Page 15

Total news: 299
Last news: May 16, 2009 16:27:21

I haven't had time recently to post up any of the other work that we here at MMA-Analyst.com have been doing, but after the site updates, I now have some time to refer the readership to some links regarding the recent influx of mixed martial arts events that occurred over the New Year's Eve holiday. Specifically, the articles focus on UFC 79 Nemesis and a recap of the End of the Year events with my picks of my favorite events in different categories, ie. best event, best event card, best production, best fight overall.

Our "Recent columns" aggregator in the column to the right will show all the columns that we have out there that are a part of other sites. Check those out if you want some extra insight. Check out these most recent articles for some insight and analysis on the most recent mixed martial arts events:

• MMA Madness article: End of the Year Recap
• 411Mania.com MMA Analytics: UFC 79: Nemesis Analysis

Retirement has always been a tricky thing for athletes who were once dominant in their respective sports. Brett Favre, Michael Jordan, Roger Clemens, Jerry Rice, and many others all had the itch to make a return or had the itch during the offseason that caused them to stick with the sport for a few more years. That time to decide is now for Matt Hughes.

Hughes, one of the most dominant Welterweights to ever step in the cage, didn't look like the dominant Matt Hughes from the past on Saturday night. In fact, he was demolished by the wrestling skill of St. Pierre. The most interesting aspect of that fight was that it was the second time in his past two bouts that he completely locked down a wrestler with better credentials than himself. Of course, credentials don't mean everything and in fact, Pierre is rumored to be training for the Canadian Olympic team in wrestling. He certainly has done well using it against top notch competition in the UFC, why not move on to a world stage?

With that said, Hughes now has a more dominant and better skilled opponent above him in the division. Does he simply do what Rich Franklin did and work his way back to a title shot? Or does he feel that St. Pierre is just too dominant of a fighter atop the Welterweight division now? Should he try his hand in the struggling Middleweight division? Let's take a look at the possibilities.

Hughes may want to retire

Depending on his contract terms, Hughes really has some things he needs to mull over in the next few weeks. He has recently started to move into the business side of things by releasing an autobiography, and also starting his own clothing line called One More Round. It's obvious that he is beginning to look toward other revenue streams to supplement his living than fighting.

With Georges St. Pierre on top of the Welterweight division and the dismantling of Hughes by Pierre on Saturday night, it's a very slim chance that he will be able to defeat the Canadian in a rematch down the road. Pierre is what Anderson Silva is to the Middleweight division. It's very doubtful that Hughes wants to follow Rich Franklin's gameplan to moving back up to title contention. It seems like a logical choice to retire from the sport while other ventures are beginning to unfold.

There is, however, one more battle that the UFC may want to put together. If Matt Serra loses the title during his defense against St. Pierre, will the UFC pursue a Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra showdown? It's possible considering they spent a lot of money producing a show that was to pit both fighters against each other at the end of the show. It never materialized due to Serra's back injury. Realistically, this seems like the only logical fight left in the division unless Hughes plans on making a run for a rematch.

Middleweight move up?

Another option may be for Hughes to move up in weight to battle Anderson Silva if Dan Henderson somehow cannot defeat Silva. Many fans criticize this move because St. Pierre looked so unbelievably dominant, and Silva has been crushing opponents. Stylistically, Hughes is a potentially dangerous matchup for Silva for a couple of reasons.

First, Hughes presents the wrestling ability to maintain top control on someone like Silva. If he can avoid the submission game from Silva, he can win, but Silva's ground skills are an x-factor in nearly all of his bouts. This is due to the fact that we just haven't seen "The Spider" prove his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt skills yet. If he decides to flash those credentials against Hughes, it could be another dominant win for Silva.

Secondly, Hughes will have some strong takedown abilities that could counter Silva's striking. Nullifying Silva's reach is really the best way to defeat the lanky striker. Of course, Silva does have great ground control on his back, and may be able to lock down Hughes and land elbow strikes that would devastate him. So, it becomes a question of if he thinks he can really defeat "The Spider". My instincts tell me that it would be next to impossible, but then again, we've seen the impossible happen before.

Although Hughes has stated this all in the past, it would be unintelligent to think that he would be doing all of this after a loss. In retrospect, Hughes may have done something like this if he had defeated Pierre and trounced Serra for the "real" title.

What should he do?

With the business propositions on the table for Hughes, it may be time to say good bye to one of the most dominating Welterweights in the world. A battle with Matt Serra may be on the horizon, but it doesn't seem to hold as much weight anymore and has lost interest from the fanbase in general. Nonetheless, the UFC may still want to capitalize on a season's worth of the Ultimate Fighter that built up the fight.

We could see Hughes vs. Serra, we could see him try to make an epic finish by defeating Anderson Silva, we could see him retire, or we could just see him fight out a few more battles in the cage and walk into the sunset. Silva seems unlikely, but Hughes did state if he had attained the title, he would think about making a run at him. With the recent loss, it looks like he will most likely stay away from the possibility of being dominated again for some time.

In my opinion, Hughes has nothing left to prove. He has a gym that is about to open in Hillsboro, Illinois, he has a book out now, and he also has a clothing line that is beginning to pick up. He can make plenty of money to make a living just based on that income alone. Hughes may fight one more battle, but retirement is definitely in the cards for 2008.

For roughly 15 minutes Saturday night, I was in a trance. It had been six years in the making. Former Pride Fighting Champion Wanderlei Silva stepped into the Octagon versus former UFC kingpin Chuck Liddell. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing was really happening.

For years I had dreamt about this fight. This fight was a perfect match-up: the clash of styles, the aggressiveness of Silva, the counter-punching of Liddell, and their ability to end the fight with one swift punch. But alas, it seemed that the powers that be would never let this fight happen.

First, there had been the middleweight (205lb division in Pride) tournament in 2003. Chuck and Wanderlei had been set on a collision course until Liddell ran into someone by the name of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Jackson ended the dream so many MMA fans had been clamoring for. Then, there was UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, in which Silva came into the Octagon and issued a challenge for Liddell and his belt. Many fans felt that this would be the time we finally get to see the two square off together. But again, disappointment was on the horizon.

Fast forward to the UFC’s buyout of Pride, and then the signing of Wanderlei Silva. They were finally supposed to fight in September of this year, but Wanderlei pulled out of the match because he was in the middle of moving to the United States. Liddell took a fight with Keith Jardine instead, and many fans felt that this was just a fight to keep Liddell busy. Little did they (and myself) know, Jardine would take the fight by split-decision and hand Liddell consecutive loses for the first time in his career.

I was devastated. There they were, so close to fighting, and it wouldn’t happen. I had all but given up hope on the idea that we would see Chuck Liddell fight Wanderlei Silva. To my surprise, the UFC made the fight happen. For once, they got it right. They would put the fight on at the end of the year at UFC 79: Nemesis.

So there I was, staring at the TV and realizing that this match had delivered in so many ways. Both fighters gave everything they had, and each had their moments in the fight. I was on my feet for the entire match, and couldn’t hear any of the ten other people in my house. Chuck Liddell did something that not a lot of people thought he could do; he had the answer for Silva’s aggressive style. Silva did something a lot of people didn’t think he could do either; eat plenty of Chuck’s right hands. But, don’t think for one second that I’m taking anything away from Silva. Silva showed me that he has the fighter’s spirit. He took so many shots, and he just kept coming forward. He is the definition of a fighter, and I don’t care if he loses ten fights in a row. I will watch every Wanderlei Silva fight I can get my hands on. Chuck showed me that he’s a better striker than I thought he was. I thought for sure that he was going to get annihilated on the feet against Wanderlei. He still has a long way to go to have a chance at beating Rampage.

For one of the few times in my life, I actually watched a fight with a different kind of passion. This was a fight that I wasn’t breaking down when I watched it; I was absorbing it. I want to give a big “Thank You” to Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva and the UFC. Thanks for bringing a great fight into my living room, and thanks for leaving everything on the line. What do you guys think? Did the match live up to the hype for you? How did you feel about the judge’s scorecard? Would you like to see a rematch?

Picture Source: Tracy Lee - Combat Lifestyles

Last year, Ryan Schultz and Chris Horodecki met under much different circumstances.  The veteran Schultz was heavily favored over a young, unknown Canadian fighter with a trainwreck of a name. The bout was seen as nothing special, a rather mediocre bout middling with the rest of the card. 

Early in the second round of that first contest, Horodecki blasted Schultz with a right high kick that spelled the beginning of the end.  After a series of punches and knees the referee had to step in and save the stumbling Team Quest fighter. 

Since that fight two Novembers ago, “The Polish Hammer” quickly became one of the IFL largest stars and outlasted anyone that the matchmakers presented him with. As Horodecki continued to rise, Schultz fell.  In his very next fight, he suffered a late KO loss to Bart Palaszewski. 

Yet just as Horodecki looked untouchable in the IFL, he wasn’t.  It took a rejuvenated and revenge driven Schultz to slow Horodecki’s rise. The uncrowned IFL lightweight king is still uncrowned, and Schultz now reigns supreme.

How It Happened

Over Horodecki’s previously blemish-free career, he had shown great striking ability and technical prowess on the feet.  One thing he hadn’t looked comfortable doing is working from his back, and the Team Quest trained wrestler put him there early. Over the first minute, the two traded brief flurries with neither fighter gaining a distinct advantage.  Schultz seized an opportunity during the final exchange and put Horodecki on his back. 

Schultz had his way with his younger counterpart once the fight was in his world.  It’s not that Schultz can’t strike, because he can.  Its just his ground-and-pound game is excellent, and was the key to his victory. “If I pull the trigger, I win every time,” Schultz said. 

Horodecki was unable to control the head or hands of Schultz, who postured up and landed a number of big right hands.  Schultz jumped to the right side and landed in the “Hammer’s” half-guard.  From there, he pinned Horodecki’s left arm behind his back, rendering it useless.  The phenom was tangled in an awkward position with his face unshielded and Schultz simply unleashed. Eleven unanswered right hands crashed the party and Matt Lindland’s Team Quest took home its second belt of the evening, “Matt was like, just do what you do,” said Schultz. “We had a good gameplan…go after him, take him down, smother him and finish it.”

Schultz is now the unlikely king of the 155 pound division in the IFL.  The revamped league is heading into a season that will be ripe with change, and Schultz won’t have long before his first title defense.  He will reportedly defend his title for the first time in February against Chicago’s Tim Kennedy.  Kennedy also won in an undercard match earlier in the evening.

