Stay Tuned

In true Welterweight fashion (a whole lotta dancing around and very little knock-out power), BJ Penn and Jon Fitch took their fight to a whole new level. After the pair fought to a draw at UFC 127, a rematch was immediately in the works for the top contender of the division. Since then, it seems the UFC has changed its mind.

Joe Silva informed Jon Fitch "fans don't want to see it, and I'm not interested," in reference to the rematch. High caliber fighter Carlos Condit immediately moved forward and is now scheduled to take Fitch's place. What's a fighter to do when he gets shoved around? Why tweet of course!

Jon Fitch's went faster than his fists in the cage, and like a villain to a situation he wrote "sounds to me like the fans want it," as many of his followers cried out against the UFC's decision to scrap the fight. "Either way we will meet again."

Fitch was asked if he thought Penn was afraid to fight him, to which Fitch replied "I can't think of another reason he wouldn't fight me."

Penn, seemingly not interested in responding, or perhaps he just can't get internet in his Villa in Hawaii, did not respond. Fitch then wrote, "@bjpenndotcom you broke my heart, I thought you were a man of principle."

Feelings are hurt, UFC, and if they aren't repaired perhaps more will be affected. Make it right, UFC. Teach BJ Penn how to type so we can continue this troll fight.

Micheal A. Aldred

UFC 130 came and went with nothing more than a whimper. The main card kicked things off the right way as Brian Stann continued his strong uprising with a TKO victory over Jorge Santiago. Travis Browne surprised many with a highlight reel superman punch knockout over Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve, and then the night just got dull and boring for fans to watch.

Thiago Alves and Rick Story proved that fighting up against the cage is just not as entertaining to watch unless Hall of Famer, Randy Couture, is handing out the punishment. The fight came to a close with both swinging for the fences, but Alves seems to be fading in his attempts to climb back to the top of the Welterweight division. Story jumped up in the standings chart by earning himself a unanimous decision in this tilt, but aside from that there's not much to write home about regarding his performance.

The co-main event came to save the day - and failed. Roy "Big Country" Nelson was even ridiculed during the fight by co-host Joe Rogan for coming into the fight overweight yet again. To quote Rogan, "this is all because he just likes to eat", and it proved to be true. Rogan even went on to suggest Nelson could easily fight in the Light Heavyweight division (205 lbs) if he would commit himself to the proper diet. Frank Mir landed several intense elbows and knees to the face of Nelson, but he, along with Dos Santos, was unable to finish the bout, walking away with a unanimous decision victory.

Next, the much anticipated return of Matt Hamill had fans nearing jumping out of their seats, and then the fight started and everyone sat back down. As much as I enjoy watching Rampage fight, and he completely dominated this one, I began to feel sorry for Hamill who failed at every single take down he attempted. He had a reach advantage, but found himself constantly extending his arms and missing to lock in pretty much anything. It would then be followed by some serious blows by Jackson, who looked much more healthy and physical prepared for this outing, but Rampage failed to deliver that knock-out blow. At the end of the fight, in which Rampage won a unanimous 30-27 decision (and even that score was incredibly respectful to Hamill considering his performance), Jackson admitted to fighting with a fractured hand. That at least gives him and excuse for a rather dull fight, but definitely not Hamill who proved he very likely should be released from the promotion company.

Brian Stann and Jorge Santiago won the fight of the night honors, earning themselves $70,000 each. Travis Brown earned a $70,000 bonus for his knockout over Stefan Struve, and Gleison Tibau won submission of the night for his efforts during his un-televised bout with Rafaello Oliveira.

That's a total of $280,000 handed out for award bonuses. The fight card drew in a crowd of 12,816 and an approximate gate total of $2.57M.

The following is the fighter's earning, though any and all additional undisclosed bonuses remain confidential on behalf of the UFC.

• Quinton Jackson: $250,000 (no win bonus) def. Matt Hamill: $32,000
• Frank Mir: $250,000 ($125,000 win bonus) def. Roy Nelson: $15,000
• Travis Browne: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus) def. Stefan Struve: $21,000
• Rick Story: $34,000 ($17,000 win bonus) def. Thiago Alves: $33,000
• Brian Stann: $46,000 ($23,000 win bonus) def. Jorge Santiago: $36,000
• Demetrious Johnson: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Miguel Torres: $30,000
• Tim Boetsch: $36,000 ($18,000 win bonus) def. Kendall Grove: $26,000
• Gleison Tibau: $50,000 ($25,000 win bonus) def. Rafaello Oliveira: $10,000
• Michael McDonald: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Chris Cariaso: $4,000
• Renan Barão: $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus) def. Cole Escovedo: $6,000

In total, the card cost the UFC a "confirmed" payout total (including award bonuses) of: $1.162M.

Then there is the consideration of the amount of PPV purchases and Frank Mir as well as Quinton Jackson do bring in quite a bit of interest, but based on how weak of a card this presentation was on behalf of the UFC, it's unlikely this card drew in anywhere above 350,000 purchases, which is an approximate total of $1.75M.

The UFC walked away with about $3.158 as a profit, according to all costs made available to public. It's a decent pay considering the fight card as a whole likely should have been a Fight Night, rather than a PPV, but all in all, UFC 130 came and went with little to remember, and a lot to be desired.

Micheal A. Aldred

There is one week left before UFC 130: Jackson vs. Hamill hits the Bronx in New York, and what was once a highly intriguing fight card has turned to little more than a UFC Fight Night outing. The event had fans buzzing when it was announced the much anticipated title rematch fight between Gray Maynard and Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar would headline the card, but that quickly began to fade when Edgar had to withdraw from the fight due to a broken ribs injury.

That's when the rumors began to fly about a possible replacement in which Anthony Pettis would fill in for the injured Edgar. Fans may remember Pettis for his high-profiled ninja kick he used in the last ever WEC fight card, but this rumor was quickly squashed when Maynard, too, had to withdraw from the event due to an injured knee.

The UFC had very little time to find a replacement bout to headline the card - so they didn't. Instead, they named the card Jackson vs. Hamill, which did little to motivate fans to feel the need to see this event.

