5. Lloyd Woodard vs. Michael Chandler will be a very interesting clash of styles.

Michael Chandler is a powerful wrestler in an era that’s seen the rise of the powerful wrestler. A strong wrestling game is one of the key ingredients needed in order to maximize your chances of winning in MMA, and Chandler has both the skill and the physique to put a fighter down and keep him down. But Lloyd Woodard has already dealt with and dispatched a high-level wrestler to get this shot at Chandler, and Woodard’s hard fists may be too much to handle. It’s a “brawler vs. wrestler” match-up, and based on how both men performed in order to get into the semi-finals, it should be a lot of fun.

4. Jay Hieron will fight at his best in order to get into the Welterweight Tournament Finals.

Jay Hieron fought like a man possessed in his first fight in Bellator, and I’m predicting that he’ll fight even better at Bellator 40. Hieron is a major acquisition for a promotion like Bellator, and he brings a whole lot of credibility with him each and every time he steps into the cage. I think Hieron is seriously under-rated, and I can’t wait to see him dominate once again. He’s definitely one of the major selling points of this show.

3. If Nick Thompson wins, not only does he take one giant step onto the comeback trail, he immediately becomes one of Bellator’s biggest stars.

It’s not very likely that Nick Thompson will beat Ben Askren… but there’s always a chance that he could. Anything can happen in MMA, remember? Even though Thompson’s chin has been failing him a lot recently, Ben Askren is not known primarily as a striker. And Thompson does have so very, very many wins on his record. If Thompson does win, it will probably go down as one of the biggest, most shocking moments in Bellator in 2011.

2. If Ben Askren wins, he’ll take a big step towards legitimizing both himself and his new championship.

Ben Askren still has a lot to do in order to prove himself and legitimize his Welterweight Championship. He’s been to a decision three straight times in his last three fights, and he’s only ever finished one person in Bellator. He’s young and has only been fighting professionally for a little over two years. If Askren beats Thompson, he beats a tough veteran that’s had stints in promotions all around the world. And that’s a big feather in Askren’s cap.

And the number-one reason to watch this show is…

1. Bellator needs your views now more than ever.

I wish I could have retired this reason, but I can’t do that given that the last few Bellator shows have seen a steady decline in the ratings. Please, fans and friends: don’t give up on Bellator. They’re a good promotion, with good talent and quality fights. They’re putting on live, weekly events. They may be a distant third, but they’re now the only major-league game in town that’s not under the Zuffa umbrella. Simply put: Bellator both needs and deserves your vote.

So there you have it, fans and friends. But what about you? Any thoughts on Bellator 40?

Lloyd Woodard vs. Michael Chandler: In defeating Carey Vanier, Lloyd Woodard was able to neutralize the ground game of a powerful high-level wrestler to the point where Vanier was too tired to see the big fight-ending punch coming. Woodard will need all that technique and more to beat Michael Chandler, who is even more of an imposing physical specimen and arguably even better of a wrestler. My gut and my head are in firm disagreement on this one: my head thinks Chandler is just too powerful, especially when shooting for a takedown, and will grind out a Unanimous Decision win. But my gut says that lightning strikes twice and Lloyd Woodard continues his “dark horse” run to the top and once again scores a second-round TKO. Since I love a good Cinderella story, I’m going to go ahead and officially pick Woodard to win it.

Brent Weedman vs. Jay Hieron: The only thing I like more than a Cinderella story is when  dominant fighter goes out and dominates. Jay Hieron left nothing to speculation in his Bellator debut, and I don’t think he’ll leave anything to speculation against Brent Weedman. Weedman squeaked by with a narrow win in his last Bellator fight, but now he’s facing an aggressive veteran that’s competed in several high-level promotions and done quite well in most of them. Hieron is out to prove he’s still a force in MMA and that no one in Bellator can stop him. And honestly? Right now, with what I’ve seen of Hieron both recently and in Bellator… I don’t think anyone can. Jay Hieron wins by TKO in Round 1.

Nick Thompson vs. Ben Askren: Sometimes you can teach an old dog new tricks, at least in MMA… but sometimes you can’t. Nick Thompson may be a better striker, he does have ten wins by (T)KO to Ben’s one, but it’s been over two years since he last stopped anyone due to strikes. And there’s a reason I keep bringing up the fact that he’s lost three straight fights: even against as young a newcomer as Askren, that’s a pretty big hole to dig yourself out of. If this was anyone other than Bellator’s champion, I’d say that Thompson has a good shot at winning. But this is the hot young prospect that’s already proven himself. He holds that gold for a reason, which is why I think Ben Askren will win this fight by Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Any thoughts on Bellator 40?

The Event: Bellator 40, currently scheduled for April 9, 2011 at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma. The main card will be broadcast live on the MTV2 network starting at 9:00 PM ET and 8:00 PM CT.

