Joe Stevenson has dropped out of his upcoming lightweight showdown with Takanori Gomi at “UFC on Versus 2” due to a knee injury and Tyson Griffin will step in to face the former PRIDE champion at the August 1 event.

The news comes according to a report on the Wrestling Observer.

Griffin is coming off of a split decision loss to Evan Dunham at UFC 115, and has gone 7-3 in his ten appearances in the UFC. The Xtreme Couture trained fighter’s victories came against Hermes Franca, Clay Guida, Rafeal Dos Anjos, and Gleison Tibau, while his only losses have been to former champion Sean Sherk, current champ Frankie Edgar, and Dunham.

Gomi made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 21 against Kenny Florian. In the third round, Florian submitted the Japanese superstar with a rear-naked choke. Gomi is looking for his first victory in the UFC after competing in Sengoku and various promotions since the fall of PRIDE FC.

UFC on Versus 2 will take place on August 1 from the San Diego Sports Arena.

In one of the most tragic miscarriages of justice in recent MMA officiating memory, longtime referee Yves Lavigne took the fate out of Matt Wiman and Mac Danzig’s hands this evening during the UFC 115 preliminary card in one of the worst stoppages of the year.

No stranger to controversy with extremely questionable calls in previous UFC bouts such as Kyle Bradley vs. Phillipe Nover and Matt Brown vs. Pete Sell, Lavigne made the decision to stop this evening’s lightweight contest between Wiman and Danzig after coming to the conclusion that Danzig had been rendered unconscious from a mounted guillotine choke early in the opening round.

Danzig had not.

Even before Lavigne had a chance to separate Wiman’s forearm from the former TUF champion’s throat, Danzig threw both hands into the air protesting the stoppage. Upon rising to his feet it was apparent that Danzig was in no danger of being finished as the replay clearly dislayed that Danzig had plenty of room for oxygen to trravel to his brain through a large opening in the submission attempt.

Although Danzig appeared anxious to continue on with the fight following the stoppage, the damage was done and Wiman declared the winner via first round submission. Unfortunately, there was no submission.

Former close training partners at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Evan Dunham and Tyson Griffin went at it for a full three rounds this evening in a  closely contested, technical affair. Surprisingly, Dunham showed that he had a clear advantage in the takedown department over the stocky and experienced Griffin. Dunham took Griffin’s back on multiple occasions during the scrap and controlled the action for the bulk of the contest on his way to a split decision victory.

Also putting up impressive performances this evening during the UFC 115 prelims were Mario Miranda, who rebounded from the first defeat of his career to stop David Loiseau via TKO in the second round; and UFC newcomer Claude Patrick who finished the normally durable Ricardo Funch with a slick first round guillotine choke.

A full list of the results from the undercard action is listed below:

Mike Pyle def. Jesse Lennox via technical submission (triangle choke) – Round 3, 4:44

Claude Patrick def. Ricardo Funch via submission (guillotine choke)- Round 2, 1:48

James Wilks def. Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Mario Miranda def. David Loiseau via TKO – Round 2, 4:07

Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:45

Evan Dunham def. Tyson Griffin via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)

Rarely are fans privileged enough to see a pair of UFC icons and former promotional champions step into the Octagon and duke it out. June 12th will mark such an occasion, as Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin are squared away to tap gloves and make history at the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Also set to face off are affable heavyweight Pat Barry and PRIDE legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic in a bout that is certain to leave viewers’ knees and shinbones aching from the multitude of kicks destined to be thrown. Additionally, the card features Paulo Thiago attempting to lockdown a top contendership spot in the welterweight division against Martin Kampmann and a number of other match-ups with a great deal of entertainment potential like Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham, Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald, and Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel.

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

PRELIMINARY CARD

Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

This fight has a “loser leaves town” feel to it, especially in the case of Pyle, so I expect both men to leave it all in the cage on Saturday night and open up the show properly in the process. Pyle is a better grappler with Lennox being the superior striker so the winner should ultimately come down to which of the two will be able to dictate where the fight takes place. I favor Pyle in that equation based on his experience and training partners at Xtreme Couture. He should be well-prepared for anything Lennox brings and have little problem taking him down, if for no other reason to grind out a decision.

Winner – Mike Pyle via Decision

Claude Patrick vs. Ricardo Funch

Patrick should have a ton of support from his fellow Canadians in his UFC debut and will likely send them home happy when things are said and done against Funch. He’s on a ten-fight winning streak with eight of his dubyas coming in the first frame. Funch has been relatively inactive for the last few years, competing only three times since the start of 2008, and will have to rely on Patrick to keep things standing in order to have a decent shot at emerging victor. While Patrick may be known for his submissions he’s also gone three full rounds with the hard-hitting Drew McFedries and has two first-round TKOs on his record as well. I think he’ll be able to go toe-to-toe with Funch if necessary while having a significant advantage on the ground (not to mention a stout guillotine he can use if Funch attempts to shoot in).

Winner – Claude Patrick via Submission Round 1

James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta

This match-up clearly caters to the international audience brought on by the show’s location as Wilks is originally from England and Sobotta from Germany. Wilks is obviously the bigger name based on winning his division on the ninth season of the Ultimate Fighter but fans shouldn’t discount Sobotta simply because they’ve never heard of him. The 23-year old has a fairly balanced attack and was able to go a full fifteen minutes against respectable veteran Paul Taylor in his UFC debut last June. I’m a bit wary of his year-long hiatus from competition but then again Wilks hasn’t stepped foot in the Octagon since November 2009 so it’s not as if he’s in a much better position where activity is concerned. All that being said, I think Wilks’ stand-up is good enough to bang with Sobotta and his submissions are somewhat slicker so I expect him to get back on the winning track this Saturday.

Winner – James Wilks via Submission Round 2

David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda

I doubt I’m alone in my excitement regarding Loiseau’s return to the UFC. Though he may not have panned out to be quite the fighter people felt he was 4-5 years ago, “The Crow” is still entertaining to watch and one of the sport’s classier characters. He’s shown an ability to hang with any opponent regardless of their specialty and should be more motivated than ever to get his first win in the Octagon since the late, great Evan Tanner in October 2005. Miranda has solid striking but I don’t think it’s as powerful or diverse as Loiseau’s and he definitely doesn’t have the jiujitsu to finish things on the ground.

Winner – David Loiseau via TKO Round 2

Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

I have high hopes for this bout in terms of entertainment value. Danzig and Wiman can both bring it in the ring, are experienced competitors, and should be enticed by the proposition of stringing together consecutive wins after each losing a few in a row. I think Danzig’s grappling is better, as is his boxing, but Wiman is more of a threat in terms of kicks and knees. However, I also believe they’re comparable enough that a finishing performance is unlikely. Look for them to constantly engage, even drawing a few “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd, but don’t expect a knockout or submission. In the end I believe Danzig’s overall technique is better and as such he’ll be able to defend on his feet, then take Wiman down and control him long enough in each round to earn the decision win.

Winner – Mac Danzig via Decision

Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham

In this week’s Grappling with Issues I listed this bout as having potential for the biggest upset of the evening for a few reasons. My reasoning is as follows:

“Griffin has struggled to finish opponents in the Octagon, so he leaves a lot of time for his foes to slip in and steal bouts (Sean Sherk and Frank Edgar clearly being the best examples based on their actual success against the Xtreme Couture OG). Dunham is a solid grappler with nice hands and reminds me a bit of a 5′10, stronger, paler version of the 5′6 Griffin. It was hard not to be impressed by his submission of Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20 last January, and he’s undefeated ten fights into his career, so I won’t be surprised if he walks away with a decision win against Griffin. However, I think a lot of fans will be and I don’t just mean the Zuffa Zombies out there.”

I’m not 100% positive Dunham will win, but there is one thing I am certain of – if either man finishes the other I will be utterly shocked. They’re fairly familiar with each other based on their shared choice of training center and even if they weren’t flying Xtreme Couture’s flag both are relatively skilled in every facet of the game.