Unless Zach Hamill finds a way to destroy Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in this event, fans will not be all that interested to watch his development. He has only appeared in two bouts in his the last two years, and both were decision victories, his most recent against his former Ultimate Fighter coach Tito Ortiz. He also won a majority decision victory over the now released Keith Jardine. This fight was arranged for Hamill more out of respect by Dana White and the UFC which promised him a bout against a top ten fighter after his win over Ortiz.

Quinton Jackson, on the other hand, has been a tad quiet since his return from a fourteen month hiatus from the octagon when he chose to star in the action film A-Team. He lost his return fight to rival Rashad Evans via decision, then defeated former champ Lyoto Machida via majority decision due to his aggressive fighting style which earned him points for octagon control. He's a likeable character that fans are hoping and cheering for as he continues his quest to climb back up the Light Heavyweight chart, but to consider this a main event tilt is somewhat embarrassing.

In fact, the interest level actually climbs the further down you look on the fight card. Fan-favorite Roy "Big Country" Nelson will be back in action as he takes on Brock Lesnar's biggest critic, Frank Mir. Both have knock-out power and the ability to power out ground control with high-class submission tactics, so the fight certainly has a ton of intrigue tied to it.

Brian Stann, who proved to be a rising star in the Middleweight division, will continue his quest for a title shot as he fights former Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago. Stann recently destroyed Chris Leben at UFC 125. Santiago has just one loss since 2007, which he avenged four months later against Mamed Khalidov. He is expected to come into the UFC, claim and conquer the Middleweight division, but he certainly will not be eased in with this pairing.

Next, the UFC has arranged for another battle of the giants as Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve looks to put together his third win in as many fights as the 6'11" 23 year-old will battle it out with undefeated 6'7" boxing, BJJ brawler Travis Browne. The 29 year-old Browne is coming off of a surprising draw decision against Cheick Kongo at UFC 120. He'll be looking to rebound with a strong performance after that fight, but the toughness of Struve cannot be underestimated. It's highly likely these two will race to the center of the octagon and hammer away for control.

The depth on the card continues with Kendall Grove, Tim Boetsch, and Thiago Alves all making appearances, but the card still suffers from a headliner.

Fans in New York will have to settle for the card, but it will be a bitter sweet ending when the UFC comes and goes and the audience returns to their homes wondering what could of been of the Maynard/Edgar Championship battle. At least they'll see some knockouts.

Micheal A. Aldred

This weekend, the UFC hits Newark, New Jersey with a massive fight card. Jon "Bones" Jones will step back into the octagon after only a one month break, and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua will put his Light Heavyweight title on the line. Rashad Evans was originally slated for the fight, but suffered a knee injury during training and had to withdraw from his title opportunity.

Bantamweight Bout: Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland

This fight will feature two WEC newcomers in their first outing in the UFC. Weighing in at 135 pounds, the fight is expected to be fast and furious, but there's no reports as to whether or not Vin Diesel will appear at the event to support this fight specifically.

Urijah Faber: The 31 year-old Isla Vista, California native has a purple belt in BJJ and is noted for his Collegiate Wrestling skills. He's a two time winning NCAA and has gone 3-3 in his last six bouts, but the three losses all came in title fights, two of which were against Mike Brown, the other against the current champion, Jose Aldo.

Eddie Wineland: The 26 year-old Texas native is profound in his wrestling and boxing style. He's currently on a four fight win streak, and has earned KO and TKO victories in his last two fights over Will Campuzano and Ken Stone. The KO against Ken Stone was a brutal slam. He's won knockout of the night in both of those fights, so he'll certainly be bringing the pain.

Prediction: Wineland, Round 2, TKO

Lightweight Bout: Jim Miller vs. Kamal Shalorus

Jim Miller has been the talk of the Lightweight town ever since he stepped foot in the octagon. His quest to reach the top of the division will be shadowed by the arrival of Kamal Shalorus. Both fighters have significant winning streaks going, and one of those will end Saturday night.

Jim Miller: The 27 year-old "This Is Sparta!", New Jersey native has a black belt in BJJ, and has great wrestling skills. He is a submission machine with 11 wins via tap-out on his 19-2 record. He recently performed a prison rape in 1:59 against Charles Oliveira at UFC 124 when he forced his opponent to tap due to a knee bar.

Kamal Shalorus: Shalorus has no idea which year or which day he was born on, which makes him a fighter, not a thinker. He's slated to be around 33 or 34 years old, but claims the government of Iran has told him he is 37. Whatever the case, fans watch him fight, not blow out candles. He's yet to lose in his 7 professional fight career, and has four TKO victories. He is, essentially, a wild card who very well could be a 400 year old Highlander.

Prediction: Jim Miller, Round 2, Submission

Middleweight Bout: Nate Marquardt vs. Dan Miller

Nate Marquardt missed his big ticket when he lost to Chael Sonnen. He missed it again when he fell short against Yushin Okami. He doesn't want to miss it again. Dan Miller was a rising star who suffered three straight losses to top of the division fighters Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia and Michael Bisping. Since then, he's submitted John Salter and defeated Joe Dersken. To say nothing is on the line in this fight is a gross understatement.

Nate Marquardt: The 31 year-old Lander, Wyoming native has a black belt in BJJ and a 2nd degree black belt in Jujutsu. When he wins fights, he typically wins via KO/TKO, just ask Martin Kampman, Demian Maia and Rousimar Palhares how hard he can hit. He's always lingered near the top of the division, but just seems to fall short when a big performance is required. He'll look to make a statement against Dan Miller on Saturday.

Dan Miller: The 19 year-old Sparta, New Jersey native has a black belt in BJJ. While I try not to dive into a fighter's personal life, Miller did lose a child in May of 2009. Late May of 2009 is also the same time in which he began his losing streak with a loss to Chael Sonnen. It's quite obvious there's a connection, but with two straight wins in his last appearances, it's also clear he's winning for his family. Miller's motivation is second to none and he cannot be underestimated.

Prediction: Miller, Round 2, Submission

Heavyweight Bout: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Brendan Schaub

Aside from the championship bout, this fight has me the most excited to watch this event. While Cro cop has had his share of defeats, they are typically far and few between. Brendan Schaub has one blemish in mixed martial arts career and it came at the hands of Roy Nelson at the Ultimate Fighter finale. One guy can kick the head off an ox, the other can punch out a dragon. Think this fight will be exciting?

