5. John Makdessi knocking out Kyle Watson with a Spinning Backfist.

For the most part, John Makdessi was never in any trouble against Kyle Watson. But Watson deserves at least some credit for hanging with Makdessi as long as he did, considering that Watson’s standup game  had some pretty significant flaws in it. Even with Makdessi controlling the fight, I had no idea this fight would end with a surprise spinning backfist, a very rare move that’s seldom used because it’s so difficult to pull off. Makdessi’s awesome knockout was one of the highlights of the first portion of this show, and it definitely deserves to be featured here.

4. Pablo Garza’s Flying Triangle Choke on Yves Jabouin.

Until Pablo Garza caught Yves Jabouin, Jabouin seemed to be in control and asserting himself at will. But as the saying goes, anything can happen in MMA. And just like a spinning backfist, a Flying Triangle is something so risky with such a low chance of reward that practically no one uses it in MMA. I think that may have been the first win by Flying Triangle in UFC history, even. It was definitely something right out of a BJJ highlight reel, except in a cage and against a very tough competitor.

3. Georges St. Pierre outclassing Jake Shields in virtually every way imaginable.

Another GSP fight, another crop of cynics emerge to criticize his killer instinct and inability to finish fights. But although I love a good knockout, I can appreciate a five-round thrashing. And that’s pretty much what GSP gave Shields. Like so many of his other opponents, GSP made Shields look like he didn’t belong. He took someone that was on an incredible win-streak, who had held titles in multiple promotions and even at multiple weight classes… and he made him look amateurish. Jake Shields is one of the best fighters in the world, but if this was the first time you ever saw him fight, you’d wonder why he was challenging for the championship. That level of domination is something only GSP and Anderson Silva can pull off on a regular basis, so of course that deserves a spot on this list.

2. Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick’s five-round all-out war.

Who would have thought that Jose Aldo’s toughest test to date would be Mark Hominick? I admit, Aldo had a lot of hype surrounding him when he debuted. But Mark Hominick took him to his limits, even while competing with a lump on his head so big that the announcers said it was like he was sporting a second head. Aldo would ultimately pass Hominick’s test, and even had Hominick in serious danger several times throughout the fight. It was a five-round all-out war of attrition, and possibly one of the best fights of the year.

And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 129 is…

1. Lyoto Machida outdoing Anderson Silva’s Front Face Kick of Death by doing a Jumping Front Face Kick of Death.

I was honestly too shocked to scream when Lyoto Machida nailed this strike on Randy Couture. I’ve been known to do my fair amount of shouting when watching a UFC event, but nothing came out when Machida did a leaping kick and KO’d Randy Couture. It was such an amazing strike that part of me didn’t want to believe what I had just seen. But it happened, it was amazing, and it was the highlight of the night. There’s no question that this kick deserves the top spot.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from UFC 129. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?

Next for Ben Henderson: It’ll be only the best for “Smooth” from here on out. Henderson’s tenacity, cardio, and punching power all looked very impressive in his UFC debut, as did his trademark flexibility. Henderson may fight John Makdessi next, who is undefeated and scored a dramatic spinning backfist KO at UFC 129. Other potential fighters for this year and beyond include Dennis Siver, George Sotiropoulos, and Clay Guida. The Lightweight division is still getting itself sorted out right now, so it’s hard to nail down an exact opponent, but I do think that Henderson will get a pretty big name for his next challenge.

Next for Vladimir Matyushenko: I think it’s time that Matyushenko met Antonio Rogerio Nogueira again. The two fought at an Affliction card back in 2009, with “Little Nog” winning by TKO in Round 2. But things have changed since then: Nogueira appears to be struggling to stay afloat in the super-competitive Light Heavyweight division, while “The Janitor” just got done with one of the fastest victories of his career. I think it’s time to see if “Little Nog” should still be considered amongst the 205 elite, or if it’s time for Vladimir to ascend to such a status.

Next for Randy Couture: Have we seen the last of Randy Couture? The world may never know. It would only moderately shock me if Couture waited a few years and then announced that he’d fight at 50 years old, just to prove that he could. In the near future, though, expect Couture to get offered up some kind of deal, kind of (but not exactly) similar to the deal Chuck Liddell took, which Couture may or may not take due to his film career. If nothing else, I think Couture will put the headset back on and be a guest announcer for at least a handful of UFC shows.

Next for Lyoto Machida: If Matt Hamill beats Quinton Jackson, then it’s time for the Rampage/Machida rematch so many wanted after Jackson won a controversial decision. If Jackson does beat Hamill, Machida could end up facing someone like Ryan Bader, Forrest Griffin, or Rich Franklin. I think Machida proved a lot in this fight with Couture, and I think the UFC is going to put Machida right back in the shark tank for his next bout.

Next for Jose Aldo: It’s currently rumored that Aldo’s next opponent will be Chad Mendes at UFC 133 in August. Mendes is an undefeated 10-0 fighter with two (T)KO’s and two submissions. I think it’s likely that Jose Aldo will beat Chad Mendes, and if he does, Aldo will then most likely face Kenny Florian in a bout that I think shows clear favoritism for Florian. Nonetheless, I think Aldo will beat both Mendes and Florian.

Next for Georges St. Pierre: I certainly know what I want to be next for GSP: either a super-fight with Anderson Silva or a “title vs. title” match with Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. But I know that there’s a mountain of red tape preventing both of those fights from happening. So here’s what I think is most likely for GSP: Carlos Condit. Condit will steamroll Dong Hyun Kim, and with the rumors and speculation all coming to naught once again, GSP will fight Condit near the end of the year.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? What do you see happening in the near and not-so-near future of the big winners and losers of UFC 129?

Pablo Garza defeats Yves Jabouin by Submission (Flying Triangle) at 4:31 of Round 1. John Makdessi defeats Kyle Watson by KO (Spinning Backfist) at 1:27 of Round 3. Jason MacDonald defeats Ryan Jensen by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:37 of Round 1. Ivan Menjivar defeats Charlie Valencia by TKO (Strikes) at 1:30 of Round 1. Claude Patrick defeats Daniel Roberts by Unanimous Decision.

Jake Ellenberger defeats Sean Pierson by KO (Strikes) at 2:42 of Round 1. Rory MacDonald defeats Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision. Ben Henderson defeats Mark Bocek by Unanimous Decision. Vladimir Matyushenko defeats Jason Brilz by KO (Strikes) at 0:20 of Round 1. Lyoto Machida defeats Randy Couture by KO (Front Kick) at 1:05 of Round 2. Jose Aldo defeats Mark Hominick by Unanimous Decision. Georges St. Pierre defeats Jake Shields by Unanimous Decision.

When it comes to the “UFC on Prelims LIVE” specials, both on Facebook and Spike TV, all I can really say is “Wow”. From the moment the first fight aired on Facebook (about five minutes late, mind you), we had non-stop fireworks and several amazing finishes. You know you’re in for something special when the first fight is a non-stop war that ends with a Flying Triangle submission.

From there, things got even better. John Makdessi nailed a fantastic spinning backfist to KO Kyle Watson after three very intense rounds of action. Then, Jason MacDonald triumphantly returned to the UFC after a serious injury and proceeded to put on a ground clinic before choking out Ryan Jensen. But that was only three of the four finishes we got to see on the Facebook stream of “UFC Prelims LIVE”. To top it all off, Ivan Menjivar heinously broke Charlie Valencia’s nose with a brutal elbow before finishing him.

And in the main event of the Facebook broadcast, Claude Patrick and Daniel Roberts had a pretty entertaining three-round scrap. As if that wasn’t good enough, we had a great finish from Jake Ellenberger and a landmark performance from Sean Pierson, who completely outclassed and outright schooled Nate Diaz. Pierson is definitely one of the can’t-miss prospects of the division.

Overall, this was by far the best “UFC Prelims LIVE” special I’ve ever seen. It’ll take me a few days to come to an official conclusion, but right now I can say that “Prelims LIVE” blasted ahead of the competition in the race to crown my next “dark horse favorite” and replacement to the WEC. I think I’ll be tied up with UFC 129 post-event coverage for the next several days, but sometime next week I may just officially declare “UFC Prelims LIVE” my new dark horse favorite. Stay tuned.

I was very, very, very happy that Ben Henderson defeated Mark Bocek. I think Henderson did more than enough to win all three rounds, and to be honest, I was very displeased with Mark Bocek utilizing lay and pray tactics. Henderson was clearly the better striker, by miles, and his flexibility and ever-improving ground game all but neutralized Mark Bocek. Part of me was worried that Bocek would have been gifted a decision, and that part of me was already planning a mini-tirade, but all is well now that “Smooth” has picked up his first win in the UFC.

Sometimes it’s true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks… but Vladimir Matyushenko’s old bag of tricks seems to be doing him just fine. Matyushenko has arguably never looked more impressive in the UFC, and I think this is the start of a pretty interesting comeback. With this win, “The Janitor” has now won five out of his last six, and is currently riding high with back-to-back stoppages. So where does he go from here? I don’t know for sure, but I do know that Matyushenko just put a whole lot of Light Heavyweight fighters on notice with his fantastic KO’ing of Jason Brilz.

Does it really get any better than a leaping Front Face Kick KO? That was Lyoto Machida at his best, and I think this fight set up the comeback I’ve been waiting for. Lyoto Machida is back, ladies and gentlemen, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for him. When it comes to Randy Couture, there’s not too much I could say that I haven’t already said before. Randy is one of the most humble, most genuine, most amazing persons in the history of the UFC, as well as one of the greatest fighters in MMA history. I hate to see him go, but I completely understand his decision to do so. Randy Couture… I’m going to miss watching you fight. I’m going to miss you a whole hell of a lot.

