MMA News and Fight Videos

Fighting solves everything.

Unlike many of today’s mainstream sports, mixed martial arts (MMA) is all about the power of one. You can’t lose a fight because your receiver dropped a pass in the end zone, or the clean-up hitter struck out with the bases loaded.

Success in the fight game boils down to a couple of variables. Of course one cannot compete at a higher level of fighting without natural talent and a developed skill set, but one also cannot discount the influence of a fighter’s heart and determination.

And yes, sometimes a little bit of luck can help when everything else fails.

Most of the great fights in MMA history have a combination of those elements. In a year of ever-increasing visibility, fighters from around the globe in several different organizations left it all in the cage (or ring) for a chance to reach the summit in the world of combat sports.

Like the ten best knockouts of 2008, trying to find the year’s ten best fights was no easy task. I didn’t want to just bring you a list of big names with bone-shattering finishes or slick submissions, because there are a lot more than ten of them.

Instead I tried to look at each fight and its ability to not only entertain the fans, but also display a certain level of technical ability whether it be on the ground or on the feet.

In the absence of technical prowess, heart went a long way in narrowing the field.

With that said, I present to you my picks for the ten best fights of 2008.

Karma Chameleon: Randy Couture vs. Zuffa - January 2008-August 2008
While they never actually traded blows, Randy Couture spent most of 2008 slinging mud at the Zuffa brass after they called him out for stiffing the UFC (and the fans) with two fights. From January to August “The Natural” tried to sign with HDNet, balked at a fight with Nogueira, sued and got sued, flirted with Fedor, played in a few card tournaments and starred in the barely mediocre ‘Redbelt’ before eventually giving up and coming back to the promotion he should have never left. It was the topic of discussion at least twice a month until his unsettling return in early September.

Winner: Zuffa by TKO. Randy eventually threw in the towel after taking a beating in the court (and court of public opinion). Upon his return, he lost his heavyweight title to the 2-1 Brock Lesnar. Welcome back.

Cinematic equivalent: Frank Dux vs. The US Army (Bloodsport). Ol’ Belgium eyes wanted to fly overseas to fight a seemingly indestructible foreigner despite having a binding contract with the US Army. Uncle Sam wasn’t havin’ it. An AWOL Dux was relentlessly pursued across International borders (jurisdiction be damned) by some old guy in a cinereal suit and a presumably post-grad Charles Jefferson.

Wrongful Conviction: Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold - EliteXC ‘Heat’
Gina Carano put herself on the map with a TKO destruction of Kaitlin Young at EliteXC ‘Primetime’ back in May. That performance had a lot of people paying attention to something they never had before: Women’s MMA. “Conviction” once again lived up to expectations and looked insanely hot during her three round clinic on the very game Kelly Kobold when she returned to television this past October. Make no mistake about it: This was a real test for Carano because the 16-2-1 Kobold was not a plant. She was a well-rounded mixed martial artist with an impressive resume. Carano rose to the challenge, showing both technique and style, and for the first time in history the expression “Fights like a girl” was used as a compliment.

Winner: Gina Carano via unanimous decision. It was a masterful performance, and the thought of her not fighting again because Jared Shaw was given the keys to his father’s Caddy and wrecked it makes me sad on the inside.

Cinematic equivalent: Christie vs. Yamada (Ninja III: The Domination). I’m not suggesting that Kelly Kobold looks like Sho Kosugi, but that was the first time I can remember that I actually believed a woman could kick my ass. Watching Gina Carano was the second. Christie is possessed by a cop-killing ninja spirit that forces her to kiss hairy men and splash V-8 across her breasts. Like Carano, something about watching Lucinda Dickey fire off leg kicks had me stuttering and drooling like Simple Jack.

Grapples to oranges: Demian Maia vs. Jason MacDonald – UFC 87
I tend to be a little hard on Jason MacDonald in my Nostradumbass predictions, but this is one fight that definitely has me singing his praises. Maia was coming into the bout with an undefeated record and MacDonald was last seen at UFC 83 where he finished off Joe Doerksen. It didn’t take long for them to get started and credit to “The Athlete” for fearlessly storming the jiu-jitsu black belt and giving him all he could handle, including a cut above Maia’s left eye. The Brazilian turned up the heat in round two and had MacDonald running scared. Still, the Canadian showed heart and a solid defense to keep himself from getting tapped until midway through the third, when he could no longer survive the relentless ground attack. Many fights that feature extensive grappling are greeted with silence from the crowd. This was no exception. It wasn’t because of boredom, it was because most fans were on the edge of their seats. Anyone else snap to attention when MacDonald escaped the triangle and sunk in a rear naked choke?

Winner: Demian Maia by submission (rear naked choke). Maia is a dangerous foe. I’m beginning to wonder who amongst the middleweight elite will be able to stop him. Somewhere down the road there has to be a jiu-jitsu bragging rights match between him and Rousimar Palhares.

Cinematic equivalent: Indiana Jones vs. the giant Sherpa (Raiders of the Lost Ark). Okay, so Jonesy and the giant airplane mechanic don’t have an ounce of grappling in their brawl, but this pretty much sums up the Maia vs. MacDonald fight: You knew who was going to win the entire time, but that didn’t make it any less fun to watch.

Sweep of faith: Cung Le vs. Frank Shamrock - Strikeforce ‘Shamrock vs. Le’
Frank Shamrock was the face of the Strikeforce promotion and unfortunately the mouth of them as well. Imagine Jimmy Hart without the megaphone and a decent ground game and you have Lil’ Shammy. The up-and-coming Cung Le was 5-0 with five straight (T)KO stoppages. While his striking was highly rated, it was untested in the MMA world by anyone of any consequence. Enter Frank Shamrock. Tired of boring the crowds with his ongoing Gracie feud, Shambone stepped up to silence the Le hype machine. Not only did Frank agree to fight him, he promised to do it entirely on his feet. Many critics balked at his proclamation, knowing Shamrock’s ego and obvious advantage on the ground. Still, Shammy kept his word and the two let it fly for three rounds. What started fairly even began to sway towards Le, and Shamrock’s arm was broken at the end of the third round courtesy of repeated kicks by the relentless Sanshou disciple.

Winner: Le by TKO. The ground game was non-existent, but no one in attendance seemed to care. There was plenty of action and watching Shamrock get iced after two rounds of antics seemed like poetic justice.

