UFC 2011 - Business As Usual

[stangejr]

June 26, 2011

The next fight put long time UFC competitor, Joe Stevenson against WEC vet, Javier Vazquez. Stevenson finds himself in a do or die situation after going 0-3 in his last three fights. A loss here would send him straight to Strikeforce, or maybe to the unemployment line. Vazquez isn't doing much better, he also lost his last fight, and was very inconsistent before that. This could very well be a loser-leaves-town match.

The fight began with 'Daddy' trying to get Vazquez to open up with feints and jabs. When Vazquez finally did, Stevenson shot underneath and was able to pull the Cuban into a clinch. Stevenson used his superior strength to press Vazquez against the cage and work some dirty boxing. Towards the end of the round, frustrated, Javier tried using Stevenson's signature move, and dropped to the ground with a arm-in guillotine submission. Stevenson was able to avoid getting completely sucked in, and got his head out to work a little bit of ground n pound before the round expired.

Round two began with both fighters willing to trade a little leather. Stevenson worked for openings by using counter-punching, and Javier used his superior speed to snap off his jab before Stevenson even knew what hit him. After a few stand up exchanges, Stevenson shot for a double leg that put Vazquez on his back for only a second. Then during the scramble, Stevenson got Vazquez down again, where they would scramble once more. When the dust settled, the were back on their feet with Stevenson having double underhooks. He picked Javier up and slammed him onto the mat, but was still unable to hold him down, as Javier scrambled back up and hit a nice combo on the exposed Stevenson right before the end of the round.

The third round was a straight up standup war. They contested each other the entire round with punches, kicks, knees, and everything that you could imagine. Although the fight was continously fast paced, both fighters were in extremely good shape. Neither one showed any signs of fatiguing. Overall, Vazquez was landing more shots, but Stevenson's shots were doing more damage. When the final buzzer sounded, both fighters hugged and raised their hands. The judges read their scorecards. Judge Harold Hammlin scored 29-28 for Vazquez. Judge Ed Grandor scored 29-28 for Stevenson. And judge Oliver Trasmond scored 30-27 for the winner, Joe Stevenson.

. . .
Joe Stevenson def. Javier Vazquez
Split Decision | 5:00 | Round 3
Average

[stangejr]

June 26, 2011

The last of the Facebook prelims consisted of two wrestlers, Manny "The Anvil" Gamburyan and Tyson Griffin. Manny Gamburyan, a TUF 5 veteran, has enjoyed quite a run since leaving the UFC, but hit a brick wall when he fought current UFC Featherweight champion, Jose Aldo. With this fight, he was looking to reestablish himself as the #2 Featherweight in the world. His opponent, Tyson Griffin made his return to the Featherweight division since 2005. He's currently on a three fight losing streak, so a win here is a must, or chances are he won't be employed by the UFC any longer.

The fight began with the fighters touching gloves and circling one another, looking for an opening. Tyson looked very big, for a Featherweight. He had to outweigh Manny by atleast 10lbs. After a lackluster standup contest, Manny shot in, but Griffin was able to equal it and drag Manny to the ground with a front facelock. From there, he shifted to Manny's back and decided to ride him rather than look to get hooks in. Manny eventually got free enough to roll over, but Tyson was able to move just a quick and get the mount. With time winding down, and Manny controlling his posture, Griffin committed to an arm triangle, and with about ten seconds left in the round, he got his body free enough to step over and apply the pressure. Manny refused to tap, and with six seconds left, went black.

. . .
Tyson Griffin def. Manny Gamburyan
Submission | 4:54 | Round 1
Decent

[stangejr]

June 26, 2011

The first fight on Versus was between the undefeated Matt Mitrione and UFC Heavyweight Christian Morecraft. Mitrione had a perfect MMA record going into this fight, with wins over some big names Kimbo Slice (Kevin Ferguson), Marcus Jones, Joey Beltran, and Tim Hague. A win here could put him in the upper echelon on the Heavyweight division. Morecraft has been equally as impressive with his only MMA blemish to Stefan Struve. A win here could do the same for him.

