MMATorch.com

BELLATOR NEWS: Joe Soto says "dirt bag" Joe Warren only better than him at s*** talking ahead of Bellator 27 meeting

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:41:36 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Bellator Fighting Championships have a heated Championship fight on their hands tonight at Bellator 27, as the ever cocky Joe Warren challenges Joe Soto for the Featherweight Title at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas on Fox Sports Net.

Warren, the braggadocious winner of the season two welterweight tournament, has been nothing but forthcoming in how he views himself and his talents, and Soto isn't willing to fall to a fighter like that.

"It would suck to lose to him; I never want to lose to a dirt bag like that," Soto said ahead of tonight's fight. "All he does better than me is talk s***. Talking is the only thing he does better. He keeps a good pace, but I don’t see anything in the cage he does better than me. He’s got weak punches when he’s on top, nothing I’m scared of."

As for Warren, he is ready to push Soto to the limits, and believes he's not come anywhere close to his potential as a fighter.

"No one can handle my pace. I can’t even handle it," Warren said. "I’m going to push even harder than I ever have before. I don’t plan on leaving without that belt.”

“As far as my potential, I’m about 20 percent of where I can be. I’ve got 80 more percent coming. Any competitor should be scared as hell. Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I’m not nasty.”

Soto believes his more well rounded game is going to cause problems for Warren, and thinks he'll be prepared for Warren's wrestling.

"I think my overall game will give him problems," he said. "I’m an MMA veteran, and he should be worried about my game. Warren likes to do a lot of talking, and is doing a nice job of selling the fight, but he definitely has some holes I feel like I can exploit. As always, I’m prepared for any situation."

For Warren, should the fight get into his wheel house, he contends he's the better wrestler of the two.

"If the fight turns into a straight wrestling match, it’s going to get really interesting because flat out, I’m the better wrestler," Warren said.

"Either way, neither of us want to lose, so the fans are in for a great match."

The fight comes to Fox Sports Net tonight, along with the final quarterfinal bouts in the bantamweight tournament.

Penick's Analysis: Warren does have that "short man" complex where he projects a much tougher outer attitude, and he comes off as a complete dick at times, but you can't deny the man's abilities. He's got holes in his game that he showed throughout his fights in season two, but he's extremely tough and was able to get himself out of a number of really bad positions. This fight should be a good one, and this event overall should be Bellator's best so far in season three.

UFC NEWS: FightMetric named the official statistics provider of the UFC

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:53:49 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

If you have visited the revamped UFC.com in recent weeks you may have noticed a great new feature on the fighter specific pages, where they now have statistics for fighters ranging from strikes to takedowns and more. These have been provided by the site FightMetric.com, who on Wednesday were named the official statistics provider to the UFC.

Here's the full details straight from FightMetric:

"FightMetric® is now the official statistics provider of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®), supplying the world's first comprehensive mixed martial arts (MMA) statistics and analysis system to the largest MMA organization in the world. The inclusion of official FightMetric data into the evaluation of both fights and fighters will, for the first time ever, provide media members and fans with a chance to track the history and performance of UFC competitors beyond simple wins and losses.

The FightMetric system utilizes a precise and scientific methodology to analyze MMA bouts across 67 statistical categories, encompassing all strikes, takedowns, submissions, and position changes. In addition to raw statistics, FightMetric is at the vanguard of advanced MMA analytics, creating a proprietary algorithm to produce an overall Effectiveness Score and pioneering the use of other metrics to foster greater understanding of how MMA bouts are fought.

'We are very proud to be the official statistics provider of the UFC, who we have worked closely with for several years,' said Rami Genauer, FightMetric creator. 'As the industry-leader in MMA statistics, FightMetric is poised to provide its unique brand of combat intelligence to the biggest mixed martial arts organization in the world. We are also thrilled to bring enhanced use of our statistics to the new design of their website.'

Genauer continued, 'UFC fans will now have access to a set of data more powerful than anything previously available in MMA history. Our hope is that access to this data will only increase appreciation for the amazing athletes who compete in the UFC. Sports fans who are accustomed to seeing performance data on their favorite baseball and football players can now engage UFC fighters on a similar level.'

FightMetric provides its clients, including the UFC, with live round-by-round data during MMA events. The information is available online at UFC.com and other FightMetric partner sites, with FightMetric statistics powering fighter profile and events pages."

Be sure to keep an eye out for the implementation of this partnership further into the UFC as they move on with events.

Penick's Analysis: This is a great thing for the UFC, for FightMetric and for the sport in general. The CompuStrike statistics have been a staple on the Showtime and CBS broadcasts, but in my opinion FightMetric's far more comprehensive analysis provides a much better look into how fights play out. Hopefully we get to start seeing these statistics make their way to the UFC's broadcasts in a similar way to how CompuStrike is used for Strikeforce. Congratulations to FightMetric, it's a much deserved partnership for the great work they do there.

UFC 118 SALARIES: James Toney tops disclosed payroll with $500,000 for his three minute loss to Randy Couture

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:39:58 PST

The Massachusetts State Athletic Commission has released the disclosed payroll figures for last weekend's UFC 118 event, and topping the night's disclosed payroll was James Toney with a $500,000 payday for the three minutes he spent in the cage with Randy Couture. Randy Couture, B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar all fell in line after that at the top of the disclosed numbers. Full payroll is below:

• Frankie Edgar $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus)
• B.J. Penn $150,000
• Randy Couture $250,000
• James Toney $500,000
• Demian Maia $68,000
• Mario Miranda $8,000
• Gray Maynard $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus)
• Kenny Florian $65,000
• Nate Diaz $60,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus)
• Marcus Davis $31,000
• Joe Lauzon $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
• Gabe Ruediger $8,000
• Nik Lentz $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus)
• Andre Winner $10,000
• Dan Miller $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus)
• John Salter $8,000
• Greg Soto $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus)
• Nick Osipczak $10,000
• Mike Pierce $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus)
• Amilcar Alves $6,000

UFC NEWS: Alan Belcher undergoes another eye surgery for "blurry vision"

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:34:07 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

In a scary update to Alan "The Talent" Belcher's current injury issues, his wife took to Twitter to let his fans know he was undergoing yet another eye surgery.

Belcher was forced out of his Fight Night 22 headlining bout with Demian Maia after suffering a detached retina in training. He underwent surgery for that and was recovering, but his wife Ashlee Belcher revealed that he went back under the knife.

"Yesterday his vision was blurry again," Ashlee Belcher tweeted. "Today [he's] heading into another surgery on [the] same eye please keep praying."

She later updated his status after surgery, letting fans know they were back at home.

"We are home," she wrote. "He is in a lot of pain though. Next few weeks are really important. He has to lay face down :( thanks for prayers."

For fans that would like to send get well wishes or cards to Belcher, Ashlee tweeted the address to Belcher's gym where those can be sent. So fans can send those well wishes to 10322 Gorenflo Rd Diberville MS 39340.

Penick's Analysis: That's a really unfortunate development for Belcher, but hopefully the surgery went well and he can make a recovery. This eye issue is not something that's going to be an easy fix, and there isn't a guarantee he can return. I hope that's not the case, because it would be a complete shame for someone with as much promise as Belcher had shown to have his career cut short by something like this.

UFC NEWS: Gabe Ruediger to get one more shot in the UFC after one-sided UFC 118 loss to Joe Lauzon

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:46:22 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Lightweight Gabe Ruediger is going to get one more opportunity in the UFC after getting thoroughly dismantled by Joe Lauzon at UFC 118.

Ruediger, who infamously got himself kicked off of the Ultimate Fighter season five for missing weight after eating cake and getting a colonic, was brought back on short notice to replace an injured Terry Etim on the card in Boston.

Ruediger posted on his official website his thoughts on the Lauzon bout, and said he's being given another fight in the organization.

"Well, I fought Joe Lauzon and lost," Ruediger wrote at GabeGodzilla.com. "I didn't just lose; I lost without even really getting to fight. Joe overwhelmed me, and I never was able to start. Congratulations to him."

"I felt fine going into the fight. My weight cut was the easiest ever, and I had a great group [in my] corner. Joe came out hard and kept the pressure on me. After some of the shots he landed, I honestly have no idea what happened or what was going on. I took this fight with two weeks to prepare, and I truly felt that I would be ready."

Ruediger could have found himself justifiably cut immediately after a poor showing, but he'll get his chance for at least one more opportunity. The loss was the first he's suffered in two years.

"I spoke with Joe Silva from the UFC, and he told me I would have at least one more chance and next time I would have the proper time to prepare," he wrote. "For that I am happy, but I still cant believe how bad that fight was for me."

Penick's Analysis: It's good to see the UFC give the guy another chance to perform better after a full camp, but I also wouldn't have been the least bit surprised if they had cut him. His TUF history has that stigma, so I could have seen them cut him, but he's going to get a chance for a better fight next time around. But that was a completely one sided fight against Lauzon, and he did not look good.

UK SCENE: A bad week for UK fighters capped off at UFC 118; Daley's continued dismissal and UK news in brief

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:49:43 PST

By: Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist

This past Saturday at UFC 118 two long standing questions were finally answered. Firstly, was Frankie Edgar’s close decision win over B.J. Penn at UFC 112 a fluke? Secondly, can a strict Boxer compete against a high level Mixed Martial Artist? The answer to both questions was a resounding no.

Frankie Edgar silenced his critics as he convincingly won all five rounds on all three judges’ scorecards to officially bring the curtain down on B.J. Penn's dominance at 155 lbs.

In the co-main event of the evening former IBF Boxing World Champion James “Lights Out” Toney was helpless and clueless as Randy Couture gave him a baptism by fire in his UFC debut. Toney was left defeated and embarrassed as Couture proved a big point as he put on an MMA clinic to humble the boxer.

It was a disappointing evening for the two British fighters on the card as Rough House duo Andre Winner and “Slick” Nick Osipczak both dropped unanimous decisions in Boston.

Andre Winner saw his match up promoted to the 1-hour “Prelims Live” special but was unable to find a way to defeat Minnesotan wrestler Nik Lentz. Despite being unable to really hurt Winner, Lentz controlled the fight enough to frustrate the Brit for three long rounds. Winner was able to display some good take down defence at times - but ultimately he was unable to impose his game on his opponent and was left both frustrated and defeated.

Nick Osipczak started well in his bout with Greg Soto and landed some good shots early in the first round. All in all it was a good round for the Brit as he sent Soto back to his corner with a bad cut above his left eye. Again the Brit started well as round two began, but he was then largely dominated on the ground for the remainder of the round.

Soto began round three with a huge takedown and this is where the domination began. Several submission attempts and some heavy ground and pound gave Osipczak the first real beating of his career. A flurry of late elbows as the round came to a close just underlined the round for Soto, and subsequently the fight, as he took a 29-28 unanimous decision victory.

DANA SAYS NO TO-DALEY:

Almost four months since UFC 113 in Montreal, where Paul Daley threw a sucker punch at Josh Koscheck after the final horn had sounded, UFC President Dana White is standing firm in his stance to ban Daley from the UFC for life.

“That ain't happening, brother,” White told MMAJunkie.com when asked if he would consider a return for the Brit. “I know there's a lot of people that are fans. Dude, that was one of the, I don't even know how to put a word on what that kid did. ‘You just had a chance to fight him for 15 minutes, and now you're going to sucker-punch him after the fight?”

“It's disgusting. I hate that. I have no respect for that whatsoever. I know some people out there disagree with me, but this is a sport. There's a lot of things that I'm lenient about, but to walk up and sucker-punch a guy in the face that you just had 15 minutes with?”

Last month the Quebec Athletic Commission handed Daley a 30-day ban meaning he would still be available to fight Jorge Masvidal at Shark Fights on September 11. Daley responded to Whites comments earlier this week via The Underground Forum.

“Dana = UFC God. He created his world and he rules it with an iron rod” Daley said. “His world, But not my world, I was still making money, fighting and winning before the UFC and will carry on doing the same now [that I'm] not with the UFC.”

“Haters keep talking about me, doing me the world of good. Supporters, Thank you.”

OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF:

Speaking of Dana White, the UFC President has been invited to speak in front of The Oxford University debate club on October 13. White will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Sir Winston Churchill, Robert Kennedy and Yasser Arafat when he talks to the club members.

White will no doubt have to be on his guard as he aims to portray Mixed Martial Arts as the legitimate sport that it is and help take some of the sting of the “Cage Fighter” tag that MMA still has around its neck here.

White will be in England for UFC 120 from the London O2 Arena on October 16. It will prove to be a busy week for White as the UFC will also launch the first ever UK Fan Expo which will take place at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre on October 15 & 16.

The final preliminary fights have now all been announced for the London return with the full fight card below:

OFFICIAL FIGHT CARD

Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama
Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit
John Hathaway vs. Mike Pyle
Cheick Kongo vs. Travis Browne
James Wilks vs. Claude Patrick
Cyrille Diabate vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Rob Broughton vs. Vinicius Quieroz
Steven Cantwell vs. Stanislav Nedkov
Spencer Fisher vs. Kurt Warburton
James McSweeney vs. Tom Blackledge
Paul Sass vs. Mark Holst

===

This week has been yet another disappointing one for UK fighters. With the success Team UK had in TUF 9 and Dan Hardy earning his shot at Georges St. Pierre’s title, 2009 proved to be a special year for UK MMA.

2010 so far has been anything but successful as Michael Bisping lost to Wanderlei Silva, Dan Hardy was controlled by GSP and Paul Daley earned himself a life-time ban from the UFC. There have also been losses for Terry Etim and Paul Kelly; and now Andre Winner and Nick Osipczak join Brad Pickett as all three Brits dropped decisions in August.

With just over six weeks until UFC 120, UK fans will be looking to this event for some success for British fighters as Bisping, Hardy and John Hathaway all look to pick up important wins on the same evening that the new breed of UK fighters will finally make their UFC debuts.

====

Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!

BELLATOR NEWS: Weigh-in results for Bellator Fighting Championships 27

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:38:06 PST

Bellator 27 is set as all fighters made weight this evening for tomorrow night's fight card from the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. Featuring a Featherweight Championship fight as well as the final three quarterfinal bouts in the bantamweight tournament, the card should be filled with action. It airs on Fox Sports Net live or by tape delay. Full weigh-in results are below:

Main Televised Card

• Joe Soto (144.8) vs. Joe Warren (143.6) - Bellator Featherweight Championship
• Ulysses Gomez (135.2) vs. Travis Reddinger (135)
• Zach Makovsky (134.4) vs. Nick Mamalis (135.8)
• Bryan Goldsby (135.8) vs. Ed West (135)

Local Feature Fights

• Andrew Craig (184) vs. Rodrigo Pinheiro (185)
• Aaron Barringer (154.4) vs. Gilbert Jimenez (154.2)
• Dale Mitchell (264.2) vs. Richard Odoms (260.4)
• Andrew Chappelle (169.6) vs. Joe Christopher (170.6)
• Shane Faulkner (204.6) vs. Jon Kirk (205)
• Ernest De La Cruz (145.5) vs. Steven Peterson (144.4)

BELLATOR NEWS: Ben Askren vs. Lyman Good Welterweight Title bout booked for Bellator 33 in Philadelphia

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 16:36:59 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Bellator's October 21 event in Philadelphia has gotten another major bout, as Ben Askren and Lyman Good will square off for Bellator's Welterweight Championship.

The bout was announced by Askren today on Twitter.

Good, the season one welterweight tournament winner, has not fought since winning the season one tournament last June. He defeated Hector Urbina, Jorge Ortiz and Omar De La Cruz to claim the tournament and the Championship belt.

Askren, meanwhile, is fresh off of a unanimous decision victory over Dan Hornbuckle in the season two finals. The highly decorated amateur wrestler used his superior talents to get through Ryan Thomas twice and then Hornbuckle to move his career record to 6-0.

Bellator 33 will also feature a lightweight showcase fight between Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez and former UFC star Roger Huerta. The event takes place from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia. Tickets are currently on sale at www.ComcastTix.com.

Penick's Analysis: With just these two fights coming to the card it's already an extremely exciting event. Huerta-Alvarez is the lightweight fight they were trying to get set up when Huerta was signed. As for Askren vs. Lombard, after his performance against Hornbuckle I'm not going to underestimate Askren. If he can incorporate a striking game to his repertoire he's going to be a very good welterweight fighter.

RELATED STORY: BELLATOR NEWS: Eddie Alvarez vs. Roger Huerta official for Bellator 33, event coming to Alvarez's hometown of Philadelphia: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

UFC NEWS: UFC returns to Las Vegas on New Year's Day 2011 with UFC 125

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:03:45 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC will bring a pay-per-view event back to Las Vegas for the first time since UFC 116 on January 1, 2011, as MMAJunkie.com reports that UFC 125 will emanate from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

It will serve as the UFC's annual "year end" event, though it will technically kick off the 2011 schedule.

The UFC will return to Las Vegas first in December for The Ultimate Fighter 12 finale, though that event will take place at the much smaller Pearl at the Palms Casino and Resort and will air on Spike TV. UFC 125 will be the 18th UFC event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in its 17 year history.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: There were some reports that the UFC was looking to run on New Year's Eve on Friday night so as to avoid college football on Saturday, but that will not be the case. It would have been a big mistake to run an event on New Year's Eve when people will be out partying and gathering, waiting for the ball to drop. Running against college football won't be a huge deal, as MMA fans will tune in for a good card if they provide one.

MMATORCH POLL: Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney says not all MMA fans are NFL fans. Be heard, are you a fan of one sport alone or both?

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:12:13 PST

ROUNDTABLE (pt. 1): What's next for B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian after their UFC 118 losses? Marsh, Hyden, Hobaugh, Leet and Hansen

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:54:02 PST

What's next for B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian after their UFC 118 losses?

SAM MATTHEW, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Once considered the greatest lightweight ever, B.J. Penn has fallen down several rungs of the ranking ladder with back to back losses in which he simply didn’t look like even a shadow of his former self. While a matchup between both Penn and Florian - coming off such miserable losses - would make sense timing-wise, neither fighter really deserves a game Top five opponent. A reasonable test for Penn on his comeback might be against Evan Dunham or George Sotiropoulos, while Florian deserves a rematch with Sean Sherk or a good battle with Tyson Griffin to gauge how his wrestling develops.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Well, the road back is easier for Kenny Florian. I don't know where B.J. goes from here. He told us all how he was going to beat Frank Edgar and it wasn't going to be close, etc. What happened was Edgar beat him down. At least neither guy got finished. I don't know if B.J. can return from this. Does he have the heart to rededicate himself? I would hope so, but you never know.
I think Kenny goes back to square one and tries to better himself. He's picked himself up off the ground before, and he'll do it again. Given the right circumstances, he could win a title in the UFC. He'll need a better stylistic match-up, however.

ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH SPECIALIST

It is sad when time catches our favorite fighters. Chuck, Matt, Rich, Randy; I could go on. B.J. is no different than those all time greats. He was just younger when it happened. I don't feel like he has lost any of his skills, but MMA today evolves at a pace that is hard for most of these pioneers to stay current with. The younger fighters like Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard are light years ahead of most other lightweights, including the greatest of all time, B.J. Penn. Those younger, stronger and more determined fighters are the future of the division. I think B.J. moves back to welterweight and has some success in his first few fights. B.J. was no match for the class of the division, as he showed in his January 2009 match against Georges St. Pierre. As much as I want B.J. to stay on top, his run as a champion is over. Kenny Florian never lives up to his potential, and for that reason, he stays a second tier fighter.

LARAMEY LEET, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I think many will say that these two need to fight, but their first fight was not that interesting. B.J. won hands down and there is no need for a rematch. Penn has suffered back to back losses for only the second time in his career, and Frankie Edgar is only the second man to beat B.J. Penn twice. GSP has done it as well. Kenny Florian will look into getting in the cage ASAP, as Penn has said he will. I think he will try and take the next available fight. I have a good feeling it will be Florian vs. Tyson Griffin in December.

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

B.J. is in a pickle now. While he may still be the most talented lightweight of all time, and he's still just 31 years old, he can't beat the current champion. Put them in the cage ten times, and Frank Edgar wins 9 times (and according to the incompetent judges in Abu Dhabi, ten times). But if he moves to welterweight, he's already lost twice, legitimately, to Georges St-Pierre. And if you put B.J. in the cage with GSP ten times, B.J. loses all ten. So where indeed do we go from here?

IF B.J. stays at lightweight, he needs to win every fight he takes until Frank Edgar drops the title. That might take a long time. Penn has to beat top lightweight competition so that when Edgar drops the title, he'll be first in line. Jim Miller makes sense, depending on the result of his fight with Gleison Tibau. I'm not in the Gomi camp, because every fight B.J. takes needs to move him forward, and I don't see Gomi giving him any problems.

IF B.J. moves to Welterweight, he has to know that he's not even one of the first five guys in line for a title shot. So that would be a vanity project for him. He'd be moving up to take fights that intrigue him. Gee, that sounds like Matt Hughes' current career path. I think that's the fight to make. If he loses again, it's because he's done. If he wins, then he can be matched up against a borderline contender and we'll go from there.

UFC NEWS: UFC 123 coming to Detroit in November with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida (UPDATED)

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:40:56 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC appears to be heading to the Detroit area for November's UFC 123 event, as the Detroit Free Press reports that the UFC has reserved the November 20 date for the event, which would come to The Palace at Auburn Hills.

The event, headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto Machida, had been rumored for multiple cities, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and others, and the UFC seems to have settled on The Palace as the host venue.

The 24,000 capacity venue is the home to the NBA's Detroit Pistons, and is located in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a northern suburb of Detroit. It will be the UFC's first trip to Michigan in the Zuffa era.

The Free Press report cites Dr. James Weber, chair of the Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission, as saying it's his understanding that it is a done deal. Also, the former chair of the commission, Al Low, who currently works as a representative for the UFC in Detroit, is cited saying that the date has officially been requested.

The only other UFC event in Detroit came over 14 years ago in May of 1996 at UFC 9, where the infamously bad Dan Severn vs. Ken Shamrock fight was contested with modified rules. The UFC was pulled off of pay-per-view following that event on many cable systems, beginning the "dark ages" of the sport.

Link to Original Source Article

UPDATE: The venue has been confirmed by UFC President Dana White in a report at MMAFighting.com.

Penick's Analysis: This may wind up being one of the lowest priced events for a UFC pay-per-view in a long time. At least, that's how it should be. Coming into that market with an event is great for the fans there in Michigan, but in one of the spots most devastated by the recession the UFC really needs to be conscious about their ticket pricing for this event. They priced themselves out of a sellout in Boston and they did the same thing in Portland, Ore. last year with UFC 102. They've done it in other places as well, but in the Detroit area especially, they've got to be very aware of the market and price these seats accordingly.

THE TAPPER'S TOOLBOX: Fixing the little mistakes in your BJJ game - "How to break guard"

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:36:41 PST

By: Rob Gramer, MMATorch Specialist

No matter what guard breaking technique you use, they all share one similarity. And if you "get" this you'll never be stuck in guard again.

Here's the story:

For nine years now, new white belts have been jamming their elbows into my thighs, trying to break my guard. As a white and blue belt it really hurt, and I would immediately open my guard. As a purple, it was annoying. Now I just laugh at it.

Have you ever tried that technique? Well, do you notice that it stops working on the higher belts?

When you take a closer look at this technique, you'll see it actually HELPS the guy on bottom keep his guard closed.

Don't believe me? Try this little experiment.

Lay on your back like you have just pulled guard. First, open your legs as wide as possible while keeping your ankles crossed.

Next, close and straighten your legs and touch your knees together.

You should notice two things…

First, when you open your legs your feet "lock" together, making it easier to keep your guard closed. Second, when you close your legs your feet "unlatch".

Here's the takeaway from all this - there are thousands of ways to break the guard, but you only really have to remember one thing:

You must uncross their feet!

Sounds simple in theory. Not exactly easy in execution. Let's break down exactly what is going on in closed guard, so that you can understand exactly how to open it every time.

First, let's take a look at structure.

The more space that is in between your legs, the more difficult it is to keep the guard closed.

Think of it this way. If you are fighting a skinny person, it is relatively easy to keep your guard locked on them. But, if you are fighting a huge fat guy, you probably can't even lock your guard around them.

That's the concept of space. So, you need to increase the space inside the closed guard to break it open.

The easiest way to do this is to put pressure on his locked ankles by pushing your lower back into them. This pulls his knees together and straightens his legs (like in the picture), forcing his guard open.

Here's how to do it.

Step One: Provide some sort of strong base to push off. I like to place one hand on his ribcage and the other on his hips. This allows me to keep posture and hold his hips in place.

Step Two: Increase the distance between his hips and your lower back. This automatically puts pressure on his feet and pops open his guard.

Step Three: Immediately go into a position where he can't close guard again. I like putting my knee up between my legs.

This is my way of doing it. There are many others.

The critical question you have to answer in guard is: how can I push my lower back into his ankles? Find out how to do this, and you'll never get stuck in guard again.

Rob Gramer is a mechanical engineer and BJJ brown belt. For more BJJ articles with a scientific bent and a free report revealing the 33 Grips every grappler must know, visit www.backchoke.com

BELLATOR NEWS: Bjorn Rebney comments on the decision to run Bellator 28 in New Orleans opposite the NFL's Saints-Vikings season kickoff

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:46:12 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Bellator is setting themselves up for what could be a record low in attendance and viewership for one of their events next week, as Bellator 28 heads to the Mahalia Jackson Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The issue at hand is Bellator running the event the same night as the opening day for the National Football League. What makes that issue worse is the fact that they're running this event in the same city as the opening game, as the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings in a rematch of their epic 2009 NFC Championship game.

While it seems like an ill-advised move on the surface, Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney feels the event will provide a viable alternative to the MMA fans in the city. In addition, Rebney says this was the one date that worked for the New Orleans venue in this third season.

"We have a great event with great fights scheduled and this was the one date on the schedule where our venue partners could bring us to New Orleans," Rebney said in a statement issued to MMATorch. "Also, not all MMA fans are NFL fans and in a football crazed city, our nationally televised World championship tournament event provides a tremendous world class alternative to the NFL."

With it being the one date open it's reasonable to bring the event here, although at the moment only two bouts have been announced for the card with Rich Clementi taking on Carey Vanier and Georgi Karakhanyan taking on WEC vet Anthony Leone, in as an injury replacement for Alvin Robinson.

Rebney's correct as well in his assertion that not all MMA fans are NFL fans, but there is a large crossover that could lead to a significant decrease in viewership of the live event. Of course, in many areas it's tape delayed until late at night anyway due to local baseball coverage of Fox Sports Net affiliates, so that may not end up being affected much either.

The live gate hasn't been a key factor in Bellator's business plan thus far through three seasons, and the venue they're running has a 2,100 seat capacity, so it's likely there are enough MMA fans in the city next Thursday that want to check out live MMA to get a sizable, for that venue, crowd. However, it's still a questionable move to try to pull this off in the midst of a 12 week season where they can't commit a ton of advertising and promotion to the event.

Overall, it's one week in a 12 week season, and if the numbers don't take a huge hit from what they're expecting on a week to week basis then it's not an issue to them. But it still seems an ill-timed event with such a massive NFL game running in the same city at the same time.

UFC QUOTABLES: B.J. Penn - "I want to get a fight as soon as possible" after UFC 118 loss to Frankie Edgar

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:30:52 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"I have just been hanging out this last couple of days. But I am going to stick to what I said about being as active as I can. So that's it, I am going to try to contact the UFC, get a fight as soon as possible. Luckily I didn't get injured so I got no injuries. I can still build off what I built in the last camp. I didn't go out, I didn't party or anything so that is it."

-Former Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn, in a message to fans at BJPenn.com, says he wants to get right back to action.

Penick's Analysis: That's great that he's got a desire to get back in there right away, but I don't know how he can "build" off of a camp that wrought that performance against Edgar. He needs to get his camp in order, get himself in order, and figure out if he truly wants to fight at a high level or if he just wants to sound like he wants to fight at a high level. I hope he comes back strong, because a strong, focused and vicious B.J. Penn is still one of the most exciting fighters to watch.

RELATED STORY: PARK: A look at five era-changing losses by UFC Champions following B.J. Penn's UFC 118 loss to Frankie Edgar: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

[B.J. Penn art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

HYDEN BLOG: Change Can Be A Good Thing

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:11:31 PST

By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

Last week's blog generated a fair amount of reader response. It's not the most mail I've ever gotten about a topic, but it did create some good discussion, which is what I care about. I've had people tell me that having every title fight end in a knockout or submission is crazy. However, I've had even more people tell me that they wish that things were like that. The biggest problem I have with title fights ending in decision is that you haven't really beaten the guy, you just had three guys tell you that you won. Picture this scenario:

It's the Super Bowl, you have Team A and Team B. Team A is ahead 10-3, and has controlled the game so far. Their dominating defense has enabled them to play their type of game, a slow and grinding affair. It's the 4th quarter, and just a minute remains. Team B has been able to do nothing all day, the lone exception being a great punt return that set up a field goal. Team A is going to kneel on the ball and run out the clock. However, the snap is muffed and the ball is loose. A defender from Team B grabs the ball and races into the end zone for a touchdown. After the extra point, the score is tied, 10-10. Team B kicks and Team A gets the ball back with 40 seconds remaining. Team A marches down the field, going 70 yards in 35 seconds. Team A has the ball on Team B's 10 yard line with 5 seconds to go. Team A throws a pass into the endzone as time expires, but the pass is incomplete. Suddenly, the officials huddle up and award Team A the victory. The score is tied, but the officials decide that Team A did more during the game to win. Instead of going into overtime, which all the major sports do, one team is awarded the victory by virtue of what they did during the game. Imagine how well that would go over.

I realize that a fighter can win all five rounds of a title fight, but I still think that he would need to finish his opponent to be the true winner. If you can dominate a guy for five rounds, why can't you finish him? If you can't finish him, have you really been dominating him? Dominating an opponent means that you've broken his will, and that you're able to do anything you want to him. If you cannot pound a guy into submission or tap him out, you have not dominated him. That word gets thrown around too much anyhow. True domination is only achieved by rendering your opponent helpless and by finishing him. This happens very rarely in MMA.

The only reason that decision victories are considered acceptable in fighting sports (Boxing, MMA, etc.) is because they've been happening for so long. It's the same way that comic-book names like Batman, Superman, and Spiderman are accepted. Those names have been around for multiple decades. Names like Catman, Dogman, Snakeman, or Awesomeman would be laughed at and ridiculed. Why is that? Those four latter names are no more ridiculous than the three former ones. Time has a way of making people accept things, though.

Title fights are already different in that they go five rounds instead of the usual three. Why not go all the way, and say that there must be a winner regardless of how long it takes? If you remove the possibility of winning a few rounds and then coasting to victory, you would actually see fights ending sooner than they do now. How many times have we seen a guy win a few rounds, then get ultra-conservative, and try to not lose. I don't like seeing fights where the guys aren't trying to win every single second. I don't like the idea of rewarding people who don't take chances.

There's a big difference between fighting smartly and fighting not to lose. When I see a guy go whole minutes without even throwing a strike or trying a submission, there's a problem with that. Guys who are counter-punchers or prefer to fight defensively are at least still trying to bait their opponent into making a mistake. If fighters are at least trying to win, that's all we can ask for. I don't think that's asking too much. The problem is that there are too many guys who are content to ride out the clock and not risk it.

The argument that MMA is a sport first, and entertainment second, is a fallacy. All sports are about entertainment first and foremost, that's why they're on television. All the rules that the UFC has adopted are about making the sport more entertaining. All the safety precautions are about making it more entertaining. It's very common for major sports to change or tweak their rules to increase the entertainment factor. The NFL has legislated out a lot of the old-school rules in order to make the passing game more viable. The NBA routinely allows two steps or more without calling traveling. MLB ballparks are tiny compared to what they used to be, allowing more home runs. This is all in the name of increased scoring and excitement.

People shouldn't be so hesitant to change a sport if it might make that sport better.

READER FEEDBACK

Last week's blog: [CLICK HERE]

BILLY SPANGLER:

"I do agree lay-and-pray is boring and it does devalue the entertainment value of MMA, but I differ in opinion on the subject. Jon Fitch is the best example of lay-and-pray. Is it his fault that it works? No. It's up to his opponent to gameplan around that to win. MMA is about two opponents bringing their strengths to the cage and to hopefully negate the other persons strengths. Examples are Georges St. Pierre over Fitch and Randy Couture over Tim Sylvia. Why should a fighter change his fighting style to satisfy fans? Case in point: Jorge Gurgel. He fights to be entertaining even though he is a great BJJ practitioner. He'll be lucky not to suffer brain damage in a fight just for fan entertainment. Too often I think we get caught up in the entertainment aspect of sports and forget that main goal is to win. The Phoenix Suns were entertaining offensively for years but it was the San Antonio Spurs (defensive, slow, and tough, boring) getting the rings. Same goes for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they don't have the flashy offense but they do enough to win playing boring football. Actually I think as a fighter having someone smother me for 25 min completely controlling me would be more humbling as a fighter than a submission or knockout because it means that fighter had complete domination over me. Either way fighters should fight to their ability and win however possible."

DAVE:

"First off, it's not about entertainment. It's about fighting. Just because you think it's boring?!?! It does take skill to take someone down. It's not the fighters fault his opponent can't stop his takedowns. They should practice more! For me, I think BJJ is a fairly cheap way of fighting. Bending someones arm after they just beat your face in for a while. The difference is I know it takes skill to pull off some of the submissions. I understand it's a part of MMA.

I think it's funny how MMA fans have evolved through the years. They seem to be robots, repeating what they read or hear. I find modern MMA fans to be phony snobs who think MMA is all about BJJ.
The moment you start to try to tailor MMA to certain types of fighting is the moment we lose true MMA. To say someone should not get points for a takedown, is just funny."

TREY W:

"Just read your Lay and Pray column and understand your stance on the situation. Basically, "cage control" would have to be thrown out as a viable way to score points. Unless it comes with some damage dealing blows or bona-fide submission attempts. However, realistically speaking, that would never happen. This is because that style of fighting is extremely effective at neutralizing an opponent and taking very little damage in the process. Here's our biggest hope with the whole Lay-and-Pray issue. As with the politicians in office today, most are waiting for the old guys to die out and the new generation to take over. The Lay-and-Pray seems to be a dying breed with the likes of Ben Askren and other talented wrestlers on the rise. These newer guys are evolving the game with one simple thing. Knees to the downed opponent while transitioning from position to position. Knees to the legs, ribs, arms, shoulders... Wherever one can be slipped in! So I think as the newer breed starts taking over the ranks, we will see even more evolution in the sport and ground control. Until that time, we can just enjoy the fights for what they are and use the known Lay-and-Pray fighters as a good time to hit the bathroom and grab a beer."

