HYDEN BLOG: Wanderlei vs. Leben, Jim Miller, The Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, and An Amazing Stat About Georges St. Pierre

By; Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

From an excitement standpoint, I'm much more interested in seeing Wanderlei Silva fight Chris Leben. However, from a title picture viewpoint, I'm more interested in seeing Silva fight Chael Sonnen. Silva vs. Leben would be an entertaining brawl, but the winner would be several fights from a title shot, while the winner of Silva vs. Sonnen could be one or possibly two wins away from a title shot. I would go with Silva vs. Leben as soon as possible, still leaving open the possibility of Silva fighting Sonnen at a later date, after Sonnen's suspension is over.

*************

Jim Miller wants to fight Kenny Florian, Sean Sherk, or George Sotiropoulos, and all three options sound good to me. I think a fight with Sotiropoulos makes the most sense, but I'd be good with Florian or Sherk being Miller's next match-up. Miller is a good fighter, though I don't think he deserves a title shot just yet; but if he beats any of these three guys he definitely deserves consideration. The lightweight division in the UFC is extremely crowded, and it's going to take a lot for guys to get a title shot. There's no shortage of quality contenders, so the pressure is on for these guys to stand out somehow. Miller kneebaring Charles Oliveira in the first round in his last fight definitely makes him stand out. Now he just needs another quality win over a high-level guy.

*************

The rumored Heavyweight Grand Prix that Strikeforce might be working on sounds cool, but I'm not putting much stock into it until it's officially announced as happening. Even then I'll still have my doubts as to it actually taking place. These aren't doubts that anyone would have if this were the UFC, but Strikeforce doesn't get the benefit of the doubt here. I want to see Strikeforce do well, but they haven't earned the confidence of the fans just yet. I'd love to see Strikeforce catch up to the UFC in popularity, and I believe that'd be the best thing that could happen to MMA outside of a totally unified MMA organization where every fighter fought in the same company. However, the fact remains that Strikeforce doesn't have the track record that the UFC does when it comes to getting things done. The UFC doesn't leave much on the table undone. I remember the talk of a middleweight tournament in Strikeforce that never happened so I have to have my doubts. I hope the Heavyweight Grand Prix happens, though.

*************

Thiago Alves has proclaimed himself to be back. He may become a force in the welterweight division, and I hope he does, as I want to see some viable competition for Georges St. Pierre. The problem is, Alves already fought GSP and lost. As it stands now, GSP is on a whole other level in comparison to the other fighters in his division, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. I don't think Jake Shields has what it takes to beat GSP, who is so far beyond anyone when it comes to the welterweights. Josh Koscheck is a high-quality fighter and he was rendered absolutely ineffective by GSP. The same was true with Jon Fitch, B.J. Penn and Dan Hardy. Those guys are all very good fighters, but they couldn't do anything to GSP.

To truly grasp the dominance of GSP, it's important to look at not just his wins, but the rounds. In his last seven fights GSP has beaten Josh Koscheck, Dan Hardy, Thiago Alves, and Jon Fitch by five-round decisions in which GSP won all five rounds. Several of those rounds were won 10-8 as well. In those four fights, GSP won all 20 rounds handily. Mixed in with those five-round dominations were wins over B.J. Penn in which GSP won all four rounds before the stoppage, and a couple of second-round stoppages against Matt Hughes and Matt Serra. There's another eight rounds that GSP has won, bringing the total to 28 rounds.

GSP also won a decision over Josh Koscheck in their first fight as well, but two of the three judges scored that Koscheck had won a round while GSP won the other two. The third judge scored that GSP won all three rounds. Depending on how you want to look at it, GSP has either won 30 or 31 rounds in a row. That is an unbelievable achievement for any fighter. Even if you were fighting bums and tomato cans, that would still be impressive. However, GSP has been fighting the best the welterweight division has to offer. No other champion has been fighting the level of competition that GSP has, so for him to have won 30 or 31 rounds in a row is astounding. The magnitude of this accomplishment can't be overstated. Koscheck, Hardy, Alves, Fitch, Penn, Hughes, and Serra. These are high-quality fighters, but they were made impotent by GSP.


Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/hydenstake/article_7917.shtml

Frankie Edgar Georges St-Pierre Anderson Silva Cain Velasquez

STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Paul Daley, Fabricio Werdum expecting to fight on "Strikeforce: Columbus" in March

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Strikeforce will make their debut in Columbus, Ohio on March 5, and two fighters are already expecting to fight on the card.

Heavyweight Fabricio Werdum and welterweight Paul Daley both told MMAJunkie.com on Wednesday that they're planning on fighting on the card, though neither had an opponent set. They did, however, give options for who they could be facing.

For Daley, he said that him and his management have a short list of possible opponents that includes lightweights K.J. Noons and Gilbert Melendez, middleweight Cung Le at a catchweight or the winner of Nick Diaz vs. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos from the January 29 card.

Werdum's list is even shorter, and features just two names: Fedor Emelianenko or Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion Alistair Overeem.

Both fights represent a rematch for Werdum of fights he has won. He defeated Overeem in Pride in 2006, submitting him by kimura. Of course, the win over Fedor came this June on Showtime, when Werdum pulled off a triangle choke in the first round of their bout in San Jose. He's been out of action since then after undergoing surgery on his elbow this fall.

The March 5 event will take place from the Nationwide Arena, and will coincide with the annual Arnold Sports Festival.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: I think with Noons fighting most recently at welterweight, Daley-Noons might make the most sense, but Melendez also called Daley out and that one could work out for this event, too. As for Werdum, it's going to depend on Overeem's health out of this Friday's fight against Todd Duffee, but with Fedor vs. Bigfoot Silva being discussed next for both of them Overeem vs. Werdum is the fight that should happen. But this should shape up to be another good fight card for Strikeforce to kick off 2011.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Affliction2/article_7977.shtml

Joe Rogan Mike Goldberg Joe Silva Chuck Lidell

WEC 53 LIVE RESULTS: Penick's live round by round report on final WEC event featuring Henderson vs. Pettis from Arizona

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

WEC 53: HENDERSON VS. PETTIS
DECEMBER 16, 2010
LIVE FROM GLENDALE, ARIZ.

-The hour long Versus pre-show was a great way to lead in to the fights tonight. Broadcasting from the arena, they provided a nice recap of some great fights in WEC history and hyped up tonight's fights. This final event for World Extreme Cagefighting should be exciting as always, and hopefully a few of the preliminary card fights can make their way to the broadcast tonight as well.

For the final time we get the WEC opening video, and it's certainly going to be sad to know it's all done when tonight is finished. That said, 2011 brings a new era for the UFC, the bantamweight and featherweight divisions and the sport as a whole. But we'll close out the 2010 major MMA schedule in North America in exciting fashion tonight.

Todd Harris opens up the broadcast and brings in Stephan Bonnar to run down the fights on tonight's card. The top two fights on this card should be excellent, and they break down both Championship fights. The winner of tonight's Bantamweight Championship fight will walk out with the WEC belt, as well as the very first UFC Bantamweight Championship.

