Affliction...Dead?

With the recent news of Josh Barnett's positive steroid test, Affliction was put between a rock and a hard place to find a suitable opponent for the #1 ranked heavyweight fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. Vitor Belfort was believed to be the top prospect to step in on short notice but apparently this was just not meant to be. It was announced earlier today that the entire pay-per-view has been cancelled which has thrown the MMA community into a frenzy. This has brought up many questions that will hopefully be answered within the next few days.

First, and to me most importantly, what will happen to all of the fighters that have spent weeks and weeks training for a fight on the prestigious card? Will they be paid the full amount of their purse? Will they be paid a percentage of their purse? What about the sponsors that have paid the fighters money to be on their fight shorts? If I were a fighter, I would be completely unnerved at the news of the cancellation. Josh Barnett would be the first person to receive hate mail from me for his shameful positive drug test. After that, I would have to ask why the heck such a big card was being canceled when there were at least 5 fighters being tossed around as a replacement! Sure, the epic matchup of Fedor-Barnett wouldn't be present but at least the fans would get to see Fedor in action. After all, it wasn't Barnett who was going to sell the pay-per-view. It will be very interesting to see what the Affliction higher-ups will do to satisfy their loyal fighters. If these guys have shelled out thousands of dollars for a training camp and get paid nothing, I wouldn't be surprised if many never fight for the company again.

Next, how bad must Josh Barnett feel? He has already said he was ashamed of the results but the bad thing is he has NOT yet admitted to the steroid use! This is your third time Josh! It is NOT a mistake brother! You have been down this road before and we can only hope the appropriate action is taken to prevent him from ever doing this again! As much as I like Barnett, it's becoming harder and harder to stay on his bandwagon!

With the event canceled and the door wide open, now is the time for Dana White to step in and make some deals. I imagine we could see fight deals signed for Fedor and Vitor to compete in the UFC within the next few weeks. Many are calling it a conspiracy theory between Dana and Barnett, but I don't think it's that...at least not yet. It will be VERY interesting to see what unfolds on both Affliction and UFC's behalf! Perhaps Affliction will crumble, the UFC will buy out their fighter contracts and the Affliction brand will be welcome yet again in the octagon. Either way you look at it, one person wins BIG in this entire deal.



Until then...

"The Unbeatable"

It happens about 2 or 3 times every year in the world of MMA. It happens in every sport every year without fail. I like to call it the hype factor. In MMA, it's that chain of events that happen consecutively in a short period of time that makes a fighter seem unbeatable. This fighter doesn't have to be undefeated...instead just string together a handful of wins in dominant fashion. At the moment, there are many fighters who are being hyped as unbeatable, sometimes deserving and sometimes not. What makes this such a strange phenomenon is the fact that those on top of the heap can tumble to the bottom in a matter of seconds. Let's take a look at some of the most famous "unbeatables" the mma world has ever seen and how they rose to the top and eventually fell to the bottom.

Royce Gracie

To most die hards, this guy was the first person they ever looked up to as a fighter. A 6 foot, 175 pound average looking gentleman who dismantled his opponents in a timely fashion all the while wearing his trademark white gi. Ahhhhh, those were the good 'ole days. Royce burst onto the MMA scene at UFC 1 and won all three of his matches by submission in a combined time of about 5 minutes. Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock, and Gerard Gordeau were all the first to find out what Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was all about. The takedowns were methodic, the transitions were smooth, and the submissions were pretty much unknown at the time. It was literally a gut-wrenching experience as Royce's opponents did not know what was happening until it was too late. As a fan, I hadn't a clue about the guard, mount, or the dreaded rear naked choke. As a fighter, no one knew what to do besides swing for the fences and hope you don't get taken down. After a night of dominance at UFC 1, Royce returned to the octagon and put away 4 opponents in under 10 minutes to be crowned the Ultimate Fighting champ and seemed to be untouchable. It was believed at that time that nobody, and I mean NOBODY could beat Royce in a no holds barred match! Bring on Tyson, Ali, Karelin...not a person would be able to do a thing to this 6 foot wonder!

