In a new interview seen on MMA Junkie, Guida recently said the following: “There’s no exact number (of fights before I expect to get a title shot). Definitely by the end of 2011…The key in this fight in training was to not get punched by Gomi too much… He loves when guys stand in his range and want to get in trading wars with him. That’s not what I wanted to do… I’m going to keep growing… I just want to get back in the gym and see what the UFC’s got for me next.”

With the victory over Gomi, Guida’s record improves to a colossal 28-11, with thirteen fights in the famed Octagon and three straight victories in his three most recent outings, all of which have been won by submission, and two of which have earned him “Submission of the Night” bonuses. As crazy as it sounds, Clay Guida will more than likely celebrate his fortieth fight as a professional Mixed Martial Artist before he celebrates his thirtieth birthday.

I really can’t think of a reason to dislike Clay Guida. I’ve heard people criticize him for over-embellishing his “caveman” persona, rolling their eyes with disdain as he burps during round breaks and gets slapped in the fight as his pre-fight ritual. To which I say… there may be some embellishing, but like all great characters, Guida is simply playing an enhanced version of himself. Guida is a scrapper that doesn’t have an ounce of quit in him and shows up to every single one of his fights looking to give the fans a good show. It’s no small wonder why he’s become one of the most popular stars in the UFC.

But, and this is said with absolutely no disrespect to the man, it’s also no small wonder why he’s yet to emerge as a legitimate championship threat. Guida loves to take chances, and sometimes he takes the wrong kind of chances. In the Gomi fight, however, he stuck to his guns and pulled out a great victory. If he can simply stick to his gameplan, Guida has all the tools necessary to finally break the glass ceiling, since he’s always been an incredibly skilled fighter and also because he trains with the best.

So, fans and friends, is that optimism you’re reading in a published MMA opinion column? Dare I say it, I believe it is. I like Clay Guida, I respect Clay Guida, and I’d love to see Clay Guida fight top-division competition and maybe even one day challenge for the UFC Lightweight Championship. I think 2011 could be a huge year for Guida, and I’ll be hoping for the best and attentively paying attention. 2011 is shaping up to be a banner year for MMA in general, but it should also be a banner year for “The Carpenter”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some great quotes pulled from an interview Guida recently had with MMA Weekly: “He’s standing in the way of my destiny and my dream, and that’s becoming the lightweight champion… This is definitely a step up in competition, but we know we’re ready for it… This will be the biggest test to date for me. He’s a very devastating striker… I have better hands on the ground, and that means my ground and pound… That’s where the fight (is) going to be won for us. Out-wrestling him, not getting caught in a war, not getting caught up in a brawl.”

I commend Guida for his smart gameplan and I hope he ends up sticking with it. I fully agree with Clay, the key to this fight will be taking Gomi to the ground, smothering him constantly, and trying to force a stoppage. And even if that’s not possible, be active enough on the ground to leave no doubt in the minds of the judges. I know some people want nothing but stand-up wars and cringe at the thought of any fight going to the ground, but this is Clay Guida we’re talking about. He could probably fight a corpse and make it entertaining. In fact, I’d love to see Clay Guida take on some zombies. But I digress.

Crafting a good gameplan and saying you’ll stick to it is very important to winning a fight, but it pales in comparison to actually sticking to the gameplan once you start getting punched in the face. Guida has been and always will be a brawler, there’s a good chance that he’ll abandon the gameplan and just start banging it out once he gets fired up because that’s what he does and that’s who he is. And being completely honest, that’s playing directly into Gomi’s hands. Takanori Gomi may not be what he once was, but the man still has huge KO power in his hands. You don’t KO a guy that’s never, ever been KO’d in his entire six-year, nineteen-fight career without having two shotguns for arms.

In the end, I think this fight’s pivoting point will be what Clay Guida shows up from the opening bell to the last minute. If Guida aggressively and consistently hunts for the takedown, not only will he get it, but he’ll have the power and the cardio to keep Gomi down and pound away on him without ever being accused of being inactive on top. But if Guida’s inner brawler starts to emerge once Gomi lands a few shots as Guida dives for a takedown, Gomi may be able to crack Guida’s seemingly-impervious chin and once again become the first man to ever KO an iron-chinned UFC Lightweight and veteran. It’s got all the makings of a pretty amazing fight, so I’ll definitely be tuning in to watch this one.

And what about you, fans and friends? What are your thoughts on this match-up?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

After posting a disappointing 1-2 record in 2009, with big losses to Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida will finish out 2010 on the sidelines but with a two-fight winning streak to his credit. The iron-chinned, caveman-esque Lightweight has burped and belched his way into the hearts of many, and always shows up to bang. A recent addition to the famed Greg Jackson MMA fight team, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida has seemingly found the perfect coach to round out his brawling-focused style.

His opponent, Takanori Gomi, is on the long road back home to Lightweight relevancy after quite the fall from grace. The man known as “The Fireball Kid”, who once held a ten-fight win-streak in the legendary PRIDE FC promotion, has gone 3-3 in his last six fights and made his long-rumored and long-anticipated UFC debut back in March in a “Fight Night” bout with Kenny Florian that headlined the card. Gomi would go on to lose by submission, but he recently proved that there’s still some fire left in “The Fireball Kid”.In his last fight, Gomi became the first and only man to ever KO highly-respected Lightweight Tyson Griffin.

On paper, this fight has all the right ingredients to result in a fantastic showdown. Guida seems to possess an iron chin that simply can’t be beat, but Gomi has proven that he can still swing and land with brutal power. This likely won’t be a technical fight, in fact, it should get downright ugly. But Clay Guida has always excelled at ugly fights, both as a fighter and as an entertainer. I think it’s unlikely that this one goes to the ground, and with two men so good at dishing out and receiving punishment, this likely could go all three rounds. If both men show up in top shape, it could easily be one of the wildest brawls of 2011.

I’m going to favor Guida for this match, though. It’s true that Gomi still has some serious KO power in his hands. But, and this is meant in no way to disrespect Tyson Griffin, Tyson Griffin does not have the chin of Clay Guida. Guida’s chin has got to be one of the best in the business, he’s absorbed so much damage over the years and just kept right on walking. While Gomi’s last win was definitely huge for him, Guida has been in there with some of the UFC’s best and boasts a ton more experience inside of the Octagon than Gomi. So did Tyson Griffin, but again, Clay Guida is not Tyson Griffin. With his penchant for getting the most out of an exchange far more often than not, and with that near-infallible chin of his, my early prediction is that Guida will take a Split Decision in what should be a highly competitive and thoroughly entertaining contest.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about UFC 125 as it stands right now, and who do you see winning Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi?

The headliner, a rumored bout pitting UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva against former teammate Vitor Belfort is tentatively scheduled for the event, as well as light heavyweight bouts pitting former champions Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin against one another, as well as Ryan Bader versus phenom, Jon “Bones” Jones.

