Tag: Ed Herman

UFC on FUEL TV: Weigh-In Results & Video


(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)

All fighters made weight at yesterday’s UFC on FUELTV weigh-ins, which seemed to sail by at a faster pace than normal. Maybe it was the lack of name power, or perhaps it was the absence of the usual drama and near brawls that we have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. In either case, it was a reserved, quiet evening for all participants involved. Except Diego Sanchez. He doesn’t do “reserved.”

Instead, we were treated to what appeared to be a night of MMA fighters mimicking the looks of pseudo-celebrities. Sean Loeffler came out posing as the singer from Crazy Town, making it rain on the audience like they were the 2 a.m. shift at Scores, and Jonathan Brookins stuck with the Geico Caveman look that has gotten him some fine honeys up to this point. But the most bizarre shift in appearance undoubtedly went to Ed Herman, who pulled off Neil Fallon TO PERFECTION.*

Dave Herman
(BANG BANG BANG BANG! VAMANOS VAMANOS!)

Join us after the jump for the full weigh in video and results.


(Diego Sanchez is like the movie Inception: A dream inside of a nightmare inside two more dreams which are actually nightmares. Photos courtesy of MMAJunkie.com)

All fighters made weight at yesterday’s UFC on FUELTV weigh-ins, which seemed to sail by at a faster pace than normal. Maybe it was the lack of name power, or perhaps it was the absence of the usual drama and near brawls that we have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. In either case, it was a reserved, quiet evening for all participants involved. Except Diego Sanchez. He doesn’t do “reserved.”

Instead, we were treated to what appeared to be a night of MMA fighters mimicking the looks of pseudo-celebrities. Sean Loeffler came out posing as the singer from Crazy Town, making it rain on the audience like they were the 2 a.m. shift at Scores, and Jonathan Brookins stuck with the Geico Caveman look that has gotten him some fine honeys up to this point. But the most bizarre shift in appearance undoubtedly went to Ed Herman, who pulled off Neil Fallon TO PERFECTION.*

Dave Herman
(BANG BANG BANG BANG! VAMANOS VAMANOS!)

UFC on FUELTV Weigh-In

(skip to 17:12 for the start, unless you REALLY want to hear Jay Glazer’s breakdown of the card, which starts at 10:00.) 

Main Card (on Fuel TV):
-Diego Sanchez (170) vs. Jake Ellenberger (170)
–Stefan Struve (256) vs. Dave Herman (234)
–Aaron Simpson (186) vs. Ronny Markes (185)
-Stipe Miocic (240) vs. Phil De Fries (241)
–T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Walel Watson (135)
-Ivan Menjivar (135) vs. John Albert (135)

Preliminary Bouts (on Facebook):
–Jonathan Brookins (145) vs. Vagner Rocha (145)
-Buddy Roberts (184) vs. Sean Loeffler (185)
-Anton Kuivanen (156) vs. Justin Salas (155)
-Tim Means (155) vs. Bernardo Magalhaes (155)

The prelims for the event are set to kick off tonight around 6:20 p.m. EST on Facebook, with the FUEL broadcast beginning at 8:00 p.m.

*To any, let’s call them “new” viewers of CP, I do not actually believe the fighters were trying to mimic these celebrities. That would be just silly. Glad I could clear that up.

-J. Jones 

Let the Breathless Speculation Begin: Keith Kizer Says *Somebody* Pissed Dirty at UFC 143


(Maybe this is why the Condit fight ain’t happening?)

According to Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer, an unnamed fighter that competed on Saturday night’s UFC 143 card in Las Vegas had a drug test come back positive for an unspecified substance.

Here’s Kizer’s quote from an email we received today:

“Thank you for the many email and phone calls.  I am still waiting for all the steroid and drug test results to come back.  We did have at least one positive test.  I will send out an email later today on that matter.”


(Maybe this is why the Condit fight ain’t happening?)

According to Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer, an unnamed fighter that competed on Saturday night’s UFC 143 card in Las Vegas had a drug test come back positive for an unspecified substance.

Here’s Kizer’s quote from an email we received today:

“Thank you for the many email and phone calls.  I am still waiting for all the steroid and drug test results to come back.  We did have at least one positive test.  I will send out an email later today on that matter.”