What It All Means

The crazy thing is that this fight wasn’t even supposed to happen.  Horodecki had been slated to fight three other opponents before “The Lion.”  All three were forced to relinquish the opportunity because of injury, and Schultz was more than ready to seize the opportunity, “I wanted it real bad, and I got it.”

The IFL knows what it has in Horodecki and no doubt values his performance as much as anyone.  Financial struggles are no stranger to the League, and Horodecki’s billing as the next great lightweight is critical to the organization. He’s young, he’s exciting, he’s confident; what is there not to like?  Nobody I know dislikes him or his fights, but a win and belt around his waist would’ve given him the legitimacy for a top-10 argument.  He’s not there yet.  We also shouldn’t forget that his opponent was switched on him three times leading up to the bout.

Based on the first matchup, nobody could’ve seen this outcome coming.  Approaching Saturday night in Connecticut, pundits, odds makers and fans were thinking the same thing.  In 180-degree switch-up from the first encounter, the younger Xtreme Couture fighter was heavily favored. Someone forgot to tell Schultz he was supposed to lose.

In a year that has had noteworthy upsets, Shultz’s win piles on yet another shocking upset.  The Lightweight division (for my money) is the IFL’s best and most exciting division.  Horodecki’s is clearly the largest name in the weight class, despite the loss.  His stardom is not diminished, but it wasn’t helped by his display of ineptitude on the ground.

World-class fighters bounce back from defeats like this one.  The coming months leading up to his next fight will prove critical for Horodecki; he’s never dealt with a loss before. How will he react?  It’s doubtful the defeat will make him go ‘Loiseau’ on us all, and I believe he’ll bounce back well with new focus.

Randy and the boys at Xtreme Couture in short time have proven to be a top tier camp, and with the number of superior fighters there; Horodecki’s ground fighting will be afforded the opportunity to improve by leaps and bounds.  I look for him to be slugging it out for the title again soon.

Schultz on the other hand has proven himself to be a hell of a fighter.  For a man who not long ago was contemplating retirement, he looked awfully talented. His battle with Kennedy will be a war and real tough test for the Oregon fighter.  Both men have shown willingness to strike, as well as serious ground and pound skills.  Stiff competition is nothing new to either man and an all-out war is what I expect from the two of them.

I’m not prepared to say Schultz will win and retain his title, but, after last night…I’m not ready to count him out either.

The end of the year extravaganza of events brought about a historic matchup that had been fantasized about by many mixed martial arts fans. Chuck Liddell fought Wanderlei Silva on Saturday evening to finally determine which of the two dominating strikers was better skilled in fight that was supposed to never go to a decision. Unfortunately for many fans, the fight didn't end in a catastrophic knockout that rocked the arena with a shockwave from the impact. Instead, we saw a fantastic display of determination and heart from both fighters.

Eventually, Liddell's reach advantage and better overall striking technique bested the looping mechanics of Silva's standup skills. Although Silva hung his head in shame, it was evident that his intense training regiment of a snorkel, closed off nostrils, and heavy circuit work had increased his abilities to recover and hardened his chin. Liddell even stated after the fight that he was surprised by Silva's chin. Both fighters exhibited improved skills and cardio, so to an extent, both fighters helped each other gain something from this fight. Where will these guys go next?

Liddell looking up to the top

Liddell showed us that he is still very dangerous at the ripe age of 38 years old. Many fans were giving up on Liddell's one-dimensional skillset, but he showed that he could at least show his wrestling skills in order to eat up time and lock in the win. His reach advantage was obviously a factor, but punching with straight loaded punches was the key to beating Silva's attempts to get inside with his looping haymakers. With the win, it seems that Liddell's popularity may propel him back to the top very quickly much. This may be much to the dismay to hardcore fans who have been waiting to see some of the current talent near the top get a title shot.

With that said, who's in the mix to face Liddell next? Let's go straight down the list of names. Griffin and Rampage are both facing each other in what was said at the UFC 79 post-event press conference as sometime in August. The most talked about names are “Shogun” Rua, Lyoto Machida, and some fans have even suggested Rashad Evans as a filler fight before a title shot. Interesting choices indeed.

Rua may have some significant problems against Liddell. Liddell's striking is very good, and Rua's power has never been enough to really knock anyone out with a solid punch. His power lies in his knees and clinch much like one of his former training partners, Wanderlei Silva. It is definitely a matchup that gives Liddell more boost in his ranking and definitely could legitimize a title fight. Shogun did after all beat Rampage in PRIDE.

Machida is an interesting fight that would be surprising for the UFC to make. If their intention is to build Liddell back up into a champion, Machida is not the type of fighter that you want to fight. His tactical strikes and counter striking skills would be frustrating for Liddell to deal with. Even more frustrating, Liddell is also a counter puncher. This could make for a very boring bout, or a bout that Liddell makes a big mistake getting caught up in the crowd's booing when Machida simply waits out Liddell. Machida doesn't budge and is patient. Liddell is definitely more likely to make the mistake.

Evans just defeated Michael Bisping, but it wasn't in any type of dominating fashion. We are all very used to seeing Rashad dance in the cage and win close decision battles, but that won't solidify him as a top fighter. Chuck may get an easy win fight in Rashad Evans, and that type of matchup doesn't present anything overly tough for Chuck to overcome. Does that matchup really have a chance of happening? Rua is a more likely opponent. Soukoudjou is always in the mix as well.

Silva is still dangerous

The UFC will most likely be looking to get Silva some wins and hopefully down the line promote a rematch of the two strikers. In the end, Liddell does seem to have the advantage, and it will be up to Silva to improve enough to defeat Liddell's reach and good striking. Who can the UFC put up against him to begin the trail back?

Will they relegate Jardine to taking on “The Axe Murderer”? It's always possible, but unlikely due to the fact that Jardine did just beat Liddell in his last fight. Rashad is more realistic of a matchup for Silva, but Soukoudjou is now in the mix and could provide an epic war of two more strikers. Does the UFC want to risk losing their investment on Silva? Its doubtful, but Joe Silva may feel that it is stylistically better for Wanderlei. Soukoudjou has longer reach however and some of the same type of striking as Liddell.

Silva vs. Thiago Silva? Two strikers. Silva vs. Houston Alexander? Two strikers. The UFC has a plethora of striking opponents that would be thrilled to face a top notch striker like Wanderlei Silva. Unfortunately for those fighters, Silva's cardio techniques seemed to have enabled him to recover from heavy blows very well. We could see a run through some opponents for Silva and if Liddell happens to be stopped on his way to the top, we could see a clash of the two legends again.

Outlook for Silva and Liddell

As dominant as Wanderlei Silva was in PRIDE at times, he has some problems. Technically speaking, his striking isn't exactly tactical or strategic in any way. He tries to capitalize on his opponent moving in and missing a strike or he moves in with such a quick pace that it surprises his opponent. The problem with that type of style is that it does open you up to the flash knockout and is more susceptible to leaving yourself open to defeat. He'll have to prove to us that he can really become surgical with those heavy looping punches.

Liddell, on the other hand, has a very good outlook. Rua is a matchup that should definitely benefit him if it happens, and there really isn't a battle near the upper-echelon that Liddell doesn't have a great chance at winning. Rampage is really his only huge obstacle. Look for Liddell to get another win and begin moving up the ladder again.

In the wee hours of the morning for most American fans, a resurrection of a beloved  mixed martial arts promotion occurred in Japan. Although it may not bear the name of the old promotion, its intention was clear; Bring the fans back to the days of PRIDE. Yarennoka opened up with fantastic introductions, theatrical production, and even brought back Lenni Hardt to announce the fighters for the event. The elevator platform, the runway to the ring, the white canvas, the lighting, it all screamed of PRIDE. The event itself did not disappoint in the quality of the bouts. Let's recap the exciting night of events.

The surprise battles

The most exciting fight of the night was by far Kazuo Misaki vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama. Both fighters had expressed some animosity toward each other leading up to the event at times, but overall seemed to respect each other. The staredown at the pre-Yarennoka press conference was the most heated one out of all the matchups, and it was looking to be a bareburner. It did not disappoint.

Both fighters felt each other out for most of the early few minutes of the fight. Some exchanges occurred, but Akiyama caught Misaki dead on the chin and put him to the floor. Unfortunately for Akiyama, he didn't pounce on the opportunity. Misaki was able to recover and eventually unleash his own strike that put Akiyama to the floor. As Akiyama regained his footing, Misaki landed a knockout kick between the eyes of Akiyama and put him out for good. A fantastic battle that went back and forth and saw Misaki come back from life support to win.

Fedor vs. Hong Man Choi was seen as being an easy win for Fedor by much of the mixed martial arts community. It was a win for Fedor in the fashion we've grown accustomed to seeing from the Russian. His quick transition game sunk in the armbar in the first round, but only after being bruised up significantly by simple hammerfists from the giant Korean. Fedor managed to avoid the onslaught for long enough to transition into the armbar while in full guard. A very exciting fight for the fact that Choi was able to get top control and pound Fedor for a couple of seconds and visibly hurt “The Last Emperor”. Nonetheless, Fedor was still able to come out on top.

Other matchups

Shin'ya Aoki won an uninspiring unanimous decision over silver medalist judoka Bu-Kyung Jung. Jung sunk in two armbars that nearly broke Aoki's arm and had the crowd on its feet. Aoki managed to escape and pound out a decision win that he was lucky to get before being submitted.

“Mach” Sakurai did as expected, but without the fantastic knockout. He put Hasegawa in a lot of trouble for most of the fight, but was unable to land the big blow that could end the fight. In Sakurai's defense, Hasegawa has proved in the past that he can hang around even while being beaten.

Mitsuhiro Ishida put on a wrestling clinic against Gilbert Melendez. Melendez found Ishida on his back for most of the first round, and he was unable to reverse it for most of the round. Ishida worked a strong wrestling takedown game and simply peppered Gilbert while on top and on the back. Melendez came back in the second round with a solid knee to Ishida's head, and then was able to do some top control pounding of his own, but it wasn't to the degree that Ishida had put on him in the first round. Ishida edged out Melendez by decision.

Makoto Takimoto defeated Murilo Bustamante in a controversial split decision. Although Takimoto was closer to actually ending the fight when he caught Bustamante and dropped him, Bustamante controlled most of the fight. It may be a question of judging criteria.

