UFC 123, which took place in the suburbs of Detroit at the Palace of Auburn Hills, played host to a trilogy completed, a light heavyweight title eliminator put in the books, and now the quick return and exit of “The Heat”.

As fast as Karo was invited back into the octagon, he was quickly dispatched. Some may remember UFC President Dana White ranting about the million different ways that Parisyan had betrayed him both on a personal and professional level with his antics inside the UFC, namely pulling out of a scheduled match up against Dustin Hazelett at UFC 106. Since the incident, Karo had been removed from the organization roster, but later returned when he picked up a win outside the promotion.

Karo had battled for years with an addiction to pills, coupled with a lot of anxiety which ultimately lead to debilitating panic attacks, the 28-year-old had said those days were behind him heading into his match up with Hallman.

Everything looked bright for Karo, but it didn’t last long. The Armenian was dropped early in the first round in a wild exchange where Hallman clipped him with a right hook. Pouncing on the opportunity, Dennis quickly unloaded a barrage of hammer fists on his downed opponent, which called a halt to the welterweight affair at just a little under two minutes inside of the opening round.

Following the bout, Dana White had spoke with a field of reporters during the nights post-fight proceedings, and stated bluntly that Karo, at least for the time being, is done in the UFC.

“I’ll never put a fighter in harm’s way,” said the head honcho. “But Karo came in here tonight and proved he can’t compete at this level anymore”.

So, MMA peeps, do you agree with White’s assessment? Is Karo unfit to compete in the worlds largest mixed martial arts promotion? Will he return, and if so, what does he need to do to get his affairs in order? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here are some highlights from an interview Parisyan recently had with the folks over at Sherdog: “For the last three fights, I’ve walked in cages feeling that I was going to die. If anybody has gone through a panic attack, a full-blown panic attack with your mind racing where you feel like putting a bullet in your brain just to escape it, it terrifies you… I told myself I will never, ever walk in a cage or do anything where it counts in my life if I’m feeling like this again… I feel mentally way better than I was a year and a half ago. I’ve just changed my entire life around.”

Parisyan is set to compete on the undercard of the upcoming UFC 123: “Rampage vs. Machida” event against Dennis Hallman. Hallman is a veteran of nearly sixty professional MMA bouts, and sports a 42-13 record. This will be Parisyan’s first UFC fight in almost two years.

I hate that this is going to come off as incredibly cynical, but it’s going to take a lot more than some promises to convince me that Karo Parisyan will ever again be a force to be reckoned with inside the UFC. I have a hard time finding any sympathy for “The Heat”. I know that personal demons can get the better of us all, but Parisyan has no one to blame but himself. He’s the engineer of his own destruction, his poor choices in judgment are the only things that have led to his downfall.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see the “old” Karo come back. The thing of it is, though… haven’t we been waiting for just that for a long, long time? Hasn’t Karo been given ample opportunity to “bring the old Karo back” and failed several times? How many more opportunities does Parisyan really deserve? How long has he been in “do or die” mode?

To say I’m taking his return with a grain of salt would be an understatement. It’s more like a metric ton of salt. I think Parisyan’s time has passed, I think he missed his opportunity at championship gold and has no one to blame for missing it other than himself. He’s had a long time and several opportunities to recapture the magic that he once displayed six/seven years ago. That’s an eternity by MMA’s standards. Even if Parisyan wins his upcoming undercard bout, it’s going to take quite a whole lot to convince me that Parisyan will ever be relevant in the UFC again. Parisyan has made promises in the past and failed to live up to them. Only his performance at UFC 123 will prove if he’s able to live up to these promises.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about Parisyan’s return and his chances in the modern-day UFC?

The 11-bout card has been made official by the promotion today, including two-televised Spike TV bouts serving as the lead in for what is shaping up to be a good night of fights.

Along with the highly anticipated light heavyweight match up, a pair of former welterweight champion’s are set to face one another for a third time in order to put to rest a rivalry that has lasted for over 7 years, when BJ Penn meets UFC Hall of Famer, Matt Hughes in the co-main event of the evening.

In addition the 170-pound fight, a pivotal match up in the lightweight division has been arranged, with two “The Ultimate Fighter” veterans squaring off on the pay-per-view event. Joe Luazon will meet George Sotiropoulos, who is currently riding a 6-fight win streak inside the octagon, with his last victory coming over the likes of perennial contender Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 116. For Lauzon, a win could vaunt him back into the title mix.

Here is the full card in it’s entirety. Thanks to MMAJunkie.com for the lovely format.

MAIN CARD

* Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida
* Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
* Joe Lauzon vs. George Sotiropoulos
* Tim Boetsch vs. Phil Davis
* Maiquel Falcao vs. Gerald Harris

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Matt Brown vs. Brian Foster
* Mark Munoz vs. Aaron Simpson

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Dennis Hallman vs. Karo Parisyan
* Darren Elkins vs. Edson Barboza
* Paul Kelly vs. T.J. O’Brien
* Nik Lentz vs. Tyson Griffin

It seems that cooler heads must have prevailed, as multiple sites have now confirmed that Parisyan will make his return to the promotion against UFC newcomer Dennis Hallman. Hallman is 1-1 inside the sport’s biggest and best promotion, and most recently defeated Ben Saunders in a fight that proved to be the last nail in the coffin for “Killa B”, since Saunders was fired shortly thereafter. Parisyan last fought in the UFC in 2009 in a controversial Split Decision win over Dong Hyun Kim that was later turned into a No Contest when Parisyan tested positive for several banned painkillers in a post-fight drug test.

