Thursday, May 31, 2012

UFC On Fox 3 Fight Card: Jim Miller Vs. Nate Diaz Tapped For May 5th

Source: http://mma.sbnation.com/2012/1/31/2761924/ufc-on-fox-3-fight-card-jim-miller-vs-nate-diaz-may-5th-mma

Cain Velasquez Brandon Vera Renato Verissimo

Kenny Florian Announces Retirement

On the eve of this season's The Ultimate Fighter Finale, TUF Season veteran Kenny Florian announced his retirement from the sport according to a report from UFC.com.

?It was something I?ve been thinking about since November,? said Florian.�He had been taking time off from the Octagon to evaluate a back injury he suffered after his October 2011 loss to Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo.

?And it probably wasn?t until the last couple months where I really saw it (retirement) as a viable option," Florian continued. When you?ve fought as long as I have and trained as long as I have, you become what you do, and that?s all you know. It?s tough to do anything else, but in the end, I have so many things going on, from my gym back in Boston to the commentary and all that stuff, that I?m so lucky that I have all these other things in my life and I can still be a part of the sport that I love."

Florian boasts wins over�Clay Guida,�Takanori Gomi,�Joe Lauzon,�Joe Stevenson,�Roger Huerta,Din Thomas, and�Sam Stout to name a few, but he wants his work ethic and dedication to be his legacy.

?I hope that everyone saw a guy who really dedicated his life to the sport and a guy who always worked really hard to evolve in every single fight and every single session, and to get better and hopefully take the sport to another level,? Florian said. ?And that?s really what I aimed to do, to get the best out of myself and raise my level every time.?

The reason for Florian's retirement has altered his ability to train at the same level of intensity that has brought him so far in the sport.�?What it came down to was that my back just wasn?t getting back to where it was,? Florian said. ?I was not able to train the way I was before, and it?s been going on for a while. I?ve dealt with injuries before and I?ve dealt with a back injury before, but with this new injury that I suffered in November, I just haven?t been the same since.?

Florian officially debuted in the UFC as middleweight, then won in his second UFC�appearance at�welterweight, and he eventually made a�home at lightweight for the majority of his career where he challenged for the title twice before dropping to featherweight. �Florian is retiring without ever holding UFC gold, but he might have gained more from the sport in the long run.

?I was a kid who was kind of lost and fighting found me and made me a better person,? Florian said. ?I think of a quote from Aristotle that said ?you make war so you can find peace,? and I think that?s something that happened with me. I?m in a great place in my life I think because of fighting somehow. I?ve never been happier in my life and I owe it to fighting.?

The 36-year old Westwood, MA native will continue to run Florian Martial Arts and build his broadcasting career on Fuel TV and FX. Kenny Florian walks away from the sport with 16-6 record.

Source: http://mmadiehards.com/live/news/kenny-florian-announces-retirement/

B J Penn Frankie Edgar Ken Shamrock

Shane Carwin Cleared To Resume Contact Training, Seeking Fall Return

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin was unsure if he would ever be able to compete inside the Octagon again after undergoing back surgery. Now, as Carwin posted on his own personal website recently, he will be able to fight once again, and is targeting a return to action this year. “I informed UFC [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/KJW9-9U8YGU/

Anthony Walsh Wang Guan Wang Sai

Subject: King of the Cage - by: kotchawaii

Sorry not Ikaika Martin, Elijah Manners vs. Kawika Martin

Source: http://www.mmahawaii.com/forum/2-hawaii-mma-discussions/43281-king-of-the-cage.html%2343286

Amar Suloev Mike Swick Takashi Sugiura

Video: Dixie Carter Conference Call

Source: http://fightnetwork.com/news/31599:video-dixie-carter-conference-call/

Anthony Torres Miguel Torres Roberto Traven

Rich Franklin Replaces Belfort, Rematches Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147

Zuffa brass have spent the better part of five days racking their brains, figuring out�just�who could replace Vitor Belfort in the UFC 147 main event against Wanderlei Silva (34-11) was no easy task. With all of the middleweight division’s top names engaged in upcoming bouts, it would seem that a rematch with Rich Franklin (28-6) [...]

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/28765/rich-franklin-replaces-belfort-rematches-wanderlei-silva-at-ufc-147/

Randy Couture Vitor Belfort Randy Couture

Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote targeted for UFC 148

With Rich Franklin (28-6 MMA, 13-5 UFC) now headed to UFC 147 for a rematch with Wanderlei Silva (34-11-1 MMA, 4-6 UFC), onetime middleweight title challenger Patrick Cote (17-7 MMA, 4-7 UFC) has been tapped to fight Cung Le (7-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC 148.

Multiple sources close to the event today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that verbal agreements have been reached for the matchup.

UFC 148 takes place July 7 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Main-card fights air live on pay-per-view while preliminary-card fights air on FX

Source: http://www.mmaplayground.com/forums/topic53169-1.html

Yoshiaki Yatsu Hirotaka Yokoi Hidehiko Yoshida

The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale fight card: Max Holloway vs Pat Schilling preview

Photo

Two of the youngest prospects in the UFC will meet this Friday night (June 1, 2012) as 20 year old Max Holloway takes on Minnesota grappler Pat Schilling on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Live Finale main card in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Max Holloway, at 20 years old, is the current youngest fighters on the UFC roster. It's hard to believe seeing someone fight in a cage who was nearly born in 1992, but here he is. Holloway wants to forget his UFC debut, a wretched showing against a seriously overmatched opponent in Dustin Poirier, and he'll get an opportunity to put it behind him on Friday night.

Pat Schilling is also a youngster who wants to wipe clean the slate of his inaugural UFC fight. Making his debut against the upstart Daniel Pineda, "Thrilling" was far from it, losing dominantly via first round submission. The Minnesota grappler has a shot at redemption against an equally inexperienced foe in Holloway.

Will Holloway mature before our eyes with a strong showing? Can Schilling get back to stopping every opponent in the first round? What's the key to victory for both men on Friday night?

Let's find out:

Max Holloway

Record: 4-1 overall, 0-1 in the UFC

Key Wins: none

Key Losses: Dustin Poirier (UFC 143)

How he got here: Max Holloway, hailing from Hawaii, got into MMA very early. Fighting for the X-1 promotion on the big island, "Blessed" scored three straight victories, including winning the X-1 lightweight title over WEC and Strikeforce veteran Harris Sarmiento.

The Sarmiento victory put Holloway on the map, even garnering him a slot on the 2012 BE Scouting Report, and a follow-up decision win put the 20 year old firmly in the UFC's sites. When both Erik Koch and Ricardo Lamas got injured, the youngster was called up to the UFC to face rising contender Dustin Poirier on the UFC 143 undercard.

In that bout, Holloway was controlled and outmuscled by the bigger, stronger and more experienced Poirier, losing via mounted triangle armbar in the first round. He did the UFC a favor so they're giving him another shot. Holloway will be stepping in against someone a little more on his level this time around in Pat Schilling.

How he gets it done: They key for Holloway is to use his strengths which are his dynamic striking and his incredible pace, while avoiding letting Schilling take him down and keep him there.

That means he's got to be a little more cautious in throwing spinning elbows and all sorts of diverse attacks with reckless abandon like he's done in the past, but they aren't completely removed from the equation. If he can throw them in the correct situations, the strikes can still be very lethal.

The other important factor for Holloway is to force Schilling to work extra hard for everything by never slowing down. That shouldn't be too hard for him as he's one of the best conditioned athletes in the division, but if he can wear Schilling down, the threat of being put on his back diminishes significantly.

Pat Schilling

Record: 5-1 overall, 0-1 in the UFC

Key Wins: none

Key Losses: Daniel Pineda (UFC on FX)

How he got here: Pat Schilling was an avid high school wrestler out of the Minnesota area who made the transition to mixed martial arts in 2009. He had a very impressive 6-0 stint as an amateur and his success continued as a professional.

He started his pro career similarly, going 5-0 in just 18 months, finishing every opponent in the first round and earning the nickname "Thrilling" in the process.

He was given a big jump in competition, taking on fellow UFC newcomer but major veteran Daniel Pineda at the first UFC on FX event, where he would be completely overwhelmed and outmatched, losing via rear naked choke in just 97 seconds.

With that out of the way, the 23 year old will be facing someone in a similar situation this Friday night in Las Vegas.

How he gets it done: Schilling may have been dominated on the ground in his UFC debut, but that's still by far where he's strongest. He's got some respectable wrestling credentials and some nice submissions skills to mix in.

His primary objective should be putting Holloway on his back and keeping him there. Holloway has a penchant for throwing wild attacks and being extremely aggressive. While that's very dangerous and capable of hurting Schilling, the Minnesotan should take advantage of the drop in defenses for Holloway and explode for a takedown by changing levels. The timing should be easy if Holloway gets carried away.

If he can put Holloway on his back, he can't let the Hawaiian off the hook. Expect to see lots of ground and pound mixed with positional control, guard passes and eventually, the coupe de grace, the submission attempt. It will be very difficult to wear Holloway down on the ground as "Blessed" had a tremendous gas tank, but Schilling very well could be able to overpower his foe by sheer brute force, perhaps even make him panic and take advantage of a mistake.