The round opened and it was clear these two wanted to bang. Mitrione tried getting under Morecraft's skin by throwing more faces at his opponent than punches. Yeah...you can quote that. Morecraft showed no signs of intimidation and actually had Mitrione on his heels for most of the round. Both fighters threw bombs and it was only a matter of time until someone got clipped. Luckily for him, Mitrione was the first to connect. A straight right on the chin buckled Morecraft's legs. Before he knew it, he was stumbling trying to stay up. It only took one more right straight to turn out the lights on the big man.

. . .
Matt Mitrione def. Christian Morecraft
KO | 3:35 | Round 1
Great

[stangejr]

June 26, 2011

Fresh off an exciting knockout in the previous fight. Welterweight contenders John 'Doomsday' Howard and Martin 'Hitman' Kampmann wished to continue the hype by adding another quick victory to the card. Although, not too long ago touted 'the next big thing', Doomsday has been nothing short of unimpressive lately. In his last two fights he was taken into the later rounds and beaten. Maybe he just can't compete with the top fighters. Martin Kampmann hasn't had much of a problem with the top guys until he knows there is a title shot waiting for the winner. In those fights, we see the Hitman choke. He is currently suffering from a two fight losing streak, although his last fight was very controversial. Both fighters need a win here. Howard more than Kampmann in my opinion.

Round one began with the fighters touching gloves and displaying some crisp technical boxing. Kampmann, the better striker of the two was able to outland Howard, but not by any great margin. This, in turn, opened up takedown opportunities for Howard, which he often feinted, but never committed to. By the end of the first round, Howard's face was already showing signs of bruising. Also it was apparent his conditioning was not up to par.

The second round displayed a slowed pace in the standup. Howard began using some kicks, but they weren't too effective. Kampmann refrained from mixing up his strikes, due to his fear of the takedown. This made him somewhat predictable, but Howard still couldn't compete with his elite standup. About halfway through the round, Howard shot in for a double leg, which was initially stuffed, but it landed the fighters in a tight clinch against the cage. This is where most of the, or shall I say lack of action occured. Howard just switched from single leg back to double again and again as Kampmann did what he could pounding away at the head of his opponent.

Round three would need to be decisive for this fight not to go to the Hitman. As the fighters met in the center of the octagon, Kampmann landed a solid shot on chin of Howard, staggering him back. Kampmann decided to go in for the kill, where both fighters swung for the fences. Although severely rocked, Howard was able to find a home for his wild left hand, and I don't think Kampmann willfully allowed the new tenant in.

. . .
John Howard def. Martin Kampmann
KO | 0:53 | Round 3
Fantastic

[stangejr]

June 26, 2011

With two knockouts in a row, and Pat Barry vs Cheick Kongo coming up, how could this not be one of the most exciting cards of this year thusfar? Pat Barry will no doubt be looking to win by dominating fashion. Coming in off a win over Joey Beltran, Barry is looking to get back to his winning ways and forget his very close loss to Mirko CroCop. Cheick Kongo will be no easy opponent though. He has been fighting in the UFC ever since 2006, always fighting top competition. He was a part of a draw in his last fight, which he would've won if not for being penalized for holding onto Travis Browne's shorts. He wants to get back to climbing the Heavyweight ladder.

The fight began with the fighters actually not touching gloves. Surprising everyone, Barry immediately shot in for a takedown, but Kongo was able to not only catch it, but pull Barry into a muy thai clinch. Barry went straight to the body throwing wild hooks. It worked and Kongo released the clinch. As he backed off, Barry threw a wild head kick on his way up and damn near took Cheick's face off. A brutal knockout.

