UFC 118 on Saturday night was all about statement making, emphatic wins across the board.  It seemed as if impressive performances were the order of the night, starting with Joe Lauzon on the preliminary card and finishing with a title defence from Frankie Edgar.  Along the way, Randy Couture dismantled James Toney while Gray Maynard locked his sights on the belt at 155 pounds.

I guess we’ll start with the fight that captured the attention of the MMA world along with the sporting world.  Randy Couture stepped into the cage against James Toney in a match that pitted one of the best mixed martial artists of all time against one of the most decorated pugilists from the boxing world.  And there was no contest, nor any doubt.  It took just 3:19 for Couture to take Toney down, mount him and transition to an arm triangle choke that finished the fight.  It was a display that showed the many, many shortcomings in the MMA game of Toney.  His standup game never was displayed, because Couture wouldn’t let it, being the tactician he is.  His ground game doesn’t exist, nor does his takedown defence.  I’ve never seen a fighter taken down as easily as Toney was, and I’ve never seen anyone mounted as quickly…and that includes Kimbo Slice.  James could take some lessons from Beamer and Ari over at The Hard Knocks Fighting Championship, as Toney has a long way to go.  If this is something he wants to do more than once, I wouldn’t want to see him back in The Octagon for at least 12 months.

The main event was a little more contentious, but nowhere near as close and hard fought as many wanted.  Frankie Edgar took a unanimous five round victory over BJ Penn to retain his UFC Lightweight Championship, and the champ deserves all the credit in the world.  Few were picking him, and few will pick against him again after his strong display of smart striking and expert wrestling.  Once again, Edgar was the better fighter standing and again he was able to use superior wrestling to take the fight to the ground time and again.  The script was eerily similar to the first right in Abu Dhabi, a fight that no longer just looked like a perfect storm for Edgar to win.  As for Penn, I don’t know what’s next, I really don’t.  He looked confused and couldn’t seem to answer Edgar the way Penn has done with so many other fighters.  For Penn to get another shot at the strap, he’s going to need to string together some impressive wins, and he’s going to have to figure out a way to neutralize the strengths of top wrestlers.  My disappointment in Penn’s performance is almost unfair to Edgar, but I just expected much more from The Prodigy.

Gray Maynard will be the next opponent and second title defence for Edgar, as Maynard was victorious in his bout with Kenny Florian.  Once again, Maynard used superior wrestling to carry the day, and his career track record has earned him a rightful shot at the 155 pound title.  It wasn’t the most exciting fight, and I wasn’t surprised by Maynard’s performance, so good on him for earning the unanimous win.

The most entertaining main card fight was the eventual Fight of the Night winner, as Nate Diaz outdueled Marcus Davis at 170 pounds.  Davis, the former boxer, was opened up early (which is never a surprise) and the damage he took around his right eye seemed to play a huge part as the fight went along.  Diaz is such an unorthodox striker with great reach, so it makes it tough for most fighters to get inside…and that was certainly the case for Davis.  Good on Nate, as he continues to show he can stand and throw with the best of them…you may not always like the things that come out of his mouth, but you can’t deny his talent.

For me, the most impressive performance of the night was Joe Lauzon bar none.  It was great to see one of my favorite fighters lay it down like that against Gabe Ruediger, who was completely and totally outclassed.  121 seconds was all Lauzon needed to pummel, suplex, slam and submit Gabe with an armbar, and it’s a big win coming off his UFC 108 loss to Sam Stout.

Overall, I went 3-2 in calling fights on the main card, so not bad…and better than my usual record.  Follow me on Twitter.

The fight that is getting the most hype ahead of Saturday’s UFC 118 is the MMA vs. boxing bout between Randy Couture and James Toney, and for good reason.  It’s a showdown between two of the best athletes in their respective sports, and it’s an interesting experiment on both ends.  But it also is overshadowing what is a great card, including a title fight between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar.

First, here’s some audio to set you up for Saturday’s fight card:

• Randy “The Natural” Couture – I get a chance to talk to Randy about the unique challenges of fighting a boxer in James Toney.
• James “Lights Out” Toney - James chats with Mike Richards about his first foray into the world of mixed martial arts.
• Kevin Iole – The Yahoo! Sports columnist sets up UFC 118 on Saturday night.

