Wanderlei Silva sends Cung Le back to the movies

I can’t read minds, but as Cung Le was shown on the pay-per-view broadcast in the dressing room, looking over his face and shaking his head, I thought I knew what he was thinking: “What am I doing here?”

Le, who clearly does not have the burning desire to compete that he once did and whose love of making Hollywood films and eating cookies is well documented, was administered a nasty beatdown by a full-time fighter on Saturday night.

Please don’t misunderstand me; making movies and eating cookies are not bad things. They are splendid activities that I would almost surely enjoy more than fighting in the Octagon, as well. However, it can’t be denied that Le simply doesn’t need to be fighting at this point in his life, and his bout with the bloodthirsty Wanderlei Silva only served to bolden and underline that point.

For Le, it was a reminder that you can’t be half-in and half-out at this level of MMA. For Silva and his fans, it was a rejuvenating moment that provided, at the very least, another vintage “Axe Murderer” highlight. For me, it was a humbling reminder that I have no idea what I’m talking about.

I’m happy to eat crow, though, if said crow happens to be watching Wanderlei Silva knee dudes’ heads off like it’s 2003. What else can be said about Silva at this point? Sure, he’s got a glass ceiling at this point in his career, but the champion is Anderson Silva- who at 185 doesn’t have a glass ceiling? The best thing that I can say about Silva’s performance is that he had friends of mine who have seen dozens of UFC events both cringing and unable to look away in the waning moments of the bout. That’s vintage Wanderlei Silva right there.

Welcome to the UFC, Urijah Faber

Speaking of vintage performances, we finally got Urijah Faber’s first truly dominating effort in the UFC on Saturday night, and it’s been a long time coming. Though the bantamweight and featherweight classes have provided some great fights already since the WEC folded into the UFC, many of the best performers in each weight class- Faber, Miguel Torres, Mike Brown, even Jose Aldo- had yet to show non-WEC fans what they’re all about. Now, you can cross Faber off that list.

This is the kind of performance against a quality opponent that can get Faber in line for another crack at Dominick Cruz. Sure, Cruz handled Faber last time, but if Faber can keep fighting like the WEC version of himself, fans will be clamoring for another Faber-Cruz fight in no time.

Quick Shots

–Welcome back, Ryan Bader.

–One of the best ways to sum up Stephan Bonnar is like this: no matter who his opponent is, if they don’t come ready to fight, they’re going to have a tough go at it. Also, that decision loss to Jon Jones isn’t looking so bad, is it? Jones has fought Jake O’Brien, Matt Hamill, Brandon Vera, Vladimir Matyushenko, Ryan Bader, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson since fighting Bonnar, and who’s the last one to go the distance with Jones? Bonnar.

–I was a bit disappointed with Joe Rogan on Saturday night, who I usually think does a great job, especially when it comes to holding officials accountable. However, he was quiet as can be regarding the lack of a 10-8 fifth round in the Shogun-Henderson fight, not calling it into question afterward or directly bringing it up in the post-fight interviews. Yet, he managed to question the perfectly rational Silva-Le stoppage, saying right away that it was a bad stoppage even though replays showed that Le had lost his grip on Silva’s legs and was no longer “going for a takedown”, as Rogan put it, when the fight was stopped. It was a good stoppage, and I think Rogan would have seen that had he not rushed to judgement.

Say What?!?

I’m sorry! I’m sorry!- Stephan Bonnar, apologizing to the “fans” afterward because he wasn’t able to do what none of them could do: finish Kyle Kingsbury.

There are no words to indicate how much I hate seeing fighters apologize to ADD-riddled, drunken, booing fans after a fight that wasn’t even that dull to begin with. My position on the matter is well documented, but here’s the Cliff Notes version: the booing idiots in the stands aren’t going to chip in and pay Bonnar his win bonus if he gets knocked out while trying to have an exciting fight rather than just getting the win.

I get it- the prelims were ridiculous, with finish after finish, and then Bonnar-Kingsbury was fought at a much more measured pace. However, haven’t we gotten to the point where we don’t boo and whine like children when a fight isn’t an instant classic? And furthermore, Bonnar should know better than to encourage that kind of stupidity. Kudos to referee Dan Stell, though, for not succumbing to the pressure from the fans and unnecessarily standing up the fight when the boos started to fill the air. Many referees would have made that mistake, but Stell didn’t.

The Sound of Violence Award

“Working for the Weekend” by Loverboy is an inspired choice for Kyle Kingsbury. Sure, it’s not going to get you pumped up to scrap, and yeah, most of the people in the crowd will think you’ve gone nuts, but at least a couple of 80′s music lovers somewhere in Iowa will be impressed with the choice.

Beautiful Loser Award

This clearly goes to Shogun, although perhaps it shouldn’t since that fight was just as clearly a draw. But hey, history is sometimes written by the incompetent, and Shogun won the last two rounds of that five-round bout by a score of 20-17. He showed tremendous heart after being hurt multiple times and nearly stopped once, and even though Dan Henderson’s cardio isn’t exactly legendary, I was surprised that Shogun outlasted him in that regard.

Movin’ On Up Award

This is a tie for the two uber-prospects whose talents were on display on the prelims Saturday night, Michael McDonald and Chris Weidman. McDonald’s finish was more explosive, but Weidman was in there with a crafty veteran in Tom Lawlor, and showed great technical skill in finishing Lawlor with a nicely executed brabo choke. These two are certainly future top ten fighters, and possibly even future champions.

Holy $#!% Award

This rather obviously goes to Shogun and Hendo for their otherworldly efforts in the main event, though there were plenty of other deserving moments. Though Shogun outlasted Henderson, Hendo found Shogun with his lethal right hand many times and even overcame adversity by recovering when he was hurt a couple of times and surviving a grueling round five, much of which saw him underneath the stifling mount of Shogun. And though Shogun somehow lost the decision, to win the last two rounds clearly after nearly being finished in the third (and moreover, to win the last minute and a half of a round where you were a hair away from being stopped) shows great determination and heart.

That being said, I don’t think either of these guys have anything for Jon Jones.

E-Mail Jon Hartley

Stephan ‘The American Psycho’ Bonnar talks about his unanimous decision win over Kyle Kingsbury at UFC 139.

As always, all rankings cited are those of Fightmania.com.

Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury

Bonnar has carved out a career as a hard-working, gutsy fighter who is a jack of all trades, but a master of none. In that way, he’s kind of a poor man’s Forrest Griffin, though they differ in that Bonnar prefers a more classic boxing style than Griffin’s leg-kick heavy approach.

