Page 9

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

Chuck Liddell recently answered questions in an interview with The Sun regarding a number of subjects related to the sport of mixed martial arts. In the questioning, Liddell was asked about Fedor Emelianenko, and he answered:

"Fedor's someone I want to fight because he's someone I match up well with. He's a ground and pound guy that doesn't have a great shot. He doesn't have a great game plan. I think I could take him. I think I match up well with him. As far as I know he's never knocked anyone out from his feet and I think he'd have a hard time taking me down."

Call me a Fedor “nuthugger” or say that I'm on the Fedor “bandwagon' all you want, but these comments are reckless. Let me break down how I see a Chuck Liddell vs. Fedor Emelianenko matchup just for the sake of an argument.

Stylistically, Liddell's striking game is one of the best in mixed martial arts. His counter punching is devastating, but he is open for huge blows just like any other fighter in the game. His wrestling is considered a valuable asset in helping him maintain his primary gameplan to strike with opponents, but can he stop Fedor Emelianenko's tenacious takedowns?

Liddell's comments regarding Fedor as a “ground and pound guy that doesn't have a great shot” are inaccurate at best. Fedor's shot isn't tough to stop by itself, but it's nearly impossible to stop when coupled with the fact that his powerful haymakers and striking are not only heavy, but very quick for a heavyweight. Liddell would have to deal with not only Fedor's devastating and underrated striking ability, but then try to sprawl a takedown from the explosive Russian's takedown while thinking a strike was incoming. Fedor used this exact strategy against Antonio Nogueira in multiple bouts.

Fedor's gameplan usually revolves around making his opponent's gameplan change completely. His opponents really haven't had an answer, and I doubt Liddell's striking would provide an answer. Once again, I turn to the transitional skillset of Fedor Emelianenko to effectively argue my point. A one-dimensional fighter such as Liddell would simply not last against an effective ground and standup fighter such as Fedor, especially without a good transition game.

Finally, Liddell's assumption that he would be hard to take down has been a time tested quote by multiple fighters. Sylvia said the same thing about Nogueira, and he still went down. If this fight happens, I believe we'd see Liddell on the floor more times than he's ever been in a single fight. Somebody convince me that Liddell's quote really holds water.

Ken had a sad gameplan of trying to stand with a larger Berry who had longer reach. It's unfortunate to see a legend like Ken Shamrock continually go down like this.

ProElite's British acquisition, Cage Rage, kicked off another event in England on Saturday evening that featured the return of Ken Shamrock to the cage. The card also featured bouts between Jean “White Bear” Silva and leglock specialist Masakazu Imanari, UK heavyweights Neil Grove and Rob Broughton, and a US vs. Britain showdown between Tom Watson and Pierre Guillet. The main event card had some lackluster moments, but the preliminary bouts provided some excitement for the crowd to get amped up. Surprisingly, Wembley Arena sold out for this event, and it looks like the British mixed martial arts scene is continuing to grow. Let's look at the action from today's event.

Shamrock's nonexistent gameplan causes embarrassment

For Ken Shamrock, this was to be his comeback fight. After losing his last five bouts and losing eight in his last ten fights, Shamrock was taking on a relatively weak chinned fighter in Robert Berry. The plan was for Shamrock to defeat Berry and move on to potentially take on Kimbo Slice on a CBS-EliteXC MMA show. Unfortunately, Shamrock's return was spoiled by the heavy hands of “Buzz” Berry.

Berry and Shamrock stood toe-to-toe for most of the fight, but Shamrock took a hard strike to the temple that immediately dropped him like a tree. Berry's size was a significant factor in the battle as Shamrock had problems trying to take down the larger Berry. His reach also provided enough range to keep Ken outside while he peppered him with shots.

The critical flaw in Shamrock's gameplan was exactly that... his gameplan. Ken's primary weapon in the past has been his ability to submit opponents with devastating leg locks, but his primary focus has moved away from that recently. That type of gameplan hasn't been successful for Ken, and it will continue to plague him with embarrassment if he doesn't realize the flaw.

Imanari finishes Silva quickly

Masakazu Imanari has remained relatively unknown to the casual fanbase for most of his career. While holding both the Cage Rage and DEEP titles and maintaining a top 10 ranking in the Featherweight division throughout the world, Imanari has quietly and consistently defeated mid-echelon talent. Saturday night at Wembley Arena was no different.

Imanari worked his signature heel hook submission on Jean Silva at only 2:30 in the first round. Silva was edging out Imanari early in the standup department, but Imanari pulled Silva into the leg lock position as Silva tried to work a ground and pound game. After a few attempts by Imanari to secure the lock and Silva rolling out of the hold, Imanari sunk in the heel hook and visibly hurt Silva's leg to end the fight. Silva had to be escorted out of the ring and eventually left the arena on a stretcher.

Other action

Rob Broughton over Neil Grove via majority decision
Tom Watson over Pierre Guillet via TKO (Strikes) at 2:05, Round 1
Mustapha al Turk over Gary Turner via submission (Strikes) at 3:19, Round 1
Ivan Serati over Roman Webber via TKO (Strikes) at :48 seconds, Round 1
Henrique Santana over Michael Johnson via unanimous decision
Aisling Daly over Aysen Berik via TKO (Strikes) at 1:49, Round 1
Giorgio Andrews over Ryan Shamrock via TKO (Doctor Stoppage – Broken Hand) at 5:00, Round 1
John Hathaway over Marvin Arnold via TKO (Strikes) at 1:32, Round 1
John Phillips over Jake Bostwick via TKO (Strikes) at 4:10, Round 1

It's safe to say that Neil Grove was exposed in his matchup with Rob Broughton. Grove's striking was fairly sloppy in his previous bout with Robert Berry, and he was outclassed in the first round of that battle. Grove was fortunate enough for Berry to quit at the end of the first round due to what earlier this week was described as a head cold. The matchup at this event was no different.

Grove and Broughton stood toe-to-toe with atrocious standup coming from both fighters. Both men managed to throw looping punches while leaning back to avoid strikes through most of the first round without ever really connecting any blows. As the fight escalated in the second round, Grove became increasingly tired while Broughton seemed to pour on some heat with the leather. Broughton eventually gassed out himself, but not before landing enough blows and doing enough on the ground to secure the decision. The only key conclusion that this fight created was that the Cage Rage heavyweight division needs some work.

Tom Watson's takedown defense is below average to say the least. Guillet took him down at will, but Watson was able to fend off attacks from the top early in the first round. As Guillet tried to jump over Watson's guard to obtain side control, Watson clipped Guillet with a heel upkick to the cheek that knocked out Guillet and ended the fight. A freak ending to a fight that saw Guillet easily controlling Watson on the feet by putting him to the mat.

Giorgio Andrews continued his winning ways and improved his record to 3-0 with a win over Ken Shamrock's son, Ryan Shamrock. Andrews was undoubtedly winning the first round after catching Ryan with some solid strikes early, but Shamrock seemed to be in fairly good shape going into the second. Unfortunately, Ryan's first strike of the fight saw his hand break on Giorgio's head. The doctor stepped in at the end of the first round, and Shamrock's team and the doctor made the decision to stop the fight to preserve Ryan's young career from continuing injury.

Gary Turner ruined a lot of bets tonight with a lackluster performance against Mustaph al Turk. Turner needs to work a bit on his takedown defense and overall MMA game to completely convert from his kickboxing pedigree. Aisling Daly spoiled Aysen Berik's debut by pummeling her early in the round. Berik's beauty was quickly spoiled for the men in the crowd once Daly crushed her from top control.

Overall thoughts

The production values were much better without the dancers. It was a much different look for the promotion in that capacity. The commentating core was changed up a bit as Quadros was relegated to only being featured in small analysis pieces before each fight. Although I'm not a huge fan of Quadros's recent work, he was still a good addition to the analysis of the Cage Rage event while the fight was actually happening.

