Happy Halloween Fight Fans

Arianny's Little Dead Riding Hood.

Shoot Arianny a follow: @AriannyCeleste

Strikeforce's Miesha Tate & WEC/UFC Featherweight Bryan Caraway as Dexter & victim after the break.

Updated HOV-MMA Heavyweight Rankings

Rankings Page 

1. Cain Velasquez (9-0) UFC, Last Rank (↑4)

  

Team Black House product Junior *Cigano* Dos Santos will be the opponent for Cain's first title defense in the UFC.

2. Fedor Emelianenko (32-2) Strikeforce/M-1 Global(↓1)

 Fedor will either get his rematch with Fabricio Werdum when he becomes healthy or while waiting for Werdum he could take on the very busy Strikeforce HW Champ Alistair Overeem after he finishes his K-1 Grand Prix duties.

3. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1) Strikeforce (3)

 The Strikeforce Heavyweight King should return to action by the Spring of 2011. Whether it will be against Fedor or Overeem remains to be seen.

4. Junior Dos Santos (12-1) UFC (↑5)

 Cigano has a date T.B.A. with newly crowned Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez.

5. Alistair Overeem (33-11) Strikeforce (↑9)

 The Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ jumps up 4 spots in the Rankings by staying idle this time around.

6. Brock Lesnar (5-2) UFC (↓2)

 After being manhandled by Cain Velasquez , Brock needs a big win in a bad way to stay relevant in anyone who doesn't have a hard on for the former WWE Superstar's Ranking's. He just has not looked like he belongs anywhere near a Cage (Unless we are talking Hell in a Cell) during 2 of his last 3 Rounds.

7. Shane Carwin (12-1) UFC (↓6)

 Carwin pulled out of his New Years day fight with Roy Nelson to undergo back surgery on November 2nd.

8. Frank Mir (14-5) UFC (↓7)

 The better half of the worst Main Event of the year had a pretty uneventful year. Highlights included getting his face smashed in by Shane Carwin, and chatting it up with Mirko Cro Cop. At least he still has that WEC gig every once in a while. Oh wait....

9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1) UFC (↓8)

 After losing 2 of his last 3 fights, Big Nog would be sidelined for the rest of 2010 after having knee surgery. Hopefully the Legendary Brazilian will come back with a bang in 2011.

10. Antonio Silva (14-2) Strikeforce (10)

 Silva will fight Valentijn Overeem on December 4th at Strikeforce 29.

Jones vs. Bader confirmed for UFC 126

 MMAJunkie has confirmed that a showdown between Jon Jones and Ryan Bader is a definite for the Main Card of  UFC 126. The winner of this contest should be one more fight away from a title shot in the stacked UFC LHW division. That said, *Bones* has been quoted as saying he will not fight Rashad Evans if 'Shad does end up defeating current champ Shogun Rua next spring.

  Another Light Heavyweight contest on this card carries title implications as well. Forrest Griffin will fight for the first time since his victory over Tito Ortiz back in November of 09, taking on Rich *Ace* Franklin. The broken left forearm Franklin sustained from a Chuck Liddell head kick in Vancouver over the summer should be fully recovered by the time of this fight.

 Here is the rest of the unconfirmed (Jones vs. Bader is the only confirmed bout so far) card for the Super Bowl Weekend Las Vegas Event.

UFC 126

• Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (C) vs. Vitor Belfort

• Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin

• Kenny Florian vs. Evan Dunham

• Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader

Fujii vs. Frausto Bellator 34 photos

Photos: Cage Potato
by: John Sluder

Bellator 115 lb. Champion Zoila Frausto post fight. Fujii got the better of her opponent winning the  striking war by at least a 2:1 margin. If anyone has the official stats please share.

Fujii easily avoided plenty of haymakers like this one by stepping back then coming forward and connecting with combinations.

*Mega* being coached in between rounds by Josh Barnett.











This photo breaks my MMA heart. I'm trying to think of a decision in MMA thats upset me to the point where it still affected me one, even two days later. Seeing this photo on the front page of the incredible MMA blog Bloody Elbow today just brought all those feelings right back. The 49-46 was downright disgusting.













Megumi post fight.










Great Action Shot. Hopefully we get a rematch for Bellator Season 4.

UFC 122 Zombie Poster

Marquardt Zombie vs. Zombie Okami

 Check out UFC Facebook for a shot at winning the Limited Edition UFC 122 Halloween Poster.

