By Joe Ferraro

After defeating Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy at UFC 111, Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre’s humility during a variety of post-fight interviews saw the Canadian apologize for his performance. But according to Team GSP, the champ did nothing wrong.

The Montreal native and poster-child for Canadian MMA gave Hardy his credit, but was frustrated with his own performance, apologizing to all who witnessed the five round domination.

“I thought he was made of rubber,” stated St-Pierre. “It’s a win, but I’m not very happy with myself. I did a lot of stupid technical mistakes. I’m very sorry. I wanted to finish this fight.”

There were many who booed throughout the main event, but one can chalk this up to a crowd that lacked the knowledge of the various strategies and techniques in MMA; it’s not just about knockouts, there’s more to MMA than flying fists.

The key for GSP was to take Hardy out of his element, the striking range, and bring the fight to where GSP was stronger – and that was on the ground.

While this is the essence of MMA strategy, he continues to receive unwarranted criticism, even with the judges scorecards ( 50-43, 50-44, and 50-45 ) which showcased a perfect shutout (and more). He set a new personal record for takedowns (11), attempted submissions (6) and smashed his previous high for positional improvements (26 -original was 14).

Going into GSP’s ninth title fight, Head Coach Firas Zahabi knew that Hardy would prove to be a worthy challenger, and prepared GSP both physically and mentally for a twenty five minutes battle. While most believed it would be a quick bout for the champ, Zahabi was adamant that this would not be the case against “The Outlaw”.

“He’s hard to kill. We know going in there he was going to be hard to kill. I told Georges to be ready to beat on this guy for five rounds, don’t try to rush to the end…and Hardy lived up to it.”

Competing at such a high pace for twenty five minutes is no easy task.

Strength and Conditioning Coach Jonathan Chaimberg is the one tasked for making sure GSP peaks at fight time and unlike the champ, was very satisfied with the performance.

“He looked great. He controlled the pace which is the most important thing. He just looked great. You can only take so much form it, but Georges is Georges; he outwrestled him and was as dominant as ever.”

But going the distance with Brit was something GSP was unable to stomach, igniting a trend Team GSP has seen before. History shows that after every fight, the Montreal native returns to the dressing room and immediately does a B-Line to his coaches to discuss the bout.

While the vast majority of credit should go to Hardy, for not only his Gumby like flexibility, but for showcasing the warrior spirit and refusing to quit, GSP did not want to hear that. What he wants to hear is why the submission attempts failed.

Enter John Danaher, his legendary grappling and submission coach, who explained to Georges what these issues were.

“In both cases, there were three or four small technical deficiencies. Georges went over the details that will make them work next time.”

Danaher also believed it was application and execution issues that prevented the submissions, and not psychological, as some would suggest.

“None of it was mental, these were technical. In any situation where technical leverage is the key to success, it always comes down to technical nuance.”

In between rounds, Coach Greg Jackson kept St-Pierre level headed, making sure the champ stuck with the original game plan, no matter how many miraculous escapes Hardy would pull off. The key was to stay focused, keep working hard and other submissions will present themselves.

“It’s an attack of wills. If you have a great arm bar and you pop that arm out, it doesn’t matter unless the guy taps, so it’s a matter of wills. I wanted to be a little more patient, use his ground and pound first, do some damage, then go for it.”

Jackson believes the experience at UFC 111 is just part of GSP’s natural evolution as a fighter, one that does not bode well for future opponents.

“That’s a process of growing”, said Jackson. “Every fighter, no matter how good they are, always has room to grow to become stronger and better and you’re going to see a more technical Georges and just a better mentally prepared Georges in the next fight.”

St-Pierre has already expressed interest in immediately returning to the gym to work on improving his MMA game. While Zahabi and Chaimberg are prepared should their pupil request their services, Jackson will play it by ear.

“Whatever Georges wants to make him happy. I just want the guy to be happy. If he’s happy training, do it.”

But Jackson also recommends another option, one that may be difficult for GSP to accept.

