If tonight was the last time we see UFC legend Chuck Liddell wage war in the Octagon, the former UFC light heavyweight champion has absolutely nothing to hang his head about.

“The Iceman” may have come up on the short end of the stick in this evening’s clash with UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, but Liddell showed flashes of brilliance in his bout with the revitalized Franklin and never appeared out of the fight until the final 2 or 3 seconds of the contest. Although Liddell managed to score a surprising takedown midway through the opening round, the story of the fight was the popular duo trading punches and kicks for the bulk of the 205 lb. scrap. With just seconds remaining in he first round it appeared as though Liddell had Franklin on the run, scoring with a barrage of punches and elbows on the feet, before Franklin landed a devastating straight right hand that dropped the beloved 12-year UFC veteran to the canvas in a heap.

Liddell and Franklin went to war tonight in the the main event of UFC 115 this evening in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

After the fight Franklin revealed that he had suffered a paralyzing injury in the early moments of round one.

“Early in the fight when Chuck threw that right kick to my body, I could feel it click and I knew my left arm was broken,” revealed Franklin following the war between legends.

When asked what was next on his agenda Franklin  was quick to stake his claim in the 205 pound division, leaving no doubt as to what weight class he hopes to compete at in the future.

“I’m here at 205 now and if my next fight is at 205, that’s where I’ll be,” said Franklin. ”I want to make a run for the title.”

Although we may have seen the final chapter play out in the career of one mixed martial arts legend, fans were also treated to the beginning of a new chapter for another.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic showed the heart of a champion this evening after being badly battered on separate occasions in the first round of his heavyweight clash with fellow heavyweight knockout artist Pat Barry, coming back to stop the fellow K-1 veteran with a succession of punches on the feet which progressed into some good old fashioned ground and pound before a rear-naked choke signaled the violent end of the electrifying battle between the two late in the third and final round.

Carlos Condit has a long history of rallying back from the brink of defeat and this evening was no exception. “The Natural Born Killer” dug deep in his welterweight clash with the previously undefeated hometown favorite Rory Macdonald, turning the tide in the third round after clearly losing the first two rounds to stop the hard-hitting Canadian prospect with just 7 seconds remaining in the bout.

Macdonald mixed his takedowns with his striking game beautifully for the first two rounds between the two before Condit came out with a sense of purpose in the third and finished the 20-year-old “Waterboy” with a vicious volley of unanswered ground and pound.

“It was a just stoppage,” said Macdonald following the back-and-forth battle. ”He kicked my ass.

“He was hurting me from the start. He hurt me with the first punch he landed and it was all downhill from there.”

Martin “The Hitman” Kampmann put up arguably the most impressive performance of his career against the extremely dangerous Paulo Thiagoin a hard fought three round unanimous decision victory. Kampmann surprised many by dominating the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt at his own game on the ground as well as on the feet for nearly every moment of the 15 minutes contested between the two.

The victory was the second in a row for Kampmann, who improved his UFC record to an extremely impressive 8-2 and his career record to 17-3 with the one-sided beating of Thiago.

A full set of results from UFC 115 are listed below:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carlos Condit def. Rory Macdonald via TKO – Round 3, 4:53

Ben Rothwell def. Gilbert Yvel via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Martin Kampmann def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Pat Barry via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 4:30

Rich Franklin def. Chuck Liddell via knockout – Round 1, 4:55

Tonight’s latest action from inside the octagon, “UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin” will take place at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

The first preliminary bout will kick off at approximately 7:30 PM EST (4:30 PM PST), fans get to watch two prelim fights live on Spike TV at 9 PM EST (6 PM PST), with the live pay-per-view card beginning at 10 PM EST (7 PM PST).

The main event has former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin squaring off, while former PRIDE champ Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic takes on heavyweight Pat Barry in the co-main event.

Fans watching Spike TV will see two lightweight bouts featuring Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman and Evan Dunham vs. Tyson Griffin.

