UFC middleweight kingpin and pound-for-pound best, Anderson Silva,will headline UFC 153 against long time veteran Stephan Bonnar in Riode Janeiro, Brazil on October 13th according to USA Today.

Bonnar (14-7), currently riding on a three fight win streak, is well known for his epic battle against Forrest Griffin on the UltimateFighter 1 finale. He has also been a regular on ESPN’s MMA Livebroadcast as an expert analyst.

Silva (32-4) is coming off arguably the most satisfying win of his career against Chael Sonnen in July and has yet to have been bested inside the UFC Octagon.

The card, which was expected to showcase an anticipated featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar, abruptly came to a halt when Aldo was forced to pull out after suffering a foot injury.

Making matters worse, former champion Quinton Jackson, who was supposed to challenge the prominent Glover Teixeira, has also pulled out citing injuries, putting an additional dent to the previously stacked card in Brazil. Countryman Fabio Maldonado is now slated to fill in to face Teixeira in a light heavyweight contest.

In other notable fights, former heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira returns against Dave Herman while rising welterweight sensation Erick Silva takes on the toughest challenge of his career against Jon Fitch.

In a quick turnaround, Jon Jones will now face Vitor Belfort instead of Lyoto Machida on September 22nd. Jones, who was expected to faceDan Henderson on September 1st, chose to not fight at all when his foe was forced to sit out due to an injury.

Middleweight contender Chael Sonnen offered to step in, but Jones declined, which prompted UFC president Dana White to pull the plug on the entire UFC 151 card.

Lyoto Machida was then projected to be Jones’ opponent in Toronto on the 22nd, but it’s now the former light heavyweight titlist Vitor Belfort who will get the shot.

Belfort is 21-9 and is coming off two straight victories inside the Octagon.

According to White, UFC 151 is nixed and the next event will remain UFC 152 as it was intially titled.

Stay tuned for more updates.

A partial rupture of the MCL has forced former Strikeforce light
heavyweight champ Dan Henderson to pull out in his anticipated
showdown against the UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones originally
scheduled for September 1st at Mandalay Bay Center in Las Vegas. The
entire card has now been canceled and Jones is now slated to take on
Lyoto Machida in Toronto on the 22nd.

UFC president Dana White held a press conference today with the
disappointing news. It’s been revealed that recent middleweight title
challenger Chael Sonnen has offered to step in as a replacement, but
Jones and his trainer Greg Jackson did not accept.

White, furious at the fact that Jones was unwilling to put his title
on the line against a late replacement had no choice but to cancel the
entire card.

Sonnen, who twice unsuccessfully challenged Anderson Silva for the
middleweight crown was to face old rival Forrest Griffin later in the
year, but already had his sights on a showdown against Jones. The war
of words had begun through tweets, but it looks like Sonnen will have
to wait his turn.

Jones beat Machida in their initial encounter in last December,
coincidentally, in Toronto where the rematch will take place.

FAIRFAX, VA – It was a pro-Korean Zombie crowd in Fairfax, VA and their man surely didn’t disappoint. Fighting in front of a supporting group of Korean Americans and hardcore MMA fans, Chan-Sung Jung (13-3) of South Korea put on a heck of a show, going toe-to-toe with the technically sound Dustin Poirier (12-2) over four scintillating rounds before emerging victorious with a perfectly executed d’arce choke.

After a quick clinch in the opening seconds, Jung secured a takedown and drew blood on the American’s head with sharp elbows from the top. Poirier’s tricky guard got him the reversal for a bit before the two stood back up in the final seconds to trade blows.

Jung dropped Poirier again in the beginning of the second and hurried to go for a ground and pound. Poirer pulled guard and eventually got back up. A flying knee followed by a series of uppercuts and a scramble led to Jung gaining full-mount. In another fast paced scramble, Poirier almost got caught in an arm bar, but managed to escape. Seconds before the bell, Jung nearly ended the fight again with a triangle lock.

Poised to box in the third, Poirier threw jabs and found his mark with well timed right hands. But call him the Arturo Gatti of MMA if you will, the man they chanted, ‘Zombie’ can’t seem to stay out of a brawl if he wanted to. Forcing the action against his tiring foe, Jung walked through punches to dish out punishment of his own, hurting Poirier against the cage before the bell.

The fourth saw another flying knee from Jung that had Poirier collapsing to his knees. Jung then immediately locked up a d’arce choke, which rendered Poirier unconscious. The referee stepped in at 1:07 to call a halt to the contest.

In the post fight interview, Jung alluded that his last win against Mark Hominick could’ve been a fluke, so he was reluctant on calling out the champ. But this time around, he begged to differ.

‘I want to thank all the Korean fans. He (Poirier) had me in trouble in the beginning of the third, but I just kept going and came up with the win. I want Jose Aldo!’ said Jung .

SADOLLAH EDGES LOPEZ

The main supporting bout evening saw a duel between welterweights Amir Sadollah (7-3) of Richmond, VA and Las Vegas, NV’s Jorge Lopez (11-3), won by Sadollah after three close, competitive rounds. Official scores were 29-28, 28-29, and 29-28.

After a feel out start to the round, Lopez was able to takedown Sadollah and attempted to maneuver a kimura. Sadollah got back to his feet and escaped the submission attempt, but didn’t do much else to take the round.

Lopez, a Wanderlei Silva’s protégé based out of Las Vegas, NV, went for the takedown again in round two, but was countered by a guillotine attempt from Sadollah, followed by a scramble that led both guys back to their feet. Just when Sadollah appeared to be in control of the final minute, Lopez caught a leg and finished with a takedown.

The third frame saw another arduous effort from Lopez to take Sadollah down, but the Ultimate Fighter 7 winner displayed solid defense against the cage. Sadalloh was briefly taken down and pull guard before standing back up. It was almost seemed like a stall tactic for Lopez to push his foe against the cage, garnering a loud jeer of boos from the crowd in the closing seconds. To Sadollah’s credit, he tried to keep the fight standing and contributed more in the striking department.

CERRONE BREEZES THROUGH STEPHENS

Fan favorite Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone (18-4-0, 1NC) didn’t disappoint the crowd, pounding out an easy yet still exciting unanimous decision (30-27 3x) win over San Diego, CA’s Jeremy Stephens (20-8). Cerreone, an Albuquerque, NM product, goofed and danced around in round one, but landed some sharp punches and leg kicks in the process. By the end of the round, the shorter Stephens appeared battered as his face was already busted up. In the second, Cerreone landed a crisp one two combination and launched a series of leg kicks that hurt his opponent. The third and last round was no different as the Greg Jackson trained fighter continued to dissect Stephens in every aspect of the game.

This was Cerrone’s first comeback fight since the disappointing loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 141. With the win, Cerrone keeps himself relevant in the lightweight picture.

With the great Georges St. Pierre nearby his corner, Montreal’s Yves Jabouin added himself to the red hot bantamweight mix with a brutal, impressive three round beat down of Enumclaw, WA’s Jeff Houghland.

Jabouin initiated action with a quick right hand and a spinning back kick that kept Hougland at bay. Towards the end of the round, Jabouin landed a hard kick to the midsection, dropping Hougland hard before relentlessly going for the finish with a series of hammer fists. The Washington native showed tremendous heart in absorbing the furious ground and pound attack before getting saved by the bell. Hougland regrouped in the second round, but Jabouin was the one on the offense, scoring with jabs and kicks to the body. A hard left hook dropped Hougland again and another assault from the top ensued. Managing to scramble out of position, Houghland hung on from half to full guard and eventually heard the final bell. Still, it was a dominant performance by Jabouin, who improves to 18-7. Scores were 30-27 (2x) and 30-26. ‘It feels awesome. Once that back kick sinks in, a lot of guys can’t withstand it. UFC does a great job matching me up with tremendous opponents.’ said the victorious Jabouin.

In a thrilling light heavyweight war, Croatia’s Igor Pokrajac (25-8) outlasted pro boxer Fabio Maldonado of Brazil (18-5) over three heated rounds.

The opening stanza saw Pokrajac quickly taking his boxer foe to his back, sustaining top position for the first half of the round. Maldonado eventually escaped and unleashed a barrage of unanswered combinations to the head that had Pokrajac in trouble. However, the Croatian was no slouch when it came to striking, coming back in the second round with combination punching of his own, staggering Maldonado and then going for a double leg, followed by a strong knee during a clinch. But the better boxer was Maldonado, who has an unbeaten professional boxing record of 22-0, 21KOs. Maldonado was landing hard shots to the body before stealing a takedown in the final seconds before the bell.

Maldonado was adamant in digging deep to the body in the third, something not commonly seen in the game of MMA. Pokrajac was more than just game, being able to fight off the fence and land hard shots of his own. The two hitters exchanged furiously in the closing seconds, but it was Maldonado who landed the cleaner shots with his superior boxing technique. Decision was met with a jeer of boos from the crowd as Pokrajac escaped with a controversial but unanimous scores of 29-28 (2x) and 30-27.

The animated Tom Lawlor (8-4, 1NC) of New England kicked off the FUEL telecast with an explosive first round stoppage win over rugged veteran Jason MacDonald (26-16) of Canada. Lawlor wasted very little time forcing the engage before landing a hard left and followed by a right to send his Canadian foe to the canvas. Before any further damage was inflicted, the referee stepped into call the bout to a halt at :50. Along with the win, Lawlor also celebrated his twenty ninth birthday. ‘It feels great (the win). I came back here started signing the checks — forgot what it was like to win and almost walked off without it. I really needed this win coming off a bad loss, a long layoff, switching camps and moving basically my whole life. I really needed something to validate that I’m making the right decisions in life.’ said Lawlor following the win.

In a crossroad bout between two fighters desperately in need of a win, Brad Tavares (7-2) of Las Vegas, NV edged Seoul, Korea’s Dongi Yang (10-3) in a three round middleweight contest. In round one, Yang was the aggressor, but Tavares was more versed in his attack, able to land leg kicks and cleaner punches. On three occasions, the bout paused abruptly, due to thumbing from both fighters. Yang was more composed in the second, landing a crisp front leg kick on the chin of Tavares. Both guys traded and checked leg kicks. Yang hurt Tavares with a straight left and moved forward with hard leaping hooks. The last two minutes of the round saw some clinching against the cage although neither guy held the clear upper hand. Tavares scored the first effective takedown of the fight in the opening seconds of the third. Yang was held down for nearly two minutes, which appeared to have taken some steam out of the South Korean. Tavares then followed with a kick to the groin, making matters worse for the fatiguing Yang. Not much happened in the final two minutes, but Tavares may have won that round based on the takedown early on in the round. When Bruce Buffer announced the decision, Brad Tavares was awarded with the unanimous verdict of 29-28 (3x).

‘It feels good to get back in the win column. It wasn’t the prettiest fight but I really did try to take his head off. I kicked him a lot and my shins are sore from kicking his elbows. He’s no chump, no walkover. Look at his record — he’s never been stopped and has only stopped people. I’m just glad I got the victory.’ said Tavares who was relieved with the unanimous decision win.

The first bout of the evening saw bantamweights Alex Soto (6-2-1) and Francisco Rivera Jr. (8-2) go head to head in a battle of Californians. From the opening round, Rivera was the aggressor, trying to time his right hand while Soto moved and circled to pick his Muay Thai kicks. Soto was wild in his attempt to shoot in for a takedown and paid the price when Rivera countered with punches. Rivera was more methodical in his approach in the second frame, still playing the aggressor, but effectively landing leg kicks. Soto was persistent in going for takedowns and Rivera seemingly took the round with harder shots. Soto briefly secured a takedown in the first minute of round three, but Rivera rose back shortly after and resumed in control with constant pressure and more accurate striking. All three judges at cageside scored the bout 30-27 in favor of Rivera.

