PRESS RELEASE / Amarillo, TX. – September 4, 2010 – Shark Fight Promotions announced today that Joey Villasenor and Karen Darabedyan will be facing new opponents at Shark Fights 13. Drew McFedries and Marcus Hicks recently withdrew from the event due to training injuries. Villasenor is now slated to face hard-hitting UFC veteran Danillo Villefort and Darabedyan will take on Bellator Fighting Championships veteran Daniel Straus.

As the son of Vale Tudo legend Francisco “Master Indio” Silva, Villefort (11-3-0) was raised in competition. The seasoned Brazilian fighter holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has fought for notable organizations such as the IFL, WEC, and the UFC. He now trains out of Florida at American Top Team. Villefort holds notable wins over top contenders such as Mike Massenzio and Mike Campbell.

Darabedyan will now face Team Vision fighter Straus (12-3-0). Straus is a highly skilled, well-rounded fighter, known for grinding it out to the bitter end. Six of Straus’s twelve wins have come by way of decision. Straus is currently riding an eight fight win streak that includes a recent Bellator Fighting Championship win over Chad Hinton and a unanimous decision victory over UFC veteran Gideon Ray.

Updated card for Shark Fights 13:

Pete Spratt vs. Eric Davila
Daniel Straus vs. Karen Darabedyan
Paul Bradley vs. Johnny Reese
Aaron Rosa vs. Devin Cole
Ronnie Mann vs. Douglas Evans
Brock Larson vs. Tarec Saffiedine
Joey Villasenor vs. Danillo Villefort
Paul Daley vs. Jorge Masvidal
Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Houston Alexander
Keith Jardine vs. Trevor Prangley

October is synonymous with the giving of sweets so it’s only appropriate the UFC has decided to give Mixed Martial Arts fans a treat of their own. According to the promotion’s weekly Ultimate Insider show, heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar and undefeated top contender Cain Velasquez will allow the “UFC Primetime” cameras to follow their final march towards UFC 121’s headlining bout.

The series will debut on October 6th with additional episodes planned for October 13th and October 20th. It will mark the first time heavyweights have been highlighted on the popular feature, as the previous three monitored the training and daily lives of Georges St. Pierre and opponents Dan Hardy/BJ Penn, as well Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson prior to their feud’s culmination at UFC 114.

UFC 121 is scheduled for October 23rd at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. In addition to Lesnar’s title defense against Velasquez, the show is also slated to involve former Strikeforce/EliteXC champion Jake Shields’ Octagon debut against Martin Kampmann, Tito Ortiz fighting former Ultimate Fighter pupil Matt Hamill, Diego Sanchez slugging it out with Paulo Thiago, and a heavyweight clash between Brendan Schaub and Gabriel Gonzaga.

It wasn’t long ago Thiago Silva was considered the future of the light heavyweight division. Winner of thirteen straight bouts to open up his MMA career, twelve of which were finishing performances, Silva hadn’t tasted defeat until coming across Lyoto Machida in January 2009 – a fight he had originally postponed due to a back injury.

In fact, according to a conversation Silva recently had with Tatame, he has been living in pain since 2008 due to related injuries, and though he’s fought twice since he is only now getting close to being at 100%.

Most recently his medical issues forced the American Top Team product withdrew from a scheduled bout against Tim Boetsch at UFC 117. While he didn’t elaborate on the specific damage, Silva did say, “This time I got hurt one week before the fight, and it was even more serious. I lost the movement of my right leg, but I’m doing my recovery work now. I’m not training it all, but they say I’ll be able to train within four weeks.”

However, the 27-year old Brazilian, who hasn’t stepped foot in the Octagon since losing a close decision to Rashad Evans last January, still hopes to fight again in 2010 and has targeted December for his return. “There’s nowhere to go, I can’t train. I have to stay still, focus my mind on my strength and to solve this problem so I can come back soon,” he explained. “The division is stronger. In my opinion, it’s the most disputed (in the) UFC. Unfortunately, my bad luck is keeping me out of it…”

Silva is 14-2 with eleven TKOs, two submissions, and a single decision win to his credit. He has notable wins in his career over Keith Jardine and Houston Alexander.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s debut in Boston made several things clear. One, Frankie Edgar’s victory over B.J. Penn in April spoke more to the New Jersey native’s ability

PRESS RELEASE / CHICAGO, Ill. (September 3, 2010) – Bellator Fighting Championships today finalized the official main card fights for Bellator 28, which is taking place at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre in New Orleans on September 9th, marking the promotion’s first trip to the city.

Headlining the card will be a lightweight battle between Season 2 Lightweight semifinalist Carey Vanier (9-3) and explosive UFC veteran Rich “No Love” Clementi (37-16-1).

Vanier TKO’d his way into the semi-finals in Season 2, but fell to submission specialist Toby Imada at Bellator 17. Vanier will be hungry for a win at Bellator 29, which marks his first fight back since the loss to Imada.

