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It was a record setting debut for the Ultimate Fighting Championship in Sydney, Australia, as UFC 110 sold 17,831 tickets for a $2.5 million gate, the highest in 10 years for the Acer Arena. The record sellout was the second fastest in UFC history, while the company broke the arena’s merchandising record originally set by Iron Maiden.

The show’s success paved the way for future events down under as UFC President Dana White stated at the post-fight press conference that the company plans on returning on an annual basis, with the next show likely in Melbourne (pending successful legalization efforts).

The UFC 110 bonuses were handed out to Cain Velasquez for knockout of the night, Chris Lytle for submission of the night, while George Sotiropoulos and Joe Stevenson earned the Fight of the Night honour. Each one of these fighters earned an extra fifty thousand dollars for their stellar performances.

Sotiropoulo’s dominant victory over Joe Daddy sent a clear message to the UFC lightweight division that he is for real, and is a serious contender in the division. While he’s not in title contention just yet, he is well on his way to some real wars with some of the division’s best.

Cain Velasquez’s utter destruction of living legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira served notice to Brock Lesnar, as well as Shane Carwin and Frank Mir. The Cain Train is for real and any doubters of his skill set will now fall on deaf ears.

In the co-main event, Wanderlei Silva’s victory over Michael Bisping was a bout that had many fight fans on the edge of their seats. I, for one, felt like I held my breath for the first four minutes of the bout and had to force myself to exhale. It was one of those epic bouts that I just knew that, at any given point, an explosion was about to occur. Silva may have come out with a well deserved victory, but Bisping should keep his head up high for going the distance with “The Axe Murderer”. With the victory, Silva is now expected to take on Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama

If there’s one thing Bisping may look back on and wished he had done differently in the fight, it’s likely a change in aggression. Today, I wonder if he is likely regretting not being more aggressive and abandoning his counter punching style going into round three. Either way, “The Count” will likely show this type of style in his next bout, as that is the one that usually grants him the most success.

Cro Cop’s victory over Anthony Perosh (who took the bout on forty eight hours notice) was expected; but I still want to see how he fares with his original opponent, “Big” Ben Rothwell. Having been a die-hard Cro Cop fan for years, I’m not sure he is still has that killer instinct and devastating power anymore. Rothwell would have been a great test, so, until that fight happens, I’m still on the shelf with the Pride superstar.

As for the rest of the bouts, Ryan Bader proved he is on the right track with his training. Defeating Keith Jardine was expected (in my books), so now it’s time for another stiff test for the undefeated wrestler.

Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski may have had his hand raised in victory after his war with Stephan Bonnar, but at the UFC 11o post-fight press conference, both “The Polish Experiment” and “The American Psycho” agreed that there is unfinished business here. With the bout ending on an accidental headbutt that split Bonnar open, look for the UFC matchmaking team to pit these two light heavyweights together sometime in the summer.

Who could have predicted Chris Lytle, the stand-up warrior, pulling off a submission? I certainly didn’t see it coming, so kudos to him for the excellent rolling knee bar set-up, and sticking with the attempt until he was able to lock Brian Foster’s leg in position, forcing him to tap.

The full UFC 110 results are:

MAIN CARD

• Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira via KO (punches) at 2:20 of round one
• Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping via unanimous decision (29-28 on all judges scorecards)
• George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson via unanimous decision (30-27 on all judges scorecards)
• Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine via KO (punch) at 2:10 of round three
• Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic def. Anthony Perosh via TKO (cut) at 5:00 of round three.

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Krzysztof Soszynski def. Stephan Bonnar via TKO (cut) at 1:04 of round three.
• Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster via submission (knee-bar) at 1:41 of round one.
• C.B. Dollaway def. Goran Reljic via unanimous decision (29-28 on all judges scorecards)
• James Te Huna def. Igor Pokrajac via TKO (strikes) at 3:26 of round three.

 -Showdown Joe Ferraro

It’s fight day in the Land Down Under, as UFC 110: Nogueira vs Velasquez is set to go off at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia tonight at 1opm EST.

There are nine bouts on the docket, so let’s breakdown each bout and get your take on who you believe will emerge victorious:

First things first - if you missed it, the all-Australian bout between Elvis Sinosic and Chris Haseman has been pulled from the prelims, while “Big” Ben Rothwell was diagnosed with a stomach virus when he landed in Australia, and has since been replaced by Anthony Perosh, who will fight Mirko Cro Cop.

Sinosic was forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury and it’s terrible for the “King of Rock’n'Rumble”, as he and Haseman are MMA pioneers in Australia and it would have simply been golden for both of these guys to tangle in the octagon. Sinosic was one of the very first fighters that I ever sponsored, and was the very first “Showdown Fighterwear” athlete to make it to the UFC, at one point even tangling with Tito Ortiz for the title at UFC 32 in June of 2001.

Alright - let’s get to the predictions for tonight’s event:

Main Event: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (106k/234lbs) vs. Cain Velasquez (110k/242 ½lbs)

The winner of this heavyweight tilt will be placed on standby for a chance to take on Brock Lesnar, should the winner of UFC 111’s interim title bout between Frank Mir and Shane Carwin be unable to take on the champ.

