Strikeforce: Diaz vs Cyborg

With this being the last event before Strikeforce's highly anticipated Heavyweight Tournament, the promotion didn't hold back on bit, giving the fans two championship bouts as part of a four fight main card. Welterweight champion Nick Diaz will defend his crown against Brazilian Muay Thai striker Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos. In the co-main event, BJJ black belt and submission specialist Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza defends his middleweight belt against top contender Robbie Lawler.

In the other main card bouts, Herschel Walker returns to the cage for his second MMA bout as he takes on Scott Carson in a heavyweight bout. To start off the card, submission master Roger Gracie would take on veteran Trevor Prangley.

Gracie - Prangley
Coming in:
What Happened: gracie landing inside leg kicks early. gracie looks very comfortable on his feet. pumping a jab now, nothing with much power behind it. gracie clinches and prangley pushes off. more jabs 90 secs in. they clinch and gracie lands several knees before breaking. gracie clinches and trips prangley to the mat. gracie holding prangley down, slowly advancing and landing brief strikes. gracie moves to side and then to mount. gracie very patient taking his time. prangley pushes off the cage. gracie holds on amaingly with his hips and locks in a body triangle and takes prangley's back. he slowly works in a rear naked choke, eliciting a submission with 40 seconds left in the first round.
What Next

Walker - Carson
Coming in:
What Happened:carson opens up with a head kick that causes walker to scream. they exchange and herschel drops him. herschel stacks him up and moves into guard. herschel maybe too aggressive here. carson goes for a leg lock, but walker is able to get loose. herschel jumps around and takes carson's back and drops some punches. carson gets back to his feet, but herschem ul lifts him up and drops him to the mat. herschel lands knees from the side and uppercuts under the armpit. more punches from herschel. carson turtling here, showing no real offense or defense. carson rolls over to his back. walker back to his feet. carson gets up and herschel pounces and drops him with a left hand. the ref jumps in to save carson, maybe a little prematurely, with just under 2 minutes left in the first.
What next:

Lawler - Jacare
Coming in
What Happened: lawler bouncing around a lot on his feet. lots of feints. looks very tight. ready to explode. head kick misses for souza. fling knee from robbie and they clinch. souza pushes robbie against the fence, and takes him down. jacare moves to side control. robbie unable to move. jacare to north south. passes to other side now. robbie shrimps out and gets to his feet. breaks away from the clinch. robbie throws a counter flurry. jacare backs up. a flying knee and right hand hurt jacare. robbie lands a right and a big left uppercut puts jacare on his back. lawler runs in and dives into jacares guard, where he is immediately tied up. jacare gets his breath back. robbie inactive in jacares guard. big john stands them up. lawler lands a kick and a couple of punches before souza drags him to the mat to end the round. a close back and forth round, 10-9 lawler.
round 2: jacare shoots in after some kicks are excahnged. robbie stuffs it, but jacare keeps pushing and gets him down. souza mounts momentarily but robbie uses the fence to get to half guard. jacare landing shots from half guard. looks for an arm triangle but cant cinch it. jacare passes to side control, then north south. back to the other side now. more punches land on robbie. robbie showing no signs of getting off his back. more hammerfists from jacare. brief scramble, jacare to guard, regains side control. goes for a knee bar but lawler defends. lawler tries to get up, jacare brings him back down, goes for an arm bar, lawler gets loose somehow. jacare stands over lawler, goes for his back again, goes for another armbar and once again lawler is able to get loose. robbie moves into guard and rests to end the round. 10-9 jacare, maybe even 10-8
round 3: jacare gets the thai clinch and lands several knees. jacare shoots, robbie stuffs it, but souza pushes him against the cage holding on to a leg, shoots for a double and takes robbie down. robbie shakes his head, obviously frustrated and being unable to stay on his feet. jacare landing knees on lawler. souza takes robbie's back and sinks in his hooks. puts in a body triangle. robbie keeping his chin tight, but not defending too well. jacare sinks in the rear naked choke and lawler taps out 2 minutes into the 3rd round.
What next

diaz - cyborg
coming in
what happened: cyborg comes out right away with a huge head kick that misses diaz, followed by a spinning low kick. cyborg comes out landing hard leg kicks to the inside of diaz's lead right leg. diaz talking all sorts of trash early on. diaz pushes forward with punches and lands before clinching against the cage, they split and diaz lands more punches while cyborg lands more low kicks. diaz not needing to utilize angles much, just landing jabs and straight left hands. diaz gets tagged with a big shot, but rocks cyborg with straights and hooks and uppercuts. cyborg is rocked and backs up against the cage. cyborg looks winded while diaz is still pushing forward strong. diaz has found his range. just pawing at cyborg and landing everything he throws. jabs, straights, hooks. cyborg throwing knees and winging punches but landing nothing solid. 10-9 diaz
round 2: more kicks coming now from cyborg. big hooks, but nothing lands solid. nick letting cyborg throw shots to his body. keeps pushing forward with his pawing jabs and straight lefts. cyborg cant connect clean and diaz is trash talking him. cyborg lands more low kicks but nothing else of significance. a couple of hard right hands land. diaz lands a knee to cyborg. 90 seconds left, cyborg moving around more now. diaz looks bored. a few exchanges ensue before cyborg gets the takedown with 35 seconds left. diaz locks up an armbar within seconds and cyborg taps out. diaz jumps on the cage and talks shit to someone in the crowd. as he walks back into the cage he has beer thrown at his back.
what next
cyborg vs manhoef

UFN 23: Fight for the Troops 2 Analysis

It has become somewhat of a custom now that when the UFC airs free cards on Spike TV, such as Ultimate Fight Nights or TUF Finales, most of the competitors are either up and comers or fighters trying to rebound and rebuild their record. Due to this lack of "star power" and high profile fighters, many fans have begun to criticize these shows, claiming the fights were neither interesting nor exciting. I think it is now safe to say that these shows are legit.

While the UFC 23 card was loaded with up and comers, many of the victors find themselves suddenly being considered in title talks. So without further ado, let's get into it.

QUICK RECAP

I'll post a quick recap of fight here, with a more in-depth analysis further down the page. Enjoy.

-Matt Wiman defeats Cole Miller via Unanimous Decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

-Wiman controlled this bout from the get-go, out matching Miller on the feet and setting a pace that Miller was unable to keep up with. A dominant top game led Wiman to his most impressive victory inside the Octagon.

-Pat Barry defeats Joey Beltran via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28 x2)

-Barry utilized vicious leg kicks to hobble Beltran, landing almost at will in the 3rd round en route to an impressive win.

-Mark Hominick defeats George Roop via TKO (Rd 1 - 1:28)

-Roop came out aggressive, but was no match for the technical striking of Hominick. Hominick landed almost 80% of the punches he threw in a dominant victory. Hominick receives the first shot at new UFC FW Champion Jose Aldo.

-Matt Mitrione defeats Tim Hague via TKO (Rd 1 - 2:59)

-Mitrione threw and landed 4 times as many shots as Hague in this bout, overwhelming his opponent and picking up another win.

-Melvin Guillard defeats Evan Dunham via TKO (Rd 1 - 2:58)

-Guillard's stand up was on point in this fight, and he picked Dunham apart on the feet before finishing him with knees.

UFN 23 ANALYSIS

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

"Handsome" Matt Wiman vs Cole Miller

Coming In: Both fighters entered this bout having won their last two fights. Wiman has always looked good inside the Octagon, but has had a tendency to take risks and put himself in tough situations. Miller is very similar in the sense that he is willing to attempt all sorts of submissions, regardless of the position he may end up in. It will be interesting to see which one of these fighters can capitalize on their opponent's mistakes.

