Thursday, September 16, 2010

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

MMA Mania

UFC blog for latest news, videos, results, betting odds, fighter interviews and MMA rumors - UFCmania.com

UFC Fight Night 22 post fight press conference video highlights for 'Marquardt vs Palhares'

Posted: 16 Sep 2010 03:48 AM PDT

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 12: Episode 1 recap and discussion

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 08:02 PM PDT

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The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 12, featuring welterweight coaches (and division rivals) Josh Koscheck and Georges St. Pierre, is now underway featuring 28 lightweight fighters duking it out to see who gets a "six-figure contract" and a career with the world's largest fight promotion.

Dana White greets the starstruck new recruits and gives them the welcome speech and news that the wildcard spot will return for this season. Now it's on to the elimination fights to see who gets a spot in the house and who gets a plane ticket home.

Marc Stevens, riding the coattails of Coach Kos (possibly without permission), is first up against TJ "The Spider" O'Brien. Spidey got squished in a record-setting 13 seconds. Thanks for coming.

Spencer Paige is up next against Steve Magdaleno. They say all the right things and fight a pretty close fight while the camera choppily cuts to Dana and Kos making contorted faces, almost like that last close-up before the money shot in a bad porno.

Ten minutes in and Coach St. Pierre has apparently taken the vow of silence.

Paige wins and "Rush" approves!

Regional veteran Nam Phan gets his shot against Mike Budnik, who's left his career as a skateboarder to try his hand at fisticuffs. Unfortunately it's time for Mike to go back to the rolling board as (Viet)Nam is the better fighter this day.

I knew that before they even fought since the network carelessly aired a Marines/UFC crossover commercial with Phan talking up the military men right before the bout.

The fight was still worth watching for the inadvertent Rikishi stink-face administered during the opening seconds. GSP was impressed with his performance (seriously).

Next up is the patented crunch time fast-forward highlight reel that speeds us through a bunch of fights the network doesn't want to subject us to.

Andy Main, Jonathan Brookins, Sako Chivitchian, and Jeffrey Lentz all advance. GSP had a big X through Lentz before the fight, possibly for his resemblance to past victim Jason "Mayhem" Miller.

Paul "The Wheel" Barrow (har har) next fights Alex Caceres, who we already know considers himself the next "Bruce Leroy" -- and wears a yellow jumpsuit as a homage to "Game of Death." (If you said "Kill Bill" you have no business following this sport).

The yellow suit  is a bold statement, though I was kind of hoping to see Abdul-Jabbar's giant footprint on his chest. Sigh, kids today have no respect for the classics.

Anyway, Taimak, I mean uh, Caceres, didn't exactly have the glow but still did 'Nuff to submit the "Barrow." Dana was eating up the shtick from start to finish.

That whole dog-and-pony show forces us into another highlight reel that produces Michael Johnson, Aaron Wilkinson (who gets subtitled for being a Brit), Kyle Watson, and Sevak Magakian.

Cody McKenzie sailed in from a commercial fishing boat in Alaska to try his luck against Egypt's Amir Khillah, who wants to be the "Michael Bisping of the Middle East." Now that my friends is a gift, take it and run with it.

I can just imagine what it's like for a middle eastern guy trying to get through a Las Vegas airport with a last name like Khillah. The man must have the patience of a Saint, which is good, since he's already on his way back to the terminal courtesy of a McKenzie guillotine -- which GSP called just before the fight.

Next is Dane Sayers representing the Native Americans and plans on blasting Ariel Sexton. Sayers warns him he doesn't plan on touching gloves. I guess he didn't plan on losing either but Sexton didn't make it easy. From a conditioning perspective, things got ugly in the second round but "Mohawk" gutted it out for the submission win

Now we have our season twelve contestants and the hi-jinx can begin. Stay tuned next week as the coaches pick teams, the liquor cabinet gets opened and the first fight gets underway.

See you next week!

UFC Fight Night 22 results recap and post-event discussion for 'Marquardt vs Palhares'

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 07:14 PM PDT

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Believe it or not, but it has been nearly five months since mixed martial arts fans got their fight fix on Spike TV.

