Overeem Destroys Todd Duffee at Dream's Dynamite! 2010

Alistair Overeem once again made his claim as the top heavyweight in the world.  I wonder if Fedor was watching.  Todd Duffee looked to be in great shape but didn't have the skill to stay in there with Overeem.  Overeem dodged Duffee's attack and then stuffed his takedown attempt before landing several brutal knees in the clutch and then stepping back for a left right knockout combination that sent Duffee to the floor.  Hopefully, Overeem will defend his Strikeforce title next.  Although he has now become Strikeforce, Dream and K1 world champion, Strikeforce is where the most competition is for him.  The likes of Fabricio Werdum, Emelianenko and Antonio Silva are awaiting him.  As for Duffee, he should go back to the UFC where he could be a star competing against guys like Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez.  He's got a better chance there than in the ring with killers like Overeem and Fedor.  The replay of the Dream Dynamite event will be tonight at 9pm EST on HD Net.

Tonight - Alistair Overeem gets his First "UFC" Fight against Todd Duffee

Okay so it's actually a Dream fight at Dynamite! 2010 but it's against one of the brightest UFC prospects around of recent times.  Unfortunately, Duffee is no longer a UFC prospect as he got the boot recently for uncertain reasons.  For Overeem, this is a great opportunity to defeat a class UFC fighter and show his ranking as heavyweight king is not an illusion.  It's one of a few intriguing fights on the Dream card but has significant ramifications in the heavyweight division.  Both Overeem and Duffee have taken the fight on short notice / preparation.  Overeem just had a grueling K1 tournament which he won and Duffee just took the fight recently.  Expect Overeem to be the more savvy striker but the question will be who controls the fight as both are monstrous heavyweights.

Older Fighters Dominating at the Top Levels Like Never Before

With conditioning levels possibly higher than ever before we are seeing older fighters competing and in some cases dominating at the highest levels.  In MMA, you have fighters like Randy Couture and Dan Henderson in top form in their 40s while others are still peaking into their mid 30s like Anderson Silva and Fedor Emelianenko.  In boxing, Bernard Hopkins and Glen Johnson are still dominant in their 40s while you have Sergio Martinez as a consensus top 3 pound for pound fighter at 35.  The landscape is changing, fighters are no longer washed up in their 30s.  I think a lot of the credit has to go to conditioning levels being like never before.  Fighters are in great shape and take care of themselves extremely well these days.  Who knows how much longer Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko or Sergion Martinez can figh at the top levels.  Regardless, don't put it past them to be great into their 40s if they wish to continue fighting at that point.  It will also be interesting to see how other current pound for pound greats like Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and GSP will do into their mid 30s and beyond.  Not everyone agrees with this given examples from the past relating to older fighters but I think we are in a unique time period.

Penn Takes Huge Step Up Against Jon Fitch

Fitch will have a huge size and wrestling advantage against BJ Penn when they meet in the New Year.  However, BJ has faced big wrestlers before and certainly has fought bigger guys (Lyoto Machita at light heavyweight included).  The x-factor will be Penn's ability to control the fight and keep it standing.  Everyone expects Fitch to dominate on the ground since Penn has somehow lost his allure on the ground.  He's supposed to be a superb bjj fighter and we need to see his ground game come back if he wants to dominate again.  I think the fight against GSP has hurt Penn's confidence on the ground but GSP can do that to anyone (including brilliant wrestlers like Fitch, Matt Hughes and Kos).  The fight seems to favor Fitch with his size and wrestling advantage but I think BJ has a great chance in this one especially with his superior striking.

Amir Khan Looking to Unify Titles and Then go After Mayweather

Amir Khan will likely face someone like a Lamont Peterson next in England before he looks to unify the 140 lb title against the winner of Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander.  The hope is that some time in 2012 Khan will get his shot at Floyd Mayweather for the pound for pound title.  Khan's training partner, Manny Pacquiao, knows all to well the difficulties of getting a fight with Mayweather.  However, for Khan (who is a huge draw), Mayweather may be the only real option at that point.  If Khan delivers and unifies the 140 lb division he'll become an instant top 5 pound for pound boxer.  The only challenges around his weight class will be Manny Pacquiao (who he trains with) and Floyd Mayweather.  There is the outside shot of another challenge to Juan Manuel Marquez assuming he is still in top form but not much else.  Fortunately for fight fans it will be an interesting 2011 before we have to cross that hurdle.

Overeem to face Duffee and Fedor Emelianenko to face Antonio Silva

Alistair Overeem never stops fighting.  Just off of a big K1 championship, he is now off to Japan to fight Todd Duffee at Dyanamite! 2010 for Dream.  Duffee was a top prospect in the UFC until he pissed off Dana White and got booted.  This should be a great test for Overeem against a monster wrestler with solid striking.  It's almost like a fight in the UFC for Overeem which should be exciting no doubt.  It also looks like Fedor might be coming back soon against Antonio Silva in January or Feb.  Fedor has no other options with Overeem booked in Japan and Fabricio Werdum out with injury.  Fedor needs to fight asap.  At 34, he is probably no longer in his prime and fans would love to see him make the most of his remaining time in the sport.  The big Silva is a solid striker and bjj fighter who should be a great test for Fedor.

GSP to Fight Jake Shields Next

GSP will fight Jake Shields next in what should be an interesting fight with Jake Shields being one of the best ground fighters in the world. A win against Jake Shields for St. Pierre would certainly make me doubt my selection of Anderson Silva as pound for pound king. I think the Shields fight will be far closer than anyone is expecting. GSPs striking is far superior but his ground game isn't at the same level as Jake's in my opinion which is what will make this fight close. Jake had no fear of Martin Kampman's ground game. Martin is an amazing ground fighter and was dominated by Shields on the ground.

Pacquiao Fight with Mosley Probably Best Option

Despite the comments of most of those in sports (especially ESPN), the Mosley fight makes the most sense for Pacman. Don't get me wrong it's not a great fight but it is the BEST option for him given that Mayweather is unavailable. Juan Manuel Marquez got destroyed by Mayweather easily and hasn't beaten anyone good since. Don't give me the BS that tiny Katsidis or Juan Diaz were any where near close to who Mosley has fought recently (Cotto, Margarito, Mora). Their only common opponent was Mayweather and Mosley did better. None of them did well. Berto is not a name yet unfortunately and Sergio Martinez is too big. So, stop whining about the choice since it's probably the best option available.

St Pierre Beats Undeserving Koscheck

In what I thought was always a terrible fight, outmatched Josh Koscheck lost to Georges St. Pierre once again. Unfortunately, Josh should never have got this fight but somehow did. St. Pierre now has one fight left against Jake Shields - the fans want this one badly. If Georges cleans up in that fight then he needs to move up to take on Anderson Silva. However, he absolutely needs to fight Jake no matter what the so called pundits think. Jake is undefeated for many years and has beaten the best. We have to see the showdown with Goerges now. Koscheck was a huge waste of time. Josh should have fought Fitch (he would have lost thoroughly even to Fitch in my opinion).

