Dynamite!! 2010 Results

Since the times in Japan are fucked up and today is tomorrow, vice versa, or however the fuck it works, I don't know what time this event took place in America. All I know is that it happened on December 31st, 2010. (I'm going to ask Vinny he's asian). By the way if you didnt know, Dynamite!! is an event they have every New Years Eve that has K-1 and MMA bouts with some of the best DREAM MMA fighters and K-1 kickboxers.

Anyways, Strikeforce Heavyweight Champ Alistair Overeem defeated the once highly touted UFC heavyweight prospect Todd Duffee in a 19 second rape-fest to win the DREAM Heavyweight Interim Championship. (skip to about 3:15 to see the start of the fight)

I honestly feel bad for this poor motherfucker. The guy gets the fastest knockout in UFC history, probably thinks he's on the top of the world, then gets completely caught and KO'd by this fat slob named Mike Russow at UFC 114 after he had beaten the shit out of Russow for nearly 13 minutes. Then, he gets released by the UFC for some personal bullshit and gets fed to the wolves to fight one of the best heavyweight fighters in the world today. What a poor bastard.

Also on the card was a lightweight bout between Shinya Aoki and Yuichio Nagashima. I would have expected Aoki to win this fight, as he has been on a 3 fight win streak as of late. Apparently this fight was an MMA bout but had special K-1 rules so that's why they don't allow them against the ropes or on the ground. Yeah, I don't get it either. 

The beginning of the fight was really stupid if you ask me. Just let them fight with MMA rules god dammit. Aoki didn't know what the fuck he was doing. Couldn't help trying to clinch and takedown the poor motherfucker. He starts acting like a moron by doing these stupid-ass flying/rolling kicks and shit, and surely enough, approx. 4 seconds into the 2nd round, he pays for it. Aoki gets absolutely cracked by a flying knee and about 4 follow up hammer fists by Nagashima to end the fight. This video is just the entrance and finish of the fight

In other news:

- Marius Zaromskis defeated Kazushi Sakuraba via TKO (Doctors stoppage) at 2:16 of round 1 to retain the DREAM Welterweight Championship.

- Gegard Mousasi defeated Kyotaro via unanimous decision (30-28, 29-28, 29-28).

- Hiroyuki Takaya defeats Bibiano Fernandes via unanimous decision to become the new DREAM Featherweight Champion.

- Caol Uno lost again (Sorry, its funny)

See you guys in 2011

SL

UFC 125 Predictions

It's the new year motherfuckers!

Main Card:

Lightweight Championship: Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard
Middleweight: Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann
Light Heavyweight: Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva
Welterweight: Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Lightweight: Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi

Shawn's Predictions:
Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi: Gomi via Decision
- Both of these fighters are aggressive lightweights trying to climb their way up to the title. Gomi is coming off of a huge KO victory over Tyson Griffin and Clay Guida is coming off of a win over Rafael Dos Anjos as UFC 117. Guida will do what he always does and he will start this fight like a bat out of hell, coming at Gomi with wild fists and takedowns. Gomi will use his wrestling background to defend Guida's takedowns. I believe Gomi will gain confidence in his stand up because of his last fight, and keep the majority of the fight on the feet. Gomi will prove more technical as he drops Guida once or twice in the fight, but wont be able to finish him. He will do just enough damage to Guida to take the Decision. 

Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim: DHK via Decision
- Undefeated "Stun Gun" Kim will try to climb higher through the welterweight ranks in this fight when he fights the well-known, articulate, and well-mannered (sarcasm) Nate Diaz. Diaz known for his great jiu-jitsu and his trash-talking style. DHK is known for his great Judo, wrestling, technical stand-up, and Ground n' Pound. In this fight, DHK will have a huge advantage. His stand up is more technical, he will be able to throw Diaz around, and will be able to neutralize Diaz's subs with his GNP. Diaz is tough, but doesn't have very technical stand-up and he will pay because of it. Expect DHK to walk away with a fairly one-sided decision victory.

Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva: Vera via Decision
- Vera and Silva are still trying to remain relevant in the Lightweight division, let alone the UFC in general. I believe this fight will take place mainly on the stand up. Silva will be trying to pressure Vera against the fence to land some big shots, while I think Vera will try to break down Silva with his powerful leg kicks. Honestly, I think Thiago Silva is somewhat overrated and it will show in this fight. Vera will prove more technical than Silva as he pounds him with kicks, breaks him down, and grinds him out to a decision. If not, its looking like Vera's days in the UFC are winding down.

Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann: Leben via Decision
- This fight is very hard to predict for me. I'm very torn as to who will win this fight because I believe both guys have a chance. We arent guaranteed the winner, but I can guarantee that this will be a stand-up war. We know Leben loves using his left and the majority of Stann's victories are via KO/TKO. Stann is very technical, while Leben is a straight up brawler. Leben might pull some tricks out and try to go for a submission on Stann. Stann will prove he is a tough opponent for Leben by showing off his good striking. It wont be very easy for either of these guys to get knocked out or get the KO themselves but I believe Leben will push the pace, and start throwing at Stann. This will be an all out war and I think it could possibly be FOTN. I expect Leben to walk away with a razor-thin decision victory, but I'm not counting Stann out and I wont be surprised if Stann takes this one.

Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard: Maynard via Decision
- As most of us know, this is rematch of a fight back in 2008, where Maynard took away a clear-cut decision victory. Both fighters have evolved greatly since that fight and are going to prove exactly that tomorrow night. On paper, Maynard and Edgar are basically identical. Both have great striking, and both have tremendous wrestling. I believe the main difference in this fight will be size. Although Edgar is known for defeating opponents bigger than him, this will not be the case come tomorrow night. Edgar can use his boxing very effectively like he did to BJ at 112 and especially 118. Weaving in and out, and using his speed will help Edgar. But, Maynard is more powerful, bigger, and more explosive that Edgar. The majority, if not all, of the rounds will go Maynard's way. Expect the "Bully" to use his powerful striking to set up many, many takedowns in this fight to lead him to yet another one-sided decision victory.

Yeah I know, I'm predicting all decisions. These fights better be fucking good if I'm right.

Full Mount Resolutions

In spirit of a new year approaching, we have decided to switch things up a little. From now on, we will be having a predictions contest for all MMA events that we decide to cover. The rules go as follows:

- If you choose the winner of the fight and how he wins the fight, you receive 2 points.
- If you only get the winner of the fight correct, you receive 1 point.
- Predicting a TKO and a KO are the same thing.
- If there is a draw, you receive 0 points.
- Whoever has the most points at the end of the event, "wins the card."
- Whoever has the most points at the end of the year, wins a fist full of pride and dignity up their ass.

Also, we have a new logo and a Facebook page coming soon, so stay in touch fuckers because 2011 is going to be a good year.

As always, Take Advantage, Take Control

SL

WEC 53 Predictions

This will be our first (and last) time covering a WEC card because of the WEC/UFC Merge. Due to time constraints, were just going to do a quick write-up.

Main Card:

Lightweight Championship: Ben Henderson (c) vs. Anthony Pettis

Bantamweight Champhionship: Dominick Cruz (c) vs. Scott Jorgensen

Donald Cerrone vs. Chris Horodecki

Bart Palaszewski vs. Kamal Shalorus

Shawn's Predictions:

Bart Palaszewski vs. Kamal Shalorus: Shalorus via TKO

Donald Cerrone vs. Chris Horodecki: Cerrone via Submission

Dominick Cruz vs. Scott Jorgenson: Cruz via Unanimous Decision

Ben Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis: Henderson via Unanimous Decision

UFC 124 Predictions



Sorry guys, might have to deal with a little bit of bias in this one...

Main Card:

Welterweight Championship: Georges "Rush" St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck

Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle

Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira

Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard

Shawn's Predictions:

Thiago Alves vs. John Howard: Alves via Unanimous Decision

- To start off the night we have two big time brawlers ready to duke it out. Alves is coming off consecutive loses to St-Pierre and then Jon Fitch, while Howard is coming off a loss to Jake Ellenberger. I think this fight can be fast paced and very interesting to watch, but on the other hand, I believe it also has the chance to be a snooze fest. Whenever two agressive guys known for their knockouts get in the ring it either goes two ways: somebody is going unconscious, or its a 15 minute smoke-break. Both of these guys are gonna be looking for the knockout, but neither of them will allow it to happen. Alves will be more agressive in this fight and he will control most of it. He'll land some big deciding shots but they wont be too damaging to Howard as he does just enough to keep himself from losing 3 fights in a row with a decision victory.

Joe Stevenson vs. Mac Danzig: Stevenson via TKO

- This is a very important fight for each fighter. Danzig has to prove he is an Ultimate Fighter winner and has to deal with coming off such a shitty "loss" where he was "submitted" by Matt Wiman (Referee Yves Lavigne stopped the fight because he thought Danzig tapped but he really didnt...moron). Joe Stevenson still has to prove he is relevant in the LW division after losing to the highly touted George Sotiropoulos at UFC 110. I think Joe is gonna come out guns blazing and use his wrestling to try and take top position. I dont think Danzig will have much to do in this fight, and I don't think he will put a dent in Stevenson. Joe Daddy will gain top position and pound out Danzig exactly like he did to Spencer Fisher at UFC 104. Unfortunately for Danzig, this might be his last fight in the UFC.

