There’s a new sheriff in town in the UFC light heavyweight division as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua has taken his place as the undisputed best light heavyweight fighter in the world this evening with a devastating first round knockout of Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida.

A looping overhand right to the temple of Machida sent the former champion directly to the canvas where Shogun mounted his fallen foe and finished him off with a savage series of punches to the chin that left Lyoto completely unconscious midway through the opening round.

There is no doubt of who the king of the hill is at 205 pounds after this evening. Let the pound for pound debate rage on.

Shogun captured the light heavyweight crown during UFC 113 this evening from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec Canada.

Josh Koscheck earned his crack at Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight championship and a spot as a coach on TUF 12 utilizing his superior wrestling ability to keep Paul Daley pinned to the canvas for the majority of the welterweight showdown between the pair; and Daley likely earned a lengthy suspension for landing a left hook to the chin of Koscheck immediately following the bout’s conclusion.

Matt “Meathead” Mitrione humbled former Youtube brawler turned mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice over two rounds during the UFC 113 showdown between fellow heavy handed heavyweights. Mitrione utilized crushing leg kicks to tenderize the thigh of Kimbo and came out on top of the majority of exchanges between the two before taking the fight to the mat where he finished Slice off with a prolonged session of good old fashioned ground and pound.

Also on the main card was Alan Belcher submitting Patrick Cote following an exciting back and forth battle, and Jeremy Stephens edging out Sam Stout in a brutal stand-up war via split decision.

The undercard was packed full of action packed bouts as Marcus Davis dropped “The Irish Hand Grenade” on Jonathan Goulet with a second round TKO, Joe Doerkson upset Tom Lawlor via rear naked choke, and Jason MacDonald destroyed his own ankle in a freak accident.

A full list of results from UFC 113 are below:

John Salter def. Jason MacDonald via TKO (injury) – Round 1 – (MacDonald broke his ankle while dropping back for an attempted guillotine choke)

Mike “Joker” Guymon def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Joey Beltran def. Tim Hague via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)

Johny Hendricks def. T.J. Grant via majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)

Marcus Davis def. Jonathan Goulet via TKO – Round 2

Joe Doerksen def. Tom Lawlor via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2

Alan Belcher def. Patrick Cote via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2

Matt Mitrione def. Kimbo Slice via TKO – Round 2

Jeremy Stephens def. Sam Stout via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

Josh Koscheck def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua def. Lyoto Machida via knockout – Round 1

MONTREAL - After following his fifth release from the UFC with a five-fight win streak in outside organizations, Joe Doerksen wanted one final shot in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

He got it at Saturday's UFC 113 event in his native Canada and made the
most of it with a come-from-behind second-round submission victory over
fellow middleweight Tom Lawlor.

The fight was the featured attraction of the event's un-aired preliminary card, which took place in front of a soldout crowd at Montreal's Bell Centre.

Tonight’s “UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun II” event is taking place at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The preliminary card began at 7:20 p.m. EST (4:20 p.m. PST) and the ppv portion of the event begins at 10:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. PST).

The show is headlined by a light-heavyweight title bout between champ Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua who face each other in a rematch from last October. The co-main event sees welterweights Josh Koscheck and British striker Paul “Semtex” Daley square off with the winner earning a shot at welterweight title holder Georges St-Pierre as well as a spot coaching on season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

As always The MMA News will keep the spoilers off-of the main page. To view the full Quick Results for “UFC 112: Invincible” just click

Main Card

- Mauricio “Shogun” Rua def. Lyoto Machida via KO – R1, 3:35 (earns light heavyweight title)
- Josh Koscheck def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jeremy Stephens def. Sam Stout via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
- Matt Mitrione def. Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson via TKO (strikes) – R2, 4:24
- Alan Belcher def. Patrick Cote via submission (RNC) – R2, 3:25

Preliminary Card

- Joe Doerksen def. Tom Lawlor via submission (RNC) – R2, 2:10
- Marcus Davis def. Jonathan Goulet via TKO (punches) – R2, 1:23
- Johny Hendricks def. T.J. Grant via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
- Joey Beltran def. Tim Hague via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)
- Mike Guymon def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- John Salter def. Jason MacDonald via TKO (injury) – Round 1, 2:42
MacDonald appears to have seriously injured his left ankle and was carried out by his corner

FiveOuncesofPain.com will be here all evening to keep you up to date with all of the latest live results from “UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun II” along with post-fight analysis.