“For me, I’d like him to take a little vacation, relax a little, and then come back.”

Good luck telling that to Georges.

By Joe Ferraro

The news broke fast and furious about the UFC’s decision to move UFC 115 from Vancouver to Cincinnati, but there is still hope for MMA fans on Canada’s West Coast.
It was quite the day yesterday as I returned home from spending a week in the Tri-State area covering UFC 111. I finally unpacked, sat on my couch and was getting ready to catch up on some MMA related stories when I got the news that the Ultimate Fighting Championship decided to relocate UFC 115.

I contacted the UFC’s VP of Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner to get an update, but he was unaware of the rumoured changes. For those that do not know, Ratner is one of the most approachable, professional and honest sources I have had the pleasure of dealing with. His honesty channeled me to move up the UFC hierarchy to investigate a little further.
What I ended up finding out was that the rumour was true. The UFC had engaged “Plan B”, and began looking south of the border for a venue to host the UFC 115 pay per view event.

My experience has taught me that the company has an unwritten policy to announce major events approximately 10-12 weeks in advance; and with this being eleven weeks from the proposed June 12th date, they had to make a decision quickly. In order to book a venue, meet the various state athletic commission requirements and began the process of selling tickets, the time was now.

While I was told that Cincinnati is their first choice, I couldn’t help but feel for the MMA fans on the West Coast. What could have been a great event, is just about done. And for reason’s so inexplicable, it’s border line comedy.

Politicians within the City of Vancouver appear to be doing whatever it takes to prevent a UFC event, and MMA in general, from happening within their jurisdiction. Apparently they have even denied many of the reports that have surfaced that the UFC will no longer be holding shop their, yet, perhaps they can explain why they have yet to announce or agree to holding the event. To me, denying is deflecting what appears to be the obvious: they simply do not want MMA within their city limits. If this is the case, why not just say that and stop the nonsense?

I also had the chance to speak with a source at the Vancouver Athletic Commission who stated last week, they voted unanimously to sanction and regulate the UFC’s event. I was also told that GM Place, the host venue, is also hoping this pay per view event can still take place. But the overall consensus was that the city was the true reason it may not happen.
It appears they are worried about getting sued, apparently from the fighters and I’m hearing the consumers.

If fighters sign a waiver that they understand what they are getting into, then what recourse can they have against the city? In terms of the consumers, what exactly is the city concerned about their? The city has held professional wrestling events, boxing cards, and even the Olympics, so again, what is the concern here?

They are also demanding that promoter’s insure their events for $12 Million dollars. This eye brow raising, comical request is borderline ridiculous. One simply needs to look at other jurisdictions that sanction MMA to get feedback as to what best practices to adhere to. May I suggest that of Nevada and California, as well as Quebec. While each one of these commission has their own faults, they still are able to do their job.

Vancouver is also looking at bouncing this municipal issue to the province. Time and time again, they must be reminded that the province does not have an athletic commission while the powers that be have expressly written back to the municipality that this issue is theirs, and only theirs to deal with. It does not fall onto the provinces lap. This red tape reminds me of the childish game you play with baby’s and toddlers, repeating the same thing over and over again, just to pass the time.

While this situation makes national (and international headlines), the UFC appears to remain patient. Within the organization, they have told me they are neither frustrated with the City, nor do they harbour ill feelings. They preach patience and understand that not all markets will welcome MMA with open arms…yet.

With that being said, if the City of Vancouver wants the UFC to come to town (and bring with them their easy $5 Million dollars to the local economy), they need to decide soon. It’s safe to say if this is done by week’s end, the UFC will announce their show. If not, it’s not the UFC’s loss…it’s Vancouver’s loss.

Time is of the essence here. They either make this work or they will prove once and for all that they simply do not want MMA in their city.

To that I say this: it will be very interesting to see who the 18-45 year old demographic chooses to vote for on November 19, 2011.