Meanwhile, Kingsbury has found a groove in the last three years, rattling off four straight wins in the Octagon. Bonnar may not only represent the stiffest test he’s faced, but the most recognizable name, as well. Pair that with the coveted main card slot this fight has received, and this represents a big opportunity for Kingsbury. Of course, it’s also a chance for Bonnar to further prove that he’s got plenty left in the tank, following impressive wins over Krzystof Soszynski and Igor Pokrajac.

Bonnar showed in the Soszynski fight that he can beat an opponent similar to Kingsbury, and you can expect him to use his solid standup technique and maybe even some wrestling to try to win this one. However, Kingsbury is very athletic and will likely win the wrestling battles if and when they occur. In the standup, it’s a lot closer of a battle, though Kingsbury has more power than his opponent.

In a fight like this one that could be very close, I like to look at who has the edge in strength, athleticism, and other areas. That makes me favor Kingsbury. Throw in that Bonnar is easily cut (and judges are easily swayed by cuts), and I can see Kingsbury taking a competitive decision.

Prediction: Kingsbury by decision

Martin Kampmann (#10 WW) vs. Rick Story

Story was the flavor of the month in the welterweight division after upsetting Thiago Alves at UFC 130, but a last-minute replacement took the wind out of his sails not much later, as Story lost to Charlie Brenneman. Brenneman was a bad style matchup, as his dogged determination to getting takedowns and superior wrestling put Story in a tough place throughout the fight. This matchup is a bit more favorable for Story, though Kampmann is a tough fighter, himself.

Kampmann has had to make a career out of fighting opponents who simply wanted to take him to the mat. This will be business as usual then, to an extent. Also, Kampmann has had two controversial losses in a row by split decision to Diego Sanchez and Jake Shields. If Story can beat Kampmann decisively, that’s another big feather in Story’s cap.

Kampmann will undoubtedly win the standup. Though he sometimes gets caught and doesn’t have the best defense, it’s doubtful that Story will use his rather basic standup fighting approach to do more than score points and lead into takedowns. Where this fight is decided is when Story shoots in on Kampmann. Can Kampmann stay off the mat? Sometimes he will, but I think Story gets enough takedowns to win a close one.

Prediction: Story by decision

Brian Bowles (#4 BW) vs. Urijah Faber (#2 BW)

Bowles may not be the big name in this matchup, but he’s got a lot going for him besides looking a lot like Dirk Diggler in “Boogie Nights”. His resume is dotted with quality wins (Miguel Torres, Damacio Page, Takeya Mizugaki) and just one loss (to Dominick Cruz, so no shame in that), and he’s got concussive power at 135 pounds that not only poses a danger to his opponents, but to his own hands as well.

He faces another guy who has had trouble with broken hands in the past in Faber. Faber, however, will not be looking to stand and trade for long. Very few men have been able to keep Faber at a distance for long, and he will use his wide hooks and overhand punches to close the distance for takedowns and clinches while trying to wear Bowles down and get him to the mat. If he does, Bowles will have an uphill battle against an opponent who has an uncanny ability to control, improve position, and submit in relatively short order.

Bowles may give Faber some scary moments, but I’ve got Faber here in a fight where he just out-wills an opponent like the Urijah Faber of old used to. This should be a great fight.

Prediction: Faber by submission

Cung Le vs. Wanderlei Silva

If this was the Silva of 5-6 years ago against a motivated, active Le, this would be a great fight. As it is, this is a fight that had me apprehensive from the word “go”. Silva has shown in his recent appearances that he simply can’t refine his style- at least, not for long. The moment he thinks he smells blood, he goes to the beast mode that made him great for so many years, but which now puts him at considerable risk whenever he fights.

Le is tailor-made for this fight, a pin-point striker and counter puncher who can keep his cool under pressure and pick his spots with patience, precision and just a bit of cruelty, to boot. Watch his fight against Tony Fryklund back in his Strikeforce days for a display of some of the most awe-inspiring striking you’re likely to see at this level, for instance. Le doesn’t just score points, though, he punishes opponents with his kicks.

I’m not going to go into a long recap of the last couple of years of Silva’s career, which have been hard to watch as a guy who was a big Wanderlei fan going back to the Pride days. We all know the story, and though it’s easy to look for reasons for optimism (the Bisping fight, the fact that Leben is one of the hardest punchers in the division), Silva is breaking down in front of our eyes and I have a hunch that this might not be pretty.

Le is a bit of an x-factor because of his inactivity and the fact that we’ve only seen him fight Scott Smith in the last three and a half years. However, Silva is an even bigger question mark due to concerns about his chin, his recent knee problems, and his all-or-nothing approach. I’d be happy to be wrong about this one, but I can’t simply pick Silva due to what he used to be or because I’d like to see him return to form.

Prediction: Le by KO/TKO

Dan Henderson (#5 LHW) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (#3 LHW)

From one question mark to another, now we take a look at Shogun Rua, who has been a mixed bag since coming to the UFC in 2007. Sometimes he looks great, sometimes he looks awful, and many times he just looks okay. It’d be hard to pick anyone over Shogun if you knew he was going to be on top of his game, but who can predict that?

Then you have Dan Henderson, one of the more consistent fighters of all-time, and…well, you know where I’m going with this. Still, let’s go through with it and take a closer look, shall we?

Rua can fight one of two ways. He can come out and swarm on you, overwhelming you en route to an impressive victory, or take the space you give him and pick you apart (as many of us thought he did successfully in the first Lyoto Machida fight). Henderson is not going to allow him to do that, though. He’s a pressure fighter with a sturdy chin who can withstand the early storm and keep coming back. I don’t think Rua is necessarily a front-runner, but he does have a limited gas tank and tends to fade in the face of constant pressure. Being that this is a five-round fight, there’s even more reason to doubt Shogun here.

Henderson’s wrestling really presents an added bonus, here. Should he choose to, he can unquestionably take down Shogun at some point and win some favor with the judges. Shogun is a capable jiu-jitsu player, but Hendo is savvy enough to stay out of trouble while delivering some ground and pound. Then you have one of the most destructive weapons in the history of the sport, Hendo’s right hand. Shogun should, and probably will, look to keep Hendo at bay with consistent leg kicks, but that approach hasn’t slowed Hendo much in the past. This is a great fight, but Hendo is the better overall fighter and presents an approach that Shogun has struggled with in the past, which gives me enough reason to pick him.

Prediction: Henderson by decision

Johny Hendricks vs. Rick Story

These two criminally-underrated welterweights bring lengthy winning streaks into the Octagon with them, as Story has won four in a row, while Hendricks has never been defeated in nine professional fights. Not only should this fight make fans better acquainted with the two, but it will decide which one continues to make his way toward a future title shot and which will simply go back to a very deep talent pool to start the process all over again.

