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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

Well, now that opponent has a name. In his sophomore effort with the promotion, David Mitchell will look to score his first win inside the octagon when he tussles with the American Kickboxing Academy product January 22, at Fort Hood in Killeen, Tex.

Mitchell initially made his octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 22 when he meet TJ Waldburger last September, losing by unanimous decision, and in turn broke his own undefeated streak of eleven wins in a row.

Among his key victories before entering “the ultimate proving ground”, Mitchell defeated the likes of UFC veteran War Machine (formerly known as Jon Koppenhaver), Affliction veteran Bobby Green and WEC and UFC vet Tim Mckenzie. Mitchell was thought to be the favorite heading into his bout with the previously 12-5 Waldburger, however TJ surprised David with his efficient ground prowess, and ultimately controlled each and every round and was awarded the unanimous decision victory, 30-27 on all the judges score cards.

Swick is returning from an 11 month absence from the cage when he meets Mitchell in 2011. He was seen in action in a losing effort to welterweight standout Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 last February. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt submitted the former contender in the second round with a D’arce choke, after having dropped him with a left hook. The loss marked back-to-back defeats for the first time in his career as Mike had previously succumbed to an additional loss against former title challenger Dan Hardy at UFC 105 in November of last year.

The news of the proposed match up was first made to light by MMAWeekly.com.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? I’m sure Swick would be the decided favorite, however Mitchell is no slouch on the ground and will provide a unique match up against Mike’s patented “stand and bang” approach.
Sound off in the comment section below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cain Velasquez most recently became AKA’s first homegrown champion, capturing the heavyweight title at ufc 121 last month against juggernaut Brock Lesnar. Jon Fitch is regarded as the consensus number 2 welterweight in the world, just behind champion Georges St. Pierre, whom Fitch battled against some time ago, in order to vie for the promotion’s 170-pound title. Josh Koscheck went from “The Ultimate Fighter” infamy in season one to becoming the coach eleven season’s later against the aforementioned welterweight champion, and will challenger him for his title in December.

Then, there’s Mike Swick.

A top contender in both the middleweight and welterweight division over the years, Mike Swick has yet to recieve a shot at the title.

After appearing on the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” as a glorified light heavyweight, Swick returned to the middleweight division where he was able to rattle off five wins in a row. After defeating former top contender David Louiseau, who had just come off of a five-round title fight against former champion Rich Franklin, it looked like Swick would finally get his shot at the title.

However, when “Quick” was paired up with fellow contender Yushin Okami at UFC 69 in his own backyard of Houston, Tex., he was quickly derailed, losing a unanimous decision.

Soon after dropping down to his natural weight class at 170-pounds, Swick was thought to be an immediate player in a stacked division. And after displaying his well rounded arsenal, coupled with his quick punches and knockout power, Swick soon found himself in familiar territory when he was pitted against England’s own Dan Hardy, riding a four-fight win streak into the number one contenders’ bout.

In the end, Swick would lose the bout by unanimous decision, and soon after was submitted in the second round by fellow welterweight standout Paulo Thiago at UFC 109 last February. It was only the second time Mike had been finished in his 4 losses, first by Chris Leben at a WEC event nearly 7 years ago.

Now, Mike will try to battle back into relevance in the welterweight division after succumbing to back-to-back losses, the first of his career. According to MMAJunkie.com, the 12-year veteran will be returning to action on January 22 at Fort Hood, in front of a supportive Texan crowd near Killeen, Tex. for the second addition of “UFC Fight for the Troops”.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? No opponent has been named yet for Mike, but who would you like to see him in there with? Do you think he possesses the skill set to make his way towards the top of the division once again? Sound off in the comment section below.

I was very excited to see another Gracie step inside the Octagon but that fight was hard to watch. I am shocked the UFC actually showed the fight. I would have probably ended the broadcast early before showing that to awful display of MMA to fans. Neither fighter was worth watching and rarely, if ever, do I say that.

“The Terror” Matt Serra (10-6) had me eating crow as I called for “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-8) to use his wrestling to dominate the smaller Serra. Frank did not look for the shot and ended up getting knocked out by Serra.

