By Joe Ferraro

It was an exceptional, seven day trip to the city of Boston, to cover UFC 118: Edgar vs Penn II, and now that the event has come and gone, it’s time to take a look at what’s next for some of the competing athletes, as well as for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

With Frankie Edgar’s five round domination of BJ Penn in the main event, it’s safe to say that “The Answer” has “The Prodigy’s” number. It’s no different than many other match-ups in the history of prize fighting. For a variety of reasons, there is always a great fighter who has that one opponent that defeats nearly every single time.

Penn, while dejected, is now left to reevaluate his career. I believe he will be fine, and hope his next match up with be against “The Fireball Kid”, Takanori Gomi. Their first bout in 2003 was epic, and with so much on the line between these two, we can just imagine what will happen inside the octagon, should UFC matchmaker Joe Silva actually put this bout together.

As for Edgar, his next title defence will be against the only man who has ever defeated him, “The Bully” Gray Maynard.

It’s going to be a great fight to see, and as it stands right now, a difficult one to analyze. For this that find Maynard’s style boring, skip the next two paragraphs. I for one, am an MMA purist, one who appreciates all aspects and techniques of the sport, which includes the intricacies of grappling; whether the variety of takedowns and trips to the positioning on the ground. Maynard has the skills to halt the unstoppable Edgar in his tracks, take the champ down, and grind out a five round decision.

But the opposite is true as well. Edgar has come along way since their first bout, and now has the speed and striking to stifle Maynard to the point of frustration. It’s a great style vs style match up that I sincerely hope will receive the admiration it deserves – not the boos we are accustomed to now seeing at MMA events, from a segment of the fan base that cannot tell the difference between a triangle choke or an arm triangle submission.

Maynard defeated hometown hero Kenny Florian, who is taking a lot of heat from UFC President, Dana White, who stated that Kenflo chokes in big fights. I’m not sure I agree with White, but his point comes from the fact that Florian’s four losses in the UFC, have all come during high profile situations. The first was to Diego Sanchez on the finale of TUF 1. The second to Sean Sherk in a title fight. The same came vs BJ Penn, in Kenflo’s second attempt at trying to win the lightweight belt, while this one here, to Maynard, was for number one contender status.

But let’s not forget that Florian has stepped up and won on various main and co-main events vs the likes of Sam Stout, Din Thomas, Joe Lauzon, Joe Stevenson and the aforementioned Gomi.

Kenny is in a tough situation right now, so I wonder what his next steps may be. There is talk of him moving down to 145 lbs, but that may likely put a huge dent in his earnings.

The UFC 118 co-main between Randy Couture and James Toney went just as the majority of the MMA world had predicted; mind you, I was still one of many who were still worried that “Lights Out” could pull off the victory. But, alas, when you deal with one of the sport’s greatest strategists, it’s only “natural”, that Couture can make it look so easy.

Captain America used a very rare takedown, the low single leg attack, which was obviously the perfect move to avoid any sort of attack from a boxer, perhaps even a knee throwing muay thai stylist. The arm triangle choke was a great finish, although a rear naked would have been classic for Randy as well. We can just imagine the imagery of that photo finish.

While we may never see Toney in the octagon again, perhaps the same can be said of Randy Couture, who hinted he may just fade away into the MMA sunset. If you missed it, check out the video here to see what I’m talking about.

As for the rest of the card, the results are going to be set up some interesting match ups in the future.

Middleweight Demian Maia stayed relevant in the 185 lbs class, and will likely face the winner of UFC Fight Night 22 main event between Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares, which you can catch on Rogers Sportsnet on September 15th. As for his opponent, Mario Miranda, he will likely (unfortunately) be relegated to the undercard, as he’s now 1-2 in his UFC bouts.

Nate Diaz, who I’d like to see square off against Matt Hughes next, defeated Marcus Davis, whose now lost three of his last four fights, and on the verge of fighting for his career.

Another option for Diaz (should he decide to return to lightweight), is Joe Lauzon, who put on a masterful performance vs Gabe Ruedigar. But J-Lau, as seen in this video here, would love the opportunity to avenge his loss to Canadian Sam Stout.

I was also impressed with Greg Soto’s come from behind victory over Nick Osipczak but not as impressed with Dan Miller’s ninja choke of John Salter; we’ve seen Miller use it before, and it just looks and feels down right nasty.

Misc News and Notes:

•       As predicted nearly six weeks ago in an article here, and on MMA Connected here, UFC 124: GSP vs Koscheck II will take place on December 11th, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

•       Also, after Jon Bones defeated Vlady Matyushenko on August 01st, twenty four hours later, on Sportsnet Connected, I stated that I’d like to see him face the winner of UFC 119′s co-main event between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ryan Bader. According to “Bones”, it looks like it’s actually going to happen.

•       UFC President Dana White, will address the Oxford University’s famed Oxford Union Society on October 13th, which has been graced by the likes of US Presidents, British Prime Ministers and heavyweights from the political, scientific and sporting arenas.

•       At the UFC 118 post fight press conference, the organization announced the hiring of former Senior Vice President and Managing Director of NBA Asia, Mark Fischer, as their new Executive Vice-President and Managing Director of UFC Asia. I agree with MMA Payout’s perspective, that this is a great move, similar to the recent hiring of Tom Wright, as their Director of Operations in Canada.

•       It is expected that top middleweight contenders Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami will headline UFC 122, which takes place on Nov. 13 at Konig Pilsener Arena in Oberhausen, Germany, for the right to face off against the winner of the Anderson Silva / Chael Sonnen rematch (expected to take place in early 2011).