The matchups for the event were adequate in providing the crowd with some excitement, but I think ProElite will be a tad unhappy with the results from Grove vs. Broughton. The fight definitely had knockout written all over it, but it eventually disappointed. Shamrock vs. Berry did not disappoint, although I think many fans wanted to see Shamrock prevail. For the many fans who still want to see Ken battle in the cage, he is currently under a three fight deal with the promotion. Will he ever see a resurrection to his career? It doesn't look like it.

Cage Rage continues to be a promotion for the casual fanbase. If you want to see heavy hitting strikers with little technical prowess, Cage Rage is where its at. Imanari vs. Silva provided a decent grappling match on the main card, but the standup battles are beginning to wear thin in this writer's opinion. Hopefully, the UK scene will begin to improve as it begins to see more exposure. Overall Grade: C

ProElite's British mixed martial arts promotion will hold another installment of their Cage Rage series from London, England on Saturday. The event will feature the return of Ken “The World's Most Dangerous Man” Shamrock to the cage against Robert Berry. Berry is best known for his recent performance against Neil Grove in which he lost after outstriking Neil Grove throughout the first round of their matchup. Berry stated recently that a horrible head cold forced him to stop fighting during the fight. In a higher profile lightweight matchup, Masakazu Imanari, arguably a top 10 featherweight, will take on Cage Rage veteran Jean “White Bear” Silva. Check out our brief preview and predictions below.

Main Event: Ken Shamrock vs. Robert “Buzz” Berry

Shamrock will enter this bout well past his prime and coming off some huge losses to Tito Ortiz in his last bouts in the UFC. Can he overcome age and the progression of MMA's styles over the years to defeat Berry? It's quite possible considering the fact that British MMA has yet to really break the mold of being one-dimensional. Robert Berry certainly doesn't break that mold.

Berry comes into the bout at 11-7. It's a bit deceptive considering his bout with undefeated heavyweight Neil Grove in his last performance was fairly impressive for the one round that it lasted. Grove went on to win when Berry gave up at the end of round 1, and earlier this week admitted to having a severe head cold that rendered him unable to continue. Despite the loss, Berry has some big power and size that he can throw around against Shamrock. Does he have enough to actually push Ken to the limit?

I don't believe he does. He's still reckless in his striking, and Ken's submission wrestling should be able to take care of Berry quickly. The only real question that can be asked is whether Ken will actually try to go for the submission early, or try to stand with Berry's proven chin. Look for Shamrock to try to test Berry's chin and get the TKO victory early.

Leland's Prediction: Ken Shamrock via TKO, Round 1

Masakazu Imanari vs. Jean Silva

Imanari is no slouch to fighting top competition. Mainly a featherweight fighter, he's currently ranked fifth in the world on the Sherdog.com rankings. He will defend his Cage Rage title on Saturday, and may soon have to defend his current DEEP title as well.

Imanari's skills are more than enough to keep him on top in both promotions. His leg locks are renowned as being his primary skill to defeat opponents. Toe holds, leg locks, heel hooks... Imanari is no stranger to the submission game. Undoubtedly, the ground will be where this fight is won and lost.

Silva is also a submission specialist who trains out of Chute Box in Brazil. As a Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter, Silva's primary skills revolve around choking opponents out. His striking is average, but he does possess some power to put opponents out. Silva has, however, fallen on some tough times, running 2-2 in his last four fights.  Imanari's skill could prove to be too much for Silva. I'm going to go with Imanari's submission game to prevail over Silva's jiu-jitsu. Silva hasn't been as impressive lately, and Imanari's record of facing competent competition should give him an experience edge as well.

Leland's Prediction: Masakazu Imanari via submission, Round 2

Quick Hits
Gary Turner vs. Mustaph al Turk: I'm going to actually pick Mustaph al Turk in this fight for a couple of reasons. Turner is a converted kickboxer who really hasn't fought tough competition. Most of his opponents have tried to stand with him and paid for it. Turk, on the other hand, has fought some decent competition in Mark Kerr and Tengiz Tedoradze. He has a punishing ground and pound that I believe could overwhelm Turner. Nonetheless, I'll take Turner due to his striking abilities. Turner via decision

Pierre Guillet vs. Tom Watson: I'm going with Guillet's experience and submission game over Watson's standup striking pedigree. Guillet has had a rough time within the last year of competition, but Watson is a green fighter who is susceptible to the submission. Long shot pick. Guillet via submission, Round 2

Ivan Serati vs. Roman Webber: Serati will be my pick here. I was a bit surprised with his performance over Lee Hasdell. He wasn't as lackluster as I've seen from him in previous fights, and his takedowns and ground and pound looked to have improved. Webber is much of the same type of fighter as Serati, but Serati has a bit more experience on his side. Serati via TKO, Round 2

Neil Grove vs. Rob Broughton: Although Grove was being beaten by Berry in their matchup until Berry threw the towel in, Grove still has shown some devastating striking early in each fight. Broughton shows nearly the same set of skills as Grove in all of his fights. The only difference is the experience of Broughton that has given him 3 losses to his record. Grove will have to watch for the takedowns from Broughton, and Broughton will have to shake off the ring rust after sitting since February of last year. I'll take Grove due to his activity, and big knockout power early. Grove via TKO/KO, Round 1

Aysen Berik vs. Aisling Daly: The beautiful Aysen Berik will take on the 2-0 Aisling Daly. From viewing some of the training tape on Berik, she didn't look too impressive. Daly will have a distinct advantage in having actual MMA experience, but Aysen will be able to get some training from her brother, Sami “The Hun” Berik. I'm going with the experienced Daly. Daly via TKO, Round 2

Ryan Shamrock vs. Giorgio Andrews: I'm not really sure what to believe in this one. Ryan was impressive in his pro debut with a quick choke submission win, but Giorgio has put away two opponents with relative ease as well. Shamrock's first MMA bout was impressive though, and his body control was surprising. He avoided shots, had an excellent slam to put his opponent to the floor, and was actively trying to submit his opponent. Shamrock via submission, Round 2

John Hathaway vs. Marvin Arnold Bleau: Hathaway should be able to pound Bleau out in this one. Bleau is very susceptible to ground and pound, and Hathaway can dish it out. At 6-0, I think Hathaway will extend his undefeated streak in the Middleweight division. Hathaway via TKO, Round 1

Jake Bostwick vs. John Phillips: Bostwick has been a punching bag to nearly everyone he has faced, and Phillips will be no different. Phillips has big power, and should end it in the first round quickly. Phillips via TKO/KO, Round 1

Michael Johnson vs. Henrique Santana: This is a pure pick'em for me. I haven't had the chance to see either fight, but Santana seems to be less susceptible to submission, and that's where Johnson excels and has weaknesses. I'll pick Santana to choke out Johnson. Santana via submission, Round 1

With the rampant speculation that has hit the Internet over the statements by Apy Echteld regarding Fedor’s potential free agency and separation from M-1 Global, the MMA fanbase has been thrust into a frenzy over theories as to where Fedor will end up next. Here’s a rundown of the rumors and my thoughts on where Fedor Emelianenko will really end up:

1. Monte Cox says Fedor will fight for M-1 Global, Echteld contradicts Cox in the ESPN article. Fedor may actually be staying with M-1 Global

Although Monte Cox may be optimistic in stating that he has heard nothing regarding the departure of Fedor, what does Monte Cox actually know about Fedor? He’s been kept in the dark on multiple occasions as to what Fedor was actually doing, and Fedor’s management team seems to be more inclined on the paydays that the Japanese are offering.

My initial thoughts in the contradiction of the stories between both parties went along the lines of a misinterpretation of the Japanese market by Fedor’s people. They initially may have thought the best plan was to move with M-1 Global, but once the Japanese market opened up with DREAM and World Victory Road, Fedor and his management may be enticed by the numbers that those promotions are offering.

Fedor will likely be leaving M-1 Global, and M-1 Global will probably have a hard time making any real money with the smaller shows that they seem to be pushing in Europe.

