I’m no stranger to controversy, fans and friends, so let me begin by saying this: I think Jay Hieron deserves to be where he is in Bellator. You can disagree if you like, but I think Jay Hieron beat both Brent Weedman and Rick Hawn. Did both of those fighters push Hieron to the limit? Yes. Did my high hopes for Hieron become deflated after seeing him barely get by two tough opponents? Yes. But do I still believe in Jay Hieron? You better believe it.

I think Jay Hieron is a great fighter, and he does have it in him to become a champion. Sometimes he’s not firing on all cylinders, sometimes he’s involved in his fair share of controversy. But when he’s on, he’s on. Jay Hieron is not the first fighter to show flashes of brilliance only to fizzle against certain opponents, and he certainly won’t be the last. All I can expect from Jay Hieron is the best, and that’s really what this fight with Ben Askren boils down to.

If Jay Hieron shows up at his best, Ben Askren won’t know what to do with him. Jay’s takedown defense will be too good, his hands will be too quick, his clinch game will be too tight and smothering. Jay Hieron has the experience necessary to deal with Ben Askren’s many threats, and he has the skill necessary to dethrone the unbeaten champion that looks better and fights at a higher level after every fight. Bottom line: if you put Jay Hieron at his best inside of a cage with Ben Askren that’s not at his absolute best, then that’s a fight where you should feel comfortable picking Hieron to win.

But then again, there’s a chance that Hieron won’t show up at his best. That’s not a chance he can afford to take, and I definitely don’t want to be accused of overlooking the skills of Ben Askren. Quite the contrary, fans and friends: I think Ben Askren is one of the best fighters in Bellator and a very fitting champion. His wrestling is amazing, but even more amazing is how quickly he’s evolving into a true, full-fledged Mixed Martial Artist.

If Hieron shows up underestimating Ben Askren, he’s going to spend much of this fight under Ben Askren. If given the opportunity, Askren will take down Hieron constantly, smother him, advance to Mount, and attempt to pound his face into the canvas. Let’s be honest here: Ben Askren has a better chance of dominating a lame-duck Jay Hieron than Jay Hieron has of dominating an unprepared Ben Askren.

In the end, that’s what makes this fight so interesting. I won’t sugar-coat things: both men aren’t perfect. But they are good fighters, they do pose some interesting challenges to each other, and as the saying goes, “styles make fights”. Ben Askren vs. Jay Hieron is the best kind of styles clash, and no matter who wins, I think we’ll all be treated to a pretty epic showdown.

And what about you, fans and friends? Even though it’s still a ways away, who’s your early pick to win this fight?

Jay Hieron has been fighting for over seven years. But even more impressive than that, he’s been fighting a high level of competition in major promotions for most of his career. Hieron has fought in the WEC, the UFC, the short-lived but nationally-broadcasted IFL, the equally short-lived but pretty under-rated Affliction promotion, and in Strikeforce. In Strikeforce, Hieron was once supposed to face Nick Diaz in order to crown a Strikeforce Welterweight Champion. That bout never ended up materializing, and for a variety of reasons, Hieron and Strikeforce were unable to come to a new deal shortly after Hieron’s original Strikeforce contract expired. All told, Hieron went into Strikeforce with a five-fight undefeated streak and added two more fights to that streak before leaving for Bellator.

Hieron made his big Bellator debut by completely steamrolling Anthony Lapsley, choking him out in a little over three and a half minutes. There was some controversy in the bout, as Lapsley refused to tap out but didn’t appear to be unconscious when the fight was stopped. However, the fact that Hieron so thoroughly dominated his opponent softened the blow of the questionable stoppage. Unfortunately,  Hieron would face even more controversy in his next Bellator bout. Hieron ended up going three full rounds with Brent Weedman, and although the fight was very close, Hieron ended up winning via Unanimous Decision. But many, many fans were vocally upset about this decision, and believe that Weedman should have won.

Hieron’s opponent, Rick Hawn, has been fighting as a professional MMA fighter for a little over two years, and in that time he’s managed to assemble an impressive record of 11-0. Hawn entered Bellator 8-0 with six (T)KO’s, and TKO’d his first Bellator opponent in order to qualify for Season Four’s Welterweight Tournament. He would then go on to beat Jim Wallhead by Unanimous Decision and Lyman Good by Split Decision in order to clinch his spot in the finals. In both bouts, Hawn displayed his ever-improving striking.

Much has been made of Rick Hawn’s judo game, and for good reason. Hawn was a member of the 2004 US Olympic judo team. Hawn would end up placing in the top 10 in 2004, coming in at number nine. Interestingly, though, he has yet to make full use of those skills in this tournament. Hawn has relied on his striking almost exclusively, only using his judo to neutralize takedowns and keep the fight standing.

No matter who wins, I think both of these fighters have proven that they could be a big threat to current champion Ben Askren. This should definitely be a good fight, and a very worthy main event.

And what about you, fans and friends? Any last thoughts on this fight?

Former IFL champion and UFC veteran Jay Hieron will be returning to the cage on May 7 to take on fellow finalist Rick Hawn to determine the winner of the season four welterweight tournament.

The two men battled their way through an ultra competitive welterweight field that featured many big names in the sport, making this tourny arguably the toughest and most talent rich of any season that Bellator has produced thus far. Now, both Jay and Rick will meet to determine who receives not only the six-figure payday, but who will vie for the promotions 170-pound title, currently held by wrestling powerhouse Ben Askren.

Both Jay and Rick will meet at Bellator 43, on May 7 at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma.

Hieron made his inception into the promotion in the quarter-finals when he defeated the tough Anthony Lapsley with a first-round rear-naked choke. The bout has been drowned in controversy after it appeared that Lapsley not only did not tap out to the hold, and did not go unconscious, which originally prompted referee Josh Rosenthal to halt the bout after he made the wrongful assumption. In the end, Hieron would move on to the semi-finals opposite of Brent Weedman, who was coming off of an upset win over season three finalist Dan Hornbuckle.

In a back and forth battle, Hieron edged the very tough Weedman when the score cards favored the UFC veteran, though the decision has been panned by the media and fans alike. Regardless, Hieron still finds himself in the finals, and more importantly, remains the man to beat as he holds the most impressive credentials in the tournament.

Hawn, meanwhile, also brings an impressive array of skills of his own heading into the contest, coming from an Olympic Judo background. His skills were on full display in his tournament qualifying match-up with LeVon Maynard in October of last year. After a contentious first few minutes of action on the feet, LeVon over extended himself by leaving an arm dangling over the shoulder of Hawn, which prompted the Judoka to toss Maynard onto his back in a blink of an eye. A few punches later sealed the deal, earning Rick an impressive Bellator debut via knockout.

Next, Rick, 34, found his way into the quarter-finals opposite of veteran Jim Wallhead in a battle between the two Judo specialists, though Hawn proved to be the more accomplished of the two when he took home the unanimous decision win. Next, Hawn was pitted against former Bellator champion Lyman Good, one of the bigger welterweight fighters in the sport. After a back and forth battle that saw both men have their moments, it was a late third-round rally from Hawn that saw him edge the former title holder via split-decision.

Now, the two will meet to determine who will face the undefeated Ben Askren for the title. MMAJunkie.com first reported the date and venue for the welterweight final.

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

5. Lloyd Woodard vs. Michael Chandler will be a very interesting clash of styles.

Michael Chandler is a powerful wrestler in an era that’s seen the rise of the powerful wrestler. A strong wrestling game is one of the key ingredients needed in order to maximize your chances of winning in MMA, and Chandler has both the skill and the physique to put a fighter down and keep him down. But Lloyd Woodard has already dealt with and dispatched a high-level wrestler to get this shot at Chandler, and Woodard’s hard fists may be too much to handle. It’s a “brawler vs. wrestler” match-up, and based on how both men performed in order to get into the semi-finals, it should be a lot of fun.

4. Jay Hieron will fight at his best in order to get into the Welterweight Tournament Finals.

Jay Hieron fought like a man possessed in his first fight in Bellator, and I’m predicting that he’ll fight even better at Bellator 40. Hieron is a major acquisition for a promotion like Bellator, and he brings a whole lot of credibility with him each and every time he steps into the cage. I think Hieron is seriously under-rated, and I can’t wait to see him dominate once again. He’s definitely one of the major selling points of this show.

3. If Nick Thompson wins, not only does he take one giant step onto the comeback trail, he immediately becomes one of Bellator’s biggest stars.

