(Image: Spiketv.com) 

Spike just posted a promo clip for the next season of the popular UFC reality series, “The Ultimate Fighter”.  The series is heading into it’s 11th season which is very impressive and that success speaks to the continual growth in popularity of Mixed Martial Arts as a sport. 

Spike and the UFC are coming off a solid season last year where they were able to leverage the marketability of Kimbo Slice to reel in solid ratings for the season.  The show has used several formats over time, including multiple and single weight classes, national pride angles with USA vs UK and this year have gone back to the most familiar angle - looking to work off the animosity of two fighters as coaches, who will meet at the seasons end to see who can back up their trash talk.

Yes, it’s Chuck Liddell returning from a pseudo retirement following a few brutal losses, to coach against his generally less than formidable nemesis, Tito Ortiz.  Well… to be clear, Chuck has shown in 2 previous fights that he is (or at least was) the better fighter, KOing Ortiz both times, but Ortiz certainly has the larger personality and the undisputed UFC trash talking title.

The animosity between these two has been publicised for so long now that it’s enough to make you wonder whether any real hatred is still there. The negative energy between the two fighters simply translates into revenue for each of them… especially as Liddell struggles to stay relevant as a top level competitor following multiple KO losses and a plea from Dana White to retire.  The look on Chuck’s face when listening to or talking about Tito seems to indicate more if a comical dislike or annoyance with Ortiz rather than anger. 

 I guess Ortiz is more like a pest to Liddell and it makes sense considering he has stopped Ortiz twice in the Octagon, but still can’t stop his mouth from coming back for more.  Say what you want about Ortiz as a fighter, but he is one of the best in the sport when it comes to capitalizing on his public persona and marketing his fights to turn in great PPV numbers for the UFC.

So… check out the promo video below for the coming season and get ready to enjoy the banter and the fights as a new crop of Middleweight fighters compete to get a spot on the UFC’s 185lb fighter roster.

(Image: UFC.com)

The weigh-ins for tomorrow nights UFC 88 PPV in Atlanta, GA were held this afternoon and all fighters made weight. As usual, fans like to see some great stare-downs at the weigh-ins and I think the best mean face awards go to Ryo Chonan and Roan Carneiro. Everyone else was almost too pleasant to believe these guys will be fighting in about 24 hours from now. With all the weight cutting in MMA, the fighters came in looking pretty ripped. Jason MacDonald looked a lot bigger than Jason Lambert who makes his first UFC appearance at 185lbs. Lambert looks to have cut his weight well and didn’t look too drawn. Rich Franklin also looked great as he moves back up to 205lbs in this match against Matt Hamill.

The bigger news was the fact that the Karo Parisyan Vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida match was taken off the card due to Parisyan suffering a back injury. There was no indication of an injury in this video of the press conference held earlier.

More on that as details are released.

Here are the official weigh-in results:

Main Event
Rashad Evans (205) vs Chuck Liddell (204)

Main Card

Matt Hamill (205) vs Rich Franklin (204.5)
Dan Henderson (185) vs Rousimar Palhares (184.5)
Nate Marquardt (185) vs Martin Kampmann (184.5)
Matt Brown (170) vs Dong Hyun Kim (170)

Under-Card
Thiago Tavares (155) vs Kurt Pellegrino (156)
Tim Boetsch (205.25) vs Michael Patt (205.25)
Jason Lambert (185) vs Jason MacDonald (185)
Ryo Chonan (170) vs Roan Carneiro (170)

Check out pictures of the event or  to watch the full weigh-in video from UFC.com

With UFC 88 just a few days away, it’s time to get some picks out there.  The cards are so big these days compared to a few years ago that it is really time consuming to put together detailed breakdowns to back up personal picks.  The answer of course is to do less work - so let’s give the quick approach a try…

Main Event

Chuck Liddell Vs Rashad Evans- Chuck is a former champion and ultra experienced. Rashad Evans has an unblemished UFC record and has risen as one of the true talents to emerge from the TUF franchise. 