Lets start with the match that really is being hyped the most.  When chatting with Yahoo! Sports columnist Kevin Iole on Friday, he told me he’s never seen the type of media covering a fight before as he has with this one.  Kevin is an extremely well respected boxing and MMA writer, and covers both on a national level…and many of his boxing colleagues are in Boston to see just what this whole MMA thing is all about, and to see how a guy like Toney fairs.  So, this is the big selling point, and it will bring in some pretty solid buyrate numbers, which is the rub for Dana White and the UFC.  Just like Chael Sonnen brought in more buys with his antics, this fight and the intrigue factor surrounding it will do the same.

As for the fight itself, I just don’t see Toney having a shot, I really don’t.  Yes, he’s an incredible striker with 83 professional bouts under his belt, and 44 wins coming by way of knockout.  But a few things to take into consideration.  First, pure boxing changes when you transition to the realm of MMA…in my Couture interview, he lays it out, in that your stance changes and how you set your punches up changes because you have to be wary of defending a takedown.  Second, Iole doesn’t believe Toney’s boxing style will translate well to MMA, because of how he rolls his shoulder.  Finally, Couture is the biggest tactician the sport has ever known, and his gameplan will be sound…Iole believes kicks will be worked in more than a regular Randy fight.  I just don’t see Toney being able to deliver that knockout shot, and I think Couture wins easy.

As for the main event, it’s a rematch for the UFC Lightweight Championship, as Frankie Edgar puts his newly won belt on the line against BJ Penn.  The two met at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, with Edgar taking a unanimous decision.  That was a fight where Edgar fought the fight of his life with the perfect, PERFECT gameplan…and good on him for winning the belt.  But it was also a night where BJ fought a fight that was well below average for his standards, and there are different reasons for that.  When Penn is motivated, which he seems to be here, he is as dangerous and well rounded a fighter as there is…he’s considered one of the pound-for-pound best for a reason.  I think BJ rectifies the problems he had defending the takedown, and I think his striking game is much more well rounded than it was last time…and I think The Prodigy regains his belt.

Some really great fights on this card as well, beyond the two headliners…the Kenny Florian-Gray Maynard fight could be extremely interesting.  Florian is a great striker with deadly BJJ, but he goes up against Maynard who has an unbelievable wrestling pedigree.  But Maynard has also turned his game into a strong ground-and-pound game, and his standup has improved immensely since he competed on The Ultimate Fighter.  Maynard will have to watch out for Florian’s elbows from the bottom if this goes to the ground, and I think Florian is better standing…his takedown defence will be key, and I’ve learned not to pick against KenFlo.  So I’ll go with Florian by decision.

I’ll take Nate Diaz over Marcus Davis, by submission, because that’s what Diaz does.  And I think Demian Maia gets back in the win column when he takes on Mario Miranda in an all-Brazil matchup.  Follow me on Twitter.

The Calgary Stampeders are the best team in the Canadian Football League heading into their next game against BC, and that’s not going to change.  Their 6-1 record is the best statistical record in the league…and they’re full marks for it, regardless of what Rider Nation has to say.

Please don’t confuse this post for a “we’re better than you” rant or a homer slanted view of the red and white, in fact quite the contrary.  But at this point, you can’t dispute that the Calgary Stampeders are the class of the CFL.  However, I’ve had arguments with numerous Rider fans, and a few fans of other teams, who are loathe to give the Stamps any credit.  So I’ll lay out how I see it.

“Well, the Stamps haven’t played anyone good” is usually the first argument you hear.  And it’s not untrue, in that, Calgary’s schedule hasn’t been a gauntlet to this point.  Calgary’s wins have come over Toronto, Hamilton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, BC and Edmonton…heading into week eight action, only two of those teams have records on the positive side of .500.  However, first of all, since when did the Stamps make their schedule? They’ve straight up taken care of business, racking up four straight wins since they lost in Toronto.  Yeah, the opponents haven’t always been top notch, but they’ve won the games they’re supposed to.  And so have the Riders…their five wins have come over Montreal, BC (twice), Edmonton, and Hamilton.  HOW IS THAT ANY BETTER THAN CALGARY? They’ve played Edmonton and BC three times, combined record 2-12…Calgary’s played them twice.  If Calgary’s record is inflated by subpar opponents, so is Saskatchewan’s.  However, I don’t think either record is…both teams have won the games they’re supposed to.  And the toughest of Calgary’s schedule is yet to come, which I’ll get into below…but that time frame will define the season for the team in a lot of ways.