“The Crusher” Tatsuya Kawajiri did exactly that... crushed Azeredo. For nearly the entire fight, Azeredo was on the bottom being punched and peppered with small shots from Kawajiri. Kawajiri didn't quite wind up the power to put Azeredo out, but it was a dominating performance from the lightweight.

Chicago native Mike Russow surprised many fans. He looked more powerful than Zentsov at the weigh-ins and proved it in this clash. Russow put Zentsov down immediately, and worked a smart submission grappling game on the ground. He eventually sunk in a quick North South choke on an utterly horrible performing Roman Zentsov. Fedor should start teaching him transition techniques.

Production

If you were a loving fan of PRIDE, this production is exactly what you want to see. A large runway, elevator platform for the fighters, the high steps down to the runway, the large panoramic screens, the music, the drums, and Lenni Hardt screaming fighter introductions were all present. From the opening bell, the white canvas on the mat showed the spilt blood of its combatants.

The pre-fight television promos were very good as well. Some of the promos added backstory to some of the rivalries, especially the Misaki vs. Akiyama bout. Overall, an impressive event as far as masking PRIDE and also providing some unbelievable matchups.

Divisional shifts?

Fedor will maintain his #1 ranking regardless of this bout, but it was more interesting of a fight than we may have first thought once they stepped in the ring. Unless Couture fights Fedor and wins, or Couture beats Nog and remains more active, we won't see a shift. Nogueira will most likely never surpass Fedor as far as standing is concerned due to his two decisive defeats by the hands of Fedor.

Other battles will affect world divisional rankings. Akiyama may drop, and Misaki, Ishida, Kawajiri, and Sakurai will most likely move up or sit in the same place. Specifically, Ishida defeated Melendez, arguably a top 3 lightweight. Aoki is definitely the undecided one. Will he drop due to poor performance?

Overall thoughts

Personally, I was impressed with how the production was put together. Almost exactly like the PRIDE events, and I believe was done by the same firm. It was nice to go back and have an event that brought back those memories. The most glaring success from the event was the matchups. After all, we are all here to see fantastic mixed martial arts. Yarennoka didn't disappoint.

Misaki came back from the dead to defeat Akiyama, and Fedor, although heavily favored, looked to be in trouble for a split second before showing why transitional MMA rules the fight game. Kawajiri showed fans everywhere why he is the “Crusher”, Ishida displayed unbelievable pace and wrestling ability, and Mike Russow put his name on the map.

Look forward to possibly another event being organized by the same groups. Monte Cox did hint at this during the event, and I would not doubt that the event will push people to want to see more of the same. PRIDE could be making a comeback under the support of former DSE employees and M-1 Global. Whether that is good or bad is another story due to the always present “Yakuza” factor in Japan, but we'll most likely see this type of event again.

Quick Results

Shinya Aoki over Bu-Kyung Jung by unanimous decision
Hayato “Mach” Sakurai over Hidehiko Hasegawa by unanimous decision
Fedor Emelianenko over Hong Man Choi by armbar at 1:54 of Rd. 1
Kazuo Misaki over Yoshihiro Akiyama by back from the dead knockout at 2:12 of Rd. 1
Mitsuhiro Ishida over Gilbert Melendez by unanimous decision
Makoto Takimoto over Murilo Bustamante via split decision
Tatsuya Kawajiri over Luiz Azeredo by unanimous decision
Mike Russow over Roman Zentsov via surprise North-South Choke at 2:58 of Rd. 1

For those of you too lazy to search for it:

Can't get it to work.... click here

Main Event: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Hong Man Choi

I'll be brief with this matchup. Fedor is arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world. People have recently criticized his strength of opponents as a reason to demote him to #2 or #3 in the world, but he still has an unbelievable combination of skills that can easily defeat nearly all MMA fighters within his weight class with ease. His transitional game is the most overlooked aspect of his skillset that I believe will continue to put him above even fighters such as Josh Barnett or Randy Couture. With that said, Fedor should easily defeat Choi with in the first round by submission.

Choi exhibits an immense size and weight, towering over 7 foot tall and at around 350 pounds. He is primarily a K-1 striker, and during this bout, the use of knees will be disallowed due to the height discrepancy. This hurts Choi's chances, but had they been used, Choi's slowness would have still been his ultimate weakness. Choi's last performance against Jerome Le Banner was terrible, and if it was any indication as to how he would perform in this bout, Fedor should have no problems.

Shin'ya Aoki vs. Bu-Kyung Jung

Originally, this bout was to feature K-1 HERO's Middleweight tourney champion Gesias “JZ” Calvancanti, but he suffered a torn ligament and had to pull out. A huge disappointment. Now, the rubber guard master that is Aoki will take on Bu-Kyung Jung, a 2000 silver medalist Judoka.

Without going in-depth, Aoki should easily defeat the judoka. Although Jung will have some excellent throwing skills and abilities in the clinch, Aoki's submission game is nearly unmatched in the weight class. He went from potential defeat to a win fairly quickly in this matchup.

Hayato “Mach” Sakurai vs. Hidehiko Hasegawa

The first of the matchups that should be interesting is veteran Hayato Sakurai vs. DEEP champion Hidehiko Hasegawa. A battle of opposite styles, Hasegawa will be looking to get Sakurai to the ground for a submission or do enough damage to squeak out a decision win. Sakurai will undoubtedly be seeking the knockout.

Hasegawa has had problems recently. He dropped a battle at DEEP 31 to Dong Hyun Kim, but then rematched him at DEEP 32, which ended in a controversial draw that many people felt Kim won. Either way, Hasegawa hasn't had impressive streaks of greatness. He's dropped a number of decisions to mid-tier competition, and hasn't defeated any opponents that were overly impressive in their careers.

Sakurai, on the other hand, has fought some of the best competition out there. In his last fight, he dominated recent TUF winner Mac Danzig and knocked him out cold in the second round of their PRIDE battle. He defeated Joachim Hansen, Jens Pulver, and won a hard fought decision over Shin'ya Aoki. With 7 wins in his last 8 fights, look for Sakurai to continue his dominance. Sakurai should be able to TKO Hasegawa sometime after the midpoint of this fight.

Kazuo Misaki vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

Akiyama has recently been allowed back into the MMA scene in Japan after the “lotion” incident against Sakuraba that landed him on suspension indefinitely. In his comeback fight against a tough Denis Kang, Akiyama showed something that many fans didn't think he could do. He knocked out Kang with a vicious uppercut that completely incapacitated Kang and stunned the crowd. Regardless of the greasing incident, Akiyama does have some great judo skills in the clinch, and obviously has the ability to knock his opponent out. Does he actually have the technical striking skills or was it just a lucky punch? It's not known yet, but this should be another test to see if Akiyama will approach top 5 status.

Misaki has fought some of the best in the business. He defeated Kang in a close split decision, beat Dan Henderson and Phil Baroni, submitted Ed Herman, and has went through much of his career avoiding being knocked out. He's never been defeated by a punch, and has only lost once by TKO due to his arm being broken. Akiyama has stated in the press that Misaki is a much better fighter than him, and he believes it is a honor to battle him, but the fact is, Misaki isn't a finisher and Akiyama is.

Misaki will have range on Akiyama, but Akiyama's clinch skills should be able to work against Misaki. Misaki hasn't had success in defending against the clinch in some of his losses. It will definitely depend on what level Akiyama's takedown game is at. I think Akiyama has more of a skillset that can do a bit more to edge out Misaki via decision.

Gilbert Melendez vs. Mitsuhiro Ishida

A matchup that has provided some anticipation to US fans that have seen Melendez fight in Strikeforce. Melendez has an excellent wrestling and takedown skillset that is accompanied by a solid striking game. Melendez's claim to the top 5 ranking has to do with his win over Tatsuya Kawajiri at PRIDE Shockwave 2006. He also recently defeated a tough veteran in Tetsuji Kato while nursing a broken hand. This may all sound impressive, but Ishida will be a tough test for the Cesar Gracie student.

Ishida Is 15-3-1 with 11 of his wins by decision. He doesn't have tremendous knockout power or a dangerous submission game, but he does have great wrestling technique and a solid takedown defense that has frustrated opponents in the past. Melendez still has an edge in the striking, and he has a rock solid chin in case he gets surprised. Even if this fight doesn't go to the floor, Melendez should be able to defeat Ishida in the standup game. Ishida will most likely look for top control, and Melendez has a great training team that is proficient in jiu-jitsu and wrestling to counter anything Ishida can do on top. Melendez via TKO, third round.

Makoto Takimoto vs. Murilo Bustamante

Takimoto shouldn't be a significant problem for Bustamante. Bustamante hasn't beaten upper-echelon competition, but he has fought some of the best in the business and taken them the distance. He did beat Matt Lindland at UFC 37, Minowa at Bushido 9, and recently beat Dong Sik Yoon at Bushido 13, and Ryuta Sakurai for a second time at DEEP 29. He has some significant power in his hands, and a good submission grappling background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He should make his Brazilian Top Team camp proud in this battle. Bustamante by decision.

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Luiz Azeredo

This fight could be a big problem for Azeredo as he doesn't exhibit enough striking defense or offense to stop Kawajiri's “crushing” power. Although Azeredo has avoided being knocked out by some great standup fighters, he still has a susceptible chin. Kawajiri should have a power advantage, striking advantage, and can nullify the submission attempts with his excellent wrestling. Kawajiri should take this one by pure power and striking ability, first or second round.

Mike Russow vs. Roman Zentsov

Russow is coming out of Chicago, Illinois with a 6-1 record. His only loss was to Kharitonov in his only fight that has been a significant test of his ability. He's primarily a submission fighter who will be looking to hit the floor against Zentsov, a standup fighter.

Zentsov has weaknesses in his game and is far from perfect. He's had some great wins in his career and some horrible losses as well. He has a much better striking game than Russow, but Russow will have more weight, size, and grappling ability. Many of picking Zentsov, but I'll pick the Chicago native from my home state via submission.

