Let’s start out with the basics: first off, Junior dos Santos was already supposed to be facing the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cain Velasquez. Unfortunately, the champion would pull out of their upcoming fight with an injury, forcing “Cigano” to either sit on the sidelines for an extended period or risk his guaranteed shot at the championship by fighting one more time.

JDS ended up making the bold move: he decided to stay active and fight again. To reward his eagerness to fight, the UFC gave him a match-up with the man that has quickly become of the highest-drawing fighters in UFC history: former Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. An entire season of “The Ultimate Fighter” was centered on their rivalry.

Unfortunately, Lesnar would also bow out of his fight with Junior, prompting a very late replacement by former Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin. Carwin was a wholly different fighter from Lesnar, with dynamite in his hands and muscles on top of his muscles. Plus, Carwin was making his big return and it looked as if he was a new man.

But none of that mattered, in the end. It didn’t matter that the smart thing to do would have been to sit on the sidelines. It didn’t matter that JDS lost a shot at Velasquez, then lost a shot at Lesnar, and then had to readjust to a completely different opponent in very short order.

All that mattered is that when the time came to put up or shut up, Junior dos Santos did what he does best: he absolutely destroys people, and he absolutely destroyed Shane Carwin.

Brock Lesnar may have given Shane Carwin his first loss, and a humbling loss it was. But JDS practically provided a blueprint on how to defeat Carwin, and his striking was so surgically-precise, his movement so good, that by the end of the fight… Junior dos Santos looked like he had done some light sparring. Shane Carwin, meanwhile, looked like someone had beaten him to a pulp.

And for the most part, that’s exactly what happened: even though Shane Carwin survived all three rounds, that’s all he did. He “survived”. Dos Santos beat the fight right out of him. And in doing so, he re-asserted his dominance in a division that’s brimming with potential and filled with hungry, young, very good upstarts. There is only one Junior dos Santos, he proved just that against Shane Carwin… and I’m never going to bet against him again.

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

Let’s begin as we always do, fans and friends: by putting the situation into context.

Coming into UFC 131, Junior dos Santos was the rightful next contender to the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He had ran through six straight opponents in the UFC, finishing five of them. But then Cain Velasquez, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion, became injured. Instead of opting to play it safe and wait until Cain’s return, “Cigano” continued fighting and was scheduled to face Brock Lesnar, the man he had spent an entire season of “The Ultimate Fighter” coaching against.

But the injury bug continued to bite JDS without actually biting JDS, as Lesnar would also pull out of his upcoming fight with the Brazilian wrecking machine. Taking his place on very short notice was Shane Carwin, a fellow wrecking machine and former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion.

Ironically, Carwin hadn’t fought since UFC 116, when he lost to Brock Lesnar in a bout that would unify the UFC Interim Heavyweight and Heavyweight Championships. Before that, Carwin was arguably on an even bigger hotstreak than JDS. Carwin entered the UFC a perfect 8-0 and immediately upped that to 12-0 by knocking out four men, all in the first round, all by brutal, devastating punches.

The fight was widely predicted to be a “blink and you’ll miss it” affair, it was even heavily marketed as such. And when the first round began, fans were nearly treated to just that.

In another case of irony, Shane Carwin would end up weathering Junior dos Santos’ first-round storm of huge punches in much the same way Brock Lesnar weathered Carwin’s storm, which led to Carwin ultimately gassing himself out before getting choked out in a gigantic come-from-behind victory for Lesnar. And much like Lesnar, a case could have been made for the fight to have been stopped, but some fans do point out that in the cases of both Carwin and Lesnar, both men did appear to be intelligently defending themselves.

Nevertheless, the damage had been done: Shane Carwin entered round 1 a revitalized man, he left it in pieces. Over the course of two additional rounds, Junior dos Santos would continue to land at will and cause Carwin’s face to become more and more of a bruised, bloody mess. And in an event that featured utterly horrendous judging calls (including one of the year’s worst robberies), no one, not even judges that appeared to have been brain-dead, could have made a case for Carwin. Junior dos Santos would win by Unanimous Decision.

In a way, this victory meant more than any of his first-round stoppages. The two big questions everyone had about Junior dos Santos were “what is he like in the later rounds?” and “can he really hang with the best talent in the division?” Junior answered the first question when he beat Roy Nelson, he answered it again against Shane Carwin: no matter what round it is, Junior dos Santos will have the stamina and power to punch you in the face many, many times. The second question was also answered at UFC 131, with JDS running right through a former UFC title holder. Some moments may have been better in terms of pure excitement, but as a fight fan, I was beyond impressed at JDS’s technique and fighting ability. There’s not a doubt in my mind that he deserves “Performance of the Night”.

5. Joey Beltran and Aaron Rosa’s sloppy-but-entertaining brawl

A lot of people aren’t too high on this fight, and to a certain extent I can understand why. Both men had no technique other than to stand there and swing like madmen. Very few punches connected even while they were exchanging at will. Both men also weren’t physical specimens. But sometimes you’ve just got to appreciate an old-school brawl between two guys that just want to swing leather. It may have been one of those fights that appealed to the lowest common denominator, but sometimes it’s not so bad to sink to the most-basic level and just enjoy two guys throwing haymakers until one of them falls over.

4. Chris Weidman choking out Jesse Bongfeldt

A lot of people weren’t too high on Weidman after he made his UFC debut by beating Alessio Sakara. Some fans even wrote him off as just another “lay and pray” wrestler. But in this fight, Weidman proved that he was a finisher and a potential prospect. Just when we thought the round was over, Weidman saw an opportunity, seized it, and got the first-round tapout. And something like that definitely deserves a spot on this list.

3. Dave Herman battling back from the brink and TKO’ing Jon Olav Einemo

One of the reasons we love come-from-behind stories so much is that they’re just not likely in the fight game. When Einemo had Dave Herman hurt, he had him hurt bad. But Herman dug deep and managed to turn the tide, catching a somewhat-overeager Einemo flush on the chin several times and finally stopping the gargantuan Heavyweight. Like entry number five, this wasn’t pretty, but it was very entertaining and had some great drama.

2. Sam Stout KO’ing Yves Edwards

This is one of those knockout blows that just became painful to watch upon replay. Not simply because Stout connected full-power and flush on the chin, but because Edwards smacked the back of his head very, very hard when he fell to the canvas. It was about as brutal as it gets, with Edwards staring up into the sky with his eyes wide open while his legs twitched and doctors swarmed around him to make sure he was o.k. But if you can get past fearing for Edwards’ safety, you’ve got to realize that Stout probably gave us one of the best KO’s of the year at UFC 131.

And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 131 is…

1. Junior dos Santos dismantling (in every sense of the word) Shane Carwin.

To his credit, Shane Carwin was a new man at UFC 131. He still had a lot of power, but he had considerably improved his cardio and stamina. He also displayed some tremendous heart throughout the course of this bout, especially during the first round when he was dropped and nearly stopped.  But Junior dos Santos deserves more credit for completely destroying this new, improved version of Carwin. He set a pace that Carwin struggled to keep up with, he avoided just about all of Carwin’s major shots, he landed at will and had Carwin a bloody mess by the time the fight was over. It wasn’t the dramatic KO we were all hoping for, but it was a very complete performance from a man that will undoubtedly one day be a champion. Junior dos Santos quite easily takes the top spot on this list.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”.

Next for Donald Cerrone: Cerrone both needs and deserves a top Lightweight now that he’s firmly established himself as a destroyer in the UFC. I’ve got high hopes for “Cowboy”, and I think he’s going to get a pretty big opponent in his next fight. He may get someone like Anthony Pettis or Benson Henderson, or he could get a UFC product like George Sotiropoulos. Either way, look for Cerrone to continue to take the UFC by storm.

Next for Dave Herman/Joey Beltran: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. Joey Beltran is a sloppy brawler through and through, but I found his bout at UFC 131 pretty entertaining. Dave Herman is more of a technical brawler, but judging on his UFC 131 performance, he loves to throw down as well. So this is really the natural match-up to make.

Next for Demian Maia: Demian Maia is destined to be the next great Middleweight gatekeeper. He’ll probably get a few wins under his belt, he’ll send some hot prospects back down the pecking order, but I don’t think Demian Maia will ever again challenge for the UFC Middleweight Championship.

Next for Mark Munoz: What do you do with a journeyman that’s finally stepping out of that role? That’s a tough question. I really don’t know what’s next for Mark Munoz, he’s in too precarious of a position for me to tell. I’ll say this, though: Munoz did take the first step out of his gatekeeper role by beating Maia, but he’s going to need to win a few more before he emerges out of that shadow completely.

Next for Kenny Florian: Kenny Florian looked like a different man at Featherweight. Notice how I said “different” and not “new”. Florian is immensely skilled, and that skill carried him through what looked like an absurdly difficult weight cut. Florian was still Florian, but the added benefits of cutting weight, namely more power and better cardio, just weren’t there. Florian’s cardio has always been great, but his punching power took a major hit at UFC 131 because he’s cutting so much weight. During Florian’s fight at UFC 131, UFC commentator Joe Rogan mentioned that eventually, the weight cut simply doesn’t work anymore and the negatives outweigh the benefits. I think that’s a lesson that Kenny Florian will learn very soon if the UFC does go ahead and give him Jose Aldo.

Next for Shane Carwin: Shane Carwin is far from done, and as I said earlier, he regained some of my respect at UFC 131. I think Carwin would be a great opponent for some of the UFC’s up-and-coming Heavyweights. If Matt Mitrione wins his next fight, if Brendan Schaub wins his next fight, if Pat Barry wins his next fight… I think all three of those fighters would be great opponents for Shane Carwin.

Next for Junior dos Santos: Cain Velasquez and a shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship. This is the fight we’ve all been clamoring for, and it’s definitely going to happen. I can’t wait for this fight, and to this day I still think it’s too close to call. So all I’ll say is that we’re going to be in for an epic war and an amazing fight.

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

Junior dos Santos defeats Shane Carwin by Unanimous Decision. Kenny Florian beats Diego Nunes by Unanimous Decision. Mark Munoz beats Demian Maia by unanimous decision. Dave Herman beats Jon Olav Einemo by TKO (strikes) at 3:19 of Round 2. Donald Cerrone beats Vagner Rocha by unanimous decision. Sam Stout defeats Yves Edwards via KO at 3:52 of round 1. Chris Weidman defeats Jesse Bongfeldt via submission (guillotine) at 4:54 of round 1. Krzysztof Soszynski defeats Mike Massenzio by unanimous decision. Nick Ring defeats James Head by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:33 of round 3. Dustin Poirier defeats Jason Young by unanimous decision. Joey Beltran defeats Aaron Rosa by TKO (strikes) at 1:26 of round 3. Darren Elkins defeats Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).

UFC 131 had a very unfortunate start: in one of the worst robberies of the year, perhaps even one of the worst robberies in MMA history, Darren Elkins defeated Michihiro Omigawa by unanimous decision. One judge even scored the fight 30-27 for Elkins, which is an outright abomination. For just a brief moment, that fight made me question why I bother being an MMA fan if the judges are so inept that they can’t clearly tell who should have won. Luckily, things got a lot better.

I enjoyed the war between Joey Beltran and Aaron Rosa, almost as much as I enjoyed the war between Dustin Poirer and Jason Young. Chris Weidman proved he’s a big can’t-miss prospect with his first-round submission win, while Sam Stout gave us one of the best knockouts of 2011. All in all, this “UFC Prelims LIVE” special definitely lived up to past “sleeper hit” specials, so long as you’re able to look past the all-out robbery that was the Michihiro Omigawa fight.

Much like I predicted, Vagner Rocha just wasn’t prepared for Donald Cerrone. Cerrone seemed a bit upset about his performance, but I thought he put on a great show. As I predicted, only the best will be able to beat Donald Cerrone in the UFC. I also really enjoyed the war between Dave Herman and Jon Olav Einemo. It wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination, and both men could afford to lose a few pounds, but a great brawl is a great brawl even if it’s sloppy.

I think we now have to unfortunately and finally close the book on any hope of Demian Maia’s return to a Middleweight Championship contender. Munoz took him to the limit, and although the fight was close I personally think Munoz definitely deserved the win. It’s strange when you think about it: Mark Munoz has now risen from the ranks of a perennial gatekeeper by beating Demian Maia, and in losing to Mark Munoz, it looks like Maia will be a perennial gatekeeper for quite some time.

Kenny Florian looked like a very different fighter at Featherweight. I think the weight cut did affect Florian’s performance, and to be honest, I think it’s just too much. Florian won, but it wasn’t easy for him. Not by a long shot. That says a lot about Diego Nunes, but it also says that Florian has lost too much power at 145 even though his cardio looked great. I just don’t see how Florian beats Jose Aldo based on what I saw at UFC 131.

And in the main event, I lived up to my promise to never again bet against Junior dos Santos and I was fully rewarded for doing so. It went a lot longer than I and practically everyone else predicted, but the outcome was somewhat similar: JDS was just too fast, too precise, and had too much power. Shane Carwin was a bloody and beaten mess, but he showed a tremendous amount of heart. Thanks to his performance at UFC 131, I think I’m finally ready to forgive Shane Carwin. It’ll certainly be interesting to see what Carwin does next. And of course, I absolutely can’t wait for Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez.

All in all, I think this was a solid event and I really enjoyed myself at times.

Michihiro Omigawa is currently listed as a top-ranked Featherweight in many popular internet sites, but for the life of me I just can’t remember his fight with Chad Mendes at UFC 126 “Silva vs. Belfort”. I tend to remember a fighter if he leaves any significant impression on me at all, regardless of whether he won or lost or KO’d his opponent or simply fought a good, entertaining fight. I respect what Omigawa has done overseas, but he’s still got plenty left to prove now that he’s inside the UFC. I think it’ll be very interesting to see if he can rebound at UFC 131 and start living up to his hype.

Is Yves Edwards a possible “dark horse” championship contender? Plenty of people would say “no, he’s just a journeyman veteran that’s on what could be the final hotstreak of his career”. But looking at Yves’ recent record tells a different story: 6-1 in his last seven fights with four stoppages. Even better, Edwards is coming into UFC 131 on the heels of a performance that won him both a “Fight of the Night” bonus and a “Submission of the Night” bonus. The UFC’s Lightweight contender scene is super-crowded right now, but Edwards may have a case for throwing his name into the mix if he’s able to put together a four-fight win-streak with three fights inside the UFC.

I have no idea what to expect out of Jon Olav Einemo. I know that he was Shane Carwin’s original opponent before Brock Lesnar bowed out of UFC 131 due to injury. To get someone like Carwin in your UFC debut is no laughing matter, and yet a certain section of the fanbase seemed very confident in Einemo’s chances. But I’ve never seen the man fight, and I have no idea what kind of fighter will step into the cage at UFC 131. It’s rare that I go into a UFC event not knowing a single thing about a fighter that’s competing on the main Pay-Per-View and was not a late-minute replacement. It’s a strange but not overly unwelcome feeling. Remember, this is the feeling I had going into many Bellator shows before I followed them regularly. And we all know how that turned out: with me as a Bellator super-fan.