Although it’s a vague statement that doesn’t confirm if the test was a pre or post-fight and the guilty party could be anyone who fought at the event, the Internet has been abuzz with rumors that it’s Nick Diaz and that the card-carrying marijuana prescribed curmudgeon is believed to have pot in his system.

In other news, the sky is blue, water is wet and Chael Sonnen is a Republican.

We’ll reserve judgment until we get the press release from NSAC this afternoon before we begin pointing fingers, but it could be Matt Riddle or Ed Herman. Riddle seemed less all over the place in his post-fight interview and may have been under the influence of Ritalin and Herman had to be on some kind of goofballs to say that he wants to fight Anderson Silva next.

We’ll have more info as we receive it.

Armchair Matchmaker: UFC 143 Edition


(Apparently after this loss, Max Holloway decided to change his nickname from “Lil’ Evil” to “Blessed,” likely because taking Jens Pulver’s nickname REALLY lets opponents know where your weakness lies.) 

Aside from bitterly dividing fans on what exactly constitutes a fight, UFC 143 left us with a lot of unanswered questions. Should Carlos Condit consider a nickname change?* Will Dustin Poirier get the next shot at Jose Aldo?** Is Nick Diaz really calling it quits?*** Though only time will truly calm our concerns, we’re going to make some bold predictions for Saturday’s winners and losers nonetheless, because that’s how we do things ’round here. Check out our matchmaking picks below, and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Nick Diaz: Perhaps the most impressive thing about Nick Diaz is that, despite his intellectual shortcomings, he maintains an ability to instill fear into whomever he fights. His cardio, striking attack, and Jiu Jitsu are second to none and just plain SCARY, but it is the man’s confidence, his willingness to relentlessly pursue and trade with anyone, that breaks even the strongest of competitors. Going into a fight with Diaz, you know you aren’t going to submit him, and you know it’s damn near impossible to knock the SOB out, so what the fuck are you supposed to do?

(Apparently after this loss, Max Holloway decided to change his nickname from “Lil’ Evil” to “Blessed,” likely because taking Jens Pulver’s nickname REALLY lets opponents know where your weakness lies.) 

Aside from bitterly dividing fans on what exactly constitutes a fight, UFC 143 left us with a lot of unanswered questions. Should Carlos Condit consider a nickname change?* Will Dustin Poirier get the next shot at Jose Aldo?** Is Nick Diaz really calling it quits?*** Though only time will truly calm our concerns, we’re going to make some bold predictions for Saturday’s winners and losers nonetheless, because that’s how we do things ’round here. Check out our matchmaking picks below, and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Nick Diaz: Perhaps the most impressive thing about Nick Diaz is that, despite his intellectual shortcomings, he maintains an ability to instill fear into whomever he fights. His cardio, striking attack, and Jiu Jitsu are second to none and just plain SCARY, but it is the man’s confidence, his willingness to relentlessly pursue and trade with anyone, that breaks even the strongest of competitors. Going into a fight with Diaz, you know you aren’t going to submit him, and you know it’s damn near impossible to knock the SOB out, so what the fuck are you supposed to do?

Where Nick’s problem lies, however, is in his ability to adapt, to set a game plan. Nick Diaz wants to fight like Nick Diaz, against Nick Diaz, and it’s why many of us love the guy. But when anyone who won’t adhere to this type of fight is looked at as a bitch (at least in his eyes), why not start matching Diaz up against those who just want to throw down? Screw the championship aspirations; let’s just assign Diaz to barnburner only match-ups against willing brawlers from this day forward. If he doesn’t want to accept the fact that many people with a title shot in mind are going to avoid his kind of fight at all costs, he best just move on, or abandon title hopes altogether. I say give him Diego Sanchez, regardless of whether or not he beats Jake Ellenberger. Their first meeting was a classic, and the second will be no different.

Fabricio Werdum: Aside from lighting up Roy Nelson’s face like it was the 4th of July, Werdum proved last weekend that he deserved to be ranked amongst the heavyweight division’s elite, so it’s time to give him a legit contender. Matter of fact, why not an ex-champion? Cain Velasquez is coming off a disappointing first round KO loss to Junior Dos Santos, the same man responsible for KO’ing Werdum right out of the UFC back in 2008 (yes, it has been THAT LONG already). Cain will be looking to show the world that he can take a punch, and Werdum’s most recent performance shows that he is more than willing to dish them out.

