Thiago Tavares, a native of Brazil, will be returning to the cage in just a few months as the UFC returns to his home country for “UFC 134: Rio”, which takes place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janiero on August 27th.

Tavares will be taking on perennial contender and 15-time UFC veteran Spencer Fisher in a pivotal lightweight contest, where the loser could face his termination from the world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion, where both of whom have remained main stays for several years.

Both Thiago and Spencer are in dire straits now in their UFC careers, since both have since been on the losing side of things, which is especially true for Fisher, who at point in his tenure with the organization was considered to be a top contender in the division.

Fisher was last seen inside the cage when at UFC 127 in an exciting lightweight affair opposite of season nine winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” in Ross Pearson. The two men battled on the feet for three-straight rounds, and the bout in of itself was thought to be an early candidate for “Fight of the Night”, however in the end the Brit was able to edge Spencer en route to a decision win. The loss was Fisher’s third in his last four outings, and his lone victory came against debutant Curt Warburton last October. It is important to note that these particular losses suffered to Fisher have come against divisional greats in former title challenger Joe Stevenson, budding contender Dennis Siver and the aforementioned Pearson.

Tavares, thought at one point to be a future force in the lightweight division, has been hot and cold since his inception into the UFC. His overall record in the organization stands at 5-4-1. In his last outing, Tavares was knocked out by former WEC lightweight contender Shane Roller in the second-round, despite having rocked Roller earlier in the fight. It was a lunging right hand that sealed the deal for the Brazilian, and the loss was his second such knockout loss since his time in the UFC.

If either man suffers another loss here, it’s almost certain that they can expect to be released from the promotion.

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the news? The edge in experience and striking goes to Fisher, though “The King” has always been susceptible to grapplers, and Tavares is one of the more well-versed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts in the division. It’s a tough fight for both men, and it will be interesting to see how both men fight under the pressure, especially Tavares who will be fighting in one of the largest cards in UFC history, before his fellow countryman. Sound off in the comment section below.

MMA Junkie first brings word that a deal is in place to bring Spencer Fisher and Ross Pearson together for a fight on the preliminary card. A thirty-fight veteran, Spencer “The King” Fisher comes into this bout on a one-fight win-streak, and this fight with Pearson will mark his fifteenth appearance inside the famed Octagon. Pearson, the Lightweight winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9, recently had a four-fight win-streak broken by a submission loss to Cole Miller.

In addition to that bout, UFC 127 will now see a battle of big Heavyweights who need a big win in a big way. MMA Junkie also recently reported that Mark Hunt vs. Chris Tuchscherer would also be taking place at UFC 127, also on the preliminary card. Mark Hunt’s recent debut in the UFC fulfills contractual obligations that have been postponed since the fall of PRIDE, all the way back in 2007. Hunt hasn’t won a fight since 2006 and is on a six-fight losing-streak. Chris “The Crowbar” Tuchscherer is a noted training partner of Brock Lesnar, and has gone 1-2 in his most recent Octagon efforts.

According to the MMA Junkie report, the announcement of these two bouts brings together a finalized UFC 127 card. So long as no fighters come down with injuries, the official card stands as follows (from top to bottom): Jon Fitch vs. B.J. Penn, Michael Bisping vs. Jorge Rivera, Dennis Siver vs. George Sotiropoulos, Carlos Condit vs. Chris Lytle, Chris Camozzi vs. Kyle Noke, Spencer Fisher vs. Ross Pearson, Alexander Gustafsson vs. James Te Huna, Riki Fukuda vs. Nick Ring, Mark Hunt vs. Chris Tuchscherer , Maciej Jewtuszko vs. Curt Warburton, and Tom Blackledge vs. Anthony Perosh.

I’m really looking forward to this event, and I can’t wait to see it happen. I would have watched this show for the main event alone, but I commend the UFC for putting together such a fantastic card around what is already a fantastic main event. In regards to these two match-ups, I think Spencer Fisher will be a good test for Ross Pearson, who continues to struggle to break the mid-level barrier at Lightweight. If Pearson manages to beat the talented veteran, he’ll probably find himself back on the main televised card of a UFC event sooner rather than later.