An eight year Navy veteran and eleven year, 54-fight MMA veteran, Clementi comes to Bellator Fighting Championships after spending the last decade fighting some of the toughest opponents MMA has to offer. Well known for stopping his opponents early, 20 of No Love’s 36 victories have come via submission with another nine being finished via KO or TKO.

Also on the card, will be a closely contested match-up between two powerful middleweights when Bellator Season 2 semifinalist Eric Schambari (12-2) takes on battle-tested UFC veteran Matt Horwich (25-15-1).

In featherweight action, hard-hitting Season 2 semifinalist Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan (13-2-1) collides with dangerous WEC veteran Anthony Leone (8-1).

Karakhayan is understandably eager for a victory after dropping a unanimous decision to eventual Season 2 Featherweight Champion Joe Warren at Bellator 18.

The Fox Sports Net event will also feature an exciting lightweight fight between fast-rising NCAA Division I Wrestling Champion Eric Larkin and up-and-coming Louisiana native Marcus Andrusia.

“We’re happy to be headed o New Orleans,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “This event has some great fights scheduled and it should make for a great night of fights for New Orleans fans.”

It appears hard-hitting Brazilian striker Thiago Alves will put his skills to the test against John “Doomsday” Howard at UFC 124 in Montreal this December. Alves will be looking to get back on the winning track at the event after losing his previous two bouts via decision to Jon Fitch and welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre.

“Doomsday” will also be looking to erase the taste of defeat against his opponent, as Howard’s recent seven-fight win streak was put to a halt in the third round of his August scrap against Jake Ellenberger when a doctor stopped action due swelling around his left eye. He is 4-1 in the UFC and should provide a good test for Alves in all areas based on his wrestling and knockout power.

News of the match-up was reported by MMAWeekly.

American Top Team’s Alves had also won seven consecutive fights before running into “GSP” at UFC 100 in July 2009. He is 17-7 in MMA with eleven victories by way of knockout.

Also notable about his pairing with Howard is the division in which it is set to occur. Alves, who has struggled to make the welterweight limit more than once in the past, forfeited 20% of his salary at UFC 117 for an inability to cut a final half-pound. The lack of professionalism drew UFC President Dana White’s ire who, as a result, said he felt Alves’ next bout should be at 185 pounds.

UFC 124 is scheduled for December 11th at the Belle Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The card is currently set to be headlined by St. Pierre defending his welterweight championship against Josh Koscheck.

Mixed Martial Arts is quickly becoming a “never say never” sport.

Karo Parisyan, who was told he would never fight again in the UFC by promotional president Dana White after withdrawing from a scheduled bout at the last second, has apparently been given a chance to redeem himself on MMA’s biggest stage and will return to the Octagon on November 20th at UFC 123.

News of Parisyan’s homecoming was reported by MMAFighting.

Parisyan’s opponent at the event is set to be Dennis Hallman. Hallman most recently defeated Ben Saunders by decision at UFC 117 and is a veteran of sixty professional MMA bouts. The 34-year old is 45-13-2 in his career with his most famous wins coming a decade-plus ago in a pair of bouts against welterweight icon Matt Hughes.

“The Heat” has gone 1-0 since parting ways with the UFC in early 2009 with a second-round submission of Ben Mortimer at an “Impact FC” event this past July. Prior to the win, Parisyan was 8-2 in his previous ten bouts with one “No Contest” as well due to testing positive for painkiller use after his UFC 94 fight with Dong Hyun Kim. He is 19-5 as a pro and considered one of the top judokas ever at 170-pounds.

UFC 123 is scheduled to take place at the Palace of Auburn Hills just outside Detroit, Michigan. The event is currently set to be headlined by a clash of light heavyweight contenders Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida.

Former WEC featherweight champ Urijah Faber will make his debut at 135-pounds this November after injuring his MCL in July while training. Fortunately, surgery wasn’t required to correct the problem, and as a result “The California Kid” was scheduled to be ready for a return to the cage sooner than later.

Though Faber had expressed an interest in fighting as soon as September 30th, he and his fans will have to wait a little longer, as MMAWeekly has confirmed WEC’s foremost face will step into the ring against previously-scheduled bantamweight opponent Takeya Mizugaki on November 11th at WEC 52.

The 26-year old Mizugaki should sound familiar to MMA fans remembering his epic five-round battle against Miguel Torres in April 2009. The 13-4-2 fighter has gone 2-1 since making his mark in America at the event with decision wins over Jeff Curran and Rani Yahya (and a decision loss to Scott Jorgensen sandwiched in-between them).

Faber is currently 23-4 and has only been finished once in his WEC career. After making a name for himself in the sport as one of the top 145-pound fighters competing, the dimple-chinned superstar has gone 2-3 in his last five bouts though two were decision losses in championship match-ups where he fought injured.