UFC 113 takes place this evening from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec Canada, with the preliminary bouts beginning at approximately 7:30 pm ET and the main card action kicking off at 10 pm ET.

The main event will see Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida attempt to defend his UFC light heavyweight throne in a highly anticipated rematch with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, while Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley will be looking to decimate one another en route to a promised welterweight title clash with GSP in the co-main event. Also on the card will be an expected heavyweight slugfest between former TUF 10 housemates Kimbo Slice and Matt Mitrione along with a slew of top Canadian talent in intriguing match-ups against many of the promotion’s top contenders.

A full set of live results from UFC 113 are below:

John Salter def. Jason MacDonald via TKO (injury) – Round 1 - (MacDonald broke his ankle while dropping back for an attempted guillotine choke)

Mike “Joker” Guymon def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Joey Beltran def. Tim Hague via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 29-28)

Johny Hendricks def. T.J. Grant via majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)

Marcus Davis def. Jonathan Goulet via TKO – Round 2

Joe Doerksen def. Tom Lawlor via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2

Alan Belcher def. Patrick Cote via submission (rear naked choke) – Round 2

Matt Mitrione def. Kimbo Slice via TKO – Round 2

Jeremy Stephens def. Sam Stout via split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

Josh Koscheck def. Paul Daley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua def. Lyoto Machida via knockout – Round 1

All twenty-two competitors for Saturday night’s “UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun II” event made weight for their respective bouts Friday afternoon.

The venue for the weigh-ins, also the same venue for tomorrow night’s action, was the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Main event headliners, UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida hit the scale at 204 pounds, while his opponent Mauricio “Shogun” Rua weighed in at 205 pounds.

The full UFC 113 weigh-in results are as follows:

- Lyoto Machida (205) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (205) – for the UFC light-heavyweight title
- Paul Daley (170) vs. Josh Koscheck (170)
- Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (225) vs. Matt Mitrione (253)
- Alan Belcher (186) vs. Patrick Cote (184)
- Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Sam Stout (155)

Preliminary Card

- Joe Doerksen (186) vs. Tom Lawlor (185)
- Marcus Davis (169) vs. Jonathan Goulet (169)
- T.J. Grant (169) vs. Johny Hendricks (170)
- Joey Beltran (239) vs. Tim Hague (266)
- Mike Guymon (170) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (170)
- Jason MacDonald (185) vs. John Salter (185)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canadian middleweight Patrick “The Predator” Côté is looking to show fans that ring rust won’t be a factor on Saturday night when the native Quebecer faces Alan Belcher in the opening bout of the UFC 113 pay-per-view.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canadian lightweight Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout is ready to put on a show in Montreal like he did the last time. He’ll face Jeremy Stephens on the main ppv card of UFC 113.

Catch more interviews with Jason MacDonald, Joe Doerksen and the other Canadian fighters after the jump

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canadian middleweight Jason MacDonald will face John Salter in the opening bout of UFC 113 in Montreal. MacDonald doesn’t know a lot about Salter but he’s prepared to stand or take the fight to the ground.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canadian fighter Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen is happy to step back into the octagon after only having a few weeks of rest between fights. On Saturday night he’ll be facing “Dirty” Tom Lawlor on the preliminary card of UFC 113.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canadian heavyweight Tim Hague will take on Joey Beltran on the preliminary card of the Montreal event. Hague is looking for the chance to show the UFC that he belongs in the promotion.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canadian lightweight Jonathan Goulet steps into the octagon during the preliminary card to face Marcus Davis.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Canadian welterweight T.J. Grant will face Johny Hendricks on the preliminary card and expects a tough fight on Saturday night.