•       In this video, Canadian Welterweight TJ Grant talks about his upcoming bout at UFC 119, vs Julio Paulino.

•          While I have long clamoured for the day that ZUFFA will amalgamate all seven of it’s divisions into the UFC, another sign that it may occur is with future seasons of The Ultimate Fighter likely containing a cast of 125 lbers.

By Joe Ferraro

A stellar bantamweight bout between former WEC 135 lbs champion, Brian Bowles (8-1) and Wagnney “The Silencer” Fabiano (14-2) is being rumoured for WEC 52, tentatively scheduled for November 10th.

Fabiano (pictured left), a BJJ Black Belt,  is riding a two fight winning streak, having defeated both, Clint Godfrey (WEC 46) and Frank Gomez (WEC 49) via unanimous judges decisions.

After defeating Miguel Angel Torres to win WEC gold, Bowles was unable to defend the title in next bout, falling short to current champion Dominick Cruz at WEC 47 via TKO. That bout took place on March 06th, and Bowles has yet to compete since. If Fabiano is his next opponent, it will be his first bout in eight months.

Sources close to the bout have informed me that the winner of this fight will likely be next in line for a title shot, but rumoured WEC 52 main event headliners, Urijah Faber and Takeya Mizugaki will likely have a say as well.

“The California Kid” has placed a bulls eye on Cruz’s back, after he defeated his “Team Alpha Male” teammate Joseph Benavidez for the second time, most recently at WEC 50 on August 18th.

While not confirmed by World Extreme Cagefighting, WEC 52: Faber vs Mizugaki is expected to take place at The Arco Arena, in San Diego, California.

By Joe Ferraro

Love and hate: two words that aptly describe what I’m about to write. “Love”, can be attributed to the enjoyment I feel when breaking down an MMA bout, searching for the trends and intangibles that favours one athlete over another. It’s a set of physical calculations that I then sum up into giving one fighter an “edge” over another.

On the other side of the coin is “hate”; it’s what I feel when I must make a prediction on a bout. I get limited satisfaction when I’m correct, and am left completely baffled when I’m wrong. So for UFC 118, I will begin laying the foundation for what I will soon label as “The Edge” – my personal system of calculating who has the best chance of winning a bout, and ticking off all of the haters who believe I just will not go out on a limb and make a “prediction”; a fight is a fight, and one punch can take any favourite and turn him into a long shot – as in, he better recover quick or this fight is over.

Let’s take a look at the bouts heading into Saturday night’s UFC 118, and assess who will have “The Edge”, inside the octagon:

Main Bouts (Pay-Per-View)

Frankie Edgar (154) vs. B.J. Penn (154)

Striking: BJ Penn
Wrestling: Frankie Edgar
Submissions: BJ Penn
Stamina: Frankie Edgar
Elite level experience: BJ Penn
Other Intangibles: BJ Penn
The Edge: BJ Penn

Randy Couture (220) vs. James Toney (237)

Striking: James Toney
Wrestling: Randy Couture
Submissions: Randy Couture
Stamina: Randy Couture
Elite level experience: Randy Couture
Other Intangibles: Randy Couture
The Edge: Randy Couture
Demian Maia (184) vs. Mario Miranda (185)

Striking: Mario Miranda
Wrestling: Mario Miranda
Submissions: Demian Maia
Stamina: Demian Maia
Elite level experience: Demian Maia
Other Intangibles: Demian Maia
The Edge: Demian Maia

Kenny Florian (156) vs. Gray Maynard (156)

Striking: Kenny Florian
Wrestling: Gray Maynard
Submissions: Kenny Florian
Stamina: Equal
Elite level experience: Kenny Florian
Other Intangibles: Gray Maynard
The Edge: Kenny Florian

Nate Diaz (171) vs. Marcus Davis (170)

Striking: Marcus Davis
Wrestling: Nate Diaz
Submissions: Nate Diaz
Stamina: Nate Diaz
Elite level experience: Marcus Davis
Other Intangibles: Nate Diaz

The Edge: Nate Diaz

Preliminary Bouts (Live on Sportsnet):

Joe Lauzon (156) vs. Gabe Ruediger (155)

Striking: Joe Lauzon
Wrestling: Gabe Ruedigar
Submissions: Joe Lauzon
Stamina: Joe Lauzon
Elite level experience: Joe Lauzon
Other Intangibles: Joe Lauzon
The Edge: Joe Lauzon

Andre Winner (154) vs. Nik Lentz (155)

Striking: Nik Lentz
Wrestling: Nik Lentz
Submissions: Nik Lentz
Stamina: Andre Winner
Elite level experience: Nik Lentz
Other Intangibles: Nik Lentz

The Edge: Nik Lentz

Preliminary Bouts (Non-Televised)

John Salter (185) vs. Dan Miller (185)

Striking: Dan Miller
Wrestling: Dan Miller
Submissions: Dan Miller
Stamina: Dan Miller
Elite level experience: Dan Miller
Other Intangibles: Dan Miller

The Edge: Dan Miller

Nick Osipczak (171) vs. Greg Soto (170)

Striking: Nick Osipczak
Wrestling: Greg Soto
Submissions: Greg Soto
Stamina: Greg Soto
Elite level experience: Greg Soto
Other Intangibles: Greg Soto
The Edge: Greg Soto

Mike Pierce (171) vs. Amilcar Alves (171)

Striking: Amilcar Alves
Wrestling: Mike Pierce
Submissions: Amilcar Alves
Stamina: Mike Pierce
Elite level experience: Mike Pierce
Other Intangibles: Mike Pierce
The Edge: Mike Pierce

Note: Other intangibles will be explained in the very near future, but include “quality of training partners”, “in prime of career”, “twilight of career”, “injured recently”, “facing a fighter who is making their octagon debut”, etc.

