We head first to MMA Weekly for confirmation that John “Doomsday” Howard is no longer a UFC employee. In an update to the story, Howard posted the following on his official Twitter account recently: “Only thing I can say is it is what it is. You get three straight losses in the UFC and this is what happens.”

Next up is a report from MMA Junkie that states that Andre Winner, the runner-up of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9, has also been released from the UFC. The report states that Winner will more than likely fight in the UK next, possibly in the fast-rising BAMMA promotion.

John Howard debuted in the UFC in 2009 with a respectable 10-4 record. Howard would win his UFC debut in a “Fight of the Night” performance and follow that up with three more wins, with two KO’s. However, Howard stumbled and ultimately fell when attempting to move his way up the food chain. After a TKO loss to Jake Ellenberger, Howard faced tough losses to both Thiago Alves and Matt Brown.

Andre Winner tore through the TUF house on the ninth season of the popular UFC reality TV show, but would lose to Ross Pearson in the season’s live finale. Winner rebounded with two wins, including a big KO win, but would lose his next three fights. Nik Lentz beat him in an incredibly boring fight, then Dennis Siver of all people managed to submit Winner with a Rear Naked Choke, and finally, Winner recently endured a three-round beating at the hands and feet of Anthony Njokuani.

I’ve never really had a problem with either of these two men, so I’m not glad that they’re gone. But I never really considered myself a fan of these two either, so I’m not really upset that they’re gone. I remember watching both men fight, and I think both men are gifted fighters with a lot of determination and heart. I do remember enjoying a few of their fights. But as Howard himself said: it is what it is.

The UFC is the biggest, most profitable, most prestigious Mixed Martial Arts company on the planet. It got that way through a whole lot of hard work, and it’s going to stay that way since the UFC only employs the absolute best fighters in the world. In today’s UFC, you simply have got to keep winning in order to stay employed. Both Howard and Winner had several chances when you consider that the UFC is getting so ultra-competitive nowadays that fighters have been released on two-fight or even one-fight losing-streaks. Both men simply couldn’t handle the UFC’s level of competition.

That’s not to say that they’ll never be able to. It wouldn’t surprise me if both fighters made their way back to the UFC after some big wins in regional promotions. So even though “it is what it is”, I do wish both these fighters the best.

John Howard and Martin Kampmann are expected to meet one another at an upcoming event under the UFC banner. While both men at one point or another stood above the rest in their class as top contenders, they have since descended to the bottom of the barrel as both men are currently riding two-fight win streaks heading into their bout.

The two notables are expected to meet at UFC on Versus 4, which is scheduled for June 26 at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Interestingly enough, the main-event of the evening will pit Anthony Johnson against Nate Marquardt–two men that both Howard and Kampmann are far too familiar with.

Howard was last seen in action at UFC 124 this past December when he met with former title challenger Thiago Alves. The Brazilian striker was able to secure a unanimous decision win over Howard, how was unable to match Alves power-for-power, especially when it came down to the crippling leg kicks landed by the American Top Team product coupled with his ever improving takedowns, which ultimately lead him to the win. The loss extended the two-fight skid which began with a third-round TKO loss to budding contender Jake Ellenberger which came due to a severely swollen eye that left Howard unable to continue.

Kampmann meanwhile is also the victim of misfortune. After emerging as one of the top contenders in the division with a split-decision win over former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit (upon the Greg Jackson’s debut within the promotion) he has since been unable to find proper footing in the weight-class. A loss to Paul Daley was followed by a two-fight win streak over the likes of Jacob Volkmann and Paulo Thiago, however Kampmann took a huge step back when he succumbed to contentious defeats at the hands of Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez, both of whom took the Xtreme Couture product to debated decision wins.

Both men, though fan-favorites and exciting fighters in their own right, will likely be battling for their jobs come this June, with the loser likely receiving the infamous UFC pink slips.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match-up? Who do you favor? Sound off in the comment section below.

Johnson is recently coming off of a dominant, yet eye gouging at times, performance against fellow striker Dan Hardy. Last Saturday, the two men served as the co-main event for “UFC Fight Night 24″ in a fight that both men promised to stand in the center of the cage and bang it out.

While Anthony showed a glimmer of said promises in the first-round, when he knocked down the Brit with a vicious high-kick, he never followed up. Instead, Johnson took down Hardy for the entire 15-minutes of the fight and controlled the Team Rough House product on the mat and took home a decision win.