FRANCIS CARINO:

"You have written several articles recently condemning wrestling-centric styles a la Jon Fitch. Why is it that you only called the man on top boring? Why can't some of the blame be placed where it is rightfully deserved, the man on bottom. Going into a Fitch fight you know what you are getting, so why not focus more on wrestling and conditioning. I'm not implying it is easy to stop Fitch, but if a fighter is unable to, they should take heat too. Part of having an effective stand-up game is being able to keep the fight on the feet via movement and takedown defense, or creating scrambles, etc. Many great fighters have done exactly that. Mirko Cro-Cop and Georges St. Pierre did not have elite wrestling credentials prior to their MMA careers. While the man on top may not do damage, transitioning to better positions is still an attempt to get closer to finishing a fight. Laying on bottom is not.

A lot of guys do appear to work from the bottom and remain trapped, but some do nothing, not even try to hold on for a stand up. How many times have you seen guys look up from the bottom and shrug their shoulders at a ref? I think it's a poor excuse for fighters to say, 'I came here to fight, not wrestle.' There is a reason it is called mixed martial arts, not kickboxing.

I personally feel another thing that would help to discourage lay and pray is knees to the head of a downed/prone opponent. Yes they are dangerous, but it creates a means to abate lay and pray. First, it gives wrestlers another means to end the fight from top control. Second, and I believe more importantly, it creates very real and harsh consequences for failing a takedown attempt. Often times wrestlers can repeatedly shoot for takedowns with little consequence of retaliation. If a takedown gets stuffed they can transition to neutral or even more advantageous positions in many cases. These knees would allow retribution. It a standup fighter over-commits to a strike, the consequences are very real. Counterstriking is many very successful fighters' bread and butter. Creating more opportunities to punish a failed takedown could lead to fewer attempts."

JACKSON SUMMERS:

"Although I understand where you're coming from it doesn't make sense for a legitimate sport. What you're saying is say Georges St. Pierre and Anderson Silva were to fight if GSP takes him down but cant inflict enough damage in the ref's opinion then the fight should be put back on the feet where Anderson is more comfortable? That would completely defeat the purpose of strategy and gameplan. If you want more finishes why not just watch K-1 or a hardcore jiu-jitsu tournament?"

CONOR LEADEN:

"I am writing to you because I strongly disagree with your last blog on "Lay-And-Pray". One line that particularly stuck out for me was "It's all about entertainment". MMA is about finding out who are the most skilled fighters at each weight-class in the world. While I agree MMA would not be in the position it finds itself without the fans shelling out their cash to be entertained, that is not the sole objective of it's existence. Sure if it's all about about entertainment why not give the fighters weapons and throw three or four of them in the cage at once. Oh wait that already exists. It's called pro wrestling. You also argued that a fighter should not be scored for takedown unless they achieve significant amounts of ground and pound or make a reasonable attempt at a submission while on the ground. So how do you score it? Lets say one fighter is continuously able to take a opponent down but does nothing with it. How do you score that fight? A 30-30 draw? A draw even though one fighter was able to completely control where the fight took place?

JOHN PATRICK BYRNE:

"To start off let me say I do agree with your proposition on a change of the rules but how you go about it I do not agree with. There are some fighters who take someone down, obtain a position, and just sit there. But to say a takedown does not earn you points is insane. Takedowns should be awarded points the second a successful takedown is performed. Stalling can only be met with negative affects on the fighter who is stalling, in wrestling wrestlers who stall give up points to their opponent and are eventually disqualified.

It is up to the referees to make sure that stalling does not take place. Also fighters on the bottom would then be affected by the stalling rule. We also must come with our own scoring system the system we have adopted from boxing just does not work with this sport.

Your comment about championship fights never going to a decision is also insane. Just because you are the champion does not make you a "god" of your weight class able to finish your opponents at will. Also look at every champion in the UFC... not one of those guys ever purposely try to force a decision all of them always look to finish the fight, it can not always end that way. A fighter who has earned a title shot is not going to be a pushover, sometimes a finish can not be gained."

Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com

STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal says he deserved to lose to Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante because he abandoned his gameplan

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:48:07 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"A slam is a slam. A takedown is different. If you take somebody down, you control their whole body into a position when you land. But I slammed him and was looking to throw punches and he came back up. I was trying to throw punches and he came back up and recovered. If I'd just grinded him out and taken him down over and over like I did with Mousasi, he would've been gassed out dead in the third round...

I've lost before in wrestling. I'm going to bounce back. I didn't want to lose, but I deserved to lose because I went out there and abandoned my true game plan. I just went out there and fought a stupid fight. If I hadn't lost, I would've gone back and done the same things over and over again. If I wouldn't have lost now, who knows who I would've lost to later."

-Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal talks to Sherdog.com about his loss to Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante at Strikeforce: Houston earlier this month.

Penick's Analysis: Lawal is going to get better. He's a very analytical fighter and he extensively prepares for his opponents. Clearly he read Cavalcante incorrectly, and didn't do what he needed to do, and it's good to see him put the loss on himself and not make any excuses. The sport needs more of this Lawal and not the "f*** the fans" Lawal, and if he can realize that and continue to be a smart fighter willing to learn and grow then he has plenty of time yet to do big things in the sport.

MMATORCH EXCLUSIVE: The Audio Choke with Collins, Rowland and Shelby 8/31 (52 min.) - UFC 118 event review and breakdown

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:31:40 PST

Welcome to another brand new episode of The Audio Choke starring Matt Collins and Toben Shelby! Today the guys review Saturday's UFC 118 event, breaking down the fights and more.

DIRECT LINK: The Audio Choke 8/31/2010

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PARK: A look at five era-changing losses by UFC Champions following B.J. Penn's UFC 118 loss to Frankie Edgar

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:00:48 PST

By: Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist

The UFC’s first trip to Boston Massachusetts provided confirmation that B.J. Penn’s dominance of the 155 lb. division had finally come to an abrupt end, as “the Prodigy” fell victim to a 50-45 unanimous decision washout at the hands of Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.

Having lost the Lightweight title to Edgar in April, it was widely believed that Penn had simply dropped a decision to a man he had struggled to motivate himself for. Rumours of illness and weight draining were reported to have contributed to a lack-lustre performance - by the Hawaiian’s high standards – and on another day a very different story would have been told.

So he was granted his chance of redemption with an instant re-match with Edgar last Saturday night, and when the fighters weighed in on Friday Penn looked ready to settle the score. The actual enactment, however, was played out very differently to the script that was being touted around fight week, as Edgar executed the perfect game-plan to shut out “The Prodigy” en route to a dominating decision victory.

This official passing of the Lightweight torch will signal the beginning of a new era at 155 lb., with the division being blown wide open for the first time in recent memory.

There will be some tough challenges ahead for Frankie Edgar, with his next defence offering the Champion an opportunity to avenge his sole career loss when he takes on No. 1 contender Gray “the Bully” Maynard.

UFC 118 saw the Penn era come to an end, but like any fighter, when you reach the very top - the only place to go is down. B.J. Penn is not the first superstar to fall from grace, and he most certainly will not be the last. With that in mind it seems relevant to look back at five of the most heralded Champions in UFC history and remember the moments that their dominance came to an end.

Tito Ortiz: Light Heavyweight Champion 2000-2003

At UFC 25 in April 2005, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz defeated Wanderlei Silva to claim the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Title.

Ortiz went on to successfully defend the title five times, but on a number of occasions managed to avoid a showdown with No. 1 contender Chuck Liddell. Ortiz stated he didn’t want to fight Liddell as the “friends” had made a pact to never face one another. Chuck Liddell made his feelings known; he was adamant that he wanted to face Ortiz for the title and claimed no such pact existed.

As Ortiz was forced into a year-long lay-off, Chuck Liddell welcomed Randy “The Natural” Couture to the 205 lb. division as the two battled it out for the Interim Title. Couture seized his opportunity to hijack the division by stopping Liddell and setting up a unification fight with the returning Ortiz that would crown the undisputed king of the light heavyweight division.

At UFC 44 Tito Ortiz’s title reign came to a crushing end as he was dominated from beginning to end of his five round encounter with Couture. Ortiz was taken down more in the first round of this fight than he had ever been in his entire career, and was even embarrassingly taunted by Couture as “The Natural” appeared to spank Ortiz as he was pressed against the cage late in the fight.

The loss to Couture was decisive and it brought an end to what still remains the longest Championship reign that the UFC's light heavyweight division has ever seen.

Matt Hughes: Welterweight Champion (Two Reigns) 2002-2006

Matt Hughes took the Welterweight Title from then Champion Carlos Newton at UFC 34. Newton had locked in a triangle choke on Hughes but was lifted from the ground position, up against the cage, and then slammed into the mat.

Hughes was on the brink of a submission defeat only for the last-ditch slam to knock Newton unconscious and see the clearly disorientated Hughes snatch the Welterweight Title from the jaws of defeat.

Hughes was the new World Champion and went on to successfully defend the title five times before taking on lightweight contender B.J Penn. Penn shocked the world as he moved up in weight and submitted Hughes to take the belt, before leaving the UFC and vacating the title.

Hughes then took on rising star Georges St. Pierre for the recently vacated Championship and successfully submitted the Canadian to reclaim the Welterweight Title.

B.J. Penn was back on the scene and in only his second fight since making his UFC return, Penn stepped in for the injured St. Pierre to challenge Matt Hughes again.

After finding success in the early rounds, Penn was in control again, only for Hughes to come from behind and hand Penn the first stoppage loss of his career and subsequently avenge the only defeat during his time as Champion.

Hughes would then eventually re-match St. Pierre for the belt, and with a lot of trash talking going in, the tension was really building up for this one. The first fight was a tough lesson for St. Pierre but this second showdown with Hughes would tell a completely different story.

GSP picked Matt Hughes apart for the entire first round and dropped the Champion as the horn sounded for the end of round one. St. Pierre came out for the second round looking hungrier than ever, and after a vicious head-kick dropped Hughes, a follow up assault saw the fight called to a halt.

Matt Hughes’ incredible dominance would now be confined to the history books with a new star in Georges St. Pierre now sitting at the top of the welterweight division.

Rich Franklin: Middleweight Champion 2005-2006

At UFC 53 Rich “Ace” Franklin took out the late Evan Tanner to claim the UFC Middleweight crown. Franklin would then go on to successfully defend it against original cast member of The Ultimate Fighter Nate “Rock” Quarry.

After dominating Quarry early, Rich Franklin then delivered one of the most devastating, highlight-reel knockouts in UFC history as the toes of “Rock” curled as he lay out cold on the canvas.

This vicious knockout was then followed by a five-round beating of David Loiseau at UFC 58 before Franklin would face the toughest test of his career.

Anderson “The Spider” Silva entered the Octagon for the first time to face Chris “the Crippler” Leben at UFC Fight Night 5. Approximately one minute into the fight Anderson Silva had stunned the observing crowd as he categorically destroyed Leben with one of the best displays of counter striking you will ever see.

To this day the defeat to Silva remains the only stoppage loss on Leben’s record, and it was so impressive it saw Silva awarded a shot at Franklin in only his second UFC bout.

At UFC 64 Franklin took on Silva, and was left shell shocked as Silva clinically dismantled him inside a round, kneeing him into submission. As Franklin crumbled to a heap, the referee had no choice but to step in and save him, awarding Anderson Silva the Middleweight Championship.

Franklin then scored two victories over top contenders Jason MacDonald and Yushin Okami which saw “Ace” awarded a re-match with Silva. At UFC 77 the two men clashed for a second time but, despite making it out of the first round, Franklin was quite clearly out of his depth as Anderson Silva put on another world class display to hand Franklin a second crushing loss.

The first fight ended Franklin’s title reign in the Middleweight division, but the second ended any chance of him ever holding the title again; well, as long as Anderson Silva was around at least.

Randy Couture: Heavyweight (2 Reigns) 2000-2002 & 2007-2008

Randy Couture held the Heavyweight Title between 2000 and 2002, but it was his second reign as Champion that left many wondering if there were any limits to what “The Natural” could achieve.

Randy Couture had been going about his business at Light Heavyweight, but retired after losing his third fight with Chuck Liddell. During a relatively tired period in Heavyweight MMA, Couture decided to come out of retirement, move up to the Heavyweight division, and challenge 6’8” Champion Tim Sylvia.

This fight has gone down as one of the greatest moments in the career of Randy Couture as he dominated the much larger Sylvia for the entire five rounds of their Championship encounter to re-claim the Heavyweight title - five years after he lost it.

A first defence against the much hyped Gabriel Gonzaga was yet another display of Couture dominating a much larger opponent. Couture broke the Brazilian’s nose, and with it - his will, as he stopped the challenger in the second round.

After an 18-month absence from the UFC due to a contract dispute, Couture made his comeback at UFC 91. With Interim Champion Minotauro Nogueira signed up to face Frank Mir after their stints on The Ultimate Fighter, the door was left open for another Heavyweight to gate-crash the top of the division. Step forward former WWE superstar Brock Lesnar, who was the man chosen to welcome Couture back to the UFC.

At 265 lbs. of solid muscle, Couture would face the toughest task of his career as he aimed to overcome a fellow wrestler who, come fight night, would be nearly 80 lbs. heavier. There was no doubt Randy Couture caused Brock Lesnar some problems early, but during the second round Lesnar dropped Couture and followed up with a barrage of hammer fists that gave “The Natural” no chance of coming back.

As one era ended a new one began as Brock Lesnar took the torch from Couture and still holds the Heavyweight Championship today.

Chuck Liddell: Light-Heavyweight Champion 2005-2007

Chuck “The Icemen” Liddell defeated Randy Couture at UFC 52 to avenge an earlier loss and claim the UFC Light-Heavyweight title. Liddell went on to successfully defend the title on four occasions taking out the likes of Tito Ortiz, Jeremy Horn and winning the rubber match with Couture.

At UFC 71, Liddell would then face the last man to defeat him in Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Having already avenged his losses to Jeremy Horn and Randy Couture a win over Jackson would mean Liddell had managed to defeat every man he had ever faced.

If that wasn’t motivation enough for “The Iceman” then nothing would be, but what was meant to be such a significant moment in the writing of Liddell’s legacy turned out to be the end of one of the greatest title reigns in UFC history.

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson knocked Chuck Liddell to the floor with a right hook and a follow up assault saw “The Iceman” momentarily go limp, leaving the referee with no option but to intervene and hand Jackson the Championship.

This was only the fourth loss on Chuck Liddell’s record, but it sent his career into decline as “The Iceman” never recovered from this defeat to Jackson. While Liddell is yet to officially announce his retirement, it is unlikely he will ever fight in the UFC again following his recent loss to Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in June.

This loss to Franklin was Liddell’s third straight knockout defeat and he has lost five of his last six fights, but it was UFC 71 and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson that signaled the end of The Ice Age.

====

Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!

OTHER NEWS: Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers to face "Warpath" Villareal at W-1 MMA event in Canada this October

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:07:23 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Strikeforce heavyweight Brett Rogers will attempt to rebound from consecutive losses to Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem this October, but it won't be for the California-based organization.

Multiple published reports are stating that Rogers will take on heavyweight journeyman Ruben "Warpath" Villareal at an event in Canada on October 23.

The promotion is W-1 MMA, and their event, "W-1: New Ground," will take place from the Halifax Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia on that date.

Rogers had gone undefeated until his meeting with Fedor last November. He even appeared to have "The Last Emperor" in a precarious state in the first round, though he fell to a knockout punch in the second round. He was then given a shot against Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem in May, but was defeated even more soundly than in the bout with Emelianenko.

Villareal is a seven year veteran of the sport who has faced a number of notable heavyweights in his career, including Antonio Silva, Bas Rutten, Ricco Rodriguez, Paul Buentello, Tim Hague, Dan Severn and Don Frye.

Penick's Analysis: This is essentially Rogers returning to a regional level promotion against a fighter he should beat to get back on track. He cannot afford a loss to a fighter like Villareal after the Fedor and Overeem losses. Those in and of themselves aren't a big deal, as it's quite possibly he simply wasn't prepared for that big of a jump up in competition despite his 10-0 start. He's still got a lot of talent and can compete, but he needs to regain his confidence after the knockout loss and subsequent beating at the hands of Overeem.

UFC NEWS: UFC 118 Prelims Live special draws 1.1 million viewers for lowest rated Prelims special

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:31:25 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Saturday's broadcast of the UFC 118 Prelims Live special on Spike TV was the lowest rated version of the specials to date. The one hour lead in to the UFC 118 pay-per-view brought in 1.1 million viewers on average, 100,000 less viewers than the previous worst at UFC 111 in March.

Viewership started off strong in the first quarter hour, with 1,204,000 viewers tuning in to the start of the first bout between Nik Lentz and Andre Winner, but the fight turned fans off quickly and the ratings took a precipitous dip in the next two quarter hours. It had dropped to 1,128,000 in the second quarter hour before going to 1,062,000 in the third.

Unfortunately, the two fights that aired to less viewers in the second half of the show were much better than the Lentz-Winner tilt, with Joe Lauzon and Dan Miller each scoring impressive submission victories before the pay-per-view broadcast.

Penick's Analysis: It's not surprising to see the number drop like that, because the Lentz-Winner fight was one of the least entertaining televised fights in a long, long time. Still, they draw well enough on Spike TV, and we've seen that the lower ratings don't necessarily translate into poor pay-per-view buys. And, it has to be remembered that neither of the live fights were originally planned for this special, as injuries changed both spots late. Putting the Lentz-Winner fight on the televised portion of the event was a poor move in retrospect, but they couldn't have known it would be as bad as it ended up being. And both fighters are better than that fight would suggest.

UFC NEWS: Josh Koscheck fine with fighting Georges St. Pierre in Montreal at UFC 124

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:02:02 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Though he'll be trying to take Georges St. Pierre's Welterweight Championship in front of a hostile pro-GSP crowd in Montreal this December, Josh Koscheck has no problems with the partisan venue.

In comments made to MMAWeekly.com, Koscheck's representative Heidi Seibert expressed Koscheck's nonchalance with the location of the fight.

"Wherever the UFC wants the fight is fine with us," she said.
"Montreal has great, enthusiastic fans and will provide a sellout crowd. Kos has been ready for this title fight for a long time and is looking to win on Dec. 11."

The fight will take place from the Bell Centre in Montreal, St. Pierre's backyard, following the conclusion of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. Both fighters served as opposing coaches for this upcoming season, which begins airing on September 15 on Spike TV.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: Koscheck certainly revels in his bad guy role, and it's no surprise that he'll have no issue with coming into Montreal for this fight. He was booed mercilessly after his win in May there, but that was nothing compared to what he'll be faced with when he takes on GSP in front of 22,000 screaming GSP fans in Quebec. It will make for an excellent atmosphere for this fight, and will give it the "big fight" feel that may not have necessarily been there in Las Vegas or in another venue.

RELATED STORY: UFC NEWS: UFC 124 coming to Montreal's Bell Centre with Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck on December 11: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

[Josh Koscheck art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

UFC NEWS: Weigh-ins for UFC 118 draw 380,000 viewers to Spike TV

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:14:04 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Spike TV aired the weigh-ins for last weekend's UFC 118 event live last Friday afternoon, their second such airing this summer, and according to a report from MMAJunkie.com, the airing drew 380,000 viewers to the network.

For the timeslot the special aired in - the show was live at 4PM ET - the ratings were described as "pretty good." The airing of July's UFC 116 weigh-ins brought 645,000 viewers, though it also aired during a better timeslot at 7PM ET.

The MMAJunkie report states that Spike officials are open to more live airings of weigh-ins for events, with October's UFC 121: Lesnar vs. Velasquez event likely the next event to get that treatment.

Penick's Analysis: That's a good number of viewers considering it was on a Friday afternoon where many of the viewers who had tuned in for the 116 weigh-ins in July were likely at work. It's certainly enough viewers to keep Spike interested in airing them in the future, and clearly they feel the same way. With more Spike Prelims Live specials likely coming in 2011, the live weigh-ins could become a pretty regular thing as well.

UFC NEWS: Dana White invited to address prestigious Oxford University debate club

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:50:17 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The Oxford University debate club has invited UFC President Dana White to speak to its members, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The Oxford Union Society, which has been around for 187 years, has extended the invitation to White to speak on October 13, where White says he is "expecting to respond to tough questions with straight answers."

White joins a group of speakers at the debate club that includes Sir Winston Churchill, Robert Kennedy, Yasser Arafat, Malcolm X, Stephen Hawking, Albert Einstein, as well as U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.

Penick's Analysis: White's appearance here will be very interesting. He made a splash at a conference of CEO's earlier this year, and as the very vocal frontman for the UFC he's been the go to guy for the company. Getting this invite is definitely an honor, and it will be an extremely notable Q&A for White and the UFC. White will, of course, be in the UK that week for UFC 120, which takes place from London's O2 Arena on October 16.

ALL BUSINESS: The UFC 118 and Fan Expo Live Experience - Thoughts From a Fan Who Loves This Business

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:44:00 PST

By Alvin Benjamin Carter III, MMA Torch Specialist

UFC 118 and the UFC Fan Expo were incredibly exciting. I have been to a number of live MMA events, but this by far is the biggest of them all. Watching pay-per-views, cable broadcasts, and writing about the sport and the business surrounding MMA has always been a passion of mine; but live events remind us all that we are fans of the sport first and foremost.

On Saturday August 28, I made my way to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA for the Fan Expo. This was a bit surreal for me because I used to live right across the street from this venue a few years back, and now this building became the hub of the MMA universe for a weekend. The first stop was the Grappling Quest tournament. It was almost setup as its own world within the Expo.

Next, it was time to check out the exhibition booths. While you are able to meet just about anyone and everyone in MMA, you sort of feel like you are in a giant t-shirt mall. Every major and minor brand that is truly in the game was there and in full effect. TapouT had one of the largest booth display areas. Silver Star and Dethrone Royalty also had very active booths. The autograph booths gave fans the chance to meet fighters like Chuck Liddell, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Rashad Evans, Vitor Belfort, Tito Ortiz, and many more.

It was great to see the fighters hanging out as well. A number of them were walking around the expo and town seeming to enjoy the fans and Boston. I ran into Ben Saunders at the subway station on the way back to the fights, and various fighters were rolling at the gym I train at in Cambridge, MA.

Ryan McDermott & Alvin Benjamin Carter III (Fighters & Writers)

One of my co-hosts on Fighters and Writers, Ryan McDermott, joined me and a couple of friends from the gym to see UFC 118 after the Expo. Ryan and I had great seats about five rows back from where the floor began. The seats were excellent because you could actually see in the cage, which can be difficult if you are sitting further back on the floor. The vibe was electric in the Garden as Boston fans were so excited to have the big show in town.

I have to say, I was there as a fan as I was into a majority of the fights with more enthusiasm than normal. Some of the more lackluster bouts, like Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard and Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda, were well balanced with fights like Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger and the co-main events of Randy Couture vs. James Toney and Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn. Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis was also an enjoyable fight because Marcus Davis trains in the area, and it was interesting to see Diaz use a number of his tools.

Joe Lauzon really had one of the most impressive performances, as he smashed up Ruediger a bit, and then submitted him in the first round. At this point I was feeling the same way I did when I was eleven years old at WrestleMania XI.

I lost my attraction to professional wrestling somewhere back in high school, but I do keep a strong watch of how the WWE markets their product. The whole UFC Fan Expo and UFC 118 package was very reminiscent of that WrestleMania XI weekend I enjoyed in Hartford, CT. The WWE, then the WWF, had a Fan Fest where I got to meet one of my favorite wrestlers in Bret “The Hitman” Hart. I also had the opportunity to do commentary of a prerecorded match with Harvey Wippleman and face off against other fans with jousting sticks and in sumo suits.

The UFC Fan Expo was structured the same way, except the diversity of product was different. Surprisingly, the Expo was very much about the sport, not just the UFC. The difference is fans of MMA often participate in the sport in some way. Exhibitors had supplements, training equipment, and instructional videos available at the Expo. It is as if the Expo showcases the MMA world, and the UFC gets credit for being the facilitator of such a large spectacle.

The trick is to not do everything yourself. Let others come in and bring their notoriety to the table while you benefit because it is your house. This can also be seen in how UFC President Dana White operates. It appears Dana White is the captain of industry as he does a lot more than most company presidents, but he also excels at delegating responsibility.

As the UFC expands, White is picking people that he can trust to run a tight ship in another country. The announcement of Mark Fischer, former NBA China exec, becoming the head of the UFC’s Asian operations division is a prime example. Fischer brings his notoriety and expertise to the table which will help the UFC reach their world expansion goals. The concept is simple, and it works. With Asia’s huge market, we are seeing what may be the turning point in MMA as a world sport.

Now, I am not saying that UFC 118 was the greatest event of all time, but I was able to see first hand how the ship is run. It is amazing to see the the live event production that is silently happening around you at all times. This event was more than a set number of fights to me. It was an experience that will be hard to match by other promotions.

===

Follow Alvin on Twitter: @AwwwSnap

Alvin Benjamin Carter III is an MMATorch Specialist columnist focusing on the business and statistic side of the sport of MMA. He trains in SanDa / Shan Shou (Chinese Kickboxing) and MMA at Redline Fight Sports. He also has a business background in music production, management, and clothing. He has launched two companies which cater to niche markets, giving him experience in examining trends and attitudes that can affect a particular business model, which he applies in his weekly column for MMATorch to the sport of MMA.

QUOTABLES: Paul Daley says UFC "God" Dana White rules the UFC with an iron rod

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:14:19 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"Dana = UFC God. He created his world (ZUFFA UFC) and he rules it with an iron rod...'His world' But not my world, I was still making money, fighting and winning before the UFC and [I] will carry on doing the same now [that I'm] not with the UFC.

Haters keep talking about me, doing me the world of good.

Supporters, Thank you."

-Paul "Semtex" Daley posts on the Underground Forum in response to Dana White's latest comments about sticking to a lifetime ban for the Brit due to his sucker punch of Josh Koscheck at UFC 113.

Penick's Analysis: Spoken like a man who doesn't get it. He's conducted himself since the moment the punch was thrown like he did nothing wrong, and that's part of the reason he received the lifetime ban in the first place. White had immediately confronted him in the cage and he shrugged him off, and continues to have this type of attitude towards the UFC. Again, like I wrote yesterday, more power to him if he's going to keep getting wins and keep getting paid outside of the UFC, but he's squandered his chance to try to prove himself as one of the best in the sport and he's not doing anything to even attempt to mend that burnt bridge. I just don't understand that attitude at all.

RELATED STORY: UFC NEWS: Dana White and the UFC expecting to set longtime records with Toronto show in 2011: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

UFC NEWS: Dana White and the UFC expecting to set longtime records with Toronto show in 2011

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:00:08 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The first two times the UFC hit Canada, they broke North American attendance records for a mixed martial arts event. Those events both came at the Bell Centre in Montreal, and the record currently stands at 21,451 fans for UFC 97 in April of 2009.

With Ontario opening up their province for mixed martial arts beginning in 2011, the UFC is expecting to blow that record out of the water, as they look to hit the Rogers Centre in Toronto in March.

"I think that the fight in Toronto will break all records. I think it will be the biggest mixed martial arts event in North America, and it will be a long time before that record's broken," said UFC President Dana White in comments transcribed at MMAWeekly.com.

The Rogers Centre can hold between 45,000 and 55,000 attendees depending on the event, and the UFC is sure to significantly out-draw the current occupants - Major League Baseball's Toronto Blue Jays.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: They may not need Georges St. Pierre on this card if they can put together a stacked event without him; but to really get that place filled, GSP might be the key. He's already returning to Canada in December, in another card which could break the current attendance record, but White is right that the Rogers Centre event will likely set a record that will be unbeatable for some time. With that said, the UFC will need to be really smart about their pricing of an event like that, as they've overpriced in some markets leading to them not even selling out the 18,000-20,000 seat venues. It's really going to require a great card and reasonable prices to fill that place and provide for what would literally be the biggest event in UFC history.

PENICK: Randy Couture turns to the last run of his career after UFC 118 win over James Toney; should begin with Forrest Griffin or Rich Franklin

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:20:23 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

After his brief sidetrack into a sideshow bout at UFC 118 against James Toney, capped off with an expected first round submission, Randy Couture still has a few good fights left in him at 47 years old.

With Saturday's bout technically being a heavyweight bout due to Toney's inability to get down into a more reasonable weight than the 237 lbs. he came into Boston at, Couture is likely headed back to the light heavyweight division, and "The Natural" can still make one last title run before it's time to hang up the gloves for good.

The first step for that is a fight later this year in either November or December, and two names come to mind as perfect matchups to both point Couture or his opponent towards a title shot and sell well to a pay-per-view audience: Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin.

I've written previously about wanting to see Griffin and Franklin against one another - as well as wanting to see Jon Jones against any of the three - but if those matchups don't come together, Couture against either of the returning light heavyweights would make for an easy sell and a legitimate fight.

A Couture vs. Griffin fight likely wouldn't be ideal for either fighter, due to their affiliation at Xtreme Couture and the time they've spent working together over the years. But at the same time, with their ties from the first season of the Ultimate Fighter - where Forrest fought on Chuck Liddell's team - and the fact that they're two of the more popular fighters in the organization, the fight would be a very big one for the UFC.

A better option would be Franklin, who will be returning from injury sometime at the end of the year. After knocking out Chuck Liddell, Franklin set himself upright and is looking to make a run up the light heavyweight ladder. Couture, even though he's 47, has shown an unmatchable aptitude for competing at a high level despite his advancing age in the sport. A win over Couture would be huge for Franklin, and would put him a fight or two away from title contention himself.

As for Couture, with his years in the sport winding down, he's likely got time for one more title run. The UFC can justify giving him a title shot with a win over Franklin or Griffin for the simple fact that he's Randy Couture. They may make him win that fight plus one more to get a shot, but he could battle his way to the end of his career while making this title run.

The UFC can take care of him from that standpoint for every fight he's taken that's been to their benefit, including most recently taking the Brandon Vera, Mark Coleman and James Toney fights for the organization. Those were all more for the UFC than they were for Couture, and now, by winning a fight or two more, he can close his career out with one more title win and a defense or two, or if he comes up short he can finish off attempting to add to his legacy. If he loses, he loses, but if he does it against another big name it will be all for the best anyway.

Couture deserves nothing but the biggest fights possible to finish out his career, and if it starts with Forrest Griffin or Rich Franklin there won't be any opposition.

UFC NEWS: UFC 124 coming to Montreal's Bell Centre with Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck on December 11

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:15:56 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The Ultimate Fighter season 12 coaches bout won't be held at a neutral site after all, as MMAFighting.com confirmed with UFC President Dana White that Georges St. Pierre will defend his Welterweight Championship against Josh Koscheck in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada on December 11.

The event will be the UFC's fourth trip to Montreal's Bell Centre, and second this year.

St. Pierre headlined the UFC's first trip to Montreal at UFC 83 in 2008, where he regained his Welterweight Championship by defeating Matt Serra.

The organization returned to the city in 2009 with Anderson Silva and Chuck Liddell co-headlining the UFC 97 card against Thales Leites and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, respectively. Rua then headlined their most recent trip in May of this year, when he knocked out Lyoto Machida to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship at UFC 113.

The 12th season of TUF begins airing on September 15 on Spike TV, where St. Pierre and Koscheck coach a group of 28 lightweights in this season's tournament. The bout will be a rematch of their meeting at UFC 74 in August of 2007. St. Pierre won a unanimous decision in that bout, which was a three round non-title bout.

Koscheck earned his coaching spot and the title shot with a victory over Paul Daley in Montreal on the UFC 113 card. He drew the ire of the crowd after the event, telling them his hometown Pittsburgh Penguins would defeat their Montreal Canadiens in the NHL playoffs that were underway.

Now he'll public enemy number one when he takes on Montreal's favorite son in GSP. It will mark the third overall UFC event in Canada this year, a figure that could increase in 2011 with Ontario now beginning MMA regulation.

Penick's Analysis: This could help this event be even bigger, as it's the first event in the city that St. Pierre has been on since 2008. They set a then attendance record at the Bell Centre with that event, and may break it with this fight, especially after 12 weeks of buildup on Spike through TUF. This is going to be a huge event in front of an insane pro-GSP crowd in Montreal, and the environment for this fight will be excellent. Koscheck may come into that cage on the 11th the most hated man in Canada when all is said and done, and it will make for a great dynamic. For that I like that the UFC is making this move from Las Vegas to GSP's hometown, and it will give the fight a much more epic feel.

EA SPORTS MMA NEWS: Welterweight and lightweight rosters revealed for upcoming EA Sports MMA video game

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 16:22:34 PST

EA Sports has revealed the full welterweight and lightweight rosters for their upcoming EA Sports MMA game coming out this October. They have been revealing each division on a week by week basis, and this week revealed the final two weight classes in the game. The game will be released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles on October 19. The welterweight roster, pictured above, features:

Marius Zaromskis, Lyman Good, Frank Trigg, Nick Thomson, Hayato Sakurai
Matt Lindland, Kazuo Misaki, Joe Riggs, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Jay Hieron
Joachim Hansen, Pat Miletich, Shinya Aoki, Robbie Lawler, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields

The lightweight roster, pictured above, features:

Billy Evangelista, Kron Gracie, Joachim Hansen
Gesias Cavalcante, Vitor Ribeiro, Eddie Alvarez, Shinya Aoki, Satoru Kitaoka, Hayato Sakurai
Lyle Beerbohm, Josh Thomson, Gilbert Melendez, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Mizuto Hirota

UFC NEWS: Former NBA China executive Mark Fischer names as UFC's Asian Operations head

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:05:32 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Much like they have with Marshall Zelaznik in the U.K. and Tom Wright in Canada, the UFC this weekend named Mark Fischer as the head of their new Asian Operations division of their company.

Fischer, the former China executive for the National Basketball Association, will look to increase the UFC's penetration into that continent, with the UFC's continued global expansion plan at the forefront.

"Our goal is to be in a billion households worldwide in the coming years, and Asia is key to that growth because of the regions’ aptitude in martial arts," Fischer said in comments made to The Hollywood Reporter.

First up on the docket is a Chinese edition of The Ultimate Fighter, made specifically for that market.

"Most martial arts were founded in Asia and we have a lot of respect for that, but this show shows a lot of the background to the sport and we think it’s a great way to introduce the mixed martial arts across the region," Fischer said.

The UFC had a television deal in China threw December of last year, though they are currently not televised in the country at the moment. Their sister promotion, World Extreme Cagefighting, airs on Power Sports, China’s first nationwide HD sports channel, according to the THR report.

That channel is "dedicated to contact sports such as boxing and judo and soon will air programming from the NHL and NFL," per the report.