Why You Should Care: In the main event, Bellator’s Welterweight Champion Ben Askren takes on grizzled veteran Nick Thompson in a non-title bout. Also, former multi-promotion star Jay Hieron makes his return to Bellator and looks to secure his spot in the finals of Bellator’s latest Welterweight Tournament. The second and last semi-final of the current Lightweight Tournament will also take place at Bellator 40.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: In terms of “rookie vs. veteran” match-ups, you really couldn’t ask for more. Nick Thompson is a veteran of over fifty fights, with almost forty wins. Bellator’s young champion, Ben Askren, has only been competing in professional MMA since 2009, although he does hold a perfect 7-0 record. Thompson has lost three straight, all by stoppage due to punches, but Askren’s striking power is unproven and he’s known primarily as a wrestler. This could end up being a very tough test for both men even though Thompson is on a three-fight losing-streak.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Jay Hieron entered Bellator with a pretty big amount of hype surrounding him, and during the course of his first match, he proceeded to live up to all of it. Hieron is a favorite to win the current Bellator Welterweight Tournament, but to do it, he’ll have to go through Brent Weedman. Weedman is coming off of a somewhat-controversial win over Dan Hornbuckle, and is looking to add another win to his current and very impressive ten-fight win-streak.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The main event has a very interesting allure even when you take into account that Nick Thompson has been losing a lot lately. The disparity in both men’s records makes this a perfect “veteran vs. prospect” fight, considering that even with three straight losses, Nick Thompson has almost five and a half times the amount of victories that Ben Askren has. Plus, Jay Hieron is also a major selling point of this show.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Depending on how long the fights go, you may have to end up choosing between Bellator and Strikeforce’s “Diaz vs. Daley” event. And if you do have to make that choice, I honestly have to side with Strikeforce on this one. I’ve got Bellator about dead-even with the “Challengers” series, but I consider Strikeforce’s “Arena Series” events second only to the UFC. Other than that, there’s no real, pressing reason to avoid this show.

Closing Thoughts: I think Bellator 40 has a lot of potential to surprise me, and to be honest, I’m becoming more interested in the fights that could surprise me than the fights that sound great on paper. At least, that’s the way my priorities with Bellator are shifting. That’s not to say that the fights that do look good on paper end up stinking, I’m just continually surprised and impressed by the Bellator match-ups that are built around the “anything can happen” factor. With that in mind and my fandom in Bellator unwavering, I’ll definitely be giving this event a watch.

And what about you, fans and friends? Anybody out there looking forward to Bellator 40?

Askren became the promotion’s 170-pound star by steamrolling his way through last season’s welterweight tournament, defeating the likes of UFC veteran Ryan Thomas (twice) as well as notable Dan Hornbuckle, both my dominating decision victories.

Now, the Olympic hopeful in Askren will next return to the cage in a non-title affair as he takes on UFC veteran and former top-10 star Nick Thompson.

Bellator Fightng Championship recently announced the anticipated match which is scheduled for the promotion’s 40th show, which takes place at the First Council Casino in Newkirk, Oklahoma on April 9.

Askren is a perfect 7-0 in his career, and in his last outing under the Bellator banner, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt defeated then undefeated star Lyman Good for the promotion’s 170-pound title. The former champion was dominated from start to finish with the 2008 Olympic wrestler taking him down at will, and in the end Askren was declared the promotion’s new titleholder with a clean sweep of 50-45 across all of the judges score cards after five-rounds of action were completed.

Ben will now be taking on the grizzled veteran in Nick Thompson in his next outing, who holds more than 50-fights under his belt, and has competed for more than eight years as a professional mixed martial artist. Though he is often regarded as one of the toughest wen in the welterweight class, Thompson is currently riding a career wost three-fight skid. In his most recent outing, Thompson was knocked out by the unheralded Taisuke Okuno last August under the Sengoku banner.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new welterweight affair? With Thompson’s years of experience, the edge would seemingly go with “The Goat”, however Ben’s funky style inside the cage has yet to be figured out. It’s a toss up for me, but I think Nick’s best chances in defeating Ben would come if the former Bodog champion had more time to work, I don’t see him doing it inside of three. Sound off in the comment section below.

But first, here’s how the Middleweight roster breaks down. Looking at the title picture from left to right, the EA Sports Middleweight roster features Benji Radach, Lyman Good, Matt Lindland, Luke Rockhold, Frank Trigg, Joe Riggs, Kazuo Misaki, Scott Smith, Murilo Rua, Tim Kennedy, Pat Miletich, Jake Shields, Nick Thompson, Melvin Manhoef, Robbie Lawler, Dan Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Jason Miller, Cung Le, Nick Diaz, Frank Shamrock, and Ronaldo Souza.

It should be noted that eight fighters in the Middleweight division are carry-overs from the already-announced Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight divisions. There’s some debate going around the internet gaming forums as to whether or not this is a cheap move in order to cut the time down on coding and creating different fighters, or a good way to ensure quality cross-division super-fights. I personally think it’s a little of both: I think the roster is a little limited, but the fact that you can play as your favorite fighter in several different weight classes mostly balances that out. Plus, with download-a-fighter being included, I think this game’s roster will be massive once people start creating famous MMA fighters are putting them online for anybody and everybody to download.

Much like the UFC including the famous Madison Square Garden in their “UFC Undisputed” games, it’s recently been confirmed that EA Sports MMA will have the Cowboys Stadium as an in-game venue despite the fact that a major Mixed Martial Arts event has never been booked there. An online image has already surfaced, which you can view here. Even as a huge fan of UFC Undisputed 2009, I think Madison Square Garden was really under-played in both UFC 2009 and 2010. Not so with Cowboys Stadium- the images revealed so far look downright amazing. I may actually get goosebumps when my Create-a-Fighter either defends or tries to get at the Strikeforce Championship in that mega-arena.