It’s not very likely that Nick Thompson will beat Ben Askren… but there’s always a chance that he could. Anything can happen in MMA, remember? Even though Thompson’s chin has been failing him a lot recently, Ben Askren is not known primarily as a striker. And Thompson does have so very, very many wins on his record. If Thompson does win, it will probably go down as one of the biggest, most shocking moments in Bellator in 2011.

2. If Ben Askren wins, he’ll take a big step towards legitimizing both himself and his new championship.

Ben Askren still has a lot to do in order to prove himself and legitimize his Welterweight Championship. He’s been to a decision three straight times in his last three fights, and he’s only ever finished one person in Bellator. He’s young and has only been fighting professionally for a little over two years. If Askren beats Thompson, he beats a tough veteran that’s had stints in promotions all around the world. And that’s a big feather in Askren’s cap.

And the number-one reason to watch this show is…

1. Bellator needs your views now more than ever.

I wish I could have retired this reason, but I can’t do that given that the last few Bellator shows have seen a steady decline in the ratings. Please, fans and friends: don’t give up on Bellator. They’re a good promotion, with good talent and quality fights. They’re putting on live, weekly events. They may be a distant third, but they’re now the only major-league game in town that’s not under the Zuffa umbrella. Simply put: Bellator both needs and deserves your vote.

So there you have it, fans and friends. But what about you? Any thoughts on Bellator 40?

Lloyd Woodard vs. Michael Chandler: In defeating Carey Vanier, Lloyd Woodard was able to neutralize the ground game of a powerful high-level wrestler to the point where Vanier was too tired to see the big fight-ending punch coming. Woodard will need all that technique and more to beat Michael Chandler, who is even more of an imposing physical specimen and arguably even better of a wrestler. My gut and my head are in firm disagreement on this one: my head thinks Chandler is just too powerful, especially when shooting for a takedown, and will grind out a Unanimous Decision win. But my gut says that lightning strikes twice and Lloyd Woodard continues his “dark horse” run to the top and once again scores a second-round TKO. Since I love a good Cinderella story, I’m going to go ahead and officially pick Woodard to win it.

Brent Weedman vs. Jay Hieron: The only thing I like more than a Cinderella story is when  dominant fighter goes out and dominates. Jay Hieron left nothing to speculation in his Bellator debut, and I don’t think he’ll leave anything to speculation against Brent Weedman. Weedman squeaked by with a narrow win in his last Bellator fight, but now he’s facing an aggressive veteran that’s competed in several high-level promotions and done quite well in most of them. Hieron is out to prove he’s still a force in MMA and that no one in Bellator can stop him. And honestly? Right now, with what I’ve seen of Hieron both recently and in Bellator… I don’t think anyone can. Jay Hieron wins by TKO in Round 1.

Nick Thompson vs. Ben Askren: Sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks, at least in MMA… but sometimes you can’t. Nick Thompson may be a better striker, he does have ten wins by (T)KO to Ben’s one, but it’s been over two years since he last stopped anyone due to strikes. And there’s a reason I keep bringing up the fact that he’s lost three straight fights: even against as young a newcomer as Askren, that’s a pretty big hole to dig yourself out of. If this was anyone other than Bellator’s champion, I’d say that Thompson has a good shot at winning. But this is the hot young prospect that’s already proven himself. He holds that gold for a reason, which is why I think Ben Askren will win this fight by Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Any thoughts on Bellator 40?

The Event: Bellator 40, currently scheduled for April 9, 2011 at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma. The main card will be broadcast live on the MTV2 network starting at 9:00 PM ET and 8:00 PM CT.

Why You Should Care: In the main event, Bellator’s Welterweight Champion Ben Askren takes on grizzled veteran Nick Thompson in a non-title bout. Also, former multi-promotion star Jay Hieron makes his return to Bellator and looks to secure his spot in the finals of Bellator’s latest Welterweight Tournament. The second and last semi-final of the current Lightweight Tournament will also take place at Bellator 40.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: In terms of “rookie vs. veteran” match-ups, you really couldn’t ask for more. Nick Thompson is a veteran of over fifty fights, with almost forty wins. Bellator’s young champion, Ben Askren, has only been competing in professional MMA since 2009, although he does hold a perfect 7-0 record. Thompson has lost three straight, all by stoppage due to punches, but Askren’s striking power is unproven and he’s known primarily as a wrestler. This could end up being a very tough test for both men even though Thompson is on a three-fight losing-streak.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Jay Hieron entered Bellator with a pretty big amount of hype surrounding him, and during the course of his first match, he proceeded to live up to all of it. Hieron is a favorite to win the current Bellator Welterweight Tournament, but to do it, he’ll have to go through Brent Weedman. Weedman is coming off of a somewhat-controversial win over Dan Hornbuckle, and is looking to add another win to his current and very impressive ten-fight win-streak.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The main event has a very interesting allure even when you take into account that Nick Thompson has been losing a lot lately. The disparity in both men’s records makes this a perfect “veteran vs. prospect” fight, considering that even with three straight losses, Nick Thompson has almost five and a half times the amount of victories that Ben Askren has. Plus, Jay Hieron is also a major selling point of this show.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Depending on how long the fights go, you may have to end up choosing between Bellator and Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Daley” event. And if you do have to make that choice, I honestly have to side with Strikeforce on this one. I’ve got Bellator about dead-even with the “Challengers” series, but I consider Strikeforce’s “Arena Series” events second only to the UFC. Other than that, there’s no real, pressing reason to avoid this show.

Closing Thoughts: I think Bellator 40 has a lot of potential to surprise me, and to be honest, I’m becoming more interested in the fights that could surprise me than the fights that sound great on paper. At least, that’s the way my priorities with Bellator are shifting. That’s not to say that the fights that do look good on paper end up stinking, I’m just continually surprised and impressed by the Bellator match-ups that are built around the “anything can happen” factor. With that in mind and my fandom in Bellator unwavering, I’ll definitely be giving this event a watch.

And what about you, fans and friends? Anybody out there looking forward to Bellator 40?

Let’s begin as we always do: putting the fight into context. Jay Hieron has been fighting professionally for over seven years, and in that span of time, he’s compiled a record of 20-4. He’s never lost more than one fight at a time, and heading into his Bellator debut, he had won his last seven fights. In the past, Hieron has competed in a number of high-profile promotions. At one time or another throughout his career, “The Thoroughbred” has competed in all of the following promotions: the UFC, the WEC, the IFL (where he won the Welterweight Championship of the short-lived promotion), Affliction, and Strikeforce.

His opponent, Anthony Lapsley, had been an MMA fighter for only four years. However, he had somehow managed to surpass Hieron in total number of fights as a professional Mixed Martial Artist, chiefly due to his insane fight schedule. Lapsley fought five times in 2006, twelve times in 2007, and four times in 2008. During that insanely hectic period, he was able to compile a record of 19-5 with two No Contests.

But at Bellator 35, Jay Hieron proved that quality and not quantity is what counts in MMA.

Lapsley had a great record, but Hieron had faced the better-quality competition by far. Iron sharpens iron, but steel sharpens steel. Guess which one was Lapsley and which one was Hieron. Here’s a clue: steel is how you describe a man that submits his opponent in under four minutes.

Jay Hieron gave a firm reminder to Strikeforce at Bellator 35, he let them know exactly the kind of fighter they decided to let go. As I said in the past, I don’t think Hieron is completely blameless for his falling out with the second-biggest MMA organization in the world, but I definitely believe that Strikeforce owed something to Hieron and never delivered it. So Hieron went to Bellator, and in his first fight with the upstart promotion, he became the delivery man. And he delivered the most dominating win of the night by far.

With one single fight, Jay Hieron has put all of Bellator on notice. This is what you get when you anger someone who’s competed (and occasionally beaten) some of the best. Jay Hieron is hungry for gold, and I think he’s going to be the one to win Bellator’s latest Welterweight Tournament. If his debut in the company is any indication, it won’t be long before we see Jay Hieron as a Bellator Champion. And that’s why Jay Hieron definitely deserves my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who took home your unofficial end-of-night accolades?

The Event: Bellator 35, currently scheduled for March 5, 2011 at the Tachi Palace Casino & Resort in Lemoore, CA. The main card will be broadcast live on the MTV2 network starting at 9 PM ET/PT.