Long time veteran Jeff Curran (35-15-1) is still winless in the UFC, after dropping a decision loss to Brazil’s Johnny Eduardo (26-9). Both veterans fought cautiously in the first round, but it was the Brazilian who consistently landed low kicks throughout. A lot of bobbing and weaving took place, but no major punches were landed in the first two rounds. In the third, Curran showed urgency by throwing more punches and was able to land something that seemingly bothered Eduardo. Eduardo briefly stopped engaging, claiming he was thumbed, but the ref did not intervene. Regardless, Eduardo kept landing his right kick while Curran continued to press the attack and headhunted. Neither guy was able to score a takedown. After three rounds, scores were 29-28 (3x), all in favor of Eduardo.

Northern Virginia’s own Kamal Shalorus (7-3-2) was looking to put on a showcase in front of his home crowd, but a left kick to the head from Brazil’s Rafael Dos Anjos (16-6) sent him crashing to the canvas, followed by a tight rear-naked choke to seal the deal. With another explosive first round win, Anjos again keeps himself relevant in the lightweight picture.

GRANT OUTHUSTLES PRATER

In a collision of two seasoned combatants, Nova Scotia’s TJ Grant (18-5) emerged victorious after out-working Brazil’s Carlo Prater (30-11-1) over three rounds. Grant worked the clinch early on, but the Brazilian defended well against the cage. After a quick scramble, Grant secured the top position and transitioned to side control seconds before the round had ended. Grant gained side control again in the second and landed some punches and elbows in a crucifix-like position. The Canadian quickly went for the takedown in the third but got caught in a guillotine choke. The choke was not fully sunk in and Grant was able to pop his head out. Prater’s back was then exposed and Grant went in for a rear naked choke and later, an arm bar, but to no avail. In the end, Grant’s superior work rate and dominant grappling earned him the unanimous nod. Scores were 30-27 (3x).

MCKENZIE STUNS LEVESSEUR

The anticipated UFC debut of former NCAA standout Marcus LeVesseur (21-6) turned out to be disastrous as Cody McKenzie (13-2) survived a furious onslaught in the opening minutes before turning the tide to claim victory in the first round. A determined McKenzie charged across the cage as soon as the bout began, but LeVesseur demonstrated his wrestling prowess with an immediate takedown to retaliate. Levesseur also displayed quickness on his feet, tagging his awkward foe with hard shots and got on top before going for a modified guillotine choke. McKenzie weathered the storm and moved to full guard and locked in a guillotine of his own, forcing the former unbeaten four time NCAA champion to tap.

‘He was really strong. It’s a fight. I kind of blacked out. ‘, said the jubilant McKenzie in the post fight interview.

Featherweight contenders Chan Sung ‘ Korean Zombie’ Jung and Dustin
Poirier will collide this Tuesday at George Mason University’s Patriot
Center, marking the return of the power house promotional outfit to
Fairfax, VA for the second time.

Its debut took place a little over two years ago when Gray Maynard and
Nate Diaz headlined the event in a lightweight tilt won by Maynard in
somewhat of a lackluster outing. Expect much more this time around, as
both Jung and Poirier are dynamic strikers also known for their
creative submission skills.

Jung, who hails from Korea, should enjoy a bit of a home crowd
advantage considering the high Korean American population in the
Northern Virginia area. Fighting under the Zuffa brand since the WEC
days, the Korean Zombie has built a reputation as a crowd pleaser,
most notably since his infamous war against Leonard Garcia. Jung
exacted revenge on his UFC debut, becoming the first to successfully
execute Eddie Bravo’s ‘twister’ in tapping out Garcia.

In UFC 140, Jung upset former title challenger and the always durable
Mark Hominick in just seven seconds en route to earning the ‘knock out
of the night’ honors.

Poirer is another UFC featherweight addition since the acquisition of
WEC and has also climbed up the ranks without tasting defeat inside
the Octagon.

The Louisiana native is on a five fight winning streak, with two of
his last coming in by a way of submission stoppage.

It’s an interesting match-up between two aggressive combatants willing
to mix it up inside the cage. The winner could foresee a title shot in
the near future.

Joining his countryman Jung on this card is the heavy handed Dong Yi
Yang who is expected to face the Ultimate Fighter 11 participant Brad
Tavares in a three round middleweight battle. Yang was last seen
valiantly testing Court McGee before losing a decision. Tavares is
coming off the lone loss of his career in his last bout against Aaron
Simpson nearly a year ago.

Amir Sadollah, the winner of Ultimate Fighter season 7 will look to
bounce back from a disappointing loss in last August and standing in
his way is the young Jorge Lopez who will also try to get back on the
winning column. Sadollah is a Muay Thai standout who also has
dangerous ground game and should be the favorite going in against the
less experienced Las Vegas based Lopez.

Also returning to action, lightweight contender Donald Cerrone will
showcase his talent against the very tough Jeremy Stephens of Des
Moines, IA. Long time veteran Jason MacDonald of Canada will engage
in a middleweight battle against Tom Lawlor. Fellow Canadian TJ Grant
is also set for action, going against grappling specialist Carlo
Prater of Brazil. Grant was last seen at the Verizon Center in
Washington, D.C, impressively submitting Shane Roller with an armbar.

Making his UFC debut, former unbeaten four time NCAA Division III
champion, Marcus LeVesseur will take on Cody McKenzie in the
lightweight division. Levesseur is one of the best wrestlers ever to
sign with the organization and it should be interesting to see how
he’ll compete among the elites. A little known fact is that LeVesseur
is the only other wrestler besides Cael Sanderson to have won four
national collegiate without tasting defeat and also holds a high
school win over current Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren.

First bout of the evening is slated for 5:30 PM. UFC on Fuel: Korean
Zombie vs. Poirer is scheduled to go live on air at 8:00 PM (ET).

For the entire lineup on this card, visit http://www.ufc.com/event/FUEL3#/fight

Fairfax, VA – More than six years have gone past since jr. middleweight Jimmy Lange has embarked on the Patriot Center era in Fairfax, VA and his loyal fanbase proved to remain just as strong as thousands were in attendance to support their hero making his fourteenth appearance at the arena often referred as the ‘house that Jimmy built’. Lange surely didn’t disappoint, dominating the workhorse veteran Ruben Gaivan (27-21-4, 10KOs) to capture the WBU and NABU jr. middleweight championships.

Lange was in command from the opening round, targeting his much shorter opponent with consistent jabs and work to the midsection. Gaivan, who was as unorthodox as an opponent could be, did his best to clown his way to befuddle the fan favorite by constantly taunting and clowning. The crowd seemed to enjoy the villainous tactics however, but the rounds were stacking up in favor of Lange who was one hundred percent business. Gaivan’s clowning gradually reduced in the fifth frame while Lange continued to execute his game plan, connecting with hard right hands.

In the sixth, a hard right hook to the body, followed by a combination to the head briefly stopped Gaivan on his tracks. But the Hammond, IN native played possum and later dished back with two hard right crosses of his own and closed out the round strong with last second flurries.

Gaivan might have had his best round in the eighth, successfully outmaneuvering his charging foe and landed short crisp hooks and right hands. Lange answered with a more disciplined strategy in the ninth and focused on keeping the distance to land more jabs.

Championship rounds also belonged to Lange who stuck to his textbook boxing of executing well timed one-two straights. The peppering jabs and straight rights took an obvious toll on Gaivan, whose face begun to redden although he was never in danger of being stopped.

All three judges were in an agreement, unanimously scoring the fight in favor of Lange. Official cards read 120-108 (3x). With the win, Lange improves to 38-4-2, 25KOs.

STEWART EDGES WYATT TO LIFT WBU WELTERWEIGHT STRAP

In the co-feature, long time veteran and Delaware’s popular Mike ‘No Joke’ Stewart (49-7-3, 25KOs) claimed the vacant WBU welterweight trinket with a lackluster technical majority decision win over Pittsburgh, PA’s Joe Wyatt (23-3, 15KOs). It was a difficult contest for the most part with neither guy being able to land effectively. As Stewart stalked, Wyatt circled and the clash of two opposite styles simply did not mesh for an action packed fight that the fans were clamoring for. There were occasional one-twos from both fighters, but constant clinching and tying-up frustrated the fans, drawing a jeer of boos at times. After eight monotonous rounds that saw plenty of feints and clinches, the ref stopped the bout in the ninth at the ringside physician’s advice due to a severe cut on Wyatt’s right eye caused by an accidental headbutt. Joe Wyatt arguably held the edge in measuring the distance, but Stewart was the aggressor. Scores were 76-76, 79-73, and 78-74.

WILSON DODGES BULLETS, OVERCOMES ‘THE WHIP’

Local unbeaten prospect Todd ‘White Lightning’ Wilson (12-0, 3KOs) continued to show progress in his fruitful career, entertaining the Fairfax crowd with a thrilling unanimous win over Bronx, NY’s Fernando ‘The Whip’ Basora (8-8-1, 7KOs). Wilson, fighting from his southpaw stance, controlled the action in the first two stanzas. However in the third, the popular local ran into a Basora counter that put him in perils and on unsteady legs. Wilson regained position in the fourth, but all hell broke loose in the fifth when Basora unleashed a series of attack that prompted Wilson to backpedal on shaky legs. But showing heart and courage, Wilson fought back and finished the round landing head-snapping shots. In another exchange, a right hand buckled and dropped Basora to his knee. Wilson jumped on his wounded foe, but undeterred, Basora fought back and finished in what turned out to be a fantastic slugfest that had the crowd up on their feet. Two judges scored the bout 59-54 while the other saw it 58-55, all for Wilson who extended his unblemished record.

YORGEY BREEZES THROUGH

Bridgeport, PA’s Harry Joe Yorgey (24-1-1, 11KOs) resumed his journey back to title contention by outworking Lawrence Jones (4-6-2, 1KO) of Washington D.C. over six one-sided rounds. Yorgey was the aggressor, moving forward to force action. Jones was reluctant to engage, mostly moving backwards aiming to counter. Yorgey found his rhythm in the third round, focusing on his southpaw counterpart’s body and continued to do so throughout. Jones made some effort to retaliate, but with minimal success and began to tire in the fifth as his Pennsylvanian foe began to pour on. Jones took a beating in the sixth as Yorgey went for the finish, but held on to hear the final bell. Yorgey won by the scores of 59-55 (twice) and 58-56. The bout was contested above the jr. middleweight limit.

NELSON AND LIVING STEAL THE SHOW

Fighting mom and world middleweight champion Tori ‘Sho Nuff’ Nelson (6-0-1) of Ashburn, VA denied the lively effort and challenge of the younger Vashon ‘Lady V’ Living (5-3-1) to claim the vacant WIBA jr. middleweight crown over ten rounds. Living, a Houston, TX native wasted very little time in bringing the heat from the opening bell, but the resilient Nelson responded with a counter that dropped her opponent to the canvas. The third saw Living doing her best to sustain her greater work-rate, but again paid for it by getting knocked down in the process. Two warriors slugged it out in the fourth, battling toe-to-toe and it seemingly favored Nelson, who clearly held the edge in power. As Living was staggered by a hard right hand, Nelson followed up violently with an onslaught of winging body shots and hooks to the head. A huge barrage of punches came in the beginning of the fifth and a thudding right hook dropped Living again for the count. Showing tremendous courage and determination, Living vied to fight on and managed to stay in the war. ‘Lady V’ in spurts appeared to be superior in terms of technique, but the brute strength of Nelson proved to be the factor in winning the exchanges at close quarters. The verdict was unanimous in favor of Nelson who won by 97-90 (twice) and 99-88.

Two unbeaten jr. welterweight newcomers collided to kick off the event, but it was Kevin ‘The Scarecrow’ Womack who downed Richie ‘The Rock’ Andrews (3-1-3) to keep his zero intact. It was a fierce battle between two contrasting styles. Womack proved to be the conventional boxer against an aggressive, more offense minded brawler in Andrews. Womack utilized his reach in the first round and stunned his shorter opponent with ranging shots from the outside and inside uppercuts. Andrews increased the tempo in rounds two and three with wild swinging haymakers, some that landed effectively. Womack closed the gap in the fourth and final round, tying up his foe to find his mark. Official scores were 38-38, 39-37 (twice) in favor of Womack who now improves to 3-0, 1KO.