Cinematic equivalent: Leroy Green vs. Sho ‘Nuff (The Last Dragon). Just direct-a yo feetsa, to Frank Shamrock’s arm. Leroy had the kind of skill that made him special, but got overlooked in favor of the loudmouth bully who likes to hear himself talk. We knew Sho ‘Nuff was a bad MOFO - he told us every fourth frame. Sound familiar? In the end he was bested by a fighter who kept his mouth shut, trained hard and got his skin to glow. That kind of stuff happens when you live that close to the Hudson River.

Scrumbags: Chris Lytle vs. Paul Taylor - UFC 89.
I don’t think it’s an insult to say that Chris Lytle will never be the UFC welterweight champion. But by that same token, he’ll never be unemployed either. “Lights Out’ is either fearless or hard-up for cash, because his go-for-broke gameplan is the same for every fight. That includes his three round war with Paul Taylor at UFC 89, a battle good enough to earn ‘Fight of the Night’ honors and a place on my list of ten best. “Relentless” was just that, sticking it to Lytle at every turn, and the two hammered away at each other from one side of the Octagon to the other. With plenty of bombs and some very impressive dirty boxing, Lytle and Taylor shamed the main event between Chris Leben and Michael Bisping with a dizzying display of striking. Lytle’s next fight is against Marcus Davis at UFC 93, and no question we can expect him to pick up right where he left off.

Winner: Chris Lytle by unanimous decision. This was another close fight, but the judges gave it to Lytle. Despite a 2-3 record, Taylor brings his fight to each event and should be back sooner rather than later.

Cinematic equivalent: John Matrix vs. Cooke (Commando). While the ending was a bit more definitive, nothing says “testosterone sandwich” like two men whaling on each other in front of screaming onlookers. Credit Cooke for a sensational upkick - long before Gegard Mousasi made it cool at DREAM 6.

Black & white (and red all over): Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton Jackson - UFC 86

Apparently disregarding everything Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder taught us in 1982, Forrest Griffin tried to keep a brother down with his ruthless leg kicks and frenetic pace when he faced fellow Ultimate Fighter 7 coach Quinton Jackson for the UFC light heavyweight championship. “Rampage” came out like a dominant champion, nearly stopping Griffin in the first round with a brutal uppercut. Griffin answered that round with one of his own, buckling the leg of Jackson and softening him up with a relentless ground and pound assault. Capturing a sort of grit and determination they were never able to achieve during the show, the two battled back-and-forth for an entire five rounds, with a very close decision going to Griffin. Forrest would eventually yield his title to Rashad Evans at UFC 92, but that hasn’t stopped Jackson - or the fans - from wanting a rematch.

Winner: Forrest Griffin by unanimous decision. It may have been unanimous for the judges, but plenty of fans were crying foul after this five round nail-biter. Forget instant replay. I vote for sudden death.

Cinematic equivalent: Nada vs. Frank (They Live). It’s not often you get a couple of guys bashing each others brains in over a pair of sunglasses not named Oakley. I suppose Nada could have just told Frank they would let him see through Holly Thompson’s clothes but then there would be no fisticuffs. Like the main event of UFC 86, They Live proved that people of all colors can beat the crap out of each other for twenty five minutes and still maintain a working relationship. God Bless America.

Cowboy Bebop: Donald Cerrone vs. Rob McCoullogh - WEC 36

The now 9-0 Donald Cerrone was on an absolute tear coming into his fight against “Razor” Rob, and both men were using the WEC 36 contest as a springboard into a title fight with lightweight champion Jamie Varner. “Cowboy” was electric right out of the gate, dropping the venerable McCullough twice in the opening stanza and once in the second before nearly finishing him with an armbar. Credit to Razor, who was not only able to weather the storm, but for also keeping it competitive through pure heart and determination, sweeping Cerrone on two occasions to stay alive. Cerrone took the contest in dominant fashion, but watching McCullough’s composure and never-say-die attitude was a testament to the kind of talent they have in the WEC. Anyone still think Donald Cerrone isn’t ready for a crack at Varner?

Winner: Cerrone by unanimous decision. Like most great fights, there are no losers here. I still don’t like that the UFC chose to eliminate weight classes in the WEC, but we can at least be grateful it wasn’t this one.

Cinematic equivalent: Colonel Braddock vs. Colonel Yin (Missing in Action 2: The Beginning). Yin was running the place for a long time, but that’s only because Braddock was too busy babysitting the inept Mazzilli and his idiotic rooster. Things changed when the artist formerly known as “Colt” got his hands on his captor. Sure, Yin had skills, but Braddock was the better man and proved it with a solid helping of American whoop-ass.

Shooto first, ask questions later: Akitoshi Tamura vs. Rumina Sato - Shooto Tradition 01

Former Shooto lightweight champion Akitoshi Tamura rumbled with Shooto legend Rumina Sato on Shooto’s 20th anniversary card back in May - and for those of you who still snicker at the Japanese promotion out of a lack of understanding, well, you’d better ask somebody. Tamura lost the Shooto lightweight title to Hideki Kadowaki at Shooto “Back to our Roots 8” after a lackluster decision and came into this fight with a pretty sizable chip on his shoulder. Sato was also coming off a loss to Kadowaki when he choked (literally) at Shooto “Back to our Roots 5.” The action was underway early with both men exchanging until Tamura went to the ground and looked for the sub. Sato defended well and then went went bonkers in round two, throwing punches and knees sprinkled with some nasty ground and pound. Tamura survived only to eat a spinning side kick in round three. Tamura let a high kick fly and stunned the “Moon Wolf,” who countered with an inverse triangle choke. “Ironman” escaped and transitioned to North-South for the submission win.

Winner: Akitoshi Tamura by submission (North-South choke). Fights like this are the reason Shooto has been around in one form or another since 1985. Do yourself a favor and open your mind (and your browser for a google video search).

Cinematic equivalent: Chen Zhen vs. General Fujita (Fist of Legend). Sato may not be a supreme killer, but he was submitting hapless Americans right around the same time Royce Gracie was doing it at UFC 3. Fujita delivered his trademark beatdown on the younger warrior, but instead of Zhen waiting for the torch to be passed, he went it and took it away himself. Classic throwdown.

Burn after beating: Miguel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda - WEC 34

You would think a guy who was 33-1 coming into a fight with 21 submissions would be lauded as one of the worlds best but alas, welcome to the plight of the bantamweight division. Despite being one of the last fighters to train under Carlson Gracie Jr. and holding the WEC bantamweight title, Torres was received with little fanfare. Then he faced Yoshihiro Maeda at WEC 34 and gave the mixed martial arts community a much needed wake-up call. Torres came out swinging but a very-game Maeda wasn’t going to roll over. The two exchanged evenly in the opening round and the second round saw similar action including an exchange of submission attempts. The champion found his range in the third, working his jab on the former Pancrase warrior until Maeda’s eye looked like a rotten grapefruit. Despite the Doctor’s interference, Torres proved that not only can he dish it out, he can take it too.