Speaking at the UFC 118 post-fight press conference this past weekend, Fischer laid out his credentials and briefly talked about where the UFC is looking to expand.

"I was with the NBA in Asia for 12 years," he said. "Five or six of those were building the NBA in China. I think as successful as the NBA was there, what we were able to do with that, I think we can just as much with the UFC and more."

"I think we're going to study the market," he said. "Definitely China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia. All of these countries have tremendous potential. There's been tremendous interest, tremendous activity in MMA, and I think it's a question of bringing the UFC brand there and the way we do things being the global leader in the sport."

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: The UFC's continued commitment to building the sport and more specifically their brand is great to see. We've already seen the positive effects of Wright in Canada with regulation in Ontario coming much sooner than expected, and they've made another good hire with connections in the region, who has done similar work for a different sport. Whether they can be successful in China and other Asian countries is the next question, but the fact that they continue to attempt this expansion is admirable. It will not be a quick process and progress itself will not come quickly over there, but they are putting the pieces in place to do what they need to do.

UFC 118 NEWS: Frankie Edgar, Gray Maynard, Joe Lauzon, Demian Maia and Nate Diaz comment on UFC 118 victories

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:40:17 PST

By: Laramey Leet, MMATorch Contributor

The following are key excerpts from the UFC 118 post-fight press conference for a number of the night's winning fighters, including UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and new #1 contender Gray Maynard.

FRANKIE EDGAR

• "I felt way faster and moved really well. I felt I was able to step in more on my punches more. I was doing most of it on the fly there not too much of a game plan."

• "I really hope that I get some of you guys off my back with this fight. I kept my composure and was able to come out with a solid win. I could feel that I broke his will mid way through the fight, and I just continued to push forward and even tried to move faster and keep on going hard."

• "I was fighting with a huge chip on my shoulder; I have a lot of people that think that I do not belong here. I really wanted to put a stamp on this fight and there not be any questions. Nobody can say anything now. My confidence was beside me the whole time and I knew what I could do against him. I am excited to fight Gray and get a chance to avenge my loss."

JOE LAUZON

• "I had a lot of fans and friends here just for me and the crowd was great. I could hear everybody going crazy after I got the sub and it was awesome."

• "Gabe brought me regular cake instead of ice cream cake at the weigh ins and I was not happy."

• "I stunned him good with an elbow and the rest fell in great. I was surprised at how quick it went but I was glad that it went that way."

GRAY MAYNARD

• "I think Frankie did a great job, he is the champ now, and he did a great job. He has changed since the last time that we have fought."

• "Kenny is really good at moving a lot and backing up, I know that I cannot chase him or he would hurt me. So I was making sure that he chased me and took him off his game."

DEMIAN MAIA

• "I cannot guarantee that I am going to win or lose but I can guarantee that I am going to go out there and give it my all. With Mario having Anderson Silva in his corner it made me want to win even more and so I did."

NATE DIAZ

• "I would really like to go up against one of the top three contenders in either lightweight or welterweight, I would really like to fight for a belt one day."

• "I would like to fight with Gray before he gets a shot at the title." -(Dana White chimed in here saying, "That's not gonna happen!")

UFC NEWS: Three months later, Dana White not backing off Paul Daley's lifetime ban

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:50:19 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

British welterweight Paul Daley bought himself a one way ticket out of the UFC back in May when he sucker punched Josh Koscheck after the final bell had sounded in their UFC 113 bout in Montreal. Immediately released, Daley was then "banned for life" from the UFC by UFC President Dana White.

While White has made amends with many fighters in the past, giving second chances to a number of guys, Daley won't be on that list.

"That ain't happening, brother," White said in comments made to MMAJunkie.com when asked if he's reconsidered the lifetime ban. "I know there's a lot of people that are fans. Dude, that was one of the – I don't even know how to put a word on what that kid did. 'You just had a chance to fight him for 15 minutes, and now you're going to suckerpunch him after the fight?'"

"It's disgusting. I hate that. I have no respect for that whatsoever. I know some people out there disagree with me, but this is a sport. There's a lot of things that I'm lenient about, but to walk up and suckerpunch a guy in the face that you just had 15 minutes with?"

Daley was handed a 30 day suspension from the Quebec Athletic Commission earlier this month stemming from the incident, but he'll return to action for the second time since UFC 113 when he takes on Jorge Masvidal at a Shark Fights event next month. He defeated Daniel Acacio in July at an Impact FC event in Australia.

But while he's been reportedly courted by both Bellator and Strikeforce, White says he crossed a line too far and the bridge is burnt with the UFC.

"When you're a fighter, and the fight ends and you're walking around calming down and relaxing, the last thing you expect to do is get punched in the face by someone," he said. "It's disgusting. I hate it."

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: It's not surprising to see White stick with the stance, and I can't say I blame him. Daley's going to get a chance to redeem himself as a fighter outside of the UFC, but White's completely right, it's inexcusable and disgusting to throw that punch after the bell simply because he couldn't get it done within the 15 minutes he had to do so. Regardless of anything that was said before or during the fight, Daley had no excuse, and didn't do himself any favors with his attitude about the incident afterward. Best of luck to him going forward, but he'll simply not get a chance to prove his worth at the top of the division because of an extremely stupid decision in the heat of the moment.

UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn II Prediction and Betting Contest Results

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:35:10 PST

By Matt Pelkey, MMATorch Columnist

We had a few things reaffirmed for us at UFC 118: B.J. Penn can't handle the speed (or strategy, for that matter) of Frankie Edgar, a wrestler will beat a boxer in a "fight" (as opposed to a boxing match) every time, and when you're a dual contest champion at MMATorch, your attention is too divided to successfully defend both titles. Cambo "Rambo" Nelson came into Saturday with both belts, but left with only one. He turned a small profit on his bets, and it was more than enough to hold off #1 contender "Richie" Rich Hansen, who crapped his proverbial pants by laying a goose egg on a title shot. Congrats to Mr. Nelson for retaining his betting title.

He wasn't so lucky with his predictions, going 6-4 (the same mark as nearly half of our record-setting field), but not being able to best #1 contender John Hickman, who took the strap with a 7-3 record. Congrats to our new Prediction Champion John Hickman!

Who will our champions battle at UFC 119 next month? Well, I'm glad you asked. Cambo Nelson will look to defend his Betting Title for the second time against Casey Vaccaro, who more than doubled his money with successful bets on underdogs Frankie Edgar and Greg Soto. Congrats and good luck to Mr. Vaccaro.

On the prediction side, three men separated themselves from the pack with contest-best marks of 8-2: Drew Rothstein, Jonah Goodman, and Kubi. It came down to tie-breakers, and while all three were impressive on that front, Rothstein and Goodman were tops with a whopping seven rounds/methods predicted correctly. Since they tied on the tie-breakers, both men will move on to the title fight at UFC 119 in a three way dance! Hickman vs. Rothstein vs. Goodman. Good luck gentleman. Full results below:

Betting Championship:

Cambo Nelson - $300 on Edgar for $1050
$100 on Maynard for $225
Total Payout: $1275

Rich Hansen - $0

Prediction Pool:

Jonah Goodman 8-2 (7)

Drew Rothstein 8-2 (7)

Kubi 8-2 (6)

TJ Brown 8-2

Brian Fuller 7-3

Casey Vaccaro 7-3

Sam Berkenbile 7-3

Supernova 7-3

Kort 7-3

David Lakoskey 7-3

Rich Hansen 7-3

Jamie Penick 7-3

Scott Hart 6-4

Daniel Moore 6-4

Tony Shuck 6-4

Brooks Rittel 6-4

Danny Mellor 6-4

Dom762 6-4

Voiceinthedesert 6-4

Clarkiefromcanada 6-4

Belgian Waffler 6-4

Jason Odle 6-4

Erick Petchprom 6-4

Casper Petty 6-4

Christopher Wallner 6-4

Matthew Mcfarland 6-4

Lane Bradford 6-4

Matt Pelkey 6-4

Mikey Fritz 5-5

Shaun Godric Louis 5-5

Michael Thomas 5-5

Brent King 5-5

Corry Porter 4-6

Betting Pool:

Casey Vaccaro - $500 on Edgar for $1750
$300 on Soto for $690
Total Payout: $2440

Voiceinthedesert - $500 on Edgar for $1750
$200 on Maynard for $450
Total Payout: $2200

Kubi - $500 on Maynard for $1125
$400 on Lentz for $780.95
$100 on Soto for $230
Total Payout: $2135.95

TJ Brown - $500 on Soto for $1150
$400 on Lentz for $780.95
Total Payout: $1930.95

Drew Rothstein - $300 on Maynard for $675
$200 on Edgar for $700
$200 on Soto for $460
Total Payout: $1835

John Hickman - $300 on Edgar for $1050
$300 on Maynard for $675
Total Payout: $1725

Eric Labrador - $400 on Edgar for $1400
Total Payout: $1400

David Lakoskey - $500 on Miller for $669.49
$400 on Pierce for $560
Total Payout: $1229.49

Sam Berkenbile - $200 on Lentz for $390.48
$200 on Diaz for $300
$100 on Edgar for $350
$100 on Lauzon for $122.22
Total Payout: $1162.70

AJ Rhea - $500 on Soto for $1150
Total Payout: $1150

Chris Moore - $200 on Maia for $280
$200 on Couture for $234.78
$100 on Edgar for $350
$100 on Miller for $133.90
Total Payout: $998.68

Brian Fuller - $300 on Maynard for $675
$100 on Lentz for $195.24
Total Payout: $870.24

Jonah Goodman - $200 on Maynard for $450
$200 on Lentz for $390.48
Total Payout: $840.48

Matt Pelkey - $500 on Diaz for $750
Total Payout: $750

Mr. Kabob - $300 on Soto for $690
Total Payout: $690

Lane Bradford - $300 on Soto for $690
Total Payout: $690

Belgian Waffler - $300 on Maynard for $675
Total Payout: $675t

Matthew Mcfarland - $300 on Maynard for $675
Total Payout: $675

Daniel Moore - $400 on Diaz for $600
Total Payout: $600

Christopher Wallner - $400 on Diaz for $600
Total Payout: $600

Jamie Penick - $300 on Lentz for $585.71
Total Payout: $585.71

Kort - $400 on Maia for $560
Total Payout: $560

Supernova - $200 on Soto for $460
Total Payout: $460

Michael Thomas - $200 on Soto for $460
Total Payout: $460

Tony Shuck - $300 on Diaz for $450
Total Payout: $450

Corry Porter - $300 on Maia for $420
Total Payout: $420

Mikey Fritz - $100 on Edgar for $350
Total Payout: $350

Danny Mellor - $100 on Maynard for $225
Total Payout: $225

Scott Hart - $100 on Diaz for $150
Total Payout: $150

Shaun Godric Louis - $0

Brooks Rittel -$0

Dom762 - $0

Clarkiefromcanada - $0

Sam Jefferis - $0

Brent King - $0

Performer of the night: Despite coming up just short in both pools, Kubi had the best all-around night on Saturday. He tied for the best prediction mark and more than doubled his money. Hopefully a POTN award will soften the blow.

Goat of the night: There were plenty of zeroes in the betting contest, but one stood out more than the rest. The GOTN has to go to one Rich Hansen for laying the egg in a title shot. Better luck next time Rich.

UFC 118 NEWS: Kenny Florian responds to Dana White's contention that he "chokes" in big fights

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:44:01 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC lightweight Kenny Florian didn't take kindly to UFC President Dana White's criticisms of his performance at UFC 118 this past weekend. Losing to Gray Maynard by decision by being muscled around and outworked through three rounds, Florian lost out on a third shot at the UFC Lightweight Title, and White went so far as to say Florian "chokes" in the big fights.

Florian disagrees. Talking to hometown publication The Boston Herald, Florian responded to White's post-event comments.

"I don’t think that really makes any sense,” Florian said. “For me, it’s someone who is just looking at the big picture and not looking at the actual fight game. It’s someone who isn’t actually that familiar with the full technique of the game. I didn’t crumble. I was outwrestled. Gray fought a smarter fight. That was it."

Moreover, Florian vehemently disagreed with the notion that he has a mental block in certain fights and that he didn't let go in his striking in the Maynard bout.

"I didn’t freeze at all. I felt fine. I felt relaxed,” Florian said. “The guy was a better wrestler than me, that’s it. He controlled me very well on the ground, he pinned me up against the fence. I don’t understand where this mental block is coming from.”

"Every fight in the UFC is big. I’ve been in several main events for the UFC, which I’ve won. It’s easy to ignore the good and highlight the bad. I think, looking at the big picture, it doesn’t make sense. You have to look at the technical fight game, and I’m not sure Dana does that all the time.”

With the loss to Maynard knocking him out of title contention, Florian now needs to consider where his future lies in the sport. Already expanding his visibility as an analyst on ESPN2's MMA Live and occasional commentating spots in the UFC and WEC, Florian says he just needs to make fighting worth it for himself.

"I don’t want to just be another fighter,” Florian said. “If I’m going to continue doing this like this, I have to try to be the best. It just comes down to how much longer I can do this, how much of an investment I can put into this without losing money for every fight. I need to make sure the juice is worth the squeeze."

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: I still somewhat agree with White's assessment, because whether Kenny thinks so or not, he has clearly fought differently in certain fights than he has in others. And heading into that third round against Maynard, he needed to be in desperation mode looking for a finish, because he was clearly behind. Not doing so and fighting a tentative third round was inexcusable for him in that spot. I hope he finds a way to rebound, as I've been an unapologetic Kenny Florian fan, and I still think he can contend with and beat most fighters in the lightweight division. Hopefully he can put another run together here as he's still only 34 years old.

RELATED STORY: UFC 118 NEWS: Dana White says Kenny Florian "chokes in big fights": [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

[Kenny Florian art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

BELLATOR NEWS: Eddie Alvarez vs. Roger Huerta official for Bellator 33, event coming to Alvarez's hometown of Philadelphia

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:37:20 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The lightweight non-title clash between Roger Huerta and Eddie Alvarez has now been officially announced by Bellator Fighting Championships officials, and the fight will headline Bellator 33 in Philadelphia, Penn.

Alvarez, a native of Philadelphia, expressed his excitement about taking this fight in his hometown.

"Roger Huerta, Philadelphia, October 21st... this is a dream fight for me,” said Alvarez. “I've never even lost a fight here in the United States, so I'm definitely not going to start in my hometown of Philadelphia with all of my people there. That's not going to happen. Not a chance.

“I'm not going to be happy unless I completely control and dominate Roger in this fight. It's important for me to go in there and dominate this fight and prove that I'm one of the best lightweights in the world.”

Huerta is getting this fight after season two tournament winner Pat Curran came up injured. Curran had defeated Huerta by split decision in the season two tournament semifinals.

"The cheers or jeers won't affect me one way or the other," Huerta said. "The pressure is on him fighting in his hometown. He's going to bring the best out of me. The best. It's going to be scary.

“This is a fight that I've always wanted. It's a dream come true. It's going to be a grueling fight for the both of us. It's going to be a potential fight of the year. I'm going in there expecting a war, and I'm going in there trying to finish Eddie.”

Of course, this was a fight that Bellator had in mind when they signed Huerta to the season two tournament. As the favorite coming in, the organization was partially banking on Huerta's success in the tournament to set this fight up, and Alvarez definitely took notice.

"I don't care where you fought in the past, but if you come to my promotion and you have a big name and you're obviously marketable, and the promotion signs you, I'm going to have an issue with that,” said Alvarez. “If I don't feel threatened by that, then I'm an idiot. I feel threatened by someone like Roger trying to move into my house and I'm going to do everything I can to protect what's mine and get him out of there. I want to keep all eyes on me. I'm going to go out there and do my job and get him out of there."

Bellator founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney hyped up the fight, which will be coming to the The Liacouras Center on the campus of Temple University on October 21.

"The Alvarez-Huerta fight should be one of the most electrifying bouts in the history of Bellator Fighting Championships, and to be able to host it in one of the greatest fights towns on earth, Philadelphia is spectacular," Rebney said. "I’ve said it before, I believe Eddie Alvarez is the best Lightweight Mixed Martial Artist in the world today and for Roger to have the courage to face him speaks volumes about his confidence and character. The fans are really in for a treat with not only a great fight card, but also a fantastic host venue in The Liacouras Center."

Tickets for the event go on sale today at www.ComcastTix.com, and they are priced between $25 and $150.

Penick's Analysis: This is going to be an excellent lightweight fight for Bellator, and one of the biggest outside of the UFC in the division all year. Outside of a mega-fight between Strikeforce's Gilbert Melendez, this is by far the biggest fight Alvarez can take right now, and a win will establish his top 5 standing even further. For Huerta, he can make up for a lackluster performance against Curran with a huge win over a top 5 talent. This is definitely the best fight Bellator can put on in this third season, and MMA fans everywhere will be looking forward to it.

UFC QUOTABLES: Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar says he's fine with fans taking time to believe in him after consecutive wins over B.J. Penn

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:59:24 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"To me, it doesn't matter [if fans believe in me]. I believe in myself. I know my team believes in me. If it takes time to get you guys to believe in me, I'll do that, too... I definitely wanted to make it decisive and not leave any questions. But I think [getting a decisive win] was more important for [the media] than it was for me. I go in every fight trying to win and trying to do my best. That's all I can do. Hopefully this will get some of you off my back... I just thought I put more pressure on [in this fight]. I was finishing takedowns, and I was staying on top for a longer period of time. I felt I was able to step in on my strikes a little more. I didn't know what to expect really. I was kind of doing it on the fly... I think every fighter should fight with a chip on their shoulder."

-Frankie Edgar talks to MMAJunkie.com about his UFC 118 victory over B.J. Penn and being fine continuing to prove himself to fans.

Penick's Analysis: Edgar proved me completely and utterly wrong on Saturday night, and speaking at least for myself he's made a believer here. There are already those contemplating about the value of this win by using revisionist history to say maybe Penn simply wasn't as good as we were believing. I don't buy into that. Edgar had his number, plain and simple. He's beaten Penn twice and beaten a former Champ in Sean Sherk as well, who had previously only been beaten by Penn, Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes. These wins mean something. And for those that want to say the UFC's lightweight division isn't as good as we thought because of Edgar's wins, it's simply overlooking what Edgar has been able to accomplish.

RELATED STORY: PENICK: Frankie Edgar had "The Answer" for a disappointing B.J. Penn at UFC 118: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

MMA LIVE: Randy Couture discusses UFC 118 victory over James Toney on ESPN2 post-show

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:24:24 PST

ESPN2's MMA Live was on the scene at UFC 118 in Boston this weekend, and Randy Couture joined the post-show live on ESPN to discuss his victory over James Toney. Check out the video of Couture's appearance below (App users video available at MMATorch.com):

UFC NEWS: Jon Jones may face winner of UFC 119 bout between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ryan Bader

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:58:35 PST

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

After destroying Vladimir Matyushenko at UFC on Versus 2 at the beginning of this month, Jon Jones put himself into the mix of top challengers in the light heavyweight division. With fans calling for him to be matched up against the likes of Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin and Randy Couture, it appears he may have his next opponent decided later next month.

According to his manager Maliki Kawa on Twitter, Jones may meet the winner of the UFC 119 bout between Ryan Bader and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

"Just so you guys know, [Jon Jones] did ask for any one of the guys you tweeted: Forrest, Franklin and Couture. Let's see who'll step up and do it," Kawa Tweeted. "Right now it looks like winner of "Lil Nog" and Bader. All are great opponents and [Jon] would welcome the challenge."

Bader, the undefeated winner of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter, has looked increasingly more impressive from fight to fight. His last victory came by third round knockout against Keith Jardine in February, and a victory over Nogueira puts him up into the mix with Jones as the top young fighters in the 205 lb. division.

For Nogueira, he's out to establish his position in the top end of the division after a shaky fight against Jason Brilz in May. Brilz entered their UFC 114 meeting as a late replacement for an injured Forrest Griffin, and impressed everyone with a great performance, losing a razor thin split decision that many felt should have gone his way. Nogueira, with a win over Bader, would make for a great next challenge for Jones.

Either fighter equals a step up for Jones after rolling through everyone that's been put in front of him, and their bout is likely for a late November or December date dependent on the injury status of the fighter that emerges as the winner at UFC 119.

Penick's Analysis: Either fighter makes for a perfect next fight for Jones. The winner of this fight was already in the mouths of fans and writers as a possible next opponent, and with both Griffin and Franklin coming back from injury, this may be a more viable option. If it's Bader that gets past Nogueira, it will be a bout between two of the top up and coming names in the division, with the winner getting the fast track to a potential title shot in the division. The loser would be set back slightly, but in the ever revolving top end of the light heavyweight division, they'll be able to get back on track soon enough.

UFC 118 NEWS: Dana White discusses the outcomes from the UFC's first trip to Boston and more

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:02:37 PST

By: Laramey Leet, MMATorch Contributor

The following are key excerpts from Dana White at the UFC 118 post-fight press conference:

• "Thank you so much Boston, from the media to the people you were great. You all exceeded my expectations. I love this city, I love the people, and media has been overwhelming. We have got tons of media attention. I am just completely honored with everything that has gone on and our results."

• "Submission of the night was Joe Lauzon and he won in amazing fashion. Nate Diaz and Marcus Davis won fight of the night; they put on an absolute war. They were both throwing bombs the whole fight and even with Davis having bad cuts he kept on pushing through the fight, so they both get the bonus tonight."

• "UFC is moving to be in a billion homes soon. We just hired a new guy by the name of Mark Fischer to help UFC Asia take off."

• "Frankie Edgar looked like a real mixed martial artist; his combos were really crisp and his takedowns were amazing. He was picking B.J. apart round by round. Even when B.J. had Edgar down Edgar was still able to get right back up. Edgar is the real deal. Those first couple times when Edgar took him down I was shocked, nobody has done that to B.J. He beat him on his feet and on the ground."

• "James Toney lasted longer than I thought he would, I was not trying to sell this fight as the greatest fight ever, but I knew that it would end this way. I was not trying to pick a fight with boxing, Toney picked a fight with our guys and he got a fight tonight. I have a lot of respect for Toney in boxing, but no one can come in here with one discipline and win fights. If Toney would have won, I was really worried that I would have to deal with him for another year. But 99 times out of 100 a MMA guy will beat a boxer, maybe even 100 out of 100."

• "It sucks that the ref did not stop the Davis vs. Diaz fight earlier, the choke was really held in for a longtime when you could tell that Davis was out."

• "I love Kenny Florian, but he chokes in the big fights. Kenny had three rounds to let his hands go and make something happen and he just could not do it. Maynard fought his fight and dominated him tonight."

• "Now we get to see Maynard and Edgar rematch each other and fight for the belt. People are going to say that this fight will be hard to sell but I think otherwise. Edgar just came out and dominated B.J. like we have never seen before, what does this guy have to do to get respect? Maynard just came out and beat Kenny in a three round fight. They are our number one and two guys right now and the fight will sell.

• "I really have no idea where B.J. is going to go after this. We will have to take some time and see where he can go from here.

ROUNDTABLE (pt. 2 of 2): What are your early thoughts on the Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez fight at UFC 121? Williams, Hyden, Hansen, Lee, Matthew and Penick

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:38:16 PST

What do you think about the UFC 119 and 120 cards with Mir-Nogueira II and Bisping Akiyama as their respective headliners?

ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez is a fantastic bout. Unlike Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin, where most figured whoever won would end matters quickly, I think Lesnar-Velasquez will be a grueling affair. Velasquez likely doesn't have the firepower to stop Lesnar, but he does have the wrestling ability and cardio to grind him down. Lesnar, when he's on top, will score with more concussive, albeit less frenetic ground and pound. My very early pick is Lesnar by decision in a five round war.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Well, my early thoughts are that this fight is right in Brock's wheelhouse. He's going to be fighting a wrestler who's not as strong as he is, nor as good a wrestler. There's no question that Cain Velasquez is a really good fighter, but I don't think he has the tools to beat Brock. I don't think he's going to be able to outwrestle him. That means that Brock can control where the fight goes. That's bad news for Cain. This is Brock's fight to lose, and I would be stunned if he did lose. I don't see much of a chance for Cain in this fight.

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I have yet to develop any thoughts on this fight, it's too far off.

ERIC LEE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I don't entirely agree with Cain Velasquez getting the first title shot. But be that as it may I think he's gonna get destroyed. He's primarily a wrestler which has been a great skill in his previous fights. But is he really gonna try and wrestle with Brock? A man who has at least 35 pounds on him come fight time. In his last fight against Nogueira we saw some great boxing, but I don't think his boxing is gonna keep him off his back. If he wants to have any chance in this fight he better come up with a fresh new game plan that Brock won't be expecting. All I can say... is good luck.

SAM MATTHEW, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

As with all of his fights, Lesnar’s advantage lies in his size as he’s nowhere near the technical skill level that Cain Velasquez brings to the table. Unfortunately the size is such a big factor and it’s the one thing that you can’t learn, you either have it or you don’t, that it will prove very difficult for Velasquez to best. Both are outstanding wrestlers but Lesnar’s got the weight to make a difference so I’d expect him to look for takedowns and ground and pound while Velasquez attempts to keep it standing with fast combinations and hopefully becomes the first man to chop away the giant’s base with leg kicks. Just looking at the frame on Lesnar’s torso begs for leg kicks because that’s an awful lot of weight for his legs to support.

JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

For as good as Cain Velasquez has been in compiling his undefeated record, I don't see him keeping that streak intact this October. Both fighters are extremely resilient, and have shown an ability to take a punch, so I don't think this one will end quickly. Velasquez can certainly out-strike Lesnar after seeing the very real holes in Lesnar's striking game in the Shane Carwin fight, but he doesn't hit as hard as Carwin, he's a little shorter and he weighs significantly less. He's going to make this a fight, there's no doubt, but he won't be able to outwrestle Lesnar, and if he gets cracked by a couple of shots from Lesnar like he did against Cheick Kongo he won't be able to recover with his wrestling against someone as adept in that skill as Lesnar. In the end, Lesnar is going to have the weight advantage, and I think he'll have the wrestling and ground game advantage, and I don't know how Velasquez will work off his back. Lesnar retains and gets ready to take on Junior Dos Santos in 2011.

UFC 118 NEWS: Randy Couture says he had no illusions of striking with James Toney, wanted to give him the "full mixed martial arts experience"

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:34 PST

By: Laramey Leet, MMATorch Contributor

The following are key excerpts from Randy Couture at the UFC 118 post-fight press conference about his victory over James Toney.

• "I had no illusions of trying to stand up with Toney. I pulled off the low single leg because it is really hard to counter that with a punch. I was not worried about him hitting me too much; I prepared the whole camp on doing exactly what I did. I felt in my mind that I had the best game plan."

• "I was not surprised that he did not knock me out from the bottom! He came out exactly like I thought he would, with a regular boxing stance. He did not demonstrate any solid skills once he hit his butt."

• "I really wanted James to have the complete MMA experience so I wanted to hit on him for a bit and then submit him. I was relaxed as what I normally am in the cage."

• "I felt right at home and when the music started I was completely relaxed. I hope that we pulled over some boxing fans."

• "I take the fights one by one; I really do not have anybody in mind. I got my black belt tonight and I was shocked I really had no idea that he was planning that. I have been working with him for years and am glad to finally have my black belt."

• "I am not going to accept the contract to box Toney in a boxing ring because that would just as silly as him coming to fight me here. He would probably beat me in the first round just like I beat him."

[Randy Couture art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Bellator 27, September 2

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:33 PST
Bellator 27
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Majestic Theatre
San Antonio, TX
Airing on Fox Sports Net

MAIN CARD

* Joe Soto vs. Joe Warren (for featherweight title)
* Zach Makovsky vs. Nick Mamalis (bantamweight tourney bout)
* Ulysses Gomez vs. Travis Reddinger (bantamweight tourney bout)

Bellator 28, September 9

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:30 PST
Bellator 28
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Mahalia Jackson Theater
New Orleans, LA
Airing on Fox Sports Net

MAIN CARD

* Rich Clementi vs. Carey Vanier
* Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Anthony Leone

Shark Fights 13, September 11

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:27 PST
Shark Fights 13
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum
Amarillo , TX
Airing on PPV

MAIN CARD

* Trevor Prangley vs. Keith Jardine
* Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Houston Alexander
* Paul Daley vs. Jorge Masvidal
* Drew McFredries vs. Joey Villasanor
* Brock Larson vs. Tarec Saffiedine

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Douglas Evans vs. Ronnie Mann
* Paul Bradley vs. Johnny Reese
* Aaron Rosa vs. Devin Cole
* Karen Darabedyan vs. Marcus Hicks
* Eric Davila vs. Pete Spratt

UFC Fight Night 22, September 15

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:24 PST
UFC Fight Night 22
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Frank Erwin Center
Austin, TX
Spike TV

MAIN CARD

* Nate Marquardt (#3 Ranked MW) vs. Rousimar Palhares
* Efrain Escudero vs. Charles Oliveira
* Jim Miller vs. Gleison Tibau
* Cole Miller vs. Ross Pearson

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Yves Edwards vs. John Gunderson
* Jared Hamman vs. Kyle Kingsbury
* David Mitchell vs. Anthony Waldburge
* Rich Attonito vs. Rafael Natal
* Forrest Petz vs. Brian Foster
* Dave Branch vs. Tomasz Drwal

Bellator 29, September 16

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:21 PST
Bellator 29
Thursday, September 16, 2010
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
Airing on Fox Sports Net

MAIN CARD

* Neil Grove vs. Alexey Oleinik (heavyweight tournament semifinal)
* Damian Grabowski vs. Cole Konrad (heavyweight tournament semifinal)

Bellator 30, September 23

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:18 PST
Bellator 30
Thursday, September 23, 2010
TBA
TBA
Airing on Fox Sports Net

* Jeremy Horn vs. Bryan Baker
* Jacob McClintock vs. Brent Weedman

DREAM 16, September 25

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:15 PST
Dream 16
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Nippon Gaishi Hall
Nagoya, Japan
HDNet

* Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Jason Miller
* Tatsuya Mizuno vs. Gegard Mousasi
* Joe Warren v Michihiro Omigawa

UFC 119, September 25

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:12 PST
UFC 119
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, IN
Airing on PPV

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

* Frank Mir (#7 Ranked HW) vs. Mirko Cro Cop
* Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (#6 Ranked LHW) vs. Ryan Bader
* Evan Dunham (#10 Ranked LW) vs. Sean Sherk
* Chris Lytle vs. Matt Serra
* Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Joey Beltran vs. Matt Mitrione
* C.B. Dollaway vs. Joe Doerksen

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Mark Hunt vs. Sean McCorkle
* T.J. Grant vs. Julio Paulino
* Steve Lopez vs. Waylon Lowe
* Pat "Awesomely Awesome" Audinwood vs. Thiago Tavares

WEC 51, September 30

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:09 PST
WEC 51
Thursday, September 30, 2010
1STBANK Center
Broomfield, CO
Airing on Versus

MAIN CARD

* Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyan (for featherweight title)
* Miguel Torres vs. Charlie Valencia
* Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner
* Chan Sung Jung vs. George Roop
* Leonard Garcia vs. Mark Hominick

PRELIMINARY CARD

* Mike Brown vs. Cole Province
* Chris Horodecki vs. Ed Ratcliff
* Clint Godfrey vs. Demetrious Johnson
* Antonio Banuelos vs. Chad George
* Alex Karalexis vs. Zhang Tie Quan
* Tyler Toner vs. Diego Nunes

Bellator 31, September 30

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:06 PST
Bellator 31
Thursday, September 30, 2010
TBA
TBA
Airing on Fox Sports Net

* Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. TBA

Strikeforce: San Jose, October 9

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:03 PST
Strikeforce: San Jose
Saturday, October 9, 2010
HP Pavilion
San Jose, CA
Airing on Showtime

* Nick Diaz (#5 Ranked WW) vs. KJ Noons (for welterweight championship)
* Sarah Kaufman vs. Marloes Coenen (for female 135-pound title)
* Matt Lindland vs. Luke Rockhold

Bellator 32, October 14

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:37:00 PST
Bellator 32
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Kansas Power & Light District
Kansas City, MO
Airing on Fox Sports Net

UFC 120, October 16

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:57 PST
UFC 120
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The O2
London, England
Airing on Spike (delay)

MAIN CARD

* Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Michael Bisping
* Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy (#10 Ranked WW)
* John Hathaway vs. Mike Pyle
* Travis Browne vs. Cheick Kongo
* Claude Patrick vs. James Wilks

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Cyrille Diabate vs. Alexander Gustafsson
* Steve Cantwell vs. Stanislav Nedkov
* Spencer Fisher vs. Kurt Warburton
* Tom Blackledge vs. James McSweeney
* Rob Broughton vs. Vinicius Kappke de Quieroz
* Mark Holst vs. Paul Sass

Bellator 33 October 21

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:54 PST
Bellator 33
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Liacouras Center
Philadelphia, PA
Airing on Fox Sports Net

* Eddie Alvarez (#6 Ranked LW) vs. Roger Huerta
* Lyman Good vs. Ben Askren

UFC 121, October 23

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:51 PST
UFC 121
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Honda Center
Anaheim, CA
Airing on PPV

MAIN CARD

* Brock Lesnar (#1 Ranked HW) vs. Cain Velasquez (#2 Ranked HW)(for heavyweight title)
* Martin Kampmann (#6 Ranked WW) vs. Jake Shields (#3 Ranked WW)
* Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago (#8(tie) Ranked WW)
* Matt Hamill vs. Tito Ortiz
* Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brendan Schaub

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)

* Ryan Jensen vs. Court McGee
* Patrick Cote vs. Tom Lawlor

PRELIMINARY CARD (un-aired)

* Gilbert Yvel vs. Jon Madsen
* Sam Stout vs. Paul Taylor
* Mike Guymon vs. Daniel Roberts
* Chris Camozzi vs. Dongi Yang

Bellator 34, October 28

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:48 PST
Bellator 34
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, FL
Airing on Fox Sports Net

* Hector Lombard vs. Alexander Shlemenko

Sengoku 15, October 30

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:45 PST
Sengoku 15
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Ryogoku Kokugikan
Tokyo, Japan
HDNet

MAIN CARD

* Keita Nakamura vs. Takuya Wada (welterweight grand-prix semifinal)
* Yasubey Enomoto vs. Taisuke Okuno (welterweight grand-prix semifinal)
* Wataru Takahashi vs. TBA (Asian bantamweight grand prix quarterfinals)
* Shoko Sato vs. TBA (Asian bantamweight grand prix quarterfinals)
* Jae Hyun So vs. TBA (Asian bantamweight grand prix quarterfinals)
* Shintaro Ishiwatari vs. TBA (Asian bantamweight grand prix quarterfinals)

WEC 52, November 10

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:42 PST
WEC 52
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Arco Arena
Sacramento, CA
Airing on Versus

* Uirjah Faber vs. Takeya Mizugaki

UFC 122, November 13

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:39 PST
UFC 122
Saturday, November 23, 2010
Konig Pilsener Arena
Oberhausen, Germany
Airing on Spike (delay)

* Yushin Okami (#4 Ranked MW) vs. Vitor Belfort (#6 Ranked MW)
* Alessio Sakara vs. Jorge Rivera
* Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic
* Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta
* Jason Brilz vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

UFC 123, November 20

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:36 PST
UFC 123
Saturday, November 20, 2010
TBA
TBA
Airing on PPV

UFC 124, December 11

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:27 PST
UFC 123
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Bell Centre
Montreal, QC, Canada
Airing on PPV

* Georges St-Pierre (#1 Ranked WW) vs. Josh Koscheck (#4 Ranked WW) for the UFC Welterweight Championship

WEC 53, December 16

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 17:36:24 PST
WEC 53
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Jobing.com Arena
Glendale, Arizona
Airing on Versus

UFC 118 NEWS: Dana White says Kenny Florian "chokes in big fights"

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:15:21 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Kenny Florian entered the Octagon on Saturday night at UFC 118 in front of a raucous hometown crowd who was ready to see him pick up a win to get a third crack at the Lightweight Championship. Unfortunately for those fans at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., Florian came up well short of the mark, losing in a one-sided decision to "The Bully" Gray Maynard.