Regards,

Joe Ferraro
MMA Analyst
Host of “MMA Connected”
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By Joe Ferraro

It’s been quite the whirlwind this week, covering the UFC from Toronto to Newark, but it’s safe to say, tonight’s UFC 111 card at the Prudential Centre will be the icing on the cake.

The week started with a great UFC PR event at the Eaton’s Centre in Toronto, which, from a media perspective, was a dominating first round knockout. If my memory serves me correct, ALL of the Canadian mainstream media were there; from television, to print, radio. When UFC President Dana White mentions that the Canadian fans and media both treat MMA the way it should be treated (i.e. as a legitimate sport), it’s difficult to disagree with him.

The same cannot be said South of the Border – well at least, as of yet.

During Wednesday’s pre-fight press conference at Radio City Music Hall, I was personally disappointed with the fan turnout, as well as the lack of really big name media. Many predicted that the Hall would have been jammed with rabid UFC fans, but that was not the case, mind you, those that did show up were treated to an opportunity of a lifetime. Autographs, pictures, etc, all after an entertaining Q’n'A session with White, as well as Georges St-Pierre, Dan Hardy and Frank Mir.

As for the media, it appeared as if it was the same bunch as usual, with a few newer faces.

On Thursday, at the media workouts, there were a few more “new” media that showed up, which was encouraging, but what stuck out to us, was that it appeared as if there were only two mainstream television crews there (Sportsnet being one) to cover the festivities. I may be incorrect, but all of us were wondering if finally, we would see some of the bigger name American stations there. If they were there, great – I just do not recall recognizing any of them at all.

Friday, at the weigh-ins, the media numbers appeared to grow, but like the day prior, not sure if there were any big names there.

While the UFC staff will never show it, one would have to believe that internally, they must be shaking their head and wondering why these big name main stream stations are still not covering the sport in the Tri-State area; but as someone told me earlier in the week, there is a belief that on Saturday night, all the big boys will show up…and I hope and trust that is the case.

The night before the event, we were invited to a gathering which was attended by the “who’s who” of the MMA industry. It was an exclusive yet surprisingly intimate event, where at any one point in time, MMA Royalty were within arms reach of a conversation, or in the case of Dana White, a pot shot or two.

Attendees included White, Chuck Liddell, Jon Jones, Thiago Alves (who was in great spirits after an irregularity in his brain was found in a recent medical test),Stephan Bonnar, Matt Serra, Pete Sell, Tom Lawlor, Seth Petruzelli, David Loiseau as well as a bevy of managers and industry professionals.

One of the highlights of the evening were how many of the aforementioned actually complimented my shoes, and went against the grain telling me that Dana was wrong with one of his recent video blogs where he takes a shot at my selection of footwear stylings.

We all discussed a bevy of topics, while analyzing the various bouts of UFC 111. After much discussion and conversation, here are my quick picks:

Main Card

Welterweight Championship bout:  Georges St. Pierre vs.  Dan Hardy

On paper, GSP is heavily favoured, but do not discount Hardy’s counter left hook, right cross and sheer confidence. He hasn’t lost in a long time and is definitely not intimidated by St-Pierre. With that being said, I believe GSP is so pumped for this fight, he will be looking to make an example of Hardy.

Prediction: GSP via TKO, Round Two

Interim Heavyweight Championship bout:  Frank Mir vs.  Shane Carwin

Standing up, Mir is the more technical striker, while Carwin packs more power in his punches. On the ground, Mir is the better submission fighter, but Carwin is one ground and pound flurry away from having his hand raised in victory.

Prediction: Carwin via TKO, Round Two

Lightweight bout:  Kurt Pellegrino vs.  Fabricio Camoes

Camoes tenacity will surprise everyone in this fight, and will likely take Pellegrino the distance.

Prediction: Camoes by split decision

Welterweight bout:  Jon Fitch vs.  Ben Saunders

Expect a war in the standup, but once this fight hits the mat, Fitch will control Saunders from beginning to end.