HT: MMAFighting.com & SportsNet.ca

After a week off from espousing my knowledge (or lack thereof) when it comes to correctly picking MMA results I’m back once again offering up a little insight and opinion on how I see this weekend’s “UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2” event unfolding. The card includes a number of interesting pairings highlighted by a headlining rematch featuring not only the intrigue of a controversial decision dished out in the combatants’ initial encounter but also that derived from the simple fact Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida are among the truly elite 205-pounders in Mixed Martial Arts. Beyond the light heavyweight championship clash, a bout with less-direct title implications is also set to take place in the form of welterweights Josh Koscheck and Paul Daley facing off, as well as the scheduled sophomore appearance of Kimbo Slice in the Octagon, the involvement number of local products guaranteed to amp up the Montreal crowd, and what I feel are some truly excellent stylistic match-ups involving both veterans and prospects.

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

PRELIMINARY CARD

Jason MacDonald vs. John Salter

Smart move by the UFC brass to have a popular Canadian fighter open the card up against an adversary he should have no problem beating. MacDonald’s primary focus will be on dragging things down to the mat and working his jiujitsu. If successful Salter will find himself swimming in treacherous waters as “The Athlete” has submitted eighteen of the twenty-four of the opponents he’s beaten. I think he’s slick enough on his feet to defend anything Salter will have to offer and as previously stated his grappling is superior. Outside of the old “puncher’s chance” I think it’s safe to say it’s pretty much a given MacDonald will win this match-up.

Winner – Jason MacDonald via Submission Round 2

Johny Hendricks vs. T.J. Grant

This is an evenly matched fight where each man essentially negates the other’s skills based on their respective styles. Grant specializes in jiujitsu while Hendricks is a top notch wrestler, meaning Grant will likely struggle to take Hendricks down and seek out submissions while Hendricks will have to be wary of shooting in because of the threat Grant poses from the bottom. I think it could result in a stalemate of sorts that isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing thing for fans to watch. I’m giving Hendricks the edge to win because I think his grappling will allow him to control in-ring positioning, as well as assist in avoiding mistakes that might result in a submission from the bottom. After all, more than half of Grant’s wins have come by way of armbar, so it’s definitely a technique the former All-American needs to be consciously looking out for.

Winner – Johny Hendricks via Decision

Joey Beltran vs. Tim Hague

Beltran vs. Hague is a guaranteed slugfest that very well may produce the show’s “Knockout of the Night”. Neither is afraid to stand and bang while both possess knockout power. I would be shocked if this bout sees the third round. I’m picking Beltran because he’s been hot as of late, winning seven of his last eight fights by TKO, while Hague is coming off consecutive losses and has the added pressure of knowing a third could equate to a pink-slip from the organization.

Winner – Joey Beltran via TKO Round 1

Yoshiyuki Yoshida vs. Michael Guymon

Yoshida hasn’t lived up to the hype he entered the UFC with, but then again two of his four fights have come against extremely dangerous opponents (Anthony Johnson and Josh Koscheck) so it’s hard to fault him for stumbling a bit along along the way. I like that Guymon has the same number of wins by TKO as he does by submissions, and I won’t be surprised if the diversity of his skills lead way to an upset victory. However, I’m picking Yoshida because I simply think he’s the better overall fighter, and I have more confidence in his ability to finish things with strikes or successfully land takedowns while working his way into position for a choke.

Winner – Yoshiyuki Yoshida via Decision

Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet

I have high hopes for this match-up as far as entertainment value goes. Like I said in this week’s Grappling with Issues, “Though neither is within a stone’s throw of title contendership or is likely to dramatically improve their standing in the immediate future, both are veteran fighters who prefer to strike and may be in a ‘loser leaves town’ situation.”

Also, the fact Goulet will be fighting in front of his fellow Quebeccers should introduce additional elements of excitement and energy into the bout. Ultimately, I think Davis will win based on his superior boxing and the fact he’s been consistently active in the ring as opposed to Goulet’s recent absence from it. The New Englander may not be “Top 10” material in the welterweight division but he’s definitely skilled enough to beat most opponents, especially journeymen like “The Road Warrior”. He should be able to win the stand-up battle while stuffing the bulk of Goulet’s takedowns and scoring a few of his own if need be.

