by Tomas Rios (www.sherdog.com)

Late-notice injuries are a part of the game when your average training camp essentially combines a never-ending cycle of blunt-force trauma with the kind of cardio conditioning that requires a vomit bucket on hand at all times. Look up and down the card of this Saturday’s UFC 108 event and you’d think Dana White has made a hobby of ticking off Voodoo Gods, as the combination of last-minute injuries and Quinton Jackson’s unholy decision to try and replace Mr. T all but sabotaged the show.

Yet through sheer ingenuity and/or pure desperation, fans can still bank on a quality night of fistic pleasures. Whether it’s the sight of Thiago Silva’s death stare, Dustin Hazelett and his propensity for turning opponents into mutilated Gumby toys or the possibility of watching Gilbert Yvel show Mike Tyson how to be a true-blue psycho, there’s something for every palate. Read on and get all your knowledge needs handled.

Junior dos Santos vs. Gilbert Yvel

The Breakdown: A case study in incredible talent coming at a heavy price, Yvel is a gifted kickboxer whose behavior also happens to border on being sociopathic. On the opposite end of the mental health spectrum is dos Santos, who has developed into one of the sport’s premier heavyweight prospects while maintaining a firm grip on his sanity.

Once upon a time, this fight would have been compelling, but Yvel is a shell of his old self and has lost the technical sheen on his game that once made him so dangerous. Now content to keep his hands low and wing lazy strikes, Yvel’s defense is full of holes that an intelligent striker like dos Santos will easily ferret out.

Just watch dos Santos’ fight with Mirko Filipovic at UFC 103 and you’ll see a fighter who understands the importance of strategy and how to execute one correctly. That sort of fight IQ has been missing from Yvel’s game from day one, and he’ll learn yet again what happens when talent alone can’t win you a fight.

The X-Factor: Any 240-pound human being with 18 years’ worth of muay Thai training is going to be dangerous, and that is something dos Santos must keep in mind. Yvel is still more than capable of ripping off another highlight-reel worthy KO. A motivated Yvel is the Yvel the world has been waiting for, and if he can reclaim just a bit of his old self, he could remind the same people who wrote him off why he was once the future of the heavyweight class.

* * *

The Bottom Line: Holding out hope for Yvel is like doing the same for Mike Tyson: Your time is better spent on other endeavors. Instead of admiring Yvel’s brilliant brand of muay Thai, we’ll be stuck watching him absorb a beating from a younger version of himself. Three synapse-scrambling rounds for Yvel come to a merciful end with dos Santos notching a unanimous decision.

Both Figthers have been working hard in the gym and gettign ready for the first clash of the new year, looks like UFCfanboy is in for a real treat. My money is on Evans.
Heres what Silva had to say

Evans is no slouch aswell

And here is the official video preview for the UFC 108:

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is prepared to finalize the line up for its upcoming Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Finale, which is scheduled for the “The Pearl” from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, December 5, 2009.

TUF 10 Finale will feature a showdown between the top two finalists from the Spike TV reality show, as well as a light heavyweight war featuring Jon “Bones” Jones as he inches his way closer to title contention against Matt “The Hammer” Hamill.

Special attraction Kimbo Slice, who was bounced from the reality show competition by Roy “Big Country” Nelson, will get another chance to prove he belongs among the ranks of professional fighters when he takes on Houston Alexander at a catchweight of 215lbs.

Here’s the current TUF 10 Finale fight card:

Main event:

205 lbs.: Matt “The Hammer” Hamill (7-2) vs. Jon “Bones” Jones (9-0)

Main card (Televised):

265 lbs.: TUF Finalist No. 1 vs. TUF Finalist No. 2
155 lbs.: Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (10-1) vs. Matt Veach (14-4)
215 lbs.: Houston “The Assassin” Alexander (9-4) vs. Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson (3-1)*

Under card (May not be broadcast):

170 lbs.: Dennis “Superman” Hallman (41-12-2) vs. John “Doomsday” Howard (12-4)
155 lbs.: Mark Bocek (7-2) vs. Joe “The Southside Strangler” Brammer (7-0-1)
205 lbs.: Brian “All-American” Stann (7-2) vs. Rodney “ShoNuff The Master” Wallace (9-0)

*Fight not officially confirmed by UFC.com

MMAmania.com will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the TUF 10 Finale, beginning with the Spike TV telecast at 9 p.m. ET. In addition, we will deliver up-to-the-minute quick results of all the under card action on fight night.

