(Photo:UFC.com)

Well another UFC end of the year PPV has come and gone and I don’t think anyone could have been disappointed with the matches even if the results didn’t favor their preferred fighter. The Liddell vs Silva match was everything it was hyped to be and the GSP vs Hughes part III showdown was stellar as well. Here are the results and some commentary for the matches that aired on the PPV ( I wasn’t attending the event, so I can’t speak to the under-cards)

For bragging rights, the UFCFAN picks for this event were almost perfect at 9-1. Not too shabby

Giving credit where it is due, the UFCFAN.CA readers also voted with a majority to call the GSP victory over Matt Hughes in the most recent site poll.? Check out the latest one while you are here on the main page.

Chuck Liddell over Wanderlei Silva - Both fighters spent the early part of the fight with a hesitant feeling out process but then clashed in repeated stand-up exchanges that thrilled the crowd, with each fighter risking their third consecutive defeat as the strikes landed and landed and landed…

Chuck clearly had a bit more power in his shots, and although he claims not to go for the KO, it certainly looked like he was going for it in this fight. Wanderlei showed an impressive chin and some good recovery time after getting rocked more than once by the Iceman. Chuck was put on the floor once (twice if you include a punch/slip) and was able to recover well too. After risking it for the first 2 rounds, Liddell seemed to realize he had the decision win and rode out the third round, checking the clock often. He even took Silva down 2 times in the round for the added points, surprising a lot more folks than me I’m sure. Like it or not, Chuck is back on the scene and this win should boost his confidence back to championship levels… watch out for “The Iceman” in 2008.

GSP over Matt Hughes -GSP brought with him the same level of confidence that he showed in the second fight with Hughes, and most people new it would be trouble or Matt if that happened. St. Pierre was absolutely dominant in the victory, taking down Hughes several times while evading take-down attempts by Hughes. In a repeat of the Koscheck performance, GSP used his wrestling skills to punish Hughes, securing full mount (twice) and showcasing some effective ground and pound to soften up Hughes for the armbar submission that required a verbal submission from the former champion.

It has been said many times but it certainly looked true in this match, that GSP is the future of the Welterweight division. The gap in skill sets between the two fighters and the effective implementation of technique by St. Pierre made this a lopsided victory that was humbling for Hughes. Of course Joe Rogan tried his best to coax a retirement announcement out of Hughes following the loss, but Hughes refrained from making that statement during the event and indicated he had some thinking to do about his future in the sport.

Note: Despite the gamesmanship that is typical of Matt Hughes in the buildup to a match, he showcased his humility and class last in the post fight interview and took nothing from GSP in his comments regarding the fight. Well done Matt.

GSP just wants Matt Serra now and commented that he appreciates the interim belt and what it represents, but that he will not consider himself the champion until he has avenged his loss to Matt Serra. Well said Georges…

Lyoto Machida over Rameau Sokoudjou - Lyoto did what was seemingly impossible for him by finishing a fight in the Octagon. He looked very dominant in his fight with the highly touted Sokoudjou, controlling him on the ground and with his stand-up skills. Ultimately, it was the ground game that won Machida the fight, as he repeatedly worked and eventually secured an arm triangle choke that would have had “The African Assassin” sleeping if he hadn’t tapped.

Machida made a few comments about wanting a shot at the title and it is hard to disagree with the request. This guy came into the fight with existing wins over Rich Franklin and BJ Penn and now his high profile UFC win coming over Sokoudjou should propel him to contender status. At 12-0 in MMA without taking an easy road, it seems he will be in line for a shot at the title soon. He will have to wait out the TUF showdown between Griffin and Jackson and as a result may end up with another fight in the mean time. Speaking of Mean … maybe he will face “The Dean of Mean” (Keith Jardine) or “Sugar” Rashad Evans to stay active in preparation for a title shot.