Frausto upsets Fujii in 5 Round War

 Zoila Frausto defeated Megumi Fujii via split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) to become the first ever Bellator Women's 115 lb. Champion Thursday night.





The fight I watched saw Fujii beat Frausto at her own game taking 4 out of 5 Rounds to continue her reign as the top Female P4P fighter in the world. The judges saw something that I did not.


 In a stand up war that lasted the full 25 minutes, Fujii maintained cage control for what seemed to be for 80, maybe 90 percent of the fight. Fujii was also the more accurate striker of the two, while Frausto missed with more than a dozen hay makers throughout the contest. Zoila did land a memorable head kick to close out the 1st Round. Fujii was unable to take down Frausto until the final 30 seconds of the 5th round which isn't surprising considering Frausto's significant size advantage and overall toughness. What was surprising is that Fujii didn't even attempt a take down until the Championship Rounds which in the end was her downfall.

 This is the second controversial decision in as many fights for Frausto, the previous being an interesting judges decision over Jessica Aguilar at Bellator 31 late last month. At the end the day though Zoila Frausto is now the Bellator Women's 115 lb. Champion, and the first fighter ever to defeat Megumi Fujii.

The Biggest Fight of Her Career

photo: tomhillphotos

 The only thing Megumi Fujii hasn't done in her legendary fighting career is fight for a world title. Tonight she gets her first shot. At 22-0 (18 by sub, 3 by decision, 1 by TKO) the submission specialist is far and away the #1 ranked P4P fighter in Female MMA. She has a Fedor (pre Werdum) aura about her every time she enters the cage. In a couple of hours she will face the biggest, and most important challenge of her career.

 Fujii's first 3 fights in the Bellator cage were slam dunks. Tonight she takes on an opponent in the 115 lb Tournament Final that usually fights at either 125 or 135. Zoila Frausto not only has a significant size advantage over Fujii, she also has a solid  stand up game to go along with stellar takedown defense. If Fujii can weather Frausto's early storm this fight shouldn't be a problem. Frausto looked gassed against Jessica Aguilar in the last 2 rounds of  her Semifinal bout at Bellator 31 where she came away with a very controversial split decision victory on the judge's scorecards  When and if Fujii gets Frausto on the grounds its likely curtains for the talented American fighter. Not many can handle Fujii's legit ground game which is arguably the best in the sport.

A win by Fujii secures her a permanent spot on the Mount Rushmore of Mixed Martial Artists. A win by Frausto makes her an overnight star.

 Bellator 34 airs on Fox Sports Net and its regional network affiliates. In most towns it will air via replay after your local Basketball or Hockey games.

A History of the WEC

MMAFighting does an amazing job taking a look back at the history of the WEC in timeline format. Check it out.

Gonzaga, Cote cut after UFC 121 losses.

 Both fighters (once title contenders in their respective divisions) announced via Twitter (Cote yesterday , Gabriel today) that they have been released from the UFC. Ortiz next?

 Heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga (11-6) fell a victim to the speed of a younger and hungrier Brendan Schaub via UD this past Saturday while Middleweight Patrick Cote (13-7) also lost via UD to a superior wrestler in Tom Lawlor.

The Announcement

UFC President Dana White announced today that the biggest promotion in MMA will be adding featherweights and bantamweights. White also announced Versus will air 4 cards in 2011. So what does this all mean?




• Fuck LeBron's decision. This announcement is huuuuge.

• After December 16th the WEC is no longer. All of the best fighters from the WEC now fight in the UFC.

• Your UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo will defend the strap at UFC 125 against a yet to be named opponent.

•  WEC Ring girl Brittney Palmer comes to the UFC too.

•  The Winner of Edgar vs Maynard at UFC 125 will fight the winner of the Henderson vs. Pettis bout that takes place at the final WEC. Barring any injuries this title unification contest should take place in the Spring of 2011.

•  More money and exposure for the most talented lighterweight fighters in the world. More Title bouts in the UFC. Flexible weight class options for UFC fighters . Jose Aldo doesn't have to move up to 155 to fight the best in the world. The best in the world can come down to him.

•  Hopefully a DLC for UFC Undisputed. Please?

Dana White to make major announcement Thursday

fightline.com

Word around the campfire is the announcement will have to do with either a network tv deal or a UFC 24-7 channel. One can only hope its more exciting than the banning of the vuvuzela's announcement.