Story’s best chance for the win lies in catching Hendricks with a big shot early on. Story is always at his best early in his fights, and I have a feeling that Hendricks will push Story to exhaustion within a round or two. The problem is that Hendricks has very strong wrestling, and will be putting Story on his back early and often. I think Story won’t be able to really concentrate on putting good strikes together either, since the thought of being taken down will always be looming.

Prediction: Hendricks by decision

Demian Maia vs. Kendall Grove

Each of these two have been both celebrated and written off at one point or another for different reasons. Maia was another Anderson Silva opponent who didn’t have the takedowns to bring Silva to the mat, resulting in a boring, even puzzling bout. While Silva should have been blamed for most of it, there has been residual damage for Maia, who is now often called a “boring fighter”. There’s no doubt that his two decision wins over Dan Miller and Mario Miranda have also encouraged that perception, as well.

For Grove, having back-to-back losses expand into four losses in seven fights has been damaging to his credibility as a talented middleweight. Grove has always seemed to be talented and dangerous: his rangy, lanky frame is perfectly utilized in his striking style, which uses a lot of straight punches, kicks and clinch work. Furthermore, his jiu-jitsu is more than enough against most opponents. However, it seems that Grove is just a good fighter stuck in an organization that is stacked with great fighters.

Grove likely sees a light at the end of this particular tunnel in that Maia’s standup is really not good at all. Grove’s blueprint couldn’t be more obvious: use his length, keep Maia at bay, avoid going to the mat, and win. However, Maia does not simply rely on double-leg takedowns to take opponents to where he’s most comfortable. He will do everything up to and including just grabbing an opponent and pulling them into his guard to make a fight more of a jiu-jitsu match.

He’ll get Grove on the mat regularly for as long as the bout lasts, and that’s a problem: despite lackluster performances against Silva and Miranda, Maia has among the sport’s best jiu-jitsu, and he’ll remind us why that’s true in this fight.

Prediction: Maia by submission

Stephan Bonnar vs. Igor Pokrajac

Bonnar has been written off by many as being “done”, and even I have questioned why he is still under contract when he lost five out of seven bouts at one point. However, it’s not as if he’s been losing to bums: of his UFC losses, only the one to an over-the-hill Mark Coleman stands out as truly disappointing. His other losses were to former UFC light heavyweight champions Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, current prospect Jon Jones, and then a stoppage due to a cut against Krzysztof Soszynski.

Translation: Pokrajac has a lot to prove in this one. After losses to Vladimir Matyushenko and James Te Huna, Pokrajac was strangely allowed to keep his spot in the UFC and submitted James Irvin for his first UFC win. He will certainly be looking to take Bonnar down as often as possible in order to earn a victory.

However, what’s he going to do after he gets a takedown? Bonnar has an underrated defensive guard and isn’t likely to give up position to Pokrajac or get submitted. Furthermore, his takedown defense is pretty good, and he’ll likely be peppering Pokrajac whenever the two are upright. I think Bonnar will do what it takes to frustrate Pokrajac throughout: Pokrajac may never stop working, but it won’t matter.

Prediction: Bonnar by decision

Jonathan Brookins vs. Michael Johnson

What some fans may not know about TUF 12 finalist Brookins is that he has not only competed in the WEC before, but he actually fought Jose Aldo himself. Brookins took Aldo into the third round before being dispatched, which is more than many of Aldo’s foes can say.

Brookins career before TUF is also relevant because of the fact that he’s a natural featherweight. Far from being the first fighter to fight a weight class (or two) up from his natural weight to be on “The Ultimate Fighter”, Brookins will be giving up some size and strength to Michael Johnson, who on the show proved to be a capable striker who preferred taking down his opponents.

Standing up, I favor Brookins slightly because he’s a more technically-sound striker. However, there’s an asterisk there because Brookins likes to stick his chin up in the air at times, and Johnson is the harder striker of the two, as well.

Johnson should be able to take Brookins down, though Brookins’ craftiness means that he can possibly sweep Johnson, stand up when taken down, or pull submissions out of nowhere. Johnson is definitely the safe pick in my view, so I’m surprised more people aren’t predicting him to win. He’ll get his takedowns, push the action, and be my favorite to win the fight if it goes to a decision, as a result. However, how can you not be wary of Brookins’ submissions and overall polished skill set if you’re backing Johnson?

This should be a great fight, and both should have good UFC careers, although Brookins’ should take place in the featherweight division.

Prediction: Brookins by submission

E-Mail Jon Hartley

Lesnar, Carwin Part of UFC’s Biggest Advantage Over Boxing

Since the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter”, the UFC as an organization has really taken it to boxing, with the exception of a big fight here or there including a star like Floyd Mayweather. However, the absolutely gigantic buyrates that have resulted whenever Brock Lesnar has entered the Octagon have highlighted the biggest advantage that the UFC has: a compelling heavyweight division.

Fight fans simply love heavyweights. Even though many seasoned MMA fans tend to prefer the lighter weights for the faster action and greater technical skill that often accompany them, heavyweights pack an unpredictable element that is hard not to get excited about. For many fans, just thinking about nearly 600 pounds of concussive force trapped in the cage on Saturday night was probably enough to challenge UFC pay-per-view records.

Boxing’s best days ended when the heavyweight division became a mess, then lost its luster altogether. While Evander Holyfield, Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis and a few others tried to carry the division, Mike Tyson was the last true star that heavyweight boxing has provided. Since then, a long line of inconsistent fighters and dull champions have taken the excitement out of the flagship division.

MMA, meanwhile, was built without the luxury of having a truly strong heavyweight contingent. When you look at the UFC’s best heavyweights at any point in time- Mark Coleman in the early days, Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski and Josh Barnett later on- there aren’t a lot of box office draws there. Even in Pride, besides Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Fedor Emelianenko himself, there weren’t a ton of stars to be found. For both the UFC and Pride, the “money division” was always light heavyweight, until more recently.

Now, MMA as a sport and the UFC as an organization have a chance to continue to grow even more. With a great roster that includes all-time greats like Randy Couture and Nogueira alongside current top fighters such as Lesnar, Carwin and Velasquez, the UFC has plenty of potential matchups that will capture the imaginations of MMA fans and newbies alike. Meanwhile, a stacked lineup of prospects such as Cain Velasquez, Junior dos Santos, Brendan Schaub and more will ensure that the future is just as bright as the present. Even Strikeforce has plenty of talent in the once-thin division, including Fedor, Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, Brett Rogers, Arlovski and Bobby Lashley.