The battle for the Japanese ratings crown on New Year's Eve is in full force, and the mixed martial arts promotions in the nation are looking to soak up a majority of the viewership by providing an entertainment and spectacle show for the Japanese casual viewer. Many fans have been critical of the Japanese promotion's concept, but those fans have clearly been oblivious to how the television market and MMA model works during the New Year's Eve holiday. With that said, K-1 will hold their Dynamite Premium event at the Osaka Dome on New Year's Eve, and it will be featured on the Tokyo Broadcasting System or TBS network in Japan. The event will also include Fedor vs. Choi and Akiyama vs. Misaki during the televised event. With a huge lineup of popular fighters and a plethora of spectacle fights, look for K-1 to make a splash in the Japanese ratings war.

For the many MMA fans however, let's focus on the actual matchups on the card that seem to be interesting to at least the casual fan. We'll also look at some of the matchups that actually have some quality to them.

Main Event Card
Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Masakatsu Funaki

The battle of Japanese legends. Kazushi Sakuraba is probably most well-known for his epic battle with Royce Gracie at the 2000 PRIDE Grand Prix Finals. He's been coined the Gracie Hunter for defeating many of the Gracie family members and has made a career from it. He's a huge draw in Japan, but when up against stiff competition, hasn't been able to walk past some of the better fighters. He's been trounced by Wanderlei Silva three times, but did manage to defeat Rampage Jackson back in 2001. He has some good wins over some mid to upper level competition, but age is beginning to become a factor for Sakuraba.

Funaki, on the other hand, has some legendary wins in his career over very tough competition. The only problem is that he stopped fighting in 2000. We're talking about nearly 8 years on ring rust. His last bout was a loss to the undefeated Rickson Gracie, and toward the end of his career, lost 4 out of his last 9 fights, mostly in Pancrase. Funaki is a very, very good submission grappler, but his defense can be questionable at times. Sakuraba also has a bit more power in his hands, and he will have experience in the modern era on his side as well. Look for Sakuraba to pull this one out.

“Kid” Yamamoto vs. Rani Yahya

Yamamoto is one of the most popular fighters in Japan, wooing young Japanese women with his looks. He produces ratings, and it's no mystery as to why Yamamoto is one of the featured bouts on this card. He's also a very good mixed martial arts fighter who exhibits incredible power in his hands and has the ability to avoid the submission attempts of his opponents. He has a solid wrestling background, even going as far as trying out for the Japanese Olympic team. Yamamoto may have some trouble with Yahya though.

This is by far one of the more quality fights on the card, but Yahya does have his work cut out for him. Yamamoto has beaten champion BJJ practitioners in the past. Curran and Fernandes were both very tough BJJ fighters. Curran had some striking skills, but nobody wants to stand with Yamamoto's power. Yahya has excellent ground skills, but noone has been able to get Yamamoto in a submission. I think we'll see more of the same. Yamamoto by decision.

Bob Sapp vs. Bobby Ologun

The “Beast” vs. the comedian. Ologun has pulled big ratings for some of his fights because he is a celebrity comedian in Japan. This is another attempt to tap into that demographic that will be interested in seeing the spectacle in Sapp fight the comedian.

Ologun isn't a terrible fighter, but he will have problems with Sapp's size and power. Sapp should win this in the first round if he actually doesn't get caught up in trying to run down Ologun.

Under-18 Tournament

Hiroya vs. Kizaemon Saiga
Kenji Kubo vs. Yudai
Finals matchup

This is interesting because all of the participants will be under 18, but for the most part, Hiroya will be the heavy favorite and is most likely being featured due to popularity or an attempt to build him up. Either way, Hiroya has a strong Muay Thai background and some excellent striking techniques. His story also resembles a potential dream marketing sale for the K-1 promotion to the Japanese public.

Hiroya was born in same town as Takanori Gomi, and he has been winning world championship Muay Thai titles  in the amateur circuit in Thailand. He has tremendous potential and reports are that this tournament will be a send off before he moves onto a school in Thailand to learn English and Thai, and immerse himself in Muay Thai training to one day make a huge splash in K-1.

Look for Hiroya to successfully win this tournament.

Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Joachim Hansen

Hansen hasn't had too many fights this year. He dropped a controversial decision bout to Eiji Mitsuoka at Shooto: Back to our Roots 6 in November. The controversy was regarding the second round in action in which many fans felt that it should have been ruled a draw. Two out of the three judges felt differently, and Mitsuoka pulled out the majority decision. Hansen looks to get back on track with a win over Miyata.

Miyata doesn't have a solid record at 5-5, but his losses were to mostly top competition. Royler Gracie, Genki Sudo, “Kid” Yamamoto, and Vitor “Shaolin” Ribiero were four out of the five losses on his record. He recently defeated Harvey Harra on the September 17 HERO's card in quick submission fashion in the first round.

There really shouldn't be a reason why Hansen will not win this matchup. Miyata has some weak submission defense, and Hansen, for the most part, is well rounded. He has had problems stepping up and beating upper-echelon talent, but Miyata is far from upper-echelon. Hansen will be looking to get back on track with a decisive victory over Miyata. Hansen by submission, first or second round.

Melvin Manhoef vs. Yosuke Nishijima

A matchup that looks to excite the crowd at Osaka Dome, the dutch devastator will try to brutally knock out Japanese boxer Yosuke Nishijima. Yosuke has had some MMA fights in his career, but sports a 0-4 record from those battles. Yosuke was submitted in 3 of the 4 bouts and went 3 rounds with Mark Hunt only to be knocked out. This fight should be no different for a number of reasons.

Manhoef has awesome power in his hands and legs. He's a natural kickboxer from Holland who knows his way around the boxing aspect of fighting. He should have ample enough defense to stop Yosuke from landing stunning shots, and his leg kicks will most likely dishearten Yosuke's advance. This fight is set up for a brutal one-two decimation of Nishijima. Manhoef via knockout, first round.

Minowaman vs. Zuluzinho

The classic David vs. Goliath spectacle fight is a mainstay in the K-1 arsenal of matchups to put on network television that will produce interest. This is truly a David vs. Goliath battle however. Minowa is a natural middleweight (185 lbs.) and Zuluzinho fights at nearly 400 pounds. Minowa is no stranger to these types of matchups though, and his fans love him for it.

Minowa has a plethora of experience against bigger guys. He defeated “Butterbean” Eric Esch and “Giant” Silva by submissions, both who exceed 350 pounds. Can Minowa do it again against Zulu? I'm leaning toward Minowa in this fight for the mere fact that Zulu will have trouble dealing with Minowa's quickness and probably have problems trying to submit Minowa. Minowa by submission at some point.

Kiyoshi Tamura vs. Hideo Tokoro

This is somewhat an interesting battle for a couple of reasons. Both fighters have a good amount of experience, but Tokoro hasn't fought upper-echelon competition whereas Tamura has, but was unable to pull out wins against that type of competition. Their styles are a bit different as well. Tokoro looks to be the much more exciting fighter. He has an active striking game, but his bread and butter relies in his quick transitioning submission skills.

Tamura is also a submission fighter and has a professional background with some battles in UWF. He holds some wins over Minowa, Makoto Takimoto, Pat Miletich, Jeremy Horn, and Renzo Gracie, but many of those were back in 2000. When he made the transition to PRIDE, he was devastated by Wanderlei Silva and Bob Sapp. Although I like Tamura's experience, Tokoro seems to have some exciting aspects that I can't dismiss. Tokoro by armbar, second round.

Other bouts worth mentioning...

There are a few K-1 rules matches that are worth some mentioning. Musashi will take on Bernard Ackah, another popular TV celebrity. He's also known for knocking out Johnnie Morton, the former NFL player. Nicolas Pettas will take on Kim Young-Hyun, and Masato is pitted against Choi Yong-Soo. There is also some reserve fights on the card, Ryo Murakoshi vs. Arata Fujimoto and Takashi Tachikawa vs. Yoshihisa Inoue.

The card is purely an entertainment spectacle to get ratings, but there are a couple of great battles that may surprise fans. If you have a chance to check out the feed or see the fights once they hit the 'Net after New Years, do so.

The IFL has been hammered for many things by fans, and often justifiably so.  The tape delays on the broadcasts made them difficult to become immersed in, and the regional team format never exceeded the exalted rank of ‘cheesy.’  This Grand Prix has answered the call.  Tournaments are the most definitive way to determine who is the best (just ask any LSU or Hawaii Football Fan) and MMA fans get gleefully nostalgic when thinking about the UFC’s early days.

The IFL took a page out of PRIDE’s old playbook and put this one together for us and the final card is solid.  Not only do we see the culmination of the tournament, but there’s five title fights.  Yep, that’s right; five.  Hard to find that anywhere.  In addition to that, it’s free if you got the right cable package!  Good stuff all around and with the exception of the light heavyweights, every division will be active.  Five men will join Vladimir Matyushenko as inaugural IFL champs in their respective weight classes and we can drink it all in without spending any more money than we already have.

The Title Fights
Featherweight: Wagnney Fabiano (8-1) vs. L.C. Davis (9-0)

The two 145lbers both sport a spotless record in the IFL, and only one loss beyond it; combined.  The WEC has proven that the lighter weight classes are exciting as hell, and Fabiano and Davis are no exception. 

Davis brings the patented Miletich offensive, a headstrong approach with a foundation of strong wrestling, good conditioning and judicious hands.  Davis has gone on record saying he can handle Fabiano on the feet and he’ll keep it there. By my estimation, he’d better.  The 5’6” Brazilian has shown surprising strength, and combined with superior jiu-jitsu skills is on a 4-0 tear behind four submissions. 

Aggressive wrestling has played into the hands of the slick jiu-jitsu artists before, and I look for the same to happen here. The Carlos Newton trained fighter will be the strongest opponent Davis has tangled with. Fabiano’s recent move from lightweight down to his natural 145lb world will make him the IFL’s first Featherweight champ.

My Pick:  Fabiano by Armbar, Round 2

Lightweight: Chris Horodecki (11-0) vs. Ryan Schultz (17-9-1)

The entire MMA world is well aware of who Horodecki is by now.  The IFL posterboy possesses that strange cocktail of boyish looks and deadly fighting ability that is tough to resist.  At just 20 years of age, the Polish kickboxer is poised to be an MMA superstar. There’s only one man standing in his way, and that’s Schultz. 

The scrappy Schultz hails from Team Quest and should look to employ a grinding ground and pound attack.  These two faced off in November ’06 and Horodecki finished the Oregon native early in the second frame.  He no doubt wants that to happen again, and as Shad Lierley proved Chris is at his least dangerous when he’s on his back.

