5. Miguel Torres vs. Demetrious Johnson living up to its potential.

I was very hesitant about Miguel Torres after his bore-fest of a UFC debut, I’ve made no secret of that. But he honestly redeemed himself a whole lot (though not completely) at UFC 130. This was a Miguel Torres I could like: his style is wholly different, but the old fire and passion is still there, as is the hunger to get a dramatic finish. Johnson was simply the better man, and as I predicted, this fight saw him fully emerge as a UFC Bantamweight Championship contender. All told, it was the best fight of the UFC 130 preliminary card.

4. Frank Mir controlling and dominating an over-matched and overweight Roy Nelson.

When Frank Mir is off… he’s way, way off. But when Frank Mir is on? When Frank Mir is on, it becomes very apparent why he’s a former Heavyweight champion. Mir showed up in great shape and really controlled Roy Nelson, who is a tough opponent for anybody. Both men ended up gassing, but mostly because the first round of their fight was so frantic and exciting. It wasn’t the best performance of Frank Mir’s career, but it did demonstrate that he’s still a force in the UFC’s Heavyweight division after all this time.

3. Quinton Jackson fully shaking off the ring rust against Matt Hamill.

Jackson didn’t look too impressive against Rashad Evans, the same could be said for his bout with Lyoto Machida. But when you look at his UFC 130 fight with Matt Hamill and consider that he had a fractured hand going into the bout… Jackson looked very impressive. With some of the shots he hit Hamill with, you have to wonder if those shots would’ve knocked Hamill out if “Rampage” had his hands at full strength. This wasn’t the full rebirth of the Quinton Jackson of old, but it was a huge step in the right direction.

2. Brian Stann dominating Jorge Santiago.

Even if we put aside the tremendous story of a former Marine and Silver Star recipient fighting on Memorial Day weekend, it’s tough to look at Brian Stann and not picture him as a possible title contender before the year is through. Stann seems to be putting it all together at Middleweight: fast hands, crisp striking, and dangerous KO power. Jorge Santiago came into the UFC after an amazing run in Japan… and Brian Stann may have just sent him back there. It was a fantastic performance, and when you add in Stann’s background, it was the best feel-good moment of the night.

And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 130 is…

1. Travis Browne’s Superman Punch KO on Stefan Struve.

If you ever wondered why this was called the “Superman Punch”, here’s your answer: if someone knows how to use it correctly and has good power in his hands, it’s nearly guaranteed to knock an opponent senseless. Like many flashy strikes, it’s mostly used not to damage but to create openings and get inside an opponent’s head. But Browne utilized the move to its full effect when he folded up the gigantic Stefan Struve. That’s a highlight that will be on Browne’s reel for the rest of his career, and it was honestly the best moment of an underwhelming UFC 130.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from UFC 130: “Rampage vs. Hamill”.

Next for Brian Stann: Now that he’s dropped down to Middleweight, Brian Stann just keeps finding a way to finish people in dramatic fashion. He’s now on a three-fight win-streak with three stoppages: tww KO’s and one submission. He’s also got one “Fight of the Night” award under his belt as a Middleweight. Stann is a huge breath of fresh air in a division still recuperating from Anderson Silva’s reign of destruction, so I see Stann being immediately put into a “contender eliminator” fight in his next bout.

Next for Roy Nelson: I feel quite sad to say this, but it’s time for “Big Country” to lose the “big”. Perhaps it’s Nelson getting up there in years, perhaps it’s the simple fact that what everyone said would happen finally is happening. But Roy Nelson has got to lose weight, and fast. His cardio is abominable if it goes past the first round, and Mir proved that it’s even abominable in the very first round if you know how to work him. If Nelson doesn’t show up to his next fight at a trim 220, 240 at maximum, then he’s doomed to stay knocking out UFC Heavyweight bottom-feeders until he loses a few in a row and the UFC cuts him.

Next for Frank Mir: What an interesting situation Frank Mir finds himself in. He continues to find ways to prolong his career as a top-flight UFC Heavyweight, and to be honest, I think he looked awesome against Roy Nelson. I don’t have anything against Frank Mir, I actually consider myself a bit of a fan of the man. But it worries me that he can look great in some fights only to get pummeled in other fights. Based on his name and style, Mir will probably get a “contender eliminator” fight for his next fight… but if it’s someone who knows his tricks and has good punching power, he could lose his shot at the title once again. And since he’s been fighting in the UFC for so long, there are a lot of people out there that know his tricks. And since it’s the UFC Heavyweight division, a lot of people have good punching power.

Next for Matt Hamill: Much like Roy Nelson, I truly hate to say this. But I think this fight proved that Matt Hamill is and always will be a gatekeeper. He’s awesome against a certain type of opponent, but that opponent doesn’t have “best in the world” status. Expect Hamill to be a staple of the UFC’s “Fight Night Live” outings for the foreseeable future.

Next for Quinton Jackson: At least for now, Quinton Jackson has preserved his spot as one of the best 205 fighters in the UFC. What’s next is anyone’s guess, considering how many top-ranked Light Heavyweights are in the UFC and constantly fighting for their shot at the championship. I will say this, though: one way or another, we’ll know by the end of the year whether or not Quinton Jackson will fight for a championship. If he does, he faces a tough but not insurmountable task. If he doesn’t, he’ll continue fighting for one and winning more than he loses so long as he shows up in shape, focused, and healthy.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? What do you see happening in the near and not-so-near future of the big winners and losers of UFC 130: “Rampage vs. Hamill”?

Full results courtesy of MMA Weekly.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defeats Matt Hamill via unanimous decision (30-27 x3). Frank Mir defeats Roy Nelson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26). Travis Browne defeats Stefan Struve via KO at 4:11 of the first round. Rick Story defeats Thiago Alves via unanimous decision (29-28 x3). Brian Stann defeats Jorge Santiago via TKO at 4:29 or round two. Demetrious Johnson defeats Miguel Torres via unanimous decision (29-28 x3). Tim Boetsch defeats Kendall Grove via unanimous decision (30-27 x3). Gleison Tibau defeats Rafaello via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:28 of round two. Michael McDonald defeats Chris Cariaso via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 29-28). Renan Barao defeats Cole Escovedo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

I’ll begin with my most prevalent reaction to this card: as the title says, this card lives up to the “anti-hype”. Some fights were good, but some fights weren’t. Some fighters gave good performances, some fighters gave marginal, average, and occasionally sloppy/bad performances. It was an average event in a day and age where “average” is below average. This is the UFC we’re talking about, and most people decried this as a glorified “Fight Night Live” card. With only a few exceptions, they ended up being right.

Renan Barao left me honestly a bit disappointed. With his kind of record, I thought he would totally blitzkrieg Cole Escovedo and set himself up as an immediate Bantamweight Championship contender. I said the exact same thing about Michael McDonald, who once again showed tremendous talent but squeaked his way past a close decision. Gleison Tibau put on a good performance, but he’s the definition of a journeyman.

I think Tim Boetsch could be a force at Middleweight, but he seemed to be playing it safe for most of his fight and it got a little boring at times. On the very positive side, Miguel Torres took a huge step forward in redeeming himself with his heartfelt, entertaining performance against Demetrious Johnson. In losing to “Mighty Mouse”, Torres actually gained back some of the respect that I lost for him when he made an incredibly boring UFC debut.

I loved seeing Brian Stann go to town, and I also liked seeing Travis Browne KTFO Stefan Struve. But I have to wonder if either of those two fights belonged on the main card of a major UFC Pay-Per-View. I personally found the bout between Rick Story and Thiago Alves very boring. And after being a fan of Roy Nelson for most of his career, I now have no choice but to admit that Roy Nelson’s quirky physique has stopped being quirky and started becoming the Achilles Heel everyone says it would end up becoming. As much as he loves it, Nelson needs to lose his gut… and quickly.

And in the main event of UFC 130, a star-struck Matt Hamill fought an injured (we’d find that out in Jackson’s post-fight interview) Quinton Jackson. Even Jackson himself gave his performance a failing grade, rating it a five out of ten. Jackson kept himself alive in the Light Heavyweight title hunt, but Matt Hamill seemed so far out of his element that I think many people will rightfully question what this win proved.

Overall… I normally don’t mind being wrong, but I really wish I had been right. I really wish this card had been a “sleeper hit” and answered all the cynics. But it didn’t… and that’s very unfortunate.

5. Three free fights on Facebook.

The main event of the free Facebook preliminary broadcast features a battle between two journeyman UFC fighters, and that’s always an interesting and competitive bout. But you’ve also got two fighters who basically don’t belong on the prelims and could be major stars in a very short amount of time. The first one is Renan Barao, who possesses an incredible record of 25-1. The second is Michael McDonald, with a record of 12-1 with eleven stoppages. Those fighters shouldn’t be missed, so the Facebook stream shouldn’t be missed.

4. Two big fights on Spike TV

Speaking of journeyman, one of the UFC’s most popular Middleweight journeyman will be in action at UFC 130: Kendall Grove. Grove takes on Tim Boetsch, who recently had a four-fight win-streak broken. But even bigger than that, you’ve got former top-ranked Pound-for-Pound stalwart and long-reigning WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres taking on the fiery Demetrious Johnson. Whoever wins that fight will be only one or two fights away from a shot at the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

3. Brian Stann fighting on Memorial Day Weekend.

No matter what your personal feelings are on the current war situation, we should all agree that Memorial Day is a time best served for reflection and honoring the fallen. Brian Stann will fight for both his country and his comrades when he steps into the cage at UFC 130, which takes place during Memorial Day weekend. Stann is so pumped for this fight that he recently gave an interview where he said that he’d fight every single day of this weekend if he could. Depending on how his fight with Jorge Santiago goes, Stann may take a huge step towards the UFC Middleweight Championship at this event.

2. Nelson vs. Mir is going to surprise a lot of people.

People are thinking this is going to be a good fight and a fun brawl… and I honestly think they’re wrong. It’s going to be a good fight… and a superbly-technical ground war. In a way, this is the fight Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira should have been: striking will be put on the backburner although not abandoned entirely, while both men dazzle fans with their ground wizardry. If you’ve got even a modicum of respect for the ground game, this is a must-watch fight.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC 130 is…

1. Matt Hamill’s coming-out party.

I’ve talked about it for so long, and now the day is finally here. Later today, I fully believe that Matt Hamill will finally step into the role of a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship contender. He’ll be facing arguably the toughest test of his career, but that’s going to motivate him to put on the best performance of his life. I can’t wait to see Matt Hamill triumph over adversity one more time and become the fighter I always knew he could be.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see UFC 130. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

Quinton Jackson vs. Matt Hamill: I’ve staked my claim in Matt Hamill’s corner ever since this fight was first announced, and that’s not changing anytime soon. I know Matt Hamill can beat “Rampage”, I’ve seen his heart and will carry him through too much to ever doubt him again. We’re going to see the best Matt Hamill we’ve ever seen in this fight, and he’s going to surprise a lot of people. Hamill will show up in great shape and very focused, and will beat Jackson by Unanimous Decision.

Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson: It all comes down to two things: size and strength. Both of these fighters have it, but I think Roy Nelson has more of it. As awkward as it is, Roy Nelson’s big belly allows him to really control people on the ground, it’s nearly impossible to get out from under it. Nelson also has big one-hit knockout power, whereas Mir has good power but really needs to soften a guy up before TKO’ing them. Even the big power punch he landed on Cheick Kongo wasn’t enough to turn out the lights in an instant, and that was full-force and dead square on the chin. Both are so good on the ground that neither one of them is getting submitted, and although Nelson has both speed and power in his strikes, I think Frank Mir won’t get stopped and dropped. Roy Nelson wins a tough, close bout by Unanimous Decision.