It honestly breaks my heart, just a bit, whenever talks turn to Mark Hunt. So many people are quick to make him the butt of a joke, so many people just assume he’s garbage. Mark Hunt is definitely a victim of his own shortcomings, but the guy isn’t a bad person, and he always comes into his MMA fights looking to entertain. He’ll throw caution to the wind, striking with strikers and grappling with grapplers, just because he knows the fans want a show. Even with his gargantuan losing streak, Mark Hunt gets a pass from me… even though I think Tuchscherer is probably going to extend that losing streak.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on these two match-ups, and the completed UFC 127 card in general?

MMA Weekly brings word that a fight between Ross Pearson and Spencer Fisher is being targeted for UFC 127, which is scheduled to take place February 27, 2011 at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. Pearson won the ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, but most recently suffered his first loss in the UFC. Still, Pearson is 3-1 inside the world’s largest MMA promotion. He’ll have a tough test ahead of him, though: Spencer “The King” Fisher is a thirty-fight veteran with over ten fights in the UFC. Fisher is 1-2 in his last three bouts, but remains a tough test for virtually anybody.

We then head back to MMA Weekly, which also recently revealed that a fight between Paul Kelly and Sam Stout has been set in motion. The bout is supposedly going to take place at UFC 126, which is currently scheduled to take place February 5, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sam Stout is a veteran of over twenty professional MMA fights, and is 3-1 in his last four fights. This fight with Stout will mark the fifteenth fight of Paul Kelly’s career, and Kelly is 2-2 in his last four fights.

I think both fights are solid match-ups, and I look forward to seeing them. I don’t think either fight will steal the show, but we’re almost guaranteed some fireworks in both bouts, so I should have little reason to grab the remote when these two fights get underway. Sometimes a match doesn’t have to be high-profile to be enjoyable, sometimes a good fight can just be a good fight. And these two fights definitely look good.

I think Ross Pearson needs a good win under his belt, especially over a fighter like Spencer Fisher. It’s going to be very interesting to see how the TUF champion handles coming back from a big loss in the promotion that’s made him a star. If Pearson can rise to the occasion, he may have it in him to one day go all the way. If Spencer Fisher emerges the victor, it’ll prove that no matter what else may come, at the end of the day you can never fully count out the UFC’s cast of wily veterans.

Stout vs. Kelly should be an entertaining brawl, since both men have shown a penchant for putting on some good brawls in their day. I think this fight will be an important stepping stone for both men, since they both seem to be at a crossroads of sorts in their careers. Five out of the six losses Stout has on his record have occurred in the UFC, and this bout may go a long way towards giving him the kind of relevancy that has eluded him for much of his UFC career. All three of Paul Kelly’s career losses have occurred inside of the UFC, so a big win in this fight should give him a big confidence boost as well as a credibility boost.

And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts or opinions on these two fights?

The event is said to take place at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 27.

The main event of the evening, though not officially announced, is understood to be former champion BJ Penn taking on perennial contender Jon Fitch in a welterweight clash. In the co-main event slot is expected to be a battle between middleweights Jorge Rivera and Michael Bisping, in a bout that will determine a new contender in the competitive weight class.

A new lightweight match up has been added to the card, which holds promise as a potential “Fight of the Night” candidate as both competitors have a penchant for punching people in the face.

MMAJunkie.com first reported the bout, which as of yet has not been determined to be on the main card for the pay-per-view event, but will most likely find a place on the televised portion, due to the intensity that both Spencer Fisher and Ross Pearson bring to the cage.

Pearson, the season nine winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” is coming off his first loss inside the octagon. Ross met with fellow TUF alumn Cole Miller last September at “UFC Fight Night 22″, eventually succumbing to a rear-naked choke after being dropped to the canvas by a strong combination thrown by the American Top Team product. The loss snapped a three-fight win streak that Ross rode inside the cage.

