First up is a report over at MMA Weekly that confirms that Guillard/Lauzon have agreed to meet in a major Lightweight showdown at UFC 136. Lauzon was one of the many fighters that Guillard has recently set his sights on, and one of the few to respond with a “let’s do it”.

We then head to MMA Mania for a report that states that Kenny Florian will challenge Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 136.

And rounding out the trilogy of major match-ups, MMA Fighting recently released a report stating that UFC 136 is also being targeted as the event that will host the third and likely final fight between Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard, with the UFC Lightweight Championship on the line.

Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard have quite a history with one another. Maynard is the only man to ever beat Edgar, and earlier this year at UFC 125, the rematch with Edgar’s title on the line was an early contender for “Fight of the Year”. After absorbing a near-inhuman amount of damage in the earlier rounds, Edgar would end up rallying and the fight would be ruled a draw.

When Kenny Florian fights Jose Aldo at UFC 136, it’ll either be “third time’s the charm” or “three strikes and you’re out”. Florian has already fought for a championship on two separate occasions, and has lost both bouts in humbling fashion. He also lost a potential third shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship via an equally-humbling loss to Gray Maynard. Florian recently dropped to Featherweight for the first time in his career and earned a tough win over Diego Nunes.

Joe Lauzon is currently 2-2 in his two most-recent fights, but he can take solace in the fact that he’s been fighting some pretty tough opponents. Lauzon can also take pride in the fact that when he does win, he tends to do so in almost frighteningly-dominant fashion.

His opponent, Melvin Guillard, is widely regarded as the premiere finisher in the UFC’s Lightweight division. Guillard is currently on a five-fight win-streak with three stoppages, and has won eight of his last nine fights.

All I can really say is… wow. Wow, it only took one day for UFC 136 to become mostly-complete. I mean, with these six fights announced, you’ve got to think that the UFC 136 Pay-Per-View card is now locked up. And wow, WOW, does this look like an amazing card.

First off, two title fights! You know it’s a stacked card when they give you two title fights. You’ve also got Guillard/Lauzon, which should be a great fight considering how both fighters love to dramatically finish their opponents.

And let’s not forget: way before everyone was falling over themselves to praise Edgar/Maynard 2, back when everyone thought it would be a boring snooze-fest, I was out there practically shouting from the rooftops that it would be an epic fight. Turns out I was right, and with that said, I can’t wait for this trilogy to come to a close.

I’m also very excited for Aldo/Florian. This is Florian’s last shot at some gold, I truly believe this, and I think that’s going to bring out the best in him. But Jose Aldo is a destroyer, and he could humble Florian.

All in all, UFC 136 and 137 have both become “can’t-miss” events almost in the blink of an eye. And that makes me a very, very, very happy MMA fan.

Here are some very interesting quotes from Guillard courtesy of MMA Mania: “I feel like a lot of the guys at the top of the heap were overrated… Me personally, I think Frankie Edgar is overrated… He’s the champ right now, but he’s not a finisher. To me, a lot of the guys who aren’t finishing fights are overrated…  I just feel overall that I’m the best 155′er and I’m content with that.”

Guillard makes an interesting point, and I find myself firmly agreeing and wholeheartedly disagreeing with several of the things he said during this interview. Let me start with something positive: there’s not a doubt in my mind that Melvin Guillard is a top-division Lightweight and definitely deserves to be “in the mix”.

And I’m glad he is, since Melvin has always struck me as someone with an amazing amount of potential that, for one reason or another, never managed to realize it… until now, of course. Now, Guillard has won five straight fights with three (T)KO stoppages, all three of which were worthy of any highlight-reel. The UFC Lightweight scene is crowded with top contenders and fantastic fighters, but Guillard is definitely one of the best.

Here’s where I disagree with Melvin, though: Frankie Edgar is not over-rated, and fighters that don’t finish fights are only over-rated if you make a blanket assumption and don’t take the time to examine things in-depth.

What I mean by that is this: let’s give a quick look at some of the people Frank Edgar has fought lately. He had a draw with Gray Maynard… no one’s beaten Gray Maynard. He beat BJ Penn by decision twice… BJ Penn has been stopped two times in his entire career. He fought Sean Sherk to a decision… Sean Sherk has been stopped twice in his entire career.

This reminds me of a point Dominick Cruz raised when people questioned why he’s not finishing more fights. I’m paraphrasing here, but Cruz basically said “Look at the opponents I’ve faced. Who’s finishing these guys?” Cruz’s answer, which was the correct answer by the way, was simple: no one.

My point is this: as you move higher and higher up the food chain, it becomes harder and harder to finish an opponent. That’s why a fighter like Anderson Silva, who routinely demolishes anyone put in front of him, is regarded as one of the greatest fighters ever. I think Guillard is wrong to criticize Edgar for beating people by decision when the fighters Edgar’s beaten have massive records and have only been stopped a few times in their entire careers.

So while I do think Melvin Guillard is one of the best Lightweight fighters in the UFC and definitely the best finisher at 155… I think he may be in for a rude awakening as he moves closer and closer to a title shot. Sooner or later, Guillard will run into a fighter that simply won’t go down. It’s happened before, and with how good many of the UFC’s Lightweights are right now, it’ll happen again.

5. Melvin Guillard KO’ing Shane Roller

For the longest time, Melvin Guillard was an entertaining Lightweight fighter with a penchant for crazy finishes. Unfortunately, he was also generally perceived as a journeyman. At UFC 132, however, Guillard took another big step towards top-contender status when he laid out Shane Roller. Roller had never been stone-cold KO’d before, and he did take a lot of shots before he went down. But the end result was a highlight of the night: Roller stiffened up, in the “fighter’s crucifix”, and with Guillard giving us another outstanding finish in a division that’s known for decisions.

4. Rafael dos Anjos KO’ing George Sotiropoulos in under a minute.

Wow… who would’ve thought that Rafael dos Anjos of all people would KO George Sotiropoulos? It’s sad to see George fall from grace so harshly, and I didn’t like that dos Anjos gave George some unnecessary strikes after the initial KO. But it was one of the most unpredictable moments of a card that thrived on its unpredictability. And that’s why it deserves a spot on this list.

3. Chris Leben KO’ing Wanderlei Silva

We got what we were promised… two guys stepped into the Octagon and started throwing bombs, and then one guy went down. That’s what this fight was all about, that’s what everyone wanted to see, and that’s what we got. But it came at the cost of seeing one of MMA’s all-time greats unconscious on the canvas once again. If you’re a Leben fan, it made you practically ecstatic. If you’re a fan of Wanderlei, your heart sank about as low as it could go. It was one of those “best of times/worst of times” moments, and undoubtedly one we won’t soon forget.

2. Carlos Condit KTFO’ing Dong Hyun Kim.

I’ve rarely been this happy to see a high-level fighter get KTFO’d. I just couldn’t stand “Stun Gun” Kim coming into this fight, he seemed downright egotistical and he talked a whole lot about how he was not only better than Condit, but how he was better than virtually everybody else and how Condit was over-rated. To see him get put in his place made me so very happy that only one other finish outshone this one. Carlos Condit was my white knight in shining armor at UFC 132, and he delivered a stunning KO flurry that I won’t soon forget.

And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 132 is…

1. Tito Ortiz nearly KO’ing and then submitting Ryan Bader.

This was just… wow. WOW. With his career on the line, with everyone picking against him… for one night, Tito Ortiz morphed into the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” of old. That’s the only way to describe how he took a young upstart, nearly knocked him out, and then choked him out in the very first round… before the fight was even two minutes old. Not even Jon Jones finished Ryan Bader in the first round. With an incredible “risen from the ashes” story behind it, there’s no doubt in my mind that Tito Ortiz’s victory over Ryan Bader was the best moment of UFC 132.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from UFC  132 “Cruz vs. Faber”.

Next for Melvin Guillard/Dennis Siver: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. These two have been tearing through the Lightweight charts recently, although Guillard gave the better performance at UFC 132. Then again, Siver was generally thought of as higher on the food chain than Guillard coming into UFC 132. With those two factors in mind, this fight makes perfect sense, and with both men’s styles, this would also be a wildly entertaining fight.

Next for Carlos Condit: If his huge win at UFC 132 fight didn’t earn Carlos Condit the next shot at the title, he’s only one fight away from doing so. There’s a host of potential high-level Welterweight fighters that Condit could face, but the one thing most of them have in common is that Georges St. Pierre has already beaten them. I say we roll the dice and simply make Condit the next championship contender once GSP and Nick Diaz get through fighting. With his penchant for amazing finishes and his long years as a veteran, I think it’s deserved.

Next for Ryan Bader: Coming into UFC 132, Bader was still generally thought of as a top-division fighter. With this loss, he’s been sent packing to the middle of the division. I think a very smart match-up to make would be to put Bader up against another fighter who’s trying to escape the mid-level after a long time spent as a journeyman. Luis Cane comes to mind.

Next for Tito Ortiz: Some breathing room… for the first time in a long time. Some of the power now lies in Ortiz’s hands, and I think we’re going to see him back in the Octagon soon. Perhaps a third and final showdown with Forrest Griffin? Maybe a rematch with Rashad Evans if he loses to Phil Davis? Either way, don’t expect Ortiz to get anything less than top-division talent for his next fight. He was put to the final test at UFC 132, and he succeeded. So while the rebirth has started, another war is also about to begin for Tito Ortiz.

Next for Wanderlei Silva: I honestly don’t know. Retirement maybe? Silva’s chin just can’t seem to hold up anymore. He’s lost a lot more than he’s won lately. If not now, I think Wanderlei’s retirement is only one or two more losses away. Whatever happens, I certainly wish him the best and I’ll follow him wherever he goes.

Next for Chris Leben: Leben is now more or less on the same ground he was on coming into his fight with Brian Stann. Leben just might be able to make a serious run, but it’s not certain. When you rebound from a humbling KO loss with a fantastic KO win, there are still some questions that linger. If he’s willing to wait that long, a great match-up for Leben would be the loser of the upcoming Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller fight.

Next for Urijah Faber: Faber won’t be going anywhere until he decides to retire. The UFC loves him, the UFC fans love him, and he continues to put on entertaining fights win or lose. As much as some people dislike it, expect Faber to keep getting a title shot every time he strings together two/three wins.

Next for Dominick Cruz: Whoever it is, they probably won’t beat him. Cruz is one of the most complete fighters out there, and that was clearly evident at UFC 132. The sky’s the limit for Dominick Cruz in the UFC.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

Dominick Cruz defeats Uirjah Faber by Unanimous Decision . Chris Leben defeats Wanderlei Silva by KO (Punch) at 0:27 of Round 1. Dennis Siver defeats Matt Wiman by Unanimous Decision. Tito Ortiz defeats Ryan Bader by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:56 of Round 1. Carlos Condit defeats Dong Hyun Kim by TKO (Strikes) at 2:58 of Round 1. Melvin Guillard defeats Shane Roller by KO (Punch) at 2:12 of Round 1. Rafael dos Anjos defeats George Sotiropoulos by KO (Punch) at 0:59 of Round 1. Brian Bowles defeats Takeya Mizugaki by Unanimous Decision. Aaron Simpson defeats Brad Tavares by Unanimous Decision. Anthony Njokuani defeats Andre Winner by Unanimous Decision. Jeff Hougland defeats Donny Walker by Unanimous Decision.

There’s so much I’d like to say about this event, so I guess I’ll just start from the beginning.