Why You Should Care: This is a major turning point for Bellator FC. This is the first official show of their new partnership with the MTV2 network, and there’s a lot riding on this deal. Bellator’s future as an upstart promotion very well could be at stake if they can’t find a home with the MTV2 audience, and it’s certainly going to be very interesting to see how this first event sets the stage for things to come.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: This is the opening round of Bellator’s Welterweight Tournament, so there’s really no “main event” to speak of, there’s just the tournament fights. Still, one of the main matches everyone is looking forward to is Dan Hornbuckle vs. Brent Weedman. Both men have a ton of experience, so this should be an awesome fight between two talented veterans.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Another interesting match-up fans should be paying attention to is Jay Hieron vs. Anthony Lapsley. Hieron is a former Strikeforce, Affliction, IFL, UFC, and WEC veteran, with a great 19-4 record. Hieron has won his last seven fights, and many are predicting that he could make a very deep run in Bellator’s tournament, with some already picking him to win the tournament outright.

Why You Should Watch This Card: It’s a great jumping-on point for those that may not be familiar to Bellator, since Bellator will be trying to both appeal to and convert an entirely new audience. Also, several of the welterweight fights look very entertaining on paper, and Bellator has an excellent habit of continually producing dramatic finishes and blistering action.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I rarely take this stance, but I’m not opposed to taking it when the situation calls for it. So here it is: I’m not going to advocate not watching this show. There are reasons, sure. There are reasons not to watch any MMA show no matter how important it is perceived to be. But I just think that this is a very, very important show for Bellator, and I think we owe it to them and ourselves as MMA fans to support this promotion and help it grow.

Closing Thoughts: I have to admit, I haven’t followed Bellator nearly as much as I think I should. Hopefully that can change with this show. With a steady timeslot and live weekly events, I can see myself really getting into Bellator if the quality is as good as the underground makes it out to be. I’m looking forward to watching this show, and who knows? If it turns out to be as good as some people say it is, Bellator could be another strong candidate for replacing the WEC as my “dark horse favorite”.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on Bellator 35?

According to MMA Junkie, the final two participants of the tournament will be newly-signed veteran Jay Hieron as well as 11-2 Steve Carl. Hieron and Carl now join the following list of fighters that will compete for a shot at Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren: Jim Wallhead, Dan Hornbuckle, Rick Hawn, Brent Weedman, Chris Lozano and Lyman Good. According to the report, it is expected that Hieron and Carl will meet on March 5 as part of Bellator’s planned “Bellator 35” event.

Steve Carl has competed in Bellator three times and was successful in two of those three outings. Carl is a submission specialist and made it to the semifinals of Bellator’s 2010 Welterweight Tournament. Carl’s latest victory, his fifth first-round submission, earned him a spot in this year’s tournament.

Jay Hieron makes his way into Bellator’s tournament solely on his past accolades and name value, but let’s be honest, that’s as good a reason as any when you look at the man’s record. Hieron is a veteran of over twenty fights, and throughout his seven-year MMA career, he’s competed in the WEC, UFC, Strikeforce, Affliction, and the IFL.

After a somewhat tumultuous history with Strikeforce that included a championship opportunity that never came to be, Hieron and Strikeforce were unable to reach an agreement despite the fact that Hieron went 2-0 in Strikeforce, leading to Hieron and the promotion parting ways. Hieron is on a seven-fight win-streak and hasn’t lost since 2007.

All things considered, this is shaping up to be a great tournament. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Bellator brings to the table now that they’re going to debut on a new network with millions of potential viewers. This tournament seems to have a great mix of talented veterans and eager young prospects, so it should make for some quality television that may just win over the MTV crowd.

Hieron has quickly emerged as an early favorite to win this tournament, and with good reason. Hieron has the right mix of experience, versatility, and fight-ending power to not only go far in this tournament, but perhaps even win it all. He may even become the Bellator Welterweight Champion, although that should be a hard test even for him.

In the end, I wish Bellator all the best and I’ll definitely be tuning in to see how things unfold during this tournament. I still have my reservations on Bellator’s future with MTV2, and I still think they should have signed to a different network, but ultimately, no one can predict the future. Bellator may be fighting an uphill battle, but they’re not going down without a fight and they’re pulling out the big guns in order to make an immediate splash on their new home. And even if you don’t like where Bellator ended up, you’ve certainly got to respect their commitment to pleasing the fans they have while continuing to grow their fanbase. I know I certainly do.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on Bellator’s planned welterweight tournament and/or the promotion’s future as a whole?

Promised two title shots in his time with Strikeforce, Hieron was relegated to the preliminary slot in his two fights in the organization, after initially coming in as an immediate contender to the title.

Decision victories over Jesse Taylor and Joe Riggs anchor his résumé with Strikeforce, and after an extended period of time spent mostly waiting, Jay shopped around the free agency market once his contract with the aforementioned promotion ran up. Bellator seemed to be the perfect fit for the 34-year-old.

Jay is rumored to appear as a participant in season 4, competing in the welterweight 8-man tournament. Not having competed since January of this year, likely the busy schedule that Bjorn Rebney, the Bellator CEO, puts his fighters on for the tournament runs, was one of the most attractive aspects of signing with the organization. Well, that and money.

Currently, Olympian Ben Askren is the current 170-pound champion within the promotion, having defeated season one title holder Lyman Good by unanimous decision.

Hieron, 19-4, will be one of the most experienced and battle tested competitors to engage with the promotion.

Thanks to <a href="http://mmaweekly.com/ufc-strikeforce-veteran-jay-hieron-signs-with-bellator-mma”>MMAWeekly.com for the scoop.

No official word has been made as far when his first bout with the promotion will take place, but hopefully soon.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Can Hieron make an immediate impact within the promotion? Sound off in the comment section below.

MMAWeekly reports that Hieron is now a free agent, as Strikeforce recently decided to not renew his contract after several months of negotiations left him on the sidelines since January. At the January Strikeforce: “Miami” event, Hieron defeated former UFC star and fellow MMA veteran Joe Riggs via Unanimous Decision, Hieron’s seventh win in a row after a KO loss to Brad Blackburn at an IFL event in 2007.

The story of Jay Hieron’s missed title shot has become somewhat infamous. At Strikeforce: “Carano vs. Cyborg”, Hieron was initially penned to face current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz for the then-vacant championship. However, Diaz skipped out on a pre-fight drug test and was denied a license to fight. When Hieron won his replacement fight, he demanded his title shot. When Strikeforce opted to give him the Japanese-based DREAM Welterweight Champion Marius Zaromskis instead, Hieron reportedly turned down the offer because he felt Zaromskis was not a big enough name for him.

In an act of apparent retaliation, Strikeforce moved Zaromskis to the main event of “Miami”, had him challenge Nick Diaz for the vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Championship instead of Hieron, and booked Hieron to fight Joe Riggs. Hieron’s relationship with Strikeforce has been on unstable ground ever since, so this release shouldn’t come as a shock to anybody.

While most of the blame in this situation rests squarely on Hieron’s shoulders, Strikeforce is also at fault. But first and foremost, Hieron should have known what kind of a hit your credibility takes with promoters as well as fans if you turn down fights because you don’t think the fighter you’re facing is on your level. Do your talking after you’ve pounded your opponent’s face in, call him beneath your level and demand better opponents after you’ve destroyed him. Just outright refusing fights sets the standard that you’ve got a big ego and are difficult to work with.

But Strikeforce isn’t exactly blameless. Hieron could have been, should have been, an asset. He’s very talented, he’s on a pretty credible win-streak, he’s beaten some credible opponents and he’s had stints in the UFC, the WEC, the IFL, Strikeforce, and even the short-lived Affliction promotion. Hieron may have started the fire that burned the bridge between him and Strikeforce, but Strikeforce poured gasoline on that fire and watched it burn. This isn’t on the level of Jake Shields, who was completely and unequivocally promoted as nothing but a sacrificial lamb to Dan Henderson only to beat the man decisively, but I do believe that Strikeforce mistreated Hieron to a certain extent.

Where Hieron goes next is up to him, but I along with others think that he’s UFC-bound. UFC President Dana White seems to have set his sights on Strikeforce now that they’re on Showtime and CBS, so Hieron should be a welcome addition to his world-class roster. With how stacked the UFC Welterweight Division is, Hieron is a distant possibility for a title contender. But he is a possibility, and he should do very well in the UFC against mid-level opponents. Ultimately, I wish Jay Hieron all the best and am interested to see what promotion he lands in now that he’s searching for a new home.

And what about you, fans and friends? Do you think Strikeforce made a mistake by releasing Jay Hieron, and where do you see him going in the future?

