Hello again fans and friends, and welcome back to part two of my “Half-Year Awards” posts. In crowning “Fighter of the Half-Year”, I faced a pretty difficult decision. A lot of great fighters have had great starts to 2011, but I don’t think anything really compares to the brand-new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. In only two months, Jon Jones would defeat the only other Light Heavyweight near his status as an untouchable prospect, and then win the championship by beating one of the most respected, feared 205’ers in the game. Let’s take a look at Jones’ incredible start in 2011 and why he deserves “Fighter of the Half-Year”. ...

Lyoto Machida’s dramatic KO’ing of UFC legend Randy Couture at UFC 129 seems to have given new life to the career of “The Dragon”. At UFC 129, Machida proved that parts of his “Machida Enigma” remain unsolved, and that he can evolve his style over time in the same way that all long-reigning champions evolve their style. Now that a two-fight losing-streak is behind him, here are my thoughts on who I think Lyoto Machida should fight next. ...

The UFC’s scheduled return to Brazil has been getting some pretty big match-ups. UFC 134: “Rio” is currently expected to feature Anderson Silva vs. Yushin Okami and Forrest Griffin vs. Mauricio Rua. There’s even a hot rumor going around that old-school legend Royce Gracie will make his UFC return at the event. But it’s Griffin/Rua I’d like to talk about now, mostly because of the very, very heated exchanges I’ve had with Rua fans. But put down the flame shield, this is not "that" kind of piece. Here’s what I think: both of these fighters could beat each other, but Rua seems more likely to win and I don’t see Griffin dominating “Shogun”. ...

A rematch for the ages has been added to the upcoming UFC event, which will take place in Rio de Janiero, Brazil on August 27, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship makes it's return to the mixed martial arts mecca for the first time since 1998. A previously mentioned between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami has already been speculated to be the main-event of the evening, which is also a rematch of a fight that originally took place in 2006 under the now defunct Rumble on the Rock banner in Hawaii. However, perhaps a more intriguing rematch has been pitted between former champions Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Forrest Griffin, which could see co-main event status as it is a pivotal fight in the 205-pound division. ...

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua has long been heralded as one of the top guys in the sport for many years. In fact, the former PRIDE champion has been one of the few men in the history of the sport to gain notoriety at such a young age and make a succwssful transition to the UFC, winning the promotion's 205-pound title in the process. However, the Brazilian has fallen to 1-2 in his last three outings and has recently relinquished his light heavyweight title to the impeding and fast rising Jon "Bones" Jones. Now, Rua's future seems bleak due to some of his recent performances that have put the legend that was "Shogun" in serious doubt, though his former head trainer in Rafael Cordeiro will gladly like to invite Rua back under his wing and breathe life into his career once again. ...

We may have very well seen the passing of the torch last weekend. Former PRIDE and UFC champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was dominated from start to finish by the younger, bigger, and stronger Jon Jones, which eventually resulted into a third-round TKO win for the Greg Jackson product. While Rua has had his spurts of brilliance inside the octagon in the past, he looked like a shell of his former self from his glory days in the PRIDE organization. And while the subsequent knee injury and layoff could have been a deciding factor in his performance against Jones at UFC 128, his manager and friend Eduardo Alonso pulls no punches and credit "Bones" Jones completely for his accomplishments. ...

It’s that time once again, fans and friends. Another major MMA event has come and gone, and it’s time for my unofficial “Best Performance of the Night” award. I think we all know who gave the best performance at UFC 128. There was simply no contest, so I’ll skip the hype and dive right into why this was one of the best performances of the year so far. Here’s why Jon Jones and his total destruction of Mauricio Rua took home “Best Performance of the Night”. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to another new edition of “Best of the Rest”! I really enjoy taking the time to give my detailed thoughts on a show after watching it, but after the serious discussion and debate I’ll raise in topics like “Top 5 Best Moments” and “Best Performance of the Night”, I think it’d be nice to have a tongue-in-cheek topic where I give out some other “awards”. It’s all in good fun, so don’t take any of it too seriously. So let’s dive right into this latest edition, now featuring UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

At UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”, names were made and stars were crushed. Veteran talent fell to hot prospects in two major match-ups, while the lighter-weight fighters shined in big and very entertaining bouts. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the matter: my top 5 best moments of UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

UFC 128 will likely be talked about for many months to come, whether it’s due to Mirko Cro Cop getting KO’d again, Jim Miller staking his claim atop the UFC’s Lightweight division, or the obvious: Jon Jones destroying Mauricio Rua. But now once again it’s time to ask: what’s next? What does the future hold after so much seems to have changed? Here’s my answer to just that: a new edition of my “What’s Next for the Winners and Losers” series of articles, now featuring UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

