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.

But before we begin, I’d like to say that his is a “fantasy list” and nothing more. I’m not saying these fighters would dominate in boxing, I’m not saying they’d be obliterated in boxing. These are just five fighters that I think have great striking that could possibly translate to pro boxing. It’s all in fun, and feel free to contribute your own lists and thoughts, but please, keep the arguing to a minimum. Let’s begin.

5. Nate Diaz

If Nick can do it, so can Nate. In fact, I think Nate would have more to gain as a pro boxer than Nick would, who’s putting a lot on the line when he steps into the boxing ring later this year. When Nate fights a pure striking contest, he shows flashes of brilliance that makes me think that he could one day fill the shoes of Nick. But Nate continues to struggle against dominant wrestlers, and when his opponents start to grind him out, he always makes the same mistakes because he keeps getting frustrated. I think it would be interesting to see what Nate would be able to do in a boxing ring, free from any of the burden of defending takedowns or trying to separate from a clinch.

4. Paul Daley

Paul Daley doesn’t strike me as a profoundly technical striker, he never has. But there is one thing nobody can ever take away from Paul Daley: the man has dynamite in his hands. In a sport filled with ridiculous nicknames, “Semtex” does a good job of describing the type of power Daley puts behind his punches. If only to see if that kind of gruesome knockout power would translate, I’d like to see Daley step into the boxing ring against some good competition.

3. Alistair Overeem

I know Alistair Overeem is a great striker, believe me I know. Not only is Overeem a Strikeforce champion and DREAM champion, he’s also a K-1 champion, which is the world’s largest and most prestigious kickboxing promotion. I say it’s time to see if Overeem can still be dominant when you take the “kick” out of “kickbox”.

2. Georges St. Pierre

A lot of people tend to criticize George St. Pierre’s striking, but I honestly think that’s one of the strongest and most versatile weapons in his arsenal. Let’s not forget the huge amount of jabs he landed on Josh Koscheck, so many that it broke his orbital bone. GSP’s nuances and technique may even be more appreciated by fans of “the sweet science”.

And the number-one fighter I’d like to see have at least one fight as a professional boxer before they retire is…

1. Anderson Silva

Before people even entertained the notion of Nick Diaz fighting as a pro boxer, everyone was talking about Anderson Silva wanting to fight Roy Jones, Jr. That fight never materialized, but only because Dana White put his foot down and didn’t allow it. I’d love to see “The Spider” get into a boxing ring, it could be against RJJ or anybody else. In terms of pure excitement and spectacle, I can’t think of anything better than the man with the longest win-streak in UFC history stepping into the boxing ring to test himself.

And what about you, fans and friends? Any MMA fighter you’d like to see strap on boxing gloves?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claude Patrick vs. Daniel Roberts: The one thing I know for sure will happen in this fight is that both men will come out hunting for the submission. They both hold a majority of their wins by submission, they even have the same number of submission wins: nine. I think Roberts will win this fight for two main reasons: Patrick has only submitted one person in the UFC, while Roberts has submitted his last two opponents, one of which earned him a “Submission of the Night” award. However, I think both men’s ground games will be so good that neither will be able to earn the submission win. It’ll be a tough bout, but Daniel Roberts will do just enough both on the ground and standing to take home a Unanimous Decision win.

Sean Pierson vs. Jake Ellenberger: It’s hard to choose against both of these men. Ellenberger is on a three-fight win-streak with two TKO’s. Pierson is on a six-fight win-streak with five stoppages. Pierson looks more impressive on paper, but here’s something that leads me to believe that Ellenberger will win it: Pierson has lost by (T)KO twice, and neither were due to any type of injury. Ellenberger has fifteen (T)KO wins, and only a handful of those weren’t due to strikes. Pierson is very game, but Ellenberger will hit him hard and eventually Pierson’s chin will crumble. I’m predicting that Jake Ellenberger wins by (T)KO, most likely in Round 2, although there’s a slight possibility that it’ll happen in Round 3.

Nate Diaz vs. Rory MacDonald: Nate Diaz seems to have only one true Achilles Heel: the dominant wrestler. Just look at the fighters he’s lost to: Gray Maynard, Dong Hyun Kim, Clay Guida… I could go on. But my point is this: Diaz’s only established, repeated weakness is a fighter with a good wrestling game… and Rory MacDonald is a submission specialist and a finisher, with all ten wins by stoppage and six wins by submission. With no fear of being taken down and sat on for three straight rounds, look for Nate Diaz to utilize his great “punches in bunches” style early and often, knowing that MacDonald will come in looking to bang. After enough punishment, MacDonald will finally go down and Nate Diaz will win by TKO in Round 2.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Be sure to stay tuned, my official “Picks and Predictions” post covering the full UFC 129 Pay-Per-View lineup is soon to follow, featuring my thoughts on huge matches like Georges St. Pierre vs. Jake Shields, Jose Aldo vs. Mark Hominick, Randy Couture vs. Lyoto Machida, and more. But for now: what do you see happening in these three fights, fans and friends?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. It’s UFC 129. ‘Nuff said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s begin as we so often do: here’s all you need to know in order to fully put this fight into context.

For much of his entire life, Nate Diaz has been struggling to emerge out of the shadow of his brother. Nick Diaz is the current Strikeforce Welterweight Champion, he is currently one of the best Welterweights in the world, and Nick Diaz is arguably one of the best Pound-for-Pound fighters in the world right now. But perhaps Nate Diaz’s struggles have something to do with the quality of competition he’s faced: from virtually the moment he started fighting as a professional Mixed Martial Artist, Nate Diaz has fought some of the best fighters in the world.

Nate’s record may stand at 13-6, but just take a look at some of the fighters he’s lost to: Hermes Franca, Clay Guida, Joe Stevenson, Gray Maynard, Dong Hyun Kim. Let’s not forget that Diaz has been in the main event of at least three “Fight Night Live” shows, all of which had his name as the marquee attraction. Diaz has scored big victories both at Lightweight and Welterweight, with wins over the likes of Marcus Davis, Melvin Guillard, Kurt Pellegrino, and more.

His opponent, Rory MacDonald, is a native-born Canadian that fought nine times in his country before debuting in the UFC in Virginia, back at “UFC Fight Night 20”. MacDonald was invited into the Octagon after posting up a flawless record of 9-0 with nine stoppages: five submissions, two TKO’s, and two KO’s. MacDonald immediately impressed in his UFC debut, scoring a first-round submission win over Mike Guymon.

At UFC 115, MacDonald would face the toughest test of his career: Carlos Condit, one of the most-dominant Welterweight fighters in the history of the WEC promotion. At the time of their bout, Condit was coming off of a very close Split Decision win against Jake Ellenberger. Unfortunately for MacDonald, the old Carlos Condit would come roaring back to life the moment the Octagon door closed: after three intense rounds that earned both men a “Fight of the Night” bonus, Condit would TKO MacDonald with only seven seconds left in the third and final round.

When I look at this fight, I think it’s obvious that someone is going to get dropped and stopped. Whether they get dropped by a submission or due to strikes is anyone’s guess, as is whether the stoppage is from a (T)KO or submission.

And while my prediction for this fight may be a sign of blatant favoritism, don’t forget that I’m an MMA fan first and foremost and I’m allowed to have my favorites. With that said, I think we’ve only begun to see Nate Diaz’s true potential. He still has problems against dominant wrestlers, but Rory MacDonald is more of a brawler/submission specialist. In a way, he’s a lot like Nate Diaz. But there is only one Nate Diaz, and I truly think that Diaz has better striking and definitely a better ground game.

But no matter what happens, this should end up being an all-out war between two very entertaining fighters. I can’t wait for this fight to happen.

So it’s seven down and five to go, fans and friends. Be sure to keep tuning in as I delve ever-deeper into the UFC 129 fight card. But for now: what do you think about this fight?

First up, we head to Sherdog for an interesting report on UFC 130 and 131. According to the Sherdog report, Spike TV has opted to host “Prelims Live” specials for both of those events. Currently, no bouts have been named for the special one-hour broadcasts. The report also states that these shows will be the fourth and fifth of the twelve scheduled “UFC Prelims Live” events for Spike TV in 2011.

We then head right back to Sherdog for some interesting developments on the “Prelims Live” special of the upcoming UFC 129 mega-event in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Spike TV telecast of “UFC 129 Prelims Live” will feature two matches: Nate Diaz will face Rory MacDonald while Jake Ellenberger is set to face Ross Pierson.

Nate Diaz is the brother of Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz, and shares many similarities to his sibling. Both men hit hard and have a unique “punches in bunches” style, and both men have been known to cause controversy. Diaz is coming off of a loss to “Stun Gun” Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125 back on New Year’s Day, although he’s won two of his last three fights.

His opponent, Rory McDonald, suffered the first loss in his career at the hands of Carlos Condit back in June 2010. Up until “The Natural Born Killer” TKO’d him, McDonald was on a ten-fight win-streak and had won his UFC debut by first-round submission. A Canadian fighter, McDonald should receive a very warm welcome from the 55,000 scheduled to be in attendance.

Jake Ellenberger is on a three-fight win-streak that includes two (T)KO victories. Ironically, Ellenberger’s only loss in the UFC (at least so far) was also to Carlos Condit. His opponent, Sean Pierson, is another Canadian-born fighter. Pierson is currently on a six-fight win-streak that includes a successful debut in the UFC.

I like these fights for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I always enjoy watching Nate Diaz fight. It’s become clear that Nate may not be as skilled as Nick, but that does a big disservice to the skills Nate possesses. Nate continues to evolve and improve, and while he’s still a very work-in-progress fighter, he does deliver entertaining fights time and time again. This battle with McDonald should be a great war. Pierson vs. Ellenberger should also be a pretty fun fight.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about these developments?

He’s proven such accolades in the past, as he has taken fights in the lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, and even light heavyweight division. So now with the acquisition of Strikeforce into the Zuffa fold, things have gotten a little bit skewed once again.