GSP knows Silva would destroy anyone at 170 and is on another level altogether. The only guy at 185 even that could touch Silva was steroid induced freak. Silva still beat him. GSP is very weary of that but needs to make the move even if it isn't against Silva right away.

Amir Khan Proves He Has a Chin against Marcos Maidana

Amir Khan defeated Marcos Maidana in a 12 round decision and in doing so took Maidana's best shots and never went down once. Khan, as expected, showed he was a far superior boxer but to Maidana's credit he kept coming and never relented for the entire fight. Maidana caught Khan with some super hard shots but couldn't put Khan away. By taking shots from arguably the hardest puncher in the sport Khan showed he has an awesome chin. Khan went on to win a unanimous decision. For Khan, now is the time to move on to bigger and better fights. He should learn and grow from the Maidana fight. The ghosts of Breidis Prescott are a thing of the past. Khan is primed to become the pound for pound king and he needs to continue to grow and develop. He certainly has the work ethic and focus to do it. Khan will probably take a fight in England and then meet the winner of the Timothy Bradley - Devon Alexander tilt. That will prove who is the best at 140 pounds. For Maidana, I think a rematch with Victor Ortiz would be a great fight for the fans but I see him taking on another solid 140 pounder. He's just never going to be good enough to beat a skilled fighter like Khan unless he gets lucky. In fact, he got lucky with Khan but it wasn't enough.

BJ Penn Destroyes Matt Hughes in 23 Seconds

Rampage Jackson won a very close boring split decision against Lyoto Machida. Jackson was the aggressor in the first two rounds even though he was beaten pretty decisively in the third round.

In the other main event, BJ Penn rocked Matt Hughes within 20 seconds and then pounced and finished Hughes for the TKO. It was a huge win for Penn who lost two straight to Frankie Edgar after Edgar ran for 10 rounds and won for running and landing a few Hershey's Kisses. This was a real fight and very different from those Edgar marathons. This fight ended with an exciting finisher. Penn proved once again that he is the most exciting finisher in MMA history. He can knock you out or submit you.

UFC 123 Battle of Old Warriors

BJ Penn and Matt Hughes rekindle their rivalry at welterweight. BJ moves up after Frankie Edgar ran away from him for two fights and somehow won both. Matt Hughes is looking better and having fun after winning his last three fights. His losses were against Thiago Alves and Georges St. Pierre so certainly not to second tier fighters. Both of these guys are still close to the top of their games. I expect Penn to win by split decision. I don't see Hughes finishing Penn and I see Penn winning the first and second rounds with Hughes coming close in the third but not quite enough to finish Penn. In the other fight Lyoto Machida and Rampage Jackson are both old warriors who are close to the top of their games. Lyoto got smoked by Shogun Rua while Rampage looked sloppy against Rashad Evans. Expect Rampage to be better and Lyoto to be solid. I suspect Rampage will win by TKO or KO. Lyoto is still recovering from a tough loss and this is a very difficult fight to get back on your horse with.

Manny Proves to be Truly Remarkable after Destroying Margarito

Bring on Floyd Mayweather! Manny Pacquiao just doesn't seem to let up - he was astounding against Margarito despite concerns that he didn't train hard enough. Max Kellerman said he thought Manny was a step off and got hit more often than he has before. I suppose, given his distractions, he had an excuse to be a step off but he still destroyed Margarito. Against someone like Mayweather I suspect there will be no distractions during training. If Mayweather is waiting for Manny to slow down or take too many shots to the head, I don't know if that is a good strategy. Manny is younger than Mayweather and he seems to be getting better and stronger at his natural weight of around 144 lbs. Assuming they fight at 147 lbs, I think Manny will have a decent edge in the fight. However, if I was Manny, I'd accept the drug testing but push for a catch weight of 145 lbs. I suspect Floyd who is smaller as well would be okay with that. If Floyd doesn't accept terms to fight Pacquaio, Manny should look to fight smaller, quicker more Floyd-like fighters like Timoth Bradley or Andre Berto (and do it at 144 or 145). Those fights could be huge once those fighters get another fight or two under their belts.

Fedor Would Have Destroyed Lesnar

There should be no doubts now as to how technically inept Brock Lesnar is - Fedor would have destroyed him. Brock did great in the little time that he had and Dana White is no stranger to making money. The MMA media is still largely immature and followed along with Dana's hype. Brock lacks significant technical skills to deal with the best fighters in the world. In my opinion, Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko are the two best in the world right now hands down. Cain is third but coming up fast. We need to stop sucking up to the UFC as much as we want one organization ... the NBA of MMA. We're not close to that yet. Brock Lesnar would not make the NBA.

Over Hyped Lesnar Exposed

Over-hyped Brock Lesnar was finally exposed after just barely beating mechanic and previously caught steroid user Shane Carwin. Cain Velasquez beat Brock tonight in a fight very similar to the Carwin fight with the only difference being the referee stopped the fight this time. With Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko not in the UFC I have to think the heavyweight division just isn't up to snuff in the UFC. Cain is solid and looking like a future heavyweight star but heavyweight talent just isn't in the UFC at the moment. However, I do think Junior Dos Santos and Velasquez can eventually be the top heavyweights in the world. The post Brock era can be truly good (not just a bunch of over hyped box office stars).

I think Brock will be back but probably never win the title again. Potentially a rematch with Frank Mir or Shane Carwin. Brock was humble in defeat and understood that he wasn't at the same level as Cain. Brock was strong at the start coming out with aggression and trying to take the fight to the ground, however, Cain was able to control where the fight played out and eventually got the TKO stoppage.

UFC 121 Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez

It's time now for Brock's next fight against Cain Velasquez and the excitement and hype are through the roof. The UFC is doing a great job promoting the fight. At the weigh in earlier, Brock looked significantly bigger than Cain. The fight is hard to predict. Are we all over hyping Cain? Will Brock take him down and pound him out? It seems likely but everyone seems to be hyping Cain based on his Nogueira victory. I'm not sure that victory holds much weight given that Frank Mir destroyed Nogueira easier than Cain did. It feels like Brock will destroy him but hard to say. The card is solid with Jake Shields and Tito Ortiz on it as well. This is great news given that last two stinker UFC cards.

Top 3 Most Anticipated Fights Remaining in 2010

Looking at both MMA and Boxing I wanted to highlight the top 3 most anticipated fights left in the year:

1. Amir Khan vs Marcos Maidana: This is the ultimate brawler vs boxer fight. Two of the top light welterweights in boxing go at it in what will be a classic fight. I expect Khan to out box Maidana for a decision but expect some fireworks along the way.

2. Brock Lesnar vs Cain Velasquez: Brock Lesnar is a huge draw no matter who he fights but Velasquez is good so this one should be very interesting. Size and power versus technique is how it is being billed.

3. Manny Pacquiao vs Antonio Margarito: Margarito is coming off a layoff and this is unfortunately not the best fight out there but it will be a challenge for Manny since Margarito is way bigger than him. Also, if Pacquiao wins he will become a world champion in yet another weight division at junior middleweight.

