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.

Josh Grispi will hope to make an impressive showing in his second outing with the UFC as he takes on “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran in George Roop, come this June.

Grispi was touted as a huge factor in the featherweight division following his assimilation into the organization after the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion was merged with the UFC. However, he showed little of the talent he displayed in the defunct organization when he was deftly defeated by the unheralded Dustin Poirier upon his octagon debut this past January. He will now have a second-chance to impress.

BostonHerald.com initially reported the match-up, which will take place on June 4 at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It is unclear at this time whether or not the featherweight affair will make the live Spike TV broadcast. On said card, lightweight’s Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida will be squaring off in the main-event of the evening.

Grispi was originally scheduled to face current titleholder Jose Aldo at UFC 125 in January, however the Brazilian bowed out of the bout due to injury, which could have been a blessing in disguise of Grispi who looked relatively gassed in the early goings of his bout with Dustin, which likely aided his uninspired decision defeat.

In his time spent with the WEC, Josh recorded victories over the likes of LC Davis, former UFC champ Jens Pulver, and a submission win over current title challenger Mark Hominick.

Meanwhile, Roop is coming off of a first-rounder against the aforementioned Hominick. George meet with the Canadian on January 22 at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex., where “The Machine” was able to deftly knock out the TUF vet inside of the first-round of their featherweight match. With the win, Mark earned the right to challenge Aldo for the 145-pound title this April.

A win here is pivotal for both men, who will likely be fighting for their jobs come this June.

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

In a new interview, Aldo recently stated the following (courtesy of Fighters Only): “I don’t like to stop and I am never satisfied. I always think on the future. I want to fight three times in 2011 and keep my featherweight belt, then to move up to 155lbs division and battle to be the [lightweight] champion in 2012.”

While some have criticized Aldo for pulling out of his planned fight with Josh Grispi, I still consider myself an unabashed fanboy of the man. Aldo is an incredibly humble, wildly diverse, utterly destructive champion, and I think his UFC debut should be one of the bigger events of 2011. As hard as it is to imagine, I honestly believe that the best is still yet to come when it comes to Jose Aldo.

If Aldo does make good on his promise to fight three times in 2011, and he wins all three bouts, I think he should definitely try to jump up in weight and become the first-ever UFC star to hold two UFC championships simultaneously. If anyone can do it, it’s Aldo. Many fight fans already believe that Josh Grispi is the last, great threat for Aldo at Featherweight, so if Aldo beats him and then beats two other Featherweight contenders, I think a Lightweight run would be a no-brainer.

In regards to what I think Aldo’s chances at Lightweight are, there are a lot of variables that go into that equation. Aldo is a perfect fit for Featherweight, but in a promotion famous for gargantuan weight cuts, there are some monster Lightweights in the UFC and Aldo would have to deal with a size disadvantage. Plus, anyone could be the UFC Lightweight Champion by the time 2012 rolls around.

I will say one thing, though: when it comes to Jose Aldo at Lightweight, there’s one fight in particular that I’d give anything to see. I honestly think that a fight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis would be so utterly amazing that it may end up going down as the greatest MMA fight of all time. I have that much respect for both men’s abilities, I’ve enjoyed watching both of them compete that much. I can’t even begin to imagine the kind of all-out insanity we’d see if Aldo tangled with Pettis.

In the here and now, though, Jose Aldo faces a very real threat in the super-talented Josh Grispi. It’s fun to look forward to 2012 even as 2011 barely gets underway, but a lot can happen in a year. Jose Aldo chasing down the UFC Lightweight Championship in 2012 is a great dream, and I think Aldo has all the tools necessary to realize that dream. But in the here and now, Aldo is set to debut in the UFC in the division that made him famous, battling a competitor that many perceive as a big threat and a great opponent. While I’d love to see Aldo fight at Lightweight, I think Aldo fans are in for an amazing year as he continues to dominate the Featherweight division.

5. Because despite all his problems, Phil Baroni still entertains. I personally dislike the man and even I can admit that he still knows how to put on entertaining fights. Love him or hate him, “The New York Badass” loves to strike and does his best to entertain. Phil Baroni is still good for a cheap thrill far more often than not, so his undercard fight at UFC 125 against Brad Tavares will more than likely warrant a watching.