By Joe Ferraro

Unlike past media workouts, the typical room within a casino or hotel was bypassed in favour of the octagon. A great decision by the UFC, as today’s version took place in the middle of where this weekend’s Fan Expo will take place.

As the media gathered, we waited for the first fighter to show up, but many of us were drawn to the “working floor” around us. Many of the vendor’s were putting up their booths, including Canadian Mixed Martial Arts Magazine “MMA Authority” (one of my favourites) as well as Round 5, who manufactures the exceptional figures of MMA athletes and personalities. A brief discussion with reps and owners of both companies came to a quick end, when Kenny Florian made his way into the room.

Kenflo is in fantastic shape for his bout vs Gray Maynard, as his coach Firas Zahabi, who had the luxury of holding the coaching mitts up for Kenflo, and the misfortune of getting on the octagon mat with the BJJ Black belt. While Firas can hold his own, it was magical to see Kenny drill his techniques. It should also be noted that Firas, while he may not admit it, has put a bulls eye on my back.

On October 02nd and 03rd, his TriStar gym will be hosting the next “Paradise Warrior Retreat”, which will give fans and would be fighters a chance to train with both He and Kenny, as well as MMA Coaching Gury Greg Jackson, UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre as well as GSP’s BJJ Instructor John Danaher. There is a rumour circulating that Muay Thai Coach Phil Nurse may also be added, which will not be great for me, as Kru Nurse is likely looking forward to making his solid shins of steel, connect with my outer thighs.

When I mentioned earlier that Firas may have a bulls eye on my back, I should say my whole torso, as everyone listed above will likely be instructed to make sure I do not host “MMA Connected” the following Monday.

In all seriousness, I’m actually safe whenever Firas is around, but he and I are plotting something different for MMA Connected Producer Jacob Clark – young Mr. Clark has never trained MMA before, so according to Zahabi, he welcomes “the fresh meat”.

As Team Florian wrapped up, Joe Lauzon made his way into the octagon, and was wearing a green t-shirt which poked fun at his opponent Gabe Ruediger, stating “I like fighting like a fat kid loves cake”. It provided a great laugh to many of us who were there.

At the same time, boxing coach extraordinaire Peter Welch also showed up to the workouts. A local legend, who has worked with the likes of Lauzon, Florian as well as current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar and President Dana White. Look for a special MMA Connected feature on Welch in the near future, likely airing right before Lesnar’s next bout.

It wasn’t long before Randy Couture, Frankie Edgar, BJ Penn and Gray Maynard all showed up to get their sweat on. Each guy looked great, even though it was an extremely light warm-up for them, but I did question “The Natural” on his age. I still don’t believe he is in his forty’s and I asked him to show me his ID – he obliged. The last time we discussed this, he nearly hit me, but I digress.

Randy’s son, Ryan, was also in attendance, and we discussed his recent MMA debut. He was excited, wasn’t nervous and all the tips he received from his father were well received. The younger Couture’s next bout is scheduled in November, for Strikeforce; no opponent has been named yet.

We also caught up with welterweight free agent, Jay Hieron, who is currently in limbo with his career, as he is stuck in the middle of a “matching period” with Strikeforce. He had some interesting thoughts on his current status, as well as for Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Nick Diaz. Be sure to check out Monday’s show to hear the latest.

The only disappointment regarding the UFC 118 Media Workout Day wasn’t the fact the James Toney showed up, stole the show and talked up an incredible storm, it was the fact he did not enter the cage to break a sweat.

Call me greedy (and I know you just did), but when you are in the presence of boxing greatness, you hope to simply see a basic warm-up, pad work, etc. I’ve seen MMA’s greatest on numerous occasions, but as a boxing fan who transitioned to MMA in the early nineties, I continued to follow James’ illustrious career and was only hoping for a glimpse of that stiff jab, right bomb and the rolling of the shoulders and left hook.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be – and my worry is that should he lose on Saturday night, I may (personally) never get to see his greatness warm up, and showcase his execution of the sweet science, ever. They say “never say never”, but the fan inside me just wanted to “seize the day”, and simply marvel at “Lights Out” working his magic.

Alas – I’ll have to wait until Saturday night, to see if he can apply it against Captain America.

Next up, are Friday’s weigh-ins, which you can catch live on www.sportsnet.ca, starting at 4pm ET.

By Joe Ferraro

A gloomy day in Boston, filled with sporadic showers and a consistent mist, spilled over in The Great Hall in Fanueil Hall, as James “Lights Out” Toney rained down on Dana White’s parade.

Representing his beloved sport of boxing, the legendary champ had a momentary spat with the UFC President, that was more comical, than serious. When White stated that “Mixed Martial Arts was the most popular combat sport on the planet”, Toney objected, and dared White to repeat himself.

Not only did Dana repeat it, he told Toney to “deal with it”.

The world class pugilist sat back, smiled, nodded his head, obviously impressed that White did not back down.

And the feeling is mutual, as my conversation with White after the pre-fight press conference touched on Toney’s courage to step up and do what no other, modern day elite boxer has done – step away from the boxing ring and enter the MMA cage. Bravado aside, White also firmly believes that Toney should not be looked over in his co-main event bout with Randy Couture – with four ounce gloves, Toney presents a serious threat to the UFC Hall of Famer.