Winner – Evan Dunham via Decision

MAIN CARD

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

This is by far the most important fight of Condit’s career and that includes his title run in World Extreme Cagefighting. He entered the UFC 14-months ago with a ton of hype behind him, much of it deserved in my opinion, but has been disappointing for the most part since. He’s 1-1 with two split decisions against respectable fighters but hasn’t been close to the same dominating force he was in WEC. A second loss in the Octagon won’t destroy his reputation, especially to an undefeated opponent like the 20-year old MacDonald, but it will definitely bump him a number of spots down the world’s collective rankings and have people questioning whether or not Condit will ever live up to the potential most saw in him. MacDonald, a Canadian, will want to please the crowd in Vancouver, and is facing the biggest “name” in his career, so I suspect he’ll have trained his ass off and won’t be afraid to let it all hang out in the cage. Condit is also fearless in his approach to Mixed Martial Arts, so don’t be surprised if this ends up being a “Fight of the Night” contender. MacDonald can strike and grapple, as can Condit (with an edge in both categories), so I expect there to be a number of evenly matched flurries on their feet and on the mat with the former WEC Welterweight Champion getting the best of his less-experienced adversary enough times to win the judges’ favor.

Winner – Carlos Condit via Decision

Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel

Without a doubt Rothwell will attempt to take Yvel down from the opening bell and work his mat-based attacks in hopes of either ground-and-pounding him or procuring a choke hold. “The Hurricane” has 31 TKOs in 36 career wins, and Rothwell has been rocked a few times over the years, so obviously Yvel’s best bet is to throw strikes while fending off takedown attempts. However, Rothwell is a solid wrestler who can also strike in addition to having above-average submissions for a heavyweight. He should be able to control most of the match’s positions, so unless the Dutchman lands a big shot early in the fight I don’t think “Big Ben” will have a hard time coming away victorious and possibly even end Yvel’s recent run in the UFC as a result.

Winner – Ben Rothwell via TKO Round 3

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann

I don’t think people are giving Kampmann enough credit in this bout where he chances of success are concerned. Keep in mind his only losses have been by way of knockout while the only strike-based TKO of Thiago’s career came in his shocking upset of Josh Koscheck. Additionally, the Brazilian special forces operative owes eight of his thirteen wins to submissions while the “Hitman” has yet to tap out in nineteen professional fights. Kampmann is well-versed on the ground and is a legitimate striker as well. Both men faced Jacob Volkmann in the last year and where Thiago won a decision the Dane submitted Volkmann in the first round. I’m not a fan of “MMAth” but there’s definitely something to be said when the bouts being compared came in such close proximity to each other (less than 2 months apart). Thiago vs. Kampmann should be a hotly contested fight and is one of the many match-ups on the card worthy of a proverbial coin-flip when it comes to picking a winner. However, the more I think about it the more I feel Kampmann will open some eyes on Saturday night so I’m going to simply put my money where my keyboard-stroking fingers are and say…

Winner – Martin Kampmann via Decision

Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic

I know I’m supposed to be unbiased as a journalist but in full disclosure I have to say Barry is one of my favorite fighters based on both in-ring style and overall character. Fortunately, objectivity won’t need to be shelved in this instance, as I think “Cro Cop” is also an outstanding individual with a list of accomplishments worth respecting and a terrific personality rarely associated with him based on the seriousness with which he approaches fighting. It’s a tough match-up to pick based on their in-ring similarities and knockout power each produces. One kick to the head or a series of shots to the thigh/midsection could end the night for either man, while jiujitsu and wrestling are almost certainly going to be thrown out of the cage-door before it closes and the action begins. I believe Barry will win based on age/athleticism as long as he doesn’t become too emotionally involved in the fight, and thereby distracted, based on his admiration of Filipovic. He’s faster and fresher than “Cro Cop”, and in that regard I think he’ll be first to the punch and ultimately shed a few tears in front of the camera before heading home to his momma.

Winner – Pat Barry via TKO Round 1

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

I can see this fight going a number of ways though of course none of them involve submissions. Neither fighter will have to worry about clinching or getting taken down and worked on unless deciding to sneak in a shot or two with hopes of winning a particular round in the mind of a ringside judge. Both men appear to have questionable chins and have made their living with strikes so expect that to be the target of choice for each. However, Franklin mixes in kicks with a great deal of success and would be wise to do so against the “Iceman”. If he stays active, opting for more lateral than forward movement, he has a good chance of taking home a decision or eventually catching Chuck on the button. However, if he spends more than a few seconds exchanging blows at any point or makes the mistake of rushing in there’s a good chance he’ll be put to sleep.

Winner – Chuck Liddell via TKO Round 2

Should fans be thankful Rich Franklin is fighting Chuck Liddell as opposed to Tito Ortiz? If KJ Noons can get by Conor Heun next Wednesday should Strikeforce promote a rematch with rival Nick Diaz or let him focus on the lightweight division? Who will pull off the biggest upset at UFC 115? Will Saturday night mark Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s last appearance in the Octagon if he falls to Pat Barry? Are you interested in seeing “The A-Team” because of Quinton Jackson’s involvement or are you planning to skip it altogether regardless of “Rampage”?

Seven months ago, a crack commando journalism unit was sent to prison by a court of editors for a typo they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Underground. Today, still wanted by the FCC, they survive as soldiers of fortune without the actual fortune involved. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire… The GWI-Team!

Please forgive me if this week’s introduction is brief, but I’m fairly certain I saw a Predator drone marked with Sherdog’s logo circle my current location so time is clearly of the essence. As always, Adam Tool (callsign: B.A. Tool) and myself (callsign: Brend-hannibal) are here to provide insight and opinion on topics plucked from the MMA landscape. However, this week’s edition has SEVEN savory subjects for the two of us to dissect in honor of Quinton Jackson’s potentially star-making role in “The A-Team”. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…

Fastest finish come June 16th’s “Strikeforce – Los Angeles” card – Robbie Lawler vs. Renato Sobral or Marius Zaromskis vs. Evangelista Santos?

Adam Tool: I’ve got to go with Zaromskis vs. Santos for this one. Both men are highly-touted strikers with plenty of KO wins on their records. Santos is certainly more than capable of using his jiu-jitsu to get the job done, but I believe it’s more likely we’ll see these two come out aggressive right from the opening bell. If this fight makes it past the first round I’ll be somewhat surprised, but of course I have been wrong about this sort of thing before.

As for Lawler and Sobral, there’s certainly a chance this one could end quickly as well. Lawler will certainly be looking to lay into “Babalu” early and often, but at the same time I would hardly expect Sobral to try and get into a slugfest with such a dangerous opponent. Sobral hasn’t been seen since his devastating knockout to Gegard Mousasi and as such I would imagine he’ll be taking a more cautious approach in this fight. Don’t expect “Babalu” to stay in the pocket for too long, as he’ll likely try and keep his distance and pick his shots before looking for the takedown. Sobral has a steep advantage in the grappling department and he knows that Lawler is weak on the ground, so in the end this one will come down to which fighter can best implement their gameplan for victory.

Brendhan Conlan: Tool makes some good points yet I’m still inclined to pick Sobral/Lawler. Zaromskis and Santos are strikers to be sure, though I’m not sure “highly-touted” is the phrasing I’d use unless “touting” them after a few hours with Nick Diaz. “Cyborg” has been out-struck by a handful of relative nobodies in his career and Zaromskis’ biggest win to date is “Mach” Sakurai (who is on the backside of his career and currently riding a three-fight losing streak). They’re aggressive and have knockout power but neither is particularly technical or skilled in terms of overall striking ability. Granted, neither are Lawler or Sobral, but in the case of Zaromskis and Santos I think they’re comparable enough to cancel each other out. I can see their bout going into the second or third round, while in the case of “Babalu” vs. Lawler I think there’s a better chance of Sobral’s lights being turned out in the first round. His last three losses have all been by way of knockout and he’ll have to absorb some damage each time he attempts to drag Lawler to the mat in hopes of attacking with submissions. All “Ruthless” Robbie needs to do is land a single, relatively clean shot to the Brazilian’s chin to win and I don’t think it will take him very long to do so.

If KJ Noons beats Conor Heun next week, should Strikeforce focus on promoting him as a lightweight or instead on putting together a long-anticipated rematch Nick Diaz?

Tool: I see no reason why Strikeforce shouldn’t try to put together the Diaz/Noons rematch, as it’s a fight that people have been wanting to see since both guys were still getting paychecks from EliteXC. Noons has had his profile decrease substantially since moving over to the world of boxing, and if he has any desire to be a star in MMA then he needs to get that pot-smoking monkey off his back. Noons won the first fight, but it was due to a cut and Diaz has been unstoppable ever since. If KJ wants to prove that he’s still a threat in this sport then the best way to do that is to beat Diaz again.

