We head first to MMAFighting for confirmation that UFC 136 will feature Grispi/Grice and Herman/Russow.

Up next is a report at MMA Weekly that states that UFC 136 will also host an encounter between Demian Maia and Jorge Santiago.

Dave Herman recently made his UFC debut against Jon Olav Einemo at UFC 131. Herman was a late replacement for Shane Carwin, who was Einemo’s original opponent. After enduring some heavy shots, Herman would end up rallying and TKO’ing his opponent in a “Fight of the Night” performance.

Mike Russow is currently 14-1 and riding high on a three-fight win-streak inside the Octagon. Russow’s biggest moment came when he KO’d Todd Duffee in an incredible third-round comeback that won him “Knockout of the Night”. Most recently, Russow earned a doctor stoppage win over John Madsen.

Once regarded as the last great threat to current UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo, former WEC veteran Josh Grispi has yet to taste victory inside of the Octagon. Grispi entered the UFC 14-1 and with a flawless 4-0 record in the WEC, but has lost back-to-back fights in the UFC.

Matt Grice, meanwhile, is fighting in the UFC for the second time after getting released in 2009 after going 1-3 inside the Octagon. Grice earned another shot inside the Octagon by chaining together four straight wins outside of it, with three stoppages. However, Grice lost his recent UFC re-debut by first-round TKO.

When he first debuted inside the Octagon and started submitting people left and right, Demian Maia was hyped as a Royce Gracie for the modern generation. After his initial run of submission wins, Maia would go 3-3 in his next six, with deflating losses to Anderson Silva and Nate Marquardt. Most recently, Maia lost a Unanimous Decision to Mark Munoz. Maia’s recent fights have seen him display improving stand-up, which is likely why he’s still able to win some fights even though he hasn’t submitted anybody in two years.

At UFC 130, Jorge Santiago re-entered the UFC with a considerable amount of hype after going on a great run in Japan. Santiago was immediately matched up against Brian Stann, and unfortunately for Santiago, Stann would put on a striking clinic before TKO’ing Santiago in Round 2.

Although these fights will probably take place near the start of the show or even on the undercard, I like them. I think this is more smart booking by the UFC, and if you take an “it is what it is” outlook on these fights, they should be pretty enjoyable. Yes, they’re not the best fighters, but they should be entertaining fights nonetheless.

I’m interested to see what Dave Herman does now that he’s got some hype around him. I’m also interested to see if Mike Russow can continue to try and emerge out of the shadow of his KO win over Duffee.

I think it’s “do or die” time for Josh Grispi, and that if he doesn’t win this fight he’s definitely going to be cut. I think you could make an argument for cutting Grice if he loses this fight as well.

Santiago/Maia has a lot on the line too. I really think this is Maia’s last chance to get back some of that hype he had way back when, because if he doesn’t win this fight he’s probably going to fade off into the background and never return to the spotlight. Santiago needs a win badly too, since he came into the UFC with so much hype.

Overall, UFC 136 looks to be an amazing event. And it gets even better with Part 2.

When Jorge Santiago entered the UFC for the first time back in 2006, he entered with a passable record of 11-5. Santiago made a big splash in his UFC debut, winning by first-round KO. Unfortunately, he would then lose back-to-back fights, getting KO’d two straight times. It’s not like a nobody beat him, though: Santiago’s two losses were to Chris Leben and Alan Belcher. Still, the UFC saw fit to release Santiago.

From then on, Santiago fought like a man possessed and underwent a major career revival. He would go on to win nine straight fights, all of which came by knockout or submission, almost half of which occurred in the very first round. Santiago achieved some pretty notable victories in that time, including winning Strikeforce’s one-night-only Middleweight Grand Prix, wining Japanese promotion Sengoku’s 2008 Middleweight Grand Prix, and winning the Sengoku Middleweight Championship. Santiago finally lost to Mamed Khalidov in a non-title fight in November 2009, but immediately rematched him (this time with the title on the line) and beat him. Santiago’s last fight in Sengoku was an awesome five-round war against Kazuo Misaki that ended with an unbelievable fifth-round finish. The fight took home several “Fight of the Year” awards.

Santiago’s opponent, Brian Stann, is a decorated war veteran that has turned himself into a robust, complete, and highly dangerous Mixed Martial Artist. A Captain in the Marine Corps, Stann is a recipient of the rare Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest award for valor in combat. Stann began training to fight professionally and later fighting professionally while still on active duty, using accumulated leave to hone his skills.

Stann made a big name for himself in the WEC, winning five straight fights and the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship in the process. He would then go on to lose his next fight and the championship before the WEC folded its higher-weight divisions into the UFC. Stann would also lose his UFC debut, but he quickly rebounded with back-to-back decision wins. Stann’s next opponent was Phil Davis, who defeated him via unanimous decision. After a hit-and-miss career as a UFC Light Heavyweight, Stann dropped to Middleweight and has experienced an immediate revival of his career. Currently, Stann has won back-to-back fights with back-to-back stoppages. His most-recent fight was an excellent first-round TKO’ing of Chris Leben, who is famous for his near-impenetrable chin.