Next argument? “Calgary’s been lucky in their wins.”  Well, I don’t know how lucky they were in that 40-20 crap kicking they laid on the Riders in week four, but for now we’ll take that out of the equation.  We’ll take the 56-15 debacle against Edmonton out of it too.  So that leaves Toronto, Hamilton, BC and Winnipeg.  Calgary’s win over Hamilton was perhaps fortunate, as they were out-statted by the Tiger Cats.  However those other three games were close in score only, and I say that from an objective standpoint.  Calgary dominated time of possession and controlled the games start to finish…never once was there luck or fortune that played into a win.  And what about the Riders? Jeez, they needed a couple of boneheaded fourth quarter turnovers to bead Edmonton (1-6 Edmonton) in week three.  They had to stage an incredible comeback, and catch some good fortune along the way, to open the season with a win over Montreal.  There’s been as much good fortune, or more, leading to a Saskatchewan 5-2 record as for a Calgary 6-1 record.

“Calgary is playing way over their ski’s” would be the final argument.  And that just sounds like pure rose colored glasses talk.  How can’t you give the Stampeders credit for what they’ve done to this point, especially on defence, regardless of the opponents they’ve played.  They have the number 1 statistical defence, by far, in the CFL…number one or two in 21 of 25 categories and top three in 23 of 25.  Is that just luck and easy scheduling?  Come on.  Calgary is deserving of where they are right now, and yes, some outside factors have played into it.

But last time I checked, the only head to head matchup between Calgary and Saskatchewan ended in a one sided beatdown…40-20 Stamps.  “Durant was sick” and “it was a perfect storm of bad” have been thrown out…now who’s making excuses?

It’s a looooooong season, and Calgary is FAR from being the best team in the CFL undisputed.  But right now, they are.  Calgary’s schedule looks like this over the next two months or so…BC, Edmonton, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, BC, Montreal, Montreal, Saskatchewan.  That run at the end will determine whether or not the arguments levied above are legit or not, and who knows, they very well may be.  The Riders may very well turn out to be the class of the West.  I have so much respect for that team, and they are also far, far away from playing their best.  But right now, Calgary sits 6-1 with the best record in the CFL, and they deserve a little more credit for it.

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This one wasn’t even close, and it never was.  But Calgary’s 56-15 win over Edmonton on Sunday night sent the Stampeders into their bye week on an absolute high, and also has them sitting on top of the Canadian Football League with a 6-1 record.  The win also continues the downward spiral for the Eskimos, dropping them to a CFL worst 1-6.

First, take a listen to some postgame audio:

• Postgame Calgary interviews - I chatted with quarterback Henry Burris and receivers Ryan Thelwell and Arjei Franklin.
• Postgame Calgary scrums - Quarterback Henry Burris, receiver Nik Lewis and defensive lineman Mike Labinjo. 
• Postgame Edmonton Scrums – Head Coach Richie Hall, quarterback Ricky Ray and quarterback Jason Maas (courtesy Calgary Herald)

You could kinda tell where this game was going right from the get go.  After Calgary’s defence forced a two-and-out, Henry Burris threw a 30 yard strike to Ken Yon Rambo before Joffrey Reynolds ran for 27 yards to put the home side up 7-0.  It was a two play, 57 yard drive, and it set the tone for what would be a complete disaster for the remaining 55 minutes or so.  On Edmonton’s next possession, they again went two-and-out, and a fumbled punt gave Calgary the ball at the 30 yard line to start their next possession.  While the Stamps only got three from their prime field position, it was a 10-0 lead that seemed far too easy, and it was a lead they’d only add to as time went on.

The Eskimos were listless and inefficient offensively to start, but a second quarter sternum injury for quarterback Ricky Ray turned things from bad to worse.  Both Jared Zabransky (BSU woot!) and Jason Maas would take turns relieving Ray, resulting in just one touchdown; a Zabransky strike to Jason Barnes in the second quarter.  However Zabransky would score as many points for Calgary as he did for Edmonton, getting picked off by Stamps corner Dwight Anderson late in the first half…DA would return it 89 yards for the major.  Calgary’s 32-8 halftime lead turned the second half into a formality.

