<%=siteName%>

It has been an incredible spree of Mixed Martial Arts mayhem over the past week or so, and it does not appear to be slowing down. While I am preparing to head down to Las Vegas to cover UFC 81, so much has happened in MMA over the past week, that I would be remis if I did not share that info with you.

UFC Fight Night

 On Wednesday, UFC Fight Night went down with some interesting results:

Main Card

Mike Swick vs. Josh Burkman - Unanimous Decision
Patrick Cote def. Drew McFedries - TKO (Strikes) @ 1:44 of Rd. 1
Thiago Tavares def. Michihiro Omigawa - Unanimous Decision
Nate Diaz def. Alvin Robinson - Submission (Triangle Choke) @ 3:39 of Rd. 1

Preliminary Card

Kurt Pellegrino def. Alberto Crane - TKO (Strikes) @ 1:55 of Rd. 2
Gray Maynard def. Dennis Siver - Unanimous Decision
Jeremy Stephens def. Cole Miller - TKO (Strikes) @ 4:44 of Rd. 2
Corey Hill def. Joe Veres - TKO (Strikes) @ 0:37 of Rd. 2
Matt Wiman def. Justin Buchholz - Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) @ 2:56 of Rd. 1

There were some interesting paydays for some, not so interesting for others. Click here to see what I mean.

I was paying close attention to see what medical suspensions would be dished out after the event, especially in regards to Canadian Patrick Cote. I was hoping he would not end up getting a medical suspension so he would be ready, willing and able to fight for the UFC when they come to Montreal on April 19th.

Most of my concerns were met with a sense of releif until it was announced the Cote will not be fighting on the card. Instead, he will be a part of the french language broadcast team for the show.

UFC 81 Goes Down This Saturday Night

Later on this week, I’ll be heading to Las Vegas to cover UFC 81 for Sportsnet and The Fan 590. 

Look for daily reports, starting on Wednesday, which will include footage from the public workouts, the pre-fight press conference, one on one interviews with all the main event fighters, my predictions and much, much more.

UFC 81 Fight Card

MAIN CARD (TELEVISED)

• Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir
• Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia (for interim heavyweight title)
• Ricardo Almeida vs. Alan Belcher
• Jeremy Horn vs. Nate Marquardt

PRELIMINARY CARD (NOT TELEVISED)

• Tyson Griffin vs. Gleison Tibau
• Kyle Bradley vs. Chris Lytle
• Marvin Eastman vs. Terry Martin
• Tim Boetsch VS. David Heath
• Rob Emerson vs. Keita Nakamura

This week on ‘The Showdown’

 Make you sure you tune in to the Fan 590 for ‘The Showdown’, this Thurday night at 10pm. Guests will include Brock Lesnar, his opponent Frank Mir and former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Tim Sylvia, who is one half of the main event competiting for the interm heavyweight title vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Also joining me on Thursday night will be the very well respected Sam Caplan, from Pro Elite, EliteXC and CBS Sports. Caplan is one of the best in the business whose insight in the sport of MMA is golden in my books.

Ciao for now,

 Showdown Joe

UFC Fight Night 12 goes down tonight, 9pm, live from The Pearl in Las Vegas.

Here are my quick picks for the event. 

MAIN CARD
Mike Swick (170) vs. Josh Burkman (170)
This will mark Mike Swick’s debut in the welterweight division and he will not have an easy test going up against Josh Burkman. As a matter of fact, I’m going with Burkman by submission in round three.

Drew McFederies (185.5) vs. Patrick Cote (184)
History teaches us that the only way to defeat Patrick Cote is by submitting him or out pointing him on the judges score card. McFrederies will not be able to do either, so I see Cote by KO in round 3.

Michihiro Omigawa (154) vs. Thiago Tavares (155)
Omigawa is as tough as they come but Tavares is that much better. I see Tavares being a top five fighter by the end of 2008 and he will start by submitting Omigawa in this fight, late in round 2.

