In total, fifteen fighters from UFC 116 were tested for any traces of illegal substances in their system, and all fifteen tests came back squeaky clean.

FiveOuncesofPain.com recently learned of the test results through the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s Executive Director Keith Kizer.

The following fighters were tested during UFC 116: Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Chris Leben, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Chris Lytle, Matt Brown, Krzysztof Soszynski, Stephan Bonnar, Brendan Schaub, Kendall Grove, Gerald Harris, Ricardo Romero, Jon Madsen, George Stripoulos and Daniel Roberts. All test results came back negative.

UFC 116 took place on July 3, 2010 and featured a main event between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin for the UFC heavyweight title.

“Ring rust” is a term that has varying strength. On one side there are recent cases like Yoshihiro Akiyama’s long-awaited return at UFC 116. Akiyama was never known for great cardio, but a year out of the cage did a number on his gas tank, leaving him blatantly exhausted midway through the second round. Conversely, former champ and genetic-jackpot winner Randy Couture spent 13 months playing retired before dominating Tim Sylvia for the heavyweight title in 2007.

Inconsistency aside, there is enough evidence to consider ring/cage rust a real problem. Missing is a clear explanation. There are three main factors that fighters must maintain during a break: physical conditioning, evolution of technique, and mental fortitude. While most cases of ring rust are probably a combination of the three, each affects performance in unique ways.

There are dozens of strength and conditioning programs available to athletes. But none of them can match real combat-sport competition. Firstly, it is impossible to train effectively with anyone you genuinely dislike–things get heated too quickly. There needs to be a level of trust; so fighters train with friends, which inadvertently attaches emergency brakes to the intensity level–a friend does not rush in for the finish when his sparring partner gets rocked, or crank on a submission like a title is on the line.

Training focuses on technical aspects, which are essential, but less draining than hunting for a knockout. Nothing can replicate the cardio test of a real fight. Fighters will run, jog or swim at the highest pace that they can confidently maintain, while paying close attention to their breathing. Conversely, fighting has an fluctuating pace that puts the heart and lungs through bouts of spiking intensity.

The obvious solution is focusing on sparring sessions to build cardio, but that’s a catch-22. Even if fighter is willing spar with full-blown heavy-contact, a good coach would not allow it because the chances of injury would skyrocket. Getting back into the cage is the only solution.

All fighters have room to grow and evolve, and time off means lost opportunities to learn from mistakes. Watching fight tapes is a huge part of top-tier competition, not only to learn about opponents, but to catch personal slip-ups. Dropping hands after throwing kicks, predictable combinations, and telegraphing strikes and takedowns are some common mistakes that creep into fighting styles.

Such problems can be absent throughout training and emerge under pressure. Aggressive coaching can be iron them out, but that takes weeks. Furthermore, not all training camps are truly well-rounded. For many, the only way to find subtle holes in their game is to fight a variety of opponents.

Finally, mental fortitude is the wild card because it can lapse without warning. Humans can adapt and even become comfortable under extreme stress. However, time away from a roaring crowd and a dangerous opponent makes for a visceral return experience. Fear can come out of nowhere and cut to the bone, leading to something even worse than diminished cardio: hesitation.

Repetition and “muscle memory” are what fighters rely on in the heat of the moment. Mental conditioning allows fighters to react to a strike, takedown, or submission. But with time off, even a few weeks, the conditioning begins to fade, and fighters have to think about actions that should be automatic.

When Rampage Jackson returned to face Rashad Evans at UFC 114, his wild swings were tell-tale signs of a long layoff. But the most embarrassing moment came in the third round when Jackson landed a hard left, and inexplicably stood back and allowed a bobble-headed Evans to recover. That match was Jackson’s 38th professional fight, but those few seconds were the crystal clear difference between occasional training and consistently competing.

Athletes from all sports seem out of sync after a long layoff, but it’s far more severe in combat sports because of the specific factors that contribute to ring rust. Still, rust does not hit all fighters equally, and is far from a guaranteed loss.