Upper Marlboro, MD’s Duane Mobley made his professional debut in a satisfying fashion, upending Norfolk, VA’s Dennis Benson (1-1, 1KO) after four tightly contested rounds. Both heavyweights were looking to pot shot, but Mobley appeared to be a step ahead, initiating more with lead left hooks and following up with right hands. Benson, a southpaw, made his effort to remain in pocket and counter, but lacked in work-rate. Scorecards were read unanimously for Mobley who is now 1-0.

It took him eight professional years to finally get the ‘fight’ that would have defined his career. And it took him three more years to finally get the win he desperately needed. Scoring the sweetest victory of his storied boxing career, Miguel Cotto can finally say that he defeated Antonio Margarito. For the Tijuana native himself, there was a chance for vindication or perhaps exoneration, but the man could only prove one thing in the ring. That he is a true warrior.

This was three years later from their epic classic that took place in Las Vegas, and the wear and tear were apparent on both guys. Still, fans in attendance got a sense that there was something special brewing whenever these two stood across from one another. Margarito entered the ring as the villain, not even slightly overwhelmed by the loud jeer of boos from the Madison Garden crowd. Cotto was the crowd favorite, backed by his avid Puerto Rican and New York fans that cheered tumultuously. One can’t remember the last time the building roared to this effect, probably not since Felix Trinidad downed William Joppy a decade earlier.

From the opening bell, it was clear what the Caguas, PR native’s strategy was. Plaster or no plaster, Cotto respected his rival’s fistic power and fought with more caution than he did in their first battle. It was the simple, stick and move, hit-and-not get hit type of a game plan. For Margarito, all he needed to do was replicate his predictable method of constantly pressuring and cornering Cotto in hopes to wear him down late.

Both fighters were older and slower, but their efforts were highly spirited. In the first three rounds, Cotto was able to side step and land fluid combinations. Margarito ate shots coming in, but was closing the distance as he aimed for his mobile foe to the body. The fifth saw back and forth action, as Margarito poured on and chased Cotto across to ring, digging shots to the midsection and smothering punches to make it a rough fight. Cotto didn’t succumb to pressure and dished back with much cleaner shots.

Perhaps it was obvious from how their first encounter unfolded, but Cotto knew he needed to pitch a perfect game to win this fight. Margarito’s injured eye was reinjured early on, and from the sixth round, there were concerns whether he could continue to fight. The pace picked up in rounds seven and eighth, but more in favor of Cotto, who was using all of his guile and dexterity to pepper his less dimensional foe. Margarito would not fold and often smiled and taunted, but his face told a different story.

In between rounds eight and nine, the doctors at ringside carefully examined Margarito’s right eye. They barely allowed him to continue. Margarito pounded his gloves to psyche himself and his opponent to engage toe-to-toe, but Cotto was smart and stuck with the game plan.

Again, the ringside physician and the ref assessed the Mexican’s condition after the ninth round and after a long plead to continue from Margarito and his corner, referee Steve Smoger did the right and humane thing and called this bout to a halt.

There was a huge sigh of relief from Cotto, who just scored the biggest win of his decorated boxing career. Margarito lost, but fought with a ton of heart and dignity. There was a look of disappointment, but hardly any dejection. He fought like a proud champion and left it all in the ring.

With the W, Cotto retains his WBA version of the jr. middleweight title and improves to 37-2, 30KOs. Margarito is now 38-8, 27KOs.

RIOS LETHARGIC IN STOPPING MURRAY

Things didn’t exactly go smoothly for Oxnard, CA’s Brandon Rios (29-0-1, 21KO) in his first significant trip to New York. First, he lost his WBA title on the scale after failing to make the 135 pound limit. In addition, his opponent, John Murray (31-2, 18KOs) from England didn’t cut him any slack either, providing a difficult challenge for the former lightweight sensation. It wasn’t the usual spirited and lively fought performance by Rios, who appeared sluggish in the first two rounds. Rios got the ball rolling in the third however, stunning his opponent with consecutive uppercuts on the inside and doing nice work to the body. Murray fought back valiantly and troubled his unbeaten foe in the next two rounds. By the fifth, exhaustion clearly showed in Rios, who was obviously in a very tough fight. It didn’t deter him from trying his best which was probably a good thing on the scorecards as he pressed on did his best to effectively win rounds with aggression. Murray was undaunted, but became a bloody mess in the sixth after eating a series of hard uppercuts from his younger counterpart. While Rios looked to be the more tired of the two, he still demonstrated superior technique and work rate that might have benefited him on the official scorecards. Murray was effective in spurts, attacking Rios’ midsection, but lacked the power to inflict real damage. In the eleventh, Rios’ uppercuts finally overwhelmed. Badly staggered, Murray deemed unable to continue, who was stopped on his feet at the 2:06 mark. With the win, Rios remains unbeaten, but is no longer a world title holder.

RODRIGUEZ OUTCLASSES WOLAK

They say boxing, rather than slugging it out is the smarter way to win. That’s what Delvin Rodriguez needed to do this time around to get the official W over his rival Pawel Wolak. It wasn’t the violent jr. middleweight slugfest that their first meeting proved to be, but Rodriguez and Wolak didn’t go too far to find one another, engaging in a closely contested battle over twelve rounds. Both combatants weren’t shy to walk up and down the stairs, landing effective shots to the body and head. Rodriguez appeared to find his comfort zone in the third, connecting with a well timed uppercut to the chin. Wolak did not phase, but like their first encounter, his eye began to redden. Things started to heat up in the fifth as Rodriguez was able to tag his Polish opponent with head snapping upper cuts, but Wolak soon returned the favor in retaliation. Most rounds were hard fought, but Rodriguez seemingly held the edge in terms of technique, cleaner shots, and overall ring generalship. Wolak charged in on the seventh, chasing his opponent and smothering him against the ropes, but Rodriguez was able to clinch and neutralize with shots on the inside. The Danbury, CT native was more relaxed in the eighth, throwing fluid combinations and swiftly moving in and out to avoid damage. Rodriguez relentlessly battered his bloodied foe in the tenth and final around, staggering him with a series of uppercuts and left hooks. Wolak (29-2-1, 19KOs) displayed a ton of heart and was able to survive the onslaught. Official scorecards read 98-91, 98-92, and 100-90 in favor of Rodriguez, who improves to 26-5-3, 14KOs.

JONES DECISIONS LUJAN IN A SNOOZER

Welterweight contender Mike Jones kept extended his unbeaten run to 26-0 (19KOs) by denying the challenge of former Margarito opponent Sebastian Lujan (38-6-2, 24KOs) of Argentina over twelve uneventful rounds. A right hand to the top of the head nearly dropped the Argentinean in the first round. From there on, it was Jones who was outworking his shorter foe with superior reach, landing jabs and occasionally finding his target with right hands. Lujan was able to evade a lot of punches by using his unorthodox stance to juke and jive, but wasn’t effective offensively. In end of the eleventh, Lujan let his guard down and lured Jones to land at will. Scores were 118-110, 119-109 (2x) in favor of the Philadelphian.

Fan favorite Sean Monaghan (11-0, 8KOs) wasted very little time in taking care of business with an impressive stoppage win over Adrian, MI’s Santos Martinez at 2:56 of the second round in cruiserweight action. All it took was a left hook to the body in round two for Long Beach, NY’s Monaghan to quickly dispose of Martinez (2-3, 2KOs) who failed to show any reason for the ref to allow him to continue after getting up from the knockdown.

Unbeaten light heavyweight Chicago prospect Mike Lee (8-0, 5KOs) won an easy fourth round TKO over Denver, CO’s Allen Medina (9-20-1, 1KO). After three one sided rounds, Lee unleashed a series of punches that dropped Medina, prompting the referee to step in to call a halt to the bout.

Unbeaten super lightweight prospect Ray ‘Tito’ Serrano (17-0, 8KOs) kept his unbeaten record with a tougher than expected unanimous decision win over the very tough Angel Rios (9-8, 6KOs) after ten heated rounds. Both combatants fought at close quarters, but it was Serrano’s superior technique and defense that prevailed. Rios was the aggressor, stalking his faster and mobile opponent and occasionally landed effective shots to the body. Serrano controlled the action in the early rounds by timing his jab and exploited his openings by landing swift combinations. Rios had his best round in the fourth when he landed a hard overhand right, but Serrano quickly recovered and continued to box in and out to befuddle his shorter and slower foe. Things heated up in the eighth when Rios verbally taunted Serrano and both fighters landed clean shots to the chin. Rios, knowing that he’s behind, fought with determination in the ninth, but Serrano’s technique was the factor. Both guys fought hard to the finish and Serrano held the edge in landing cleaner shots. Scores were initially announced incorrectly, but Serrano wins regardless via unanimous decision.

In a shocker, unheralded Doel Carrasquillo (16-18-1, 14KOs) upset local hero Shamone Alvarez (21-5, 12KOs) after five punishing rounds scheduled for eight in a welterweight contest. The Atlantic City native wasted no time taking it to his opponent, charging with hard shots to the body in the opening seconds, but walked into a hard left hook that dropped him for an eight count. Alvarez rose back, but on shaky legs and was hurt again with an onslaught of left overhand rights and hooks by Carrasquillo. A series of uppercut dropped Alvarez again in the second, but the veteran managed to get up and survive the round. Alvarez, who’s had many of his fights here in Atlantic City, used all of his experience to stay in to remain competitive. In rounds three and four, he was able to stick and move and appeared to be outboxing his one-dimensional foe. Every punch Carrasquillo landed seemed to matter, stunning Alvarez with every punch that found its mark. However, Carrasquillo unleashed another attack in the beginning of fifth, landing hard hooks to the head that again dropped Alvarez. The ref allowed the fight to resume, but Alvarez was hit and staggered again, prompting his corner to alert the ref to stop the fight. The official time of the stoppage was 1:16.

Union City, NJ’s Jason Escalera (12-0, 11KOs) quickly disposed of Kansas City, MO’s Mickey Scarborough (6-4, 6KOs) in two rounds. Escalera virtually landed the same right hands three times, which each punch sending his mismatched opponent to the canvas. Scarborough somehow beat the count each time, but was blasted out in the second round when he was again hit by a right hand.

Also in action, popular heavyweight Vinnie Maddalone pleased the Atlantic City crowd with an exciting first round KO over West Vrginia’s Mike Sheppard. Maddalone was quick to find his mark and hurt Sheppard with a right hand. Smelling blood, Maddalone went for the finish with a crippling left hook to the body that dropped Sheppard for a full ten count at the 1:22 mark.

Heavyweight Chazz Witherspoon (29-2, 21 KO’s) took out an overmatched Tyson Cobb (14-3) in round three of their scheduled eight round Heavyweight bout. Witherspoon dropped Cobb with three times in round two with hard combinations. The third knockdown came from vicious body punch at the end of the round. Witherspoon didn’t waste time as he landed a booming right that sent Cobb plummeting to the canvas as 1:07 of round three .

Photos by Ed Diller/Star Boxing

WASHINGTON, D.C.–UFC successfully made his debut at our nation’s capital that featured a series of exciting bouts at the Verizon Center in Chinatown, Washington, D.C. In the main event, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz exemplified what defense and endurance are all about, winning a unanimous decision over Demetrious Johnson (9-2) after five fast-paced rounds that saw both guys deliver in terms of high level technique.

Both fighters displayed amazing quickness and speed. Cruz, who held a decent height advantage over his challenger, was able to thwart a lightning fast takedown attempt and momentarily gained side control in the opening frame. Johnson was versatile in mixing up his striking, but Cruz’s top notch defense did not allow the Kirkland, Washington native to land with much success. The energetic Johnson was the aggressor in round two, but the champion was again, able to defend incoming punches and takedown attempts and landed a hard knee blow to the midsection. In the third, Cruz threw his shorter opponent with a suplex and sunk in a rear naked choke. Johnson somehow managed to escape and got back on his feet but was taken down again shortly after.

Cruz finally gained full mount in the fourth, but the slick Johnson slipped out again. Neither appeared to have definitive advantage in the standup in terms of striking, but Cruz was able to accrue points with takedowns.