2. Fedor will fight Randy Couture in the UFC’s Octagon by the end of the year

This rumor has a lot of mystery involved in it. First and foremost, Randy Couture and HDNet Fights had signed a contract that was supposed to kick in once Zuffa’s contract expired. The legal battle that is ensuing between Zuffa and Couture could take some time to work out, but if Randy’s dream fight comes to him in the UFC, it could be quickly resolved.

That’s the initial thought anyways. Many fans claim that Couture already signed with HDNet Fights, how can he possibly fight for the UFC? The key phrase in the legal proceedings is that Couture is under contract with HDNet Fights “after his Zuffa contract has expired”. Technically, we could see Couture try to fulfill his promotional contract with Zuffa if Fedor Emelianenko is signed with the UFC. It’s a long shot, but I believe this is a plausible rumor that could come true. Couture would inevitably be turning his back on Mark Cuban as his worth would diminish once the Fedor vs. Couture fight happened. Cuban would likely not want Couture for fighting duties once that fight happened in the UFC.

3. Fedor vs. Couture in HDNet Fights once Couture wins his legal battle

Tough to say whether or not this will actually happen. Right now, Couture is under a temporary injunction, and it will likely last for awhile until the lawsuit is taken care of, but the potential for Mark Cuban to throw money toward Fedor is huge. I know for a fact that Cuban will likely never delve into his personal fortune for an experimental MMA promotion that serves the purpose of grabbing subscribers, but he could still put some money into Fedor.

To be perfectly honest, this seems like 50/50 shot for Cuban. I see the possibility of Couture turning his back on Cuban’s deal due to the signing of Fedor with the UFC, or HDNet’s attractive non-exclusivity bringing in Fedor and then setting up the Fedor vs. Couture super fight. Both options are possible.

4. Fedor hits Japan swinging, signs on for fights with DREAM and WVR

This is a rumor that I could see happening quickly. World Victory Road could potentially sign Fedor on for a fight with Josh Barnett, and DREAM could also take a stab at pushing Fedor for some big battles against K-1 elite or other heavyweights left out there. The potential for the UFC’s disgruntled heavyweights like Arlovski or Sylvia signing small deals with the promotions in Japan to fight Fedor is also an attractive opportunity, but so is Fedor signing with the UFC.

Nonetheless, I think the rumor holds water based on the fact that Fedor seems to be attracted to fighting in Japan. The money is excellent, he’s close to home, and he’s beloved by MMA fans in Japan. HDNet would likely broadcast the events, giving Fedor a bit more exposure in the States.

5. Fedor vs. Kimbo – CBS! Tito vs. Kimbo – CBS!

The most absurd talk I’ve heard has been EliteXC’s possibly entry into the sweepstakes for Fedor Emelianenko. Casual fans everywhere are calling for a Fedor vs. Kimbo fight on a national network that will propel Kimbo’s worth through the roof. There are only a plethora of problems with the situation.

First, Kimbo’s drawing power is growing, and he’s doing so without fighting anyone that can present a danger to him. Why sign the top fighter in the world for an immense amount of money in order to possibly end that kind of hype and draw? It’s bad business.

Secondly, Fedor would likely destroy Kimbo on the ground inside one minute. Kimbo’s ground game isn’t anywhere near that of Fedor and the transition game alone would devastate him. Shaw won’t be risking that.

Lastly, some fans are calling for Ortiz vs. Fedor. While I think Ortiz could draw some huge buys due to his marketing ability and recognizable face, Ortiz can’t matchup with Fedor, especially at heavyweight. Give me us all a break and cut the rumor mill down to the legitimate and potential rumors. If Shaw pulls off a Fedor signing, it’ll be a huge deal, but EliteXC doesn’t have the competition to stop Fedor from destroying the talent that they have built up.

What do you think?

Give us your thoughts in our comments section. In my opinion, Fedor will likely sign on for some fights in Japan in World Victory Road or DREAM, but the entire HDNet/UFC potential is there. Apy Echteld did confirm that their management team would be interested in talking again with the UFC, and Dana White also stated that he would absolutely want to talk about getting Fedor in the cage.

Can that fight happen in the Octagon? I believe I speak for fans everywhere when I say that it’s a dream matchup that we want to see regardless of where it’s at, but the cage would be the ideal environment to see if Couture can beat Fedor in a cage made for his style.

The excitement level in the world of mixed martial arts has begun to churn with the news that Fedor Emelianenko will be parting ways with M-1 Global next week. Monte Cox confirmed the possibility of M-1 Global moving on without Fedor Emelianenko earlier this week in an interview, and it seems that Apy Echteld has confirmed with ESPN Magazine that Fedor will indeed be moving on without M-1 Global.

What does this mean for M-1 Global?

First and foremost, what will happen to M-1 Global without Fedor Emelianenko behind the promotion? Probably not a whole lot will change in the vision of the promotion. For the most part, it seems that the promotion is focusing mainly on international events with a focus on Germany, Holland, and Russia at the moment. They have some ties in Japan as far as co-promoting events with other Japanese promotions, but that may have been mainly to lure Fedor into matchups to up the ratings for K-1.

This could signal the potential unraveling of M-1 Global's power. It was never actually perceived that M-1 Global could do much with their promotion without the star power that the UFC yields in each division. It was rumored that M-1 Global may be trying to put together an intriguing heavyweight division with Fedor anchoring it, but now those rumors have been squelched with the recent news.

I give M-1 Global till the end of the year before completely folding due to the small amount of talent that they can actually make coin on.

Is Fedor vs. Couture possible inside the Octagon?

According to the ESPN article, Dana White was quoted as stating he would "absolutely, 100 percent, in a heartbeat" try to create a deal to bring Fedor to the Octagon. After the year long negotiations before Fedor's signing with M-1 Global ended in Dana White pointing fingers at Fedor's management team, it now seems that the tone has changed with the potential for Fedor to make a splash in the Octagon.

The deal would also bring back appeal to the division for fighters like Arlovski and Sylvia. Arlovski's contract is up, and he will seek the money out in the free agent market, while Sylvia has one fight left, but has stated his unhappiness with the purses he has received. We could see a resurgence of talent coming toward the UFC's heavyweight division, and minds change in the process of current fighters looking to leave. All of this in order to get a shot at Fedor in the cage.

One thing is for certain... if the UFC signs Fedor Emelianenko, Randy Couture would take the fight in a heartbeat, and Zuffa could finally resolve the situation between itself and Randy Couture, protect a court from finding its contracts to be unenforceable, and get an answer to the great Fedor vs. Couture saga. The UFC stands to gain considerable financial benefits in order to put on a dream fight that should happen for MMA fans everywhere.

Nokaut.com is confirming that Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic will take on Yoshihiro Nakao in his DREAM debut on March 15th. Sounds like a real can fight for Mirko to dominate and get himself back on track for. Here's the kiss of death from Nakao to Heath Herring:

This should be a fairly quick and easy win for Mirko "CroCop". Hopefully he regains some much needed confidence and makes a resurging effort to defeat some of the best fighters back in the UFC.

My favorite Japanese translation site at Suki MMA has some interesting quotes that came from the post-fight speech at World Victory Road: Sengoku. Here's the small excerpt that Suki claims was said after the bout:

"After the fight, Gomi said, Ludwig was a very good fighter. This victory was brought by an accident and I will fight him again. Thank you for coming to see my fight held on a weekday. I have good company to work with and....

He was in tears and couldn't continue. He got the applause of fans and said, I will train hard and continue fighting. Thank you for supporting me."

Gomi is a great fighter, and he proved to me that he is still a dangerous striker with the ability to counter and attack with dynamite power. I'm still not understanding the point of a rematch, or why Gomi is discrediting his victory to the fact that Ludwig was bleeding and the fight had to be stopped.

Although the fight didn't last long, it was clear that Gomi's standup skills were crisp, precise, and damaging. Not only did he catch Ludwig with a great counter punch, but he also managed to crush him earlier in the bout with the blow that eventually created the gash on his nose. Precision power punching won Gomi that fight, and that's what he's known for. Does Ludwig deserve a rematch because the cut ended the fight? I think it's safe to say that most of the hardcore fanbase would rather see Gomi take someone else on after displaying a striking clinic on Ludwig's face. Take the credit you deserve, Gomi. Ludwig was outclassed on the feet, and I don't see it going any other way.