Winner – Marcus Davis via Decision

Tom Lawlor vs. Joe Doerksen

The Bell Center’s custodial staff may deserve a bonus after the dust settles and these two exit the Octagon given that their nicknames are “The Filthly Mauler” and “El Dirte”. It seems all the bout needs is Peanuts’ “Pig-Pen” acting as referee.

On a serious note, I think it’s actually a very interesting pairing, and I can see the end result going to either since each individual has a few things working for and against him. Doerksen’s experience eclipses Lawlor in as severe a fashion as you’re likely to ever see in the Zuffa era. The 50-fight difference between them is a remarkable stat, and I’d wager it’s the largest gap in the promotion’s history minus a bout or two involving Jeremy Horn (a veteran of more than 105 professional matches). Doerksen has won his last five fights, and his grappling ability makes him a threat on the ground to submit most foes or occasionally work his way into a TKO-friendly position.

However, as good as Doersken can look at times, he’s also inconsistent. He splits decisions against lesser competition and has shown himself to constantly be at risk of losing by submission or knockout instead via one specific method of attack. I think Lawlor’s energy, power, and steadily improving skills will prove to be too much for the eleven-year MMA veteran and earn him the win though it won’t necessarily be pretty. Unlike Doerksen, Lawlor has the ability to severely hurt opponents while standing or when postured up over their downed form. I also feel he’s strong enough, and smart enough, to handle Doerksen’s ground game…and gosh darnit people like him!

Related to that final note, it will be interesting to see if the UFC makes an effort to show this fight specifically because of Lawlor’s status as sort of a cult hero in the MMA community. The Ultimate Fighter Season 8 contestant endeared himself to many while on the show due to his antics and sense of humor while also being a regular member of popular MMA forum “The Underground” and delivering two of the most entertaining entrances in the UFC’s recent history. Since it’s expected another memorable walkdown will take place on Saturday night (rumors range from a theme involving classic World Wrestling Federation tag-teams “The Mounties” or “The Hart Foundation” to the use of an American-centric theme song) it would make sense for the UFC to capitalize on his popularity/behavior as long as the PPV’s running time and the actual quality-of-fight permit it.

Winner – Tom Lawlor via Entrance TKO Round 3

MAIN CARD

Alan Belcher vs. Patrick Cote

First off, major credit to Cote for taking on such a difficult opponent in his return to action after almost a year-and-a-half on the sidelines recovering from a severe knee injury. Belcher continues to improve on a per-bout basis and is polished enough to earn a “W” from any position. Only two of his fifteen career wins have come via decision, so he definitely knows how to seal the deal rather than eek out victories, and he’s equally tricky to finish as well based how infrequently he’s been taken out in less than fifteen minutes. Cote has a similar knack for avoiding the judges’ scorecards, but he’s primarily reliant on striking to merit his hand being raised at the end of the night instead of being comfortable in all areas of the fight. He may have physically recovered from knee surgery but I wonder if he’s mentally recovered from it. I’ve heard it takes awhile for athletes to fully trust their joints and ligaments after major reconstruction and I wouldn’t be surprised if “The Predator” is a bit hesitant to go 110% in the ring. The outcome of the contest may rely on what goes through his mind when he digs in to sprawl, takes a few vicious leg kicks to the once-damaged area, or tries to plant and put his full force into a punch. I don’t think the psychological aspect involved can be denied, and coupled with ring rust from the extended hiatus I think it means Belcher is going to break thousands of French-Canadian hearts en route to a win tomorrow night. Expect him to clinch whenever possible to negate Cote’s ability to throw power-punches, test his fitness, and even sneak in a takedown or two along the way.

Winner – Alan Belcher via Submission Round 2

Kimbo Slice vs. Matt Mitrione

Slice has definitely shown improvement since his days in EliteXC but there’s one thing I haven’t seen – devastating power. He couldn’t flatten Houston Alexander or James Thompson even though both are known to have jaws made of Ming Dynasty china rather than glass. If Kimbo isn’t able to leave his opponents seeing stars with every looping blow he launches then what else does he really have to use against them?