The next year will see some particularly high-profile fighters returning after extended layoffs. First, Thiago Alves, on the sidelines since UFC 100, will finally be returning for a rematch with Jon Fitch at UFC 117. And Vitor Belfort, out since September, is expected to return in the fall, probably against the winner of Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen.

It’s a dangerous situation for both fighters, but potentially extremely rewarding. Alves is being given a chance to jump ahead of Jon Fitch in the race for a second crack at Georges St. Pierre. Due to Fitch’s conservative (see: boring) style and reluctance to fight teammate Josh Koscheck, Alves can easily become the more popular choice.

Similarly, Belfort was originally promised a middleweight title shot due to his unique speed and striking power, despite never fighting in the UFC at 185lbs. The intriguing style matchup against Anderson Silva, and lack of real threats (including Sonnen) in the division, mean that Belfort may still walk into a title shot. It remains to be seen whether either man can overcome ring rust, as a loss for either fighter now would be mean a huge blown opportunity.

A middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and Yoshihiro Akiyama will be part of October's UFC 120 event in London.

Fighters Only first reported that at least one fighter has signed for the content, and it'll serve as the night's main event.

MMAjunkie.com confirmed the matchup with a source close to the event.
A previously reported welterweight bout between Dan Hardy and Carlos
Condit takes co-headliner status.

Fighters Only is reporting that UFC british middleweight fighter Michael Bisping is set to take on Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama as the main event bout for UFC 120 in October. According to the report one of the two sides has already signed the fight agreement, and the other side will complete shortly and then the match will be officially announced.

Bisping will look to build on his victory over Dan Miller at UFC 114, and fighting on British soil should provide some extra motivation. Akiyama will try to overcome a loss to Chris Leben suffered at UFC 116, and if possible bring back the “Sexyama” MMA fans love.

The MMA News will report back on this story as news comes out.

Should referee Josh Rosenthal have stopped UFC 116’s main event in the first round? Can you name an overall card that was more entertaining than last weekend’s show? Is Chris Leben a “Top 10” middleweight? How likely is it that Cain Velasquez will beat Brock Lesnar when they square off later this year?

Keyboard warrrrriors….come out to plaaaay-yay!

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

Was there a more entertaining MMA event than UFC 116 in the past twelve months?

Tool: For my money I would say no. There were plenty of enjoyable events in the last year (UFC 110 and WEC 48 come to mind) but I can’t think of a single thing wrong with the show we saw on Saturday. All the fights were exciting, the main event lived up to the hype, and there was nothing to complain about in regards to the judging and/or officiating. Some events will feature one great back-and-forth battle, and on this card we got four. Simply put, if you didn’t enjoy UFC 116 then you aren’t a fan of MMA.

Some of my favorite moments from the evening took place outside of the actual fights during the moments before and after the individual rounds. I won’t soon forget the dejected look on Kurt Pellegrino’s face before the third round, as he was a man who had clearly already been beaten. I also enjoyed the way Stephan Bonnar refused to touch gloves before his battle with Krzysztof Soszynski, only to change his mind and then touch gloves at the start of the second round. Who can forget Chris Leben raising his arms and feeding off the crowd as he went into the third round with Yoshihiro Akiyama? Then at the end of evening we got Brock Lesnar smiling at the crowd instead of snarling into the camera as he did back at UFC 100. These little moments combined with the stellar action from each fight made this one of the greatest events in mixed-martial arts history.

Conlan: No, and though the sights and sounds of UFC 116 are admittedly still fresh in my mind, I suspect it would take a bit of research to find a more entertaining card in the past three years (if not longer). As Tool said, the event had something for everyone – comeback victories, surprising finishes, brutal knockouts, jiujitsu wizardry, heated exchanges, and a bit of blood to boot. On top of the memorable moments Adam listed I’d also add Gerald Harris’ brain-rattling slam, Ricardo Romero enduring Seth Petruzelli’s power before shredding his arm with a slick submission, Bonnar’s look into the camera after his win and post-fight speech, Leben’s blank-stare brawling, and Lesnar not only escaping Shane Carwin’s early onslaught but also showing his improved ground attack en route to successfully defending his title. UFC 116 was the perfect mixture of entertainment and athletic art, and definitely a show that will stand out from its peers for a long, long time.

