Demian Maia To Get Next Title Shot

Jiu Jitsu virtuoso Demian Maia will get the next middleweight title crack, after Thales Leites, reports Cage Potato:

There's no official date set, but our source says Maia's camp is expecting the bout to take place in late August, which would most likely put it at UFC 102 in Portland, Ore. The middleweight title bout would certainly bolster a card that's rumored to be headlined by Randy Couture returning home to the Pacific Northwest to take on Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Considering Silva only has five fights left on his contract, it is significant that one is being spent on Maia. The up and coming star is certainly deserving, but he will not provide the big money fight that some other Silva pairings could.

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Dana White Comments On Affliction Counter Programming UFC 100

Shortly after Affliction announced that they would indeed counter program against UFC 100, FiveOuncesOfPain texted UFC President Dana White.

This is what they got back: “How do I feel about them trying to counter-program UFC 100?,” White began his statement, before continuing, “I love it. I fucking love it. I love it. I don’t like these guys and I want to see them spend more of their t-shirt money. What they should be worrying about is — they’ve already seen first hand that nobody gives a shit about Affliction MMA — what they need to starting worrying about is nobody wants to wear their goofy fucking clothes anymore either. The fad is over and they better start saving as much of that t-shirt money as they can.”

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UFC Fight for the Troops Results

Many fighters left last night's "Fight for the Troops" veeery injured. If you missed the action and you like watching gruesome submissions and injuries, then get a copy of it. I was going to post up videos of the injuries, but I couldn't bring myself to do it for those queasy ones out there. Here are quick results though:

* Justin McCully def. Eddie Sanchez via unanimous decision
* Dale Hartt def. Corey Hill via TKO (leg injury) at 0:20 of round 2
* Ben Saunders def. Brandon Wolff via TKO at 1:49 of round 1
* Steve Bruno def. Johnny Rees via submission at 3:44 of round 2
* Luigi Fioravanti def. Brodie Farber via unanimous decision
* Jim Miller def. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision
* Tim Credeur def. Nate Loughran via TKO at 5:00 of round 2
* Steve Cantwell def. Razak Al-Hassan via submission at 4:04 of round 1
* Mike Swick def. Jonathan Goulet via TKO at 0:33 of round 1
* Josh Koscheck def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida at via KO at 2:15 of round 1

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GSP-Penn Winner Gets Thiago Alves

Not surprisingly, Dana White announced that Thiago Alves is next in line to get a shot at the Welterweight Championship, whoever the champion may be.

"He's next in line for a title shot. If GSP beats B.J. Penn, then (Alves) fights GSP. If B.J. Penn wins, then he fights B.J. And then he'd have to defend that title for a while before I let him move up and try to fight Anderson.

-Dana White"

I say "not surprisingly" because Alves has been unstoppable as of late and he has some big victories under his belt. Alves is 9-2 in the UFC, winning his last 7 fights. He has some big wins, including a decision over Josh Koscheck and knockouts of Matt Hughes and Karo Parisyan. Look out for "The Pitbull".

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Classic Fighter: Rickson Gracie

The Gracie Family is undeniably the most important and innovative family in all of fighting. Helio Gracie is know as the creator of “Gracie Jiu-Jitsu”, which is arguably the most important fighting style of MMA. Royce Gracie won 3 out of the first 4 UFC tournaments and is a member of the UFC Hall of Fame. However, there is a more talented Gracie that many people do not know about. Often referred to as “The Greatest Gracie”, Rickson Gracie is undeniably the most talented classic fighter that I’ve seen.

This 8th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu made short work of each of his MMA opponents, submitting all 11 of them. Rickson claims to be undefeated with over 400 victories in Sambo, MMA, Vale Tudo, and various other forms of fighting. We do know that Rickson has at least one loss from the 1993 U.S. Sambo Championships. He was defeated by Ron Tripp via uchi-mata in 45 seconds, however he later disputed the result stating that he didn’t know the rules of the fight.

Rickson’s control of the ground game is that of a BJ Penn or a Fedor Emelianenko. His smooth transitions from one idea to another are almost as impressive as his ability to troubleshoot different situations. It seems like he sees Jiu-Jitsu as a chess match. He prepares an attack, his opponent defends, he breaks down his opponents defense, etc…I have the tapes of Vale Tudo Japan 1994 and 1995. The ground dominance that he displayed during those two tournaments is something that I’ve never seen before. Also, his two armbar victories over Nobuhiko Takada in PRIDE are beautiful displays of technique. The patience that Rickson uses in these two fights really defines his style and the style of most Gracies. A lot of fighters try to rush submissions and positions and they actually get themselves into trouble. Rickson stays cool and composed, waits for an opening (which doesn’t take long), and strikes in a devastating manner leaving his opponent absolutely helpless.

Rickson’s last fight was against Masakatsu Funaki in May of 2000. However, the 50-year-old may not be done with fighting. Rickson has often stated that he would return to fighting if the price was right. Over the past few years, Rickson has openly criticized the skills of some of the top MMA fighters in the world, including Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. I would personally pay an ungodly amount of money to see Rickson Gracie fight a Fedor Emelianenko or a Randy Couture (age vs. age?). Also, Lorenzo Feritta has recently stated that he would love to see Rickson Gracie fight in the UFC. Although he’s already 50 years old, we may see this classic fighter in the ring, or cage, again.

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Liddell-Couture IV?