I think this is going to be a great fight between two very-skilled competitors. Both men have been (T)KO’d before, and that’s exactly how I think this fight will end. Unfortunately for Jorge Santiago, Brian Stann has the benefit of only being TKO’d once. Santiago has been (T)KO’d five times, and if Stann’s striking in the fight with Leben is any indication, Santiago’s chin won’t be able to hold up against good, clean, repeated strikes.

And that’s it for the first fight of the UFC 130 Pay-Per-View card, fans and friends. Stay tuned as I continue “A Closer Look At UFC 130”.

After a brief stint with the promotion where he went 1-2, with consecutive knockout losses to hard hitters Chris Leben and Alan Belcher, respectively, he has since gone 11-1 since his exit and things are only looking up.

During this stretch, Santiago has posted two wins over Japanese legend and perennial top-10 fighter Kazuo Misaki, he avenged his only loss in the 12-fight stint by dominating Mamed Khalidov in their rematch and has since become the Sengoku middleweight champion.

Now that he has re-signed with the UFC earlier this year, things began looking up for the Brazilian, however after an abrupt split from his previous home of American Top Team, many have wondered where Santiago lies mentally, but he insists that he is better than ever.

Just some weeks ago, Santiago, “JZ” Cavalcante and the Villefort brothers all exited the ATT school which has housed the talents since the early stages of their careers. While nothing has been said specifically by either parties, speculation has run rampant that the reason for the exit was due to managerial disagreements.

“I don’t have much to say about it, I’m not feeling like talking about it, but that’s truth, we left to prepare our own trainings”, said Santiago who spoke with TATAME.com on the matter.

“We believe it’s best for our careers. Everybody has a way to handle a gym, and we thought it was best for us to leave the gym and train with each other that things will be best for us.”

As ATT has emerged as one of the leading schools in the country, they have invited many more fighters to their roster, which to most have become a big burden in the main training center of Coconut Creek, Florida. Aside from these four, former EliteXC heavyweight champion Antonio Silva, and UFC vets Marcus Aurelio and Luiz Cane have all since made their exits as well.

However, despite the loss of the ATT facility, Santiago has headed a new camp with some of the “refugees” of the ATT team, and in preparing for his bout with Brian Stann at UFC 130 upon his return to the organization, he is in best of spirits, and says he is breathing new life into his mixed martial arts career.

“I’m feeling young. I’m starting it all over again, falling in love with the sport again, I’m happier to train, reminding how I began… You’ll see Jorge Santiago moving forwards, more aggressiveness, wanting to play the game harder. I’ll play my game as I do on the gym.”

Not only was Santiago one of the most sought after free agents, but he has long been considered one of the best in his class. Now, Jorge will have the chance to reassert those claims as he makes his reentry into the UFC come this May against budding contender Brian Stann.

But as the biggest phase of his career comes to a head, many will wonder if the recent split from American Top Team will effect him leading up to his new venture with the UFC. In fact, along with Santiago, notables such as “JZ” Cavalcante, Danillo and Yuri Villefort have also since left their stomping grounds of ATT.

While it has been widely unknown to the general public, officials of the famed ATT camp made a statement o the popular mixed martial arts forum, “The Underground“, where they directly addressed the issue:

“Just saw the thread about JZ, Jorge and the Villifort brothers leaving ATT and the questions that arose. To be clear, these four made the decision to leave ATT. They were not asked to leave. They requested a meeting with team management, advised that they wanted to train elsewhere, and requested that ATT release them from their agreements. We accommodated their request. Any rumors regarding them being kicked off of the team are untrue. We wish them the best of luck in the future.”

Rumors are floating that the cause of the split is due to managerial issues between said disgruntled fighter’s and ATT co-owner Dan Lambert. Nothing more has been speculated or discussed since.

All men have been staples in the ATT family for many years, namely Santiago and Cavalcante who would surely attribute most, if not all, of their success to the training camp, which is based out of Coconut Creek, Fla.

Jorge is currently preparing for his UFC return on May 28 as he is scheduled to be taking on the aforementioned Brian Stann in a middleweight affair, which will likely determine a new contender in the 185-pound title picture. It’s unclear whether or not Santiago has already begun his training camp, however the split from ATT will undoubtedly disrupt his normal routine.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Where do you think the men will go from here? Some may remember Danillo, who is both a WEC and UFC veteran. He recently picked up a decision win over perennial contender Joey Villasenor in a Shark Fights event late last year. Yuri Villefort is Danillo’s younger brother, who remains undefeated in his young mixed martial arts career, and remains a hot prospect in the welterweight class. “JZ”, of course, is a longtime top-10 fighter in the lightweight division who now competes under the Strikeforce banner, and is a former two-time K-1 Hero’s champion. Sound off in the comment section below.

The former Sengoku middleweight champion has since left the Japanese based promotion after beating all of the organization’s best 185-pounder’s, including two exciting title bouts with the legendary Kazuo Misaki, finishing off the perennial top-10 fighter in the fifth-round (first with a rear-naked choke and second with a TKO in the waning moments of the bout).

