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TUF 17 Contestant Clint Hester's TUF Blog: Episode 3

Hester's TUF Profile

Heading into the third episode of the 17^th season of The Ultimate Fighter, there was an incredible amount of hype. The hype was surrounding a supposed “one of the worst knockouts not just in TUF history, but in all of the fight business”. Many were skeptical due to Dana’s love of hyping fights.

Well, it was one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history. It was not only hard to watch, but it made you grimace and cringe. It was both beautiful, and terrifying.

But before I write out a whole article about it, let’s welcome Clint Hester back for his point of view:

So this episode starts out showing Bubba calling out Kevin "King" Casey, and King expressing his feelings about being called out, still having a cut from elimination fights. Which is interesting for me, because I don't feel one should have a tough guy attitude when it comes to The Ultimate Fighter. Especially when you have a house full of this much talent!

Next thing we see is how Uriah's past affects him today in his adult life. I can see how it would be hard to go from being degraded and ridiculed as a young child to where a simple joke would trigger so much anger in the blink of an eye. But when you are around a group of new people, sometimes customs are just very different. Then we all get to see how Adam has come along in his fight career, which impresses me because he has a “plan B” making this is a no pressure situation. So we know that he can still enjoy the fun in the sport that we all love. 

We all know that we are in a sport that is 90% mental when you really give it an in-depth look. If you're not in it mentally, no matter how much talent or athleticism you have, all the talents in the world won't help anything! 

So now we go to the fight. I loved how Adam went out and let his hands go. He came to fight. He threw combos, controlled the ring, and was the aggressor. But there were times when Uriah's strength and speed helped to not completely give Adam the edge. Then we see a very nasty KO. It was all due to Adam making a very small mistake that very few fighters would actually be able to capitalize on. Because the window of opportunity that Adam gave Uriah was so small, it just goes to show Uriah's striking level. Now Team Jones is down 0-2. We have to wait and see what happens with Collin Hart vs. "King" Kevin Casey!! 

CR Exclusive Interview with Daniel Straus

Daniel Straus receiving the $100,000 check after winning Bellator's featherweight tournament.
Photo via MMAWeekly.com

The second best featherweight in Bellator could very well be the best featherweight in Bellator. Daniel Straus, a huge and strong 145er, is the next to challenge current Bellator champion, Pat Curran. With an extremely impressive record of 21-4 including wins over Marlon Sandro, Mike Corey, and Nazareno Malagarie, Straus could very well be the man to take the belt away from Curran.

Despite Curran holding a win over Straus in the past, these are two completely different fighters since that past meeting.

With their second meeting now scheduled for April of this year, Straus sat down with us for an interview.

Check it out:

CR: Going into your fight with Pat Curran in April, what are your plans when it comes to your training camp; what will you be focusing on the most?

Daniel: I sat down with the coaches and I have been studying tape with them and I think, personally, I like the stand up game with him. He has really good boxing but with my stuff, I think I can exploit some of the things that he is weak at. When I get in the gym with my coaches, we have been working really hard on my movement, standing and basically my fundamentals.

CR: How do you think your previous loss to Curran will affect this fight for the both of you when it comes to mentality and preparation?

Daniel: I think the loss helps motivate me and to be honest I don't really think about it. It doesn't really bother me. I don't grieve on it and I don't go back to it as far as looking at my career. It is a loss to me and I've moved on. I learned from that loss. You can tell from my record. After that loss to Pat Curran it did something to me. So, coming into this fight it is just the same thing. I lost to him when I previously fought him. I knew I'd fight him again. Obviously everyone knows he hits hard but I am not scared to get hit by him. So, that’s actually an advantage for me, its keeps me more motivated.

Cr: Great and also, who do you predict will win the current featherweight tournament: Shamalaev or Rad Martinez?

Daniel: Honestly man, it’s really a tossup. Somebody asked me that before and it’s really hard to answer. You know Martinez, a lot of guys count him out but as you can see that in every fight he has ever fought in, he is always in there. He is the guy to beat. As far as Shamalaev, he’s just as tough. He looks like a killer and fights like a killer. So, it’s just going to be a tough fight for the both of them.

CR: Yea it should be a great fight. So, you to be improving each fight, what have you been doing to be able to improve like that?

Daniel: Really just focusing on my flaws. Focus on what I'm good at and what I'm not good at. Going back to the drawing board. It’s not myself that makes me better. It’s my teammates and my coaches. I get in the gym I work hard with my teammates. And when I'm not doing something right I am instructed to do it differently. I will then try and work on that more and more. And I think it has been showing through in my fights.

CR: Absolutely. Also, what will your goals be after you win the title?

                                                                                                 

Daniel: My goal after winning the title is to defend the title and continue to defend the title. I don't necessarily have any goals as far as like with any other organization. Right now, I am just focusing on winning fights. Right now, this is where I'm at and this is where I want to win my fights at. For the future I just see myself as a multiple time championship winner and holding on to the belt in Bellator.

CR: What do you think will go through your mind if you win the title?

Daniel: I did it. You know, I did it. This fight is really important for me. I've come a long way in my career. It’s been only a few years but it has come full circle for me. You know it’s a big stage. It’s also getting bigger with Spike and everything so winning this fight just lets me know to myself that I've made it.

CR: Wow that's really awesome. What strategy do you believe Curran will use against you?