Alvin Robinson (155) vs. Nate Diaz (155)
This is a very evenly matched bout. Both guys have great ground skills but the stand up edge goes to Robinson. I see him KO’ing Diaz in round 3.

PRELIMINARY CARD
Alberto Crane (155) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (155)
This will be a submissionfest as both guys have incredible ground games. Provided his ego and zest to submit Crane does not get in the way of his gameplan, I look for the bigger, stronger and better stiking Pellegrino to put a pounding on Crane enroute to earning a unanimous judges decision.

Dennis Siver (154) vs. Gray Maynard (155)
Maynard continues to impress, slowly but surely and will win this bout via TKO in Round 2.

Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Cole Miller (155)
Another even match up, but I believe the difference here is Miller’s reach. He will frustrate Stephens and will eventually submit him in round 3.

Joe Veres (155) vs. Corey Hill (154)
Hill’s opponent is not just Veres, but his own mind as well. There is alot of pressure on Hill to win this bout, so if he stays focused, calm and sticks to the gameplan, he will knockout Veres in round 1.

Justin Buchholz (155) vs. Matt Wiman (155)
Buchholz is a very explosive fighter but Wiman will slow him down. He will set the pace and win a unanimous judges decision.

Another UFC event has come and gone and as is typical with every post-event pay per view, rumours run rampant about potential matchups and breaking news. UFC President Dana White quickly put an end to speculation when he confirmed that BJ Penn’s first lightweight title defence will be against the man he recently stripped the title from, Sean Sherk.

While most analysts already knew the Penn/Sherk bout was going to happen, many of us were hoping to confirm whether or not the winner of the Fabricio Werdum / Gabriel Gonzaga fight would get a title shot vs the winner of the upcoming interm heavyweight championship bout between Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera and Tim Sylvia.

Well, it didn’t take long for Dana White to make a decision. At the UFC 80 post-fight press conference, White announced that Werdum will in fact get that title shot. It’s an interesting state of affairs for the heavyweight division, one I believe the UFC did not envision. Let’s be honest for a second. Neither one of these three fighters are the posterchild that the UFC wants in their ‘big’ division. 

When it’s all said and done, I’ll be rooting for Noquiera, only because I’ve been a fan of his since I first saw him fight in July of 2001. That’s when he defeated Gary ‘Big Daddy’ Goodridge by submission. I was in awe and immedietely searched for any and all of his fights that led up to this spectacular victory over Goodridge. What I saw was astounding. Here was this big beast of a Brazilian that was fearless and was bringing my beloved submission game back to Mixed Martial Arts. Everytime he fights, I wonder if he can pull of another magical armbar, rear naked or triangle choke just to prove that knockouts are not the only exciting finishes in the sport.

As for the other fighters at UFC 80, I was blown away by Paul Kelly and Paul Taylor. These guys banged away in the first minute like their lives were at steak. Rewatching it, I cannot believe the speed of their initial exchange and that it was in real time; not sped up. These two guys were on fire and I have to tell you I was super impressed by how they continued to keep the pace up throughout the rest of the bout.

Looks like a new star was born in Paul Kelly, as this victory will surely increase the value of his stock in the eyes of not only the UFC’s matchmaking equations, but also in the eyes of the UK faithful who may have just found their next Michael Bisping. As for Paul Taylor, I feel sorry for his next opponent. Whoever it may be, they will surely be in for a long night. Taylor will be looking to prove that he still belongs in the UFC and whoever stands across from him on that night, I believe he will be the poor soul that Taylor will maul and make an example of.

Other fighters and who they may be matched up against:

Sam Stout - looks to have inked his next bout vs Rich Clementi at UFC 84 in Montreal.

Alessio Sakara - stated he wants to move down to middleweight which opens a variety of matchups. I’d like to see him take on Chris Leben.

Marcus Davis - while he continues to state he wants a bout with Takanori Gomi, I doubt it will happen. I’d like to see him take on Chris Lytle or Ryo Chonan. Even though the aforementioned fighters are coming off losses, they do represent a step up in competition for Davis.