Fight X-Factor: The X-Factor for this fight is obvious, it's whoever is going to recover from a horrific UFC debut and not suffer any jitters this time around that's going to be the winner. Granted, Octagon jitters aren't the sole reason either man lost as they were matched up against some seriously tough opposition in their promotional debuts.

This fight could entirely come down to pacing. If Schilling, a fighter who's never left the first round in his pro career, comes out too hard and can't score the finish, then Holloway almost certainly will take over with his superhuman conditioning. Even so, those first couple minutes could be vital.

Bottom Line: This fight features two very young, very flashy and very inexperienced opponents. There's potential for something amazing here, I can smell it, but there's also a chance that both men are simply so inexperienced that the bout turns into a very sloppy and ugly affair. In my opinion, both featherweights were given a raw deal and brought to the big show before they were ready, but someone is going to be sticking around with a victory regardless, so they might as well put on a good show. I expect a high output from both fighters in the first round, but there's no guarantees after that.

Who will come out on top at The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale? Tell us your predictions in the comments below!

Poll
Which feisty youngster will earn their first UFC victory on Friday night?

  33 votes | Results

Source: http://www.mmamania.com/2012/5/30/3053144/the-ultimate-fighter-live-finale-fight-card-max-holloway-vs-pat

Marcus Vinicios Falaniko Vitale Igor Vovchanchyn

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

XKO 15 Pre-fight Interview ? Armando ?The Latin Assassin? Servin

Update (May 28, 2012) – Armando Servin has pulled out of this fight due to undisclosed reasons. (injury?) Keith Miner is now fighting on another card the following weekend.   IRVING, TX, May 28, 2012 ? We’re less than a week away from MMA action in the DFW area with XKO 15 set to take [...]


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  1. Armando Servin – Set to Take on Houston MMA Personality in Featured Bout of Legacy Fights in Downtown Dallas this Friday Night
  2. XKO 15 Pre-Fight Interview ? Joseph ?The Black Rooster? Salas
  3. Interview ? ?Kid Dynamite? Charles Byrd talks about his fight against Ira Boyd this Saturday in Plano

Source: http://www.txmma.com/2012/05/28/xko-15-pre-fight-interview-armando-the-latin-assassin-servin/

Wang Sai Ron Waterman Roman Webber

Video: Dominick Cruz gives TUF Live Finale prediction; talks unfinished business with Faber

ProMMAnow.com reporter Joe Gugelman caught up with UFC bantamweight champion and coach on this season's The Ultimate Fighter Live, Dominick Cruz (19-1), during a special TUF luncheon last week.
Related posts:
  1. Dana White confirms Urijah Faber will fight for interim bantamweight title
  2. The Ultimate Fighter Live episode 4 recap: Team Faber gets first win
  3. The Ultimate Fighter Live episode 5 recap: Chiesa gives Team Faber second win

Source: http://prommanow.com/2012/05/29/video-dominick-cruz-gives-tuf-live-finale-prediction-talks-unfinished-business-with-faber/

Evan Tanner Peni Taufa ao Thiago Tavares

?Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy? Tickets on Sale Today

“Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Kennedy” takes place July 14th inside Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. UFC Fight Club members have the opportunity to purchase seats for the show today at 1PM ET/10AM PT. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC Newsletter subscribers on Thursday, May 31st at 1PM ET/10AM PT. Psst, the top [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/117592/strikeforce-rockhold-vs-kennedy-tickets-on-sale-today/

Chuck Liddell Quinton Jackson Forrest Griffin

Injuries lead to Story-Jardine, Brown-Ramos, Gambino-Siler at UFC on FX 4

Injuries have led to changes to next month's UFC on FX 4 event.

UFC officials today announced newcomer Brock Jardine has replaced injured Papy Abedi and now meets fellow welterweight Rick Story.

Two other recently reported changes are now official: Matt Brown has replaced injured Matt Riddle and meets fellow welterweight Luis Ramos, and UFC newcomer Joey Gambino has replaced Jimmy Hettes and fights featherweight Steven Siler.


Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/mmajunkie/%7E3/LdYCT8obVwE/injuries-lead-to-story-jardine-brown-ramos-gambino-silver-at-ufc-on-fx-4.mma

Frankie Edgar Ken Shamrock Dan Severn

UFC Boss Believes 205 Would Be Perfect Spot For Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier is coming to the UFC. When and where, however, remains unknown. When Cormier, who captured the recent Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix title, should think about a drop to light heavyweight, according to UFC president Dana White. White discussed the move in an interview with ESPN. Yes, he will end up coming over to [...]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mmaconvert/~3/cP-UgU0MCJ0/

Mauricio Rua Dave Menne Murilo Bustamante

Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort?s Wife Trade Words Amidst ?The Phenom?s? Withdrawal From UFC 147

(She makes an arousing compelling argument.)� It has not been a good year for heated rematches set against the backdrop of MMA-themed reality shows. Not only were our hopes of Faber/Cruz III dashed before our very eyes on the tail end of what has been a forgettable season of�TUF 15�here in America, but even the coaches of TUF: Brazil (or at least one-half of them) have been bitten by the injury bug, delaying a rematch that not only promised guaranteed fireworks, but one that has eluded us for what seems like a decade now. And apparently Wanderlei Silva, a.k.a the TUF: Brazil coach who wasn't forced out of his expected matchup at UFC 147, shares our frustration. Ever since Vitor Belfort was forced to withdraw from his much-anticipated rematch with "The Axe Murderer" due to a broken hand, Silva has seemingly exploded with rage at Belfort's...I don't know, clumsiness? Insolence? We're not really sure how you criticize someone for getting injured, unless that someone is Ken Shamrock, of course, but Wandy was relentless in his mockery of Belfort, calling him an "amateur" among other things in a recent Twitter tirade:
(Fighting me) with one hand (laughs)? We are professionals. It?s a great irresponsibility not to be careful on training, a great disrespect towards the fans. I?m really sad. I?m ready to knock you out, you have nowhere to run. This fight is happening. I guess you got scared of me. Nobody trains so hard that breaks his hand. We use the best equipments, gloves, bandages.
More from Silva's Twitter rant, along with Joana's response, are after the jump.

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/wanderlei-silva-and-vitor-belforts-wife-trade-words-amidst-the-phenoms-withdrawal-from-ufc-147/

Roberto Traven Frank Trigg Mostapha Al Turk

Brock Lesnar's meeting with Dana White on UFC return reportedly "did not go well"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

LesnarBrock_180_23.jpg
The hype for Brock Lesnar's potential return to the UFC is being slowed down already, as a report from Dave Meltzer at The Wrestling Observer suggests initial talks between Lesnar and UFC President Dana White were rocky.

The two met following UFC 146 on Saturday night to discuss a potential return, and Meltzer stated that things didn't go as well as hoped.

"We don't have any details other than the meeting did not go well," the report read, with Meltzer further speculating, "If Lesnar being at UFC is mentioned on Raw, then I'd guess it's [a] WWE angle. If it's not, then it's anyone's guess what the game being played is, other than there is a game being played."

Where that leaves things remained to be seen, but it's something that will be followed as long as further developments are made.

Penick's Analysis: Depending on what happens on tonight's WWE program, this could all be Lesnar and the WWE trying to use the UFC return as part of their angle. If that's the case, and it was brought to White's attention that was the case, then it would make sense for the meeting to "not go well." If Lesnar's legitimately looking to return to fight, White may be open to things, but using the UFC as a piece of the WWE's storytelling isn't likely to go over well with them.

[Brock Lesnar art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_13453.shtml

Renato Verissimo Marcus Vinicios Falaniko Vitale

Wanderlei Silva Trashes Vitor Belfort As Either 'Scared' Or Amateur

UFC Middleweight and former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva is anything but happy with Vitor Belfort after hearing that an injured hand has forced Belfort out of their scheduled UFC 147 headliner. Silva took to his twitter account to vent (translation via Tatame.com):

"(Fighting me) with one hand (laughs)? We are professionals. It's a great irresponsibility not to be careful on training, a great disrespect towards the fans. I'm really sad. I'm ready to knock you out, you have nowhere to run. This fight is happening. I guess you got scared of me. Nobody trains so hard that breaks his hand. We use the best equipments, gloves, bandages."

Source: http://www.mmaplayground.com/forums/topic53142-1.html

Curtis Stout Sam Stout Georges St Pierre

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

UFC Octagon Girl?s repertoire includes kick to boyfriend?s nose, arrest reports indicate

A heated argument early Saturday morning in a Wynn hotel room led to the arrest of UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste and her boyfriend, Metro Police said.

Celeste, 26, whose real name is Arianny Lopez, and her boyfriend, 34-year-old Praveen Chandra, each were arrested on a count of battery domestic violence, according to arrest reports released Tuesday.

A Wynn employee heard a crashing sound from a room and saw Lopez come running out of the room shortly after 4:30 a.m., the reports state.

Lopez told police her boyfriend choked her and grabbed her right arm during an argument about text messages, the reports said. Officers noted that Lopez had scratches on her right arm.

Detectives interviewed Chandra who said Lopez kicked him in the nose in a limousine, where the argument started, the reports said.