Tonight (Sept. 15, 2010), the UFC Fight Night franchise returned to the network with 'Marquardt vs. Palhares," which took place from the Frank Erwin Special Events Center on the campus of The University of Texas in Austin, Texas.

Former number one contender Nate Marquardt received top billing, taking on stumpy submission stylist Rousimar Palhares in the main event of the evening.

The match up was pretty straight forward: Palhares would attack the legs and Marquardt would furiously defend them. And that's how it all went down.

Palhares saw his chance early, sitting back on a kneebar shortly after a scramble early in the first round. "The Great" slipped out of trouble, perhaps a little too easily for Palhares, who inexplicably appealed to the referee that Marquardt could be greased.

Bad idea.

Marquardt used the opportunity, while Palhares was distracted and on his back, to drill him with a straight right. He followed it up with about 10 head bouncers, giving the referee no other choice but to step in and stop it.

Protect yourself at all times, pal.

Palhares, seemingly unhurt, got to his feet immediately and pointed to Marquardt's legs. But after further inspection, during the commercial break, the ringside doctor and referee determined that Marquardt was greaseless.

He's now one step closer to getting another crack at the 185-pound title. In fact, he's probably just one win away.

Undefeated hot prospect Charles Oliveira was out to prove his impressive winning debut for the promotion was no joke when took on fellow up-and-comer, and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 8 winner, Efrain Escudero, in an exciting lightweight tilt.

He didn't disappoint.

Oliveira seemingly took his time in the first two rounds, picking his shots carefully and attempting to takedown Escudero frequently. When his efforts were thwarted for basically 10 minutes, he reverted to his unorthodox striking game in the third and final frame.

And while he didn't necessarily hurt Escudero, it certainly helped set the stage for the eventual finish.

Coming off a break, during which Oliveira took timeout because of a low blow, Escudero attempted a takedown to avoid trading blows. He somehow spun out of the takedown and took his back, all while standing, and slipped in a choke.

Escudero appeared that he had everything covered, but he simply tapped while standing because he could not escape.

Yet another highlight reel finish for what looks to be a very lengthy career library for the Brazilian, who is just 20 years young.

Jim Miller, who has quietly strung together four straight wins and taken six out of seven inside the Octagon, needed to get past the oft-injured, but very game, Gleison Tibau to truly cement himself as a formidable force atop the crowded 155-pound division.

He did just that this evening, earning a well-deserved unanimous decision over the Brazilian.

Miller threw heavy hands, hurting Tibau on numerous occasions, which was a slight departure from his ground-and-pound gameplans of fights past. The New Jersey native also demonstrated strong wrestling and jiu-jitsu, as usual, proving that he has quickly become a more complete fighter.

With five straight wins -- and his only UFC defeat coming at the hands of number one contender Gray Maynard -- it is hard to deny Miller the opportunity to fight a top five lightweight his next time out. Clay Guida woudn't be a bad idea in the meantime if all of them are unavailable.

TUF 9 winner, Ross Pearson, was determined to keep his perfect record (3-0) inside the Octagon intact when he took a considerable step up in competition to face Cole Miller in the opening fight of the night on Spike TV.

Perhaps he wasn't ready. Not tonight, anyway.

"Real Deal" demonstrated crisp stand up in the opening frame and stuffed several takedowns, and, in the process, the submission attempts of the tricky "Magrinho." It looked to be more of the same in the second, but Miller -- out of nowhere -- clipped the British import with a flurry of punches that sent him crashing to the canvas.

He quickly jumped on Pearson's back and sunk in a fight-ending rear naked choke. It happened in the blink of an eye.

Pearson wanted nothing to do with the ground game of Miller. It was obvious. Little did he know that his seemingly significant advantage on his feet would lead to his ultimate undoing.

He wasn't alone, either. Chalk up another win for Cole "I Finish Fights" Miller.

That's a wrap. Let’s hear what you have to say, Maniacs, in the comments section below.