What a fantastic co-main event, a fight that truly displayed the tremendous heart and skill of both Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick. To be completely and bluntly honest, I would have only been slightly upset if Mark Hominick had pulled off the surprise upset. Hominick has now asserted himself as one of the best Featherweight fighters in the world, and Jose Aldo now has a giant target on his back since his aura of invincibility has taken a big hit. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Jose Aldo, and I wish nothing but the best for Mark Hominick.

And in the main event, Georges St. Pierre once again proved why he’s the Pound-for-Pound best fighter in the world. Jake Shields is arguably the toughest test GSP has ever faced, and if he’s not, he’s definitely one of the toughest. But just like so many of his other fights, GSP spent the majority of this fight utterly outclassing his opponent. There’s nothing left for GSP at Welterweight… it’s time for a super-fight with Anderson Silva.

Overall, I honestly can’t think of a better UFC event. I can’t think of an event that had more outstanding matches, more dramatic finishes, more amazing submissions, more highlight-reel KO’s. From the absolute bottom to the tip of the top, just about every fight not only lived up to my expectations, but exceeded them. This was a night I don’t think I’ll be forgetting for a long, long, long time. Perhaps it’s just the adrenaline talking right now, but I honestly think UFC 129 could go down as the greatest UFC event of all time.

But that’s just what I thought, fans and friends. What about you? Any thoughts on this card?

There was the almost surreal superfight that took place for the main-event of the evening, where former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields took on reigining UFC welterweight titleholder Jake Shields–albeit a lackluster affair.

Then there was the resurgence of Lyoto Machida, as he defeated UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture with the now infamous switch-front-head-kick that resulted in “The Dragon” earning the “Knockout of the Night” award for his performance.

And finally, there was the stellar five-round war pitting pound-for-pound great Jose Aldo against striking ace Mark Hominick. There was some dicey moments for both men during the championship bout, and in the end both men left winners–in some regards–as they were both recipients of a hefty bonus for putting on the fan-friendly affair.

Hominick initially appeared to be another victim on the ever growing list of notable contenders for Jose’s 145-pound title, which he initially laid claim to in the now defunct WEC organization. Urijah Faber, Mike Brown, and Manny Gamburyan are already among his list of dispatched opponents, and though Mark doesn’t hold quite the pedigree as some of the aforementioned competitors do, he still proved Aldo’s toughest test to date under the Zuffa banner.

In the early goings, it looked to be an early night for Aldo, as he blasted the battle tested Hominick with wicked fast combinations, shots to the head followed up by his leg crippling kicks. However, the pace evened out as the rounds wore on, and it looked as though Aldo was worse for the ware.

Mark began working his jabs and connecting with Jose, and for the first time made the 145-pound great seem beatable. However, Aldo rallied back and knocked down Mark twice before entering the fifth and final round, where Hominick donned a large hematoma which protruded above his right eye–reminiscent of Rasim Hahim’s infamous swelling in his bout with boxing legend Evander Holyfield. Mark, like “The Machine” and warrior that he is continued on with the bout.

In the fifth round, Mark looked as if he would be able to pull out a fifth-round comeback when he took down a fatigued Aldo and began peppering him with hard shots to the body and head. He hesitated though, fearing that Jose would commit to a more active guard, though the champion was relatively passive due to his fatigue, which was rumored to be due to a difficult weight-cut.

Hominick was unable to put the champ away, and in the end lost a unanimous decision, though for their efforts, both men walked away with an additional $129,000 in their pockets as they were dubbed the evenings “Fight of the Night”.

Those that have followed me for any prolonged length of time know that I’ve struggled to find a proper replacement to the WEC as my “dark horse favorite”. That’s the show/series/promotion I constantly advocate and cover in hopes that people will tune in and see what all the fuss is about, and then consequently turn into fans that start supporting the promotion in earnest. Currently, three shows are battling it out for that spot: the “UFC Prelims LIVE” events, the Bellator events on MTV2, and Strikeforce’s “Challengers” series of shows.

With seven free preliminary fights scheduled for UFC 129, all of which sound great on paper, this could be the event that finally crowns a new “dark horse favorite”. But I have to wonder: is it fair to give that sort of accolade to this sort of show? It’s still the UFC, after all… it’s just the preliminary fights.

That’s one side of the argument, here’s the other: if “Prelims LIVE” is exempt because it’s just a different aspect of the same product, “Challengers” should be exempt as well, since it’s still Strikeforce. That would leave only Bellator, and I have to wonder: is that fair, given that both “Prelims LIVE” and “Challengers” are only beginning to come out of their bubbles as the “B-shows”? And don’t forget, Bellator is struggling to emerge out of that very same bubble.

So I’m going to throw it to you, fans and friends, to let me know what you think I should do. I’ll consider every option and give honest thought to any and all responses. The question is: in the hunt to crown my next “dark horse favorite”, is it fair that shows like “UFC Prelims LIVE” and “Strikeforce Challengers” are in the running? Because with seven free fights on Spike TV and Facebook, that question is more important to me now than ever, since UFC 129’s preliminary fights may finally tip the scales in that series’ favor.

In regards to the rest of the card, I’m really excited to see Ben Henderson debut in the UFC. He’s coming off of a loss, sure, but that fight just so happened to be one of the best fights I’ve ever seen. I think Ben Henderson can go very far in the UFC. Mark Bocek will be a tough test and a real proving point for Henderson, and I look forward to seeing him bring his incredibly effective mix of cardio, speed, power, and flexibility into the Octagon.

I think I may get a little misty-eyed if Randy Couture makes good on the rumors and retires if he loses to Lyoto Machida. I know it’s very selfish of me, but part of me just doesn’t want Randy Couture to stop fighting. I just like watching him so much, and he still puts so much into his fights even at his age. He may not have had the best record in the UFC, nor was he the most dominant fighter of his time, but Randy Couture is a legend nonetheless.

When it comes to the two title fights, I’ve said so much about both of them that I’m honestly out of words. I think they’re going to be excellent fights, and I can guarantee I’ll be on the edge of my seat for both of those fights. I think the following is a pretty fitting last thing to say about these fights, so here it is: I’m just glad the wait is almost over.

And there you have it, fans and friends: my final thoughts on UFC 129. And what about you? Any last thoughts before this historic event?

Mark Bocek vs. Ben Henderson: Although Bocek has fought eight times in the UFC, he’s lost to some of the UFC’s top-division stars. And Ben Henderson was one of the last WEC Lightweight Champions. By the time the WEC folded, I think you could make a serious argument that their best matched the UFC’s best, in particular, I’m talking about Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson. “Bendo” is one of the best Lightweight fighters in the world, and I think he’s going to prove that at UFC 129. Ben Henderson wins by submission in Round 1.

Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz: “The Janitor” has lost one fight in his latest return to the UFC, and that was to eventual Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. Matyushenko has won four of his last five, and I think he’s ready for a fighter like Jason Brilz. Brilz is very tough and has some good submissions on his record, but Matyushenko has fought his entire career without ever getting submitted. It’ll be a long, hard-fought war, but Vladimir Matyushenko will win by Unanimous Decision.

Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida: Part of me really, really wants the UFC’s ageless wonder to put together another legendary performance and defeat a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. But I just don’t think that’s going to happen. With his back against the wall, Lyoto Machida will come out with his best, and leagues better than he’s recently been. He’s had time to reflect and reconnect with what made him a champion, and I think this will be the start of Machida’s big comeback. As much as I hate to pick against Couture, I believe that Machida will win by KO in the first round.

Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick: I just can’t pick against Jose Aldo. It just strikes me as impossible. I truly think we’ve only begun to see the best Jose Aldo. With Aldo healthy and anxious to make his UFC debut, I think Mark Hominick is going to get destroyed. I don’t say that out of disrespect for Hominick, but out of the respect I have for Aldo’s killer instinct, smart technique, and ridiculous striking power. It’ll take him a round or two to find his flow and get into his groove, but sooner or later Mark Hominick will be just another victim laying on the canvas thanks to the hands and feet of Jose Aldo. Jose Aldo wins by (T)KO either in Round 2 or Round 3.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields: Much like Couture/Machida, part of me really wants to see the underdog go all the way and shock everyone. I like Jake Shields, I really do. I’ve defended him from accusations of being a boring fighter, and I’ve followed him for quite some time. But there’s good, and then there’s great. And then there’s great and greater. Jake Shields is greater than most of the great Welterweights in the world… but George St. Pierre is the greatest. By far. GSP has just been too good for too long, and he’ll have over 55,000 screaming Canadians all on his side. It will probably stand out as one of the best fights of the year, and in the end, Georges St. Pierre will win by Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Who do you see winning, and why, at UFC 129: “St. Pierre vs. Shields”?

The organization shattered their previous benchmark record of roughly 23,000 when they visited Montreal last December, by bringing this star studded event to arguably the most loyal fans–Canadians.

Two titles will be on the line, as featherweight champion Jose Aldo defends his UFC title for the first time when he takes on lethal striker in Canada’s own Mark Hominick. Also, the prodigal son Georges St. Pierre will take on the toughest challenge of his career when he meets with 5-time world champion Jake Shields in the main-event of the evening.

And while there were some mishaps during today’s weigh-ins, inevitably all fighters made their respective weight limits.

Ben Henderson, the former WEC lightweight champion, originally weighed in at 156.5 pounds for his lightweight bout with Canadian Mark Bocek, though on a second attempt eventually made 156-pounds, using his one pound allowance.

Initially, title challenger Mark Hominick weighed in for his championship bout with Jose Aldo at 145.25 pounds–a quarter pound over the 145-pound limit. In title bouts, it is required that athletes come in at the maximum of the weight limit without the aide of the one-pound allowance, and in Mark’s case, 145-pounds.

However, according to MMAJunkie.com, an official from the Ontario Athletic Commission said that Hominick was allowed to compete, since he had weighed in the quarter-pound over with his shorts on.