Daniel: I think he will definitely want to pick me apart on the feet. I think he will want to use his boxing advantage. I think he will want to use it for the fact that he's knocked me out before. An advantage that maybe he thinks I will keep that in my head; which really doesn't bother me. I think he'll also use the fact that he's very good on the ground and up against the cage. So, I think he will definitely try and exploit those for sure.

CR: When you finished Alvin Robinson, did it feel good to quiet all of the critics who have complained saying that you don't finish fights?

Daniel: To be honest, no man. It really didn't. I stand behind how I feel, you know what I mean?

CR: Yea for sure.

Daniel: Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of people get what I say wrong. People take me as "Oh he's not a guy that wants to finish" or "he's not looking for the finish"; which is absolutely not true. I'm looking for that knockout. I want that knockout, I want that submission. It feels good to get it but I'm not going to change how I fight for the next man's view. I believe that if I can break a man by going all 15 or 25 minutes then that's what I’m going to do to win my fight. This game is a strategy game. It’s not just a barbaric game, its strategy. If that’s my strategy and it works for me, then that's what I'm going to continue to do.

CR: Yea, sounds very reasonable. Why change what is making you so successful. Anyway, we wish you a ton of luck in your fight against Pat.

Daniel: Thanks a lot man.

Make sure to follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielStraus and support him in his upcoming title bid against Pat Curran on April 4^th. 

UFC on Fuel TV 7 Predictions

Make sure to tune onto Facebook at 12 PM ET and to Fuel at 3 PM ET for this event.

Sam's Picks

Main Card

Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald: A fight between the two brightest and most entertaining stars in the UFC? I’m down, but it’s not going to be as close as we are hoping it to be. Despite McDonald’s incredible power for a bantamweight, Barao is the superior fighter everywhere it goes. His technique and speed is unmatched by many fighters at 135 and his ground game is probably the best at bantamweight, or at least his BJJ. We have to really see what McDonald’s ground game is like as his standup has been putting many of his opponents unconscious early. Barao will be able to pick McDonald apart on the feet for a majority of the fight. If he is able to avoid the power punches, a late submission could be in the works for Barao = Barao via 5^th round submission (choke). My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Cub Swanson vs. Dustin Poirier: Early fight of the year candidate? Absolutely. Hard fight to pick the winner of? Yes, and no. I have picked against Swanson in his last 3 fights, only for him to knockout his last three opponents. Dustin has been look progressively worse in his last three fights: losing the standup game to a promotional newcomer, being submitted by the underdog in Chan Sung Jung, and almost being finished by Jonathan Brookins. Though he has gone 2-1 in those fights, Poirier is still a growing fighter. He needs more time to grow before becoming a title contender. Swanson is hitting his prime right now in his career. Because Poirier was nearly knocked out in his last fight against Brookins, I think that’s what Swanson will do = Swanson via 2^nd round TKO. My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Jimi Manuwa vs. Cyrille Diabate: I’m a fan of Jimi Manuwa. I love to watch him fight and I look forward to his UFC career. But he desperately needs to work on his conditioning. The only reason he got the finish over Kingsbury in his last fight was because of a swollen eye. Diabate looked absolutely fantastic in his last bout over Griggs, but I feel as though it was more Griggs looking atrocious and Diabate taking advantage of that. Diabate has the technique advantage while Manuwa will have a huge power advantage. I see Manuwa winning two of the three rounds with Diabate showing holes in Manuwa’s game = Manuwa via unanimous decision.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago: It’s a shame that someone like Jorge Santiago just simply can’t find his groove inside the UFC. His record of 1-4 is very under-average and doesn’t do his skills a justice. But Gunnar Nelson, now that is a name that casual fans need to remember. His BJJ is some of the best in the UFC. Santiago also has spectacular BJJ but Nelson is on another level. We saw what happened when Santiago fought someone who was the better grappler in Maia: he lost by decision. Though Nelson isn’t as good as Maia, I still predict a similar outcome = Nelson via unanimous decision.

James Te Huna vs. Ryan Jimmo: I love this fight. They are two of the more exciting prospects in the UFC looking to send themselves into contention. Though they are both big power punchers, but there is a difference in how they find that big punch. Te Huna is a blitzer; he goes right after his opponent with combinations aplenty looking for the knockout. Jimmo measures more and takes his time when looking for that finishing shot. Both guys have amazing chins and are pretty good grapplers. I think Te Huna’s blitzing style is what is going to win him this fight = Te Huna via unanimous decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Che Mills vs. Matt Riddle: I have got to say, Matt Riddle has really impressed me lately. He looked really good against Chris Clements (despite the fact that it was overturned due to marijuana) and showed a more measured fighting style against John Maguire. But Mills is on a different level to that of both Clements and Maguire. His standup is devastating. He hits so hard that it’s hard to watch. Mills will continually hurt Riddle until he gets the finish = Mills via 2^nd round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte = Etim via 1^st round submission (armbar).

Paul Sass vs. Danny Castillo = Sass via 1^st round submission (triangle). My pick for SOTN!

Josh Grispi vs. Andy Ogle = Grispi via split decision.

Stanislav Nedkov vs. Tom Watson = Nedkov via 2nd round submission (arm triangle).

Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka = Lee via unanimous decision.

Ulysses Gomez vs. Phil Harris = Gomez via 3^rd round submission (choke).

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Renan Barao vs. Michael McDonald: McDonald is a great young fighter with a huge future ahead of him, but outside of a “puncher’s chance”, he is not going to come close to winning this. Barao is an animal who is a better athlete and is far above McDonald’s skill level in every facet of the game. I see Barao controlling the fight and not getting too risky, but if he hurts McDonald at all, he will pounce and finish it. = Barao by unanimous decision.

