5. Josh Koscheck

Koscheck did just suffer an ultra-deflating loss to Georges St. Pierre… but BJ Penn knows a little something about being dominated by GSP. Even with the loss, Koscheck is still one of the top fighters in the division. Plus, he’s Jon Fitch’s teammate. Koscheck and Fitch aren’t mirror images of each other, but they do share some similarities and I think this would be a pretty good match. The unknown status of Koscheck (he’s still healing from a broken orbital bone) is the only reason he’s not ranked higher on this list.

4. Amir Sadollah

At one time, Sadollah was thought to be the next big thing. That hype and mystique didn’t last. But in the here and now, Sadollah has won two straight fights and just got done dominating DaMarques Johnson. This would be a big step up for Sadollah, but it would finally prove whether or not he’ll ever live up to his potential. His Muay Thai looked crisper and quicker and deadlier than ever against Johnson, and it’s been quite some time since Penn has faced a striker like Sadollah. I think this fight would be a lot closer than most people think.

3. Dong-Hyun Kim

“My name is Stun Gun and I want GSP”. That’s what this fighter said after beating Nate Diaz earlier this year. I scoffed at this notion, but if Kim were to beat Penn he would definitely prove that he’s worthy of a title shot. Kim is a very strong, very interesting fighter that’s never been defeated, although he does have one draw and one overturned fight. This would be a clash of both styles and nations, and Kim’s powerful wrestling could pose some interesting threats to BJ Penn.

2. Carlos Condit

When Carlos Condit entered the UFC, he had won the WEC’s Welterweight Championship and defended it three times. After a deflating loss to Martin Kampmann, Condit is currently in the midst of a great three-fight win-streak, finishing his two most-recent fights with back-to-back (T)KO’s. Condit has arguably never looked better than in his last fight, where he crushed what up until then had been the iron chin of Dan Hardy. Condit is both ready and willing to fight Penn, so I say: if he wants it, let him fight.

But the number-one fighter I’d like to see BJ Penn fight is…

1. Anthony Johnson

I think this fight has the most potential for excellence of all the potential fights on this list. Anthony Johnson is a different breed of Welterweight: he’s got one of the biggest weight cuts in the business, and it leaves him with near-unstoppable power, especially when it comes to taking down his opponents. I think it would be very engaging to see what Penn could do against such a powerful and athletic wrestler, since that’s been one of his weaknesses for a long time. Can Johnson fully move up to main-event status? Or will Penn’s latest comeback fully right itself after the draw with Fitch? I’d love to find out.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Who would you like to see face Penn now that Fitch is out?

5. Diaz has been properly TKO’d once in his career… over eight years ago.

Diaz has been TKO’d twice in his career, and one of those times had nothing to do with Diaz being separated from his mental faculties. Diaz has in fact been properly stopped by punches only once in his career, losing by TKO to Jeremy Jackson way back in September 2002. Since that time, Diaz has fought some of the toughest strikers and hardest punchers in several major promotions, from the UFC to PRIDE FC, from EliteXC to Strikeforce. Diaz’s chin has held up remarkably well these past eight (going on nine) years, and based on its toughness and the fact that Diaz is so great at ducking and dodging, I just don’t think it’s going to fail him again anytime soon.

4. The last three fighters Paul Daley (T)KO’d all had major (T)KO’s on their record shortly before meeting Paul Daley.

You can love him or hate him, but Josh Koscheck raised an excellent point where he claimed that he had loosened up the chin of Dustin Hazelett a year before Paul Daley ever got a chance to KTFO him. But it doesn’t stop there: Scott Smith is equal parts famous and infamous as a “Comeback King” because he usually comes very close to being KO’d before he makes a dramatic comeback, and he was in fact coming off a pretty hard (T)KO loss to Cung Le before he met Daley. As stated previously, it hadn’t even been a year since Josh Koscheck brutally KO’d Dustin Hazelett when Daley KO’d Hazelett. And Martin Kampmann? Again, it hadn’t even been a year since Nate Marquardt TKO’d Kampmann when Daley TKO’d Kampmann. Daley’s last three KO’s, impressive though they were, were all against fighters that had their chins tested and found wanting shortly before they met “Semtex”.

3. Paul Daley hasn’t fought a true top-division welterweight since being booted out of the UFC on the heels of a one-sided loss to Josh Koscheck.

Who has Daley beaten since his post-fight scuffle with Josh Koscheck got him permanently exiled from the sport’s biggest and most competitive promotion? He beat Scott Smith, who is a tough veteran but has never emerged as a true championship contender in Strikeforce. He beat Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13, but most fans know Masvidal as the fighter that was on the wrong end of that amazing Inverted Triangle Choke by Toby Imada, the one that quickly became a viral video. Daniel Acacio hasn’t been relevant since the last time he fought in PRIDE… in 2005… in a fight that he lost. Depending on who he fights, a three fight win-streak is normally a great indicator that a fighter is ready either for top-division fighters or a championship opportunity outright… but Daley’s last three opponents have virtually all been “gimme” fights.

2. Diaz hasn’t lost in over three years, and realistically, that number should be higher.

Diaz’s last loss was in November 2007, which was a hugely-controversial doctor’s stoppage due to a cut. The outcome spawned an intense rivalry between Diaz and the winner of the bout, KJ Noons, a rivalry that was recently settled once and for all when Diaz pummeled Noons for nearly five whole rounds in the rematch that took several years to get properly worked out. Diaz also had a win over Takanori Gomi in PRIDE FC, but it was overturned and the outcome was changed to a No Contest when Diaz tested positive for marijuana. Considering the fact that Diaz would have more than likely beat Noons the first time if the fight hadn’t been called off, given the outcome of their second encounter, he should be on a ten-fight win-streak instead of an eight-fight win-streak. And depending on how you personally view marijuana and its effects as a performance-enhancing drug, that undefeated streak should conceivably be as high as fourteen straight fights, with Diaz being undefeated since early 2006.

And my number one reason why Nick Diaz will beat Paul Daley is because…

1. Paul Daley crumbles under pressure.

Nick Diaz has lost seven times, but he’s been to a decision five times. Paul Daley has lost nine times and has only been to a decision on three occasions. Even when you take into account the fact that Paul Daley’s lone (T)KO victory was due to a dislocated thumb, that shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Daley has been submitted on five separate occasions and lost all three of his decision fights by Unanimous Decision. Make no mistake, Daley’s raw punching power represents a major threat to any fighter regardless of their past history. But if a fighter is brave enough to look past that and skillful enough to nullify it, Paul Daley can be made to look like an outright amateur. When a fight doesn’t go exactly his way and doesn’t remain in the one and only element he’s ever been any good at, Paul Daley can crumble and has crumbled under pressure. And against Nick Diaz, he’ll crumble again.

So, fans and friends, that’s why I think Nick Diaz will be able to resoundingly beat Paul Daley. And what about you? What’s your take on the matter?

He’s an avid marijuana user, and makes no effort to mask any of that from the public. Along with his THC use, he’s also very skilled with nun-chucks, which is found evident through many Youtube videos that can be discovered online.

And while he is brash, and is prolific with his use of the “F” word in almost everyday casual conversation, one thing is also certain: Nick Diaz believes he is one of the best fighters on the planet, and guys like Georges St. Pierre and Josh Koscheck are not on his level.

Although Diaz is now getting some of the recognition he rightfully deserves, it doesn’t change the fact that in the UFC he was also a world beater, and since guys like Georges St. Pierre have risen to dominance they have stole some of his spotlight.

“I think I got here and started fighting before most of them, including Georges St-Pierre in the UFC”, commented Nick during a recent conference call in order to promote his upcoming title fight in Strikeforce where he defends his 170-pound strap against Evangelista Santos on January 22.

“I was really mad because they were getting fights and recognition when I was here first. I thought it was first come, first serve. I was working harder and I was here first.

But what get’s the Cesar Bracie Jiu-Jitsu black belt most riled up is seeing the aforementioned GSP and additionally Josh Koscheck receive universal praise as one of the best fighters in the welterweight division.

“Josh Koscheck, I cornered a guy to fight Josh Koscheck, he probably had two fights in his life, and this fight he was set up to fight Josh Koscheck”, began 27-year-old.

“They made easy fights for those guys. This guy’s got like six or seven fights, all easy guys. I never fought anybody like that guy that’s fought against Josh Koscheck.

“We’ve got some guy who doesn’t even fight, he drinks at a bar, and we took him to fight Josh Koscheck one day. He didn’t even know who he was fighting. I’ve never had fights like that. So when you bring up guys like that to me and tell me they’re the best fighters in the world, it’s a (expletive) joke.”

“Straight up, people think this guy’s better than me and it’s (expletive),” said Nick next taking aim at St. Pierre who recently fought Josh to a decision win at UFC 124 last December.

“He just fought Josh Koscheck for (expletive) five rounds, I just told you about Josh Koscheck. Why are you saying he’s the best? What is that (expletive)? Because we fight for different companies?”

And while Nick has all the confidence in the world that his best friend and training partner, Jake Shields, will defeat the Canadian in their welterweight clash at UFC 129 this April, he still would like the opportunity to go out there and prove that he stands above most of the rest.

“Right now, what do you want? You guys rank that guy above me. I want to fight GSP, but I think my partner (Jake Shields) will take him out regardless,” said the Stockton native.

“It’s a joke to me. This guy may be a good fighter now, but these guys that are ranked up there, I was here first and that’s fine. Let’s fight then and make it happen.”

Thanks to MMAWeekly.com for the transcribe.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Nick’s rant? It’s kind of odd that during a conference call devoted to Strikeforce and your upcoming title fight against Muay Thai wrecking machine Evangelista Santos, that Diaz would invest time and energy in debating MMA politics–but the guy runs marathons, he’s got all the energy in the world. Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Paulo Thiago

It’s one of the biggest losses of his career, and in a way, Koscheck is still fighting to get out of the shadow of this loss. And what better way to do just that than by stepping back inside the Octagon with Paulo Thiago in order to prove once and for all that Thiago’s victory was more fluke than fantastic? If Koscheck can return the favor and KO Thiago, he’ll have permanently closed the book on the entire situation and he’d also take a firm step on the comeback trail.

4. Chris Lytle

A lot has changed since Chris Lytle first met Josh Koscheck in 2008. It now appears that, after years of fighting tooth-and-nail up the rankings, Chris Lytle has finally emerged as a top-division star. His boxing has never looked more crisp and precise, and his ground game has resulted in several amazing submission wins in several of his recent fights. This would be an important test for both men, and if Koscheck can make his record against Lytle a perfect 2-0, he’ll have firmly established that he’s far from done in the UFC’s Welterweight division.

3. Thiago Alves

I know this list does seem to have a large amount of rematches in it, but to be fair, every single one of these matches makes sense and would really help further along Koscheck’s career. After hitting a rough patch ever since he lost to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100, Thiago Alves most recently found his inner “Pitbull” when he thoroughly outclassed John Howard. If the old Alves really is back, he represents a major opportunity for Koscheck to reestablish himself.

2. BJ Penn

This match makes sense for so many reasons. If BJ Penn beats Koscheck’s teammate Jon Fitch in their upcoming encounter, this will be an awesome grudge match. If Fitch beats Penn, it’ll be Penn that looks for revenge against another member of the American Kickboxing Academy. Both men also have very impressive stand-up and, for the most part, very strong chins. This match sounds great enough on paper, but add a little BJ Penn vs. AKA rivalry into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for an awesome and pretty important fight.

And my #1 opponent for Josh Koscheck to fight in the near future is…

1. Matt Hughes

Josh Koscheck has been campaigning for this match for quite some time, and he’s vocally called out the UFC Hall of Fame member in the past. With Hughes turning towards retirement, this would be an epic showdown, and it would be a tremendous moral victory and a huge motivating factor if Josh Koscheck ends up being the man that retires Matt Hughes. And of course Matt Hughes wouldn’t go down without a fight. Not only would this be an incredibly important fight, it also would more than likely be one of the year’s best.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Who do you think Koscheck should face in the near future, and why?

GSP dictated the pace at UFC 124 during his successful title defense against the American Kickboxing Academy product with a stiff jab that did a lot of damage, and eventually helped aid “Rush” to clean sweep the welterweight clash, 50-45 across the board.

Now after having snapped his three-fight winning streak inside the cage, Koscheck will have to overcome a stinging second loss to GSP, and a broken orbital bone to boot.

Early in the first round, Koscheck was already visibly worse for the wear, due to the jab. And over the course of five rounds, GSP’s jab landed time and time again, and as a result you get what you see above in the captioned picture.

Though both men picked up “Fight of the Night” honors, it’s Josh will have to sit on the sidelines for a 60-day suspension handed down by the Quebec State Athletic Commission in Canada. Here are the rest of the medical suspensions, thanks to MMAJunkie.com for the find.

The full list of suspensions includes:

* Josh Koscheck: 60 days
* Joe Stevenson: 60 days

* Dan Miller: 45 days
* Joe Doerksen: 45 days
* Sean Pierson: 45 days

* Sean McCorkle: 30 days
* John Howard: 30 days
* Rafael Natal: 30 days
* Matt Riddle: 30 days
* T.J. Grant : 30 days
* Pat Audinwood: 30 days

* Georges St. Pierre: 28 days

* Thiago Alves: 21 days
* Jesse Bongfeldt: 21 days

* Ricardo Almeida:14 days
* John Makdessi: 14 days

* Stefan Struve: 7 days
* Jim Miller: 7 days
* Charles Oliveira: 7 days
* Mac Danzig: 7 days
* Dustin Hazelett: 7 days
* Mark Bocek: 7 days

The one and only ESPN reports that Koscheck suffered a broken orbital bone during the five-round thrashing he received at the hands of GSP, and that the American Kickboxing Academy top star will soon require surgery. Head trainer Bob Cook had this to say regarding the situation: “We’re going to have a much better sense of the injury when we get to the States… Hopefully he can have the surgery there and head home as soon as possible.”

We then head to Sherdog and a recent video posted on the site that features Greg Jackson, the leader, founder, and head trainer of the “Jackson’s Submission Fighting” camp and  the driving force behind Georges St. Pierre. With text transcriptions courtesy of MMA Mania, here’s what the prominent MMA guru had to say regarding his star pupil’s performance: “He tried really hard to knock him out but Koscheck is really tough… These guys are not some bums. These guys are fantastic, phenomenal fighters… We’re trying to finish them. It’s just kind of hard when they’re incredibly tough.”