It was another in a series of performances from Florian in big spots that have fallen short, and UFC President Dana White after the event went so far as to say Florian "chokes" in big fights.

"I hate to say this because I don't want to take anything away from Gray Maynard, but I think Kenny is just one of those guys who chokes in big fights," White said at the post-event press conference (transcribed by MMAFighting.com). "I'm not bad-mouthing him or trying to disrespect him; I'm just being honest... Kenny's hands are unbelievable. Kenny's ground is unbelievable. Kenny usually kicks guys to the body and legs so hard that he busts guys up. You didn't see any of that tonight. He stood there and stared at Gray Maynard for three rounds."

What is frustrating for Florian's fans, and clearly White, is that he's shown a killer instinct in every fight on his way up to these big fights. He's finished a number of fighters in impressive fashion, and yet, when there is something on the line, he's put in a listless performance the likes of which was seen on Saturday. White laid some of the blame on his corner.

"You'd think his corner would say, 'Dude, you just lost the first two rounds.' No sense of urgency in the third round," White said. "Not saying, 'I need a knockout or submission in this round.' None of it. Nothing. And I guarantee you if Kenny comes back and fights one of the mid-level guys, he'll probably run through them like a f***ing freight train. But the big fights? He crumbles, man."

Florian certainly has to go back to the drawing board, and where he goes from here is something he'll need to figure out as well.

Penick's Analysis: It's hard to argue with White's comments here. Florian has been a completely different fighter in so many other fights, and yet in the B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard fights he's been tentative and unable to do much of anything. That was just not a good showing at all, and it went completely against what we've seen from him so many times before. There's just no explanation for why he's changed his style in these fights, and that's unfortunate to see because he really could have pushed himself to the top of the division.

[Kenny Florian art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

QUOTABLES: Shaquille O'Neal says he wants to fight one MMA fight against Hong Man-Choi

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:13:29 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"I'd like to fight one guy. I'd like to call out, they say pick on someone your own size. That guy would be Hong Man Choi out of Korea. Seven footer fighting seven footer. That'll probably be my one and only fight. At 38 it'd probably not be advantageous for me to get it in with these young animals... cause that's what they are."

-Shaquille O'Neal talks to Jon Anik at ESPN about the one fight he'd like to have in MMA.

Penick's Analysis: I can't see the UFC actually putting this fight on, as it's nothing but a "freak show" bout, but I can't say it wouldn't be interesting to see. Shaq continues to be a supporter and fan of the sport, but him actually stepping into a ring or cage to fight would be nothing more than a spectacle.

PENICK: Frankie Edgar had "The Answer" for a disappointing B.J. Penn at UFC 118

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 12:01:32 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

While much of the talk about last night's UFC 118 main event between Frankie Edgar and B.J. Penn will center around yet another disappointing showing from Penn, what happened in that fight should be credited to the Lightweight Champion.

In their first fight, Edgar was the first lightweight to frustrate Penn in years. Penn had gone through so many challengers with seeming ease that the natural reaction to their UFC 112 bout was that something was off with Penn.

Then, in the weeks leading into last night's event at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., Penn sounded like a motivated man ready to take his title back from a man who didn't decisively beat him the first time.

But that's not what happened.

Edgar's gameplan was quite similar to the first fight, but he implemented it much more effectively and was even more successful than in their first fight. In this fight the numbers partially told the story.

According to the FightMetric report of the fight, Edgar outlanded Penn 142-56 in strikes, including 94-36 in "significant strikes." In addition to the much more active striking of Edgar, he utilized his takedowns and defense on the ground in impressive fashion.

Edgar's strength was very much underrated heading into this one. Widely considered very small at lightweight, Edgar proved that it's not necessarily a factor for him. He took Penn down multiple times, including a slam after lifting Penn up. It was a huge part of that fight, and when Penn took him down in the fourth and fifth rounds, Edgar was able to reverse and get to his feet before Penn could get anything done on the ground.

It was a masterful performance from Edgar, and he deserves every ounce of credit for figuring out how to solve the riddle of B.J. Penn at lightweight. I'll always contend that he lost their first meeting, but Edgar left no doubt about how this one would be scored.

Now, Edgar needs to be as good if not better in his next title defense, as he'll be taking on the only man to truly bully him around in Gray Maynard. Maynard defeated Kenny Florian to earn his shot at the title, and as he's the only fighter to have beaten Edgar before, he may have an advantage on him in the rematch. For Edgar, however, he has improved immensely, and he showcased on Saturday night that he's the Champion for a reason. That fact can't be lost in the aftermath of this event.

UFC 118 BONUSES: Joe Lauzon, Marcus Davis and Nate Diaz take home $60,000 bonuses

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:22:35 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Only three fighters were awarded "Fight Night" bonuses for UFC 118, as the event had no knockouts or TKO victories to award a "Knockout of the Night." Instead, only Joe Lauzon, Marcus Davis and Nate Diaz took home $60,000 in bonus money for their efforts in Boston.

Lauzon earned his with the most emphatic performance of the night. Submitting Gabe Ruediger with an armbar after a two minute beating in the first round of their bout on the Spike TV Prelims Live special, Lauzon earned himself the "Submission of the Night" award.

Diaz and Davis earned the "Fight of the Night" for their brutal back and forth brawl that ended when Diaz choked Davis unconscious with less than a minute left in the third round. Davis started off strong, knocking Diaz down and launching a flurry of punches at him in the first round, but from then on out it was all Diaz. He used his reach advantage effectively, and brutalized Davis face, opening up a huge cut and giving Davis a giant welt on the right side of his face. Diaz finally got a late takedown in the third and locked on the vicious fight ending choke.

Penick's Analysis: This was a very average fight card for the UFC, leading to Davis and Diaz taking the "Fight of the Night" almost by default. Not that it wasn't thoroughly entertaining, but it wasn't the strongest "Fight of the Night" on a UFC event this year. For Diaz, he's made himself a healthy chunk of extra money in his UFC career, with yet another bonus check in his bank account. As for Lauzon, he looked excellent, and made Ruediger look completely below his league. That was a very deserving deserving bonus win for him in just a great performance.

RELATED STORY: Penick's full round by round event report: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

UFC 118 NEWS: The James Toney experiment is over, Dana White says they won't be bringing in any more boxers

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:43:58 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

James Toney may have said he'd be back after getting submitted in quick fashion by Randy Couture on Saturday night at UFC 118, but the UFC won't be bringing him back.

After the event, UFC President Dana White said the experiment is over, and the UFC won't be bringing in any more boxers into the Octagon either.

"It's unfair to bring a guy in with one discipline, no matter if he's trained for eight or nine months," White said at the post fight press conference (quotes transcribed by MMAJunkie.com. "I wasn't the guy going out there and trying to badmouth boxing and take boxing down and hurt the sport of boxing. James Toney picked a fight, and he got one.

"I don't see [other boxers] ever doing that, coming out and whatever. James Toney is the guy that's crazy enough to come out and do this. He picked a fight, he got one, and we won't be doing any more boxing."

White continues to insist he has nothing against boxing, and that he's a boxing fan, and he says Toney forced the issue to have them answer the "boxing vs. MMA" question again.

"We're not after boxing. We're not trying to attack boxing," White said. "I love boxing, and I thought this question was answered back in 1993, but I've got to be honest. As we got closer to the fight, my stomach hurt, and I was a little dizzy. I was nervous. Mixed martial arts stepped in there against a boxer, but at the end of the day, it's a fight. Anything can happen in a fight"

White wasn't nervous about Couture losing, however.

"What was I nervous about? That I'd have to deal with James Toney for the next year," White said. "It's been a fun ride with James. It's been very interesting. He's a nutty guy. I was nervous for that fight... He's a tough guy, and he's been around for a long time, and I love him. I have a lot of respect for James Toney. When you come in with one discipline, you can't expect the guy to come in and have great ground work. You know what? He stepped up. He wanted to do it, and he did it.

"He hung in there longer than I thought he would. I'm sure he was as prepared as he could be. Anybody that knows James Toney over the past few years knows that James isn't the most physically fit boxer on the planet. But let me tell you what, when I signed him in my office, he's lost a lot of weight since that day. He took it serious, he went out there, and he gave it a shot."

Though he gave it a shot, he failed, and the UFC will not entertain his MMA desires any longer.

Penick's Analysis: It's not surprising at all. Toney went out and proved that a strict boxer cannot learn enough in nine months to take on a high end MMA fighter. If boxers want to make the transition to the sport of MMA, they need to develop their skills in the grappling arts first, and they need to work their way up. Having a devastating punch will only get you so far in MMA, and Toney found out the hard way what this sport is about. It was a one-sided fight from the outset, and there's no need for Toney to get another payday from the UFC.

RELATED STORY: UFC 118 RESULTS: Randy Couture chokes out James Toney in the first round in Boston: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

KELLER'S UFC 118 BLOG: Toney vs. Couture, Edgar vs. Penn... Random Thoughts in Chronological Order

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:00:08 PST

By Wade Keller, MMATorch editor

KELLER'S UFC 118 BLOG
AUGUST 28, 2010
BOSTON, MASS.
AIRED LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW

NOTE: If you own a Droid phone or iPhone, be sure to download our FREE MMATorch App. Just search "MMATorch." We just launched in the Android Marketplace a few days ago.

To read a more in-depth account of the fights, check out JAMIE PENICK'S IN-DEPTH ROUND-BY-ROUND FIGHT REPORT.

PRE-EVENT OBSERVATIONS

-Was B.J. Penn in the middle of a yawn when they cut backstage to show him on the pre-show on Spike, or was he just exercising his jaw?

-Nice of James Toney to flash the crowd his plumber's crack during weigh-ins. That didn't look like an accident.

-The heavyweights have an accessory advantage. Randy Couture got to wear jewelry during weigh-ins while the lighter weight wrestlers are scraping out ear wax to make weight.

-Quite the contrast in fighters in weigh-ins. Penn looked gaunt and drained from cutting weight, and Edgar looked like he was ready to fight then and there.

PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT

1 -- MARCUS DAVIS vs. NATE DIAZ

ROUND ONE: Joe Rogan says he's happy to see Diaz back at 170 so he doesn't have such a tough time cutting weight... Really fun start. Marcus clearly bothered by the bleeding above his right eye. Diaz brought the energy and his usual ability to absorb blows and sell none of it... The pro-Davis crowd chanted "Diaz sucks" during the round... It can't be encouraging for a fighter like Davis to hear the crowd gasp at the close-up on the big screen of his cut before the start of the second... When the second round was about to begin, the local doctor checked on Davis, which caused Rogan to groan. Yves Lavign told the ref he's okay to fight. The doc let it go...

ROUND TWO: More of the same in round two... Diaz goes for a decisive point late in the round with a takedown. Davis actually ends up on top near the very end, but Diaz leverages himself on top. Interesting call for the judges there... Davis's corner implores him not to think about the cut as he dishes out strategy... Diaz raises his arms at the start of the third round. Davis's right eye is badly swollen. Lavign tells Davis to protect that eye. Rogan says he's ever seen a ref tell a fighter something like that before a round...

ROUND THREE: Davis seemed slowed at the start of the third round. Diaz continued to pelt him and go for a takedown. Davis resisted well. Rogan said Davis "looks slower than normal"... It's a small thing, but when Mike Goldberg calls this the "first fight of the night" when two prelim fights aired on Spike and others were unaired, it does sound bad. It's so easy to just say "first fight of the main card"... At 3:20 Diaz takes Davis to the mat. Davis's eye is just a swollen mess... Diaz successfully choked out Davis. The ref checked for a dropped arm a few times. Rogan said Yves didn't want to "make the Mac Danzig mistake." Goldberg said Davis didn't want to tap in his hometown...

RESULT: Diaz at 4:02 of round three by submission.

STAR RATING (**+)

POST-FIGHT: Diaz says he think he broke his hand in the second round... Diaz said he'd like to drop back to 155 and beat those "wanna be hotshots." There's no post-fight interviews quite like the Diaz brothers. They never seem "quite there." Could UFC have worked harder to keep Nate Diaz off camera during all of that?

-They cut to "Shogun" Rua at ringside.

-The commercial for UFC 119 hypes five fights. They never go that deep in hyping a card, which shows they're reaching deep for people to care about this card with that top level singular main event or co-main events with either big draws or titles on the line.

2 -- GRAY MAYNARD vs. KENNY FLORIAN -- Top Contender Fight

ROUND ONE: Loud "Kenny! Kenny!" chant from the crowd early... Very tentative start, both waiting for the other to move first and create an opening. Kenny lands a high kick early and a thrust kick seconds later which didn't do damage but helps give him credit for being the "aggressor" on scorecards if nothing else happened the rest of the round. Maynard swung big and missed at 1:45... Maybard shot in at 3:45 and worked to get Florian down 20 seconds later. Florian defended with full guard. Rogan wondered if Florian could attack from underneath. Maynard didn't do much until a couple punches in the final seconds. Is that enough to solidify the round for him? Maynard throws a borderline post-horn punch, drawing some boos... Florian's corner tells him that he's taking him down late in the round to play to the judges... They cut away from between-round insight from the corners to show us Tim Brennen and Ken Casey, the Dropkick Murphys. Lame...

ROUND TWO: Not that Diaz and Davis don't have fight strategies, but Florian's fights are fascinatingly different because so much thought and reasoning goes into everything he does... The crowd grew restless as the second round was only slightly faster-paced than the first. Rogan noted that Maynard was being very selective with the punches he threw... Florian landed a nice body kick worth the judges' consideration... The pace picked up mid-round. Maynard went for a takedown and tried to power Florian down against the cage, but Florian resisted effectively for a while until Maynard swept him backward to the mat. Maynard went for side mount and got it. Rogan noted that Florian hasn't tapped anyone off of his back in UFC... At 4:00 Maynard landed some rights from on top. Florian bled pretty heavy at this point near his left eye... Rogan gave Maynard both the first and the second rounds... As he walked to his corner, Florian looked like he understood his position in this fight going into the third... Maybe UFC can stick with the corner analysis this time and not cut to fringe celebrities... Maynard's corner told him he thinks they won both rounds, but fight like it's 1-1...

ROUND THREE: At 1:45 Maynard took Florian down again after a stalemate standing. Florian went for an up kick and some punches from underneath, but Maynard controled him through mid-round... As soon as the crowd booed, ref Mario Yamazaki threatened to stand them up. It was probably premature to threaten that as Maynard was hardly resting for long if at all in that position, but him checking the clock second earlier maybe justifies the ref making the threat... At 3:45 Florian got back to his feet, but Maybe muscled him back to the mat. Florian went for an arm submission underneath, but Maynard was patient and popped out. Florian again went for another arm submission on his back and it looked better for Florian than it was as Maynard agai popped out... They stood for the final 15 seconds, but Florian wasn't able to land any punches because he didn't throw any... After the horn, Florian didn't even put on a show for the judges. He reacted with dismay and disappointment. Rogan said Florian needs to add an attack from his back - a "really lethal guard" - and he thinks he will after this fight...

RESULTS: Maynard via 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28.

STAR RATING (**): Decent fight, but Florian seemed "solved" by Maynard and there wasn't much for the hometown crowd to cheer.

POST-FIGHT: Maynard said it's great to talk to Rogan again and moved in for a hug. Rogan said Maynard now faces the winner of the main event. Maynard said he's going to watch the main event from ringside with a beer and popcorn.

IN THE CROWD: They showed Wes Welker of the New England Patriots. They also showed Chuck Liddell smiling in the crowd. Good to see him smiling again.

PLUGS: Goldberg plugs the start of The Ultimate Fighter on Sept. 15 and the UFC 119 PPV card with prelims on Spike on Sept. 25... Also, Oct. 15 and 16 UFC Fan Expo in the U.K... Then UFC on Spike featuring Michael Bisping vs. Akiyama, Carlos Condit vs. Dan Hardy, and Mike Pyle vs. John Hathaway...

3 -- DEMIAN MAIA vs. MARIO MIRANDA

ROUND ONE: Anderson Silva is in Miranda's corner... Maia takes Miranda down 30 seconds into the fight. Rogan is surprised as Maia's takedown since Miranda is an accomplished wrestler... At 1;30 Maia got Miranda's back. At exactly 3;00 Miranda broke free and they returned to stand up... They spent the final two minutes in a virtual staredown other than a few swings and misses by both... Miranda almost seemed to concede the round... Maia's corner told him he had a great first round and he should just score more points in the second... Anderson Silva's distinctive voice gave Miranda strategy in his corner...

ROUND TWO: Miranda avoided an early takedown attempt, but Maia got him down by 45 seconds... Mid-round Rogan said Miranda was beginning to wilt since he wasn't fighting off the mount by Maia with enough energy or sense of urgency... Rogan had to interrupt a Goldberg plug for the next UFC PPV just as Maia was applying a potential finishing armbar. These mid-fight plugs for UFC PPVs have to go. There's just no purpose to them and it diminishes the respect for the fact that the fight can end at any second... Miranda slipped out of a Maia submission attempt wth 20 seconds left and then ate up most of the final few seconds standing and kicking at Maia who remained on his back...

ROUND THREE: Early takedown by Maia again, but mid-round Miranda slipped out and ended up on top. Maia showed real signs of fatigue. He was very slow to get up. Silva yelled at ringside, wanting his guy to make a comeback similar to his own. Rogan said Miranda shouldbe throwing kicks like Pele at this point, but it was clear he didn't have enough gas in the tank, either.... Maia thoroughly dominated the fight, but the fact that he was so exhausted mid-third round works against him a bit... Goldberg barely got a word in edgewise in this one as Rogan called the jiu jitsu enthusiastically non-stop throughout the fight... Maia went for another late submission, but Miranda impressively escaped again and ended on the offensive at the end, but it didn't matter. Both fighters looked totally spent after the fight...

DECISION: Maia via unanimous decision 30-27, 30-27, 30-27.

STAR RATING (**)

IN THE CROWD: Micky Ward, retired pro boxer, and Glen Davis of the Boston Celtics. Goldberg said he wants to be a "cage fighter."

4 -- RANDY COUTURE vs. JAMES TONEY

PRE-FIGHT: Rogan called Toney the most skilled boxer by far to ever try MMA... Couture says there are serious holes in his game and his job is to exploit them. He said he is mistaken if he thinks he can walk in with just boxing skills... Rogan notes that Couture faced fast boxing before from Vitor Belfort, who wasn't effective against him... Rogan said the key is whether he can stop a takedown long enough to even attempt a punch, plus if the fight goes long enough will his arm strength hold up if he wrestles at all with Couture... Toney is booed as he entered the Octagon... Rogan said Toney is an all-time great boxer, but is he in good enough shape to give himself a chance at age 42. Rogan said Couture at age 47 is in tremendous shape as a relentless trainer... Rogan said, "This is fun. I just hope more boxers start to do this." Goldberg congratulated Toney for being the first...

ROUND ONE: This went according to pretty much the exact script you'd have predicted if your life was on the line and knew anything about MMA. Couture shot in, easily took Toney down, punched him and smothered him and totally controlled him. Toney survived Couture's punches, of course, but Couture shoved Toney into the fence and shifted into an arm triangle. Toney survived, so Couture let go, threw a few more punches, and then locked on another arm triangle and this time Toney was going out, so he tapped. The crowd loudly chanted "UFC! UFC!" 90 seconds in. Rogan and Goldberg loved it. Rogan said Toney didn't show any ground defense skills and he wished he put up more of a fight. Couture was elated with the win. The weight of the MMA community was on his shoulders, so that had to a relief no matter how confident he was. Does this wipe out any tinge of significance of what happened to Tim Sylvia (a fight UFC didn't acknowledge).

DECISION: Couture via tapout at 3:19 of round one.

STAR RATING: (****): The criteria for our (admittedly subjective) star rating system is ranking fights in three areas: technique, historical significance, and excitement level. This wasn't exciting for very long and it wasn't competitive, but in terms of Couture's technique and historical significance, it's hard to top. I could totally understand someone giving this a one-star rating due to the obvious mismatch aspect of it, but I disagree due to the historical significance and the technique Couture showed.

POST-FIGHT: Rogan interviewed Couture, who began by saying Boston is awesome. He was running in place with excitement. He said that was exactly what he trained to do. He said he knew with a boxing stance, the low single takedown would work even though nobody does it in MMA. He said he worked on that arm triangle for over a year. Rogan asked if Toney was surprised he didn't know how to defend any position. Couture said training nine months isn't enough time. He said he's a boxing fan and credited Toney for stepping up. He said hopefully more boxers learn to love MMA. Rogan congratulated him on his movie success, too. Couture said it was a hell of a month for him. Rogan then interviewed Toney. He congratulated him for being the first boxer to enter MMA. The crowd booed. Toney said he caught him and didn't expect him to be able to move in so aggressively at first. He said he'll be back, he's no quitter. Rogan asked if he'll try more MMA bouts. Toney said Couture is a great fighter and he's a great fighter in boxing.

IN THE CROWD: Shaquille O'Neal, a Celtic this year. Also Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.

5 -- FRANKIE EDGAR vs. B.J. PENN -- Lightweight Championship Fight

PRE-FIGHT: Goldberg noted that it's been a long time since he walked out first. Well, there was that GSP fight not that long ago... Rogan said a win here cements his legacy. Lots of talk coming into this about how close and controversial the decision was in favor of Edgar last time... Penn walked out looking like he crawled out of bed with the flu to go to the bathroom. Edgar danced to the Octagon... Same lack of expression from Penn at during ring intros and the staredown...

ROUND ONE: Edgar took Penn down 20 seconds in after Penn was aggressive in stand-up at the start. He went for an armbar. Penn escaped. Edgar remained on top. The crowd chanted "B.J.! B.J.!" early. Rogan noted how good Penn is working from his back... At 1:40 they ended up back on their feet... Mid-round the crowd chanted "Frankie! Frankie!"... Frankie moved so quickly Penn didn't land much on target. Edgar took Penn down again against the fence. "Unbelievable!" exclaimed Rogan. Penn used the big screen to get a sense of what was happening. Back to their feet at 3:30. A loud pro-B.J. chant in the final minute... Edgar out-quicked Penn by a wide, wide margin... Round easily to Edgar with two takedowns and nothing by Penn...

ROUND TWO: Penn was already huffing and puffing at the start of round two... Rogan said Penn has to land something to slow Edgar down... Penn went for some leg kicks and landed a left hook. Edgar didn't seem fazed... Rogan said Edgar looks much improved over the last Penn fight, and also more confident. Definitely true... Rogan said styles make fights, and Edgar's style puzzles Penn, who has never faced someone faster than him before... Edgar took Penn down a third time. Rogan called it unbelievable, noting that he's already taken Penn down more than in the entirety of his previous lightweight career... More of the same on stand-up to close the round. No real damage by either, other than Edgar draining more of Penn's always-questionable endurance... Penn's corner told him he's "so much stronger than this guy"... Rogan said Penn looked concerned. He's looked concerned since weigh-ins, so maybe something else is going on with his health...

ROUND THREE: Penn went for a high head kick early, but just hit Edgar's hand. More of the same stand-up... Penn stuffed a takedown attempt at 3:30... Goldberg said Edgar's confidence has sky-rocketed. Rogan said Edgar has improved and Penn hasn't. Rogan said, "This is incredible." Rogan said he is very curious what Penn's corner has to say... Rogan said what he doesn't like is how Penn seems to be "accepting" losing... Edgar landed the better shots including a hard left hook and a hard elbow against the fence... Penn's corner told him: "F--- that speed. Go after that little c--- sucker"... Rogan noted he heard technical instruction in Edgar's corner, but just confusion in Penn's corner...

ROUND FOUR: At 0:15 Penn took Edgar down. Rogan said now things get interesting. "This is B.J. Penn's world," he said. Edgar defended nicely from his back, though, and hardly looked outclassed there. The "B.J." chants returned briefly. Edgar got back to his feet at 1:10, impressively... Edgar landed a solid right to Penn's chin... Edgar went for what looked like a Superman punch; Penn lifted his left leg, but Edgar closed in on him and then swept his support leg. Penn landed with a thud and Edgar pounced... Edgar stood, leaned down, and landed a big left on Penn on his back... Edgar respected Penn's upkick potential and backed off. Rogan said Penn seemed to be wilting, but he could still win... The round ended with some stand-up. More of the same other than Penn clipping Edgar near the end. That was easily Edgar's round, though... Edgar's corner implored him to not give Penn a round and give him nothing to talk about afterward...

ROUND FIVE: Rogan said he really wasn't impressed with the advice Penn's corner was giving him. He said he'd be screaming at him to take him down. Seconds later Penn went for a takedown and got it, but Edgar went for a guillotine from underneath immediately. Penn slipped out and tried to keep Edgar down. Edgar tried to slip out, but Pen got his back. Edgar slipped out again and ended up on top; Penn settled into full guard... Rogan said it's not surprising that Edgar is winning again, but what's surprising is how he is doing it... Goldberg noted that Penn hasn't lost to anyone other than Edgar since 2002 at 155... Edgar looked fresh. Rogan noted that's in part because he doesn't cut weight. That was apparent at weigh-ins, which I'm surprised hasn't been mentioned because I've never see two fighters look further apart in energy level and, frankly, overall health than at that weigh-in... Penn could barely make eye contact after the fight, but did send his version of props and respect to Edgar afterward. Penn was understandably dejected afterward. He looked borderline despondent during the announcement, then applauded the announcement of Edgar as the winner...

DECISION: Edgar via unanimous decision 50-35 by all three judges to retain his Lightweight Title.

STAR RATING (**+): Disappointingly one-sided fight. Penn just didn't bring it. Historically significant changing of the guard at 155, but by the end you didn't even feel any excitement at the stand-up since the outcome seemed a foregone conclusion.

POST-FIGHT: Rogan interviewed Edgar afterward, who clutched his belt and shined his belt. Edgar said he feels like he can walk on water. He said prepping for Penn for eight months brought out the best in him. He gave out a ton of thanks. Edgar said it was close the first time and he wanted to make a point this time. Rogan neglected to ask Edgar about facing Gray Maynard next... Rogan interviewed Penn, who said Edgar fought a great fight and is tough. "What can you say?" he said. "I guess he looked like the same kind of fight as the last time, but he got off good. Much respect." Rogan asked him if he'll go back to welterweight or think on it. Penn said he has to think on it before he makes any decisions. He was humbled. None of that b.s. "visit my website to hear my thoughts" that cost him a lot of goodwill with paying customers over the years. Penn makes up for a lot of that, though, by being classy enough not to pull the lame "I was hurt/sick" line so many losers offer after fights...

A -- JOE LAUZON vs. GABE RUEDIGER

ROUND ONE: This was also featured live on Spike earlier... Lauzon dominated from the start, took Ruediger down, and got his back. He seemed to be twice as strong and twice as fast. He landed some elbows and then passed guard, landed some punches, German suplexed him, landed more punches, and submitted him with an armbar. About as dominant a win as you'll see. Ruediger didn't accept a Lauzon handshake offer afterward. Lauzon was perfectly willing to just celebrate instead. "That wasn't just winning, that was demolishment." Demolishment, I'm surprised to find out, is an actual word... Lauzon worked the crowd into a frenzy.

WINNER: Lauzon via tapout at 2:01.

POST-FIGHT: Lauzon thanked the crowd. He said winning in Boston was a dream come true. He said he wanted to take his heart and then take his arm, and that's exactly what he did. Rogan touted it as the best performance of his UFC career...

OFFICIAL TAPOUT OF THE NIGHT: Lauzon.

-Rogan and Goldberg talked about Couture's win as they showed Couture celebrating with his wife backstage earlier. Rogan said he's not sure if Toney will fight in MMA again... They shifted to talking about Maynard's previous win over Edgar. He said styles make fights, and Maynard bullied him in their first fight. Rogan, though, noted correctly that this is a very different Edgar. "It's a different animal we're dealing with, which makes the rematch very exciting"... Rogan suggested Penn might try a different camp. He said he's always been open to change and suggestions, including bringing in better cardio trainers in the past...

-Goldberg hyped upcoming events and then threw a plug out to ESPN2's "MMA Live" coming up right after the PPV.

FINAL THOUGHTS: After some off-the-charts UFC events, this was just an average solid UFC show. There's not enough to the Couture-Toney fight to make it worth ordering the replay to see if weren't the type to go out of your way to watch it live in the first place. Nothing else hit the three-star level, much less four-stars, so a skippable show or wait for the DVD.

To read a more in-depth account of the fights, check out JAMIE PENICK'S IN-DEPTH ROUND-BY-ROUND FIGHT REPORT.

QUOTEBOOK

B.J. Penn on Frankie Edgar: "You're the Ultimate Fighting Champion? Okay, what a joke."

B.J. Penn: "They don't have a lot to work with. They just have Frankie Edgar."

Joe Rogan on Kenny Florian: "He really is the ultimate gate keeper here. He'd like to be much more."

Randy Couture on James Toney: "I don't care about knocking him out. I just want to beat his ass."

Joe Rogan after Randy Couture's win: "What we learned in UFC 1 is still true in UFC 118."

Joe Rogan: "I never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but B.J. is getting outclassed."

UFC 118 RESULTS: Frankie Edgar defeats B.J. Penn with more convincing decision to retain UFC Lightweight Championship

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:30:39 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Their first meeting ended in a razor thin decision that many felt went the wrong way, but UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar effectively killed the division's "B.J. Penn Era" on Saturday night in Boston with a dominant display, earning a second unanimous decision victory over "The Prodigy."

Edgar was a clearly improved version of himself from the outset. After struggling with takedown attempts in the first fight, Edgar had no problem taking Penn to the canvas in this fight, and through five rounds Edgar proved he was the best lightweight fighter in the world.

For the first couple rounds, and then the fourth round, Penn looked much better than he did in Abu Dhabi, landing good strikes and stalking Edgar down. The fourth round saw Penn get a takedown and nearly establish the mount, but Edgar was able to get out of the precarious position, as he did throughout the fight.

Edgar's striking and takedowns were much more effective and convincing than in their UFC 112 fight in April, and he just seemed to have Penn's number in this fight.

Penn, on the other hand, was never able to really get established in this one. He effectively landed punches and kicks in the first two rounds, but he wasn't able to figure Edgar out in this fight.

It was an incredible performance by the Champion against the fighter many held as the very best this division has ever seen. That has been the case for so long it now seems that era has come to an end.

Edgar looks ahead to a fight against the only man that holds a win over him in Gray Maynard. Edgar looked much better than he did in his fight with Maynard the first time around, and he'll need to show off an improved takedown defense and ground game or he could be in for a really long night against "The Bully."

As for Penn, there's no telling where he goes from here. He's got a fight against Takanori Gomi in the lightweight division that could be highly entertaining, or he could choose to move up to the welterweight division. Whatever he chooses, he certainly wasn't the dominant "Prodigy" he has been in the past.

Penick's Analysis: Frankie Edgar proved me and hundreds of thousands of doubters wrong tonight. When he got out of being nearly mounted in the fourth round any hope of a Penn win went out the door, and Edgar proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's the best lightweight fighter in the world right now. Beating B.J. Penn twice in consecutive fights, and looking immensely improved and even better the second time around, is no small feat. Frankie Edgar now deserves that Championship belt around his waist, but the UFC cannot be looking forward to the Edgar vs. Maynard title fight they've got on their plate now. They'll have to team it up with another title fight. The best thing for them would probably be to put that fight with the Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck fight coming on December 11.

RELATED STORY: Penick's full round by round event report: [CLICK TO READ FULL REPORT]

UFC 118 RESULTS: Randy Couture chokes out James Toney in the first round in Boston

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 09:00:22 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

In the fight billed as "MMA vs. Boxing," Randy Couture came out and did exactly what he was expected to do against James Toney at UFC 118.

Couture immediately shot in for a single leg takedown, and he put Toney on his back. Once on the ground, Couture moved to the mount in quick fashion and began the beating.

After a number of strikes in the mount, Couture moved Toney to the cage and continued the assault. He then switched his attention to an arm triangle choke, nearly forcing the submission on his initial attempt. But he didn't have it locked on correctly, so he flattened Toney out, relocked the submission on and then passed with ease to side control.

Toney then tapped the air as Couture held onto the choke and the fight was finished just over three minutes into the first round.

The fight didn't do much to prove or disprove any of the claims between the two sports. Instead, the fight just proved that nine months of grappling training is nowhere near enough to contend against a lifelong wrestler.

Toney said after the fight that he would be back, but whether the UFC brings him back or not remains to be seen. As for Couture, he'll set his sights likely back to the light heavyweight division and a final push for one last title in his career.

Penick's Analysis: This was a destruction at the hands of Randy Couture. "The Natural" took Toney to unfamiliar waters that he wasn't ready to deal with and he finished him off. It was almost exactly how this fight should have been expected to go down, because outside of a perfectly timed knockout punch, Toney stood no chance. And I can't imagine the UFC brings him back again.

RELATED STORY: Penick's full round by round event report: [CLICK TO READ FULL REPORT]

UFC 118 RESULTS: Penick's live round by round report of Edgar vs. Penn II, Couture vs. Toney event from Boston

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:52:11 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC 118: EDGAR VS. PENN II
AUGUST 28, 2010
LIVE FROM BOSTON, MASS.

Mike Goldberg welcomes everyone to the Spike TV broadcast and brings in Joe Rogan as always. They run down the pay-per-view card after Rogan said the "prelims have already been fantastic." Let's hope that means a few make the broadcast here tonight. Rogan talked about the James Toney-Randy Couture fight, and then Goldberg went right to the first fight of the card.