5. Jorge Masvidal

It’s been confirmed that Masvidal is moving back to Lightweight, but I can see him being coaxed back up to 170 if it means getting another shot at “Semtex”. The first fight proved little, as Masvidal seemed tentative to strike while Daley seemed tentative to pull the trigger. In the right circumstances, I think Masvidal/Daley could be an explosive, wildly entertaining fight. A slot in a stacked Strikeforce show, with the lights on bright and hundreds of thousands of fans watching at home, should be more than enough to bring out the best and the beast in both fighters and give us a great rematch.

4. Marius Zaromskis

It’s true that he’s been virtually unheard-of for awhile, but “The White Mare” would give Daley the kind of fight that he always thrives in: it would be a stand-up brawl with neither man giving a single inch until one of them goes down into the land of dreams. Zaromskis still has that killer head kick, Daley still has dynamite in his hands. It wouldn’t be pretty, it may even be a step back considering how hot of a commodity Daley is right now, but it would be one fantastic fight.

3. Evangelista Santos

Who makes for an even better opponent for “Semtex” than Marius Zaromskis? The man who beat him, of course. Unfortunately known as “the other Cyborg”, Santos has been scraping and clawing his way towards Welterweight legitimacy for the better part of a decade. He attacks with reckless abandon, he comes to either get the knockout or get knocked out. This seems to be the most likely opponent for Daley, and there’s good reason for it: this fight is a solid test for both men and could be a Fight of the Night-caliber showdown if it lives up to its potential.

2. Jay Hieron

The unsung star of Strikeforce’s Welterweight division, Jay Hieron gets far less credit than he deserves. He’s lost only four times in his seven-year career, and has nineteen victories (some of them against pretty decent competition) to his name. If Hieron wins, it would prove once and for all that he’s championship-caliber. If Daley wins, it proves once and for all that he belongs near the top of any promotion’s Welterweight division. It’s a trial by fire for both men, and it has the makings of a great fight.

But of course, #1 simply has got to go to…

1. Nick Diaz

Sometimes the most obvious examples are still the best ones. Anyone with a brain knows that Diaz/Daley would be a dream-match, and there’s plenty of reasons why. Daley is a brawler, Diaz is highly unorthodox but surprisingly technical. Daley has a weak ground game, both Diaz brothers have vastly under-rated ground games. They’re both bad boys who love to get in their opponent’s faces and talk ridiculous amounts of trash. It has all the makings of a fantastic and oh-so-bitter MMA rivalry, so Diaz/Daley easily takes the #1 spot.

And that’s my list, fans and friends. What do you think? And who would you like to see “Semtex” face in Strikeforce?

“I want to fight Georges St. Pierre,” Diaz told the post-fight press conference in Miami. “If they give me an option, that’s the only fight I’m talking about. I want to fight the best. I want to fight the people that everybody thinks is the best out there.”

Whoa, son.  Slow down.

Fighters.com is as big of a Diaz fan as anyone, but let’s all be honest about who Diaz is and why we love him.  Diaz is a bulldog-tough, talented fighter that loves to mix it up before, during, and after fights.

But, Diaz had a run in the UFC’s welterweight division.  He beat guys like “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (17-5) and Drew Fickett (35-6), but lost to “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5), ninth-ranked lightweight “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3), and tenth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1).  Note that two of those guys have since dropped to lightweight.

But, even more ridiculous is who Diaz said he wouldn’t fight.

“I’d rather fight somebody that’s a little more important than Jay Hieron.[His] fight wasn’t even on the main card, so why am I going to fight him?”

True,  “Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (16-4) fought on the undercard in Miami, primarily due to politics, not popularity or talent.  In fact, Strikeforce had to scramble to stream the fight due to the outrage from MMA fans that Hieron wouldn’t be televised.  But, in that fight Hieron beat “Diesel” Joe Riggs (31-11), a fighter who beat Diaz at  UFC 57.  Why are you going to Hieron, Nick?  Because he just beat a guy you couldn’t beat.  There’s a good reason.

Diaz also said, “Who is [KJ Noons]? He hasn’t fought forever. This guy doesn’t even fight anymore or something or quit, is scared.”

Again, Diaz must’ve taken to many hits to the head or hits off the pipe because I can tell you who KJ Noons (7-2) is.  He’s the guy TKO’d Diaz for the EliteXC 165-pound title in 2007.  The fight was stopped by a doctor due to the damage Diaz took to his face from Noons’s boxing attack.

Diaz is certainly more popular than either Hieron or Noons, but that’s just marketing, not fighting.  And, Diaz has certainly improved since his losses in the UFC, but then prove it in the cage.  Both Hieron or Noons are legit matchups for Diaz.

St. Pierre, however, is not.  I would actually be afraid for Diaz if he fought St. Pierre, because I like Diaz so much.  And, I know there’s no quit in Diaz.  St. Pierre would so outclass Diaz that Diaz’s life would be in danger because he simply wouldn’t quit.  He’d absorb it all until someone threw in the towel or the doctor stopped the fight.

Scott Coker and his promotion, Strikeforce, have been regarded as a fairer organization for fighters, perhaps justifiably so.

But, now “Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (16-4) is speaking out, claiming to MMA Junkie that he signed with Strikeforce over the UFC on the promise of a title fight versus Strikeforce welterweight champion “Diablo” Nick Diaz (21-8) that hasn’t materialized.  And, after Hieron’s untelevised unanimous decision over “Diesel” Joe Riggs (31-12) at Strikeforce: Miami Saturday, Heiron is now a free agent.

So, where is your outrage MMA fans?  Where are your conspiracy theories about Scott Coker?  Your profanity, typo laced rants?  Is Coker getting a break from the heat usually directed at White for equivalent behavior?

(P.S. I would’ve added a photo of Hieron to this post, but…Strikeforce didn’t provide any of the Hieron versus Riggs fight in their press release this morning, almost as if they don’t want too much focus on Hieron now that he’s a free agent.)

I was shocked with the patience Manhoef showed once the bell rang as he is normally and very explosive fighter. I feel he is learning more about the MMA game each and every fight. Lawler’s tactics were quite odd to say the least but in the end it worked and the crowd got what it expected. The highlight reel knock out came after getting his leg battered, bruised and practically kicked off. Manhoef made one mistake by dropping his left while trying to finish the hurt Lawler. Lawler shocked many by winning the fight in the stand up game as many experts, myself included, thought he needed the fight to hit the mat in order to win.

Herschel Walker (1-0) made his media rounds to promote this fight and it had many watching the sport for the first time. It was a good thing that he won and looked as solid as he did. I will admit his stand up was atrocious as he was flat-footed, stiff legged and robotic. However he did get off a few shots and once the fight went to the ground he showed just why the guys at AKA were ranting and raving about him. He had tight control, moved from position to postion effortlessly and defended some submission attempts. His use of the crucifix was impressive as was his cardio. While I am not one to say he will be a force to be reckoned with, there are some interesting fights for him if he decides to keep fighting.

Another one of the positives for Strikeforce last night was the fight between Strikeforce 145 pound woman’s champion “Cyborg” Cristiane Santos (9-1) and Marloes Coenen (14-3). Most people gave Coenen very little chance in this fight so to sit down and end up seeing such an entertaining fight was a real treat. Coenen used leg kicks and straight punches early on to stave off the trademarked rapid fire aggression of Cyborg. Cyborg is a true champion though, found a way to get inside and use her strength to her advantage. This fight was a true highlight for women’s MMA and Strikeforce.

Strikeforce: Miami was not all lollipops and rainbows though as there were some lows to the event starting with the name. How can an organization name an event after a city unless they don’t plan on going back to that city? I think they need to work on a more creative way to name shows but this was a small low point overall.

My next issue was with the commentating during the event, especially during the Cyborg versus Coenen fight. At one point Conenen was using one of my favorite moves from the clinch, the foot stomp. Announcer Mauro Ranallo thought it would be cute to say that “maybe she doesn’t like the color of her nail polish.” Now I know that many announcers use some comedy in their broadcasts but Mauro is no Michael Shiavello. As I stated earlier, many potential new fans were watching thanks to the hype behind Herschel Walker. That being the case you want to put the fights in the best light possible. I thought the comment was demeaning to women’s MMA and to both Coenen and the champion, Cris Santos. The ringside commentators have a duty to be proffesional and to help to keep these new viewers in the sport of MMA.

Two more lows are on my list and the first is the time management of Strikeforce. Many of the main event fights ended early and yet they still had to push back the fight between Michael Byrnes (0-2) and David Zitanick (1-1) due to “time constraints” This has happened before with Strikeforce but at least the fight was not scrapped all together. If they did not interview Rex Ryan of the NFL as well as others, maybe they would have had time to fix the huge mistake I felt was the biggest low.