FIGHT ONE: BART PALASZEWSKI VS. KAMAL SHALORUS (LIGHTWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: Shalorus says Palaszewski can't control him. Palaszewski says he hopes Shalorus will stand and bang with him. Shalorus is looking to ground and pound him to finish the fight.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND ONE: Palaszewski circles the outside and Shalorus tries to walk him down. Palaszewski throws a strike and Shalarous lands a few. He popped in with a nice combo. Palaszewski walked forward and Shalorus pulled off a nice judo throw and got into Palaszewski's guard. Shalarus landed some vicious body punches on the ground and added in some shots to the head for good measure. Very good ground and pound close in the guard to start for Shalorus. Palaszewski threw his legs up for an armbar and got Shalorus to stand. Shalorus walked back in and landed some vicious strikes while standing above a downed Palaszewski. Bart did his best to cover up and block shots and finally Shalorus dropped back into his guard. Shalorus put a lot into those strikes and he's doing some damage. Shalorus stood up again but dropped back into the guard. Shalorus stood up again and landed a hard kick. Palaszewski finally popped back up and ate a big combo as he got to his feet, but he pushed forward and got Shalorus to back off. Palaszewski landed a few leg kicks. Palaszewski landed a good jab. Shalorus landed two hard leg kicks to the lead leg. Palaszewski had a kick checked. They traded kicks. Shalorus landed some more hard kicks to end the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Shalorus. He did a lot of damage with that ground and pound game, but Palaszewski did a good job of covering up and finishing the round on his feet.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND TWO: Shalorus landed an early leg kick. Palaszewski threw one high but it was blocked. Palaszewski avoided a lunging right and landed a counter punch. Shalorus with another hard leg kick. Palaszewski popped in with a three strike combo. They traded leg kicks on the cage with Shalorus the aggressor. He barely missed a big overhand right. Palaszewski landed a left. He got in with a two punch combo. He got in with the head kick but it just barely landed. Palaszewski trying to be more active here, and Shalorus may have tired himself out with a lot of strikes thrown in the first round. Shalorus finally closed the distance and tried to shoot, but quickly let it go. Palaszewski landed the head kick again, but not flush and Shalorus just absorbed it. They traded kicks to the body. Shalorus grabbed a single leg and easily took Palaszewski down and into his butterfly guard. Palaszewski held onto him and stifled him, drawing boos from the crowd. Shalorus pressed Palaszewski to the cage and landed some hard punches. Palaszewski walked back up the cage, absorbed a combo and came back forward. Palaszewski started moving forward and landed a few more strikes as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Palaszewski. I think he edged the striking department, and got up fairly quickly from the takedown, but I wouldn't be surprised if this round went the other way. Palaszewski probably needs to finish.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND THREE: Shalorus pushed forward with a nice combo and connected with a few. He got in with another big combo. Palaszewski landed a couple of punches. He countered after avoiding another strike from Shalorus. Shalorus shot in and got a brief takedown, but Palaszewski popped up and landed a knee. He came forward and landed a combo. Shalorus landed a nice right as Palaszewski moved in. Palaszewski landed the high kick again, but he hasn't put anything on it. He landed a nice counter right. Palaszewski landed a nice combination again. Shalorus shot in for a single again and got the takedown. The crowd booed. Palaszewski landed some strikes from the bottom but he needs to get up or he'll lose this fight. Shalorus passed to half guard. Palaszewski is holding off much damage, but Shalorus keeps himself active. He landed a hard forearm to the face. Palaszewski scrambled and got to his feet with a minute left. He landed a head kick. He got in another punch. He landed a knee to the jaw. Palaszewski is coming forward. His time is running out. He landed another knee. He came forward and landed a jab but the round ends.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Palaszewski. Shalorus very well may take both the second and third round, but I think Palaszewski did more damage overall and landed the cleaner, better strikes and held off damage on the ground while getting up every time he was taken down. Wouldn't be upset with either fighter winning, though, it was a close fight round to round.

[Commercial Break]

WINNER: Shalorus via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

POST FIGHT: Shalorus said Bart is a tough fighter, and he put all his strength to finish him, but he couldn't and tired himself out. He said he'll come back stronger and he promised an exciting fight next time.

STAR RATING: (**+) This was a good, even fight, and there are arguments for all three of those scorecards. I don't agree with 30-27 either way, but I can see how Shalorus edged out the second round. I thought Palaszewski had the third for sure, though, as Shalorus was extremely gassed and Bart did a lot of damage.

FIGHT TWO: DONALD CERRONE VS. CHRIS HORODECKI (LIGHTWEIGHT)

PRE FIGHT: Horodecki said he thinks he's a better striker. Cerrone said "the little bastard fights" and he plans on making a statement in this fight.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND ONE: Horodecki came out quickly and threw a high kick that barely made it to Cerrone's head. Cerrone came back with a combo. He got in close and landed a hard combo with a knee. Horodecki came forward and ate a kick between the legs and the fight was halted for a minute. Cerrone popped in with a couple of hard kicks to the body. Cerrone ducked under a punch and took Horodecki down right into side control. He tried to pass to mount but Horodecki nicely escaped and popped back to his feet. Horodecki tried to press in, but the reach difference is very clear in this fight. Horodecki landed a couple of punches to the body. Cerrone's landing knees as he comes in. Horodecki lowered his head for a shot and ate a knee to the face. Cerrone landed a nice two punch combo. Horodecki landed a leg kick. Cerrone landed a jab. Horodecki with a few more body punches. He gets in another combo to the body. He eats a kick to the body. Horodecki throws a spinning back kick. Cerrone landed another kick. Cerrone with another hard knee. Horodecki shot in and took Cerrone down, but Cerrone scrambled and got to his feet and landed a high kick, but the kick was caught and Cerrone somersaulted across the cage and hopped up. Cerrone tried to take Horodecki down but got reversed and Horodecki landed on top. Cerrone stayed active, however and nearly locked on a couple of submissions before scrambling back up. Cerrone shot in and got another takedown and quickly took Horodecki's back. He got the hooks in but the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cerrone. Really fun round to start this fight. Horodecki's got a big hill to climb with this fight, but he's had some slight success. Cerrone just looks a lot more calm and comfortable right now.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND TWO: Horodecki threw a high kick early but it was blocked and he was nearly thrown to the ground. Horodecki got a takedown but Cerrone immediately got an omoplata and tried to wrench Horodecki's head. Cerrone moved it back and tried to lock on the triangle choke. The hold wasn't completely locked on and Horodecki is trying to survive. Cerrone is staying patient on the bottom and landed an elbow. He landed a hard forearm and both fighters stalled. Cerrone put Horodecki's arm across his body and pulls his head down to force the tap. Good fight from Cerrone.

[Commercial Break]

WINNER: Cerrone via submission (triangle choke) at 2:43 of the second round

POST FIGHT: Cerrone called out Cole Miller and said he's coming for him. Cerrone gave Horodecki credit for being tough and holding off from the triangle choke. Why he called out Cole Miller when he's entering the UFC is beyond me, especially with the high profile fights he's had in the WEC. No offense to Miller, but there are bigger fish Cerrone should have been looking for from that platform.

STAR RATING: (***-) That wasn't Cerrone's greatest performance. He didn't give Horodecki any respect, yet still allowed Horodecki to get in too much offense in that fight. Another thing that was ridiculous in the fight was Todd Harris calling for a standup while Cerrone had the triangle position on. Cerrone was simply waiting for Horodecki to make another mistake for him to lock up the hold tighter, and that was a really bad call from a commentator. But overall, good win for Cerrone in a fight he definitely should have won.

[Commercial Break]

-Cain Velasquez and Urijah Faber are interviewed at cageside.