FIGHT ONE: ANDRE WINNER VS. NIK LENTZ (LIGHTWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: Lentz said he's very confident coming into this one and he said he's looking forward to showing everyone that he belongs in the top of the division. Winner said he's going to take the center of the Octagon and push the pace in the fight.

ROUND ONE: Winner walked Lentz down to the cage. Lentz threw a leg kick and then shot in for a single leg. Winner held off the initial attempt and Lentz drove him to the cage. Winner held him off and Lentz landed a kne to the body. Lentz pulled him down, Winner got back up but then Lentz stayed on him and dragged him to the ground. He landed a couple of short punches and Winner again got back to his feet. Lentz kept him on the cage and tried to trip him up. Lentz stayed onto the single leg and Winner showing off some very good takedown defense in the fight thus far. Winner landed a good knee and separation. Lentz landed a nice overhand right and shot in again for the single leg. Winner landed a short knee and held off the takedown again. Lentz released the leg and Winner landed a big knee to the body. Lentz dropped back for a single leg again. The crowd started to boo the clinch action. Lentz again went for the single and Winner continued to hold off the takedown. He grabbed a Thai clinch and landed a knee. He landed another punch but Lentz stayed on him in the clinch. Lentz finally got Winner down again. Winner again walked up and got to his feet. Lentz threw a punch but ate a left hook and a knee from Winner. Lentz finished the round in a body lock.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Lentz. Winner got some good punches in and held off the takedowns for the most part, but Lentz pushed the pace and stayed on Winner the entire round. Close round though.

ROUND TWO: Lentz landed an early leg kick. He pressed forward with a combo but Winner shook off the clinch. Winner threw a kick. Lentz came right back in with another combo and shot for the single. Winner again held off the takedown nicely. Lentz is not giving Winner any space to do anything here. Winner gets in a knee and then they jockey for position. Lentz landed an elbow and turned Winner back against the cage. The boo birds again came from the crowd at the clinch work. Lentz dropped for the single leg again. Winner tried to grab a kimura but let it go. Winner continues to hold off the takedown attempts and he landed a few knees to the body. Lentz returned them. Winner landed a nice right hook to separate but Lentz got right back on him. Winner threw some punches as Lentz continued to stay on him. He finally dragged him down but Winner was right on the cage and got back to his feet again. Winner got out but in the scramble Lentz got on top of him and threw a few punches. Winner again got to his feet. Lentz landed a knee from the side. He stayed on Winner against the cage with the single leg. The boo birds out again. Winner landed an elbow. Lentz lifted winner up behind his head and dropped him down. Winner again got to his feet and Lentz clinched to end the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Lentz. He finally completed the takedown, but he's stayed on Winner throughout and has smothered him.

ROUND THREE: Winner tried to press Lentz back to the cage and he landed a couple of punches. Lentz stood with him and connected with a couple shots of his own and he once again drove Winner to the cage, much to the dismay of the crowd. He got Winner to the ground again. Winner again stood back up. Lentz hit him with a left and pressed him to the cage again. Lentz got Winner's back standing. Boo birds out heavily as Lentz takes him to the ground again. Winner again got to his feet and Lentz stayed on him and took his back with two and a half minutes left. Winner rolled back and got it to half guard. Lentz again takes Winner's back and gets the hooks in. Winner rolls out of it and Lentz lands some short punches. Lentz gets full mount and lands some short punches. Winner gets to half guard and turns and Lentz stays on him. Lentz throws some elbows to Winner's thigh and the crowd hates this fight. Lentz throws some more short punches to the body and he's just holding position. He gets Winner's back again. He got one hook in and got a choke in as the fight ended and the crowd booed heavily. Ugly fight.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Lentz. He just wore Winner out in this one. It wasn't pretty, it won't get him a spot on TV in his next fight, but it should be a mark in the win column for him.

WINNER: Lentz via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

STAR RATING: (*) That was a battle of attrition that just wasn't entertaining. It was ugly, and Lentz did enough to stifle Winner and get the victory, but an enjoyable fight that was not.

FIGHT TWO: JOE LAUZON VS. GABE RUEDIGER (LIGHTWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: Ruediger said he's coming out to finish Lauzon no matter what happens in the fight. Lauzon said he doesn't like Gabe, Gabe doesn't like him, but he's going to smash him.

ROUND ONE: Lauzon took the center and forced Ruediger to circle. Lauzon got in a nice right. He cracked Ruediger again and then clinched Ruediger against the cage. Gabe held it off briedly, and then Lauzon threw him to the ground violently. He passed nicely and then got Ruediger's back quickly. Ruedigrr got out and went for a leg but Lauzon got out. He landed a series of vicious elbows standing. He got Ruediger's back and landed some hard uppercuts below his arm. Lauzon got the hooks in, landed a few punches and then took an open arm and locked the armbar on. Ruediger was forced to tap, and that was an ass kicking. Awesome, awesome stuff out of Lauzon in this one.

WINNER: Lauzon via submission (armbar) at 2:01 of the first round.

POST FIGHT: Lauzon said "welcome to Boston." The hometown crowd gave him a huge reaction. He said he wanted to take Gabe's heart and then take his arm and that's what he did.

STAR RATING: (***) That was total domination from the outset and immensely entertaining. Lauzon is back on track and Ruediger is probably one and done in the UFC.

PRELIM FIGHT A: DAN MILLER VS. JOHN SALTER (MIDDLEWEIGHT)

ROUND ONE: They trade punches early in the fight. Miller gets in with a good leg kick. Miller pressed forward with a short combo and backed out. Miller with another nice combo. Straight right lands from Miller nicely. Miller with another combo and Salter finally gets in a counter punch. Miller with some good punches as Salter finally connects on a few of his own. Miller throws a straight kick that lands to the body. Salter landed a left and Miller countered with two punches. Salter caught a kick and took Miller to the ground. Miller tried to walk his legs up for a high guard. He's holding control of Salter's body well from the bottom. He kicked Salter off, but Salter got back into his guard. Miller still using the high guard and keeping control of Salter here. He pushed Salter off and got back to his feet. Both fighters landed punches simultaneously. Miller landed another good combination. Salter got in a good right hook and Miller came back with a few punches again. Salter got in a good left and Miller shot in. Salter held it off and landed a knee. Salter shot in and Miller tried to grab a guillotine as Salter got him to the ground. Salter got out of it and into side control as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Salter. He edged it with the second takedown and side control, but Miller was doing much more on the feet.

ROUND TWO: Miller walked Salter down and landed a jab. He got in with a nice right. Salter connected on a left. He tagged Miller with a right hook as well. Miller pressed the action with short punches. Miller got in another combination. Salter shot in for a single leg. Miller grabbed on for a choke. He rolled over and wrenched it and forced the tap. Excellent, excellent finish.

WINNER: Miller via submission (choke) 1:53 of the second round

POST FIGHT: Miller said once you've got that locked on there's really nowhere else to go.

STAR RATING: (**+) Good back and forth fight with a very nice finish by Miller. He desperately needed that win.

-Joe Rogan interviews Dana White to give the final sell for the pay-per-view.

====PAY-PER-VIEW BROADCAST====

-In the opening video Couture talked about how boxers have disrespected MMA for so long, and Toney is the first one to finally sign on the dotted line.

Goldberg and Rogan introduce the pay-per-view version of tonight's broadcast. They're way overselling Toney's boxing accomplishments here to sell this fight. We're getting right to the fights here tonight.

FIGHT THREE: NATE DIAZ VS. MARCUS DAVIS (WELTERWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: Diaz said Marcus is tough so he needs to get in there and work harder than him. Marcus said they're going to get in there and slug it out. Davis said Boston's going to be behind him and he's going to beat Diaz tonight.

ROUND ONE: Diaz tried to goad Davis on immediately. Davis got in with a left. Diaz landed a good leg kick. He went right to the taunting. Lifting his hands up. Davis got in and rocked Diaz. He dropped him and threw a series of punches but Diaz recovered and got back to his feet. They butted heads as they came in and Diaz landed a good punch. Davis is cut under the right eye. Davis got in a body punch. Diaz pushed him off with a kick. Davis got in a nice combo as the crowd chanted "Diaz Sucks. Davis got in again with another combo and landed the overhand left. Diaz threw a combo but Davis blocked it. He got in with another combo. He clipped Diaz again. Diaz got in a good combo and a kick after a clinch. Diaz pressed in and got Davis to the cage. Davis broke free and wiped his eye. They exchanged shots again. Diaz shot in again and dropped for a single leg. Davis held it off and took a couple of knees to the thigh. Diaz separated with a nice knee. Davis got in another combo. Both exchanged punches again. Davis landed a good leg kick. Davis avoided some punches and landed a big overhand left. He got in another one. Diaz landed a couple of his own. Davis is bleeding badly here. Davis got in with another big combo after Diaz tagged him with a couple. Davis landed another hard punch and Diaz got in with a couple as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Davis. He may be cut open, but he was landing some big punches and that early flurry was all in his favor. He's going to have a hard time with the reach here though. That cut is bad though.

ROUND TWO: Davis got in with the first combination. Diaz landed a nice counter. They exchanged punches. Diaz got in a good combo. Diaz shot in and pressed Davis to the cage as the cut has opened up again. Davis does a good job of holding off the takedown and he lands a knee. He separates. Diaz got in a jab. Davis landed the overhand right again, but Diaz has a hell of a chin. Diaz landed a big combination. Davis got in again with a combo. Diaz with another combination. They got in close and Davis landed some good punches. Diaz is using his reach advantage well here and is getting in with more punches. Davis landed a few hard punches. They exchanged punches again. Davis connected with a few more. Diaz with a knee and a combination. Again he landed. Davis landed a few good leg kicks. Diaz with another punch and Davis with a leg kick. This is a very even fight. Diaz with a jab again and Davis' cut is really bad. Diaz with some more punches and Davis popped in with a combo. Another leg kick. Diaz clinched again and pressed Davis to the cage. He tried to complete the double leg but Davis held it off. Davis tripped him up and got a takedown but Diaz reversed it as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Diaz. He's getting in with his accumulation of punches. Davis has been damaged badly, but he can still win this fight.

ROUND THREE: Davis' face is really bad to start this round. Diaz threw some punches but they didn't find their mark. avis lands a leg kick. Diaz lands a short flurry. They exchanged punches again. Davis got in with a punch and they briefly clinched. They exchanged punches again. Davis with a leg kick. Diaz pressed in and pushed Davis to the cage. Diaz landed some short punches. Davis separated. Diaz got in with a couple of good punches. Diaz with another short flurry. Diaz is really doing a lot of damage with these short flurries, and Davis just can't do anything here. Davis' eye is so bad. Diaz pushes him to the cage. Diaz got Davis down. Diaz passed to half guard. Davis tried to scramble and Diaz locked on a choke and Davis went unconscious. Big fight from Diaz and a great win.

WINNER: Diaz via technical submission (guillotine choke) at 4:02 of the third round

POST FIGHT: Diaz said he thought he broke his hand in the second round. He said he wanted to go back and fight the tough guy wannabe's in the lightweight division. He congratulated Gilbert Melendez on having a new baby.

STAR RATING: (***-) That was another good fight for Diaz at welterweight. Davis looked good in the first round, but that cut really slowed him down and Diaz just took over from there. That was a great finish for him as well.

FIGHT FOUR: KENNY FLORIAN VS. GRAY MAYNARD (LIGHTWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: Florian said a lot of guys go out and say they're going to finish fights, but great fighters actually go out there and take people out. Maynard said they're not a guy in the division he can't beat. The crowd heavily boos Maynard as he walks out. Florian, of course, gets a huge hometown ovation.

ROUND ONE: Florian took the center early and both took a tentative approach to the start of this one. Florian moves forward early but neither is doing anything early. Florian landed a kigh kick and a body kick. Maynard missed a big overhand right. Florian got in a leg kick. He got in another. He pressed in with a nice body punch. Maynard started trying to stalk. Florian ducked under a punch. Florian landed a hard body kick. Maynard got in close and Florian rocked him with a nice right in the clinch. Maynard recovered immediately. Florian got in another punch. Florian with another leg kick. He popped in with a straight left. Maynard shot finally and Florian held off the takedown on the cage. Maynard stayed on him as Florian continued to hold it off. Maynard picked him up and dropped him down into guard. Maynard lands a punch but is just holding position as the round winds down. Maynard lands a punch as the round ends.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Maynard. He stole it with that takedown because Kenny didn't do enough on the feet.

ROUND TWO: Tentative start again to this round. Maynard missed a left hook as Florian held the center. He walked Maynard down and had a high kick blocked. Florian popped in the jab. Maynard continues to circle on the outside. Florian got in with another hard kick to the body. Maynard popped in with a right. Florian's got to do more as Maynard will go for the late takedown again. Maynard shot in again and got Florian to the ground. Florian tried to hold it off and got back to his feet. He dragged Florian to the ground and go to side control. Florian landed an elbow from the bottom. Maynard got in a good forearm. Florian got back to half guard and Maynard landed a few shots. He postured up and did some more damage and Florian is bleeding heavily from above his left eye. Florian landed a good right from the bottom. Florian landed an upkick and an elbow from the bottom. He needs to do something in the third round or this is going to Maynard.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Maynard. He opened Florian up and did some damage on the ground this time. Florian needs to open his striking up and he needs to finish Maynard or he's going to lose this.

ROUND THREE: Florian takes the center of the cage again. He lifts his arms trying to get Maynard to engage, but that's not going to work. He got in with a right and ducked under the counter. Florian threw the high kick and it was blocked. Kenny threw a spinning back kick but it missed. They exchanged jabs. Florian with the kick again. Maynard shot in again and got Florian to the ground. Florian tried to kick Maynard off but Maynard is smothering him and staying on him. Florian landed some up kicks and landed some blows from the bottom, but he needs to hurry up. He's running out of time. Maynard landed a couple of punches. He stayed busy as the clock continued to wind down. He kicked Maynard off finally and got to his feet. Maynard again took him down. Florian tried to kick up for a triangle and Maynard just stood up. Florian got the omoplata but time is running out. Kenny got to his feet again as the fight was coming to an end. Florian tried to close the distance but didn't even throw a punch as the round ended. That was not a good fight for Florian.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Maynard. He did exactly what he needed to do, and Florian did not improve his takedown defense and his game from his back enough to take this one.

WINNER: Maynard (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

POST FIGHT: The crowd boos the decision because the hometown guy lost. Maynard said he was feeling good. He said "love me or hate me, I fight my ass off." He said he tried to have Kenny chase him and then he would try for the takedown.

STAR RATING: (**) Not a great fight. Maynard did exactly what was expected of him, and Florian just hadn't improved that aspect of his game enough to win this fight.

FIGHT FIVE: DEMIAN MAIA VS. MARIO MIRANDA (MIDDLEWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: Miranda said Maia is good at grappling, but he'll see how he reacts when he gets punched in the face. Maia wants to get back in line in the middleweight division with a win here. Miranda said he's going to take advantage of Maia's mistakes. Maia said everyone knows about his jiu jitsu. He said people don't know how hard he's worked his striking and he's ready to take this fight anywhere.

ROUND ONE: Miranda threw a high kick early as Maia tried to walk Miranda down. Maia missed an overhand punch but then clinched and shot and got Miranda to the ground. He landed some knees to the body with Miranda against the cage, but Miranda got back to his feet. Maia took him down again and landed some punches against the cage. He is landing a bunch of punches. He tried to get a hook in, and he slid his leg across the back and tried to get the other hook in. He landed some more punches as he tried to open Miranda up here. Maia got the other hook in. Miranda tried to get out but Maia took his back and then tried to grab an arm but Miranda pulled out the back and got to his feet. Maia came right back after him. They traded leg kicks. Maia landed a knee. He got in another one. They separated and Maia landed a nice left. Miranda landed a leg kick. Maia barely missed a big left. Miranda tried to push forward and Maia avoided him. The round came to an end as Miranda threw a kick and they exchanged punches.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Maia. He looked really good at the beginning of the round. He almost locked on a couple of submissions.

ROUND TWO: Maia comes straight forward again but Miranda tries to press him back with a kick and a punch. Maia got in for a single leg and Miranda tried to scramble. Maia got his neck and tripped him and got into half guard. Miranda tried to work his way up the cage. Maia moved to the mount, but Miranda had his back on the cage so he didn't have the position complete. Maia landed a few punches and pushed him down to the ground completely. Maia landed some punches to the body and head and he's doing some good damage in the mount. He landed some elbows and more punches. Maia continues to posture up and he keeps landing punches. Maia starts working for an armbar from the top and he continues landing punches as he tries to open Miranda up. Maia again went for the right arm. He grabbed for it but Miranda popped out of it and got to his feet. He landed a couple of kicks to the legs as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Maia. Another positionally dominant round for Maia. He's come close to finishing this fight a few times.

ROUND THREE: Miranda landed a leg kick and tried to engage. They exchanged punches. Maia shot in again for a single leg and got Miranda's back as Miranda tried to scramble. He got both hooks in and started throwing punches to the side of the head. Miranda's in a bad spot here again. Maia continued to land punches to the side of the head. Maia continues to look for things to go for as Miranda defends. He went for the armbar but Miranda reversed and Miranda sprawled. Miranda got back to his feet and made Maia stand up. Maia drops to his back and the crowd boos. Maia is so tired here. Miranda presses in and lands a punch. Maia got in a punch. He shot in and completed another takedown. He passed to mount again. Maia again went for the armbar. He landed some more punches and got the arm but Miranda got out of it and stood up. He dropped down and landed some shots as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Maia. He continued to go after that arm but couldn't complete it. A more entertaining three round fight than Lentz-Winner at least, and Maia continually looked for the finish, but he never got it locked in correctly and Miranda survived to the judges.

WINNER: Maia via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

STAR RATING: (**) Not a bad fight, but Maia was too tired to actually finish off Miranda here. Still, it was a dominant performance from Maia, and only some good submission defense from Miranda that kept this one from ending. Maia needed that win.

FIGHT SIX: RANDY COUTURE VS. JAMES TONEY (HEAVYWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: We've heard it all here for this fight from Toney leading up to this. Now it's time to see what happens when James Toney steps into the Octagon here.

ROUND ONE: Alright, here we go. Toney kept his left hand low. Couture shot in for a single leg, took Toney down and immediately got to the mount. Toney tried to tie him up but Randy started throwing short punches. Couture continued to land short punches. Toney tried to throw some punches from the bottom, but Couture's got him smothered here. Couture postured up and landed a bunch of punches. Toney tried to tie him up and Couture pushed him to the cage. Couture postured and started landing more punches. Couture started working for an arm triangle. He's got it locked on against the cage and Toney's going to go to sleep here. Toney's surviving and Couture let it go. He went back for the arm triangle and he moved to side control and choked Toney out. There it is. Nevermind, replay shows Toney tapped the air, but he was close to out.

WINNER: Couture via submission (arm triangle choke) at 3:19 of the first round

POST FIGHT: Couture said Boston was awesome and got a big cheer from the crowd. He said that's exactly what he trained to do. He said he worked on that arm triangle choke for over a year. His trainer came in and said he just got his black belt after that, and put it over his neck. He said nine months is short order to learn what you need here to compete in MMA. But he gave Toney credit for being the first to step up. Toney after said he wasn't expecting Couture to be so aggressive at first. He said Randy Couture's a great fighter. He said he will be back.

STAR RATING: (**) That went completely as expected. Toney didn't belong in there, and it showed, and Couture got perhaps the easiest win of his MMA career. Great stuff from Couture, though, and it was great that he got the job done.

MAIN EVENT FIGHT SEVEN: FRANKIE EDGAR VS. B.J. PENN (UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)

ROUND ONE: B.J. comes forward and they exchange punches. He walks Edgar down and landed a big uppercut. Edgar grabbed a body lock and took Penn down. Nice. Penn tried to sweep and grab an arm but Edgar got out. Penn kept Edgar's posture locked and landed some punches from the bottom. Edgar tried to slam Penn to the ground to break the body lock but Penn has kept control here. Penn kicked Edgar off and got to his feet. Penn tried to walk Edgar down and they traded punches. Penn landed a left and Edgar countered. Penn closed the distance and landed a nice knee. Edgar dropped down and got a takedown. Penn got back to his feet but Edgar picked him up and slammed him down. Penn got to guard and then got back to his feet. Penn ducked under a punch and landed a counter. Penn got in a left. Edgar landed a good leg kick. Penn walked him down and got in with a two punch combo. Edgar pressed in with a combo. Penn landed a left. He tried to close the distance and landed a left and Edgar ended the round with a body kick.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. Close round but the two slams took it for Edgar.

ROUND TWO: Penn lands a kick high but Edgar keeps moving. Penn lands a good leg kick. Penn lands a good two punch combo. He gets in another left hook and a right as Edgar comes in. Edgar lands a good body kick. Edgar shot in, Penn held it off but Frankie separated with a nice knee. Penn landed a combo. He continues to stalk as Edgar moves around the outside. Edgar shot in again but got shrugged off. Penn landed another combo. Edgar threw a push kick but Penn continued to com in. Penn lands more jabs as Edgar tries to get in. Penn with another left hook. Edgar drove in for another takedown and he completed it. No one has ever taken Penn down like this in the lightweight division. Ever. Penn kicked him off and got back up. Edgar tried to stalk and landed a combo. Edgar landed a body kick. Penn tried to stay with Edgar as he was moving around the cage. They exchanged punches again. Edgar got in with a short combo. He landed a leg kick. Penn landed a hard right as Edgar came in. Edgar landed a body kick. Edgar popped in and they exchanged punches. They traded leg kicks before the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. Penn was on his way to winning that round, but Frankie took it over in the second half.

ROUND THREE: Edgar landed a good combo early. Edgar shot again but Penn held it off. He landed a kick. Penn got in again with a combo. He walked Penn down and they traded punches. Penn got in with a couple of punches and Edgar landed a few of his own. Penn landed a nice counter left. Penn walked him down with a punch and landed a nice knee. Edgar landed a good body kick. Edgar got in with a nice combination, ending with a right to the jaw. He landed another combination. Edgar continues to get in with punches and Penn isn't doing much at all. Edgar with another big left that sends Penn's head snapping back. Edgar lands a nice left hook. Edgar shot in but Penn stuffed it. Edgar separated with a nice combo. He got in another combination. Edgar shot in again and drove Penn to the cage. He landed a knee to the body. He landed a few close punches and separated. Edgar got in a punch. They traded punches again. Edgar beat him to the punch once more as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. If Penn doesn't do SOMETHING in these last two rounds there's not going to be any controversy. It's been a very clear fight for a clearly improved Edgar tonight.

ROUND FOUR: Edgar landed a two punch combo. Penn wrapped Edgar up and got a takedown and nearly got to full mount. Edgar's desperately trying to scramble. Edgar got to full guard. Edgar got back to his feet. Edgar is bleeding from the nose now. They traded jabs. Edgar kicked out Penn's leg from underneath him and dropped down into his guard. Edgar landed a good elbow. Penn tried to keep control of Edgar's posture. He got his legs up for a high guard but Edgar got loose. He stayed active with short punches. Edgar postured up and dropped down with some big punches. He is beating Penn up here tonight, this is incredible. He stood up and landed a kick. Penn got back to his feet. Edgar landed a good combo. Edgar again came in with a nice multi-punch combo. Penn just looks broken here. He tagged him with a jab, and then another body punch. Penn got in a couple of good punches as the round ended, but he needs to finish in the fifth.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. It's been a clean sweep. I don't know where this Frankie Edgar came from, but he has taken over this rematch and he's looked every bit the Champion.

ROUND FIVE: Edgar landed a leg kick and a punch early. Penn shot in and got a takedown early. He needs to finish him, that's the only way he wins. Edgar pushed away but Penn took his back and took him down. He tried to take his back but he lost it and Edgar wound up in his guard. Edgar landed a couple of short forearm shots from the top. Penn's in a lot of trouble here. Edgar stays busy in the guard with short punches and forearms. Edgar continues landing some big elbows and punches in the guard as the clock ticks down. He landed a couple more punches and another big elbow. Penn kicked Edgar off and tried to grab a leg but Edgar pushed him right back down. He landed some more elbows. Penn worked his way back up to his feet with a minute and a half left and Penn is running out of time. Edgar landed a good uppercut as we're into the last minute. Edgar got in a good combination. Edgar walked Penn down and B.J. appears to have given up here. Penn grabbed a leg but Edgar clipped him with a knee. He landed another punch and the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Edgar. Clean sweep for the Champ, and he absolutely, 100% earned it tonight. Unbelievable performance from Frankie Edgar.

WINNER: Edgar via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

POST FIGHT: Edgar thanked B.J. for bringing the best out of him, and he said having to prepare for Penn for eight months was the best thing to happen in his career. He said he knew B.J. was going to come in to this one motivated and he wanted to make a point in this one. Penn was then interviewed. He said Edgar was the man and beat him twice. He said it looked like the same kind of fight as the last time. Penn said he needed to go back and think about what to do next in his career.

STAR RATING: (***-) Edgar's performance was what this fight was all about. Penn's inability to do much of anything was shocking, but Edgar erased any doubt about the first fight's decision and dominated from the outset. It was the coming out party for Edgar, and he has absolutely earned the top spot in the lightweight division.

-They re-air Joe Lauzon's impressive win over Gabe Ruediger from the Spike prelims.

-That's another event in the books. Thanks for joining us tonight and make sure to check back tomorrow and throughout the week as we look at the fallout from the UFC's first trip to Boston, Mass.

UNAIRED PRELIMINARY CARD RESULTS

• Mike Pierce def. Amilcar Alves via submission (cross-body armbar) at 3:11 of the third round

• Greg Soto def. Nick Osipczak via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

UFC NEWS: Vitor Belfort vs. Yushin Okami to headline UFC 122 in Germany in November

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 19:00:03 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

A middleweight bout between Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami will headline the UFC's second trip to Germany this November, according to a report from Dave Meltzer at The Wrestling Observer.

The UFC 122 event, taking place November 13 from the Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, will air in North America on Spike TV via tape delay.

Belfort hasn't fought since September of last year, where he knocked out Rich Franklin at UFC 103. He was hoping to get a fight with UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva before an injury forced him off of UFC 112 in April. Then, with Chael Sonnen's excellent performance in a losing effort against Silva earlier this month, the UFC decided to go forward with an immediate rematch.

So instead Belfort will face oft-overlooked middleweight Okami, fresh off a decision victory over Mark Munoz at UFC on Versus 2 earlier this month. Okami has a stellar 9-2 record in the UFC, but his sometimes boring style hasn't brought him much fanfare, nor a title shot many believe he's deserved for years.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: With Dana White confirming plans for Sonnen-Silva II, this is the fight that made sense next for both Okami and Belfort. Belfort is looking to forge some type of path in the UFC, and a win over a legitimate middleweight in Okami will help him do that. At the same time, for Okami a win over Belfort could finally give him the title shot he still hasn't received in the UFC. It should be a good fight, and with it not being something U.S. fans have to pay for there shouldn't be too much opposition to the match-making.

BELLATOR NEWS: Travis Reddinger credits trainer Sergio Cunha for his progression; ready for "explosive" bantamweight tournament

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:29:39 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Bellator's season three bantamweight tournament got off the ground last Thursday with Jose Vega earning a decision victory over Danny Tims, and at Bellator 27 this week at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas, the rest of the quarterfinal bouts will be contested.

One of those fights will feature Minnesota's number one ranked bantamweight Travis Reddinger as he takes on highly skilled BJJ brown belt Ulysses Gomez.

Reddinger enters the Bellator tournament with a 14-2 record, and he hasn't lost since March of 2009 in a fight he took on short notice. But since that time, Reddinger has hooked up with renowned trainer Sergio Cunha, formerly of Chute Boxe and Brazilian Top Team, and he's been on a tear since.

Cunha has set up shop here in Burnsville, MN, with his Minnesota Fight Factory, and Reddinger is one of a few of Cunha's students breaking out onto the big shows. For his part, Reddinger credits much of his current progression and success to his time with Cunha.

"I've been with him about a year now, and if you look at my fights alone you'll see how the progression has been," Reddinger told MMATorch last month. "There's no doubt how big of a difference he's made. The thing with him is, he will commit to you, but you have to commit to him first. It's that simple.

"He doesn't have to be here training me, he doesn't have to be training anyone. He could be out there with Anderson Silva or with Wanderlei Silva or any of those guys. There are a million people better than me that he could be training right now, but he chooses to put his effort forth into people he believes in, and if you commit to him he will give you everything you need to win. I completely believe in him, and if I listen to him I'll be 100% prepared and complete for this fight."

The student-trainer relationship between Reddinger and Cunha has wrought much success already, and he's looking to continue that success in the Bellator tournament. And to do so, he's been following a strict preparation plan laid out by Cunha.

"[I'm working on] a set schedule he wrote out for me," Reddinger said. "[Sergio said] 'this is what you're going to do, this is what it takes to be a champion, and if you want to do it, let's do it, and if not then that's it.' He's there to train us to win, and we either put the effort forth and we commit to it or else he doesn't train us."

"He has everything down to a science. He talks to so many people and he's trained so many people that his knowledge base is just amazing. And the stuff he knows you can tell he can teach you. He's like my father, brother and everything else all wrapped into one right now."

Turning his attention to his first challenge in this eight man field, Reddinger understands fully what he's up against in Ulysses Gomez.

"Gomez is a world class jiu jitsu guy, he's a brown belt under Marc Laimon [with] Cobra Kai," Reddinger said. "I was lucky enough to train with Joe Stevenson when I was out in Vegas a while back, so I know their jiu jitsu is sick. They're good at everything, [so] we're preparing for everything, plain and simple."

As for the rest of the tournament field, Reddinger says the bantamweight division is so good that the level of competition in this tournament is as good as you'll find in the WEC or in Japan. And he's ready for some great action out off all involved.

"The competition is top notch," he said. "135 lb. is a stacked division, no doubt about it. Christ, Urijah Faber is coming down to 135 lb. now. As if there weren't enough sharks in there, let's throw more in and put in the former 145 lb. Champion. Nothing's going to come easy [in this division]. If you're beating schlubbs and you're beating nobodies, you're getting wins but you're not doing anything for yourself, your team or anyone else.

"This tournament is as stacked as well as WEC or Japan or anything. It's not a class lacking in talent at all. Everyone in this tournament is a well rounded player. This tournament's just going to be explosive."

Penick's Analysis: Reddinger drew a very tough test in this first round matchup, but his submission defense and his ground game in general has progressed exponentially since his last loss. While he may be coming in as technically the lesser known of the two fighters, Reddinger is not someone that should be overlooked by any of his opponents in this tournament. If they do that, it's going to be a short night for them and their Championship dreams in Bellator will be over before they begin. This bantamweight field should provide for a ton of excitement, and Thursday's Bellator 27 event could be the most enjoyable event of their third season so far. Make sure to set your DVR if the event is tape delayed, as all of these bantamweight fights should provide some must-see action for Bellator.

UFC 118 Prediction and Betting Contests

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:33:05 PST
By Matt Pelkey, MMATorch Columnist

After one of the best and most dramatic shows the UFC has ever put on in UFC 117, the Zuffa boys are back this Saturday with a veritable variety hour of MMA. There's a championship rematch (Edgar-Penn), "Boxing vs. UFC" (Couture-Toney), and several Beantown natives fighting in front of their home crowd on the big stage for the first time (Kenny Florian, Marcus Davis, Joe Lauzon). There's something for everybody! But in the end, its all about the title fight... just like it is here at the Torch.

At UFC 117, double #1 contender Cambo "Rambo" Nelson unseated both champions to capture the prediction and betting titles. Saturday, he'll look to defend the prediction title against John Hickman, while on the betting side, he'll attempt to best the man whose prediction title he took at UFC 117, "Richie" Rich Hansen. Good luck to both Mr. Nelson and his worthy challengers, but good luck more so to all the unfortunate souls left to battle me in the pools. I miss my prediction title, and I won't sleep until I'm spooning with my belt once again. Let's get to it...

PREDICTION CONTEST

I'm pretty sure everyone knows how this works by now, but just in case... Basically you pick the winners of each fight, including method (e.g. KO, submission, decision) and round. The winner is the one who picks the most fights correctly. Ties will be broken by who had the most number of rounds and methods correctly predicted. In case anyone is wondering, only rounds and methods in fights where you predicted the correct winner count.

Frankie Edgar (+250) vs. B.J. Penn (-325)

Randy Couture (-575) vs. James Toney (+350)

Demian Maia (-250) vs. Mario Miranda (+190)

Kenny Florian (-155) vs. Gray Maynard (+125)

Nate Diaz (-200) vs. Marcus Davis (+160)

Joe Lauzon (-450) vs. Gabe Reudiger (+300)

Andre Winner (-125) vs. Nik Lentz (-105)

John Salter (+235) vs. Dan Miller (-295)

Nick Osipczak (-160) vs. Greg Soto (+130)

Mike Pierce (-250) vs. Amilcar Alves (+190)

BETTING CONTEST

As you can see, there's a number attached to each fighter. That number represents how much money you can make off each fighter. The way it works is, if a fighter has a positive number he's an underdog. The positive number means if you were to bet $100 dollars on him, you would make the amount of the positive number. For example, if you were to bet $100 on Edgar and he won, you would make back the hundred you bet, plus $250 for a total payout of $350.

If the fighter has a negative number, that number represents how much you would have to bet to make $100 on the fighter. For example, if you bet $325 on Penn and he won, you'd make back the $325, plus a $100 profit, for a total payout of $425.

Each contestant has $1000 in theoretical money. You can bet it on as many fighters as you'd like, but you have to bet on at least three. The most you can bet on a single fighter is $500, and bets have to be in multiples of $100.

I'm setting a deadline of 6 p.m. (EST) Saturday to get all of your picks in. The betting lines are courtesy of bodog.com.

Note: In the event that one of the #1 contenders fails to show for their title shot, the champ will defend against the next best performer from the previous contest. You've been warned, so bring your A game everybody!

As always you can submit your picks one of three ways: by emailing me at matt6buckeye@hotmail.com, posting them on the message boards, or by leaving them in the comments section right down there. Good luck!

MARSH: Final thoughts on James Toney heading into his UFC 118 bout against Randy Couture

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:32:33 PST
By: Griffin Marsh, MMATorch Contributor

A few weeks ago I used my column to talk about why James Toney can, but won’t, beat Randy Couture at UFC 118. I still feel that Toney’s chances of winning are much greater than what the odds-makers believe. Toney comes into this fight with plenty of “hype," mostly coming from his own mouth. He also has approximately six months of training in wrestling, hoping that will be enough to negate the decorated Greco-Roman wrestling fighter Randy Couture. With that said, after viewing segments of Toney’s training camp, I can’t help but feel Toney is out of shape and in for a brutal beating.