This would be the “Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (16-4) debacle. Jay has been beaten up by Scott Coker and Strikeforce over and over again. He seems to be in line for a title shot but keeps getting passed over. The they put him on the under-card. Due to fan backlash EASportsMMA.com decided to air his fight against “Diesel” Joe Riggs (31-12) on their site. Sadly and much to the dismay of hardcore MMA fans, the site was ill prepared to handle the number of people trying to view the fight. Many fans could not get the feed to play and for those that did, including myself, the feed had a terrible lag and was grainy at best. This is a slap in the face to MMA fans who flock in mass to purchase video games such as the EA Sports MMA game. Strikeforce and EASportsMMA.com owe Jay an apology and a title shot but it does not seem like that will happen.

According to a report from MMAFight.com, Coker already has plans for title shots for his champions, including new champion Diaz. It seems Coker is looking to his Japanese friends to bring in “Mach” Hayoto Sakurai
(32-8-3). While I think this fight would be a gift to hardcore fans, I have to state that Jay deserves the title shot regardless of his performance last night.

Future Strikeforce events will need to get better if they want to keep fighters and keep ratings. We expect much more and they need to deliver.

Hieron won a unanimous decision over The Ultimate Fighter alum “JT Money” Jesse Taylor (8-4) at Strikeforce in San Jose last August.

Riggs submitted Nick Almen (4-11) on strikes at Ironman MMA in Welch, Minnesota December 11.

The fight will be the only fight on the Showtime-broadcast card to stream on the Internet.  The live stream will begin at 9:00 PM ET.

The Pit 205-pound prospect, former kickboxer Scott Lighty (5-0) TKO’d Mike Cook (7-7) on the undercard at Strikeforce in San Jose Friday. The referee stepped in to end the beating at 2:05 of the first round.

The fight night opened with lightweight Alexander Trevino (5-0) remaining undefeated by tapping out Isaiah Hill (3-6-1) in a keylock at 3:56 of round one.

Cung Le-trained welterweight James Terry (6-1) TKO’d Zac Bucia (4-3) in 23 seconds. The ref stepped in to grant Bucia a reprieve just after the fight got underway.

And, the jungle got its revenge as “Silverback” Justin Wilcox (6-3) tapped out “Tarzan” David Douglas (4-2) at 2:16 of round three.

Defending champion “Babalu” weighed 201 pounds while challenging prospect Mousasi weighed 204 pounds.

Heavyweight UFC cast-off “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) weighed 228 pounds. His late replacement opponent, American Kickboxing Academy’s “MAK” Mike Kyle (11-6-1), weighed 219 pounds.

Interim Strikeforce lightweight champion “El Niño” Gilbert Melendez (15-2) and challenger “Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (19-4-1) were both at the 155-pound limit.

“I know I’m in the best shape I can be right now and I’m just ready to get in there and fight,” said Melendez, though he remains annoyed by the circumstances leading to Ishida replacing Strikeforce lightweight champion “Punk” Josh Thomson (15-2-1). “I was training a lot of wrestling and stand-up for a taller, conventional fighter and now my opponent is a short, southpaw wrestler. So there have been some changes and there’s not really a lot you can do. I’ve been training wrestling so I’m OK there but I wish I had more time to train specifically for Ishida. At the end of the day I train hard to fight whoever they put out there so I’ll be ready.”

Welterweight “Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (14-4) weighed 169 pounds. He’ll match-up versus “JT Money” Jesse Taylor (8-2), who weighed one-half pound more.

The Pit light heavyweight Scott Lighty (4-0) had three pounds to spare while his opponent Mike Cook (7-6) was spot on the 205-pound limit.

Lightweight “Tarzan” David Douglas (4-1) was the admissable one-pound over and “Silverback” Justin Wilcox (5-3) was one-pound under the 155-pound limit.

Cung Le-trained welterweight James Terry (5-1) weighed 169 pounds. His opponent, Zac Bucia (4-2), weighed 170 pounds.

Lightweights Isaiah Hill (3-5-1) and Alexander Trevino (4-0) matched each other at 156 pounds.

Maybe it was scheduled at 4:20 PM?

A card-carrying medical marijuana toker, Diaz was popped for marijuana use by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after tapping “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) in a gogoplata at PRIDE 33 in Las Vegas in February 2007.

He was denied a license to fight on a Strikeforce card by the Armando Garcia-headed CSAC in March 2008 after admitting his medical marijuana use in a pre-fight medical exam, but failing to present his California medical marijuana card.

Strikeforce President Scott Coker indicated Monday that Diaz was in the process of resolving the issue with the CSAC and that Coker has a backup plan for Hieron if Diaz isn’t denied a license. The CSAC has confirmed they’ve licensed The Ultimate Fighter alum “JT Money” Jesse Taylor (9-2) to replace Diaz, according to Sherdog.

Former IFL titlist Hieron knocked out recent DREAM Welterweight Grand Prix finalist Jason High (6-1) in 1:04 at Affliction in Anaheim last January. He was scheduled to fight former EliteXC title challenger “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-9-2) at Affliction in Anaheim 1 August.

Diaz tapped former EliteXC middleweight title challenger “Hands of Steel” Scott Smith (15-7) in a rear naked choke at Strikeforce in St. Louis last June. He was originally scheduled to rematch “Diesel” Joe Riggs (30-11) for the Strikeforce title until Riggs pulled out with an injury.

“Babalu” Renato Sobral (29-8) will fight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5).

“Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) will fight “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3).

“Headhunter” Paul Buentello (26-9) will face “Baby Fedor” Kiril Sidelnikov (3-1).

“Machine” Mark Hominick (14-7) will face LC Davis (9-1).

“Thorobred” Jay Hieron (13-4) will fight Jason High (6-0).

Albert Rios (6-2) will face “Tigre” Antonio Duarte (7-1).

Brett Cooper will also fight, although no opponent was named.

The event is headlined by Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) versus third-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-5).

A lightweight match between Chris Horodecki (12-1) and “The Upgrade” Dan Lauzon (10-2) was previously reported.

No opponents have yet been determined for seventh-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (19-5) and “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (16-8).

Sobral is fighting Bobby Southworth (9-4) Friday for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title.  He won a unanimous decision over “Iron” Mike Whitehead (22-6) at Affliction in July.

Lindland last fought in July, winning a unanimous decision over “Negao” Fabio Nascimento (16-8).

Nogueira and Matyushenko were originally scheduled to face off in October before Day of Reckoning was postponed.

Nogueira won his last match 1 November at Sengoku 6, defeating Moise Rimbon (12-8-2) in a unanimous decision.

Matyushenko will try to extend his win streak to nine.  His last victory came in April in the IFL when he TKO’d Jamal Patterson (4-2) in the second round.

Buentello defeated “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-19-1) via unanimous decision last week at Glory 10.

Sidelnikov, from Russia’s Red Devil Sports Club, TKO’d James Jack (3-2-1) in round one at the M-1 Challenge in September.

Hominick submitted Savant Young (1-2) with a second-round armbar at Affliction in July.

Davis KO’d Rafael Dias (12-5) in round three at the IFL’s April event.

Hieron won a unanimous decision over Chris Kennedy (6-6) in October.

High submitted Markhaile Wederbrun (4-3) in 45 seconds with a guillotine choke in June.

Rios last fought in November 2007.  He TKO’d Rafael Salomao (6-1) in round one.

Duarte submitted Gerardo Morales (0-2) with a third-round guillotine choke in May.

Cooper KO’d Dusty Arden (11-6-1) in round two in June.

Emelianenko versus Arlovski had been reported previously, as well as the date of the event, but Affliction Vice President Tom Atencio last week would confirm neither the main event, the date, nor the venue for their second show.

Other fighters on the card are sixth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (23-5), “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3), “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), “Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-7), “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8), “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5), and the IFL’s Jay Hieron (16-4) and Chris Horodecki (12-1).

The match-ups have not yet been announced.

“The Natural” John Alessio (24-11) knocked welterweight Gideon Ray (15-10-1) cold on the mat in 45 seconds.

Xtreme Couture’s Alessio whipped a left hook over a Ray right hand and dropped Ray.  Alessio finished the job with hammer strikes, leaving the fellow former UFC fighter unconscious.

“Quicksand” Mike Pyle (18-5-1) of Xtreme Couture transitioned slickly into an armbar from full mount to tap welterweight Brian Gassaway (28-19-2) as he attempted roll free at 4:21 of round one in another battle of former Octagon fighters.

