The Fightin’ Stance News 06.20.08: Now, It’s Personal

Posted by  on 06.20.2008

A big week in MMA wraps up with the Fightin’ Stance News! We’ve got the latest updates on shows from the UFC and EliteXC, as well as thoughts on Dana’s big announcement! The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 wraps up tomorrow and we’ve got a full preview of the event! If that wasn’t enough, we’re also going to hand out the MMA Mid-Year Awards for the best and worst of 2008 (so far)!



I'm glad you've decided to join me here at The Fightin' Stance News. My name is Adam Tool and it's been a busy week. I'll hold off on discussing last weekend's events, as I missed the EliteXC show and I've already shared my thoughts on Adrenaline MMA and DREAM 4. We've got another big UFC event this weekend, and before that I'll be handing out some mid-year recognition to those that deserve it, but first…



It Is Most Assuredly, On



Certainly the biggest story of the week is that the UFC will be airing Fight Night 14 live on Spike on Saturday, July 19th. Of course this is the same day that Affliction makes their debut on PPV with a card featuring Fedor Emelianenko, Tim Syliva, Andre Arlovski, Matt Lindland, Renato "Babalu" Sobral, Josh Barnett and Ben Rothwell. While Dana White has tried to sell this show as a reason for Anderson Silva to fight more, it's pretty obvious that this is a counter-programming measure against what many are calling one of the biggest MMA cards of all-time.

The sudden announcement meant that several matches had to be made very quickly, resulting in fighters changing their weight class, recently dismissed fighters being re-signed, and bouts being moved from other cards. As of press time only two bouts have been confirmed by the UFC, but here's a look at the rumored fights and the facts surrounding them:

Confirmed: Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin (light heavyweight debut for Silva)
Confirmed: Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar (originally set for UFC 87)
Rumored: Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy (light heavyweight debut for Vera)
Rumored: Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O'Brien (O'Brien was released from the UFC earlier this year)
Rumored: Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns (Burns just competed at UFC 85)

There is also the rumor going around that Silva will be competing again at UFC 88 in September, where he is expected to defend his middleweight championship. Obviously for that to happen he would need to make it through Irvin unscathed, which doesn't seem too unlikely. We have yet to see "The Spider" at 205 but I would have to think his superior skillset will translate just fine to the heavier weight. Franca makes his UFC return but gets a tough test in Edgar as both men will be looking for redemption in the lightweight division. Vera has finally listened to reason and dropped down to where he'll stop giving up so much size and strength to his opponents. I'm super-excited to see Cain Velasquez back in action, as he is one of the guys that'll be playing a big part in the future of the heavyweight division. Johnson and Burns are both riding high from recent upsets, and it should be an interesting match-up of powerful striker vs. top-notch jiu-jitsu.

In a business sense this is a smart move for the UFC, not only to counter-program Affliction's debut but to also provide free MMA at a time when more and more people are discovering the sport. It should be fairly easy for them to attract the casual fan, while the hardcore enthusiasts will be much more difficult to sway. The allure of Affliction's stacked card is going to be tough to break, but for an MMA fan whose wallet may be a little thin (like myself) there's really no choice.

Not Earth-Shattering News, But…

Over the last few weeks the MMA community has been awaiting an announcement from UFC president Dana White. Although he originally stated this announcement would, "blow people's minds," he later tried to make it sound as though it wasn‘t as big a deal as people may have been hoping for. On Wednesday White announced to his employees that UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta would be resigning as president of Station Casinos (which he also co-owns with his brother Frank) to dedicate himself full-time to the UFC. According to the announcement this means that White and Fertitta will become "co-heads" of the UFC.

Obviously this is not the kind of earth-shattering news that fans and reporters were hoping for. White did hype his announcement as something major, but in terms of blowing people's minds this was simply an…



Looking at the news itself, this is a big deal for the future of the company. White has been criticized in the past for his no-nonsense demeanor and willingness to say whatever he wants to the media and his fighters. One need only look at the breakdown in relationships with some of the organization's biggest names in the last year to see that White's approach hasn't always been the best for business. Fertitta is much more of a traditional businessman-type, and as the sport and their company continues to grow, it will be invaluable to have someone like that in negotiations that could impact the future of the UFC. I'm sure we'll still see Dana on "The Ultimate Fighter" and in the cage strapping titles to guy's waists, while Fertitta will be the man behind the scenes in the board rooms, making the multi-million dollar deals that take the sport to new heights.

