Albu Pulls out of UFC Debut at UFC Fight Night 33

Russian WMMA fighter Aleksandra Albu was scheduled to make her debut in the UFC on December 7 at UFC Fight Night 33.  Due to an injury, Albu is being forced to pull out of the fight.  The injury has not been disclosed publicly and there is no verdict on whether or not Julie Kedzie will get a new opponent or be pulled from the card.

Joey Beltran Returns to Bellator Against Rampage

Today Bellator MMA has announced that despite Tito Ortiz's injury that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will still make his Bellator debut in November with a new replacement opponent.  Jackson was originally set to face Tito Ortiz in Bellator's first every Pay-Per-View event on November 2nd.  With Ortiz's injury during his training camp, Bellator decided to remove the card from Pay-Per-View and place it as a free card on Spike.  The man that Rampage Jackson will be facing on November 15th to replace Ortiz is former UFC Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight, Joey Beltran.  Beltran has three victories in the UFC and one in Bellator.  He has a similar boxing/striking first approach to fighting that is similar to Jackson's in many ways.  This fight will be a slugfest that I see Jackson winning without a doubt.  I think it will definitely be entertaining, but Jackson has a much better track record to lose a fight to Beltran.

Rafael dos Anjos Willing to Accept Fight with Henderson

Earlier this week, Benson Henderson stated that he would be interested in a possible bout with Rafael dos Anjos who is on a five-fight win streak.  Rafael dos Anjos has stated that he is more than willing to accept the fight and already had Hdenderson in the back of his mind as a potential opponent to help get him closer to a title shot.  Like Henderson, dos Anjos is a very well-rounded mixed martial artist who can strike, grapple or finish from any position whether standing or on the feet.  This would be an interesting match that would be great for viewing and help decide a possible contender for the next title shot.  Aside from a bout with Henderson, dos Anjos was also interested in potential bouts with Gilbert Melendez or TJ Grant.

I would LOVE to see if Rafael dos Anjos is able to run through another top ten Lightweight in the form of former UFC Lightweight Champion, Benson Henderson.  I think that Henderson is a superior fighter, but I also believe that dos Anjos has the tools to pull of an upset.  If you don't believe it, just go watch dos Anjos systematically defeat Donald Cerrone to earn an obvious unanimous decision in August.

UFC 169 to Include the Return of Dominick Cruz

After a few theories of how the UFC's February Pay-Per-View fight card would play out, we finally have some answers.  As rumored before, the UFC's Fetherweight Championship will be on the defended on February 1st by the current title holder Jose Aldo.  Aldo will be defending the title against deserving contender Ricardo Lamas.  The co-main event for the UFC 169 card will feature Dominick Cruz coming back from his injury which took two years out of his fighting career;he will look to unify the UFC's Bantamweight Championship when he takes on Interim UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barao.  This is going to be an exciting night of fights for the UFC's lighter divisions and a great way to help bring in the UFC's 2014 cards.

 

Also confirmed on the card will be a heavyweight clash between Alistair Overeem and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir.

Dodson Replaces McCall in Jorgenson Bout

Not long ago it was reported that UFC Flyweight Ian McCall was forced to pull out of his bout with Scott Jorgenson at UFC on Fox 9 due to an injury.  It has now been confirmed that one of the UFC's best flyweights, John Dodson will be taking his place.  This fight will be a brawl between two of the UFC's top lighter division fighers.  This will be Scott Jorgenson's first bout at Flyweight and it will be one of his toughest challenges ever.

GSP Open to Fight With Askren

Earlier this month Bellator Welterweight Champion, Ben Askren, stated that he believes that he could out wrestle the UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St-Pierre.  Bellator MMA has stated that they have chosen not to renew Ben Askren's contract with the company and encouraged him to pursuit the UFC.  If Askren was given an automatic title shot against St-Pierre, Bellator would not look to match the UFC's offer to sign Askren.

George's St-Pierre has finally responded to Askren by saying that he is willing to fight anyone and is more than happy to welcome Ben Askren into the UFC if an agreement between the UFC and Askren was reached.

Cerrone Interested in Drop to Featherweight

Zuffa veteran Donald Cerrone currently has a fight against Evan Dunham at UFC 167 in the UFC's Lightweight Division, but he already knows what he wants after that bout.  Cerrone has announced that he wants to drop to Featherweight and try a run for the title in that division.  One of the first men that Cerrone would like to face if he were to go down to 145 lbs would be against former UFC Welterweight and UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn.

Henderon Wants a Fight with dos Anjos

After suffering his first loss in the UFC since his debut since the WEC ended a few years back, Henderson is finally vocal again and he knows who he wants.

Benson "Smooth" Henderson has finally revealed that his camp has some interest in red-hot Rafael dos Anjos in a fight that he believes will get him back to the title that once belonged to him not that long ago. I think tha a fight with dos Anjos is a smart move for Henderson considering dos Anjos is very close to a title shot if he can defeat another top ten fighter. Henderson, in my opinion, has an edge over everyman he faces with the exception of Anthony Pettis who has defeated him twice now. Henderson has the tools to defeat Pettis but he first must defeat a few men in order to get there.