Howard, among others, were not particularly impressed by the win and has now the bad feelings have resurfaced, and he hopes to get a crack at Johnson in the immediate future.

The resentment for one another when Howard turned down a bout with Johnson early in his UFC career, simply because he wanted to get his footing within the organization first before taking on a tall task like “Rumble”. The decision seems acceptable, though Johnson got word of Howard having turned down the fight, and ever since then, the back-and-forth banner has ceased to end.

“What happened was, (the UFC) offered the fight to me for my second fight in the UFC”, said Howard in an interview with MMAWeekly.com

“And I told them, ‘no, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I’m still new in the UFC and I still want to be making some money out of it, and don’t want to be fighting some of the top 20 guys already.’ He took it like, oh, I was scared, I’m a (expletive), I’m a (expletive) and all this. And then call me a ‘cotton picker.’

Needless to say, Howard did not take kindly towards the harsh words thrown his way, and even after coming off of back-to-back losses top divisional greats Jake Ellenberger and Thiago Alves (respectively), he would be willing to risk his UFC career if it means that he could fight Johnson next.

“Yeah, I definitely want to shut that dude up, man,” said Howard of Johnson.

“It’s one of those fights where I don’t care about winning or losing. I just want to smash this dude. I think it’s better to (have it) happen in the UFC before it gets to the streets. That’s how bad it is between me and him. I don’t like this kid. I think he’s a big bully.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Howard’s statements? Both men are tough welterweight standouts, and despite the recent losses, Howard is no one to be overlooked. Powerful striker with strong wrestling skills is a dangerous combination. Sound off in the comment section below.

Here are the highlights from an interview Alves recently had with MMA Weekly: “…I want to be back by the beginning of April. My next fight I want it to be in UFC Rio on August 27 so if they schedule that, I’ll (fight) beginning of April and then August 27… I just want to fight whoever’s going to bring me closer to the belt again. It doesn’t matter who it is… I want to be the welterweight champion. Whoever’s going to bring me closer, I’m ready for it… Welterweight division, watch out, I’m back.”

Now, I have no problem admitting that Thiago Alves did put on a classic performance against John Howard at “St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2”. He came in on weight, in top shape, fought like a monster, and decimated his opponent. So while I do think I’m raining on Thiago’s parade (not without reason, of course), I don’t want to take anything away from the fact that Alves took a giant leap down the comeback trail when he beat John Howard. But one good fight does not a triumphant return make.

If Thiago Alves wants me to start taking him seriously again as a major threat in the UFC’s Welterweight division, he needs to continue to do what he did to John Howard, he needs to permanently bring back the Thiago Alves that reacted to his opponent’s gameplan with utter disdain and then pounded their face in or reduced their legs to jelly. If that Thiago Alves is brought back and brought back consistently, I’ll be the first one to hop the next trampoline and jump back onto the Thiago Alves bandwagon.

But it’s going to take more than one good performance for me to forget how utterly out of his league Alves looked against Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch. In particular, the memories of Alves looking like a shell of his former himself against Fitch will remain in my head for quite some time until I’m convinced to sweep them under the rug. But the potential certainly is there. Thiago Alves stands to have an amazing 2011 if he lives up to all of his promises. But anything is possible in MMA. I know most fans, including myself, use that term when talking about seemingly-unbeatable champions. But make no mistake, the reverse is also true. Thiago Alves could be back and better than ever in 2011… but he could also take a wrong step on the comeback trail and end up falling down a chasm.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Like me, are you hesitant to fully believe Alves’ promise that he’s “back”? Or do you think that his admittedly great performance at UFC 124 is enough to justify what he said in this recent interview?

Next for Thiago Alves: It’s going to take one more fight for everyone to stop hounding him about going to Middleweight. I think it’s great that he came in at weight and put on a classic performance, but this was simply the first step in a process. I still think Thiago Alves could make Middleweight with his eyes closed, so I’d like one more great performance before I can firmly call his new weight-cutting regiment a success. As it stands, though, I’m more than willing to admit that we may just have witnessed the start of an epic comeback.

Next for Jim Miller: With this big win, Miller has taken a firm, large step into title contention. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the UFC made a fight between Jim Miller and George Sotiropoulos to determine the next man in line to challenge for the UFC Lightweight Championship after the winner of Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard and the winner of Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis fight. If not Sotiropoulos, perhaps Kenny Florian. Either way, look for Miller’s next fight to be a high-profile one.