The Summer of MMA Continues



Riding high from the success of their network debut, EliteXC has announced their next CBS show will take place on Saturday, July 26th. Currently is looks as though the card will be taking place in St. Louis, and the title of the show will be "Unfinished Business."

That title is appropriate because the main event will be the middleweight championship rematch between Robbie Lawler and Scott Smith. It's also likely that there will be another championship fight added to the card as Jake Shields will be facing an unknown opponent for the first EliteXC welterweight belt. Originally Shields was set to face Drew Fickett for the title, but that fight was postponed twice and now it looks as though Fickett may be on his way out of the company. The names being thrown around for Shields' opponent include Jay Hieron, Nick "The Goat" Thompson, and Paul Daley.

It also looks like Antonio Silva will be fighting on the show, and he'll likely be facing current IFL heavyweight champion Roy Nelson. There are also talks of a women's MMA match between Shayna Baszler and Kelly Kobald. Finally, Wilson Reis could be added to the card and there are reports that he may be competing for a featherweight championship.

I think this is a smart move by EliteXC and CBS to strike while the iron is hot. I also like the fact that they're not simply relying on Kimbo to be the attraction for these network shows, as this event will be a much better chance to showcase some of the other talent that makes up the EliteXC roster. Silva is one of their top fighters in the heavyweight division, so familiarizing fans with him could set-up a rumored EliteXC heavyweight title match with Kimbo at a future event. Shields is arguably the best fighter currently with the organization, so it makes sense to put him in a high-profile bout as well. Finally anyway that tuned into the first special will no doubt be intrigued to see the middleweight title rematch, as Lawler and Smith were on their way to delivering a classic bout before the doctor's stoppage.


The Fightin' Stance News MMA Mid-Year Awards

Since we're halfway through a busy year of mixed-martial arts, I thought I'd take some time to hand out a few awards to the fighters and events that have stood out in the last six months. Keep in mind these awards were determined by me and in no way do they reflect the opinions of 411mania, it's loyal staff of word-jockeys, or our benevolent(ish) dictator Larry Csonka. With that out of the way, let do this thing.

Worst Event of the (Half) Year
There's a lot of organizations out there putting on mixed-martial arts events. Some are good, some are great, and then there's everything else.



Winner: YAMMA Pit Fighting
Where did this show go wrong? Maybe it's the fact that it featured fighters nobody really wanted to see? Maybe it's the company's lofty claims that their ‘pit' fighting surface would change the sport? Was it their decision to run a tournament where the first round of fights lasted five minutes each? Or maybe it's the simple fact that they had a freak-show fighter like Butterbean in one of their main events? It's all these reasons and more. Their first (and hopefully last) show failed to revolutionize anything, and in the days that followed it simply became a punch-line.

Runners-up:
Adrenaline MMA - A weak main-event and some terrible mis-matches added up to a forgettable card. If I hadn't been covering the show for this site I would've switched it off within the first hour.
EliteXC: Primetime - MMA's network debut ended in controversy, and the interminable pace resulted in a combined 2:12 of actual fighting in the show's first hour.

Best Event of the (Half) Year
From top to bottom this award goes to the show that excited fans and changed the sport.



Winner: UFC 84: Ill Will
This card was eagerly anticipated for weeks and months ahead of time, and fortunately for us it lived up to the hype. Thiago Silva battled back from being hurt and pulled out another decisive win. Lyoto Machida used his unique fighting style to take down one of the biggest names in the sport. Goran Reljic made a huge splash by dismantling a rising star. Wanderlei Silva returned to his legendary form and made short work of a man that was considered very dangerous. Sokoudjou proved that he is worth at least some of the hype that accompanied him to the UFC. Rousimar Palhares showcased his world class jiu-jitsu skills. Yoshiyuki Yoshida had a tremendous introduction to American audiences. Shane Carwin showed that the future of the heavyweight division is in good hands. Finally, BJ Penn silenced his doubters and proved he is the undisputed king of the lightweights.

Runners-up:
DREAM 4 - What made this show so good? How about two bona-fide fight of the year candidates in Tokoro vs. Uyenoyama and Jacare vs. Mayhem? What about Melvin Manhoef dismantling a Japanese legend? The introduction of the next great member of the Gracie clan? Shinya Aoki busting out a submission move that Bas Rutten has never seen? For all these reasons and more, DREAM 4 was a huge success and I can't wait to see what the company does next.
Ultimate Fight Night 13 - The announced card for Fight Night 13 was so stacked that fans begged Spike and the UFC for the show to be extended to three hours. We got our wish and Fight Night 13 went down as one of the greatest cards ever shown on free TV. Each of the fights shown had something to offer, and the night was filled with upsets. Also Karo lost, which makes me a happy camper.