Matt "The Hammer" Hamill

TUF Season 3 alumni,  Matt Hamill has been cut from the UFC's roster.  Matt Hamill spent most of his pro MMA career in the UFC. It is a semi-shock to the UFC community considering Hamill has been associated with the UFC for years and was once thought to have been the true winner of the UFC TUF 3 had he not been injured before the competition ended.

Dana White Wants Machida vs. Belfort at 185, Mousasi Asks for Machida

UFC President, Dana White, has made it clear that he wants to see knockout artist Vitor Belfort take on Lyoto Machida after Machida knocked out Mark Munoz with a head kick this past Saturday at UFC Fight Night 30.  Dana White will probably be able to make this fight happen, but Gegard Mousasui has  followed the recent trend of calling out fighters via Twitter and called out Machida.

Both matches would be awesome to watch, but there is something about the idea of Machida-Belfort that brings excitement to me.  Both men are dangerous strikers with knockout power. I would naturally say that Machida's flawless technique would give him the edge, but Belfort has RIDICULOUS POWER that poses a problem to anyone. It is a fight that has to happen.  I feel that Mousasi ahould face someone else in the UFC Middleweight division before calling out the likes of Machida or Belfort (who he wanted earlier this year.) 

I believe that there are plenty of other good matches that the UFC could make for Mousasi such as bouts with Francis Carmont, Luke Rockhold (when he comes back from injury), Mark Munoz or even Cousta Philippou. Also Rich Franklin has stated that he believes that he wants one more fight before retiring; why not put Franklin in the cage with Mousasi?

All I know is that Belfort vs. Machida makes since from a ranking stand point as well as an entertainment stand point, no matter the outcome od Belfort vs. Henderson in November. UFC, make this happen!

Pearson and Guillard II in London

After a no contest was ruled by the referee of the Pearson-Guillard bout, we knew the bout would happen again. The UFC has added the fight to the London card that is being headlined by Alexander Gustaffson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on March 8th.

Gustaffson/Nogueira Targeted for March

The UFC has officially announced that Alexander Gustaffson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and it is being targeted for sometime in March.

This will be Nogueira's first fight since his decision win over Rashad Evans at UFC 156.  If  Gustaffson pulls of a victory over Nogueira and Jones defeats Teixeira, then there will likely be a rematch to the razor thin title fight that occured back at UFC 165.  This is a great fight that will definitely be a stand up war.

The UFC Middleweight Division Has Been Warned!!!

Lyoto Machida showed showed the UFC Middleweight division what he had as he finished Mark Munoz with a head kick in his Middleweight debut.  Below is the K.O. kick that did it.

WSOF 6 Results

Main Card:

Steve Carl def. Josh Burkman via submission (triangle choke)
Marlon Moraes def. Carson Beebe via first-round TKO
Jon Fitch def. Marcelo Alfaya via split decision
Justin Gaethje def. Dan Lauzon via second-round TKO (strikes)

Preliminary Card:

Pablo Alfonso def. Miguel Torres via submission (guillotine)
Luiz Firmino def. Jacob Volkmann via unanimous decision
Francisco France vs. Hans Stringer ends in draw
Josh Rettinghouse def. Alexis Vila via unanimous decision
Alexandre Pimentel def. Jade Porter via submission (triangle)
Nick Lobosco def. Fabio Mello via first-round KO
Chad Robinchaux def. Andrew Yates via submission (north-south choke)

UFC Fight Night 30 Results

Main Card:

Lyoto Machida def. Mark Munoz via first-round KO
Ross Pearson vs. Melvin Guillard declared no-contest
Jimi Manuwa def. Ryan Jimmo via second-round TKO
Norman Parke def. Jon Tuck via unanimous decision
Nicholas Musoke def. Alessio Sakara via submission (armbar)
John Lineker def. Phil Harris via first-round TKO

Preliminary Card:

Al Iaquinta def. Piotr Hallmann via unanimous decision
Luke Barnatt def. Andrew Craig via submission (rear-naked choke)
Jessica Andrade def. Rosi Sexton via unanimous decision
Cole Miller def. Andy Ogle via unanimous decision
Jimy Hettes def. Robert Whiteford via submission (triangle)
Brad Scott def. Michael Kuiper via submission (guillotine

Sonnen Interview

WSOF 6 Weigh-in Results

Main Card:

JOSH BURKMAN 169.6 lbs. VS. STEVE CARL169.6 lbs
MARLON MORAES 136 lbs. VS. CARSON BEEBE 136 lbs
JON FITCH 170.4 lbs. VS. MARCELO ALFAYA 172 lbs
JUSTIN GAETHJE 155.8 lbs. VS. DAN LAUZON 158 lbs

Preliminary Card:

PABLO ALFONSO 145.4 lbs. VS. MIGUEL TORRES 145.2 lbs
HANS STRINGER 205 lbs. VS. FRANCISCO FRANCE 204.4 lbs
LUIZ FIRMINO 156 lbs. VS. JACOB VOLKMAN 155.4 lbs
CHAD ROBICHAUX 134.4 lbs. VS. ANDREW YATES 140.4 lbs
ALEXIS VILA 135.6 lbs. VS. JOSH RETTINGHOUSE 135.8 lbs
FABIO MELLO 145.6 lbs. VS. NICK LOBOSCO 145.4 lbs
ALEXANDRE PIMENTEL 146.2 lbs. VS. JADE PORTER 145.8 lbs

Tomorrow night is going to be a great night of fights including some of WSOF's best names including: Jacob Volkman, Miguel Torres, Dan Lauzon, Jon Fitch and a title fight between Josh Burkman and Steve Carl for the inaugural WSOF Welterweight Championship.