What Happened: Both fighters paced frantically back and forth in their corners during the introductions. Wiman came out aggressive, throwing leather and kicks. Miller was unable to counter effectively, and his only answer seemed to be clinching against the cage. Wiman continued to apply an aggressive stand up game, as well as dominant top control when the fight hit the mat. Wiman played it smart, landing punches while making sure he wasn't vulnerable to submissions. After three rounds of this, Wiman walked away with the decision. Post fight replays showed that while Wiman was throwing more punches and being more aggressive, not many of his shots were landing cleanly.

What Next: That makes three in a row now for Matt Wiman, who has looked better each time he's stepped into the Octagon. I know a lot of people would love to see a rematch between Wiman and Mac Danzig after their fight was improperly stopped.

As for Cole Miller, he's 2-2 in his past 4 bouts and is in need of some wins in a stacked LW division. There has been some back and forth trash talk between Miller and Donald Cerrone, so a potential bout between those two would definitely raise a few eyebrows.

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (265lbs)

Pat "HD" Barry vs Joey "The Mexecutioner" Beltran

Coming In: Coming off of a loss, each fighter was looking to put on an impressive performance to turn things around. Barry is known as one of the more powerful strikers in the HW division, boasting vicious kicks and powerful punches. Beltran is well known for his "Zombie" approach, having a tremendous ability to take punishment and keep moving forward a la Chris Leben. This fight has all the makings for a slugfest.

What Happened: Long feeling out process starts the bout before Beltran presses Barry up against the cage to work dirty boxing. Ref eventually splits the fighters, and Barry is able to land some powerful kicks before Beltran pushes him against the cage again. Barry doing a good job of stuffing Beltran's takedown attempts. A pair of knees land square on the cup of Barry, bringing a halt to the action and seemingly angering HD. At the end of round 1, Barry stares down Beltran as the bell rings. As the fight goes on, Barry continues to land hard leg kicks on Beltran, basically crippling him. Barry tires at end of the second, and is suddenly at risk of being finished in the third by the Mexecutioner who continues to push forward with punches. After an inadvertent eye poke, Beltran seems like he is unable to see out of his left eye, and Barry begins to unload with heavy leg kicks, dropping Beltran. More kicks and punches follow from HD until the fight ends. A very entertaining bout although Barry could have finished it if he was a little bit more aggressive. Barry takes a unanimous decision victory.

What Next: Although Beltran has lost his last two bouts, he is exactly the type of fighter the UFC wants to keep around. He constantly pushes forward and really makes his opponents work. Beltran is a solid opponent for anyone in the UFC.

Pat Barry looked good in this fight, showing his usual dominant stand up, but also exhibiting a solid base and take down defense. Cardio still seems to be an issue for Barry, as he tired in a manner similar to the Cro Cop fight. It would be interesting to see Barry in there with Cheick Kongo, as a guaranteed brawl would ensue.

FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION (145lbs)

Mark Hominick vs George Roop

Coming In: Roop comes into this bout following the most impressive win of his career, a head kick KO of the "Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung. A TUF alum, Roop is trying to solidify his spot in the UFC after a short stint in the WEC.

Hominick on the other hand has won his previous four fights, and a win against Roop would earn him a title shot against featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo in March. Hominick feels he has the best stand up in the division and wants to put that on display against Roop.

What Happened: Roop came out fast and aggressive, throwing a multitude of punches, kicks and knees. Roop began trying to use his length and reach to keep Hominick at bay. After pressing forward, Hominick lands a huge straight right that drops Roop. Roop quickly up, and Hominick continues to press forward, stalking his opponent, before landing a left hook/right hand combo. Big left hook drops Roop again. One follow up punch is all it takes before Turnage steps in to call it. Roop is barely able to stand on his own following the fight. Hominick does a few pushups in the center of the Octagon which seems to be his thing now.

What Next: For Roop, who knows. I've never thought he was a good fighter, dating back to his appearance on TUF. Surely this loss will result in him being cut from the promotion.

As for Hominick, he has earned a shot at the champ. Hominick claimed to have the best stand up in the division, and definitely made a statement against Roop. Hominick was able to get his opponent's timing down and counter effectively, landing 80% of the punches he threw. Roop really never stood a chance. A Hominick vs Aldo title fight looks incredible at this point. While Hominick may not be on the same level as Aldo, he is definitely the best striker that Aldo has faced thus far. Can't wait for that one.

HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (265lbs)

Matt "Meathead" Mitrione vs Tim Hague

Coming In: Once considered a nutcase and a clown on the Heavyweight Season of TUF, Mitrione has completely turned his came around and notched three straight wins in the UFC. Another win tonite would put Mitrione in great position to join the ranks of fellow cast members Roy Nelson and Brendan Schaub.

Tim Hague dropped three of his first four UFC fights, including a seven second KO loss to Todd Duffee. Since that losing streak, Hague has notched two wins in other organizations and is now trying to fight his way back into the UFC.

What Happened: Mitrione looks very light on his feet early, bouncing all over the ring. He also looks a little bit antsy, throwing lots of feints. Hague attempts a takedown but is stuffed, before Mitrione lands a right hand, followed by a flurry. Hague attempts another takedown which is easily tossed aside by Mitrione. Mitrione is dominating with his hands, and lands a big straight left that floors Hague. Mitrione follows with heavy shots before Miragliotta steps in to save Hague. Mitrione's stand-up looked great in this fight. After the fight, Mitrione "calls out" teammate Pat Barry, saying "Hey Pat Barry, come on maan", with a little chuckle after.

What Next: Don't be surprised if Hague is on his way right back out of the UFC. He has lost his past four UFC bouts, and just doesn't belong in this division.

Mitrione has continued to improve and impress since his appearance on the Ultimate Fighter. It's becoming apparent that his "persona" on the show must have been an act, as he seems to have everything in order when he steps into the Octagon. While a bout against Pat Barry would definitely be exciting, it's not a guarantee considering they are training partners. I personally would like to see Mitrione take a step up in competition and take on Stefan Struve or Brendan Schaub, although both fighters already have scheduled bouts. Either way, expect to see more from Mitrione in the future.

MAIN EVENT

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

Evan Dunham vs Melvin Guillard

Coming In: Dunham enters this fight after losing a controversial split decision to Sean Sherk. Before that, he had won his first four UFC bouts, and looks to be a promising lightweight prospect.

Guillard enters the bout following a controversial split decision in which he was declared the winner against Jeremy Stephens. After switching camps to train with Greg Jackson, Guillard is currently riding a three fight win streak, and has won six of his last seven bouts. A win here for either fighter would absolutely move them into title consideration.

What Happened: Melvin enters the Octagon looking ripped. He has always been known for his strength and physique, but he looks even bigger than normal. Dunham comes in looking calm and focused. At the staredown, Melvin's says "Let's do it Evan", and the fighters touch gloves. Both fighters come out light on their feet. Dunham shoots in but Melvin is able to stay on his feet. Dunham is persistant and drags Melvin to the mat. Guillard moves to the cage to try and wall walk, but Dunham keeps him down. Dunham is unable to pass, and Melvin gets back to his feet. Dunham is having trouble gauging Guillard's timing, and he seems very hesitant to throw anything. Melvin is throwing feints then suddenly connects with a straight right. Dunham tries to shoot in and is caught with an uppercut on the way. Dunham is now wobbled against the cage, with Guillard throwing punches. A big left knee lands for Melvin, followed by more knees and punches, crumpling Dunham to the mat. Guillard pounces with more punches before the ref pulls him off. Huge upset here and a tremendous win for Guillard.