And Couture definitely agrees.

“The Natural” told me it’s important to note that he cannot just rush in and attempt to take Toney down to the mat. He has to exhibit something he says he rarely does in his bouts – “patience”. In this bout, he believes he should let James come to him, let “Lights Out” take the centre of the octagon, then be ready to implement his game plan.

Couture was not going to give away his game plan, but we discussed James’ options – a rear knee, an upper cut, a left hook, straight right, or a basic combination of the four strikes. One thing he did share was that he had drilled entries and defences for a lot of what “Lights Out” has used in the past, to pick apart his opponents, but he believes the real strategy will be dealing with how Toney reacts while he is on the ground.

Will Toney work diligently to stand up? Wall walk is way back to his feet? Will he buckle from the ground and pound pressure and give up his back? For Couture, it’s all part of why he loves the sport of MMA so much – you never truly know until it actually happens.

The UFC 118 main event participants, Lightweight Champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and BJ “The Prodigy” Penn shared one trait during the press conference – they were both all business, but, it was a different Penn on the stage.

While Edgar, a self-proclaimed “Rodney Dangerfield of MMA”, believes the best way to silence his critics is to “finish the fight” on Saturday night, Penn is on a completely different world right now.

“The Prodigy” appears invigorated, smiling and exciting. It’s as if he has received a new lease on life, as well as another chance to be the greatest lightweight the sport has ever seen.

He chose not to expand on the recent belief that “The Trinity” ( the mind, body and soul ) is something he has worked on diligently this camp. The Hawaiian apparently changed his training camp, and even went as far as telling me it wasn’t even a “training camp in the traditional sense of the word”.

It was a new way of looking fight prep, as well as life. It has him so amped, that during our video interview for Sportsnet, he began chanting at the end. The overall sense from those in media row was that “we might just see the best BJ Penn ever” – a common sentiment that should prove to be a serious threat to Frankie Edgar.

And it should be, but it may not be.

Edgar continues to improve his MMA skill set, especially his striking and when we discussed his first title defence, he simply told me that his striking is on a whole other level now. His combinations are better now, than the fighter we saw dismantle Sean Sherk. His footwork? Faster and crisper than the one we saw against BJ Penn in April.

While I believe BJ Penn is one of the best boxers in MMA ( James Toney and KJ Noons aside ), I for one am very excited to see who will dominate the striking battle on Saturday night.

The same can be said for another light weight battle on Saturday night; one that is flying under the radar.

When hometown hero Kenny “Kenflo” Florian faces off against “The Bully”, Gray Maynard, we will likely see the next challenger to the lightweight title.

Dana White did state that the winner of this stellar bout will get the next title shot, but to both fighters, that is not their concern. They will not let that announcement interfere with their initial goal, which is to finish their opponent.

Neither one of these two top 155 lbs contenders have any interest in letting this bout go the distance. Maynard, who is usually calm, yet smiley, appeared agitated at the press conference and it was easy to ascertain that he was counting down the hours to step into the octagon with Florian. He has no interest in hearing what Florian has to say – it means nothing to “The Bully”. The only thing that matters is when the referee steps out of their way, to let the action begin.

When I caught up with Florian, one of his coaches, Firas Zahabi joined us, where we discussed Florian’s desire to showcase his evolution as a Mixed Martial Artist.

You see, Florian is never impressed, nor happy with his performances. I am talking about a fighter whose skill set, that I, and likely the mass majority of MMA fans, fighters and coaches can solely wish they could emulate. He is a master technician, but don’t tell that to KenFlo. Even Zahabi shakes his head at KenFlo’s modest attempts to discount his skills. Firas did make it clear though – wherever this fight goes and ends up, he is confident that Kenny will dominate.

These are just three bouts that has the MMA world counting down the days until August 28th, but for yours truly, Thursday’s media workouts will fill my time instead. I’ve been blessed to see Edgar, Penn, Couture, Florian and Maynard train on numerous occasions, but this will be the first time I get to see James “Lights Out” Toney in a training format. Like him or not, I’m a firm believer in seizing the moment when you are around greatness.

Tomorrow cannot come soon enough.

By Joe Ferraro

As the Sportsnet team sits and waits for the next flight to Boston ( our original flight was canceled ), a variety of discussion has ensued pertaining to what we can expect during fight week, while covering UFC 118.

Tomorrow’s pre-fight press conference at 3pm EST ( which you can catch on http://www.sportsnet.ca/mma ) will likely see James “Lights Out” Toney in all of his glory, talking smack, while trying to get into his opponent’s head. I don’t see it happening thought. Expect Randy Couture to simply smile and acknowledge James’ humour. “The Natural”, like Toney, has been down this road far too many times, and no matter what is said outside of the combat arena, it has no bearing on what will happen inside of it.

For those who haven’t noticed, or perhaps forgotten, there is a STELLAR lightweight bout on the main card, which features top contender’s Kenny “Kenflo” Florian and “The Bully”, Gray Maynard.

While this matchup has not received much love from the UFC PR Machine, the organization did touch on it during the “UFC 118: Countdown Show”. But, better than that, has been Florian’s decision to hype the bout.

He has picked up his interview schedule and is spewing some quality stuff. He’s calling Maynard “boring” and claiming that a lesson is going to be taught in his hometown of Boston.

As for Maynard, he’s doing his fair share of hype as well, but, I hearken back to a conversation this very Sportsnet team had with “The Bully” at The Grant Brothers MMA Gym in Toronto, earlier this year.