-Next up is a cool retrospective video package on the history of the WEC. It's short, but nice to see.

[Commercial Break]

FIGHT THREE: DOMINICK CRUZ VS. SCOTT JORGENSEN (WEC/UFC BANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)

PRE FIGHT: Cruz said his goal is to be the new UFC Champion. Jorgensen said he's going to go in there to win, to beat the #1 guy in the world and be recognized as the baddest man at 135 lbs. Cruz said he feels like he has a chip on his shoulder. Jorgensen said Cruz is going to be wondering why he's not the Champion anymore when the fight is done.

ROUND ONE: Cruz circled on the outside early and hopped in and out with a couple of jabs. Jorgensen wanted to cut off the distance, but Cruz is moving all over. He popped in with a nice three punch combo. He got in with another jab. Jorgensen having trouble early closing the distance. He landed a right. He backed Cruz up to the cage, but Cruz popped in and out again. Cruz landed a hard combination and popped out. Cruz landed another uppercut. Jorgensen got in a right. Cruz popped in and landed a hard knee and Jorgensen shoots in. He took him down but Cruz popped up. Jorgensen tried to take his back, but Cruz did break free and got separation. Jorgensen ducked under a punch and landed a right. Cruz backed off. Jorgensen popped in again. Cruz landed a hard right. Jorgensen tried to chase him down. Cruz landed a hard leg kick. He got in with another combination and Jorgensen is definitely having trouble figuring him out right now. Cruz barely misses an uppercut. Jorgensen landed a right. Cruz with another short flurry. Jorgensen landed a nice right hook. Cruz with three more punches and a straight kick. He landed a leg kick and Jorgensen rushed in and got the clinch on the cage. He landed a knee to the body but then got shrugged off. Cruz rushed in and Jorgensen shot in and got a takedown. He tried to take Cruz's back but overshot it and Cruz ended the round in side control.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. Jorgensen is having a real hard time dealing with Cruz's movement, but a couple of takedowns might give Jorgensen some confidence moving forward in the fight.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND TWO: Jorgensen landed an early kick but it was caught and they scrambled. Cruz went back to circling and popped in with a couple of big punches before popping back out. Cruz landed a leg kick and an uppercut. Cruz is cut on the bridge of the nose. Cruz landed another couple of punches. Cruz shot in and got a takedown himself into Jorgensen's guard. He landed some punches to the body and short strikes to the head. Cruz got in some hard forearms to the head as well. Jorgensen got his back to the cage. Cruz continued to stay busy in the guard. He landed a lot of body punches and elbows to the head and Jorgensen continued to try to defend. Cruz is landing a lot of strikes on the ground. Cruz passed to half guard and got his back to the cage. Jorgensen finally got back to his feet and backed off. Cruz landed a flying knee and came forward. Jorgensen landed a high knee of his own and held off a takedown attempt. Jorgensen landed a kick as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. The Champ is dominating this fight right now, but there's still a lot of time left.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND THREE: Cruz landed a right to start the round and pops out. Jorgensen again tried to close the distance. Cruz dropped him briefly with a right but Jorgensen got back up. They exchanged strikes. Jorgensen continued to try to walk Cruz down, but Cruz kept getting in and out. He landed a high kick but Jorgensen took it. He ate a couple of right hands. Jorgensen got Cruz to the cage and Cruz avoided the attacks and popped out. He landed a hard knee to the gut and moved away. Cruz got in and they traded punches. Jorgensen landed a left. Cruz got in a good leg kick. Cruz landed a jab as Jorgensen popped in. Cruz landed a right and then a couple of jabs. Cruz got in and landed a nice trip and got the takedown into guard. Cruz landed some body punches and pushed Jorgensen to the cage. Jorgensen pulled off a sweep and tried to take Cruz's back but Cruz escaped. Jorgensen landed a couple of knees in the clinch as they got back up. They separated and the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. His strking isn't pretty, but it's effective, and Jorgensen is getting frustrated here.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND FOUR: Cruz landed a hard right early in the round. Jorgensen is trying to get in a little more aggressively, but Cruz then shoots in and takes him down quickly. Jorgensen tries to scramble but gets put on his back again. Cruz lands some strikes and continues to stay busy in Jorgensen's guard. Jorgensen scrambled and got back to his feet. He tried to rush in and landed a right. He closed the distance and got the clinch, but Cruz turned him around on the cage. They jockeyed for position and Cruz separated. Jorgensen threw a high kick but it was blocked. Cruz landed a flying knee and a body kick. Cruz got close and tripped Jorgensen up again. Jorgensen spun out and grabbed for a single leg. Cruz stood up. He came forward and landed a hard body kick. Jorgensen closed the distance and landed a left. Cruz shot in again and got another takedown. Jorgensen's just having zero success in this fight as the round ends.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. It's a clean sweep thus far, and the Champion has successfully flustered the challenger in every aspect of this fight.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND FIVE: Cruz again popping in and out, and Jorgensen's got to be in complete desperation mode. Cruz landed some big combinations. Jorgensen continued to walk forward, but couldn't find his mark. Cruz pressed in with a few kicks and threw a few punches. Jorgensen still tried to close the distance but still couldn't land. Cruz with another combination. Cruz landed some big kicks to the body. Cruz landed another big combo. He landed a right as Jorgensen came in. Jorgensen finally pulls off a trip and gets a takedown. But Cruz got right back up on the cage. Cruz shot in and got a big takedown again into Jorgensen's guard. The crowd booed as Cruz was content to do minor damage in the guard. Jorgensen is just frustrated on the bottom as Cruz landed more body punches on the ground. This is going to be a clean sweep for the first ever UFC Bantamweight Champion. Jorgensen got back to his feet and they started trading shots as the round ends.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Cruz. His unorthodox striking game makes him very hard to hit, and he overwhelmed a very good fighter in Jorgensen tonight. He's a very deserving holder of the first ever UFC Bantamweight Championship.

[Commercial Break]

WINNER: Cruz via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

POST FIGHT: Cruz said Jorgensen is really tough, and he took everything Jorgensen had. Cruz said he's won three in a row for a title now and thinks people believe it. He said the future holds a lot of title defenses. He said he's ready to fight Urijah Faber.

STAR RATING: (***+) Cruz's style is just flustering for anyone having to try to figure him out in the cage, and he's able to get in and out with combinations and sloppy, looping punches and jabs with such speed that he oftentimes can avoid the counters he leaves himself open to. That said, you have to respect the man for his continued streak of victories and for taking out yet another really tough bantamweight in Scott Jorgensen. The challenger tonight was no joke, and Cruz made it look easy.

[Commercial Break]

MAIN EVENT FIGHT FOUR: BEN HENDERSON VS. ANTHONY PETTIS (LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)

PRE FIGHT: Henderson said he's finished everyone he's ever faced in the WEC and he'll finish Pettis tonight. Pettis said he's going to stuff Henderson's takedowns, stick to his gameplan and become the WEC Champion.