The last time I was this excited for a sports game, my hopes met quite the rude awakening. So, even with all the hype I’m buying into, I know that there’s still a chance for EA Sports MMA to let me down in much the same way that UFC Undisputed 2010 let me down. But until that day, I have to say…this is shaping up to be a genre-defining game. Every time I hear something new about this game, it’s something I think I could find myself enjoying immensely. When October 19 hits, I’ve got a pretty good feeling that there’s going to be a new Undisputed Champion of Mixed Martial Arts video games.

But what about you, fans and friends? How high would you rate your anticipation of “EA Sports MMA”?

The winners of these fights will face each other in the Season Two finals in June with the winner earning the right to face Fighters.com third-ranked and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez (17-2) in a title fight.

Rebney made the announcement today at a presser at the Wang Theatre, where he was joined by Curran and Alvarez, whose much-anticipated Bellator Super Fight with former UFC contender “The Dentist” Josh Neer (27-9-1) headlines the May 6th Boston card.

“As a fan, I can’t wait for our May 6th show in Boston,” Rebney said.  “Alvarez vs. Neer should be explosive, with Eddie making his first appearance in the U.S. since he won our lightweight title last summer.  Huerta vs. Curran just got really interesting coming off of Pat’s one punch KO of previously undefeated Mike Ricci. Toby’s world class submission wrestling vs. Carey’s world class wresting should be a great fight as well.”

The fallout from recent lightweight fights has the rankings in a mess right now and leaves Alvarez in a position to take the number one spot after the consensus one and two both lost. “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-6-1) lost his title at UFC 112 while second-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (19-5) lost in his American debut on the Strikeforce: Nashville card.

Fighters.com believes that Alavarez is one of the most overlooked fighters in the lightweight division. His only two losses come at the hands of Aoki in 2008 and “The Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1) back in 2007.

Bellator has been putting together tough fights in this highly anticipated season and fans are flocking to the tournament format to recapture some of the nostalgia from the early days of the UFC and of Pride Fighting Championships.

It was Silva’s second first-round stoppage in two tries at Sengoku; and, there are whispers Silva and eighth-ranked “Babyface Assassin” Josh Barnett (20-5) are on a collision course.

Welterweight “Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (15-2) has hit Japanese shores like a typhoon, first knocking out Akikhiro Gono (30-14-7) at Ninth Battle in Tokyo August 2 and following-up Tuesday with a TKO of former BodogFight champ “Goat” Nick Thompson (38-12-1).  The end came at 1:30 of round two due to a Hornbuckle barrage of punches that split open Thompson.

In the main event, Kiwi kickboxer “Notorious” Antz Nansen (1-0) ruined Olympic judo silver medalist Hiroshi Izumi’s (0-1) MMA debut TKOing Izumi at 2:56 of round one.

Lightweight Kazunori Yokota (9-2-2) knocked out “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-12-1) at 2:31 of round one.

Former UFC and WEC middleweight “El Dirte” Joe Doerksen (43-12) TKO’d Takenori Sato (2-6-2) at 4:27 of round two.

Lightweight king of Pancrase “Makishi” Maximo Blanco (4-0) TKO’d Tetsuya Yamada (1-2) at 1:12 of round two.

Chute Boxe middleweight Fabio Silva (9-4) TKO’d Ryo Kawamura (9-4-2) at 2:28 of round one when Kawamura’s corner threw in the towel.

Makoto Takimoto (4-5) won a unanimous decision over Jae Sun Lee (2-4).

Doerksen tapped “Blade” Gregory Babene (5-4) at CFC 2 in Winnipeg 22 May.

Sato fought to a draw for the middleweight King of Pancrase title versus Izuru Takeuchi (25-10-5) at Pancrase in Tokyo 8 August.

Doerksen TKO’d Takeuchi at Sixth Battle in Tokyo last November.

Former BodogFight welterweight champion “Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1) and “Handler” Dan Hornbuckle (14-2) will also return to Sengoku to figh each other.

Thompson, fighting at 185-pounds, gave up on punches to The Pit’s Tim Kennedy (11-2) at Strikeforce in Seattle 19 June.

Hornbuckle devastatingly KO’d Akihiro Gono (30-14-7) with a head kick at Ninth Battle in Tokyo 2 August.

Also announced was a middleweight matchup between “Goat” Nick Thompson (38-11-1) and Frenchman “Psycho” Karl Amoussou (11-1-1).

Ostentatious former NCAA wrestling champion “King Mo” won a unanimous decision over Pancrase veteran Ryo Kawamura (9-3-2) at Sengoku Seventh Battle in Tokyo last March. He’ll fight for the first time in his home nation at Breakthrough.

Certain MMA Hall-of-Famer Frye tapped Richard Moss (7-4) in a rear naked choke at Shark Fights 4 in Lubbock last May.

Both Lawal and Frye are former Oklahoma State University wrestlers, though not on the same squads.

Former BodogFight welterweight champion Thompson will continue his run at 185 pounds after submitting to punches to The Pit’s Timothy Kennedy (11-2) at Strikeforce in Kent, south of Seattle, 19 June.

Kickboxer Amoussou knocked out Kazuhiro Hamanaka (3-6-1) with a flying knee in twenty-three seconds at M-1 Challenge 14 in Tokyo last April.

Yoshida has stoppages of Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) and Akira Kikuchi (16-4); but, few this side of the Pacific (besides you and I) know how impressive that is.