One quote specifically stood out, and it has stuck by me ever since; his analogy of fight hype and the stylistic breakdown between two athletes was golden.

We discussed a variety of bouts, where “on paper”, there was an obvious favourite. His rebuttal was simply “paper doesn’t fight paper”, complimenting the old adage that many of us have preached for so long – just put the two athletes in the cage/ring, and let them decide who the winner will be.

As for the UFC 118 main event, Lightweight Champion Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and former champ, BJ “The Prodigy” Penn have been lukewarm on their fight hype, with Penn doing a little more to promote the bout. It’s evident that Penn is amped for this bout.

A motivated BJ Penn is always a scary proposition for any opponent, but as we get closer to fight time, we will see him begin to verbally shut down.

Thankfully, if not solely for this very reason, I am glad the UFC moved the pre-fight press conference from Thursday, to Wednesday.

Laugh if you will, but a simple twenty four hour difference will likely see a more jovial group of athletes ( especially BJ ), than those who often begin to zone in on their gladiator mentality, with just twenty four hours to until weigh-ins ( which always occur on a Friday ).

We’re also excited to catch up with UFC President Dana White, and the rest of the Zuffa staff, as it will be the first time we will be running into them, since the announcement, that the sport of MMA will be regulated in the province of Ontario.

Now, with all this being said, this is just the tip of the fight week iceberg.

Come Thursday, we have the media workouts, where at times, the fighters do not adhere to their schedules. This often leads up to them walking into the workout room, with their opponent already doing their thing. That’s when you truly get to see where a fighter’s head is at, and how he feels about his opponent. If a fighter has true disdain for his opposition, it’s easy to read ( he usually leaves the room in haste ). If it’s just business, you can definitely see it as well ( smiles, hello’s, bows, etc ).

Then, on Friday, as mentioned earlier, is the public weigh-ins. This is where the fighters are generally in a miserable mood from having to cut weight. I have a golden rule, since my promoting days years ago. Leave the fighters alone on weigh-in day – only talk to them after they have weighed in.

The athletes are agitated and one wrong move on the stage, during a stare down, will have Dana White play physical mediator.

If you’ve never seen a weigh-in live, and in person, it’s a must. The tension between some guys is real, and it spreads through the venue quickly. Penn is one of the better ones, and it will be interesting to see whether or not Toney will continue his verbal jabs. I want to see if he will step up and do it in Randy’s face, and to see how Couture will react. Will Toney also take a few verbal shots at Dana White in person, which he continues to do online.

Florian and Maynard are generally tame at the weigh-ins, but there’s a lot on the line here, especially for Maynard. Will “The Bully” backdown should Florian be aggressive at the weigh-ins? Heck, at the pre-fight press conference, will he keep his talking to a minimum, and avoid rebutting Florian’s gift of gab?

(Note: by fluke, we noticed that we were sent to the wrong gate and that the airline as changed it without telling passengers. As we arrived at our new gate, we were then informed that our flight had been delayed another hour and a half.)

Saturday night is when it all comes full circle – all the talk, all the posturing and all of the predictions mean nothing. The fighters must step into the cage and either back up their talk, or be the one to silence their loud mouthed foe. The moment of truth, for every fighter takes place in a medium that will be viewed by millions of people.

Will BJ regain the title he calls “his”? Will Edgar prove he has Penn’s number?

Can Couture prove that MMA is superior than Boxing, or will James Toney show that a high level boxer needs a limited amount of training to beat one of the sport’s legends? Will “Lights Out” break the rules when he finds himself in trouble, out of his element, in a professional MMA fight, when he cannot get back to his feet and fall back on his instincts – to stand and trade with his opponent?

Will Kenny Florian bully “The Bully”, and earn what will likely be his third shot at the UFC’s Lightweight Title? Or will Maynard prove that Kenflo is just another victim to be added to his undefeated record?

One things is for sure – and I can guarantee you this: It’s Mixed Martial Arts folks, and at UFC 118, expect the unexpected.

Final Note: Don’t forget to tune into Sportsnet Connected all week, as we will be providing you with daily updates from Boston. As well, Sportsnet.ca will be your host.

By Joe Ferraro

On a personal front, August 14, 2010 will be a date I will never forget. For the past twelve years, I have done my part to try and help educate anyone that would listen about the beauties of my number one passion – Mixed Martial Arts. Part of my plight was speaking with politicians, and after over a decade of eliminating the sport’s stereotypes, my home province has finally turned the corner and has decided to move forward with legalizing the sport in Ontario.As I write this article, I am experiencing a heighten sensation that sees my eye sight as blurry, veins pumping with adrenaline while smiling ear to ear. I knew this day would come but I never anticipated the emotional rush. Many of my close friends, colleagues, peers and family members are calling this my own personal victory, comparing to having my hand raised in a title fight.

But the real thanks has to be given to organizations like the UFC and the thousands of fans that support the sport in Ontario. My resources and lobbying efforts pale in comparison to what Dana White and company did to get this done. Hiring the esteemed lobbyist firm Cassels and Brock, and specifically Noble Chummar, who worked tirelessly to educate the provincial powers that be, that MMA is a real sport, filled with professional athletes who have the right to compete in front of consumers who also have the right to watch and pay for what they want.

Chummar’s work coincided with the likes of Tom Wright, who the UFC recently hired to head their Operations in Canada, as well as VP of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner. The team all had their share in proving to Premier Dalton McGuinty and Minister of Consumer Services, Sophia Aggelonitis that MMA (and the UFC) is not only safe, but can help provide a substantial economic boost to a province looking for some financial help.

