5. Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 132

I admit, part of the reason why this fight got on this list is because I’m vindictive. I really, really don’t like Dong Hyun Kim. I don’t like his style, and I certainly didn’t like the trash-talking he did before this fight. I wanted Carlos Condit to KTFO him, and then Carlos Condit went out and KTFO’d him. It was an awesome moment and a big step forward in Condit’s career, and I think Condit deserves a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship because of it. So while part of the reason is mean-spirited, I think this fight definitely deserves a spot on this list based on its merits, its dramatic finish, and what it did for the career of Condit.

4. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben at UFC 132

The shortest of the three one-round fights featured on this list, Silva vs. Leben earns a spot as one of the best fights of the month because we got exactly what we paid for. We knew how good both Silva and Leben were at brawling, and we all hoped that they’d meet in the middle at the sound of the first bell and start throwing bombs. And that’s exactly what they did, resulting in a spectacular KO of Silva in under thirty seconds.

3. Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader at UFC 132

Just about everyone, even me, had this fight pegged as the final loss of Ortiz’s UFC return and perhaps the final fight of his career. Instead, Ortiz showed up like a man possessed and promptly destroyed Bader faster than even current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. It’s incredibly rare to see a fighter virtually resurrect himself with one performance, but that’s exactly what happened here and that’s exactly why this fight gets a spot on this list.

2. Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber at UFC 132

The previous three were all one-round fights, but their dramatic ends and the fact that all three fights featured major stars is reason enough to put them on this list. This, however, was a five-round war of attrition that saw both men pushed to their absolute limits. Above all else, I think this fight, the main event of UFC 132, proved that lighter-weight fighters are here to stay and can be just as exciting as any of the larger weight divisions.

And the number-one best fight of July 2011 is…

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Dan Henderson at Strikeforce “Fedor vs. Henderson”

This was honestly the only fight I felt really moved by that didn’t take place at UFC 132, which I think was one of the best events in UFC history. Nothing else besides this fight matched up to the excitement and anticipation of the previous four encounters. But this fight definitely stood out above the previous four as an amazing encounter between two veteran legends. It was a finish I’ll never forget and that will likely inspire debate for years to come. It was a fantastic one-round fight, and definitely the best fight of the month.

And what about you, fans and friends? What were some of your favorite fights of the month?

The Underappreciated Undercard Award: I’m giving out this award more and more nowadays, but that’s only because the undercard fights are getting better and better. In particular, the Spike TV broadcast of “UFC Prelims LIVE” shined with their two scheduled fights both ending in first-round KO’s. And these weren’t just any KO’s, these were true-blue, stone-cold KTFO’s. Plus, we got to see several entertaining wars for free on Facebook. My appreciation for “UFC Prelims LIVE” continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

The “So Close Yet So Far Away” Award: Unfortunately I have to hand this “award” out to both George Sotiropoulos and Ryan Bader, two men I’d consider myself moderate fans of. It seems like only yesterday that people couldn’t stop talking about these two. Was it so long ago that both men were thought of as the next big challengers to their division’s champions? Now they’re both on two-fight losing-streaks and both fights were very tough, very humbling losses. Hopefully both men will rebound soon and save themselves from becoming a “what could have been” fighter.

The “Herp Derp” Award: I’m starting this new award in remembrance of one of the most potentially-hilarious moments in MMA: the “KO Face”. When you’re getting your faced punched in and your lights are turning off, sometimes you get a look on your face that’s… well, it’s called “herp derp” for a reason. This one is being given to none other than my good friend Dong Hyun Kim, whose epic KO loss was capped off by a brilliant “you got knocked THE **** OUT” look shortly after Carlos Condit landed the last punch to put Kim away.

The “Credit Where Credit Is Due” Award: Matt Wiman, for coming very close to beating Dennis Siver. As I’ve said before, I do think Siver did enough to win this fight. And I do think Wiman storming out of the cage after losing was very classless. But I have to give credit where credit is due: there’s a not-insignificant group of fans that thinks that Wiman should have won, and to be honest, their arguments do have some merit. That’s simply the nature of close fights… and this was a really close one.

The “Hype Where Hype Is Deserved” Award: The main event of UFC 132 definitely deserves this award. UFC commentator Joe Rogan said it best when he said “true fans of the sport know that this is one of the best match-ups in one of the best weight divisions in the UFC”. And for five straight rounds, Cruz and Faber brought it and brought it hard. It was a war of attrition, and it was never boring. Both Cruz and Faber always deliver good fights, and they definitely delivered at UFC 132, meaning that they definitely deserve to be highlighted here.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. And remember, it’s all in good fun… mostly.

Next for Melvin Guillard/Dennis Siver: Each other, which is why I’m grouping them together. These two have been tearing through the Lightweight charts recently, although Guillard gave the better performance at UFC 132. Then again, Siver was generally thought of as higher on the food chain than Guillard coming into UFC 132. With those two factors in mind, this fight makes perfect sense, and with both men’s styles, this would also be a wildly entertaining fight.

Next for Carlos Condit: If his huge win at UFC 132 fight didn’t earn Carlos Condit the next shot at the title, he’s only one fight away from doing so. There’s a host of potential high-level Welterweight fighters that Condit could face, but the one thing most of them have in common is that Georges St. Pierre has already beaten them. I say we roll the dice and simply make Condit the next championship contender once GSP and Nick Diaz get through fighting. With his penchant for amazing finishes and his long years as a veteran, I think it’s deserved.

Next for Ryan Bader: Coming into UFC 132, Bader was still generally thought of as a top-division fighter. With this loss, he’s been sent packing to the middle of the division. I think a very smart match-up to make would be to put Bader up against another fighter who’s trying to escape the mid-level after a long time spent as a journeyman. Luis Cane comes to mind.

Next for Tito Ortiz: Some breathing room… for the first time in a long time. Some of the power now lies in Ortiz’s hands, and I think we’re going to see him back in the Octagon soon. Perhaps a third and final showdown with Forrest Griffin? Maybe a rematch with Rashad Evans if he loses to Phil Davis? Either way, don’t expect Ortiz to get anything less than top-division talent for his next fight. He was put to the final test at UFC 132, and he succeeded. So while the rebirth has started, another war is also about to begin for Tito Ortiz.

Next for Wanderlei Silva: I honestly don’t know. Retirement maybe? Silva’s chin just can’t seem to hold up anymore. He’s lost a lot more than he’s won lately. If not now, I think Wanderlei’s retirement is only one or two more losses away. Whatever happens, I certainly wish him the best and I’ll follow him wherever he goes.

Next for Chris Leben: Leben is now more or less on the same ground he was on coming into his fight with Brian Stann. Leben just might be able to make a serious run, but it’s not certain. When you rebound from a humbling KO loss with a fantastic KO win, there are still some questions that linger. If he’s willing to wait that long, a great match-up for Leben would be the loser of the upcoming Michael Bisping vs. Jason Miller fight.

Next for Urijah Faber: Faber won’t be going anywhere until he decides to retire. The UFC loves him, the UFC fans love him, and he continues to put on entertaining fights win or lose. As much as some people dislike it, expect Faber to keep getting a title shot every time he strings together two/three wins.

Next for Dominick Cruz: Whoever it is, they probably won’t beat him. Cruz is one of the most complete fighters out there, and that was clearly evident at UFC 132. The sky’s the limit for Dominick Cruz in the UFC.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

Dominick Cruz defeats Uirjah Faber by Unanimous Decision . Chris Leben defeats Wanderlei Silva by KO (Punch) at 0:27 of Round 1. Dennis Siver defeats Matt Wiman by Unanimous Decision. Tito Ortiz defeats Ryan Bader by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 1:56 of Round 1. Carlos Condit defeats Dong Hyun Kim by TKO (Strikes) at 2:58 of Round 1. Melvin Guillard defeats Shane Roller by KO (Punch) at 2:12 of Round 1. Rafael dos Anjos defeats George Sotiropoulos by KO (Punch) at 0:59 of Round 1. Brian Bowles defeats Takeya Mizugaki by Unanimous Decision. Aaron Simpson defeats Brad Tavares by Unanimous Decision. Anthony Njokuani defeats Andre Winner by Unanimous Decision. Jeff Hougland defeats Donny Walker by Unanimous Decision.

There’s so much I’d like to say about this event, so I guess I’ll just start from the beginning.

I really, really enjoyed the “UFC Prelims LIVE” fights for UFC 132, both on Facebook and on Spike TV. The Facebook fights kept going to a decision, but they were all very entertaining fights. Jeff Hougland and Donny Walker really impressed me, and I can’t remember the last time Anthony Njokuani looked that dominant. Add in some other interesting performances, and you’ve got a solid Facebook stream.

Then, of course, the Spike TV prelims came out and blasted everything on Facebook right out of the water. Despite the fact that he ended the fight with unnecessary strikes as the referee was pulling him off of his opponent, Rafael dos Anjos looked awesome against George Sotiropoulos. As a semi-fan of “G-Sot”, it’s really hard to see him take such an epic fall from grace. Melvin Guillard also looked amazing on Spike TV, and has now turned into a bonafide title contender.

And now we get to the epic Pay-Per-View card.

When it comes to the first fight of the night, all I can really say is this: I literally screamed myself hoarse shouting “YES! YES!” when Carlos Condit KTFO’d Dong Hyun Kim. That made my night, and it was the first fight of the card.

After that, I got to see Tito Ortiz utterly shock the world and demolish Ryan Bader, looking like the Tito Ortiz of old. That also made my night, since I’ve been an Ortiz semi-fan for quite some time. It’s too soon to say Tito is back, but I know that I can’t wait to see what he does in his next fight.

After that, Dennis Siver won a tough, semi-controversial fight against Matt Wiman. I personally think that Siver deserved the win, but I’d love to see a rematch.

As a fan of Wanderlei Silva, it broke my heart to see Chris Leben destroy him. But as a fan of fun fights, I’m very glad that this fight was as brutally amazing as it was hyped to be. I don’t know where Silva goes from here, but I wish him nothing but the best.

And in the main event, Dominick Cruz again proved that he’s the best in the world while simultaneously getting revenge on the only man that’s ever beaten him. It was a very tough fight and was pretty close, so I’d love to see a rematch for this fight as well.

Overall, this was one of the best MMA events of the year. UFC 132 had a little bit of everything for everyone, and it’s a night of fights I won’t soon forget.

5. Several good fights anchoring the “UFC Prelims LIVE” broadcasts on both Spike TV and Facebook.

The UFC is spoiling me. I freely admit it. For so long, we only got to see unaired preliminary fights on UFC DVDs or when the UFC needed to fill time on their Pay-Per-View broadcasts. But in the here and now, we get the opportunity to watch every single fight from virtually every single UFC card and it barely phases us anymore, it’s basically become an expected occurrence. But if the UFC ever took these preliminary fights away from me I’d inevitably spiral into an all-out temper tantrum and demand my free fights back. I’ll freely admit that as well. For the UFC 132 preliminaries, we’ll get a chance to see (for free!) names like Brian Bowles, George Sotiropoulos, Melvin Guillard, and more. The free prelims remain one of the biggest reasons to check out all the latest UFC events.

4. Can Dennis Siver rise above the tumultuous Lightweight scene and capture the next title shot that so many other fighters are pursuing?

Everyone wants a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship nowadays. What’s changed since the BJ Penn era is that there’s so many Lightweights deserving of a championship and that could prove a serious threat to the champion. One of those fighters just so happens to be Dennis Siver, and he’ll have a big chance to prove himself at UFC 132.

3. In a world where nearly every top-division Welterweight has felt bitter defeat at the hands of Georges St. Pierre, Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim are new, interesting threats.

This is assuming that GSP gets past Nick Diaz, of course. And when (not if) Diaz beats GSP, the last thing the UFC needs to do is give Diaz all the old fighters that GSP dominated. Condit and “Stun Gun” Kim are two very different fighters, and they add an interesting dynamic to an always-crowded Welterweight top-contender scene. If this fight ends in stunning fashion, it’s not too far-fetched that the winner will become the next challenger to the UFC Welterweight Championship. With that kind of opportunity on the line, that should bring out the best in these two and give us one of the best fights of the night.

2. Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben… wow. It makes so much sense I have to wonder why it hasn’t happened sooner.

Stylistically, you can’t really imagine a more fitting opponent for Wanderlei Silva than Chris Leben. Leben has grown less one-dimensional with time, but he has been and always will be a brawling-based fighter. He loves taking two to give one, it’s a strategy that’s worked out well for him for the most part, even though his chin has been suspect as of late. With the way Silva’s chin has also become a bit suspect, there’s a chance that either fighter could end this fight in stunningly vicious fashion. And that’s a huge incentive to both check out this fight and the event in general.

And the number-one reason to watch UFC 132 is…

1. Two of the best Bantamweights fighting today do battle in the main event, with a championship on the line and a bitter rivalry fueling both men.

Despite practically being the spokesperson for MMA fighters with laid-back attitudes, to this day Urijah Faber is not without his fair share of cynics. One of those men, Dominick Cruz, just so happens to be the UFC Bantamweight Champion. He also just so happens to be the man that Faber humbled so badly at Featherweight that the loss spurred Cruz’s original drop to Bantamweight. Despite his recent troubles, Faber seems to have found new life in a smaller weight class. It just so happens to be the class Cruz is reigning over with an iron fist. It’s always great when a big rivalry gets settled inside the Octagon, but when it’s this fierce of a rivalry between two fighters as good as Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, then that’s an absolute can’t-miss fight.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see UFC 132.

Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber: Faber has simply had too many losses lately, and Dominick Cruz has been looking too good lately. If this was the Faber before the TKO loss to Mike Brown, before the rematch that saw him get controlled by Mike Brown, and before the fight with Jose Aldo that saw Faber practically eaten alive in the stand-up… then this fight would be just about dead-even. As it stands, Cruz is just too good even if he hasn’t finished anybody in a while. Dominick Cruz wins by Unanimous Decision.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben: I want to believe in Wanderlei Silva… I do believe in Wanderlei Silva. I think Wanderlei wants to win this fight very badly, and I know he’s a better brawler than Chris Leben. Leben could catch Silva with a good punch and possibly KO him, Silva is also coming off of a long layoff. But that just isn’t enough to force me to pick against one of my favorite fighters in the game. This will be a very tough test for Wanderlei, but one that I both hope and believe he will pass. Wanderlei Silva wins by Unanimous Decision.

Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader: It’s curtains for Tito Ortiz, fans and friends. I just don’t see him beating a hungry upstart like Ryan Bader, especially with Bader coming off of an incredibly humbling loss. Bader will take his recent loss to Jon Jones and turn it into a learning experience, and this will be the fight where Bader begins to realize his full potential. Ryan Bader wins by TKO in Round 2.

Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim: We all know what I want to happen: I want Condit to go out there and take “Stun Gun” Kim’s head off. If Kim does try and stand with Condit, that’s exactly what’s going to happen, and Carlos Condit will win by KO in either Round 1 or 2, most likely Round 2. But if Kim does what everyone is suspicious of and decides to blanket himself on Condit for three rounds, he’ll win a Unanimous Decision. As much as I dislike the notion of Kim winning this fight, I have to admit that it’s definitely a possibility.

Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman: Both men are within shouting distance of each other’s records, but MMA today is a constant game of “what have you done lately?” And lately, Dennis Siver has looked like a wrecking machine in the cage. It becomes tougher and tougher to finish a Lightweight fighter as you get higher and higher up the food chain, which is why I’m thinking Siver won’t get the (T)KO. But I do think Siver will control and even dominate Matt Wiman with crisp, precise kickboxing. Dennis Siver takes a very clear Unanimous Decision.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends.

The Event: UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber”, currently scheduled for July 2, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Four free preliminary fights will air over the UFC’s Facebook page starting at 6:15 PM ET. Two additional preliminary fights will air on Spike TV starting at 8:00 PM ET. The five-fight main card will be broadcast live on Pay-Per-View starting at 9:00 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: This is the UFC’s big summer event, it takes place on Independence Day weekend and it features the UFC debut of Dominick Cruz. Even better, he faces one of the most popular and skilled lighter-weight fighters of all time, Urijah Faber. Then you’ve got Wanderlei Silva facing Chris Leben in what should be an epic brawl, plus Tito Ortiz fights with his job, nay, his entire career on the line against Ryan Bader. And on top of all that, you’ve got two big match-ups at Lightweight and Welterweight that should establish the winner as a top contender in the division. And, of course, you get a bunch of free fights on Spike TV and Facebook.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Dominick Cruz hates Urijah Faber… truly hates him. Cruz losing to Faber sparked a fire that has now resulted in Cruz claiming the mantle of the best Bantamweight on the planet as of now. Urijah Faber wants to breathe new life into his career, and he wants to do so not just by beating Dominick Cruz, but by humbling him in the same way he humbled him in their first fight. Both men are two of the best Bantamweights in the world, and their intense rivalry will bring out the best in each other. This fight could end in many different ways, and seems destined to be a “Fight of the Year” contender.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: Are you kidding me? Who doesn’t love a fight between guys like Chris Leben and Wanderlei Silva? These two love to have wild brawls, Silva will probably go down as one of the best brawlers in the history of the sport once all is said and done. This fight could end in an instant, or it could see both men swing for the fences for three straight rounds and never give an inch. If you’re a fan of good fights, this is one you just can’t miss.

Why You Should Watch This Card: It may not be stuffed with superstar talent, but UFC 132 features a host of big names in very well-booked fights. A lot of these fights are brimming with potential thanks to the fact that so many fighters match up stylistically well with their opponents. We may not get to see the biggest stars the UFC has to offer, but we’ll probably be getting a boatload of good-to-great fights.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: The only fights I’d recommend missing are the prelims if you absolute have to and the bout between Dennis Siver and Matt Wiman, also only if you have to. Every fight on this card has plenty of potential, but I’m not so optimistic that I believe that every fight will live up to its potential. I think most of them will, though, and this should be a good card.

Closing Thoughts: I’m very, very, very pumped up for this card. I think it’s going to be a sure-fire “Event of the Year” contender, although I don’t think anything will out-shine UFC 129 this year. Still, I think this one is going to be a hit and I’m going to walk away at the end of the night a very happy UFC fan. Definitely count me in for UFC 132.

Before the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion forever changed the game and established lighter-weight fighters as every bit as good as the fighters in heavier weight divisions, Urijah Faber was at the forefront of the lighter-weight revolution. Faber was the first true WEC super-star, quickly becoming both the promotion’s biggest draw and its best fighter. It all began in 2006, when Faber won the WEC Featherweight Championship. At the time, Faber’s record stood at an impressive 12-1. By the end of his epic reign, with a host of championship defenses and successful fights in other promotions, Faber’s record stood at 21-1.

From the fight that won him the championship up until Faber fought Jens Pulver in 2008, no fighter was able to take Urijah Faber to a decision. No one was even able to take him to the third round. Five of Faber’s many wins as the best Featherweight on the planet happened in the first round. Faber was basically perceived as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters, period, until losing to Mike Brown. The loss would prove tough for Faber to deal with, as he would bounce back between winning and losing for his next several fights. Faber recently dropped to Bantamweight and has defeated back-to-back opponents, prompting this rematch with Dominick Cruz.

And make no mistake, Dominick Cruz has come a long, long, long way from the scrappy 9-0 Featherweight that Faber managed to choke out in the first round. The next time WEC fans saw Dominick Cruz, he was a Bantamweight. Cruz would go on an absolute tear in the WEC’s 135-pound division, winning seven straight fights, capturing the WEC Bantamweight Championship, and defending it twice. His last defense of the championship was at WEC 53, the final event the WEC would ever run. Shortly afterward, the WEC was folded into the UFC and the WEC Bantamweight Championship became the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

In many ways, Dominick Cruz represents the new breed of fighter. His footwork is outstanding. His technique is near-flawless. He can pick people apart standing, on the ground… practically everywhere. He’s so good at so many things that he truly is a “Mixed” Martial Artist. And he’s very, very, very motivated for this fight with Faber. Faber remains the only loss on Cruz’s professional record, and the two share a decidedly bitter rivalry.

So, who wins the main event of UFC 132? It’s hard to tell. Really, really hard to tell. Urijah Faber looks to have breathed new life in his career thanks to his drop down in weight, and he was one of the best in the game for so very long. But Dominick Cruz is the new breed of fighter, and he’s been a very dominant champion.

In the end, this is one fight so close that I’m not going to give a prediction just yet, other than to say that this could be one of the best fights of the year. Both men possess great cardio and tremendous amounts of heart, and both have the will and the tenacity to bring it for all five rounds. Whoever wins this fight won’t just be the UFC Bantamweight Champion, he’ll have proven himself to be one of the best fighters on the planet. I can’t wait for this one.

And that’s that, fans and friends! I hope you enjoyed “A Closer Look At UFC 132”.

We head to the one and only Sherdog for news that the UFC recently made almost a dozen fights official for the July 2 card. UFC 132 “Cruz vs. Faber 2” will now featuring the following match-ups: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben, Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz, Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim, Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller, George Sotiropoulos vs. Rafael dos Anjos, Brian Bowles vs. Takeya Mizugaki, Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Aaron Simpson, Andre Winner vs. Anthony Njokuani, and Erik Koch vs. Cub Swanson.

I think UFC 132 is a very interesting card. It does feature some big stars, but not any of the UFC’s mega-stars: no Georges St. Pierre, no Jon Jones, no Anderson Silva, etc. However, the great thing about this card is that it’s not dependent on any one match in particular. What I mean by that is simple: this isn’t a one-note show, every single fight looks very interesting on paper.

In fact, this entire show looks so interesting on paper that I hope the UFC pulls a UFC 129 and makes every single fight available either through Facebook, Spike TV, or Pay-Per-View. The preliminary card of this event is so good, in fact, that I think you could make a serious argument that it’s “UFC Fight Night” caliber.

That’s not hype talking: the undercard features popular Lightweights Melvin Guillard and George Sotiropoulos as well as former WEC Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles. You’ve event got Jason Miller competing, who recently signed to the UFC from Strikeforce and made some pretty big waves by doing so.

As if that wasn’t good enough, the Pay-Per-View card is shaping up really nicely as well. I think Dennis Siver has truly begun to realize his potential and is starting to turn a lot of heads. Depending on if he beats Wiman and also how he beats him, Siver may find himself amongst the shortlist of possible UFC Lightweight Championship contenders. You’ve then got Carlos Condit taking on “Stun Gun” Kim in what I think will be a fight that will put the winner as the next challenger to the UFC Welterweight Championship, so long as the finish is dramatic enough.

And further atop the card, you’ve got a trifecta of big matches, with a whole lot on the line in each and every one of them. There’s no other way to put this: if Tito Ortiz loses to Ryan Bader, he’ll most likely be fired and he’ll also most likely retire. The situation isn’t as dire for Wanderlei Silva, but if he wants to make one final comeback before he too decides to retire, he’s got to beat Chris Leben.

And in the main event, you have two great fighters who absolutely despise each other stepping into the cage and trading leather. Dominick Cruz is definitely the most “complete” fighter in the UFC’s 135-pound division, but Urijah Faber is considered one of the best lighter-weight fighters of all time. I don’t think Faber will beat Cruz, but I certainly won’t rule out the possibility.

In the end, this looks like it’s going to be a great card and I plan to see as much of it as I possibly can. And what about you, fans and friends? Anyone out there anticipating UFC 132?

Many have pointed out that some of the holes that St. Pierre displayed in his last outing with Shields would be picked up by possible a more intelligent, or rather more adept striker–such as Diaz, whom arguably holds some of the best hands in the mixed martial arts world.

And though some obstacles may be lingering in the potential for the bout, that hasn’t left people speculating the inevitable outcome. Urijah Faber, the former WEC featherweight champion and current number one contender for the UFC bantamweight title, has officially jumped on the Diaz bandwagon.

Nick Diaz has run a roughshod through all of his opposition that he has faced inside the Strikeforce cage. Since his inception into the organization, Diaz has gone undefeated, claiming the welterweight title and defending it three times over. Since his stint under the San Jose banner, Diaz has become one of the best fighters in his class and is often regarded as one of the ten best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, having the sort of boxing acumen and jiu-jitsu prowess that most fighters could only dream for.

However, are his skills enough to rival those of Georges St. Pierre?

Well, one man thinks so, and that’s none other than “The California Kid” himself, Urijah Faber.

“I’m going to go with Nick Diaz on that one, just because I don’t see GSP knocking him out”, said Faber in an interview with FiveKnuckles.com.

“He’s never been knocked out and GSP’s been more into wrestling guys. I think that from watching Diaz, he’s super, super deceiving, and is able to pressure guys and make them get tired and fatigued like no one else. It’s constant pressure, and he’s got that persistent punching style that wears guys down.”

While the opinion of Faber’s may be an unpopular one, there is no question that Diaz will at least provide GSP his toughest challenge to date. But–what do you think, MMA peeps? How will Diaz fare in a match with GSP and do you agree with Faber’s assessment of the bout? Sound off in the comment section below.

With credit going to MMA Junkie, the full and complete UFC 132 card is as follows: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben, Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz, Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim, Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller, Jason Miller vs. Aaron Simpson, Rafael dos Anjos vs. George Sotiropoulos, Brian Bowles and Takeya Mizugaki, Anthony Njokuani vs. Andre Winner, and Erik Koch vs. Cub Swanson

This is shaping up to be a very, very interesting card. I’m highly intrigued by the main event, even though I do think this is another example of a promotion showing favoritism towards Urijah Faber. Nevertheless, Faber has looked pretty impressive at Bantamweight and he does represent a pretty significant threat to Dominick Cruz. However, right now Cruz is just so good at so many different things that it’s hard to imagine anyone dethroning him, including Urijah Faber.

If it ends up going all three rounds, I think Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben will be a strong “Fight of the Year” candidate. I think both men will come out looking to strike, and making this fight the brawl we all want it to be. I really think that there’s no chance that either of these two will show up gun-shy: Wanderlei Silva has never shown an ounce of fear in any fight of his that I’ve ever seen, and Chris Leben is either too proud or too crazy to care about the punching power of his opponent. This is going to be a great match-up.

I’ve already said plenty about Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim, and I’ve made my feelings towards “Stun Gun” pretty well known. I absolutely do not like how he’s beginning to use “Lay and Pray” tactics, and I think Kim will be in for a very rude awakening if he ever goes up against Georges St. Pierre. I have a sinking feeling that Kim will sit on Carlos Condit for three rounds and earn the next shot at the title, but a very large part of me hopes that Condit catches “Stun Gun” and knocks his block off.

Finally, I think UFC 132’s preliminary card is one of the most-stacked preliminary cards of the year. You’ve got Melvin Guillard, Jason Miller, Anthony Njokuani, Brian Bowles, George Sotiropoulos… that’s your preliminary card? That looks more like a “Fight Night Live” event to me. I really, really hope that the UFC makes all six of those preliminary fights available to view, either through Facebook or Spike TV, because I definitely want to see just about all of them.

All in all, this looks like it could be another big event for the UFC, and possibly one of their best events in 2011. Only time will tell, but right now I’m feeling very positive about this show. And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on how this card is shaping up?

With credit going to MMA Fighting, the current UFC 132 card is now: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber, George Sotiropoulos vs. Evan Dunham, Dennis Siver vs. Matt Wiman, Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller, Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben, and Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader.

There’s been a lot of bad blood boiling between Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber, so I honestly wasn’t surprised when it was announced that Faber would be getting a shot at the championship after winning only one fight in the UFC. I am and always will be a Urijah Faber fan, but I think even the biggest super-fan knows that Faber has a habit of getting rushed right back into the title picture because of how well-known and marketable he is. Making him the headlining attraction of a major card should fully test his marketability in the UFC, and at the end of the day, I’m looking forward to this bout.

Another bout I’m really, really looking forward to is Chris Leben vs. Wanderlei Silva. I will admit, though, that I would’ve liked it more if Wanderlei fought Vitor Belfort when the UFC returns to Brazil later this year. But this is a pretty great alternative. This will be a hard-hitting brawl and I don’t think it’ll go past the second round. It may not even make it out of the first. But regardless of how long it lasts, it should be one of the most entertaining fights of the night, and depending on how long it lasts, it may even go down as a possible Fight of the Year candidate.

I’m also looking forward to seeing Melvin Guillard back in action after his supremely dominating performance against Evan Dunham. Guillard faces an interesting challenge in Roller, who is coming off a two-fight win-streak that saw him take home both a “Submission of the Night” and a “Knockout of the Night” award.

Speaking of Evan Dunham, he should be an interesting challenge for George Sotiropoulos, especially with George coming off of the first loss of his UFC career. And the man that beat him, Dennis Siver, will also be in action against an interesting opponent: Matt Wiman is currently on a three-fight win-streak.

And to top it all off, I’m even looking forward to Ryan Bader vs. Tito Ortiz. This will absolutely be Tito Ortiz’s last call. When it comes to him finally making good on his promise of an epic comeback, it’s now or never. With his job and possibly his career on the line, perhaps the dominant Tito Ortiz we all once knew will finally make an appearance in the modern-day UFC.

Overall, this may not go down as one of the best UFC events of the year or one of the most star-studded, but already I’m thinking that I’m going to enjoy a majority of these bouts. And what about you, fans and friends? Any thoughts on UFC 132 as it stands right now?

The Friending Spike TV, Spiking Facebook Award: Spike TV, for presenting a far better “UFC Prelims LIVE!” outing than the Facebook stream of free UFC 128 preliminary fights. The Facebook stream boasted bigger-name talent, but completely fell flat of my expectations. Meanwhile, I didn’t have too much to look forward to on the Spike TV special, but I found myself enjoying it quite a lot. This just goes to show that “UFC Prelims LIVE” continues to defy my expectations, which is a good thing for the most part.

The Unnecessary Roughness Award: Brendan Schaub, for the shot he landed on Mirko Filipovic directly after he landed the shot that KO’d Cro Cop. I’ve seen some people come to Schaub’s defense already, but I think “in the heat of the moment” is really the only excuse, since it takes into account that an error was made. Unless you were on an adrenaline high, I just don’t see how you punch a guy again after the punch you just threw caused the guy to crumple lifelessly to the mat. I don’t think Schaub is a dirty fighter, and I’ve never been a Cro Cop super-fan, but I do think Brendan made a mistake.