Let’s be fair though, this fight makes more sense for Diaz than it does for Noons. KJ could potentially make an impact in the Strikeforce lightweight division, and there’s some intriguing match-ups to be made (assuming he can get past the unheralded Heun). At the same time Diaz has next-to-no competition left for his Strikeforce Welterweight Championship (except a potentially over-matched Tyron Woodley) and is going to be needing a fight soon. I’m sure Diaz would love to finally get his rematch with Noons, and since he’s one of the biggest stars Strikeforce has it makes sense to give him the most high profile match-ups possible.

If Strikeforce tries to put this fight together, and if Noons turns it down (again), then he can probably look forward to a spot on the next Strikeforce Challengers event. If Noons is willing to take the rematch then it’s a fight that could easily be featured on a regular Strikeforce card, and maybe even CBS (if that ship has not already sailed). Noons went over to boxing because the money was better, and right now he won’t have a better payday than the one he would get for fighting Diaz again. I hope Scott Coker can make it happen.

Conlan: I agree that Diaz is the better option between the two. Strikeforce doesn’t have a wealth of depth in any division so catch-weight attractions are something they should take advantage of when the possibility presents itself. There’s a great deal of personal heat between the two based on the outcome of their first fight and the miniature in-ring riot occurring two years ago after Noons successfully defended his EliteXC title against Yves Edwards. Each also brings an exciting style into every bout so from that standpoint it’s almost guaranteed to entertain as well.

Beyond that, current lightweight champ Gilbert Melendez is out of action until November/December based on the impending birth of his daughter, and likely on a collision course with Bellator title-holder Eddie Alvarez as is, while 155-pound contenders Josh Thomson and Lyle Beerbohm have already been rumored as a future match-up. Other than a few DREAM lightweights and Roger Huerta there aren’t a lot of available fighters who, when paired with Noons, have the potential to draw as much interest from fans as Diaz does. The same rings true in reverse, as Diaz’s best options at 170 pounds are Woodley and a handful of mid-tier free agents. He could definitely give middleweight a go to establish himself as a top contender and maybe even become a two-division champ in the process, but other than Jason “Mayhem” Miller I don’t think there are any 185-pound opponents fans are as interested in seeing Diaz face in comparison to Noons. Strikefoce needs to put them back in the cage together, promote it in the same way “Rampage” Jackson vs. Rashad Evans was hyped, and let fans sit back and enjoy two guys who legitimately dislike each other exchange some leather. Frankly, to not capitalize on their fading rivalry before it’s too late to do so would be an utter blunder on the part of Scott Coker’s team and maybe even a nail in their coffin.

What UFC 115 bout features the most potential for the biggest upset to occur?

Tool: When trying to figure out the answer to this question I started by looking up and down the card. Upon doing so I realized that it’s kind of tough to figure out who are the underdogs in a lot of these fights. I then looked up the betting odds for the show and soon discovered just how close the lines are on almost every fight this weekend. Seriously, the biggest favorite on the card is Ultimate Fighter season 9 winner James Wilks. Wilks is facing Peter Sobotta, who is 0-1 in the UFC and whose win column is filled with names you’ve never heard of. Rich Franklin is a slight favorite in the main event, but I’m sure that line will get closer now that we’ve all seen what tremendous shape Chuck is in. Mirko Cro Cop is a slight underdog against Pat Barry, but everyone (including Barry himself) knows just how dangerous Cro Cop can still be.

With so many fights being so evenly matched there’s not a lot of options as far as one guy being a “sure thing” to win his fight, so I‘m forced to resort to the betting lines. The underdog fighter I’d pick to pull off a victory would probably be Carlos Condit, although if you didn’t check the lines you probably would think that he’s the favorite to win in his bout with Rory MacDonald. MacDonald is undefeated and has finished every one of his fights, but Condit represents a huge step up in competition for the young man from British Columbia. The former WEC Welterweight Champion is extremely dangerous wherever the fight takes place, plus he’s got a will to win and the drive to never give up.

Conlan: Betting lines are certainly the mark of an “underdog” but definitely not the entire indicator of it. After all, am I to believe fans don’t consider Mario Miranda a huge underdog to David Louiseau or Gilbert Yvel to Ben Rothwell simply because the involved odds may not dictate it?

Moving on, the fight I see with the most potential for a significant upset is Evan Dunham’s clash with Tyson Griffin. Griffin has struggled to finish opponents in the Octagon, so he leaves a lot of time for his foes to slip in and steal bouts (Sean Sherk and Frank Edgar clearly being the best examples based on their actual success against the Xtreme Couture OG). Dunham is a solid grappler with nice hands and reminds me a bit of a 5′10″, stronger, paler version of the 5′6″ Griffin. It was hard not to be impressed by his submission of Efrain Escudero at Fight Night 20 last January, and he’s undefeated ten fights into his career, so I won’t be surprised if he walks away with a decision win against Griffin. However, I think a lot of fans will be and I don’t just mean the Zuffa Zombies out there.

Are you more excited about Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin than you would have been for Liddell’s third fight with Tito Ortiz?

Conlan: Absolutely. Neither of their original encounters were particularly competitive bouts and the only people clamoring for a third throwdown seemed to be Liddell, Ortiz, and UFC President Dana White. The former 205-pound champions’ mutual dislike of one another made it logical to pair them from the standpoint of producing an entertaining season of the Ultimate Fighter but not from one based on in-ring competition or fulfilling fans’ phantom wishes for a trilogy as necessary as “The Matrix: Revolutions”. Enter Franklin and you have a fresh match-up featuring two former title-holders and fellow icons of the Octagon. Although “Ace” may have dropped two of his last three fights he remains a credible threat against all opponents not named Anderson Silva and has the style to give Liddell a run for his money. He’s got multi-point striking, good power, and solid grappling. Unlike Ortiz, Franklin won’t have to rely on dragging the action down to the mat to procure a win, and similarly he’s a threat to knock Chuck out whereas Ortiz hasn’t TKO’d anyone other than Ken Shamrock in the last nine years. All the involved factors add up to a scenario far superior than the one created by a third helping of Liddell vs. Ortiz.

Tool: Brendhan hit the nail on the head here. Liddell and Ortiz’s rivalry makes for good reality TV, but there’s really nothing left to prove by pitting these two against one another in the octagon. Only the most die-hard Ortiz fan (does such a thing exist?) would be upset by this change in the lineup. Okay, I suppose Chuck’s fans are upset because they thought he had this one in the bag, and now Franklin presents a much bigger challenge.

Personally I wouldn’t be surprised if this main event goes down as the “Fight of the Night” when bonuses are handed out. Liddell and Franklin both know what they do best, and that’s hitting people in the face. Neither one has a “legendary” chin, but I’m pretty sure they can each still take their fair share of punishment. I expect both fighters to be tentative at the start, given their cage rust and the stakes involved, but I can certainly see a nice little slugfest erupting as the time ticks on.

Besides, if the fight had gone down as scheduled it’s safe to assume that Ortiz would have lost in dramatic fashion and blamed his neck injury for his performance. If the parties involved are serious about doing Liddell vs. Ortiz 3, then we may as well do it when Tito can fight without the slightest possibility of an excuse.

TRUE/FALSE – This will be the last time we see Mirko Cro Cop in the UFC if he loses to Pat Barry.

Conlan: I’m not 100% sure how his contract looks but, assuming the paperwork is in place, I think he’ll be around for a few more fights as long as he doesn’t look like a fish out of water against Barry. After all, like Mirko, Barry is a kickboxer by nature and the thought of him mopping the mat with Filipovic would significantly detract from the Croation’s remaining mystique.

That being said, though “Cro Cop” is on the backside of his career, he’s still a viable commodity in terms of his ability to compete against mid-tier opponents and in his standing as a major draw in Europe. Technically he’s 4-1 since losing back-to-back bouts during his first run in the UFC (with a “No Contest” against Alistair Overeem after having his gonads launched into orbit by the Strikeforce heavyweight champ occurring along the way). Were the numbers reversed he likely would have already hung his checkered shorts up and called it a career, but seeing as how they aren’t and the single loss came to rising star Junior Dos Santos I think it’s premature to think Filipovic is finished in the UFC. He’s too valuable a name, and seems to have enough left in his tank, to give walking papers to unless “Cro Cop” comes out of UFC 115 with a horribly one-sided defeat to Barry.