Said lightweight match up, which will be Kenny Florian against Evan Dunham, is a fight that no true mixed martial arts fan would want to pass up.

Florian was last seen in action when he faced the talented and suffocating wrestler in Gray Maynard, in Kenny’s own backyard of Boston, Mass., for UFC 118. Against Maynard, “Ken-Flo” never pulled the trigger, and was taken down almost at will, over and over again. The uninspired loss snapped a two-fight win streak for Kenny, and also had him elude a third run at the lightweight title. He was unsuccessful in his initial attempt to capture the gold at UFC 63 against Sean Sherk, for the vacant title, then lost against former kingpin BJ Penn at UFC 101, by fourth-round rear-naked choke.

Dunham, meanwhile, is on the upswing of his career, despite coming on the heels of a loss in his last UFC outing–his first loss in his MMA career at that.

Undefeated as a professional heading into UFC 119, Dunham had impressed many, by seemingly coming out of nowhere with his rise above the heap in the lightweight division. Wins over season 8 winner of “The Ultimate Fighter”: Efrain Escudero, Marcus Aurelio, and perennial contender Tyson Griffin cemented his spot as the next big thing in the 155-pound ranks. With the very controversial loss to Sean Sherk, which saw the Xtreme Couture product dominate the former champion standing up with effective combination’s (kicks and knees galore) as well several submission attempts, his star has only grew brighter.

Florian, albeit “choking” in big fights (ala Dana White), is talented nonetheless. An adept Muay Thai striker with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kenny has been a thorn in the side of several up-and-coming fighters in the lightweight division, including notables Clay Guida, Joe Lauzon, and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi–all of whom, the Boston native has finished.

The part-time ESPN personality announced the news on “MMA Live” just yesterday, saying “We’ve verbally agreed to fight Evan Dunham, which is great news. Phenomenal opponent, which I’m very excited about, and it looks like it may happen on Super Bowl weekend”.

UFC 127 takes place on February 5th, at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the match up? Who do you think takes this fight, in what has the potential to be an early candidate for “Fight of the Night”. Sound off in the comment section below.

After knocking out Tyson Griffin in just over a minute in the first round of their lightweight affair, Gomi not only picked up an impressive win over a perennial contender, he picked up the “Knockout of the Night”, which added additional pleasure to his already impressive portfolio, as the former Pride Lightweight champion.

Here are the fighter payouts, initially reported by MMAJunkie.com, through the California State Athletic Commission. Gomi earned the event high.

The following is in bout order.

The total list of paydays include:

Jon Jones: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus)
def. Vladimir Matyushenko: $31,000

Yushin Okami: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus)
def. Mark Munoz: $22,000

Jake Ellenberger: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. John Howard: $15,000

Takanori Gomi: $80,000 ($40,000 win bonus)
def. Tyson Griffin: $30,000

Jacob Volkmann: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus)
def. Paul Kelly: $17,000

Matt Riddle: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
def. DaMarques Johnson: $10,000

Igor Pokrajac: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. James Irvin: $20,000

Brian Stann: $34,000 ($17,000 win bonus)
def. Mike Massenzio: $5,000

Charles Oliveira: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
def. Darren Elkins: $8000

Rob Kimmons: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus)
def. Steve Steinbeiss: $6,000

http://mmajunkie.com/news/20176/ufc-on-versus-2-fighter-salaries-takanori-gomi-earns-event-high-80k-payday.mma

Do any of the figures above shock you, or are they as expected? I personally though, Jon Jones would be receiving a bigger pay day by now, since Brandon Vera was at one point making a flat rate of $100,000, after 3 fights into his UFC career, though at the time, Vera can be likened to the phenom that is Jones.

Still elated from the win, Gomi now evens himself in the UFC to 1-1 after a dissapointing debut against Kenny Florian, but bounced back in a big way on August 1.

“I still can’t believe it. I think I’m just lucky he went down as quickly as he did”, said Takanori in regards to the knockout victory over the Xtreme Couture product.

A reinvigorated Gomi suggested that while he didn’t necessarily change anything going into his training camp for this particular fight, it was just the result of a lot of hard work put in.

“I think it was a question of hard training”, said the UFC lightweight.

“I don’t think it’s so much that I made this or that technical gain. I don’t know if I’m that much better of a fighter than I was before, but I can tell you this, I’m in a lot better shape. I worked really, really hard. Basic conditioning, a lot of sparring, and I wasn’t going to tire out, or beat myself. I think that really paid off”.

Having made the trip to the U.S. before, training alongside 155-pound stars like Strikeforce’s Josh Thomson and Lyle Beerbohm out of the American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Cali., Gomi thinks that training year round in the U.S. will be detrimental to his career, and will enable him to bring glory back to Japan, should he prove successful.

“I would, and in fact, if I’m going to compete seriously here, than I think that’s almost going to be necessary. I’ll probably wind up training full time in the U.S”.

“If I can reach the top here, and be a returning hero to Japan and introduce the UFC there, that would be like a lifetime goal”.

Though Jones was the coveted star of the evening with his impressive finish, many others were equally–if not more–impressive, on Sunday evening.

“The Fireball Kid” looked as the Pride star of old, when he dispatched of perennial contender Tyson Griffin, with a rousing first round knockout. Griffin looked tight early, while Gomi characteristically was hanging his hands low, wading in with strong jabs and punches to the midsection.

Just as Tyson moved in with a right leg kick, Gomi countered with a right hook of his own, with Griffin crashing face first into the mat. A few additional punches sealed the dealed, and earned Gomi his first win inside the octagon, and his “Knockout of the Night” bonus.

Brian Stann and Mike Massenzio were able to secure “Fight of the Night” honors, as both battled it out in a middleweight affair. Early on, Massenzio was able to negate the punching prowess of Stann early on, with effective takedowns and ground control, though Stann never really found himself in trouble.

In the third round, Stann was able to connect on a strong hook, but was taken down for his efforts. As he had been doing the whole fight, the former Marine Lieutenant was active from guard, threatening with submissions, where eventually he was able to secure a tight triangle choke, signaling the end of the bout after Massenzio was unable to escape and forced to tap, which now welcomed Stann into the crowded 185 pound division.

UFC newcomer Charles Oliveira, a brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, was likened to being the Jon Jones–just on the ground–a proverbial phenom.

Darren Elkins, who was 1-0 inside the UFC with a win over Duane Ludwig in his octagon debut, was there to halt the hype–but he merely became a victim of circumstances. Elkins took Charles down early, and was initially in half-guard. Quickly, Oliveira moved to full guard, trapped an arm, through his legs up, and before you knew it had a cinched in triangle choke, showing his dexterity by applying the choke without the use of his arms.

From there, Charles deftly moved to an armbar and ended the bout after Elkins tapped, just 41 seconds into the first round, earning Oliveira the “Submission of the Night” award.

All recipients of the UFC bonuses earned an additional $40 thousand for their efforts.