The loyalty that him and his team (Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu) share is undeniable–arguably the most loyal team in the sport of mixed martial arts. When Jake Shields and Nick Diaz were both under the Strikeforce banner, Shields moved up to the middleweight class exclusively, just so he can avoid having to run into his teammate, and eventually both men became champions.

So when people ask whether Diaz will fight any of his teammates, the answer is clear. So in Diaz’ opinion, were Rashad Evans and Jon Jones ever “real teammates”? Definitely, not. Because that’s not loyalty.

“They’re not real training partners though,” said Diaz during a recent conference call leading up to his fight with Paul Daley on April 9, regarding Evans and Jones.

“You don’t understand, they’re like 10 years apart for one and they didn’t grow up training together. That guy’s just brand new into the sport. He’s just doing whatever, they’ve got him busy making photo shoots and press conferences, and conference calls and all this.”

Diaz went on to explain more about his training styling’s and highlighted the fact that the wars he has with his brother Nate Diaz, and his best friends Gilbert Melendez and Shields are the only fights that you will see any of them in. Real teammates do not fight each other, is a point he tries to make clear.

“That’s what they’ve got them doing and they’re not focused on what’s important to them in life. I’ve got what works, and I’ve got what’s got me there and that’s my team. That’s a disgusting thought to have to fight my brother. I don’t even appreciate being asked about that,” said Nick.

Thank to MMAWeekly.com for the transcribe from the teleconference.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the whole “not fighting teammates” routine? Does it hurt the sport? I think in some cases, it’s not necessary, but when their all under the same roof and if they all reach the top of the division, questions will begin to arise. Sound off in the comment section below.

The brash Stockton native will be competing in the 170-pound class for just the fourth-time in his near seven-year career as a professional mixed martial artist when he’ll be taking on the welterweight prospect in Rory. Diaz hopes to bounce back from a disappointing, yet competitive, decision loss to contender Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 124 last December.

However before he has the opportunity to get back on the winning track, he must first deal with the Canadian authorities, as Diaz will have to fill out some hefty paper work before “the man” will let Diaz cross the border.

The Cesar Gracie protege hinted at the troubles bestowed upon him earlier this week when the season five winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” took to twitter to vent his frustrations.

“Can someone tell Canada to quit trippin and let me up in there I’m tryin to get paid..[sic]“, said Diaz.

Later, the aforementioned Gracie took to the media (MMAJunkie.com) to discuss the issues surrounding his fighter which stem from a 2006 altercation in which Diaz was charged with disturbing the peace. A small offense, however it’s been enough for Nate to have to cross some more t’s and dot some more i’s prior to his return to Canada.

However, Cesar assured everyone that while the procedures are tedious, they will not prevent Nate from competing opposite of MacDonald.

Sound off in the comment section below.

Though the Canadian is coming off of a loss, the first of his career, against former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit, he looked impressive throughout the three-round affair, holding his own against the dangerous Greg Jackson product on the feet, and looked to be edging on the judges score cards before Carlos was able to capitalize on a fatigued Rory, mount him, then finish him off with strikes for the TKO win.

Now, the welterweight spitfire hopes to add the name “Diaz” to his mantle of opponents, and should he be successful, would that signal the end for the glorified 170-pounder’s run and prompt Nate back to the lightweight class?

Nate, one half of the infamous Diaz brother’s headed by older sibling Nick Diaz–the Strikeforce welterweight champion, is scheduled to return to the octagon for “UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields” in Toronto, Canada where against MacDonald he will undoubtedly be billed the villain on April 30.

The Stockton native is coming off of a decision loss to the unbeaten Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125 on Jan. 1. Though he was competitive throughout, and stole the third and final round, Diaz ultimately fell prey to Kim’s stifling top game, which came courtesy of his Judo black belt. Takedowns proved to be the difference maker as the fight progressed, and Kim did an excellent job shucking off any submission attempts from the lanky Cesar Gracie protege.

It wouldn’t be the first-time that Diaz has been out grappled inside the cage, though he has recorded 6 of his 8 UFC victories by way of submission. The weakest part of Nate’s game has always been his wrestling, where he has been exposed in the past by Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson, though both men have been perennial contenders in the lightweight class.

But if Diaz should suffer the same fate as a welterweight, why should he give his opponents the advantage? Granted there are talented wrestlers in all divisions, when you add 20-plus pounds into the equation, the bigger man will almost always win.

His career in the 155-pound division wasn’t a total wash. The 25-year-old racked up a 6-3 record in the lightweight class, however ultimately jumped up to welterweight following a somewhat controversial loss, a split decision, to Gray Maynard.

If Nate’s ego allows it, here’s me casting my vote for the submission ace to move back down to 155, and make a run at this thing. It’s almost basic math. 50% of the time, you can expect Diaz to put in a “Fight of the Night” effort, as he has pulled 6 bonuses throughout his UFC tenure–4 FON’s, and 2 “Submission of the Night” awards.

Once his wrestling catches up with his already impressive boxing and Jiu-Jitsu skills, there’s no telling where Diaz could go, but will it be at the expense of suffering another loss, to a 21-year-old no less? Or am I wrong? What do you think, MMA peeps? Sound off in the comment section below.

In a new interview with Heavy.com, Diaz said the following: “…If [your opponent] takes you down and lands in your closed guard and gets punched in the head forty times, is he still ahead on points? If you’re on top, you’re winning, and I think it’s ridiculous… In order to be a good UFC fighter or cage fighter I guess I’ve got to learn how to win the rounds. You’ve got to not fight… Apparently I’ve got to grab him and hold him, otherwise he’ll just grab and hold me… Maybe I don’t need to work on my wrestling. Maybe I just need to do the wrestling and not the fighting.”

I find myself both agreeing with and taking issue with what Diaz says, which honestly doesn’t surprise me given how many different sides there are to the “judging in MMA debate”. So let’s start from the top and work our way down.

First off, I’ve never had a problem with dominant wrestlers fighting to a decision. I enjoy a good KO as much as anybody, but some fighters just aren’t built that way. You can be taught effective striking, you can even get a few (T)KO’s on your record, but the simple fact of the matter is that only a select few MMA fighters have that real, vicious KO power that everyone loves to see. It’s a rare trait, and that’s usually why those who have it and use it to its fullest extent end up being so famous. So my point is this: don’t tell a fighter to finish a fight, because as competitive as MMA is today, that’s a pretty hard thing to do.

But here’s the distinction so few fans are willing to make nowadays: there’s a difference between dominant wrestlers and wrestlers who hold their opponents to score points. That’s the kind of fighting style that Diaz is decrying, and that’s something I honestly agree with. In his fight with Diaz, Dong Hyun Kim seemed downright afraid to strike with him, and proceeded to mostly hold Diaz in position, defend submission attempts, and land barely-damaging shots. Like so many other fighters nowadays, “Stun Gun” showed up to win, he didn’t show up to fight. That’s a terrible mentality for this kind of spectator sport even if it’s a very smart mentality to have as a fighter. Kim played it cautiously in order to win, he didn’t care what the fans thought of his performance, and ultimately, he won the fight but lost the respect of many fans, including me.

Here’s the last I’ll say on this subject: Diaz’s rant was probably motivated by some “sour grapes”, but that shouldn’t discredit what Diaz is saying. Just because both Diaz brothers have always had problems with wrestlers shouldn’t magically invalidate their opinion on the subject. I’ll be the first to admit that both Nick and Nate really need to work on their takedown defense, but I won’t pretend like that immediately disqualifies them from having their say on this fiercely-debated topic. Ultimately, Diaz is preaching to the choir. Sadly, no one seems to be listening.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your take on Diaz’s remarks?

The pay-per-view event is scheduled to take place at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and features a welterweight match up pitting reigning champion Georges St. Pierre defending his title against the top contender and former Strikeforce champ in Shields.

And while that particular 170-pound contest may be the highlight of the evening, do not over look Nate Diaz as he will be taking on top-prospect Rory MacDonald on the same card, most likely to be featured on the main card.

Sherdog.com reported the bout earlier with sources close to the fighters. Diaz was last seen in action when he lost a spirited decision to top contender Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125. Though his jiu-jitsu skills kept him out of any immediate danger, Kim’s overall top game control carried him to the decision win. Now, Nate loses for the first time since moving up to the welterweight division after leaving any lightweight implication’s behind, though he hopes to return to 155 sometimes in the future. But apparently, not anytime soon as Diaz will now face top prospect Rory MacDonald.

Rory, the former King of the Cage lightweight and welterweight champion, will be looking to comeback from a disappointing loss to now top contender Carlos Condit last June. Undefeated up until that point, Rory was getting the better of the former WEC champ when the two welterweights squared off at UFC 115 in Rory’s own backyard in British Columbia. However, after an exciting two rounds turned in, MacDonald’s fatigue got the better of him and Carlos was able to notch up a TKO win after working the Canadian to the ground and unleashing a barrage of elbows and punches.

Before the loss, Rory made a successful debut defeating longtime veteran Mike Guymon with a first-round armbar in January of 2010.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new match up? MacDonald was originally slated to face James Wilks, however I’m glad the organization opted for this match up instead. Who do you think will win? Sound off in the comment section below.

For those of you who don’t remember or may not have seen UFC 125, Kim’s first words following his Unanimous Decision victory over Diaz was “My name is Stun Gun and I want GSP”. And in a new interview first seen on MMA Junkie, “Stun Gun” shared the following sentiments: “I can take [St-Pierre] down… GSP takes other fighters down and ground and pounds. I want to do that to GSP… This is it for me. I’m trying to become better every fight. It’s tough to fight fighters from the UFC because everybody is so good. I’m just trying to become better.”

I hate to come down so harshly on a UFC performer, but “Stun Gun” showed me nothing in the Diaz fight that would lead me to believe that he holds a candle to GSP. Diaz consistently got the better of Kim when the two stood up, leaving Kim with basically no other option than to take Diaz down. And both Diaz brothers, especially Nate, have always suffered from poor takedown defense. They basically let themselves get taken down because they’re so confident in their ground game, since they train with Cesar Gracie. And on the ground, Diaz was constantly hunting for submissions. Kim did little more than hold Diaz in place and fend off submission attempts.