Next for Charles Oliveira: Charles made the classic mistake of being too overconfident in the area of the game he thought he was best at. As 2010 has proven in abundance, no one is unbeatable and your greatest strength could end up being your biggest weakness against the right opponent. I think this loss will be a great thing for Oliveira, it’s going to motivate him considerably and we’re going to see a much better Charles Oliveira the next time he steps into the Octagon. He may not be the next young gun to skyrocket to the top, but his future is still quite bright.

Next for Stefan Struve: Let’s see if the third time really is the charm: I think Struve is ready for another top-division UFC Heavyweight. Perhaps he could face the down-on-his-luck Cheick Kongo in a Heavyweight tilt that would either help re-establish Kongo’s relevance or prove that Struve can hang against the upper-division talent. Even if it’s not Kongo or a top-division fighter, look for the UFC to show a renewed focus on Struve, since it was a gamble putting him in the main event and he responded by putting on a great performance and pounding his opponent’s face in.

Next for Josh Koscheck: It’s tough to say, really. How does any fighter come back from that kind of outclassing? Some are never able to get over it, but others, BJ Penn for example, respond by KO’ing their opponent in under half a minute in their next fight. Despite what anyone else says, I honestly think it’s simply too soon to say whether or not Koscheck will rise from the ashes or whether this defeat will haunt him for the rest of his career.

Next for Georges St. Pierre: Jake Shields, of course. In Shields, GSP faces a great grappler and a decent striker. Shields is a force to be reckoned with on the ground, and he’s shown an uncanny ability to get someone to the ground and beat them on the ground no matter how good their takedown defense is or how good of a wrestler they are. However, based on the performance he gave last night, I just don’t see Jake Shields beating Georges St. Pierre. It’ll be another amazing performance turned in by one of the best Welterweights of all time, and after that I think GSP’s heavily-hyped move up to Middleweight will finally happen.

So those are my predictions, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of UFC 124?

Georges St. Pierre defeats Josh Koscheck via Unanimous Decision to retain the UFC Welterweight Championship. Stefan Struve defeats Sean McCorkle via TKO (Strikes) at 3:55 of Round 1. Mac Danzig defeats Joe Stevenson via KO (Strikes) at 1:54 of Round 1. Thiago Alves defeats John Howard via Unanimous Decision. Jim Miller defeats Charles Oliveira via Submission (Kneebar) at 1:50 of Round 1. Dan Miller defeats Joe Doerksen via Split Decision. Mark Bocek defeats Dustin Hazelett via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:33 of Round 1. Sean Pierson defeats Matt Riddle via Unanimous Decision. John Makdessi defeats Pat Audinwood via Unanimous Decision. Jesse Bongfeldt and Rafael Natal Ends in a Majority Draw. Ricardo Almeida defeats T.J. Grant via Unanimous Decision.

From the very beginning, this fight was loaded with quality. Thiago Alves vs. John Howard was an excellent match, and proved once and for all that Thiago Alves is far from done as a premiere-level Welterweight. It seems as if Alves has finally put all the pieces back together after dealing with weight issues for his last several fights, as his performance against Howard mirrored his epic 2008 run that saw him dismantle Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisyan, and Matt Hughes. Not only did Alves ensure that his spot as a Welterweight is secure, he also gave his career the shot in the arm it so badly needed ever since losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100 back in July 2009.

I never bought into Mac Danzig’s hype, not for one second… but maybe I should have. I really can’t say anything negative about the man, he saw an opportunity, timed it picture-perfectly, and scored an amazing knockout. Danzig’s career was in need of a good shot in the arm even moreso than Thiago Alves’, and Danzig also managed to deliver. Not only did Danzig keep himself gainfully employed, he also put his career back on the upswing for the first time in what feels like forever.

I was really impressed by the performances of both Jim Miller and Stefan Struve, who both won after pulling off epic counter-moves. It was literally a pair of “blink and you’ll miss it” moments: one second it looks like Oliveira is going to lock something in, the next it’s “Do Bronx” that ends up tapping out. One second I think Struve’s chances are looking bad, the next he’s in mount and pounding McCorkle’s face into mush. I think Jim Miller took a huge step “into the mix” with this win, while I think Stefan Struve may have proven that he’s once again ready to test the waters as a top-division athlete.

