» Fighter: Paul Taylor

The UFC unveiled Tuesday a ten-fight card for UFC 105 at M.E.N. Arena in Manchester November 14 with a previously announced light heavyweight main event between Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked heavyweight “The Natural” Randy Couture (16-10) and “Truth” Brandon Vera (11-3) atop the bout sheet.

Read More About 10 Fights Officially Announced for UFC 105 in Manchester…

Welterweight “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (26-16-5) won a controversial unanimous decision over Brit “Relentless” Paul Taylor (9-4-1) at UFC 89 in Birmingham Saturday night by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-72 once, all for Lytle.

The British crowd booed the decision; and, Taylor was visibly stunned.

After the win, Lytle said, “He landed some good things on me; I landed some good things on him.  You just never know what the judges are looking for.  Thankfully they were looking for what I did.”

Lytle dug several rights into Taylor’s body in a first round fought mostly in the clinch.  Taylor countered with a knee to Lytle’s body and an inside right hand.

Taylor landed more frequently in the second round, staggering Lytle with a short right that convinced Lytle to shoot for the takedown.  Taylor wriggled free from a guillotine attempt and connected with a left hook.  Lytle went back to the body with his hands; and, Taylor followed to Lytle’s body with a kick.  Taylor ended the round landing two knees to Lytle’s body from the clinch.

Read More About UFC 89: Lytle Wins Slugfest With Taylor, Calls Out Davis…

All UFC 89 fighters made their weight today at the NIA for Saturday’s card in Birmingham.

“Count” Michael Bisping (16-1) 185 pounds v “Crippler” Chris Leben (18-4) 186 pounds

“I’m glad you guys let me into your country,” main event fighter Leben said at Thursday’s press conference.  “I was a little worried on the plane.”

Leben was originally scheduled to fight Bisping in London 7 June, but opted to put to rest legal issues in Oregon stemming from an earlier DUI arrest to ensure a legal UK visa.

But, the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Brit Bisping, who told the press, “I am on a quest.  Losing this fight for me is not an option.”

Leben, wearing tight cornrows, chided his opponent, saying, “It seems to me that, when Michael Bisping fights, self-preservation is top on his list.”

A brawl would certainly benefit Leben.  Bisping’s stand-up style is a bit more circle-and-poke, while Leben is happy to plant and throw bombs.

Read More About UFC 89: Bisping & Leben Make Weight…

SpikeTV will air UFC 89 for free on tape delay from Birmingham 18 October, the UFC officially announced Monday.

The UFC also confirmed two more bouts on the card, between light heavyweights “Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) and “The Truth” Brandon Vera (9-2), and between welterweights “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) and Paul Taylor (9-3-1).

Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked Jardine looks to rebound from a 36-second knockout loss to fifth-ranked “Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1) in May.

Vera won a unanimous decision over Reese Andy (7-3) at Ultimate Fight Night 14 last week.  He is 1-0 since moving down a weight class.

Lytle lost a unanimous decision in May to fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (13-2).

Taylor won a split decision over “Joker” Jess Liaudin (13-11) in June.

Watching Fighters.com’s fifth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes(42-7) TKO’d at 1:02 of the second round by younger, stronger, faster, and more complete (currently) sixth-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) last night at UFC 85 in London, I couldn’t help but recall the country boy whoopin’ Hughes put on the original Ultimate Fighter Royce Gracie (14-3-3) two-years ago.

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

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

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

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

The second round was short; the end poignant.

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

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

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

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

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

Read More About Alves Amazing, Werdum Top Heavyweight Contender…