Jim Miller vs. Charles Oliveira: Miller via Unanimous Decision

- Both of these guys are up and coming lightweights. Jim Miller is on a 5 fight win streak in the UFC and Charles Oliveira is coming off a dismantling of former TUF Season 8 winner Efrain Escudero. I think Miller's experience on the main stage will help him in this fight. Also, Miller's only two losses in his career are to the two best LW's in the UFC, Gray Maynard and LW Champ Frankie Edgar. I think he will know the proper ways to dismantle the young Oliveria, with his wrestling. He will try to go for the submission, but Oliveria's BJJ might prove to be too good as he will defend everything. This is a hard fight to choose though. One minute I'm believing Oliveira's hype and the next I think Miller's experience will play a factor. Im switching my opinions everday but as for now, Im gonna go with Miller as he uses takedowns to wrestle his way to a decision victory.

Stefan Struve vs. Sean McCorkle: Struve via Submission

- Both of these guys are huge and need to establish themselves as relevant in the HW division. McCorkle will try to back up his trash talk and the reserved Struve will be out to shut him up. The Skyscraper will try to use his range to keep McCorkle away for a while and probably eventually take him down for a submission. McCorkle will try to use his size to get on top of him and work into a submission from there. I think McCorkcle will make the mistake of getting in Stuve's dangerous guard, and he will pay for it. This one could go either way, but I say Struve by Submission.

Georges St-Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck: St-Pierre via TKO

- Here's where it gets a little biased. The reigning Canadian champ is in his home town this saturday and is more motivated than ever. Get ready for the biggest/loudest boo-fest in the history of sports. Koscheck has been calling him out and insulting him since the day he beat Paul Daley and Canadians arent happy. Rush wont let it slide either, because he's out to be the greatest. Koscheck will try to be the better wrestler in this match, but he will also use a lot of his striking, as he believes that his striking is far superior to to Georges'. I believe Koscheck has improved alot since their last fight in 2007, but Georges' striking is very underrated. I believe once again, Koscheck wont be able to take Georges down, and wont be able to stuff Georges' takedowns. St-Pierre will take down the #1 contender with ease, and will gain top position. We will see a very upset and frustrated Koscheck as he will be constantly on his back trying to get back up. From the top, Georges will do something he hasnt done in his last two fight, and that will be finish his opponent. Koscheck wont be able to take the pressure and will fold, as Georges will retain his championship for the 5th time. Its gonna be a great night for me, other GSP fans, and the the majority of the Canadians in Montreal.

Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II Predictions



Main Card:

Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral

Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland

Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith

Antonio Silva vs. Mike Kyle

Benji Radach vs. Ovince St. Preux

Shawn's Predictions:

Benji Radach vs. Ovince St. Preux: Radach via TKO

- Not gonna lie, I don't know shit about this Ovince guy. Radach is a well known fighter who's fought some pretty well known dudes like Murilo Rua, Scott Smith, Chris Leben, and Sean Sherk. 16 of his 21 wins are by TKO/KO so I think that's a pretty good indication of what he will do tonight. Sorry guys, don't have much to say about this fight.

Antonio Silva vs. Mike Kyle: Silva via Unanimous Decision

- Silva is coming off a big victory over Andrei Arlovski and Kyle is currently on a four fight win streak. Kyle also has a victory over current Strikeforce LHW Champ Rafael Cavalcante. I think for the majority of the fight, the two will stand and bang to try and get a big knockout. It is possible that one man will drop, but I think their two styles might cancel each other out. I think Silva will be bigger and a little bit faster than Kyle. He won't knock him out, but do just enough standing up to win a close decision.

Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith: Smith via TKO

- This fight is very hard to predict. Both guys love to stand and bang, especially Paul Daley. Often criticized as being "completely one-dimensional", Daley's only chance at beating Scott Smith is by knocking his ass out. I don't think Smith is stupid, and I think he will try his best to avoid the big left or big right. I believe he will still keep it standing for some of the fight though. I see Paul Daley going after Smith immediately and almost hurting him. But, the comeback kid will do what he does back and drop Daley, leading to a late TKO. I'm going out on a limb with this one because it could go either way, but we will find out tomorrow night.

Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland: Lawler via TKO

- While Robbie Lawler will probably try to use his striking and keep it standing, Lindland will want to use his Greco-Roman wrestling background to take him down and grind him out. Lawler showed his impressive stand-up skills in his fight against Melvin Manhoef., and I think he will show the same Saturday evening. Lindland will be frustrated by the inability to take down Lawler and Lawler will end up catching him in the stand-up game, ending the fight with a late TKO.

Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral: Henderson via Unanimous Decision

- For the majority of the fight, Henderson will try to take Babalu down. He doesn't have to worry about being out struck, but Babalu is coming off of an impressive close decision victory against Robbie Lawler, who likes to keep it standing up. I think Henderson will push the pace in this fight and control the mat. He will pick his spots and take Babalu down when he pleases. He wont be able to finish the fight, but he will wrestle his way to a one-sided, 30-27 unanimous decision victory.