We’re still a few days away from showtime; therefore, feel free to share your thoughts and predictions on the TUF 10 Finale in the comments section below. And remember that MMAmania.com will be the spot for the latest news and event-related highlights before, during and after the event.

Im really psyched to see how this season will end and the Hammil – Jones fight is one to watch

UFC welterweights Josh Koscheck (14-4) and Paulo Thiago (12-1) will have a chance to settle some unfinished business when they hook ‘em up inside the Octagon at UFC 109 from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, February 6.

UFCfanboy (www.UFCfanboy.com) learned of the pending match up earlier today.

“Kos” was stunned by the Brazilian in their first encounter at UFC 95: “Sanchez vs. Stevenson” at The O2 Arena in London, England, back on Feb. 21. The AKA product walked into an uppercut and appeared to be out before he hit the canvas; however, he was jolted back to reality as soon as his head hit the floor. He was not totally out and the referee jumped in thinking he was unable to intelligently defend himself.

We may never know if he would have been able to recover — but we will know if it was simply a “fluke” win.

Koscheck went on to score two impressive wins since the controversial defeat, stopping Frank Trigg via technical knockout at UFC 103: “Franklin vs. Belfort” back in September and then choking out Anthony Johnson just last month at UFC 106: “Ortiz vs. Griffin 2.”

A third straight win could have him knocking on the door of the winner of Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy.

Then again, Thiago will undoubtedly try to prove that it was skill — not a flash KO — that propelled him to victory earlier this year.

The Brazilian had a chance to make it two straight against AKA; however, Jobn Fitch outworked him en route to a unanimous decision win at UFC 100 back on July 11. Thiago went on to ruin “Christmas” by roughing up Jacob Volkmann at UFC 106: “Ortiz vs. Griffin 2″ just over two weeks ago.

UFC 109 is expected to feature a light heavyweight battle between elder statesmen Randy “The Natural” Couture and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman. Aging UFC welterweights Matt Serra and Frank Trigg are also expected to hook ‘em up.

This is going to be one hell of a fight

LAS VEGAS — The Canadian Press

Mixed martial arts may be enjoying rapid growth but it is also experiencing growing pains when it comes to judging.

For the third card in a row, the UFC found itself frustrated and somewhat on the defensive Saturday night after Forrest Griffin won a split decision over Tito (The Huntington Beach Bad Boy) Ortiz at UFC 106 in a matchup of former light-heavyweight champions.

The judges were as much up for discussion as the main event fighters.

The Griffin-Ortiz fight was close, with Ortiz dominating in the early going and Griffin rallying to take control in the end. But where eyebrows were raised was in the all-over-the-map judging.

The final verdict was 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 for Griffin.

Lester Griffin — no relation — awarded all three rounds (30-27) to Forrest Griffin while Glenn Trowbridge gave two rounds to Ortiz (28-29) and Marcos Rosales gave two rounds to Griffin (29-28).

“When you watch a fight like this tonight and you hear a 30-27 score, I don’t even know, I’m so exhausted by this whole thing,” UFC president Dana White said of the judging. “It’s tiring, it’s terrible, these athletic commissions need to start looking at this and figuring out what they’re going to do. It’s wrong.”

The UFC has no involvement in the judges. That’s the domain of local commissions, in this case the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

But judging is subjective in any sport and more so in mixed martial arts where judges must follow striking, grappling and jiu-jitsu.

MMA judges look for effective striking, effective grappling, Octagon (ring) control, effective aggression and effective defence.

The sport is full of questions.

Do you reward the fighter who takes his opponent down, even if he doesn’t do any damage on the ground? Do you favour the fighter trying for the submissions or the opponent defending them?

MMA is judged on boxing’s 10-point must system, meaning the winner of the round gets 10 points and the loser gets nine or less. Usually it’s nine points unless a fighter is dominated, in which case he may only get eight points.

The first round was Ortiz’s and Griffin was dominant in the third. Two of the three judges gave Griffin the second.

“The fight could have gone either way,” said White, who called the 30-27 score “outrageous” and “insane.”

White urged anyone interested to call Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada commission, to “ask him ‘What can we do to fix this: judging and scoring.’ It has nothing to do with me.”