Since his exit from the UFC in 2006 following a 1-2 stint, Santiago has emerged as one of the best fighter’s in his weight class, and now the American Top Team product will have the chance to reassert himself as a possible title contender in the world’s largest organization as he will next be taking on budding contender Brian Stann this May.

Though the match-up has been rumored for some time now, UFC officials have recently made the bout official, which will be pitted for “UFC 130: Edgar vs. Maynard III” which takes place on May 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Stann is recently coming off of a dominating performance over perennial contender Chris Leben at UFC 125, dropping “The Crippler” three times inside of the first-round before the referee finally called a halt to the bout, declaring Brian the winner via TKO. The win pushed Stann to a perfect 2-0 since dropping down to the middleweight division.

During his absence from the UFC, Santiago has amassed a stellar 11-1 record, which included a one-night four-man tournament in Strikeforce, where Jorge knocked out UFC veterans Sean Salmon and Trevor Prangley inside of the first-round. He also holds a first-round submission win over former UFC title challenger Jeremy Horn. His lone loss, an upset TKO at the hands of middleweight prospect Mamed Khalidov, was later avenged when Santiago defeated Mamed with a dominating five-round decision in defense of his Sengoku 185-pound strap.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the middleweight bout? Who wins, and where does a victory place either man in the stacked weight-class? Sound off in the comment section below.

Current Sengoku middleweight champion, or former depending on the context, Jorge Santiago is now ufc bound.

The Brazilian mixed martia artist will be making his second-foray into the octagon following a leave in 2006, where after he has since become reognized as one of the best fighters in his weight class. Santiago will have the chance to reassert himself as one of the best in the UFC should he make an expected debut come this May against budding contender Brian Stann,

The American Top Team product had been expected to have signed with the UFC as early as last week, however Jorge insisted that he has not signed any paperwork as of yet that would indicate an immediate return to the cage. However, MMAWeekly.com has been able to confirm with sources close to the UFC that they have recieved Santiago’s signature on paper and expect the 185-pound dynamo to return to the octagon very shortly.

Jorge initially debuted within the promotion in 2006 with a knockout win over Justin Levens. However, a victim of his exciting style, Santiago was later on the recieving end of two consecutive knockout losses to notables Chris Leben and Alan Belcher which signaled his exit.

Since then, the ATT star has notched up victories over the likes of UFC veterans Jeremy Horn, Sean Salmon and Trevor Prangley–finishing all of them inside of the first-round. Next Jorge made his way to Japan where he captured the engoku middleweight title, defeating perennial top-10 superstar Kazuo Misaki in the tournmanet finals with a fifth-round rear-naked choke. He defended his title twice after avenging a loss to Mamed Khalidov and defeating Misaki once again, this time with a fifth-round TKO. Their rematch has been considered by many to be one of the greatest fights in MMA history, and was honored as such at the 2010 World MMA Awards hosted by Fighters Only.

Jorge, 30, is 11-1 since his release from the UFC in 06′, avenging the lone loss against Mamed.

Santigo has been rumored for sometime to be facing Brian Stann upon his return, which is anticipated for UFC 130 this May.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? How do you think Jorge will fair in his second outing with the promotion? Sound off in the comment section below.

The Brazilian rattled off an impressive 11-1 record his since release, having recorded some notable victories over the likes of Jeremy Horn, Trevor Prangley, and twice defeating Kazuo Misaki in exciting fashion–finishing all by either knockout or submission.

His lone defeat, an upset TKO loss to Mamed Khalidov, was later avenged when then Sengoku champion in Santiago put his belt up on the line, and deftly defeated the Armenian fighter by unanimous decision. Recently, several outlets have confirmed that Santiago is to make a return to the UFC later this year against budding contender Brian Stann, however such is not the case. Says who? Says Santiago himself.

BJ Penn MMA Insider recently caught up with the American Top Team product who denied the premature discussions of his immediate return to the UFC.

“I can’t confirm (the signing). The fact is I didn’t sign any papers. Their have been talks with everybody, but the fact is I didn’t sign anything. I can’t confirm–I have to go back home and talk to my manager”, said Santiago.

Stann was originally slated to face off against Wanderlei Silva at the May 28 event, which is dubbed UFC 130 which takes place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. However, recent rumors have also circulated that “The Axe Murderer” will be meeting with recent title challenger Vitor Belfort in a much anticipated rematch which dates back to their early days within the UFC.

Santiago has fought in the past for Strikeforce and could soon be courted with the organization, but only time will tell.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Where would you like to see Jorge go from here? Sound off in the comment section below.

We head to Heavy.com for the full scoop. According to their sources, the rumors of Wanderlei Silva simply refusing to fight Brian Stann are true. Silva’s continued refusal to accept the fight appears to be due to his own personal belief that he would have no choice but to assume the role of the “bad guy” if he were to fight Stann. Stann, a decorated military officer, is a recipient of the prestigious Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest medal of valor.

Taking Silva’s place is Jorge Santiago, who had been rumored to be making an impending return to the UFC for the last several days. Since leaving the UFC on the heels of back-to-back KO’s, Santiago was able to amass a nine-fight win-streak before losing to Mamed Khalidov in December 2009, and has won eleven of his last twelve bouts. All nine wins in that nine-fight win-streak were stoppages, four of them taking place in the first round of action. Santiago is also currently the Sengoku Middleweight Champion.