For those unfamiliar with the situation, here’s a brief summary: despite his numerous amazing performances and dominating victories, there remains a small but vocal contingent of fans that decries Georges St. Pierre for not finishing his opponents. This minority contends that St. Pierre has been playing it safe ever since famously losing by TKO to Matt Serra all the way back in 2007, and that he uses his wrestling to grind out decisions and only strikes when he knows he’s facing someone who isn’t as good of a striker as he is.

If I may be so bold, and you know I just have to be… those fans are idiots. I may have picked Koscheck to win at UFC 124, but I’ve never bought into this mentality that GSP is running scared and playing it safe. And it’s not like he’s purposely avoiding trying to finish fights! GSP has a tremendous killer instinct, he’s just faced some of the best competition the UFC has to offer.

I agree with what Greg Jackson says: the toughness of his opponents, not any lack of killer instinct on the part of GSP, is the reason why GSP has been fighting to a decision so often nowadays. Josh Koscheck was basically fighting with one eye and still wouldn’t go down. Dan Hardy nearly had his arm ripped off and wouldn’t tap out. Jon Fitch had his face reduced to a barely-recognizable mess and still somehow found a way to survive. GSP’s opponents should rightfully be commended for their ability to survive GSP’s numerous onslaughts. But I just don’t get why some people think that GSP’s utter dominations just aren’t complete without a finish.

Now, of course I’d love to see GSP finish each and every single one of his fights. But he’s giving us the next best thing, and people are still complaining! He destroys opponents; he makes excellent fighters look like rookies when they fight him. I honestly think people are decrying GSP for not finishing fights because it’s the only thing they can still remotely hold against him. But that’s all this is: it’s one little flaw in an avalanche of greatness. It’s one tiny crack in an otherwise impenetrable wall. So stop complaining and give the man the respect he deserves.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on the subject?

MMA Weekly brings word that GSP/Koscheck 3 will almost definitely never see the light of day. The report states that, while initially never wanting to fight Koscheck again if he beat him at UFC 124, current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre recently said that he would consider a third fight with Koscheck sometime in the future due to Koscheck’s toughness and his (GSP’s)  own inability to finish the fight. However, UFC President Dana White strongly disagreed and basically closed the book on a third encounter. In fact, White had this to say: “…Koscheck [is] in a real bad position in the welterweight division unless somebody else beats Georges St-Pierre… George said it to him at the (pre-fight) press conference, and he was right. He would have had to beat him tonight to ever have a chance [at a third fight].”

Most of the time I half-agree and half-disagree with what Dana White says. It just comes with the territory, considering how White loves to shout his opinion from the rooftops and how he feels that a controversial subject just isn’t complete without his opinion. However, this is one of the rare times where I wholeheartedly agree with Dana White. Even as a big Josh Koscheck fan and supporter, I don’t think we’ll ever see Koscheck/St. Pierre 3, and for good reason.

Josh Koscheck had three years to prepare for another encounter with GSP. In those three years he improved in all facets of his game, in some cases he improved by leaps and bounds. Koscheck’s biggest strength, his wrestling, continued to improve. Koscheck began developing his hands to the point where he actually started having KO power. Koscheck’s stamina and cardio carried him through several tough three-round wars, his heart and determination gave him another shot at the title. In the end, there was only one thing that kept Josh Koscheck from becoming the new UFC Welterweight Champion: the fact that Georges St. Pierre also had three years to grow as a Mixed Martial Artist.

What a different world it would be if Georges St. Pierre never existed. But he does, and at UFC 124, he proved that he’s one of the best that’s ever been inside the Octagon. I honestly don’t think anything would change if these two met for a third time. GSP would obviously not employ the same strategy, his first fight with Koscheck in comparison to his second fight with Koscheck proves that. But it would be the same basic principle: GSP would control the fight in every facet, and end up dominating Koscheck. And as a Josh Koscheck fan, that’s not something I want to see happen for a third time.

But what about you, fans and friends? Will we ever see GSP/Koscheck 3? And if not, what’s left for Josh Koscheck to do in the UFC’s Welterweight division?

Based on the fan vote, Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck received “Fight of the Night”. Both men ended up taking an extra $100,000 home with them, thanks in no small part to their rampant popularity, or in Josh Koscheck’s case, “infamy” would probably be a more appropriate term. For his highlight-reel KO over Joe Stevenson, Mac Danzig earned “Knockout of the Night” and an additional $100,000 as well. The $100,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus was split into two $50,000 chunks and given to both Jim Miller and Mark Bocek. Bocek caught Dustin Hazelett in a wicked Triangle Choke while Miller snatched up a leg and ultimately tapped out the highly-regarded Charles Oliveira.

According to UFC President Dana White, fans were allowed to select “Fight of the Night” for one night and one night only. Here’s what the always-controversial UFC head honcho had to say over at MMA Weekly: “[The fans are] always chirping about how we messed it up, and here we are… They blew their chance. That’s it… [Sean Pierson vs. Matt Riddle] was the ‘Fight of the Night’ in my book.”

I have to admit, fans and friends, I too was baffled by the decision to give the main event “Fight of the Night”. GSP certainly gave the best performance of the night, but to have a one-sided five-round domination be awarded “Fight of the Night” when Pierson and Riddle fought their hearts out and gave us an awesome three-round war? It doesn’t make sense, at all, and I think Dana White is perfectly right to abandon the fan vote.

I hate to come down so harshly on the viewing public, but I think the whole vote was nothing more than a popularity contest. Considering the winners, how can you really say anything different? With absolutely no disrespect meant to Georges St. Pierre, his fight was not the most entertaining on the card. It was a brilliant performance and a one-sided beatdown, but one-sided beatdowns that last twenty-five minutes just don’t hold up in terms of overall fight quality and entertainment value when compared to a three-round war of attrition that saw constant action and several almost-finishes.

Other than that, though, I think everyone else got the right reward. Danzig’s KO of Stevenson will probably go on and stay on his highlight reel for the rest of his career. Jim Miller and Mark Bocek both pulled off crazy “blink and you’ll miss it” submissions that I really enjoyed. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for all three men, including Mac Danzig, who I never really followed or bought into in the past.

All in all, UFC 124 was a great event. But the fans dropped the ball in giving GSP and Koscheck “Fight of the Night”. Then again, that’s just my opinion. What about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about UFC 124’s post-fight awards/bonus winners?

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?

5. Jon Fitch will move up to Middleweight.

Like before, I’m starting this list out with what I think will be the most likely thing to happen. And this one is practically guaranteed: both men have repeatedly refused to fight each other. In fact, Josh Koscheck recently said (only half-jokingly) that he would rather cut off one of his legs and move down to Lightweight rather than have to face his good friend and training partner Jon Fitch. With no title shots on the horizon so long as the belt hangs around Koscheck’s waist, look for Fitch to get one, maybe two more fights at 170 before making a permanent (at least until Koscheck loses the belt, that is) move to the land of 185.

4. GSP will do everything in his power to get another shot at the championship, including postponing a move to Middleweight.

You thought GSP fought like a man possessed when he was working his way back up to title contention after losing to Matt Hughes and Matt Serra? As the saying goes: you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The GSP that will emerge if Josh Koscheck beats him will be downright scary. If Koscheck does end up taking the belt from GSP, look for GSP to hit the comeback trail hard and go on a string of epic victories. GSP will do everything in his power to wear the gold again, and that includes continuing to postpone a move to 185 despite the fact that Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre would break all kinds of attendance and gate receipts records.

3. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, will be lining up to take on Josh Koscheck.

Just try and imagine it. Everyone is going to want a piece of Josh Koscheck if he beats GSP. In the eyes of many, Koscheck beating GSP and becoming the UFC Welterweight Champion would be the equivalent of Lex Luthor being elected President of the United States. Expect Josh Koscheck to be inundated with challengers from every corner of the world, even from different promotions! There’s going to be an avalanche of challenges and a stampede of fighters looking to get into the Octagon with Josh Koscheck if he does end up wearing the gold.

2. Josh Koscheck will KO Jake Shields.

I hate to come out so harshly against Jake Shields, since I’m actually a fan of the man, but I just don’t see the former EliteXC and Strikeforce champion beating Josh Koscheck, just like I don’t see him beating Georges St. Pierre. Koscheck is simply too good of a wrestler to get taken down and kept down for any prolonged period of time by someone like Jake Shields, who is naturally a smaller fighter. Koscheck will make Shields pay for every takedown attempt, and eventually, he’ll clip Shields and finish him in a manner very similar to Dan Henderson’s almost-finish of Shields.

1. The UFC will scramble to find Koscheck worthy challengers.

Unless something controversial happens, GSP won’t be granted an immediate rematch. BJ Penn will most likely have been beaten by Jon Fitch, Fitch himself will have moved up to 185. And as I just said, Koscheck will more than likely KO Jake Shields. So who’s left? Carlos Condit? Thiago Alves? Dan Hardy? Paulo Thiago? Martin Kampmann maybe? It all depends on how they win, who they beat, and how marketable a match-up with Koscheck would be. Look for the UFC to spend the next few months figuring out where their welterweights stand if Koscheck is able to do the seemingly-unthinkable and beat GSP.

And so that’s it, fans and friends. We’ve reached the end of “Top Four Top Five”. And now it’s your turn: what do you think will happen in the near future if Josh Koscheck ends up defeating Georges St. Pierre?

5. Josh Koscheck will free-fall to the bottom of the contender’s list.

This is undoubtedly the most likely thing that will happen if GSP retains his championship. Koscheck will have lost to GSP twice, both in high-profile match-ups. It’ll be a long, long, long time before Koscheck gets a third shot at GSP for the championship. Regardless of who holds the title, look for Koscheck to have to slowly work his way back up from the dredges of the Welterweight division if he doesn’t live up to all the trash talk he’s been doing leading up to this fight.

4. GSP will finally move up a weight class.

It’s been rumored for years, and if GSP can get his fifth straight championship defense under his belt, I think the time is finally right for him to make the transition to Middleweight. I can’t say if this move up would mean automatic shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship, but I think that’s highly likely. GSP and the UFC are quickly running out of reasons to postpone GSP’s Middleweight debut, a big win over Koscheck may be the final straw and convince all involved to pull the trigger.

3. GSP will face Jon Fitch before the year is through.

It’ll be one rematch with an AKA star down and another one to go if Georges St. Pierre beats Josh Koscheck. Before 2011 is through, I think Jon Fitch will be granted his long-awaited rematch with GSP. This is assuming that Jon Fitch is able to beat BJ Penn, but as I’ve said in the past, I’ve got a feeling that Jon Fitch will indeed do just that.

2. GSP will beat the next man in line for a shot at the title, Jake Shields.

If GSP can beat the multi-dimensional, great wrestler that is Josh Koscheck, he’ll surely be able to beat the one-dimensional, submission-based Jake Shields. It’s true that Jake Shields is a master at the one dimension he’s good at, but I think GSP is far too well-rounded for Jake Shields. GSP is heavier, has better takedowns, and has incredible submission defense. Look for GSP to smother his way to another dominant defense if he does end up fighting Jake Shields.

1. GSP will fight Anderson Silva.

The reason this isn’t part of #4 is that I think it will happen regardless of any other circumstances. It won’t matter if Anderson Silva is no longer the UFC Middleweight Champion, it won’t matter if GSP makes a permanent or semi-permanent move up to Middleweight. If GSP is able to beat Josh Koscheck, I think he’ll fight Anderson Silva before the year is through. This is the fight that’s been several years in the making, this is the fight that everyone wants to see, and if the UFC is looking for a fight to sell out an arena either in Brazil or in Canada, they couldn’t possibly create a bigger dream-match.

So that’s one more down on my “Top Four Top Five”. What do you think, fans and fans? What will happen in the immediate future if GSP beats Koscheck?

5. Because everyone expects him to.

Would it honestly surprise anyone if Georges St. Pierre beat Josh Koscheck? I’m sure a lot of GSP fans and Koscheck cynics would feel vindicated, but surprised? No, I can’t imagine any of that going around. That’s why this is so far down the list. Sometimes real life isn’t a Hollywood movie. Sometimes fighters are just fighters and not the next Rocky Balboa. Sometimes a dominant champion does what he does best: he dominates. And they don’t make them much more dominant than Georges St. Pierre.

4. Because he trains with the best, and if the best aren’t at Greg Jackson’s, he’ll bring them in.

Team Greg Jackson has been with GSP every step of the way throughout all of his major victories. This is a camp that breeds champions: Rashad Evans, GSP himself, Shane Carwin, and many more. Even better, as we saw during “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12, GSP takes it upon himself to fly in the best trainers in the world regardless of their camp affiliation. GSP doesn’t train with wrestling coaches; he brings in Olympic-level wrestlers. GSP doesn’t train with good MMA strikers; he trains with championship-level kickboxers. If steel really does sharpen steel, GSP has got to be one of the sharpest tools the UFC has ever seen.

3. Because he’ll have the entire nation, not just the on-hand crowd, rooting for him when he steps into the Octagon.

GSP walked into his UFC 83 bout with Matt Serra and was greeted with one of the strongest ovations a UFC fighter has ever received… and Matt Serra isn’t nearly as big of a trash-talker as Josh Koscheck. Koscheck has got to be the biggest villain going right now in the UFC, and that’s going to be especially evident in Canada, which is heavily partisan towards native fighters to begin with. If GSP finds himself in a position where he has to feed off of the crowd in order to get that extra boost of momentum, he’ll have what amounts to an endless buffet of energy and excitement to draw from.

2. Because he’s done it before.

True, it’s been three years. True, Josh Koscheck is not the same fighter. That’s all true. But the simple fact of the matter is that the tremendous mental advantage that Georges St. Pierre has going into this fight cannot be understated. Koscheck has spent many months trying to compensate for that advantage by trying to get inside GSP’s head with his constant trash-talking. Whether or not he’s accomplished that goal is debatable, although I personally think he has. Regardless, I think one of GSP’s keys to victory will be to constantly remind himself that he’s not the one who needs a win in order to even out the rivalry.