The Woodsman Award: Nate Marquardt, for his tough but not super-impressive victory over Dan Miller. This award has to do with the phrase “out of the woods”, and in particular, “the woods” for Marquardt is the assumption that he chokes in big fights. Marquardt isn’t out of the woods yet, he’s still exploring. He got a decent victory, but there are still many unanswered questions. Marquardt earned a little breathing room at UFC 128 but not much else.

The “Dark Horse” Award: Jim Miller, for his great performance against Kamal Shalorus. With this victory Miller is becoming the Lightweight equivalent of Jon Fitch: it seems like the only people talking about him are the ones insisting he deserves a title shot. I think Miller became a “dark horse” at UFC 128 because he demonstrated once again that he can fight any type of fighter and beat them at their own game.

The “Brand New Day” Award: Jon Jones, for more than likely ushering in a new era in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division. Since Quinton Jackson dethroned Chuck Liddell, no UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has managed to hold the championship for more than one defense. Consider that, and consider that no one, and I do mean no one, has been able to come anywhere close to hurting Jon Jones. All signs point to Jones ushering in a new era, and I can’t wait to see that era commence.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. And remember, it’s all in good fun… mostly. What about you? Any thoughts/opinions ready to be shared?

5. The Anthony Njokuani and Edson Barboza fight.

There’s one simple reason why this fight received “Fight of the Night”: it was an absolute blast to watch. Both men were high-level strikers, and that can always backfire if one or both of them is afraid to engage. But neither Barboza nor Njokuani displayed any kind of fear, and proceeded to tear into each other throughout the course of their fifteen-minute war of attrition. It’s a fight that saw both men add several things to their highlight reel.

4. Brendan Schaub KO’ing Mirko Filipovic.

If you’ve followed me for any prolonged period of time, you may know that I don’t have too high of an opinion on Mirko Cro Cop. I’ll never try to take away or demean in any way his glory days in PRIDE, but in the UFC, he’s simply never truly impressed me. But I wasn’t jumping for joy when Schaub KO’d him. I was honestly a bit shocked, because Schaub turned out the lights in one single punch and was dominating the fight up to that point. This was one of the best performances of Schaub’s brief UFC career, and that KO is going and staying on his highlight reel for a long, long time.

3. Jim Miller dropping and stopping Kamal Shalorus.

I always get butterflies when I go out on a limb for a fighter for days/weeks and then have nothing left to do or say other than to watch him fight and hopefully live up to that hype. I didn’t think Jim Miller would lose, but as I so often say, anything can happen in MMA. However, Miller proved himself beyond a shadow of a doubt and I think those butterflies are going to be quite smaller the next time he fights. Miller is a great striker with an under-rated ground game, he’s got a tough chin, and he knows how to put together beautiful, fluid combinations that stop fights. Jim Miller is the real deal, and seeing him prove it at UFC 128 was one of the biggest highlights of the night for me.

2. Urijah Faber beating Eddie Wineland and not changing who he is to do it.

When I saw Urijah Faber lose the first round of his fight to Eddie Wineland, my heart went into my stomach. It was the same Faber I had come to admire, but those old mistakes with his style reared their ugly heads. But then something else happened: Faber’s famous heart and drive took hold, and he turned it all around. By the end of the second round, it was clear that “The California Kid” had gotten comfortable and was going to work. It was another great performance from a fighter that, for so long, was one of the best lighter-weight fighters on the planet.

But there’s just no contest, my best moment of UFC 128 was…

1. Jon Jones demolishing Mauricio Rua.

I said Mauricio Rua would have nothing for Jon Jones. I said it, few believed it. But I said it, and guess what? Mauricio Rua had nothing for Jon Jones. Jones was never in any trouble: he was the one with the killer leg kicks, he was the one controlling the ground, he was the one that pummeled and battered his opponent. Submissions? Jones was so unafraid of Rua’s submissions that he himself tried several submissions, including Rua’s own favorite, the kneebar. This was by far Rua’s biggest loss in the UFC, even bigger than his loss to Forrest Griffin. And while I personally have nothing against him, the sweet vindication I felt at UFC 128 was far and away the best moment of the night for me.

So there you have it, fans and friends: those are the moments I’ll be remembering from UFC 128. But what about you? What do you think everyone will be talking about in the days/weeks to come?

Next for Mirko Filipovic: Retirement, if he knows what’s good for him. I’ve had my wars with Filipovic’s legion of fans in the past, but a strange thing happened to me at UFC 128. I found myself quite sad when I saw Cro Cop lifeless on the mat for the second time in a row. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, and I won’t speculate because I’ve never followed him that closely. But the evidence is staggering: Cro Cop is on the decline, and it may be better to hang it up now or else he risks becoming a Heavyweight version of Chuck Liddell.

Next for Brendan Schaub: With this win, Schaub took a crucial step forward on his quest for top-division status. I think the time has come for Schaub to rematch Roy Nelson, but that’s only if Nelson loses to his upcoming opponent, Frank Mir. Likewise, I’d love to see Schaub take on Cheick Kongo if Kongo loses his upcoming fight to Pay Barry. Also, Stefan Struve would be a good fit for Schaub, that’s a fight that’s been discussed and I think it’d be very entertaining. Schaub may not be a championship contender just yet, but he’s really beginning to find himself in the UFC’s Heavyweight division. Big things are in store for Brendan Schaub in 2011.

Next for Jim Miller: I’ll be watching very closely to see how the UFC approaches Jim Miller now that he’s beaten another tough competitor. Miller may not deserve a title shot, but he’s very close. He’s on the short-list. Unfortunately he’ll have to wait awhile, because Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard have to fight again, then Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida have to fight, and then, on top of all that, the winners of those two matches have to fight. It’s a crowded Lightweight scene, but Miller is fast-rising to the top of it. He deserves a top-level opponent for his next fight.

Next for Urijah Faber: I think the man that many consider the WEC’s best asset and biggest star will have a very bright future in the UFC. Faber came off as a class act during his post-fight interview, and when he fought Eddie Wineland he fought with the style that made him a well-respected and a very entertaining champion. The WEC was always quick to put Faber into title contention, and the positives and negatives of that are best left for another day, but in the here and now I think the UFC will continue that trend. Faber is only one or two fights away from challenging for the championship.

Next for Mauricio Rua: A certain section of the “Shogun” contingent are already calling for him to drop down to Middleweight, and I honestly think that would be very interesting and I’d like to see it happen. My gut reaction is that it won’t, but if it does it wouldn’t surprise me too much, and I think Rua has a lot of interesting match-ups at 185. If he stays at 205, I think Rua should face Lyoto Machida for a third and final time, or perhaps Quinton Jackson. Rua needs to battle an established veteran, both for the sake of nostalgia and to keep him alive in the UFC’s ever-crowded Light Heavyweight scene.

Next for Jon Jones: Rashad Evans, and another dominating victory. I once swore I’d never again bet against Jon Jones, and Rashad Evans won’t be the fighter that makes me break that promise. I don’t even know who that fighter is, since I don’t see anyone beating Jon Jones at Light Heavyweight. It may be the hype getting to me, and I may be getting my hopes up too high, especially given the “Light Heavyweight curse”. But I said it was “The Era of Bones”, and I truly believe that.

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 128?

Jon Jones defeats Mauricio Rua at 2:37 of Round 3 to become the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Urijah Faber defeats Eddie Wineland by Unanimous Decision. Jim Miller defeats Kamal Shalorus by TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of Round 3. Nate Marquardt defeats Dan Miller by Unanimous Decision. Brendan Schaub defeats Mirko Filipovic by TKO (strikes) at 3:44 of Round 3. Luis Cane defeats Eliot Marshall by TKO (strikes) at 2:15 of Round 1. Edson Barboza defeats Anthony Njokuani by Unanimous Decision. Mike Pyle defeats Ricardo Almeida by Unanimous Decision. Gleison Tibau defeats Kurt Pellegrino by Split Decision. Joseph Benavidez defeats Ian Loveland by Unanimous Decision. Nick Catone defeats Constantinos Phillippou by Unanimous Decision . Erik Koch defeats Raphael Assuncao by KO at 2:32 of Round 1.

Although I once again enjoyed the four free fights the UFC gave us as part of their ongoing “UFC Prelims LIVE” series of shows, I have to admit that my expectations were completely backwards.

I was looking forward to the Facebook stream a lot more, because it boasted bigger names and veteran talents. However, I thought Almeida, Tibau, Pellegrino, and Pyle all put on rather pedestrian affairs. They weren’t bad fights, but they definitely fell short of my expectations. I was pleasantly surprised by the Spike TV broadcast, which featured a great TKO win by Luis Cane and a very, very entertaining striking war between Edson Barboza and Anthony Njokuani.

I rarely dislike being right, but I’m not without a heart. I don’t like seeing Mirko Cro Cop lifeless on the mat. This is the second time in a row that Cro Cop has lost by KO, and I think it may be time for him to call it a career. I could possibly see Cro Cop moving down to Light Heavyweight, but I think Cro Cop’s days of being relevant as a Heavyweight are now firmly and finally over and done with, and not even the staunchest Cro Cop supporter can argue against that.

I’m glad Nate Marquardt beat Dan Miller, but I have a new appreciation for how tough Dan Miller is. I didn’t think he would be able to deal with Nate Marquardt’s power for three rounds without going down, and he proved me dead wrong. So here’s some credit where it’s rightfully due: his performance coupled with the fact that he took this fight on ultra-short notice means that Dan Miller far exceeded my expectations at UFC 128, even in losing.

With his win at UFC 128, I think Jim Miller has firmly staked his claim near the top of the UFC Lightweight division. Miller has got to be only a few fights away from a title shot, there’s just no way he’s not unless the UFC doesn’t realize what they have in him. In Jim Miller you’ve got a fighter that will fight anyone anywhere, he’ll strike with strikers and he’ll try to submit high-level Brazilian Jui Jitsu fighters. Miller has the raw talent to go very far in the UFC’s Lightweight division, and his performance at UFC 128 proves that he’s living up to his potential. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Jim Miller.

Eddie Wineland is one tough fighter, but Urijah Faber proved that he still has it at UFC 128. I was happy enough knowing that Faber finally debuted in the UFC, but seeing him win and win big while still retaining his very entertaining style was one of my favorite moments of the night. I think this was a very important, very big step on the comeback trail for Urijah Faber, and I think 2012 could be the year where Faber becomes a champion again. Depending on how things shake out, we may even enter 2012 with Faber as champion.

I called it, fans and friends. I gave Rua his due, I said he could beat Jon Jones, now give me my due. This is the new era, now. Jon Jones is “the chosen one”. Like some mythical fairy-tale, the young champion has now ascended to the throne and will be the one to break “the curse”. It’s a whole new ballgame now, and Jon Jones is the best Light Heavyweight fighter in the world.

And that’s what I thought about UFC 128, fans and friends. What about you? What’s your opinion on “Shogun vs. Jones” now that it’s all said and done?

Urijah Faber will be facing his first fight in the UFC tonight against Eddie Wineland.  For many, this would cause jitters, but Faber has been here before.  As a former WEC champ, he has played to packed arena crowds in his hometown of Sacramento.  Granted, the New York City scene is a different beast, but the California Kid took it all in stride this week when facing the Big Apple media about his UFC 128 battle.

Watch Faber at the UFC 128 press conference.

5. Eddie Wineland has struggled against top-division competition in the past.

The last time Wineland fought a fighter that was widely recognized as world-ranked, he lost in the first round. Wineland has been digging himself out of that hole quite amicably, but I have to wonder if the pressure of this fight will affect him. It probably won’t, which is the reason this one starts off the list. But there’s a chance that the old weaknesses will rear their ugly heads come Saturday, and if they do, Wineland is going to be in deep trouble.

4. Faber is approaching this fight with the same cool confidence as he had his other fights, and that’s a good thing.

I admit, when I first saw a Urijah Faber interview I thought “The California Kid” was pretty cocky. But as I grew to know and understand Faber, I began to realize that cockiness and confidence are two very different things. The only pressure Faber puts on himself nowadays is the pressure to give a good show for the fans. If a title comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, he holds his head high and continues to strive ahead towards his next big goal and his next major fight. This is the main reason Faber has remained a top-level draw despite his numerous ups and downs, and this is a major tool in his arsenal.

3. Urijah Faber seems wholly reinvigorated at Bantamweight.

There certainly were a bunch of questions floating around Faber when he announced that he would be dropping down to Bantamweight. Faber proceeded to answer a whole heaping lot of them when he dominated Takeya Mizugaki, ending the fight by choking him unconscious. Not only that, but the fight saw Faber look none the worse for wear despite the drop in weight after a long, long period of fighting as a Featherweight. In fact, Faber looked like a new man at 135.

2. Urijah Faber has a large amount of submission wins on his record.

Eddie Wineland has five submission wins on his record, but he’s been submitted four times. Plus, the last submission win he recorded (in September 2008) was a submission win due to punches. Meanwhile, Urijah Faber has never been submitted and has won by submission thirteen times. Wineland has lost by Rear Naked Choke twice, Faber has six wins by Rear Naked Choke. Even though Eddie Wineland is good on the ground, he’s simply not in Faber’s league.

And the number-one reason why Urijah Faber could beat Eddie Wineland is…

1. Because it’s Urijah Faber.

I know I’ve said this several times, but it’s never been more true: no one fighter quite embodies the spirit of the WEC quite like Urijah Faber. Many attribute the WEC’s early successes directly to this man. Faber is a world-class fighter that has no idea what the word “quit” means. He’ll fight with a broken hand, he’ll fight with a leg he can barely stand on, he’ll do whatever he can to give back to the fans and produce an entertaining fight. There is only one Urijah Faber, and the fact that he is who he is and he’s done what he’s done is the biggest reason why many, including myself, are predicting that Faber will beat Wineland.

And there you have it, fans and friends. But what about you? What do you think about Urijah Faber beating Eddie Wineland at UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”?

5. Urijah Faber is still very unproven at Bantamweight.

Urijah Faber has had one fight at Bantamweight in this most-recent run at 135. Eddie Wineland has fought his entire career at Bantamweight. In this latest drop down in weight, Faber easily dispatched of former WEC Bantamweight Championship challenger Takeya Mizugaki. But if we’re being honest, Mizugaki was a “gimme” fight and Wineland is on an entirely different level. Faber beating Mizugaki didn’t make him a top-division Bantamweight… it simply gave him a little breathing room. When it comes to Faber turning this drop down into a successful comeback… the jury’s still out on that one.

4. Wineland has (T)KO’d his last two opponents, with both finishes earning “Knockout of the Night” honors.

On June 20, 2010, Eddie Wineland knocked out Will Campuzano in the dying minutes of the second round. On December 16, 2010, he slammed Ken Stone into unconsciousness before the end of the first round… before the end of the third minute, in fact. With those two wins, Wineland now has a majority of his wins by (T)KO: almost double that of his wins by submission, and three times that of his wins by decision. He’ll need that stopping power to beat a man that’s only been stopped two times in almost thirty fights.