PRESS RELEASE / SAN ANTONIO, TX. (September 2, 2010) — Bellator Fighting Championships crowned a new Featherweight World Champion in front of a boisterous crowd at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. Fans were treated to a full card of electrifying fights that included one of the best comebacks in the history of the sport.

In the night’s main event the Bellator World Featherweight Championship was on the line as “The Baddest Man on the Planet”, Joe Warren, took on defending Bellator World Champion Joe “The Hammer” Soto in the first ever defense of a Bellator World Title.

The first round was all Soto, as the undefeated champion put on a boxing clinic, delivering a series of devastating punches to what appeared to be a completely outmatched Warren. As the first round came to a close, a battered and bruised Warren headed to his corner shaken, but not discouraged.

In round two, Warren stormed out of the gate on a mission, delivering a overhand right to the head of Soto that sent “The Hammer” reeling to the canvas. After scrambling back to his feet, it was a crushing knee to the chin that finished the fight, establishing Warren as the newly crowned Bellator World Featherweight Champion.

“I told you I was going to win,” proclaimed an overjoyed Warren after the fight. “I came in here and got the job done. I’m super happy to be a World Champion. This is the first time I’ve knocked someone out – there is a lot more to come.”

Chairman and CEO of Bellator Fighting Championships, Bjorn Rebney, was thoroughly impressed by Joe Warren’s heart and courage, stating, “If you saw Joe Warren’s fight with Patricio Pitbull in Season 2, most people would not of made it out of that first round, but Warren has that immeasurable heart that allows him to push forward. Tonight was no different. When I sat down with Warren a year ago he told me that he was willing to die in there to get that title. Most people just say that, but when he says it you believe it. What a great performance. We have a tremendously talented and rapidly evolving featherweight champion.”

Kicking off the night was a Quarterfinal Bantamweight Tournament matchup between Ed “Wild” West and Bryan Goldsby. Both fighters began feeling each other out on the feet before West attempted a series of dazzling leg lock submissions attempts that impressed the crowd and the judges.

In the final period, “Wild” West came out swinging for the fences, connecting with a number of heavy strikes to Goldsby, which ultimately led to a unanimous decision win for the talented West.

In other Bantamweight Tournament action, Nick “Garfield” Mamalis took on Zach “Fun Size” Makovsky a grueling back and forth three round battle. Both fighters flexed their wrestling skills in a match filled with crisp strikes and impressive slams. The momentum swung back and forth, with Markovsky shaking off everything Mamalis tried to throw at him early. However, Mamalis landed powerful takedown slam in the second round that left Makovsky in a daze.

As the fight moved to the third and final round, Fun Size dug deep and secured a rear-naked-choke that led Makovsky to an impressive 30-27 unanimous decision victory.

Rounding out the Bantamweight Tournament was a quarterfinal match between submission specialist Ulysses “Useless” Gomez and Travis “Hurricane” Reddinger. Gomez controlled the first round with consistent leg kicks and looked to end the fight early by applying a tight guillotine to Reddinger, but was unsuccessful in his attempt.

Rounds two and three saw similar action, with each fighter delivering numerous takedowns throughout the fight while Gomez controlled the bulk of the action on his way to a hard fought split decision victory (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

“This is what Bellator is all about; anyone can change the outcome of a fight with a single knee or punch in our tournament style format,” said Rebney. “It was another spectacular event in San Antonio.

You can catch an action-packed Bellator 27 highlight show on NBC late Saturday night.

Below is a full list of results from Bellator 27:

Gilbert Jimenez def. Aaron Barringer via Unanimous Decision
Richard Odoms def. Dale Mitchell via Split Decision
Andrew Craig def. Rodrigo Pinheiro via TKO Round 3 (Cut Stoppage)
Andrew Chappelle def. Joe Christopher via Unanimous Decision
Ed West def. Bryan Goldsby via Unanimous Decision
Ulysses Gomez def. Travis Reddinger via Split Decision
Jon Kirk def. Shane Faulkner via TKO Round 3
Zack Makovsky def. Nick Mamalis via Unanimous Decision
Steven Peterson def. Ernest De La Cruz via Unanimous Decision
Joe Warren def. Joe Soto via TKO Round 2

The month of September is every MMA fan’s paradise. It doesn’t matter where you are, chances of a quality event happening relatively close by are good.