Bellator Season 3 Finale

 With 2 title fights on the docket, Bellator closes out its 3rd Season tomorrow night at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Here is the fight card for Bellator 34.



Main Card:

• Middleweight Championship: Hector Lombard (C) (26-2-1) vs. Alexander Shlemenko (30-4)

• Women's 115 lb. Tournament Championship Final: Megumi Fujii (22-0) vs. Zoila Frausto (9-1)

• Mike Bernhard (8-2) vs. Dragan Tesanovic (7-0)

• Raphael Davis (9-1) vs. Tony Lopez (19-4)

TUF S12:E7

photo: ultimatefighter.com

• Final Preliminary Fight will be Sako Chivitchiyan (Team Koscheck) vs. Dane Sayers (Team GSP)




• Jean Charles Skarbowksy graces Team GSP with his presence again. Dude is the best part of this season by far.

• Coaches Challenge this season is a 3 inning Batting Challenge. Team Koscheck wins with ease. This marks the first time French Canadian GSP swings a bat in his lifetime.

• Sako wins the fight via UD (20-18 x 3)

• Wild Card Fight Announcement : Aaron Wilkinson vs. Marc Stevens

• Fighters advancing to 2nd Round:

• Alex Caceres (Team GSP)
• Michael Johnson (Team GSP)
• Kyle Watson (Team GSP)
• Nam Phan (Team Koscheck)
• Cody McKenzie (Team GSP)
• Jonathan Brookins (Team GSP)
• Sako Chivitchian (Team Koscheck)
• Winner of Wilkinson (Team Koscheck) vs. Stevens (Team Koscheck)

Megumi Fujii Interview

The Grappling Dummy: Megumi Fujii, September 2010 from martial farts on Vimeo.


 From thegrapplingdummy .
 Directed by : Matt Benyon

  Fujii puts her perfect record on the line Thursday night against Zoila Frausto at Bellator 34. The winner becomes Bellator's first ever 115 lb Female Champion. At 22-0, it's a wonder that Fujii has never held a championship belt in any promotion.

Rampage: " I'm like a robot. I'm in fight mode."

 Quinton "Rampage" Jackson takes on Lyoto Machida in the Main Event of UFC 123 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan on November 20th.

Carwin pulls out of UFC 125 fight with Nelson

photo from brawlin.net










From Shane Carwin:


" I am going to pull out of the fight with Roy Nelson. As many of you know I have been having some back pain. I had an MRI yesterday and I have some damage that may really require surgery. If the doctors do not perform surgery then I will be out 8-12 weeks. If they do have to perform surgery I do not know how long I will be out of action."


" I was really looking forward to fighting again and obviously this is a very disappointing turn of events. My manager said "You can't fight the best fighters in the world with just heart, it is time to stop limping to the top of the mountain and get healthy so you can climb it on your terms." I have been up all night thinking about this decision and what I may be missing by making it." 


 Read the rest here at shane-carwin.com .

 No word as of yet to who will replace Carwin although names like Mirko Cro Cop, Frank Mir & Brock Lesnar have been thrown around.

The Undertaker to Brock "You Wanna Do It?"

Lesnar vs Mir III Next?

From BJPENN.com

" UFC officials, as well as those close to Lesnar, indicated that Frank Mir, with whom Lesnar has split two fights, is his next opponent. This fight makes sense. Mir is coming off a knockout win over Mirko Filipovic on Sept. 25, and he has been Lesnar's biggest career rival, with insults between the two going back and forth dating nearly 3 years."

UFC 121 Main Card Recap

• Cain Velasquez (9-0) weathered the unorthodox storm of Brock Lesnar (5-2) to become the new UFC Heavyweight Champion. This fight has all the makings for beat down of the year. Lesnar did not look like he wanted any part of Velasquez after a couple minutes of this bout.

• Jake Shields (26-4-1) extended his MMA winning streak to 15 with a split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27) victory over Martin Kampmann (17-4). Shields looked gassed out by the end of the 1st Round of his UFC debut which he attributed to a brutal 20 pound weight cut the day of the weigh ins. Somehow Shields was able to put his legendary jiu jitsu into automatic mode as he barely eeked out a victory over a fighter in Kampmann who had many chances to keep Shields standing, yet to everyone's surprise fell into the the ground game of one of the best in the business. Jake Shields on the ground at 50% is better than most fighters at 100%. The former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion could've passed Kampmann's guard in his sleep.