Fighters.com sixth-ranked Demian Maia (11-1) has been working his striking and it was very evident in his fight with Dan Miller (11-2). Let’s not jump the gun here though. He could never stand with a clean striker but his improvement shows he is serious about trying to become the UFC champion.

This is the worst I have done with picks on any fight card,ever! Fighters.com ninth-ranked “Quick’ Mike Swick (14-4) did not help me out any. His loss to the man I am now calling the “AKA Hunter”, fourth-ranked welterweight Paulo Thiago (9-1) made a statement to the division. Paulo is a fast rising star in the division and his D’arce choke was very well set up.

Phil Davis (5-0) showed why he is such a great prospect. While his striking was sloppy, his speed and athleticism shined through. He moved from dominant position to dominant position during the fight. The UFC will need to bring him along slowly and allow his stand-up and submissions to improve before throwing him into the deep end of the division. He will be one to watch in the future.

After watching UFC 109 and thinking about the last Strikforce card, the UFC production team does a very good job of moving seamlessly from one thing to another. Plus they get prelim fights on the pay-per-view. Strikeforce will need to work harder to provide a painless broadcast like we saw last night.

A card that many mocked ended up with some entertaining fights, a knock out, great submissions and some shockers. All this and I did not have to sit through painful post-fight interviews by the fight professor.

Paulo Thiago (8-1) versus “Quick’ Mike Swick (14-3)

Fighters.com fourth-ranked welterweight Thiago takes on ninth-ranked Swick. Thiago was originally slated to fight seventh-ranked “Kos” Josh Koscheck(14-4) but that fight feel through and his teammate stepped up to get revenge.

Thiago is primarily known for his grappling but after the brutal uppercut KO of Koscheck many have been talking about his punching prowess, including Paulo himself.

Swick is a fast and aggressive striker with amazing takedown defense. His striking, while not technically perfect, has vastly improved and his use of the counter-punch is something he has relied on after his stint on The Ultimate Fighter Season One.

Thiago has a great chin and even though he knocked out Kos, his striking is sloppy. He loves to drop his hands and against the speedy Swick this could be trouble.

Swick is looking to get a rematch with fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) and even though he is taking this fight on short notice he has quite the advantage in training with Kos and third-ranked Jon Fitch (20-3). Fitch, in his usual style, ground out a decision win over Paulo.

I know Paulo could throw that Kos shot and catch Swick but I feel Swick is going to work to keep this fight standing and try to look for those dropped hands of Thiago. The one trend from Swick that concerns me is when he has fought in big fights in the past he seems to hold back.

The Gospel on this one is Mike Swick by Decision.

Demian Maia (10-1) versus Dan Miller (11-2)

Dan Miller is a hardcore MMA fan’s dream. Just a gritty fighter who loves to grind and usually puts on quite the show.

Fighters.com sixth-ranked Damian Maia has the best MMA jiu-jitsu in the sport and is looking to rebound from his crushing knocking out at the hands of fourth-ranked “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-8-2).

Miller has good but not great muay thai skills and just recently received his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. There are differences in skills from one black belt to the next and I feel Dan will want nothing to do with hitting the mat with Maia.

Maia has rudimentary striking at best and will need to take this to the ground but Dan has a good grappling game and will need to use that to keep this fight standing where he has the clear advantage.

This fight may hit the mat and get stalled. I don’t think this will be a Fight of the Night candidate but I feel Maia, if his psyche has recovered from that KO, will catch Miller.

The Gospel is Maia by late third-round submission

“The Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) versus “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-7)

The smack alone before this fight has been epic however I don’t feel the fight will live up to the hype. Serra has said he refuses to lose to a man with a tramp stamp while Trigg has made cracks about Serra being a guido. Great stuff from these two guys.

The fight though will not be a barn burner. Matt Serra is another jiu-jitsu black belt but in contrast to Maia, he has not finished a fight via submission in eight years.

Trigg is a wrestler at heart and although Serra has not posed a threat on the ground in years, Trigg’s kryptonite is the rear naked choke.