1. Because he’s Georges St. Pierre.

Is there really anything else that needs to be said? Georges St. Pierre is one of the most well-rounded MMA fighters of all time. This is a guy that folks are already starting to call one of the best ever… and he’s not even thirty yet. Every facet of Georges St. Pierre’s game is outstanding. There truly is only one GSP… and that, above all else, is the chief reason why he could beat Josh Koscheck.

So, that’s two down and two to go, fans and friends. What about you? What will GSP have to do to beat Josh Koscheck?

5. Because there’s a lot of pressure on him to win this fight, and normally Josh Koscheck thrives under pressure.

Koscheck is not the type of fighter that wilts under pressure. If he had any quit in him, it got beaten out of him a while ago. If anything, Koscheck’s major weakness seems to be that he’s caught by surprise in bouts he doesn’t take seriously: Paulo Thiago comes quickly to mind. When the pressure is on, as in his recent fights with Anthony Johnson and Paul Daley, Koscheck has showed up in great shape, stuck to a good gameplan, and gotten some convincing wins.

4. Because he’s a very different fighter compared to when GSP first beat him.

It’s been over three years since Georges St. Pierre fought and beat Josh Koscheck at UFC 74. In that time, Koscheck has dedicated himself to improving all of his abilities, especially his stand-up. Koscheck’s wrestling is the best it’s ever been, but his stand-up has also seen some big improvements in recent years. I don’t think anyone likes to admit it because they’d much rather paint Koscheck as a one-dimensional wrestler in order to further vilify him, but I think Koscheck could actually hold his own against GSP standing, and perhaps even KO him. GSP may have Freddie Roach…but so did Andrei Arlovski. And we all know how that turned out.

3. Because he trains at one of the best camps.

Georges St. Pierre has Greg Jackson’s, but Josh Koscheck has the American Kickboxing Academy. Both camps come easily to mind when I think of the premiere MMA camps in the entire world. GSP has a lot of talent in his corner and a lot of championship-level fighters to train with, but so does Josh Koscheck. At any given day of the week Koscheck trains with the likes of Mike Swick, Daniel Cormier, Josh Thomson, Jon Fitch, and current UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez. Everyone loves to point out how GSP trains with the best and brings in the best trainers, but they seem to forget that Koscheck hangs his hat at one of MMA’s best camps as well.

2. Because he’s actually managed to get inside George St. Pierre’s head.

Can anyone honestly deny this? At a recent pre-fight press conference, GSP said something along the lines of “If I beat Josh Koscheck, I never want to talk about him again”. When was the last time Georges St. Pierre said something like that? GSP has become the squeakiest kind of squeaky-clean do-gooder, and yet it’s become apparent that Josh Koscheck’s extended verbal warfare has finally begun to bear fruit. GSP has always been an emotional fighter once he steps into the Octagon… and those emotions may finally betray him and cause GSP to make mistakes and leave himself open for counters if he’s too focused on shutting Koscheck up.

1. Because no one expects him to.

Sometimes you just have to root for the underdog. A lot of people are quick to point out how unlikely it is that Josh Koscheck will beat Georges St. Pierre, few are willing to admit that it’s far from impossible. When you’re as dominant a champion as Georges St. Pierre, every new challenger quickly takes the role of the underdog… until that challengers wins. And 2010 has seen a huge number of underdogs toughing it out and pulling off the upset. Koscheck being the last one of the year, as crazy as this year has been, wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

So there you have it, fans and friends. What about you? What will Josh Koscheck have to do to beat Georges St. Pierre?

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?

5. Because the UFC has a tradition of ending the year with a bang.

UFC 92, which took place back in December 2008, is widely regarded as one of the best events the UFC has ever put on. Last year’s December show, UFC 107, featured one of the best performances of BJ Penn’s career. While UFC 124 may not be the most star-studded December card the UFC has ever put together, they are giving us arguably the biggest star they have, and the UFC does have a tradition of putting on a great show to close out the year.

4. To see if Sean McCorkle can back up his considerable trash-talk.

Sean McCorkle has been not-so-quietly gaining his fair share of internet fame (and even infamy) with his loud, boastful, seemingly non-stop verbal attacks towards his upcoming opponent, Stefan Struve. We’re talking about a man who’s so confident in his abilities that he compared himself to Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s always fun to see if an entertaining trash-talker can back up everything he says, and at least on paper, McCorkle vs. Struve would have been a good fight anyway.

3. Because there are a lot of good undercard fights on the main card.

Not only does this card benefit from Struve/McCorkle, it also benefits from a large roster of mid-level talent that’s been smartly booked against good opponents. Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig, Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira, and Thiago Alves vs. John Howard stand out the most as a perfect mixture of good-to-great fighters and very smart match-making. These are the kinds of fighters that may not be the biggest stars, but can put on some great performances against the right opponents. And they’ve definitely been given the right opponents at UFC 124.

2. To see the reaction Josh Koscheck gets.

I say this without hyperbole: Josh Koscheck is quickly becoming the UFC’s biggest villain by far. This is a man that can walk into an arena for no other reason than to watch some fights… and nearly get booed out of said arena. I’d watch this show for Koscheck’s reaction alone, since this event takes place in George St. Pierre’s backyard. Having the fight in Canada is bad enough, since it feels like the entirety of the nation is behind GSP, but having it in Montreal, Quebec? Look for Koscheck to get one of the biggest and most negative reactions of the year.

1. The main event, plain and simple.

For better or for worse, I think Josh Koscheck is the biggest threat Georges St. Pierre has faced in a long, long, long time. It’s an entirely new Josh Koscheck, the man St. Pierre beat no longer exists. This Koscheck has dominant wrestling, good hand speed, good coordination, and real punching power. This fight will bring out the best in Josh Koscheck, and Georges St. Pierre is already one of the best Mixed Martial Artists of all time. If it lives up to its potential, this could easily be a late entry into the Fight of the Year contest.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What about you? What are you looking forward to for UFC 124?

The episode begins by focusing on the upcoming teammate vs. teammate Kyle Watson vs. Jonathan Brookins fight. Coach Georges St. Pierre says that he’ll once again avoid coaching in order to not play favorites, but he does tell his fighters that it’s now time to be selfish. We then get an in-depth look into the mind of Kyle Watson, as he details how he got his start in MMA. Watson reveals that, at one point in his career, he even gave up a promising job, a girlfriend, and a few pets in order to train MMA full-time.

Over at the yellow side, Team Koscheck is feeling the sting of defeat and perhaps feeling a bit mutinous, as it seems like several Team Koscheck fighters are disgruntled at the fact that their training has virtually become non-existent. Mark Stevens gets a little tipsy and starts doing a mocking impersonation of Koscheck, only for the man himself to enter and catch Stevens in the act. Koscheck takes it all in stride but urges his team to grow up: instead of pointing the finger of blame every which-way, perhaps they should look at themselves and their poor outings across the season.

There’s even a lot of drama surrounding the sole remaining Team Koscheck fighter still alive in the competition, Nam Phan. Phan is being accused of being a goody-goody up front but talking ridiculous amounts of trash behind everyone’s back. Phan laughs it off and plays the “everyone’s against me and I have no idea why” card. After both Brookins and Watson successfully make weight, our first fight of the night is underway!

While it’s certainly longer than all the other fights he’s had this season, this was another stellar showing by Jonathan Brookins. Brookins ate some good first-round shots by Watson, but after Brookins started nailing takedowns, he began taking down Watson continually and always following up with hard, well-timed shots. The fight ends up going all three rounds, generally repeating this pattern, and Brookins wins it via Unanimous Decision. After the fight it seems like everyone, even Dana White, has jumped aboard the Jonathan Brookins hype train.

By far the most hilarious moment of the season occurs next. The subject of Nam Phan rears its ugly head again, when one fighter brings up the point that he finds it awkward that Phan takes “hour-long” showers. One of the fighters jokingly suggests that they should wait until Phan is deep into the act of pleasuring himself before they storm into his room and catch him spanking the monkey. Without an ounce of hyperbole, this quickly turns into a small mob that sneakily enters Phan’s room, opens his bathroom door, and catches him punching the clown. Everyone gets a good laugh… except for Phan, who is not amused.

We then focus on Team GSP’s Michael Johnson, as it seems that many people are jumping aboard his hype train as well. After that we quickly switch back to the fallout of Nam Phan’s bathroom shenanigans. Phan confronts his team and pleads with them to let him focus on his fight, Jonathan Brookins is not without sympathy to Phan’s plight. Coach Koscheck takes it all in stride and says that so long as Phan keeps winning, he can do whatever he feels like.

After both men make weight, our last fight of the season gets underway… and what a spectacular fight it is. Throughout three rounds of constant action, Michael Johnson and Nam Phan both put on the fight of the season, and for my money, one of the best fights of the last several seasons. Michael Johnson ends up taking a razor-close Split Decision, and that’s all she wrote for Team Koscheck. It’s going to be Team GSP-only at the TUF 12 finale to crown Season 12’s TUF champion. After the fight, Coach Koscheck has no regrets and blames no one but himself, and promises to rectify this mistake by beating Georges St. Pierre. Coach GSP closes out the season by saying how proud he is of his fighters.

And so we come to the end, fans and friends. In the future, I think “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 will stand the test of time as one of the best TUF seasons in recent history. We had some amazing fights, some great drama, good characters, and so much more. This season, more than virtually any other season that’s happened recently, has proven to me that the “TUF formula” is far from dead, and that this show is far from over. I can’t wait to see how the “Ultimate Finale” event goes down, and I look forward to continuing to watch “The Ultimate Fighter”. I’ll see you back here for Season 13!

And what about you, fans and friends? Now that it’s all said and done, what’s your opinion on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12?

In a recent interview with Fighters Only, the current top UFC Welterweight Championship contender had this to say: “…I don’t think George has a good chin and I don’t think his hands are that good. So I want to keep this fight on the feet and knock his ass out… He hasn’t been hit since Matt Serra. That was a good crack. His chin hasn’t been tested [since then]… I believe that Georges has quit in him and you just have to take him to that point. Nobody has been able to do it since [Matt Hughes and Matt Serra] but I plan on doing it.”

Is Koscheck wrong here? I can agree that the man is controversial and I can somewhat understand all the hate he gets, but he certainly makes an interesting case, and one that’s been brought up long before Koscheck was named as GSP’s next opponent. Who’s clipped GSP with a good, clean, hard shot since Matt Serra pulled off the upset of a lifetime? I can’t think of anybody, and GSP has fought some pretty tough strikers since the Serra fight.

I think the key difference here is that, in Koscheck, GSP will face a dominant wrestler that’s good at striking, he won’t be facing a striking-based fighter that can somewhat hold his own on the ground. It’s been quite a while since GSP has fought a fighter that has the unique blend of characteristics that Josh Koscheck now possesses. I think the Koscheck that Georges St. Pierre beat and the Josh Koscheck of today are worlds apart.

Make no mistake; Josh Koscheck will undoubtedly be facing the toughest test of his career when he faces George St. Pierre for the second time. I just think people probably don’t want to give credit where credit is due because Koscheck is portrayed as this big villain that we should all hate. Koscheck himself has embraced that role and heightened it to the point where he’s become one of the UFC’s most notable stars. Still, a lot of people are predicting that GSP will mop the floor with him.

Me? I try to look past it all and focus on what we know can happen in a cage. Koscheck is very well-rounded and has sneaky KO power. Koscheck has improved upon every facet of the game that GSP used to beat Koscheck the first time. It’s going to be a lot closer than most people think, and I think Koscheck has a better chance than any of GSP’s recent opponents. 2010 proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that anything can happen in MMA. Koscheck beating GSP would barely, just barely, register on my “crazy things I never thought I’d see happen” radar. It’d be a bit shocking, sure, but at the end of the day, Koscheck/St. Pierre 2 is a great fight between two top-division fighters. It’s anyone’s fight to win, and Koscheck has a good chance at surprising a lot of people before all is said and done.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on the entire situation?

Here’s what Thiago recently told Tatame, with English translations courtesy of MMA Mania: “I think if I lose I’m out. I have to train all that has to be trained… I am just training hard and waiting for my next fight, they still have not told me anything about my next fight… Now it’s kill or be killed, just one more chance.”

Thiago is 3-3 in the promotion since debuting in early 2009. Big wins over the aforementioned Josh Koscheck as well as Koscheck’s teammate Mike Swick have been tempered by losses to Jon Fitch (another one of Koscheck’s teammates) and Martin Kampmann. Thiago entered the UFC with a flawless 10-0 record, his three career losses have all occurred inside of the famed Octagon.

Perhaps most importantly, Thiago is on a two-fight losing-streak, suffering back-to-back losses to Kampmann and most recently Diego Sanchez. Barring a few exceptions here and there, there’s a clear precedent in the UFC that a three-fight losing-streak is the surest way to find yourself in the unemployment line. Thiago was not over-embellishing, not in the slightest, when he said that his situation was “kill or be killed”.

I think Paulo Thiago is simply another hot-and-cold fighter in a long line of hot-and-cold prospects that don’t live up to all of their hype but aren’t necessarily bad fighters either. I can’t really point to one thing in particular that Thiago has done wrong, he seems to match up perfectly against some opponents while other opponents make it look easy to beat him. I will say this, though: if Paulo Thiago loses his next fight it wouldn’t surprise me at all if word came in the following days that he had been released from the UFC.

I know that’s a harsh stance to take, but as the UFC itself is so eager to point out nowadays, it’s a dog-eat-dog world in MMA’s #1 promotion. If Paulo Thiago wins his next fight, and rest assured, there’s a good possibility of that happening, then I’ll be more than happy to see him continue to try and find secure footing in the UFC. But if he loses again, I think it’s time for the UFC to put Thiago in the “what could have been” bin and send him back down to the minor leagues. And who knows? Maybe a temporary UFC exile will be good for Paulo Thiago.

Despite the fact that Thiago is a very talented Mixed Martial Artist, dark days do appear to be ahead for the man. But as the saying goes, it’s always darkest before the dawn. Perhaps this two-fight losing streak will come to a dominant end in Thiago’s next fight, perhaps he’ll finally make the changes necessary to realize his full potential. Anything can happen in the world of Mixed Martial Arts, and I look forward to seeing which Paulo Thiago becomes the dominant Paulo Thiago as we head into 2011.