I really, really enjoyed the “UFC Prelims LIVE” fights for UFC 132, both on Facebook and on Spike TV. The Facebook fights kept going to a decision, but they were all very entertaining fights. Jeff Hougland and Donny Walker really impressed me, and I can’t remember the last time Anthony Njokuani looked that dominant. Add in some other interesting performances, and you’ve got a solid Facebook stream.

Then, of course, the Spike TV prelims came out and blasted everything on Facebook right out of the water. Despite the fact that he ended the fight with unnecessary strikes as the referee was pulling him off of his opponent, Rafael dos Anjos looked awesome against George Sotiropoulos. As a semi-fan of “G-Sot”, it’s really hard to see him take such an epic fall from grace. Melvin Guillard also looked amazing on Spike TV, and has now turned into a bonafide title contender.

And now we get to the epic Pay-Per-View card.

When it comes to the first fight of the night, all I can really say is this: I literally screamed myself hoarse shouting “YES! YES!” when Carlos Condit KTFO’d Dong Hyun Kim. That made my night, and it was the first fight of the card.

After that, I got to see Tito Ortiz utterly shock the world and demolish Ryan Bader, looking like the Tito Ortiz of old. That also made my night, since I’ve been an Ortiz semi-fan for quite some time. It’s too soon to say Tito is back, but I know that I can’t wait to see what he does in his next fight.

After that, Dennis Siver won a tough, semi-controversial fight against Matt Wiman. I personally think that Siver deserved the win, but I’d love to see a rematch.

As a fan of Wanderlei Silva, it broke my heart to see Chris Leben destroy him. But as a fan of fun fights, I’m very glad that this fight was as brutally amazing as it was hyped to be. I don’t know where Silva goes from here, but I wish him nothing but the best.

And in the main event, Dominick Cruz again proved that he’s the best in the world while simultaneously getting revenge on the only man that’s ever beaten him. It was a very tough fight and was pretty close, so I’d love to see a rematch for this fight as well.

Overall, this was one of the best MMA events of the year. UFC 132 had a little bit of everything for everyone, and it’s a night of fights I won’t soon forget.

5. Several good fights anchoring the “UFC Prelims LIVE” broadcasts on both Spike TV and Facebook.

The UFC is spoiling me. I freely admit it. For so long, we only got to see unaired preliminary fights on UFC DVDs or when the UFC needed to fill time on their Pay-Per-View broadcasts. But in the here and now, we get the opportunity to watch every single fight from virtually every single UFC card and it barely phases us anymore, it’s basically become an expected occurrence. But if the UFC ever took these preliminary fights away from me I’d inevitably spiral into an all-out temper tantrum and demand my free fights back. I’ll freely admit that as well. For the UFC 132 preliminaries, we’ll get a chance to see (for free!) names like Brian Bowles, George Sotiropoulos, Melvin Guillard, and more. The free prelims remain one of the biggest reasons to check out all the latest UFC events.

4. Can Dennis Siver rise above the tumultuous Lightweight scene and capture the next title shot that so many other fighters are pursuing?

Everyone wants a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship nowadays. What’s changed since the BJ Penn era is that there’s so many Lightweights deserving of a championship and that could prove a serious threat to the champion. One of those fighters just so happens to be Dennis Siver, and he’ll have a big chance to prove himself at UFC 132.

3. In a world where nearly every top-division Welterweight has felt bitter defeat at the hands of Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim are new, interesting threats.

This is assuming that GSP gets past Nick Diaz, of course. And when (not if) Diaz beats GSP, the last thing the UFC needs to do is give Diaz all the old fighters that GSP dominated. Condit and “Stun Gun” Kim are two very different fighters, and they add an interesting dynamic to an always-crowded Welterweight top-contender scene. If this fight ends in stunning fashion, it’s not too far-fetched that the winner will become the next challenger to the UFC Welterweight Championship. With that kind of opportunity on the line, that should bring out the best in these two and give us one of the best fights of the night.

2. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben… wow. It makes so much sense I have to wonder why it hasn’t happened sooner.

Stylistically, you can’t really imagine a more fitting opponent for Wanderlei Silva than Chris Leben. Leben has grown less one-dimensional with time, but he has been and always will be a brawling-based fighter. He loves taking two to give one, it’s a strategy that’s worked out well for him for the most part, even though his chin has been suspect as of late. With the way Silva’s chin has also become a bit suspect, there’s a chance that either fighter could end this fight in stunningly vicious fashion. And that’s a huge incentive to both check out this fight and the event in general.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC 132 is…

1. Two of the best Bantamweights fighting today do battle in the main event, with a championship on the line and a bitter rivalry fueling both men.

Despite practically being the spokesperson for MMA fighters with laid-back attitudes, to this day Urijah Faber is not without his fair share of cynics. One of those men, Dominick Cruz, just so happens to be the UFC Bantamweight Champion. He also just so happens to be the man that Faber humbled so badly at Featherweight that the loss spurred Cruz’s original drop to Bantamweight. Despite his recent troubles, Faber seems to have found new life in a smaller weight class. It just so happens to be the class Cruz is reigning over with an iron fist. It’s always great when a big rivalry gets settled inside the Octagon, but when it’s this fierce of a rivalry between two fighters as good as Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, then that’s an absolute can’t-miss fight.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see UFC 132.

Jeff Hougland vs. Donny Walker: This is an interesting case of two UFC newcomers making their UFC debuts against each other. That doesn’t usually happen, so there must be a good reason for it. I think the reasoning behind this fight is that both men are veterans that are currently on long win-streaks: Walker has fought since 2004 and has won his last six fights, Hougland has been fighting since 2002 and won his last eight. But the fact that Hougland was once 1-4 as a professional, with all four losses by stoppage, shines a very harsh light on him. Plus, Walker has faced some decently-big names in his day. Since I haven’t seen either man fight, I don’t know how likely it is that they’ll finish this fight. So I’m picking Donny Walker to win, period.

Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner: I think Anthony Njokuani still has some fight left in him. Even though he lost his UFC debut, it was a “Fight of the Night” performance. Njokuani is a very skilled striker, and with this fight likely staying on the feet for the majority of the bout, I’ve got to favor Njokuani to win. Winner has never been KO’d before, but I think there’s a first time for everything. Anthony Njokuani wins by TKO in Round 2.

Brad Tavares vs. Aaron Simpson: It’s a tough fight to call, really. Tavares is the one that’s unbeaten, Simpson has lost two of his last three. But Simpson has faced the tougher competition, and that’s the kind of Octagon experience that wins fights. Tavares has only been to a decision once, Simpson started his career a perfect 6-0 with six stoppages. I think it’s going to be a close fight, but ultimately, the high-level fight experience of Aaron Simpson will win out. Aaron Simpson wins by Split Decision.

Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki: Takeya Mizugaki is always willing to step in there with the best fighters in the world… he just never beats them. He’s never beaten a top-flight Bantamweight, and the last time he tried he was choked unconscious so badly that part of me was scared for his health. Bowles looked pretty good in his UFC debut, and I think he’s hungry for another shot at a championship. Brian Bowles wins by either TKO in Round 2 or KO in Round 1.

George Sotiropoulos vs. Rafael dos Anjos: Rafael is good, make no mistake about that. It’s just that George is better. This fight will play itself out almost exclusively on the ground, and that fight favors the man who was thought of as the UFC’s Lightweight submission magician. Dos Anjos is too good on the ground, so he will not get submitted. But he will be controlled, and George Sotiropoulos will take a Unanimous Decision win.

Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller: I really think this new Melvin Guillard can’t be stopped, at least not until he faces some of the best talent in the division. Guillard still has the tenacity and explosive finishing ability he’s always had, but he now has the technique and skill that comes with training at one of the best MMA gyms in the world and quite possibly ever. Roller certainly won’t make it easy for him, but I do think Guillard wins this fight. So I’ll play it a bit safe and say that Guillard will take a Unanimous Decision, although it wouldn’t surprise me if either of these fighters finished this fight quickly and dramatically.

The first bout of the evening pits the 9-4 Jeff Hougland against the 15-6 Donny Walker. Both men are making their debut in the UFC, although Walker does seem to be coming in with a bit more hype. Both men are on long win-streaks and have a history of finishing opponents, but Walker has faced the tougher competition. And at one point in his career, Hougland lost four straight fights. Walker should take this one, although not easily.

Next up we have Anthony Njokuani facing Andre Winner. Njokuani is a far cry from his days as one of the WEC’s brightest prospects, he’s lost three out of his last four fights and two of those losses have been stoppages. A former participant on “The Ultimate Fighter”, Winner’s career is in equally-dire straits, with Winner winning just twice in his last seven fights (one fight was a draw, though). Both men can be entertaining and even dominant at times, so this fight really will come down to “who wants it more”?

We then see Brad Tavares taking on Aaron Simpson. Tavares is 7-0 and already has two UFC fights under his belt, his last victory inside the Octagon coming by way of first-round KO. Simpson will basically be taking on the role of the gatekeeper in this fight, he’s 1-2 in his last three but he does hold a very respectable record of 8-2. Experience could play a factor, Tavares may only have a handful of fights less than Simpson but Simpson has been in there with guys like Mark Munoz and Chris Leben. But if Tavares wants it badly enough, he can beat Simpson and maybe even stop him.

The main event of Facebook’s “UFC Prelims LIVE” broadcast will see former WEC Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles fight the always-game Takeya Mizugaki. Bowles recently rebounded from the fight that lost him the championship with a great performance against the tough Damacio Page. Mizugaki is currently 3-3 in his last six but has fought some of the best Bantamweights in the world throughout that run. But with his propensity to get dominated by top-level fighters, it’s hard not to pick against him in a fight against a former champion like Bowles.

The first of two “UFC Prelims LIVE” fights scheduled for a Spike TV broadcast sees the wily Australian submission specialist George Sotiropoulos take on the 14-5 Rafael dos Anjos. Sotiropoulos’ standing as the next big can’t-miss Lightweight took quite a hit when Dennis Siver recently beat him in a fight that Siver controlled for the duration of their bout, while Rafael dos Anjos has been out since August 2010 healing an injury. This should be a fight where “G-Sots” firmly reestablishes himself as a fighter that should not be missed.

And the main event of the Spike TV broadcast sees Melvin Guillard take on Shane Roller. A perennial gatekeeper, Guillard has recently gotten people talking again thanks in no small part to his recent four fight win-streak that’s currently highlighted by his all-out destructions of both Evan Dunham and Waylon Lowe. Meanwhile, Shane Roller has won five of his last six fights with four stoppages. This one has “sleeper hit” written all over it and it should definitely be a very wild, very entertaining encounter.

And that’s one down and plenty more to go, fans and friends! Stay tuned as we take “A Closer Look” at UFC 132.

5. Jim Miller

This fight depends on whether or not Jim Miller is able to beat Benson Henderson, because it’s assumed that the winner of that fight will probably get the next title shot once Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard fight for the third time. If Miller can’t win that bout, he’d be able to bounce right back into prime title contention by beating Pettis. Likewise, Pettis has much to gain if he were to beat someone who has quickly taken the UFC Lightweight division by storm.

4. Dennis Siver

It seemed as if Dennis Siver would be a Lightweight journeyman for most of his career, but recently he’s taken several large steps towards coming out of that shadow. And the best thing about that is that he hasn’t abandoned who he is or what he does in order to do that. Siver is a very entertaining striker that loves to keep fights standing and try to get the KO win. Siver’s high-level kickboxing would be an awesome foil for the crazy striking of Pettis.