Best Guess: Expect Rashad to trade strikes until he realises that it’s The Iceman he’s trading shots with.  Rashad will then try to work his wrestling advantage only to be frustrated by Chuck’s take-down defense and defensive striking. Rashad will be out of his comfort zone and he will get caught with some big shots and eventually KO’d. If this fight goes more than 7 1/2 minutes, I will be very surprised.  Pick: Chuck by KO

Main Card

Rich Franklin Vs. Matt Hamill- Like Liddell, Rich is a former champion and super experienced in the Octagon.  Franklin brings great striking and overall skill with him as he moves up a weight-class from 185lbs to 205 for this fight.  Matt Hamill made a strong impression on The Ultimate Fighter and is one of the most experienced wrestlers in the organization. It’s the classic striker vs wrestler match.

Best Guess:Expect Hammill to continue to impress with his striking improvement while still being edged out on the feet by Franklin. Risking getting picked apart standing, Hammill will take Franklin down with little trouble, but will be unable to capitalize.  Expect Hamill to be contained by Franklin while on the ground and eventually catch Hammill with a clean punch or a submission from his back. It will likely take all 3 rounds to show that Rich can make waves at 205 even if he can’t get by Anderson Silva @ 185lbs.  Pick: Rich Franklin by late round stoppage (strikes or submission)

Yoshiyuki Yoshida Vs Karo Parisyan- This one is billed as a battle of Judo practitioners and that could make it interesting.  Karo will be looking to do some damage after dropping his last fight to Thiago Alves when it looked like Parisyan was on the cusp of an elusive Welterweight title shot. Karo is known for his Judo skills but is underrated for his striking, possessing very quick hands and presenting an elusive and frustrating target.  Yoshida made quick work of Jon Koppenhaver but Karo is in another league.  Even assuming that the Judo contest ends in a draw, Parisyan’s experience level and striking should help him edge this one out.  Pick: Karo Parisyan by anything but a decision for a change.  

Dan Henderson Vs Rousimar Palhares- Dan Henderson is an MMA legend who is coming off 2 tough losses in the UFC in title matches against Rampage Jackson and Anderson Silva.  Palhares is a relative unknown, riding a high following a slick and quick armbar victory over veteran fighter Ivan Salaverry at UFC 84.  Palhares looked sharp against a twilighting Salaverry, but will be outmatched against a gritty and hungry Dan Henderson. Look for Palhares to fall victim to Henderson’s size advantage (6′1″ vs 5′8″)  and get rocked on his feet and finished. Pick - Henderson by TKO

Martin Kampmann Vs Nate Marquardt- Marquardt is a big 185 with a well rounded game. He tends to do well against ground fighters and has an intelligent fighting style but is not exactly a “finisher”.  Kampmann is heading into his second fight in 3 months, coming back from a long injury/surgery layoff and getting a solid test in Marquardt. Kampmann is known for his solid striking and power but is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC with no 3 wins by submission, so he is well rounded too.  Kampmann also showed a great chin against Drew McFedries, who as devastating KO power. 

Pick:Kampmann by whatever it takes. This is the toughest fight on the card for me to pick but I favour Kampmann’s ability to finish fights.  

Undercard

Thiago Tavares Vs Kurt Pellegrino- Pellegrino is tough as nails and one of the grittiest Lightweight fighters in the UFC.  he has a solid wrestling base and showed enough BJJ skills to hang with Joe Stevenson, but fell short in his most recent match against the lanky Nate Diaz.  Tavares isn’t lanky, but like Diaz, he is a very dangerous submission fighter.  Pellegrino is very hungry for the win and may make a mistake in looking to put in a n impressive performance against Tavares. Pick:Tavares by submission.