Because of the number of events it oversees, the Nevada commission is considered a leader in the sport. Recent improvements it has instituted include instant replay to help referees review hits that end fights, in case of low blows or head-butts among other things.

The commission also reacted to greasing allegations following Canadian Georges St. Pierre’s win at UFC 94 to add illegal substances to its list of MMA fouls.

Ortiz complaints aside, people seemed split over Saturday’s night’s winner.

And the debate over the Ortiz-Griffin main event will likely pale in comparison to the uproar over light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida’s decision over Mauricio (Shogun) Rua at UFC 104 last month.

All three judges scored it 48-47 or three rounds to two for Machida.

Two of the three judges gave Machida the first three rounds and Rua the last two. The third judge gave the first and fifth rounds to Rua and the middle three to Machida.

White said he and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta watched the Machida-Rua fight twice when they flew to England for UFC 105, scoring the bout both times.

“We both scored it 4-1 or, worst-case scenario, 3-2 for Shogun (Rua),” said White, who is already planning a rematch, likely May 1 in Montreal.

In Manchester, light-heavyweight Randy (The Natural) Couture also benefited from a wafer-thin 29-28 decision over Brandon (The Truth) Vera.

“I thought I won,” Vera said after the fight. “I left it all out there. … I don’t know man, I don’t know.”

“Thanks, judges,” he added sarcastically.

Said Couture: “It was a close fight . . . I agree that it could have went either way. I wouldn’t have been terribly disappointed had the decision went the other way.”

Ortiz sat shaking his head during the UFC 106 news conference

“I’m pissed because I didn’t have my hand raised at the end. I thought I pulled it off,” complained Ortiz, who said he had been “robbed.”

Said Griffin: “I thought I won the fight.”

Still, there was some sense of symmetry since Ortiz won a split decision over Griffin the first time they met at UFC 59 in April 2006. Griffin acknowledged Saturday he thought he had won that fight at the time, but reconsidered after watching it on video.

“Then go home and watch this one too, you’ll see the same thing,” Ortiz told him.

“Hopefully not,” Griffin said.

MMA insiders have discussed coming up with a more adaptable judging system for their sport. But no one has figured it out yet.

Ortiz, when the issue of judging was raised Thursday at the pre-fight news conference, complained that MMA judges are often transplanted boxing officials.

“I watched the last couple of decisions and when fighters like that get robbed, they work so hard to have a win and its left in the hands of judges, who aren’t MMA-qualified judges … I think they should have former fighters in there fighters who know what MMA’s really about and not a boxing guy in England.”

“I just think the judges need to be more educated,” he added.

Like fighters, judges work their way up to the elite tier such as the UFC by learning their trade on smaller circuits.

There are judges with MMA experience. Jeff Mullen, who has judged UFC events, is a former pro kickboxer, for example. He operates a gym called Mullen’s Karate Kickboxing and Jiu-Jitsu in Memphis and has been teaching full-time since 1986 and training in martial arts since 1975.

Welterweight Anthony (Rumble) Johnson said Thursday his modus operandi is to keep the judges out of the reckoning.

“Just don’t leave it in the judges’ hands, you ain’t got nothing to worry about. Kill them, knock them out,” said Johnson, who tapped out to a Josh Koscheck rear naked choke in the co-main event.

Griffin, the benefactor Saturday night, was also the most understanding at the pre-fight news conference.

“Judging’s kind of a tough job,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to be a judge or a referee. it’s subjective.

“I’ve seen fights live, that Bisping-Hamill fight (UFC 75 between Michael Bisping and Matt Hamill), I saw live, I thought one guy won. I watched it on film, I thought another guy won. I’m just glad I don’t have to do it.”

Looks like this problem is going to pest the MMA world for a long time.