3. Nate Diaz

Now this is a fight I can really sink my teeth into. Diaz will more than likely be dropping back down to Lightweight, and I think this match makes perfect sense. When he’s “on”, when the fight stays standing and Nate gets motivated, he shows flashes of one day becoming the great fighter that his brother, Nick Diaz, currently is. This is one of those fights where strikes would be flying a mile a minute. It’s “punches in bunches” versus all manner of crazy kicks, and it would definitely be an awesome fight.

2. Melvin Guillard

Much like Dennis Siver, Guillard is stepping out of his journeyman role simply because he’s getting better, not because he’s changing who he is or what he does. Guillard still wants to punish and brutalize his opponents, he’d still rather knock a guy out than win by decision. Pettis is a very versatile striker, but could he measure up to one of the most-powerful strikers in the UFC’s Lightweight division? It’d certainly be interesting to find out.

And the number-one opponent I think Anthony Pettis should face next is…

1. Benson Henderson

I would love, absolutely love, to see this rematch. Their first fight was so close that it took one of the greatest strikes in the history of the sport to finally tip the fight in favor of “Showtime”. Ben Henderson looked like a man possessed when he made his UFC debut, and I think a rematch would be the best thing that could happen to both of these men depending on whether or not “Bendo” gets past Jim Miller.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But no matter who he ends up facing, I think Anthony Pettis still has a very bright future in store for him and will definitely bounce back from this loss.

We all know how fun it can be to watch Anderson Silva dump an upkick to the grill of Vitor Belfort or Jon Jones drop sledgehammer elbows to Brandon Vera‘s skull.  But hey, we kind of expect this, these are some of the best pound for pound fighters walking the planet.  So what about the fighters not always front and center of every MMA chit chat.  Well here are some guys, that rarely, if ever, fail to excite and entertain in the cage.

Hector Lombard (Bellator Middleweight Champion)

Known as the Mike Tyson of MMA, Hector Lombard is a chiseled bull swinging hammer fists in the first three minutes of the first round.  Only one of his last five fights (all wins) have made it past the first round.  Four of the five wins were stopped due to TKO or KO.  For me, Hector Lombard is appointment viewing.  Most often, you are guaranteed fireworks in the first round.

Anthony Pettis (UFC Lightweight)

We all know the – flying off the fence kick – to stop Benson Henderson and win the WEC Lightweight Title that still makes Top Ten lists on ESPN, yet this kid finds a way to be exciting wherever the fight goes.  He is one of the most active fighters off his back, never settling to just neutralize a hand or arm to prevent his opponent from doing damage.  He is always searching and probing for an offensive Jiu Jitsu move to score or finish.  His head kick to stop Danny Castillo was just a fun to watch as his triangle choke of Shane Roller.  Can’t wait to see how he deals with the frenetic style of Clay Guida ahead.

Melvin Guillard (UFC Lightweight)

The thing with Melvin Guillard is you don’t always see the excitement coming.   He can have periods of slower activity in a fight and then boom, drops the led  - fight over – as he did with Denis Siver and Evan Dunham.  If he has one more performance, like the Dunham fight, he will be in the top ten pound for pound chat and not on this list. He is a great striker, yet has the wrestling skills to defend an opponents wrestling which allows the fight to stay up.  This is the downfall of other great strikers, without high-level wrestling.

Joe Warren  (Bellator Featherweight)

Warren made this list off of one fight … his last win over Joe Soto.   I don’t know if he will ever be this exciting again.  Regardless, I will be watching his Bellator 41 fight tonight.  Against Soto, he was being dominated and almost finished in the first round.  Things did not look good heading to round two.  But, like the Strikefoce’s Scott Smith, when things look darkest, sunlight is usually a moment away.  Warren stunned Soto with a right and quickly finished the fight in the first minute of the second round.  It is this reversal of fate, amazing will to overcome that left the San Antonio crowd wowed and added one more follower to Joe Warren’s twitter feed.

Stephan Bonnar (UFC Light Heavyweight)

Ok, any long time MMA fan knows all about Stephan Bonnar and his legendary first fight with Forrest Griffin that put the UFC on the map …  as the ratings on Spike TV soared with every blow.  What excites me about Bonnar, is I know, in most of this bouts, the fight will become a brawl.  Not every fight he is in will be a total barnburner, water cooler material, but I know Bonnar is trying to take the fight to a space where it could become such a fight.  He is always pushing the fight into a brawling bloody clash of wills area, as he did in the Krzystof Soszynski 2 fight.  This makes me want to watch him fight more than a fighter looking to use his wrestling first or a counter puncher needing the opponent to engage first.  Bonnar is always angling for a war, which makes him good MMA entertainment.

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Who would you add to this list and why … there are more!

The news may come as somewhat of a surprise to most fans, who would have likely expected a “bigger name” talent for Guillard, who is slowly developing into one of the lightweight divisions most promising contenders for the title, which will be contested come this May between champ Frankie Edgar as he takes on rival Gray Maynard in their highly anticipated rubber match.

UFC officials announced the match-up earlier today, which is scheduled to take “UFC 132″ which is anticipated to be taking place on July 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Roller, a resident of Vegas who trains out of the famed Cobra Kai gym headed by trainer Marc Laimon, was last inside the octagon, successfully making his UFC promotional debut when the powerhouse wrestler knocked out Thiago Tavares earlier this month at “UFC on Versus 3″. The win nabbed Roller the evening’s “Knockout of the Night” award–which is something that Guillard is all too familiar with.

Melvin was always known as a young man with enormous talent, which has largely been unrealized due to his outside of the cage antics, which included a suspension handed down by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in April of 2007 when he tested positive for cocaine.

However, after having matured, largely under the tutelage of the aforementioned Greg Jackson, Melvin has since rattled off a four-fight win streak, and has won seven of his last eight bouts, six of which came under the UFC banner.

In his last outing, Guillard stepped up on short notice to take on then budding contender Evan Dunham, replacing an injured Kenny Florian in the main-event for “UFC: Fight for the Troops 2″, which took place in late January before our nation’s troops in Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas. Melvin needed less than three-minutes to knockout Dunham, who was billed as one of the next title challengers in the UFC. Guillard was an underdog heading into the match-up, however has since emerged as possibly the next man in line at a shot for the title—but Roller hopes to steal the momentum from Guillard and continue to build a name for himself in his new surroundings.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new lightweight fight? Guillard should be the favorite here, with his experience and ever improved takedown defense, but Roller is no pushover. Sound off in the comment section below.

MMA fans are in hog heaven over the next three weeks with two UFC events and another major Strikforce show. There are numerous fights across all the cards which should dazzle, but I have targeted three, in particular, which will impact the sport at large to a greater scale.  They may not be what you expect … give a look!

February 27^th – UFC 127:
Dennis Siver v. George Sotiropoulos

George Sotiropoulos has not lost a fight since October 2006.  He has ripped off seven straight wins in the UFC while showing a vastly higher skill level in each outing.  He deserves a title shot at lightweight, now.  However, only one man can be next at a time, and for some reason he hasn’t been deemed the “next” challenger.  A convincing win over Siver will only ramp up the chorus for his title shot.  This fight will change MMA if GS emphatically shuts down one of the best stand up fighters at 155lbs forcing Dana White to position GS for a title shot.  He should be placed ahead of other hot fighters such as Melvin Guillard, Anthony Pettis, and Jim Miller with a dominating win.  GS does not carry the flash or personality of a Guillard or Pettis, but if he is thorough, he deserves the shot on merit – noting else.

March 3^rd – UFC on Versus 3.
Alessio Sakara v. Chris Weidman

Sakara/Weidman? Say what … you may be thinking.  No, this is not a title fight or even a marquee bout.  But it has one thing many east coast MMA geeks have been waiting a long time for … the arrival of Chris Weidman.   Weidman was a beast at Hofstra beating Ryan Bader and Phil Davis on the wrestling mats.  His coach, Ray Longo, asked him to try out for the Abu Dhabi regional in 2009.  He won it based on eight months of BJJ training.  He then went to Spain for the finals and beat Daniel Tabera and went to overtime with Vinny Margalhaes, losing on points. Recently, Weidman was biding time in The Ring Of Combat going 4-0.  At the time the UFC called, Weidman had standing offers from both Strikeforce and Bellator.  This fight will change MMA, if Weidman delivers a solid win in his first ever UFC fight against a tough veteran in Sakara.  MMA will have a new “it” kid at 205lb and we will witness what may be the start of a long UFC career.

March 5^th – Strikeforce
Marloes Coenen v. Miesha Tate

Coenen / Tate made this piece for one main reason.  I believe the jury is still out on the long-term survival for Women’s MMA. We all loved the mega bout between Carano and Cyborg, but has there been a female fight since generating even 1/10^th of the sizzle of that bout?  Tate is the hotter fighter having knocked off five opponents in a row while Coenen has split her last four.  There are still major questions around women in a cage trying to beat on each other.  I am still not sure how the majority of fans view women in MMA.  It is a dicey topic that includes equal rights, generation old clichés and stereotypes about women fighting side by side concurrent with a serious appreciation of highly skilled athletes pursuing their craft just like the men.  So, this fight will change MMA because it will be one more high profile opportunity for the ladies to show they have a product as advanced and entertaining as what the men have, regardless of where one stands on the moral issues.

—-

Have at it friends.  Am I off my rocker per the women’s fight? Are you excited to see Chris Weidman?

Here’s what “KenFlo” had to say over at Pro MMA Radio, with transcription courtesy of MMA Mania: “It doesn’t make sense… If Melvin thinks he deserves a shot over me, he should fight me and beat me… Who has he beaten? What has he done? …Losing to Joe Stevenson in the first round isn’t gonna get you that shot. You have to be consistent… I would take that fight.”

I think Kenny Florian makes an interesting point about Guillard, although I also think he’s being a bit too harsh on the man. In a way, Florian tossed some stones while inside a glass house with his comments about Guillard. It’s a valid point to bring up Guillard losing high-profile fights, like the one he lost to Joe Stevenson. That loss was definitely one of the fights that set the precedent that Guillard only comes close but never fully realizes the dream of being a world-class competitor, a precedent that Guillard has been trying his hardest to shatter in his last several outings.

But if you bring up that point, you also have to bring up that Florian’s record is spotty against top-flight competition too. Dana White landed himself in a large amount of controversy (which is nothing new for the UFC President, let’s be honest) when he famously said, “Kenny Florian chokes in big fights”. Some people fiercely disagreed, others fully sided with White’s statement. I think the reason Dana’s comments became so controversial is that you really can make a case, however small, for Kenny Florian not being able to reach that championship level no matter how many opportunities he gets.

This is why I think this would be an excellent fight for both men. Both men are more or less faced with the same dilemma: they’re consistently marketable and always dependable for a good fight, but every time they get a good win-streak going, someone comes along and spoils it in a big way. If Florian beats Guillard, it would keep Florian alive as a top-division athlete. If Guillard beats Florian, Guillard will officially ascend to the level of a top-division athlete. Either way, one of them would gain a huge amount of credibility and championship relevancy if he was able to beat the other.

And who would win in a fight between Kenny Florian and Melvin Guillard? That’s a very good question. Florian’s ground game is under-rated, but he does struggle against powerful wrestlers: his losses to Sean Sherk and Gray Maynard are proof positive. Nevertheless, Florian has ten wins by submission and Guillard’s biggest weakness is undoubtedly his submission defense: seven of Guillard’s eight losses have come by way of submission. It would definitely be a very interesting fight between two dynamic Lightweights, so I do hope this match comes to fruition.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on a possible showdown between Kenny Florian and Melvin Guillard?

Nonetheless, Melvin pulled off the upset win before our country’s finest, when the UFC took the show before the troops in Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas for “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″, in an effort to help raise awareness for injured soldiers and to help raise funds for the “Fallen Heroes Intrepid Fund”.