What Next: Dunham, once one of the UFC's hottest prospects, suddenly has back to back losses and is in desperate need of a win. It will be very interesting to see what the UFC does with Dunham here. They could either put him in there with someone like Tyson Griffin or Gomi in basically an elimination match, loser leaves the UFC. I personally think Dunham should fight Nik Lentz, Wiman, Danzig, Pellegrino, Tibau. The UFC has to think this one through and let their prospect grow.

Guillard, who following the victory called for a title shot, is finally living up to his potential. Guillard entered the UFC at the age of just 22, picking up flashy KO's, before his sub par ground game was exposed. Now that he has matured and is with a strong camp, the sky's the limit for Melvin. It's doubtful that he'll be given a title shot, considering Guida and Pettis are already slated for a #1 contender's match. One matchup I would love to see would be Guillard vs Kenny Florian, who is currently injured, but won't be out for too long. Also a Guillard-Gomi bout would be guaranteed fireworks. One thing's for sure, Guillard needs at least one more win before he can get a crack at the belt.

All in all this was a very exciting event. The first two bouts were entertaining from start to finish based on the fact that Wiman was constantly aggressive, and Barry-Beltran was a slugfest. After that, we witnessed three extremely impressive performances. Beautiful TKO finishes from Hominick, Mitrione and Guillard give us a lot to look forward to in the future, especially with Hominick vs Aldo.

The next UFC event is UFC 126: Silva - Belfort, February 5.

83rd Academy Award Predictions

Over the past couple of years, I have found myself becoming somewhat of a film critic. During my younger years, I was interested in most movies due to their action sequences, special effects, comedic approach, and so on. Recent movies like Avatar probably would have been right up my alley. In my current state, I am able to see movies like Avatar for what they really are: a very simple plot and mediocre acting masked by superfluous special effects and action. After seeing There Will Be Blood, I finally realized what film making was actually all about.

Coming in to this year's Academy Awards, it's the first time that I can say I have actually seen almost all of the films which will be nominated, as well as their respected actors. So without much further ado, here are my quick predictions for the main categories at this years Oscars.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Amy Adams - The Fighter: Adams isn't new to the Oscar buzz, having received much acclaim for her appearances in Julie and Julia as well as Doubt. She once again did an amazing job as a bartender from Lowell who was there to support Micky Ward when the going got tough. Adams is a lock to be nominated and could be the fore runner for the Oscar.

2. Melissa Leo - The Fighter: I know, two actresses from the same movie? Well believe it or not, Leo may have been the best actor on the screen, and that includes a thrilling performance delivered by Christian Bale. Leo is still widely unknown, which is one of the biggest reasons her name hasn't received more buzz than it should be. At least that was until she took the award at the Golden Globes a couple of weeks ago. Don't be surprising if Leo is able to sneak in and take this one too.

3. Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech: Unfortunately I haven't seen this movie so I can't give much input on the performance. From what I know of Carter, she tends to really immerse herself in her roles, and from what I hear, she does just that as Queen Elizabeth in this film.

Final Words: It won't be surprising to see Mila Kunis in the top five this year, although I felt her performance in Black Swan wasn't anything amazing. All in all, I think Melissa Leo takes home another statue at the end of the night.

Best Supporting Actor

1. Christian Bale - The Fighter: If you've seen the movie, then you know he has this award already won. If you haven't seen the movie, then get up off your ass and go see it. Bale is not only good in this movie, he is damn great. It's interesting to see that this year's performances were once again dominated by the best supporting actor, following a year in which Heath Ledger blew everybody away with his portrayal of The Joker. This year, Ledger's co-star is primed the take the award.

2. Andrew Garfield - The Social Network: I loved Garfield in this movie as Eduardo Saverin. He has a tremendous second half performance in the film and play his role perfectly as a trusting friend who was betrayed and stabbed in the back. While impressive, Garfield still needs a year or so to increase his fan base. That shouldn't be too hard considering he's the new Spider-Man. Yup, look it up. (Here ==> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0948470/)

3. Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right: This was truly one of those movies that almost anyone can watch and enjoy. I don't want to get too much into it, but basically Ruffalo finds out he is the father of two children who were born via sperm donation many years back. Ruffalo begins meeting with the children and their parents, having quite a dramatic impact on all of their lives. I really liked Ruffalo in Shutter Island as well, and if it weren't for Bale's outstanding performance, I think Ruffalo would be a favorite for this one.

Final Words: Although Jeremy Renner was great in the Town, I just don't think it was enough. He was great last year in Hurt Locker as well, but up against some of this year's actors, Renner's performance doesn't stand out as much. Christian Bale is a lock for this award.

Best Actress

1. Natalie Portman - Black Swan: It was recently pointed out to me that this movie is essentially the female version of The Wrestler. Taking into account that both were directed by Darren Aronofsky, it's pretty understandable. Either way, both were tremendous films and Portman was nothing short of exceptional. I would honestly be shocked if she didn't win this award, as her showcase as a determined young ballerina thriving to achieve perfection had us on the edge of our seats as we witnessed the trials and hardships which drove her close to insanity. Great movie and an amazing performance.

2. Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right: As the mother in this film, Bening showed the hard stern side which parents must have in order to maintain a household, while also revealing to us her pained emotional side which was ever seeking any sort of emotional response from her family. Along with a solid cast of Ruffalo and Julianne Moore, Bening delivered a memorable performance and is definitely close to the top for this award.

3. Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit: While I wasn't a fan of True Grit itself, Steinfeld was very impressive. I admit the movie was good, but for all the reviews and talk that it received, it was absolutely nothing special. Steinfeld on the other hand gave a very memorable performance as a quick-talking, young hustler on the trail of her father's killer. Although she spent most of her time on screen alongside the likes of Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, Steinfeld easily outperformed her fellow actors. While she may not win the award, expect to see her around much more.

Finals Words: Apparently Nicole Kidman is also a potential nominee for her movie Rabbit Hole which I did not see. My final vote is for Portman, who I honestly thought was amazing in Black Swan.

Best Actor

1. Colin Firth - The King's Speech: Like I said earlier, I haven't seen the movie so unfortunately can't comment much on the performance. Considering Firth walked home with the Golden Globe, I will consider him the front runner.

2. Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network: Eisenberg shined in this film as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, currently the youngest billionaire in the world. Eisenberg wowed audiences with his vast vocabulary of degrading terminology, while concealing his inner loneliness and longing for acceptance. (While it is unknown if this is how Zuckerberg actually is in real life, that's how he was portrayed). After seeing the movie, I felt Eisenberg was a lock for a nod at this year's awards.

3. James Franco - 127 Hours: In almost every movie I've ever seen that had James Franco in it, I thought he was awful. Not once have I been impressed by him. In 127 Hours, I honestly don't think he was anything extraordinary. Instead, his role was a product of outstanding film making, a hectic score, and some damn good editing. So while Franco was good, I think the movie itself was better.

Final Words: There's no way in hell I think Jeff Bridges should win. While I didn't see Crazy Heart, Bridges was nothing special whatsoever in True Grit, throwing on a shotty accent and acting like a dumb drunk bastard. Yea, it may have been a little funny, but not Oscar worthy. I'm cheering for my boy Jesse Eisenberg to take this one home.

Best Director

1. David Fincher - The Social Network: Fincher has brought up amazing films already like Se7en, and Fight Club, while also re-imagining The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and 20,000 League Under the Sea. With the Social Network, Fincher puts us on a fast paced ride through the story of the "Accidental Billionaires". Teamed with Aaron Sorkin, Fincher did an amazing job with this film, considering he had a young, relatively unproven cast covering a topic associated with a younger generation.

2. Christopher Nolan - Inception: What is there to say really. Memento, Prestige, Dark Knight. If you've seen Inception, then I'm sure your like the rest of us who went home afterwards and had to stop and say "...so wait, what did I just see?". After seeing the film a second, and third time, I was truly able to understand the brilliance which is Nolan's masterpiece. It would take me days to explain the film and it's intricacies, so let's just leave it at that.