I think I’ll end by giving credit where credit is due: maybe I’ve been a bit too harsh on Shane Carwin. But here’s something you may not know about me: I used to be a fan of pro wrestling, that much is known, but most people don’t know why I quit following it.

Simply put: all my heroes were dying left and right due to complications from long periods of steroid use, and I simply couldn’t take it anymore.

To this day, I continue to have not even a fraction of an inkling of sympathy for a fighter that gets caught with steroids, or in Carwin’s case, tied to a steroids conspiracy. I’m able to forgive them over time so long as they don’t do it again, but still… it takes quite a while. So perhaps I’ve been a bit unfair to Shane Carwin.

So I’ll end by saying this: Shane Carwin has a good-to-great chance of beating Junior dos Santos. I’ve seen the UFC 131 weigh-in photos: he looks like a new man. He’s not bulging with muscles, but he looks very toned, very ripped. He looks almost like Junior dos Santos: muscular, but lean. It’s the kind of “best of both worlds” build that most champions have. If this really is “Shane Carwin 2.0”, then we’re in for a very close war that could go either way.

And that’s that, fans and friends! All that’s left is to watch UFC 131 live.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin: I believe in Junior dos Santos. It’s as simple as that. Shane Carwin lost me as a believer when he displayed atrocious cardio against Brock Lesnar, he lost me as a fan when he was tied to a steroid scandal. If Shane Carwin lives up to his promise that he’s a completely new fighter, then I will admit that he can beat “Cigano”. But I think at least part of Carwin’s recent hype is just that: hype. Junior dos Santos is the future of the UFC Heavyweight division, while Shane Carwin will be a perennial contender at best. Junior dos Santos wins by KO in Round 1.

Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes: I’m generally against favoritism, so I don’t like that UFC President Dana White has practically guaranteed that Florian will be next in line for a title shot if he beats Nunes. Then again, this is the type of “contender eliminator” fight that makes a lot of sense: Florian is a multi-time championship challenger, while Nunes is 16-1 with eleven stoppages. But the fact that two of Nunes’ last three wins have come by Split Decision has led me to tip the scales in Florian’s favor. I think Florian is going to win by submission in Round 3.

Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman: Einemo is a bit of an enigma, but I like enigmas. Einemo will be fighting an MMA fight for the first time in over four years when he steps into the Octagon at UFC 131. Still, the man is a master at Brazilian Jui-Jitsu. Herman has a great record of 20-2, though. Call me crazy, but I’ve just got this gut feeling that Einemo is going to surprise a whole lot of people and win by first round submission. The smart money is on Herman winning by Unanimous Decision, but there’s my pick and I’m sticking to it.

Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz: I was a small Demian Maia fan back when he was submitting people with ease, so I do feel a bit bad for what I’m about to say: Demian Maia’s potential has completely eroded. His submission skills are awesome, but everyone knows his tricks now. And his striking game, while improving, was never good. I think Munoz will send a message to just about everyone in this fight. Mark Munoz wins by TKO in Round 2.

Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha: Rocha does have a good record for someone so new to the sport, and he does have large-promotion experience with fights in both Bellator and Strikeforce. But with all that said… Vagner Rocha is not prepared for Donald Cerrone. I’m predicting that only the best fighters in the UFC have a shot of beating Cerrone, and with that prediction comes this one: Donald Cerrone will win a one-sided Unanimous Decision most likely, although it’s possible that he’ll win by TKO in either Round 1 or 2.

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

5. Five free fights on Facebook or YouTube. Pick your online video sharing poison.

For the first time, the UFC’s preliminary fights will be available through YouTube as well as through Facebook. And unlike the UFC’s Facebook stream, watching the YouTube stream doesn’t require a YouTube account nor any sort of “like” button. Even better, with several interesting fighters scheduled to compete, these prelims seem like they could be another sleeper hit in the grand tradition of many “UFC Prelims LIVE” shows being sleeper hits.

4. An intriguing match-up between Demian Maia and Mark Munoz.

This fight strikes both men at very interesting points in their careers. After debuting in the UFC and being hyped as the next Royce Gracie, Maia has vanished from the title picture altogether. He’s about as much of a non-entity as it can get. Meanwhile, Mark Munoz is trying very hard to overcome his status as a journeyman. Both men need big wins to revitalize their careers, and if that brings out the best in both fighters, then we’re in for a good fight.

3. The always-entertaining Donald Cerrone.

Donald Cerrone is a very controversial man, but he’s also one heck of a fighter. Cerrone is currently on a three-fight win-streak with two submissions, having successfully made his UFC debut in a “Fight of the Night” fight against Paul Kelly. Cerrone faces the relatively unknown Vagner Rocha, so you’ve got to think that Cerrone won’t take kindly to this step back in competition. Cerrone always turns it up a few notches when he’s angry, and judging by his recent verbal tirade where he accused several fighters of being afraid to fight him… Donald Cerrone is a very angry man right now.

2. Does Kenny Florian choke in big fights?

How many more chances at a championship does Kenny Florian deserve? If you ask some people, they’ll answer “not many” or even “none”. Others say “however many until he finally gets one or gets on a high enough losing-streak to get released”. Florian has fought at many different weight classes and hasn’t found a way to get the gold in any of them. This could be his last resort, and if it doesn’t work out for him, we may see Florian crowned as one of the best lighter-weight UFC fighters to never hold a championship.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC 131 is…

1. The main event, of course.

Junior dos Santos has never fought a striker like Shane Carwin, and Shane Carwin has promised that he has undergone several drastic changes and is now deadlier and more focused than ever. Likewise, Shane Carwin has never fought a striker like Junior dos Santos, and Carwin’s big bombs may not add up to much if he can’t find the head of his elusive, lightning-quick opponent. It may not be as big as Brock Lesnar vs. Junior dos Santos… but it certainly comes close.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see UFC 131.

The Event: UFC 131 “Dos Santos vs. Carwin”, currently scheduled for June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Five free preliminary fights will be shown on both Facebook and YouTube starting at 5:50 PM ET. Two additional fights will be shown on Spike TV starting at 8:00 PM ET. The main Pay-Per-View card will air live starting at 9:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: Several fights on this card have serious championship implications, chief of which is the main event. It doesn’t get much bigger than Junior dos Santos taking on Shane Carwin, with the winner more than likely getting the next shot at the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Kenny Florian also fights at Featherweight for the first time and will likely earn a title shot if he’s able to beat Diego Nunes.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Someone is going down… hard. This is a fight where you’d be surprised not only if it went past the first round, but if it went past the first handful of minutes. These are two knockout artists that are very, very good at what they do. Cardio problems aside, Shane Carwin left a path of destruction on his way to becoming UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion. Likewise, no one has been able to stand up against JDS’s excellent striking, superb takedown defense, and incredible hand speed. It’s going to be an all-out war with both men swinging bombs from the get-go.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: This fight will prove once and for all whether or not Kenny Florian chokes in big fights. It doesn’t get much bigger than “win this and you get a title shot”. Part of me wonders if that’s not a sign of blatant favoritism, but a larger part of me is very interested in seeing how Kenny Florian looks and fights at Featherweight. This is a drastic move for Kenny Florian, but it’s a drastic time for him as well. Florian will either show up at his best or Diego Nunes is going to make his name off of spoiling Florian’s Featherweight debut.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The main event is definitely a must-watch, since so many questions will be answered. Is Junior really ready for a title shot? Can Carwin live up to the hype of being a new man and a better fighter? Plus, you’ve got several match-ups that sound pretty interesting on paper.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: Other than the main event, no one fight in particular screams out to be watched, at least in my opinion. Florian/Nunes does have potential, but Florian’s star status has taken several big hits recently. You’ve also got the relatively-unknown Jon Olav Einemo fighting, as well as Demian Maia, who is nowhere near the star status he once held when he was submitting guys left and right. As much as I wish it wasn’t this way, this does seem to be a one-fight show, at least on paper.

Closing Thoughts: UFC 131 isn’t the strongest event I’ve ever seen the UFC put together, but it does have potential. Perhaps it’ll be the breath of fresh air I was hoping UFC 130 would be. That was a show that I said would be good and I ended up being wrong. This could end up being one of those shows where I don’t have any real strong opinion on it except for one or two fights, and then the quality of all the fights ends up pleasantly surprising me. I’m certainly willing to give the UFC the benefit of the doubt, so I’ll be watching this one.

5. Josh Barnett vs. Brett Rogers

Both men have an avalanche of questions surrounding their careers right now. Is Brett Rogers just a flash in the pan? Is Josh Barnett worth the risk, given his many scandals? The fight between these two should answer all that and more. If Brett Rogers can knock out a skilled wrestler like Josh Barnett, he’ll have given his career the shot in the arm that it so very desperately needs. The same goes for Josh Barnett if he’s able to beat the man who became famous as a wrecking ball on legs.

4. Pat Barry vs. Cheick Kongo

A lot of people don’t like Cheick Kongo, considering him a journeyman and one-dimensional. Both of those statements are not without merit, but when in his element and when against a certain caliber of opponent, Cheick Kongo is a great and very entertaining fighter. He’ll be in his element against Pat Barry, and Barry is the right kind of opponent for Kongo. Win or lose, it’s going to be a great war of attrition between two powerful strikers.

3. Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin

Something tells me that this fight won’t go past the first round. I would only be slightly, slightly surprised if it went past the third minute. I’d be utterly flabbergasted if it went to a decision. These two men swing with bad, bad intentions, and they’ve left a trail of cracked chins in their wake. Junior dos Santos is an expert striker with smart timing, pacing, and laser precision. Shane Carwin can throw a whole lot of punches in a short amount of time (even if he gasses out immediately afterward), and any single one of them can knock a man out. It should be very violent and it will probably end very quickly, but it’s definitely one of the biggest can’t-miss fights of the month.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum

I truly believe that Alistair Overeem is unstoppable. He’s a champion in Strikeforce, in the Japanese-based DREAM promotion, and in K-1, which is the largest and most prestigious kickboxing organization in the world. But if anyone could stop him, it’d be someone like Fabricio Werdum, who possesses a tremendous heart, an iron will, and one of the best ground games in MMA, regardless of weight division. Whoever wins this fight has got to be the favorite to win the entire Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix.

And my personal pick for the number-one can’t-miss fight of June 2011 is…

1. Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Guida

A lot of people, even Clay Guida himself, are already calling this a Fight of the Year contender. Not only am I in that bandwagon, I’m up in front and leading the charge. Clay Guida may be a journeyman, but he’s one of the most entertaining journeyman fighters I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Anthony Pettis is an amazing fighter that has already given me a fight that I consider one of the best of all time. No matter who wins this fight, it’s a perfect match-up between two fantastic fighters. You absolutely must not miss this fight.

5. Travis Browne

In terms of pure fight quality, Travis Browne outperformed Frank Mir at UFC 130. He was in an exciting fight that saw a completely unexpected, incredibly exciting finish. Browne is quickly rising up the Heavyweight ranks, and he remains officially unbeaten for his entire professional Mixed Martial Arts career. This fight doesn’t make as much sense as the others on this list, though, considering that Browne needs at least one more fight, preferably against a divisional gatekeeper, before earning a shot at a former champion. And that’s why he’s starting out this list.

4. Brendan Schaub

Schaub is right on the cusp of breaking out into a major Heavyweight star, and that’s why he outranks Browne. Schaub improves on a fight-by-fight basis, and has looked incredibly dominant in all of his UFC fights except for his UFC debut, where he was knocked out by Roy Nelson. Schaub will be getting his shot at entering the upper echelon when he faces Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira later this year, and if he wants to go from a “bottom of the top” situation to a full-fledged championship contender, he’ll need to face someone like Frank Mir.

3. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

But if Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira beats Brendan Schaub, a rematch with Frank Mir not only makes more sense, but it’s got a great story to go alongside it. Mir is the first person that ever stopped “Big Nog”, but fans of Nogueira love to point out that he was dealing with a staph infection at the time of their bout. Despite both men taking different paths in their careers since their bout, the question does remain: could a healthy “Big Nog” beat Frank Mir? If Nogueira does rebound from his recent losses with a big win over an up-and-comer like Schaub, that’s one question I’d love to see answered.

2. Brock Lesnar

There are two main reasons why former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar takes the #2 spot despite Mir and Lesnar having one of the biggest and highest-drawing rivalries in the sport. One is that Lesnar is on the sidelines recovering from major life-altering surgery and will be out until the start of 2012 at the very earliest. The second reason is that Mir was resoundingly brutalized in both bouts, he just took advantage of a controversial point deduction in their first fight. Nevertheless, only one other fight would do a better job of proving once and for all that Mir is ready for another shot at the gold.

And the number-one opponent for Frank Mir is…

1. The loser of the Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos fight.

One of the best ways to get on the shortlist of likely title contenders is to beat the man that just got done fighting in a fight where the winner does get the next shot at the title. Plus, both men would make very interesting opponents for Frank Mir. Could Mir take down Junior dos Santos, who has so far displayed a penchant for only going to the ground when he chooses? Could Frank Mir beat Shane Carwin, the man who brutally pummeled him in humiliating fashion? Mir would prove the most by beating either of these men, and that’s why both earn the top spot.

Lesnar, the largest pay-per-view draw in the UFC, has recently been sidelined once again with a second battle with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease which previously had him sit out from active competition for just under a year due to the severity of the condition.

Brock was originally scheduled to be taking on Junior dos Santos in a title eliminator at UFC 131 where the two men were to headline the event. Now, Lesnar has since been replaced by former interim champion Shane Carwin, to which current titleholder Cain Velasquez thinks that the promotion made the right decision.

Cain has always been a man of few words. Even in defeating Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 and following up the performance with an impressive first-round TKO victory over the aforementioned Lesnar last October to claim the title, he was still relatively tamed for a man now considered to be the number one guy in his division.

So don’t expect his reaction to Lesnar’s dismissal and Carwin’s ascension to headliner status to be any different.

Once word broke out, MMAFighting.com spoke with the current champion in order to touch base on the many happenings and shuffles that have been made to his division now that Lesnar has exited, momentarily. Cain spoke empathetically about Brock’s situation, however asserted that the promotion did it’s best in finding a suitable replacement for the Lesnar.

“I think (they made the right call), yeah,” said Cain.

What do you think MMA peeps–was Carwin the rightful replacement or could you think of somebody more suitable for the job? Put it this way–UFC President Dana White stated that there would be no cross promotion between the UFC and Strikeforce, despite both organization being under the same banner. However, when Jon Olav Einemo was left without an opponent once Carwin was pulled from their previously scheduled match-up, officials plucked Aaron Rosa from the Strikeforce roster and he is now a UFC fighter. Think about it. Sound off in the comment section below.

“He was next in line, for sure. He’s a tough guy. I think it was a good call.”