Source: http://www.mmaplayground.com/forums/topic53148-1.html

George Sotiropoulos Haik Soukiasian Ronaldo de Souza

Strikeforce Champ Daniel Cormier Needs An Opponent For Final SF Bout

Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/5/29/3050805/strikeforce-champ-daniel-cormier-opponent-fedor-emelianenko-tim-sylvia

Alexander Ustinov Umer W Chheena Victor Valimaki

UFC 147: Wanderlei Silva Trashes Vitor Belfort As Either 'Scared' Or 'Amateur'

Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/5/29/3050691/ufc-147-wanderlei-silva-vitor-belfort-twitter-ufc-quotes-mma-news

Krzysztof Soszynski George Sotiropoulos Haik Soukiasian

Jon Jones pleads guilty to DUI

UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones made an appearance in a New York court room this morning where he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. As a result the 24-year old had his driving privileges suspended and will submit to further evaluation for ?alcohol abuse and dependency?. Two related charges [...]

Source: http://fiveouncesofpain.com/2012/05/29/jon-jones-pleads-guilty-to-dui/

Patrick Speight Mario Sperry Pete Spratt

UFC to Nottingham, England on Sept. 29, could be Fuel TV card

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC will officially head to Nottingham, England on Sept. 29, as officials announced over the weekend that they will head to the Capital FM Arena.

Though the television outlet for the event has not yet been set, MMAJunkie.com reports that it may be a Fuel TV event. Regardless, the event will more than likely air live in North America, instead of a tape delayed card as was the case with UK events on Spike TV.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_13455.shtml

Denis Stojnic Curtis Stout Sam Stout

XKO 15 Pre-Fight Interview ? Joseph ?The Black Rooster? Salas

IRVING, TX, May 28, 2012 ? We’re less than a week away from MMA action in the DFW area with XKO 15 set to take place this Saturday, June 2nd at The Gym in Arlington. The card features some great matchups including UFC veteran Jake Rosholt taking on Matt Thompson and more. We’ll profile several [...]


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  2. Bellator 62 Pre-Fight Interview ? Joseph ?Prince? Daily looking to Out-MMA Sean Spencer this Friday
  3. Big Head MMA’s Joseph Sandoval Ready for UFC Debut This Saturday; Interview with Undefeated TX Prospect

Source: http://www.txmma.com/2012/05/28/xko-15-pre-fight-interview-joseph-the-black-rooster-salas/

Krzysztof Soszynski George Sotiropoulos Haik Soukiasian

UFC 146 Bonuses: Dan Hardy, Roy Nelson, Paul Sass, and Stefan Struve earn extra $70,000

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

UFC_146_Poster_Large_1.jpg
With a ton of stoppages to choose from at UFC 146, the UFC opted to give two "Knockout of the Night" bonuses and two "Submission of the Night" bonuses in lieu of a "Fight of the Night" on Saturday night.

Those $70,000 bonuses went to Dan Hardy and Roy Nelson, who defeated Duane "Bang" Ludwig and Dave "PeeWee" Herman in quick fashion in Las Vegas.

The bonus will be especially sweet for Hardy, who snapped a four-fight losing streak with the win. His stutter-step left hook knocked Ludwig down, and several elbows on the ground put him out cold. The win was Hardy's first since November of 2009.

Nelson picked up his third first-round knockout win in the UFC, and did so in just 51 seconds over Herman. After a brief range-finding process, he landed an overhand right that crumpled Herman to the mat.

"Submission of the Night" also had a lot of competition, and Paul Sass and Stefan Struve beat out Glover Teixeira for the honors; Sass with a slick first round triangle choke/armbar combo over Jacob Volkmann, and Struve with a first round armbar of Lavar Johsnon.

After being taken down, Sass trapped Volkmann's right arm and locked on the hold quickly, then wrenched the arm to force a quick tap. In Struve's case, he pulled guard after Johnson pushed him to the fence, then quickly locked up the hold and forced the immediate tap.

Updated as UFC announced the extra bonus to Struve late.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_13433.shtml

Yoon Dong Sik Gilbert Yvel Ishkhan Zakharian

Video - Stipe Miocic vs. Shane Del Rosario highlights from UFC 146

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The FoxSports.com highlights from last night's UFC 146 event continue with the bout between undefeated prospects Stipe Miocic and Shane Del Rosario. Check it out below:



Video URL: http://msn.foxsports.com/video?videoid=aee4f2f8-0e6e-48d6-9c5a-44b8e315cede&src=v5:share:sharepermalink:&from=sharepermalink

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_13442.shtml

Tim Sylvia Javier Torres Tor Troeng

Monday, May 28, 2012

Patricio ?Pitbull? Freire Seeks Knockout Victory Against Pat Curran on August 24

Rebney finally announced the date of the featherweight title duel between Patricio "Pitbull" Freire and Pat Curran. The Brazilian faces the champion at Bellator 73 on August 24; the venue has yet to be announced for the event.

Source: http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/Patricio-Pitbull-Freire-Seeks-Knockout-Victory-Against-Pat-Curran-on-August-24-43093

Denis Stojnic Curtis Stout Sam Stout

Alistair Overeem Reportedly Charged With Misdemeanor Battery

Source: http://mma.sbnation.com/2012/1/31/2761840/ufc-alistair-overeem-charged-misdemeanor-battery-mma

Chuck Liddell Quinton Jackson Forrest Griffin

UFC Headed to Nottingham, Dan Hardy Likely to Appear on the Card

After alluding to a UFC event slated to take place in Nottingham, England on last week's episode of The Ultimate Fighter: Live, UFC president Dana White has confirmed the promotion's plans to hold an event in Dan Hardy's hometown. The Nottingham event is expected to take place on September 29 at the Capital FM Arena.

MMAFrenzy.com

Source: http://mmafrenzy.com/28738/ufc-headed-to-nottingham-dan-hardy-likely-to-appear-on-the-card/

Daiju Takase Oleg Taktarov Akitoshi Tamura

Latest Boxing Schedule - 'Canelo' vs. Williams on Sept. 15

An updated calendar of boxing events coming up from around the globe.

Source: http://fightnetwork.com/news/1916:latest-boxing-schedule-canelo-vs.-williams-on-sept.-15/

Wu Haotian Rani Yahya Kenichi Yamamoto

Bellator 70 Recap: Hawn uses the judge?s to secure win, Konrad and Clementi submit their opponents, while Nogueira wins via knockout

As the sixth season of Bellator Fighting Championships came to an end Friday night, it left fans anticipating for season seven.
Rick Hawn wins the lightweight tournament championship against Brent Weedman, Cole Konrad successfully defends his title against Eric Prindle, Luis Nogueira knocks out Hiroshi Nakamura to move to the bantamweight tournament finals, while Rich Clementi   Read More »

Source: http://mmadiehards.com/live/features/bellator-70-recap-hawn-uses-the-judges-to-secure-win-konrad-and-clementi-submit-their-opponents-while-nogueira-wins-via-knockout/

Thiago Silva Wanderlei Silva Marcus Silveira

Weigh-in results for UFC 146 "Dos Santos vs. Mir"

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Weigh-ins took place this evening for tomorrow night's UFC 146 event from Las Vegas. All ten heavyweights on the night's main card all took to the scale, and every fighter on the card made weight for the event. Full weigh-in results below:

Main Card

Junior Dos Santos (239) vs. Frank Mir (261)
Antonio Silva (264) vs. Cain Velasquez (240)
Dave Herman (233) vs. Roy Nelson (254)
Shane Del Rosario (246) vs. Stipe Miocic (245)
Lavar Johnson (248) vs. Stefan Struve (255)

FX Prelims

Diego Brandao (145) vs. Darren Elkins (145)
Edson Barboza (155) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
C.B. Dollaway (186) vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller (185)
Dan Hardy (170) vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig (171)

Facebook Prelims

Paul Sass (156) vs. Jacob Volkmann (155)
Kyle Kingsbury (205) vs. Glover Teixeira (204)
Mike Brown (145) vs. Daniel Pineda (146)

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_13413.shtml

Ryushi Yanagisawa Yoshiaki Yatsu Hirotaka Yokoi

UFC 146: Results

Results from UFC 146 which took place Saturday at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

  • Junior Dos Santos def. Frank Mir via TKO (punches), Rd. 2, 3:04
  • Cain Velasquez def.�Antonio Silva via TKO (punches), Rd. 1, 3:36
  • Roy Nelson def.�Dave Herman via KO (punch), Rd. 1, 0:51
  • Stipe Miocic def.�Shane del Rosario via TKO (elbows), Rd. 2, 3:14
  • Stefan Struve def.�Lavar Johnson via submission (armbar), Rd. 1, 1:05

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)

  • Darren Elkins def.�Diego Brandao via unanimous decision (3 x 29-28)
  • Jamie Varner def.�Edson Barboza via TKO (hammer-fists), Rd. 1, 3:23
  • C.B. Dollaway def. Jason "Mayhem" Miller via unanimous decision (30-26, 2 x�29-28)
  • Dan Hardy def. Duane "Bang" Ludwig via KO (elbows), Rd. 1, 3:51

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

  • Paul Sass def. Jacob Volkmann via submission (triangle-armbar), Rd. 1, 1:54
  • Glover Teixeira def.�Kyle Kingsbury via submission (arm-triangle choke), Rd. 1, 1:53
  • Mike Brown def. Daniel Pineda via unanimous decision (3 x 29-28)

Source: http://mmadiehards.com/live/news/ufc-146-results/

Maurice Smith Randy Couture Bas Rutten

Dana White has a lot on his mind talks Miller, Cormier, Varner, TUF, Belfort

UFC President Dana White meets with the media following a great UFC 146 event Saturday night in Las Vegas. It has been a trying couple of weeks for the White follow a couple legal incidents involving Jon Jones and Arianny Celeste. White jokingly stated that he was going straight home so that he doesn?t get arrested. White discusses a wide range of topics including Mayhem Miller?s future in the UFC, the return of Jamie Varner, Brock Lesnar, The Ultimate Fighter Live, Vitor Belfort broken hand which knocks him out of UFC 147, stadium events, Roy Nelson?s beard and a whole lot more?

