RECHARGED: Shogun vs. Vera

Shogun Rua and Brandon Vera

Hello everyone! This is a new segment in which we are going to be posting your cure for the Mondays. It’s going to be a quick article on what to look forward to this week in the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Who’s ready to get recharged?

This week in MMA holds two very exciting cards for both casual and hardcore fans alike.

The first of the two is XFC 19, which is being held in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is headlined by the always-tough Mike Bronzoulis, who is coming off a 2^nd round KO over Danny Salinas, against UFC vet, Corey Hill, who himself is coming off a quick anaconda choke victory over Darryl Madison. The co-feature of this event is between the popular, and the very beautiful, Felice Herrig against the underrated Simona Soukapova. This fight guarantees fireworks. The last bout I want to mention is between “Notorious” Nick Newell and David Mays. Nick Newell boasts an undefeated record of 7-0 with 6 of his wins coming within the first stanza.

He also just happens to have only one fully functioning arm. Yes, one. And he’s undefeated! Pretty amazing if you ask me (our interview with him earlier this year).

The other event the following day happens on Fox, which features light heavyweights Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon Vera. A lot of people aren’t giving Vera a chance to win this fight, as he is 1-3 in his last four (if you count the Thiago Silva fight), but you should never count someone out in MMA. It is also co-headlined in another light heavyweight tilt that features former UFC champ Lyoto Machida and TUF winner Ryan Bader in a fight that could go either way.

We also welcome three new additions to the UFC roster as flyweight newbies Ulysses Gomez and John Moraga face off in the opening showdown. And Muay Thai specialist, Wagner Prado looks to make a huge splash at 205 pounds as he and Phil Davis look to cement themselves as top guys in the light heavyweight division.

Other events this week in chronological order: Reality Fighting: Battle at the Beach 2012, CES MMA: Far Beyond Driven, KOTC: Sudden Strike, Fightworld Cup 12, Warriors Realm 14, UVC 20: Clash at the Coliseum, Champion Pro MMA Fights, FFC 1: The Beginning, and Pancrase: Progress Tour 9.

Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann Predictions

Invicta FC 2

Dave’s Picks

Shayna Baszler vs. Sara McMann = Baszler by submission in round 2.

Alexis Davis vs. Hitomi Akano = Davis by unanimous decision.

Liz Carmouche vs. Kaitlin Young = Carmouche by split decision.

Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Lacey Schuckman = Hamasaki by unanimous decision.

Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pa’Aluhi = Nunes by unanimous decision.

Sarah D’Alelio vs. Vanessa Porto = Porto by split decision.

Barb Honchack vs. Bethany Marshall = Honchak by unanimous decision.

Julia Budd vs. Elina Nilsson = Budd by split decision.

Carla Esparza vs. Sarah Schneider = Esparza by unanimous decision.

Angelica Chavez vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc = Chavez by submission in round 2.

Sam’s Picks

Shayna Baszler vs. Sara McMann = McMann by split decision.

Alexis Davis vs. Hitomi Akano = Davis by split decision.

Liz Carmouche vs. Kaitlin Young = Carmouche by 2^nd round TKO.

Ayaka Hamasaki vs. Lacey Schuckman = Hamasaki by unanimous decision.

Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pa’Aluhi = Nunes by 1^st round TKO.

Sarah d’Alelio vs. Vanessa Porto = D’Alelio by split decision.

Barb Honchack vs. Bethany Marshall = Honchak by unanimous decision.

Julia Budd vs. Elina Nilsson = Budd by split decision.

Carla Esparza vs. Sarah Schneider = Esparza by 1^st round submission.

Angelica Chavez vs. Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc = Nicdali by 3^rd round TKO.

Jocelyn Lybarger vs. Cheryl Chan = Lybarger by unanimous decision.

Jessica Philippus vs. Liz McCarthy = Philippus by 2^nd round TKO.

CR Exclusive Interview with Eduardo Dantas!

Bellator Bantamweight Champ Eduardo Dantas (Photo by Hexlinc)

Eduardo Dantas is a rarity in a sport such as MMA. At only 23 years old, he is the bantamweight champion in the 2^nd largest promotion to hold the 135-pound division. He has incredible power for a bantamweight as he has a brutal knockout win over veteran Wilson Reis with a beautifully set up flying knee. He also holds up a very advanced ground game that was especially shown with his submission win over former champ, Zach Makovsky. This is all helped by his reach advantage he has over most of his opponents as he towers over them at 5’10”.

