FightRibbon® shows the loving, considerate side of the world’s fastest growing sport, Mixed Martial Arts (aka Cage Fighting).

In a news world mostly dominated by stories of random shootings and unethical politicians, here’s a bit of good news about a group of professional athletes volunteering their time to show love and inspiration to complete strangers. But these are no ordinary “strangers,” and definitely no ordinary “athletes.”

On January 31st, 2011, the young, innocent patients at The Children’s Hospital Denver, Colorado will be getting a special visit from a FightRibbon® team, including several of today’s biggest stars in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

The famous Grudge Training Center in Wheat Ridge, CO, the home gym of several household names in the world of MMA, and an affiliate gym of the Jackson/Van Arsdale Training Center in New Mexico, is the host gym of an event that is spot-lighting a fight of a different kind: the fight for life…more specifically, the fight to inspire children who are fighting for their lives.

FightRibbon® (www.FightRibbon.com), a clothing company founded on the ideals of promoting cancer awareness and helping those in need, is the company sponsoring and organizing the event. This visit at The Children’s Hospital Denver is the third of it’s kind in what is described as “…a growing movement of compassion…” according to FightRibbon® founders, Brent Thompson and Scott Wells, two businessmen from Kentucky. (The two previous visits were to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, KY, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN.)

Along with the outreach team from FightRibbon® and MMA news correspondent Ron Kruck with a camera crew from the TV show “InsideMMA” (filming the visit), the fighters from Grudge Training Centers attending the event include top names like Shane Carwin, Brendan Schaub, Nate Marquardt, Rashad Evans, coaches Trevor Wittman and Mike Van Arsdale, along with many more stars and rising stars in the sport. (see attachment for conclusive list of names).

FightRibbon® will be uploading a photo gallery at the conclusion of this visit to the company’s Facebook profile page. You can also view the footage and watch the complete story of the visit by tuning into InsideMMA, airing Friday nights on HdNet at 9PM Eastern/6PM Pacific.

About The Children’s Hospital

The Children’s Hospital has defined and delivered pediatric healthcare excellence for more than 100 years. Founded in 1908, The Children’s Hospital is a leading pediatric network entirely devoted to the health and wellbeing of children. Continually recognized as one of the nation’s outstanding hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, The Children’s Hospital is known both for its nationally and internationally recognized medical, research and education programs as well as the full spectrum of everyday care for kids throughout Colorado and surrounding states. With more than 1,000 healthcare professionals representing the full spectrum of pediatric specialties, The Children’s Hospital network of care includes its main campus, sixteen Children’s Care Centers and more than 400 outreach clinics. For more information, visit www.thechildrenshospital.org.

For more information about The Children’s Hospital, contact Melissa Vizcarra at (720) 777-6271 or (303) 890-8314

If you’d like to get more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Brent Thompson, please call (270) 634-1953 or e-mail Brent at brent@FightRibbon.com

List of Attendees

Shane Carwin- Professional UFC® athlete

Brendan Schaub – Professional UFC® athlete

Nathan Marquardt – Professional UFC® athlete

Rashad Evans – Professional UFC® athlete

Justin Wren – Professional fighter

Trevor Wittman – founder/head trainer, Grudge

Christina Wittman – co-founder/Grudge Training Center

Joe Klopfenstein – Professional football player, NFL

Mike Van Arsdale- coach, Jackson/VanArsdale MMA

Jennifer Berg – Professional fighter

Lex McMahon – president, Alchemist Management Company

Jonathan Chaimberg – Adrenaline Performance Center, Montreal, QBC, Canada

Ron Kruck- Reporter, InsideMMA

Julio Gallegos – Professional fighter

Scott Bloyer – Elevation Church Pastor, Broomfield, CO (serving as event Chaplain)

Scott Wells – FightRibbon® co-founder

Brent Thompson – FightRibbon® co-founder

CageCraze.com is your MMA Social Network dedicated to connecting, promoting, covering and improving local MMA everywhere. Create your free profile today, and stay connected with local MMA Everywhere!