Written By Mike Fagan on Bloodyelbow.com

Let’s start at the top and work our way down. -Someone needs to take away Glenn Trowbridge’s judging license. A card of 29-28 Ortiz is atrocious. Absolutely atrocious. I personally had the fight 30-26 Griffin, though I find 30-27 and 29-28 Griffin acceptable as well. -Tito talked about having a cracked skull coming into the bout. Color me crazy, but I feel like the commission might pooh-pooh the idea of a fighter entering the cage with a skull fracture. Maybe deals were made to save an already anemic top of the card. -Ortiz looked absolutely impotent on the feet all night and became a walking punching bag for Griffin in round 3. And, dare I say, Tito looked gassed in that last round. -I’m not sure what to make of the Koscheck/Johnson mess. Koscheck outworked Johnson on the floor in round 2, there’s no doubting that. But between the weird knee/eye poke/Oscar performance and then the two eye pokes to “Rumble,” that was a bigger fustercluck than Napoleon at Waterloo. -Volkmann/Thiago was weird. I don’t know what else to say about it. -Rogerio Nogueira performed brilliantly. The left hand parry, jab/left straight combo had me marking out. (Hint, hint Nate!) -Just talked to a friend about the fights and we were thinking of where Forrest goes from here. We joked that the only fights that make sense are rematches (Jardine, Evans, Jackson, Rua, etc.). Then it dawned on my buddy…have Forrest fight Rogerio. Brilliant! -Great opening fight. Well, at least the first three minutes were great. Did Baroni’s power get lost in the translation to 170? Because he hit Sadollah with some clean power shots that didn’t seem to phase Amir. And props to that kid. He looked way better than I expected. -Maybe I’m alone thinking this, but Joe got on my nerves tonight. I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty, but his call for some sort of hybrid glove that covers the fingers and still allows you to grapple had me tilting harder than getting two outed on the river. No, Joe, it’s probably not possible to create some sort of fighting mitten. Eye pokes are going to be a part of the game. Just accept it. Overall, a fun night of fights. I really wish the Koscheck/Johnson fight didn’t have so many distractions, but thems the ropes. Forrest looked good bouncing back from the Anchor Punch of Doom. And we got multiple Diego “YUS” Sanchez promos! Perfect night!

Looking forward for the next event, its been a very good month.

Read about the judging controversy of the main

“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (15-6) is back in the UFC. It’s too bad he has to fight a top light heavyweight fighter in Forrest Griffin (16-6). Basically Tito Ortiz has not fought since May 24, 2008 when he lost to Lyoto Machida at UFC 84: Ill Will.

Tito already beat Forrest in their first mixed martial arts fight at UFC 59: Reality Check but that was a long time ago and that was his first fight after winning the Ultimate fighter reality show. Back than Griffin was still green and basically a rookie in MMA and was still honing his fighting skills. Well this is 2009 and that first fight was almost 50 UFC events ago. Griffin is much better and not the same fighter he was when the two first fought.

Back in 2006 Ortiz won the fight by split decision. Many thought Griffin actually won that fight but Tito edged out Griffin with more takedowns. He won that fight by split decision. This time around this fight won’t be that close. Tito Ortiz was supposed to fight Mark Coleman in his return to the UFC, however, on October 5, 2009, Ortiz reported that the fight was now off, and it later became known that Coleman was suffering from a knee injury. Now he gets a tough fight with Forrest Griffin.

It has been a while since Ortiz has fought or even prepared for a mixed martial arts fight and he will not be in fight shape when he steps back in the octagon. Tito has decent all round skills but he is slow and he is not the fighter he once was. He won’t be able to keep up to Forrest’s pace. Forrest was always a fighter that won his fights on pure heart. But as he has had to step up in level of competition he has had to match his skills to match his heart.

This is a perfect fight for Griffin. He has had problems with strikers as he was out struck in his fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 101: Declaration and Rashad Evans at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 and with his fight Quinton Jackson at UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin. Ortiz is not the striker as the previous mentioned fighters and he will not have the power to hurt Griffin in the stand up.

Griffin has the reach advantage and he will back away Ortiz with his reach. Ortiz won’t be able to handle Griffin’s leg kicks. Forrest is the bigger fighter and Tito won’t be able come in for the clinch or use his wrestling skills. As much has he wants to get this fight on the groun, Giffin has worked heavily on his sprawling and now trains at Xtreme Couture with one Randy Couture and he will have insight on how to avoid Tito’s shot attempts.

Bottom Line: Tito is not the fighter he once was 5 years ago. He will be rusty and not quick enough to take down the bigger fighter. Forrest is a workhorse, who has evolved into a very good fighter while Tito has been partying with his porn star wife, being on the Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump and working on other activities like his clothing line.