As an MMA fan first and foremost, I was outright unimpressed with Kim’s performance at UFC 125. His stand-up isn’t anything to write home about, and he looked downright afraid to stand with a striker the caliber of Nate Diaz. His inactive, holding-in-position ground game also helped turn the fight into an almost-boring encounter. This was a tough loss for Nate Diaz, of that there can be no doubt. But Kim is blowing the win out of proportion.

“Stun Gun” barely squeaked by Nate Diaz, and GSP is miles above both Diaz and basically all the other 170-pounders in the UFC’s Welterweight division. GSP is perhaps the most complete MMA fighter of all time, and Kim simply doesn’t have any of the tools necessary to beat him. He’s got dominant takedown ability, but it pales in comparison to GSP’s. He’s got a decent striking game, but GSP can jab you for five rounds and still leave your face a badly-bruised, broken mess. Kim is simply digging his own grave if he continues to call out GSP.

But what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on “Stun Gun”? And do you think he would be a worthy challenger to GSP?

Next for Clay Guida: Once again it’s time to see if Clay Guida is ready to fight top-division talent. Guida looked great against Gomi even though he’s already being accused of doing a fantastic Willow Smith impersonation (because HE WHIPS HIS HAIR BACK AND FORTH HE WHIPS HIS HAIR BACK AND FORTH HE WHIPS HIS… you get the point). Even though Guida normally always ends up with a deflating loss whenever he goes on an impressive hotstreak, few can doubt that he’s once again earned his chance to prove everyone wrong and finally ascend to top-division status.

Next for Nate Diaz: Even though I think Nate Diaz has progressed admirably in his most recent run at Welterweight, it’s still very clear that the Diaz style, at least the way Nate utilizes it, is still a work-in-progress. Diaz was in no trouble on the ground, but he kept getting taken down, and he needs to address that issue. If he truly wants to excel to the highest levels of the UFC, Nate needs to realize that completely relying on your ground game and having virtually no takedown defense is an incredibly one-dimensional way of thinking.

Next for Brandon Vera: Strikeforce, Shark Fights, DREAM, SHINE Fights… take your pick. Putting it plainly and bluntly, I’d be shocked if Brandon Vera kept his job after this performance. With this loss to Thiago Silva, “The Truth” has permanently put himself into the “what could have been” files. It was a humiliating defeat, and one that will likely haunt Vera for some time. I honestly don’t know how successful Vera will be on the minor circuit or in second-tier promotions… I just know he’s headed there.

Next for Brian Stann: The world is Stann’s oyster, and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer, more deserving individual. Stann has an incredible backstory and a lot of skill, so he’s got all the tools necessary to become a major draw and also a top-ranked athlete. Stann really and truly impressed me at UFC 125, and I think he’ll quickly find himself fighting top-division talent as he rolls into 2011 with an incredible amount of momentum.

Next for Chris Leben: This was a crippling blow for “The Crippler”. As harsh as this sounds to say, I think this fight finally closed the book on Leben’s championship aspirations. The man has been in too many wars, he’s eaten too many big shots and while his style is entertaining, it’s “take two to give one” nature continues to be his biggest downfall. I don’t think Chris Leben will ever be outright fired from the UFC, he’s got the skills to be a mid-level threat for quite some time and he’ll always be a marketable bad-boy brawler, but I do think that we’ve seen the last of any serious talks of Chris Leben as a top-division athlete.

Next for Frank Edgar: Anthony Pettis, of course. I know how a lot of people are already calling for an immediate rematch, but it just doesn’t seem fair to make Pettis wait until after Maynard/Edgar 3. So I’m all for “The Answer” meeting “Showtime” and giving us the much-talked-about WEC/UFC Lightweight Championship Unification Bout.

But how is Edgar going to do against the final WEC Lightweight Champion? If his performance at UFC 125 is used as a basis…  Frank Edgar is going to get knocked out. If Pettis catches Edgar the way Maynard caught Edgar, Pettis has the kind of killer instinct necessary to finish the job and emerge the champion. My respect and even admiration for Frank Edgar continues to grow on a per-fight basis, but I’ve been saying that Pettis will become the UFC Lightweight Champion for a while now. And while his fight at UFC 125 was excellent, Edgar simply didn’t show me enough to make me change my stance.

So that’s what I see when I gaze into my crystal ball and try to channel my inner Nostradamus, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of UFC 125: “Resolution”?

Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard fight to a Split Draw. Brian Stann defeats Chris Leben by TKO (Strikes) at 3:37 of Round 1. Thiago Silva defeats Brandon Vera by Unanimous Decision. Dong Hyun Kim defeats Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision. Clay Guida defeats Takanori Gomi by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:47 of Round 2. Jeremy Stephens defeats Marcus Davis by KO (Punch) at 2:33 of Round 3. Dustin Poirier defeats Josh Grispi by Unanimous Decision. Brad Tavares defeats Phil Baroni by TKO (Strikes) at 4:20 of Round 1. Diego Nunes defeats Mike Brown by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Daniel Roberts defeats Greg Soto by Submission (Kimura) at 3:45 of Round 1. Jacob Volkmann defeats Antonio McKee by Split Decision.

So much for the “Muhammed Ali of MMA”, it appears as if Antoni McKee was a victim of his own hype… hype that pretty much only existed in his own head. Speaking of failed hype, Josh Grispi looked completely out of his element against Dustin Poirier, it was honestly a downright embarrassing performance. I guess Dustin wasn’t lying when he said that we’d all know his name before UFC 125 is over. I can’t wait to see how Poirier builds off this pretty huge win.

I was very impressed by Thiago Silva’s performance, and I think that this was one of those fights where you can undoubtedly say that the winner is “back”. Silva looked fantastic as always on the feet and seemed to have found new life on the ground, plus he gave Brandon Vera one of the most heinous broken noses ever seen in MMA. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Thiago.

Brian Stann made a gigantic statement at UFC 125, and I think huge things are in store for this man in the future. He’s already incredibly marketable due to his backstory, but being the man to end arguably the hottest hotstreak of Chris Leben’s career immediately puts him into a prime position in the UFC. We might just have seen a possible UFC Middleweight Championship contender emerge at UFC 125.

The main event was wildly entertaining and fully lived up to the amazing potential I just knew it had. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for both competitors, and I think Edgar/Maynard 2 has officially set the quality benchmark for 2011. While I am disappointed that the fight didn’t have a clear winner, I think both men proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they’re far from boring and are two of the UFC’s absolute best and brightest. I can’t wait to see what’s next for both men.

All in all, I was pretty glad that I tuned in to UFC 125. The event had several memorable fights and several fantastic finishes. I was a bit gutted that some of my perennial favorites like Marcus Davis, Chris Leben, and Nate Diaz would all lose, some of them dramatically, but all in all, I hesitate to call any of the UFC 125 fights bad. The UFC had a pretty good kickoff to 2011, which is already shaping up to be an utterly amazing year.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your early thoughts on UFC 125: “Resolution”?

Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi: I think Gomi still swings hammers when he throws punches, but I also think that Clay Guida knows this. This fight will all depend on the mentality Clay Guida brings when he faces the former PRIDE FC destroyer. If Guida avoids brawling and sticks to taking Gomi out of his element, Guida is well-rounded enough to virtually coast to an easy Unanimous Decision win. But if Clay Guida comes in looking to strike for whatever reason, I think Gomi will eventually land something huge and be the first man to (T)KO Clay Guida, probably in the second round.

Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim: I’ve enjoyed watching “Stun Gun” go to work in his time with the UFC, but I think this fight will focus almost exclusively on the continuing evolution of Nate Diaz. Diaz seems to have finally learned how to duplicate his brother Nick Diaz’s vaunted “punches in bunches” style, and both Diaz brothers have never looked better. Diaz may be a dark horse when it comes to a future shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship, but I’m very confident that he’ll win this fight by TKO in Round 2 or 3.

Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva: It’s been an interesting, long, winding, and considerably rocky road for Brandon Vera, the “next big thing” that never was. Vera is dangerously close to the precipice, one more loss gives him a three-fight losing streak, and it’s become generally accepted that that’s the golden number where you start looking expendable in the eyes of the UFC. Unfortunately for “The Truth”, I think Thiago Silva is just too much for Brandon Vera. Thiago Silva will win by Unanimous Decision.

Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann: Chris Leben should come out of his corner swinging like his life depended on it, because in a way, it does. While this may be a co-main event, Brian Stann is a step backwards compared to the talent Leben has been facing and beating recently. A loss to Stann would be the absolute worst thing to happen to “The Crippler” since Anderson Silva made his UFC debut by pounding Leben’s face into mush. The added pressure combined with Leben’s already-aggressive style has me thinking that Chris Leben wins by KO in Round 1.

Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: Get ready for a war, because this one is going all five rounds and both men are going to tear each other apart from the first bell to the final second. Expect to see big takedowns, huge slams, lots of striking, and an amazing pace. If Gray Maynard doesn’t show up in monster shape, Edgar’s uncanny cardio may be his biggest ally in the fight with “The Bully”. I don’t know how he’ll specifically do it, but every indicator I have points towards Edgar once again coming into a big fight with the best gameplan possible and once again forcing everyone to shut up and take him seriously. Frank Edgar wins by Unanimous Decision.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you see emerging as the big winners and losers when UFC 125 is over?