4. The UFC debut of Antonio McKee. McKee is a showman through and through, and most recently compared himself to Muhammed Ali. It’s going to be very interesting to see if McKee can live up to his many (and believe me, I do mean many) verbal boasts. And McKee knows it’s a “do or die” situation whether he wants to admit it or not: he’s forty years old and a thirty-fight veteran, so there’s no time like the present.

3. The UFC re-debut of Mike Thomas Brown. Mike Brown has been in a prolonged struggle to right the ship ever since Jose Aldo famously finished him and took his WEC Featherweight Championship. At UFC 125, Brown looks to put together a two-fight win-streak over the 15-1 Diego Nunes. Like Brown, Nunes is a versatile fighter that’s comfortable in and can finish opponents in all areas of the game. Whoever wins this fight will take an important step forward and more than likely make the main card in their next fight.

2. To see Dustin Poirer either do the impossible against Josh Grispi… or get utterly annihilated by him. Either way, we’re in for a great fight. Dustin Poirer has the odds stacked against him considerably; many consider Josh Grispi the last, great test for Jose Aldo at Featherweight. If he wins, Poirer will explode onto the scene and immediately emerge as one of the UFC’s premiere Featherweights. Standing in his way is a man that’s almost as much of an engine of destruction as the champion he was originally scheduled to face. It’s going to end violently, most likely in the first round, and it should be an amazing fight no matter how long it lasts.

And my #1 reason to track down and watch the UFC 125 prelims/undercard is…

1. The Lightweight debut of Marcus Davis. You know what you’ll be getting when you see Marcus Davis step into the Octagon: a hard-hitting brawl that’s pure entertainment even if it’s lacking a lot in the finesse department. Against an opponent like Jeremy Stephens, Davis has all the tools necessary to make this an excellent war of attrition. Davis has stated that the drop down to Lightweight has given him a renewed sense of purpose and that he’s healthy both mentally and physically. At least on paper, this should be one of the best fights of the night.

So there you have it, fans and friends. What’s your take on UFC 125’s undercard?

In a new interview with the one and only Sherdog, Poirer recently said the following: “I’m more ready for this fight than I have been for any other fight in my life. Naturally I’m a little nervous, but I’m more anxious then anything… Either [the UFC] really thought I was up to the challenge or they think it’s going to be a tune up fight for Grispi, which is a horrible idea in my opinion. I’m a gamer, and I definitely won’t be an easy fight for anyone… He’s a finisher, and so am I… This is my destiny…”

For those unfamiliar with Grispi’s intended opponent, here’s some information on Dustin Poirer. Poirer is a relative newcomer to the sport, and started his career as a professional Mixed Martial Artist in 2009. Poirer competed five times in ’09, winning every single fight by (T)KO or submission, only one of them taking place outside of the first round. He also fought four times in 2010, losing his WEC debut to Danny Castillo via decision at WEC 50, but rebounding with a TKO win over Zach Micklewright at WEC 52.

So, as that record indicates, Dustin Poirer is by no means a throw-away opponent. Quite the contrary, in fact. This is a guy that loves to finish and loathes getting out of the first round. He’s knocked people unconscious and also submitted them. The thing of it is, though… Josh Grispi just seems to be a better version of Dustin Poirer. He’s got more fights, he’s also only lost once, and he’s also finished each and every single one of his career wins save for one lone fight that went to a decision. Grispi is on an incredible ten-fight win-streak and, on paper, would have been a very worthy opponent for champion Jose Aldo.

So, as harsh as this sounds, maybe some of the talk of Poirer being a throw-away opponent is justified. I have to wonder, though… who wouldn’t be considered a throw-away opponent when you consider Grispi’s record and who he was originally supposed to face? Grispi deserves and has fully earned a title shot, anything else and he’s more or less just running in place. And that’s said with absolutely no disrespect meant to Dustin Poirer.

In the end, I like it when underdogs come out and vocally state that they’re not going down without a fight. I enjoyed it when Chael Sonnen did it, I enjoyed it when Sean McCorkle did it, and I like that Poirer is doing it. Of course, both Sonnen and McCorkle would go on to lose, but they did at least live up to their promises and give their opponents quite a challenge. And as the oft-repeated saying goes, anything is possible in MMA. I’ve still got to favor Grispi, I just can’t stand against his record and penchant for finishing opponents. But if Poirer did pull off the upset, I’d only be mildly surprised. It should be a very entertaining fight either way.