Welcome back to another edition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of work from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy…

“King Mo” Lawal Ready to Talk Trash Again (MMAFighting.com)

Jason Miller Thinks Nick Diaz is a “Bitch” (CagePotato.com)

Kenny Florian Throws Down with Dave Camarillo…in Street Fighter II (MiddleEasy.com)

Cain Velasquez Hits the Talk-Show Circuit (WatchKalibRun.com)

Want a Chance to Win Some Gear from JACO? (FIGHT! Magazine)

Get to Know Rising Prospect Charles Oliveira (MMAScraps.com)

Winner of Yushin Okami vs. Nate Marquardt Guaranteed a Title Shot (Heavy.com)

An Update on the Shane Carwin Injury-Situation (MMAConvert.com)

Five Lessons Learned from UFC 121 (Versus.com)Similar Posts:

• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club
• 5 Oz. MMA Link Club

12-1 heavyweight Shane Carwin has withdrawn his name from the list of competitors slated to enter the Octagon at UFC 125 due to undisclosed back problems shelving him for the next few months. Carwin was scheduled to fight former IFL champ and Ultimate Fighter Season 10 winner Roy Nelson in a co-headlining bout at the New Year’s Day event.

News of the decision came via Carwin’s website where he elaborated on the situation, as well as why he felt it was in his best interest to get healthy before re-entering the ring.

“As many of you know I have been having some back pain. I had an MRI yesterday and I have some damage that may really require surgery. If the doctors do not have to perform surgery then I will be out 8-12 weeks. If they do have to perform surgery I do not know how long I will be out of action.

I was really looking forward to fighting again and obviously this is a very disappointing turn of events. My manager said “You can’t fight the best fighters in the world with just heart, it is time to stop limping to the top of the mountain and get healthy so you can climb it on your terms.” I have been up all night thinking about this decision and what I may be missing by making it.

In the end my family and manager are right. I owe myself, I owe my fans the best show I can give them. I need to get healthy. I am going to be speaking with the surgeon this week about the surgery. My thoughts are if the surgery fixes it why add 8-12 weeks of physical therapy, epidurals and traction if surgery may still be needed.

The good news is the doctors said I can work on my cardio (they must have seen my last fight lol) with this injury.”

Carwin started off his career with twelve straight first-round finishes and nearly defeated then-UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 116 last July before falling victim to exhaustion and a subsequent second-round submission.

As stated earlier, the opening created by Carwin’s departure from the January 1st, 2011 event leaves Nelson without a foe to face at UFC 125 though it seems likely a replacement will be named in the coming weeks. “Big Country” is coming off a decision-loss to top heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos in August at UFC 117 after putting together back-to-back TKO wins over Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve. Similar Posts:

• Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson May Settle Their Special Vitamins Debate at UFC 125
• Shane Carwin destroys Frank Mir at UFC 111, sets up clash with Brock Lesnar
• Shane Carwin to undergo surgery for broken nose
• Heavyweights collide: Roy Nelson vs. Stefan Struve at UFC Fight Night 21
• Brendan Schaub vs. Chris Tuchscherer set for UFC 116

As has been the case in past years, the UFC is once again slated to provide a stacked card for fans to ring in the New Year with. Though a number of fights have been rumored for the event, the UFC has now officially announced six pairings for the star-studded show including a headlining title-bout.

Lightweight champ Frank Edgar will defend his strap against the only individual to beat him, Gray Maynard, in the evening’s main event. Edgar lost a unanimous decision to Maynard in April 2008 before going on to win six straight bouts including two consecutive wins over former title-holder BJ Penn. Comparably, Maynard has won five fights in a row over a list of opponents featuring Nate Diaz, Roger Huerta, and most recently Ken Florian.

Also scheduled to see action on January 1st, 2011 in Las Vegas, Shane Carwin and Roy Nelson will settle their personal differences in the cage and help sort out the heavyweight contendership picture in the process. “Big Country” recently poked fun at Carwin’s alleged involvement in a steroid distribution ring with Carwin responding by taking verbal jabs at Nelson’s physique.

In addition to Edgar vs. Maynard II and Nelson vs. Carwin, the other “UFC 125 – Resolution” match-ups confirmed by the company are as follows:

Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi
Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Thiago Silva vs. Brandon Vera
Chris Leben vs. Brian StannSimilar Posts:

• “NYBA” returns to the Octagon on New Year’s Day
• Nelson vs. Scherner: HDNet Fights’ Fight of the Week
• Antonio McKee rumored for Octagon debut at UFC 125
• Shane Carwin named in federal steroids distribution case
• Seven more bouts confirmed for UFC 102

Spike TV officials have dubbed next month "Brocktober" and have crammed a variety of Brock Lesnar-related programming into a four-week span.

The lineup includes a new three-part "UFC Primetime: Lesnar vs. Velasquez" pre-UFC 121 special that debuts Oct. 6.