Leben-Akiyama Provides Plenty of Discussion Topics

Many expected Chris Leben to fight hard (as always) but ultimately be outclassed by Yoshihiro Akiyama on Saturday night. If anything, the route to victory for Leben, coming off of just a two-week break since his last bout- was thought to be a big right hand out of nowhere. Few would have picked Leben to win by submission, and even less would have thought that he’d triangle choke Akiyama out of the guard.

Well, here we are a few days later, and Leben is now in line to get the fight that Akiyama wanted (against Wanderlei Silva), and if he can win that, is right in the title picture. Meanwhile, Akiyama is just 1-1 in the UFC and hasn’t looked particularly good in either bout. His gas tank is highly suspect, and his technical striking and grappling erodes quickly when he tires, leaving him to become a sloppy remnant of his former self. Another loss, and we’ll be counting Akiyama among the many who have come over from Japan only to fall face-first in the UFC and be sent right back.

We lost a great fight in Akiyama-Silva due to Wanderlei’s multiple injuries during training camp, but we may have gained a better one in Silva-Leben. That will be a brawl for the ages, and with Wanderlei getting on in years, Leben has more than the usual “puncher’s chance” to advance towards the top of the division. Also, I must say that I’m happy for Leben, who has made about a quarter of a million dollars in the last two weeks in the Octagon. With two win bonuses, a knockout of the night bonus at The Ultimate Fighter 11 Finale, and a fight of the night bonus from UFC 116, he really cleaned up. It’s good to see, especially since Leben fought for quite some time for much less money after graduating from the first season of TUF.

What to Do With Lytle?

On the surface, there isn’t much more to say about Chris Lytle than there usually is after one of his fights. He’s exciting, has great submissions and represents a clear division between the upper-most echelon of the welterweight division and, well, everybody else. While Lytle hasn’t been able to pull off a victory against a top contender (with losses to Hughes, Koscheck, etc.), he regularly bests talented competitors like Matt Brown. What can the UFC do with him?

Well, he’s won three in a row, and has to be bumped up to tougher fights now, and if he remains successful, is in the title picture. I like the idea of Lytle fighting Paulo Thiago, Carlos Condit, or even Mike Swick. If he wins that bout, a fight against a top-five UFC welterweight should follow, with a possible title shot looming. Georges St. Pierre has fought just about everyone else in the division, and a five-fight win streak including the likes of one of the three I mentioned and another top welterweight would definitely prove that he’s earned it.

Speaking of earning things, how did Lytle not get submission of the night? Sure, “nobody” expected Lesnar to win by submission, but it’s not as if he broke out a gogoplata on Carwin or arm barred him from his back. He used an arm triangle, a simple-yet-effective submission that is well within his skill level. Lytle, meanwhile, did something that you rarely see, and should have been rewarded thusly. Dana White did say that many other checks were being issued besides the official bonuses, so here’s hoping that Lytle got his due for his beautiful straight arm bar on Brown.

Quick Shots

–Stephan Bonnar finally got in the “W” column with a great comeback victory against the tough Krzysztof Soszynski on Saturday night, and may have salvaged his spot on the UFC roster after all. Previously, White had said that “those guys will always be with us,” referring to Bonnar and Forrest Griffin, whose excellent brawl at the finale of the first TUF season helped propel the sport to success. However, after UFC 116, White maintained that he would always take care of Bonnar and Griffin in the future, but that either could be cut if the situation warranted it. What that means, nobody knows- perhaps they would be kept as commentators or work behind the scenes? At any rate, Bonnar may get a few extra chances, but apparently he can be cut just like anyone else if he under-performs for long enough. Also keeping his job was Kendall Grove, who has had a tough go of it lately but came up big in his prelimary bout.

–It’s good to see that the tradition of great fighters who were on, but didn’t win “The Ultimate Fighter” continues, as both George Sotiropoulous and Brendan Schaub are looking like legit future title contenders following their most recent successes. Sotiropoulous has an absolutely outstanding ground game, and Schaub is the rare type of athletic heavyweight that will give his future opponents fits. In fact, a total of seven former cast members won fights on Saturday night, none of whom actually won the show (three of them: Bonnar, Grove and Lytle, were runners-up). Some of the most successful alumni, including Chris Leben, who won his eleventh career UFC fight Saturday, have been those that didn’t actually win.

E-Mail Jon Hartley

Kurt Pellegrino vs. George Sotiropoulous

Pellegrino, also known as “Batman” among…well, among Bruce Buffer, I suppose, will take on Sotiropoulous in a matchup pitting two grapplers with distinctly different styles this evening. Pellegrino looks to score takedowns early and often, and tries to advance position on the mat while avoiding big mistakes. However, trouble seems to find him as he often has to show off his apt submission defense before a fight is through, and Sotiropoulous will hope to take advantage of any technical mistakes he can get Pellegrino to make tonight.

The standup portion should be fairly even, though some would give Sotiropoulous a rather definitive edge there. I think the difference will be Pellegrino’s consistent takedowns and control. It will be a fast-paced fight, but I don’t expect a finish in this one.

Prediction: Pellegrino by decision

Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Stephan Bonnar

In the matchup that no one demanded, we’ll finally get a true winner for the controversial UFC 110 matchup, where Soszynski was handed a gift of a TKO after opening up Bonnar with an accidental headbutt between the two.

OK, I kid…it should be a fun fight, and Soszynski has shown loads of potential since his time on “The Ultimate Fighter”. For Bonnar, it’s the same old story of trying to put it all together and develop his skills to where he can put opponents in danger throughout the fight, rather than just edging out decisions.

Bonnar is as game as they come, but we already saw what I believe will happen tonight when the two first met. Soszynski’s southpaw stance and powerful shots were giving Bonnar trouble, and he was landing the better shots for the duration of the fight before the controversial end occurred. Bonnar has always been well-rounded, but doesn’t have anything that jumps out at you as a particular skill that he can use to finish fights. Soszynski, on the other hand, has power in his hands and can opportunistically seize submissions, as well. That’s why I favor him here.

Prediction: Soszynski by KO/TKO

Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown

Lytle has long been a favorite of mine, as a regular guy who works as a full-time firefighter, raises his kids and competes in MMA at a high level. He also brings it every time that he steps in the cage, and tonight will be no exception against a very game Matt Brown. Brown and Lytle will no doubt have some fun moments in the standup portion of the bout, and though I expect Lytle’s power and timing to give him an edge there, it’s not where Lytle has the biggest advantage.

If Lytle decides to work for a finish instead of just having a good time slugging it out for the fans, he will find a way to get the fight to the mat, where his underrated submission skills will make relatively quick work of the mistake-prone Brown. That’s what I think will happen here, even if it takes a round or two to happen.