Royce's "unbeatable" shell cracked at UFC 3 when he encountered Kimo Leopaldo. Kimo, although enjoying the spotlight at the moment thanks to the UG, was completely unknown at the time and was deemed Royce's next victim. Bulging with muscle, Kimo carried a cross to the octagon and awaited his chance at dethroning the jiu-jitsu kingpin. While most believed the fight would be over quickly and easily, most were wrong. Royce was tested by a stronger, gutsier fighter than he had ever faced before. Although he eventually subbed Kimo with an armbar, the damage had been done. Royce was barely able to stand after the fight as he had literally given all he had in the gas tank to extend Kimo's arm. When Royce entered the octagon for his next fight against Canadian psycho Harold Howard, he was obviously spent and had nothing left for his opponent. The towel was thrown in and he was given his first "loss". While the shell had cracked, he quickly patched things with another 3 wins at UFC 4 to again show his dominance and regain his "unbeatable" status. At UFC 5, however, that status would suffer another blow.

It was the first ever superfight in the UFC and it was the biggest match the sport had ever witnessed! Although Royce had beat Ken 2 years prior this match would be no easy feat. Ken had been fighting in the Pancrase organization to prepare him for this match with Royce and subsequently showed the world that his submission defense had improved. Ken took Royce down and grounded and pounded him for 25 minutes. Back then, kiddies, there were no rounds. After the 25 minute period ended there was a 6 minute overtime period. The Shamrock takedown could not be stopped and Royce was forced to eat Ken's fist from guard yet again. Although the fight was officially declared a draw, the after fight pics showed that Royce had suffered much more damage than Ken. Yet Again, Royce's "unbeatable" status took a hit.

While Royce would go on to lose yet again by corner stoppage in a marathon match against the aptly named "Gracie Killer" Kazushi Sakuraba, the unbeatable shell was absolutely obliterated on May 27, 2006. The Staples Center in Los Angeles was the setting for Royce's fall...his opponent was Matt Hughes. Out with the old in with the new could have been the theme for the night. Hughes took Gracie down, mangled his arm in a straight armbar, transitioned to mount with ease, and beat Royce Gracie until "Big" John McCarthy had no choice but to stop the action. While Royce would never tap and proved he has one tough dude, his reign at the semi-top of the hill was over for good. No more could he be considered a dangerous opponent for anyone, now he was a fighter who used to be at the top of the food chain and was now just a mediocre opponent and someone the sport had outgrown. The fans of MMA followed suit with their thoughts and Royce disappeared into the background until he was suspended by the CSAC for steroid use after his decision victory over Kazushi Sakuraba. While he is a legend in the sport, he is no longer one of "The Unbeatable".

Mark "The Hammer" Coleman



Mark Coleman has seen his ups and downs in the sport of MMA. Coleman won the first ever UFC Heavyweight Tournament in 1996 and dispatched of Moti Horenstein, Gary Goodridge, and Don Frye to take the coveted belt home to Columbus, OH. He was the first dominant wrestler the sport had witnessed and was yet again billed as "unbeatable". His success brought another appearance at UFC 11 just 2 months later as he steamrolled Julian Sanchez and Brian Johnston to win 2 more fights and another belt in the octagon. He wasn't just at the top of the food chain, he was the food chain...well, for another year at least. Coleman asserted his dominance in impressive fashion when he submitted Dan "The Beast" Severn with a neck crank/choke at UFC 12 but would soon be exposed by a brilliant kickboxer. Maurice Smith used good takedown defense, crisp striking, and superior cardio to map out a plan to defeat "The Hammer". After 21 minutes of hard-fought action, Smith had his hands raised as the victor. Coleman's shell was cracked but not broken when he stepped in to fight Pete Williams at UFC 17. Williams forced the fight to overtime, conserved more energy than Coleman, and landed the most famous head kick the UFC had ever seen which consequently separated Coleman from his senses. After 4 straight losses, Coleman was widely believed to be a has-been, washed up, and even called the worst nickname in MMA...the dreaded "tomato can".

What happened next was unheard of. After spending more than 2 years at the bottom of the heap, Coleman quickly climbed back to the top and won his next 6 fights and the historic Grand Prix title in Pride. Suddenly, he was considered one of "The Unbeatable" again. His destruction of Allan Goes is absolutely vicious so if you haven't seen that one, buy the DVD! Just as quick as he climbed to the top, unfortunately he fell yet again. After his 6 fight win streak, he's gone 4-5 with his most notable losses being against "Minotauro" Nogueira (once by triangle armbar in '01) and two to Fedor Emelianenko (both by armbar in '04 and '06). Coleman did recently get a much needed win against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 100 and I can't wait to see "The Hammer" back in action soon!