The fifth and final round saw a desperate Johnson come out swinging, but Cruz executed another Greco Roman suplex and sustained his dominant position from the top. In the closing seconds, an overzealous Johnson ran into a hard knee by Cruz and was taken down again by the champion. Judges’ scores were 50-45 (twice) and 49-46 for the champion.

With the win, Cruz extends his record to 19-1 and retains his UFC title for the second time.

STRUVE TAPS BARRY

After a tactical start between two usually explosive heavyweights, the ending came to an amazing finish as Netherlands’ Stefan ‘Skyscraper’ Struve (26-5) submitted New Orleans, LA’s Pat Barry (6-4) in the second stanza. It was a kickboxing affair in the first round with both fighters not having much success. In the second, the Dutch went for a guillotine choke and then transitioned to a triangle choke. Barry then responded with a Quinton Jacksonesque power bomb from while the triangle was still applied , but the slam did not appear to hurt Struve as he held onto the choke, forcing Barry to tap at the 3:22 mark.

JOHNSON RUMBLES THE SPANIARD

Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson kept himself relevant within the welterweight ranks by scoring an impressive TKO win over the spoiler minded Charlie ‘The Spaniard’ Brenneman (14-3). From the opening seconds, Johnson went for the knockout and Brenneman did his best to evade strikes and shot in for a double leg takedown. Johnson sprawled and landed some knees to the body and gained dominant position on the ground. When Brenneman got back up, there was a picture perfect kick by Johnson that connected at the noggin and the referee immediately stopped the contest when Brenneman fell to the canvas. The official time of the stoppage was 2:49 of the first round. With the win, Johnson improves his ledger to 10-3.

WIMAN REPEATS VICTORY OVER DANZIG

It was a rough and tough battle between former foes Mac Danzig (20-9-1) and Matt Wiman (14-6) as these lightweights duked it out for the second time. The first match ended in controversy when Wiman was credited with a guillotine choke that Danzig seemingly did not submit to. The rematch went to the distance and it was Danzig who appeared to have done a bit more to outwork and out-grind his familiar foe. While Danzig might have been the busier guy, Wiman didn’t wilt and proved his superior strength with harder punches. Danzig secured takedowns in rounds two and three, but didn’t do enough on the judges’ scorecards that all read 29-28. Fans in the arena booed the decision

Unbeaten British submission specialist Paul Sass (12-0) impressed the crowd, defeating Michael Johnson (10-6) inside the first frame in a battle of lightweights. Johnson clearly held the upper hand striking, staggering the jiu jitsu minded Sass with punches and kicks. Just when it appeared as though things were going in favor of Johnson, Sass pulled guard and was able to secure a heel hook to force the tap at the 3:00 mark.

Washington D.C’s own Mike ‘The Hulk’ Easton (11-1) brought the fans to their feet, putting on a decisive victory over Lynchburg, VA’s Byron Bloodworth (6-2) in two rounds. After a slow feel out first round, Easton, who was cheered on by a large portion of the D.C. crowd, displayed his explosive Muay Thai attack and landed hard leg kicks that appear to take its toll on his opponent. During a clinch, Easton delivered knees to the head and body that dropped Bloodworth to the canvas. A series of unanswered punches soon followed, prompting the ref to stop the contest at 4:52 of the second round.

In a crossroad bout between two lightweights, Canada’s TJ Grant (17-5) scored a controversial 3rd round submission victory over former NCAA All-American Shane Roller (10-5). It was an exciting tussle with both fighters securing dominant positions and making several different submission attempts. In the third, Grant went for a guillotine and transitioned to an arm bar that did not appear to be fully locked. Roller did not tap, but made a sound that convinced the ref Frank Yamasaki to stop the bout. The arena filled with a jeer of boos contesting the nature of the stoppage.

Two welterweight veterans made their respective return to the UFC, but it was Josh Neer (32-10-1) who came out on top with a stoppage win over Keith Wisniewski (28-12-1). It was a grueling affair between two experienced guys and neither guy wasted any time once the bell rang. Neer, also known as the ‘The Dentsist’ was the aggressor, throwing hard elbows and punches aimed at the head. Wisniewski retaliated hard at the end of the first round and hurt his foe with shots to the rib. Neer unleashed a relentless attack of elbows to the head in round two, causing cuts on Wisniewski’s both eyes, who began to bleed profusely. After the second round, the bout was stopped at the doctor’s advice.

Lightweight Yves Edwards (41-17) got back on the winning track, scoring an explosive TKO stoppage win over Brazil’s Rafaello Oliveira (14-4). Edwards landed a left hook that dropped Oliveira but was unable to finish. A left kick dropped Oliveira again, but this time, Edwards jumped in to land punches from the top, prompting the referee to step in at 2:44 of the second round.

Opening bout of the evening saw a bantamweight bout between Walel Watson and Joseph Sandovol. Watson quickly disposed of his foe with a hard right kick followed by punches to the head, earning the W at 1:17 of the first round.

Hate him or love him, Jon Jones is here to stay. Proving the evolution of mixed martial arts, Jon Jones (14-1) established himself as the current and future of this ever growing sport. Displaying an array of diverse striking, defense, and grappling to complete tonight’s mission, Jones impressively retained his light heavyweight crown over the charismatic Quinton Jackson at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO.

In the opening seconds, Jones crouched down and crawled, attempting to go for the single leg. Jackson, weary of his opponent’s grappling strength averted and tried to force a boxing contest. It didn’t matter however, as Jones’ freakishly long reach allowed him to strike from the distance, landing a variety of leg kicks from all angles to keep his stalking opponent at bay.

In the third, Jones was able to take Jackson down and secure a full mount, followed by devastating elbows to the head. Jackson was cut above the eye and looked visibly worn out. Jones, aided by his plethora of tools, had his way by the fourth round. Again, securing a takedown, Jones went for the rear naked choke, and successfully sunk it in, forcing the former champion to tap at the 1:14 mark of the round.

It was another flawless performance by the young champion, who has now dominated Rampage, Shogun Rua, and Ryan Bader in his last three outings. With the win, the twenty-four year old former junior college wrestling champion moves on to face yet another tough opponent in Rashad Evans possibly slated for early 2012.

Jackson (32-9) was humble in defeat, crediting and recognizing his conqueror as a great fighter.

Two welterweights collided in hopes to rebound from their disappointing losses in previous bouts, but it was Josh Koschek (16-5) who got back on the winning track, stopping welterweight legend Matt Hughes in the first round. Both wrestlers kept the fight standing from the start of the bell and Hughes seemed to have the advantage in the early going. However, Koschek, the former NCAA Division-I champion began to find his mark, repeatedly landing hard right hands to buckle the hall of famer. Hughes valiantly fought back and went for a knee, but fell down, which cost him dearly as Koschek jumped on him immediately to land unanswered punches to the ear and temple area prompting the ref to call a halt to the fight.

With another knockout loss, it’s unclear where the former two time welterweight champion’s career stands. In the post fight interview, Hughes, now 45-9, refused to announce his retirement.

The effects of the Colorado altitude clearly showed in the heavyweight slugfest between Mark Hunt (7-7) and Ben Rothwell (39-8), as two big men somehow finished the grueling battle in three exhausting rounds. Rothwell’s takedown attempts were denied by Hunt, the former K-1 Grand Prix winner, who was able to utilize his superior boxing throughout the fight. In round two, Hunt, who’s notoriously known for his lack of grappling skills, managed to force takedowns against his tiring challenger and also landed blows that cause a cut above the eye. The Super Samoan pursued for the knockout in round three and nearly pulled it off with several hard shots, but Rothwell, seemingly out on his feet, somehow managed to survive and finished the fight. Hunt won unanimously on all three judges’ scorecards.

Faded veteran and former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi (33-8) suffered yet another loss, this time by the hands of Stockton’s Nate Diaz, who was able to outstrike his shorter opponent and then later finishing the living legend with a modified arm bar in the first round. Gomi , who hasn’t had much to offer since his arrival in the UFC, looked sloppy as he did against Clay Guida back in UFC 125 and succumbed to another submission loss. With the win, Diaz breaks his two fight losing streak and improves his ledger to 14-7.

Nick Diaz must have done something right in order to keep his name on the UFC 137 roster. UFC president Dana White announced on Thursday via Twitter, stating that Diaz will now take on B.J. Penn, who was left without an opponent after his original foe Carlos Condit received the call to replace Diaz to face Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight crown. Despite the twisting turn of events, the main headliner and its co-feature still feature all four guys originally slated to compete. Stylistically speaking, some say that the swap might even lead to more entertaining bouts. UFC 137 will take place on October 29th at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV.

According to multiple sources, Nick Diaz has been scratched from UFC 137 and will not be challenging Georges St. Pierre for the welterweight crown. Diaz failed to show up to for the press conference in support of promoting the October 29th event, which led to Dana White’s decision in nixing the fight. It’s unknown whether or not Diaz would be cut from the organization altogether, but things certainly don’t look good for one of the premiere welterweights in the world today. Stepping in as a replacement is Carlos Condit, who is coming off a very impressive stoppage win over Korea’s Dong Hyun Kim back in UFC 132. Condit, who was originally penciled in to take on B.J. Penn on the main undercard of the event, now gets a title shot, hoping to become the first former WEC welterweight champion to win the UFC belt. That also leaves Penn without a dance partner and his potential replacement opponent has not yet been announced. On another interesting note, both St. Pierre and Condit share the same trainer in Greg Jackson.

Was it only a matter of time or was this well planned ahead? A month or two ago, it sure looked like Alistair Overeem was going to forego his chances of crossing-over to the UFC and instead take his talent elsewhere (perhaps back to Japan). Well, as of Tuesday, news rapidly surfaced across the web citing that the former Strikeforce Heavyweight champ did indeed sign with UFC. And in what would be deemed a super fight for the ‘Reem, the long waited debut will take place in Las Vegas, against none other than the colorful Brock Lesnar, who is also eager to get back in the cage.

Assuming that all goes as planned, this is merely icing on the cake to what the organization was able to achieve in recently signing a multi-million dollar deal with Fox. Top guys Cain Velasquez and JD Santos are slated to collide in its debut for Cain’s heavyweight strap on November 12th, scheduled on the same evening as Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III pay-per-view.

Going back to Overeem though, this is a bit of a Fedoresque scenario where this Yetti/Sasquatch type mythical monster not so familiar in the states have finally signed with the big boys. Overeem, although not as influential nor accomplished as Fedor Emelianenko in the world of Mix Martial Arts, hasn’t tasted defeat in nearly 4 years. Despite the eleven losses on his forty-seven fight ledger, ‘Ubereem’ has risen in size and evolved as a top threat to the heavyweight division. In addition, his success in K-1 kickboxing was monumental, which could easily attribute to many experts’ claim in acknowledging that the Dutch sensation is the best striker in the heavyweight division.

And unlike the recently humbled Emelianenko, Overeem is still relatively young and appears to be at the top of his game. Talk about a guy who bounced back from devastating losses, this guy has done it like no other.

Of course, everything remains to be seen when he actually steps inside the Octagon come December, but it’s not like the guy hasn’t fought in the states. After all, he is the inaugural Strikeforce heavyweight champion and has been with the promotion soon after its inception. And if anyone’s discarding the man’s star power and marketability, just look how much or little interest is left in the currently ongoing Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix, which by the way, is on Showtime this Saturday. As I’ve phrased in my previous column on Overeem, I think he’s a year or two late on becoming the biggest star in MMA.

From a financial standpoint, I’m not exactly sure if this was the best viable option. The current state of MMA in Japan, where Overeem had his success, is unclear. I’m not even sure when the next K-1 Grand Prix is supposed to take place. This in reality was a wise career move with greater incentives that also comes with greater risks. Overeem is a guy of many monikers, belts, and talents. He’s a bit of an enigma in the game of MMA, merely due to not having fought in the UFC. And many before him have failed. Just ask Takanori Gomi and Yoshihiro Akiyama for instance. But perhaps Overeem is of a different breed.