And to top this all off, he trains at one of the best camps in the world, Nova Uniao, alongside UFC champions Jose Aldo and Renan Barao.

He was very gracious in taking time from training for his next fight for an interview.

Championship Rounds: Hey Eduardo, thank you very much for agreeing to do this interview! So, how do you see the fight between Luis Nogueira and Marcos Galvao going? Who do you predict is going to be the winner?

Eduardo Dantas: It will be a tough fight for 3 rounds, and I believe “Loro” (Marcos Galvao) will win!

CR: Describe the experience watching the bantamweight tournament unfold in determining your next challenger. What has that been like?

ED: It is great to see a tournament with so many good fighters, and to see my next [challenger]. I'm going to settle [into training]!

CR: What is it like being only 23 years old and a champion of one of the world’s biggest MMA organizations?

ED: It is very good; I hope to get to 30 years old with many titles!

CR: How many fights do you have left on your contract with Bellator? Will you come to the UFC once it’s fulfilled?

ED: Bellator is an event that I will not leave; it treats me very well. I love all the organizers at Bellator. They are my family. My contract is 1 year and 6 months. In the UFC, Renan is my friend, who will be beating everyone. I do not see anyone in the UFC beating him.

CR: When you come to the UFC, would you be willing to fight your teammate Renan Barao if he is the champion?

ED: This is our job, we are paid for our show, and so we will fight!

CR: What is it like training at such a prestigious camp such as Nova Uniao?

ED: It is paradise! Everyday I power train with the best! Thank God, I love to fight!

CR: What is a name from Nova Uniao that we should keep our eye on?

ED: Everyone, we [at Nova Unaio] just have the best!

Thanks again to Eduardo Dantas. Make sure you follow him on Twitter @Dudantas22 and watch Bellator 73 as Luis Nogueira and Marcos Galvao battle to be the next one to challenge Dantas for his belt!

UFC 152 Press Conference Recap

The poster and stage before the conference started (Photo by David Klass of CR)

On Tuesday July 24^th I made my way to Massey Hall in Toronto for the UFC 152 press conference. The UFC sent out Director of Canadian Operations Tom Wright, Joseph Benavidez, Demetrious Johnson, Brian Stann, Michael Bisping and Rory MacDonald.

Tom Wright started the event off by telling us about the card and what we can expect to see; which are fireworks. You have Joseph Benavidez taking on Demetrious Johnson in the finals of the flyweight tournament to determine the first ever UFC flyweight champion. Then Michael Bisping squares off against the powerful Brian Stann in a fight that will be as exciting as they come. Then Canadian fan favorite Rory MacDonald takes on legend BJ Penn in which will likely be his last fight.

So, then the floor was opened up to ask questions to Tom Wright and the fighters. There was a great back and forth between Bisping and Benavidez when the reporter sitting next to me asked what Benavidez thought about Bisping saying a few weeks earlier about how his fight with Stann is the main event and the no one cares about the flyweight title fight between Benavidez and Johnson. Benavidez summed it up as saying you can always expect crazy and rude things from Bisping and did not hold back giving Bisping a piece of his mind.

Then Rory was asked roughly 5 times whether or not he would fight Georges St. Pierre in varying ways. Eventually Rory got upset and said “Listen, I don’t know why you guys keep asking me about Georges. I have answered them a million times. I am not going to fight Georges. I don’t know about you but I don’t want to punch my friend, make him bleed, see him cry and make him lose money.” 

Rory also showed some emotion in his response in talking about the VADA drug testing that his opponent, BJ Penn, suggested they do a month ago. Rory also believes that BJ is not taking the fight seriously

“He is all upset because Georges whooped him, but, I am going to hurt him even worse, so. I am training for the best B.J. I am just preparing myself to be the best version. I am going to come out evolved, I am going to be in shape, explosive and exciting like I always do. I am going to be very technical and I am going to be on point. I don't know where B.J. is at. You know, he didn't even show up to this. He is dropping out of the VADA testing. Last time I saw him he looked really out of shape. I don't know where his head is at in this, but, he better get serious or I am going to hurt him very badly."