A good showing versus physically and technically tough Parisyan would’ve put him on North American radar too.

Fighters.com has developing information that another anticipated fight, between sixth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) and seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7), is unlikely to ever happen.  More on that as it develops.

Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) will fight Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) in Las Vegas 31 January.

In Chicago 25 October, top contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) and eighth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) will fight to get first dibs on the winner.

Third-ranked EliteXC titlist Jake Shields (21-4-1) will have a confident “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-6-2) on his hands in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, 4 October.

AKA teammates fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-2) and fifth-ranked Jon Fitch (17-3) await match-ups that’ll put them back into title contention.

Tenth-ranked “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) awaits an opportunity to avenge himself of the beating handed to him by Shields in his last fight.

September Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt three big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre hears “Pitbull” scraping at the door, but he’ll have to prove he can make 170-pounds and make Sanchez a would’ve-been.

3. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

Shields added Thompson, a legit top-tenner, to a two-year run of stoppages that in includes Mike Pyle among lesser known challengers.  But, Thompson was as good as Shields can get outside of the UFC.

4. Josh Koscheck (11-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Jon Fitch (17-3)

Fitch tied a record for most consecutive wins in the Octagon, including a stoppage of Alves and a decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, before losing a UD to St. Pierre.

6. “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and hopes for his own fight with Hughes.

7. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

8. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

9. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

10. “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1)

“The Goat” had bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, until becoming the dot at the end of Shields’s exclamation point.

On the gutsy unanimous decision loss, Fitch dropped three ranks to fifth in August’s rankings.  However, to those who’ve called Fitch St. Pierre’s “toughest challenge”, Fighters.com reminds them that sixth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) knocked St. Pierre out in the first round in Houston 7 April, 2007.

In fact, it was obvious in the stand-up exchanges between St. Pierre and Fitch that the 2007 knockout remains in the forefront of St. Pierre’s mind as St. Pierre was more cautious than he had been in previous fights.

But, rather than St. Pierre match-up versus Penn, Fighters.com would rather sanction a title fight between St. Pierre and the winner of the match-up between Fighters.com’s new top contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) and seventh-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) to be fought in Chicago 25 October.

Alves attains the top contender rank on Fitch’s loss, but not because of his stoppage of eighth-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7) which wasn’t fought at welterweight due to Alves’s inability to make the 170-pound limit, which remains a question.

Moving up five spots to rank third in August was EliteXC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields (21-4-1) on his dominating first-round stoppage of tenth-ranked “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1).

Thompson dropped a rank which allowed “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) to ease into the ninth spot before his 6 September match-up versus “Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) in Atlanta.

Josh Koscheck (10-2) held rank at fourth after winning a bloody unanimous decision over virtually unstoppable, but beatable “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) in Las Vegas 5 July.

August Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt three big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre hears “Pitbull” scraping at the door, but he’ll have to prove he can make 170-pounds and make Sanchez a would’ve-been.

3. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

Shields added Thompson, a legit top-tenner, to a two-year run of stoppages that in includes Mike Pyle among lesser known challengers.  But, Thompson was as good as Shields can get outside of the UFC.  So, who’s next?

4. Josh Koscheck (11-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Jon Fitch (17-3)

Fitch tied a record for most consecutive wins in the Octagon, including a stoppage of Alves and a decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, before losing a UD to St. Pierre.

6. “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and looks forward to his own fight with Hughes.

7. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

8. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

9. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

10. “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1)

“The Goat” had bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, until becoming the dot at the end of Shields’s exclamation point.

Nick Diaz (18-7) TKO’d “Wildman” Thomas Denny (26-17) at :30 of round two.

Jake Shields (21-4-1) defeats “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) by guillotine submission at 1:03 of the first round for the EliteXC Welterweight Championship.

“Big Foot” Antonio Silva (11-1) TKO’d Justin Eilers (20-8-1) at :19 of round two for the EliteXC Heavyweight Championship.

“Feijao” Rafael Cavalcante TKO’d “Gladiator” Travis Galbraith (15-6) at 3:01 of round one.

Wilson Reis (5-0) won a unanimous decision over Bryan Caraway (10-3).

Carl Seumanutafa (4-0) KO’d Mike Cook (5-2) by slam at 1:21 of round one.

Drew Montgomery (5-3) TKO’d Brandon Tarns (1-2) by doctor stoppage at 4:23 of round three.

Thompson told Fighters.com, “It is true, it is signed, and I am stoked!

“I have a six-fight deal with EliteXC.  It is non-exclusive and they recognize my pre-existing relationship with Sengoku.”

Thompson’s last two victories have been versus “Pitbull” Fabricio Monteiro (16-7) by unanimous decision and “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-4) by submission in Sengoku, a Japan-based promotion.

Thompson added, “I can fight for Sengoku so long as I haven’t agreed to fight for EliteXC within 30 days.”

EliteXC made the best welterweight fight possible outside of the UFC for their title, legitimizing their welterweight belt.

Thompson said, “Shields is definitely up there.  He is one of the best fighters in the world and very well rounded.”

Thompson is no slouch either, having pealed off 12 consecutive victories, all but one by stoppage, including a TKO of sixth-ranked lightweight Eddie Alvarez (14-1) and submission of UFC welterweight Chris Wilson (13-4).

“I think Chris Wilson and Eddie Alvarez are also fighters of Shields’s caliber,” Thompson said.