Travis Browne vs. Stefan Struve: Stefan Struve is a bit of an enigma. When he’s put up against a good opponent, his size, reach, and heart all make him a very formidable foe. When he’s put up against someone with huge punching power, though, he can go out like a light in under a minute. Unfortunately for Struve, eight of Browne’s ten wins have come by some form of (T)KO. If Struve takes this fight to the ground, he’ll likely win by Submission by Round 2. But if Struve wants to stand and bang just to prove that he can, that chin is going to betray him before long, and Browne will win by TKO by Round 2.

Brian Stann vs. Jorge Santiago: Santiago has been on a very good run outside of the UFC, but it’s an entirely different level of competition inside the Octagon. Brian Stann is quickly molding himself into a top-tier Middleweight, and he looked excellent in his fight with Chris Leben. I just can’t get past the fact that Santiago has been dropped and stopped five times in his career, over half of his career losses have come from someone cracking his chin. That’s exactly what I think is going to happen here: Brian Stann wins by first-round KO.

Rick Story vs. Thiago Alves: Story may be on a good five-fight win-streak, but three of those wins were decisions and two were Split Decisions. Thiago Alves hasn’t fully recaptured the magic of his 2008 run, though. However, he looked like he was well on his way to doing just that in his last fight. I think this fight will end with Alves taking a firm step towards another title shot, even though Story will make him work for it. Thiago Alves wins by TKO in Round 3.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Who do you see winning, and why, at UFC 130?

In October, Thiago Alves will celebrate his sixth year of active competition as a UFC fighter. Debuting in 2005, it took Alves three long years before he emerged as a true Welterweight contender. To date, Alves’ biggest year was 2008, when he defeated three top-ranked Welterweight fighters and earned “Fighter of the Year” on several prominent websites. To this day, few can forget Thiago’s dramatic Flying Knee KO win over UFC legend and Hall of Fame member Matt Hughes.

Things then took a turn for the worse. Alves was awarded a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship at the historic UFC 100 event… and was controlled for five rounds by Georges St. Pierre. That 2009 loss broke Alves’ seven-fight win-streak, and Alves would return to MMA competition over a year later and overweight. Alves would lose that fight as well. Recently, however, Alves looked to be back to proper form when he defeated John Howard by Unanimous Decision. Despite his rough patch, all hope is far from lost for Thiago Alves.

Rick “The Horror” Story has the dubious distinction of being one of many, many fighters that entered the UFC on a good win-streak only to lose their Octagon debut. However, Story rebounded emphatically from that loss and is currently on a five-fight win-streak. Two of those wins were very tough Split Decisions, but two others were dominant finishes. Currently, Story has been making a name for himself by taking on the lower-to-mid tier of the UFC’s welterweight division. This is easily the biggest test of Story’s UFC career, but he seems very ready for it and equally as ready to prove himself amongst a Welterweight division that is in desperate need of new, interesting challenges for Georges St. Pierre.

So, who do I think will win this fight? It depends on which Thiago Alves shows up. And yes, it really is that simple. If the old Alves of 2008 shows up, Rick Story is going to be bounced back to the mid-tier in a big way, most likely by TKO. Alves was once unstoppable, and he can become unstoppable again. But if the Alves that shows up at UFC 130 is the fighter that’s continuously struggled to come in at the weight limit? If it’s the Alves that can be and has been thoroughly dominated by wrestling-based fighters? If that fighter shows up, then this fight is Story’s for the taking.

There are now only three fights left of the main UFC 130 Pay-Per-View card, fans and friends. Stay tuned as I continue to count down and fully cover UFC 130 with “A Closer Look At UFC 130”.

With credit going to MMA Junkie, the UFC recently confirmed as official the following bouts for UFC 130: Frank Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard for the UFC Lightweight Championship, Quinton Jackson vs. Thiago Silva, Frank Mir vs. Roy Nelson, Brian Stann vs. Wanderlei Silva, and Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story.

MMA Junkie also recently revealed that a match-up pitting Stefan Struve against Travis Browne was official for the UFC 130 preliminary card.

This comes on the heels of the major announcement that the UFC 129 fight card is now officially complete, and features several amazing matches that will take place in front of a possible crowd of at least 40,000.

While I don’t think that UFC 130 is as good as UFC 129, I do think it’s an amazing show and fully encapsulates how hard the UFC is focusing in on making all the best fights come together in 2011.

There’s simply too much to like when it comes to UFC 130. Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 3 should be an amazing encounter that has the potential to be an even bigger, even better match than their second encounter. I still believe in Frank Edgar, and I know that if he can come back from the beating “The Bully” gave him in the first round of their second fight, he can pretty much come back from anything. My early prediction is that this will be another super-close fight between two incredibly gifted athletes, but I think the third time will be the charm: this time Edgar will finally solve the puzzle, and he will finally beat Gray Maynard.

Add to that the awesome wars that should be Thiago Silva vs. Quinton Jackson and Brian Stann vs. Wanderlei Silva. In particular, Silva/Jackson should be an epic brawl that I expect will end with a dramatic KO. Both men are at pivotal moments in their careers, and a big KO will almost certainly put the winner right back “into the mix”. Stann/Silva should also be a major proving point for both fighters, and will likely be one of the most explosive fights of the night.

And to top it all off, you’ve got Roy Nelson vs. Frank Mir and Thiago Alves vs. Rick Story, which are important matches for all involved and should be some very exciting fights to watch.

So while UFC 129 may be shaping up to be one of the best cards of the last several years, UFC 130 is also shaping up to be a landmark event and possibly one of the best events of 2011, which has already been a fantastic year for Mixed Martial Arts and should turn out to be a banner year for the sport as a whole.

And what about you, fans and friends? What’s your early reaction to the UFC 130 card?

“The Horror” Story was most recently in action on December 4 for “The Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale” when he defeated fellow budding star Johnny Hendricks, extending his win streak to now five-in-a-row and becoming a prominent fixture in the 170-pound weight class.

Rather then wait for the UFC to take notice and plan their next move for Rick, the welterweight star has went on his own initiative and called out one of the best that the division has to offer. Who? Well, it’s Thiago Alves.

“I want to fight Thiago [Alves],” said Story bluntly on a recent edition of the “Savage Dog Show” on the Sherdog Radio Network.

Alves recently survived the possible UFC axe when he defeated former contender John Howard at UFC 124 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His questioned takedown defense was on full display as the Brazilian thwarted all attempts that the Boston native initiated in order to take the fight to the mat. Even more so, Alves’ striking his on point, damaging Howard early with leg kicks that carried him to an eventual unanimous decision victory.

And with a win underneath his belt after losing back-to-back fights against Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch, Alves has once again become a contender in a crowded 170-pound division.

A former title challenger and consensus top-5 fighter, Story would have a lot on his plate should the two match up, but that’s exactly what he wants.

“I know that somebody like Thiago Alves, beating him, it would make people realize, ‘This guy is for real,’” said Rick. “I just want everybody to know that I am for real and I’m not going to stop until I get that number one spot.”

“For one, he’s a standup striker. And two, he’s great at takedown defense, but he’s not that great at staying away from wrestlers when he’s down on the ground,” continued the 26-year-old. “When he’s in good shape, he’s a little bit better at getting away. Against [Jon] Fitch, Fitch took him down at will and controlled him on the ground. I just think that it would be great. It would be a great fight and it’d be fun to stand and trade with him.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the proposed match up? Do you give Story a shot against “The Pitbull”? Sound off in the comment section below.

Here are some very interesting quotes, straight from Story himself, courtesy of the one and only Sherdog: “I know that somebody like Thiago Alves, beating him, it would make people realize, ‘This guy is for real.’ I just want everybody to know that I am for real and I’m not going to stop… For one, he’s a standup striker. And two, he’s great at takedown defense… I just think that it would be great. It would be a great fight and it’d be fun to stand and trade with him.”

While some may say that Story will be out of his league if he fights Alves, I have to agree with Story that the fight would probably be very entertaining to watch. Regardless of where he’s at in the rankings, I think Story has earned a shot at the main stage. He’s won five straight in the UFC, that simply doesn’t happen unless you’re a very good fighter. So what if Alves may mop the floor with Story if “The Pitbull” shows up at his best, like he did in his recent UFC 124 performance where he heinously assaulted John Howard? Story’s earned the right to try and prove everyone wrong.

Plus, this fight would be a good fight for Thiago Alves too. As I said in a recent article, I’m very hesitant to buy into all this “Alves is back” hype. A very short while ago, Alves was struggling to make weight and looking downright horrible in his fights with Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch. I won’t hold those bad performances and those weight difficulties over his head forever, but I also won’t believe that “The Pitbull” of old is back after only one performance. However, if Alves beat someone like Rick Story, I may just end up buying into the belief that Thiago Alves has returned to his days of outright wrecking opponents.

In the end, this is a fight I’d love to see and I think the outcome of it will be determined by what Thiago Alves shows up. If it’s the one that beat down John Howard with cringe-inducing, shotgun-sounding leg kicks, then on paper, Alves should decimate Story. But if Alves shows up at anything less than his best, or especially as the Alves that lost to GSP or Jon Fitch, I think Rick Story could turn in an incredible performance and jump right into the shark tank by beating “The Pitbull”.

And what about you, fans and friends? If this fight happens, who do you think would win?

Here are the highlights from an interview Alves recently had with MMA Weekly: “…I want to be back by the beginning of April. My next fight I want it to be in UFC Rio on August 27 so if they schedule that, I’ll (fight) beginning of April and then August 27… I just want to fight whoever’s going to bring me closer to the belt again. It doesn’t matter who it is… I want to be the welterweight champion. Whoever’s going to bring me closer, I’m ready for it… Welterweight division, watch out, I’m back.”

Now, I have no problem admitting that Thiago Alves did put on a classic performance against John Howard at “St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2”. He came in on weight, in top shape, fought like a monster, and decimated his opponent. So while I do think I’m raining on Thiago’s parade (not without reason, of course), I don’t want to take anything away from the fact that Alves took a giant leap down the comeback trail when he beat John Howard. But one good fight does not a triumphant return make.

If Thiago Alves wants me to start taking him seriously again as a major threat in the UFC’s Welterweight division, he needs to continue to do what he did to John Howard, he needs to permanently bring back the Thiago Alves that reacted to his opponent’s gameplan with utter disdain and then pounded their face in or reduced their legs to jelly. If that Thiago Alves is brought back and brought back consistently, I’ll be the first one to hop the next trampoline and jump back onto the Thiago Alves bandwagon.

But it’s going to take more than one good performance for me to forget how utterly out of his league Alves looked against Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch. In particular, the memories of Alves looking like a shell of his former himself against Fitch will remain in my head for quite some time until I’m convinced to sweep them under the rug. But the potential certainly is there. Thiago Alves stands to have an amazing 2011 if he lives up to all of his promises. But anything is possible in MMA. I know most fans, including myself, use that term when talking about seemingly-unbeatable champions. But make no mistake, the reverse is also true. Thiago Alves could be back and better than ever in 2011… but he could also take a wrong step on the comeback trail and end up falling down a chasm.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Like me, are you hesitant to fully believe Alves’ promise that he’s “back”? Or do you think that his admittedly great performance at UFC 124 is enough to justify what he said in this recent interview?