In regards to Josh Koscheck being utterly dismantled… I guess it’s once again time to sit myself down and enjoy what seems to be my favorite dish: a nice big serving of humble pie. But you can hold the sour grapes: no excuses, no regrets, GSP was GSP and once again proved why he’s one of the best of all time. I suppose this is what I get for picking against Georges St. Pierre. Make no mistake, fans and friends… that’s definitely not happening again. So I hereby throw myself at the mercy of the GSP bandwagon and humbly request to be reinstated amongst its ranks. Because no one is beating Georges St. Pierre. Not for a long, long, long… long time.

So that’s it, fans and friends. UFC 124 is now a thing of the past. And what about you? How do you feel about the card?

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard: This all depends on which Thiago Alves shows up… which is a problem that’s led to a lot of Thiago’s losses lately. If you believe the interviews, Alves has finally fixed his weight-cutting problems and should show up at UFC 124 as the same monster that famously knocked off Matt Hughes. John Howard is no slouch, though, despite his recent loss. If Alves lives up to his promises, he’ll KO Howard in the first or second round. If we see the same Alves that was downright embarrassed by Georges St. Pierre or Jon Fitch, Howard will take a close but ultimately Unanimous Decision.

Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig: I’ve never seen the appeal in Mac Danzig. Despite winning the sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Danzig is 3-4 in the promotion and 1-4 in his last five fights. Danzig simply can’t compete against high-level competition, and I still think Joe “Daddy” Stevenson hovers around top-competitor status. Look for Stevenson to lock in his famed Guillotine Choke and get the submission in the first round.

Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira: I enjoy seeing Jim Miller and his brother Dan Miller compete, but I think Jim has finally met his match in the form of Oliveira. Oliveira has been a man possessed since… well, since he’s never been beaten, I guess he’s always been a man possessed. To his credit, Jim Miller has only lost twice and is on a great five-fight win-streak. I’m picking Charles Oliveira via Split Decision in a match that has strong “Fight of the Night” potential, maybe even “Fight of the Year” if it exceeds my expectations.

Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle: This is a huge fight for both fighters, so I think they’ll bring their best and look to finish their opponent the second the first bell rings. In the UFC, Struve has only lost to Roy Nelson and Junior dos Santos. Clearly, it takes a top-division fighter to put “Skyscraper” away. While I think Sean McCorkle could get to that point in the future, ultimately I don’t think he’s at that point in the here and now. It’ll be a good fight, but I think Struve picks up the submission in Round 2.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck: I can admit that a large portion of my brain is screaming at me to pick GSP. He’s the favorite by far. But come now, fans and friends. What fun would that be? Josh Koscheck has improved tremendously since his first fight with GSP, he’s been training like an animal over at the American Kickboxing Academy, he’s got an incredible amount of trash-talk to live up to and I know he wants to live up to all of it and more. Against my better judgment, I’m going against the grain here because I think Koscheck has it in him to pull off the upset. Call it intuition, hope, faith, whatever. I had the same feeling deep down in my gut the second I saw Fabricio Werdum walk down to the cage to fight Fedor Emelianenko. Josh Koscheck wins by TKO in Round 4.

So, those are my picks fans and friends. Now it’s your turn: who’ve you got for UFC 124, and why?