Using a percentage, how likely is it Cain Velasquez will knock Brock Lesnar off of his heavyweight throne?

Tool: I’ll go with 75%. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t bet against Lesnar in any fight these days, especially now that he’s answered some very important questions about his heart and his submission skills. Even though Lesnar overcame his greatest challenge to date this past weekend, I still think Velasquez has his number.

One issue Lesnar still has is his striking. He’s got no head movement to speak of, and outside of that straight right hand he hasn’t got any real weapons in his stand-up arsenal. On the opposite end we’ve got Velasquez whose stand-up has looked better with each appearance in the Octagon. He’s got a great stance, and while his power may not match Shane Carwin’s, he’s far more precise when he throws. Go back and check out that laser of a right hook that floored Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and then watch the pinpoint accurate punches Velasquez threw to finish the job.

The other major factor that will come into play is the wrestling, as that’s the skill Lesnar relies most upon to beat his opponents. It’s safe to say that Lesnar and Velasquez represent the highest level of wrestling in the heavyweight division, and I’ll be interested to see if either man can take the other down. Lesnar’s size advantage could play a part, but we can’t sell Velasquez short. Even if Brock can take Cain down, I don’t believe he’ll be able to keep him there. If the fight stays on the feet it’s all the more likely that it will be Cain’s fight to lose.

Conlan: Since I did so good by giving Fabricio Werdum a “1%” chance of beating Fedor Emelianenko I assume my opinion on this particular topic carries a lot of weight in the MMA community. That being said, I think Velasquez has a 47% chance of becoming UFC champ once he and Lesnar eventually lock horns.

Tool has done a nice job breaking down the finer points of each heavyweight’s abilities, and I don’t disagree with any aspect of his assessment beyond his certainty Velasquez will beat Lesnar. Both have shown clear progression from fight to fight, including improved ground-work and an immense amount of heart displayed after enduring early scares. Each is also a threat to score a knockout with a well-placed punch for different reasons (technique/power). Cain’s striking is more precise and diverse than Brock’s, as you might expect from someone who weighs 30-40 pounds less, and he definitely has the tools in his singlet to give the champ a real test when it comes to wrestling. On the flip-side, Lesnar’s combination of size and athleticism is remarkably unique in a division generally featuring men who are typically either fast or big/strong, not both.

Their upcoming title bout should be a close one with each having minimal advantages over the other. However, I think it has to be pointed out the match-up will be Velasquez’s first crack at a belt while half of Lesnar’s career fights have involved gold. As such, I’m giving him a razor-thin nod to beat the American Kickboxing Academy phenom.

Who on the DREAM 15 card would you most like to see inside the Octagon? Include a match-up as well.

Tool: Well if he was actually on the card the easy answer would be Alistair Overeem. DREAM officials announced he would be fighting, Overeem denied it, and yet DREAM is still saying that he’ll be there. I’m inclined to believe the fighter over the promotion, so any “Ubereem” fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their hero may as well just catch up on their sleep Friday night.

As for the fighters that are actually confirmed for the show, my pick would have to be Gegard Mousasi. Obviously this isn’t a hard choice as Mousasi represents one of the best fighters in the world to have never set foot in the Octagon. His stock has certainly fallen a bit since the loss to “King Mo” Lawal but he’s still one of the most exciting fighters in the light heavyweight division. If he were to be signed tomorrow and brought into the UFC I would match him up with Thiago Silva. Silva is a respectable name and a perfect stylistic match-up for Mousasi, and a fight between the two would have a great chance at picking up “Fight of the Night” honors.

