» Fighter: Terry Etim

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

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

Liverpulian lightweight Terry Etim (11-2) won a unanimous decision over Canadian “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-5-1) by judges scores of 29-28 twice and 30-27 once.

Both strikers came out swinging in the first round.  Stout knocked Etim down with a left hook; but, Etim rebounded with a Superman punch.

Said Etim, “That was the gameplan from the start, you know?  He said he was going to trade and, give him all of his credit, he stuck to what he said.”

Read More About UFC 89: Etim Wins Show of Kickboxing With Stout by Decision…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The UFC officially added two more matches Thursday to the UFC 89 card, set for Birmingham, England, 18 October.

Swedish lightweight Per Ecklund (13-3-1) will face France’s Samy Schiavo (10-5), and in another 155-pound match-up, Canadian “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-4-1) will take on Liverpudlian Terry Etim (10-2).

Ecklund’s last fight was in January when he lost a unanimous decision to Stout.

Schiavo was TKO’d at his Octagon debut in April by “Carpenter” Clay Guida (23-9), snapping his six-fight win streak.

Stout lost his last fight, a split decision that went to Rich Clementi (32-12-1) in April.

Etim also lost his last fight to Clementi, by unanimous decision in May.

“Satisfying!  Very satisfying,” described Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked lightweight and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) after defeating fifth-ranked “Muscle Shark” Sean Sherk (32-2-1) by TKO after the third round at UFC 84 in Las Vegas Saturday.

Veteran referee Mario Yamasaki determined that Sherk was unable to continue after a Penn flurry at the cage that left Sherk on the mat at the end of the third round.

The three five-minute rounds were fought entirely standing up, resembling a boxing match.

Penn worked a slicker boxing style set-up with a long, snapping jab.  Sherk threw left and right hooks in a stiff, technical style.

Penn established his jab in the first round as Sherk pressured.

Sherk clinched to muffle “The Prodigy’s” reach advantage; but, Penn landed an uppercut to break the clinch.

Sherk attempted to counter with his own jab, but threw it short as Penn followed down the pipe with his left.  Sherk clinched again; but, Penn threw him off.

Sherk began round two with a cut under his right eye from Penn’s relentless jabbing.  He shrugged his shoulders before the bell, disappointed with his first-round performance.

But, the Minnesotan took the fight to Penn in the second round.  Penn clinched inside Sherk’s left/right hook combo and hammered knees to “The Muscle Shark’s” body.

Again, Penn clinched; but, Sherk overwhelmed him with a flurry.  Penn pushed out of the clinch.

Unable to solve Penn’s boxing riddle, Sherk began to test his leg kick; but, Penn answered with a left hook.

Penn had all the answers Saturday night.

Read More About Penn Works Over Sherk, Axe Murder Is Back at UFC 84…

Fighters.com was live Friday at the UFC 84 weigh-ins at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Fighters.com’s seventh-ranked lightweight “KenFlo” Kenny Florian (9-3), former UFC Middleweight Champion Evan Tanner (32-7), and “Hammer” Mark Coleman (15-8) signed autographs and third-ranked lightweight “JZ” Gesias Calvancanti (14-2-1) was in the crowd with his smokin’ hot girlfriend.

Read More About Dana White Is My Bitch, Reljic Feisty, and Photos From the UFC 84 Weigh-In…

With barely enough time to sleep through a few six A.M. cardio sessions after grinding out a split decision “W” over “Hands of Stone” Sam Stout (13-4-1) in Montréal Saturday, “No Love” Rich Clementi (31-12-1) has already agree to replace Robert Emerson (7-6) in Las Vegas 24 May.

The UFC did not divulge the injury that has forced Emerson out of his scheduled fight with Terry Etim (10-1).

Clementi rides a five fight win streak into Vegas beginning with a rear naked choke submission of Kyle Gibbons (9-2) in September ‘07.

Etim of Liverpool returns from his first loss, a unanimous decision to Gleison Tibau (15-5) last September.

UFC.com has added lightweights Terry Etim (10-1) of Liverpool and Team Oyama’s “The Saint” Robert Emerson (7-6) to their UFC 84 schedule to be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas 24 May.

Etim lost his last fight by unanimous decision to Gleison Tibau (15-5), the only “L” on his record.

Vale Tudo fighter Emerson enters the fight with five straight wins and a No Contest.  His last fight ended in a split decision over “K-Taro” Keita Nakamura (14-3-2).

Also announced, “The Hungarian Nightmare” Christian Wellisch (8-3) will welcome undefeated heavyweight Shane Carwin (8-0) to the Octagon.

Wellisch, a recent law school graduate, has been publicly frustrated with what will be a eight-month layoff.

Last September he submitted Scott Junk (6-2) in a heel hook at UFC 76.

Carwin is a ballyhooed wrestler entering the Octagon off a TKO over “The Tank” Sherman Pedergarst (10-8).

Tuesday the UFC officially scheduled a home and an away game slotted for 24 May in Vegas and 7 June in London.

Loose lips had already divulged details for both events.

At the MGM Grand Garden Arena 24 May, “The Prodigy” BJ Penn will defend his UFC Lightweight Championship against the improper advances of former 155-pound champ Sean Sherk, returning from a banned substances suspension.

My Portuguese is a little rusty, but Wanderlei Silva has also confirmed via his blog that he’s signed to fight Keith Jardine on the Vegas strip.

Other rumored bouts include:

Ryoto Machida v Tito Ortiz
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou v Kazuhiro Nakamura
Rashad Evans v Thiago Silva
Wilson Gouveia v Goran Reljic
Rousimar Palhares v Ivan Salaverry
Dong-hyun Kim v Jason Tan
Terry Etim v Jeremy Stephens
Shane Carwin v Christian Wellisch

At 02 Arena in London 7 June, light heavyweights Chuck Liddell and  Mauricio Rua will headline in a fight that not too long ago would’ve been considered the king-maker at 205.

Brandon Vera has also confirmed he’ll return versus Fabricio Werdum in London.

Brock Lesnar is also rumored to return on this fight card.