Randy Couture vs Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira UFC 102 Preview

The fight between Randy Couture and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira seems to be a filler for the UFC until they can get a card with one of their main draws together (ie. Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Georges St. Pierre or Brock Lesnar). However, both of these guys are popular fighters so will do fine headlining this card. The problem really is that the UFC has a limited group of fighters at their disposal so they need to have less relevant fights like this one occasionally headline a card (and it's great if they can draw good box office). This is not a bad thing - the UFC has the best stable of fighters in MMA. It's just a sign that the sport is still maturing. Both Couture and Nogueira are past their prime and are coming off losses. Who ever wins tonight, though, would almost certainly be back in contention for a shot at Lesnar. As a side story, it will be amazing to see how far Couture can go given that he is 46 at the moment. The guy simply shows no signs of slowing down.

September Boxing Pound for Pound List

Note that we are excited to announce that Premier Boxing will be starting an MMA monthly pound for pound list very shortly. Stay tuned.

Here's the boxing pound for pound list for September:

1. Manny Pacquiao

Manny erased any doubt about who is the best in the sport by knocking out Ricky Hatton brutally within 2 rounds back in May. He owns significant victories from 112 lbs all the way to 147 lbs. Those types of stats are almost unheard of in this day and age.

Manny will try to extend his legacy by taking out Miguel Cotto on November 14th.

2. Juan Manuel Marquez

Two incredibly close fights with Manny Pacquiao, a solid victory over Joel Casamayor and an entertaining TKO of Juan Diaz. Marquez has hardly made any mistakes but Manny's destruction of Hatton creates a nice cushion between them unless of course, Juan Manuel Marquez can defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr in September. If he manages to defeat Mayweather it's almost certain that most boxing writers will put Marquez first on their pound for pound lists.

3. Bernard Hopkins

Bernard's most recent wipe out of Kelly Pavlik is almost a year old and it seems he will be returning in January of next year. However, there is no certainty on the opponent with the current front runner being Tomasz Adamek. B-Hop has a resume full of fights against future hall of famers and still hungers to fight the best at age 45.


4. Paul Williams

Still underrated but clearly one of the top fighters in boxing. His victories over Winky Wright, Antonio Margarito, Verno Phillips and Carlos Quintana along with his versatility across weight divisions plant him solidly in the top 5. Williams' biggest challenge is to attract fights with top opposition given his lack of drawing power and the risk he poses in the ring.

5. Shane Mosley

His close fight with Miguel Cotto and destruction of Antonio Margarito make him 5th on our list. It's clear now that he will not soon be able to settle the score with Cotto or land a big fight with Pacquiao or Mayweather. Berto is a pretty good next option given the circumstances.

Fedor Emelianenko vs Brett Rogers

Strikeforce has announced that Fedor Emelianenko will take on Brett Rogers in his first fight with the promotion. Brett Rogers knocked out Andrei Arlovski in one round and is an up and coming undefeated heavyweight. Very similar to Brock Lesnar but without the hype. Fighting Fedor may be premature for someone who only has 10 fights but that is the world of MMA.

I think this is a good fight for Strikeforce and sets up other potential highly potent fights in the future with guys like Alistair Overeem or Fabricio Werdum. The UFC could not have done much better in terms of competition for the best heavyweight in the world. I'll be watching to see how Rogers handles himself against the best in the world.

What's next for Bernard Hopkins?

There has been significant talk as of late regarding potential fights for Bernard Hopkins. Everyone from Roy Jones to Paul Williams has been mentioned. Let us have a look at the potential opponents out there for Hopkins:

Tomasz Adamek: He is probably the most likely opponent for Hopkins early next year. The only thing that needs to be sorted out is the money based on HBOs budget for next year. Adamek also gives Hopkins the potential for a third title in a third different weight class. In fact, it would be a third lineal championship.

Paul Williams: This is a very interesting fight. Hopkins may be too big for Williams who is used to fighting between welterweight and middleweight. However, it could be a huge fight despite Williams lack of name recognition. I'd prefer to see Williams beat Kelly Pavlik first and then set up a fight with Hopkins. It would be the classic battle between the wily veteran and the quick youngster.