Winner: Torres by TKO. The fight was stopped after the third by the ringside physician, presumably to help WEC officials locate Maeda’s missing eye.

Cinematic equivalent: Billy Lo vs. Carl Miller (Game of Death). Miller was as tough-as-nails and gets his share of strikes in. Unfortunately it’s not enough against his quicker, more well-rounded opponent. Lo not only beats him down, he stuffs him in his own locker. You lose, Carl Miller.

DREAM Warriors: Eddie Alvarez vs. Joachim Hansen - DREAM 3

Hansen came into the DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix as one of the favorites to win it all. Alvarez had built an impressive 13-1 resume including ten (T)KO finishes, but was still seen as the underdog. That quickly changed when he dropped “Hellboy” twice in the opening frame of the GP quarterfinals. Hansen recovered and made it competitive heading deep into the first. After a grueling ten-minute opening round that saw more action than most three round fights, the two combatants do it all over again in round two. This round sees Hansen controlling, including two oh-so-close submission attempts that nearly finished Alvarez. The action flip-flops from one fighter to the other and Alvarez lands big at the bell. Clearly fight of the night and for my money fight of the year.

Winner: Eddie Alvarez. It was close, but the first round knockdowns probably gave Alvarez the edge. He would face Tatsuya Kawajiri at DREAM 5 but was denied the opportunity to fight in the finals after a Kawajiri elbow cut him open and finished his night. None other than Joachim Hansen would take his place after winning his reserve bout against Kultar Gill. As luck would have it, Hellboy upsets Shinya Aoki in the finals to win it all. Aoki would later face Alvarez and win the WAMMA lightweight championship at Fields Dynamite!!. Alvarez beats Hansen, Hansen beats Aoki, Aoki beats Alvarez. Oh what a tangled web we weave.

Cinematic Equivalent: Mick O’Brien vs. Paco Moreno (Bad Boys). Forget about that dreck with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Sean Penn was the real bad boy in this 1983 classic. Mick and Paco slug it out in the end to settle once and for all who is the worse criminal: The sadistic rapist or the accidental murderer. The crowd cheers their every move and Paco almost sinks in a rear naked choke. They beat each other bloody but the real highlight is watching Clancy Brown (pre-Mr. Krabs) eat his own boogers in the mess hall. Good stuff.

That my friends, has just about wrapped it up. 2008 was another banner year for the sport of MMA, and I can’t wait to see what 2009 has in store for us.

With fights like BJ Penn vs. Georges St. Pierre at UFC 94 just a few weeks away, I’d say we’re off to a pretty good start.

Be sure to sound off in the comments section about who you think belongs or doesn’t belong on the list of ten best fights of 2008 - and make sure you can back it up!

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Episode ten of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 is now underway and we’re down to the final preliminary battle as Team Blue’s George Roop takes on Team Red’s John Polakowski. Which lightweight will reign supreme and advance to the next round of elimination fights?

Also, Dana calls on Coaches Mir and Nogueira to help him select the semifinal match-ups. Who has the TUFFEST fight? Who gets off easy? Be sure to check back after the show for our complete recap.

In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section on all things TUF!

See you at 11pm!

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Episode nine of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 is now underway and the first few minutes are spent analyzing the recap of Kaplan vs. Nover, with special attention to the self-professed ‘idiotic’ gameplan of Dave Kaplan - which consisted of seeing how many Filipino fists it took to render him unconscious.

As expected, no one from Team Mir is impressed with Kaplan’s performance, especially after the hype that was built up around his chin. Nover warns that any lightweights unfortunate enough to face him in the semifinals will feel the wrath of the ‘Filipino Assassin’.

With only one light heavyweight fight remaining, attention turns to Krzysztof Soszynski as he prepares for his elimination fight against Team Red’s Kyle Kingsbury. Soszynski is nursing an injured thumb but vows to fight through the pain. Coach Mir hires a “hand expert” named Don House to evaluate the damaged goods.

House gives him a prescription of ice and rest and even thinks Krzysztof could be the man to beat at 205lbs.

Back at the (other) house, Dave Kaplan invites Tom Lawlor to his pity party and starts to drink away the pain of losing to a man who eats baby ducks. Several vodka shots later, Kaplan goes from promising UFC prospect to Hank the Angry Dwarf. He issues an open challenge to the rest of the house to try and knock him out.

Anyone riveted by last week’s combination of sushi and nut butter will be thrilled to learn that more penis pranks are on the way. In fact, Kaplan is the first to whip it out and figures who needs a fruit platter when you can just piss in a shot glass and triple-dog-dare your friends.

Dave Kaplan and Tom Lawlor take turns drinking each others urine. It was one of those moments where I wish I could have just pressed The Omni like Phineas Bogg and reappeared into another point in space and time.

Thankfully the segment redeems itself when Kaplan begs Lawlor to try and knock him out. Being the good sport that he is, Lawlor lands one square on the jaw and Kaplan folds up like George Jetson’s car.

After going limp and speaking in tongues, Kaplan later reveals in the confessional that he wasn’t really knocked out.

Uh-huh.

The producers tease us with some banter between Krzysztof and Kyle before going right back to the pranks. Ryan Bader (of all people) decides to lead the charge against Krzysztof as revenge for his role in previous pranks. The master plan is to move anything not nailed down into Krzysztof’s room.

Doesn’t get any more controversial than that.

Over at the gym, the one and only Dan “Hollywood” Henderson drops by to help Krzysztof prepare for his upcoming fight. Hendo speaks very highly of him and his presence seems to motivate the rest of Team Blue.

Krzysztof gets back to the house and is fairly impressed with the prank. Fellow Team Blue members Junie Browning and Shane Nelson recognize the amount of work needed to reverse it and scatter like roaches in daylight.

The moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived and fortunately it doesn’t involve anyone whipping out their meat stick.

Coaches’ Challenge!

Coach Mir is convinced the challenge will involve swimming. Not to suggest he’s a bad swimmer, but I think his nickname on the high school swim team was ‘Titanic’.

Coach Nogueira on the other hand is trying to stack the deck by practicing his skills in just about every major sport - except soccer, which just so happens to be the challenge for season eight.