Steroids Steroids Steroids ... in the UFC

With the recent rash of championship calibre UFC fighters testing positive for steroids (Chael Sonnen being the biggest name to date), I wonder what will happen to thwart the danger of one of these guys doing serious damage in the ring to another fighter. It's very much about the integrity of the sport (don't get me wrong) but in the case of MMA there is a serious danger that doesn't exist nearly as much in other sports. That danger is the health of an opponent being put at risk. If Chael had seriously hurt Anderson Silva (the best pound for pound fighter on the planet) can you imagine the repercussions and potential damage to the UFC. To say that Chael was stupid is an understatement (assuming he did this - he is appealing). Anyways, I just think the UFC needs to think about the additional risk they particularly have versus other sports.

Dana White Doing Nothing About Steroids

It's funny seeing that moronic MMA Live host ask a UFC signed fighter (Kenny Florian) if the UFC is doing enough to counter steroids. Let me think about that one - would a Dana White owned fighter actually criticize the UFC. Not a chance.

The UFC is not doing enough to counter the extreme steroid use in their organization. Shane Carwin and Chael Sonnen are the latest ones we know of ... and these are title contenders for crying out loud (Sean Sherk was a champion and tested positive as well). Did Chael have his bonus or purse taken away or even cut down? Nope. So, you think you're doing a lot? Funny. Laughable. You're doing nothing.

This organization is at a risk of becoming a joke. A bunch of steroid jacked fighters going at it against some amazing natural talents like Anderson Silva. Okay maybe we can become a popular freak show. Please take control before some one dies in the octagon because of some steroid jacked freak.

BJ Penn to fight Matt Hughes as Rampage Machida Co-Main Event

Looks like BJ Penn is back in the ring quickly to fight an old nemesis in Matt Hughes at welterweight. Penn was supposed to fight a lightweight but apparently that guy withdrew so he got the offer to move up. Penn jumped all over it. After two frustrating losses (not to mention incredibly boring no action no nothing fights) against Frankie Edgar, Penn is looking to get back on track.

Chael Sonnen Tests Positive for PEDs

It looks like what we all suspected was actually true. Chael Sonnen used PEDs against Anderson Silva. With all the UFC fighters that are greasing (Nate Marquardt and GSP), this becomes another significant blow to the UFC and MMA in general. First Shane Carwin and now Chael Sonnen. Sonnen's case is very very bad since he cheated during a main event title fight. Many viewers will and should want their money back. This certainly speaks even more volumes about Anderson Silva's incredible come from behind victory and his standing as the greatest ever.

Question now is what will the UFC do? Will they actually start testing? Funny how everyone always talks about what happens in Japan when all the cheating is going on in our own back yard.

Mayweather Keeping The Focus on Himself and Selling Fight with Pacquiao

Mayweather is the box office king for big fights. Manny Pacquiao is the king of fighters. When the two meet it will be the biggest fight in the history of any fight sport. Floyd's recent rant that crossed every line possible will probably help sell the fight immensely (not that it needed it). Looks like Mayweather will eventually fight Manny and obviously wants that to be a huge fight. I'm guessing Manny's fight with Margarito will also benefit greatly from Mayweather's comments. If Pacquaio dominates Margarito it will set up an incredibly huge fight between Manny and Floyd, the two best fighters on the planet.

MMA Live Should be called UFC LIve

MMA Live seems to be all about the UFC. Now, the UFC is the biggest MMA promotion out there so that is certainly fair to some degree. However, they seem to be towing the UFC line which is really concerning for what is being represented as an independent MMA show. Is there host - forgot his name - a UFC employee? The guy never says anything against the UFC and seems incredibly annoying. Todd Duffee's release got no airplay on MMA Live - was that because Dana ordered them not to talk about it? What the hell is that all about? The rest of their "cast" is employed by the UFC. Guys like Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, Stephan Bonner and others are all UFC employees.

Steroids and the UFC

The UFC will have to address the steroid issue head on. They rely on the athletic commissions for testing which doesn't say a whole lot given the money and power some of their athletes now have access to. I'm sure the guys who currently have suspicion looming around there heads like Shane Carwin, Gray Maynard, Chael Sonnen and Frankie Edgar are more than able to get around the weak testing standards that exist today. Steroids will becom a massive problem for the UFC. Look at Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar. I mean we are going to have an MMA nightmare come to life if this problem isn't addressed. Dana, I hope you are on it cuz you know there are a bunch of guys in the UFC heavily doping - there's just can't be any doubt about it.

UFC 118 Snoozefest Wasn't What I Expected

The UFC 118 card tonight was extremely boring with a bunch of lifetime "decision" guys choking out the fans. Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard will fight next in what will likely be the most boring fight ever. Expect a lot of meaningless taps on the head and back and forth bobbing with little damage to speak of ...

The problem with the UFC style of MMA is that guys are just trying to get decision wins (i.e. trying not to lose). For example, Edgar did nothing tonight against Penn except stick and move and get the occasional take down. Penn actually tried to finish the fight and threw punches with meaning. There was nothing in Edgar's arsenal that could remotely hurt Penn. He was just trying to run and do enough when he wasn't running to win the fight. This is becoming an all to common formula and it will ultimately be terrible for fans. Boxing suffers from a little bit of this too as some fighters are way too defensive and don't take any risks.

I fear that the era of great finishers like Penn and Anderson Silva may be coming to an end with the new generation looking to choke out fans with extreme boredom.

One Dimensional Fighters James Toney and Brock Lesnar Given Opportunity in UFC

As we approach BJ Penn versus Frankie Edgar the rematch, it's a great opportunity to ask how a multi-dimension potential greatest of all time fighter like BJ Penn could lose his title via a bad decision to no name Frankie Edgar. Edgar's no longer a no name but how UFC judges could allow him to run and bob his way to a title is unbelievable. I always thought you had to earn a championship? Had to win it. I guess clearly not in the UFC.

Anyways, one thing about Frankie Edgar is he is not one dimensional. He's no BJ Penn but certainly he is not one dimensional either. There are several one dimensional fighters that are getting chances in the UFC. Brock Lesnar is one. He is a wrestler with a professional wrestling (WWE) background. No stand up game to speak of (as we saw against cardio-less Shane Carwin). How does a guy get winded after one round in a championship fight anyway?? James Toney is another example except he has no proven ground game but obviously a great stand up fighter given his boxing pedigree. The UFC has given these guys a chance because they are big name draws for the promotion. Lesnar has already succeeded (although against sub par heavyweight competition). If Toney doesn't succeed it might prove that having a ground game without a stand up game is more beneficial than having a stand up game without a ground game. Hopefully, Randy Couture will bring out the best of James Toney and we'll get to find out.

Anderson Silva Still the Best

Anderson Silva showed he is still the most dominant fighter in the game of MMA after submitting Chael Sonnen via triangle choke. I've spoken with many people who thought Chael was heavily jacked on steroids during the fight. I'm not sure there's any evidence of that other than his incredible stamina and what appeared to be massive zits on his back. The fact that some folks thought that way says a lot about this fight. Sonnen dominated Anderson Silva in a way we haven't seen before but Silva still managed to finish him. Silva is the best finisher in MMA when he isn't bored and he showed it against a super hyped Chael Sonnen. Almost no one thought Silva would be able to stop Sonnen past the third round and he did. So, Silva accomplished something that many thought he wouldn't be able to do ... I mean think about that. The guy who was already the best MMA fighter on the planet did something no one thought he could. To me, that means this guy is still the best on the planet. I love GSP but I think Silva is a better finisher and a more well rounded fighter.