After the news this week that Mauricio "Shogun" Rua had re-injured his knee and had to pull out of his scheduled UFC 85 matchup with Chuck Liddell, the MMA community has been scheming as to who would replace Rua as a formidable opponent against Liddell. Unfortunately, the UFC has decided to use TUF alumni, Rashad Evans, to fill the gap.

From a pure business standpoint, this match makes sense. Rashad has had television exposure on both the Ultimate Fighter reality series and headlined UFC 78 alongside Michael Bisping, another TUF winner. We all know Chuck Liddell can sell a UFC by himself, so adding in Rashad to the mix could boost the numbers to a small degree. After all, both fighters should be well known to the casual fanbase.

As a hardcore mixed martial arts fan, I'm disappointed in the matchup. Rashad doesn't present a dangerous challenge for Chuck Liddell, and it wouldn't surprise me if the UFC uses a victory by Chuck Liddell as some sort of springboard to justify another title shot after Forrest Griffin battles Quinton "Rampage" Jackson later in the year. Does Liddell deserve a shot if he defeats Evans? Not in my opinion.

Before some of you give me the rundown as to why this matchup could be interesting, let me point out a few things. First and foremost, Rashad's wrestling game has been touted as being a problem for some fighters. His biggest problem has been implementing that wrestling game in many of his recent bouts against mid-echelon talent. Do you really think he can take down Chuck Liddell, a man who has been unbelievably tough to takedown for even better wrestlers and grapplers than Evans? Doubtful.

Secondly, Evans will have a huge disadvantage against Liddell's reach and striking ability.  Coupling that problem with the fact that Liddell is unbelievably tough to take down could present a very lopsided advantage for Liddell. For the hardcore fans out there wanting to see a the dream matchup of Shogun vs. Liddell, we'll now be treated to a matchup that really doesn't offer much. The UFC could potentially sell a good amount of pay-per-views with the two recognizable names though, and that may be the hard sell that the UFC is trying to shove down our throats.

A pure striker with uncanny takedown defense against a subpar MMA wrestler who has shown only glimmers of finishing ability. I'll take Liddell easily in this one.

World Victory Road's inaugural event kicked off on early Wednesday morning for all of us stateside. Although the event's fight card was fairly predictable, it still had a big upset, impressive finishes, and some overall good bouts between veteran fighters. The PRIDE-esque entrances and production were a breath of fresh air to many MMA fans who haven't been privy to the recent New Year's Eve blast of MMA action from Japan. The event also marked the much anticipated return of Takanori Gomi and Josh Barnett, both winning their first matches in over a year.

Gomi devastates Ludwig, Barnett submits Yoshida late

Although Gomi was hit with the first exchange from Duane "Bang" Ludwig, he still proved that his striking is much more precise and powerful than that of his opponent. In the following exchanges, Ludwig sustained a heavy cut and was nearly knocked out cold by the heavy hands of Takanori Gomi. Gomi followed with a counter left that finished Ludwig only 2:28 in the first round.

It isn't the most impressive win for Gomi considering Ludwig wasn't top notch competition, but it was fairly impressive in a sense that Gomi has had such a long layoff. He came into this bout as a heavy favorite and proved that his striking was much more superior. Hopefully World Victory Road can set Gomi up with some better talent to push his skills against.

Barnett defeated Yoshida late in the third round via a heel hook submission, improving his record to 21-5. From the start, the match hit the floor in mostly a technical grappling bout between the two. Yoshida struggled to sink in armlocks while Barnett defended by threatening with the anklelock/heel hook. Much of the fight revolved around Barnett's leg locks, and Yoshida escaped the holds effectively throughout the fight. As the second round ended, it was evident that Yoshida was beginning to gas out as well. The third round saw Barnett dominate on the ground, and he eventually sunk in a heel hook submission to end it. Yoshida was a formidable opponent for two rounds, but the technical prowess of Barnett and the fact that Yoshida was gassing could not hold off "The Babyface Assassin".

Barnett wasn't incredibly impressive in this bout, but then again, he hasn't been incredibly impressive in many of his recent bouts. He works rather slowly, but he still remains very technical on the ground. He still has the skill to submit nearly anyone on the ground, but I fear Fedor would have his way with him. He's still susceptible to strikes in the standup as well, and it really doesn't seem like he's improved in quickness or survivability on the feet either. Luckily for him, he was able to keep this one on the ground against a guy who really isn't known for his hands.

Other results

Kazuo Misaki def. Siyar Bahadurzada via submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 2:02
Kazuyuki Fujita def. Peter Graham via submission (north-south choke), Round 1, 1:32
Evangelista Santos def. Makoto Takimoto via submission (heel hook), Round 1, 4:51
Ryo Kawamura def. Antonio Braga Neto via unanimous decision
Nick Thompson def. Fabricio Monteiro via unanimous decision

Bahadurzada was touted as an upcoming prospect, but his inability to finish lesser competition really leaned me toward Misaki in this battle. Bahadurzada could improve significantly with some more strength training, but as of right now, he will likely be overpowered by better competition.

Fujita's win was no surprise. Graham was outmatched in his debut MMA fight, and the matchup was unfavorable for Graham. Fujita's wrestling and iron chin combine for a formidable test for a new MMA fighter.

Santos provided the evening's lone upset with a submission win over Makoto Takimoto at 4:51 in the first round. I picked Santos as a long shot with the possibility of devastating Takimoto with a punch or two, but he surprised myself and everyone else by shutting Takimoto down with a leg hold.

Ryo Kawamura vs. Antonio Braga Neto was supposed to be a very close fight on paper, but Kawamura's power was the x-factor in this fight. Neto was very effective in round 1, mounting Kawamura twice and dealing some damage. Kawamura escaped later in the round and landed some heavy punches that stunned Neto momentarily. The second round was more of the same, but Kawamura made good use of the armlock attempts to defend against Neto's ground and pound. As the third round came into existence, it was evident that this was going to be a very close fight. Neto had a lot of takedowns in the matchup, but Kawamura was countering with flurries of damaging punches throughout the fight. At the end of the bout, Kawamura ended up taking the decision 3-0. According to some fans attending the event, this was because the judging apparently looked at striking more than ground tactics. An argument could be made for Neto.

Unfortunately, the Nick Thompson fight was much of the same judging. Thompson was taken down quite a few times by Monteiro, yet he was still able to win the bout by a 3-0 decision win. Monteiro was visibly upset and did not agree with the decision. It's mind boggling that he didn't win a round considering the multiple submission attempts and dominating position he had in some instances.

Overall thoughts

Gomi ended the thinking that he may be a bit rusty in his first fight back from such a long hiatus. Barnett looked like the classic Josh Barnett we know and love. His technical ground game is still very formidable, but I still feel that he lacks the standup defense to take on the top talent outside the UFC.

The judging for the event wasn't exactly the best. The criteria is obviously biased toward the striking game as opposed to ground tactics. Monteiro and Neto could both make cases for their decisions. Neither one of the fighters took a round in their battles even though it was evident that they had some dominating portions during their fight.

I'll look forward to more of these events. WVR had some nice production values, and the matchups were of good quality. It'll be interesting to see who they can matchup with Gomi next. Diaz? It's a possibility. Overall, I'd give Sengoku a C+. The judging really hurt it, but the matchups were more entertaining as the night went on.

The rebirth of the Japanese mixed martial arts scene will slowly begin its ascension on Wednesday at National Yoyogi Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. Many fans are touting the arrival of promotions like World Victory Road, DREAM, and the coalition of K-1 and former DSE staffers as the second coming of the old PRIDE style format to the sport of mixed martial arts. The card certainly shows the seriousness of WVR’s entry into the Japanese market. The main event will feature Takanori Gomi vs. Duane Ludwig with supporting matchups featuring Josh Barnett vs. Hidehiko Yoshida and Shooto champion Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Kazuo Misaki.  Sengoku has the makings of providing us with a great midweek event to get the ball rolling into the weekend.