Serra will likely want to turn this into a stand up war that will make boxing fans cringe as neither man has very clean striking.

I think Frank’s size and strength advantage will play a huge role in this fight

In the end Trigg will need to use a smothering top game to defeat Serra as a loss for him could mean leaving the UFC.

Gospel: Frank Trigg by unanimous decision

I will skip the Sonnen versus Marquardt fight as I wrote a piece this week on my thoughts of that fight..basically it will be Nate winning and getting the next title shot.

This leads us to the much talked about main event.

“The Natural” Randy Couture (17-10) versus “The Hammer” Mark Coleman (16-9)

You either love this fight or hate it. Some see it as two over-the-hill fighters making their last stand and trying to stay in a sport that is passing them by. Others see it as a fight they have been waiting to see since UFC 17.

Tenth-ranked heavyweight, but now fighting at light heavyweight, Couture is a greco roman wrestler who helped to define dirty boxing in MMA.

Mark Coleman is a freestyle wrestler who is the inventor of brutal ground and pound.

Mark has not evolved over the years like Randy has and this is a major area of concern in this fight.

Randy has taken his wrestling and used it to push fighters against the cage, use his dirty boxing and win fight after fight when he has been told he is to old.

While Mark did beat Couture the last time they met, in the 1989 Olympic Wrestling Festival, it was only by a point and much has changed since then.

The first key to this fight is obviously wrestling. While I feel Mark was the better wrestler, the additions to Randy’s game will help him to keep this fight standing where he has a huge advantage over Coleman.

The second key is cardio, cardio, cardio. Randy has it and Mark lacks it. Randy will want to keep the pressure on Mark, pushing him against the cage, using his dirty boxing and wearing him down.

Mark needs this fight to hit the mat with him in top position so that he can use that ground and pound to shock the world. Sadly for Mark he will not see this come to fruition.

Randy will tire Mark out and end up getting the takedown himself and beat Coleman at his own game.

I am a born and bred Buckeye and it hurts me to say, Randy Couture wins via TKO due to ground and pound in round two.

Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) are set to battle for the top spot at UFC 111 in Newark March 27.  Predictions range far and wide, from Hardy has one foot in the grave to Hardy is the man to upset St. Pierre like “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) di at UFC 69 in Houston in 2007.

Fighters.com doesn’t worry about Hardy’s health, but think he’ll be easily handled by the champ.

An exciting rematch between second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and third-ranked Jon Fitch (20-3) has also been rumored for UFC 111.  Fitch TKO’d Alves at UFC Fight Night 5 in 2006 and claims he gets a rematch versus St. Pierre if he stops Alves.

Fourth-ranked Paulo Thiago (8-1) and ninth-ranked “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3) of American Top Team will matchup at UFC 109 in Las Vegas Saturday.  Thiago is 1-1 versus ATT, knocking out seventh-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4) and losing a decision to Fitch.

Koscheck will take on “Semtex” Paul Daley (20-9-2) at UFC 113 in Montreal May 8.

Eigth-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7) and and PRIDE veteran Renzo Gracie (13-6-1) will fight at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi April 10.

Tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) and “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) will matchup at UFC 111.

Sixth-ranked Jake Shields (24-4-1) has moved to middleweight as the champion in Strikeforce.

Fighters.com’s February Welterweight Top Ten

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

6. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

7. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

8. Matt Hughes (41-7)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

10. “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2)

If Hardy wants to win he has to be aggressive, unlike second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) was when he turned into a poodle in the Octagon versus St. Pierre at UFC 100 in Las Vegas last July.

Now, it’s likely…  No, let me correct myself.  St. Pierre is going to slam Hardy to the mat every time Hardy throws a combination.  But, St. Pierre is going to do that anyway.

So, my message to Hardy, if he’s reading, is this: Go ahead and let me know now whether you’re going to be satisfied with going five rounds on your back just so you can claim you went the distance.  That way I can save $44.95.

However, if you want to take the slim chance that you can connect on GSP and, if not finish him, at least reset the dynamics of the fight and give yourself an oppotunity for an upset, then you can have my $44.95.