Fedor Emelianenko

This man needs no introduction and unlike the other 2 fighters I've covered, this man is still at the top of the heap! Fedor slowly climbed his way to the top and methodically worked for his "#1 Fighter in the World" status. Fedor started his MMA career in the Rings organization and later gained stardom in the Pride organization. While he looks like a nice guy and doesn't seem too menacing, once you've seen this guy fight you'll think otherwise. He's calm and collected under pressure and never seems to believe he is in trouble. Striking, takedowns, submissions...they're all strengths in his game. To this point, Emelianenko has been beaten only once (by a bad cut) and seems to have a strong game wherever the fight may take place. He has been given the impossible task of staying in "The Unbeatable" group for his entire career. At this point, he would be the favorite in any fight and for good reason. Nearly every MMA fan will tell you he is the best fighter in the world and will not be beat. However, how long can Fedor stay on top of the heap?

While he was originally slated to face the #2 heavyweight in the world, Josh Barnett, we all know that this fight is no longer taking place. The two names being seriously considered at this point are Vitor Belfort and Brett Rogers. While both opponents have a shot at defeating "The Last Emperor", we all know those chances are very slim. If Fedor has trained seriously and comes prepared, I don't see someone beating him for a long, long time. However, and this is a big however, Fedor can't stay atop the mountain forever. Whether it be August 1st or years down the road, Fedor's unbeatable status will crumble. An opponent will defeat him and I believe in convincing fashion at some point within the next couple years. When this happens the fairweather fans will shift towards the next big thing and Fedor will be left behind to climb the mountain on his own. The biggest question at this point is: Who's going to beat Fedor? We'll talk about that at another time!

Who else is currently being pushed as a part of "The Unbeatable" club? Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez, Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, Miguel Torres, and Lyoto Machida to name just a few. All of these athletes have one thing in common and it's what I call the gravity principle. What goes up must come down. I could write this exact same article in 2 years and I'd bet some serious cash that at least 4 of the 7 fighters listed above have either fallen to the bottom or had their unbeatable shell cracked. And you can be sure that there will be 4 more hungry fighters being pushed as the next big thing to take their place. That is the great thing about MMA. No one fighter will ever have to hold the weight of "The Unbeatable" club on their shoulders alone. There will always be fighters climbing to the top, sliding to the bottom, and floating somewhere between success and failure at all times. The sport of MMA is gorwing by leaps and bounds and no one really knows how big it will be in a matter of years. I do know one thing...it's a great time to be an MMA fan! Thanks for reading everyone, I really appreciate your support!

Until Then...

Why Fedor Emelianenko can beat Brock Lesnar

So if you've been following my posts as of late, you notice that this title seems to be a bit contradictory with my "Why Brock Lesnar can beat Fedor Emelianenko". I never said Brock WOULD beat Fedor, instead I listed reasons why Brock COULD beat Fedor. Being a die-hard MMA fan it was hard for me to admit that if these 2 fighters ever met Brock would have a chance to defeat the #1 fighter in the world. To me, you must be crazy to think otherwise! However, Fedor didn't get the #1 ranking by sitting back and fighting jobbers his whole career but he was involved with Pride so the obligatory match with a can was bound to happen every now and then. Let's take a loot at why Fedor Emelianenko can beat Brock Lesnar.

Battle Experience

The first thing that impresses you is the fact that Fedor is 30-1 and has not lost a match since December of 2000. Then you realize that the fight was stopped due to a nasty cut and he later avenged this loss in impressive fashion. Basically, you're dealing with a fighter who's never been legitimately beat. It would be scary if Fedor hadn't been tested in some of his fights. A lot of times you get fighters that win their first 8 or 10 fights against opponents who are not top-caliber fighters and it almost hinders the winner. They get a false sense of confidence and eventually this catches up with them. While Fedor has had his easy wins, he has also had some battles! Let's take a look at some fighters that he's defeated, shall we? Ricardo Arona, Renato Sobral, Heath Herring, "Minatauro" Nogueira (twice), Mark Coleman (twice), Mirko "Cro Cop", Matt Lindland, Tim Sylvia, and Andrei Arlovski. That is quite a list to leave behind you as people you have beat! Fedor can knock you out, take you down, ground and pound you, or submit you. He doesn't have a big weakness in his game. He has been vulnerable to takedowns in the past but considering more than half of his wins come via sub, I don't think he's too worried about it. He can be rocked, slammed, or caught in a near sub and be confident as he's been there before. In the MMA world, this is huge! Lesnar just can't match his experience yet having only 5 professional fights. Considering MMA, like most sports, is a large portion mental I would say this is a huge advantage for The Last Emperor.