Had it not been for an early Kelly Campbell return touchdown on a Burke Dales punt, the second half could have gotten even more silly.  But Campbell used a couple blocks to 95 yards for the score and get the Eskimos back within respectable distance.  In fact, Calgary’s offence sputtered in the third quarter, something Henry Burris said afterwards wasn’t acceptable.  But they got things back on track in the final frame, racking up 23 points on two Burris TD passes and another strike from backup Drew Tate.  A third quarter for Calgary that resembled their other three could have got Calgary over 60, but then again, it didn’t really matter.

Calgary finished with 504 yards of total offence, including 345 through the air.  Burris finished with 305 yards passing  and three touchdownd on 21-29 passing, while Tate went 4-4 with 40 yards and one major.  Joffrey Reynolds lead the way on the ground, running for 79 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries, while Jon Cornish put up 74 yards on seven carries of his own…Cornish had the second longest play of the game when he busted for 52 yards.  Nik Lewis lead the way receiving once again, with 117 yards and two touchdowns (he busted the biggest play of the night, a 74 yard reception in the fourth quarter).

Full credit to Calgary’s defence, limiting Edmonton to 283 total yards, many of which came in a large amount of garbage time.  Robert McCune, Juwan Simpson, Tom Johnson and Miguel Robede each recorded sacks.  Robede got the boot in the fourth quarter thanks to rough play, an incident that followed an ugly sideline brawl where Edmonton’s Tremayne Kirkland got himself ejected for a late punch into a melee.  Calgary’s Mike Labinjo was also penalized on the play, but not ejected.  It was a lot of frustration for the Eskimos, who now sit 1-6, and who carry a sour taste into their bye week.  It’s the complete opposite for the CFL best Stampeders, who put an exclamation point on a 6-1 start with a win over their division rivals.

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As you heard first on The FAN 960, the Calgary Flames signed forward Craig Conroy to a one year contract on Wednesday afternoon, basically ensuring the fan favorite will play his 1000th game in a Flames uniform.  But, sentimental reasons aside, this is a smart signing for the team that has virtually no downside.  Conroy helps the team, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t weigh you down.

First off, take a listen to the interview Boomer and I did with Craig on Wednesday afternoon, moments after his signing was made official.

I wrote on FlamesNation earlier this offseason why I thought Conroy should be brought back.  First off, Conroy doesn’t weigh you down financially.  Vicki Hall of the Calgary Herald had it first (via Twitter at @heraldvickihall), as Conroy will be making the league minimum on a two way deal.  So, if it doesn’t work out, oh well…he’s a healthy scratch who doesn’t have much of an impact on your salary cap.  However, he also doesn’t weigh you down from an attitude standpoint.  Say it doesn’t work out…you don’t have to worry about any malcontent from the guy, as he’ll do whatever it takes to help the team, on or off the ice.  We’ve come to know that much about #24. 

But as Conroy enters his 15th NHL season, you can make an extremely compelling argument that he helps the team on the ice.  To me, he’s one of two centers on this team you can count on consistently for strong defensive play.  Along with Daymond Langkow, Conroy was matched up against opposing top forwards last year, and performed very well.  Conroy doesn’t give you as much in the two way game in comparison to Langkow, but that’s why Conroy won’t be playing 18 minutes per game.  However, because Conroy is better in the faceoff dot than Langkow, you can use Craig for important defensive zone draws and not worry about poor D play following.  Depending on what the health status of Langkow is to start the season, the re-signing of Conroy could become even more important.

To lay it out a little more, Conroy was one of three regular Calgary forwards to start more shifts in the defensive zone as opposed to the offensive zone last season.  Conroy started 50.9% of the time in his own end, with only Langkow and the since-departed Eric Nystrom starting more shifts from their own blueline in.  So, when you’re playing that type of role, you’re not going to put up huge offensive numbers.  But having a player that you can utilize primarily in a defensive role is a luxury, especially when the price is as reasonable as it is here.  It gives you flexibility to get players like Jarome Iginla and Olli Jokinen away from top players, especially with last change at home.