Fisher, a perennial fixture in the lightweight division is back on track in his UFC career. After back-to-back losses against notables Joe Stevenson and Dennis Siver left his career within the promotion in question, “The King” would then go on to obtain a unanimous decision victory over the heralded Kurt Warburton at UFC 120 in London, England. With the victory, Spencer has won four of his last six fights inside the octagon.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? How do you favor in this bout? Both men have very technical boxing skills, however the edge in experience is no doubt on Fisher’s side with his 30-fights, 14 of which have come inside the UFC. Sound off in the comment section below.

It is back to the regional circuit for Dan Lauzon, who many tabbed as an MMA wunderkind when he first broke on the national scene at UFC 64 fighting Spencer Fisher.

Lauzon lost to Fisher and then to Deividas Taurosevicius but subsequently railed off seven straight wins in 2^nd tier shows before beating Bobby Green at the last Affliction show in Anaheim, CA in 2009.  That rip of wins got him another shot in the UFC.  However, “The Upgrade” was still not prime time material as he lost to Cole Miller and Efrain Escudero in the big show.

Still very young at 22 years of age, Dan Lauzon needs to find some maturity and discipline in his training.  It was widely reported that Dan and his brother Joe had a “falling out” prior to Dan’s last UFC fight when he lost to Escudero.  However he feels about his big brother, Dan could certainly use a dose of Joe’s work ethic and passion for prepartion and game-planning a fight.  Anybody who watched the younger Lauzon rip through opponents in the WCF (World Championship Fighting) in 2008 can see the raw talent.  Yet, when faced with an equal skill set across the cage, Lauzon must understand how to manage a game-plan.

Fighting at the Snow Brawl and Damien Trites will be good start on the road back for Lauzon.  Promoter Crutchfield is a believer, of course, in his main event but also his entire night of fights for folks looking for MMA in the Northeast.  In addition to Lauzon v. Trites, Mike Campbell faces Tony Hervey at lightweight and Mat Santos gets his rematch against BJJ stud Everilton Silva.

“This is our third MMA show and it promises to be the best by far. “We’re improving each show in order to give fans what they want – action and compelling match-ups. Lauzon and Trites don’t like each other and that’s certainly going to show in the cage. Campbell’s ready to bounce right back from a disappointing loss on our first show, also at Twin River, but he’s going to have his hands full with a tough veteran like Hervey. Mat Santos kept MMA alive in this state and we’re excited to have him back fighting with the opportunity for him to avenge a controversial loss against Silva. Our matchmakers are rounding out the remainder of what promises to be a power-packed undercard for our last show of 2010.”

Clearly Dan Lauzon is the calling card for this night given his UFC pedigree, the question is – will he start to live up to all the hype he garnered back at UFC 64 and perform to his highest abilities?

Your thoughts.  Will Dan Lauzon ever make it back to the UFC?  He is still very young.

While his initial inception in the UFC was all but stellar, losing in his debut to now lightweight gatekeeper Spencer Fisher, Alves then would reel off two impressive victories over Ansar Chalangov and Derrick Noble, before meeting nemesis Jon Fitch.

June 28, 2006, UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5, Las Vegas, Nev., is the site of where it all went down.

Opening frame saw Alves the agressor, dropping Fitch in the openings seconds with a hook, but the Perdue wrestler wouldn’t hear of it. He took down Alves and worked a heavy dose of grindage and ground and pound, a fierce attack and heavy pace–something that’s been missing from his most recent, lackluster performances in the cage against the likes of Ben Saunders, Mike Pierce, Paulo Thiago and Akihiro Gono (all of which went to a decision).

The second round, Fitch eventually wound up on his back in a scramble, landed an upkick to the jaw of Alves, followed up with punches, and the fight was waved off.

Some years later, they have both taken in some ways the same, but very different paths towards the top.

Fitch and Alves are both widely considered to be in the top 2-3 fighters in the welterweight division.

Following his fight with Thiago, the AKA product went on to dominate the other 170 pounders not named Georges St. Pierre.

Once his title fight came, Fitch was no match for GSP, as he outclassed in every facet of the fight. Standing up? He was knocked around more times than Pamela Anderson at the Playboy mansion. On the ground? He was…I don’t have anything clever to add to that, but he was on his back a lot.