But in speaking with the Chummar in person, his tireless efforts representing the UFC had him gleaming with pride; let’s face it – he will likely go down in Ontario MMA history as the man who made the impossible, become a reality.

With the government stating the sport should be ready to see it’s first event in 2011, there is some work to be done. There has been no mention or change in the public record of the Ontario Athletics Control Act, the doctrine that oversees combat sports in Ontario. My hope is that it will now include the definition of MMA, as well as the additions of the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts. I am crossing my fingers that they do not attempt to reinvent the wheel – the wheel is already spinning perfectly fine.

I am also keen to catch up with Athletics Commissioner Ken Hayashi, who has long stated that he will uphold whatever law the government asks him to enforce. I also hope Mr. Hayashi recommends that every official and judge who is licensed in Ontario undergo a strict training regimen, and perhaps be the global leader for making sure the refs and judges actually know MMA. The last thing I want to see is what we currently see in other commissions, where refs and judges are brought in from the boxing world, and cannot ascertain a triangle choke from an arm triangle choke. There have been far too many instances where judges do not respect the importance of leg kicks, a good quality ground fight, where a fighter is dominating from the bottom, while thinking the fighter on top is dominating the bout.

I am also hoping that the Ontario Athletic Commission is give the resources to not only sanction UFC events, but grass roots events on a regular basis. The UFC will only come to Ontario once, twice, maybe three times a year, but there is far more MMA than just the big show. There are 52 weeks in a year, and they should be prepared to sanction a minimum of two MMA events a weekends, for a total of 104 a year. The grass roots scene in Ontario can flourish under the right Athletics Commission and can seriously develop the next Georges St-Pierre very quickly.

If the commission remains the same, the sport of MMA will not properly flourish in Ontario. The model that is used in Nevada, New Jersey and Quebec work very well. They have a commissioner, but many inspectors, referees, judges that work within a structure that is self-sufficient. If done properly, the OAC can pay for it’s own staff, while still generate thousands (if not millions) for the province.

Today is a great day – a lot of work has been completed to reach this goal, but it is only one chapter that has been closed. It’s now time to write the next one.

By Joe Ferraro

It’s as if, not a day goes by that upon my rise from a good night’s rest, a preposterous story about MMA ignorance is brought to my attention. Today, I cannot fight the urge to share with you the sheer lunacy of the B.C. Medical Association’s desire to ban the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, not just in their own province, but also across the country of Canada.

The information came to me via an article posted on Tuesday, and stems from an internal meeting the BCMA held in July, and it’s intentions to further their ridiculous cause (and beliefs) to the “Canadian Medical Association’s annual general meeting at Niagara Falls, Ont., from Aug. 23 to 25″. If successful, they intend to lobby the Federal Government in hopes to extinguish the sport of MMA in the Great White North, for good.

Apparently the BCMA is worried about the sport, and based on their own beliefs “know there are a number of serious injuries that can occur, including broken limbs, lacerations and brain damage.”

Based on their finding(s), I wonder if their data includes athletes that compete in professional hockey, football, boxing, etc, and if competitors in these sports have ever suffered any “broken limbs, lacerations and brain damage”? If so, are they considering adding them on their “banned list”? I sincerely doubt it.

It appears as if their fear is similar to the rest of MMA’s harshest critics (who are all stuck in a time warp from the mid-nineties), that deaths in MMA are frequent and they need to put an end to it pronto.

But, not surprising, they join the list of those who do not base their argument on any sort of facts. So allow me to do so.

Since 1993, the year the sport of MMA was introduced to North America, there have been 2 (two) fatalities. The first was Sammy Vasquez in 2007, who died in Houston, while the second, was earlier this year when Michael Kirkham passed away in South Carolina.

It should be noted that Kirhkam’s death is still under investigation for a variety of reasons, namely the apparent poor standards that the South Carolina Athletic Commission uses to license athletes as well as the matchmaking in the bout. Many continue to argue, that not only should Kirkham NOT have been allowed to compete, he was overmatched in his bout, by an opponent who was far more skilled than he was, and that, the referee could have stopped the bout much earlier.

In total, (and for arguments sake) if you add the sad death of American Douglas Dedge, who died overseas in 1998, in an UNSANCTIONED bout in the Ukraine, this brings the international total of MMA fatalities to (3) three, in the 18 (eighteen) year time span since the sport has been made famous.

It should be noted that the total number of deaths in a major promotion (UFC, WEC, Pride, DREAM, Strikeforce, Bellator, MFC, King of the Cage, etc,) that is sanctioned by a well run State or Provincial Athletic Commission, is zero.

According to BoxRec, there were a total of 70 (seventy) reported fatalities in a boxing ring from 1998 to 2006, with an average of 8 a year attributed to the “sweet science”. If we take this average, that’s approximately 136.

A further look into the twenty sixth “Catastrophic Sports Injury Research” study conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, we see some staggering numbers into sporting fatalities that the BCMA may want to look into. To help them save time, I will list them below:

•       Football: 104 deaths and 531 non-fatal and serious injuries    •       Soccer: 7 deaths and 10 non-fatal and serious injuries

•       Cheerleading: 3 deaths and 102 non-fatal and serious injuries

•       Basketball: 2 deaths and 17 non-fatal and serious injuries

•       Ice Hockey: 2 deaths and 17 non-fatal and serious injuries

•       Wrestling: 2 deaths and 56 non-fatal and serious injuries

•       Gymnastics: 1 death and 12 non-fatal and serious injuries

Does this mean that MMA is just as safe as Cheerleading, and much safer than soccer and football? It’s not for me to say, but the numbers are what they are.