5. Paulo Thiago

It’s one of the biggest losses of his career, and in a way, Koscheck is still fighting to get out of the shadow of this loss. And what better way to do just that than by stepping back inside the Octagon with Paulo Thiago in order to prove once and for all that Thiago’s victory was more fluke than fantastic? If Koscheck can return the favor and KO Thiago, he’ll have permanently closed the book on the entire situation and he’d also take a firm step on the comeback trail.

4. Chris Lytle

A lot has changed since Chris Lytle first met Josh Koscheck in 2008. It now appears that, after years of fighting tooth-and-nail up the rankings, Chris Lytle has finally emerged as a top-division star. His boxing has never looked more crisp and precise, and his ground game has resulted in several amazing submission wins in several of his recent fights. This would be an important test for both men, and if Koscheck can make his record against Lytle a perfect 2-0, he’ll have firmly established that he’s far from done in the UFC’s Welterweight division.

3. Thiago Alves

I know this list does seem to have a large amount of rematches in it, but to be fair, every single one of these matches makes sense and would really help further along Koscheck’s career. After hitting a rough patch ever since he lost to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100, Thiago Alves most recently found his inner “Pitbull” when he thoroughly outclassed John Howard. If the old Alves really is back, he represents a major opportunity for Koscheck to reestablish himself.

2. BJ Penn

This match makes sense for so many reasons. If BJ Penn beats Koscheck’s teammate Jon Fitch in their upcoming encounter, this will be an awesome grudge match. If Fitch beats Penn, it’ll be Penn that looks for revenge against another member of the American Kickboxing Academy. Both men also have very impressive stand-up and, for the most part, very strong chins. This match sounds great enough on paper, but add a little BJ Penn vs. AKA rivalry into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for an awesome and pretty important fight.

And my #1 opponent for Josh Koscheck to fight in the near future is…

1. Matt Hughes

Josh Koscheck has been campaigning for this match for quite some time, and he’s vocally called out the UFC Hall of Fame member in the past. With Hughes turning towards retirement, this would be an epic showdown, and it would be a tremendous moral victory and a huge motivating factor if Josh Koscheck ends up being the man that retires Matt Hughes. And of course Matt Hughes wouldn’t go down without a fight. Not only would this be an incredibly important fight, it also would more than likely be one of the year’s best.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Who do you think Koscheck should face in the near future, and why?

Next for Thiago Alves: It’s going to take one more fight for everyone to stop hounding him about going to Middleweight. I think it’s great that he came in at weight and put on a classic performance, but this was simply the first step in a process. I still think Thiago Alves could make Middleweight with his eyes closed, so I’d like one more great performance before I can firmly call his new weight-cutting regiment a success. As it stands, though, I’m more than willing to admit that we may just have witnessed the start of an epic comeback.

Next for Jim Miller: With this big win, Miller has taken a firm, large step into title contention. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the UFC made a fight between Jim Miller and George Sotiropoulos to determine the next man in line to challenge for the UFC Lightweight Championship after the winner of Frank Edgar vs. Gray Maynard and the winner of Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis fight. If not Sotiropoulos, perhaps Kenny Florian. Either way, look for Miller’s next fight to be a high-profile one.

Next for Charles Oliveira: Charles made the classic mistake of being too overconfident in the area of the game he thought he was best at. As 2010 has proven in abundance, no one is unbeatable and your greatest strength could end up being your biggest weakness against the right opponent. I think this loss will be a great thing for Oliveira, it’s going to motivate him considerably and we’re going to see a much better Charles Oliveira the next time he steps into the Octagon. He may not be the next young gun to skyrocket to the top, but his future is still quite bright.

Next for Stefan Struve: Let’s see if the third time really is the charm: I think Struve is ready for another top-division UFC Heavyweight. Perhaps he could face the down-on-his-luck Cheick Kongo in a Heavyweight tilt that would either help re-establish Kongo’s relevance or prove that Struve can hang against the upper-division talent. Even if it’s not Kongo or a top-division fighter, look for the UFC to show a renewed focus on Struve, since it was a gamble putting him in the main event and he responded by putting on a great performance and pounding his opponent’s face in.

Next for Josh Koscheck: It’s tough to say, really. How does any fighter come back from that kind of outclassing? Some are never able to get over it, but others, BJ Penn for example, respond by KO’ing their opponent in under half a minute in their next fight. Despite what anyone else says, I honestly think it’s simply too soon to say whether or not Koscheck will rise from the ashes or whether this defeat will haunt him for the rest of his career.

Next for Georges St. Pierre: Jake Shields, of course. In Shields, GSP faces a great grappler and a decent striker. Shields is a force to be reckoned with on the ground, and he’s shown an uncanny ability to get someone to the ground and beat them on the ground no matter how good their takedown defense is or how good of a wrestler they are. However, based on the performance he gave last night, I just don’t see Jake Shields beating Georges St. Pierre. It’ll be another amazing performance turned in by one of the best Welterweights of all time, and after that I think GSP’s heavily-hyped move up to Middleweight will finally happen.

So those are my predictions, fans and friends. What about you? What do you think the future holds for the big winners and losers of UFC 124?

Georges St. Pierre defeats Josh Koscheck via Unanimous Decision to retain the UFC Welterweight Championship. Stefan Struve defeats Sean McCorkle via TKO (Strikes) at 3:55 of Round 1. Mac Danzig defeats Joe Stevenson via KO (Strikes) at 1:54 of Round 1. Thiago Alves defeats John Howard via Unanimous Decision. Jim Miller defeats Charles Oliveira via Submission (Kneebar) at 1:50 of Round 1. Dan Miller defeats Joe Doerksen via Split Decision. Mark Bocek defeats Dustin Hazelett via Submission (Triangle Choke) at 2:33 of Round 1. Sean Pierson defeats Matt Riddle via Unanimous Decision. John Makdessi defeats Pat Audinwood via Unanimous Decision. Jesse Bongfeldt and Rafael Natal Ends in a Majority Draw. Ricardo Almeida defeats T.J. Grant via Unanimous Decision.

From the very beginning, this fight was loaded with quality. Thiago Alves vs. John Howard was an excellent match, and proved once and for all that Thiago Alves is far from done as a premiere-level Welterweight. It seems as if Alves has finally put all the pieces back together after dealing with weight issues for his last several fights, as his performance against Howard mirrored his epic 2008 run that saw him dismantle Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisyan, and Matt Hughes. Not only did Alves ensure that his spot as a Welterweight is secure, he also gave his career the shot in the arm it so badly needed ever since losing to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 100 back in July 2009.

I never bought into Mac Danzig’s hype, not for one second… but maybe I should have. I really can’t say anything negative about the man, he saw an opportunity, timed it picture-perfectly, and scored an amazing knockout. Danzig’s career was in need of a good shot in the arm even moreso than Thiago Alves’, and Danzig also managed to deliver. Not only did Danzig keep himself gainfully employed, he also put his career back on the upswing for the first time in what feels like forever.

I was really impressed by the performances of both Jim Miller and Stefan Struve, who both won after pulling off epic counter-moves. It was literally a pair of “blink and you’ll miss it” moments: one second it looks like Oliveira is going to lock something in, the next it’s “Do Bronx” that ends up tapping out. One second I think Struve’s chances are looking bad, the next he’s in mount and pounding McCorkle’s face into mush. I think Jim Miller took a huge step “into the mix” with this win, while I think Stefan Struve may have proven that he’s once again ready to test the waters as a top-division athlete.

In regards to Josh Koscheck being utterly dismantled… I guess it’s once again time to sit myself down and enjoy what seems to be my favorite dish: a nice big serving of humble pie. But you can hold the sour grapes: no excuses, no regrets, GSP was GSP and once again proved why he’s one of the best of all time. I suppose this is what I get for picking against Georges St. Pierre. Make no mistake, fans and friends… that’s definitely not happening again. So I hereby throw myself at the mercy of the GSP bandwagon and humbly request to be reinstated amongst its ranks. Because no one is beating Georges St. Pierre. Not for a long, long, long… long time.

So that’s it, fans and friends. UFC 124 is now a thing of the past. And what about you? How do you feel about the card?

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard: This all depends on which Thiago Alves shows up… which is a problem that’s led to a lot of Thiago’s losses lately. If you believe the interviews, Alves has finally fixed his weight-cutting problems and should show up at UFC 124 as the same monster that famously knocked off Matt Hughes. John Howard is no slouch, though, despite his recent loss. If Alves lives up to his promises, he’ll KO Howard in the first or second round. If we see the same Alves that was downright embarrassed by Georges St. Pierre or Jon Fitch, Howard will take a close but ultimately Unanimous Decision.

Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig: I’ve never seen the appeal in Mac Danzig. Despite winning the sixth season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, Danzig is 3-4 in the promotion and 1-4 in his last five fights. Danzig simply can’t compete against high-level competition, and I still think Joe “Daddy” Stevenson hovers around top-competitor status. Look for Stevenson to lock in his famed Guillotine Choke and get the submission in the first round.

Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira: I enjoy seeing Jim Miller and his brother Dan Miller compete, but I think Jim has finally met his match in the form of Oliveira. Oliveira has been a man possessed since… well, since he’s never been beaten, I guess he’s always been a man possessed. To his credit, Jim Miller has only lost twice and is on a great five-fight win-streak. I’m picking Charles Oliveira via Split Decision in a match that has strong “Fight of the Night” potential, maybe even “Fight of the Year” if it exceeds my expectations.

Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle: This is a huge fight for both fighters, so I think they’ll bring their best and look to finish their opponent the second the first bell rings. In the UFC, Struve has only lost to Roy Nelson and Junior dos Santos. Clearly, it takes a top-division fighter to put “Skyscraper” away. While I think Sean McCorkle could get to that point in the future, ultimately I don’t think he’s at that point in the here and now. It’ll be a good fight, but I think Struve picks up the submission in Round 2.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck: I can admit that a large portion of my brain is screaming at me to pick GSP. He’s the favorite by far. But come now, fans and friends. What fun would that be? Josh Koscheck has improved tremendously since his first fight with GSP, he’s been training like an animal over at the American Kickboxing Academy, he’s got an incredible amount of trash-talk to live up to and I know he wants to live up to all of it and more. Against my better judgment, I’m going against the grain here because I think Koscheck has it in him to pull off the upset. Call it intuition, hope, faith, whatever. I had the same feeling deep down in my gut the second I saw Fabricio Werdum walk down to the cage to fight Fedor Emelianenko. Josh Koscheck wins by TKO in Round 4.

So, those are my picks fans and friends. Now it’s your turn: who’ve you got for UFC 124, and why?

The Event: UFC 124: “St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2”, airing live on Pay-Per-View December 11, 2010 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Why You Should Care: The main event is one of the biggest rematches of the last several years. Not only do these two have an incredibly heated rivalry, they’re two of the finest athletes the UFC has to offer. Georges St. Pierre defends his UFC Welterweight Championship for an amazing fifth time since winning the belt in April 2008. Standing in his way is the resurgent Josh Koscheck, who is on a three-fight win-streak, hasn’t lost in over a year, and has finally realized his potential as a top-division athlete after fighting his way up the rankings for years.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Constant, blistering action. Georges St. Pierre will look to push the pace and dominate Koscheck, both to prove that he’s still the best and to get revenge on Koscheck after more or less sitting on the sidelines while Koscheck talked ridiculous amounts of trash. Koscheck will push the pace because he knows how big this opportunity is and he sincerely believes that GSP has had no chin ever since Matt Serra TKO’d him. Plus, both men have stated multiple times in multiple interviews that they’re going to finish this fight.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Although nothing has been officially confirmed and all the hype is behind the big main event, the co-main event looks to be either Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve or Thiago Alves vs. John Howard. Both fights have a lot of potential and should be quite enjoyable if you’re a fan of wild brawls and big knockouts. All four men are known for their entertaining performances, and all four men are finishers. No matter what the main event ends up being, there’s a strong probability that one of the guys involved in it will be face-down on the mat and riding into the land of dreams before the night is over.