Ironically, Nog is the only guy from Brazil who can’t play soccer, and looks like the proverbial deer in headlights when confronted with the ball and net.

The goal is to take turns doing penalty kicks until one person reaches a score of ten. Winning prize is $10,000 for the coach and $1,000 for each team member.

During the competition, Kyle Kingsbury channels his inner-Mexican and screams GOALLLLLLLLLLLLL at Frank Mir every time he gets scored on. Mir responds later in the confessional by calling him and the rest of the Reds a bunch of losers who will never be studs.

Despite his inexperience, Nog takes the Coaches’ Challenge through pure hustle. Mir may have had a shot but seemed to just mail it in when he was on defense. A bitter Mir knocks Nogueira’s athleticism and boasts about his dominance in anything between them that is evenly matched.

Afterward, we start to get a closer look at Kyle Kingsbury and Krzysztof Soszynski. Kingsbury has fighting in his blood, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather who had careers in boxing. Soszynski talks about growing up in communist Poland - all while putting the kitchen and dining room outside on the patio as he returns fire from the earlier prank.

The weigh-ins go off without a hitch and each guy talks up his game. Soszynski is the favorite (as expected) being the number one pick and Kingsbury thinks that the pressure of living up to expectations puts Krzysztof at a disadvantage.

Team Mir’s Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8-1) vs. Team Nogueira’s Kyle Kingsbury (7-1-1)

Round 1: Both fighters keep their distance and throw leather. Soszynski lands a nice body shot and they tie-up and go to the cage. Kingsbury using the knees and drops one in Soszynski’s crotch. Herb Dean separates them and issues a warning. They restart in the middle and Kingsbury eats an uppercut. Soszynski follows that with a nice right and pushes Kingsbury to the cage. Both guys working the knees until Kingsbury scoops him up and drops him on his back. Soszynski slowly brings his legs up, grabs an arm and proceeds to execute one of the slowest armbars in TUF history. Kingsbury does not defend and taps out.

Krzysztof Soszynski defeats Kyle Kingsbury via submission (armbar).

After the fight, Soszynski (known for his striking) parades around the cage screaming “I got jiu-jitsu too!” Kingsbury runs back to the locker room and tries to figure out where he went wrong. He stands up and asks the guys not to hang their heads because they still have one more elimination fight before the semis.

Having said that, John Polakowski, who up until this point has served as the retarded wheel on the TUF shopping cart, must overcome the lanky George Roop in episode ten in order to keep things even between the teams.

Stay tuned next week for Polakowski versus Roop and the announcement of the semifinal match-ups.

See you in seven!

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Episode eight of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 is now underway and the latest prank involving stolen food and one man’s retribution takes a wretched and disgusting turn.

Also, two lightweights square off for a chance to advance and a shocking betrayal by one fighter could change the course of an elimination fight.

Which contestant contemplates switching sides? Who does UFC President Dana White compare to a young Georges St. Pierre? Be sure to stay tuned after the show for our complete recap.

In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section on all things TUF!

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PRIDE: ‘TOTAL ELIMINATION ABSOLUTE 2006′ was the first round of Pride’s 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix Tournament held at the Osaka Dome in Osaka, Japan on May 5, 2006.

Tournament Bouts:
Josh Barnett vs. Aleksander Emelianenko
Kazuyuki Fujita vs. James Thompson
Mark Hunt vs. Tsuyoshi “TK” Kohsaka
Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Ikuhisa Minowa
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira vs. Zuluzinho
Alistair Overeem vs. Fabricio Werdum
Yosuke Nishijima vs. Hidehiko Yoshida

Alternate Bout:
Gilbert Yvel vs. Roman Zentsov

PRIDE: ‘TOTAL ELIMINATION ABSOLUTE 2006′ is now available for purchase in our DVD store for $19.99 by clicking here.

To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don’t see it in our store? Email us and we’ll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time.

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Episode nine of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) is now underway and with a title like “Body Bag” one has to wonder what exactly we’re in store for before (or perhaps during) tonight’s light heavyweight elimination fight.

We get a quick recap of last week’s Browning vs. Delgado fight and while Roli gets props for his heart and determination (despite the split-decision loss), Team Blue is running a train on Junie for his inability to finish what most perceived to be the show’s weakest link.

Coach Mir said it best:

“Okay let’s be realistic, you just went three rounds with Rolando.”

Afterward, Team Mir hits practice with an upbeat feeling, having tied things up at two fights apiece and retaining control of the fight picks. That is until Krzysztof Soszynski gets hitchhiker’s thumb courtesy of Eliot Marshall’s flailing man-bag.

Krystos is convinced it’s either broken or fractured, but vows to fight on with no problems or complaints.

We shall see.

Coach Mir has also recruited Rafael Alejarra, Wanderlei Silva’s personal trainer to help teach his troops how to train for fight conditioning and not just good gym cardio. With that, out comes the snorkels to restrict oxygen and mimic the effects of being wiped in the later rounds of a grueling fight.

To keep any of the guys from dropping dead, they pay homage to Millvina Dean by dumping them into a garbage pail filled with ice water immediately following their workout to reduce muscle inflammation and restore blood flow.

Mir ends the segment with his second best quote:

“People can take physical pain, people can take mental anguish, but cardio pain crushes everybody.”

Then he has to go and ruin my newfound admiration for him by telling Vinny Magalhaes that he (Mags) has better jiu-jitsu than Coach Noguiera. Vinny (who by his own admission is despised in Brazil) just nods in agreement like its common knowledge and says that Nog’s jits is “very basic.”

We’re talking about a guy who has ended 20 professional fights via submission - against some of the worlds best fighters. Can we show a little respect? If there is justice in this world, someone will pay for this heresy.

Speaking of Big Nog, Team Nogueira also hits the gym and starts running back and forth with their arms interlocked like a human coin pusher from the mall arcade. Team Red appreciates the lighthearted approach though Coach Nogueira longs for the days when he had control of the fight picks.

They continue the party-like atmosphere back at the house when Jules and Phillipe bake Nog a cake for his birthday. Jules says baking a cake for Nogueira is a dream come true and one of the best experiences of his life. They cook up a literal feast and chow down while laughing and having fun.

The cynic in me wanted to point my finger and laugh but truth be told I almost wished I was there (I like cake). Though I will admit Nog looked a little Corky-ish sitting there clapping his hands in excitement after blowing out the candles on his cake.

A bitter and jealous Shane Nelson says that Team Red is too close and sucks each other’s d*%& too much. Sounds like someone didn’t get a piece of cake.