Additionally, Spike TV airs a replay of July's UFC 116 pay-per-view
event, a blockbuster show that was headlined by champ Lesnar and
interim title-holder Shane Carwin, on Oct. 20.

Press Release

With the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) heavyweight division better than it’s ever been, it’s nothing short of amazing that champion Brock Lesnar has been able to dominate with four straight UFC victories in the loaded class.

Lesnar took some time during his training to take a look at the cover of the newest issue, and the UFC heavyweight champion was truly honored.

“Wow,” exclaimed a smiling Lesnar, while looking at the cover for the first time. “This is my coolest one yet. It was a huge win for me, coming back from being sick. I took a major ass-whooping in the first round and to come back and seal the deal in the second – I’m very excited. That’s a cool cover. Thanks to the fans and thanks to the UFC.”

As Lesnar receives the honor of gracing the cover of UFC Magazine, he’s back working hard in the gym, getting ready for his toughest test to date against undefeated up-and-comer Cain Velasquez at UFC 121 in Anaheim, California on October 23.

In addition to focusing on the Lesnar vs Velasquez clash, the cover story also rounds up the heavyweight division’s top contenders, including Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin, Frank Mir, Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson, “Minotauro” Nogueira and Cheick Kongo.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also in the current issue of UFC Magazine, a Q & A with UFC President Dana White conducted by the fans, a preview of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter®, featuring coaches UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and No. 1 contender Josh Koscheck, a look at former Girl Next Door and one-time Octagon Girl™ Holly Madison, a hero vs. heel story on middleweight contender Michael Bisping and a feature on longtime UFC cutman Leon Tabbs.

UFC Magazine debuted in June of 2009, and quickly shot up the retail charts to become one of the best-selling men’s magazines on the newsstand. UFC Magazine is sold at more than 40,000 different retail locations across the country.

In addition to Lesnar, previous UFC Magazine covers have featured UFC athletes Randy Couture, Anderson Silva, Chuck Liddell, Rampage Jackson as well as UFC President Dana White.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship® – www.ufc.com Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 147 countries and territories, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 19 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC “Undisputed” videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa®, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

UFC president Dana White spoke to The Fight Fix about title shots for Jon Jones and Jon Fitch, as well as heavyweight Shane Carwin and drug testing.

During the interview, White noted that a title shot for Jon Fitch wasn’t a guarantee

“I want to wait for Koscheck and St. Pierre to happen and then we’ll figure put who gets the next shot. By then Jake Shields will have fought Kampmann… a lot of it is timing.”

Our take, since Fitch and Josh Koscheck are training partners, booking a fight between them looks unlikely. So a win by Koscheck would mean a fight against the winner of the Jake Shields vs. Martin Kampmann bout.

I guess we’ll have to wait until December to find out the answer.

HT: The Fight Fix at CSNWashington.com

Click here to view the embedded video.

UFC president Dana White talks about mixed martial arts in Ontario, future fights, as well as addressing the Shane Carwin steroid allegations. White is candid when speaking about Toronto as well; this is a solid interview for sure.

Welcome back to another edition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of work from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy…

Tim Kennedy Talks About Life as a Former Green Beret (MMAFighting.com)

UFC Lightweight Champ Frank Edgar Opens Up About his UFC 118 Rematch Against BJ PEnn (FIGHT! Magazine)

Ricardo Almeida Participates in Autism Benefit (MiddleEasy.com)

Mac Danzig Out of Fight Night 22 with Injury (CagePotato.com)

Bibiano Fernandes Still Waiting for DREAM Paycheck (MMAConvert.com)

Ten Jaw-Dropping Taekwondo Knockouts (MMAScraps.com)

“King Mo” Lawal Speaks About his Start in MMA (Heavy.com)

An In-Depth Look at the Shane Carwin Steroids Scandal (WatchKalibRun.com)

Mike Brown Back in Action at WEC 51 (Versus.com)

Can Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante pull off an upset against “King Mo” Lawal at this weekend’s Strikeforce event? Should fans be worried about Shane Carwin’s possible past connection to a steroids distributor? What’s the biggest story coming out of last weekend’s veteran-packed “War on the Mainland” show? Is Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic a superior UFC 119 opponent for Frank Mir than his originally scheduled competition, Antonio “Minotauro” Nogueira?