Props: KarynBryant of MMAHeat.com
Dana White has a lot on his mind talks Miller, Cormier, Varner, TUF, Belfort is a post from: MMA Interplay UFC News

Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/dana_white_has_a_lot_on_his_mind_talks_miller_cormier_varner_tuf_belfort/10882640

Rob Sinclair Rory Singer Elvis Sinosic

Sunday, May 27, 2012

UFC 146 results: Dos Santos wins

Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/mma/article_external/ufc_146_results_dos_santos_retains_velasquez_dominates/10881704

Ronaldo de Souza Ron The Monster Sparks Patrick Speight

UFC.tv Hacker Revealed As 13-Year-Old Australian Boy

Source: http://mma.sbnation.com/2012/1/30/2759189/ufc-hacker-revealed-as-13-year-old-australian-boy

Patrick Speight Mario Sperry Pete Spratt

Vitor Belfort Posts Picture of Broken Hand Following Surgery

Just in case fans didn’t take UFC president Dana White for his word when he announced Vitor Belfort would have to withdraw from UFC 147 with a broken left hand, Belfort took the initiative to post a picture of his surgically-repaired haymaker as proof. “Cannot sleep thinking about what happened. I am very sad very [...]

Source: http://www.5thRound.com/117418/vitor-belfort-posts-picture-of-broken-hand-following-surgery/

Javier Torres Tor Troeng Nobuhiko Takada

UFC 146: Weigh-in Results

Weigh-ins for UFC 146 took place Friday�at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena, the same venue that hosts Saturday's pay-per-view event.

The full UFC 146 weigh-in results include:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view)

  • Champ Junior Dos Santos (239) vs. Frank Mir (261)
  • Antonio Silva (264) vs. Cain Velasquez (240)
  • Dave Herman (233) vs. Roy Nelson (254)
  • Shane Del Rosario (246) vs. Stipe Miocic (245)
  • Lavar Johnson (248) vs. Stefan Struve (255)

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX)

  • Diego Brandao (145) vs. Darren Elkins (145)
  • Edson Barboza (155) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
  • C.B. Dollaway (186) vs. Jason "Mayhem" Miller (185)
  • Dan Hardy (170) vs. Duane "Bang" Ludwig (171)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

  • Paul Sass (156) vs. Jacob Volkmann (155)
  • Kyle Kingsbury (205) vs. Glover Teixeira (204)
  • Mike Brown (145) vs. Daniel Pineda (146)

Source: http://mmadiehards.com/live/news/ufc-146-weigh-in-results/

Sam Stout Georges St Pierre Masanori Suda

California charade: AB2100 dies in Appropriations

The end of AB2100 is here.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/fightopinion/%7E3/ty31RXePtIo/

Jens Pulver Sean Sherk B J Penn

"TUF: Live" semifinalists Vick and Pichel not fighting at the Finale

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC will be bringing in all of the fighters who made it into the house on this season of The Ultimate Fighter on FX, but several won't be doing so at the Finale event next Friday night. Andy Ogle and Mike Rio were already announced as being medically suspended, and following Friday's semifinals, two more will not be fighting next week.

Semifinal losers James Vick and Vinc Pichel will each have to wait to make their official UFC debuts. According to a report from MMAJunkie.com, VIck was medically suspended after his knockout loss to Michael Chiesa, and because of that Pichel doesn't have an opponent for the card. Like both Ogle and Rio, each fighter will make their debuts later in the year.

Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/quicknews/article_13417.shtml

Nobuhiko Takada Yoshihiro Takayama Daiju Takase

Stefan Struve Wants to Retire with 50-60 UFC Wins (UFC 146)

http://www.MMAWeekly.com/ was in Las Vegas for UFC 146 and spoke with Stefan Struve following his impressive first-round submission over Lavar Johnson. Struve says that he's got plans to finish his UFC career with 50 to 60 victories when all is said and done.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K8ftKuHh68&feature=youtube_gdata

Brandon Vera Renato Verissimo Marcus Vinicios

UFC 146 Fan Club Q&A With Urijah Faber

MMA H.E.A.T. brings you the complete UFC Fan Club Q&A with Urijah Faber, that took place in the MGM Grand Garden Arena right before the UFC 146 weigh-ins. Urijah talks about what happened to FORM Athletics, how he dealt with bullies growing up, his thoughts about Dominick Cruz, starting the rumor about Ronda Rousey hurting Dominick, wanting to fight Brock Lesnar if he were a heavyweight and much more.

Source: http://www.themmanews.com/ufc-146-fan-club-qa-with-urijah-faber/

Mike Van Arsdale Paul Varelans Jovany Anaconda Varela

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Arianny Celeste: UFC Ring Girl Arrested for Domestic Battery

Perhaps the most popular UFC ring girl, Arianny Celeste, has been arrested on the charge of domestic battery early Saturday morning according to TMZ, which reported that she is still behind bars.

She has yet to post her $3,000 bond, and if she doesn't in 48 hours, she will have to appear before a judge.

This is not a good look. 

Arianny's arrest marks the second notable UFC employee to run into trouble with the law in the last two weeks. Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving May 19.

To further compound the bad press, UFC 146 is scheduled the same day of Celeste's arrest, with a main event of Frank Mir versus heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos.

Mir was a replacement for Dos Santos' original opponent, Alistair Overeem, who was suspended due to a failed drug test for unusual levels of testosterone.

With the company in the spotlight because of a live pay-per-view event, UFC president Dana White can't be too enthused with the type of press his employees are bringing to the organization.

No other specifics are available on Arianny's arrest, and there is no word on whether Arianny will appear at UFC 146 (which would obviously be kind of difficult if she's yet to be released from jail).

Stay tuned for details as they become available on this situation.

 

Follow Brian Mazique and Franchiseplay.net for reactions, analysis and news from the world of sports and sports Video Games

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1197452-arianny-celeste-ufc-ring-girl-arrested-for-domestic-battery

B J Penn Georges St Pierre Matt Serra

UFC 146 Start Time: When and Where to Catch Every Fight

UFC 146 will be full of drama, with Junior Dos Santos and Frank Mir going toe-to-toe in the main event. 

Dos Santos took the heavyweight title in the UFC’s first ever fight on Fox. He is ready to defend his belt and is already predicting a quick end to the bout. He said, via Brett Okamoto of ESPN: “I'm ready for this fight. If he's not ready, it's going to be fast. It's going to be a knockout, second round.”

But Mir’s 14 wins in the heavyweight division are tops among all UFC fighters. He is experienced and will certainly be ready to go in the final fight of the night. He is choosing to avoid as much pre-match hype as possible, though, and said, via Matt Erickson of the Chicago Tribune, “I guess people are looking for me to say something special about it, but a fight's a fight.”

It is also the first time in history that a main card features five heavyweight matchups.

Right before Mir and Dos Santos take center stage, former champion Cain Velasquez will go against Antonio Silva. Velasquez’s last fight was against Dos Santos, and he lost by knockout. Silva was knocked out in his last fight against Daniel Cormier, so both fighters will be looking for redemption.

Here is when and were to catch every fight (all times are Eastern).

 

 

Preliminary Card, 6:45 p.m., Broadcast Live on Facebook

Featherweight bout: Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda

Light Heavyweight bout:  Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira

Lightweight bout: Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass

 

Preliminary Card,  8:00 p.m., FX

Welterweight bout: Dan Hardy vs.  Duane Ludwig

Middleweight bout: Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway

Lightweight bout:  Edson Barboza vs. Jamie Varner

Featherweight bout: Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins

 

Main Card, 10:00 p.m., Pay-Per-View (for information on your provider, visit UFC's website)

Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve vs. Lavar Johnson

Heavyweight bout: Stipe Miočić vs. Shane del Rosario

Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Dave Herman

Heavyweight bout: Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

Heavyweight Championship bout: Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Frank Mir

 

Don't feel like coughing up the money for pay-per-view? Find a bar near you that is showing the fight, via UFC's website.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1196905-ufc-146-start-time-when-and-where-to-catch-every-fight

Daiju Takase Oleg Taktarov Akitoshi Tamura

UFC 146: Breaking Down the First Round of Every Main Fight Card

 

With a main card featuring some of the hardest hitting fighters in the world, there are many game plans that could be utilized but no round is going to be more important to a victory than the first round.

It is no secret that any heavyweight can end an opponent’s night in a matter of milliseconds, and with an opponent that has that capability, you probably want to avoid that all together.