3. Darron Aronofsky - Black Swan: As I mentioned earlier, if you've seen the Wrestler, there are many similarities between the films. They each show the trials and tribulations faced by these professional athletes behind the scenes. It shows us the pains and aches that their bodies go through, while also showing us the emotional toll they suffer. Ultimately we witness that each of them gives up almost everything in order to do what it is that they truly love. While the scripts may have been similar, Aronofsky once again hits home with a tremendous piece of directing in this film.

Final Words: There are a lot of nominees this year, including Tom Hooper (King's Speech), David O' Russell (The Fighter) and maybe even Ben Affleck (The Town) ...haha. In all honesty, this is the hardest award to pick. Each film was so brilliantly put together that it's hard to credit one film without having to immediately credit another. At the end of the day, I think David Fincher walks away with the award this year.

Best Picture

1. The Social Network

As mentioned earlier, this film had an amazing director as well as amazing acting from Eisenberg and Garfield. Along with that it was adapted beautifully by Aaron Sorkin, as well as shot and edited amazingly. Once this movie grabs a hold of you, it doesn't stop until it's over. A great film that truly speaks to the generation which it portrays.

2. Inception

As I mentioned earlier, this film was Christopher Nolan's masterpiece. Both written and directed by Nolan, this movie is so deep on so many levels it is insane, and I'm not just talking the dream levels either! Ha...ha... ...fuck. But seriously, Nolan was on his game when he made this movie. While at first glimpse this may just look like an action movie that takes place in people's heads, it covers so much more than. If you live in a dream world where essentially anything was possible, where you could create your own reality, why would you want to leave? If you could feel this dreamscape with your subconscious re-creation of family and friends, what would be the difference between this dream world and the real world? These are the real questions posed at the end of the movie. From beginning to end, one of the best movies I have ever seen.

3. The Fighter

While Mark Wahlberg was nothing incredible in this movie, that's what made it so great. That's the exact character that Micky Ward was. Sure, it was his name up there in lights and on the score cards, but aside from the fights, he was always behind the scenes, keeping his mouth shut and focusing on nothing but his family and fighting. Also when you take into account that Wahlberg had an amazing supporting cast (Bale, Adams, Leo), it's not a big deal that he didn't put on an Oscar worthy performance himself. Aside from the acting, Fighter tells the amazing true story of Welterweight Champion Micky Ward from Lowell, MA. Going from being a street sweeper to world champion, we see the hardships faced by Ward concerning his older brother Dickie as well as his mother and sisters. A very deep family movie which focuses more on the behind the scenes aspect of Ward's career rather than the boxing.

Final Words: While it may be a shock to see Black Swan not in here, I feel it's too similar to Wrestler to stand on it's own as Best Picture. I also obviously felt True Grit was crap. While The Town, was a very good movie, I don't think it really had enough depth to it in order to be considered for an award like this. While my gut tells me it will be Social Network, my pick for the 2011 award for Best Picture is Inception.

So that's it folks. Tune in next week for the nominations, which are scheduled to be released on Tuesday. The Oscars themselves are just more than a month away on February 27, 2011. Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading.

Welcome to the Next Generation

Going all the way back to the beginning of televised mixed martial arts, the goal has always been to be the best. To be able to defeat your opponent by using any array of techniques and strikes. At first, most of the "fighters" competing in MMA were big guys who resembled bouncers at a night club. They didn't necessarily have a background in wrestling, or karate, or even boxing, but more often than not were just a big bastard who had been in a few fights in his day. This allowed guys like Tank Abbott to rise to the top of the sport. While all this way going on, the next level of fighting was also just beginning.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ace Royce Gracie entered the UFC as one of the smallest competitors in their first show. A thin, lanky old-looking man wearing a gi entered the Octagon in November 1993, known by hardly any; by the end of the night, he was probably the most feared man in the entire building. It took Gracie a combined 5 minutes and 2 seconds to defeat three opponents that night in the UFC's first tournament, finishing all of them by submission, including Ken Shamrock.

Gracie's dominance on the ground showed people that you didn't need to be able to knock someone out to win a fight. This opened the doors for guys like Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Randy Couture, Kevin Randleman and many others wrestlers to enter to sport, using their strength to drag opponents to the mat and overpower them. But once again, the sport evolved.

Fighters trained their takedown defense extensively, knowing that if they were able to keep the bout standing, they would have a better chance against these wrestlers who weren't known for having much punching ability. Fighters like Chuck Liddell, Mirko CroCop, Wanderlei Silva, Andrei Arlovski and Takanori Gomi took the MMA world by storm with their vicious knockouts and ability to keep the fight where they wanted.

As we saw this slow process of fighters becoming knowledgeable of both the ground game and stand-up aspect of the sport, there were some fighters who were already working on multiple aspects of their game. Right around 2005, there suddenly arose a new level of competitor in each of the weight classes. Guys like Georges St. Pierre, Anderson Silva, Shogun Rua, and Fedor Emelianenko exploded onto the scene, showing impressive ability in a multitude of disciplines, with each of them capturing the title in their respective division.

Similar to times past, after this sudden evolution, we witnessed a slow process of more and more fighters training various backgrounds of martial arts. It is commonplace is the sport nowadays to see a fighter with a BJJ black belt and experience in Muay Thai, or a college wrestling background with amateur boxing experience. The sport has now gotten to the point where Fedor is no longer invincible, where Anderson was recently pushed to the brink of defeat, and where GSP is criticized endlessly for being unable to finish his opponents. But it's okay everyone, the next generation is now upon us.

Now Joe Rogan hinted at this when Machida won the LHW title, saying "Welcome to the 'Machida Era'," meaning we would lay witness to a long period of domination by Machida due to his unique and dominant style. Not quite Joe, but close. I think it is safe to say that the time has officially arrived. The MMA world is about to go through another phase of evolution and people need to start getting excited.

The first step of the evolution has already happened, with Cain Velasquez's destruction of Brock Lesnar. Velasquez exhibits a strong boxing game, tremendous wrestling, amazing agility and speed, and endless cardio. One of the most well rounded fighters since a prime Fedor, Velasquez is easily one of the best in the division. His only serious competition comes from JDS, who has a strong background in BJJ, as well as explosive hands capable of putting anyone away. I honestly don't see anyone on the same level as these guys in this division. We'll have to see how the Strikeforce HW tourney unfolds to determine who's still legitimate.

Very shortly after Velasquez was dubbed the HW king, the WEC was absorbed into the UFC. Now although Jose Aldo has been the featherweight champ for some time, now that he is in the UFC, he will receive the exposure he deserves. This kid IS the future. He has some of the best kicks, knees, punches, elbows, and overall stand up we may have ever seen in the sport. No one has come close to taking him down, his speed is mind boggling, and he hasn't shown any sign of ever tiring. No one looks even close to being able to take Aldo right now.

The LW division seems to be the most promising at the moment. With "Showtime" Anthony Pettis entering the UFC, as well as gifted prospect Edson Mendes Barbosa, the UFC lightweight division is going to be insane in 2011. A division currently dominated by ground specialists (Edgar, Maynard, Sherk, Jim Miller, Sotiropoulos), it will be very interesting to see if these young guys can really mix it up and flip this division on it's head. There's literally nothing but amazing match ups to be had in the lightweight division, so let's hope they can resolve this Maynard-Edgar bullshit and give Pettis his shot.