Now that Melvin did his part to help his country, he later took the time to make his case for the lightweight title picture, and with his recent success he has almost everyone believing that he should be next (if not close) in line.

“Honestly, I feel I should be next in line,” said Melvin while speaking with MMAJunkie.com during the post-fight proceeding’s, where he also managed to pick up the “Knockout of the Night” award for his punches and knees that halted the Xtreme Couture product in less than three-minutes of the opening round.

“It’s been a long time coming.”

While Anthony Pettis has had a monkey wrench thrown in his plans for the lightweight title with champ Franke Edgar going to a draw against rival Gray Maynard earlier this month, he is still conceivably next in line for the title, that is if he gets past Clay Guida in his next match-up this June. The last ever WEC lightweight champion had two options: wait for the Edgar-Maynard trilogy to play out in order to unify the belts, or risk your spot and take on a new challenger. He chose the latter.

The division is in disarray and almost unmanageable at this point, with so many top contenders in the weight class. Jim Miller (winning his last six inside the octagon) and George Sotiropoulos (winning his last seven in the cage) have also thrown their names in the hat for their title shot.

And while a shot at the belt is what Melvin ultimately desires, he wont wait around. Instead, he just wants to continue to improve and solidify himself as the undisputed number one contender.

“I know there’s guys like (Anthony) Pettis, who’s a champion, and they have to unify the belts,” said the Greg Jackson product.

“He’s a great fighter, too, and I’m pretty sure he’ll get the next shot at it. But it doesn’t matter. Like I told Joe Silva and Dana (White) and them, I don’t want to sit around and wait on the belt. I want to keep fighting. That was the way I came up.

“I’m going to make my run. This is my dream, my legacy. At the end of the day, I’ll have a great story to tell someday when I’m an old man. I have a legacy to fulfill, and that’s part of my legacy to fulfill. I will get that belt.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Melvin’s claims? Do you think he should be next in line for the title? He’s been in the organization since 2005, and with the current win streak he’s on (four consecutive) it would certainly make for a good story, considering everything he has had to overcome in his life with his father’s passing and his battle with cocaine which led to an eight-month suspension in 2007. Sound off in the comment section below.

Before we get to that, however, I’d like to include some honorable mentions at the start of every new “Best Performance” entry. Today’s honorable mentions go to Mark Hominick, Pat Barry, and Matt Mitrione, who all thoroughly dominated and even outclassed their opponents. Both Mitrione and Hominick scored very impressive first-round TKO stoppages, while Barry pounded on Beltran for three straight rounds with constant, cringe-inducing leg kicks. Expect all three men to be involved in some pretty big things in the near future, so they definitely earn today’s “honorable mentions”.

When looking at last night’s main event, it’s clear to see why Evan Dunham was the odds-on favorite. Dunham was an 11-1 MMA newcomer that many felt should be a perfect 12-0. Dunham had impressed UFC fans with his sneaky KO power and his slick submission skills, and many felt he outright dominated former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk in their encounter, a fight which Sherk bizarrely won. Although the loss to Sherk quieted talks of Dunham being another one of those “future of the division” fighters, it was generally assumed that those talks would once again commence when Dunham blasted through Melvin Guillard.

Despite a late-career resurgence, people just found it hard to take Guillard seriously as a top-level contender. And honestly, the belief wasn’t without reason. Guillard was always the fighter that would take one step forward and two steps back: he would get a decent hotstreak going and then inevitably someone would put him away, and then he’d have an up-and-down record until his next little hotstreak. Guillard being so incredibly experienced in the cage (he’s had almost forty fights and he isn’t even thirty yet) was also generally thought to be a double-edged sword: on the one hand, Guillard represents a threat to just about anyone on any given day of the week. On the other, he’s repeated the following process for almost his entire UFC career: Guillard always manages to come very close to championship relevancy, only to ultimately hit a setback or even a series of setbacks that result in him eventually falling off the radar entirely.

With that said, it’s easy to see why so many people thought Dunham would be Guillard’s next setback, and it was even easier to agree with that notion. Even I, who predicted that Guillard would take a KO in Round 2, had my hesitations.

But what we got was one of the best performances of Melvin Guillard’s career.

There’s really no other way to describe how Guillard made it look easy when he shut down all of Dunham’s offense. There’s no other way to describe how Guillard was able to time his punches almost perfectly, land them very precisely, and dish them out with amazing speed. And there’s definitely no other way to describe his finishing flurry that TKO’d a fighter that many thought had granite in his chin.

It was a night of great performances, but Guillard’s outshone them all at “Fight for the Troops 2”. He proved the cynics wrong, dead wrong, and he even took some of his fans by surprise. This new, motivated, reinvigorated Guillard is the kind of fighter every Guillard fan knew “The Young Assassin” could one day become, if only all the pieces would finally fall into place. This is the championship contender we have all been waiting for. Melvin Guillard quite easily takes my award for “Best Performance” at “Fight for the Troops 2”.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you think put on the best “Fight for the Troops 2” performance, and why?

Next for Mike Thomas Brown: What a difference a year or two can make. Has it really been that long ago that Brown seemed to be ruling the Featherweight division with an iron fist? Brown is now 1-3 in his four most recent bouts, and the future is looking quite grim. In all honesty, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was announced in the next several days that Brown has been fired from the UFC. If not that, then Brown will have one last shot on yet another preliminary card. It’s do-or-die time for Mike Brown no matter who he faces next.

Next for Cody McKenzie: McKenzie hit a bump in the road, but he’ll be back and better than ever. For his gutsy performance against Yves Edwards, I think McKenzie will be bumped up to the main card of a UFC “Fight Night Live” event, although the quality of his opponent will likely remain the same. McKenzie may have lost the fight, but he gained a lot of respect in the eyes of many, so his job is definitely secured for the time being.

Next for Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. They both playfully called each other out during their post-fight interviews, and since they both won their fights in dominating fashion, I think this would be a great scrap and could even headline a “Fight Night Live” event. Both men are hungry to prove themselves worthy of entering into the Heavyweight elite, and whoever wins this fight would take a big step in the right direction.

Next for Mark Hominick: The toughest test of his career, but one that he’ll be prepared for. Hominick is now staring down a shot at Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship, and I honestly can’t think of a better fight to properly introduce UFC fans to the phenom that is Jose Aldo. This fight has “Fight of the Year” written all over it, so when it happens, I’m predicting that I’ll tune in and be amazed. Regardless of who wins, this is going to be an epic fight.

Next for Evan Dunham: A rematch with Sean Sherk, unless the injury bug bites Sherk once again. If not “The Muscle Shark”, Dunham should probably face another middle-tier Lightweight. Dunham needs a tough opponent to prove he’s still relevant, but he also needs an opponent that he stands a chance of winning against. It would prove more if Dunham kept throwing himself into the shark tank, but for now, perhaps the best way to keep himself afloat is to go back to fighting middle-of-the-road competition in order to get his career on stable ground.

Next for Melvin Guillard: Whatever is next, it’s going to be big. Guillard is going to be on Pay-Per-View in his next fight, and it’ll probably be against someone like Kenny Florian, Jim Miller, or George Sotiropoulos. For better or worse (and it’s hard to say “worse” considering how awesome he looked against Evan Dunham), Guillard has now thrown himself “into the mix” in the UFC’s Lightweight division. He’s now on the shortlist of possible championship contenders, so expect his next few fights to be a series of “contender eliminator” encounters.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of “Fight for the Troops 2”?

5. Mark Hominick’s destruction of George Roop.

The only reason this moment scores so relatively low on this list is because, let’s face it, almost all of us were expecting this to happen. I personally stated in my “Fight for the Troops 2” picks and predictions post that Roop had been “a tremendously up-and-down fighter for much of his career”. Hominick looked like a picture-perfect engine of destruction against Roop, landing shots with laser-beam precision that had Roop dazed and confused. By the time the fight was over, Hominick had emerged as a credible threat to Jose Aldo and given us one of the best moments of the night.

4. DaMarques Johnson and his “Modified Spinebreaker”.

Like Johnson himself, I was a bit puzzled when Mike Guymon seemed to tap out for what looked like no reason in their preliminary fight. Then I saw the fight replay, and I know that I can’t be the only one that cringed and immediately thought, “Oh, o.k., that’s why.” Johnson used a basic technique to flatten out your opponent when you have his back and have a body-triangle locked in, but he put so much downward pressure on his opponent that it looked as if Guymon’s body was about to snap in half. It was definitely an awesome, unexpected way to finish an opponent, so it definitely makes this list.

3. Cody McKenzie using what little breath he had left to shout that he wasn’t tapping out.

Sometimes a rookie is simply a rookie, and rookies make mistakes. Cody McKenzie seemed to be well on his way to taking out veteran Yves Edwards, but one small slip led to one big opportunity, and Yves was able to secure back mount and lock in a Rear Naked Choke. From there, Cody did two things: he fought against the choke with everything he had left to give, and he continually and loudly told the referee that he wasn’t giving up and had no intentions of tapping out. A few seconds later, the referee pulled McKenzie’s unconscious body off of Yves Edwards. When it comes to surviving a choke, McKenzie probably did himself no favors in using whatever breath he had left to continually tell the referee that he wasn’t tapping out. But when it comes to proving that you have heart, McKenzie proved that he has it in abundance. And that definitely makes for a great moment.

2. You can take his legs, but you’ll never take… Joey Beltran’s willingness to engage.

Pat Barry needed a big win to remain employed and relevant in the UFC,  and he got just that with a dominating performance over Joey Beltran. Pat Barry landed incredibly vicious leg kicks to the point where many, including myself, were wondering how Beltran could still stand. And here’s the kicker: not only did Beltran remain vertical, he kept pressing forward. This fight proved that there’s tough, and then there’s Joey Beltran. Beltran’s refusal to both go down and back off, mixed with Barry’s amazing leg kicks, easily made their fight the second-best moment of the night.

But of course, the number one best moment of “Fight for the Troops 2” just had to be…

1. Melvin Guillard will always be one of those “what could have been” stories… right?

Last night’s performance was a long time coming for the Guillard war wagon, which I’ve been an off-and-on member of for quite some time. Even with his recent hotstreak and resurgence at Greg Jackson’s camp, many still wondered if Guillard still had it in him to reach the potential he seemed to have so many years ago. Could he finally ascend to top-contender status? Or would Guillard forever be a case of “too little, too late”? Last night’s performance proved one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt: Guillard isn’t done, not by a long-shot, and this latest hotstreak isn’t stopping until he gets a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship. Guillard’s crushing domination of Evan Dunham easily qualifies as the best moment of the night.

So there you have it, fans and friends. What about you? What did you like most about “For for the Troops 2”?

1. Melvin Guillard now has the stuff to give anyone in the lightweight division a run: Guillard was always a seriously dangerous striker.  That speed and power of his was once again on display Saturday night.  From the punches he landed while Dunham held his leg in the air, to that one-two that initially dropped his adversary, to the way he threw knees that eventually ended the fight, Guillard showed a level of athleticism and striking skills that could not be denied. 

The real clincher, however, was the way in which he got up after Dunham achieved a takedown.  He looked as calm as could be below the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt as he scooted to a sitting position along the cage wall and eventually rose to his feet. 

Remember- seven of Guillard’s eight losses have come by way of submission.  Once this guy gets to a certain level on the ground, he’ll be as dangerous as anyone.  In the end, if Guillard is improving on the canvas as much as people are saying he is with Jackson’s MMA- and there was some evidence of it against Dunham- on any given night he will be able to take out anyone in the lightweight division. 