Tool: I’ve got to go with True here. This is the last fight on Cro Cop’s current UFC contract, and a loss to Barry would put him at 3-4 in the octagon. Those three wins all came against meager competition and offered little to be impressed with. His losses just prove that “The Croatian Sensation” can’t hang with the current level of talent in the heavyweight division. The guy got out-wrestled by Cheick Kongo, is there any reason to think that he would hold his own against somebody like Cain Velasquez?

The name value and drawing power Cro Cop brought at the beginning of his UFC run is all but extinguished. Modern day fans have seen nothing in his fights that lives up to the terrifying reputation the hardcore fanbase has given him. His fans will keep tuning in for the hope that they’ll see some of that old Cro Cop magic, but there’s been no sign of the old Cro Cop since PRIDE went quietly into that good night. Unless Pat Barry is on the receiving end of a highlight reel knockout this weekend, I wouldn’t get my hopes up too high about hearing “Wild Boys” on the UFC PA system ever again.

If Paulo Thiago beats Martin Kampmann, should he be the next welterweight contender?

Conlan: No, because he’ll need to fight someone in the period between UFC 115 and George St. Pierre’s post-TUF title defense against Josh Koscheck. If all goes according to plan the Ultimate Fighter Season 12 coaches will face off in December meaning the eventual welterweight champ won’t be available for at least another 3-4 months after that. Asking Thiago to sit out for close to a year is ridiculous, especially in a class as deep as 170 pounds and with Jake Shields potentially showing up in a few months. A victory over Kampmann would definitely make Thiago more deserving of a shot at St. Pierre’s belt than some who’ve had a crack, so I see how “should” could apply in that instance, but as far as reality goes the timing isn’t right for it to occur. Rather, if the Brazilian police specialist emerges with his hands raised in Vancouver, I think he’ll have to serve as Shields’ debut opponent or fight the winner of Jon Fitch’s rumored rematch against Thiago Alves before receiving an opportunity at the title.

Tool: It’s a little weird how much Thiago has slipped under the radar in the welterweight. He’s got decisive wins over two of the top ten guys in the world (including the next #1 contender) and the lone loss of his career was against the second best guy in his weight class. Brendhan makes a solid point in that even with a win on Saturday, Thiago would still likely need at least one more fight to solidify potential contender status.

The idea of matching up this weekend’s winner with the almost-certainly-soon-to-be-signed Shields is not bad, particularly since Shields will likely be thrust right into the thick of things at the upper levels of the UFC. I can also support a potential match-up for Thiago with the winner of Fitch/Alves, although that may not be a bad idea for Shields’ debut either. I was certainly intrigued by the Paulo Thiago/Thiago Alves fight when it was initially rumored earlier this year, although a Thiago/Fitch rematch doesn’t excite me quite as much.

One fact that remains to be seen is whether or not Thiago can pull out the win this Saturday. Martin Kampmann may have been knocked around by Paul Daley last year, but in the meantime he managed to Jacob Volkman in a much more convincing fashion than Thiago did. It goes without saying that Thiago has a firm edge on the ground, but there are few strikers in the welterweight division that can stand toe-to-toe with Kampmann. For me this is easily one of the most exciting fights on the card, but it’s also a fight that could determine one of 2011’s welterweight contenders.

Do you have any interest in seeing The A-Team and if so how much of that interest is due to “Rampage” Jackson’s starring role?

Tool: In all honesty, my interest level for this movie begins and ends with “Rampage” Jackson. I don’t have some huge attachment to the original series and overall the movie looks a little bland to me. I’ve seen Jackson’s acting before (there’s my review of direct-to-DVD crapfest Never Surrender somewhere out there on the internet) and it’s not terrible. Of course, at the time I was comparing it to the acting chops of BJ Penn and Heath Herring. I’ll catch this one at home in the future, but don’t look for me in line at the theater this weekend.

Conlan: It was basically a prerequisite to love “The A-Team” if you grew up in the 80s like I did. As such, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the movie and the fact “Rampage” is in it as “B.A. Baracus” makes the pot THAT much sweeter. After all, he apparently read against the likes of Ice Cube and Common so his presence is not only excellent from a MMA enthusiast’s standpoint but also in terms of being appropriately cast for the role. The action sequences I’ve seen look good and the other three actors involved are all entertaining in their own way. I don’t know if I’ll spend $20 to catch it at the theater, as it takes a lot for me to throw that kind of cash down on any movie, but I’m absolutely planning on seeing it at some point in the near future.

While much of the attention leading into this weekend's UFC 115 event in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is centered firmly (and
deservedly) on the main event between former champions Chuck Liddell and
Rich Franklin, hardcore fans have another bout circled as a potential
"Fight of the Night" candidate.

Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin.

And while most have focused on Dunham's ties with Xtreme Couture and how
the Oregonian was forced to leave the camp in favor of Griffin, Griffin
himself believes that angle is overblown. Instead, Griffin believes the
real story will be his improved fitness and technique.

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - Poker-faced Evan Dunham wasn't going to let it show, but as he stood in his corner and waited for the bell to ring for the third and final round of his January bout with fellow unbeaten Efrain Escudero, he was smiling on the inside.

Four important words will finally ring true for fans, friends, and families of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans this Saturday night; more importantly they will ring true for the fighters themselves.

The wait is over.

A rivalry introduced to fans more than a year ago during an in-ring confrontation, then nurtured with gigs as opposing coaches on the tenth season of the Ultimate Fighter, as well as a brilliantly produced “Primetime” special over the past few weeks, will come to a head May 29th at UFC 114 in Las Vegas. And, were their personal dislike of one another or shared standing as two of MMA’s top 205-pounders not enough to sell the bout, UFC President Dana White has also gone on record as saying the winner would receive a crack at UFC Light Heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s belt. The involved ingredients make for one of the most-anticipated match-ups in promotional history and a fight that is sure to deliver on all levels.

Also on tap for the event are four former TUF seasonal champs other than Evans looking to climb a few rungs closer to a title shot. Michael Bisping looks to get back on the winning track against the always-tough Dan Miller, Diego Sanchez makes his return to welterweight against undefeated Brit John Hathaway, affable Amir Sadollah faces his toughest opponent to date in the form of Dong Hyun Kim, and Efrain Escudero returns against Dan Lauzon after a gutsy performance in his first career loss this past January. Additionally, Luis Cane, Todd Duffee, and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, plus others, will also be in action.

Before I get into the actual “pick em” part of this article let me preclude the breakdown of bouts by saying one of the things about Mixed Martial Arts I’ve always loved is its unpredictable nature. I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction with a little insight/opinion included in the deal, but readers would be wise to avoid laying down money on my attempts to glimpse into the future. Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to share your own thoughts on any or all of the scheduled fights in the “Comments” section below, and let’s get this show on the road…

PRELIMINARY CARD

Jesse Forbes vs. Ryan Jensen

Jensen and Forbes are, for the most part, evenly matched in terms of stand-up, wrestling, and submissions. Forbes had won four straight before falling to a split decision in his last fight, and though Jensen’s record over the past few years isn’t spectacular it’s important to note the level of competition he fought (Thales Leites, Demian Maia, and Joey Villasenor for example). I like Jensen’s experience and maturity to carry him to victory, as he’s held his own against tougher opponents than “Kid Hercules” and has the skills to dish and defend more successfully than his opponent.

Winner – Ryan Jensen via Decision

Aaron Riley vs. Joe Brammer

Riley shouldn’t have too hard a time earning a win on Saturday based on how his abilities match up against Brammer’s. Both men are grapplers with comparable jiujitsu, though I think Riley has an edge where wrestling is concerned. The thirteen-year veteran has only been tapped twice in more than forty professional bouts with half of his losses coming by way of TKO. I don’t feel Brammer possesses the striking to damage Riley severely enough to merit a stoppage or the submissions to finish him on the ground. As such, I expect Riley to take Brammer down a number of times and control action from the top en route to a clear cut decision win.