And what about you, fans and friends? Is Poirer simply putting on a brave face as he stares down the gun barrel, or do you believe him when he says that he’ll be the man to beat Josh Grispi?

Speculation then arose whether or not the Massachusetts native would remain on the card despite the loss of Aldo. Shortly thereafter, it now appears that Dustin Poirer will now drop down to the 145-pound division in order to face Grispi at the pay-per-view event.

While Josh should be the decided favorite heading into the bout, it’s a big risk with little reward. The 22-year-old has risen above the rest in his class to be noticed as the top challenger to Aldo’s title, and a loss to Dustin would be a major setback in his career at this point.

Grispi earned his top spot in the division with his undefeated streak inside the soon-to-be-defunct WEC promotion (which will soon be fully assimilated into the UFC fold once it’s last event culminates in December). During his 4-0 stretch inside the octagon, “The Fluke” finished fellow contender Mark Hominick, DREAM veteran Micah Miller, former UFC champion Jens Pulver and L.C. Davis–all inside the first round.

Meanwhile Dustin has not been nearly as successful as Josh since his inception into the WEC. Poirier opened up his career with the promotion in defeat, losing to former top contender Danny Castillo by unanimous decision last August. However, the 21-year-old has sine been able to bounce back with a swift dismantling of Zach Micklewright last November, finishing him off in just 53 seconds of the opening round.

Although Grispi was originally intended to fill the co-main event slot, it’s unlikely that his position will remain. In fact, according to MMAJunkie.com whom followed up on the story that Heavy.com originally broke, there is no clear indication where the fight will end up on the card at all.

So, MMA peeps, disappointing that Aldo has been removed from the card, but Grispi remains–how do you like his chances against Dustin? Can Poirier pull of the upset? Sound off in the comment section below.

The Brazilian went an incredible 8-0 inside the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion before it had been officially announced that the soon-to-be-defunct organization would be assimilated into the UFC fold. Both companies both operate under the Zuffa umbrella.

Aldo had filled in as the co-main event at UFC 125, which takes place on Jan. 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, slot when an injured Shane Carwin had fallen to injury as well, a back injury that will keep him out of the octagon for the foreseeable future, requiring invasive back surgery. For Jose, he will be back to training in one month, and will hopefully debut within the organization in the first quarter of 2011.

Heavy.com first heard of Aldo’s injury, and Sherdog.com followed up on the story, speaking with head trainer Andre Pederneiras.

“That is true,” said the leader of the famed Nova Uniao academy.

“He has a cervical disc injury and the doctor told him to stop his training for one month, to start the rehabilitation.”

Sherdog suggests that the bout is in danger of being pulled from card, while multiple media sources have already stated that the fight is done for. UFC officials have yet to pull that match up off the card, but only time will tell.

Grispi has long been heralded as the biggest threat to Aldo’s dominance in the featherweight division. He too, has been perfect since his time with the WEC, going on a 4-0 streak inside the octagon with first round wins over the likes of top contender Mark Hominick, former UFC champion Jens Pulver, DREAM veteran Micah Miller and most recently, L.C. Davis this past June.

“The Fluke” had previously been scheduled to face Erik Koch at WEC 52, however was pulled from the card in order to face Aldo when Hominick, the originally intended title challenger, bowed out due to injury.

Already this card is looking like UFC 108 all over again, which saw all multitude of fighters scratched from the card due to some form of injury. Ironically enough, it happened around the same time last year.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? What fight do you think should take the co-main event slot at the New Year’s show? Clay Guida vs Takanori Gomi? Nate Diaz for Dong Hyun Kim? Sound off in the comment section below.

The Nova Uniao product is on his way to the States to pick up his coveted UFC title, which has been assimilated due to Aldo being the last reigning and defending champion in the WEC, which just a couple of weeks ago was merged with it’s sister promotion under the Zuffa banner.

Jose will be back in action in January after crushing season five finalist of “The Ultimate Fighter” Manny Gamburyan inside of the first round at WEC last September, via knockout.

“I’m going for the United States today to get that belt. When I grab it and put it on my waist, than I can call myself the champion (laughs)”, said Aldo when he spoke with TATAME.com.