3. Wineland is on a great four-fight win-streak.

A four-fight win-streak is better than a two-fight win-streak even if you (T)KO’d your last two opponents. Fortunately for Wineland, he holds both those accolades simultaneously. The last time Eddie Wineland lost a fight was in April 2009, almost two full years ago. Since then, Wineland has both fought consistently and consistently won his fights. Meanwhile, since 2008 Faber has followed an interesting pattern: he wins one in dominating fashion, then he gets dominated and loses. For a man that used to hold a record of 21-1, Faber has lost three out of his last six fights. And guess what: his last fight was a dominant win.

2. Wineland is a former WEC Bantamweight Champion. The first Bantamweight Champion, in fact.

Although he did lose the belt in his first defense, Eddie Wineland holds the distinction of being the first-ever WEC Bantamweight Champion. That’s simply not an accolade that goes away. Faber is also a former Bantamweight Champion, but it was in a smaller promotion. At one time, Wineland was the best of the best. And even though he’s yet to realize that pinnacle again, that’s still a tremendous feather in his cap.

And the number-one reason why I think Eddie Wineland could beat Urijah Faber is…

1. This is one of the biggest fights of Wineland’s career.

There’s already one big example of a former WEC star derailing the hype train of a bigger WEC star in the UFC: Dustin Poirer. Poirer was a “gimme” fight for Josh Grispi, who was originally intended to face Jose Aldo and had won his last ten fights. But Poirer shocked the world: not only did he defeat Grispi, he outright dominated him. In MMA, anything can happen if you train hard enough and want it badly enough. And that’s the major reason why I think Eddie Wineland could beat Urijah Faber.

And that’s that, fans and friends. Stay tuned for Part 2, covering five reasons why Urijah Faber could beat Eddie Wineland. But for now, what do you think about Eddie Wineland possibly defeating Urijah Faber?

I’m honestly looking forward to the Facebook “UFC Prelims LIVE!” stream more than I am the one on Spike TV. Don’t get me wrong, I plan to watch and enjoy both and I’ll continue to harp on how good of an idea this is and how we should all watch free fights when given the opportunity to do so. But the Facebook stream just seems to have much more going for it. Ricardo Almeida is a pretty big name, and he’s facing a very tough Mike Pyle. Likewise, Kurt Pellegrino is still arguably a “name-value” star as well, and Gleison Tibau is always good for a tough and entertaining scrap. The Spike TV broadcast does boast Anthony Njokuani, who I’ve always found incredibly exciting, but in the end I think Facebook will have the better two fights.

Even if Mirko Cro Cop beats Brendan Schaub, I think we’re nearing the end of his career. A win or loss to Schaub will only speed up or slow down the process. A lot of people seem to think I don’t like Mirko Cro Cop or that I’m trying to diminish what he did in PRIDE, but honestly that’s never been the case. I just remember the warrior and destroyer he was in PRIDE, and then I remember that in the UFC I only got to see brief flashes of that man. I know some Cro Cop fans find it hard to imagine that Cro Cop ever could’ve gotten to the point he is right now, some of them even refuse to admit it entirely. But Cro Cop is on the decline, and Schaub is either going to beat him decisively or KO him outright. If he doesn’t I would be very surprised.

It’s unfortunate but completely understandable that Yoshihiro Akiyama had to be pulled from this card and replaced by Dan Miller. I don’t have anything against Dan Miller, I just think that brother Jim Miller is the better of the two and far closer to earning a title shot in his division. This probably has a lot to do with me being a Nate Marquardt fan, but I believe that Dan Miller isn’t ready for a threat like Marquardt. I’ll be the first to give credit where credit is due if he proves me wrong, though.

I don’t have much more to say about Jim Miller taking on Kamal Shalorus, so I’ll just say this: if Jim Miller beats Shalorus and doesn’t get a top-division fighter for his next fight, I will officially start making the claim that the UFC is under-utilizing Jim Miller.

Whether or not Urijah Faber wins at UFC 128, I don’t think I’ll ever forget his debut in the UFC so long as he doesn’t pull a Miguel Torres on me and fights completely unlike the fighter I grew to respect and admire. We all have at least one fighter we hope wins no matter where he’s at in his career or who he’s facing. One of the few fighters I feel that way towards is Urijah Faber. To give some context on how exclusive that group is, another fighter I feel the same way about is Anderson Silva. I want Faber to win and I sincerely hope he does.

I’ve talked about Mauricio Rua so many times and been in so many debates over the man that I’m honestly running out of things to say. So I guess I’m lucky that he’s finally going to fight and either shut me up or prove me right once and for all. For those who may have missed my many discussions, here’s a very quick rundown.

I think Mauricio Rua is old no matter what his birthday is. He was in countless wars in PRIDE, and those wars have worn his body down. The fighter that gassed horrendously and was then choked out by Forrest Griffin is still in there. It’s just hidden, and only a rare mixture of strength, speed, and stamina can bring it out. And Jon “Bones” Jones has all of that in abundance. If it’s not the unorthodox strikes, it’ll be the cardio. If it’s not the cardio, it’ll be the elusiveness. If it’s not the elusiveness, it’ll be the throws. If it’s not the throws, it’ll be the takedowns. If it’s not the takedowns, it’ll be the Ground and Pound. Jon Jones is the future of the division, and that future will be realized at UFC 128.

And that’s all I have left to say, fans and friends. But what about you? Any final thoughts on UFC 128?

Mauricio Rua (c) vs. Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: I’m putting it all on the line with this fight and this prediction, but when have I ever been afraid to do so? If Rua proves me wrong and wins, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to stomach a heaping helping of humble pie. But I just don’t see that happening. Jon Jones is too good at everything, and for “Shogun”, the mind is willing but the body is weak. Jones will either hit his flurry and KO Rua in Round 1, or he’ll pummel Rua’s already-damaged knees into dust with constant takedowns. I’m betting on the former: Rua will assume that he’s got the striking advantage on “Bones”, and Jonny Bones will prove him wrong. Jon Jones wins by KO in Round 1.

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland: Eddie Wineland is one tough fighter, but there’s toughness and then there’s Urijah Faber. Both men are tough and have great chins, but I think the submission game will come back to bite Wineland. He’s got five wins by submission, but he’s been submitted four times. Faber has thirteen wins by submission and has never been submitted. Still, due to the all-important toughness factor, Wineland will only succumb after Faber wears him down. Urijah Faber wins by submission in Round 3.

Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus: As much as I like Kamal Shalorus, Jim Miller should be right up there with the best of them, and I think he’s going to prove it at UFC 128. I could talk more about this fight, but I’m going to wrap it up with one simple sentence: I see Jim Miller being better than Kamal in all major areas of the game. Jim Miller wins by submission in Round 2.

Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller: There’s two ways I look at this match, and in both of them, I see Nate Marquardt winning. The first way is to refute the claim that Nate Marquardt chokes in big fights, which means that he’s still one of the best at 185 and should be too much for Miller to handle. The second way is to allow that Nate Marquardt chokes in big fights but counter that this isn’t a big fight for him. This is much more on the level of when Nate Marquardt faced Rousimar Palhares, and we all know how that fight turned out. In fact, I’m going to be calling for the same outcome: Nate Marquardt will beat Dan Miller by (T)KO in the first round.

Mirko Filipović vs. Brendan Schaub: When it comes right down to it, this is a relatively easy pick. Mirko Cro Cop’s most recent fight was an ultra-boring three-round snooze-fest with Frank Mir that mercifully ended with a late-round Hail Mary KO… which Cro Cop was on the receiving end of. Meanwhile, Brendan Schaub has been destroying people and just got done beating Gabriel Gonzaga and booting him right out of the UFC. Schaub is ready for Cro Cop’s level of talent, and Cro Cop has been a shadow of his former self for quite some time. Brendan Schaub wins by TKO in Round 1.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. But what about you? Who do you see winning, and why, at UFC 128?

5. Freedom. It’s a beautiful thing.

If they keep giving ‘em to me, I’ll keep watchin’ ‘em. I liked it when the UFC decided to give fans free, live preliminary fights on Spike TV. I liked it when the UFC began to use Facebook to stream free, live preliminary fights. I liked it when the UFC selected the ION Television network as another avenue to give fans free, live prelims. Take a guess at my reaction when the UFC started combining those things and giving us free fights on Facebook, then more free fights on either ION TV or Spike. We’re nearing a day where, through one avenue or another, we’ll get the chance to see every single fight the fans in attendance get to see. And that’s a great, great thing. The UFC is giving us four free fights for UFC 128, and that’s always a great reason to watch a show.

4. Both Miller brothers in action against two very different but very, very tough opponents.

While I’m a bigger fan of Jim Miller than I am of Dan Miller, I think both Miller brothers are very entertaining and very tough. Dan meets Nate Marquardt at a point where both he and Nate “The Great” need a big win over a good opponent, so this is the type of fight that both men could really make something out of, and in the process we get a pretty entertaining scrap. I firmly believe that Jim Miller is only a few fights away from a title shot, and he’ll have a chance to prove that by taking on former WEC star Kamal Shalorus. Both fights have the potential to become some of the night’s best fights, and that’s really something to say when you’ve got a card as stacked as this one.

3. Mirko Cro Cop’s last hurrah.

I think Mirko Cro Cop will be done in the UFC after Brendan Schaub knocks him out, giving Cro Cop two back-to-back KO losses. I’ve been saying that Cro Cop has been done for quite some time, but a lot of people don’t agree with me. I don’t even harbor any sort of ill will towards the man, I just think it’s clear as day that the wrecking machine he used to be in PRIDE never emerged in the UFC, for one reason or another. I won’t shove anyone’s face in it if I am proven right, but my desire to be proven right once and for all, at least when it comes to Mirko Cro Cop, is definitely a big reason I’m checking out this card.

2. Urijah Faber debuting in the UFC.

For UFC fans who never got to find out what all the fuss was about when it came to the WEC, I don’t think anyone else quite embodies the spirit of that promotion like Urijah Faber. This is a guy that’s always soft-spoken but made a legacy out of brilliantly defeating opponents. This is a guy that’s fought with two broken hands during one fight, and in another fight he fought to a five-round decision despite having his leg kicked so many times and with so much force that he could barely put weight on it from about the third round onward, maybe even the second round. Seeing “The California Kid” debut in the UFC is easily the second-biggest reason I’m going to watch this show.

But of course, the number-one spot simply has to go to…

1. Shogun. Jones. ‘Nuff said.

How long have I been talking about this match? Quite a long time, I’ll say that. And throughout all my many discussions, I’ve held fast to one core belief: Mauricio Rua will not be the one to “break the curse” of the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jon Jones is going to destroy him, at least, that’s what I think will happen. And that’s really what it all boils down to, doesn’t it? After months of speculation and heated debate, we finally get a definitive answer in the form of an amazing fight. The main event of UFC 128 is easily the best and biggest reason to give this show a watch.

So there you have it, fans and friends: five great reasons to tune in and see UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”. What about you? As the date draws ever-closer, what are you most looking forward to for this event?

The Event: UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Jones”, currently scheduled for March 19, 2011 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Two free preliminary fights will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page beginning at 8 PM ET. Two additional free preliminary fights will be shown on Spike TV starting at 9 PM ET. The UFC 128 Pay-Per-View broadcast begins at 10 PM ET.

Why You Should Care: Without a shadow of a doubt in my mind and with not one extra added ounce of hyperbole, I fully believe the main event of UFC 128 will determine the course of the UFC’s tumultuous Light Heavyweight division for years to come. If Mauricio Rua becomes the first person to legitimately beat Jon Jones, he will most likely be the one to break the “curse” of 205-pound champions losing their titles in their first few defenses. If Jon “Bones” Jones wins, he’ll have fully stepped into his role as the future of the division and will likely go on a reign similar to that of Anderson Silva or Georges St. Pierre.

What to Look Forward to in the Main Event: Constant action from the second the bell rings. Mauricio Rua wants to test “Bones” like he’s never been tested before, and he also wants to make a big and dramatic comeback after healing from his injury. Likewise, Jones wants to dramatically finish “Shogun” the same way he’s dramatically finished so many other people before, in order to prove that he’s ready for the absolute best of the best. One way or another, both men will be constantly hunting for the TKO or KO or even the submission.

What to Look Forward to in the Co-Main Event: The man many believe was the heart and soul of the WEC will be making his long-awaited UFC debut at UFC 128. Better still, Urijah Faber debuts on the heels of a successful drop to Bantamweight, submitting Takeya Mizugaki in the first round. His opponent, Eddie Wineland, is on a four-fight win-streak and a two-fight (T)KO streak. It’s one of the best lighter-weight fighters of all time against a fierce opponent that wants to carve his own legacy by demolishing one of the major reasons the WEC was so successful. It’s going to be a barn-burner.

Why You Should Watch This Card: Calling this card “stacked” feels like a disservice. Don’t like Jones/Rua? Then you’ve got Faber/Wineland. You do like old-school fighters like Mauricio Rua? Mirko Cro Cop will also be in action. You do like new-school fighters like Jon Jones? Jim Miller will take on Kamal Shalorus. You want free fights? The UFC is going to give you four of them. It has all the makings of one of the best UFC events of the year.

Why You Shouldn’t Watch This Card: I’m trying to say something negative about this card, and it’s just not coming to me. There’s just too much goodness here to pass up. I love me some free fights, so I’m going to tune into both the Facebook stream and the Spike TV special. I want the new-school fighters to win and win big, so I can’t wait to see Brendan Schaub take on Mirko Cro Cop and Jon Jones destroy Mauricio Rua. This is one event with so much happening that you just honestly shouldn’t miss it.

Closing Thoughts: This event stands out as one of the most-anticipated events of the year, at least for me. So much will be decided on this night: does Jim Miller really deserve the heaps of praise I’ve been giving him? Does Nate Marquardt not deserve the stigma of choking in big fights, which is another stance I’ve taken? What about Jon Jones? Much to the chagrin of “Shogun” fans, I’ve been calling for Rua to lose ever since Rashad Evans was named his next opponent last year. In many different ways and with many different fights, UFC 128 could permanently alter the way I look at some of my favorite and least-favorite fighters. There’s no chance I’m missing this event.

And what about you, fans and friends? Anybody out there looking forward to UFC 128?

5. Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson at UFC: “Fight Night 24”.

Both men are at a pretty interesting crossroads in their careers right now. Dan Hardy was the tough Brit who would never quit and had an iron chin… until Carlos Condit knocked him out. Anthony Johnson was supposed to be the next big can’t-miss prospect at Welterweight… then Josh Koscheck submitted him in November 2009 and “Rumble” hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since. Both men have a lot to prove in this fight, and it should be a fantastic fight.

4. Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland at UFC 128: “Shogun vs. Jones”.

This entry definitely makes the list mostly because I’m an unabashed WEC fanboy, but this is one occasion where I have no problem letting my fanboy flag fly free. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Urijah Faber, and I think he’s found his fire again after dropping down to Bantamweight. I’m really looking forward to seeing Faber debut in the UFC and letting all the non-WEC UFC fans know what they’ve been missing, especially given the disappointing debut of Miguel Torres.