For complete UFC Fight Night 22 results and detailed blow-by-blow commentary of the televised main card fights click here.

Former "King of Queens" and avid mixed martial arts fan, Kevin James, is set to star in a MMA...

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 04:48 PM PDT

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Former "King of Queens" and avid mixed martial arts fan, Kevin James, is set to star in a MMA comedy coming to movie theaters in 2011.

From Deadline.com: "James is attached to play a physics teacher whose school faces drastic cutbacks. In an attempt to save his best friend's job and the music program his students love, he moonlights in the Octagon as a mixed martial arts fighter, ultimately leading to brawling in the UFC."

Yay or nay?

Dana White video blog for UFC Fight Night 22

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 01:53 PM PDT

Zoila Frausto clashes with Jessica Aguilar in women’s semi-final showdown at Bellator 31

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 01:49 PM PDT

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CHICAGO, Ill. (September 15, 2010) - Bellator Fighting Championships today officially announced a September 30 Season 3 Women's semi-final fight between explosive striker Zoila "The Warrior Princess" Frausto and top submission specialist Jessica "Jag" Aguilar at Bellator 31, taking place at L'Auberge du Lac Resort in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

"Zoila and Jessica were both very impressive in their quarterfinal wins, so fans should expect a great fight between these two fast-rising stars in women's MMA," said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. "Whoever is eventually crowned Bellator Women's Champion, they will have certainly earned that title."

To get to this point, both Frausto and Aguilar faced tough competition in the Bellator quarterfinals. "The Warrior Princess" made her way to the final four at Bellator 25 when she faced the previously undefeated Jessica Pene, who entered the fight holding a perfect 7-0 record.

After three rounds of punishing Pene with a wide range of strikes, Frausto was not only awarded a 30-27 unanimous decision victory, but the fight against Aguilar in the semi-finals.

Making her Bellator debut in the Season 3 opener in Hollywood, Fla., Aguilar squared off against Lynn "Lights Out" Alvarez in quarterfinal action. An overmatched Alvarez had no answer for the dangerous submission arsenal of Aguilar, who finished the fight in the first round with an air-tight arm-triangle choke to move onto the semi-finals at Bellator 31.

Aguilar knows the chance to become the first Bellator Women's Champion is within reach, and is ready for the challenge.

"Becoming the first Bellator Women's Champion is very important to me," said Aguilar. "This has been my dream since I started my MMA career, and this is the opportunity to make it all come true. I want to leave my legacy as the first-ever Bellator Women's Champion."

Frausto holds similar beliefs, and has her sights set on becoming champion. "Winning this tournament would be a dream come true," said Frausto. "Winning this tournament would make me the best of the best, and I want that more than anything in the world right now and will do anything in my power to accomplish that."

Tickets for Bellator 30 are available at www.Ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator.

UFC Quick Quote: Jim Miller ready to leave it all in the cage against Gleison Tibau

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 01:34 PM PDT

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"Gleison is a tough opponent. He's huge, he's the biggest guy in the division. It's not an easy fight, but that's what I want. I thrive off of that stuff. He hits hard. He's a big guy, but I think he's gotten better controlling his weight cut. He hasn't gassed out recently like he has in the past. I don't care about getting tired myself. I'm ready to leave it all in there."

Larry Pepe of Pro MMA Radio caught up with Jim Miller as he readies himself to take on the biggest opponent of his career, literally speaking, in Gleison Tibau tonight at UFC Fight Night 22. Miller is well aware of the size disadvantage he has, but asserts that it's fueling his motivation. Will the size difference between these two lightweights be too much for Miller to overcome? Let's get some last-minute thoughts on this match up.

Antonio Mckee announces that he's been offered four-fight deal with UFC

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 12:41 PM PDT

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It's never too late to start.

Antonio Mckee -- a 40-year-old mixed martial arts veteran -- today told The Savage Dog Show that he has finally been offered a contract from the world's number one mixed martial arts promotion.

The 25-3 lightweight, who has not dropped a bout in more than seven years (2003), indicated that he has a four-fight deal on the table. He has apparently not signed it (yet) and there is no official word from the promotion.