Why You Should Watch This Card: The atmosphere will be electric. Canadian cards always are, but when you add Canada’s own GSP to the mix, you get a crowd that’s at a fevered pitch from the second the first bell of the first fight rings. The main event in particular should garner an amazing reaction. Besides that, several of the fights have plenty of potential and a lot of them look quite nice on paper.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I hate to say it, but this card strikes me as a one-trick pony. It’s a great trick, it’s GSP/Koscheck 2, but other than that, the card doesn’t contain a whole lot of the UFC’s best and brightest. Aside from fighters like GSP, Koscheck, Thiago Alves, and Joe Stevenson, not a lot of the main card UFC 124 fighters have been involved in any high-profile match-ups.

Closing Thoughts: UFC 124 mixes a great main event with a fantastic atmosphere and a good (but not great) undercard in order to make an event that I think is well worth watching. The UFC traditionally ends the year with a bang, and I think this card will do just that. It may not be the best card of the year, but the main event certainly has Fight of the Year potential. While GSP/Koscheck 2 may be the only sure-fire must-see fight, the entire PPV card is loaded with potential. I’ll be more than happy to give this show a watch.

But what about you, fans and friends? How do you feel about this card?

Why an opponent suddenly stops showing the kind of cage explosiveness as Alves did against Hughes and before that in TKO wins over Karo Parisyan and Chris Lytle is hard to define.  Here are a few theories.

1.  The loss to Georges St. Pierre.

Alves lost to St. Pierre decisively as GSP took Alves down at will and laid out the blueprint for how to defeat him.  Alves entered that fight on a high and sounded confident his stand-up would offset GSP’s overall skill set.  Alves was dominated and this fight showed the welterweight division he was far from a vicious beast when on his back.

2. The brain injury.

Alves was originally slated to face Jon Fitch at UFC 111 in New Jersey but was scratched from the card when a pre-fight physical showed an arteriovenous malformation in the brain.

This condition was not life threatening and was corrected via surgery.  No one knows for sure if or how such an injury can impact a fighter’s sense of self control and aggressiveness, even if only from a psychological standpoint.  Can such an injury affect his self confidence and sense of aggressiveness, even if only subconsciously?

3. Weight!

Against Matt Hughes and again vs. Jon Fitch most recently, Alves failed to make the 170lb weight limit for welterweights.  What is going on?  It is well documented that Alves often “walks around” at 190lbs between fights, if not more.  And he has been known to arrive to fight week 12-15 pounds over the 170lb limit.  Now, some fighters are highly skilled at cutting weight and can do this.  Alves has proven not have this skill.  Being a “big” welterweight seemed to help him earlier in his career.  But, if Alves can’t make weight or the cut is sapping his energy – he must move up to 185.  I think there is value in not having to cut weight and living closer to one’s fight weight.  Frankie Edgar may be carving a new path and showing how being smaller in a weight class can be more useful and provides great stamina and thus ability to employ a variety of tactics.

So, what will we see on Saturday night against John Howard?  I think Alves may be in luck.  UFC matchmaker Joe Silva has served up a brawler who has preferred to bang, of late, which may allow Alves to return to his native style of stand-up fighting and worry less about take down defense.  I will be watching how easily Alves makes weight, how aggressive he is early in the fight, and how he takes a clean blow from Howard – given his brain surgery.

If Alves can answer these questions, he will certainly be on the road back to his old form and the UFC will have another dangerous contender back in the mix.

Thoughts, fight fans?  Can Alves reclaim his former glory?

@john_moody

Since his inception into the UFC over 4 years ago, “The Pitbull” has done nothing but impress. However, his best days in the welterweight division appeared to be behind him when the American Top Team product dropped back-to-back decisions to current champion Georges St. Pierre and perennial contender Jon Fitch, respectively.

After successful brain surgery that removed an abnormality, Thiago appeared to have a new lease on life, however, the Brazilian admitted that between campaigning for his rematch with Fitch and the subsequent surgery that their were times where he doubted his longevity and desire to compete in the world of mixed martial arts anymore.

“I love my life, I love my job”, said Alves while speaking with the Fight Network recently.

“That’s one of the things that… I wasn’t so happy with everything that was going on in my life, I was like ‘what are you complaining about? It’s up to you to make what your made of’. I love this, I love everything.”

Alves will have the chance to prove that the sport hasn’t past him by, come December 11 at UFC 124, when he takes on a game John Howard in his return fight, since dropping the aforementioned decision to Jon Fitch in their rematch at UFC 117 last August. But what’s most important to Alves, more than a win, is to show his fans that he is still relevant, and give them a win that he feels they deserve after the years of support.

“I’m really happy, and on December 11th, I want to show all the fans how much I love this still and how much I want it back”, said the 27-year-old.

“A few months ago I wasn’t feeling good anymore. I had a lot of doubts in my head. Right now, I’m back on track and I just want to do this forever.”

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the reinvigorated Alves? How do you like his chances against Howard?
Sound off in the comment section below.

Champion GSP will look to make his fifth successful title defense against foe Koscheck. The two had met previously at UFC 74, where the American Kickboxing Academy product was riding a 5-fight win streak inside the cage coming into the bout, meanwhile, “Rush” was coming off of a disappointing and shocking knockout loss to the unheralded Matt Serra at UFC 69.

While competitive in spots, St. Pierre was able to dominate the wrestling department against the former NCAA champion, en route to a unanimous decision victory.

UFC officials made the fight-card official yesterday, with GSP vs Koscheck serving as the headliner. While the card is filling up quickly, no co-main event has been announced as of yet.

The rematch is 3 years in the making, and both competitors have improved leaps and bounds. While GSP has gone undefeated since then, eventually reclaiming his welterweight title against Matt Serra in a rematch at UFC 83 in his native Montreal Josh has faltered against some of the top competition in his division. With losses to Brazilians Thiago Alves and Paulo Thiago inside of a three-fight stretch, Josh was able to bounce back with three-straight wins over Frank Trigg, Anthony Johnson, and most recently UFC castoff Paul Daley (UFC 113), have enabled the brash and cocky fighter his shot at the title.

No other bouts have become official as of yet, however the following bouts are rumored for the fight card as well.

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard
Mark Bocek vs. Dustin Hazelett
Sean McCorkle vs. Stefan Struve

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the fight card so far? With the bout officially official, who do you think takes the rematch? Sound off in the comment section below.

“There are a lot of people out there calling themselves ‘UFC fighters’ who are nothing of the kind. In the UFC, you should go for finishes. You should work for 15 minutes to knock your opponent out, submit him, or improve your position to give yourself the best chance of doing either. But there’s guys out there who just want to use wrestling to hold a stalemate for 15 minutes, without ever risking going for ground and pounds or attempting submissions. This isn’t ‘cheating within the rules’ – it is actually against the rules. ‘Timidity’ is outlawed in the Unified MMA rules and what better describes [that than] the act of holding on to an opponent and waiting for the clock to tick down with no attempt or inclination to do any damage? …The Athletic Commissions need to look at the scoring and refereeing to stop this from becoming a problem. If a guy is in a dominant position, but not actually doing anything offensive – stand ‘em back up. If he is consistently trying to tie the other guy up to avoid actual fighting – warn him and then start taking points. It is supposed to be a fight.”

Here’s what I think. Hardy earned my respect for the toughness he displayed while Georges St. Pierre was busy dominating him in every conceivable way possible, but let’s be honest here: is Dan Hardy saying anything we haven’t heard/read/seen/etc. hundreds of times before? It’s coming out of Dan Hardy’s mouth, but it’s the same old argument.

And if you’re wondering, it’s actually an argument I agree with. Fighters should be penalized for stalling. Fighters should be penalized for not engaging. There’s a difference between playing it safe and being a coward. Randy Couture played it safe when he immediately took down James Toney and submitted him. Georges St. Pierre played it safe when he took down Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy time and time again and proceeded to Ground and Pound them and try to submit them. But fighters who use “lay and pray” or “wall and stall” are simply detrimental to the sport as a whole.

However, I don’t see this issue going away anytime soon. Why? Simply put: one man’s inactivity is another man’s dominance. Where do we draw the line between tactics and stalling? Is there a mathematical formula, an X amount of punches/submission attempts you have to land/go for per Y minutes on the ground, in order to not be classified as a “lay and pray” fighter? Unless there are some drastic changes, I don’t see decision-heavy, wrestling-based UFC fighters changing their styles just because it draws the ire of some fans and even some fighters. How they win is a tactic like any other, and until the referees and judges put their foot down on the matter, look for the zombified corpse of this debate to continue to rear its ugly head time and time again.

And how do you feel on the matter, fans and friends? How harshly should wrestlers be penalized for their inactivity, and perhaps most importantly, where do you draw the line between an active and inactive ground game?

While “The Pitbull” was quick to accept the challenge against Pierce, it looks like it was too little, too late.

Thiago is coming off to two consecutive losses against current welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre and most recently (UFC 117) opposite of nemesis, Jon Fitch. Both fights went the distance, and we’re largely controlled due to the aggressive wrestling styles of the two dynamic welterweights.

The Brazilian is expected to face John “Doomsday” Howard at UFC 124. The event is expected to take place at the Bell Centre, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Headlining the nights affairs, is none other than Canada’s golden boy, GSP defending his title against bad boy, Josh Koscheck. The fight will mark the cap-off to season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, which features the two 170-pounders coaching a new field of lightweights, in head to head competition.

Howard, who pulled together a 3-fight win streak in his first three tries inside the octagon, is coming off his first loss under the Zuffa banner, when he met fellow powerhouse Jake Ellenberger at “UFC Live on Versus 2″ on August 1–which resulted in Howard losing by unanimous decision.

The fight between Alves and Howard will likely be featured on the main card that night, and will certainly vault the winner back into contender status. A loss would be especially detrimental to the American Top Team trained Alves, who not only is coming off his first and only two-fight losing streak, but will also mark his return since failing to meet the required weight limit of 170-pounds in his fight against Fitch.

Alves came in just over the required weight limit of 171 (CSAC allows for a one pound allowance) at 171.5 and refused to cut any additional weight, and instead allowed 20% percent of his purse fined.

So, what do you think of this potential barn burner? Who takes it? And what does a win/loss do for both competitors? MMA peeps, let your opinions known below.

After Anderson pulled out a Hail Mary, fifth round submission, after challenger Chael Sonnen dominated the Brazilian for the better part of 4 and half rounds, the Blackhouse teammate was able to pocket “Fight of the Night” and “Submission of the Night” honors, on top of a hefty payday.

The figures below, which is formatted from MMAJunkie.com, were originally disclosed by the California State Athletic Commission, following the bout on August 7.