Conlan: He may not be the hottest prospect after being dominated by Gilbert Melendez but of the entire DREAM 15 group I’d most like to see Shinya Aoki test his skills in the UFC’s iconic eight-sided cage. I understand the logic behind Tool’s choice of Mousasi, but I’d personally think “The Dreamcatcher” needs a little more experience at 205-pounds before attempting to crack the upper echelon of the UFC’s flagship division. On the other hand, Aoki has competed against a number of top lightweights and come out on the winning end of things more often than not. His jiujitsu is elite, he’s got a colorful personality, and signing him would help Zuffa further reestablish their reputation in the Far East. Sure, his less-than stellar wrestling would cost him a bout or two along the way, as it did against Melendez, but that’s nothing a little clever match-making couldn’t prolong from happening.

As far as an opponent goes, my “dream” choice would be B.J. Penn simply to see what would unfold as soon as both hit the mat and started grappling. However, Aoki would likely need a few wins in the Octagon before earning a shot at “The Prodigy”, so in that regard I’d select Tyson Griffin as his opening foe. Griffin has the name-recognition to earn Aoki the Zuffa Zombies’ respect were he to defeat him, while also having the wrestling prowess and stand-up to provide a significant threat to the spandex-clad superstar in the eyes of hardcore fans. The pairing would almost certainly result in an entertaining display of action making Aoki’s Octagon debut a memorable, if not successful, one.

TRUE/FALSE – Chris Leben is a top 10 middleweight.

Conlan: True or false, you can’t give a wrong answer on this topic because rankings are for the most part subjective. For that reason “Top 10” lists vary from person to person, as every individual has a different way of weighing the numerous circumstances involved in. Where this particular subject is concerned, I’ll say “false”, though “The Crippler” is certainly on the cusp of cracking my collection of top ten middleweights. When you run down the 185-pound pool there are a few clear-cut entries deserving a spot without question, but the water gets a little murky in the 8-10 range leaving room for Leben after two solid performances against a pair of respected opponents in a span of three weeks. If he comes out Zombie-smile in tow after scrapping with Wanderlei Silva, who he called out on the heels of beating Yoshihiro Akiyama and will likely get as long as “The Axe Murderer” doesn’t run into a problem during recovery from his recent surgeries, then he’s absolutely a “Top 10” guy for me. However, as of right now he’s in the 12-14 range.

Tool: Brendhan’s absolutely right in stating that all rankings are subjective, but then again this is an opinion column wherein everything we say is subjective. As for the question itself I’m tempted to go with “true.” Leben’s UFC career has been full of ups and downs, and we certainly can’t ignore the fact that it wasn’t that long ago when he was choked out by Jake Rosholt. While “The Crippler” may not have the most impressive win streak to hang his credentials on, he does have some impressive wins over solid competition. Akiyama has been hanging around the bottom rungs of the top ten rankings for awhile so a win over him certainly has to count for something. Plenty of sites have Jorge Santiago in their top ten list, but we can’t forget that he was on the receiving end of a devastating Leben knockout during his brief stint in the UFC. Alessio Sakara is riding a nice hot streak at the moment but he too was separated from consciousness courtesy of Leben. The point is that while I don’t envision Leben climbing his way towards contendership anytime soon, he certainly deserves to be considered amongst the top level of fighters in the UFC’s middleweight division.

If we assume that the winner of the upcoming Kenny Florian/Gray Maynard fight gets the next shot at the lightweight belt, who would you put George Sotiropoulos against in a potential #1 contender’s bout?

Conlan: Though possibly a dark-horse due to his relative lack of widespread name recognition, I think a deserving candidate for such a slot would be Evan Dunham (assuming he gets by Sean Sherk at UFC 119). Dunham looked extremely sharp against Tyson Griffin, has a well-rounded skill-set to match Sotiropoulos’, and includes the added benefit of a spotless record where promotional purposes are concerned. In fact, I’m not sure there are a lot of other logical choices unless the UFC goes out and somehow signs a top lightweight like Eddie Alvarez or Gilbert Melendez, as the bulk of the company’s notable 155-pounders aren’t too far removed from a losing performance.