Vinny's Predictions (quick write up):

Dan Henderson vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral: Henderson by KO

Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland: Lawler by KO

Paul Daley vs. Scott Smith: Daley by Decision

Antonio Silva vs. Mike Kyle: Silva by KO

Benji Radach vs. Ovince St. Preux: Radach by KO

TUF 12 Finale Predictions

Main Card:

Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac
Michael Johnson vs. Jonathan Brookins
Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia
Rick Story vs. Johny Hendricks
Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia

Shawn's Predictions:
Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia Phan via Split Decision
- This fight is going to be an all out war. Based on Garcia's battle with the Korean Zombie and Nam's fight with Michael Johnson on last night's final episode of the Ultimate Fighter Season 12, this fight wont disappoint. I will be very surprised if we see a 3 round "Stand N Stall." Both of these guys are very aggressive, fast paced lightweights. They both specialize in BJJ, but also like to stand and bang, as shown in the two fights I mentioned above. I see the two standing and banging for the majority of the fight, with an occasional takedown and maybe a close submission attempt on the ground. Both men need a win, but I believe Nam wants it more. He proved to be the most mature and driven on TUF, and I think this gives him an advantage. Honestly, this could go either way, but I think Nam will keep his spot in the UFC by beating Garcia in a razor-thin split decision victory.

Johny Hendricks vs. Rick Story: Hendricks via TKO
- Both of these men are on win streaks, but the difference is that Hendricks is undefeated. Bottom line is, that will make the difference in this fight. Neither of these guys have ridiculously impressive wins (except Hendrick's quick dismantling of Amir Sadollah in 29 seconds at UFC 101), but they are slowly but surely rising in the ranks. The problem is, one of these men will be stopped in there tracks. I believe that man will be Story, as he falls to Hendricks aggressive striking and wrestling ability and gives him his 6th TKO/KO victory.

Demian Maia vs. Kendall Grove: Maia via Submission
- Both of these guys are coming off wins and need this win to catapault them higher up in the Middleweight rankings. Grove has had a rather lacklust record in the UFC lately and I believe Maia is a step above him in competition. I think Maia will still try to prove his striking is improving and he will try to stay on his feet for some of the fight. Eventually, the fight will go to the ground and Maia will show what he does best, and thats submitting motherfuckers. Kendall Grove won't have much to offer in this fight, as he will get submitted by Maia and fall slightly down the ladder once again.

Jonathan Brookins vs. Michael Johnson: Brookins via Submission
- The moment weve been waiting for. Here we have two very athletic fighters going at it for what theyve always dreamed of. Johnson will try to use his wrestling for the majority of the fight and score takedowns. Brookins will also go for some takedowns but I think he will keep it standing the majority of the fight. Jonathan Brookins has a little more experience than Michael Johnson, and that will be a factor in this fight. Brookins fought at WEC 36 against Jose Aldo about 2 years ago, losing by TKO in the 3rd round. He actually put up a good fight. Anways, back to my prediction, I think somehow the fight will end up on the ground, Johnson will make a mistake, and Brookins will find the back like he always does. He will submit Johnson making him the Lightweight winner of Season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac: Bonnar via TKO
- Based purely off of Bonnar's last two fights, I'm expecting this fight to be an all-out war. Bonnars career is doing a complete 360 as he fights on the TUF 12 finale, being the runner-up on Season 1 of TUF. Although Dana White has previously said that Bonnar will always be in the UFC no matter what, he still has a lot to lose. He needs to prove he is still somewhat relevant in the UFC's LHW division. Im expecting Bonnar to push the pace and create a lot of problems for Pokrajac. I think Igor will be very hesitant and this will be a deciding factor. By keeping the fight standing up, Bonnar will keep pressure on Pokrajac and eventually knock him down for a late TKO.

Vinny's Predictions (quick write up):
Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac: Bonnar by Decision
Michael Johnson vs. Jonathan Brookins: Brookins by Sub
Kendall Grove vs. Demian Maia: Maia by Sub
Rick Story vs. Johny Hendricks: Hendricks by Decision
Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia: Phan by Decision

Super Saturday: TUF 12 Finale and Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II

(picture taken from Sherdog.com)

This saturday, December 4th, there will be two great MMA events taking place. TUF 12 is airing free on Spike TV, and Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu II will be airing on Showtime as a PPV. We will find out who the Lightweight winner of Season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter will be, two Light Heavyweights Stephan Bonnar and Igor Pokrajac go at it, and Dan Henderson and Renato "Babalu" Sobral duke it out for a second time. Also airing on Spike TV for free, we get to see Jiu Jitsu specialist Demian Maia battle fellow middleweight Kendall Grove. These fights have excitement written all over them.