Welcome to “Grappling with Issues”, our site’s resident Thursday feature highlighting insight and opinion from Adam Tool and myself on six subjects plucked from the Mixed Martial Arts landscape. However, just because we staffers get the fancy set-up, please don’t feel precluded from dishing out your own thoughts on each matter in the comments section at the bottom of the column…

What was the biggest story coming out of last weekend’s “War on the Mainland” event – Pulver’s first-round loss, Horwich submitting Leites, or Sylvia knocking Buentello out?

Adam Tool: The biggest story, at least in terms of what people are talking about, would have to be the continual decline of Jens Pulver. Tim Sylvia didn’t impress me by pushing his win streak over unheralded opponents to three. Wake me up with Big Tim beats somebody of consequence. Matt Horwich becoming the first man to tap Thales Leites is quite a feat, but it’s not as if Horwich is incapable of beating a mid-level fighter like Leites.

What we can’t avoid discussing is the sad state of Pulver’s current career. His six-fight losing streak is approaching Ken Shamrock levels of embarrassment, especially for a man who is rightfully considered a trailblazer in the lighter weight classes of MMA. While fans and analysts can make their pleas for Pulver to hang up the gloves for good, as always we must remember that we aren’t the one paying his bills. He’s still popular enough to get another fight, but if he continues to suffer these devastating defeats it’s hard to imagine any fan wanting to pay money to watch “Lil’ Evil” continue in the sport.

Conlan: I’d like to discuss something positive, as Sylvia deserves a lot of credit for his performance against Paul Buentello, but I agree Pulver’s fifth consecutive loss in the first round (and sixth straight overall) deserves a bit more attention due to his past accomplishments in MMA and the fact his opponent was only 4-1 entering the bout.

It’s hard to fault the 35-year old Pulver for dropping fights to divisional beasts like Urijah Faber, Leonard Garcia, and Josh Grispi, but Diego Garijo hadn’t fought in a year prior to his bout with Pulver with a two year layoff from the sport prior to that. I understand a lot can change in twelve months (let alone three years) where a Mixed Martial Artist’s abilities are concerned, and I recognize he could have been difficult to scout for based on a lack of available footage, but, barring a scenario where “Dos Pistolas” turns out to be a blue-chip prospect who makes waves against a series of legitimate opponents, Pulver needs to be able to beat opponents with Garijo’s overall makeup if he wants to remain relevant in the sport.

It’s his right to retire when he wants to and I have no problem with that. However, as both a fan and journalist, I don’t want to see him continue risking not only his legacy but more importantly his health. Pulver is a tremendous human being outside of being a talented fighter, and I’m confident he could easily transition from the throwing down in the ring to serving as a well-paid full-time trainer or color commentator.

How concerned should fans of Shane Carwin be about his recent alleged connection to the purchase of illegal steroids?

Tool: In my estimation, there’s little cause for alarm. In any professional sport the word steroids can immediately send up red flags throughout the community. The fact that Carwin is connected to a known steroid distributor is certainly going to place him in the spotlight whenever he fights again.

That being said, let’s not lose sight of reality. Carwin’s name appeared on a list of clientele that was dated around 2006-2007, which would have been during his first few years of professional competition. He didn’t make his way to the UFC until 2008 and he has yet to test positive following any of his five fights in the Octagon. Until one of his tests comes back dirty I think we can’t be too hasty in attaching any sort of negative labels to him.

Furthermore, what if he did take steroids a few years ago? The UFC currently has several fighters on their roster who have tested positive in the past and remained with the company (Stephan Bonnar, Chris Leben, Sean Sherk). These types of substances certainly have no place in professional competition, but I for one am not going to feign ignorance and pretend that fighters have never used them. If a fighter tests positive for a banned substance he should have to face the necessary punishment but until then I believe that every man on the Zuffa roster is innocent until proven guilty.

Conlan: I agree it isn’t anything to be concerned about unless you are personally connected to Carwin. His alleged connection to the steroids distributor doesn’t look good by any means, but it also doesn’t damn him to a life-long reputation as a drug-using cheater or discredit the work he’s done in the ring. I also appreciate Tool’s point about Carwin’s peers who have tested positive for PEDs and are still drawing a Zuffa paycheck.

If you look at the specifics in the case I think there’s even an argument for Carwin never having used performance enhancing drugs while competing as a Mixed Martial Artist. The court documents cited in the original report mention Carwin supposedly receiving steroids at some time between April 2004 and August 2006. If you look at his record, Carwin didn’t actually start fighting until October 2005 and took a year off from June 2006 to September 2007. That seems to leave open the possibility they were received either a year before he started fighting and/or a year prior to him stepping back into the cage (i.e. not while he was actually knocking people out en route to the UFC).