ROUND ONE: Henderson walks forward early as Pettis stayd on the outside. Hometown crowd fully behind the Champ tonight. Henderson through a jump kick but he wasn't close enough to land. Pettis landed a leg kick. Pettis moved forward and through the jumping kick of his own but it was blocked. Very tentative start from both guys here. Henderson pushed in and landed a hard leg kick and got the clinch on the cage. He grabbed a body lock and landed a couple of knees. He got in some to the thighs. Pettis taunted with a yawn. He got his arm in but Henderson tripped him up and took him down. Pettis put his back on the cage with Henderson in his guard. Pettis threw up for a triangle/armbar attempt and Henderson stood up. Pettis kicked him off and got back to his feet. Pettis moved forward with a high kick but Henderson avoided it. Pettis got in close and landed a couple of punches. Henderson landed a straight kick. Pettis landed a harder one that sent him back. Pettis landed a nice counter right as Henderson came in. Henderson drove in with a double leg and took Pettis down with 15 second left. He landed a couple of punches as the round ended.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Henderson. A couple of takedowns in a relatively tentative round were enough to take it, but Pettis is right in there.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND TWO: Pettis came forward to start the round. Henderson landed a good body kick. Pettis blocked a high kick and landed a good leg kick. Pettis got in and dropped Henderson with a right hand. He took Henderson's back but Henderson got to his feet. He tried to grab a kimura, but Pettis scrambled and nearly got one himself but Henderson's arm popped out. He worked back up to his feet in the clinch and then separated. Pettis landed a nice right again in a combination. Henderson pressed in and shot but Pettis stuffed it. Henderson clinched him on the cage out of the sprawl. He landed a couple of knees to the thighs and Pettis broke free. Pettis landed a left hook but missed the follow up right. Henderson landed a good right of his own. Henderson landed a nice body kick. Pettis threw a flying knee but it didn't land with full force and Henderson clinched. Henderson landed a knee and separated. Pettis grazed a kick low on Henderson but he restarts almost immediately. Pettis landed a nice jab. Pettis blocked the high kick and countered with the leg kick again. Pettis threw a high kick that grazed Henderson and the round came to an end.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Pettis. He landed the more significant strikes of the round and had a submission attempt of his own. Close round, though, and a good fight so far.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND THREE: Pettis lands a straight kick early. Henderson comes forward with a leg kick. Henderson landed a body kick and Pettis landed a leg kick in response. Pettis is stalking now. Henderson landed an overhand right. He got in close and Pettis took him down. He passed to the mount and took Henderson's back. Henderson got to his feet and tried to shake Pettis off of him. Pettis kept position and Henderson got to his feet with Pettis on his back. Pettis has the body triangle standing and continued to try to get his hand loose. Henderson is keeping wrist control. Pettis lands some hard punches to the body and the head and Henderson is still standing. Pettis is just trying to get his arm back right now. Pettis keeps active with punches from under Henderson's arm and he keeps doing damage to the body and head while Henderson is standing. Pettis got his arm loose briefly. Pettis continued to ride Henderson's back and they traded punches as Henderson started throwing elbows to Pettis' thigh. Henderson is going to survive the round and he shakes Pettis off as the round ends.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Pettis. That was impressive stuff from Pettis, but Henderson defended really well there and held control of Pettis' wrist to avoid the choke.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND FOUR: They traded nice straight rights in succession. Pettis landed a leg kick. Henderson landed a hard body kick. Pettis continued to be the aggressor, and kept Henderson backing up. Henderson shot for a single, Pettis almost got a guillotine and Henderson spun out and got on top. Pettis rolled back after trying to get a triangle. He gave up his back and Henderson took his back. Henderson got the body lock on and got the choke on but Pettis got out of it. Wow. Pettis tried to roll out and Hendrson hald onto the body lock. Henderson gave up the body triangle and Pettis escaped and got on top. Pettis got to side control and he took Henderson's back. Incredible back and forth action. Henderson stands, Pettis takes his back and throws a knee to the head before separating. Henderson landed a straight kick. Pettis stalked again. He blocked a kick and landed a nice counter right. Henderson landed a nice knee but Pettis continued moving forward. Pettis landed a combo. Pettis grabbed a guillotine but Henderson got out and into half guard. Pettis got guard back and tried to lock on the guillotine but Henderson survived the round.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Henderson. Really, really close round that could have gone either way, but Henderson came really close to finishing with the choke while Pettis' wasn't as close. Even going to the final round.

[Commercial Break]

ROUND FIVE: Henderson threw a straight kick and Pettis countered with a right. Pettis threw Henderson away after a takedown attempt. Pettis came in and landed a kick low. Henderson took a short amount of time but restarted. Pwttis stalked him. He blocked a couple of kicks and landed two big punches in combination. He landed another right. He landed another left hook as he came forward. Henderson slipped and Pettis closed in and took his back but he was too high and stood back up. Pettis landed a huge flying knee as Henderson shot in and sprawled as Henderson grabbed a single leg. He moved to a double leg and finished a takedown on the cage. Pettis threw his legs up for the triangle and rolled over and Henderson got his back. Pettis rolled over and escaped and stood back up. That was beautiful. He moved forward and landed a left. He threw a high kick but it was blocked. Pettis ran up the wall and kicked off and landed a kick to the face the knocked Henderson to the ground. Pettis started landing punches and elbows but Henderson recovered. That was the single most incredible kick I've ever seen in an MMA fight. He landed hammerfists and elbows. Henderson got to his feet and Pettis landed a flying knee to end the round. He should be the final WEC Lightweight Champion.

Penick's Scorecard: 10-9 Pettis. That was incredible. Pettis completely out-struck Henderson, and he should take this fight three rounds to two.

WINNER: Pettis via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)

POST FIGHT: Pettis said that kick is a move he practices all the time. He said he's got ten more of those coming in the UFC. He said he got his tempo going in the third round. Henderson was interviewed, clearly disappointed, but said Pettis did a great job.

STAR RATING: (*****) It took until the final major event in North America of 2010, but there's my fight of the year. Drama with back and forth action, submission attempts from both fighters, and incredible striking in the fifth round from Pettis with the greatest kick I've ever seen pulled off in the cage, and he did it when he needed to pull off a convincing move to take the fight. Regardless of whether he deserves to leapfrog other fighters in the UFC for a title shot, that highlight alone makes him an easy sell for the UFC. Amazing performance from Anthony Pettis.

-Thanks for joining us for this final WEC event ever. The WEC went out in the best way possible in one of the best fights in the organization's history, and one of the most amazing moves ever pulled off in the sport.

We all can't wait to see these fighters in the UFC cage, but to the WEC: Thank you for the fights and the memories, you will be missed.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/weconversus/article_7858.shtml

Rafael Cavalcante Chael Sonnen Vitor Belfort Nate Marquardt

UFC 125 pre-fight press conference video highlights for 'Resolution'

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/12/30/1904017/ufc-125-pre-fight-press-conference-video-highlights-for-resolution

Jon Fitch Thiago Alves Jake Shields Josh Koscheck

UFC NEWS: Chuck Liddell officially retires, announced as new UFC Executive VP of Business Development

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC Hall of Famer Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell has officially retired from the sport of mixed martial arts.

Liddell's retirement was announced prior to the start of the UFC 125 pre-event press conference on Wednesday, and it was revealed that he will become the new Executive Vice President of Business Development with the UFC.

According to Dana White, Liddell will be on par with a small group of five or six executives, with White and Lorenzo Fertitta among them. An emotional Liddell took to the podium in Las Vegas to express his gratitude to White and Fertitta, and look ahead to his new position.

"I want to thank Dana and Lorenzo," Liddell said. "I love this sport, and I'm excited to go to a new stage in my life and keep promoting the best sport in the world. It's what I love, and they've given me an opportunity to keep promoting this sport."