2. Matt Mitrione on the verge of big fights in the UFC: No one could deny that Mitrione had some talent during his TUF 10 stint.  However, to see what he has become during his four fight UFC winning streak is really something to behold.

Mitrione is a very fast, technically sound, and powerful striker, which he showed once again against the much more experienced Tim Hague at UFC Fight Night 23.   He has literally run through the opponents that the UFC has offered him to date.  Marcus Jones, Kimbo Slice, Joey Beltran, and now Hague have all looked pretty inadequate on their feet against him.  What’s more, Mitrione once again showed good takedown defense against his opponent on Saturday.

Time for this Roufusport product to take on another level of competition.  He’s that good.

3. Cody McKenzie is a tough and talented guy: McKenzie looked pretty tough while participating on TUF 12.  But you never really know how performance on that show will translate to the big time.  Against Yves Edwards, we found out that he was for real. 

McKenzie took a lot of punches in round one.  In round two, the same happened, but that didn’t stop him from attempting a couple of spinning back elbows and taking Edwards’ back on the ground, where he pounded on him from behind for a significant amount of time.  When you can do that kind of stuff against TUF competitors, it’s always difficult to figure how that kind of performance translates, as they’re all works in progress.  But against Edwards, although McKenzie made an error that cost him the fight, he looked like an up and comer worth noticing.

By the way, that toughness was on display when he refused to tap from an Edwards rear naked choke that eventually put him to sleep.

4. Yves Edwards can still impress: Edwards has now won three in a row, including two in the UFC.  The formerly uncrowned UFC lightweight champion showed solid striking, toughness when McKenzie took a superior position on the ground against him, and the ability to finish with his rear naked choke victory on Saturday.  In the end, he took out a really tough and unorthodox guy in McKenzie.  It was a huge victory for him.

5. Matt Wiman is ready to step up: Cole Miller is a really tough guy.  We’re talking about a very valid submission threat that always comes to fight.  So the fact that Wiman literally destroyed him last night both on his feet and on the ground with ground and pound says something.

It says that Wiman has now won three straight in the UFC impressively.  He may be ready for another shot at the Jim Miller‘s of the world.

UFC President Dana White tweeted post-fight the amount earning of $30k for the award recipients who all fought hard before our fellow countryman’s soldiers at “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex.

In preliminary action that was aired via Facebook, “The Ultimate Fighter” season twelve quarter-finalist Cody McKenzie took on Yves Edwards in a special lightweight attraction. Though Cody admitted that he thought of the near 60-fight veteran of something as a “hero” for him, he didn’t hold anything back, as he gave everything he had against the American Top Team product in an exciting two-round exchange. In the first, Yves was able to batter McKenzie with punches galore, while staving off any takedown attempts from the guillotine-submission-specialist. In the second, McKenzie was finally able to work the fight to the mat and eventually secure back-mount on the former world ranked fighter. Edwards experience showed as he was able to escape, mount, then secure a rear-naked choke finish, choking out the choke-artist to sleep.

For their efforts, both men nabbed “Fight of the Night”, while Yves also picked up the evening’s “Submission of the Night” award, pocketing $60k in total on his own accord.

In the main-event of the evening, Melvin Guillard put on arguably his mos brilliant performance inside the octagon when he took on top-contender Evan Dunham in a 155-pound bout. Dunham, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, tried desperately to work the fight to the floor after he was rocked early by a right-hand from “The Young Assassin”, however once on the floor Guillard quickly stood back up. Successive knees to the head wilted Dunham against the fence and eventually Mario Yamasaki stepped in to save the Xtreme Couture product. The win for the Greg Jackson product took less than three-minutes of ring time. Guillard has now won four-in-a-row inside the UFC and now faces top-10 competition from here on out.

With the ultra-impressive win, Melvin now took home the evening’s “Knockout of the Night” award and pocketed $30k for his performance.

So, MMA peeps, what did you think of tonight’s night of fights? All were exciting, but did Dana White get the bonuses correct to the respective fighters? Sound off in the comment section below.

Not many people gave Guillard a chance in his fight with top-contender Evan Dunham. If anything, Melvin always held a “punchers chance”, and that’s all that the Greg Jackson product needed in order to secure one of the biggest wins of his career.

Now, for the first time in his five-plus years in the organization, people will now start recognizing the devastating striker as a possible title contender in the very near future with his first-round smashing of Evan.

Guillard looked calm and poised in the early goings of the lightweight affair, so did Dunham who waited for his spots in order to secure a takedown. An early right hand from Melvin prompted Evan, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, to take the action to the ground. The spry Melvin quickly got back to his feet, dropping Evan with another rapid-fire right hand.

Clinched against the cage, Melvin unleashed two hellish knees to the head, a follow up one left the Xtreme Couture product unable to intelligently defend himself and referee Mario Yamasaki called a halt to the contest. “The Young Assassin” needed less than three-minutes to secure the TKO win, and in turn extended a now UFC-career high record of four consecutive wins inside the octagon.

Though there are many players in the lightweight division who are busy with upcoming fights, including Jim Miller, George Sotiropoulos, and Anthony Pettis among others–Guillard will surely be facing top-10 competition from here on out.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Guillard’s performance? Who do you think the knockout fighter should fight next? Can you see Melvin challenge title in the foreseeable future? Sound off in the comment section below.

Melvin Guillard defeats Evan Dunham by TKO (Strikes) at 2:58 of Round 1. Matt Mitrione defeats Tim Hague by TKO (Strikes) at 2:59 of Round 1. Mark Hominick defeats George Roop by TKO (Strikes) at 1:28 of Round 1. Pat Barry defeats Joey Beltran by Unanimous Decision. Matt Wiman defeats Cole Miller by Unanimous Decision. Yves Edwards defeats Cody McKenzie by Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:33 of Round 2. DaMarques Johnson defeats Mike Guymon by Verbal Submission (Body Triangle) at 3:22 of Round 1. Rani Yahya defeats Mike Brown by Unanimous Decision. Waylon Lowe defeats Willamy Freire by Unanimous Decision. Charlie Brenneman defeats Amilcar Alves by Unanimous Decision. Chris Cariaso defeats Will Campuzano by Unanimous Decision.

Once again I found myself really enjoying the UFC’s “Prelims Live” outings. The UFC took to Facebook to stream four free fights, and for the most part, the broadcast went off without a hitch. The opening bout (Lowe vs. Freire) was a bit of a misfire, but when you consider the fact that you had three other fights to balance it out, it was a stream well worth watching. In particular, I really enjoyed the fight between Yves Edwards and Cody McKenzie. I think McKenzie has a bright future in the UFC despite the loss, and I also look forward to seeing what the future holds for Yves Edwards.

The main card itself was all kinds of interesting. Matt Wiman looked excellent against Cole Miller, while Pat Barry put on a fiery performance against the super-tough Joey Beltran. I laughed when Barry joked during his post-fight interview that, if their fight had been five rounds, Beltran would have been hopping around on one leg and still moving forward. And the reason I laughed is because Pat Barry was telling the truth. I’m very glad that Pat Barry scored such a big win, but Beltran also earned himself some major points for his uncanny ability to never back down.

Mark Hominick looks to be an excellent opponent for Jose Aldo, and I for one wasn’t angry in the least when the referee stopped the fight. If you ever need a real-life example of being “out on your feet”, fans and friends, it was George Roop in the dying seconds of that fight. Hominick and Aldo should put on a sure-fire barnburner.

Allow me to sum up Matt Mitrione’s performance in one sentence: Matt Mitrione has arrived. I think some huge things are in store for Mitrione in a very short period of time, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the fight that takes Mitrione out of the woods and onto the mountain path. While he’s not a high-level star just yet, he’s definitely emerged into a bonafide prospect and I’m really looking forward to seeing how he handles increasingly stiffer competition.

I think much of the same can be said of Melvin Guillard, who put on undoubtedly the best performance of the night against the super-tough Evan Dunham. Guillard seems to have finally put together all the pieces, and this performance may have rightfully put Guillard on the shortlist of possible championship contenders.

All in all, I really enjoyed this event. Sometimes it doesn’t take major stars and massive fights to make an event that’s very enjoyable. The UFC continues to really impress me with their 2011 outings, and I’m very hopeful for the future. It’s going to be an amazing year, fans and friends.

And what about you? What did you think of “Fight for the Troops 2”?

Always considered to be a tremendous athlete and talent in the worlds largest mixed martial arts promotion, he has found trouble in the past relaying his skills inside the cage. Often mired in some sort of controversy, whether it be his suspension following a post-fight drug screening where “The Young Assassin” tested positive for cocaine or several other allegations thrown at him, Melvin has now put his young and rambunctious life in the past.

One of the newest additions to the world renowned Greg Jackson camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the now budding lightweight contender has won 6 of his last 7 bouts with five of those victories coming inside the octagon. Now, in order to solidify himself as the next contender to the lightweight title, he will have to get past the world-ranked Evan Dunham this Saturday.

“When I got the call that I was going to be the main event and they moved me, it was a little less nerve wracking for me,” said Melvin who recently spoke with Sherdog.com

The 27-year-old was originally slated to face Yves Edwards at the “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ show on the preliminary portion of the card, however after Kenny Florian bowed out of his main event slot opposite of Dunham due to injury, Melvin was more than anxious to take his place. After all, having to battle a close friend who you’ve spent time training with will always way heavy in your mind come fight time.

“I was a little bit nervous taking the Yves Edwards fight”, said the lightweight fighter.

“I think the Yves Edwards fight was a tougher fight for me because he’s a longtime friend and mentor. To me Yves Edwards is a legend in this sport. He’s a (fighter) that’s paid his dues. He’s making a comeback run at it and he’s dangerous.”

And with Evan, who is coming off an impressive performance against former champion Sean Sherk at UFC 119 last September–universally everyone believed Dunham won the fight, however he lost a highly-contested split-decision once the fight went to the judges score cards–Guillard see’s the Xtreme Couture product as the perfect stepping stone to get his career back in order.

“He’s going to be a big stepping stone for me,” said Guillard “Him being ranked above me, I kind of shy away from that. I don’t feel he [should be] ranked above me. I paid my dues in the UFC. He’s just coming into the UFC. He had a couple of tough fights, but I’ve been in the game of MMA for 15 years. … He hasn’t fought anybody like me.

“I feel I’m the [lightweight] everybody worries about,” continued the confident New Orleans native. “I think when these guys get phone calls from Joe Silva or Dana [White] and they say, ‘Hey, we want you to fight Melvin Guillard,’ I think guys panic. I honestly think guys fear fighting me because I’m so athletic and they don’t know what’s going to happen. If you look at all my fights, none of them are the same. I explode from anywhere. It’s hard to train for a guy like me. If he’s banking all his money on he’s going to submit me, then it’s going to be a long night for Evan Dunham.”

“UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ will air live on Spike TV this Saturday from Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Melvin’s chances against Dunham? Guillard has looked impressive in recent performances against Jeremy Stephens (albeit a snoozer, it was still a win over a well respected fighter), Gleison Tibau, and Dennis Siver–however, Dunham has looked every bit the world beater he has turned out to be. Who do you think takes this fight? Sound off in the comment section below.

Guillard is currently scheduled to face Evan Dunham in the main event of the UFC’s “Fight for the Troops 2” event. Dunham was originally expected to face perennial Lightweight contender Kenny Florian, but Florian pulled out of the event with an injury. With that said, here are my thoughts on Melvin’s future if he beats Evan Dunham.

Guillard’s next fight will be on PPV.