The Event: UFC 125 “Resolution”, scheduled for January 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event will air live on Pay-Per-View starting at 7 PM PT/10 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: The UFC is starting 2011 with a bang. The #1 Lightweight in the world defends his championship against the only man that’s ever beaten him, Gray Maynard. Despite the criticism this match has been getting, I’ve vehemently defended it as what should be a very entertaining fight between two amazing wrestlers. Plus, you’ve got big names like Nate Diaz, Thiago Silva, Chris Leben, Brandon Vera, Clay Guida, Marcus Davis, and Mike Thomas Brown all competing at some point throughout the night.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Constant, blistering action between two men with fantastic cardio and serious wrestling skills. There’s a very personal rivalry between these two, and with the championship on the line, they’ll be bringing their absolute best for this event. Maynard will continue to try and live up to his nickname “The Bully”, while Edgar will once again look to combine his ridiculous cardio with his uncanny ability to put together the best gameplan possible. It’s going to be close, it’s going to be a war, and it’s going to be an awesome fight no matter what anyone else says.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Look for two big strikers to come out headhunting the second the bell rings. Leben wants to end this decisively and quickly, since he’s arguably never been this close to getting a shot at the UFC Middleweight Championship. Brian Stann is fighting for relevancy in the increasingly-crowded UFC Middleweight division, and being the man that ends the best win-streak Chris Leben has ever been on would immediately put him on everyone’s radar. It won’t last very long, but it’ll be immensely entertaining until someone gets (T)KO’d.

Why You Should Watch This Card: This card is a strong indicator that the WEC/UFC merger is already paying dividends. This card is filled with fantastic talent, and they’re all smartly booked. It’ll be the first MMA event of 2011, but I have a feeling that it’ll also be remembered as one of the best events of 2011.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I honestly, sincerely cannot think of a good reason. The only thing you can really hold against this card is that there’s only one championship on the line. Even though the main card is loaded with potential, most of the fighters involved are working their ways towards top-division status rather than actually being top-division talent. Still, even the untelevised undercard is filled with interesting match-ups and potential. From Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi to Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim, this looks to be an action-packed night of fights that has a little bit of something for everyone.

Closing Thoughts: The UFC may not be throwing us its biggest guns and its brightest stars to start off the New Year, but they’ve put together an incredible card nonetheless. The only question surrounding this card is whether or not it can live up to its potential. I’ll certainly be giving it a watch, and while it’s true that anything is possible in MMA, I’m very confident when I say that this show should be well worth a purchase and even repeated viewings.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on UFC 125?

UFC 125 has some obvious sales points mainly centering around the main card title fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard.  However, some second tier questions will also get solved or advanced towards solution come January 1^st.

What is the future for Brandon Vera?

Vera was heralded as a multi weight-class phenom when he knocked out Frank Mir in 2006.  Then he went into exile for a couple years when he had contract issues with Dana White.  Since his return, he has rarely flashed the same cage dominance.  Now, after consecutive losses to Randy Couture and Jon Jones the question is … will we ever the see Brandon Vera circa 2006 again?  Thiago Silva, his opponent at UFC 125, will provide more than an adequate measuring stick towards that answer.  I think Vera needs to win or must engage in a dynamic “Fight Of The Night” style affair to keep his good graces with the UFC.  However, working in his favor to stay with the UFC is his Phillipino heritage.  With the UFC expanding to Asia, Dana White may well give Vera every chance to keep his job.

Is Marcus Davis fighting to keep his career alive?

The Bangor Maine pugilist may be in his last UFC fight unless he wins on January 1st.  At 38, and 1-3 in his last four fights, Davis was unable to execute his brawling style against Nate Diaz, Ben Saunders, and Dan Hardy.  His opponent at UFC 125, Jeremy Stephens, may be just what the doctor ordered for Davis.  Stephens is a guy who is all about getting into a fist fight.  Davis will need to overcome his shortcomings from his last fight against Nate Diaz … which was finding way into range to connect.  Stephens does not have the reach that Diaz carried, so he may find more success.  If this is the end for Davis, he has had a tremendous career considering he started as a boxer and was able to round out his skill set to compete out at the highest levels of MMA.

Will a Nate Diaz win elevate him to serious contender status at 170lbs?

Nate Diaz, at times, has shown to be as talented as any fighter in the UFC as he shuttled between the 155 and 170-pound weight classes.  Apparently settled now at the 170lb level, Diaz now looks for his 4th win in his last 5 fights against Dong Hyun kim.  Diaz has used his smothering jab and peppering boxing style to keep opponents at bay while dropping a heavy volume of leather to the body and brain.  Despite impressive wins over Marcus Davis, Rory Markham, and Melvin Guillard of late, Diaz has not been considered in the top 6 of either weight class. If Diaz can beat Kim and settle into the 170lb class, he certainly has the talent to compete at the highest level.  Can this fight start his rankings climb?

It’s all yours folks … will UFC 125 answer these questions for Vera, Davis and Diaz?

@john_moody

Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard for the UFC Lightweight Championship, Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann, Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera, Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim, Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida, Marcus Davis vs. Jeremy Stephens, Josh Grispi vs. Dustin Poirier, Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares, Mike Thomas Brown vs. Diego Nunes, Daniel Roberts vs. Greg Soto, and Antonio McKee vs. Jacob Volkmann.

My early thoughts on this card are very simple and easily summarized: wow. This is an awesome-looking card. I say this without hyperbole: I think all of the main card fights could have headlined their own “Fight Night Live” special. Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann should be a great back-and-forth war. Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera is going to end very, very violently. Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim should be an important stepping stone and proving point for both men, especially if either one is able to finish and finish convincingly. And then you have Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida: it won’t be technical by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s going to be one entertaining scrap and a fantastic way to kick off the PPV portion of the show.

We’ve even got some pretty good names on the undercard. Marcus Davis always steps into the Octagon ready to brawl. Josh Grispi would have been the next man to face Jose Aldo if Aldo hadn’t pulled out with an injury. Mike Brown is a former WEC champion. You’ve even got veterans like Antonio McKee, Phil Baroni, and Jeremy Stephens. Some may say that the preliminary card has a lot of fighters that are down on their luck in their most-recent fights, but I personally think that shouldn’t and ultimately doesn’t overshadow the fact that they almost always put on entertaining fights.

And in the main event, you’ve got two great Lightweights competing for the championship of a division that’s been blown wide open ever since Frankie “The Answer” Edgar managed to beat BJ Penn not once, but twice. In an era where “The Prodigy” is back at Welterweight and Frank Edgar is the #1 Lightweight in the world, it’s literally anyone’s ballgame. This should be a fantastic fight between two great wrestlers, and I personally can’t wait to see it happen. I know that some fans are quick to criticize how both men haven’t finished their opponents in what feels like forever, but I’m willing to give both these men a pass since they’re entertaining throughout their long wars that end up going to the judges. Don’t believe the doom-sayers, fans and friends: Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard is going to be an awesome fight.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Now that everything is “officially official”, what’s your opinion on UFC 125: “Resolution”?

When talking to MMA Weekly, Shields said the following: “[Nate Diaz] is fighting in the UFC too, but we’ll find a way to avoid each other. I know Dana [White] is big on teammates fighting each other, but like I said I can go to [1]85, he can go to [1]55. I look at Nate like he’s my little brother, so I don’t see us fighting. One of us will move over… Fighting against your sparring partners is kind of weird to me. Not that I won’t do it, [it’s] just not something I’m really stoked to do.”

In the past I’ve been very critical of teammates not fighting each other. I’ve said that these holdouts are very detrimental to the sport, since it prevents some big-money high-interest fights that would definitively prove who the best fighters in the world are. I know that it’s a lot to ask to put the business before your friendship, but refusing to fight, no matter what the circumstances surrounding that refusal may be, is detrimental to a fighter’s career. And let’s not forget what the worst-case scenario in this situation is: as more and more notable fighters sign to big-name camps, what we could end up seeing is all the best fighters in the world refusing to fight each other because they train together.

Moving up or down a weight class does seem to be a remedy to the problem, but in reality it’s a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. Cutting or putting on weight does free an athlete up and allow them to face new competition, but the prevalent problem is still in full effect: they’re still not fighting the best talent in the world. In Jake’s particular case, I would absolutely love to see him take on Nate Diaz. Their styles clash in such a way that we’re nearly guaranteed an amazing performance from both fighters. But unless UFC President Dana White stops with the talk and begins forcing everyone’s hands, that’s a fight that isn’t happening anytime soon despite the fact that both Jake Shields and Nate Diaz are hovering around title contention in the here and now.

To be brutally honest, I think a lot of fighters and even a few members of the press are blowing this thing out of proportion. You’d think this was a Civil War reenactment with all the overblown drama and the refusal to fight a brother on the battlefield. This isn’t a war movie where the hero puts his nearly-dead best friend out of his misery and is haunted by the murder for the rest of his life. This is a sport, and sometimes you have to step on a few toes to truly prove that you’re the best in the world. Try as I might, I’ve got very little sympathy for fighters who refuse to fight their teammates.

And what about you, fans and friends? Where do you stand on this subject, and why?

5. Jamie Varner vs. Nate Diaz

This is assuming that Diaz would be willing to drop back down to 155. I think this would be a excellent match-up between two bad-boys that has a whole lot of potential. I think it would be great to see how Varner deals with Nate’s “punches in bunches” style, and if this fight goes to the ground, this could end up being a very engaging and wildly entertaining ground war. Plus, could you imagine the kind of venom both men would spew leading up to this match? I can’t even begin to imagine how bitter this rivalry could get if Diaz and Varner began to trade barbs.

4. Donald Cerrone vs. Clay Guida

Donald Cerrone is one of the most entertaining fighters in the WEC’s Lightweight division, and the same could be said for Clay Guida in the UFC’s Lightweight division. This would be a bench-setting brawl where both men would absorb incredible amounts of punishment and just keep swinging. Cerrone would most likely win, but Guida would pull a Fight of the Year contender out of “Cowboy” before all was said and done.

3. Anthony Pettis vs. Diego Sanchez

I don’t think I can accurately put into words just how crazy this fight could be. Sanchez seems to have rediscovered the fire inside himself following his huge victory over Paulo Thiago at UFC 121. For “Showtime” Anthony Pettis, that fire has never gone out and in fact continues to grow. This would be a wild, wild fight, with constant action. Both men would practically be flying around the cage if they show up in top condition and start to get competitive. On paper it has all the right ingredients for one of the most explosive matches in recent history.