On the undercard of UFC 111, newly tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) and “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) will matchup.

Saunders made the list this month and Hardy jumped from ninth to fifth after Hardy’s disqualification loss to “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4) in 2007 expired from Hardy’s two-year record.  Yoshida will need to prove himself to return to the welterweight top ten.

Fighters.com’s January Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

6. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

7. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

8. Matt Hughes (41-7)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

10. “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2)

It was brash, exciting, and the attitude that pathed Florian’s return to a UFC title fight versus Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8.  And, for the most part, Florian kept his promise, finishing exciting fights that left no question he was the top contender in the division.

Now take third-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (20-3) who won a unanimous decision over Mike Pierce (6-2) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.  It was Fitch’s sixth consecutive fight that ended in a decision.  Pierce was undoubtedly the lowest level of competition Fitch has faced in two years and it’s beginning to feel like the UFC is using Fitch as a threshold for young fighters with potential.

Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) has called Fitch his toughest challenge since earning the championship.  But, it’s unlikely Fitch will ever get a rematch until he begins finishing fights.  Not because Fitch can’t beat the other top contenders at 170 pounds, but Fighters.com doesn’t think the UFC will match Fitch versus the top contenders to earn another title shot until Fitch starts finishing fights.

I’ve met Fitch and he’s one of the most thoughtful, humble, and friendly fighters I’ve met.  But, I’ll be honest, I could miss his fights and not be too disappointed.  They’re sometimes as grueling to watch as they are for his opponent in the Octagon.

Fitch has to adopt the attitude Florian had when Florian earned a second title shot.  Fitch has to finish fights.  For Fitch, I think there’s a crossroads before him.  Again, Fighters.com doesn’t think the UFC will grant him another title fight until he starts finishing fights; so, Fitch has to realize that, in order to get his second title shot, he has to change his style.  Otherwise, Fitch will be forced into the role of threshold to prospects and, eventually, Fitch will come up short and be a stepping-stone to one of those prospects.

Fighters.com’s December Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

6. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

7. Matt Hughes (41-7)

8. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4)

9. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

10. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

After Hardy’s victory in Manchester, St. Pierre entered the Octagon to graciously acknowledge his next challenger, but also seemed bored by the prospect of fighting Hardy. St. Pierre’s last loss was at a similar peak of dominance with the prospect of defending his title versus an underwhelming challenger, “Terror” Matt Serra (9-6).  At UFC 69 in Houston in April 2007, St. Pierre was TKO’d in the first round versus Serra.

Like Serra at the time he beat St. Pierre, Hardy had a confident calm standing in the Octagon having earned a challenge versus St. Pierre.  Hardy simply said, “I’m excited,” but looked more interested in celebrating his victory over Swick with his team.

The situations aren’t analagous on many levels, most significantly in St. Pierre’s commitment to MMA.  But, would you blame St. Pierre for becoming complacent with the welterweight division?  He’s already dominated second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4), third-ranked Jon Fitch (19-3), sixth-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4), and seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7).  Fourth-ranked Paulo Thiago (8-1) couldn’t step-up versus Fitch to earn the shot, but frankly it wouldn’t have been a much more compelling matchup than St. Pierre versus Hardy.

St. Pierre’s next best challenge at 170-pounds is fifth-ranked Jake Shields (24-4-1), but Shields is contracted to Strikeforce.  Ironically, if St. Pierre dominates Hardy, perhaps it’s time for St. Pierre to follow Shields into the middleweight division for new challenges.  UFC President Dana White has said he’d let St. Pierre fight at 185-pounds when St. Pierre clears out the division.  With a win versus Hardy, can we consider the division cleared?

Fighters.com’s November Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (19-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

6. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

7. Matt Hughes (41-7)

8. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4)

9. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

10. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

After the win, a fresh-looking Hardy said, “Yeah, that was a tough fight. I did what I could, England.  I did what I could.  Sorry I didnt get the finish, but we got there in the end.”

With the win, Hardy earned a title shot versus Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2).  After watching Hardy win, St. Pierre said, “He already proved that he deserve a challenge to my title.  I look forward to the fight.”