“Wildman” Thomas Denny (26-16) also confirmed to Fighters.com that he’ll fight Nick Diaz (17-7) on the same card.

“I’m wilder, by far!” “Wildman” said, adding that he intends to “trade leather” with Diaz.

Denny also said, “I love [the 160-pound division], it was tailor made for me.”

Shields responded to Fighters.com’s request for confirmation Tuesday, “I signed and I think [Thompson] did as well.”

Thompson also responded to Fighters.com Tuesday, saying “I can neither confirm nor deny the report at this time.”

Gracie also announced at his website that his student Nick Diaz (17-7) will fight “Wildman” Thomas Denny (26-16) on the same card.

Shields was originally signed to fight Drew Fickett (34-5) for the first EliteXC welterweight title.

Fickett bailed on the fight with an injury, then fumbled his opportunity by fighting “Steuss Killer” Jeff Horlacher (5-12) unbeknownst to EliteXC.

Shields choked out “Quicksand” Mike Pyle (16-5-1) last November in Corpus Christi, south of Houston.

Thompson finished “Maicon” Michael Cost (9-4) with a Kimura in Saitama, north of Tokyo, earlier this month.

Diaz finished Muhsin Corbbrey (8-3) with punches in the third round this month in Honolulu.

Denny beat Malaipet MTA (3-2) in Santa Ynez, north of Los Angeles, when Malaipet was DQ’d for striking Denny with a downward elbow strike.

Alves established himself as the top contender to the winner between Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2) and second-ranked Jon Fitch (17-2), to be fought in Minneapolis 9 August.

Hughes finds himself at a crossroads as confidants close to H.I.T. Squad have confided to Fighters.com that Hughes didn’t prepare for his tussle with “Pitbull” with the determination that’s marked his storied career.

The day after Alves finished Hughes, ninth-ranked “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1) finished hard-punching “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-4) in Tokyo.

Thompson is negotiating to fight eighth-ranked Jake Shields (20-4-1) for the EliteXC title, but tells Fighters.com, “I would really like the fight but I am not willing to fight below my value in order to make it happen.”

Tenth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) made an even bigger American splash than Fighters.com predicted 24 May in Las Vegas when he choked “War Machine” Jon Koppenhaver (5-2) unconcious in 56 seconds.

Fourth-ranked “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2) loses his third-ranking to Alves and is scheduled to fight tough brawler “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (35-15-4) 5 July in Las Vegas.

Fifth-ranked “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) also drops a rung in favor of Alves’s ascent.  Somewhere on Long Island, Serra is on a mat plotting to hammer a nail on Hughes’s career.

Sixth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) takes a step up as Hughes fills his May seventh ranking.  Sanchez fights Luigi Fioravanti (12-3) Saturday in Las Vegas.

June Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. Jon Fitch (17-2)

While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is next in line for a UFC title shot.

3. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt four big stoppages to Hughes, Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre and Fitch hear “Pitbull” scraping at the door.

4. “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and looks forward to his own fight with Hughes.

6. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

7. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle, another stoppage by St. Pierre, and a KO by Alves. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

8. Jake Shields (20-4-1)

Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit.

9. “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1)

“The Goat” has bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Karo Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it’s a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough.

10. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

Misaki successfully countered Clark’s aggressive stand-up for the “W”.

Ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1) survived a “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-4) hook that detonated in the second round, leaving “The Goat” on the mat, to tap Costa at 4:13 of the round in a Kimura.

YAMMA Pit Fighting Heayweight Champion “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-11) cemented his return to being taken seriously with a first-round knockout of “Ironhead” Kazuyuki Fujita (15-7) at 1:24, a feet never previously achieved.

In the night’s main event, heavyweight Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1) ended a three-loss streak by tapping 46-year old kickboxer “Mo” Maurice Smith (12-13) in a neck crank at 2:23 of round one.

Sanae Kikuta (27-6-3) finished off Englishman Chris Rice (12-6), who entered the ring costumed as the Grim Reaper, in a first-round armbar at 3:54.

“Pe de Pano” Marcio Cruz (4-2) also tapped Korean heavyweight Mu Bae Choi (7-3) in a rear naked choke at 4:37 of round one.

Brazilian lightweight Rodrigo Damm (8-1) called out second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) after the referee ended “Gamebred” Jorge Masvidal‘s (13-3) night, controversially calling the fight at 4:38 of round two while Masvidal was recovering from a punch that dropped the brawler.

Middleweight Fabio Silva (10-4) knocked out Yoshiki Takahashi (28-23-3) with a knee at :24 of round two.

Fighters.com popped into Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in Minneapolis to watch ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1) beast it out before his Sengoku III challenge versus “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-3) Sunday in Tokyo.

“The Goat” also answered Fighters.com’s questions and thanked his sponsors, TapOut and Island Nutrition, his wife, and his teammates at MMAA.

Fighters.com: So, Nick, what was your first reaction when you would be fighting Chute Boxing Academy’s Costa at Sengoku III 8 June?

The Goat: Well, I’ve watched some video on him and I’m excited.  I think he fights a real aggressive style, a lot like Wanderlei [Silva], and I think fighters like that are always exciting to watch.  So, when you get an opportunity to fight someone like that, I think that it is a great opportunity to really showcase what I can do.

Fighters.com: Have you made any adjustments to your training?  Costa is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has been noted for his Muay Thai.