• Diego Sanchez (22-4) picked up his first win in the Octagon since the Clay Guida 2009 mid summer classic over Paulo Thiago (13-3) via UD (30-26, 29-28, 29-28). A powerful slam of the running and screaming variety by Diego that took place in the 2nd Round was easily right behind Velasquez's domination of Brock as moment of the night.

• Matt Hamill (10-2) was victorious over his former Season 3 TUF coach Tito Ortiz (15-8-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27). Hamill took his old coach's constant preaching of Punishment to heart by utilizing vicious ground and pound on Tito via elbows and hammerfists to the face. This victory (his 5th in a row) gives Hamill a shot at a Top 10 LHW opponent for his next bout.

• Brendan Schaub (7-1) put a clinic on Gabriel Gonzaga (11-6) en route to a dominating UD (30-27 x 3) victory.

 photo credit - AP Photo/ Jae C. Hong

UFC 121 Prelim Card Recap

photo: @MsTracyLee for Cagewriter


• Court McGee (13-1) looked like he didn't belong in the Octagon with a fighter of Ryan Jensen's (15-7) caliber during the 1st Round of this fight. After winning the 1st Round with ease, Jensen began to wear himself out, becoming a victim to punches and a late round take down from McGee. With the fight tied at a round a piece, Court decided not to let this one go to the judge's scorecards. McGee finished Jensen at 1:21 of the 3rd Round with an impressive arm triangle choke from the mount position.

• Filthy Tom Lawlor (7-3) defeated Patrick Cote (13-7) via UD (30-27 x 3) by utilizing his wrestling prowess for 3 full rounds.

• Daniel Roberts (11-1) defeated Mike Guymon (12-4-1) at 1:13 of the 1st Round via anaconda choke.

• Sam Stout (16-6-1) defeated Paul Taylor (10-6-1) via Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

• Chris Camozzi (14-3) defeated Dong Yi Yang (9-1) via Split Decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)

• Jon Madsen (7-0) defeated  Gilbert Yvel (36-16-1) via TKO (punches to the face) at 1:48 of the 1st Round. Madsen's victory wasn't surprising, it was the matter in which he won. After 3 straight *lay and pray* victories in the UFC for Madsen, a convincing TKO victory was just what the fighter needed to move him up in the HW division.

Brock Post Fight

Photo from: BloodyElbow

 Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar certainly has a lot to marinate over following his brutal beat down by the hands of Cain Velasquez last night. Every time *The Next Big Thing* looks in the mirror over the next few days he'll have to answer himself this question: "Do I really have the heart of a fighter."

 After a 10-8 1st Round beat down delivered by Shane Carwin this past July, and the 4 minutes and 12 seconds he spent getting to know Cain last night, Brock certainly did not look like he could handle getting hit in the face. After showings like this the nickname *The Turtle* seems just as suitable as any of the online nicknames fans have for the former WWE superstar.

 While I refuse to believe Brock will ever become Champion again due to the new breed of Heavyweight that boasts more complete fighters like JDS, and Cain, Brock still remains a huge PPV draw, as well as a threat to fighters like Frank Mir and Big Nog because of his speed and freak of nature build. Brock Lesnar is by far the most polarizing fighter in Mixed Martial Arts today. Love him or hate him, even if you aren't watching live, you need to know what happened.

Twist of Cain

and the new HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD...

UFC 121 Pick EM

photos from @DanaWhite If you're not following him already it's about time to start.

Main Card:

• Heavyweight Title Bout: Brock Lesnar (C) vs. Cain Velasquez 




 I spent nearly 5 full minutes assuming Shane Carwin would be getting that strap put around his waist this past July. He proved to everyone that not only does Brock not like being hit, he turtles and cowers in the corner until the round ends. Luckily for Brock Shane punched himself out and he was able to choke out a lifeless version of Carwin. Cain Velasquez won't make that same mistake. Velasquez by submission 3rd Round.

• Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann


 Shields by 3 rounds of man humps.

• Tito Ortiz vs. Matt Hamill


 Hamill by Punishment.












• Diego Sanchez vs.Paulo Thiago

 Diego still cannot decide on a weight class. After this fight he's expressed that he will be moving back down to Lightweight for good. That tells me that he's not into this fight. Thiago by Decision.

• Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Brendan Schaub

 While Schaub's last two victories have been impressive, they did not come against impressive opponents. A win over Gonzaga puts him at the next level. All of Schaub's 7 professional fights have ended in the 1st Round. Gonzaga's last five have ended in the 1st. I don't see this one being any different. Gonzaga by KO 1st Round.

The Missing Links

I had no knowledge of any Tyrannosaurus having feathers. Until I learned from GSP of course.








• GSP likes Dinosaurs (ESPN)

• Bellator 33 Alvarez dominates Huerta (Bellator)

• Aldo was going to fight Florian in December (Sherdog)

• The Cowboy joins WEC 53 card. (MMAJunkie)

• Cain Velasquez punching power   - 2230 pounds of force (BloodyElbow)

Robert Downey Jr. enjoys Hardy getting KO'ed

 American born actor Robert Downey Jr. was spotted this past weekend spending some quality time away from the set with his Sherlock Holmes 2 mates. Director Guy Ritchie and co-star Jude Law took in UFC 120 with RDJ at the O2 in London this past weekend scoring some well deserved seats.

 Ritchie and Law obviously were pulling for Nottingham bred Hardy, while Downey was one of the very few cheering on the American Condit. After the jump check out Downey's hilarious reaction which did not seem to amuse Guy or Jude one bit.

photos from MMACageDoor

TUF S12:E6

 Coach Koscheck opens this weeks episode by calling Team GSP's Michael Johnson fat. Team Yellow takes on the personality of their coach by rubbing the prior episodes win in their face.






 Team Koscheck is in control. Kos picks Marc Stevens (Team Kos) to fight Cody McKenzie (Team GSP). Cody puts a finger in Koscheck's face during the fight announcement. This upsets Sevak and Koscheck.

GSP drops some knowledge on his squadron about not letting the Red Team get inside their skulls.

EA Sports MMA: Couture vs. Emelianenko

 This is what happens when Randy Couture and Fedor play video games together. Bas Rutten provides the commentary .

Best of EllisMania

 According to the Jason Ellis Show, Shane Carwin will not be able to fight Taintstick at Ellis Mania 6: November Pain due to an injury but may be replaced by Brendan Schaub, if he is available after his UFC 121 fight against Gabriel Gonzaga. Also Andrea Ellis may be replaced by Angel to take on the Rawdog who is coming off a loss against his sister at Ellis Mania 5: Get These Brawls. Stayed Tuned!

UFC 125: Resolution Official Fight Card

• Lightweight Championship: Frankie Edgar (C) (13-1) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0)

• Shane Carwin (12-1) vs. Roy Nelson (15-5)

• Clay Guida (27-11) vs. Takanori Gomi (32-6)

• Chris Leben (25-6) vs. Brian Stann (9-3)

• Nate Diaz (13-5) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (13-0-1)

• Brandon Vera (11-5) vs. Thiago Silva (14-2)

UFC 120 Aftermath: Whats next for Condit?

Source: MMAJunkie
Photo: MMA Fighting

 The winner of UFC 123's Martin Kampmann vs. Jake Shields contest?

" I'm definitely looking forward to seeing who wins that fight between Kampmann and Shields. I fought both of those guys, and I had decisions to both of them. I'd like to maybe get one of those losses back." Condit revealed after his impressive KO of the Night victory over Nottingham's Dan Hardy in London Saturday Night.

Teammate and Welterweight Champion GSP?

" As far as GSP being a teammate over at Jackson's, we've never really discussed it very much. I think it would be foolish of me to turn down and opportunity like that, but I guess we just have to discuss that when we get to that juncture." "It does pose some problems, I guess, but if it happens it happens." - Condit

 What I get out of those comments is Condit is one of the truest fighters in the game today and nothing stands between him and that belt. I'm a fan of that. Of course if the GSP opportunity did come about he would lose a great asset in Jackson when it came to camp.

So basically with a victory over Hardy, Condit slid right into the UFC Welterweight Top 5. I believe if he did get a shot at GSP he poses some serious problems for the champ on his feet and on the ground. While GSP could take down Condit all day he has yet to fight someone with the submission game that the *Natural Born Killer* brings into the cage. Should be fun to see how it all plays out beginning with the Shields vs. Kampmann contest this weekend, and of course GSP vs. Kos in December. Of course injuries during fights or training camps can change anything. While Condit appears to be one win away today, he could very well be next in line after Koscheck.