Wilson Gouivea - I’d like to see him take on Kazuhiro Nakamura (if the UFC let him back in to the Octagon) or Houston Alexander.

 Jorge Rivera -  tough to say, but maybe a matchup vs Dean Lister. It can really solidfy which one of these two fighters belongs in the UFC and which one should pack their bags and reconsider.

Antoni Hardonk -  tough call, but perhaps Gonzaga would be a good fit, if not perhaps Brock Lesnar (whether Lesnar wins or loses against Frank Mir at UFC 81).

I’d like to see some of your thoughts?

Regards,

Showdown Joe

Newcastle MMA fans were treated to a stellar night of fights, as UFC 80 was chalk full of knockouts, submissions and a variety of upsets that left yours truly with his eyes wide open.

MAIN CARD

BJ Penn def. Joe Stevenson - Submission (Rear Naked Choke) @ 4:02 of Rd. 2
BJ was extremely focused and from the onset, landing an uppercut that dropped Stevenson to the mat. From there, he worked his ground and pound until he cut Stevenson with a perfectly placed elbow from within his guard. Stevenson survived round 1, but in the second round, he was unable to stop the continued onslaught as Penn was able to get his back, sink in the rear naked choke and become the new lightweight champ. Penn called out Sean Sherk, the former champ, and immediately the drama began with the hype to their next fight starting instantaneously.

Fabricio Werdum def. Gabriel Gonzaga - TKO (Strikes) @ 4:34 of Rd. 2 
For everyone that had the slight inclination that Werdum was going to pull out the victory over the favoured Gonzaga, it happened late in the second round. Gonzaga appeared to be in control but refused to work Werdum’s legs. After consecutively landing thunderous leg kicks and dropping Werdum to the mat, Gonzaga, strangely enough refused to work any sort of ground and pound, or at least, chop away at Werdum’s legs from

Marcus Davis def. Jess Liaudin - KO (Punch) @ 1:04 of Rd. 1
I can ramble on about how incredible Marcus Davis is, but you’ve heard and read me do it on multiple occasions. This bout with Liaudin proved once again that Davis is in dire need of elite competition and should fight opponents of higher calibre. He continues to call out World #1 Takanori Gomi, but we will have to wait and see who the UFC puts him against. His devastating KO of Jess Liaudin has all welterweights paying close attention to this young phenom.

Wilson Gouveia def. Jason Lambert - KO (Punch) @ 0:37 of Rd. 2
Lambert was dominating this fight until a very long, very wide, very extended left hook from Gouveia turned the lights out for the up and coming light heavyweight. Gouveia looked great, poised and very calm under pressure and his precise punch was akin to some old school knockouts by Chuck Liddell.

Jorge Rivera def. Kendall Grove - TKO (Strikes) @ 1:20 of Rd. 1
Rivera must have secretly found the fountain of youth as his performance last night was better than any that anything I have seen from him over the past five years. He took Grove by complete surprise and overwhelmed the young Hawaiian, knocking him out quickly, in the first round.

PRELIMINARY CARD

Sam Stout def. Per Eklund - Unanimous Decision
Alessio Sakara def. James Lee - TKO (Strikes) @ 1:30 of Rd. 1
Paul Kelly def. Paul Taylor - Unanimous Decision
Antoni Hardonk def. Colin Robinson - TKO (Strikes (JAB)) @ 0:17 of Rd. 1

BJ Penn Vs. Joe Stevenson
While the experience clearly favours Stevenson, the real key is quality over quantity. Penn has fought higher calibre opponents in his career, which includes championship bouts. Penn is a better striker, grappler and is next to impossible to take down to the mat. Cardio is a big thing here so look for Penn to win early or Stevenson to squeak out a five round judges decision.

Gabriel Gonzaga Vs. Fabricio Werdum
Contrary to popular belief, this is a very difficult fight to call. Werdum won the original fight but Gonzaga has come a long way since then. I believe he is the better striker so I look for him to garner a KO, while stifling Werdum’s takedown attempts.