Rich Clementi over Melivin Guillard - This match was basically a bar fight in the Octagon, as both fighters entered the cage with a supreme dislike for one another due to personal history. Clementi came out on top, showcasing far superior ground skills and forcing the tap from Guillard from a rear naked choke in the first round. The showing was really disappointing in that Guillard could have spent a lot of time working his ground game during his suspension that just completed and based on his performance against Clementi, that clearly wasn’t the case. Clementi gets another win and looks to rebound a bit in the UFC as Guillard looks to continue to spiral out of control and eventually out of the organization.

It is really too bad as Guillard is a truly explosive athlete and could be a great asset to the UFC if he could get with a good team and get his skills and his head where they need to be. Other than that, the trash talk and gesturing by the two fighters was a bit over the top for me…

Eddie Sanchez over Soa Palelei: Sanchez pummelled Palelei in what was a pretty boring fight. This is why the Heavyweight division is in trouble… just not deep enough in terms of dynamic and athletic fighters. Sanchez got a solid victory and we should be seeing some more of him in the UFC…

James Irving over Luis Cane - Irving continues with the odd fight results, this time with another knee situation, but resulting in a win for “The Sandman”. This under-card match didn’t air on PPV, but the story is that Cane trough a knee at Irving while he was on the ground and was penalized with a point deduction. Irving was able to get up, but was deemed to hurt to continue, which results in a DQ for Cane and a victory for Irving. Whatever… I would like to see a real fight from Irving. I think his record has him looking better than he really is. (just my opinion)

Manny Gamburyan over Nate Mohr - Under-card - But did air on the PPV. Manny destroyed Mohr in 91 seconds, earning the win with what looked to be an ankle lock. Whatever it was, it had Mohr hurt and limping from the Octagon. This was another solid showing from Gamburyan and I expect this guy to be a teror in the lightweight division.

Dean Lister over Jordan Radev -Under-card.. Lister earned a decision victory over Radev in what apparently was a really boring fight. Nothing much else to say here.

Roan Carneiro over Tony DeSouza -Under-card match. With both fighters bringing great ground credentials, Carneiro proved to have the heavier hands, earning a second round TKO over DeSouza. Carneiro is no joke and expect to see great results from him in 2008.

Mark Bocek over Doug Evans - Under-card Match. Bochek earned a decision victory over Evans.

To check out pictures from UFC 79 on UFC.com - Click Here

All said and done, this was a solid card with some great results. The depth of talent in the UFC is really starting to show and it is pretty clear that this organization has the best fighters in the world. 2008 should be a solid year of fights and with the UFC looking to expand fight night events as a road show of sorts, the fans that don’t reside in Nevada may get treated to a few more live events this year.

Up next… UFC 80 “Rapid Fire” in Newcastle England on January 19th. BJ Penn vs Joe Stevenson for the Lightweight title.

(Photo:UFC.com)

The weigh-ins have come and gone for the stellar card planned for UFC 79 tomorrow night in Las Vegas.? All fighters made weight(Lister had to drop his 1 pound pair of underwear to get it done…must have been a banana in there for esthetics…?)and to cap it off there was even a little?animosity (and sign language…) between Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva.? Just the right amount of energy and agressiveness to make the weigh-ins what they should be… a psuedo event leaving the spectator with a feeling that they have seen a glimpse of the behind the scenes world of the sport.

If the card on paper ends up to be a fair representation of the event, with names such as Chick Liddell, Wanderlei Silva, Matt Hughes, George St. Pierre, Rameau Sokoudjou, etc… this one will be a barn burner.? The official weights as reported by the UFC are included below:

Interim UFC Welterweight Championship
Matt Hughes (170) vs Georges St-Pierre (170)

Wanderlei Silva (205) vs Chuck Liddell (204)
Soa Palelei (262) vs Eddie Sanchez (239)
Rameau Sokoudjou (205) vs Lyoto Machida (204)
Rich Clementi (155) vs Melvin Guillard (156)