Welcome back to another edition of “MMA Link Club”, Five Ounces of Pain‘s weekly smorgasbord of work from our brothers and sisters in the MMA community. Enjoy…

Mariusz Pudzianowski Slimming Down, Wants Butterbean (MiddleEasy.com)

Concern Remains for the Recovery of Alan Belcher’s Vision (CagePotato.com)

Ben Fowlkes Goes Beneath the Red-Dye and Gets into Jason Miller’s Head (MMAFighting.com)

A Breakdown of Shooto’s Upcoming Show in Switzerland (FIGHT! Magazine)

Fedor Finally Making his Spike TV Debut (MMAScraps.com)

KJ Noons Verbally Tees Off on Nick Diaz (MMAConvert.com)

Brian Stann Talks About his Experiences in the Military and Ring (Heavy.com)

UFC Makes “FightMetric” the Official Compiler of Statistics (WatchKalibRun.com)

UFC President Dana White Addressing Oxford Class (Versus.com)

Half-a-million dollars may sound like small potatoes to fans accustomed with the enormous payouts main event boxers often receive but in the case of Mixed Martial Arts it stands out as being one of the top per-fight salaries in the sport’s history. Those worlds collided earlier today when it was announced iconic boxer James Toney received an event-high $500,000 for his lackluster loss to former UFC double-divisional champ Randy Couture this past weekend at UFC 118 in Boston. Toney’s salary netted him more than $153,000 per minute spent in the Octagon and accounted for more than a third of the fully disclosed payroll.

Couture, by comparison, earned $250,000 for the first-round pummeling without any reported “win bonus” involved.

Their salaries were released earlier today along with the remainder of the card by the Massachusetts State Athletic Commission and reported by MMAWeekly.

The full list of salary results can be found below:

Mike Pierce – $24,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus) def. Amilcar Alves – $6,000
Greg Soto – $12,000 (includes $6,000 win bonus) def. Nick Osipczak – $10,000
Dan Miller – $30,000 (includes $15,000 win bonus) def. John Salter – $8,000
Nik Lentz – $22,000 (includes $11,000 win bonus) def. Andre Winner - $10,000
Joe Lauzon – $84,000 (includes $12,000 win bonus, $60,000 “Submission of the Night” bonus) def. Gabe Ruediger – $8,000
Nate Diaz – $120,000 (includes $30,000 win bonus, $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus) def. Marcus Davis – $91,000 (includes $60,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus)
Gray Maynard – $46,000 (includes $23,000 win bonus) def. Kenny Florian – $65,000
Demian Maia – $68,000 (includes $34,000 win bonus) def. Mario Miranda – $8,000
Randy Couture – $250,000 def. James Toney – $500,000
Frankie Edgar – $96,000 (includes $48,000 win bonus) def. B.J. Penn – $150,000

Season Two tournament winner Ben Askren will fight current Bellator 170-pound champion Lyman Good on at Bellator 33 on October 21st in Philadelphia according to a post on the former Olympian’s Twitter account.

In addition to confirming the fight, he also sent a clear message to Good, saying, “Kansas city, Philly, or your back yard, it does not matter to me where we fight I am still taking your belt.”

Askren earned his crack at Good’s title after beating Dan Hornbuckle this past June at Bellator 22 and walking away the promotion’s second welterweight tournament champ (Good being the first). The 26-year old is 6-0 in his career and will face a fellow undefeated fighter in the form of his opposition this October.

Bellator 33 will mark Good’s return to the ring after nearly a year-long layoff from action. The 10-0 New Yorker has not fought since winning the Bellator welterweight strap by defeating Omar de la Cruz via TKO a little over ninety seconds into their bout at Bellator 11 in June 2009.

In addition to Good’s title defense against Askren, Bellator 33 will also feature the much-anticipated clash between top lightweights Roger Huerta and Eddie Alvarez, a slew of talented local fighters, and a few yet-to-be-named main card match-ups.

Who will win the upcoming rematch between Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard? Do you agree that Kenny Florian chokes in big fights? Who should BJ Penn fight next? Which division should Nate Diaz call home? Will we see Randy Couture fighting for gold in 2011?

After a somewhat-historic night in Boston at UFC 118 we’ve got a bit of a break for major mixed-martial arts, but that won’t stop Brendhan Conlan and myself from trading opinions on the most important items of the week. Once we’ve had our say it’s your turn to get in on things by responding in the comment box below.

Pick both a welterweight and lightweight option for BJ Penn to face on the heels of a second loss to Frank Edgar.

Tool: There are a veritable bounty of compelling match-ups available for BJ Penn now that his opponents no longer have to prove themselves worthy of a title shot. The number obviously grows if Penn decides to move back and forth between two divisions, Couture-style. Penn has stated repeatedly that he’s not really all about the title belts, he simply wants the biggest fights to prove that he’s the best. His status as a modern-day legend and former champion ensure him a spot towards the top of the card for a long time.

At lightweight I feel there is only one option, and that’s a rematch with Takanori Gomi. It’s somewhat amazing to me that one of the most important fights in the history of the lightweight division took place on small card in Hawaii, under a fight banner that most fans have never heard of. With Gomi riding high from his KO of Tyson Griffin and Penn in desperate need of an exciting opponent he can beat, this fight is essentially a no-brainer.