Originally, Brock Lesnar, the former UFC heavyweight champion, was to headline the event opposite of Junior dos Santos. The two fighters served as the coaches for this current season of “The Ultimate Fighter”. The bout was to help eliminate the next title challenger, though Lesnar is in a midst of a battle of his own with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease.

Now, Shane Carwin has since stepped up in Lesnar’s place to meet with Dos Santos in the headliner and his original opponent Jon Olav Einemo, whom was temporarily left wondering his longevity on the card, has now been afforded the opportunity to remain active. Dave Herman, a longtime prospect in the heavyweight division will now be meeting Olav in place of Carwin.

Einemo, a veteran of the PRIDE organization, is looking to make an impression upon his return to the sport. For the ADCC Submission world champion, Einemo has not stepped foot inside a ring or a cage since November of 2006 when he submitted journeyman James Thompson with a first-round armbar.

His lone blemish on his career is a decision loss to current top-3 heavyweight fighter Fabricio Werdum under the PRIDE banner, though the bigger story here may be Einemo’s inactivity from the sport. Surprisingly enough, the UFC signed the Golden Glory product earlier this year and originally pitted him against former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin at the June event. However, now that Shane has received a “higher calling”, Dave Herman will now be stepping up to take on Olav.

Herman was originally set to meet with veteran Joey Beltran on the same card, though the UFC shuffled the deck since the Lesnar-epidemic occurred. In his last outing, Dave defeated Japanese legend Yoshihiro “Kiss” Nakao under the Sengoku banner, dominating him from start to finish en route to a decision win. Dave has won five of last six bouts with his lone blemish being a disqualification loss at the hands of UFC vet Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in May of last year in the quarter-finals of an openweight grand prix.

Both Herman and Olav are set to meet at UFC 131, which takes place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada on June 11th. It’s unknown at this time whether or not the bout will remain on the televised portion of the card.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new bout? Who do you favor? Sound off in the comment section below.

I’ve had my fair share of problems with Shane Carwin in the past, so I have to be honest: Shane Carwin hasn’t earned the benefit of the doubt in my eyes. There’s a chance that he’ll show up at UFC 131 an entirely different fighter. There’s a chance he’ll show up like the wrecking machine that won the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship. Anything could happen in MMA, so Carwin could come out better than he’s ever been and take down Junior.

I just don’t think that’s going to happen.

I think that for two reasons: Carwin’s flaws are too clear, and JDS’s skills are too high. Allow me to dissect both points.

Shane Carwin fits a certain mold of Heavyweight fighter, let’s be honest. He’s huge, he’s immensely powerful, and he can knock people’s blocks off. But get him past the first round, and the guy can barely stand up. It was almost sad to see Shane Carwin go from an engine of destruction in the first round of his fight with Brock Lesnar… to a man that could barely stand in the second round. We see this happen with these “freak of nature” athletes like Shane Carwin and Bobby Lashley… they’ve got gigantic muscles, but they never learned good cardio.

Good cardio is one of the integral parts of being a UFC champion. A fighter with good cardio can really pull ahead of a fighter that starts gassing. All things being equal, good cardio against bad cardio puts the guy with bad cardio in deep trouble. It just took the Heavyweight division a little longer to get to that point where all things are equal. Now that the UFC’s Heavyweight division is beginning to feature fighters as ridiculously well-rounded as the UFC’s smaller divisions, it’s the small things like good cardio that end up being not so small after all.

And let’s not forget that Junior dos Santos is ridiculously well-rounded. He’s a knockout artist, but he’s also got the stamina and cardio to remain dangerous in all three rounds. He also has amazing takedown defense: no one in the UFC, not a single person, has been able to keep JDS on the ground for long. I don’t have much to say about Junior that I haven’t already said, so allow me to end with this: the only threat I see for Junior dos Santos at Heavyweight is Cain Velasquez. JDS is just too well-rounded for anyone else to seriously have a chance at beating him.

Barring any miracle shots, Junior dos Santos has got to be the favorite to win this fight. Carwin is dangerous in one aspect, Junior dos Santos is dangerous in all areas of the game. It’s no contest. Much like Jon Jones, I once said that I’d never again bet against Junior dos Santos. Shane Carwin of all people certainly isn’t the fighter that will change my mind.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on this fight?

There, Lesnar was originally slated to face off against top contender Junior dos Santos in a bout that would determine the next title challenger. However, Brock has since been diagnosed once again with diverticulitis, an intestinal disease that had previously seated him just over a year away from the cage.

Now in his place, former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin will now be taking on Junior in place of Lesnar, filling in for headlining duties.

Carwin was already slated for the UFC 131 event, which takes place in Vancouver, Canada on June 11th at the Rogers Arena. Shane was to take on Jon Olav Einemo, a PRIDE veteran that was making his organizational debut with the UFC, however Carwin opted for the bout with Junior in an effort to put him back at the top of the division and possibly warrant him another title opportunity.

Shane was last seen in action when he was submitted by the aforementioned Lesnar in their goliath-like meeting at UFC 116 last July. After an early barrage by Carwin which saw the heavy-handed striker knock down Brock in the early goings, Lesnar was able to capitalize on a fatigued Shane for the inevitable submission win.

Subsequent back and neck injuries forced him out of a more immediate return to action at UFC 125 this past January against Roy Nelson. After a successful surgery, Carwin will now be making his return against Junior dos Santos, a more favorable opponent than a relative unknown in Einemo whom has not competed professionally since November of 2006.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the new match-up? Who do you favor? Sound off in the comment section below.

The former interim heavyweight champion will be returning to the cage very soon, as the Greg Jackson affiliate will be coming back from an extensive layoff which dates back to his title bout with then champion Brock Lesnar last July. While Carwin managed to scramble the brain of Lesnar’s momentarily, fatigue set in and he eventually succumbed to a second-round submission.

Now after debilitating injuries have since subsided, the heavyweight powerhouse will now be returning to the cage against UFC newcomer Jon Olav Einemo at UFC 131.

UFC 131 is scheduled for June 11, and will be taking place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada. The main-event of the evening will pit current “The Ultimate Fighter” season 13 coaches Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos against one another to determine the next heavyweight title contender.

And while Carwin may be just out of his own title bout, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that with an impressive showing against Olav, he could return back to the top of the division.

Shane has since recovered from neck surgery which took place this past late last year, when the Division II collegiate wrestler was originally scheduled to face off with former IFL champ Roy Nelson at UFC 125 in January, however suffered the injury preparing for the bout.

Olav, meanwhile, is nearly five-years removed from professional competition, which is puzzling to think why the UFC has actaully signed him. Well, he was the supposed “heir” to the thrown of the then undefeated Fedor Emelianenko‘s thrown when he ruled PRIDE not so long ago, however a loss to Fabricio Werdum and subsequent layoff shunned all those dreams aside.

Now, the Norwegian, who is the 2003 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Champion, will be returning back inside the octagon against arguably his toughest challenge to date.

UFC President Dana White confirmed the bout with “The Seattle Times” earlier this week.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match-up? Will knockout artist Carwin defeat the grappling ace in Olav? How do you see the fight shaking out? Sound off in the comment section below.

Coming to us courtesy of MMA Weekly, Mitrione recently said the following: “For this fight, I wanted to emulate Dominick Cruz…  I love the way you fight brother, you’re elusive, and I wanted to be just like that… I can’t say where this really puts me as far as my progression as a martial artist… I haven’t really had the chance to capitalize or really see where my ground game is…  I know as a stand-up guy I can really let ‘em fly… I’m just saying I don’t exactly know where (my ground game) is. I prefer to trade leather, I’d prefer to let my shins and my hands fly.”

For someone who was known as “Meathead” during his time on the tenth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Mitrione sure has progressed considerably. I think the sky’s the limit for Matt Mitrione, and I can’t wait to see how he does against the UFC’s best. It will be very interesting to see whether or not a higher level of competition will finally be able to give Mitrione the early-career setback that some hot prospects have fallen victim to, or if Mitrione is destined to become the next Jon Jones or Junior dos Santos.

Moving forward, I think the key here will be finding ways to test Mitrione in all areas of the game and against an increasingly-higher level of competition. In a recent post I speculated that Mitrione’s next opponent should be Pat Barry, and I definitely still stand by that claim. I think this would be a great fight, since Mitrione has shown a lot of skill as a boxer while Barry is most dangerous when he’s given room to utilize his experiences as a kickboxer. It would definitely be quite exciting to see how Mitrione’s punches match up to Barry’s leg kicks.

I think Mitrione should also face a ground expert and/or submission specialist sooner or later, though the Heavyweight division seems to be lacking them for the most part (although, now that I think of it, Sean McCorkle may be a good candidate). The two best Heavyweight ground specialists, Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, are probably a bit higher than the skill level Mitrione should be facing right now. A fight with either of those two would be the equivalent of getting thrown into the shark tank: Mitrione has a chance of winning, but his chances of losing would be at their highest. I think Mitrione would take a fight with Mir or Nogueira without hesitation, but I also think that that’s not the type of fight he needs to be having right now.

So I say give Mitrione another striker, but one that’s at a higher level than any he’s faced before. Other potential opponents include Cheick Kongo, Brendan Schaub, or even Roy Nelson and Shane Carwin. But no matter what the future holds for Matt Mitrione, I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on him and I look forward to seeing him continue to evolve into a complete Mixed Martial Artist.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Mitrione’s comments, and what do you think the future holds for him?

Chances are if you ask the most educated fan of the sport of mixed martial “who is the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time?”, an intelligent response would be followed by simply saying “Fedor Emelianenko“. Despite losing some of his invincible allure when he was submitted by Jiu-Jitsu world champion Fabricio Werdum last April, the Russian remains one the most explosive and equally mysterious fighters in the world.

So who is he rumored to be training with in preparation for his upcoming fight in February? Well, none other then former ufc heavyweight champion Shane Carwin.

Carwin recently posted on the popular forum on MixedMartialArts.com, stating that not only would he be honored to train with the former PRIDE heavyweight champion, but he wouldn’t mind traveling to the recesses of Russia in order to do so.

It was recently when Fedor was featured on a conference call promoting his upcoming fight with Antonio Silva in February, where he stated his intentions for his current training
camp.

“I’m more comfortable there and I like to be close to my family. It’s likely I’ll probably stay in Russia”, said the 34-year-old.

“But I wouldn’t mind training somewhere else and with someone like Shane Carwin, who is a good fighter. But most likely I’ll stay in Russia.”

Shane caught wind of the praise, and expressed his opinions on potentially training with Emelianenko.

“I would be honoured to train with Fedor. After seeing his CBS special, I was impressed with the isolation and hardcore and yet raw training I saw”, said an appreciative Carwin.

“Fedor has been a good guy to me. After the Lesnar fight he sent me some very kind words that put things into perspective. He is a great guy and a great fighter.”

“I am going to be traveling for training this time around. I want to take in as much MMA as I can. I hope to make it out to Duke Rufus’ and maybe even a trip to Russia if all things go as planned.”

While Shane is preparing his return, which is rumored for either May or June of this year against an unnamed opponent, training with a living legend like Fedor could only expediate his ascension up the heavyweight ranks once again. Carwin was last in action when he was submitted by former titleholder Brock Lesnar last July, after rocking the North Dakota native with an early barrage however eventually succumbed to a second-round arm triangle choke.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of Shane’s intentions of training with “The Last Emperor”? Could they both help each other in an equally beneficial matter? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what Nelson had to say over at MMA Junkie: “It’s definitely frustrating when you put your time and effort into something and then the rug is kind of pulled out from underneath you… I’ll fight Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez – any of those guys I’m cool with… For me, it really doesn’t matter. My goal is always to be champion.”

As I said at the start of this piece, I’ve always been a fan of Roy Nelson. I’ve watched Roy ever since he started knocking people out in the IFL, and I’m very happy that he’s had the success that he has. Nelson is entertaining, a finisher, and has shown a lot of skill in his numerous wars. Most MMA fans continue to judge him by the size of his gut, but for me, it’s his big heart that has continuously made me a fan of the man.

Is it so strange to envision a world where Roy Nelson is UFC Heavyweight Champion? I can admit that it doesn’t seem likely, but as hectic and unpredictable as MMA has been lately, would it really surprise you? A lot of the purists balk at the idea of Roy Nelson becoming a UFC champion, but then again, a lot of them balked at the idea of a former pro wrestler becoming a UFC champion. That’s not said to disrespect Brock Lesnar, that’s said only to prove my point, which is that you can never judge a book by its cover and that the only way to truly find out if a fighter is a potential champion is to put them against the best and see how they do.

If people keep underestimating Roy Nelson, he’ll keep proving them wrong. Many fans thought Nelson would be easy pickings for JDS, but Nelson absorbed some of JDS’s best punches and still took the man to a decision, in the process nearly gassing JDS out and exposing some potential flaws in a surging Heavyweight monster that, until then, had been a flawless engine of destruction. He’ll have his hands full with Frank Mir, but Frank Mir will have his hands full too. It’ll be a great fight between two skilled competitors, and the fact that both men have their fair share of detractors and cynics shouldn’t take away from that.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Roy Nelson’s recent comments, and how far do you think he’ll be able to go as he continues to fight the best in the UFC?

Former title challenger Kenny Florian and former interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin are both set on a collision course for potential returns at UFC 131, a rumored pay-per-view event which is said to take place at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., Canada on June 11.

Both men are on the mend from sidelining injuries, and hope to return soon in order to climb back up the ladder of their respective divisions, where both fighters have reached the pinnacle of their divisions.

Kenny Florian was last seen in action on the losing side of a unanimous decision loss to current title challenger Gray Maynard at UFC 118, in his own backyard of Boston, Massachusetts. The fight was pitted in order to determine the number one contender to the lightweight title, something that Florian is all too familiar with, since he has contested for the 155-pound strap on two separate occasions, losing both times to former champs Sean Sherk and BJ Penn (respectively). Despite his short-comings, Florian is a gamer and has finished most of his competition inside the octagon and currently holds a respectable 11-4 record in the cage with stoppage wins over Din Thomas, Joe Lauzon, Joe Stevenson and Takanori Gomi.

Florian was recently sidelined with with a knee injury sustained in practice when he was gearing up for a fight against top-ranked fighter Evan Dunham at “UFC Fight for the Troops 2″ on Jan. 22. Melvin Guillard has since stepped up for “The Ultimate Fighter” veteran.

Carwin’s injury, however was a but more severe then his Peruvian friend. After failing to unify the heavyweight titles (with his then interim title he earned in defeating Frank Mir at UFC 111) when he lost to Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 last July by second-round submission, Carwin was scheduled to face former IFL and “TUF” champion Roy Nelson at UFC 125 on Jan. 1. The Greg Jackson fighter was pulled from the event after the 36-year-old suffered a back injury, which later translated to invasive surgery which has since sidelined him for the time being. Before the loss to Lesnar, “The Engineer” was undefeated in his mixed martial arts career, clocking a 12-fight win streak which all translated into first-round stoppages.