2. Ben Henderson vs. Frank Edgar

It’s a battle of the underdogs-turned-champions, and I’d love to see it happen. Both men share very similar fates: no one thought they had it in them to be champion, and now they stand tall as the unquestioned best of their promotion’s Lightweight division. Both men are hard-working champions that have the impressive cardio to last five rounds and be dangerous from the first bell to the last. Take my word for it, if it ever happens this fight would be a lock for Fight of the Year.

But of course, my #1 “UFC vs. WEC” dream match just has to be…

1. Jose Aldo vs. BJ Penn

I know, I know. This could be considered “cheating”. Aldo would have to move up in weight while at the same time Penn would have to move down, since “The Prodigy” is heading back to the land of welterweights and is unsure of when he’ll return to 155. But if it happens, just imagine how a fight between a prime Jose Aldo and a focused BJ Penn would turn out. Aldo would come out throwing everything he has at “Baby Jay” with Penn not giving an inch and even returning the favor more often than not. If this fight ever sees the light of day, it will probably go down as one of the best fights of the last several years.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What about you? How is your fantasy “WEC vs. UFC” card filled out?

Next New Year’s, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC will return to Nevada with a lightweight title fight pitting current champion Frankie Edgar, who is riding on a 5-fight win streak (which included two back-to-back victories over former champion BJ Penn) will look to exact revenge when he defends his title against the only man to defeat him, undefeated UFC lightweight title challenger Gray Maynard.

Also in action, former Interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin is coming back to action after succumbing to his first defeat as a professional at UFC 116 when he tangles with the former IFL heavyweight champion and season 10 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Roy Nelson.

Nate Diaz has recently been announced as a new addition to the card. Making his third consecutive trip to the welterweight division, Diaz will look to go three-in-a-row following some recent success with victories over Rory Markham and Marcus Davis (respectively) finishing both competitors before it went the distance.

Meeting Diaz will be Korean Judoka, Dong Hyun Kim. An undefeated prospect in the 170-pound division, Diaz will arguably be his toughest test to date, and should Dong come away from the bout in impressive fashion, it could spell title implications.

While no official word has come as far the order of the match ups, though I would assert that the card should look something like this. Here is the event in it’s entirety, though additional match ups are soon to be announced.

Main Card:
-Lightweight Championship bout: Frankie Edgar (champion) vs. Gray Maynard
-Heavyweight bout: Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson
-Lightweight bout: Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
-Middleweight bout: Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann
-Welterweight bout: Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Preliminary:
-Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva
-Middleweight bout: Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares
-Lightweight bout: Antonio McKee vs. Jacob Volkmann

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of match ups so far? Any additional bouts you would like to see make the main card? Which bouts do you think, should they be featured, for the Spike Prelims special?
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.

A Korean website, with English translations courtesy of MMA Mania, has revealed that Dong Hyun Kim has been slated to face Diaz at the UFC’s upcoming UFC 125 event, which takes place on New Year’s Day. The event is set to feature such match-ups as Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson, Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera, Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann, and Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard for the UFC Lightweight Championship.

After a long career at Lightweight both in and out of the UFC that ultimately saw his chances at UFC Lightweight gold never fully come to fruition, Nate Diaz debuted at Welterweight in March of this year and has been on an absolute tear ever since. Diaz made quick work of a hugely-overweight Rory Markham and then proceeded to out-strike and ultimately choke out former professional boxer Marcus Davis. For the first time in a long time Nate Diaz is building himself up as a potential championship contender, and a big win over “Stun Gun” would go a long way towards making that dream a reality.

Dong-Hyun Kim has posted a flawless record in the UFC, with four wins and one No Contest: the lone blemish on the popular Korean fighter’s UFC record was a loss to Karo Parisyan in 2009 that was overturned when Parisyan tested positive for banned painkillers in a post-fight drug test. Despite most of his wins in the UFC coming by way of decision, “Stun Gun” has established himself as a very dynamic, very entertaining fighter that should be a near-perfect foil for Nate Diaz.

I really like this match, and I think it has amazing potential. I think both men will be incredibly active in this fight and try their best at forcing their opponent to fight their fight. If Nate Diaz can keep Kim off of the ground and out of the clinch, his superior striking has the chance of eating Kim alive and making his face an even more grotesque landscape of bumps and bruises than Marcus Davis’, whose faced resembled Frankenstein when Diaz got through with him. If Kim can avoid getting caught up in a striking exchange that far favors Diaz’s “punches in bunches” strategy, his judo should score him some very impressive takedowns. The problem with that is that a judo takedown brings the fight to the ground, and both Diaz brothers are known for their unorthodox and highly effective ground games.

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m picking Nate Diaz to win this one either by TKO or Guillotine Choke. I think both men are surging Welterweights that both possess a lot of championship potential, but I think that in the here and now, Nate Diaz is emerging as a true can’t-miss prospect at Welterweight. Success breeds success, and it seems that a little sibling rivalry at who is more successful has prompted Nate to up his game considerably. He still may not be on Nick’s level quite yet, but he’s getting there and getting there fast. “Stun Gun” is a very tough test and will once and for all prove if Diaz can hang at Welterweight. My money’s on him passing the test with flying colors.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of this match, and who do you see winning it?

Nick Osipczak was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. Greg Soto was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days for precautionary reasons. Amilcar Alves was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. John Salter was suspended for up to 180 days due to a possible left hand fracture, pending X-ray results, with a minimum suspension of 30 days with no contact for 21 days. Dan Miller was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons.

Gabe Ruediger was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons. Nate Diaz was suspended for a maximum of 180 days due to a possible nasal fracture, pending X-ray results, with a minimum suspension of 60 days with no contact for 60 days. Marcus Davis was suspended indefinitely due to possible head trauma, pending a CT Scan, with a minimum suspension of 60 days with no contact for 30 days. Kenny Florian was suspended for 45 days with no contact for 30 days for precautionary reasons. Gray Maynard was suspended for 30 days with no contact for 21 days for precautionary reasons.

As is the case with most medical suspensions, most of the fighter’s suspended won’t really be affected. Many fighters take a month off to rest anyway, and since most UFC fighters only fight a handful of times a year, it’s not like they’ll be missing any opportunities. I was surprised at Nate Diaz’s suspension, though, the barrage Davis hit him with at the beginning of their fight must have done a lot more damage than it looked like. Then again, Davis has always had some very powerful hands. Here’s hoping Nate is cleared by his doctors and gets back into the Octagon soon, because I think he’s quickly becoming a great addition to the UFC’s welterweight division.

Speaking of Marcus Davis, I wish him the best and hope that nothing goes wrong with his CT scan. I want to say that the athletic commission may have over-reacted based on how gruesome Davis’ face looked after the Diaz fight, but then again, you can never really be too careful when it comes to head trauma. I still think much of the damage Diaz did was superficial, though. What I mean by that is: Nate put a real hurting on “The Irish Hand Grenade”, but I don’t see Davis developing any sort of lasting trauma because of it. It sure looked nasty, but it’ll heal up fine. Davis is a tough guy, and I have a pretty good feeling that he’ll bounce back from this.

With only a few major suspensions that will likely be reduced pending a full examination by a doctor, I’d say the UFC 118 fighters pulled through pretty well.

At UFC 118, Nate Diaz put on one of the best performances of his career, although it could have been his worst. Never one to let an opportunity to showboat slip by, Nate almost got TKO’d when he showboated a bit too much and left himself open to a big shot from heavy-handed striker Marcus Davis. Diaz recuperated and seemed invigorated thanks to the near-brush with disaster, and went on to pick Davis apart en route to trapping “The Irish Hand Grenade” in the modified Guillotine Choke that has become Nate’s specialty. With two straight victories over two notable Welterweight talents under his belt, Diaz wants the best and will more than likely be given the best.

But is he ready? I personally think so. I think Nate’s striking may not be on Nick’s level just yet, but it’s certainly getting there. He still can’t quite pull off the showboating like Nick can, but when his back is against the wall, more often than not he turns up the heat and clinches a victory. I’d love to see how Diaz would fare against heavy-handed strikers like Dan Hardy, Thiago Alves, or Chris Lytle. Nate keeps looking better and better at Welterweight, so I think now is the time to see if he can finally make the jump in competition and become a title contender.

For Nick’s part, he’s currently set to face arch-rival KJ Noons for the second time, this time with the strikeforce Welterweight Championship on the line. Both men hate each other so much that they took part in a well-publicized post-fight brawl in the defunct Elite XC promotion. In an interview with Strikeforce, Noons had this to say regarding the upcoming rematch: “On October 9^th, I’m fighting a guy that, if I had a kid, I wouldn’t want him looking up to. He’s a trash-talking, pot-smoking chump… Nick says he’s bringing his guys, but so am I. They’re going to need to beef up security… This is beyond a grudge match. I’m going to light him up like a Christmas tree. He’s going to have to kill me. It’s very personal.”

While I think the whole “you have to kill me to beat me” boast is so over-used that it’s completely meaningless, I also think that Noons will be a huge test for Diaz. Diaz looked unstoppable at Welterweight, but his first fight with Noons was a rarity: Noons was the one doing the picking apart. A stint in pro boxing has made KJ’s hands better, deadlier, and more technical than ever, and it’s going to be really interesting to see if Nick’s advancing skill is enough to even the score to 1-1.

I think some very interesting things are in store for the Diaz brothers. If Nate can keep winning in a division where virtually all the top stars have fought and lost convincingly to long-reigning UFC Welterweight Georges St. Pierre, I think he’s only two or three fights away from a shot at the title, so long as Georges St. Pierre wins the rematch between himself and current contender Josh Koscheck. If Nick can continue his streak of dominating wins with a (T)KO over Noons, I frankly don’t see any Strikeforce welterweight being able to beat him in the near future. It’s proving time for both brothers, but I fully believe that their time is now.

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

Next for Nate Diaz: A fight with another good technical striker: Dan Hardy. Even if it’s not Hardy, look for Diaz to get a shot at a top-tier opponent. Perhaps even Thiago Alves should be the next challenge for Nate.

Next for Marcus Davis: Once again Davis has been stopped in dominating fashion. While I don’t see him losing his job anytime soon, if ever, I also think that this fight permanently moved Davis to mid-level gatekeeper status. Look for him to receive a steady stream of UFC newcomers for his next several fights.