Tonight you have knockout artists, submission specialists, and cardio machines facing off in a historic match. The night features heavyweight fighters Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir, Cain Velasquez, Antonio Silva, Roy Nelson, Dave Herman, Stipe Miocic, Shane del Rosario, Stefan Struve, and Lavar Johnson. 

All fighters have different methods of obtaining a win but the story will be told in almost every fight by how the first round goes and the strategy that is implemented.

Begin Slideshow

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1197383-ufc-146-breaking-down-the-first-round-of-every-main-card-fight

Rani Yahya Kenichi Yamamoto Norifumi Kid Yamamoto

Cage Combat 9 Pre-fight Interview ? Sijin Kurian (Sugarland MMA)

SUGAR LAND, TX, May 22, 2012 ? Moving along in our preparations for this Friday?s Cage Combat 9 event being put on by Garcia Promotions, we speak to Sijin Kurian of Sugarland MMA. The 26 year old is currently undefeated at 1-0 in amateur MMA competition after outpointing Dominque Pittman in his debut at Elite [...]


Related posts:
  1. Cage Combat 9 Pre-Fight Interview ? Joe Whichard (Kingwood MMA)
  2. Cage Combat 9 Interview ? Kody Williams (Gracie Barra ? The Woodlands)
  3. Cage Combat 9 Interview ? Ryan Hollis (Hard Head Hitters)

Source: http://www.txmma.com/2012/05/22/cage-combat-9-pre-fight-interview-sijin-kurian-sugarland-mma/

Brian Stann Aaron Stark Kalib Starnes

Quotes of the Day: Roy Nelson Has Some Choice Words for Brock Lesnar

(Look, Roy, we're all big Harry Potter fans, but this�Rubeus Hagrid obsession of yours is going a little far.)� Like that of current light heavyweight champ Jon Jones, former UFC heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar seems to be the subject of much debate amongst the MMA community. Not only was his heart called into question following his UFC 141 loss to Alistair Overeem, but in light of recent events, even the legitimacy of his title reign has seemingly been written off by some fans of the sport and wiped from the collective memories of others. Meanwhile, the hardcore conspiracy theorists claim that Lesnar's run was nothing more than a�genius�ploy by Vince McMahon to boost Lesnar's popularity before looping him back into the WWE. He's a polarizing figure to say the least. And when questions began to arise about the possibility of Lesnar becoming a future inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame, some of us nearly blew a fucking gasket. Among those detractors was that of Roy "Big Country" Nelson, who is scheduled to face Dave Herman on tomorrow night's main card. A professional fighter for over seven years, Nelson was none too happy to hear all of this blasphemy, and when interviewed by Ariel Helwani, let his feelings be known about Lesnar's chances:
You know what? If Brock belongs in the hall of fame, so do I. It's not that hard to win the title when it's set up that way for you. Pretty much [a silver platter]. After Dave Herman, I guess I get a title shot. Interim! Because someone's gonna get hurt.
It's pretty hard to deny the truth in Nelson's words. Yes, Lesnar did win a title (and defend it), and all Nelson has done lately is get his face smashed in spectacular/gruesome fashion, but the fact that Lesnar got a shot after going 1-1 is pretty...you know what, we've already discussed this. I'm not going to retread any old ground. Anyway, join us after the jump for Nelson's full interview with Helwani, in which he also discusses his diet (of course), returning to his Kung-Fu roots, as well as his (and every fighters) gripes with his pay rate.

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/quotes-of-the-day-roy-nelson-has-some-choice-words-for-brock-lesnar/

Yoshiyuki Yoshida Yoon Dong Sik Gilbert Yvel

Friday Afternoon Link Dump: UFC 146 Previews and the Best MCA-Tribute Ever Performed by an MMA Announcer

(Cyrus Fees: The Genki Sudo of MMA announcers. / Props: MMAInsidetheCageTV. R.I.P. Adam Yauch) -�UFCs Dana White Talks Jon Jones DWI Meeting, Draws Comparisons With 'Professional' Anderson Silva�(MMA Mania) - Roy Nelson: If Brock Lesnar Deserves to Be in the Hall of Fame, So Do I�(MMAFighting) - Bleacher Report Hangs Out With Stefan Struve (BleacherReport/MMA) - Mayhem Miller Wants to Show You How Hard He Prepared for CB Dollaway at UFC 146�(MiddleEasy) - Junior Dos Santos: "When My Fists Talk For Me, Everybody Understands" (MMA: Inside The Cage) -�Ben Fowlkes and Chad Dundas Have a New Podcast�(The Co-Main Event) - Dana White Talks Retirement After UFC-FOX Deal Finishes (Fightline) -�Build the Upper Body of an MMA Champ�(MensFitness) -�5 Cliches That Stand Up Comedians Need to Retire�(HolyTaco) - Speakeasy, Episode 2: Paul F. Tompkins Interviews Weird Al (MadeMan) -�Wes Anderson?s 10 Awesomest Characters (ScreenJunkies) - Sony Greenlights 'Shadow of the Colossus' Movie (GameFront)

Source: http://www.cagepotato.com/friday-afternoon-link-dump-ufc-146-previews-and-the-best-mca-tribute-ever-performed-by-an-mma-announcer/

Andrei Arlovski Tim Sylvia Randy Couture

UFC 146 Staff Picks And Predictions

Photo

Junior dos Santos vs. Frank Mir

Brent Brookhouse: On the feet, it's advantage JDS. On the ground, it's Mir with the edge. But getting it from the feet to the ground isn't going to be easy for Mir. Mir does have a little pop in his punches, but dos Santos should be more than able to not get caught and stopped. Junior dos Santos by TKO, round 2.

Anton Tabuena: I'm still ‘pissed' about Overeem's test... Frank Mir doesn't have good takedowns, and Junior Dos Santos has excellent takedown defense. So unless he makes a silly mistake, Mir is likely to get blasted here. I'd actually hope that Mir pulls guard just to make things more interesting. I doubt it would help though. Junior dos Santos by KO.

KJ Gould: It starts on the feet, and Mir almost always eats more shots than he lands against a superior striker. JDS is a more powerful boxer than Nogueira and I really can't see him making the same mistake as Noguiera and attempting a guillotine choke while pulling guard on a stunned Frank Mir. Mir gets dropped, and if he's not out cold, JDS will either let him back up, or swing hard at his head if he's turtled. Junior dos Santos by KO

T.P. Grant: I know I pointed out Junior dos Santos' defensive liabilities when he throws punches, but I'm not crazy. Frank Mir is likely not the guy to take advantage of those openings. The most likely outcome of this fight is dos Santos smashing Mir with punches until he collapses to the ground. Even if Mir gets a takedown I doubt he will be able to keep dos Santos down but I do think if dos Santos engages in a grappling match Mir has a good chance of getting a submission. But that just isn't going to happen, so Mir needs to rely on landing a big punch before dos Santos and that just plain isn't likely. Junior dos Santos by KO

Tim Burke: Mir's standup is predictable. Cigano's isn't. As stated above, Mir doesn't really have the takedowns to get it to the mat and JDS is smart enough not to engage him there willingly. Seems pretty easy to call for me - Mir gets caught with a big shot, goes down, gets pounded out. Junior dos Santos by KO, round 1

Fraser Coffeen: I hate the way people are already jumping all over dos Santos and viewing him as unbeatable. Mir in fact has the tools to beat him on the mat. The trouble is, Mir gets too enamored with his striking, and while that striking has greatly improved over the years, he still is slow to respond when he gets hit (see the Carwin fight for a great example). Against a power puncher and finisher like JDS, that's doom. Junior dos Santos by KO, round 1

Ben Thapa: Have you ever seen that video of the sloth trying to cross the road and someone picks it up, only to have R. Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly play? Frank Mir has been the sloth trying to cross the road for quite a while now. He wins in impressive, bone-breaking and brain-crunching fashion against the lower level guys. But then he, like the sloth, looks across that expanse of asphalt towards the Promised Land of More Trees/Holding The Title Belt Again. I fully respect Mir's skill package, but still believe that it would take divine intervention for Mir-Sloth to cross the asphalt and beat Cigano here. That was one tortured metaphor, but referencing I Believe I Can Fly on Bloody Elbow is worth it. Two Saints, KO, Round 1.

Dallas Winston: To play devil's advocate, I think most are assuming that JDS has sharpened up his grappling and submission defense since Joaquim "Mamute" Ferreira armbarred him in 2007. Other than the sparse takedown defense he showed against Gonzaga and Carwin (who both got him down briefly), assumptions are all that's available because he simply hasn't been locked in a ground battle with a talented submissionist. So, that, along with Mir's propensity to pull off the impossible, give this match a certain appeal. Unfortunately, Mir has struggled against lumbering power punchers and JDS is a lightning-fast KO machine. Mir's wrestling, particularly with trips and throws in the clinch, has improved, but the speed and elite boxing of JDS should be surgical weapons against Mir. Junior dos Santos by TKO.

Staff picking Dos Santos: KJ, Anton, Grant, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas
Staff picking Mir:

Antonio Silva vs. Cain Velasquez

Brent Brookhouse: KJ beat me to it just below, Cormier set out how you beat Silva and Cain is a guy who can emulate that very well while putting his own twist on it. Cain Velasquez by TKO, round 3.