Bottom Line: Grab some brews, grab some bro's, and watch some fights.

SL

Wrestling Season is here!

It's that time once again to put in your blood and sweat for your team. Hope everyone has a good season.

~ Vincent Saengsombat

UFC 123 Predictions

Main Card:

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida
Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn
Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon

Shawn's Predictions:
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon: Sotiropoulos via Unanimous Decision
- I would absolutely love to go out on a limb for this fight and say Lauzon but I'm gonna have to play it safe. Sot has been on an impressive run recently, with victories over Joe Stevenson and Kurt Pellegrino. Both being pretty decisive wins. I believe most of this fight will be on the ground, with both guys trying to show off their Jiu Jitsu skills. Just because Sot is a black belt and Lauzon is only a purple belt, doesnt mean Lauzon doesnt have a chance. Most of the time belt rank means absolute diddly squat. This was proven at UFC 118, when Lauzon practically raped Gabe Ruediger who is a black belt in BJJ. With that said, Lauzon will come out stronger than ever, but not strong enough to stop Sot's aggressive style. His aggressiveness will make the difference in this fight, as the Australian stops the Hometown Hero (he's from Boston) in his tracks and shoots himself up into the title picture

Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch: Davis via TKO
- Both these guys are on winning streaks in the UFC and a win for either of them would do wonders. Both of them are wrestlers and both will look for takedowns. Unfortunately for Boetsch, he will probably get taken down faster than Justin Bieber's ability to rub one out. Davis will come out better than ever, take Boetsch down, and pound him out for the win. If not, he'll grind out another one-sided decision with his wrestling. Either way, with this win he might just send him up the ladder closer to title contention.

Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão: Harris via KO/TKO
- Im not going to lie to you, I know jack shit about this guy Falcão and I couldn't tell you how he ended up in the main card of this PPV. Anyways, Harris is a former competitor on the Ultimate Fighter Season 7. He ended up losing to the season winner Amir Sadollah somewhere along the way. I dont know about Falcão's fighting resume, but hes taking a bite out of pretty big fuckin' meal coming into the UFC. He's going to have to take on one tough S.O.B. in Harris. Coming off a huge KO Slam at UFC 116, Harris still has a lot to prove. I think he will keep this standing for the majority of the bout and eventually catch Falcão with a big right and send him crashing to the canvas, giving him the win.

Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn: Penn via Submission
- Who the fuck would have thought this fight would happen? Not me, thats for sure. After losing to Edgar twice in a row, I had no clue what was next for Penn. Hughes had just recently dismantled Ricardo Almeida at UFC 117 and is working his way back up to title contention. Both are great fighters, but this is a hard one to choose. Penn is going to wake himself the fuck up for this fight, and show a completely different B.J. Penn from his last fight. When Penn is at his best, he can stop anyone in the stand up game and anyone on the ground. His guard proves to be one of the best in MMA. Hughes will try to be very agressive, but I think Penn will just counter his agressiveness with his own. Penn also claims to be very comfortable at this weight. He will use his jab to find his range and keep his distance, and he will stuff Hughes takedown's. Eventually Penn will find his back and I think he will lock in a rear naked choke for the victory. As for now, we can only wonder if Penn's two loses to Edgar have forced him past his prime

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida: Machida via Unanimous Decision
- Usually when the UFC puts two strikers or "knockout artists" in the cage they claim that "Someone will get knocked out." The last few times they did that they were DEAD FUCKIN WRONG. Hopefully they are correct this time around. Im hoping to see both guys go hard and fast. I think Machida will bounce back greatly from his devastating loss to Shogun back in May. On the other hand, Rampage will try and rebound off of his decision loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 114 in a lackluster fight. Honestly, I dont think Rampage is in the right state of mind, and this will be a factor playing into this fight. He has considered doing more movies and even considered doing Professional Wrestling. I think the fight will play out like this: Machida will be very smart, tactial, and agressive at the same time, while Rampage seems very hesitant. I think if Rampage makes a mistake he will pay for it, but we havent seen Rampage been severely KO'd in a while. The bottom line is, Machida will prove he is too quick for Rampage and do enough to win a fairly one-sided decision.

Vinny's Predictions:
George Sotiropoulos vs. Joe Lauzon: Lauzon via Unanimous Decision
 - Lauzon is the fan favorite with me and Shawn. He's one of the few known massachusetts fighters in the UFC, and I can be pretty biased towards that. However, Sotiropoulous will be a tough test for Lauzon. The odds are against him, but he has shown in the past to prove everyone wrong. Defeating former champions in Jens Pulver (UFC), Mike Brown (WEC), and Gabe Ruediger (WEC). Of course he never gained the belts, but these were men who eventually got the UFC and WEC belts. Alot of people think this is a step down for Sotiropoulous, my mind says it is, but my heart doesn't. I would've said Sotiropoulous via decision with his crisp boxing and excellent jiu jitsu, but we've seen so many upsets this year why not one for the Beantown Boy?

Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch: Davis via TKO
 - I must admit this dude is nasty, Davis that is. He's an upcoming prospect in the light heavyweight division. Both have collegiate wrestling backgrounds, and this is a first real test for Davis. Boestch loses to top competitors in the light heavyweight division (Hamill, Brilz, Matyushenko?) but he hasn't been too relevant in the division. Davis will force the stoppage upon Boestch.


Gerald Harris vs. Maiquel Falcão: Harris via KO/TKO
- This dude has got me believing in him. Coming fresh off an impressive KO slam (doesn't happen often) with excellent technique (he pushes the face forward forcing the back of his head to make contact with the mat first, all force goes towards one of the weakest parts of his head, therefore goes nighty night). I've never really seen Falcao fight, but from what I can pull up... kidding I can't. I'm gonna stereotype him and guess he's Brazilian, knows BJJ and does Muay Thai. Harris will not have a problem with that, defeating Mario Miranda who is a black belt in BJJ and held his own against Demian Maia. Harris has that devastating power and has the right genetics in his DNA that holds such physique and power. He's explosive, and I believe will be too much for Falcao, forcing the stoppage on him.

Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn: Penn via Submission
- Holy shit! The rubber match. This fight will definitely be fireworks. Penn won the first match and Hughes the second. I think Penn will be at 100 percent with this fight, although we've seen him gas at welterweight before, he will have the speed advantage against bigger men which has been his bread and butter against the opponents he won against. Edgar was just too quick against Penn, staying in the middle of the ring, and waiting to counter Edgar, which was not right. He needed to cut off Edgar's escapes routes, use angles and USE TAKEDOWNS. But enough of that, I believed that Penn was winning the fight until "a rib injury" occurred, making Matt Hughes win. Whether this is just another Penn excuse or true, it showed that he was visibly different in the third round. Penn won't allow this to happen, as he will submit the fuck out of Hughes (K-1 Hughes, lol). Penn uses superior stand up and jiu jitsu to outwork Hughes.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson vs. Lyoto Machida: Rampage via KO/TKO
- Oh man, here we go. This was an anticipated match up me and shawn's city. Both men are coming off losses and need one badly. I know what most of you are thinking. "Machida will outwork Rampage/The odds are too great for rampage to win/etc." Well I want Rampage to win too, ring rust will not be a factor for Jackson. His lack of training ethic and ring rust was the undoing of his performance during Rampage vs Evans. However we don't know how Machida rebounds from a lost, whether he's 10x more motivated or he becomes unmotivated, I wish that this will be exciting. I see Machida sprinting away from Rampage, using elusive techniques and generally staying out of the pocket to avoid Rampage's power. Rampage needs to cut off Machida's escape route, just like Shogun. Mixing up takedowns and strikes, he can also solve the Machida puzzle. Hopefully Rampage can use his notorious knock out power if he ever exchanges with Machida in the pocket. Very unlikely that Rampage wins, but I honestly wish he does, and I hate predicting against a fighter I like. My heart says Rampage by knockout, but my mind says Machida by decision.

Picture of the Day

Modern MMA and it's effect on society.

If you've been watching the media or any movies recently, you might see news about the UFC's champions losing or winning, or if you're watching a movie you might see a really cool fight scene incorporating MMA into it. What does this means? Well the hell you think it means, MMA's gotten mainstream and these fuckers are cashing in on the trend. A while ago I was watching Fox 25 Boston and they reported on how BJ had lost the rematch against Frankie Edgar (didn't know they were so interested!) and I had watched Fast and Furious (don't ask.) and he pulled off an armbar in a fight scene. The cause for this could be multiple things.

1. Never Back Down: the movie came out a few years ago, and that's the movie that appealed the teenage audience, I believe that it captivated it's targeted age group, and 90 percent of the time they were clueless about MMA (I admit it, I didn't know what the hell MMA was, I saw the previews and thought it was Muay Thai, which actually then people I knew didn't know what the hell that was either).
2. TapouT clothing brand: To be honest I don't know how the hell it got so popular, but people who don't even know MMA, know that the clothing brand is related to fighting (it was the case for me).
3. The spread of MMA: Now that it's gotten into the media and being sanctioned everywhere in the country, MMA has spread throughout. While that is a good thing, it also can be bad. More exposure to an audience leads to fans both good and bad. You have you're intelligent MMA fan that you can have a good conversation with. Then you had you're casual fans who are pretty cool, I don't mind them but they do enjoy the sport in good taste. Then you have your COMPLETE RETARDS. Yes, you know who I'm talking about. The people who think they're the shit and want to fight the world after they see a fight. These people annoy the shit out of me and I try to avoid them at all costs. Either that or they're complete tools.