Mirko Filipovic: His last fight was boring, aside from the part where he slapped Frank Mir in the face, but that slap came back to bite him as he took a severe KO knee and lost the fight. Prior to that, he slugged it out with Pat Barry and Anthony Perosh, earning a doctor stoppage and a submission victory. The 36 year-old kickbozer is always a dangerous fighter in the division.

Brendan Schaub: The 27 year-old Aurora, Colorado native was the runner-up to the Ultimate Fighter Heavyweight's edition. He has a green belt in Defendo, and is riding a three-fight win streak. His last bout was a unanimous decision victory over Gabriel Gonzaga. Prior to that, he TKO'd Chris Tuchscherer and Chase Gormley, both under 70 seconds. He's on a mean streak and won't let anyone get in his win.

Prediction: Schaub, KO, Round 1

Championship Light Heavyweight Bout: Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Jon "Bones" Jones

Rashad Evans suffered a knee injury and withdrew from the bout (not by choice). In turn, Jon Jones annihilated Ryan Bader and earned the title shot. He accepted immediately and now, though it was a quick turnaround to prepare for the champ, the 23 year-old is ready to step in the limelight and put his fists up against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Jon Jones: The Greco-Roman Wrestling, Muay Tai, and Gaidojutsu fighter has only one loss in his career and it came due to disqualification via illegal knees. He is an all-round fighter who will, either Saturday night or in the near future, be a champion. He is a champion. The kid is a winner. He's TKO'd Brendan Vera, and Vladimir Matyushenko, both in the first round, with elbows. He then Man-handled Ryan Bader for nearing 10 minutes before finishing him with a Modified Guillotine Choke.

Mauricio Rua: Shogun Rua is a 29 year-old Curitiba, Brazil native with a black belt in BJJ. He was a force in Pride, and after regaining his confidence and his groove in the UFC has become dominant here as well. He was choked out by Forrest Griffin in his first UFC fight when he was working his way into the promotion company and Griffin was on top of his game. He followed that up with TKO victories over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell. He then earned his title shot against Lyoto Machida and lost via split decision which had MMA fans furious. He came back in his re-match and proved a point by KOing the almost un-hittable karate kid and now looks to defend his title for the first time against Jon Jones. Rua has also told reporters he would fight Anderson Silva if the fight was offered to him, but until both fighters clean out their respected division, that will be on hold. First, Rua will have to get past Jones, so until that gets done I wouldn't be calling out anyone. Jones is a serious contender, perhaps currently even the best fighter in the divison, and will be a serious battle on Saturday night.

Prediction: Jon Jones, Round 3, Submission

Get ready for one hell of a ride, MMA fans. UFC 128 comes at us live, Saturday March 19th, 2011 at 10:00 PM EST on PPV.

UFC 126 had fans buzzing, but a fight that was supposed to have fans on their feet simply did not. Dana White and the UFC learned the day of the event that Light Heavyweight challenger Rashad Evans injured his knee during training and had to pull out from his title shot against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in March. As such, both Griffin and Franklin were informed that a strong performance could earn them a title shot. Unfortunately, just minutes before the fight, both competitors learned that Jon Jones would receive that title shot after man-handling Ryan Bader. But the show must go on, right? Well, that's where it gets a bit more awkward.

In the first round of the fight, Forrest Griffin, clearly the bigger of the two fighters, took down Rich Franklin and executed unrelentless ground and pound. Franklin, seemingly, came out of the round un-scathed, but his corner remained persistent that Griffin was "tired"; a comment to which Franklin replied "I know, he's tired, yeah." As the fight continued, Griffin was undoubtedly the stronger fighter as he took Franklin down, pushed off his take-down attempts, gained control along the fence, and was quicker to the punches. Still, Franklin's corner maintained their positive outlook on the bout.

"You’re doing great. You’re doing great. You won that round."

It was not only a lie, but it was deemed ridiculous by Dana White.

“I was listening to the corner, and his corner is telling him he’s winning the fight,” White said. "I was just listening to it and thinking, ‘Are you kidding me?’ When they raised Forrest’s hand and announced that Griffin had won all three rounds, Rich was like, ‘What? My cornermen told me I won the fight.’ I just don’t understand it.”

While the title shot was no longer up for grabs, and it seemed both fighters were just trying to prove which one was still relevant, White's frustration with Franklin's corner is absolutely understandable. It's difficult to lead a fighter to a victory, but even towards the end of the fight, Franklin felt no reason to pursue an "all or nothing" attitude even in the dying seconds. Forrest Griffin was swinging to the end, Franklin was still trying to pick his shots. It was the attitude of a winning fighter in a losing fight that made it so frustrating to watch for any Franklin fan.

Tomorrow night is the first of many upcoming fight cards UFC fans are salivating to witness. UFC 126 brings us what very well could be a night of surprises. Here are my predictions on the fights.

Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres vs. Antonio Banuelos

Miguel Torres is a 30 year-old WEC newcomer with a black belt in BJJ. He boasts a record of 38-3, but two of his losses came in his last three bouts (submission to Joseph Benavidez / KO to Brian Bowles), but he rebounded with the submission of the night honors when he choked out Charlie Valencia this past September.

Antonio Banuelos is another WEC crossover, and will mark the first main card bantamweight fight for the UFC. The 31 year-old boxing, wrestler holds a record of 18-6, and has four wins in his last five fights. Ten of his wins have gone the distance, so cardio is not a question mark. In fact, he's only been finished four times in his career, but his opponent's winning streaks come in dozens.

Prediction: Miguel Torres - Submission - Round 2

Welterweight Bout: Jake Ellenberger vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha

Ellenberger is a 25 year-old wresler with a blue belt in BJJ. He has just one lost during his three fight UFC career, and it came in his first bout against the always dangerous Carlos Condit. Since then, he's finished Mike Pyle and John Howard via TKO, and now sets his eyes on Carlos Eduardo Rocha. His record of 23-5 is not by chance and he'll try to prove it on Saturday.