Anton Tabuena: Velasquez should be able to take advantage of his huge speed advantage here. Cain Velasquez by TKO.

KJ Gould: Cain Velasquez follows the blueprint Daniel Cormier set down, only hopefully without breaking his hands in the process. He'll be too quick and too hard for Bigfoot to take down and this is a perfect bounce-back fight for him to get him a rematch with JDS. Cain Velasquez by TKO.

T.P. Grant: Antonio Silva is a good heavyweight, but Cain Velasquez is a great heavyweight. Silva likes to strike but Velasquez's hand speed is such that Silva will likely get the worst of the exchanges. When Silva gets in trouble on the feet he shoots for double legs and that isn't going to do much of anything against Velasquez. I think this is the first time we see Velasquez back in his pre-injury form and I expect an impressive showing from him. Cain Velasquez by TKO.

Tim Burke: Silva's always been a lumbering striker but he does possess a lot of power. Cain's only had 80 seconds of cage time since coming back from his shoulder surgery, so it's still tough to get a good read on exactly how it affected him (if at all). I think Velasquez is smart enough to use his wrestling instead of trying to box with Silva, and he'll get some quality cage time on his way to a W. Cain Velasquez by decision.

Ben Thapa: I'm not sure Cain lands the thudding crack of doom punch that Cormier landed on Bigfoot. I do know that Cain's modus operandi of getting his opponents down and then sitting in knee on belly to launch massive punches to the head is very hard to beat. Bigfoot is quite skilled, but he keeps getting tagged and his guard is not Werdum-level yet. After being patient for a round, Cain will come out in the second, slice right through the guard after a single leg and batter Bigfoot for a while before the referee stops it. Velasquez, KO, Round 2.

Dallas Winston: Yup -- speed will make the difference here. Cain will have the speed advantage with his hands, footwork and overall cage mobility. I would not overlook Bigfoot's improved boxing and 5" reach advantage, nor the fact that he'll probably have a huge submission edge on the mat. I can see him replicating the Kongo fight and slicing a long and straight right hand down the pipe and then pouncing with a top-side grappling assault but, on paper, Cain's quick hands, accurate striking and wrestling advantage should see him through. Cain Velasquez by decision.


Staff picking Silva:
Staff picking Velasquez: KJ, Anton, Grant, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas

Dave Herman vs. Roy Nelson

Brent Brookhouse: Herman has decent ability, but he also is mentally absent more than not and gets himself in stupid positions. He also hasn't really taken steps to shore up the holes in his game. Nelson has good power and good grappling. He has his own liabilities, but those come from physical issues that aren't going to be fixed. Ever. He's not dropping to 205, and if he does he'll have to become a completely different fighter. So stop it. Roy is the better fighter here though. Roy Nelson by decision.

KJ Gould: Two guys with talent, two guys who haven't been taking things as seriously as they could have been in the past. Herman looked useless when he was mounted in his last fight, I can see Roy Nelson powering him down to the mat and keeping him there, finishing perhaps with a mounted crucifix. That's assuming Nelson doesn't knock him out standing beforehand. Roy Nelson by TKO.

T.P. Grant: As KJ has already stated these are two talented fighters who just haven't dedicated themselves 100% to the sport. Physically speaking, Herman is imposing, but Nelson is more skilled in just about every department. Herman isn't going to be able to knock Nelson out and on the ground Nelson enjoys a healthy advantage. I think we see some vintage Roy Neslon ground-and-pound to finish up this fight. Roy Nelson by TKO.

Tim Burke: I don't think Herman's a particularly talented fighter. I think he has some good standup, but that's about it. Herman has a speed advantage on the feet, but Nelson can win this anywhere it goes. The only tough choice is between decision and submission. Since Roy always loses decisions, I'll go with the alternative. Roy Nelson by submission, round 2.

Ben Thapa: It's been a long time since we saw a Roy Nelson submission win - six years and eighteen fights ago to be exact. He has continually chosen to punch from his advantageous positions in the intervening time since that arm triangle win and this should go exactly the same. I rather like Herman's studied nonchalance and often hilarious words on fighting and his balls to the wall brawling style greatly entertains. He isn't the best on the ground, but he's still going to go out on his shield or surprise the heck out of his opponent with a series of goofily accurate punches. Nelson's chin is granite and he should be able to weather the first round storm and then work on Herman after a clinch'n'dump to get that good position for a KO finish. Nelson, KO, Round 2.

Dallas Winston: Well ... first off, I have to argue about Herman's talent. The kid never wrestled in high school but was red-shirted by Indiana University and qualified for the D1 NCAA championships his sophomore year. Despite his jab at BJJ, he finagled an omoplata finish in Bellator. Actually, I think he's exorbitantly talented and that's why he's come this far, but his Fight IQ and lack of a go-to strategy are clear concerns. I'd also say that he noticeably toned things down against Struve and was more calculating rather than lovably insane. Plus, he's a 6'4" D1 wrestler and incredibly athletic; his striking is quicker and much more diverse than Nelson's but his striking defense is atrocious. Nelson is the safe pick for sure but everything hinges on either landing the meat-hook or scoring a takedown, so I'm going with a sentimental favorite by something unexpectedly awesome. Dave Herman by decision.

Staff picking Herman: Dallas!
Staff picking Nelson: KJ, Anton, Grant, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Thapa

Shane Del Rosario vs. Stipe Miocic

Brent Brookhouse: I was never particularly high on Del Rosario, not that he's a bad fighter, but I never saw him as a top level prospect when people were selling him as such. Miocic has his own failings but I like him here. Del Rosario is good enough to win, but I think Miocic's game translates into winning 2 of 3 rounds. Stipe Miocic by decision.

Anton Tabuena: I'm obviously picking the Filipino here. Hopefully the accident hasn't hampered his skills that much. Shane Del Rosario by TKO.

KJ Gould: This one's a tough pick for me. I've been sleeping on Miocic, but he's looked good so far. Being wobbled by Phillip de Fries in his last fight is worrying though, since Del Rosario has shown he can finish with fists as well as knees. He's also shown some submission ability, having won fights with an armbar, omoplata and a triangle choke in the past. Miocic may have the UFC experience, but only two fights worth, and Del Rosario has shown he has more tools at his disposal to finish a fight. The X-Factor could be Del Rosario's year plus layoff. Shane Del Rosario by Decision.

T.P. Grant: Going to go against the grain here, but I think Shane Del Rosario will be badly hindered by his time away from training. I think he might have rushed returning to action and I'm going with Miocic after Del Rosario slows down badly after the first round. Stipe Miocic by Decision.

Tim Burke: Who knows what SDR we'll see in the cage on Saturday, but the Del Rosario from before had stellar muay thai and loved to grab the cage. Miocic isn't as well-rounded on the feet but has the wrestling to take the fight where he wants it. Neither have excellent defense standing so we could either see a quick knockout, or Miocic grinding away until Del Rosario gets tired. It's a really tough call, but I'll lean towards Stipe. Stipe Miocic by decision.

Fraser Coffeen: Del Rosario has a place in my heart for bringing the Muay Thai credentials, but Miocic is no easy task on the feet himself. It's a close one, but I put a lot of value on ring rust, and I think that becomes the difference maker here. Stipe Miocic by TKO, round 2

Ben Thapa: This is kind of a toss-up because we do not know which of these guys is going to show up with their A game tomorrow night. The Miocic A game probably beats the Del Rosario A game and he has enough toughness from wrestling to grind through the rough patches. However, if he comes out gassed and fighting his C game, Del Rosario probably jumps all over him and gets the early finish. I suspect Miocic can handle the pressure and training camp better this time around, so going with Miocic, KO, Round 3.

Dallas Winston: This fight is a pile of question marks: SdR hasn't dealt with many legit wrestlers and was still taken down on occasion, but has the more threatening striking and submission arsenal. Miocic gassed badly against Beltran and got clocked by De Fries, but his boxing is pretty sharp and his wrestling is phenomenal. I'm not sure how good his submission defense is, but I think he's capable of falling back on takedowns and either snaring a top-side submission or out-hustling SdR for 2 of 3 rounds. Stipe Miocic by decision.

Staff picking Del Rosario: Anton, KJ
Staff picking Miocic: Grant, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas

Lavar Johnson vs. Stefan Struve

Brent Brookhouse: Johnson has been a great story and all, and Struve's chin can be dented, but he recovers well enough and Johnson can be taken down easily enough that it's Struve's fight to lose. Stefan Struve by submission, round 1.

Anton Tabuena: If Struve stands with him, he will get KO'd again... But I think he's smart enough to take him down and finish it easily. Heck, even Pat Barry dominated on the ground. Stefan Struve by Submission.

KJ Gould: Johnson has shown some serious power in his last couple of fights, and although he's coming in on short notice, he's fought recently enough to still be in shape. Struve seems incapable of using his reach for his striking, so it may come down to Struve needing the fight on the ground to end it by submission. Johnson's not as much of a threat as Mark Hunt, and if Pat Barry can take him down, surely Struve can, right? We'll have to see. Stefan Struve by Submission.

T.P. Grant: Lavar Johnson doesn't really pose new problems for Stefan Struve. He is a big, strong striker with serious KO power. The question is how does Struve approach him and I think since the Travis Browne loss Struve has begun to understand that he is not a striker and should stick to his grappling. Struve should take Johnson down and submit him, but when it comes to Stefan Struve I never really feel all that sure. Stefan Struve by Submission.