Liddell, the former longtime Light Heavyweight Champion and one of the first true superstars of the modern era of MMA, lost five of his final six fights. In four of those, including in his final three fights, he was knocked out cold, leading to questions about his chin and concerns about his future.

His final fight in the Octagon came in June of this year in the main event at UFC 115 in Vancouver. Taking on former Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin, Liddell found success early in the fight, even breaking Franklin's arm in the first round. However, rushing in late in the round, Liddell ran into a right hand from Franklin that put him out and ended the fight.

White would say after the fight that Liddell would never fight in the UFC again, and now that has been made official. He'll immediately begin his new position with the UFC, which Lorenzo Fertitta said will involve a variety of things in furthering the UFC and the sport around the world.

Penick's Analysis: This was the right move on many levels. Seeing Liddell get knocked out cold in three straight fights had fans worried about his health, and while it's not our place to tell him to leave the sport, this really was the right thing to do. The UFC obviously held him in such high regard, and he has the relationship with White and the Fertitta's, that giving him this position to help further the UFC and help continue to be a part of the UFC even though it's not as a fighter was a no brainer. As the first superstar of the UFC's boom era following The Ultimate Fighter's first season, Liddell was such a big part of that growth that he deserves to be with the company for the long haul. This was a good announcement from the UFC, and I'm happy for Liddell that he's got the next stage of his professional life set.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7976.shtml

Chris Leben Dan Hardy Dana White Joe Rogan

UFC NEWS: UFC eying Louisville, Ky. for UFC on Versus 3 in March

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC may be making their first trip to Kentucky in March, as MMAJunkie.com reports that the Bluegrass State could play host to the UFC on Versus 3 event on March 3.

Two venues in Louisville, Ky., are under consideration for the event, the KFC Yum! Center and Freedom Hall. The KFC Yum! Center seats up to 22,000 and hosts the University of Louisville's men's and women's basketball teams. Freedom Hall is the previous home to those teams, and seats up to 19,000.

UFC on Versus 3 will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann, and of course will air on the Versus network. A middleweight bout between Mark Munoz and C.B. Dollaway was also announced for the event on the WEC 53 broadcast on Thursday.

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: They've got a number of markets in the U.S. they still haven't tapped into yet, so heading to Louisville with a Versus card event is a good idea here. This should be an enjoyable event, and that main event fight has a lot of potential for a great fight. The fans in Louisville will be excited for the UFC to finally come to town, and it should bring a good audience for the show.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7880.shtml

Lyoto Machida Forrest Griffin Ryan Bader Jon Jones

UFC 130, May 29

UFC 130
Saturday May 28
TBA
Las Vegas, NV
Airing on PPV

MAIN CARD

* Thiago Alves (#6 Ranked Welterweight) vs. Rick Story

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Upcoming_Events_42/article_7938.shtml

Jon Fitch Thiago Alves Jake Shields Josh Koscheck

MMATORCH POLL: What is the best fight in WEC history?

What is the best fight in Zuffa era WEC history?
	Anthony Pettis vs. Benson Henderson (WEC 53)
	Mark Hominick vs. Yves Jabouin (WEC 49)
	Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung (WEC 48)
	Donald Cerrone vs. Ben Henderson (WEC 43)
	Urijah Faber vs. Mike Brown II (WEC 41)
	Miguel Torres vs. Takeya Mizugaki (WEC 40)
	Rob McCullough vs. Donald Cerrone (WEC 36)
	Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver I (WEC 34)
	Miguel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda (WEC 34)
	Other

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Torch_MMA_Polls_37/article_7879.shtml

Frankie Edgar Georges St-Pierre Anderson Silva Cain Velasquez

No winter meetings necessary: UFC jumps to steal Japanese stars

Some hardcore fans are driven nuts by the fact that the UFC is trying to bury the competition. An "Evil Empire" of sorts. So it was funny this weekend to see Dana White operating like his favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox.

The Evil Empire in Beantown spent $292 million to steal Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego and land the best overall hitter on the free agent market in Carl Crawford. White didn't land Fedor Emelianenko and Alistair Overeem, but he did grab two of the biggest names from Japan in Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and Michihiro Omigawa.  

After WEC 53 this Thursday, the bantamweight and featherweight division will be playing in the big leagues. The 135 and 145 pound divisions will help sell pay-per-views with the UFC, that means there's no limit on who Zuffa can bring in to bolster the roster. Yamamoto and Omigawa are money well spent. 

Omigawa, 35, is probably a longshot to get his hands on UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo, but he'll add some flair to the division. He's gone 8-2-1 since a drop to 145 pounds. He actually fought in the UFC back in 2007 and 2008, losing at 155 pounds against Matt Wiman and Thiago Tavares. In his return, the UFC gave him a stiff test. He'll debut against Chad Mendes, an excellent wrestler.

Yamamoto is the guy fans should really be excited about.

He's the rare bantamweight with legitimate one-punch knockout power, but he's not a one-dimensional fighter. Yamamoto (18-3) came close to making the Japanese Olympic wrestling team and wrestled in the U.S. His career stalled recently because of a severe knee injury and a lack of motivation.

Japanese promoters also contributed to his less than stellar attitude by feeding him easy opponents. The UFC won't do that and it should motivate him. And if Kid thought he was getting Miguel Torres or Urijah Faber right out of the gates, he got a wake up call when the promotion booked him to face Demetrious Johnson. Hardcore fans don't understand the booking, but it's a good move. Kid is unknown by 98 percent of the fans in the U.S. He needs to be built up. If he does his work and scores some impressive wins, look for him to face one of the top dogs at 135 (Torres, Faber or Joe Benavidez) by the summer or fall of 2011. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/No-winter-meetings-necessary-UFC-jumps-to-steal?urn=mma-295939

Martin Kampmann Carlos Condit Nick Diaz B.J. Penn

You tell us: The best fights of 2010

MMA outdid itself this year. With more fights on television and better fighters from around the world, the depth provided the material for some great scraps. What were the best ones in 2010? You tell us. Winners will be announced on Dec. 30.

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald (UFC 115) -- One punch or strike can change the momentum in a heartbeat. MacDonald had a slight edge in this slugfest heading to the third. That's when Condit crushed him with an overhand right and the Canadian was never the same. Condit also landed an elbow minutes later that broke MacDonald's orbital bone. "The Natural Born Killer" won it as the fight was stopped with just seven seconds left.  

Robbie Lawler vs. Melvin Manhoef (Strikeforce: Miami) -- Sometimes a comeback can qualify as a great fight. Manhoef chopped down Lawler's legs in similar fashion to what Jose Aldo did to Urijah Faber. Except Manhoef did all his leg-kick damage in less than 3 1/2 minutes. Lawler needed a miracle to survive. Not only did Lawler produce one to survive, but ripped out a Hail Mary punch that put Manhoef to sleep. He was out cold. 

Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung (WEC 48) -- Garcia is always involved in absolute throwdowns, but this one was his best because he had a willing dance partner. The fighters wailed away on each other with Garcia smiling on multiple occasions after getting blasted right in the face. Most fans thought the "Korean Zombie" won the fight but Garcia got the nod. In just three rounds, they combined to land 225-of-534 strikes. In the true spirit of MMA, they also hit a Denny's to eat together after visiting the hospital. Jung was the big winner from a marketing standpoint. He became an instant star for a few months with his Korean Zombie T-shirt. 