Next for Kenny Florian: He needs to come to grips with the fact that he’s a divisional gatekeeper if he doesn’t improve his ground game from the bottom. When fighters are able to take “KenFlo” out of his element, Florian has always looked downright lost in the Octagon. Florian is still one of the best fighters in the Lightweight division, but his inability to come back when the odds are stacked against him is a real hindrance.

Next for Demian Maia: In Maia’s continued quest to regain his Middleweight relevancy, his domination of Mario Miranda was a big step in the right direction. I think Maia is ready for a rematch with Nate Marquardt. If not Marquardt, I say give Maia another good striker, like Chris Leben, in order to highlight the submission skills that made him so famous and/or to highlight his admittedly improving striking.

Next for Randy Couture: Why not Jon Jones? Couture has had nothing left to prove for the last several years and he’s still had more wins than losses. Now that he’s got a three-fight win-streak under his belt, why not welcome Jon Jones to the UFC’s elite in a big way with a very tough opponent? I think it would be amazing to see how Jones’ wrestling holds up to Couture’s, and if Couture can stand up to the dynamic striking of Jonny Bones.

Next for James Toney: Kimbo Slice in a boxing ring. I don’t see James Toney going anywhere near an Octagon for at least a couple of years. If he ever does return to the UFC, he’ll likely face a predominantly striking-based fighter, someone like Cheick Kongo. I think Kimbo vs. Toney is very likely if only because the fight will generate a lot of interest and make everyone involved a boatload of money. Look for Toney to take the KO, by the way.

Next for BJ Penn: It’s tough to say. Has the Lightweight division finally caught up to BJ Penn, or is Frankie Edgar simply his kryptonite? If BJ stays at Lightweight, he’s got to learn how to deal with today’s version of the dominant wrestler, as opposed to someone like Sean Sherk, who Penn outright dominated. This issue is even further heightened if Penn moves to Welterweight, since it’s practically controlled by dominant wrestlers. Tough times are ahead for BJ Penn, whether he or his fans or anyone else wants to admit it or not.

Next for Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard: Each other, obviously. Look for this to be heavy on the wrestling, with Maynard trying to nullify Edgar’s impressive speed and off-the-charts cardio by holding him constantly and trying to grind out a decision. I think Edgar will be a wholly different fighter for this rematch, so I’m betting that Edgar evens it to 1-1. Maynard impressed against Florian and I have no doubt that he’s ready for his shot at the gold, but Frankie Edgar simply impressed me far, far more.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Where do people like Penn, Edgar, Couture, Florian and Maynard go from here?

Frankie Edgar defeats BJ Penn via Unanimous Decision to retain the UFC Lightweight Championship. Randy Couture defeats James Toney via Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 3:19 of Round 1. Gray Maynard defeats Kenny Florian via Unanimous Decision. Demian Maia defeats Mario Miranda via Unanimous Decision. Nate Diaz defeats Marcus Davis via Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 4:02 of Round 3. Joe Lauzon defeats Gabe Ruediger via Submission (Armbar) at 2:01 of Round 1. Nik Lentz defeats Andre Winner via Unanimous Decision. Dan Miller defeats John Salter via Submission (Ninja Choke) at 1:53 of Round 2. Greg Soto defeats Nick Osipczak via Unanimous Decision. Mike Pierce defeats Amilcar Alves via Submission (Armbar) at 3:11 of Round 3.

And here’s what I thought of the event itself.

I was right that Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis had a good shot at stealing the show. It was certainly the best fight of the night up to that point. As much as I used to hate the Diaz brothers, it’s plain to see that their “punches in bunches” style has finally found its niche. Diaz just completely dominated Davis in the striking, even though Davis had Diaz in a lot of trouble early in the fight. I think that brush with disaster calmed Nate down and brought the killer out in him. I see big things in store for Nate Diaz.

It killed me to see “KenFlo” so thoroughly dominated. I’m a huge fan of Kenny Florian, but he just doesn’t know what to do when he’s not in complete control of a fight. Gray Maynard vs. Frankie Edgar should be a lot of fun even though people are already predicting that it’s going to be boring. Based on how good both men looked at UFC 118, I’m going to give that fight the benefit of the doubt.

For those wanting my opinion on Couture/Toney, you can read all about it here.

In regards to the main event, Frankie Edgar proved once and for all that he’s the best Lightweight in the world right now. Penn honestly looked lost in the later rounds. Frankie Edgar’s cardio is amazing, his punching is so crisp and fast, and his takedowns look more unstoppable by the minute. Frankie Edgar put the world on notice in this fight: he’s no fluke champion, and that belt belongs around his waist. I have a lot of respect for Frankie Edgar, I respected Edgar even before he beat Penn the first time, but now you can officially call me a fan of the man. We’re entering a whole new chapter in the UFC’s Lightweight division, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.

And how about you, fans and friends? What do you think of UFC 118, and as far as “Event of the Year” goes, where does it rank with you?

The main reason I’m looking forward to this fight is because both men’s styles match up so well with each other. Even though a majority of his wins have come via submission, Nate Diaz loves to strike. Marcus Davis needs no introduction as a striker; he’s competed in some awesome all-out striking wars and has displayed a resiliency that sometimes seems superhuman.

The key difference between the two is their unique punching styles. Davis was a professional boxer for seven years, and that mentality hasn’t died yet, but rather evolved. Through trial and error, the more-traditional striking of Marcus Davis has bridged the gap between boxing and MMA and given “The Irish Hand Grenade” seventeen wins in a seven-year career. Nate’s style is vastly different and far trickier than that of Davis. Like his slightly-more-famous brother Nick, Nate has adopted the “punches in bunches” style of peppering shots that are designed to do cumulative damage rather than definitively KO an opponent.

It’s true that Diaz is 2-3 in his last five fights while Davis is 3-2, but also like big-brother Nick, I think the smaller Diaz brother is finally beginning to realize his potential. Still, Davis poses a big threat to Nate, since Davis has always been a rather large Welterweight while Nate Diaz just got done with a stint at Lightweight. If the weight advantage isn’t enough, I’ll be frank and admit that Davis has more power in his punches. Remember, the reason both Nick and Nate adopted the “punches in bunches” style to begin with was because of their inability to one-hit KO their opponents. Then again, Nate Diaz has never been knocked out before, while the iron chin of Davis finally cracked against an explosive knee courtesy of former UFC fighter Ben Saunders. Davis may have more pure power, but Diaz is super-tough and has very long arms, so his peppering shots may find home so often that they’ll wear out Davis enough to diminish his fierce punching power. Or Davis could go for broke like he almost always does and become only the second man to ever legitimately (T)KO a Diaz brother.

The one area of expertise that Diaz clearly has over Davis is the ground game. The younger Diaz has become known as a submission specialist, and for his near-inescapable modified Guillotine Choke in particular. More often than not, fighters faced with the realization that Diaz is getting the better of them at the striking game attempt to take him down, only to end up getting submitted. Diaz’s style of punching is very frustrating, and I think it’s quite possible that Davis will lose his head and attempt to go for broke if Diaz begins to pick him apart, which will lead to Diaz either taking Marcus down or being taken down himself, but getting the submission either way.

But no matter what happens, this should be an excellent match. Could it steal the show against bouts like Edgar/Penn 2 or Toney/Couture? Maybe not when you consider how much hype is surrounding those two fights, but trust me, Diaz vs. Davis has “sleeper hit” written all over it. It’s a shame these two haven’t seen their time in the spotlight nearly enough as Couture, Toney, Penn, or Edgar. It may not put either man “in the mix” but sometimes you have to appreciate a fun fight just because it’s a fun fight. And this one is going to be a whole lot of fun.

But what do you think, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis?

Bellator has done an excellent job in bringing in relevant talent to their fold, while giving their home-grown fighters some credibility, should they prove successful in defeating some of the imported, former UFC standouts.

Markham will forever be remembered in infamy, when he knocked out Brodie Farber in his UFC debut in 2009, with a vicious head kick. After the initial UFC outing, he struggled in performances against contender Dan Hardy and “The Ultimate Fighter” season five winner, Nate Diaz.

According to Bellator today, fellow welterweight Tyler Stinson will replace Rory Markham, who will vie for a spot in the season 4 welterweight tournament, opposite of Steve Carl. The bout between Stinson and Carl will determine the next qualifier for the season 4 Bellator tournament, where undoubtedly Rory Markham would have been an early favorite to steal the show.

Rory, a respected veteran who trains under former UFC welterweight champion Pat Miletich, out of Miletich Fighting Systems in Bettendorf, Iowa, is withdrawn due to unknown reasons. According to Bellator, the welterweight who moonlights as a middleweight when he can’ make the 170 pound limit, made infamous by his alleged welterweight bout with Nate Diaz–where Markham came in at a staggering 177 pounds, Rory was simply not medically cleared to compete.

Carl is a late replacement, but the Iraqi war veteran is up for the challenge, and will have some leniency when he comes into the bout come Thursday night. The contest, though challenging for a spot at the welterweight tourney, will be competed at a catch-weight of 175-pounds, due to the late notice.

As fans filed out of the Bell Centre after UFC 113 in Montreal, a very unexpected encounter between bitter rivals took place in the locker room of welterweight Marcus Davis (17-6).  He had just defeated Jonathan Goulet (22-11) to break a two fight losing skid and rejuvenate his career. Davis requested that UFC officials bring Dan Hardy into his locker room for a meeting.  UFC brass had previously kept these two fighters apart at all costs, given the rancor that existed stemming from their controversial June 2009 fight.  As die-hard MMA fans know, Hardy waged a crude psychological war of words in advance of his UFC 99 fight with Davis.  A smack talk battle that ultimately lured Davis into saying things he now regrets and feels adversely affected his performance.  Coupled with Davis losing the decision to Hardy in a fight he adamantly believes he won, the effects from this period of time lingered with the Irish Hand Grenade.

