Three months out from the UFC’s historic Indiana debut at Conseco Fieldhouse, a “who’s who” of Indiana MMA joined a near-capacity crowd at the state fairgrounds’ Blue Ribbon Pavilion on Saturday night to take in Premier Cage Fighting 6 and a card featuring ten professional and eight amateur bouts.

The marquee fight of the night featured three nip-and-tuck rounds between Strikeforce veteran Dustin Neace and Joao Herdy, a superior grappler out of Marcello Monteiro’s BJJ camp.  Herdy took it to Neace in the early stages of the first period, scoring a takedown to back control from the clinch and looking unsuccessfully for a finish.  Neace worked out of inferior position and spent the latter half of the round deftly avoiding submissions and scoring some modest damage from within Herdy’s guard.  After a first round that could have been scored either way, Herdy jumped guard in the second and looked for a guillotine.  Neace looked in trouble early, but worked out of it.  Herdy controlled the pace for the remainder of the round, jumping in for another late guillotine attempt as the round came to a close.  Neace shrewdly switched tactics in the third round, keeping the fight standing and catching Herdy with a stiff jab before pouncing later on a Herdy slip.  Neace scored on several elbows from within Herdy’s guard in the last minute of the round, likely earning him the round.  With the second round going to Herdy and the third to Neace, the fight likely was decided on how the judges scored a virtually-even opening period.  In the end, Herdy took a razor-thin unanimous decision (29-28 on all scorecards), with both men showing they deserve to be considered among Indiana’s elite fighters.

The earlier pro bouts featured two leading candidates for submission of the night.  In the opening pro fight, Matt Singleton worked for a guillotine from Casey Dyer’s half-guard after scoring a double-leg takedown.  However, Dyer executed a beautiful reversal and immediately latched onto a triangle before rolling into the mounted position.  Singleton had no escape from the dreadful position, submitting to a mounted triangle 2:46 into the first round.

In another finish sure to make the highlight reel, Andrew Zook made short, painful work of Chris Johnson, incredibly latching on to an armbar from guard that left Johnson screaming in agony and tapping furiously just 15 seconds into the fight.

Despite coming in significantly overweight, James Powell  still had no answer for Team Iron Horse’s Marvin Lemock, succumbing quickly to a guillotine choke locked in by Lemock 42 seconds into the fight.

In other professional action:

Ryan McIntosh punished Toney Alvey in the clinch, controlled position when the fight went to the ground, and then finished with a devastating right head kick soon after the fighters returned to their feet.  The TKO finish came 2:32 into the first round.

Rob McIntyre turned in a strong performance against a tough Bryan Neville, controlling the action in the first round (which mistakenly was allowed to continue for six minutes) before finishing Neville in the second with elbows from full mount.  Neville’s submission to strikes came at 4:22 into the second round.

Justin Allen finished off Kevin McIntosh with a single well-placed knee to the ribs that crumpled McIntosh 1:21 into the fight.

In a plodding affair featuring all the excitement of watching paint dry, James Shaw finally came alive in the third round and earned a TKO stoppage 2:55 into the round against Jerry Burns.

Garett Whitley showed superior skill in finishing Miles Shrake with a rear naked choke 3:14 into the fight, prompting testy exchanges between each fighter’s vocal contingents in the crowd.

In a superheavyweight tilt, Jimmy Jenkins earned a standing TKO victory over Terry Mellotte 1:33 into the fight.

In the evening’s amateur action:

Larry Pavey got tagged with a jab early but then quickly finished Duane Gray with a guillotine 28 seconds into the fight.

Despite a point deduction for an illegal elbow, Andrew Kepchar cruised to a unanimous decision (29-27 on all three cards) over Matthew Perry.

Ethan Cronk latched onto a rear naked choke that forced Gary Riggs to submit 47 seconds into the second round.

Jesse Parsley earned a TKO stoppage 1:11 into the second round against “The Amish Assassin” Brandon Hockman in a fight that featured the odd sight of Hockman being forced by regulations to wear a mouthpiece despite having no teeth.

Jeremy Baughman lived up to his nickname of “Bulldozer,” plowing through Jason Clouse for a decisive TKO victory 1:05 into the fight.

In the most exciting amateur fight of the night, Abe Garcia earned a unanimous decision (30-27 on all cards) against Jesse Turner.

Bryant Whitaker could have finished Bobby Thilman at almost any point in their fight, but instead seemed content to ride out superior mount and back control position for a clear-cut unanimous decision (30-27 on all cards).

Robert Arnett earned a victory against Casey Claybourn after the latter fighter could not answer the third round bell.

Finally, in addition to the three dozen fighters who stepped into the cage, the night featured interviews with the UFC’s perennial fight-of-the-night contender Chris “Lights Out” Lytle (who is also a partner in Premier Cage Fighting), Kimbo-retirer and TUF alumnus Matt Mitrione, and UFC vets Jason Godsey, Jason Gilliam and Johnny Rees, all of whom are eagerly anticipating the long-awaited Hoosier debut of MMA’s flagship promotion in September.

Quick Results:

Amateur Card:
Larry Pavey defeated Duane Gray via Guillotine Choke in 0:28 of the first round.
Andrew Kepchar defeated Mathew Perry via unanimous 29-27 decision.
Ethan Cronk defeated Gary Riggs via Rear Naked Choke in 0:47 of the second round.
Jesse Parsley defeated Brandon Hockman via TKO in 1:11 of the second round.
Jeremy Baughman defeated Jason Clouse via TKO in 1:05 of the first round
Abe Garcia defeated Jesse Turner via unanimous 30-27 decision.
Bryant Whitaker defeated Bobby Thilman via unanimous 30-27 decision.
Robert Arnett defeated Casey Claybourn via TKO (Claybourn was unable to answer the bell of the third round)

Professional Card:
Casey Dyer defeated Matt Singleton via tapout due to Triangle Choke in 2:46 of the first round.
Ryan Mcintosh defeated Toney Alvey via TKO in 2:32 of the first round.
Andrew Zook defeated Chris Johnson via tapout due to Armbar in 0:15 of the first round
Rob McIntyre defeated Bryan Neville via TKO in 4:22 of the second round.
Justin Allen defeated Kevin Mcintosh via ref stoppage in 1:21 of the first round
Marvin Lemock defeated James Powell via tapout due to standing Guillotine in 0:42 of the first round.
James Shaw defeated Jerry Burns via TKO in 2:55 of the third round
Garett Whiteley defeated Miles Shrake via tapout due to Rear Naked Choke in 3:14 of the first round.
Jimmy Jenkis defeated Terry Mellotte via TKO in 1:33 of the first round.
Joao Herdy defeated Dustin Neace via unanimous 29-28 decision.

Tarsis Humphreys celebrates his first gold medal as a world champion after defeating Romulo Barral.

From the proverbial “thirty-thousand foot view” to examination of microscopic details that others miss, not many are able to put together a review as detailed as this piece volunteered by J-Sho on the men’s competition at the 2010 BJJ World Championship. (If anyone would like to contribute a review of the women’s brackets, please get in touch.) All photos courtesy of cohost Dan. Enjoy! – Caleb

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With the free live web stream provided by Budovideos and the live blogging of Caleb on the FightWorksPodcast giving many 1,000s of BJJ fans a window into proceedings, this, the 15th Mundials of the modern era did not disappoint. Upsets, submissions, controversy and the crowning of the greatest player of our generation.

10 male Black Belt finals, 2 advantage decisions, 1 referee’s decision, 1 close out, 1 injury, 2 submissions, 3 points victories – that was what this weekend came down to.

Some numbers to start us off…

28: Brazilian quarter finalists (from a possible 36). Well, it is called Brazilian Jiu Jitsu…

16: Roger Gracie’s row of submissions in these past 2 Mundials ended by a game Ricardo Abreu

15: The numbers of Black Belt medals Roger has picked up at the Mundials since 2003; the number of Mundials that Wellington “Megaton” Dias has competed in.

10: Roger Gracie’s black belt gold haul since 2003

8: The number of absolute finals Roger has been in since 2003

7: Number of degrees on those Red & Black belts now worn by Mauricio Gomes and Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti (2 of Rolls Gracie’s “Famous Five”) and Sergio Penha.

6: Felipe Costa now has six bronze medals in his division.

5: The absolute silver medals that remind us Roger is human too sometimes; the number of men’s titles Alliance took this year, matching their haul last year – still some way short of the 8 Gracie Barra managed in 2002 (admittedly after Nova Uniao removed themselves from CBJJ competition).

4: The absolute semi finals that Xande Ribeiro has faltered in (2004 Jacare Souza, 2005 Braulio Estima, 2007 Romulo Barral, 2010 Romulo again); the number of Gracies contesting black belt divisions (3 of whom were in Medio); the number of Americans quarter-finalists (Rafael Lovato Jr, Bill “The Grill” Cooper, JT Torres, Ryan Hall)

3: The number of absolute gold & double golds Roger has won; the number of Gracies contesting Medio Black Belt this year (Clark, Kayron, Kron); the number of Japanese quarter-finalists (Naoya Uematsu, Makoto Sawada, Matsumo Yoshihiko); the number of major finals Rafael Mendes has now beaten Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles in (World Pro Gi, ADCC, and Mundials).

2: The number of records Cobrinha missed out on (most titles in one division in a row; most Pan Ams and Mundials in the same year in a row);

1: Closed out finals. Granted a small number of but still 1 too many in my opinion; the number of Gracies other than Roger to have medaled at Black Belt since Royler Gracie in 1999 (Kayron); the round that saw the shock exit of the reigning champ Guilherme Mendes to Paulo Melo; the number of Australian quarter-finalists (Mick Wilson); the number of non-Brazilian Medalists (Lovato).

Tarsis Humphreys’ leg attack ends the Mundials aspirations of Romulo Barral.

Meio Pesado

Tarsis Humphreys (Alliance) vs. Romulo Barral (Gracie Barra)

A repeat of last year’s final (and with the prospect of more déjà vu for Romulo to come) saw Romulo control much of the match from the top before Tarsis caught Romulo’s foot and twisting his leg in all sorts of seemingly unnatural positions. Romulo was forced to submit due to his injury and hobbled past Roger waiting for his own match. Tarsis was ecstatic to get what some may be surprised to learn is only his first black belt Mundials gold. Fans would be left waiting to see if Romulo could possibly recover for the Absolute final or if Roger would get a walkover.

Tarsis wins by leg lock @ 6m23s.

Roger Gracie refrains from snapping Demente’s arm in two.

Super Pesado

Roger Gracie (Gracie Barra) vs. Ricardo “Demente” Abreu (Nova Uniao)

Déjà vu for Roger as well, a repeat of last year’s finals on the cards for him as well. Gracie has submitted all en route to both finals. Would the end of this match be the same as last year? Abreu (no relation to Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu) pulled guard and seemed to try to sweep Roger but Roger’s base was proof against this initially. Another attempt and he swept Roger to get some points on the board but Roger promptly reversed, Demente then reversed, almost took Roger’s back (had the hooks in but no control) forcing Roger to regain his composure and successfully defend the position.

Abreu found himself defending from the half guard, with Roger briefly passing, taking the back, trapping an arm and leg and then engaging in some seemingly armbreaking armbar attempts from different positions. Demente, living up to his name perhaps, did not tap even though from some angles the arm seemed clearly hyper-extended. The commentators speculated Roger was being a good sportsman by not cranking it on further. With a scramble ending out of bounds, Roger pulled guard and then dragged the arm, looking for the back (as per his earlier match vs. Bruno Bastos). Taking the back again and stretching out Ricardo, he secured 4 points to take it to 4-2.