I just do not believe Toney will be in shape for this fight. After watching training segments of Toney with MMA trainer Trevor Sherman, it became quite obvious that Toney is no where near ready for what Couture will bring Saturday Night. Toney looked slow, sluggish and down right amateurish when shown grappling with Sherman. After watching this, the one thing that re-played in my mind was “if Toney looks this bad against Trevor Sherman, it's going to be lights out alright, with Toney being on the receiving end of a KO.”

Randy Couture is by no means a great fighter in today's MMA game. That is to take nothing away from what he has accomplished in his MMA career, but today, at 47 years old, he is hardly a relevant force in any weight class. Randy has been through many wars in the Octagon and his aged body is evidence of the beatings he has taken. Still, Couture is an MMA veteran who knows how to fight and knows how to win; James Toney is a Boxing veteran who is embarking in a completely different sport and trying to defeat an experienced master at that sport.

Just as Michael Jordan, not only the greatest basketball player of all time but the greatest athlete period of all time, tried his hand at a new professional sport, James Toney is attempting the same. The end result will be the same: failure. There is no doubt that if Randy Couture strapped on the boxing gloves and went 12 rounds with Toney that James would win via KO fairly quickly, but on the contrary it should be noted that most likely the reverse of that situation will happen Saturday night when Toney steps into the cage with Captain America.

I still believe that James Toney has slightly better than a puncher's chance against Couture. I think his footwork and pocket presence will pose problems for Couture, but not major ones, and he could possibly end the fight by clipping Couture. One thing is for sure, if Toney wins against Couture it will be because he’s utilized his MMA training, and not his boxing pedigree. But in all reality, it should be "lights out" Saturday night... for James Toney.

Questions? Comments? Contact Me: andysilvanumber1@yahoo.com

UFC 118 PREVIEW: Penick's breakdown and predictions for Edgar vs. Penn II and Couture vs. Toney event

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:45:22 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

This preview was initially published Friday afternoon.

The UFC finally makes their Boston, Mass. debut on Saturday night with UFC 118 at the TD Garden. With a big Lightweight Championship rematch, as well as the heavily hyped debut of boxing champion James Toney, the card is set to be another highly entertaining night of fights from the organization. We've got a ton of action to cover, so let's get to the fights:

B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar (UFC Lightweight Championship)

Their first bout at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi this April was a close back and forth fight contested almost entirely on their feet. Edgar used quick movement around the outside throughout the fight, popping in and out while trying to land quick combinations. Penn, meanwhile, effectively counter-punched as Edgar came after him in the five round fight.

But when the bell rang and the judges scorecards were read, the controversy began. Many writers and observers had Penn winning at least three rounds of the fight, but all three judges in Abu Dhabi scored it in favor of Edgar, including an inexplicable 50-45 score for Edgar from judge Douglas Crosby. Because of the controversy regarding the decision, we have this rematch on Saturday night.

Penn is simply the greatest 155 lb. fighter the sport has seen in its young history. He's always had the talent to be considered one of the best fighters in the world, but a seeming lack of motivation and dedication to training at times, along with a sometimes over-inflated sense of his abilities at higher weight classes, has led to some disappointing performances along the way.

Edgar, despite being one of the smaller fighters in the lightweight division, with a frame very much suited for featherweight, has been on a highly impressive run en route to holding the Lightweight Championship. His sole loss came to Gray Maynard in a fight over two years ago that saw him get outwrestled and edged on points.

But he earned his title shot in April with three straight victories in the UFC in impressive fashion. Perhaps most impressive was his win over former Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk last May, which saw Edgar outbox Sherk through all three rounds and take a dominant unanimous decision. He then choked out Matt Veach in December in the performance that earned him the shot.

He's a highly talented fighter that possesses good boxing for MMA. He's also a relentless cardio machine, very capable of fighting the full 25 minutes in this Championship fight. But Edgar's not much of a finisher. He's going to once again need to best Penn through a 25 minute fight to take home his Championship.

For Penn, one of the criticisms of their first fight was willingness stand in the center of the cage, allowing Edgar to circle and appear to be the aggressor. In this fight, he needs to stay aggressive and he needs to bring Edgar to the ground where he can utilize his jiu jitsu. That is one area that he holds a massive advantage over Edgar in, and to take his Championship back in impressive fashion he needs to bring the fight to the ground. I think we see the dominant B.J. Penn on Saturday night, and "The Prodigy" will return to Hilo once again the UFC Lightweight Champion.

PREDICTION: Penn via submission in the third round

Randy Couture vs. James Toney (Heavyweight)

James Toney finally enters the Octagon after months and months of build up. He chased UFC President Dana White from event to event earlier in the year, finally getting him to agree to this, and by all accounts he has gotten himself in shape and has taken his preparation seriously.

Randy Couture had heard enough of Toney's trash talking about MMA, and personally told White he wanted to be the one to welcome Toney to the cage should this come to fruition. It did, and this fight will actually happen.

James Toney has never been finished in near 90 professional boxing bouts, and despite criticism about the "freak show" nature of this fight he has a legitimate record in combat sports and is capable of landing a knockout blow on Couture.

The "UFC vs. Boxing" angle being played is all for show, as Toney's ability to win this fight depends on his implementation of mixed martial arts training into his defense to keep himself standing.

That's what this fight comes down to. Can Toney keep this fight on the feet and knock Couture out before "The Natural" is able to bring it to the ground? Couture is far too experienced, and his wrestling far too good for Toney to hold him off after nine months of grappling training. It's just not going to happen. Could he clip him early? Of course. But barring that, Randy Couture takes this one handily. Whether he goes for the submission or gets the TKO through ground and pound is the only question in this fight.

PREDICTION: Couture via late TKO in the first round

Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard (Lightweight)

Gray Maynard is undefeated in his MMA career, save for his exhibition submission loss to Nate Diaz during The Ultimate Fighter's fifth season. A dominant wrestler, Maynard has earned his nickname of "The Bully" with a relentless top game that has seen him take decisions over some very talented lightweights, including current Champ Frankie Edgar.

Kenny Florian, meanwhile, finds himself on the cusp of a third chance at the UFC Lightweight Championship. One of the best submission fighters in the division, Florian continues to improve at an immense pace, and has done so ever since coming up short against Diego Sanchez in the finals of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter.

This fight will determine the #1 contender in the lightweight division, and deservedly so. Both fighters have the resume to earn a shot at the Champion with a win, and that adds another level to this fight.

It should be a highly competitive bout, and Maynard is certainly capable of bullying his way to a decision victory. Wrestling has been something that Florian has struggled with in the past, but he's also improved his game immensely since the last time he fought a really dominant wrestler in Sean Sherk.

Florian is the more talented fighter with more tools overall to win on Saturday night, and if Maynard can hold him down without getting submitted then more power to him. I just don't see that happening.

PREDICTION: Florian via submission in the second round.

Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda (Welterweight)

Maia was supposed to face Alan Belcher at Fight Night 22 in September before Belcher pulled out due to an eye injury, and so he's been moved up a few weeks to this event. He's coming off a loss to Anderson Silva on that UFC 112 card in Abu Dhabi that saw him gain fans due to Silva's antics, but at the same time he was never close to truly competing in that fight.

Miranda is getting a big opportunity with this fight, and is taking a big step up in competition. He split his first two appearances in the Octagon, losing his UFC debut against Gerald Harris by TKO in what was also his first career loss, and then rebounding to finish David Loiseau at UFC 115 in June.

Miranda's got six TKO finishes, but although Maia was knocked out by Nate Marquardt, he was also able to take some tough shots from Anderson Silva and continue moving ahead. Once on the ground, Maia's submission game might be the best in the UFC, and Miranda's going to have to contend with that. This may simply be too big of a jump for Miranda at this point, and I think Maia gets back on track in this one.

PREDICTION: Maia via submission in the third round

Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz (Welterweight)

Davis got himself back on track after a two fight skid in 2009 by finishing Jonathan Goulet at UFC 113 in May. But Diaz isn't Goulet.

Following three decision losses in four fights at lightweight, Diaz moved up to welterweight earlier this year and looked extremely impressive in finishing Rory Markham in the first round.

Davis is capable of winning this fight, but Diaz's striking looks better at 170 lbs. with him not needing to cut as much weight, and his ground game is excellent. After the crushing loss Davis suffered against Ben Saunders, this is a fight Diaz can win standing or on the ground.

That said, Davis is still a very good striker, and his boxing background could work to his benefit in a fight where Diaz could try to stand with him. In a night where many of the favorites are likely going to come out ahead, this is my slight upset pick of the card.

PREDICTION: Davis via TKO in the second round

====SPIKE TV PRELIMINARY CARD====

Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger (Lightweight)

Gabe Ruediger is making his first appearance in the UFC since September of 2006, and it's quite a surprise he got this shot in the first place. Infamously kicked off of the fifth season of the Ultimate Fighter, Ruediger seemed to have burnt a bridge with the organization. A six fight win streak outside of the organization has seemingly repaired it enough to give him this opportunity.

Lauzon returned to action earlier this year well ahead of schedule after a serious knee injury sidelined him for much of 2009. However, the time off definitely had an affect on him, and his gas tank didn't hold up for him in a decision loss to Sam Stout in January.

Now, in front of a hometown crowd and (hopefully) in better shape overall, this is Lauzon's time to shine on Spike TV. Ruediger's no pushover, but he also hasn't been fighting guys like Lauzon recently. The Boston native gives the hometown fans something to cheer about here in the final sell for the pay-per-view.

PREDICTION: Lauzon via TKO in the second round

Andre Winner vs. Nik Lentz (Lightweight)

This is an excellent lightweight matchup on this undercard, bumped up from the prelims with the loss of Jorge Rivera and Alessio Sakara.

Winner came up short in the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter, losing to Team Rough House and TUF 9 Team UK teammate Ross Pearson in the finals. But since that fight winner has picked up two straight victories.

Lentz, a product of the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, is a highly skilled wrestler, undefeated in three appearances in the Octagon. He's picked up two decision wins, and fought Thiago Tavares to a majority draw in January. Though he's gone to the judges in five of his last six fights, Lentz is a talented finisher with seven submissions and seven knockouts on his record.

Winner's finishing rate isn't quite to that level, but he remains a fast paced and talented fighter in his own right. This one should be extremely competitive, and the oddsmakers have it pegged as essentially a coin flip, but I like Lentz in this one in what should be a fun fight.

PREDICTION: Lentz via submission in the third round

====PRELIMINARY CARD QUICK PICKS====

• Dan Miller over John Salter via second round submission

• Soto over Osipczak via submission in the third

• Mike Pierce over Amilcar Alves via unanimous decision

BETTING CONTEST PICKS:

$300 on Davis
$300 on Lentz
$400 on Florian

UFC NEWS: Wanderlei Silva eying February return, wants Leben, Belfort and Sonnen

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:14:20 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Wanderlei Silva was forced to pull out of his UFC 116 meeting with Yoshihiro Akiyama due to a knee injury, but the middleweight is now gearing up for a February return, and he says he's feeling better now.

"I had surgery on my knee," Silva said in a Q&A at the UFC Fan Expo on Friday (quotes transcribed by MMAJunkie.com). "In this last year, I repaired my face, I repaired my knee, and I feel better now. I think I'm going to fight for another six years. I want to fight into my 40s."

Silva said he's looking to return in February or March of 2011, and he's got a few ideas for opponents in his head, including the man that took his spot at UFC 116 and then called him out afterward, Chris Leben.

"I saw Leben's fight with Akiyama," Silva said. "It was a great match. He's a real tough guy. I think he's a perfect opponent for my next fight... Respect is outside the Octagon. Inside, it doesn't matter who the other guy is. [Leben] won't pass the first round with me."

In addition to Leben, Silva has his eyes set on Vitor Belfort and Chael Sonnen in the division, though both are likely to be tied up in the middleweight title picture well into 2011.

Silva has had a lengthy and brutal career, but "The Axe Murderer" expects to come back very strong after this recovery.

"I was world champion in 2003," Silva said. "Those days were the best days of my career. Now, I think my best days are going to be back soon."

Penick's Analysis: Leben's got to be happy with these thoughts from Silva, though he's still likely to take another fight in October or November before this one happens. At least, that's what Joe Silva seemed to be telling him earlier this summer. A Leben-Wanderlei fight could be a lot of fun, and Wanderlei isn't going to get a fight with either Belfort or Sonnen anytime soon. I'd love to see a Silva-Belfort bout in the UFC, but it's going to take a few things happening still for that one to happen, and with Sonnen facing Anderson Silva, likely in February, the only way Wanderlei fights him is if Sonnen loses a second time to Anderson.

[Wanderlei Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

DREAM NEWS: Mayhem Miller vs. Kazushi Sakuraba added to DREAM 16; Mousasi vs. Mizuno, Warren vs. Omigawa also on the card

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:15:44 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

DREAM has announced a number of fights for their September 25 DREAM 16 event. The event will feature a middleweight clash between Jason "Mayhem" Miller and longtime Japanese legend Kazushi Sakuraba, as well as bouts between Gegard Mousasi and Tatsuya Mizuno and Joe Warren and Michihiro Omigawa.

The Miller vs. Sakuraba bout comes after Strikeforce decided to go with the Nick Diaz vs. K.J. Noons bout on October 9 instead of pitting Diaz and Miller together out of the April brawl on CBS at Strikeforce: Nashville. It's a bout that Miller has described as a "dream bout" for him in the past, and although Sakuraba is well past the competitive part of his lengthy career, it will be a big fight for both fighters and for DREAM.

The Mousasi-Mizuno bout will crown DREAM's first Light Heavyweight Champion, as it serves as the conclusion to the four man Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. Both fighters earned victories at DREAM 15 in July, with Mizuno defeating Melvin Manhoef and Mousasi choking out Jake O'Brien.

Warren will make his appearance in Japan less than a month after facing Joe Soto for the Bellator Featherweight Championship. Their meeting comes on next Thursday's Bellator event from the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio, Texas.

DREAM will not run another event after DREAM 16 until the New Year's Eve event. DREAM 16 will air live on HDNet in North America.

Penick's Analysis: Miller-Sakuraba is definitely interesting, but at 41 Sakuraba's at the point where he should not be getting into the ring anymore. This is a fight that Miller's wanted for a long time, but there will definitely be concern for Sakuraba until the fight is over and done with. Mousasi-Mizuno should be entertaining, and providing he doesn't injure himself in the Soto bout, Warren's meeting with Omigawa could be a good fight as well. Considering it's the last event for DREAM until the end of the year, they're making it a good one.

OTHER NEWS: NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal to make first public appearance in Boston at UFC Fan Expo

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:05:37 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Longtime NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal made the move to the Boston Celtics this offseason, signing as a free agent after his final year with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, he's set to make his first public appearance in the city as a part of the Celtics organization, and he'll do so at the UFC Fan Expo.

At 12PM ET at the John B. Hynes Convention Center, O'Neal will join UFC commentator Mike Goldberg for a Q&A session with fans.

"Shaq has been a huge supporter of the UFC and we’re pumped that he’ll be making his first public appearance at the UFC Fan Expo,” UFC President Dana White said in a release from the organization today. “With Shaq becoming a Celtic and this being our first-ever event in Boston, the timing is perfect. This is just another reason why Boston sports fans can’t miss this event."

The third edition of the Fan Expo is currently under way in Boston, and continues through tomorrow. For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, fans can visit UFCfanexpo.com. And for companies that would like to reserve a spot on future Fan Expo events, they can contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.

Penick's Analysis: This isn't the first association with the UFC that O'Neal has had this year, as he was an unlockable character in the UFC Undisputed 2010 video game. A longtime fan of the sport, O'Neal has even discussed a desire to fight in MMA once his basketball career comes to a close. That's not necessarily something that is realistic to happen, but it's there. This is actually a very good publicity move for the UFC in Boston the day of the event, as Celtics fans will be very intrigued about his first appearance in the city as part of the team.

UFC 118 WEIGH-INS: Weigh-in results for Penn vs. Edgar II, Couture vs. Toney in Boston

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:35:02 PST

Weigh-ins took place this afternoon for tomorrow night's UFC 118 event from Boston, Mass. The event features a Lightweight Championship rematch between B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar, as well as the showdown between Randy Couture and James Toney. All fighters made weight for the event, and the event will air live on Spike TV and pay-per-view tomorrow night. Check out the full weigh-in results below:

Main Televised Card

• B.J. Penn (154) vs. Frankie Edgar (154)
• Randy Couture (220) vs. James Toney (237)
• Demian Maia (184) vs. Mario Miranda (185)
• Kenny Florian (156) vs. Gray Maynard (156)
• Nate Diaz (171) vs. Marcus Davis (170)

Spike TV Preliminary Card

• Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Gabe Ruediger (155)
• Andre Winner (154) vs. Nik Lentz (155)

Preliminary Card

• Dan Miller (185) vs. John Salter (185)
• Nick Osipczak (171) vs. Greg Soto (170)
• Mike Pierce (171) vs. Amilcar Alves (171)

UFC 118 PREVIEW: B.J. Penn doesn't think Frankie Edgar has anything for him at UFC 118; ready to fight all challengers moving forward

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:30:11 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The main event of Saturday's UFC 118 event in Boston, Mass. between B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar hasn't been getting nearly as much attention as the night's co-main fight between James Toney and Randy Couture. But despite the lack of hype and coverage for their UFC Lightweight Championship rematch, B.J. Penn comes into the fight with a regained motivation to bounce back following his loss to Edgar in April.

"It is troubling when I look at losses on my record," Penn said in an interview with Chad Dukes and Lavar Arrington on 106.7 the Fan in Washington D.C. (transcribed by SportsRadioInterviews.com). "It’s something that I never wanted but it’s something that has made me who I am. Every time a loss happens I come back stronger. I have never seen a time when I come back weaker.

"I think a lot of it is due to the fact that we really don’t have an amateur career and we don’t duck anybody. You always see people in other sports ducking each other, but Dana White is always going to force you to fight the best guy and that’s the way things go. If you don’t lose than you haven’t fought anybody.”

Penn enters the TD Garden in Boston the favorite, despite being the challenger in this rematch, but he doesn't see Edgar giving him any trouble in this second meeting.

"I don’t think he can match anything that I can do," Penn said. "A lot of people give me flack about my cardiovascular and I keep beating all these cardiovascular machines. I outlast them, I outlast the Kenny Florian’s, the Diego Sanchez’s, and the Sean Sherk’s.

"I feel I got it all and I feel this fight with Frankie Edgar really pushed me to the next level because I think if I would have beat Frankie Edgar I wouldn’t have changed anything and I probably would’ve ended up losing worse later. Everything is a blessing and that’s the way it should be."

Penn will look to begin his quest anew on Saturday night, and if he regains his Lightweight Championship he'll be ready to take on all comers. Penn said in a separate interview with MMAJunkie.com that he's got no time to slow down, and he wants fights against anyone that is ready to fight him, whether it's at lightweight or welterweight.

"When I get past Frankie Edgar, I want to fight everybody," he said. "I'll fight the No. 1 contender all the way to the No. 15 contender. If no one's ready and they need more time to prepare for me, Dana, give me a welterweight fight. I don't care.

"I just want to fight. I can't do this forever. I'm 31 years old. I think I'm in my prime. Let's do it now."

Penick's Analysis: I like this new attitude from Penn, but based on his past many will be skeptical about this drive to continue fighting non-stop. I hope to see it, and I think he'll beat Edgar tomorrow night, so hopefully we get to see him take on everyone that's ready in an every-three-months type schedule. If Penn is ready, willing and able, the UFC can absolutely feature him every three to four months, and having him on fight cards three to four times a year for the next two to three years could be very beneficial to them.

RELATED STORY: UFC 118 PREVIEW: B.J. Penn looking to blow people away in Boston, Frankie Edgar putting aside Penn's aura: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

[B.J. Penn art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva says Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko aren't deserving of his respect with their actions

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:27:06 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

With Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem embroiled in the fracas that comes with dealing with Fedor Emelianenko and M-1 Global - while simultaneously waiting out a rematch with Fabricio Werdum - Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva has found himself as the odd man out in Strikeforce's heavyweight division.

The former EliteXC Heavyweight Champion suffered a loss to Werdum last November, but rebounded with a win over Andrei Arlovski in May. Now he just wants a fight, and he doesn't understand the mindset of two of the big three in the division right now.

In a statement released through the MMA Profit Advisor on Facebook, Silva went so far as to say the way Fedor and Overeem are handling their situations makes them not deserving of his respect. His full statement is below:

"I come from Paraiba, in Brazil, where we don’t back down from things! I’ll fight whoever they put in front of me; you will never see me picking and choosing opponents. It’s sad when the heavyweight champion starts whining that he will only fight this guy or that. What kind of a professional is this guy? He is the champ, isn’t he? Why be afraid to fight me? And Fedor, one of the biggest legends in the sport. Is this how he got to be a legend, by declining fights?

I never disrespect any opponent, no matter what his record is or what the public thinks about him. To me, he merits respect just for stepping up there and facing off, but these guys are disappointing me. They are demonstrating that they are not deserving of my respect.

We are fighters, supposed to be some of the best in the world, and our job is to get up there, perform, and put on a good fight for the fans. I am ready to do this, just tell me who is next and I will be there. I am not a woman who wants to be involved in soap operas, looking forward to the next episode.

I think that STRIKEFORCE needs to put an end to this. Give me whoever and I will fight him, and, win or lose, people will know I came to fight that day and put my heart into it. To me, this is the only way."

Silva continues to wait for a fight from Strikeforce with both Overeem and now seemingly Fedor not interested in a fight against him. Hopefully for him Strikeforce hears his words.

Penick's Analysis: For as frustrating as it is for fans to see this whole situation unfold with Fedor, Overeem and Werdum, Silva's got to be even more irritated. There are valid reasons for Overeem to say Silva hasn't earned that fight just yet, but for Fedor's camp to continue to search out a fight against the two fighters that should be facing each other next - while leaving Silva without an opponent - is ridiculous. I understand Silva's side of this situation, and hopefully Strikeforce finds him an opponent soon.

RELATED STORY: STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Alistair Overeem open for Olympic drug testing provided widespread implementation, thinks Fedor needs to get a win before they fight: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

UFC QUOTABLES: UFC welterweight and former pro boxer Marcus Davis doesn't think James Toney will be able to do anything at UFC 118

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:19:13 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"[James Toney] ain't doing nothing. He's not going to do anything. Just like everybody who's a journalist of MMA, a practitioner, a coach, or a fan, they'll tell you, it's got to be a one-punch victory and that's it. If he gets pushed up against the cage, he's going down on the ground. If they go down, he ain't getting back up. Randy's not going to let that happen... It's just different, like saying a professional basketball player is going to put a mitt on and play professional baseball. It's a different sport. It's so different. I remember when I was a boxer, I remember the things I thought. 'Oh, if you're going to shoot, I'll uppercut you.' Like it's that easy. You really think that, until you get in there... I called Randy, I talked to Randy about it, and I said, 'You know what? The worst thing about this fight is that everybody wants to talk to me about it because of my boxing background. And I said, 'Prove me right. Just go out there and prove me right.' And he said, 'I will.'"

-UFC welterweight Marcus Davis, a former professional boxer in his own right, talks to MMAFighting.com about James Toney's chances against Randy Couture at UFC 118 on Saturday night.

Penick's Analysis: Like Davis laid out, he learned his lesson in MMA the hard way, and Toney's making the transition against a much higher level of competition than Davis did at the outset of his MMA career. It's a good point to keep in mind, that Toney could be thinking it's going to be an easy transition for him here and that he'll be fully prepared, but once he steps into the cage on Saturday night at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass., it's going to be a completely different story.

RELATED STORY: UFC QUOTABLES: James Toney says he could see fear in Randy Couture's eyes at pre-UFC 118 staredown: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

PROGRAMMING REMINDER: UFC 118 weigh-ins air live on Spike TV this afternoon

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:18:23 PST

A reminder for UFC fans at home this afternoon, the UFC 118 weigh-ins, taking place at 4PM ET, will air live on Spike TV. The weigh-in special is the second this summer for the network, as they also aired the weigh-ins for UFC 116 in July. The weigh-ins for the UFC have become an event in and of themselves, with thousands of cheering fans in attendance. This afternoon will see the staredowns for both Randy Couture vs. James Toney and B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar, and you can see it live.

MMA LIVE: UFC 118 preview and more on extended version of ESPN2 progam

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 09:04:42 PST

MMA Live previews this weekend's UFC 118 event in a brand new edition of the ESPN2 program. UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar joins the program, as does UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture and UFC president Dana White. Check it out below (App users video is available at MMATorch.com):

WILLIAMS: Looking back at the history of "boxing vs. MMA" on the eve of Toney vs. Couture at UFC 118

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 08:42:54 PST
By: Alex Williams, MMATorch Contributor

On the eve of James Toney vs Randy Couture, I wanted to look back at other examples of high-profile boxers crossing over into MMA. Dave Meltzer already wrote a piece at Yahoo! Sports covering some big names, but there are still a number of pugilists worth writing about.

In deciding who to cover, I had two main criteria. Criterion one: the fighter had to have at least potentially been on the radar of a serious boxing fan (that meant no Anderson Silva or Marcus Davis). Criterion two: no Butterbean.

Francois Botha

Frans Botha, a heavyweight contender in the late-90s, is best known for out-boxing a post-prime Mike Tyson for four rounds in 1999 before getting knocked out in the fifth. The next year, heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis demolished Botha in two rounds. “The White Buffalo” left boxing in 2002 (with a 44-4-2 record) for a career in K-1. His stint as a kickboxer was largely unsuccessful, the notable exception being a stoppage victory over Jerome Le Banner. On December 31, 2004, the then 36-year-old Botha engaged in his first and, to date, only MMA fight. His opponent was debuting judo player and future UFC middleweight contender Yoshihrio Akiyama. Akiyama defeated Botha by armbar submission in under two minutes. Botha has since returned to boxing, most recently suffering a loss to the ancient Evander Holyfield.

Yuri Vaulin

Vaulin was an accomplished amateur boxer for the Soviet Union. As the USSR disintegrated, Vaulin came to America, debuting in 1990 on a card televised nationally by the USA Network. Fighting as a heavyweight, the prospect Vaulin progressed to 9-0 before being upset by the “suspect” John Sargent. Vaulin’s loss was marked by the ignoble move of quitting on his feet in the eighth round of a ten rounder without having been knocked down or even having endured any serious punishment. After the Sargent loss, Vaulin’s star fell, and he would continue boxing through 1992 without enjoying any particular success or notoriety. Along the way, he compiled a win-loss ledger of 13-3. In 1997, at age 33, Vaulin competed at UFC 14. Perhaps stung by the criticism of the lack of grit he displayed against Sargent, Vaulin fought with heart against jiu-jitsu player Joe Moreira. Ultimately, though, Moreira took the unanimous decision.

Yosuke Nishijima

Nishijima, a Japanese cruiserweight, campaigned primarily in the United States. Though his record stood at 24-2-1, the fact that he failed to make a dent in America’s notoriously weak cruiserweight boxing scene says something about his abilities. In 2006, four years after he was stopped in two rounds by journeyman Cecil McKenzie, the 32-year old Nishijima entered MMA. He competed against the much larger Mark Hunt at Pride 31, losing by knock out in the third round of an exciting slugfest. The loss was the most competitive fight of Nishijima’s MMA career: he lost each of his remaining four bouts more definitively than he did his match with Hunt. Nishijima most recently popped up in combat sports in 2009, losing twice that year in K-1.

Melton Bowen

Bowen was the first boxer to step into the Octagon after Art “One Glove” Jimmerson. The 35-year old Bowen didn’t make it past the first round of the UFC 4 tournament, losing via armbar to UFC 3 tournament champion “Ninja Cop” Steve Jennum. Before fighting in the UFC, Bowen put together a 32-6 record as a heavyweight boxer. Although he continued to box after his UFC appearance, he never scored a victory over a name opponent.

PARK: Randy Couture vs. James Toney at UFC 118 reminiscent of the initial UFC event's stylistic clashes

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:15:06 PST
By: Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist

This Saturday night at UFC 118, two legends of combat sports will come together in one of the most intriguing clashes of styles in many years. Former IBF Boxing World Champion James “Lights Out” Toney, will make his MMA debut against one of the most decorated fighters in the history of the sport, Randy “The Natural” Couture.

Boston, Massachusetts will be the stage as the question that has been asked for so long will finally have an answer: Can a strict boxer really cut it in Mixed Martial Arts at a high level?

With James Toney having competed in over 80 professional boxing matches - without ever being stopped - it is clear his boxing legacy is intact; but when faced with an Olympic Greco Roman Wrestler in the form of Randy Couture, it is fair to say that Toney is facing the most daunting task of his career.

Both men are respected worldwide, and have both achieved so much in their respective careers, but only one can come out on top in Boston. The differences between their fighting styles are exactly what this entire sport was built on. The Boxer vs. The Wrestler. Jui Jitsiu vs. Shoot-Fighting and Kick-Boxing vs. Sumo Wrestling were just some of the great style matchups that launched the UFC back in 1993.

With such a clash of styles in Saturday night’s co-main event, it seems appropriate to look back to where it all began and relive five of the best matchups from the night that history was made. November 12, 1993 in Denver, Colorado, fighters from all walks of life came together with one common goal: to win The Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Gerard Gordeau (Kick-Boxing) vs. Teila Tuli (Sumo Wrestling)

The first ever UFC fight was between Dutch Savate Champion Gerard Gordeau and Sumo Wrestler Teila Tuli as the eight-man tournament started with a bang.

An aggressive looking Tuli stalked Gordeau, looking to impose his significant weight advantage. As Tuli charged Gordeau to the cage, the Hawaiian stumbled to the floor. Gordeau then moved in and caught Tuli with a devastating round-house kick to the face that sent several of the Sumo star’s teeth spiraling into the crowd.

A follow up strike saw the referee step in and call time-out. Tuli clearly wanted the fight to continue, but after the time-out and several minutes of confusion in Tuli’s corner, the referee confirmed that the fight was over and that Gordeau would now advance.

Zane Frasier (Karate) vs. Kevin Rosier (Kick-Boxing)

Standing at 6'6", Zane Frasier, the four-time international Karate Champion, drew three-time Kick-Boxing World Champion Kevin Rosier in the second fight of the tournament.

Rosier started well, catching Frasier with an over-hand right before the fight worked its way into the clinch. A low blow turned the tide in favour of Frasier, who landed some very heavy uppercuts against the cage.

Rosier absorbed all of the shots his opponent could throw. Once Frasier looked to have punched himself out, the Kick-Boxing Champion came back with a combination that dropped the exhausted Frasier.

A brutal stomp to Frasier’s head landed perfectly, and as several more came in, so did the white towel, as Frasier’s corner decided that they had seen enough.

Although this fight contained very little Karate, or Kick-Boxing for that matter, it was a very exciting showdown which ended up being more like a back-yard brawl, with Kevin Rosier advancing to the semi-finals.

Royce Gracie (Jiu Jitsu) vs. Art Jimmerson (Boxing)

The memory of Art Jimmerson competing at UFC 1, while wearing a single Boxing glove, is one of the most iconic images of early UFC. Jimmerson, a former amateur National Golden Gloves Champion, competed only one time in the UFC, and it was this fight with master Royce Gracie in the first round of the eight-man tournament.

As far as contrasting styles go this is about as far apart as two fighters could be, with the Brazilian bringing his family’s “Gracie Jiu-Jitsu,” while Jimmerson brought his Boxing pedigree. Wearing just one glove to protect his leading left hand, Jimmerson looked like a fish out of water as he was taken down by Gracie with relative ease. Once Gracie moved to a more dominant position the Boxer tapped the mat repeatedly until the referee stopped the fight.

Jimmerson was in no pain, that was evident, but he was in a place he had never been before. Pinned to the mat, struggling to breathe, Jimmerson was being smothered by Gracie. As soon as the realisation of where he was set in, fear flooded the Boxers mind and he took the way out handing Royce Gracie a clear path to the semi-finals.

Ken Shamrock (Shoot-Fighting) vs. Royce Gracie (Jiu-Jitsu)

As Ken Shamrock and Royce Gracie met in the second round of the tournament, many had hoped that this fight would have been the final as Gracie next matched up with the former King of Pancrase.

In an absolute whirl-wind of a fight, Gracie immediately shot for the take down which was stuffed by Shamrock. Gracie dragged the fight back down to the ground and landed hard heel strikes to the kidney of Shamrock.

As Shamrock went for a leg he gave up his back, and in a flash Gracie locked in a choke hold that left Shamrock repeatedly tapping on the mat. The referee didn’t see the tap and Gracie released the hold. But like the true sportsman that Ken Shamrock is, he held his hands up and admitted he had tapped.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu had now overcome both Boxing and Shoot-Fighting within the hour, and now a 6'5" Kick-Boxer was waiting for the Brazilian in the tournament final.

Royce Gracie (Jiu-Jitsu) vs. Gerard Gordeau (Kick-Boxing)

The final of the first Ultimate Fighting Championship came down to Dutch Kick-Boxer Gerard Gordeau and Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie as the battle for the $50,000 prize came to its climax.

Gracie immediate shot and tied Gordeau up, clinching him against the cage. The Brazilian’s persistence paid off as he managed to get his much larger opponent to the ground and take the full mount position.

Gracie softened the Dutchman up with forearms and head-butts, and as Gordeau tried to escape he gave up his back and Gracie pounced. Sinking in a deep choke, Gordeau tapped and continued to do so while Gracie gripped and held on to the choke for several seconds after the referee called the fight off.

Royce Gracie and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu were victorious as the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship came to its conclusion. 17 years on, and with Royce a member of the prestigious UFC Hall Of Fame, Jiu-Jitsu is still one of, if not the most crucial aspect in Mixed Martial Arts

====

Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!

BELLATOR 26 RESULTS: Carter's Live Report - Heavyweight, Bantamweight, and Women’s 115 lbs. Quarterfinal Tournament Bouts

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:00:41 PST
By Alvin Benjamin Carter III, MMA Torch Specialist

I am covering Bellator 26 live as it airs live from the Kansas City Power & Light District in Kansas City, Missouri. This is Bellator’s third event of the season, and it is featuring Heavyweight and Women’s 115 lbs tournament fights that will setup the semifinals for both divisions. There is also a welterweight bout for a spot in Season 4's welterweight tournament featuring Tyler Stinson vs. Steve Carl.