I think this is an interesting test for both men, and I look forward to this match-up. To be bluntly honest, though, I really wanted to see Stann take on Wanderlei Silva. It’s very unfortunate that Silva’s opinion couldn’t be changed, because I think that would have been an awesome brawl between two warriors that don’t have a single ounce of quit in them. But as he nears the end of his career, I can understand why Silva wants to go out with the fans on his side.

I think this fight between Santiago and Stann will eventually boil down to a classic “striker vs. grappler” encounter. Santiago has twelve wins by submission, and that’s a dangerous number even if you’ve only been submitted once before (Krzysztof Soszynski made Stann tap out back in April 2009). Meanwhile, Stann has seven wins by (T)KO, and that’s not good for Santiago since five of his eight losses have been by (T)KO.

Even though I think Jorge Santiago will be a great test for Stann and that this fight should be pretty entertaining, I’m going to go ahead and side with Stann early on and call for the early-round (T)KO. I just think that Stann is on too hot of a hotstreak right now, he just blasted through one of the toughest chins in the Middleweight division and he should be able to blast through someone who’s lost by (T)KO five times. Santiago may be a threat to Stann on the ground, but I think that Stann’s impressive power and his constantly-improving technique will result in him catching and then finishing Santiago before long.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on this impending encounter?

The Brazilian recently was questioned by MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani where he would go, since he was recently released from his contract with the Japanese based promotion, and Strikeforce and the UFC were among some of organization’s that he was considering.

Santiago has become a top-ranked middleweight star since his release from the UFC in December of 2006 following consecutive knockout defeats at the hands of former top contenders Chris Leben and Alan Belcher. The American Top Team product has since racked up some very impressive wins since his departure, including a first-round submission win over former UFC title challenger Jeremy Horn, knockout victories over UFC vets Sean Salmon and Trevor Prangley.

Most memorable however would be Santiago’s wars with Japanese legend and perennial top-10 fighter Kazuo Misaki. Both matches were contested for Sengoku’s middleweight title, and both were equally praised for their 25-minute back-and-forth action throughout, with neither man giving up an inch. In comeback fashion, Jorge twice finished Misaki in the fifth and final round of their title bouts, first with a rear-naked choke and second with a TKO win. Their final encounter was nominated for “Fight of the Year” at the World MMA Awards hosted by Fighters Only.

Jorge has gone 11-1 since his original departure from the UFC, with his lone loss coming at the hands of Mamed Khalidov via TKO, though he later avenged the loss in dominant fashion in defense of his Sengoku middleweight strap.

Santiago would be a great addition to the already stacked 185-pound division in the UFC, coupled with his extensive Muay Thai skills, Jorge is a talented Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, holding his own against some of the best fighters in his weight class.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new signing? ESPN originally reported the news, with Sherdog.com reaffirming the signing, including the May 28 date for Santiago’s return, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas for UFC 130. Sound off in the comment section below.

In fact, when Santiago was up and coming on the mixed martial arts circuit, and was revered for both his Muay-Thai and exceptional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills and was knocked out by Manny Gamburyan in a welterweight bout (Manny, who now fights in the featherweight division was most recently defeated by Jose Aldo at WEC 51).

So, to say that Santiago was on the cusp of greatness, is far from relevant. However, the ultra-talented American Top Team product can now call himself a top-10 middleweight in the world, who holds victories over notables Kazuo Misaki (twice), and former UFC competitors Jeremy Horn and Trevor Prangley.

What do you do when you’ve beat all the best competition that is available to you in Japan, where Jorge is crowned as the Sengoku middleweight champion… go to America and challenge your friend, of course!

“I challenge the middleweight champion here. He’s my friend, but ‘Jacare’, we have to fight, man”, said Santiago while speaking with the MiddleEasy crew, following the “Strikeforce: Diaz vs Noons II” event in San jose, Cali., just last weekend.

“I have the tournament belt, you have the middleweight belt, so let’s do it, man. Let’s make it official.”

The tournament belt that Santiago is referring to, if you don’t remember, is the 4-man one night tourney run in 2007, which featured the likes Sean Salmon, Falaniko Vitale and the aforementioned Prangley–whom Jorge met in the finals, finishing him with knees to the body for the TKO victory inside of the first round, claiming the tournament belt.

The tournament was to determine a number one contender for the 185-pound title, which was held by legend Frank Shamrock at the time. However, Santiago became impatient when it looked like Cung Le was to get the first crack at the belt, and jumped ship over to Japan to compete under the Sengoku banner, where he has recorded some of his most impressive wins to date.

Ronaldo Souza, meanwhile, has gone on to middleweight infamy, picking up the vacated middleweight title (which was relinquished by current UFC welterweight contender and former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields) with a unanimous decision victory over Tim Kennedy, last August. With the win, ‘Jacare’, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, extends his win streak to three in a row, and is now undefeated under the Strikeforce banner.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the potential match up? Who do you favor? Do you feel like other competitors should follow suit with Santiago, in being able to put friendship aside, if not for the title at least? Sound off in the comment section below.