Main Event
Takanori “The Fireball Kid” Gomi (27-3) vs. Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-7)

Gomi is coming off a layoff that has seen him “sit the bench” since February 24, 2007 due to his contractual problems that resulted from the PRIDE/Zuffa buyout. The big question in this matchup will be whether or not Gomi will have ring rust, and if he can get inside on Ludwig’s reach and power. Gomi has excellent striking, dynamite in his hands, and is known for having a very solid wrestling game that can neutralize opponents on the ground. He’s still arguably the #1 ranked Lightweight in the world due to his numerous wins over top 10 talent, but he has recently fallen off many rankings due to his inactivity. Although this matchup may not bring him back to the top, it’s a good fight for Gomi to work his way back into the “groove” of things.

Ludwig will have a tough challenge ahead of him. There is no doubt that Ludwig possesses the punching power to put Gomi out, but Gomi’s chin is tough and his technical prowess in the standup game is world class. The x-factor is whether or not Gomi will try to put Ludwig to the mat and use his wrestling to enable a ground and pound game on Ludwig. Ludwig’s biggest weakness is on his back whether it be trying to defend submissions or avoid punches. Gomi’s highest percentage to avoid damage while inflicting massive damage could be by putting Ludwig in that very position.

Gomi trying to stand with Ludwig could create some fireworks, but a sure fire winning strategy could see Gomi putting Ludwig on his back early and trying to pound him out. Either way, I think Gomi has a few more skills that he can pull from in order to win this fight.

Leland’s Prediction: Takanori Gomi via TKO, Round 2

Siyar Bahadurzada (13-1-1) vs. Kazuo Misaki (18-8-2)

Could this be the coming out party for Siyar Bahadurzada? It’s definitely a step up in competition for the native of Afghanistan. Bahadurzada’s skillset consists of some good wrestling skills coupled with some adequate striking that has been known to stun, devastate, and eventually stop opponents on the ground. The only big flaws in Bahadurzada’s credentials revolve around his strength of record. He has only recently taken on some stiffer competition in Shiko Yamashita and Nathan Schouteren, but Misaki is a considerable step up in competition.

Misaki has had mixed results in the last two years. He’s fought some of the best competition out there in Dan Henderson, Paulo Filho, and Frank Trigg. Although Trigg is older nowadays, he implemented an excellent wrestling game against Misaki and cruised to a decision win over him. Misaki has managed to get some big wins over Kang, Henderson, and Baroni during 2006 though, which significantly up his potential to get his name back in the picture.

Misaki isn’t known as a great finisher. He has potential to finish on the floor, but his hands are known as being dangerous in the standup when he is technically precise in his strikes. His record wouldn’t indicate him as being a devastating striker though. This presents an interesting difference in both fighters’ styles. Siyar doesn’t have overwhelming standup, and Misaki has had flashes of brilliance in his standup at times. It could prove to be a breaker for Siyar in this fight. With the big step up in competition for Siyar and Misaki’s inability to finish opponents late in his career, we may see a dominant win by Misaki, but by way of decision.

Leland’s Prediction: Kazuo Misaki via decision

Josh Barnett (20-5) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (7-5-1)

“The Babyface Assassin” finally returns to the MMA ring after nearly 14 months off. His last battle was a losing effort to current interim UFC Heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Barnett may have his hands full with Yoshida, who possesses a world class Judo game.

What can we expect from Barnett? A little ring rust is a distinct possibility considering his long layoff from the ring, but he has participated in some submission grappling matches in Pancrase and done some pro-wrestling to pay the bills in his time off. Barnett’s grappling will most likely be his main weapon against Yoshida, but he may think about trying to punch Yoshida out in this matchup due to Yoshida’s skills to evade submission. Yoshida has never been submitted by a hold, but his chin isn’t exactly granite.

Yoshida will be looking for the submission, and Barnett is simply too aware to give up a submission loss. Yoshida really has no obvious ways of winning this bout, and I believe Barnett will be able to impose his gameplan on Yoshida without any significant problems. I think Barnett will win this, but it’s a tough call as to how. Yoshida is tough to submit, but Barnett doesn’t have impressive striking. I’ll go with the safe pick.

Leland’s Prediction: Josh Barnett via decision

Nick Thompson (34-9-1) vs. Fabricio Monteiro (16-6)

This should be one of the more competitive matchups on the card. Nick “The Goat” Thompson has a plethora of MMA experience along with solid wrestling and power to put opponents away. He’s had a relatively easier time with his fights in the recent years due to his affiliation with BodogFIGHT, but BodogFIGHT was able to line him up matches against Eddie Alvarez, Ansar Chalangov, and Mark Weir.

Fabricio is on a bit of a losing streak currently, and it certainly doesn’t bode well for him against a tough Nick Thompson. He lost via TKO to Mohamed Khacha at Fury FC in August of last year, and was submitted by Satoru Kitaoka at DEEP 29 in April. He’s taken a long layoff after those two losses and now reappears at Sengoku.

The line is pretty simple. Fabricio possesses some decent jiu-jitsu skills with a solid Muay Thai striking game. His power was more evident early in his career, but he seems to have been initiating in more ground tactics as his competition level has increased. Thompson should be no different in that regard. Look for Thompson to avoid standing with Monteiro and putting him on his back early. Thompson should be able to pound out the “Pitbull” to win this one.

Leland’s Prediction: Nick Thompson via TKO, Round 1

Makoto Takimoto (4-3) vs. Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (15-11)

Most fans are probably rolling their eyes at this matchup, but the fact is that Santos always seems to excite the fans with his ridiculously reckless style. Takimoto doesn’t exactly have the chin to withstand a devastating blow from Santos, but he isn’t below average in his abilities to avoid the big shot. His Judo background has proven to be formidable as Murilo Bustamante found out at Yarennoka on New Year’s Eve. He’s had most of his success on the ground, and his best chance at defeating Santos will be there as well.

Santos has reckless striking, and it makes for exciting fights when he is still in the fight. Unfortunately for Santos, his chin has grown weak due to the constant strikes he endures over the course of a fight. He leaves himself open to big counters, and it has proven to be his problem over his extensive career. Can Takimoto take advantage?

I’m going to go out on a limb and pick Santos via crushing TKO/KO. It’s a long shot, but he has the power to put Takimoto out cold.

Leland’s Prediction: “Cyborg” Santos by long shot TKO, Round 2

Quick Predictions
Ryo Kawamura (7-2-2) vs. Antonio Braga Neto (4-0)

Kawamura has fought tougher competition in his short career, and he has devastating power in the standup while remaining a tough man to submit. Neto is mainly a jiu-jitsu fighter who may become overwhelmed by Kawamura’s power. I’ll take Ryo via smashing. Kawamura via TKO/KO, Round 1

Kazuyuki Fujita vs. Peter Graham

I can’t pick against Fujita here. He has experience, great wrestling, and one of the most legendary chins in all of MMA. Graham has great boxing and kickboxing, but MMA is a ground sport as well, and Fujita is a load for anyone to take on. Fujita via TKO, Round 2

In another surprising quote from a fighter on the outside looking in, Jon Fitch was quoted as saying this little nugget:

"The thing I've noticed the most about St. Pierre in his last performances is that he's become a wrestler. Since getting knocked out (by Matt Serra), he's been unwilling to stand and trade. He had an easy win over Matt Hughes in their second fight standing, and, the third fight, for some reason, decided to take the hard road and decide to outwrestle a wrestler. To me, that shows he's afraid to get knocked out."

There are a couple of things that Fitch mentions that would baffle a rocket scientist in logic. First and foremost, isn't the point of mixed martial arts to win your bouts against any and all opponents? Certainly, a fighter doesn't wake up and say "I think I'll aim to be 20-6 in my career". Fitch's point about GSP's third fight is odd considering GSP won the fight. He not only won the fight, he dominated Matt Hughes in Hughes's own world. Why stand with Hughes when it was obvious that GSP would be defending takedowns the entire fight if he had done so?