Then Brian Stann and Michael Bisping both stressed that unlike the boring UFC 149 card their fight will definitely not be boring. Stann said “Come September 22, I am going to draw a line in the sand, I am going to say, 'Mike. Cross it.' He is the kind of guy that I know will step to it and we are going to get after it. I am telling you right now folks. You may have complained about certain fights that were on the card this past weekend, you won't complain about ours."

There was some great conversation and the press conference was informative in getting to know where all the fighters stand in their opinions of their opponents; which can often be fun to hear as well.

After the conference I went over to Tom Wright and asked him “So, at UFC 129 you had the first ever featherweight title fight and now at UFC 152 we will have the first ever UFC flyweight title fight. Is there a reason why you had both of those fights here in Toronto? Is this a place you think will appreciate it more?”

Wright’s honest answer was “No, I think it’s a combination of being at the right place and the right time. I think that if that first fight between McCall and Demetrious had not ended up in a draw then this would not have happened. So, sometimes these things happen for a reason and there is no particular cause and effect why we are here with this fight. But I am just happy that Toronto gets to make history.”

Then the fighters squared off:

Joseph Benavidez (left) and Demetrious Johnson (right)

Michael Bisping (left) and Brian Stann (right)

Rory MacDonald

Then I met:

Demetrious Johnson

Joseph Benavidez

Brian Stann

UFC 149: Barao vs. Faber Main Card Recap

Renan Barao getting the belt

This event started off with some of the best prelims we have had in some time and it was capped off by one of the worst PPV main cards that the UFC has ever had. Not only this, but Dave and I had our worst prediction night since starting CR. Weird night but let’s head into the recap.

Matt Riddle vs. Chris Clements: Before this fight, I wasn’t really a fan of Matt Riddle due to the fact that I thought that he was a guy that didn’t deserve to be in the UFC and his all around MMA game just wasn’t good. This fight shut me up. His boxing needs work but his kicks are great. His wrestling is great and the fight ending standing arm triangle was beautifully set up. I said at the end that he must have worked a lot on his BJJ and he said that he worked a lot with Robert Drysdale. It showed.

Possible matchups for Riddle: In one of the funniest rants that I have ever seen at a UFC post-fight press conference, Riddle called out Dan Hardy. Riddle recalled of a time that a Brit had spat directly in his mouth and wants to take revenge upon Dan Hardy, but doesn’t have anything against Dan Hardy himself. That fight would be good and if Riddle fights smart and tries to take it to the ground, he could actually win.

Possible fights for Clements: Clements is not a very good fighter. Plain and simple. His standup is sloppy and his ground game is very amateurish. Lance Benoist is also coming off a loss and they both have fought Matt Riddle, and even though Benoist won against Riddle, they both need rebound fights.

James Head vs. Brian Ebersole: This fight was just plain weird. It looked like Ebersole didn’t even care about the fight. His takedown attempts were just horrendous, and then they wouldn’t do anything. I thought Head definitely won the fight and that a split decision was ridiculous.

Possible matchups for Head: Head and Seth Baczynski are both looking for steps up in competition and if they fought, the winner would get just that.

Possible matchups for Ebersole: Ebersole clearly had no interest in this fight. His body looked drained and non muscular, which I’m guessing was from his cut down to 155 pounds. Mac Danzig is the type of fighter who is always right on the brink of title contention and loses a fight; a matchup with Danzig would be a tough first test for Ebersole at 155 pounds.

Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan: In my opinion, this was the worst fight of the night. It was punch then clinch. Punch, and then clinch for the whole 15 minutes, it was brutal. Kongo ended up winning but I did not care who won or lost.

Possible matchups for Kongo: Kongo is the ultimate gatekeeper. Brendan Schaub is still looking for an opponent for his next fight and it didn’t seem like Kongo took very much damage at all in this fight.

Possible matchups for Jordan: Jordan still has a lot of potential along with being one of the most athletic heavyweights in the UFC. Mike Russow just came off of a high profile loss and they both need big rebound fights.

Tim Boestch vs. Hector Lombard: This was the most disappointing fight on Saturday. We were all expecting big things in Lombard’s debut and he did not impress, to say the least. The fight was Lombard standing flatfooted while Boestch leg kicked and punched him. It was weird and I actually scored every round to “The Barbarian”.