Luiz Cane (205) vs James Irvin (205)
Nate Mohr (155) vs Manny Gamburyan (155)
Jordan Radev (185) vs Dean Lister (186)
Roan Carneiro (170) vs Tony DeSouza (170)
Mark Bocek (155) vs Doug Evans (154)

Bookmark UFCFAN.CA for fight predictions, coverage and links to all UFC events including weigh-ins, PPV’s and TUF updates.? UFCFAN.ca will?be covering the next Fight Night event?(UFN 12) live from Las Vegas on Jan 23rd.? This will be our sixth live event covered in the last 10 months… not bad for a bunch of?Canadians. ?

For pictures from the UFC 79 Weigh-ins, click here.

For the video highlights from the weigh-ins, click here.

Looks like the video link from UFC.com is no good. Try this one from Yahoo Sports?(it is the weigh-ins in from start to finish)?

?

UFC 79 is fast approaching and it’s time to fling some picks against the wall and see what sticks…

This event is not an easy one for making concrete picks as the two main events are sunject to so many factors that tis is almost impossible to?call out ?a winner with any confidence. That said, this card is fantastic and the fights should be top notch from start to finish.. so let’s get on with it.

Chuck Liddell?over Wanderlei Silva:?? It’s hard to say what type of mental state?Chuck will be in for this match.? He received a lot of criticism?following his second consecutive loss at the hands of Keith Jardine and there was never ending discussion around his retirement.?? Wanderlei Silva brings a lot of the some questions to this match after coming of back to back losses of his own… although there seems to be less talk regarding “The Axe Murderer’s” desire to keep fighting.?

While both men could win this one with a single punch, and I believe Wanderlei to be the more rounded fighter, I really feel that the edge has to go to “The Iceman” in this one.? Chuck has everything to prove in this fight and the transition to the Octagon for Wanderlei may be enough to have Silva play into Chuck’s traditional game-plan.? Few fighters have the real KO power that Chuck has, and even backing away from Silva, he wil have ample opportunity to drop the former Pride star in his first match as a UFC fighter.?

Sure, Chuck has a suspect chin and that odd physique, but the transition to the Octagon has been too much for most of the hyped Pride talents to handle and it can’t go without some serious weighting in this match.? This fight should not go the distance and I am banking on an early stoppage by the Iceman by KO.? Locking in Chuck Liddell with the victory.

George St. Pierre over Matt Hughes:??GSP is the poster boy that the UFC would like to have for the Welterweight division for a long time.? His personality combined with his fighting style is money in the bank.? Matt Hughes on the other hand, has been the cash cow for a while now and there has been plenty of talk about him heading back to the farm in retirement after a few more fights.?

This is trip 3 to the Octagon for the 2 fighters, each with a win in previous outings.? Most people believe that GSP is the more well rounded fighter and has the talent to beat Hughes more often than not, but his mental game has been highly and openly questioned.? Hughes on the other hand has undeniable skill in the Octagon and arguably is one of the most mentally solid competitors in the game.

St. Pierre took the match as a replacement for the injured Matt Serra and with a 5 week training camp he should be well prepared, although it does play into the questions around his mental preparedness and the outcomes we have seen from that state in the past.?

So where does the edge go in this one?? I believe it will go to St. Pierre and I really think that he has Hughes’ number after the last outing.? The big key here is still the mental game, but in this scenario, the dominating victory that GSP has over Hughes in their last match should work as much for him as any doubt would work against him… if not more.? Locking in a UFCFAN pick for GSP to get the title back (interim anyway…)

Lyoto Machida?over Rameau Sokoudjou:???Soko is making his UFC debut in this fight and will face a former pride talent in Machida.? The “African Assassin” has had a great year with impressive victories over Antonio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona that have left his reputation in a place far exceeding his 4-1 professional record.? Lyoto Machida is one of the UFC’s most steady?205lb fighters, sporting a 3-0 record in the UFC and an 11-0 MMA record.?