. . .
Pat Barry def. Cheick Kongo
KO | 0:30 | Round 1
Good

[stangejr]

June 26, 2011

Finally, the main event is here. (And I mean finally in the same way you do if you've been following this lately.) Nate 'The Great' Marquardt went to battle with Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson in a contest that has major implications for the winner. Dana has been hinting that the winner here could be next in line for the awaiting winner of the GSP/Diaz fight later this year. Marquardt has been accused of "choking" in big contests like this. He has a win over Dan Miller, but lost the contest before that to the Middleweight number one contender. To be next in line for the belt, a very very decisive win is needed here. Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson is also hungry for the belt. He is 4-1 in his last five fights after missing all of 2010 with an eye injury. A win here could put his name up there with those willing to get the nod.

Round one started off with a bang as it was apparent the gameplan for Johnson was to put Marquardt away early. He skipped the feeling out process and chased Marquardt throwing wild, unpredictable shots from every which way. It was more like a schoolyard fight than a professional mixed martial arts contest. Marquardt was smart and kept his cool however. He intelligently defended the onslaught and kept the damage sustained to a minimum. In the midst of the rampage, Marquardt ducked under a wild hook and picked Johnson up for a big slam in the center of the octagon. His position could not be kept as Johnson used his quickness and agility to avoid being held down. After the first takedown, Johnson slowed his pace quite a bit but still refused to be second in the striking battle. Although not much was landing, he threw nearly eight times more strikes in the round than Marquardt.

Round two started and Johnson looked nowhere near fatigued. He came at Marquardt again, but got takedown down easily. Marquardt folled his corner's advice to bring the fight to the ground and keep it there. Although Marqardt got the takedown, Johnson was too quick to be held on his back and was able to pull off a sweep during a scramble. Although Johnson was much quicker, Marquardt was way too strong at 170 to be controlled on the ground. He controlled Johnson's posture, and referee Herb Dean chose not to stand the fighters up, leading to boo's echoing all over the arena as the round came to an end.

In order to shut up the critics, Marquardt needed a knockout or submission in this round to take home the victory. Herb got the final round started, and Marquardt was more willing to stand and try to land the big shot. After two minutes of hitting nothing but air, Nate's face showed signs of giving up. Johnson kept using his jab to frustrate the first time Welterweight, and it appeared to work. Whether it was the weight cut or just a lack of heart, Marquardt's drive to win went right down the drain and Johnson was allowed the runaway unanimous decision victory.

. . .
Anthony Johnson def. Nate Marquardt
Unanimous Decision | 5:00 | Round 3
Poor

[stangejr]

June 27, 2011

UFC Live: Marquardt vs Johnson
June 26, 2011
Consol Energy Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 6,945

Quick Results
Michael Johnson def. Edward Faaloloto
Ricardo Lamas def. Matt Grice
Charles Oliveira def. Nik Lentz
Charlie Brenneman def. TJ Grant
Matt Brown def. Rich Attonito
Curt Warburton def. Joe Lauzon
Joe Stevenson def. Javier Vazquez
Tyson Griffin def. Manny Gamburyan
Matt Mitrione def. Christian Morecraft
John Howard def. Martin Kampmann
Pat Barry def. Cheick Kongo
Anthony Johnson def. Nate Marquardt

Bonuses
Fight of the Night: John Howard vs Martin Kampmann
Knockout of the Night: John Howard
Submission of the Night: Matt Brown (Triangle w/ Armbar)

Fighter Salaries
John Howard $116,000 ($8,000 win bonus) ($50,000 FotN bonus) ($50,000 KOotN bonus)
Martin Kampmann $62,000 ($50,000 FotN bonus)
Matt Brown $56,000 ($3,000 win bonus) ($50,000 SotN bonus)
Anthony Johnson $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus)
Nate Marquardt $32,000
Cheick Kongo $30,000
Joe Stevenson $28,000 ($14,000 win bonus)
Tyson Griffin $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus)
Pat Barry $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Michael Johnson $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Joe Lauzon $14,000
Matt Mitrione $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
Manny Gamburyan $12,000
Charles Oliveira $8,000 ($4,000 win bonus)
Curt Warburton $8,000 ($4,000 win bonus)
Ricardo Lamas $6,000 ($3,000 win bonus)
Charlie Brenneman $6,000 ($3,000 win bonus)
Rich Attonito $6,000
Nik Lentz $5,000
Javier Vazquez $4,000
Edward Faaloloto $3,000
Matt Grice $3,000
TJ Grant $3,000
Christian Morecraft $3,000

Predictions
Pokerking88 - 22pts

Notable Injuries
No injuries reported by the PSAC.