Also, Fitch's observations of GSP's last few fights is fairly obvious to any MMA fan who watches GSP fight. This isn't a revelation to anyone. GSP has managed to win most of his recent bouts using his wrestling ability over his striking skills. He still won in fairly impressive fashion. If Fitch really believes that GSP's newfound skills to take opponents down will favor him, I think he's in for a rude awakening. GSP's wrestling skills have overwhelmed world class wrestlers, and I don't think Fitch can handle GSP.

Fitch also mentions that fact that GSP may be afraid to get knocked out. My concern for Fitch is that I highly doubt he is the man to strike fear in GSP on his feet. Fitch's standup was subpar against Wilson, and Wilson was clearly the better striker during the fight. Fitch didn't present any real danger on the feet, and he'll present even less of a threat standing against a dynamic striker in GSP.

Just another reason why I won't be betting on Jon Fitch when he takes on Georges St. Pierre.

With our recent prediction success in the latest few events and my miraculous domination of the MMAPlayground.com Secondary League's wagering contest, here's a little status update on our small success in predicting one of the toughest cards that the UFC has put out in quite some time from a perspective of potential upsets.

Leland Roling - 9/10 (Picked Cummo over Fioravanti)
Joe Schmitt - 8/10 (Picked Henderson, Cummo)

Overall, we didn't do a bad job considering my reluctance to pick favorites on the undercard and lower main card fights. I had some real problems picking Jon Fitch over Chris Wilson for the mere fact that Wilson's striking was much better... and it showed. Wilson's standup nearly put the daze in Fitch's step and could have potentially put an end to Fitch's long streak of wins. Fitch turned to what he knows best, and that's his dominant wrestling on the ground. For the most part, Wilson did a good job neutralizing it early. As the fight wore on however, it was obvious that Wilson grew more tired and more susceptible to punches while on his back. It wasn't an overly impressive performance by Fitch, but it got the job done.

Sanchez vs. Bielkheden was another tough call for me. Bielkheden has some solid credentials and a BTT background. He's fairly strong, a good wrestler, and has some solid ground and pound skills that I thought could possibly overwhelm Sanchez. The early week reports that Sanchez had been back to powerlifting and improving his overall strength led me to my decision to pick Diego based on the fact that he would probably be able to hold Bielkheden down and pound him. Fortunately, he was able to use his power to pound Bielkheden into submission late in the first round.

I expected Hazelett to be a problem for Koscheck due to his vast jiu-jitsu ground game, but the standup war that ensued caught me off guard and made me nervous in my pick to stick with Koscheck. Koscheck did however come out with some much better striking than I had anticipated, but I thought it would have improved enough for him to get the TKO win, which was exactly what happened.

The toughest pick of the evening was Heath Herring over Cheick Kongo. I honestly didn't know what type of Kongo would show up to the arena on Saturday. I've been a strong believer that the French MMA scene just isn't upgrading with the rest of the MMA world. French Top Team specifically needs to refocus on other skillsets instead of a heavy emphasis on Muay Thai. Herring, without any ground training leading up to the fight, was able to show the big weakness in Kongo's game. Kongo was virtually defenseless in side control, and it completely lost him this fight. Herring's "in your face" rushes when the action was stood up were brilliant in closing the distance and keeping Kongo from unloading. Herring did a great job despite the lack of ground training.

Silva was a tough pick for everyone that I talked to, but from the get go, I was really leaning toward Silva for one reason alone. I thought he had more tools in his bag of skills to finish Henderson. His striking was much better and his ground game was at least on par with Henderson as far as defending against potential ground and pound from Henderson. People believed in the Henderson hype regarding his top control wrestling, but many forget that he had problems in PRIDE with keeping little Japanese fighters down on the ground. His wrestling was impressive in the first round, but I kept rethinking his fights in PRIDE and knowing that Anderson could slip from Henderson's top control eventually as the fight went on. We never got a chance to see any of that happen however. Silva's striking dominated and eventually caught Henderson. That's what ended the fight. Henderson losing via rear naked choke was only the result of Silva's dynamic striking on his feet.

Overall event thoughts

I wasn't overly impressed with the event. Silva vs. Henderson lived up to the much anticipated hype as I was very excited to finally get the main event going. The fights leading up to the main event were a bit lackluster in my mind. Herring vs. Kongo was a decent scrap. It had some chess match aspects on the ground, but overall, I was disappointed in the level of competition that Kongo was perceived as being before the fight. He really looked green on the ground, and his legacy was being touted as the next big striker in the Heavyweight division.

Leben has turned into a darkhorse candidate for being one of the more exciting fighters in the UFC. People love to hate him at times, but he loves to put on a show for the fans. What's not to like about that?

Koscheck and Sanchez both looked strong in their returns to the cage. We could see a potential move up for both fighters, but Koscheck is a free agent now. Will the UFC make an attempt to re-sign him? Look out, EliteXC could be knocking on the door.

Overall, the event was decent, but nothing special to talk about. I think it'll reflect in the buy numbers just as it already has in the live gate numbers. It wasn't a huge success, but it was successful nonetheless. The Ultimate Fight Night show in April should provide the much needed jolt of fireworks that we as MMA fans are looking forward to.

Following the UFC 82 main event, the post-fight press conference took place and featured the normal talk of bonuses and future plans by the UFC. Silva and Henderson received $60,000 "Fight of the Night" bonuses, and Silva added to his purse with a submission of the night bonus of $60,000. Chris Leben earned himself a knockout of the night bonus which was well deserved by the re-emerging brawler.

It wouldn't be a Dana White press conference without some shots at the epicenter of the MMA fanbase on the Internet, those pesky Internet websites. I'll quote Sam Caplan's summary from his blog:

"A big theme during the press conference was White's stumping for Silva to be recognized by pundits as the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He stated at one point that anyone who believes otherwise is "out of their mind." Later in the press conference he went after the Internet media in regards to Silva, referring to them as "knucklehead websites." Later on he said that he feels that the reason more sites don't recognize Silva as the pound-for-pound number and rank Fedor in that spot is out of their hatred for him. He said, "You're a clown if you rank Fedor number one." He did not name a website in particular."

While I could make a case for Anderson Silva being considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, I think it's hypocritical of Dana White to tell us that Silva is the best now, but when BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre, or another dominant champion hits the next event, they will be suddenly thrown into the spotlight as potentially the best p4p fighter in the world. It's a marketing strategy, but shoving it down our throats and then insulting the very base of the MMA community is absurd.

We're the "knucklehead websites" that seem to accurately depict the events going on in the MMA world. The MMA blogosphere alone has broke more news, broke more stories, and confirmed more facts than any mainstream site out there today. We didn't get the salary figures wrong, Dana, we sourced them from the NSAC or CSAC. Amazingly, Dana still blames the MMA's knucklehead websites over Couture's salary figure mishap. It wasn't us, knucklehead.

As for the Silva argument, Fedor is still #1 on my Heavyweight ranking, but as for pound for pound, you may have a valid argument. Being hateful toward media because of opinions is ridiculous, so maybe sticking to just informing the public is better suited for you. The world does not revolve around Dana White. I would tend to agree with Sam's assessment that Georges St. Pierre could be considered the best P4P fighter in the world, and I think a lot of sites may be split between both Silva and Pierre. Here's an idea, have them fight one another to figure it out.

It's Monday morning, and that means it's time for my Monday column at 411Mania.com known as MMA Analytics. The column features a recap of this weekend's action at UFC 82 and includes some analysis as to what's next in the Middleweight division as well as some insight into the other matchups during the event:

UFC 82 didn't disappoint. It provided us with one of the most shocking main events of the year in Anderson Silva dominating Dan Henderson. Although Henderson was stylistically the best matchup for Silva, Silva proved that he deserves to be labeled the best pound for pound fighter in the world. We'll look at that matchup and more in this edition of MMA Analytics.

LINK

UFC 82 will be an event to remember, or a borefest of decisions, it’s hard to say what’s going to happen in many of the bouts on the card. Many fans are claiming some huge lopsided victories while many others are seeing decisions galore litter the event’s results as we head into Saturday night. Hopefully, we won’t see another Strikeforce at the Dome card. Here’s our picks for UFC 82.