Tito out of Fight with Rampage

Earlier today it was announced today that Tito Ortiz will be pulling out of his fight with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on November 12th. With Ortiz being out of the fight, Bellator has decided to move the card from a Pay-Per-View show to a free card on Spike.

Cormier Wants Davis or Nogueira

Daniel Cormier successfully defeated Roy Nelson easily at UFC 166 in their co-main event performance this past weekend. Though he is still indefeated at heavyweight, he still will be movimg down to 205 to chase his dream of being a UFC champion.

There was talks of Daniel Cormier possibly facing Alexander Gustaffson for the number contender spot in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division. Cormier is open to the fight, but Gustaffson's next fight is being planned for somewhere in Europe and Cormier doesnt want to make his first cut to 205 lbs in Europe. If the fight was set for the US Cormier is all for it.  Aside from a fight with Gustaffson at 205, Cormier is open to a fight with two the UFC's other top ten fighters at 205. The two other men that Cormier is willing to fight are Phil Davis and Lil' Nog.  He feels that those fights would also get him to the title and finally get his hands on Jones.

Those are two fights that I am more than willing to watch especially the Davis fight. The fight with Davis will show us what Cormier can do against another world class wrestler and let us see if Davis can really hang with one of the best fighters active in mixed martial arts at the moment. The Lil' Nog fight is another good test for Cormier and could be an entertaining fight for MMA fans, but the Davis fight just seems like a better move for the UFC to make considering the position of both men.

Davis recently defeated the man who was named the Number one contender in the UFC Light Heavyweight Divison long ago, Lyoto Machida. No matter how controversial the win was, a win is a win and a win over the top contender can only help prove you're a top fighter. Cormier is looking to make a mark in the division and beating the guy who already beat the top guy is how you do that.

Pettis-Aldo-Melendez-Grant

As reported earlier this week, Jose Aldo has continued to show interest in a lightweight fight with the UFC champion Anthony Pettis.  Also TJ Grant was the rightful man to a title shot before having to pull out of two title fights.  This week another curve has been thrown into the mix of the UFC Lightweight Championship; Gilbert Melendez has stated that he is ready again to take the title that he feels already belongs to him.  The following questions are now raised:

1. Who will the UFC give the next title fight to after the Pettis-Thomson fight?
2. Who stands a better chance of taking the title from Pettis?
3. Will Grant still be considered the number one contender upon his return?
4. If Aldo fights Pettis what happens if he fails to capture the title?
5. Also what will it take for Henderson to get back in the title picture?
6. Does Thomson have what it takes to pull the upset over newly crowned lightweight king, Pettis?

The UFC has a line of elite competitors all waiting to get their hands on Pettis and some important decisions to make as to the future of their Lightweight Division.  The answer to the first question is one that I do not have the answer to, but as soon as I do, you will all be the first to know.  In my opinion I would prefer to see Aldo or Melendez over Grant at this point.  I was anticipating the fight between Aldo and Pettis at UFC 163 so that is the match that makes the most sense to me.  The answer to who stands a better chance against Pettis is a debatable question, but if I had to pick one of the three to beat Pettis I would have to say that the man to stand the best chance is Gilbert Melendez.  I feel that Gilbert has the better gas tank of the three and an ability to be sharp and effective throughout a five round war if necessary.  Gilbert Melendez has a cerebral approach to fighting that has led to many victories and titles in the Strikeforce and WEC in the lightweight division.  He is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and has the ability to not walk right into Anthony Pettis' game plan.

In regards to TJ Grant, I feel that he has now lost his spot as the next guy in line for the title.  I think that he will have to return and win another fight before he gets back in the spot due to the delay in his return.  He will need a tune-up fight to get him in prime position to challenge for the UFC title.  Or the UFC wanted to put things back to the way that they should've been, they could still put together a match between TJ Grant and Ben Henderson for a number one contender's spot against the winner of the Pettis and Thomson match up.  Sure both men aren't fighting for the title as originally scheduled but this provide's the UFC the opportunity to put together the match that was meant to take place at UFC 164.  I think if this match was put together, the winner could justifiably ask for a title shot.