While he’s on his way to pick up his new belt, the party will be short lived for the Brazilian striker. Jose is set to defend his newly minted UFC title against top contender Josh Grispi, seving as the co-main event at “UFC 125: Resolution”, which takes place on New Years day at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas.

“I’m focused, I have to defend my belt with all my strength”, said the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt.

“I live for it, I train for it, so I have to keep the rhythm on the trainings and give my best up there. I have to do the right game plan. I’m prepared, and within time we’ll make things right. I’ll get there and do a good belt defense”.

In preparation for his first title defense as the UFC champion, Aldo was hit with a mix up mid-camp. His original opponent was expected to be Mark Hominick, who had recently come off a dominant unanimous decision victory over former title challenger and wild man Leonard Garcia. The Canadian boxer though bowed out of the bout due to injury and Grispi, who holds a win over Mark, took his place, and according to Jose, justifiably so.

“It didn’t affect anything, I was good on the beginning of the trainings, so we fixed it”, so Aldo of the change.

“I’m setting a game plan to face Grispi, and I think Grispi deserved it, even because of the fact he beat Mark Hominick. He’s a great fighter and he deserves to be in there with me”.

While Hominick is a dangerous fighter in his own right, Grispi has proven to be the most well rounded opponent that Aldo will face to date in his career under the Zuffa banner, where he is a perfect 8-0. Josh has heavy hands, having knocked out Micah Miller in seconds in his debut with the soon-to-be-defunct organization, and then submitting his next three opponents, Hominick, Jens Pulver, and L.C. Davis, all inside of the first round.

“We have to be good in all areas like the exchanges, on the takedowns, which is basically Wrestling, and the ground game, that is my Jiu-Jitsu. I always specify my trainings in all areas. Since he’s Best on the ground, we are working on it”.

Looks like Aldo is building on all facets of his game, which is already sharpened and refined at the tender age of 24.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Aldo’s assessment of Grispi? Is he more deserving? Would you have rather seen him fight Mark? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here some of the highlights of an interview Grispi recently did with the Sherdog crew: “…I think everything happens for a reason. I’m actually pretty pumped about this fight… I saw [Jose Aldo] calm down a little bit in the title fights to conserve energy, it looks like, because he has five five-minute rounds. Definitely a mature fighter… No matter how you look at it, everyone’s human. They can be knocked out, they can be choked out. I’m going to find those weak points…”

Grispi is preaching to the choir when he talks about every fighter being human. I struggle to remember any other year besides 2010 that saw so many highly-lauded champions fall so shockingly far from grace. There’s truly too many to list. Aldo kick-starting 2011 off by losing and losing big would definitely be quite shocking, but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

And Josh Grispi has a pretty good chance of doing just that, I’ve got no problem admitting it. He’s 14-1 with four straight victories in the WEC, all of which have been finishes. In fact, they’ve all been first-round finishes. I’ll go one further: two out of those four finishes have occurred in the first minute of the first round. If we were all in some strange parallel universe where Jose Aldo did not exist, I think Josh Grispi would be in Jose Aldo’s shoes right now. As it stands Grispi/Aldo should be an incredible fight and I can’t wait to see it go down.

But in the end, I’m not betting against Jose Aldo. It’s just not happening. Aldo has been an engine of destruction inside the blue cage, there’s little reason to doubt that he’ll be the same wrecking machine once he steps into the Octagon. You can change the venue, but you can’t change the fighter. And right now Jose Aldo is about as unstoppable as it gets. I’ve really enjoyed watching him ascend to a championship level, and to be perfectly honest, I think he’ll be a champion for quite some time.

Grispi’s going to come close, perhaps closer than anybody’s ever been to beating Jose Aldo, but in the end I’m picking Aldo to win. We should probably prepare for a long fight, though. Anything is possible, but something tells me that this one’s going to a decision. Right now both my gut and my head are in agreement: Jose Aldo takes a Unanimous Decision even though Grispi will win a round or two.

And what about you, fans and friends? Will Aldo be the next victim of the “everyone’s human” rule or will he continue his dominant reign in an era where so many once-dominant champions are coming up short?

While Jose Aldo got their first, Grispi was never far behind. Opening up his WEC career with a first-round submission victory over current featherweight contender Mark Hominick, everyone knew that “The Fluke” was no joke.