Rocha is a 19 year-old UFC rookie who has yet to lose in his professional MMA career. His first fight with the promotion company was a kneebar submission victory over Kris McCray. He has yet to go the distance in any bout, and 8 of his 9 victories came by submission. He'll look to take his opponent to the ground, scramble and finish him off in style.

Prediction: Rocha - Round 1 - Submission

Light Heavyweight Bout: Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader

Jon Jones is a rising star in the UFC, with just one loss in his professional MMA career, and it came via disqualification due to illegal elbows against Matt Hamill at the UFC Ultimate Fighter Finale 10. He's never gone the distance, he's never been finished, and no fighter has even come close to putting him in danger. Simply put, Jones is a future champion and everyone knows it, except Ryan Bader. The fact that he's 23 only emphasizes just how good he is and is going to be.

Ryan Bader is another big time competitor for the Light Heavyweight division. The 27 year-old Division 1 wrestler has seemingly done it all, except win the belt. Of his 12 fight undefeated streak, he has 5 knockouts, 3 submission and 4 unanimous decision victories. If Jones can't avoid his strength against the cage, Bader will be problematic throughout the fight.

Prediction: Jon Jones - Round 1 - KO

Light Heavyweight Bout: Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin

Forrest Griffin is the definition of heart in the UFC, so what better fighter to pair him up against than the one that shares the same personality? Both fighters are former champions, but Griffin does have the ability to say he beat the current champion, Mauricio Rua. When he's bloodied, he fights his best, and after avenging his loss against Tito Ortiz, he seems to be revitalized.

Rich Franklin has fought the best, beat the best and lost to the best. It's what his career stands for. If you're not willing to but your fists in the line of fire, you're not a true fighter; Franklin has always put up his fists. While he has lost to Vitor Belfort, Anderson Silva, and Dan Henderson in his last seven fights, he has defeated Chuck Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hamill and Travis Lutter. If there's anything to be expected from this fight, it's a war.

Prediction: Forrest Griffin - Round 3 - Submission

Middleweight Championship Bout: Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort

If there's one thing this bout is going to be about, it's speed. If there's one thing Anderson Silva would love to have about this bout is to slow things down. If he's at all able to weather Vitor Belfort's early storm (which should be expected unless he makes the mistake of respecting his opponent) Silva should be able to take him to the ground and execute the submission. That said, it's a big if on whether or not Silva is able to dodge the flurry of knockout punches Vitor Belfort presents in his fight game. The most important aspect of Belfort's style is that he is a Southpaw fighter - so was Chael Sonnen, and if it weren't for his exhaustion towards the end of the fifth round in his attempt to defeat the champ, he very well could have been the one defending the title tonight.

Anderson Silva comes into the fight having successfully defending the Middleweight belt a total of seven times. Of those fights, Silva has only gone the distance twice (Maia, and Leites being the only fighters to survive 25 minutes against the Spider).

Vitor Belfort is a giant question mark for all UFC fans. Yes, he knocked out Rich Franklin to earn the title shot. Yes, his last three fights were all knockout victories within the first 9 minutes of the fight, but he has testes positive for banned substances in the past, and his only championship victory came against Randy Couture in 2004 when the fight was stopped due to the strap of Belfort's glove cutting a gash across Couture's eye. His next fight thereafter was a rematch in which The Natural beat him via doctor stoppage.

When it comes down to it, we all have to wonder if Belfort truly has the speed and strength in his punches to finish, arguably, the best fighter in the history of MMA. If he can't, it's hard to imagine if anyone will.

Prediction: Vitor Belfort - KO - Round 1

If there's one thing that Forrest Griffin brings to the table that most MMA fighters do not, it's tenacity. Griffin and Franklin both fight from the heart, but Griffin is a man that never gives up, and Rich Franklin recognizes it and sees the same attitude in himself.

“I don't think anyone has pushed Forrest at all,” said Franklin. "You have a very well rounded fighter that has some knockout power on his feet. He's a very tenacious fighter and as the fight goes on, he fights harder. Did I just describe me or did I describe Forrest?”

It's something that has put the mental preparation in Franklin's advantage. In order to prepare for a fighter that is similar to yourself, you must train to beat yourself.

“He's going to use his striking skills to close the distance and then use his size to try to smother me and put me on the ground,” said Franklin. “I just believe it's gonna be more difficult than that.”

Franklin and Griffin are already legends of the UFC. They have both held titles in their respected divisions, they've won by knockout, they've lost by knockout, but they have always remained atop the UFC's best fighters since their arrival.

With Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort headlining the fight, it's difficult state it will be the best fight of the evening. For fans who are looking to watch a war, this is the bout to tune into.

UFC 126 comes to us this Saturday.

Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin will square off on February 5th, but they both understand the risks that are involved in fighting.

"People ask me 'Where are you going to party after the fight'," says Franklin. his response? "'Probably Valley View ER, win or lose"' a Las Vegas hospital.

In Franklin's last appearance, he knocked out UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell, but it cost him a broken arm due to a kick. Forrest Griffin experienced a broken arm in a fight in 2003 - he also KO'd his opponent - but his most recent dangers involved foot injuries.

"My whole thing is that in practice and fights, I'm going to kick recklessly. I don't care," said Griffin. "I'm going to sacrifice the foot for 15 minutes. I don't protect the feet. I don't have great range in my kicks but I'm going to throw them and I'm going to throw them hard and if my foot breaks, it breaks. I don't care."

Griffin fought through a broken foot against long-time rival Tito Ortiz at UFC 106 in November of 2009. He won the fight via split decision. Griffin has also suffered shoulder injuries and was forced out of a fight against Antonio rogerio Nogueira at UFC 114. He also has plates in both hands. "Those are fine. Those don't give me any problem."

Franklin explains that when you have adrenaline pumping, you don't feel the pain as much as when you're calm.

"As soon as I threw the first punch with my arm, the broken arm, I felt the bones go cer-clack. It felt the same exact way it felt in the Loiseau fight and it hurt a little bit. And I knew, I knew then it was broken. But it was my arm this time and not a bone in my hand."