Hardy responded simply, “I’m excited.”

Hardy overwhelmed a game Swick with a striking attack on his feet and, in the third round, on the mat.  But, Swick was able to counter Hardy’s hooks with pot shots.  When Hardy landed, he landed Hardy and wobbled Swick in all three rounds and cut open Swick’s head with an elbow on the mat in round three.

UFC 105 takes place at M.E.N. Arena in Manchester November 14 and features a light heavyweight main event between “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10) and “Truth” Brandon Vera (11-3).

Fighters.com’s  ninth-ranked welterweight “Quick” Mike Swick (14-2) and tenth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (22-6) will also matchup to determine the top UFC contender to Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2).

For St. Pierre, it’ll be his first fight since injury his groin in a UD over second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas July 11.

Though it’s not official, Alves is expected to fight fellow Brazilian fifth-ranked Paulo Thiago (7-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Third-ranked Jon Fitch (19-3) is expected to fight unranked “Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (11-3) at UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas November 21, though again the fight hasn’t been officially announced.

Fourth-ranked Jake Shields (21-4-1) has apparently abandoned the division and will challenge “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-5) for the vacant Strikefore middleweight title at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates 33 miles northwest of Chicago November 7.

At UFC 103 in Dallas September 19, sixth-ranked Josh Koscheck (13-4) bounced back from his loss to Thiago at UFC 95 in London February 19 with a first-round knockout of “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-7) then called out seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7).

Hughes rebuffed Koscheck, but remains tight-lipped about his opponent when he returns to the Octagon in 2010.

Eighth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) will fight division prospect “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2) at UFC 104

Fighters.com October Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (19-3)

4. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

5. Paulo Thiago (7-1)

6. Josh Koscheck (13-4)

7. Matt Hughes (41-7)

8. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-2)

10. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (22-6)

As speculated Monday, the UFC welterweight contender matchup between American “Quick” Mike Swick (14-2) and Brit “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (22-6) was officially announced for Manchester.

The co-main event pits Brit “Count” Michael Bisping (17-2), returning from a highlight reel knockout loss to “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-7) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas in July, across the Octagon from Canadian Denis Kang (34-11-1).

The rest of the card includes:

Matt Brown (10-7) v “Lightning” James Wilks (4-2)
“Real Deal” Ross Pearson (14-5-1) v Aaron Riley (28-11-1)
Terry Etim (13-2) v Shannon Gugerty (12-3)
“Relentless” Paul Taylor (10-5-1) v. “Hitman” John Hathaway (10-0)
“Slick” Nick Osipczak (5-0) v Matthew Riddle (3-0)
Alexander Gustafsson (7-0) v Jared Hamman (2-1)
Andre Winner (10-3-1) v “Crazy Cuban” Rolando Delgado (6-4-1)

Swick had been scheduled to battle “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (15-3) for the top contender spot at UFC 103 in Dallas September 19, but bailed on the fight with a concussion suffered while training for the fight.  Kampmann was subsequently handled by “Semtex” Paul Daley (19-9-2) in 2:31.

Hardy eeked out a split decision “W” over former Swick foe “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-5) in UFC 99 in Cologne last June.

White didn’t indicate where and when the contender match will take place, but UFC 105 in Manchester November 14 isn’t a bad guess.

Both former middlweight title prospects who dropped weight to compete at 170-pounds, neither Swick nor Kampmann have proven themselves against the UFC’s established competition: former champions “Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) and Matt Hughes (41-7) and former title challengers “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and Jon Fitch (19-3).

Swick trains with Fitch and former welterweight contender Josh Koscheck (12-4) and most recently outclassed “Killa B” Ben Saunders (7-1-2) with a second round TKO at UFC 99 in Cologne last month. But, Swick’s most noteworthy “W” is a unanimous decision over nails-tough “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-5), who never cracked the top ten himself.

Kampmann’s most impressive 170-pound notch is a split decision over former WEC welterweight king “Natural Born Killer” Carlos Condit (23-5) at Fight Night 18 last April, though Condit himself had remained largely untested against top welterweights in Zuffa’s other promotion.

Koscheck will also fight on the card versus returning former UFC title challenger “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-6).

Koscheck was upset by TKO by UFC debuting Brazilian Paulo Thiago (6-1) at UFC 95 in London last February.

Trigg has peeled off four consecutive wins, most recently a UD over overmatched Danny Babcock (5-2) at Rumble in Race Town in Daytona Beach last February.

Former lightweight title challenger Hermes Franca (19-7) will fight Xtreme Couture’s Tyson Griffin (13-2).

Franca won a grudge match by UD over former training partner “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (18-7) at UFC 90 in Chicago last October.

Griffin won a UD over Rafael dos Anjos (12-3) at Fight Night 18.

Over a year of trash talking between the two fighters (which started when the two were first set to meet in September 2007, a fight Swick had to back out of due to a rib injury) culminated in a 33 second win for Swick in his third fight since dropping from a middleweight to a welterweight.

As the fight began, the two fighters danced around each other, each posed to shoot in or throw a shot, but it was Swick that opened up first with a cross-jab-cross combination to the head of Goulet.  Goulet dropped to his knees and grabbed one of Swick’s legs in an attempt to buy some time.

Instead, Swick landed left crosses and hammer fists to the side of Goulet’s face in a flurry until the referee was forced to step in and end the fight.

The official announcement was Swick winning via TKO at 0:33 of the first round.

He will face Quebec’s Jonathan Goulet (22-10).

Swick was speaking about the UFC cutting his teammates, Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (17-5) and heavyweight “Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (8-4), due to their refusal to sign a lifteime likeness agreement for the UFC’s video game.  He himself talked to UFC President Dana White and was told he would not be blacklisted.

Fitch and Wellisch have since decided to sign the agreement and re-join the UFC.

No contract has been signed, however.

Swick won a unanimous decision over “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4) in London 7 June.

Goulet TKO’d Kuniyoshi Hironaka (12-5) in the first UFC bout on Canadian soil in Montreal 19 April, picking up the $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus.

- “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2), UFC welterweight

Clips of a reunion special filmed recently at the UFC Training Center in Las Vegas will air throughout the marathon.

TUF 1 cast members involved in the reunion are Fighters.com’s Light Heavyweight Champion and current UFC champion Forrest Griffin (16-4), Chris Leben (18-4), “American Psycho” Stephan Bonnar (11-4), Josh Koscheck (11-2), “Rock” Nathan Quarry (10-2), “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3), “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2), Bobby Southworth (9-5), and “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2).

The reunion special will be hosted by Joe Rogan, and UFC President Dana White will also be on hand to discuss the impact the show has had on the UFC and on the sport of mixed martial arts.

“I don’t know why the mix-up happened, but I just talked to [UFC matchmaker] Joe Silva, and we confirmed that it’s going to be December [for my return] – possibly November if I can get healed up fast enough,” he told MMA Junkie.

Swick is back to his training, doing some cardio and grappling, but has not returned to sparring yet.  He said to MMA Weekly on Tuesday, “As of right now it is still not 100%, mostly because I am training on it so much, but should be completely healed within the next few weeks.”

Swick, who had minor surgery on his elbow in July, last fought in June, earning a unanimous decision victory over “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4).

He is 2-0 since moving down to the welterweight division.

Long-time 170-pound ruler Matt Hughes (42-7) has lost…something. Specifically, his last two fights and, all too early in his career, his competitiveness.

Hughes’s eventual grudge match with “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) has lingered so long it seems almost a chore now.

EliteXC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields (21-4-1) mauled his top non-UFC challenger “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) in 1:03. His next opponent will only be anti-climactic and prospects for a legitimate challenge in the foreseeable future are dim. A shame, a damned shame.

Yes, there is the “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) versus “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2) on the October horizon. But, it’s still questionable whether Alves can consistently make 170-pounds; and, Sanchez is, well, questionable after losing his two biggest fights versus Josh Koschek (11-2) and Fitch.