Jorge Santiago vs. Kazuo Misaki (Sengoku 14) -- You know a great fight when you see it. There's a feeling in your gut and you talk about it for hours, if not days after it's over. This five-round middleweight title fight was all over the ring. Misaki nearly choked out Santiago in the second, got dropped in the third and dropped the Brazilian in the fourth. Misaki had the early lead, but Santiago came back to get the win with 23 seconds left.

Chris Leben vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (UFC 116) -- You knew this one was going to be a donnybrook. Akiyama always fights to his opponent's strength and Leben only gets going when he's getting beat down. Plus Leben was fighting on less than two week's rest. They mauled each other for 14 minutes before Leben pulled off a submission to pull off the upset with 20 seconds.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/You-tell-us-The-best-fights-of-2010?urn=mma-299455

B.J. Penn Gray Maynard Kenny Florian Jose Aldo

UFC 125 ?Resolution? Pre-Fight Press Conference Highlights

UFC 125 ‘Resolution’ pre-fight press conference highlights courtesy of MMA Fighting and Heavy.com.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/1PtqnpY7mpY/

Cheick Kongo Roy Nelson Rich Franklin Forrest Griffin

UFC 124 winner Pierson dumped by Toronto Police Department

Sean Pierson has had two lifelong dreams come true recently. He won his UFC debut over Matt Riddle, and he was hired by the Toronto Police Department. Unfortunately, his persona as a fighter has prevented him from being a cop.

Pierson has been dismissed by the Toronto Police. It cited concerns about his one-time nickname of "Pimp Daddy," and the time and effort that Pierson needs to commit to fighting.

Pierson said that the nickname was something that he used when he was 23. He is now 34, has been married for nine years, and has a 2-year-old son. 

[Related: NHL team's fake police chase]

Just after returning home to Toronto after winning a unanimous decision at UFC 124, Pierson was supposed to start work with the police force. Instead, he was told to turn in his uniform and stay away until the police force investigates his situation. A police rep said that all officers must clear secondary employment.

“I can appreciate the position they’re in with what I do,” said Pierson. “I don’t look at mixed martial arts as a negative, but I think the mainstream still looks at us as a bit of a black eye.”

MMA hasn't had an easy time becoming accepted in Toronto, which also may explain the TPD's reluctance to allow Pierson to fight while serving and protecting. Despite the overwhelming popularity of MMA in Canada, the sport was only legalized in Ontario in August. Some news outlets are still not warm to the sport. The UFC will host its first event in Toronto on April 30, 2011.

[Related: Brawl breaks out at Hulk Hogan's wedding]

Given the long layoff that can happen between fights, it's not odd for a fighter to have another job. Pierson is far from the only civil servant who moonlights as a fighter. Welterweight Chris Lytle is a firefighter in Indianapolis, while fellow welterweight Paulo Thiago serves on Brasilia, Brazil police department's special forces. Unfortunately, the Toronto Police Department wasn't able to see the positives of having a well-trained mixed martial artist on its side and look past any stereotypes about the sport.

Other popular stories on the Yahoo! network:
• Racist Facebook rant gets youth coach in trouble
• The fastest cars in the U.S.
• Michael Vick's first commercial since prison

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-124-winner-Pierson-dumped-by-Toronto-Police-?urn=mma-296415

Ryan Bader Jon Jones Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Muhammed Lawal

There's little chance Lesnar leaves UFC to wrestle full-time

Oh you silly blogosphere. Once a rumor starts it often spins out of control on the Internet.

Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer spoke about Brock Lesnar's future on his Monday radio show. Meltzer, who also covers MMA right here on Yahoo!, said Lesnar has an exit plan in mind for his future. Somehow that turned into:

Brock Lesnar Rumored To Be Looking For A Way Out Of The UFC

Brock Lesnar Rumored To Be Interested in Leaving UFC for WrestleMania 27

Brock Lesnar Leaving UFC Rumors: Will Brock Really Go Down as a Quitter?

Brock Lesnar Leaving UFC Reports: Why UFC Will Be Okay Without Him

Meltzer clarifies his statements and says there's almost no chance Lesnar will return to wrestling full time. The former WWE star wants the best of both worlds. He desires the easy payday at Wrestlemania 27 and wants to continue making the big bucks in MMA. What are the chances Dana White will cooperate? 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/There-s-little-chance-Lesnar-leaves-UFC-to-wrest?urn=mma-301450

Vitor Belfort Nate Marquardt Michael Bisping Jon Fitch

UFC 128: Luis Cane vs Karlos Vemola booked for Mar. 19 in New Jersey

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2010/12/29/1903015/ufc-128-luis-cane-vs-karlos-vemola-booked-for-mar-19-in-new-jersey

Fabricio Werdum Fedor Emelianenko Junior dos Santos Shane Carwin

The 11 things MMA fans want to see in 2011

Looking ahead to the new year, Cagewriter is turning it up to eleven. In no particular order, here are the 11 things MMA needs for 2011.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Alistair Overeem: Despite his loss to Fabricio Werdum, the negotiations just to get Fedor fighting in the U.S. again have been treacherous, and now it seems that he will fight Antonio Silva. Meanwhile, Overeem has kept busy making history in K-1. Strikeforce has two of the best heavyweights in the world on their roster. It should not be difficult to get them to fight.

Improved judging: How many fighters need to get screwed by judges before changes are made in MMA's judging system? As the sport continues to grow and improve, parity will follow and more fights will require a judges' call. These fighters deserve competent judges.

A challenge for Jose Aldo: The featherweight champ looked head and shoulders above Faber and Manny Gamburyan in 2010. As fun as it is to watch Aldo beat up on his opponents, someone who challenges him could be much more fun. 

Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber coaching on "The Ultimate Fighter": This match-up is full of win. Bantamweights Cruz and Faber are top-flight fighters, already dislike each other, and both come from camps that would provide excellent coaches and training partner cameos. Going with smaller fighters would not only invigorate the TUF franchise, it would also introduce a larger MMA audience to the WEC fighters joining the UFC.

Jason "Mayhem" Miller vs. Nick Diaz: Enough with the trash talk, the viral videos and the catchphrases. Strikeforce needs to make this fight happen.

Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva: The two have been at the top of pound-for-pound rankings for years, and are just one weight class apart. GSP has asked for time to put on weight to fight Silva, who walks around at more than 200 lbs. UFC, give him time, and then let's make this fight happen.

Legal MMA in New York: Seriously, Empire State. Get your act together and legalize MMA. It's ludicrous for a state with a rich history of boxing and wrestling not to allow mixed martial arts.

A rejuvenated Brock Lesnar: Losing his title to Cain Velasquez exposed Lesnar's distaste for getting punched in the face, a liability for someone whose job involves getting punched in the face. It will be fascinating to see how Lesnar reacts to being an underdog, and watching to see if he has the resolve to come back should be an interesting storyline. 

More pre and post-fight shows: Here at Yahoo! Sports, there was a pre-fight show for UFC 121. ESPN's "MMA Live" did pre and post-fight shows for UFC 116 and 121, and Versus had shows for the final two WEC events. Every one of these shows added to the MMA viewing experience. 

Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez: To compete with the UFC juggernaut, the smart thing for Strikeforce and Bellator would be to team up to make the best fights. This should start with a bout between their two lightweight champions. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney probably ended any hopes for this bout with overzealous negotiation tactics, but it still would be a fun fight for fans to watch.