Griffin the other hand had been training regularly and been in high man event level type MMA fights. He may have had some loses but there were against top level fighters like Anderson Silva at UFC 101: Declaration, Rashad Evans at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008, and Keith Jardine at UFC 66: Liddell vs. Ortiz. He has had some wins over Quinton Jackson at UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin and Shogun at UFC 76: Knockout. If Tito fought Rampage or Shogun would he have been able to beat them? Highly unlikely.

I am surprises the lines are not greater for Griffin. At -165 I think this fight is a steal. It might have been Griffin’s poor performance versus Anderson Silva or the fact that Tito is a very popular fighter to explain why the UFC betting lines are so soft.

Forrest has problems with strikers and Tito does not have the greatest striking ability. Yes Ortiz has had back problems which may explain why he last couple of performances was not so good but he will be very rusty in his UFC return. Griffin will not be hurt by Tito’s striking whatsoever. Tito does have the wrestling advantage and will get the takedowns but Griffin is pretty good on his back and will use his long legs to back up Tito and escape. Tito will not be able to ground and pound Griffin out in this fight since he is the smaller fighter and Griffin can use his size to nullify Ortiz’s ground and pound game.

Griffin has the size and reach advantage and he will push the pace of this fight. Tito will not be use to the pace, the size and the pressure that Griffin will push in this fight. Betting wise I love the lines for he favorite and at +165, I think this is a very good bet to make on Griffin. Forrest will stay outside of Tito shot attempts and pick Ortiz out with his jabs. Griffin will pick apart Tito with his striking and has developed enough skills to avert any of Tito shot attempts.

Look for Griffin to pick apart Ortiz for a Unanimous Decision Victory

ODDS : “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (+135) vs. Forrest Griffin (-165)

MANCHESTER, England – Proving he can still hang – and even beat – the light heavyweight division’s best, 46-year-old Randy Couture survived jarring body shots, cuts and a few bruising blows to the mug to top Brandon Vera via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 105.

The unpopular decision capped off Saturday’s event at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England.

A soldout crowd of 16,693 attended the UFC’s final overseas show of 2009 to see the headlining fight, as well as the unveiling of the UFC’s next welterweight title challenger.

After the shuffling of a few potential headliners, including a lightweight title fight between champion B.J. Penn and Diego Sanchez, the UFC ultimately settled on and made a surprise announcement of Couture vs. Vera for the UFC 105 main event.

Both fighters had a fairly quick turnaround from their bouts at UFC 102, which took place Aug. 29. Neither, though, showed any ill effects from the shortened camps and immediately clashed with their contrasting styles. Vera, the Muay Thai fighter, looked to keep the fight standing while Couture, the decorated amateur wrestler, fought for takedowns.

Couture struggled to take the fight to the mat in the first round, but his relentless attempts and clinch work earned him the round on the judges’ cards. Vera, though, answered in the second and after a slow start to the round, forced Couture to the mat with a crushing knee to the body. Couture was clearly hurt by the blow but bought himself some time on the mat to survive the round.

In the decisive third round, Vera, after defending takedown attempts, scored with body kicks and even secured a takedown of his own and took the mount position as the bell sounded. But Couture’s efforts to close distance and work small shots to the body while clinched against the cage apparently persuaded the judges, who all scored the bout 29-28 in “The Natural’s” favor.

Immediately after the decision, Vera, who was clearly upset, stormed out of the cage, though he did return for a brief post-fight interview.

With the win, Couture, a former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion who competed in a non-title fight for just the third time in his past 16 fights, moves to 17-10 (14-7 in the UFC). Vera drops to 11-4 overall and 7-4 in the UFC and is now 3-2 since a move from heavyweight to light heavyweight.

In the night’s co-headliner, Dan Hardy continued his quick ascent up the welterweight division’s ladder and staked claim to the division’s next title shot with a unanimous-decision victory over Mike Swick.

UFC president Dana White made it clear the winner of the fight would earn a shot at Georges St-Pierre’s belt, and the fan-favorite title-holder sat cageside to see who would earn the fight.

No one emerged the favor after the first round, which remained standing with both fighters scoring the occasional strike. Hardy, though, quickly took control in the second and wobbled Swick with a quick punch early in the round and did damage with a second big blow later in the frame. In the final round, after trading shots early, Hardy landed another big blow that sent his opponent staggering against the cage. Swick stalled the action to regain his wits, but he could do nothing substantial with the time remaining.

In the end, the judges award the decision to Hardy with scores of 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.