Vinny takes over for Junie in the A-hole department and starts calling Team Nogueira fake for all their camaraderie and admits he’s there not for his team but for himself.

Mags is sure to get recruited by a great MMA camp with that attitude.

At the fight announcement, Team Mir chooses Vinny Magalhaes to fight Jules Bruchez because Mir is convinced that Jules will easily be destroyed by the jiu-jitsu black belt.

We get a closer look at Vinny as he prepares for his fight with Jules and he does have an impressive grappling resume but as Mir states, still has a few areas that need attention before he can be considered a complete fighter.

Unfortunately for Vinny, Junie Browning has the verbal restraint of an African Grey Parrot and tells some of the Team Red guys about Vinny’s belief that he is equal or superior to Nogueira when it comes to jiu-jitsu.

Nog smiles on the outside and detonates on the inside. He explains to the guys that there is a marked difference between what you can do in training and what you can do inside a locked cage and says Vinny has “little balls.”

In addition, Nog finds Vinny in the gym and blacks out on him in Portuguese. After telling him they are now “enemies,” Vinny has nothing to say except how he respects Nog and he never said anything of the sort and blah, blah, blah.

Nog also tells him they are not on speaking terms and that Vinny blew his chance of having any contact with him now or in the future. Vinny begs him to check the tape to clear his name and then later in the confessional goes right back to being a tough guy and mouthing off about how he doesn’t care if Nog speaks to him or not.

After the dust settles we go to the training of Jules Bruchez. Coach Stankie tells him it would be nice if he was good on top so that he wouldn’t have to go down and dirty and smell all those farts. For a moment I felt like I was back in my sex-ed class in high school.

Coach Noguiera likes the power in Jules hands and thinks his heart will be the difference.

Back at the house, Krzysztof decides its time to get his prank on and orders a fake tombstone and body bag for Jules bedroom. I’m still trying to figure out where they got the body bag. Presumably from the supply closet at Stankie’s nursing home. Anyway, I get the feeling Krzysztof is picking Vinny in this fight.

Team Red comes home to find the mock-funeral and once again it ends rather anti-climatically for the simple reason that Bruchez was more impressed by the prank then offended by it.

In the locker room before the fight, Vinny admits he had a dream that he was submitted by Jules. Mir vows to quit as a coach if that dream comes true. Jules on the other hand would be content just to knock Vinny’s head clean off.

Team Mir’s Vinny Magalhaes (2-2) vs. Team Nogueira’s Jules Bruchez (0-0)

Round 1: Vinny opens with two high kicks and a right, none of which land. He follows with an inside leg kick that does. Jules answers with one of his own that just gets the shin. A frightened Jules has the head movement of John the Baptiste. Vinny lands another inside leg kick. Jules misses a punch, Vinny misses a kick. Nice body kick by Vinny who follows it with an inside leg kick. Hard body kick by Vinny. And another. Both fighters seem content to do nothing but bob and weave. Jules lands a jab and a front kick, misses with another. A background shot of Dan Henderson has him looking bored. Jules charges with a combo and a Vinny clinch turns into a flying armbar attempt. It’s unsuccessful but they go to the ground and Vinny easily mounts. Vinny shows impressive flexibility as he starts with a gogoplata and finishes with an armbar.

Vinny Magalhaes defeats Jules Bruchez via submission (armbar).

Tedious fight. UFC President Dana White was not impressed with the phantom stand-up from either fighter. I can’t blame Jules since he owns a professional record of 0-0. Nice finish by Vinny but again his striking could prove to be his downfall in the semis.

Stay tuned next week as the latest prank involves stolen food and one man’s retribution, two lightweights square off for a chance to advance and a shocking betrayal by one fighter leaves the house in shock.

See you in seven!

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UFC 86 ‘Jackson vs. Griffin’ was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on July 5, 2008, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The main event featured the five-round thriller between UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and challenger Forrest Griffin, who also served as coach opposite Jackson on season seven of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) back in April.

In addition, don’t miss the middleweight match-up between Ricardo Almeida and Patrick Cote to determine the number one contender for Anderson Silva’s 185 lb title.

Here is the complete card for UFC 86 ‘Jackson vs. Griffin’:

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Bout:

205 lbs.: Quinton Jackson (28-6) vs. Forrest Griffin (15-4)

Main Card:

185 lbs.: Patrick Cote (12-4) vs. Ricardo Almeida (9-2)
155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson (28-8) vs. Gleison Tibau (15-5)
170 lbs.: Josh Koscheck (10-2) vs. Chris Lytle (25-15)
155 lbs.: Tyson Griffin (11-1) vs. Marcus Aurelio (16-5)

Under Card:

265 lbs.: Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) vs. Justin McCully (8-3-2)
155 lbs.: Cole Miller (13-3) vs. Jorge Gurgel (12-3)
155 lbs.: Melvin Guillard (21-7-2) vs. Dennis Siver (11-5)
155 lbs.: Corey Hill (2-0) vs. Justin Buchholz (7-2)

UFC 86 “Jackson vs. Griffin’ is now available for sale in our DVD store for $19.99 by clicking here.

To check out our massive library of MMA DVD titles, including PRIDE DVD and UFC DVD click here. We also have Elite XC, WEC, Cage Rage, IFL, King of the Cage and other products for sale in our store. Looking for a title but don’t see it in our store? Email us and we’ll be happy to check its availability. Please keep in mind that we are only able to ship within the continental United States at this time.

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UFC lightweight Gray Maynard knows a thing or two about labels.

Like most amateur fighters who find their way into the UFC spotlight through a stint on The Ultimate Fighter reality show, Maynard has to work twice as hard to prove that skill — not television — is what landed him a spot on the active UFC roster.

So far, so good.

“The Bully” has kept his professional win streak intact inside the Octagon, winning three straight fights since a bizarre simultaneous knockout/tapout against Rob Emerson at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 Finale in June 2007.

In addition, Maynard knows that he’s more than “just a wrestler” — something he intends to prove in his first appearance on a major UFC pay-per-view.

Gray brings us up to speed on everything from his days as a collegiate wrestler, life in the TUF mansion and the surprising phone call he got that would change his life forever.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Gray, first and foremost thank you for taking the time to talk with us at MMAmania.com. Start by giving us an update on how you’re feeling physically. Are you injury free and 100% ready for UFC 90 on Saturday night?

Gray Maynard: Nope, no injuries. I just got done with my eight week training camp. I feel good and ready to go.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How has the weight cutting process been? Should we assume with your wrestling background that making the cut is a non-issue?