Tool: I can certainly get behind a potential match-up with Dunham, although in between Brendhan sending me his answers and me writing mine it was announced that Dunham would instead be welcoming Sean Sherk back to the Octagon. A win over Sherk would certainly put Dunham right into the mix of contenders and a meeting with Sotiropoulos would make even more sense then.

Looking at the rest of the UFC’s lightweight roster it’s clear that the most credible fighters are the four guys fighting at UFC 118. Therefore I’d have no problem with Sotiropoulos meeting up with the loser of the Florian/Maynard bout, or perhaps even the loser of the Frank Edgar/BJ Penn title rematch. The only other opponent I could see propelling Sotiropoulos to a title shot would be perennial gatekeeper Clay Guida (assuming Guida can get by Rafael Dos Anjos next month). In any case it may be a few months before Sotiropoulos finds out who his next opponent is, as pretty much any other match-up would represent a step backwards in competition for the Aussie.

Would you have disagreed with the result of the main event if referee Josh Rosenthal had stopped the fight in the first round?

Conlan: It would have depended on Lesnar’s immediate reaction after the stoppage. If Brock sprung up foaming at the mouth, full of energy and arguing the call I reckon I would have been steamed at an early stoppage. Had he remained on the canvas, curled up and confused, then I would have applauded the bout’s initial action and Rosenthal’s stoppage of it. Since Lesnar was able to recover/defend without absorbing more than a few cinder-blocks to his head before ultimately showing his improved ability on the ground supported by the wrestling technique making him a NCAA champ, it appears clear Rosenthal made the correct call by allowing things to continue after a few tense moments on the mat and he should be applauded for his decision. It’s not as if fans were watching Cris “Cyborg Santos” vs. Jan Finney II or something.

Tool: While watching that first round I was quite literally on the edge of my seat, as Rosenthal was right on top of the action and seemed to be very close to stepping in. Had he done so I don’t believe there would have been a huge outcry of injustice from the MMA community, even if Lesnar had stood right up and argued the decision. I’ll go one step further and make the assumption that if this hadn’t been the main event and a huge title fight, Rosenthal probably would have pulled the trigger and awarded Carwin the win. I certainly have no way to know this for sure. I just know that usually when one fighter delivers 50 or so unanswered punches to his opponent’s head, that fight ends with a stoppage. The end result shows us that Rosenthal made the right call in allowing the fight to continue, but it’s still intriguing to think of how different the MMA landscape would be right now had he made a different decision on Saturday night.

On Monday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission released the medical suspensions for this past weekends “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin” event. All four headlining fighters were issued with medical suspensions.

UFC 116 went down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

The full medical suspensions are as follows:

- Brock Lesnar: Suspended until Aug. 18 with no contact till Aug. 3 – Right eye and left eyebrow lacerations.
- Shane Carwin: Suspended until Sept 2 with no contact till Aug. 18.
- Chris Leben: Suspended until Aug. 3 with no contact till July 25. – “Tough fight.”
- Yoshihiro Akiyama: Suspended until Aug. 18 with no contact till Aug. 3. – “Tough fight.”
- Stephen Bonnar: Suspended until Aug. 18 with no contact until Aug. 3. – Facial lacerations.
- Krzysztof Soszynski: Suspended until Sept. 2 with no contact until Aug. 18. – Left thumb must be cleared by a physician or suspension will extend until Dec. 31.
- Kurt Pellegrino: Suspended until Aug. 18 with no contact until Aug. 3 – Left knee must be cleared by a physician or suspension will extend until Dec. 31.
- Chris Tuchscherer: Suspended until Sept. 2 with no contact until Aug. 18. – Right cheek laceration. Must receive clearance for left ear with a specialist or suspension will extend until Dec. 31.
- Ricardo Romero: Suspended until Sept. 2 with no contact until Aug. 18. – Broken left lower jaw must receive clearance by specialist or suspension will extend until Dec. 31.
- David Branch: Suspended until Sept. 2 with no contact until Aug. 18.