I just want to thank Pokerking88 for keeping with this although it was quite slow, and for being just as active on here as myself lol. I love seeing that someone enjoys this as much as I do!

[stangejr]

June 28, 2011

UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber II
July 2, 2011
MGM Grand Garden Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada

















Prediction Cheat Sheet

Dominick Cruz | Urijah Faber in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Wanderlei Silva | Chris Leben in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Tito Ortiz | Ryan Bader in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Carlos Condit | Dong Hyun Kim in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Dennis Siver | Matt Wiman in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Melvin Guillard | Shane Roller in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
George Sotiropoulos | Rafael dos Anjos in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Brian Bowles | Takeya Mizugaki in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Aaron Simpson | Brad Tavares in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
Anthony Njokuani | Andre Winner in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec


Example:
Dominick Cruz | Urijah Faber in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec
or
Dominick Cruz | Urijah Faber in Round 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Dec by way of KO/TKO | Sub | Dec

Remember, 2pts for the winner, 1pt for correct round, 1pt for way of victory.

[stangejr]

June 29, 2011

It was discovered earlier this afternoon that the UFC managment came down hard onto the losers of the last event. Many releases and demotions were announced.

Probably the most significant of the employment changes was Martin Kampmann being sent to Strikeforce after losing his last three to Jake Shields, Diego Sanchez, and John Howard. Dana didn't wish to comment on where Kampmann will go from here. Scott Coker did however say he was grateful for the magnificent addition to his Strikeforce roster.

Among the others sent to Strikeforce were Joe Lauzon and TJ Grant, both suffering defeats. Matt Brown was also sent down to Strikeforce after his call out of Evangelista 'Cyborg' Santos. Dana also didn't wish to comment on that statement, and Coker said as of now he has no plans of making that fight happen.

Two fighters will be looking for new places of employment this week, as Edward Faaloloto and Rich Attonito have both been cut from the UFC indefinitely. They have both been completely relived of their Zuffa contracts and will not be competing in Strikeforce unless Scott Coker picks them up himself.

It was a tough break for UFC fighters after the previous event's gracious attitude toward making cuts.

[stangejr]

June 30, 2011

Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber

Randy Couture - Faber by TKO
Tom Acencio - Cruz by decision
Brock Lesnar - Cruz by decision
Brian Bowles - Cruz by decision
Jose Aldo - Cruz by submission
Mike Brown - Cruz by decision
Kenny Florian - Cruz by TKO

Wanderlei Silva vs Chris Leben

Randy Couture - Leben by KO
Tom Acencio - Leben by KO
Brock Lesnar - Leben by KO
Yushin Okami - Silva by KO
Georges St-Pierre - Silva by KO
Jon Fitch - Leben by KO
Anderson Silva - Silva by KO

Tito Ortiz vs Ryan Bader

Randy Couture - Bader by decision
Tom Acencio - Bader by decision
Rashad Evans - Bader by decision
Chuck Liddell - Bader by TKO
Jon Jones - Bader by decision
Gegard Moussasi - Bader by TKO
Forrest Griffin - Bader by decision

Carlos Condit vs Dong Hyun Kim

Randy Couture - Kim by decision
Tom Acencio - Condit by TKO
Georges St-Pierre - Kim by submission
Joe Rogan - Kim by TKO

Dennis Siver vs Matt Wiman

Randy Couture - Siver by KO
Tom Acencio - Wiman by decision
Joe Rogan - Wiman by decision

[stangejr]

July 1, 2011

UFC 132 PREVIEW

Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber

If he were a light heavyweight, people would be talking about the dawn of the “Cruz era.” Alas, he is not, which means he will just have to keep stringing together dominating performances -- exactly what Cruz seems wired to do. With a vexing standup style that is one of the most technical and baffling in the game, Cruz blends in movement, feints and creative combinations to constantly keep opponents guessing. Backed with solid takedown defense, wrestling and stamina, he is MMA’s version of Phil Niekro, a baffling knuckleballer who leaves people guessing and embarrassed.