Though I think Gilbert has the best chance of beating Pettis, I also think that Aldo possesses what it takes to defeat Pettis as well.  Despite feeling that Aldo could beat Pettis, we must ask ourselves what would happen if Aldo were to lose against Pettis?  The UFC and internet forums are just assuming the current UFC Featherweight Jose Aldo will make his move to the lightweight division, take Pettis' title and continue the rest of his MMA career as a lightweight in the UFC.  Longtime followers of MMA know very well that anything can happen in MMA and it is very possible that Anthony Pettis could find a way to defeat Jose Aldo if they were to clash.  If this were to happen what would that mean for Jose Aldo?  If he loses there are two options that are possible: he could go back to 145 and continue to defend his belt or he could stay at 155 so then he wouldn't have to continue to cut so much weight to defend his UFC Featherweight Championship.  Jose Aldo has annihilated most of the featherweight roster in the UFC or in his time in the WEC; it would be interesting to see how he would handle the UFC's Lightweight roster.  I think Aldo could hold his own in the lightweight division as well, but I think that he will be challenged more by the slightly larger fighters in the division.  I think that Aldo will perform even better than we've seen him if he isn't cutting so much weight before getting in the cage.

The biggest question to ask would be can Thomson beat Pettis and the answer is yes!  When discussing anyone of these guys in this post, we are talking about the elite of the elite in the UFC, so anyone of them COULD beat the other guy, but it becomes a matter of who came into the fight with the best game plan.  I think Thomson definitely has the potential to beat Pettis and ruin all title fights discussed above.  Thomson could spoil all potential title fights involving Pettis and making us start thinking about Thomson vs. Aldo-Melendez-Grant-Henderson. Also if this were to occur would Pettis still have a shot to face Aldo at 145 lbs?  Also what if there is someone else that the UFC has in mind to fight for the title next?  Ladies and Gentleman, we have a very interesting UFC Lightweight Division and I can't wait to see what happens.

Jose Aldo Still Wants Pettis Fight

Right now UFC Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo, has been rumored to possibly be fighting Ricardo Lamas on the UFC Super Bowl weekend card. Nothing has been set into stone so technically Aldo is still available for a fight.

Since UFC 164, in which Anthony Pettis took the UFC Lightweight Championship from Benson Henderson, the only fight that the champ has been thinking about is the fight originally set for UFC 163.  Before UFC champ Pettis was scheduled to face Benson Henderson for the title, he was origianlly set to face the UFC Featherwright Champion,
Jose Aldo at UFC 163 before an injury pulled him from the card.  After TJ Grant was pulled from the card, Pettis was healthy enough to step in to face the Champion.  Once he won the title he stated the fact that he still had unfinished business with Aldo and still wanted that fight at 145 for the title.  Wisely the UFC made the decision to make Pettis defend his 155 lb championship first against Thomson before proceeding with any super fights.  Aldo is still more than willing to face the newly crowned champion, but insists that the fight should take place in the UFC's Lightweight Division with Pettis' title on the line in their clash. 

Jose Aldo is inevitably going to make his move to that division in the near future so it makes sense that the fight should take place in that division.  I think that this match makes sense and is completely promotable but it wouldnt wualify as a super fight until Pettis has defended the title. I think that the fight could work as long as Pettis can make a successful defense against Thomson.  I would love to see how much better Aldo's endurance would be at 155lbs and not having to cut the extra 10 lbs. I predict that Aldo will be stronger and more dangerous at lightweight tham he would've been in the original bout I  the featherweight division. Hopefully this match will come into fruition; we must first see how the Lightweight title fight ends and if Lamas gets a crack at the UFC Featherweight title in February.

Fights for the Winners of UFC 166

UFC 166 was a spectacular night of thrilling finishes and dominating decisions. The first match of the main card was between John Dodson and Darrell Montague in the Flyweight division. Dodson defeated Montague in the first round via a vicious left hand that sent Montague face first into the mat. For Dodson there are two matches that I think could work. I think that a bout between Dodson and Ian McCall or a bout with Dodson and Chris Cariaso.  I think that both of these matches make sense for Dodson seeing as both men are coming off of victories in there outings. A fight with McCall would be a good main card bout seeing as both men are top names and draws for the division.  A fight with Dodson and Cariaso would be a fight between two powerful flyweights coming off of knockout victories.

Gabriel Gonzaga faced Shawn Jordan in the heavyweight division in a fight that also ended in the first round. Gabriel Gonzaga won by TKO due to strikes as knocked Jordan to the ground and then used hammer fists to finish the stunned heavyweight.  I think a great test for Gonzaga would be a match with Stipe Miocic who recently defeated Roy Nelson at UFC 161 by unanimous decision. It would be a great clash of two elite heavyweights.

After that match was perhaps one of the best fights in quite some time. A complete stand up war between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez. Both men gave 100% in that fight, but Gilbert Melendez was the better of the two men and showed why he dominate the Lightweight division for years in Strikeforce.  There are two possible opponents that make sense right now for Gilbert Melendez.  The first one is a bout between Rafael dos Anjos, who has won his last five UFC bouts and is on his way to being in the mix for a UFC title shot and a win over Melendez would solidify his place in the top ten.  Inversely a win over dos Anjos for Melendez would mean that he can still fight off the other young, hungry challengers who aim for having his spot at the top of the heap.  It is a fight that could decide the next man to face the champion after TJ Grant's return.  Another man also on a five-fight win streak and also a 21-0 professional record and possible opponent would be Khabib Nurmagomedov.  Nurmagomedov as another top ten opponent in the division that is making his way to the top of the rankings.  I think this fight would be more challenging for Melendez and could guarantee Melendez a title shot.  The win for Nurmagomedov would get him to be 1 fight away from a title shot.