The records of the two fighters are trending in polar opposite directions; Horodecki with eleven straight wins and the ten year elder Schultz posting a 6-5 record.  The discrepancy is a little misleading.  Schultz has fought much tougher competition, notably recent UFC contender Hermes Franca and Rich Clementi over his last eleven.  He also has wins over the UFC’s great Hispanic hope Roger Huerta, Jason Dent and took ‘JZ’ Calvancante to a draw.

All signs point toward The Polish Hammer being another A-Class 145lber, and he’ll hand the Gresham native his tenth loss of his career.  The Hammer’s striking shoots in from all angles, and the especially swift right leg of Horodecki will wear down the wrestler for the first eight minutes, paving the way for a late TKO win.  The IFL will crown its first LW champ, and top-ten lists everywhere will be forced to take notice.

My Pick:  Horodecki by TKO, Round 3

Welterweight: Jay Hieron (13-4) vs. Delson Heleno (13-3)

These two 170lb warriors offer the most hotly contested fight in any of the five divisions bestowing belts.  Both are skilled ground fighters, with the major difference being what each has shown on the feet.  Hieron has demonstrated some dangerous hands that can keep pace with tough wrestling.  The Extreme Couture camp raves about Hieron’s athleticism, and his 5-2 run has bore it out. 

Heleno is a submission stud and the Brazilian will enter the ring with his 6-2 IFL record draped over his shoulders.  “Pe De Chumbo” was an integral part of Renzo Gracie’s Championship Pitbulls, losing just once to Antonio Mckee in the Semifinals.   Heleno has managed all this success despite presenting any striking ability whatsoever.  The wrestling ability of Hieron is too good, and without respectable striking to be concerned about any takedown attempts will be forced.

The one dimensional offense won’t be able to contain the strength of the New York born Hieron.  In the mold of Rashad Evans, Hieron’s mix of athleticism, wrestling and strength will be too much to handle. The Anacondas will own a second belt after Hieron progressively batters Heleno over 12 minutes.

My Pick: Hieron by Unanimous Decision

Middleweight: Benji Radach (17-3) vs. Matt Horwich (20-9-1)

Some classic situations never get old: people falling down, dogs in outfits, Will Smith in a futuristic setting, and the striker vs. grappler matchup.  To make it even more interesting, each is adept at nullifying the others specialty.  Radach, the striker, has never been submitted.  Horwich, the wily submission fighter, has never been stopped by strikes.

Radach’s hands are powerful and have stopped four out of five of his IFL opponents.  American Top Team is reputed for their striking acumen and Benji is no exception.  His last four opponents have failed to survive four minutes in the ring with the Washington State native.  The first win of Radach’s IFL career was a convincing TKO over Ryan McGivern in the second, and all five IFL wins have come in 2007. 

Horwich has been healthy and consistently active as well having already fought four times this year.  “Suave” is in the running for the best nickname in the sport and couldn’t be more fitting when seeking to describe the ground game of Horwich.  18 of the 20 times the Team Quest fighter has had his hand raised, it was a result of a submission.  The awkwardness of Horwich’s movements will be tough for Radach initially.

I’m thinking we’ll see history here, and Horwich may finally find himself staring up at the lights when all is said and done.  Radach is a the proverbial ‘bull in a china shop’ in the 185 pound division and behind a series of smashing right hands will give the snakes from L.A. yet another belt.

My Pick: Radach by TKO, Round 2

Heavyweight: Roy Nelson (10-2) vs. Antoine Jaoude (8-2)

These are two enormous heavyweights in this one.  Nelson at 6’0”, 258 lbs and Jaoude at 6’3” and 253 lbs means that that ring will be dealing with over 500lbs of human being; not including the referee. 

The two are very similar fighters and both like the action to be on the mat.  Nelson is credited with giving Ben Rothwell his toughest test in the ring, and many feel ‘Big Country’ was robbed of a decision victory in that fight last April.  In that 12 minute battle Nelson showed decent hands and possibly the best cardio I’ve ever seen for a man with his physique. 

Jaoude also appears to have a little bit of everything in his bag of tricks, his 4-0 IFL record has come via submission, striking and decision victories. But his bread and butter is wrestling.  The Brazilian is a Pan-Am silver medalist who knows how to use every ounce of his ability. 

The Jiu-Jitsu of Nelson has been praised in the past, so what we may see play out is a meticulous game of cat and mouse on the floor.  I give the advantage on the feet to Jaoude, as well as in the clinch.  I see Jaode being slightly better over the full twelve minutes.

My Pick: Jaoude by Split Decision

Other Action on the Card

Tim Kennedy (8-2) vs. Elias Rivera (3-2)

I know. It seems like there’s a Kennedy around every corner, but this one isn’t a politician with an annoying New England accent.  This is the one you just saw two weeks ago on HDNet, scrapping it out with Jason ‘Mayhem’ Miller.  Despite ultimately losing the contest, Kennedy looked great all through the rematch.  Striking ability and submission offense and defense were all there for the middleweight.

Elias Rivera is no Mayhem either. He hasn’t shown a particularly iron chin so far in his career, surrendering two KO losses to fighters much less capable than Kennedy.  Barring exhaustion from the quick turnaround time, Kennedy should take this fight.  The striking that gave Mayhem fits will end Rivera’s evening in early.

My Pick: Kennedy by TKO, Round 1.

Rory Markham (12-2) vs. Brett Cooper (6-4)

Cooper, like Rivera, has been handed a difficult bout for his IFL debut.  Markham is the IFL’s KO artist in the welterweight division and has six KO or TKO wins in the promotion.  The Milietich boys always come ready to bring it, and their school’s pride should fuel Rory’s fire.  Cooper is the first of the IFL draftee to make an appearance in the ring.  No matter how short it may be, he can at least be proud of that.  Despite a noteworthy win over TUF alumnus Jason Von Flue four weeks ago, Cooper gets canned in this one.

My Pick: Markham by KO, Rd 1

Marcello Salazar (6-1-2) vs. Alex Cook (8-5)

These two IFL newcomers met before last year, and Cook banged out a TKO win over the Brazilian.  Since that loss Salazar has gone undefeated going 4-0 with four submission wins.  The 6’1” Brit is looking to rebound from a loss in Cage Rage, and will have the recently announced new coach Ian Freeman in his corner.

I’ll be honest here, I’ve never seen Salazar fight before.  A fruitless search of the internet yielded only a myriad of submission wins. Cook on the other hand I have seen and he’s susceptible to the sub, as evidenced by his last fight.  I’m going with the Jiu-Jitsu wiz in this undercard fight.

My Pick: Salazar by Submission, Round 3.

The International Fight League will end their year on Saturday night by putting on their final event as part of the Grand Prix series. The final matches will determine the new divisional titles and set up future title matchups for the IFL, something that is new to the promotion. Unfortunately for the IFL, injuries, contract problems, and overall bad luck have plagued the Grand Prix events and caused a huge gap in the talent pool that the IFL cannot seem to remedy.

The IFL has an even taller task in trying to compete with the UFC's own event, UFC 79. It's evident that the IFL is looking to only grab up a very small portion of viewers and not the mainstream fans that will be tuning into the UFC. Nonetheless, the IFL Grand Prix final has a couple of interesting matchups, and we'll briefly look at the card in its entirety.

Jay Hieron vs. Delson "Pe de Chumbo" Heleno

The most interesting bout of the night by far pits a fairly well-rounded Jay Hieron against a phenomenal grappler in Delson Heleno. Hieron has fought some tough competition in the past, but has lost some battles that were questionable as far as his opponent's talent level. Hieron's main weakness has been his inability to finish opponents, but for the most part, he's well-rounded and is very durable in the ring. He'll use his superior striking abilities to most likely keep this fight standing, and will try to avoid being submitted by using his good wrestling skills.

Heleno will counter the rough ground and pound style of Hieron with an excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu background. Heleno doesn't have impressive wins over high quality opponents, but he definitely has a submission game that can defeat quality guys that begin to step in front of him. That is what Heleno's goal will be on Saturday.

Prediction: Hieron by decision

Hieron has a much better standup game and has never been submitted in his career. He also has the backing of some solid training at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. Look for Hieron to pull this win out.
_________________________________ 

Chris Horodecki vs. Ryan "The Lion" Schultz

A rematch of a battle that happened in IFL's semifinals last year, this should be a clear cut win for Horodecki. Since nearly all of Horodecki's opponents leading up to this Grand Prix final were injured or moved away from the bout, Schultz will get a chance to redeem a loss.

Fact is, Horodecki is a dynamic striker with excellent takedown defense, and he is only improving with his training at Xtreme Couture. I see no reason why Schultz will be able to win this fight, especially when many of his losses are by way of TKO.

Prediction: Horodecki by second round TKO/KO
_________________________________ 

Benji Radach vs. Matt Horwich

Another matchup that has a small amount of intrigue surrounding it. Both Middleweights have solid experience in the cage, but both have styles that are completely opposite of each other. Radach is a devastating striker whereas Horwich is primarily a submission weapon. Radach boasts 13 KO/TKO's in 17 wins and Horwich has 18 submissions in 20 wins, heavy percentage of wins in one area for both fighters.

Radach does have some excellent wrestling ability and has never been submitted. His takedown defense is excellent, and it will be a tough task for Horwich to avoid Radach's power striking if he's stuffed during a shoot. This would be the ideal situation for Radach, but Horwich has never been knocked out. Will Radach's wrestling be enough to avoid the submissions and stop Horwich's own takedown attempts?

Prediction: Radach by TKO, second round.

Radach is a very strong striker and has the wrestling skills to back up his standup style. Horwich has lost some big fights by submission, but has never been knocked out or stopped. Look for Horwich to be stopped by Radach's power.
_________________________________ 

Antoine Jaoude vs. Roy Nelson

The battle of the heavyweights in the IFL has never really been an interesting prospect. Rothwell blew through the division, then had contract issues with the IFL and the Grand Prix event at the end of the year. This fight does, however, feature Antoine Jaoude, who narrowly lost to Rothwell.

The most significant difference between both fighters is the weight factor. Nelson will most likely have 20-30 lbs. on Jaoude, but Jaoude has shown better skill in his most recent contests. Nelson may have some serious trouble with Jaoude's skills in general.

Prediction: Jaoude by decision.

