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• UFC 110 CompuStrike fight stats illustrate Wanderlei Silva's close decision win over Michael Bisping (Pic)
• Chris Lytle: 'I wanted people to know I'm a complete fighter'
• Despite win at UFC 110, Mirko Cro Cop's title aspirations remain a long shot
• A fugitive of the CSAC, Josh Barnett remains popular (and busy) in the Japanese fight scene
• Cain Velasquez looks forward to 'bigger' things after stopping Minotauro Nogueira at UFC 110
• UFC 110: The quiet ascension of Ryan Bader
• There will be blood: Stephan Bonnar clings to Krzysztof Soszynski shortly after being busted open...
• Congratulations Wanderlei -- but Michael Bisping thinks he won the fight
• UFC Quick Quote: George Sotiropoulos now in the lightweight mix with big win over Joe Stevenson
• Dana White: Yoshihiro Akiyama wants Wanderlei Silva
• George Roop vs Leonard Garcia booked for WEC 47 with Diego Nunes hurt

UFC 110 CompuStrike fight stats illustrate Wanderlei Silva's close decision win over Michael Bisping (Pic) Posted: 21 Feb 2010 08:08 PM PST UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" Wanderlei Silva defeats Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (29-28) Fight time: Standing (12:55); Ground (2:05) Total Strikes = Total Arm Strikes + Total Leg Strikes + Ground Strikes Total Arm Strikes Landed = Power Strikes Landed + Clinch Strikes Landed Total Leg Strikes Landed = Kicks Landed + Knees Landed For a round-by-round breakdown of all the UFC 110 fight stats head over to CompuStrike by clicking here.

Chris Lytle: 'I wanted people to know I'm a complete fighter' Posted: 21 Feb 2010 07:43 PM PST Props: UFC.com Quoteworthy: "I won 'Submission of the Night' once before and my last few have all been stand up brawls. I didn't want anybody to think I'm just a stand-up guy, just a banger, I wanted people to know I'm a complete fighter. I was envisioning a few different submissions I could go for depending on how the fight played out. He tried to take me down, I saw the leg and I was like 'You know what? This is one of the ones I've been looking at' and it was there, so I did it. My adrenaline was going so fast as soon as I got in position I put it on as hard as I could. In practice you try not to do so much but in a fight if you don't go hard they're going to get out of it. It was kind of at a weird angle, it wasn't straight on, so I might have popped it a little bit. I apologize for that." Chris Lytle talks about winning yet another fight night bonus with his painful kneebar on Brian Foster to nab "Submission of the Night" on the preliminary card of UFC 110 last Saturday night from the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. "Lights Out" has made a name for himself by throwing nonstop leather in each and every fight but despite his pugilistic prowess, the Indiana native has finished more than half of his 28 wins by submission. Lytle may not be fighting for the title anytime soon but continues to prove time and time again he's a very dangerous opponent for anyone trying to climb the 170-pound ladder.

Despite win at UFC 110, Mirko Cro Cop's title aspirations remain a long shot Posted: 21 Feb 2010 06:37 PM PST (Image courtesy Mark Nolan Getty images) Dubbed as a sort of "Pride FC Reunion" event, UFC 110 featured three fighters who built forever-lasting legacies in fight rings all over the "Land of the Rising Sun." And each one of them was fighting to prove that they still remain, in one way or another, a relevant competitor under the UFC banner. The main event was contested by the second greatest heavyweight the sport has ever seen and a white-hot rising superstar. It was clear from the opening bell that Minotauro Nogueira would be late to the punch in every exchange and simply didn't have the speed to keep up with the younger, more explosive Velasquez. The co-main event saw one of the most menacing and ferocious strikers in the history of MMA take on a reality show veteran from the U.K who was on a mission to rebuild his image. And though the decision appeared to be a bit controversial, "The Axe Murderer" can now lay claim to a 1-0 record in his new weight class. The first Pride superstar to grace the Octagon down under was Mirko Cro Cop in the opening bout on PPV. Originally scheduled to face "Big" Ben Rothwell, Australia's own Anthony Perosh was tapped as a late replacement due to a stomach virus that forced Rothwell to withdraw. Though Mirko opened a vicious cut over the right eye of Perosh with an elbow forcing a doctor's stoppage in between the second and third round, to say Cro Cop channeled his former self in the fight would be a serious stretch. Like we've seen in his last couple fights, Mirko remained hesitant to fully attack the overwhelmingly less talented striker in Perosh. And again, we saw very few of the leg kicks that made the man one of the most feared fighters in the game. Of the three legends competing last night, it was Cro Cop who needed a convincing performance the most. While many observers were left unimpressed, Mirko himself feels as though he's back in the hunt for a title shot. "I can say I was satisfied with my performance. I didn't fight my original opponent. He canceled the fight. Perosh jumped in, and I'm grateful to him for that. He showed great courage and guts. He came to fight. But where I'm at in the heavyweight division, I don't know. I believe I belong in the top, so we'll see in the next fights. It depends on the next fight." While the early signs are pointing to a fight with his original opponent for UFC 110, Ben Rothwell, Cro Cop will need more then just a win over the former IFL champ to be considered amongst the division's elite. And with questions swirling around his desire, or lack thereof, to continue to compete, Cro Cop feels as though he is rededicated and ready for another run at the top. "I changed the way I used to train. I spent four weeks in Amsterdam at Vos Gym training with a new coach, Ivan Hippolyte, a legend of Muay Thai. And this was the first time in my career I came to the location of the fight two weeks before the fight to adapt. I always underestimate so many things. I'm a very experienced fighter, but even in Japan I came two days before. In my last fight in the States, I came two days before. They needed to wake me up before the fight. My coach needed to put ice on my back to wake me up. So I just underestimate so many things. Of course there is fuel left in me, but you need to keep training more to keep in the game." So assuming he can remain awake during training sessions leading up to his next fight, is Cro Cop's career going anywhere but down? Like his two Pride counterparts competing at UFC 110, it is fairly obvious that the Croatian striker has peaked in the fight game, but does he have enough juice left to even be competitive against the top guys in the sport? Do you think he really even cares anymore at this point? Lets hear some thoughts, Maniacs.