Roy Jones Jr.: We've heard these rumors before. In fact, too many times to count. These two may never get in the ring but given Roy's latest victory against Jeff Lacy there may be a little murmur of interest in this fight moving forward. I think Jones would make it interesting but probably lose against a much better maintained Hopkins.

Chad Dawson: Assuming Dawson beats Glen Johnson this could be the biggest challenge for Hopkins. Probably his toughest test out there. Dawson is a young and determined talent who should become the heir apparent to the light heavyweight throne once Hopkins has retired.

Glen Johnson: Assuming he beats Dawson in their upcoming fight this could be an interesting fight. Hopkins has already beaten Johnson but he is a solid veteran with remarkable staying power. This fight would probably lack the box office appeal to ever be made but you can always count on Johnson to make a good showing of himself.

Whatever happens next for Hopkins lets hope that he is back in the ring as soon as possible for the sake of the fans.

Cyborg, Mousasi and Roy Jones Win Big

Gina Carano headlined the Strikeforce card on Saturday night. She lost in the first round against Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos. Carano is one of the biggest draws in Strikeforce and the biggest female draw in North American MMA. How much of a drawing power Santos will be is another question, however, we know she will not be any where near the draw Carano was. On the upside this situation gives Strikeforce two female stars in its stable.

In other action on the same card, Gegard Mousasi took out Renato “Babalu” Sobral in one round and instantly became a middleweight star. Mousasi was an up and comer who has now won 13 straight MMA contests. He is now a solid top 5 middleweight and potentially the heir to the middleweight throne now held by Anderson Silva.

In boxing news from Saturday night, Roy Jones looked reminiscent of the Roy Jones from 10 years ago when he stopped Jeff Lacy in 10 rounds. His speed and quickness seemed to take us back to vintage Roy Jones on several occasions as he played it up for the audience while in the ring. The question now is where does Roy go from here. There is talk of a cruiser weight challenge and also a fight with MMA king Anderson Silva. The only thing for certain seems to be that Roy will keep fighting for the next little while.

Roy Jones Jr Takes on Jeff Lacy and Maybe Anderson Silva Next?

Roy Jones Jr. takes on Jeff Lacy tonight in a match up that is way beyond its time but should still be interesting. Expect Jones to win as Lacy has never fulfilled his potential during a professional career that lacked the sparkle he had as an amateur. Assuming Jones does win the more interesting question is where does he go from there.

There has been talk, as of late, that Jones may take on MMA king Anderson Silva in a boxing match. Silva recently displayed great boxing skills by destroying former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin in an MMA fight. However, a fight with Roy Jones Jr would be an entirely different story. Despite Jones being way past his prime a fight with Anderson Silva would give him an opportunity to sell a big box office match up and have a good chance to win. Silva is an MMA fighter not a boxer and Jones could well give him a schooling. Silva, though, has less to lose than does Jones. The reason is that this would be a boxing match so the pressure is squarely on Jones with Silva being a pure MMA fighter. If Silva were to lose in embarrassing fashion it could be a damaging blow for MMA as a sport but if he stays competitive, even in a loss, it should help MMA gain popularity.

Silva has clearly run out of competition in the UFC so he needs to spread his wings and what better way than a boxing match with Roy Jones. The money would be better than any UFC fight he could engage in and it would pique the competitive interest of the public. Jones has other options to make money within boxing - Bernard Hopkins, Kelly Pavlik and a handful of other reasonable matches he could make. However, he has already taken a leap into the MMA promotion game by combining MMA and boxing cards. What better way to combine them than by having an MMA legend (Anderson Silva) face a boxing legend (Roy Jones Jr.).

Kelly Pavlik versus Paul Williams Finalized for October 3rd

The showdown between Paul Williams and Kelly Pavlik for middleweight supremacy will take place on October 3rd. It's great to see this fight happen after being supremely frustrated by the lack of an Arthur Abraham-Kelly Pavlik showdown. Williams has fought at welterweight all the way up to middleweight. He will take on the best at any of these three weight divisions. Certainly, taking out the middleweight champ would be a huge victory for the former welterweight ruler.