Nogueira is typically a slow starter and could find himself in serious danger against the fast-paced Velasquez. On paper, Big Nog is a better striker and submission specialist but Cain is the power puncher with superior wrestling. I see Cain winning the first two rounds, but Nog pulling off a surprise submission in round three. If it does go the distance, Velasquez should be able to pull off the upset.

Co-Main Event: Wanderlei Silva (84k/185lbs) vs. Michael Bisping (84k/185lbs)

This is my first candidate for Fight of the Night. How will Silva handle his first fight at middleweight vs Bisping, a guy looking to prove why he believes Silva is past his prime? I see this bout similar to “The Axe Murderer’s” bout against Keith Jardine. He explodes once the bell is rung, and goes in for the quick finish. But, with that being said, the longer this bout goes, the more I favour “The Count”. If Silva doesn’t stop him within the first two rounds, Bisping may just pull this one off. As for a prediction, I’ll go with Silva in a late, first round KO.

Joe Stevenson (70k/154lbs) vs. George Sotiropoulos (70k/154lbs)

While Stevenson is the heavy favourite in this bout, do not discount hometown hero Sotiropoulos. The Aussie lightweight has the tools to catch “Joe Daddy” with a submission, but I firmly believe that Stevenson will end this fight within two rounds via TKO.

Keith Jardine (93k/205lbs) vs. Ryan Bader (93k/205lbs)

It appears Jardine could be in big trouble if he loses this fight - he runs the risk of being cut from the organization should he suffer a defeat at the hands of “Darth Bader”. This light-heavyweight bout will be an explosive affair and I see the undefeated Bader pulling off a TKO in round two.

Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic (106k/234lbs) vs. Anthony Perosh (98k/216lbs)

Facing Perosh may be a blessing in disguise for Cro Cop, as I was going to go out on a limb and pick Rothwell in an upset. Now that’s he’s facing Perosh, Cro Cop has no excuse whatsoever, and should win this bout handily. With Cro Cop, I’m now at the point of “I’ll believe it when I see it”, as his last few fights have shown that the former Pride FC tournament champion has lost some of that killer instinct and will to win from his prime in Japan.

With Perosh taking this bout on just 2-3 days notice, all the Aussie can do is get this fight to the ground as soon as he can, and hope for a submission. There was a rumour that Cro Cop suffered a bad cut in training, which required a bunch of stitches, but based on what I saw at the weigh-ins, he looks perfectly fine; so much for Perosh hoping to work on that “supposed” cut. I’m going to pick Cro Cop by TKO in round one.

Preliminary Bouts:

Stephan Bonnar (93k/205lbs) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (93k/205lbs)

I can not see this fight going more than two rounds. After the debacle that was Bonnar’s performance against Mark Coleman at UFC 100, all signs are pointing to Soszynski winning this bout. I almost feel “The Polish Experiment” will dominate “The American Psycho” from the onset, and I’m predicting the referee will step in and save Bonnar in the second round.

Chris Lytle (77k/170lbs) vs. Brian Foster (78k/171lbs )

This welterweight scrap is my other prediction for an early “Fight of the Night” candidate. Neither fighter shows any history of quitting, so I predict a three round war, likely in Lytle’s favour. While I do believe Foster has the skills to submit Lytle, I’m not sure he’s at that skill level just yet. Expect a war in this bout, and while I’m picking Chris, I will definitely not be surprised if Foster shocks the UFC brass with a victory.

Goran Reljic (84k/185lbs) vs. C.B. Dollaway (84k/185lbs)

Many are saying that Dollaway is also in serious jeopardy of being cut should he lose to Reljic. I sort of agree, but I don’t believe “The Doberman” is getting the credit he deserves here. He has all the skills to finish off Reljic, and while I’ve told many that Reljic will win this fight, I’m changing my tune today. I’m going to go with Dollaway by split decision.

Igor Pokrajac (205lbs) vs. James Te Huna (93k/205lbs)

It’s a light heavyweight showdown that will kick the night off at the ACER Arena. This bout has all the markings of a fast paced first round but will likely slow going into rounds two and three. Pokrajac’s UFC debut was a decision loss to Vladimir Matyshenko at UFC 103 in September, but this experience alone gives him a slight edge over Te Huna. Considering the UFC rooking jitters and jinx is such a crazy trend, look for Igor to overwhelm James early in hopes he will not be able to recover from the inital onslaught. I’m picking Pokrajac by submission in round two.

Time for your picks…who do you have and why?

 -Showdown Joe Ferraro

Recent comments made by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty have sent the MMA world into a tail spin, but upon further examination, those who are overreacting will eventually see a brighter picture.

When it comes to where his government stands on regulating MMA in Ontario, McGuinty stated “It’s just not a priority for us at this point in time, we have higher priorities when it comes to developing those jobs and strengthening the economy.”

It’s been the same positioning since 1993, so why there is such an uproar is almost humorous.

McGuinty also stated that “We have other things on the go right now, and we’ll stay focused on those, whether that’s our tax reforms, stimulating the economy through investments in infrastructure, getting our children better opportunities at the outset.”