3. Diego Sanchez vs. Martin Kampmann at “UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann”.

I’m going to enjoy this fight even if Diego Sanchez loses, simply because it has all the makings of an epic encounter. This is the type of match perfect for the main event of a TV card: it’s two semi-big names in a smartly-booked fight that plays to both men’s strengths. Whoever emerges the winner takes a big step towards championship relevancy, and this should motivate both men to perform at their best. And when they perform at their best, they’re very entertaining. And performing at their best against each other? That will be even more entertaining.

2. Dan Henderson vs. Rafael Cavalcante at Strikeforce: “Feijao vs. Henderson”.

As a massive fan of the old school, part of me really wants Dan Henderson to beat Rafael Cavalcante. But as a moderate fan of Rafael Cavalcante, another part of me wants “Feijao” to beat Henderson in order to both legitimize his championship reign and bring stability to Strikeforce’s Light Heavyweight division. It’s a tough fight to call, and it could go either way, and very few things are for certain until these two step into the cage. But one thing is for certain: if it lives up to its potential, this will be an awesome match.

And by quite a large margin, my number-one most-anticipated fight of March 2011 is…

1. Mauricio Rua vs. Jon Jones at UFC 128 “Shogun vs. Jones”.

I’ve talked about this match a whole lot, and I’ve had to deal with my fair share of criticism for my views. But I can’t wait to be proven right, because I wholeheartedly believe that I know exactly what is going to happen. I think Mauricio Rua’s mega-hyped comeback is all smoke and mirrors, and I think Jon Jones will prove once again that he’s the future of the Light Heavyweight division. A new era is about to dawn: Jon Jones will break the streak of Light Heavyweight Champions losing the belt in their first few defenses, a chain that has remained unbroken since Quinton Jackson famously dethroned Chuck Liddell all the way back in 2007. I absolutely cannot wait for this match.

And there you have it, fans and friends! But what about you? What bouts are you most looking forward to for March 2011?

5. Rani Yahya

Rani Yahya also recently burst onto the scene with a big win over a notable MMA star (former WEC Featherweight Champion Mike Thomas Brown), but his recent return to Featherweight leaves this match as a remote possibility, which is why it’s starting us out. Both men are very quick on their feet and very good on the ground, so this would be a hotly-contested fight that would definitely entertain.

4. Takeya Mizugaki

Mizugaki may not be as big a name as “KID” Yamamoto, but he’s still a tough opponent for anybody and has more or less morphed into a bit of a gatekeeper, which is the kind of fight Johnson could use right now. Mizugaki is skilled in all major areas of the MMA game even though he’s not a master at any one particular thing, and on any given day he represents a pretty legitimate threat to any given fighter. And that includes Demetrious Johnson.

3. Scott Jorgensen

I’m picking this fight for one main reason: Jorgensen has cardio for miles and miles, and if Johnson wants to fight at a mile-a-minute pace, Jorgensen will be right there and waiting to match and maybe even surpass him. Expect the pace in this match to redefine the term “blistering” if it does ever get around to happening. Plus, Johnson would really benefit by having a big win over a former WEC Bantamweight Championship contender on his record.

2. Miguel Torres

At the time of this article’s publication, Miguel Torres has yet to lock it up with Antonio Banuelos as part of the main UFC 126 “Silva vs. Belfort” Pay-Per-View card. But whether he wins or lose, I’d love to see the former WEC Bantamweight Champion take on Johnson. Torres will always be a tough test for any fighter, and Johnson would prove a lot by beating the man who once ruled the WEC Bantamweight division with an iron fist.

But my top pick simply has to go to…

1. Urijah Faber

There is only one “California Kid”, and with Faber’s recent and successful debut at Bantamweight, this is “the” fight for Johnson. It’s not just against a big name, it’s against the man who basically put the WEC on the map. It’s not just a skilled fighter, it’s the man who once held a thirteen-fight win-streak that included five successful championship defenses, with four stoppages and three first-round stoppages. Faber is definitely the man to beat if Johnson wants to immediately cast himself into the role of a top-division fighter, so Faber easily gets the top spot on this list.

And what about you, fans and friends? Following his dominating performance over “KID”, who do you think “Mighty Mouse” Johnson should take on next?

The headliner will pit former PRIDE star turned UFC light heavyweight champion in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua as he defends his title for the first time when he takes on former titleholder Rashad Evans. The event takes place at on March 19 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

The evenings co-main event features a battle of former champions as former WEC stars collide when Urijah Faber (the now defunct organization’s poster boy) takes on the grizzly Eddie Wineland in a bout that will likely determine the number one contender for the UFC’s bantamweight title, which is currently held by the dominant champion, Dominick Cruz.

UFC officials today announced two more bouts that will likely complete the 12-fight lineup as welterweights Mike Pyle and Ricardo Almeida do battle in Newark.

Pyle is beginning to come into his own inside the octagon, where in his last outing he managed to score a huge decision victory over then budding contender John Hathaway at UFC 120 at the O2 Arena in England. The win extended a two-fight win streak for Mike who has now found some consistency in his up-and-down mixed martial arts career.

Almeida (a resident of Hamilton, New Jersey) will also be looking to climb up the ranks once again. A former contender in the middleweight division (and a former King of Pancrase) Ricardo will look to make it two-in-a-row with a victory over Pyle. “The Big Dog” was last seen in action when he scored a decision win over the always-tough T.J. Grant at UFC 124 last December. The win helped Almeida bounce back from an embarrassing first-round submission loss to former champ Matt Hughes last August at UFC 117.

Additionally, middleweights Dan Miller and Nick Catone are also set to do battle at the March event. Both men hold the home field advantage since the two of them call New Jersey “home”, and will likely have a ruckus crowd behind the two exciting athletes.

After suffering a scary three-loss stretch inside the octagon, Miller has now climbed back up the ranks as he has been able to compile a two-fight win streak, which began with a second-round submission win over John Salter last August. He followed up the performance with a hard-fought decision win over longtime veteran Joe Doerksen.

Catone, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, was also on the heels of the UFC chopping block when he rode a two-fight losing streak into his bout with “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Jess Forbes. Both wrestlers engaged in a tough back-and-forth battle, but in the end Nick was declared the winner when he was able to snatch up the split-decision win.

The full card lineup is as follows:

MAIN CARD

* Champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Rashad Evans (for light-heavyweight title)
* Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland
* Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus
* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Nate Marquardt
* Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Luiz Cane vs. Karlos Vemola
* Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani
* Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle
* Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau
* Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland
* Raphael Assuncao vs. Manny Gamburyan
* Nick Catone vs. Dan Miller

So, MMA peeps, what do you think of the card in it’s entirety? It’s a real treat for anyone that decides to make the trip to Newark, which is daunting in of itself but totally worth it for this event. Sound off in the comment section below.

Reigning and soon-to-be defending UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will be pitted against former title holder Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 128, which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on March 19.

The promotion officially announced the main event of the evening earlier today.

Mauricio was last seen in action in May of last year when he defeated rival and fellow countryman Lyoto Machida at UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. “Shogun”, who previously lost a controversial decision to the karate expert in October of 2009, avenged the defeat with a stunning first-round knockout. With the victory, Rua claimed the promotion’s 205-pound title.

Rashad is currently riding a two-fight win streak inside the octagon, which began after losing his light heavyweight title to the hands of the aforementioned Machida in May of 2009. Evans quickly bounced back with two commanding decision victories over Thiago Silva in January and then former champ Quinton Jackson last May.

Both Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland, former champions in the WEC, will make their UFC debut come March 19. Their move to the worlds largest mixed martial arts organization comes on the heels of the WEC merger, where the bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight divisions have now been assimilated into their sister promotion, and as such, the fighters will gain more exposure and possibly larger paydays.

Faber comes into the UFC with a victory in the 135-pound division when he recently defeated former title challenger Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 52 last Novemeber via rear-naked choke inside of the first round. The win helped soften the blow of a defeat against pound-for-pound great, Jose Aldo for the Brazilian’s featherweight title earlier last year.

Wineland will make his UFC debut on good footing as the former bantamweight champion has recently compiled a four-fight win streak under the Zuffa banner, including back-to-back knockout victories. In his last performance, Eddie competed in the World Extreme Cagefighting’s last held event, WEC 53, as he took on promotion newcomer Ken Stone. The American Top Team product made the grave mistake of pulling guard early in the bout and Wineland never hesitated in elevating and slamming Stone to the mat, knocking him out instantly. The victory garnered Eddie “Knockout of the Night” for his efforts.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the matches heading to New Jersey? Additional bouts will surely be announced in the immediate future, but in the mean time who do you think will win their respective bouts? Sound off in the comment section below.

Now that, doesn’t suck.

For five rounds, Cruz coasted a seemingly easy, but hard fought decision victory over the always tough Scott Jorgensen. With his wrestling and boxing credentials on full display, Dominick, did everything short of finishing the fight in order to wow the crowd at the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz.

With eight straight wins bolstering his recent success in the professional world of mixed martial arts, Cruz now has a one track mind: beat Urijah Faber.

Those eight straight came on the heels of Cruz’ lone loss in his career, a first-round submission loss to “The California Kid” in March of 2007. The bout was contested as a featherweight affair when Cruz challenged Faber for his 145-pound title. His fancy footwork and lightning quick strikes were on display early, however Urijah moved in for the kill, took Cruz to the ground and eventually locked in a tight guillotine choke to seal the deal, and defend the title.

Now after Faber has since relinquished the title and successfully debuted in Cruz’ 135-pound division with a submission win over Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 52, Dominick has put Urijah back on his hit list for the immediate future.

Though Urijah may have had the edge on Cruz in 2007, Dominick suggests that with his newly improved skill set, not even the “California Kid” could hang with him at this point.

“When I first came in, I have no excuses,” said Cruz following his one sided win over Jorgensen. “[Faber] beat me fair and square that day. He was a better fighter than me that day, but it’s been three years. That was my very first training camp I ever had with my coach, Eric Del Fierro. Before that fight, I was still working a full-time job, and now I can devote every ounce of energy into fighting to become the best fighter I can.

“I just know that I’m a completely different fighter than I was then. My ground game is better. My wrestling is better. My standup is much better. I have weapons everywhere. I just know I’m on another level than him.”

A rumor that has been circulating recently is the possibility of both Faber and Cruz taking the next coaching slots on the new season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, though no word has been made of such a possibility.

Personally, I think Cruz can hang with Urijah–that is, if he’s at 100 percent. Heading into his title clash with Jorgensen, Dominick discussed a lingering hand injury that has been plaguing him for some time now, and while lumps and bruises are the side affects that come along with a brutal sport like mixed martial arts, fighting Urijah Faber at anything less than your best is a bad, bad idea.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the news? Sound off in the comment section below.

5. Leonard Garcia vs. “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung.

While I think it’s debatable that this fight was one of the year’s best, it’s certainly one of the wildest brawls I’ve ever seen. I know that MMA purists like to point out that it’s a guilty pleasure at best, considering that it was basically two iron-chinned strikers throwing sloppy punches for fifteen minutes. Plus you had the outright robbery of Jung courtesy of a ridiculous call by the judges. But none of that matters to me: for fifteen minutes I got to see an amazing fight by my standards, one that might not have been masterfully technical, but one that I was glued to my screen for. It’s a bout I won’t be forgetting for a long, long time.

4. Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres.

You knew when it was time for Urijah Faber or Miguel Torres to fight. The mood changed, the air seemed to positively crackle with electricity. These two were the best of the best for a long, long time, and I immensely enjoyed watching them blast back competition again and again. Their numerous wars and hard-fought victories will always be an integral part of the WEC’s success.

3. The Ascension of Jose Aldo.

The first time I saw Jose Aldo, I had no idea what to think about him. I generally feel that way about any debuting star I’ve never heard of. Then, of course, Aldo immediately changed my perceptions. In an era where once-dominant champions continue to fall, Jose Aldo looks to be one of the rare cases of a dominant champion remaining dominant no matter who is put against him. Aldo is a phenom inside the cage, and I’ll likely never forget the way he ran straight to the top with reckless abandon and destroyed everyone in his path.

2. Seeing the WEC on Pay-Per-View.

This show was a success on so many levels. First and foremost, it was one of the best cards of the year. And if you believe the reports, the show did surprisingly well. Here’s a comparison that just might floor you: at anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 estimated PPV buys, WEC 48: “Aldo vs. Faber” beat out both PPV shows held by the short-lived Affliction promotion, both of which featured Fedor Emelianenko. WEC’s first PPV was an incredible achievement and an incredible night of fights.

And my #1 memory just had to be…

1. My First WEC Show.

Here’s something you may not know about me, fans and friends: for the most part, I have a terrible memory. I say this because I honestly can’t remember what my first WEC show was, it’s all a happy blur to me. But I can say that I remember my exact feelings the first time I ever saw two men fight in that fancy blue cage. My initial thoughts were very hesitant, then I saw my first fight and thought “Well, that was pretty good.” After another few fights, my thoughts shifted to “Wow, those were even better.” And when I saw my first WEC main event, my final thoughts of the night were “Holy crap, that was amazing. I need to see more.” And ever since then, I was hooked. I’ll never forget the feeling I had after watching my first WEC show, because all it took was one WEC event to permanently change my opinion on lighter-weight fighters.

So that’s my list, fans and friends. What about you? What are your fondest memories from your time as a WEC fan?

MMAWeekly recently verified the following fighter salaries with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. As was expected, headlining attraction “The California Kid” Urijah Faber topped the list as the highest-paid athlete. Here’s how everything broke down…

Urijah Faber: $56,000 (includes $28,000 win bonus) defeats Takeya Mizugaki: $10,000.

Chad Mendes: $17,000 (includes $8,500 win bonus) defeats Javier Vazquez: $11,000

Erik Koch: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) defeats Francisco Rivera: $4,000

Joseph Benavidez: $35,000 (includes $17,500 win bonus) defeats Wagnney Fabiano: $19,000

Demetrious Johnson: $8,000 (includes $4,000 win bonus) defeats Damacio Page: $9,000

Raphael Assuncao: $26,000 (includes $13,000 win bonus) defeats L.C. Davis: $11,000

Anthony Njokuani: $14,000 (includes $7,000 win bonus) defeats Edward Faaloloto: $3,500

Dustin Poirier: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus) defeats Zachary Micklewright: $3,000

Michael McDonald: $6,000 (includes $3,000 win bonus) defeats Clint Godfrey: $3,000

Cub Swanson: $21,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) defeats Mackens Semerzier: $4,000

Yves Jabouin: $5,000 (includes $2,000 win bonus) defeats Brandon Visher: $4,000

MMAWeekly also got the list of fighter medical suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, here’s those numbers as well…

Urijah Faber is suspended until 5/11/11 unless his left shoulder is cleared by a medical professional.

Takeya Mizugaki is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10.

Javier Vazquez must have his nasal and facial bones x-rayed, if the results are positive he must be cleared by a doctor with no contact until 5/11/11. Otherwise, Vazquez is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10.

Francisco Rivera is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10 following a knockout.

Raphael Assuncao must have his right foot x-rayed and cleared by a medical professional or else he is suspended until 5/11/11.