Parisyan’s subsequent losing battle with the Nevada State Athletic Commission resulted in a hefty fine, a suspension of nine months, and the aforementioned Split Decision win being turned into a No Contest. After serving his suspension, Parisyan was scheduled to face Dustin Hazelett at UFC 106 but pulled out a day before the weigh-ins, which lead to Dana White’s promise that Parisyan would never be allowed back into the UFC. Since then, it has been revealed that Parisyan was struggling with an addiction to painkillers. Parisyan most recently fought and beat (via Rear Naked Choke) Ben Mortimer at the Australian Impact FC 1: “The Uprising: Brisbane” event.

Before all of the controversy, the back-and-forth, the “will he, won’t he” of it all, Karo Parisyan seemed destined for great things. He’s quite possibly the most successful judo practitioner to ever achieve success in the UFC. He had some great fights against top-flight competition, and although he never fully capitalized on his momentum, he was a good fighter in a stacked division. If the original Parisyan comes back, the one that dazzled opponents and fans alike with his crazy throws…if we see that Parisyan again, I think everyone, including Dana White, will welcome Parisyan back with open arms.

But how likely are we to get that Parisyan, honestly? From panic attacks to painkillers, it seems like Parisyan is never short on excuses for why it’s been so long since he fought at the level he used to. Even if he comes back in shape and ready to fight, does Karo Parisyan even have any name value anymore? What has he done to deserve yet another chance? This isn’t coming from a place of anger, but a place of honesty: does Karo Parisyan really deserve another shot in the UFC?

I honestly don’t think he does. I’m tired of the excuses, I’m tired of him pulling out of fights or going into fights a shadow of his former self. I think Parisyan’s days of competing at an elite level are over. However, I’d actually be quite happy if he proved me wrong. But in the here and now, Parisyan has proven time and time again that he’s more trouble than he’s worth. Unless he comes back in a big way and proves once and for all that his days of controversy and pulling out of fights are behind him, I’m extremely hesitant regarding Karo Parisyan’s return to the UFC.

But what about you, fans and friends? Are you excited for the return of “The Heat”, and do you feel as if the return is warranted?

MMA Gospel Radio (MGR): We are excited to have you on the show. You are on of the biggest up and coming fighters right now. Everyone is talking about Dustin Hazelett. You earned your black belt under Jorge Gurgel, you have three submission of the night honors. People see you as a jiu jitsu guy. Tell me about your stand up game because I know you have been working on it.

Dustin Hazelett (DH): I have been working really hard on my stand up for a long time. I have been helped out a lot by my thai coach Dorian Price who is an excellent coach. Also he is built a lot like me so I can utilize alot of the same moves, tricks and tools that he uses. It has been a huge help. I have been looking forward to fighting since I have been working so hard on it for so long and putting so much hard work into it. I am looking forward to kind of showing it off.

MGR: We talked about your submission game. You are being touted as having one of the best submission games in MMA. How does it feel to be compared to guys like Demian Maia and Jacare?

DH: It is awesome to be compared to people like that because they are obviously so great at jiu jitsu and I really don’t think of myself like that so it is cool to see other people think of me like that.

MGR: I asked our previous guest Luke (Zachrich) a similar question, having earned your black belt under Jorge, I know it frustrates me, I know Jorge and it frustrates me watching him fight at times knowing he is going against his strong point. Is it frustrating for you as well?

DH: You mean to watch him stand there and brawl instead of using his jiu jitsu?

MGR: Exactly!

DH: (laugh) Yeah, it’s kind of frustrating but I have talked to him about it a couple times at length. He says he just has fun standing and MMA is one of those things that you can’t get into for the wrong reasons. You can’t get into it if you don’t love doing it. I am a firm believer in that and you should have fun doing it. If you have fun standing and brawling then I guess you should stand and brawl.

MGR: I guess so. Honestly, I scream at the TV when I watch Jorge fight sometimes.

DH: You and me both (laugh)

MGR: Getting back to you, you hold wins over Josh Burkman, Tamdan McCrory. Of those two who do you feel was the most difficult opponent for you?

DH: I would say Burkmann was the more difficult opponent for me. It is tough to say. I caught Tamdan off guard with that head kick and when we hit the ground I believe he was barely conscious so that made my job a lot easier catching the submission

MGR: I watched your fight with Josh Koscheck. I thought for sure you were going to take that fight, it looked like you got clipped on the back of ear. You were doing well with your distance in the fight, moving well. How important is it for you to get that fight again, I know it was a big fight for you.

DH: Obviously I would like a rematch with him but it is not one of my top priorities. I am looking no further than Paul Daley. That is my main priority and I am not looking past that right now

MGR: You mentioned Paul, he is your next opponent at UFC 108. Everyone knows Paul is a striker, the guy has heavy hands. They call him Semtex for a reason. I personally thought in his last fight with Martin (Kampmann) Martin made the mistake of not taking the fight to the ground. Can you scout Daley for us from what you have seen thus far?