The Event: UFC 124: “St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2”, airing live on Pay-Per-View December 11, 2010 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Why You Should Care: The main event is one of the biggest rematches of the last several years. Not only do these two have an incredibly heated rivalry, they’re two of the finest athletes the UFC has to offer. Georges St. Pierre defends his UFC Welterweight Championship for an amazing fifth time since winning the belt in April 2008. Standing in his way is the resurgent Josh Koscheck, who is on a three-fight win-streak, hasn’t lost in over a year, and has finally realized his potential as a top-division athlete after fighting his way up the rankings for years.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Constant, blistering action. Georges St. Pierre will look to push the pace and dominate Koscheck, both to prove that he’s still the best and to get revenge on Koscheck after more or less sitting on the sidelines while Koscheck talked ridiculous amounts of trash. Koscheck will push the pace because he knows how big this opportunity is and he sincerely believes that GSP has had no chin ever since Matt Serra TKO’d him. Plus, both men have stated multiple times in multiple interviews that they’re going to finish this fight.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Although nothing has been officially confirmed and all the hype is behind the big main event, the co-main event looks to be either Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve or Thiago Alves vs. John Howard. Both fights have a lot of potential and should be quite enjoyable if you’re a fan of wild brawls and big knockouts. All four men are known for their entertaining performances, and all four men are finishers. No matter what the main event ends up being, there’s a strong probability that one of the guys involved in it will be face-down on the mat and riding into the land of dreams before the night is over.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The atmosphere will be electric. Canadian cards always are, but when you add Canada’s own GSP to the mix, you get a crowd that’s at a fevered pitch from the second the first bell of the first fight rings. The main event in particular should garner an amazing reaction. Besides that, several of the fights have plenty of potential and a lot of them look quite nice on paper.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I hate to say it, but this card strikes me as a one-trick pony. It’s a great trick, it’s GSP/Koscheck 2, but other than that, the card doesn’t contain a whole lot of the UFC’s best and brightest. Aside from fighters like GSP, Koscheck, Thiago Alves, and Joe Stevenson, not a lot of the main card UFC 124 fighters have been involved in any high-profile match-ups.

Closing Thoughts: UFC 124 mixes a great main event with a fantastic atmosphere and a good (but not great) undercard in order to make an event that I think is well worth watching. The UFC traditionally ends the year with a bang, and I think this card will do just that. It may not be the best card of the year, but the main event certainly has Fight of the Year potential. While GSP/Koscheck 2 may be the only sure-fire must-see fight, the entire PPV card is loaded with potential. I’ll be more than happy to give this show a watch.

But what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about this card?

Why an opponent suddenly stops showing the kind of cage explosiveness as Alves did against Hughes and before that in TKO wins over Karo Parisyan and Chris Lytle is hard to define.  Here are a few theories.

1.  The loss to Georges St. Pierre.

Alves lost to St. Pierre decisively as GSP took Alves down at will and laid out the blueprint for how to defeat him.  Alves entered that fight on a high and sounded confident his stand-up would offset GSP’s overall skill set.  Alves was dominated and this fight showed the welterweight division he was far from a vicious beast when on his back.

2. The brain injury.

Alves was originally slated to face Jon Fitch at UFC 111 in New Jersey but was scratched from the card when a pre-fight physical showed an arteriovenous malformation in the brain.

This condition was not life threatening and was corrected via surgery.  No one knows for sure if or how such an injury can impact a fighter’s sense of self control and aggressiveness, even if only from a psychological standpoint.  Can such an injury affect his self confidence and sense of aggressiveness, even if only subconsciously?

3. Weight!

Against Matt Hughes and again vs. Jon Fitch most recently, Alves failed to make the 170lb weight limit for welterweights.  What is going on?  It is well documented that Alves often “walks around” at 190lbs between fights, if not more.  And he has been known to arrive to fight week 12-15 pounds over the 170lb limit.  Now, some fighters are highly skilled at cutting weight and can do this.  Alves has proven not have this skill.  Being a “big” welterweight seemed to help him earlier in his career.  But, if Alves can’t make weight or the cut is sapping his energy – he must move up to 185.  I think there is value in not having to cut weight and living closer to one’s fight weight.  Frankie Edgar may be carving a new path and showing how being smaller in a weight class can be more useful and provides great stamina and thus ability to employ a variety of tactics.

So, what will we see on Saturday night against John Howard?  I think Alves may be in luck.  UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has served up a brawler who has preferred to bang, of late, which may allow Alves to return to his native style of stand-up fighting and worry less about take down defense.  I will be watching how easily Alves makes weight, how aggressive he is early in the fight, and how he takes a clean blow from Howard – given his brain surgery.

If Alves can answer these questions, he will certainly be on the road back to his old form and the UFC will have another dangerous contender back in the mix.

Thoughts, fight fans?  Can Alves reclaim his former glory?

@john_moody

Since his inception into the UFC over 4 years ago, “The Pitbull” has done nothing but impress. However, his best days in the welterweight division appeared to be behind him when the American Top Team product dropped back-to-back decisions to current champion Georges St. Pierre and perennial contender Jon Fitch, respectively.

After successful brain surgery that removed an abnormality, Thiago appeared to have a new lease on life, however, the Brazilian admitted that between campaigning for his rematch with Fitch and the subsequent surgery that their were times where he doubted his longevity and desire to compete in the world of mixed martial arts anymore.