Alves didnt fair much better, but his road towards the title shot was equally, if not more impressive than Fitch. Thiago, who holds a lifetime membership to American Top Team, defeated the likes of Chris Lytle, Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck on his was to the title–finishing all but Kos, although he dominated him on the feet and nullified any take down attempts.

After Alves suffered the loss to St. Pierre at UFC 100 in July of 2009, he was set to make his return opposite of Fitch at UFC 111, but a last minute CT scan confirmed that there was some sort of abrasion in the brain of Alves, which halted the bout from taking place then.

Now after having undergone minor surgery to the dome, and patched up with some glue in his brain (literally…there is glue in the guys brain), the fight is now stamp, signed, and ready to be delivered on August 7., as the co-main event of the evening under Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen.

Thiago has peaked the interest of many analysts, and fans alike with his performances in the cage, with knockout victories galore. While Fitch and Alves due rest at the top of the heap, its the brazilian who has truly grown into a more well versed, well rounded fighter. His progression has shown in his performances, while Fitch has struggled in competition against lower tier fighters like Mike Pierce, though tough, is otherwise LARGELY unproven in the division as of yet.

So, does Thiago have the stuff regain some momentum with a win over Fitch at UFC 117, or will the self proclaimed Captain of AKA prove that history repeats itself, and add Thiago to his fifth consecutive victory, and claim number one contendership once again?–Nah.

The two men will go to war to determine who will become the TUF season 11 champion and earn the six-figure contract from the UFC.

Court was a true dark horse coming into the competition but one Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio felt was highly promotable due to his background story.

Court has stated he is a drug addict. His story is one of redemption after being clinically dead from a heroin overdose.

“I’d lie, cheat, steal. I didn’t have anything. I pawned the majority of the [expletive] I had. I didn’t have anything. I lost pretty much everything I had. Life wasn’t looking good. Guys at my workplace didn’t want me around and I got switched from crew to crew. My life was horrible. It was nothing. I was a waste,” he told Yahoo Sports.

His first venture into black tar heroin is one he will never forget. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” McGee says. “I remember what vein it was in. I sat there and he made one up in a spoon. He shot it, just a little bit, and I remember I fell back in my seat and two tears rolled out of my eyes. They hit my earlobes and I just went ‘Ahhhh.’”

Court tells us about the night his life changed when he took that does of heroin that had him declared dead.

“At the time, they were using Meth and the rule was nobody in the house but me,” McGee says. “They walked in and saw this girl there and they were angry right away. ‘Who the [expletive] are you?’ They were freaking out that she was there. And she was freaking out and yelling back, ‘I think he’s dead. I think he’s dead.’ “

After coming back to life Court spent time in a rehab facility and as with most addicts he relapsed a few times. Once, as talked about on TUF, he took a drink in Las Vegas and wound up in Iowa with a long sleeve shirt on and no pants, unsure of how he’d gotten there but craving Meth.

His turn-around came on April 16 2006, Easter Sunday where he quit drinking and doing drugs for good. He has been sober ever since. Hoe fought drug addiction and now faces another fight, the fight to become “The Ultimate Fighter”.

Standing in his way is a very tough Kris McCray. Kris began studying martial arts at the age of 12 with Tae-Kwon-Do and Karate. As Kris got older he played many other sports but none gave him that excitement he felt from wrestling and kickboxing.

After a successful high school wrestling career, Kris went off to college, while teaching high school wrestling in his spare time. Kris entered the U.S. Army Reserve at age 21, spending 6 years in service. During this time, Kris began learning Jiu Jitsu and joined Team Gold Medal Grappling, a Master Lloyd Irvin affiliate. Kris also worked many odd jobs to support himself, ranging from taking tickets at a movie theater to bouncer, security guard, butcher, and anything else he could do to make ends meet.

Kris started fighting amateur MMA in 2006/2007 and went undefeated, with a record of 10-0-0. His talent caught the eye of MMA promoter S. Marcello Foran and in October 2008, Kris began fighting on the professional MMA level. He quickly became a rising star in the UWC – Ultimate Warrior Challenge. After going 4-0-0 (all first round victories), it was clear Kris was ready to test himself against the best in the world.