Now, on to the most exciting division in the sport: the light heavyweights. So as I'm sure everybody now knows, Jon Jones and Ryan Bader are set to square off in less than a month. These two guys are probably the top two prospects not only in the division. but maybe the whole UFC. The winner of this will surely be on the fast track to a number 1 contender bout. My money is on Jones. He has shown incredible creativity, ingenuity, and crazy dexterity inside the ring. With the longest reach in the UFC, Jones is a beast standing up, and has lethal elbows, knees, kicks, and throws. The sky is the limit for Bones.

Now let's not forget there is also this other guy, Phil Davis, who isn't too shabby himself. Unfortunately left in the shadow of Bader/Jones, Davis has slowly been making his way up the UFC ladder, knocking off each fighter place in his path. He is next slated to take on Matt Hamill, which will be Davis' first true test, and it will be against another wrestler to boot.

With each of these guys rapidly rising through the division, let's not forget who has already cemented themselves near the top. Shogun, the current UFC LHW champion, is still only 29, meaning he probably has still has several years left in the tank. We also have Rampage, Machida, Rashad, Thiago Silva, Forrest Griffin, and other guys like King Mo(29) and Gegard Mousasi (25) who still have lots of fights left in em. This division will continue to put on amazing fights for years to come, but be sure to keep your eyes on Bader, Jones, and Davis, as any of those three could find themselves atop the division by the end of 2011.

Unfortunately, the MW division still seems to lack any promise. With Anderson Silva close to clearing out the division, which many people feels he has already done, it wouldn't be surprising to see him make a move up to light heavyweight. This could make that division even more incredible. The thing is, who the hell will be his successor at 185? Nate Marquardt is good, but not great. Sonnen is a druggie. Okami is good, but boring as can be. The only real up and comers are CB Dollaway, who has looked extremely unimpressive, and Mark Munoz, who has looked pretty good but not great. The division is very weak, and no one really stands out from the bunch. It's only a matter of time before that next level fighter appears and takes over the throne which the Spider will most certainly vacate by the end of 2011, whether through defeat or by switching weight.

So get ready folks. A lot of times it's easy to look back on a year and give it a name or a theme. For instance 2007 was widely recognized as the "Year of the Upset". Quick recap: Sokoudjou KO's Lil Nog and Arona in the first round, Hendo KO's Wand, Nick Diaz submits Gomi, Couture returns to HW and defeats Sylvia, Matt Serra TKO's GSP, Gonzaga headkicks CroCop, Rampage KO's Liddell, Jardine decisions Liddell, and finally Forrest Griffin submits Shogun. Hectic, I know. But now we actually have a theme that we can watch unfold. We just have to kick back and enjoy as each of these young up and comers mentioned above works their way through their respective division, dismantling opponents and setting the stage as the next level of MMA fighters.

The Re-Emergence of Story Lines in MMA?

Ever since the entrance of the UFC into the main stream sports scene, President Dana White has made it very clear that he wants to keep mixed martial arts from becoming more of a spectacle similar to that of the WWE. By remaining focused on the competition, athletic talent and a system of rules to not only keep fights fair, but also safe, mixed martial arts would be considered a legitimate sport rather than just a sideshow of bloody street fights. With this structure, mixed martial arts soon became one of the fastest growing sports in the world. But it now seems that the very thing which allowed the UFC to prosper, may in fact be holding the sport back.

Let's take a quick look back at the so called "Golden Days" of MMA. When Pride FC was still putting on incredible shows in Japan, and the UFC was only putting on events every few months, as opposed to now where it seems to be every couple of weeks. Now when you think back to Pride, what do you remember? Is it CroCop winning the Open Weight Grand Prix in '06? Or Shogun winning the MW Grand Prix in '05? We think of Gomi's domination of the LW division from '04-'06 and the rivalry he had with Chute Boxe. Or thinking way back we have Sakuraba vs the Gracies. Or Rampage vs Chute Boxe. The seemingly fabled meeting between Fedor and Cro Cop.

My point is this. While people remember fights, the things we remember most are the stories. They gave us reason to look forward to matchups, reasons to be excited for certain fighters. Even when you think back to the early days of the UFC, you wanted to see Royce Gracie go in and rip someone's arm off, and most times he would do it. You would want to see Tank Abbott lay fists on someone's head. When UFC finally became main stream, we have the Liddell - Couture Trilogy, the Liddell - Tito Ortiz feud, the Tito - Ken Shamrock rivalry.

But most of all, and the number one reason why UFC reached the level it has today, is due to the Ultimate Fighter season 1. While the show is heavily criticized now for it's reality TV aspect, the first season was focused much more on the training and fighting, aside from the antics of Chris Leben, Josh Koscheck and Bobby Southworth. Watching this show, people became accustomed with fighters and had a reason to actually root for these guys when they saw them fight. When Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar met in the final, not only did they put on one hell of a brawl, but people actually knew who these guys were, as opposed to watching two randoms go at it. Shortly after that fight, the UFC received much more media attention and slowly began to grow into the titan it is today.

Now, with that being said, it's fair to say that much of what got mixed martial arts popular in this world was the different story lines people could follow. In today's current state, we have very few, if any interesting story lines. Sure, the Ultimate Fighter is still on, but after over ten seasons, it has become ridiculously repetitive and as I mentioned earlier, people criticize the show for choosing fighters who are more camera-ready rather than based on their talent. The most recent "rivalry" I can remember was Rampage vs Rashad in May, and that bout ended up being somewhat of a dud. The last so called "super fight" between GSP and BJ Penn also ended up fizzling out, as GSP basically laid on Penn and slowly worked him over for 4 rounds. Due to this, it is hard to truly be excited or interested for an upcoming bout, aside from the two fighters "matching up well".

While the UFC continues to keep their organization more focused on the competitive aspect, other organizations have finally begun to branch out with the reintroduction of tournaments. Once a staple in the Pride organization, tournaments are rarely seen anymore in mixed martial arts. Dana White has always been against the idea, I personally don't know why. Other promotions have finally embraced the idea. Bellator FC recently began airing tournaments for each division, with the eventual winner becoming the champion of their respective division. The next the season, the winner of the tournament would face off against the prior season's champion. Although they have only been around 3 years, Bellator has grown tremendously while putting on exciting fights.

With Bellator's almost instant success, it's easy to see that the tournament format is appealing to fans. This is also evident by the fact that everyone loved most of the tournaments which were put on in Pride. Strikeforce FC CEO Scott Coker realized this as well, and recently announced that their organization is putting on a Heavyweight Tournament. To tell you the truth, this is probably the smartest thing they could have done at this time. While their HW division is very strong, it doesn't have all that much depth. This tournament will cover roughly three events, allowing the organization to find more fighters for their other divisions and bring up their prospects as well.

But, before we start getting too excited, let's take a closer look at the Strikeforce "Tournament" which has received so much buzz over the past few weeks. The bouts are currently scheduled as follows.

Bracket 1

Fedor Emelianenko vs Antonio Silva

Alistair Overeem vs Fabricio Werdum

Bracket 2

Brett Rogers vs Josh Barnett

Andrei Arlovski vs Sergei Kheritonov

Now while this does look very exciting, as it is full of great fighters, someone recently pointed out that this is only one way of looking at these upcoming bouts. Here's another way

Alistair Overeem vs Fabricio Werdum for the HW title.

Fedor vs Silva for the #1 contender shot.

On a seperate card, we see Rogers fighting Barnett, and Arlovski fighting Kheritonov, with the winners each moving up in the division.

The next title defense, for example, say we see Overeem against Fedor for the belt. Elsewhere on the main card, for example let's say Barnett and Arlovski fight, and so on til one of them is the ultimate champion.

So you may be reading this saying, "Yea, that's what a tournament is...", but my point is that the UFC could have been doing this same thing for years and generating much more buzz around their fights than they have been. Let's jump back to 2007, LHW division. Now at the time, technically, this tournament unfolded...