Roy Nelson: Shane Carwin. If he can survive that man’s punches, then we may just have to look into whether or not Nelson’s chin is on PEDs. Otherwise, give Nelson some time off and let him attempt a cut to 205, because he doesn’t really have anywhere to go in the heavyweight division in terms of contendership. He’s simply too small to be fighting guys like Werdum, and would get absolutely mangled by the Alistair Overeems of the division.

Mike Pierce: Most people were too busy arguing over the Diaz/Condit decision to notice that Mike Pierce got the worst screw job of them all on Saturday night. Despite thoroughly out-striking Josh Koscheck, Pierce found himself on the wrong end of yet another close decision as a result of a couple takedowns that Kos did absolutely nothing with. It’s pretty evident at this point that Pierce is much better than most of us have given him credit for, and should get a good name for his next fight. We like Rick Story, who is coming off a decision loss to Martin Kampmann at UFC 139, for Pierce’s next opponent. A win wouldn’t propel either party to the top of the contender list, but would be a solid victory regardless.

Josh Koscheck: I don’t know…Jon Fitch maybe? Koscheck’s win did fuck all for him in terms of moving up those pointless rankings lists, and his one-dimensional striking attack surely isn’t going to win him a title anytime soon. His recent split with AKA opens up the Fitch fight, and I, for one, would just like to see two guys from that camp quit playing BFFs and fight. What’s Mike Swick doing these days?

Renan Barao: After dominating a former contender in Jorgensen the way Barao did, it’s safe to say the kid is ready for the ultimate step up. If wins over Eddie Wineland and Takeya Mizugaki can get Urijah Faber a shot at Dominick Cruz, then Barao has easily earned one with his wins over Jorgensen, Brad Pickett, and Cole Escovedo, after those two settle their beef, of course. If he doesn’t want to wait that long, give him the winner of Torres/McDonald, granted he is able to walk away injury free.

Dustin Poirier: He was originally set to face Erik Koch at this event, and the fight makes more sense than ever now. Winner gets a title shot. Make it happen, Sean.

Ed Herman: Herman has looked better in his most recent octagon run than he ever did after placing second in the TUF 3 finals. His striking is ever-improving (though a little reliant on the 6), he can take a hell of a shot, and he packs a slick submission game to boot. Pairing him off against the winner of the Brian Stann/Alessio Sakara match would be a great litmus test for the comeback kid.

Thoughts?

*No. Obvs.

**Probably.

***Who the fuck knows?

-J. Jones

‘UFC 143: Dias vs Condit’ Aftermath Part II– A Cup Half Empty

Two kicks + two mangled testes = two points? (Photo: UFC.com)

Controversial decisions weren’t limited to the feature bout at UFC 143, my friends. From scrotum to scorecard, there’s much to break down from the undercard action.

Fabricio Werdum put on a striking clinic against the slightly less-hefty Roy Nelson. Werdum put together crisp, powerful combinations and launched a torrent of knees from the clinch to bloody “Big Country” up. It was a welcome rebound from his performance against Overeem and a promising re-introduction to the Octagon. Nelson has an incredibly tough chin—proven by the sheer number of bombs he takes fight after fight—and a heart as big as they come—what else could pump that much blood out of his face?–but that’s not enough to make it in the UFC’s heavyweight division. He’s served as a very game punching bag for much of his post-TUF career, and it’s not a good look. On the positive side, his refusal to die in the cage did help the duo score the evening’s $65k ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.

Two kicks + two mangled testes = two points? (Photo: UFC.com)

Controversial decisions weren’t limited to the feature bout at UFC 143, my friends. From scrotum to scorecard, there’s much to break down from the undercard action.

Fabricio Werdum put on a striking clinic against the slightly less-hefty Roy Nelson. Werdum put together crisp, powerful combinations and launched a torrent of knees from the clinch to bloody “Big Country” up. It was a welcome rebound from his performance against Overeem and a promising re-introduction to the Octagon. Nelson has an incredibly tough chin—proven by the sheer number of bombs he takes fight after fight—and a heart as big as they come—what else could pump that much blood out of his face?–but that’s not enough to make it in the UFC’s heavyweight division. He’s served as a very game punching bag for much of his post-TUF career, and it’s not a good look. On the positive side, his refusal to die in the cage did help the duo score the evening’s $65k ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus.