Hardy, who’s now won seven in a row, summed up his feelings rather succinctly.

“I’m excited, people,” he said.

Despite an impressive resume, some have questioned Hardy’s body of work and argued that even with a win over Swick, who entered UFC 95 with a 4-0 record at 170 pounds, Hardy didn’t deserve a title shot. His upcoming opponent, though, disagrees.

“He showed tonight he deserved the title (shot),” said St-Pierre, who entered the cage at the fight’s conclusion.

With the win, which is arguably the biggest of his career, Hardy moves to 23-6 (4-0 in the UFC) and 12-1 over the past three years. Swick, meanwhile, drops to 14-3 (9-2 UFC) with his first loss as a welterweight.

In his first bout since a devastating and often-mocked knockout loss to Dan Henderson in July, Michael Bisping bounced back with a come-from-behind and impressive knockout victory over veteran middleweight Denis Kang.

Bisping, who’s largely despised in the U.S. but revered in his native England, was in trouble early and dropped with a solid right hand. Kang immediately pounced, but Bisping used the rest of the round to regain his composure with an effective bottom game that allowed him to avoid trouble.

Bisping was refreshed by the second round and signaled for the crowd to cheer him on. The applause continued as Bisping secured a takedown and finally did some damage from the top. Even as Kang worked his way back to his feet, Bisping continued the assault, battered the Canadian-based fighter with strikes, and then again dumped him to the mat. Once there, Bisping unloaded a fight-ending mix of punches to the head and knees to the body until the referee halted the action at the 4:24 mark.

Bisping immediately collapsed to the mat in relief while Kang struggled to regain his composure.

“You have no idea how I felt after that last fight,” Bisping said. “This is my life, and I’ve devoted everything to it. … (I’m) sorry to all my fans about the last fight. It’s going to be going back to the old Michael Bisping, the one you saw tonight.”

Bisping cost himself a likely middleweight title shot with the loss to Henderson but now moves to 19-2 with four wins in his past five fights. The “TUF 3″ winner is now now 8-2 in the UFC and 4-1 since a move from light heavyweight to middleweight.

Kang drops to 32-12-1 (1-2 UFC).

In welterweight action, “The Ultimate Fighter 9″ winner James Wilks was given one of the toughest tests ever for a post-”TUF” matchup when he was booked against surging “TUF 7″ vet Matt Brown.

Brown, who recently dealt with the passing of his father due to leukemia, entered the fight with three wins in four fights; the lone loss came to unbeaten Dong Hyun Kim via close split decision in 2008.

Wilks proved a game opponent and kept things even through two strategically fought rounds. In fact, he nearly ended it early in the third round after locking in a deep kimura that forced Brown to scramble and roll to avoid injury. Brown escaped, though, and smoothly transitioned into first a guillotine attempt and then into a dominant top position when he fought for a better position after dropping to his back.

Once on top, Brown immediately rained down a couple big blows to the head, and Wilks almost immediately was forced to cover up. The abrupt stoppage came just moments later at the 2:27 mark of the final frame.

Brown, though, remained humble in victory.

“Man, I still have a lot to work on,” he said.

While barely a .500 fighter prior to the UFC, Brown (11-7 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has emerged as a legitimate welterweight contender since joining the promotion. Wilks, meanwhile, falters to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in the UFC.

After winning the recent ninth season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” five-year pro Ross Pearson also got a tough test in his first post-”TUF” bout and was pitted against 40-fight veteran Aaron Riley.

Pearson, though, was poised for the challenge and shut down the veteran lightweight en route to a second-round TKO victory.

With his fellow Brits cheering him on, Pearson got off to a quick start and did significant damage with the Thai clinch while delivering knee strikes from a variety of angles. Riley, in fact, had no answer from the clinch and ate numerous shots while unable to shake free of his opponent’s grasp.

After a dominant first round, Pearson had more difficulty closing the distance in the second, though the damage continued to mount. Pearson struck from range, and when finally grabbing Riley by the back of the neck again, he delivered a brutal knee strike to the nose. Riley broke free of the hold and staggered backward while blood immediately began pouring from his nose. The bloody sight caused gasps from the MEN Arena crowd.

The referee halted the action immediately after the blow, and after a quick consultation with the ringside physician, he opted to stop the bout for good. Pearson earned the TKO stoppage at 4:38 of that second round.