Dustin Poirier vs. Cub Swanson: Possible fight of the year candidate in this one. Swanson has been improving by leaps and bounds lately and seems to be taking out good competition rather easily. Poirier is always a gamer but the main difference in this fight for me is Cub’s fight IQ as of late. He is a Jackson’s fighter and it has been showing. Poirier is a great fighter but his recklessness will hurt him in this one. I see Poirier getting sloppy and Cub sneaking in an opening and dropping Poirier. = Cub by TKO in round 2. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Cyrille Diabate vs. Jimi Manuwa: If it wasn’t for the Swanson vs. Poirier fight, this would be my pick for Fight of the Night! This fight will be an all out technical striking match. The main differences in this fight are the facts that Diabate’s chin will not be able to handle Manuwa’s power and speed. Manuwa will be much faster, stronger but Diabate will have a major reach disadvantage. If Diabate wants to win, he must keep Manuwa as far away as possible. But I see Manuwa using leg kicks and speed to be able to cut down on Diabate’s footwork and mobility. This will be a close one but don’t be surprised if Manuwa pulls off a huge KO. = Manuwa by unanimous decision.

Gunnar Nelson vs. Jorge Santiago: Always good to see Jorge back in the UFC. He is an exciting fighter who can be brilliant at times. Nelson is going to be a very tough test for Jorge. Nelson is extremely well rounded and is a finisher in every sense of the word. Jorge has a chance to come back and win this by playing it smart and not getting into any ugly scrambles, but Gunnar is a young brute and he will find a way to win. = Nelson by unanimous decision.

Ryan Jimmo vs. James Te Huna: Oh boy, this is a treat. Minus his last fight, Jimmo is a slow starter that plots around looking for an opening to land bombs. That will not be the case this time as Te Huna will blitz him like he always does. Jimmo will be forced out of his comfort zone and I don’t think he will like this fight one bit. I see Te Huna being too much for Jimmo and later on catching him. = Te Huna by TKO in round 3.

Che Mills vs. Matthew Riddle: Riddle’s boxing is very strange and not all that effective. That is what will lose him this fight against Mills. Mills has great striking abilities. Mill will land early and often until Riddle is out cold. = Mills by KO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Prelims

Terry Etim vs. Renee Forte = Etim by submission in round 1.

Danny Castillo vs. Paul Sass = Sass by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Josh Grispi vs. Andy Ogle = Grispi by unanimous decision.

Stanislav Nedkov vs. Tom Watson = Nedkov by split decision.

Vaughan Lee vs. Motonobu Tezuka = Lee by submission in round 2.

Ulysses Gomez vs. Phil Harris = Gomez by split decision.

Let us know your predictions either on Twitter @Champion_Rounds or in the comments.

Bellator 89 Predictions

Make sure to tune in for this event at 8:00 PM on Spike.tv for the prelims and at 10:00, Spike TV will be featuring the main card.

Sam's Picks

Main Card

Eduardo Dantas vs. Marcos Galvao: Okay, we all know that Dantas was knocked out in his last fight, a fight in which was supposed to be a warm up fight for him. It didn’t go so well so people are sort of overlooking Dantas now. Don’t do that! He is still one of the more exciting prospects in all MMA. Galvao is also a fantastic fighter who is very well rounded. His main weakness is his chin. He has been knocked out twice and rocked by several people. Dantas’ power is underrated and I believe he will knock Galvao down and look for the finish = Dantas via 3^rd round submission.

Brian Rogers vs. Dan Cramer = Rogers via split decision.

Brett Cooper vs. Norman Paraisy = Cooper via unanimous decision.

Andreas Spang vs. Doug Marshall = Spang via 1^st round KO.

Prelims

Timothy Goodwin vs. Nathan Davis = Goodwin via 3^rd round TKO.

Chris Mierzwiak vs. Johnny Buck = Buck via unanimous decision.

Kyle Bolt vs. Joe Pacehco = Bolt via unanimous decision.

Sultan Aliev vs. Mikkel Parlo = Parlo via 2^nd round KO.

Aaron Johnson vs. Brennan Ward = Ward via 1^st round KO.

David Mejia vs. Mont Mcmullens = Mejia via 1^st round submission (strikes).

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Eduardo Dantas vs. Marcos Galvao: I am very excited about this fight. Dantas is a killer but is coming off of a devastating loss to Tyson Nam and will be looking to rebound against a very tough and technical grappler in Marcos Galvao. I think Galvao’s best chance is to try and make this a slow grinding ground battle. If Dantas is allowed to fight his game, Galvao will be taken out early. This one is tough to pick but I think I’m going with the younger, stronger, faster champion. = Dantas by unanimous decision.

Dan Cramer vs. Brian Rogers = Rogers by unanimous decision.

Brett Cooper vs. Norman Paraisy = Cooper by split decision.

Doug Marshall vs. Andreas Spang = Spang by unanimous decision.

Prelims

Nathan Davis vs. Tim Goodwin = Goodwin by unanimous decision.

Johnny Buck vs. Chris Mierzwiak = Buck by TKO in round 2.

Kyle Bolt vs. Joe Pacheco = Bolt by unanimous decision.

Sultan Aliev vs. Mikkel Parlo = Parlo by TKO in round 2.