The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States.

While some categories have changed, in order to be politically correct, must stay the same. Voting continues until November 26, where till then you can cast your votes online at All winners are determined by a fan vote, and ballots can be cast through Nov. 26 at www.worldmmaawards.com.

The full list, which was formatted by MMAJunkie.com, of finalists includes:

CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva
* Brock Lesnar
* Frankie Edgar
* Jose Aldo
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
* Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 116
* Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 14

KO OF THE YEAR

* Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki at WEC 45
* Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 113
* Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee at UFC 114
* Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR

* Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon at UFC 108
* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 118
* Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum”

BEST PROMOTION

* Bellator
* DREAM
* Strikeforce
* UFC
* WEC

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR

* Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder and CEO
* Dana White, UFC president
* Joe Silva, UFC VP of talent relations
* Michael Schiavello, HDNet broadcaster
* Scott Coker, Strikeforce founder and CEO

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Alistair Overeem
* Dan Hardy
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Shinya Aoki

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Charles Oliveira
* Evan Dunham
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Jon Jones

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
* Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii
* Miesha Tate
* Sarah Kaufman
* Zoila Frausto

COACH OF THE YEAR

* Cesar Gracie
* Firas Zahabi
* Greg Jackson
* Rafael Cordeiro
* Shawn Tompkins

GYM OF THE YEAR

* American Kickboxing Academy
* American Top Team
* Black House MMA
* Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting
* Wand Fight Team

RING GIRL OF THE YEAR

* Arianny Celeste
* Brittney Palmer
* Chandella Powell
* Natalie Skyy
* Rachelle Leah

BEST LIFESTYLE CLOTHING BRAND

* Affliction
* Fight Chix
* RVCA
* Silverstar
* TapouT

REFEREE OF THE YEAR

* “Big” John McCarthy
* Dan Miragliotta
* Herb Dean
* Josh Rosenthal
* Mario Yamasaki

MOST MEMORABLE RING ENTRANCE

* Anderson Silva
* Clay Guida
* Jason “Mayhem” Miller
* Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal
* Tom Lawlor

BEST TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT BRAND

* Everlast MMA
* Fairtex
* Hayabusa
* TapouT
* Venum

BEST TECHNICAL CLOTHING BRAND

* Bad Boy
* Hayabusa
* Jaco
* TapouT
* Venum

MEDIA SOURCE OF THE YEAR

* “Inside MMA” on HDNet
* MMAjunkie.com
* MMAWeekly.com
* MMAFighting.com
* Sherdog.com

MMA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

* Aaron “Tru” Teweles, Freelance
* Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/Versus.com
* Conner Cordova, MMAReligion.com
* Gareth A. Davies, Telegraph.com
* John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? Anyone you would have liked to seen in some of these categories? Who do you think will take home some of the honors of the night? Sound off in the comments section below.

He takes on all comers, never turns down an opponent, and always comes to fight. And while the former Pride Welterweight Grand Prix Champion has seen the brighter side of things just a few years ago and has recently fallen on back-to-back losses, he’s putting all on the line–and according to Misaki himself, it was his life that was at stake in his last fight with Sengoku Champion, Jorge Santiago.

The Sengoku contender entered his bout with Misaki with fierce determination. After succumbing to a disappointing and controversial knockout loss to K-1 veteran Melvin Manhoef before entering his bout with Santiago (for the second time), a Strikeforce tournament champion and reigning Sengoku middleweight champion, Misaki had all the incentive to go after his foe for another hard five rounds, or die trying.

While Misaki took the action to Santiago early, rocking him on several occasions in the opening rounds, Santiago’s resilience and relentlessness was no match for Kazuo, who prior to the bout had little-to-no training preparation due to a multitude of injuries. While Misaki was likely 3-4 rounds on the judges score cards, he was found in dire straits in the early goings of round five of the title clash. The American Top Team product was able to mount the Japanese fighter early after rocking him with a head kick, followed up with heavy doses of ground and pound etched in with some submission attempts.

With a little over twenty seconds left in the round, it looked like Misaki only needed to survive the last few seconds of the fight before walking away the victor. However, the fighter formerly known as the “Grabaka Hitman” found himself with his second consecutive loss once his corner men threw in the towel, much to the surprise of the fans and media alike.

While Misaki was not in the best of shape coming into the bout, you won’t hear any excuses from the beloved fighter.

“Standing in the ring in whatever condition I’m in is my way of life”, said the famed middleweight, during a press conference put together by the SRC exec’s in a promotional gym, where 8 days after the fight and after a short stint in the hospital post-Santiago. It was the first time Misaki spoke of the fight, since he was unable to attend the post-fight press conference to due to his injuries sustained.

“My full strength was no match for Santiago.”

Misaki, though is convinced his conerman saved his life from impending death, even if it was just 22 seconds left in the bout.

“He (the cornerman that threw in the towel) saved my life so I’m thankful”, said Misaki.

“I don’t think the injury was the cause for my defeat, I lost being in 100% condition at fight day. It’s possible that Santiago might have been injured as well, I lost because my best was insufficient, only mortifying thoughts remain now. I think I would’ve entered the ring even if I lost one of my legs, I’m a fighter who fights, not with technique, but with heart.”