The Goat: Not really…  I train with as good of Muay Thai guys that you are going to find in the States… So, I’ve experienced everything he’s going to bring to me.  He’s just going to have to bring it all together at the same time.

Fighters.com:  Both of you have been fighting professionally for about the same amount of time; but, Costa only has 12 fights versus your 40.  Do you think that is going to play a difference in the fight?

The Goat: Well, I kind of wonder if he has more.  Fighting out of Brazil, you never really know who many times he has really fought.  And, training with the guys he’s trained with makes up for any difference in the number of fights he’s had.

Fighters.com:  After your last fight, a controversial decision over “Pitbull” Fabricio Monteiro (16-7) at Sengoku First Battle, do you feel like there is any need to go out there and perform and really show what you have to offer as a fighter?

The Goat: Yeah, that’s a big part of the reason that I am excited to fight Costa, because [Monteiro] was a real tentative counter fighter and that makes it harder to showcase what you can really do.  Where, with Costa, he might knock you out; but, if not, you are going to be impressed.  Even if he knocks you out it is going to be an impressive fight one way or another.

Fighters.com: Do you ever feel more pressure to win just because you are the Bodog Fight Welterweight Champion and have an 11 fight win streak?

The Goat: I don’t think those things are the things that create the pressure; but, now that this is my career…I mean, up until two years ago I was still planning on being a lawyer and was just doing this just for fun.  Now my mortgage and my car payments are based on wins; so, if I lose it’s a huge setback.  There’s a lot of pressure every time I fight now.

Fighters.com: This is your second straight fight over in Japan.  Do you have to adjust your training before you leave for the fight?

The Goat: I try and change the time zone because it’s 15 hours difference, so I’m fighting at three in the morning over there, so I try and fight real late and train real late.  But, it’s hard because I’m going to law school; so, I have class at 6:00 in the morning.  So, ideally I’d like to switch over my training; but, it’s just tough to do.

Fighters.com: You have mentioned that you were impressed with the size of the first Sengoku show over in Japan.

The Goat: Yeah, it’s a really surreal experience.  This next fight is in front of 40,000 people.  When I fought at the MGM [Grand in Las Vegas], it was 18,000 and felt overwhelmed.  So, to walk down the ramp and have 40,000 fans cheering and having fireworks going off is really surreal.

Fighters.com: Do you have a preference as far as fighting in Japan versus fighting in the United States?

The Goat: I prefer Japan, although the gap is definitely closing.  I think that fans are a lot more knowledgeable and respectful; but, the bigger the UFC has gotten over here, that is really starting to change.  The more that U.S. audience learn about MMA the better.  I really enjoy fighting over here.

Fighters.com: You have said that Japanese fans are much quieter than American fans.  Does that throw you off at all?

The Goat: A little bit.  It’s weird to be able to hear your corner.  I’m so used to being in the UFC where everyone is screaming the entire fight.  My last fight it was dead silent.  I could hear one person screaming and I knew it was my wife.  It was kind of an unreal experience to be in the ring and be thinking, “Hey, that sounds like my wife.  Hey, it is my wife!”  [laughs]

Fighters.com: After watching your training and seeing how intense it really is, what is the hardest part about getting ready for a fight?

The Goat: The weight is a huge issue.  I’m just not big enough to be an eighty-fiver and not quite small enough to be a 70-pounder comfortably.  I take two weeks off my diet after a fight.  Other than that, I have a Microsoft Excel schedule on my laptop of every piece of food I will have that day.  And, its exhausting mentally doing that.  I don’t have the freedom to be hungry and stop at Baker’s Square or whatever.  I pretty much have chicken, chicken, chicken.  Let me tell you how I feel about chicken!  [laughs]

“I would love a shot at [Yushin] Okami,” exclaimed Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked welterweight “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1), when asked if he would like a shot at redeeming a loss years prior.

“Thunder” Okami (22-4) is Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked middleweight.

“No disrespect to him, but I got injured in the fight right after taking him down.  I took him down fairly easily.  I’m fairly confident that when I’m on top of anybody I’m going to end the fight.”

To the average MMA fan, this might seem like a lofty goal, but it doesn’t stop there for Thompson.

“I have my last final [exam before graduating University of Minnesota Law School], then I take the bar [exam] in July.”

Not to mention his fight scheduled for 3 June at Sengoku III versus Chute Boxing Academy’s “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-3).

“I’ll fight at heavyweight if the offer is right! Or 155, I’ll just cut off a leg!”

Perhaps a fight against sixth-ranked heavyweight “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (28-1).  “It’d be scary, but fun from my position!”

There is no shortage of personality for the man that has enough sense of humor to be known as “The Goat”.  Not to mention continuing with MMA after starting 1-3.

“I just enjoy it.  I was never really good at it.  It was just something that I was enjoying, then I started beating people I wasn’t supposed to beat.
 
“I would be brought in as an opponent.  I think Josh Neer is a prime example.  He had just fought in the UFC; and, they brought me in just to get him a win, then I beat him [via rear naked choke in the second round] and a couple of black belts from Top Team.

“I was just being brought in as a tune-up fight and, suddenly, I was beating guys; and, my coach pulls me aside and says ‘Hey, you should really think about doing this and really taking a shot at it.’”

“It wasn’t even really until after the Karo Parisyan fight that my wife sat me down and said that I had to make a decision whether I was going to train full time or not.  Until the Karo fight, I was only training maybe four hours a week.  Now I’m training four or five hours a day.”