Gray Maynard: No, no issue at all. My weight’s good.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What weight do you normally walk around at?

Gray Maynard: Usually in training camp I’m walking around at 172. Last couple of weeks probably around 166. The day before I should be around 162.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Tell us about some of your accomplishments in amateur wrestling.

Gray Maynard: I’ve been wrestling since I was three - I got going pretty early! I took state in Nevada my sophomore year in high school. Then I moved to an all-boys school called St. Edwards in Ohio. There I placed runner-up in the Ohio state championships my junior year. My senior year I was champ at 152 in Ohio then I was national champion as well. Our team was national champions.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): So college wrestling was a foregone conclusion.

Gray Maynard: Yeah, I went to Michigan State where I was a three time All-American.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): After graduating college did you say “Okay, now I have to go out and get a real job?”

Gray Maynard: Actually my goal was to try out for the 2004 Olympic team. I moved down to Arizona and I was training for a little bit but it got to the point where I would have had to cut down to 145 and I just couldn’t do it.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Why 145?

Gray Maynard: Because it was such a big jump between there and 163. From where I needed to be as far as my weight and body size I just couldn’t do either one. I was kind of stuck in limbo.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How hard was it on you to go through all that, to set this ultimate goal and then have to abandon it?

Gray Maynard: It was really tough. I eventually went back home and had to work construction for a little bit and then I got into real estate.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Did you stop training all together?

Gray Maynard: No, I hooked up with the Cobra Kai Jiu-Jitsu school when I got back.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Did you do that with the intention of getting into mixed martial arts?

Gray Maynard: No, I was doing it because I was fat. I wanted to train, I hate not training. I’ve been doing it my whole life.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How was your experience there?

Gray Maynard: I was kind of doing that off and on and I guess the word got around. I ended getting a call from (current UFC lightweight champion) BJ Penn. He wanted me to come help him train for his match against Rodrigo Gracie.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Wait a second, what do you mean the word got around? What word, that you were tearing it up? It must have been something special if a guy of Penn’s caliber is calling you.

Gray Maynard: Yeah, kind of. I was pretty new, I didn’t even know what jiu-jitsu was. It was cool but MMA was still kinda new and I was like “Eh, I don’t know if I’d want to do that.” But I went down to Hilo (Hawaii) and trained with [Penn] for three weeks. That was a lot of fun.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): It must have been humbling to roll with a guy who was coming off submission wins over Matt Hughes and Takanori Gomi.

Gray Maynard: He called me and I was like “I have no idea who you are but I’ll take a free trip to Hawaii!” Anyway, I went down there and I was like “Man, this guy is a big deal.” We trained for like three weeks and I was like “This sport is pretty cool.” Then I went back home, I still had a job and trained for a little bit more and then I ended up hooking up with [Randy] Couture when he was training for Chuck Liddell. Once I got there I was like “Wow, this is a great camp.” I left my job and just went at it full time.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Quitting your job and moving to train full time is a big step. How did you support yourself financially?

Gray Maynard: I had some cash in the bank and my fiancé had a job and was helping me out. There were a lot of ways.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Was your family supportive? What was that phone call like: “Hey, I’m quitting my job to train as a fighter in a sport you’ve probably never heard of!”

Gray Maynard: In the beginning it was rough, they loved wrestling but they didn’t know what I was getting into and stuff. Now it’s at the point where they’re like “Wow, this is great!”

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Give us some background on how you ended up doing The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

Gray Maynard: After hooking up with Couture, I had my first couple of amateur fights in Oregon but they were spread out. It got to the point where I was calling all the time bugging everyone for fights. It was frustrating because a lot of times they book you for fights then they don’t happen. It was like “Yep, yep, oh, nope, nope.” Then a couple of people told me that the TUF show was going to have 155 pounders on it. I tried out and that was it.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Was that experience as tough as everyone says? One of your cast mates, Manny Gamburyan, said by the time he left the house he was a psycho.

Gray Maynard: It’s horrible man. You’re stuck in the house, you can’t leave, can’t talk to people. There were a lot of idiots and I just wanted to get out of there. It drives you crazy.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Idiots notwithstanding, who do you keep in contact with from that season?

Gray Maynard: I keep in touch with Matt Wiman, Rob Emerson, Nate Diaz a little bit, Joe Lauzon, a couple of guys.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Speaking of Nate Diaz, do you ever look back at that elimination fight, that you were dominating before getting submitted and say “God, I wish I had that one back?”

Gray Maynard: Yeah, it’s a loss. I hate to lose. I’d love to go back but by then we all just wanted off that damn show. It was the last day and it was just like “God, I have to fight right now? I just want to get out of here!” I hate that I had that attitude.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Is there a chance that guys might subconsciously look for a way out in a fight if the experience has already broken them prior to fighting? Do you think being under that kind of stress affected you performance?

Gray Maynard: You know I talked to Diaz afterwards and we both were like “God, we felt like shit.” We just wanted to get out of there.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You also mentioned staying in touch with Rob Emerson. Do you guys ever look back on your fight at the TUF 5 Finale and have a laugh over the knockout/tapout?

Gray Maynard: Not really.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): After the fight you were adamant about not being knocked out. Did you watch the replay at some point and say “Yeah, I guess I was out?”

Gray Maynard: I mean I was dazed, big-time. I don’t know if I was completely out but I was dazed for sure.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Is it hard watching yourself on TV?

Gray Maynard: I don’t watch unless I’m watching it in training camp to prepare or correct mistakes. It’s the only time I’ll do it.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What about TUF? Have you been keeping up with the seasons that followed yours?

Gray Maynard: No, I don’t even watch it.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Has the show run its course or do you think it still has a place in this sport?

Gray Maynard: It’s got its place. It’s a crazy show.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You probably made the most noise in your division after the win over Frankie Edgar - a win that is even more impressive knowing that you did it with a broken hand. A lot of people, myself included, thought Edgar was the better fighter until you proved us wrong. How much of a factor was the altitude in that fight?

Gray Maynard: It wasn’t a factor. If you train and you’re ready and show up for the fight then we’re all on an even playing field.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): It was the first time I’ve seen Edgar outwrestled. Was there a point in the fight where you felt him break? Or was he dangerous from start to finish?

Gray Maynard: He didn’t break, he’s a tough kid. He was in it the whole time. I had to tell myself “Keep your A-game, keep your A-game” because he just kept coming.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): A lot of good wrestlers end up with the label of being a lay ‘n pray fighter or the dreaded “human blanket”. Does that label concern you and what do you intend to do to prove otherwise, if anything?