Franklin and Griffin both hope to have an excited, injury-free fight.

Brock Lesnar found one significant reason to accept his role on the Ultimate Fighter Season 13. in his own words, "Benjamins." He's also expected to receive a bonus on top of his new marketability within the show, as well as higher payouts from pay-per-view events thanks to the world getting a closer look at the former Heavyweight champion.

Once the show concludes, both coaches, Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos, will fight in a number one contender match for the Heavyweight title.

"When I beat Dos Santos, then I get a rematch with Velasquez and get my (expletive) belt back," said Lesnar. "That's how I'm looking at this."

There were rumours that suggested Lesnar was no longer interested in MMA after his loss to the now-champion Cain Velasquez, but Lesnar was quick to squash those suggestions.

"I'm a fighter," he said.

As for his role in the show, he's been questioned as to whether or not he's a suitable selection for a coach.

"I've been the UFC champion. What more qualifications do you need? I've been competing my whole life. I've got a great coaching staff, guys that have been coaching top fighters, top wrestlers, national championship teams. I think we're well capable of coaching guys to become the next ultimate fighter. I've got faith in my people. These guys made me a champion. Why can't we make these kids successful?"

When it comes down to the trash talking, Lesnar is there to do his job. Oddly, it's Dos Santos who is there to start the trash-talking.

"He doesn't accept punches well. I am from boxing, so I have no problem with punches. Guys can punch me and I feel nothing, just keep going. That doesn't happen with him," said a smiling Dos Santos. "I don't know why, I guess he's got a weak chin. I believe I can knock him out."

The select date for the premiere of the upcoming season will be March 30, but Brock Lesnar feels there's no reason to make a mockery of the show. He's there to teach.

"It's not a game to me. I don't have to go around playing pranks and stirring up rivalries," he said. "These other fighters have to do that stuff because nobody will watch it otherwise. I don't need no storyline. I'm Brock Lesnar, and people want to see me fight."

Lesnar and Dos Santos will be training Welterweights in the upcoming season.

It's been over a decade since the UFC held an event in Japan and now it seems as though they will be returning within the next year.

During a brief press conference in Toyko, Japan, Executive Vice-President and Managing Direction of Zuffa's Asian Operations Division, Mark Fisher (who officially holds the longest job title in the history of man) announced that the UFC his coming, but he is not entirely sure when.

"I would say that we're not ready to announce anythig yet, but that we're hoping to have an event later this year or early next year in Japan," said Fishcer. "It's a step-by-step process. It doesn't happen overnight. We want to build up to a good fan base, grow our media exposure, and we want fighters from different nationalities in the UFC before marketing to that nation and bringing in the big event."

The UFC has done an excellent job re-presenting their sport to specific nations to bring the UFC to a near world-dominant position. The promotion company has recently broken down the doors for Ontario, Canada, and now, with the likelihood of hitting Japan with a pay per view event over the next year or so, it's looking as if other promotion companies will either have to aim for the fences, or step back and watch the UFC take over the world.

'Today is a very important step in both expanding the number of Japanese fighters in the UFC as well as expanding our media platforms to bring the UFC to more fans than ever before. We want to make sure that any fan who wants to watch the UFC has the best access they can and, at the same time, reach new fans," stated Fischer.

I'll say. Europe has struggled to maintain a consistency of high-ranked fighters. While smaller promotion companies do have some excellent fighters that have yet to find their way to the UFC, it's more than likely that over the next decade they will.

With the 2011 year kicked off with an exciting draw between Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, the ancitipation for bigger and better fight cards has not slowed down. The UFC is expected to make two more appearances in Canada over the next six months, Anderson Silva will defend his title against Vitor Belfort in February, and now the fight card for UFC 128, which could be the most impressive card of the year thus far, has been announced.

Preliminary Bouts:

Dan Miller vs. Nick Catone (Miller is coming off two consecutive wins after his loss to Michael Bisping last May; Catone is likely on his last legs and must earn a victory to stay in the UFC after losing two of his last three appearances).

Manny Gamburyan vs. Raphael Assuncao (Gamburyan is a WEC cross over with three wins in his last four fights; Assuncao is another WEC newcomer who recently defeated LC Davis via unanimous decision).

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian Loveland (Benavidez is a WEC arrival with three wins in his last four fights; Loveland is a new addition to the UFC riding a seven fight MMA win streak).

Kurt Pellegrino vs. Gleison Tibau (Pellegrino is coming off a unanimous decision loss to George Sotiropoulos and looks to start another string of wins; Tibau is 2-2 in his last four bouts with his most recent fight being a loss to Jim Miller).

Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani (Barboza is another recent signing for the UFC who has yet to lose in his professional career, he has a record of 7-0; Njokuani is a WEC arrival coming off a TKO victory over Edward Faaloloto).

Ricardo Almeida vs. Mike Pyle (Almeida switched to the Welterweight division in March of 2010 and has a record of 2-1; Pyle is coming off consecutive victories in the last six months).

Luiz Cane vs. Karlos Vemola (Cane is also nearing an exit from the UFC with back to back TKO losses; Vemola has just one blemish on his MMA record, and it came in his UFC debut against Jon Madsen. He boasts a record of 8-1).

Main Bouts:

Bredan Schaub vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (Schaub's only professional loss came against Roy Nelson during the Ultimate Fighter. He has since conquered Chase Gormley (TKO Punches), Chris Tuchscherer (TKO Punches), and Gabriel Gonzaga (Unanimous Decision). Cro Cop looks bounce back after suffering a KO (knee) loss against Frank Mir. While he has become a bit of an inconsistent competitor, he is always dangerous with his kicks).

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Nate Marquardt (Akiyama is coming off a pair of losses to Michael Bisping and Chris Leben. Prior to those fights, he held a record of 13-1-2. Marquardt is trying to inch his way back to the top of the Middleweight division. In his last bout, he lost a unanimous decision against Yushin Okami).
Kamal Shalorus vs. Jim Miller (Shalorus is a WEC newcomer without a single loss in his professional career. He is known as a Lightweight Knock-Out artist. Jim Miller is currently one of the top fighters in the UFC. His total control fighting style has helped him reach a six fight win streak and now he sets his eyes on the Lightweight title. Shalorus stands in his way before getting that opportunity).