The co-main event was a heavyweight clash between Roy Nelson and Daniel Cormier.  Daniel Cormier was able to out-perform in every area of the fight.  He out-grappled, out-struck and out-did Cormier for three whole rounds.  Daniel Cormier has been preparing himself for a move to the UFC's Light Heavyweight Division to prevent having to face his AKA training partner Cain Velasquez in the future.  I think that the best match up for Daniel Cormier before he gets his hands on Jon Jones would be a match between another highly decorated wrestler in the division, Phil Davis.  Phil Davis is knocking on the door to a title shot and I think it would be interesting to see how well Cormier fairs against another ultra-talented wrestler in the form of Davis.

The main event for the evening included another savage beating being suffered by Junior dos Santos by the hands of Cain Velasquez.  Cain punished Junior for over twenty minutes before the referee finally put dos Santos out of his misery.  Now that the saga is over (for now anyways), the only man left to challenge Velasquez is Fabricio Werdum.  Werdum is riding a three fight win streak in the UFC upon his return to the organization and picking up where he left off before he was derailed by Junior dos Santos.  He is the only fighter who I feel wouldn't fear Velasquez's takedown or grappling. As a matter of fact, Werdum might welcome it.  I believe that Werdum is definitely the only man outside of dos Santos who poses a real threat to the throne of Cain Velasquez.

UFC 166 Results

Main Card:

Cain Velasquez def. Junior dos Santos via fifth-round TKO
Daniel Cormier def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision
Gilbert Melendez def. Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision
Gabriel Gonzaga def. Shawn Jordan via first-round TKO
John Dodson def. Darrell Montague via first-round KO

Preliminary Card:

Tim Boetsch def. C.B. Dollaway via split decision
Hector Lombard def. Nate Marquardt via first-round KO
Jessica Eye def. Sarah Kaufman via split decision
KJ Noons def. George Sotiropoulos via unanimous decision
Adlan Amagov def. TJ Waldburger via first-round KO
Tony Ferguson def. Mike Rio via submission (D'Arce choke)
Andre Fili def. Jeremy Larsen via second-round TKO
Kyoji Horiguchi def. Dustin Pague via second-round TKO

What a night of fights tonight at UFC 166! The night began with John Dodson squaring off with UFC newcomer, Darrell Montague in the UFC Flyweight Division.  John Dodson was able to outwork Montague on the feet dropping him to the canvas before inevitably being KO'd in the first round.

The night then went from the lightest division in the UFC to the heaviest division.  Shawn Jordan and Gabriel Gonzaga met in the center of the cage to engage in a stand up war in the Heavyweight division.  The match had a feeling out process until Gonzaga connected with the hands and landed on Jordan and also earning a first round KO in his fight tonight.

The next fight was between two talented UFC Lightweights, Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez.  It was a fight in which Melendez began the first round out-classing Sanchez in a very dominate round.  In the second and third rounds of the fight, both men went into complete brawl mode with both men swinging for the fences.  The difference between the two fighters was Melendez seemed to never lose his technical edge even during the wild exchanges, Melendez was still connecting with his clean boxing and great movement. If there was one word to describe the third round of the fight, it would be fireworks!  Melendez won a unanimous decision in a classic fight in the UFC Lightweight Division. "That's the greatest fight I've ever seen in my life," were the word that came out of the mouth of Joe Rogan after the fight.

Next was a fight between to top Heavyweights as Roy Nelson would be set to fight undefeated heavyweight Daniel Cormier.  Cormier was able to out-grapple Nelson for all three rounds and even use his speed to actually beat Nelson on the feet as well.  Cormier won an obvious unanimous decision.

In the final fight of the evening we saw a battle between the perfect forms of both of the main event fighters as the clashed for the third time in the UFC.  Cain Velasquez used the same strategy that he used in their second fight.  Cain used his amazing rappling to pin Junior against the cage for over 20 minutes but showed improved striking to help aid him in taking out the documented better striker.  Dos Santos showed improved wrestling by defending most of Velasquez's takedowns.  After a grueling 20 plus minutes of battling, Velasquez was able to pull off a TKO victory due to strikes.

Bellator 104 Results

Main Card:

Rick Hawn def. Brent Weedman via unanimous decisionRon Keslar def. War Machine via submission (rear naked choke) (1st, 3:31)Kendall Grove def. Joe Vedepo via unanimous decisionPeter Graham def. Eric Prindle via unanimous decision 

Preliminary Card:

Paul Bradley def. Karl Amoussou via unanimous decisionPaul Sass def. Rod Montoya via submission (toehold) (1st, 2:01)Rob Emerson def. Jared Downing via submission (heel hook) (R1, 1:44)Brandon Girtz def. Mike Estus via submission (armbar) (R1, 4:25)Cliff Wright def. Derek Loffer via submission (armbar) (R2, 4:28)Andrew Tieva def. Chris Lane via first-round TKO (2:14)

UFC 166 Weigh-in Results PLUS Predictions!