DH: I think you pretty much summed it up. He is a great striker. I think his ground game is a weaker point.

MGR: I am looking forward to this fight but all the fans I talked to wanted you to fight Karo Paryisian in the jiu jitsu versus judo battle. Karo seemed to be disrespecting jiu jitsu a little bit. I know he has some personal issues but do you hold a grudge against him?

DH: No I don’t hold any grudges against him. Obviously the things he said about jiu jitsu and eating jiu jitsu guys for breakfast upset me but at the end of the day there are more important things than fighting and he has some of those to deal with. When I found out I was obviously very disappointed and shocked but I was not as upset as I thought I would be. It is fully because and believe in God’s plan. You never know when something like that is happening why it is happening but I believe that if you continue to have faith then good things will come out of it. Now I have this fight with Daley that is the co-main event so I think good things will come of it.

MGR: I have always been a fan Dustin and I guess I was screaming Dustin Hazelett before most knew who Dustin Hazelett was so I am looking forward to you getting to make your mark at UFC 108. My co -host Gary wanted to know what is more exhausting for you when training, striking or jiu jistu?

DH: I am starting to get more comfortable with my striking now so I am not getting as tired doing it now but in the past it had been the striking.

MGR: Let’s step away from fighting for a second. I know you used to be social networking sites like MySpace. It seems like you have dropped away from those. Is there a reason you have gotten away from them while so many fighters are using them to promote themselves these days?

DH: I am not a big fan of hyping up fights or anything like that. I am more of a shy person, not a people person. I have never been a people person, never been overly charismatic or good with large groups of people or anything. My whole life I have been the outcast, never talked to a lot of people and I kind of gotten used to that throughout the course of my life. Once I started getting a little famous everybody wanted to talk to me and it is very odd for me. I feel like all that stuff promoting the fights and stuff, all the smack talking I am firmly against. I feel your previous fights should hype up your next fight. If your last fights aren’t good enough to hype up the next fight then you should be put back on the  under card until you get more exciting fights. That is kind of where I stand on that. Basically all I do all day is train, play video games and read. That is about it.

MGR: One of the listeners in our live chat, Cageside Chat, wanted to know what kind of beard you would be rocking at UFC 108?

DH: I am not sure. I kind of wing it. I go by how I feel and right now I have the thick beard. I don’t strategically plan it out. MGR: So it is not part of your training camp to grow the beard out?

DH: No,actually a lot of times I end up having to trim it because it gets to long and starts getting caught and it is very unpleasant having pieces of your beard ripped out.

MGR: Not looking past Daley, where would you like to be in this sport in two years?

DH: The obvious answer to that would to be the champion, ultimately that is my goal. That is why I got in to this. If I did not believe I had what it took to be a champion then I probably wouldn’t be doing this because just fighting around and losing fights and never making it to the top doesn’t sound very appealing to me. I firmly believe I have the ability to become a champion someday so that is my goal.

MGR: My co-host Gary wanted to know, since you mentioned you like to read, what have you been reading recently?

DH: Recently I have been trying to read the bible cover to cover. I have always wanted to do it, I grew up in church and stuff and I am a christian. I have never actually read the bible cover to cover. I have read a lot of excerpts. Right now I am working on that and it is a massive undertaking. I still read other books on the side to take a break from it. Just today I was reading “As A Man Thinketh” I am really into psychology. I believe the stronger I can make my mind the better fighter I will be so I read a lot of psychology books.

MGR: IF you get a title shot what do you feel it would take to beat GSP? Do you see something you could exploit?

DH: I feel I match up better against St. Pierre than many of the fighters in the division right now because his wrestling is so good. The welterweight division is so wrestler heavy. There are a lot of great wrestlers like Koscheck, Fitch and that is to just name a couple. None of them can take him down and when they get put on their backs, most grapplers are better top guys. I am one of the better guys off their back with jiu jitsu in mma. I think that gives me a distinct advantage over the other challengers to the title, that is to be able to fight off my back.

MGR: I wish you the best of the luck. I am a big fan. Maybe you will get another sub of the night at UFC 108. Any sponsors you would like thank before we let you go?

DH: I would just really like to thank everybody at JG MMA Academy for helping me out. It is tough training through Christmas and the holidays. It is good to have the support of my team there. Also Ecko.

The statement is an indirect response to Fighters.com’s criticism of White’s response to Parisyan’s unexplained withdrawal from UFC 106 in Las Vegas November 21.

Fighters.com speculated Parisyan’s withdrawal was due to a rumored anxiety disorder and compared White’s response of cutting Parisyan from the UFC to White’s response to Fighters.com’s second-ranked heavyweight and UFC champion Brock Lesnar’s (4-1) serious intestinal disorder which White promised to do everything possible to help.

Fighters.com hasn’t confirmed White’s latest contention that he tried to help Parisyan.