The problem with steady is that it is also boring.? As a result, Machida has garnered limited fanfare in his matches and as a decision specialist, with 6 of his last 7 (and all of his UFC matches) going the distance, he has put himself in this place.? The fans will most certainly be behind Soko on this one who is riding high early in his career, but will certainly be put to the test against the deceptively skilled Machida who owns wins over BJ Penn, Rich Franklin, Kazuhiro Nakamura? and Stephan Bonnar.

I don’t necessarily like the facts… or Machida as far as his Octagon performances…. but it’s hard to argue with 11-0. Locking in the pick and it’s for Lyoto” The Karate Sleeping Pill” Machida.

Melvin Guillard?over Rich Clementi:?? I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of the Octagon from Guillard and especially not when he is coming back from a drug suspension and has a personal hatred for me…. but that is exactly where Rich Clementi will be on Dec. 29th.?? The former training partners have had a falling out and this should be the match to put the bad blood to rest.? Clementi has rarely looked impressive in the Octagon, although he did manage to upset my last pick against him ( vs Anthony Johnson) with a second round submission at UFC 76.?

Bottom line is that Melvin will be looking to knock “No Love” Clementi’s block off in the first round… I am betting that he will do just that.? Clementi will have the edge the longer the fight goes, but again… my money is that Guillard can KO this guy in the first round.?? If Guillard has any sense, he would have spent at most of his suspension time training groundwork, although I wouldn’t be surprised to see this isn’t the case.? Regardless, I am banking on Guillard to be in KO of the night contention with a victory over Clementi.? That’s a lock for Guillard… dare I guarantee it?

?Other Matches:

Eddie Sanchez over Soa Palelei:??Sanchez is a decent Heavyweight fighter and will be looking to get back on the winning track against the Australian Palelei.? Both fighter sport similar records (9-1 vs 8-1 in favor of Sanchez) that should be respected… but beyond that, it isn’t much to make decisions against.? Sanchez… just because I know him better.

James Irving over Luis Cane?-Again because Irving is the more well known fighter.? The question will be around Irving’s recovery from his leg (knee?).? Irving will have to prove himself in this one.. his highlight reel KO of Terry Martin is wearing thin and he could use some new material for his resume.???

Manny Gamburyan over Nate Mohr?-? Manvel the Anvil will be looking to prove himself after being forced out of a dominant showing against Nate Diaz at the TUF 5 Finale for all the marbles.? After seeing this tiny terror on the Spike show, it is hard to picture anyone getting past his lay and pray tactics…. a very dominant fighter.? Mohr will be looking to break the .500 mark in the UFC, but I really feel he has the wrong opponent to get it done. ?

Dean Lister over Jordan Radev?-Dean “The Boogeyman” Lister?is?looking to make his way to the top of the Middleweight division and this fight is step one in getting it done.? After getting KO’d in 33 seconds by Drew McFedries in his first outing, Radev will have little fan expectation of pulling out the win against Lister.? Lister will be expected to take the fight to the ground for a submission victory.? Radev has a strong wrestling background and as a result may play right into Lister’s hands.?? I am betting on it…

Roan Carneiro over Tony DeSouza?-This will be a battle of two great ground fighters.? I am simply betting on Carneiro being the better BJJ fighter.? On top of that, his losing effort against Jon Fitch was still very impressive.? Much more so than any match I can recall with DeSouza. Locking in a win for Carneiro here.

Mark Bocek over Doug Evans -? Why Not? Bocek is Canadian which certainly counts when nothing else seems to.? Other than that, both fighters have lost to great lightweight competitors in their debut UFC performances, with Evans dropping to Roger Huerta and Bocek to Frankie Edgar.? Sticking with Bocek on this one.

That’s it for UFCFAN?s UFC 79 - picks.? This event will be great without a doubt.? Enjoy the fights….