Here are the full weigh-in results, formated by MMAJunkie.com:

MAIN CARD (PPV)

Champ Georges St-Pierre (169.5) vs. Jake Shields (169) – for welterweight title
Champ Jose Aldo (145) vs. Mark Hominick (145) – for featherweight title
Randy Couture (203.5) vs. Lyoto Machida (204.5)
Jason Brilz (204.5) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (205.5)
Mark Bocek (155) vs. Ben Henderson (156)*

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

Nate Diaz (171) vs. Rory MacDonald (170.5)
Jake Ellenberger (170) vs. Sean Pierson (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

Claude Patrick (169.5) vs. Daniel Roberts (170.5)
Ivan Menjivar (136) vs. Charlie Valencia (135.5)
Jason MacDonald (185) vs. Ryan Jensen (185)
John Makdessi (155.5) vs. Kyle Watson (155)
Pablo Garza (145) vs. Yves Jabouin (146)

Whether it be his first-round submission victory over former title challenger Joe Stevenson, his dominant decision victory over Roger Huerta, or his third-round submission win over former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi–Florian has an impressive body of work in the 155-pound class.

However, as Florian prepares to make the drop to the featherweight division, he was so bold as to ask his friend and employer, UFC President Dana White if he will be next in line for a shot at the title, to which White answered in the affirmative.

Twice has Florian earned a title shot in the lightweight division. First it came against Sean Sherk at UFC 64 in October of 2006, where both men battled for the then vacant-155 strap. Kenny was unsuccessful at claiming gold when the wrestling powerhouse was able to nullify all Florian’s offense by grinding out a five-round decision win. Next, Kenny would go on a six-fight win streak to earn another crack at the title in 2009, which was now held by the legendary BJ Penn. After a competitive first few rounds, Penn was eventually able to cinch in a fourth-round rear-naked choke.

Now, after having failed at his bid to earn another shot at the title at 155-pounds when he was bested by current number one contender Gray Maynard last August, Kenny decided to make the move to the featherweight class in order to put himself in a position where he can quickly become a contender for the title.

With his name value and experience in the UFC, Florian would be an easy sell as a top contender in the division, especially if he proves successful in his next outing. Kenny will be taking on Nova Uniao product Diego Nunes at UFC 131 this June in Vancouver, Canada. While the featherweight strap is contested this weekend between champion Jose Aldo and challenger Mark Hominick, Florian took the opportunity to throw his name in the hat for the title picture when he had UFC head honcho Dana White on ESPN’s “MMA Live” show, which Kenny often co-hosts with Jon Anik and Franklin McNeil.

“…and Dana, I’m going to put you on the spot because I can. Will I get a shot? If I get by (Diego) Nunes, and (Jose Aldo) get’s by (Mark) Hominick, will I get the next shot after that?”, asked Florian.

“Oh here we go”, said White in his not-so subtle sarcastic tone.

“This is usually what the reporters would ask me, and now you’re the reporter asking me and the fighter…as far as you getting the title shot after (the UFC 129 fight)—everybody who’s watching knows where you stand in the sport and obviously if you can get in there then yes. If you make that weight Kenny, and then yeah, you’re probably going to get the next title shot.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Does Florian deserve the shot at the title? Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Seven free fights. Seven. That’s two more than the Pay-Per-View broadcast.

A certain section of fans love to complain about how they’re not getting their money’s worth when they purchase some of the UFC’s less-than-stellar Pay-Per-View shows. To counteract that, or at least to soften the blow somewhat, the UFC routinely offers up free preliminary fights from most major cards, whether it be through Facebook, Spike TV, or even ION Television. And this one event will see all seven preliminary fights broadcast, two on Spike TV and a whopping five on Facebook. If you’re a fan of free fights (and how could you not be?), UFC 129 is a can’t-miss event.

4. Randy Couture could be fighting for the very last time at UFC 129.

There is only one Randy Couture, and there will always be only one Randy Couture. Couture is a legend, a multi-division champion, one of the best Octagon warriors to ever call the UFC home. And his dramatic comeback that started all the way back when he won the UFC Heavyweight Championship may finally be at an end. Faced with former Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida, Couture may finally hang up the gloves following the bout. If only for what should be an amazing post-fight speech, this fight shouldn’t be missed.

3. Jose Aldo debuts in the UFC against feared striker Mark Hominick.

It’s time for the UFC faithful to see what all the fuss was about. It’s hard to justify hype like “the best Featherweight fighter in the world” and “currently one of the best pound-for-pound fighters”. But not only does Aldo justify that hype, he makes you feel foolish for even doubting him in the first place. But Mark Hominick won’t be going down without a fight. It’s going to be an all-out war between one of the best fighters competing today and the unlikely challenger that will try his hardest to do the impossible.

2. Georges St. Pierre defends his championship against Jake Shields.

Can anyone beat Georges St. Pierre? A lot of people say “no” to that question. But Jake Shields doesn’t think so. Jake Shields knows he can beat Georges St. Pierre, and even GSP himself knows that he’s not unstoppable. GSP will walk into UFC 129 with the odds overwhelmingly stacked in his favor, but when has that ever held back Jake Shields? There are so many things that could happen in this fight, and both men are at such a high skill level, that this fight has all the makings of an instant classic.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC 129 is…

1. It’s UFC 129. ‘Nuff said.

I’ve had a lot of time to think over this card, and I’ve spent a lot of time covering it in detail. And with every new fight covered, with all my research done, I can now say one thing for sure: this event is going to be the most important MMA event of 2011. It’s a major victory for the UFC, and in my opinion, it’s way bigger than the victory they scored when they booked an event in Abu Dhabi for the first time. This could go down as a defining moment in the UFC’s history. It absolutely should not be missed.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see UFC 129. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

The Event: UFC 129 “St. Pierre vs. Shields”, currently scheduled for April 30, 2011 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Five preliminary fights will be shown on the UFC’s Facebook page starting at 6:00 PM ET. Two additional preliminary fights will be shown on Spike TV starting at 8:00 PM ET. The five-fight main card will be shown live on Pay-Per-View starting at 9:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This is the UFC’s debut in Toronto after a long, long period of legal strife. It is also the first UFC event ever to be held inside of a stadium. It will also set the record for the largest North American MMA crowd in history, with over 55,000 fans expected to fill the Rogers Centre. And to top it all off, the event features two championship bouts with two dominant champions defending against two tough challengers, in addition to what could be the last fight of MMA legend Randy Couture’s career.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Georges St. Pierre is considered the greatest fighter in the world, in the eyes of many. He’s practically revered in Canada. And as good as he’s been, Georges St. Pierre just keeps improving. We think his ground game has peaked, then he just comes out and dominates like never before. We think his striking isn’t good anymore, then he jabs Josh Koscheck at will for five rounds and breaks his orbital bone. GSP is one of the toughest tests any MMA fighter at any weight class could ever face. And in his path is Jake Shields, a multi-promotion champion with great wrestling, great submissions, good hand speed and power, and impressive cardio. Shields may be the underdog, but if there was a world out there where Georges St. Pierre didn’t exist, Jake Shields would probably be the one wearing UFC gold right now.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Jose Aldo was so dominant inside the WEC’s famous blue cage that he looked almost inhuman. He finished so many people, and the one man he couldn’t finish in the WEC just so happened to be one of the greatest Featherweight fighters of all time. Aldo is a wrecking machine disguised as a man, and he’s facing a very tough test in Mark Hominick. Hominick is fast, packs a powerful punch, and is a very cerebral striker. This is going to be a very violent fight, but it should also be a great one.

Why You Should Watch This Card: There’s not a lot more I could say about this card other than “go watch it”. It’s really getting to that point. I’m such a big fan of this card. You want free fights? You get seven. You want a good PPV card? You get five fights, two title fights, Randy Couture, and more. There’s very, very, very little not to like about this card.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I honestly can’t think of one. Some of the fights may not look all that close on paper, but anything can happen in MMA and 2010 taught us that that’s a saying that’s more true now than ever. It’s a ridiculously stacked card and you should watch it. Period.

Closing Thoughts: I can’t wait to see this card. I’ve been building it up for the past several weeks and days, but I have complete faith that it’s going to live up to its potential. This is going to be an awesome, awesome event.

And what about you, fans and friends? Anybody out there looking forward to UFC 129?

If there’s one lighter-weight fighter that almost-perfectly typifies the “rags to riches” story, it’s Jose Aldo. Having grown up in the slums of Brazil, Aldo would occasionally show up to training having not eaten for the entire day. Since his debut in 2004, Aldo has lost one single time, and currently holds a fantastic 18-1 record against some of the top Featherweight fighters in the world.

There have been many, many, many discussions, debates, and conversations regarding Jose Aldo’s legendary run in the WEC. Here are some hard facts: Aldo fought eight times in the organization and finished seven opponents. All seven of those wins were either by TKO or outright KO. He has one of the fastest KO’s in WEC history, at only eight seconds. He was in the main event of the first and only WEC Pay-Per-View.

With that said, here’s my personal opinion on “Junior”: Jose Aldo is phenomenal. There’s really no other way to describe the man. He didn’t just beat everyone in his path, he demolished them. Urijah Faber was the only one that Aldo couldn’t finish, but by the end of that fight Urijah Faber could barely stand. Aldo has the killer instinct and amazing technique necessary to one day be remembered as one of the greatest fighters of all time.

His opponent, Mark Hominick, had an up-and-down career both in and out of the famed blue cage. Hominick has fought in the UFC, the WEC, and even the short-lived Affliction promotion. He’s been defeated eight times: twice by (T)KO, five times by submission. But he still holds a very respectable record of 20-8, and he has almost nine years of professional Mixed Martial Arts experience.

And what matters most is how Mark Hominick reentered the UFC: on the heels of a four-fight win-streak that included two submissions and one (T)KO, Hominick made short work of George Roop and finished him in under two minutes… in under a minute and a half, to be even more exact. And during that fight Hominick showed that he was a smart, tactile, and laser-precise striker. He had rarely looked as crisp or as dominant, and it was clear that Hominick deserved the next shot at Jose Aldo after Josh Grispi’s shocking and very one-sided loss to Dustin Poirer.