All of the talk of the A. Silva-Liddell superfight at UFC 95 has now been quieted. UK's The Sun reports that Liddell has now been offered a heavyweight fight with Randy Couture at an event in Germany on June 13th.

This fight would probably draw a ton of attention, as the name recognition of both fighters may be higher than ever. Yes, Chuck Liddell has lost 3 of his last 4 fights. However, he's still probably the most recognizable name in MMA. People will tune in.

Where does this put Anderson Silva? Reports say that he may face one of the losers of the big UFC 92 LHW fights, Forrest Griffin-Rashad Evans or Quinton Jackson-Wanderlei Silva.

Whatever happens, the UFC is doing a great job with keeping these cards exciting. Just when you think that they run out of ideas they come out with unbelievable dream fights. I'm not by any means saying that Liddell-Couture IV would be a dream fight. There is only so much that you can milk a rivalry. With both fighters out of their prime and the fact that this would be their fourth meeting, this fight doesn't excite me as much as Anderson Silva-Liddell does.

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Jon Fitch Back in the UFC

In a nice "I was about to say..." moment, Jon Fitch is now a UFC fighter again. Apparently, communication broke down between him and Dana (go figure), however Lorenzo Fertitta saved the day. From MMA Rated:

“Communication kind of broke down with Dana (White) so we talked with Lorenzo,” Fitch told MMARated. “(I) just got off the phone with him and we came to an agreement. We’re going to move ahead and I’ll be back in the UFC. We’re going to sign off on the video game and I’m back. It was never even about the agreement or the contract. It was the approach that we felt Dana was being a little bit hot-headed and was threatening us right off the bat. It didn’t seem like a professional way of doing things.”

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Jon Fitch Cut From UFC Contract

After refusing to allow his likeness to be indefinitely used by the UFC, top 5 welterweight Jon Fitch was unceremoniously cut from his contract. His scheduled UFC 94 bout against Akihiro Gono is obviously off the table. Christian Wellisch, another AKA fighter, was also fired while the rest of the organization has been put on notice.

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UFC 91 Reaction

UFC 91 may just be the pay-per-view of the year. With 5 stoppages in 5 fights on the main card, fans around the world were treated in an unbelievable night. Another chapter was written in the age-old storylines of “old school vs. new school,” “experience vs. youth” and “size vs. knowledge”. Brock Lesnar, four fights into his mixed-martial-arts career, defeated the most decorated and beloved UFC champion of all-time. It was no secret that the entire live audience and most fans at home were rooting for “The Natural”. How great would it be if a 45-year-old beat a younger 280-pounder?

However, I think that Brock beating Randy is much better for the UFC and for MMA. Is this not a perfect “passing of the torch” moment? Brock Lesnar is unbelievably marketable. Much more so than Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Frank Mir, or even Randy Couture. That factor is usually overlooked. Marketability is key to a sport’s and a company’s success. For instance, look at Kimbo Slice. He’s terrible. However, he is probably the most famous mixed-martial-artist in the world.

Brock Lesnar is legitimately good. He’s not just some 280-pound animal that mauls everybody…well actually, he is…but he’s much more than that. His wrestling is dominant, his striking is improving every day, and his work ethic is insane. He’s the first one to the gym every day and the last one to leave. He’s got a hunger for learning and he’s a fast learner, which is a scary combination. His combination of size and speed is unparalleled in the world of fighting. Brock Lesnar has proved that he’s legit and that he’ll be around for quite awhile.

Where does Randy go from here? He probably fights the loser of Nogueira-Mir. There shouldn’t be any talk of Fedor vs. Randy unless Couture is the champion.

Kenny Florian put on a dominating performance against Joe Stevenson. With the way that Florian was dominating the stand-up I was very surprised when he took Stevenson to the ground. Florian looked better than ever on his feat, getting in and getting out with minimal damage done to himself. However, it was when he took it to the ground that he put on a clinic. His mount of Stevenson looked effortless, as did the resulting rear naked choke. Florian is much improved since his last title shot and I think that he could give BJ Penn some major problems.

In two great shows of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, Dustin Hazelett and Demian Maia moved their way up the ladder of their respective weight classes. Fans were treated to a beautiful transition from an omoplata to straight armbar in another videogame-like submission courtesy of the newly crowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelt, Dustin Hazelett. Hazelett’s armbar broke Demian Maia’s 3-fight “submission of the night” streak. However, Maia’s performance was more impressive. Maia took down Quarry, mounted him, got his back and choked him out in just over 2 minutes. He is the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter in MMA and he needs to fight either Michael Bisping, Rich Franklin, or Dan Henderson next.

Gabriel Gonzaga knocked out the UFC rookie Josh Hendricks in 1:01 in what seemed like a “business as usual” fight for the heavy-handed heavyweight. It was an absolutely dominating striking performance by the Brazilian. I’d like to see Gonzaga’s next fight be the winner of Cheick Kongo vs. Mustafa Al-Turk.

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Ken Shamrock Interview (Our Second)

Ben Zeidler recently chatted with legend Ken Shamrock about his own future in MMA, the future of his son, a potential match up with brother Frank, and of course…Dana White.

Ben Zeidler: What do you think of the IFL changing to a true camp format?

Ken Shamrock: I think that they tried to start out with one concept and it wasn’t working. No one could keep the teams together. We [Nevada Lions] were the only ones who could really do it. Since the guys don’t really train together all the time, they were going in different directions. Now, you can just pull the people in your camp who are ready and it’ll work out well.

Ben Zeidler: Can the IFL serve as a viable opposition to the UFC or should we not even be comparing the two organizations.