Fair enough, but let’s be honest here: the wheels have already been in motion to educate his own cabinet for quite some time, with the vast majority by Zuffa, the owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the lobbyist firm they hired in 2009, Cassels, Brock and Blackwell LLP.

Speaking with Noble Chummar, Zuffa’s legal representation (via Cassels, Brock and Blackwell LLP), assurances that all is fine and the efforts to complete the task at hand are moving ahead at a steady pace.

“We are encouraged by the progress we have made thus far”, stated Chummar via telephone.

“We continue to work on ways to educate government officials and those within the cabinet. We fully understand that the Premier’s recent comments that sanctioning MMA is not at the top of the priority list, and nor do we expect it to be.”

While there are those who are deeply entrenched in the MMA Universe seeing red right now, McGuinty’s statements were likely a simple reaction to fielding a plethora of questions, none of which had anything to do with MMA in Ontario. By many accounts, the question about the sport in Ontario came out of left field.

And according to Chummar, MMA advocates need to bestow a little more patience on the lobbying process, as the province will soon see the light.

“Once the education process shows the economic impact and stability MMA can bring to the Ontario economy, as well as the high standards we recommend for fighter (and consumer) safety at events, I am confident our goal will be achieved”.

I personally have the utmost faith in Chummar and the firm’s capability in realizing this long lasting goal. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since the late nineties, it’s this: when it comes to regulating MMA in Ontario, there will be highs and there will be lows and today is no different than any other day when the sport appeared “close” to being sanctioned.

Patience is key…let nature take it’s course, and before you know it, there will be various events at the Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Copps Colliseum in Hamilton, the John Labbatt Centre in London and even my own events I plan on holding at…

Ah yes…in time. It will all happen in time.

With Rogers Sportsnet and The FAN 590 focusing on delivering exceptional content from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, “MMA Connected” and “The Showdown” have taken a two week hiatus; but news in the MMA world continues to come fast and furious.

UFC 110: Nogueira vs Velasquez goes down in Sydney, Australia this Saturday night (Sunday in the land down under), with the pay per view airing at the usual timeslot of 10pm EST.

Later this week I will give you my predictions and analysis for the full card, which features a main event between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez, with the winner being placed on standby and potentially getting a crack at UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar in July.

The big news this past week has been the unfortunate withdrawl of Vitor Belfort from UFC 112, where he was scheduled to take on Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Stepping up to replace Belfort will be fellow Brazilian Demian Maia, who now finds himself in a difficult position as he prepares to opportunity of a lifetime.

Maia has done his fair share of travelling whilst prepping for his last few fights, but his past decisions are now going to affect his training camps moving forward. He recently spent time with the Nogueira brothers, but seeing as they are stablemates of Silva’s ( Team Blackhouse ), Demian will not be able to work with them. Then there’s Wanderlai Silva, who helped Maia with his Muay Thai, but “The Axe Murderer” recently stated he will be spending a fair amount of time with “The Spider”, so that option is now gone.

One option is to head down to Brazil and work with UDL, but they are very close with Anderson as well. Maia’s options are running thin, so unless he is able to look outside of his Brazilian MMA Box, he may have a difficult time prepping for this massive 185 lbs showdown. Rumours are swirling that he may hit up the American Top Team in Florida, but either way, look for the submission specialist to figure it out by week’s end.

During the UFC’s scramble to find a replacement for Belfort, rumours started swirling that Silva may instead fight at light heavyweight with Randy Couture’s name being bandied as a possible opponent. “The Natural” stated he did not receive the offer but did hint that a potential bout with Rich Franklin could be on the docket for UFC 115, set for June 12th in Vancouver.

If there was one fighter many MMA fans were hoping the UFC could bring in to face Silva, it would be Gegard Mousassi. While “The Dream Catcher” is locked in with Strikeforce for the foreseeable future, he recently parted ways with M-1 Global, the same management team that represents Fedor Emelianenko. With the departure, many are beginning the countdown as to when the Armenian will make his octagon debut. Pending the financial success of Strikeforce’s next two (or three) shows, don’t expect Mousassi in the UFC anytime soon, but I do believe he will be there in 2011.

In case you missed some of my latest Twitter and Facebook updates, one of my business partners, Sean Pierson, has recently signed on with Bellator Fighting Championships and will be part of Bellator’s season two welterweight tournament. Another one of our friends (and the man who I attribute the majority of my MMA skill set to) Antonio “Pato” Carvalho, has signed on with W-1 MMA and will be fighting Eddie Fyvie on March 20th in Montreal. Pay attention to both of these names, as Pierson is widely regarded as one of the best welterweights in Canada (and has been invited by GSP once again, to help prepare for his next bout). As for Carvalho, he was widely considered a top three featherweight just a few years ago, until a rash of injuries sidelined him for the better part of 2008 and 2009.

A few other Canadians making news are Nick Ring, a middleweight fighter who was once recruited by Pride FC and I worked closely with during the 2004 Abu Dhabi North American Trials in Vernon, BC. Ring has been selected as a cast member of The Ultimate Fighter Eleven, featuring coaches Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.