Unconventional Training

If you've ever seen Rocky IV, you know the kind of training Fedor goes through for his fights. Remember when Sly Stallone cuts wood, pulls bags of rocks, and dead lifts peddle carts full of people? While it's not exactly like that, Fedor's training resembles this style a lot. Kettle bells, sparring in nature, and runs through the woods are this champion's specialty! Take a look at any interview with him while he's training for a fight and see if you can find conventional training equipment behind him. He trains for fights with people you've never heard of, has his own unique trainers, and does stuff that no other mma fighter on the planet does. I believe that this sort of training is a definite advantage going in against his opponents. They're not ready for the kind of strength he has and they're definitely not ready for the confidence Fedor possesses. He has said numerous times that his fight partners are his family and he trains for pride, not for money or belts. It's pretty scary to think about a guy who trains in the wilderness with his family members with nothing on his mind but destruction. Fedor is the Rocky Balboa of MMA when it comes to training. While his opponents might occasionally look stronger than him or appear to have more skills than him, I think his record proves the effectiveness just fine!

The Fedor Factor

This can't be explained but it has been evident in nearly all his fights. It is just his way of somehow coming out on top of a fight every single time! If it can't be explained, how can it be so effective? I have no idea! How can a man get thrown on his head, look like he should have been knocked out, and somehow end the fight seconds later with a submission win? The Fedor Factor! How can a man dominate a BJJ black belt on the ground and pound him for 15 minutes without coming close to being subbed? The Fedor Factor! How can a man seemingly win big fights effortlessly over and over again? The Fedor Factor! It will never be explained ladies and gentleman, but witness the power of The Fedor Factor when he fights Josh Barnett on August 1st!

There you have it, reasons why Fedor can beat Brock and why Brock can beat Fedor. Whether this fight will ever happen I don't know. We can only hope! If it does happen, however, now you know why I think both fighters will be dangerous! Thanks for reading everyone! Until then...

Tito Ortiz back in UFC?

Could it be? Put your hands to the floor and see if you feel a cool sensation because ladies and gentleman, hell might have frozen over! That's right, updated on both of their twitter accounts as of today, Tito Ortiz and Dana White have squashed their differences. Dana claims Tito is not signed, Tito claims he will be back in the octagon soon. Talk about going back and forth! The ongoing saga between these two is confusing but entertaining to say the least! Rumor has it, Tito might be facing Rich Franklin at UFC 103! Now THAT would be an awesome match!

If Tito is signed to the UFC, it is a win-win situation for both. For Tito, his name goes back into the spotlight and he will be able to finish his MMA career where he started it. Considering Tito has made it no secret that he is in this fight game for the money, I'm sure the popularity surge won't help his pocket book with his Punishment Athletics clothing line. For the UFC? You get one of the biggest names in MMA back to the roster and some potential money-making headliners! Win or lose, Tito puts butts in the seats and that is what Dana is looking for. Want another staggering statistic? Tito has a win over Forrest Griffin, a draw with Rashad Evans (although this should have been a win had he not grabbed the fence), and a decision loss to Lyoto Machida. That is 3 of the top 5 light heavies in the UFC at this time! He has come the closest to finishing Machida as anyone has and his personality draws attention wherever he goes.

I sure hope this is not a rumor and Tito can get back to his winning ways in the UFC. "Why Fedor Emelianenko can beat Brock Lesnar" will be posted tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Until then...

Why Brock Lesnar can defeat Fedor Emelianenko

Alright, first things first, if you're asking yourself "Who is Fedor?" you need to leave this blog immediately and do a search for Fedor Emelianenko. He is the #1 ranked fighter in the world, boasts a 30-1 record, and has not been defeated since December of 2000. The one blemish on his record? A loss due to a horrific cut at the hands of Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (TK). The cut was bad but plain and simple, this man has never been knocked out, submitted, or tko'd. He later avenged this loss at Pride - Bushido 6 in April of 2005. He is the current WAMMA Heavyweight Champion, Affliction's poster boy, and his two most recent victories are against Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia. Any true MMA fan can tell you all about his fights during the Pride era and after learning of his dominance we're left to answer one simple question, "Why is he not in the UFC?" Although talks have happened numerous times, insiders have said they ended in heated words and at this point it looks like the UFC and Fedor are just a bit off base. We can only hope Dana and the boys re-think their negotiations and get this guy signed at any cost. The match-ups are absolutely compelling and the PPV numbers would be absolutely huge! Let's say we're lucky enough to witness the event of the decade, we'll call it UFC 110: Lesnar vs. Fedor. Man, that title brings me chills! Now I'm not saying necessarily that Lesnar WOULD beat Fedor, but you would be crazy to tell me he doesn't have a good shot. Let's take a look at why Brock Lesnar can defeat Fedor Emelianenko.