As for Kelly Pavlik, he is still looking to recover from a devastating loss to Bernard Hopkins last year. Winning against pound for pound mainstay Paul Williams would go a long way in restoring his confidence. This will be a classic speed versus power battle. Pavlik's solid knockout power will definitely keep Williams on his toes throughout the fight. However, the speed of Williams may be enough to keep Pavlik at bay for 12 rounds. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top.

Silva and Penn Dominate at UFC 101

Anderson Silva showed once again that he is the best pound for pound fighter in the world by destroying Forrest Griffin via first round KO. Silva was slick and boxed Griffin superbly displaying his phenomenal striking ability against the bigger slower opponent. To finish it off Silva was floating around the ring dodging Griffin's attach and then landed a quick precise jab that knocked out Griffin for good. Silva knocked Griffin down two other times in the round with precise quick shots targeted at Griffin's chin. The difference in striking ability was massive and clearly showed in the fight.

In the main event, BJ Penn took his time but eventually took out Kenny Florian in the 4th round. After losing his patience in what was becoming a long drawn out fight, BJ Penn went in for a big take down in the 4th round and eventually created an opening for the rear naked choke causing Florian to tap out. Penn looked to be in much better physical conditioning when compared to his previous fight (against Georges St Pierre).

Both Penn and Silva will now need more formidable opposition in their weight classes. Silva has virtually no one left at middleweight which is his proper weight division. Meanwhile, Penn is the most dominant lightweight in the world but most of his biggest competition is not in the UFC. Dream boasts the best lightweights outside of Penn. It will be interesting to see Dana White's next move with these two natural phenoms.

Anderson Silva and BJ Penn Back in The Octagon at UFC 101

Both of them had difficult fights previously for two different reasons. Penn decided to move up in weight and challenge the second best pound for pound fighter in the world. He realized that it wasn't a good idea to go against the best at your sub optimal weight (despite all the vaseline issues) when he lost to Georges St. Pierre. Anderson Silva fought a relative unknown in his previous fight and made it look so easy that the fans felt cheated.

Now, both of them are back in fights that should be very different. Penn is back at 155 and fighting top contender Kenny Florian. Florian is solid but Penn should be able to take care of business tonight. Silva has moved up in weight for the second time in recent years to challenge the very dangerous former champion Forrest Griffin.

I expect both Penn and Silva to win tonight and in the process give the fans a solid show simply by doing what they do best in the middle of the octagon.

August Boxing Pound for Pound List

Here's the boxing pound for pound list for August:

1. Manny Pacquiao

Manny erased any doubt about who is the best in the sport by knocking out Ricky Hatton brutally within 2 rounds. He owns significant victories from 112 lbs all the way to 147 lbs. Those types of stats are almost unheard of in this day and age.

Up Next for Manny: Miguel Cotto on November 14th

2. Juan Manuel Marquez

Two incredibly close fights with Manny Pacquiao, a solid victory over Joel Casamayor and an entertaining TKO of Juan Diaz. Marquez has hardly made any mistakes but Manny's destruction of Hatton creates a nice cushion between them unless of course, Juan Manuel Marquez can defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr in September.

3. Bernard Hopkins

Bernard continues his inactivity as we start to wonder whether he will ever return. His most recent wipe out of Kelly Pavlik is not yet a year old but seems long past. B-Hop has a resume full of fights against future hall of famers. Hopkins has indicated that he wants to return early next year and fight at the age of 45.

Up Next: Possibly a fight with the winner of Chad Dawson and Glen Johnson or a showdown with cruiser weight king Tomasz Adamek.

4. Paul Williams

Still underrated but clearly one of the top fighters in boxing. His victories over Winky Wright, Antonio Margarito, Verno Phillips and Carlos Quintana along with his versatility across weight divisions plant him solidly in the top 5. Williams' biggest challenge is to attract fights with top opposition given his lack of drawing power and the risk he poses in the ring. He is close to securing a fight with Kelly Pavlik which could catapult him if he wins.