Prediction: Lytle by submission

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Chris Leben

I’m still a bit sad that we’re not going to see the promised Akiyama-Wanderlei Silva fight tonight, but Akiyama-Leben will be a fun fight, for certain. You don’t need to eavesdrop or tap Leben’s phone to discern his strategy for the fight: he’s going to try to turn it to a brawl, so that he can land as many powerful punches as possible. After all, he always has faith that if one lands cleanly, it will put his opponent down for good. Many times, he’s done just that.

We saw against Alan Belcher that Akiyama doesn’t mind a crowd-pleasing brawl every now and then. However, he will ideally stay clear of that situation here, as Leben can certainly knock him out with any good shot. Akiyama will be better served to fight a technically-clean style on the feet, as Leben has had trouble with that kind of look before. Furthermore, Akiyama should use his judo to get Leben to the mat, where Leben will be at his weakest. I think Akiyama will mix it up, stay out of trouble and eventually got the nod from the judges.

Prediction: Akiyama by decision

Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin

Many people think that Lesnar (and to a lesser extent, Carwin) should be the number one heavyweight in the world right now, and tonight, we will find out whether that is accurate. Let’s not forget that, with a loss, Lesnar drops to a pretty pedestrian 4-2, and all those who preached patience in handing the big man the top spot will be enjoying a hearty laugh at those who couldn’t wait to lift Lesnar to “best in the world” status.

Lesnar will get to answer many questions tonight, as will Carwin. Each will have the rare opportunity to test themselves against another big, athletic, talented wrestler with heavy hands. If this is a boxing match, you have to go with Carwin. Both have great power, but Carwin has turned his into a more consistent run of finishes than Lesnar has. Meanwhile, though, Carwin’s recovery may have looked great after being rocked by Gabriel Gonzaga, but you have to think that if Lesnar catches Carwin like that, he won’t get the chance to come back and turn the tide.

Still, I think Carwin has the slight advantage on the feet due to his technical advantages at this point in his career. However, I think the real key here will be Lesnar’s wrestling. I think he will put Carwin on his back, and while Carwin will certainly be better in that position than Lesnar would, he still won’t be able to hold off Lesnar’s ridiculous, savage ground and pound for long. That’s why I’ve got Lesnar winning this by KO/TKO, and probably fairly early.

Prediction: Lesnar by KO/TKO

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How Far Can Velasquez Go?

I’ll discuss the future of Nogueira later on in a separate column, but the more pressing subject since Saturday night has been how far Velasquez can take himself in a very tough division.  Whereas before the Nogueira fight, there were reservations about his standup, his fast hands and crisp, powerful punches during the fight last weekend have made many wonder aloud whether Velasquez is championship material in the near future, rather than in the long-term.

I like his chances.  The thing with the heavyweight division is that there are very few fighters who are extremely skilled across many disciplines (Frank Mir may be an exception).  Velasquez, even as a relative newbie, is one of the more well-rounded fighters in the division already.  Velasquez is a tough matchup for anyone in the division- yes, even Brock Lesnar- because he is a better wrestler than the top-notch strikers, and is a better striker than the other great wrestlers.

If anything, the biggest weakness Velasquez may have in a fight with Shane Carwin or Lesnar could be his size.  Velasquez is no small fighter at about 245 pounds, but he could give up 30-40 pounds easily to fighters like Carwin or Lesnar, who cut weight to get to 265.  In a fight with other very talented wrestlers, this could make a difference.  After all, as a superior striker to both fighters (though both have power to spare), the result may hinge upon Velasquez’s ability to keep the fight standing until he decides otherwise.  Even Mir has been packing quality weight on his frame lately to compete with the bigger fighters in the division.  All told, Saturday’s fight may be the last time in awhile that Velasquez enters the cage as the bigger fighter.  How he deals with that issue, and how he continues to develop, will determine how well he meets his considerable potential.

One Last Note on Silva-Bisping

It turns out that I was wrong about one thing- Bisping has publicly disagreed with the decision.  Of course, he did so in a way far-removed from the extremely over-the-top method used by his personal website’s administrator.  Let me point out, lest someone think me a Bisping “hater”, that I tend not to hate people whom I have never met, which sadly puts me very much in the minority of MMA fans.  I do think Bisping is a touch overrated, as he is a well-rounded fighter but poses no particular threat in any one area.  I think his skill-set will keep him in the mix throughout his career, but probably won’t allow him to wear a title belt.

I do want to point out as sort of an epilogue to my last column that I don’t begrudge someone for getting emotionally involved in their favorite fighter’s bouts.  However, to feign objectivity when you effectively saw the entire fight through the eyes of an extremely biased individual is pretty disingenuous.  Hey, at least pick your battles well.  Bisping is sure to be in a fight one day that has a legitimately controversial conclusion.

Oh, wait- he already was…in his 2007 “win” over Matt Hamill.  Perhaps he should just suck it up and call this one even.

What’s Next for Bader?

With all the justified excitement over Velasquez, it’s unfortunate that another promising young wrestler has been overlooked- Ryan Bader.  It’s also unfortunate that people have underrated Bader’s opponent, Keith Jardine, which naturally leads to looking past Bader as a credible light heavyweight contender in the making.

Don’t let anyone tell you different- Jardine is a tough, tough fighter.  Sure, he’s lost a few fights lately, but with the exception of Houston Alexander, those losses are to absolute top-flight competition.  He’s beaten some quality fighters, too, like former light heavyweight champs Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell.

Most of all, though, never forget to take into account the method of victory when appraising a win.  No one doubted that Bader could take Jardine down and probably hold him down for a decision or ground-and-pound win.  However, Bader stood up with a guy with an awkward style that some good strikers have failed to finish in the past and put him away.  It’s proof that Bader is working hard to round out his game, unlike so many other gifted wrestlers who have come into the sport and failed to do so.  I’m not predicting a title for the guy in the future yet, but he’s definitely going to be a contender at some point…maybe sometime soon.

Quick Shots

–Congrats to Chris Lytle for getting yet another performance bonus, this time for Submission of the Night.  Lytle’s impressive (and cringe-inducing) kneebar on the talented Brian Foster made him an extra 50 grand.  Even though Lytle won by default, as no other fighter won by submission, his kneebar was slick enough to win the bonus on just about any event we’ve seen recently.  Incredibly, it’s Lytle’s seventh performance bonus in his last nine fights.

What’s next for Lytle?  I don’t get a vote, but if I did I would cast my ballot for another fight with Marcus Davis.  It’s been over a year since their first bout, Davis is coming off of a loss, and the first fight was both entertaining and extremely close.