Aaron Johnson vs. Brennan Ward = Ward by KO in round 1.

Mont McMullens vs. David Mejia = Mejia by KO in round 1.

Let us know your predictions on Twitter @Champion_Rounds or in the comments.

MFC 36: Reality Check Predictions

Sam's Picks

Graham Spencer vs. Mukai Maromo: This is a fantastic fight. Their first fight was great and now that they have both really improved since then, it will be even better this time around. Spencer did win that fight by unanimous decision, but Maromo has really improved since then, showing a better ground game and displaying brutal knockout power. Spencer is still a very good fighter, but Maromo will win this rematch = Maromo via unanimous decision.

Elvis Mutapcic vs. Sam Alvey: (Check out our interview here) I have to say, I was extremely surprised when I found out that the UFC released Alvey following TUF. He is entertaining, charismatic, and extremely talented. What he showed on TUF doesn’t do him a justice. He has wins over Lucas Lopes, Jason Guida, and even Karl Amoussou. He also has an extremely close loss to Vitor Vianna. Mutapcic is also one of the more exciting prospects himself, always putting on great fights and pulling off upsets. I mean, the guy has wins over Joseph Henle, Jacen Flynn, Zak Cummings and even has a knockout win over TUF: Brazil winner, Cezar Ferreira in just 25 seconds. They both have the tools to defeat each other, but I think Alvey has the power to win it. It will be extremely close but Alvey will rock him several times throughout, making the judges lean to him = Alvey via split decision.

Mike Hackert vs. Smealinho Rama = Hackert via split decision.

Clay Davidson vs. Jason Zentgraf = Zentgraf via unanimous decision.

Leo Bercier vs. Jay Silva = Silva via 1^st round KO.

Jonatas Novaes vs. Kurt Southern = Southern via unanimous decision.

Dave's Picks

Mukai Maromo vs. Graham Spencer: This fight should be a blast to watch. I think Maromo’s game has improved since the last time these two fought back in 2010. However, his game has not evolved enough to handle Spencer. Spencer will drag this to the ground and keep it there until the final bell rings. = Spencer by unanimous decision.

Elvis Mutapcic vs. Sam Alvey: (Check out our interview here) Sam Alvey is the man! He was a great interview and I think he takes this fight. But both of these guys are incredibly durable and tough and they are also both very well-rounded. This will be a close fight but I think Alvey comes from a great camp and he is also much more experienced. I see Alvey controlling the pace and dictating where the fight takes place; landing bombs along the way. = Alvey by unanimous decision.

Mike Hackert vs. Smealinho Rama = Hackert by split decision.

Clay Davidson vs. Jason Zentgraf = Zentgraf by submission in round 3.

Leo Bercier vs. Jay Silva = Silva by KO in round 2.

Jonatas Novaes vs. Kurt Southern = Novaes by submission in round 2.

Make sure to tune in to this event at 10 PM on AXS TV on February 15th and let us know your predictions for this event, either on Twitter @Champion_Rounds, or in the comments.

UFC 157 Primetime: Rousey vs. Carmouche - Episode 1 of 3

This is the whole first episode and it is an amazing episode of Primetime. It truly is a must-see. Goes into depth about Ronda and her life. I recommend all of you to watch it. As always feel free to comment on it! Follow us on Twitter @Champion_Rounds

Bellator 88 Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main card

Alexander Shlemenko vs. Maiquel Falcao: Now that Hector Lombard is fighting in the UFC, Bellator has made a fantastic matchup between their two very best middleweights. Both guys are very well rounded, but Shlemenko brings in a whole different version of well rounded. Falcao may be powerful and talented on the ground, but Shlemenko is good everywhere. His standup is crisp, technical, and powerful wile his ground game is great both offensively and defensively. Falcao is too wild in the standup, which leaves him open for counters and has a tendency to be rocked in his fights = Shlemenko via 1^st round TKO.

Marlon Sandro vs. Akop Stepanyan = Sandro via 2^nd round KO.

Mitch Jackson vs. Mike Richman = Richman via 3^rd round KO.

Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Magomedrasul Khasbulaev = Guerreiro via 3^rd round submission (RNC).

Prelims

Alexandre Bezerra vs. Genair da Silva = Bezerra via unanimous decision.

George Hickman vs. Stephen Upchurch = Upchurch via unanimous decision.

Clay Harvison vs. Ururahy Rodrigues = Rodrigues via unanimous decision.

Kelvin Tiller vs. Dave Vitkay = Tiller via 1^st round KO.

Shane Crenshaw vs. Ronnie Rogers = Rogers via 3^rd round submission.

Jerrid Burke vs. Joe Elmore = Burke via 2^nd round submission.

Dave’s Picks

Main card

Maiquel Falcao vs. Alexander Shlemenko: This fight is extremely hard for me to predict but again I go with what I think is safest. Falcao has not been overly impressive so far in his Bellator career. Shlemenko is an animal and almost impossible to put away. Shlemenko never gets tired and in round three, he will destroy the gassed Falcao. = Shlemenko by TKO in round 3.  

Marlon Sandro vs. Akop Stepanyan = Sandro by unanimous decision.

Mitch Jackson vs. Mike Richman = Richman by split decision.

Fabricio Guerreiro vs. Magomedrasul Khasbulaev = Guerreiro by submission in round 2.

Prelims

Alexandre Bezerra vs. Genair da Silva = Bezerra by split decision.

George Hickman vs. Stephen Upchurch = Hickman by unanimous decision.