Another huge UFC event went into the history books tonight, fans and friends. UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones” is over and done with. It was a night that saw four free preliminary fights, several amazing knockouts, and the ascension of several fighters to top-division status. And in the main event, Jon Jones kick-started “The Era of Bones” by utterly dominating Mauricio Rua. Here are the full results as well as some early commentary on UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

And now it’s time for the finale of my special four-part look into a possible Rashad Evans vs. Mauricio Rua/Jon Jones match-up. If Mauricio Rua does end up beating Jon Jones at UFC 128, it’s almost guaranteed that “Shogun” and “Sugar” will finally lock horns. So let’s examine the five reasons why Mauricio Rua could beat Rashad Evans in the final part of today’s four-parter. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome back to a special four-part entry into my “5 Reasons Why” series. I’ve already talked about the five reasons why Rashad Evans could beat Jon Jones, and now it’s time to talk about the five reasons why Rashad Evans could beat Mauricio Rua. Let’s get right to it. ...

It’s time to give the devil his due, I think. And the more I think about this fight, the more I begin to realize that my problem is not with Mauricio Rua… it’s with the perception that he is unbeatable and indestructible. He’s not. What he is, however, is an MMA veteran that made his name completely decimating people at a young age. In many ways, Jon Jones is very similar to Mauricio Rua. But Rua has the benefit of experience and so much more. I’ll give credit where credit is due, that’s never been a problem for me. So here we go: five reasons why Mauricio Rua could beat Jon Jones. ...

The more I think about the main event of UFC 128, the more I realize I haven’t said all I have to say regarding the upcoming epic encounter between Mauricio Rua and Jon Jones. I’ve made my stance on this fight very public, and today’s entry into my “5 Reasons Why” series compiles and defines my top five reasons why Jon Jones could beat Mauricio Rua. But, as is the nature of the series, I will also give credit where credit is due. So here’s part one of this two-parter, with five reasons why Mauricio Rua could beat Jon Jones soon to follow. ...

I’ve talked about it, you’ve talked about it, everyone’s talked about it, heard about it, and debated or even argued about it. But the time for all of that is quickly coming to an end: this Saturday will be the day where Mauricio Rua returns from injury to make the first defense of his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. It’s UFC 128, and this is another edition of “Finally Final Thoughts”. Here’s what I have left to say when it comes to what should certainly be one of the best events of the year. ...

Despite having suffered an injury and not having competed since May of last year, Rashad Evans still maintains his top spot in the light heavyweight division. Recently, the former world champion suffered a knee injury in practice, in preparation for his bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, which was originally scheduled to take place this weekend. However, after the news of the knee went around, teammate Jon Jones eventually got the nod and will now be competing for the belt. While Rashad has gone to several media forums and stated that the likelyhood of him getting his immediate title shot is grim, solely because of his rocky relationship with UFC President Dana White, nothing could be further from the truth, explained the aforementioned UFC head honcho. ...

We’re now only a few days away from UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Jones”. In the main event, Mauricio Rua defends his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship against Jon Jones. The co-main event will also be an interesting match-up, as former long-reigning WEC Featherweight Champion Urijah Faber takes on Eddie Wineland. As is customary, here is my official “picks and predictions” post (covering who I think will win and why), now featuring UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

On March 19, 2011, the UFC will hold its highly-anticipated “Shogun vs. Jones” event, featuring UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio Rua making his long-awaited return from injury by defending his championship for the first time. His opponent, Jon Jones, is considered by many to be the future of the division Also, former WEC Champion Urijah Faber makes his long-awaited debut in the UFC by taking on tough Bantamweight Eddie Wineland. Still, some fans may be asking themselves: what are the best reasons to check out this card? Here’s my answer to just that: 5 reasons to watch UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the latest edition of “Crash Course”. “Crash Course” is a series of articles designed to give readers a quick rundown on all the relevant information they need to know heading into an upcoming major MMA event. Everything from why you should watch, what you should expect in the co-main and main event, and even where and when you can find it on TV is all covered in detail. So let’s get right to it with today’s edition, featuring UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. ...

As we come closer and closer to UFC 128, more and more fans and insiders are giving their thoughts on the event’s leading attraction, an epic Light Heavyweight encounter between Mauricio Rua and Jon Jones for Rua’s UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. But a growing section of the fanbase is switching their focus to a proposed match-up between Jon Jones and his teammate, fellow highly-ranked fighter and former champion Rashad Evans. And “Bones” recently revealed that he’s becoming very tired of all the talk about him fighting his friend. ...