The UFC is top notch at middleweight because of Silva, they are also great at welterweight because of all the talent they have. They are good at lightweight and good at light heavyweight (I think Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin and some of the other guys not named Machida or Rua are overrated). The heavyweight division is weak especially with the steroid cloud hanging over Shane Carwin (surprisingly a guy who tanked in the second round against newbie Brock Lesnar). However, at middleweight Silva carries the organization. He's the best MMA fighter on the planet among a group of guys who look like they could be jacking 'roids regularly. He's an artist and a master of the sport as it is today.

Juan Manuel Marquez Shows his Worth in the Ring

JMM still has it in the ring. He proved that this weekend against Juan Diaz. It's unfortunate that it was a rematch of a fight that few wanted to see, however, it did prove that Marquez is still a top notch fighter after his tough blow out loss to Floyd Mayweather (Floyd cheated by coming in 3 pounds over weight). It seems like he will get Amir Khan next at junior welterweight for that title. Marquez can become the first Mexican fighter to win titles at 4 different weight classes. However, Khan is an entirely different league than Diaz so it will be a tough fight for Marquez. Both are managed by Golden Boy so it should be an easy fight to make. Also, it will be a big draw as both Khan and Marquez are extremely popular fighters. If that fight does happen, I can't wait to see it.

Jon Jones Moving Laterally in His Career

The UFC isn't challenging Jon Jones. That was obvious last night when they put him against a guy who was a step backwards from Brandon Vera who Jones destroyed. Strange match making for sure. Vladimir Matyushenko was a top notch fighter and is still very good but not the kind of challenge Jones needs at this point. He needs to step up. The UFC is trying to hype him on national television but this guy isn't Mike Tyson so not sure how effective that will be ... he's a solid MMA fighter with a lot of creativity. He's very young but needs a challenge. Let's hope he gets his chance to fight against a top guy. I'm not sure why Rashad Evans who got KO'd miserably by Lyoto Machida is getting a shot at Shogun Rua and Jon Jones isn't? Makes no sense. Time to break up the foursome (Quentin Jackson, Evans, Rua and Machida) because Jones has earned his shot - he should fight Shogun immediately. If Rua beats Evans I think Jones takes on an intermediate fight against someone like Forrest Griffin or Little Nog and then gets the title shot.

Shane Carwin Exposed by Brock Lesnar's Chin

Brock Lesnar defeated Shane Carwin by tapout. Carwin showed he's a one trick pony tonight by not being able to finish Brock on the ground. If Carwin could do anything other than punch like a third rate boxer (which is amazingly good for MMA standards) he would have won this fight. Carwin connected with Lesnar and put him down for a pummeling but couldn't finish Brock on the ground. Part of this was due to Brock's defence and solid chin but the more important thing was that Carwin had no plan B. Carwin had no submission skills or ability in the full mount to finish off the champion. He is a one trick pony and that one trick didn't work against Lesnar. In the second round Lesnar took a tired Carwin down and finished him with a fairly weak triangle choke.

I think someone as skilled as an Emelianenko or Overeem would definitely have a much better shot at finishing Lesnar (likely by submission similar to what Frank Mir did despite being no where near as talented as Fedor or the Reem). The UFC does not have any such talented 5 tool heavyweights. The only two in the division are Overeem and Emelianenko and both are not in the UFC. I see Cain Velasquez getting the next shot at Brock and that too should be an entertaining fight. I think Cain is more skilled but again with a wrestling background he may struggle against the larger Lesnar in ways that a Fedor would not. Cain's skills are similar to Lesnar's but better, however, he is also much smaller. Carwin may get Junior Dos Santos if Junior beats Big Country. The heavyweight picture has four guys in the UFC and three guys in Strikeforce that, in my opinion, are probably the best out there.

Carwin's 35 and probably doesn't have too many more chances left, especially if he loses his next fight. I don't see him getting a rematch with Brock unless he puts together a solid win or two and Brock continues to defend. However, if an Overeem or Emelianenko join the UFC I think Carwin's chances are going to be slim to survive at the top levels despite his great KO record. Carwin proved he can't win outside of one round. Brock took Carwin outside of a round by showing great defence and a solid chin and that was enough to win. Carwin had nothing left in round 2.

Brock Lesnar Defends Against Shane Carwin at UFC 116

Brock Lesnar returns from a long layoff due to illness today to take on a guy who has made a name for himself recently in the UFC. That guy is Shane Carwin. Carwin and Lesnar both built their names off of Frank Mir whose claim to fame was getting destroyed by Brandon Vera and beating a washed up and ill Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Now these two biggies go at it to see who is the best Mir beater. The most exciting thing about this fight isn't that these two are good MMA fighters but rather that they are huge and Brock Lesnar was in the WWE where he made his claim to fame. I would definitely watch this fight just based on those two factors. These two wrestlers turned strikers will show the world how two behemoths who never trained in striking can smack each other around. You can't get any better than that! I just hope wrestling plays a factor in this fight at some point.

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty of it all. Carwin wants to keep this fight on his feet so that he can dismantle Brock with his proven superior striking. Whether he's against the cage or in the middle of the ring, if Carwin's on his feet he has the best chance to win. For Brock, he needs to get this thing to the ground and out muscle Carwin for positioning so that he can lay on the ground and pound. The strategies couldn't be more obvious given the limited skill sets of these two wrestlers turned brawlers. It'll be interesting to see who gets his way and ultimately wins this fight.

Make no mistake Fedor is still the most skilled and talented heavyweight in the world today. Werdum got lucky but everyone loses eventually. Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre both lost as well. Fedor will defeat Werdum in the rematch and then I hope we'll see a clash of two truly talented MMA artists in Overeem and Emelianenko. Until that happens, lets sit back and enjoy this freak show at UFC 116. Hey, Dana loves the freak shows as he proved when he set up James Toney vs Randy Couture.

Fedor Emelianenko Loses to Fabricio Werdum

Fedor has finally lost a fight after 10 years of going undefeated and only ever losing once before in his career. He got caught by Fabricio Werdum and submitted via arm lock. He made a mistake but didn't necessarily look bad doing it. He dominated the striking but lost when the fight went to the ground. Lots if interesting fights left at heavyweight in Strikeforce. Still think Fedor is the best but for now Werdum will take the mantle of top heavyweight with Fedor dropping to number two. I think a Fedor rematch or a title shot against Overeem makes sense for Werdum. Probably a title shot against Overeem since the champ needs another fight in the US.

In other action, Cung Le looked great in taking out Scott Smith and righting the ship after he got caught late against Smith in their first match. Le basically continued his domination of Smith but finished the fight this time around making no mistakes. Interesting fights with Robbie Lawlor or others await Le if he decides to continue fighting.