“I love my life, I love my job”, said Alves while speaking with the Fight Network recently.

“That’s one of the things that… I wasn’t so happy with everything that was going on in my life, I was like ‘what are you complaining about? It’s up to you to make what your made of’. I love this, I love everything.”

Alves will have the chance to prove that the sport hasn’t past him by, come December 11 at UFC 124, when he takes on a game John Howard in his return fight, since dropping the aforementioned decision to Jon Fitch in their rematch at UFC 117 last August. But what’s most important to Alves, more than a win, is to show his fans that he is still relevant, and give them a win that he feels they deserve after the years of support.

“I’m really happy, and on December 11th, I want to show all the fans how much I love this still and how much I want it back”, said the 27-year-old.

“A few months ago I wasn’t feeling good anymore. I had a lot of doubts in my head. Right now, I’m back on track and I just want to do this forever.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the reinvigorated Alves? How do you like his chances against Howard?
Sound off in the comment section below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While “The Pitbull” was quick to accept the challenge against Pierce, it looks like it was too little, too late.

Thiago is coming off to two consecutive losses against current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and most recently (UFC 117) opposite of nemesis, Jon Fitch. Both fights went the distance, and we’re largely controlled due to the aggressive wrestling styles of the two dynamic welterweights.

The Brazilian is expected to face John “Doomsday” Howard at UFC 124. The event is expected to take place at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Headlining the nights affairs, is none other than Canada’s golden boy, GSP defending his title against bad boy, Josh Koscheck. The fight will mark the cap-off to season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, which features the two 170-pounders coaching a new field of lightweights, in head to head competition.

Howard, who pulled together a 3-fight win streak in his first three tries inside the octagon, is coming off his first loss under the Zuffa banner, when he met fellow powerhouse Jake Ellenberger at “UFC Live on Versus 2″ on August 1–which resulted in Howard losing by unanimous decision.

The fight between Alves and Howard will likely be featured on the main card that night, and will certainly vault the winner back into contender status. A loss would be especially detrimental to the American Top Team trained Alves, who not only is coming off his first and only two-fight losing streak, but will also mark his return since failing to meet the required weight limit of 170-pounds in his fight against Fitch.

Alves came in just over the required weight limit of 171 (CSAC allows for a one pound allowance) at 171.5 and refused to cut any additional weight, and instead allowed 20% percent of his purse fined.

So, what do you think of this potential barn burner? Who takes it? And what does a win/loss do for both competitors? MMA peeps, let your opinions known below.

After knocking out Tyson Griffin in just over a minute in the first round of their lightweight affair, Gomi not only picked up an impressive win over a perennial contender, he picked up the “Knockout of the Night”, which added additional pleasure to his already impressive portfolio, as the former Pride Lightweight champion.

Here are the fighter payouts, initially reported by MMAJunkie.com, through the California State Athletic Commission. Gomi earned the event high.

The following is in bout order.

The total list of paydays include:

Jon Jones: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus)
def. Vladimir Matyushenko: $31,000

Yushin Okami: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus)
def. Mark Munoz: $22,000

Jake Ellenberger: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. John Howard: $15,000

Takanori Gomi: $80,000 ($40,000 win bonus)
def. Tyson Griffin: $30,000

Jacob Volkmann: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Kelly: $17,000

Matt Riddle: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. DaMarques Johnson: $10,000

Igor Pokrajac: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. James Irvin: $20,000

Brian Stann: $34,000 ($17,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Massenzio: $5,000

Charles Oliveira: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. Darren Elkins: $8000

Rob Kimmons: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus)
def. Steve Steinbeiss: $6,000

http://mmajunkie.com/news/20176/ufc-on-versus-2-fighter-salaries-takanori-gomi-earns-event-high-80k-payday.mma

Do any of the figures above shock you, or are they as expected? I personally though, Jon Jones would be receiving a bigger pay day by now, since Brandon Vera was at one point making a flat rate of $100,000, after 3 fights into his UFC career, though at the time, Vera can be likened to the phenom that is Jones.

The fight with Condit was the first indication that Ellenberger would show promise.

A noted striker, Condit took to the center of the cage early, and while the standup exchange remained even early, it took Jake all but one shot to plant Condit on his butt. Though he was in trouble early, and dropped on several more occasions in the first round, after being unable to be put away, Carlos stormed back and took the last two rounds, earning a very close split decision victory over Ellenberger.