The other Canadian about to make headlines appears to be Toronto’s Claude Patrick, a welterweight with blistering speed and a magical ground game. Patrick is poised to sign with the UFC, and will be a fresh infusion to the 170 lbs class. He has quietly built an impressive record on the grass roots level, and will now be jumping in with the sharks of the octagon (likely at UFC 115 in Van City), in a division which is arguably the deepest in MMA.

As for the latest news on “when” MMA will be sanctioned and regulated in Ontario, this near two decade story has once again been derailed. I have received encouraging news that lobbyist efforts are right on track and in fact, have taken major steps forward, some of which you will see on MMA Connected’s post-Olympic broadcast on March 01st. But as I say that, Premier Dalton McGuinty recently stated that this is not a priority for his government, thwarting any momentum that was gained.

On a personal level, dealing with this legalization issue since 1998 feels like driving a standard vehicle where every time you press the gas pedal, someone from the government always presses the clutch the moment you move forward. The vehicle still moves forward, rolling, but thankfully no one has pressed the brakes; wait a second…is it too late to retract that last statement about someone pressing the brakes?

-Joe Ferraro

Recent comments made by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty have sent the MMA world into a tail spin, but upon further examination, those who are overreacting will eventually see a brighter picture.

When it comes to where his government stands on regulating MMA in Ontario, McGuinty stated “It’s just not a priority for us at this point in time, we have higher priorities when it comes to developing those jobs and strengthening the economy.”

It’s been the same positioning since 1993, so why there is such an uproar is almost humorous.

McGuinty also stated that “We have other things on the go right now, and we’ll stay focused on those, whether that’s our tax reforms, stimulating the economy through investments in infrastructure, getting our children better opportunities at the outset.”

Fair enough, but let’s be honest here: the wheels have already been in motion to educate his own cabinet for quite some time, with the vast majority by Zuffa, the owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the lobbyist firm they hired in 2009, Cassels, Brock and Blackwell LLP.

Speaking with Noble Chummar, Zuffa’s legal represntation (via Cassels, Brock and Blackwell LLP), assurances that all is fine and the efforts to complete the task at hand are moving ahead at a steady pace.

“We are encouraged by the progress we have made thus far”, stated Chummar via telephone.

“We continue to work on ways to educate government officials and those within the cabinet. We fully understand that the Premier’s recent comments that sanctioning MMA is not at the top of the priority list, and nor do we expect it to be.”

While there are those who are deeply entrenched in the MMA Universe seeing red right now, McQuinty’s statements were likely a simple reaction to fielding a plethora of questions, none of which had anything to do with MMA in Ontario. By many accounts, the question about the sport in Ontario came out of left field.

And according to Chummar, MMA advocates need to bestow a little more patience on the lobbying process, as the province will soon see the light.

“Once the education process shows the economic impact and stability MMA can bring to the Ontario economy, as well as the high standards we recommend for fighter ( and consumer ) safety at events, I am confident our goal will be achieved”.

I personally have the utmost faith in Chummar and the firm’s capablity in realizing this long lasting goal. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since the late nineties, it’s this: when it comes to regulating MMA in Ontario, there will be highs and there will be lows and today is no different than any other day when the sport appeared “close” to being sanctioned.

Patience is key…let nature take it’s course, and before you know it, there will be various events at the Rogers Centre and Air Canada Centres in Toronto, Copps Colliseum in Hamilton, the John Labbatt Centre in London and even my own events I plan on holding at…

Ah yes…in time. It will all happen in time.

Its seems with every month that goes by, another state, province or country sanctions and regulates Mixed Martial Arts, but since the inception of this modern day combat sport, the province of Ontario has turned a blind eye. But it appears the sands of the hour glass are running out for it’s most serious detractors.I had the chance to catch up with UFC President Dana White and asked what the status of legalization efforts were for the province.

“Like I’ve said along, it’s inevitable, it’s going to happen.”, he stated, with a more serious tone in comparison to other answers he gave me to a wide variety of quesitons.

He continued, “There’s no reason it shouldn’t be”, a bold statement perhaps reflecting that the sports opposition no longer has any legs to stand on.

When asked if he could provide a ball park figure as to a timeframe that he believed the sport would be regulated in the province, he preached patience, and that the end result would be in his favour.

“It’s just a matter of time. It’s going to take time. Just like Boston took time and all these other states, we’ll get Ontario done.”

But patience is running thin for many of the hungry MMA fans and fighters from Ontario. For the fighters, they are unanimous in their voices and outright frustration of always being “the away team”. They have never enjoyed the luxury of fighting on their home soil and must travel out of province to garner experience. For many, fighting on a native reserve where many MMA events are taking place is a risky proposition.

For the fans, they just want the right to attend an MMA event within the provinces borders. Whether it be a UFC event or a grass roots one, they believe they have the constitutional right to make their own decision, as to how they want to spend their entertainment dollars.

The aforementioned groups have waited over seventeen (17) years for their province to wake up and it appears their wishes may be coming true, sooner rather than later.

Enter Noble Chummar, Legal Representation for the UFC in Ontario and a prominent attorney with Cassels, Brock and Blackwell, the lobbyist firm hired by the UFC to work educating members of the provincial government on the many reasons why the sport should be sanctioned and regulated.