Xtreme Couture welterweight “Thorobread” Jay Hieron (16-4) won a one-sided unanimous decision over late replacement Chris Kennedy (6-6) by judges’ scores of 30-27 three times.

Hieron’s original opponent, Bryson Kamaka (6-13), failed his pre-fight urinalysis.

Light heavyweight “Sick Dog” Hector Ramirez (8-3-1) also won a UD over “The Jet” Rick Roufus (4-4) by scores of 29-28 three times. 

After blocking a high kick with his head in round one, Ramirez kept the kickboxing legend off his feet for the “W”.

TUF 3 finalist “Bring the Pain” Josh Haynes (11-10-1), of Xtreme Couture, tapped middleweight Sean Salmon (15-6) in an Achilles lock at 2:49 of round two.

“JJ” Jonathan Mix (2-3) TKO’d welterweight John Halverson (16-7) at 4:25 of round one.

Xtreme Couture prodigy Kui Gonsalves-Kanoho (2-0) tapped “Mighty Mouse” Shawn David (2-2) in a Kimura at 3:51 of round two.

Ryan Haas (1-0) tapped Ian Omalza (2-1) in an armbar at 3:09 of round one.

Former IFL titlist Hieron has been matched, if not undermatched, versus Bryson Kamaka (6-13) while Pyle will fight vet Brian Gassaway (28-18-2).

Also on the card, welterweight “The Natural” John Alessio (23-11) will return after a “W” over “Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-14) in A Night of Combat’s debut to battle Gideon Ray (15-9-1).

Light heavyweights “Sick Dog” Hector Ramirez (7-3-1) and kickboxing vet “The Jet” Rick Roufus (4-3) will face-off.

And, TUF 3 finalist “Bring the Pain” Josh Haynes (10-10) will fight “Seargent” Steve Byrnes (6-1).

The card features eight men’s MMA bouts at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Xtreme Couture fighter told MMA Weekly last week that he was entertaining offers from EliteXC and the UFC as well, but Affliction offered what he believed he was worth.

Hieron fought five times in 2007 in the IFL, and once this year when he defended his crown with a first-round TKO win over Mark Miller (8-3) in April.

He is expected to compete at Affliction’s 11 October event in Las Vegas, although no opponent has been named.

Couture graciously confronted and answered questions about his beef with the Zuffa, LLC and UFC President Dana White and third-ranked “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia‘s (24-4) and his own prospective fight with sixth-ranked “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (27-1), shared opinions about fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (42-7), “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0), and Brock Lesnar (1-1), and made picks on future fights.

Fighters.com: You’ve said you’ve accepted that you might get a bad court ruling and not fight again. Have you lost some competitiveness from being inactive for so long?

The Natural: I still want to compete. I’m still in training as much as I can be with all this other stuff going on. I still seem to be able to hold my own, even with the lack of serious, hardcore training, with all the top guys that I have in the gym. I’m having fun being in the gym learning new tools, new skills and being there with a lot of the other guys that have been there for me, so I’m not too worried about that. The courts are going to do what the courts are going to do. We’ll deal with it when it comes in.

Fighters.com: Not many fighters have wives who also train. Does that give you both a different perspective and more understanding?

The Natural: I think it’s pretty cool! Not many guys can actually go and punch their wife in the head. No…she’s training hard, she’s doing a great job and having fun. It’s been good for her physically and, I think, emotionally to get a lot of her frustrations and have something of her own to work with. It’s been a lot of pressure too because she’s dragging around my last name. It puts a lot more pressure on her and she’s been able to take that all in stride and deal with that very well as well. I’m excited for her, looking forward to her next fight on June 20th at the Thomas & Mack. It’s going to be great.

Fighters.com: At home, do you two ever move the furniture out of the way and have a training session?

The Natural: We end up wrestling on that damn bed all the time!

Fighters.com:At the Xtreme Couture website there’s a video center that is streaming the pro sessions daily. What are viewers likely to see?

The Natural: Well, they’ll can tune in and watch me in a class that’s on main mat and, certainly between 4:00 and 6:00 PM Pacific Time, is when our pros train and a lot of the top guys from Forrest Griffin and Mike Powell and Jay Hieron, Gray Maynard, and Tyson Griffin, Wanderlei Silva and the list just goes on and on of the top guys in the Vegas area who train on our mat. If you want to see technically what the pros are working on and what our MMA workouts are like, and get idea of what to do, it’s a great place to go.

Fighters.com: Do you think Fighters.com Light Heavyweight Champion “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) and “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-5) have already bought their subscriptions?

The Natural: I don’t know! Maybe… I think Forrest and Tyson (future opponents of Jackson and Aurelio respectively) do the majority of their hardcore technical training in the cage, not on the camera. So, at least right now, you probably won’t see a lot of them on the mat.

Fighters.com: Did you watch Hughes lose to sixth-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) Saturday?

The Natural:I missed the fight Saturday. I was traveling. I was very happy to hear [Xtreme Couture middleweight] Martin Kampmann won his fight against Jorge [Rivera]. That was a big fight for him coming back off the knee reconstruction. I did hear about the Hughes fight and the flying knee; but, Alves is a tough cat. I kind of picked him to win that fight.

Fighters.com: Hughes isn’t that old, but is his age or the number of fights catching up with him? Or, is he just in a funk he’ll shake out of?

The Natural:Well, I think that’s on Matt. I think Matt is now running his own school. He’s kind of become the big fish in that little pond, where, I think, before, when he was training with Miletich he had a bunch of guys in there who were stepping up and challenging him when he was there training and making him better. I think that’s the environment that he needs to progress as a fighter. I just don’t know that he’s continuing to progress. Everybody else is. These guys are all getting better. They’re younger, they’re stronger, bigger, and they’re figuring it out. I think Matt is capable of doing whatever he wants to do. It’s just a function of applying himself.

Fighters.com: UFC President Dana White told Sports Illustrated that he spoke to you at UFC 84. Is that awkward? What do you two talk about? Is there any genuine friendliness left in the relationship?

The Natural:It’s not personal on my part and I don’t think it is on his part either. I think he’s an emotional guy who sometimes says things that he wishes he could take back or wishes he didn’t say and he’s made stupid comments. And, you know, yeah it’s a little weird going to the UFC shows. I feel like a leper. They work pretty hard to keep me off camera when I corner my guys and they don’t show any of the clips they could of me. They don’t let Goldie or Joe mention my name at all or where my guys are training. So, you know, those are conscious things that Dana has tried to do. I think they’re silly; but, he’s going to do what he’s going to do. I don’t have any control over that. So, I don’t take it personal. I talked to him, Lorenzo [Fertitta, Zuff, LLC co-owner], and Frank [Fertitta, Zuffa, LLC co-owner] at the last UFC. It was a great card. You know? It is what it is.

Fighters.com: White has also said that he’s ready to put you back in the Octagon at any time; but, you just don’t see yourself going back to the UFC?

The Natural:You never say never, but there’s a lot of things that’ve got to change. I’m in a position now that if the courts rule in my favor I can control my own destiny and make one of the biggest fights to ever happen on my own. And, get all of the benefits of being in a position to do that. It just doesn’t make a lot of sense for me to go back and give it all back to the UFC and let them walk away with 90-plus percent of everything that comes from those fights.

Fighters.com: You’re starring in The Scorpion King 2, soon to be released to DVD? Is that in the can?

The Natural:It’s done. It’s in the can. I filmed it in October and November of last year. I just saw a pre-screening of the movie last week and was very excited about the way it came out.

Fighters.com: I worry with you, Tito, Rampage, and others getting into acting. Do you think the higher pay for less pain of Hollywood is going to start stealing fighters from MMA?

The Natural: I don’t know. I think most of the fighters have a passion and love for what they do as fighters; and, if you were to achieve some goals and open those doors to the acting realm and have the opportunity to try that, it better work. I don’t think everyone is going to have the opportunity to crossover. You know, I know that Tito has made a foray with The Crow: Wicked Prayer and some of the other stuff he’s done when given the opportunity. Chuck’s been in a few things now. And, Rampage, you know, obviously, he definitely has the persona. And, I think the camera would be pretty friendly to him.

Fighters.com: Have you picked a winner of Sylvia versus Emelianenko in your own mind?

The Natural:Most people expect Fedor to find a way to take Tim out, and I can see that too. With his submission skills and the dynamic style of fighter that he is, I can see that happening. Tim poses some interesting problems and is certainly going to have something to say about that. He’s not going to be an easy fight. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.