More Pat Miletich on the microphone: The man is both a legendary coach and fighter, and now he uses his talents as a commentator for Strikeforce. Inexplicably, he isn't always included on their broadcast team. Please, give us more Pat.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/The-11-things-MMA-fans-want-to-see-in-2011?urn=mma-297708

Roy Nelson Rich Franklin Forrest Griffin Kendall Grove

MMA Marketplace: What's this? MMA shirts with no skulls?

In lamenting Silver Star's Nazi shirt, we pointed out that the problem with many MMA shirts is that they are completely unoriginal. To avoid using the wrong skull, how about just not using any skulls at all?

Reader K.J. Gould shared with us an MMA clothing company which does just that. Check out the shirts made by Cage Hero.

These shirts are pretty amazing. The designs have a comic-book feel, and stick to their motto of "The Hero Comes From Within." The best part is that the hero doesn't cost all that much. Their shirts cost around $24, well under the price point of many MMA shirts that are covered in skulls. 

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/MMA-Marketplace-What-s-this-MMA-shirts-with-no?urn=mma-301264

Jon Jones Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Muhammed Lawal Rafael Cavalcante

MMA LIVE: WEC 53 review, Anthony Pettis highlights and year-end MMA award nominees

ESPN's MMA Live crew looks back this week at WEC 53 from Glendale, Ariz., including the incredible fifth round kick from Anthony Pettis. They also reveal their nominees for their year-end MMA awards. Check it out below (App users video available at MMATorch.com):

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Other_News_4/article_7935.shtml

Thiago Alves Jake Shields Josh Koscheck Martin Kampmann

UFC QUOTABLES: Thiago Alves - "Welterweight division: watch out, I'm back"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"My next fight I want it to be in UFC Rio on August 27 so if they schedule that, I'll [fight] beginning of April and then August 27... This will be like a dream come true, I can't even express myself. Being Brazilian, you kind of grew up with MMA developing and all that, and now that we're going to have a UFC in Brazil after this whole time, it's pretty cool. That's why I want to fight there so badly. I'm sure everyone who is Brazilian is going to want to fight on this card... I just want to fight whoever's going to bring me closer to the belt again. It doesn't matter who it is. Nothing changed as far as my goals, I want to be the welterweight champion. Whoever's going to bring me closer, I'm ready for it. It doesn't matter who it is, I'll be ready for it. Welterweight division, watch out, I'm back."

-Thiago Alves talks to MMAWeekly.com about wanting to get back into action early into 2011 as well as on the UFC's Brazil return in August.

Penick's Analysis: His performance against John Howard at UFC 124 was fantastic, and may have been the best we've seen him look in the Octagon. He didn't have any issues with the weight cut after a change in his diet, and looked every bit the dangerous challenge he was believed to be before his losses to Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch. If he can continue to keep his weight down to make 170 consistently, I'm of the firm belief that Thiago Alves will be the UFC's Welterweight Champion by 2012. Of course, a caveat to that is that GSP will have moved on to the middleweight division by then, as I still don't see anyone in the welterweight division defeating him.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7894.shtml

Pat Barry Mirko Cro Cop Cheick Kongo Roy Nelson

UFC QUOTABLES: Thiago Alves - "Welterweight division: watch out, I'm back"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"My next fight I want it to be in UFC Rio on August 27 so if they schedule that, I'll [fight] beginning of April and then August 27... This will be like a dream come true, I can't even express myself. Being Brazilian, you kind of grew up with MMA developing and all that, and now that we're going to have a UFC in Brazil after this whole time, it's pretty cool. That's why I want to fight there so badly. I'm sure everyone who is Brazilian is going to want to fight on this card... I just want to fight whoever's going to bring me closer to the belt again. It doesn't matter who it is. Nothing changed as far as my goals, I want to be the welterweight champion. Whoever's going to bring me closer, I'm ready for it. It doesn't matter who it is, I'll be ready for it. Welterweight division, watch out, I'm back."

-Thiago Alves talks to MMAWeekly.com about wanting to get back into action early into 2011 as well as on the UFC's Brazil return in August.

Penick's Analysis: His performance against John Howard at UFC 124 was fantastic, and may have been the best we've seen him look in the Octagon. He didn't have any issues with the weight cut after a change in his diet, and looked every bit the dangerous challenge he was believed to be before his losses to Georges St. Pierre and Jon Fitch. If he can continue to keep his weight down to make 170 consistently, I'm of the firm belief that Thiago Alves will be the UFC's Welterweight Champion by 2012. Of course, a caveat to that is that GSP will have moved on to the middleweight division by then, as I still don't see anyone in the welterweight division defeating him.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7894.shtml

Alistair Overeem Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira Mauricio Rua Rashad Evans

UFC 124 winner Pierson dumped by Toronto Police Department

Sean Pierson has had two lifelong dreams come true recently. He won his UFC debut over Matt Riddle, and he was hired by the Toronto Police Department. Unfortunately, his persona as a fighter has prevented him from being a cop.

Pierson has been dismissed by the Toronto Police. It cited concerns about his one-time nickname of "Pimp Daddy," and the time and effort that Pierson needs to commit to fighting.

Pierson said that the nickname was something that he used when he was 23. He is now 34, has been married for nine years, and has a 2-year-old son. 

[Related: NHL team's fake police chase]

Just after returning home to Toronto after winning a unanimous decision at UFC 124, Pierson was supposed to start work with the police force. Instead, he was told to turn in his uniform and stay away until the police force investigates his situation. A police rep said that all officers must clear secondary employment.

“I can appreciate the position they’re in with what I do,” said Pierson. “I don’t look at mixed martial arts as a negative, but I think the mainstream still looks at us as a bit of a black eye.”

MMA hasn't had an easy time becoming accepted in Toronto, which also may explain the TPD's reluctance to allow Pierson to fight while serving and protecting. Despite the overwhelming popularity of MMA in Canada, the sport was only legalized in Ontario in August. Some news outlets are still not warm to the sport. The UFC will host its first event in Toronto on April 30, 2011.

[Related: Brawl breaks out at Hulk Hogan's wedding]

Given the long layoff that can happen between fights, it's not odd for a fighter to have another job. Pierson is far from the only civil servant who moonlights as a fighter. Welterweight Chris Lytle is a firefighter in Indianapolis, while fellow welterweight Paulo Thiago serves on Brasilia, Brazil police department's special forces. Unfortunately, the Toronto Police Department wasn't able to see the positives of having a well-trained mixed martial artist on its side and look past any stereotypes about the sport.

Other popular stories on the Yahoo! network:
• Racist Facebook rant gets youth coach in trouble
• The fastest cars in the U.S.
• Michael Vick's first commercial since prison

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-124-winner-Pierson-dumped-by-Toronto-Police-?urn=mma-296415

Fedor Emelianenko Junior dos Santos Shane Carwin Frank Mir

The GDP Award

Filed under: Strikeforce, Japan

There are only two types of people who say they'll get in the cage and fight for free: liars and psychos. You think you want to put on the gloves, get up in front of a screaming crowd, and get punched in the face for free on a Saturday night? Are you dense?

Naw, playa. Fighting, when done right, is a job. When done wrong, it's a criminal offense, or at the very least a way to get kicked out of your favorite bar. The wise pugilist knows that if people are paying to see him, some of that money should find its way into his pocket, if only so he can pay for his stitches and Jägerbombs after the fight.