Demente’s attempts to protect his neck were initially successful but Roger then underhooked an arm, rolled to his back and then worked for a choke. Demente had put on a very solid defense, proving more game than any other competitor Gracie had faced this weekend but Roger worked to transition to the mount and started looking for his trademark choke from mount. Demente was again able to put up some very solid defense and Roger was not able to repeat his feats of last year (winning all matches by submission and beating Demente in the final by submission), winning by 13-2. Roger secured his 7th weight division black belt gold in a row and 9th Gold overall and would be left waiting to see if he would contest the Absolute final for his 10th.

Roger wins 13-2.

Galo

Bruno Malfacine (Alliance) vs. Caio Terra (Gracie Elite)

Another rematch from last year saw Malfacine looking to continue his domination of this weight, having won both the CBJJ and CBJJE Mundials last year and the Pan Ams and Brasilieros this year. The match saw Terra, representing the newly formed Gracie Elite team, on the bottom and Malfacine on the top for the majority of the match, doing an excellent job of negating Caio’s guard. Terra’s sweep attempt and scramble to take the back at the death almost unseated Bruno, but the advantage awarded was not enough to snatch victory.

Malfacine wins 0-0 (3-2).

Pluma

Samuel Braga (Gracie Barra) vs. Pablo Silva (Gracie Barra)

The shock exit of Guilherme Mendes to Paulo Melo in the first round was unforeseen; the closing out of the bracket was not. Braga bowed out to Silva, taking his first gold, with Samuel giving up the opportunity to take his third. Braga gets to take this silver home though, having been DQ’d last year after showing disdain at Guilherme Mendes’ post fight celebration.

Silva wins by gentlemen’s agreement.

Rafael Mendes’ hand is raised in another defeat of his rival Cobrinha.

Pena

Rafael Medes (Atos) vs. Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles Maciel (Alliance)

The king vs. the pretender to his throne. With Cobrinha having already submitted former champ Mario Reis again and looking to surpass the kind of featherweights Royler Gracie and take his 5th consecutive gold, Mendes shot straight to pull half guard and then started working for a leg or foot lock rather than going for his trademark 50/50 guard. With Mendes and Cobrinha tied 3-3 in head to heads so far and Cobrinha’s avowed intention to retire from competition (temporarily at least), would the king leave on a high, or would he be forcibly dethroned? Mendes was 2-0 up for an early sweep but Cobrinha returned the favour for 2 points of his own at the 4 minute mark.

Leg spaghetti (trademark Caleb) ensued with both men jockeying for position and both men then going for toeholds. Cobrinha’s flexibility was defense enough but Rafael managed to score another sweep and 2 advantages in the meantime. Cobrinha threatened a kneebar and used that to get another sweep to tie the match on points if not advantages. Cobrinha snapped on a wickedly tight footlock, Rafael took one too but neither man could finish.

A kneebar by Mendes also went nowhere but 2 points appeared and then disappeared from the board for Cobrinha, 4-4 (3-1) for Mendes so far with 90 seconds left and all to play for. Cobrinha looked for another footlock, Mendes replied in kind, the clock ticked on, less than 30 seconds to go. More footlock attempts, Mendes lost his but Cobrinha is dethroned, 4-4 (5-3) and Mendes and Atos have finally stopped the relentless Alliance medal haul this weekend. Let us hope Cobrinha changes his mind and we see these two continue their rivalry.

Mendes wins 4-4 (5-3).

Leve

Michael Langhi (Alliance) vs. Celso Vinicius (Gracie Elite)

With Langhi looking for his 2nd gold and Celsinho his 4th, the number 0 figured heavily here, with no points or advantages scored in the first 9 minutes. A sweep attempt by Langhi saw some frantic attempts by Celsinho to seal his victory as this one went to the referees. Almost nothing to call between them! Would Langhi get it for the near sweep or Celsinho for maintaining his top position? Langhi had done enough with the sweep and took his second gold. By Michael’s own reckoning, he has not lost in more than 2 years. Celsinho will no doubt be looking to break that run at the next suitable juncture.

Langhi wins by referee’s decision.

Marcelo Garcia works to escape the closed guard of Claudio Calasans.

Medio

Marcelo Garcia (Alliance) vs. Claudio Calasans (Atos).

A very strong field this year with all 8 quarter finalists confident of victory (3 CBJJ world champions and 2 world champions under other federations amongst them). The final was another Atos/Alliance contest, with Calasans looking to maintain his momentum of 2010, having beaten ADCC and Mundials champ Braulio Estima twice at the World Pro Gi this year (and under BJJ math, if Calasans beats Braulio and Braulio beats Marcelo, can Claudio beat Marcelo too?). Garcia, who has dominated middleweight since 2004 and the disappearance of Terere from the competition scene, was looking for his 4th black belt gold here and probably some personal redemption having lost out to Pablo Popovitch in the ADCC final last September. He had been impressive en route to the final, but so had Calasans. Calasans attempt to launch Roger into orbit in the absolute of last year was not totally successful, but his top game was initially match for Marcelo’s guard game. Claudio pulled off a butterfly guard pass on no one in particular and then got wrapped up for a footlock sweep by Marcelo.

Calasans worked from guard and looked to work a cross collar choke, but to no avail. Wristlock fans were briefly elated then disappointed. You won’t see Marcelo’s posture in guard advocated on his instructional videos, but when you make the rules, you can break them too I guess (don’t try this at home kids). Calasans working grips to try set up an unconventional looking omoplata, tried to threaten the sweep but could not fix the requisite grips and with the clock moving regularly (even if the competitors weren’t) he would still need to score to prevent the online BJJ community inventing new superlatives to describe Garcia. Calasans shot his leg out but Garcia stuffed it and went for his high step over guard pass. Claudio worked from open, then half guard and was rolled by Marcelo in a scramble. 8 seconds to go. A takedown would be needed to draw. An awesome flurry of sweep and throw attempts by Claudio was not enough and Marcelo’s ownership of the title best Middleweight in the world continues, for the moment at least.

Marcelo wins 2-0.

Alliance’s young title hunter Bernardo Faria defeats Xande Ribeiro.

Pesado

Xande Ribeiro (Gracie Humaita) vs. Bernard Faria (Alliance)

Garcia was all smiles after his final, by contrast when the camera panned to Saulo and Xande, they were deep in thought, Xande not having not had a great day yesterday, tested by Antonio Braga Neto and then beaten by Romulo Barral in the Absolute division. Pesado has seen a number of young guns emerge recently, with Alexandre Ceconi, Cyborg, Faria, Rodrigo Pinheiro adding to the elite ranks of Braulio & Xande. With Braulio injured and Cyborg campaigning successfully at Ultra Heavy this year it was Faria (who has taken double gold at the Pan Ams this year) who made it to the final hurdle. He started brightly, shooting for half guard and starting to look for his omoplata game. Xande’s day seemed brighter on Sunday, storming to another final, the last person to beat Xande in a weight category here was Roger and that was back in 2005 when Xande stepped up to Super Pesado to go after Roger.

Faria working mostly from the bottom and Xande on the top, Faria worked hard for a takedown with Xande desperately defending; Faria even pulling Xande back into the centre of the mat to try to launch the throw. Faria went back to the deep half guard, from the other side this time, 0-0 (2-1) in favour of Xande with little time left. Xande looked to flatten out Faria and work for mount, but with a double underhook Faria managed to sweep and get 2 pts. 0-2 (2-1) with 2 minutes left. The Alliance cheering squad prepared themselves to explode. 90 seconds and Xande trying to work his legs in, but Faria took control and prevented his game plan. Faria then pulled Xande back into the centre of the mat to maintain his momentum and prevent the restart. Xande indicated Faria was stalling to win the match, but he himself has probably benefited from riding out the clock before and he could not break Faria’s grip on his belt, his gi pants, or on the title.

Faria wins 2-0 (1-2).

Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu peers from the depths as Rodrigo Cavaca seals his fate.

Pesadissimo

Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu (Carlson Gracie Team) vs. Rodrigo Cavaca (Checkmat)

An oft-maligned division with few serious competitors, not this year, a very deep talent pool this year with the presence of Peinado, Cavaca, Braga Neto, Abreu, Luiz “Big Mac” Teodoro, Gabriel Vella, Roberto Tozi, Marcio “Pe de Pano” Cruz and Marcio Corleta (4 of them World Champions) making for some intriguing match ups. The surprise of this bracket surely the giant Australian “Big Mick” taking the back and choking the versatile “Big Mac”.

The final came down to Cyborg, seeking revenge for Cavaca beating him by footlock in the absolute quarter finals yesterday and Cavaca having easily triangle one legend of the game (Pe de Pano) on his run to the final, seeking a gold to help blot out the memory of another (Roger) manhandling him yesterday. Cavaca has already won this category at the Brasilieros this year and his run must have left him confident. A different Abreu (in case anyone (Caleb) wasn’t sure) from the one who went the distance with Roger earlier, had triangled Braga Neto in the semis and looked to continue a successful campaign at a weight 2 above his normal division. Cavaca fighting from guard, Cyborg looking to pass, but Cavaca with a sweep to go ahead. Cavaca eying Cyborg’s foot hungrily like Pe de Pano & Big Mac at a churrascaria, he set his grips slowly then changed his mind and went for a straight footlock. Fixing his position, then arching back and Cavaca has his first Mundials black belt title, 6 wins from 7 this year and the memory of his defeat to Vella in the final erased.

Cavaca wins by leg lock @ 2m49s.

Absolute

Roger Gracie (Gracie Barra) vs. Romulo Barral (Gracie Barra).

With Romulo badly injured in his final against Tarsis, and the women’s absolute final closed out by Alliance team mates Luanna Alzuguir and Gabi Garcia, the day’s proceedings were bought to a close. Roger as three time Absolute, 3 time Double Gold winner and now ten time black belt world champion, his 2010 campaign ending on a whimper and not a bang this time, but not before making clear that closing out a division is not an option in his world and additionally that he is going to be back on these mats for some time to come. Barral was clearly disappointed to have not contested the Absolute final, but can take heart in having put on some amazing matches this weekend; we wish him a speedy recovery.

Roger wins by walkover.

And the aftermath

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, like it says on the tin, it’s Brazilian: Still only two non Brazilian gold medalists in 15 years and based on this year, no stand out likely to join them soon. Of the 36 quarter finalists, only 8 were non Brazilian with 4 Americans, 3 Japanese, and 1 Australian all adding up to 1 medal this time around. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu continues to go from strength to strength in the United States and elsewhere and there are many talented and accomplished players, particularly from Japan and the US, but it seems we are still some way from breaking the Brazilian domination of the sport.

Anti-Venom: Mendes proved again he can win by taking Cobrinha out of his comfort zone, albeit the place he takes them to is sometimes light on action. Cobrinha will surely not let the advantage of 4-3 lay with his rival for too long and I think their rivalry will continue shortly.

Many could quickly dismiss this as another 50/50 stall-fest, restating that the goal of BJJ is to positionally dominate and/or submit your opponent, but that is predicated on you actually being able to do that to them. That does a disservice to this particular final, which I think was an intriguing technical battle. Perhaps the casual observer is spoiled by getting to see Roger and others dominate and finish their opponents in short order and this raises an unreasonable expectation as to how a match should look – if you are submitting or dominating your opponent at the black belt level, it is probably because there is a gulf in skill and/or fitness between you and your opponent.