(Photo:Sherdog.com)

UFC Lightweight juggernaut Joe “Daddy” Stevenson has a date with destiny in the form of BJ Penn on Jan 19th at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England.? The two lightweight talents will clash to determine who will be the new UFC Lightweight Champion of the world.? The fight was originally scheduled as an interim title match, pending the resolution of Sean Sherk’s steroid scandal and his appeal of his CSAC suspension for the use of Nandralone following his only title defense (Against the also implicated Hermes Franca) .? Sherk has since lost that appeal and the UFC somewhat begrudgingly stripped him of his title in an effort to remain consistent in their public stance of intolerance with performance enhancing drugs.??

One man’s loss is another’s opportunity and for Joe Stevenson, that opportunity is to take a crack at the vacant title against “The Prodigy” BJ Penn.??? Stevenson has created a resume worthy of the?challenge by winning the welterweight prize in season 2 of The Ultimate Fighter and going on a four fight win streak in the UFC since dropping to lightweight following a??loss to the scrappy Josh Neer in 2006.? Stevenson has looked solid following his TUF success and at 25 years old with over 30 professional MMA bouts, he brings a wealth of experience to what is arguably the deepest division in the UFC today.

“Daddy” will have his hands full on the 19th though, facing one of the best Jiu-Jitsu talents in the business who also happens to be?a formidable striker with amazing take-down defense,?when he squares off against BJ Penn.? While Stevenson, like any good fighter, is confident about his ability to win the fight, he is far from taking his opponent lightly.

In an article posted by the UK Sun, Stevenson is quoted as saying.

“I?m going to win the fight, although I?ve prepared for the hardest five rounds of my life. I am drilling my Brazilian jujitsu very hard for him ? I?m not scared or intimidated at all. Anywhere a fight goes I am not afraid.

?BJ is no different to any other guy. He?s very, very good and I can?t make a single mistake but I can?t go into the Octagon thinking he?s a legend or anything like that.”

Stevenson seems to have the right frame of mind in that he really needs to approach the fight as one he can win and one that is against another man and not someone that he has likely looked up to and respected in the sport.? He is hungry and realizes the opportunity in front of him is the culmination of years of training and implementation in the ring.

?I?ve worked for years and years for this and I am ready to be champion and when I get that belt around my waist it isn?t ever coming off.

?I mean that straight ? I will go to the 7-11 wearing that belt, I will go to bars wearing the belt, hotels ? I?ll wear it in church and I?ll try and get on planes wearing it!

?Once I get that thing, I?m never losing it!?

Sounds like this kid is ready to test himself against one of the most impressive , if not the most consistent fighters in UFC.? The winner of this match is expected to meet Sherk in the initial defense of the title, so winning this fight will be just one step towards being the undisputed Lightweight champion.? Sherk will be looking to prove himself following his recent punishment for a violation he says he never committed, so that first defense will be a tough one for whoever leaves England with the belt.

Came across this video on YouTube and found it at the very least to be mildly entertaining…

This one with Anderson Silva is pretty funny as well.

To check out the rest of the animations and the user profile for the author, serjkidd… click here.

(Photo:NBC.com)

Well this isn’t really UFC related news, but Gina Carano is the biggest name in women’s MMA and if the UFC had a women’s division, she would certainly be in it.? Anyway, Carano has apparently leveraged her moderate amount of fame in the MMA world to lock down a semi-permanent TV gig with NBC remake of American Gladiators.?The show is currently scheduled to debut on January 6th, 2008, with Gina playing the role of “Crush”, and looking pretty damn good in the process.?

Here is an excerpt from the “Crush” Bio on the NBC? - American Gladiators site,

Gina Carano

Height: 5′8″ Weight: 141

Don’t let the winsome smile fool you… Crush earned her well-deserved moniker by smashing opponents into submission. Despite her girl-next-door looks, she’s a powerful, fierce opponent who has no problem handling the women competitors, and then going back to breaking men’s hearts.