Have you gotten enough of the “ufc Prelims Live” specials? If you’re like me, the short answer is no and the long answer is “enough is never enough”. As long as the UFC continues to make its preliminary fights available for free, I’ll continue to support this concept and watch some free fights. It’s not like the fights are bad, either, in fact, most of them are very enjoyable. And I’ve got good news for my fellow “Prelims Live” fans: for UFC 128, the UFC is once again serving up multiple prelims through both Spike TV and Facebook. Here are all the details. ...

Hello once more fans and friends and welcome to the start of a brand-new series! Recently I started up another series called “Sneak Peek”, a once-per-month, end-of-month series designed to give fans a look at what to expect for next month. Today’s new series follows the same vein, except it’ll be once per month at the start of every month, and whereas “Sneak Peek” focused on the events as a whole, this new series will focus on my most-anticipated fights in particular. So here we go: these are my most anticipated fights for March 2011. ...

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to the start of a new series tentatively called “Sneak Peek”. This new once-a-month series will be posted near the end of each month in order to give fans a look at the major events occurring next month. The big shows, the colossal encounters, the fights that you just simply shouldn’t miss no matter what… all of it’s covered in detail, with a heaping helping of commentary thrown in. So let’s dive right in with the first edition of “Sneak Peek”, covering the month of March 2011. ...

"ufc 126: Silva vs. Belfort" changed a lot of things in the foreseeable future in the mixed martial arts world. Anderson Silva continued his reign of dominance by deftly defeating former teammate Vitor Belfort with a first-round knockout, defending his UFC middleweight title once again. Forrest Griffin has now extended a two-fight win streak for himself inside the octagon with a dominant performance turned in over former titleholder Rich "Ace" Franklin. Meanwhile, Jon Jones submitted then-undefeated light heavyweight star Ryan Bader with a second-round guillotine choke. The win came with an unexpected prize, earning Jones the 205-pound title shot when an injured Rashad Evans bowed out of the championship bout with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua--who insists that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was initially offered the fight, however turned it down immediately after. Jackson didn't take too kindly that the Brazilian took to the media to reveal the proposed bout. ...

The dynamo Jon Jones has made good on an opportunity presented in front of him. The light heavyweight phenom has since earned his shot at a UFC title shot when he submitted then-undefeated star Ryan Bader last Saturday at UFC 126. Jones took home the win with a second-round guillotine choke, where after Joe Rogan informed Jones that the organization was granting Jon the shot at the belt once it was confirmed that teammate Rashad Evans had bowed out of the March fight with champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. However, the Brazilian recently indicated that former rival Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was originally intended to be the man to step up on short notice, however the fan-favorite slugger turned down the title opportunity. ...

It was recently announced last Saturday that Jon Jones will now be facing Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the light heavyweight title come this March. Jones earned the shot at the championship strap with a second-round submission victory over then-undefeated fighter Ryan Bader, the season eight winner of "The Ultimate Fighter". Ultimately, though, the opportunity came when teammate Rashad Evans had to bow out of the title fight with Rua when he suffered a knee injury in preparation for the bout. Now, Evans' camp is indicating that should Jones defeat the Brazilian next month, Rashad is willing to either move up or down in weight class. ...

There are few moments in mixed martial arts history that have been embedded in my mind's "eye". First, there's the four-second knockout that the legendary "Kid" Yamamoto laid upon a young Kazuyuki Miyata, which took a flying knee and all of four seconds to complete. Next, there's Chuck Liddell retirement announcement during the pre-fight presser for UFC 125 last December--it's hard to believe that just a couple of years ago, the UFC Hall of Famer was arguably the greatest light heavyweight fighter in the world. Then, there was an exuberant Jon Jones realizing his life's work when UFC commentator stepped into the cage to announce "Bones" as the next challenger to the light heavyweight title. Elated, Jones fell to knees in disbelief and the appreciation of such an opportunity was painted on his face. ...

Even though it’s still over a month away, many MMA fans and insiders are already talking about the main event of UFC 128, aptly named “Shogun vs. Evans”. Mauricio Rua, PRIDE FC legend and current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, makes the first defense of his belt since beating Lyoto Machida in dramatic fashion and then sitting on the sidelines for some time with an injury. Much has been made of “Sugar” Rashad Evans opting to sit on the sidelines as well, in order to preserve his spot as the top contender. Recently, Dana White had an interesting take on the situation. Here are all the details. ...

As UFC 128 looms closer, the final additions to the pay-per-view event have been announced and in total, the card will feature a staggering 12-card lineup, with a preliminary card that could surely anchor most Spike TV telecasts all on it's own. The headliner will pit former PRIDE star turned UFC light heavyweight champion in Mauricio "Shogun" Rua as he defends his title for the first time when he takes on former titleholder Rashad Evans. The event takes place at on March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. ...