Prediction: Fitch by unanimous judges decision

Lightweight bout: Jim Miller vs.  Mark Bocek

Hometown hero Jim Miller is going to push Canadian Mark Bocek to the limit. If the American can keep his limbs in check, he should be able to survive a three round war. As for Bocek, I believe he will be in defence mode all fight and will have a very difficult time with the bundle of energy that is Jim Miller.

Prediction: Miller by unanimous judges decision

Preliminary Card

Catchweight (177lbs) bout:  Nate Diaz vs.  Rory Markham

Look for Markham to overwhelm Diaz early, but for Nate to reverse his fortunes late in the bout.

Prediction: Nate Diaz by triangle choke, Round Three

Welterweight bout:  Ricardo Almeida vs.  Matt Brown

Do not blink or turn your head away from this bout – it will be an incredible MMA battle; one that will be rugged and disturbing to look at. Neither fighter will  be the same after this fight.

Prediction: Brown by TKO, Round Three

Light Heavyweight bout:  Rodney Wallace vs.  Jared Hamman

It’s Wallace’s takedown and ground and pound skills vs Hamman’s reach and knockout power. Unless Hamman’s footwork can save him, he may be in big trouble in this fight.

Prediction: Wallace by TKO, Round Two

Middleweight bout:  Rousimar Palhares vs.  Tomasz Drwal

Palahares is one of the most underrated middleweights in the game. If he has addressed his cardio and stamina issues, he will run through Drwal and prove he is a serious contender. If he gasses late in round one or even midway through round two, Tomasz will likely pull off the combat.

Prediction: Palahares by submission, round one

Welterweight bout:  Matthew Riddle vs.  Greg Soto

Soto is a local fighter with evolving MMA skills, who is a BJJ brown belt under Kurt Pellegrino. Riddle is a four time UFC veteran while Soto is making his octagon debut – and we’ve all heard about the UFC rookie jinx. I believe that will play a huge part here.

Prediction:  Riddle by unanimous judges decision

Now it’s time to read your picks. Who are you prediction and how?

By Joe Ferraro

Every time Georges St-Pierre steps into the octagon, he is the end result of a complicated array of Team GSP members. While no member on this team receives preferential treatment, the UFC Welterweight Champion often reminds me that John Danaher, is by far, the unsung hero of his immediate MMA family.

Danaher, a native of New Zealand, emigrated to the United States and one day stumbled upon Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, via the legendary Renzo Gracie. His relationship with Gracie has spawned an incredible working relationship that saw him garner a black belt in three years, while working with the likes of Matt Serra, Ricardo Almeida and a “who’s who” of the MMA and grappling worlds.

Then he met Georges St-Pierre, a friendship and bond that continues to mutually grow, exponentially.

“He is an extraordinary, gifted learner. There’s things that I bring to Georges but in all fairness, it has to be said, there are things that Georges brings to me.”

While St-Pierre is widely regarded as the best athlete in MMA today, Danaher does not agree with this assessment.

“I actually disagree with that statement”, said Danaher, with an awkward, yet stern look on his face.

“I think there’s many people in Mixed Martial Arts, who are, if you perform objective tests of athleticism, would beat Georges. What Georges brings is not outstanding athleticism, but an outstanding capacity to learn. He tries to understand the principles and concepts that underly the sport itself, in almost every phase and aspect of the sport.”

When St-Pierre returned to the dressing room after his last bout, a five round war with Thiago Alves at UFC 100, the champion refused to tend to the injury he suffered in the bout (a tear in his groin), but instead looked to Danaher to re-explain a grappling technique he had trouble with executing.

“He’s a perfectionist. Good enough is not good enough for him. He is always into maximizing every aspect of his training.”

Danaher believes that when you have students like this, it can only help in his own evolution has an instructor.

“It’s easy to coach someone like this. I coach at a technical and conceptual level, and Georges swallows that up and does incredibly well within a short period of time.”

Thousands of grappling practitioners revel after experiencing a seminar or class with Danaher, often singing high praise of his immaculate understanding of the mechanics of the human body, and how they can be swayed and manipulated while performing a myriad of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques and theories.