At welterweight we’ve certainly got plenty of good choices. Part of me wouldn’t mind seeing Penn and Matt Hughes complete a trilogy of fights, but since I already made one rematch I’ll try a fresher opponent at welterweight. For that I think I’d be happy to see Penn matched up with the winner of the upcoming Carlos Condit/Dan Hardy scrap. I think either man would match up well with Penn, and they could easily be propelled into title contention with a win over the former welterweight champ.

Conlan: Adam said it all in the opening sentence of his rant. Now that Penn’s aura has dimmed a bit he has a number of options seeming more realistic today than they did during his recent run as lightweight champion. Obviously Gomi is a great choice for the reasons Tool listed, and I’d welcome their match-up as a co-headliner of any upcoming card. I also like Condit/Hardy as a potential opponent because neither welterweight is an overwhelming wrestler (which Penn has struggled against as of late) and both are fairly fearless in the cage.

A few other names I’ll throw out there for discussion are Nate Diaz, Matt Serra, and George Sotiropoulos. Penn’s physique against Edgar told me he’s not necessarily opposed to going back to welterweight in the near future, as he was in nowhere near the same shape as he was a year or two ago. Serra fights at 170 pounds, but is relatively undersized for the division and has history with Penn as the two fought to a decision at UFC 39 in 2002. I remember it being an entertaining fight and one that wasn’t nearly as decisive as people felt it would be prior to the action unfolding, so why not run it back if BJ wants to go back up in weight? I also like Diaz and Sotiropoulos as opponents because they embody a similar fighting spirit to Penn’s and, like Serra, have high-level jiujitsu to offer back in return to “The Prodigy”. Also, similar to Serra, Diaz’s physique is a little small for a welterweight and Sotiropoulos is a little big for a lightweight. I think all three pair well with what Penn offers from an overall standpoint and would also provide “Baby Jay” a legitimate chance to earn a win against a respectable opponent rather than setting him up with an adversary who offers a significant chance at delivering him a loss for the third straight time.

Do you agree/disagree with Dana White’s recent statements about Ken Florian’s “choking” in big fights?

Tool: I’m not a fan of the idea but it’s hard to argue against it. Everybody I know that loves MMA loves to watch Kenny Florian fight. He’s incredibly popular and would make a great champion but he’s (almost) always come up short. Does Florian have a mental block that prohibits him from achieving the greatness he knows he’s capable of? I don’t really think so but nobody outside of Kenny’s head can really know for sure.

There is more to the story, of course. The loss to Sean Sherk is perfectly excusable, since most everybody loses to Sherk. That fight was years ago and Florian has come a long way since then. He lost to Penn but up until recently, most everybody at lightweight had lost to Penn. The loss to Gray Maynard is the most telling though in terms of whether or not Florian really “chokes.”

Everybody and Kenny Florian knew that Maynard would use his striking when he felt comfortable, but ultimately the takedown would be coming sooner than later. Florian looked like a deer in the headlights for most of the fight, seemingly afraid to throw a single misplaced strike lest he be put on his back. Maynard’s grinding style is not too different from the offense of Clay Guida (although Maynard clearly has more power), but Florian lacked that aggressiveness he showed against Guida.

Unfortunately for Boston’s favorite fighting son, he has now taken Guida’s place as the premier lightweight gatekeeper.

Conlan: Maynard also has better hands than Guida but that’s beside the point. I don’t get the sense Florian “chokes” in the spotlight, as he’s performed extremely well against talented opposition on big cards and in highly-promoted bouts. UFC 118 was far from his finest performance and Florian would be the first to tell you that. He had no defense for Maynard’s wrestling, as few if any have, and struggled to tee-off out of a combination of fear of Gray’s takedowns and respect for his underrated boxing. Those are things he can work on in the gym, not fundamental flaws in his psyche.

In fact, it bothers me to an extent someone who dismantled Takanori Gomi, Roger Huerta, Clay Guida, and Joe Stevenson in the fashion Florian did would have anything taken away from his ability in the cage by his employer or fans of the sport. I fail to see how losing to a supremely motivated Penn and an undefeated fighter who dominated the current champ two years ago can be cause for concern. The guy has lost two fights in the last four years. What else needs to be said?

What bout on the upcoming “Shark Fights 13” card are you most looking forward to?

Tool: Oh yeah, Shark Fights is this weekend! Let’s get excited! Will Keith Jardine push his losing streak to five? Can Sokoudjou and Houston Alexander finish the fight before they both gas in the third minute? Will Jorge Masvidal be the latest victim of Paul Daley’s temper tantrums?

I guess if I have to pick a fight I want to see on this card, I’ll go with the evening’s opening bout between Brock Larson and Tarec Saffiedine. Larson may have been bounced from the UFC but he’s already racked up three dominant wins this year (granted all of them were against guys you‘ve never heard of). He’s one of the most underrated welterweights in the world and if he’s had a boring fight, it’s not one that I’ve ever seen. His opponent is a Belgian prospect who’s on a two-fight win streak with his most recent victory being a vicious knockout on the May Strikeforce Challengers event. He showed good takedown defense and a willingness to bang, and I think he’s going to match up extremely well with Larson.