Winner – Aaron Riley via Decision

Melvin Guillard vs. Waylon Lowe

Fans in Vegas who are thinking about strolling into the event just before the Spike cameras fire up would be wise to get there a little early and catch this bout, as I have a feeling these two are going to square off in the center of the Octagon and let leather fly. Guillard’s reputation precedes him and I suspect most people reading these lines know a good deal about what he brings to the cage already. He’s powerful, quick, and generally reckless. Lowe is making his UFC debut and coming off back-to-back knockout wins in the first round. I think he’ll be eager to impress his new bosses with a highlight-worthy finish and riding the confidence of his recent performances. “The Young Assassin” has never been afraid to exchange, hence my prediction of this bout’s rock-em-sock-em potential. With Guillard’s hands and athleticism I think he’ll be the first to land a significant blow and said strike will serve as the first toppled domino in a series resulting in Lowe’s unconsciousness.

Winner – Melvin Guillard via TKO Round 1

Luis Cane vs. Cyrille Diabate

Cane is a good example of how fickle MMA fans and media can be. Last year at this time “Banha” was viewed as a potential title contender with a single DQ defeat and 80% of his wins by TKO. Fast-forward to UFC 114 where his bout against Diabate may never seen the light of television due to a loss against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira last November at UFC 106. In reality, this match-up has the makings of a very entertaining affair. Both men are solid strikers with Diabate being a more accomplished athlete where submission wins are concerned. A big part of me wants to pick Cane to win, but I feel he may struggle with the 6′6 Frenchman’s length and be a little hesitant to engage after “Little Nog” turned his lights out six months ago. I think it will be a close fight that goes the distance but don’t discount Cane’s ability to put the “Snake” to sleep with one or two well-timed strikes.

Winner – Cyrille Diabate via Decision

Efrain Escudero vs. Dan Lauzon

I summed up my thoughts on this particular bout in this week’s “Grappling with Issues” so I’ll pull from that in case you haven’t already read it:

“Escudero has shown flashes of possessing exceptional talent in a string of solid performances. Though he suffered damaged tendons in his arm after refusing to tap against Evan Dunham at Fight Night 20 last January, I don’t suspect he’ll show any ill effects come showtime on Saturday night as the injuries weren’t particularly severe and the limb in question carries different weight both literally and figuratively than would be the case had he shredded his knee/ankle.

He has the grappling ability to win most of the takedown and positioning battles plus the kind of heart willing to take a fight into deeper waters than most. It’s one thing to go out on your shield when it comes to being choked but to accept the possibility of a broken bone or snapped ligament, as he did against Dunham, is an entirely different level of ballsy foolishness. Lauzon appears to have the better striking based on the number of TKOs he’s earned over a career comparable to the Ultimate Fighter Season 8 champion, but I get the sense he’s more of a brawler than technically proficient on his feet, and I can see Efrain committing to movement/jabs to set up his ground game rather than engaging in a slugfest that could favor “The Upgrade”.

Also, though I have no insight into the matter, based on statements from all involved it has to be noted that the Massachusetts native is dealing with some personal issues involving his camp and brother/fellow UFC fighter Joe Lauzon. Regardless of which side is telling the truth there remains a definite divide between the two, and I would be shocked if it didn’t wear on Dan to some degree given the importance of one’s mental state in the cage.”

In case it wasn’t clear already I think Escudero should win this fight without finding himself in too many adverse situations along the way. Lauzon is a tough cat, which is why I can see the end of their bout taking some time to develop, but I think the odds are definitely stacked against him in this one.

Winner – Efrain Escudero via Submission Round 3

Amir Sadollah vs. Dong Hyun Kim

As mentioned in the lead-in, Kim will be the mulleted Mixed Martial Artist’s toughest test to date. He’s undefeated with the only blemish on his record being a draw (unless you count a “No Contest” against Karo Parisyan. The Korean star is a solid grappler who, as you might gather from his nickname of “Stun Gun”, has knockout power. He’s also a few inches taller than Sadollah so he has a minor size advantage as well. However, Amir has improved with every performance and isn’t likely to be pushed around regardless of Kim having 3X his in-ring experience. The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 champ does a nice job of mixing his strikes up and has shown himself to be opportunistic on the ground when limbs present themselves for submission attempts. As I think they’re both fairly balanced in terms of skill and heart, I think Sadollah and Kim will go back and forth for three rounds and possibly even turn in a “Fight of the Night” along the way. I’m picking the Ultimate Fighter alumnus to win simply because the fight is in Vegas and I don’t see all three judges picking against him unless the decision is completely obvious.

Winner – Amir Sadollah via Decision

MAIN CARD

Diego Sanchez vs. John Hathaway

Ashamedly, I must admit I was fairly clueless about Hathaway until he was announced as Sanchez’s opponent for the event. Turns out the Brit is 12-0 with two wins in the Octagon over game adversaries (Rick Story and Paul Taylor). In some ways he reminds me Sanchez just prior to fighting Parisyan in the sense he’s undefeated, has a mixture of submissions and TKOs on his record, and has shown he’s ready for a step up in competition by beating a few tough draws. However, I don’t see Hathaway dislodging any of Diego’s teeth from his jaw or fairing as well in final result as “Nightmare” did against Karo. Sanchez’s loss to BJ Penn was the most decisive defeat of hii career, and I would be shocked if he isn’t even MORE motivated than usual in the gym as a result of it. Returning to 170-pounds gives him the chance to bulk up a bit and focus more on training as opposed to maintaining his ability to cut down to 155. I expect him to come out extremely aggressive and do his best to maul the Englishman, not only unleashing his frustration from the Penn loss but also as a means of taking advantage of the notion Hathaway might be a little distracted by the bout being his biggest to date. Hathaway has shown he can grapple and strike so I don’t know that Sanchez will be able to finish him, but I do think the “YES” enthusiast will be able to control most of the action no matter where it takes place.

Winner – Diego Sanchez via Decision

Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow

I think Duffee has the potential to go a long way in MMA given his style, physique, and outspoken honesty. The fact he’s willing to acknowledge he’s only 6-0 and has been overhyped thus far says a lot about his focus in terms of improvement and not overlooking opponents. Russow is a better wrestler than “Duff Man” and there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll do his best to negate Duffee’s power by trying to take him down and work from the top. However, I think he’ll have a hard time handling the 24-year old’s strength and absorb a fair share of damage as a result of shooting in. Duffee has dealt with respectable grapplers before and should be able to do so again at UFC 114.

Winner – Todd Duffee via TKO Round 1

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz

Though it goes without saying this would have been a far more interesting bout had Nogueira’s original opponent, Forrest Griffin, not injured his shoulder during training, I think the UFC brass deserves credit for coming up with Brilz as a replacement. “The Hitman” is 18-2-1 and seems to be relatively well-rounded based on how each “W” was achieved. “Little Nog” may be his highest profile fight, but Brilz is no stranger to notable competition and has beaten the likes of Tim Boetsch, Jason MacDonland, and Eric Schafer. His split decision loss to Eliot Marshall at UFC 103 was his first defeat in thirteen straight fights dating back to September 2001! Name value aside, Brilz clearly has some skill to back up the opportunity he was given, and though I don’t think he’ll necessarily beat Nogueira I’m glad he’s been given the chance to do so and earn a little mainstream respect along the way.

Nogueira has looked excellent since falling to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in less than thirty seconds three years ago. He’s won six straight with five finishing performances, and, outside of Brilz’s inner-circle, I think most people would agree the Brazilian is superior to his opponent on Saturday night in every facet of the game. I expect him to work his jab and frustrate Brilz with boxing, maybe stuff a few takedowns, and eventually land a combo that puts Brilz on his back for the eventual TKO finish.

Winner – Antonio Nogueira via TKO Round 2

Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller

I’ll again defer to a breakdown I offered in this week’s GWI:

“Miller’s boxing should allow him to safely exchange with the Brit even though he doesn’t possess Bisping’s power or diversity of strikes. However, his grappling is of enough quality to control “The Count” in most positions, and if you look at Bisping’s record he’s traditionally struggled against opponents who excel on the mat.

I also feel there’s an intangible quality involved on Saturday that favors Miller because New Jersey’s proud son is fighting with a special sense of motivation. ESPN journalist Franklin McNeil did a far better job documenting the particulars than I will in this paragraph, but essentially Miller’s young son has dealt with health problems since conception that have recently, fortunately, taken a turn for the better as of late. He competed against Sonnen shortly after losing a daughter during birth and against Maia weeks after his boy’s (not to mention he fought with a dislocated thumb). I will never underestimate the power of the human will or mankind’s ability to achieve the incredible when such personal stakes are involved.