Josh Koshcheck managed to eek out an incredibly close split decision over Mike Pierce. Not only was this bout a big step up for Pierce, it was one that he publicly campaigned for. He worked his jab and out-struck the now-former AKA product throughout the fight as Koscheck shopped around for a home for his big right hand. It was the sort of dirty, grueling bout that Pierce typically employees, but it wasn’t enough to take home the ‘W’ in the judges’ eyes. Still, it was a solid showing against a highly ranked opponent. We don’t know what prompted Koscheck’s post-fight departure from AKA or how that may have effected his performance, but time will tell. As for those boos from the crowd, was it just me or did they actually seem to bother the happiest heel in the sport?

Renan Pegado proved what didn’t need proving: a 27-fight win streak is not just a run of good luck. “Barao” used an arsenal of kicks to punish Scott Jorgensen and keep him at bay. Coupled with his outstanding takedown defense, the Brazilian was in full control of this bout from the opening bell until the unanimous decision win was announced. It was a lopsided win over a tough opponent, and you can bet his fellow bantamweights took notice.

Ed Herman and Clifford Starks showed up to bang, but it was the ground game that mattered most. Herman threw uppercuts like they were going out of style, but Starks showed impressive power as he crowded “Short Fuse” against the cage and connected with a spate of worrisome right hands. Round one was a back and forth of heavy exchanges until Herman took Starks down to end the frame. Round two saw more reserved striking before Herman executed a trip takedown from the clinch and promply sunk in the rear naked choke. This marked Starks’ first loss and Herman’s third straight victory since his return to action in 2011.

In typical fashion, the evening’s prelim fighters put on quite the show, netting both of the evening’s fight-ending bonuses. UFC newcomer Stephen Thompson put on a karate clinic is his memorable ‘Knock Out of the Night’ win over Daniel Stittgen. With his sideways stance and unorthodox kicks, “Wonderboy” kept Stittgen guessing until finding a home for his highlight reel kick in the final minute of the first round. In a battle of young guns, Featherweights Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway came out swinging. Poirier landed heavy shots and his 20-year-old opponent was game to return fire, but once Poirier slammed him to the mat it was game over. “The Diamond” quickly took mount and attempted an armbar then a triangle before returning to mount and securing both in the evening’s ‘Submission of the Night’.

While both Thompson and Poirier’s victories increased their purses, Edwin Figueroa saw his mashed and mangled in route to a controversial decision win. He went toe-to-toe with Alex Caceras standing, but found himself in constant defensive mode on the ground. What could have been a clear victory for “Bruce Leeroy” was tarnished by a pair of accidental ball-breaking kicks to the groin. Twice Figueroa doubled over in pain, leaving us to wonder if he’d return from the five minute hiatus. Caceras was first warned by Herb Dean for the unintended low blow, but was docked two points on the second infraction. While Herb Dean has taken two points for low blows once before, it is far outside the norm. The kicks had to take a major toll on “El Feroz” and hamper his performance, but at the end of the day I don’t think the better fighter got his hand raised.

 

– Chris Colemon

 

Full Results: (via: MMAJunkie.com)

  • Carlos Condit def. Nick Diaz via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) – wins interim welterweight title
  • Fabricio Werdum def. Roy Nelson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Josh Koscheck def. Mike Pierce via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Renan Barao def. Scott Jorgensen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Ed Herman def. Clifford Starks via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:43
  • Dustin Poirier def. Max Holloway via submission (mounted triangle-armbar) – Round 1, 3:23
  • Edwin Figueroa def. Alex Caceres via split decision (28-27, 27-28, 28-27)
  • Matt Brown def. Chris Cope via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 1:19
  • Matt Riddle def. via Henry Martinez via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Rafael Natal def. Michael Kuiper via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Steven Thompson def. Dan Stittgen via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 4:13

‘ReX vs. Jared’ – UFC 143 Edition


(“Hey, my eyes are up here, asshole.”)

Discussing MMA is a lot like discussing politics; what starts off as a friendly difference of opinion more than often spirals into an alcohol-fueled debate, rife with personal insults and name calling, before ending in a sloppy wrestling match that gets both parties banned from their boss’s wine tasting parties for life. Luckily, we have Doug “ReX13” Richardson and Jared Jones here to dispute all things UFC 143, because frankly, we can’t make heads or tails outta this card.