No opponents have been mentioned for either men, though more news should be brought to attention in the next few days. UFC 130 has also been discussed as a potential return for both men, which is targeted for May 28 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, though the June pay-per-view event seems all but a lock.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? Who would you like to see either Carwin or Florian face next when they return inside the cage? Sound off in the comment section below.

If you’ll remember, fans and friends, I was one of the Nelson fans that basically campaigned for “Big Country” to receive a match with former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar. A lot of people seemed to reject the notion of Lesnar vs. Nelson, but I felt that it would have been a fantastic match. The difference in size and muscularity alone made it an instant must-see, but let’s not forget, Roy Nelson has quickly become a legitimate major-level star in the UFC.

If Lesnar beat Nelson, it would have immediately established that Lesnar was here to stay and wanted his championship back. If Nelson beat Lesnar, it would have given Nelson the kind of victory he would have had if he had beaten Dos Santos, instantly making him a championship contender. Everybody wins, and it would have been a very interesting fight between two men that love taking it to the ground and smothering their opponents, albeit in hugely different ways.

But Frank Mir is no slouch, and despite the downright boring performance he put on when he mercifully KO’d Mirko Cro Cop after three utterly atrocious rounds, the man is still a top-division UFC fighter. He played it safe to a fault against Cro Cop, but I think Mir will open up against Nelson. Or Nelson, unlike Cro Cop, won’t be as afraid to go to the ground with Mir as Mir was to keep the fight standing.

It’ll be interesting to see who takes control of the fight on the feet, since Frank Mir’s striking game seems to fluctuate bizarrely on a per-fight basis. He looked like he could more than hold his own against Cheick Kongo and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, but against Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar he faltered and faltered hugely. Some may say that that’s just Frank Mir not being able to cope with large wrestlers, but the thing of it is… in certain ways, Roy Nelson is a large wrestler.

Does Roy Nelson have bulging biceps and a body that looks to be carved out of granite? If you’ve ever seen him fight, you’d of course be laughing right now. But consider this: doesn’t Nelson do the same thing those muscle-bound behemoths do? Doesn’t he set up his takedowns with those big fists? Doesn’t he vigorously pursue a takedown and use his size and weight advantage to bull-rush opponents? Lesnar and Carwin may use their ridiculously-toned bodies to keep their opponents down while Roy Nelson uses his sizable gut, but isn’t the outcome the same? Don’t all three use their distinct advantages to smother, stifle, and ultimately pound out opponents?

This is why I think Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson is so interesting. In a quite bizarre point I’m sure some people will criticize me for making, Roy Nelson is of the same build as a Brock Lesnar or Shane Carwin. He uses his size, strength, and unusual speed for a man of his size and stature in order to get the better of his opponents. Like Carwin and Lesnar, sometimes it doesn’t work. But when it does, much like Lesnar and Carwin, there seems to be no stopping him. Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson should be an amazing fight, and I personally can’t wait to see it happen. And, in case you needed it officially confirmed, I’m definitely pulling for “Big Country” in this bout.

But what about you, fans and friends? What’s your opinion on this fight, and who do you think will win it?

Here’s what Carwin had to say in a recent interview with Heavy.com: “The loss, I think, was a good thing for me. It exposed me to things I need to work on… I hope to come in a little bit lighter than the max weight now… It’s lessons learned for me… (I try to) look ahead to the future and be excited for that… I don’t think anybody deserves an instant rematch or anything. Once you lose, there are other people that are waiting in line, and you have to go back and prove yourself… That’s what I have to do right now.”

I’d like to make one thing clear from the get-go: when it comes to me and Shane Carwin, the jury’s still out. It seems like a large section of the MMA media is willing to forget and simply sweep under the rug that Shane Carwin was linked to a nationwide steroids conspiracy not too long ago. After some early fallout from the scandal, talks of Carwin’s past steroid use quickly vanished altogether and nowadays it’s not even mentioned at all anymore. I’m not going to stand for that. I don’t forgive without reason, and I certainly don’t forget.

So here it is: Shane Carwin is going to have to do a lot to get back in my good graces. I hate when fighters take steroids, it’s one of my major “stand my ground” arguments where I’ll shout my unchanging viewpoint from the rooftops if I have to. Steroids are wrong, detrimental to the sport as well as its fighters, and I lose a gigantic amount of respect for any athlete caught using the juice. I like that Shane Carwin is humble in defeat and willing to fight his way back up from the bottom, but he’ll have to live up to that calling and more if he ever wants to be a relevant force in the UFC again.

But ultimately I think the man deserves a second chance. I can’t hold a grudge forever, and many could accuse me of already holding this grudge for too long. I strongly disagree, but the point could be made. Nevertheless, Shane Carwin was and probably still is a good fighter. He’s made some mistakes both in and out of the Octagon, but if anyone could make a dramatic return, it’s the guy that knocked out everyone in his path with reckless abandon and stormed up the rankings in dramatic fashion. In the end, the future of Shane Carwin lies in the heart and mind of no one but Shane Carwin. It’ll be interesting to see what changes when he returns, to say the very least.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about the former UFC champ, and how successful do you think he’ll be when he makes his inevitable return?

There are several reasons why I think Lesnar vs. Nelson would be a great match-up. First and foremost, Roy Nelson is ready for the best and he’s hungry to get back inside the Octagon now that his bout with Shane Carwin has fallen apart. And Lesnar finds himself in almost the exact same spot as the man he so famously submitted: with his back against the wall, needing to prove quite a lot in his next bout. If Roy Nelson fit the mold as the best opponent Shane Carwin could face to both get a huge win over and prove himself against, and Brock Lesnar fits Shane Carwin’s mold, then Lesnar/Nelson is more common sense than fantasy match-making.

Plus, let’s be honest here, it’s a fantastic aesthetic. These two couldn’t possibly be more different. It would be quite a spectacle to see the hulking Viking goliath take on the curly-haired big-bellied brawler. I wouldn’t call this a “freakshow” match despite the huge difference in the physiques of both men, though. I think both Lesnar and Nelson have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they belong in the UFC. This has the potential to be a fantastic fight based solely on the strengths of both men, seeing the disparity in body builds between the man that’s seemingly carved out of granite and the man who carves a path through Burger King would only be a bonus.

Another interesting thing about this match is that both men have all the tools necessary to win and win big. If Lesnar can avoid Nelson’s stand-up, he could probably take Nelson down through sheer force alone. Nelson doesn’t come from a wrestling background, and he certainly doesn’t have the wrestling pedigree that Cain Velasquez has. Lesnar’s takedowns only looked so bad against Velasquez because Velasquez himself is such an amazing wrestler, against Roy Nelson Lesnar’s dreaded Ground and Pound could end up working beautifully and scoring him a major and dominant win.

However, Roy Nelson has good stand-up and a vastly under-appreciated ground game. He also has an extremely solid chin, as seen in his recent bout with Junior dos Santos. I think Nelson has proved that he does have KO power, and I also think that Lesnar has proven unable to cope with the pressure of being rocked. If Nelson can clip Lesnar, I think “Big Country” may actually have it in him to take out the Vanilla Gorilla. Also, Lesnar would be wise to not sleep on Big Country’s ground game. Lesnar’s ground game is so effective because he can put so much weight on you, but the same holds true for Nelson. And if Lesnar tries to power out from underneath Nelson’s girth through sheer force alone, he may leave himself open to a submission.

Ultimately, I think this fight would be too close to call and that’s why I’d love to see it. It’s not a matter of me giving Lesnar more credit or Nelson more credit, I think it’s more about me giving both men the credit they deserve. Both men are highly gifted and very competitive athletes. Styles make fights while personalities sell tickets, and this match-up has the potential to be one of the best and biggest of 2011.

But what do you think, fans and friends? How interested would you be in a Brock Lesnar vs. Roy Nelson fight? And what do you think would win?

With the addition of Jose Aldo defending his now UFC (formerly the WEC) featherweight title against top contender Josh Grispi to the pay-per-view card, the organization opted to pull out the former top contender since his opponent, former interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin had been scratched from the card due to a debilitating back injury.

No suitable opponent could be found to replace the knockout artist, and therefor eliminated the heavyweight contest altogether, a move that Nelson did not take very well.

“I think my feelings were a little hurt. I was hoping they could find somebody to replace (Carwin)”, said the season 10 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” while speaking with Sherdog.com.

Following his bout with Junior dos Santos last August at UFC 117, Nelson suffered his first loss inside the octagon. A spirited performance from “Big Country” saw the big man drop on several occasions inside of the first-round, though the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt hung tough and made it to the final bell, though dos Santos clearly won every round on the judges score cards, due to his effective striking output. Nelson remains the only opponent in the UFC that Junior, a member of the Black House team, has not finished.

During the heavyweight tilt, Roy suffered a knee injury that required some rehabilitation following the bout’s conclusion. The UFC was there every step of the way to help aid the colorful heavyweight star in order to get him back in action for his previously scheduled co-main event slot at UFC 125, and since his removal feels a bit betrayed by the big wigs.

“This is one of the biggest cards of the year, and I was in the co-main event, and I was really trying to make sure my knee was better,” said Nelson. “The UFC really pushed me hard to get through with my rehab so I could fight on this card. My doctors said I shouldn’t fight again until February or March, but I stepped up because the UFC wanted me to. I stepped up for the UFC, and I hoped they would do the same for me.”

And while Shane Carwin posed an interesting fight to Nelson, the TUF veteran would have been accommodated well should another heavyweight star had stepped up to the plate, specifically big name talent. Mixed martial artist or professional wrestler, Nelson will take on all comers to work his way back to the top.

“The thing is nobody wants to fight a fat guy like me,” said Nelson. “Cro Cop is a legend in this sport, and I would’ve loved to have fought him. I’d like to fight (Antonio Rodrigo) Nogueira for the same reason. I’d love to fight (Alistair) Overeem, Brock Lesnar or The Undertaker. (UFC President) Dana White asks people, ‘So, you want to be a (expletive) fighter?’ I love to fight. I’m one of those guys.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? When Nelson returns to action, who would you like to see him hang in there with? Does the Carwin fight still intrigue you? Sound off in the comment section below.

Speaking with Fighters Only, here’s what Mirko Cro Cop had to say on the situation: “I know nothing about it, this is the first I heard of it. But it would be an interesting fight for sure. I think Roy’s style matches very well with mine, we could have a good fight. I didn’t hear anything from the UFC yet, but let’s see if they call me.”

Both men have lost one and won one in their most-recent fights. Roy Nelson recently became the only man to ever survive all three rounds against Junior dos Santos, losing to the heavy-handed and heavily-feared striker via Unanimous Decision. Mirko Filipovic was last seen eating a late-round and fight-ending knee by former champion Frank Mir in a fight that some have called one of the worst UFC main events in recent history.

Now, if you’ll recall, I was one of the most adamant nay-sayers when it came to Cro Cop vs. Mir. I’ve been saying for quite a while now that Cro Cop is not relevant and will never be relevant in the UFC. And despite the negativity I know it’s going to inspire, I still firmly believe that, and that’s why I don’t want to see this fight happen.

Mirko Cro Cop does not deserve another top-card fight against another top-level UFC star. Roy Nelson has to endure an incredible amount of mud-slinging due to his unusual physique, but at the end of the day, the man is a great fighter and deserves his spot at or near the top of the card. Mirko Cro Cop hasn’t done anything lately to make me believe that he should get one last “last chance”.

In regards to who I think should face Roy Nelson, I honestly think Frank Mir would be a great choice, or perhaps a rematch with Brendan Schaub. I think both fights would be very entertaining for several different reasons: Mir vs. Nelson would be an incredibly competitive ground war, while Nelson vs. Schaub would be an epic stand-up battle especially when you consider how much of a tear Schaub has been on since losing to Nelson.

So while I’m willing to admit that a Cro Cop vs. Nelson fight does have potential, ultimately I’m siding against this one. If Mirko Cro Cop is given one last “last chance”, it needs to be lower on the cards and against someone who’s an up-and-comer looking to make a name for himself. It may seem harsh, but being a gatekeeper is the only viable option Cro Cop has left if he wants to remain in the UFC.

But what do you think, fans and friends? How interested would you be if Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson became Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson?

Shane Carwin, the former interim champion, was last seen in action at UFC 116 when he was defeated by a resilient Brock Lesnar, in an attempt to vie for the promotion’s heavyweight title.

Brock, the former champion recently relinquished his title to current champion Cain Velasquez last Saturday at UFC 121 in Anaheim, Calif. after the proud Mexican heavyweight soundly defeated “The Baddest Man on the Planet” with effective strikes en route to a TKO victory inside of the first round.

The bout pitting Carwin and Nelson was set in order to have the victor climb the ladder once again towards the title picture, however “The Engineer” recently announced on his website Shane-Carwin.com that he has sustained a back injury that will keep him out of the January 1st bout for UFC 125, which was to serve co-headlining duties under the main event of the evening between current lightweight champion Frankie Edgar against undefeated challenger Gray Maynard.

“If the doctors do not have to perform surgery, then I will be out eight to 12 weeks,” wrote Carwin concerning his injury. “If they do have to perform surgery, I do not know how long I will be out of action

“This is a hard decision but the right one, and I hope Team Carwin can stand by me through this period of my career,” said Shane. “No one wants to get me back to winning more than me. I just need to be healthy to do it.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Who do you think would provide a suitable replacement for Carwin?

If we look at UFC 121, the heavyweight adorning the card who are not scheduled for further action thus far as Gabriel Gonzaga, Brendan Schaub, and of course Brock Lesnar.

I doubt a Gonzaga match up would be too appealing at this point, as the former title challenger is looking like damage goods at this point.

Brock and Nelson would certainly be interesting but it looks like Lesnar may be taking some time off to hunt as he originally intended.

And of course Schaub would provide an interesting opponent for Nelson, as they were both pitted against one another in the season 10 finale back in December, where the former IFL champion knocked out the Greg Jackson product inside of the first round. Both have taken a turn in their careers, where Schaub is at the cusp of top-10 infamy and Nelson is looking to get back on top of the division.

So what do you think guys? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what “The Engineer” had to say over at his official website: “Those of you writing Brock off should consider this. The man walked into the UFC at the top level (who does that?) and won and defended the UFC HWT Belt… He nearly lost his life and he came back and found a way to win… He is a real champion, a real warrior and as long as he keeps training and learning MMA he will continue to be a force… Win or lose he should be respected for being the warrior he is.”

Hindsight being 20-20, it’s easy to kick a guy when he’s down. Many fans are all-too-willing to get their shots in after the fact. I myself received a harsh lesson in humility when I sat back and let the insults fly free following the conclusion of UFC 118, which saw James Toney get demolished by Randy Couture after I had spent quite some time predicting and defending that Toney would win. I know that’s not even close to Brock’s situation, but I can certainly empathize with the man.