I’d like to make one thing clear: I like Mark Hominick. I think he’s a very smart, very experienced, very dangerous fighter. He definitely deserves to be fighting for a championship, and if Jose Aldo wasn’t Jose Aldo, I think he’d have a great shot of becoming a champion. But that’s the problem: Jose Aldo is, in fact, Jose Aldo. And Jose Aldo is a destroyer of men.

As skilled as Mark Hominick is, I truly think Jose Aldo cannot be touched at Featherweight. He could have some interesting challenges ahead of him if he ever decides to move up to Lightweight, but at 145 Aldo isn’t just the king, he’s the king of kings. Much like Anderson Silva, Aldo takes his opponents and makes them look foolish, he makes them look like inexperienced newcomers no matter how deadly they were in previous fights. And I just don’t see Mark Hominick being the one exception to that rule.

That’s eleven, count ‘em, eleven down and only one more to go, fans and friends. It’s been quite an experience detailing all these UFC 129 fights, and I think this could become a recurring thing for major/stacked cards. I can’t promise that I’ll cover every single fight like I’ve been doing here, but I’d certainly love to do more in-depth coverage of all the big fights and major names.

But that is then and this is now. And in the here and now, we’re only one article away from the completion of “UFC 129 Complete Collection”. But before we get to the main event… what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of the fight between Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick?

5. Hominick will compete right in the middle of over 55,000 screaming Ontario fans… and he was born in Ontario.

There’s “the hometown crowd”, and then there’s “the hometown army”. With no disrespect meant to any fans and friends north of the border, the Canadian UFC crowds have consistently proven to be some of the most biased of any UFC crowds. Any time Bruce Buffer announces “From Canada”, that fighter is guaranteed a gigantic reaction. When Mark Hominick steps into the cage against Jose Aldo, he’ll do so with 55,000 fans cheering him on and supporting him. And that’s a very powerful incentive to win.

4. Hominick has been legitimately (T)KO’d once in his career… back in 2003.

Jose Aldo is definitely a dangerous striker. There’s absolutely no way you can argue that, and as a Jose Aldo fan, I’d honestly laugh a bit if anyone did try and argue against that. But here’s what I think: Jose Aldo can stop Mark Hominick, but it’s going to take a lot of work. Hominick has been looking great lately, and he only has one single, legitimate, “lights out” KO on his record. And as stated before, that was all the way back in 2003.

3. Hominick is on his second trip inside the Octagon and has already shaken off any “UFC jitters”.

It’s been over five years (way, way back at UFC 58) since Mark Hominick debuted in the UFC. In fact, here’s an interesting tidbit for you: Mark Hominick has never actually lost in the UFC. It seems that stepping into the fabled Octagon consistently brings out Hominick’s best, and with his return to the UFC already taken care of, any ring rust or problems transitioning from the blue cage to the Octagon are now over and done with.

2. Hominick is on a five-fight win-streak.

Over three years. That’s how long it’s been since Mark Hominick had to exit the cage with a loss on his record. Since then he’s won five fights and finished four of them. And all four for those finishes occurred in either the first or the second round. And to top it all off, Hominick’s best performance of this current win-streak occurred in his last fight, when he dominated and finished George Roop.

And the number-one reason why I think Mark Hominick could beat Jose Aldo is…

1. Hominick may be an unlikely candidate… but those make the best champions.

Did anyone think Forrest Griffin would beat Quinton Jackson? Did anyone think Frank Edgar would beat BJ Penn? What about Matt Serra beating Georges St. Pierre? The UFC is filled with fighters going in with their backs against the wall and the odds against them, only to end up giving the best performance of their life and securing the win no one thought they’d be able to get. Mark Hominick knows how much this fight means, he knows how big of a threat Jose Aldo is. Mark my words, he’ll come in the best he’s ever been, and while Aldo may beat him, Mark Hominick will make this a fight from the second the first bell rings. And that’s the biggest reason why I think Mark Hominick could beat Jose Aldo.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? One more time: it’s Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick. Who do you see winning, how, and why?

5. When the pressure is on, true champions shine.

It’s true that Mark Hominick will enjoy a significant “home crowd” advantage (more on that later). It’s also true that Mark Hominick has several fights in the UFC to Jose Aldo’s zero (more on that later as well). But here’s something that’s also true: it’s when the going gets tough that we find out who the real champions are. The best fighters in the world are able to deliver amazing fights and fantastic finishes no matter who they fight or where they’re fighting. And his track record proves that Jose Aldo is one of the best fighters in the world.

4. Jose Aldo has never even come close to being TKO’d.

Did Jose Aldo ever lose a round in the WEC? It’s debatable, but only in a very, very small number of his fights. What’s never been debatable, however, is Aldo’s iron chin. Aldo has faced some of the best strikers in the business, and he’s taken some heavy blows. And throughout it all, he just keeps moving forward. Mark Hominick may have (T)KO’d nine people… but Aldo has faced fighters of that caliber before.

3. Jose Aldo hasn’t lost since 2005… and that was the only time he ever lost, period.

Jose Aldo is currently on an eleven-fight win-streak. No one has managed to beat him since suffering that lone loss in 2005… and to be bluntly honest, no one has even come remotely close. Aldo’s current streak includes eight fights in the WEC, with seven (T)KO victories, with three of those wins coming in the very first round, and three others coming in the second round. Does anything more really need to be said?

2. Jose Aldo has thoroughly controlled all of his opponents no matter what their style is.

It’s true that Mark Hominick is a dangerous striker. But Urijah Faber is a dangerous striker. Manvel Gamburyan is a dangerous striker. Mike Brown and Cub Swanson are dangerous strikers. They’re all very dangerous, but for very different reasons. Some are unorthodox, some are deceptive, some are great at counter-striking, some are great at one-hit power-punching. But it doesn’t matter what they were good at or how different their striking was… Jose Aldo dominated all of them.

And the number-one reason why Mark Hominick could beat Jose Aldo is…

1. Because he’s freaking Jose Aldo. That’s why.

If you’ve ever seen Jose Aldo compete in the WEC, you had to know that this reason was coming. If you’ve seen Aldo fight in the blue cage, you’d know by now that “because it’s Jose Aldo” will probably always be the top-ranked reason why he could win his next fight. The man was an engine of destruction inside of the WEC, and I personally consider him the most dominant fighter in WEC history. Jose Aldo deserves to be seen in the same light as fighters like Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva. He’s that dominant, and he’s given fans that many highlight-reel moments. The main reason why Jose Aldo could beat Mark Hominick is because Jose Aldo is Jose Aldo.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Stay tuned for the second part of today’s entry, it’ll be up soon. But for now: do you think that Jose Aldo will beat Mark Hominick? Why or why not?

Courtesy of MMA Weekly, the UFC recently made official two bouts that many were already expecting to be added to this card. First up is a major Featherweight showdown between UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo and fantastic striker Mark Hominick, with Aldo’s championship on the line. The fight will take co-main event duties behind Georges St. Pierre and his UFC Welterweight Championship defense against high-profile Strikeforce defector and former Strikeforce champion Jake Shields.

The other confirmed bout is a battle between a legend and a legend-in-the-making, as it’s now been confirmed that Lyoto Machida will face Randy Couture. Machida is coming off of a somewhat-controversial loss to Quinton Jackson, and needs a win badly or else he’ll be on a three-fight losing-streak. It was widely rumored that Randy Couture was unofficially retired, but the UFC appears to have made him a fight and given him an opponent he simply couldn’t refuse. Both men are former UFC champions.

With the addition of these two bouts, the UFC 129 card is now complete, pending any unforeseen injuries that necessitate changes. So long as everyone remains healthy, the official fight card is as follows: Georges St-Pierre (c) vs. Jake Shields for the UFC Welterweight Championship, José Aldo (c) vs Mark Hominick for the UFC Featherweight Championship, Matt Hamill vs.  Phil Davis, Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida, Mark Bocek vs. Ben Henderson, Rory MacDonald vs.  Nate Diaz, Sean Pierson vs.  Brian Foster, Yves Jabouin vs.  Pablo Garza, Claude Patrick vs.  Daniel Roberts, Ivan Menjivar vs.  Charlie Valencia, Jason MacDonald vs. Ryan Jensen, and John Makdessi vs. Kyle Watson.

At least on paper, this looks to be the best card of the year. It simply doesn’t get much better than this. The UFC is bringing everything to the table for this show, it’s a pivotal moment and the UFC fully knows this. I can’t wait to see GSP defend his belt against Jake Shields, even though I think St. Pierre will once again put on a flawless performance, I know Jake Shields will make it a fight. We’re certainly in for a great battle no matter where this fight goes.

Then you have Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick, which should be a fantastic clash of high-level strikers that should fully and triumphantly introduce Jose Aldo to UFC fans and help mold him into the superstar every former WEC fan knows he could one day become. And to top it all off, you’ve even got Randy Couture taking on Lyoto Machida in a fight that should be awesome even though I’d hate to see either man lose, since I’m a big Couture fan as well as a huge Machida fan. Finally, we’ve even got entertaining stars like Ben Henderson, Nate Diaz, and more. UFC 129 should be an excellent event, and set the standard for the year.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of this finalized UFC 129 card?

While the Canadian striker found some early success in his career when he nabbed a 2-0 record inside of the UFC, with victories over veterans Jorge Gurgel and Yves Edwards, things took a turn for the worse when he dropped down to the featherweight division in order to compete against the best-of-the-best in the WEC.

Consecutive losses to Rani Yahya and Josh Grispi sent him packing from the promotion. However, Mark returned just a couple of years later and lit a fire in the 145-pound division.