Let’s kick things off how we normally do, with a completely offhand topic. Who wins the Super Bowl?

RX: Me, if the commercials are good and Bane blows up the stadium.  Let me guess, you’re a-

JJ: GO GIANTS!

RX: I hate you so hard, man.

JJ: First off, I’m not your buddy.

RX: But I never-

JJ: Eli Manning is to the Patriots what Dylan Klebold was to Columbine High School; he cannot be defeated, unless by that of his own doing. Giants 35-27.

RX: Wow…this has gotten off to a rough start. Can we just move on?


(“Hey, my eyes are up here, asshole.”)

Discussing MMA is a lot like discussing politics; what starts off as a friendly difference of opinion more than often spirals into an alcohol-fueled debate, rife with personal insults and name calling, before ending in a sloppy wrestling match that gets both parties banned from their boss’s wine tasting parties for life. Luckily, we have Doug “ReX13″ Richardson and Jared Jones here to dispute all things UFC 143, because frankly, we can’t make heads or tails outta this card.

Let’s kick things off how we normally do, with a completely offhand topic. Who wins the Super Bowl?

RX: Me, if the commercials are good and Bane blows up the stadium.  Let me guess, you’re a-

JJ: GO GIANTS!

RX: I hate you so hard, man.

JJ: First off, I’m not your buddy.

RX: But I never-

JJ: Eli Manning is to the Patriots what Dylan Klebold was to Columbine High School; he cannot be defeated, unless by that of his own doing. Giants 35-27.

RX: Wow…this has gotten off to a rough start. Can we just move on?

Should you invite your MMA newbie friends over to watch this card?

RX: If they watched any of Fox’s programming up to this point, your answer should be “yes.” Diaz vs Condit is a better fight than either of them against GSP, and the winner will probably take the title from him. Yeah, I said it. It needed saying.

JJ: I have never been more certain about anything in my life: Yes. Love him or hate him, Diaz does not know how to be in a boring fight, and the same goes for Condit. The day I see Diaz content to ride out a decision is the day I sell my three story Victorian in Stockton. And that ain’t happening, homie.

On the other hand, if you want to convince your “newbie” friends that the UFC is devoid of all the WWE style antics, watching Diaz flip the bird and taunt someone for three rounds might not be the best idea.

Diaz vs. Condit: Will illiteracy reign supreme?

JJ: I am living, breathing proof that illiteracy has already reigned supreme, so I’m picking Deeaz bi teknikal nockout in tha ferst rownd. WRA DEEAZ!!

RX:  Are you finis–

JJ: DEEEEEEEAAAAAAZZZZZZZZ!!!!!1! OK i’m dun.

RX:  Well allow me to retort: Diaz has been feasting on sub-par competition and making himself look like a destroyer. The fact that he beats guys at their own games – while calling them bitches – yeah, I get it, Diaz is badass. I agree. I love watching him fight. But he’s stepping up in competition in Condit, a guy that is every bit as well-rounded as Diaz himself. That reach advantage that Diaz uses so well? Gone. Opponent with deficient cardio? Not this time. The likelihood that Diaz can start slow and then pour on the offense, without the other guy taking the initiative? Naw, playa. I realize that lots of folks are calling Diaz to win this, but I think they’ve forgotten about the NBK. I think Diaz may have forgotten about NBK. I think he’s too busy hating the GSP, and Condit is going to remind him that there are no easy fights in the UFC.

JJ: That’s a lot of bitch-ass wordy stuff.

RX: Hey look, people who talk like that in my neighborhood get slapped.

JJ: Aren’t you from like…Scarsdale or something?

RX: Not important.

JJ: *checks Facebook*  Your hometown is called … Whiteville?  LOLOLOLOLOLOL

RX: MOVING ON

Will Fabricio Werdum actually bring the fight to Roy Nelson, or are we in for another “Vai Cavalo” flopfest?

RX: I don’t think Werdum would do anything as dumb as have a boring, tactical fight for his first visit back in the Octagon, but then again, I said the same thing about Anthony Johnson. Werdum won’t be as scared to stay on his feet as he was with Overeem, but he will be looking for a takedown from the first bell.