It’s important to maintain perspective and not jump to conclusions just because Carwin is a particularly well-sculpted heavyweight. If nothing else, at least let the facts in the case come out before finalizing an opinion on the situation. He’s never submitted a dirty test to this date and should be judged on facts, not speculation.

Did you see anything from Miesha Tate in Strikeforce’s women’s welterweight tournament to make you believe she can beat current champ Sarah Kaufman in a rematch?

Tool: Unfortunately for Tate, nothing in her performances this past Friday led me to believe that she’ll beat Kaufman if/when they meet again. There was no evidence in either of her fights that she’s made dramatic improvements in her striking, and since that’s the area Kaufman will hold a distinct advantage then there’s little reason to think that the second meeting will turn out differently.

There is a silver lining to be had though. When Kaufman and Tate squared off last May they were fighting under the old rules of women’s MMA and their bout was scheduled for three 3-minute rounds. If Kaufman successfully defends her belt against Marloes Coenen then that means that Kaufman/Tate 2 will be five 5-minute rounds. This means that Tate has more than twice the time needed to work for takedowns, and if she can get Kaufman to the mat then that certainly tips the fight in her favor. In the first meeting Tate’s takedowns were stuffed for most of the first round, and when she finally did score with a double there were only about 20 seconds left. That left her with little time to work, but if the round would’ve been two minutes longer she could have taken it on the judges’ scorecards. As long as her cardio holds up, I think a potential 25 minute fight is better for Tate than it is for Kaufman.

Conlan: It’s all love in this week’s GWI, as I not only agree with Tool (once again) as far as Tate’s prospects of beating Kaufman but also appreciate the point he made about the 5X5 format of a potential title bout. She fights with a lot of heart and her conditioning is always top notch.

Tate looked good against newcomer Maiju Kujala and talented grappler Hitomi Akano but was also put in some very precarious positions by her opposition. Outside of her takedowns and ground-control she didn’t offer much of a threat to either. If she’d finished either or mopped the mat with one of them I’d have increased confidence in her ability to beat the undefeated Strikeforce welterweight champ, but as she didn’t do anything to truly stand out against her adversaries I’m still of the opinion she’ll fall to Kaufman if/when they fight again.

Are you more or less excited about UFC 119′s main event now that Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is out and Mirko Cro Cop is in against Frank Mir?

Conlan: As much as I would have enjoyed seeing a healthy Nogueira get a chance to redeem himself against Mir, I’m actually a smidge more excited about the “Cro Cop” fight because it’s fresh, as opposed to a rematch, and the opposing styles both offer makes for an interesting scenario.

Filipovic will be tough for Mir to submit on the ground, having only a single grappling-based submission loss on his record in a thirty-six fight career, and he’s shown his chin is somewhat vulnerable so a well-timed strike or head-kick could end his night. On the other hand, the former UFC heavyweight champ is apt enough on the ground to control “Cro Cop” on the mat (if not submit him), has shown moderate improvement in his striking over the past year or so, and should also enter the bout with a healthy size advantage.

Additionally, like “Minotauro”, Filipovic is a PRIDE icon, and I still get jazzed whenever a pairing pits a poster-boy from the legendary Japanese promotion against an opponent primarily associated with the UFC. Mir vs. Mirko would have been considered a dream fight in 2003-2004, and, though neither is currently at the pinnacle of their respective careers, their past accomplishments in the sport and overall abilities still make for a very intriguing match-up.

Tool: I’m also more intrigued by the fresh match-up being presented next month. I’d still like to see Nogueira/Mir 2 at some point down the road, although I’m not sure how well that fight would do as the main draw for a PPV. Cro Cop vs. Mir could conceivably do better, particularly given the fact that Cro Cop’s stock is rising once again following the win over Pat Barry. Mir will obviously be looking to maintain his relevancy in the current title picture, and I’m sure he’s still dreaming of a third meeting with Brock Lesnar, but in my opinion it’s Cro Cop who has much more to win with a victory in Indiana.