Pearson said an intense camp for the fight and a commitment to a now-fulltime fighting career set up the win.

“I’m taking this seriously,” he said. “This is my life now. This is what I do. … I want to go at this 100 percent now.”

With his third consecutive win, which included a decision victory over Andre Winner at the TUF9 Finale, Pearson moves to 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the UFC. Riley drops to 28-12-1 and 2-4 in the UFC.

SEE ALSO: UFC 105 preliminary card recap: Night of knockouts punctuates un-aired prelims

OFFICIAL RESULTS:

• Randy Couture def. Brandon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Dan Hardy def. Mike Swick via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Michael Bisping def. Denis Kang via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:24
• Matt Brown def. James Wilks via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 2:27
• Ross Pearson def. Aaron Riley via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 4:38
• John Hathaway def. Paul Taylor via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
• Terry Etim def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:24
• Nick Osipczak def. Matthew Riddle via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:53
• Dennis Siver def. Paul Kelly via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:53
• Alexander Gustafsson def. Jared Hamman via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:41
• Andre Winner def. Rolando Delgado via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 3:22

Surprisingly good Event , Randy is back , Bisping is back on track and Hardy will get his chance at the beast they call GSP.

By Robert Rousseau, About.com

Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera Prediction Introduction: Here’s a fact: Randy “The Natural” Couture is perhaps the only fighter in MMA today that can lose two straight fights and still have people all across the country believing in him. Maybe that’s because he’s lost two consecutive bouts as a heavyweight before- Josh Barnett and Ricco Rodriguez, anyone?- before winning big against Chuck Liddell. In fact, as he prepares to take on Brandon “The Truth” Vera at UFC 105 in the 205 pound division, one fact seems important to note.
The last time Couture lost two straight heavyweight encounters, as he recently did against Brock Lesnar and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, he dropped down a weight class as well. And that time, things worked out pretty good for him. The question is, will things work out just as well at 205 against Vera?

What Randy Couture (16-10) brings to the table: Couture is a superior wrestler and perhaps the greatest ground and pound fighter in the history of MMA. Along with this, his takedowns, takedown defense, ground control skills, and knowledge of how to hurt people from the top position are simply on another level.

Couture is also hard to hurt on his feet, regularly destroys people in the clinch, and has the kind of cardio that makes younger fighters envious. That said, the last time he fought at 205 his hand speed seemed somewhat diminished in comparison to his opponents, even if his striking against Nogueira in his most recent fight looked very strong (even without a lot in the line of power). Though Couture is not a submission threat, he does have good submission defense.

What Brandon Vera (11-3) brings to the table: Vera’s strength is in his well-roundedness. He’s a former collegiate wrestler, so he likely possesses good takedowns and ground control skills, even if we’ve rarely seen him use these in MMA. He also has good takedown defense and better than average submission skills from both the top and bottom positions. However, it’s Vera’s Muay Thai skills that are often lauded. Along with this, he possesses excellent low kicks, good hands, and more than adequate power.

That said, he has never taken on a fighter with Couture’s ground and pound capability, and has lost most of the big fights he’s partaken in. So it’s hard to know how he’s going to respond.

Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera Prediction: One has to wonder if Couture’s age will catch up to him in terms of hand speed when he begins to throw down against a very good striker in a lighter weight class. Still, it’s hard to question The Natural’s cardio or wrestling. In other words, one has to ask themselves if Vera will be able to land a big punch or kick before Couture clinches with him and takes him down. Answer- probably not. Vera likely doesn’t have the takedown defense necessary to thwart his opponent’s wrestling- almost no one does- and he’s not known for a lot of one strike knockouts. On the ground, Couture should dominate, as Vera’s submission skills, though good, aren’t likely to catch him if Nogueira’s didn’t.

The final question? Does Couture have the cardio to keep taking Vera down and pounding on him through three rounds? Gotta figure that he does. But guess is that “The Natural’s” ground and pound will begin to wear on Vera, and by the second stanza he’ll be able to improve his position enough to really bring the heat. And that should translate to. . .

Randy Couture wins via second round TKO.