Anderson Silva: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. Chael Sonnen: $35,000

Jon Fitch: $108,000 (includes $54,000 win bonus)
def. Thiago Alves: $60,000

Clay Guida: $56,000 ($28,000 win bonus)
def. Rafael dos Anjos: $12,000

Matt Hughes: $200,000 ($100,000 win bonus)
def. Ricardo Almeida: $35,000

Junior Dos Santos: $80,000 ($40,000 win bonus)
def. Roy Nelson: $15,000

Rick Story: $22,000 ($11,000 win bonus)
def. Dustin Hazelett: $18,000

Phil Davis: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus)
def. Rodney Wallace: $6,000

Johny Hendricks: $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus)
def. Charlie Brenneman: $8000

Tim Boetsch: $32,000 ($16,000 win bonus)
def. Todd Brown: $6,000

Stefan Struve: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Christian Morecraft: $6,000

Dennis Hallman: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Ben Saunders: $12,000

So, Anderson and Matt Hughes were the night’s top earners, deservedly so, but…is anyone surprised by the numbers? For a long time, Anderson has been coveted by UFC President Dana White, as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, however his numbers don’t represent that. 6 figures, yes, however, a 12-0 i run in the UFC, and moves to light heavyweight would attract a larger base pay and win bonus for the Brazilian, should GSP rack in larger numbers.

Some can make the argument that yes, Georges St. Pierre is a much more popular fighter than Silva of course, at least with Anderson’s most recent performances (aside from UFC 101 and 117), but should popularity or credentials be more decisive come contract time, and a fighters due?

It’s something I run back and forth with, and can’t really decide. I guess that’s why they leave it up to head honchos to figure that kind of stuff out, but what do you think? Performance vs Popularity, which is greater?

Alves has been able to work through these difficult weight cuts time and time again, pulling out win after decisive win (other than his lopsided loss to current champion Georges St. Pierre), but that’s quite the double-edged sword when you consider the following. First and foremost, continually making hard weight cuts has a negative, cumulative effect on a fighter’s body. Alves may not be showing the signs just yet, but as they continue to build up in his body as he continues to pack his massive frame down to 170 pounds, it won’t be too long before his body betrays him. Also, coming in overweight gives Thiago Alves an unfair advantage, no matter if it’s half a pound, three pounds, or ten pounds. If he continues to miss the mark and yet still win his fights, more and more people are going to put a negative spin on his performance, claiming that the only reason Alves continuously looks so dominant is because he can’t play by the rules and always utilizes an unfair weight advantage over his opponent.

Continuing to miss weight has very real financial repercussions, as Alves likely already knows. I get the whole “fighter mentality” thing where if you’re in it for the money you’re supposedly in it for the wrong reasons. But let’s be honest here: no professional athlete has an infinite shelf life. They owe it to themselves to utilize whatever talent they have to make as much money as they can for as long as they can. It breaks my heart to see fighters like Ken Shamrock and Jens Pulver still compete far past their prime simply because they have bills to pay and fighting is all they know. If Alves continues to miss weight, his fines will most likely increase and he may even face suspension. If Alves won’t make the jump in weight to preserve his body, he should do it to preserve his financial stability.

Now, with all that said, here’s something positive about Thiago Alves moving to Middleweight: Alves has basically faced all the great welterweights in the UFC, but in the middleweight division, he’d be put in all kinds of great matches that would easily be as big and as marketable as any fight he could have at welterweight. How about Thiago Alves vs. Chris Leben, or Alan Belcher, or Vitor Belfort, or Michael Bisping, or Yoshihiro Akiyama, or Wanderlei Silva? I’d say that all those fights are more than worthy of co-main event status, and a few are arguably headline attractions. In a division dominated by wrestlers, Thiago Alves is one of the last, great pure strikers left in the UFC’s Welterweight division. If he were to move up to 185, he would have a host of opponents more than willing to engage him in a series of bloody, wildly entertaining brawls.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Should Alves move up in weight, or does he just need a better diet? And how do you feel about him missing the mark once again?

3. Develop a personality…any personality.

When I think of Jon Fitch, I think of dominant wrestling. But that’s it. When I think of Brock Lesnar, I think of dominant wrestling, one giant chest tattoo that is supposed to be a sword but actually looks like an intimate part of the male anatomy, and his uncanny ability to get everyone riled up. When I think of Georges St. Pierre, I think of dominant wrestling, Under Armor commercials, and the reaction he garnered at UFC 83, where he had an entire nation on his side. Jon Fitch has always been a simple, humble man…but we should all admit that today’s era of MMA fans want personalities as well as fighting ability. It’s one of the main reasons Chael Sonnen has become a star overnight. I’m not saying Fitch should begin taking lessons from teammate and bad-boy extraordinaire Josh Koscheck, but I will say that Fitch’s low-key stance on practically everything will only hurt him in an era that lives off of sound bites and intense rivalries. If Fitch really wants to get his name out there to the more casual UFC/MMA fan, he needs to do his part in promoting his fights, much more so than he has done in the past.

2. Start fighting his teammates.

Fitch’s camp, the American Kickboxing Academy, practically runs the UFC Welterweight division, and it’s gotten to the point where their unwillingness to fight each other is sorely undermining the legitimacy of a fighter’s #1 contender status. Consider this: if Thiago Alves manages to beat Jon Fitch, he’ll have won exactly one fight post-GSP to get another shot at the belt. We might have even seen Paul Daley get a shot at the belt, if he had somehow gotten past Josh Koscheck. Then there’s Dan Hardy, who was dominated for five straight rounds. The UFC is actually beginning to hotshot welterweights into the title hunt simply because AKA fighters won’t fight each other. Would anyone have honestly questioned the validity of giving the winner of a Josh Koscheck vs. Jon Fitch fight a shot at the belt? Instead we’re left wondering if Alves deserves a rematch so soon, or if Hardy deserved a championship opportunity at all.

1. Start finishing opponents.

What a shocker, right? Just like his need to develop a personality, his need to start putting some (T)KO’s and submissions on his record is rooted in the reality of the modern-day MMA landscape. People love quick fights. When fans get an epic KO or submission, no one complains that they didn’t get their money’s worth even if content providers are left with nothing else to show than the undercard matches in order to fill TV or PPV time. I’ll always love Jon Fitch for how he can mercilessly grind a Unanimous Decision win out of his opponents, but until he begins to actually finish his fights, more and more people will lose interest in him.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? What does Jon Fitch need to do in order to grab you as a fan, and if you are a fan, does he have to do anything at all?

While the match up has been discussed for as far back as UFC 107, nearly ten months ago, the 170-pound division standouts will finally opposite one another, on Saturday night.

Apparently, with a little more at stake, it was confirmed at the Pre-fight press conference by a Mr. Dana White, the UFC head honcho.

While some might be confused by the decision, as Alves has only just returned from a lengthy layoff that dates back nearly 13-months ago, when he was last seen in action in a losing effort to welterweight kingpin, Georges St. Pierre, at UFC 100, both we’re promised the title shot, without any discrepancies as to who may win, as some may view Jon Fitch as the more worthy number one contender.

The fight is actually a rematch that date’s back to 2006, which saw Fitch and Alves battle it out, with the AKA product gaining the upper hand in the second round, landing a vicious up-kick before following Thiago to the ground and finishing him off with Fitch’s now rarely seen ground and pound.

So, who doe’s everyone think will take this bout, and earn number one contender status (again)?
To me, I feel like Alves has been the more diverse fighter, who has really stepped up and evolved his game, and done well against top-competition (with the exception of Georges St. Pierre, but no shame there).

Meanwhile, Fitch has employed a more safe approach to most of his fights, and was even in trouble early against a lower tier fighter in Mike Pierce, after Pierce landed a strong hook, staggering Fitch in the latter part of the fight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves

You can say whatever you want about Jon Fitch’s penchant for grinding out decisions, but don’t try and tell me that Fitch doesn’t deserve another shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship if he manages to make it 2-0 against the dynamic and constantly improving Thiago Alves. You just can’t overlook five straight wins in a row, especially given that Fitch has gone up against some of the stiffest competition in the division, and will face perhaps his toughest test since Georges St. Pierre in this rematch with Thiago Alves. This one has been shelved several times for several reasons, which has only served to heighten my anticipation. When it does (finally) go down, I think both men will be out to prove a whole hell of a lot, resulting in a wild fight that should see some type of finish.

4. Quinton Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida

As I talked about in my previous article regarding Machida vs. Jackson, both men possess an awful lot of similarities despite their vastly different fighting styles. I think Jackson will come out hungry and hunting for the knockout, due to the fact that he’s been critical of Machida’s elusive style, and also to prove that he still belongs near the top of the UFC Light Heavyweight Division. Machida will come back with a redefined style: not a drastic overhaul, but a series of subtle tweaks that could and probably will allow him to regain his aura of invincibility. Even though I’m siding with Machida, this is simply a fight that features two of my favorite fighters and two of the best fighters in the world stepping inside the Octagon and throwing hands. It doesn’t get much better than that.

3. BJ Penn vs. Frank Edgar 2

I truly believe that the UFC Lightweight Championship should still be around the waist of BJ Penn. In the first encounter, I had Penn winning a very close, very tough fight…but I had him winning nonetheless. This return fight should prove once and for all that Penn is still the Lightweight wrecking machine he has always been… or it will prove that Edgar’s victory was not a fluke, and he’ll finally and fully be given the mantle of “Best Lightweight in the World”. If Penn can finally bring it back to the ground, which is something he hasn’t done in his last few fights, I’m thinking that he can finish Edgar quickly.

2. Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva

After so very much trash-talking, Chael Sonnen’s date with destiny is growing ever nearer, and I can’t wait to see how it all goes down once “The Spider” can finally make Chael answer for his comments. I think we’ll see the return of the “scary” Anderson Silva in this fight, with Silva abandoning the dance routine and obliterating Sonnen the same way he’s obliterated nearly all of his UFC opponents. If Sonnen can win this one, it’d be one of the bigger upsets in a year already packed with big upsets. If Silva wins once again, it will further cement his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.

And my top pick unquestionably goes to…

1. Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez

This is going to be an awesome fight. Cain has serious knockout power in both hands and the cardio to keep throwing them for five straight rounds. Lesnar has shown an ability to absorb crazy amounts of punishment, but it remains to be seen if he can absorb the type of shots he took from Shane Carwin for five straight rounds. It will once again be a battle of the behemoths, and it should once again be a truly epic encounter.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What are some fights you’re looking forward to for the rest of 2010?

The rematch was originally scheduled for UFC 11 in Newark March 27, but Alves couldn’t pass a pre-fight CAT scan and Fitch fought and beat tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-2-2) instead.

Fitch won the original fight by TKO at Fight Night 5 in Las Vegas in 2006.

Alves hasn’t fought since losing a five-round unanimous decision in his first title challenge of Fighters.com and UFC Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre’s (20-2) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas last July.

TMZ broke the news stating “UFC’s Thiago “Pitbull” Alves will not fight at Saturday’s UFC 111, because a CAT Scan shows an irregularity in his brain, TMZ has learned. Thiago was scheduled to rumble with Jon Fitch on Saturday, but a pre-fight CAT Scan revealed an irregularity. A source close to 26-year-old Pitbull tells TMZ the irregularity involves an artery in the brain.

UFC honcho Dana White tells TMZ he will fly Pitbull to a specialist for further evaluation. White says, “If it’s true, it can be career-ending.” No one will replace Pitbull on Saturday.

The last statement about no one replacing Alves is not quite true as news is breaking as I write this but I will get to that in a minute.

First, this is awful news for Alves who has been a top contender for some time now. No one wants to see such a strong fighter go out due to a brain irregularity. We at MMA Gospel and Fighters.com hope the best for Thiago and hope to see something positive come from all of this.

Now back to the UFC 111 fight card and what the UFC is doing to fix this problem. Alves was slated to face third-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (20-3) but now it looks like the UFC has bumped Jake Ellenberger (21-5) from the card in order to give fight fans a fight between Fitch and Ellenberger’s original opponent tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2).