On MMA Junkie Radio, White added,  “When I say ‘tried to help him,’ I went above and beyond the call of duty on that one, man. I won’t go public with [the details], but I’ve done a lot for that kid, and that kid stuck it to me.  He stuck it to me hard.”

Before tonight, Parisyan had also pulled out of a matchup versus Fighters.com’s eighth-ranked welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) at UFC 88 in Atlanta in September 2008 and the whispers about Parisyan’s anxiety disorder loudened.  Since then, Parisyan’s illness has become an open secret among the MMA community.

Thursday afternoon, UFC President Dana White announced via Twitter, “Karo Parisyan has fucked over the UFC, the fans and his opponent again!”

“Again”, apparently, Parisyan’s illness has prevented him from a great matchup.  But, notice the difference between Hazelett’s concerns about Parisyan’s illness and White’s callous reaction.

White also threatened, “[Parisyan] will not be fighting Saturday [at UFC 106 in Las Vegas] or ever again in the UFC!”

Parisyan debuted in the UFC six years ago with a first-round submission of Dave Strasser (25-8-3) at UFC 44 in Las Vegas.  He’s 8-3 in the Octagon, with classic fights versus Nick Diaz (20-8) and The Ultimate Fighter 1 champion “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2).  Parisyan had earned a title shot versus then UFC champion seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (43-7), but was forced to withdraw with a physical injury.

Yet, after a notable career with the UFC, White showed unexplainable contempt for Parisyan and his illness in his reaction to Parisyan’s inability to fight.

Compare White’s reaction to Parisyan’s illness with White’s reaction to second-ranked heavyweight and UFC champion Brock Lesnar‘s (4-1) recent serious intestinal disorder which has caused White to have to twice reschedule Lesnar’s next title defense versus sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (9-0).  White told a post-UFC 105 press conference he and the UFC would do everything possible to help Lesnar recover and he told TMZ he was trying to get Lesnar transferred to the Mayo Clinic.

No Mayo Clinic treatment for Parisyan though?  Is it the stigma that mental illnesses aren’t as serious as physical illnesses?  Or, is it that Parisyan’s value to White has expired since Parisyan’s competitiveness has deteriorated while Lesnar’s star is on the rise?

Fighters.com won’t speculate about what’s in the heart and mind of White, but does think Parisyan and his illness deserve more respect and compassion.  Parisyan isn’t afraid to fight, and never has been.  He’s not missing fights because he isn’t training or isn’t committed.  Parisyan wants to fight, trains to fight, shows up to fight, and then has an uncontrollable, excruciatingly frustrating inability to go through with the fighting career he’s excelled in his entire adult life. 

Parisyan has a serious mental disorder.  Twenty-three year old Hazelett is mature enough to understand and sympathize.  Forty-year old White isn’t.

Topping the bill is the return of former UFC light heavyweight champion “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) as he is set to face former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) in a rematch of the 2006 fight that was Griffin’s first loss in the UFC.

Although a winner of the inaugural Ultimate Fighter reality show, to many observers Griffin’s loss to the veteran Ortiz was the fight that catapulted the Xtreme Couture fighter into the deeper ranks of professional MMA. Now currently coming off a two fight losing streak, Griffin has a lot to win and a lot to lose when he faces Ortiz for the second time.

For Ortiz, UFC 106 will be a triumphant return to the promotion following over a year of bad blood with the organization. His last appearance in the Octagon was a losing effort at the hands of current UFC light heavyweight champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0) at UFC 84 in May, 2008.

UFC 106 will also feature two heavy-handed welterweights as Josh Koscheck (13-4) is set to clash against “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-2) in the co-main-event. Johnson is recently coming off a devastating win over “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-3) in 41 seconds of a catchweight bout at UFC 104.

The fight card is rounded out by a series of bouts that set a theme of old versus new when veteran of the UFC and PRIDE Fighting Championship “New York Bad Ass” Phil Baroni (13-11) returns to the Octagon for the first time since UFC 51 in 2005 to face off against The Ultimate Fighter 7 champ Amir Sadollah (1-1).

Fighters.com seventh-ranked light heavyweight “Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) and fellow Brazilian ”Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (12-3) continue the theme of veteran versus up-and-comer. Nogueira makes his UFC debut following a near decade-long career worldwide.

Remaining main card bouts for UFC 106 include UFC veteran and Judo superstar “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) as he meets Dustin Hazelett (11-4). “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) is set to fight American Top Team’s “KIlla B” Ben Saunders (5-0-2 ). And the Ultimate Fighter 3 winner, “Da Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-6) will take on wrestler and WEC alumnus Jake Rosholt (6-1).

UFC 106 is rounded out by Paulo Thiago (7-1) versus Jacob Volkmann (9-0), Brock Larson (27-3) versus Brian Foster (9-12), Caol Uno (25-11-4) versus Fabricio Camoes (6-0), and George Sotiropoulos (10-2) versus Jason Dent (29-9).

The fight was anticipated by Fighters.com.

Parisyan will return from a no contest with “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (9-4-1) at UFC 94 in Las Vegas last January, declared so after Parisyan tested positive for banned substances after he won a decision on the judges’ score cards.

Hazelett will return from surgery on a torn right ACL. At UFC 91 in Las Vegas last November, Hazelett tapped fellow lanky, young welterweight talent “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (11-3) in an arm bar in the first round.