Worst Performance of the (Half) Year
To have an MMA bout you need two professional fighters. This award is given to those that failed to meet that qualification.



Winner: Kalib Starnes, UFC 83
It's not like this was a hard one to figure out. He claims he broke his foot early in the fight, but that doesn't change the fact that Kalib Starnes looked like a complete puss for 15 minutes in his bout with Nate Quarry. He refused to engage and backed up for the entire fight, drawing boos from the live crowd (in his home country) and frustrating his opponent. Not only that but he showed zero class by swearing at Quarry's corner men afterwards. He's gone from the UFC now and it will be a long time before he regains the respect he had prior to that night in Montreal.

Runners-up:
Nick Diaz, EliteXC: Return of the King - Sure he won his fight with Muhsin Corbbrey, but he didn't exactly look spectacular doing so. If that wasn‘t enough, he came in eight pounds heavy in a weight class that was designed specifically for him. Add in his end-of-the-night shenanigans with KJ Noons, and it was a terrible night to be a Nick Diaz fan.
Daiju Takase, Adrenaline MMA - In a combat sport accidents can happen and a fighter can occasionally hit another man below the belt. However Takase seemed to be aiming for Terry Martin's junk, and was completely disrespectful after the fight was stopped.

Best Performance of the (Half) Year
Whenever a fight is considered ‘Fight of the Night,' it's a recognition given to both competitors. However this award is being given to highlight outstanding individual effort.



Winner: Gray Maynard, Fight Night 13
Nobody expected "TUF" 6 cast member Gray Maynard to be the first man to beat rising lightweight competitor Frank Edgar. After all Maynard hadn't even made it to the finals of his season's tournament, and he was going up against a man that had already defeated some of the top names in the division. Apparently nobody told Gray he was supposed to lose. From bell to bell Maynard smothered, pummeled, and slammed Edgar all over the octagon to get the biggest win of his young career, and to prove that he is a threat in the 155 lbs. division.

Runners-up:
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, DREAM 4 - Maybe it's just because the fight is still so fresh in my mind, but Jacare made a lifelong fan out of me early this past Sunday morning. The middleweight grand prix match-up with Jason "Mayhem" Miller was one of the most anticipated fights of the show, and Jacare put in a tremendous effort to get the victory. By defeating the always-tough Miller, Jacare showed that he is more than just a world class grappler.
Mac Danzig, UFC 83 - Mark Bocek wasn't expected to give Danzig too much trouble, but that's just what he did and these two went back and forth for the first round. After that Danzig took it to another level and dominated Bocek before finishing him with a rear naked choke late in the third.

Worst Fight of the (Half) Year
They can't all be winners, and sometimes both fighters are losers. Here is the match-up that disappointed the most in the first six months of 2008.



Winner: Mike Swick vs. Josh Burkman, Ultimate Fight Night 12
Just thinking about this bout is making my eyelids heavy. Burkman proves that he'll never reach the upper levels of the division (although this fact was made clear when he couldn't get past welterweight gatekeeper Karo Parisyan) and Swick looked sluggish, thus rendering his nickname of "Quick" entirely meaningless. You know a fight is bad when the winner has to apologize afterwards.

Runners-up:
Rob McCullough vs. Kenneth Alexander, WEC 34 - The only black mark on an otherwise excellent night of MMA was this snooze-fest of an opener. Watching the fight it's hard to believe that this is the same Rob McCullough that looked unstoppable as WEC lightweight champion.
Nate Marquardt vs. Thales Leites, UFC 85 - Unlike the other two fights in this category, this bout was hardly boring. However it has left a bad taste in MMA fans' collective mouths because at the end it solved nothing. Leites gets a win on his record even though he really wasn‘t victorious while Marquardt loses a fight that he should have won, and as a result neither man can really be elevated afterwards.

Best Fight of the (Half) Year
No explanation needed here.



Winner: Miguel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda, WEC 34
Torres has slowly been making a name for himself as a dominant force in the bantamweight ranks, and on June 1st he was prepared to defend his WEC title for the first time. He would be facing Yoshiro Maeda, who had debuted in impressive fashion earlier this year. These two men each gave it their all, and showed why they deserved to be fighting for the 135 lbs. belt. They waged war on the feet and traded blows back and forth. When the fight hit the mat each man exhibited top level jiu-jitsu, giving us a tremendous display of hold-counterhold. In the end Maeda had taken too much punishment and his swollen eye wouldn't let him continue, even though everyone would've loved to see two more rounds. For keeping me on the edge of my seat for 15 straight minutes, this fight easily gets my vote for the best of the year (so far).