A true veteran with a record of 23-5, Jake is also an assistant wrestling coach for the NCAA Division II National Champion University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks, and with his obvious work ethic has been able to notch up two back-to-back victories inside the octagon over formidable opponents.

Shortly after his fight with “The Natural Born Killer”, the 25-year-old Ellenberger returned to face Mike Pyle, who has squared up against a who’s who of MMA elite in his 10-plus years as a professional, including the likes of Jake Shields, Quinton Jackson, Dan Hornbuckle, and Jon Fitch to name a few.

While Pyle was supposed to present one of Jake’s toughest test to date, it didn’t quite go down as an all out war of exchanged techniques and memorable ground grappling…it went more like Ellenberger punching Mike in the face before the referee stepped in and waved off the bout, declaring Jake the winner, moving him 1-1 inside the UFC.

Last night, on “UFC Live on Versus 2″, in San Diego, Cali., Ellenberger looked every bit the hard-nosed wrestler he did against then-rising contender John Howard, who was on the heels of a three fight win streak.

A wrestler in his own right, Howard had no answer for the strong offense that Ellenberger presented, which consisted of heavy double leg takedowns, and coupled with short elbows and punches within guard.

Though Howard battled throughout, scoring on a few solid hooks on several occasions, Jake was eventually able to seal the deal in the third round, when it was determined by the doctor at ringside, that John was unable to continue after his left eye was completely swelled shut, after absorbing repeated elbows and punches.

Now, Jake, who moves 2-1 in the UFC and on a two-fight win streak, who would you like to see him paired up with next? And, additionally, is he ready to make an impact at 170?

UFC on Versus 2 – the mixed martial arts promotion’s second event to broadcast on Versus – will take place in Salt Lake City on August 1, according to MMA Weekly.

According a Monday Salt Lake Tribune report, the UFC has recently applied to the Utah Athletic Commission for a license to promote the event.

A welterweight matchup between Jake Ellenberger (22-4) and  “Doomsday” John Howard (14-4) has been reported for UFC on Versus 2 by MMA Diehards.

The UFC has not officially announced the withdrawal nor a potential replacement for Johnson.

Johnson has been the recent recipient of a lot of hype, but Fighters.com doesn’t buy-in yet.

Johnson is a physically imposing welterweight with a solid 6’2″ frame and 78-inch reach.  But, in two of his eight UFC fights he’s been unable to take his body under 175 pounds, nowhere close to the 171-pound welterweight limit.

His most impressive victory was his first-round knockout of then-ranked Japanese welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4).  But, that was one of the fights Johnson weighed-in five pounds overweight.

Many will argue that the weight advantage isn’t significant to the outcome of the fight.  Fighters.com argues that the process of dieting and dehydration his opponent experienced to make weight is significant, and Johnson evidently didn’t endure that process to the extreme Yoshida did.

And, if making weight isn’t a big deal, then Johnson should be able to do it more than 75% of the time.

Even more telling of Johnson’s true place in the division was his second-round rear naked choke submission loss to seventh-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4) after Johnson successfully made weight.  That was Johnson’s first significant test.

Johnson also succombed to a rear naked choke to natural lightweight “No Love” Rich Clementi (36-15-1) at UFC 76 in Anaheim in 2007.

Like three other Johnson opponents, Clementi is no longer in the UFC.  And, a fifth, Kevin Burns (7-4), is on a three-fight losing streak.

Indeed, his knockout of Yoshida is Johnson’s only significant victory, and he was overweight by five pounds.

And, this matchup versus Howard marks the second time Johnson has had to withdraw from a UFC matchup with an injured knee.

Johnson certainly has potential, but Fighters.com thinks the hype has got way ahead of Johnson’s actual accomplishments.

Also confirmed is a previously reported welterweight fight between “Superman” Dennis Hallman (41-12-1) and “Doomsday” John Howard (12-3) and a lightweight matchup between Mark Bocek (7-2) and Matt Veach (8-0).

Fighters.com broke the news of the UFC’s signing of Wallace and followed him as he prepared for Vendetta FC’s eight-man tournament and eventual victory in Aruba September 5 when he tapped out “Juggernaut” Antwain Britt (11-3) in an armbar in the tournament’s finale after disposing of Gregory Milliard (1-2) by decision in the first round and Team Quest’s Aaron Stark (9-5) by decision in the semi-final.