UFC Welterweight Top 5:

1. GSP
2. Koscheck
3. Shields vs.
4. Kampmann
5. Condit

UFC 120 Post Presser Highlights

MMAFighting

UFC 120 Aftermath: Bisping wants Wand rematch

From Sherdog.com :

" I'd like to fight Wanderlei again, definitely. I would even consider catching The Ultimate Fighter against him." - Bisping

1. No. You just coached TUF a couple seasons ago against Hendo. Way to fresh in fight fans memory.

2. How many more Middleweights are going to not only call out Wanderlei after they win a fight but also request to coach TUF opposite him. Its either a testament to the respect commanded by one of the biggest legends of the sport or fighters see him as an easy victory late in his career. Maybe a combination of both.

3. You and a couple of your fans are the only people who think you beat Wanderlei. Accept it and move on. You do not have the power to finish the Axe Murderer. Either you beat him by decision or he knocks you out. Move on.

UFC 120 Results

Main Card:


• Michael Bisping defeats Yoshihiro Akiyama via UD. (30-27 x 3)

$60,000 Fight of the Night Bonus awarded to both fighters. Akiyama is now 3 for 3 when it comes to Fight of the Night honors in his young UFC career.

• Carlos Condit defeats Dan Hardy via KO (death blow to the face) at 4:27 of the 1st Round.


Rogan: "Tell us what you think went wrong?"
 Hardy: "I got punched in the face."


$60,000 KO of the Night bonus awarded to the *Natural Born Killer*


• Mike Pyle defeats John Hathaway via UD. (30-27 x 3)

 Dominant performance by Pyle. The judges scorecards tell the story of this fight, whereas on the Bisping across the board UD they really don't.

• Cheick Kongo & Travis Browne's fight ended in a 3 Round draw. (28-28 x 3)

 Travis Browne reportedly awarded Cheick Kongo with his shorts after the fight. (joke)

• Claude Patrick defeats James Wilks via UD. (30-27 x 3)

Preliminary Card:

• Alexander Gustafsson defeats Cyrille Diabate via rear naked choke at 2:41 of the 2nd Round.

 Gustafsson mauled Diabate in a dominating performance for the Swede that should bump him up to Main Card status come his next contest.

• Rob Broughton defeats Vinicius Queiroz via rear naked choke at the 1:43 marker of the 3rd Round.

• Paul Sass defeats Mark Holst via triangle choke at 4:45 of the 1st Round.

 $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus awarded to Paul Sass.

• Spencer Fisher defeats Kurt Warburton via UD. (29-28 x 3)

• Fabio Maldonado defeats James McSweeney via TKO 48 seconds into the 3rd Round.

UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama Pick Em

What: UFC 120: Bisping vs. Akiyama
When: October 16 (8 P.M. EST via same day tape delay on Spike in the States)
Where: London, England





Main Card:

• Michael Bisping vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

 Bisping has stayed busy since falling victim to Dan Henderson's hand of doom at UFC 100 last summer. Winning 2 out of 3 fights isn't bad especially when the loss comes via decision to a legend (Wanderlei Silva), an opponent most people predicted would produce a repeat of the classic Hendo finish.

 Akiyama is coming off of a submission loss against Chris Leben that could very well earn Fight of the Year honors. Mr. Sexy looked very impressive early on in the fight utilizing his legendary judo and solid striking. However, Akiyama started fighting Leben's fight as the match wore on and wore himself out doing just that.

 Bisping's speed and elusiveness should help him avoid Akiyama's best weapon which are his throws. Bisping does not want to engage with Akiyama or stand around and catch one on the chin either. If Bisping can keep sticking and moving using his cardio to his advantage I don't see any reason he loses this fight. Bisping by decision.

• Dan Hardy vs. Carlos Condit


 Both of these guys finish opponents . 15 of Hardy's 23 wins have come via finish while 24 of 25 of Condit's have come via the finish. That Condit stat strikes me as incredible and really makes it hard to pick against him for tomorrow's contest. He hasn't finished anyone as explosive or as hungry as Hardy though. While both of these fighters have been submitted neither has been KO'ed. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and take Hardy by TKO.

• John Hathaway vs. Mike Pyle


 Hathaway should out muscle submission hero Pyle and record his 15th straight victory to remain undefeated and command attention in the UFC Welterweight division. Hathaway by decision.

• Cheick Kongo vs. Travis Browne


 Browne finishes his opponents and he finishes them quick. Although his UFC debut was a victory over James McSweeney, (not impressed) don't fault Browne for getting an easy debut opponent. Browne makes a name for himself in the Heavyweight division tomorrow by defeating a well known fighter. Browne by TKO.