Students from all across the globe are often mystified by his incredibly acute philosophies of jiu-jitsu submission applications, and many must drill and practice these teachings hundreds of times before it becomes entrenched as muscle memory. But according to Danaher, GSP is a special, yet rare breed of student.

“He’s the kind of guy you can teach a technique on Monday, and by Monday of next week, he’s doing it as well or better than you are.”

He then pauses, smiles and reaffirms his previous answer, It’s quite shocking…I’ve seen it happen on several occasions.”

As St-Pierre continues to add pieces to his ever growing legacy, he often finds himself being compared to the sport’s best, be it Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko and BJ Penn. But for Danaher, there is one distinction, an MMA consistency that differentiates GSP from the rest.

“He’s unusual amongst MMA athletes at the top level of the game. Most top players have a kind of game that you expect from. They have their moves that they do well and they have their weakness’ that always seem to manifest themselves within a fight. When Georges fights, he’s always bringing new elements to the table. Every fight you see him in, something new comes out, something new and exciting that you didn’t see in previous matches.”

At UFC 111, John Danaher will join the rest of Team GSP octagon side as the welterweight champion puts his title on the line vs the hard hitting Dan Hardy, a British fighter who will bring with him a well rounded MMA game that is highlighted by an powerful counter left hook.

UFC 111: St-Pierre vs Hardy is a sold out event and can be seen on pay per view, Saturday, March 21st, live from The Prudential Centre in Newark, New Jersey.

By Joe Ferraro

As we get closer UFC Live: Vera vs Jones, excitement is begging to build for this stellar television broadcast. Rogers Sportsnet is the exclusive Canadian provider for this show, so for those who will be tuning in to watch the bouts, here’s what they can expect.

Main Card

Light Heavyweight bout:  Brandon Vera vs.  Jon Jones

It’s the present vs the future in this contender bout. The present is Brandon Vera, who cannot afford a lose to the future of the division, Jon Jones. Vera will be looking to put all kinds of pressure on the twenty two year old, by making him react and counter-attack to the various muay thai combinations coming his way.

Jones is a real life version of an MMA Matrix. His unpredictable, acrobatic and unorthodox combinations have made really good fighters look ordinary. He makes otherwise game opponents appear helpless, using whatever strengths they possess, as actual detriments inside the octagon.

“Bones” is an extremely dangerous adversary; he is nowhere near is actual potential. In my conversations with Firas Zahabi and those within the Tristar gym in Montreal, they often choose their words carefully, if not our speechless when the try and describe some of the techniques he pulls off during training, let alone executing them in a real life scenario. Vera will be dealing with a gifted fighter, who has been compared to the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

Heavyweight bout:  Junior dos Santos vs.  Gabriel Gonzaga

Similar to the main event, Gabriel Gonzaga will be looking to derail the major hype that continues to build for future prospect Junior dos Santos.

dos Santos trains with the Nogueira brothers as well as the aforementioned Anderson Silva, and I’ve seen with my own eyes, the speed, power and technical striking he brings to the table. I’ve seen him fight not only live, but in a training environment where he is pushed by some of the best fighters in the sport.

Wile Gonzaga does have knockout power of his own, his best chance will be to avoid giving “Cigano” any space to launch his weaponry. “Nepao” needs to get this fight to the mat, where he can control dos Santos, while working for a submission or TKO victory.

There is a lot riding on the line for this fight, especially for dos Santos, who I firmly believe, should he get passed Gonzaga, will call out Cain Velasquez. There is surely a deep sentiment amongst his teammates that Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera’s loss to Velasquez at UFC 110 must be avenged, and dos Santos is the man to do so.

Heavyweight bout:  Cheick Kongo vs.  Paul Buentello

This has all the makings of not only a great stand up war, but a knock out of the night candidate. Neither fighter cares about the ground game; both Kongo and Buentello want this fight to end quickly and are aiming to do so with their fists. I would definitely be surprised if this one makes it past two rounds.

Middleweight bout: Alessio Sakara vs. James Irvin

The same can be said for this fight here; neither Sakara or Irvin are known for their ground game, so look for a stand up battle that will be lucky to last more than five minutes.

With that being said, Sakara should put the heat on Irvin early, and work to fatigue him. Irvin is coming off a near two year layoff, having suffered multiple injuries that have kept him out of action since fighting Anderson Silva in July of 2008. Seeing as this will also be Irvin’s debut at middleweight, that’s just extra reasoning for Sakara to put the pressure on him right away, sticking and moving, being patient until the opportunity to finish him off presents itself.

As for Irvin, his power alone can send Sakara to sleep, so octagon rust aside, he needs to eliminate Sakara’s escape routes, corner him, and work his muay thai combinations.

Preliminary Card

Lightweight bout:  Clay Guida vs.  Shannon Gugerty

Anytime you mention Clay Guida, you automatically think “Fight of the Night” candidate. The lightweight energizer bunny is coming off two straight losses (Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian) while Gugerty is 1-2 in his last three bouts.

Gugerty is a grappler by nature, and Guida is a wrestler by trade; if the former is unable to submit the ladder, he is in for the longest fifteen minutes of his career. Clay will likely glue himself to Shannon and not give him any room to move, escape or breath, suffocating him into a TKO or unanimous judges decision.

Light Heavyweight bout:  Eliot Marshall vs.  Vladimir Matyushenko

This bout is going to surely be a grueling affair. Marshall brings a great submission acumen into this tilt, while Matyushenko, a former division contender simply works to suck the will to win out of his opponents. It’s going to be a fifteen minute brawl in this one, so if it make the telecast, sit back and enjoy.

Welterweight bout:  John Howard vs.  Daniel Roberts

“Doomsday” was originally scheduled to face Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, who was replaced by Roberts, after suffering a knee injury.

Roberts is an undefeated welterweight, winning all of his nine fights, while Howard has yet to lose a fight in the UFC. Roberts will likely be fighting the infamous UFC Rookie curse, along with dealing with Howard’s refusal to quit, and persistent attacking strategy.

I cannot see this fight going the distance, as Howard may simply be too much for Roberts on this day, but, crazier things have happened in the octagon.

Heavyweight bout:  Brendan Schaub vs.  Chase Gormley

Hometown hero Brendan Schaub will be looking to rebound from his disappointing performance vs Roy Nelson during the finale of The Ultimate Fighter Ten. The Team Jackson fighter will have his hands full with wrestling standout Chase Gormley, who will be looking to show that his octagon debut loss to Stefan Struve was just a blip on the radar.

This has the markings of another long heavyweight fight. If Schaub can avoid being taken down, forcing Gormley, a wrestler, to consistently work for the takedowns, his striking should prove to be the difference in this fight. But, if Gormley has his way, it’s going to be a ground and pound festival of hammer fists that Schaubb will be defending and dealing with for three straight rounds.

Welterweight bout:  Mike Pierce vs.  Julio Paulino

I am personally surprised that Mike Pierce is on a prelim card, while also being relegated to the second fight on the card. In his last fight, he went the distance with Jon Fitch, nearly finishing him off late in the bout. He happens to hold victories over Brock Larson and Paul Bradley, to very tough guys, so again, one would expect him to be a little higher up on the pecking order, but I digress.

Pierce’s opponent, Paulino stands 6 ft tall and will have considerable reach on his opponent. Like the aforementioned Daniel Roberts, he will be dealing with the UFC rookie jinx as well, so if Pierce can shock and awe him, he should be able to finish him quick, but the longer the fight goes, the more Paulino has a chance at surviving. With that being said, I still believe Pierce is just going to be too much for the octagon newcomer.

Light Heavyweight bout:  Eric Schafer vs.  Jason Brilz

Schafer is an exceptional ground fighter, but just hasn’t been able to translate that skill set into his stand up game. He has all the tools to be a contender, but simply cannot get over the hump of beating the next level of tough guys.