Main Card:
Junior Dos Santos (240) VS Cain Velasquez (241)
Roy Nelson (249) VS Daniel Cormier (224)
Diego Sanchez (156) VS Gilbert Melendez (156)
Shawn Jordan (255) VS Gabriel Gonzaga (257)
Darrell Montague (126) VS John Dodson (125)

Preliminary Card:
Tim Boetsch (186) VS CB Dollaway (186)
Hector Lombard (169) VS Nate Marquardt (171)
Jessica Eye (135) VS Sarah Kaufman (135)
KJ Noons (156) VS George Sotiropoulos (155)
Adlan Amagov (171) VS TJ Waldburger (170.5)
Mike Rio (156) VS Tony Ferguson (155)
Jeremy Larsen (145.5) VS Andre Fili (148.5)
Kyoji Horiguchi (135) vs Dustin Pague (135)

UFC 166 is going to be a HUGE night for the UFC Heavyweight division with the final chapter of the Velasquez-Dos Santos saga scheduled for tomorrow night at 10pm eastern time.  Velasquez and Dos Santos have exchanged the UFC title between the two of them over the last two years.  Tomorrow night only one man can leave as the UFC Heavyweight Champion.  In October of 2010, Cain Velasquez defeated Brock Lesnar to gain the UFC Heavyweight Championship.  A year later in the same city where he won the title, a hungry Junior Dos Santos came in and took the title from Velasquez in his first match after winning the title.  A year later the UFC granted Velasquez the opportunity to prove that his title win was not a fluke and Cain Velasquez did more than deliver in the rematch in which he strategically dismantled Dos Santos for 25 whole minutes.  After that meeting last year, Junior Dos Santos took on and knocked out fan favorite Mark Hunt, which earned him another chance to face Velasquez.  If this match turns out to be everything that it could be, then we are in for a real treat.  The question becomes, will it be Dos Santos' power punching or Velasquez's cerebral approach that will win the fight?

Predictions for the Event via MMATakedown.net:

Aldo-Lamas Possible for Superbowl Weekend

UFC 169 was originally rumored to be a bout headlined by a clash of two titans for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.  It had been leaked to the media that UFC Champ Jon Jones would be squaring off with Glover Teixeira, but it was announced that the fight had not been official sign-sealed-delivered and would be targeted for sometime in March or April.

Now Dana White has said that a UFC Featherweight title fight may be in the works for UFC 169 in February on Superbowl weekend.  White stated that the fight between Jose Aldo and Ricardo Lamas may be a potential fight for that weekend.  He stated that nothing was set in stone, but the fight was an option that could fit for that weekend.

Bellator 104 Weigh-in Results

Main Card:

Brent Weedman (170.7) vs. Rick Hawn (170.4)

Ron Keslar (170.7) vs. War Machine (170.5)

Kendall Grove (185.7) vs. Joe Vedepo (185.2)

Eric Prindle (265.6) vs. Peter Graham (246.6)

Preliminary Card:

Paul Bradley (171) vs. Karl Amoussou (170.6)

Rod Montoya (155.8) vs. Paul Sass (155.1)

Rob Emerson (145.6) vs. Jared Downing (148.3)

Brandon Girtz (160) vs. Mike Estus (157.6)

Derek Loffer (160.4) vs. Cliff Wright Jr. (154)

Andrew Tieva (144.6) vs. Chris Lane (146)

Bas Rutten to Join TUF 19 Coaching Staff

TUF 19 Coach BJ Penn made an appearence on journalistic MMA show Inside MMA today and while he was there he extended the offer for television host Bas Rutten to join his all-star cast of assistant coaches for the upcoming season of the Ultimate Fighter.  Bas Rutten happily accepted and will be expected to make an appearance on the show.

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Bas Rutten retired from MMA with an impressive 28-4 record.  Bas Rutten is a man that eats, sleeps, breathes and lives MMA.  Rutten became a major player in the legendary Pancrase promotion years ago and won the King of Pancrase Championship twice.  In 1999, Rutten made his way to the UFC and defeated Kevin Randleman to become the UFC Heavyweight Championship.  After winning the UFC Championship, Rutten retired from MMA but later came out of retirement in 2006 for one more fight before officially retiring again.

Karo Parisyan vs. Cristiano Souza Added to Bellator PPV Card

It has been made official today that Bellator has added a bout between former UFC Welterweight competitor, Karo Parisyan and Bellator Fight Master contestant, Cristiano Souza to the coming Bellator Pay-Per-View in November.  The fight will be featured on the preliminary card that will be televised on the Spike television network.

Karo Parisyan has gone 3-4 since his leaving the UFC.  Despite tumbling down from the top of the welterweight top contenders, Parisyan is still one of the best Judo practitioners in MMA and proves to be a threat against any man in the welterweight division.  Parisyan lost his first outing in Bellator and will look to better his record with a win against Souza.