The matchup is scheduled to be broadcast on pay per view.

Doors at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas open at 7:00 PM local time November 21.  Tickets starting at $100 can be purchased at Ticketmaster.  The pay per view broadcast will begin at 10:00 PM EST.

And, according to “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-5) in a forum post, “I’m set to take on Jake Shields for the middleweight championship of the world in Strikeforce.”

Fighters.com was not able to verify either fight.

Parisyan would return from a no contest with “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim (9-4-1) at UFC 94 in Las Vegas last January, declared so after Parisyan tested positive for banned substances after he won a decision on the judge’s score cards.

Hazelett would return from surgery on a torn right ACL. At UFC 91 in Las Vegas last November, Hazelett tapped fellow lanky, young welterweight talent “Barn Cat” Tamdan McCrory (11-3) in an arm bar in the first round.

Miller’s last fight ended in a no contest after Miller illegally kicked and cut open “Jacare” Ronaldo Souza (8-2) while he was down at DREAM 9 in Yokohama 26 May.

Jake Shields (23-4-1) won the Strikeforce title in a first-round rear naked choke submission of “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (16-5) in St. Louis 6 June.

Yoshida has stoppages of Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) and Akira Kikuchi (16-4); but, few this side of the Pacific (besides you and I) know how impressive that is.

A good showing versus physically and technically tough Parisyan would’ve put him on North American radar too.

Fighters.com has developing information that another anticipated fight, between sixth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) and seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7), is unlikely to ever happen.  More on that as it develops.

Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) will fight Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) in Las Vegas 31 January.

In Chicago 25 October, top contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) and eighth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) will fight to get first dibs on the winner.

Third-ranked EliteXC titlist Jake Shields (21-4-1) will have a confident “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-6-2) on his hands in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, 4 October.

AKA teammates fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-2) and fifth-ranked Jon Fitch (17-3) await match-ups that’ll put them back into title contention.

Tenth-ranked “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) awaits an opportunity to avenge himself of the beating handed to him by Shields in his last fight.

September Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt three big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre hears “Pitbull” scraping at the door, but he’ll have to prove he can make 170-pounds and make Sanchez a would’ve-been.

3. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

Shields added Thompson, a legit top-tenner, to a two-year run of stoppages that in includes Mike Pyle among lesser known challengers.  But, Thompson was as good as Shields can get outside of the UFC.

4. Josh Koscheck (11-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Jon Fitch (17-3)

Fitch tied a record for most consecutive wins in the Octagon, including a stoppage of Alves and a decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, before losing a UD to St. Pierre.

6. “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and hopes for his own fight with Hughes.

7. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

8. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

9. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

10. “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1)

“The Goat” had bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, until becoming the dot at the end of Shields’s exclamation point.

This interview is still interesting since the rising 170-pounder hasn’t had much American media exposure.  Meet “Zenko”!

On the gutsy unanimous decision loss, Fitch dropped three ranks to fifth in August’s rankings.  However, to those who’ve called Fitch St. Pierre’s “toughest challenge”, Fighters.com reminds them that sixth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) knocked St. Pierre out in the first round in Houston 7 April, 2007.

In fact, it was obvious in the stand-up exchanges between St. Pierre and Fitch that the 2007 knockout remains in the forefront of St. Pierre’s mind as St. Pierre was more cautious than he had been in previous fights.

But, rather than St. Pierre match-up versus Penn, Fighters.com would rather sanction a title fight between St. Pierre and the winner of the match-up between Fighters.com’s new top contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) and seventh-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) to be fought in Chicago 25 October.

Alves attains the top contender rank on Fitch’s loss, but not because of his stoppage of eighth-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7) which wasn’t fought at welterweight due to Alves’s inability to make the 170-pound limit, which remains a question.

Moving up five spots to rank third in August was EliteXC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields (21-4-1) on his dominating first-round stoppage of tenth-ranked “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1).

Thompson dropped a rank which allowed “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) to ease into the ninth spot before his 6 September match-up versus “Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) in Atlanta.

Josh Koscheck (10-2) held rank at fourth after winning a bloody unanimous decision over virtually unstoppable, but beatable “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) in Las Vegas 5 July.

August Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt three big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre hears “Pitbull” scraping at the door, but he’ll have to prove he can make 170-pounds and make Sanchez a would’ve-been.

3. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

Shields added Thompson, a legit top-tenner, to a two-year run of stoppages that in includes Mike Pyle among lesser known challengers.  But, Thompson was as good as Shields can get outside of the UFC.  So, who’s next?

4. Josh Koscheck (11-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Jon Fitch (17-3)

Fitch tied a record for most consecutive wins in the Octagon, including a stoppage of Alves and a decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, before losing a UD to St. Pierre.

6. “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and looks forward to his own fight with Hughes.

7. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

8. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

9. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

10. “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1)

“The Goat” had bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, until becoming the dot at the end of Shields’s exclamation point.

• a previously reported light heavyweight bout between Fighters.com’s second-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (23-3) and “Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1);

• a rumoured welterweight bout between tenth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) and “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5);

• a middleweight bout between “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-7) and “Toquinho” Rousimar Palhares (8-1).