Bracket 1

Rashad Evans vs Chuck Liddell

Forrest Griffin vs Current champion Quinton Jackson

Bracket 2

Lyoto Machida vs Tito Ortiz

Thiago Silva vs Antonio Mendes

Rashad and Lyoto were the ultimate winners, with Lyoto winning the tournament and becoming champion. Now while this was dragged out over a couple of years, the UFC EASILY could have put these fights a little bit closer together and marketed this as a HUGE LHW tournament. You can honestly go back even further than this also, making it a 16 man tournament rather than 8, featuring bouts like Rashad vs Bisping, Chuck - Wandy, Forrest - Shogun, Rampage - Hendo, Machida - Sokoudjou, Thiago - Houston Alexander, etc.

What I'm really getting at here is that the whole idea and format of a "tournament" is nothing more than just a simple marketing ploy. For some reason, people absolutely love the idea of a tournament. I don't know if it's because we're so accustomed to sports which feature seasons that end with a playoff system and ultimately determine a champion, maybe this is why we like seeing one mine stand out at the end above all else. Whatever it is, the idea of a tournament or playoff has always intrigued fans, and now that it is becoming more and more popular, I think it's about time we saw the UFC incorporate it into their bouts. Honestly, I just pulled that LHW tourney out of my ass but it makes sense, and it's a solid 8 man tournament top to bottom, excluding maybe Antonio Mendes.

By putting on more tournaments, I believe MMA will continue to grow and expand by drawing the attention of more and more casual fans. What would you rather watch, a card featuring 5 independent bouts, or a card where we get to see who will be winner of the 2011 lightweight tournament? See, it just has such a nicer ring to it.

Here's to hoping that 2011 brings some change to the face of MMA, and by God let's hope they change the scoring system somehow.

UFC 125 Analysis

So I know I haven't posted in a while, but I've had a lot of shit going on over the past few weeks with a move to Framingham, Christmas, New Year's, and a vacation to Orlando. But now I am back and excited as ever for the upcoming 2011 campaign. And what better way to start it than with a UFC event on 1-1-11. I know right, so many 1's. Just wait til November 11th.

So for those of you who missed the final WEC event, Anthony Pettis defeated Ben Henderson in a 5 round decision, capped by the "Showtime Kick" as it has been dubbed. and was also named #8 on Sportcenter's Top 10 Plays of 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmp9WdkpxHE

The UFC already announced that the winner of that bout would square off against the winner of the UFC 125 main event between LW Champion Frank Edgar and Gray Maynard. Without further ado, here is a recap of UFC 125, as well as a prediction for the outcome between Pettis and the winner of Edgar/Maynard.

To start the main card...

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

Clay Guida vs Takanori Gomi

Coming in: After losing back to back bouts against Diego Sanchez and Kenny Florian, Guida rebounded strong with consecutive submission victories over Shannon Gugerty and Rafael Dos Anjos. On the opposite side of the cage, Gomi entered into just his 3rd UFC bout. The former Pride LW champion entered the Octagon with a 1-1 UFC record, having been submitted in his UFC debut by Kenny Florian before knocking out Tyson Griffin in the first round of their meeting last August.

What Happened: Knowing that Gomi is heavily reliant on his striking, Guida came into the bout utilizing a style of head movement rarely seen in MMA. Guida was bobbing, ducking and weaving to the extent that not only was Gomi unable to gauge his timing, but he must have been hypnotized by the swirling rotation of Guida's long lustrous locks. Unable to land any significant shots, Gomi was eventually taken down by Guida and submitted in the 2nd round via guillotine choke.

What Next: Long gone is the Gomi of the Pride days whom we all grew to love for his epic battles with Kawajiri, Pulver and even Diaz. Gomi's only game plan now seems to lie in landing a big punch to put his opponent to sleep, which in all honestly, won't cut it against fighters the caliber of those he will face in the UFC. I would love to see Gomi take on the loser of the upcoming Melvin Guillard - Evan Dunham bout scheduled for January 22nd.

As for Guida, he continues to cement his role as a gatekeeper in the UFC. With this bout he showed that he has relentless pace, movement and enough talent to take out the mid-level fighters of the UFC, but it still seems that Guida lacks what it takes to push into the next level of the LW division. With many of the top LWs already booked (Miller, Penn, Sotiropoulos, Dunham), it wouldn't be surprising to see Guida take on Mac Danzig in a rematch, or even Jeremy Stephens who picked up an impressive win on the prelims of the UFC 125 card.

WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION (170lbs)

Nate Diaz vs Dong Hyun "Stun Gun" Kim

Coming In: After losing 3 of 4 fights at LW, Nate Diaz made a move from 155lbs up to 170. In the current age of MMA, it is popular for fighters who have hit a rough patch to drop down in weight. Diaz has found success doing the opposite, having won his first 2 fights since moving up to the welterweight division.

Dong Hyun Kim, a Japanese Judo practitioner, boasts a 13-0-1 record, having won 4 of 5 bouts since entering the UFC, with one of those bouts being ruled a No Contest due to his opponent testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs.

What Happened: Kim used his Judo background to clinch up with Diaz and take the bout to the floor. Using a smothering top game, DHK was able to control Diaz for most of the first two rounds, although Diaz showed a very active guard and ground game, constantly attempting submissions off his back. It wasn't until the 3rd round in which Diaz finally opened up with his hands and began to land strikes. Kim won a unanimous decision, 29-28 on all three cards, as well as my own scorecard.

What Next: Following the bout, Kim made a rather half assed-broken English attempt at calling out GSP. Considering the fact that Georges has upcoming bouts rumored against Jake Shields and Anderson Silva, I doubt Kim will be challenging for the title any time soon. Also, due to the boring nature of his victory, I wouldn't be surprised if Kim received the "Yushin Okami Treatment" and finds himself relegated to many undercard bouts against mid-level opponents. Many interesting bouts lie ahead for Kim, including Mike Pierce, John Hathaway, and Jake Ellenberger.

As for Diaz, it's tough to say. A move back down to LW is doubtful, but Kim's ability to hold Diaz down shows that Nate would be no match against the superior grapples of the division (GSP, Fitch, Koscheck). It would be interesting to see Nate take on Paulo Thiago, Mike Swick, or John Howard in attempts to re-establish himself as a top contender in the WW division.

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION (205lbs)

Thiago Silva vs Brandon Vera

Coming In: Brandon Vera entered the UFC in 2005 as a highly touted prospect in the HW division. After picking up 4 straight wins, Vera suffered his first UFC defeated to former champion Tim Sylvia. Vera then lost 2 of his next 3, which led Vera to a drop down to the LHW division. Vera has since gone 2-2, including a brutal KO loss in his last bout against Jon Jones in which Vera had his orbital bone broken via a Jones' elbow. Vera made multiple pre-fight statements saying that he's gotten past his own hype and is ready to show what he's truly made of

Silva is 364 days removed from a loss to former champion Rashad Evans. Following that bout, Thiago underwent extensive back surgery to repair several herniated discs which he had been suffering through. Silva promised to show up better than ever in this bout.

What Happened: Although Vera is the one who used to be a HW, Silva looks like the larger fighter. Thiago is able to secure takedowns throughout the first two rounds and hold Vera down. After being very verbal about how he thought Jon Jones had a poor top game, it's funny to see Vera unable to escape from underneath Silva. Thiago continues with top control through the 3rd round, sealing a unanimous 30-27 decision victory. Vera's nose is gruesomely broken, reminiscent of when Anderson Silva broke Rich Franklin's nose.