Urijah Faber vs. Eddie Wineland (Faber will make his UFC debut after going 3-3 in his last six fights. He has constantly challenged for the Featherweight championship, and has lost after defending the same trophy five times from 2006 to 2008. He has since moved to the Bantamweight division, and won his first outing via Technical Submission against Takeya Mizugaki. Windeland is another WEC competitor who is riding a four fight win streak. His last two bouts, he won the Knockout of the Night honors. This is expected to be a fast and hard hitting fight).

Rashad Evans vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (Evans has just one loss in his career, and it came against former champion Lyoto Machida. Since then, he's won back to back unanimous decisions over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson. Now, he earns another title shot to try and re-acquire the belt. Shogun struggled out of the gate in his arrival to the UFC. He suffered a submission loss against Forrest Griffin before earning TKO and KO victories over Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell. Since his loss to Forrest Griffin, his only other loss came against Lyoto Machida - a fight in which many, perhaps even more, UFC fans felt he had won. He followed that loss with a decisive first round KO (punches) win over Machida for the title. Now, after recovering from a few injuries, he's ready to defend the title for the first time in his career).

UFC 128 is a promising fight card that is sure to excite all MMA fans. It will be held in Newark, New Jersey on March 19th, 2011. 

UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who suffered a torn rotator cuff, said that his surgery "went well" and he is already back in the gym training. The guesstimate for his rehabilitation is six to eight months, so he will have plenty of time to nurse his shoulder back to its top physical form. Add to that the decision to have Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos become the head coaches for the upcoming Ultimate Fighter season, in which the winner between the two heavyweight coaches will get the title shot, and Velasquez has more than enough time to prepare himself for his first title defence.

Middleweight rising star, Brian Stann, has recently had a decisive TKO victory over Chris Leben. Now, he targets what he feels will be the next best competition for him - Michael Bisping.

In April of 2009, Stann was brought on board to the UFC after winning the WEC Light-Heavyweight championship. He has improved his UFC record to 4-2, and recognizes that the only way to move in the UFC is forward.

“There are a lot of amazing match-ups in the middleweight division right now," said Stann. "It’s a very deep division. A couple of years ago, I was in the WEC and watching the rest of these guys fight. It’s an honour to now be in the mix and fighting them. Hopefully, my next fight will be Wanderlei Silva, who is obviously a legend in the sport, and it would be an honour to fight your guy from the UK, Michael Bisping, an amazing fighter who has truly distinguished himself in the weight class.”

Regardless of who the UFC decides to line-up in the opposite corner, Stann has shown that he is ready and willing to stand and exchange with the best of them. Whether fans are treated to a Silva or Bisping match-up, you can bet it will be a fight worth watching.

John McCain has called the sport "human cockfighting", others have considered it "barbaric", but the UFC and mixed martial arts continues to chug along like the little engine that could and are now setting their eyes on New York City.

Dana White made a visit to Madison Square Garden, the very scene in which he would like to see his fighters put on a show in the near future. He spoke of the 30% of tickets that were sold to New Yorkers for the fight between Georges St. Pierre and Dan Hardy at UFC 111, but despite the UFC's efforts, it has been a slow progression in convincing the city of the value of the event.

“To be honest, I’m not frustrated," said White. "I’m a little baffled. It’s an education process. I feel we have a good team here in New York and we’re going to get this thing done. The process is the same everywhere we go. Our job is to educate these guys on who we really are and what this sport is. We got Ontario done, and I’m confident we’ll get New York done, too.”

If there is any one person who is most disappointed over Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fighting to a draw, it's Anthony Pettis. Unfortunately for Pettis, UFC fans benefit the most. On Tuesday, Dana White held a conference call in which he announced that the final stages were in place to arrange a fight between Anthony Pettis and Clay Guida.

"It's not a done deal," White said. "But it's a fight we're talking about."

It is expected to be a number one contender bout for the Lightweight championship - the winner ultimately facing whoever comes out of the rematch between Edgar and Maynard. If nothing was on the line other than the fight, this match-up would be highly entertaining. Clay Guida's no-stop antics in the octagon vs. Anthony Pettis' flying ninja kick is certainly a high-adrenaline pairing. Now that there's a potential shot at the belt up for grabs, you can be sure these two fighters will go the extra mile.

We can all thank Edgar and Maynard for fighting to a draw now.

Anderson Silva is one bad Mama Jama. In an interview with TSN, the Middlewight champ stated he would like to defend his belt against Michael Bisping sometime in the UK. Yeah. A month from now, Silva will put his belt on the line against the hard-hitting Vitor Belfort, and already he's looking past the event at defending the title against another fighter.

"The British fans are very knowledgeable and passionate about MMA. I would love to fight there once more," he told ESPN. "Michael Bisping is very impressive. He's been in the UFC for a long time now and beaten some very good fighters. It would be an honour to fight him, perhaps in England. He is fast, is very busy and makes adjustments quickly. I am the champion of the world, not just Brazil or America. Being a world champion means taking on the best fighters from around the world all over the world. If the chance came I would like to fight Bisping in the UK if that's what the UFC put together."

He's more than likely to receive his wish, but whether it comes while he's holding the belt is another question. We'll soon find out.

The upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, its 13th installment, has finally found their coaches. Heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos will headline the show that will feature Welterweight fighters.

“We were sitting there, working on this thing for such a long time,” White said on a Tuesday media conference call. “At the press conferences, everybody kept asking me. I said, ‘I’m behind the eight-ball. I should’ve had this done already.’ There were a lot of different people we were looking at and then, boom, Cain Velasquez gets hurt,” said White. “I was literally driving to work one morning and I said, ‘You know what? This makes sense. Let’s see if we can do this.’”

Junior Dos Santos was next in line at the title shot against Cain Velasquez and with the champion sidelined due to a torn rotator cuff, it seems the next logical pairing would be against former champ Brock Lesnar. Having Dos Santos get aboard the Ultimate Fighter train seemed easy, but Lesnar is another story.