While it was clearly his heart that was on display, it’s going to be a long and winding road for Misaki to reach top billing again. After losing for the second time to Santiago, and both times in the fifth round, you would think Kazuo may be deterred and otherwise disappointed with where he stands in his career.

“He (Jorge Santiago) has become the most important being in my life.”

“Once more, just once more I want the chance to fight Santiago…”

Well apparently, not.

Khalidov TKO’d Santiago at Sengoku Eleventh Battle in Tokyo November 7, but in a non-title fight, which is an oddity of Japanese MMA.

So, now they’ll reset and do it again, this time for the title.

Khalidov told Sherdog, “I believe that despite the quick result of the first match, this will be a top quality fight.  Thanks to Sengoku for this opportunity to show my skills in the Japanese ring again and to Santiago’s team for accepting the fight.”

Santiago of Brazil hasn’t fought since submitting “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (22-9-2) at Sengoku north of Tokyo January 4.

Khalidov of Poland debuted in the United States with a second-round TKO of brief The Ultimate Fighter 8 contestant Jason Guida (18-22) at ShoXC east of Chicago in October 2008.  Last May, Khalidov knocked out former PRIDE fighter Daniel Acacio (14-5) at KSW 11 in Warsaw.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Randleman lost a unanimous decision to “Iron” Mike Whitehead (24-6) at Strikeforce in St. Louis June 6.

Undefeated grappler Nedkoff TKO’d “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (57-12) at Ninth Battle in Tokyo May 2.

Also announced are former UFC heavyweight champion “Monster” Kevin Randleman (17-13), who now competes at 185 pounds, and former UFC lightweight Michihiro Omigawa (3-7).

No opponents were announced for any of the fighters.

A report Thursday claimed that Randleman could fight “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (4-0), but Fighters.com has not confirmed that report.

Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight Gomi will face Satoru Kitaoka (21-9-7), and ninth-ranked middleweight Misaki will face Jorge Santiago (18-7).  The first-ever WVR titles in both weight classes will be on the line.

Heavyweight Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1) is also on the card.

Gomi will fight for the belt despite losing his last fight versus Red Devil Sports Club’s Sergey Golyaev (8-5) 1 November at Sengoku 6 via split decision.

Kitaoka won the lightweight tournament at the same event by submitting sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) with a first-round heel hook, then defeating Kazunori Yokota (7-1-2) via unanimous decision.

Misaki last fought in September at Strikeforce versus “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10).  Riggs was felled via TKO in round two.

Santiago submitted Siyar Bahadurzada (9-3-1) via first-round heel hook and TKO’d  Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) in round three to win the middleweight tournament at Sengoku 6.

Yoshida submitted “Mo” Maurice Smith (13-13) by neck crank at Sengoku 3 in June.

As a child, Bahadurzada immigrated to the Netherlands from war-torn Afghanistan, but became stuck there without a passport as his fight career took off.  In July 2007, he was finally allowed to travel to Japan to fight (and beat) Shiko Yamashita (10-4-3) for the Shooto title.

Fighters.com: Can you describe the difference between your feelings when you first arrived in Holland after leaving Afghanistan, then when you first arrived in Japan to fight after being stuck in Holland?  Holland must’ve been both a place of refuge from war-torn Afghanistan, but then like a cage keeping you from furthering your fight career?

Siyar Bahadurzada: When I first came to Holland I felt like I was given a second chance.  I just went for it and kept trying to make something out of my life.  I learned to speak Dutch in almost six months.  I was [studying] very hard and, besides, not to forget, I’m pretty gifted in learning languages. I can speak several languages very well.

But, when I went to Japan, I felt different.  Coming to Holland was different because I was saved from the war; but, when I came to Japan, I felt like, “Now it is my time to shine.  My 15 minutes of fame is on!”  I feel invincible when I’m in Japan.  Somehow, the environment in Japan drives me to my limits, motivates me to take one step more and go for my dreams!

Anyways, I believe everything happens for a reason.  And, I believe now I am not 10% of what I’m going to be in the next five years.

Fighters.com: You were criticized for celebrating after Santos dislocated his elbow and explained that you were letting off frustrations from hardships before the fight.  Do you care if people accept your explanation or not?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes, I do care.  Because I am not what people think I am after seeing that fight.  It’s true.  I did not give a fuck about Cyborg in the ring while his elbow was hurt; but, would it help to run to him and keep telling him that you’re sorry for what happened and this and that while the only one he needs at that moment is a doctor to check on him?

Besides, after the fight I wanted to visit him in the dressing room; but, he was gone to the hospital.  When we went to the hotel, I wanted to visit him in his room.  He was still in the hospital.  Early the next morning, I wanted to visit him again.  I saw his corner men and expressed my sadness for what happened to him in the fight.

Later, when he came back from the hospital, I was in the lobby and met him.  I told him that I was sorry for what had happened and that he gets his rematch whenever he asks me to.  So, I handled the situation my way. Of course, it was not in front of the millions of fans; but, anyways, I did what I thought was right and stand behind my decisions!