Main Event: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
At Stake: UFC Middleweight Title

People are starting to call this a pick’em fight, and I’d have to agree. This is one of the toughest fights to mull over due to the stylistic matchup between the two, but also due to the historical dominance of both fighters.

Silva has simply crushed everything in his path. He made Rich Franklin into a rag doll, and simply used his Muay Thai skillset to strike with him, close the distance, clinch, and then set up massive head shots with his knees. That gameplan will have to change if he wants to defeat Dan Henderson.

Henderson’s strength in this fight will be his wrestling. Greco-Roman control will be the key to getting Silva to the floor where Henderson should be able to crush him, but there are problems. First and foremost, Henderson doesn’t exactly wrestle when he needs to. He likes to brawl and showed it at times against “Rampage” Jackson. Secondly, his wrestling isn’t as good as many make it out to be. Sure, he’s an Olympian, but he was sloppy in many of his PRIDE bouts when it came to controlling his opponent. He can’t let that happen against a surgeon like Silva. Nonetheless, he has two big powerful hands to fall back on if he’s in trouble. The potential for a knockout win from either fighter is very high.

I’ve battled with who to pick in this fight for days, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. They are very even in regards to how their skills compete with one another. A BJJ Black Belt with surgical Muay Thai striking against an Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler with heavy hands is a classic matchup that should provide a spectacular main event. Who will win?

I’m going to have to go with Anderson Silva. I was a supporter of the whole idea behind Henderson winning this fight. He has better wrestling; therefore he can get the takedown and pound on Silva. I understand that point. My only problem is that I can only see Henderson ending this fight in the standup, and Silva has reach, awesome power for having such big reach, and he is a surgeon on his feet with his strikes. He can wear down Henderson with punches, and then move in for the kill. People know Henderson can ward off the clinch, but can he do it while he’s wobbly… most fighters can’t. To sum it up, I’m taking Silva because I think he has more tools to end this fight.

Leland’s Prediction: Anderson Silva via TKO/KO, Round 2

The person who wins this fight is the person who can impose their will on their opponent. This is as close to a pick ‘em fight as there has been in recent events, but I like Henderson’s chances against Silva. Henderson has the advantage because of this reason: he can keep Silva guessing. Silva knows that Henderson can take him down, and I assure you, Dan will be using his feints a lot. Imagine dropping his head down and faking a takedown, but instead, he throws that huge overhand right. The thing that scares me about Henderson is that he tends to get into brawls. He abandons his wrestling and will choose to stand and trade instead. I don’t think he’ll make that mistake against Silva. I think Henderson will be able to impose his will and dominate Silva inside the clinch with his Greco-roman ability, and he’ll earn a stoppage via strikes late in the fight.

Joe's Prediction: Dan Henderson via TKO/KO, Round 3

Cheick Kongo vs. Heath Herring

This is another tough fight on the event’s card to predict. Herring has a career that spans a decade, and in that time, he’s managed to win 16 of his bouts by submission. Many fans don’t associate Herring with a submission game, but I think that’s exactly what he’ll be looking to do in this matchup.

Kongo will likely try to use his bread and butter, Muay Thai, to defeat Herring along the cage. It’s been working for him in his two most recent wins, but it hasn’t led him to a finishing win that we would come to expect from such a large and powerful fighter.

Both fighters have weaknesses and strengths, but I think Herring has the distinct advantage in this matchup. His ground skills will undoubtedly come into play, and even though he isn’t the best grappler on the planet, Kongo’s ground game looked non-existent even in the short stint that he was on the ground against Mirko “CroCop” Filipovic. It won’t be an easy task, and Kongo may very well prove that he’s trained hard for this fight, but I’ll go with Heath.

Leland’s Prediction: Heath Herring via submission, Round 2

In my eyes, this is Herring’s fight to lose. Herring doesn’t have great wrestling, but Kongo has a very weak takedown defense. It shouldn’t be a problem for Herring to get Kongo to the mat. From there, I think you’ll see a scramble where Herring catches Kongo in a choke, most likely the anaconda choke.

Joe's Prediction: Heath Herring via submission, Round 2   

Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner

Tanner is an unknown in this matchup. He’s recently comeback from alcohol addiction and a stint on the road as he traveled the world seeking out a new life. Now, he’s came back to the UFC to prove himself once again in the cage, and it couldn’t have been at a better time. The UFC’s middleweight division has suffered the talent sting. Tanner’s arrival along with other developments has helped bring the division’s talent pool up to speed.

So, what does Tanner bring to the table? He’s mainly a freestyle fighter with a wrestling background, but he has a submission game in his bag of tools as well. The triangle choke is a significant part of that back submission game from the guard. He has some power in his hands that he used to effectively ground and pound his opponents as well. Can he actually stand up to Okami’s power though?

In my mind, I don’t think he can. Tanner is coming off a long layoff from the sport, and Okami is no easy task, especially for your first fight back in the cage. Okami is known for his massive power at 185, great wrestling, and the ability to smother you with strikes. He’s not known as a finisher, but he will lay a smackdown on you for three rounds to take the win. I think that’s exactly what he does here.

Leland’s Prediction: Yushin Okami via unanimous decision

This is Evan Tanner’s long awaited return to the Octagon; however, I think Okami is going to spoil that return. Okami has a good wrestling base, and utilizes good top control. He isn’t over aggressive, and he patiently waits for an opening. I think he’ll be able to dictate where this fight goes and beat Tanner for three solid rounds. Tanner’s best hope is to keep the fight standing and try to out strike Okami. Tanner may also find success if he’s able to put Okami on his back. However, I don’t see that happening. I hope I’m wrong, because I really want to see Tanner succeed after all of his trials and tribulations.

Joe's Prediction: Yushin Okami via unanimous decision 

Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson

Originally, Akihiro Gono was supposed to fight Fitch for a potential number one contender spot, but an injury has kept Gono out of this matchup. Now, newcomer Chris Wilson will take on the surging 15-2 Jon Fitch. Wilson has some heavy credentials, and an unbelievable training camp that will present some big problems for Fitch in this fight.

Wilson is an excellent wrestler, and he has a team full of excellent wrestlers to tap from. Dan Henderson, Matt Lindland, and Chael Sonnen to name a few Olympic calibers guys who will be helping Wilson prepare for Fitch’s takedowns. He also has some good hands and striking, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can knock off Fitch’s streak.

Fitch’s game is well-rounded, but his bread and butter in some of his recent battles has been taking down his opponent and pounding him. Can he maintain that strategy against a good wrestler in Wilson? I don’t think the UFC brought Wilson in to be easy, but I think Fitch should win this.

Leland’s Prediction: Jon Fitch via unanimous decision

This is going to be an interesting fight. Wilson has show to have a solid wrestling base and that’s what Fitch uses to control his opponents. I think Fitch has the better all-around game, but I think Wilson is going to present a tougher challenge than most people are expecting. I think this fight could be a back-and-forth battle between to solid fighters. I expect Fitch to wear Wilson down with strikes and eventually working him to the mat for a submission finish late in the fight. 

Joe’s Prediction: Jon Fitch via submission, Round 3

Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben

Sakara hasn’t been overly impressive during his stint with the UFC. He was defeated by Dean Lister and Drew McFedries at UFC 60 and UFC 65 respectively and recently took a shelling from Houston Alexander at UFC 75. His main weakness has been his gameplan. Although he’s a strong boxer and striker, he has managed to walk into heavier hands than his own with the intention of outstriking his opponent. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done that. His win over James Lee isn’t an indicator that he has woken up either. Lee’s back problem easily helped Sakara defeat him.

Leben, on the other hand, looks like he has awoken from the dead. After dropping a decision to Kalib Starnes at UFC 71 and being submitted by Jason MacDonald at UFC 66, Leben looked to be on his way out of the UFC. His newfound base camp in Hawaii and a much better workout regiment can be attributed to his recent success over Terry Martin. Leben showed an iron chin, good power, and quick hands. He also showed that he can still throw a deadly knockout blow late in the fight, and has the stamina to last.