That said, Gomi is and has always been somewhat of a one trick pony. His hands are ultra quick and powerful, and that’s pretty much how he felled most of his opponents during his prime. Simply put, Gomi hurt them on their feet. Does he have some pretty good wrestling? Yes. But for all of those that were watching, his Achilles’ heel has always been pretty clear. After all, that streak noted earlier was ended by Marcus Aurelio, who took him down and submitted him in round one. His now famous fight against Nick Diaz at PRIDE 33 ended by way of Gogoplata in Diaz’s favor (yeah it was later overturned later, but that has nothing to do with what really happened).

In the past, if you wanted to beat Gomi, you needed to get him to the ground and work there. It’s not that he doesn’t have good takedown defense; he does. But it’s hardly impenetrable. And if you do get him to the canvas, as Kenny Florian recently found out after out striking him at Fight Night 21, opportunities are going to open up. This leads us to some interesting things that Griffin recently said in a UFC.com article, after talking about how he should’ve changed his game plan in his most recent fight against Evan Dunham. Namely, he believes that he should have done more grappling, and this has been a focus in his recent training camp.  Griffin is simply getting back to his wrestling roots.

“I’d love to stand up with everybody but, if he gets a takedown I’ve got to be willing to a boring grappler, I guess, and win the grappling match,” he said. ”It’s something that I’ve got to work back into my training, that fights are won on the ground.”

The fact that Griffin is talking grappling is smart. If Gomi wins this fight, it will almost assuredly be because he knocks Griffin out. Griffin, on the other hand, is a much more well-rounded fighter that is capable of fighting on the ground, fighting on his feet, or doing both in rapid succession. Though he doesn’t have the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or submission resume of an Aurelio, Diaz, Florian, or BJ Penn (who also once submitted Gomi), his ground and pound skills coupled with better than advertised submissions will create absolute havoc for Gomi on the canvas.

In the end, the fact that Griffin is getting back to his grappling roots is likely bad news for one of the better lightweight fighters of all-time. Expect nothing less but a strong game plan from an Xtreme Couture product like Griffin, especially coming off of a loss.

The ground equals trouble for Takanori Gomi, and Griffin knows it.

The addition of Caol Uno (25-13-5)to the UFC seems to have become a failed venture. His loss last night to Gleison Tibau (18-6) was one sided and will likely cause the release of Uno from the UFC. Uno offered up nothing in the way of offense and was an easy and much needed win for Tibau.

“The Real Deal” Ross Pearson (16-5-1) looked very sharp in his decision victory over Dennis Siver (15-7). Ross has been known to step in and engage in a slug fest but against Siver, a very dangerous fighter, he had a good game plan. He moved in and out and never stayed engaged to long. He had great head movement and his feints kept Sivers off guard and somewhat confused.

My only critique of Pearson’s performance was his lack of killer instinct. He seemed to hurt Dennis a couple times in the fight and rather than push forward and try for a finish he sat back playing it a bit safe. Granted he got the win but as he moves up in the division he will need to use a similar strategy but also be able to incorporate that finishing instinct. He could go a long way in the UFC given ample amount of time.

While I thought Joe Rogan was a little off his game last night and flat out wrong about a couple of things I will discuss later, he was dead on about Jorge Rivera (18-7). I have never seen Jorge look so good in a fight. He dominated the guy I picked to win the fight, “Rock” Nate Quarry (12-4). He picked him apart in the fight once he found his range. Nate did land some solid leg kicks but again, once Jorge found the range he unloaded on Nate with power shots that seemed to rock the “Rock” each time. I also thought Jorge looked lighter on his feet and seemed to take some solid punches better than he has in the past. This could be the start of a new fight life for Jorge and I am excited to see where he goes from here.

Then there was MMA Gospel fan favorite “Skyscraper” Stefan Struve (16-4) taking on “Big Country” Roy Nelson (15-4) in the co-main event. I think Struve can be a top contender in the heavyweight division in the future. He is young and the sky is the limit for him, no pun intended. Although in order for him to reach his full potential he will need to learn to utilize his height and reach advantage to his fullest. There is no reason Nelson should have gotten inside on Struve with very little effort. Struve needed to use his jab to keep Nelson at bay and instead of the leg kicks he should be using the front kick to the body. These are weapons a man of his size should be using to keep the shorter opponents outside their range so he can pick them apart.

Having said that I don’t feel he gave that fight to Nelson. I think Nelson worked hard and knew exactly what he had to do in order to win. It is hard to judge his performance because the fight only went 39 seconds but that is two big knock outs for Roy, a man many said was to fat and to slow for the UFC.

Now we move to the main event between Fighters.com seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4) and “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6). This is where my critique of Joe Rogan comes in to play.

If you listened to Joe and Mike Goldberg you would think Kenny was destroying Gomi and that just was not the case. Granted Florian did a very good job in the first round using his jab to throw off Gomi’s plan of attack. That and his fast movement in and out of the pocket kept Gomi from unleashing anything substantial but then again Gomi has never been much of a defensive striker.In the past he has eaten plenty of punches in order to get inside to deliver his death blow. However in the first round he was blanked.

The second round told a different story though. Gomi was able to slip Florian’s jab and use a very effective one-two counter that had KenFlo putting on the brakes when working his own counter. It did not fully stop Kenny but it was working and proved to me that if Gomi were to take his training more seriously he could very well make a come back.

In the end though his ground game is still just awful as it always has been and Kenny’s seems to be getting better. The worst part for Florian is that he is stuck in a division where the champion is seemingly heads and tails above the rest.

All in all the Fight Night was full of exciting fights and fantastic finishes. Some shocking and others, well, not so much.

Florian weighed the limit at 156 pounds and Gomi weighed 155 pounds.

The Ultimate Fighter 10 champion “Big Country” Roy Nelson (14-4) and 6? 11? heavyweight prospect “SkySkraper” Stefan Struve (23-3) both also made weight for their matchup.  Nelson weighed 263 pounds while Struve weighed 248 pounds.

Fight night 21 will air live on SpikeTV at 8:00 PM EST.  The rest of the weights below:

Nate Quarry (186) vs. Jorge Rivera (186)
Ross Pearson (156) vs. Dennis Siver (156)
Rafaello Oliveira (156) vs. Andre Winner (156)
Ronys Torres (155) vs. Jacob Volkmann (155)
Rob Emerson (154) vs. Nik Lentz (155)
Gleison Tibau (156) vs. Caol Uno (156)
Lucio Linhares (184) vs. Yushin Okami (184)
Gerald Harris (186) vs. Mario Miranda (186)
Charlie Brenneman (170) vs. Jason High (170)

Joe said “It is awesome that people are starting to talk about me maybe fighting for the title again. But I don’t want it whisper in the wind that I maybe get a title shot. I want to keep on winning, and winning big, so the fans are like ‘Give Joe Daddy his second title shot already!’ I was asked by BJ if I wanted to train with him for this fight but, as great as would be, I had to say no because I think I am going to be fighting him again at the end of the year.”