Folks at the BCMA need to visit MMAFacts.com so they can get their info straight, and should also pay close attention the study conducted by the esteemed John Hopkins School of Medicine, who in 2006, published the Incidence of Injury In Professional Mixed Martial Arts Competitions in the Journal of Sports Science in Medicine. Most of their ignorant perceptions of MMA can be cleared by reviewing this study, which is four years old.

The President of the BCMA, Dr. Ian Gillespie, compared the dangers of MMA ground fighting to the stand up art of boxing by saying “MMA allows a fighter to attack an opponent while down and we believe those things increase the risk of serious injury.”

An interesting statement and fair enough, so to Mr. Gillespie and his esteemed board of associates, feel free to prove it. Many of us will patiently waiting for your findings, but until then, please stop making motions to ban a sport you apparently have next to no understanding about.

The article also cites Gillespie’s stance that the “BCMA takes the position that MMA fights are more dangerous than boxing because of fewer safety rules.”

Again, I shake my head at the flat out ignorance of this statement, as it was common place say this kind of stuff years ago, to which the MMA community has already addressed and fixed (and I repeat – some people are still stuck in a time warp).

It’s obvious the President of the BCMA, and it’s members need to review the “Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts“, which list what can, and cannot be done in a sanctioned MMA bout, including the 31 (thirty one) fouls that make the sport safe for it’s competitors. It should also be noted to the BCME, that these rules were established in 2000 – nearly a decade ago.

To the BCMA – welcome to 2010. Your opinions of MMA go back more than ten years, and in fact, go back to a time when Pavel Bure was wearing the number 10 jersey for the Vancouver Canucks, while Kirk McClean was protecting the goal when the team last made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Is it safe to say that times have changes since then? I personally believe so – but it’s obvious, you do not.

Your type of thinking falls in line with a recent poll conducted by MacLean’s Magazine, who asked if patients truly trust their doctor.

The poll shows that “40 per cent of Canadians believe physicians across the country care less about their patients than they did a decade ago” and that they feel “rushed” when visiting their family MD. Mind you, not all physicians fall into this category – I know mine do not, as they are well educated and are consistent with the ongoing changes in medicine. If they do not keep up with the times, I move on to an MD who is educated and not prescribing medication or solutions from nearly twenty years ago.

To the BCME: as the old saying goes, perhaps you should clean up your own backyard before you go knocking on your neighbours door.

By Joe Ferraro

It wasn’t long ago when UFC Middleweight Champion, Anderson “The Spider” Silva appeared so dominant, that the rest of the division appeared second rate, to the point where MMA pundits were adamant that it lacked depth; my how times have changed.
With Chael Sonnen’s dominant performance at UFC 117, the superhuman “Spider” has now been  downgraded to a mere mortal, as his trash talking American foe was able to back up nearly 99% of his pre-fight hype. Save for the ludicrous comment he made about being a Nogueira BJJ black belt, Sonnen was two minutes away from becoming the new UFC Middleweight Champion.

Should he have accomplished what the vast majority in the MMA blogosphere labeled as “impossible”, he would have truly turned the MMA world upside down. Mind you, if we pay close attention to the other contenders in the division, we will easily see that it has vastly grown with talent, and one that will provide us with many exciting match-ups that will take us on a great ride for the rest of 2010, while paving the way for an exciting 2011.

The recent news that Silva will be sidelined until February or March of next year, means Sonnen will have to either wait six to seven months for a rematch (should the UFC go with this route) or perhaps take on “The Phenom”, Vitor Belfort, who was originally granted a title shot by the organization, until suffering an unfortunate shoulder injury that will sideline him until the Fall of this year.

This bout between the explosive Belfort and the grinding Sonnen would make for another exceptional scrap, and like it or not, Sonnen will likely talk the Pay Per View buy rate into the stratosphere once again. The trending for this past weekend’s UFC 117 event is climbing to over a million, and let’s face it – the UFC has Chael Sonnen to thank for it.

As these top contenders negotiate behind the scenes to determine who will face whom next, a quick look at my personal rankings for the middleweight division, coupled with the existing match ups that have already been signed gives us a glimpse of which fighters can position themselves across the octagon from the champ.

First off, three fighters on my list that will be removed from this equation are Jake Shields (#3), who is now competing at welterweight, as well as Dan Henderson (#5) and Robbie Lawler (#9), who both call the Strikeforce organization home.

Nate Marquardt (#4) is set to take on leg destroyer, Rousimar Palhares, as part of the main event for UFC Fight Night 22 on September 15th. To maintain is top tier ranking, Marquardt must win this fight, as a loss would be detrimental to his career while seriously increasing the stock value of his Brazilian opponent.

Then there’s Demian Maia (#6), another Brazilian submission specialist who will be taking on Mario Miranda at UFC 118. Miranda, a wrestler who enjoys standing and banging while punishing his opponents on the ground, was brought in to Anderson Silva’s training camp to prepare “The Spider” for Sonnen, after he defeated David Loiseau at UFC 115 in Vancouver. Maia ( like Marquardt ) must win this fight, or he may pave the way for a huge leap up the rankings for Miranda, while pulling the rug out from underneath his own career.

Moving down the list, we see Yushin Okami (#8), who is waiting to take on a top level opponent after defeating Mark Munoz at UFC Live Two, as well as Alan Belcher (#10), who is unfortunately dealing with a detached retina in his right eye, a terrible injury that may cost him his career.