So what's the verdict? Should MMA stay where it's at, snowballing towards mainstream (which has it's pros and cons), or maybe take a step back, and reevaluate what this sport (in my opinion) was about. Who knows, only the future holds the answers

~ Vincent Saengsombat

UFC 122 Predictions

Lets skip the bullshit, right to the predictions.

Main Card:

Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami
Jorge Rivera vs Alessio Sakara*
Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner
Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic

Shawn's Predictions:
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic: Soszynski by Unanimous Decision
- Reljic is in dire need of a win or he will probably cut by the UFC. Soszynski is coming off a TKO loss at the hands Stephan Bonnar. This could possibly even be a loser leaves town match. I think Sos will be more driven in this fight, because he has something to prove. Reljic has only one win in the UFC and we havent seen much of him. Reljic will put up a fight, but not enough as Sos pressures him to into a decision win.

Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta: Sadollah by TKO
- Sadollah has too much to prove in this fight. Being a TUF winner, he needs to prove hes legit. Coming off a loss to DHK, he will probably do anything to win this fight. He will push the pace and show his true skills. If he loses, he will be in very bad shape. Nuff' said.

Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner: Siver by Unanimous Decision
- Siver will push the pace and find his range with his kickboxing. I think Winner was basically exposed by the Stand 'N Stall/Lay 'N Pray fight that he had against Nik Lentz. Siver wont do enough to knock Winner out, but he will do enough to go the distance and have the judges give him the win.

Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami: Marquardt by Unanimous Decision
- This fight is very hard to predict. Im basically taking a guess. I think Marquardt has a more impressive record in the UFC, while Okami really doesn't. He had just barely beat Mark Munoz and I dont think he will impressively defeat "Nate The Great." If anything, Okami will use his wrestling to pressure and take down Marquardt, but I think Marquardt will do enough to prevent that. Nate might even use his Jiu Jitsu and turn one of Okami's takedowns into a deadly Guillotine. Nate is stronger and more complete. I think he will stay on his feet and do just enough to take a decision victory.

Vinny's Predictions (quick write-up):
Krzysztof Soszynski vs Goran Reljic: Soszynski by Submission
Amir Sadollah vs Peter Sobotta: Sadollah by KO
Dennis Siver vs Andre Winner: Winner by Decision
Nate Marquardt vs Yushin Okami: Okami by decision

*Rivera/Sakara bout was removed because of Sakara's flu like symptoms before the fight.

2 UFC Vets Cut

Two previously main event fighters are no longer on UFC roster. Canadian Patrick Cote and Brazilian Gabriel Gonzaga were cut from the UFC after UFC 121 because of their lack of success inside the octagon lately.

Patrick Cote had recently lost a fairly one-sided decision to Tom Lawlor at UFC 121 and Gabriel Gonzaga also lost a one-sided decision to up-and-coming HW prospect/runner-up in the Ultimate Fighter Season 10 Brendan Schaub. If you watched MMA about 3 years ago, and somebody had told you this was going to happen, you probably would have either thought they were trippin' balls on LSD or kicked them square in the nuts. Patrick Cote fought MW champ Anderson Silva a little over two years ago at UFC 90 and lost because of a knee injury in the 3rd round. Some would argue he hasn't been the same since. He was then submitted by Alan Belcher at UFC 113. Gabriel Gonzaga's story is quite similar. This is the guy who fucking head kick KO'd Mirko Cro Cop. Thats right, he HEAD KICKED Cro Cop, the master of all head kicks. You've probably seen it, Mirko's head snaps back and he lands on his ankle the wrong way, as millions of MMA fans and Pride fanboys all over the world watch in complete shock/disappointment. Gonzaga went on to fight Randy Couture for the HW championship back in '07 at UFC 74 and lost by TKO in the 3rd, although many believed he could pull off the win.

Its very weird to see two fighters who used be serious contenders completely fall down the ladder and ultimately (sort of a pun I guess...Ultimately...Ultimate Fighting Championship...Fuck it) get cut by the UFC. Gonzaga has even said he considered retiring from MMA. As we know, the MMA universe will live on and hopefully these two vets will continue to fight and eventually work their way back into the UFC.

By Shawn LeLievre

UFC 122, an overview.