I think Jaoude can outlast Nelson and also show off some better wrestling skills in the process.
_________________________________ 

Wagnney Fabiano vs. LC Davis

After the IFL ruined the potential matchup of Fabiano vs. Horodecki, he was relegated to a lower weight division and now has to face a tough LC Davis who is 9-0. Both men are primarily jiu-jitsu fighters with some decent standup skills. Davis has an impressive win over Jay Estrada, but most of his competition hasn't been on a world class level. He combined decent power in his hands with an excellent ground game. Fabiano will be a very tough test.

Fabiano comes straight out of Rio and will be looking to extend his four fight win streak. His only loss is to the veteran grappler in Jeff Curran by decision. Fabiano has had an easy cakewalk through the IFL's competition, and Davis may possibly be in for a rude awakening.

Prediction: Fabiano via second round submission

Fabiano's jiu-jitsu should be able to exploit the fact that Davis hasn't fought competition that is on his level, but we could be in a surprise if Davis brings the type of game he used on Estrada.
_________________________________ 

Tim Kennedy vs. Elias Rivera

It's hard to dislike Tim Kennedy at all in this fight and in everyday life. He's an enlisted soldier, and also a fighter who embodies everything that is a class act to this sport. He has very good wrestling skills and some good power in his hands. He has a much more well-rounded game than his opponent Rivera, who is very susceptible to the knockout. Look for Kennedy to end this in by TKO/KO.

Prediction: Kennedy via KO, 1st round
_________________________________

Rory Markham vs. Brett Cooper

Markham is coming off two big wins over Chris Clements and Pat Healy. He has dynamite in his hands, and an excellent takedown defense from fighting out of the Miletich camp. With primarily a wrestling and striking background that is proven in the cage, Markham will be a tough task for Brett Cooper.

I'm not privy to much of Brett Cooper's recent work in the MMA. He does have a good win over Jason Von Flue as recently as December 1st. If anyone has seen Cooper's fight with Ed Ratcliff, he was straight knocked out cold by a spinning back kick that was out of a Chuck Norris movie. Cooper has seemed to improve since those battles early in his career. He has some decent power in his hands and also some good wrestling skills. I think Markham will put Cooper down fairly easily regardless of Cooper's renewed drive.

Prediction: Markham via TKO/KO, 2nd round

The end of the year cards are here for the sport of mixed martial arts, and nearly all of them look to deliver fantastic action on paper. The UFC's Nemesis card, however, is the clear cut winner as far as providing the most anticipation for many fans. On Saturday night from Mandalay Bay Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, we'll find out who really is better... Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva or Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. If that isn't enough for you to wag your tail next to your television, the rubber match between Georges "Rush" St. Pierre and Matt Hughes will also be featured. The winner will take on Matt Serra for the Welterweight title. Lastly, Rameau Sokoudjou will make his UFC debut against the elusive and frustrating karate tactics of Ryoto "Lyoto" Machida. Let's take a look at this historic fight card.

Main Event
Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva vs. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell

The historic matchup of Silva and Liddell has been years in the making. Back when PRIDE was at the top of the food chain, both sides were already talking up a potential matchup of these two explosive strikers during PRIDE Final Conflict 2003. Liddell was stopped by the eventual UFC champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson after his preliminary round win against Alistair Overeem. That was the closest he had ever been to fighting Wanderlei Silva.

Now, Silva has made the journey to the UFC, and he is in nearly the same position as Liddell. Both fighters are coming off two losses that have stopped their progression as top light heavyweights in the world. Liddell was knocked out within the first flurry on his fight with Quinton Jackson at UFC 71 and lost a close split decision to Keith Jardine at UFC 76. Silva, on the other hand, hasn't been as active lately. He was knocked out by a fierce left hand from Dan Henderson in February of this year to lose his title, and was devastated by Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic at PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute in September of last year.

With that all said, this fight still produces anticipation of being a great war between two very explosive fighters. Both men are coming off two losses, and both men will have to contemplate continuing their careers if they end up losing this battle. It should be a fight that will produce a highlight reel knockout, and there is no doubt that this fight will end by a stoppage of some sort.

Prediction: Wanderlei Silva via second round KO

So many fans and other columnists have expressed the styles matchup as being in favor of Chuck Liddell, but there is other factors that should be considered. Wanderlei Silva is one of the strongest Light Heavyweight strikers in the business. He's overly aggressive and that has, at times, hurt him, but it has also been the pistons that run his engine. His power is unmatched, but he has had problems looping his punches in many of his fights. Look for his training at Xtreme Couture to remedy some of those problems.

I'm still going to take Wanderlei Silva for two reasons. First, Chuck may be a terrific counter puncher, but Silva does seem to capitalize on mistakes. His clinch is very strong, and it could be surprising if he happens to push Liddell much like Rampage did to him in PRIDE. Secondly, Silva's training looks to be solid, whereas Chuck still seems to train specifically in a one-dimensional manner. Striking is his bread and butter while grappling is his escape tactic. Silva has more tools combined with his striking, but whether or not he uses those other tactics is the question. I'm going out on a limb and picking Silva.

Georges "Rush" St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes

After Matt Serra injured his back during his training for his matchup with Matt Hughes at UFC 79, St. Pierre swooped in to make this card even more exciting. It also completes the wishes of many fans to see the rubber match happen between the two fighters that was predicted by many to probably be happening in 2008. Instead, we'll get to see it on Saturday night, and it should be fairly exciting.

Interestingly enough, Matt Hughes only has one loss in his last 8 fights. That one loss being to the man that will stand across from him on Saturday. Hughes dominated the competition in nearly all of his fights leading up to his UFC 65 showdown with St. Pierre. He defeated big names like BJ Penn, Joe Riggs, Frank Trigg, and St. Pierre at UFC 50. Will he be able to pull out another win over St. Pierre after being demolished by Pierre's dynamic skillset at UFC 65?

To answer that, we must look at Hughes's style. One major problem that St. Pierre doesn't have that Hughes does have is that Hughes doesn't have a large skillset to work with. His combination of wrestling and strength are a mainstay in his skillset. Hughes loves to throw opponents to the floor and work strikes to set up either submission attempts on an opponent's appendages or work the chokes. He does, however, end many of his fights by the strikes alone since he is one of the more powerful welterweights in the division.

Can St. Pierre avoid those tactics like he has in the past? With St. Pierre's vast skillset of dynamic striking, great range, surprising wrestling and jiu-jitsu ability, and overall well-roundedness, it will be a tough task for Hughes. It makes it even harder to pick Hughes after St. Pierre defeated Josh Koscheck at  UFC 74 by out wrestling him for nearly the entire fight.

Prediction: Georges St. Pierre by TKO, 3rd round

St. Pierre has too many skills in his bag for Hughes to handle. We saw in the last fight that St. Pierre ran circles around Hughes and dominated him by using his range to work his dynamic striking abilities. His impressive performance against Koscheck only solidified the idea that St. Pierre's wrestling is on par with nearly all of the UFC's elite wrestlers. Add those abilities that counter Hughes along with the abilities that Hughes may not even be thinking about, and we could see an end to this epic saga of two great Welterweights with St. Pierre reigning supreme.

Ryoto "Lyoto" Machida vs. Rameau Sokoudjou

This is probably the most interesting fight on the card in terms of conflicting styles. In reality, almost anyone's style conflicts with Machida's elusive tactics and that is exactly why he is a very tough fight for anybody. It also makes it the most interesting styles matchup because Machida is defensive until a mistake is made or he causes damage that leads to an opponent unraveling while Sokoudjou is mostly offensive, but has aspects that make him a fantastic counter puncher as well. Does Sokoudjou have what it takes to defeat the elusive Machida?

For the most part, there isn't a lot of footage that we can make a broad generalization as to how Sokoudjou will perform. In most of his fights, he either uses massive leg power in his kicks to cause his opponents to become unbalanced to set up striking, or he's looking to do so and ends up knocking out his opponent by countering an attack. He defeated "Little Nog" by countering the initial rush with a stiff left hand and crushed Arona with leg kicks that caused him to shoot for the takedown, only to be pummeled by hard hammerfists that set up a massive uppercut. In his only loss, Sokoudjou wasn't heavily out of style, but lost simply to a battle of flailing striking that he ended up getting caught in. His leg kicks seem to nullify that potential. There is only one problem with these tactics... Machida doesn't come at you.

Machida's style is one of the most underrated fighting tactics in mixed martial arts. Many fans see it as boring and unexciting while many others see it as a beautiful mixture of genius and precision. Machida doesn't attack you, he makes you attack him even if it creates the most boring round of mixed martial arts anyone has ever seen. This often frustrates opponents into creating bad attacking positions that put them in danger. Machida is elusive, very fleet-footed, and actually has some very good karate striking techniques that inflict damage, but do not seem to produce knockouts. Don't be fooled though. Machida has been known to put opponent to the mat with precision striking in his hands.

Prediction: Ryoto "Lyoto" Machida via unanimous decision

I've been a fan of Machida for quite some time. Many of the fans who simply want to see two guys bash each other's brains out don't appreciate the tactical and precision gameplan that Machida imposes on his opponents. He's smart and uses the logic that taking no damage is much better than putting yourself in immense danger of taking damage.

His main skill is Karate. He smartly counters attacks with good kicks and punches, and seems to tire opponents as the fight goes on by remaining elusive throughout the fight. He may lose the first round due to inactivity at times, but in a strange way, the viewer realizes toward the end of the fight that Machida is crushing his opponent while he, himself, remains untouched. Sokoudjou has a great chance to win, but I'm sticking to my guns and picking Machida.

Melvin Guillard vs. Rich Clementi

Bad blood between these two should result in a great matchup at UFC 79 between Clementi and Guillard. Stylistically, both fighters also seem to counter each other's tactics, but there are some aspects to Guillard's game that standout in both advantages and disadvantages.

First, Guillard's style is as explosive as you can get at 155. He's very quick on his feet, and his fists are lightning that usually follows with a thunderous knockout. He has some of the quickest hands in the division, and he was once said to be on his way to the top because of them.

There is a weakness, however, in Guillard's game. His submission defense has been lacking. He lost 5 out of his 6 losses by submission, and Joe Stevenson and Josh Neer both capitalized on that weakness. Can Clementi come out and play the chess game with Guillard's power? That's the big question.