Brock Lesnar > Hong Man Choi

The first argument that seems to come up when saying Brock has a chance to beat Fedor is how easily Fedor dismantled Hong Man Choi, a 7'2", 350 pound monster that recently laid waste to Jose Canseco. While Choi would dwarf Lesnar, he does not have near the skill that Lesnar possesses. Size isn't everything and those of you who say Brock is only good because of his size need to re-think your statements. Does his size have anything to do with his success? Yes, of course! Is it the only thing that makes him a dangerous opponent? No! If size were the only pre-requisite to become champ, Hong Man Choi, Chad "Akebono" Rowan, and Emanuel Yarbrough would be the top 3 heavyweights in the world! If you take the average height and weight of these giants, you get a 6'10", 480 pound goliath with a combined record of 3 wins and 8 losses. Hmmmmmmmm, I guess size isn't everythiing you need after all! Brock is huge, he's strong, but he is an athlete and a great wrestler. He was 106-5 during his collegiate wrestling career and that is wrestling people exactly his size! It's easy for the Brock hate to gravitate towards how he's only good because of his size, and I'm just as guilty of saying this myself. When you step back and look at it, his size is a weapon, but it's not the only one in his arsenal. Fedor has shown he can get taken down, if you need proof of this get a copy of his fight with Kevin Randleman (Pride Critical Countdown 2004) and take a look at the suplex that could have broken his neck! Other fighters have been successful in takedown attempts with Fedor as well so while he is the #1 figher in the world, he is vulnerable to takedowns. In my opinion Brock could take Fedor down at will, which is one reason why he has a chance to defeat The Last Emperor.

Canned Ham + Momentum = KO

Does Brock have the most refined stand-up you've ever seen? No, far from it! However, when you have XXXXL hands and 290 pounds of force to put behind it, you are dangerous no matter how sharp your stand-up is. Ask Heath Herring, who was hit so hard that he tumbled backward and rolled as if he had been hit by a truck. Ask Randy Couture, who bobbed and weaved and successfully dodged strike after strike only to be caught behind the ear and mauled until he could not stand up. How about his punches on the ground? As much I like to say Frank Mir's first win over Lesnar is legit (File Under Steve Mazzagati Conspiracy), Lesnar was on his way to an easy TKO victory via brutal ground and pound. The second fight went much like the first fight would have had Mazzagati not stood them up. He makes his opponent's face look like raw hamburger in a matter of seconds. He uses his wrestling skills to trap his foes and mute any sort of jiu-jitsu techniques they want to use. Anyone, and I do mean anyone, is susceptible to Brock Lesnar's ground and pound.

Time is on Brock's Side

The more time you give Brock Lesnar, the more dangerous he gets. Just look at how much his first and second fights with Frank Mir played out. The first fight saw an inexperienced fighter get caught on a mistake that could have easily been avoided. His last fight he was calm, collected, and picked his shots and dominated Mir and more importantly finished the fight and won. The more Lesnar learns, the scarier he becomes. He has Erik Paulson on his side and that is a great mind to dissect when it comes to the ground game. With Fedor not even close to signing with the UFC, this dream match-up is at least a year away. Lesnar has been given his next fight, the winner of Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez. This fight will most likely not take place until Super Bowl Weekend of 2010. Perhaps we'll be lucky enough to get a Christmas present next year. Brock would have another seven months of training before the fight with Cain or Carwin and a year and a half from now he could be fighting Fedor. This is very, very scary as he will most likely still be on the upswing as far as his skills are concerned. Maybe by that point he's a blue belt in jiu-jitsu? As time goes on, Lesnar will only get more dangerous!

Stay put kiddies! Tomorrow I'll be debuting my next blog, "Why Fedor Emelianenko can defeat Brock Lesnar" Until then...