This is a fast move by the UFC and one I will applaud. Not only are they working hard to still give fans quality fights but they have paid Jake his show and win money for the last minute change. This is a show of class and just goes to show that contrary to many reports, the UFC does care about the fighters on their roster.

Stay tuned to Fighters.com and MMA Gospel Radio for more information on Thiago’s ongoing medical problems.

Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) and fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) are set to battle for the top spot at UFC 111 in Newark March 27.  Predictions range far and wide, from Hardy has one foot in the grave to Hardy is the man to upset St. Pierre like “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-6) di at UFC 69 in Houston in 2007.

Fighters.com doesn’t worry about Hardy’s health, but think he’ll be easily handled by the champ.

An exciting rematch between second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and third-ranked Jon Fitch (20-3) has also been rumored for UFC 111.  Fitch TKO’d Alves at UFC Fight Night 5 in 2006 and claims he gets a rematch versus St. Pierre if he stops Alves.

Fourth-ranked Paulo Thiago (8-1) and ninth-ranked “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3) of American Top Team will matchup at UFC 109 in Las Vegas Saturday.  Thiago is 1-1 versus ATT, knocking out seventh-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4) and losing a decision to Fitch.

Koscheck will take on “Semtex” Paul Daley (20-9-2) at UFC 113 in Montreal May 8.

Eigth-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7) and and PRIDE veteran Renzo Gracie (13-6-1) will fight at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi April 10.

Tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) and “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) will matchup at UFC 111.

Sixth-ranked Jake Shields (24-4-1) has moved to middleweight as the champion in Strikeforce.

Fighters.com’s February Welterweight Top Ten

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

6. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

7. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

8. Matt Hughes (41-7)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

10. “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2)

If Hardy wants to win he has to be aggressive, unlike second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) was when he turned into a poodle in the Octagon versus St. Pierre at UFC 100 in Las Vegas last July.

Now, it’s likely…  No, let me correct myself.  St. Pierre is going to slam Hardy to the mat every time Hardy throws a combination.  But, St. Pierre is going to do that anyway.

So, my message to Hardy, if he’s reading, is this: Go ahead and let me know now whether you’re going to be satisfied with going five rounds on your back just so you can claim you went the distance.  That way I can save $44.95.

However, if you want to take the slim chance that you can connect on GSP and, if not finish him, at least reset the dynamics of the fight and give yourself an oppotunity for an upset, then you can have my $44.95.

On the undercard of UFC 111, newly tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2) and “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-3) will matchup.

Saunders made the list this month and Hardy jumped from ninth to fifth after Hardy’s disqualification loss to “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4) in 2007 expired from Hardy’s two-year record.  Yoshida will need to prove himself to return to the welterweight top ten.

Fighters.com’s January Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

6. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

7. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

8. Matt Hughes (41-7)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

10. “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-1-2)

It was brash, exciting, and the attitude that pathed Florian’s return to a UFC title fight versus Fighters.com and UFC Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (15-5-1) at UFC 101 in Philadelphia August 8.  And, for the most part, Florian kept his promise, finishing exciting fights that left no question he was the top contender in the division.

Now take third-ranked welterweight Jon Fitch (20-3) who won a unanimous decision over Mike Pierce (6-2) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.  It was Fitch’s sixth consecutive fight that ended in a decision.  Pierce was undoubtedly the lowest level of competition Fitch has faced in two years and it’s beginning to feel like the UFC is using Fitch as a threshold for young fighters with potential.

Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) has called Fitch his toughest challenge since earning the championship.  But, it’s unlikely Fitch will ever get a rematch until he begins finishing fights.  Not because Fitch can’t beat the other top contenders at 170 pounds, but Fighters.com doesn’t think the UFC will match Fitch versus the top contenders to earn another title shot until Fitch starts finishing fights.

I’ve met Fitch and he’s one of the most thoughtful, humble, and friendly fighters I’ve met.  But, I’ll be honest, I could miss his fights and not be too disappointed.  They’re sometimes as grueling to watch as they are for his opponent in the Octagon.

Fitch has to adopt the attitude Florian had when Florian earned a second title shot.  Fitch has to finish fights.  For Fitch, I think there’s a crossroads before him.  Again, Fighters.com doesn’t think the UFC will grant him another title fight until he starts finishing fights; so, Fitch has to realize that, in order to get his second title shot, he has to change his style.  Otherwise, Fitch will be forced into the role of threshold to prospects and, eventually, Fitch will come up short and be a stepping-stone to one of those prospects.

Fighters.com’s December Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (20-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

6. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

7. Matt Hughes (41-7)

8. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4)

9. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

10. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

After Hardy’s victory in Manchester, St. Pierre entered the Octagon to graciously acknowledge his next challenger, but also seemed bored by the prospect of fighting Hardy. St. Pierre’s last loss was at a similar peak of dominance with the prospect of defending his title versus an underwhelming challenger, “Terror” Matt Serra (9-6).  At UFC 69 in Houston in April 2007, St. Pierre was TKO’d in the first round versus Serra.

Like Serra at the time he beat St. Pierre, Hardy had a confident calm standing in the Octagon having earned a challenge versus St. Pierre.  Hardy simply said, “I’m excited,” but looked more interested in celebrating his victory over Swick with his team.

The situations aren’t analagous on many levels, most significantly in St. Pierre’s commitment to MMA.  But, would you blame St. Pierre for becoming complacent with the welterweight division?  He’s already dominated second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4), third-ranked Jon Fitch (19-3), sixth-ranked Josh Koscheck (14-4), and seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7).  Fourth-ranked Paulo Thiago (8-1) couldn’t step-up versus Fitch to earn the shot, but frankly it wouldn’t have been a much more compelling matchup than St. Pierre versus Hardy.

St. Pierre’s next best challenge at 170-pounds is fifth-ranked Jake Shields (24-4-1), but Shields is contracted to Strikeforce.  Ironically, if St. Pierre dominates Hardy, perhaps it’s time for St. Pierre to follow Shields into the middleweight division for new challenges.  UFC President Dana White has said he’d let St. Pierre fight at 185-pounds when St. Pierre clears out the division.  With a win versus Hardy, can we consider the division cleared?

Fighters.com’s November Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (19-3)

4. Paulo Thiago (8-1)

5. Jake Shields (24-4-1)

6. Josh Koscheck (14-4)

7. Matt Hughes (41-7)

8. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-4)

9. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6)

10. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-3)

AOL FanHouse reported Alves’s injury is a torn knee ligamant.

Five Ounces of Pain reported that a replacement will be sought for Alves.

Fighters.com hasn’t confirmed the reports.

“In this sport it sometimes takes years for fighters to find the weight class where they’re at their best,” UFC President Dana White said in a statement at UFC.com Tuesday.  “I don’t think there’s any question that BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez have finally found their homes at 155 pounds, making the UFC 107 main event a fight between the best Penn and Sanchez we’ve ever seen.  BJ hasn’t lost in this weight class in years, and Diego has looked unstoppable in his lightweight fights, and when these two meet in the center of the Octagon, it’s going to make our first trip to Memphis one fight fans will never forget.”

“I can’t wait to defend the title,” Penn told UFC.com. “I know what kind of competitor Diego Sanchez is and I am training very hard. This will be a good test.”

“I’ve always wanted to face the best,” Sanchez said.  “I’ve worked so hard for this and now I finally have a shot at the title. I’m training like I’ve never trained before and I expect an all-out war.”

Also officially confirmed Tuesday, Fighters.com third-ranked heavyweight Frank Mir (12-4) will fight Cheick Kongo (14-5-1) and second-ranked welterweight “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) and fifth-ranked Paulo Thiago (7-1) will matchup.

Missing from the card, of course, is perhaps the primary reason Zuffa lobbied so vigorously for Tennessee to sanction MMA: now-retired fifth-ranked light heavyweight “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (28-7).

It’s the UFC’s second visit to the state after debuting in Nashville April 1 with UFC Fight Night 18.

For St. Pierre, it’ll be his first fight since injury his groin in a UD over second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4) at UFC 100 in Las Vegas July 11.

Though it’s not official, Alves is expected to fight fellow Brazilian fifth-ranked Paulo Thiago (7-1) at UFC 107 in Memphis December 12.

Third-ranked Jon Fitch (19-3) is expected to fight unranked “Cacharrao” Ricardo Almeida (11-3) at UFC 106 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas November 21, though again the fight hasn’t been officially announced.

Fourth-ranked Jake Shields (21-4-1) has apparently abandoned the division and will challenge “Mayhem” Jason Miller (22-5) for the vacant Strikefore middleweight title at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates 33 miles northwest of Chicago November 7.

At UFC 103 in Dallas September 19, sixth-ranked Josh Koscheck (13-4) bounced back from his loss to Thiago at UFC 95 in London February 19 with a first-round knockout of “Twinkle Toes” Frank Trigg (19-7) then called out seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (41-7).

Hughes rebuffed Koscheck, but remains tight-lipped about his opponent when he returns to the Octagon in 2010.

Eighth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) will fight division prospect “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (7-2) at UFC 104

Fighters.com October Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2)

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-4)

3. Jon Fitch (19-3)

4. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

5. Paulo Thiago (7-1)

6. Josh Koscheck (13-4)

7. Matt Hughes (41-7)

8. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

9. “Quick” Mike Swick (14-2)

10. “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (22-6)

In the excrutiatingly drawn out conclusion to The Ultimate Fighter 6, Serra lost a disappointing UD to Hughes at UFC 98 in Las Vegas 23 May.

“I do feel I won that fight,” said Serra at MMA Weekly. “Or, at least I should have got the nod. If not, it’s a draw and let’s do it again.”

Hughes is incommunicado on a hunting excursion, but Patton responded, “With respect, Matt Serra must not have watched the fight. Except for the inadvertent head butt, I am not sure if I remember Serra doing a lot except for the end of the third round. Maybe he meant he thought the first round was a draw. But, the fight was certainly not a draw nor did Matt Serra win. I have heard Matt [Hughes] talk about the fight and he does not think it was close either. I would say it was a good thing for Matt Serra that they did hit heads in the first round because that did the most damage of anything he did.”

Serra told MMA Weekly, “I think we should do it again. Why not? I think it would be fun for everybody.”

But, Patton told Fighters.com why not: “[Hughes] already beat [Serra]. What does fighting him again gain Hughes? It does not move him higher up in the rankings. I would not think that fighting [Serra] is in [Hughes's] plans. I see [Hughes] having a rematch with ["Pitbull" Thiago Alves (16-4)] or someone higher in the rankings.”

A late replacement in the main event originally scheduled to pit Fighters.com’s ninth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman’ Chuck Liddell (21-7) versus sixth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (18-3), Hughes was TKO’d in the second round at UFC 85 in London in June 2008 by a bloated Alves who missed the 170-pound limit by four pounds.

Alves will face the winner of the welterweight title showdown 31 January at UFC 94 between St. Pierre and Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” BJ Penn (13-4-1).

White said, “[Alves is] next in line for a title shot.  If GSP beats BJ Penn, then [Alves] fights GSP.  If BJ Penn wins, then he fights BJ.”

It is a fight that St. Pierre is already expecting, should he retain his belt.

Alves is on a seven-fight win streak, with a second-round TKO victory over seventh-ranked (and former UFC Champion) Matt Hughes (40-7), and most recently a unanimous decision victory over fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) at UFC 90 in October.

“I was very impressed by the performance of Thiago Alves [Saturday night at UFC 90].  He showed everybody why he belongs in the top fighters in the welterweight division,” St. Pierre wrote.