“To put this guy (Dos Santos) on the shelf for a long time is ridiculous, and much credit to him for not wanting to go on the shelf,” said White. “We’ve seen guys who have been in similar situations that say, ‘You know what? I’ll just sit out and wait.’ Sitting out and waiting is insane. In dealing with Brock, one minute, he can be into something, and the next minute, he can completely be not into something. I’m already prepared for this, mentally, and it’s gonna be a tough season. I know it is.”

There were rumours that suggested Lesnar would retire from MMA and return to professional wrestling, but those were mostly spread due to an odd encounter between Lesnar and WWE star The Undertaker following Lesnar's loss to Velasquez at UFC 121.

“None of that was true,” White confirmed. “Obviously, I was in communication with Brock and his team, and talking to them the whole time... There was no wheeling and dealing about the WWE. I think everybody knows how I feel about that. He’s under contract with me. The guy’s a former world champion, has beat guys and held the title. No matter what his record is, what the guy has accomplished in the short amount of time that he’s been in MMA is incredible. To say the guy doesn’t have the credentials to coach ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ is probably one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.”

Tryouts for the Ultimate Fighter were held on November 4th, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will begin production later this month.

With the Ultimate Fighter coaches now determined, it leaves the division wide open for one Shane Carwin. The knock-out artist has confirmed he will fight at UFC 131, but the opponen has yet to be determined.

Carwin was scheduled to fight Roy Nelson, but the fight had to be cancelled due to Carwin's back problem. Now, it seems possible he could be fighting on the same card as Nelson at UFC 131, but Nelson is rumoured to be matched up against Frank Mir.

"As of this blog no opponent has been mentioned," Carwin wrote on his official website. "I am training hard and working on fixing the issues I ran into during the Lesnar fight."

UFC 131 is expected to take place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as the third Canadian card in five months. Many fans already feel this fight card could be much more intriguing than the upcoming Toronto, Ontario, Canada line-up.

With the Lightweight division championship still on the line with the re-match set between Frankie Edgar and his challenger Gray Maynard, WEC crossover champ, Anthony Pettis, is not willing to sit back and wait for the smoke to clear before his next fight. That has now lined up two high potential fights for the newcomer that is rumored to be Clay Guida, but could very well be Kenny Florian.

Guida, a 29 year-old from Rockford, Illinois, is currently riding a three-fight win streak. In that span, he's submitted Shannon Gugerty via arm triangle choke, forced Rafael dos Anjos to tap due to an injured jaw, and choked out Takanori Gomi. As he climbs the division, Anthony Pettis is exactly the fight he needs. Pettis has recently performed quite the ninja kick stunt in his unanimous decision victory over Ben Henderson at WEC 53, but a fight with Guida would actually be taking a step back for him. With the title shot in line for Pettis, a loss to Guida would remove him from contention and launch Guida to the top of the division.

Kenny Florian has had his ups and downs recently. He had a title shot against then champion BJ Penn, but was unable to out maneuvre the Hawaiian, BJJ black belt. He then moved on with victories over the mentioned Clay Guida (read-naked choke), and Takanori Gomi (also rear-naked choke), but lost a unanimous decision to Gray Maynard for the title shot at UFC 118. Florian remains one of the best fighters at 155lbs, and with a win over Guida, it seems more fitting for him to get the number one contender fight against Pettis.

It will certainly be interesting to see which way the UFC goes on this one, but should fans be informed of a Guida/Pettis fight, you can bet that card will sell fast.

Junior Dos Santos wants a belt and he wants it now. After earning his title shot with a win over Roy Nelson, Dos Santos was scheduled to fight Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez at UFC 129 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but the fight has been cancelled due to Velasquez suffering a torn rotator cuff that would require surgery and extensive therapy prior to a return to action, effectively displacing the champion from the octagon for the next six to eight months.

It's a wait that is too long for Dos Santos.

"Of course, it would be amazing to face Velasquez at UFC: Rio in August," said Dos Santos, "but I cannot stay away from the Octagon for a year just waiting for him to recover, I really think that the fairest thing to do would be for [UFC President] Dana [White] to give me the opportunity to fight for an interim belt. I'm 100 percent focused on getting this belt."

As of now, there's no word if such an interim fight will happen. Frank Mir is already scheduled to fight Roy Nelson at UFC 130, Brock Lesnar is still recovering from his loss to Velasquez, and Shane Carwin has only recently returned to training. The latter is likely the most suitable option right now, but it's another tough call the UFC will have to make.

What are your thoughts? Who do you think is the best match-up for Anthony Pettis and Junior Dos Santos?

While first reports suggested Quinton "Rampage" Jackson could find himself fighting newcomer James "I-got-my-ass-handed-to-me-by-Randy-Couture-but-got-paid-lots-of-money-to-do-it" Toney. That rumor has now been squashed as Jackson is slated to fight Thiago Silva at UFC 130. In his quest to march back into the Light Heavyweight title picture, Jackson has defeated Lyoto Machida by split decision. Thiago Silva has recently earned a unanimous decision victory over the newly-cut Brandon Vera. A clash between these two stars, who have had their ups and downs during their UFC careers, will likely launch the winner into contention.

It seems as though the UFC and Roy Nelson's former promotion company, and now he is scheduled to fight Frank Mir at UFC 130. Nelson's last UFC fight earned him a loss vs. Heavyweight challenger Junior Dos Santos. Frank Mir is coming off a knock-out victory over Mirco Cro Cop - that fight saw Cro Cop's face meet Mir's knee. While it's not the line-up people have expected from both fighter, it does promise to be an intriguing and exciting fight. Each have knock-out power, and both have a black belt in BJJ. There's no guaranteed winner heading into this fight. Anything can happen.

UFC 130 will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 28, 2011.
 

Following UFC125, four more fighters have found their way out of the promotion company. Brandon Vera, Marcus Davis, Phil Baroni and Antonio McKee were all shown the door following their losses. The most surprising victim in the eyes of MMA CLUTCH is one Brandon Vera who seemed to have secured himself with wins over Frank Mir, Assuerio Silva and Justin Eilers, but those all came way back in 2006.