Fighters.com:Do you fault Emelianenko for not fighting top guys the last two years while you and Sylvia and other heavyweights were fighting each other?

The Natural:I think he’d have rather been fighting top guys. Bodog kind of going the way it went and PRIDE getting crushed by Zuffa, I don’t think he’s really had the opportunity to fight any top guys. I think if he’d have had his druthers, he’d have fought top guys. I’m sure he’s excited about the opportunity to fight Tim and certainly expressed a lot of interest in being able to fight me at some point. I don’t think it changes the fighter that he is or the guys that he’s beat. He’s beat Nogueira twice and Cro Cop and right on down the line. He’s beat a lot of top guys, just nobody recently.

Fighters.com:You just opened Xtreme Couture Toronto. Is that your first Canadian gym?

The Natural: It’s our first Canadian gym. We’re talking to some folks in Montreal who’re interested in franchising a gym there; but, we’ll see what happens. We’re very excited. The Toronto gym looks terrific! A huge facility! Thirty-thousand square feet. So, it’s a great big gym.

Fighters.com: Will there be any fighters training in Toronto?

The Natural: Chris Horodecki, and Mark Bocek, and Mark Hominick are all going to be training and teaching there. There’s a newer Russian kid coming up who lives in Canada who looks to be a very physical, and have the potential as a fighter as well, to be teaching there. So, I think a lot of the top fighters in the area of Toronto are going to end up there.

Fighters.com:You’re an elder in the sport. What do you think of “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0)?

The Natural:I like Kimbo! I think Kimbo has a great attitude. You know, he’s trying to do all the right things to be a well-rounded mixed martial artist; and, I think he’d be the first to admit that he’s not there yet, as James Thompson pointed out on CBS two weekends ago. He’s got some holes in his game still; but, I think his popularity has a lot to do with EliteXC marketing him as a street fighter and the Internet kind of street fights, YouTube phenomenon, if you will, that he is. I don’t think the two really cross over. If EliteXC wants to market him that way, I just don’t think it really crosses over. They need to be careful what they do with that because it could potentially harm the sport. But, that’s not Kimbo’s fault, that’s EliteXC’s fault.

Fighters.com:How about Lesnar in the UFC?

The Natural:Well, the similarities…Brock is a big name because of WWE. He’s still a good athlete, just like Kimbo, who’s being marketed because of his celebrity with the World Wrestling Entertainment. But, just like Kimbo, he’s got a lot of holes in his game and it was silly to kind of put him out there with Frank Mir. You know, I think Mir was underestimated. Everybody thought he was going to fold under the pressure and not take the shots that Lesnar was going to dish out too well. Mir showed why he’s an excellent submission guy, a great fighter, and a former world champion. I think, given the time, both Lesnar and Kimbo will be very, very good fighters in the heavyweight division. They both have the right attitude. You know, Lesnar is taking this seriously. He wants to be a real fighter and he’s taking that terrific wrestlers base that he has and trying to learn all the other pieces.

Fighters.com:Where’s the future of this sport? Is the current buzz going to level off? Does it have the potential to be a long-term nationally-broadcast sport?

The Natural: I think if the CBS ratings are any indication, it absolutely has the potential to be that long-term broadcast sport. I think it’s a function of who’s going to step-up and do it right. I think there’s some work that needs to be done with how the fighters are treated and paid; and, the person who kind of gets that combination and all that sorted out can take it to the next level. Obviously I think a lot of the fighters, at least the ones in a position to voice their opinion, aren’t too pleased with kind of being owned, being taken advantage of. I don’t know. We’ll see what happens; but, this is definitely the combative sport for this generation.

Fighters.com: Your response brings up another question. At the post-UFC 84 press conference, ninth-ranked light heavyweight “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) was voicing a lot of the same concerns you’ve spoken out about concerning fighter pay as a percentage of total revenue. A reported asked Ortiz, “If you’re not happy with your pay, what is an acceptable amount?” And, Tito balked, saying, “I don’t know. You’d have to ask my lawyers.” Is that irresponsible to complain about your pay, but not have an idea of what your pay should be?

The Natural: You know…probably. Maybe Tito didn’t have a handle on all the numbers; but, it appears to be that on any given UFC, just on the pay-per-views alone, the UFC makes in the neighborhood of $40 or $50 million. And, Tito and I are two of the very, very few athletes that get a little piece of that pay-per-view and we’re lucky if we make $1.2 or $1.3 million. So, percentage-wise, it’s a very, very small percent of the total revenue. Now, Dana’s argument that the UFC is different than boxing, I think that held water before. You know, the UFC was having to pay site fees, do all their own marketing, all their own promotion, and spend money to keep a staff of 100 people; but, that climate has changed now. People are clamoring to get the UFC into their venues to sell out the arenas. I think there are TV outlets who’ll take the risk, do the marketing, and see the wisdom, just like boxing. The fighters could be getting paid a lot better! If I were getting $5 or $10 million dollars to fight out of that $40 million, I’d certainly feel a lot happier. It’s frustrating for me to see a guy like Floyd Mayweather. You know, I feel like we’re just as dedicated and work just as hard and have everything going for us other than not being in boxing and we’re in MMA. Floyd makes $20 or $30 million from one fight. That’s frustrating. We’re both combative sports and can be promoted in the same way, shape, and form. Now, I understand the UFC is still trying to spend money with Marc Ratner to get this sport sanctioned in every state and province on the continent, and all the other things that they’re doing. And, I think those are admirable things that are going to continue to grow the sport and have established this foundation that you, me, and EliteXC, and everybody else who wants to put on a show is standing on. I see that picture clearly, but I think the timing is right for someone to set the change for bigger shares of the purses that are derived from a fight from DVD sales all the way down, the ancillary rights, and all the other stuff that gets controlled and taken by the UFC and given back to the fighters, the guys who put it on the line, whose careers span five years if they’re lucky.

Fighters.com: Affliction’s payout has reportedly reached six or seven million dollars for the Banned card. We’ve seen this business model and it’s failed. Are you optimistic Affliction can build a financially sustainable promotion while paying fighters so much?

The Natural:Well, I’m certainly skeptical. Obviously I have a strong relationship with Todd [Beard, Affliction co-owner] through my partnership with Xtreme Couture clothing. And, I sat with Todd and told him, “Look, I’ve seen people do this before and I’m worried you’re going to lose this money. You know? The marketing piece, the brand piece is the big component. You need to generate interest in these fighters so people have a vested interest. That’s why the 24/7 with Golden Boy was so successful, because people wanted to tune in and see these guys fight. You know, get Fedor Emelianenko some exposure and get people to like Tim Sylvia…or hate him! One of the other if you want people to buy this pay-per-view.” Todd is a great marketing and sales mind. Obviously, Affliction is a very successful clothing line. This whole thing started because Dana thought he was hurting me and banned the Affliction clothing line. That got the hackles up on Todd’s neck and he decided, “OK, to hell with him then. we’ll do our own show if he wants to play that way.” The ban didn’t hurt me any. All those clothes and all those shirts, and denim, and all that stuff is in all the major market retail outlets across the country. The only person [Dana] hurt was the fighters Affliction was sponsoring in MMA. Took the money right out of their pockets. So, now [Dana] has a potentially formidable opponent that he created because he pissed [Todd] off and made him want to spend the money and throw a show. He signed a lot of the top heavyweights that were free agents and some of the other free agents out there that are going to put on a good card. I think [Todd's] marketing sense and ability to sell things is remarkable. Teaming up with FOX and streaming the undercard on the Internet on FOX is something new nobody’s tried yet and has the potential to be something huge. Yeah, I think we’re all anxiously waiting to see how successful Todd is with his show in July and how big the pay-per-view is. Now Trump is buying in and buying a piece of the MMA company. Obviously he brings a lot of juice and a lot of things to the table that could potentially put it over the hump. So, like you, I’ll be anxiously watching for a couple of reasons July 19th.

Fighters.com: Do you want to make some picks on upcoming fights?

The Natural: OK.

Fighters.com: Evan Tanner (32-7) versus “Spider” Kendall Grove (8-5)?

The Natural: I’m going to go with Kendall Grove. I think he’s long and rangy and will use his range well. I think his moving back to Hawaii was probably a good thing for him, I hope. I think Tanner, although I have a lot respect for Evan and his abilities, I think he has not put himself in a great position or a great environment to thrive and be in top shape as an athlete. So, I’m going to go with Kendall Grove.

Fighters.com:“Gumby” Jeremy Horn (79-17-5) versus “Boogieman” Dean Lister (10-5)?