People criticized me for what happened in the ring; but, as I said before, my right hand was broken twice and I had an elbow operation.  I did not even jog the last six months and then I got sick in Afghanistan, while I was visiting family for 3 weeks.  I took 4 kinds of antibiotics to heal. That even worsened my conditioning and to summarize it: I trained for ten days for the fight against Cyborg.  What people do not realize is that I took that fight against Cyborg because I knew I would beat him. W hy would I accept a fight like that if I did not believe in myself.  But anyways, there will be a rematch between us and now.  Even if Cyborg does not consider a rematch, which seems to me out of question,  I will insist on that rematch!  Because, I want to prove a lot of people wrong!  I am very much motivated for that rematch!

Fighters.com: Call out who you want to fight next in the Sengoku Middleweight Grand Prix and why?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Jorge Santiago!  Because, I think we will have a great fight.

Fighters.com: If you win the tournament, how can you beat “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (21-8-2) for the Sengoku middleweight title?  Why would the rematch be different than the original fight?

Siyar Bahadurzada: If I win the tournament?  I’d rather say: When I win the tournament, I will come after Misaki!  He is a good fighter; but, I learned a lot from my last fight against him and this time I will not make the same mistake again, that I can promise!  I will beat Misaki this time.  I know it.  He knows it!

Fighters.com: Another naturalized Dutchman, Gegard Mousasi (24-2-1), considers himself the top  middleweight mixed martial artist in Holland.  Is he the best Dutch middleweight?  Do you want to disagree with him?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Right now, he is the best middleweight in Holland, until proven wrong!  He is the DREAM Middleweight Champion and fought great!  He deserved the belt by beating the toughest guys in the tournament!  My compliments for his achievement!  He proved he is the best middleweight in Holland for now; but, I am on my way to become the Sengoku Middleweight Champion, then it’s up to the fans to decide who is the best middleweight in Holland.

Fighters.com: Because of your childhood with little opportunity in Afghanistan, you’ve said you intend to take advantage of every opportunity you have; but, has their been an opportunity you regret not taking full advantage of?

Siyar Bahadurzada: No. I pretty much fought for everything that I have got today.  I am very satisfied with my achievements in the sport, university, and business.  But, I am a perfectionist.  I want to be the best in everything that I’m involved in. So, watch me come up with surprises in the future!

Fighters.com: You told Sherdog in February that the UFC is “treating their fighters like shit.”  Can you give an example of how the UFC mistreats their fighters?

Siyar Bahadurzada: I do not want to go in details on that; but, look at the poster boys of UFC back in the days: Tito Ortiz and Randy “The Natural” [Couture]?  They deserved better than being treated like that!  But, that is my humble opinion.

Fighters.com: How often do you return to Afghanistan and how are you contributing to improving the situation in your nation of birth?

Siyar Bahadurzada: The last nine years I visited Afghanistan once.  I support Bayat Foundation.  It is an organization which helps needy people in Afghanistan.  Once I sent my entire fight purse to Afghanistan for the kids who were cold and did not have clothes and anything to eat.

Fighters.com: Do Afghans recognize you or recognize the sport of MMA?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes they do.  I’m their first champion in MMA ever.  They really respect me and treat me like a hero.

Fighters.com: During the time when you were only able to fight in the Netherlands, did you build a strong Dutch following?

Siyar Bahadurzada: Yes.  Lots of people come to my fights because I fight exciting fights! I can fight for 15 minutes and can also KO my opponent in an blink of an eye. I have KO’s and submissions skills.

The winner of the tournament will face Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) for the first-ever middleweight belt 4 January in Saitama at Sengoku 7.

Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) will face Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1), and Jorge Santiago (18-7) will face “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1).

The event already features a lightweight tournament to determine an opponent for Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) at Sengoku 7 for the title.

The bouts remaining in the lightweight tournament are Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) versus sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) versus Mizuto Hirota (10-2).

WVR also announced that Fighters.com’s Fighter of the Month “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (1-0) will fight, although an opponent has not yet been determined.

“GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) versus Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) is also official.

Joe Doerksen (40-12) revealed through MySpace Tuesday that he has agreed to fight Izuru Takeuchi (25-9-6).

Lawal won his MMA debut in September, TKO’ing the more experienced “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-12) in the first round.

Masvidal defeated “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) with a first-round TKO at the same event.

Bang lost his last fight via unanimous decision to Gomi in August.

UFC veteran Doerksen won a split decision over John Meyer (5-3) in August.

Shooto and Pancrase veteran Takeuchi won his last fight with a heel hook submission over Junior Santos (0-1) in June.

Lawal staggered Wiuff with a right Superman punch, then rushed in with a double-leg takedown at the ropes.  Lawal leapt on Wiuff and finished him off with ground’n’pound.

Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion “Xande” Alexandre Ribeiro (1-0) TKO’d Takashi Sugiura (1-3) in the last minute of his anticipated MMA debut.

Showing his fatigue in round three, Ribeiro nevertheless made a final attempt to finish the fight, landing several heavy punches and knees that forced the stoppage at 4:18.

Sengoku’s Middleweight Grand Prix got underway with four quarterfinal fights.

Chute Boxe member “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos’s (16-12) bout against “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1) ended in injury after just 22 seconds.