One bad performance does not make or break your career! I can’t say it enough, it applies to every Mixed Martial Artist and especially to Lesnar. Lesnar rebounded from his loss to Frank Mir by beating Heath Herring, Randy Couture, avenging his loss to Mir, and submitting Shane Carwin after coming back from a potentially career-ending and life-threatening fight with diverticulitis. And he showed remarkable improvements in each and every single one of those fights before Cain Velasquez ran right through him.

I honestly think Lesnar is being held to an unfair standard, especially when you consider how this has happened to virtually every major UFC star in recent history. No division is immune, no star has not faltered. BJ Penn just got dominated by Frank Edgar. Lyoto Machida was KO’d by Mauricio Rua. Rashad Evans was KO’d by Lyoto Machida. Georges St. Pierre famously lost to Matt Serra. Anderson Silva was dominated by Chael Sonnen. All of those men are still widely considered to be at or near the top of the division, but Brock Lesnar is suddenly done as a Mixed Martial Artist and was never all that good to begin with? Spare me.

I’m not even that huge of a fan of the man, I’m just able to recognize that Lesnar is being held to an unfair standard simply because he’s controversial and a lot of people don’t like him. Lesnar was humble in victory over Shane Carwin, he was humble in defeat against Cain Velasquez. At this point I don’t think anything would convince the anti-Brock cynics to change their opinion on the man. But I can say this: they’ll hate Brock even more (if that’s even possible) once he makes his triumphant return and gets right back into title contention by the time 2011 is over and done with.

And what do you think, fans and friends? What do you make of Shane Carwin’s comments, and Lesnar’s future in the UFC in general?

1. Brock Lesnar is the archetypal “giant with skill”.

Lesnar is a giant among giants; he’s a monster heavyweight in an era where monster heavyweights are becoming increasingly more common. Yet unlike hulking behemoths like Bob Sapp, Lesnar has a huge amount of skill to back up his huge amount of muscles. Despite his loss to Velasquez, Lesnar’s credentials haven’t magically disappeared: he’s still an incredible collegiate wrestler, and he’s still beaten some of the best in the game.

2. Brock Lesnar is a massive Pay-Per-View draw.

Every single one of Lesnar’s last few fights have all been on Pay-Per-View cards that pulled in over a million buys. People are practically falling over themselves in their rush to order a fight card headlined by Lesnar. The UFC knows full well that he’s an incredible cash-cow, and they’re not going to squander the boon they’ve been given. Whether the cynics like it or not, Lesnar is going to be competing in co-main and main events until the fans get tired of him, and with how controversial he always seems to be, I just don’t see that happening anytime soon.

3. Brock Lesnar has seven fights as a professional Mixed Martial Artist.

The man has lost twice and people are already thinking that he should call it a career. Lesnar is thirty-three years old, he’s been competing in MMA for a little over three years. Most people don’t even get into the UFC in the first three years of their career, but Lesnar has climbed the mountain and even defended his UFC championship twice before losing it. I think Lesnar could fight until he’s forty if he wanted to. If Brock Lesnar really wants to stay in the MMA game, there’s virtually nothing preventing him from having a long career as a Mixed Martial Artist.

4. Brock Lesnar usually shows a huge amount of improvement on a fight-by-fight basis.

Losing to Frank Mir motivated Brock Lesnar so much that he came back and immediately ran over everyone in his path. Just imagine what this loss to Velasquez will do for him. I think Lesnar hates losing, and I also think that he’s going to train even harder now that he’s lost twice. Compare his loss to Mir with his first fight after that loss, a huge win over Heath Herring, and it’s like a night-and-day transformation. If Lesnar is able to do that again now that he’s lost again, he’ll be challenging for the title before the year is through.

5. Brock Lesnar can take a punch whether you want to admit it or not.

Brock Lesnar nearly got KO’d by Shane Carwin and got (T)KO’d by Cain Velasquez. Newsflash people: Cain Velasquez has (T)KO’d everyone he’s ever faced except for Cheick Kongo, Shane Carwin had eight wins in twelve fights due to strikes before he met Lesnar. Lesnar’s jaw is not made of glass. He can take a punch, he just has problems taking a bunch of punches from two of the deadliest strikers currently competing in Mixed Martial Arts. This was the first (T)KO loss of Lesnar’s career, let’s wait to see if it happens again before we say that he has no chin.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. Love him or hate him, Brock Lesnar has accomplished a lot in an amazingly short period of time, and he’s done it in the biggest, best, and most competitive MMA organization in the world. But what about you, fans and friends? What do you think the future holds for Lesnar?

Sherdog brings word that the UFC’s Lorenzo Fertitta recently sent a letter to Good4U Drinks saying that they would no longer be allowed to sponsor UFC fighters. Rick DeBanks, a representative from the company, had this to say: “Good4U Drinks is seen by Zuffa as a direct competitor to Xenergy (which is owned by Zuffa) and AMP Energy… Although Good4U are sport drinks and not energy drinks, they have been taking share from these brands.” Also quoted in the Sherdog report was Shane Carwin, a noted endorser of the brand. Carwin posted the following on his Twitter account: “Another worthy, great, honorable company supporting fighters banned from the UFC. Thank you for making the road even tougher.”

In certain rare cases, I support the banning of sponsors from UFC events. For instance: the banning of Hoelzer Reich, the aforementioned clothing company that had ties to Neo-Nazis? I practically shouted my support from the rooftops. There’s no place for things like that in modern-day, mainstream Mixed Martial Arts. I know that such a process limits a fighter’s chances at making money, but there are just some lines that shouldn’t be crossed no matter how good the money might be.

But let’s be completely honest here: this is not one of those cases. It doesn’t even come close. I think the UFC should have just shut up, taken their cut, and let their fighters make their money. Now, I know the obvious response: they were just protecting their profits. Well, here’s the thing: you can’t put a price on a fighter’s happiness. And if the UFC wants to continue raking in the green, they need to keep their fighters happy. What they don’t need to do is single out and place a ban on a company because it’s apparently taking interest away from other energy drink sponsors despite the simple fact that their product isn’t an energy drink.

I honestly feel that this decision is just plain asinine. The fighters are the ones stepping into the cages and rings and putting their health at risk, they deserve to get as much money out of their careers as they possibly can before they retire. Although Carwin later posted another series of tweets explaining that he understood why the UFC did what they did, I think he and all the other formerly-sponsored fighters have every right to be angry.

But what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about the UFC routinely banning companies from sponsoring UFC fighters, and how do you feel about this case in particular?

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.

Here are the highlights from a new interview with the folks over at MMAWeekly: “With TV cameras, cell phones, Flip cameras, you’ve got to walk the line and be responsible. There is responsibility with being the champion. First and foremost, I have to be a good role model to my own kids… People are going to trip and people are going to make mistakes, that’s human nature. As long as you learn from those mistakes and take responsibility, what more can you ask for?”

All this coming from a man who once rode Heath Herring like a rodeo bronco, flipped off the crowd, endorsed the competition to one of the UFC’s biggest and most notable sponsors, and told Frank Mir “talk all the **** you want now” after pounding his face in. While I respect Lesnar’s sudden turnaround and commend him for adopting the values of a true champion, ultimately the man is no saint and he’s got a long way to go if he really wants to keep this image.

But here’s the thing: was Lesnar’s previous image really all that bad to begin with? Yes, I realize that professional athletes, especially top-tier professional athletes, should all be squeaky-clean role models so as not to corrupt the impressionable youth. But let’s not put our heads in the sand here. Everybody loves a bad boy. Brock Lesnar didn’t become the UFC’s biggest draw because he kissed babies and made nice with his opponents.

A huge amount of people that tune in to a Brock Lesnar fight do so because they hate his guts and want to see that cocky smile blasted off of his face. An equally massive amount of people tune in because they hate the cynics and want to see them get proven wrong. There is no middle ground with Brock Lesnar, the overwhelming majority either loves him or hates him. And no matter what, everyone notices him. He may not be the world’s greatest role model, but the last three UFC events Brock Lesnar competed in all surpassed one million Pay-Per-View buys.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for this Brock Lesnar “face turn” as so many of his former pro wrestling fans seem to be calling it. Lesnar deserves an incredible amount of respect for returning after such a debilitating injury, and especially for keeping his championship, and he likely wouldn’t have gotten it if he had been the same cocky Lesnar that caused such a stir at UFC 100. But I’m not going to sit here and pretend like I wasn’t entertained by Brock Lesnar’s antics before UFC 116. Brock Lesnar is a fantastic athlete, a great champion, and a wildly entertaining personality… no matter what that personality entails. As the biggest bad boy on the planet or as a humble champion of champions, I’m in Brock Lesnar’s corner no matter what.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think of this new, humble Brock Lesnar?

Edgar recently has successfully defended his title against BJ Penn at UFC 118, dominating the former dual champion en route to a unanimous decision victory, with a clean sweep of scores with 50-45 across the board, between all three judges.

Maynard, the only man to defeat Edgar to date, is coming off of arguably the biggest win of his career, when he defeated former title challenger Kenny Florian, at UFC 118. In Maynard fashion, he used his dominant wrestling prowess to control the Boston native on the ground, and won a clear-cut and otherwise uninspired unanimous decision. The bout was for number one contender spot and allowed him his chance to challenge for the title, for the first time, in his undefeated career.

The New Years day event was revealed on a new addition of “The Ultimate Insider“, a UFC web-related series which speaks with some of the biggest names in the organization.

Also rumored for the event is another lightweight showdown between former PRIDE lightweight champion, Takanori Gomi against the wild man, Clay Guida. Gomi, who initiated his UFC career this year in March, was submitted in the third round by the aforementioned Kenny Florian in a disappointing debut, however, bounced back in a big way when he was able to knockout perennial contender Tyson Griffin in a swift fashion, with just 60-some-odd seconds inside of the first round, at “UFC Live: Jones vs Matyushenko”, last August.

Guida, meanwhile, has bounced back from a two-fight losing streak to a two-fight win streak with submission victories over the likes of Shannon Gugerty, and most recently, Rafael dos Anjos, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt (albeit due to injury) at UFC 117.

A recently announced heavyweight match up between former interim champion, Shane Carwin and former IFL champion, Roy Nelson, is expected to serve as the night’s co-main event.

Shane is coming on the heels of his first defeat as a professional, when he was submitted by current champion, Brock Lesnar. After a strong first round, where Carwin managed to drop Lesnar after a bevvy of punches, outworked himself with a vicious ground-and-pound assault. Still in the fight, Brock was able to survive the onslaught, and came storming back in the second, eventually taking down the fatigued Greg Jackson fighter, mounting, then submitting him with an arm-triangle choke.

Nelson, meanwhile, is coming off of a loss to current number one contender Junior dos Santos. After being rocked on multiple occasions throughout the bout, and dropped twice in the first round alone, Nelson was able to gut it out and survived to see the final bell, though the decision ended up going to dos Santos.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the match ups so far? Any complaints? Sound off in the comment section below.

“Big Country” is currently scheduled to face former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin at UFC 125, according to a recent report. In a recent interview with MMA Weekly, here’s what Nelson had to say about his possible opponent: “If Shane Carwin’s the guy, I’m happy to fight Shane Carwin… If you beat him you’re right back where you were, and he beat the crap out of Brock (Lesnar). So I think if I fought Shane, and beat him, then technically I’m just as good as Brock… I basically want to put on a performance and at the same time I want to make sure I’m healthy enough, or if I’m not healthy enough, to still basically win the fight. If I can be 60-percent to win a fight, then I’m happy to be at 60-percent. As long as I know what I have to be.”

These two men couldn’t be more different. Both men regularly tip the scales at or near the 265-pound Heavyweight weight limit, but Carwin is all mass and Nelson is all flab. Nelson has sneaky one-hit KO power, Carwin can lay down a blitzkrieg barrage that finishes an opponent in seconds. Carwin’s cardio was so bad during UFC 116 that he was basically dead on his feet going into the second round, Nelson survived for three rounds against Junior dos Santos and stayed active all the way through, even if he did noticeably slow down towards the end.

To be completely honest, my opinion of Shane Carwin has really soured lately. The combined one-two punch of Carwin gassing out in five minutes and then being linked to a nationwide steroids conspiracy has really got me thinking that he’s not all that he’s cracked up to be. If “Big Country” can survive any first-round onslaughts, he may just have this fight in the bag. Nelson absorbed the fists of Junior dos Santos for three rounds, I think he has it in him to absorb Carwin’s bombtastic strikes for one round.

I think Roy Nelson is very under-rated as a fighter. He definitely has an nontraditional physique, but there are far more instances of him making it work than it hindering his performance. The man has only ever been KO’d once, and he holds fifteen wins in his professional career.

Still, Shane Carwin is a very dangerous fighter. It will be interesting to see what changes he’s made now that the cardio monster has reared its ugly head and claimed Carwin as its next victim. With a better gameplan and a little less muscle mass, Carwin still has the potential to go all the way. Both men are at pivotal moments in their careers, this fight should be a great one.

And what about you, fans and friends? Who do you think takes it: “The Engineer” or “Big Country”?

Carwin himself, in fact, made the news of his return on his official Twitter page (@ShaneCarwin), and since then many have speculated who the former title challenger will be facing.

In his last outing, Carwin attempted to unify his interim heavyweight title, which he earned with a first round knockout of former champion Frank Mir at UFC 111, when he tangled with the current title holder in Brock Lesnar, at UFC 116 last July. After a dominant first-round turned in, where “The Engineer” was able to drop Lesnar with a barrage of punches, eventually gassing himself when he unloaded a heavy dose of ground and pound that had left Brock on the ropes, but otherwise still in the fight.

Lesnar survived the first round scare to turn it all around in the second, eventually taking down the former Division II All-American collegiate wrestler, working to mount, before submitting the 265-pound Goliath with a an arm-triangle choke. The loss snapped an undefeated streak of 12-wins in a row for the Greg Jackson product.

Now returning to action after the disappointing loss, Carwin will tangle with former IFL heavyweight champion and “The Ultimate Fighter” season 10 winner, Roy Nelson.

“Big Country” himself, is coming off a loss of his own. After going 2-0 inside the promotion with a win over hot prospect Brendan Schaub, to claim the TUF title last December, and an additional win over up-and-comer Stef Struve (UFC Fight Night 21, in March of this year)—both by way of knockout, Nelson’s run to the top was derailed when he met Brazilian striker, Junior dos Santos.

Though competitive throughout the whole bout, unfaltering even after being knocked down twice inside of the first round, Nelson walked away from the bout the loser, when a unanimous decision went the way of the Team Nogueria product, who trains alongside the Nogueria brothers (of course) as well as champions Rafael “Feijao” of Strikeforce, and current UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.

Junior and Nelson were vying for a number one contender’s spot, against the winner of the Brock Lesnar/ Cain Velasquez showdown, which is going down at UFC 121 on October 23.