After going a perfect 4-0 within the organization, picking up wins over Micah Miller, Jens Pulver, and L.C. Davis in his last outing, finishing all competitors inside of the first-round, people were clamoring for a match up pitting the Massachusetts native against the Brazilian phenom, and when word had it that Grispi would next be taking on Eric Koch in November for WEC 52, it looked like his coveted shot at the title would have to wait.

Well, Mr. Grispi, wait no longer.

According to <a href="http://www.heavy.com/mma/mma-news/2010/10/aldo-vs-grispi-in-the-works-for-ufc-125/”>Heavy.com, Josh had been pulled out his bout with Koch in favor of a title fight against reigning champion Aldo, most likely serving as the co-main event of the evening at UFC 125.

The event will take place in Las Vegas, Nev. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on New Year’s day.

At just 22-years-old, Grispi has laid claim as one of the best in his class, and remains one of the only true challenger’s to Aldo’s 145-pound title. While Hominick remains a threat, his viability as a contender is dwarfed by the loss to Grispi, who went undefeated in his WEC tenure.

The bout pitting Aldo and Grispi against one another will be a milestone for the organization, marking the first time that featherweight contest has taken place inside the UFC, since the WEC-UFC merger was announced yesterday.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match up? Is Grispi the true number one contender, or would you have rather seen Hominick in there? Sound off in the comment section below.

With the merge of the WEC organization being absolved into the UFC (finally), a lot of changes will be made. Perhaps the promotion’s most recognized, or rather most dominant fighters, Jose Aldo will defend his title for the first time inside the UFC in January.

Along with Dana White’s formal announcement during today’s teleconference with the mixed martial arts media outlets, he also gave notice that their now featherweight champion will defend his title on the big show at UFC 125 in Las Vegas.

Aldo, one of the WEC’s brightest stars went a perfect 8-0 within the promotion, capturing the 145-pound title with a TKO victory over Mike Brown and defending his title twice against Urijah Faber and most recently season five finalist of “The Ultimate Fighter” Manny Gamburyan, which resulted in a knockout victory for the champion.

Speculation has circled around Aldo’s next opponent, pointing to two of the top contenders in Josh Grispi and Mark Hominick.

Hominick, who is actually a UFC veteran who went 2-0 with the promotion with victories over Jorge Gurgel and Yves Edwards, has seen a resurgence in his career, currently riding a 4-fight win streak with three of those fights coming inside the WEC. Most recently, the Canadian striker scored a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger, Leonard Garcia at WEC 51 on September 30th.

Grispi, meanwhile, can most likely make the case for himself to be the most deserving of the two fighters to warrant the immediate title shot. Josh holds a victory over Hominick in the WEC, a first-round rear-naked choke victory at that. Since his inception into the almost-defunct promotion in 2008, “The Fluke” has gone a perfect 4-0, and holds victories over the likes of Jens Pulver, Micah Miller, and most recently L.C. Davis to add to anchor his impressive list of opponents. None of them made it out of the first round.

Josh is already scheduled to make his final WEC appearance when he meets Eric Koch at “WEC 52: Faber vs Mizugaki” on November 11th. The WEC will hold two more shows, the aforementioned November show and a final show in December, when Ben Henderson defends his title for the second time against lightweight spitfire Anthony Pettis at WEC 53. That event will be the last WEC event before the promotion is folded into the UFC.

UFC 125, which features a headliner of champion Frankie Edgar defending his title against Gray Maynard in the lightweight division, will benefit with the addition of Jose Aldo for the January 1. New Years banger in Las Vegas, Nev. An opponent will be announced in the coming days.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Who do you think is more deserving of the coveted title shot against one of the sports pound-for-pound greats? Sound off in the comment section below.

At 4:43 of round four, Condit touched – and, maybe that’s all too literal of a description – Miura with a knee to the noggin.

Miura’s body and heart gave in to a brutal back-and-forth battle.  He dove for Condit’s ankle, and that was it.  He had nothing left.

Several times, Condit could’ve similarly surrendered on the receiving end of clean punches from the one-time middleweight, but didn’t.

That’s why Condit is a champion and Miura isn’t, both tonight and in general.

However, before the fight Condit made clear that he didn’t feel like Miura should be on the other side of the cage from him.

Isn’t that always the preface to a brutal back-and-forth battle?