A fugitive of the CSAC, Josh Barnett remains popular (and busy) in the Japanese fight scene Posted: 21 Feb 2010 05:21 PM PST   (Photo courtesy of God Bless the Ring) Josh Barnett has kept a low profile since testing positive for anabolic steroid ahead of the July 2009 showdown with Fedor Emelianenko and subsequently becoming the catalyst for the dissolution of Affliction. Aside from the rumored negotiations with Strikeforce and repeated postponements of a re-licensure appeal to the California State Athletic Commission, updates about Barnett's whereabouts and future plans have been few and far between. Nevertheless, the tarnished former UFC heavyweight champion and Pride FC standout have surfaced sporadically in various places. First, he worked a pro-wrestling gig at Inoki Genome Foundation event in Japan last September. Then he took home gold in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu World No-Gi Championship in Long Beach, Calif. in November. Most recently, he hooked up with former Sengoku lightweight champion, Satoru Kitaoka for a one-on-one chat for a program on a combat sports channel on SKY Perfect TV, a Japanese direct broadcast satellite service. Barnett, the reigning Open-weight King of Pancrase, and Kitaoka, a long-time welterweight competitor in Pancrase, conversed on topics that ran the gamut from their love for Pancrase and catch wrestling to what they enjoy doing on their off-days. Their chat session is set to air on Tuesday night in Japan. It is unclear whether Barnett talked about what he has in store for himself in near future during the session. But it seems that he has kept himself busy, competing in No-Gi grappling tournaments and grooming up-and-coming fighters. In fact, he spoke about eventually sending his proteges - currently numbering around five or six - to compete in Pancrase. Kitaoka, who is coming off back-to-back losses against Mizuto Hirota and Jorge Masvidal, stated his plan to return to the ring in June in Pancrase. When Barnett was asked if he is willing to task one of his fighters with taking on Kitaoka, he answered in affirmative. Furthermore, he spoke about his wish to send one of his fighters to live and train in the Pancrase-affiliate gym that houses Kitaoka and Yuki Kondo, among others. Finally, Barnett gave a complimentary send-off to Hidehiko Yoshida, whose retirement event is scheduled for April. Barnett and Yoshida, two former Pride FC mainstays, squared off in Sengoku's inaugural event in 2008 and Barnett triumphed with heel hook. Calling Yoshida a "wonderful friend and training partner," Barnett extolled the former Olympic gold medalist's contribution to judo and Japanese MMA. With his deep tie to Japanese MMA and pro-wrestling and self-professed affinity for the "otaku" culture, the "Baby-faced Assassin" remains a popular figure among Japanese MMA fans. While his contract with Sengoku seems all but expired, DREAM looms as a solid option for him. Strikeforce has arguably the stronger heavyweight roster than DREAM, but considering the formal alliance between the two organizations, signing with either will likely land him a few big fights (i.e. Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem). What does the future hold for him? Chime in!!