Clay Harvison vs. Ururahy Rodrigues = Harvison by unanimous decision.

Kelvin Tiller vs. Dave Vitkay = Tiller by unanimous decision.

Shane Crenshaw vs. Ronnie Rogers = Crenshaw by split decision.

Jerrid Burke vs. Joe Elmore = Burke by split decision.

UFC 156 Main Card Recap

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall: When will the flyweights put on a boring fight? These two put on an incredible scrap, technical back and forth slugfest. It was extremely close, but the difference was the fact that Benavidez landed more and landed harder. McCall should have gone for more takedowns, which really could have won him the fight. He had him on the ground at the end of the second and showed his superior grappling. Benavidez did end up winning by decision, but it was such a close fight that McCall is still very relevant in the title picture.

                                                               

Possible matchups for Benavidez: With this huge win over McCall, Benavidez has earned himself a rematch with the champion, Demetrious Johnson.

Possible matchups for McCall: A record of 0-2-1 in the UFC is never good, in fact, it’s terrible. And yet McCall is still somehow one of the top contenders in the UFC. Right now, due to the lack of depth in the UFC’s flyweight division, there aren’t a lot of fights for a person in McCall’s position. I would say the fight that makes the most sense would be against John Dodson, who is coming off of a very close loss to Demetrious Johnson.

Jon Fitch vs. Demain Maia: Maia just defined the word relentless. He was Velcro; Fitch just couldn’t get Maia off of him. It was impossible. Maia kept on going in for the takedown without losing a step. He had Fitch’s back for about thirteen and a half minutes of the total fifteen. It was complete dominance and it launches Maia into the top of the division.

Possible matchups for Maia: A win over Fitch launches you into the top of the welterweight division, no matter how dominant. With a performance as dominant as Maia’s, he is probably one or two wins away from a title shot. He needs to fight a top contender, so he should fight the loser of Jake Ellenberger and Johny Hendricks.

Possible matchups for Fitch: This was an absolutely devastating loss for Fitch. It puts him back pretty far in the welterweight title ladder. I would like to see him fight Dan Hardy to get back on track. Hardy is coming off of a very impressive win over Amir Sadollah, where he showcased a much improved grappling game.

Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva: I was really disappointed at the first two rounds of this fight. The first two, the third though, not so much. Bigfoot came out into the third realizing he might be down by two rounds. He started to land violent hooks left and right. Overeem started to fade off and Bigfoot knocked the K-1 legend completely unconscious. Dave said before the fight, “If Bigfoot can land a solid punch on Overeem, he will go against the cage and try to run away.” Guess what happened.

Possible matchups for Silva: Who do you give this guy? Overeem were guaranteed a title shot if he won and Bigfoot knocked him out. I would like to see him in a number one contender’s bout with Junior dos Santos. That would be a very interesting bout.

Possible matchups for Overeem: There aren’t a lot of choices for Overeem now. The heavyweight division is similar to the flyweight division in its lack of depth. I would like to see him fight the winner of Mark Hunt and Stefan Struve. A fight with Mark Hunt would be especially amazing.

Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: This fight was absolutely terrible. Despite the fact that Nogueira pulled off the huge upset, both fighters didn’t look particularly great, but Rashad looked especially bad. Nogueira didn’t win this fight; Rashad lost it. I’m very happy that Noguiera won though and I look forward to see who he gets next time out.

Possible matchups for Noguiera: This was an enormous win for the younger Nogueira brother. It puts him right there in the top of the light heavyweight division. I would like to see him fight Glover Teixeira in a fight that would put the winner in a number one contender’s bout.

Possible matchups for Evans: Rashad Evans needs to drop down to middleweight, now. He obviously isn’t going to be fighting Anderson Silva, but I would love to see a fight against Vitor Belfort. That could be a fantastic fight and a potential number one contender’s bout at middleweight.

Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar: This was the exact fight we were all envisioning going in. A back and forth barnburner that ended in controversy. I mean, is that last statement even needed for a Frankie Edgar fight? Unsurprisingly, the first two rounds were very dominant for Aldo. He showed incredible speed and unparalleled accuracy. He rarely missed his target. The leg kicks and jabs were starting to wear down Frankie, but Edgar showed that Jersey toughness. He came out to the third round the fresher fighter and started to find his groove. Edgar was landing solid combinations as Aldo began to visibly tire. Aldo did do much of the same in the third round as he did in the first round, though, as he landed lots of powerful leg kicks and combinations. Once this fight entered the championship rounds, Edgar really began to pick up the pace. He was tagging Aldo with tons of combinations and was really starting to surprise Aldo with some leg kicks as well. The last ten minutes of the fight were Edgar landing lots of solid strikes. But ultimately, Aldo won the very close decision over Frankie.

Possible matchups for Aldo: Last weekend, Ricardo Lamas demolished Erik Koch, the original number one contender, in the second round. If Lamas doesn’t get a title shot (which would be criminal), then Aldo should move up and fight the winner of Ben Henderson and Gilbert Melendez.

Possible matchups for Edgar: Because this fight was so close and entertaining, I believe Frankie will be one win away from a title shot. Chad Mendes and Manny Gamburyan are fighting at UFC 157 so I would like to see Frankie fight the winner of that fight.

UFC 156 Prelim Recap

Hieron following Woodley's KO.
Photo via Yahoo! Sports.