Stylistically, both fighters match up well. It should be a standup war that looks to be pretty even. Sakara’s boxing skills may become a factor, but Leben’s heavy hands could put Alessio’s chin to the test early. Leben’s chin was granite against Martin, and I expect more of the same if he comes to the fight in shape as he did at UFN 11. I’ll take a chance on Leben coming back in shape.

Leland’s Prediction: Chris Leben via TKO/KO, Round 2

This fight is going to be a stand-up war. While I think Sakara has the better technical boxing, he doesn’t have the power or chin that Leben has. Leben has shown his durability in the past, specifically against Terry Martin and Jorge Santiago. He was clearly rocked in both fights, but managed to come from behind and pull out the KO win. I expect Leben to test the chin of Sakara early and often, and he’ll be put to sleep sometime late in round 1. 

Joe's Prediction: Chris Leben via TKO/KO, Round 1

Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O’Brien

Arlovski’s dark match hits the undercard at UFC 82. The matchup between Arlovski and O’Brien is Arlovski’s final fight on his contract, and he’s expected to seek offers from other organizations for his services. It should be interesting, but the fight seems like a borefest. O’Brien has publicly stated that his best chance of winning is by putting Arlovski down to the mat and maintaining top control throughout the fight. Unfortunately for him, that could prove to be a tough challenge if he gets pummeled by Andrei’s surgical striking. I’ll take Arlovski based on O’Brien’s willingness to not want to finish this fight.

Leland’s Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO/KO, Round 1

This is the classic striker vs. wrestler match-up at its finest. Arlovski has shown in the past that his ground game could be an issue. He was finished from strikes after being mounted by Ricco Rodriguez early in his UFC career. The thing that’s going to be tough for O’Brien is he’s going to have to get close enough to Arlovski to take him down. Arlovski is very elusive and has good technical boxing, but he sometimes over uses his feints. This is a hard fight for me to pick, because I think O’Brien is fully capable of laying on Arlovski for 3 rounds. I’m still going to pick Arlovski but I wouldn’t be surprised to see O’Brien pull off the upset.

Joe’s Prediction: Andrei Arlovski via TKO/KO, Round 2

Quick Hits

Cummo vs. Fioravanti: Hmmm, the guy who drinks his own urine or the Fioravanti… tough decisions must be made. I’ll take Cummo slightly due to his reach and size. He’s also very tough to knockout, which is where Fioravanti will want to take this fight. I think Cummo can outlast him. Leland: Cummo via decision I like this match making by Joe Silva. Cummo has some decent hands, some pretty good power, and has a pretty impressive ground game. Fioravanti has looked less than impressive since dropping to 170. Cummo has never been finished in a fight, and I don’t think Fioravanti possesses the skills to be the first to do that. I think Cummo will unload some strikes on Luigi and finish him off with a rear naked choke. Joe: Cummo via submission, Round 2

Koscheck vs. Hazelett:  I’m a fan of Dustin Hazelett, but I don’t know if he has the power to stop Koscheck from putting him to the floor and maintaining control. Koscheck has unbelievable wrestling credentials coupled with some strong control on the ground. He should be able to neutralize Hazelett and pound him out. Leland: Koscheck via TKO, Round 3 Koscheck has shown throughout his UFC career that he has some of the best wrestling in MMA. He also has a very underrated submission defense. Even St. Pierre couldn’t finish a Kimura on him when he had dominant position. Hazelett has good submissions and always manages to catch guys in submissions during transitions. This is a scary fight for Koscheck, but I think he’ll be up to the challenge. Plus, this is the last fight on his contract, so he’ll be looking to make a statement. Joe: Koscheck via decision

Sanchez vs. Bielkheden:  There should be some interest in this fight. It’s Bielkheden’s debut in the UFC, and he’s no joke. He has a plethora of experience and is a member of Brazilian Top Team, one of Brazil’s better MMA camps. His jiu-jitsu will be very good along with some good wrestling and striking power. Sanchez should be able to neutralize David though with his equally good jiu-jitsu, and his power should overcome Bielkheden on the ground. Leland: Sanchez via decision Diego has a very good submission game, and some pretty decent hands. I haven’t seen a lot of tape on Bielkheden, but I consider Diego to be in the top 10 in the welterweight division. I think he’ll put on a dominating performance and get back to his winning ways. Joe: Sanchez via submission, Round 1

Halverson vs. Gurgel: This one is a bit tough due to Gurgel’s terrible performances as of late. Can he actually bring out a win for his hometown crowd? I think he may be able to beat Halverson, who was really only ever brought to the UFC to lose to Huerta. Leland: Gurgel via submission, Round 2 Halverson is best remembered by the controversial knee he ate from Roger Huerta. He pretty much gave up after Huerta landed a knee and the fight was stopped shortly after that. Halverson is going to put Gurgel on his back, and it’s going to be interesting to see if Gurgel uses the same forehead defense he did when Alvin Robinson put him on his back. Gurgel has good jiu-jitsu, and he may be able to catch Halverson on his back. I think that’s the most likely scenario.  Joe: Gurgel via submission, Round 2

The Lightweight Grand Prix event set for March 15th, 2008 from the newest Japanese MMA promotion is starting to get really interesting. Here's the updated card from their official website:

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Kultar "Black Mamba" Gill
Kazuyuki Miyata vs. Luis Buscape
Joachim Hansen vs. Boku Koutetsu
Shinya Aoki vs. Gesias "JZ" Calvancante

These are the only four fights that are currently confirmed on the card for the Lightweight Grand Prix. Rumored fights and fighters include:

Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic vs. Mighty Mo
Andre Dida
Mitsuhiro Ishida
Caol Uno
Gilbert Melendez
Artur Oumakhanov
Jung Bukyung

You can now mark Andre Dida as having his matchup for the Grand Prix, and it's a bit of a surprise. Andre Dida will take on newly acquired ProElite fighter Eddie Alvarez on March 15th in the first round of the tournament.

This is great news for people who have been interested in seeing Eddie Alvarez finally step up to the plate. He's a very well-rounded fighter and can be a significant load for any lightweight out there. Cutting the weight will be a difficult task for the welterweight fighter, but he should be a bigger lightweight that could smash and thrash opponents in DREAM. It's an interesting new challenge for Alvarez who has really needed to step up the level of competition he has been facing.

Dida will be no easy task either. Dida's striking is devastating, and it could prove to be Alvarez's downfall. The potential matchups in future rounds of the GP should also prove to be fantastic. I'm really liking where this GP could end up... making significant impacts in the rankings.

It’s official, and it’s one of the biggest sponsors that a MMA promotion has landed since the recent Harley Davidson deal that the UFC obtained after the fall of Xyience. Bud Light will be the official sponsor of both the UFC and the WEC. Anheuser-Busch is also one of the top marketers in the sports industry and should help the UFC potentially court a network TV deal, and gain some newer sponsors.

This will not only solidify without a doubt that UFC is a good standing company with the lending community, but we hopefully won’t have to see another Xyience scandal in the works. Instead of infusing a dying sponsor with their own money, the UFC has finally found a legitimate and stable blue-chip sponsor that should provide an adequate reputation for the UFC to get some big money infused into the promotion down the line if it needs to the loans.

One of the other perks will likely be Anheuser-Busch’s pull with television companies as the main sponsor. It could open a tremendous amount of doors for the organization. They will also be aiding in marketing and publicizing the events for the UFC as well.

This is a victory for mixed martial arts. It brings a huge opportunity to the table for the UFC, but overall, it shows that the UFC has begun to enter areas of the business that people thought were impossible years ago. A stable blue-chip sponsor can open the doors for the UFC to get a good network television deal in the works that could bring even more great sponsors to the table. Fighters will begin to see the benefit in that when the money trickles down. I hope that happens for the sake of the guys who have been working their ass off for little pay.

And Luke, Bud Light isn’t that bad… it’s the Miller Lite that’s terrible.