On the other hand, “Meathead” has decent stand-up and heavy hands. He’s a better grappler with a greater chance of taking Kimbo down to work a submission than having the same done to him in return. His striking is a bit more technical than the former street fighter’s, so I believe he’ll find a few opportunities to land jabs and work in a couple nice combinations. If Seth Petruzelli could finish Slice while walking backwards I’m confident Mitrione can at minimum do the same.

Winner – Matt Mitrione via TKO Round 2

Sam Stout vs. Jeremy Stephens

This particular bout has serious “Fight of the Night” potential. Stout and Stephens are both fearless strikers who could use the momentum a memorable win on a stage like UFC 113 would provide. I expect them to stand and bang until someone falls down. I’m giving the nod to Stout because I think he packs a little more power in his punches, plus he’ll have the entire support of the arena being yet another popular Canadian fighter on the card.

Winner – Sam Stout via TKO Round 3

Josh Koschek vs. Paul Daley

I don’t disagree with the general structure most people seem to be assigning to Daley vs. Koscheck. Tell me if this sounds familiar. “Kos” will likely see what his British adversary has to offer in the stand-up department while trying to avoid any of the knockout blows Daley is known for. As soon as he no longer feels comfortable risking the proposition of staring up at the arena lights he’ll shoot in for a takedown. At best he’ll work towards either a submission or ground-and-pound TKO and at worst he’ll grind out a decision win. “Semtex” will clearly have a few knees loaded up to unleash when the takedown attempt comes. If he lands one or even a solid punch he could end things immediately but other than that he’s in trouble. It’s a pretty simple scenario and one I subscribe to. While Koscheck has definitely been rocked before, I think his chin is durable enough to absorb a little damage if it means latching on and dragging Daley down to the canvas. He’s smart enough to recognize the opportunity a win at the event would provide and as such I don’t think he’ll waste a lot of time tempting fate on his feet.

Winner – Josh Koscheck via Submission Round 2

Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua

Based on their first fight I’d say the result of the rematch is an equivalent coin-flip. Both Machida and Rua are of such quality as Mixed Martial Artists neither has a significant advantage or overwhelming hole to exploit. Each has knockout ability, mainly due to precision and technique rather than pure power, while also possessing the necessary jiujitsu skills to latch onto limbs or procure choke holds on the mat. Conditioning was a gray area for “Shogun” after his slew of injuries in 2006-2008 but he looked to be in excellent shape against Chuck Liddell and in the initial bout with Machida so I don’t think cardio will be an issue. I’m only picking the champion to retain his belt because I feel Rua may be a little more aggressive this time out which could open him up to making uncharacteristic mistakes. If Machida can score a few clean punches, or possibly even land a trip or takedown, he should be able to mix in enough offense along with his standard defense throughout the bulk of the bout to come away with another win.

Winner – Lyoto Machida via (More Tolerable) Decision

Thomas Gerbasi, UFC - 56 fights into a pro mixed martial arts career that began back in 1999, you would be hard pressed to find anything in the fight game that would rattle Joe Doerksen. So when he got the call to come in on short notice to replace the injured Tim Credeur against Tom Lawlor this Saturday night in Montreal, despite having just fought a three rounder on April 16th, it was simply business as usual for the Manitoba native.
And that means "yes", he'll fight.

For mixed martial arts fans, the calendar could not have turned to May quickly enough.

UFC 112 and Strikeforce: Nashville didn’t exactly leave a good taste in fans’ collective mouths. So here’s hoping that the Month of May gets off to a good start with UFC 113 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada this Saturday night.

There are 11 fights booked on the whole card, five on the televised.

Here are Q’s Quick Picks for the six preliminary bouts:
Jason McDonald over John Salter.
Joey Beltran over Tim Hauge.
Tam Lawlor over Joe Doerksen.
Mike Guymon over Yoshiyuki Yoshida
Johny Hendricks over TJ Grant
Marcus Davis over Jonathan Goulet

As for the Main Card:

We start things off with Patrick Cote (14-5) vs. Alan Belcher (14-5). This is Cote’s first fight back since he blew out his ACL against Anderson Silva at UFC 90. Belcher is coming off of a TKO win in December and has won 3 of his last 4 fights.