Where and how this journey ends is unknown, but it’s going to be worth watching while it lasts.

BERTO STILL BERTO, BUT MORE EXCITING

Andre Berto, whose fate was unknown after suffering his first loss a professional earlier this year against Victor Ortiz, was again setup for another easy payday against the European who was thought to have brought nothing more than a belt strap that many expected him to just hand over. Someone forgot to tell Dejan Zavec, who came with intentions of making his U.S. soil debut a success. From the first round, Berto came out guns blazing, but Zavec refused to wilt and dished back whenever he could. Many shots were fired and many if not most found their mark. What we got was an actual fight. Fortunately for Berto, Zavec suffered cuts on both eyes and was virtually forced to quit in his corner after the fifth stanza. Just like that, Berto wins his second world title.

Although it wasn’t an impressive performance from a technical standpoint, Berto showed no signs of regression or doubts since the loss to Ortiz. While many have criticized the Haitian for his rather easier career path to now two separate title reigns, he simply doesn’t get enough credit for producing excitement he’s demonstrated in competitive fights. He brings a lot of heat and intensity to the ring and is offensive minded. Even after getting decked by Ortiz in the first round, he didn’t shy away from a brawl and against Zavec, he re-emphasized his character as a fighter who simply comes to fight. I’m not sure if Berto can rectify his defensive holes and tendencies that could cost him dearly against better fighters, but take it for what it’s worth. He’s one of the more exciting fighters above the 140 pound division. If Tim Bradley ever gets resume his career, it’s a fight against Berto at 147, not Amir Khan, I’d like to see.

NATURAL ENEMIES IN AC

It’s your typical Ali/Frazier/Foreman scenario. Guy A beats guy B, guy C beats guy A, but guy B beats Guy C. This weekend in Atlantic City, NJ, former super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce De Leon has his chance to add himself to a forming rivalry. Back in 08′, I was at ringside when De Leon was trounced in less than ar ound against then top contender/prospect Juan Manuel Lopez. It was a rather shocking outcome considering De Leon’s usual toughness and endurance and I guess I was in the minority who thought his experience was going to prevail. He’s racked up a decent series of wins since before dropping a controversial decision to slickster Adrien Broner. Now he looks to be served as another ‘name’ opponent for rising sensation and unified featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa. A few months back in Puerto Rico, rugged veteran and former Gamboa victim, Orlando Salido derailed the potential mega-fight between Gamboa and Lopez, when he dropped and eventually toppled Lopez in a stunning upset. De Leon is also a veteran in the game and packs a very hard punch, but this is probably the first time he’s ever been this big of an underdog heading into a fight. I think this is an opportunity for Gamboa to shine in sheer dominance over his less dimensional foe, but a single right hand from the Mexican’s southpaw stance could surely change things a bit. Also on HBO this Saturday is the WBC heavyweight title bout between Vitali Klitschko and Tomasz Adamek. Not much to say here, but I’d be mightily disappointed if this fight wasn’t at least one hundred percent better than that hogwash of a ‘unification’ bout between Vitali’s brother Wladimir and David Haye. The semi-finals are set for the Strikeforce Grand Prix this weekend as Josh Barnett takes on Sergei Kharitonov and Antonio Silva takes on replacement Daniel Cormier in Cincinnati, OH. I know I’ve lost my interest since Overeem dropped out of this tourney, but I still think Barnett is a character with enough left in the tank to re-add his presence to the game. I certainly think he wasted a lot of time and potential in the past few years, but at least he’s back and back with vengeance. Either way, my picks for Saturday are Barnett via submission, Cormier on points in an upset. Feel free to email me at joony2j@gmail.com or any feed back or comments.

Anderson Silva re-emphasized his standing as the greatest MMA fighter of the world, but he did so for the first time in his home country of Brazil. After twice dropping the highly regarded Yushin Okami in round two with a perfectly timed punch to the head, barrages of punches from the top soon followed, prompting the referee to call the bout to a halt. It was vintage Spider, who displayed his usual dazzling speed, cat-like reflexes and most importantly, his finesse and flash that just can’t be replicated inside the Octagon.

A performance akin to that of the middleweight champ’s destruction of Forrest Griffin, Okami was simply overmatched, unable to neither initiate any offense nor sustain any effective output. Silva extends his unbeaten UFC streak to fourteen and successfully defended his middleweight crown for the ninth time.

The co-main event in Rio featured Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, who avenged his loss to Forrest Griffin in a rematch between two former light heavyweight champions. Shogun was sharp, creating distance to measure his striking. Griffin looked a bit listless and got dropped by a right hand to the head, allowing Rua to follow up with a series of hammerfists. The referee soon stepped in, giving Rua the victory at the 1:53 mark of the first round.

Former heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira revived his career in an exciting first round stoppage win over the streaking Brendan Schaub in a legend vs. up-and-coming contender type match up. Both fighters shared exchanges and the early going appeared to favor the American, who was able to stun the hometown veteran. The much more experienced Nogueira effectively used his clinch to push Schaub against the cage and landed a hard right hand that dropped his younger foe face-first on the canvas. It only took another hard shot to finish off Schaub, causing the ref to step in at 3:09. With the win, Nogueira gets back on the winning column, after suffering a devastating loss to current champion Cain Velasquez back in UFC 110.

In the other fights, Paulo Thiago bounced back from two consecutive losses to win in front of his home country against David Mitchell. It was a one-sided fight that saw Thiago use superior grappling and effective aggression to grind out a unanimous decision. Jungle Fight’s welterweight champion Erick Silva impressed in his UFC debut,quickly disposing Luis Ramos with an overhand right. After a quick ground and pound follow up, the ref stopped the contest at the :40 mark. The best fight of the night saw Rousimar Palhares and Dan Miller taking turns nearly knocking each other out before going the distance over three rounds. Palhares dropped Miller and relented after a short attack from the top, assuming that the fight was over. Palhares jovially got on top of the cage to celebrate before referee Herb Dean informed the Brazilian fighter that the fight was not finished. As the fight resumed, Miller recuperated and landed a devastating punch of his own, nearly stopping his foe all within the same round. Palhares dominated with a series of punches from the top in round two and secured the unanimous decision victory after three rounds.

The long waited return of UFC to Brazil is finally here. What better way to do it than showcasing not only the nation’s own hero but also the planet’s greatest mixed martial artist in the history seeking to avenge his last official loss. In what many would perceive as a home coming night for the great Anderson Silva, I personally beg to differ. Given the inconclusive outcome of their first fight and the stylistic problems that Yushin Okami poses, the man known as ‘the Spider’ could be in for another tug of war similar to one he had with Chael Sonnen on the night of UFC 117.

It’s been done many times before, where a hometown guy gets to shine in front of the crowd getting his way with an overmatched opponent en route to a one-sided victory. However, even on paper, this UFC 134 event just doesn’t seem fit that description. Look at this card from top to bottom, there’s not a single easy W that could be predicted in favor of a Brazilian fighter.

In fact, it wouldn’t be out of the realm if all of the non-Brazilian counterparts were able to escape Rio de Janeiro as winners which probably would not bode well for the native fans in Brazil. Don’t expect blow outs in favor of any.

THE ONLY AND LAST HOME COMING

Starting with the main event, one can’t doubt Anderson Silva’s motivation to erase that controversial loss to Yushin Okami that took place in Hawaii more than five years ago. Truth be told, there’s not a whole lot to analyze from their first encounter that lasted less than three full minutes.

The outspoken Chael Sonnen (who’s fought both Silva and Okami) speaks otherwise. Sonnen claimed in his recent interview that the illegal upkick that led to Silva’s disqualification was intentional, indicating that he was looking for a way out after being taken down.

Take it for what it’s worth, but I don’t fully agree nor disagree with Sonnen’s input. While Silva may or may have not been aware of the rules, I don’t for a second believe that he threw that kick to get himself disqualified. Until that takedown, which was almost given by Silva to pull Okami into his guard, he was easily winning in standup where it appeared to be a horrible mismatch. However, given how much Okami has grown experience-wse and displayed improvement on his dominant ground game, I think we’re looking at a completely different fight come this Saturday.

Silva re-exemplified his old self in his last outing when he landed that front-kick to render Vitor Belfort unconscious in one of the most creative and picture perfect knockouts we’ve seen in the sport. But that didn’t make most of us forget the four and a half rounds of beating he took from Sonnen, who for the first time made Silva look seemingly beatable with relentless takedowns and effective ground and pound from the top position.

If they were any indications of Spider’s decline in terms of speed and reflexes, Okami just might have the perfect style to exploit those vulnerabilities and dethrone the aging champ. In addition, despite his lack of submission strength and decision loss to Sonnen, the judo and wrestling based Okami hasn’t shown any susceptibility to triangle holds or other submission attempts in his five career losses. That’s not likely to change against Silva, whose submissions skills are underrated, but not overwhelmingly threatening in this case.

As much as I laugh listening to Chael Sonnen and his verbose tactics to antagonize his rivals in a WWE persona type manner, I can’t be dissuaded by his words to pick the best Japanese fighter UFC has produced. Some must believe that Silva, even at this stage of his career is several notches above in terms of striking and will do whatever he can to thwart the fight from going to the ground. I’m among those who are tabbing the legend to further extend his legacy for a few more fights.

Believe it or not, this is a huge defense for Silva, who has a chance to repudiate any claims that their first fight was a result of an intentional escape from a legitimate loss.

SHOGUN’S REVENGE

Just by looking at the main event and its co-feature, this card reminds me a lot of Don King’s Revenge: The Rematches PPV that took place back in ’94. Although it wasn’t the biggest PPV success in terms of revenues, it still remains as one of the best PPV cards ever distributed in history of boxing. And if Silva vs. Okami II serves as UFC’s version of Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Frankie Randall II, the rematch between former light heavyweight champions Mauricio Rua and Forrest Griffin is more like the much anticipated return bout of Terry Norris against Simon Brown.

Looking back on their first meeting, Norris, an established champion at 154 pounds was the heavy favorite going in against the older Brown, a former great in his own right during his campaign at welterweight. This was supposed to be the eleventh defense of Norris’ WBC title and many experts had expected a rather easy win for the younger, faster, and bigger man known as ‘Terrible’. Brown didn’t follow the script, landing a right hand that visibly staggered Norris near the end of round two. Norris fought back valiantly in the third, but Brown unleashed attack seconds before the bell, again putting the champ on wobbly legs. Brown finished the job in the following round with a devastating right cross that rendered the champion unconscious. It was a huge upset considering Norris’ status as one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. The rematch wasn’t as compelling, but Norris fought a smarter fight, dictating the pace over the course of twelve rounds with constant movement, tighter defense, and fluid combinations.

Prior to crossing paths at UFC 76, Forrest Griffin was then considered the gate keeper of the light heavyweight division. Having won the Ultimate Fighter contest in his memorable battle against Stephan Bonnar, he felt short of becoming a top threat in the weight class, losing to veteran Tito Ortiz in a spirited effort and shockingly getting cold-cocked by Keith Jardine in the first round. By then, he was thought merely as a sacrificial lamb against the former Pride badass Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua who crossed waters from the Japanese circuit after the demise of the now defunct Pride FC.

Rua, who’s displayed variety of mixed martial arts prowess in his previous outings as the Pride middleweight grand prix winner, was known for his vicious Muay Thai strikes and strong BJJ skills. At the time, Shogun was easily found in many of experts’ so called pound for pound lists and was one of the biggest acquisitions made by the UFC after its purchase of Pride. Meanwhile, Griffin at the given stage was simply a segway for Rua to rise above ranks in the UFC.

The fight, however told a different story. From the first round, it was fought at a rapid pace and the tempo definitely favored Griffin. Rua seemingly had the advantage in takedowns, but was unable sustain control on the ground. The Brazilian began to tire and Griffin poured on. In the last minute of the third round, Shogun hardly resembled the man he was thought to be as he wilted under constant smothering attacks of Griffin, who sealed the deal with win via a rear-naked choke.