Gray Maynard: I’m in a great camp (Xtreme Couture) that keeps evolving. I got Jay Hieron, all kinds of great guys, this team is good. We train to get good in all areas: Jiu-Jitsu, kicks, knees - all that stuff. As we do that, it’ll be easier to feel confident about using those other areas.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You’ve got perhaps your stiffest test to date when you face Rich Clementi at UFC 90 on Saturday. Where does a win over a talented veteran like him put you in this division?

Gray Maynard: Against a tougher guy.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): So you’re not looking for a future title shot or a certain ranking if you win?

Gray Maynard: Nah, I’m not there yet. I gotta keep going up the ladder.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Is there a lightweight fighter currently in the UFC that you’ve said to yourself “Man, I would love to fight that guy?”

Gray Maynard: I asked for Sean Sherk after the Edgar fight but that didn’t happen.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): That’s kind of a big jump.

Gray Maynard: Yeah, he’s tough man, he’s great. That’s who I want, I want to fight the best. I don’t want easy fights.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you consider Clementi an easy fight?

Gray Maynard: No, hell no. That guy’s good. He’s got a lotta heart. It’s gonna be a tough fight.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Let me read you a quote from Clementi: “I like fighting one-dimensional guys. I’m pretty well-rounded. It lets me have a little bit of flexibility.”

Gray Maynard: Well he’s right about being well-rounded. And I was one-dimensional maybe early on and through the TV show, but now I got a little bit more.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you think it’s a mistake for him to go into the fight thinking his only concern is your wrestling?

Gray Maynard: I guess we’ll see.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How many fights do you have left on your UFC contract after Saturday?

Gray Maynard: I think I have four.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Who handles the decision making for your career? Do you have a manager or do you handle everything yourself?

Gray Maynard: I talk to Couture a lot. He kind of advises me. He’s awesome.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Did his departure last year affect your relationship with Dana or the UFC?

Gray Maynard: No, I’m pretty easygoing. They would call me and tell me who they wanted me to fight and I would be like “Yeah, sure.”

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Who are your closest friends in the UFC?

Gray Maynard: Tyson Griffin, Martin Kampmann, Rashad Evans, there are a bunch of guys that are really cool.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What do you think Griffin’s chances are against Sherk?

Gray Maynard: Man that’s gonna be a great fight.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Sherk of course has a tremendous wrestling background but kind of took a fall from grace with the steroids scandal. Was there ever a point in your training or career that you felt tempted to get that edge?

Gray Maynard: No, I’m a little guy. Probably wouldn’t make much difference.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): But little guys tend to have exciting fights - which leads me to Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson. You have a prediction for that?

Gray Maynard: Joe Daddy has been doing good. Florian was okay against Huerta, I don’t know, I can’t call stuff, I suck at that. I’m always wrong.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You can’t be any worse than Nostradumbass.

Gray Maynard: Who?

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): So, uh, what do you do when you’re not training? What are some of your hobbies?

Gray Maynard: I like to play games, hang out with my dog, go wakeboarding, just kind of kick back.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Are you married now?

Gray Maynard: No, we’re still engaged. We’ve been together since college.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Nice. Can she watch you fight or is it too hard for her?

Gray Maynard: No, she can watch. She’s been with me a long time so she’s been watching me compete since the beginning.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): You have a couple of tattoos. Give me your favorite and the significance behind it.

Gray Maynard: The one on my chest says: “One life, roll the dice.” I got that when I was in Arizona training for the 2004 Olympics because you gotta get up everyday and take a chance. You gotta roll the dice every day.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Are there days when you wake up and just say “Ah, fuck this?”

Gray Maynard: Oh yeah, but I go out and do it anyway.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Are you getting recognized in the streets now and if so, is it hard to deal with?

Gray Maynard: Yeah I get noticed, but it’s cool. I don’t mind. Doesn’t happen much because I’m usually either at the gym or at my house.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): What was your reaction to the fall of EliteXC? Was their demise good or bad for the sport?

Gray Maynard: Only time will tell.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): How did you get the nickname “The Bully?”

Gray Maynard: I got that when I joined the Couture gym because I like to go hard. I train real hard.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Do you ever worry that such high intensity could make you more susceptible to injury?

Gray Maynard: No, not really.

Jesse Holland (MMAmania.com): Well we’ll be looking forward to some of that intensity against Rich Clementi at UFC 90. We wish you the best of luck Gray and thanks again for making some time for us.

Gray Maynard: Awesome, thanks a lot. And check out my sponsor Desert Volkswagon.

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UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” is set go off LIVE from the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill., on pay-per-view (PPV) at 10 p.m. ET on October 25.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates and blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air at 10 p.m. ET.

To get us pumped for the festivities, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer Jesse Holland (that’s me) will be breaking down the main event matches and revealing each fighter’s keys to victory.

If you’re looking for an unbiased and objective examination of each contest, then I’m happy to report you will be extremely disappointed.

Why else do you think I would depose the former contributors and take this act solo like the selfish blowhard you already know me to be?

But enough about me … at least for the time being.

Let’s get cracking:

Anderson “The Spider” Silva (22-4) vs. Patrick “The Predator” Cote (13-4)

Like most underdogs, Cote plans to shock the world. Unless he decides to circle the globe using nothing more than electrical outlets like Horace Pinker, the only shock will come from the defibrillator that’s used to restart his heart after Silva demolishes him. To be fair, Cote has definitely earned this opportunity by going 7-1 with six stoppages after suffering back-to-back losses to Joe Doerksen and Chris Leben in 2005. His performance against Ricardo Almeida at UFC 86 was nothing to write home about, but Cote knows how to hit hard and has a competent submission game. But the question is: What can Cote do against Silva that Franklin and Henderson couldn’t? That’s my biggest concern going into this fight. Better than Cote have tried to figure out Silva and failed … and failed miserably. There is really no place Cote can go where he’s not at a distinct disadvantage. Forget about trying to be elusive — Silva hasn’t gone to the judges since outpointing Lee Murray back in 2004. There isn’t much to say about “The Spider” that we don’t already know. He is without a doubt one of if not THE best fighter in the world and his striking is without flaw. Watching someone of his ability compete in his prime is a special thing. Enjoy it while it lasts because Silva wants to call it quits in 2009.

Keys to victory:

Silva: Show up.

Cote: Henderson and Lutter were able to give Silva a lot of trouble on the ground. Unfortunately, Henderson and Lutter also ended up getting submitted. Picadors stab a mound of muscle on a bull’s neck prior to engaging the vicious beast. Perhaps “The Predator” can send GSP over to Silva’s locker room to help soften him up.