Cote was on a tear and was holding his own against Silva in the middleweight title fight before his knee gave out in the Oct. 2008 bout.

I think rust might be an issue for Cote early on and that’s where I can see Belcher getting him and ending the fight in the second round.

Next up is a heavy-handed heavyweight figh between Kimbo Slice (4-1) and Matt Mitrione (1-0). Both were members of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights cast on Season 10 of the show. Both picked up wins at the live finale last December.

Slice, real name Kevin Ferguson, has been looking to grow beyond his YouTube street fighting rep and become a “true student of mixed martial arts.” But don’t expect him to rely on anything other than throwing his hands in an attempt to finish a fight any time soon.

Same goes for Mitrione. He’s heavy-handed and has no problem standing and banging away for three rounds or less.

I’m thinking a recent quote by Frank Mir applies to this fight: “If this goes to the judges, we both screwed up.”

I think Slice is riding a hype train. Training at American Top Team adds substance. Mitrione was the villain (for lack of a better term) of TUF 10. He’s been training in the Midwest with Duke Roufus in Milwaukee and the Integrated team in Indianapolis in preparation for this fight.

Last time I thought that is was a lock that someone would get knocked out, it ended up being a 3-round dance off. But I cannot see this fight ending any other way.

Call me a homer for the guy from Indianapolis, but I’ve got a hunch about Mitrione.

We’ve got a tilt of lightweight contenders next as Sam Stout (16-5-1) takes on Jeremy Stephens (17-5).

Both are coming off of a win in their last outings. Stephens has landed the KO shot before. Stout isn’t nicknamed “Hands of Stone” for nothing.

I can see this on going the distance and I like Stephens to get the win.

Call it a No. 1 Contender’s match if you will, but this one should be worth the money.

Welterweights Josh Koscheck (16-4) and Paul Daley (23-8-2) have been running their yaps and the message is clear from both sides: Someone is going to sleep.

Daley wants to knockout anyone and everyone he steps into the cage with. Koscheck has been knocking out people lately but he’s been quoted as saying he’ll choke out Daley.

I think what Daley has is a reach advantage. Koscheck has dominating wrestling. Both can finish a fight with one punch.

I like Koscheck in this one.

Finally the rematch for the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship of the World.

Champion: Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (16-0)
Challenger: Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (18-4)

Last time at UFC 104, Machida won an “interesting” unanimous decision to retain the belt.

And then needed to be helped from the octagon since he couldn’t walk too well after absorbing all the leg kicks from Shogun.

Most if not everyone at Staples Center in Los Angeles that nigh thought Rua won the fight. After all he busted up Machida’s ribs with body kicks and his face with punches.

Yet, the judges saw it differently than the rest of the MMA world that evening.

Both fighters have had ample time to heal up, train and come up with a new and/or improved game plan for the second go around.

What it comes down to are the two base disciplines of Machida’s karate and Rua’s Muay Thai.

Machida will stay on the outside, pick you apart and then close in for the kill.

Rua wants to overwhelm you, keep the pressure on and finish you. But, Shogun isn’t like some of his former training partners in Chute Boxe where they want to attack and “damn the torpedoes.”

I’m going with Shogun to become the new UFC champ on May 8.

Until Next Time

I’m Q
CYA

“Words are important, I thank you for hearing my words.” George Carlin RIP.

Despite cashing a $30,000 bonus check in his most recent outing, UFC
middleweight contender Tom Lawlor isn't interested in
another "Fight of the Night" award when he meets Joe Doerksen on the preliminary card of Saturday's UFC 113 event in
Montreal.

"A lot of people said, 'I can't wait to see that fight; that fight's
going to be awesome, and I hope it's Fight of the Night,'" Lawlor
recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio. "That is
the biggest insult and the worst thing you could tell somebody - that I
hope they fight for 15 minutes, and I hope they take damage.

"I'd
rather fight guys that really aren't that good."