The bantamweight boss has his hands full in this rematch with Faber, the former featherweight champion who submitted him in a title bout in 2007. Both fighters have improved since then, with Faber dropping down to 135 pounds. The battle of tactics, the ebb and flow of the action and where the fight takes place will define this rematch, with Cruz looking to get into his standup groove and Faber trying to score effectively on the feet before imposing the takedown-and-blast-’em style that has been one of the game’s best in recent years.

If there is any clue to beating Cruz in his one-sided performances lately, it is that opponents cannot give him room to move forward and should forget about headhunting, at least early in the bout. Cruz is virtually impossible to time when given two steps to move in and uncork strikes. Faber will be well-served to aim low with counter kicks and punch at Cruz’s chest -- essentially disrupting his centerline and balance -- when the champion approaches. It is also paramount that Faber cut off the cage, instead of following Cruz; that will help him initiate clinches.

It is doubtful Cruz has the power to stop Faber, and “The California Kid” is one of the game’s best at escaping bad positions on the ground. Still, it will also be extremely difficult for him to catch Cruz; while Faber’s drop to 135 has yielded two wins, this is an extremely tough opponent for him given the style matchup.

While Faber was not as overpowering as some thought would be in outpointing Eddie Wineland at UFC 128 in March, his strength advantage and durability give him more room to make mistakes than most Cruz foes, which are usually bottled up after a round or two and cannot seem to find him. Creating scrambles and fighting in close will be to Faber’s advantage, and his quickness on the feet will have to translate into effective counters, enough to keep from being badly outpointed. Over five rounds, Faber has an exceptionally difficult task in front of him, but if he can back up Cruz and force him against the cage, he brings the fight into his world. Cruz has proven an outstanding wrestler and great at popping back to his feet, so Faber will have to score multiple takedowns to win this rematch. He also has to slow down Cruz with leg kicks early, in an attempt to suck the champion into a dog-eat-dog fight.

This is a great fight and a wonderful way to define the top level of the UFC’s bantamweight division. Expect a highly tactical game of cat and mouse in the early rounds, with Cruz landing more as Faber finds his range and presses the action. At the end of the day, Faber may well be too strong for Cruz, especially in clinches and from top position.

This could also be a difficult fight to score. Cruz’s two decision wins over Joseph Benavidez were technically fascinating affairs, but, at times, they seemed so fast and fluid that they could not really get into a mutual groove and were instead relegated to scrambling, punching and getting out of the way, often all at the same time.

Wanderlei Silva vs Chris Leben

This pairing of aggressive sluggers is the kind of fight one would feel confident inviting anyone to watch, up to and including your pacifist, hippie grandfather. Why? Because it has everything makes MMA violent and fun.

Silva, once the terror of the Pride Fighting Championships light heavyweight division, has since dropped down in weight. Fighting at 195 pounds at UFC 99 in June 2009, he lost a close decision to former middleweight king Rich Franklin. In February 2010, he pulled out a decision against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping as a middleweight, flurrying strong in the bout’s final seconds to take the nod.

Either way, Silva has not looked his old self since returning to the UFC, which is probably a combination of age, countless wars in the gym and in fights and the weight cut at his advanced age of 34. Leben is a reliable plugger who had a great 2010 -- he put together three wins, including upsets of Aaron Simpson and Yoshiro Akiyama. However, he was dismantled by Brian Stann on New Year’s Day in a one-round stoppage loss.