Tim Burke: Johnson's just too easy to take down, even for Struve. Once it's there, it's game over. Stefan Struve by submission, round 1.

Fraser Coffeen: This is an interesting match, as both men play to the other's weakness. Struve is prone to the KO - Johnson is a KO beast. Johnson is weak on the mat - Struve has a very underrated submissions game. Struve should win this no trouble, though I fear him getting pulled into a shoot-out. But I'm hoping he plays it smart here. Stefan Struve by submission, round 1

Ben Thapa: All of you are saying that Struve will fight differently than he has in the past. Every single person he has fought has hit him pretty good right in the head. When Lavar hits you in the head, tweety birds happen. All he has to do is get a couple of glancing blows or one clean shot and the trip attempts and takedowns will cease immediately. It's what he did to Barry and what he'll do to Struve. Johnson, KO, Round 1.

Dallas Winston: Fraser and Thapa summed it up. Struve's striking defense and defensive footwork is ghastly; Johnson's submission defense is the same. I'm going with Struve but I think Johnson has a great shot because Struve has rarely even attempted takedowns, much less landed them consistently. I like both guys and won't be upset no matter who wins. Stefan Struve by submission.

Staff picking Johnson: Thapa
Staff picking Struve: KJ, Anton, Grant, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Dallas

Diego Brandao vs. Darren Elkins

Brent Brookhouse: Brandao's wildness will hurt him in the long-run if he can't tone it down a few notches. Elkins isn't good enough to really make him pay over three rounds though. His best hope is that he can lean on Brandao and tire him out, but that's not a reason to pick someone. Diego Brandao by TKO, round 2.

Anton Tabuena: I haven't been impressed with most of the recent TUF winners, but this guy looks very promising. Diego Brandao by TKO.

KJ Gould: Elkins may be 3-1 in the UFC, but two of those wins comes against Tiequan Zhang and Michihiro Omigawa. I think he looks better on paper than he actually is, and UFC are going to build as many new Brazilian stars as they can. Brandao is going to look to take Elkins head off and as he showed in the TUF finale, has the ability to submit from his back while stunned, at least against this level of competition. This should be Brandao's fight to lose. Diego Brandao by KO

T.P. Grant: Elkins 3-1 record in the UFC looks impressive at first glance, but then you see that his win over Duane Ludwig was an injury stoppage and his other two wins came against Tiequan Zhang and Michihiro Omigawa. And then you go back and watch his fight with Charles Oliveira and you start to understand why Joe Silva paired him with on the UFC's most exciting TUF champions in some time. Brandao is going to kill Elkins. Diego Brandao by KO.

Tim Burke: I've gone back and forth on this a few times now. Elkins debatably lost against Omigawa, but he stood with him the whole fight. I thought he might be able to use his wrestling to outwork Brandao (and he still might), but I didn't quite realize how good Dennis Bermudez' wrestling was until the Garza fight, and he was able to neutralize that. I still don't think Elkins should be at +300 with the skills he has, but I'm going to go with the TUF winner. Diego Brandao by TKO, round 2.

Ben Thapa: Like Burke says, Elkins has evolved from the fighter Oliveira absolutely murked into someone that is quite decent. Brandao is going to have a much harder time here than he did against Bermudez in terms of seizing a limb to work with or crack a skull open with something ridiculous. However, I think Elkins is going to fade as time goes on and Brandao will land more and more. Brandao, decision.

Dallas Winston: I don't think Elkins gets enough credit, probably because two key wins were a TKO by injury (Ludwig) and a controversial decision (Omigawa) that could've gone either way. His boxing and submission grappling seems to have improved, though neither Tiequan Zhang or Omigawa are juggernauts off their back or on the feet. Brandao, despite looking like a beast on TUF, has some suspect losses in which he was finished, so I look at this fight as about even but think Elkins' style will be tougher to impose flawlessly for all 15 minutes. Diego Brandao by submission.

Staff picking Brandao: KJ, Grant, Anton, Tim, Brookhouse, Thapa, Dallas
Staff picking Elkins: Fraser

Edson Barboza vs. Jamie Varner

Brent Brookhouse: I'll be pulling for Varner because I kind of like the guy and he does have a game that can beat a guy like Barboza. But I like Edson here to beat up on a Varner that is too interested in standing up with a better striker. Edson Barboza by decision.

Anton Tabuena: I'm glad Varner got another shot in the big leagues, but unfortunately for him, it's going to be against Barboza. Edson Barboza by TKO.

KJ Gould: Edson Barboza's spinning wheel kick KO against Terry Etim may have been the best UFC kick knockout of all time. Coming in at a perfect 10-0, I can't see him do anything else but flatline Jamie Varner, who hasn't been a factor in the division for some time, even going back to his last few fights in WEC. Varner has won his last 3 out of 4 fights in regional promotions, but against poor and past their prime competition. I just don't see him having anything for Barboza. Edson Barboza by Brutality (KO)

T.P. Grant: I've nothing but respect for Jamie Varner, a true veteran of the sport whose body has just been beaten up by his long career. Taking a fight on short notice against a kid like Barboza is gutsy on Varner's part, but I don't think the risk will pay off. Maybe Varner is able to expose a grappling weakness in Barboza, but more likely is Barboza leg kicks Varner into the ground. Edson Barboza by TKO.

Tim Burke: Varner's wrestling is good enough to take this fight if he commits to it 100%. He never does though, and constantly thinks he has to prove something on the feet first. What might be interesting is that Varner hasn't made 155 since he left the WEC, and coming in late might be hard on him. The Worm has never been knocked out in his career, and I think he'll keep it that way. But he's going to lose. Edson Barboza by decision.

Fraser Coffeen: I'm glad to see some positive feelings about Varner, who seemed to get a very bad reputation during the late WEC days. He's a talented boxer and wrestler with a good all around game. The trouble is, Barboza is way more diverse on the feet, and that's the difference maker. Edson Barboza by decision

Ben Thapa: I think there is a pattern of strikers taking their foot off the gas a little bit when going up against short-notice replacements. Barboza should be easily able to land whatever strikes he wants, while fending off the takedown attempts and clinchwork, but the unknown factor of the takedown threat will leave him more hesitant than he was against Etim. Barboza, decision.

Dallas Winston: Another devil's advocate note: Barboza has never faced an opponent who excels in both wrestling and striking. Ross Pearson was the closest but Varner is a much better wrestler. That's all I got for this one -- Barboza's footwork, takedown defense, sweeps and striking have looked unreal thus far and I don't think Varner can withstand it for all 3 rounds. Edson Barboza by decision.

Staff picking Barboza: KJ, Grant, Anton, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas
Staff picking Varner:

C.B. Dollaway vs. Jason Miller

Brent Brookhouse: I think Jason Miller isn't a very good fighter anymore. He had a decent period of success but now he's just...nothing special. Dollaway is also not particularly good, Miller should be able to take him. But a Dollaway win wouldn't shock me, and that's not hedging, that's just truth. Jason Miller by decision.

Anton Tabuena: He's not good enough to beat Bisping, but I think he's good enough to beat Dollaway. Mayhem Miller by Decision.

KJ Gould: I think no one appreciates how bad Jason Miller looked in his last fight, quite as much as he does. This is do or die for Miller, and Dolloway is a more even match up for him than Michael Bisping. Having said that, Dolloway has lost his last two fights by (T)KO, so it may come down to who wants it more. Miller's striking shouldn't be a worry for Dolloway, but his experience and submission savviness might be. Dolloway's wrestling could be good enough to keep the fight standing, and now I'm dreading a bad kickboxing fight that ends with a tepid decision. Jason Miller by Decision.

T.P. Grant: Like KJ, I fear to think what this fight will look like if these two fighters cancel out each other's grappling, ugly would not even begin to describe it. Miller looked awful against Michael Bisping, but this is a serious step down for him. I don't think Dollaway can hang with Miller on the ground and I do think Mayhem gets the fight there somehow, even if he has to pull guard. Once there I think Miller is too much for Dollaway and hands the former TUF finalist his walking papers. Jason Miller by Submission.

Tim Burke: I'm a Mayhem fan, but this fight is probably going to be anything but entertaining. It's just such a weird style matchup. Dollaway has more power on the feet, Mayhem's probably better overall though. Mayhem's better on the ground, but Dollaway's the better wrestler. It adds up to a bunch of meh. Jason Miller by decision.

Ben Thapa: I think Miller has ADHD when it comes to footwork. He gets so excited about what he can do with his power that he forgets the fundamentals which allow the channeling and utilization of that power. Also maybe how to breathe right too. Those were his biggest problems against Bisping and I don't think he's faced those demons in training to a point that he's going to knock out Dollaway. Miller's quite capable on the ground, but he's still pretty much lost every ground battle in recent years - apart from the much smaller and way more decrepit Kazushi Sakuraba. Dollaway should get the decision win here after a couple takedowns and outpoint Miller handily on the feet. Dollaway, decision.