Now he sits ready to make a name for himself and earn the six-figure contract that all the men entering TUF 11 wanted to call their own. He had a hard road to the finals actually setting a TUF record of fighting five times.

This will be a battle of two very good wrestlers who also love to stand and bang. Fighters.com expects this to be one heck of a fight that will likely end up being a stand-up war.

The official line up for “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ finale is as follows:

MAIN CARD

Matt Hamill vs. Keith Jardine
Court McGee vs. Kris McCray
Chris Leben vs. Aaron Simpson
Spencer Fisher vs. Dennis Siver
Rich Attonito vs. Jamie Yager

PRELIMINARY CARD

John Gunderson vs. Mark Holst
Seth Baczynski vs. Brad Tavares
Josh Bryant vs. Kyle Noke
Chris Camozzi vs. James Hammortree
Travis Browne vs. James McSweeney

Rua weighed in at 204.5 pounds.

Machida has weighed in to a UFC light heavyweight fight as low as 199-pounds and is undefeated, however he has been more likely to win by stoppage when weighing 204 pounds or more the day before a fight indicating his weight does affect his performance.  Machida might expect a stand-up war versus the crisp striker Rua and therefore want to be lighter on his feet.

On the flips side of the coin, welterweight prospect “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2) weighed 176 pounds, five pounds over the welterweight limit, for his fight versus eighth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2), who weighed in at the limit.  The two agreed to fight regardless of Johnson’s apparent disregard for the rules and disrespect for Yoshida.

Lightweights “Dentis” Josh Neer (25-8-1) and Gleison Tibau (16-5) both missed weight in their matchup.  Neer weight 156.5 pounds and Tibau weighe 157 pounds.

The rest of the card made weight:

Cain Velasquez (6-0) 238 pounds v Ben Rothwell (26-6) 265 pounds
“Daddy” Joe Stevenson (30-9 155.5 pounds v “King” Spencer Fisher (23-4) 155 pounds
“Darth” Ryan Bader (7-0) 205 pounds v “Red” Eric Schafer (12-4-2) 205.5 pounds
“HD” Pat Barry (2-2) 237 pounds v Antoni Hardonk (8-5)  249.5 pounds
Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked middleweight Chael Sonnen (22-10-1) 185 pounds v “Thunder” Yushin Okami (23-4) 185 pounds
“El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (16-7) 185 pounds v Rosedale Reaper” Rob Kimmons (21-4) 185 pounds
Kyle Kingsbury (8-2) 205.5 pounds v Razak Al-Hassan (7-1) 204.5 pounds
Chase Gormley (2-0) 262 pounds v Stefan Struve (13-2) 243.5 pounds

Slotted instead are the main event between Fighters.com and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (15-0) and sixth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-3) and co-main event between heavyweights Cain Velasquez (6-0) and “Big” Ben Rothwell (26-6) as well as the following matchups:

Gleison Tibau (16-5) v “Dentist” Josh Neer (25-8-1)
“Daddy” Joe Stevenson (30-9) v “King” Spencer Fisher (23-4)
“Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2) v “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3)

The Sonnen/Okami matchup could make the PPV broadcast if those fights run short and the Sonnen/Okami fight is both exciting and fits into the remaining time.

Okami is 7-1 in the Octagon and holds the distinction of being the only UFC fighter to hold a win over Fighters.com and UFC Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (25-4), albeit by disqualification at Rumble on the Rock 8 in Honolulu in 2006.  Okami’s only loss in the UFC was a tight UD to Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Ace” Rich Franklin (26-5) at UFC 72 in Belfast in June 2007.

Slated for the undercard with Sonnen v Okami is:

Antoni Hardonk (8-5) v “HD” Pat Barry (2-2)
“El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (16-7) v “Rosedale Reaper” Rob Kimmons (21-4)
“Darth” Ryan Bader (7-0) v “Red” Eric Schafer (12-4-2)
Kyle Kingsbury (8-2) v Razak Al-Hassan (7-1)
Stefan Struve (13-2) v Chase Gormley (2-0)

Sherk and Griffin won Fight of the Night honours for their three round battle that ended in a unanimous decision victory for former champion Sherk.