Yoshida, who won his last nine fights, made his UFC debut in May with a 56-second submission over “War Machine” Jon Koppenhaver (5-2).

Parisyan will look to come back from a second-round TKO loss to third-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) at Fight Night 13 in April.

Henderson, a former PRIDE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight Champion, was submitted via second-round rear naked choke by UFC and Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (22-4) in March.

Palhares is looking for his seventh consecutive win. In May he submitted Ivan Salaverry (13-7) via armbar in round one.

Jackson’s is already home to Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked light heavyweight ”Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1), WEC featherweight title contender “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3), and light heavyweight “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1).

Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2) also makes regular tune-ups in Albuquerque with Greg Jackson and his crew.

Jackson’s publicist Ricky Schroder confirmed the commitment of Huerta and Parisyan early Tuesday morning, but would not discuss any more details.

Huerta will finish training for his 9 August lightweight challenger dispute with seventh-ranked ”KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) in Albuquerque.

Parisyan is rumored to be matched versus tenth-ranked welterweight “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) 6 September in Atlanta.

“I would love a shot at [Yushin] Okami,” exclaimed Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1), when asked if he would like a shot at redeeming a loss years prior.

“Thunder” Okami (22-4) is Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked middleweight.

“No disrespect to him, but I got injured in the fight right after taking him down.  I took him down fairly easily.  I’m fairly confident that when I’m on top of anybody I’m going to end the fight.”

To the average MMA fan, this might seem like a lofty goal, but it doesn’t stop there for Thompson.

“I have my last final [exam before graduating University of Minnesota Law School], then I take the bar [exam] in July.”

Not to mention his fight scheduled for 3 June at Sengoku III versus Chute Boxing Academy’s “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-3).

“I’ll fight at heavyweight if the offer is right! Or 155, I’ll just cut off a leg!”

Perhaps a fight against sixth-ranked heavyweight “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1).  “It’d be scary, but fun from my position!”

There is no shortage of personality for the man that has enough sense of humor to be known as “The Goat”.  Not to mention continuing with MMA after starting 1-3.

“I just enjoy it.  I was never really good at it.  It was just something that I was enjoying, then I started beating people I wasn’t supposed to beat.
 
“I would be brought in as an opponent.  I think Josh Neer is a prime example.  He had just fought in the UFC; and, they brought me in just to get him a win, then I beat him [via rear naked choke in the second round] and a couple of black belts from Top Team.

“I was just being brought in as a tune-up fight and, suddenly, I was beating guys; and, my coach pulls me aside and says ‘Hey, you should really think about doing this and really taking a shot at it.’”

“It wasn’t even really until after the Karo Parisyan fight that my wife sat me down and said that I had to make a decision whether I was going to train full time or not.  Until the Karo fight, I was only training maybe four hours a week.  Now I’m training four or five hours a day.”

Of course, that isn’t to say that all of Thompson’s fights have been lined up as he would like.  Thompson admits that “there have been sometimes when I wasn’t excited to fight.”

“My last fight, [a controversial unanimous decision win over "Pitbull" Fabricio Monteiro (16-7)], I was excited to be in Japan; but, just style-wise and where I was coming from in my career, it seemed like a lose/lose fight.

“If I beat him, I was supposed to be him.  If I lost to  him, I lost to a guy that wasn’t very good.  Fights like that are hard to get up for.

“Mark Weir was another example when I fought him in BoDog.  Mark is a tough guy, he will knock you out if you make a mistake.  He hits fairly hard, but, at the same time, he was on like a four- or five-fight losing streak; and, it’s kind of like: If I beat him, so what?  And, it’s not an easy fight.”

Easy or not, Thompson has strung together 11 straight wins after losing to “Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) at UFC 50 in April 2006, many of which he has fought at 170-pounds, a difficult achievement for a fighter who stands 6’1″ and walks around at around 210-pounds, according to his trainers.

And now, fighting at Sengoku, the welterweight fighter will have to drop even more weight to get to the required 167-pounds for his division.  Nick confessed that on Mother’s Day he, “went over to my mom’s house; and, they made a great dinner; and, I brought my own Tupperware of chicken, heated it up in the microwave.”

For a moment, Nick’s usually cheerful face suddenly showed a sign of regret.  “It’s not just hard on me, it’s hard on my wife.  We’re newlyweds, 25-, 26-years old.  Most people like to go out and get burgers or go to bars with friends.  I can’t do that.”

Of course, that isn’t to say that he has to either.  Remember, Thompson is a graduating law student who has more than just mixed martial arts as an option.  So, why wouldn’t he give up being hit in the face for a living?

To Nick the answer seemed simple.  “I can be a lawyer when I’m 40!”

After years of fighting and enduring strain to personal relationships, Nick has learned the hard lessons he wishes he had known earlier.

He said, “One [lesson] is really surrounding yourself with good guys.

“Coming to a  school like [Minnesota Martial Arts Academy] may be more expensive than going to a smaller school, but the learning curve is just so exponential.  If you are paying $15 more a month to come and train with top level guys, it really pays for itself.”