The MMA News will provide live result updates for tonight’s event and as always we’ll be keeping the “Live Quick Results” off the main page. To view the full Quick Results click

Main Card (Pay-per-view)

Light heavyweight: Rich Franklin def. Chuck Liddell via KO (punch) – R1 4:55
Heavyweight: Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Patrick Barry via submission (rear naked choke) – R3, 4:30
Welterweight: Martin Kampmann def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Heavyweight: Ben Rothwell def. Gilbert Yvel via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-28, 29-28)
Welterweight: Carlos Condit def. Rory MacDonald via TKO (strikes) – R3, 4:53

Preliminary Card (Spike TV)

Lightweight: Evan Dunham def. Tyson Griffin via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Lightweight: Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via submission (guillotine choke) – R1, 1:45

Preliminary Card

Middleweight: Mario Miranda def. David Loiseau via TKO (Strikes) – R2, 4:07
Welterweight: James Wilks def. Peter Sobotta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-28, 30-27)
Welterweight: Claude Patrick def. Ricardo Funch via submission (guillotine choke) – R2, 1:48
Welterweight: Mike Pyle def. Jesse Lennox via technical submission (triangle chole) – R3, 4:44

Once again it’s on and FiveOuncesofPain.com will be here all evening to make sure you keep up to date with all of the live results and happenings from tonight’s “UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin” event.

UFC 115 will take place from the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

FiveOuncesofPain.com’s coverage will kick off right around 7:30 pm ET (4:30 pm PT) when the first pair of fighters touch gloves. The prelims on Spike TV are scheduled for 9:00 pm ET (6:00 pm PT), and the main card is slated to begin on pay-per-view at 10:00 pm ET (7:00 pm PT).

Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell will be squaring off with Rich “Ace” Franklin in a battle of fan favorites and former champions in the main event of the evening, while fellow heavyweight knockout specialists Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Pat Barry will go at it in the co-headliner.

Enjoy The fights! Results are below…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carlos Condit def. Rory Macdonald via TKO – Round 3, 4:53

Ben Rothwell def. Gilbert Yvel via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Martin Kampmann def. Paulo Thiago via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Pat Barry via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 3, 4:30

Rich Franklin def. Chuck Liddell via knockout – Round 1, 4:55

Like true professionals, every fighter taking part in this evening’s UFC 115 event succesfully made their contracted weight limits.

The weigh-ins took place from the GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – the same venue this evening’s event will take place.

Set to headline the card is a bout between former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin that promises to deliver, along with a co-headliner between to of the most dangerous heavyweight strikers in the history of the sport, former K-1 veterans Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and Pat Barry.

A full set of the weigh-in results from the event are below:

Rich Franklin (205) vs. Chuck Liddell (205)

Patrick Barry (248) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (235)

Ben Rothwell (264) vs. Gilbert Yvel (242)

Carlos Condit (170) vs. Rory MacDonald (170)

Martin Kampmann (170) vs. Paulo Thiago (170)

Evan Dunham (155) vs. Tyson Griffin (154)

Mac Danzig (156) vs. Matt Wiman (156)

David Loiseau (185) vs. Mario Miranda (186)

Peter Sobotta (171) vs. James Wilks (170)

Ricardo Funch (170) vs. Claude Patrick (170)

Jesse Lennox (170) vs. Mike Pyle (170)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Undefeated Canadian welterweight Rory MacDonald (10-0) is set to meet Carlos Condit on the pay-per-view card of UFC 115 this Saturday in Vancouver, Canada.

HT: UFC.com

UFC 115 Liddel vs. Franklin has a main card packed with what appear to be five guaranteed crowd pleasing bouts as all 10 combatants on the PPV card have a history of finishing their fights in dramatic fashion.

We start with the Quick Hit Predictions for the undercard and then on to the five main televised bouts.

Non-Televised Matches

Mario Miranda over David Loiseau
Ricardo Funch over Claude Patrick
Mike Pyle over Jesse Lennox
James Wilks over Peter Sobotta

Spike TV Matches

Matt Wiman over Mac Danzig
Tyson Griffin over Evan Dunham

Welterweight Bout: Carlos Condit (24-5) vs. Rory MacDonald (10-0).

Condit enters his third UFC bout after being on both ends of a split decision in his previous two fights. MacDonald is entering the Octagon for the second time after picking up a submission win in his UFC debut.