UFC newcomer Dos Santos’s first-round TKO upset over fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was the Knockout of the Night.

Fisher’s third-round triangle choke of Shannon Gugerty (11-3) earned him the Submission of the Night prize.

The event drew a sellout crowd of 15,359 which set a record $2.8 million gate for the Allstate Arena.

Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.

Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian, but virtual unknown “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

Thales Leites (14-1), “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0), “King” Spencer Fisher (22-4), Dan Miller (10-1), “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4), and Hermes Franca (19-7) were all winners inside the Octagon.

Silva Wins Via Cote Injury

Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4) won by TKO when “Predator” Patrick Cote‘s (13-5) knee popped at 39 seconds of round three.

It was an odd conclusion to Silva’s longest fight since 2004. At the beginning of round three, Cote was visibly excited to make it further than any of Silva’s previous UFC opponents, but, 39 seconds later, he was on the mat holding his knee and grimmacing in pain.

“It’s an old injury,” Cote explained. “I busted my knee in the second round and I tried to come back in the third and my knee just popped out.” Cote added, “I’m so sorry.”

Silva said, “I came here to fight. Patrick came here to fight. He was exchanging. It was a fine fight, but unfortunately he got hurt.”

In fact, in round one, it didn’t seem as Silva came to fight as he circled Cote for two full minutes before slapping a low kick to Cote’s thigh. Cote scored with a body kick; but, Silva followed-up with a knee that split Cote over his right eye.

In a bit of showboating, Silva actually offered to help Cote off the mat in round two. Cote had pulled guard and landed elbows from the mat before Silva stood out of Cote’s guard and extended his hand.

Silva landed elbows and knees more frequently in the second round.

The third round and, really, the fight had barely began when Cote’s knee gave and ended the night.

Silva is probably on his way to a 205-pound match-up at UFC 92 in Las Vegas 27 December.

Alves Easily Defeats Koscheck

Top welterweight contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) easily beat fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) by unanimous decision. Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 once.

With the win, Alves should cement himself into the UFC’s top contender spot to fight the winner between Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) and Ligthweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1); though, UFC President Dana White has already begun floating a St. Pierre versus Silva match-up if St. Pierre wins.

Alves hammered Koscheck’s legs to mush over three rounds. By the third round, Koscheck was wobbly and vulnerable to a Superman punch.

Throughout the fight, Koscheck answered Alves’s aggressive striking consistently; but, Alves’s strikes added up, earning him the decision.

“Cigano” Crumbles Werdum

Fourth-ranked heavyweight “Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum (11-4-1) was devastated by fellow Brazilian “Cigano” Junior dos Santos (7-1) via first-round TKO at 1:21.

“I knew that once my hand would get in there and hit him, I could knock him out,” explained dos Santos after the fight. “I just waited for the right time and I put my fist in his face.”

Werdum crumbled at the end of a “Cigano” right uppercut; and, dos Santos followed-up with several shots as Werdum lay on the mat.

“The uppercut is one of my best punches,” dos Santos added. “Once I hit him with a couple of jabs I knew that he always dropped his head.”

“Cigano”, a pupil of second-ranked “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-4-1) was making his UFC debut.

Werdum had been guaranteed a title shot with a victory.

Sherks Wins First in 15 Months

Fifth-ranked lightweight “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (33-3-1) won a unanimous decision over Tyson Griffin (12-2) by judges’ scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

“This is the first win I’ve had in 15 months, believe it or not,” Sherk said after he dominated the young talent most of the fight. “I definitely want to get back out there and get a shot at that belt.”

Sherk took Griffin’s back twice in the first round, once after taking Griffin down and another transitioning from a Griffin takedown attempt. Griffin defended both times.

In the second round, Sherk countered Griffin’s leg kicks with jabs and Griffin’s punches to the body with left hooks.

“People really do underestimate my hands,” explained Sherk.