Four years have gone by and the two now find themselves in a crossroad with a lot more at stake. Since their last battle, both have gone on to achieve great success, each winning the light heavyweight title in separate reigns. Griffin went on to shock the MMA world once more when he dethroned Rampage Jackson to lift the UFC light heavyweight belt. He also suffered humiliating defeats to Rashad Evans and Anderson Silva, but bounced back in his last two bouts against Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin.

As for Rua, the Chutebox Academy product gradually climbed back to title contention with sluggish yet decisive stoppage wins over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell before returning to full form to decapitate unbeaten Lyoto Machida to capture the light heavyweight crown. To his dismay, Shogun was sidelined by recurring injuries and was forced to sit out for almost a year before succumbing to hot sensation Jon Jones in an unmerciful, one-sided beating.

Rua will not only seek to avenge his loss, but also fight for resurgence if he wants to keep his name relevant as a key player in the division. Fighting in front of his home country shall provide plenty of motivation for the former champ. A win this Saturday could mean another title shot. Fans should expect both to deliver something special.

LOOKING AHEAD, WAY AHEAD

Okay, I think it’s safe to say that should Yushin Okami upset Anderson Silva in Brazil, it’s definitely not the worst thing for the powerhouse organization. Actually, it would be far from it. Understanding that UFC’s global impact will soon emerge in Japan, imagine the drawing power that could be generated by Okami should he headline a card in a championship fight? Also, consider the fact that Yoshihiro Akiyama has lost three in a row and White’s intentions are to keep him on the roster for use of his star power for promotional purposes in Japan. And despite lack of success from the likes of Kid Yamamato and Takanori Gomi since their UFC debuts, they are already established names in the world of MMA and they certainly wouldn’t hurt to help initiate things as things transpire over to the eastern hemisphere.

This past weekend marked the return of UFC at the great city of Philadelphia in almost exactly two years. And from this fan’s observation in attendance, it was initially unclear if this event was a promotional success. However, something was lingering in my mind throughout the night. With the state of New York still pending to see if they would uplift the ban of sanctioning MMA, I’ve wondered whether or not the city that proudly symbolizes the sport of boxing with its famous Rocky statue was ready to accept the possibility of becoming the new landmark of Mixed Martial Arts on the east coast.

It’s been a few days, but I’m not exactly sure if I’ve made up my mind on that answer, just yet.

Unlike most boxing events I’ve covered in recent years (mostly in Atlantic City and New York), I actually bought a pair of tickets to attend this show with a buddy of mine from college, who’s been a long time fan of cage fighting.

While this wasn’t my first MMA show that I’ve witnessed live, it was my first exposure to a UFC event in person. Back in February, the same friend and I made our way up to East Rutherford, NJ to catch Fedor Emelianenko’s shocking upset loss to Antonio Silva in a card promoted by Strikeforce. Earlier this year in March, I had tickets to go see NCAA Division 1 wrestling finals in Wells Fargo Center, the same arena that hosted UFC 133 and also the home of Philadelphia Flyers and Seventy-Sixers.

Around five o’clock Saturday night, we headed our way to the arena and noticed fans tailgating in the parking lot while some gradually making their entrance inside. It was hard to tell then, but I just got the sense that UFC 133 was not a sold-out event. However, that’s not to say that this wasn’t a promotional success. As opposed to long and drawn-out boxing events, the arena wasn’t completely empty until the telecast began. The crowd reaction to fighters’ entrance and knockouts (when they occurred) was still tumultuous. The peculiar breed of fight fans sporting cauliflower ears and wearing Affliction and Tapout t-shirts were visibly ubiquitous throughout the arena.

By the time that Yoshihiro Akiyama and Vitor Belfort were making their entrances to face off in the co-featured bout, I could still notice a handful of empty seats across different seating levels. But the electricity was apparent. After the explosive knockout by Belfort in the opening stanza, attendees were on their feet to exude their cheers in excitement as the evening came to light.

Heading into the main event, there were speculations that Rashad Evans and Tito Ortiz could be a lackluster bore-fest and that it wasn’t the appropriate fight to headline in a city full of fans that weren’t shy to criticize. Perhaps the two cage fighters realized what was at stake. It wasn’t just about the W and maybe they felt the pressure to show something special for the fans of Philadelphia. And they did. They delivered.

Considering the circumstances that resulted in several changes to its main card, the improvisation and combining the right elements to regroup this entire lineup actually attributed to a very decent turnout from top to bottom.

Whether it’s boxing or MMA, Philadelphia is a fight town. Based on the unique stock of fans that Philly had produced throughout decades, it’s safe to say that MMA will have a permanent place in the City of Brotherly Love. Hey, even the great Bernard Hopkins had some positive things to say about it and supported his claim by showing his presence at cageside.

Dana White’s made it clear that he wants his promotion to extend beyond Las Vegas casinos. The water’s been tested on the east coast and it’s gradually but surely coming together. Penn State’s Nittany Lion wrestling team won the NCAA championship this year (in Philly), coached by the great Cael Sanderson, a superstar and legend of amateur wrestling. Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey have both been the place for the sport that has helped its competitors transition into the world of mix martial arts. Like it or not, the demography is obviously there for UFC to exploit and make its appeal. It’s only a matter of time, before they find their superstars to carry the promotion to its new landmark on the east coast.

MY PERSONAL TAKE

I’ve always been impartial to the argument of boxing vs. MMA and I still stand by the fact that one’s comparing apples to oranges when measuring the impact and popularity of the aforementioned two. As a fan of both, I think they each have a lot to offer in terms of producing excitement whether it’s at a high level between upper echelon competitors or a slugfest between low tiered B level opponents. While I understand one doesn’t quite suit one’s appetite like the other, it’s now at a point where one should simply accept that both sports bring elements that no other sports can generate. Having said that, my interest in MMA has grown exponentially in the past six or seven years after the sport had integrated proper regulations that followed closely to that of boxing itself.

As for this past weekend’s event, I have to admit, I didn’t necessarily go out of my way driving from Northern Virginia to Philadelphia which is only a 3 hour drive barring little traffic on the way. I’ve covered many boxing events from local cards to major HBO/Showtime productions in the tri-state area and I thought it was a tremendous opportunity to see what UFC had to provide in a city I was so familiar with.

Having been a huge fan, it was also one of the last times I’d ever get to see Yoshihiro Akiyama live. But off course, it was rather a saddening experience based on the outcome of his fight against Belfort. Another memorable moment was to see one of the pioneers of UFC in Tito Ortiz, who at one point was a monumental figure in the development of the promotion itself. In addition, it was pure debauchery in a city I love and frequently visit to indulge in cheese steaks and beer, and hanging out with my old pals from college.

OCTOBER F-EAST

While taking a break near the bar in Well Fargo Center, I had a chance to briefly chat with Pittsburgh’s own Charlie ‘Spaniard’ Brennemman who was last seen outwrestling then red hot Rick Story on June’s edition of UFC Live. The former wrestling standout from Lock Haven University is expected to lock horns against the dangerous Anthony Johnson on October 1st at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. on the undercard of Dominick Cruz’s bantamweight title defense against Demetrious Johnson as part of the UFC Live telecast. The significance here is that the last time there was a major fight event at the Verizon Center was back in June of 2005 when Mike Tyson had his final professional fight after losing to Kevin McBride. This also marks the return of UFC in the DC metropolitan area after a rather disappointing turnout from their previous show at George Mason University’s Patriot Center back in early 2010.

Also, according to various sources, Philadelphia’s Eddie Alvarez returns to Atlantic City, NJ on October 15th, for the first time in three years as he is set to take on Michael Chandler in his second defense of his Bellator lightweight championship.

Zuffa’s recent acquisition of Strikeforce obviously begged the question, what happens to all of its (Strikeforce) fighters, especially the title holders? Initially, it was nebulous as to how this migration would take place. There were concerns surrounding guys like Nick Diaz and Dan Henderson, both of whom had previously departed ways with UFC and are current owners of Strikeforce championship belts. Also, how does this affect the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament that’s currently in progress? What about the promotion’s contractual commitment to Showtime? What about Fedor Emelianenko, whose stock as the baddest MMA fighter in history recently declined following two consecutive losses?

Most of these questions haven’t gone fully answered. However, the notorious yet popular Nick Diaz is slated for his UFC return when he challenges George St. Pierre for the welterweight supremacy later in the year. Perhaps the assumption here is that we just won’t know until things actually start to unfold.

With pun intended, this brings up the heavy topic. Current Strikeforce heavyweight king and 2010 K-1 Grand Prix winner, Alistair Overeem is without a doubt the most attractive force that UFC haven’t yet signed. But first, he needs to emerge as a victor of this tournament in progress. And come June 18th, the champ known as ‘Demolition Man’ is taking on his biggest match of his heavyweight career when he faces Fabricio Werdum in Dallas Mavericks’ home court of American Airlines Center.

Overeem, who hails from the Netherlands, is an enigma of sorts among MMA fans. Once a formidable light heavyweight sometimes fighting at above 200 pounds, Overeem was considered a talented yet vulnerable (especially to the chin) competitor during his stint at the now defunct Pride. Between 2003 and 2007, the Dutch held notable wins against Vitor Belfort (twice) and Sergei Kharitonov, but was more remembered for eight losses down the four year stretch. Granted, those L’s were all suffered against elite opposition including Chuck Lidell, Shogun Rua (twice), Kharitonov, and Werdum. Since the stoppage loss to Kharitonov in 2007, Overeem has gone 9-0-1. All but one victory came within the first round. In the process, he picked up the inaugural Strikeforce heavyweight belt, and also kept himself active in K-1’s kickboxing competition.

Last year saw Overeem cap off the most significant win of his heavyweight MMA career, when he met the dangerous Brett Rogers in St. Louis, MO. Fans were split as to who would come out on top. Consensus was that Overeem’s previous competition as a heavyweight was weak and given Rogers’ size and whatever success he had in losing efforts to Fedor, would’ve provided some edge for the American. But when the bell rang, it was simply a mismatch. Rogers was immediately taken down before ‘Ubereem’ unleashed his relentless ground-and-pound attack to force a first round stoppage. It was a form of redemption for the champ, who swiftly silenced his critics. More success followed, and arguably in its biggest form, when he reached the finals of K-1 Grand Prix and defeated the kickboxing legend, Peter Aerts in the first round.

In light of Fedor Emlianenko and Brock Lesnar’s recent falls, the heavyweight division is screaming for its new savior. Perhaps that could also be decided when UFC’s Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos lock horns, but if you’re looking for a champion with flash, charisma, and finesse, Overeem just might be that guy. Over the years, this monster appears to have not only honed his craft and sharpened his arsenal, but also overcame the vulnerabilities that have failed him in the past. Whether it’s a ring or cage winning the K-1 championship certainly helped solidify his claim as the most dangerous striker in the game.

Akin to what boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has done, Overeem is simply a better and stronger fighter after permanently moving up in weight. In recent competition, the now big man, deems almost invincible to defeat. With a very respectable ground/submission game and probably the most versatile striking arsenal in the division, Overeem, at age 31, could be the answer to what UFC’s been chasing since its inception of different weight classes.

It’s always fun to root for the underdog and it surely was exciting to see Werdum pull the upset of the century when he was able to lock his triangle to submit the great Fedor Emelianenko. However, given Werdum’s style or otherwise, vulnerability against bigger men, his chances of becoming a full force, is limited if not plausible. An Overeem win, might just do better for the sport.

This Saturday night, we have one of the more attractive heavyweight fights of the year. Ironically, it may be the last significant heavyweight fight we may see outside of UFC. Hype or hope, size or substance, it’s only a matter of time before we see Overeem against the very best. And if this guy is as good as his fans and supporters make him out to be, it’s going to be both size and substance that will allow him to win.

DARK HORSES

The co-feature in Dallas will showcase the other side of the heavyweight bracket between the controversial Josh Barnett and hard-hitting Brett Rogers. For most fans and experts, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that these two will most likely not end up in the finals. However, I actually think that Barnett is the livest of the live dogs and should defeat both Rogers and Kharitonov to advance to the finals. To start off, I think his experience, versatility, and tricky ground attack will prove to be too much for Rogers. As for Kharitonov, I think he has a puncher’s chance, but that’s just about it. Barnett has shown to have a good chin and his only losses in the last decade, came at the hands of Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera and CroCop. Also, according to ESPN and other sources, Barnett has passed the preliminary drug test and is eligible to fight this weekend.