Fight 1: Tyler Stinson (16-6) vs. Steve Carl (13-2)
Catchweight 175 lbs (Season 4 Welterweight Tournament Qualifier)

Round 1:
Stinson does not want to touch gloves. They feel each other out. They exchange leg kicks, and then Carl shoots and gets the takedown. Stinson has Carl in a high guard and goes for an armbar. He gets out and is still in guard. Stinson slaps on a triangle, and Carl lifts up and slams Stinson hard. Stinson holds the triangle, and works it, it looks like he has it, but Carl stands up again and eventually slips out and scrambles. Carl gets Stinson in his guard and applies a guillotine. It is on tight. The ref stops it as Stinson gets choked unconscious.

Carl def. Stinson via Technical Submission (Guillotine) R1 - 2:30

Post Fight: Carl said that his Stinson had the triangle choke on so hard he forgot he was in a fight. He thought he had to knock Stinson out with the slam or he was going out. He then said he is ready for the Season 4 welterweight tournament.

Fight Rating *** The fight was quick, but it was exciting, and it was great to see the submission attempts and the eventual finish. These two may be friends, but they came to fight and went for it. A great fight to start of the evening.

Fight 2: Aisling Daly ( 9-0) vs. Lisa Ward (13-5)
(Women’s 115 lbs. Tournament Quarterfinal)

Round 1:
Daly lands a jab, and Ward returns. The lock against the cage and Ward holds Daly on the cage with a body lock. Daly switches and then Ward gets a trip and lands in side control. Ward ends up in half guard, and she works and works. Daly cannot get from under her. She put her knee on Daly and lands a couple of right hands. Now she postures up and drops some heavy right hands. Then she postured up and let both hands go on Daly. Daly tried to shrimp, but Ward help position. Daly is trying to get from under Ward, all attempts are stifled.The round ends.

Round 2:
Ward starts with a head mount through. She works her way up and pushes Ward against the cage, but Ward keeps the under-hooks. Daly lands a knee, but then is put to the cage. They clinch thai-style, and then release. Ward gets a takedown with the head mount throw again. Ward moves to mount, but Daly gets to half guard. Daly gets on top and is in Ward's half guard. She tries to pass, and she smothers Ward with her hand. Daly is warned about a headbutt but the action still moves. Daly is on top in a north/south. Ward locks her legs from the bottom and goes for an inverted triangle, but Daly gets up. They get up and slug it out for ten seconds until the bell rings.

Round 3:
The come in strong and Ward gets a quick takedown. Ward is in Daly’s half guard and is trying to past to side control. Ward looks as if she is working her arm for a kimura. Ward is pounding the ribs of Daly as she works to control Daly’s right wrist. Ward gets Daly’s back, but she is a bit high up on Daly’s back. Daly is trying to power her way up, but she topples over. Ward goes for the choke, and then ends up in Daly’s half guard again. Ward gets Daly’s back again and sinks in two hooks as she works for the rear naked choke. Ward then applies a body lock and then slides her hooks in deeper. Daly rolls over and gets to her knees, but Ward stays on her back and flattens Daly out and pounds Daly as the round ends.

Ward def. Daly by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Post Fight: Ward says she looks forward to running on the beach when asked if she is training during her honeymoon with her trainer and new husband Eddy Ellis. She said that people should not be mean in high school, as she had a tough time being a female wrestler.

Fight Rating: **/**+ Daly did not look as though she had a plan or a particularly dangerous skill set in this fight. Ward dominated with her wrestling, and Daly did not seem to stand a chance. I am looking forward to seeing Ward fight someone with a bit of takedown defense.

Jose Vega (8-3) vs. Danny Tim (9-2-1)
(First Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal)

Round 1:
Tims unleashes a fury of punches like a wild man. He clips Vega with a right hand Vega who was attempting to bang with him, and then Vega took Tims to the ground. Vega recovers as he works, and then he postures up and goes for some ground and pound. Tims goes for armbars and triangles from his back. Tims is throwing these submission attempts up very quickly from his back. Vega lands some shots while in guard, and then Tims slaps on a tight armbar. Vega lifts Tims up, but Tims holds on. Vega gets out and is the north/south. Vega goes for a north/south choke, and Tims gets out and gets on top. They get back up and Tims lands a body shot. Vega and Tims exchange, and then Tims pulls guard. Tims sweeps and gets in Vegas guard as the round ends.

Round 2:
They come out swinging, and they end up on the ground in a scramble, but they both pop right up. Vega lands two leg kicks. Tims comes in with a high push kick. Vega hits Tims with a low blow and the ref calls time. Times with another fury and lands a strong left. Vega counters the wide fists with a right hand. Vega lands a stif left jab, and then lands a nice left hook. They did effect Tims. Tims shoots low, and Vega steps out. Vega gets knocked down with a right, but it looked as if Tims wanted to fall to guard. Tims lands a jab, and then misses a leg kick. Tims with a left and then shoots and rols to his back ended up in the bottom of a north/south. Vega controls Tims right hand with his legs and then movesto side control and attempting to get a crucifix. Tims tries to knee Vega’s ribs from the bottom, and the bell rings.

Round 3:
Vega lands a body kick. Tims shoots to pull guard again, and Vega has none of it. Vega with a outside leg kick. Tims moves in with a left and a right. Vega kicks and it is a low blow. The ref says stand up and fight. I guess he did not see it. They trade some punches, but nothing really lands hard. Tims went for a single leg, and Vega stands right up. They exchange again, but both look a bit tired. Tims lands a jab. Vega with a right hand low kick combo, and Tims replies with a push kick that misses. Vega with a roundhouse to the bod, and then a push kick. Vega with a jab that knocks out Tims’ mouth piece. Vega paws with his right and Tims with that missing push kick go back and forth. Vega then steams in with a takedown. Tims closes his guard tight. Vega looks like he is going for a kimura, but Vegas slips his arm out and stands up as though he was about to drop a bomb as the bell rings.

Vega defs. Tims by Unanimous Decision

Post Fight: Vega was surprised that Tims wanted to stand as much as he did. Vega gave himself credit for his takedown defense. Then said he thinks he has fans all around the country based on his previous Bellator performance. He also thanked his fiance for putting up with him.

Fight Rating: **+
This fight was alright. Tims kept trying to pull guard in an awkward fashion and seemed desperate at times. Both looked as though they wanted to bang at first so the fight started with fireworks. If Tims could have been a bit more accurate with his wild strikes at the beginning of round one, this fight might have ended early and differently.

Fight 4: Mike Hayes (13-3) vs. Alexey Oleinik (27-5)
(Heavyweight Quarterfinal)

Round 1:
Both come out and throw hands. Haeys gets Oleinik to the ground and puts a lose triangle on Hayes. They work, but they stand up. Oleinik throws a big overhand. Oleinikgoes for a single leg, and has a rough time spinning out. Oleinik keeps going with the right hand. Hayes takes him down again, and Oleinik threatens with an armbar setip, but Hayes gets out and lands a hammer-fist. Oleinik ties up an arm, but Hayes keeps landing hammer-fists. The ref says to stay busy. Hayes postures up, but Oleinik controls the wrist of Hayes as he works for an armbar. Oleinik gets the armbar in, but Hayes gets out and takes Oleinik’s back. Oleinik stands up and gets in a clinch on the cage with Hayes. Hayes misses with a knee, and they ecxhange sloppy lefts and rights for ten seconds until the bell rings.

Round 2:
They wrestle to the cage and Oleinik goes for an ezekielchoke, and then Hayes takes Oleinik down, but it seems as though Oleinik wanted to pull guard. Oleinik goes for an armbar, but Hayes postures up. He goes for a triangle, but Hayes postures out. Oleinik is going for the armbar again, and Hayes seems not to worry one bit. Hayes stacks up and passes to side control. The ref calls for some action and threatens to stand them up. They are stood up. Oleinik comes in with a shot, but Hayes lands a great left hand that hurts Oleinik a bit. The bell rings.

Round 3:
They exchange blows and Oleinik goes for a guillotine, and then takes it to the ground. Oleinik transitions to the the ezekiel choke, and then the ref stands them up as blood is flowing in Hayes’ eyes. The doctor checks Hayes out, and then they start the fight from the lat choke position. Oleinik ends up on top, and Hayes goes for a kimura. Oleinik is going for ground and pound while in guard. Hayes with a scissor sweep and both are back to there feet. Oleinik with a right hand, and both men are back down after Hayes takes Oleinik and passes guard. Hayes starts to work ground and pound. Oleinik is trying to wotk for a submission from his back, but it does not seem the blood is helping his ground game. Both men are covered in red.Oleinik stands up but ends up in a standing guillotine. Hayes lands a shot as Oleinik slips out, and the bell rings.

Oleinik defs. Hayes by Split Decision (29-28 Hayes, 29-28 Oleinik, 29-28 Oleinik)

Fight Rating: ** This was a sloppy fight, and Hayes did not look as though he wanted to use his ground and pound. Oleinik could not get his sub attempts to work either. It has overall an uninteresting fight. I thought it might go to Hayes, but Oleinik was trying to finish the fight so I can take this decision.

So that is it for Bellator 26. The tournaments are shaping up, and now it's time to see what Season 3 really has in store.

STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Alistair Overeem open for Olympic drug testing provided widespread implementation, thinks Fedor needs to get a win before they fight

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:10:41 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Fedor Emelianenko and M-1 Global tried to plant seeds for a bout with Alistair Overeem this week. However, in doing so, they called for Overeem to undergo Olympic style drug testing, bringing the steroid issue debate back into conversation.

Overeem has now questioned the timing of Fedor's challenge, saying they've delayed the fight already for a long time; and he doesn't think he has any reason to be singled out for the Olympic style drug tests.

"They already declined to fight me," Overeem said in comments made to MMAJunkie.com. "(They said), 'Maybe Alistair needs extra drug testing; Maybe Alistair needs to fight other opponents first, and [then] maybe, he deserves to fight Fedor.' So these guys, they declined to fight me."

But now that Fedor has lost, and Overeem has already begun preparing for the K-1 tournament beginning this fall, the M-1 is ready to challenge him.

"Now, all of a sudden, they've dropped their terms," Overeem said. "Now, they do want to fight me. It's all tricks, and I don't feel pressured by it at all."

As for M-1 Global's call for Olympic style drug testing, Overeem doesn't understand how they can call for it from him alone.

"M-1 shows in Russia don't do any drug testing on ... any of their fighters," he said. "So why do they want that for me when they're not doing it on their own fighters? I don't understand it at all, and I think it's just another trick of [Fedor's] management."

With that said, Overeem said he'd be willing to undergo that level of testing, provided it was implemented across the board.

"I've [undergone] the athletic-commission drug testing every time I've fought there, and I've always come through the test negative," he said. "I'm the champion now, so I get tested every time I fight. I'm doing my part as an MMA fighter, [like] every MMA fighter, and I'm going to be tested every time because I'm the champion. So the argument of me having to (get) extra tests – why am I any different? Who put me in that position?

"If they're going to implement it for all MMA fighters, then I'll be happy to submit myself. I'm going to do what everybody does because I'm not any different."

As for not wanting to take the Fedor fight, Overeem just points to the criticism that came from his bout with Brett Rogers for the Title in May, where Rogers was coming off a loss.

"When I fight Fedor, I'm sure it's going to be a title fight, and I already fought Brett [Rogers when] he came off a loss. I don't want to keep doing that. Werdum was a legitimate winner from the fight [with Emelianenko]. He's the No. 2 of Strikeforce. So I believe I should fight Werdum. If he's still injured, then I'll fight Fedor because he's still a worthy opponent, and I've challenged him for a year."

So now Strikeforce is left with their top three heavyweights out of action, possibly until the new year. And now they'll need to see what they can do to get Fedor into the cage against someone other than Overeem or Werdum.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: M-1's call for added drug testing for Overeem is laughable. Fedor has already fought numerous fighters that have actually failed a steroid test, and he was going to fight Josh Barnett, who had been popped twice previously, before Barnett failed a third time. Now there's speculation that he still wants the Barnett fight, possibly in Japan on New Year's Eve, yet no Olympic style drug testing is being called for with that fight. Overeem has no reason to bend over backward for Fedor and M-1 Global on the testing issue, and while it's an area in this sport that desperately needs to be cleaned up, this isn't a sign of Fedor and M-1 trying to push that agenda in the sport. If it gets implemented all around in every commission, clearly Overeem will go for it, but as of now, he's right and it's another tactic from M-1 Global. And if M-1 got wind of the fact that Overeem was planning on fighting in K-1 before issuing this challenge than it's another dubious move on their part.

RELATED STORY: STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: Alistair Overeem refuses Fedor fight in 2010, says co-promoting doesn't allow Strikeforce to make logical fights: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

UFC QUOTABLES: James Toney says he could see fear in Randy Couture's eyes at pre-UFC 118 staredown

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:32:29 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"I seen fear [in Randy's eyes]. I smelled it, too. Everybody can sit there and say, 'Oh, Randy was tough. He was cool.' All the Randy Couture fans were [saying that]. Up close and personal, you could see it in his eyes. He ain't never seen nobody like me in his life... I'm a whole different species. I'm something he ain't never seen before in his [expletive] life. I can knock him out, or I can choke him out – either, or. Wherever you want to go, I'm a big, strong dude. I've been strong all my life. This is nothing new to me."

-James Toney talked to MMAJunkie.com at the UFC 118 open workouts about his staredown with Randy Couture at the UFC 118 pre-fight press conference. The two will fight this Saturday on pay-per-view.

Penick's Analysis: Toney is full of talk, talk, talk, but I can't wait to see what happens when he actually steps into the Octagon on Saturday night. This fight now seems like it's been a long time coming with all of the talk that has surrounded the Toney signing in the last six months, and we'll finally find out just how much good nine months of MMA training has done him in preparation for a 13 year veteran of the sport. His boxing record notwithstanding, this is a whole other game he's playing here, and if he's not completely and 100% ready for the things that will be thrown at him by Couture, he could get destroyed.

RELATED STORY: UFC 118 PREVIEW: Randy Couture ready to do his talking in the cage against James Toney in Boston: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

FIGHTER SPOTLIGHT: Former UFC Lightweight Champion B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:10:33 PST
By: Dan Wyatt, MMATorch Specialist

Name: B.J. “The Prodigy” Penn

Promotion: UFC

Division: 155

Height: 5 ft 9 in

Reach: 70 in

Record: 15-6-1

Specializes: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Boxing

Career Summary: B.J. Penn is the true definition of mixed martial artist. Before entering MMA, he wasn’t just any other guy looking for an excuse to hit someone and not get in trouble, this guy was already good. It took him only three years to earn his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu - believed to be a record as it usually takes close to a decade to earn a black belt - and just weeks later he became the first non-Brazilian to win the black belt division of the World Jiu Jitsu Championships. It makes his Championship even more impressive as he only had three years of experience and defeated people who had been training their entire lives in the art.

After hearing of Penn’s amazing performance at the World Championships, Dana White contacted him hoping to convince him to make the switch to MMA and fight for the UFC. His first fight was then set for UFC 31 against Joey Gilbert. Although he was recruited for his mastery of BJJ, Penn won his first three fights all by opening round knockouts, showing how he is maybe the most natural fighter the sport has ever seen. He was given a title shot against Jens Pulver, but would lose a hard fought five round decision. He had successfully sent a flare in the MMA world, signaling the rise of a prodigy.

Pulver was stripped of his title after a contract dispute, and Penn was given another shot at the title. He faced off against Caol Uno for the open title in a clash of two dangerous fighters. But both fighters were left standing as the fight came to a draw. Penn wasn’t settled though, after defeating a prime Takanori Gomi Penn jumped up a weight class to welterweight and took on the heavily favored legend Matt Hughes in a battle for the championship. Though nobody gave Penn much of a chance he shocked the world by toppling the legend in the first round with a rear naked choke.

Penn decided to look for a challenge outside of the UFC next, though this led to the UFC stripping him of his title, citing a breach of contract. He once again moved up a weight class, this time to middleweight. He then took an open weight fight against Lyoto Machida, and took one more fight at middleweight before going back down to welterweight and re-entering the UFC. After coming to terms with White, Penn returned to the Octagon to take on rising welterweight Georges St. Pierre. Even though Penn went on to lose, he got the title shot anyways after St. Pierre injured himself in training. Facing off against Matt Hughes once again, Penn wasn’t able to reproduce the same outcome as the last time, losing by TKO in the third round.

After unsuccessful ventures at higher weight classes, Penn finally moved back down to lightweight to take on Jens Pulver, the only man to ever beat him at 155 lb. In a fight that saw Penn push the pace and dictate where the fight went, he was able to tap out his old foe in the second round with a rear naked choke. His next fight was another shot at the title, and this time Penn wouldn’t put it to waste. Taking on Joe Stevenson for the 155 lb. title - vacated by Sean Sherk due to a failed steroid test and subsequent suspension - Penn once again dominated the fight, finishing it by rear naked choke and winning the Lightweight Championship. Penn defended his title against Sherk, and then turned his attentions to an old foe, St. Pierre. Unfortunately, he lost again, with his corner stopping the fight after the fourth round. Going back down to lightweight, he made successful title defenses against Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez before fighting Frankie Edgar. Coming into the fight at UFC 112, Edgar was an undersized lightweight who nobody believed had any chance whatsoever against the mighty Penn. But throughout the fight Edgar utilized effective quick striking and fades to upset Penn and become the new UFC Lightweight Champion. Now Penn goes into his next fight as the challenger again.

Strengths: Penn has an all-around strong game. He is one of the best BJJ practitioners in the world and can submit somebody at any position on the ground. With his submission game he has strong top control and the ability to pass opponents guard and achieve full mount quite easily. Unlike most great BJJ artist who make the move to MMA, Penn has an equally deadly boxing game, having some of the best hands in the division. He utilizes his ground and pound effectively, not only using it as a means to hurt an opponent but to distract his prey and then pass while he’s trying to defend himself.

Weaknesses: Penn has a history of gassing in fights. Four out of the seven fights that have seen Penn go to decision have ended with his opponents hand raised. However, up until his fight with Frankie Edgar, many people thought that he had improved his endurance and was now rid of that problem. Unfortunately as the fight wore on Penn began dropping his hands and he was even taken down twice, something that had not happened at lightweight since his first fight with Jens Pulver. Besides that, all of his problems are mental. One of them is his identity: is B.J. Penn a lightweight? He’s fought as high as 191 lb. and often makes ventures into welterweight. There were speculations that had he beaten Edgar at UFC 112, he would have made the move back up to welterweight and tried to earn his 170 lb. title back from Georges St. Pierre. Another mental problem of his is commitment. How much does he want to fight? Making the move from BJJ to MMA wasn’t his decision; instead he was persuaded into it by Dana White. After his second fight against St. Pierre he admitted that had he won he would have retired, making you wonder how committed he really is. I know his weaknesses seem kind of, well weak, but it’s because he is really, really good.

Where he stands in the division: B.J. is a legend; even if he can’t beat Edgar he’ll always be known as one of the best to ever grace the division. Right now I have him reluctantly behind Edgar as the #2 lightweight in the UFC. I say reluctantly because Edgar couldn’t finish Penn in their fight and it was close all throughout.

What the future holds: His future as a fighter hinges on this fight. If he can beat Edgar than expect him to stay as the Lightweight Champ. Though if he loses he may just move up to welterweight where his heart seems to lie. Even if he wins it may not be long before he makes the move to welterweight.

How close he is to a title shot: The time is upon him, once again he has a chance to write his name as one of the few to ever wear a belt, all he has to do is beat one of the few men to ever best him.

On deck for next week: I’ll be taking a look at the legend that is Mirko Cro Cop as he steps into the Octagon against Frank Mir at UFC 119.

Dan Wyatt is a communications major in college looking at a career in sports radio and sports writing. Outside of sports you can find him doing stand up comedy or acting in the upcoming independent film, Company of the Damned.

[B.J. Penn art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

VINTAGE AUDIO ('95): Keller interviews Dan Severn trainer after UFC 4, going behind the scenes at early UFC event (22 min.)

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:22:30 PST

The following is a vintage audio archive Torch Talk conducted by MMATorch Supervising Editor Wade Keller with wrestling trainer and martial artist Al Snow, a trainer of former UFC Champion Dan Severn. This interview was conducted for the Torch Newsletter on Jan. 2, 1995, just a couple weeks after UFC 4.

This interview features insight into what UFC was like behind the scenes at that early stage, a funny story regarding Kimo's camp, the skepticism some had going into those early UFC shows regarding whether any of the fights were "thrown," and other fascinating details of his experience.

The interview runs 22 minutes.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN/DOWNLOAD

APP USERS (iPhone and Droid): Please visit our website (www.MMATorch.com) to download this audio file.

[Photo by Mike Lano (c) MMATorch]

UFC 118 PREVIEW: Randy Couture ready to do his talking in the cage against James Toney in Boston

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:21:37 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

When it comes to this Saturday's UFC 118 showdown between Randy Couture and James Toney, the talking has all been coming from Toney.

As for "The Natural," he hasn't engaged in any of the back and forth, and kept his reasoning nice and succinct at this week's pre-fight press conference.

"I don't do any talking," Randy said. "It all happens in the cage, that's what matters."

For his part, Toney still believes he can handle himself inside the Octagon, and he's coming out to prove that he is the fighter he claims to be.

"People say I can't do this, and that MMA is different," he said. "It ain't no different. Once you get in the ropes, in the cage, I'm a different animal."

And though he's come out and made disparaging remarks about the sport throughout his attempts to get booked in the Octagon, he made sure to spend some time at the press conference professing some respect for the sport.

"This MMA thing is great, I love it," Toney said. "I'm a warrior, I'm a fighter. When the bell rings and the cage closes, I'll be ready to go. I'll be there."

UFC President Dana White continued to field questions about putting this fight together, and why he ultimately decided to make it, and though he has called it a freak show fight previously, he's backed off that stance somewhat days out from the fight.

"James was getting ready to break into my house," laughed White. "We talked for awhile, back and forth. I didn't think I would make it and then I just ended up doing it. James asked for a fight, and he got it.

"James has more knockouts than Randy has fights in his boxing career... he's a real guy and anything can happen in the Octagon."

The time for talking will be finished on Saturday night, and this fight will finally take place. Whether Toney can withstand the takedowns and dirty boxing from "Captain America" to land a knockout blow, or whether Couture will take "Lights Out" to the ground and finish him down there, we'll get those answers on at the TD Garden in Boston.

UFC 118 PREVIEW: B.J. Penn looking to blow people away in Boston, Frankie Edgar putting aside Penn's aura

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:25:14 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar will step across the cage from one another for the second time this Saturday at UFC 118 in Boston, Mass. After a razor thin meeting in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, both fighters are looking to prove that they are the best lightweight fighter in the world.

For Penn, this fight is about more than regaining his belt. This fight is about living up to his own expectations, and he sees something special happening at the TD Garden on Saturday.

"I feel like I'm going to blow a lot of people away on Saturday night," Penn said at the pre-fight press conference in Boston on Wednesday. "They're going to be surprised at who B.J. Penn is."

Edgar is trying to prove that his win in Abu Dhabi was no fluke, and he understands that a finish in this fight could be what he needs to shut the mouths of the doubters.

"I know [B.J.] has this aura about him and everything, but I put that aside and just approached this as another fight," Edgar said. "[A finish in this fight] would definitely give me much more respect... if I can get the finish that would be great."

Penn says the belt isn't his motivating factor into this fight, and actually he's simply wanting to test himself as a fighter first and foremost.

"Really, after I beat Frankie i know it's UFC policy that I have to take the belt; but I want to beat the best fighters," he said. "I have eight belts at home - I don't want to be known as a Champion, I want to be known as a fighter from now on."

As for what the current Champ can expect come fight night on Saturday, Penn kept it short and sweet.

"He's going to see speed, he's going to see strength and he's going to see somebody coming to finish the fight, that's what he's going to see."

UFC 118 airs live on pay-per-view this Saturday night, and Spike TV features an hour long Prelims Live special ahead of the pay-per-view broadcast.

UFC NEWS: UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste to pose in Playboy magazine

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:22:04 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste will grace the cover of the "Playboy" magazine this fall, UFC President Dana White revealed on Wednesday.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com, White confirmed rumors that began when Celeste Tweeted a picture of the Playboy offices earlier this month.

Celeste has already completed her film shoot, according to White, and she will be on the cover of the November edition of the magazine. She now joins Rachelle Leah, the former UFC ring girl who posed for the magazine in 2008.

Penick's Analysis: This is another move where the UFC has followed WWE's model in some fashion for the company. The WWE had a number of their female "wrestlers" pose for the men's magazine throughout the last 13-14 years, and now Celeste, in joining Leah, helps start a trend for the UFC. It's not a bad move, and for Celeste it gives her more exposure, figuratively and literally. She's certainly taking advantage of her spot as the UFC's "main" ring girl at the moment, and she'll be able to keep her affiliation with the organization for some time because of it.

UFC VIDEO: Dana White's UFC 118 video blog part two

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:45:52 PST

The video blogging continues for Dana White as UFC 118 nears. On this second episode of this UFC 118 edition, White heads to ESPN to promote the event and more. Check it out below (App users video available at MMATorch.com):

UFC QUOTABLES: B.J. Penn - "James Toney is God's gift to MMA"

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:30:00 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"What’s worse than having the WWF champ as our heavyweight champ? That ain’t worse than having James Toney come on and win a fight... It’s great for the sport. James Toney is God’s gift to MMA right now. He’s promoting the sport. He’s telling everybody to go out and buy tickets. You can’t ask for a better person. What James Toney is doing is putting more money into everybody’s pockets."

-B.J. Penn talks to Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com about James Toney coming to the UFC and fighting at UFC 118 this Saturday.

Penick's Analysis: He's actually got a point. Toney's presence on this card, and the UFC's pushing of this fight with Randy Couture, could lead to more eyes on the event. And having Toney win on Saturday may not be any worse than had Lesnar come in and beat Frank Mir right away. Both had one main discipline coming in, so if Toney is able to utilize that to defeat Couture it will be what it is, but it won't hurt the UFC or MMA at all.

[B.J. Penn art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

MMATORCH EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Urijah Faber thinks Dominick Cruz should change his nickname, ready to make an impact in three divisions

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:00:36 PST

"The California Kid" Urijah Faber returns to action this November when he makes his WEC bantamweight debut against Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 52. Faber took some time out of his schedule this week to call into the MMATorch Livecast Tuesday Conversation to speak with me and MMATorch Columnist Matt Pelkey, and we touched on a number of subjects including his new K-Swiss ad campaign, WEC Bantamweight Champion and nemesis Dominick Cruz, wanting to make a big impact through multiple weight classes and more. Check it out below:

Jamie Penick (MMATorch): Reed Harris said last week that he's expecting you back in November, still against Takeya Mizugaki, have you signed on for that bout yet?

I haven't signed the actual bout sheet but that's what I've been told. I'm excited about it, man, I was ready to go at the end of September. But that's fine, November's good. I'm focused, I'm ready to go, I've been training hard and I'm all healed up.

Jamie: You've got the new TUBES campaign going on with Danny McBride and K-Swiss. I understand K-Swiss has acquired your FORM Athletics brand, how do you perceive that business relationship and what does it mean for your brand going forward?

It's been huge. K-Swiss is 44 years old, and so a company like that who has had so much success and is a classy brand, [to be affiliated with that] is awesome. Especially for mixed martial arts. I feel our brand is the new era of what MMA is all about, and to be recognized and acquired by K-Swiss at such an early stage in the company just shows that they know a good thing, and I'm excited about it. We can go global a lot faster than we would have otherwise. We're able to go from t-shirts to shorts to a whole line of performance apparel and sportswear right away. And we always planned on doing shows, so now having the K-Swiss shoes models and the ability to use their resources is going to be huge for us, so it's just all around great.

Matt Pelkey (MMATorch): What was it like filming those commercials with Danny McBride? Was it hard to keep a straight face like you had in those spots?

Oh, man, I was cracking up. That guys a riot. He's a real cool dude, a mellow dude. He gets in character, and he's got his buddy Jodi, they went to school together, and they know each other so well so it was funny to see them work together. But I was dying man, that guy's a riot.

Jamie: You said you'd be ready to return in September, is the knee injury healing up alright then?

Yeah, it's all healed up. I'm still being - just for the sake of being cautious - cautious. I've been running hard, doing jiu jitsu, boxing and everything else… I feel great.

Matt: is there any concern that being cautious will carry over into the fight?

What I mean by being cautious is, up until about three days ago, I didn't start doing any intense kicking just because it was a leg injury. So I'm just being cautious there, but I'll start doing that next week. Also, unless it's one of my regular training partners I'm not doing any takedowns. Usually anywhere I'm at I'll try to find some guys to do some wrestling with, but I'm [making sure I'm] familiar with all my partners… I feel 100% and I won't be cautious come fight time.

Matt: most of the fans remember Mizugaki for his five round fight with Miguel Torres a couple of years ago. That was pretty much a five round slugfest back and forth. Is that what you're looking for, do you want to stand and bang with him, or do you want to plant him on his back and take him out of his comfort zone?

I'm going to try to end it as soon as possible, so whether that's on the ground, knocking him out, elbowing him to death, whatever it takes, I'm going to try to end it. That's always how I fight. I'm ready for anything. I'm very good at wrestling, jiu jitsu, boxing and kickboxing, and I'm going to keep on improving. So I'm going to be going for the kill. Period.

Jamie: Are you expecting to have any issues with this weight cut?

It's going to be irritating for everyone around me. I'm going to be grumpy and hungry and all that good stuff… Am I going to enjoy it? Most likely not, but I'm going to feel really good there. I'm going to be strong for the weight. I'll probably walk into the cage within a couple pounds of what I normally do anyway, you know I was a really small 145 lbs. Before I came into the fight against Aldo I was about 154 lb., 153. I'll probably be around 151-152 lbs. when I get in the cage to fight at 135 lb. I'm looking to be the bigger guy. I'm not sure how it's going to change my style, if I'm going to be faster or stronger than other guys or be about even. But I just rely on my skills, and kick some butt.

Matt: Since your fight with Dominick Cruz, he's beaten your training partner Joseph Benavidez twice. Does the fact that he did so give you any extra motivation to stay at bantamweight and go after him?

Extra motivation, maybe. I really think from a fighting standpoint, Joseph did more damage until the last 10 seconds when he got a cut opened up. But Dominick doesn't seem like he brings a finishing mentality in there. So I look forward to fighting him, I learned some stuff off of watching him fight Joseph. I want to fight the guy anyway because he's the best at that weight right now, and I don't particularly like the guy, so I'm motivated to fight him.

Matt: What is it you don't like about him?

I'm not sure exactly. I would like to say it's because the first time we fought he was disrespectful, but I don't really dwell on that kind of stuff. But it was just kind of a little insight into what kind of a d-bag he is. They give away these posters to charity, and he was signing all over my face, which was kind of weird. And then, it's just the way he's carried himself. San Diego's where he's staying now. California is my place, so that's something I don't really like. But I think it'll be a good fight.

Jamie: How did you see the Benavidez-Cruz II fight going down, and what do you think Joseph could have done to swing the judges' favor his way?

I had Joseph squeaking it out. I didn't give as much emphasis on the takedowns because he didn't do much damage. For example the first round, Joseph wins the first four minutes, Dominick takes him down for the last minute and doesn't do any damage and they score it for Dominick. That makes no sense to me. Unfortunately, Dominick was very good at his gameplan, which is kind of how he fights. He's a gameplanner, it doesn't seem like he's much of a guy that likes to mix it up. I don't think he's really throwing his power shots in there. He backs up and does his footwork so it looks like he's doing something but he's still backing up. It was just mostly frustrating for Joseph, I'm sure, because he's landing all these big punches and having rounds stolen by takedowns. That's our sport, I think Joseph's got to be more aware and stop those takedowns which he wasn't able to.

Matt: It reminded me of the B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar fight where one guy was the more "active" fighter and seemed to be the more aggressive fighter and the other guy seemed to land the harder shots. It seems like judges reward the guy that seems to be more active. Do you think that's a flaw in the way fights are scored or is that something you need to keep in the back of your head?

It just depends on what you think is "active." If you look at the fight, Joseph was the one stalking, he was high paced. And then you look at Dominick Cruz and they say he was more active because he was moving his feet more and throwing more punches that were missing and stuff like that. Is it who moves in there more? I mean you can throw a chicken in the fight and all of a sudden the chicken just won. As long as it looks like he's doing something. You can't really take anything away from Dominick because he's finding a way to win so he's a Champion right now because of that. But as far as doing damage? They should change his name from "The Dominator." He doesn't dominate necessarily, so maybe the "Decisionator." Not "The Intimidator" he's not intimidating, he doesn't ever finish anybody. Maybe "The Irritator." Dominating doesn't seem like it's his thing necessarily. He more moves around a lot and hits guys every once in awhile. Maybe "The Frustrator." He's probably frustrating for guys to fight. But he's definitely not dominating, he's definitely not intimidating. But he's good at what he does, which is dance around a lot, hit some guys and get takedowns.

Jamie: What did you think of Scott Jorgensen's performance against Brad Pickett and how do you think a fight against Cruz for him would go?

I thought Scott did great. Scott's been getting better and better over the years. He's tough in practice but he's always better in competition. I'm not sure how that matchup would go. Scotty's the better wrestler, Dominick Cruz is very elusive on his feet. Scotty likes to march forward and it could give Scotty some problems. Again, it's going to come down to how the judges look at that. I think he has a better chance of finishing and Dominick has a better chance of winning a decision.

Jamie: If Scott wins that fight and you get past Mizugaki, that might be the fight people want to see next, is that a fight you would take if it's on the table?

Yeah, it is a fight that I would take. Like I said, if I had my choice I wouldn't want to do that. But if it's actually going to be good for him and good for myself for us to fight each other - I know we'd shake hands before and shake hands after kind of deal - I'd be willing to do that fight, but I wouldn't look forward to it. But I'd definitely give it my all.

LISTENER QUESTION: How do you favor in the Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyan fight at WEC 51? If Manny wins would you plan on going back up to 145 lb. to challenge him?

I'm going to favor Aldo. I've got a lot of respect for that guy. He's a finesse fighter, he's an exceptional athlete and he's pretty intelligent in there. Manny, though, is a really durable guy. He's got some strong grappling background. But I think with footwork and finesse I think Aldo's going to be able to control him pretty easily. I would fight Aldo again, I plan on going back to 145 lb. at some point, I'm not going to stay down at 135 forever. They talk about the pound for pound stuff all the time, I've been fighting 145 lb. and I've been a small 145 lb. for years. I'd like to have some success at 135 lb., go back up to 145 lb. and maybe hit up 155 lb. before it's all said and done. I want to do things that are big in this sport and go down in history, and I think that's how you do it.

Matt: Would you be more likely to go up to 155 lb. if that division got brought into the UFC?