In women's action, Cyborg won again against an outmatched lesser known opponent. The girl needs some competition as there isn't really much out there at the moment.

NBA or WWE?

I know this is a Boxing / MMA site but I had to comment on the recent NBA finals between the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers. I watched most of the series and couldn't help but note how often the referees were wrong when they blew the whistle. Based on my rough count over 80% of the calls were actually wrong! This is quite remarkable given the level of popularity of the sport. It seems the problem is that the sport is so fast and difficult to officiate now that most of the made calls are gut feel reactionary versus a ref actually seeing something. It's going to be hard for fans to continue to watch a sport that has basically no accuracy in officiating. I really have to hand it to the NBA marketing machine - they've done a great job to keep the fan base strong. I really don't know if this is much of a sport anymore though. The athletes are still solid but the sport needs to be fairly officiated in order to be considered a sport versus a drama like the WWE. Many WWE wrestlers are great athletes too. Too bad officiating always gets in the way but if you're less than 80% or heck even 20% accurate on calls than you're not really a viable sport anymore, in my opinion. Given the NBA's recent issues with claims of rigging games from a former referee it's probably in the league's best interest to do something about the officiating before this gets out of hand. Hopefully, someone will let me know how it goes because I certainly won't be watching any more NBA drama err games until this thing is cleaned up.

Chuck Liddell KO'd By Rich Franklin

Chuck Liddell is finished in the octagon. He looked good but once again he got rocked and stretched out. Seemed to be in better shape but got the same result. Rich Franklin got the better of the exchanges with Chuck Liddell and knocked him out at UFC 115 a few minutes ago. In other action, Mirko Crocop had a great comeback by submitting Pat Berry in the third round after getting dropped twice in round one. He still doesn't look like he is ready to challenge the top heavyweights in the UFC but still got a decent win. Crocop showcased his striking and ground game although his striking was inconsistent and his ground game didn't look great. Berry just had no ground game to compete with Crocop. UFC 115 was a good event even though it showcased second class fighters that had little but name recognition left to carry them.

As for Liddell, it seems there is a new generation of fighter now and he hasn't kept up. His chin and defence have both let him down in all of his recent fights. He's just not at the level needed to contend in the UFC today.

Pacquiao Ready to Accept Mayweather's Terms

Manny Pacquiao has stated that he will accept Mayweather's terms for drug testing up to 14 days before the fight. It seems there shouldn't be any more obstacles unless Mayweather creates some more. This could potentially be the biggest fight in the history of boxing. Both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are 1-2 on every pound for pound list I have seen so it naturally makes sense to have them fight to determine who is really the best. Mayweather just beat Shane Mosley and Pacquaio just beat Joshua Clottey (and destroyed Miguel Cotto before that). There's really no one else left for either one of them. The good thing about negotiations this time around is that they seem to be keeping them out of the press versus last time where all the issues came out into the media. Hopefully, they can resolve things and announce a fight date once ready without have to negotiate in the public eye this time around.

Evans Wins Boring Decision Over Rampage

I thought this fight would lack lustre and it did. Evans won a boring decision over Rampage in a fight that had only a few shining moments. Rampage looked like he needed a warm up fight and that the layoff impacted him. Rashad looked good and used his takedowns wisely. Probably need a rematch to make this one certain. I just felt like Rampage had his number and could have pushed the pace to take Rashad out at any time but just couldn't for some reason. Anyways, who knows what to expect now. We could have a rematch or Rashad might get Shogun (probably a mistake in my opinion). I think they should give someone else a shot at Shogun right now (maybe little Nog?) and let Rampage and Evans clear any doubt lingering from this fight.

Rampage and Rashad Finally at UFC 114

UFC 114 is being hyped entirely off of what many think will be a hugely popular fight in Rampage Jackson against Rashad Evans. It's not that big for me because both guys have suffered tough losses recently (Rashad to Lyoto Machida and Rampage to Forrest Griffin). Machida was destroyed by Shogun Rua and Forrest Griffin was destroyed (x2) by Anderson Silva. I'm not really sure where that leaves these two but I don't think I want to see them fight for a title soon. There's not much else on this card that is of any interest but quite frankly what business man would bother spending any money on the rest of this card. Rashad and Rampage will carry it. Enjoy!

Amir Khan Dominates Paulie Malignaggi for 11th Round Stoppage

Amir Khan had the most dominant victory of his career against a top 5 ranked junior welterweight in Paulie Malignaggi. Khan systematically dominated Malignaggi in one of the most incredible displays of technical boxing skills this year. Khan's victory shows that he has grown significantly since his only loss to Breidis Prescott. This is a new Khan. Anyone fighting around junior welterweight will need to be weary of Khan. Although Malignaggi didn't have the tools to test Khan's chin, he really didn't have many opportunities to break through even if he had the power. Khan is a different fighter now and his chin may no longer be a major concern. His boxing skills may be good enough to shut out anyone in his division. He is a far superior boxer than Marcos Maidana who is technically not in Khan's league. However, Maidana has power and could be the guy to test Khan's chin. Malignaggi is considered one of the best boxers in the sport today but was thoroughly outclassed by Khan. Timothy Bradley versus Khan seems to be the most interesting fight in the division but I would like to see Bradley take out Maidana first. Assuming Maidana isn't scared to fight Bradley and genuinely injured then that fight could happen once Maidana's back is better. Nonetheless, there are a lot of possibilities in the most competitive weight division in boxing.

Overeem Dominates Brett Rogers

Brett Rogers seemed tentative and unwilling to exchange with Alistair Overeem who eventually took Rogers down and ground and pounded him into submission. In what was a very dominant performance Overeem defeated Rogers in much more efficient fashion than Fedor Emelianenko had. The victory clearly sets up a super fight between Overeem and Emelianenko assuming Strikeforce and M1 global can make it happen. Emelianenko needs a fight against a top heavyweight and Overeem is the best out there. The fight between quite possibly the two best heavyweights in the world would certainly be the largest for Strikeforce Lets hope it happens later this year.

In other action, Andrei Arlovski lost to Antonio Silva who looked great in the fight. For Arlovski, it was his third loss in a row but this fight was much closer than his other losses. He may end up getting a rematch with Brett Rogers next.

White Kicks Daley out of UFC for Life

In another confusing and perplexing move, UFC president Dana White has decided to kick Paul Daley out of the UFC for life. After doing nothing to Brock Lesnar and signing Gilbert Yvel, this seems like a rushed moronic decision. Don't get me wrong, Paul Daley was the ultimate moron for what he did and there absolutely no place in the sport for that kind of thing. However, given that Brock Lesnar got nothing for a similar outbreak (albeit less so because he didn't throw a punch just a lot of bad gestures) and Gilbert Yvel was recently signed despite having a history of several displays of poor judgement this decision just baffles me. White is a genius having brought the UFC to where it is but it seems like he is bending to everyone around him now and changing fundamentally what his organization represented. The UFC was the anti-mainstream organization that every fight fan loved. Now it's becoming the ultimate mainstream organization. I understand that money dictates and it's time to change tunes and become mainstream but at least be consistent. The Daley move was way over the top. Not even another mainstream organization has issued a lifetime ban despite having experienced incidents that were far worse. Anybody remember Todd Bertuzzi? Well, he's playing in the NHL playoffs right now. I mean this seems a bit insane to me to suspend someone for life despite the terrible nature of this act.