“We’re moving forward; Ontario is getting close”, smiled Chummar, from his offices in downtown Toronto.

Chummar worked closely with the efforts that helped get MMA regulated in Vancouver and sees the bright side in Ontario.

“The Premier is open minded, and that’s a positive sign. But the reality is that the sport is currently not regulated.”

While the current state of affairs appear dismal, Chummar believes that the right steps have been taken and the ball is already rolling in parliament.

“If the government and public interests are aligned, then we must regulate the sport so it is safe for the fighters who wish to compete. The same can be said for the fans, as MMA can provide an avenue of entertainment for the many who enjoy the sport.”

Chummar’s focus and representation is for the sport of MMA, not just the UFC, but made it clear that his client is the gold standard in Mixed Martial Arts promotions. “The UFC has the highest standards. They meet and exceed global standards.”

Initial projections pointed to the sport being regulated in late 2011, but according to Chummar, the light at the end of the tunnel gets brighter with every passing day.

“As for a date, we are not counting our chickens. We are working with various levels of government to continue the education process while always understanding that patience is a virtue.”

And with a confident smile, Chummar hinted that maybe, just maybe, the sands of the hour glass have finally hit the bottom.

“It will happen, and it will be sooner, than most anticipate.”

-Showdown Joe Ferraro

At UFC 109, Chael Sonnen bullied the middleweight title shot right out of Nate Marquardt’s hands, but in doing so, finds himself caught within a spider’s web.The new contender to Anderson Silva’s crown appears to also have had an epiphany when it comes to the art of promoting a prize fight. Over the past few weeks, the formrer Olympic Wrestling Alternate has taken his fair share of pot shots towards the champ, and the Brazilian’s camp has taken notice.

In a phone conversation with Ed Soares, Silva’s representation, the rebuttals were mainly professional, but I did get a sense that if Sonnen chose to continue the war of words, The Black House family would be more than willing to oblige in verbal warfare.

“At the moment, we are completely focused on Anderson’s title defence versus Vitor Belfort”, set for UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.

Soares continued by stating “We’ve spoken with Chael on many occasions and have the utmost respect for him. He’s never really come across in this manner, and it’s obvious he’s just drumming up hype in hopes to get a bout with Anderson.”

While UFC President Dana White did state that the winner of Saturday’s co-main event between Sonnen and Marquardt would fight the winner of Silva and Belfort, Soares didn’t necessarily agree with this decision.

“We are fine if this is what the UFC wants, but if you at this logistically, Sonnen should fight Demian Maia first. Demian beat up easily, by submission, so why not make them fight first, to determine who gets a shot at the title?”

It remains to be seen whether the UFC matchmaking team decides to go with Soares’ suggestion, but when it comes to some of the comments made about his client, Soares did reiterate that it’s more hyperbole than fact.

In various interviews, Sonnen referred to himself as the “alpha male” in the locker rooms and that Silva knew who the real “bully” was backstage.

“There’s not much to say about that” state Soares. “It’s funny, but really, who actually listens to what Chael Sonnen has to say. The only time people listen is when he talks about Anderson. Who is he, really? If you walk down the street and you mention his name, does anyone really know who this guy is? Likely not, but if you mention ‘Anderson Silva’, people know the name”.

Sonnen’s dominant performance on Saturday night raised many eyebrows, as his excellent execution of a stellar game plan for Marquardt proved he is a worth contender to the title, but his comments about who many consider the pound for pound best fighter in MMA are alarming.

When referring to “The Spider”, he stated in multiple interviews that the champ’s “fifteen minutes of fame were up” and that if given the choice to fight either Belfort of Silva next, he chose the ladder, claiming it would be “an easier route” to championship glory.

Soares chuckled at the comment but wondered aloud if Sonnen’s intentions weren’t more secretive.

“Chael’s also said a few things about Anderson’s choice of clothes and that he wears earings, didn’t he? Sounds to us like he may have a crush on Anderson.”

With Chael Sonnen now realizing the importance of hyping up his own fights and that fact he has an incredible gift of making statements that are worthy of their own headlines, one can only imagine the drama that will unfold in the days to come, and especially leading up to a potential bout with Silva.

Stay tuned…this could get ugly.

-Showdown Joe Ferraro

UFC 109: Relentless has come and gone, so let’s take a look at what the history books will say about the event, and examine what some of it’s story lines will breed in the months to come. The Mandalay Bay Events Centre saw 10,687 fans attend the show, generating a gate of $2.27 million for the UFC; $60,000 in bonuses were handed out to Chael Sonnen and Nate Marquardt for Fight of the Night, Matt Serra for Knockout of the Night and Paulo Thiago for Submission of the Night.

In the main event, Randy “The Natural” Couture defeated fellow Hall of Famer Mark “The Hammer” Coleman via rear naked choke, in a bout that saw the ladder completely dispose of his legendary freestyle game plan. According to UFC President Dana White, Coleman is “probably done” with the organization, while he believes Couture is right up there in the title mix for the light heavyweight crown. Not sure I agree with this assessment, as I’d like to see Couture defeat a top contender in the division, or at least according to White, a fellow top contender as he has the former champ ranked much higher than I do.

As for Coleman, the legend will no doubt have to reevaluate whether he should continue fighting, but much is being made about the post-fight verbal altercation between he and Ortiz. Both fighters had choice words for one another, which stem back to October, when Coleman was forced to withdraw from their proposed UFC 106 bout, and where Ortiz called him “a sissy”, and Coleman’s camp responding with some derogatory comments towards Ortiz’s girlfriend, Jenna Jameson.

Don’t fool yourself here: Tito could be jockeying for a future bout with Coleman, (one he may consider an easy pay cheque) likely believing he could easily defeat the UFC Hall of Famer, just like Couture did. Will this bout happen? Not likely, according to Dana White.

In the co-main event, it was heartbreaking to see Nate Marquardt’s title shot disappear into thin air, as Chael Sonnen dominated the former number one contender for the vast majority of the fight. Nate did rebound in the last minute of the fight, but it was too little too late.

One thing I would like the UFC to consider is make all “number one” contender bouts, five rounds (an idea born from my colleague Josh Gross from Sports Illustrated). This would eliminate the need for interim titles, while prepping the contenders for a five round war. Nate will now have to work his way back up the middleweight food chain while Sonnen has taken over the pecking order and is already taking numerous verbal pot shots towards champion Anderson Silva.

Many believe Sonnen came out of nowhere, but then again, many have not paid attention to his stellar accomplishments. While I firmly believed Marquardt was going to win, I knew Sonnen’s wrestling could give Nate fits…and boy did it ever.

Although Silva must first get past Vitor Belfort at UFC 112, I would thoroughly enjoy the lead up to a Silva/Sonnen fight, especially considering the American has made it clear that he is the “alpha male” backstage, and not “The Spider”, even going so far as saying the champion’s “fifteen minutes of fame” are up.

Demian Maia, who holds a victory over Sonnen, rebounded at UFC 109 with a victory over Dan Miller, in a bout that showcased his improved striking and ability. It also proved he can stand and bang with one of the division’s toughest competitors, and that if the fight does not go to the ground, the Brazilian does have the skills to win standing up. Where he goes from here, remains to be seen, but if I was him, I’d be calling out Nate Marquardt right away.

As for Paulo Thiago coming out of nowhere, I disagree. UFC match maker Joe Silva should be commended for recruiting the Jungle Fight veteran and giving him three (of four) stiff tests in the octagon. Thiago knocked Koscheck in his UFC debut, goes the distance with Jon Fitch (#2 WW on my list) at UFC 100, defeats Jacob Volkmann thereafter, then submits Mike Swick at UFC 109. I now rank Thiago at number three and is but another reason champion George St-Pierre should forget his Olympic aspirations.

Matt Serra’s TKO of Frank Trigg in the first round proved the former champ still has some gas left in his tank, and while he may not look pretty throwing leather, if he connects, most guys are going to go down. Unfortunately for Trigg, we may have seen the last of “Twinkle Toes” in the octagon, while Serra continues to jockey for his placing in the welterweight division. With his mentor Renzo Gracie taking on his arch nemesis Matt Hughes at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, look for Serra to be there and call out Hughes immediately, no matter the outcome of the bout.

In the prelims, while Canadian Tim Hague fell short on the judges scorecards, losing a majority decision to Chris Tuchsherer, the arena erupted in boos immediately after the decision was announced. By many accounts, neither fighter did too much to win rounds one and two, but round three was all Hague, but it was obviously too little, too late.

As I predicted in my column yesterday, rookie Phil Davis pulled off a unanimous judges decision victory over veteran Brian Stann and looked great doing so. This guy is another future star in the light heavyweight division, with many people already calling for a match up with Jon Jones. I disagree…Davis still has work to do before he can fight someone on Jones’ level. In time, they will meet, but that time, is not now.

Mac Danzig, Melvin Guillard and Rob Emerson were all victorious as well, with all three fighters showing improvements in their MMA skills. None of them may be ranked high in the lightweight division, but all three are gamers and are capable of pulling off some serious upsets as they ascend the 155 lbs latter.

The one disappointment from UFC 109 was the performance of Rolles Gracie, who came into this fight highly acclaimed as the next “Gracie” to bear the families torch. I’ve yet to find out what really went wrong, but there’s likely a specific reason why he gassed out just four minutes into the fight. He was well prepared for this bout, and I get the feeling the anxiety and pressure caught up with him; I’ve seen this with many MMA fighters in the past. They have all the skills in the world, but the pressure just gets to them and their seemingly endless gas tank in training, ends up starting off on empty when they get to their fight. The real question here, is whether the UFC decides to give him another chance, or he is he just a “one and done’ with the organization.

As always, your thoughts and comments are always welcomed.

- Showdown Joe Ferraro

UFC 109: Relentless goes down Saturday night at The Mandalay Bay Events Centre, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It’s an event highlighted by various divisional contender bouts and will be capped off by a main event that is nearly thirteen (13) years in the making, as UFC Hall of Famers Randy “The Natural” Couture takes on Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

My thoughts and predictions for each bout are listed below; I’d like to read your thoughts and predictions in the comments field, so get your thinking caps on and let’s do this.

Main Event: Mark Coleman (205) vs. Randy Couture (205)
As many of you recently saw on MMA Connected, Nate Marquardt and Rashad Evans told me it comes down to the wrestling. Yesterday, Dana White told me it’s all about who can get the top position on the ground. Strangely enough, I believe that between Couture’s Greco-Roman and Coleman’s Freestyle wrestling, the one who controls the standup will likely pull off the victory. I look for Couture to punish Coleman with his boxing, fatigue his foe then finish him off via TKO on the ground.

Chael Sonnen (185) vs. Nate Marquardt (186)
Unless Sonnen can execute his gameplan of sucking the will to win out of Marquardt, I believe Nate’s well rounded style will have his hand raised in victory, likely by TKO or submission in the third round.

Paulo Thiago (170) vs. Mike Swick (171)
Swick looked pumped at the weigh in and cannot afford to lose to Thiago. His back is against the wall in this fight (as is Thiago’s) but the real pressure is on Mike. I look for a three round war here with Swick winning two rounds to one; I believe Thiago will pull off the the third round, but it will be too little, too late. 

Dan Miller (185) vs. Demian Maia (186)
Maia’s submissions are simply on another level, even though I give a ton of respect to Miller’s recent achievement of earning his BJJ blackbelt. If Miller can avoid the urge to but Maia on his back and keep the fight standing, he should win this fight. If he does not, Maia should submit him. While Jim Miller (Dan’s brother) told me it will be Dan by flying gogoplata, I’m going to go on a limb here and say Miller by split decision.

Frank Trigg (171) vs. Matt Serra (169)
I rarely pick against Trigg, but after seeing how fatigued he looked at yesterday’s weigh-ins, I’m thinking he will suffer the consequences of a drastic weight cut if the fight goes more than two rounds. With that being sad, I will not put it past Frank to pull a fast one on all the acute observers who noticed how relieved he appeared to make 171 lbs. If this is the case, and it was just a mind game, I bow down to this Tom foolery. As for a victor, I’ll go with Matt Serra via TKO in round three.

Prelim Fights on Rogers Sportsnet

Justin Buchholz (156) vs. Mac Danzig (156)
Buchholz loves to press the pace, while Danzig is a methodical genius. I’ll go with Danzig to pull off a comeback victory in round three by submission. 

Ronys Torres (156) vs. Melvin Guillard (155)
Torres is a scrappy submission fighter, but the UFC rookie jinx may play into this fight. He’s a veteran of not only Shooto, but also the viscous Jungle Fight events in Brazil. That alone is hardcore enough to prove to me this guy is a warrior, but in facing Guillard, he better be able to withstand one of the fastest punchers in the sport today. Melvin’s handspeed is simply magical to watch, so if his stamina his up to par, he should be able to KO Torres. If his cardio fails him, he’ll be submitted the instant these two fighters lock up.

Rest of Pre-lim Card

Rob Emerson (155) vs. Phillipe Nover (155)
Sporting some insane ink, Emerson comes into this fight with a warrior spirit like no other, and I look for him to pressure the pace against Nover. Emerson is fearless, and will punish Nover everytime they exchange. Nover still hasn’t sold me on his skill set, so Emerson gets my nod for a TKO victory in the second round.

Phil Davis (205) vs. Brian Stann (205)
On paper, this fight is Brian Stann’s all the way, but Davis is a high level wrestler from Penn State that may bypass the UFC rookie jinx and beat Stann convincingly. Davis is 4-0 and never seen the second round of a fight. Stann’s experience is a lot overcome in this fight, and his stand up is tight enough to punish Davis, should the ladder be unable to takedown the veteran. It’s a tough fight to call, but based on Davis’ incredible wrestling acumen, I’m going completely against all MMA analytics here and picking the rookie to pull off the upset via unanimous judges decision.

Chris Tuchscherer (263) vs. Tim Hague (263)
Hauge has had a great training camp preparing for Tuchscherer, a stablemate of UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar. At yesterday’s weigh ins, Hague looked calm, cool and collected, while Tuchsherer did not look good at all. He looked far larger in this fight than he did vs Gabriel Gonzaga, where at UFC 102, he weighed in at 258 lbs. I’ll go on the assumption the added weight was to combat Hague’s bigger frame than Gonzaga’s, but it didn’t appear muscular…it appeared more flabby. With Lesnar being off for the majority of Chris’s training camp, and Hague having one of the best camps of his career, I’ll go with “The Thrashing Machine” by TKO in Round Two.

Joey Beltran (238) vs. Rolles Gracie (247)
Beltran steps in on short notice, while Rolles is as hungry as one can be to make his UFC debut. Look for a rear naked choke by Gracie, late in the first round.
That’s it for me…now let’s read some of your thoughts and predictions.

- Showdown Joe Ferraro

By Joe Ferraro

Herschel Walker provided us with a glimpse of what future MMA fighters can achieve; especially those who get into the sport with the mindset derived from years of being a professional athlete.