And what about you, fans and friends? How important do you think Paulo Thiago’s next fight is, and do you think we’ll ever see him compete for a UFC championship?

The episode immediately begins with a focus on the increasing hostility between Team GSP teammates Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres and Michael Johnson. Johnson quickly accuses Caceres of pranking him, when in fact the culprit was a member of Team Koscheck. We then immediately segue into the first fight of the night, Team Koscheck’s Aaron Wilkinson taking on Team GSP’s Kyle Watson.

Watson immediately shoots for a takedown after a few seconds of light stand-up, and the striking-based Wilkinson is forced on the defensive for much of the round. The two exchange positions several times, but in the end, Watson is able to secure Back Mount. One Rear Naked Choke later, and Nam Phan officially becomes the only hope Team Koscheck has of seeing one of its fighters advance to the finals. Post-fight Koscheck marvels at how many of his fighters have succumbed to the Rear Naked Choke.

We then get a guest appearance by Freddie Roach, the famed boxing instructor that coaches GSP as well as several boxing legends of the past as well as the present. The TUF hopefuls marvel at Roach’s track record and reflect on what an interesting experience it was to train with him. After that we get some more trash-talking and shenanigans to hype up the Johnson/Caceres fight, and immediately after that, the fight gets underway.

The bulk of the fight, which goes to a decision, follows an interesting pattern: Caceres gets in some decent shots, but Johnson more than holds his own. Despite that, whenever Caceres lands anything other than grazing blows Johnson immediately shoots for the takedown. Johnson does some good work and scores the takedown several times, but Caceres always seems to find a way to get back up. It’s a close fight for the most part, but Johnson clearly dominated with his wrestling and Ground and Pound. The judges agree, and Johnson takes a Unanimous Decision. Post-fight it becomes apparent that both fighters have gained a new-found respect for one another and have decided to squash their beef.

UFC President Dana White is shocked at how quickly Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre come to an agreement regarding who fights who in the semifinal fights. It’ll be Michael Johnson vs. Nam Pham and Kyle Watson vs. Jonathan Brookins. TUF 12 takes a vacation next week, but in two week’s time they’ll hold a special two-hour “semifinals extravaganza” that’s sure to impress.

I really enjoyed this episode for several reasons. First and foremost, the fights were very entertaining. We had a quick finish and a very good brawl; it was a fun night of fights. The drama hit the backburner for the most part in this episode, but I’m not complaining. Better yet, I find myself really looking forward to the special double-sized episode that’s coming up. TUF 12 has been a great season so far, and the “extravaganza” should be a fantastic way to end what I think has been one of the better seasons of TUF.

And what about you, fans and friends? With the semifinals set, what’s your opinion on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 in general and Episode 10 in particular?

Here are the highlights from an MMA Weekly article that saw White say the following: “The thing is about Anderson Silva, the guy hasn’t lost since 2006, and he’s actually moved up in weight class and beat guys at 205, too. When people try to argue with me that this guy isn’t the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, it’s crazy… Even a fight where he’s getting beat for 4.75 rounds and then pulls out the armbar and wins the fight, that’s the stuff that makes you a legend… He’s 36 years old and he’s still dominant.”

It’s been a while since I chimed in on this matter, and I think now is as good a time as any. If you’ll recall, fans and friends, I posted an article entitled “Anderson Silva Has Lost the Pound for Pound Crown” back in August, shortly after Silva rallied back in the dying minutes of the fifth and final round of his showdown with arch-rival Chael Sonnen and tapped out the brash-talking Middleweight with a dramatic come-from-behind Triangle Choke/Armbar combination.

In that original article, I basically talked at length about how Chael’s domination of Silva up to that point was good enough to give Georges St. Pierre the ever-so-slight edge he needed in order to take the crown away from “The Spider”. St. Pierre has consistently looked incredibly dominant in every single one of his fights since losing to Matt Serra in 2007, while Silva’s reign of destruction faltered with lukewarm defenses against Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, and Demian Maia in addition to the one-sided thrashing he received at the hands of Chael. But something immeasurably important happened shortly after that article saw the light of day.

Just in case you missed one of the biggest scandals of the year, I’m talking about Chael Sonnen testing positive for steroids in a post-fight drug test after losing to Anderson Silva. Not only did the positive test put Sonnen’s credibility in doubt, it potentially turned a career-defining performance into a career-defining controversy. It’s also the chief reason my opinion on this subject has changed.

This is my opinion on the matter: if you’re chemically enhanced it doesn’t matter what you accomplished. You cheated, plain and simple. Your victory means nothing, and for Chael Sonnen, it means even less because he didn’t even win. So, right now, I think the pound-for-pound debate is back to being way too close to call. Both Anderson Silva and George St. Pierre are incredibly gifted and incredibly dominant champions, and I’m proud to call myself a huge fan of both men. So I’ll bide my time and revisit this argument once both men get through their upcoming championship defenses.

But make no mistake, I’ll be monitoring those fights closely. GSP’s performance against Josh Koscheck and Anderson Silva’s performance against Vitor Belfort will both play crucial roles in the continuing pound-for-pound debate. I still believe that GSP could overtake Silva, but I also think that Silva could keep his crown for a long, long time. It’s going to be a very interesting couple of months if, like me, you too just can’t help but get into the pound-for-pound fervor.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your feelings on the pound-for-pound debate in general, and Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre in particular?

5. Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis

The WEC would be hard-pressed to find a better fight to go out on than this headlining attraction at WEC 53, the final WEC event before the entire promotion is folded into the UFC. In one corner you have the unlikely champion Ben Henderson, who established himself as a worthy champion with several incredible performances against the WEC’s best and now stands poised as possibly one of the best Lightweights in the game. Then in the other corner you have Anthony Pettis, an incredibly dynamic and wildly entertaining fighter. This fight as a whole sums up the WEC’s long history of solid matchmaking, and I can’t wait to see it happen.

4. Dan Henderson vs. Renato Sobral

This is one for the old-school fans, let’s get that straight right off the bat. But if you do consider yourself a diehard or simply a fan of the old-school, this fight has quite a lot to offer. It features two aging fighters that still seem to have a lot left to give, trying to recapture the old magic that made them champions in the past. It’s also the classic “styles clash” match-up pitting the heavy-handed striker versus the grappler, and also the wrestler versus the Brazilian Jui Jitsu practitioner. It has all the makings of a good fight between two big names from the past, so it definitely deserves a watch.

3. BJ Penn vs. Matt Hughes

Like Hendo/”Babalu” but bigger. This fight happens at a critical moment in both men’s careers. Now that he knows his legacy is intact, Matt Hughes has been fighting for the fun of it without the added pressure of wanting a title shot. If he beats Penn, he might just get one. Conversely, the added pressure of having to constantly defend his Lightweight Championship ultimately spelled doom for “The Prodigy”, and he looks to a Welterweight return to reestablish and reinvigorate himself. Whoever wins this one takes a massive step forward, but Penn has a lot more to lose if Hughes gets the better of him. It’s the end of a rivalry that has spanned several eras in Mixed Martial Arts, so you should definitely watch it.

2. Josh Koscheck vs. Georges St. Pierre

I never would have believed that you could still have an incredibly bitter rivalry where one side does all the talking, but here we are and there it is. This fight is going to be insane for a number of reasons. The reaction GSP will get will be monumental, as will the boos Koscheck will receive. The fight itself should be wildly entertaining as GSP lets loose months of pent-up rage while Koscheck sets out to prove that he’s an entirely different fighter compared to when he lost to GSP the first time. It’s an epic main event and the culmination of a very bitter rivalry, so of course it takes the #2 spot.

But my top spot simply has got to go to…

1. Lyoto Machida vs. Quinton Jackson

This non-title fight could put just about any other promotion’s championship fights to shame. This is a massive match between two phenomenal athletes with two clearly divided fanbases. I’ve vocally supported Machida from the get-go, and I can’t wait to see him rise from the ashes and prove once and for all that “The Machida Era” has been postponed, not cancelled. He can do just that if he beats “Rampage”, one of the most well-known and feared strikers in the history of the business. It’s a colossal showdown that you absolutely must not miss.

So that’s where I stand, fans and friends. What about you? What matches do you think should absolutely not be missed as 2010 draws to a close?

According to Sherdog, episode 9 saw an average of 1.8 million viewers. Once again the UFC continues to dominate the ratings in its core demographics, as Episode 9 scored a 1.79 in males 18-49 and a big 2.10 in males 18-34. Episode 9 saw two quarterfinal fights instead of the usual one, an unusual occurrence that has happened several times throughout this season due to the fact that so many TUF hopefuls are finishing their fights in quick, dramatic fashion. Episode 9 saw both fights finished, as Jonathan Brookins quickly choked out Sako Chivitchian in the early minutes of Round 1 while Nam Phan wore out and ultimately pounded out Cody McKenzie in Round 2.

And remember, fans and friends, you can get all the info on any episodes you missed in the latest edition of “TUF Talks”, the weekly recapping of the latest episode of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a side of commentary thrown in, hosted by myself and exclusive to fighters.com. For the latest edition of “TUF Talks” click here, for the “TUF Talks” archive click here.

I’m honestly glad that the TUF ratings have picked back up, and I think Episode 9 was the perfect episode to have a lot of eyes on in hopes of getting even more viewers to tune in as we head towards the end of the season. Episode 9 may have been a little light on the drama, but we got a very interesting inner monologue by Jonathan Brookins, and I liked how the episode as a whole put a lot of emphasis on the fights and the fighters.

And that’s the best thing they could have done, since the fights were so entertaining. This season may not have given us the best TUF fights ever, as a three-round war usually delivers more per-minute entertainment than a lightning-fast submission, but there were a lot of quick finishes this season. This gave fight fans an additional fight, which also usually finished quickly, so in regards to bang-for-the-buck, you won’t find me complaining.

In fact, I think this season proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the lighter-weight fighters can give us the more entertaining seasons. Compare the fight quality of this all-Lightweight season to Season 10, which featured an all-Heavyweight cast. It’s like night and day: we saw some of the worst fights in TUF history during Season 10, while Season 12 gives us quick finish after quick finish after quick finish. I sincerely hope Dana White is paying attention and gives us our Bantamweight and Featherweight seasons of TUF. I truly believe we’re beginning to enter the era of the lighter fighter, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 so far? And what do you think the ratings say about the future of TUF?

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another edition of “TUF Talks”, the weekly rundown of the latest episode of the popular UFC reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter”. Last week’s Episode 8 saw the final preliminary fight, a “wild card” bout that pitted two of coach Josh Koscheck’s losing fighters in a fight against each other to give one man one last shot at TUF gold. In the end, Aaron Wilkinson beat teammate Marc Stevens via guillotine choke (the second time Stevens tapped to a choke during the season) to keep his TUF dreams alive. What does Episode 9 hold? Let’s find out as we dive into the latest edition of “TUF Talks”.

The episode begins with Sevak Magakian giving Sako Chivitchian a pep talk concerning his upcoming fight with Jonathan Brookins. Sevak lost to Brookins via Rear Naked Choke earlier this season, and both Sako and Sevak are in agreement that they will do everything in their power to ensure that the two Armenian fighters of TUF 12 do not get their dreams ended by the same man.

The first training segment of the episode sees coach Georges St. Pierre switch tactics for his team, focusing on “tactical training” that involves only light sparring in order to better focus his fighters and get them eager to step into the Octagon. Coach Koscheck also switches gears and focuses almost exclusively on Sako not giving up his back. Later on, after some frat boy hijinks erupt in the TUF house, Jonathan Brookins reflects on how he wants to stay the same man he was before the TUF house and how he never wants to let the fame and fortune negatively alter who he is and how he views the world.

Then the fight gets underway, and much to the chagrin of Josh Koscheck, it’s virtually a mirror image of Brookins’ earlier fights. Brookins ends up quickly taking Sako’s back and after only a modest struggle he’s able to lock in a Rear Naked Choke for the tap. Post-fight Sako calls himself an idiot for not sticking to the gameplan (which was to keep the fight standing at all costs) while Josh Koscheck can only shrug and agree.

The episode then centers on the next fight, Cody McKenzie taking on Nam Phan. McKenzie is supremely confident, almost to a fault, heading into this key showdown. Phan is confident as well, since he spends an entire practice session solely defending the guillotine choke, which is by far the biggest weapon in McKenzie’s arsenal. Coach Koscheck swears that he’ll hit Phan over the head if he gets guillotined, mostly because McKenzie and Koscheck have developed quite the rivalry throughout the season.

The fight quickly gets underway, and the recurring theme for the season seems to be Team Koscheck fighters landing themselves in a world of trouble the first few seconds into the round. McKenzie quickly scores a takedown and Phan spends almost all of Round 1 defending and trying to get back to his feet. Towards the end it seems as if McKenzie has gassed, and this is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in Round 2 when Phan begins landing strikes on a far more consistent basis while being able to easily fend off any takedown attempts. Phan lights up McKenzie with an array of strikes and finally lands a power shot to the body, dropping McKenzie. One final flurry later and Josh Koscheck officially has one of his fighters going to the semi-finals.

The episode ends with Koscheck bragging and boasting, much to the chagrin of GSP. Next week’s episode sees the pivotal showdown between teammates and rivals Michael Johnson and Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres. Also, the semi-final match-ups are officially announced.

All in all, this was another great episode. We had a very in-depth look into the heart and mind of Jonathan Brookins, to the point where he’s now become my favorite fighter still in the hunt for TUF gold. Brookins seems to be all class, all heart, all determination, and all skill, and he might just win it all. Plus, any episode that has two fights instead of the usual one always turns out to be well worth watching. TUF 12 hit its stride a few weeks ago, right now it’s simply perfecting the formula. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

And what about you, fans and friends? As we head towards the semi-finals, what do you think of TUF 12 so far?

Episode 8 begins with the cast and crew reacting to the wildcard fight, in particular, quite a lot of people are upset that Marc Stevens got the nod and a spot in the wildcard. While both Dana White and Josh Koscheck defend their selection, the general consensus is that Stevens was one of the least-deserving of the spot given how quickly he was choked out in his preliminary fight.

Alex “Bruce Leroy” Caceres keeps getting on everyone’s nerves, and it becomes apparent that a full-blown rivalry is brewing between him and teammate Michael Johnson. Speaking of rivalries, coach Koscheck and Brad Tate (Mr. Male Nurse) continue their verbal war and even get a little physical.