Brilz should just be another victim for “Red”, but I’m thinking otherwise. Schafer will be dealing with a fellow light heavyweight who is known to have incredible strength and will likely be pushing the pace in this bout. He does need to be careful though, as Eric will be more than happy to fight from the bottom. His sweeps, reversals and submissions are slick, so if Jason doesn’t keep his limbs close to his body, this one might end quickly.

What are your thoughts on these exciting bouts? How do you see them unfolding?

By Joe Ferraro

After previously announcing that Kimbo Slice was to take on Matt Mitrione at UFC 113 in Montreal, the two former Ultimate Fighter Season Ten contestants are mysteriously missing from the events webpage. Could the recent signing of James “Lights Out” Toney have anything to do with it.

Many signs are pointing to “Yes” as it seem to appear the bout may be replaced with a Kimbo vs Toney matchup, May 01st at The Bell Centre in Montreal.

When I interviewed UFC President Dana White and James Toney at the UFC 108 Post Fight Press Conference “Lights Out” made it clear he wanted the former YouTube street brawler as a potential opponent.

When referring to White’s roster of athletes, Toney stated “He got Simba, I mean Kimba…Kimbo? That’s a side show and we’ll put him out of the way too”.A proposed match up between the two fighters has yet to be announced but with White recently stating that the forty-one year old Toney will fight at light heavyweight, a division that Kimbo has never competed in. During his last bout, Slice fought Houston Alexander at catchweight of 215 lbs, and was visibly exhausted going into the third round, ending the bout with his hands on his knees.

Should the bout be added to the UFC 115 card, it would join a stellar main event featuring the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship rematch between title holder Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and challenger Maurico “Shogun” Rua, as well as current co-main event between welterweight contenders Josh “Kos” Koscheck and Paul “Semtex” Daley.

Toney is currently preparing for his MMA debut under the tutelage of Juanito Ibarra, the former head trainer for former 205 lbs champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Will Ibarra be able to put together a team and camp that can prep Toney for the new world that is MMA, remains to be seen. Kimbo, by no stretch is a world class mixed martial artist, but he is further ahead of the game that Toney, a boxer who has never had to defend a leg kick, takedown or any submissions. Slice would be a great test for the current NABO and IBA Heavyweight Champion, but at his age, it’s obvious his MMA career will only last so long.

Whether this fight happens in Montreal, Vegas or even at all, when James Toney makes his UFC debut, the whole combats sports world will be watching. And with his gift of gab, Toney will be sure that you hear about it loud and clear.

After previously announcing that Kimbo Slice was to take on Matt Mitrione at UFC 113 in Montreal, the two former Ultimate Fighter Season Ten contestants are mysteriously missing from the event’s web page.  Could the recent signing of James “Lights Out” Toney have anything to do with it?

When I interviewed UFC President Dana White and James Toney at the UFC 108 Post Fight Press Conference ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCsRgRsrQqM ) “Lights Out” made it clear he wanted the former Youtube street brawler as a potential opponent.When referring to White’s roster of athletes, Toney stated “He got Simba, I mean Kimba…Kimbo? That’s a side show and we’ll put him out of the way too”.

As always, we only have so much time allocated on “MMA Connected” to bring you the latest headlines from the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Here’s some of the other news floating around that, unfortunately, didn’t make the show.

Strikeforce Updates

News surrounding Strikeforce’s April 17th card in Nashville is beginning to leak out, with various sources confirming the organization’s second show on cable will have three title fights.

The main event will likely see middleweight champion Jake Shields putting his title on the line vs. Dan Henderson, while the co-main event is expected to be a light heavyweight tilt between champion Gegard Mousasi and challenger “King Mo” Lawal.

The third title tussle comes to us courtesy of SI.com’s Josh Gross, who’s getting word that lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez is expected to square off against Dream champ Shinya Aoki. (more…)