Now after making a successful run there and an equally impressive return to the UFC when he knocked out teammate George Roop this past Saturday, Mark is now primed and ready to go for his upcoming title fight against one of the pound-for-pound best, in Jose Aldo.

“This is huge, but the thing with me, I’ve been fighting professionally for 10 years,” said Hominick following the win which took place at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas for ‘UFC Fight for the Troops 2′. “I’ve gone through the bottom, and now I’ve got a chance to go against the top – the best of the best. Those are the guys I’ve always wanted to face.”

The Shawn Tompkins protege used a calculated array of strikes to finish Roop in just 88 seconds of the opening round during their featherweight affair. Dropping his opponent twice the canvas and following up with another blow officially put a stop the bout and also solidified Mark as the next contender to the featherweight title, which President Dana White eluded to earlier.

Mark explains the turn that his career needed to turn before he could make his rise back to the top of the division: his mental state of mind.

Mark Hominick: UFC champ Jose Aldo hasn’t faced anybody with my striking skills
by John Morgan on Jan 23, 2011 at 6:30 am ET
KILLEEN, Texas – Mark Hominick (20-8 MMA, 3-0 UFC) knew exactly what was on the line when he stepped into the cage at Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 23 event.

UFC president Dana White had made it abundantly clear that a Hominick win over friend and training partner George Roop at the Spike TV-broadcast event meant an April shot at UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo.

Hominick needed just 88 seconds to book his title fight.

“This is huge, but the thing with me, I’ve been fighting professionally for 10 years,” Hominick said following the win. “I’ve gone through the bottom, and now I’ve got a chance to go against the top – the best of the best. Those are the guys I’ve always wanted to face.”

Hominick swarmed from the opening bell and dropped Roop early. Roop proved game in returning to his feet but never really seemed to recover from the first flash knockdown.

After an unsuccessful Roop takedown attempt, Hominick unleashed a furious flurry that saw his opponent hit the deck again, and the fight was waved off at the 1:28 mark of round one.

Referee Don Turnage was a little slow to get in, and Roop actually had recovered slightly as he tried to kick Hominick away. However, when Roop finally rose to his feet to congratulate his opponent after the stoppage, he stumbled forward, and it was obvious Turnage had correctly called the finish.

Hominick also believed the stoppage was just.

“[Roop] was looking at both sides of the crowd,” Hominick said. “He was out on his feet after the first time I knocked him down. He was fighting on instinct.

“He’s a friend of mine. I dropped him, and the fight was over. There’s no need to go in there and give him any more damage than he has to take. He was done. The ref said he was finished, and that was the end of the fight.”

Hominick now has won five consecutive fights, and four of the wins came via stoppage. It’s a far cry from the 2-3 stretch Hominick endured during a 13-month period from 2007 to 2008. But “The Machine” insists his techniques aren’t the difference. Instead, he believes a refined mental approach is responsible for his current success.

“It’s never been training,” said Mark who spoke with MMAJunkie.com following the bouts end.

“I’ve always trained hard, and I’m improving everywhere. I think it’s the mental state. When I kind of had that rough patch of win, loss, win, loss, I was going into the fight so concerned about what my opponent was doing and what they were going to do to me as opposed to what I was going to do to them.

“If I was fighting a strong jiu-jitsu guy, I was going in there thinking, ‘I don’t want to go to the ground with this guy because he’s got great submissions,’ as opposed to, ‘OK, I’m going to defend his takedowns, and I’m going to punch him and knock him out”, cotinued the 28-year-old.

“That’s the type of mentality I’ve had going in now. That’s five in a row now. I haven’t lost for two-and-a-half years. That’s what’s changed – my mental state going into the fight. I’m more confident in what I can do and what I’m capable of.”

And while it’s his dream to be fighting for his title before his own province in Toronto, Canada at “UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields” on April 30, he laments that it’s an equal on honor to be facing Jose Aldo, who some consider to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, or at the very least in the top 3.

“Nothing against Jose Aldo,” said Mark. “I think he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter, fantastic striker. But he’s never faced anybody with my striking capability. We’ll see how he does against it.

“He’s been making wrestlers look like poor strikers, and a lot of times, that’s not too hard. He’s not going to do that to me, and I’m going in there with that kind of confidence. I know he’s the best in the world, but he’s never faced anybody like me.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the Canadian’s upcoming title fight? How do you see it going down? Whatever happens, it’s a fight that screams “Fight of the Night” all over it as both men have some of the most dynamic strikes in their division, and are both equally durable opponents. Sound off in the comment section below.

Mark was already promised a title shot earlier this month at UFC 125, however a hand injury prevented the talented striker in taking up the opportunity to face the titleholder. Subsequently, UFC President Dana White said that should Mark come out the victor in his bout tonight against teammate George Roop, he would be next in line.

Now, after blasting “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran inside of the first-round, he will be having his chance to vie for a UFC championship.

At “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″, not only did Mark secure his shot at the title, but he also threw his name in the hat for tonight’s “Knockout of the Night” award as he landed nearly every punch thrown. Mark only need 9 strikes in total, according to CompuStrike, in order to finish the bout inside of the first-round. Roop came storming through early, however the elite strike in Hominick picked his shots and landed left-hands over and over again. The fight was called just 88 seconds inside of the round.

Leaving unscathed, Mark can now properly prepare for his upcoming title shot when he meets with Brazilian striker and pound-for-pound great, Jose Aldo. The two men are penciled in for “UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields” which takes place at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Canada on April 30. The bout marks the first time the promotion enters the new territory and a ruckus crowd will definitely be behind their Canadian fighter.

So, MMA peeps, what did you think of Mark’s performance? How do you think he’ll fare against Aldo? Sound off in the comment section below.

Though not a contender in the talent-rich pool of 145-pounds, Roop is exciting none the less. After dropping down to the featherweight division after his brief stint as a lightweight in the UFC, Roop was competitive in the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion, earning “Fight of the Night” when he battled former title challenger Leonard Garcia. Though a point deduction given to George for a low blow inevitably cost him a win over the “Bad Boy” who went to a split-draw with the Team Tompkins fighter, he followed up the gritty performance with a vicious head-kick knockout over fan favorite Chan Sung Jung, aka “The Korean Zombie”.

Now following the WEC-UFC merger of the lighter weight classes, Roop finds himself in a vicarious position. He’s either going to be the stepping stone that Mark needs in order to secure a title shot against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, or he’s going to cause an upset that will shoot him up the ranks.

“Of course, I’ve heard the rumors. It’s a big deal, and I think Mark deserves it if he gets past me. But that’s a big if”, said Roop who spoke to MMAJunkie.com about his upcoming bout.

“I don’t plan on losing this fight. It’d be nice for me to fight Jose Aldo, as well. We’ll see how Jan. 22 plays out.”

UFC President Dana White recently indicated that should Hominick get past Roop at “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ this Saturday, that the Canadian will be next in line for a shot at the promotion’s 145-pound champion in Aldo, who is tentatively scheduled for a return this April for UFC 129.

While Hominick has certainly faced his fair share of adversity inside the cage, having fought the likes of Yves Edwards, Leonard Garcia among others, Roop suggests that his road back to the UFC has been equally as tough and that Mark should earn the title shot deservedly “if” he can defeat Roop.

“I don’t take it too much as disrespect,” said George. “I understand he’s the No. 1 contender, and if he can get past me – (and that’s) a big ‘can’ with a question mark on it – I do think he deserves it. But if you look at the caliber of fighters I’ve been fighting – (former champ) Eddie Wineland, (Leonard) Garcia on a week-and-a-half’s notice, and Chan Sung Jung, who (supposedly) couldn’t be knocked out – I fought top-caliber guys, and I step up and take fights.”

The event takes place this Saturday in Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas before a ruckus crowd full of our country’s finest soldiers in the remote location–the event will air live on Spike TV.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Roop’s comments? Is he a caliber opponent that would propel anyone to a title shot, despite being 1-1-1 in his last three fights? Can Roop defeat the boxing savvy Hominick? Sound off in the comment section below.

Though he’s no stranger to the UFC, having fought inside the promotion successfully twice defeating the likes of Yves Edwards and Jorge Gurgel before transitioning to the World Extreme Cagefighting organization, the 28-year-old will need to impress in his next outing if he hopes to regain a coveted title shot in the featherweight division.

But first, the Canadian will have to do battle with George Roop if he hopes to tangle with Jose Aldo, the UFC 145-pound champion, in his native Ontario, Canada.

UFC President Dana White was recently featured on “MMA Connected” where he was able to confirm with the Canadian Sport News network that should the Shawn Tompkins product get past Roop.

George’s stock has never been bigger then it is now. Tuscon native will now be returning to the octagon following a stint in the WEC (which has since been merged with it’s sister promotion) where he has done anything but impress since his absence. After dropping a disappointing decision to top-ranked bantamweight fighter Eddie Wineland in his debut, Roop returned in a rousing fight when he banged it out with Greg Jackson fighter, Leonard Garcia. During the featherweight affair, both fighter’s had their moments on the feet and Roop would have been on his way to a decision win, however a point deduction during the fight caused the match to reach a split-draw conclusion. The bout earned the evenings “Fight of the Night” last March.

George followed the disappointing 0-1-1 run in the WEC with a knockout of fan-favorite, Chan Sung Jung who is more affectionately known as simply “The Korean Zombie”. “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran connected with a stunning high-kick in the second round that instantly put Jung into unconsciousness, earning Roop his first win inside the WEC and in turn allowed him to pick up the evenings “Knockout of the Night” last September.

Hominick has had a bit of a smoother ride recently, though the reward wasn’t without consequence. Mark originally debuted in the WEC in 2007 to a heart breaking first-round submission loss to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, Rani Yahya. He returned again nearly a year later, though suffered another submission loss this time to top-ranked featherweight star, Josh Grispi.