At the fight weigh-ins the confrontations between Tate and Koscheck finally boil over into a full-blown fiasco when Koscheck grabs Tate by the throat and starts a near-riot. After cooler heads prevail both the wildcard picks successfully make weight while Josh Koscheck spins a crazy conspiracy theory about Brad Tate being hired by Georges St. Pierre in order for Tate to do the kind of trash talking that St. Pierre himself isn’t willing to risk his squeaky-clean image over.

Shortly thereafter, Aaron Wilkinson is shown receiving the sad news that his Nana (grandmother) has passed away. Wilkinson opts to cry alone in a bathroom rather than play the sympathy card and wear his heart on his sleeve. Aaron Wilkinson channels the spirit of Frank Edgar shortly before the final preliminary fight gets underway and says that sometimes a good fighter with a smart gameplan can beat somebody just as convincingly as an amazing fighter that is supposedly miles ahead of the competition.

The round kicks off with an even-handed exchange before Aaron Stevens gets the fight to the ground and dominates for the rest of the round. Stevens gets Wilkinson in full mount, back mount, half-guard, and nearly submits him three different times: once with a Rear Naked Choke, once with an Armbar, and then again with a Triangle Choke. Wilkinson bravely survives but finishes Round 1 far behind. However, the Brit’s prophetic words come true when Stevens charges in at the start of the second round only for Wilkinson to catch him in a guillotine and choke him out. After the fight UFC President Dana White is highly critical of Nam Pham (for making some pretty ridiculous calls as Wilkinson’s impromptu cornerman) and Aaron Stevens (for getting choked out twice).

After both coaches sit down with Dana White to discuss the quarterfinal match-ups, the official quarter-finals break down like this: it’ll be Michael Johnson vs. Alex Caceres, Kyle Watson vs. Aaron Wilkinson, Cody McKenzie vs. Nam Phan, and Jonathan Brookins vs. Sako Chivitchian. Next week’s episode sees two quarter-finals fights, instead of the usual one, as we get closer and closer to finding who the next TUF champion is.

All in all, I really enjoyed this episode. It’s another heavy-hitter that gave us great drama, some interesting team vs. team and inner-team turmoil, and a very good fight. Stevens lived up to his potential in Round 1 while Aaron Wilkinson displayed an incredible amount of heart, and Wilkinson’s come-from-behind victory in the second round was honestly one of the highlights of the season. Now that we’re into the quarter-finals, I can safely say that the best is yet to come for TUF 12 and that I think we’re in for some amazing episodes in the next few weeks.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your current opinions on TUF 12’s cast of characters?

TATAME brings word that Thiago will call the UFC home for the foreseeable future despite most recently losing two fights in a row. His back-to-back losses to Martin Kampmann and Diego Sanchez marked the first time in Thiago’s entire MMA career that he’s lost consecutively. As of this report, both the date and the opposing fighter for Paulo Thiago’s next fight has not been set.

For better or for worse, I think Paulo Thiago is a victim of circumstance. I hesitate to call his dramatic KO win over Koscheck “lucky”, anyone who’s followed me for any length of time knows that I believe that there is no such thing as luck in MMA. Let’s just say this: Thiago capitalized on his opponent taking him lightly and engaging carelessly despite being a wrestling-based fighter, and those mistakes have simply not been made by some of Thiago’s other opponents. Thiago was on the verge of real welterweight legitimacy after submitting Mike Swick, but this two-fight losing streak has set him back considerably. He’s not back to square one, but he’ll have to string together some big wins before he gets within shouting distance of title contention.

I also hesitate to call Thiago “overhyped”. He opened a lot of eyes when he KO’d Koscheck, and that puts a lot of pressure on a fighter. Thiago has risen to the occasion more than once in the UFC, and even in his losing efforts he’s tried very hard and usually he produces some very entertaining fights. The fact that half of the six fights Thiago has competed in have earned “Of the Night” honors is a testament to his ability to keep pace with some of the UFC’s best while also producing the kinds of fights that fans pay to see.

But if we’re being completely honest, I think a step back in competition would be good for Paulo Thiago. Thiago has proven to be a hit-or-miss fighter when matched up against the UFC’s welterweight elite. If he keeps rushing in full-tilt against the UFC’s best and brightest, he’ll continue to hover around a 1.0 win/loss ratio in the UFC. I don’t think Thiago’s UFC record will ever take a dramatic turn for the worse, but I also don’t see it being anything to build a championship on if he keeps getting high-level fighters.

Right now, I think a trip back down to the mid-level would be the best thing that could possibly happen for Paulo Thiago. He’s signed for four fights, I’d say let him fight and beat two mid-level welterweights and then give him another crack at the top tier. Because even if the UFC has signed Thiago to a new contract, ultimately no job is safe if a losing streak remains unbroken. At the end of the day, I wish Paulo Thiago all the best and I look forward to seeing what’s next for him.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Paulo Thiago?

According to MMA Weekly, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 Episode 7 pulled in a big 1.9 overall rating, with the UFC and Spike TV continuing to score big in their key demographics (males 18-49 and males 18-34). Episode 7, for those wanting a refresher course, featured the final preliminary fight before the “wild card” fight was announced, as well as an entertaining “coaches challenge” that saw Josh Koscheck annihilate Georges St. Pierre in a home run derby.

I’m very glad this season has done so well, and I think it bodes well for future lighter-weight seasons. With the announced UFC/WEC merger and the success of this all-Lightweight season, I think we’re going to get both Bantamweight and Featherweight seasons of “The Ultimate Fighter” in the very near future. And I’ve been a vocal advocate of that for quite some time now.

While every single fight of Season 12 hasn’t been a show-stealing affair, we’ve had some really good action in these seven episodes. We’ve had some filler and some not-so-good sprinkled here and there, but we’ve also had great finishes, amazing victories, and several hard-fought and very entertaining brawls. There hasn’t been as much drama in this season as there has been in previous seasons, but by no means has this been a tame season. I’ve accused several episodes of being “formulaic”, but as I’ve said in the past, an episode that follows a good formula, perhaps to a fault, can still be considered a good episode. From Mike Tyson to Josh Koscheck to Dana White to Bruce Leroy, Season 12 of TUF has given us some very interesting episodes.

And remember, I cover the latest episode of “The Ultimate Fighter” on a week-by-week basis in my series “TUF Talks”. If you’ve missed out on any of the past seven episodes, feel free to read all about them by clicking here.

While some fans have been critical of the series in the past (“stagnation” is an oft-repeated term), I think “The Ultimate Fighter” will remain on television for a long, long time. It’s survived the “reality TV” bubble bursting, it’s survived several notable pretenders with bigger budgets and better networks (“The Contender, anybody?), it’s survived where countless others have failed and failed spectacularly. Even those that hate TUF and the “TUF formula” have to give it its respect. Like many other seasons in the past, Season 12 has stuck to a tried-and-true formula while tweaking it just enough to make it seem new, fresh, and relevant. With solid ratings and good fights, Season 12 may just end up being one of the best seasons to come along in recent history.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on TUF season 12 and the future of “The Ultimate Fighter” in general?

We immediately start out with the announcement of the final preliminary bout before the wild card: Dane Sayers of Team GSP versus Sako Chivitchian of Team Koscheck. It seems as if the odds are stacked against Sayers, as even coach Georges St. Pierre is willing to admit that Dane was protected and held back from fighting until the very end in order to give him the most time possible to improve. Back at the TUF house, talks immediately turn to the impending wild card bout, with virtually everyone that’s lost gunning for another shot at TUF glory.  Spencer Paige is taken out of the running, however, since a broken hand will keep him out of action for at least three months.

Back at the TUF gym, we’re finally clued in on who Josh Koscheck gets into a brawl this season with, as the unknown man seen in the previews since the first episode is identified as Brad Tate, who is labeled as a “Medic”. Koscheck repeatedly pulls the “male nurse” card, and it seems to be working. Tate leaves to fight another day.

It’s now time for the coaches challenge, and it seems my guess last week was right on the money: we’ve got a home run derby on our hands. Georges St. Pierre looks utterly dismayed while Koscheck looks ecstatic. GSP is able to put together ten points despite never holding a bat in his life, while Koscheck practically obliterates him by scoring thirty-four points. Team Koscheck is all smiles since the coach is $10,000 richer while everyone on the team is $1,500 richer. GSP jokes that next time they’ll play ice hockey.

It’s now fight time, and both Dane and Sako set a brisk pace the moment the first bell rings. Sako, who is repeatedly referred to as “Psycho” throughout this episode, finds a lot of trouble in an early guillotine attempt, but manages to escape it and ultimately he controls a close, if not a little boring, first round. Round 2 sees a return of the “Wall and Stall” tactics of Sako while Dane catches both his opponent and everyone else off-guard with just how much he’s improved. Ultimately it’s not enough, as Sako grinds his way towards a Unanimous Decision win.

And now we get our wild card pick, and surprisingly enough, it goes to two members of Team Koscheck. Next week sees Aaron Wilkinson taking on Marc Stevens, the TUF house reacting to the wild card pick, and a shoving match break out between Koscheck and Tate.

Compared to episode 5 and especially episode 6, I found episode 7 to be a rather weak one. It was about as formulaic as a TUF episode can get, and the episode’s fight honestly wasn’t all that entertaining. Still, I wouldn’t call it a bad episode, especially when you factor in the very fun coaches challenge. At the end of the day, a standard episode of a good season still qualifies as good.  And I’m definitely looking forward to next week’s episode, since Stevens/Wilkinson is loaded with potential and I can’t wait to see what happens between Koscheck and “Mr. Male Nurse”.

So what do you think, fans and friends? What’s your reaction to the wild card pick, and now that the final preliminary fight is upon us, who do you see as the early favorite to win this season of TUF?

That’s according to an interview Fitch did over at MMA Weekly, where he stated that he’d likely be moving up to Middleweight if teammate Josh Koscheck won his upcoming rematch with rival Georges St. Pierre and became the UFC Welterweight Champion. Here are some of the highlights: “It would be like a two year process for me to move up a weight class. Because I have unfinished business at 170. The thing is I would move up if Josh would win the title and defend it. So he’d have to hold on to it for a while… I could fight GSP non-title, I could fight Jake Shields, I could fight Martin Kampmann, I could fight Carlos Condit… Then that would be the optimum time I would be looking for other challenges if I want to move up a weight class… “

I think there are a lot of interesting options for Jon Fitch if he does indeed decide to move up to 185. I see Fitch competing at or near a championship level, regardless of what division it’s in, for the next several years. If it’s at Middleweight, that means big-time showdowns with Vitor Belfort, Nate Marquardt, and even divisional kingpin Anderson Silva. In particular, I’d love to see Fitch take on Alan Belcher or Chael Sonnen, once Belcher returns and when/if Chael Sonnen gets his steroid scandal over with, which will probably include serving the remainder of the one-year suspension he’s been slapped with.

As always, I think Jon Fitch doesn’t get nearly enough credit for where he’s at and who he’s beaten in the UFC. He’s 13-1 in the UFC, and at one time he was a co-holder of the “most consecutive wins in the UFC” record alongside greats like Anderson Silva and Royce Gracie. As I’ve said several times before, I think it’s unfair to lump Jon Fitch in with some of the more blatant “lay and pray” offenders, who I can admit are becoming an increasing problem in the UFC and MMA in general. I’ve always felt that Fitch has been very active even if he gets it to the ground almost always nowadays. There’s a “beautiful ugliness” to the way Fitch fights, and it really frustrates me that I’m one of the few who sees it.

Jon Fitch is going to face some really tough challenges at Middleweight, but ultimately, I could see him challenging for the championship before all is said and done. Dominant wrestling is dominant wrestling, and Fitch’s wrestling is some of the most dominant in all of Mixed Martial Arts. No matter what the future holds for Jon Fitch, I’ll be looking forward to it.

And what about you, fans and friends? How interested would you be to see Jon Fitch move up a weight class?

After a lackluster performance against Martin Kampann last Saturday at UFC 121 in Anaheim, Calif., the former Strikeforce middleweight champion has attributed his condition in the cage as part of a gruesome weight-cut prior to the welterweight tilt.

Going five 5-minute rounds in back-to-back performances against the likes of Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Dan Henderson would certainly make you think that Shields has his conditioning down packed, however those two stints at the middleweight division is what ultimately (as he suggests) caused his weak performance against “The Hitman”, though the Cesar Gracie protege eventually walked out the victor of a split-decision win.

And with that win, Shields has now become the next man in line against the winner of GSP and Koscheck at UFC 124 in December, and if he had it his way, the French-Canadian will walk out with his belt around his waist, despite ties with the American Kickboxing Academy.

It wouldn’t be any secret that most people already believe that St. Pierre will be the decided favorite for the December 5th title fight, after all, the reigning and defending champion has already beat his foe, Koscheck, at UFC 74, albeit 3 years ago.

And while a match up pitting a “prime” Shields against St. Pierre is something that both competitors have been talking about for some time now, it doesn’t come without a little bit of back lash against Jake, considering he’s choosing against a training partner in Koscheck as far as how his chances will look against “Rush”.

Jake splits his time in several locations, mainly Fairtex to keep his striking up to par, his stomping grounds of the Cesar Gracie Academy where he was homegrown so to speak, and of course the aforementioned American Kickboxing Academy where other welterweight stars such as Mike Swick, Jon Fitch, and of course “Kos” all call home.

“I would much rather take it from GSP because he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now, in my opinion,” said Shields during the post-fight press conference following UFC 121. “Koscheck is a phenomenal fighter, but right now it’s a little more prestigious to beat GSP.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of this? Is too much being read into this or is it a slap in the face for the AKA guys? You decide. Sound off in the comment section below.

The episode begins with Josh Koscheck picking on Michael Johnson because…well, just because, apparently. Among other things, Koscheck says that Johnson is fat and lacks cardio. The bragging and boasting continues in the TUF house, as Team Koscheck loudly and flamboyantly celebrates their win while Team GSP quietly maintains the same air of dignity they had even when Team Koscheck was winless. To make matters worse, Josh Koscheck himself turns up at the TUF house to celebrate, and once again calls out Michael Johnson.

