VANCOUVER, British Columbia - David Loiseau is grateful to the UFC for
giving him another look after he got caught in red tape.

Loiseau, 30, was booked on short notice to face John Salter at UFC 113
in Montreal before the Quebec Athletic Commission put a hold on his
fight license, which prompted UFC officials to give his slot to Jason
MacDonald.

But instead of shrugging their shoulders and saying, "Better luck next
time," UFC matchmaker Joe Silva rebooked the former middleweight
contender against Mario Miranda at Saturday's at UFC 115 event.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UFC middleweight fighter Gerrald Harris (15-2) finally has an opponent for UFC 116.

Harris was previously named to the event without an opponent will now face Renzo Gracie fighter Dave Branch (6-0) on the unbroadcasted preliminary card.

UFC 116 will take place on July 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be headlined by a UFC heavyweight unification title bout between champ Brock Lesnar vs. interim champ Shane Carwin.

Harris has won his last nine fights including his past two UFC bouts against Mario Miranda and John Salter. This will be his first UFC pay-per-view fight as his wins over Miranda and Salter took place at UFC Fight Night events.

The “TUF 7″ cast member has won 7 victories via T(KO) and 5 by submission. He also earned the “Knockout of the Night” bonus against Salter at UFN 20 after earning the TKO win in the third round.

Undefeated Renzo Gracie fighter, Branch, has yet to lose and carries a 6-0 record into the octagon when he makes his UFC debut against Harris. None of his six opponents have been able to carry the fight into the third round, with Branch earning 3 submission and 3 T(KO) victories.

HT: MMAWeekly.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin is set to take place on June 12, 2010 from GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The fourth ever UFC event in Canada will feature a main event bout between Chuck”The Iceman” Liddell and Rich”Ace” Franklin. Other notable bouts include Mirko Cro Cop vs. Pat Barry and Paulo Thiago taking on Martin Kampmann. Here’s the complete list of fights, as it currently stands:

Main Card

Light Heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
Heavyweight bout: Mirko Filipović vs. Patrick Barry
Welterweight bout: Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann
Heavyweight bout: Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
Welterweight bout: Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

Preliminary card (Spike TV)

Lightweight bout: Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham
Lightweight bout: Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

Preliminary card

Middleweight bout: David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
Welterweight bout: James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta
Welterweight bout: Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
Welterweight bout: Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

After missing the chance to fight at UFC 113 in Montreal this weekend, David Loiseau (19-9) will get his moment to fight on Canadian soil at UFC 115 against Mario Miranda (9-1).

UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin will take place on June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The bout between Loiseau and Miranda will take place on the preliminary card.

Loiseau had been a late replacement for an injured Nick Catone at UFC 113, and was to fight in front of his hometown of Montreal, but failed to receive his license in time and was replaced by another Canadian, Jason MacDonald in the bout against John Salter.

The delay in licensing was due to an open investigation into the sale of the XMMA, a Quebec based mma promotion Loiseau once owned part of, to a group of individuals who are being investigated by the authorities.

Loiseau has eight bouts under the UFC banner going 4-4 over the past seven years. He earned a victory over Chester Post at a MFL 2 Battleground event last February in his last match. In his last UFC appearance, at UFC 97, Loiseau lost a unanimous decision to Ed Herman at the April 2009 event.

Miranda made his UFC debut in his last fight against Gerald Harris, losing the first fight of his career by TKO at UFN 21. The Brazilian almost earned a spot on “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ but instead earned a contract with the UFC.

UFC 115 now appears as follows:

Main Card

- Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
- Patrick Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
- Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago
- Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
- Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin

Preliminary Card

- Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
- Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
- David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
- Peter Sobotta vs. James Wilks
- Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
- Jesse Lennox vs. Mike Pyle

After missing the chance to fight at UFC 113 in Montreal this weekend, David Loiseau (19-9) will get his moment to fight on Canadian soil at UFC 115 against Mario Miranda (9-1).

UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin will take place on June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The bout between Loiseau and Miranda will take place on the preliminary card.

Loiseau had been a late replacement for an injured Nick Catone at UFC 113, and was to fight in front of his hometown of Montreal, but failed to receive his license in time and was replaced by another Canadian, Jason MacDonald in the bout against John Salter.

The delay in licensing was due to an open investigation into the sale of the XMMA, a Quebec based mma promotion Loiseau once owned part of, to a group of individuals who are being investigated by the authorities.