“Of course, it’s up to the UFC, but I think he will be one of my next opponents pretty soon.”

Alves asked for this match-up after his unanimous decision victory over fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-3) Saturday night, and after he TKO’d seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7) in the second round at UFC 85 in June.

UFC President Dana White, however, has indicated that if St. Pierre wins his next fight, versus Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) 31 January in Las Vegas, he will match GSP up with Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (23-4).

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

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

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

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

Silva Wins Via Cote Injury

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alves Easily Defeats Koscheck

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

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

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

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

“Cigano” Crumbles Werdum

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

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

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

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

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

Werdum had been guaranteed a title shot with a victory.

Sherks Wins First in 15 Months

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leites Quick To Tap McFedries

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

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

Maynard Takes Decision Over Clementi

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

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

Maynard slammed Clementi in every round.

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

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

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

“King” Fisher Taps Gugerty

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

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

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

Miller Wins Again, UD Over Fellow Ex-IFLer Horwich

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

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

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

Sell Wins First in Octagon Since 2005

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

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

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

Franca Dispatches Former Training Partner Aurelio

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

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

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

Six weeks before that happens Koscheck will face second-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) at UFC 90 near Chicago 25 October.  He replaces eighth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2), who had to pull out due to injury.

“Yoshiyuki ‘Zenko’ Yoshida is fine with fighting Koscheck even though he is taking on Thiago Alves on Oct. 25th,” Yoshida’s manager Shu Hirata told MMA Weekly. “UFC only informed him that ‘maybe’ Sanchez if Koscheck is not healthy for Dec. 10.”

Yoshida had his last fight, scheduled for September, cancelled when “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) pulled out at the last minute.

Fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-2) will take Sanchez’s place versus Alves.

Alves said, “Josh Koscheck is a great fighter and I think he’s an even better matchup for me.  I’m looking forward to fighting him, and I’m gonna knock him out.”

“I think [Alves is] a tough opponent,” said Koscheck. “He’s on a tear right now in the UFC and for me to step up and fight him, I think it’s gonna be an exciting fight.”

Alves is on a six-fight win streak and most recently TKO’d seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7) in round two of UFC 87′s main event.

Koscheck last fought in July, winning a unanimous decision over “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5).  He was next scheduled to headline UFC Fights for the Troops in Fayetteville, NC, 10 December.

Yoshida has stoppages of Katsuya Inoue (16-6-3) and Akira Kikuchi (16-4); but, few this side of the Pacific (besides you and I) know how impressive that is.

A good showing versus physically and technically tough Parisyan would’ve put him on North American radar too.

Fighters.com has developing information that another anticipated fight, between sixth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) and seventh-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7), is unlikely to ever happen.  More on that as it develops.

Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2) will fight Fighters.com’s Lightweight Champion “Prodigy” B.J. Penn (13-4-1) in Las Vegas 31 January.

In Chicago 25 October, top contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) and eighth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) will fight to get first dibs on the winner.

Third-ranked EliteXC titlist Jake Shields (21-4-1) will have a confident “Semtex” Paul Daley (18-6-2) on his hands in Fort Lauderdale, north of Miami, 4 October.

AKA teammates fourth-ranked Josh Koscheck (11-2) and fifth-ranked Jon Fitch (17-3) await match-ups that’ll put them back into title contention.

Tenth-ranked “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1) awaits an opportunity to avenge himself of the beating handed to him by Shields in his last fight.

September Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt three big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre hears “Pitbull” scraping at the door, but he’ll have to prove he can make 170-pounds and make Sanchez a would’ve-been.

3. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

Shields added Thompson, a legit top-tenner, to a two-year run of stoppages that in includes Mike Pyle among lesser known challengers.  But, Thompson was as good as Shields can get outside of the UFC.

4. Josh Koscheck (11-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Jon Fitch (17-3)

Fitch tied a record for most consecutive wins in the Octagon, including a stoppage of Alves and a decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, before losing a UD to St. Pierre.

6. “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and hopes for his own fight with Hughes.

7. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

8. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

9. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

10. “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1)

“The Goat” had bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, until becoming the dot at the end of Shields’s exclamation point.

On the gutsy unanimous decision loss, Fitch dropped three ranks to fifth in August’s rankings.  However, to those who’ve called Fitch St. Pierre’s “toughest challenge”, Fighters.com reminds them that sixth-ranked “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) knocked St. Pierre out in the first round in Houston 7 April, 2007.

In fact, it was obvious in the stand-up exchanges between St. Pierre and Fitch that the 2007 knockout remains in the forefront of St. Pierre’s mind as St. Pierre was more cautious than he had been in previous fights.

But, rather than St. Pierre match-up versus Penn, Fighters.com would rather sanction a title fight between St. Pierre and the winner of the match-up between Fighters.com’s new top contender “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3) and seventh-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) to be fought in Chicago 25 October.

Alves attains the top contender rank on Fitch’s loss, but not because of his stoppage of eighth-ranked Matt Hughes (42-7) which wasn’t fought at welterweight due to Alves’s inability to make the 170-pound limit, which remains a question.

Moving up five spots to rank third in August was EliteXC Welterweight Champion Jake Shields (21-4-1) on his dominating first-round stoppage of tenth-ranked “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1).

Thompson dropped a rank which allowed “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) to ease into the ninth spot before his 6 September match-up versus “Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) in Atlanta.

Josh Koscheck (10-2) held rank at fourth after winning a bloody unanimous decision over virtually unstoppable, but beatable “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-16-5) in Las Vegas 5 July.

August Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (17-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Fitch, Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt three big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre hears “Pitbull” scraping at the door, but he’ll have to prove he can make 170-pounds and make Sanchez a would’ve-been.

3. Jake Shields (21-4-1)

Shields added Thompson, a legit top-tenner, to a two-year run of stoppages that in includes Mike Pyle among lesser known challengers.  But, Thompson was as good as Shields can get outside of the UFC.  So, who’s next?

4. Josh Koscheck (11-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. Jon Fitch (17-3)

Fitch tied a record for most consecutive wins in the Octagon, including a stoppage of Alves and a decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka, before losing a UD to St. Pierre.

6. “Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and looks forward to his own fight with Hughes.

7. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

8. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

9. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

10. “Goat” Nick Thompson (36-10-1)

“The Goat” had bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, until becoming the dot at the end of Shields’s exclamation point.

Fighters.com’s sixth-ranked welterweight “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (19-2) notified Fighters.com minutes after signing his latest contract to fight third-ranked “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (16-3) in Birmingham 18 October.

Sanchez said, “[Alves] better be ready because I am. I feel strong. I have been working for this opportunity my whole career. The belt will be mine; Thiago will just have to be the next victim to get to it. Nothing personal, but I am the real pitbull.”

The fight’s victor seems well-positioned next in line for the UFC welterweight title after current Champ “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2) and well-deserved top contender Jon Fitch (19-2) fight in Minneapolis 9 August.

Hungry Alves is coming off a brutal defeat of Matt Hughes (42-7) in London 7 June.

Sanchez is coming off of two victories over David Bielkheden (12-6) and Luigi Fioravanti (13-4) in which Sanchez’s raw, in-your-face strategy worked to a tee.

Alves established himself as the top contender to the winner between Fighters.com’s Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2) and second-ranked Jon Fitch (17-2), to be fought in Minneapolis 9 August.

Hughes finds himself at a crossroads as confidants close to H.I.T. Squad have confided to Fighters.com that Hughes didn’t prepare for his tussle with “Pitbull” with the determination that’s marked his storied career.

The day after Alves finished Hughes, ninth-ranked “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1) finished hard-punching “Maicon” Michael Costa (9-4) in Tokyo.

Thompson is negotiating to fight eighth-ranked Jake Shields (20-4-1) for the EliteXC title, but tells Fighters.com, “I would really like the fight but I am not willing to fight below my value in order to make it happen.”

Tenth-ranked “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2) made an even bigger American splash than Fighters.com predicted 24 May in Las Vegas when he choked “War Machine” Jon Koppenhaver (5-2) unconcious in 56 seconds.

Fourth-ranked “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2) loses his third-ranking to Alves and is scheduled to fight tough brawler “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (35-15-4) 5 July in Las Vegas.

Fifth-ranked “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) also drops a rung in favor of Alves’s ascent.  Somewhere on Long Island, Serra is on a mat plotting to hammer a nail on Hughes’s career.

Sixth-ranked “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2) takes a step up as Hughes fills his May seventh ranking.  Sanchez fights Luigi Fioravanti (12-3) Saturday in Las Vegas.

June Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. Jon Fitch (17-2)

While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is next in line for a UFC title shot.

3. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (15-3)

Alves has dealt four big stoppages to Hughes, Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka.  St. Pierre and Fitch hear “Pitbull” scraping at the door.

4. “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koschek was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

5. “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s champion, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes and looks forward to his own fight with Hughes.

6. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

7. Matt Hughes (42-7)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle, another stoppage by St. Pierre, and a KO by Alves. It’s apparent a return to MFS is required.

8. Jake Shields (20-4-1)

Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit.

9. “The Goat” Nick Thompson (36-9-1)

“The Goat” has bucked twelve straight challengers, eleven by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Karo Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it’s a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough.

10. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (10-2)

“Zenko” debuted in the UFC with 56 second stoppage of Jon Koppenhaver and is without an “L” in two years, all wins also by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than countryman Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

Of course, “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6) remains Fighters.com’s Light Heavyweight Champion and will defend his UFC title versus eighth-ranked Forrest Griffin (15-4) 5 July in Las Vegas.

But, Jackson’s nemesis from the past, “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1), closed in on a rematch with the champion he’s conquered twice before.

Silva demolished “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1) in 36 seconds, jumping five spots to the fifth ranking and sending Jardine down two rungs to number six.

If he takes out Griffin, Jackson may first have to unravel the riddle that is his new top contender, “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0), before a rematch with Silva.

Machida retired previously ninth-ranked “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) from the top ten and the UFC in a unanimous decision “W”.  Can we all say “elusive”?

Machida’s win welcomed a fellow undefeated Brazilian, another Silva in fact, to replace “The Axe Murderer” at number ten.

American Top Team’s Thiago Silva (13-0) survived a scary kick to the noggin to make “Samuray” Antonio Mendes (14-3) scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.

“African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2) held steady at number seven by re-establishing himself as a one-punch knockout threat in a TKO of “Kaz” Kazuhiro Nakamura (11-8).

With the win and the single word “Shogun”, Sokoudjou took the opportunity to challenge eighth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3), a challenge that’s traveled across the Pacific with the two former PRIDE stars.

With a lack of live action in the 205-pound class, ‘Page’s most competitive challenge since entering the Octagon, “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-6), drops to the third rank and has no announced or rumoured fights on his dance card in either of his two weight classes.

“Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) takes two steps closer to his own rematch with the champ at number four and will be announced this week as the main event when the UFC goes to Atlanta in September.

No opponent has been named, but Fighters.com’s Middleweight Champion “Spider” Anderson Silva (21-4) has been rumoured to be considering the fight.  Fighters.com thinks that match-up makes no sense, by the by.

June Light Heavyweight Rankings

1. “Rampage” Quinton Jackson (29-6)

Jackson is 4-0 since bringing his “Rampage” to the cage. He’s out-wrestled Olympians Lindland and Hendo and became the only man to put Liddell on ice twice.  He’s earned Fighters.com’s title, but losses to Rua and Silva whisper questions from the past.