It’s now fight time, and Koscheck picks his Marc Stevens to face GSP’s Cody McKenzie. The general consensus is that Marc Stevens is the better Mixed Martial Artist on paper, but McKenzie is a scrapper with a very tricky guillotine choke. When talking to Nam Pham, McKenzie admits outright that Stevens is probably a better fighter, but talks about how any number of crazy things can happen in the Octagon.

And believe me, something crazy is exactly what happens. We immediately get or first fight of the night, and McKenzie comes out super-aggressive and catches Stevens off-guard. Stevens goes for the takedown, gets caught in the dreaded guillotine, and gets choked out despite being in Side Control. Koscheck looks on in a stupor while Team GSP celebrates. However, the festivities are tempered a bit in the locker room, when coach Georges St. Pierre warns his team not to take the low road and act like Team Koscheck now that Team GSP is back in the win column. GSP says that it’s the right thing to do, but also the smart thing: if you’re unimposing outside of the cage and a wild man inside of it, you have a great chance of always keeping your opponent guessing. In the Team Koscheck locker-room, it’s face-palms and dreary looks all around.

With Georges St. Pierre back in control, our second-to-last preliminary fight is revealed: it’ll be Jonathan Brookins taking on Sevak Magakian. These two men couldn’t be more different: Brookins does yoga and has all the makings of a pseudo-hippie new-age youngster, while Magakian has the personality of an angry and slightly insane Armenian. When the two men meet in the cage, however, it’s another dominant win for Team GSP. After both men exchange lightly on the feet, Brookins nails an impressive Judo Throw out of nowhere, gets himself into a Standing Back Mount, digs his hooks in, and then fights for and ultimately locks in a Rear Naked Choke. Magakian goes limp, Team GSP gets another huge win, and we once again get a shot of a stunned and dazed Josh Koscheck.

Brookins is humble and new-agey in victory, stating that he doesn’t want to put fear in any man’s heart, but that he will earn a man’s respect. Next week’s episode sees the final preliminary fight between, Dane Sayers and Sako Chivitchian, as well as the always-entertaining Coach’s Challenge, which seems to be a Home Run Derby or something similar.

Last week’s episode had a lot going for it, I even thought it was the best of the season, but this week’s showing had an equal amount to cheer for. There wasn’t as much epic drama, but you simply can’t get a two-fight show with two crazy finishes and not call it a good time. If this series continues like this, we may be looking at one of the best TUF seasons in recent history. Everything is amping up, everything is getting better and more exciting, and I couldn’t be happier. This season is quickly becoming a must-see, so I’ll see you all next week for another edition of “TUF Talks”.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How do you feel about the fighters featured so far, this week’s episode, and this season in general?

The world-ranked and fiercely dominant Jon Jones recently said the following in an interview with ESPN: “[I would] absolutely not [fight Rashad Evans]. If Rashad Evans won the belt, which I’m hoping he does, my only goal would be to be the toughest contender there is, and keep whipping butt without being champion. I’d stay at 205 and be the second best. That would be my goal. As I said, I’m hoping he wins, we’re very proud of him. I can’t do it.”

I’ll say this right now: I think Jon Jones is only hindering himself if he keeps this promise and doesn’t fight Rashad Evans. I’ll go one step further: not fighting your teammates is asinine, and it prevents you from competing against the best competition possible. Now, before I get my trusty flame shield out and primed for an assault, hear me out on this one.

I get that it’s hard to fight a friend. But this is the UFC, this is MMA…it’s a hard sport. When that cage door closes, everything gets left out and the only thing that matters is you and your opponent. If you can’t separate your friendship for fifteen to twenty-five minutes, what does that really say about you as a top-level fighter? To be the best you have to beat the best, and if you don’t fight the best out of some misguided principle, ultimately the only thing you’re doing is hurting yourself and depriving the promotion and its fans of a potentially money-making bout.

I think Jon Jones will keep this promise no matter what I think, but for just a second, try to imagine what Rashad Evans vs. Jon Jones would look like. If both men bring out their best, we’ve got a “Fight of the Year” fight on our hands. The same goes for encounters like Jon Fitch vs. Josh Koscheck. These are fantastic matches that could potentially make everyone involved a huge amount of money. And it’s not going to happen simply because some fighters aren’t willing to put aside their friendship for one little fight.

I understand the sentiment, part of me even agrees with it in principle, but I just don’t like the fact that more and more high-level UFC fighters are refusing to fight each other because they’re part of the same camp. A fight is a fight is a fight: either fight the best and prove yourself or stagnate against lower-level and unworthy competition. Either put your friendship on the back-burner for a couple of minutes and reap the noticeable rewards, or stick to your precious principles and anger everyone from the promoters to the fans. The choice is yours.

And what do you think, fans and friends? When it comes to teammates fighting teammates, where do you stand?

WHO: Football Legend turned Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Herschel Walker

WHAT: Live Interviews on ESPN First Take, The Herd with Colin Cowherd & SportsCenter

Walker will discuss his upcoming, second professional STRIKEFORCE MMA bout  at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, live on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) on Saturday, Dec. 4.

Walker will face an opponent to be determined in a televised heavyweight bout.  MMA superstar Dan Henderson will take on former STRIKEFORCE world champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral at light heavyweight (205 pounds) in the main event.

The 48-year-old Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL Pro Bowl competitor, is undefeated at 1-0 in his latest athletic endeavor – MMA.  A 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee, the 6-foot-1, 220 pound Walker was also selected to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team that year.

Walker has been training alongside a host of MMA superstars at American Kickboxing Academy (A.K.A.) in San Jose, Calif., since last year.  A longtime martial artist, he holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do as well as additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo. .

Walker was recently a contestant on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice reality series.  An entrepreneur at heart, Walker is the founder and CEO of Herschel’s Famous 34, a food services company.

WHERE:         ESPN, ESPN 2 & ESPN Radio

WHEN:            Wednesday, Oct. 20 on ESPN 2’s ESPN First Take at 11:20 a.m. ET / 8:20 a.m. PT

Wednesday, Oct. 20 on ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd at 11:45 a.m. ET / 8:45 a.m. PT

Wednesday, Oct. 20 on ESPN’s SportsCenter at 3:40 p.m. ET / 12:40 p.m. PT

—-

What do you guys think of Walker?  Should he keep fighting at age 48?

According to MMAWeekly, episode 5 averaged 1.9 million viewers, with a 1.93 in males 18-49 and a huge 2.2 in males 18-34. Once again, these ratings prove that the UFC has gotten the TUF formula down to a sweet science, as key demographics for both the UFC and Spike TV continue to tune in and watch this product. Up until episode 5, episode 3 boasted the highest rating, most likely due to a surprise guest appearance by boxing legend Mike Tyson. Episode 5 also benefited from a little added star power, as it saw coach Josh Koscheck bring in both Jon Fitch and Chuck Liddell to help his ailing team of hopefuls.

I think this episode set a big precedent, and it will be interesting to see if future episodes capitalize on this momentum. Episode 5 really did feel like a turning point for the season: everything clicked in just the right way, and now that Team Koscheck has a win under their belts, and a big one at that, it feels like it’s anyone’s game now. And we’ve still got a lot to look forward to: we’ve seen previews of both an actual fight in the TUF house as well as Josh Koscheck getting into an altercation with a member of GSP’s coaching staff. I truly feel that we’ve only struck the tip of the iceberg when it comes to TUF 12, so I’ll certainly be tuning in week after week.

I always find myself thinking how remarkable it is that the UFC has found a way to keep the TUF formula from growing stale after all these years. There have been the occasional doomsayers throughout the years, there have been people who have looked at a negative trend in the ratings and predicted that TUF is either dead or dying. But they’ve always been proven wrong. It’s true that some seasons have done far better numbers than others, but as a whole, TUF has stayed strong and become nearly synonymous with Spike TV.

Not only do I think the TUF formula hasn’t gotten stale, I think the show is going to get even bigger. With international and WEC versions in the works, there’s almost limitless potential for this series so long as it continues to change and evolve. The UFC and the Ultimate Fighter aren’t going anywhere but up, and I couldn’t be happier that they’re taking all of us along for the ride.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on the season so far, and the high ratings of Episode 5?

Episode 5 starts out with a somber reflection courtesy of coach Josh Koscheck, who is unwilling to go silently into the night but seems fully aware of how his team is in dire straits. Koscheck hopes to remedy that with a surprise guest appearance by Jon Fitch. Back at the TUF house, Alex Caceres is up to no good again, as he substitutes Team Koscheck fighter Nam Pham’s fabric softener for bleach. This ends up backfiring as Michael Johnson, one of Bruce Leroy’s teammates, was doing a load of laundry himself. Caceres says “my bad” with not an ounce of sincerity, while Johnson says that virtually everyone in the TUF house has come to loathe Caceres.

Not to be outdone by Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, coach Georges St. Pierre brings in Jean Charles Skarbowsky. Skarbowsky is a feared Muay Thai teacher and practitioner that smokes, drinks, and breaks lesser men down for a living. GSP outright warns his team to treat the man with respect or suffer the consequences. And this is all for good reason: despite being a relatively small man that’s not the greatest physical specimen of all time, Skarbowsky makes wrecking Team GSP look pitifully easy. He leaves more than one team-member on the floor in agony, but at the end of the day most of the people who he trained with are glad for the experience.

It’s fight pick time once again, and with GSP in control, he selects Spencer Paige to fight Nam Pham. Pham seems incredibly motivated for this fight and spends almost all of his free time training. In fact, Pham spends so much time running around the outside area of the TUF house that his teammates think he’s over-training himself. A Team Koscheck training segment ends with a surprise appearance from Chuck Liddell. Team Koscheck sing Liddell’s praises for a bit while Liddell gives them some advice that all fighters should live by: train hard and love what you do, because fighting sucks if you don’t like it and it beats the hell out of everything else if you do.

Speaking of fighting, it’s now time for Spencer Paige vs. Nam Pham. Both men come out swinging, and Paige actually drops Pham to one knee with a well-timed and very powerful leg kick. However, that one moment of weakness causes Paige to over-indulge on the leg kicks, to the point where Pham catches one and puts Paige on the ground. What follows it an outright domination by Pham, with a barrage of punches that has me thinking that Pham is going to gas himself out if he keeps it up. Pham ends the round dominantly with a Kimura that Paige seemed seconds away from tapping to.

Pham proves me wrong in round 2, as it seems like all that running has paid off. The man looks to have cardio for days, he continues to push the pace and hammer a disheartened Paige. When the second round ends, it comes as a shock to no one that Pham wins and gives Team Koscheck their first victory of the season. Koscheck and company proceed to nearly tear the roof down in their excitement. Next week’s episode sees two fights instead of the usual one, Team Koscheck continuing to go crazy over their first win, and Georges St. Pierre getting a nasty cut while training.

I’ll say it right now: this was the best episode of the season. You had guest appearances, more drama, more attempts by Koscheck to rile up GSP, more everything. The fight itself was also very good, since Pham displayed a lot of skill while Paige displayed a lot of heart. I was very impressed with this episode of TUF, and it seems like Season 12 is finally starting to live up to my expectations, since I predicted that it may end up being one of the best seasons in recent history. I can’t wait to see next week’s episode, so I’ll see you then, fans and friend. But what about you? What did you think of TUF 12 episode 5, and the season as a whole?

After a string of decisions in his last couple of fights, albeit against top-flight competition in Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy (respectively), the UFC welterweight champion has been pegged as a dominant, but boring fighter.

Well, the mixed martial artist is looking to change all of those preconceived notions come December 11.

Canada’s favorite son, “Rush” will be returning to his native Montreal, Quebec, Canada when he faces fellow “The Ultimate Fighter” season twelve coach, Josh Koscheck.

A thorn in his side since their original meeting back at UFC 74, where St. Pierre used effective grappling en route to a decision victory, Koscheck has been anything but pleasant to work opposite of on the reality show. The proverbial “bully” of the welterweight class, there doesn’t appear to be any more significant polar opposites than GSP, a soft spoken and well mannered man, and Koscheck, a brash, loud, and cocky alpha-male. After everything has been said and done, Georges will look to channel all his pent up aggression come UFC 124.

“I care about winning, but I care also about how I win”, said St. Pierre at the press conference held yesterday in Montreal, before a large media circuit in preparation for the welterweight showdown on December 11.

“I’m not happy with what happened in my last fight (a unanimous decision victory over Dan Hardy, at UFC 111). I had great opportunities sometimes (to finish the fight), and I was not able to seal the deal. I know what I did wrong, and I’m the kind of guy that never makes the same mistake twice. When the same opportunity happens again, I will finish the fight.”

Since his last bout, which saw GSP go for several submissions though to no avail (which with that, needs something to be said about Hardy’s durability as a fighter), St. Pierre is now only focused on impressive performances, and Koscheck, fortunately, is his next victim.

“Whether or not he taps… If he doesn’t tap, than his limb will break”, said GSP.

“I’m going into that fight (with Josh) for either a knockout or a submission. I want to take him out. I want to finish the fight.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the reinvigorated St. Pierre? He almost scares me. Sound off in the comment section below.

Now riding a 14-fight win streak, retaining his Strikeforce middleweight title in a successful defense against former PRIDE and UFC star, Dan Henderson. After contract negotiations fizzled out with the San Jose based organization, Shields eventually landed his spot atop of the UFC’s 170-pound weight class, where now, he might be one win away from a coveted shot at the most prestigious title in the world.

During a press conference held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada this afternoon in preparation for “UFC 124: St. Pierre vs Koscheck II”, Dana White stated that a win for Shields, who has been mentioned as an immediate contender to GSP’s welterweight title, would mean an almost certain immediate title shot for Jake.

“If Jake Shields should win against Martin Kampmann, it will probably be him next,” White said.

Kampmann and Shields meet as the co-main event of the evening for UFC 121, which will take place in Anaheim, Calif., at the Honda Center, on October 23.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Shields becoming an immediate contender to the welterweight title with a win over Kampann? Should Martin be granted the same accolades with a victory as well? Or does Jon Fitch, who has been knocking at the door of the welterweight title for the last couple of years, earn another title shot? Sound off in the comment section below.