So he could have trained with BJ for the fight with Edgar while he was preparing to fight George Sotiropoulos (11-2) at UFC 110. Instead he believes he will get another title shot. Joe, how do you see that happening?

Maybe the UFC has told him something we do not know but since his utter destruction at the hands of Penn at UFC: 80 he has posted a 3-2 record inside the Octagon. This is not a record that gets you a title shot. Especially when there are other fighters waiting in the wings for that shot he feels he is going to get.

Many believe the man that should be fighting BJ Penn at UFC 112 is sitting on the sidelines waiting and will more than likely get the next shot. “The Bully” Gray Maynard (9-0) is that fighter and he will be watching closely as BJ faces off against Edgar. Of course Gray could get passed over yet again depending on what happens during Ultimate Fight Night 21 on March 31.

The main event of that night will pit “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4) versus “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6). Kenny has faced BJ once before at UFC 101 and lost. This will be Gomi’s first fight in the UFC coming over from Japan. Gomi has also fought BJ Penn and lost. This was back in 2003 at Rumble on the Rock 4 where Gomi lost in the third round due to rear naked choke.

The Gomi fight with Florian could be a tune up fight with a fighter I am now considering the gate-keeper to BJ’s title. I don’t see Florian getting another shot anytime soon but would not be shocked to see Gomi get a second crack at beating BJ if he can find a way to finish Florian in devastating fashion.

That gives us two fighters that could possibly be in line for a shot well before Joe Stevenson. I don’t see anyway he gets a second chance before the end of the year. I am not sure he will see a shot anytime soon.

He was beaten and bloodied by BJ during their fight and he would have to do something extraordinary in order to get back there. Joe should have taken the chance to train with BJ, learn some things and use that as motivation to get another shot in a year or more. Bad move Daddy!

Pride FC was a Japanese MMA organization that began in October of 1997 and ran until April of 2007 when Zuffa bought them out. There were some differences in rules from the UFC as well as the fights taking place in a ring rather than a cage. The difference in rules from the Unified Rules were significant.

Pride did not allow elbow strikes to the head of an opponent. Many think that this would have an effect on the numbers of fights that were finished in devastating fashion but that could not be further from the truth. They had a rule or two that led to some of the most devastating finishes in the sport. They allowed kicking and kneeing the head of a downed opponent. They also allowed what I call the Shogun Stomp to the head of an opponent. This move seemed to be perfected by Fighters.com third-ranked light heavyweight “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-4) who used it as a guard pass that just happened to be quite caustic.

Many Pride fans still debate which rules were better for the sport of MMA. They debate seems to revolve around fights ending due to cuts from elbows which can happen even if a fighter is winning the fight.

Fights in Pride seemed to never be dull and that may be due to the rule of inactivity. If fighters failed to engage they got a yellow card issued by the ref which took away ten percent of their fight purse.

Some of my fondest memories from Pride come from fights such as “Predator” Don Frye (20-8-1) versus Yoshiro Takayama (0-4) which was less of a technical fight and more of a raw and gritty battle that had me glued to the television in awe of what I was watching. These two men met in the middle of the ring at Pride 21: Demolition in what turned out to be more like a hockey fight than a mixed martial arts fight, none the less it was amazing.

There are many great fights that I remember from Pride and the for those that are unfamiliar with the now defunct organization I will list a few here:

“Shogun” Mauricio Rua versus “Minotoro” Antonio Nogueira at Pride: Critical Countdown 2005

Royce Gracie verus “The Gracie Hunter” Kazushi Sakauraba at Pride: Grand Prix 2000 Final Round

‘The Last Emperor” Fedor Emelianenko versus”Minotauro” Antonio  Nogueria at both Pride 25: Body Blow and Pride: Shockwave 2004

Takanori Gomi versus Luiz Azeredo at Pride: Bushido 7

This is a small list and I could go on forever including men like Wanderlei Silva and Mirko Cro Cop but these are the ones that stand out to me. What fights stand out to you as the best Pride had to offer?

When you look back on an organization that hardcore MMA fans look upon as the holy grail in the sport what comes to mind first? The different rules, the crazy female announcer or the epic wars? No matter what Spike TV is bringing back those fond memories and I am eating it up.

You can join me and my co-host, Gary Friedman, on MMA Gospel Radio each Wednesday from 8-10 PM EST by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/mmagospel. Join in the live chat and tell us your favorite Pride memories or call in to the show by dialing 347-857-1337 and tell us on air what stand out in your mind.

Florian had been publicly denying the rumors, but the Fighters.com reported last week that the matchup was inevitable.

In November 2008, Florian told Fighters.com, “I would love to [fight lightweights from Japan].  You know, there are so many great lightweights out there.  There’s a ton in the UFC already; so, it’s not like it’s not competitive right now.  But definitely, I’m always looking for new and exciting fighters to compete against; and, definitely there’s a lot over in Japan, and I’d love to be able to compete.  I just want to keep competing against the best and whether they’re in Japan or in the United States, then that’s great.”

After losing his second title shot to Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8, Florian is focused on cementing his legacy.  Bagging a Gomi is more for historical posterity than contemporary competition.

Gomi has won consecutive fights, most recently a unanimous decision over “Lionheart” Tony Hervey (11-6) at Vale Tudo Japan in Tokyo October 30.  But, he’s also suffered recent losses to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) at Sengoku in November 2008 and Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) at Sengoku in January 2009.  And, Gomi had even hinted recently that he was considering retiring from fighting to focus on surfing.

The matchup is expected to be the card’s main event.

MMA Junkie also reports that The Ultimate Fighter 9 lightweight champ “Real Deal” Ross Pearson (15-5-1) will fight at UFC Fight Night 21.

Pearson of England beat American Aaron Riley (28-12-1) by doctor’s stoppage at 4:38 of round two UFC 105 at M.E.N. Arena in Manchester Saturday.

His opponent is not yet known.

In November 2008, Florian told Fighters.com, “I would love to [fight lightweights from Japan].  You know, there are so many great lightweights out there.  There’s a ton in the UFC already; so, it’s not like it’s not competitive right now.  But definitely, I’m always looking for new and exciting fighters to compete against; and, definitely there’s a lot over in Japan, and I’d love to be able to compete.  I just want to keep competing against the best and whether they’re in Japan or in the United States, then that’s great.”

But, the UFC has chosen to build lightweight talent domestically and from within the organization rather than sign already established fighters from abroad.  Fifth-ranked “Bully” Gray Maynard (9-0) and sixth-ranked “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1) are the best examples of American fighters who have come to prominence with the UFC.

But, earlier this month the UFC brought some fresh blood and established foreign talent to the division with the signing of Gomi.  It’s an interesting choice for the UFC because, though Gomi is an established name as the long-running PRIDE champion, he’s suffered losses to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) at Sengoku in November 2008 and Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) at Sengoku in January 2009.  And, Gomi had even hinted recently that he was considering retiring from fighting to focus on surfing.