JJ: I had more fun watching The Tree of Life than I did the Werdum/Overeem “fight,” so he better bring it come Saturday. And considering how Nelson has looked as of late, which is to say, so-so, I’d imagine both guys will be looking to turn some heads with this performance.

RX: Go figure, Danga referencing a movie.

JJ: YOU DON’T GET TO CALL ME THAT ANYMORE!!

RX: Ok, Good Times, my bad. I’m going to give Nelson a pass for the awful fight with Frank Mir, because he said he was was deathly ill with fat syndrome or something, I can’t remember. It wasn’t that lateral acidophilus…maybe SARS?  Anyway, he slimmed down noticeably for his next fight with CroCop, which I must point out he won by TKO not involving a massive belly. I don’t think we’re going to see Nelson and Werdum scrapping, but I do expect a fun fight. Nelson’s got this, though. I mean, it’s not like Werdum has a grappler’s chance, since that’s not even a thing.

If Matt Brown somehow loses to Chris Cope, Zuffa HAS to cut him, right? RIGHT?! 

RX: In my mind, there’s an ideal Strikeforce with a large roster of well-rounded fighters, and all they want to do is scrap. Nobody cuts weight and everybody has cardio for days. The fighters are paid a pretty decent wage and no one cares if you go on a three-fight skid. This ideal StrikeForce would be on Fox, where everybody can see it, and guys like Lyle Beerbohm, BJ Penn, Cung Le, Wandy, Robbie Lawler and Gegard Mousasi would entertain and educate a crowd much better than top-10 UFC fights. Everyone would fall in love with Scott Coker. They probably still wouldn’t be able to manage a heavyweight division, so Beltran is still boned, but still – sounds nice, right?

That ideal Strikeforce, with the three hour time slot on Saturday nights? That’s where I want Matt Brown to go after this fight. *gazes wistfully, wipes tear*

JJ: You ok?

RX: Just … just gimme a minute.

JJ: Each time Matt Brown steps into the octagon, I find myself saying, “he CAN’T lose this one.” And like some kind of Alzheimer’s patient who drinks too much, I always come to in a cornfield with blood on my hands and the memory of being screwed out of yet another parlay. I’d think that Brown has this one in the bag, but anyone who posses a decent guillotine stands a chance of beating him. So if he loses, I say ship him off to your magical island with Jerry Garcia and Tupac and rainbow gumdrops laced with LSD or whatever it is you hippies dream about. 

RX: ”Tupac Liqueur” would be a pretty dope Ben & Jerry’s flavor. 

Since Condit/Diaz will guaranteed take FOTN, who takes SOTN and KOTN? 

RX: Well, we agree on Diaz-Condit being can’t-miss, at least. Submission of the Night probably won’t go to Nelson-Werdum, because I think they’ll both be trying too hard to not get submitted. Renan Barao would be a likely candidate, but I think Scott Jourgenson’s defense will keep him safe. So I’ll pick a dark horse to take SotN: Ed Herman. After a spiffy heel hook win over Kyle Noke, I’m looking for “Short Fuse” to torque something until Clifford Starks taps out.

JJ: Only someone from Whiteville would consider Ed Herman a dark anything.

RX: Ok, good one, ten points for Gryffindor, but I’m not done. To make my picks go from “questionable” to “possibly being predicted by a drunken llama,” I’ll call Dustin Poirier to knock the dust off of Max Holloway. Thoughts?

JJ: KOTN is tough, but that’s a mighty fine pick. I want to say Koscheck will take it, considering his desire to make an example out of Mike Pierce for all the trash he has been talking lately. Then again, Pierce has never been finished, and has faced power punchers like Johny Hendricks before, so I’m not quite sure Kos is going put him away. I’m going to go ahead and predict Matt Brown, because he’s gotta win this one, right? Have I said this all before?

RX: Not to my recollection, no. 

JJ: Good. And you want to make some bold predictions? How about this; Roy Nelson, in Frank Mir-esque fashion, will break Werdum’s sternum and take SOTN, and 1 week after we see the UFC’s first calf-slicer, we will be treated to its first submission via smothering. 