Conlan: Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like you to welcome Michael Wilbon to GWI! I don’t understand Tool’s negativity towards the card, especially one from a relatively small company in comparison to those we typically discuss on these pages. And, actually, it’s next weekend – not this weekend.

Moving on, I like that Shark Fights is making the effort to grow from a regional promotion into a larger entity. Offering a streaming undercard for free and an event stacked with recognizable names is a welcome addition to the usual offerings from start-up MMA companies with questionable finances and ten fighters you’ve never heard of. Of all the match-ups I’m most interested in Daley/Masvidal.

“Semtex” always turns in edge-of-your-couch performances based on his style. Masvidal is good on his feet as well and shouldn’t be afraid to stand as long as he’s comfortable with Daley’s power in the beginning. He’s knocked out Yves Edwards and Joe Lauzon in the past, and though I don’t think he’ll necessarily add the Brit to that list I do have faith he’ll strike with him. Masvidal is also a decent grappler so he could cause problems for Daley on the ground as well if things go that route. In the end, I expect it to be an exciting affair and possibly “Fight of the Night” where overall entertainment value is concerned.

Based on what you saw Saturday night, who is your early pick to win the upcoming Frank Edgar/Gray Maynard rematch?

Conlan: I haven’t seen anything vastly different from either since the two originally fought so I won’t be surprised if action unfolds similarly to how it did in April 2008. It’s no secret they are almost mirror images of each other where skills are concerned. The only difference I really see is Edgar being a bit faster and Maynard slightly stronger mainly due to a difference in their size/builds. Neither takes a lot of risk in their approach to opponents and, as evident by their high number of decision wins, both are comfortable controlling action from the top rather than taking unnecessary risks in hopes of wowing the audience.

I hate to undersell Edgar after beating BJ Penn in back-to-back bouts, but styles often determine outcomes and Maynard’s is slightly more suited to stifling Edgar than Penn’s was. Maynard’s grappling ability should allow him to strike with Edgar without fear of being dragged down to the mat at the champ’s choosing while also opening the door for him to land takedowns of his own (as he frequently did in their initial fight). In the end I think Gray will blanket “The Answer” for five rounds, win the belt, and walk away as a participant in one of the most boring title fights in UFC history. However, he deserves the opportunity, and any action the eventual match-up actually lacks should be blamed on the similarity of their styles rather than focused on either man’s overall offerings in the ring.

Tool: It seems so strange to me to think that a UFC champion is going to be the underdog in his first two title defenses, but that’s the situation we’re facing with Frank Edgar. The loss to Maynard was fairly one-sided and Edgar hasn’t completely changed as a fighter since then, so I can understand people’s assumptions that the rematch will be five more rounds of the same.

I do believe that Maynard’s power will allow him to take Edgar down whenever he sees fit to do so, but we also know that Gray has been working diligently on his striking as well. If Maynard chooses to stand and trade with Edgar he’ll likely be on the losing end, as Edgar’s quickness has allowed him to outstrike just about anybody he’s faced. If Edgar can stuff the takedowns and avoid the iron grip of Maynard he could conceivably win this thing, but obviously that’s a mighty big if.

Would you rather see Nate Diaz stay at welterweight or move back down to lightweight?

Conlan: I’m open to either scenario and don’t have a preference between the two. Diaz has been successful at 170 pounds thus far but hasn’t fought a ranked welterweight yet so it’s difficult to gauge how successful he’ll actually be in the division. Wins over Rory Markham and Marcus Davis are nice to be sure, but Diaz has never had a problem beating mid-tier opposition and is absolutely a talented fighter at any weight. The question is, how will he be able to fend off the grappling and cardio of someone like Jon Fitch or Josh Koscheck if he was unable to do so against Clay Guida or Joe Stevenson? He won’t, at least in my mind, and as such I’m slightly indifferent to what weight he fights at so long as he keeps turning in entertaining performances. If he improves to the point where he isn’t constantly marked up or on his back when competing against high-level opponents I’ll gladly reconsider my stance to include those accomplishments. Until then, I’ll continue tuning in to watch him fight, but I won’t care what division he’s throwing down in because I can’t see him currently having a significant impact on either.

Tool: I’d prefer to see Diaz stay at welterweight now that he’s getting some good momentum going in the division. As Brendhan pointed out, Diaz will likely still have trouble with powerful wrestlers (of which there are a few at 170) but he’s still easily one of the strongest BJJ practitioners in the division. Diaz’s guard may not quite be the stuff of legend yet but he can certainly pose a threat off of his back. Combine the ground skills with his ever-improving striking and you’ve got a great potential contender in the division. If Diaz gets matched up with one of the top ten welterweights in the company he could certainly be a win or two away from contention, especially given the severe drought of contenders for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

TRUE/FALSE – Randy Couture will compete in his 16th UFC title fight before the end of 2011.