I’m fairly certain of this, Guillard’s last three fights were all on PPV and his fight before that was the headlining attraction of UFC Fight Night 19. As Guillard continues to flex his improved skills and much-honed technique, he’ll continue to develop into a certifiable UFC draw. If Guillard is able to extend his win-streak to four, expect him to take a prolonged absence from free TV until the next time he loses.

Guillard will get the big win he needs in order to get the big fights he wants.

It seems that even the UFC is treating Evan Dunham as if he had won his fight against Sean Sherk, which Dunham lost via a very controversial decision. If Guillard is able to beat Dunham, he’ll have properly and truly derailed the hype train that has virtually shrugged off a loss to a former UFC Lightweight Champion. Dunham is still widely regarded as a top-level prospect and it’s clear that the UFC is marketing him as such, so if Guillard is able to beat him without any major controversies, it’ll be the kind of victory Guillard can build a reputation as a top-division fighter off of.

Is Guillard finally ready for the UFC’s best?

If Guillard beats Dunham he definitely has earned another shot at fighting the UFC’s best, but there’s a difference between being able to fight the best and being able to beat the best. Can Guillard really hang with the UFC’s Lightweight elite, especially now, with the entire division blown wide open thanks to both the ascension of Frank Edgar and the influx of WEC stars? Should he beat Dunham, this will likely be the most important question Melvin Guillard will have to answer as he moves forward in his already-lengthy career.

And finally…

Who should Guillard face next?

A division only stays decimated for so long, and the days of BJ Penn’s dominance are becoming an ever-distant memory. Guillard has a lot of competition, so who should he fight next? My money is either on Sean Sherk or Kenny Florian. Depending on how dominant of a performance he puts on, Guillard may even be ready to face George Sotiropoulos. If he beats Dunham, Guillard’s next fight will most likely be the final test to prove that he can be a championship contender. And he’s certainly got a lot of competition both ready and willing to make a name off of him. This is definitely a crucial fight, but if Melvin Guillard beats Evan Dunham, his next fight may be a make-or-break encounter.

So, fans and friends, those are my thoughts on Melvin Guillard and his immediate future, should he beat Evan Dunham. What are your thoughts? And what’s your initial take on “What If He Wins”?

Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman: Both men are relatively young but still quite skilled in the Octagon. This is definitely an important fight for both men, both are on two-fight win-streaks and chasing relevancy in the UFC’s ever-crowded Lightweight division. With more wins, fewer losses, and some excellent submission skills, Cole Miller should be the favorite to win this one. I’ll pick Miller to take a second-round submission.

Pat Barry vs. Joey Beltran: It all depends on how often either man lands the strikes they like, which are the ones that have given them a majority of their wins by (T)KO. Barry has a tough chin, so it’s unlikely, although not impossible, that Beltran will be able to outright KO “HD”. Barry, on the other hand, could end up stopping Beltran if he can land his patented, vicious leg kicks. It’ll be a close fight, but I think Pat Barry will win this one by Unanimous Decision.

Mark Hominick vs. George Roop: Roop is coming off what has to be the biggest win of his career, a thunderous KO victory over “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung. However, that only briefly overshadowed the fact that Roop has been a tremendously up-and-down fighter for much of his career. Meanwhile, Mark Hominick hasn’t lost since 2008 and has finished three of the four bouts that have gone into his current four-fight win-streak. Hominick has fought more often, fought bigger names, and beaten more quality opposition. Mark Hominick takes a Unanimous Decision.

Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague: Tim Hague is still very much trying to get out from under the shadow of his dramatic KO loss to Todd Duffee, which holds the official record as the fastest KO in UFC history. Mitrione, meanwhile, is an undefeated prospect that’s got nowhere to go but up. I think Hague is definitely being cast as the sacrificial lamb, and unfortunately for him, I see him playing that character to perfection. Matt Mitrione wins by first-round (T)KO.

Evan Dunham vs. Melvin Guillard: I think Guillard is the posterboy when it comes to the “Greg Jackson Formula” being able to turn a fighter’s career around. Dunham will surely be a can’t-miss fighter in the near future, but in the here and now, Guillard simply has too many ways to win. He’s always been a very talented fighter, but Greg Jackson seems to have finally put together the right formula to turn Guillard into a true championship contender. I’m predicting that Guillard takes the KO in Round 2.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What are your predictions for UFC “Fight for the Troops 2”?

The Event: UFC “Fight for the Troops 2”, scheduled for January 22, 2011 at Fort Hood near Killeen, Texas. The main card will be broadcast live on Spike TV starting at 9 PM ET and 6 PM PT.

Why You Should Care: This is a charity event that takes place on a military base and is being put on in order to help raise awareness and money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a non-profit charity that helps veterans and the families of veterans. In addition to this very worthy cause, the event also features several interesting match-ups featuring a great cast of tough veterans and hot prospects.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Evan Dunham is a fantastic newcomer and could be the next George Sotiropoulos, based on his great submission skills and tremendous heart. Melvin Guillard always shows up to perform and has had several awesome fights in the UFC, and new life seems to have been breathed into his career ever since he switched camps and went over to Greg Jackson’s. If Dunham beats Guillard, he’ll have the big win over a respected veteran that he should have gotten when he lost a supremely controversial decision to Sean Sherk. If Guillard wins, he puts himself into prime position to once again start receiving top-division opposition.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: It’s another “veteran vs. newcomer” fight, and it should be a very worthy co-main event. Matt Mitrione was the bad-boy of Season 10 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, but now that he’s in the UFC, he’s proven himself as an interesting prospect that loves to engage and has serious knockout power. Tim Hague is a veteran fighter that just recently avenged a three-fight losing-streak by going on a two-fight win-streak, with both wins coming by (T)KO. Whether they swing for the fences or engage in the pocket, these two Heavyweights are going to get down and dirty very quickly, and in the process they’ll give us a pretty entertaining brawl.

Why You Should Watch This Card: There are several reasons, but two big ones make this card one that’s well worth watching. Judged solely on the quality of its fights, this card is definitely a good Spike TV live special. It has a pretty engaging mix of name-value stars, smartly-booked fights, and fresh faces mixed in with veteran talent. But almost as important is the goal of this show, which is to raise money for a very worthy cause.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: There are some decent names here, but nothing that screams “you need to watch this”. In similar fashion, a lot of these fights look good on paper, but none of them really stand out as potentially amazing bouts. It should be a fun night of fights, but there’s relatively little chance of anything earth-shattering occurring at this show.

Closing Thoughts: In the end, I strongly encourage any and all reading this little blurb to tune in and watch this show. I applaud the UFC’s continued efforts to give back to the troops, and I encourage those of you that can give money to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund to give and give generously. With a great cause behind it and several smartly-booked fights rounding it out, “Fight for the Troops 2” should end up being a good show.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on “Fight for the Troops 2”?

5. The first “Fight for the Troops” event was a successful show despite its bizarre history.

The original “Fight for the Troops” show featured a lot of interesting match-ups that unfortunately ended with several fighters having to go to the hospital. Nevertheless, it definitely served its purpose, since it gave fans a memorable (to say the least) night of free fights while also helping raise several million dollars for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. “Fight for the Troops 2” seems to have the same aura of unpredictability and should lend the same helping hand, and hopefully history only repeats itself when it comes to the good fights and the crazy amount of coin raised, and not the heinous injuries.

4. The card features a lot of young, emerging talent.

Evan Dunham could be a key Lightweight player by the time 2011 is through, while Matt Mitrione is slowly but confidently building himself up as a potential star at Heavyweight. The main card also features the hard-hitting Pat Barry and the submission artist Cole Miller. The undercard also features a lot of new and emerging talent, so fans are practically guaranteed plenty of fast-paced goodness throughout the night.

3. The co-main event should be a wild brawl.

Tim Hague is a tough veteran that comes to either KO or get KO’d, while Matt Mitrione has also shown some very impressive fists in the cage. Hague wants to engage to prove he’s still relevant, and the best way to come back from a three-fight losing-streak is a three-fight win-streak with all wins by (T)KO. Mitrione wants to keep his hotstreak going since he’s an undefeated prospect and the Heavyweight division currently needs a new prospect since Junior dos Santos has been elevated to a championship level. Both men should come out swinging, and it should be a very entertaining fight.

2. The main event should be great.

Evan Dunham is an incredibly versatile 11-1 Lightweight, with many believing that he was cheated out of a victory over Sean Sherk and should be an unbeaten 12-0. Dunham can do it all even though he’s mostly known for his submissions. Likewise, Melvin Guillard can do it all even though he’s mostly known for his KO’s. Even though Dunham is two years older, this is still a very “rookie vs. veteran” fight given that Guillard will be fighting for the thirty-sixth time when he faces Dunham. Both men are known as exciting, versatile fighters, so this one should be a war no matter where it goes.

And the number one reason to already be looking forward to “Fight for the Troops 2” is because…

1. It’s for a great cause.

I normally hate to get all preachy and up on the soapbox, but I’ve got no problem making an exception when it comes to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. This is an amazing charity that deserves all the help it could possibly get. No matter how you feel about MMA, the UFC, or even our veterans, you should feel very proud that the UFC is teaming up with a non-profit charity in order to give back to the brave men and women who have fought to defend the USA. I certainly do.

And there you have it, fans and friends: “Fight for the Troops 2” should be a very interesting show that’s well worth watching. But what about you? What do you think of the event?

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt was expected to face rising contender Evan Dunham in the main-event of the evening, however has since backed out of the lightweight match due to injury.

Florian was last seen in action when he took on wrestling powerhouse Gray Maynard in his backyard of Boston, Mass. at UFC 118 last August. “Ken-Flo” dropped a unanimous decision victory to Maynard in a bout that was to decide the number one contender to current champion Frankie Edgar’s 155-pound title.

MMAJunkie.com first reported the news of Florian’s injury through sources close to the UFC, however no official word has been handed down from the head honchos.

The injury as well has been undisclosed and no official time length has been disparaged as far as when “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran may return.

Dunham is still expected to remain on the card, though no opponent has been discussed as a possible replacement to stand opposite of the Xtreme Couture product. Evan was last seen in action when he took on former lightweight champion Sean Sherk on the main card of UFC 119, which took place in Indianapolis, Ind. last September. The previously undefeated lightweight prospect lost a controversial split-decision to the former champ, however picked up “Fight of the Night” for his spirited performance.

UFN 23 is taking place in Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex. before our armed forces who will be enjoying the nights festivities.

UPDATE: Melvin Guillard has been tapped as a replacement for the main-event. Guillard was on the preliminary portion of the card, expected to take on former UFC lightweight contender Yves Edwards, but MMAWeekly.com has reported that now the rising 155-pound star will fill in for Florian against Dunham.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Who do you think would be a suitable opponent to replace Florian? Will Guillard suffice? Sound off in the comment section below.

According to Sherdog, the official “Fight for the Troops 2” card now stands as follows: Kenny Florian vs. Evan Dunham, Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague, Mark Hominick vs. George Roop, Pat Barry vs. Joey Beltran, Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman, Yves Edwards vs. Melvin Guillard, Mike Swick vs. David Mitchell, DaMarques Johnson vs. Michael Guymon, Chan Sung Jung vs. Rani Yahya, Waylon Lowe vs. Willamy “Chiquerim” Freire, and Amilcar Alves vs. Charlie Brenneman.

UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” is scheduled to take place January 22, 2011 from the Fort Hood military post in Killeen, Texas.