Dallas Winston: Dollaway has been hard to assess: he latched on the sweet, Marcelo Garcia style elbow-lift guillotine on Doerksen and then the Peruvian necktie on Jesse Taylor. That indicated encouraging strides with his submission grappling, and he'll definitely have the better striking and wrestling here. However, he's been clipped on the feet in his recent losses and I can't help but think he'll revert to his wrestling, and "Mayhem" is a wily technician on the mat. Jason Miller by submission.

Staff picking Dollaway: Thapa
Staff picking Miller: KJ, Grant, Anton, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Dallas

Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig

Brent Brookhouse: On the feet, Ludwig wins a decision. On the ground, Hardy wins a decision or maybe catches a submission. I think Hardy WILL decide that he should "go to war" and stand while trying to put on a show. THat means he gets picked apart and loses. Duane Ludwig by decision.

Anton Tabuena: Call me crazy, but I think Hardy will refuse to stand and bang, and instead, he'll take it to the ground. Ludwig has such a questionable ground game, and I think after having a long time to reflect on his career, Hardy would be smart enough capitalize on those holes. Dan Hardy by Submission.

KJ Gould: Two guys taking up spots from other Welterweights outside the UFC? Quite possible. Two guys who can put on an entertaining kickboxing match? More than likely. Hardy hasn't fought since August 2011, losing his 4th fight in a row to a retiring Chris Lytle. He's taken the time off to refocus his career, but you have to think Lorenzo Fertitta's love of those who ‘war' can only keep a losing Hardy under Zuffa contract for so long. Ludwig is capable of winning this since Hardy struggled with the striking of the aforementioned Lytle, and Ludwig is a more technical, accurate striker. Hardy might be able to KO Ludwig, but he's only ever been able to clean KO Rory Markham in the last 8 years of fighting. I think we'll see the same ol' Hardy, and the same ol' Ludwig, and the better striker wins. Duane Ludwig by Decision.

T.P. Grant: An accomplished kickboxer, Duane Ludwig was the guy that back in 2000 your friend would tell you "once this guys figures out that ground stuff he is going to be a killer." While he never took to grappling twelve years later Ludwig is still a dangerous fighter on the feet. Luckily for Ludwig, his opponent, Dan Hardy, also has a severe allergy to grappling. This fight is going to take place right in Ludwig's wheelhouse and I don't think he is going to lose a kickboxing match to Hardy. Duane Ludwig by Decision.

Tim Burke: There's a difference between crowd-pleasing and stupid. I know Fertitta likes Hardy because of his style, but Hardy's biggest asset in terms of future employment is a W. Ludwig is extremely one-dimensional, and Hardy will exploit that by taking it to the ground. Hardy's not exactly a wizard there either, but he knows enough to get the job done. Dan Hardy by submission.

Fraser Coffeen: I don't buy into the idea that "surely THIS time Hardy will go to the ground!" He's had plenty of chances to do that, and he hasn't taken them. He's going to stand and bang, and he's going to do so against a superior striker. Duane Ludwig by decision

Ben Thapa: Ludwig has put in some work on his ground game - but he still makes mistakes now and then. Those mistakes left him with a badly broken foot against Elkins and with Josh Neer putting him to sleep super quick. Against Osipczak, he made more mistakes that left him mounted and taking some hard strikes, but survived long enough to get the split decision win. Hardy can finish better than Osipczak and should be smart enough to seize upon the positional opportunities to get a KO finish. Hardy, KO, Round 2.

Dallas Winston: Bang is actually not as incapable on the mat as most believe. Sure, he's far from a standout, but he's been toiling away on defensive grappling for almost a decade now and his Muay Thai is ridiculous. I think he'll pick Hardy apart standing and hold his own in grappling exchanges -- I'm more concerned with Hardy's left hook finding his chin. Duane Ludwig by decision.

Staff picking Hardy: Anton, Tim, Thapa
Staff picking Ludwig: KJ, Grant, Brookhouse, Fraser, Dallas

Paul Sass vs. Jacob Volkmann

Brent Brookhouse: You know what would be cool? If after he wins, they just don't interview Volkmann. Jacob Volkmann by decision.

Anton Tabuena: Sass is 12-0 and has looked very impressive recently. The 23-year-old has a bright future ahead of him, but I think Volkmann will stifle his game over the duration of the bout. I hope I'm wrong, but I think it's Jacob Volkmann by Decision.

KJ Gould: Volkmann is 5-0 at Lightweight since dropping down from Welterweight, and is a big step up in competition for Paul Sass. Sass has been tricky with his use of legs to wrap up his opponents with fight ending triangle chokes or heelhooks, but it's been against guys that are fairly new to the game themselves. Volkmann, fighting out of Minnesota MMA and coached by Greg Nelson, is just one of those awkward fighters almost everyone will have a hard time with, and while Sass' guard has served him well thus far in finishes, Volkmann will likely drag him into deep water and stifle him for the duration. Jacob Volkmann by Decision.

T.P. Grant: Sass is a fun fighter from a Luta Livre background, but I just feel like he is going to get Volkmannized. I won't rule out a dramatic heel hook or triangle finish but I think it is far more likely we get a conservative decision out of Volkmann. Jacob Volkmann by Decision.

Tim Burke: Volkmann's a savvy grappler and it's going to be very, very hard for Sass to catch him. This will be another grinding Volkmann decision win. Jacob Volkmann by decision.

Ben Thapa: Volkmann gonna control Sass and threaten those brabo chokes all day long. Only chance for Paul to win is by grabbing a leg and considering how mighty Volkmann is in the scramble, that's going to be a long shot. Volkmann will win yet again and for the love of all the gods that smile benevolently on me, let him actually shut down his weirder side and give a straight "That was awesome. Love you fans. Thank you sponsors and family" speech. Volkmann, decision.

Dallas Winston: Sometimes, I love it when you have a strong instinct on a fight and it turns out to be the polar opposite of everyone else. I dunno -- Aoki-like in his submissions is Sass, Joe ... and I don't think Volkmann's submission defense can repel the onslaught for 3 rounds. Paul Sass by submission.

Staff picking Sass: Dallas?
Staff picking Volkmann: KJ, Grant, Anton, Tim, Brookhouse, Fraser, Thapa

Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira

Brent Brookhouse: I feel like I should pick Teixeira here, but for some reason I can't get past how much I feel size and strength are being underrated here. Teixeira is the better fighter, but I'll take Kingsbury to win an unimpressive decision. Kyle Kingsbury by decision.

T.P. Grant: My pick in this fight comes down to I just plain think Teixeira is a better fighter. Kingsbury has a big size and strength advantage but I think Teixeira is better striker and much better grappler. The Bonnar fight really exposed some big holes in Kingsbury game, Teixeira is going to stand with Kingsbury and he doesn't like the way things are going take him down a dominate him positionally. Kingsbury slows down in a big way towards the end of his fights, I think Teixeira finishes him in the later rounds. Glover Teixeira by Submission.

Tim Burke: I've waited for sooo long for Glover to get to the UFC, and he's finally here. He's a finisher and I think Kingsbury is massively overrated. It should be fun while it lasts, but...Glover Teixeira by TKO, round 1

Ben Thapa: Teixeira is going to stun and drop Kingsbu multiple times over the course of this fight. Kyle is a big, tough fighter for sure and won't go away easily, but Glover has fireballs for fists and a better ground game. Teixeira, KO, Round 3.

Dallas Winston: Kingsbury's size and clinch is no joke and good enough to eke out a win against Maldonado, but Teixeira just out-matches him with top-notch striking and BJJ. Glover Teixeira by TKO.

Staff picking Kingsbury: Anton, Brookhouse
Staff picking Teixeira: KJ, Grant, Tim, Fraser, Thapa, Dallas

Mike Brown vs. Daniel Pineda

KJ Gould: It's sad to say, but considering Mike Brown has fallen so badly in his career, and Joe Silva won't throw him any softballs, Pineda takes the decision. Daniel Pineda by decision.

T.P. Grant: Pineda strikes as the kind of fighter that is at his best when he has a grappling advantage and the same could be said for Mike Thomas Brown. The problem is that Pineda isn't a stellar grappler, in fact he seems to feast on fighters with pretty weak ground games. While MTB has never looked the same after the Aldo loss, I think he is able to out-grapple Pineda for fifteen minutes. Mike Thomas Brown by Decision.

Tim Burke: Tough fight to call. If Brown is not completely shot, he should be able to control the surprisingly good Pineda. He's got better stand-up and wrestling and can hold his own in the grappling department if his body is up to it. I hope it is. Mike Brown by decision.

Ben Thapa: I think the best way for Pineda to win this is to take a leg and make like Imanari. However, MTB has gotten much better since that grisly broken leg and the Nam Phan fight showed that he's able to keep a higher pace for three rounds again. MTB should display some very solid submission defense against a game Pineda and get the decision win. I keep picking against Pineda and he's surprised me both times, but MTB is too defensively strong to do what he did against Mackens Semerzier and Schilling. Brown, decision.

Dallas Winston: I'm a little concerned about Brown's slide lately but his boxing is still sharper, his wrestling is better and he steered clear of Rani Yahya's submissions. Mike Brown by decision.

Staff picking Brown: Grant, Anton, Tim, Brookhouse, Thapa, Dallas
Staff picking Pineda: KJ, Fraser


Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/5/25/3043552/ufc-146-staff-picks-predictions-dos-santos-mir

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