Prediction: Melvin Guillard via second round KO

I like Guillard in this fight for a few reasons. His power is unmatched at 155. He has unbelievably quick hands and the bounce in his step creates an elusiveness that is hard to keep up with. He can move in and out of combat quickly because of his fleet-footedness. Also look for Clementi to be drained possibly since he has had problems cutting to 155 in the past.

There is also the factor that both of these Louisiana natives are battling it out as former training partners who have a lot of bad blood between them. This creates an explosive environment leading up to this fight. I think Guillard has the added incentive of showing the fans that he's done with the drugs that he tested positive for as well. He should be motivated, and seems to have a good training team as well surrounding him.

Other Matchups

Soa Palelei vs. Eddie Sanchez

Prediction: Soa Palelei via first round TKO

Palelei is one of the better fighters out of Australia to hit the UFC, one of only three fighters to make it to the promotion from Australia. He is a very large heavyweight, tipping the scales at around 265 and exhibits some fantastic knockout power. He mainly overwhelms opponents with flurries of striking, but usually sets up the takedown from the striking stance.

After Sanchez's performances against sub par talent and Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic, I'm not convinced he has the skill to beat Palelei. Sanchez has decent takedown defense, but even fighters like Neto were able to put him to the ground. Problem is, Neto didn't have the power or weight that Palelei will bring. Sanchez's striking and defense in the standup was terrible against "CroCop" and is normally below average in many of his fights. Palelei will most likely be able to catch him.
_________________________________________

James Irvin vs. Luis Arthur Cane

Prediction: James Irvin via first round TKO

Another matchup of two powerful strikers for the Light Heavyweight division. Irvin is coming off a bad knee injury that he suffered at UFC 71 whereas Cane is an up-and-coming Brazilian knockout artist with vicious striking and powerful Muay Thai knees. Irvin's health is in question with his knee, but Cane has fought nothing but low level competition that is reminiscent of the type of competition that Reinhardt had faced throughout his career. I can't pick Cane based on the fact that many of his fights were against MMA newcomers. Look for Irvin's experience to win this bout.
_________________________________________

Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr

Prediction: Manny Gamburyan via second round submission

Manny is coming off his Ultimate Fighter Finale loss to Nate Diaz due to a shoulder injury. As disappointing as that was for the Armenian fighter, he is now on the road back to redeem that loss and make an impact at 155. Gamburyan's style is very frustrating due to the power he has in the ground and pound position. He has excellent ground abilities and his small frame combined with his upper body strength allow him to be a force inside the guard as well. Nate Mohr hasn't been as impressive as he could be, and Gamburyan will be no easy bout for Mohr. Mohr's susceptibility to the submission leads me to believe Gamburyan can win this one.
_________________________________________

Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev

Prediction: Dean Lister via second round submission

Lister is a world-class practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, winning the 2003 ADCC Absolute Division, but he lacks excellent finishing ability against tougher opponents. His standup is weak where Radev has some better standup abilities and a good takedown defense. Look for Radev to keep it standing while Lister tries to takedown Radev and get him into the ground war. I can't see Radev knocking out Lister, and Lister should be able to get Radev to the ground and some point during the fight and put the clamp on him.
_________________________________________

Roan Carneiro vs. Tony Desouza

Prediction: Roan Carneiro via unanimous decision

Both fighters are grappling standouts, but I'll go with Carneiro purely based on the fact that he has a bit better striking than Desouza and is more powerful. Desouza is an excellent grappler, but he's always been susceptible to the standup knockout. I don't see Carneiro actually ending this fight with a knockout or TKO, but he may be able to do enough in the standup to produce a decision win.
_________________________________________

Mark Bocek vs. Doug Evans

Prediction: Mark Bocek via second round submission

I like Bocek in this fight for a couple of reasons. First, he's been training with Team Quest out of Temecula, California where Dan Henderson trains at along with a lot of other great fighters. His standup should improve on his very good jiu-jitsu skills on the ground. Secondly, Bocek's grappling should be far more advanced than Evans submission game. Although Evans has a significant wrestling background, look for Bocek to counter that with excellent jiu-jitsu. Many people are counting on Evans to have better standup, but with Bocek training with Team Quest, he may surprise some people.

Along with the great accomplishments by the UFC this year come disappointments as well. We'll look at some of the problems the UFC has had this year, and look at some of the improvements that the UFC could possibly make in the upcoming year as well in this edition of MMA Analytics.

Read more....

I'm currently down south for Christmas, and we'll have some slow posting for the next few days, but I want to announce some small site updates that will be coming very, very soon. I'm currently working on a new site layout to replace the current default site template that makes me cringe. We are also branding the site with some new logos, and we should have a new look and feel to the site within the next month. Changes will be slowly being worked into the site.

Have a wonderful Christmas, and we'll be back in a few days with an influx of analytical articles.

According to Steve Sievert of the Houston Chronicle, the UFC was offered a deal that would bring Fedor to the UFC to fight Randy Couture as part of a co-promotion between the two organizations. While this seems like a dream to many fans of mixed martial arts, the UFC rejected that offer. With that said, let's look at the pros and cons that possibly led to this decision. Did the UFC simply say that they just don't do co-promotions? Was there consideration in the possibility only to be dumped by specific reasoning?

The pros for M-1 and the UFC

For the UFC, the pros of this type of deal aren't completely revealed by just looking at the fight on paper. First, Couture is a legend in the UFC. If he brought his A-game to a fight with Fedor and won the contest, the UFC would be sitting pretty. Not only would they have the fighter that defeated "The Last Emperor", but Dana White would most likely make the generalization that the UFC has far superior fighters to the former PRIDE organization.

Leading up the event, the marketing and promotion of arguably the UFC's greatest fighter against the relentless, powerful, and nearly impossible to beat Fedor Emelianenko could garner record buy rates, although the UFC would most likely not promote Fedor well. It would take joint marketing from both promotions to really take full advantage of the PPV aspect. Nonetheless, the UFC would make a signifcant payday on the event along with some solid main card battles.

M-1 has the most potential to come out on top in this course of events, which may be the reason why the UFC simply said "no". First and foremost, what happens if Fedor dismantles Couture? Will that garner some interest in seeing him fight on U.S. cards in a different promotion from fans? It may to an extent. Mostly due to the availability of the cards. Fedor absolutely dominated one of the best Heavyweight fighters that the UFC has seen recently could garner up support for the new M-1 Global and giving it some interest here in the States, but we may never be sure to what extent since the event won't be happening.

It could legitimize Fedor's status as the best fighter in the world and cause fighters from the UFC to look toward fighting Fedor as well, creating interest in future co-promotions or fighters leaving toward the end of their UFC stints to take on Fedor. This is very doubtful, but always a possibility. It's evident that for M-1, a win by Fedor would give them exposure, a claim to the best fighter in the world inside their promotion, and the ability to have sponsors see Fedor and put their money into that promotion

The cons for M-1 and the UFC

The most obvious cons for both organizations is having their fighter lose to an opponent outside the organization. With no ability to turn around and promote the other fighter, it is definitely a problem for any promotion matching an equally great fighter against one of their own to allow a one-fight co-promotion. The biggest con for M-1 is obviously that Fedor being defeated would completely ruin the promotions credibility of having the best fighter in the world inside it. It may also stop other fighters from wanting to meet him in the cage or ring. Couture has stated in some interviews that he would not pursue Fedor is he falls before he reaches him. Other fighters may use that same mentality if Couture takes out Fedor.

With less chance of landing huge heavyweight talent and with no news on potential talent coming into the organization yet, we really have no gauge for how profound a loss would be for the organization. We can all agree that it would be devastating, but would it sink the organization? It's possible.

If Couture loses a battle with Fedor, the UFC doesn't have a lot of disadvantages. Couture is on the downside in his career in terms of age. He's fought at a tremendously high level, but many fans would simply attribute his loss to old age. The only real disadvantage to the UFC is the potential hype it creates for M-1. It isn't a high cost for a Couture loss however. The UFC will still have the best fighters in the world at their disposal, and will most likely continue to maintain that roster.

Final thoughts

Either way you look at it, the debate as to whether or not this deal would have been beneficial for both promotions if it had happened isn't really a debate. The UFC doesn't seem to benefit extraordinarily in this deal. They also don't seem to lose much either, which is great for them, but it gives M-1 more upside.

Let's just keep this simple. Obviously, the UFC doesn't want to acknowledge that another organization has what it wants. It won't help out other organizations expose their name either. That's the number 1 reason why this deal did not happen.

If we want to speculate a few other reasons, look at the pros and cons. The UFC gains to make a lot of money, but at the expense of acknowledging another promotion and giving casual fans a view at one of the most destructive forces out there. That could possibly help sell M-1 in the States by allowing more fans to see Fedor than his HDNet appearance at New Year's Eve. In the end, the card probably wouldn't make more money than a regular UFC event, and the UFC could probably produce its own card without Fedor that would make just as much if not more money than that type of event.

M-1 seems to have overextended their thinking in the offering of the deal. It looks as if they feel that a Fedor win would propel their standing, when it only helps slightly in exposing Fedor to the casual fanbase. They stand to lose much more than they will gain. The UFC seems to gain little, lose little, but will have helped M-1 at least get some exposure. That is something we know the UFC never wants to do. Look for this clash of the titans to occur in M-1 near the end of the year, or not at all unless the UFC changes their stance. The UFC could also slap a court battle on Couture toward the end of his contract if he decides to fight Fedor for a different promotion. One huge mess that the UFC really doesn't want to deal with right now, but will eventually cross that road.

On Wednesday, the IFL held a conference call regarding the upcoming changes to the promotion for the 2008 year, a year that is in desperate need of more interest, better talent, and more exposure for the promotion. Coming after a big annoucement that the IFL will be televised on HBO Latin America, they've made some changes that will ultimately help in the talent department. One notable quote from the press conference was:

"We are also excited about the ability to have this open-door policy, where globally any camp that wants to put together three guys in the weight classes we would specify for that particular event, they're invited to compete," Otto said. "They show up with those three guys in that weight class, they can get in the mix. In the past we didn't allow that. For instance, if Tito Ortiz wants to promote Team Punishment and promote Team Punishment fighters, he can do that."

"In reference to a camp or team like Red Devil or Golden Glory or anybody for that matter that can put together three guys at the level we need at the weight class we need, they can do that," Otto said.