Machida Pummeled by Shogun in Rematch

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua knocked out Lyoto Machida in the first round with some great striking. Machida looked similarly over matched as he did in the original horrendous blown judges decision. The only difference was that this time Shogun was far more aggressive and eventually knocked out Machida. You have to wonder if Gegard Mousasi and King Mohammad Lawal were watching. I'd give either of those two a decent shot against Shogun. However, it looks like Quentin Jackson or Rashad Evans will get the next shot. In other action, Josh Kosheck defeated Paul Daley and will fight GSP in what is another waste of time fight since GSP has already defeated him. It would be nice to see GSP fight someone else but other than Anderson Silva or Jake Shields (and maybe Nick Diaz) there are no other interesting fights. Silva needs to handle business at middleweight while Shields and Diaz are still in Strikeforce.

Overall, the Machida vs Rua fight was a lot more interesting then I expected and the quick knockout was a big surprise given the close fight the first time. In the end, Shogun always seemed to be a little bit better and when he pushed the pace the fight was over.

Kimbo Slice Struggles Against Matt Mittrione

With his biggest opportunity to take a step up in the UFC heavyweight division Kimbo Slice was unable to take out Matt Mittrione. He showed great courage and heart in surviving two submission attempts and a furious ground and pound. He also displayed some huge power bombs against a guy much bigger than him that got the crowd excited. However, he didn't have the technical ability to defeat Matt Mittrione who eventually got the referee stoppage in the fight. It's a real shame since Kimbo was training with the best team out there at AKA and is phenomenally popular. He's the most popular MMA fighter in the world but lacks the technical grounding in the sport to be a top tier guy. If he had started earlier in his career I think he would have been a real contender at 205. It's too late now for him to cut to that weight so he sticks to being a lighter heavyweight.

UFC 113 Could be Major Snooze-fest

After the Anderson Silva and BJ Penn debacle at the last UFC event, I'm very concerned that the Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua fight will be another snooze-fest blown call of a fight. We already know UFC judges probably don't have to pass grade 2 to get their jobs but to make matters worse this fight is as lackluster as it gets. The fight just doesn't get me excited strangely enough. However, I do expect more fireworks than the first yawn fest. The more interesting fight will be Kimbo Slice taking on a decent heavyweight in Matt Mittrione. How the smaller Kimbo handles the true heavyweight Mittrione will be interesting to see. The card also has some other boring welterweight fight that somehow is now to determine the number one contender to GSP. Here's hoping Jake Shields joins the UFC just to give GSP a reason to get up in the morning, however, that seems unlikely given the recent news about GSP's number one contender.

Talks Turn to a Mayweather and Pacquiao Mega Fight

It was totally expected but after now that Floyd Mayweather has beaten Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao beat Joshua Clottey talk of a super fight is back on. Floyd and Manny will have to (gulp) start negotiations again once Pacquiao is done dabbling in politics back in his homeland of the Philippines. Issues? Drug testing of course. Money split? For sure after Mayweather gets a huge pay per view with for his last fight despite having far greater opportunities for promotion. Both are huge draws so I would consider that issue a wash unless Mayweather becomes stubborn about it. I expect Pacquiao to back off and find common ground on the drug testing issue. If those issues can be resolved we should be clear. Hopefully, Mayweather doesn't invent a new issue for us to worry about and we can finally see one of the biggest fights ever.

Floyd Wins Convincingly by Unanimous Decision

Floyd Mayweather handled Shane Mosley easily after round 2 in their fight last night and won by decision. Shane rocked Floyd in the first couple of rounds and thought he might be able to knock him out. Floyd recovered and went on to shut out Mosley. Mayweather couldn't finish him but didn't seem to be trying too hard given his strong defensive focus. This likely spells the end of the line for Mosley and once again sets up talk of a mega showdown between Mayweather and pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is a supreme closer who finishes opponents efficiently while Mayweather is a defensive standout who wins decisions with his great defense. Drug testing is still at the heart of the issue in making that fight as Floyd wants Olympic style testing whereas Pacquiao wants to stick with mandated rules but will follow any rules the commission sets out.

Mayweather has recently made claims of being the best fighter ever but is only the second best fighter of his generation (Pacquaio being the undisputed king). The evidence of Pacquiao's greatness has been delivered by Mayweather himself who has hinted Pacquiao might be using PEDs to achieve his phenomenal results. Pacquaio, of course, has never tested positive for anything in his life or had any evidence of drug use whatsoever.

Regardless of the childish talk, this fight will be huge and both fighters have been clean and will be for the fight so we can all sit back and enjoy it when it happens.

Floyd Mayweather Finally takes Opportunity to Extend Legacy at Welterweight

Floyd Mayweather was forced to accept the challenge from Shane Mosley after backing out of the Manny Pacquiao fight due to a failed attempt to modify drug testing rules. That will give him his first real test at welterweight. Oscar De La Hoya included (he actually fought Oscar at 154), Floyd is the best welterweight Mayweather has ever fought. The fight should be competitive if Shane brings his best tonight. I expect Mayweather to win because of Shane's speed and skill limitations when compared to the better Mayweather. Shane's power will only be a factor if he can land which will be very difficult against Floyd. This is definitely an interesting fight that has made people forget about the Pacquiao fiasco at least for the time being. Expect a huge pay per view given the significant amounts of interest in this fight and given that there are two well known Americans in the ring. Boxing at the top levels is untouchable right now and the very top is Manny and Floyd.

Strikeforce Nashville Ends with Mixed Results

Jake Shields upset Dan Henderson by weathering an early storm and then dominating him for the final 4 rounds with his wrestling and BJJ. Henderson clocked Shields several times in the first round and Shields was wobbled big time. Dan wasn't able to finish Shields and he survived the first round and went on to win a decision with his ground control. Shields keeps his title and becomes a premier, if not, pound for pound fighter in MMA.

Gilbert Melendez dominated Shinya Aoki for 5 rounds to retain the Strikeforce title. Aoki was unable to get anything going on the ground as Melendez instantly pushed him up to the cage where Aoki had no experience. Melendez used every advantage he had, especially the octagon, to keep Aoki at bay for the entire fight. In the third title fight, King Muhammed Lawal upset Gegard Mousasi in a close fight where King Mo's wrestling and take down ability paid off big time. Overall, the fights had their exciting moments and down moments. I would say the event was a success. Unfortunately, there was an incident after the Shields fight where Jason "Mayhem" Miller entered the ring and asked for a rematch which resulted in a big melee in the middle of the ring. Hopefully, CBS looks past that terrible incident and sees the potential in Strikeforce based on this and previous events.