The episode starts with a recap of last week’s, where Michael Johnson won for Team GSP in a close fight. Boxing legend Mike Tyson, who made a special appearance last episode at the behest of GSP, gives GSP’s team some sage words of wisdom about how confidence wins fights both in sports and in life. Speaking of confidence, Josh Koscheck’s team seems to be having a distinct lack of it; even coach Koscheck admits that it’s time to “get busy living or get busy dying”.

Back in the TUF house, “Bruce Leroy” Alex Caceres is on everybody’s mind, since apparently he was acting unprofessional during last week’s fight and shouting things like “**** him up” and “beat his ass”. Sevak Magakian, who has had a problem with Caceres since day one, ends up getting into a shouting match with him. It nearly escalates into a full-blown fight, but Sevak is restrained. Caceres laughs it off and says that he’s not an idiot: he’ll do his fighting in the cage and not get kicked off the show for fighting in the house.

After some more ribbing by Koscheck (the term “robotic nerd” was used in abundance), Team GSP is once again in control and coach St. Pierre picks the next fight: Kyle Watson vs. Andrew Main. Next up we get another prank by Koscheck, as he shows up to work in a Speedo. Koscheck makes a joke about GSP fighting in Speedos because he likes how it forces all the men to stare at his package, but GSP laughs it off once again. It seems as if Koscheck’s inability to get under GSP’s skin is beginning to get under Koscheck’s skin.

Next we get a look at how this week’s fighters are preparing for their fight. Both men seem to be having some confidence issues, but their coaches do their best to pull them through it. Main is afraid that he’s too young for the competition, ironically, Watson is afraid that he’s too old. Even more ironically, Watson is 31. While there is a decade-long age gap (Main is 21), there’s still almost a decade to go before Watson reaches the dreaded four-zero, which has somehow become the go-to age that a fighter is supposed to stop at. Or at least where he begins declining. Nevertheless, the fight is on.

After a bit of striking from both men that doesn’t ever really go anywhere, Andrew Main secures a standing back mount that lasts for almost the entire round. Watson proves that he has a lot of fight in him by surviving any and all submission attempts and ultimately reversing the position, ending the fight on top and perhaps stealing the round. It was close no matter who you gave it to. Round 2 is all Watson even though it appears that both men are tired. Watson eventually scores back mount, locks in the submission that he had spent nearly the entire first round trying to escape from, and puts Koscheck’s team 0-3 with a hard-fought Rear Naked Choke submission.

Post-fight Koscheck nearly throws a tantrum and does kick over a chair, but somehow manages to mostly keep his cool. Both Koscheck and Andrew Main are disappointed that Main didn’t follow the gameplan, while Watson is happy to get a win but isn’t overly impressed by his performance. Next week promises more Bruce Leroy drama and special appearances by Jon Fitch, Chuck Liddell, and a mystery guest.

While not as good as Week 3’s outing, I wouldn’t say this was the worst episode of the season. In fact, I think there haven’t been any “bad” episodes yet. The drama was great; I still haven’t tired of Bruce Leroy and I don’t see myself doing so for a good number of episodes. The fight was pretty grueling for both fighters, but it felt a little average to me. Bonus points, awarded for the hilarity of seeing Koscheck in a Speedo and Mike Tyson giving a very heartfelt lecture, makes this episode one worth watching.

And that’s it for me, I’ll see you all here next week. But what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of this week’s episode?

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.

Beginning to make noise in the heavyweight division, “Skyscraper” will meet with perhaps his most well-known opponent to date, when he tangles with internet sensation, Sean McCorkle.

Perhaps still largely unknown to the main stream mixed martial arts audience, “Big Sexy” has become a true hardcore favorite with his infamy which has been derived from the popular Underground Forums, of MixedMartialArts.com, where his zany antics and outlandish claims have eventually landed him in the big show of the UFC. Obviously, his talent has had something to do with that.

An undefeated giant, standing at 6’7 and cutting down to the 265-pound limit, McCorkle made his UFC debut most recently at UFC 119 in Indianapolis, Indiana before a hometown crowd. The unblemished prospect made short work of former PRIDE star, Mark Hunt. The action unfolded quickly when the reinvigorated Samoan quickly closed the gap with punches, which is indicative of his K-1 background. Sean took control, bringing the fight to the ground where he was eventually able to lock on a fight-ending arm bar, at just 63 seconds inside of the first round.

With the victory, McCorkle is successful in his UFC debut, and has pushed his record to a perfect 10-0, launching him into the big time.

Hoping to derail the momentum of the UFC rookie, Stefan Struve is looking for his second-straight win, when the two giants meet in the cage on December 11, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada for UFC 124.

The news of the bout was first reported by MMAJunkie.com, which will most likely serve preliminary duties on the pay-per-view card, which is headlined by a title fight pitting reigning and defending champion, Georges St. Pierre against rival “The Ultimate Fighter” season 12 coach, Josh Koscheck.

Struve, 22, brings a wealth of experience into the cage at a tender and young age. At 20-4 (4-2 in the UFC), Stefan’s age and experience are unrivaled in the heavyweight division. Let alone, the fact that “Skyscraper” stands as the tallest fighter in the UFC, at a staggering 6’11, which rivals any other fighter in the promotion.

The Dutchman is coming off of an exciting slug fest with the previously undefeated Christian Morecraft, at UFC 117 last August. The early goings of the bout saw Christian largely in control, punching Stefan on several occasions standing, before bringing the action to the ground, mounting, and finishing strong, arguably earning a lopsided 10-8 round. A dejected Struve came back storming in the second. The two heavyweights traded punches against the cage before Struve landed a right hand to the chin in a wild exchange, dropping Morecraft to the ground, polishing it off with a few additional strikes before referee Herb Dean called a halt to the bout in just 22 seconds into the second round.

The win moved Struve improved his record to 20-4 overall, and garnered the Holland native 4 wins in his past 5 fights inside the octagon.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match up? Who do you have pegged as the early favorite? Will McCorkle’s size match with “Skyscraper’s”? Sound off in the comment section below.

According to MMAWeekly, Episode 3 averaged 1.8 million viewers, bringing the average rating to 1.3, with a 1.9 in the UFC’s and Spike TV’s bread-and-butter demographic of males 18-34. Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter” features an all-Lightweight cast of hungry up-and-comers coached by UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and his arch-rival, bad boy extraordinaire Josh Koscheck.

It remains to be seen if the TUF ratings will hold solid or even improve, since this week’s episode benefited from a surprise and heavily-marketed appearance by boxing legend “Iron” Mike Tyson, one of the most famous pro boxers ever. Next week’s episode also features Tyson, in a much bigger role than this week’s episode in fact, so Spike TV and UFC officials most likely have an even bigger rating to look forward to. The real test will come when casual viewers who tuned in to see Tyson decide whether or not to stick with the program once he fulfills his guest role.

I personally think that if any season justified big ratings, it’s this one. Georges St. Pierre trains like an animal, and he’s bringing that style with him and applying it to his cast of hopefuls. St. Pierre seems to have a vested interest in making his team better fighters win or lose, and while he’s soft-spoken most of the time, I really appreciate the effort he’s putting into his team. And Josh Koscheck is always entertaining even if you hate him, and he also seems to be putting a lot of effort behind his coaching gig.

The drama that will unfold also certainly justifies increased ratings. We’ve already laid the groundwork with Koscheck’s pranks and the antics of “Bruce Leroy”, and we’ve got so much to look forward to. In this season we’ll see Koscheck get into a fight with one of GSP’s trainers, an actual fight and not just a glorified shoving match break out in the TUF house, and a lot more. Reality TV thrives on drama, and Season 12 seems to have plenty of it to go around.

But perhaps most importantly, the fight quality in Season 12 is improving each episode. The notorious Season 10 may have delivered the best ratings in TUF history, but it also saw some of the worst fights ever broadcast on the long-running show. Season 12 has none of that. With a cast of fast and frenetic Lightweights, we should all be looking forward to some pretty epic battles in the race for the TUF crown.

All in all, I’m very happy that TUF’s ratings continue to improve. I’ve liked just about everything this season has given me so far, and I’m eagerly anticipating all that will follow. And what about you, fans and friends? What are your early opinions on Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter”?

The episode starts with “Bruce Leroy” Alex Caceres celebrating his victory the only way he seems to know how: very, very flamboyantly. Caceres gets his crunk on much to the dismay of…pretty much everyone, as the TUF house as a whole quickly grows tired of his boasting and bantering. The next day in training, George St. Pierre brings in Gia Sissaouri, famed wrestling champion.

Team Koscheck seems to be the struggling as episode 2 gets underway. In their first training session of the episode, multiple fighters are seen complaining, not giving their all, and taking any sort of break that they can. Koscheck rallies the troops, and all seems to be well. After that it’s fight-pick time and GSP chooses Michael Johnson, his number-one pick, to fight Aaron Wilkinson, one of the last fighters picked by Koscheck. Wilkinson is adamant that he’ll surprise any and everybody that is doubting him, and there seems to be a lot of that going around.

Speaking of surprises, episode three sees the first prank of the season, as Josh Koscheck blocks in GSP’s rental car on both sides with other cars. St. Pierre is undeterred, though, and manages to get in on the passenger side. Koscheck’s plans for revenge for GSP fooling him in episode two (read more about that here) seem to have been all for naught, although Koscheck does get in a witty line about GSP talking and acting like a robot. In another surprise, Mike Tyson shows up at the behest of GSP and UFC President Dana White. And now it’s finally fight time.

After an initial feeling-out period, it appears that Johnson’s hype is justified, as he nails several good combos and hits a few takedowns on Aaron Wilkinson. However, Wilkinson rallies back and scores a takedown of his own, grinding out the rest of Round 1 with numerous elbows that likely stole the round for him. In Round 2, both men trade takedowns and the fight seems very evenly-matched. Unfortunately, the frenetic pace set by both men begins to wear them down, and the fight stalls to the point where Dana White has to shout at them to stay active. When the fight goes to sudden-death overtime, Mike Johnson lays it all on the line and comes out guns-blazing in Round 3, dazing Wilkinson enough to get him to the floor, where Johnson lays down a non-stoppage barrage of strikes that causes Wilkinson to give up his back. One Rear Naked Choke later, and Team GSP is up 2-0.

Post-fight Aaron Wilkinson apologizes for his loss while Koscheck remains adamant that his team isn’t done yet, and that he’s proud of Wilkinson’s spirited performance in the face of virtually everyone counting him out. Next week’s episode sees another prank by Koscheck, a motivational speech to Team GSP given by Mike Tyson, and an in-house shoving match.

I think this episode epitomized the “TUF Formula”, and being so formulaic is both a positive and a negative. We got drama, we got speeches, we got pranks, fights, surprises… we got a whole lot in Episode 3. Some of it was good, some of it felt like padding, but overall it was an enjoyable episode. It could have been great had the episode’s fight not taken a turn for the boring towards the end of the second round, but the dramatic third-round overtime finish certainly undid most of the damage. This was a good step in the right direction, and I look forward to seeing what looks like a great fourth episode.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your feelings as this latest season of “TUF” begins to situate itself? And who are your early favorites?

Not only is Daley officially signed with the organization, but he is set to make his promotional debut in a fight that has fireworks and knockout written all over it.

As previously reported, Scott Smith was to make his return to the cage come December 4, in what will actually be his welterweight debut, when he was expected to face 6-1 Jesse Finney, however, en-light of Daley signing with the organization recently, Strikeforce opted for the Smith-Daley bout in what will prove to be not only a top-contenders bout in a welterweight division which desperately needs one, but will also serve as a punch-you-in-the-face-till-you-fall, kind of fight.

After a lengthy career at middleweight which witnessed some of the greatest knockouts of Smith’s career, including former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le, and UFC veterans Benji Radach and Pete Sell, Smith will be making the drop to the welterweight division for the first time, after beginning his career nearly 10 years ago as a heavyweight.

Daley, a fellow UFC veteran who was exonerated from the promotion after a post-fight punch in unsportsmanlike conduct against Josh Koscheck back at UFC 113, most recently picked up his second consecutive victory when he bested veteran Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13, winning by unanimous decision.

If someone doesn’t get knocked out in this fight, then there is something truly amiss in the world today. An exciting addition to a stacked December card, is exactly what the fans had ordered.

MMA peeps, what do you think of the addition of this bout? Who do you think will take it, and is anyone else surprised that Smith is deciding to move to welterweight, considering he’s one of the bigger 185′ers? Sound off in the comments section below.

The episode opens with the fighters making their way to the TUF house, and let’s not fool ourselves, “house” barely begins to describe the sprawling mansion where these fourteen men will get to know each other. Naturally, the open bar is immediately spotted and the liquor begins flowing. When it comes time to pick teams, GSP puts together quite a gamble. In order to fool Koscheck into picking someone whom Team GSP has no interest in, in order to secure the fighter that they do have interest in, GSP puts together a fake list of names and makes sure that anybody nearby can catch a glance at his top picks. After winning the coin toss, Koscheck takes the bait to a grinning Team GSP.

Here’s how the official rosters broke down, in order of their choosing. Team Koscheck consists of Marc Stevens, Sevak Magakian, Sako Chivitchian, Andy Main, Nam Phan, Aaron Wilkinson, and Jeff Lentz. Team GSP is Michael Johnson, Jonathan Brookins, Spencer Paige, Alex Caceres, Kyle Watson, Cody McKenzie, and Dane Sayers.

Next we get a look into the team’s training regimens: GSP considers himself a “partner” to the fighters and reveals that his coach, the famed Greg Jackson, will be handling the brunt of the coaching duties. On the Koscheck side of things, Josh reveals that he believes in “mindless training”, that so long as his fighters do exactly what he tells them to do the second he tells them to do it, they’ll beat Team GSP. Koscheck also goes on to talk about how he refuses to be labeled, either as “the bad guy” or anything else.

The first fight is announced, with Team GSP doing the choosing, and it’ll be “Bruce Leroy” Alex Caceres taking on Jeffrey Lentz. It’s revealed that GSP let Caceres pick his own opponent. UFC President Dana White strongly disagrees with GSP’s decision, but says that it may be because he (White) is an unrepentant control freak. We get some pre-fight build-up with Caceres talking about his hard-times upbringing while the focus on Lentz seems to be centered on him getting picked last and his smoking habit. And then the fight is on.