That shouldn't stop us from at least considering the possibility, which is made even more interesting by the fact that dominant wrestlers have been making recent headlines for their so-called "boring" execution inside the cage.

"Mandingo" is perhaps that most unapologetic wrestler in the sport. If he's winning, he doesn't care.

McKee recently finished Luciano Azevedo in the first round at MFC 26, which he billed as a "win or retire" match. It was his fifteenth straight win.

Never one to mince his words, much in the same vein as Chael Sonnen, McKee would certainly be an interesting addition to the UFC 155-pound fold to say the least.

Thoughts on the possible signing? Or is this all just a ploy by McKee to get the attention of Joe Silva and Dana White? And does anyone think McKee can make a run at lightweight gold?

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson: 'If Lyoto Machida decides to fight me, he's going to sleep in the first round'

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 12:00 PM PDT

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Props: UFC.com

Quoteworthy:

"I started this camp very early. I stayed in shape from the last fight and the weight hasn't been an issue this time. Every single minute of this camp will be focused on technique; not getting back in shape or shaking the ring rust after a long time off... If Machida decides to fight me, it will be an exciting fight for one round before he goes to sleep. I am expecting him to run from me, though. He'd wear sneakers into the Octagon if he could! But don't worry, I will hunt him down and get him anyway."

With UFC 123 officially announced for November 20 from The Palace of Auburn Hills just outside of Detroit, Michigan, it was a matter of time before "Rampage" Jackson started to sound off against his main event opponent Lyoto Machida. Quinton claims that if "The Dragon" chooses to fight him instead of run from him, it'll be a short night for the former UFC light heavyweight champ. Do you agree? What's your early take on this intriguing 205-pound showdown? Predictions, please.

UFC Fight Night 22: Nate Marquardt vs Rousimar Palhares video fight talk

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 11:33 AM PDT

WEC issues statement regarding Donald Cerrone's 'death wish' for Jamie Varner

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 11:16 AM PDT

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WEC lightweight Donald Cerrone made headlines earlier this week for all the wrong reasons. In an interview with TapouT Radio, Cerrone referred to his WEC 51 opponent and arch rival Jamie Varner as a "fag" and insisted that hoped their fight later this month would lead to the first death in MMA.

All of his comments can be read here.

People reacted, shared their opinion, and much in the way that fans and industry members condemned Frank Mir when he issued an almost identical death wish upon Brock Lesnar last year, everyone appears to be in agreement that in this case, "Cowboy" just went too far.

The WEC released an official statement regarding the matter.

"Donald Cerrone went too far in talking about his upcoming fight with Jamie Varner, and we believe he crossed a line of decency in doing so. We will not tolerate a fighter who makes comments that are not consistent with our company values, nor will we tolerate the use of slurs that may offend any segment of the public. We are aware Donald issued his own immediate apology on Twitter, but we still needed to speak with him about it and to issue our own statement making our position known."

As the above statement indicates, Donald has since issued an apology on his Twitter account, which can be read here.

There's no debating that the Cerrone vs. Varner rivalry is very real with true friction between the two lightweight top contenders.

But even in mixed martial arts, a sport that can often get away with a lot of miss-steps outside of the cage on the part of their athletes due to the nature of the sport inside of the cage, there is a line, and it very well my have been crossed here. Again.

What are some of your thoughts on this issue?

Alistair Overeem video documentary 'The Reem' (Episode 6)

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 11:15 AM PDT

Alistair details his career path from his beginning in Rings, all the way to his current form as Strikeforce heavyweight champion.

MMA Quick Quote: Roger Huerta believes 'the case is closed' in bully beatdown

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 07:50 AM PDT

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Probably because the buster is too embarrassed to publicly admit he got stomped by a guy half his size...