Francisco Rivera vs. Edwin Figueroa: This was a great way to start off one of the best cards in recent memory. It was well known that both of these guys were most likely going to put on a barnburner and that is exactly what it was. In the early goings of the first round, Figueroa caught Rivera on two occasions and even dropping him with the second punch. Rivera showed great recuperation ability as he came back and made the first round much closer than it seemed it was going to be. Rivera landed several takedowns before the round ended. The second round was a different story though. Figueroa landed a takedown early, but Rivera was able to get back up, showing off his improved ground game. Shortly thereafter, Rivera rocked Figueroa and finished him after landing several huge haymakers.

Possible matchups for Rivera: The former featherweight is really finding his home at 135 pounds. With two straight knockout finishes, Rivera is starting to cement himself as a contender at bantamweight. This wasn’t a flawless victory, so a bout with another up and comer should be put in the works with a fighter like Johnny Bedford.

Possible matchups for Figueroa: Despite this loss, Figueroa is still an exciting prospect. He has potential to be a star with his hispanic background and entertaining fight style. If he wants to get back on track he should face off with Azamat Gashimov, who is coming off of a first round submission loss to Ivan Menjivar.

Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura: We have a very promising fighter in the works ladies and gentlemen. The fight was very close throughout the first two rounds. Camus would slightly out-strike Kimura but then go for the takedown, only to be attacked by a crazy amount of submission attempts. Camus clearly had the better standup so I found it confusing as to why he continually went in for the takedowns. When he went for the takedown in the third, Kimura reversed it and ended up in mount. The rear naked choke came soon thereafter, tapping the Roufusport fighter.

Possible matchups for Kimura: I am in love with Kimura’s fighting style. I love fighters who feel comfortable fighting off of their back and are constantly threatening with submissions. I want the UFC to be smart in developing Kimura into a star, so I would like to see a fight with Issei Tamura to build up his stock.

Possible matchups for Camus: Chico Camus is a very good and well rounded fighter, but one thing that he greatly lacks is fight IQ: it is very poor. He should learn from this fight that he should keep it standing against a guy who is mainly a ground fighter. He should fight the loser of Kyung Ho Kang and Alex Caceres in order to stay with the UFC.

Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg: The Strikeforce imports have now started 1-0. Facing off with such a veteran of the sport like Yves is a difficult task, but Isaac Vallie-Flagg seemed very ready for it. He started and ended the fight as the aggressor, something he is very well known for. After a very close first round that showed Ike coming forward while Edwards would land counters here and there, Edwards came back strong. The second was all Edwards as he got Ike’s back and nearly finished him with a rear naked choke. Vallie-Flagg then found his stride in the third round as he consistently moved forward and landed tons of strikes, earning himself the split decision win.

Possible matchups for Vallie-Flagg: A win over Yves Edwards is always a very impressive feat. With a charismatic personality and entertaining fighting style, Vallie-Flagg could build up a nice fan base. I would like to see him fight the winner of Paul Sass and Danny Castillo, who are fighting in a few weeks at UFC on Fuel 7.

Possible matchups for Edwards: There isn’t much more for Yves in MMA anymore. If he doesn’t retire, the only matchups that I would like him to be in are fan friendly fights. If this is what he wants, I would love to see a fight with Donald Cerrone, who is coming off of a TKO loss to Anthony Pettis. Though the fight doesn’t necessarily make sense in the title picture, it does for entertainment.

Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green: Strikeforce: 2. UFC: 0. I was very confident coming into this fight that Volkmann was going to easily dominate this fight. That is how it started out, but Green showed a lot of toughness and skill. Green came back in the second and showed fantastic top control over Volkmann as he elbowed his head multiple times. The third was much of the same as Bobby also showed a great bottom game as he swept Volkmann, getting his back and finishing him with a choke.

Possible matchups for Green: Coming into the UFC, Green was an exciting prospect, but no one expected him to beat up Volkmann the way he did. I would to see a fight with fellow up and comer in Rustam Khabilov, who is coming off of a fantastic first round KO over Vinc Pichel, which came via slam.

Possible matchups for Volkmann: It seems as though every time that I believe Volkmann will pretty easily win, he loses. With him now only 1-2 in his last three, I see him getting released if he loses his next fight. Michael Johnson is coming off of a surprising decision loss to Myles Jury. Johnson and Volkmann should fight in what should be a fun grappling affair.

Jay Hieron vs. Tyron Woodley: Strikeforce imports are going to officially go undefeated tonight. There isn’t much to say about this fight. I felt as though Woodley would grind Hieron out for a decision. It was the complete opposite. Woodley landed a haymaker and ended up knocking Hieron into rigor mortis. It was beautiful, violent, and impressive. Hieron now has an overall record of 0-4 in the UFC. He just can’t keep up with UFC caliber fighters anymore.

Possible matchups for Woodley: Apparently Woodley wanted to prove a point following his loss to Nate Marquardt. He did better against Hieron than anyone ever did. For his second UFC fight, I would love to see him fight Thiago Alves, a fight that could truly be his coming out party.

Gleison Tibau vs. Evan Dunham: Evan Dunham just loves to put himself in slugfests. This one was no different. Tibau came out strong in the first round but Dunham came back and implemented a great gameplan. Evan loves to come out slow in the first round and come back strong. He came out and jabbed Tibau and landed several huge knees in the end of the third round to gain himself a split decision win.

Possible matchups for Dunham: After this very close fight with Tibau, Dunham puts him right back at the brink of contention. He’s not quite there, so I would like to see him fight the winner of Danny Castillo and Paul Sass. I believe a fight between Sass and Dunham would be a very good fight.