This is a hit-and-be-hit fight, and there are no mysteries about who wants to land the big bomb first. Both of them do. With grappling likely to be limited in this one, standup tactics are pivotal. A roundhouse-style swinger, Silva is a quicker puncher than Leben. As such, Leben’s powerful straight left will be vital to getting the Brazilian’s respect early. Leben also has shown improved kicks in recent fights, and those will serve him well, as Silva never shoots for takedowns.

This fight will come down to some intense exchanges by two aggressive fighters, both of whom have had careers with plenty of wars, the possible effects of which have shown in recent bouts. Silva has not been able to show the sustained offensive aggression he had in his Pride days, but he is still a tough and fiercely competitive fighter. Coming off a 17-month layoff from knee surgery, this is a must-win for him.

Tito Ortiz vs Ryan Bader

Just shy of a decade ago, many wondered what Ortiz would be like if he had viable standup and a knockout punch. He did not really need those tools during his UFC title reign, as the level of competition in the sport was relatively limited compared to today’s athletes. Bader is pretty much the kind of fighter Ortiz would have been, with better wrestling credentials, to boot.

Ortiz’s performances in recent fights have shown the accrued mileage of a long career and intense training, with injuries galore hampering his ability to do what he once did. Bader, coming off February’s one-sided submission loss to current champion Jon Jones, remains a carbon copy of what Ortiz used to be, with a powerful pair of hands and fresher wheels.

Considering Ortiz’s three-fight losing streak and long-running feud with UFC President Dana White, this looks like an obvious piece of don’t-let-the-door-hit-you-in-the-*** matchmaking. Ortiz would love to spoil this exit party with an upset, which is where the appeal is found. Love him or hate him, people will always watch Ortiz fight.

Bader’s thunderous right hand and upper-body strength are his keys here. Ortiz rarely nails the overpowering double-leg takedowns he executed seamlessly in his younger days, and Bader is too strong for that. Ortiz’s best chance will be in clinches, where he was a ton of experience and is excellent working off the cage. Plus, that will negate Bader’s superior boxing.

Carlos Condit vs Dong Hyun Kim

If someone was going to invent a fighter with zero standup to beat Condit, Kim would be pretty close to it. The Korean grinds out wins on tie-ups, pressure, takedowns and persistence. His latest performance was a yawn-inducing decision over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 winner Nate Diaz at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day.

Condit’s aggressive standup flows nicely from his 6-foot-2 frame, as he uncorks knees, high kicks and punches. The former WEC champion also has a solid defensive guard. His biggest weakness remains his lack of takedown defense and upper-body strength against larger guys, but his offensive potential, both standing and on the mat, is considerable. If Condit’s to move up and be considered a Top 5 welterweight, he has to have an impressive showing here.

This matchup features a straight grappler against striker/submission fighter, and Condit has his work cut out for him. He will have to use kicks intelligently, while wrestling himself free from clinches, where the judoka is excellent at tossing opponents to the mat. Kim is a big welterweight himself, at 6-foot, and is not likely to get submitted, as he shut down Diaz’s guard while on top. One suspects this fight could engender some strong debate about what exactly constitutes “scoring” in a bout, with Condit landing a few clean blows per round while getting taken down and parked upon for much of them, with little effective damage from Kim.

Either way, the guess here is that this is a bad style matchup for Condit, who will have to score a Dan Hardy-style knockout -- which would be huge, considering Kim is unbeaten -- or suffer over three rounds of toss, squash and hold.

Dennis Siver vs Matt Wiman

A resurgent Wiman was impressive in his last performance, as he outpointed American Top Team’s Cole Miller at UFC “Fight for the Troops 2” in January. Meanwhile, Siver posted his third consecutive victory in an upset George Sotiropoulos at UFC 127. In this one, Siver’s dynamic standup and excellent kicking match up against Wiman, who will need to get the fight down -- and likely keep it there -- to win.