5. Shane Mosley

His close fight with Miguel Cotto and destruction of Antonio Margarito make him the top welterweight and put him 5th on our list. He now needs to stay active and probably settle the score with Cotto or land a big fight with Pacquiao or Mayweather to avoid slipping further. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that will happen now. Berto is a pretty good second option though!

Fedor Emelianenko Joins Strikeforce

It looks like the budget conscious MMA promotion Strikeforce has signed the best heavyweight in the world. Fedor Emelianenko and his M1 Global promoters have signed on with Strikeforce for a multi-fight co-promotion deal. It's unfortunate that they couldn't reach a deal with the UFC as that is likely where the biggest fights could happen. Nonetheless, Strikeforce has a few solid heavyweights that could challenge Fedor and make for some interesting fights for the MMA titan. Fedor continues his run outside the UFC and still manages to make huge fights that maintain his longstanding as the king of all heavyweights. The question now becomes whether or not he will ever fight in the UFC. It could still happen but the window of opportunity is closing fast. The UFC really had only one big fight for Fedor and that was Brock Lesnar. Randy Couture would have also done big business against Fedor but he is fast approaching his late 40s. Once the UFC can secure the biggest and baddest heavyweights in the world as they have done in the other weight divisions it would leave Fedor little choice. Until that happens, Fedor will always have big fights outside the UFC and continue to follow them wherever they happen to be ...

Anderson "The Spider" Silva Still the Best

I just want to squash any argument that Anderson Silva is no longer the king of MMA. The guy is taking a lot of heat lately because of the so called lack of excitement in his last fight. He easily beat each and every opponent put in front of him - excitement or not he dominated every fight. I'm sure that when he destroys Forrest Griffin (who happens to be a solid fighter) everyone will be back on the bandwagon but what's happening now is a bit unfair. Remember that this is the Silva that destroyed Rich Franklin twice and soundly defeated Dan Henderson. His combination of ju-jitsu and striking is amazing and unparalleled. He's at the top of the pound for pound heap and followed very closely only by Georges St. Pierre, Fedor Emelianenko and BJ Penn who all dominate their respective divisions.

The onus is on Dana White to put serious competition in front of Silva. We'll never see Manny Pacquiao fighting second tier fighters. It's only the Miguel Cotto's, Ricky Hatton's and Floyd Mayweather's of the world that would ever be considered for Pacman. The same needs to hold true for Spider Silva. I look forward to Silva's next fight but I wish there was someone out there that really got us excited about challenging Silva (and the answer is not Roy Jones Jr.).

The Junior Welterweight Dilemma

Timothy Bradley and Nate Campbell square off tonight in what will be a major junior welterweight clash. Unfortunately, a lot of people won't care too much. The reason? Manny Pacquiao is the king of the division but won't fight any of the other contenders because he's too busy facing the big fish in the welterweight division. The other quality fighters in the junior welterweight division don't have nearly enough draw power to secure a fight with pound for pound king Pacquiao. Manny had one fight at junior welterweight and he beat the top guy in the division via a vicious second round KO. With Ricky Hatton dismantled there really isn't any one else in the division worth challenging. The result is that a great fight tonight between Nate Campbell and Timothy Bradley may go relatively unnoticed. The winner of the Campbell - Bradley fight would undoubtedly be the next in line to the junior welterweight crown but few will notice and even fewer will want to see that person get in the ring with Pacquiao. Pacman will go after Mayweather once he's done with Cotto.

So, where does the junior welterweight contender go for a big name challenge? Potentially, Amir Khan in a couple of years. He will undoubtedly be the big fish in that division especially if Victor Ortiz doesn't recover after his fight with Marcos Maidana in the same way Khan did after a loss to Breidis Prescott. Surely, die hard fans will continue to follow the division and watch Bradley versus Campbell with great interest. The mainstream audience, however, will probably just wait for the next Pacquiao fight.