Possible matchups for Boestch: Even though this fight was highly boring, Boestch still impressed me and moved himself into the top 5 of 185 pounds. He and Alan Belcher could face off in a potential number 1 contenders match.

Possible matchups for Lombard: In my last recap for UFC on Fuel 4, I said that Munoz should fight the loser of this fight. It’s really the only one that makes sense, including that Lombard called him out before this fight.

Renan Barao vs. Urijah Faber: Barao showed us all that he truly has the best chance at dethroning the bantamweight champion that is Dominick Cruz. Barao dominated this fight from the beginning with kicks, knees, and powerfully fast punches. Barao truly is amazing.

Possible matchups for Barao: If Barao isn’t planning on waiting for Cruz, the only fight that makes sense for him to defend his belt would be against Michael McDonald.

Possible matchups for Faber: Miguel Torres and Urijah Faber’s careers are starting to close in on them. This used to be the super fight that we all wanted very badly back in the WEC days. There is no better time than now. 

For prelim recap, click here.

UFC 149: Barao vs. Faber Prelim Recap

Ryan Jimmo celebrating his win over Anthony Perosh
Photo by Fighters.com

This event started off with some of the best prelims we have had in some time and it was capped off by one of the worst PPV main cards that the UFC has ever had. Not only this, but Dave and I had our worst prediction night since starting CR. Weird night but let’s head into the recap.

Anton Kuivanen vs. Mitch Clarke: This surprisingly turned out to be an awesome fight, mainly on the ground. Kuivanen and Clarke battled back and forth for the better part of 3 rounds in a closely contested fight. I ended up scoring the bout for Kuivanen, 29-28, but the second round truly could have gone either way, leading to the split decision. With Clarke now going 0-2, my guess is that he will be released.

Possible matchups for Kuivanen: This win didn’t do much in adding to his stock but it was an entertaining fight and he showed that he can hang with a talented grappler. It’s hard looking for a fight with a guy like Kuivanen but the one that makes the most sense is one with Rafaello Oliviera. “The Tractor” just won a close decision win over Yoislandy Izquierdo, putting him in a similar spot as Kuivanen.

Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda: Carvalho came out in this fight looking to put his first UFC loss behind him with a win over the tenacious Daniel Pineda. He did so in just 71 seconds with a beautifully set up combo that put Pineda out.

Possible matchups for Carvalho: This guy looked amazing out there. He came out very calm, which was something that he lacked in his fight with Arantes. He was very robotic and clunky in his striking with Felipe and this time around, he was smooth and relaxed. With a win over a guy like Pineda, who a lot of people were considering to be one of the next big things at 145 pounds, Carvalho has shown he deserves a step up. The former WEC featherweight champion looked very good in his win over Pineda himself. A win over Mike Brown would be a huge feather in the cap of Carvalho.

Possible matchups for Pineda: Losing two in row in the UFC is never good, but Pineda still has potential. He deserves a rebound fight and Cody McKenzie is coming off a quick TKO loss himself at the hands of Chad Mendes. Pineda should rather easily dispatch of him.

Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon: This fight was FOTN for a reason, Gagnon came out hard and quick and nearly finished Caraway in the first two rounds with some brutal knees. Caraway showed that he is a solid vet as he came back to submit Gagnon in the closing frame after Mitch had visibly slowed down dramatically.

Possible matchups for Caraway: Caraway clearly needs to work on his standup, he’s tough but is capable of being finished. His ground game is fantastic and he is a very experienced guy. Matt Grice just came off a very impressive win over Leonard Garcia, a fight in which he really showed off his wrestling ability. They are in similar spots in their career and a win would catapult either fighter into the mid-tier range of 145 pounds.

Possible matchups for Gagnon: Gagnon had a bad case of the UFC jitters as he gassed out hard after the first round. But before that, he was looking good. With his first UFC fight under his belt, his gas tank will most likely be much better in his sophomore UFC fight. Fellow 149 loser Roland Delorme is coming off a devastating first round KO loss at the hands of Francisco Rivera. A bout between them would definitely be an exciting fight wherever it goes, and a competitive one at that.

Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh: One punch can end your night and sometimes, the first one will do just that. Jimmo threw one punch and ended Perosh’s 3-fight win streak in just 7 seconds.

Possible matchups for Jimmo: You can’t do much better in a UFC debut than what Jimmo did on Saturday. After being unfairly criticized for being too boring, he put his naysayers to bed with one big overhand right. Jimmo has the ability to be solid fighter at 205. Chad Griggs has yet to make his 205 debut and a fight between them would be fun and the winner would deserve a big step up in competition.

Possible matchups for Perosh: At 40 years old, “The Hippo” has to be considering retirement by now, but if he isn’t, he could fight the loser of Jorden Kruth and Fabio Maldonado and would make sense; considering they are all in similar spots in their careers as Perosh.

Francisco Rivera vs. Roland Delorme: Rivera looked like a title contender out there. He had pinpoint accuracy, powerful knees and punches, and a lot of speed to top it off. Rivera looked like he had some of the best standup at 135 pounds. Delorme is not an easy guy to finish and Rivera seemed to have done it with ease.

Possible matchups for Rivera: Rivera looked absolutely outstanding in his win over Delorme. The question still remains about Rivera, how has his ground game come along since his submission loss to Reuban Duran? He looked like he is very ready for a step up in competition and a man who can test his ground game and be a step up is Ivan Menjivar. He just came off a loss to Mike Easton and they would put up an awesome fight.

Nick Ring vs. Court McGee: A lot of people following this fight are saying that McGee definitely won this fight but I actually scored it for Ring 29-28. It was really close, don’t get me wrong, I just thought that Nick Ring won that fight.

Possible matchups for Ring and McGee: With this fight technically being their 1^st (they fought during their time on The Ultimate Fighter) and the fact that it was very entertaining and super close, I wouldn’t mind seeing them duke it out again.

For the main card recap, click here.

UFC 149: Barao vs. Faber Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao: (our interview with Urijah about this fight and much much more, click here!)This fight is going to be amazing! I am so pumped for this. We will either see 1) Faber win and become one of the best fighters to ever live (if he is not one already) and cement himself as a legend and be only the 3^rd person ever to be a Zuffa champion in 2 different weight classes. Or 2) Barao wins and we see a new star born who has the potential to beat Cruz and own that belt for years to come. Barao will be much bigger and stronger and have better striking but Faber will be faster and have better wrestling. I think the BJJ aspect will be cancelled out because both are amazing. Anything can happen in this fight but I feel more comfortable in picking Barao. I think he has more ways to win and I can see him winning the fight in a similar fashion to when Jose Aldo beat Faber. This one will be fun and I can’t wait! = Barao by unanimous decision. My 1st Pick for Fight of theNight!

Tim Boetsch vs. Hector Lombard: I love Tim Boetsch; from the time I saw him throw David Heath neck-first onto the floor like a rag doll.The guy puts on fights, real fights. Lombard is a high level grappler with crazy strength and decent striking. This will be Lombard’s long awaited UFC debut and Boetsch is no easy test to start your UFC career against. Boetsch has amazing heart and is as strong as they come but is not great at any one thing. I hope Boestsch wins but the safer pick is with Lombard. = Lombard by unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Cheick Kongo: This should be a fun standup war. Jordan has impressed me for awhile now and Kongo has been looking worse and worse as of late. Jordan should also have the grappling advantage and he has the better camp. I can’t envision Kongo winning this thing unless Jordan either gets careless or has a horrible night. = Jordan by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Brian Ebersole vs. James Head: Head looked great against Papy Abedi and he has beaten the formidable Gerald Harris. However, Ebersole is 4-0 in the UFC and has looked good except in the Claude Patrick fight. Ebersole will be shorter and most likely a reach disadvantage but he is much better then Head everywhere and he should take this. = Ebersole by unanimous decision.

Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle: This fight will probably be a sloppy brawl but fun to watch. I think Clements is much better then Riddle and I think Riddle will be cut after this fight. Look for Clements to have the speed advantage and take this somewhat easily. = Clements by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Court McGee vs. Nick Ring = Ring by split decision.

Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera = Delorme by split decision. My 2nd pick for Fight of the Night!
(For our interview with Roland Delorme click here, our interview with Fracisco Rivera click here)

Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh = Perosh by split decision.

Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon = Caraway by unanimous decision.

Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda = Pineda by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen = Kuivanen by unanimous decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao: (our interview with Urijah about this fight and much much more, click here) This is one of those types of fights that you don’t want either guy to lose. I really want to see the Faber-Cruz trilogy resolved and I also want to see Barao show the world why he is considered Cruz’s biggest threat. Because Barao trains at Nova Uniao, he has a training partner that has fought, and defeated, Urijah Faber. Jose Aldo, the current UFC featherweight champion, dominated Faber in the past which headlined WEC’s largest event. Barao is a very similar fighter to that of Aldo; very technical and quick standup with devastating leg kicks. Barao is going to win this fight with the leg kicks, it worked for Aldo = Barao by unanimous decision. My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch: I am a huge Boetsch fan. I always have been since his amazing slam win over David Heath. I am saying this because I want everyone to know that I am not joining the Lombard hype train. Lombard is a very good fighter. His standup is powerful and technical and his judo is phenomenal. Boetsch is the type of guy who is constantly finding ways to win against fighters who are hefty favorites. He could very well do it in this fight. Lombard is the better grappler but Boetsch can always find a way to win. I will be cheering for "The Barbarian" = Lombard by close unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Cheick Kongo: Shawn Jordan is going to be one of the next big things at heavyweight. He has powerful standup and a solid ground game. Cheick Kongo’s chin is gone and his ground game sucks. Everything in this fight favors Jordan = Jordan by 3^rd round TKO. My pick for KOOTN!

Brian Ebersole vs. James Head: Head has not impressed me yet, the best thing he has done is beat Gerald Harris. Ebersole is starting to cement himself as a title contender and James Head will never be one. Ebersole will dominate this fight wherever it goes =Ebersole by 1^st round submission. My pick for SOTN!

Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle: Riddle is the sloppiest fighter in the UFC. He is just plain bad. I thought that Henry Martinez won their fight and he was half a foot shorter than Riddle. Clements is a fun fighter and should easily win this one = Clements by unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Prelims

Court McGee vs. Nick Ring: Ring by split decision.

Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera: Rivera by split decision. My 1^st pick for FOTN!
(For our interview with Roland Delorme click here, our interview with Fracisco Rivera click here)

Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh: Jimmo by 1^st round TKO (but this was hard to pick).

Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon: Gagnon by 3^rd round submission.

Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda: Pineda by 1st round submission (choke).

Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen: Clarke by unanimous decision.

Bellator 72 Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Karl Amoussou vs. Bryan Baker: This should be a good fight. It should be a fun fight with good action and technical grappling. I really like Bryan Baker and I think his massive size and high skill level with allow him to take this one but Amoussou will put up a good fight. = Baker by unanimous decision.

Rudy Bears vs. Paul Daley: Daley by TKO in round 1.

Emanuel Newton vs. Attila Vegh: Vegh by submission in round 2.

Tim Carpenter vs. Travis Wiuff: Wiuff by unanimous decision.

Waachiim Spiritwolf vs. Marius Zaromskis: Spiritwolf by KO in round 2.

Prelims

Ben Saunders vs. Brian Warren: Saunders by submission in round 3.

Chris Barnett vs. Tom Sauer: Sauer by unanimous decision.

Raul Amaya vs. Kenny Moss: Amaya by submission in round 1.

Matt McCook vs. Shanon Slack: Slack by unanimous decision.

Paul Barrow vs. Jason Carapelluci: Carapelluci by unanimous decision.

Ryan DeRocher vs. Julien Williams: DeRocher by unanimous decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Karl Amoussou vs. Bryan Baker: This fight has all the makes to be one of the best this year. They are both very aggressive, well-rounded fighters that love to try and knock out their opponents or submit them. Amoussou has a clear advantage on the ground but Baker is going to be much stronger than him as he was a strong middleweight. Strength is a big factor in submission defense. Also, Amoussou underwhelmed me in his last performance against Rickels, I scored it 28-28. Baker isn’t going to finish him, but he will win at least two of the three rounds = Baker by unanimous decision. 

Rudy Bears vs. Paul Daley: Daley by split decision.

Emanuel Newton vs. Attila Vegh: Vegh by 3^rd round submission.