In what should come as no surprise, Brock Lesnar was the highest paid fighter during last weekend’s UFC 116 event from Las Vegas with a reported $400,000 paycheck for his efforts. In what should come as a minor surprise to many, his opponent Shane Carwin picked up $40,000 for his troubles, which means Lesnar was paid ten-times the amount Carwin was for his appearance in the main event of the evening.

Also among the highest paid athletes to compete at UFC 1116 were Chris Leben ($86,000), who also picked up a hefty “Fight of the Night” bonus check for his third round triangle submission of Yoshihiro Akiyama in a back-and-forth war between middleweights, and Chris Lytle ($52,000) who submitted Matt Brown with a nasty reverse triangle/straight armlock in a welterweight battle.

A full list of the disclosed fighter salaries for UFC 116 is below:

Brock Lesnar: $400,000 (no win bonus) def. Shane Carwin: $40,000

Chris Leben: $86,000 ($43,000 win bonus) def. Yoshihiro Akiyama: $45,000

Chris Lytle: $52,000 ($26,000 win bonus) def. Matt Brown: $10,000

Stephan Bonnar: $50,000 ($25,000 win bonus) def. Krzysztof Soszynski: $10,000

George Sotiropoulos: $24,000 ($12,000 win bonus) def. Kurt Pellegrino: $25,000

Brendan Schuab: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus) def. Chris Tuchscherer: $12,000

Ricardo Romero: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus) def. Seth Petruzelli: $10,000

Kendall Grove: $50,000 ($25,000 win bonus) def. Goran Reljic: $5,000

Gerald Harris: $20,000 ($10,000 win bonus) def. David Branch: $6,000

Daniel Roberts: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus) def. Forrest Petz: $6,000

Jon Madsen: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus) def. Karlos Vemola: $8,000

The Daily Telegraph is reporting that UFC middleweight Michael Bisping will eiher fight Yoshihiro Akiyama or Vitor Belfort at UFC 120 in October. Also on the card is fellow Brit Dan Hardy who is set to face Carlos Condit, the first time Hardy will fight after his loss to UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

With Sexyama taking the loss to Chris Leben, there’s a great chance that it will be Vitor Belfort who will take on the up and down Bisping, and look for Vegas line’s to reflect that Bisping would enter the fight as a serious underdog. However Belfort is looking to have a good outing after returning from elbow surgery, and has long been thought of as a legitimate threat to middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva.

We’ll keep you updated on this story as the word comes out.

LAS VEGAS - For UFC middleweight slugger Chris Leben, the past two weeks have certainly been a strange and wonderful
journey.

Two weeks, two fights, two wins, two "Fight Night" bonus checks, and
after his stunning UFC 116 submission of Yoshihiro Akiyama, two
second-round finishes.

At least as far as "The Crippler" remembers it.

A total of six fighters earned “Fight Night” bonuses after Saturday night’s “UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin” event. Earning $75,000 each Chris Leben, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Stephan Bonnar, Krzysztof Soszynski, Gerald Harris, and Brock Lesnar all walked away with the a bonus after their efforts at UFC 116.

UFC 116 took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

Two “Fight of the Night” awards were handed down to Chris Leben, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Stephan Bonnar, and Krzysztof Soszynski for their main card bouts. Leben and Akiyama battled back-and-forth for three rounds until the “Crippler” caught the Japanese fighter with a leg triangle, forcing “Sexyama” to tap at 4:40. Bonnar stopped Soszynski by TKO in the second round, avenging a loss to the “Polish Experiment” after their first fight at UFC 110 ended in controversy after “The American Psycho” was cut by an accidental headbutt.

The “Knockout of the Night” was given to Gerald Harris after he knocked out opponent Dave Branch in the third round of their fight. Branch jumped up and locked his legs around Harris in an attempt for a submission, Harris answered by slamming his opponent into the mat knocking Branch out.

Earning a surprising “Submission of the Night” bonus was defending UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, who probably surprised everyone, by submitting opponent Shane Carwin with an arm-triangle choke in the second.