Tim Boetsch Vs Michael Pratt- Look for Boetsch to bully his way through Pratt ho will be looking for the submission victory.  Pick:Tim Boetsch by TKO (round 1)  

Dong Hyun Kim Vs. Matt Brown- Kim made elbowed his way to victory against Jason Tan in May and is back to prove he has skill against Matt Brown, the tough competitor from TUF 7.  Kim looked very well rounded in his last outing and will have an opportunity to show consistency against Matt Brown, who, with a 10-6 pro record has been an example of hit and miss success.  Pick:Dong Hyun Kim by TKO.

 Jason Lambert Vs Jason MacDonald - Two of my favorite fighters to watch.  Both show a lot of heart in the Octagon and are coming off losses as they enter this match.  MacDonald will have a big advantage in his submission game while Lambert traditionally likes the ground and pound approach.  The intangible for this fight is the weight cut for Lambert as he makes a drop from 205 to 185.  Pick: Jason MacDonald by submission. 

Roan Carneiro Vs Ryo Chonan- Chonan is a battle tested warrior how has been through big league competition in the past. Chonan has shown endless heart and an aggressive fighting style that has him either win or lose in exciting fashion.  Carneiro is primarily a ground fighter who favors submissions. Both men have shown a lack of consistency in the past. 

 Pick:This one os a bit of a crap shoot, but going with Chonan as he has been able to frustrate and edge out elite fighters in the past.

 Well that’s it for the picks. There are some really interesting fights on this card and when it’s all said and done on September 6th in Atlanta, UFC 88 should be a source of great fan entertainment, even without a title match on the fight card.

(Photo:Sherdog.com)

 Canadian MMA talent Jason ‘Dooms’ Day has suffered an injury in training and has been forced out of his pending match against Jason ‘The Punisher’ Lambert, who was looking to make an impact with his Middleweight debut at UFC 88.
Well, thankfully the show will go on for Lambert(so put down the cookies) , as Canada offers up another Middleweight Jason in the form of ‘The Athlete’, Jason MacDonald. (is that enough Jasons for you yet…?)  It’s somewhat short notice for MacDonald, with UFC 88 scheduled to take place on September 6th in Atlanta Georgia.

For MacDonald, it’s a chance to get back on track quickly with a win after suffering a ground battle loss to Demien Maia at UFC 87 on August 9th. Lambert is a tough competitor and a personal favourite of mine but he is also coming off some tough KO losses lately, dropping fights to Luis Cane, Wilson Gouveia and Rashad Evans.  In between the Evans and Gouveia fight though, Lambert was able to chalk up a big KO victory of his own, over standout Renato ‘Babalu’ Sobral.
So, it’s two fighters coming off losses.  Lambert has the advantage of size with a drop from Light Heavyweight as well as an edge in striking power as well as MacDonald coming in on short notice.  MacDonald gets an advantage with a big edge on the ground, the fact that he is also a large Middleweight and the unknown toll on Lambert in cutting to 185lbs.

I think it’s safe to say that Lambert is unlikely to get knocked out in this match but that’s as far as I would want to go in predicting what will take place between these two on September 6th.  It’s an intriguing match in the Middleweight division between two guys that aren’t at championship level right now, but both are undeniably entertaining fighters and very solid competitors.

As for Jason Day, an entry on Sportsnet.ca indicated that a nagging arm injury is what forced him out of the bout.

“Day began feeling pain in his arm, and although initially tolerable, he realised something was different than the regular nagging injuries a mixed martial arts fighter feels. There is no range of motion in my arm, I can’t rotate it all.”

Obviously not the best scenario for Day, but with a debut victory over the well respected Alan Belcher and a tough loss to the TUFest guy in England,  Michael Bisping (Both fights taken as a replacement on short notice) ,it makes sense for Day to ensure he is able to represent his skill set  and potential when entering the Octagon again.
 