• James Wilks vs. Claude Patrick


 Patrick by 3rd Round submission.

 Prelim card picks after the break.

Bellator 32 Results

 Bellator 32 took place tonight at the Kansas City Power & Light District for the fourth time this year and second this season. With only 3 weeks left in the season this week's card featured the title bouts in Bellator's inaugural Heavyweight and Bantamweight Tournaments. Lets take a gander at the results.



Main Card:


• Heavyweight Tournament Final: Cole Konrad vs. Neil Grove

 Konrad submits Grove at 4:45 of the first round with one of the most violent americana/keylock's I've ever witnessed. Or maybe it was just Grove's scream that made it look so painful.


• Bantamweight Tournament Final: Zach Makovsky vs. Ed *Wild* West

 Makovsky defeats West by UD (50-45, 50-45, 49-46)


• Ryan Thomas vs. Jim Wallhead

 Wallhead defeats Thomas via UD (29-28 x 3)


• Chris Page vs. Michael Chandler

 Chandler submits Page via guillotine choke 57 seconds into the contest.

Arianny Celeste Playboy Hits Newsstands Tomorrow

 In an era when downloadable photos from virtually anywhere and everywhere are at our fingertips free of charge, hov-mma gives 5 reasons why you should buy this issue after the break.

TUF S12:E5

 Koscheck's Team AKA teammate Jon Fitch drops by to help out Team Yellow.

 Back to the house. Bruce Leeroy has some shenanigans up his sleeve. Teammate Michael Johnson doesn't take kindly to them.

 Team GSP training session. Muay Thai specialist Jean Charles Skarbowsky comes in to help out Team GSP. He basically comes into the cage drunk and beats the piss out of everyone on Team Red.

Joe Stevenson to meet Mac Danzig at UFC 124

 Ultimate Fighter 2 Champion Joe *Daddy* Stevenson (30-11)  appears to have a date with Ultimate Fighter Season 6 Winner Mac Danzig (19-8-1) as a part of the upcoming Montreal card that takes place on December 11th. Danzig has dropped 4 of his last 5 contests in the Octagon.

Source: MMAMania

Dana White's UFC 120 Video Blog Part 1

Condit on Hardy: "I'm going to show him that he made a big miscalculation"

 Nottingham's Dan Hardy has been providing most of the hype for his upcoming Welterweight contest against Carlos Condit with his mouth, which of course comes to no surprise for MMA fans.  MMAJunkie caught up with UFC 120's Carlos Condit yesterday to get his take on the upcoming Co- Main Event which takes place in London this coming Saturday Night.

"He can say what he wants , I'm going to go in there, and I'm going to do my thing. He's going to find out real quick that all that shit that he's talking; it's for him. I think it's to hype himself up because he's nervous."

"I asked for the fight. I needed an opponent. He needed an opponent. It made sense."

"Who is he? I've beat guys that would kill Dan Hardy. I've finished guys that he has split decisions fights with. I finished Marcus Davis in a kickboxing match, and Hardy couldn't finish him."

" Every time I turn around there's another quote from Dan Hardy saying this or saying that. If he's training as hard as he's running his mouth, I might have a good fight on my hands."

"Anything's possible. Apparently, Hardy feels very confident in his ground game these days. He's saying he's going to choke out, which I think is just trying to play head games."

"I'm going to get in there, and not only show the fans what I got, but I'm going to show him that he made a big miscalculation."

Hardy, Bisping Rep the U.K. Hard.

 *Straight out of Nottingham, a crazy mutha fucka named Hardy*






 The Fighting Pride of Manchester.









FightersOnly

Links in the Abyss

<----- Miesha Tate awaits Strikeforce Women's Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen.

 Links of interest/importance over the past week from the best MMA sites on the web.

• @MieshaTate congratulates Marloes Coenen on her victory (@MieshaTate)

• Shields to get next title shot at 170? (mmajunkie.com)

• Jon Jones is obsessed with Ryan Bader (UFC 126) (bloodyelbow)

• Benavidez replaces injured Bowles (WEC 52) (mmajunkie.com)


• Esther Lin Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II photos (allelbows)

• Silva vs. Belfort will take place at UFC 126 (tatame)

• Condit trains for his UFC 120 fight against Dan Hardy (sherdog)

• Great article by Roxanne Modafferi (fightergirls.com)

• Books...check em out. (bloodyelbow)

GSP vs. Kos 2 in Montreal Poster, Fight Card.