Condit sits on the precipice of the welterweight top ten; and, now, Miura sits on a 9-5 record.

Condit was dumped on the mat thrice in the first round alone, swept from the mount consistently, and tagged with clean power shots from Miura.

Should Miura have been such a challenge?  Untested at the top of the division, Condit’s “W” only exposed how far the rising star has to go.

“All American” Brian Stann (6-1) has still farther.

Stann didn’t so much collapse at the end of any particular strike from Steve Cantwell (6-1) as collapse at the end of all of them.

Cantwell won the WEC Light Heavyweight Championship by TKO at 4:01 of round two when Stann fell face first into the mat.

Both fighters were gassed at the second round’s opening bell after a first session fought in scintillating spurts and won by Stann on all three judges’ scored cards.

Cantwell sustained the pressure with a mixed bag of fists, knees, and feet while Stann withered.

Cantwell’s win was revenge for a 2007 TKO loss to Stann, but may be for naught as the WEC will knockout its 205-pound division before the end of this year.

Fighters.com speculates that the next time Stann fights it’ll be in the UFC’s middleweight division.

WEC Lightweight Champion “Worm” Jamie Varner (15-2) looked like he got hit by…well, a “Wrecking Ball” after a minute in the cage with Marcus Hicks (8-1).

Varner was slammed twice, nearly tapped in Hicks’s bread-and-butter guillotine, and couldn’t get a beat on the 5’7″ brawler standing-up.

“He kept taking me down.  I’ve never been taken down like that in MMA before,” Varner admitted after the fight.

But, one minute was about how long it took Varner to find his range.

Once Varner rattled Hicks with a knee as Hicks shot to dump Varner, it was all “Worm” digging holes in Hicks’s skull.

Varner unloaded a barrage that Hicks seemed to walk through until the final onslaught beginning with two knees square on Hicks’s jaw and three straight rights that finally left Hicks limp on the mat at 2:08 of round one.

“I’m sure I’ll see [Hicks] again,” Varner said after the TKO title defense.

Bantamweight Brian Bowles (6-0) fell “Angel of Death” Damacio Page (10-4) at 3:30 of round one in a guillotine choke cinched as Page hoisted Bowles for a slam.

Page stumbled with Bowles monkeyed around him holding the submission before rocking backwards and collapsing as he tapped out.

The fighters had exchanged evenly to begin the fight, Page taking his advantage standing while Bowles had nearly locked a guillotine on the mat early in the round.

“Fluke” Josh Grispi (9-1) tagged Micah Miller (9-2) with an overhand right to Miller’s temple that spiraled Miller to the mat.  Grispi closed the show with a pair of rights before referee Herb Dean stepped in to end the fight at :50 of round one.

Brock Larson (23-2-1) slobberknocked Carlo Prater (23-6-1) with a straight left and finished him off on the mat at :37 of round one.

Las Vegas favorite Blas Avena (3-2) wheeled lefts and rights at the cage, dropping opponent Dave Terrel (5-2), then leaving him slumped and eating clean shots until the referee stoppage 1:07 of the first round.

Lightweight Shane Roller (4-1) finally locked in a guillotine choke on his third attempt at 3:00 of the first round to tap “Maniac” Todd Moore (9-2).

Lightweight Mike Budnik (7-0) tapped Greg McIntyre (5-3) by triangle choke at 3:21 of round three.

Bantamweight Scott Jorgensen (5-2) won a unanimous decision over Kenji Osawa (13-8-2).

Bantamweight Brian Bowles (5-0) will fight “Angel of Death” Damacio Page (10-3), and Micah Miller (9-1) will meet “The Fluke” Josh Grispi (8-1) in a featherweight match-up.

Bowles, from Athens, GA, last fought in WEC 31 in December, where he KO’d “Louro” Marcos Galvao (6-2) in the second round. He made his professional debut two years ago.

Albuquerque’s “Angel of Death” made his WEC debut in February when he replaced an injured Jesse Moreng (8-1) on short notice to win a unanimous decision over Scott Jorgensen (4-2).

American Top Team fighter Miller will look to win his third fight in a row after his first career loss last June at WEC 28, a unanimous decision that went to Cub Swanson (12-2).

Nineteen-year-old Grispi also made his WEC debut in February, submitting “The Machine” Mark Hominick (15-8) with a rear-naked choke in the first round.