Former WEC champion Stann won a unanimous decision over “Robot” Steve Cantwell (7-2) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City September 16 in the third iteration of a trilogy that began in the WEC in 2007.

Hallman returns to the Octagon four years after losing a UD to “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (16-7) at UFC 55 in Uncasville. He tapped Justin Davis (11-10) in a rear naked choke in just 27 seconds at Strikeforce Challengers in Seattle 19 June.

Howard won a split decision over “Barncat” Tamdan McCrory (11-3) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia 8 August, his second Octagon win in as many outings.

Heavyweight “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-1) is all but confirmed to make his UFC debut at the event, but his opponent remains a mystery.

The two finalists from the current season of SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter 10 will also fight for a six-figure UFC contract.

Hallman returns to the Octagon four years after losing a UD to “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (16-7) at UFC 55 in Uncasville. He tapped Justin Davis (11-10) in a rear naked choke in just 27 seconds at Strikeforce Challengers in Seattle 19 June.

Howard won a split decision over “Barncat” Tamdan McCrory (11-3) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia 8 August, his second Octagon win in as many outings.

“Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (14 -7) upset recent UFC middleweight title challenger Thales Leites (14-3) in a three-round split decision, rendering Leites with consecutive disappointing losses.

And, “Doomsday” John Howard (12-3) won a three-round split decision over “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (11-3), Howard’s second SD in the Octagon with no losses.

Matt Riddle (3-0) won a three-round UD over his The Ultimate Fighter 7 housemate Dan Cramer (3-1).

Lightweight George Sotiropoulos (10-2) tapped George Roop (9-3) in a Kimura at 1:59 of round two.

The cageside medic waved the white flag at 3:37 of round three to end the first fight of the night in favor of welterweight “Ox” Jesse Lennox (14-1) by TKO over “Indio” Danillo Villefort (7-3) due to a cut.

Aaron Riley (27-11-1) won a grueling unanimous decision over “Sugar” Shane Nelson (11-3) by scores of 30-27 three times.

The fight card from Philadelphia includes:

“Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-5-1) v “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-3) for the UFC lightweight strap

Fighters.com’s third-ranked light heavyweight Forrest Griffin (16-5) v UFC middleweight champ ““Spider” Anderson Silva (24-4) in 205-pound matchup

The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-0) v John Hendricks (5-0)

“Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (10-3) v The Ultimate Fighter 3 champ “Spyder” Kendall Grove (10-5)

“Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (14-4) v “Dentist” Josh Neer (25-7-1)

Aaron Riley (27-11-1) v Shane Nelson (11-3)

“Doomsday” John Howard (11-3) v “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (11-2)

Thales Leites (14-2) v “Legionarius” Alessio Sakara (13-7)

Dan Cramer (3-0) v Matt Riddle (2-0)

George Sotiropoulos (9-2) v George Roop (9-2)

“Indio” Danillo Villefort (7-2) v “Ox” Jesse Lennox (13-1)

“Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-9-1) defended his IFL lightweight title in a five-round unanimous decision “W” over tough Lithuanian Deividas Taurosevicius (9-3).

Middleweight Dan Miller (8-1) blew through IFL Middleweight Champion Ryan McGivern (12-6).  At 3:36 of round one, Miller sucked up McGivern’s right leg in a kneebar to tap the champ and take his strap.

On the undercard at the Mohegan Sun, “Indio” Danillo Villefort (7-2) tapped middleweight Mike Massenzio in a kneebar at 3:25 of round one.

Jorge Gurgel-trained lightweight “Pitbull” Josh Souder (7-2) dispatched Zac George (12-3) by TKO in 47 seconds.

Middleweight “Suave” Matt Horwich (23-10) won a unanimous decision over “Coyote” Joey Guel (13-6).

Welterweight “Doomsday” John Howard (9-3) TKO’d Nick Calandrino (4-1) at 2:24 of round three.

Light heavyweight Aaron Stark (6-4) won a unanimous decision over “Philly Bad Ass” Lamont Lister (4-4), fresh off his win at YAMMA Pit Fighting.

Lightweight John Franchi (4-0) remained undefeated tapping Frank Latina (4-2) in a rear naked choke at 2:19 of round one.