In my mind, the sum of the circumstances, as well as how the two match-up, favors Miller to pull of the upset in comparison to the other respective bouts on the card. I don’t know that he’ll submit Bisping but I can definitely see a decision win going his way.”

If Miller can successfully defend while mixing in a few punches while standing and drag Bisping to the canvas for a good portion of each round I think he’s got a decent chance of pulling off an upset.

Winner – Dan Miller via Decision

Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans

I think the strategy both men will employ is fairly obvious. You can throw submissions out the window in this one because the odds of either man tapping the other out is highly unlikely. Jackson has been choked out once in his career (which happened nine years ago) and Evans’ only loss as a professional came via TKO to Lyoto Machida. Rather, the result of this match-up will be determined by wrestling, striking technique, and power.

“Rampage” has a far better chance of rendering Evans into a puddle of goo with a single punch than instead finding himself staring up at the rafters in a role reversal. As I said in GWI, “He has the power to flatten any opponent when standing or ground-and-pounding, as well as the ability to absorb a good amount of damage, and I honestly don’t think the same can be said about Evans. Jackson’s jaw appears to be made out of the same material as the chain he wears en route to the ring and has only been unlocked three out of thirty-seven times. Those knockouts were each the result of a series of vicious knees/stomps and came 5-7 years ago.” Rashad is not Wanderlei Silva nor Mauricio Rua by any stretch of the imagination and to pull off a feat similar to theirs would be beyond impressive.

Evans, on the other hand, is faster and more elusive than Jackson due to his relatively small size for a LHW and Golden Gloves-level footwork. Whereas “Rampage” has more potential to win with a knockout, “Sugar” ‘Shad is a greater threat to stick and move while working in leg-kicks and takedown attempts. Jackson can’t flatten Evans without first connecting on a punch and I suspect the former Michigan State Spartan’s jaw is going to be a difficult target to score a bulls-eye on. Evans didn’t respect Machida’s power and paid the price for it. He isn’t likely to make the same mistake with the Memphis brawler.

As far as the actual fight unfolding, I can see Evans out-pointing his rival by focusing on technique and refusing to give into the emotional part of him that no doubt wants to stand with “Rampage”. His corner needs to constantly remind him that winning, even by decision, will feel almost as good as a knockout would and FAR superior to a loss. I can also see Jackson landing a combo that puts Rashad on his back, then pounding the Ultimate Fighter Season 2 champion out. I’m currently about 57/43 in favor of the second scenario occurring because Evans is an extremely confident competitor who could throw out strategy and just fight, but honestly feel the main event’s outcome is a relative coin-flip.

Winner – Quinton Jackson via TKO Round 2

Who poses the bigger threat to the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: “Rampage” Jackson or Rashad Evans? Which Ultimate Fighter champ will have the best showing at UFC 114? Which underdog fighter do you think will pull off the upset this weekend? Which fight at DREAM.14 are you most excited for?

There were two MMA events last weekend and we‘ve got two more coming up this weekend. On the eve of UFC 114 and DREAM.14 it‘s time once again for me, Adam Tool, to do battle with my esteemed colleague Brendhan Conlan as we go around the world of mixed-martial arts in a back-and-forth battle to the finish. Once we’ve had our say you can make your voice heard in the comment box below.

And now, in the words of Cecil Peoples…LET’S DANCE!

From top to bottom, was Moosin MMA better, worse, or on par with what you originally expected it to be?

Adam Tool: This will be a particularly hard question to answer, seeing as how I (probably like you) didn’t watch the event. I did catch the bout between Roxanne Modafferi and Tara LaRosa over the weekend, as it was the only reason I would have made any effort to watch the show. That bout was highly entertaining, but I just couldn’t get interested in tracking down the rest of the card. From what I read on Twitter it sounds as if the event suffered from some extremely annoying commentary (including the usually entertaining Bas Rutten) and odd production choices. I remember reading something about them showing a backstage interview with Yves Edwards while he was fighting. It sounds as though event co-promoter Eric “Butterbean” Esch was trying to insert some humor into the proceedings, and by all accounts that effort failed. I saw the results afterwards and they offered little surprise: Tim Sylvia beat a guy in his third professional fight, Travis Lutter gassed before the first round was over (SHOCKING!), and Travis Wiuff took the co-main event spot to destroy some guy you’ve never heard of.

I didn’t expect much from Moosin, so I guess they met those expectations. I’ll just defer to my colleague here since he actually watched the event, so perhaps he will enlighten us all as to what a stellar card we missed.

Brendhan Conlan: I’d say it was slightly “better” than expected. I enjoyed the in-ring action for the most part. The preliminary bouts featured a gritty, three-round scrap between Forrest Petz and Ralph Johnson and highlight-worthy knockout from Lukasz Jurkowski two minutes into his fight against Ho Jin Kim. The main card lived up to its billing as well. Modafferi and LaRosa went back and forth for fifteen minutes with Roxanne, a huge underdog in terms of the betting odds, winning the biggest fight of her career while appearing to also be having the best time of her life. If you watched that bout and weren’t smiling at some point, especially given Modafferi’s infectious grin, then I believe there’s a job opening on a cliff overlooking the town of Dr. Suess’ Who-ville you may want to look into. Local competitor Mike Campbell also pulled off an upset by beating Edwards and weathering a number of slick attacks from the MMA veteran in the process. Lutter’s loss was the result of being smacked around like a pinata, not a lack of conditioning, and Rafael Natal deserves credit in the sense he again showed he’s not wholly reliant on his jiujitsu to beat opponents. As far as Wiuff, I don’t see the harm in a thirty-four second knockout, and even Sylvia vs. Pudzianowski had its moments including an exceptionally excited audience, a Polish rapper, and “Pudz” absorbing a few brutal knees to his face without flinching once.

There were definitely some questionable production choices throughout the event but I would be lying if I said they didn’t also add a level of unintentional comedic, entertainment value to Moosin’s offering. The backstage interviews were plentiful to be sure and included classic moments like the ring girls awkwardly making conversation with the camera in their dressing room, as well as Rutten exiting the restroom. “El Guapo” delivered his unique brand of Bas’isms, and his play-by-play guy was…well…frankly, he was terrible but in a way that lived up to the cliche of being “so bad” it was “good”. Fortunately for me, I caught a large portion of the Polish broadcast instead of the American one, and I have to say it was nice focusing on the action instead of the commentary. I also have to offer my praise to a nation of Polish advertising executives for creating some of the best beer commercials known to mankind.

My standards entering the show, as they are with every event, was that the evening’s proceedings would result in a product more entertaining than not. As such, I’d say Moosin definitely exceeded my expectations. Was it stellar? No. Was it entertaining? Yes (though not always for the “right” reasons).

Based on last Friday’s Strikeforce event, would you rather see Tyron Woodley or Roger Bowling get the call up to round out a future non-Challengers event?

Tool: Just going by their performances on Friday, it’s hard not hop on the Bowling bandwagon. That being said though, I still feel that Woodley deserves to move on from the Challengers series first. His win over Nathan Coy wasn’t the most impressive performance we’ve seen thus far, but it’s hard to discount his previous fights and the domination he’s shown in them. Woodley is still undefeated and is arguably the biggest star created by the Challengers series, so I say put him on the main card of an upcoming regular Strikeforce event and see what happens. He needs more exposure and some better competition before we can truly see where he stacks up, so why not toss him in against somebody like Joe Riggs?

Conlan: Woodley may be more deserving of the honor but there’s no question Bowling should get the call up in favor of “T-Wood” based purely on what each individual displayed at the Challengers event. Bowling’s fight with Voelker was akin to seeing a lighter version of Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar duking it out. It was fast-paced, full of “oohs” and “ahhs”, and a bout MMA fans owe it to themselves to watch regardless of either man’s name value. On the other hand, Woodley barely got by Coy and was fortunate to have avoided the first loss of his career. Bowling is a striker (somewhere Mauro Ranallo is smiling), so his style is more fan-friendly than Woodley’s wrestling and ground-based attack, and in that sense it also makes sense to feature him on a bigger card. Then again, both men are welterweights and remain undefeated, so why not kill two birds with one stone and have them fight each other alongside a few of Strikeforce’s premier names to open up a future CBS card? I for one, to paraphrase NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens, would have my “popcorn ready” for that particular pairing.

Which underdog on the UFC 114 card do you feel has the best chance of pulling off an “upset” in his respective bout?

Tool: Looking at the current betting lines for the showdown there’s a pretty clear choice as to who my favored underdog is on this card, as Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is currently a slight dog against Rashad Evans. The line (at +105 as of this writing) represents the 14 month layoff Jackson has had since he beat Keith Jardine at UFC 96, although recent pictures show that Jackson has clearly gotten himself back into fighting shape since filming wrapped on The A-Team. Still, we can’t forget the sluggish version of “Rampage” that lost a decision to Forrest Griffin, and Jackson himself said that the long stretch of downtime filming “The Ultimate Fighter” hurt his performance that night. I’m picking “Rampage” to win on Saturday, but I can certainly understand why Evans might be a small favorite right now.

If we’re talking about true underdogs on the card, then I would have to advise people not to sleep on Dan Miller in his bout with Michael Bisping. Miller represents one of the toughest grapplers that “The Count” has had to face in his UFC career. While the elder Miller brother may be on a two-fight skid, those losses came against the last guy to fight for the title and the next guy to fight for the title. Against everyone else he’s faced in the UFC, Miller has looked outstanding. Bisping has been favoring the takedown/ground control element of MMA more and more lately, but if he chooses to take this fight to the ground he may end up receiving the first submission loss of his career.

Conlan: I don’t view Jackson as an underdog so he’s out of the running. After all, I don’t want him EVER hitting a punching bag while screaming “he’s dead” and thinking about me. Moving on, while I think John Hathaway has an above-average chance of beating Diego Sanchez, like Tool I’m going to show some love to Miller by saying I think he’s likely to beat Bisping assuming he doesn’t get caught on the chin while standing. Miller’s boxing is good enough to exchange with the Brit, though he doesn’t possess Bisping’s power or diversity of strikes. However, his grappling is of enough quality to control “The Count” in most positions, and if you look at Bisping’s record he’s traditionally struggled against opponents who excel on the mat.

I also feel there’s an intangible quality involved on Saturday that favors Miller because New Jersey native is fighting with a special sense of motivation. ESPN journalist Franklin McNeil did a far better job documenting the particulars than I will in this paragraph, but essentially Miller’s young son has dealt with health problems since conception that have recently, fortunately, taken a turn for the better as of late. He competed against Sonnen shortly after losing a daughter during birth and against Maia weeks after his boy’s (not to mention he fought with a dislocated thumb). I will never underestimate the power of the human will or mankind’s ability to achieve the incredible when such personal stakes are involved.

In my mind, the sum of the circumstances, as well as how the two match-up, favors Miller to pull of the upset in comparison to the other respective bouts on the card. I don’t know that he’ll submit Bisping but I can definitely see a decision win going his way.

UFC 114 features 5 former “Ultimate Fighter” champions on the card. Make your pick for the “TUF” champ who you think will have the best performance of the evening.

Conlan: Efrain Escudero, though he arguably has the easiest fight of the night in the bunch, and that’s not a knock on Dan Lauzon but rather a compliment to the other competitors the former Ultimate Fighter champs will be facing (Quinton Jackson, Dan Miller, Dong Hyun Kim, and rising star John Hathaway). Escudero has shown flashes of possessing exceptional talent in a string of solid performances. Though he suffered damaged tendons in his arm after refusing to tap against Evan Dunham at Fight Night 20 last January, I don’t suspect he’ll show any ill effects come showtime on Saturday night as the injuries weren’t particularly severe and the limb in question carries different weight both literally and figuratively than would be the case had he shredded his knee/ankle.

Escudero has the grappling ability to win most of the takedown and positioning battles plus the kind of heart willing to take a fight into deeper waters than most. It’s one thing to go out on your shield when it comes to being choked but to accept the possibility of a broken bone or snapped ligament, as he did against Dunham, is an entirely different level of ballsy foolishness. Lauzon appears to have the better striking based on the number of TKOs he’s earned over a career comparable to the Ultimate Fighter Season 8 champion, but I get the sense he’s more of a brawler than technically proficient on his feet, and I can see Efrain committing to movement/jabs to set up his ground game rather than engaging in a slugfest that could favor “The Upgrade”.

Also, though I have no insight into the matter, based on statements from all involved it has to be noted that the Massachusetts native is dealing with some personal issues involving his camp and brother/fellow UFC fighter Joe Lauzon. Regardless of which side is telling the truth there remains a definite divide between the two, and I would be shocked if it didn’t wear on Dan to some degree given the importance of one’s mental state in the cage. In my mind, all the factors add up for Escudero to look sharp and Lauzon to potentially seek employment elsewhere on the heels of a loss, and as such he’s my pick for being most likely to have the “best performance” out of the all event’s TUF alumni.

Tool: It’s hard to argue against picking Escudero here, as his previous performances combined with his opponent’s questionable training regiment should make this a relatively easy win. The rest of the “TUF” champions have some much bigger challenges ahead of them. Amir Sadollah gets to face the first high-level judoka of his career, Michael Bisping has to contend with the aggressive grappling skills of Dan Miller, and Rashad Evans will have to deal with the knockout power of “Rampage” Jackson.

Aside from Efrain, my money would be on Diego Sanchez to pull out the best performance of the “TUF” champs. He’s facing the highly-touted British prospect John Hathaway, who will be looking to maintain his perfect record and move to 4-0 in the octagon. There’s always plenty of question marks when an up-and-comer faces one of the UFC’s veterans. We don’t yet know how Hathaway will perform in this, the biggest test of his career. He could stun the crowd by dominating Sanchez early, but that’s probably the least likely result.

The loss to BJ Penn has undoubtedly put a big hit on Sanchez’s momentum, but we should all remember that he can be one of the most aggressive fighters in the UFC. His striking isn’t always technically impressive but he throws with plenty of power, especially when demonstrating his own brand of brutal ground-and-pound. Sanchez will also have a clear advantage if the fight goes to the ground, so he may very well look for the takedown early and often. The loss to Penn will give Diego plenty of motivation, and the fact that he doesn’t have to cut down to lightweight should allow him to come into the octagon in tremendous shape. Add in a dash of self-realization (YES!) and it should be a good night for the “Nightmare.”

Which of the main event participants do you think has a better chance of dethroning Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship?

Conlan: I think Quinton is a pretty clear favorite between the two in terms of potentially snatching “Shogun” Rua’s title, and I’ll be very interested to see the case for “Sugar” ‘Shad if Tool or any of GWI’s readers choose to make it. He has the power to flatten any opponent when standing or ground-and-pounding, as well as the ability to absorb a good amount of damage, and I honestly don’t think the same can be said about Evans.

Jackson’s jaw appears to be made out of the same material as the chain he wears en route to the ring and has only been unlocked three out of thirty-seven times. Those knockouts were each the result of a series of vicious knees/stomps and came 5-7 years ago. Yes, Rua was one of two opponents to accomplish the feat against “Rampage”, and the method in which Jackson avenged his losses to the other isn’t relevant because the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is most certainly not Wanderlei Silva. However, Jackson has improved since his days in PRIDE, and competing in the Octagon, as well as under a set of rules allowing elbows and preventing the type of kicks to a downed opponent which assisted in his defeat to “Shogun”, could result in a very different fight than their original clash in April 2005. I’m confident the “A-Team” star would be as motivated to erase the taste of Rua’s knees from his mouth as he’d ever been for any bout in his career, and as has been evident in his career, an amped Jackson can be a very dangerous foe to deal with.

Tool: I can’t argue with Brendhan’s reasoning for leaning towards “Rampage,” but just for the sake of comparison I think perhaps I should make the case for Rashad.

Since winning the second season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Rashad Evans has been nearly flawless in the octagon. Other than the knockout loss to Machida he’s been the clear winner in every contest he’s entered. There have been moments of weakness, such as the first round against Forrest Griffin or the last round against Thiago Silva, but overall Evans has shown a tremendous ability to force opponents into fighting his fight. Despite all the trash-talking and high emotion heading into Saturday night, I’m fairly confident that Evans will utilize the most logical gameplan: get “Rampage” on the ground and keep him there for 15 minutes. If Evans can score the win then he’ll get a second shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, but can he beat “Shogun?”