In many combat sports, when two very similarly or evenly matched people are competing, it is probable that the ensuing match will not be visibly spectacular. By the time you reach the semi finals, one should assume that the competitors are all likely to be reasonably matched. An additional consideration, to quote the old chestnut “styles make fights”, not every match is going to be the perfect visual feast of 100 mile an hour acrobatic top game vs. tricky inverse rolling guard game. Sometimes with a clash of styles or where two people with the same style meet, the resulting match will be hard on the eye. This does not mean it is not a skillful affair, just not perhaps to your taste – if you don’t like watching this style of match, then don’t.

Let us give credit where it is due; Mendes handily beat most of his opponents with the exception of Ryan Hall, in part because Ryan Hall plays a similar game to Mendes. Cobrinha blitzed all his other opponents, including a former world champ Mario Reis, seemingly able to impose his game pretty much at will. But he had to engage in the “leg spaghetti” of the final because Mendes is just as good as he is – you don’t become the only black belt to beat Cobrinha (and 4 times at that) just by being able to stall. Cobrinha in this one instance does not possess the necessary incremental skill over his opponent to impose his game or to prevent Mendes from playing his own game. Evolution in positions and movement and tactics and counters is a key facet of BJJ; the 50/50 is just one such evolution that Atos’ opponents are still coming to terms with.

Can’t tap this: Ricardo “Demente” did something improbable this weekend, somehow defending an armbar from Roger Gracie on a hyper-extended limb and thwarting multiple other submission attempts from Gracie to deny him another perfect Mundials. Reports he rushed outside to buy a lottery ticket and discovered the Higg’s Boson on his way to the store are unverified at this time.

All your base belong to us: Alliance repeated their feat of 2009 with 5 of a possible 10 male black belt golds winging their way back to Atlanta. But for Mendes, it could have been 6, a recent record, albeit still short of Gracie Barra’s 8 in 2002 after Nova Uniao pulled out of CBJJ competitions. With champions like Garcia, Malfacine, Faria, Tarsis & Langhi and strong supporting cast in Peinado, Nogueira, Lepri, Moraes & Cobrinha, let alone the small army of warriors at lower belts, they are THE dominant force on the competition scene. They took a very good new addition to the team (Malfacine) and helped him become the most dominant rooster weight in a decade, the first back to back champion at that weight since Omar Salum in 1999/2000.

That having been said, there are still a few gaps in their armory. With the departure of Gabriel Vella, they have lost a decorated veteran campaigner in the Ultra Heavy and Absolute divisions With Leo Leite turning out for his cameo appearances for Brasa these days and Comprido a). also part of Brasa but even so b). retired, they miss their other active Super & Ultra Heavy players of previous years. For a team which can claim 2 of the best 3 or 4 players in the world in Leve and Medio, they are still reliant on one elite individual in Feather and Medium-heavyweight and have arguably had no serious contender in Light Feather since Ricardo Vieira in the early 00’s.

Quibbling over this is may be like trying to point out a small speck of dirt on a fine cashmere jumper, but the Absolute title defines these games to an extent and Alliance have not had a viable challenger for the throne since Comprido back in 2000. Other teams can, for the moment rest easy knowing that there is still gold to be struck out there.

Atos Jiu-Jitsu’s cheering section celebrates Rafael Mendes’ gold medal.

A New Act: Guilherme Mendes was surprisingly defeated in the first round when many (myself included) considered him a shoe-in for the final. Melo deserves full credit for the win, although some will wonder if the weight cut for Mendes was in some way a factor. Regardless, Atos Jiu Jitsu have been consistently showing us that at major tournaments that they have strength in depth in the lighter weights, with their team of Claudio Calasans, Rodrigo Caporal, Bruno Frazatto, Jonatas Gurgel, Gustavo Campos, Gilbert “Durinho” Burns, Eduardo Ramos, Rafael Mendes, Guilherme Mendes. Alliance will have worthy competitors from this team for some time to come.

Gracie Humaita’s cheering section at the 2010 BJJ Mundials.

Look on my works ye mighty and despair: In stark contrast to the riches on their teamsheet for much of the past 15 years, Gracie Humaita have shrunk to having only a handful of potential medalists, one, granted, is one of the best of the last decade, but even he has off days as evidence by this weekend and the next best chance is his student, also in his division, limiting their options for Gold.

Royler, Saulo & Xande make up the most dominant teacher/student force in the history of the sport, with 26 black belt gold and 44 medals at the Mundials, ADCC and Copa do Mundo between them. But with the former two retired, of Humaita’s 8 golds in the last 7 years, Xande alone has won 6 and if he retires to focus on MMA or if training for MMA prevents him from recapturing his past form, does that spell the end of Gracie Humaita as a force at the Mundials at this level?

Lonely at the top: The stats are impressive: 1st 3 time absolute champion; 1st 3 time double champion; 8 absolute finals in a row; 7 weight class finals in a row; 7 weight class gold medals in a row; 2009/2010 run of 16 submissions; 15 black belt medals at the Mundials (10 Gold, 5 silver) and submitted 2 of the other champions at the weekend (Cavaca and Tarsis).

With the records books updated, we must reflect that often a Mundials will be made by Roger being taken to the wire, being beaten, even if just by the tiniest of margins, but with Xande in a poor (for him) run of form, with no Jacare prowling the mats, with Pe de Pano now gone as a force on the mats and despite the emergence of a lot of talent in the Pesado ranks, no other real contender on the scene, how long will the sport hold his interest? For Ali to be the greatest, he needed Frazier, Norton, Foreman to propel him to that peak and keep him there. Roger similarly needs at least one great rival to make next year compelling since this year was another Godzilla vs. Tokyo affair. Either Tokyo needs to learn to fight back, or one of the rival teams needs to perfect their Mecha-Godzilla and fast.

Close outs, a necessary evil?: The odds are stacked against such things happening, but some teams do have real depth in a given division – thankfully we only saw one this weekend, but to many fans it tarnishes the victory of the “winner”, regardless of the arguments that sometimes when people are team-mates and friends, they don’t want to compete against each other. At least Braga didn’t ask for a game of Rock/Paper/Scissors.

(Left to right) Sergio Penha, Mauricio “The Bear” Motta Gomes, and Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti receive certificates for their red and black belts from the IBJJF.

The Three Seven Degrees: Certificates commemorating their elevation to the small group Black and Red belts were presented to Mauricio Gomes and Romero “Jacare” Cavalcanti (2 of Rolls Gracie’s “Famous Five”) and Sergio Penha. These men have been living and breathing Jiu Jitsu longer than many competitors this weekend have even been alive. For their legacy, Mauricio has produced (both literally and through coaching) the greatest BJJ player of our age; Jacare, created one of the strongest sport BJJ team’s of the decade and Sergio, also a very successful coach, will always been known as the person who came closest to the impossible feat of defeating Rickson Gracie.

A Free Lunch: An amazing gift to BJJ fans, a free live stream for both days of the weekend. Gone are the days of brief text messages from people at Tijuca Tennis Club to the outside world, now with the FightWorksPodcast live blogging by Caleb, the Live stream and the Twittering by Graciemag and others, technology has helped revolutionise how we enjoy the Mundials, in as much as those not there can actually enjoy it without relying on terrible hand shot footage on YouTube or waiting a few months for the DVD.

Shawn and Caleb again did a great double act presenting the Budovideos live stream and we must all thank Budovideos for that. Having said that, with only one camera and the matches selected at the whim of the producers, often changing mid match, I wonder if there is an opportunity for Budovideos to enhance this offering, maybe have multiple cameras to choose from and to charge an appropriate fee for this service. Few might quibble with paying 20 or 30 dollars for premium access to action over the weekend.

Hail to the Chef: It would be remiss to remark about the free lunch and not mention all those who pulled together this feast of BJJ. From the organization and direction of Marcelo “Siriema” Araújo, Alvaro Mansur and others, to the referees and judges, desk staff, mat officials, first aid team, to the unmistakable voice of Tony Torres and those poor souls he DQ’d and of course to all the competitors, coaches and supporters… well done.

See you next year.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Update: Video of Paulo Filho’s fight with the 255 pound Daniel Gabriel. Fight starts at 2:35, and just a warning you’ll want to turn your speakers down.

For Paulo Filho (20-1), the last man to hold the WEC middleweight title, trouble and controversy have followed the fighter for some time now.

The fighter has had to withdraw from several fights in the past year due to various reasons such as visa problems and contract negotiations.

He was scheduled to face Yoon Dong-Sik on October 25, 2009 at DREAM.12 but failed to show up for that fight. He failed to show up for the weigh-ins against Yuki Sasaki in the main event of a Bitetti Combat MMA 6 event on February 25, 2010. And then backed out of a scheduled fight with Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight champ Hector Lombard in a non-title bout on May 13, 2010 at Bellator 18 due to visa issues, according to Filho.

So it was with some relief and trepidation that we learned the Brazilian would be competing on Friday night at a “Memorial Fight Qualifying” event in São Paulo, Brazil against a giant of an opponent from Chile, who weighed 255 pounds.

“I gotta fight. Time is going by and I can’t get stuck. This opportunity came at the right time. I don’t know anything about my opponent, all I want to do is fight,” Filho was quoted on the events official website.

Well would he or wouldn’t he? That was the question facing many Filho fans.

As it turns out, Filho did take the fight earning a first round submission victory over his heavyweight opponent. Filho brought Gabriel to the ground, passed his guard into mount position, and worked his ground-and-pound forcing his opponent to tap.

This is definitely a step in the right direction for the former WEC champ, with a record of 20-1, that loss being to Chael Sonnen at WEC 36 in 2008, mma fans should want to see a fighter of his skill in the ring.

Filho is scheduled to fight twice in July, both bouts will be in Australia as part of the Impact Fighting Championships upcoming events.

This will be the marker for fans to take note of, if he does show for these fights it could very well be the sign that he’s put his troubles behind him and is ready to move on with his mixed martial arts career, and only a short step from the octagon.

On July 10th Filho will face Keith Johnson (5-2) at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and just eight days later he’ll take on former PRIDE and UFC middleweight fighter Denis Kang (32-12-1) at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

HT: Tatame.com

The 8 Seconds Saloon played host to one of the most riveting Legends of Fighting cards in some time this past Friday evening.

The night’s first event pitted Dominic Stevens against Mike Dzelme.  Both came out looking to exchange, but wound up in the clinch.  Stevens attempted a throw only to be countered by Dzelme’s sacrifice.  Dzelme landed in side-control and looked to end the fight with an arm triangle.  Stevens, however, was not going to let things end that easily.  After narrowly missing out on the arm triangle, Dzelme saw a rare opportunity to transition to a tarantula arm lock.  This transition  led to a controversial referee stoppage (due to Stevens choice to NOT tap) thus giving Dzelme the victory.

The second fight of the night featured Josh Patterson against Ken Joy.  Patterson was able to achieve the victory one minute and two seconds into the first round via tapout from strikes.

In what looked to be a promising fight “Yo Boy” Nick Harris made his mixed martial arts debut against one of Carlos Diaz’s students Ed Croom.  After the sound of the bell, Croom landed a straight right that prompted Harris to look for a shot.  However, Croom was able to stuff the shot and muscle Harris to the ground.  While on the ground, Croom looked for various submissions, but was unable to pull any off due to Harris’ perpetual motion.  As the round came to an end, Croom was able to mount Harris and land a series of punches.  Harris was unable to answer the bell for the second round giving Croom the victory.