The Natural: Wow! Tough fight! Both guys are great submission guys. I’m going to go with Dean Lister. I think he’s got naturally heavy hands. Both guys’ submission skills are great; but, I think Dean’s are a little better and that tends to be Jeremy Horn‘s strength, so I’m going to lean towards Dean Lister.

Fighters.com:Third-ranked welterweight “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2) versus “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5)?

The Natural:Tough fight, but I’m going to have to go with Koscheck. I think he’s shown remarkable improvement, even in the face of losing a couple of times. I’m sure that losing to Georges lit a fire under him. As much as I like to see Chris Lytle come out and lay it all on the line, he’s going to have trouble with Koscheck’s wrestling ability and I think Koscheck is going to end up putting him on the ground and establishing that good, solid top position and wearing Chris down.

Fighters.com:A couple of your old nemesi, fifth-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (21-5) versus “The Rock” Pedro Rizzo (16-7)?

The Natural: Yeah, that’s a tough call. It kind of depends on Josh Barnett. If he tries to go in there and stand with Pedro, it’s going to end like it ended last time, [Barnett knocked out]. Pedro is nobody to mess around with in the striking exchanges. Josh has the ability to transition and take Pedro to the ground, out of his game. I think, if that’s what Josh does, Josh will win that fight. Having not seen Pedro in awhile…actually, quite a while, it’s harder for me to pick that fight.

Fighters.com: Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (12-5) versus Ben Rothwell (29-5)?

The Natural: I like Andrei. Ben is a big strong kid, but he’s still pretty green. I think Andrei’s on a mission. I think mentally he’s still a little held back by the results of the two Tim fights and he’s not pulling the trigger and really getting after it like he was. As far as pure boxing, he’s one of the best pure boxers we have in our sport. I’ll be excited to see him back out there. I think, overall, he’s got to be ready to go. He’s got to be in great shape. Rothwell is going to be in great shape and ready to bring the fight; but, Andrei has the tools to pull this off.

“The Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3), Wagnney Fabiano (10-1), and Jay Hieron (15-4) all defended their respective titles with knockouts.

Lightweight standout Chris Horodecki (12-1) picked up a unanimous decision, while one-time top 155-pounder “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski (28-11) continued his slide with a loss by unanimous decision.

Featherweight Fabiano set-up a right slobber-knocker to Shad Lierley (2-2) with just his reputation as a submission specialist.

“People think I’m just a jiu-jitsu fighter,” Fabiano explained after the fight.  “Today I knew he would expect me shooting, so I changed my game plan.”

The KO came after just 37 seconds.

Hieron, an Xtreme Couture 170-pounder, dispatched Mark Miller (8-3) in just 2:10.

“It went quicker than I thought, but man it was not easy,” said Hieron after his right hook set-up a single-leg takedown leading to a G’n'P finish.

“The Janitor” had the toughest time of the IFL’s three defending champions.

Hometown Jamal Patterson (4-2), who’s won exclusively by submission, cranked up striking flurries in the first round causing Matyushenko to duck-and-cover.

But, Matyushenko handed Patterson his ass in the second with a ground’n'pound barrage the required the ref to wave the fight finished at 3:35.

IFL newcomer Jim Miller (11-1) ran “Bartimus” ragged for three rounds, dumping the winless-in-three lightweight at will and filing through submission attempts like he had an extra limb.  Palaszewski fought back valiantly with several crafty escapes, but Miller took all of the cards in his IFL debut.

Horodecki had a handfull named Nate Lamotte (6-3) to contend with in Horodecki’s return from his first loss to “The Lion” Ryan Schultz (19-9-1) in IFL’s Lightweight Grand Prix final.

Lamotte delivered some vicious G’n'P when he was able to catch Horodecki, but the IFL vet kept Lamotte at bay with a snapping jab and pin-pointed punches to take a UD by 29-28 times three.

And the rest of the story saw light heavyweight “Shark” Emyr Bussade (11-5) win his IFL debut with a kneebar of Jesse Lennox (6-1) at 1:25 of round two.

“Bad” Brad Blackburn (12-9-1) TKO’d “Pe de Chumbo” Delson Heleno (13-5) at 1:50 of the third round of a welterweight matchup.

Featherweight LC Davis (10-1) kicked Rafael Dias (10-4-1) in the head for the KO “W” at 3:56 of round three.

Xtreme Couture middleweight Alex Schoenauer (13-9) eeked out a split decision over Brendan Barrett (3-3).

Finally, heavyweight Miletich fighter Mike Ciesnolevicz (13-3) cut Kongo-conqueror “The Fury” Carmelo Marrero (7-2) with an unintentional headbutt in a fight declared a No Contest after 1:37.

The IFL returns 16 May in at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.

Tickets went on sale on Monday, Feb. 25, and are available at the IZOD Center Box Office (located at the Meadowlands), www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (201) 507-8900.

Of particular interest is the addition of Florida-based American Top Team, which is “outside” of the core IFL camps to compete under the new IFL format which encourages challenges from the top MMA camps across the world.

Matyushenko, who defected to the U.S. while a member of the Belarus national wrestling team in the early 1990’s, was the IFL’s first individual champion, capping an unbeaten 2007 by winning the light heavyweight title by defeating Alex Schoenauer last November in Chicago.  On April 4, Matyushenko will battle “The Suit” Jamal Patterson, a Colgate University graduate who now serves as regional sales manager for an orthodontics company in addition to his MMA career.

Hieron, a Long Island native who will be fighting in front of a decidedly hometown crowd, knocked out “Pe de Chumbo” Delson Heleno in Connecticut in December to claim the welterweight crown.  His opponent in New Jersey will be Mark Miller, a former machine gunner in the U.S. Marines who was one of the big surprises at 170-lbs. last year in the IFL.

Fabiano is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert who used that skill to record five submissions, four of them in the first round, in a perfect 2007, culminating in a win over LC Davis in the featherweight championship in December.  He takes on Shad Lierley, a former collegiate conference wrestling champion at New York University who moves to 145-lbs. after impressing with two victories and a well-documented thrilling battle with “The Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki last year.

“I like the local feel of this card,” said Bas Rutten, IFL Vice President, Fighter Operations.  “In addition to three outstanding championship matchups, featuring fighters from New York and New Jersey, you have Renzo Gracie’s camp, which was the champion last year, Midwest Combat, which features our top fighters from the Chicago area, and great battles with the Miletich camp and American Top Team, which we are very excited to have on board.” 

Among the intriguing matchups in the Miletich-ATT pairing are those between welterweights Rory Markham and Emyr Bussade and light heavyweights Mike Ciesnolevicz and Lew Polley.  LC Davis will also compete against a yet-to-be-determined featherweight opponent.

The Gracie-Midwest bouts include a rematch of last year’s exciting Deividas Taurosevicius vs. “Bartimus” Bart Palaszewski matchup.  Delson Heleno will also fight at 170 lbs; his opponent is TBD. 

Outside of the camp matchups, Chris Horodecki will battle a yet unnamed lightweight for a planned minimum nine-bout card.

IFL East Rutherford, N.J.
Friday, April 4, 2008
(order TBD)

Additional Bouts
155 lbs.: Chris Horodecki (London, Ontario) (7-1 IFL, 11-1 overall MMA) vs. TBD

American Top Team vs. Miletich Fighting Systems
145 lbs.: TBD vs. LC Davis (Kansas City, Mo.) (2-0, 9-1)
170 lbs.: Emyr Bussade (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) (0-0, 10-5) vs. Rory Markham (Chicago) (6-2, 12-3)
205 lbs.: Lew Polley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) (0-0, 6-0) vs. Mike Ciesnolevicz (Williamstown, Pa.) (5-3, 13-3)

Midwest Combat vs. Renzo Gracie Academy
155 lbs.: Bart Palaszewski (Wonderlake, Ill.) (8-3, 29-10) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (Lithuania) (3-0, 9-2)
170 lbs.: TBD vs. Delson Heleno (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (6-3, 13-4)
*205 lbs.: **Vladimir Matyushenko (Belarus) (5-0, 20-3) vs. Jamal Patterson (Jersey City, N.J.) (4-1, 4-1)

Additional Championship Bouts
*170 lbs.: **Jay Hieron (Freeport, N.Y.) (6-2, 14-4) vs. Mark Miller (Chicago) (2-1, 8-2)
*145 lbs.: **Wagnney Fabiano (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) (5-0, 9-1) vs. Shad Lierley (Seattle) (2-1, 2-1)

*Championship Bout
**Current Titleholder