Cristiano Souza is 6-0 in his MMA career and was a recent competitor on the Spike television show Bellator MMA Fight Master.  Souza has gained two consecutive wins already in Bellator so he is no stranger to the Bellator crowd.  This will be an interesting match up to add to an already healthy card.

The complete official card is listed below at the following link:

http://www.bellator.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=23600&ATCLID=209113902

Tougn Spar MMA App is Live on Google Play

The Tough Spar MMA is is now Live on Google Play for Android.   BE sure to download it so you can stay up-to-date whenever wherever.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wToughSparMMA

Bellator Adds Heavyweight Final to Nov 2nd Card

Bellator has added the Heavyweight Tournament Finals to the November 2nd Pay-per-view card being headlined by Quinton Rampage Jackson and Tito Ortiz. The finals will consist of Cheick Kongo and Vinicius Queiroz squaring off for a title shot in the heavyweight division.

WSOF Gets Okami

Last month the UFC sent Okami packing from the organization after his KO loss suffered at UFC Fight Night 28 literally from the hands of Ronaldo Jacare Souza.  There had been rumors that he was in talks with the WSOF but it has now beem confirmed that this is indeed the case.

A move to the WSOF is a good move for Yushin Okami considering that WSOF is growing in popularity as well as reputability.  I think that Yushin Okami will dominate the WSOF Middleweight division.  Okami has remained a top 10 fighter in the division since his debut in the UFC in 2006. Okami has beaten top guys in the UFC including late former UFC Champion Evan Tanner as well as competed against the two longest Middleweight Champions, Rich Franklin and Anderson Silva. Okami has good hands and amazing wrestling that will be beneficial in his WSOF career.

Terry Etim Heads to Bellator

Former UFC Lightweight competitor, Terry Etim, will be making his Bellator MMA debut in the preliminary card of the Bellator PPV card in November.  Etim was released from the UFC earlier this year after his decision loss to Renee Forte in London.

Terry Etim is scheduled to face Patrick Cenoble in his debut.

Cormier's Last Fight at Heavyweight

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion, Daniel Cormier has announced that after his fight with Roy Nelson he will no longer compete at heavyweight in the UFC.  Win, lose or draw Daniel Cormier will be dropping to 205 lbs and has the intent on competing for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.  Daniel Cormier wants to be a world champion in the UFC but will not fight his friend and AKA training partner, UFC Heavyweight Champion, Cain Velasquez, so he has decided to drop down to 205 to achieve his dream in the UFC.

Mark Coleman to Aid Team Penn on TUF

Former UFC Heavyweight Champion and Pride Grand Prix Champion, Mark Coleman, retired from MMA competition earlier this year at the age of 48.  Though he has retired from fighting himself, he still will be involved in the the future of MMA as we have received word that Mark Coleman will be aiding longtime friend BJ Penn in the upcoming season of the UFC's the Ultimate Fighter reality show.

Mark Coleman will be working alongside former UFC Lightweight and Welterweight Champion, BJ Penn, as the wrestling coach for Team Penn on TUF 19.  Coleman stated that it would be an honor to work with a man who has been his friend since the early days of the UFC.  BJ Penn will be coaching opposite of the man who has beaten him on two different occasions and taken his title, Frankie Edgar.  The two men will square off at the end of the season in a featherweight bout.

Bellator 103 Results

Main Card:

• Patricio Freire def. Fabricio Guerreiro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Justin Wilcox def. Joe Taimanglo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• David Rickels def. J.J. Ambrose via TKO (punches) - Round 3, 2:37
• Mikhail Zayats def. Aaron Rosa via submission (kimura) - Round 1, 0:47

Preliminary Card:

• Carlos Eduardo def. Wayman Carter via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 2:06
• Remy Bussieres def. Blake Pool via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Maurice Jackson def. Matt Uhde via TKO (doctor stoppage, cut) - Round 1, 0:52
• Donnie Bell def. Marcio Navarro via submission (neck crank) - Round 1, 2:06
• Jeimeson Saudino def. Jesse Thornton via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Ricky Musgrave def. Cody Carrillo via submission (kimura) - Round 1, 2:59

Why Palhares Was Banned for Life from the UFC

Earlier today we reported the release of UFC Welterweight and long time Middleweight, Rousimar Palhares.  In case you missed the submission from last night below is the notorious submission that got him fired.

In case you've not been a fan of the UFC for a while here is the time before that in which he held on a little too long as well:

If those two incidences of holding onto a submission after a tap wasn't enough, in his previous fight against Hector Lombard, Palhares tested positive for high testosterone levels.  This is a justifiable release for the UFC.  Palhaes' behavior is unacceptable and can not be ruled as an accident considering that this has happened now a second time.  The UFC is making a smart decision by releasing Palhares before he continues to jeopardize not only limbs but the careers of more of the UFC's roster.

Rousimar Palharea Released from UFC

Last night Rousimar Palhares made his MMA welterweight debut at UFC Fight Night 29. He quickly submitted Mike Pierce in the first round with a leg lock. Pierce quickly tapped to the submission, but Palhareals held on to slither leg for seconds after the tap and after the referee stepped in.