But, Wednesday Florian’s brother and head coach, Keith, told MMA Weekly, “I think Gomi would be a great fight for Kenny. He’s one of those people who was No. 1 in the world for a long time, and I think that would be a great fight for us.”

After losing his second title shot to Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8, Florian is focused on cementing his legacy.  Bagging a Gomi is more for historical posterity than contemporary competition.

Florian could also matchup versus Maynard, and Keith told MMA Weekly, “I think Gray Maynard would be a great fight with Kenny’s new wrestling, and we can still expose those tools that Firas [Zihabi] has, he has Olympic level wrestlers, and we could form a really nice strategy against him.”

It seems Maynard is being skipped over for a title shot again by UFC President Dana White in favor of Edgar.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fighters.com January Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1)

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-4)

3. Eddie Alvarez (16-2)

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (18-7)

5. “Bully” Gray Maynard (8-0)

6. “The Answer” Frank Edgar (11-1)

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (12-4)

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

9.  “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3)

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

According to the Brazilian magazine, Emirates Team leader Carlos Santos has been contacted by both fighters to use his training facility in Abu Dhabi in the days leading up to UFC 112.

The fight was originally scheduled for UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2, but Silva required surgery on his elbow forcing the rescheduling.

In the meantime, Fighters.com and UFC lightweight champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1) also announced in a video at his website his expectation to fight at UFC 112, though no fight has been agreed to.

Recent UFC signee and former PRIDE champion “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-6) has been speculated as a potential opponent for Penn.

UFC 112 already features amatchup between Fighters.com seventh-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes (43-7) and PRIDE veteran Renzo Gracie (13-6-1).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gomi will try to further his climb back from his first two consecutive loss slide since 2003.  At Shooto Tradition Final in Tokyo last May, he broke the streak with a second round KO of Takashi Nakakura (10-2-1).  According to Sherdog, VTJ ’09 promoter Kazuhiro Sakamoto (12-4) hinted that Gomi could face a UFC fighter in October, revealing Sakamoto has contacted Zuffa, LLC, parent company of the UFC and WEC, about exchanging fighters.

At a press conference in Tokyo Tuesday, Gomi wouldn’t commit to a future in MMA after VTJ ’09, citing his aspirations in professional surfing.

Sato has dug himself an even deeper pit than Gomi, losing his last four and six of his last seven.  “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (13-3) TKO’d the veteran at Tradition Final.  His opponent at VTJ ’09 is also yet to be determined.

However, a featherweight matchup between Inoue and Brazilian “Pequeno” Alexandre Franca Nogueira (13-5-2) was also confirmed.

“Pequeno” was TKO’d by countryman “Junior” Jose Aldo (14-1) in his WEC debut in Sacramento in June 2008.  That was Nogueira’s last fight and only fight in the WEC after testing positive for the anabolic steroid Boldenone after the fight.

Though not a Shooto event, VTJ ’09 will include Shooto fights contested under variances on international MMA rules as Shooto consider changes to its own rules to better comply with international MMA rules standards.

VTJ ’09 will take place at JCB Hall in Tokyo October 30.

Once considered one of MMA’s premier lightweights, Gomi is one win removed from a two-fight losing streak, beginning with a split decision loss to Sergei Goliaev (9-6) in Sengoku last November and continuing through a tapout by ankle lock to Satoru Kitaoka (24-9-7) in an undeserved Sengoku lightweight title fight in January. In May, Gomi notched one in the win column in Tokyo with a knockout of Takashi Nakakura (10-2) in Shooto.

“Tractor” is on a three-fight win streak, most recently scoring a UD over John Mahlow (12-10) at XFC 8 in Knoxville in April.

The fight will round out the Trilogy’s pay-per-view card.

Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight Gomi will face Satoru Kitaoka (21-9-7), and ninth-ranked middleweight Misaki will face Jorge Santiago (18-7).  The first-ever WVR titles in both weight classes will be on the line.

Heavyweight Hidehiko Yoshida (8-6-1) is also on the card.

Gomi will fight for the belt despite losing his last fight versus Red Devil Sports Club’s Sergey Golyaev (8-5) 1 November at Sengoku 6 via split decision.

Kitaoka won the lightweight tournament at the same event by submitting sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2) with a first-round heel hook, then defeating Kazunori Yokota (7-1-2) via unanimous decision.

Misaki last fought in September at Strikeforce versus “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-10).  Riggs was felled via TKO in round two.

Santiago submitted Siyar Bahadurzada (9-3-1) via first-round heel hook and TKO’d  Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) in round three to win the middleweight tournament at Sengoku 6.

Yoshida submitted “Mo” Maurice Smith (13-13) by neck crank at Sengoku 3 in June.

Gomi wrote in his blog Sunday that he was caught off-guard and lost due to carelessness but learned a lot from the bout.  Having suffered no injury he will prepare to fight for the belt in January.

Gomi lost to Russian fighter Sergey Golyaev (9-5) via split decision.

Kitaoka submitted sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (12-6-2) with a first-round heel hook, and earned the unanimous decision victory over Kazunori Yokota (6-2-2) to win the lightweight tournament.

Mitsuoka had ground out a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto last November; and, Hansen ascended up the ranks towing Mitusoka with him.

Now, Mitsuoka is a favorite to take Sengoku’s Lightweight Grand Prix after tapping SpiritMC Champion ”Crazy Lee” Kwang Hee Lee (2-1) in Tokyo 18 May and submission wiz Rodrigo Damm (5-1) in the tournament’s first round in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August.

Fighters.com spoke with Mitsuoka and asked him about his victory over Hansen and 2007 loss to eighth-ranked Kotetsu Boku (12-5-1), who Hansen beat in a UD in the opening round of DREAM’s GP in Saitama 14 March.

The focused Japanese fighter out of Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW told Fighters.com that Hansens GP championship and victory over Boku didn’t interest him and demanded, “Please, look forward.”

Wajyutsu Keisyukai RJW is a network of mixed martial arts gyms in Japan that have produced sixth-ranked middleweight “Thunder” Yushin Okami (22-4), “Toshihiko” Caol Uno (25-10-4), and Katsuya Inoue (15-5-2).

Mitsuoka trains especially with Okami, about whom Mitsuoka said, “He and I think about the strategy of the fight together.”

Looking forward, the fight is versus brash wrestler Satoru Kitaoka (20-9-7) in Saitama 1 November in Sengoku’s GP semi-finals.

“[Kitaoka] is not my friend,” said the humble Mitsuoka.  “I am looking forward to [the fight],” Mitsuoka added, but revealed little about his strategy.  “You’ll understand after the fight.”

Mitsuoka rose to popularity in Japan after winning a TUF-like PRIDE reality show.