Nelson and Carwin, though not officially confirmed, will likely serve on the main card for the January pay-per-view card, which is taking place in Las Vegas, Nev. The news was first broke by MiddleEasy.com.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Who do you think will walk away the victor? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here’s what the man himself had to say courtesy of MMA Mania: “I don’t go in there expecting to finish [opponents] really quick – it’s just happened. Right now, they got me on that Carwin track. You know, he beat two guys, knocked them out really quick, and then he got Gabe Gonzaga. So, am I ready for it? No doubt. I can compete with, I think, anyone in the top five in the world. As far as growing and becoming a better fighter, man, everyone has their plan. I can definitely beat Gabe. If I fight to my highest ability and he fights to his highest, I beat him every time. So, that’s the plan… I’m sick of fighting these fat wrestlers, man. I gotta be honest with you. I’m ready for a challenge and I think this is the right step. I’m sure as heck not gonna argue with it or put up a fight. It’s such a great opportunity.”

If Schaub thinks he’ll have it easy in the UFC’s Heavyweight division, Gabriel Gonzaga should be more than capable of giving him a harsh lesson in humility. It’s true that “Napao” has mostly cemented himself as a Heavyweight gatekeeper, but he’s still an opponent to be feared. He’s fought over ten times in the UFC and has far more experience than Schaub when it comes to going up against top-level competition. He’s even challenged for the UFC Heavyweight Championship before. Gonzaga has good striking and an excellent ground game, so even if most of the current top-ranked Heavyweights have used him as a stepping stone, most of the time he’s still a tough stone to step over.

I also think Schaub makes an interesting parallel when he compares himself to Shane Carwin. Carwin was and remains a wrecking machine, but his flaws have already been exposed. The man simply can’t go past the first round, his cardio just isn’t there. Carwin was basically dead on his feet by the time Brock Lesnar took him down and submitted him. I still think Carwin is a good fighter, but my point is that he was built up as a monster and was incredibly humbled in his first loss. Perhaps the same is in store for Schaub if he keeps this better-than-everyone attitude.

Now, don’t get me wrong fans and friends. I love a little cockiness. But only when it’s earned. Schaub hasn’t beaten anyone of note in the UFC, Roy Nelson TKO’d him, and he still hasn’t proved himself as a top-division athlete. His fight with Gabriel Gonzaga will do the job nicely, but as it stands right now, if you asked me who would win if Schaub faced competition like Junior dos Santos or Cain Velasquez, you’d see me pick Cain and “Cigano” with relatively little forethought.

And what about you, fans and friends? Do you think Schaub’s boasting is justified? And do you think he’ll beat Gonzaga?

The 265-pound striker was last seen in action, in attempt to unify the UFC heavyweight titles against current champion Brock Lesnar.

Carwin had initially garnered the promotions interim heavyweight title when he defeated former champion Frank Mir at UFC 111. The victory moved Carwin’s then undefeated record to a perfect 12-0, and pushed his UFC record to 4-0, all coming by some form of knockout inside of the first round.

The victory over Mir help set up, literally, the biggest heavyweight match up in the promotions history. Arguably the two-biggest heavyweights in the division, the two talented wrestlers turned mixed martial artists battled at UFC 116 last July. In the first round, Carwin was able to land his patented heavy handed strikes on Lesnar, dropping the champion in the early goings of the first round, and followed up with a powerful assault of ground-and-pound. However, Lesnar survived and Shane was noticeably fatigued.

In the second round, Carwin was only a shell of a man he was in the first, and Lesnar capitalize by taking down the Greg Jackson product immediately, eventually working to mount, and transitioned to an arm-triangle choke, and Carwin had no choice but to tap out. The dramatic ending came as a surprise to many, as Shane was pegged as the man to reign victorious over the Minnesota native. The loss snapped Carwin’s 12-fight undefeated win streak.

Carwin Tweeted the news recently, though no opponent was indicated.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of Carwin’s return? Who do you think he will be matched up with? Sound off in the comments section below.

The 2009 event opened up to a large audience, and has become a propellant in the mixed martial arts world, opening up the eyes to a mainstream audience, by the community taking leaps and bounds in order to legitimize itself as not only a legitimate sport, but one that deserves that same sort of recognition that most others receive, here in these United States.

While some categories have changed, in order to be politically correct, must stay the same. Voting continues until November 26, where till then you can cast your votes online at All winners are determined by a fan vote, and ballots can be cast through Nov. 26 at www.worldmmaawards.com.

The full list, which was formatted by MMAJunkie.com, of finalists includes:

CHARLES “MASK” LEWIS FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva
* Brock Lesnar
* Frankie Edgar
* Jose Aldo
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

FIGHT OF THE YEAR

* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 117
* Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 116
* Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung at WEC 48
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki at Sengoku 14

KO OF THE YEAR

* Anthony Njokuani vs. Chris Horodecki at WEC 45
* Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110
* Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 113
* Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee at UFC 114
* Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell at UFC 115

SUBMISSION OF THE YEAR

* Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117
* Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 116
* Cole Miller vs. Dan Lauzon at UFC 108
* Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen at UFC 118
* Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko at “Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum”

BEST PROMOTION

* Bellator
* DREAM
* Strikeforce
* UFC
* WEC

LEADING MAN OF THE YEAR

* Bjorn Rebney, Bellator founder and CEO
* Dana White, UFC president
* Joe Silva, UFC VP of talent relations
* Michael Schiavello, HDNet broadcaster
* Scott Coker, Strikeforce founder and CEO

INTERNATIONAL FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Alistair Overeem
* Dan Hardy
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Shinya Aoki

BREAKTHROUGH FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Charles Oliveira
* Evan Dunham
* George Sotiropoulos
* John Hathaway
* Jon Jones

FEMALE FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

* Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos
* Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii
* Miesha Tate
* Sarah Kaufman
* Zoila Frausto

COACH OF THE YEAR

* Cesar Gracie
* Firas Zahabi
* Greg Jackson
* Rafael Cordeiro
* Shawn Tompkins

GYM OF THE YEAR

* American Kickboxing Academy
* American Top Team
* Black House MMA
* Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting
* Wand Fight Team

RING GIRL OF THE YEAR

* Arianny Celeste
* Brittney Palmer
* Chandella Powell
* Natalie Skyy
* Rachelle Leah

BEST LIFESTYLE CLOTHING BRAND

* Affliction
* Fight Chix
* RVCA
* Silverstar
* TapouT

REFEREE OF THE YEAR

* “Big” John McCarthy
* Dan Miragliotta
* Herb Dean
* Josh Rosenthal
* Mario Yamasaki

MOST MEMORABLE RING ENTRANCE

* Anderson Silva
* Clay Guida
* Jason “Mayhem” Miller
* Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal
* Tom Lawlor

BEST TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT BRAND

* Everlast MMA
* Fairtex
* Hayabusa
* TapouT
* Venum

BEST TECHNICAL CLOTHING BRAND

* Bad Boy
* Hayabusa
* Jaco
* TapouT
* Venum

MEDIA SOURCE OF THE YEAR

* “Inside MMA” on HDNet
* MMAjunkie.com
* MMAWeekly.com
* MMAFighting.com
* Sherdog.com

MMA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

* Aaron “Tru” Teweles, Freelance
* Ariel Helwani, MMAFighting.com/Versus.com
* Conner Cordova, MMAReligion.com
* Gareth A. Davies, Telegraph.com
* John Morgan, MMAjunkie.com

So, MMA peeps, any surprises here? Anyone you would have liked to seen in some of these categories? Who do you think will take home some of the honors of the night? Sound off in the comments section below.

5. Miguel Torres vs. Urijah Faber

Both men are likely only one fight away from this massive dream match-up. If Torres can beat Charlie Valencia at WEC 51 and Faber makes a successful Bantamweight debut at WEC 52 against Takeya Mizugaki, I think the WEC would immediately make this match. It’s true that both men have fallen on hard times and that the match itself loses some of its luster due to that, but it’s a fight that’s been on people’s minds for a long time and still features two of the best fighters the WEC has ever seen, so it’s definitely good enough to make this list.

4. Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez

I’ve talked about this fight in the past, but it could easily happen in 2011. In fact, it’s only a matter of who wins what. If Brock Lesnar beats Cain Velasquez to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship, a match with Carwin is an immediate possibility. If Velasquez beats Lesnar, then Carwin is only a few fights away from another title shot, perhaps only one fight away if Lesnar/Carwin 2 is booked and Carwin manages to even the score to 1-1. Even though Lesnar is the UFC’s golden boy of PPV ratings, Carwin/Velasquez would do monster business and definitely be a landmark occasion.

3. Randy Couture vs. Mauricio Rua

Of course, this is assuming that Couture keeps winning and Rua remains the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. This would be a huge fight that would pit the unlikely comeback of Mauricio Rua against the Comeback King, Randy Couture. No matter where it’s held, I think the arena that has this fight would explode if Couture somehow beat “Shogun” and became champion once again. Seeing the ageless wonder with gold around his waist once again would go a long way towards outdoing 2010 in terms of can’t-miss happenings.

2. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2

It was one of the most hyped, talked-about, and shocking fights of 2010…and it’s very likely that 2011 will see Chapter 2 written. Everyone wants to see this fight. I’m convinced that those that say Chael Sonnen doesn’t deserve an immediate rematch even want to see this fight. We need to know once and for all: was the first fight a fluke? Is Chael Sonnen really that good, or was Silva’s rib injury the cause for his near-downfall? Will this be the return of the old Anderson Silva or the final coronation of the people’s champion? The first fight made history, the rematch should be even bigger.

And in that regard, my #1 spot goes to…

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum 2

I don’t know when it will happen, how it will happen, or even where it will happen. But it’ll happen in 2011, I have a strong feeling about that. Fedor Emelianenko’s first legitimate loss was the biggest story in years, and the rematch would likely set several records if marketed correctly and promoted heavily. It’s the ultimate test of Emelianenko’s career, it would finally and definitively answer the avalanche of questions surrounding that defeat. Did Emelianenko get careless? Was Werdum just that good? Is Fedor done? Was he ever all that good to begin with? This rematch would settle all the scores, and due to that, it’s number one on my list.

And what about you, fans and friends? As big a year as 2010 was and still is, what fights do you think could happen in 2011 that would make it even bigger?

5. The WEC in general, Jose Aldo in particular.

With their star-studded cards and penchant for delivering amazing fights, the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion has quickly become one of my favorite MMA organizations. The WEC gave us so many Fight of the Year and Event of the Year contenders in 2010 that I think 2011 will be one of their biggest and best years ever. In particular, I can’t wait to see where 2011 takes current WEC Feather Champion Jose Aldo. Aldo has looked phenomenal in every single one of his fights, and looks primed to embark on a career-defining win streak that hasn’t been seen in the WEC since the glory days of Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres.

4. The ascension of Junior Dos Santos

I think that by the end of 2011, Junior Dos Santos will be wearing Heavyweight gold. He’s proven time and time again that it’s almost impossible to take him down, and when he does get taken down, he immediately gets back up. His punching power is unquestioned, and even if his recent fight with Roy Nelson dispelled the myth that there was no one in the Heavyweight division he couldn’t KO, Dos Santos still looked unbelievably dominant. Dos Santos won’t likely run right over people like Cain Velasquez or Brock Lesnar, but history has taught me to never again bet against “Cigano”.

3. The future of Fedor.

For the first time in his life, Fedor Emelianenko has been humbled. People have begun to question his heart and ability, and many Fedor detractors are forecasting doom on Emelianenko, saying that he was never all that good and that his time as an elite Heavyweight has passed. I personally think Fedor can work his way back to the top and stay there for years to come, but we’ll never know until he tries, right? Quite a lot hinges on Fedor Emelianenko’s next fight, perhaps more than any of his legendary fights in PRIDE, so I can’t wait to see both who his opponent is and how he deals with him.

2. The Return of Shogun

I’ve voiced my opinion already in my controversial “Shogun Will Fall” piece, but I would just like to re-iterate that I can’t wait to see if I’ll be eating a big slice of humble pie in 2011, or if I’ll be the one leading the “I told you so” charge. Whatever happens, the return of Mauricio Rua should be quite eventful.

And my #1 pick is…

1. Anderson Silva: The Neverending Reign

Despite all the damage inflicted on his aura of invincibility when Chael Sonnen dominated him for twenty-three minutes, Anderson Silva is still the UFC Middleweight Champion, and once again fans have to ask themselves: who the hell can beat this guy? The answer? Nobody. Anderson Silva fought with a broken rib against a world-class wrestler and still found a way to win. When he’s injury-free, nobody has even come close to putting a dent in his armor. Fans and fighters alike may think that the blood is in the water now that Sonnen proved that Silva is human, but trust me: seeing Silva get back to his dominating ways will be the most fun you’ll have in 2011.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What are you looking forward to for next year?

First off, beating the top fighter in the world does not instantly make you the top fighter in the world, especially considering the splintered nature of MMA’s Heavyweight division, where almost all the best Heavyweight athletes are in the UFC. Leading up to his shocking win against Fedor, Werdum had beaten Mike Kyle and Antonio Silva himself. Leading up to his shocking come-from-behind submission win over Shane Carwin, Brock Lesnar had beaten UFC Hall of Fame member and then-current UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture and former UFC Heavyweight Champion and then-current UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir.

In short: Werdum beat a nobody and then a mid-level opponent that has only recently begun to emerge as anything more than a freak-show attraction, and then he got a great win under his belt. Brock Lesnar beat a champion who is also a legend in this sport, and then he beat another champion and the only man who ever beat him, and then he scored a fantastic come-from-behind win over someone who had just obliterated anyone that ever went up against him up to that point. Even with his remarkable win over Fedor, Fabricio Werdum simply hadn’t faced the same level of competition that Brock Lesnar had, and so I think it’s perfectly justifiable to have Lesnar as the number one Heavyweight, Werdum at two, and Fedor at number three.

I agree with Silva that it’s crazy to have a fighter with a 5-1 record being ranked as the top Heavyweight in the world. But that’s actually a compliment to Brock Lesnar. It’s a testament to his off-the-charts skills, power, and wrestling pedigree that Lesnar basically came in, conquered the UFC, and now stands atop the world as the best Heavyweight. I personally think that Cain Velasquez will prove to be Lesnar’s kryptonite, but until that time comes, Lesnar is without equal.

And to be perfectly honest, I don’t think Antonio Silva should be throwing stones while living in a house made of glass. It wasn’t long ago that “Bigfoot” was nothing more than a freakshow attraction, used by promoters to milk his impressive size and his average fighting ability. Until his recent win over Andrei Arlovski, the only real name-value opponent on Silva’s record was Fabricio Werdum, and Silva lost that fight. Antonio Silva has only just begun to be accepted as an elite-level Heavyweight fighter, rather than just a big guy with big hands. He should take a hard look at himself, and how promoters booked him in the past, before he begins criticizing the UFC and their rushing of Lesnar into the spotlight.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Do Antonio Silva’s words have merit, or is he sticking his nose into places where it doesn’t belong?