5 things to take away from UFC 100

After the glorious weekend that was UFC 100, it is now time to sit back and reflect on what happened at the historic event. Although I've chosen to go into further detail about 5 happenings, there are many runner-ups that could easily make the list. Three events that I've chosen not to write about but brought a tear to my eye? Tom Lawlor's "Just Bleed" body paint and painful flexing during the weigh-ins. What a throwback for us die-hard fans and UG'ers! Absolutely amazing Tom, you're my hero! Bruce Buffer, one of the most supportive figures in MMA today, pulled off the amazing "360" while he was introducing Brock Lesnar. While this has been talked about on the UG, the actual move was absolutely amazing and was not caught by the PPV camera crew. What a shame! Bruce, thanks for the amazing job you do every event, and thanks for pulling off such a stunning move! Lastly, Mark "The Hammer" Coleman's first win in the UFC since his submission victory over Dan Severn at UFC 12! Congrats on a gutsy win Mark! On to my five...

1. The UFC is here to stay

I can't tell you how much attention this event brought to the sport of MMA and the UFC brand. I've been a paying customer since UFC 5 and have seen every pay-per-view live since. There were times that I thought the sport was dying and we would not be able to see a UFC 100. The "Dark Days" nearly consumed our sport when events drew more opposition than fans. It was common practice at the earlier events to pull fans from the nosebleed seats down to the ringside seats just to make the arena look fuller than it actually was to the pay-per-view crowd. There was that time that we had to switch to satellite because cable dropped the UFC because of the violence. There was that one idiot, John McCain, who said he would not stop until the UFC was shut down because it was human cockfighting. Well guess what folks? The UFC is here to stay and for a long, long time! After hearing radio ads, seeing billboards, commercials, internet ads, and most importantly every major sports station covering the event in-depth, it became quite apparent how big this fight card had become. What's even better than pre-fight hype? Post-fight coverage! And there was plenty of it! From ESPN to Yahoo, Sunday became the news coverage extravaganza that Dana White dreams of in his sleep! Everyone had an opinion about what they thought of Brock Lesnar's post-fight antics, Dan Henderson's destruction of Michael Bisping, and GSP's gutsy shut-out of the welterweight division's #1 contender Thiago Alves. I couldn't surf the internet without seeing something about the event, and this my friends is what MMA fans have been dreaming about forever. Congrats and a huge thank you to Dana, Frank, Lorenzo, Joe, and all the higher-ups at Zuffa that contributed to the success of the most exciting sport in the world!

2. Brock Lesnar is the real deal

Ok, ok, I know, he's only 4-1 and he's already the UFC Heavyweight Champ? Has he fought his way up the ranks and become a champ by fighting in smaller organizations in front of 50 drunkards? Nope! Was his path paved with yellow bricks by munchkins and his title given to him by a man behind a curtain? Heck no! Honestly, it's taken me a while to warm up to this behemoth of a man. I couldn't help but think that a former pro wrestler laying waste to true mixed martial artists would delegitimize our sport. I imagined every pro wrasslin' fan suggesting that Hulk Hogan could be an MMA champ, or maybe Batista would be a true test for Fedor's WAMMA belt. It literally made me sick. Looking at his credentials, the only thing that hurts his popularity for MMA purists is his stint in the WWE. Well, his post-fight antics might turn some of us off as well, but I believe Dana took care of that immediately after his fight! Bottom line, the guy has wins over Heath Herring, Randy Couture, and Frank Mir in the UFC. 'Nuff said. His wrestling skills are ridiculous, his strength is unmatched, and his intensity is off the charts. Given some more time to fine tune his skills, Lesnar could pose a threat to Fedor Emelianenko and that is coming from a HUGE Fedor fan. Like him or not, he's here to stay and he's going to make the UFC a LOT of money. Welcome to the big league Brock, now let's hope you learn how to be respectful in victory 'cause I feel like you're going to be there a lot!

3. Georges St. Pierre is in the top three of the pound for pound list

GSP is my favorite fighter and I feel like his complete shut out of Thiago Alves on Saturday should easily place him in the top 3 of any P4P list. His striking was crisp, his takedowns were brutally effective, and his ability to control the pace and direction of the fight was insane. Looking at him, you see a ripped physique but he almost always looks like his opponent will have the strength advantage, but Georges seemingly always has the answers. Alves, a fighter who prides himself on takedown defense and gave Josh Koscheck and Matt Hughes fits with his wrestling, was taken down on 10 of 12 attempts by GSP. What?! On top of that, almost half of those were completed after St. Pierre tore a groin muscle in the third! Unbelievable performance by an unbelievable athlete. It didn't even look like a fight, it was absolute dominance from start to finish. Congratulations GSP! Good luck against the winner of the Swick-Kampmann match!