“I got a lot of chances from Pre-PRIDE,” Mitsuoka said.  “I think that the event in Japan and the UFC are really wonderful.  And, I think that a lot of fighters are aiming at those rings.”  Then, Mistuoka added, “Now, I want to think about the thing that wins the fight in November.”

If Mitsuoka conquers Kitaoka, as his stablemate, Inoue, has done before, he’ll fight the winner of Grabaka’s Kazunori Yokota (6-1-2) versus Mizuto Hirota (8-2) the same night.  The tournament champion will then get a crack at second-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (27-4).

Recently, Mitsuoka angered Gomi when he questioned why Gomi was exempt from the tournament.  Gomi promised to let Mitsuoka know why he was exempt when they meet in the ring.

If he wins the tournament, Mitsuoka also plans to talk to his girlfriend’s parents about marrying their daughter.  The mysterious girl’s parents are unaware that their daughter is even dating a fighter; and, Mitsuoka wants to approach them on the heels of the prestigious tournament victory.

“I have not talked with her parents yet.  I am still on the way of the tournament.  After it ends, I’ll speak with her parents.”

WVR also announced that Fighter of the Month “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (1-0) will face Chute Boxe’s Fabio Silva (11-4).

Gomi’s last fight, in August, went the distance but he won the decision over Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).  His next fight was to have been 4 January at Sengoku 7.

Golyaev last fought in December 2006, winning via decision over Vladimir Soroka (3-1).

Lawal won his MMA debut in September with a first round TKO of “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-12).

Silva most recently KO’d Yoshiki Takahashi (28-24-3) in the second round at Sengoku 3 in June.

The winner of the tournament will face Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked middleweight “Grabaka Hitman” Kazuo Misaki (20-8-2) for the first-ever middleweight belt 4 January in Saitama at Sengoku 7.

Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8) will face Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1), and Jorge Santiago (18-7) will face “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1).

The event already features a lightweight tournament to determine an opponent for Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) at Sengoku 7 for the title.

The bouts remaining in the lightweight tournament are Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) versus sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) versus Mizuto Hirota (10-2).

WVR also announced that Fighters.com’s Fighter of the Month “King Mo” Muhammed Lawal (1-0) will fight, although an opponent has not yet been determined.

“GameBred” Jorge Masvidal (14-3) versus Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) is also official.

Joe Doerksen (40-12) revealed through MySpace Tuesday that he has agreed to fight Izuru Takeuchi (25-9-6).

Lawal won his MMA debut in September, TKO’ing the more experienced “Diesel” Travis Wiuff (53-12) in the first round.

Masvidal defeated “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-11-1) with a first-round TKO at the same event.

Bang lost his last fight via unanimous decision to Gomi in August.

UFC veteran Doerksen won a split decision over John Meyer (5-3) in August.

Shooto and Pancrase veteran Takeuchi won his last fight with a heel hook submission over Junior Santos (0-1) in June.

Fighters.com’s second-ranked lightweight

World Victory Road made the official announcement after last weekend’s event.

Gomi’s opponent will be determined 1 November when Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) and sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2), and Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) and Mizuto Hirota (10-2) face each other in the Lightweight Grand Prix in Saitama.

Misaki’s opponent will be the winner of the Middleweight Grand Prix.  Four fighters remain in that tournament: “Afghan Killa” Siyar Bahadurzada (14-3-1), Jorge Santiago (18-7), Kazuhiro Nakamura (12-8), and Yuki Sasaki (22-14-1).

WVR also announced that they would include Beijing Olympic medalists on the card, as well as fighters from Sengoku 5.

Gomi most recently defeated Seung Hwan Bang (5-2) by unanimous decision in August.

Misaki fought “Diesel” Joe Riggs (28-11) earlier in September, finishing him with a second-round TKO.

Why?

(Well, besides the obvious jack the UFC stands to profit on the main event.)

But, UFC President Dana White himself has claimed Penn’s best weight class is 155 pounds; and, Penn made much ballyhoo about getting serious and slimming down to 155 pounds, his natural fighting weight.

Penn has never fought above 155 with a physique that could be described as anything but “pudgy”.

Penn is also 0-2 in his last two 170-pound fights in the Octagon, which must make UFC welterweight contenders wonder if they can get some Vaseline.

In Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August, top lightweight contender “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3) won a unanimous decision versus tough, but relatively unknown Korean champ Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).

The tougher-than-expected struggle probably did more for Bang than Gomi, whose commitment to Sengoku has left him with few top ten challengers since the demise of PRIDE.

On the undercard, sixth-ranked Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2) shutup brash Brazilian Rodrigo Damm (8-2) in a first-round rear naked choke submission.

Mitsuoka was competing in the first round of Sengoku’s Lightweight GP, the winner of which will challenge Gomi.

Fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1) will come back from his May loss to Penn to fight worthy UFC challenger Tyson Griffin (12-1) in Chicago 25 October.

Seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3), who was cheated out of his title challenge versus Penn due to the St. Pierre match-up, will have to take out his frustrations on “Daddy” Joe Stevenson (29-8) in Las Vegas 15 November.

DREAM hasn’t announced a rematch between third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (15-1) and fourth-ranked DREAM champ “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1); but, Fighters.com would be surprised if Alvarez doesn’t get first dibs on the champ he already beat.

If he doesn’t, he and Florian can share a bottle of Vaseline with the UFC welterweight contenders.

The bottom of the top ten, eighth-ranked Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1), ninth-ranked “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3), and tenth-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) were out of the loop last month and have no announced match-ups to report.

September Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk; but, he won’t stay at 155-pounds,

2. “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned in March with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade, UD over Hansen, and TKO of Tatsuya Kawajiri.  Only an injury prevented him from securing the DREAM title.

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)

“Hellboy” shocked Aoki with a TKO in a rematch of the fight that introduced the gogoplata to MMA.  He also holds a UD over Boku, but decision losses to Alvarez and Mitsuoka hint at inconsistency.

5. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eiji Mitsuoka (14-5-2)

Mitsuoka followed up a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto by handing SpiritMC 155-pound champ Kwang Hee Lee  his first loss in Sengoku.  Only a SD loss to Boku in Cage Force tarnishes his two-year record.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second title challenge after a dominant UD over top UFC contender Roger Huerta.

8. Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1)

Boku risks being labled a fluke.  After a SD over Mitsuoka, Boku has dropped consecutive decisions to Artur Oumakhanov and Hansen.

9. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3)

Aoki had eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.  But, Hansen exacted revenge with a TKO in the DREAM GP final.

10. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

Mitsuoka advanced to the second round of the Sengoku lightweight tournament, the winner of which will fight second-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (29-3).

Gomi headlined Sengoku’s fourth battle with a narrow decision over DEEP Lightweight Champion Seung Hwan Bang (5-2).

It was Bang who provided the bang in his stand-up exchanges with the notorious big-puncher Gomi.

But, Gomi edged Bang with stinging leg kicks and championship conditioning for the decision.