The entire scandal revolves around a nationwide conspiracy to sell illegal anabolic steroids made in Mobile, Alabama. The news came following the sentencing of J. Michael Bennett, a supervising pharmacist at Applied Pharmacy Services. Bennett had been convicted in 2008 on steroid charges, along with several others, and was recently sentenced to four years in prison. At Bennett’s sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Dobbins revealed a list of names of athletes that had obtained drugs via the conspiracy. The conspiracy itself resulted in 762,388 dosages of steroids being shipped to 17 doctors and clinics in a two-year period, according to reports. Names on the list included pro wrestlers like Kurt Angle, professional bodybuilders like Toney Freeman and Quincy Taylor, and of course, UFC star Shane “The Engineer” Carwin. So far, Carwin has not commented on this scandal, although his manager recently revealed that a statement was in the works.

If it proves true, I think this could be damning for both Shane Carwin and the sport of Mixed Martial Arts as a whole. This would prove that one of the UFC’s biggest potential stars is chemically enhanced. It sends a message to the public that the UFC may not be as squeaky-clean as it touts itself to be, and it sends a message to prospective fighters that one of the quickest ways to the top is through the juice, considering how quickly Carwin skyrocketed to the top of the pecking order and found himself challenging for a championship. It casts a black mark on Carwin’s entire career, which up until now has had near-unstoppable potential even with his recent loss to Brock Lesnar. Carwin was destined for great things, but now that his name may forever be tied to this conspiracy, he may be branded with a Scarlet Letter and even released from the UFC.

Some may balk at that, saying that the UFC has given second chances to fighters who have tested positive for steroids. But that’s the thing- Carwin never tested positive and was still on the roids. This is the type of story that the media can really stick their teeth in to: not only is a huge UFC star right in the middle of a big nationwide conspiracy, he never once got caught. It says more about the state of popular media than it does the state of steroid testing in MMA, but I think there’s a very real possibility that the media will take this, spin it, blow it out of proportion, and get so many people riled up that the UFC has no choice but to give Carwin the axe. In the realm of exploitative journalism, Shane Carwin may end up being someone’s wet dream come true.

There’s always a chance that Carwin didn’t take steroids, but we’ll never know for sure, will we? And it’s always easier to point the finger of blame than it is to give the benefit of the doubt. So many other professional athletes have gone on the war-wagon about never being on the juice, only for undeniable evidence to the contrary to be revealed. We’ve even had a few personal confessions. If Shane Carwin comes out and adamantly refuses ever taking steroids, it’s honestly going to be tough to believe him.

So what do you think fans and friends? Is Shane Carwin “guilty until proven innocent”, or do you think that he’s a victim of a frame-job?

Emelianeko, legend and former Pride and WAMMA heavyweight champion, is apparently in good standings with his new home with Strikeforce.

Just two month’s removed from his first “real” loss as a professional to then heavy-underdog Fabricio Werdum, who submitted the sambo specialist with a tight, tight triangle choke, just 69 seconds into the first round, Emelianenko spoke with m-1global.com (owned by M-1 Global, Fedor’s management company) and hinted to a possible contract extension with Strikeforce.

After making his debut in devastating fashion over the hard-hitting Brett Rogers, Fedor would eventually lose to Werdum some months later, halting an impressive 27 fight win streak which dates back to 2000, when Fedor lost to Tsuyoshi Kohsaka via TKO (cut), in what was considered controversial since elbows were not allowed in the tournament format Fedor was competing in.

While many speculated when the former consensus number one heavyweight fighter would eventually make his UFC debut, where arguably the best competition exists with current heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and challengers Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir, and Shane Carwin exist, it appears that we will all have to wait a little bit longer.

Though his next move is still uncertain, Strikeforce is seemingly securing the heavyweight star while still under contract, extending the 33-year-old contract.

“As far and I’m concerned we should discuss the possibility of signing another contract for four to six fights”, said Emelianenko to m-1global.com.

And outside of Fedor himself, M-1 Global Director of Operations Evgeni Kogan, wants to reciprocate those same intentions.

“The relationship between ourselves, Strikeforce and Showtime is a good one,” he said. “We had a great event in June in San Jose, and we look forward to more good events with our partners.

“(M-1 Global and Strikeforce) are in talks to extend the contract for Fedor and at the same time to settle on who, when and where he is fighting next. These talks are going smoothly, and we are hopeful of a full resolution very shortly.”

While the UFC offers a bevy of dream matches for the Russian, and much stiffer competition with the aforementioned UFC fighter’s, Strikeforce does have some notables to offer.

Bret Rogers, though tough, is largely irrelevant, unfortunately, in the Strikeforce heavyweight division, following losses to Fedor and current champion Alistair Overeem.

Overeem himself would be an excellent match up, though said fiight has lost some of it’s allure following Fedor’s loss, and Alistair’s impressive run in the past couple of years in both the MMA and Kickboxing circuit.

A rematch with Werdum would be a logical choice for the promotion, in order to get the Russian back in good standings in the heavyweight division and erase the setback the Brazilian presented. However, following the fight last June, the Abu Dhabi Grappling veteran has since received surgery on a nagging elbow injury, and will be out for the rest of 2010.

So, the next logical conclusion may be Antonio “Big Foot” Silva. The American Top Team product made his debut in a losing effort to the top-5 heavyweight Werdum, when the fight went to the judges score cards.

However, “Pezao” bounced back in a big way, when he nabbed a unanimous decision over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski last May.

I’m personally vouching for a fight with Silva, and then possibly a rematch with Werdum, where then with two “hypothetical” wins underneath his belt, Fedor might have gained some notoriety back and challenge Overeem, in what has been discussed as a possible headliner for Strikeforce’s first Pay Per View card.

So, outside of the UFC, what is the next match up that you, the fans, would like to see for Fedor?

Is everyone disappointed that the Russian may end up lock-and-sealed with Strikeforce?

Voice your opinion.

While hot topics such as football, Mel Gibson crazy rantings, where you can find the best looking women, “Iron” Mike was able to squeeze in some praise for the MMA community, including James Toney inception into the UFC against legend Randy Couture, and the beast that is Brock Lesnar.

“My favorite guy has got to be Fedor (Emelianenko)”, said Tyson while sitting down with the Gridlock crew.

When asked in regards to the current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, Tyson had much praise for the former WWE superstar turned mixed martial artist, in regards to his last fight with previously undefeated heavyweight sensation, Shane Carwin.

“Brock Lesnar is very exciting. Very exciting fighter”, said the former boxing champion.

“You have to account now, that he has a great sense of fortitude, from what happen in his last fight (with Shane Carwin), so you can never count him out now. Because now you know, his pain threshold is off the roof now. He’s big, he’s powerful, fast, and he can handle pain as well as he can dish it. So it’s going to be tough to beat him.”

When asked in regards to his former colleague in Jame Toney, if he can make an immediate impact in the sport, let alone have a chance against UFC hall of famer Randy Couture, Tyson had this to say.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen James Toney fight in MMA.”

When told it would be his first fight ever in MMA, Tyson was not so optimistic, at first.

“Oh man. It could be detrimental to him. But then again, I’ve seen Randy (Couture) get knocked out by boxers like Chuck Liddell. (Chuck Liddell) is a boxer-fighter, (he) base’s his fights on punches”.

Mike acknowledges that Toney has a puncher’s chance, but only a puncher’s chance, much like what is the universal opinion on the matchup.

While his wild escapades and long hard journey have now found Tyson living out of Las Vegas, it’s nice to know that a now more grounded Tyson can still enjoy combat sports on some level, even if we may never see him lace up the gloves every again.

The first and perhaps most obvious choice is Cain Velasquez. Velasquez is seemingly the perfect amalgam of Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin: Cain possesses both brutal ground and pound and vicious one-hit knockout power. Cain is also relatively new to the sport of MMA, and like Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, his quick and relatively painless run to the top leaves the door open for years of domination. Velasquez is also one of the UFC’s most marketable stars. The son of an illegal immigrant, Velasquez will likely be a key figure in developing and continuing any sort of UFC deal with Mexico, up to and including an event in Mexico or even coaching a “Team Mexico” for The Ultimate Fighter. Even without his heritage, Velasquez’s seemingly unstoppable mix of grounding, pounding, and striking makes him one of the best Heavyweights in the world, a fact that I don’t see changing for quite some time.

Another choice that will likely come as a shocker to none is Junior Dos Santos. I’ve said it in the past, and it bears repeating: I’ve learned to never again bet against Junior Dos Santos. For all the MMA purists that swear up and down that a good ground fight is just as good as and even better than two guys sloppily swinging for the fences, nobody can deny that the chance to see a highlight-reel KO is one of the main reasons we all tune in to this sport of ours. And Junior Dos Santos has delivered at least one highlight-reel moment in every single one of his UFC fights to date. Most fans are well aware that his ground skills have yet to be truly tested, and while I think he will have his hands full if he takes on wrestling powerhouses like Lesnar and Velasquez, I truly believe that Dos Santos could separate any and every man currently competing in the UFC’s Heavyweight division from his consciousness. The UFC Heavyweight Division has lacked a championship-level “pure striker” since the days of Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia, and Junior Dos Santos fits that mold perfectly. Even if he won’t be able to stand up to the ground game of some of the Heavyweight elite, I see Junior Dos Santos consistently near the top of the cards for the next several years.

My final choice may shock a few people, it may not. But here it is: Roy Nelson. I’ve been a fan of “Big Country” since his days in the IFL, and his performances inside the Octagon have got me thinking that Roy Nelson has only just begun to realize his potential. His striking has never looked sharper, and his ground game continues to evolve and improve. Plus, he’ll always have the appeal of being a non-standard Heavyweight. Seeing Big Country rub his big belly after turning in another exciting performance will likely never get old. While it’s anyone’s guess as to if he can get past Junior Dos Santos in their upcoming fight, I think Nelson has more than enough skill to consistently be “in the mix”. He may not reach the same heights as Junior Dos Santos or Cain Velasquez, but if he continues to improve, the top-tier better be ready to handle the weight of Big Country.

So what do you think, fans and friends? Who do you see sitting atop or consistently being contenders to the UFC Heavyweight throne?

5. Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez

Once a fight destined to determine the next UFC Heavyweight Championship contender, Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez has a very real possibility of being for the UFC Heavyweight Championship when it all goes down. What makes this match so interesting is the progression of both men since this match was first announced. At the time, both Carwin and Velasquez were lighting up the lower to mid-level UFC Heavyweight division, but lacked a real win against world-caliber opponents. Since then, both have proceeded to obliterate former UFC Heavyweight Champions. When this fight does happen, it won’t be two relative rookies out to prove who’s better, it’ll be an epic battle between two of the best Heavyweights in the world.

4. BJ Penn vs. Georges St-Pierre

Not only is there a precedent for the UFC booking a third fight between two men when one has won the previous two fights, there was also an enormous amount of controversy behind the second bout. And no matter what side of the fence you found yourself on, you have to admit that a third showdown between former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion BJ Penn and current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre has massive amounts of appeal. Even with BJ Penn’s recent loss to Frankie Edgar, I think we’d see the best Penn ever if he were to get his wish and be given a third chance to prove once and for all that he can beat Georges St. Pierre.

3. Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre

If there’s one fight for GSP that could conceivably be bigger than a third fight with Penn, it’s a fight with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Despite his recent antics inside the Octagon that have drawn the scorn of most of the MMA community, Anderson Silva remains one of the deadliest fighters on the planet…when he’s trying. Against Georges St. Pierre, Silva would put away the dancing routine and bring back the laser-precise counter-punching and nearly-unstoppable Muay Thai to deal with GSP’s raw takedown power and expert ground game. On the feet or on the ground, this would be one for the ages.

2. Alistair Overeem vs. Brock Lesnar

Everyone loves to talk about a dream-match between Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko, or a fight between Emelianenko and UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, but few fans seem to realize how much potential an Overeem vs. Lesnar fight would have. Lesnar’s raw power would seemingly be nullified by “Ubereem”, who has never looked in better shape and has never been so crisp in his striking and grappling. If this fight goes to the ground, Overeem has always possessed a critically under-rated ground game. To his credit, Lesnar continues to evolve by leaps and bounds in every single one of his fights, and would most likely push the “Demolition Man” to his limits. No matter who wins, this one would be one hell of a spectacle to watch.

And my #1 “dream match” is…

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Randy Couture

You read that right: not Brock Lesnar, but former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture would be the biggest and best fight that Fedor Emelianenko could ever have before he calls it a career and retires. The appeal of Fedor/Couture doesn’t get much simpler: it’s two of the best MMA fighters of all time finally fighting each other. Even if both men are no longer in their prime, this fight would be one of the biggest MMA fights ever. And I honestly don’t think it matters who wins this one: I respect and admire both men so much that just seeing them staring across the cage at one another would give me goose bumps.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. How does your list measure up? What are some of your favorite “dream matches”?

That said, we all wondered aloud how Lesnar would do against a man with supposedly similar size and athleticism in Shane Carwin coming into their UFC 116 encounter. Beyond the fact that Lesnar was able to win, here’s what we found out that we didn’t necessarily know heading into their fight.

1. Lesnar has the heart of a champion: Every other fighter that had tasted Carwin’s power had either gone to sleep or saw a referee pulling him off of them moments later. But Lesnar was able to persevere through not just one big shot, but a torrent of them. He was cut; he was bloody. But somehow, he made it through a gripping round one.

“I just had to weather the storm,” Lesnar said after the fight. “He’s got some heavy shots. I just had to hang on and I knew he was getting tired. Each shot was less dramatic than the other and I just had to let him go.”

When you add in the fact that less than a year ago Lesnar was lying in a Canadian hospital bed with career threatening surgery for diverticulitis hanging over him, his heart is just that much more pronounced. Love him or hate him, Lesnar is willing to put it all on the line to win.

2. Lesnar still needs to work on his striking skills: Some guessed this coming into the Carwin fight. That said, it was hard to really know. After all, Lesnar had dropped Randy Couture with strikes in their previous encounter; he had also dizzied Frank Mir (first fight) and Heath Herring with his fists in earlier bouts.

But Carwin absolutely demolished him standing. In fact, Lesnar really just covered up once he tasted his opponent’s power and looked pretty uncomfortable for the short period of time he was left standing in the initial stanza. This has some believing that Cain Velasquez is going to do a number on him when they fight.

3. Lesnar has an excellent jaw: People often think that heart and a jaw go together, but they don’t always.  You can want to win and be willing to go through all types of adversity/injuries to do so and still have a jaw or chin that doesn’t allow you to stay awake once you get hit.

Anyway, if you can take one of Carwin’s power shots that means you have a good jaw. If you can take as many as Lesnar did, that means you’re a beast.

4. Lesnar is learning that MMA fans like a more humble champion than professional wrestling fans do: This one is easy. Look at the difference between the embarrassing way Lesnar acted after the Mir fight, and the way he acted after the Carwin encounter.

“I stand before you a humble champion,” Lesnar said after UFC 116. Enough said.