Siver’s takedown defense and timing of his strikes were splendid against Sotiropoulos, as he picked apart the Aussie and dictated the entire fight. Wiman has to close the distance, as Siver has an excellent chin, as well as solid upper-body strength that serves him well in tie-ups, where he will also explode with knees. Wiman’s pretty durable himself, and while he may be able to score a takedown or two, one has to wonder if he can hold Siver on the mat long enough to counter the blows he will take standing.

I used Sherdog's predictions for these.

[stangejr]

July 1, 2011

On the first of every month, we bring you all the info we could gather from our sources on what might be happening behind the scenes. Although these are all rumors and have no hard evidence behind them, we have been pretty accurate in the past. So lets begin...July 1, 2011.

• Sources close to Joe Silva have reported discussions on a possible Brock Lesnar vs Fedor Emelianenko superfight sometime later this summer, when Brock is healthy enough to compete.
• Bjorn Rebney was reported having contract negotiations with Tito Ortiz in the even he is released by the UFC.
• Strikeforce fighter Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante is on the verge of signing an exclusive contract with the UFC.
• Maximum Fighting Championships are close to closing a deal to sell the company to the new/old Pro Elite promotion. Which brings me to my next point...
• Pro Elite is beginning to sign fighters to compete in their first 2011 card later this year. (And they have ALOT of cash to throw around)
• Alistair has made it quite clear he does not like Zuffa's restrictions, and may be heading to Japan for good.
• Josh Barnett will not be a Zuffa fighter by the end of the week.
• Erick Silva is binded by a contract he has with a local organization and will not be able to compete at UFC: Rio.
• Strikeforce will never be absorbed, but will be a permanent "minor league" for the UFC.
• Xyience and the UFC have parted ways, and Amp has taken their spot.
• Stefan Struve has no plans on resigning with the UFC or Zuffa in that matter for unknown reasons.
• Jon Jones apparently played a 1-on-1 game of basketball against the 48yr old Michael Jordan and lost 21-8. MJ's still got it.

[stangejr]

July 2, 2011

What a Saturday night! Three events in one night?! Crazy! Unfortunately for those who chose to watch Bellator 45, the event did not live up to the hype and was plagued with boring decisions. It did however present a Light-Heavyweight championship bout between Rich Hale and Rene Nazare, in which Hale was able to squeak out a win via split decision. The card also featured Chad Hinton and Patt Curran, where Curren made short work of his opponent, stopping him in round 1 via TKO with strikes.

Shad Lierley def. Daniel Strauss via Unanimous Decision
Damian Grabowski def. Thiagos Santos via Unanimous Decision
Ron Sparks def. Jay White via TKO 0:43 R1
Kenny Foster def. Georgi Karakhanyan via Unanimous Decision
Wilson Reis def. Jeff Lentz via Submission 3:08 R1
Bao Quach def. Alvin Robinson via Unanimous Decision
Pat Curran def. Chad Hinton via TKO 3:03 R1
*Rich Hale def. Rene Nazare via Split Decision

*Championship fights

[stangejr]

July 2, 2011

If things could not look worse for the former champion, Tito Ortiz missed weight this Friday for his contest. He originally came in at 207.5lbs. He then struggled for the next hour to come short by only a pound. Luckily for us however, he will still go on to fight Ryan Bader tonight, but I believe especially with this news, any chance of being resigned with a loss here is completely non-existent. He may still be released even if he wins. In the simplest terms, Tito needs to win.

[stangejr]

July 2, 2011

UFC 132 started off with a bang. Although only 1/16 of the viewers that tune into Spike TV for the two free prelims get on Facebook for the initial fights, I'm absolutely positive the ones that did were sure glad.

The first fight that aired was a Lightweight contest between Anthony Njokuani and Andre Winner. The first round was absolutely dominated by the Nigerian-American. His standup was untouchable, as he picked his opponent apart, and he appeared much much stronger than Winner in the clinch. He ended the round, imposing his will and determining where he wants the fight to end up.