The night’s next fight ended in strange fashion in Joe Neace escaping James Lipsius guillotine choke only to apply his own guillotine.  Neace was awarded the victory via tapout a minute and six seconds into the second round.

Jimmy Nicholas was able to pull a submission victory via rear-naked choke over Dustin Abney in the fifth fight of the night.

Cornelius George, a member of Team James Clingerman, showed true intrepidity taking a fight against 6-0 Andy Lambert in his mixed martial arts debut.  Lambert showed to be the aggressor in the beginning attempting to throw a front kick.  However, his front kick was caught by George and he was shoved to the mat.  George was able to land a few hammer fists before Lambert escaped to his feet.  After a brief clinch, Lambert took the fight to the ground.  He was able to land some hard punches before giving George too much room to maneuver.  With this room, George rolled Lambert over and took full mount.  For the rest of the round George utilized his ground and pound skills.

The second round started off much like the first with Lambert being the aggressor.  George, much like the first round, was able to catch Lamberts shots and take him to the ground.  From there George was able to land a series of unanswered shots forcing the referee to step intervene.  This gave George a victory one minute and eleven seconds into the second round via TKO.

The last amateur fight of the night was a three round decision in which Judge 1 scored the bout, 28-28, Judge 2 scored it 29-27 and Judge 3 scored it 29-28 awarding the victory to Tim Koehler over Barry Fox.

The professional card began with Daniel Pitzulo making his professional debut against Matthew Wilson.  Pitzulo was able to control Wilson from the beginning and able to dictate where the fight was going.  After a brief stoppage due to an inadvertent kick to the face, Pitzulo mounted Wilson and looked straight for a keylock.  Pitzulo’s haste was able to give him enough for the victory via keylock two minutes and fifty-four seconds into the first round.

The second professional bout of the evening featured another fighter making his professional debut is Mark Neville.  Neville was pitted against two-time professional veteran Michael Glen.  After the two touched gloves, Glen charged Neville and pinned him against the cage.  Glen scooped Neville and slammed him to the canvas.  Neville used every submission from the guard in which one can imagine, but during this Glen was able to slam Neville.  The slam left Neville dazed (partly due to an inadvertent head butt during the slam).  In fact Neville was so dazed that he tapped while attempting a triangle choke thus giving Glen the victory.

Chase Beebe’s little brother Carson was featured in next bout of the evening against Chris Clark (whom had taken the fight on two days notice).  Beebe controlled things from the beginning catching Clark’s right kick and landing a nasty straight right.  After the straight right, Beebe took to fight to the mat utilizing his ground and pound until the referee eventually called a halt to the fight a minute and forty-three seconds into the first round.

Cagecraze.com’s featured fighter, Kyle Gibbons, was slotted to have the next bout of the night, but was unable to do so due to his challenger, Alexander (Al)Thomas failing to show up for the fights.

The next fight of the evening, featured Sean McCorkle and Jonathan Ivey.  In the first round, McCorkle controlled Ivey in every aspect.  Ivey showed his resiliency taking multiple shots throughout the first.  In the second round, Ivey played to the crowd while McCorkle smiled.  The action then resumed with McCorkle dominating yet again.  The referee was eventually forced to call a halt to the fight giving McCorkle the victory.

Tristan Yunker made his return to the cage in the second-to-last fight of the night against Ron Carter.  Yunker was able to bait Carter in with an over-hand left and immediately hit a double leg takedown.  Once the fight hit the ground Yunker showed great composure while controlling Carter’s every move.  He was eventually able to set up a perfect armbar giving him the victory one minute and thirty-three seconds into the first round. After his victory Yunker was awarded the Jeremy Ashley Heart Award.

Fight, Submission & Comeback of the Night

In what was the fight, submission and comeback of the night, Zach Jenkins was able to defeat Orville Smith in the main event.  Smith was in control for the majority of the fight until the beginning of the third round where he was caught with looping left.  Jenkins seized the opportunity and charged Smith, forcing him to shoot.  Smith’s shot was successful, but Jenkins was able to pull Smith into his guard.  From his guard Jenkins transitioned into a beautiful triangle choke, forcing Smith to tap.

With the conclusion of the evening, Dustin Howell has to feel a sense of accomplishment. Howell provided Central Indiana M.M.A. fans with one of the the most requested and long awaited matchups (Orville Smith vs Zach Jenkins). In only his second event as the LFC match maker, he successfully accomplished a task that his predecessors simply could not. We at CageCraze.com look forward to seeing what Dustin Howell and the Legends of Fighting Championships have in store for the future.

Quick Results

Amateur card:

Mike Dzelme  defeated Dominic Stevens in 1:58 of the 1st Round by referee stoppage

Josh Patterson defeated Ken Joy in 1:02 of the 1st Round via tapout due to strikes

Ed Croom defeated Nick Harris when Harris could not answer the 2nd Round bell

Joe Neace defeated James Lipsius in 1:06 of the 2nd Round via tapout due to Guillotine Choke

Jimmy Nicholas defeated Dustin Abney in 2:07 of the 1st Round via tapout due to Rear Naked Choke

Cornelius George defeated Andy Lambert in 1:11 of the 2nd Round via TKO

Tim Koehler defeated Berry Fox in a split decision

Professional Card:

Daniel Pitzulo defeated Matt Wilson in 2:54 of the 1st Round via tapout due to Keylock submission

Mike Glen defeated Mark Neville in 1:27 of the 1st Round via tapout due to strikes

Carson Beebe defeated Chris Clark  in 1:43 of the 1st Round via referee stoppage due to strikes

Kyle Gibbons vs Alexander Thomas (Thomas was a no show)

Sean McCorkle defeated Johnathan Ivy in 3:21 of the 2nd Round via referee stoppage due to strikes

Tistan Yunker defeated Ron Carter in 1:33 of the 1st Round  via tapout due to Armbar submission

Zach Jenkins defeated Orville Smith in 1:18 of the 3rd Round via tapout due to Triangle Choke

FiveOuncesofPain.com is on-site at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio where Bellator Fighting Championships is gearing up for tonight’s Bellator 20 event!

On tap, the promotion’s middleweight tournament comes one step closer to establishing a contender for current champ Hector Lombard’s title as a duo of semi-final bouts are set to unfold on the card. On one side of the bracket, Jared Hess will take on Alexander Shlemenko while on the other Bryan Baker faces Eric Schambari.

Also scheduled for the show are former UFC heavyweight Eddie Sanchez, as well a regional “superfight” featuring Texans Aaron Rosa and Robert Villegas.

Bellator 20 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC, Telemundo and mun2.

A full set of live results are listed below:

Kenneth Battle vs. Fernando Rodriguez

Sam Hoger in Battle’s corner. Rodriguez gets lots of love from hometown crowd. Feeling out turns into takedown counter from Rodriguez. Action stays on ground. Rodriguez gets Battle’s back but Battle defends position well. Rodriguez locks up arm and lands strikes, many of which are to the back of Battle’s head but go without warning from the ref. Battle reverses position but gets caught in Triangle attempt with ten seconds in first frame. Triangle turns into armbar. Round ends.

Round two starts out with both men swinging against the fence. Rodriguez ends up in side control from the back, rains down a few punches, locks in choke, and gets the tap.

Winner -Fernando Rodriguez via Submission Round 2

Humberto DeLeon vs. Jimmy Flick

Flick comes out and throws a big shot. Men scramble and go to the ground. DeLeon grabs neck, then goes for guillotine attempt. Flick controls from top. DeLeon goes for triangle but no luck.

Second round and Flick comes out throwing a big kick which ends up putting him on his backside. Recovers, then ends up on top again in guard after the scramble. DeLeon locks in a nice armbar attempt but Flick escapes. Back into guard. Men stand up, throw a few more shots, and the round ends.

Third round and Flick ends up in guard again within first 30 seconds. Both working hard on the ground. Flick gets DeLeon’s back. Remainder of the round stays in a similar position with Flick eventually ending up in side control, dropping down some nice knees to the body, and ultimately emerging the bout’s winner.

Winner – Jimmy Flick via Decision

Brian Melancon vs. Adam Schindler

Fighters start out swinging with technique thrown to the wind. Some nice shots are landed but nothing that changes the tide of the bout.

Melancon and Schindler start the second out exchanging leather as well before Schindler gets a takedown. He is unable to advance position so the two return to their feet. A takedown later and Schindler ends up in half-guard. He lands an elbow that opens Melancon up as the round expires.

The third frame starts out like the first two with wild punches and kicks. Both fighters are bleeding now. Schindler shoots in but gets stuffed. A few more punches from both and Schindler goes for another takedown. Melancon sprawls effectively for awhile, but Schindler continues to work and eventually works his way on top and into half-guard. Schindler moves into Melancon’s guard and throws a few punches/hammerfists. Schindler prepares to advance which leads to Melancon rolling to avoid the change in position. Schindler gets his back for awhile, then ends up back on top in half-guard. He lands a few punches prior to the bell expiring. There may not have been a finish but Schindler certainly shouldn’t be asking himself if he could have done more when reflecting on the performance.

Winner – Adam Schindler via Decision

Cedric Marks vs. Andrew Chappelle

Fighters feeling each other out after big leg kick from Chapelle. Lock up, ends up with Chapelle getting the takedown and working into side control. Chapelle back into mount position but Marks keeps him from posturing up. Chapelle drops a few elbows in an attempt to get loose but Marks holds on. Chapelle transitions into his back and lands a few punches from behind. Chapelle grabs a hold of Marks’ neck but runs out of time before locking anything in.

Similar start to second round with Chapelle dropping a few bombs from the top, once again getting Marks’ back, and this time locking in the choke. The crowd approves of the performance as well as a post-fight backflip from the victor.

Winner – Andrew Chapelle via Submission Round 2

Robert Villegas vs. Aaron Rosa

Villegas charges in and pushes Rosa into the cage. He tires to drag Rosa to the canvas but Rosa refuses to go down easily. The fighters seperate and Rosa becomes the agressor, though Villegas is able to use his momentum against him and pushes Rosa up to the fence again. The two back off each other, then start throwing punches with both men doing equal damage. Rosa locks back up with Villegas who appears to pull guard. He decides to give up on advancing position so the two stand back up and begin scrapping again. At one point Villegas even motions for Rosa to “bring it”. Rounds ends with more punching but no stumbling/sleeping.

The second round opens up like the first with Rosa ending up in Villegas’ guard again. Rosa works the body and head from the top but can’t land anything significant so the referee decides to stand the two Texans up. They immediately go right back into throwing punches with both landing a few shots in the process. The San Antonio crowd starts chanting for their hometown boy as the round ends with more, semi-ineffective stand-up.

More of the same in the third, though Villegas looks a little tired and is letting his hands drop. Villegas drops to his back and attempts a half-hearted kneebar that Rosa easily pulls out of. Rosa jumps into his guard and goes back to trying to strike from the top. Villegas controls his arms for the most part and little damage is actually done. Rosa pulls out and steps back but Villegas doesn’t appear to want to return to his feet. Needless to say the audience disappoves. The referee finally stands him up with ten seconds and both men fire away power shots as time expires.

Winner – Aaron Rosa via Decision

Nik Mamalis vs. Mark Oshiro

Oshiro starts out with a leg kick and comes in with a few more strikes before Mamalis grabs underhooks and pushes him up against the cage. Mamalis gets Oshiro to the ground but runs into the Hawaiian’s rubber guard. Oshiro controls from the bottom while Mamalis continues to push him up against the cage. Mamalis postures up and lands a few punches. Oshiro takes advantage of the position and goes for an unsuccessful triangle attempt. Mamalis switches to side control, postures up, and eventually ends up back in the rubber guard. Mamalis scoops him up and slams him on his back for the attempt. Oshiro upkicks a downed Mamalis and gets warned for the foul but no points are deducted. The fighters exchange a high five and action continues. Round ends with Mamalis on top.