"To be honest, I didn't want to go [to TMZ], but everybody was, like, 'Maybe you should. You have nothing to hide.' Well, I don't. So it kind of happened like that. But at the same it was very, very weird, man. I was really thankful, to be honest. It could have gone either way, I guess, but then again, if you look at things correctly, you don't do that. You don't fully [hit] a girl behind the head, and especially if you're three times the size of her, and they say he was, like, an NFL player. They say he could have potentially killed the girl ... I believe the case is closed. The guy never came forward or pressed any charges, and it kinda is left at that ... It happened. Would have I done it again if I saw the same thing? Of course. I never expected for any of this to come out the way it came out. I'm no hero, man. I just feel like I did the right thing."

Or maybe the fact that the wanksta went balls out on an unsuspecting female? Either way, "El Matador" tells The MMA Hour that he'll likely escape any kind of criminal or civil charges. The Bellator lightweight, for the most part, has the public support behind him. Do you think he did the right thing? And what would you have done if the situation happened to you? Fight or flight?

Ross Pearson UFC Fight Night 22 video blog (Part 3)

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 07:20 AM PDT

The "Real Deal" is a -260 favorite for tonight's lightweight scrap. Will he perform accordingly against "Magrinho?"

UFC 123 tickets for 'Rampage vs Machida' at Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, MI, on sale soon

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 07:19 AM PDT

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Tickets for UFC 123: "Rampage vs. Machida" which is slated for the Palace of Auburn Hills in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, on Nov. 20, will go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 20 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

UFC Fight Club members and UFC Newsletter subscribers, naturally, will be able to scoop up tickets prior to them being available for public consumption.

UFC 123 will be headlined by a light heavyweight match up of top contenders Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Karo "The Heat" Parisyan has also been given a second chance at UFC stardom against the venerable Dennis "Superman" Hallman.

And two guys you've probably never heard of, Matt Hughes and BJ "The Prodigy" Penn, will finally complete their welterweight trilogy.

Here is the UFC 123 tickets sales schedule (all times ET):

  • UFC Fight Club presale: Friday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.
  • UFC Newsletter presale: Saturday, Sept. 18 at 10 a.m.
  • General tickets sale: Monday, Sept. 20 at 10 a.m.

UFC 123 tickets can be purchased through StubHub.com (Note: StubHub often has seats available even if the event is "sold out"). It will also be available to watch on on pay-per-view (PPV) at 10 p.m. ET on fight night.

For more on "Rampage vs. Machida" stay dialed in to MMAmania.com. To check out the latest UFC 123 fight card and rumors click here.

UFC Fight Night 22 predictions, preview and analysis

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 06:54 AM PDT

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UFC Fight Night 22: "Marquardt vs. Palhares" is set to go down tonight (Sept. 15) from the Frank Erwin Special Events Center in Austin, Texas, live via Spike TV.

Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air on the cable television network at 8 p.m. ET.

One of the big stories coming into this event is of course the headlining fight between Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares. Does a "Great" win over the bulky Brazilian put the former middleweight contender back in the title hunt?

Or will this bout with "Toquinho" cost him an arm and a leg? (Literally)

There are also a lot of unanswered questions regarding the future of Ross Pearson. Is the Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 9 winner still being overlooked? And if he proves he's "The Real Deal" against Cole Miller, where does that rank him in the 155-pound division?

There will certainly be a lot to talk about on Thursday morning.

I’ve also included the current betting lines for each fight so that you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant.

Now, enough with the formalities … let’s get cracking:

185 lbs.: Nate "The Great" Marquardt (29-9-2) vs. Rousimar "Toquinho"Palhares (11-2)

Nostradumbass predicts: It's never a good sign when your best chance of winning is carefully riding out a decision -- but after seeing the kind of pain Rousimar Palhares inflicts on his victims, there's no shame in swallowing your pride and hitching your wagon to the Starnes express. Is Nate Marquardt a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Yes, but let's not pretend he's on the same level as "Toquinho."

That's not a knock on Nate's jits as much as it is a compliment to Rousy's. I know there's been a lot of pre-fight posturing about "being comfortable" on the ground but if Marquardt doesn't make a concerted effort to keep this thing standing then he's crazier than a shit-house rat.