Ken Shamrock: They’re not even the same competition. The UFC has been there since the beginning and they’re a brand of individual fighting. Of course, it takes a team for an individual to get there, but saying that the IFL can or should compete with the UFC is very premature. The UFC is so strong because guys like me and Randy [Couture] and Royce [Gracie] built it into a strong brand.

Ben Zeidler: Recently, one of your biggest adversaries, Tito Ortiz, has been expressing the same displeasure you’ve exhibited regarding Dana White and how he handles his business. Why would Dana purposely cut off all of his “legends?”

Ken Shamrock: Everyone understands that he wants to be the show and if anyone threatens his popularity or strength, whether he’s right or wrong, Dana will go after them. He always says, verbatim, “I’m gonna bury him.” It’s this power thing for him and it’s gonna work for a while because myself, Chuck [Liddell], Tito [Ortiz], Randy [Couture] built this thing up. We gave Dana White the strength to do what he’s doing now but he’s hurting everything that we built. He can’t stop and just admit that this isn’t about him. It’s about the guys who went the distance with the UFC and kept them strong. Dana handles the UFC hall of fame and he inducted me. Even then, he had to be the center of attention. He needs to learn that it’s not about him. He calls fighters out. He calls managers out. Is Dana White a promoter or a fighter?

Ben Zeidler: Is it possible that Dana White is jealous of Tito’s success with The Apprentice and Punishment Athletics? Maybe Tito is becoming too big for Dana’s liking.

Ken Shamrock: Tito is not a “yes-man.” Dana White has a hard time people who have some edges and we all have them. We all know that being a fighter, you have to have some edges. One thing that I can say is that if you look down the history of the UFC and track and see what has happened with different guys, you’ll se a pattern. If you don’t follow Dana’s rules, he’ll pack up his toys and go home and he won’t let you play with his toys anymore. Somewhere along the line, as time goes on, the guys who built this will make him answer to his actions.

Ben Zeidler: I recently read that you’re in the best shape of your life. Can you talk a little bit about how you got there so late in your career?

Ken Shamrock: Unfortunately, I’ve gone through injuries stemming from my cutting weight. I blew my knee out and then that took some time to get that where it needed to be. Then my shoulder went out and I needed some things replaced. One after another plagued me during the last few years. I’m one of those guys who will not quit and I’ll keep fighting, which is important to me but I know it means even more to my fans. My injuries restricted what I like to do, which is grapple, and I haven’t been able to do that due to my serious injuries. I’ve fought through those and now I’m able to sit back and go, you know what? I’m back. I can go into training and grapple punch, kick, take down, throw in leg locks, and I don’t get tired or worse during training. I get better. It’s a good feeling, man, and it’s been four years since I felt this good. I need to get some matches under my belt now. I’ve got a fight on March 8th and I’m gonna put a hurting on him.

Ben Zeidler: Let’s talk about this fight. You’ll be fighting at Cage Rage 25 against Robert Berry. What do you know about this guy and what’s your game plan for the fight?

Ken Shamrock: He’s 11-7, 6’3”, 250 pounds. He doesn’t like to go past the first round and I respect that he doesn’t want it to go to a judge’s decision. I respect a guy like that. I’m looking forward to stepping in there. For four years, I’ve been struggling and it’s time. Knock on wood.

Ben Zeidler: I was gonna say. You better be careful during training.

Ken Shamrock: (Laughs) I know it, man. I’m gonna give it back to the fans. I know it’s been a hard time and it’s been very frustrating. But now, I can give it back.

Ben Zeidler: Your son, who is 1-0 in MMA competition, is also fighting at the event. What is more exciting, your comeback or your son’s first mainstream fight?

Ken Shamrock: Definitely my comeback, but when my son is on the same card, that’s great too. It’s never been done in MMA fighting. People ask me if I’m scared about his fighting. I don’t get scared, I know what the dangers are, I know what he faces, and I am comfortable with him going in. I know that he’s trained well and he’s trained properly and he’s in no more danger than in a school fight.

Ben Zeidler: He’s probably safer than he would be in a school fight. He’s got a referee, a cutman, and set rules.

Ken Shamrock: Exactly! He’s definitely safer.

Ben Zeidler: What pieces of wisdom have you passed along to your son?

Ken Shamrock: Well, you know, one thing that comes to mind is when we were traveling on a train going to an IFL championship fight. I like to take the train, it’s about a two day trip, and they have a whole restaurant on there and everything. Anyway, he was still doing culinary arts school and fighting never entered my mind for him. If he wanted to, I would support it, but they had never expressed any interest in fighting as a profession. I’ll let their minds float and they’ll do what they want to do. So he says “Dad, I want to talk to you about something.” I was really nervous, but then he goes “I want to put college on hold and try fighting.” For me, it was just…wow. I stepped back for a second and asked him where this came from. He told me that he had been training and it was something he wanted to do. I told him that it was great, but I made him promise me that if we put college on hold, you’re gonna go back. He told me that it sounded good and that he just wanted to be able to focus 100% on his first few fights.

Ben Zeidler: Would you ever support him signing with the UFC?

Ken Shamrock: You know, the UFC is something that I built with the help of other people. White has taken that away from me and it’s not his to take. I’m hoping that options will open up and my son will able to fighting there and take back the UFC. For now, I want to be able to control his opponents until the changes are made to the UFC where Royce [Gracie] and Randy [Couture] could have their kids fight and not have to worry about the politics.