If I were to rate the first round on a scale of 1-10, it would easily earn atleast a 9. And the sad thing is the second round made it look like nothing! The round opened with both fighters throwing heavy leather. It was very apparent that this fight would not go to the judges. First, Winner dodged a knockout punch from Njokuani, and landed one of his own, dropping Anthony. When trying to capitalize, Njokuani was not only able to survive, but also able to initiate a scramble, win it, and end up in side control only to stand back up to give the fans a show. Both fighters smiled and started hopping around getting the crowd hyped. Then then again went to war, where during this exchange, Njokuani landed a hard shot on Winner, temporarily buckling his knees. Although he didn't fall completely, he was obviously rocked. As Njokuani came in to finish him off, they got in another slugfest, and Winner was able to drop Njokuani again, despite being rocked. As Njokuani tried rolling over to get up before Winner pounced, the referee jumped inbetween the fighters, ending the fight prematurely. Bad call by the ref, potentially stopping a fight of the year candidate.

After the fight, Dana tweeted "Idgaf if anyone tops that performance. Both Anthony and Andre will be paid not only their winning balance, but also the $70,000 for Fight of the Night. We may have multiple Fight of the Night honors in this one. Tune in!!!"

The next fight was between two Middleweight wrestlers, Aaron Simpson and Brad Tavares. Round one was very closely contested on the feet. Both strikers were clearly counter-punchers, which usually tends to lead to a boring fight, but these guys made some action happen. With about a minute left in the round, Simpson shot for a takedown, but Tavares was able to stuff it, only to open up striking with just a few seconds left, where Simpson was able to scoop him up for an explosive takedown.

Being down a round, Tavares knew he wanted to let his hands go a little more and try to put Simpson away. He was able to control the fight on the feet for the first half of the round, but Simpson eventually got the takedown, worked a little bit of ground n pound, and passed to side control. The round could've went either way.

Tavares wasn't taking any chances in the last round, expecting to be down 2-0. He went out there, guns blazing. With so many fists flying towards his face, Simpson found it hard to get the right angle for the takedown, forcing him to shoot from way out, and getting stuffed. After that, the standup was quite equal. Tavares was throwing more, but Simpson dodged most and counter-struck with equal success. After an exchange, a clinch was inevitable. Luckily for Simpson, he found himself with double underhooks. He slammed Tavares down and it was all over from there. He easily passed to side control and finished the Hawaiian off with big punches.

The last of the facebook fights was between two ranked Bantamweights, Brian Bowles and Takeya Mizugaki. Bowles, the heavy favorite proved in round one why he was ranked higher. Elusive, strong, accurate, these are all words that describe Bowles' first round. The only success Mizugaki was having was mediocre standup and very good takedown defense, stuffing two of Bowles' attempts before he finally got the double leg with five seconds left in the round.

Round two started with a more aggressive Mizugaki, as he attempted a high kick as his first strike. The good news? It was unexpected and would've probably knocked Bowles out if not for...the bad news, he threw it as Bowles was shooting for a takedown. Needless to say he got it, and landed in side control. From there, Mizugaki was happy to try to lock up the arms of Bowles for a standup until he started getting drilled with gigantic knees. From there the fighters took turns wrestling for sloppy submission attempts with Bowles being able to sink in an arm triangle in the final seconds of the round. Too little, too late, Mizugaki survived.

Round three saw a gassed Bowles try to avoid a fresher Mizugaki on the feet. His elusiveness kicked in here, allowing him to still outstrike the Japanese fighter, although only with counters. Towards the end of the round, he shot in for a final takedown to seal the fight, but it was stuffed, and the fight ended with Mizugaki holding Bowles down in the sprawl position. The judges all scored 29-28 for Bowles.

. . .
Andre Winner def. Anthony Njokuani
TKO | 4:37 | Round 2
Fantastic

. . .
Aaron Simpson def. Brad Tavares
TKO | 4:22 | Round 3
Good

. . .
Brian Bowles def. Takeya Mizugaki
Unanimous Decision | 5:00 | Round 3
Good