What Next: For Vera, the hype train has not only been derailed, but has been officially shut down and put out of service. Vera has now lost his last 3 bouts at LHW, and does not have the size to return to the HW division. This means that Vera will either likely be cut by the UFC. The only possible fights remaining for Vera at this time are either a matchup against the loser of the upcoming Tito Ortiz - Lil' Nog fight, or maybe a rematch against Krzyzstov.

Thiago on the other hand showed a very dominant top game which we have not really seen from him in his UFC career. Most of his fights have been finished on the feet inside the first round or two, so it was good to see that Thiago has fully recovered from his back surgery. When you take into account that Silva's only losses have come to former champions (Machida and Rashad), it's fair to say that Thiago is a force to be reckoned with in this division. Many possible bouts await Thiago, including a possible rematch with Machida, or matchups against the loser of either Ryan Bader-Jon Jones or Forrest Griffin-Rich Franklin. The LHW division continues to heat up.

MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION (185lbs)

Chris Leben vs Brian Stann

Coming In: Brian Stann, a former United States Marine, who served time in Iraq, entered the WEC in 2006, where he went 5-0 while capturing the WEC LHW championship. After the division was absorbed by the UFC, Stann went 2-2 in the LHW division, before making a move down to MW. After a 3rd round submission victory over wrestler Mike Massenzio, Stann called out Chris Leben, making a statement that he wasn't afraid to fight anyone.

Leben, famous for his antics on season 1 of the Ultimate Fighter, had been nothing but a middle of the pack fighter in the MW division. That was until June/July of 2010. Leben picked up 2 victories in the span of 2 weeks against opponents Aaron Simpson and Yoshihiro Akiyama. Riding a three fight win streak, Leben came into the fight on his best win streak since 2006.

What Happened: Both fighters come out early, exchanging kicks and punches. About a minute in, Stann clinches with Leben up against the cage. Leben lands a few punches from the clinch. Midway through the round Stann lands a big punch that puts Leben down. Showing his durability, Leben recovers and returns to his fight. Stann again lands shots to the head and body which drop Leben for a second time. Leben once again gets back to his feet, but is noticeably hurt. Stann lands a big knee which drops Leben for a third time, prompting referee Josh Rosenthal to step in and call the bout.

What Next: Leben, a fighter who prides himself on his ability to take a punch and keep coming forward, was stopped tonite after a severe beating. While his standup is good, it's not nearly enough to compete with the better fighters in the division (Stann, Bisping, and not to mentioned Anderson Silva/Belfort). But believe it or not, this may be a good thing. With this loss, Leben is now in line to face names such as Jorge Rivera, Miquel Falcao, and Wanderlei Silva. I have personally been screaming for a Wanderlei-Leben matchup for almost a year now, and it would be absolutely epic if it went down. Joe Silva...MAKE IT HAPPEN!

As for Stann, it's tough to say. From what we've seen from him, he has lots of power and a very straight forward yet effective stand up game. The UFC could either immediately throw him in with the likes of a Bisping or Alan Belcher, or they could give the new Greg Jackson disciple some time to evolve, and match him up against Aaron Simpson, Tom Lawlor, or Alessio Sakara. Either way, Stann is out to put on exciting fights for the fans.

MAIN EVENT

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs(

Frank "The Answer" Edgar vs Gray "The Bully" Maynard

Coming In: While Maynard may be unknown to casual fans, he is more deserving of a title fight than most recent challengers to any of the UFC championships recently. En route to this fight, Maynard has notched 8 straight victories inside the Octagon, including wins over Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, Nate Diaz, Kenny Florian, and even a 2008 decision victory over current champion Frank Edgar. Although his style may be boring, Maynard has beaten the best on his way to the top.

As for Edgar, he is fresh off of back to back victories over former champion BJ Penn. While their first meeting was controversial, Edgar left no doubt in the judges' minds in the second bout as he dominated Penn for all five rounds, winning 50-45 on all three scorecards. Now the undisputed champion, Edgar is out to avenge the only loss of his career against the Bully.

What Happened: For the casual fan this fight may have seemed very boring. For us hardcore fans, this fight was epic. Edgar, who prides himself on his speed and ability to move in and out, was dropped twice in the first round by Maynard. Gray found a home for his left hook, and used it to put the champion on wobbly legs for much of the first round. Maynard put a beating on Edgar, but as the round ends, Maynard's holding his hands at his side. I score Round 1 10-8 for Maynard.

Edgar looks much quicker in the second round, moving in and out, landing multiple flurries on Maynard. Frankie scores a big double leg takedown, and continues to pepper Gray with flurries.

Maynard is noticeably slower, throwing hardly any punches and almost surrendering round 2 to Edgar. I give it to Frankie, 10-9.

Round 3 Frankie seems to have slowed down again, while Maynard is throwing his hands more than in round 2. Gray shoots a few times, only to find each attempt stuffed by Edgar. Gray then begins to land his left hook, lands several times, finally shoots and gets Frankie down. Edgar gets back to his feet before being taken down again. VERY close round, I give it to Maynard 10-9.

Frankie starts the 4th round with an immediate takedown. Gray gets up but is taken back down. Maynard back to his feet, attempts a takedown of his own which is very easily shrugged off by Edgar. It's amazing to see how well Edgar has recovered from the beating he took in round 1. Frankie continues to move in and out, landing short quick flurries while Maynard is unable to land anything of significance. Frankie takes round four 10-9. Scores currently are 38-37 for Maynard, heading into the fifth and final round.

Both fighters come out on their toes to start the fifth round. Both engage in multiple exchanges, with each fighter landing leather. Gray shoots and Edgar stuffs it. Frank lands a 1-2 with his hands, then stuffs another TD. More exchanges ensue, with Gray attempting takedowns and Frank stuffing all of them. Both fighters trade punches to the bell, close final round, but I give it to Edgar 10-9. My final score card reads 47-47 draw.

The final judges' cards are announced: 48-46 for Edgar, 48-46 for Maynard, and 47-47 even, for a split Draw decision. Both fighters welcome the possibility of a rematch, although Edgar remains your UFC LW Champion

What Next: It's hard to say what the UFC will do with their LW championship following this bout. The winner was scheduled to take on Anthony Pettis for the Undisputed UFC LW Championship, but since the bout ended in a draw, it seems only fair that a rematch take place. Almost all of the top contenders are booked at this point (Jim Miller vs Kamal Shalorus, George Sotiropoulos vs Denis Siver, BJ Penn vs Jon Fitch, Kenny Florian - Injury, Evan Dunham - Melvin Guillard). So there is definitely room for a rematch to occur between Edgar and Maynard, it would just mean that Anthony Pettis would be sidelined for at least six months. I personally think the UFC should match Edgar against Pettis, and have Maynard fight either Dunham, Sotiropoulos or Jim Miller for a #1 contender's match.

So that's about it for UFC 125. There were some interesting Pre-lim bouts which saw Phil Baroni finished via KO hopefully for the last time, Dustin Poirier made a memorable Octagon debut by derailing the Josh Grispi hype train, and Jeremy Stephens scored an impressive come from behind KO of Marcus Davis in the 3rd round of their LW bout.

The next UFC event to keep your eyes open for is UFC Fight for the Troops 2, on Januard 22nd which is headlined by Evan Dunham - Melvin Guillard, and airs for free on Spike TV. Following that is UFC 126, which airs on February 6, Super Bowl weekend, featuring a MW Championship bout between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, any comments/criticisms are welcome, any sort of feedback helps me to find out exactly what it is that the readers want to hear. Thanks again, and Happy New Year.

WEC 53 Preview and Predictions

WEC 53 will not only be the last WEC card of the year, but it will also be the ZUFFA owned promotion's final card ever. It was announced a couple months back that the WEC and almost all of it's fighters would be absorbed into it's parent/sister promotion, the UFC.