Besides, Shields takes them both out in the first round. Please, argue if you disagree so that I have something to get excited about in the welterweight division. Really, email me at chad@fighters.com and tell me how wrong I am.

Anyway, there is one potential match-up that excites me, right at the cusp of the 170-pound elite.

“McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (11-4) conjured up an armbar to tap Josh Burkman (9-6) in June so slick that the UFC offered the replay for free on their website. It was like charity: “It’d be a crime to keep it to ourselves!” Really, “McLovin” should patent it. The Kimura, the D’arce choke, and the Hazelett armbar.

Two weeks earlier, “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2), fresh from a lackadaisical majority decision over the same Burkman, surprised me and Hazelett with a dominant decision over division dark horse “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4).

Hazelett had told me the day of the fight that he thought Davis would “manhandle” Swick.

Hear that, Swick? Manhandle!

(They’re both gentleman and that’s about as close as I’m going to get to trash talk; so, I’m hyping it.)

The thrill of the match-up isn’t in the trash talk though; it’s in their fight styles: comin’ at’cha!

Both are a part of the MMA future; fighters who train the entire sport: striking, submissions, throws, wrestling, cardio, everything. They’re like mini- “Spider” Anderson Silvas (22-4); and, with experience and confidence that smoothes rough edges, might be second-coming Silvas one day. Swick is 29-years old and Hazelett is just 22.

Primarily, though, it’s time to chamber a new contender in the division and these are two of the most exciting fighters at the cusp.

A win for either will steel their confidence for top ten welterweight challenges and breathe new life into 170-pounds.

The surgery, to remove bone fragments from his elbow, was scheduled before his last bout in June.

The UFC welterweight won a unanimous decision in June, ending the eleven-fight win streak of “The Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (14-4).

Hughes stalked Alves for a takedown at the first bell, settling for bottom position by pulling guard, but never finding the submission opportunity he thought he could force.

Again, Hughes took the Brazilian to the mat mid-way through the first and smothered the kickboxer; but, Alves utilized butterfly guard to neutralize Hughes’s offense.

The only damage done on the mat in round one was after the confident “Pitbull” bulldogged the veteran to the mat and hammered a crevice in Hughes’s nose with an elbow strike.

Hughes, like Gracie at UFC 60, was impotent. Alves wasn’t falling for the tried and true tricks, wasn’t physically overwhelmed by the stocky farm boy from rural Illinois, and wasn’t intimidated by the future Hall of Famer’s legacy.

The second round was short; the end poignant.

Hughes ducked for the takedown that’s served as a sure-shot for ten years; and, Alves flew the distance between him and Hughes, colliding into Hughes’s right jaw with his left knee.

One punch later and referee Herb Dean waved off the fight, and, officially, the Matt Hughes era.

Alves never doubted the outcome, but remained humble while pleading from the Octagon, “Mr. Dana White, I’ve been a good boy, please give me a title shot!”

“He got me, no doubt,” Hughes admitted.

For Hughes, there remains a grudge match with fourth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5), then a lot of prayer and consultation with his family for the proudly Christian husband and father of two.

UFC 85′s co-main event featured a pair of UFC heavyweight title contenders, seventh-ranked“Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum(11-3-1) and perennial Pinoy prospect “The Truth” Brandon Vera (8-2), ending in a controversy that’s much ado about nothing.

Werdum quite simply spanked “The Truth” from full mount to a first round TKO at 4:40.

“There was 15 seconds left [in round one]. Let me take my ass whupping and let’s go to a second round,” complained Vera.

But, that’s not the rule Octagon referees are instructed to enforce. Vera had made no attempt to improve his position or fight back while mounted by “Vai Cavalo” and he knows clamming-up and waiting for the round to end is not an “intelligent defense.”

After two exciting finishes, Werdum moved passed his boring Octagon debut versus fourth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski(12-5) into the UFC top contender’s spot.

After being outsized for the second straight fight, Vera should seriously comtemplate a move to 205-pounds.

Take a cue from “The Count” Michael Bisping (16-1), who again ran roughshod over an opponent in his new weight class of 185-pounds.