4. Dan Henderson deserves the title "A Real American Hero"

Whether it be good editing (or bad editing depending on which side you're on) or perhaps Michael Bisping really was that much of an ass on TUF, Dan Henderson shut him up for all the yankees on Saturday night! With this season being billed as the UK vs US, it was hard not to feel a since of pride in our American team and coach. Hendo has always been a class-act and is a pioneer of the sport. Bisping, on the other hand, has fought sub-par opponents and talked his way to the top. Sure, Bisping's a great fighter, but he was not ready for a fighter of Henderson's caliber. Dan was mostly quiet throughout the show and chose the correct time to shut Bisping up by his fighting instead of his talking. It was the most exciting part of the night and I literally screamed, jumped up and down, and then ran laps in excitement in my brother's basement. I hope Bisping learned from this and hopefully he will learn that hard lesson of writing checks your arse can't cash. The takedown attempt late in the first was laughable, the stand-up was just pitter patter, and his defense was exposed as a mediocre tactic at best. Dan Henderson, the quiet, humble fighter who has worked his way to the top by defeating world class opponents, he's the definition of a mixed martial artist. A GI he is not, an average Joe he definitely is not, but he is A Real American Hero!

5. Jon Fitch got screwed...again

Man, what does a guy have to do to get a break? First, he goes on an 8-fight win streak in the UFC before he gets a title shot and any sort of recognition at all. Then, in the midst of the THQ drama, gets cut by the UFC due to a lifetime likeness contract dispute only to be re-hired a few days later. Now, he's scheduled to fight after the Henderson-Bisping fight and gets pushed back for a slot between the two title fights. After GSP-Alves goes to a decision, it is decided by the higher-ups that the main event should begin. Both main events have taken place, the climax has happened, Jon's warmed up twice now and is trying to stay focused in front of a waning crowd and a winding-down pay-per-view broadcast. Man, I feel sorry for the guy! How he continues on with his quest to be welterweight champ with a smile on his face I'll never know. He's a good guy, a great fighter, but his decision ratio is starting to outweigh his skills. I hope he can start to turn up the heat and finish some fights so he gets some more airplay on the broadcasts!

Well, that's it! My 5 things I took away from UFC 100. Thanks for taking the time to read, I will keep up with this more consistently I promise. Keep coming back for more up-to-date articles and don't forget to spread the word! Thanks everyone, until next time...

Wanderlei Silva vs Quinton Jackson

Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson…a match worthy of the title “main event” on any MMA card in the world. On December 27, however, this fight will be third in line of such a title. Many will not know the history between this match-up and why it is so intriguing at this point in both fighters’ careers. For all you TUF noobs that need a bit of background, let me be the first to enlighten you.

November 9, 2003. Pride – Final Conflict 2003. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is slated to face Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell at the Tokyo Dome for a chance to advance to the championship match of an 8-man tournament later that night. Just 3 months before, both fighters had fulfilled their duties in Saitama, Japan, by defeating their first round foes in the tournament. Liddell defeated Allistair Overeem by knockout and Jackson defeated Murilo Bustamante by split decision. Liddell had just been defeated by Randy Couture at UFC 43 but had been on a 9-fight win streak before that. Jackson was riding a 6-fight win streak heading into his bout with Liddell as well. For those who witnessed the near 15-minute beating, we remember a few things. First, UFC President Dana White, who made the trip with Liddell to Japan, saying over and over again “Chuck’s not following our game plan.” Second, how much bigger Chuck’s beer belly appeared in the pale, bright lights of the Pride arena. Third, and in my opinion most importantly, how lost Chuck looked when his looping punches had no effect on his opponent. Rampage consistently hit Chuck with bombs, parried the looping punches, and took Chuck down and pounded him on the ground. Rampage elbowed Chuck’s midsection so frequently and with such force that his corner threw in the towel to prevent him any further damage. Silva, just after the beating, would go on to win a unanimous decision against Judo master Hidehiko Yoshida. And with both of these preliminary fights, the finals were set. Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson.