Cain Velasquez looks forward to 'bigger' things after stopping Minotauro Nogueira at UFC 110 Posted: 21 Feb 2010 08:36 AM PST Props: SMH.com.au Quoteworthy: "I knew it was going to happen, all that hard work, this is where I want to be. I want to be the best, fight the best and hold that title one day. That's the whole reason I got into this sport. A lot of bigger things are going to happen for me..... You put months and months of hard work into 15 minutes. I put a lot of hard work into my stand-up, which was part of the game plan, really beat him to punch. I felt it go right through him, there was no give." Undefeated heavyweight hopeful Cain Velasquez is eager to continue his rapid ascension toward the top of the division after an emphatic knockout victory over Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 110 last night (Feb. 20. 2010) in Sydney, Australia. It doesn't get much bigger than "Minotauro" reputation wise, meaning Velasquez is likely now setting his sights on the physically imposing reigning champion, Brock Lesnar. However, he may have to get in line behind the winner of the match between the equally large Shane Carwin and former champion, Frank Mir, at UFC 111 next month. Was Velasquez's astonishing performance enough to leap frog Carwin and/or Mir or should he have to wait until the title is unified before getting his crack at championship glory?

UFC 110: The quiet ascension of Ryan Bader Posted: 21 Feb 2010 08:36 AM PST In the settling wake of the UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" pay-per-view event, there were the usual storylines coming out of the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. As expected, the talk of the town has been Cain Velasquez and his rise to superstardom, which may have been suffering from some turbulence in 2009 but is unquestionably riding high again courtesy of a comatose Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Another Japanese icon, Wanderlei Silva, also reaffirmed his place among the 185-pound elite with a unanimous decision win over Michael Bisping in "The Axe Murderer's" middleweight debut. Heck, even Mirko "Cro Cop" got some love in the outback after slicing up Anthony Perosh like he was carving ham at the deli. Yet quietly off to the side, sitting so far to the right in the post-fight press conference, Ryan Bader patiently waited to atone for his drubbing of Keith Jardine in a 205-pound scrap that may have serious title implications over the next 12 months. "Keith Jardine was a step up in competition, a welcomed one," said the still-perfect Bader. "Coming off 'The Ultimate Fighter' and winning that, I just thought I was starting over at the bottom and just trying to work my way to the top." What may come as a surpise is that the "top" of the UFC light heavyweight division may not be as heavy as it once was. Where do you put Bader, who must now take another step up in competition, in a division that is booked solid until the Fall? With championship relics Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell tied up in TUF 11, as well as Mauricio Rua and Lyoto Machida calling dibs on the current title at UFC 113, not many serious threats remain to the top five fighters. Rashad Evans? Quinton Jackson? They're booked at UFC 114. So are Forrest Griffin and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at the same event. That leaves Thiago Silva, who like Bader, made a mockery of Keith Jardine's chin in the not-too-distant past. Unless of course Randy Couture wants to see if he can put his experience to the test against the rising star. "I'm a young fighter in the sport and I'm in no rush," assures the humble Bader. "To have an opportunity to fight a guy like Keith Jardine and a name like Keith Jardine, from here it's just up to the UFC where they want me and I'll sign it." Where does the UFC want him? That's hard to say. Perhaps the winner of Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera? The schedule is pretty tight over the next few months. But there's no question that no matter who they choose, "Darth" will be ready and waiting to take another step towards his goal of one day becoming light heavyweight champion. Sound unrealistic? Keep in mind that former TUF champions and current light heavyweights Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans have already done it. Now Bader wants to join that prestigious club. As quietly as possible.

There will be blood: Stephan Bonnar clings to Krzysztof Soszynski shortly after being busted open... Posted: 21 Feb 2010 07:47 AM PST There will be blood: Stephan Bonnar clings to Krzysztof Soszynski shortly after being busted open with an inadvertent head butt, which eventually cost him the match. Should the result -- the third straight loss for "The American Psycho" -- somehow be contested or does Soszynski deserve the win?

Congratulations Wanderlei -- but Michael Bisping thinks he won the fight Posted: 21 Feb 2010 07:24 AM PST Props: UFC 110 post-fight press conference Quoteworthy: "It was a close fight. Personally, I think I won rounds one and two. Congratulations to him. Full credit to him on winning the fight. Personally, apart from the guillotine, and I got dropped in the third round, but apart from the guillotine attempt off the takedown in the second round, as far as round two, I really didn't have any offense come my way. I felt I clearly won those two rounds. I'm a little annoyed, you know? I don't come here to put on a good performance. I come here to win. Winning is what's important. We don't put all this effort in to lose to a good fight or a good performance. Yes, Wanderlei is a legend, and I was very proud to be in there with him, but I'm a little disappointed right now. I lost tonight. I'm pissed off about that. I don't train this hard to get losses. But I want to get back in there ASAP and fight another good name and get back to my winning ways." A dejected Michael Bisping reflects on his UFC 110 loss to Wanderlei Silva during the event's post-fight press conference last Saturday night (Feb. 20). The Wolfslair product concedes that he nearly succumbed to the Brazilian on two separate occasions when "The Axe Murderer" strangled the TUF star with a punishing guillotine to close out the second round and then again had a stoppage within reach after dropping the Brit in the waning seconds of the fight. Both times Bisping was saved by the bell but really didn't see any part of the fight that he didn't control outside of those two isolated incidents. Any fight fans out there siding with "The Count?"