 Here lies the fight card (as of today) for UFC 124: St. Pierre vs. Koscheck 2 which will take place December 11th at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec.



Main Card:

• Welterweight Championship: Georges St. Pierre (C) (20-2) vs. Josh Koscheck (15-4)







Officially Announced (ufc.com)

• Stefan Struve (20-4) vs. Sean McCorkle (10-0)

• Mark Bocek (8-3) vs. Dustin Hazelett (12-6)

• Matt Riddle (5-1) vs. TJ Waldburger (13-5)

Unofficial (mmaweekly)

• Thiago Alves (17-7) vs. John Howard (14-5)

• Jim Miller (18-2) vs. Charles Oliveira (14-0)

• Dan Miller (12-4) vs. Joe Doerksen (46-13)

• Ricardo Almeida (12-4) vs. TJ Grant (16-4)

• Jason MacDonald (24-14) vs. Rafael Natal (12-3)

The Fireball Kid vs. The Carpenter: Live at UFC 125

 A lightweight match up between Clay Guida (27-11 MMA, 7-5 UFC) and Takanori Gomi (32-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has been added to an already stacked New Years Day card.


 Recent Twitter action by Guida about his *upcoming opponent having a lot of power in his hands* early last month led most fight fans to assume this very match up. *The Dude* confirmed the future contest on ESPN Chicago's MMA Live Sunday Night.

Gomi photo - UFC.com

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Noons II Results

*Newly crowned Strikeforce Women's Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen (photo by Esther Lin)






Main Card:

• Nick Diaz (23-7-1) defeats K.J. Noons (9-2) via UD (48-47, 49-47, 49-46) to retain his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship

• Josh Thomson (18-3) defeats JZ Cavalcante (15-4-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

 Thomson after the fight  "There's no way I won that fight 30-27. The judges right now need to figure out a clinic and learn how to judge these fights."


• Marloes Coenen (18-4) defeats Sarah Kaufman (12-1) via armbar at the 1:59 marker of the 3rd Round to become the new Strikeforce Women's Welterweight Champion.

• Tyron Woodley (7-0) defeats Andre Galvao (5-2) via TKO at 1:48 of the 1st Round.

Diaz evens the score with Noons

 Strikeforce Men's Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz defended his title successfully Saturday night coming out the victor via Unanimous Decision over K.J. Noons, avenging the controversial doctor stoppage 3 years ago. 

 In a bout that announcer Mauro Ranallo called one of the best title fights of all time, (i don't remember the exact quote but I'm hoping he didn't mean best MMA title fights, maybe best Strikeforce title fights?) Diaz edged out Noons on his feet, where Noons felt most comfortable for 5 full rounds en route to his 8th straight victory in the cage. All in all both fighters put on a great show that made for a worthy Main Event.

 The judges scorecards read 48-47, 49-47, 49-46 at the conclusion of the fight which may come to a surprise to some after looking a the Compustrike Numbers . What the stats don't tell though is that Diaz controlled the pace of the fight for 4 out of 5 rounds never looking to be in any serious trouble while Noons appeared to be seriously rocked more than once. 

 With the talent spread pretty thin in the Strikeforce Welterweight division one can only speculate who's up next for Nick Diaz. 

photo : Tracy Lee

Coenen earns Title , Tate her first Challenger

 New Strikeforce Women's Welterweight Champion Marloes Coenen has not one, but two fights on her calendar now. She has already been slated to take on Lena Buytendijk at Ultimate Glory 12 in Amsterdam. And after coming out on top against Sarah Kaufman earlier tonight she will have to defend her brand new belt against Number #1 contender Miesha Tate.

 Heading into the 3rd Round of the fight it looked like Kaufman not only may have taken the first two rounds of the title contest , she was also looking to be in control using her strength to bully Coenen against the fence as well as reverse whatever Coenen tried to counter with. Well on her way to a 2nd consecutive title defense, Kaufman got a little too feisty in top position, reigning down hammerfists on her opponent she left an opening. Coenen took Kaufman's arm and did what she does best by submitting the champ for her 8th career armbar victory.

 Tate earned her right to a title shot by winning a one night Women's Welterweight Tournament at Strikeforce Challengers 10 back in August of this year.

 * photo - Sherdog