Conlan: False. Even if Couture was currently deserving of title consideration, both the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions have enough contenders lined up to keep their champions busy for another year-and-change as is.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is out of action until mid-2011 and already has an opponent lined up in the form of Rashad Evans. With Lyoto Machida set to fight Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in late November, and Ryan Bader waiting with Jon Jones in the wings, there’s already a logjam of contenders at 205 pounds. Couture hasn’t beaten a significant light heavyweight since Brandon Vera (a controversial decision) and would have to march through at least 2-3 of the division’s best before meriting discussion as a legitimate contender. That takes time, and in the context of this question the days are literally numbered.

As far as heavyweight, Couture’s hasn’t won in that class since knocking out Gabe Gonzaga in August 2007. Yes, I understand the Toney fight was technically a heavyweight bout, but it’s hard to consider a debuting, out-of-shape Mixed Martial Artist with a singular skill-set to be more than the “freak show” it was. Even if you want to include Toney it makes “The Natural” 1-2 in his last three heavyweight bouts. The UFC’s “big boy” division has never been stronger than it is now, and I think Couture would again have to get by at least a few of the UFC’s top heavies before sniffing a title-shot.

Also, I don’t think there’s any reason for the UFC to put Couture in championship contention at this point in his career. He should be focused on taking “money” fights rather than working his way up to the top by potentially knocking off younger stars or risking his own credibility in the process against lesser-known guys. Why opt for Couture fighting Thiago Silva or Brendan Schaub to work his way up to a belt when he could instead be involved in legendary encounters regardless of divisional standing (vs. “Rampage” Jackson or Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic for example)?

Tool: I’ve also got to go with false, although in all honesty I wouldn’t be surprised if this one winds up being true. Brendhan’s points are all well and good, but we can’t apply the usual criteria for contenders when talking about “The Natural.” The man is a modern-day legend and can still main event cards whenever he’s needed. His status within the company affords him a fair amount of leeway when it comes to match-making, and with that being the case it wouldn’t take much for Dana White and co. to slot Couture into a title opportunity. After all this is the man that has been in more title fights than anyone else in UFC history. If he wants to compete for the light heavyweight belt (and judging from interviews it would appear that he does) then I have a feeling he will probably end up doing that at least one more time before he finally walks away from the sport for good.

When Demian Maia entered the Octagon against Mario Miranda last weekend at UFC 118 he was no doubt looking to erase the public’s collective memory of his previous performance, a one-sided decision loss to Anderson Silva last April. The five-round shellacking was more notable for Silva’s bizarre antics than any offense offered up by the Jiu-Jitsu wiz and left a bad taste in more than a few mouths…Maia’s included.

However, rather than dwell on the negative, Maia instead chose to use the loss as motivation and as a result even received an additional boost of incentive to win against Miranda upon learning the UFC’s middleweight champ would be cornering his training partner at UFC 118.

Maia recently spoke with Brazilian publication Tatame to talk about “The Spider”, his fight against Miranda, and why he continues to focus on submission-grappling while training for opponents regardless of his reputation in the art.

When asked about Silva being alongside Miranda at the event, Maia replied, “I was glad when I knew he’d be on his corner because I knew it’d motivate me even more. All due respect to Mário, but I was glad when I heard that Anderson would be on his corner because I knew (it would) motivate me even more.”

And, though he expressed disappointment at his inability tap his foe out in Boston, Maia was also quick to give Miranda credit.

“Of course I’d like (the win) to be due to a submission, but he’s a very slippery guy on the ground…defended himself well…kept himself calm during the whole fight, even when was on a bad position – he’s a good athlete. His professional record already shows he’d be a hard one for everyone on this division. He’s only got one loss in twelve fights, so, for sure, he’d be harsh on everyone.”

The Brazilian also explained why a good portion of his training time is still spent polishing his Jiu-Jitsu even though it’s the skill he’s most known for based on his success on the tournament scene and his effortless submissions of a number of respected opponents in the ring. On the subject of whether or not his attempts to improve at striking had weakened his Jiu-Jitsu, Maia explained, “I don’t think so, not at all. I keep training a lot of Jiu-Jitsu, I don’t leave it aside… I don’t train only Jiu-Jitsu nowadays, but Jiu-Jitsu represents, at least, 50% of my technical training, so it’s a lot… “

“It’s much more than many people train. I believe I have to chance some things,” he continued. “I got easily on the mount, on his back and arm…. I got to the positions I wanted to. I trained and I felt like I evolved a lot and got to the positions I wanted to. There was only a final detail missing because, besides that, I felt comfortable on getting to the positions…. I trained a lot of Jiu-Jitsu for this fight.”