I believe that he can. Evans has made great strides in his striking and while he may not be able to match the attack of Rua, he’s shown several times that he’s got knockout power. Nobody figured that Evans would be able to hold his own on the feet against Chuck Liddell, but we all know how that turned out. “Shogun” had trouble avoiding the takedowns of Mark Coleman, and I can guarantee that Evans will come into the fight in better shape than “The Hammer” did. If the fight happens then I’d probably pick “Shogun” to win, but I also wouldn’t count Evans out as he’d be more than capable of pulling off the victory.

Which fight at DREAM.14 are you most interested in seeing?

Conlan: Though the same stakes aren’t involved as in the past, “Sakuraba vs. Gracie” still rolls off my tongue and is Coltraine to my ears. It conjures up memories of a MMA rivalry dating back more than a decade; of the Japanese superstar’s run against the family earning him one of the sport’s classic nicknames – “The Gracie Hunter”; of his hour-plus test of endurance against Royce in 2000.

Come DREAM 14, Ralek will mark the fifth member of the Gracie clan Sakuraba has stepped into the ring against. That in itself is an amazing accomplishment on both sides of the equation. However, the 24-year old Brazilian bearer-of-the-flame is more than just a name. He’s 2-0 with the kind of submission skills fans of Mixed Martial Arts expect of a Gracie. His lack of fights is based more on choice than circumstance, as he apparently prefers teaching jiujitsu to getting punched in the face (go figure), but it isn’t as though he’ll be stepping into the ring with a pound-for-pound great or even the “Saku” of ten years ago.

Sakuraba is pushing 42 and has been through a number of in-ring wars in his career. He’s not in any way a threat on his feet, but then again neither is Gracie so it’s a push where stand-up is concerned. That leaves what should be one HELLUVA competitive grappling match between the two! Even if you think the iconic catch-wrestler is “over the hill” or “used up”, there is no denying his 9-3 record over the past five years or the fact he’s coming off a first-round submission of Zelg Galesic. I think it makes for an intriguing match-up regardless of their difference in experience, unranked status, or the nostalgic value of the last names involved, and without a doubt it’s the one I’m most anticipating at the event.

Tool: I’m going to take the easy route and pick the evening’s main event: Nick Diaz vs. Hayato “Mach” Sakurai. Diaz has all but abandoned his jiu-jitsu game in favor of his boxing, and we know Sakurai will be more than happy to oblige him in a stand-up war. I don’t think there’s too much question about the outcome, especially given Sakurai’s recent slide, but in terms of sheer entertainment value this bout promises to give fans their money’s worth.

When it comes right down to it I’m a fan of Nick Diaz. That’s getting harder and harder to say with each passing in-cage brawl that he’s been a part of, but I find the guy to be fun as hell to watch in the cage. The peppering punches, relentless taunting, and endless aggression all ensure that a Nick Diaz fight will not be boring. In the end that’s really all I’m asking for.

It’s been a busy day in the Ultimate Fighting Championship organization with unofficial and official bout changes from several of their upcoming events including UFC 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118.

The MMA News has compiled as many of the News & Notes for Tuesday May 11, 2010 from various sources around the web to provide you, our readers with theupdates.

- “Suga” Rashad Evans plans on leaving his emotions outside of the octagon against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

“The person that brings the most mental baggage to the fight is probably going to be the person that loses because they’re going to be one step slower in their reaction and getting off.

“The key for me is to just have an empty mind, to just go in there and try to perform to my best,” Evans said. “Just let all the trash talk come to a point in the cage and not go in there and fight angry.

“You could try to take his head off with every single punch and [gas] out halfway through the first round.”

“I do want to stand and bang and show him … but then at the same time, you’ve got to win the fight,” Evans said. “It doesn’t matter how long [I] stood up with him; it’s just how [effectively] you can take him out. I plan on using everything I can to do so.

“If it happens that I see an opportunity to take him down, then I’m taking him down. If I feel he defends the shot good, then we’ll stand up and bang. It all depends on what he gives me.”

- Thiago Tavares (14-3-1) has withdrawn from his bout with Melvin Guillard (23-8-2) due to an elbow injury.

According to Davis, Tavares hyper-extended his elbow during a training session. A timetable for his recovery is not known.

“Thiago just can’t seem to catch a break,” Davis said. “This would have been a great fight.”

- UFC newcomer Waylon Lowe (8-2) will step in for Tavares against Guillard. Lowe has a wrestling background and has won his last six fights.

- Jason Brilz (18-2-1) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) was made official today. Brilz replaces an injured Forrest Griffin after he suffered a shoulder injury.

- With Griffin officially replaced, a middleweight bout between Michael Bisping (18-3) vs. Dan Miller (11-3) has been promoted as the co-headliner for UFC 114.

UFC 114 takes place May 29 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and coincides with UFC Fan Expo 2010.

- Spike TV officially announces it’s next “UFC Prelims” program for next months UFC 115 event. Featured during the one-hour special will be two lightweight matches between Mac Danzig (19-7-1) vs. Matt Wiman (11-5) and Tyson Griffin (14-2) vs. Evan Dunham (10-0).

- A heavyweight bout between Ben Rothwell (30-7) and Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1) has been promoted to the PPV portion of the event after the Griffin vs. Dunham bout was dropped to the Spike broadcast.

UFC 115 takes place June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It marks the UFC’s first-ever trip to Vancouver.

- A bout between lightweights Jacob Volkmann (10-2) and Paul Kelly (10-2) was made official for UFC 116 and will take place on the preliminary card of the event.

UFC 116 is set to take place on July 3rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

- Fresh from their victories at UFC 113 this past weekend, UFC heavyweight fighters Matt Mitrione (2-0) and Joey Beltran (12-3) are rumored to meet at UFC 117, according to TrueFighting.com.

- The last hurdle facing UFC legend Randy Couture (18-10) and heavyweight boxer James Toney (0-0) happens to be a weight issue. The UFC had planned for both men to meet at 215 pounds, while Toney has asked for a 220 pound catch weight.

HT: MMAjunkie.com, BloodyElbow.com, and MMAFighting.com for the updates.

New York, NY, May 11, 2010 – Spike TV will telecast live undercard bouts from UFC® 115: LIDDELL vs. FRANKLIN on Saturday, June 12 at 9:00 PM ET/ 6:00 PM PT from the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The one-hour telecast will run with limited commercial interruption. UFC 115 will air on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM ET.

The first bout scheduled to air on Spike TV is in the lightweight division, and features a former winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” as Mac Danzig (20-7-1) squares off against Matt Wiman (11-5). Fighting out Los Angeles, CA, Danzig was the winner of Season 6 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” defeating Tommy Speer to capture the crown. He most recently defeated Justin Buchholz at UFC 109, and he hopes to make it two in a row by defeating Wiman at UFC 115.

Hailing from Dallas, TX, “Handsome” Matt Wiman appeared on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” and notched his first win in the UFC at the season finale against Brian Geraghty. He boasts a 5-3 record inside the UFC Octagon™, with wins over Thiago Tavares and Shane Nelson on his resume, as well as a Fight of The Night battle against Sam Stout. Widely respected for his toughness, Wiman hopes to emerge from his bout with Danzig with his hand raised, and still “Handsome.”

The evening’s second televised bout is also a lightweight contest, and pits rising star Evan Dunham (10-0) against longtime contender Tyson Griffin (14-2). Training with Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Dunham has won his first three contests in the UFC against Per Eklund, Marcus Aurelio and Efrain Escudero. Compiling an undefeated record in the UFC, with only two bouts going to decision, Dunham will be looking to use his effective mixture of striking and grappling ability to take out his toughest opponent to date, his teammate Tyson Griffin.

Tyson Griffin has defeated an impressive roster of opponents en route to his 7-2 record with the organization, including wins over the likes of Clay Guida, Hermes Franca and Gleison Tibau. With his aggressive striking, he is also widely known as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, having captured “Fight of the Night” honors five times during his career. He’ll look to make it a sixth time with a victory over Dunham.
Other bouts on the card might air on Spike TV, to be determined by the length of the fights.

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.