Undeterred, Hominick then rattled off a four-fight win streak, with three wins inside the WEC. After finishing fellow Canadian Yves Jabouin in an exciting back-and-forth affair that ended in a TKO finish for “The Machine” last June, Hominick returned to action shortly thereafter in a pivotal fight when he was matched up against former title challenger, Leonard Garcia. A true tactician, Mark picked apart Garcia over the course of three-rounds and staggered the slugger several times on the feet, and in the end picked up a well deserved decision win.

While his accolades as of late have earned Mark the number one spot for the UFC featherweight title, Roop will be in his way, hoping to spoil the welcoming party that’s waiting for the Canadian striker at the Rogers Center on April 30.

Roop-Hominick is slated for later this month, Jan. 22 at “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ which takes place at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the potential title fight? Should Aldo and Hominick be put together, that means UFC 129 will feature a double-title-headliner, as Georges St. Pierre is scheduled to defend his strap against top welterweight star and former Strikeforce champ Jake Shields. Does Hominick have the goods to get past Roop, or will “Dopey” have what it takes to stop Mark in his tracks? Sound off in the comment section below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While Jose takes the reigns of the WEC featherweight division, where he rests proudly as the promotion’s champion, many have already speculated that there simply aren’t enough challenges that exist in his weight class.

Aldo began his career as a lightweight, even as low as 135-pounds in the bantamweight division, however found his best suit for him at 145 pounds, where he hasn’t ran into any problems, going an amazing eight wins in a row under the WEC banner.

In a recent interview with Tatame.com, Aldo expressed interest in fighting in the lightweight division, and even stated that talks with the UFC (both the UFC and WEC are both under the Zuffa umbrella) to setup a match pitting himself and former title challenger Kenny Florian was in the works for a December event, however, his manager, Ed Soares, ultimately vetoed the bout.

“They made the (Kenny Florian) proposal. I wanna fight, it can be at WEC or in the UFC”, stated Aldo of his desire for the bout, though his managers eventually had the say-so.

With Florian out of the picture, unfortunately, it looks like Mark Hominick will be on deck next for the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu phenom.

Hominick, in his last outing came away the victor in an exciting match up against fellow striker, Leonard Garcia. The bout settled into Mark’s pace early on, where the Canadian striker was able to dictate the action with his effective counters and his pin-point precision when striking. Eventually, the Shawn Tompkin’s pupil walked away with the unanimous decision victory, and put himself in line for a title shot.

Both talented strikers, there’s no doubt that the match up, should it come to fruition, would produce nothing but fireworks.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the featherweight match up? Would you have rather seen Aldo face Florian? How would that bout have went? Sound off in the comment section below.

Next for Leonard Garcia/Chan Sung Jung: Each other, which is why they’re grouped together. Both men had to endure the agony of defeat at WEC 51, so the time is right for a rematch to what many are calling Fight of the Year 2010. Garcia/Zombie 2 should be just as amazing as the first fight, and should give a huge rebound to whoever wins it. It makes sense and the fans love it, so look for the WEC to make it happen sooner rather than later.

Next for Miguel Torres : Urijah Faber, plain and simple. This is the kind of fight that has both dollar signs and “Fight of the Year” written all over it. Unless Torres doesn’t want to wait, I think “The California Kid” makes the most sense and would generate the most money now that Torres has broken his losing streak. Even if Faber loses his debut at 135, a fight with Torres simply has too much appeal to pass up. And if Faber wins his Bantamweight debut against Takeya Mizugaki, it only sweetens the pot. The optimal time to have made this fight happen (when both men were WEC champions) may have passed, but it’s still one epic dream-match.

Next for Donald Cerrone: Another one or two fights against decent-to-good competition, and then it’s right back to another showdown with the current WEC Lightweight Champion. Make no mistake, I still firmly believe that Cerrone will wear the gold one day. Properly motivated, he’s an absolute monster. Look for Cerrone to get a couple of big wins under his belt and then finally capture an actual belt. I have a strong feeling that we’ll see Cerrone at the top before 2011 is through.

Next for Jamie Varner: Nothing less than a complete overhaul will do. Whatever Varner is doing simply isn’t working. I don’t know if he’s coasting in his training or just doesn’t have the heart for it all anymore, but Varner’s credibility as a top-division athlete took a real hit at WEC 51. He scored a few good shots, but ultimately he left the fight bruised, battered, bloody, and on the wrong side of a supremely lopsided Unanimous Decision. There’s still a future for Jamie Varner in the WEC, but unless he make some big changes, it won’t be a pretty one.

Next for Jose Aldo: Defending his WEC Featherweight Championship against any and all opponents brave (some would say “foolish”) enough to step inside the blue cage against him. As dominant as Aldo has been, as amazing as I think he is, we’ve got to give credit where credit is due. The WEC Featherweight division is far from dead, Aldo has far from conquered it. He conquered Manvel Gamburyan, of that there is no doubt, but his conquest of the entire division has only just begun. Aldo will face a steady stream of contenders and will more than likely beat them all. Now more than ever there can be no doubt: we’ve entered the “Era of Aldo”.

And those are my thoughts, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of WEC 51: “Aldo vs. Gamburyan”?

Jose Aldo defeats Manvel Gamburyan by KO (Punches) at 1:33 of Round 2 to retain the WEC Featherweight Championship. Donald Cerrone defeats Jamie Varner by Unanimous Decision. Miguel Torres defeats Charlie Valencia by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:25 of Round 2. George Roop defeats Chan Sung Jung by KO (High Kick) at 1:30 of Round 2. Mark Hominick defeats Leonard Garcia by Split Decision .Tiequan Zhang defeats Pablo Garza by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 2:26 of Round 1. Mike Brown defeats Cole Province by TKO (Punches) at 1:18 of Round 1. Chris Horodecki defeats Ed Ratcliff by Split Decision. Diego Nunes defeats Tyler Toner by Unanimous Decision. Antonio Banuelos defeats Chad George by Unanimous Decision. Demetrious Johnson defeats Nick Pace by Unanimous Decision.

I’m always disappointed when Leonard Garcia loses, but I’ve never been disappointed in Leonard Garcia’s performances. Like he always does, he left his heart and every ounce of his energy inside the cage against Hominick, but Hominick definitely deserved the win. It was a great way to start the show, and it would only get better when “The Korean Zombie” was finished for the first time in his career. I never would have guessed that George Roop of all people would put a screeching halt to what had up until then been a very productive hype train. My hat is off to Roop, but I’m not going to abandon Chan Sung Jung just yet. I’m still a fan despite the tough loss.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Miguel Torres beat Charlie Valencia. I knew, I just knew, that the Miguel Torres of old was still buried inside the formerly top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter. Valencia may have been a glorified sacrificial lamb, but a win is a win and I’ll take it when I get it. There’s still hope for a Miguel Torres resurgence, and a potential dream fight with Urijah Faber took one more step towards becoming a reality. So I’m definitely glad that Torres is back in the win column.

Varner/Cerrone 2 went almost exactly as I thought it would, although I did expect Varner to put up more of a fight than he did. This fight proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Varner hasn’t been the same since returning to the WEC and needs to go back to the drawing board to figure out a way to remain relevant in his division. Donald Cerrone put on one of the best performances of his career, and I thank both him and Varner for giving us a Fight of the Night fight and a dark horse candidate for Fight of the Year.

The main event did go exactly as I thought it would, although Jose Aldo did seem a bit tentative in Round 1. However, once the feeling-out process was over, Aldo won the match with authority. I really can’t say enough about Jose Aldo, and I’ve said so much already. No one is going to beat him anytime soon. He’s too complete of an athlete, he’s too great of a fighter. Point blank: fear this man.

All in all, the WEC gave us another amazing show, and honestly, I expected nothing less. I can’t wait to see what’s next in store for my “little promotion that could”. Events like these make me proud to be an MMA fan in general, not just a WEC fan. This is the kind of event that anybody can like, the kind that all can enjoy. If the WEC continues to put on events of this caliber, I may even begin suggesting that they’ll have actually surpassed the UFC in terms of their ratio of bad-to-good-to-great events, instead of just my usual assertion that the WEC would be the best promotion in the world if the UFC did not exist.

And what about you, fans and friends? What did you think of “Aldo vs. Gamburyan”?

Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick: On paper, it looks like Hominick can beat Garcia in more ways than Garcia can beat Hominick. Both men are within shouting distance of each other’s win/loss ratios, so it should be a very competitive fight. My pick just has to go to Garcia, since I’ve been a fan of his for a long while and I always love it when he wins. Garcia has a huge amount of heart and not an ounce of quit in him, but Hominick is also a very gifted performer. It’s going to be a rough night, and one of the judges won’t give the fight to him, but I’m picking that Garcia takes a very close but very justified Split Decision win.

Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop: Look for this fight to be the one where “The Korean Zombie” takes an emphatic step into the win column. George Roop has been incredibly up-and-down in his time in the big leagues, he’s 1-2 in the UFC and 0-1-1 in the WEC. Meanwhile, Chan Sung Jung put on one of the best performances of the last several years in his first WEC fight, a fight that many seem to think he should have won. As talented as George Roop is, he’ll be playing the role of “sacrificial lamb” when he’s put up against the Zombie’s uncanny ability to keep moving forward and keep throwing punches. Either Jung wins by first-round submission or he takes a lopsided Unanimous Decision.

Miguel Torres vs. Charlie Valencia: I really want Torres to win this fight, because I don’t want to think about where this leaves him if he doesn’t. Some might say that Valencia is basically a softball pitch thrown by the WEC to get Torres back to his winning ways, but I frankly disagree. Valencia is 5-3 in the promotion while Torres is 5-2. It’s true that Torres has faced (and beat) the better competition by far, but Charlie Valencia is no joke. It’s going to be a tough night unless we see the full-on rebirth of the Miguel Torres of old. I’m picking Torres by Unanimous Decision, with him scoring a first-round submission or TKO being an unlikely but possible second pick.

Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone: Now this is a fight I can really sink my teeth into. In fact, I’ve done just that several times in the past. So, to spare a glorified re-post of my original thoughts, I’ll just say that those thoughts haven’t changed. It’s going to be brutal, high-octane, mile-a-minute goodness from two of the WEC’s best. Cerrone will take a Split Decision in a Fight of the Night performance.

Jose Aldo vs. Manvel Gamburyan: I’ll have to eat a whole heaping helping of humble pie if I’m proven wrong, but I truly believe that Jose Aldo, as he is right now, is unstoppable. There will always be an Achilles Heel, there will always be a Fabricio Werdum to a fighter’s Fedor Emelianenko…but Manny Gamburyan is not that fighter. Aldo will eat Gamburyan alive on the feet and won’t get taken down easily, if at all. I’m predicting that Aldo wins by KO by the third round at the very latest.

So those are my picks, fans and friends. What about you? How do you see WEC 51 going down?

The main event of the evening, a featherweight match up against two of the best in the class, will feature Jose Aldo putting his belt on the line against season five finalist of “The Ultimate Fighter” Manny Gamburyan, and taking on co-headlining duties will be a grudge match for the ages when former WEC lightweight champion Jamie Varner steps back into the cage for the second time this year when he faces nemesis and crowd favorite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who is coming off of a loss to current champion Ben Henderson in an attempt to vie for the title.

Cerrone and Varner definitely delivered the most intense staredown that has been witnessed in some time, when both competitors were both at a head with one another, with the obvious tension in the air so thick, it could have been cut with a knife. Nothing further transgressed and Cerrone addressed the fans, saying “You guys win”, when asked if a win over Varner will settle the score between the two once and for all.

The following excerpt was taken from MMAJunkie.com, who was on seen for the weigh-ins and will be providing round-by-round updates as the fight airs lives on the Versus network, tomorrow night.

MAIN CARD

* Champ Jose Aldo (145) vs. Manny Gamburyan (145)
* Donald Cerrone (155.5) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
* Miguel Torres (136) vs. Charlie Valencia (136)
* Chan Sung Jung (146) vs. George Roop (145)
* Leonard Garcia (146) vs. Mark Hominick (145)

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Pablo Garza (154) vs. Tiequan Zhang (154)
* Mike Brown (145) vs. Cole Province (146)
* Chris Horodecki (155) vs. Ed Ratcliff (155)
* Diego Nunes (145) vs. Tyler Toner (145)
* Antonio Banuelos (136) vs. Chad George (135)
* Demetrious Johnson (135) vs. Nick Pace (135)

So, MMA peeps, which match up are you most excited about? Any upsets in mind for tomorrow night? Who will leave Broomfield as the best featherweight in the world? Sound off in the comments section below.

The “little” big promotion has made many strides in the last few years, improving their fundamentals and becoming a leading competitor to any organization that embodies the lighter weight classes. Currently, of the WEC’s bantamweight and featherweight classes, most if not all of the top-10 competitors exist within the promotion. And while the WEC has consistently put together solid shows, time after time–WEC 51 will be no exception. In fact, it may be on their better cards to date.

In an interview with MMAWeekly, WEC General Manager Reed Harris discussed the upcoming card in addition to the final lineup that completes this 11-fight deep event which takes place in Broomfield, Colorado at the 1st Bank Center on September 30th.

“The UFC has put on some very successful events in Broomfield and we are hoping to duplicate their success,” said the GM while speaking with MMAWeekly. “This card is absolutely loaded with tremendous fights. In addition to the main card bouts, fans are in store for the return of former featherweight champ Mike Brown and the debut of our first Chinese fighter, Tiequan Zhang. Plus, hometown fighter Tyler Toner competes in his own backyard against a very dangerous Diego Nunes. We are extremely excited to bring this event to Colorado.”

Now with the addition, though previously rumored, of China import Tiequan Zhang, who takes on UFC veteran Jason Reinhardt on the preliminary portion of the nights festivities.

The nights final lineup, which is headlined by a featherweight title fight pitting pound-for-pound great Jose Aldo against number one contender and “The Ultimate Fighter” season 5 finalist Manny Gamburyan, is listed below in it’s entirety.

Main card

* Featherweight Championship bout: Jose Aldo (c) vs. Manvel Gamburyan
* Lightweight bout: Jamie Varner vs. Donald Cerrone
* Bantamweight bout: Miguel Torres vs. Charlie Valencia
* Featherweight bout: Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop
* Featherweight bout: Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick

Preliminary Card

* Featherweight bout: Mike Brown vs Cole Province
* Lightweight bout: Ed Ratcliff vs. Chris Horodecki
* Featherweight bout: Diego Nunes vs. Tyler Toner
* Bantamweight bout: Antonio Banuelos vs. Chad George
* Bantamweight bout: Demetrious Johnson vs. Nick Pace
* Lightweight bout: Jason Reinhardt vs. Zhang Tie Quan

So, MMA peeps, are you excited for the match ups? Any ONE bout stick out to you? How do you think everyone will fair come September 30th? Sound off in the comments section below.

In the main event of WEC 51, WEC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will take on the runner-up to the fifth season of the popular UFC reality TV show “The Ultimate Fighter” Manny Gamburyan with the championship on the line. Aldo has been a man possessed in his run to the top of the Featherweight division, having lost only one fight in his six-year career, with eleven of his seventeen career wins coming by way of (T)KO. Most recently, Aldo put on a near-shutout performance against former long-reigning WEC Featherweight Champion and WEC posterboy Urijah Faber in the main event of the WEC’s first-ever Pay-Per-View. Manvel Gamburyan has earned his nickname “The Anvil” with his spirited performances both in the UFC and the WEC, and since dropping down to Featherweight in 2009, Gamburyan is on a three-fight win-streak.

The next chapter in the war between Jamie Varner and Donald Cerrone will be written at WEC 51, as the two men are set to lock horns for a second time. Both Cerrone and Varner are no stranger to the WEC Lightweight Championship, with Varner being a former Lightweight Champion and both men having competed for the championship in their recent fights. Both men need a win in a big way, with Varner coming off of a split-draw with Kamal Shalorus while Donald Cerrone is coming off of a loss to Ben Henderson. With the desire to get back into the W column as well as the already-fierce hostility these two have shown towards each other, this should be one of the best fights of the night.

Miguel Torres will also be making his return at WEC 51 against Charlie Valencia. For the first time in his career, the former long-reigning WEC Bantamweight Champion and Pound-for-Pound darling is on the wrong side of a two-fight losing streak, with many beginning to seriously question whether or not the Bantamweight division has finally caught up with him, and maybe even passed him by. Charlie Valencia is going to be a tough test and should be a good win, as he’s coming off a three-fight win-streak.

And there’s still more action to come, with big name, former champions, and incredible athletes. Here are the other announced match-ups that have been officially signed for WEC 51: Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick, Mike Thomas Brown vs. Cole Province, Chris Horodecki vs. Ed Ratcliff, Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop, Diego Nunes vs. Tyler Toner, and Antonio Banuelos vs. Chad George.

This event is so star-studded that I honestly think it may even top WEC 48 as the best WEC event of the year, possibly the best MMA event in 2010 period. I can’t wait to see people like Leonard Garcia, Mike Thomas Brown, Chris Horodecki, and “The Korean Zombie”, Chan Sung Jung. Add to that a huge championship fight, a huge grudge-match, and the do-or-die scenario of Torres desperately needing to get back in the win column, and you’ve got the makings for a stellar event.

But what do you think, fans and friends? How excited are you for WEC 51?

Englishman Daley lost a UD to “Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1) at MFC 20 in Edmonton last February and was scheduled to fight “Thoroughbred” Jay Hieron (14-4) at Affliction in Anaheim Saturday before the event’s cancellation.

Lauzon tapped Bobby Green (5-2) in a rear naked choke at Affliction in Anaheim last January and would’ve tangled with “Polish Hammer” Chris Horodecki (13-1) at Affliction Saturday. He begins a second stint in the Octagon after getting TKO’d by “King” Spencer Fisher (23-4) at UFC 64 in Las Vegas in 2006.

Oliveira won a UD over John Mahlow (12-10) at XFC 8 in Knoxville last April and was tapped to take on former PRIDE lightweight champion “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) at Affliction.

Hominick tapped Savant Young (8-8) in an armbar at Affliction in Anaheim in July 2008 and would’ve met Deividas Taurosevicus (10-3) Saturday.

“Babalu” Renato Sobral (29-8) will fight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5).

“Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) will fight “Janitor” Vladimir Matyushenko (21-3).

“Headhunter” Paul Buentello (26-9) will face “Baby Fedor” Kiril Sidelnikov (3-1).

“Machine” Mark Hominick (14-7) will face LC Davis (9-1).

“Thorobred” Jay Hieron (13-4) will fight Jason High (6-0).

Albert Rios (6-2) will face “Tigre” Antonio Duarte (7-1).

Brett Cooper will also fight, although no opponent was named.

The event is headlined by Fighters.com’s Heavyweight Champion “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1) versus third-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-5).

A lightweight match between Chris Horodecki (12-1) and “The Upgrade” Dan Lauzon (10-2) was previously reported.

No opponents have yet been determined for seventh-ranked heavyweight “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (19-5) and “Phenom” Vitor Belfort (16-8).

Sobral is fighting Bobby Southworth (9-4) Friday for the Strikeforce light heavyweight title.  He won a unanimous decision over “Iron” Mike Whitehead (22-6) at Affliction in July.

Lindland last fought in July, winning a unanimous decision over “Negao” Fabio Nascimento (16-8).

Nogueira and Matyushenko were originally scheduled to face off in October before Day of Reckoning was postponed.