As Davis states, it was time for him to come to peace with this ordeal and do the right thing.

“I asked the UFC to go get him and bring him to my locker room cause I needed to talk to him to clear some things up.  Everybody was freaking out, but you know he came back and I said, ‘look I know you and I got problems and they are not resolved and not fixed, but I have to apologize for some things that I said, because that is out of character for me now, teaching my kids what it is to be a good person and a Christian and doing the right thing.  What I did was wrong, even though I was just trying to attack you.  Things that I said would upset your family and people that care about you and love you, just like the things you did to me, upset and hurt people that care about me.  So, I just did the same thing you did and I am apologizing for that.  I am sorry I did that.’  And I shook his hand for the first time.”

Davis said as they shook hands that Hardy responded in a more casual fashion.

“He (Hardy) said ‘hey don’t worry about it.  It is over and in the past.’ He said he didn’t think it was a big deal and thought it was funny.”

Davis achieved a cease-fire in what was one of the more bitter MMA feuds over the past year.  It does not, however, lessen Davis’ desire for a rematch with Hardy and reverse what he feels was a grossly unfair judging decision the first time around.

“I would like nothing better than to get another fight with Dan Hardy and he would welcome that too.”

With Davis coming off an impressive TKO win over Jonathan Goulet and at least partially exorcising the ghost of Dan Hardy, he is now squarely set on his return to the Boston Garden to fight Nate Diaz (12-5) at UFC 118.  It will be Davis’ second fight there since he fought, as a boxer, on the last boxing card ever at ‘The Garden’ knocking out Joe Larue in December of 1994.  Diaz, 12 years Davis’ junior at 25 years of age, will pose challenges with a unique boxing style and world class jiu jitsu game.

“I am not going to grapple with Nate Diaz, makes absolutely no sense. I got good anti jiu jitsu.  I have only been submitted one time. And so, I am not easy to submit, but why in the hell would I take a guy like him down and stay on top.”

Davis will lean on his professional boxing pedigree to keep this a standup affair, yet the Bangor Maine fighter will not be looking for a slugfest.

“I got to be able to get in, get off, and get out, not stand right in front of him.  Most guys, he (Diaz) comes forward, they get into that range where he is peppering them and then they try to get off and he just keeps coming forward and they just clinch with him.  He (Diaz) comes forward and they shoot.  I am not going to do either one of those, I am not going to grab, not going to take him down, I am going throw what I have to do, move my head, and get out of there.”

With Father Time ticking, Davis knows he must stop Nate Diaz to keep his career moving forward, preserve one more run at a title shot, and maybe a chance to scrum with his ‘pal’ Dan Hardy again.

“I am 37 years old and every fight in the UFC when you are this age and this point in your career is the most important fight.   But this one, I got a young kid who just inked a four-fight deal with the UFC, so they are looking to hold onto this kid.  A kid who won the Ultimate Fighter, and I am fighting in my backyard basically.  All these important factors are involved, so I am trying to do everything I can to be smart.”

—

What are your thoughts on Marcus Davis making peace with Dan Hardy?  How will he do against Nate Diaz at UFC 118?

The suspensions come as a result of the post-fight brawl that broke out in the cage at “Strikeforce: Nashville” at the Bridgestone Arena on April 17.

The five individuals will not be named according to their regulations, until all administrative actions are finalized.

According to Loretta Hunt, “the nine-member commission voted to propose $20,000 fines and nine-month suspensions for all five individuals at a formal disciplinary hearing. However, these initial figures can all be reduced to fines ranging between $5,000-$7,500 and three-month suspensions if the recipients do not contest the proceedings and agree to “settle this matter with a consent order.”

In three of the cases, the commission found cause to move forward with a formal hearing for a civil penalty of $20,000 each as well as associated costs and a nine-month suspension. The individuals can agree to a “consent order” which would allow them to bypass the hearing and agree to a three-month suspension and a reduced fine of $5,000.

The fourth individual can receive the same deal but with a higher fine of $7,500. That is due to the fact that the individual did not respond to the commission’s inquiry as instructed.

The fifth individual also gets the $7,500 settlement fine because of lack of proper response. This individual is not licensed with the state and the complaint alleges “unlicensed activity” according to Christopher Garrett who is the director of communications for the state of Tennessee.

The brawl was live on CBS after Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (25-4-1) had defended his title. During the post-fight interview “Mayhem” Jason Miller (23-6) interrupted Jake to demand a rematch.

This led to shoving and eventually turned into a brawl. Also involved in the brawl were Strikeforce lightweight champion “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (18-2), “Diablo” Nick Diaz (21-8) and UFC fighter Nate Diaz (11-6).

Stay tuned to Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio as we work to bring you the latest on this story. As always please let us know your thoughts in the fines and suspensions by commenting below.

After Fighters.com second-ranked and Strikeforce welterweight champion Jake Shields (25-4-1) won a lopsided unanimous decision victory over “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (25-8) the typical post-fight interview was about to begin.

The always colorful “Mayhem” Jason Miller (23-6) entered the cage to call out the champion, asking for a rematch. These two fought back in November of 2009 at the Fedor versus Rogers fight where Shields won by decision in a fight many thought was a snooze-fest.

Miller, known for his crazy ring walks and in general for being quite goofy, stepped up and stole some of Jake’s spotlight by asking when he was going to get his rematch. This is where all hell broke loose starting with “El Nino” Gilbert Melendez (18-2) trying to push Mayhem out of the views of the camera.

Jake Shields then decided it would be a good idea to push Miller and of course there can’t be a brawl inside the cage without Nick and Nate Diaz involved. Miller ended up being down on the ground and was kicked multiple times while being held there. All of this airing live on CBS as moronic Gus Johnson tells the audience “Sometimes these things happen in MMA”.

Gus Johnson is an ill-informed person who allowed the first-time viewers to believe that this is something that is typical in the sport of MMA. Nothing could be further from the truth.

What happened inside that cage after the licensed and regulated fights took place was paramount to a gang attack. It is felonious assault and as such those involved should have been arrested and charged. If you, a fan of MMA, got in the cage and started throwing punches and kicks to someone you can bet you would have been arrested on the spot.

Many are putting the blame on the shoulders of Jason Miller and I feel that this could not be further from the truth. Did Matt Hughes and his camp jump Georges St. Pierre after he entered the cage and said he was not impressed by Matt? So who is to blame for this event?

Strikeforce is the number one culprit here for a couple of reasons. No one actually knows if they asked, told, or gave the OK for Mayhem to enter the cage but regardless it is their job to control who can and can’t enter the cage at all times. So the bottom line is they allowed Miller inside the cage in one fashion or another. How did they think that was goinjg to turn out when you have the Diaz brothers in there? They are known for their antics and were involved in another post-fight brawl inside the cage in the during the EliteXC days.

Nate and Nick Diaz are also to blame for this event. After the cage was cleared MMA Fanhouse reporter Ariel Helwani talked to Nick Diaz who had the following to say, “I apologize, it wasn’t my fault”. Very interesting apology Nick. Nick said that he had his partners back and would expect his corner to have his back if he had just fought. This is an error in thinking because there should be no need for anyone to have someone’s back post-fight, hence the term post-fight.

The Diaz Brothers needed to realize that at that time there friend and training partner had just successfully defended his title against a man many thought would KO him in the first round. Not only that but they were live on network television as people were tuning in to catch the local news. What they found instead was the a brawl inside a cage which did nothing but solidify the opinion that MMA is brutal and nothing more than a bunch of thug bar brawlers.

Most of the MMA critics could not be more wrong when they discuss the sport but the actions of a few last night loaded the near empty guns of those critics. They now have video evidence of the fact that MMA fighters are nothing more than glorified thugs and gangsters.

Mixed Martial Arts has always been about respect and honor. Respect for you opponent and the arts as well. Mayhem Miller may have shown Shields little respect by stealing the spotlight but what transpired afterward was the complete opposite of what the sport is all about. This was not the streets of Stockton, California but rather inside the cage in Nashville, Tennessee.

The fans of MMA deserve more than they got last night and sadly, the sport took a huge step backwards. I know Dana White was happy by what he saw but he has to realize that it hurt Strikeforce but will also have an effect on all of MMA.

Markham hasn’t fought since getting KO’d by Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) at UFC 95 in London in February 2009, and therefore hadn’t cut weight in over a year either.

“The Croatian Sensation” Pat Miletich (29-7-2), who coaches Markham, told MMA Junkie that Markham’s weight cut went “haywire”, claiming it’s only the second time in 15 years a fighter he coaches has missed weight.

Markham’s camp had notified Diaz that Markham would likely miss weight, but Diaz chose to go ahead with the fight.

Diaz has only won once in his last four fights in the Octagon, all at 155 pounds.  Tonight’s matchup was to be his debut in the welterweight division.

Diaz won the original exhibition match and eventually the TUF 5 championship.  But, Maynard has bullied ahead of Diaz since TUF 5, with big decision victories of UFC contenders sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1) and “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1).

With vengeance tonight versus Diaz, Maynard will have proven himself as the top contender in the UFC’s 155-pound division and will deserve a title fight versus Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1).

In fact, Maynard deserved the title shot over Penn’s last challenger ninth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3).  Penn stopped Sanchez in the fourth round at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.  It was never a competitive contest, primarily because Sanchez hadn’t put in the work in the division to earn the fight.

But, Fighters.com worries recent UFC signee “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) might take Maynard’s shot even if Maynard wins versus Diaz for the same reason Sanchez did.  Gomi is a bigger name, despite his recent disappointing performances.

Gomi is the type of fighter UFC President Dana White would crack jokes about if Gomi wasn’t now a UFC fighter.  Since reigning as PRIDE lightweight champion, Gomi’s focus on fighting has been lax.  He’s lost consecutive fights to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) at Sengoku in November 2008 and Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) at Sengoku in January 2009 and has expressed desires to spend the rest of his years surfing rather than fighting.  He’s evidently changed his mine.  Even as PRIDE champion, he dodged losing his title in non-title losses to “Maximus” Marcus Aurélio (18-7) in 2006 and Nick Diaz (20-8) in 2007.  (The Diaz loss was later ruled a no contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after Diaz tested positive for marijuana.)  And, as PRIDE champion, his matchups followed the Japanese pattern of one legitimate contender, followed by one tomato can, and so on.  What’s disappointing about Gomi is that his losses to Aurélio and Goliaev were supposed to be his tomato can fights.