I’m particularly interested to see where this fight takes place, as Mir has shown an increased interest in the stand-up game since the Nogueira fight. He may wish to test his ever-improving boxing game against Cro Cop and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mir’s confidence has him believing that he’s the better striker at this point in time. Should Mir decide to abandon his greatest strength (Brazilian jiujitsu, obviously) then we could be in for an exciting battle on the feet. Knowing that both men possess knockout power and neither one has a chin of granite, it sounds like the perfect recipe for a fight designed to keep UFC fans on the edge of their seats.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante’s chances of upsetting Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship?

Conlan: I’d give Cavalcante a healthy “4.25” on such a scale, as I respect his skills and recognize his chance of winning but can’t go above “5” because I think “King Mo” is more likely to retain his title this weekend than drop it. Lawal has shown himself to be an extremely difficult draw in his seven-fight career, while “Feijao” was knocked out a little over a year ago by recently resurgent journeyman Mike Kyle and hasn’t faced, nor beaten, the level of opponents the amateur wrestling champ has. I think Lawal’s power and unique style of stand-up will convince Cavalcante within the first round he wants to take things to the ground whenever possible. Unfortunately for him, the reality is the Oklahoma State All-American’s takedown ability and overall defense are far more likely to dictate the fight’s positioning than the Brazilian’s, and as a result I’m fairly certain most of the submission work “Feijao” will be attempting will come with his shoulders planted firmly on the canvas. He’s talented, and provides a good test for the undefeated Strikeforce champion, but I don’t think he’s going to win so “4.25” it is.

Tool: I’m afraid that I’ve got to go a bit lower and give “Feijao” a 3, as I feel Lawal is destined to be the next great light heavyweight fighter. Cavalcante’s striking could present a stern challenge for “King Mo,” but then again that’s what everybody thought about Gegard Mousasi. Lawal is at the top of the food chain for wrestlers in the light heavyweight division, and as it stands I don’t believe that anybody on the Strikeforce roster will able to stop him from imposing his will. We can give Cavalcante the always popular “puncher’s chance” but it’s far more likely that “King Mo” retains his belt (and his crown) come Saturday night.

How do you think the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship fight between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Tim Kennedy will end?

Conlan: With my rump teetering on the edge of my folding chair while watching Tim Kennedy’s hand raised in victory after a hard-fought unanimous decision over Souza!

I’m blessed enough to be covering “Strikeforce – Houston” for Five Ounces this weekend and am looking forward to the middleweight title bout more than any other on the card. Both men are exceptionally talented, classy individuals with entertaining backstories and personalities to match. Souza’s inability to finish Joey Villasenor in his previous fight makes me feel the same will be true with Kennedy, who I view as a superior Mixed Martial Artist to the always-game Greg Jackson representative. On the flipside, Kennedy is better on his feet than “Jacare” and is solid enough on the ground to avoid getting caught in easily-obtained submissions. I think the two are going to battle for twenty-five minutes from one side of the cage to the other with Kennedy’s stand-up scoring enough points in the judges’ minds to elect him the new Strikeforce 185-pound champ. And, like I said before, I’ll be wearing a silly grin on my mug, loving every second of it, and reminding myself to keep the play-by-play coming for 5 Oz. readers.

Tool: Brendhan and I will often find ourselves agreeing with one another, and at other times we’ll find ourselves at the opposite ends of an argument. This time we’ve got a little from column A and a little from column B.

I agree with Brendhan that this is the fight to watch on Saturday night. Kennedy and Souza may not be the two best middleweights in the world but stylistically they match up flawlessly. Kennedy is a member of the newest generation of mixed-martial artists, as he’s pretty much good at everything. He can fight on the feet, he can take guys down, and he’s well versed in submissions. Souza, on the other hand, is only really good at one thing. With that in mind though, we can’t overlook just how good “Jacare” is in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His grappling game is more akin to a wrestler than your average submission specialist, as he’s got great takedowns and some relentless top control.

That’s why I can’t agree completely with what Brendhan said, as I believe “Jacare” will absolutely win this fight with a submission. He may not get the better of Kennedy on the feet but he’s got enough tools in his arsenal to set up a strong double-leg. Once they hit the mat I have no doubt that Kennedy will be able to defend well, but “Jacare” is so well-versed in BJJ that he’ll be able to set up holds that Kennedy won’t see coming until it’s too late. I’m not confident enough (or rich enough for that matter) to put down solid coin on Souza getting the win, especially since this is MMA and anything can (and will) happen. It’s a five-round fight and that’s a lot of time for either man to get the win, but if “Jacare” can spend a majority of that 25 minutes on top then it will only be a matter of time until Kennedy is tapping out for the first time in his career.