Jess Liaudin Vs. Marcus Davis
Davis is riding a high after his spectacular win in his last bout vs Paul Taylor. Liaudin is a highly respected fighter but I believe Davis’ pace will get the better of him. I look for Davis to win via ref stoppage as Liaudin will eventually succumb to the ‘Irish Hand Grenade’s’ assault.

Wilson Gouveia Vs. Jason Lambert
This is a very even match-up on paper but I see Lambert pounding Gouveia into frustration. Lambert will take this fight to the ground and pound away to a unanimous judges decision.

Jorge Rivera Vs. Kendall Grove
Jorge Rivera is a journeyman who will unfortunately land in a town called ‘Elbowville’, where Mayor Kendall Grove reigns supreme. Look for the lanky Grove to use his reach advantage to force Rivera to ‘want’ this fight to hit the ground. From there, Grove will pound away with his elbows until he sets up a submission or the ref ends up stopping the fight.

Antoni Hardonk Vs. Colin Robinson
Hardonk looks to rebound from a loss and will use Robinson as his bouncing point. Hardonk will use his powerful leg kicks to weaken Robinson, eventually landing a KO blow in the third round

Paul Kelly Vs. Paul Taylor
This battle of welterweight Brits will be nothing short of exciting, with serious potential to be ’fight of the night’. With both lads fighting in their home country, neither wants to be remembered has the guy who lost this all English UFC battle. Unfortunately, only one person can win, and on paper it looks to be Paul Taylor. His striking prowess coupled with his pin point accurate power shots will most likely get the better of Kelly, who is making his debut in the UFC.

James Lee Vs. Alessio Sakara
Lee will be making his UFC debut in this fight vs a Sakara, who is dangerously close to being released from the organization. Sakara is 1-3 in his last four fights, with his last loss being a devastating KO at the hands of Houston Alexander. He has never proven to be smart in fights, often times challenging his opponents by matching strengths vs strengths. This is what consistenly costs him precious victories and I worry the same will happen vs Lee. If Sakara chooses to brawl with Lee, as opposed to being patient and picking his shots, there is a very good chance he will be overwhelmed and fall victim to a TKO.

Per Eklund Vs. Sam Stout
Per Eklund will become the first swedish fighter to ever grace the Octagon, and comes with a solid resume and reputation of finishing fights. His opponent, Canadian Sam Stout has been in a variety of wars with quality opponents and I believe this is the key to this fight. It appears the Stout has the edge in the stand-up battle with the ground game perhaps going to Eklund. But the UFC experience, fighting in the big show under the bright lights generally has a way of playing itself into the final result. This will be Stout’s fourth fight on the big stage, while Eklund will be battling nerves, butterflies while treading in uncharted waters. Look for Stout to pound away a unanimous judges decision.

Don’t forget to check back for the full results and analysis. To be fair to all, especially those who will not be able to watch the live 3pm broadcast and will watch the 10pm airing instead, I will not post the results until after 1am, Sunday morning.

If you are a fan of the Ulimate Fighting Championships, the next 6-7 weeks will have you salivating. The organization known as the leader in Mixed Martial Arts, will have no less than five (5) different events in two different countries, with one being televised on free tv.

To get things started will be UFC 80, which goes down this Saturday night, January 19th in Newcastle, UK. This event will feature the title fight between lightweight contenders BJ ‘The Prodigy’ Penn vs Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson. There is also a heavyweight contender match between Gabrial ‘Napao’ Gonzaga vs Fabricio Werdum.

Four days later on January 23rd, the UFC returns home to Las Vegas, with UFC Fight Night 12. This event will be broadcast live on Spike Tv and will be headlined by Mike ‘Quick’ Swick making his welterweight debut vs Josh Burkman. The event is jam packed with talent with other big bouts like Canadian Patrick ’The Predator’ Cote vs Drew McFreddies, Alvin Robinson vs Nate Diaz and other big names like Thiago Tavares,  Kurt Pellegrino, Gray Maynard, Cole Miller and the much anticipated return of Corey ‘The Real Deal’ Hill.