Without pausing to think, Nick offered more advice for prospective fighters.  “Another one is: Get management!  It is really tempting when you’re a young fighter that, if a promoter says, ‘Here’s $50 and a sandwich, go fight this guy.’

“When you are a young fighter, you should have the mentality that you will fight anyone, but you really need a manager or a coach to say, ‘Hey, no, here’s what you are going to do.’

“And the last thing is something I learned too late in my career.  I wished I had learned sooner…to train out of your comfort zone.  If you are really good at jiu-jitsu and suck a wrestling, you need to practice your wrestling.

“It’s better to suck in practice than to get in a fight and realize ‘this guy is better than me at jiu-jitsu and I don’t know how to wrestle’.  It isn’t terribly fun at practice, but it’s better than losing in a fight.”

As always, Nick is thankful for his wife, his training partners at Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy, and his sponsors Tapout and Island Nutrition.

Photos of Thompson with Emelianenko and Thompson in Costa Rica are copyrighted by Nick Thompson from www.nickthompson.tv.

Many had no doubt that St. Pierre was the best at 170-pounds, but it was important for St. Pierre to win the top spot with revenge on “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) at UFC 83.

The truth is that Serra looked no worse in defeat to “Rush” than future UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes (42-6) did in December.  Serra drops to the fourth spot.

Hughes and Serra have a date to dance before the end of ’08, but Hughes has been drafted into the UFC 85 main event to replace an injured “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) on the 02 Arena marquee.

In London, Hughes faces sixth-ranked pup “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3), who’s on a St. Pierre-ish steamroll through the division with stoppages of “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5), “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5), Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5), and Tony DeSouza (10-4).

“Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2), who moves up a spot on Serra’s stoppage loss, will get a swing at Lytle in July, a true test of the third-ranked wrestlers grit and chin.

Jake Shields (20-4-1) has had his EliteXC title fight with Drew Fickett (33-5) rescheduled again, this time to July.  Shields loses ground in the rankings as his 2006 unanimous decision over WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit (22-4) falls from his two-year record.

In June, “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1) returns to Sengoku versus an as-yet unnamed opponent, but told Fighters.com, “For the right amount of pay, I’ll fight Fedor or Jesus himself.”

At the end of May in Vegas, Japan’s “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) will debut in the UFC versus “War Machine Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) after an impressive run in his homeland.

“Zenko” debuts on Fighters.com’s top ten after “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) drops off because his two-year record lost a 2006 stoppage of Thompson.

May Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. Jon Fitch (17-2)

While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is probably next in line for a UFC title shot.

3. “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koscheck was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

4. “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s heir apparent, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their April ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse in defeat than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes.

5. Matt Hughes (42-6)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. One wonders if he’s getting the same quality of training since leaving MFS.

6. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3)

Alves has dealt 3 big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka to plant himself firmly in the welterweight top ten, and only an ’06 TKO to Fitch keeps him from Fighters.com’s top five. This juggernaut will run into Hughes in June.

7. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

8. Jake Shields (20-4-1)

Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit.

9. “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1)

“The Goat” has bucked eleven straight challengers, ten by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it’s a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough welterweights.

10. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2)

“Zenko” debuts in the UFC versus Jon Koppenhaver in May without an “L” in two years, all wins by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than fellow Nipponese Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

1. “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-4)

“If you beat the guy, you’re the guy,” Serra said, and “The Terror” dismantled 170’s heir apparent, St. Pierre, last April for the UFC welterweight title and Fighters.com’s #1 ranking. His slim record makes it hard to predict the length of his reign.

2. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (15-2)

Barely breaking a sweat stopping Hughes twice and winning a UD over Koscheck fulfilled St. Pierre’s physical promise, but his malfunction versus Serra raises questions great fighters have had to answer before. Does his hype distract from his focus?

3. Jon Fitch (17-2)

While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is probably next in line for a UFC title shot.

4. “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Matt Hughes (42-6)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. One wonders if he’s getting the same quality of training since leaving MFS.

6. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3)

Alves has dealt 3 big stoppages to Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka to plant himself firmly in the welterweight top ten, and only an ’06 TKO to Fitch keeps him from Fighters.com’s top five. Whoever’s next for Alves will meet a juggernaut.

7. Jake Shields (20-4-1)

Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit.

8. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

Sanchez is St. Pierre light. All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

9. “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5)

Parisyan has been criticized for his conditioning.  Maybe it’s true because the tough, exciting judoka hasn’t been able to break into the top of the division after losses to Sanchez and Alves. A TKO of Thompson shows how hot “The Heat” can get.

10. “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1)

“The Goat” has bucked eleven straight challengers, ten by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it’s a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough welterweights.

The former title challenger from Sityodtong, Florian, dominated the quirky computer tech.

“KenFlo” opened a gash on the back of Lauzon’s head with elbows from his full guard in the first round, but was warned by referee Herb Dean for striking behind the head.

It was a call Dean missed while refereeing a lightweight fight between “Cleat” Rich Crunkilton (16-2) and Sergio Gomez (7-2) at last week’s Las Vegas WEC event.

After the stand-up, Lauzon clinched for a takedown and stepped over Florians body in half-guard for a knee bar that turned into a Achilles lock that Florian yanked free from.