Edward Faaloloto is suspended until 12/12/10 with no contact until 12/3/10 due to a left eyebrow laceration.

Zack Micklewright is suspended until 12/27/10 with no contact until 12/12/10.

Clint Godfrey is suspended until 5/11/11 unless cleared by a medical professional due to a left elbow injury.

Yves Jabouin must have his left thumb x-rayed and cleared by a medical professional or he is suspended until 5/11/11.

All in all, it seems like a par-for-the-course WEC event. Unless the fighter’s injuries turn out to be more severe than previously thought, I think we may see a quick return for many of the fighters listed. In regards to the official payouts, it doesn’t surprise me in the least bit that Faber took top billing. Joseph Benavidez also earned every bit of his salary with his fantastic submission win. And to be perfectly honest, I am a bit surprised that Takeya Mizugaki made so, so much less money when compared to some of the other stars of the night. Perhaps he really was just a sacrificial lamb to save Faber’s career.

But what do you think, fans and friends? Any unexpected surprises when it comes to who got paid and who’s on the injured list?

It’s sad to think that all of these free shows that have been one of my prized possessions on the Versus network will be whisked away and assimilated with the UFC. But, bigger paydays for these guys outweigh my own selfish needs.

And speaking of bigger paydays, a few of last nights competitors picked some much deserved bonus earnings for their efforts.

Erik Koch, who debuted with the WEC as an undefeated featherweight prospect against fellow undefeated fighter Chad Mendes in December of 2009, has since bounced back from his first professional loss against “Money” with two consecutive victories, most recently a head kick knockout over Francisco Rivera. The win, which was an ala Anthony “Showtime” Pettis move (his friend and training partner) helped Koch secure the “Knockout of the Night” award and a cool ten-thousand bucks in his pocket.

Mackens Semerzier and Cub Swanson left it all out on the line last night when they engaged in what looked like a backyard brawl, for three solid rounds of action. Swinging from the hips, some nice ground exchange, and a few exhausted rounds later saw the full gamut of what mixed martial arts is all about. Though Cub seemed to be the more accurate puncher of the two, it was Semerzier who was packing a wallop. Swanson though took it to the ground more often than not, and in the end was declared the winner by split-decision, however both men walked away with the much deserved “Fight of the Night” award.

Urijah Faber was successful in his first stint in the bantamweight class when he defeated perennial contender Takeya Mizugaki. “The California Kid” took advantage of an opportunity in the final moments of the first round, where he was able to secure a one arm guillotine, then used it to scramble to the Japanese fighters’ back, and eventually secured a rear-naked choke. It was the first time that Mizugaki has been finished in the WEC. The win secured Faber “Submission of the Night” honors and a good foothold in his new weight class, of 135-pounds.

So, MMA peeps, what’d you think of last nights fights? Exciting as always. Sound off in the comment section below.

Next for Damacio Page: Slugging it out with the other heavy-handed strikers in the new UFC Bantamweight division. It’s going to take time and a lot of work if Page ever wants to get close to a title shot, but he probably won’t have any problems consistently finding work in the UFC. Page is the kind of fighter UFC President Dana White loves: he’ll take two to give one, he’s got a pretty good chin, and he comes to knock out or get knocked out. He’ll be a consistent mid-level threat.

Next for Demetrious Johnson/Joseph Benavidez: Each other, which is why I grouped them together. I think Benavidez/Johnson would be a fantastic match. Johnson displayed some great technical wizardry off of his back when Page slammed him and threw him to the ground in their fight, but he also displayed the kind of sneaky striking power that nearly KO’d Page. Benavidez’s striking power is no secret, and neither is his vastly under-rated ground game. This fight would go a long way towards establishing the next Bantamweight contender, and it’d also probably be highly entertaining, so I’m all for seeing it happen.

Next for Wagnney Fabiano: Fabiano is 2-1 in the WEC’s Bantamweight division, so while he may never have truly lived up to his hype, there’s still a future for Fabiano in the UFC. I honestly think this loss to Benavidez was nothing more and nothing less than a stupid mistake: Fabiano took his ground expertise for granted and opened himself up to submissions, both to score a better position and because he thought he’d be able to wriggle out of anything Benavidez could throw at him. That was obviously not the case. Fabiano doesn’t have to go back to the drawing board, but in the future, if he wants to succeed he should bear in mind that anything is possible and that your strongest weapon can still fail you.

Next for Eric Koch/Next for Chad Mendes: Again, these two are grouped together because I think they should fight each other. Both men have displayed a ton of heart and skill in their time with the WEC, and their victories at WEC 52 put them both within shouting distance of a championship opportunity. Plus it’s a rematch, and most people love rematches.

Next for Urijah Faber: No matter what the future holds for Urijah Faber, I think he’ll be a co-main event or main event star for most of his run in the UFC. Faber was one of the WEC’s best and could end up being a big draw for the UFC. In regards to his future as a fighter rather than as a PPV draw, I think Faber has a long, hard road ahead of him as he faces several worthy challengers before being given a shot at the championship. But it’s a road Faber can and will walk on, if given the opportunity. By the end of 2011, we’ll probably see Faber challenging for the UFC Bantamweight Championship.

And that’s what I think, fans and friends. Now it’s your turn. Get your crystal globe out and start predicting: what does the future hold for the winners and losers of WEC 52?

Courtesy of MMA Mania: Urijah Faber defeats Takeya Mizugaki via submission (rear naked choke) at 4:50 of round one. Joseph Benavidez defeats Wagnney Fabiano via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:45 of round two. Erik Koch defeats Francisco Rivera via technical knockout (strikes) at 1:36 of round one. Chad Mendes defeats Javier Vazquez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Demetrius Johnson defeats Damacio Page via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:27 of round three. Dustin Poirier defeats Zack Micklewright via technical knockout (strikes) at 0:53 of round one. Michael McDonald defeats Clint Godfrey via submission (armbar) at 2:42 of round one. Cub Swanson defeats Mackens Semerzier via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28). Raphael Assuncao defeats L.C. Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Anthony Njokuani defeats Edward Faaloloto via technical knockout (strikes) at 4:54 of round two. Yves Jabouin defeats Brandon Visher via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I’d just once again like to state how 2010 was a banner year for the WEC. This event didn’t disappoint, and it was another fine entry in the story of the “little-promotion-that-could” and the performers that will soon make their rightly-justified debut in the world’s biggest Mixed Martial Arts promotion. There was honestly not a whole lot to dislike in this event, we saw some incredible finishes and some amazing wars. Page vs. Johnson was the archetypal show opening, and I mean that with only the positive in mind: it was fast, it had a bit of everything, it featured two skilled opponents, and it saw a finish.

River/Koch and Benavidez/Fabiano were two great matches as well. Erik Koch proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s the real deal, and he’s certainly put himself firmly into the mix and should be a major player when the UFC/WEC merger comes through. Likewise, Benavidez proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that you absolutely, positively should not sleep on his ground game, or else you’ll suffer the consequences. The way he was able to submit such a highly-lauded grappler just astounds me. He may never beat Dominick Cruz, but you should never, ever count out Joseph Benavidez.

When it comes to Urijah Faber, I think I’ve gone out of my way to say how hopeful I was that the man had a comeback inside of him. Part of me knew I was right, but to be perfectly honest, part of me did hold some doubts as to whether or not Faber’s drop down in weight would hinder his performance. Instead, what we got was vintage “California Kid”, and I couldn’t be happier that Faber took the first big step on the long road back to a championship. No matter what the future holds for Urijah Faber, I’ll certainly be pulling for him.

The same goes for the WEC as a whole: no matter how the UFC/WEC merger ends up playing out, I’ll always think positive. As the final chapter draws to a close, WEC 52 was one to remember. And I’ll always remember the WEC as a promotion so good that I literally adopted the role of town crier because it astounded me that so many MMA fans were potentially missing out on all this great action.

And what about you, fans and friends? How did you feel about the event?

Damacio Page vs. Demetrious Johnson: Even though Johnson shows a lot of promise for an up-and-comer, I think this fight boils down to the simple fact that Page has more experience inside the WEC and in general. He’s fought tougher opponents and has been involved in more wars. Unless he catches lightning in a bottle and scores a first-round KO, look for Damacio Page to take a lopsided Unanimous Decision win.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Wagnney Fabiano: Both men have won seven fights by submission, but many are giving the ground game to Fabiano based on the fact that his Brazilian Jui Jitsu pedigree is a step above the former WEC Bantamweight Championship challenger. Me, I think Fabiano’s ground game is technically better, but that Benavidez is by far more well-rounded. It’s going to be very close if it hits the ground, but if Benavidez fights smart, I think he’ll take a somewhat close (but not razor-thin) Unanimous Decision.

Francisco Rivera vs. Erik Koch: It’ll be the classic battle between the striker and the grappler, with both men being relatively new to the sport of MMA. Like Page, I think experience is a key factor here. Koch has more fights, won more decisively, and has three fights in the famed blue cage to Rivera’s none. Look for Koch to win via submission by the second round at the very latest.

Chad Mendes vs. Javier Vazquez: Vasquez is 2-2 in the WEC while Mendes is 3-0. Mendes would seem to have the clear advantage, but something tells me that this is going to be a very close fight. Mendes has never lost, but Vazquez has never been finished, and his two losses in the WEC were Split Decisions. Unfortunately for Javier, I think Chad Mendes is riding a rocket to the top that can’t be stopped. It’ll be one of the toughest fights on the card and a real test for Mendes, but ultimately I’m picking Chad Mendes to win by Split Decision.

Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki: I know it’s wishful thinking, and I’m sure it’ll be called blatant fanboyism if someone chose to go down that road and get that debate going. But I just have to believe that Urijah Faber has one big, great comeback left in him. The alternative is that the man that put the WEC on the map is going to become an after-thought now that all the hard work has paid off and the lighter stars are about to get their justly-deserved bumps in pay and exposure. I’m sincerely hoping that Faber brings back the beast against Mizugaki, and I have faith that he’ll do just that. I know I’m going out on a limb here, but here it is: Faber wins by first-round TKO.

So those are my picks, fans and friends. What about you? What do you see happening when “Faber vs. Mizugaki” goes live?

Here’s what “The California Kid” had to say in a recent interview with Sherdog: “I’ve known for a long time that we’re the top fighters in the world at our weights, but not everyone else understands that. We don’t have to explain it anymore. That’s great. Business-wise, you look at the bonuses, you’re going from $10,000 to $65,000. Pay-per-view averages and everything else is up, and viewership’s up… The bottom line is, I feel like I resonate with fans. You couple that with the UFC fan base, it’s going to be a great thing. I’m looking forward to having my brightest days in the future.”

Urijah Faber, who has posted a record of 2-3 in his last five fights, will be making his debut at Bantamweight as well as bidding a fond farewell to the WEC at WEC 52: “Faber vs. Mizugaki”, which takes place this Wednesday (November 11). Standing in his way is former Bantamweight Championship challenger Takeya Mizugaki.  Mizugaki is 2-2 in the WEC.

I think the best really is yet to come for a lot of the big-name WEC stars, and that includes Urijah Faber. In general, the top athletes of the WEC can look forward to a huge increase in pay as well as a huge increase in media/fan awareness. 2010 was a banner year for the WEC, they gave us hardcore fight fans so many awesome events and amazing fights, and I’m glad to see that hard work paying off in such a huge way. I can’t wait to see some of my favorite WEC stars in the UFC, and I look forward to the general MMA fan finally figuring out just what they’ve been missing when the WEC takes the UFC by storm.

In regards to Urijah Faber in particular, I personally have said several times that I think the man has one last, big comeback in him, especially since he now has the added incentive of competing in the UFC. It’s true that dropping down a weight class after you post a losing record can be considered an admittance of defeat. But it’s also true that a drop down in weight has been the best thing to happen to a lot of MMA stars. I’m pulling for Urijah Faber to get back to his winning, dominant ways as he tests the 135-pound waters. And even if he does go down, I can guarantee he won’t be going down without a fight. Look for Faber/Mizugaki to be an amazing match-up no matter who wins.

And what about you, fans and friends? Whose side are you on: Faber’s or Mizugaki’s? And what do you think of Faber’s chances in the UFC?

Talks of a Featherweight or Bantamweight season of the popular UFC reality TV show have persistently found their way around the rumor mills from time and time, and in an interview with MMA Weekly, “The California Kid” revealed why he’d be more than happy to answer the coaching call: “…I really enjoy (it) on some level. I’m not the guy that’s coaching my guys individually every day, but I give a lot of talks on mentality and things like that. I’ve got a ton of knowledge, I think it would be awesome to be an ‘Ultimate Fighter’ coach.”

I’ve long been an advocate of a 145-pound or 135-pound season of TUF. I think the best and quickest way to educate the more-casual UFC fans now that the UFC is gaining two new weight divisions would be to have a TUF season that showcases either or both weight divisions. I hate to sound like your typical internet MMA elitist, but I think there’s going to be a decent amount of negativity and misunderstanding by the casual UFC fan in regards to these lighter-weight fighters. I know this because I can speak from experience: I hate to sound like an uninformed idiot far more than I hate to sound like a typical internet elitist, but at one point in time I truly did believe that any weight division below Lightweight was just a bunch of skinny guys without any real talent fighting for no real reason, and that even Lightweight was cutting it a bit too close for comfort. Of course the WEC proved me dead wrong, and I’m very thankful that they did. But that’s only because I gave them a chance in the first place.

That’s what the Featherweights and Bantamweights need as they transition to the UFC: a chance. One simple chance to prove themselves, and I know they’ll hook the general UFC audience just like they hooked me. With the desire to prove themselves in the UFC compounded with the desire to overcome the “smaller fighter” stereotype, a Bantamweight or Featherweight season of “The Ultimate Fighter” would practically guarantee TUF fans a huge amount of awesome fights and good drama. Urijah Faber leading the charge and coaching a team would only sweeten the pot.

I’ve tried to be as vocal of a supporter of the WEC as I possibly could be during their stellar 2010 run, look for that to continue as the WEC’s best and brightest make their way to the main stage. In a perfect world, we’d see a mixed Featherweight/Bantamweight season with coaches Urijah Faber and Miguel Torres. If the UFC gave me that season, not only would I watch every episode, I’d try to get everyone I know to watch it with me.

And what about you, fans and friends? What do you think about a Featherweight or Bantamweight edition of TUF, and who would be your ideal coaches for such a season?

Urijah Faber recently said the following in an interview with MMA Weekly: “It’s not necessarily going to be the worst thing in the world, but it’s not going to be fun either… I knew this was going to happen. When I first started fighting I wanted to fight at 135, but no one was offering the weight class. I went up two weight classes and I came back down to 145 and made a stand… The bottom line is it’s getting more competitive and it’s just like college wrestling now. It wasn’t as competitive because there wasn’t as many eyes on the sport… It’s just basically been not having to stuff myself and being real strict on my diet. I feel great.”

It’s always tough to see a fighter you’re a fan of struggle to remain relevant in an increasingly-competitive division. Urijah Faber was one of the major reasons the lighter-weight boom began, it’s slightly ironic and quite a bit saddening that he’s yet to fully reap the rewards. Faber’s historic reign of dominance as the WEC Featherweight Champion helped propel the promotion to then-unforeseen heights, but now Faber’s relevancy is shrinking and his drop down to Bantamweight may be the last shot he has.