Possible matchups for Tibau: Now at 1-2 in his last three, Tibau is starting to fade and head near retirement. There isn’t much left for him so I think he is going to end up as a gatekeeper and stepping stone for up and comers in the UFC. I would like to see him fight John Cholish, who hasn’t fought since his very close decision loss to Danny Castillo.

TUF 17 Contestant Clint Hester's TUF Blog: Episode 2

Clint Hester's TUF profile.

With the first official fight of the season in the books, the controversy has already begun. When Jones picked the shortest competitor, Gilbert Smith, against the tallest competitor in Luke Barnatt, many were skeptical as to why Jones would have set up such a bizarre matchup.

Now that episode 2 is in the books, let’s welcome back TUF 17 favorite Clint Hester for his second entry:

So tonight’s episode was pretty awesome! I don't know if I'm excited because I have lived with the other thirteen guys for six weeks and I know how everything went down, but this show has been great!!

So this episode was named ambush and it seemed more of ambush the way it happened. Team Jones was trying to change the fight pick right before we went out to announce it, and we did it that way because we weren’t really sure how to break our feelings to [Gilbert] Jamal.

From my point of view, I thought Jamal had it in the bag except from times when he would speak about not having positive reinforcement like he usually does back home. So I'm thinking to myself, “He will not be able to focus for this fight or it will be too much pressure on him just from the way he is acting.” Then we had him trying to defend himself about his cardio and going in trying to prove a point to us, which was not needed in my opinion. He got the fight and now you have nothing to prove in my eyes. All we had to do as fighters was do whatever it took to get to the next round.

So, with all that being said, I feel Jamal went into the cage and did what was planned. It just sucks that there wasn't a plan B.

What I remember from being there was his arms got tired from exerting so much energy going for the takedowns. He should have stepped back and blasted Luke with combos because when he would throw he would land! But we all live and we all learn with each fight and I feel that was a great fight and he went out there to win it. It's just that my man Luke Barnatt wasn't giving anything away and he capitalized on a bad shot and clipped Jamal with a knee that put him out.

But keep watching because two people who loose will get selected for the wild card. Will it be Gilbert Jamal Smith? Or will it be another contestant that dreams of being the Ultimate Fighter who got cut short in this first round? Stay tuned for a great, exciting season!

UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar Predictions

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar: Wow…wow…I cannot wait for this fight. This is as close as a champion vs. champion matchup can get. It’s no UFC 94 but its close. I believe the fights Frankie had with Benson Henderson are very telling. Benson is slightly faster and stronger than Frankie and that helped Henderson to “win” those fights. Even if you think Frankie won you have to admit he struggled quite a bit. Aldo is faster and maybe even stronger (in my opinion) than Henderson. The speed advantage will be a big deal in this fight. If Aldo can land first and harm Frankie’s semi-weak chin then it will be lights out. The only hope Frankie has to win, and it is a definitely possibility, is to outwrestle Aldo for 5 rounds. But can Frankie do that without being finished and can he repeatedly take Aldo down throughout the fight? I don’t know if he can. This fight interests me more than almost any fight in a long time. I just think Aldo is too much for Frankie. = Aldo by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: I love the Nog boys but this will be a beatdown. Rashad, minus his fight with Jones, has really perfected his craft. His MMA wrestling is top notch and will be way too much for Nog to handle. Rashad’s ground and pound might actually be strong enough to finish Nog by TKO but Nog’s chin is extremely good. I see Rashad smothering Nog with takedowns and top control until the final bell rings. = Rashad by unanimous decision.

Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva: Oh boy. This will get ugly. Bigfoot is a great fighter but he is the perfect opponent for Overeem to destroy. He is nowhere near the level of striking that Overeem has achieved and his chin is degrading. I see Bigfoot coming out and trying to get the clinch up against the fence but Alistair having none of it and landing bombs so hard that people will look away. = Overeem by KO in round 1. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia: Another great and interesting matchup. I would normally pick Fitch without too much thought but his fight with Erick Silva scares me. Yes that fight was awesome and he won but Silva had Fitch’s back and had a RNC sunk. If that happens in this fight, Maia will choke him out so fast he won’t even have a chance to tap. So, Fitch will have to fight with a much tighter ground game then he has in his last few fights. Maia has also looked like a fiery beast since dropping to 170 and looks to be easily handling top 10 guys. This fight is by far the hardest to pick but I am going to go with the safer pick. = Fitch by unanimous decision.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall: Another great and important fight, such a great card. Sadly fan favorite McCall will lose again in the UFC. I was extremely shocked at Benavidez’s performance against Demetrious Johnson. I thought Benavidez was going to kill Johnson and be Flyweight Champion for a very long time. But I still think he may be the best flyweight alive. This fight will be another speedy technical battle but I think Benavidez just had the greater skill set and will smother McCall for the victory. = Benavidez by unanimous decision.  

Prelims

Evan Dunham vs. Gleison Tibau: This fight is hard to pick as well but Evan struggles against stronger guys. I am not sure if Evan has what it takes to stop Tibau’s takedowns and get back up once he is taken down. In my mind I see Tibau bullying Evan throughout the fight and getting an ugly win. = Tibua by split decision.

Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron: Another difficult fight to predict. I believe Woodley is the better wrestler but Hieron’s style has proven to be hard for wrestler’s to handle. I want to go with Woodley but Hieron just finds ways to win. I am not sure what the safer pick is but I’m going to go with the better wrestler. = Woodley by split decision.

Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg: I want go with Isaac but Edwards looked so good in his last fight. I think Yves is just too fast and will be able to use his superior footwork and skill set to take a close one. = Edwards by unanimous decision.

Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green: Green is an underrated fighter with great skills but Volkmann is the perfect fighter to be able to beat him. Volkmann will be able to outwrestle Green and just blanket him. Volkmann could get a finish but Green will probably last. = Volkmann by unanimous decision.

Edwin Figueroa vs. Francisco Rivera = Rivera by 2^nd round TKO.

Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura = Camus by unanimous decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Jose Aldo vs. Frankie Edgar: I can’t even remember the last time that the UFC had a super fight. This has been such a long awaited matchup ever since the UFC brought over the lower weight divisions. They are both going to be hardest test for each other, but what does that mean for Frankie, who is riding a two fight losing streak? Those two losses were so close and so debatable that a lot of people don’t even really view them as a full on undisputed losses. Aldo on the other hand, has only lost once and it was earlier in his career is too Luciano Azevedo. Aldo does arguably have the better power than Gray Maynard, but it's in his kicks and knees. Frankie’s best bet is to try and grind Aldo down, similar to what Florian did against Aldo in the first round. When striking. Edgar needs to be very in and out, really working the body and surprising him with a headshot. But Aldo won’t let him do that, at least not for a majority of the fight. Aldo will nearly finish him on a few occasions, but Frankie’s heart will push through. Aldo will win the first three rounds, and Frankie will win the championship rounds = Aldo via unanimous decision (48-47). My 1^st pick for FOTN!

Rashad Evans vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira: Though both of these guys are top-10 light heavyweights, this is a bit of a mismatch. Phil Davis absolutely dominated Nogueira on the ground. Rashad Evans dominated Phil Davis on the ground. Nogueira’s only hope is to throw something up from his back or hope to out-technique him in the boxing = Evans via unanimous decision.

Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva: This fight is similar to the co-main event: both top guys, complete mismatch. Silva is coming off of a very impressive first round KO over Travis Browne, which was a big surprise to many, even people picking Silva to win. Overeem, though, is on a whole other planet when it comes to striking ability. His power and technique is unmatched by most and Silva has shown a skeptical chin. Overeem will finish this fight with ease = Overeem via 1^st round KO. My pick for KOOTN!

Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia: I absolutely love this fight. Ever since Maia made the decision to drop down to welterweight, he has looked amazing. His submission and takedown offense is even more prominent than during his good days in his middleweight run. Fitch is coming off of his fight of the night with Erick Silva, which was an incredible back-and-forth fight. There was one point where Fitch showed off his unchokable-ness. Silva had his back and with a rear naked choke sunk in, Fitch somehow never went unconscious. If Maia had that position with the choked locked in the way Silva did, Fitch would have been done. But Silva only received that back position due to his intense aggressiveness, something that Maia does not have. Maia does have the ability to submit anyone, but Fitch will grind him out while Maia throws up a lot of submission attempts. It will be close = Fitch via split decision.

Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall: Now this is the way that you start a PPV. With both guys coming off of close decision losses to the champion, Demetrious Johnson, a title shot is very well on the line. With Benavidez’ only losses to present day champions, you must question how he does under such pressure. McCall is a guy who does well under the spotlight; he is very charismatic and does well in big-name fights, despite his loss to Johnson in a main event. They are equally skilled grapplers with very even striking. Who will be faster? It’s very hard to say but I would have to go with McCall; he’s been the flyweight for longer therefore he is more adapted to the weight cut. Easier weight cut equals better cardio and speed. McCall seems to have the upper hand in a lot of areas, but Benavidez is just too difficult to bet against = Benavidez via unanimous decision. My 2^nd pick for FOTN!

Prelims

Evan Dunham vs. Gleison Tibau: With both fighters looking rather mediocre as of late, it’s hard to decide who I want to go with. Tibau will most likely be the stronger fighter, an advantage he almost always holds. Dunham will have the speed and ground advantage. Though Tibau does have a fantastic ground game, Dunham has shown more offense with his grappling, something I believe will lead him to victory = Dunham via split decision.

Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron: Back in October of 2011, Jay Hieron was stolen out of a victory over present day Bellator welterweight champ in Ben Askren. Though it was a close fight, Hieron seemed to be the victor. Woodley is a very similar fighter to that of Ben Askren. If Hieron is to use a similar gameplan that he used against Askren, he could very well win. But I just simply can’t bet against a wrestler = Woodley via unanimous decision.

Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg: Both guys have looked fantastic lately, with Edwards’ KO over Jeremy Stephens and Isaac’s barnburner upset over JZ Cavalcante. Edwards will undoubtedly have the upper hand in the experience category, Vallie-Flagg is the one fighter entering into his prime and with Greg Jackson in his corner, he will most likely have a great gameplan. These guys are very evenly matched, but I see Isaac narrowly pulling this one out for the upset once again = Vallie-Flagg via split decision. My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green: I see this fight going one of two ways: Volkmann gets him down and submits him early, similar to what he did to Shane Roller, or he grinds Green out for a decision win. With Greens under-average ground game, I believe the former is the more likely scenario = Volkmann via 1^st round submission. My pick for SOTN!

Edwin Figueroa vs. Francisco Rivera = Rivera via 3^rd round TKO.

Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura = Camus via 3nd round TKO.