Prediction: Silva by technical knockout

Thiago “Pitbull” Alves (15-3) vs. Josh Koscheck (11-2)

A lot of credit has gone to Josh Kosckeck for taking this fight on short notice after Diego Sanchez bowed out with an injury. But let’s be fair, Alves deserves credit as well. Having to change your entire strategy so close to a fight is a difficult task. Assuming Alves can make weight, he will be a dangerous test for Koscheck. “Pitbull” has a fantastic and devastating striking arsenal, whether it’s crushing knees, strafing kicks or powerful punch combinations. He’ll need to keep this fight upright if he has any hopes of toppling Koscheck, which could be troublesome because Kos will more than likely do everything in his power to take him down. For all the heat that Koscheck takes about his fight style, it does get results. He’s a tremendous wrestler who can take down just about anyone at will. He’s also starting to utilize that position more effectively as we saw in his drubbing of Chris Lytle at UFC 86. I see the advantage going to Koscheck based on his superior wrestling and history of taking fighters out of their game. Koscheck, who showed his durability in a decision loss to Georges St. Pierre, also trains with Jon Fitch who already fought and defeated Alves at Ultimate Fight Night 5.

Keys to victory:

Alves: Find a way to get inside and utilize those knees. Be prepared to spend a lot of time defending the takedown. Do it as well as you did against Hughes and you control the fight.

Koscheck: Hughes relied on his wrestling against Alves and got tooled for it. Still, don’t let it discourage your strategy. You will succeed where Hughes failed because you’re younger, faster and not sacrificing your training time to bail hay.

Prediction: Koscheck by unanimous decision

Fabricio “Vai Cavalo” Werdum (11-3-1) vs. Junior “Cigano” Dos Santos (6-1)

Sans a bad unanimous decision loss to Andrei Arlovski, Fabricio Werdum has shown that he is among the top heavyweights on the planet. He has two wins over Gabriel Gonzaga, a submission victory over Aleksander Emelianenko, as well as Alistair Overeem, and recently pounded out the spiraling Brandon Vera at UFC 85 “Bedlam.” He can cause anyone some major problems if he’s able to impose his will and has time to work his top shelf submission game. While not known known for his striking, he still has an advantage over Dos Santos in every aspect of competition. Junior’s career is off to a good start and all six of his wins have come by way of stoppage, but the majority of his fights were held in smaller promotions down in Brazil while Werdum has been battling world-class athletes on the big stage since 2005. “Cigano” needs to try and keep it standing and be aggressive with his strikes. Without disrespect to Dos Santos, it’s almost a step backwards to see Werdum fighting a UFC newcomer after two big wins.

Keys to victory:

Werdum: You were promised a title shot in 2009. The last thing you want to do is delay that any further by losing to Dos Santos while experimenting with your stand-up. Get in there and submit him and wait for the big four to sort out their differences.

Dos Santos: It’s your first fight in the UFC against an established MMA vet. You’re not expected to win, so why not go for broke? Swing hard and often.

Prediction: Werdum by submission

Sean “The Muscle Shark” Sherk (32-3 –1) vs. Tyson “Peter” Griffin (12-1)

Sean Sherk is back in action after getting whipped by BJ Penn at UFC 84 following last year’s steroid scandal. While the division seems to have moved on without him, it’s hard for me to be down on a guy who is 32-3-1 with his only losses coming against Matt Hughes, Georges St. Pierre and BJ Penn — three of the UFC’s all-time greats. Sherk is a tremendous wrestler and one of the few fighters who can go five rounds without breaking a sweat. He knows how to ground and pound and, despite his alligator arms, actually has serviceable stand-up. Tyson Griffin has kind of snuck into the upper ranks of the lightweight division with his recent wins over Marcus Aurelio and Thiago Tavares, but I put him at a disadvantage here because his one loss came against a great wrestler in Frankie Edgar at UFC 67. He then came close to losing to Clay Guida at UFC 72 who is also (surprise) a good wrestler. Also weighing against him is his inability to finish fights. His first eight fights were stoppages, his last five have all gone to a decision. That won’t fly against an aggressive, in-your-face fighter like Sherk, who may be too strong to get submitted. Expect Griffin to be handled for three rounds en route to a decision loss.

Keys to victory:

Sherk: Pick him up and slam him down. Elbows to the face. Rinse and repeat.

Griffin: How good is your jab? If you can keep the distance and somehow use Hawaiian magic like Penn did to get Sherk to abandon his wrestling you should be fine.

Prediction: Sherk by unanimous decision

Gray “The Bully” Maynard (5-0) vs. Rich “No Love” Clementi (32-12-1)

Gray Maynard is calling himself “The Bully” these days and that’s a pretty good way to describe his victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 13. I had actually picked Maynard to lose but instead he showed his progression as a mixed martial artist by dominating Edgar for three rounds. Now Maynard must continue that evolution as he takes on a very dangerous veteran in Rich Clementi. “No Love” has experienced something of a rebirth, going 7-1 with five stoppages after back-to-back losses to Caol Uno and Din Thomas back in 2006 (sounds like Cote!). Clementi has a very well-rounded game with a nice balance of 10 (T)KO and 14 submission wins to his credit. Maynard, despite the flash knockout of Joe Veres at UFC Fight Night 11, is still considered a one dimensional fighter. However, Gray is so successful at that one dimension he controls the fight from start to finish. I expect the same in this contest and Clementi had best polish his ground work. Maynard is strong and “No Love” will have to maintain a full tank of gas to score (and retain) the submission. It will be close, but I’m going with Maynard.

Keys to victory:

Maynard: Pressure and pain. You’re coming off two decision wins — an early stoppage over a tough veteran will boost your stock and give you contendership status.

Clementi: It’s going to the ground. What are you going to do when you get there? Stay composed and when in doubt, go for the triangle.

Prediction: Maynard by unanimous decision

That’s a wrap, folks.

Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and our coverage of UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote.”

What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for UFC 90.

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Episode five of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 is now underway and features a guest appearance by none other than current UFC middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

Our first order of business is to find out what happens to Junie Brown after jumping into the cage at the conclusion of the Escudero vs. Nelson fight.

Plus, two more light heavyweights battle for supremacy and a series of pranks escalate until someone is driven to re-enact a famous sequence from season one.

Stay tuned immediately following the show for our complete recap.

In the meantime, go ahead and sound off in the comments section on all things TUF!

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