Ten days later, on February 02nd, the UFC has their next big pay per view event with UFC 81. The main event will see Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira take on Tim Sylvia for the UFC’s Interm Heavyweight Championship. This event will also showcase the debut of former WWE champion Brock Lesnar, as he takes on former UFC heavyweight champion, Frank Mir.

While it appears the UFC may be taking a full month break before their next event, it may be because they will return rather quickly with two pay per views within the span of one week. UFC 82 is scheduled for March 01st, in Columbus, Ohio and will be headlined by Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva defending is UFC Middleweight Championship vs Pride Middleweight Champion, Dan Henderson.

Rumour has it that seven days later, on March 08th, the UFC will return to London, England for UFC 83. This event appears to already have a few fights signed as it looks like hometown hero Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping will make his middleweight debut vs Charles ‘Chainsaw’ McCarthy. This event will also mark the return of fan favourite Houston ‘The Nebraskin Assasin’ Alexander, as he takes on James Irvin.

All this bodes well for major UFC content as we get closer to the UFC’s debut in Montreal, April 19th, for UFC 84. This event will be headlined by Georges St.Pierre, as he looks to unify his newly acquired interm welterweight title with current champion, Matt Serra.

Be sure to listen to ‘The Showdown’ this Thursday night as I will have many more updates on the Montreal card, as well as UFC 80 updates from Neil Davidson from The Canadian Press, who will be on location to give us the scoop. Also on the show, we’ll hear from BJ Penn and Joe Stevenson.

It’s been a hectic schedule since my return from Vegas. While I enjoyed covering UFC 79 for Sportsnet and The Fan 590, the holiday season definetly had its way with my time. Thankfully, life is returning back to normal and I can go back to the wonderful world that is Mixed Martial Arts.

I noticed a bold prediciton by Dan Henderson where he states he will be more than happy to be in the clinch with Anderson Silva, once they battle on the March UFC 82 card. Sounds great in theory, as Henderson’s clinch game is second to none.

My issue with this potential strategy is that it will be his greco roman and dirty boxing skills vs Silva’s brutal Muay Thai and knee strikes within the clinch. Why fight power vs power when you can just work on taking Silva to the mat, and work the ground and pound game? While Silva has a black belt in BJJ, his fight vs Travis Lutter can be a blueprint if Henderson wants to unify the Pride and UFC middleweight titles. Take him down and work the g’n'p.

Speaking of Silva, I was very impressed with his demeanour while in Vegas as he was there representing the UFC at various functions. I lost count at how many times he was stopped by the thousands of fans walking around the Mandalay Bay, but he always smiled and took as many pictures that were requested of him. He is also a great role model for MMA as is evidenced by his recent donation to Ronald McDonald House.

UFC Offers Tito Ortiz to Lyoto Machida

The UFC has offered former light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz, to the undefeated Lyoto Machida, perhaps putting an end to speculation that Machida was going to fight Chuck Liddell next.

This is a strange offering by the UFC and a risky one for Machida, seeing as a loss to Ortiz would seriously derail his road to a title shot. At this stage in Ortiz’s career, I do not see him posing a serious threat to Machida’s excellent fight strategy, but it’s MMA, and it’s a risky proposition for the undefeated Machida.

Mind you, a win over the popular Ortiz will catapault Machida up the UFC mainstream popularity rankings, which no doubt will help promote him in a potential title fight or vs another big name fighter (i.e. Liddell). It’s all about building stars and with a win over Tito, the star rating for Machida would definetly go up.

This Thursday on The Showdown

Don’t forget to join me this Thursday at 10pm, for The Showdown.  If all goes well, I will have one half of the main event at UFC 80, Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson.

Schedule permitting, I am also hoping at bringing in Neil Davidson from the Canadian Press. Davidson’s UFC articles are second to none and he is a plethora of information when it comes to the UFC and MMA in Canada.

Ciao for now,

Showdown Joe