Runners-up:
Hideo Tokoro vs. Darren Uyenoyama, DREAM 4 - If anyone staying up to watch the live broadcast of DREAM 4 was starting to feel sluggish after an hour or so, these two featherweights grabbed your attention and refused to let go. Dynamic striking and a war of attrition on the ground made this highlight of the night, and considering how great some of the other fights at DREAM 4 were, that's saying something.
Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson, UFC 82 - Going into UFC 82 it was agreed that Dan Henderson was the biggest threat yet to Anderson Silva, and after the first five minutes he accomplished something nobody else in the UFC had done: he won a round against the champ. The second round was a completely different story as "The Spider" showed his top level striking before locking in the choke for a submission win. Tremendous effort from both men in one of the biggest fights of the year.

Worst Fighter of the (Half) Year
Sometimes you have a bad night, or in this case, several bad nights.



Winner: James Thompson
First he loses to Brett Rogers at EliteXC: Street Certified back in February. Then he inexplicably gets placed in the main event of the company's network television debut. While he ended up being Kimbo's toughest opponent to date (and really, what does that say about Kimbo?) he still lost, even though he had a dominant position for most of the fight. Mostly though, Thompson gets this honor just for putting the image of his uber-freaky ear in my mind, where I know it can never be erased.

Runners-up:
Jason Lambert - It's been a rough year so far for "The Punisher." After beating "Babalu" late last year Lambert looked like he would continue that upward climb when he dominated Wilson Gouveia for the first round of their fight at UFC 80. Then he got knocked the fuck out. He had a chance for redemption against Luis Cane at UFC 85, and again he was left seeing stars. Now Lambert will have a tough time proving that his chin isn't made of balsawood if he expects to be taken seriously in the light heavyweight division.
Jesse Taylor - For a young fighter trying to make it to the big stage, "The Ultimate Fighter" can be a tremendous opportunity that takes someone from obscurity to the bright lights of the UFC. Just making it on the show is hard enough, but winning through the tournament and making it to the finals is even tougher. Jesse Taylor had his ticket to the finale punched, but he let his judgement get away from him and now he'll have to live with his actions and the memory of that missed opportunity.

Best Fighter of the (Half) Year
The award given to the fighter that has shined the brightest over all others. This just happened to be the easiest one to pick.



Winner: BJ Penn
Penn didn't do much last year. He spent some time coaching on "The Ultimate Fighter," and at the show's finale he defeated his old enemy Jens Pulver. Afterwards he made it clear that he was re-focused on being the best. The year got off to a tremendous start for Baby Jay as he dominated Joe Stevenson to claim the vacant UFC lightweight championship at UFC 80. It was a title that had eluded Penn for six years, and by winning the belt he became only the second man in history to win UFC gold in two weight classes. Before he could truly be the king of the mountain, he had to put away the former champ that had never lost the belt, Sean Sherk. At UFC 84 Penn was in control for every minute of the contest, finishing Sherk with a beautiful flying knee and a barrage of punches. His next challenge will come against either Roger Huerta or Kenny Florian, but at this point it's becoming more clear that the opponent doesn't matter because BJ is simply on another level.

Runners-up:
Shinya Aoki - When this year started Aoki was on a nine fight winning streak and quickly making a name for himself as one of the top submission specialists in Japan. His highly anticipated contest with JZ Calvancante ended in a no contest, but Aoki came back to get the decisive win in the rematch at DREAM 2. He followed that up last weekend by beating Katsuhiko Nagata with a gogoplata from the mount. He has to be considered the favorite to win the lightweight grand prix at this point, and the future looks extremely bright for the "Tobikan Judan."
Michael Bisping - Following his first career loss against Rashad Evans late last year, Bisping decided to make a change. At UFC 83 he debuted as a middleweight, and looked leaner and meaner than ever before. He made quick work of Charles McCarthy and followed that up less than two months later with a dominant performance over Jason Day. There are rumors that UFC 89 could take place in England with Bisping facing off against Chris Leben, and should Bisping emerge as the winner he will be on his way to the upper levels of the middleweight division.

That does it for the MMA Mid-Year Awards. Do agree? Disagree? Leave a comment and be heard!

THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER FINALE PREVIEWICATION

Main Event
Evan Tanner vs. Kendall "Da Spyder" Grove

The Facts:
-Tanner is coming off of a loss to Yushin Okami at UFC 82. Tanner's last fight before that was in April of 2006.
-Grove is on a two-fight losing streak, after starting his UFC career 3-0.
-Tanner had his first pro fight in April, 1997. Grove was just 14 years old at the time.

The Pick: No bones about it, this is do-or-die for both men. Tanner is in the middle of a comeback, and he‘ll need to win to prove he can still compete with the best fighters in the world. Grove has lost two in a row, and is in danger of being the first "Ultimate Fighter" champion to be cut from the company. Stylistically these two match up well. Neither man is known for tremendous striking, but Tanner would get the edge. In contrast while Tanner has displayed some jiu-jitsu acumen before, Grove would have to be considered the favorite if this one goes to the ground. As has been the case many times recently, this comes down to youth versus experience, and I‘m going with youth here by taking Grove via submission in round 1.

Ultimate Fighter Tournament Finals
Amir Sadollah vs. CB Dollaway

The Facts:
-This will be a rematch of the semifinals, where Amir won via submission.
-Dollaway is undefeated in six pro fights.
-Sadollah will be competing in his first professional fight.
-Since all fights during the show are exhibition bouts and not counted on their pro record, both fighters will be making their UFC debut.

The Pick: When the show started Dollaway was the clear favorite. Everyone expected him to be in the finals so it was quite a shock when Amir was able to submit him in the semifinals. Amir was one of my favorites during this season so I'm glad to see him get this opportunity. Now with the antics of Jesse Taylor, CB has made it to the finale and this one is hard to call. Breaking this fight down, we know that Dollaway is a far superior wrestler who has also shown some great striking as well. Sadollah has the jiu-jitsu advantage, and will certainly be able to hold his own on the feet thanks to his Muay Thai background. The question is whether or not Dollaway will use the same strategy as before by taking Amir down and working his ground and pound. Of course by doing this again there's the chance Amir will once again lock in a submission out of nowhere. Like I said this is hard to call, but I'll go with the guy I want to win and pick Sadollah by submission in round 2.

Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez vs. Luigi Fioravanti

The Facts:
-Sanchez went 17-0 before losing to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch last year. His last fight was a win over David Bielkeden at UFC 82.
-Fioravanti also fought and won at UFC 82, where he beat Luke Cummo.
-Sanchez has notable wins over Jorge Santiago, Kenny Florian, Nick Diaz, Karo Parisyan and Joe Riggs.
-Fioravanti is 3-3 in his UFC career.

The Pick: I‘ve got nothing against Luigi Fioravanti. I feel that if he wasn‘t in the UFC he could likely be a welterweight championship contender. But he is in the UFC and I don‘t think he can beat somebody like Diego Sanchez. Fioravanti has enough skill to make this one competitive, but Sanchez will be hungry for a big win and I imagine he'll come out more aggressively than we've ever seen him before. There's a good chance for an upset here, but I'm going with Sanchez via submission in round 3.

Spencer "The King" Fisher vs. Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens

The Facts:
-Fisher is coming off a loss to Frank Edgar at UFC 78. He is 5-3 in the octagon.
-Stephens is on a three fight win streak, including his TKO win over Cole Miller at Fight Night 12.
-Fisher, Stephens and myself all have something in common: we're from Iowa.

The Pick: Here are two fighters I really like (and not just because they‘re both from same state as me). Spencer Fisher rarely has a bad fight, even when he loses. The guy is super-competitive and will bring it to his opponents no matter where the fight goes. The same could easily apply to Jeremy Stephens. Like many fans I was won over by his performance last year against Din Thomas, and even though Stephens lost he displayed some incredible toughness. Fisher has become a gatekeeper of the lightweight ranks, and Stephens will need to win if he wants to keep fighting on the big stage. This is probably the toughest one to pick, but I'm going to take Stephens winning by decision.

Matthew Riddle vs. Dante Rivera

The Facts:
-Riddle had one of the most memorable moments during the elimination fights, when he scored a vicious knockout over Dan Simmler that sent Simmler to the hospital with a broken jaw.
-Rivera is currently on a two fight win streak.
-This is Riddle's first professional fight.
-Since all fights during the show are exhibition bouts and not counted on their pro record, both fighters will be making their UFC debut.