Although things started off at a decent pace for Rampage, it was soon apparent that Jackson had spent much more energy in his first bout of the night against Liddell than Silva had against Yoshida. A little more than halfway through the first round, Wanderlei grabbed Quinton in a Thai clinch and unloaded enough knees to damage a Mack truck. Rampage folded and Wanderlei was crowned the winner, but how much had their preliminary fights determined the outcome of this fight? Whatever our thoughts were, Wanderlei 1, Rampage 0.

Rampage rebounded with a TKO victory over Ikuhisa Minowa only a month and a half later. 6 months later at Pride Critical Countdown 2004, Quinton defeated Ricardo Arona in what could be the most brutal slam knockout we’ve ever seen in our sport’s short existence. Rampage had moved on from his TKO loss to Wanderlei and seemed to be working toward a rematch with the Axe Murderer. Wanderlei didn’t take any breaks in his schedule either as he also scored a KO victory over Ikuhisa Minowa (2 months after Rampage defeated him) and another KO over Yuki Kondo. The stage was set, both men were primed for another battle and everyone wanted to watch the battle again.

October 31, 2004, not even a year after their first fight, Rampage and the Axe Murderer would go to war again. Rampage fought a smarter fight in the first round as he held Silva on the ground most of the first 10-minute period. At the start of the second, it was quite apparent Wanderlei was ready to unleash hell. Silva landed a punch square on Rampage’s jaw and followed that up with a vicious knee that left Rampage limp, hanging through the ropes. Upon replay, the punch that landed right before the knee looked as if it had removed Rampage’s facial features from his head. With a clean slate and a full tank of gas for both fighters, Silva viciously defeated Jackson, again, and proved to be the dominant fighter in this match-up. Wanderlei 2, Rampage 0.

So here we go again. The third installment of this series brings forth new questions, new arguments, and for one fighter an almost guaranteed shot at the light heavyweight title. If Rampage wins, he proves that he has exercised the demons and once again found his dominance as a fighter. Rampage had looked seemingly invincible since his employment with the UFC and was champion until a gritty Forrest Griffin defeated him by decision. It is quite obvious, at least after that disappointing loss, that Rampage did not train properly for the fight and was having issues before this fight happened. Rampage went on a rampage, literally, after this loss and should consider himself lucky that he’s fighting in a cage and not behind bars this Christmas. Rampage parted ways with Juanito Ibarra and is now training with Michael Bisping at Wolfslair Academy in England.

This will be Silva’s third fight in his UFC welcome back tour. For those who are new to the UFC, Silva had a 1-2 record in the UFC before making his transition to the Pride circuit. He had a win against Tony Petarra at UFC 20, a quick TKO loss to Vitor Belfort at UFC Brazil, and a decision loss to Tito Ortiz for the then middleweight belt at UFC 25 in Japan. Side note: Many of you have seen the gif of Tito running from Wanderlei after getting rocked. As a Tito fan, I beg you to watch the entire fight so you can see Tito take Silva down numerous times, wear him out on the ground, and also score a flash knockout on Wanderlei en route to the victory. Silva’s successful run in Pride allowed him to smoothly transition back to the UFC, although his English did create quite an awkward moment when he declared he wanted to, and I quote, f*&% Chuck. Yes, his fighting is excellent, but the imagery of Wand mounting Chuck is one that leaves me speechless…in a bad way. Silva fought Chuck in an absolute war at UFC 79 and lost a unanimous decision. He then rebounded with a brutal knockout of TUF alum Keith Jardine just 5 months later at UFC 84. Both fighters are likely contenders for the light heavyweight belt with a win so I’m sure they will both come in determined for a win.

I know what all signs lead to, and that is another win for Silva and a perfect record against Jackson. For some reason, though, I feel like Rampage takes this one. I don’t know what it is but Wanderlei just doesn’t seem the same in the octagon. He lacked that spark in the Liddell fight and while he defeated Jardine, I just feel like Rampage will be clicking on all cylinders in this fight. I see Rampage fighting a very smart, controlled fight. Expect him to use two and three punch combinations and then circle away to keep Silva from getting the clinch. Rampage will control the action in the first with striking and keep Silva guessing with some takedown attempts. I think Jackson will then be able to get the fight to the ground and control Silva, neutralize any submission attempts, and inflict some damage with elbows and punches. Don’t expect Silva to go down without a fight, though. I see Silva winning either round 2 or 3 by rocking Quinton and leaving a bit of an impression on the judges. My pick: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson by Unanimous Decision (29-28).