Maia is 13-2 as a professional with notable victories over Chael Sonnen, Jason MacDonald, and Dan Miller in his career. Eight of his wins have come by way of submission though his last two were the result of unanimous decisions.

PRESS RELEASE / San Antonio, Tx. (September 1, 2010) — On the eve of Bellator Fighting Championships’ much-anticipated match-up between Joe Soto and Joe Warren, the fighters competing in tomorrow’s event participated in an official weigh-in earlier this evening — all making weight.

Bellator 27 will be broadcast live in prime time nationwide on Thursday on FOX Sports Net and during special Bellator highlight shows this Saturday night on NBC and mun2.

The official results of the weigh-in are as follows:

John Kirk (205 lbs) vs. Shane Faulkner (204.6 lbs)
Joe Christopher (170.6 lbs) vs. Andrew Chappelle (169.6 lbs)
Dale Mitchell (264.2 lbs) vs. Richard Odoms (260.4 lbs)
Aaron Barringer (154.4 lbs) vs. Gilbert Jimenez ( 154.2 lbs)
Andrew Craig (184 lbs) vs. Rodrigo Pinheiro (185 lbs)
Travis Reddinger (135 lbs) vs. Uylsses Gomez (135.2 lbs)
Nick Mamalis (135.8 lbs) vs. Zach Makovsky (134.4 lbs)
Bryan Goldsby (135.8 lbs) vs. Ed West (135 lbs)
Joe “The Hammer” Soto (144.8 lbs) vs. Joe Warren (143.6 lbs)

Fans questioning Ken Shamrock’s future in Mixed Martial Arts were given a new nugget for discussion earlier today when it was revealed the one-time “World’s Most Dangerous Man” will step into the ring once again on October 16th. Shamrock, who is 1-6 in his last seven fights, will compete on USA MMA’s upcoming event in Lafayette, Lousiana against 71-fight veteran Jonathan Ivey.

News of the bout was reported by MMAFighting, who also mentioned Ricco Rodriguez would see action at the event against Mike Perez.

Ivey is 29-42 and registers in at a rotund 250 pounds while only standing a little over 5’8”. Twenty-three of his wins are by way of submission and should offer the MMA icon an interesting test if things hit the mat.

Shamrock will be looking to get back on the winning track after losing via first round TKO to Pedro Rizzo this past July. Despite his recent struggles he is still 27-14-2 as a professional with twenty three tap-outs to his credit.

It looks like “Motown” will transform into “KO-town” this November when UFC 123 rolls into the iconic American city on the twentieth. The event is scheduled to take place at the Palace of Auburn Hills (home to the NBA’s Detroit Pistons) and will be the second time the UFC has ventured into the area with the first coming more than a decade ago at UFC 9.

News of the show’s location was recently confirmed to MMAFighting by UFC President Dana White.

UFC 123 will be headlined by a clash between former light heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Both top 205-pounders will be looking to get back on the winning track at the event, as Machida was victim of a first-round knockout to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in his last bout while “Rampage” was out-pointed by Rashad Evans at UFC 114 after a yearlong hiatus from MMA. The loss was the first of Machida’s career. Comparably, Jackson had won eight of nine prior to losing the decision to Evans and hasn’t been finished in the ring since April 2005.

PRESS RELEASE / CHICAGO, Ill. (August 30, 2010) —Bellator Fighting Championships today announced the signing of undefeated MMA prospect Chris “The Assassin” Lozano to its already impressive roster.

Sporting an impressive undefeated record of 5-0, Lozano has dominated all of his fights to date, beating all five opponents he has faced by TKO or KO, with four of the five stoppages coming in the very first round. In his most recent outing, Lozano took out well rounded PRIDE/UFC veteran Jason Dent via fourth round TKO in an extremely impressive showing.

Growing up in Cleveland, Lozano struggled to find positive sports programs before eventually turning to MMA for his competitive release. Currently training out Strong Style Gym in Ohio, Lozano began boxing and Tae Kwon Do when he was a child. In middle school, Lozano turned to wrestling where he quickly made the Ohio National team for his age group and weight class before ultimately setting his sites on mixed martial arts.

“Chris Lozano brings proven knockout power to the welterweight division.” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney. “He is a big welterweight that has tremendous potential to accomplish great things in Bellator at 170 lbs.”

Lozano is admittedly anxious to show what he is capable of on the biggest platform of his fast-rising career.

“Fighting for an organization like Bellator Fighting Championship is a dream come true,” said Lozano. “To finally get a chance to compete amongst the best in the world is something I have spent my entire life focusing on and dreaming of.”

UFC 118 featured two critical lightweight matchups -- Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard vs. Kenny Florian -- plus some 155 tilts on the prelim card as well. In the aftermath, the lightweight division is in need of some top-to-bottom matchmaking services.