Lauzon snatched an ankle again and reclined into a heel hook that Florian was again able to wriggle free from to end the round.

The frantic mat work and elevation exhausted “J-Lau” for the second round and Florian was able to score a takedown into full mount that Lauzon never bucked free from.

Florian poured on a cocktail of elbows, straights, and hammerfists from the mount, but Lauzon defended.  Dean called an end to the fight after it was clear Lauzon was to spent to transition out of the bad spot.

In a grueling war game between undefeated wrestlers, “The Bully” Gray Maynard (5-0) won a decisive unanimous decision over “The Answer” Frank Edgar (8-1).

Maynard set the pace in the first round by stuffing Edgar’s takedown attempts and deciding when he’d take the inevitable wrestling match to the mat.

Edgar made it a scrap in the second round with crisp 1-2 combos that scored, but Maynard continued to stuff “The Answer’s” shot and score his own powerful takedowns, though neither fighter did much more than molest the other on the mat.

Edgar was gassed by round three and the bigger “Bully” slammed Edgar three times to convince all three judges he was dominant.

Earlier in the night, “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (5-1) pummeled TUF finalist Tom Speer (9-3) over 51 seconds, knocking home the stoppage “W” with a clean straight right that slumped Speer against the cage.

“I’m crunk right now, I’m real crunk,” said Johnson after the fight.

Johnson began the end with a left kick to Speer’s head as the wrestler attempted to shoot, followed by a knee that backed Speer to the cage.   Speer was out on his feet when he absorbed the death blow.

In a welterweight clash, “The Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3) crumpled “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) with a left knee strike to Parisyan’s head in the second round as Parisyan sought the clinch.

At 34-seconds of the round, referee Steve Mazzagatti dove across the downed fighter as he defended Alves’s follow-up pounding.

“The referee did a good job,” Alves claimed after Parisyan disputed the stoppage.  “He was out!”

Parisyan had won round one with deft, one-off striking versus the American Top Team trained kickboxer, who appeared wary of Parisyan’s takedowns. 

In his UFC debut last February, “The Barbarian” Tim Boetsch (7-2) surprised David Heath (7-3) with an onslaught ending in a first-round Boetsch TKO.

Tonight, “The Hammer” Matt Hamill (4-1) weathered Boetsch’s first round avalanche of strikes to reveal “The Barbarian” couldn’t continue his barrage passed the first five minutes.

Hamill began the fight with a powerful double-leg takedown, but couldn’t capitalize before the referee stood the fighters.

Boetsch proved effective with a repeating knee strike that split Hamill’s lip like a ripe peach, splashing blood across Hamill’s chest.

In round two, Boetsch heaved heavily from his corner.  He shot for a single-leg takedown and held Hamill’s leg as the champion wrestler hovered over him hammering punches.  Boetsch rolled into guard, but had nothing left as “The Hammer” finished him at 1:25 with undefended plugs to Boetsch’s face.

Fast-rising Nathan Diaz (9-2) submitted Kurt Pellegrino (11-4) in an air-tight leg triangle choke in the second round of their undercard match, flashing double middle fingers in the air as Pellegrino tapped helplessly.

Diaz was cut on his right eyelid by Pellegrino punches in a first round controlled on the mat by Pellegrino.

Pellegrino dumped Diaz at will and hammered punches and elbows inside Diaz’s full- and half-guard.  Pellegrino passed to side control and pinned Diaz’s arms, hammering Diaz’s unprotected face to open the cut.

But, durable Diaz escaped a lost first round.

The second round continued as the first, with Diaz getting dumped to the mat by Pellegrino.  This time, Diaz ran his guard up Pellegrino’s back and submitted the lightweight in a leg triangle at 3:06 of the round.

“He shouldn’t have pinned me down like that,” Diaz scolded Pellegrino after the hard-won “W”. 

In the televised card’s first fight, “The Assassin” Houston Alexander (8-3) got touched by “The Sandman” James Irvin (14-4) in the first exchange of their light heavyweight match.

Alexander was beaten to the punch by a right Superman punch from Irvin as Alexander launched his own right cross.

Alexander fell to the mat and Irvin followed with a right exclamation point to Alexander’s noggin as referee Steve Mazzagatti dove to Alexander’s rescue at :08 of the fight, tying a UFC record for quickest KO.

“I was still conscious,” Alexander repeated after the stoppage.

Amidst boos, Irvin challenged, “We can do it again right now.  If you want to go out into the parking lot, we can do it right now.”

 In untelevised fights, “The Dentist” Josh Neer (24-6-1) won a unanimous decision over “Dinyero” Din Thomas (20-8), who was returning from a knee injury in his last outing.

 ”Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-5) submitted lightweight Ryan Roberts (8-3) 16 seconds into the fight.

“Pitbull” Manvel Gamburyan (8-2) submitted Jeffrey Cox (9-5) in guillotine choke at 1:41 of the first round.

“The Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9) TKO’d lightweight Samy Schiavo (10-5) at 4:15 of round one.

Finally, welterweight George Sotiropoulos (9-2) TKO’d Roman Mitichyan (5-2) 2:24 into round two.