Ben Zeidler: Yeah, if he went in now, theyd probably throw him to the sharks. First opponent: Sean Sherk.

Ken Shamrock: Dana White hasn’t always been that way. He really loved the sport and now he’s let some animal take over.

Ben Zeidler: I’ve read that a fight with Frank [Shamrock] could be in the works. Can you confirm that with us?

Ken Shamrock: Yes. I have already said that this is something that I want to happen. Frank made the challenge and I accepted it. Frank loves that hype and then finds a way to drop the fight. We have lots of difference and we don’t see eye to eye and that’s why we’re gonna fight.

Ben Zeidler: Brother vs. Brother. That should be a media circus.

Ken Shamrock: I’ve done lots of firsts in MMA. First with my son and then my brother.

Ben Zeidler: If you do fight Frank, what would your game plan be? Where do you have the edge?

Ken Shamrock: Mentally. I have beaten him down so many times mentally, he’s never gotten the best of me and he knows that. Frank won’t wait though – we’ll do this soon. He keeps doing this show with his countdown but the date keeps getting pushed back. I think it’s a countdown of me getting older.

Ben Zeidler: I think it’s a countdown until you’re on your deathbed.

Ken Shamrock: (Laughs) Yeah, that’s when he’ll want this fight.

Ben Zeidler: He’s getting older too, though.

Ken Shamrock: Yeah, but he’s still ten years younger!

Ben Zeidler: Okay, okay, anything to say to your fans that have been waiting for the old Ken to return?

Ken Shamrock: I appreciate all of the support through the ups and downs. The last few years have been so difficult and I know it’s been difficult for you guys. These next couple of years, hey Ben, I’m giving those years back.

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Dan Henderson Interview (Our Second)

With his UFC 82 showdown against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world just a few short weeks away, Dan Henderson sat down with Ben Zeidler for their second interview in as many months.

Ben Zeidler: What made you consider the drop to 185?

Dan Henderson: Well, I was a little bit hesitant at first, but the more I thought about it and the more I talked to Dana, I realized how excited I was for this fight. Dana wanted me to drop down for a while too so it made sense. Anderson Silva is a big challenge for me and these are the kind of fights I like to take.

Ben Zeidler: Win or lose, do you think you would ever go back up to 205?

Dan Henderson: I'll be staying at 185 for a while but I definitely have plans to go back to 205 at some point in my career.

Ben Zeidler: The Rampage fight was a close one, and many still have you ranked #2 at 205. What would you do differently if you got another shot at that title?

Dan Henderson: I would definitely be a little more aggressive on my feet and on top. I definitely think I made some mistakes and I'm still making adjustments to fix what I did wrong and get used to the cage. I can tell you that I wouldn't lost to him again.

Ben Zeidler: What are some of the difficulties of the cage?

Dan Henderson: You just have to get used to it. You know, I tripped once or twice just because I'm just used to having some give with the ropes. With the ropes, you can't press your feet up against them when you're standing up. Little things make the difference in there. On the ground, I'm not to being able to use it walk up. So I'll work on that and I'll be fine by the time March 1st comes along.

Ben Zeidler: How do you see yourself matching up to Anderson Silva? Do you see him as a good match up for you?

Dan Henderson: Yeah, I think for sure that I'm a bad match up for him. His strength is his striking and he's technical, but he likes to get into that clinch which is another strength of his. But he's never fought anyone like me in that clinch and he won't be used to that.

Ben Zeidler: Are you saying that you WANT to be in Anderson Silva's clinch?

Dan Henderson: Yep, that's where I want to be. That's my home.

Ben Zeidler: How is your training going for the fight? What specifically are you working on?

Dan Henderson: Training is good. Nothing too special as far as training, Silva is a well rounded fighter. I want to work on my hands and keeping them going, but nothing too specific. I'm getting some southpaws in to spar with me, but that's about it.

Ben Zeidler: Many consider the MW division to be easier than the LHW. Do you see this as being true?

Dan Henderson: I don't necessarily believe it's an easier division. There are some studs out there and Silva is one of them. People expect it to be a walk in the park for but size doesn't matter. It all has to do with how technical you are and how good at fighting you are. Mental toughness is a big part of it too. Silva will be tough and he's proven that he can knock some guys out and beat some guys that a lot of people thought should have beaten him.

Ben Zeidler: Who do you see as the best guys at 185?

Dan Henderson: Well, there's...I dont know, there's quite a few and Silva has beat most of them already. I can't think of any right now.

Ben Zeidler: You left Team Quest a little while ago to open up your own place. How is new facility going?

Dan Henderson: Well actually, I'm still technically with Team Quest. Randy is the one who left. I opened up another Team Quest gym in California. We have a great training situation with lots of fighters and organized practices. We've got great strikers, great wrestlers, and great jiu-jitsu guys. Everyone contributes knowledge, we work on technique and it's just great. Matt and I still own Team Quest together and we're looking on opening more gyms soon.

Ben Zeidler: Well, you should think about the East Coast. I'm out of Philadelphia and all we have are second-rate Action Karate places.

Dan Henderson: (Laughs) All right then, I'll remember that.

Ben Zeidler: Any sponsors you'd like to thank? Do you have a website?

Dan Henderson: Team Quest at teamquestmma.com. I just started my clothing line, Clinch Gear so that's at clinch gear.com and danhenderson.com.

Ben Zeidler: Anything to say to your fans?

Dan Henderson: Hopefully I'll give you a great show on March 1st. Thanks for all the support.

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UFC 81 Results

Nogueira shocked Sylvia in a wild one and Mir came back to beat Lesnar in a wild night of submissions.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira def. Tim Sylvia via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 3, 1:28

Frank Mir def. Brock Lesnar via submission (knee bar) — Round 1, 1:30

Nate Marquardt def. Jeremy Horn via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 2, 1:37

Ricardo Almeida def. Rob Yundt via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 1:08

Tyson Griffin def. Gleison Tibau via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Chris Lytle def. Kyle Bradley via KO (strikes) — Round 1, 0:33

Tim Boetsch def. David Heath via TKO (strikes) — Round 1, 4:52

Marvin Eastman def. Terry Martin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

Rob Emerson def. Keita Nakamura via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)

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Liddell vs. Shogun

In an unexpected move, it was announced today that Chuck Liddell will be fighting Mauricio "Shogun" Rua this summer. This news means that neither of these two fighters will have their expected "easy" fights. This will be a great fight between two great brawlers. I can't even make a prediction on this one. Who knows what we'll see this summer. But I would love to hear your predictions. Who do you think will come out on top?

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Gomi Deal Falls Through, Signs With World Victory Road

Top Ranked Lightweight Takanori Gomi has reportedly signed with another organization (other than the UFC), despite being seen at many UFC live events and being slated for a match up with rising star Frankie Edgar.

The Japanese fighter who many have ranked #1 in the world has chosen to stay away from the likes of BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, at least for the time being. Gomi's motives are unknown as this time, but with his last loss to Nick Diaz, it's unlikely that Gomi would choose to put his legacy on the line against an ever-motivated BJ Penn.

Penn fans point to an early career victory by the Prodigy over the Fireball Kid as reason enough to suggest that it is BJ, not Takanori, who should be regarded as the #1 155 pounder in the world. IWF believes these fans to be correct, listing BJ as #1 and Gomi and #2.

Whatever the reason behind the decision, fans won't be enjoying a match up between the technical wizards any time soon.

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Marcus Davis Interview

Top Ten Welterweight Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis recently chatted with Ben Zeidler about his big winning streak, his upcoming fight with Jess Liaudin, and taking on Georges St. Pierre down the road. Originally conducted for MMA Madness

Ben Zeidler: Tell us about working with Tim Sylvia at the bar and how that led you to a career in MMA.

Marcus Davis: Yeah, sure. It was 1995 and Tim and I were doormen together at a bar. I became the GM of the bar and so I had all the doormen going to a boxing and MMA school inside a Gold's Gym. I made it mandatory that the doormen go there to train. Tim was a real big guy, about 235 pounds and playing semi pro football, but he needed to learn how to throw some hands. So I started working with Tim and he said he wanted to try the Pancrase stuff. He did three or four of those, ended up meeting Pat Miletich, and that's how it all started.

Ben Zeidler: So where did you come into the mix?

Marcus Davis: Well after Tim left, I was still training boxing. I wanted to do some MMA stuff too so I went out, trained with Tim, met Miletich, and decided that I wanted to do this.

Ben Zeidler: The man who beat you during your time on TUF, Melvin Guillard, has been having some troubles in the Octagon lately. When we talked to him the other week, he admitted that you are a much better fighter now than when he beat you. He did say, however, that he would still have the advantage. How do you see that fight going now?

Marcus Davis: You know, just like Melvin thinks he would beat me, I think I would beat him I think that my mistake against Melvin and Stevenson was, well my mistakes were two things. One, I was a much more superior striker but they took me out of my game. I waited, circled, stayed away waiting to set things up. I didn't create anything. Since then, I haven't waited. I brought it to everyone I fought and I've beat ten guys in a row. And you know, I've become a much better all around fighter during this time. I've become a good grappler, a good wrestler, I'm decent at takedowns, takedown defense, and I'm just much more well rounded. I'm more well rounded than Melvin, too. Melvin has great, explosive wrestling but his technique is sloppy. He's got no submission game and I've submitted 9 guys in my career. I've only gone the distance on two fights that I've won, I've knocked out 7 and submitted 9. I've got a good game.

Ben Zeidler: Since that fight, you're on a winning streak of over two years. What do you attribute this success to?

Marcus Davis: It's a combination of things. My game is well rounded because I train with guys to work on my weaknesses. I worked with Jorge Gurgel for fighting on my back. I used to hate being on my back and now I'm submitting people from there. Mark Delagrotti has been working with me for a long time and getting me comfortable with knees, elbows, and kicks. I worked out just last night with Kenny and Keith Florian, two jiu-jitsu black belts. I'm just filling in all the holes in my game. I'm much more confident and I create openings instead of waiting. I bring to to people. That was my issue before, but it's not a problem now.

Ben Zeidler: You've got an upcoming fight with Jess Liaudin. How do you see yourself matching up with him?

Marcus Davis: I think I match up really well with him It's a tough fight, he's very dangerous and underrated. He's got a great grappling game, decent strikes, but he tries risky stuff. He likes the flying hooks and spinning backfists. I'm more technically sound and I'm faster. I think I'm stronger than him in a lot of areas. Everywhere I read, he's telling people that he's gonna stand with me, that he's gonna knock me out. I can tell you that even if he believes he's going to stand with me, once I touch him, he's gonna switch to wrestling. I knock people out with jabs, just ask Shonie Carter. He's gonna get hit once by me and go "wow, I can't believe he hits that hard." I'm training ground, I'm training stand up, so I don't know where it's going to finish but I think he's [Liaudin] right when he says it's gonna end in the first.

Ben Zeidler: Sounds like it's gonna be an exciting fight.

Marcus Davis: Oh yeah, it'll be a good one.

Ben Zeidler: Being undefeated in UFC competition, how many fights do you think it'll take before you earn title consideration?

Marcus Davis: I'm patient so I don't really care (laughs). I fight to fight. I'm 5 wins in a row, about to be 6, so if I get up to 25 wins, at some point, I'll get a title shot. If I don't get one during my career, I'm not gonna look back and say I should have had one. I'll just say "geez, I had a great time doing that." I won't have any regrets and I'm in no rush.

Ben Zeidler: Where do you rank yourself among the other Welterweights? It seems like you're starting to creep into the top ten in a lot of polls.

Marcus Davis: You know what, that's hard to say. I didn't think I was a top 10. I thought maybe top 15. There's guys in the top 10 who I think I could beat and there's guys in the top 10 whose styles would give me trouble. It's all about styles. I could beat certain guys in the top 10 but have trouble with guys ranked below me. I'm not too concerned with all that though. You know, if I were #2, there would be 10,000 guys saying I shouldn't be there.

Ben Zeidler: Tell us a little bit about your big win against Paul Taylor. Did you expect to win by submission or was that a surprise?

Marcus Davis: No, I thought I would catch him with my hands standing up or if we hit the ground, I knew I would be able to submit him I'm a much better grappler than the guys he's fought and the guys he trains with. All the UK grapplers are way behind the ones in the United States. It's like going to Japan and they're still wearing Wrangler Jeans and listening to disco. That's where they are when it comes to the ground game.

Ben Zeidler: What'd you think of the GSP-Hughes fight? Did you go?

Marcus Davis: I didn't go. After training that day, I watched it with my manager. Man, he is scary. Just...I don't even know...un-friggin-believeable.

Ben Zeidler: So, how many years before you're ready to fight GSP?

Marcus Davis: (Laughs) You know, people ask me all the time, what if they told you that you had to fight GSP. I always say the same thing. I'd show up and fight him. GSP's wrestling is light years ahead of mine. Like I'm in Kindergarten and he's a professor at a college. He's a better kicker...a better everything. But he got caught by Matt Serra and I hit harder than him. I hit harder than anyone in the sport, I would say. Mark and I train and he wears mitts and he still says it hurts and he needs to take a break. If he made the mistake of weaving when he bobbed, he'd need help tying his shoes for two weeks. In this sport, it's whoever wants it more and who makes the right decisions.

Ben Zeidler: Any sponsors you'd like to thank? Websites you want to plug?

Marcus Davis: Irishhandgrenade.com and full contact fighter. Joe, with full contact, has been with me the whole time and I'm staying with them. I've had big offers from other companies, but my loyalty is with them.

Ben Zeidler: Anything to say to your fans?

Marcus Davis: Hey, you know what, I appreciate the support coming from the show like I did and doing a sucky sucky job. And now I have fans and having people supporting me in America and the UK has been great.

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Frank Edgar Interview

Ben Zeidler recently caught up with Frank Edgar to discuss his undefeated career, Sean Sherk’s steroid complication, and his next fight. Originally conducted for MMA Madness

Ben Zeidler: I noticed that you're from Toms River. Can you tell us a little bit about that and how you got into MMA while living in Jersey?

Frank Edgar: I pretty much lived here my whole life. I started fighting out of college in May of 2005. I found a good gym which had just been taken over by Kurt Pellegrino. I ended up with them and I've been there ever since.

BZ: So I guess you were too young for those great little league teams of the 90s?

FE: Yeah, I know a couple of kids on the teams. One of them just got drafted.

BZ: Ah, who was that?

FE: His name's Todd Frazier.

BZ: Did you play little league?

FE: (Laughs) Yeah, I played a few years. I think everyone plays little league growing up.

BZ: In your UFC debut, Tyson Griffin locked you into a pretty deep knee bar. How did you manage to fight through this and not tap out?

FE: You know, I just bit down on my mouth piece and toughed it out. That was it.

BZ: Tell us a little bit about the Spencer Fisher win. I'm assuming that went like you wanted it to.

FE: Yeah, the Spencer Fisher fight went pretty good. The game plan going in was to put him on his back. I knew I could stand with him if I had to. So I got into the first round and I didn't know I could fight like that, so I just kept doing what was working.

BZ: With a recent win over Spencer Fisher, who would you like to fight next?

FE: They kinda just tell me who I'm going to fight next. I just want it to be a step up the ladder and towards the belt.

BZ: Do feel like you get better with each fight or are you relatively stable in what you learn and pick up?

FE: I'm not even near my full ability. I'm about two and a half years in so I have a long way to go. I went back and watched my first UFC fight and I'm a lot better since then.

BZ: Your next fight hasn't been announced yet, but assuming you still train pretty hard. What do you do to stay in shape?

FE: Training for a fight is a little different than general training. I'm an assistant coach for wrestling at Rutgers [University] so I'll hit up that practice. There's some boxing and jiu-jitsu places around so I'll hit up their practices too.

BZ: Being undefeated in your MMA career, how many more wins do you think you have to get before you earn some title consideration.

FE: You know, I don't pay attention to too much of that, but I'd imagine that three or four more wins would do it. It depends on who I fight, obviously, but I imagine that would do it.

BZ: Where would you rank yourself among the 155s?

FE: I don't really know. I don't want to give myself a number because I know I can compete with anyone in the division.

BZ: What do you think about Sean Sherk testing positive for steroids?

FE: Yeah, you know he's adamant saying that he didn't do it so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. You know, it's no sweat off my back. He'll be back in a few months and he'll be right back in it. He won't have missed a beat.

BZ: Can you give us a prediction for the BJ Penn-Joe Stevenson fight?

FE: Sure. I think that if Penn comes into shape, he's on another level than anyone in the division so I'd give him the advantage. I think if Joe can take the fight into the later rounds, then that's his best bet to win.

BZ: Any sponsors you'd like to thank?

FE: Yeah mmainstructional.com and frankedgar.com.

BZ: Anything to say to the fans?

FE: Yeah, I just want to say thanks for the support and continue to keep watching. Hopefully, I'll keep entertaining.

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UFN 12 Quick Results

Newly-Middleweighted Mike Swick scrapped his way to a close decision against the dangerous Josh Burkman while Patrick Cote put a hurting on Drew McFedries.

Mike Swick vs. Josh Burkman (Swick by Unanimous Decision)

Patrick Cote vs. Drew McFedries (Cote by 1st round TKO)

Alvin Robinson vs. Nate Diaz (Diaz by 1st round Submission)

Michihiro Omigawa vs. Thiago Tavares (Tavares by Unanimous Decision)

Alberto Crane vs. Kurt Pellegrino (Pellegrino by 2nd round TKO)

Dennis Siver vs. Gray Maynard (Maynard by Unanimous Decision)

Jeremy Stephens vs. Cole Miller (Stephens by 2nd round TKO)

Joe Veres vs. Corey Hill (Hill by 2nd round TKO)

Justin Buchholz vs. Matt Wiman (Wiman by 1st round Submission)

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Swick hopes to make “Quick” work of Burkman

Welterweights Mike Swick and Josh Burkman will be doing anything but lounging at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Wednesday night. The two headline UFC Fight Night 12 and look to make a definitive statement live on national television. When The Ultimate Fighter alumni enter the Octagon, can Swick’s fast hands and submission prowess translate to his new division after a long lay off? Or will Burkman’s wrestling-centric game put him out of commission?

By Danny Acosta

170lbs. is a new frontier for Mike Swick. The Texas-born fighter began his career at his natural weight of 185lbs. before moving to 205lbs to star in season one of The Ultimate Fighter. Time in the UFC allowed for the California-based fighter to return to his natural weight, but a hard fought decision loss against massive middleweight Yushin Okami forced “Quick” to buy sauna gear and enter the fray of the UFC’s most challenger-laden division.

The drop to welterweight is not of Gleison Tibau proportions. It allows Swick to be a well-sized fighter in the weight class. With “Crazy” Bob Cook in Swick’s corner, the weight cut should not deplete his cardio, speed, and strength. However, Burkman’s wrestling base proves to be a direct challenge to those three elements of the game. Takedown after takedown can neutralize the American Kickbox Academy’s speed and push his cardio into uncomfortable territory. “The People’s Warrior” is one of the division’s larger fighters—strength is his weapon.

The Utahan has demonstrated improved stand-up in his recent outings, but still needs to bring the fight to the mat to avoid Swick’s fast hands that will most likely still be loaded in his welterweight debut. A ground fight tests Swick’s submission game, which proved to be slow on the draw against Yushin Okami. The Japanese fighter is not as aggressive as the former Team Quest fighter yet he still managed to deliver vicious ground and pound that could have stopped the fight justifiably. Burkman must work on the ground, preferably against the cage, to frustrate Swick. Again, size can be Swick’s downfall as Burkman is athletic as well.

However, Burkman has a tendency to slow down in the later stanzas of the fight, while Swick has stellar cardio and strong takedown defense. Stuffed takedowns can diminish Burkman’s cardio early in the fight. Swick’s explosive stand-up typically lacks knees in his combinations. Working to the body damaged Burkman in his split decision win over Forrest Petz. If Swick retains his aggression, elusive footwork, and mixes up his strikes—including knees and body punches— against a fighter that struggled to solve the puzzle of Karo Parisyan’s winging punches, a successful arrival to 170lbs. is likely.

The featured fight of the night is a lightweight clash between Thiago Tavares and Michihiro Omigawa. Tavares is a Murilo Bustamante disciple with a powerful, technical, tireless ground attack and crisp Muay Thai to match. A tightrope loss in his last fight to Tyson Griffin will see the Brazilian eager to finish against the Yoshido Dojo fighter. Omigawa fails to arrive at the high-end of competition. His judo is enough to bring Tavares to the ground, but not much else. Look for Tavares to pick up his third UFC win.

Middleweights Patrick Cote and Drew McFedries are going to unleash their hellacious fists on each other. The French-Canadian is past his pitter-patting in the Octagon after picking up wins that eluded him inside the walls of the Octagon, including a stunning knockout over over-sized 185-pounder Kendall Grove. His Team Sitydotong muay Thai is the right combination for his devastating hands. Expect the former TKO champion to fight from a distance and employ superior technique. However, McFedries is not the type of fighter to allow his opponents breathing room. He can handle technical strikers ala Martin Kampmann and has the dynamite to find the mark on Cote’s yet-to-be-conquered chin.