Strikeforce Nashville Ready to Save the Day after UFC Disaster Last Week

Only one week after what could have been the worst event in the history of MMA (UFC 112), everyone should be really excited about a competitive top notch Strikeforce card that has 3 titles up for grabs. Dan Henderson makes his Strikeforce debut when he takes on middleweight champion Jake Shields in what should be an interesting fun to watch fight. In an even more interesting exciting fight, top prospect King Muhammed Lawal takes on champion Gegard Mousasi for the light heavyweight crown. These two could well be the future, if not the present, in the light heavyweight division. Expect a competitive fight despite Lawal's inexperience. The final fight may be the best of the three when Japanese superstar and lightweight king Shinya Aoki takes on Gilbert Melendez. Melendez is the Strikeforce lightweight champion while Aoki is the Dream lightweight champion. Aoki is one of the most exciting to grapplers in MMA today. I can't say enough about the quality of this card. You will not see sh*t judging like you did with Frankie Edgar winning the lightweight title after running for 5 rounds and boring us to death. You will not see Anderson Silva being forced to fight a one tool fighter that practically was so easy it almost put him to sleep half way through the fight (not to mention put the fans to sleep).

Make no mistake - this will be a competitive exciting card and better than anything we have seen in the last several years. Not to mention it combines top talent in two top notch promotions which is absolutely wicked and it is free on television. This one is a must watch no brainer for all MMA fans and beyond :)

Edgar Decision a Disgrace to MMA

Forget about the Anderson Silva fight, the Frankie Edgar fight was the biggest disgrace ever on one of the worst shows in MMA history. Dana White claims he was frustrated with one fight - only the Anderson Silva fight. Well I got news for you Dana, the entire card was pure sh*t. Thank goodness for Strikeforce. I'm not even going to write about the Silva fight to be honest because the rest of the card was more pathetic in my opinion. In one of the worst decisions in the history of the MMA, BJ Penn lost his title. How the hell can the UFC sustain itself with such pathetic judging in title fights for crying out loud. Penn clearly won the first three rounds he landed accurate clean shots while Edgar bobbed and weaved landing nothing. In my opinion the fourth was even and the fifth could have gone to Edgar. How the hell do you win a title like that? He's no champion. The UFC is starting to frustrate me and about a million other fans of the sport like there is no tomorrow. Oh by the way ... the Hughes-Gracie fight was pathetic too. Can't wait for Strikeforce next weekend. I'm this close to giving up on the UFC to be honest with you. Anderson Silva is a problem fine but he is just a fighter. Judging is fundamental to the sport itself and when that goes as pathetic as it did last night it's pretty much over.

Edgar shocks BJ Penn by decision; Silva Dominates Maia

BJ Penn made a massive tactical mistake by not taking Frankie Edgar to the ground. Penn did not do enough to dominate Edgar and ended up losing his title. The fight seemed close and I would say Penn won by a small margin (3 rounds to 1 with an even round). The problem I had with Penn's performance is the strategic issue around letting the fight go to the judges (who are known to be horrible). Why wouldn't Penn take Edgar down when he was much better than him on the ground? Sure, he was theoretically better than Edgar standing but not as much as he was better than him on the ground. The best fighter in the world doesn't take chances like that ... Georges St. Pierre wouldn't and neither would Anderson Silva.

In the other main event, Anderson Silva played with Damian Maia. He literally played with him as if he was fighting a child. It was ridiculousness. He let the fight go to a decision even though many felt he could have finished it earlier. It was a very odd fight but that is Anderson Silva. Next up will be Georges St. Pierre at 170 pounds. If Silva can actually cut down to 170 pounds, St. Pierre should be a bit worried to say the least.

BJ Penn and Anderson Silva put titles on the line at UFC 112

Anderson Silva and BJ Penn are ready for their heavy underdog challengers at UFC 112. Frankie Edgar challenges Penn and Damian Maia challenges Silva. In both cases, the challengers are being given no chance. I don't think they have a chance either and both of these matches are weak. It's a sign that the UFC is still lacking a decent level of competition. Good fighters still exist in other major organizations like Dream and Strikeforce and overall competition in MMA is still not at the level of other sports. That should change as the sport grows but for now we will have to deal with the level of competition we'll see at UFC 112. Unfortunately, it won't be enough to make it worth the price of admission as much as I hate to admit that. Look out for the April 17th Strikeforce card though as that will be amazing (not to mention free on TV).

BJ the Best Ever?

He moved up from lightweight to defeat a prime Matt Hughes at welterweight. He moved up from lightweight to fight competitively with Lyoto Machida at light heavyweight. He has dominated the lightweight division to the point where he is considered invincible. He is one of the best finishers in the sport (alongside Anderson Silva). The prodigy has a legitimate case to be considered best ever. However, lets not get ahead of ourselves. BJ has still got some good years ahead of him. He looks to be in his prime and could do some more great things in the sport. Continued dominance at lightweight or a carefully planned move to welterweight will help him improve his status. BJ isn't concerned with his record. He's always looking for the best possible challenge which is part of the reason he is so great in the sport.

April 17th Strikeforce Card Trumps UFC 112

I have to admit Strikeforce has managed to put together a better card on April 17th (free on CBS to boot!) than the UFC has on its pay per view UFC 112 card on April 10th. UFC's main event includes Anderson Silva versus Damian Maia which is a good fight but Silva clearly expected to dominate. The co-main event is BJ Penn against Frankie Edgar which will be a Penn obliteration. On the Strikeforce card we have Dan Henderson versus Jake Shields which will be far more competitive than any of the UFC main events. The other title fight is Gegard Mousasi versus Muhammed Lawal which is, for me, the most anticipated fight of the year. King Mo is one of the most exciting young fighters in the sport and Mousasi is a prodigy. The future of the light heavyweight division (outside of Jon Jones) is right here.

The other fight on the UFC card is Renzo Gracie versus Matt Hughes which is an awesome match up - definitely can't wait to see that one. However, Strikeforce counters with an even better match between two of the best lightweights in the world in Dream champion Shinya Aoki and Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez. That one, for me, is the second most anticipated fight of the year so far.

Let's all be glad for Strikeforce. I have to say that Scott Coker has done a great job and by putting it on CBS for free he will generate phenomenal interest for Strikeforce and MMA in general.

Hopkins and Jones Story Coming to an End

Bernard Hopkins defeated Roy Jones by unanimous decision in an ugly fight on Saturday night. Jones looks like he is definitely done. Hopkins is an x-factor. He looked bad but it's hard to say he won't come out in his next fight and blow us away. Hopkins called out David Haye which is as bold a move as I've ever seen. Haye is a fast prime heavyweight. He is nothing like John Ruiz. Beating Haye would put Hopkins into another stratosphere. Remember, he's already a legend. The problem will be getting the fight after he looked sub par against a shot Jones and Haye dominated a game John Ruiz. Haye has a huge super money fight waiting for him against one of the Klitschko brothers. The Hopkins fight would not be as big. If Haye beats Wlad or Vitali and Hopkins dominates a solid cruiser weight or beats Tomasz Adamek then the fight could be huge. Roy Jones has once again put Hopkins in a difficult position even though this time he won the fight. He needed a knockout; he needed to dominate. Hopefully, he can get back on track with another solid victory.