The UFC has officially announced their upcoming UFC 88 event, scheduled for September 6th in Atlanta, GA.   The main event will feature former Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell Vs. “Sugar” Rashad Evans.  The fight was previously scheduled to take place as the main event of UFC 85 but was eventually scrapped after Liddell suffered a hamstring injury in training that forced him off the card.

Chuck Liddell is one of the most well known fighters in all of MMA and Rashad Evans will play the role of home town hero in this showdown.  It is a fight that the fans want to see.  Rashad is looking to show that he is able to compete at an elite level in his division, while Liddell is attempting to complete a climb back to the top contender position after dropping back to back fights against Rampage Jackson and then Keith Jardine.  Liddell recently rebounded with a decision victory over Wanderlei Silva, who made his own comeback recently with a lightening fast KO finish of that same Keith Jardine.

It’s that famous MMA math that just never adds up….

Expect the card to end up packed with fighters from the Atlanta area or at least Georgia.  It’s a recipe for success that has worked well for the UFC when taking the show on the road and looking to pack large venues to make it worth their while.  Cole Miller, Anthony Johnson, (Current TUF 7 ) Cale Yarbrough and (currently in UFC exile) Rory Singer are Georgia fighters that come to mind, although I am sure there are plenty more.

The main event is the only conformed fight so far… stay tuned for more updates as they are released.  

 (Photo:Sherdog.com)

UFC 85 “Bedlam”, scheduled for June 7th in London, England has been one of the biggest fight card challenges for the UFC in a while.  Originally the main event was supposed to be Chuck Liddell Vs Mauricio Rua until Rua suffered a knee injury that forced Rashad Evans into a replacement role.  Evans was in a great position to get a shot at the former champion and really step up to the elite level of competition in the Light Heavyweight division…. until Chuck Liddell injured a hamstring that will keep him off the fight scene for a few months at least. 

James Irving, fresh off his recent KO victory over Houston Alexander stepped up to take Liddell’s place and although the fight lost main event status (replaced by Matt Hughes Vs. Thiago Alves) it was still intact.  This was a workable fight with two decent LHW contenders, although it was a serious step up up in status for  Irvin (by his own admission). 

That fight, hanging on by a thread took its final shot on Thursday when , as reported on Sportsnet.ca, Irvin announced he had suffered a broken foot during training, forcing the fight off the card entirely.  It only makes sense, the event is literally 2 weeks away and any replacement would be far less than prepared enough to take a fight against Rashad Evans.  Speaking of Evans, he may have suffered more than the others, switching stepping up, switching opponents and going through the toughest part of a training camp only to have the plug pulled on his fight 2 weeks before the big night. That has to hurt…

Expect Rashad to show up on another event card soon, although by then he will likely feel like he has been training forever.  I guess the downside of trimming the fighter roster in the UFC is that with high profile fighters competing more often, the chance of injuries increases.  Hopefully the event is more a case of bad luck than a glimpse of the future fight card scheduling.  

It’s about time to get some picks in place for UFC 84 “Ill Will” taking place on May 24th in Las Vegas, NV. There are some great matches on this card and while they aren’t all critical to the so called rankings in the division, many are great just for entertainment value or the story behind the story.

With another 11 fight card in place, the write ups are getting pretty intense, so I will try to keep it brief and hopefully accurate.

Lets go…

Main Event:

BJ Penn Vs. Sean Sherk (Lightweight Title Match)

Sean Sherk won the Lightweight Title in a decision victory over Kenny Florian, defended it against Hermes Franca and then tested positive for a banned substance(Nandralone). Off the fight scene for close to a year, Sherk returns to a title shot against BJ Penn who currently holds the interim title after taking it in a recent and lopsided victory over Joe Stevenson.

Sean Sherk is an ultra compact wrestler with solid determination and great ground control. His stand up game is decent but not great… he can get by on his feet but needs the fight to go to the ground to get a win. BJ Penn is an Elite BJJ practitioner with outstanding take-down defense and good striking power. He is great on the ground and capable of winning fights on his feet as well. The questionable area for BJ Penn has always been conditioning.