Oshiro comes out kicking again, but Mamalis shows he isn’t afraid to stand and fires a few shots back. Mamalis ends up taking Oshiro down in a scramble, takes his back, rolls into mount, then return to Oshiro’s back where he locks in a RNC for the second round sub.

Winner – Nick Mamalis via Submission Round 2

Eddie Sanchez vs. Marcus Sursa

Opening round features a lot of clinching against the cage. Sanchez controls bulk of action, including a few takedowns, with Sursa taking advantage of a failed guillotine attempt to get on top at one point.

Second round opens with Sursa dropping Sanchez with a clean shot to the jaw but he’s unable to finish things. Sanchez has a broken nose, but recovers and eventually gets on top of Sursa. The former UFC heavyweight works some decent ground-and-pound, including a brutal elbow in the process. Sanchez gets mount, Sursa turtles up to defend, and somehow weathers a series of strikes from the mount to end the round. Huge amount of heart displayed by Sursa and credit to the referee for not stopping things.

Sanchez rushes in to start off the third, takes Sursa down, and goes back to ground-and-pounding him. Almost gets mount, then throws some punches from the side and it appears Sursa has had enough. Referee calls for stoppage less than 30 seconds in.

Winner – Eddie Sanchez via TKO Round 3

Alexander Shlemenko vs. Jared Hess

Shlemenko comes out to “Du Hast” by Rammstein, Hess to country music. Care to guess which song the crowd preferred?

Action starts on their feet with a few leg kicks and pawing jabs. Neither seems ready to fully commit to swinging but Hess is the agressor for sure. Hess fakes a punch, then shoots in and takes Shlemenko down. Hess in side control, working to advance, but his Russian adversary holds on and prevents any major change in position. Hess gets Shlemenko’s back with fellow Bellator fighter Roger Huerta shouting out instructions from ringside and encouraging his fellow Austinite.

Hess almost locks in a RNC but Shlemenko keeps his chin tucked and prevents the hold. Fights goes back into standing position temporarily, then back to the ground with Hess taking Shlemenko’s back and landing a few punches before the first round ends. Fighters roll around a bit with Hess landing in guard for the rest of the fight.

Second round opens with Shlemenko throwing a kick and getting taken down for his effort. Hess works from the guard but can’t fire away with anything too powerful due to Shlemenko’s defense. Schlemenko throws up a triangle and locks it in. Hess tries to slam him but can’t, then escapes the hold, gets Shelmenko’s back, and almost locks in his own submission. Shlemenko works for a kneebar to no avail. Fighters roll around for a bit with Hess on ending up on top as the round ends.

Third sees more stand-up with Shlemenko getting the best of things. Hits Hess with some nice shots, but action slows down. When referee asks Hess to stand he tries but collapes. Further examination reveals some sort of serious damage to Hess’ knee that has rendered the joint into an enormous swollen mess. Replay reveals Hess apparently he dislocated his kneecap when planting his leg wrong. The crowd lets loose a series horrified “oohs” during each replay.

Winner – Alexander Shlemenko via TKO Round 3 (injury)

Bryan “The Beast” Baker vs. Eric Schambari

Feeling out process on their feet with Baker getting a nice punch or two in but nothing major. Schambari shoots in for a takedown, puts Baker’s back against the cage, and eventually scoops him up to procure it. Baker throws up a triangle that looks tight but doesn’t appear to be able to finish Schambari. A minute later the triangle is still in, Schambari is no longer able to hold out, and taps to the choke.

Winner – Bryan Baker via Submission Round 1

Would you prefer Alistair Overeem fought Fedor Emelianenko or signed with the UFC before the end of 2010? What would you tell Andrei Arlovski after watching him lose for the third straight time? Is Matt Lindland on his last leg where current relevance in MMA is concerned? Are you more excited about the heavyweight headliners at Moosin MMA or the battle between bad-ass Betties a few fights down on the card?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

If you’re reading these lines you’ve made it through another work-week and are back in the friendly digital confines of “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s resident Friday feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. 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…

More appealing match-up at this weekend’s Moosin MMA event – Tim Sylvia vs. Mariusz Pudzianowski or Tara LaRosa vs. Roxanne Modafferi?

Adam Tool: In essence this question is asking which fight I’ll be looking for first when I hit the internet Saturday morning to catch up on some fights, and the answer is LaRosa vs. Modafferi. I could care less about anything Tim Sylvia does anymore; he lost a big chunk of whatever respect I had for him following is 36 second clowning at the hands of Fedor Emelianenko. He could have salvaged his career by coming back with a hard-fought win over a respectable opponent, but instead he got knocked out in less than 10 seconds by a 48 year old boxer making his professional MMA debut. The headlining bout at Moosin seems like it’s designed to give Pudzianowski (who comes up second to Krzysztof Soszynski in the “Fighters Whose Name I Hate Typing” category) a legitimate name to add to his meager record. A win over the former body builder does little to help Sylvia’s reputation, and a loss just sends him further down the heavyweight rankings.

LaRosa and Modafferi are two legitimate fighters in the world of women’s MMA, with LaRosa being one of the top P4P female fighters in the world. We’ve got the always intriguing striker vs. grappler dynamic for this bout, and Modafferi will no doubt be hungry to avenge her loss to LaRosa in their previous meeting. Strikeforce is supposed to be the home for women’s MMA but so far this year they’ve dropped the ball as far as promoting new talent. With a win here Modafferi could easily be pegged as an upcoming contender for Sarah Kaufman’s championship, but it’s tough to see where LaRosa goes from here unless she’s willing to move back up to 135 lbs. In any case this should be an entertaining scrap between two aggressive young ladies, and I’m looking forward to watching it in grainy flash video on Saturday morning.

Brendhan Conlan: Tool essentially squished my opinion into a little ball and smacked it over the fence for a homerun. Though the result of Sylvia’s almost-guaranteed slop-fest with Pudzianowski is fascinating in a sick way I’m far more interested in seeing how the action unfolds in LaRosa vs. Modafferi.

I don’t fault “The Maine-iac” for taking what he felt would be an easy win against an opponent with some name value (Ray Mercer) on the heels of losing 3-of-4 against top shelf competition. It was a calculated risk and a gamble he ultimately paid for by sacrificing his already-wavering reputation in the sport with both the loss and by showing up as though he’d trained at Pillsbury Top Team for the bout. However, embarrassing knockout aside, it has to be noted Sylvia had only finished a single opponent in the four years prior. Looking at his record seems to indicate Tim-meh benefited more from a distinct size advantage coupled with a shallow heavyweight pool, rather than a particular set of skills, to earn his reputation as a two-time UFC champion. His physical dimensions and past praise will always make Sylvia an attraction, but then again the same can also be said about the “World’s Biggest Ball of Yarn”. Fighting a 2-0 former strong-man who once tested positive for performance enhancing drugs has “freak show” appeal but doesn’t compare from a competitive standpoint to the other pairing mentioned in this topic’s subject line.

Modafferi is 7-1 since 2007 with the lone loss coming in a match she took on short notice against Marloes Coenen, a naturally bigger and equally respectable Mixed Martial Artist. LaRosa is currently riding a fifteen-fight win streak and is 18-1 over her eight-year career. They fought to a decision in 2006, so there’s a familiarity there that should breed engagement because both already have a fair idea of what to expect when they lock horns or stand and bang. Their combined skill, heart displayed in previous fights, and styles should make for an entertaining scrap and definitely one I find to be more appealing than that featuring 4X the weight.

What advice would you give Andrei Arlovski on the heels of losing his third consecutive fight?

Tool: Honestly, I have no idea. He’s spent the last two years dedicating a bulk of his training to boxing, yet he was clearly being handled on the feet by Antonio Silva. I don’t know if that owes more to Arlovski’s decline or Silva’s improvement, but there’s little left of the mystique “The Pitbull” once had. He’s still got plenty of name value amongst casual fans so he’ll keep getting fights as long as he wants to but there’s no reason to believe that he’ll have a spot amongst the heavyweight elite any longer.

If I had to mark one area for improvement it might just be cardio. Late in the fight it looked as though Silva had all but punched himself out (at least, that’s the only reason I can think of as to why he insisted on continually clinching against the cage) and Arlovski could have turned things around if he would have had to the gas to really pour it on. He’s got to be feeling better about his chin after taking some of Silva’s best shots, and I still believe that his striking looked awesome against Fedor (right up until the flying knee of course), so I don’t think I’m ready to write Andrei off completely. The long layoff between his last two fights might have played a factor, so I think he should try and get back in the cage as soon as possible if he’s to have any hope of breaking this losing streak.

Conlan: If I was in Arlovski’s ear I would concentrate on the positives stemming from his loss to “Bigfoot” Silva, encourage him to continue training outside of his comfort zone, and get him in touch with Georges St. Pierre (or comparable high-level athlete) to discuss the benefit potentially derived from speaking to a sports psychologist.

As Tool mentioned, “The Pitbull” absorbed a few clean shots from Silva and never went limp in the process. Obviously Arlovski is interested in actual victories, not moral ones, but his retention of consciousness is an important fact to note when owing 3/4 of his career losses to having it taken from him while Silva has an equal ratio of career wins by TKO. The bout as a whole was relatively close and essentially up for grabs. A few tweaks in strategy and perhaps a bit more mental focus between bells would have likely resulted in a Belarusian victor rather than a Brazilian one.

Moving on, my understanding is that Arlovski spent some time training at American Kickboxing Academy and Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting rather than working with his regular group of pre-fight handlers. I think it was a wise decision on his part regardless of result, as I truly believe improvement goes hand-in-hand with the type of preparation Mixed Martial Artists receive in camps as deep and experienced as those mentioned (as well as 5-10 others). There’s no doubt in my mind Andrei would get an infinite amount more out of sparring and grappling with actual peers rather than peons, and the type of knowledge found in places featuring guys like Jackson or Dave Camarillo is an asset any fighter is lucky to have in their corner.

Finally, though I have no idea if he’s already sought counsel on the matter, I think it would behoove Arlovski to spend some time speaking with a sports psychologist. There is no underestimating the influence an athlete’s mental state has on his/her performance during “go” time. I would be shocked if the manners in which Emelianenko and Brett Rogers beat him don’t still play his mind at some level, and I suspect his hesitance to fully engage against a lessened Silva in the final round may have actually been evidence of doubt-laced caution rather than questionable conditioning. I don’t think it’s far-fetched to think his self-esteem may have taken another dip with a third consecutive loss nor is it crazy to think Arlovski may enter his next match-up with additional stress/anxiety due to the possibility of going 0-4. Talking to a professional equipped to handle people in similar situations could genuinely help the former UFC Heavyweight Champion regain his mojo and get back to baring his fangs in the cage.

Of the four Brazilian’s to emerge victorious at “Strikeforce – Heavy Artillery”, who were you most impressed by – Rafael Cavalcante, Roger Gracie, “Jacare” Souza, or Antonio Silva?

