“This is just a bad fight for Condit… He hasn’t fought anyone like me yet. I can do everything he does, but much more effectively than him… I expect him to be aggressive and walk forward, but when I catch him with a clean shot I think he will either start to run away or go for a takedown. Calling me out was a bad choice… He has no range. I hit harder than him. I can outwork him on the feet. He won’t even have wrestling on me, as I am a totally different fighter now to what I was seven months ago… In my opinion, he is outside the Top 10 and he sees me as a way of getting into it… In both his last fights, he was lucky to come away with the win.”

Now this is the Dan Hardy that we’ve all come to love and hate. These are big, big words that are going to require a lot of backing up. Hardy was on a seven-fight win-streak before his main event spot at UFC 111, but his decisive loss to GSP got people thinking that he may not be ready for top-division talent even though “The Outlaw” is a veteran of over thirty professional MMA fights. However, the GSP loss also earned Hardy a massive amount of respect from many members of the MMA faithful, since he refused to give up on multiple occasions and fought hard until the final second.

However, Carlos Condit also has thirty fights on his record, and he’s also a very tough opponent. Condit was riding high on an eight-fight win-streak, including three successful defenses of his WEC Welterweight Championship, before losing a close Split Decision to Martin Kampmann. And as I’ve said time and time and time again, I wholeheartedly believe that there is no such thing as luck in Mixed Martial Arts. Condit’s skills is what led him to win his next two fights after losing to Kampmann, and I absolutely think that Condit will prove to be a tough challenge for the brash Brit.

However, I’m going to go ahead and pick Hardy to win this fight. I disagree with those that think that Hardy isn’t ready for the UFC’s best. Hardy just isn’t ready for GSP, plain and simple. I think Hardy can hold his own and even beat many of the best Welterweights in the UFC, and that includes wrestling-heavy stars like Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch. Even if he doesn’t ultimately win those fights, I still think he’d put forth quite an effort. With his heart, experience, powerful fists, and the willingness to constantly update and modify his skillsets, Dan Hardy is definitely ready for the main stage even if the man has a massive ego.

I do think Condit will put up a fight, though, it won’t be a blowout by any stretch of the imagination. Condit wants this win just as much as Hardy, maybe even more. This encounter has “Fight of the Night” written all over it, and I can’t wait to see what happens.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you make of Dan Hardy’s comments, and who do you see winning this fight?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frank Mir, a former heavyweight champion who first obtained championship gold after a run through the 265-pound division after compiling an impressive 5-1 run before defeating then heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia, with a 50 second armbar, into the first round, back at UFC 48.

Mir, though, has fallen on tough times, as he has lost two of his last three bouts. An impressive win over division standout Cheick Kongo is sandwiched between two losses to current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and most recently a loss to heavyweight contender and alleged steroid user Shane Carwin, at UFC 111 in March of this year.

“Cro Cop”, a Pride superstar made headlines back in 2006 when he decided to sign with MMA juggernaut, The Ultimate Fighting Championship, though he competed with mixed results, garnering a 1-2 run with his first outing with the UFC.

After a brief stint with DREAM, Mirko is now on the heels of a two-fight win streak inside the octagon, and a 5-1 record in his last 6 fights, with wins over Anthony Perosh and an impressive performance against the dynamic, Pat Barry at UFC 115 last June. Filipovic was in rare form, after being knocked down twice in the first round, Mirko stormed back to steal the second frame, and eventually was able to overwhelm “HD” in the third with a barrage of strikes, dropping the New Orleans native, and eventually securing a rear naked choke to close the show, and pocketed “Submission of the Night” honors for his efforts.

I think fans, and media alike, are pleased with the sudden change up, as UFC 119 was first sought to be where Brock Lesnar would make his title defense against challenger Cain Velasquez, before his fellow Minnesotans. However, after having just competed at UFC 116 in a successful title defense against challenger Shane Carwin, the heavyweight king pin needed some time away from the cage, and with the family, while Lesnar was expecting his next child to be born that July, the same month he last competed.

Then, Mir vs Nogueria II, a rematch nearly two years in the making, was put into effect, to some dismay as the waning interest in the fight was found to be null. However, in a term of both unfortunate and fortunate events, Nogueria was pulled from the card after the former Pride and UFC heavyweight champion suffered a hip injury.

“Cro Cop” was expected to make his return at UFC 123, a rumored event for Germany that is riddled with people of Croation descent, making him an ideal candidate for the card.

However it appears that Mirko had no qualms about stepping up on short notice against Mir, a Jiu-Jitsu specialist who now has a penchant for striking.

So, what do you think? Is everyone pleased with the change, or were we all anticipating the Nogueria vs Mir rematch?

Can “Mir KO” pull out a victory, or is defeat imminent?

“I thought he would have posted up a little and done a little more ground-and-pound, thrown some more elbows, but he controlled the fight,” Fitch told the post-fight press conference. “He lost some vital opportunities to finish with the kimura, armbars and even his back control.  I still see flaws in his game and that’s why I want to fight him next. There’s nothing more important to me right now than fighting for a title.”

For his part, St. Pierre agreed, saying “I was not that pleased about my performance.  I won, but I haven’t beat my performance of last time, so I’m not happy.  I wanted to finish, you know, have a clean win and for me, like this, it’s not clean.”