Seventh-ranked middleweight “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (17-6) grounded Olympic gold medalist judoka Makoto Takimoto (4-5) at will with single- and double-leg shots, then rained a dominant G’n'P over three rounds to pick-up a unanimous decision in his first fight since December 2007.

In other lightweight tournament match-ups, PANCRASEism’s Satoru Kitaoka (21-8-9) tapped eighth-ranked welterweight Matt Hughes‘s H.I.T. Squad pupil Clay French (16-3) in an Achilles lock at 31 seconds of round one.

IFL Champion “Lion” Ryan Schultz (20-10-1) suffered a surprise second-round knockout by Cage Force Lightweight Champion and former Shooto rookie champion Mizuto Hirota (10-2).

Finally, in an ugly-as-sin slog, Grabaka’s Kazunori Yokota (7-1-3) won a unanimous decision over Slovenian “Zelva” Bojan Kosednar (6-2), who earned two yellow cards for holding and grabbing the ropes.

Yokota saw yellow too for causing Kosednar to see stars with a low blow.

In undercard fights, heavyweight Dong Yi Yang (3-0) TKO’d Polish judoka Pawel Nastula (1-4) in a strange decision by the referee.

In the second round, Nastula worked an armbar, but released it for Yang to rise.  Nastula remained grounded and pointed to his cup, prompting to referee to call the fight at 2:15.

Europe Top Team light heavyweight Moise Rimbon (13-7-3) tapped Aussie kickboxer Peter Graham (0-2) in rear naked choke at 42 seconds of round two.

Valentijn Overeem (26-22) knocked out Yoshiki Takahashi (28-24-3) at 2:43 of round one with a flying knee.

“Hellboy” shocked Osaka 21 July by TKOing former Fighters.com Lightweight Champion “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3) in the first round of the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix final.

Aoki spirals down eight wrungs to ninth on the loss, taking vanquished rival tenth-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) with him.

Penn takes the Championship from the second rank, but is torn between moving to welterweight to fight Fighters.com Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) or defending his Fighters.com and UFC titles from seventh-ranked, top UFC contender “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3).

In Minneapolis 9 August, Florian cleared-up the UFC’s lightweight picture with a dominant UD over “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-2-1).

Hansen seems destined to defend his DREAM title from third-ranked Eddie Alvarez (15-1), who won a UD over Hansen in the second round of DREAM’s tournament.

Alvarez TKO’d “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-5-2) to earn the fight versus Aoki in the DREAM GP final, but sustained injuries that allowed Hansen to replace him.

Second-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) will fight DEEP Lightweight Champion Sung Hwan Pang (5-1) in Saitama, north of Tokyo, 24 August.

August Lightweight Rankings

1. “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk.  Will he stay at 155-pounds?

2. “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned in March with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. Eddie Alvarez (15-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade, UD over Joachim, and TKO of Tatsuya Kawajiri.  Only an injury prevented him from securing the DREAM title.

4. “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (19-7-1)

“Hellboy” shocked Aoki with a TKO in a rematch of the fight that introduced the gogoplata to MMA.  He also holds a UD over Boku, but decision losses to Alvarez and Mitsuoka hint at inconsistency.

5. “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-3-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eiji Mitsuoka (13-5-2)

Mitsuoka followed up a majority decision over Hansen in Shooto by handing SpiritMC 155-pound champ Kwang Hee Lee  his first loss in Sengoku.  Only a SD loss to Boku in Cage Force tarnished his two-year record.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (10-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second title challenge after a dominant UD over top UFC contender Roger Huerta.

8. Kotetsu Boku (13-5-1)

Boku risks being labled a fluke.  After a SD over Mitsuoka, Boku has dropped consecutive decisions to Artur Oumakhanov and Hansen.

9. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (17-3)

Aoki had eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.  But, Hansen exacted revenge with a TKO in the DREAM GP final.

10. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

PRIDE vet Gomi TKO’d “Bang” Duane Ludwig (16-8) in 2:28 at the first Sengoku event in March.  It was Gomi’s first fight in eleven months.

Pang, from South Korea, KO’d Kazunori Yokota (6-1-3) in 3:38 in May for the lightweight title. His only loss came during his professional debut in July 2007.

Fighters.com never questioned Penn’s talent, just his recent body of work at 155-pounds.

Though Penn fought unquestionably tougher competition last month, “Tobikan Judan” stole the show in the division by pulling a gogoplata from the mount out of his hat to tap Katsuhiko Nagata (4-3) 15 June in Tokyo.

It seems impossible for DREAM’s magician from Tokyo and the UFC’s warrior from Hilo to settle the cross-Pacific lightweight question; but, UFC President Dana White is desperate to keep Penn’s eyes from wandering out of the young UFC 155-pound division.

Penn told the post-UFC 84 press conference that, after out-boxing Sherk, it’s hard for him to get motivated to fight the winner of seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) versus “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1) to be fought in Minneapolis 9 August.

Penn wants Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2).

White wants Penn to focus at 155-pounds.

Fighters.com predicts White is committed enough to the division and keeping Penn in it to sign some of the top lightweights not already in the UFC.

Maybe Aoki. Maybe not.

Maybe sixth-ranked Eddie Alvarez (14-1), who draws “Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri (22-4-2) in DREAM’s Lightweight GP in Tokyo 21 July.

Alvarez is on loan to DREAM from Adrenaline MMA, run by Alvarez’s manager Monte Cox.

Cox has a good relationship with the UFC and and his fighters.

Fighters.com speculates Cox would gladly send Alvarez to the big show for awhile if he feels like Adrenaline can’t give Alvarez the fights that best capatalize on Alvarez’s success in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Aoki fights on the same card as Alvarez in July, matched versus tenth-ranked “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4).

Third-ranked “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) returns versus a yet-to-be-named foe 24 August in Tokyo, keeping Fighters.com questioning why we’ve seen so little of the former PRIDE Champ since losing to Nick Diaz (17-7) in February 2007.

Eighth-ranked Hermes Franca (18-6) returns in Las Vegas 19 July from his suspension for testing positive for banned substances. He’s matched versus rising talent “The Answer” Frank Edgar (8-1).

Third-ranked “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1) and ninth-ranked “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1) are both on the shelf after losing in DREAM’s Lightweight GP.

June Lightweight Rankings

1. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-2)

Aoki has eleven straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Joachim Hansen, topped only by MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage from the mount over Katsuhiko Nagata.

2. “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1)

“Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver. In May, he dominated the best the UFC had to offer in a TKO of Sherk. Will he stay at 155-pounds?

3. “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida. A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned last month with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

4. “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-1-1)

“JZ” has brushed Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

5. “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1)

“Muscle Shark” had been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian. In his return, Penn outclassed the wrestler to a TKO, leaving both top UFC lightweights with slim competition within the promotion.