Before entering the UFC, Condit had won five straight fights in the WEC and was that promotion’s 170-pound champion before the division folded and was absorbed into the UFC.

MacDonald is hungry and looking to take the next step in his career.

I’m sensing a trend in Condit’s UFC fights though.

Prediction: Condit over MacDonald by decision.

Heavyweight Match: Ben Rothwell (30-7) vs. Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1, 1 NC)

Do not expect anything other than a brawl in this one. Both these guys want to stand and fire away until one of them falls.

Yvel is more famous for hitting guys in the groin from his days in Japan. Rothwell was one of the top heavyweight fighters not in the UFC for a couple of years.

Prediction: Rothwell over Yvel by knockout.

Welterweight bout: Paulo Thiago (13-1-0) vs. Martin Kampmann (16-3-0)

What we have here is the next couple of guys trying to solidify their place in line after the upcoming Welterweight title fight between Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck.

Thiago comes in having won two in a row and three of his four UFC fights. Kampmann has won three out of his last five outings.

Thiago owns a KO win over Koscheck. Kampmann is 3-1 since dropping to 170 from middleweight.

Prediction: Kampmann over Thiago by technical knockout.

Heavyweight Bout: Mirko Cro Cop (26-7-2, 1 NC) vs. Pat Barry (5-1-0)

Two well-traveled kickboxers will meet and don’t make any bets on this one going to the floor for a submission finish.

Cro Cop has more head-kick knockouts on his resume than any 10 fighters anyone can name put together. Barry has ended fights with some of the most vicious leg kicks ever seen.

Cro Cop’s resume is a who’s who of MMA. Barry is taking a definite step up in competition by facing a sure-fire future Hall of Famer.

Cro Cop heads in to this fight with a 2-1 record since returning to the UFC in June 2009. Cro Cop is 3-3 overall in the UFC.

Barry is also 2-1 in his only three fights in the promotion.

Official prediction: Cro Cop over Barry by TKO.

Light-Heavyweight bout: Chuck Liddell (21-7-0) vs. Rich Franklin (27-5-0, 1 NC)

It’s been 14 months since Chuck “THE ICEMAN” Liddell was knocked out by Mauricio Rua in Montreal. It’s been six months since Rich “ACE” Franklin was stopped by Vitor Belfort in Dallas.

Both are certified legends in the sport. Liddell was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame last July. Franklin is pretty much waiting on the call to the hall.

Liddell is a headhunter. Franklin is a technical/strategic fighter who has a few KOs on his highlight reel.

Liddell circles around the perimeter of the cage like a shark and draws fighters into range of his lethal punches. Franklin will break you down with kicks and strikes before he puts you on your back to pound you out.

I think ring rust is real. So who has more?

Official Prediction: Franklin over Liddell by decision.

Until Next Time

I’m Q
CYA

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

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

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

PRELIMINARY CARD

Mike Pyle vs. Jesse Lennox

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

Winner – Mike Pyle via Decision

Claude Patrick vs. Ricardo Funch

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

Winner – Claude Patrick via Submission Round 1

James Wilks vs. Peter Sobotta

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

Winner – James Wilks via Submission Round 2

David Loiseau vs. Mario Miranda

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

Winner – David Loiseau via TKO Round 2

Mac Danzig vs. Matt Wiman

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

Winner – Mac Danzig via Decision

Tyson Griffin vs. Evan Dunham

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

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

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

Winner – Evan Dunham via Decision

MAIN CARD

Carlos Condit vs. Rory MacDonald

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

Winner – Carlos Condit via Decision

Ben Rothwell vs. Gilbert Yvel

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

Winner – Ben Rothwell via TKO Round 3

Paulo Thiago vs. Martin Kampmann

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

Winner – Martin Kampmann via Decision

Pat Barry vs. Mirko Filipovic

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

Winner – Pat Barry via TKO Round 1

Chuck Liddell vs. Rich Franklin

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

Winner – Chuck Liddell via TKO Round 2

Today’s weigh-ins for “UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin” takes place at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Saturday’s pay-per-view show begins at 10 PM EST (7 PM PST).

Headlining the event is a bout between two former UFC champions Chuck Liddell and Rich Franklin. The co-main event sees former PRIDE champ Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic taking on Pat Barry in what is sure to be an exciting stand up war.