There was a similar incident back when Palhares was a middleweight and with that being said, Dana White released Palhares and banned him from the UFC.

UFC Fight Night Results

Main card

Jake Shields def. Demian Maia via split decision

Dong Hyun Kim def. Erick Silva via second-round KO 

Thiago Silva def. Matt Hamill via unanimous decision 

Fabio Maldonado def. Joey Beltran via split decision 

Rousimar Palhares def. Mike Pierce via submission (heel hook)

Raphael Assuncao def. T.J. Dillashaw via split decision

Preliminary card

Igor Araujo def. Ildemar Alcantara via unanimous decision

Yan Cabral def. David Mitchell via unanimous decision 

Chris Cariaso def. Iliarde Santos via second-round TKO

UFC Fight Night 29 Weigh in Results

MAIN CARD
Demian Maia (171) vs. Jake Shields (171)
Dong Hyun Kim (171) vs. Erick Silva (170)
Matt Hamill (205) vs. Thiago Silva (208)
Joey Beltran (205) vs. Fabio Maldonado (204)
Rousimar Palhares (171) vs. Mike Pierce (171)
Raphael Assuncao (135) vs. T.J. Dillashaw (136)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Igor Araujo (171) vs. Ildemar Alcantara (171)
Yan Cabral (170) vs. David Mitchell (171)
Chris Cariaso (125) vs. Iliarde Santos (126)
Alan Patrick (155) vs. Garett Whiteley (156)

Julie Kedzie to Face Aleksandra Albu in Australia

The UFC has announced today that they will be adding a Womens' Bantamweight clash to the Australian card at UFC Fight Night 33 in December. Julie Kedzie will be returning to the Octogon for her second bout in the UFC to face Aleksandra Albu in her UFC debut. Julie Kedzie made her debut in the UFC against Germaine de Randamie in which she lost a decision to de Randamie. Aleksandra Albu is 5-0 in her professional career. Albu signed with the UFC back in September and is finally getting her first UFC fight in December. The fight will be featured on the same card as the Mark Hunt-Antonio Silva fight on UFC Fight Night 33.

Jones-Teixeira Fight Not Set for February

Last week it was posted that Jones was set to defend his title against Teixeira for UFC 169 but it has been revealed that the match date was not set in stone. Instead of headlining UFC 169 in February, the bout will be targeted for sometime in March or April.

Askren Wants GSP

Current Bellator Welterweight Champion, Ben Askren has went to twitter to state that he is very interested in fighting (and beating) current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre.  There had been rumors of Ben Askren possibly retiring in his current free agent status, but Askren has stated that he still wants to face St. Pierre before he retires.  He feels that he could out-wrestle and control the UFC champion.  He feels that years ago St. Pierre would've been able to beat Askren, but St. Pierre is now to cautious and fights too scared.

Askren is an excellent grappler who used his grappling to maintain his Bellator Welterweight belt through four current title defenses and a 12-0 undefeated professional MMA record.  Askren does have the better documented wrestling career, but GSP uses his wrestling to decide where the fight goes.  St. Pierre I feel does have the striking advantage coming into the fight.  It would be an awesome fight to put together if Askren is able to come to a deal with the UFC. I think Askren would present a nice challenge for GSP but would not be successful on the feet with the UFC Champ.

Bellator 102 Results

MAIN CARD:

Cheick Kongo def. Mark Godbeer via TKO (strikes) - Round 2, 2:04 - heavyweight tournament semifinals
Vinicius Queiroz def. Lavar Johnson via knockout (punch) - Round 1, 0:23 - heavyweight tournament semifinals
Anthony Leone vs. Rafael "Morcego" Silva unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) - Summer Series bantamweight tournament final
Mikkel Parlo def. Jason Butcher via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) - middleweight tournament semifinals
Brennan Ward def. Joe Pacheco via submission (guillotine choke) - Round 2, 2:41 - middleweight tournament semifinals

PRELIMINARY CARD:

Scott Cleve def. Isaac DeJesus via TKO (punches) - Round 2, 3:14
Javy Ayala def. Thiago "Big Monster" Santos via knockout (punches) - Round 1, 5:00
Brandon Girtz def. Poppies Martinez via submission (armbar) - Round 1, 1:20
Stephen Martinez def. Bryan Travers via technical submission (guillotine choke) - Round 1, 0:56
Cain Carrizosa def. Juan Quesada via submission (triangle choke) - Round 2, 4:51
Brandon Cash def. William Richey via TKO (exhaustion) - Round 2, 5:00

Miguel Torres Moves to 145 for WSOF 6 Bout

After not competing for almost a year, former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Angel Torres will be making his return to MMA in a fight on October 26 with Pablo Alfonso.  This bout will be at 145 lbs.  Miguel's last fight was against WSOF standout Marlon Moraes back in November 2012 at WSOF 1.

Thales Leites to Face Herman

After being moved to the UFC Fight for the Troops 3 Rafael Natal is being replaced by Thales Leites in his showdown with Ed Herman at UFC 167. Both middleweights, Herman and Leites, are coming off of victories in their last bouts.