I hate to make the man’s future sound so bleak, but I definitely believe that this is Faber’s last chance at actual divisional relevancy. Now more than ever, the man needs to put together some big, big wins. We’re a little over a week away from WEC 52, a card that sees Urijah Faber once again in a headlining attraction. It’s also one of the last WEC events before the promotion becomes one with the UFC. If Faber can end his amazing run in the WEC with a classic performance, he’ll have all the momentum he could ever hope to have when making the jump from the WEC to the UFC.

And at the end of the day, I’m actually very hopeful for Urijah Faber’s chances at Bantamweight. Everybody loves a comeback, as I so often say, and Urijah Faber is by no means the least-likely candidate for a comeback. He’s an incredibly skilled fighter with more heart than just about anybody, and I simply can’t remember a Urijah Faber fight that wasn’t entertaining. While I won’t get my hopes up just yet, I will say that if he can put together some impressive victories we may see a UFC card headlined by Urijah Faber sooner rather than later. The future of Urijah Faber rests solely on the shoulders of the man himself, and if his run in the WEC has proven anything, it’s that you can never truly count out Urijah Faber.

And what about you, fans and friends? How do you think Faber will do at Bantamweight and also in the UFC?

Almost with surgeon like precision, Aldo felt out the first round before exploding on the Armenian in the second, quickly stunning him with a right cross and followed up with an uppercut. After a barrage of ground and pound, the fight was waived and the Brazilian was hailed the winner by way of knockout.

However, even though the Nova Uniao product is widely considered as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, even he couldn’t save the poor gate numbers that WEC 51 had produced, in Broomfield, Colo.

According to MMAWeekly.com, whom received the exact record attendance from the Colorado Office of Boxing this afternoon, the original estimate of 5,100 in attendance was actually more like 3,791.

With those numbers, the event stands as one of the lowest numbers pulled in, since Zuffa purchased the WEC in 2006.

While Urijah Faber has become the companies Golden Boy as far as claiming prime attendance numbers, mainly in his hometown of Sacramento, Calif. (in his last outing at “WEC 48: Aldo vs Faber”, hometown hero pulled in an attendance of 12,555 at the ARCO Arena), the promotion was hoping that Jose had built up some steam with his impressive 8-0 run throughout the weight class, though it appears that Aldo himself has not translated well into gate numbers, at least not just yet.

So, MMA peeps, what do you make of the numbers? Are the indicative of Aldo or is it irrelevant? Sound off in the comment section below.

According to the Sherdog report, the entire fight card (including fights that are currently rumored although not yet officially announced) stands as such: Urijah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki, Brian Bowles vs. Wagnney Fabiano, Josh Grispi vs. Erik Koch, Chad Mendes vs. Javier Vazquez, Damacio Page vs. Eddie Wineland, Michael McDonald vs. Clint Godfrey, Zachary Micklewright vs. Dustin Poirier.

I think Faber once again receiving top billing on a WEC card comes as a shock to absolutely no one. The promotion has very few critical flaws, but if there’s one thing they can be rightfully accused of, it’s that they milk Urijah Faber for all he’s worth. Then again, the reality of the situation is this: Faber is one of the most talented performers to ever step inside the blue cage, and he’s pretty popular to boot, so of course the WEC is going to try and get him in as many main-event fights as they can. It’s smart business, and even if you dislike how Faber is usually only one or two wins away from a title shot no matter whom else is competing in his division, you have to respect Faber’s tenacity and skill.

That’s why I think he’ll beat Mizugaki and quickly become a top contender at 135. Mizugaki is a very tough opponent, and Faber has been tested recently like he’s never been tested before, but “The California Kid” has all the tools necessary to get back to his dominating ways. For all his toughness, Mizugaki has been a hit-or-miss WEC fighter while Faber is one of the most dominant champions in WEC history. Look for Faber to beat Mizugaki and immediately be put into a dream-match super-fight against Miguel Torres, most likely on Pay-Per-View. And if he wins that fight, Faber will then more than likely be granted a title shot.

I’m really pulling for Faber, but I’m also pulling for people like Damacio Page and Brian Bowles. I think Bowles has only given us a glimpse of his true potential, and I think another run as WEC Bantamweight Champion will occur sooner rather than later. For Page, it’s simply a matter of wanting someone that I’ve followed for years to win and win big.

All in all, WEC 52 looks like a stacked card and should deliver an excellent night of fights for WEC fans. I never know what to expect from the WEC’s athletes, which is why I enjoy watching them fight so very, very much. It seems like every event sees at least one highlight-reel moment, or one all-out slugfest, or one brilliant ground war, or one technique/submission/strike/whatever that we haven’t seen before. But I do know what to expect from the WEC as a whole: quality, and lots of it. It’s going to be a great night of fights.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How excited are you for WEC 52, and who do you have winning and losing?

5. Miguel Torres vs. Urijah Faber

Both men are likely only one fight away from this massive dream match-up. If Torres can beat Charlie Valencia at WEC 51 and Faber makes a successful Bantamweight debut at WEC 52 against Takeya Mizugaki, I think the WEC would immediately make this match. It’s true that both men have fallen on hard times and that the match itself loses some of its luster due to that, but it’s a fight that’s been on people’s minds for a long time and still features two of the best fighters the WEC has ever seen, so it’s definitely good enough to make this list.

4. Shane Carwin vs. Cain Velasquez

I’ve talked about this fight in the past, but it could easily happen in 2011. In fact, it’s only a matter of who wins what. If Brock Lesnar beats Cain Velasquez to retain the UFC Heavyweight Championship, a match with Carwin is an immediate possibility. If Velasquez beats Lesnar, then Carwin is only a few fights away from another title shot, perhaps only one fight away if Lesnar/Carwin 2 is booked and Carwin manages to even the score to 1-1. Even though Lesnar is the UFC’s golden boy of PPV ratings, Carwin/Velasquez would do monster business and definitely be a landmark occasion.

3. Randy Couture vs. Mauricio Rua

Of course, this is assuming that Couture keeps winning and Rua remains the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. This would be a huge fight that would pit the unlikely comeback of Mauricio Rua against the Comeback King, Randy Couture. No matter where it’s held, I think the arena that has this fight would explode if Couture somehow beat “Shogun” and became champion once again. Seeing the ageless wonder with gold around his waist once again would go a long way towards outdoing 2010 in terms of can’t-miss happenings.

2. Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen 2

It was one of the most hyped, talked-about, and shocking fights of 2010…and it’s very likely that 2011 will see Chapter 2 written. Everyone wants to see this fight. I’m convinced that those that say Chael Sonnen doesn’t deserve an immediate rematch even want to see this fight. We need to know once and for all: was the first fight a fluke? Is Chael Sonnen really that good, or was Silva’s rib injury the cause for his near-downfall? Will this be the return of the old Anderson Silva or the final coronation of the people’s champion? The first fight made history, the rematch should be even bigger.

And in that regard, my #1 spot goes to…

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum 2

I don’t know when it will happen, how it will happen, or even where it will happen. But it’ll happen in 2011, I have a strong feeling about that. Fedor Emelianenko’s first legitimate loss was the biggest story in years, and the rematch would likely set several records if marketed correctly and promoted heavily. It’s the ultimate test of Emelianenko’s career, it would finally and definitively answer the avalanche of questions surrounding that defeat. Did Emelianenko get careless? Was Werdum just that good? Is Fedor done? Was he ever all that good to begin with? This rematch would settle all the scores, and due to that, it’s number one on my list.

And what about you, fans and friends? As big a year as 2010 was and still is, what fights do you think could happen in 2011 that would make it even bigger?

Urijah Faber, once the undisputed top Featherweight in the world, will look to make his debut at Bantamweight at WEC 52 after going 2-3 in his last five fights. Faber’s first fight at 135 in the WEC was scheduled to take place at WEC 50, but he was forced to pull out due to an injury. Faber’s opponent at WEC 52 will be the same man he was scheduled to face in the first place, former WEC Bantamweight Championship challenger Takeya Mizugaki. Mizugaki earned much acclaim for his five-round losing effort against then-champion Miguel Torres, and despite going 2-2 in the promotion, should prove to be a good first test as “The California Kid” tests the waters of 136.

Brian Bowles also reached undisputed top-of-the-world status in his weight division, although his run at the top would prove to be far more short-lived than Faber’s. Bowles rocketed to the top of his division and even the pound-for-pound list when he became the only man to ever KO Miguel Torres, who up to then had been on an incredible seventeen-fight win streak. In his first defense of the WEC Bantamweight Championship, however, he was soundly picked apart by then-challenger and now-champion Dominick Cruz en route to having the fight called off after the second round due to Bowles breaking his hand. Bowles will face the tough journeyman fighter Wagnney Fabiano, a ten-year veteran of the sport whose record stands at 14-2, with four wins and one loss inside the WEC.

I’m very excited for both Urijah Faber’s debut at 135 and Brian Bowles’ return to 135. I think these two former champions still have a lot left to give to the WEC fans, and I think both men will be successful in their return bouts. I’ll be honest and admit that I’m pulling for Faber harder than I’m pulling for Bowles, though. I think Faber has had to deal with some tough losses recently, and I hope that a drop down in weight will reinvigorate him as it has reinvigorated so many MMA greats in the past. Even though both men are now on the comeback trail instead of their former path of dominance, I think a Miguel Torres vs. Urijah Faber superfight would be a Fight of the Year contender, so I hope both men prove successful enough to see this fight materialize.

With just two fights announced, I’m already eagerly anticipating WEC 52. The WEC has been on a pretty incredible hot streak as of late, and this show probably won’t disappoint in the slightest. It’ll be Urijah Faber taking on a tough, never-say-die opponent while the heavy-handed Brian Bowles faces a veteran submission specialist. If both men put on good performances, I think this will immediately put them back into title contention, especially Faber, who has been given title shots after winning a single fight in the past. And perhaps the two men will eventually fight each other? That would also be an awesome match. Both Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles will have to prove that they still belong amongst the elite at WEC 52, but if they do, big things are in store for them, and great fights are in store for us. I can’t wait.

And what about you, fans and friends? How successful do you think Faber and Bowles will be, and how excited are you for the upcoming WEC 52 show?

In an interview with Sherdog Radio’s “Savage Dog Show”, Faber had this to say: “I’m back to full-on training now. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to fight in November. I told (WEC officials) I could go in September when I found out I’d be out four to six weeks. I wanted to be on the September 30 card, but I got pushed back to November.” In regards to the injury that forced him to pull out of the recent WEC 50 event, where he was scheduled to make his Bantamweight debut against former WEC Bantamweight Championship contender Takeya Mizugaki, Faber revealed that the injury was only moderately serious and didn’t require any type of surgery.

I think a drop down to Bantamweight is a very smart move for Faber, considering that his misses at 145 have finally begun to catch up to his hits. I think there’s still a home for Faber at 145, just not right now, with Jose Aldo seemingly poised to crush the division beneath his powerful hands and feet. I think the argument can be made that in Faber’s two losses to Mike Thomas Brown, Faber was caught in the first fight (which can happen to anybody) and that Faber’s two serious hand injuries in the second fight ruled out any chance of evening the score to one win apiece. But the fight with Jose Aldo was a one-sided thrashing from start to finish, and the only thing keeping Faber standing after absorbing twenty-five minutes of heinously-powerful leg kicks was Faber’s heart and dedication. But heart and dedication can only get you so far, even if you’re Urijah Faber, and right now, getting out of the WEC 145 scene is a smart move. It may be admitting defeat, but if Faber proves successful at 135, one day he’ll return and be better than ever in the division where he first made his mark.

And I think Faber will be successful at 135, even against some of the WEC’s best Bantamweights. Plus, the dream-fight pitting Faber against fellow fallen-from-grace once-dominant former WEC Champion Miguel Torres has such big money-making potential that the allure of the fight may just be enough to book a Pay-Per-View around. It’s always exciting to see a gifted athlete try and test himself out in a new weight division, and with an athlete as gifted as Urijah Faber, there’s a lot of potentially awesome fights lined up for him when Faber steps back inside the blue cage once again in November.

And what do you think, fans and friends? How excited are you for Urijah Faber dropping down to 135, and how successful do you think he’ll be?

Dominick Cruz is one of the most complete fighters the WEC has to offer. He’s got excellent takedowns, great ground control, and very good Ground and Pound. His striking is so good that he’s got six KO’s on his record. He’s quick, agile, and has very impressive cardio. The only man to ever beat him was Urijah Faber, during Faber’s historic 2007 run, when he defended the title four times in one year and finished every single fight. Dominick Cruz is simply good in all things, and great in several things. But have we entered “The Era of Cruz”? Despite his dominant win over former WEC Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles to win the championship, and his hard-fought decision victory over Benavidez to keep it, I think Cruz needs a few more fights under his belt before we can safely say that his reign has started.

The reason I say this is twofold. The first is that 2010, far more than almost any other year in MMA, has proven that no man is invincible. If you’re a fighter that’s unbeaten, trust me: you just haven’t met the right person yet. No undefeated streak lasts forever, and 2010 has seen the end of some of the best MMA undefeated streaks of all time. Reason number two is pretty simple, too: if there’s a person that can beat Dominick Cruz, the WEC will find him. World Extreme Cagefighting is home to the absolute best in the world, and their talent pool grows with every event. We’ve seen the rise and fall of champions, but there’s never been a lull in championship contenders. I can’t even say who Cruz will be fighting two or three fights from now, but I know that it won’t be an easy fight, simply because the WEC continues to get the best and put them against the best.

But make no mistake: the potential is there. We could indeed be seeing the early stages of “The Era of Cruz”. As he displayed in the Benavidez and Bowles fight, his striking is no joke. He also displayed in the Benavidez fight that, if he doesn’t think he’s getting the better of you on the feet, he has almost no problem taking you down to the ground and controlling you. Benavidez can come at you from all sides, all areas, and as he continues to grow accustomed to his stance atop the WEC Bantamweight Division, his potential as a dominant champion is near-limitless. It’ll be a tough road to divisional domination, but right now, Cruz seems to be the best man for the job.

And what do you think, fans and friends? Was Cruz’s performance at WEC 50 good enough to lead you to believe that he’ll get an undefeated streak going? If not, who do you think has what it takes to beat him?

I’ll start with the obvious: every single one of the fights on this card was entertaining. I can’t remember the last time I was able to say that. I think we can all agree that the sport’s most commonly accepted benchmark for success is to have a solid PPV card. The lower-end fighters can underperform and most of us are willing to accept that as the nature of the game. Not so with WEC 48. From the opening bell to the final judge’s decision, my eyes were glued to the television screen. In an eleven-fight card with five decisions, I never once felt bored. Sure, I felt like the action stalled at times, but it always seemed to pick back up right when I was getting ready to tune out. And when it did pick up, it got so good that I just had to keep watching. And as I said in my previous article, WEC 48 featured one of the best fights ever given away on free TV.