5. Lesnar Can Still Win Over MMA Fans: He hasn’t exactly been one of the more popular MMA champions to date (popular in a good way, anyhow). But after his victory over Carwin there were a heck of a lot more cheers for him than he’s heard after most of his wins.

The massively anticipated main event between two of the world heavyweight division’s largest warriors delivered the goods. A lightning-fast first round began with an explosion of power shots from Carwin following a strong opening takedown by Lesnar.

Coming into the fight, the sides had been drawn with the Lesnar crowd insisting that the former WWE star’s freakish athletic speed would neutralize Carwin leaving the interim champ helpless on his back with a goliath atop him throwing down super-sized fists.

Those on the Carwin side of the fence swore with near religious fervor that Lesnar’s chin would crack once touched by the hands of the former interim champ which are surprisngly a size bigger than those of Lesnar.

In the end, all predictions came to reasonable fruition in an action-packed event which can be judged arguably as the best in UFC history. Carwin lived up to his legend by rocking Lesnar for the first time in the  UFC champ’s short career.

Rebouding from Lesnar’s power takedown in the beginning of round one, Carwin quickly came to life unloading a storm of powerful punches to the head of Lesnar eventually forcing the champ to the ground in a visibaly rocked and wounded position.

Carwin continued hammering Lesnar with power shots that would have left most normal men unconscious and bound for the emergency room. Lesnar laid against the cage nearly defenseless save for his giant arms occassionally blocking random punches in what any fair cageside judge would have easily scored a landslide 10-8 round for Carwin.

As the horn blew signaling the end of the first round, a winded Carwin found himself suddenly bound for the foreign challenge of a second round. An unknown territory for the former interim champ during his stunning first round UFC average fight time of barely over one minute’s time collectrively.

The first round’s end also delivered Lesnar to a new and mysterious place. For the first time in his dominating career, the giant champion was found battered and bloody as he wobbled back to his corner.

And as cliché as the concept of overcoming adversity may be at times — in this moment — adversity set the mark for two warrirors both suddenly placed into poisitions of pain and exhaustion only seconds away from a quickly approaching second round.

Round two reversed gears in stunning fashion. As the timer clicked into motion, the demeanor of both men momentarily changed to one of mutal respect with Carwin winking his eye at Lesnar and Lesnar returning a smile before touching gloves and returning to action. No words were necessary in this moment to clearly define that both men had equal appreciation for one another’s skill and toughness.

By the first minute of round two, Lesnar scored a powerful takedown to eventually work his way into full mount position. Certainly a large portion of the MMA world looked on with salivating expectation for a swarm of hammerfists from Lesnar in what is considered one of his best categories. But to the disbelief of thousands, Lesnar opted out of a predictable ground-and-pound assault and caught Carwin in a classic arm choke tirangle forcing the former interim champion to tap under the forceful squeeze.

Lesnar shocked the world with a submission that most of the MMA community previously doubted. The cameras panned outward beyond the cage towards the face of a visibly surprised Cain Velasquez (3-0) who is now poised to face Lesnar for the next shot at the title. Following Lesnar’s proof that he is potentially bigger, stronger, faster and ever improving, Velasquez certainly has a big mountian to climb when that day comes.

I myself was forced to eat a lot of humble pie in the fallout of the UFC 116 event. In a previous article I offered up the idea that Shane Carwin’s Jiu-Jitsu might make the difference in the fight against Lesnar. Now myself as well as any others out there who previously questioned Lesnar’s position as the best in the world, must honestly not only admit such a reality. We should applaud it. Lesnar is a unique super-athlete who appears to be on a path of continuous evolution.

For Fighters.com and UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar (5-1) it’s been a three-year roller coaster from MMA novelty to undisputed heavyweight champion.  But, after former top-ranked “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko’s (31-2) stunning loss to “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1)  at Strikeforce/M-1 Global in San Jose June 26 and Lesnar’s arm triangle submission of Shane Carwin (12-1) at UFC 116 Saturday, there can be no dispute among any rational fan, fighter, journalist, or promoter that indeed Lesnar now sits atop the mountain in the world heavyweight rankings.

The debate is over, for now.

Lesnar already has second-ranked Cain Velasquez’s (8-0) name on his dance card to defend his new status.

Throughout the last year’s Emelianenko-Lesnar debate, UFC President Dana White repeated “the best fighters in the world fight the best three times per year.”  Yet, Lesnar has never passed that threshold.  Of course, Lesnar suffered from diverticulitis for several months, which postponed his UFC title defense until Saturday.  However, even without the illness, Lesnar would’ve only fought twice in 2009.

Fighters.com challenges White to make good on his promise to keep Lesnar on a four-month fight schedule, which would perch the Lesnar-Velasquez matchup at the top of the UFC 121 card rumored to be heading for Oberhausen, Germany.  More likely though, White will end the year with the matchup at UFC 122 in Las Vegas.

At UFC 117 in Oakland August 7, it seems the next top UFC contender will be decided betwen third-ranked “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (11-2) and The Ultimate Fighter 10 champion “Big Country” Roy Nelson (15-4).

Werdum ascends to the fourth spot with his submission of Emelianenko in the matchup promoted to determine the next Strikeforce title challenger to ninth-ranked “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (33-11).  However, it seems that was only if Emelianenko had won. Since the inconcievable Werdum victory, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker has thrown just about every potential matchup at the wall to see what sticks except the natural Overeem-Werdum title fight to crown a clear Strikeforce champion.  Maybe Werdum and Emelianenko will rematch.  Maybe Overeem and Emelianenko will fight for the title to determine who gets the next crack at higher-ranked Werdum.  It’s all confusing and Fighters.com encourages Coker to go with plan A and match the champ Overeem with the top contender Werdum.

Carwin drops to the fifth spot with his loss to Lesnar.  Carwin…dare I use the word…dominated Lesnar in round one, but exposed a weakness on his back in round two that must be fixed if 35-year old Carwin expects to make another run to the top.

Emelianenko drops to the sixth spot.  I’m willing to have a reasonable discussion about where Emelianenko ranks, but not with anyone who’ll continue to rank Emelianenko first.  You’re delusional.  Part of Emelianenko’s ranking is just circumstantial.  For right now, Werdum is a better fighter than Emelianenko as evidenced by the actual fight in which Werdum defeated Emelianenko.  There’s no would’ves, should’ves, or could’ves to discuss after two fighters fight.  Therefore, Werdum must rank above Emelianenko.  Similarly, Werdum was knocked out by dos Santos at UFC 90 west of Chicago in October 2008.  In an effort to rank fighters presently and not historically, Fighters.com limits the considered record of fighters to their work in the previous two years.  Therefore, dos Santos must rank above Werdum who must rank above Emelianenko.  That’s Fighters.com’s method and why Emelianenko ranks sixth after losing to Werdum.

Neither seventh-ranked Frank Mir (13-5) nor eighth-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1) have any scheduled or rumored fights on their calendars.

Though Coker had mentioned rematching tenth-ranked “The Grimm” Brett Rogers (10-2) and former UFC heavyweight champion “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (15-8), Fighters.com has confirmed both with Rogers’s camp and Strikeforce that the rematch has never been officially offered to Rogers.

Fighters.com’s July Heavyweight Top Ten

1. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
2. Cain Velasquez (8-0)
3. “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (11-2)
4. “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1)
5. Shane Carwin (12-1)
6. “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-2)
7. Frank Mir (13-5)
8. “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1)
9. “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (33-11)
10. “The Grimm” Brett Rogers (10-2)

UFC 116 is big. Really big. Two giants face off Saturday night in Las Vegas at UFC 116 as UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) steps into the Octagon against seventh-ranked UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin (12-0).

Within the realm of contemporary mixed-martial-arts, I’ll go as far as saying that tomorrow night’s UFC 116 main event ranks equally as high upon the scales of legend with that of Ali and Frazier. Even Tyson and Holyfield. Heck, even Rocky and Drago.

And the storyline leading up to tomorrow’s bout is also not devoid of the proverbial good versus evil scenario. On one side of the cage stands the brash former WWE star in that of Brock Lesnar looking across the mat towards a reasonably understated and patient contender in that of Shane Carwin.

It’s no secret that Shane Carwin is one of mixed-martial-arts’ rising stars and a favorite amongst fans. His humble and all-American demeanor in and out of the Octagon could potentially position the daytime Colorado-based engineer to an ambassadorial role within the sometimes controversial world of MMA. A position and hero-like status quite similar to that of former UFC champion and UFC Hall-of-Famer “The Natural” Randy Couture (18-10).

And in many ways, Carwin and Couture share much more than a kinship within the realms of social stature. Both men are obviously blessed with solid wrestling talent. Just as both men have been positioned against MMA’s ever-potential villain of Brock Lesnar.

But there’s a vast difference in the toolboxes of Carwin and Couture. Not to mention size. Carwin’s knockout power is a given. And power shots were never a defining skill within the arsenal of Couture. But Carwin has a secret weapon. A weapon that is reasonably vacant within both the styles of Couture and Lesnar alike. And this mysterious weapon is the art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Shane Carwin, unknown still to many fans and passersby, has studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu  for the past few years. Training first along with Fighters.com fourth-ranked “Great” Nate Marquardt (29-9-2), Carwin eventually joined forces with 2nd Degree Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Blackbelt, Amal Easton.

Easton, a decorated Jiu-Jitsu artist whom previously lived and trained in Brazil, has direct martial arts lineage to Renzo Gracie (13-7-1). And Easton operates several Jiu-Jitsu schools located in Arvada, Boulder, Denver and Parker Colorado. Carwin is a purple Belt under Easton with Easton serving as a coach and cornerman during the interim champ’s recent UFC battles.

Possibly over-shadowed by a storm of highlight-reel knockouts, Carwin is also quite enlightened and naturally gifted on the ground according to his coach.

Easton last night by phone from Las Vegas told Fighters.com, “Shane is just so fast physically and also learns things very quickly. There are moves that are difficult for small guys to pick up, but I show them to Shane and he picks them up right away. Sometimes beforehand, I feel silly about showing him some of these moves. But man, the way he bangs it out is unbelievable.”

Unlike both Couture and Lesnar, Carwin’s level of Jiu-Jitsu goes a bit deeper than regimented Jiu-Jitsu defense which is commonly balanced by wrestling and ground-and-pound. Carwin, as opposed to many large-sized wrestlers in MMA, is more than capable of offensive Jiu-Jitsu making the young fighter dangerous from his back and his guard shall he find himself in such positions.

But a shadow exists. A darkness which often eclipses the idea of a knockout artist changing gears and taking advantage of a groundgame. A game which is sometimes questioned by onlookers with regard to Lesnar.

And the growing legend of Carwin’s heavy hands — seemingly built of humanoid steel — take obvious center stage in the wake of an exciting career boasting an undefeated record of impressive first round knockouts. But this exciting history should not rule out the potential of a surprise on the ground.

When asked how Carwin’s gameplan was being structured for the big fight, Easton revealed, “Shanes’s entire game is solid. His Jiu-Jitsu. Everything. But we do not train for an opponent’s weaknesses necessarily. We focus on their strengths. We don’t look at a guy like Brock Lesnar and try to change the game too much. And we have monsters in our gym. And I got to say, Shane puts a hurting on them.”

Easton continued, “The curious thing for me in this fight is that Brock is saying that he’s switching his lead. Changing his normal stance.”

Carwin knows the entire MMA game quite well. Certainly still evolving, Carwin is well-versed in chokes, locks and submissions of every variety. And if there is any potential of a wildcard event albeit a cliché secret weapon during Saturday’s headliner, Carwin submitting Lesnar is not just some weird stroke of fantasy. A submission by Carwin is easily possible.

But UFC 116 brings with it tremendous mental pressure on the men who will battle for its highest honor. The shear size of the event and the anticipation of numerous months and delays might throw a fighter off focus. Carwin is however professionally calm and ready in contrast.

When asked if Shane was nervous about Saturday night’s big fight, Easton responded, “If a fighter is not a little nervous before a big fight then something is wrong with them. But with Shane, I have never seen anyone else so calm, cool and collected before a fight.”

Easton elaborated on his picture of Carwin, “When we talk about an athlete like Shane Carwin. We are not talking about someone for the first time in the spotlight. We’re talking about somebody who was a susperstar athlete ever since grade school.”

Easton continued,” Shane was a stud in high school. He played college football. He was a two-time All-American wrestler. He was drafted into the NFL. Shane is a competitor. This guy is a real gladiator. Really, he’s a different kind of human.”

UFC 116: Lesnar Versus Carwin airs live on pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, July 3.

Brazilian submission grappler “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) forced “Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko (31-2) of Russia to tap in a triangle choke at 1:09 of round one at Strikeforce in San Jose Saturday, June 26.

Emelianenko floored Werdum with a right hand to open the fight, but made the extraordinarily uncharacteristic blunder of diving head-first into Werdum’s guard.  Werdum cinched Emelianenko’s arm in an armbar, then transitioned into the triangle choke that forced Emelianenko to tap out for the first time in his MMA career.

“I made a mistake,” Emelianenko admitted stoicly in the cage after losing.

Upset is an understated description of Werdum’s victory over the world’s top-ranked heavyweight.  The win earns Werdum a Strikeforce title shot versus Dutch kickboxer “Demolition Man” Alistair Overeem (31-11).

Overeem had predicted an Emlianenko win and has also suffered a submission loss to Werdum at PRIDE Total Elimination Absolute in 2006.

Werdum’s win also rearranges the MMA heavyweight division’s rankings, but how so is yet unknown.  Emelianenko has reigned over the division since knocking out former UFC champion “Maine-iac” Tim Sylvia (26-6) in 36 seconds at Affliction in Los Angeles in 2008 after a two-year stretch of thin competition.

Though a legitmate top ten heavyweight, Werdum joined Strikeforce in August 2009 after a 2-2 run in the UFC ended with a knockout loss to “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (11-1) at UFC 90 west of Chicago in October 2008.

Now the MMA media will have to decide if they’ve been wrong and UFC President Dana White has been correct all along.  White has chastised the media for ranking Emelianenko atop the heavyweight division.  Since 2008, Emelianenko has knocked out two former UFC champions, Sylvia and “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski (14-8).  Until Saturday night, the MMA media has emphasized the “UFC champions” part; White has emphasized the “former” part.  And now, Emelianenko has lost to a fighter who’s never won a significant MMA title and was cut from the UFC by White after a mediocre run in the Octagon.

So, where does Saturday’s result in San Jose leave Werdum and Emelianenko in the rankings?  Werdum will surely argue he’s now the best heavyweight in the world after dethroning the division’s top fighter.  But, after losing a decision to Arlovski at UFC 70 in Manchester in 2007 and suffering a first-round KO to dos Santos, how can Werdum be considered the best fighter in the division?

White will argue that the answer to that dilemma is that Emelianenko was never the division’s best fighter and that title belongs to the winner of the UFC 116 main event between UFC champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) and interim champion Shane Carwin (11-0) in Las Vegas July 3.

Maybe he’s right.