UFC Quick Quote: George Sotiropoulos now in the lightweight mix with big win over Joe Stevenson Posted: 21 Feb 2010 07:20 AM PST "He was in his home town for the first time and he stepped up tonight, and I tell you, I'm proud of him. He was amazing. He didn't just beat Joe Stevenson, he dominated Joe Stevenson. All the judges had 30-27 [on their scorecards]. He just catapulted himself right into the mix. If he continues to improve like that, I wouldn't be surprised to see him fighting for a title in the next year. To go in there and beat Joe Stevenson, and to do what he did tonight is huge and very promising." -- UFC President Dana White gushes over the dominating performance of George Sotiropoulos at UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez," which took place in front of raucus hometown crowd in Sydney, Australia. Sotiropoulos was an early favorite to win The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6, but never reached his full potential, getting stopped by eventual tournament runner up, Tommy Speer, in the semifinals. The 32-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was plagued with injuries shortly thereafter, taking (and winning) just one fight in 2008. He managed to fight twice the following year (both wins) and now has one under his belt in early 2010. If Sotiropoulos can stay busy, is he top-level enough to one day contend for a 155-pound title or is the lightweight gauntlet just too top daunting for him to ever earn that status? Quote transcript via SMH.com.au

Dana White: Yoshihiro Akiyama wants Wanderlei Silva Posted: 21 Feb 2010 06:59 AM PST At the UFC 110 press conference, UFC president Dana White hinted at a sexy matchup that would pique massive interest among Japanese MMA fans. We previously reported that the winner of Wanderlei Silva-Michael Bisping may face Yoshihiro Akiyama. Following Silva's victory on Saturday night at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, White revealed that "Akiyama wants to fight Wanderlei very bad." The rumor leading up to UFC 110 indicated that, should Silva triumph over Bisping, Zuffa planned on staging Silva-Akiyama bout in Japan. At the press conference, Silva obliged Akiyama for the showdown when asked whom he wants to fight next. White offered no word about hosting a UFC event in Japan in near future. Japan has hitherto been off-limit for Zuffa due to the hostile and murky business climate. Nevertheless, given the level of recognition Silva and Akiyama enjoy in Japan, the bout between them could become a catalyst for UFC's expansion into Japanese market. Silva edged Michael Bisping at UFC 110 and improved his UFC record to 2-3 since rejoining the organization in 2007 after the dissolution of Pride FC. During his career in Pride, he had achieved a superstar status in Japan as the long-reigning middleweight king. Akiyama, on the other hand, cut his teeth in the now defunct K-1 Hero's. The former world-class judoka has established himself as an ultimate "heel" in Japan in the wake of greasing allegation in his fight against Kazushi Sakuraba in Hero's. In his UFC debut at UFC 100, he edged Alan Belcher via split decision and garnered the fight-of-the-night award.

George Roop vs Leonard Garcia booked for WEC 47 with Diego Nunes hurt Posted: 21 Feb 2010 03:03 AM PST It looks like George Roop will garner some brownie points from the Zuffa brass. A few days after Diego Nunes withdrew from his upcoming bout against Leonard Garcia at WEC 47 on March 6, Roop stepped up and saved Zuffa from scrambling for a replacement. Garcia confirmed the new matchup when he spoke to MMAWeekly. Garcia (13-5) looks to rebound from the loss against Manny Gamburyan at WEC 44 in November and keep his second shot at the featherweight title within reach. Since moving down to featherweight, the Jackson's MMA product has earned victories over Hiroyuki Takaya, Jens Pulver, and Jameel Massouh. Aside from the aforementioned loss to Manny Gamburyan, he also faltered in his challenge for the WEC featherweight title against Mike Brown at WEC 39. Roop (10-6), The Ultimate Fighter Season Eight alum, comes off a decision loss to Eddie Wineland at WEC 46 in January. He fought three times in UFC as a lightweight, following his appearance in TUF. The bantamweight bout against Wineland marked his WEC debut. Against Garcia, he will jump back up to featherweight for his third bout in the weight class. WEC 47 will take place in Columbus, Ohio and features a bantamweight title bout in which Brian Bowles makes his first title defense against Dominick Cruz. In addition, a showdown between the former bantamweight champion, Miguel Torres, and the top contender, Joseph Benavidez, is scheduled as a co-headliner for the fight card.

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