To be perfectly honest with you I don't even get the feeling he's all that concerned with his fight in Austin by the way he keeps talking about getting his revenge on Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva. Lately he seems obsessed with proving that he still belongs with those names at the top of the division. He starts every sentence with "I'm not overlooking Palhares but..." which is analogous to a white guy saying "I'm not racist but..."

These kind of forward-looking statements are all the rage in finance, but they have no place in the fight game. Remember all that jazz Frank Mir talked about Brock Lesnar as he was heading into his Shane Carwin fight at UFC 111? "The Engineer" proved, much like Palhares will, that the future is now.

On paper Nate looks "Great," but here is a little stat to chew on: In his entire UFC career, he owns just one win over a currently employed UFC middleweight (Demian Maia). Everyone else has either been cut from the promotion for not being good enough or in Martin Kampmann's case, dropped down to a more natural weight class.

I'm picking Palhares in this fight. While he hasn't exactly fought a who's-who of MMA stars, he proved in his fight with Dan Henderson that he can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. And his powerful subs are just downright frightening. That means Nate needs to land early and often and stay off the ground. Can he replicate Hendo's performance and cruise to a decision? Sure, but I don't know if he's had the time to think about it in between all those fantasies of rematching Silva and Sonnen.

Betting lines (as of Sept. 15):

Marquardt: -240 ((Bet Now))

Paul Harris: +190 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Palhares via submission

155 lbs.: Efrain "Hecho en Mexico" Escudero vs. Charles "do Bronx" Oliveira

Nostradumbass predicts: Poor Efrain. What a roller coaster of emotions. Your fighting John Gunderson on the undercard (Boo!) until Joe Silva calls and says you're being promoted to the co-main event against Matt Wiman (Yay!) until whoops, "Handsome" got a tummy ache and was forced to withdraw (Boo!) so we've given you Charles Oliveira instead (Double-Boo!).

The TUF 8 champ promised to "demolish" anyone in his way and for awhile there he looked to be right on course. Unfortunately Evan Dunham proved that "Hecho en Mexico" isn't the only bright-eyed and bushy-tailed prospect climbing the lightweight ladder. I thought he would rebound against Dan Lauzon and while he got the win, he looked pretty flat in the process.

Was it a tough year for the gifted wrestler? Or an indication that maybe "good" just isn't "good enough" in this crowded division? Well, if it's the latter, he's in a world of hurt against Oliveira. Escudero's biggest strength is of course his wrestling. No secret there. But is the ground a place you really want to be with a guy as talented as "do Bronx?"

Oliveira also has six (T)KO stoppages on his perfect 13-0 record and that tells me Escudero has no place to go. Sure, he can endear himself to the crowd by trying to wrestle the Brazilian into a decision but I just don't see him escaping one of the most highly-touted ground games in the 155-pound division. This guy has 12 of 13 finishes for a reason and it's likely to play out exactly like the main event (sans stretcher).

Oliveira all day.

Betting lines (as of Sept. 15):

Escudero: -200 ((Bet Now))

Oliveira: +160 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Oliveira via submission

155 lbs.: Ross "The Real Deal" Pearson (11-3) vs. Cole "Magrinho" Miller (16-4)

Nostradumbass predicts: The Ultimate Fighter Season Nine winner, Ross Pearson, returns to the Octagon for what is probably his biggest test on the ground thus far in his short (but brilliant) UFC career.

Cole Miller got his start on the Spike TV reality show as well and currently stands at 5-2 since making his promotion debut in June 2007, holding victories over Leonard Garcia, Jorge Gurgel and Junie Browning. You''ll notice none of those three fighters are still with the promotion and like my knock on Marquardt earlier in the column, it's difficult to get excited about wins over Zuffa castaways.

The good news is "Magrinho" beats who he's supposed to beat. But he has also yet to prove he can win the big fight. Jeremy Stephens stopped him cold in 2008 and Efrain Escudero just plowed right over him in 2009. That's why I can't pick him in this fight -- no matter how untested the Brit is in submission defense.