Read the rest of this entry »

A few well known MMA fighters have commented on the recent success and attention that has been showered on Internet sensation turned MMA fighter, Kevin Ferguson AKA “Kimbo Slice.”  Slice is scheduled to headline the CBS Primetime TV event for EliteXC on May 31st against Josh Thompson.

 In a video posted on Kimbo’s site, he responds to the negative comments and in particular to Chuck Liddell.  Sure the value is most likely in the marketing aspect of the Kimbo Slice persona, but if you ask me, this guy seems pretty serious… check it out for yourself. 

 (Photos: UFC.com/Sherdog.com)

 What do James Irvin, Rich Clementi and Michael Bisping have in common?  Not much … except for the fact that all 3 fighters are getting a chance to turn wins into increased opportunity with quick turnaround between fights.  Bispng is the latest fighter to get the quick call back, likely in an effort to build out the UFC 85 card which took a big hit with the departure of Chuck Liddell due to a hamstring injury.  Irvin was the fighter who actually stepped up to fill Chuck’s spot, but lacking star lustre, the UFC seems to be opting for their default British star, Michael “The Count” Bisping to pack in the fans for the recently shuffled UFC 85 card schedule for June 7th in London, England.

Bisping will be in for a bigger test in his sophomore effort at 185lbs, stepping into the Octagon with the very heavy handed, Chris “The Crippler” Leben in front of a home town crowd.  Bisping has made the physical transformation , dropping a weight class to maximize his potential in as an Elite MMA fighter while Leben has made lifestyle and mental changes to improve his game.  After dropping back to back fights against Canadians, Jason MacDonald and the now notorious Kalib Starnes, Leben has found new focus and has reaped the rewards with big wins over Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara. 

It will be interesting to see what game-plan Bisping brings to the fight.  Although Leben has shown constant improvement he is likely still  less well rounded than Bisping, but is the advantage enough to outweigh the killer power that Leben wields?  My betting money would say that Bisping won’t be able to take many lefts from Leben, so he will need to take “The Crippler” down early and try to work his Jiu Jitsu for a win.  With an 8-3 record in the UFC, Leben is certainly no joke and he is a decent step up for Bisping’s second Middleweight fight. 

It’s another day at the office for Bisping as the UFC’s British “poster boy” for the organization, stepping up to sell the sport of MMA to the British masses.  It’s not an easy fight to call, and Bisping looked good in his last fight against an outmatched Charles McCarthy in his last outing.  It really will depend on who can take the fight to their strength position and execute their game-plan. 

 (Photo:Sherdog.com)

In a nice development for the UFC 85 card, the UFC has added a welterweight clash between Matt Hughes and Thiago Alves as the main event after Chuck Liddell was forced to pull out of the card due to injury. Liddell was originally scheduled to face Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in the main event and after Rua was injured Rashad Evans stepped to the plate in the main event.  The UFC has replaced the injured Liddell with James Irvin who is fresh off a KO win over Houston Alexander.
Regardless of having fighters replaced, it seems the UFC didn’t feel a Rasad Evans vs James Irvin fight could carry the card and they probably made the right choice in calling in a favour from former champion Matt Hughes to help them out of a bind. Hughes has been in limbo since his loss to GSP, as far as making a definitive statement regarding his career and next steps.  Any comments that were made by Hughes were in discussions about his rivalry with Matt Serra and the fact that he was still looking forward to settling those differences in the Octagon.

Hughes confirmed the Alves bout on his website, where he was brief in his statement as it appears the whole thing came up on him pretty quickly,

“June 7th, in England, I fight Thiago Alves. The fight is confirmed, it will be the main event for the card. Dana just called me with the news. Chuck got hurt and couldn’t fight, so he needed a replacement and called me and I said yes. More news as I get it.”

Read the rest of this entry »