Bahadurzada had double underhooks on Santos as the middleweights battled for position.  Bahadurzada tripped Santos, whose left elbow snapped when he landed, prompting an immediate stoppage.

UFC and WEC veteran “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark had a good first round on his feet, but American Top Team’s Jorge Santiago (18-7) caught him with an arm triangle at 3:35 of round two.

PRIDE veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8), in his debut as a middleweight, won an easy unanimous decision over Manchester’s Paul Cahoon (10-12).

Grabaka fighter Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1) submitted PRIDE and Pancrase veteran Yuki Kondo (49-23-6) via rear naked choke at 1:08 of round two, after an uneventful first round.

In a non-tournament bout, American Top Team member “GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) TKO’d former IFL Lightweight Champion “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) with ground’n’pound at 1:57 of round one, first dropping him with a flying knee.

Kiuma Kunioku (34-22-9) earned a unanimous decision victory over A Sol Kwon (5-4) in their lightweight match.

Paul Cahoon (10-11) will participate in the Middleweight Grand Prix versus Nakamura, as will “Pink Pounder” Logan Clark (11-2) versus Santiago.  Takashi Sugiura (1-2) will face Ribeiro in a light heavyweight match-up.

Cahoon is coming off a unanimous decision loss to “Machine” Ian Freeman (19-7-1), who took his light heavyweight belt, at Cage Rage in May.  It was his first loss in six fights.

Nakamura lost his last fight to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked light heavyweight “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) due to a leg injury, at UFC 84 in May.

Clark’s last fight was a unanimous decision loss to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) at Sengoku 3 in June.

Santiago won his last fight over Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) via armbar at Sengoku 2 in May.

Sugiura, a former PRIDE fighter, last fought in April 2006 when he was KO’d in round one by Ryuta Noji (7-3).

Ribeiro, a multiple-time BJJ world champion, will be making his MMA debut.

The first four competitors named for the tournament are Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8), “Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11), Jorge Santiago (17-7), and Siyar Bahadurzada (13-3-1).

Nakamura, a PRIDE veteran, fought most recently in the UFC.  He was 0-2 in the organization, falling to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked light heavyweight “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) with a leg injury in May.

Nakamura will make his debut as a middleweight at the upcoming event.

Santos, from the Chute Boxe, Academy, won his last fight by submitting Makoto Takimoto (4-4) with an Achilles lock at Sengoku 1 in March.

American Top Team member Santiago won his last five fights, most recently submitting Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) via armbar at Sengoku 2 in May.

Shooto Light Heavyweight Champion Bahadurzada lost his Sengoku debut in March, tapping to Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2)’s guillotine.

Heavyweight “Monster” Kevin Randleman (17-12) also pulled out a UD over Pancrase star Ryo Kawamura (8-3-2).  The decision was considered controversial.

Monson and Randleman are scheduled to fight on a 24 June card in Charlotte.

Highly-touted Roger Gracie (2-0) remained undefeated after tapping MMA vet Yuki Kondo (48-22-6) in a rear naked choke at 2:40 of round one.

“Kiss” Yoshihiro Nakao (7-1) called out “Ironhead” Kazuyuki Fujita (15-6) after knocking out Kiwi “Big” Jim York (9-2) 46-seconds into round two.

American Top Team welterweight Jorge Santiago (17-7) fought off near-submissions before finding his own submission of Grabaka’s Yuki Sasaki (21-14-1) in a third-round armbar at 2:10.

Lighweight Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) took only 4:15 to sink a rear naked choke submission in on “Crazy” Kwang Hee Lee (5-1).

Xtreme Couture welterweight “Quicksand” Mike Pyle (16-5-1) locked in a triangle choke to tap “Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (15-2) at 4:52 of round one.

Welterweight Pancrase vet Satoru Kitaoka (20-8-9) submitted Aussie Ian James Schaffa (7-5-1) in a guillotine choke in just 50 seconds to begin the night.

Grabaka veteran Yuki Sasaki (21-13-1) will face American Top Team’s Jorge Santiago (16-7).

Sasaki, who’s made the international rounds from Shooto through Pancrase, DEEP, and even a unanimous decision loss to “The Boogeyman” Dean Lister (10-5) in the UFC, comes off a first round armbar submission of debuting South Korean Bo Guk So (0-1) in DEEP last July.

Santiago, who also had an unsuccessful stint in the UFC, last TKO’d Trevor Prangley (17-5) at Strikeforce last November.

After Adrenaline MMA announced “The Snowman” Jeff Monson (24-7) would headline its 14 June card in Chicago, the heavyweight has been removed from the 18 May Sengoku appearance list.

The list now includes “The Monster” Kevin Randleman (16-12), Roger Gracie (1-0), “Big” Jim York (9-1), and “Kiss” Yoshihiro Nakao (6-1), who recently bailed on an announced DREAM match with “Cro Cop” Mirko Filipovic (23-6-2).

Previously announced fights include:

Eiji Mitsuoka (12-5-1) v “Crazy” Kwang Hee Lee (5-0)
Satoru Kitaoka (19-8-9) v Ian James Schaffa (7-4-1)