Round 1 is a back-and-forth glorified shoving-match, with the majority of the first five minutes seeing both men tangle each other up against the cage. Lentz scores a dramatic Judo Throw in the dying seconds to most likely steal the round. The second round is more of the same, until “Brue Leroy” locks in a Triangle Choke that catches Lentz completely off-guard. Lentz fights on bravely, even powerbombing Caceres at one point, but he ultimately taps out.

Next week’s episode features more in-house drama as “Bruce Leroy” gets a little overzealous in his post-fight celebrations, while Josh Koscheck has some harsh words for his team. Add in a cameo by “Iron” Mike Tyson and you’ve got plenty of reasons to tune in next week.

I liked this episode a lot, and I think TUF 12 has definitely hit its stride. There was a little drama, a little hilarity, some tough training and some sage words of wisdom by the coaches. It’s very interesting to see how radically different GSP and Koscheck’s coaching styles are. The fight we got wasn’t all that interesting, but the end was certainly dramatic and ultimately I think it was a very solid episode of TUF.

And what about you, fans and friends? With the battle-lines drawn, what do you think of TUF 12 so far? And who are your early favorites?

Paul Daley has seen his fair share of highs and lows throughout his tumultuous career. His run as a potential Welterweight contender in the now-defunct Elite XC promotion would be cut short by Jake Shields in a bout that snapped Daley’s six-fight winning streak, all of which came by stoppage (in one way or another) due to strikes. Ironically, Daley would fall to another high-caliber wrestler and once again have a good winning streak snapped when Josh Koscheck picked him apart so thoroughly that Daley famously attacked Koscheck post-fight out of frustration, a move that resulted in a lifetime ban from the UFC courtesy of UFC President Dana White. Daley has competed twice since getting the axe from the world’s biggest MMA promotion, and he’s won both times. Most recently, Daley outweighed (and was fined accordingly) but ultimately outpointed Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights 13.

It is not currently confirmed who Daley will face, although the rumor mill seems to be pointing in the direction of Evangelista Santos, another hard-hitting Welterweight striker. He’s coming off of a two-fight, two-(T)KO win streak, but Santos is perhaps best known as the husband of female sensation Cristiane Santos. Evangelista “Cyborg” is a tough opponent even if his wife is more famous, and should be an excellent test for “Semtex”.

And in regards to Semtex fighting in Strikeforce? I’ve got no major problems with it. As I’ve said before, I believe that what Daley did was wrong but not exactly Scarlet Letter-worthy. Love him or hate him, Paul Daley is one of the last true, great, high-level pure strikers left in a Welterweight division that is becoming increasingly dominated by wrestlers. He will likely always be one-dimensional, with his kryptonite forever being the ground game, but against the right opponents Daley is a flawless striker that could become a major-name star and a marketable draw.

I think Daley has some good fights in store for him in Strikeforce. I honestly think he’ll work his way up to a title shot sooner rather than later, seeing that the UFC has almost all of the best Welterweights and “Semtex” has already proven that he can hang with most of them. But therein lies the rub: the UFC may have almost all of the top-ranked Welterweights, but Strikeforce has Nick Diaz. Diaz remains one of Strikeforce’s best fighters, and in a match pitting two controversial bad boys who love to strike against each other, Diaz/Daley would be a major-money fight that would likely score several Fight of the Year nominations.

Of course, all of this hinges on Daley being able to control his temper and make weight. Being controversial is fine, showing up out-of-shape is an entirely different scenario. Daley is beginning to become a repeat loser in the battle against the scale, and he needs to take his weight-cutting regimen seriously if he wants to make the most out of this Strikeforce deal. And he needs to keep that hot temper in check, or else he’ll find that he’s burned bridges with the two biggest sources of income he could ever possibly have.

But when all is said and done, I’m pretty hopeful for Paul Daley in Strikeforce. If he’s used right, and matched up against the right kinds of opponents, he has a good shot at winning several fights in dominating fashion. Paul Daley may always be one-dimensional, but at least he’s really entertaining in that one dimension. I look forward to seeing him debut in Strikeforce.

And what about you, fans and friends? Now that it’s official, how far do you see “Semtex” going in Strikeforce?

Here’s what GSP had to say via MMAMania: “Josh is very predictable. Look at all the guys who I fought who was arrogant and disrespectful to me. I beat them all. It’s good for my motivation. I hope he keeps it up. He says I’m fake. There is nothing fake about me. And he says I won’t fight him standing. He is the one who is going to try to take me down. He’s the one who doesn’t know what I’m going to do to him.”

And here’s what “KOS” had to say over at Cagewriter: “I have a knack for getting under people’s skin. I want to be an entertainer. I want to be the guy who makes money outside of the cage. If I’ve got to be the villain to do it, then I’ll do that. Life would be boring if you didn’t have controversy. This sport would be boring if you had guys who were just like a Georges, who looks like a robot, talks like a robot, and fights like a robot. You need guys out there with personality. There’s not many guys who are out there who are willing to do that. I’m willing to do that.”

I think Georges St. Pierre has a pretty good point about beating all of the guys who talked badly about him. Talking trash seems to be the worst possible thing you could do against Georges St. Pierre, since all it does is further motivate him and usually results in some incredibly dominating performances. And honestly, I think St. Pierre is right when he says that Koscheck will be the one that instigates a takedown war. It’s true that GSP has relied heavily on his wrestling recently, but he has always been a very good striker. And despite improving by leaps and bounds from his early days, Koscheck has never been and will never be a striker.

Then again, Koscheck has a point too. Nothing sells tickets quite like a good rivalry: some of the best rivalries in this sport have also resulted in some of the biggest buyrates ever seen. A little controversy goes a long way. And I honestly agree that St. Pierre talks like a robot, but then again, that’s hardly his fault. Picking on a guy’s Canadian accent is kinda low, but then again, it’s Josh Koscheck. In regards to looking like a robot and fighting like a robot, all I’ll say is that George St. Pierre is built like a machine and fights like an engine of destruction. So I guess Koscheck is right about that too.

I can’t wait to see how bitter this rivalry becomes, because I have a feeling it’s going to get plenty bitter. Koscheck shines when he embraces his bad boy image, and I truly believe that he legitimately hates Georges St. Pierre. It’ll be fascinating to see what Koscheck pulls out of his bag of insults, and if any of it is ever able to crack the seemingly impenetrable skin of GSP.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Who are you siding with, and why?

The episode started with Dana White’s trademark profanity-filled pep talk, and it was announced that the “wild card” entry would be returning for the season, giving two of the best TUF 12 losers one last chance at glory. Marc Stevens immediately establishes himself with a thirteen-second KO over his opponent, the fastest in TUF history. Stevens then asked Koscheck “do you remember me now?”, a reference to the fact that both men crossed paths several years ago.

In other Lightweight action, Spencer Paige toughs out a Unanimous Decision while Vietnamese fighter Nam Pham also worked his way into the house. A quick montage gives us our next batch of TUF 12 recruits: Andy Main, Jonathan Brookins, Sako Chivitchian, and Jeffrey Lentz all advance.

In a rare example of skill justifying character, the man known as “Bruce Leroy” submitted his opponent to advance in the competition. Alex Caceres, the man behind the giant afro and yellow jumpsuit, seems to be one of the season’s can’t-miss characters.  Another fight montage rolls, giving us four more fighters that have fought their way into the TUF 12 house: Michael Johnson, Aaron Wilkinson, Kyle Watson, and Sevak Magakian. Cody McKenzie then dominates his opponent with a super-tight guillotine that sends Amir Khillah to the land of dreams. In the final fight to determine who gets into the TUF 12 house, Dane Sayers wins by Submission in a dramatic comeback that both UFC President Dana White and Josh Koscheck applauded, using the phrase “all balls” repeatedly.

The episode closes with a look at all the drama that will come for this season, and wow is there a lot of it. With no context we’re left to wonder how it all starts, but there’s plenty of in-house shenanigans and even a few full-on brawls. Even Josh Koscheck gets in on the action, apparently getting into a shoving match with a currently-unknown fighter/trainer.

All told, I enjoyed this new start to a new season. I can already see that Josh Koscheck is going to be a constant source of entertainment, while Georges St. Pierre won’t be contributing much to the drama. GSP looked stone-faced and remained silent for a majority of the fights, but his poker-face tactics seem to hide the mind of a general that has a great shot of leading his team to victory. Remember, Chuck Liddell was highly criticized for picking the weakest fighters last season, only to have his team go on an epic win streak. St. Pierre may not have Josh Koscheck’s mouth, but I honestly believe that Koscheck doesn’t have GSP’s brain. It’s going to result in a very interest dynamic.

I also think we’ll have some awesome fights this season, as the “fight to get into the house” fights showed off some great athletes. We’ve got it all this season: knockout artists, submission specialists, grinders, fighters with incredible heart and will, everything. Only a handful of fighters displayed any sort of cardio problem, and only a few of those few actually made it into the house. So I honestly can’t wait to see what’s in store.

And what about you, fans and friends? With episode 1 of Season 12 now over and done with, what are your early impressions for this season of “The Ultimate Fighter”?

“Semtex” recently told MMAWeekly the following in regards to how his termination from the UFC was handled: “To this day I’ve still never heard nothing from Dana. With all the talk Dana gives and the attitude of being a big man that he is, he could have at least came to my face and said ‘Paul, I don’t respect what you did, I think you’re an (expletive) or a jerk or whatever, you’re not going to fight here again’. But still to this day, I’ve had no phone call, no e-mail, no nothing, so that just goes to show the treatment I received having fought (Martin) Kampmann at late notice, and fought co-main event on my second fight in the UFC, and done a bunch of media work for them in the U.K. There’s some things I don’t agree with, but I’m happy to move on.”

In regards to Paul Daley’s lifetime ban from the UFC, I’m one of the ones that think that there’s a real gray area regarding the situation. Yes, what Daley did was wrong. Unquestionably wrong, in fact. He deserved to be fined, punished, and suspended. But permanently exiling him from the UFC? Stick him on the undercard, make him compete on the lower-end shows, give him a UFC-mandated suspension that lasts longer than the suspension the athletic commission handed down. The UFC has given second chances to countless people that have made mistakes in the past. Paul Daley could have been huge in the UFC. But since Dana White was so hell-bent on making an example out of Daley following the notorious post-fight brawl in Strikeforce, we as UFC fans are missing out on one of the best pure strikers left in a division that is almost completely dominated by wrestlers.

However, I think Paul Daley is causing controversy for controversy’s sake if he begins to criticize how he was fired in addition to why he was fired. Of course Dana White never said anything face-to-face: he probably wanted to distance himself from Daley as much as possible, and if you asked him, the foul-mouthed promoter would likely say that Paul Daley isn’t worth his time. And remember, none of this would have happened if Daley had just kept his cool in the first place. We can blame White for overreacting all we want, but at the end of the day it’s Daley that chose to put himself on this path when he attacked Josh Koscheck after the bell.

All in all, I think Paul Daley’s future is bright with or without the UFC. He’s very marketable, and he comes to fight. Whether in Strikeforce or even the Japanese-based DREAM, I see “Semtex” back on the main stage sooner rather than later.

And if you’re wondering, I’m one of the ones that think that Daley will get a second chance in the UFC one day, so long as he keeps winning fights. Dana White is just as famous for going back on his outlandish statements as he is for making them in the first place.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your feelings on the Paul Daley situation as he moves forward in his career?

5. The Return of the “Wild Card” and “Fight to Get Into the House” Rules

I grouped these two together because they have one clear goal in common: making exciting fights. Fighting to get into the house is a great way to weed out the less-than-stellar competition: the jokes who only want to get on TV and flop out of the house their first fight in. Case in point: Rob Browning, brother to the notorious Junie Browning, mercifully getting kicked out of the house before ever having the chance to fully duplicate the idiotic frat-boy antics that made his brother so (in)famous. The same thing goes for the wild card: nothing gets a guy motivated more than a second chance at greatness.

4. A Different Side of Josh Koscheck

You know him, you more than likely hate him, Josh Koscheck is one of the biggest bad boys in the UFC. But we’re going to see a totally different side of “KOS” when he dons the mantle of “team captain”, and I think that will be one of the most interesting things about TUF 12. Several preview videos already highlight a down-to-earth Koscheck that seems to care deeply about his team. Perhaps this new side of Koscheck will gain the man some new fans, or even get some cynics to change their tune? It’s happened before: for his efforts on TUF, notorious bad boy Tito Ortiz is now recognized as one of the best TUF coaches to ever don the uniform. Even if Koscheck doesn’t gain any new fans, he’ll probably gain a lot of respect from even the harshest critic, so long as he does a good job coaching.

3. Georges St. Pierre’s Return to TUF

The last time Georges St. Pierre was in a prominent role in the UFC’s reality show was eight seasons ago. And even then, he was never a coach: he acted as an “advisor” on Season 4, which was made up of of former UFC fighters. It will be interesting to see how GSP handles having the fate of an entire team of hopefuls resting on his shoulders. Seeing how he steers his team and copes with any drama that may arise should make for some can’t-miss TV.

2. It’s Another Season of TUF…’Nuff Said

One of the biggest reasons I’m looking forward to this season is quite simple: I look forward to every season of TUF. The formula has grown a bit stale at times, but I’ve never seen a season I didn’t ultimately like. There’s just enough good fights, just enough new changes, just enough drama, to keep pulling me in again and again. I may have to deal with some bad episodes here and there, some bad fights or ridiculous frat-boy shenanigans, but the good far outweighs the bad season after season, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I keep coming back to TUF.

But my number 1 reason is…

1. The Lightweights and Nothing but the Lightweights

These are the kinds of fighters and fights that we can really sink our teeth into. This is not to say that the heavier fighters can’t have good fights, but the chances of getting a great match are much more likely with an all-Lightweight cast. Remember that despite being one of the most highly-rated seasons in TUF history, the all-Heavyweight Season 10 also gave us some of the most atrocious fights ever seen in TUF history. Meanwhile, the all-Lightweight Season 5 ended up giving us stars like Manvel Gamburyan, Nate Diaz, Cole Miller, Joe Lauzon, and Gray Maynard. I have a lot of faith in (and have become a vocal proponent of) the lighter weight classes, so I’m looking forward to seeing the 155’ers mix it up more than anything as we head into TUF Season 12.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are you most looking forward to as “The Ultimate Fighter” enters its twelfth season?