Griffin landed punches more frequently in round three; but, Sherk often answered him with his own punches.

“He rocked me a few times,” Sherk admitted. “The kid hits hard. The kid’s really aggressive. He’s 24-years old, he’s not going anywhere.”

After winning, Sherk emphasized, “I want to be a two-time UFC champion.”

Leites Quick To Tap McFedries

UFC middleweight contender Thales Leites (14-1) wasted no time tapping “Massacre” Andrew McFedries (7-5) in a rear naked choke.

Leites took down McFedries quickly; and, McFedries rolled to his stomach to escape. Leites hopped on McFedries’s back and wrapped up the choke at 1:18 of the first round.

Maynard Takes Decision Over Clementi

Lightweight “Bully” Gray Maynard (6-0) remained undefeated after a unanimous decision over “No Love” Rich Clementi (32-13-1) by judges’ scores of 30-27 three times.

“He’s a vet, man; and, I could tell,” Maynard said after the fight. “So, I was like, ‘Alright. Let’s try the takedown.’”

Maynard slammed Clementi in every round.

Maynard said, “He’s crafty! Like, tied me up, like, at all times. He would just keep close and keep it tied up.”

Neither fighter did much damage on the mat. In the second round Maynard locked up a guillotine; but, Clementi freed himself and attempted an armbar moments later.

Maynard spent most of the third round controlling the fight from the top position.

“King” Fisher Taps Gugerty

“King” Spencer Fisher (22-4) tapped lightweight Shannon Gugerty (11-3) in a triangle choke at 3:56 of round three.

Gugerty wrestled Fisher down in the third and landed inside Fisher’s guard, from which Fisher applied the choke and forced the tap.

Fisher had dominated the fight with aggressive striking and work in the clinch; but, Gugerty nearly caught Fisher in a guillotine choke in round two.

Miller Wins Again, UD Over Fellow Ex-IFLer Horwich

In his Octagon sequel, middleweight Dan Miller (10-1) spoiled fellow former IFL fighter “Suave” Matt Horwich‘s (22-11-1) UFC debut in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.

Miller opened each round with a takedown of Horwich, but got swept and nearly tapped in a rear naked choke in round two. Miller defended the choke and Horwich had to settle for landing shot from the mount as the round ended.

However, in rounds one and three, Miller controlled position and landed shots from the top position to pick up his second UFC “W”.

Sell Wins First in Octagon Since 2005

Welterweight “Drago” Pete Sell (8-4) served “The People’s Warrior” Josh Burkman (18-8) his third consecutive loss in a unanimous decision by judges’ scores of 29-28 three times.

After losing the first round to Burkman on the mat, Sell tagged Burkman to the body repeatedly in rounds two and three. After softening Burkman up, Sell took Burkman to the mat and ended the fight latching a guillotine choke around Burkman’s neck. Burkman defended the choke to the final bell.

The win is Sell’s first in the Octagon since February 2005.

Franca Dispatches Former Training Partner Aurelio

Lightweight Hermes Franca (19-7) won a unanimous decision over “Maximus” Marcus Aurelio (16-7) by judges scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

Unfortunately, little of the bitterness between the two former training partners motivated them between the first and final bell; though, Franca pushed Aurelio inside the Octagon before the fight; and, Aurelio refused to shake hands with Franca after the fight.

Franca won the judges’ favors by consistently landing a leg kick throughout the three largely uneventful rounds.

Maynard last fought in April, winning a unanimous decision over “The Answer” Frank Edgar (9-1).

Clementi most recently won a unanimous decision over Terry Etim (10-2) in May, his sixth consecutive victory.

Gugerty won his UFC debut in July with a first-round submission victory over fellow debutant Dale Hartt (5-1).

Fisher most recently faced Jeremy Stephens (13-3) in June, and earned the unanimous decision win.

The future shines brilliantly for The Ultimate Fighter’s newest blast into the mainstream consciousness, Amir Sadollah (1-0).

In his professional debut, Sadollah tapped “Doberman” CB Dollaway (6-1) in an armbar at 3:02 of round one to win the seventh season of the popular SpikeTV reality show contest.

“Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2), one of the two original Ultimate Fighters, looked physically fitter than ever in his third-round TKO of American Top Team’s Luigi Fioravanti (12-4) at 4:07.

After back-to-back “embarrasing” losses, “Spyder” Kendall Grove (9-5), TUF 3 champion, recaptured past glory in a three-round split decision over former UFC titlist Evan Tanner (32-8).

The likeable young TUF walk-on from Virginia, Sadollah, versus the cocky All-American favorite, Dollaway, was a rematch of an exhibition fight fought on the final episode of last season’s The Ultimate Fighter.

Saturday’s finish was almost a replay of that fight’s end.

But, unlike the first fight, Dollaway made haste taking the samboist to his back and pounding him, opening a shallow cut on Sadollah’s forehead.

Sadollah flailed for position, eventually sucking up the “Doberman’s” left paw and swinging his legs over Dollaway’s head to secure the armbar.

Dollaway stood and remained standing as Sadollah worked the technique.

Finally, Dollaway ended the fight with a single tap causing referee Herb Dean to step in.

Sadollah leapt to his feet and threw his arms in the air.

Dollaway threw his hands out to his sides, complaining about the stoppage; but, replays clearly showed Dollaway tapping.

And, as “Kimbo Slice” Kevin Ferguson (3-0) famously said, Dollaway exhibited in his immature and ridiculous post-fight protest: “Tapping is for bitches.”

“Nightmare” Sanchez showed off a leaner physique and tighter striking game versus a pudgy and lethargic Fioravanti.

In his southpaw stance, Sanchez stalked with his right lead extended and left fist cocked, both of which he used to tag Fiorivanti, who was hesitant to engage on his feet or on the mat.

When Sanchez was able to down Fioravanti, “Nightmare’s” trademark G’n'P dominated.

But, it was Sanchez’s refurbed striking game, highlighted by a roundhouse kick, that won the fight.

In the third round, Sanchez snapped a left kick to Fioravanti’s head, sending Fioravanti backpedaling.  Sanchez followed with a flying knee flush to Fioravanti’s jaw before pounding out the stoppage with his fists.

It was do or die for both Grove and Tanner in the main event, both fighters coming off of knockout losses and at career lows.

However, 6’6″ Grove was just too physical for the former champion, Tanner.

At range, Grove launched long rights that split Tanner’s guard.

But, most of the fight was fought in the clinch, with Tanner, sporting a full beard, resembling a homeless mugger assaulting the Hawaiian for change.

Grove laid on Tanner, wearing Tanner down, while Grove split open Tanner’s head with elbows and peppered Tanner’s body with knees.

The judges ruled it a split decision “W” for Grove by scores of 30-26 twice for Grove and 29-28 once for Tanner; but, Al Lefkowitz, who scored the fight for Tanner, couldn’t have even been in the arena.

Fighters.com scored it 30-27 for Grove.

On the undercard, “McLovin” Dustin Hazelett (11-4) tapped “People’s Champion” Josh Burkman (9-6) in an armbar at 4:46 of round two.

Hazelett won “Submission of the Night”.

Lightweight brawler “King” Spencer Fisher (21-4) ground out a unanimous decision over fellow Iowan Jeremy Stephens (13-3).

TUF 7 contestant Matt Riddle (1-0) won his pro debut with a unanimous decision over Dante Rivera (10-3).

Middleweight Andrew McFedries (7-3) overwhelmed “Beastman” Marvin Eastman (15-8-1) from the bell to score a quick TKO at 1:08 of round one.

In a rematch from 2006, TUF 7 contestant Matt Brown (7-6) TKO’d TUF 6 “No Regard” Matt Arroyo (3-2) at 3:40 of round two.

Veteran “Boogieman” Dean Lister (11-5) submitted über-veteran “Gumby” Jeremy Horn (79-18-5) in a first-round guillotine choke at 3:52.

Similarly, Rob Kimmons (21-3) tapped Rob Yundt (6-2) in a first-round guillotine choke at 3:58.