This process began back in 2009, when the and Middleweight and welterweight divisions were absorbed by the UFC, leaving the WEC as a stable for the lighter weight classes of lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight fighters. Currently, the UFC plans on adding the BW and FW divisions to it's lineup, which currently features Heavyweight down to Lightweight fighters. This is where things start to get interesting.

Not only does the introduction of the smaller weight classes contribute to more fast paced and exciting bouts, but it also presents new championship belts. Jose Aldo was crowned as the first UFC Featherweight Champion at UFC 123. Tonight will determine who will be dubbed the first ever UFC Bantamweight Champion, as current title holder Dominick Cruz squares off against top contender Scott Jorgensen.

The most interesting aspect of the merger in my opinion lies in the lightweight division. As it stands, the LW division is one of the deepest and most talented divisions in the UFC. Since the WEC only utilized three weight classes, they also had a large depth of fighters at LW. This means we are about to see A LOT of crazy lightweight matchups that not only will be fast paced, but will also have potential for flashy submissions and devastating knock outs.

As for the champions of the lightweight division, it gets even better. Where as the current FW and BW champions of the WEC were basically just handed a new belt that said UFC on it instead, the lightweight division will feature a 4 man tournament, with the UFC LW title on the line.

Tonight, WEC LW Champion Ben "Smooth" Henderson will defend his belt against number 1 lightweight contender Anthony "Showtime" Pettis. On January 1st, just over two weeks from now, current UFC LW Champion Frankie "The Answer" Edgar will defend his title against the only person he's ever lost to, undefeated wrestler Grey "The Bully" Maynard. It has been announced by the UFC that the winners of each of these matchups will square off in 2011 for the Undisputed UFC Light Weight Championship of the Woooooorld!

So needless to say, WEC is not holding back with their last show and really wants to put on a show as they join forces with the UFC. Since many of these guys will be featured in upcoming UFC cards next year, it would be good to tune in now and try to be familiar with a few of them, especially the champions. Without further ado, here are my preview and predictions for WEC 53: Henderson vs Pettis.

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

Bart Palaszewski vs Kamal Shalorus

What to Expect: Both of these guys are the type of fighters who don't really mind where the fight goes and feel comfortable fighting pretty much anywhere, though Kamal is a more decorated grappler and wrestler. Whether standing or on their back, each fighter is usually able to keep active and keep the fight interesting. The one difference between them is that "Bartimus" has much more experience than Shalorus. The Polish fighter had a long career in the IFL where he faced UFC contender Jim Miller, and is currently on a four fight win streak with one of those victories coming over Anthony Pettis, who is featured in the night's main event.

My Prediction: Look for these two to trade right of the bat. Both of them are aggressive on the feet and don't mind getting into exchanges. I see Shalorus using his superior grappling to pick up an edge on Palaszewski, grinding him against the fence and taking him down with ease. Shalorus doesn't really have the power to finish, but should be able to take a clean cut one sided decision in an exciting matchup. I'm not say Bart will just fall down and get beat on, as he is one to always put up a fight, but Shalorus seems to just have his number in this one.

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone vs Chris Horodecki (pronounced Whore-o-desky, damn Polish bastard).

What to Expect: If you've never seen either of these guys fight, then you're in for a treat. Horodecki is just 23 years old, but has been fighting since he was 18, accruing a 16-2 record over that time. He looks like a small, blond child, but the kid has some hands. Chris dominated the IFL for much of 2006 and 2007, going 8-1, including this little known about gem against Shad Lierley. In my opinion this is one of the most exciting MMA fights you'll ever see. Fuck Forrest Griffin vs Stephan Bonnar, this fight is where it's at.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2krgg_chris-horodecki-vs-shad-lierley_sport

Another bonus, it's commentated by Bas Rutten :).

So anyways, now that you know who Horodecki is, Cerrone is no walk in the park. The Cowboy is one of the more exciting fighters in the WEC. A Greg Jackson disciple, Cerrone has put on some amazing performances in the Octagon, including his bouts against Rob McCullough, Jamie Varner I & II, Krause, Ratcliff and his first bout against Ben Henderson. Cerrone is a tall and lean fighter for this division, but uses his length and power very well.

My Prediction: This fight should be an absolute war on the feet. Horodecki loves to duke it out on the feet, and Cerrone is game wherever the fight goes. Horodecki will need to use his jab to try and get inside of Cerrone's reach. While Cerrone is very exciting, he has been prone to fighting a bit wreckless in attempts at putting on an exciting performance. This is a really tough one to call. I'm going to go with Horodecki via second round knockout in this one, although Cerrone's length may be a little too much for him. I'm just hoping for an all out war from both fighters and look forward to seeing each of them fighting in the UFC.

BANTAMWEIGHT DIVISION (135lbs)

UFC Bantamweight Champions on the line

Champion Dominick Cruz vs Scott Jorgensen

What to Expect: In the night's first championship bout, the 16-1 Dominick Cruz takes on the 11-3 Scott Jorgensen. Cruz, who formerly fought at featherweight, dropped down to bantam less than two years ago and has found great success in the division, utilizing his length, reach and wrestling against the somewhat smaller fighters. In this fight, he will once again hold an advantage over his opponent in each of those departments. But Jorgensen is no joke. In a division featuring Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres, Mizugaki, Brian Bowles, and others, it's not easy getting a shot the belt. Since the beginning of 2009, Jorgensen has fought seven times, going 6-1, including winning his last five. A hungry fighter, he is determined to get that belt.

My Prediction: While Jorgensen has the desire and will power to win, it still may not be enough. Cruz is a very resilient fighter. He can take a beating and give the licks right back. Due to his size and wrestling background, it is very difficult for fighters to bring the champion down. Fortunately for Jorgensen, he was a collegiate wrestler and accomplished grappler. It isn't too often that we see Cruz on his back, and don't forget that his only loss did come to Urijah Faber via submission. If Cruz is able to fend off the clinch and grappling of Jorgensen, he should have no problem using his punches to control the distance and pace of this fight. Jorgensen either needs to take this fight to the mat or Cruz will walk away with an easy decision. My money is on the latter.

LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION (155lbs)

WEC Lightweight Championship on the line

Ben "Smooth" Henderson vs Anthony "Showtime" Pettis

What to Expect: These guys are not only the two most exciting lightweights in the WEC, but possibly two of the most exciting lightweights in all of MMA. I'm honestly having difficulty finding the words to describe these guys. Here is a highlight of Pettis and what he does best.

Pettis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjrNqYsAMuk - you can mute this one, but just look at the destruction he lays upon people.

Bendo unfortunately doesn't really have many good highlights online, and several of them have been taken down. But he is an incredibly versatile fighter who is quick off his back and has good hands. With most of his wins coming via submission, he is always a threat to his opponents when on the mat. The bottom line is both of these guys love to fight. When you see Pettis, you can almost instantly tell that he's the type of kid who loves to throw down with someone, and is willing to engage literally anywhere the fight goes.

My Prediction: Fight of the Night, Fight of the Year, hell this could be one of the most exciting fights we'll see this decade. This one should be an absolute all out war, and I'm pulling for Pettis in this one because this kid is as exciting as they come. 3rd round TKO for Showtime.

So that about sums it up. The card airs tonite on Versus Network at either 8 or 9pm, check your local listing. While many of my predictions for this event end in decision, each of these fights should be non-stop, back and forth action from bell to bell. Also, in the event that any of the fights do end in the first round or so, there are several very interesting preliminary bouts which may be aired on the main card if there is enough time. Either way it looks to be a very exciting night of fights and a great farewell to a promotion that has been giving us quality MMA for the past 9 years. Farewell WEC, and it will be great to see all of these fighters under the UFC banner.

Hope everyone enjoyed the read, and enjoy the fights.

My Prediction: