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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…)

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