–I’m not going to project George Sotiropoulos into the title mix as quickly as some are.  I was impressed with how he used his reach effectively and the ground exchanges were awesome between him and Stevenson, but I need to see Sotiropoulos against another quality lightweight before I jump to conclusions.  He looked very good, though: extremely savvy on the mat.

–It’s a shame that Bonnar-Soszynski ended with a cut from an unintentional headbutt, and a bigger shame that Soszynski was granted a TKO victory.  The problem as far as I can tell is that although the Nevada State Athletic Commission has OK’ed instant replay in such a case, that doesn’t mean it will be used in Australia, as we saw Saturday night.

If the referee had correctly assessed the cause of the cut, we would have gone to the cards for a decision.  A lot of people think the fighters split the first two rounds, and we might have had a draw.  Unfortunately, there’s no satisfactory result in such a situation, although it’s good that Bonnar won’t be cut due to a referee’s error, the way that Tim Hague was shown the door after a dubious decision loss at UFC 109.

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A quick note before I begin with my views on tonight’s fights: to those unaware, the fight between Elvis Sinosic and Chris Haseman has been pulled due to a shoulder injury sustained by Sinosic.  Obviously, that fight is not included in this preview for that very reason.

Igor Pokrajac vs. James Te Huna

You see, this is the problem with previewing the preliminary bouts.  For every Bonnar vs. Soszynski, there’s a Pokrajac vs. Te Huna where there is very little to go on to make a prediction that’s anything more than a coin-flip.  But hey, you’re not here to read my whining, right?  Well, presumably, anyway.

Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I tracked down footage of various quality of both fighters against opponents (also of various quality).  Again, the problem is that many of these fights, like many fights on smaller shows, are ridiculous mismatches where guys like Pokrajac and Te Huna simply swarm over undersized, under-trained and under-talented opponents.  Then, we have Pokrajac’s previous UFC appearance, where he lost a unanimous decision to top 20 light heavyweight Vladimir Matyushenko.  That’s not exactly anything to be ashamed of, though a fighter with a future as a contender in the UFC would need to win such a bout.

Both fighters like to overwhelm opponents, and Pokrajac seems to slightly prefer taking the fight to the mat, though he is one of Cro Cop’s sparring partners.  However, Te Huna looks bigger and stronger, and I believe he will be able to dictate much of the fight.  Pokrajac throws the straighter punches, while Te Huna mixes up his shots, but favors wider punches.  Still, I think Te Huna will put the pressure on and be able to take this one by decision due to control and aggression.

Prediction: Te Huna by decision

CB Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic

Oh, CB Dollaway.  How I dread your fights.  Well, I shouldn’t say that, because though Dollaway is utterly one-dimensional, his fights often end eventfully due to his poor submission defense.  Still, Dollaway is very much a one-trick pony who has not even developed the well-rounded skills that his training partner, Ryan Bader (who’s not exactly a superb all-around fighter yet himself) has at this stage.  Dollaway has been able to win against the likes of Jesse Taylor, Mike Massenzio and Jay Silva strictly based on his athleticism and wrestling, but he doesn’t fare so well against even slightly well-rounded fighters.

And Goran Reljic is a very well-rounded fighter.  Sporting an 8-0 record and coming off a nearly two-year layoff due to back problems, Reljic’s last appearance in the octagon was a very impressive TKO win over Wilson Gouveia at UFC 84.  Reljic is a polished striker and has great submission offense for Dollaway to deal with, as well.  The only advantage that Dollaway has (with the possible exception of brute strength) is wrestling.

The problem is, wrestling is not usually a finishing skill.  It can put you in great situations (like a position to pound out a stoppage) and let you dictate where the fight goes, but if your opponent is a threat at all times to knock you out or submit you, what good is that?  I’m sure Dollaway has been working hard to round out his game, but for whatever reason, some great wrestlers acclimate to the sport much quicker than others, and Dollaway has struggled thus far to integrate better striking and jiu-jitsu into his skill set.  I think Reljic will finish this fight, and I’ll go ahead and say by submission, only because I think if he tags Dollaway standing up, Dollaway will resort to instincts and shoot for the takedown, prompting a submission finish.

Prediction: Reljic by submission

Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski

Bonnar has had a tough go of things for awhile now, with a suspension for steroid use and length injury, as well as a two-fight losing streak going into tonight’s bout.  To make matters worse, he’s now taking on Soszynski, who has really impressed me since his time on The Ultimate Fighter, winning six in a row before dropping a decision to Brandon Vera.

The thing is, Bonnar is linked to Forrest Griffin in my mind in more than just one way.  To me, Bonnar is very similar to Griffin, in that he does not really have great finishing skills in any area.  Bonnar doesn’t have true knockout power and, though he is very competent on the ground, is not much of a threat to submit anyone, either.  The difference is that Griffin has worked to polish what he can and has jumped up a couple of levels, while Bonnar does not seem to have improved much over the last several years.

Soszynski, meanwhile, is a very aggressive fighter who will be able to outwrestle Bonnar if he wants to.  Standing up, Bonnar may be a bit better technically, but Soszynski will have the advantage of not having to worry about Bonnar’s power, which is a luxury that Bonnar will not share.  Both fighters have good cardio and Bonnar is a very tough fighter to finish, but I don’t see how he can pose a sustained threat to Soszynski in this one.

Prediction: Soszynski by decision

Chris Lytle vs. Brian Foster

If there’s any justice, Lytle, like Bonnar, will always have a job in the UFC.  You would think that four straight Fight of the Night awards, along with a successful (if not legendary) fourteen career fights in the octagon would ensure that.  Even if he’s just on the prelims, Lytle should fight in the UFC until the day he hangs up the gloves for good.

Now, with that done, I’ll get off my soapbox and break down this fight a bit.  While Lytle is obviously one of my favorite fighters, I’m not under the impression that he’s going to suddenly take the welterweight division by storm or anything.  He does have his faults, and his newfound approach to fighting very aggressively has become one of them.  His boxing, which was once much more technical, has devolved into wild swinging much of the time, which I think is why we have seen him looking tired in the third round of recent fights.

Still, Lytle is incredibly hard to finish (an incredible 15 of his 17 career losses are by decision, and the other two were due to cuts), and has a very good all-around skill set.  Meanwhile, Foster has just as incredibly never been to a decision in his career, so something’s got to give here.  Foster looked good in his decimation of Brock Larson, but also was tapped by Rick Story, so he’s capable of making mistakes that can cost him a fight.  Against Lytle, such mistakes will prove deadly, as I’ve long believed that Lytle’s submission skills- not his boxing (though he has competed professionally with success)- is his strong suit.