(PRESS RELEASE)

In April of 2006, Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin engaged in an unforgettable three round battle that left fans demanding a rematch between two of the best light heavyweights on the planet. On Saturday, November 21st, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Ortiz and Griffin will finally meet again, and this time it will be as the explosive main event of UFC 106. “One of the loudest crowds I’ve ever heard was in Anaheim when Tito and Forrest fought for the first time, and they weren’t even the main event that night,” said UFC President Dana White. “With these two superstars headlining UFC 106 and with so much on the line for both of them, I think it’s going to be even crazier in Mandalay Bay on November 21st. Both guys have a lot to prove – to themselves and each other – so it’s gonna be an incredible fight for the fans.” “I’m excited to be the main event; I’ve been a UFC headliner many times in my 12-year career, so I promise the fans will get a great fight,” said Ortiz. “I’m gonna put my heart and soul in the Octagon, and I’m not trying to win with points, I’m gonna win with either a submission or a knockout – everyone will see me at my best on November 21st.” “It’s always nice to be in the main event, especially since I’m fighting at home,” said Griffin. “As far as the fight goes, a lot has happened since 2006, and I think I’m much better than I was back then. That means a win on November 21st, but more importantly I want to settle the score with Tito.” Tickets for UFC 106: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2, priced at $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $200 and $100, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at UFC.com, www.mandalaybay.com, or www.ticketmaster.com. UFC 106 will be available live on pay-per-view on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, BellTV, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available). Ortiz-Griffin 2 moves up the card to replace Brock Lesnar’s UFC heavyweight title defense against Shane Carwin, which was postponed until early 2010 due to an illness Lesnar suffered which has kept him out of training camp for nearly a month. Taking over the main event slot are UFC superstars Ortiz and Griffin. For Ortiz, the bout is an opportunity to make an immediate impact in the 205-pound weight class after an 18 month absence by defeating a fellow former light heavyweight champion. Across the Octagon is Griffin, a fighter looking for redemption against Ortiz after losing a razor thin split decision to “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” at Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim on April 15, 2006. In that bout, Ortiz tore into Griffin at the opening bell, almost finishing the fight with his trademark ground and pound attack. Amazingly, Griffin survived the assault and roared back over the next two rounds, teaming with Ortiz for an instant classic. After 15 minutes, the judges declared Ortiz the winner, but the back and forth nature of the bout made it a natural for a rematch. In the newly-added co-feature to UFC 106: Ortiz vs Griffin 2, welterweight contenders collide as Josh Koscheck meets Anthony “Rumble” Johnson in one of the most intriguing 170-pound matchups of 2009. “Koscheck vs. Johnson is a great fight and I give credit to both guys for stepping up and making a fight like this happen,” said White. “The amazing thing about this fight is that both Koscheck and Johnson are world-class wrestlers, but they can also knock you out with one punch. I don’t know where this fight’s gonna go, but wherever it goes, it’s going to be one to remember.” Winner of the 2001 NCAA Division I National wrestling championship, Josh Koscheck entered MMA strictly as a wrestler, but as he battled his way through the first season of The Ultimate Fighter and up the welterweight ranks, he has evolved into a well-rounded contender with dynamite in his right hand. Owner of UFC wins over the likes of Diego Sanchez, Dustin Hazelett, Chris Lytle, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, and Frank Trigg, Koscheck is well on his way to a world title shot should he get by Anthony Johnson on November 21st. A junior college National wrestling champion, Anthony Johnson has nonetheless built his reputation in the UFC with his devastating knockout power. Winner of five of his seven Octagon bouts, San Jose’s “Rumble” has ended each of those victories (over Chad Reiner, Tommy Speer, Kevin Burns, Luigi Fioravanti, and Yoshiyuki Yoshida) by way of knockout, making him one of the most feared athletes in the 170-pound weight class.

For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit UFC.com, UK.UFC.com, GERMANY.UFC.com, UFCJapan.jp or UFCEspanol.com. All bouts live and subject to change. About The Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC is the largest live pay-per-view event content provider in the world and the fastest growing main stream sports organization in history. Owned and operated by Zuffa™, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC® produces over twelve live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed residentially through North American cable and satellite providers including iNDEMAND Networks, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN Entertainment, BellTV, SaskTel Max™, Shaw Pay-Per-View, and Viewers Choice. International distributors include WOWOW in Japan, Premiere Combate and SporTV in Brazil, with worldwide distribution via the Internet on UFC.com and Yahoo! Sports. UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada. UFC programming is distributed in 132 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 415 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa® , The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

Disappointing however this fight card should be very interesting to watch