterweight George Sotiropoulos (9-2) TKO'd Roman Mitichyan (5-2) 2:24 into round two. ...