It has been a slow decline since Vera made a run for the UFC Heavyweight championship. He then dropped down to the Light Heavyweight division, hoping that he would be less likely to fall victim to the strength of his larger competitors, but the weight cut did little to slow Vera's talent decline.

After losses to Fabricio Werdum and Tim Syliva, Vera battled Reese Andy in his 205lbs debut. He then lost his following bout with Keith Jardine, who has since been ousted from the UFC. Vera then showed signs of improvement with a second round TKO victory over Mike Patt, and a unanimous decision win over Krzysztof Soszynski, but it was followed by losses to Randy Couture, Jon Jones and, most recently, Thiago Silva.

Add those up and you have six losses in his last nine fights, leading to his three-fight losing streak and eventual departure from the company.

"He'd like to revamp his career," Vera's manager, Matt Stansell, said in a text to ESPN.com.

I'm not entirely sure if there's anything else he can do or say at this point. In his fight against Thiago Silva, he was, to put it gently, man-handled like a fat guy on a hamburger platter. For a fighter that has dropped weight to fight at the 205lbs division, he did not have the necessary strength to compete against Silva's power. That is not to discredit Silva, who looks to be constantly improving since his loss to Lyoto Machida, but it does speak volumes as to Vera's lack of progression in MMA.

"This is my job, this is what I'm supposed to be doing," he said. "People always ask me what would I do if I weren't fighting. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I stopped fighting."

I'm sure Vera will be able to find himself a contract with Strikeforce, and hopefully he can build himself back up to the promising young fighter that he was. For now, Vera must improve - something he forgot to continue doing a long time ago.
 

Under six months ago, UFC Middleweight fighter Chael Sonnen came within 2 minutes of defeating Anderson Silva for the division championship. Shortly thereafter, Sonnen tested positive for banned substances and was suspended from the sport for six months. Now, reports have confirmed Sonnen has pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge at a U.S. Federal court. the charge is connected to a mortgage fraud, which has forced Sonnen to give up his realtor liscence. The government has also recommended that he be sentenced to two years probation and pay a fine of $10,000. This is quite the bargain considering the maximum punishment for this offense is 20 years in prison and a $500,000 charge.

"A financial transaction [I] conducted was designed to conceal or disguise the ownership and control of the proceeds of wire fraud.”

Just a few weeks prior to his August 2010 fight with Anderson Silva, Sonnen withdrew his candidacy for the Oregon House District 37 citing a 2006 legal issue . . . that needs my immediate attention." It seems this would be the issue he had referred to.

Dana White has spoken sincerely towards Sonnen and wishes for his fighter to put his life back together before committing to more fights in the UFC.

“Chael Sonnen has gone through a lot in the last few months and we think it’s important for him to focus on getting his personal life together before focusing on his career in the UFC,” said White. “I spoke with Chael earlier today and he agrees that setting priorities in his life is the best thing for him right now. I sincerely hope Chael is able to straighten out his personal life.”

Chael Sonnen was scheduled to fight Yoshihiro Akiyama on March 19, 2011 at UFC 128, but that fight is now put on hold as Dana White has decided to suspend Sonnen for his money laundering actions. Based on White's comments on the situation, it seems the suspension is used moreso to help Sonnen get back on his feet than it is as punishment.

"My plan is to go in there to fight; I'm not going to be dancing around."

Those are the words of Anderson Silva's new challenger Vitor Belfort. These two were scheduled to fight last January, but the bout was cancelled due to an injury to Silva. They were then prepare to fight on both February 6, 2010 and April 10, 2010 for UFC 109, then UFC 112, but both were cancelled yet again due to surgery for Silva and an injury suffered by Belfort in training. Now, thirteen months since their originally planned date and fans are finally going to be treated to a Silva-Belfort clash.

Belfort seemed confident in a pre-fight interview, as he discussed his being a former UFC champion and his daily routine of reassuring himself that he will win their anticipated fight.

"With two champions in the ring, anything can happen," said Belfort. "Anderson is an expert on the (feet), with kicks and knees and elbows and I respect that; but I'm not afraid of it. I think every day that I'm going to win the fight; I'm going to push the pace. I'm going to look for the opening, look for the gap ...I have to look in his eyes and know I'm going to beat him."

Belfort is known to attack his opponents head on with a flurry of knock out punches, but Anderson Silva has proven he is effective at dodging punches. It will be a test of Silva's speed against an aggressor such as Belfort, and fans are excited to see who will prevail.

"He's the champion and I'm the challenger, so it's going to be a lion facing a lion. It's going to be a great, great fight. I'm about to accomplish my journey. In the name of Jesus, I'm going to leave there with a victory, for sure."

It's official. Lyoto Machida and Randy Couture will battle it out in Toronto at UFC 129. With Georges St. Pierre defending his Welterweight title against Jake Shields, this event is quickly landing some big names for what is expected to be the biggest card in UFC history.

Randy Couture is currently riding a three-fight winning streak with victories over Brandon Vera, Mark Coleman and James Toney, but many fans feel he has not been challenged since dropping back down to the 205lbs division. Dana White is providing "The Natural" with one last hurrah by lining up the legend against one of the Light Heavyweight division's top fighters, and former champion, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida. Should Randy defeat Lyoto, he'll be back in the top 5 of the division and likely receive a number one contender opportunity.

Machida is coming off of a pair of losses against the current Light Heavyweight champion, Maurico "Shogun" Rua, and recently Quinton "Rampage" Jackson who has stated his split decision win was "the toughest fight of [Jackson's] life." Following the fight with Jackson, Randy Couture and Mauricio Rua both stated they felt Machida won the bout. Machida's retreating, counter-striking karate style he calls "Machida karate" proved to be his downfall in the fight as it provided Jackson with octagon control.

The fight will certainly be intriguing as Randy is known to be a cage fighter and does his best damage in the clutch. Machida is an escape artist who spends the duration of his fights defending and dodging fists. Should Randy be too aggressive, he could leave himself open to Machida's strikes, while Machida must be cautious about letting Randy get too close to him. Randy's cardio will be greatly depended on as he'll be forced to expel energy chasing his opponent to the fence.

UFC 129 arrives in Toronto on April 30, 2011. One has to wonder what other big names could be tied to this already impressive card.