I know that he’s not a young guy, and many were hoping the Flames would go in a younger direction…but this is NOT a team that is rebuilding, like it or not.  With that knowledge in mind, I think it’s a good signing.  Even if I wasn’t such a huge fan of Conroy on the ice, it would be tough to dislike this deal.  He’s making league minimum money, he’s great in the locker room, and he’s beloved by Flames fans.  The fact that he can still play an important role on the ice makes this signing pretty easy for me to like.  Follow me on Twitter.

It looked like a damn good card on paper, and Saturday’s UFC 117 certainly lived up to the hype.  After an incredible finish, Anderson Silva kept his UFC Middleweight Championship, while challenge Chael Sonnen leaves the Bay area wondering what went wrong. But the main event wasn’t the whole story, as Matt Hughes, Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson all had notable performances.

Gotta start with the main event.  Nobody outside of Sonnen’s camp saw that happening, with the challenger dominating Silva for the first four rounds.  His wrestling was on display in a big way, as he took the champ down with ease at times, and made it extremely difficult for Silva to return to a standing position.  While Sonnen didn’t do a ton of damage while in top position, he controlled the fight for virtually the entire four plus rounds.  Sonnen even landed a few impressive shots while standing, rocking Silva in the first round, and later on in the fight as well.  But Anderson’s BJJ black belt came in handy, as he locked in a fifth round triangle to retain his title.

I really believe Silva was mapping out his move in the third and fourth rounds.  Not so much playing possum, but with the realization that he’s been taken down time and time again (his rib injury certainly played into it), I think Silva scouted Sonnen’s guard for ten minutes, finding a spot to pounce on a submission opportunity.  He made sure he didn’t take a ton of damage in those two rounds, and he was calm, and I wonder how much he was thinking ahead to the final round.

Two questions for me.  First, how much did that rib injury play into it? I think quite a bit.  I know everyone is human, but we’ve never seen Anderson look so ordinary before in his life.  That’s no knock on Sonnen, and past performances aside, I really think Silva is a different fighter without said injury.  Second…what was Sonnen doing in his guard in the final round? You had the fight won, you were a round away from the biggest upset in UFC history, and you’re playing with fire! I know Silva is known more for his emphatic finishes (think Rich Franklin twice or Forrest Griffin), but the guy is a black belt! He finished Travis Leuter off in a triangle. You have to be smart, and letting yourself get trapped in that guard wasn’t smart, and it cost him the fight.  The worst part for Sonnen, at least as I see it, is I don’t see him having anywhere near the same success if he gets Silva in a rematch, which is expected.  What a finish.

The co-main event between Fitch and Alves was a snoozer, and if the Twitter response I got was any indication, people are getting fed up with Jon Fitch.  He’s a hell of a fighter, no one will deny, and you can’t help but be impressed with his five straight wins, and his 13-1 Octagon record.  But his style is starting to frustrate some…not me so much, I get how he fights, and that’s fine.  But some fans want to see more of an exciting product, and Fitch is the king of grinding out the decision, as he’s put together five straight unanimous wins.  Fitch is now supposed to get a shot at the Welterweight Title, but I wonder if UFC President Dana White thinks twice, especially with other names and performances floating around.  As for Alves, he didn’t make weight again, and didn’t look good.  Speaking of fed up, White certainly is, as Alves has missed weight twice…a move to 185 has to be considered.

See, on the Fitch side of things, I wonder if it might be pertinent to have him take on Matt Hughes before a title shot.  Hughes is a great wrestler who is coming off an emphatic win over Ricardo Almeida on Saturday night.  He’s cut a swath through a group of teammates, beating Matt Serra, Renzo Gracie and Almeida in succession…Almeida was hoping to get some retribution after Hughes beat Gracie in Abu Dhabi.  Hughes was impressive, taking the win thanks to a choke that was effective by his pure bull strength…he looked good.  And with Jake Shields now in the picture, I’m not sure I like Fitch getting an outright shot at the title, five straight wins or not.

Finally, you come away from the heavyweight fight nodding your heads in approval at both fighters.  Junior Dos Santos was dominant in his unanimous win over Roy Nelson, and Junior will now fight the winner of Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.  But Nelson took an incredible amount of punishment, and probably gained a lot of new fans with his performance.  The one thing you wonder about with him…how much better would he be if he got himself into shape a little bit more than he is.  Joe Rogan wondered aloud during the fight, and he was bang on with a couple points.

We get set for UFC 118 next, with a lightweight title fight on the card along with the debut of James Toney.  Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Fan960Steinberg.