The more and more I look at this card, the more and more I think that this will be a standout event in its own right. Despite the problems he’s had in the past with facing top-level competition, Kenny Florian is and perhaps always will be one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC Lightweight division. Florian looks amazing in most fights, and this fight should be no different. Evan Dunham will also likely show up in top shape and top form after getting a taste of the top when he fought (and many would say “beat”) former UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk recently.

The undercard has several great fights as well. I’m particularly looking forward to Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague, I think Mitrione has the potential to take a lot of people by surprise and go far in the increasingly-competitive UFC Heavyweight division. You’ve got WEC stars like George Roop and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung, you’ve got Mike Swick and Melvin Guillard, and you’ve even got DaMarques Johnson and Pat Barry. If it all goes according to plan, we may be in for a  great night of non-stop action.

And don’t forget the most important aspect of this card: this is all being put on to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. The IFHF is a non-profit charity that raises money for veterans with traumatic brain injuries. The first “Fight for the Troops” event raised an estimated four million dollars for the organization.

While I’ve been known to criticize the UFC in the past (but, hey, I criticize everyone eventually, it comes with the territory), I’ve got nothing but good things to say about “Fight for the Troops 2”. It’s a great cause, it’s a great card, and it should be a great night of fights. And I’d like to encourage all of those who can give, to give generously.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on “Fight for the Troops 2” and what fights are you looking forward to?

According to the official press release, Kenny Florian, Mike Swick, Matt Mitrione, Melvin Guillard, and DaMarques Johnson have all been confirmed for the event. Once again, the event is being held in order to raise awareness and money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which is a non-profit organization that “provides assistance to our nation’s military heroes who have been critically injured in the performance of their duty, and their families.”

UFC President Dana White had this to say regarding the event: “It’s always a great honor for us to entertain the men and women of the military by bringing them some great fights while raising money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. It’s the least we can do for the people who are defending this country and making so many sacrifices for our freedom, and this is a cause the UFC will always support.”

The first “Fight for the Troops” event raised a staggering four million dollars for the IFHF. Ironically, the first “Fight for the Troops” show also became infamous for the string of grisly injuries it produced. Several fighters had to be hospitalized after the event, and Corey Hill had to endure one of the most horrific injuries ever seen in the Octagon when his leg basically snapped in half after his opponent Dale Hartt checked a kick.

All in all, I’m really looking forward to this show. I think the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund is a great cause, and I’m glad that the UFC is determined to continue raising awareness and funds for the organization. As the son of a veteran myself, I can proudly and strongly say that I think that all veterans deserve our nation’s help and support in whatever way they can get it, regardless of your personal world views or political orientations. It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with whatever conflict is going on, the sacrifices these brave men and women make on a daily basis should never be overshadowed, overlooked, or taken for granted.

The great thing about this event is that not only does it raise awareness for a great cause, it’s also a pretty good event in and of itself. Florian vs. Dunham is a very, very worthy headlining attraction for a Spike TV show, with both men coming off of a loss but still being “in the mix” thanks to their spirited performances in the past. It looks like some real effort is being put into making this show one worth watching, so I’ll definitely be tuning in and looking forward to a fun night of fights that benefits a great and worthy cause.

And what about you, fans and friends? What kind of fireworks do you think “Fight for the Troops 2” will produce?

When people thought of the lightweight division in it’s infantile stages, they pointed to Edwards.

Heralded as the promotion’s “uncrowned” champion during the dark era of the division. During that time, then champion Jens Pulver had a falling out with the UFC, and ultimately left the promotion for a bigger payday else where. Then, when the organization attempted to crown a new champion, BJ Penn and Caol Uno fought to a draw at UFC 41 in 2003.

So, when you saw Yves Edwards creating highlight reels inside the UFC, taking out top level competition–most notably, his head kick knockout of former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson some years ago, you can understand why the 34-year-old Edwards hates when he’s reminded of the fact that he’s never held UFC gold, despite being recognized as the best.

“People can say I was the uncrowned lightweight champ, but it sucks being the uncrowned champ of anything”, said Yves while speaking with Ben Fowlkes of MMAFighting.com.

“You don’t have the belt, and you never had it. I can’t put ‘uncrowned lightweight champion’ on my resume. That hurts so bad. That really still hurts, to tell you the truth”

Even with all of his endeavors, which has taken him all around the world and through all the top organizations, including Strikeforce, Bellator Fighting Championships, and PRIDE, the bitterness of being recognized as “the man” still stings.

“I think about that a lot. I used to think about it more. I try not to think about it so much now. At the time, it really, really sucked, you know? Now I feel like I have an opportunity to try and rectify that.”

Now, back in the UFC after a 4-year leave from the promotion after dropping back-to-back fights Mark Hominick and Joe Stevenson (respectively) inside the octagon, Yves hopes to turn it all around on January 22 when he meets budding contender Melvin Guillard at “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ this January.

Thanks to MiddleEasy.com for the find.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of this? Do you think Yves can make a run back to the top? Sound off in the comment section below.

Already, ufc 125 has been officially announced for January 1 in Las Vegas, Nev. The event will feature a championship headliner between current UFC lightweight title holder Frankie Edgar, who looks to exact revenge and successfully defend his title for a second time against the only man to defeat him, powerhouse wrestler and Xtreme Couture product, Gray Maynard.

Following the event, UFC 126 is taking place on February 5, with champion Anderson Silva and former teammate Vitor Belfort claiming top billing as the main event for the evening, vying for the UFC middleweight title.

According to MMAJunkie.com, the January 22 event, which has not been officially announced, is expected to be an “UFC Fight for the Troops” event, though nothing is completely certain as of yet.

Melvin Guillard, who will meet veteran Yves Edwards on the unannounced event, had hinted to the possibility as well. “Ok world an @Young__assassin fans the next fight is set for JAN 22,2011. FORT HOOD ,FIGHT FOR THE TROOPS”, said Guillard in a recent Tweet.

Fort Hood is a military base in Killeen, Texas–and was also home to one of the more gruesome stories to come to fruition in 2009, when a U.S. Army Major and Psychiatrist opened fire on the base, killing 13 men and wounding 30 others in the process… perhaps not the best place to hold an event, don’t you think?

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the event and lightweight match up between Guillard and Edwards? If you are an MMA fan, than you can appreciate the ramifications of this fight. Melvin is up and coming in the 155-pound class, while Yves is one of the pioneers in the weight class and will be battling to remain relevant in the mixed martial arts game. Sound off in the comment section below.

Although his in-ring antics against Mizuto Hirota at “Dynamite!! 2009″ would inidicate otherwise, the grappling ace usually keeps to himself and refrains from doing a lot of outlandish things. Maybe that’s why the Japanese have embraced him as their leading man in the world of mixed martial arts.

However, most recently, the famed Judoka has stepped out of his shell and lit the MMA world abuzz once again, with his almost brutal honesty, on how he views the Western MMA scene (um…us) and how they can benefit by tuning into DREAM, once in a while.

Here is a transcript from a short interview Aoki, the DREAM lightweight champion, had done with Grappling Dummy, in an official DEEP affiliated gym, in Tokyo, Japan. Props to MiddleEasy for the find.

If you’d like to read the transcript in it’s entirety, the tread along, otherwise, if your looking for the meat and potatoes, what he thinks about the UFC, his favorite fighters, etc, then scroll on down towards the end.

GD: Are you any closer to achieving the “ideal self” you talked about in recent interviews?

SA: Yes… by practicing everyday, I get closer to my ideal self. It’s the training itself, every day.

GD: Amateur Wrestling is helping out a lot of fighters win fights. Do you think you can counter it by training more wrestling?

SA: I am not a wrestler, so… But I do have elements of wrestling in my style. I don’t think I’m going to change what I do that much.

GD: Now that prize money is offered in grappling competitions like Abu Dhabi Pro, would you compete in jiu jitsu again?

SA: Abu Dhabi Pro… What’s the prize money?

GD and Associates: (scuffling, and some back and forth) Do you have any idea? No, I don’t know. Maybe it’s like… five thousand dollars. Pretty small.

SA: Multiply that by ten and I might do it!

GD: How do you feel about the western fighters comparing themselves to the samurai of Japan?

SA: Samurai are the guys with the chon-mage haircut and swords… They aren’t walking around today. It’s probably a misunderstanding of the Japanese culture.

GD: Are martial arts just fighting or do they teach you to be a better person?

SA: Well, it’s my job. I don’t really know if it would benefit me… A lot of people say that fighters are good people, but I’m not sure how useful it is for a professional fighter to be a nice guy.

:::: Free conversation, starting with BJ Penn‘s loss to Frankie Edgar ::::

SA: BJ lost the fight, but… I am a really huge fan of BJ Penn. In fact, he’s my favorite fighter. Technically he lost, but… Real martial arts means a knockout or a submission. I still think he is the “number one”. I think the problem in the fight was that BJ didn’t try hard enough to get the submission and finish the fight. I think that was the problem. Maybe technically it was a good game, but not very interesting.

GD: Do you want to see Gray Maynard vs Frankie Edgar?

SA: I don’t! (laughs).

:::: Free Conversation Concerning Western MMA; Specifically, the UFC ::::

SA: I am a really big fan of the UFC. I love it. But the wrestling style of take down, holding… Standing, a little boxing, then another take down… It’s boring. Going for the submission, the KO, is much more interesting. That’s what Japanese MMA is all about. Lately, in the UFC, there are some amazing fighters, but… It’s not always exciting.

:::: Favorite Fighters ::::

SA: My favorite fighters are BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Kenny Florian, Melvin Guillard, Nate Diaz. I like aggressive fighters. All this wrestling is boring.

:::: The Gilbert Melendez fight in Strikeforce, last April; his last loss ::::

SA: (In the Melendez fight) it had nothing to do with the cage. I was simply weak. I can’t really explain it in words, but… Step by step, I’m improving. It will be fine.

:::: His opinion on the top 4 fighters in the lightweight division ::::

SA: BJ Penn, Eddie Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez, Frankie Edgar… Anyway, there’s four (top lightweights). With BJ as number one. The most aggressive is Eddie Alvarez. The most defensive is Franke Edgar. Gray Maynard!…He’s a…(hesitating) good wrestler.

:::: MMA Promotions Aoki watches ::::

SA: I watch all the American MMA shows. From Elite XC, then Strikeforce, the UFC… Basically I watch everything. When a fighter get’s released from the UFC, they move down to a local promotion. Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose. With tough fighters coming up, it’s good.

GD: How much weight do you cut?

SA: Five or Six kilograms (which translates to 11 to 13 pounds). (Cutting lots of weight) is not good for the body. American fighters train so hard, they use a lot of supplements. So their fighting peak is pretty small.

(except Randy Couture)

SA: (Smiles and nods)

I encourage everyone to watch the video when they have a chance. I’m sure the little nuances and such would be much better translated on video instead of me writing it all out, inch by inch.

So, MMA peeps, what’s your take on Aoki now? Have your views changed? Do you agree with his assessment of the Western MMA scene? Sound off in the comment section below.

Waylon comes from a wrestling background and works very good submissions despite the loss to Santino DeFranco (0-0) on “The Ultimate Fighter 9″. I have had the opportunity to watch Waylon compete at a NAGA event where he manhandled the competition.

Stepping in on short notice against a guy like Melvin will not be an easy task. Melvin was once known for his lack of ground skills but those have improved drastically since moving to New Mexico to train under Greg Jackson.

The UFC seems to be setting up Melvin with one grappler after another. Surprising to many people he was able to beat two men with very legitimate jiu jitsu games in Ronys Torres (6-2) and Gleison Tibau (18-6). The fight against Tibau many feel Melvin lost as it was a split decision at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale.