Nogueira won his last match 1 November at Sengoku 6, defeating Moise Rimbon (12-8-2) in a unanimous decision.

Matyushenko will try to extend his win streak to nine.  His last victory came in April in the IFL when he TKO’d Jamal Patterson (4-2) in the second round.

Buentello defeated “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-19-1) via unanimous decision last week at Glory 10.

Sidelnikov, from Russia’s Red Devil Sports Club, TKO’d James Jack (3-2-1) in round one at the M-1 Challenge in September.

Hominick submitted Savant Young (1-2) with a second-round armbar at Affliction in July.

Davis KO’d Rafael Dias (12-5) in round three at the IFL’s April event.

Hieron won a unanimous decision over Chris Kennedy (6-6) in October.

High submitted Markhaile Wederbrun (4-3) in 45 seconds with a guillotine choke in June.

Rios last fought in November 2007.  He TKO’d Rafael Salomao (6-1) in round one.

Duarte submitted Gerardo Morales (0-2) with a third-round guillotine choke in May.

Cooper KO’d Dusty Arden (11-6-1) in round two in June.

Just thirty-six seconds to answer questions raised by Fighters.com about Emelianenko’s two-year hiatus from top competition.

At the bell, Sylvia exited his corner in an awkward, low crouch.

Obviously…Emelianenko wasted no time blasting Sylvia with a left, right hook combo, followed by an uppercut.

“I’ve never been hit that hard in my life,” said Sylvia after the fight.  “He’s not human.”

The “Maine-iac” dismantled to the mat; and, Emelianenko stuck in a rear naked choke that forced Sylvia to tap.

After the fight, the Russian was nonchalant, but not arrogant about his destruction of one of the world’s top heavyweights.

The victory cemented him as the top heavyweight in the world, the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artist in the world, and perhaps the greatest mixed martial artist ever.

How “Pitbull” Got His Bite Back

“Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (13-5) knocked out “Big” Ben Rothwell (33-6) at 1:13 of round three with a straight right, right uppercut combo.

Rothwell twirled gracefully to the mat as the referee waved off the fight, a classic between the heavyweights.

Rothwell kept it competitive, but Arlovski beat-up “Big” Ben with flurries of devastating striking that caused blood to ooze from every orifice in Rothwell’s head by the end of round two.

Babyface Avenger

“Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (26-5) avenged his 2001 knockout loss to “Rock” Pedro Rizzo (16-8) with a KO of his own at 1:44 of round two.

Barnett kept Rizzo at bay throughout the fight with a long teep and even landed a spin kick to Rizzo’s midsection in the first round.

In the second round, Barnett bounced an overhand right off Rizzo’s noggin and followed with a left hook  that laid Rizzo out.

When asked if he wanted to fight one of the fighters in the main events, Barnett responded, “They’re all bad asses, but they ain’t me.”

Li’l Nog’, Big Knockout

High kick, leg kick, spin kick, “Bam Bam” Edwin Dewees (35-13) even threw a quasi-drop kick from the corner of the ring at “Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3); but, it was knees in the Thai clinch and a big left hook from Nogueira that counted.

Nogueira TKO’d Dewees at 4:06 of round one after that left hook dropped “Bam Bam” through the ropes.

“My left one very hard,” Nogueira told the crowd after the fight.

Dewees fought aggressively in his light heavyweight debut; but, Li’l Nog’ avoided Dewees’s wide array of kicks and stalked him into the corner for the TKO “W”.

Nogueira wrapped Dewees in a Thai clinch and hammered knees into his midsection before slamming left and right hooks into Dewees’s head.

Belfort Goes Kaboom!

“Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) knocked Terry Martin (17-6) cold with a straight lead punch at 3:12 of round two in Belfort’s debut at middleweight.

The match-up was always just inches from a slug fest as Martin stalked with a 1-2 combo and Belfort retreated and swung his lead hook, neither fighter connecting much.

In round two, Belfort closed with a flying knee that Martin scooped for a takedown attempt.

Belfort defended, finding a bit of space before launching a right uppercut that lifted Martin’s chin for an on-the-butto straight down the pipe.

Martin nearly folded forward before momentum left him dazed against the ropes.

After the fight, Belfort said of his new 185-pound physique, “It feels so fast!”

Ambrose Steps Into “Quicksand”

Welterweight JJ Ambrose (8-2) stepped into “Quicksand” when he opened round one of his fight with Xtreme Couture’s Mike Pyle (17-5-1) by clinching in the corner.

Pyle manhandled Ambrose to the mat, mounted him, and softened him up with punches until Ambrose surrendered the inevitable rear naked choke at 2:51.

“I was looking for the submission,” Pyle said after the tapout.  “Anyone can get lucky and knock someone out, but you can’t get lucky and submit someone.”

Hominick Taps Young

“Machine” Mark Hominick (16-8) fumbled with a leg triangle in the second round versus “Savant” Trenell Young (9-8) and got dumped on his head for it.

But, Hominick got a second chance and transitioned from a leg triangle to an armbar for the tapout “W” at 4:25 of round two.

“The Law” Comes To Bear On “Negao”

About the time I finished the sentence, “Nasciemento looks like he’s caught in the headlights,” middleweight “The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5) dropped “Negao” Fabio Nasciemento (8-4) with a left hook in the first round and pounced into a guillotine choke.

“I was thinking about something Dean Lister told me, ‘Never squeeze so hard that you burn your arms out,’” said Lindland after the fight.

Nasciemento spent the next minute-and-a-half wriggling free, only to take a whipping with Lindland inside his guard drilling elbows.

A brawl broke out in the second round.

Both fighters traded elbows, uppercuts, and hard hooks from close range with, surprisingly,  Nasciemento getting the best of the exchange until Lindland slammed him into a corner and resumed the G’n'P whipping that started in the first.

Both fighters were gassed throughout a sloppy round three in which much was thrown, but not much landed cleanly.

Lindland shot, depositing Nasciemento through the ropes where Nasciemento’s head hit the judges table in a loud “Donk!”

The decision was unanimous for Lindland by scores 30-27 twice and 30-26.

Buentello Takes Easy UD

In a fight sometimes as sloppy as its making, “Headhunter” Paul Buentello (26-10) won a UD over late replacement “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) by scores of 30-27 times three.

The first session paced like a brisk spar as the big boys took each other’s pulse.

Goodridge whittled away with a leg kick while Buentello cranked a jab.

Three times Goodridge clammed-up at the knuckle end of Buentello’s jab; and, Buentello closed to clinch, but couldn’t solve Goodridge’s defense, eventually backing off.

The fight heated up in the second round with Goodridge wheeling haymakers; but, Buentello steadily cranked his jab.

This round, Buentello chipped at Goodridge’s skull with his elbow in the clinch.

Goodridge grabbed for a single-leg takedown at the ropes; but, Buentello turned him into the corner and backed out.

Buentello loaded-up a couple of heavy shots that staggered Goodridge to end the round.

In the third round, Buentello busted Goodridge’s mouth with a lead straight.  Goodridge backpedalled; and, Buentello closed with a flying knee.

Buentello put in a solid effort to end the fight with some hard overhands; but, when “Daddy” wouldn’t go quietly, Buentello settled for the decision victory.

“Babalu” Wins Battle of Attrition

Is “battle of attrition” the literary term for “boring fight”?

If so, the first two rounds between “Babalu” Rento Sobral (30-7) and Mike Whitehead (23-7) were a battle of attrition; but, I wouldn’t even bother downloading them.

Fast-forward to round three and “Babalu” pieced together enough action to win a UD by 30-27 three times.

You can give the first two rounds to “Babalu” if you want.  Somebody had to win them; but, Fighters.com agrees with the “W” for Sobral based on round three.

Sobral sunk three guillotines in the round.  Unfortunately two of them were as Whitehead tackled him through the ropes and Whitehead defended the third choke attempt.

Sobral also connected with a front kick and a spinning hook kick to Whitehead’s jaw.

A spent Sobral confied after the fight, “I’m getting old.”

Whitehead admitted, “I couldn’t put it all together.”

“Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (13-5) def. “Big” Ben Rothwell (33-6) via KO, 1:13 of round three.

“Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (26-5) def. Pedro Rizzo (16-8) via KO, 1:44 of round two.

“The Machine” Mark Hominick (16-8) def. Savant Young (9-8) via submission (armbar), 4:25 of round two.

“Babalu” Renato Sobral (30-7) def. Mike Whitehead (23-7) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27)

“The Law” Matt Lindland (21-5) def. Fabio Negao (8-4) via unanimous decision (30-26; 30-27; 30-27).

“Minotoro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (14-3) def. “Babyface” Edwin Dewees (35-13) via TKO, 4:06 of round one.

“Quicksand” Mike Pyle (17-5-1) def. JJ Ambrose (8-2) via submission (rear naked choke), 2:51 of round one.

“The Phenom” Vitor Belfort (17-8) def. Terry Martin (17-5) via KO, 3:12 of round two.

“Head Hunter” Paul Buentello (26-10) def. “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge (23-18-1) via unanimous decision (30-27; 30-27; 30-27).

Whitehead was dismissed from the UFC after losing a unanimous decision to Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked 205-pounder “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-3-1) in February 2006, his only official appearance in the big show.

Since that loss, Whitehead has wracked up 11 straight wins, nine by stoppage, in several promotions, including a four-fight stint in the IFL.

Sobral is 2-1 since challenging then-champ and sixth-ranked “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) for the UFC title in August 2006.

He was dismissed from the big show after holding an anaconda choke several seconds after David Heath (7-3) obviously tapped out, then bragging about it.

Atencio also added the following fights to the official card:

Savant Young (9-7) v “The Machine” Mark Hominick (15-8)
Ray Lazama (5-5) v Justin Levens (9-8)
JJ Ambrose (9-1) v Patrick Speight (6-0)
“Quicksand” Mike Pyle (15-5-1) v Brett Cooper (7-4)