‘Strikeforce: Dallas’ will also present the return of lightweight K.J. Noons going up against Jorge Masvidal. Former heavyweight freestyle and collegiate wrestling standout Daniel Cormier will be in action, taking on the toughest task of his MMA career against seasoned veteran Jeff Monson. Also on the card, is Alistair’s older brother, Valentijn Overeem, who will face Chad Griggs in a three round scheduled heavyweight affair.

Whether it’s MMA or boxing, injuries happen and happen often. As was the case a month or so ago, both Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard were forced pull out of their anticipated rubber match for UFC 130. Considering the absence of both participants, there was no last minute replacement that could’ve truly saved the promotion. The fight, simply put, was dead and the show had to settle for Jackson vs. Hamil as the main event.

However, that’s not always the case when only one guy drops out of a fight. If match-makers do their jobs appropriately with given resources and their availability, interesting things may play out.

Dating back to the first scrap between a young Georges St. Pierre vs. BJ Penn back in UFC 58, cirumstances were already interesting. St. Pierre had lost to then champion Matt Hughes in UFC 50 and Penn, who was making his return to the UFC had already scored a stoppage win over Hughes in UFC 46. The two were signed to fight for the number one contender spot.

St. Pierre went on to narrowly outpoint ‘the Prodigy’ to earn a title shot, but suffered an injury which delayed his crack at the title. Penn received a shot instead and faced Hughes for the title on UFC 63. Penn lost and GSP later came back to defeat Hughes via stoppage. The three would later go on to fighter each other once more. In the end, we saw a round-robin between three all-time greats and legends. It wasn’t so bad after all.

When Cain Velasquez humbled Brock Lesnar to lift the heavyweight title at UFC 121, experts and fan acknowledged that we finally have a big complete package sort of a heavyweight champion.

Junior Dos Santos on the other hand, was just another guy waiting in line, who many perceived as the ‘other’ top contender at the time. It was a no-brainer for the two to meet, and it was only a matter of time.

But of course, Velasquez suffered an injury while training, which postponed this much-talked showdown until further notice. No worries though… because fighters move on, and carry on fighting new fights. Re-enter Brock Lesnar, we thought we had a suitable replacement. The solution was simple; sit on opposite sides of the coaching gig for the Ultimate Fighter 13 and then later fight each other.

As the promotion of Lesnar vs. Santos began, pundits begun to analyze the potential outcome, it was a choice of sheer strength or pure knockout power. Which would you prefer; an overzealous and explosive series of double-leg takedowns or a cool yet disciplined style which includes a set of tight defense and vicious striking? This was a perfect interim fight, if there ever was one.

And then it came…another buzz-kill. Lesnar dropped out of the contest due to another case of diverticulitis, a disease that not only stalled his career for nearly a year, but one which in its course throughout threatened his life.

Stepping in as the new replacement to complete this heavyweight title eliminator equation, Shane Carwin was given a chance for his own redemption. After nearly decapitating the monstrous then heavyweight king, Lesnar, the former Division-II wrestling champion from Colardo ran out of gas in the second round and succumbed to a powerful arm triangle choke in his first title bid. Carwin was plagued by a multitude of issues concerning legal matters and also injuries that prohibited his return to the cage. They say inactivity is a killer in all sports but in MMA, if the timing is right, it could very well turn out to be a wonderful fortune.

Also, given the styles, we just might have a more aesthetically pleasing fight between two vicious strikers as opposed to a possible clinch-fest. Carwin, despite his extensive wrestling pedigree, is anything but gun-shy, shown in his explosiveness and relentlessness against the likes of Frank Mir, Gabriel Gonzaga and even during his losing efforts against Lesnar.

Dos Santos, who is unbeaten in the UFC, is a proven puncher himself, demonstrated in his frightening knockouts and stoppage wins against a respectable tally which included Crocop, Gabriel Gonzaga, and Gilbert Yvel, and Fabricio Werdum. The last we saw of JDS was against the charismatic Roy Nelson, in a bout which he easily won with superior striking and unbendable takedown defense.

So fans, experts, message boarders and casual spectators and bar-goers, don’t blink. Come Saturday night in Vancouver, we have a shoot-out. And perhaps, it’s a beginning of another possible round-robin.

UNDERCARD

ESPN’s on-studio analyst and former lightweight contender Kenny Florian makes his debut at 145 pounds against Diego Nunes in attempt to earn his title shot in the recently added featherweight division. Florian, whose last bout was a disappointing decision loss to current top contender Gray Maynard, will hope to bounce back with a win and look forward to a possible showdown against the pound-for-pound great, Jose Aldo.

In a battle of great Brazilian jujitsu and American wrestling, middleweights Demian Maia is set to fight former Division-I champion Mark Munoz. Maia, a BJJ specialist will probably approach his usual technical ground game method, while Munoz will hope to utilize his strong takedown defense and much improved striking for his tricky opponent.

Also on the card, American Dave Herman will be up against Norway’s Jon Olav Einmo. Lightweights in action are Donald Cerrone and Vagner Rocha. Spike TV will televise the non-PPV portion of the undercard, including Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards and Jesse Bongfeldt vs. Chris Weidman. Fans can also catch the preliminary card on Facebook.

RANDOM NOTES FROM AC

This past weekend saw the super middleweight title tilt between Carl Froch and Glen Johnson at the Boardwalk Hall Ball Room in Atlantic City, NJ. While this marked the return of Glen Johnson to Atlantic City since downing Hugo Pineda back in January of 2008, this was also the return of yours truly since the November of 2008. This was only my second fight coverage since (first was in my hometown of Fairfax, VA back in November of last year) ‘08, and it was great to see the old gang and also witness some new blood. Move aside Marc Abrams and young Yano. The real Mr. AC is back!

Speaking of the fight itself, I thought the 42 year-old Johnson fought the best fight he could, but Froch was just too fast, too busy, too tough, and just better. Still, the King of Miami is one of the toughest fighters I’ve ever seen and his ability to create excitement in the ring has gone well underappreciated. Much respect to the future hall of famer. As for Froch, I think he’s earned the respect of many since his gutty effort against Mikkel Kessler in Denmark. The Cobra is now slated to enter the final championship of the super middleweight tournament against Andre Ward. Stylistically, I think his ability to backpedal and throw long, rangy combinations will pose some serious issues for Ward. The way Ward dips below the waist line can create some openings for Froch’s oddly angled uppercuts and I would not be surprised at all if the Brit comes out victorious.

PARIS HAS NO LOVE FOR ROGER

During the weekend, the French Open was also underway. Needless to say, it was great to see my man Roger Federer end the crazy streak of Novak Djokovic to reach another grand slam final. Initially, I had hoped for Djokovic to win, considering his chances (based on their last four outings) of denying Rafael Nadal of his sixth title in Paris. While it was sad to see the aging Federer lose to Nadal again (0-3 this year, 0-4 in French Open, and 8-17 total), I’ve come to accept the possibility of Nadal one day reaching or surpassing the greatness that of Roger Federer. The level of game these guys are playing today are just unbelievable. Also throw Djokovic and Andy Murray in the mix; this truly is a remarkable era of tennis. Wimbledon ought to bring something special later this month and July.

MIAMI-DALLAS THOUGHTS

When Wade, LeBron, and Bosh edged out Dirk and Co. in game 3, I thought the Heat might have sealed the deal. Or at least it gave me that impression going into remainder of the series.. But serious nerves started to kick in after the loss on Tuesday. I, for one, am worried that the momentum swing is not only in favor of Dallas, but LeBron James may just be finished for this series. Scoring just 8 points in game 4 (while averaging 20+ throughout the playoffs), it was akin to seeing Mike Jones trying to finish out the fight vs. Jesus Soto Karass after punching himself out in the second round. Granted, that was boxing and this is basketball, but James looks like the guy who shot his load in the Chicago series. Hopefully I’m wrong, and it’s still plausible that Miami closes out the series before game 7…I gotta’ hand it to Dirk Nowitzki though. He’s as tough as they come and if anyone deserves the championship from Dallas, it’s the German-based PF who’s been with the franchise since he first started in the league, not Jason Kidd. But I can’t lie, I’m a big supporter of LeBron and D-Wade, and even with all this flopping and complaining, I’m still on the wagon. Viva Miami!

When rivals Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard met for the first time on April 2nd, 2008, they gave a pretty damn good reason as to why their rematch bout on New Year’s Day was deemed as a walk-out bout more so than an anticipated championship fight. In an ironic twist, aforementioned perception altered in a drastic manner following the cancellation of their rubber-match previously slated for this weekend’s PPV.

Defying the stereotype of wrestlers producing boring grapple-fests when pitted against one another, Edgar and Maynard exceeded all expectations creating drama from start to finish of their five round championship affair which resulted in a draw.

Not to anyone’s surprise, the announcement of cancellation (due to injuries on both fighters) was a huge buzz-kill to fans waiting to see these guys lock horns once more. But no worries, credit to four entertaining combatants, two of which whom were former world champions; we still have a darn good show on tap.

Headlining the event this Saturday night at Las Vegas, NV’s MGM Grand, charismatic former light heavyweight champion and part time Hollywood star, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson (31-8) re-enters the Octagon, taking on former cast of the Ultimate Fighter, Matt Hamil (10-2) in a three round light heavyweight tussle. Jackson, who’s coming off a controversial split decision win over Lyoto Machida back in November, is in dire need of an impressive victory against Hamil, who’s aiming to capitalize on his reclaimed momentum after denying long time veteran and former light heavyweight king Tito Ortiz in last fight.

Both fighters will walk down the aisle with deep amateur wrestling background, but when the bell rings, expect fistic fireworks as both guys have more than what it takes to knock each other out. Jackson holds notable wins over Chuck Lidell (2x), Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson and Ricardo Arona. The Memphis native also carries devastating fire power in both hands that once catapulted his stature as one of the best fighters in the game. Hamil, who’s no slouch when it comes to striking, has shown capability of hurting top opposition, demonstrated against the likes of Keith Jardine, Tito Ortiz, and Michael Bisping. In addition, Hamil’s tremendous heart and determination make up for his shortcomings in terms of talent and experience compared to his foe.

However, despite Jackson’s gradual decline, the talent and experience factors play in, which should be sufficient to take the ‘W’. Jackson wins via unanimous decision.

In a bout which could be a headliner on its own, former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (14-5) and former IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson (15-5) will duke it out in pursuant of a future title shot. Mir, whose knee derailed the come-backing Crocop, should have his mind set on regaining his championship belt. Having said that, the Las Vegas native needs to be very alert against the superficially out of shape Nelson, whose overhand right could just about end the night of any other top heavyweight on a given shot. The two BJJ specialists have met once before, but on the grappling met, which was won by Nelson on points. Nelson, who’s looking to bounce back after a gutsy yet losing effort against top contender Junior Dos Santos, needs to bring his ‘A’ game against the experienced Mir in hopes for his quest at a title shot.

This probably is the most difficult fight of the night to predict, but it’s Mir who appears to on the downside while Nelson, despite his physique just may be the fresher of the two. Mir’s vulnerability in taking punches clearly showed in his crushing defeat at the hands of Shane Carwin and Nelson should initiatives early to time his punches and land so with success. Expect a big knockout from Big Country.

The comeback of former welterweight title challenger, Thiago Alves (18-7) of American Top Team, continues against Rick Story, who recently downed NCAA wrestling legend Johny Hendricks in his last outing. Alvarez, after consecutive failed attempts (including one title shot) against elite welterweights Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch, rebounded well in easily outpointing the dangerous John Howard in UFC 124.

Story, who boasts a record of 15-3, is as well rounded as it gets with his collegiate wrestling pedigree and his much improved standup game. Alves, a versatile guy in his own right, brings size, and superior striking with his vicious Muay Thai kicks and underrated takedown defense.