David Haye Dominates John Ruiz for Impressive Victory

David Haye landed several bombs while knocking down John Ruiz many times on his way to a stoppage victory. After taking some serious punishment, John Ruiz' corner threw in the towel in round 9. Miguel Diaz made the right decision by stopping the fight as his fighter was game but taking some brutal punishment that could have damaged more than his boxing career. The fight was impressive. The only knock on Haye was that he didn't finish it earlier but that is more about the phenomenal heart of John Ruiz rather than any serious deficiency in Haye. This definitely sets Haye up for bigger and better fights. Specifically, I hope the Klitschko's were watching. Haye has arrived and a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers would be absolutely massive (with apologies to Bernard Hopkins).

David Haye looks to set the Stage for the Klitschko Brothers Tonight against John Ruiz

David Haye needs a strong performance against John Ruiz to generate interest and a massive pay day against one of the Klitschko brothers. Haye will need to focus on Ruiz and knock him out early in dominant fashion to make the fight with the Klitschkos a mega smash hit for the heavyweight division. If Haye were to lose it would be a huge setback for his career and, quite frankly, for the heavyweight division. Many look at Haye as the x-factor in the division. He is someone who could legitimately challenge the throne if the stars align for him. With his massive punching power and exciting fighting style he is also a potential fan favorite and major draw in the heavyweight division. Ruiz seems to be beyond his prime and not at the same level as Haye. Hopefully, David hasn't taken him too lightly.

Bernard Hopkins, who fights Roy Jones Jr. tonight, is also angling for a potential shot at David Haye and his version of the heavyweight title. That would be a big fight but not as big globally as a Klitschko fight would be for Haye. Ruiz was also beaten by a much smaller Roy Jones Jr when Roy was closer to his prime. Haye needs this win and he needs it in style.

Classic Battle Between Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins Comes to Real Life

Tomorrow night Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins will battle it out with each other in a rematch that was 17 years in the making. In their first fight 17 years ago Roy Jones defeated Hopkins via decision. Hopkins is looking for revenge tonight after trying to secure a rematch with Jones during the last two decades. Jones is well past his prime despite being 4 years younger than Hopkins. Hopkins, at 45 years old, is still a top three pound for pound fighter in the world and should dismantle Jones easily. Regardless, the fight will be interesting because of the bad blood between the two. Ticket sales are slow and PPV numbers are expected to be relatively weak but this fight is not about that. It's personal for both of them. Jones claims Hopkins only took the fight because he thinks he will have an easy fight against a washed up former champion. Hopkins isn't taking anything for granted and expects the best Roy in the ring tomorrow night. It's an interesting fight worth watching for it's historical relevance.

The New Breed to Challenge Brock Lesnar

With Frank Mir out of the way for now, it looks like the new breed of UFC heavyweight have finally stepped up to challenge for the title. Junior Dos Santos, Shane Carwin and Cain Velasquez have all had phenomenal results lately and look poised to challenge for Brock Lesnar's title. Each of them seem technically superior to Lesnar but ultimately it is Brock's power that will determine how far they can go against him. Carwin has the size and technical ability to compete with Brock. He's also a smart fighter who seems to apply strategy effectively. Lesnar is a great athlete but not yet a great MMA fighter. All of these challengers will have a legitimate shot at dethroning Brock. Remember, Lesnar himself is probably more of a neophyte in the sport than any of these guys.

No Serious Challengers in the UFC for Georges St. Pierre

It looks like Georges St. Pierre's only real welterweight challengers are in Strikeforce. Namely, Nick Diaz or Jake Shields. GSP has already beaten Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch who are the two top guys behind him. Anderson Silva is the only fight of interest at middleweight but St. Pierre has already indicated that Silva may be too big for him. Besides, Silva is talking about fighting at heavyweight let alone challenging a welterweight.

Dana White may be able to sign Jake Shields whose last fight on his Strikeforce contract is coming up this year against Dan Henderson. Assuming Henderson wins, Strikeforce may sign back Shields to move him to welterweight for a challenge against Nick Diaz. If Shields wins Strikeforce wouldn't want to lose their current middleweight champion and would fight to sign him back. Either way, the UFC would want to get Shields to move him to welterweight and challenge GSP. Shields himself wants to be a welterweight.

The growth and phenomenal talent in Strikeforce is going to become a major thorn in Dana White's side. Strikeforce has top three caliber guys fighting at lightweight (Gilbert Melendez / Shinya Aoki), welterweight (Shields / Diaz), middleweight (Henderson), light heavyweight (Gegard Mousasi) and heavyweight (Fedor Emelianenko). In some cases, this is creating a major void in MMA. St. Pierre is one example while Fedor at heavyweight is another.

St Pierre Wins Boring Fight and Mir Brutally Knocked Out

Georges St Pierre had to go five rounds with Dan Hardy and was frustrated as he couldn't finish off Hardy despite getting a solid arm bar and kimura on two separate occasions. Hardy showed heart by not submitting but St Pierre should have taken his arm off for that. Regardless of how boring and painful the fight was a win is a win. Georges was clearly superior to Dan Hardy who had no place in the ring with him. In the co-main event Shane Carwin dismantled Frank Mir with a brutal knockout. Carwin showed his power by backing Mir up against the cage and eventually creating space to land several powerful uppercuts that eventually dropped Mir. Carwin jumped on him on the ground and pounded until the referee stopped the fight. Overall, it wasn't a spectacular event for the UFC. The biggest result was the Carwin result which will set up a fight with Brock Lesnar now.

Marcos Maidana Knocks Out Victor Cayo with Vicious Body Shot

Marcos Maidana took another step forward in the light welterweight division by knocking out future contender Victor Cayo with a solid body shot in the middle rounds. Cayo looked good in the fight but seemed to be weary of Maidana's power. Maidana ultimately caught Cayo with a great body shot that put him down for the ten count. Cayo looked impressive at times during the fight but didn't have the mature defense to hold on against Maidana. Maidana now needs to stop fighting young contenders and find a truly established light welterweight to battle against. Amir Khan is too young, still maturing his defense and, quite frankly, has better options out there. Maidana needs to fight a Timothy Bradley or Ricky Hatton type mature top fighter now who might need this fight to get back into title contention or generate more interest (Bradley).

Andre Dirrell Wins by DQ Over Arthur Abraham

In an interesting fight of styles Andre Dirrell pulled out the upset DQ win against Arthur Abraham when Abraham hit him while he was down after he slipped to the mat. Dirrell was winning on points with his significant speed and punch output when Abraham started to come on in the later rounds. Dirrell showed great resiliency and a phenomenal chin after taking some hard shots. In the end Abraham made a crucial mistake of hitting Dirrell while he was down. Dirrell seemed to be knocked out after the punch although immediately after he seemed okay. All of a sudden he went down and started twitching as if he was badly out cold. My initial reaction was that he was faking but after seeing the replay it certainly was a clean shot that hit him and he could have had a legitimate delayed reaction. Regardless, the punch landed while Dirrell was down - Abraham deserved to lose the fight by DQ. Dirrell now gets 2 points for the win and will move on to face Andre Ward in his next fight. Abraham will be stuck at 3 points after his great KO of Jermain Taylor in the first round of the Super Six Tournament.