Tim Carpenter vs. Travis Wiuff: Wiuff by unanimous decision.

Waachiim Spiritwolf vs. Marius Zaromskis: Spiritwolf by 3^rd round KO

Prelims

Ben Saunders vs. Brian Warren: Saunders by split decision.

Chris Barnett vs. Tom Sauer: Sauer by unanimous decision

Raul Amaya vs. Kenny Moss: Amaya by 2^nd round submission.

Matt McCook vs. Shanon Slack: Slack by unanimous decision.

Paul Barrow vs. Jason Carapelluci: Carapelluci by 3^rd round TKO.

Ryan DeRocher vs. Julien Williams: DeRocher by split decision.

Cage Warriors 48 Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Chris Fields vs. John Phillips: Phillips by TKO in round 1.

Jack Mason vs. Danny Roberts: Mason by submission in round 3.

Leigh Cohoon vs. Aaron Wilkinson: Wilkinson by submission in round 2.

Brett Sizeland vs. Denniston Sutherland: Sutherland by split decision.

Dale Hardiman vs. Ido Pariente: Pariente by submission in round 1.

Kris Edwards vs. Brian Hyslop: Hyslop by submission in round 2.

Prelims

Dayman Lake vs. Jay Mortimore: Mortimore by TKO in round 1.

Piotr Ptasinski vs. Jacek Toczydlowski: Jacek by split decision.

Mehmet Faulds vs. Leon Del Gaudio: Faulds by unanimous decision.

Victor Peixoto vs. Charlie Watts: Charlie Watts by submission in round 1.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Chris Fields vs. John Phillips = Phillips by unanimous decision.

Jack Mason vs. Danny Roberts = Mason by 1^st round submission.

Leigh Cohoon vs. Aaron Wilkinson = Cohoon by split decision.

Brett Sizeland vs. Denniston Sutherland = Sutherland by 3^rd round TKO.

Dale Hardiman vs. Ido Pariente = Pariente by 1^st round TKO.

Kris Edwards vs. Brian Hyslop = Hyslop by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Dayman Lake vs. Jay Mortimore = Lake by split decision.

Piotr Ptasinski vs. Jacek Toczydlowski = Jacek by unanimous decision.

Mehmet Faulds vs. Leon Del Gaudio = Faulds by unanimous decision.

Victor Peixoto vs. Charlie Watts = Watts by 2^nd round submission.

CR Exclusive Interview with Tarec Saffiedine

Photo by MMAJunkie.com

Tarec Saffiedine is a very well rounded welterweight fighting out of Team Quest and a top guy in Strikeforce. He was originally a Muay Thai kickboxer before making his move over to MMA in 2007. He is fighting Roger Bowling on August 18 at the Rousey vs. Kaufman card. With the Strikeforce executives scrambling for title challengers at welterweight, a win over Roger Bowling could certainly send Tarec right into that position.

He was very gracious in agreeing to do an interview with us before his fight.

Championship Rounds: So your next opponent is the up and coming Roger Bowling on August 18. Talk about that fight. How has camp been going?

Tarec Saffiedine: It’s a big fight for me because I believe a win should put me really close to a title fight. He is explosive but I believe I am more technical and this should make the difference.

Camp is going well, we have eight weeks so it’s perfect to plan the camp and I have great boxers and wrestlers that are here to help me out along with my usual partners at Team Quest. I train with my coaches Daniel Woirin for the Muay Thai, Ricardo Feliciano for BJJ, Bryan Harper for MMA and Brian Richardson for conditioning. I have a great team behind me.

CR: How do you envision the fight going?

TS: He always starts strong in the first round so I have to break his explosiveness, and then use my technique to frustrate him and win the fight.

CR: You have been a striker for a very long time yet most of your wins have been by submission. How long have you been training in BJJ?

TS: When I first started training, I started with taekwondo, and then I turned to Shihaishinkai Karate which is a Karate that incorporates Judo throws and a little bit of BJJ as well. So I basically started BJJ when I started training my stand up, but the level in Europe at that time was far from the level we have here in the USA. That’s what I realized when I came here [the US] for the first time and got taken down at will. I realized what I learned in Europe was far from enough from the level here, especially with the wrestling part.

CR: What is it like training at such a highly touted camp such as Team Quest?