The Pick: During this season Riddle and Rivera got into some light-hearted ribbing while living in the house. During that conversation Rivera told Riddle "If you ever beat me, I'd retire." Now it's time for both guys to put up or shut up. Rivera certainly has the experience advantage over Riddle, and he should have the edge should he decide to take this fight down. However Riddle is no joke (see what I did there?) as he proved in the elimination fights that he's got some very heavy hands. Both fighters have something to prove, but when it comes time to pick a winner I'm going with Riddle by TKO in round 1.

The Undercard:
Josh "The People's Warrior" Burkman vs. Dustin "McLovin" Hazelett
Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman vs. Drew McFedries
Jeremy "Gumby" Horn vs. Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister
Matt "No Regard" Arroyo vs. Matt Brown
Cale Yarbrough vs. Tim Credeur
Rob "Monster" Yundt vs. Rob Kimmons

The Facts:
-Burkman is coming off a decision loss to Mike Swick at Fight Night 12.
-Hazelett is coming off the loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 82.
-Burkman's last five fights have gone to decision.
-Eastman has won his last two fights, since losing to Rampage Jackson at UFC 67.
-McFedries is coming off a loss to Patrick Cote at Fight Night 12.
-Horn and Lister fought in King of the Cage in 2003, where Horn won via decision.
-Lister is coming off a win over Jordan Radev at UFC 79.
-This will be Horn's 101st pro fight.
-Both Horn and Lister's last loss in the octagon was against Nate Marquardt.
-This is Arroyo's first fight since submitting John Kolosci at the last Ultimate Fighter Finale in December.
-Brown is coming off a loss in his last pro fight against Chris Lytle.
-Arroyo and Brown fought once before in 2006, where Brown handed Arroyo his first (and only) loss.
-Yarbrough will be making his professional fighting debut.
-Credeur is on a three fight win streak, all of which came by submission.
-Since all fights during the show are exhibition bouts and don't count on a fighter's pro record, Yarbrough, Credeur, and Brown will all be making their octagon debuts.
-Yundt got his first loss in his last fight against Ricardo Almeida at UFC 81.
-Kimmons is on a three fight win streak and will be making his UFC debut.

The Picks:
Burkman, Decision
McFedries, TKO, Round 1
Horn, Decision
Arroyo, Submission, Round 2
Credeur, Submission, Round 1
Kimmons, Submission, Round 1

I Keep My Pimp Hand Strong

Sure I'm great, but why not check out some of our other fine writers?

Jeremy Lambert pulls double duty with The Cardio Freak News and The SHOCKING Ultimate Fighter Recap.
Dustin James has the latest round of 411 Rankings. This week it‘s the Pound-For-Pound List.
Reuel Mante shines his spotlight on Forrest Griffin.
Our new writer Jonathan Soloman is all over the place this week, starting with his 411 Fighter Profile of Diego Sanchez.
Soloman also goes toe-to-toe with Bren Oliver in this week‘s Fact Or Fiction.
Finally you can find Soloman in his usual place recapping WEC Wrekcage.
Chris Robinson covers a variety of topics in this week‘s Verbal Submission.



6/21 - The Ultimate Fighter Finale
Live on Spike at 9 pm ET

6/27 - Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson
Live on HDNet at 10:30 pm ET

7/5 - UFC 86: Jackson vs. Griffin
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET

7/19 - Affliction: Banned
Live on PPV (time TBA)

7/19 - UFC Fight Night 14
Live on Spike (time TBA)

7/21 - DREAM 5: Lightweight Grand Prix Finals
On HDNet at 4 am ET

7/26 - EliteXC: Unfinished Business
Live on CBS at 9 pm ET

8/3 - WEC 35
Live on Versus at 9 pm ET

8/9 - UFC 87: Seek And Destroy
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET

9/6 - Adrenaline MMA II
Live on HDNet (time TBA)

9/6 - UFC 88: Breakthrough
Live on PPV at 10 pm ET

9/10 - WEC 36: Filho vs. Sonnen II
Live on Versus (time TBA)



An amazing band with one of the greatest names in the world
…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - "Caterwaul"



Patton Oswalt shares his feelings about KFC's Famous Bowls



Time to wrap this baby up. I hope everyone has a good weekend and enjoys the Ultimate Fighter Finale tomorrow night. Next week we should have more fight announcements as this summer's jam-packed lineup of shows continues to expand. Next Friday is the return of Strikeforce, and I'll have your final preview of the full card. Come on back in seven days, and until then…


Credit: MMAJunkie.com, Sherdog.com, Fiveouncesofpain.com