Fighters.com’s point is that, while Maynard has earned a title shot, Gomi should be required to earn a fight versus Penn.  Sanchez didn’t earn his title challenge and the result was an obviously unprepared Sanchez versus a particularly lethatl Penn.

Fighters.com January Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3)

10. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

After winning The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5, Nate ripped off four straight wins inside the Octagon until being matched up against “The Carpenter” Clay Guida (25-11) at UFC 94 where he lost a split decision. Then he faced “Daddy”Joe Stevenson (31-9) at TUF 9 finale, losing by way of unanimous decision. He got back to his winning ways at Fight Night 19 submitting “The Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (22-8-2).

 He now faces Maynard for the second time. They faced off on TUF 5 in the semi-finals when Diaz beat Gray with a guillotine choke and sent him packing while he moved on and took the title as The Next Ultimate Fighter as well as a six figure contract.

Gray has done nothing since that loss but string together win after win after win. He has six straight wins inside the Octagon including tough victories against Jim Miller (16-2), “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) and fourth-ranked ”The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1). He is the only one to have beaten the very tough Edgar in the UFC’s lightweight division thus far. We have seen much improved striking from Gray since his stint on TUF where he was more of a lay and pray wrestler. Granted all but one of his wins inside the Octagon have been via decision but you can’t argue with the progress he has made.

After leaving the TUF house Gray went to Xtreme Couture to train with some of the best in the fight business. Since then we have seen him use head movement in the striking game as well as decent footwork. This may not seem like a big deal but for a guy who could not do much but take you down and hold you there on The Ultimate Fighter, this is a huge step in becoming a top contender.

The fight against Diaz will prove to be a very tough test for Gray. Both Diaz brothers have a very odd striking style that consists of throwing “punches in bunches”. Many of these strikes are not the type that will knock out an opponent but they seem to throw off the rhythm of even the best striker. This is where his footwork, head movement and new found counter strikes will come into play. He may be able to push use those to rock Diaz. My money would be on Gray trying to get in and out of exchanges landing the harder blows and working his way to a decision victory, however he did get submitted the last time they fought.

Nate is a very legitimate black belt training under Cesar Gracie. He uses his jiu jitsu very well in the cage and has frustrated many wrestlers by throwing up submission attempt after submission attempt. Gray may want to keep this fight standing in order to stay clear of those submissions. If he doesn’t then we will find out just how far along he has come with his submission defense.

Nate trains with another great wrestler in Fighters.com second- ranked welterweight and Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields (24-4-1). I am sure Nate is working hard with Jake, one of the classiest guys in the sport, on his take downs and take down defense.

Gray is a stronger fighter than Nate and I see it being next to impossible for Nate to take Gray down unless he decides to pull guard and drag him down into the depths that is Gracie jiu jitsu.

Will we see the wrestler out strike the submission expert? Maybe we will see them stand and trade for the entire 15 minutes since they both have dangerous ground games, albeit worlds apart. No matter how the fight ends we will get answers to the questions about both of these fighters and one just might be working his way towards a title shot or a showdown with newly acquired fighter “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6).

This a fight that could very well showcase each discipline a true mixed martial artist studies each and every day. I know I will be watching with anticipation, will you?

Having trained in jiu jitsu myself I am well aware of the hard work and dedication it takes to make your way up to the different belts. Reaching the status of black belt is one that, in the past, had been reserved for those that truly dedicated themselves to the style and that embodied all that jiu jitsu stood for as a fighting style. The belt system in jiu jitsu, for those that are not familiar with the style, starts at white belt. The lineage is as follows: white, blue, purple, brown and black. Most people who study jiu jitsu work at least 8 years to get to the level of black belt. Rashad started training in MMA in 2004 with Dan Severn before he made it to The Ultimate Fighter 2 on Spike TV in 2005. During his time on the show Rashad showed off his wrestling and not much else. His lack of a top game and lack of stand up was eveident on the show. We can infer from this that he had not trained in much jiu jitsu, if any at all at this point. Now he receives his black belt in just over 4 years which would lead some to believe that his jiu jitsu is on par with Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) who received his black belt in three years.

Rashad has shown none of the attributes of a true black belt in jiu jitsu. The sheer amount of technical knowledge a brown belt has to have in order to become a black belt is vast. I have never seen Evans, or some of the other fighters that are supposed black belts, actually show us a glimpse of this technical ability. The ability to pass guard and set up submissions is something we have never seen from Rashad. He has two submissions on his record and those are his first two pro fights, one of which was a submission due to strikes and then other is only listed as a submission. After that he has never even come close to pulling off a submission, or even looking for one from what I can remember.

This brings up the topic of training in a gi. A gi is the required uniform in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). The only way to get a BJJ black belt it to train in the gi. I know there are videos circulating on the internet with Rashad training in a gi. Does this make him a black belt? I do not think it does. BJJ black belts also need to compete. It is part of the process of learning and demonstrating the knowledge you are supposed to have obtained. This does not mean competing in MMA but rather in gi and no gi tournaments. I know Rashad rolls with many high level BJJ guys but this alone does not make him a black belt. If Rolles was a Lute Livre instructor than I could understand the promotion he just received. Is there another reason for belt promotions we are seeing today?

I will not go into the list of fighters that are supposed to be BJJ black belts but have shown everything but high level jiu jitsu. Instead let’s look why we could possibly see a Gracie or someone of equal value give a black belt to someone who does not compete in tournaments and has shown little in the way of true BJJ skill. Rolles Gracie has recently been training in MMA under Renzo Gracie in Holmdel, NJ and Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, NM. Notice I said Greg Jackson. The same place that Rashad trains. There is now a tie between the two fighters. This is something we have seen numerous times. Fighters get into a camp where there is a true black belt and we see them issued these belts. Could it be that Rashad has helped Rolles out with his wrestling or striking and in order to pay him back Rolles felt it would be nice to award him with a black belt? It is something to consider as many camps have issued black belts under similar circumstances while guys like Nate Diaz (10-5) just recently was awarded his black belt despite showing far superior ground skills than someone like Rashad.

How about the days of Pride when fighters from Chute Boxe were being rewarded with black belts despite avoiding the ground and once there looking very average? I believe we are seeing the true BJJ black belt become watered down. I feel the style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu should remain pure as should the lineage of black belts. In all fairness, maybe someone should start issuing black belts in MMA so we would see fewer guys feeling the need to bestow a once proud and labor intensive achievement on men who simply do not have the skill required.

Many will say I am not a black belt so how can I sit here and question the word of a black belt, specifically a Gracie. I say it is my job and duty as a fan and practitioner of the sport to hold it to the highest standards and if that means questioning a Gracie than so be it. I refuse to sit back and say nothing while the country becomes littered with McDojos and McBlackbelts. Helio Gracie would have wanted someone to speak up for his fighting style.

As always if you feel the need to yell at me or pat me on the back you can do so live on MMA Gospel Radio which airs Wednesdays from 8-10 PM EST at www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel You can join us in the Cageside Chatroom or call into the show by dialing 347-857-1337. Hope to see you there.

Timely too!  Sanchez is scheduled to fight Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Top contender “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4) has a few options for his next challenge.  He could fight Sengoku champ Mizuto Hirota (9-3) when Japanese promotions DREAM and Sengoku collaborate north of Tokyo on New Year’s Eve, but told a press conference announcing the collaboration he didn’t know who Hirota is.  Or, he could take the previously rumored matchup versus eigth-ranked “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2) at the same event.  Or, Aoki could make his Strikeforce debut, as the Japanese star has signed with the UFC’s top competition to make his American debut in 2010.

Fourth-ranked “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7) was challenged by former foe and top tenner Eiji Mitsuoka (15-6-2) for the DREAM/Sengoku collaboration, but no confirmation of the matchup has been announced.

Fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0) will fight Nate Diaz (10-5) at UFC Fight Night 20 at the Patriot Center at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia January 11.

Sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1) will take on late replacement for “Batman” Kurt Pellegrino (15-4), undefeated Matt Veach (8-0), at The Ultimate Fighter 10 finale in Las Vegas December 5.

Ninth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1) announced he’ll fight “Tractor” Rafaello Oliveira (8-2) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2.

Fighters.com November Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (14-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (10-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (11-4)

8. “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (25-5-2)

9. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-4-1)

10.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-2)

A co-main-event fight is also scheduled between The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Efrain Escudero (12-0) and another undefeated 155-pounder Evan Dunham (11-0).

Xtreme Couture’s Maynard, a contender on the verge of a title shot through a potential win, climbed to 8-0 going sixth straight in the UFC with a split-decision win over “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-3-1) at UFC Fight Night 19 in Oklahoma City back in September. Maynard first faced Diaz during the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter suffering a submission loss during the semifinals.

Diaz is now returning to the octagon with momentum following his submission of “Young Assassin” Melvin Guillard (22-8-2) at UFC Fight Night 19. Diaz dropped two fights via decision following a five fight winning streak on the heels of his winning season five of The Ultimate Fighter over “Pitbull” Manvel Gamburyan (8-3).

Escudero is undefeated now twelve fights deep into his career. Winner of The Ultimate Fighter season eight title by defeating Phillipe Nover (4-1) via unanimous decision, Escudero recently stunned American Top Team’s “Magrinho” Cole Miller (15-3) in a first round KO at UFC 103 in December.

On the other side of the cage, Dunham defeated Swedish lightweight Per Eklund (14-3-1) during his debut at UFC 95 on February 21 followed by a tough split-decision win over American Top Team’s “Maximus” Marcus Aurélio (18-7) at UFC 102 in August.

Thus far the two main event fights were the only two bouts officially released to the media but eight additional bouts are anticipated to finish out the bill.

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.