To his credit, Pearson has really stepped up his ground game while preparing for this bout, rolling with Frankie Edgar and some of the grappling wizards at Ricardo Almeida's jiu-jitsu academy. Will it be enough? Well, he's so powerful at his size I believe he'll be able to dictate where this fight goes and it would not surprise me to see him picking Miller apart on the feet for most of the first round.

Cole is wily enough to stay alive through the opening frame but I don't expect much resistance in Act II, and Pearson will once again prove he's "The Real Deal." And if I'm right, it's time to get this guy a top five opponent to see what he can do.

Betting lines (as of Sept. 15):

Pearson: -260 ((Bet Now))

Miller: +200 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Pearson via technical knockout

155 lbs.: Jim Miller (17-2) vs. Gleison Tibau (21-6)

Nostradumbass predicts: Jim Miller is 6-1 in his UFC career and 17-2 overall. And he's not even on the radar when it comes to title contention. Is the New Jersey native getting overlooked? Or is the division that deep? Maybe a little bit of both. His only UFC loss is to the still-unbeaten Gray Maynard and I think a big win here has to get him into the discussion.

Of course it won't be easy. Tibau is a monster at lightweight and has been around the block a few times. In this case, I have to take Miller because this is MMA and size does matter -- in reverse. The Brazilian starts off hotter than a stolen tamale but by round two looks emphysemic. Miller on the other hand can do the Shake-Weight dance for three, five, maybe even seven rounds.

The key here is for Miller to emulate the recent performances of fellow Ring of Combat (ROC) veteran Frankie Edgar and use speed and footwork to frustrate and tire his foe. Tibau will be looking for the homerun in round one but if the Sparta native can hang tough by darting in and out with selective punches, he can spend the next two rounds doing pretty much whatever he wants.

Even if Tibau gets it to the ground, Miller was a NCAA Division 1 wrestler, so I don't expect him to stay there very long -- if he even gets there at all. Tibau needs to land but I don't know if he's got the speed or the cardio to do it. Maybe it won't be the barn-burner some fans are hoping for, but it should be a fairly easy win for Miller if he can commit to the gameplan.

Betting lines (as of Sept. 15):

Miller: -115 ((Bet Now))

Tibau: +140 ((Bet Now))

Prediction: Miller via unanimous decision

That’s a wrap, folks.

Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC Fight Night 22: "Marquardt vs. Palhares."

What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tonight’s event.

UFC middleweight Michael Bisping is the "Dude of Sport" as Front Magazine compiles an injury...

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 06:53 AM PDT

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UFC middleweight Michael Bisping is the "Dude of Sport" as Front Magazine compiles an injury "Count" from his tenure as a professional MMA fighter.

Props: AroundTheOctagon.com

UFC 123: Mark Munoz vs Aaron Simpson official for Nov. 20

Posted: 15 Sep 2010 06:47 AM PDT

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Wrestlemania?

Two of the Octagon's most gifted mat technicians will finally collide as Mark Munoz and Aaron Simpson have been pegged for a middleweight mash-up at the upcoming UFC 123: "Rampage vs. Machida" pay-per-view on Nov. 20 in Auburn Hills, MI.

The UFC confirmed the rumored match-up late last night.

Munoz (8-2) is coming off a hard-fought split-decision loss to Yushin Okami at last month's UFC on Versus 2 event in San Diego. It was the first loss for the "Philippine Wrecking Machine" after three consecutive wins.

While the loss to "Thunder" temporarily booted him from the title chase, a big win in the suburbs of Detroit could go a long way in getting him back in the hunt.

Like Munoz, Simpson's ascension was derailed in his last appearance. "A-Train" (7-1) was stopped via technical knockout by the resurgent Chris Leben at the Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale back in June.

The loss to "The Crippler" was the first of his professional career.

UFC 123 will be headlined by a light heavyweight match up of top contenders Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. Karo "The Heat" Parisyan has also been given a second chance at UFC stardom against the venerable Dennis "Superman" Hallman.

And two guys you've probably never heard of, Matt Hughes and BJ Penn, will complete their welterweight trilogy.

For the current UFC 123 fight card and rumors click here.
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