The logical favorite here is Alves, given his world class wins over Chris Lytle, Marcus Davis, Josh Koschek and Matt Hughes to overwhelm Story with powerful leg kicks and punches.

Other televised bouts include Stefan Struve of Netherlands taking on Travis Browne in a heavyweight title and rising middleweight Brian Stann will look to continue his streak against Brazil’s Jorge Santiago. Spike TV will televise preliminary matchups which will showcase Miguel Torres and Kendall Grove in separate bouts.

Ontario, Canada presented its first ever UFC event with a remarkable turnout of 55,000 fans in attendance as native hero and UFC welterweight champion, Georges St-Pierre (22-2) successfully defended his crown via unanimous verdict in the main event against the highly regarded Jake Shields (26-5) over five contested rounds.

In a bout that was presumed to be a wrestling match between two upper echelon grapplers, the crowd witnessed a tactical boxing and sometimes kicking contest, mostly controlled and dominated by St-Pierre.

The opening round saw the champion execute superior timing of overhand rights, jabs, spinning back kicks, and a superman punch that actually found its mark.

St-Pierre, known for his relentless wrestling prowess, was able to secure two brief takedowns, but did not sustain any further to take the fight to the ground. Shields, more renown of his grappling repertoire than striking, made several single leg attempts, but to no avail.

After sweeping the first two, St-Pierre appeared to be distraught by an eye injury that seemed to be caused by a flickering Shields jab. Between rounds, St-Pierre informed his corner that he could not see out of his left eye. This turned out favorably for Shields, who gained confidence to increase his aggression in the fourth, connecting with solid straight punches to the face. However, the champion responded with a vicious head kick that hurt and dropped the challenger for a brief moment. The final round was competitive as Shields continued to raise his tempo, while St-Pierre kept his distance to time his clobbering overhand rights.

While there was a bit of a jeer from the crowd for what resulted in a safety first if not uninspiring performance by GSP, there was no doubt as to who came out victorious after 25 minutes of Octagon fighting. Official scores were 50-45, 48-47(twice). St-Pierre did not respond with a decisive answer when asked about a potential move to the middleweight division. As for Shields, this marks the first loss in nearly six years for the former Strikeforce Middleweight champion.

ALDO DEFEATS HOMINICK IN A CLASSIC

The Toronto held event also featured UFC’s inaugural featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Mark Hominick. Aldo (19-1), making his anticipated debut in the UFC, began the first round furiously landing vicious leg kicks and hard punches. Hominick (20-9) refused to wilt, as he switched tactics in rounds two and three, to seemingly outbox and outsmart Aldo in spurts.

In round four, a nasty elbow landed by the champion Aldo, caused a grotesque swelling on the forehead of Hominick, who was then further punished by relentless ground and pound attack. The cageside physician observed the swelling, but did allow Hominick to continue. In a true display of toughness and iron will, Hominick came out furiously in the fifth and final stanza to immediately take down the tiring champion and unleashed a series of unanswered punches from the top. Unable to fully break Aldo’s guard, Hominick tried his best to land as many as he could, but the Brazilian was able to hang tight and hear the final bell.

Judges’ scores were unanimous in favor of Aldo by a way of 50-43, 48-46, and 49-46. It wasn’t the most eye opening performance given Aldo’s reputation as one the top 3, 4 pound for pound fighters in the sport. However, the champion still demonstrated indomitable will and toughness in the fifth round to pull out the W.

MACHIDA DISMANTLES CAPTAIN AMERICA INTO RETIREMENT

Heading into tonight’s event, it was announced that Randy Couture (19-11) would fight his final fight in the Octagon. After what we saw tonight, he made a wise decision. In a heavily one-sided affair, Lyoto Machida (17-2) got back on the winning track, suddenly ending the fight and the career of UFC Hall of Famer Randy Couture, with a perfectly executed jumping front kick that landed on the jaw of the former Greco Roman wrestler.

The kick dropped and nearly rendered Couture unconscious as the referee immediately called a halt to the bout at 1:06 of the first round. Couture shortly announced his retirement and received a standing ovation from the crowd. With a win, Machida puts himself back in the light heavyweight contention, after suffering back-to-back losses to Maurcio Rua and Quinton Jackson.

In other bouts, Russian light heavyweight and long time cage veteran Vladimir Matyushenko (26-5), destroyed American former wrestler Jason Brilz (18-4-1) in the first round. A hard one-two punch combo dropped Brilz to the canvas which was then followed by a string of hammer fists which prompted the referee to stop the contest. Former WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson won an exciting three round battle against Mark Bocek. Henderson dominated in striking and survived an anaconda choke and other submission attempts to receive the unanimous nod.

Fairfax, VA – It was another sensational evening at George Mason University’s Patriot Center packed by fans and families in support of their local hero Jimmy Lange in his eleventh appearance at the famed venue. The event, presented by ICE Promotions, gathered many fans and local talents across the greater VA/DC/MD Metropolitan area.

However, someone forgot to inform Pittsburg, PA’s Joe Wyatt (23-2, 15KOs), as he came to the National Capital region with an intent to spoil the party.

In the main event, Jimmy Lange (34-4, 24KOs) delivered in one of the most exciting fights of the year, akin to some of the famous come-from-behind knockouts displayed by the late Arturo Gatti.

After a slow feel-out round in the first, Wyatt began to force the attack in the second, landing a hard overhand right and stalking his opponent with intent to hurt. Lange tried to keep Wyatt at bay with jabs, but Wyatt continuously closed the gap and inflicted damage with short well-timed right hands. In the fourth, Wyatt unleashed a barrage of hard unanswered uppercuts and left hooks that cornered Lange against the ropes unable to defend. Lange came back in the fifth with a short right hand to the ear and dropped Wyatt for a quick eight count. War ensued shortly after and the two fighters fiercely exchanged before the bell. Wyatt drew blood early in the sixth and continued to punish and bust up Lange, who was now cut on his swelling left eye. Lange did his best to evade the onslaught and later caught Wyatt again with leg buckling shots to the head, also causing a cut above the eye of his opponent. A straight right landed by Lange in the beginning of the eighth briefly drew crowd’s reaction to his favor, but Wyatt landed the more effective shots to take the round. Both fighters bled profusely in round nine and Wyatt seemingly held the edge once again with cleaner uppercuts. The two exchanged furiously towards the end of the tenth and final round, but it was a devastating right hand by Lange that prevailed, landing right on the button to drop Wyatt for a full ten-count. The official time of the stoppage was 2:38. With the win, Lange picks up the vacant NABA super welterweight title and sets up a potential showdown in Atlantic City against Harry Joe Yorgey in early spring.

JOPPY HELD TO A DRAW

On the co-main event, former three time middleweight champion and ring legend William Joppy ( 39-6-2, 30KOs) made his return to the ring, fighting to a tough, physical, hard fought ten round draw against the very pugnacious and durable Cory ‘Black Ice’ Cummings (17-4-1, 13KOs).

Cummings came out strong in the first two rounds, relentlessly putting pressure on the former world champ. The third round saw Joppy using his vastly superior experience to out-jab and outmaneuver the oncoming and determined foe in Cummings. Pressure was reinforced in round five by ‘Black Ice’, continuing to push Joppy against the ropes while the D.C native tried his best to counter. Rounds six and seven were closely fought. Joppy appeared to have the edge when pitted in the center of the ring as he was able to evade wild overhand rights and place well put combinations. Against the ropes, it was Cummings who did most damage, forcing hard shots to the noggin. Joppy easily controlled the round in the eighth, using his lateral movements and caught his charging opponent with several jabs and body shots. It was back-and-forth action in round nine where Cummings again, forced the action against the ropes while Joppy aimed to counter. Cummings remained a similar pace in the final round, repeatedly catching Joppy with hard hooks. Joppy weathered the storm and fired back with staggering uppercuts and right hand as the two combatants stood toe-to-toe in the final minute.

After ten very brutal rounds, majority of the crowd in attendance stood in ovation. Ultimately, one judge scored 96-94 in favor of Joppy while the others scored it even (95-95).

Joppy, now residing in Woodbridge, VA is probably one of the three or four best middleweights to have laced the gloves in the past two decades. Although his best days as a fighter are behind him, the former champion from D.C. still appears to be a popular attraction, proved by the reaction from his immense supporting crowd in attendance.

REID DAWG WINS AND SINGS

Former reality show ‘The Contender’ participant, Jonathan ‘Reid Dawg’ Reid (35-13, 19KOs) got back on the winning track, tabbing a lopsided six round decision over veteran Mike McFail (12-41-2, 4KOs) of Baltimore, MD. From the get go, Reid dictated pace with sharper technique, easily finding his target with consistent jabs and loud blows to the mid-section. McFail persistently applied pressure, but to no avail, largely due to Reid’s tight defense and savvy ring movement. Tides momentarily turned in favor of McFail in round five when he landed a hail-mary left hook to the chin that buckled Reid against the ropes. The referee credited McFail with the knockdown, but Reid re-took his command when he landed a huge hook that sent McFail’s mouthpiece flying out of the ring. Reid resumed in charge in the sixth, utilizing his superior athleticism and more accurate punches. All judges were in agreement with outcome, scoring the bout 59-55 (twice) and 58-55.

BALLARD DRILLS MULLINS!

The very popular and former Jimmy Lange foe Perry Ballard (21-2-1, 16KOs) scored a sensational first round knockout win over Booker Mullins (3-10, 2KOs) of Sparatanburg, SC in a six round scheduled welterweight contest. Mullins rocked Ballard with a well placed uppercut, but the ‘The Punisher’ retaliated with a perfectly timed right hand that dropped Mullins, prompting the referee to put a halt to a bout at 2:54. After the bout, the charismatic West Virginia native was vaunted by the responsive crowd. Ballard, who holds a Master’s degree in Safety, proceeded to interact with the crowd and even went on to call out Jimmy Lange for a rematch.

Local favorite and Fairfax resident Todd ‘White Lightning’ Wilson punished Columbia, SC’s Cory ‘Bad Boy’ Goodwin (7-6, 4KOs) to improve his unblemished record to 9-0, 3KOs. Wilson, an energetic lefty welterweight, was simply too fast, too powerful and just too relentless to overwhelm Cummings, who was haplessly getting pounded against the ropes in the third stanza. Official time of the stoppage was 2:24.

In the opening bout of the night, Alexandria, VA’s Brandon Quarles won an entertaining four round unanimous decision over Reston, VA’s Lawrence Jones. It was a closely contested bout throughout between two junior middleweights, but Quarles was awarded with the razor thin score of 38-37 across all three judges’ cards.

It was only the second fight of the night, but fans in attendance were convincingly pleased when middleweights Zain ‘Tiger’ Shah (4-0, 2KOs) and Omar Sims (5-3, 3KOs) gave their best efforts in the ring.

Annandale, VA’s Shah appeared to have won the first round, using his superior reach and connecting with jabs and occasional right hands to the head. Action increased towards the end of the round two when Sims pressed attack, landing crisp hooks to the head. Sims, who hails from Baltimore, MD, began to find his mark in round three, landing early with right hands. Shah seemed a bit fatigued as Sims progressively applied pressure and inflict damage on the inside. Sims resumed his attack in round four, but Shah was able to stun Sims just before the bell. Fifth round was close, with Shah continuing to create distance to land his counter right hand while Sims pursued to the body and doubling up with the hook. Both fighters let their hands going in the sixth and final round, but it heavily favored Sims, who was able to relentlessly land clean hooks to the head and hard shots to the body. Most ringside observers appeared to have Sims winning, but the judges disagreed, scoring 58-56 (twice) and 59-55 in favor of Shah.

In other interesting notes, Jonathan Reid, who was coming off his hard-fought win earlier in the night, displayed talent beyond pugilistic arts, singing a happy birthday tribute to Jimmy Lange’s sister in front of the audience. Other notables at ringside included the very high regarded Paul Williams, former junior welterweight champion DeMarcus ‘Chop Chop Corley’, and junior middleweight contender Harry Joe Yorgey.