The financial success of WEC 48 also factored into my decision to give it my top spot as “Event of the Half-Year”. From the start, people questioned the legitimacy of holding a WEC PPV. Many didn’t even wonder if it would be a success: most just assumed that it would be a “one-and-done, back to the drawing board” failure that didn’t sink the promotion but also didn’t generate any sort of profit. While no numbers have been officially revealed, the general consensus is that “Aldo vs. Faber” managed to pull in approximately 200,000 PPV buys. It’s relatively low by today’s UFC standards, but positively crushes any other promotion’s PPV buyrates of the last several years, and that’s including the “Affliction: Banned” card that featured Fedor Emelianenko demolishing former UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia. The highest numbers for “Banned” put it at around 100,000 buys, and if you believe the rumors, it may have pulled in as few as 50,000.

In short: WEC may not have found itself in a do-or-die situation fully dependant on the outcome of WEC 48, but they were in a position where a not-inconsiderate chunk of their future growth and expansion hinged on the success of this show. It was a gamble, although many of us like to argue just how high the stakes were. Nevertheless, this was one gamble that paid off. The heart and soul of this promotion, the lower weight classes, proved once and for all that talent is talent no matter what it says on the scales. WEC 48 gave us a night filled with all-out wars, shocking surprises, fantastic knockouts, and slick submissions. The future has never looked brighter for the WEC, and while that success isn’t solely due to WEC 48, “Aldo vs. Faber” shined the brightest light on the little-promotion-that-could, and set up the WEC as a possible major player in the world of Mixed Martial Arts, instead of just the UFC’s sister-promotion.

If you asked me to define the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion, I’d tell you to watch WEC 48. And you’d become a fan of the WEC instantly. For that reason and all the others, WEC 48 is my “Event of the Half-Year”.

And what about you, fans and friends? What event do you consider the best so far, and why?

Jason Dent is well known for his time on “The Ultimate Fighter” season nine where he lost to eventual winner “The Real Deal” Ross Pearson (16-5-1). I would say Dent is also known for his chin and the fact that he has only been stopped once due to knock our or technical knock out in his career. That is until he stepped inside the cage with Chris Lozano.

Chris was recently a guest on MMA Gospel Radio and talked about his thoughts on Dent. Chris has never been out of the first round as a pro, finishing all his fights by KO. He knew Dent had never been knocked out and that this was easily going to be the biggest test of his career.

He has never been so right as this fight was a war right from the start. Jason impressed me as always with his solid chin. Chris came out looking very fast with some crisp striking. He was using kicks punches, kicks and some spinning backfists to keep Dent guessing. All the whole Dent was working the leg kick. I think Dent wanted to slow Chris down, get him into the championship rounds and then put him on his back. The only problem with that was he did not take into account the heart that Lozano showed us all he had that night.

Going into the second round you could already see a welt starting to form on Lozano’s leg. It was clear that if this kept up he may lose all his power or end up unable to walk. As I was watching it struck me that we could be seeing a replay of the “Junior” Jose Aldo (16-1) versus “California Kid” Urijah Faber (23-4) fight. That fight had Aldo destroying the lead leg of Faber essentially making his striking and takedown attempts null and void.

However Chris seemed to dig deep and started switching stances and began throwing some of the most vicious elbows I have seen so far in the sport. He threw them from many different angles and you never could tell where the next one was coming from. Chris managed to do what so many have tried before and failed at which is to knock down Dent. Dent’s chin has never been a question but in this fight Lozano rocked him a few times.

In the end Ohio Athletic Commissioner Bernie Profato stopped the fight in between rounds. Dent was getting rocked and the fight was stopped “due to cuts”. Seeing Dent’s face I did not think any cut he had was bad enough to stop the fight and currently Fighters.com is awaiting a response from the Ohio Athletic Commission as the exactly what Mr. Profato saw that made him call the bout.

Lozano is a very hot prospect and showed in this fight that he has the skills, heart and warrior spirit to make it very far in this sport.

The WEC has a big problem moving from Versus to pay per view.  Why would I pay to watch an Aldo-Faber matchup I’m used getting for free on Versus?

It’s similar to the problem newspapers are having transitioning to the Internet.  I’m used to getting news for free.  Why should I pay now?

The UFC, which shares Zuffa, LLC as its parent company with the WEC, has successfully differentiated their PPV product from their SpikeTV product.  There are fights I know I will never see on SpikeTV under the UFC’s current PPV-focused business strategy.  Second-ranked heavyweight and UFC champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) versus third-ranked Frank Mir (13-4) will never be a UFC Fight Night main event.

The UFC has shown Europe-staged events for free on SpikeTV, but lately those cards have been weaker than the PPV cards anyway and the UFC has successfully presented it as an occasional special gift to fans.  A treat!

But, Aldo versus Faber isn’t a treat. It could just as easily be a main event on the next Versus-televised fight card, and I could watch it for free.  So, the proposition the WEC seems to be presenting to me as an MMA consumer is, “Come on!  Give us $44.99 just this once!”

Admittedly, WEC 48 will group together the Aldo-Faber title matchup with another WEC on Versus potential main event, WEC lightweight champion “Smooth” Ben Henderson (10-1) versus “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (10-3).

But, again, this differs from the UFC’s successful model because it’s just two Versus-caliber main events on the same card.  There’s no added value that convinces me to pay $44.99 for two fights I’m used to getting for free.  The UFC’s added value on the PPV events are fights and fighters I’ll never get to see live for free.

Even if the WEC starts segregating PPV fighters, like Aldo and Faber, from its Versus cards, they don’t have the depth of talent to continue producing a quality free product on Versus or an immediate vehicle to begin marketing fighters.  Most of the UFC Fight Night cards are populated with fighters who’ve built audiences on SpikeTV’s The Ultimate Fighter reality contest.  WEC’s second tier fighters aren’t popular enough to guarantee the same viewership on Versus if the popular fighters are taken off the Versus cards in favor of the PPV cards.  And, the WEC doesn’t have a vehicle like TUF to market those second tier fighters.

So, are you going to pay $44.99 to watch Aldo-Faber, Henderson-Cerrone?  Honestly, I don’t think I will.

“He’s a tough dude,” Varner said of Henderson. “But I’m the champion for a reason. I have nothing but confidence going into this fight.”

Returning to the cage for the first time since his clash with “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (9-2) in January, Varner says he’s healthy and determined to take sole possession of the world title.

Following the win to earn the interim title last year over Cerrone, Henderson hungrily seeks the unified title too.

“I think Jamie and I match up pretty well,” Henderson stated. “I’m ready to leave it all in the cage and win the undisputed championship.”

WEC 46 also brings the return of former WEC featherweight champ ”California Kid” Urijah Faber (22-3) as he faces talented grappler Rafael Assuncao (13-1).

“He definitely has some dangerous tools in his arsenal,” Faber stated. “But I think I will have slight advantages in every category of the fight.”

In response, Assuncao said, “A win puts me in line for a shot at the belt.  I always had a feeling that I’d fight Urijah one day and I’m glad it’s going to happen on January 10.”

Tickets for WEC 46 go on sale Saturday, November 7 at 10 AM PT.   WEC 46 will be televised live in the United States on VERSUS beginning at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT.

Former featherweight champion Faber completed his previous contract with his rematch loss to WEC featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown (18-4) at WEC 41 in Sacramento June 7 and there was speculation Faber could leave the WEC.

The WEC also confirmed four undercard match-ups for WEC 44 in Las Vegas November 18 where Brown will defend his title from challenger “Junior” Jose Aldo (14-1).
Featherweights “The Gun” Diego Nunes (11-2) and LC Davis (13-1) will fight for a top 145-pound contership, as will featherweights Cub Swanson (13-3) and John Franchi (5-1).

Bantamweights “2 Quick” Seth Dikun and Frank Gomez (6-1) will square off.

And, “Bully” Ricardo Lamas (6-1) and James Krause (10-1) will fight at lightweight.

WEC 44 will take place at The Pearl at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas November 18.

Besides the title defense by WEC Lightweight Champion “The Worm” Jamie Varner (15-3) against “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-1), WEC 38 will feature a rematch between “California Kid” Urijah Faber (21-2) and “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1).

Faber, then the Featherweight Champion, earned a unanimous decision victory over Pulver in their first fight at WEC 34 in June.

Faber lost his title at WEC 36 in November when he was TKO’d at 2:23 of round one by Mike Thomas Brown (16-4).

Pulver also lost his last fight at the same event.  He was TKO’d at 1:12 of the first round by “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3).

Brown took the title decisively following a right hand that laid the former champ out. 

Chael Sonnen (21-9-1) won a surprisingly boring unanimous decision over Fighters.com’s third-ranked middleweight and WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (15-1) in a non-title fight that was heckled by fans throughout.  Official scores were 10-9 twice for Sonnen, 10-8 for Sonnen.

 ”Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (11-3) dismantled “Little Evil” Jens Pulver (22-9-1) in a 1:12 TKO shocker to move up the ranks in the WEC’s stacked 145-pound division.

Jake Rosholt (5-0) powered to victory over Nissen Osterneck (4-1) in the second round via TKO stoppage.

Rani Yahya (12-2), Danny Castillo (4-1), “The Fury” Carmelo Marrero (9-2), Jose Aldo (11-1), “The A-Train” Aaron Simpson (2-0) and “Cowboy” Donald Cerrone (8-1) were all winners within the cage as well. 

Brown Shocks Faber To Take the WEC Featherweight Title

The arena was pumped for the title bout of the night as Mike Thomas Brown entered to a favorable home crowd.  The fight started quick as expected, but soon tied up into the clinch.  Both fighters threw leather, but Brown’s right hand set the tone for the surprise to follow. 

“I train with the best team in the world.  All I have to do is perfrom like I do in training each day.  I don’t have a lot of knockouts on my record, but I hit fucking hard, man,” announced the new WEC Featherweight Champion, Brown. 

Faber rushed in with a careless elbow attempt only to get tagged with a hard and heavy right hand from the challenger.  Faber went down to the mat and covered up as Brown plastered the champ with punches.  Referee Troy Waugh stopped the fight at 2:23 of the first round. 

Sonnen Glides To A Boring Victory Over An Overweight and Passive Filho

Filho’s entrance into the cage proved to be a metaphor for his performance to come as fans heckled loudly in disapproval in what most assume was a reaction to the veteran’s failure in making weight for the bout. 

The fight between Filho and Sonnen was an absolute deflation to an evening of otherwise exciting and fast-paced bouts.  Filho preferred to lay on his back for the majority of the fight resulting in continuous stand-ups by the referee.  During the fight, Sonnen definitely scored in the stand-up game, but showed hesitation at moments in answering Filho’s lackluster performance. 

Sonnen seemed satisfied to pepper his opponent with jabs and the occasional straight shot resulting in what appeared more as an exhausted round of western boxing set to a chorus of moans and vocal disappointment by the fans on hand. 

Sonnen took a unanimous decision win in this unfortunately boring mixed martial arts sequel. 

Garcia Stuns Pulver With Heavy Hands

Going into the fight,  Garcia hoped for a stand-up war with veteran “Little Evil”.  Although temporarily wobbled by a flurry of punches early from Pulver, Garcia weathered the storm to eventually land a strong right hand.

Pulver was immediately rocked falling to his knees and visibly hurt.  Garcia went in for the kill and unleashed a storm of punches resulting in a quick and surprising stoppage.  It was all over but the shouting at 1:12 of round one.

Rosholt Overpowers Osterneck

This middleweight challenge started out with the lightning fast pace of a typical featherweight affair.  Both fighters came out swinging with Nissen Osterneck (4-1) swarming Rosholt with a sloppy but continuous barrage of fists.  But, it wasn’t long before the superior wrestling skill of Rosholt took root and found Osterneck on the receiving end of pounding following numerous takedowns. 

Osterneck attempted a few submissions only to find himself mounted again and again by the feisty Rosholt. Momentarily in the second round Osterneck caught Rosholt with another flurry of punches, but the wrestler survived the clash only to get his hooks in again and score another strong mount.  The second round came to an official end via TKO stoppage at 3:48 with Rosholt pounding his way to victory.

The A-Train Railroads Avellan 

Pardon all the clichés here, but if ever there was an train wreck in the cage, this was certainly one for the ages.  “The A-Train” Simpson landed a devastating overhand right at 0:18 of the first round sending David Avellan (5-1) into the realms of unconsciousness.  It was a strong KO victory for Simpson augmenting his undefeated record in stunning fashion.

Yahya Chokes Maeda

Yoshiro Maeda (23-6-2) secured an early guillotine in what appeared to be a potentially tight and winning submission only to have Yahya escape and come back with a guillotine of his own.  Yahya hung on strongly to the choke, making Maeda tap at 3:30 of the first round. 

Castillo Stops Dias

Rafael Dias (12-5) was winning on the cards in round one with more technique all around against more wild shots coming from Castillo.  The fight was up and down with Dias looking the better of the two.

Round two found the two fighters in familiar exchange. Dias scored a takedown while Castillo attempted a guillotine. Castillo then tried for an armbar that proved too loose. Dias took Castillo’s back for a moment, but then wound up on the bottom.

But, it was a missed shoot by Dias that finally delivered the ending.  After missing the shoot, Castillo got on top and rained down punches until the fight was stopped at the 2:54 mark.

Marrero Wins The Split Over Steinbeiss 

Marrero’s wrestling skills came in handy for the UFC veteran in the bout against “The Hooligan” Steve Steinbeiss (4-2).

Taking Steinbeiss down often, Marrero avoided submission attempts.  The fighters utilized all weapons, exchanging body kicks in the second round before Marrero appeared gassed in the closing minutes.

Steinbeiss appeared fresh in round three, delivering shots to Marrero and temporarily stunning him.  Winning the round, Steinbeiss nearly got caught in a late guillotine attempt and took an elbow.  The final round ended with Steibeiss in the guard.

Marrero won a split decision with a 29-28 score twice against Steibeiss’ 29-28 third round score. 

Aldo Defeats Brookins In Late Round Stoppage

Aldo scored much better than Jonathan Brookins (8-2) through the first two rounds and winning on the cards.

Aldo came into the second round with a knot over his eye even though he handed out the worse of the stand-up punishment.  Brookins looked surprisingly crisp in the second, but eventually took a lot of damage via leg kicks.

In the third round, Aldo dropped Brookins with a left hook and laid down the leather.  Taking a lot of punches but also hanging in, referee Troy Waugh stepped in and stopped the fight at 0:45 of the final round. 

The Cowboy Disposes The Razor

“Razor” Rob McCullough (16-5) came out with strong low kicks against Cerrone, only to have them answered by the middle of the first round.  Cerrone dropped McCullough with a right and mounted the injured fighter.  An elbow cut McCullough and eventually resulted in a stop to inspect the cut.  The first round started back up; and, Cerrone dropped McCullough again, but was saved by the bell.

In the second, a right uppercut dropped McCullough yet again, but ended up with Cerrone on the bottom.  Cerrone then grabbed an armbar; but, McCullough escaped.

The third round found McCullough landing an overhand right; but, Cerrone soon answered with leg kicks.  There were equal exchanges, but Cerrone turned on the heat and scored a strong takedown.  Cerrone landed a combination of punches late in the final round that hurt McCullough yet again.

Cerrone won a very clear unanimous decision.