Yeah, if I went up to 155 lb. I'd do it in the UFC. Just because I think that's where everybody sees the top guys. The 135 lb. and 145 lb., all the best guys in the world are in the WEC. Our 155 lb. fighters are just as competitive and just as good a lot of times, but there's just not the knowledge and perception from the fans. So when I talk about doing big things, that's what I mean. So I would like to go up to 155 lb and go to the UFC in order to do that. I think Frankie Edgar and myself would be a great fight.

Jamie: There's been some criticism of the WEC lately for stagnant ratings on events that you're not a part of. What do you think could be done for the organization to gain more of a foothold and to get more fans tuning in from event to event on Versus?

I wish I was the guy to talk to on that. I guess what you need to do is continue to have exciting fights. There are some incredible fighters out there. It's all about money, advertising and putting in the time and they've been doing that over the years. I don't have the answer for why the ratings are only there when I fight. I'm honored, that's kind of a cool statistic, but I don't know why exactly.

Matt: Does the added audience when you're on a card put more pressure on you at all?

My mentality is just to have fun, and maybe that's why people like watching me. There's a couple things that go into my fights and that is: I'm going to fight to the bitter end, and I'm going to enjoy every part of it. I think people like that. I don't feel a difference whether 100 people are watching or a million people are watching. That's on TV, I don't know about that. My thing is I just love what I'm doing, I feel really lucky to be living the life of my passion. I've been creating opportunities for my buddies and making my family proud. It's a good fight.

Jamie: Well, Urijah, we can't wait to see you in the cage again in November, are there any sponsors you want to give a shout out to before we let you go?

I just want to thank you guys, and yeah, check out all my sponsors. FormAthletics.com, like you guys talked about we were just acquired by K-Swiss. Check out KSwiss.com/tubes, they've got all those commercials with Kenny Powers and myself that are just hilarious. And AMP Energy. They've had my back this whole way, we've had an awesome campaign with them, and they're all getting behind MMA and trying to make it bigger. Thanks again guys, and @UrijahFaber for Twitter, UrijahFaber.com and thanks to my managers, MMA Incorporated.

[Urijah Faber art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

STRIKEFORCE QUOTABLES: Alistair Overeem refuses Fedor fight in 2010, says co-promoting doesn't allow Strikeforce to make logical fights

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:15:03 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"No, unfortunately [a fight with Fedor is not possible this year]. The reason is because if I enter the Final 16 and win, I will fight the K-1 Final in December. My decision was made because nothing was certain and Strikeforce and M-1 didn't act fast enough when I made my decision to start K-1 training. Now I read on the internet that Fedor and his management want to fight me all of sudden. Do they really need two months of thinking and negotiating? I think it's a little strange to be honest. If Fedor challenged me right after the fight it would have been something to take in consideration, but the M-1 management started to say that all the polls on several websites stated that people rather have a Fedor vs. Werdum rematch then a fight against me. There we have another lie by M-1 because every poll I have read stated the opposite and showed that everybody want to see Fedor versus me. Check their current poll at their own Web site (laughs).

If you co-promote with people that have their own demands it's hard to make good and logical fights. If you look at another big MMA organization in the States, you can see that they have a clear road map of who's fighting who and which fighters are entitled to get a shot at the championship belt. Having a clear virtual ranking is one of the reasons they are successful because they can hype fights. You can debate if I'm the number one in Strikeforce using results of the past, but the fact remains that Fedor signed with Strikeforce and chose Werdum instead of me. We all know that in every organization Fedor is more than welcome to fight straight for the belt due to his stature and experience, but if his management decided that they would like a tune-up fight and then Werdum before fighting me they are taking a risk. Fighting in a organization is just the same as climbing a ladder. If you lose, you will fall a couple of steps down and if you win you go up. It's not fair to other fighters that are climbing the same ladder. So to make a long story short, I'm the champion, which means I'm number one [in Strikeforce], not based on ranking but because I'm wearing the belt. Number two is clearly Werdum because of his win over Fedor and Antonio Silva. Fedor losing means he's number 3 and Antonio Silva, who came back from a loss against Werdum by defeating Arlovski is clearly the number 4. So in that case, Fedor should fight Antonio Silva and the winner of that fight should fight against the winner of a bout between myself and Werdum. It's just that simple -- it's not rocket science."

-Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem talks to Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com about declining a fight with Fedor Emelianenko after the Russian fighter called him out this morning, while also taking a swipe at the matchmaking in Strikeforce in dealing with M-1.

Penick's Analysis: It's amazing how hard it seems to be for Strikeforce to go with that basic and easily set up logic for booking this heavyweight division of theirs, but they've allowed themselves to be stifled by M-1 Global and have to deal with the consequences. Overeem throwing their matchmaking under the bus while subsequently praising how the UFC has set up their heavyweight picture should be a big deal for Strikeforce, but right now it's just comical and par for the course in the organization. With Overeem waiting for Werdum, they cannot give in to M-1's demands and cannot give that fight to Fedor over Overeem. If they're going to have Fedor fight, it should be the Bigfoot Silva bout and then the winner of that should take on the winner of Overeem-Werdum, which will likely take place in early 2011. Overeem's right, it's not rocket science here.

UFC NEWS: UFC Primetime to return for Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez in October, according to Dana White

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:03:30 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC Primetime series has been used by the UFC to bring an added dimension to build up some of the stars in the organization, most notably Georges St. Pierre.

While already a huge star for the organization in his own right, St. Pierre's two stints on the three part hype series - which follows fighters through the last few weeks of their training camps heading into an event and airs on Spike TV throughout that stretch - have built him into one of the biggest draws in the UFC.

Additionally, the UFC used the Primetime show to regain the tension and spark between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans that was lost when Jackson took a role in this summer's A-Team movie. The result of that show? By far the biggest non-title main event in UFC history.

But to date, the Primetime show has not been centered around the UFC's biggest star, and one of the biggest pay-per-view draws in general, UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

According to UFC President Dana White, that's about to change.

In a live chat on ESPN.com's SportsNation on Tuesday, White revealed that the next Primetime series will follow Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez as they prepare for their UFC 121 meeting at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. this October.

Lesnar is a notoriously private person, choosing to live a relatively quiet life with his family in a small town a couple hours northwest of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He pays a select group of trainers and training partners to come to the training facility he's built on his property, and keeps himself from civilization until it's time to come out and fight.

If the UFC has truly convinced him to go along with the show, which will have cameras following his camp and preparation for the fight for roughly three and a half weeks, they could be setting up one of their biggest pay-per-view events ever.

Penick's Analysis: This will be huge for the UFC if it's legitimately going to happen. I'll remain a bit skeptical until the UFC actually announces it, but White's comment on the SportsNation chat seemed fairly definitive. If it does happen, the UFC will have an extra three weeks to really push Cain Velasquez as a serious challenger and bring him back into the consciousness of fans who perhaps have a short memory regarding his February knockout of Nogueira.

And getting an opportunity to go behind the scenes into Lesnar's training camp and to try to get a better look at just what the enigmatic Champ does up there in Alexandria is going to be great for fans. The Primetime shows have definitely boosted the events they've been used for, especially with the two done so far this year with GSP-Hardy and Rampage-Rashad, and I'd have to imagine with Lesnar involved this does even better. I hope it actually takes place.

UFC NEWS: Dana White confirms title shot for Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard UFC 118 winner

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:07:03 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

When the matchup between Kenny Florian and Gray Maynard was announced for this weekend's UFC 118 event, it seemed like a natural fit for the "#1 Contender Bout" label. Florian had won two straight fights in convincing fashion since his last crack at the UFC Lightweight Championship, and Maynard has continued to roll on in the UFC with an undefeated record, giving both a legitimate claim to be the next fighter to challenge for the title with a win in Boston.

UFC President Dana White agrees with that assessment of the fight, and confirmed at Wednesday's pre-fight press conference that the winner of this bout will, in fact, get the first shot at the winner of the B.J. Penn-Frankie Edgar rematch in the main event.

"If Gray Maynard beats Kenny Florian, there's no doubt about it he deserves a title shot," said White.

And the inverse is true as well, as White answered "Absolutely" when asked if the title shot applied to a Florian victory as well.

Gray Maynard got passed over earlier this year for the shot at Penn at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, and because of that he'll be looking to seize the opportunity with a victory over the hometown fighter in Florian at the TD Garden.

"He's a tough guy, but it's a fight," Maynard said. "I love it, I love my job. I'm prepared, let's just get to it. Get past the weight cut, get to the fight, get into the cage."

For Florian, he's running up against a style that has, in the past, been able to neutralize him. Maynard's wrestling game is better than anyone Florian has faced since Sean Sherk in 2006, and Florian says he believes it's even better.

"Obviously Gray has a lot of experience over me in wrestling and I expect him to use that," Florian said. "I'd like to think I've improved a lot since that fight [with Sean Sherk]. I think Gray is a bigger and better version of Sean Sherk... I'm looking forward to testing myself against Gray."

UFC 118 airs live on Spike TV and pay-per-view this Saturday, August 28, from the TD Garden in Boston, Mass.

Penick's Analysis: It made perfect sense to have this be a number one contender's fight, as the winner will definitely have the most solid case for being the next challenger for the belt in the division. I still remain someone interested in seeing a second fight between B.J. Penn and Kenny Florian should both of them win on Saturday, and if Maynard beats Florian he'll have absolutely earned his shot. It should be a great fight for the Boston crowd and for the pay-per-view buying public.

THE TAPPER'S TOOLBOX: Fixing the little mistakes in your BJJ game - "Mistakes Beginners Make – The Butterfly Sweep"

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:35:11 PST
By: Rob Gramer, MMATorch Specialist

Mistakes Beginners Make – The Butterfly Sweep

Butterfly, hooks, elevators; call them what you will, but most beginning grapplers make a huge mistake that murders their ability to sweep from the butterfly guard.

Let's take a closer look:

If you've been grappling for more than a day, you've probably heard the term leverage. Archimedes said, "Give me a big enough lever and I can move the world." And leverage is exactly what allowed BJJ Grand Master Helio Gracie to beat bigger and stronger opponents.

Leverage is the linchpin that makes BJJ work.

Is it easier to finish an armbar if you are pulling on an opponent's hand? Or on his elbow? If you just caught a kneebar, do you pull on his calf? Or the back of his ankle? Is it easier to break posture in guard if you pull on your opponent's shoulder? Or the back of his head?

I hope you answered the second ones, because you increase leverage (making your life a ton easier) as you apply force out farther from the body.

Now, what's this got to do with the butterfly sweep?

Most beginning grapplers simply fail to take advantage of leverage in the butterfly sweep, meaning they:

• waste a ton of energy struggling for the sweep, which leads to...

• failed sweep attempts, and...

• an easy guard pass for their opponent.

What's the big mistake they are making? Take a look at the following picture:

If you look closely at my butterfly hook, you'll see I'm practically kicking him in the groin. The problem here is that I have absolutely zero leverage to manipulate his legs. Since I can't cause his legs to move left or right, I can't get his hips to swivel.

Think about that last part for a moment. If I can't get his hips to swivel at all, is it possible for me to sweep him on his back?

Of course not!

I'll simply waste energy lifting him in the air. Now let's take a look at another picture:

If you can ignore my friend's cheesy grin, you'll notice I moved my butterfly hook down to his knee. I did this for one simple reason.

This gives me leverage on his hips!

If I kick his knee out, up and to my right his hips MUST begin to rotate. If I can rotate his hips enough, he will fall over on his back and I will get the sweep.

So here's the big takeaway lesson from all of this. To get more leverage and easier sweeps, move your butterfly hook away from his groin and towards his knee.

Why? Because you always get MORE leverage when you move the control points further away from your opponents core.

Rob Gramer is a mechanical engineer and BJJ brown belt. For more BJJ articles with a scientific bent and a free report revealing the 33 Grips every grappler must know, visit www.backchoke.com

UFC NEWS: Todd Duffee injured, Gilbert Yvel in against Jon Madsen at UFC 121

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:35:45 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

A lingering knee injury has forced Todd Duffee out of a planned bout with Jon Madsen at UFC 121 in October, and according to a report from the Las Vegas Sun, Gilbert Yvel will be taking his spot.

It will be Yvel's last chance in the Octagon after dropping both of his appearances in the organization this year. He was knocked out by Junior Dos Santos in January at UFC 108, and then found himself dominated by Ben Rothwell in a sloppy three round fight at UFC 115.

Madsen comes into the event with three wins in the Octagon, and an undefeated record overall. The Death Clutch teammate of UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar picked up his most recent win over Karlos Vemola by decision at UFC 116 in July.

UFC 121 is set to air live on Spike TV and pay-per-view on October 23, headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between Lesnar and Cain Velasquez from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: This is another straight up grappler vs. striker fight, and unless Yvel connects with the knockout punch early this is another fight that can see Madsen grind out a decision win. His top control will continue to be excellent, he just needs to add more to his striking arsenal and ground and pound, and hopefully he'll continue to improve his skills going forward. He'll get himself an opportunity on a main card in the UFC as soon as he starts implementing a more engaging fight style.

UFC VIDEO: Randy Couture on ESPN's Sportscenter to talk James Toney and UFC 118

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:02:53 PST

Randy Couture joined ESPN's Sportscenter this morning ahead of Saturday's UFC 118 fight against James Toney. Couture discussed the fight and gave a final sell to ESPN on the bout before Saturday. Check out the video below (App users video available at MMATorch.com):

STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Fedor Emelianenko says he wants Alistair Overeem in November or December (UPDATED)

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:47:46 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Though M-1 Global President Vadim Finkelstein earlier this week stated that they were looking to have Fedor Emelianenko wait out Fabricio Werdum - and only wanted that for the last fight on his current deal with Strikeforce - Fedor himself has another name in mind: Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem.

In an interview with Russian website MixFight.ru, Fedor called out Overeem and said he wanted to face him in either November or December of this year.

"Сertainly, I would like to have a rematch with Werdum," Fedor said. "But as he had surgery this fight unlikely to happen soon. This year, in November-December, I would like to meet in a cage with Alistair Overeem."

Overeem has stated he wants to wait for Werdum himself, and said he may head to K-1 this fall. But if Strikeforce can get this fight together, for Overeem's title or in a non-title capacity, they'll have the fight they tried to build to when Fedor was signed last August.

Penick's Analysis: With Werdum out injured I'm far more interested in this fight than I was initially. They talked about this fight right away after Fedor's loss, as they also did with the immediate Werdum rematch, but it's still a fight that people want to see. Whether it's for the title or not, Strikeforce should try to convince Overeem to stick around and take this fight, because Fedor likely won't be taking that fight with "Bigfoot" Silva.

UPDATE: Fedor has issued a statement through M-1 Global about wanting the fight: "This is an important match for me and something that I personally want to happen,” says Fedor. “There have been conversations about putting this match-up together in the past and now is the time to begin making this bout possible."

RELATED STORY: FEDOR NEWS: M-1 Global says Fedor Emelianenko rematch with Fabricio Werdum required; fights in Japan or Russia possible by year's end: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

UFC NEWS: Despite reports, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua targeting Super Bowl weekend return against Rashad Evans; Silva-Sonnen II also possible for that event

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:30:05 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Despite UFC President Dana White's comments on ESPN yesterday targeting UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's for the late spring or early summer, the Champ is targeting a much earlier return date.

Shogun will begin at least one camp in preparation for a February return this November, as he will be traveling to Minnesota to train with old friend and former striking coach Sergio Cunha, who now runs the Minnesota Fight Factory in the state.

Cunha, who trained formerly with the famed Chute Boxe academy as well as Brazilian Top Team, told MMATorch as much on the MMATorch Livecast on Tuesday night, and said Shogun's recovery is currently going very well.

"[Shogun is working] with a soccer team, very famous in Brazil called Sao Paulo soccer team, he's making his recovery with that team," said Cunha. "He's going to come back probably on the [Super Bowl [show], that's almost 100% going to happen. His next camp [will come] in November in Minnesota with me, we are working [that out]."

But that's not all. With the recent talk of Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen being set up for their immediate rematch, and the Super Bowl show already being one of those rumored dates for that fight, Cunha said that's probably where Silva ends up as well.

"That's true [Shogun is] going to come back next year," Cunha said. "He's recovering very well and we're going to have a chance to see him and probably Anderson Silva [on that same card].

"[The Super Bowl weekend show] is probably what's going to happen with both guys."

If that's the case, the UFC will have a massive Super Bowl weekend show lined up for February 5, and they'll have a chance to kick off their 2011 with a hugely successful pay-per-view card featuring Silva vs. Sonnen and Shogun vs. Rashad Evans at the top.

Penick's Analysis: If the timing works out here for both Shogun and Anderson to get on this card together, it will be huge. The Silva rematch with Sonnen is already going to garner a ton of pay-per-view buys on its own, but adding Rashad to the mix fresh off a million buys at UFC 114 and Shogun returning off of his destruction of Lyoto Machida, and this becomes a big, big event. It'll certainly be much more palatable than Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman in that slot earlier this year.

HYDEN BLOG: Time To Do Away With Lay-And-Pray, The Art Of Bore

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:53:52 PST
By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

I've mentioned previously that I don't believe that title fights should ever go to the scorecards. I think that a title should have to be won, and I don't think a decision victory is enough. I think fighters should be encouraged to go for the finish, as opposed to the decision. To achieve true victory, you must risk defeat.

I realize that not everyone is sold on the idea of "fight to the finish" title matches, so maybe a compromise is in order. A stricter set of rules governing ground fighting would alleviate much of the dissatisfaction with the lay-and-pray fighting style. Takedowns can be extremely effective at imposing your will on your opponent. However, takedowns that only result in laying atop your opponent shouldn't count towards your round score. The fighter needs to make a concerted effort to damage his opponent in some way or to submit him. Advancing positions should be handled in the same way that stand-up should be. A guy who connects with 50 jabs shouldn't be awarded the same points as someone who connects with three or four power punches or kicks.

The name of the game should be doing damage. Going from half-guard to side control is great, but if it doesn't result in your opponent taking damage or having to defend a submission, what good is it? It's the same way with punching. You can work your jab and keep landing it over and over, but if you're not using your jab to set up more damaging strikes, what have you really done?

If you take a fighter down but don't do much, you shouldn't be awarded points for the takedown. If the referee is forced to stand you up, you don't deserve points. A takedown, followed by some effective ground-and-pound or a submission attempt, is absolutely worthy of points. Controlling a guy with wrestling isn't worthy of points. It's like excessive clinching or holding in boxing. Yeah, it takes talent to use your wrestling to smother an opponent, but I don't want to watch that, just like figure skating. It takes lots of talent to be a good figure skater, but I don't want to watch that, either.

It's all about entertainment. I remember several years ago when Karo Parisyan fought Nick Diaz at UFC 49. The stand-up portion of the fight wasn't very good, but the ground fighting between the two was incredible. There were reversals and counters to the counter, and things were just crazy. I don't expect every fight that goes to the ground to be as exciting as that was, but I do expect the fighters to at least try to do something.

We all know that fights on the ground can be entertaining. To ensure that there's a higher probability of that happening, we need to legislate out the art of bore, lay-and-pray.

Comments and suggestion can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com

STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Nick Diaz vs. K.J. Noons expected for October 9 event on Showtime

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:40:07 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz will return to the Strikeforce cage this October for the first time since being pulled off of Jason "Mayhem" Miller in the melee following Strikeforce: Nashville in April.

And a familiar face will be standing across the cage from him.

His EliteXC "lightweight" foe K.J. Noons, fresh off his controversy filled victory over Jorge Gurgel last Saturday at Strikeforce: Houston, has been tapped to face Diaz on the October 9 event on Showtime, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com.

There was some discussion about Diaz moving up to middleweight for a grudge match of sorts against Miller after their part in the April brawl, but Diaz's head trainer and manager Cesar Gracie said that wasn't going to be the case.

"There's no doubt Miller is a very good fighter; anybody who can go five rounds with Jake Shields is a good fighter," Gracie said in the MMAJunkie report. "But his record for his last five fights is not really something to boast that much about. It's not really a win-win situation for Nick to go to 185 lb. just because Miller is just making a challenge."

"If you want to call out the champion, that means you're prepared to go to his weight. If you're not prepared, don't call him out. If he just wants to fight Nick, come by the academy and Nick will oblige him on the spot, at any weight."

But it's not as if Diaz and Noons don't have their fair share of bad blood.

Noons was the last man to defeat Diaz, opening up a cut that forced the doctors to stop their November 2007 bout after the first round. Diaz tried on multiple occasions to get a rematch with Noons in EliteXC, but the fight never came to fruition before the organization fell, and Noons took a year off to box professionally.

This fight will headline the October event, which will take place from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., and will also feature a Women's 135 lb. Championship bout between Sarah Kaufman and Marloes Coenen as well as a middleweight meeting between Luke Rockhold and Matt Lindland.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: While this is a rematch that's been a longtime coming, I have a hard time seeing how two wins at 155 lb. against Conor Huen and Jorge Gurgel means someone earns a title shot at 170 lb. It's this type of nonsensical booking at the top of their divisions that drives people nuts. The fight itself is fine, but it wouldn't be an issue at all if they just threw out these titles that clearly have no meaning and book fights simply for the sake of seeing the fights happen. Because giving Noons this fight, and having Miller as the other option, clearly shows they don't have anyone at 170 lb. to put against him, rendering the title the meaningless trinket it is right now.

AMADI: Randy Couture vs. James Toney at UFC 118 not the "freak show" fight it's being made out to be

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:02:45 PST
By: Jason Amadi, MMATorch Columnist

For whatever reason, the UFC 118 co-main event featuring Randy Couture vs. James Toney is being discussed as if it were Randy Couture vs. congenital amputee Kyle Maynard. Despite James Toney having more knockout victories in boxing than Randy Couture has fights period, many seem to be of the opinion that this fight is beneath the UFC and is a sort of “freak show.” While this fight is a fairly obvious mismatch, it is no “freak show.”

Freak show fights are fights like Fedor Emelianenko vs. Zuluzinho, Hong Man Choi vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Hong Man Choi vs. Jose Canseco, or the “Battle of the WWE stars” fight that Strikeforce is trying to cook up between Bobby Lashley and Dave Bautista. That fight particularly pits an elite wrestler with six MMA bouts to his credit against a man with no athletic background, no combat sports experience, and who in terms of MMA qualifications is no different from any muscle bound man off the streets.

By MMA standards, James Toney vs. Randy Couture is a mismatch of the worst kind, but not a freak show. In what way is James Toney vs. Randy Couture really all that much different from Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley, or Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy? Essentially those matchups were top notch wrestlers against strikers with lackluster takedown defense who weren’t particularly adept at submissions. The selling point of each fight was the possibility that one punch could be landed before they were taken down by their superior grapplers -- sounds pretty familiar.

It isn’t as if Randy Couture is even the worst stylistic matchup for Toney in the UFC. Couture is a Greco-Roman wrestler, meaning he is more proficient at upper body takedowns and utilizing the clinch than he is proficient at the double leg takedown. If Couture looks to his bread and butter, it could put him in punching range for an incredibly dangerous puncher.

Another point of interest is that Randy Couture’s chin just isn’t what it used to be. Couture has been dropped in almost every single fight he’s had since his return from a year long hiatus with the UFC. Brock Lesnar finished him with strikes, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira dropped him multiple times with punches, and seemingly whenever Brandon Vera wasn’t pressed up against the cage everything he threw at Couture sent him to the canvas.

Couture doesn’t need the world’s greatest chin or even double leg takedown to put James Toney on his back, and he doesn’t even have to respect Toney’s takedown defense long enough to strike with the IBA heavyweight champion; but the potential for Toney to land a big a shot and put Couture out is still great. The intrigue of this fight comes down to Couture’s ability to close the distance versus Toney’s ability to land a solid shot on Couture as he comes in on him. For those few seconds, James Toney’s chances of winning go up from zero to about 50/50.

UK SCENE: Andre Winner and Nick Osipczak weigh in on UFC 118 bouts, Pickett vs. Jorgensen thoughts and more

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:32:07 PST
By: Chris Park, MMATorch UK Specialist

UFC 118 will hit Boston, Massachusetts this Saturday night as B.J. Penn looks to reclaim the Lightweight title from the man who dethroned him in April: Frankie “The Answer” Edgar.

The solid main card includes the battle between the undefeated Gray Maynard and home-town hero Kenny Florian – a fight which will decide who is next in line for a shot at the Lightweight title.

The undercard will also provide a host of strong match ups that will include two British fighters, as Team Rough House welterweight “Slick” Nick Osipczak aims to bounce back from his first career loss when he takes on Greg Soto. Fellow Brit and team-mate Andre Winner will go head-to-head with Nik Lentz as part of the “Prelims Live” special that precedes the main three-hour broadcast, with Winner aiming to make it three UFC wins on the bounce.

I caught up with both fighters this week before they headed to Boston to put the finishing touches to their fight preparations. Discussing his current training camp with MMATorch, Osipczak said: “[I trained with the] usual team for this one, fighting out of the Rough House in Nottingham where I do most of my sparring. Plus my individual coaches Harry Selby, Kieran Keddle, and Dave Boycott-Brown.

“[I trained at] BJJ School and New Wave Academy and I also did a week at [Team] Kaobon for this fight as I always like to get out my comfort zone. I've been working extra hard on my wrestling for this one.”

Osipczak, who dropped an extremely close split-decision to Rick Story at UFC 112, will be competing in America for the first time since defeating Frank Lester at The Ultimate Fighter Finale in June 2009. Osipczak will have fellow Team Rough House member Winner on hand for moral support as he aims to get back to his winning ways this Saturday.

“Me and Dre always work a lot together so nothing new there,” Osipczak said. “We are training to peak at the same time so we've been pushing each other hard in training to reach new heights. It's much better to have someone from you're gym on the same card. It helps for the training the week leading up to the fight when you are away from home, and the larger the group the more relaxed it feels. Fight week can be very boring so it helps to kill time easier by having more familiar faces around.”

Andre Winner will have more viewers tuning in for this fight as he and Nik Lentz take a spot on the “Prelims Live” show. The fight was promoted to the 1-hour special, replacing Terry Etim vs. Joe Lauzon after Team Kaobon Lightweight Etim was forced off the card with a broken rib.

Unfazed by the change in scheduling a confident Winner told me, “I have just tried to improve myself as a fighter, I'm going to do what I always look to do and that is push myself on others and stop them from doing what their good at.

“I don’t feel any more pressure now I’ve moved up the card, when the fight starts it’s just like any other fight. Obviously I am happy to be getting the exposure as it helps put my face out there more and I want to entertain the fans who support me.”

After Winner and Osipczak entertain it will be on with the main card, and one fight that has come in for a lot of criticism is the evenings co-main event between MMA legend Randy “The Natural” Couture and former IBF World Boxing Champion James “Lights Out” Toney.

UFC President Dana White has been accused of creating a freak show with this fight, but in all honesty White will finally provide an answer to the question that has been asked for so long: Can a boxer really cut it in an MMA fight?

Over the years there has been a lot of snobbery towards MMA from people within boxing circles, but while White is the one who finally made such a fight happen, it is James Toney who will be putting his neck, not to mention his legacy, on the line when he takes on one of the greatest fighters to ever step into the Octagon.

In 1994 a decision loss to Roy Jones Jr snapped a 46-fight undefeated streak, but to this day James Toney has never been stopped in over 90 professional boxing fights. Andre Winner praised the former boxing champion, and his bravery for accepting this fight, but suspects that the well rounded Couture may be too much for him at UFC 118.

“I’m a fan of James Toney,” said Winner, “He is a legend in boxing and I love that he is giving MMA a chance. But, he is definitely past his peak and he’s coming against a high level wrestler in Couture. I think that match up more than deserves its place near the top of bill, these are two legends!”

Nick Osipczak also supported this match-up stating, “I don't mind Toney being made into such a big deal, it will attract a lot of viewers and he's the right boxer for this fight.”

Once the Boxing vs. MMA fight is settled there will be the small matter of the rematch between Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and B.J Penn. This week there have been several reports suggesting that Penn may have been carrying an injury going into the first fight with Edgar; but while Penn remains tight lipped it will be interesting to see if Edgar can replicate the success he enjoyed at UFC 112.

It is very unusual for a Champion to defend his title while also being considered the underdog, but that is the position that Frankie Edgar will be in when he takes on Penn come Saturday night.

Both Andre Winner and Nick Osipczak had no doubt who they believe will leave Boston with the UFC Lightweight belt around their waist. Osipczak told me: “I think B.J Penn is the most talented of all fighters and when he has the right motivation going into the fight - he will crush any lightweight!”

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OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF:

-Brad “One Punch” Pickett came up short last week when he dropped a unanimous decision to Scott Jorgensen in a No. 1 contender fight for the WEC Bantamweight Title.

Jorgensen won all three rounds on the scorecards, but all three were close, with the takedowns being decisive as Jorgensen cemented his spot as the next man to challenge Bantamweight Champion Dominic Cruz, in a fight that will likely happen towards the end of the year.

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-UK journalist Gareth Davies of The Daily Telegraph has been nominated for the Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards. Davies was third last year and will be hoping to improve on that result with the support of UK fans.

To support Gareth please follow the following link: http://www.onlineawards.co.uk/fightersonly/Home.asp

===

It was an unfortunate result for Brad Pickett last Wednesday in a fight that will go down as one of the best of 2010. The first time I met Brad he told me that the “smaller guys” put on the best performances, and when you look at some of the fights the WEC has provided recently - with Chan Sung Jung vs. Leonard Garcia and this absolute war between Pickett and Jorgensen - who could disagree with him?

It is only a matter of time before these “smaller guys” get the kind of attention they deserve and will subsequently enjoy the benefits that MMA fighters in the heavier divisions already do.

Good luck to both Andre Winner and Nick Osipczak as they represent Team Rough House in Boston on Saturday in what promises to be a fantastic event. Join me next week for the fallout and another roundup of The UK Scene.

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Chris Park is the MMATorch UK Specialist and guest columnist at ESPN.co.uk. Please email any comments or questions to Chris at; mmatorchuk@gmail.com or look us up at http://www.facebook.com/mmatorchuk2 our new MMATorch Facebook home for UK Fans!

MMATORCH EXCLUSIVE: The Audio Choke with Collins, Rowland and Shelby 8/24 (102 min.) - Strikeforce Houston review and UFC 118 preview

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:20:19 PST

Welcome to another brand new episode of The Audio Choke starring Matt Collins, Toben Shelby, and Greg Rowland! Today is a review of the Strikeforce Houston event and the surrounding controversy, as well as a preview of the upcoming UFC 118.

DIRECT LINK: The Audio Choke 8/24/2010

APP USERS: Just visit iTunes on your iPhone or iPod Touch and do a search for "mmatorch." Then you can stream or download all of our latest shows on the go.

SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES: Subscribe to our MMATorch Livecast podcast feed - now contains all MMATorch audio shows (click here).

We appreciate those of you who like our podcasts who take a moment to rate us and review us!

UFC QUOTABLES: Frankie Edgar says B.J. Penn is bringing the best out of him into their UFC 118 rematch

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 15:34:41 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"I still hold B.J. in high regard. I mean, he's a legend in this sport and he is still the greatest lightweight of all time. So that's just great for me to fight him because... for the last fight it made me force myself to bring the best out of me, and now I have to do that again. I am sharp as iron, and I think B.J. is really bringing the best out of me... B.J.'s a very smart fighter and he's got a good team around him, and I know he's going to come in with a great plan to counter my last fight... I really can only focus on myself and what I can do in there. I really can't worry about what the judges are going to do. I just have to go in and try to (stick to) my gameplan and try to sway the judges my way. But I really can't focus on what their objectives are... I think my last three or four fights I've been the underdog. So it's a role I'm becoming comfortable with, so I seem to perform pretty good in this position."

-Frankie Edgar says that B.J. Penn is bringing out the best in him heading into their UFC 118 title rematch in Boston. (Quotes transcribed by MMAJunkie.com).

Penick's Analysis: I do hope Edgar comes into this fight the best possible version of himself, because if we get that and the best version of B.J. Penn we'll be in for one hell of a Lightweight Championship fight. I really do think Penn should be heavily favored in this fight, and I think he'll win this rematch, but Edgar is a highly capable fighter and can't be counted out.

RELATED STORY: UFC 118 PREVIEW: B.J. Penn ready to go on a run starting with Frankie Edgar, doesn't want the sport to pass him by: [CLICK TO READ FULL ARTICLE]

BELLATOR NEWS: Rory Markham not cleared to fight, Tyler Stinson in against Steve Carl at Bellator 26

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:02:28 PST
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC veteran Rory Markham has not been medically cleared to fight this Thursday at Bellator 26 from the Kansas City Power & Light District, and season two open tryout winner Tyler Stinson is stepping into his spot against Steve Carl on the card.

The organization announced the change on Tuesday.

Tyler stepped in on late notice for an injured Sean Pierson in season two to take on Dan Hornbuckle. That bout served as a quarterfinal matchup in the season two welterweight tournament, a fight Hornbuckle won.

"Tyler’s skills and development as a fighter have consistently impressed me. He was preparing for a qualifier scheduled a month from now, but Tyler is always in fighting shape and was totally prepared to take this fight,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney in today's release. “Both of these guys have put on great fights for us and I expect nothing different on Thursday night."

Carl also suffered a loss to Hornbuckle during Bellator's second season, losing in the semifinals to snap a seven fight win streak.

The bout will take place at a catchweight of 175 lb., and will be a qualifier for the season four welterweight tournament.

Penick's Analysis: This is a good opportunity for Stinson. Coming in on such short notice isn't beneficial to either fighter, but for Stinson he's got a chance to get back to the tournament in season four, except he'll actually be able to prepare for it this time. MMAJunkie.com reported that Markham was not cleared due to a lung issue. He said after UFC 95 that he fought with a collapsed lung, and it could have been residual effects from that. Hopefully he's alright.

UFC VIDEO: Dana White's UFC 118 video blog part one

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:32:33 PST

Dana White is video blogging yet again heading into Saturday's UFC 118 event in Boston, and in part one he's got the one and only Mike Tyson with him. Check it out below (App users video available at MMATorch.com):

UFC VIDEO: Dana White talks Penn vs. Edgar II, Toney vs. Couture at UFC 118 and more on ESPN Sportscenter

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:00:37 PST

UFC President Dana White appeared on ESPN's Sportscenter this morning to promote this weekend's UFC 118 event at the TD Garden in Boston, Mass. Check out the video below to see what White had to say about B.J. Penn vs. Frankie Edgar II, James Toney vs. Randy Couture, Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen and more (App users video is available at MMATorch.com).

Bjorn Rebney says not all MMA fans are NFL fans. Sound off, are you a fan of one sport alone or both?
	I'm a fan of MMA but not the NFL
	I'm a fan of both MMA and the NFL
	I'm a fan of the NFL but not MMA