It is with this in mind that we award this year's GDP Award (or as "King" Mo Lawal would say, the Get Dat Paper Award) for MMA's most ambitious cash-stacking, money-making hustler to none other than Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem. [pause for confused applause]

Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2010/12/25/the-gdp-award/

Kenny Florian

UFC QUOTABLES: Georges St. Pierre says UFC 124 bout with Josh Koscheck should have been stopped by doctor's or Koscheck's corner

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"I heard he broke the orbital bone and had surgery. I hope he?s okay. Yeah I think [the doctors should have stopped it]. I think the doctors or his corner men should have stopped it because it's very dangerous in this sport, he could lose an eye and also it could be a career-killing situation, but at the end of the day it was good for the fans... I think my peak is still ahead. I'm 29 years old, I get better every time, I feel stronger every time, and I've changed a lot of things in my training and I try to keep it a secret. I keep it for me and it makes me better. I think I can get much, much better than I am right now."

-Georges St. Pierre talks to the Fan 590 in Toronto with Andrew Krystal (transcribed by SportsRadioInterviews.com) about his UFC 124 win over Josh Koscheck and continuing to improve his game.

Penick's Analysis: That's the other thing about GSP that puts him atop the list for me when it comes to the "best fighter in the world" debate. He's still only 29 years old and in the midst of his athletic peak. He's only going to develop more skills and improve everything that he's already great at, and he'll continue to do that for some time. Imagining a much, much better GSP than we've already seen is imagining an unstoppable fighter, and he'll continue to be a treat for fans and fighters to watch and learn from.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7863.shtml

Ryan Bader Jon Jones Antonio Rogerio Nogueira Muhammed Lawal

Strikeforce 31, March 5

Strikeforce 31
Saturday March 5, 2011
Nationwide Arena
Columbus, OH
Airing on Showtime

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Upcoming_Events_42/article_7905.shtml

Pat Barry Mirko Cro Cop Cheick Kongo Roy Nelson

STRIKEFORCE NEWS: Not so fast on Fedor vs. "Bigfoot", Strikeforce and M-1 Global reps say negotiations still on-going

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Negotiations between Strikeforce and M-1 Global may not be coming to an end just yet after all, according to a report from MMAJunkie.com.

After MMAWeekly.com on Friday reported that Fedor Emelianenko was in talks to face Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva on January 29, representatives from both sides are now backtracking from that fight coming on that particular date.

According to Strikeforce spokesperson Mike Afromowitz, "It all depends where these negotiations take us."

As for M-1 Global's U.S. rep Evgeni Kogan, the January 29 date is not "on the table," but did say they appeared to be close to completing the negotiations.

"We are really hoping that we can finalize things as soon as possible," M-1 representative Evgeni Kogan told MMAjunkie.com. "We have been steadily working toward an agreement. And I think we are closer to it now than we have been in the past."

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: It really should not be this difficult to get a fight together. This is probably still the fight that winds up taking place, but the longer they take, the longer the fight date gets pushed back, and longer distance their is between fights. Fedor's extended absences in these "negotiation" periods is making all sides look bad for not getting it together and getting him into the cage already. He's not injured, he lost in a minute and a half to a choke submission, and yet we're going on six months with him out of action, and the end of January makes seven. Push it back any further and it's just a completely unnecessary length of time when his current contract has a fight left on it.

[Fedor Emelianenko art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Affliction2/article_7881.shtml

Fedor Emelianenko Junior dos Santos Shane Carwin Frank Mir

Wanderlei Silva Declares War On Vitor Belfort

?The war has started. I?ll catch you, understand bro? I?ll catch him because our first fight did not prove anything really; it was a technical error and also a lucky moment. He knocked me out quickly… That loss is stuck in my throat and I will turn it over. I am a different fighter now [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/9J-um_flRU4/

Michael Bisping Jon Fitch Thiago Alves Jake Shields

UFC NEWS: UFC planning three returns to Canada for pay-per-view in 2011

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC ran three events in Canada in 2010, making their way twice more to Montreal and breaking into Vancouver, British Columbia for the first time. Now, according to a report from MMAWeekly.com, Canadian fans can expect another three pay-per-view cards in 2011 if all goes as planned.

UFC director of Canadian operations Tom Wright spoke with the site and revealed the plans for the upcoming year.

"Right now, we've only confirmed Toronto,? he said. ?We're working on Vancouver again, and obviously we'd love to come back to Montreal, it's a great town."

"We're looking to have three again in Canada next year," said Wright. "So three of the global pay-per-views, that's 20 percent. Not a bad number."

Link to Original Source Article

Penick's Analysis: The Canadian fans have provided some of the largest and most raucous crowds for the UFC, so it's no surprise that the UFC will continue to bring events as often as possible up to Canada. The Toronto event in April is going to be huge, and the UFC has already set records on three separate occasions at the Bell Centre. 2011 is going to be a big year for the organization overall, and increasing their reach in Canada is just one step towards their continually lofty goals.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_7893.shtml

Shane Carwin Frank Mir Alistair Overeem Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

MARSH: Jake Shields' confirmed title shot against GSP a disappointment with mega fight between GSP and Silva on the mind

By: Griffin Marsh, MMATorch Contributor

Last Saturday night Georges St. Pierre showed why he is the greatest welterweight of all time. Georges came out and strategically used his boxing to dominate the heavy handed wrestler, Josh Koscheck. After the dominant performance, many in the MMA world were calling for the mega fight between GSP and Anderson Silva, but unfortunately we are stuck with Jake Shields vs GSP.

While amassing an impressive 15 fight win streak, Shields has looked anything but impressive in his last two outings. In his last two bouts Shields won a unanimous decision against 39 year old Dan Henderson and a split decision against Martin Kampmann. In his fight with Henderson, Shields survived some big punches that nearly finished him and was clearly gassed late in the fight. It also appeared as if it took all he had to continue the fight for most of the latter part of his fight with Kampmann.

Nevertheless, Jake Shields is a winner. However, Shields isn't fighting a 39 year old man who cut way too much weight or a skinny kickboxer. He is fighting the best welterweight of all time, nd I just do not see any way Shields can pull out a victory.

Shields undoubtably is an elite MMA grappler. He is a three time Grapplers Quest Advanced Champion and finished third at the ADCC Submission Grappling tournament in 2005. While being an accomplished grappler, he is a mere novice with his standup striking. Time and time again Shields has shown he must take the fight to the ground to win, after being out-struck on his feet.

To his credit, Shields has controlled the fight once he gets his opponent down. The problem is he will not be able to control GSP should he get him to the mat, and will have trouble getting the champion down in the first place. Once the fight hits the mat, there is no guarantee it will be at all advantageous for Shields as GSP has more than enough size, strength, skill and athletic ability to turn the tables on the challenger and impose his will.

I cannot help but feel disappointed once I heard the news that UFC President Dana White had confirmed Shields will still receive the shot at the welterweight title. Like every other MMA fan in the world I'm hoping for the mega fight between Anderson Silva and GSP. Unfortunately it looks as if it will not happen anytime soon, and it is just merely a fight we all hope to someday see. Let's just hope that the UFC truly opens up to the idea of having the mega fight after GSP destroys Jake Shileds.

Questions? Comments? Contact Me: andysilvanumber1@yahoo.com

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/Staff_Editorials_19/article_7850.shtml

Cain Velasquez Brock Lesnar Fabricio Werdum Fedor Emelianenko