Lytle is not a guy who will catch you with a sneaky triangle off of his back most of the time.  He’s a fighter that instead takes advantage of a mistake made in transition from one position to the next or during a scramble.  I think this fight will be very exciting and high-paced, with Foster eventually making such a mistake in a fight that he may even be winning to that point, and Lytle may very well win another bonus tonight.

Prediction: Lytle by submission

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The ever-expanding roster of the UFC has not made it easier to keep a spot on the promotion’s payroll…in fact, it is much the opposite, as even a couple of losses in a row can see you looking for work elsewhere. Mark Coleman, Frank Trigg and Tim Hague are just the latest fighters who can attest to the fact that even as a talented athlete, you are just a couple of bad performances from the chopping block in such a competitive organization. Here are the fighters who, even if they aren’t in danger of losing their jobs just yet, sorely need a win this weekend.

Wanderlei Silva

Sitting right near the top of the card is the most obvious choice for a fighter who badly needs a win, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva. In the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I’m a big fan of Silva and always have been. However, even the most awestruck of Silva’s fans have to admit at this point that Silva’s career is in trouble if he can’t get some wins together soon.

Nothing is going to take away what Silva accomplished in Pride, but it would be great to see Silva complement what he did in Japan with at least some measure of success in the UFC to bring his career towards a close. While Silva isn’t old (he turns 34 this July), he has put a lot of wear and tear on his body, while suffering three brutal knockout losses in his last six fights (of which he has won just one).

Even though Dana White seemed to indicate that Silva’s career is not in jeopardy this weekend during the press conference, his legacy and future as a serious contender are. If Silva can turn it around, great matchups abound- an eventual rematch with Vitor Belfort, or maybe even Chuck Liddell back at 205, as well as a possible title match with Anderson Silva at some point- but he absolutely has to take this one.

Keith Jardine

It’s hard not to feel bad for Jardine- that is, unless you just tend not to feel bad for anyone. In the last four years, his “easiest” fights have been against Stephan Bonnar and Houston Alexander, both of whom which he lost to (though the Bonnar decision was suspect, at best). Meanwhile, he’s faced four fighters with Pride or UFC championships on their mantles, as well as two of the more exciting young prospects of recent years in Brandon Vera and Thiago Silva.

Through it all, Jardine has managed to keep a respectable record and even steal some marquee wins with nothing more than hard work and a puzzling-yet-effective fighting style. If GSP represents the Fred Astaire of MMA, Jardine surely is the everyman who is more likely to step on his dance partner’s toes than wow anyone with his moves, yet unashamedly gives 100% every time. It’s hard not to like Jardine as a fight fan, and yet, he may be in danger of fighting outside of the UFC if he loses his bout with Ryan Bader.

Jardine has lost three of his last four bouts, and his last two wins were split decisions, to boot. Whether he’s been fighting top-level competition or not, you won’t stick around in the UFC for long without having more success than that. I’m of the opinion that a guy who has rarely ever lost to anyone but the best fighters should be given a chance to stick around and work his way back up, but that’s not what is happening here. In any case, we may see the last of Jardine for awhile inside the octagon if he isn’t able to frustrate Bader in Australia.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic

A few years ago, who would have thought we’d see the mighty Cro Cop on a list like this? Furthermore, who would have thought he’d be so far downthe list? Yet, here we are, discussing Cro Cop’s woeful 2-3 record in the UFC, and wondering how a man who was once the most feared striker on the planet has been not just beaten, but out-struck by Gabriel Gonzaga, Cheick Kongo and Junior dos Santos.

Really, I don’t have as much trouble accepting the Gonzaga loss, or even the Kongo one. Nobody expected a Gonzaga high kick, and anyone would be knocked out by such a shot. Kongo fought a smart fight and won a decision. It’s the dos Santos loss that makes it hard to believe in Cro Cop. In that fight, Cro Cop just appeared to want to be anywhere else in the world except in that cage. He admitted as much post-fight when he aluded to daydreaming about fishing during the bout. Yes, we’re talking about a guy thinking about fishing while trying to avoid being punched in the face by a fearsome young fighter in front of a worldwide audience. When it reaches that point, it’s probably time to hang ‘em up.

However, if anyone has earned the benefit of the doubt, it would be a legend like Cro Cop. The question is, has he truly overcome whatever his mental block is? Does he even want to fight anymore? I would guess that the answer must be “yes”, because he signed to fight Ben Rothwell, but it’s hard to watch Cro Cop-dos Santos and see any signs of the trained killer we once loved to watch. Here’s hoping that Cro Cop proves all the doubters wrong.

Stephan Bonnar

Last, but not least, we have one of the participants in what may have been the most important bout in the history of MMA. What’s interesting is the divergent paths that Bonnar and his Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale opponent Forrest Griffin have taken since their extremely closely-fought bout. Griffin is a former light heavyweight champion now, who tends to drop a bout here and there but nonetheless has settled in with the top names in the sport. Meanwhile, Bonnar has lost years of his career to injury and a failed drug test. In his only two fights since his last win (in October of 2007 against Eric Schafer), he has lost to Jon Jones and Mark Coleman.

Now, it’s easy to make a case for Bonnar, here. Jones was a tough fight, and the Coleman bout might have been much different if Bonnar had not thrown an ill-advised spinning back kick that helped Coleman win the second round of their bout, but it still doesn’t look good for Bonnar. With an 0-2 record in his last two fights, a steroid use suspension soiling his resume, and a very tough fight against Krszytof Soszynski looming this weekend, Bonnar continues to fight an uphill battle to regain any kind of relevance in the organization.

Dana White has said in the past that Bonnar will be with the UFC for life, and we may see those feelings put to the test if Bonnar loses his third straight at UFC 110. It’s almost certain that any other fighter would be dropped with the same results, but Bonnar has arguably earned the right to get an extra shot or two due to how much his first fight with Griffin helped the organization (and the sport) in North America. At the very least, though, Bonnar will be far from relevancy with a loss to Soszynski, and will have a long way to go to establish himself as a fighter to watch once again.

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MMA’s Roots: Ancient Greece and Beyond

The roots of MMA are often traced way back to 648 BC, when pankration was introduced as an Olympic sport in Ancient Greece.  Pankration was notable for featuring punches, kicks, wrestling and submissions all together as one method of combat, and fighters could win by submission even in those days.

Of course, you can also take a lot of modern MMA from other sources, as well.  Bruce Lee, though most famous for being an actor, was a serious life-long martial artist who believed in combining many effective styles to find an ideal, ever-evolving unique martial art.  This emphasis on function and effectiveness over tradition and marriage to one style provided a philosophical basis for the way that mixed martial artists train today.  Also, MMA would not be what it is without the evolution of boxing, wresting, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and traditional martial arts like tae kwon do, karate, kung fu and many more.