His performance was exactly what it should have been for a guy fighting for the first time, and I believe it was better than another ratings grabber, Kimbo Slice, who in his last fight (his seventh) still showed a lack of understanding for the ground game. I firmly believe that Slice’s potential has yet to be reached, despite his age, but Walker (who is twelve years is senior) showed a more advanced level of MMA skill in his MMA debut.

Kimbo is a far better striker, but for some reason, is unable to apply the other aspects of MMA during competition. By all accounts, sources have told me that during training, he looks great, but when it’s time to showcase his skill under the bright lights, he seems to forget all that he is learned. Considering he worked under the tutelage of the legendary Bas Rutten, spent over three months with the coaches on The Ultimate Fighter and represents The American Top Team, it baffles my mind when his cardio is so poor and that he was unable to finish Houston Alexander in the second round of their fight. He had Alexander’s back, but did not do what was necessary to easily finish the fight; or at least advance his position to make finishing the fight an easier task.

I’ve been a fan of Slice’s from day one, but somehow wish he would showcase the skills he apparently has at his disposal and not keel over at the end of a fight as if he ran a 25 KM marathon. Walker on the other hand, was able to stuff a takedown, transition from position to position on the ground and worked well to finish off Greg Nagy. While Nagy was nowhere near the caliber of opponents that Kimbo has faced thus far, Walker was able to defeat someone on par with his own skill level. When Kimbo was paired with Alexander (someone arguably on the same level as him), and the opportunity to end the fight on the ground presented itself, he simply did not do what appeared obvious; control, stabilize and lock in a choke or punch his way to a TKO.

From the onset of his bout, Walker had that “eye of the tiger” look that Kimbo has lost over the past few years. It seems as if that raw, fearless fighter from the streets in Miami, who had used to have zero respect for his opposition, now is hesitant to go in for the kill. I almost feel that now that Kimbo has been taught how to fight MMA, he knows his opponents have those same skills, so he needs to be defensive, as opposed to being offensive. When Kimbo brings that raw energy to a fight, he has the power to knock guys out fast.

I’m no Riccardo Liborio, or any of the star studded instructors at ATT, but priority number one for Kimbo is to master the art of the takedown defence. I believe it was episode five of TUF 10, when Kimbo made a comment that Teaching him BJJ, Wrestling and Submissions should simply be done to get him to understand what to look out for, defend, and get the fight back to his feet, ala Maurice Smith from the SEG days of the UFC. He needs to let those fists go, watch his distance (so he doesn’t get taken down) and hammer opponents to victory.

What the American Kickboxing Academy did with Walker was stellar. He was able to retain and execute the basics of MMA ground fighting. I wonder if this is a by product of being a professional athlete, one who spent years learning and understanding the specifics of a comprehensive football playbook. A professional, who from a young age, must keep himself in tip top shape, throughout high school, college and the pro ranks. I discussed this at length with my producers for the radio show and tv show during the final four of TUF 10.

When the original cast was announced, I stated that none of the four football players would go far on the show. I then wondered out loud if there was any coincidence that three of the four made it to the quarter finals, two of them made it to the semi’s and one of them actually made it to the finals. It proves the theory that this current evolution of the MMA skill set and fighter must be extremely athletic, very intelligent, yet still posses stellar stamina. One’s fighting skills will only take you so far; think Scott Junk (6-2-1), an experienced fighter who I predicted to go far on TUF 10, was knocked out in his first fight…by a football player with no previous fights on his record.

Hershel Walker, at age 47 may have added further proof to the theory that modern day mixed martial artists must truly be athletes to be successful in the sport. The days of a fighter who possesses just an intermediate level of MMA competency defeating someone with the same level gradient, yet who has a long history of athletic prowess are long gone. Do not confuse this with the old adage that the fighter with better cardio will defeat another whose cardio is weaker; to the contrary.

In this day and age, give ATT, AKA, Xtreme Couture, Zahabi MMA, etc a tenured pro athlete to mold vs an accomplished street fighter to polish, and I’m willing to bet the former defeats the ladder, more often than not.

Misc Strikeforce Thoughts:

By dismantling Mariusz Zaromskis, Nick Diaz proved my original prediction wrong. Diaz’s “punches in bunches” theory prevailed again and it was amazing to see him land those multiple combinations. But calling out GSP afterwards, sorry Mr. Diaz, I do not like your chances. Plus, with the UFC frowning on co-promotion, this fight is dead in the water.

I was very impressed with Marloes Coenen…for submission whiz, he striking was very technical. But, Cyborg Santos…my goodness, what a machine.

Robbie Lawler’s lack of leg kick defence was puzzling; I felt as if I was watching his fight vs Pete Spratt all over again. But what was truly confusing was Melvin Manhouf’s complete abandonment of his striking defence. One mental mistake - a technical error cost him more than he could possibly imagine when it comes to North Amercian MMA cache.

Note to Mr. Bobby Lashley - good on you for building your career slowly, but the time has now come to get truly tested. I’m not talking about Jason Guida tested, I’m talking about officially climbing the MMA ladder and taking on some tougher competition that will challenge your mind and heart and whether you truly want to do this. I want to see how you react when you are in trouble and your wrestling isn’t working for you.