Outside of my top ten, are fighters who will be jockeying for position, and are likely two to three fights away from competing from UFC gold (then again, crazier things have happened in this division).

The first are Yoshihiro Akiyama and Michael Bisping, who will lock horns in the main event at UFC 120 on Oct 16th in London, England, while two weeks later, on October 23rd, former title contender Patrick Cote looks to rebound from his loss to Belcher at UFC 113, and will take on Tom Lawlor at UFC 121 in Anaheim.

Further down the ladder is Dan Miller, who will be taking on John Salter at UFC 118, as well as Chris Leben who is hoping the UFC pits him up against Wanderlei Silva, later this year.

With so many upsets occurring in MMA, nobody truly knows who the next few contenders will be for the division’s champion, be it Anderson Silva or not, but one thing is for certain: the days of calling the UFC’s 185 lbs weight class weak, are all but gone.

By Joe Ferraro

Once again, Jon “Bones” Jones proved why he is the most heralded young prospect in the sport today. His dominant victory over the well traveled Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko has the majority of the MMA world catapulting the youngster to heights of some sort of deity. While I agree Jones is “The Man”, I completely disagree with this inherent need to rush him up the light heavyweight ladder.

His victory over “The Janitor” must be put into perspective. When “Bones” defeated Brandon Vera, it was considered a far more serious victory for the win column on Jone’s resume. But when the UFC matched him up against Matyushenko, folks where saying a victory over the Belarussian would do nothing for the youngster’s career. Today, there are many who now believe Jones should receive a title shot vs current champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.

When Jones fought Vera, “The Truth” was a consensus Top 15 light heavyweight. As for Matyushenko, look around the various sites with legitimate MMA rankings – he’s hovering around #23 to #26, while “Bones” is just outside the Top Ten. With that being said, he did what a higher ranked fighter was supposed to do, to a lower ranked fighter: defeat him. But because he did it in under two minutes, he should now fight a top contender – the likes of Shogun, Lyoto Machida or Rampage Jackson.

On Saturday April 18th, 2009 during our “UFC 97: Countdown Canada” nationally televised live pre-show from The Bell Centre in Montreal, I introduced Jon Jones as the future of the LHW division, and that IN TIME, he would likely develop into a potential future champion. The then, twenty two year old, was as humble as he is today, appreciated the sentiments, all the while my blackberry was ringing with texts, messages, as my Facebook, Twitter and other accounts shared a theme of “who is this guy?” – “never heard of him”, etc. In fact, there were only a handful of websites that truly saw the potential Jon had, even before his masterful performance against Stephan Bonnar at UFC 94.

He’s only twenty three – he’s not thirty three, so there is no need to rush him up the ladder. As I mentioned on last night’s Sportsnet Connected broadcast, I believe the UFC should continue to take their time, building what may be the future Kingpin of “The Pound for Pound” mountain. They have been smart by putting him on free Tv – to build his fan base – and now, he is pay per view worthy, as fans will pay to see him compete against a worthy opponent.

As for who he should face:

I am holding firm on my stance that it should be someone at the bottom end of the Top Ten, and that’s the winner of the UFC 119 co-main event between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ryan Bader. Should he emerge victorious, a bout vs Top Five guy, followed by a number one contender bout, then, in a perfect world ( should he fight every four months and consistently win) he gets his title shot at the tender age of 25.

On a side note: if you missed our pre-fight show, Frank Trigg joined us and firmly believes that if Jones wants to go to heavyweight, he could do so with ease. Ironically enough, the only guy Jones called out after Sunday’s bout, was James Toney, who really wants to silence. Catch my radio show this Thursday to find out why I think this is a great idea for the UFC.

And don’t forget to take the poll on the top right of the page…vote for who you believe “Bones” should face next?

Misc News and Notes

•       With Alan Belcher being forced to withdraw from his UFC Fight Night Twenty Two main event bout vs Demian Maia, it appears that the UFC will not be looking for a replacement. I disagree – bring in Yushin Okami, but I digress. In the meantime, the UFC 118 bout between two other middleweight contenders, Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares has apparently been moved and will now become the main event for UFC Fight Night Twenty Two.

•       In case you missed it, Zuffa LLC has filed suit against Bellator FC and Ken Pavia of MMA Agents for alleged theft of intellectual property. In another article talking about this case, Bellator’s lawyer Patrick English believes all will be worked out and that the suit is unmerited. The real losers here may be the fighters and fans, as litigation costs may put Bellator out of business, right before the start of their Season Three. Also, what effect will this have on Pavia’s stable of fighters, many of which compete under the Zuffa owned UFC and WEC. We should all keep an eye on this story, as Bellator is doing good things, but alas, when you start hovering around the UFC’s radar…well, there is no need for me to continue.

•       We saw him sitting in the stands during the UFC Live Two broadcast, and apparently that’s where Urijah Faber will likely remain until November or December.

•       If you are wondering why Scott Smith was never truly mentioned as a competitor in Strikeforce’s middleweight tournament, it’s because “The Comeback Kid” has recently announced he’ll be moving down to the welterweight division.

•       Canadian Lightweight Mark “Boots” Holst will take on Britain’s undefeated grappler Paul “Sassangle” Sass (10-0) at UFC 120 in England. Check out Holst’s latest blog, where he talks about training with GSP at the Montreal Wrestling Club.

•          Unheralded featherweight Marlon Sandro recently hinted that his next bout may be against Michihiro Omigawa, in a proposed promotional collaboration between DREAM and Sengoku on September 25th. This bout has “Fight of the Year” candidate written all over it.