6. Eddie Alvarez (14-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade and a UD over Joachim Hansen.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second run at the title, but will first face Roger Huerta for the UFC top contendership.

8. Hermes Franca (18-6)

Despite a year suspension, Franca has been busy the last two years with stoppages of Spencer Fisher, Nathan Diaz, and new WEC champ Jamie Varner. He’s only dropped a UD to Sherk and returns 19 July versus Frank Edgar.

9. “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1)

Since a UD over Uno, Amade has been stopped consecutively by top tenners Alvarez and Calvancante. In the last two years, “Dida” has also stopped Artur Oumakhanov and Hiroyuki Takaya.

10. “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4)

Uno splashed into the top ten with a submission of former PRIDE title contender Mitsuhiro Ishida. The former UFC and K-1 star now begins a run in DREAM that leads to Fighters.com Champ Aoki in July.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After two false starts, “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (15-2) and “JZ” Gesias Calvancante (14-2-1) finally fought for the Fighters.com top ranking in Tokyo at the end of April.

Aoki came out on top with a unanimous decision and now tops Fighters.com lightweight rankings, but suffered injuries that have postponed his DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix quarter final match-up versus Katsuhiko Nagata (4-2) until DREAM.4.

Calvancante fell to number three, allowing “Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3) to claim the second ranking.

Gomi is rumoured to be joining the 8 June Sengoku III card in Tokyo, but no opponent has been leaked.

Fourth-ranked “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1) and fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1) will tussle for the UFC lightweight title 24 May in Las Vegas.

Eddie Alvarez (14-1) debuts in the lightweight top ten at number six after dominating “Hellboy” Joachim Hansen (17-7-1) in the quarter final of DREAM’s Lightweight GP.  He’ll fight in the semi-finals (and perhaps the finals) at DREAM.5 21 July.

Seventh-ranked “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3) and eighth-ranked Hermes Franca (18-6) both hop two spots after “Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-4-1) got tapped in a rear naked choke in “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno‘s (25-10-4) DREAM Lightweight GP quarterfinal debut.

Florian is scheduled to fight “El Matador” Roger Huerta (20-1-1) 9 August in Minneapolis for the UFC’s top contender spot, while Franca lingers in suspension after testing positive for banned substances last July.

Uno advances to the DREAM Lightweight GP semis (and maybe finals) with Alvarez, but against an unknown opponent.

“Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1) also debuts in the lightweight rankings at number nine, mostly on the strength of his unanimous decision victory over Uno last September.  Recently, though, Dida has been dominated by Calvancante and Alvarez.

May Lightweight Rankings

1. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (14-2)

Aoki has ten straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Joachim Hansen.  A UD over Calvancante in April cemented him atop Fighters.com’s rankings.

2. “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Mitsuhiro Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned last month with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

3. “JZ” Gesias Calvancanti (14-1-1)

“JZ” has brushed Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss until losing a UD to Aoki in April.

4. “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1)

“The Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver.  He defends his title from Sherk at the end of May.

5. “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1)

“The Muscle Shark” has been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.   He was the UFC’s first lightweight titlist since the division was reinstated and challenges Penn for title he was stripped of.

6. Eddie Alvarez (14-1)

Since dropping from welterweight for the DREAM Lightweight GP, Alvarez has been relentless in a stoppage of Amade and a UD over Joachim Hansen.

7. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD.  “KenFlo” is ready for a second run at the title, but will first face Roger Huerta for the UFC top contendership.

8. Hermes Franca (18-6)

Despite a year suspension, Franca has been busy the last two years with stoppages of Spencer Fisher, Nathan Diaz, and new WEC champ Jamie Varner.  He’s only dropped a UD to Sherk.

9. “Dida” Andre Amade (6-3-1)

Since a UD over Uno, Amade has been stopped consecutively by top tenners Alvarez and Calvancante.  In the last two years, “Dida” has also stopped Artur Oumakhanov and Hiroyuki Takaya.

10. “Uno Shoten” Caol Uno (25-10-4)

Uno splashed into the top ten with a submission of former PRIDE title contender Mitsuhiro Ishida.   The former UFC and K-1 star now begins a run in DREAM.

1. “JZ” Gesias Calvancanti (14-1-1)

“JZ” has brushed Andre Amade, Vitor Ribeiro, and Nam Phan off his shoulders with stoppages since a MD over Caol Uno in ’06, part of 13 straight without a loss.  He needs a win over Aoki to cement his Fighters.com top ranking.

2. “Tobikan Judan” Shinya Aoki (14-2)

Aoki has nine straight wins, including MMA’s first gogoplata stoppage over Joachim Hansen. Inability to put away tough debuting judoka Bu Kyng Jung keeps him from first place.

3. “The Fireball Kid” Takanori Gomi (28-3)

Gomi avenged a 2006 blip to Marcus Aurelio with a stoppage on NYE the same year followed by a stoppage of Ishida.  A year-long layoff keeps Gomi from ichi-ban, but he returned last month with a stoppage of Duane Ludwig.

4. “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (12-4-1)

“The Prodigy’s” return to lightweight quickly resulted in UFC gold with two second-round stoppages over Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver.

5. “Endless Fighter” Mitsuhiro Ishida (16-3-1)

After a stoppage by Gomi, “Endless Warrior” returned strong in a decision over Melendez to add to his ’06 decision over Marcus Aurelio.

6. “El Niño” Gilbert Melendez (14-1)

“El Niño” blew out versus Ishida last NYE, but proved his worth with decisions over Tatsuya Kawajiri and Clay Guida.  Melendez benefits from action on both continents.

7. “Mach” Hayato Sakurai (32-7-2)

“Mach” has murdered lesser competition the last two years, but guarded the lightweight gate from tough up-and-comers Hidehiko Hasegawa, Mac Danzig, and Luciano Azevedo.  Sakurai missed DREAM’s Grand Prix, but needs to get back to top fighters.

8. “The Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (31-2-1)

“The Muscle Shark” has been on the shelf for nearly a year since decisions over Franca and Florian.  He was the UFC’s first lightweight titlist since the division was reinstated and challenges Penn for title he was stripped of.

9. “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3)

Florian is a finisher since losing a UFC title challenge to Sherk by UD. “KenFlo” is ready for a second run at the title.

10. Hermes Franca (18-6)

Despite a year suspension, Franca has been busy the last two years with stoppages of Spencer Fisher, Nathan Diaz, and new WEC champ Jamie Varner.  He’s only dropped a UD to Sherk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The match-up will be the main event at WVR’s inaugural March 5th card at Yoyogi National Gymnasium No. 1 in Tokyo.

Neither fighter has competed in mixed martial arts since PRIDE’s final New Year’s Eve event in 2006.

Barnett dropped a rematch with current interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by unanimous decision.

Yoshida suffered a TKO to glass-jawed Brit James Thompson.

WVR announced last week that it had signed former PRIDE Lightweight Champion Takanori Gomi.