This is the first time in the history of the UFC that a fighter has lost the first elimination fight on The Ultimate Fighter to eventually find himself back inside the Octagon. Lowe is currently on a six-fight win streak with his last fight being against Steve Berger who he knocked out brutally in the first round at King of The Cage: Bad Boys 2.

This will be an interesting match-up as Waylon has never faced a striker with the speed that Melvin possesses and coming into this fight on short notice, while it will impress the UFC, it could be detrimental to him. It takes time to prepare properly for a man with as much potential as Melvin when the only thing really getting in his way is himself.

Diaz had backed Guilliard into the cage with a crisp one-two combo.  Guilliard wasn’t taking home the Oscar for playing possom at the cage before he launched a straight punch into a double leg takedown.  Diaz landed on his back and immediately slipped his arms around Guillard’s neck and his right leg high over Guillard’s back.  Diaz leaned back and Guilliard pounded the mat.

Guillard had been winning with the fight with wild haymakers that split open Diaz’s right eye and a right body kick that doubled-over Diaz twice.

Diaz and Guillard cross paths moving in opposite directions.

Diaz is on a two-fight losing streak, most recently getting manhandled in a UD loss to a relentless “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (30-9) at The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale in Las Vegas last month.

Guillard is on a two-fight win streak, most recently pulling ahead in a split decision over Gleison Tibau (16-6) at the same event.

However, Diaz’s recent losses are against notably better competition than Guillard’s recent wins.

Sports Illustrated cover boy Huerta returns from being simply out-classed in a UD loss to UFC title challenger “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-3) at UFC 87 last August. This fight represents the final fight on his UFC contract, after which Huerta evidently plans to retire to pursue an acting career.

That’s not a healthy mindset to have when facing down Maynard, who will make his sixth Octagon appearance. At UFC 96 in March, Maynard defended his perfect record with a unanimous decision over “Mongoose” Jim Miller (13-2).

The card will air in the United States on SpikeTV and represents the UFC’s return to Oklahoma City after a 15-year absence.

New UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin (16-4) demoralized and upset former Champ “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) by unanimous decision Saturday night in Las Vegas.

“This is the greatest night of my life,” Griffin said after toppling the odds.

Though Jackson won the first round by staggering Griffin with a left, then dropping the challenger with a right uppercut, Griffin laid the groundwork for his decision victory by whittling away at Jackson’s lead leg with low kicks.

“He jacked my leg up,” Jackson admitted.

In the second round, Griffin buckled the champ with a leg kick and passed to mount on the mat, grinding elbows into Rampage’s head, but doing little damage.

Rampage limped into round three searching for a knockout, but managed only a combination that Griffin weathered, though he admitted, “Every punch that motherfucker threw hurt.”

Jackson scored a fourth-round takedown; but, Griffin wrapped a leg triangle, then transitioned to an omoplata when Jackson freed himself from the triangle.

Jackson stood out of the submission and cracked Griffin with a right hand, opening a cut on the challenger’s right eyelid, then followed with a left as the bell ended the round.

It was back-and-forth and both fighters felt they needed the final round to win; but, Jackson seemed disappointed by the situation, while Griffin was inspired.

Griffin got back to game plan in the fifth round, stinging Rampage’s lead leg, as Jackson threw desperate haymakers without landing.

The judges scored the fight 48-46 twice and 49-46 once for Griffin. Fighters.com scored it 48-46 for Griffin, our new champion.

“He whupped my ass,” Jackson admitted after the battle; but, Griffin said, “It was close and I think we’re gonna have to do it again.”

Cote Wins Title Shot

“Predator” Patrick Cote (14-4) won a spot in line to the UFC Middleweight Championship owned by Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) by winning a split decision over “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-3) Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Cote explained the split decision, “I got three knockouts in a row. I can’t do that all the time, especially against this kind of guy.”

Judges scores were 29-28 twice for Cote and 29-28 once for Almeida. Fighters.com scored the fight 29-28 for Cote.

But, it didn’t feel like Cote’s night in the first round.

Almeida pulled guard into a guillotine to open the fight; but, Cote defended; and, the fighters regained their feet.

Almeida shot and passed into Cote’s half-guard where “Cachorrao” stuffed lefts down Cote’s throat, winning the round with G’n'P.

Between the first and second round, there was a curious delay as Almeida’s glove seemed to have busted at the seams and needed to be repaired.

Cote may have changed the tide at the end of a slow second round when a right hand found Almeida’s head as the horn ended the round.

“My game plan was to sprawl’n'brawl and that’s exactly what I did the last two rounds,” Cote said after the fight.

Almeida was winded by round three; and, it was a Cote kickboxing academy in the third as “The Predator” lined-up straights with both fists and lit-up Almeida’s legs with kicks.

“My conditioning was there. I was running against him in the third round and my conditioning was still there,” said Cote.

Cote pleaded in the locker room after the victory, “I want some credit, man. I want some credit that I’m well-rounded. I’m not just a slugger. I proved tonight that I’m able to wrestle, I’m able to do on the ground, I can kick, I can elbow, I can do jiu-jitsu.”

Daddy Guillotines Tibau

After a first round spent bothered, but not troubled in a Gleison Tibau (15-6) omoplata attempt, “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (34-8) caught the Brazilian in a guillotine when Tibau shot for a double-leg takedown at 2:57 of the second round.

Fought mostly on the mat, and lingering for several minutes in a Tibau omoplata attempt, Stevenson and Tibau decided to compare BJJ belts.

Tibau came up short, though defended two guillotines before Stevenson locked in the winner as Tibau shot.

Stevenson explained after the fight, “Honestly, you know, he just put his head there and I took it. It was nothing fancy.”

Koschek’s Elbows Open Up Lytle

Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked welterweight “Kos” Josh Koscheck (13-2) chiseled crevices above both eyebrows of “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) during a UD for “Kos” Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Koscheck planted Lytle on the mat in all three rounds and worked elbows and leather like pistons to Lytle’s forehead, opening gashes in the second round.

“I thought they were going to stop it,” Koscheck said after the fight, “because he had some pretty bad cuts.”

Lytle wasn’t “Lights Out” though, catching Kos in two guillotines at the shots and a heel hook in round one; but, Koscheck was ice cube-cool defending the subs and returning to work on Lytle’s head.

“The only [guillotine] that got really tight was the last round there,” Koscheck explained, “But, I’m pretty good at getting out of them. I just roll…like an alligator.”

With his blood puddled on the mat, Lytle mustered one final flurry after referee Yves Lavigne stood the fighters in round three.

Kos avoided any damage and walked out of the Octagon with crimson-tinged hair and a decision by 30-26, 29-27, and 30-28, but declaring respect for the man he had just mangled.

Dominant Tyson Griffin UD

Lightweight Tyson Griffin (12-1), known as a wrestler, performed a breakout kickboxing display in a UD over “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-6) Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Over all three rounds, Griffin tenderized Aurelius’s ribs and nearly spun his BJJ blackbelt opponent around with leg kicks.

The body barrage left “Maximus” worn by round two. He made only weak attempts to take Griffin to the mat, but stayed away from most of Griffin’s upstairs bombs.

Griffin admitted after the fight, “I hit him with some good shots; and, he didn’t fall down, so…hey!”

Unable to put Aurelius away on his feet, Griffin scored a single-leg takedown in round three.

“I don’t want to be a guy that dominates two-and-a-half rounds and gets caught,” Griffin explained, “so, you know, I decided to take him down, control the rest of the fight, and, you know, get that ‘W’.”

Aurelius sucked up Griffin’s left arm, then his right; but, Griffin defended and bloodied the right side of Aurelius’s face until time ended the fight.

Griffin scored 30-27 three times for the “W”.

Gonzaga Mauls McCully

Tenth-ranked heavyweight “Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (9-3) wasted no time getting back to winning by tapping Justin McCully (8-4-2) in a Kimura 1:57 of round one.

Gonzaga dropped McCully with a leg kick, pounced, passed to mount, and applied the shoulder lock surgically to force the tap.

“I come from real Brazilian jiu-jitsu school and I’m proud of my Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills,” said Gonzaga after the fight.

Miller Taps Gurgel With 12 Seconds Left

American Top Team lightweight “Magrino” Cole Miller (14-3) tapped Jorge Gurgel (12-4) in a triangle with 12 seconds remaining in their fight.

It was a hot one!

The first round was a back-and-forth brawl that saw both fighters score in combinations, with Gurgel getting the best of Miller.

Miller decided to take Gurgel to the mat in round two and scored from top position with G’n'P while passing to half-mount.

“I was just getting out-pointed, so I thought on the ground would be the best bet,” explained Miller after his victory.

Gurgel scrambled free, but found himself in a guillotine, which he defended.

After three Gurgel takedowns led to nothing for the Cincinnatian, Miller took advantage of the final trip from Gurgel. During a scramble, Miller locked in the triangle choke and forced Gurgel to tap at 4:48 of round three.

“The biggest mistake I think he made was just not being in as good of shape as me,” Miller reflected. “He left his hand in there. He was a little more tired than me.”

Guillard Big Punchin’

“Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (22-7-2) registered a hit on German lightweight Dennis Siver (11-6) in a 36-second TKO.

Guillard fired a big right at the opening bell, dropping Siver.

Siver wasn’t out though. The German defended Guillard’s follow-up G’n'P with an armbar attempt.

But, Guillard yanked free and finished the job with strikes.

After the TKO, Guillard said, “If I get [Roger] Huerta after [Kenny] Florian done with him, that’s good. If I don’t, oh well. But, that’s a rematch I want. I want to avenge that to myself. That’s something personal.”

Buchholz Taps Hill

Lightweight Justin Buchholz (8-2) tapped stringbean-physiqued Corey Hill (2-1) in a rear naked choke at 3:57 of round two.

The young fighters burned a furious pace into the second round. Buchholz pulled guard for the second time in the fight and tried to contort a gogo’ that Hill defended.

In defense, Hill gave his back; and, Buchholz scrambled behind Hill and locked in the choke.

Buchholz described the finish after the fight, “Got the rear naked and choke just started praying, ‘Please God tapout. Please God tapout!’”

Rampage weighed in at 205-pounds, as did eighth-ranked title challenger Forrest Griffin (15-4).

Xtreme Couture’s Griffin said, “It’s nice to fight in your hometown.  Thank you, guys.”

Griffin smirked in the gaze of an intense Rampage stare down.

All fighters on Saturday night’s card made weight.

Only lightweight Gleison Tibau (15-5) missed the mark, but by the allowed one pound at 156-pounds.  Tibau will fight “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (33-8).

6’4″ lightweight Corey Hill (2-0) looked absolutely emaciated at 155-pounds.

All the weights from Vegas are below.

“Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-6) 205-pounds v Forrest Griffin (15-4) 205-pounds

“Predator” Patrick Cote (13-4) 185-pounds v “Cachorrao” Ricardo Almeida (9-2) 185-pounds

Fourth-ranked“Kos” Josh Koscheck (12-2) 170-pounds v “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5) 170-pounds

Tyson Griffin (11-1) 155-pounds v “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-5) 155-pounds

“Daddy” Joe Stevenson (33-8) 155-pounds v Gleison Tibau (15-5) 156-pounds

Tenth-ranked“Napao” Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) 249-pounds v Justin McCully (8-3-2) 236-pounds

Jorge Gurgel (12-3) 155-poundsv “Magrino” Cole Miller (13-3) 155-pounds

“Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (21-7-2) 155-pounds  v Dennis Siver (11-5) 155-pounds

Corey Hill (2-0) 155-pounds v Justin Buchholz (7-2) 155-pounds