The UFC has been making some of it's most recent cards free to air on Spike. While you might say this is a great opportunity for people to have a chance to become interested in MMA, it's not always what it makes it out to be. The UFC always hypes out their events to be much more than expected, it's lackluster events makes me turn my head and watch past PRIDE fights which in my opinion are much more exciting. Anyway enough of me ranting, this card seems like an okay card  with Nate Marquardt vs. Yushin Okami headlining the card, along with Dennis Siver vs. Andre Winner, Jorge Rivera vs. Alessio Sakara, Amir Sadollah vs. Peter Sobotta, and Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Goran Reljic. I don't expect high hopes off this card as I have with the previous cards. Marquardt vs. Okami will be the fight everyone is looking forward to. Marquardt's strength and power in his hands will collide with Okami's masterful technique. Rivera vs Sakara should be interesting, both strikers with knockout power in their strikes should prove to set fireworks in the octagon. Siver vs Winner does not interest me much, however on paper it should be a good fight (Siver's aggressive striking with Winner's cautious and counter striking). Sadollah vs. Sobatta is the 2nd most fight I'm looking forward to (being a Sadollah fan) with Sadollah's technical Muay Thai striking and Sobatta's grappling ability. Last fight on the main card is Soszynski vs Reljic. This should be an interesting grappling battle, as both are mainly submission artists (Soszynski by Kimura anyone)? More to come when the event comes inching closer.

^{~ Vincent Saengsombat}

Dana's Major Announcement: The Merge

The face that only a mother could love. The UFC's master-mind Dana White (above) announced that the UFC and its sister promotion the WEC have just officially merged. You might be saying to yourself "holy shit." So am I my friends. I was expecting this goofy bastard to announced that "Cain Velasquez was the new champion", that "He has decided on the new coaches and color scheme for the next season of the Ultimate Fighter" or that he "Just saved a bunch of money on his insurance by switching to Geico". Luckily that was not the case. This is a huge for everyone involved in the process. It's sad to see the WEC go, but we now have a Bantamweight and Featherweight division in the UFC. Also, the UFC's Lightweight division will be much more competitive with the addition of the WEC's LW division. Guys like Ben Henderson, who is the WEC's LW champ, will have to test his skills against the UFC's LW elite like BJ Penn, Kenny Florian, Gray Maynard, Sean Sherk, and eventually Frankie Edgar (if he defends his title on January 1st at UFC 125). Joining Ben Henderson will be stars like the WEC's Featherweight champ Jose Aldo, the WEC's Bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz, and other contenders of these various divisions like Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres, Anthony Pettis, Scott Jorgenson, and Donald Cerrone.

If your a fan of MMA and you're upset about this big move, there must be something wrong with you. This potentially means better, more stacked cards and more free fight cards on Versus per year. We shall see if the WEC's stars can handle the big step in competition and show they are now "UFC Champions."

By Shawn LeLievre

Sherdog's Top 10 Pound-For-Pound Fighters

1. Anderson "The Spider" Silva (27-4)

2. Georges "Rush" St. Pierre (20-2)

3. Jose Aldo (18-1)

4. Frankie Edgar (13-1)

5. Jon Fitch (23-3, 1NC)

6. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (19-4)

7. Jake Shields (26-4-1)

8. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (16-1)

9. "Suga" Rashad Evans (15-1-1)

10. Gilbert Melendez (18-2)

Does this Top 10 look familiar? The answer is YES. Sherdog's P4P Top 10 has not made one change since their last P4P list. I would have expected them to move Jake Shields a spot up after his lackluster split-decision win over Martin Kampmann at UFC 121. I honestly think he doesn't deserve to be at #7 on this list. The top three have engraved their names onto this list and will probably stay there for a while. In my opinion, there are three things wrong with this list:

1. Fedor Emelianenko is not on this list. To some, he was "exposed" back in June when he was submitted by Fabricio Werdum. Fedor is a human, and was eventually going to lose. I think it is utter bullshit to completely drop him from the list after being given #3 back before this loss. I will always stand by the fact that he should always be on this list

2. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is only number #6. Why is this a problem you ask? Because he is one spot behind the talented wrestler Jon Fitch. Jon Fitch has 5 straight Unanimous decision victories and is looking for another shot at GSP's WW title, which is a lost cause. The only thing Jon Fitch has proven to me in the past 2 years is that he is unable to finish an opponent. On the otherhand, Shogun is a champion and just "KTFO'd" Lyoto Machida which is an incredible feat. I just think that they should switch places on this list. It doesn't really mean much, but it would make me as an MMA fan happier. Just sayin'.

3. Cain Velasquez should be on this list somewhere. I sort of wish there was an 11 spot, because all of these guys to deserve to be on this list, but so does Cain. Why? Because he just completely dethroned Brock Lesnar and exposed Lesnar's striking ability. He also proved that size doesn't matter. Alot of fans, me being one of them, were not going to be surprised if Lesnar used his size to pressure Cain and take him down. This was not the case. Cain proved he has great wrestling and ended up finishing Brock by TKO late in Round 1. The guy is 9-0 with 8 TKO/KO's. That's showing something. If he beats the #1 contender Junior dos Santos in their future match up, hopefully Cain can jump onto this prestigious list.

By Shawn LeLievre

Quote Of The Day

"If size mattered, the Elephant would be the king of the jungle" - Rickson Gracie