The full weigh-in results for UFC 115 are as follows:

Main Card (Pay-per-view)

Light heavyweight: Rich Franklin (205) vs. Chuck Liddell (205)
Heavyweight: Patrick Barry (248) vs. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (235)
Heavyweight: Ben Rothwell (264) vs. Gilbert Yvel (243)
Welterweight: Carlos Condit (170) vs. Rory MacDonald (170)
Welterweight: Martin Kampmann (170) vs. Paulo Thiago (170)

Preliminary Card (Spike TV)

Lightweight: Evan Dunham (155) vs. Tyson Griffin (154)
Lightweight: Mac Danzig (156) vs. Matt Wiman (156)

Preliminary Card

Middleweight: David Loiseau (185) vs. Mario Miranda (186)
Welterweight: Peter Sobotta (171) vs. James Wilks (170)
Welterweight: Ricardo Funch (170) vs. Claude Patrick (170)
Welterweight: Jesse Lennox (170) vs. Mike Pyle (170)

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.

Fight fans are up in arms about the lack of quality on the card at UFC 115, and to a certain extent, they are right. Rich Franklin vs. Chuck Liddell is a great fight and if this is to be Liddell’s final Octagon appearance, and he is unlikely to get another chance if he loses, it is fitting that he should get to sign off in style as the main event.

It is not by UFC standards a particularly impressive main event. While both men are among the greatest ever fighters to step inside the Octagon, their heyday is long gone. Father time began to caught up with Chuck Liddell at right around about the same time Anderson Silva caught up with Rich Franklin.

Liddell is 2-4 in his last six fights and Franklin is 3-3. These are not the recent records of which UFC headliners are generally made but an exception can be made because of what both Franklin and Liddell have already contributed to the UFC in their glittering careers.

With two aging fighters carrying the card and no belt at stake, you would expect the UFC to have packed the undercard with high profile fighters. Instead there are a surprising lack of star names. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic is always an attraction, but given that both the headline fighters are open to accusations of being past their prime, you would have thought the UFC would have saved his fight with the hard-hitting Pat Barry for another day.

It should still be a highly entertaining contest as both men have excellent stand up and are unlikely to want the fight to go anywhere near the ground. The main event is also intruiging, Franklin is still a very well rounded striker but if Liddell could roll back the years with a trademark knock out victory it would be a sensational story.

Paulo Thiago is on a growing list of welterweight contenders to have seen their journey to the top disrupted by Jon Fitch. While it still represents his only loss in 14 outings, the defeat has definitely had an adverse affect on Thiago’s marketability. His opponent Martin Kampmann is a credible welterweight contender but knockout losses to both Paul Daley and Nate Marquardt will linger long in the memory of fight fans. This is an interesting fight at best but is unlikely to persuade people to invest in this particular pay-per-view.

Ben Rothwell has lost two out of his last three fights, one of them against the rapidly declining Andrei Arlovski. Normally a fighter with this sort of recent record would be lucky to find himself on the undercard but surprisingly Rothwell’s fight with Gilbert Yvel is part of the main event. Yvel has lost two of his last three fights, and like Rothwell, will be looking for his first ever win in the UFC.

Carlos Condit has a highly credible record of 24-5 but both his UFC outings have ended in split decisions with him getting the benefit of just one. His opponent Rory MacDonald is 10-0 and will be looking for his eleventh consecutive stoppage win. MacDonald is a serious prospect and will be hoping to give the Canadian fans something to cheer about in the first televised fight of the night.

There is much to like about this card. The match up between Franklin and Liddell is fantastic and far preferable to yet another fight between Lidell and Tito Ortiz; Cro Cop will be hoping to recapture his Pride form, and at 35-years-old, still has plenty to offer as a fighter; and a star could easily be born in the up and coming Canadian, Rory Macdonald.

The problem for the UFC is that there is no sliding scale for their numbered events. Every UFC is expected to be of a similar caliber and this card simply does not have the same depth as recent UFC’s have. It should still be an entertaining event and, regardless of their respective ages, a card featuring Cro Cop, Liddell and Franklin can’t be too bad.