Tool: Each fighter’s win was impressive for one reason or another, but the fighter whose performance stood out the most to me would have to be “Jacare.” I’ve been watching Souza’s career with interest for a few years now and I’m pleased to see him starting to make waves here in the U.S. While the announcers on Saturday night might have wanted you to think that “Jacare” and Joey Villasenor were having a great back-and-forth battle, the reality is that Souza dominated the fight from bell to bell. His cardio may not have been where he wanted it to be in the third round, but that’s only the second time in his career he’s gone the distance (and he won both times). As Jason High pointed out on Twitter, Souza isn’t like most jiu-jitsu fighters when it comes to taking the fight to the ground. Whereas Demian Maia or Thales Leites might pull guard, Souza has a mean shot that worked almost every time on Saturday. Once he’s on the ground there are few fighters in the world that can match his grappling ability, and I’ll give credit to the toughness of Villasenor for surviving and getting out of some bad situations. I’m sure he would have preferred to get the finish but in the end “Jacare” gave a dominant performance that puts him right at the top of the list of contenders for the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship. Now we just have to wait and see who he’s going to fight for that title (note to Scott Coker: please not “Mayhem” Miller).

Conlan: Credit to all of the names involved, and I can’t argue against Tool’s choice of “Jacare” (though I wouldn’t mind seeing he and Miller give it a third go-round with the Strikeforce title involved), but I was actually most-impressed by Rafael Cavalcante’s performance against Antwain Britt. “The Juggernaut” may not quite be at Villasenor’s level in terms of experience of success in the cage, but he also wasn’t coming off nearly a year’s layoff between bouts and has twice as many fights in the last two-and-half years as “Smokin” Joe does. Britt has heavy hands and put them on “Feijao” a few times to no avail only to end up slumped against the cage, then finished, due to some well-placed strikes from the blackbelt in BJJ. Cavalcante is now 9-for-9 in terms of finishing opponents he’s beaten in the first ten minutes of action and has yet to rely on his submission arsenal to pull out victories. The performance was too impressive as far as I’m concerned to opt for someone who fought to a decision.

Which would you rather see: Alistair Overeem fights Fedor Emelianenko before the year is up, or Overeem goes to the UFC and mixes it up with the new class of top heavyweights?

Conlan: Tough question! I’ll go with Overeem vs. Emelianenko by the width of a thread plucked from the Russian’s favorite sweater. I’m confident “The Demolition Man” will eventually end up in the UFC regardless of when the move actually takes place, while I think the number of Fedor’s future fights – especially against top competition – is a bit more debatable and its limited nature should be capitalized on. Also, assuming Emelianenko emerges victoriously from his San Jose showdown with Fabricio Werdum on June 26th, an added bonus to a bout with the imposing Dutch striker is it serving as a proper Strikeforce Heavyweight Championship match rather than inviting criticism of the title due to the involvement of lesser competition or enormous gaps in the strap being defended.

I’d love to see Overeem slugging it out in the UFC against Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez, Shane Carwin, or Brock Lesnar as much as anyone else, but all involved parties are young enough to see those outcomes to fruition within the next couple of years. On the other hand, “The Last Emperor” has recently dealt with a slew of nagging injuries and has little left to prove in his career outside of the Octagon (a possibility seeming less-and-less likely with each passing day). Putting the two together before year’s end would give Emelianenko a chance to further solidify his legacy against a respected, and much larger, heavyweight while also allowing Alistair an opportunity to become the first fighter to legitimately beat Fedor and reap the benefits attached to such a feat.

Tool: At the moment I would also probably have to lean towards Emelianenko vs. Overeem myself, if for no other reason than because Overeem represents the lone interesting opponent for Fedor at the moment. If Fedor can’t fight Alistair then what is there left for him to do? Fight worthless cans in Japan on New Year’s Eve? Take on guys out of their weight class like Dan Henderson and “King Mo” Lawal? I know Fedor doesn’t really care about taking on the best fighters in the world, but it’s something his fans would like to see if they’re going to have any ammunition in the ongoing pound-for-pound debate.

Overeem will have to make his way to the UFC sooner or later if he wants to considered the best in the world, but he does have the luxury of time. The UFC’s heavyweight division has four guys at the top right now, and none of them have faced each other yet. There’s still some work to be done in establishing the pecking order amongst Lesnar, Carwin, Velasquez, and Dos Santos, and by the time things start to sort themselves out the timing should be right for Overeem to come in and establish his place. If he enters the UFC as the man who shattered Fedor’s mystique, then the interest level shoots right up for any potential dream bout he takes in the octagon.

Should the winner of tonight’s Tyron Woodley/Nathan Coy fight become the top contender to Nick Diaz’s Strikeforce Welterweight Championship?

Conlan: I can see Woodley receiving a title shot with a win, especially with Jay Hieron’s Strikeforce future currently in limbo, but in no way should Coy get a crack at Diaz’s belt regardless of how convincing his method of victory might be. The three-fight streak he’s riding was preceded by back-to-back losses and involves competition with a combined record equating to a single win over even. Tonight only marks his second appearance in Strikeforce with the initial bout coming more than two years ago. Beating a rising star like “T-Wood” would be impressive but isn’t enough to thrust him into championship contention.

However, if Woodley walks away winner he’ll move to 7-0 as a professional and 4-0 in Strikeforce. He’s finished five of his six opponents in the first round and the sixth only made it through about ¾ of the second stanza. Another early submission or TKO would further establish the 28-year old as one of the company’s legitimate rising stars, and with a roster of welterweights thinner than Cory Hill trying to cut to 135-pounds it would make sense to give the Mizzou alumnus a shot. Additionally, if Strikeforce wants to capitalize on the recent heat between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and champ Nick Diaz, they can always make a future catch-weight bout for the two rivals while pairing Woodley against either Marius Zaromskis or Evangelista Santos (depending on who walks away winner at June 16th’s Strikeforce event in Los Angeles) to keep him active and erase any leftover doubts about how deserved his contendership is.

Tool: Brendhan’s right on the money here, as Strikeforce has a very real prospect in Tyron Woodley. His run on Strikeforce Challengers has been impressive, but with a win tonight the time will be right for him to take on a bigger role within the company. The welterweight division in Strikeforce is so devoid of talent that Woodley makes as much sense as anyone else. He also represents a great stylistic match-up for Diaz, as his wrestling pedigree could likely allow him to dictate where the bout takes place, and his heavy hands would be a good test for Diaz’s legendary chin and peppering punches. Other than the aforementioned Hieron, I can’t think of anyone else that Strikeforce could get to represent a credible threat to Diaz’s title.

TRUE/FALSE – His headlining spot on tonight’s Strikeforce Challengers card represents Matt Lindland’s last chance at relevancy in the current MMA scene.

Conlan: False, though certainly a loss to any associate of reality television whore Spencer Pratt would destroy the bulk of his remaining credibility as a contender. Lindland may be 3-4 over his last seven bouts but keep in mind the people he’s lost to over that period – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (a split decision by the way), Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, and Fedor Emelianenko. It’s not as if low-level fighters are mopping the mat with the Team Quest founding-father. Yes, he’s 40 and on the downside of his career, but he’s not on the border of crossing over into “Ken Shamrock” territory. It would take a string of consecutive losses to fighters of Casey’s caliber before I’d comfortably state Lindland had lost all relevance in the sport.

Tool: I’ll go with true, as I can’t see Lindland doing anything of note in the near future should he fall to Kevin Casey. Personally I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror anymore if I lost to a guy that uses Spencer Pratt for credibility, but that’s me. Brendhan has a good point about the quality of opposition Lindland has lost to, but it’s also fair to point out that his last win was two years ago against the less-than-impressive Fabio Nascimento. “The Law” has gone 1-3 since then, and the only real interest he’s garnered from the MMA media is centered around his attempt at a political career and the upcoming documentary about his life. He doesn’t have the fan support of somebody like Jens Pulver, so will anybody still want to see Lindland fight if he can’t get a win or two along the way?

On Tuesday the UFC announced several ‘Grappling Superfights’ for the upcoming Grapplers Quest tournament, held as part of the second-ever UFC Fan Expo in Las Vegas, in conjunction with this month’s “UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans” event.

This year’s superfights include Shayna Baszler vs. Penny Thomas, Bill Cooper vs. Hermes Franca, Fredson Paixao vs. Caol Uno and Jeff Glover vs. Javier Vazquez. Also competing at the event will be former PRIDE lightweight champion Takanori Gomi, who enters the tournament in the Men’s Advance welterweight division (169.9 pounds and under).

“For grappling fans, this is an awesome opportunity to see some of the world’s best ground fighters compete against one another,” UFC president Dana White stated in today’s official release.

The UFC Fan Expo takes place May 28 and 29 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas with action starting on Friday, May 28 at 1 p.m. PT local time. The first ‘Superfight’ includes South African Penny Thomas vs. Shayna Baszler and is followed by the Bill Cooper vs. Hermes Franca match.

About The Competitors:

Recognized for his colorful hair, engaging personality, and ferocious fighting spirit, former UFC star Hermes Franca is also widely-respected in grappling circles. A highly-decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, Franca returns to grappling competitions at the UFC Fan Expo when he takes on Bill Cooper in an exciting matchup.

At just 23 years old, Bill “The Grill” Cooper is already a grappling sensation. Since earning his black belt from Ricardo Miller at the age of 20, Cooper has won 25 Grapplers Quest titles from around the country. Now teaching in Thousand Oaks, California, Cooper will face one of the toughest tests of his young career in Hermes Franca on May 28.

Penny Thomas is a South African Jiu-jitsu star fighting out of San Diego, Calif. Training under the tutelage of Saulo and Alexandre Ribeiro, Thomas is a two-time Abu Dhabi World Champion, as well as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt and defending Grapplers Quest All-Star Pro Champion. Representing Gracie Humaitá, Thomas is eager to take on Baszler on May 28.

Shayna “The Queen of Spades” Baszler competes out of Sioux Falls, S.D. and owns an MMA record of 11-6. Baszler has scored notable victories over Roxanne Modafferi and Megumi Yabushita in her career and looks to make a big statement with a grappling win over Thomas later this month.

One of the most respected fighters in the history of the sport, Japanese star Caol Uno began his career in 1996 and blazed a trail for lighter weight fighters. Having fought a Who’s Who of MMA, including BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Rumina Sato, and Dennis Hallman, the 35-year-old has defeated over half of his opponents by submission. The dynamic Uno looks to test his grappling mettle when he battles Fredson Paxaio at the UFC Fan Expo.

Fredson Paixao’s accomplishments in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu speak for themselves. A four-time world champion, the 30-year old from Parintins is considered one of the best grapplers of this era. Now competing in MMA for the WEC, Paixao – who is only the second person in the world to go from purple to black belt in just four years – will get back to his roots by grappling competitively during the UFC Fan Expo.

A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under the late Carlson Gracie, 34-year-old Javier Vazquez ranks among the most gifted grapplers in the world. With nine of his 14 professional MMA victories coming by way of submission, the WEC star vows to put on a show when he takes to the mat against Jeff Glover on May 29.

With 23 Grapplers Quest titles to his name, California’s Jeff Glover has taken the jiu-jitsu world by storm. Add in accolades as a 2008 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship-Silver Medalist, 2008 PacSun Hawaii Absolute/No-Gi/Gi Champion, 2007 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship Gold Medalist, and it’s clear why seeing Glover’s name on the marquee means some high-level jiu-jitsu. Among the best guard players to ever grace the mat, Glover plans to showcase his high-level grappling when he takes on Javier Vazquez later this month.

Please note that all rings of the UFC Fan Expo tournament will be stopped during these Superfights, and that while fans will get to see all the tournament and Superfight action, seating will be limited and handled on a first come, first served basis.