Mixing in takedowns and challenging the Miletich fighter on the ground is Cote’s best bet. He is scared of no one, but he is also a smart fighter. McFedries has proved dangerous standing and docile on the ground. Cote can match strikes, especially since McFedries has displayed his chin is not unflappable. A slugfest only favors McFedries—a fight, Cote.

The recent murder of Agnes McFedries-Kennedy is the deciding factor in this fight: can Drew McFedries rise up over tragedy or is the trauma—three weeks removed—too heavy? With Cote’s mind finally aligning with his talent, there is no room for McFedries to waver. Win or lose, McFedries showcases his warrior spirit for stepping into the Octagon.

The opening bout of the night is another lightweight clash between Nate Diaz and Alvin Robinson. The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner has excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills under Cesar Gracie. The lanky fighter dominated the reality show before winning the finals due to a Manny Gamburyan injury. Submitting Junior Assuncao pits him against bulky wrestler Robinson, who holds a brown belt under UFC legend Royce Gracie.

“The Kid” struggled against Jorge Gurgel, being mounted at will. However, Diaz plays from his back. His wiry frame proves to be an advantage on the ground, but Robinson’s size poses new problems. Fortunately for Diaz, Robinson fails to utilize the cage effectively, so Diaz’s technical no-gi can lure Robinson into submission chains. In addition, Nate Diaz avoids punishment on the ground much like his older brother Nick Diaz. This is key against Robinson’s persistent punches.

The fight tips in favor of the Stockton, CA native when it comes to will. No one has broke Nate Diaz's will in a fight. Diaz’s precise boxing can break Robinson, who lacks composure under fire and the ability to fight out of a storm as Kenny Florian exposed. If Diaz employs the right gameplan, his top-flight training with Jake Shields and Gilbert Melendez makes the difference in this fight. “Cooking” a strong wrestler and jiu-jitsu fighter who prefers top position is a step toward a decision loss—the only way Robinson walks away with a victory.

UFC Fight Night 12 spotlights young talent across the gamut. For Mike Swick and Josh Burkman, a win over such stellar opposition makes a strong case for elevating their contender status. Since it is Swick’s 170lbs. debut and he is coming off a loss, a win is invaluable. For Burkman, it would be the biggest win of his career as he drops his high-profile fights. These headliners hope to be quick in victory although it’s going to be difficult to make the other dead.

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UFC 80 Predictions

Ben Zeidler examines the match ups that will take place this weekend at UFC 80. Danny Acosta already took care of the analysis, so we'll stick to picks here. I'll fill in the chart once the event takes place.

Matchup	Prediction	Result	C/I
Joe Stevenson vs. BJ Penn	Penn Submission	?	?
Jason Lambert vs. Wilson Gouveia	Lambert KO/TKO	?	?
Fabricio Werdum vs. Gabriel Gonzaga	Gonzaga Unanimous Decision	?	?
Jess Liaudin vs. Marcus Davis	Davis KO/TKO	?	?
Kendall Grove vs. Jorge Rivera	Grove Submission	?	?
Sam Stout vs. Per Eklund	Stout KO/TKO	?	?
Colin Robinson vs. Antoni Hardonk	Hardonk Unanimous Decision	?	?
Paul Taylor vs. Paul Kelly	Taylor Unanimous Decision	?	?
Alessio Sakara vs. James Lee	Sakara KO/TKO	?	?
	? out of 9 correct	Overall percentage for this event:	??%

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Mike Swick Interview

Writer Ben Zeidler recently caught up with Mike Swick to discuss his recent loss to Yushin Okami and his upcoming fight with Josh Burkman. Originally conducted for MMA Madness

MMA Madness: Tell us about your start in MMA and being on The Ultimate Fighter. What did that teach you about the sport and what did you take away from the experience?

Swick: I have been in MMA since 1997. It’s been a long road that would eventually lead to the TUF show which was my biggest break. It was amazing filming the show and after laying it all on the line, I got a UFC contract and here I am today.

MMA Madness: Many recent TUFers have been complaining about living in the house. Was that an issue with you?

Swick: No, not at all. It does have its down sides like anything else but you have to look at the bigger picture. It’s the chance to change your life and if they only knew what it could do for them, they wouldn't complain. How tough can six weeks in a mansion be? [Laughs]

MMA Madness: You've become famous with your nickname and signature move, the "Swickotine." Were you a professional wrestling fan growing up?

Swick: I watched it but wasn't a huge fan or anything. I did enjoy it though.

MMA Madness: What have you done to adjust your game after the Okami loss?

Swick: I learned so much from that fight -- mostly mentally. It was a rough road on that fight.

MMA Madness: That bout was scored very closely, two judges giving it a 29-28 result. Did you feel like you won that fight?

Swick: No, I knew I lost. I should have started that flurry sooner in the second and then if that didn't work I should have known he was coming in to take me down in the third and stay away from the cage. He had me shoved in the cage pretty good.

MMA Madness: Let's talk about your series of quick wins. In a time where more fighters seem to wait during fights or "Lay and pray," what motivates you to take it right at your opponents?

Swick: I have always been aggressive. That’s just my style.

MMA Madness: You've got Josh Burkman coming up. Do you feel that he is a good match up for you?

Swick: Yes I do and I am very excited for it.

MMA Madness: After Burkman, do you have anyone in your sights?

Swick: Only thinking about Burkman right now.

MMA Madness: Many polls have you just in the top 10. Does that mean anything to you or do you just fight to fight?

Swick: At this point I am not paying attention to that stuff. I obviously want to be the champ one day so that ranking will be great!

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