The UFC and Pancrase

In the United States, the first group to represent competition between fighting styles in an organized fashion was the Ultimate Fighting Championship (founded in 1993).  Although today the UFC is the flagship promotion of the sport, in the early days there was no emphasis on the combination of many techniques.  Instead, a roster made almost completely of single art-based competitors faced off to supposedly find out which art was the best.

In fact, one of the main motivations of Rorion Gracie’s involvement with the formation of the tournament-style competition was to push Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.  The Gracie family chose Royce Gracie to represent the family not because he was the best competitor they had to offer (many think that honor belonged to Rickson Gracie), but because he was of small stature an had an non-intimidating appearance.  The Gracies knew that the sight of a 6 foot tall, 180 pound man taking much bigger (and scarier) opponents to the ground and making them submit would be a powerful image to use in advertising their family’s art.

In time, though, competitors realize that they must combine techniques from other arts to supplement their basis in their arts of specialty, or they would never be successful in the competition.  Strikers learned jiu-jitsu and wrestling to keep the fights standing or defend themselves on the ground, and grapplers learned striking to round out their arsenals.  This well-roundedness was first embodied by Ken Shamrock, who came to the UFC as an undefeated fighter from the Pancrase organization in Japan, which was another important predecessor to modern MMA.

Pancrase (also formed in 1993) was in many ways the antithesis of MMA, with an emphasis on showmanship and technical superiority instead of violence and few rules.  For instance, Pancrase allowed striking, but you could only strike with open hands and kicks, not closed fists.  Also, fighters competed in a boxing-style ring, and could escape submissions by grabbing the ropes (just like in the WWE).  However, the mix of limited striking and explosive grappling matchups gave the sport many a star, including both Shamrock brothers, Bas Rutten, Josh Barnett, Nate Marquardt, and more.

Controversy and a New Competitor for the UFC

The UFC was slowly evolving, with top competitors being taken out of tournaments and put into “superfights”, and other aspects such as time limits and judges’ decisions being put into play.  However, for many, the sport did not evolve quickly enough.  Senator John McCain spear-headed a campaign to ban the sport, and many, seeing only the violence and chaos that had been marketed by SEG (the UFC’s owners), were quick to join him.  The result was many cable companies dropping the events from pay-per-view, and 36 states banning what they called “no holds barred” competitions.

Therefore, SEG started instituting weight classes, rounds and other precautions, including more extensive rules and the requirement of wearing gloves for all competitors.  These efforts seemed to make little difference to the public perception of the sport, though, and may have turned off many who simply wanted a violent spectacle and no longer felt that they were getting it.  In 2001, SEG sold the company to Zuffa, a group formed by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta along with Dana White, who would become president of the company.  While Zuffa did a lot of work to get the sport sanctioned by athletic commissions (including Nevada, which was vital), the myth that Zuffa made all of the changes and that SEG had nothing to do with reforming the sport in the U.S. is false, though it continues to be reported that way in the mainstream media to this day.

Meanwhile, a new era had begun in Japan.  In 1997, Pride Fighting Championships was born, with rules similar to the UFC and a roster that included fighters popular with Japanese fans and former UFC competitors alike.  With the ability to fill huge arenas (the first event attracted an amazing 47,000 spectators), the company could afford to pay UFC stars like Ken Shamrock, Gary Goodridge, Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman and others much more than SEG (and later, Zuffa) could at the time.  Even as the UFC began to grow quickly after the Zuffa purchase, many fans stateside remained loyal Pride fans, as the talent-packed roster and dynamic action featuring kicks and knees to the heads of grounded opponents, as well as dramatic presentation elements that were typical of Japanese events continued to win them over.

Pride still has many MMA records, including the record for the greatest attendance of a live MMA event, with over 70,000 strong turning out for their co-promotion with K-1 in August of 2002.  Pride would follow the UFC’s path, instituting weight classes (though only featuring three to the UFC’s five), and would feature many of the world’s top fighters up until the organization fell to the wayside.  In 2007, things went south quickly, as alleged ties between DSE (the group that owned Pride) and the Japanese mafia, along with the loss of network television coverage of Pride events doomed the organization to failure.  DSE would eventually sell the promotion to Zuffa, who talked of operating Pride as a separate entity (with periodic “super-card” events between the two organizations), but instead did not do so and merely absorbed many of the fighters into the UFC.

“The Ultimate Fighter” and Post-Pride MMA

One of the reasons that the UFC could afford to purchase Pride (and that Pride tried hard to find footing in the U.S. near the end of the company’s existence) was the explosion of MMA’s popularity due to “The Ultimate Fighter”.  As most know, the UFC made a television deal with basic cable network Spike TV to broadcast UFC programming, which led to the reality show debuting in 2005.  Broadcasting after WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” wrestling show, “The Ultimate Fighter” was an immediate hit that featured taped fights from the show each week, as well as a live finale that featured the all-time classic bout between Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar for the show’s light heavyweight contract.  Since then, Spike TV has aired multiple live events for the UFC, as well as ten total seasons of the reality show.

Meanwhile, numerous events have sprung up and then folded after making brief attempts to challenge the UFC as the world’s biggest event.  These organizations include EliteXC, Bodog Fight, Affliction, the International Fight League, and more.  However, there are many viable promotions in existence these days, such as Strikeforce, Dream, Sengoku, World Extreme Cagefighting (also owned by Zuffa), and more.  Local promotions all around the world help out by allowing fans to get an up-close look at the sport and fighters to get their start at a smaller level, as well.

The mixed martial artist these days is almost unrecognizable in comparison to the brave, but motley crew that composed the early UFC lineups.  Today’s top-notch fighters eat and train like Olympic-level athletes, work in many different disciplines by training among those that are better than them in various areas, and are skilled in promoting the sport through the media, as well.  Increased fight purses in top organizations have also attracted higher level athletes to the sport, where in past years, the only great athletes who were attracted to MMA were amateur wrestlers who had no real way to earn a living in their former discipline.

These days, the sport itself continues to evolve as the fighters do, with constant tweaks to rules and judging, along with new states and countries featuring the sport each year.  MMA has become a truly worldwide sport, and the increase in participation by young kids in sports like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling and traditional martial arts will undoubtedly lead to even more talented crops of MMA athletes in the years to come.  While there is a good deal of history already written in MMA (with far too much to cover here in this brief article), there is still much yet to happen in the world’s fastest growing sport.