Loiseau has eight bouts under the UFC banner going 4-4 over the past seven years. He earned a victory over Chester Post at a MFL 2 Battleground event last February in his last match. In his last UFC appearance, at UFC 97, Loiseau lost a unanimous decision to Ed Herman at the April 2009 event.

Miranda made his UFC debut in his last fight against Gerald Harris, losing the first fight of his career by TKO at UFN 21. The Brazilian almost earned a spot on “The Ultimate Fighter 11″ but instead earned a contract with the UFC.

UFC 115 now appears as follows:

Main Card

- Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin
- Patrick Barry vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic
- Martin Kampmann vs. Paulo Thiago
- Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald
- Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin

Preliminary Card

- Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel
- Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman
- David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda
- Peter Sobotta vs. James Wilks
- Ricardo Funch vs. Claude Patrick
- Jesse Lennox vs. Mike Pyle

"The Crow" is now official for "UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin."

Less than one day after reports surfaced that David Loiseau would once again fight in the UFC, the promotion today
officially announced that the Canadian will indeed face Mario Miranda at the event.

Loiseau and Miranda meet on the evening's un-aired preliminary card.

A midleweight bout between striking specialist David Loiseau and fast rising Brazilian Mario Miranda is expected to take place during UFC 115.

The pair are expected to throw down from Loiseau’s backyard in Vancouver, Canada on June 12 from the GM Place according to a recent report from Vancouver’s News1130 Radio.

Loiseau recently bounced back from a UFC 97 unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Ed Herman with a first round TKO over Chester Post during an MFL event in February, while Miranda had put together a sparkling record of 11-0 before his UFC debut in March where he was TKO’d by Gerald Harris in the opening round.

UFC 115 is set to feature match-ups such as Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic vs. Pat Barry and more.

After licensing issues prevented him from competing on this weekend's UFC 113 card, Canadian fighter David Loiseau gets another slot on a card in his home country.

Sources close to the event confirmed with MMAjunkie.com that Loiseau is expected to fight Mario Miranda at UFC 115 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Geoff Rohoman with News1130 Radio in Vancouver first reported the bout.

The event takes place June 12 at GM Place, and the night's main card airs on pay-per-view.

Kenny Florian continued on his trek back torward the UFC lightweight championship with a convincing third round rear naked choke submission victory over former PRIDE lightweight champ Takanori Gomi during the main event of “UFC Fight Night 21: Florian vs. Gomi“.

The card took place this evening from the Bojangles Coleseum in Charlotte, North Carolina while airing live on Spike TV.

While Gomi had brief flares of activity with heavy punches to Florian’s ribs and chin, it was Ken-Flo that dictated the pace of the bout with a crisp jab and well timd counter-punching. After being jarred with a nasty 1-2 from Gomi in the third, Florian chose to level the playing field by depositing Gomi directly onto the canvas with a well placed takedown before sinking in the fight ending rear naked choke to seal the deal.

The victory was the second in a row for Florian since coming up short against UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn during a UFC 101 title bid, while “The Fireball Kid” drops the first bout in his last three, coming off of a two fight win streak prior to this evening’s defeat.

Roy Nelson went right through Stefan Struve like a Whopper Jr. in the co-headliner of the evening, as the TUF 10 champion stalked down his vertically advantaged – or disadvantaged depending on your take – opponent from the opening bell before a well placed right hand sent the “Skyscraper” crashing to the octagon canvas in a defenseless heap just :39 seconds into the mauling.

Also looking impressive at “UFC Fight Night 21″ was Jorge Rivera, who put up what could be considered a “career best” performance against Nate Quarry. “The Conquistador” utilized a powerful straight right hand to keep Quarry off balance throughout the opening round before an explosive combination of “pickaxes” from Rivera brought a conclusion to the thrashing in the opening moments of round two.

A full list of results from the event is below:

Kenny Florian def. Takanori Gomi via submission (rear-naked choke) Round 1

Roy Nelson def. Stefan Struve via KO (strikes) – Round 1

Jorge Rivera def. Nate Quarry via TKO (strikes) – Round 2

Ross Pearson def. Dennis Siver (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Andre Winner def. Rafaello Oliveira via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Jacob Volkmann def. Ronys Torres via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)

Nik Lentz def. Rob Emerson via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

Gleison Tibau def. Caol Uno via TKO (punches) – Round 1

Yushin Okami def. Lucio Linhares via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2

Gerald Harris def. Mario Miranda via TKO (punches) – Round 1

Charlie Brenneman def. Jason High via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)