For more UFC Fan Expo information and to purchase tickets, visit UFCfanexpo.com. For companies interested in reserving space at this premier event, contact Ed Gallo, Event Director at 1-203-840-5546 or email egallo@ufcfanexpo.com.

UFC.com

In the wake of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua’s astonishing destruction of previously untouchable karateka Lyoto Machida during UFC 113, the big question on the lips of the entire MMA world now is; has the UFC finally found its true light heavyweight king?

Of course the UFC light heavyweight division has always been stacked with the most recognized and marketable fighters on the planet. The all-American poster boys that revolutionized the sport during the Zuffa inspired world-wide MMA renaissance were almost all 205-pounders. While boxing had the heavyweights, the UFC had the light heavies.

First it was Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz. He was the brash and cocky kid who brutalised an under skilled division with his god given strength and vicious elbows inside the guard. Then it was Randy “The Natural” Couture, or simply “Captain America.” He was the ageless and affable American hero who made a habit of shocking the world with his grit and world class wrestling ability. And finally it was Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell. He was the mohawked knock-out artist with impregnable takedown defense who beat down both Ortiz and Couture twice on his way to becoming MMA’s first true cross-over star. Yes, since its inception on May 4 2001, the UFC light heavyweight division had always boasted a true divisional king.

Then on May 26 2007 at UFC 71, barely three weeks after becoming the first MMA fighter to grace the cover of ESPN Magazine, Liddell’s impressive run come to a somewhat embarrassing halt courtesy of a Quinton “Rampage” Jackson blazing right hook. Not only did Liddell’s nemesis shake up the entire MMA world that night, he also threw the UFC into a divisional tailspin it’s yet to fully recover from.

Three years down the road and the coveted UFC light heavyweight belt has changed hands a record five times. While Jackson made a solitary title defence against Dan Henderson at UFC 75, he soon relinquished it to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86. Griffin promptly lost it to fellow TUF alumni Rashad Evans at UFC 92 who in turn lost it to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. And the game of musical chairs continued as Machida, who despite controversially coming up trumps in their first bout, was belatedly sent packing by a surprisingly resurgent Shogun last weekend at UFC 113. While Jackson, Griffin, Evans and Machida were thoroughly deserved champions, kings they were not.

So does Mauricio “Shogun” Rua have the minerals to pick up where Liddell left off and lord over the UFC light heavyweight division?

To answer that question it might pay to take a look back over Shogun’s relatively short but storied career as even at a glance it soon becomes obvious the former Wanderlei Silva prodigy has the pedigree to do just that. Groomed at the world famous Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil, he started training Muay Thai and BJJ at an early age, earning his black-belt in just five years. Then in 2005, at only 23 years of age, he freight-trained his way through the Pride Light Heavyweight Grand Prix on his way to taking out arguably the world’s most prestigious 205-pound event at the time. And it was no easy run as stomp victims Quinton Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueria, Alistair Overeem and Ricardo Arona will surely attest. Since leaving Japan, despite experiencing a horror run of injuries, he’s unquestionably evolved into one of the finest strikers in the UFC and sports an incredibly dangerous submission game to boot. His only apparent flaw, the suspect gas tank that let him down against Renato Sobral and Forrest Griffin, appears to be rectified.

Now, at just 28 years of age and sporting an impressive record of 19-4-0 with 17 finishes, Shogun looks for all money to possess the kind of raw physical and technical attributes that can certainly place him alongside the likes of Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre in the MMA world. And his conquest of Machida could possibly be the beginning of a lengthy win streak that sees him clean out the entire division.

So, has the UFC finally found its new light heavyweight king in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua? Absolutely… that is, until he’s dethroned by a kid nicknamed “Bones”.

To be continued…

Where should Kimbo Slice go on the heels of his UFC release? Was the punishment Paul Daley received too severe or spot on? Who amongst the big boys has the most to prove at this weekend’s Strikeforce event? How long should fans have to wait for Anderson Silva vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua now that Silva-associate Lyoto Machida is no longer champ?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

Another Friday has arrived and the Grappling with Issues crew is dressed in full bomb squad gear due to the explosive nature of this week’s topics which of course include “Semtex” and “Heavy Artillery” galore. Hopefully the takes Adam Tool and I offer in this edition don’t blow up in our faces, but it’s a risk we 5 Oz. soldiers are willing to take for the betterment of MMA insight and opinion. And, as always, 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…

Assuming he retains his own belt against Chael Sonnen, should Anderson Silva receive an immediate crack at the UFC Light Heavyweight title now that close friend Lyoto Machida is no longer champ?

Tool: Word on the street is that Dana White wants Silva to defend his middleweight strap two more times (against Sonnen and presumably Vitor Belfort) before moving up to light heavyweight and making a run for the gold there. I haven’t seen any comments from Silva on the situation, but I’m wondering if he’s really all that eager to compete in the same division as his good friends Machida and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. After all, Nogueira is surging towards contention (although the loss of Forrest Griffin as an opponent at UFC 114 does slow things down) and one would have to believe that it won’t take too long for Machida to get back into the mix.

If Silva wants to go to 205 on a more permanent basis, and if he doesn’t lose his belt before then, he should absolutely be rewarded with an immediate title shot. His record setting win streak is unlikely to be matched anytime soon in the UFC, and he’s got enough name value to be a viable contender immediately. I’m a big fan of “The Spider” and would love to see him get some true marquee match-ups in the UFC’s premier division. If “Shogun” Rua can retain his newly-won title against the winner of the upcoming “Rampage” Jackson/Rashad Evans bout, a Rua vs. Silva fight would certainly create vast rivers of drool amongst the sport’s hardcore fans.

Conlan: Giving Silva an immediate title shot sounds nice at first glance, but, as Tool pointed out, there are a number of factors involved beneath the surface making the scenario an unlikely one. Nogueira’s status in the division isn’t necessarily a problem, as he still needs to win a number of marquee match-ups before sniffing the strap, but Machida’s level of contendership could definitely be an issue considering “The Dragon” was champ less than a week ago. As much as it may irk the Zuffa brass, friendship and loyalty aren’t things fighters are as open to risking as big, shiny, oversized belt-buckles. Silva has always indicated he subscribes to the preceding belief, and because of that I doubt he’d be willing to potentially stymie Machida’s attempt at reclaiming the championship or open their relationship up to criticism over promotional positioning.

The only way I could see “The Spider” getting fast-tracked to a title shot is if he enters the bout with a defined timetable on the pending retirement he’s openly discussed in recent years. For example, if Silva stated he was hanging up his trademark yellow-and-black spandex shorts after two more fights (including the winner of Rua vs. Evans/Jackson) it would minimize the Machida fallout while still providing Anderson an opportunity to solidify his legacy in the sport. If he were to add the light heavyweight belt to his trophy cabinet he would retain the ability to defend it a single time against an exciting opponent, while losing at 205-pounds would open him up to a variety of possibilities including even a potential test at heavyweight.

Do you agree with the UFC’s decision to release Paul Daley based on his post-fight actions?

Tool: Absolutely. Dana White needed to send a clear message to any fighters in the company (and those that want to be) that this sort of behavior will not be tolerated. There are still places where mixed martial arts is not legal and actions like this do nothing to help the effort to get the sport regulated in those territories. Let’s not forget the so-called “phantom knee” thrown in the first round. It may not have landed cleanly (or at all) but the intent to deliver that illegal blow was clearly there. In one night Daley proved that he has a lot to learn about sportsmanship, and the UFC is no place for someone like that.

Some people are questioning the logic behind firing Daley while at the same time doing nothing to reprimand UFC fighter Nate Diaz for his actions in the brawl at “Strikeforce: Nashville”. To me the incidents are nothing alike. The Strikeforce brawl came about as a result of improper security measures in the cage, as well as a terrible error in judgment from Jason “Mayhem” Miller. The Diaz brothers, Jake Shields, and Gilbert Melendez reacted to the situation and while their actions shouldn’t be unaccountable, it was not the same as what Daley did. Daley acted of his own volition and he has nobody but himself to blame for the consequences.

Conlan: For me the answer to this is as clear as the message Dana White sent by immediately severing ties with Daley after “Semtex” blew his fuse…which is to say about as murky as a mudslide.

Let’s ignore for a second the ridiculous notion Nate Diaz didn’t act “of his own volition” when laying a series of kicks into a grounded Miller or that the UFC President wasn’t hamming it up with Shields, who was certainly at the center of the Strikeforce melee, at the recent “Faber vs. Aldo” WEC PPV. The UFC currently employs Phil Baroni and Gilbert Yvel. Why is this notable? Yvel has a trio of in-ring offenses in 1998-2004 to his name (biting an opponent, raking an opponent’s eyes, and striking a referee he felt was biased). Baroni got physical with an official in 2003. Neither has done anything similar since as far as I know. If the UFC is willing to accept their past transgressions, let alone illegal drug use or criminal activities associated with other fighters on their roster, why should Daley receive a permanent ban from the promotion?

A severe fine and suspension would have been as appropriate, if not more so, than branding the Brit as a lifetime leper. Why not use the situation as an educational tool rather than the flexing of corporate muscle? Reacting so severely makes it seem as though a warning had to be sent to other Mixed Martial Artists or to the public at large when incidents similar to the one at UFC 113 are in actuality slightly less rare than kind-hearted supermodels who religiously follow Grappling with Issues. Heavily penalizing Daley’s pocketbook, suspending him for a year, and maybe even forcing him to enroll in an anger management program during the twelve-month period his return was contingent on would have sent a stern message while also showing that the UFC actually cares about the individuals whose work their company is built on.

What’s next for Kimbo Slice now that he’s received his walking papers from Zuffa?

Tool: Going into UFC 113 it was believed that these two “TUF” 10 cast members were fairly evenly matched, but there’s no doubt that on Saturday night Kimbo got “Mitriowned.” If he’s not able to beat a fighter with a 1-0 record, is there any reason to think that Kimbo has anything to offer against the rest of the UFC’s heavyweight division? No there is not, and as such there’s really no place for him in the largest MMA organization in the world.

As for what’s next, I suppose that depends on what Kimbo’s career goals are. If he’s going to look for the largest paydays then it makes sense for him to make his way over to Japan. The MMA faithful over there are much less concerned with a fighter’s win/loss record than us fickle Americans. I’m sure at least once Japanese promotion would be willing to fork over the necessary coin to get Kimbo, and there’s no shortage of freak show “super-fights” available for him. Kimbo vs. Bob Sapp, anyone?

If Mr. Slice is still craving some real competition then perhaps he’d be better served by a lateral movement to the world of boxing. There had been talk of Kimbo making the jump to the “sweet science” before he was announced for The Ultimate Fighter, so it seems that it’s a move he’s interested in trying. There’s no way of knowing whether he’d be successful or not, but If he did change sports at least he wouldn’t have to worry about guys kicking the crap out of his legs anymore.

Conlan: Dancing with the Stars. Yes…seriously…bad knees or not – Dancing with the Stars. Slice’s future in the ring is limited no matter how you break it down. He’s on the north side of 35, has more-than questionable cardio, and is still a fish out of water when it comes to the finer points of MMA. His legs are apparently shot and he simply doesn’t have the power or technique to live up to the hype he entered the sport with. He can walk away from it with a winning record and his head hell high. Sure, a Japanese pay-day couldn’t hurt, and for some reason I’d wager he could probably pad his stats in the Far East with a few hand-selected pickled-ginger cans, but outside of cash there’s no reason for the bearded brawler to keep fighting.