Speaking of bold predictions, it’s time to bring back a good old fashioned screen name challenge. Make one incredibly specific prediction for tomorrow night. The loser must change his screen name for a week. 

RX: I say Scott Jorgensen survives forty-seven sub attempts from Barao, and scores a couple of big slams to excite the crowd.  “Young Guns” scores a decision victory, snapping that gaudy streak of 28 fights without a loss.  If I lose, it won’t matter, since I’ve already decided to refer to you as “Good Times” at every opportunity.

JJ: Fair enough, but if Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson is able to pull off some sort of crazy kickboxing KO on Dan Stittigen, be it by wheel kick, tornado kick, or Matrix-esque Scorpion kick, you WILL go by SeanMcCorkle’sBruisedEgo from this day forward. Until next week.

Booking (Rumor) Roundup: UFC on FX Edition


(NOW we get why Kyle’s friends often refer to him as “The Poke” Noke.) 

After collecting three straight stoppage victories in as many UFC contests, EliteXC and TUF 11 veteran Kyle Noke was quickly building up a reputation as one of the top up-and-comers in the middleweight division. Being one of the few successful Australian fighters to grace the UFC (sorry, Elvis), Noke carried a bit more pressure on his shoulders than the average TUF alum, especially when heading into his UFC Live 5 match against resurgent TUF 3 veteran Ed Herman. Unfortunately Noke (and therefore the Australian MMA community), would fall to a first round heel hook in that fight, placing all Aussie UFC hopes in the hands of a man nicknamed after an animal relative to Africa.

But fret not, ye Fosters enthusiasts, for Noke’s path to redemption will begin in the land from which he was birthed. Yes, “KO” recently announced that he will be taking on Jared Hamman at UFC on FX 2, which goes down at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia. Hamman, whom we will forever be in debt to for knocking CB Dolloway out of the UFC, will also be looking to build up a win streak; he was most recently flattened in the first round by Constantinos Philippou at UFC 140. This match has yet to be confirmed by the UFC.

Join us after the jump for some juicy featherweight and bantamweight gossip…


(NOW we get why Kyle’s friends often refer to him as “The Poke” Noke.) 

After collecting three straight stoppage victories in as many UFC contests, EliteXC and TUF 11 veteran Kyle Noke was quickly building up a reputation as one of the top up-and-comers in the middleweight division. Being one of the few successful Australian fighters to grace the UFC (sorry, Elvis), Noke carried a bit more pressure on his shoulders than the average TUF alum, especially when heading into his UFC Live 5 match against resurgent TUF 3 veteran Ed Herman. Unfortunately Noke (and therefore the Australian MMA community), would fall to a first round heel hook in that fight, placing all Aussie UFC hopes in the hands of a man nicknamed after an animal relative to Africa.

But fret not, ye Fosters enthusiasts, for Noke’s path to redemption will begin in the land from which he was birthed. Yes, “KO” recently announced that he will be taking on Jared Hamman at UFC on FX 2, which goes down at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia. Hamman, whom we will forever be in debt to for knocking CB Dolloway out of the UFC, will also be looking to build up a win streak; he was most recently flattened in the first round by Constantinos Philippou at UFC 140. This match has yet to be confirmed by the UFC.

Also rumored for the UFC’s return to Australia will be TUF 5 alum Cole Miller’s featherweight debut, which will pair him against seasoned TUF 14 vet Steve Siler. Fresh off a second round submission of T.J. O’Brien, the 6’1”, Miller was already lanky for a lightweight, but will now be entering Corey Hill territory at 145 pounds. Stay away from the leg kicks is all were saying, Cole. After getting eliminated via a Diego Brandao steamrolling in his run on The Ultimate Fighter 14, Siler rebounded at the TUF 14 Finale with a decision win over Josh Clopton.

And in UFC on FX 1 news, bantamweight prospect Mike Easton will be looking to improve upon his second round TKO over Byron Bloodworth when he takes on WEC vet Ken Stone. Stone, who suffered brutal back-to-back knockouts at the hands of Eddie Wineland (via slam) and Scott Jorgensen (via punches), finally learned what it was like to be the one standing over an unconscious body when he choked out Donny Walker back at UFN 25.

UFC on FX is set to go down on January 20th from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Yours truly will be handling the liveblog duties, so make sure to stop by and inform me of how poor a job I am doing.

-Danga