Canadian “Dooms Day” Jason Day (17-6) withered under the pressure of the big lights in London and big fists of Britain’s Count of The Cage, Bisping, in a first-round TKO at 3:42.

“People think I have no wrestling, no ground game. Have a bit of faith!” Bisping said after taking Day to the mat twice before pounding him out.

Day was intended to serve a challenge on the ground to Bisping, who’ll now look for bigger match-ups in the middleweight division.

And, “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2) propelled himself into contender talk in his new weight class of 170-pounds after ending “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis‘s (14-4) eleven-fight win streak in a dominating UD.

Davis never overcame 6’1″ Swick’s height and reach advantage, neutralizing Davis’s powerful boxing combos.

When Swick took Davis to the mat, “Quick’s” dynamic assault sealed the 29-27 times three unanimous decision which left Davis with a deep crevice on his left cheek.

Middleweight Thales Leites (13-1) won a split decision on point deductions over Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2).

Leites floored Marquardt with a straight right in the first round, which was later avenged with a right uppercut from Marquardt that sent Leites to the fence.

Marquardt dominated the final two rounds with G’n'P that broke Leites’s nose in the second round.

However, Marquardt was deducted a point in the second round for an illegal knee to Leites’s head while Leites’s knees were still touching the mat.

In the third, referee Herb Dean deducted another point from Marquardt for an elbow to the back of the head after Dean repeatedly warned the former title challenger. Upon replay, the strike seemed to land on the side of Leites’s head, not the back.

One judged scored the fight 28-27 for Marquardt; but, the other two agreed with Fighters.com with the score of 28-27 for Leites.

In the events most exciting fight, “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-3) upset lightweight prospect Thiago Tavares (13-2), leaving Tavares slumped at the cage after a barrage of Wiman punches knocked Tavares out at 1:57 of round two.

Xtreme Couture kickboxer “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-2) tapped middleweight veteran “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (15-7) in a guillotine choke at 2:44 of round one.

UFC debuting Kevin Burns (6-1) earned “Submission of the Night” with a triangle choke of American Top Team “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) at 2:53 of round two.

“Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) TKO’d “Punisher” Jason Lambert (23-8) at 2:07 of round one in a light heavyweight fight.

Brit welterweight Paul Taylor (9-3-1) won a split decision over Frenchman “Joker” Jess Liaudin (12-10).

Dutch heavyweight Antoni Hardonk (7-4) TKO’d Eddie Sanchez (8-2) at 4:15 of round two.

Sanchez looked like a lamb being lead to slaughter entering the Octagon to become Cro Cop’s cage debut.  He took an “L” at 4:33 of round one by TKO.

He was to become Cro Cop’s only cage victim in three starts.

Had Sanchez known Cro Cop was…human (as we found out in fights versus Gabriel Gonzaga and Cheick Kongo), he may have done enough to see the final bell, maybe even win.

Sanchez may be given a second chance, this time with the vital intel’ going in.

The rumor among fighters is that Sanchez is getting the call to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 85 in London.

Lesnar debuted in the Octagon versus Frank Mir and was quickly submitted via knee bar.

Neither Sanchez nor Lesnar has confirmed.  Mum is the consistently official word at the UFC; so, I didn’t even ask for official confirmation.

Also rumored for the UFC’s return to 02 Arena is a welterweight scrap between “The Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis and “Quick” Mike Swick.

The fight is tabled and awaiting signatures from the principles.

Davis comes off a one-minute knockout of Jess Liaudin in Newcastle, making four stoppages and 11 wins in a row.  Swick’s last night’s work was a lackluster majority decision debut at 170-pounds versus Josh Burkman.

Sokoudjou has confirmed judoka on judoka violence at UFC 84 in Vegas versus Kazuhiro Nakamura.

“He’s someone I respect,” Sokou says.  “It’s just business.  Nothing personal.”

Both return from losses to “The Dragon” Ryoto Machida.

“The Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch says,  “I have not signed a contract for another fight.”

Wellisch is rumored to welcome hulking wrestler Shane Carwin to the Octagon at UFC 84.