The fact that Gina is an attractive young lady is a well known fact in the MMA community and her good looks, combined with her athletic prowess will undoubtedly make her a great asset to the show.? It should be interesting to see how NBC has modified the format, if at all in an effort to make the show marketable beyond the point of nostalgia for the?thirty ?something crowd.?

From a quick look at the site, the wardrobe still seems pretty cheesy, maybe even more so than the original series… but I wouldn’t count it out just yet.? If you are still interested, check out the rest of the photo gallery for “Crush”.

(Photo:UFC.com)

?In a recent interview published on The Cleveland Fan.com, Florian comments on a number of topics, including an indication that he is up in the air as a possible competitor for the UFC 82 card in Columbus Ohio on March 2nd.? The card is shaping up very nicely at this time and having Florian on the card would really put it over the top as far as this fan is concerned. Florian has come a long way as a fighter and is one of?a few TUF competitors that have been consistently improving and by doing so, help to legitimize The Ultimate Fighter series as a breeding ground for new UFC talent.

An excerpt from the interview provides the context of the statement by Florian,

“TCF: Are you still thinking either February or March for your next fight?
KF: That’s the plan as of right now. There is a chance I’ll be on the card in Columbus in March. Ohio has some crazy fans and I hope to get back there soon.”

“TCF: Any idea of who your next opponent might be?
KF: I have no idea to be honest. All I know is that I want it to be one of the top guys in the division. It could possibly be the winner of Saturday’s fight between Clay Guida and Roger Huerta. Frankie Edgar is another guy that is a possibility.”

Florian weighs in on the competition in the Lightweight division today and who?he considers the top competitors.

When asked about Sean Sherk and whether he would like a chance to avenge his only loss since the TUF series, Florian responded,

?”I definitely want a rematch. I would love for it to be for the belt, I want to be the champion. I want there to be no doubt who the number one contender is. I want to take out everyone in my way.?”

Florian is a great addition to any fight card and a great ambassador for MMA and the UFC specifically.? His unassuming appearance and genuinely outgoing and friendly demeanor make him a huge asset to the UFC and there is little doubt that he could transition to a commentary or other supporting role with the organization when he decides to hang up the gloves one day.?? This was recently evident as Florian provided play by play commentary during the Guida vs Huerta match at the TUF 6 Finale.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Kenny a couple of times at live events and he really takes the time to interact with fans.? I really can’t say enough about his?apparent commitment to the sport, even when he looks to be exhausted?and in a hurry to get somewhere, I have never seen him not make time for a fan.??

Thanks Kenny…?

In you would like to read the entire interview… click here.

(Photo:UFC.com)

UFC.com has made a minor announcement regarding the release of an Octagon necklace/pendant that is a replica of the ones worn by the fighters competing on The Ultimate Fighter reality show on SPIKE TV.? The price tag of 16.95 is quite reasonable for the UFC gift shop… especially considering the previous Octagon product - the limited edition book that was retailing between $2500.00 - $3500.00 depending on the edition.

Apparently the necklace is a replica of those worn on the series by the TUF contestants, where they are more functional in that they are used to hide the microphones that each cast member wears.? Accoring to the UFC.com press release:

“Every season they want to take them. But no one got them, so even though fans requested the keepsakes and scoured EBay for them, they were not leaving the production truck since each had to be dismantled to remove the embedded microphone.”

?We have to take them apart to take the microphones off. The microphone is hidden right where the leather strap attaches to the Octagon.?

For those of you who scoured eBay for this item, this could be your lucky Christmas and you can find something else to search the web for now… Personally, I never noticed the fighters wearing the necklaces even though I have seen almost every episode of each season of The Ultimate Fighter.??I guess my powers of observation are not exactly where they could be…? Maybe Santa needs to bring UFCFAN some Octagon shaped glasses?