Of course, that isn’t to say that all of Thompson’s fights have been lined up as he would like.  Thompson admits that “there have been sometimes when I wasn’t excited to fight.”

“My last fight, [a controversial unanimous decision win over "Pitbull" Fabricio Monteiro (16-7)], I was excited to be in Japan; but, just style-wise and where I was coming from in my career, it seemed like a lose/lose fight.

“If I beat him, I was supposed to be him.  If I lost to  him, I lost to a guy that wasn’t very good.  Fights like that are hard to get up for.

“Mark Weir was another example when I fought him in BoDog.  Mark is a tough guy, he will knock you out if you make a mistake.  He hits fairly hard, but, at the same time, he was on like a four- or five-fight losing streak; and, it’s kind of like: If I beat him, so what?  And, it’s not an easy fight.”

Easy or not, Thompson has strung together 11 straight wins after losing to “Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) at UFC 50 in April 2006, many of which he has fought at 170-pounds, a difficult achievement for a fighter who stands 6’1″ and walks around at around 210-pounds, according to his trainers.

And now, fighting at Sengoku, the welterweight fighter will have to drop even more weight to get to the required 167-pounds for his division.  Nick confessed that on Mother’s Day he, “went over to my mom’s house; and, they made a great dinner; and, I brought my own Tupperware of chicken, heated it up in the microwave.”

For a moment, Nick’s usually cheerful face suddenly showed a sign of regret.  “It’s not just hard on me, it’s hard on my wife.  We’re newlyweds, 25-, 26-years old.  Most people like to go out and get burgers or go to bars with friends.  I can’t do that.”

Of course, that isn’t to say that he has to either.  Remember, Thompson is a graduating law student who has more than just mixed martial arts as an option.  So, why wouldn’t he give up being hit in the face for a living?

To Nick the answer seemed simple.  “I can be a lawyer when I’m 40!”

After years of fighting and enduring strain to personal relationships, Nick has learned the hard lessons he wishes he had known earlier.

He said, “One [lesson] is really surrounding yourself with good guys.

“Coming to a  school like [Minnesota Martial Arts Academy] may be more expensive than going to a smaller school, but the learning curve is just so exponential.  If you are paying $15 more a month to come and train with top level guys, it really pays for itself.”

Without pausing to think, Nick offered more advice for prospective fighters.  “Another one is: Get management!  It is really tempting when you’re a young fighter that, if a promoter says, ‘Here’s $50 and a sandwich, go fight this guy.’

“When you are a young fighter, you should have the mentality that you will fight anyone, but you really need a manager or a coach to say, ‘Hey, no, here’s what you are going to do.’

“And the last thing is something I learned too late in my career.  I wished I had learned sooner…to train out of your comfort zone.  If you are really good at jiu-jitsu and suck a wrestling, you need to practice your wrestling.

“It’s better to suck in practice than to get in a fight and realize ‘this guy is better than me at jiu-jitsu and I don’t know how to wrestle’.  It isn’t terribly fun at practice, but it’s better than losing in a fight.”

As always, Nick is thankful for his wife, his training partners at Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy, and his sponsors Tapout and Island Nutrition.

Photos of Thompson with Emelianenko and Thompson in Costa Rica are copyrighted by Nick Thompson from www.nickthompson.tv.

Costa has won four fights by stoppage and one by decision and comes in on a two-knockout streak.

“The Goat” hasn’t lost in two years, piling up ten stoppages and, most recently, a unanimous decision over “Pitbull” Fabricio Monteiro (16-7) at Sengoku I in March.

Other fighters who may get ring time at the event include former PRIDE heavyweights Hidehiko Yoshida (7-6-1) and “Ironhead” Kazuyuki Fujita (15-6), former UFC heavyweight “Pe De Pano” Marcio Cruz (3-2), Chute Box middleweight Fabio Silva (9-4), and Brazilian lightweight Rodrigo Damm (7-1).

Many had no doubt that St. Pierre was the best at 170-pounds, but it was important for St. Pierre to win the top spot with revenge on “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) at UFC 83.

The truth is that Serra looked no worse in defeat to “Rush” than future UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes (42-6) did in December.  Serra drops to the fourth spot.

Hughes and Serra have a date to dance before the end of ’08, but Hughes has been drafted into the UFC 85 main event to replace an injured “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) on the 02 Arena marquee.

In London, Hughes faces sixth-ranked pup “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3), who’s on a St. Pierre-ish steamroll through the division with stoppages of “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5), “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5), Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5), and Tony DeSouza (10-4).

“Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2), who moves up a spot on Serra’s stoppage loss, will get a swing at Lytle in July, a true test of the third-ranked wrestlers grit and chin.

Jake Shields (20-4-1) has had his EliteXC title fight with Drew Fickett (33-5) rescheduled again, this time to July.  Shields loses ground in the rankings as his 2006 unanimous decision over WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit (22-4) falls from his two-year record.

In June, “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1) returns to Sengoku versus an as-yet unnamed opponent, but told Fighters.com, “For the right amount of pay, I’ll fight Fedor or Jesus himself.”

At the end of May in Vegas, Japan’s “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) will debut in the UFC versus “War Machine Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) after an impressive run in his homeland.

“Zenko” debuts on Fighters.com’s top ten after “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) drops off because his two-year record lost a 2006 stoppage of Thompson.

May Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. Jon Fitch (17-2)

While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is probably next in line for a UFC title shot.

3. “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koscheck was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

4. “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s heir apparent, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their April ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse in defeat than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes.

5. Matt Hughes (42-6)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. One wonders if he’s getting the same quality of training since leaving MFS.

6. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3)

Alves has dealt 3 big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka to plant himself firmly in the welterweight top ten, and only an ’06 TKO to Fitch keeps him from Fighters.com’s top five. This juggernaut will run into Hughes in June.

7. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

8. Jake Shields (20-4-1)

Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit.

9. “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1)

“The Goat” has bucked eleven straight challengers, ten by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it’s a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough welterweights.

10. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2)

“Zenko” debuts in the UFC versus Jon Koppenhaver in May without an “L” in two years, all wins by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than fellow Nipponese Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

1. “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-4)

“If you beat the guy, you’re the guy,” Serra said, and “The Terror” dismantled 170’s heir apparent, St. Pierre, last April for the UFC welterweight title and Fighters.com’s #1 ranking. His slim record makes it hard to predict the length of his reign.

2. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (15-2)

Barely breaking a sweat stopping Hughes twice and winning a UD over Koscheck fulfilled St. Pierre’s physical promise, but his malfunction versus Serra raises questions great fighters have had to answer before. Does his hype distract from his focus?

3. Jon Fitch (17-2)

While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is probably next in line for a UFC title shot.

4. “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Matt Hughes (42-6)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. One wonders if he’s getting the same quality of training since leaving MFS.

6. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3)

Alves has dealt 3 big stoppages to Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka to plant himself firmly in the welterweight top ten, and only an ’06 TKO to Fitch keeps him from Fighters.com’s top five. Whoever’s next for Alves will meet a juggernaut.

7. Jake Shields (20-4-1)

Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit.

8. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

Sanchez is St. Pierre light. All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

9. “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5)

Parisyan has been criticized for his conditioning.  Maybe it’s true because the tough, exciting judoka hasn’t been able to break into the top of the division after losses to Sanchez and Alves. A TKO of Thompson shows how hot “The Heat” can get.

10. “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1)

“The Goat” has bucked eleven straight challengers, ten by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it’s a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough welterweights.

“The Babyfaced Assassin” from Seattle tread the path of his catch wrestling forefather Ad Santel Wednesday by submitting Japanese Olympic gold medalist judoka Hidehiko Yoshida (7-6-1) by heel hook at 3:23 of round three at World Victory Road’s inaugural Sengoku fight card in Tokyo.

A century ago, Santel waged war with judoka and proclaimed himself the world judo champion after defeating fifth-degree black belt Tokugoro Ito.

“I revived this rivalry when I fought Kazuhiro Nakamura,” Barnett (21-5) told Sherdog.com. “And, so I’m keeping it going for this century now.”

The fight was the American’s first in MMA since losing a unanimous decision rematch with current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) on New Year’s Eve 2006.

His layoff had erased his name from most rankings which require activity in the previous 365-days; but, vanquishing the samurai establishes Barnett’s status as a top five heavyweight.

Also returning to active duty, former PRIDE Lightweight Champion “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) sliced open “Bang” Duane Ludwig (16-8) of Denver to earn a first round stoppage at 2:28.

Gomi had been out of commission  since tapping to Nick Diaz (15-7) in a gogoplata at PRIDE’s last American card in February 2007.  After Diaz tested positive for smoking a doob’, the outcome was deemed a No Contest by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

“Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (19-8-2) got back to winning Wednesday with a guillotine submission of middleweight Afghan Siyar Bahadurzada (13-2-1) at 2:02 of round two.

Thick-skulled Japanese wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita (15-6) posted a north-south choke tapout of MMA-debuting Aussie kickboxer Peter Graham (0-1).

“Cyborg” Evangelista Santos (16-11) won the second of his two-month trilogy by wrapping Japanese judoka Makoto Takimoto in a heel hook at 4:51 of round one.

Santos will fight Joey Villasenor on a San Jose Strikeforce card at the end of March.

Middleweight Pancrase vet Ryo Kawamura (8-2-2) of Japan won a unanimous decision over formerly undefeated Brazilian Antonio Braga Neto (5-1).

Bodog Fight welterweight king “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1) also won a unanimous decision over Gracie Barra “Pitbull” Fabricio Monteiro (16-7).

“What do you know about him?” Thompson countered when asked about Troyer before weighing-in Thursday.

Troyer introduced himself quickly, bum rushing his considerably more-experienced opponent at the opening bell.

Thompson owns wins over Ansar Chalangov, Josh Neer, and top UFC welterweight contender John Fitch’s March 1 stand-in opponent, Chris Wilson.

Thompson survived Troyer’s barrage, but not without a busted nose.  At 3:46 of the first round, he wrapped the younger welterweight in a rear naked choke to register his 10th straight victory.

“The Goat” improves to 34-9-1, while Troyer adds his first loss to eight victories.

On the undercard, Seth Baczynski evened to 5-5 with a TKO over Chris Kennedy, who falls to 3-5.

135-pound “Savage” Chad George TKO’d Rick Screeton with strikes in just 39 seconds.

Bryan Humes debuted victoriously over win-less Ryan Murray.

Aaron Simpson improved to 2-0 with a TKO over debuting Scott Dingman.