But, Fitch himself only managed a UD over tenth-ranked “Killa B” Ben Saunders (8-2-2), his sixth consecutive victory by decision.  Fighters.com thought it was quite ironic and a bit ridiculous for Fitch to criticize St. Pierre for not finishing his opponent.

But, as Drwal tapped feverishly and Palhares cranked the technique, Palhares only awaited referee Kevin Mulhall’s official stoppage of the fight before releasing the heel hook.

Drwal had slipped on the mat mid-kick before Palhares pounced and applied the submission lock to Drwal’s left leg just seconds into round one.

Drwal was also suspended pending X-rays of his knee and ankle.

Fighters.com disagrees with the NJSACB’s disciplinary suspension.  Having watched thousands of fights, I know it’s not uncommon for a fighter to release a submission or prematurely end a punching barrage before the referee ends the fight.  Often this gives the opponent on the receiving end a second wind.  That’s why fighters are trained to fight until the referee stops you.

Drwal was obviously and vigorously submitting to Palhares, even screeching in pain.  Palhares knew Drwal was tapping.  But, Palhares correctly awaited Mulhall’s official stoppage before releasing the hold.

The image of Drwal’s knee twisting gruesomely as he pleaded with Palhares to release the lock is unfortunate for mixed martial arts as the sport legitimizes itself.  But, if anyone is to blame for that image lasting too long, it’s referee Kevin Mulhall.  The five or six seconds Palhares held the heel hook as Drwal tapped was the same five or six seconds Mulhall watched Drwal tap before stopping the fight.  Palhares’s job in the Octagon is to fight.  Mulhall’s job is to stop fights.  So, if any disciplinary action is deserved on this occasion, it should be due to Mulhall’s late stoppage.

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.

UFC Fight Club Q&A is a Q&A session held with a UFC fighter before each event.  It’s attended by fans who pay to join the UFC Fight Club and media.

Serra has local ties, being a native of Long Island, New York and running two Brazilian jiu-jitsu training facilities in that state.

Serra’s biggest win was a knockout of UFC 111 main event fighter Fighters.com and UFC Welterweight Champion “Rush” Georges St. Pierre (19-2) at UFC 69 in Houston in 2007.  St. Pierre avenged the loss at UFC 83 in Montreal a year later and will defend his titles versus fifth-ranked “Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-6) at UFC 111.

Mir followed up Tuesday saying, ““I would like to apologize to Brock Lesnar, his family, the UFC and the UFC fans for my stupid remarks. I respect Brock, all the other fighters, and the sport of mixed martial arts. I’m sorry that I stepped out of line.”

Mir and UFC cahmpion and second-ranked heavyweight Lesnar are tied 1-1 in their series of fights.  If Mir beats sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) at UFC 111 in Newark March 27, they’ll have a rubber match for the trilogy and UFC title.

Ellenberger TKO’d “Quicksand” Mike Pyle (19-7-1) at UFC 108 in Las Vegas January 2, his first victory in the Octagon.

Saunders enters the fight off his biggest victory, a knockout of “Irish Hand Grenade” Marcus Davis (16-6) at UFC 106 in Las Vegas last November and verges on entering serious title contention.

Kampmann suffered a cut over his eye that required stitches and forced him from the fight, he told MMA Weekly.

This momentous event will include Spanish graphics, play-by-play and on camera commentary. Dana White stated “For our fans who want to watch and listen to our UFC events in Spanish, we are now creating a show just for them, in their language, so they can enjoy the whole UFC experience from start to finish.”

UFC 111: St. Pierre versus Hardy is already being picked up by DirecTV, iNDemand, DISH Network and Avail-TVN pay-per-view carriers for the Spanish language feed.

This is a move that comes rather late in the life of the Zuffa owned company in my opinion. Regardless, it is a very positive move for the future of the UFC. Historically speaking, Spanish fight fans have been a very large source of income for boxing. The Mexican population has always loved combat sports and I foresee the UFC grabbing hold and taking root.

Mexico is a place ripe for the picking when it comes to athletes. Many have studied boxing since they were children and as of late have worked to incorporate martial arts into their repertoires.

As I have stated on MMA Gospel Radio, Mexico is a place the UFC must head to soon. Right now they are working on going overseas but I believe the best course of action is to hold a pay-per-event live from Mexico this year. Fighters with Mexican heritage are already in the UFC. Fighters such as “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-7-1), “Nightmare” Diego Sanchez (21-3) and Efrain Escudero (8-1) to name a few are men that would be perfect to have on the main card of a UFC event in Mexico.

The growth of this sport and the worldwide appeal the UFC brass are seeking will surely take off with a move down south and I look forward to watching it take place.

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)

Lesnar has been sidelined since October with what White reiterated is a “career-threatening” ailment.  Lesnar had surgery to repair a perforated intestine, but White indicated that the surgery wasn’t the entire story of Lesnar’s illness.

White also insisted that Lesnar has been treated at the Mayo Clinic, though Lesnar’s camp denies the claim.

White expects an interim heavyweight title fight between third-ranked Frank Mir (13-4) and sixth-ranked Shane Carwin (10-0) to occur at UFC 111 in Newark March 27, but expressed the possibility that the fight be for the full title depending on the diagnosis after Lesnar’s medical examination next week.