After a year with limited exposure and only 1 fight for the former Heavyweight champion,? it’s easy to see how the speculation has run rampant regarding the future of Andrei Arlovski in the UFC.? The Russian Sambo trained fighter was highly touted by the UFC for his dynamic striking skills and he found fame and some level of fortune after dethroning Tim Sylvia for the Heavyweight title.? After losing 2 subsequent matches to the “Maine-iac”, Arlovski seemed to struggle to maintain fan apreciation for his skills and after less than spectacular performances against Marcio Cruz and Fabrico Werdum,? Andrei Arlovski’s future with the organization appeared to questionable.

Well, according to an article by The Fight Network, Arlovski’s management team has stated that there is absolutely no issue between Arlovski and the UFC and that “The Pitbull’ has no plans to leave the organization following the expiration of his existing contract in April of 2008.

The fightnetwork quoted Arlovski’s representative, Leo Khorlinsky?as stating,

?We have a great working relationship with the UFC and are waiting for Andrei?s next fight there. Any news otherwise is false and negligent. There is no ?source? that could accurately make this claim. At no point in time did Andrei or any of his representatives make this claim. Andrei is very upset to hear that these lies about him were reported.?

Khorlinsky confirmed to The Fight Network that Arlovski (11-5) was offered fights in November and March, but both opponents turned down the bouts for undisclosed reasons. Arlovski is currently training to return to the Octagon in March to complete the final fight on his current UFC contract.”

Arlovski has one remaining fight on his contract and if that fight is tentatively scheduled for March (UFC 82?), it would be the last chance for the UFC to get a return on the existing contract.? The UFC likes to have renewed contracts in place prior to the expiration of the existing ones, so it is likely Arlovski will have a multi fight deal in place prior to his next fight.

Hopefully the fight is on the UFC 82 card, as it is already looking great and this would round it out nicely.? For more?information on Arlovski, check out his?web page which is a real quality site, probably the most professional site of all fighters in the organization.???And as the site says, “Keep checking back, big news is just around the corner”

If the contract does fall through, Arlovski should certainly be considered for any followup scripts to the movie 300, as you can see in the post picture….maybe a TV version?

For the entire post on the Fight Network… click here.

?(Photos:Sherdog.com)

In a recent post at MMAMANIA, the rumored fight between Travis Lutter and Rich Franklin has been confirmed as a reality for the UFC 82 event in Columbus, Ohio on March 2nd.? Apparently the fight was on the table for a week or 2 while Franklin considered the offer as he has been away from training while filming a (sure to be straight to DVD )movie with some cyborg soldier theme that has been done to death already.? Whatever pays the bills is what I say… and with the recent beatings that “Ace” has taken at the hands (and knees) of Anderson Silva, it probably seems like real easy money.

The fight is a great addition to what is shaping up to be a fantastic card as the UFC plans it’s return to Columbus and it’s 3rd Ohio event in the past year.? No complaints here, as anything in Ohio is on the fringe of driving distance and means I can save the Las Vegas airfare to check it out.? As far as checking this event out… it looks to be a sure thing.? With rumored fights of Anderson Silva vs Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin vs Travis Lutter, Dustin Hazelett vs?Josh Koscheck and?Jorge Gurgel vs John Halverson,this is shaping up as one of the better cards in the past year. ?

Add to that lineup, the potential return of Evan Tanner to the UFC (If anyone will step up and take a fight with the guy) and you have a can’t miss event as far as entertainment.?

The card will be a turning point for a number of fighters.? Koscheck?needs the win to stay in the contender picture, as does Franklin.? Meanwhile Henderson is the last hope on the horizon to take out Anderson Silva which is the other piece of the puzzle as far as keeping Rich Franklin active as a 185 pound contender. (Franklin vs Silva?3 could be a tough sell… )?

It will be interesting to see how the card shapes up and is finalized, but I am booking?some hotel rooms now…. you should too if you are going as Columbus isn’t Las Vegas….

?Check out the full post on MMAMANIA here.