This seems to be a much improved format that the previous team-based strategy that the IFL promoted in the previous years. Not only can it help the problem of having injured fighters on a set team completely kill an event's hype, but the camps themselves can lighten the IFL's problem of finding fighters. If a fighter turns up to be injured from a camp, undoubtedly, there will be a replacement in the wings at that camp.

Of course, there is the camp matchups themselves. Which camp is better and what fighters are up-and-coming in those camps? It gives camps a better chance of exposing some of their lesser talent that is moving up as well. They can also prove who has the better talent moving up to the bigger shows. It may seem like this is a great move, but in some cases, it isn't as convincing as it has been made out to be as far as camp matchups go. We won't see the top fighters vs. the top fighters, so it will purely be on lesser known fighter's shoulders.

What about pay? Will there be a base pay for each combatant? Again, an interesting aspect.

The entry of international teams

Opportunities are plentiful for the IFL and camps outside the United States with this open-door policy. Interestingly enough, the conference call touched on the Red Devil or even the Golden Glory camps as being camps that could also take the opportunity. Up-and-coming Russian fighters will be able to get exposure to a U.S. fanbase, and if they do well enough, could grab some interest from fans. In turn, U.S. promoted M-1 cards could see a small boost in viewership if M-1 Global turns around and begins to put those fighters on their own cards down the line. Golden Glory, a powerhouse in Holland, also has that same type of opportunity. A chance for international camps to find an U.S. fanbase is an exciting concept.

IFL's other moves

Additions of Ian Freeman and Mario Sperry to the coaching list give the IFL a British base and a Brazilian base, although Sperry will be based out of Las Vegas. As far as excitement goes, British fighters seem to bring the standup aspect to the cage whenever they fight. Many of the Cage Rage cards in Britain feature standup brawls, and the IFL may be trying to tap into that excitement that U.S. fans tend to crave.

Sperry will bring some very tough talent out of Brazil. If you were lucky enough to check out Fury FC, Chute Box and BTT both had strong showing and undercard talent that was very seasoned in their skillsets. Tough scrappers with honed jiu-jitsu skills will create one of the toughest teams in the IFL. It should benefit the IFL immensely.

With the addition of new venues and a 145 lb. featherweight division, people will have more opportunities to see the IFL in their area and will add a whole new element with the exciting lighter weight fighters. If you've watched the WEC lately, Pulver and Faber both are featherweight who exude the skills of what a featherweight should be. Quick, fast, up tempo, and with the deceptive abilities to throw hard leather. Get ready for a new featherweight division.

Will the IFL turn it around?

The IFL has deceived us before. With the IFL Grand Prix taking a huge hit, one of the most unbelievable displays of a card losing its luster from injuries and contract issues, it is inevitable that the card will not grab up viewership as it once may have before it was picked apart. It will be a low point as the year ends.

As we move into the new year, a new format may be able to bring some much needed interest to the event, but it still relies on who the fighters will be when the matchups hit the public. If the IFL can become a promotion that displays great talent in the lower ranks that we would otherwise not see, their may be a turnaround in their cards. If international camps get into the mix and take on U.S. camps, expect a new found excitement for this promotion. Red Devil vs. Golden Glory, Team Punishment, or Xtreme Couture, count me in. Punishment vs. Couture, count me in. The possibilities are endless, and the fans should be amped. Unless teams that have affiliated fighters in other organizations don't take advantage of this opportunity, we should see some improvement in the IFL's numbers. If not, the IFL is all but sunk.

News this week hit the wire straight from the beast itself. The UFC will air a Spanish-language version of its SpikeTV show UFC Unleashed on Fox Sports en Espanol. The UFC's own website released the news on Wednesday. The news comes on the heels of an announcement by the IFL that they will be airing events on HBO's own Latin American channel. Is there a coincidence that this was announced around the same time as the IFL's own press release? Most likely, but it begs to ask some serious questions regarding the UFC's status on entering the Latin American market and breaking into a different demographic, the Spanish-speaking American population.

UFC's initiative to bring MMA to Spanish-Americans

It has long been rumored that the UFC may be entering the Latin American market in the coming year. With great fighters such as Roger Huerta at the helm of a possible expansion into the region, it seems only likely that the UFC would begin their push south with some marketing and promotion to the same type of demographic that they will see in Mexico and the other Latin American regions. Promoting to the Spanish-speaking communities only looks to be a precursor to a much larger push.

The natural progression of word of mouth can be powerful. Add in the television deal with Fox Sports en Espanol to the mix, and it could create some much needed hype in a community that may be an untapped gem. Grabbing up droves of Spanish-speaking fans in the United States could produce more fans south of the border, and will definitely create interest around the Spanish stars of the UFC that seem to excite any type of crowd why they fight.

Is this a ploy to stop other promotions?

With other promotions moving into different territories to avoid the monster that is the UFC, this could be a move to start the assault on those strategic movements by other organizations. We've seen the UFC begin to move into England, and have talked about plans of moving into Italy, Germany, and other European markets. M-1 announced that they have plans to hold smaller shows in Germany, Holland, and Russia in the coming year, as well as bigger shows from the talent that is produced from those shows. We have yet to see the UFC begin planning on delivering on their promise to hit the European market, but it should be in the works for next year at some point.

The IFL is also making the move to avoid pitting themselves against a saturated U.S. MMA market. A deal with HBO Latin America has been viewed as a precursor to a full blown HBO deal for the IFL, but the fact is that the IFL's talent and financial problems still seem to hurt the promotions final product. Can they succeed in re-energizing their promotion with that type of deal? Not if the UFC has anything to say about it.

If the UFC happens to enter the Latin American market later in the year, the stars of the UFC will already have a buzz around them due to the current deal they have made with Fox Sports en Espanol. Not only that, but they will also have at their disposal a stable of fighters of Spanish descent that can become superstars in the countries in Latin America. Put those fighters together with the premier promotion in mixed martial arts, the money that the UFC has produced in order to put on a top-notch event, their marketing reach, and the much more relevant matchups that they can create with their talent pool, and we have the juggernaut that is the UFC dominating a market that simply has the IFL in it for now.

Rally the troops!

By making a deal with Fox Sports en Espanol, the UFC is, in a way, rallying the troops behind their promotion before entering the Latin American market. Grabbing up support in the States could be an effective way of guaranteeing some good turnouts to events south of the border, and a way to promote the Spanish stars of the UFC. With the IFL's poor talent base and very injury prone stable of fighters, it could be lights out if the UFC begins a quick push into the market. The IFL, after all, is already on the move to go under by the end of 2008 if they cannot turn things around.

The UFC's Middleweight division has had a rough time getting support in the last few months. Anderson Silva single handedly destroyed the competition by defeating Travis Lutter, former Pancrase champion Nathan Marquardt, and UFC champion Rich Franklin twice to clear out a division that long needed some competition. Competition is exactly what they got, but the UFC may not have anticipated the complete and utter domination of the upper-echelon of Middleweights. Flash to present day, we see a perceived impossibility of defeating the current champion, Anderson Silva. Of course, the UFC is now trying to remedy the problem of a stagnant division by convincing former PRIDE Middleweight and Welterweight champion Dan Henderson to drop down in weight to fight "The Spider".

The great matchup between the Greco-Roman wrestler with heavy hands and the well-rounded, destructive striking with a black belt in jiu-jitsu seems like a classic matchup that could turn into a nuclear war. Great ground skills from both competitors, and both combatants have proved that their striking can end a fight with one precision blow like a cruise missile. After this battle of two great fighters, we will either continue to have a stale Middleweight division of competitors that can't give Silva a run for his money, or we will crown a new champion and set up a trail of fights for Silva to regain a title fight. A picture that is reminiscent of Rich Franklin situation since his first defeat.

Matt "The Law" Lindland enters the picture

The recent news that Matt Lindland had entered talks with Dana White in the UFC was no surprise to fans that have been following the promotion. Lindland, after all, could be a solution in terms of challenging the Middleweight champion. The combination of his Greco-Roman wrestling, strong clinchwork, and some of the best top control that the MMA world has seen would definitely cause a stir in Silva's mind as to how he could end the fight quickly. 

There have been "knocks" on Lindland's skills in the past. Top control styles haven't been globally accepted as the most exciting way to win a fight. People boo'ed Sean Sherk's performance over Hermes Franca, and fans have done the same to Lindland's style as well. As we've seen from the typical matchups that the UFC puts together, matching up styles that don't seem to scream excitement are usually non-existent until a title fight or a contender battle. It is in the best interest of the UFC to keep those fights under wraps until there seems to be a need for them.

Obstacles between the UFC and Lindland

A few obstacles are making this type of deal seem unlikely, and there are many news sources indicating that same sentiments. First, Dan Henderson and Matt Lindland are very good friends and training partners. Both fighters are also of the same type of style with the only difference being in Henderson's powerful hands. Not only will they most likely avoid fighting each other if Henderson happens to defeat Silva and take the crown, but both fighters may counter each other's styles into a back and forth boring ground fight.

It's unfortunate because Lindland's style can counter that of an aggressively striking Anderson Silva. Not only does Lindland's clinchwork and takedown abilities hurt Silva's counter to it, but it could be a problem for Silva in stopping Lindland's top control.

There is, however, one more issue that always seems to rear its ugly head when talk of Matt Lindland comes up. The feud between Dana White and Matt Lindland is the key reason why talks have never begun before this stage of degradation in the Middleweight division. Rumors all over the MMA community have surfaced over the past few years regarding the feud. An incident in which Lindland wore an unapproved sponsored t-shirt began the feud. Whether or not that is the truth hasn't completely materialized in the media. The obvious choice would be the IFL's courtship of Lindland to coach a team in the IFL, a problem that Dana White has had with other UFC veterans such as Pat Miletich. Whatever the reason is, Lindland also has the problem of being inactive and asking for a significantly large salary because of his status in world rankings.

Will we see "The Law" in the UFC?

Unless the UFC and Lindland can get past the issues regarding the future matchups for Lindland, his asking price, their feud, and the fact that one of his best friends and training partners may actually reign atop the Middleweight division, the UFC may not have a need for Lindland's services. Look for Lindland to continue sitting outside the UFC looking in until there is a significant swing in the title picture. It may be worth another look if Silva defeats Henderson, but for now, Lindland is only a pipe dream.

If we do see Lindland in the UFC, it will be a miraculous turn of events by Dana White and the UFC. It will be interesting to see how they plan to fit him into the division.