2. “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (13-0)

Versus Sokou, the undefeated “Dragon” proved he could fly high and finish; but, his UD over Tito Ortiz was back to boring.  His measured style is as tough for opposition to decipher as it sometimes is for fans to watch.  His “W” column reads like a who’s who of MMA, but Machida needs stoppages to excite.

3. “Hollywood” Dan Henderson (22-6)

To think 205 is Hendo’s other weight class is astounding.  A UD of  Vitor Belfort paved a path for him to hold the PRIDE belt after a KO of long-time champ Silva. Henderson came up just short of unifying titles in a slog with ‘Page.  Until next time?

4. “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5)

Liddell has faced the toughest schedule the last two years, but fell consecutively to Jackson and Jardine.  He looked tough in his return to winning in the long-awaited face-off with Silva.

5. “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva (32-8-1)

It’s been a bloody mess for “The Axe Murderer” the last two years, but a 36-second slaughter of Jardine in May means the division still has to deal with one of it’s most popular and scariest names.

6. “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine (13-4-1)

A 36-second knockout loss to Silva, the third time he’s been kayoed in under a minute, left the “Dean” exposed amidst a division of big punchers.  But, wins over Liddell and Griffin keep him in the 205 mix.

7. “African Assassin” Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (5-2)

Sokou had been punching fighters out of their top ten ranking until he ran into Machida, but there’s no shame in tapping to “The Dragon”.   Another big punch knocking out Kaz Nakamura in May stamped Sokou firmly in the top ten.

8. Forrest Griffin (15-4)

The TUF 1 champ dug himself out of the “one hit wonder” abyss with an impressive stoppage of touted Rua and earned a UFC gold run versus Jackson.  But like Jardine, Griffin has proven beatable on any given night.

9. “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3)

Whether injury, energy, or focus was the issue, Rua debuted in the UFC with a loss to then-struggling Griffin after earning the kudos of many with PRIDE wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem and Kaz Nakamura.

10. Thiago Silva (13-0)

Undefeated in four Octagon appearances, Silva was the first to expose Houston Alexander‘s ground game and recently made Antonio Mendes scream “uncle” beneath a brutal first-round G’n'P barrage.  He’s only seen the second round once in the last two years.

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

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

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

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

The second round was short; the end poignant.

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

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

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

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

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

UFC 85′s co-main event featured a pair of UFC heavyweight title contenders, seventh-ranked“Vai Cavalo” Fabricio Werdum(11-3-1) and perennial Pinoy prospect “The Truth” Brandon Vera (8-2), ending in a controversy that’s much ado about nothing.

Werdum quite simply spanked “The Truth” from full mount to a first round TKO at 4:40.

“There was 15 seconds left [in round one]. Let me take my ass whupping and let’s go to a second round,” complained Vera.

But, that’s not the rule Octagon referees are instructed to enforce. Vera had made no attempt to improve his position or fight back while mounted by “Vai Cavalo” and he knows clamming-up and waiting for the round to end is not an “intelligent defense.”

After two exciting finishes, Werdum moved passed his boring Octagon debut versus fourth-ranked “Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski(12-5) into the UFC top contender’s spot.

After being outsized for the second straight fight, Vera should seriously comtemplate a move to 205-pounds.

Take a cue from “The Count” Michael Bisping (16-1), who again ran roughshod over an opponent in his new weight class of 185-pounds.

Canadian “Dooms Day” Jason Day (17-6) withered under the pressure of the big lights in London and big fists of Britain’s Count of The Cage, Bisping, in a first-round TKO at 3:42.

“People think I have no wrestling, no ground game. Have a bit of faith!” Bisping said after taking Day to the mat twice before pounding him out.

Day was intended to serve a challenge on the ground to Bisping, who’ll now look for bigger match-ups in the middleweight division.

And, “Quick” Mike Swick (12-2) propelled himself into contender talk in his new weight class of 170-pounds after ending “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis‘s (14-4) eleven-fight win streak in a dominating UD.

Davis never overcame 6’1″ Swick’s height and reach advantage, neutralizing Davis’s powerful boxing combos.

When Swick took Davis to the mat, “Quick’s” dynamic assault sealed the 29-27 times three unanimous decision which left Davis with a deep crevice on his left cheek.

Middleweight Thales Leites (13-1) won a split decision on point deductions over Nathan Marquardt (26-8-2).

Leites floored Marquardt with a straight right in the first round, which was later avenged with a right uppercut from Marquardt that sent Leites to the fence.

Marquardt dominated the final two rounds with G’n'P that broke Leites’s nose in the second round.

However, Marquardt was deducted a point in the second round for an illegal knee to Leites’s head while Leites’s knees were still touching the mat.

In the third, referee Herb Dean deducted another point from Marquardt for an elbow to the back of the head after Dean repeatedly warned the former title challenger. Upon replay, the strike seemed to land on the side of Leites’s head, not the back.

One judged scored the fight 28-27 for Marquardt; but, the other two agreed with Fighters.com with the score of 28-27 for Leites.

In the events most exciting fight, “Handsome” Matt Wiman (10-3) upset lightweight prospect Thiago Tavares (13-2), leaving Tavares slumped at the cage after a barrage of Wiman punches knocked Tavares out at 1:57 of round two.

Xtreme Couture kickboxer “Hitman” Martin Kampmann (16-2) tapped middleweight veteran “El Conquistador” Jorge Rivera (15-7) in a guillotine choke at 2:44 of round one.

UFC debuting Kevin Burns (6-1) earned “Submission of the Night” with a triangle choke of American Top Team “Jucao” Roan Carneiro (12-7) at 2:53 of round two.

“Banha” Luis Arthur Cane (8-1) TKO’d “Punisher” Jason Lambert (23-8) at 2:07 of round one in a light heavyweight fight.

Brit welterweight Paul Taylor (9-3-1) won a split decision over Frenchman “Joker” Jess Liaudin (12-10).

Dutch heavyweight Antoni Hardonk (7-4) TKO’d Eddie Sanchez (8-2) at 4:15 of round two.

The weight limit for welterweight is 171 pounds; but, Saturday’s main event will now be contested at the catch weight of 174-pounds, surely no consolation to Hughes who cut to 170-pounds for the fight.

Add this to the lore of an event which will go down as the UFC’s unluckiest, including losing the original main event matching sixth-ranked light heavyweight “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) versus eighth-ranked “Shogun” Mauricio Rua (16-3), replaced by Liddell versus “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1) when Rua re-injured his knee until Liddell also had to withdraw with a yanked hammy.

Almost makes you want to tune-in just to see what other disasters strike…

Many had no doubt that St. Pierre was the best at 170-pounds, but it was important for St. Pierre to win the top spot with revenge on “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) at UFC 83.

The truth is that Serra looked no worse in defeat to “Rush” than future UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes (42-6) did in December.  Serra drops to the fourth spot.

Hughes and Serra have a date to dance before the end of ’08, but Hughes has been drafted into the UFC 85 main event to replace an injured “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) on the 02 Arena marquee.

In London, Hughes faces sixth-ranked pup “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3), who’s on a St. Pierre-ish steamroll through the division with stoppages of “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5), “Lights Out” Chris Lytle (25-15-5), Kuniyoshi Hironaka (11-5), and Tony DeSouza (10-4).

“Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2), who moves up a spot on Serra’s stoppage loss, will get a swing at Lytle in July, a true test of the third-ranked wrestlers grit and chin.

Jake Shields (20-4-1) has had his EliteXC title fight with Drew Fickett (33-5) rescheduled again, this time to July.  Shields loses ground in the rankings as his 2006 unanimous decision over WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit (22-4) falls from his two-year record.

In June, “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1) returns to Sengoku versus an as-yet unnamed opponent, but told Fighters.com, “For the right amount of pay, I’ll fight Fedor or Jesus himself.”

At the end of May in Vegas, Japan’s “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2) will debut in the UFC versus “War Machine Jon Koppenhaver (5-1) after an impressive run in his homeland.

“Zenko” debuts on Fighters.com’s top ten after “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) drops off because his two-year record lost a 2006 stoppage of Thompson.

May Welterweight Rankings

1. “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2)

Since “Terror” struck at UFC 69, “Rush” has had to scrape pieces of Koscheck, Hughes, and Serra off the bottom of his feet on his steamroll back to the UFC belt many believe the 27-year old will wear for a generation.

2. Jon Fitch (17-2)

While louder fighters have claimed title contendership, Fitch has quietly earned it with a stoppage of Alves and decision over Sanchez, plus UDs over tough Chris Wilson and Kuniyoshi Hironaka.  The wrestler is probably next in line for a UFC title shot.

3. “Kos” Josh Koscheck (10-2)

After revenge over Sanchez, Koscheck was overwhelmed with a St. Pierre bouncing back from a loss. Like St. Pierre, “Kos” has all the physical tools to be a champion and absorbs new skills like a sponge. Time and continued top competition will tell.

4. “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5)

After knocking out the 170-pound division’s heir apparent, St. Pierre, Serra was outclassed in their April ’08 rematch.  However, Serra looked no worse in defeat than St. Pierre’s two previous victims, Koscheck and Hughes.

5. Matt Hughes (42-6)

Since getting KO’d by St. Pierre for the first time since ’01, Hughes hasn’t fought the same in a throw-away decision over Christ Lytle and another stoppage by St. Pierre. One wonders if he’s getting the same quality of training since leaving MFS.

6. “Pitbull” Thiago Alves (14-3)

Alves has dealt 3 big stoppages to Karo Parisyan, Chris Lytle, and Kuniyoshi  Hironaka to plant himself firmly in the welterweight top ten, and only an ’06 TKO to Fitch keeps him from Fighters.com’s top five. This juggernaut will run into Hughes in June.

7. “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (18-2)

All the hype can’t replace a loss in the Octagon, and, in Sanchez’s case, two losses to Fitch and Koschek.  An ’06 decision over Karo Parisyan in one of the fights of that year proves he has the talent, but does he have the focus?

8. Jake Shields (20-4-1)

Shields may be the world’s top welterweight, but a lack of competition outside the UFC keeps him from breaking through.  Still, he’s stopped all opponents in the last two years except in a unanimous decision over WEC champ Carlos Condit.

9. “The Goat” Nick Thompson (35-9-1)

“The Goat” has bucked eleven straight challengers, ten by stoppage, since leaving the UFC after a TKO by Parisyan; and, though no top tenners, it’s a list including Chris Wilson, Ansar Chalangov, Eddie Alvarez, and Fabricio Monteiro, all tough welterweights.

10. “Zenko” Yoshiyuki Yoshida (9-2)

“Zenko” debuts in the UFC versus Jon Koppenhaver in May without an “L” in two years, all wins by stoppage. With overseas wins over Katsuya Inoue and Akira Kikuchi, Yoshida hopes to fare better than fellow Nipponese Kuniyoshi Hironaka.

The original main event matched light heavyweights “Iceman” Chuck Liddell (21-5) and “Sugar” Rashad Evans (11-0-1).  Liddell was injured last week and UFC President Dana White pulled the fight, promising U.K. fans an adequate replacement.

Hughes had aimed at former UFC welterweight titlist “The Terror” Matt Serra (9-5) after Serra’s loss to “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (16-2) Saturday and has publicly and privately opposed a role as gate keeper in the UFC’s 170-pound division.

Alves knocked at the gate earlier this month, TKOing “The Heat” Karo Parisyan (18-5) in Denver.

Hughes lost to St. Pierre by verbal submission in Las Vegas in December.  On his blog, he promised, “No matter what happens in this fight, I’ve got Serra next.”