TS: You know, since I moved to the USA to train with Team Quest, I traveled to other camps and trained at other gyms but I don’t see myself training somewhere else. It’s kind of my roots and we have some of the best coaches. The wrestling base is great and having Dan Henderson as a training partner, you can’t ask for anything better. I learn everyday from everyone and everyone helps each other out. The team is still growing and we have new guys coming to train with us and bring their knowledge as well so it’s great.

CR: How different is it going from fighting professionally in kickboxing to fighting professionally in MMA?

TS: It’s a lot different I believe. When you are an active pro competitor in Muay Thai, you fight every two weeks, get injured and don’t get paid as much as you do in MMA. So you have to fight more to be able to make a living and only a few fighters are able to make names out there because it’s a lot less streaming worldwide, that’s why everybody is going to MMA, more exposure and quicker money making. You have unbelievable Muay Thai fighters with more than 100 fights that have to fight for $1000 because they don’t have as much respect as a MMA fighter. The Muay Thai life is way harder I believe than MMA. 

CR: Where did you get your nickname, "Sponge"?

TS: From my former coach in Belgium. He said that I am like a Sponge because every time, he taught me a technique I was able to replicate (absorb) it right away. So I stuck with it.

CR: Thank you again! We will be cheering for you during your fight!

TS: Thank you very much

Thanks to Tarec for the interview. Go follow him on Twitter @tarecfighter and support him in his fight on August 18!

CR Exclusive Interview with Roland Delorme!

Roland celebrating after submitting Josh Ferguson  (Photo from thescore.com)

Roland Delorme is an exciting bantamweight in the UFC. His record is 8-1 with all 8 wins being finished. He was a member of The Ultimate Fighter 14 cast and was on Jason “Mayhem” Miller’s team, going against Michael Bisping’s team, in the first season to ever have bantamweights competing. He is now 2-0 in the UFC and has a big fight coming up at UFC 149 on July 21^st against Francisco Rivera (for our interview with Francisco Rivera click here). We were able to get a great interview with Roland before his big fight. (Go follow him on Twitter @rolanddelorme1) (CR in bold)

CR: Hey Roland, thanks so much for doing this interview. We look forward to your fight with Rivera.

1) You are fighting Francisco Rivera at UFC 149. Talk about that fight. How do you envision it?

Roland Delorme: I envision myself feeding him right hands like he's hungry. Getting in his face and making it a bloody war. My blood or his blood it doesn’t matter. People want blood and I want to give it to them.

2) What typically goes through your head before each fight?

RD: Before each fight I just try to keep positive thoughts going through my head and stay relaxed, like the calm before the storm.

3) How much are you looking forward to fighting in front of your home country? How will that play out in the fight?

RD: I can't wait to fight in Canada in front of everybody in Calgary. I’m going to do my best to make it an entertaining fight. I see myself winning and being on TV is going to make it that much better knowing all my friends and family back home are watching.

4) You took your last fight on short notice against Nick Denis. How much do you think that hindered your performance, despite the fact that you won?

RD: I don’t think it hindered my performance at all actually. I knew I was going to get smacked around the first little bit and the same is going to happen for this fight. It might take me a bit to pick up on his striking habits but when I do you'll know it. Besides if I don’t get beat up then it’s not really a fight and what’s the fun in that?

5) Talk about your experience on TUF. What was it like training under Jason Miller? What was your mindset following being in the house?

RD: The training in the house was great and Jason (“Mayhem” Miller) seemed very into helping me improve my ground game and all around MMA game; which to this day I appreciate very much. Before I got to the house I wasn’t sure if I could compete on a UFC level but by the time I left I knew I was on that level and not only compete but win and my confidence went through the roof. Now, every time you see me fight I'm getting way better than the last and I want to keep this ball rolling.

6) Following your last two wins, where do you rank yourself among your fellow 135ers?

RD: I think I’m in the top twenty in the world and with a win over Cisco (Francisco Rivera) will solidify that. I don’t live in the past or the future. I live in the now and right now Cisco is all that matters and after that we will see where I sit.

Make sure you watch his fight on July 21^st against another rising star Francisco Rivera. It has huge chance at being Fight of the Night! Make sure to follow him on Twitter at @rolanddelorme1