Back to my original point, the thought of Kimbo Slice doing the foxtrot, waltz, and whatever other rug-cutting maneuvers are associated with a stint on the show Chuck Liddell once called home is “money” defined. In fact, if you read the previous sentence and didn’t smile at the image involved it’s because you just had a heart-attack and died midway through. My condolences to your family…

Moving on, Slice is an extremely personable fellow with a distinct look. I would like to see his management capitalize on his demeanor, appearance, background, and still-remaining fame in a medium that craves all four qualities – reality television. If not Dancing with the Stars, and yes I will be drinking a fifth of whiskey and eating raw, red meat after writing the name of that show as many times as I have in this piece, then perhaps a show chronicling his every day life in Miami as the single father of six children. Or, speaking of his bachelorhood, maybe “A Slice of Love” dating show on VH-1? My point is there’s no reason Kimbo needs to keep fighting outside of MAYBE a few juicy paychecks from overseas. His camp should focus on his personality and start exploring ways to make money that don’t involve him taking repeated blows to the face.

Make your picks for the next opponents of Matt Mitrione and Jeremy Stephens.

Conlan: Not the sexiest potential match-ups to prognosticate on but I like the challenge provided, as well as giving some attention to fighters who don’t generally get a lot of it from fans or media.

Though neither is in position to headline or even co-headline an event, Stephens is clearly closer to reaching that plateau than Mitrione based on experience/success, and as such I’d like to see his next fight involve a notable lightweight who is in a similar position career-wise. UFC 113 foe Sam Stout fit the bill – young, respectable record, seemingly on the cusp of making a run in the division – and as a result helped in delivering a “Fight of the Night” performance for both men because of the parity involved. Unfortunately a number of potential candidates are already scheduled for upcoming action such as Paul Kelly, Terry Etim, and Joe Lauzon. Stephens could certainly act as a replacement in one of those bouts if injury forces the issue, but I’d rather see “Lil Heathen” get the respect of a full training camp and official opponent. The UFC 114 bout between Efrain Escudero and Dan Lauzon is the perfect situation in that regard, as the winner will likely be available around the same time as Stephens and both possess the afore-mentioned qualities I’d like to see in the Iowan’s next in-ring adversary. Also, Lauzon and Escudero are appealing from a stylistic standpoint, and each match-up even has a backstory on which the UFC hype-machine can build (Stephens lost to Lauzon’s older brother at a “Fight Night” in 2009, Escudero is an Ultimate Fighter seasonal champion).

As far as “Meathead” goes, perspective needs to be kept when plotting his future. Mitrione only has two professional bouts under his belt and, though he emerged victorious in the pair of fights, his opponents were almost equally inexperienced and both were one-dimensional Mixed Martial Artists at that. The former NFL lineman has shown potential, but was also taken down fairly easily by Kimbo Slice and fell via submission to 4-4 TUF 10 cast-mate James McSweeney during the season. Mitrione needs to be given a step up in competition but not a high jump. Height jokes not withstanding, I think Stefan Struve would work in that capacity, as would Todd Duffee assuming he walks away the winner of his UFC 114 scrap with Mike Russow. Struve and Duffee are both recognizable names in the division who aren’t yet considered top shelf heavyweights and, like Mitrione, could use the exposure and experience.

Tool: I’ll echo Brendhan’s booking strategy by looking at opponents that could be ready to fight again around the same time as these two. For Stephens I’d love to see him face off with the winner of the upcoming Mac Danzig/Matt Wiman bout. I think either man would match up well with “Lil’ Heathen” as both fighters are more than willing to stand and bang, and that could create an explosive bout with Stephens. Danzig’s ground skills might spell a problem, but if Stephens was able to handle the far superior grappling skills of Rafael Dos Anjos then he shouldn’t have too much trouble should Danzig take things to the ground. I also like Brendhan’s logic behind a potential showdown with Escudero or Lauzon.

Mitrione obviously presents a bigger challenge from a match-making perspective, given his extremely limited experience. I can’t help but feel that Todd Duffee would murder Mitrione, but I’ve certainly been wrong about “Meathead” before. I do agree that Mitrione needs a step up, and I think he’d match up well with Antoni Hardonk. Hardonk is a kick-boxer that would almost certainly have little interest in taking Mitrione to the ground, and his striking acumen would provide a stern test for Mitrione’s wild punching power. If the UFC is looking to give Mitrione a sterner test then they could match up with the winner of the upcoming bout between his former teammate Brendan Schaub and Chris Tuchscherer.

Out of the four heavyweights fighting at Strikeforce this weekend, which do you feel has the most to prove?

Conlan: Andrei Arlovski by a mile, as the proverbial weight on his shoulders is far heavier than that Brett Rogers, Alistair Overeem, or Antonio Silva will be entering the ring with. Where once stood a man considered the future of MMA’s heavyweight division is now an individual who is 5-5 over his last ten fights and is coming off two consecutive knockout losses. Six of the seven bouts he’s dropped in his career have been by way of TKO leaving a lot of legitimate questions about his chin that will only be answered by absorbing damage and not ending face-down in the process. His opponent at the event, Silva, is a solid grappler for someone with his dimensions but owes the bulk of his professional wins to strikes (9/13). The Brazilian has never faced an opponent with Arlovski’s combination of speed, stand-up, and power, but he’ll only need to land one punch to finish the former UFC Heavyweight Champion’s evening while I’m not sure the same can be said in return. “Bigfoot” clearly has the ability to flatten Arlovski with strikes while only being rendered unable to continue once in fifteen fights. He’s a massive obstacle for “The Pitbull” to climb in hopes of avoiding a three-bout skid and may turn out to be the opponent who finally puts the hopes of a lot of fans to rest where the Belarusian’s future in MMA is concerned.

Though I understand there’s undoubtedly an argument to be made on this topic for Overeem needing to prove he’ll test clean for performance enhancing drugs, the reality is he’s never been caught using illegal substances unlike a number of other fighters out there, so the pressure on him is more imagined by people in the MMA community than a situation based in reality the “Demolition Man” should be concerned about. On the other hand, Arlovski is fighting for his credibility as a whole and on some levels even his future in the sport.

Tool: I would be tempted to say Arlovski as well, but allow me to play devil’s advocate and make the case for Alistair Overeem. Obviously he’s had more than his fair share of criticism regarding his physique and the manner of which he’s acquired it, but there’s more to the story than that. Since moving up to heavyweight three years ago Overeem has yet to defeat a single opponent that could be considered amongst the world’s best. The closest he came was his NC bout with Mirko Cro Cop in 2008, but even then it was a Cro Cop on his way down the mountain. People are clamoring for Overeem to face off with Fedor Emelianenko, but there’s no evidence to make people believe that the bout would be competitive. This weekend Brett Rogers will present Overeem with the toughest fight of his heavyweight career, and the performance given by the Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion will go a long way towards determining the path his career takes from here on out. If he loses in devastating fashion it will likely result in him heading back to Europe & Asia to fight the weakest cans in the world. If Overeem looks impressive against Rogers then he’ll take a big step towards silencing his critics and building towards a potential showdown with the best heavyweight in the world.

Which of the three undercard bouts on the Strikeforce card are you most excited for?

Conlan: It’s a toss-up for me between Antwain Britt vs. Rafael Cavalcante and Lyle Beerbohm vs. “Shaolin” Ribeiro.

It wasn’t long ago Cavalcante was considered to be a blue chip prospect in the light heavyweight division based on his association with Anderson Silva and ability to wipe opponents out rather than out-point them over three rounds (8-for-8 thus far in his career where finishes are concerned). “The Juggernaut” is no joke himself, winning four of his last five fights, and possesses enough to power in his fists to separate most 205-pounders from consciousness. It should be interesting to see how things play out in terms of whether “Feijao” opts to stand with Britt or work his high-level jiujitsu in hopes of avoiding a clean blow to the chin. Additional to my interest in how their styles pair up, it should also be pointed out the winner will probably find himself on a fast track to a title shot based on the relative shallowness of Strikeforce’s light heavyweight pool while the loser will probably be relegated to a future “Challengers” card instead of playing a significant role at a larger event. All those involved factors definitely appear to be a recipe for an entertaining bout.

Similarly, the lightweight bout between Beerbohm and Ribeiro is also fascinating on a number of levels. “Shaolin” is 20-3 but hasn’t lived up to his billing since beating Joachim Hansen, Mitsuhiro Ishida, and Tatsuya Kawajiri a number of years ago. However, he’s still a massive submission threat, and all three of his losses have come against highly respected opponents (Kawajiri, Shinya Aoki, and JZ Calvancante). And, though Beerbohm may be known more for his nickname, “Fancy Pants”, than what he’s accomplished in the ring, he’s actually a skilled, well-rounded fighter who is undefeated and has finished twelve of the thirteen foes he’s faced. Beating Ribeiro would be the biggest win of Beerbohm’s career and firmly plant him on MMA’s radar as a fighter to watch. The outcome will either signify a changing of the guard or a veteran rising up to beat a talented young prospect. How can fans come out losers in that equation?

Tool: The Beerbohm/Ribeiro match-up is one I’m also particularly looking forward to, although given Strikeforce’s track record I have to believe that there’s only the slimmest of chances that we’ll get to see the fight make it onto the Showtime broadcast. If the event ends 20 minutes early and we don’t get to see this fight then there will undoubtedly be some very upset fans out there, and Strikeforce will have missed out on a crucial opportunity to spotlight a potential contender for their lightweight title.

Call me old fashioned, but I still get excited when there’s a fighter on the card with the last name Gracie. Roger Gracie is still green in the world of mixed-martial arts but his grappling abilities cannot be denied. Kevin Randleman may not present the sternest challenge for the young Brazilian but he is a veteran fighter that could easily spoil the Strikeforce debut of Mr. Gracie. Randleman’s wrestling ability could give Gracie all kinds of trouble in terms of taking the fight to the ground and while it’s been a long time since he knocked anybody out, it could be a short night for Gracie if he decides to trade blows with “The Monster.” This fight won’t have the same kind of title implications as the aforementioned Cavalcante/Britt bout, but an impressive performance from Gracie could put him in the mix amongst contenders very quickly (especially given the shallow waters of the Strikeforce light heavyweight division).

Like all Mixed Martial Artists, UFC lightweight contender Tyson Griffin undoubtedly understands the risks involved to his health each time he steps into the ring; that his life is literally on the line when competing in a combat sport. However, outside of the Octagon, as Griffin learned during a recent trip, the same fine balance between breathing and burial is also in place away from the ringside medical personnel and regulations put in place to emphasize a fighter’s safety.

According to his Twitter account, the 26-year old was returning from a “long weekend of camping, fishing, (and) dealing with lots of wind on the water” when he had “a near death experience towing the boat.” The episode was apparently so serious he marveled at the fact he was about to run at Xtreme Couture instead of being in a hospital.

Five Ounces of Pain followed up on Griffin’s message in hopes of gleaning more details and learned exactly how lucky the 155-pounder is to still be in place to fight Evan Dunham at UFC 115, let alone train or even walk.

“Basically I avoided hitting three cars like a bowling ball by swerving to the dirt past the shoulder at about 40 mph while towing a boat and stopped five feet in front of the start of a guard rail.”

Griffin has a professional record of 14-2 with notable wins over Clay Guida, Urijah Faber, and most recently Hermes Franca at UFC 103 last September.

UFC 115 takes place in Vancouver on June 12th and is headlined by a clash between UFC icons Rich Franklin and Chuck Liddell. Other fights scheduled for the card include Pat Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann.