UFC on Fox 6 Main Card Recap

Lamas landing a vicious elbow on Koch.
Photo via Sherdog.com

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I don’t believe people are going to doubt Lamas anymore. He has been the underdog in his last two fights, but this time, Lamas was out to really prove a point. The first round wasn’t particularly exciting with Lamas clinching against the fence for a majority of the first five minutes. The second round was a different story though. Lamas slipped about a minute in and when Koch attempted to get on top, Lamas somehow slipped under for a takedown. When on top, Lamas landed some of more brutal elbows that I have ever seen. It ripped Koch’s eyebrow open letting blood poor out. Lamas absolutely demolished Koch, showing he is the number one contender.

Possible matchups for Lamas: I’m pretty sure that this win puts Lamas up for the winner of Aldo and Edgar. How can you deny him the title shot?

Possible matchups for Koch: Even though he may be coming off of a huge loss like this, he is still one of the best fighters at 145 pounds. Dennis Siver and Dustin Poirier are fighting in a few weeks in Japan, looking to move up the featherweight ladder. The loser of that fight should face off with Koch.

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: It’s funny how the two fights I had the most trouble in picking were two of the more one sided bouts the whole night. Pettis was using excellent angles, moving in and out with jabs and hooks, not letting Cerrone get anything off. He even threw a little “Showtime” flair, throwing a knee off of the cage in close quarters. And he landed it. Right after that, Pettis landed a hard kick to the body, flattening Cerrone and getting the first round TKO victory.

Possible matchups for Pettis: I’m pretty sure that Pettis should get title shot after this win. Ben Henderson and Gilbert Melendez will be fighting for the lightweight belt at UFC on Fox 7, Pettis deserves the winner.

Possible matchups for Cerrone: So far his two title eliminator fights in the UFC have gone horribly wrong. He has been completely dominated in both those fights and both of those fights were grudge matches. If he ever gets into another title eliminator, he needs it to be against someone he doesn’t hate. I would like to see him fight Jim Lauzon, who is coming off of a fight of the night decision loss to Jim Miller.

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: Rampage has had an amazing career, but this is Teixeira’s time. Rampage showed fantastic head movement and landed a lot of amazing combinations. But while he landed good combinations, Teixeira nearly finished Rampage on multiple occasions with big hooks that would put a majority of the fighters in the UFC unconscious. Rampage visibly gassed out in the second and Teixeira easily beat him to a easy unanimous decision win.

Possible matchups for Teixeira: With this huge win for Teixeira, he has emerged as a very dangerous contender. It’s hard to say who he should fight next but I would like to see him fight Phil Davis if he really wants to prove himself as a top contender.

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: When you put a title fight on the Fox network, you want to have an exciting back and forth affair that is exciting everywhere that the fight goes. That is exactly what this fight was. Johnson showed that he did have the slight speed advantage but Dodson instantly imposed his power. With a fast paced feeling out process in the first round, the second was all Dodson. He dropped Johnson about three times, nearly finishing him on the third occasion. Johnson showed amazing heart, the heart of a champion, as he persevered and came back even stronger than he did in the first. Johnson began to batter Dodson with knees and punches throughout the fourth and fifth rounds. It was fantastic show of heart from both fighters. Dodson will get a rematch in the near future.

Possible matchups for Johnson: The flyweight title picture is a tad precarious at the moment following this fight. Will Johnson fight John Moraga next? Or will he fight the winner of Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall? Maybe even a fight with Darrel Montague if the UFC signs him. All of these fights make sense for Johnson and they all have the chance to be a fight of the year.

Possible matchups for Dodson: There is no doubt in my mind that Dodson will get another title shot in the near future. The fight was so close and he showed so much heart that the UFC will grant him another title shot with another win or two. Chris Cariaso is coming off of a third round submission loss to John Moraga and he would make a great matchup for Dodson.

Official MMA January Rankings!

Updated as of: 1/27/13

Heavyweight: 1) Cain Velazquez
2) Junior dos Santos
3) Fabricio Werdum
4) Daniel Cormier
5) Antonio Silva
6) Frank Mir
7) Alistair Overeem
8) Stefan Struve
9) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
10) Josh Barnett

Contenders: Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo, Gabriel Gonzaga.
Name(s) to Watch: Stipe Miocic, Travis Browne, Alexander Volkov

Light Heavyweight: 1) Jon Jones
2) Dan Henderson
3) Lyoto Machida
4) Alexander Gustafsson
5) Shogun Rua
6) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
7) Rashad Evans
8) Phil Davis
9) Glover Teixeira
10) Ryan Bader

Contenders: Gegard Mousasi, Rampage Jackson, Anthony Johnson, Forrest Griffin.
Name(s) to Watch: James Te Huna

Middleweight: 1) Anderson Silva
2) Chris Weidman
3) Vitor Belfort
4) Chael Sonnen
5) Michael Bisping

6) Luke Rockhold

7) Mark Munoz
8) Yushin Okami
9) Brian Stann
10) Costa Philippou

Contenders: Alan Belcher, Tim Boetsch, Hector Lombard, Jake Shields, Cung Le, Ronaldo Souza.
Name(s) to Watch: Ronny Markes

Welterweight: 1) Georges St. Pierre
2) Johny Hendricks
3) Carlos Condit
4) Nick Diaz
5) Demian Maia
6) Rory MacDonald
7) Martin Kampmann
8) Jake Ellenberger
9) Jon Fitch
10) Ben Askren

Contenders: Tarec Saffeidine, Nate Marquardt, Josh Koscheck, Mike Pierce, Matt Brown.
Name(s) to Watch: Erick Silva, Tyron Woodley.

Lightweight: 1) Ben Henderson
2) Gray Maynard
3) Anthony Pettis
4) Nate Diaz
5) Gilbert Melendez
6) Donald Cerrone
7) Jim Miller
8) Michael Chandler
9) TJ Grant
10) Eddie Alvarez

Contenders: Joe Lauzon, Jamie Varner, Rafael dos Anjos, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Name(s) to Watch: Tim Means, Marcin Held.

Featherweight: 1) Jose Aldo
2) Ricardo Lamas
3) Chad Mendes
4) Frankie Edgar
5) Pat Curran
6) Chan Sung Jung
7) Dennis Siver
8) Cub Swanson
9) Nik Lentz
10) Clay Guida

Contenders: Dustin Poirier, Erik Koch, Hatsu Hioki, Hacran Dias, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Diego Nunes.
Name(s) to Watch: Marcus Brimage, Dennis Bermudez, Max Holloway.

Bantamweight: 1) Dominick Cruz
2) Renan Barao
3) Urijah Faber
4) Michael McDonald
5) Eddie Wineland
6) Brian Bowles
7) Brad Pickett
8) Bibiano Fernandes
9) Scott Jorgensen
10) Raphael Assuncao

Contenders: Tyson Nam, Mike Easton, Eduardo Dantas, Marcos Galvao, Takeya Mizugaki, Yuri Alcantara.
Name(s) to Watch: Erik Perez, Francisco Rivera, Alex Caceres.

Flyweight: 1) Demetrious Johnson
2) Joseph Benavidez
3) Ian McCall
4) John Dodson
5) Darrel Montague
6) John Moraga
7) Jussier Formiga
8) Chris Cariaso
9) Louis Gaudinot
10) John Lineker

Contenders: Darren Uyenoyama, Mitsuhisa Sunabe, Mamoru Yamaguchi, Will Campuzano, Yasuhiro Urushitani, Kentaro Watanabe.
Name(s) to Watch: Sean Santella, Josh Sampo, Tim Elliot, Sergio Pettis.

Women's Featherweight: 1) Cris Cyborg
2) Marloes Coenen
3) Milana Dudieva
4) Germaine de Randamie
5) Ediane Gomes
6) Elaina Maxwell
7) Julia Budd
8) Yana Kunitskaya
9) Romy Ruyssen
10) Hiroko Yamanaka

Contenders: Lauren Taylor, Ashley Sanchez, Fiona Maxwell.
Name(s) to Watch: Randi Miller, Veronica Rothenhausler.

Women's Bantamweight: 1) Ronda Rousey
2) Miesha Tate
3) Sara McMann
4) Alexis Davis
5) Sarah Kaufman
6) Liz Carmouche
7) Shayna Baszler
8) Sarah D’Alelio
9) Cat Zingano
10) Amanda Nunes

Contenders: Rin Nakai, Hitomi Akano, Leslie Smith, Shana Nelson.
Name(s) to Watch: Jessamyn Duke, Holly Holm

Women's Flyweight: 1) Rosi Sexton
2) Jessica Eye
3) Vanessa Porto
4) Barb Honchak
5) Zoila Gurgel
6) Sheila Gaff
7) Michelle Ould
8) Tara LaRosa
9) Munah Holland
10) Claudia Gadelha

Contenders: Reyna Cordoba, Takayo Hashi, Kalindra Carvalho Faria.
Name(s) to Watch: Jocelyn Lybarger, Sarah Maloy.

Women's Strawweight: 1) Jessica Aguilar
2) Megumi Fujii
3) Carla Esparza
4) Ayaka Hamasaki
5) Katja Kankaanpaa
6) Joanne Calderwood
7) Felice Herrig
8) Seo Hee Ham
9) Aisling Daly
10) Mei Yamaguchi

Contenders: Bec Hyatt, Yuki Tsuji, Ashley Cummins, Patricia Vidonic.
Name(s) to Watch: Tecia Torres.

Women's Atomweight: 1) Jessica Penne
2) Naho Sugiyama
3) Michelle Waterson
4) Yasuko Tamada
5) Cassie Rodish
6) Lisa Ellis
7) Kikuyo Ishiwaka
8) Lacey Schuckman
9) Misaki Takimoto
10) Nicdali Rivera-Calonic

Contenders: Satomi Akano, Stephanie Frausto Liz McCarthy, Amy Davis.
Name(s) to Watch: Laura Marcusse.

Let us know what you guys think. Tell us in the comments or on Twitter @Champion_Rounds.

UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Predictions

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: Speed; the one word that is surrounding this whole title fight. Who will be the faster one? Who will have the advantage on the ground? These are two most important factors entering the fight. And the man to have the advantage in both is the champion, Demetrious Johnson. He has the better footwork, wrestling, and submissions. Dodson has the power to knock anyone at featherweight and under on their butt, but overall, Johnson is the more well-rounded fighter. Keeping distance away and moving in and out of Dodson’s power punches with some takedowns mixed in should be Johnson’s gameplan. It will be an extremely close fight, but Johnson’s superior skills will earn him the nod = Johnson via unanimous decision (48-47). My 3^rd pick for FOTN!

Rampage Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: I really try not to fall into hype trains, and mostly fail, but I don’t think that Teixeira is a hype train. He is a legitimate contender and can defeat almost anybody at 205. A year ago, I would have picked Rampage hands down, but his lack of motivation is a turn off. He said he was motivated heading into his fight with Bader, but he was dominated. His heart just isn’t in it anymore, and Teixeira is just heading into his prime = Teixeira via unanimous decision (30-26).

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: BARNBURNER ALERT: When having two of the most entertaining guys in MMA facing off, it typically leads to an amazing fight. When you add in the fact that they really dislike each other and that there’s a title shot on the line, you have yourselves a fight of the year in the works. That is exactly what this fight is. Possibly the most interesting variable heading into this fight is the fact that both of these guys are really good off their back. They love the triangle and are very good at sweeps. One of Cerrone’s last outings against Jeremy Stephens was arguably the most impressive Donald Cerrone that we have ever seen, and he fought with a horrific intestinal problem. If you compare the difference in both Pettis’ and Cerrone’s last fights with Jeremy Stephens, it’s completely different. Pettis arguably lost to Jeremy and Cerrone absolutely destroyed him. Though this is MMA and anything can happen, but Cerrone is just too hard to bet against = Cerrone via split decision. My 1st pick for FOTN!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: I really, really hope that this is a number one contender’s bout. Lamas derailed Hioki’s title hopes with a shocking (though not to me) decision win over him. Koch is one of the more promising fighters in MMA today, possessing rare finishing ability for a featherweight. Koch’s one blemish to his record comes at the hands of Chad Mendes, a very strong wrestler. Guess what Lamas is. Yep, a very strong wrestler, and arguably stronger than Mendes. Lamas could possibly be the strongest featherweight in the UFC. Lamas’ last three wins are much more impressive than Koch’s. Koch has beaten Francisco Rivera by 1st round TKO (a bantamweight), Raphael Assuncao by 1st round KO (also a bantamweight), and a debatable win over Jonathan Brookins (who is semi-retired at the moment). Lamas murdered Matt Grice by 1st round TKO (a decent wrestler, nothing insane), demolished Cub Swanson by second round arm triangle (who is on a three fight win streak all by (T)KO) and an upset over former number 1 contender in Hatsu Hioki. Also, Koch hasn’t fought in 15 months = Lamas via unanimous decision.

Prelims

TJ Grant vs. Matt Wiman: I’m having a lot trouble picking between these two guys. Both have looked fantastic lately against very solid competition. It’s fun to see two of the more underrated guys in the UFC fight to finally become someone relevant in the title picture. When breaking down the aspects of MMA, Grant has the advantage overall. His striking is improving rapidly and looked great against Evan Dunham, his wrestling is better and his submission game is very dangerous. Wiman is a bit of a wild card though; he takes everyone by surprise, he certainly did against Paul Sass in his last outing. With them being such similar fighters talent-wise, I’m leaning towards the stronger fighter = Grant via split decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Hatsu Hioki vs. Clay Guida: I don’t really see as to why people are having so much trouble predicting this fight. The last person that Hioki fought was Ricardo Lamas, a strong and powerful wrestler with solid striking. Guida is a strong and powerful wrestler with fantastic striking. Hioki has looked terrible in the UFC thus far (minus his fight with Palaszewski, he looked fantastic) and Guida is almost a better version of Lamas = Guida via unanimous decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: I love Matyushenko but his days are quickly coming to an end. He can’t hang with solid fighters anymore. Bader is still a contender and he will rebound from his last loss to Machida with a violent KO, or a grinding decision = Bader via 1st round KO. MY pick for KOOTN!

Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan: Even though Jordan’s last fight with Kongo was truly one of the worst fights that my eyes have ever beheld, he is still an exciting prospect. He is crazy athletic for a heavyweight, which is always a plus in MMA. Russow is a very different fighter though. He isn’t particularly athletic, but he knows how to get the job done. His superior grappling will grind Jordan out to a decision win. I just hope the UFC keeps Jordan around to show his potential = Russow via unanimous decision.

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss via 1st round submission (armbar). My pick for FOTN!

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal via 3rd round submission.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen via unanimous decision.

Dave's Picks

Main Card

Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson: This will be the fastest fight any of us will ever see. These guys might be the fastest fighters in MMA, but I think this fight will be pretty similar to Johnson vs. Benavidez. I see Johnson outwrestling Dodson due to being the faster fighter and having the better wrestling. I do think Dodson will be stronger and have more punching power but other than that I think Johnson has every advantage. This will be close, just like every Johnson fight, but the champ will take it due to superior wrestling and speed. = Johnson by unanimous decision.

Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira: This fight should be a brawl. Glover is going to kill Rampage and it’s going to be awesome. Rampage has been easily handled in his last two fights and hasn’t fought in 11 months. Glover hasn’t lost since 2005…and is coming off of two huge wins in the UFC. Be prepared to see a legend of the sport get totally outclassed on the feet and on the ground. This will be brutal and if you are a Rampage fan, this is the fight for you to go to the kitchen and grab another slice of pizza until you hear Goldy say “It’s all over!” = Glover by submission in round 2. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis: Definitely my pick for Fight of the Night! These guys are elite kick boxers and good on the ground. This fight will be incredibly fun to watch but very hard to predict. Pettis has shown a weakness to strikers and wrestlers who are aggressive and have good submission defense. (Stephens, Guida, Ben Henderson, Palaszewski). Cerrone can struggle against strikers who are diverse in their attacks (like Ben Henderson, Nate Diaz) and Pettis is incredibly diverse in his attack. Pettis hasn’t fought in almost a year and Cerrone’s camp (Jackson) has been studying Pettis for some time now. This is so hard to pick but I’m going with the Jackson camp. = Cerrone by split decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas: This is another possible Fight of the Night candidate. Sam and I were the only people picking Lamas against Hioki and he ended up beating him handily. Koch has his work cut out for him due to the fact that Lamas is one hell of a wrestler. Koch’s only loss is to a wrestler (Chad Mendes). My only concern in picking Lamas is that his two loses have been by KO. Koch has the ability to KO anyone at 145 pounds. I think the safer bet is to always go with the fighter most likely to control the fight then it is to pick the fighter that might have a chance at a KO = Lamas by unanimous decision.

Prelims

T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman: This fight should be an awesome one as well. Grant should have the better wrestling and striking but Wiman definitely has the better submissions and fight IQ. I think Grant can use his superior size advantage to bully Wiman for 3 rounds but I wouldn’t be shocked if Wiman found a way to win. Both of these guys are highly underrated and I can’t wait to see this one. = Grant by unanimous decision.

Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki: This fight depends solely on Hioki’s takedown defense and submission offense. I see Guida pushing the pace and roughing Hioki up against the fence while Hioki tries to find a submission. This is a very hard fight to pick but I just have not been impressed with Hioki at all since he joined the UFC = Guida by split decision.

Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko: This fight should be exciting. I am a huge fan of both guys. I think Bader will just be too big and strong for Vlad. I think that Vlad has the chance to KO Bader but I believe Bader will out wrestle Vlad for a decision win = Bader by unanimous decision.

Shawn Jordan vs. Mike Russow = Jordan by TKO in round 2. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Pascal Krauss vs. Mike Stumpf = Krauss by unanimous decision.

Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer = Natal by split decision.

David Mitchell vs. Simeon Thoresen = Thoresen by unanimous decision.

Official December MMA Rankings

Updated as of: 1/13/13

Heavyweight: 1) Cain Velazquez
2) Junior dos Santos
3) Alistair Overeem
4) Fabricio Werdum
5) Daniel Cormier
6) Frank Mir
7) Antonio Silva
8) Stefan Struve
9) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
10) Josh Barnett

Contenders: Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo, Mike Russow, Gabriel Gonzaga.
Name(s) to Watch: Stipe Miocic, Travis Browne, Alexander Volkov

Light Heavyweight: 1) Jon Jones
2) Rashad Evans
3) Dan Henderson
4) Lyoto Machida
5) Alexander Gustafsson
6) Shogun Rua
7) Phil Davis
8) Ryan Bader
9) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
10) Rampage Jackson

Contenders: Gegard Mousasi, Glover Teixeira, Anthony Johnson, Forrest Griffin.
Name(s) to Watch: James Te Huna

Middleweight: 1) Anderson Silva
2) Chris Weidman
3) Vitor Belfort
4) Chael Sonnen
5) Michael Bisping

6) Luke Rockhold

7) Mark Munoz
8) Yushin Okami
9) Brian Stann
10) Alan Belcher

Contenders: Costa Philippou, Tim Boetsch, Hector Lombard, Jake Shields, Cung Le, Ronaldo Souza.
Name(s) to Watch: Ronny Markes

Welterweight: 1) Georges St. Pierre
2) Johny Hendricks
3) Carlos Condit
4) Nick Diaz
5) Rory MacDonald
6) Jon Fitch
7) Martin Kampmann
8) Jake Ellenberger
9) Tarec Saffiedine
10) Ben Askren

Contenders: Demian Maia, Nate Marquardt, Josh Koscheck, Mike Pierce, Matt Brown.
Name(s) to Watch: Karl Amoussou, Tarec Saffiedine, Erick Silva.

Lightweight: 1) Ben Henderson
2) Frankie Edgar
3) Gray Maynard
4) Nate Diaz
5) Gilbert Melendez
6) Donald Cerrone
7) Anthony Pettis
8) Jim Miller
9) Michael Chandler
10) Clay Guida

Contenders: Joe Lauzon, Jamie Varner, Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez, TJ Grant, Matt Wiman.
Name(s) to Watch: Tim Means, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Marcin Held.

Featherweight: 1) Jose Aldo
2) Chad Mendes
3) Pat Curran
4) Ricardo Lamas
5) Chan Sung Jung
6) Dennis Siver
7) Hatsu Hioki
8) Cub Swanson
9) Nik Lentz
10) Erik Koch

Contenders: Dustin Poirier, Hacran Dias, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Daniel Straus, Darren Elkins.
Name(s) to Watch: Marcus Brimage, Dennis Bermudez, Max Holloway.

Bantamweight: 1) Dominick Cruz
2) Renan Barao
3) Urijah Faber
4) Michael McDonald
5) Eddie Wineland
6) Brian Bowles
7) Brad Pickett
8) Bibiano Fernandes
9) Scott Jorgensen
10) Raphael Assuncao

Contenders: Tyson Nam, Mike Easton, Eduardo Dantas, Marcos Galvao, Takeya Mizugaki, Yuri Alcantara.
Name(s) to Watch: Erik Perez, Francisco Rivera, Alex Caceres.

Flyweight: 1) Demetrious Johnson
2) Joseph Benavidez
3) John Dodson
4) Ian McCall
5) Darrel Montague
6) John Moraga
7) Jussier Formiga
8) John Lineker
9) Chris Cariaso
10) Darren Uyenoyama

Contenders: Louis Gaudinot, Mitsuhisa Sunabe, Mamoru Yamaguchi, Will Campuano, Yasuhiro Urushitani, Kentaro Watanabe.
Name(s) to Watch: Sean Santella, Josh Sampo, Tim Elliot, Sergio Pettis.

Women's Featherweight: 1) Cris Cyborg
2) Marloes Coenen
3) Milana Dudieva
4) Germaine de Randamie
5) Ediane Gomes
6) Elaina Maxwell
7) Julia Budd
8) Yana Kunitskaya
9) Romy Ruyssen
10) Hiroko Yamanaka

Contenders: Lauren Taylor, Ashley Sanchez, Fiona Maxwell.
Name(s) to Watch: Randi Miller, Veronica Rothenhausler.

Women's Bantamweight: 1) Ronda Rousey
2) Miesha Tate
3) Sara McMann
4) Alexis Davis
5) Sarah Kaufman
6) Liz Carmouche
7) Shayna Baszler
8) Sarah D’Alelio
9) Cat Zingano
10) Amanda Nunes

Contenders: Hitomi Akano, Leslie Smith, Shana Nelson.
Name(s) to Watch: Jessamyn Duke, Holly Holm

Women's Flyweight: 1) Rosi Sexton
2) Jessica Eye
3) Vanessa Porto
4) Barb Honchak
5) Zoila Gurgel
6) Sheila Gaff
7) Michelle Ould
8) Tara LaRosa
9) Munah Holland
10) Tonya Evinger

Contenders: Reyna Cordoba, Takayo Hashi, Kalindra Carvalho Faria.
Name(s) to Watch: Jocelyn Lybarger, Sarah Maloy.

Women's Strawweight: 1) Jessica Aguilar
2) Megumi Fujii
3) Carla Esparza
4) Ayaka Hamasaki
5) Katja Kankaanpaa
6) Joanne Calderwood
7) Seo Hee Ham
8) Claudia Gadelha
9) Felice Herrig
10) Aisling Daly

Contenders: Mei Yamaguchi, Bec Hyatt, Yuki Tsuji, Ashley Cummins, Patricia Vidonic.
Name(s) to Watch: Tecia Torres.

Women's Atomweight: 1) Jessica Penne
2) Naho Sugiyama
3) Kikuyo Ishiwaka
4) Michelle Waterson
5) Cassie Rodish
6) Yasuko Tamada
7) Lisa Ellis
8) Lacey Schuckman
9) Misaki Takimoto
10) Nicdali Rivera-Calonic

Contenders: Satomi Akano, Stephanie Frausto Liz McCarthy, Amy Davis.
Name(s) to Watch: Laura Marcusse.

Let us know what you guys think. Tell us in the comments or on Twitter @Champion_Rounds.

Official November MMA Rankings

So here is how our rankings are going to work; we are going to re-post them once a month but there will be a link on the side for visitors to click on rather than having to dig through our posting history to find them. We will consistently edit the rankings whenever it is needed. Because these are still a work in progress, there will probably be mistakes and changes in the coming days.

Heavyweight: 1) Cain Velazquez
2) Junior dos Santos
3) Alistair Overeem
4) Fabricio Werdum
5) Daniel Cormier
6) Frank Mir
7) Antonio Silva
8) Stefan Struve
9) Big Nog
10) Josh Barnett

Contenders: Mark Hunt, Roy Nelson, Cheick Kongo, Mike Russow, Shane Carwin.
Name(s) to Watch: Stipe Miocic, Travis Browne, Alexander Volkov

Light Heavyweight: 1) Jon Jones
2) Rashad Evans
3) Dan Henderson
4) Lyoto Machida
5) Alexander Gustafsson
6) Shogun Rua
7) Phil Davis
8) Vitor Belfort
9) Ryan Bader
10) Lil Nog

Contenders: Rampage Jackson, Gegard Mousasi, Glover Teixeira, Anthony Johnson, Forrest Griffin.
Name(s) to Watch: James Te Huna

Middleweight: 1) Anderson Silva
2) Chris Weidman
3) Chael Sonnen
4) Michael Bisping
5) Luke Rockhold

6)Mark Munoz

7) Yushin Okami
8) Brian Stann
9) Alan Belcher
10) Costa Philippou

Contenders: Tim Boetsch, Hector Lombard, Jake Shields, Cung Le, Ronaldo Souza, Mamed Khalidov.
Name(s) to Watch: Ronny Markes

Welterweight: 1) GSP
2) Johny Hendricks
3) Carlos Condit
4) Nick Diaz
5) Rory MacDonald
6) Jon Fitch
7) Martin Kampmann
8) Jake Ellenberger
9) Nate Marquardt
10) Ben Askren

Contenders: Demian Maia, Josh Koscheck, Siyar Bahadurzada, Mike Pierce, Matt Brown.
Name(s) to Watch: Karl Amoussou, Tarec Saffiedine, Erick Silva.

Lightweight: 1) Ben Henderson
2) Frankie Edgar
3) Gray Maynard
4) Nate Diaz
5) Gilbert Melendez
6) Donald Cerrone
7) Anthony Pettis
8) Jim Miller
9) Clay Guida
10) Michael Chandler

Contenders: Joe Lauzon, Jamie Varner, Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez, TJ Grant, Matt Wiman, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Name(s) to Watch: Tim Means, Marcin Held.

Featherweight: 1) Jose Aldo
2) Chad Mendes
3) Pat Curran
4) Ricardo Lamas
5) Chan Sung Jung
6) Dennis Siver
7) Hatsu Hioki
8) Diego Nunes
9) Cub Swanson
10) Erik Koch

Contenders: Dustin Poirier, Hacran Dias, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Daniel Straus, Darren Elkins, Patricio Freire.
Name(s) to Watch: Marcus Brimage, Dennis Bermudez.

Bantamweight: 1) Dominick Cruz
2) Renan Barao
3) Urijah Faber
4) Michael McDonald
5) Eddie Wineland
6) Brian Bowles
7) Brad Pickett
8) Bibiano Fernandes
9) Scott Jorgensen
10) Raphael Assuncao

Contenders: Tyson Nam, Mike Easton, Eduardo Dantas, Marcos Galvao, Takeya Mizugaki.
Name(s) to Watch: Erik Perez, Francisco Rivera, Alex Caceres.

Flyweight: 1) Demetrious Johnson
2) Joseph Benavidez
3) John Dodson
4) Ian McCall
5) Darrel Montague
6) John Moraga
7) Jussier Formiga
8) John Lineker
9) Chris Cariaso
10) Darren Uyenoyama

Contenders: Louis Gaudinot, Mitsuhisa Sunabe, Mamoru Yamaguchi, Will Campuano, Yasuhiro Urushitani, Kentaro Watanabe.
Name(s) to Watch: Sean Santella, Josh Sampo, Tim Elliot, Sergio Pettis.

Women's Featherweight: 1) Cris Cyborg
2) Marloes Coenen
3) Milana Dudieva
4) Germaine de Randamie
5)  Elaina Maxwell
6) Julia Budd
7) Ediene Gomes
8) Hiroko Yamanaka
9) Yana Kunitskaya
10) Romy Ruyssen

Contenders: Lauren Taylor, Ashley Sanchez, Fiona Maxwell.
Name(s) to Watch: Randi Miller, Veronica Rothenhausler.

Women's Bantamweight: 1) Ronda Rousey
2) Miesha Tate
3) Sara McMann
4) Sarah Kaufman
5) Shayna Baszler
6) Alexis Davis
7) Liz Carmouche
8) Cat Zingano
9) Amanda Nunes
10) Rin Nakai

Contenders: Hitomi Akano, Sarah D’Alelio, Leslie Smith, Shana Nelson.
Name(s) to Watch: Jessamyn Duke, Holly Holm

Women's Flyweight: 1) Rosi Sexton
2) Jessica Eye
3) Vanessa Porto
4)  Barb Honchak
5) Zoila Gurgel
6) Sheila Gaff
7) Michelle Ould
8) Tara LaRosa
9) Aisling Daly
10) Munah Holland

Contenders: Tonya Evinger, Reyna Cordoba, Takayo Hashi, Kalindra Carvalho Faria.
Name(s) to Watch: Jocelyn Lybarger, Sarah Maloy.

Women's Strawweight: 1) Jessica Aguilar
2) Megumi Fujii
3) Ayaka Hamasaki
4) Carla Esparza
5) Katjan Kankaanpaa
6) Seo Hee Ham
7) Joanne Calderwood
8) Mei Yamaguchi
9) Claudia Gadelha
10) Felice Herrig

Contenders: Yuki Tsuji, Ashley Cummins, Patricia Vidonic, Alex Chambers.
Name(s) to Watch: Paige VanZant, Tecia Torres.

Women's Atomweight: 1) Jessica Penne
2) Naho Sugiyama
3) Kikuyo Ishiwaka
4) Yasuko Tamada
5) Michelle Waterson
6) Lisa Ellis
7) Lacey Schuckman
8) Misaki Takimoto
9) Stephanie Frausto
10) Nicdali Rivera-Calonic

Contenders: Satomi Akano, Liz McCarthy, Cassie Rodish, Amy Davis.
Name(s) to Watch: Laura Marcusse.

Let us know what you guys think. Tell us in the comments or on Twitter @Champion_Rounds.

UFC 152 Main Card Recap

Jones applying the fight ending Americana on Belfort (Photo by bleacherreport.com)

Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira: This was one of the fights that people we're looking forward to the most. Both of these guys have recently hit their stride in their careers and were looking to make themselves top title contenders at 145 pounds. Oliveira took Swanson down early but Cub has a highly underrated ground game. He got up almost instantly and started to land some solid shots on Oliveira. He eventually landed a sick liver punch that stunned "Do Bronx". He followed it with a monstrous overhand right. It took a second, but Oliveira eventually fell down unconscious. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if it turned out he got a broken orbital bone and was unable to continue.

Possible matchups for Swanson: This win easily makes Cub a top-10 featherweight. Three (T)KO's over 3 really good fighters equals at least top-10 status, if not top-7 or 5. A top fighter that has yet to rebound from his most recent loss is BJJ expert and Japanese star, Hatsu Hioki. Due to the fact that Hioki is still a top-10 featherweight, he will continue to fight top-10 featherweights. If Cub can continue his hot streak against Hatsu Hioki, he could even receive a title shot afterwards.

Possible matchups or Oliveira: Despite the fact that all of his losses in the UFC have come in the first round, you have to remember, Charles Oliveira is only 22 years old still. He still has a lot of time to grow and to mature as q person, not just a fighter. Another fighter that is also just 22 years old is Justin Lawrence. He is coming off a brutal TKO loss at the hands of arguably the most promising fighter in MMA, Max Holloway. Therefore, they are both looking for rebound fights, and this fight could very well be awesome.

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett: Sigh, I really, really don't want to talk about this fight. Absolute garbage. Hollett had no business being in the Octagon. His standup is rudimentary, his wrestling is weak, and he has no submission skills. Like I said, he has no business in the Octagon. Hamill should retire now that he has that last win and Hollet should be immediately cut, if that isn't already clear.

Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann: I have to admit, this fight surprised in more ways than one. The main thing that surprised me was the fact that Brian Stann did so well. He easily won the first round, which was something that I really didn't expect. When Stann landed that huge right hand at the end of the first that almost finished Bisping, I went crazy and so did the Toronto crowd surrounding me. After that though, Bisping utilized his highly underrated wrestling to land some huge double legs and score a tough unanimous decision win. Brian Stann did a lot better than people were expecting.

Possible matchups for Bisping: I felt that Bisping would dominate this fight and earn a title shot against Anderson Silva. Bisping wasn’t impressive enough. It's too bad though, because Bisping has been doing so well and has been with the UFC for so long. The fight that honestly makes the most sense at this point is Bisping fighting the winner of Chris Weidman and Tim Boestch. That winner will get their shot at Silva.

Possible matchups for Stann: Brian Stann looked great against Bisping. Seriously looked awesome. You could possible even make a case for a decision win for him. He is still one of the top middleweights in the UFC. If Bisping fights the winner of Weidman and Boestch, Stann should fight the loser.

Demetrious Johnson vs. Joseph Benavidez: This fight could end up going down in history as the most underrated fight of all time. I personally thought that this fight was amazing. The technical prowess was incredible, the mistakes were few and far apart, the action was constant, and the speed was blinding. Joseph Benavidez was the highly favored fighter heading into this championship bout and was even in the top-10 of most people's Pound-for-Pound list. I thought that Benavidez would dominate everywhere that the fight went. I thought he had superior striking, wrestling, and submissions. The one thing that I didn't take into account was the speed advantage in which Johnson would have. He would easily go in and out with strikes and dodge Benavidez' attacks. I scored every round for Johnson minus the 3rd round. That round, Benavidez almost finished Johnson with a mounted guillotine. But Johnson used amazing defense as he did this sweep I have never seen before, maybe cricket legs or something. Anyway, Johnson looked amazing and he deserves to be the first ever UFC flyweight champion more than anyone.

Possible matchups for Johnson: Now that he has the belt, he needs to defend it against the best (obviously). John Dodson and Jussier da Silva are fighting at UFC on FX 5. That fight has to be a number one contenders bout.

Possible matchups for Benavidez: The final decision for the championship fight was a split decision, even though I thought Johnson definitely won the fight. The Team Alpha Male fighter should be immediately put in a number one contenders bout with Ian McCall. That fight would be a brawl.

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: Who would have ever thought that the biggest underdog to fight Jones would actually be the fighter that came the closest to beating him? The 30-45 seconds in which Vitor had that armbar, the arena went absolutely bonkers. There were a couple Brazilian guys in front of us and I thought they were going to go insane. The armbar was so close to finishing the fight that his arm was actually cracking and popping, but Jones showed something that we have yet to see from him (mainly because there was never an opportunity) and that was the heart of a champion. Most fighters would tap out if they felt that their arm was breaking. But once Jones shook his way out of the armbar, he started to dominate the fight. Vitor kept on pulling guard, much to the Brazilian fans in front of us' chagrin, and it added to our confusion. He did it again in the 4th round and was almost immediately submitted by an Americana that looked like his arm was about to be ripped off. Jones truly is one of the best fighters in the world and of all time.

Possible matchups for Jones: This is the next big question. Who is the next number one contender at light heavyweight? Dana announced that Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida have to fight one more time before they get a crack at the 205 belt. But the next big light heavyweight fight that is coming up is between Alexander Gustafsson and Shogun Rua. I feel that the winner of that should fight Jones.

Possible matchups for Belfort: I really highly doubt that Vitor will stay at 205. He was really starting to hit his stride down at 185. Before he accepted his fight with Jones, he was scheduled to fight Wanderlei Silva but had to pull out due to an injury. Although the fight doesn't make sense, it didn’t before and I think that fight could be extremely fun.

For Prelim Recap click here

UFC 152: Jones vs. Belfort Predictions

We are going to this event live and the weigh-ins so be ready for some extra coverage! And let us know what your predictions are!

Dave’s Picks

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: What a crazy ride it’s been! But here we are with Jones vs. Belfort and we get to see it live! I’m pumped to see Jones fight live again. I can see myself telling my kids when they are grown that I saw Jones fight live (at least twice) and met him (at least 3 times). I think he can become one of the top 3 biggest legends of our sport and it’s a privilege to see him live. I think Belfort has the same chance to win this as anyone else Jones has faced and that is a big overhand bomb landing. But if Anthony Johnson can outwrestle Belfort then Jones will throw him around like a ragdoll. I see Jones taking him down and finishing it there. I love Vitor and it is a honor to watch him live but this will be ugly. = Jones by KO in round 1. My Pick for KO of the Night!

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson: Oh baby! This is the fight I am most pumped about. I have absolutely loved every single flyweight fight so far in the UFC and this will be the best so far. I think Benavidez will be stronger, have better striking and will be able to out grapple Johnson. I think Benavidez will win this fight and be champion for a very very very long time. = Benavidez by unanimous decision. My Pick for Fight of the Night!

Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann: What a blast this fight will be! I love Brian Stann. I met him recently and he was such a cool guy. Standing next to him, you almost feel not worthy. This guy is literally a hero in every sense of the word. He didn’t just kill our countries enemy. He had to in order to protect innocent people and in a way that sounds impossible. But anyway, I think Bisping is better than him in everyway except for punching power. Bisping could take this to the ground or out-point Stann on the feet. Stann’s only chance is a big bomb but Bisping is usually very good and avoiding those. So, I see Bisping jabbing and landing combos and Stann getting desperate and swinging for the fences and leaving openings for Bisping to land shots. I want Stann to win but I don’t see it happening. = Bisping by unanimous decision.

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett: This fight is the hardest to predict for me because I don’t know a lot about Hollett and Hamill hasn’t fought in over a year due to a short-lived retirement. The fact that he left due to retirement scares me. It is one thing is it was an injury where he would still eat well and work out in any way possible. Retirement can sometimes contain sloth and gluttony. I’m sure Hamill will be prepared but it still worries me. Before his retirement Hamill fought and defeated better competition that Hollett so I am going with him. = Hamill by unanimous decision.

Charles Oliveira vs. Cub Swanson: Both of these guys have really come into their own lately. Oliveira has looked scary good lately, especially against Brookins. Cub has rebounded nicely since his lost to Ricardo Lamas with 2 straight TKO’s. Anything can happen in this fight. Oliveira is only 22 years old and that is a scary thought. I think this fight will mostly be a standup battle but Oliveira should have the advantage on the ground. I’m going with my gut on this one but anything is possible. = Oliveira by split decision.

Prelims

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Igor Pokrajac: Vinny by submission in round 3. My Pick for Submission of the Night!

Evan Dunham vs. T.J. Grant: Dunham by unanimous decision.

Lance Benoist vs. Sean Pierson: Pierson by split decision.

Marcus Brimage vs. Jim Hettes: Hettes by submission in round 1.

Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen: Seth by unanimous decision.

Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson: Gagnon by unanimous decision.

Charlie Brenneman vs. Kyle Noke: Brenneman by unanimous decision.

Sam’s Picks

Main Card

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: I loved Jon Jones. I was supporting him in his Rashad fight saying he isn't as bad as people are accusing him for. I can't anymore. The whole 151 debacle had me lose lots of respect for him. I really want Vitor to win. I love Vitor and have for a very long time. He's a great human being and an MMA legend. The main problem is the wrestling aspect. Anthony Johnson was easily out wrestling Belfort and that is going to be the deciding factor. This is going to be similar to Jones vs. Matyushenko. It would be good to have Vitor win because Jones needs a GSP/Serra fight to wake him up = Jones via 1st round TKO. My pick for KOOTN!

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson: This is so awesome. Seriously, I have been looking forward to the UFC having the flyweights come and this is the second best possible fight. The first would be Benavidez vs. Ian McCall for marketing reasons. But this fight is an awesome matchup. The speed in this is going to be blinding. Benavidez has the better submissions and standup. So what does that tell you? = Benavidez via unanimous decision.  My 1st pick for FOTN!

Brian Stann vs. Michael Bisping: This is going to be a war! I'm very excited for this. Michael Bisping is, sadly, better than Stann in every aspect of MMA. His standup is crisper and more technical; while Stann holds some devastating power in both of his hands. Sure, Michael Bisping was KO'd by Dan Henderson, but Stann isn't a Dan Henderson. Bisping is going to dominate this fight and most likely earn a title shot vs. Silva = Bisping via unanimous decision. My 2nd pick for FOTN!

Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett: I agree with Dave on the fact that this fight is very hard to pick. Hollett is a promising prospect and Hamill is coming out of retirement. Hamill was a wrestling powerhouse but was dominated in his last two fights. Hollett is very promising and I think he's going to win with superior striking = Hollett via split decision.

Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira: It's great to see these two guys making there way up to title contention. Oliveira is looking like an elite fighter since his drop down to 145. His reach is devastating for the weight class and his ground game is world class. Seriously. His last two submissions can be considered for SOTY, especially the calf slicer over Eric Wisely. Cub Swanson's standup has also looked world class lately, but Oliveira should be able to take it to the ground and finish it = Oliveira via 2nd round submission. My pick for SOTN!

Prelims
Vinny Magalhaes vs. Igor Pokrajac: Vinny via 1st round submission.
Evan Dunham vs. T.J. Grant: Dunham by unanimous decision.
Lance Benoist vs. Sean Pierson: Benoist by split decision.
Marcus Brimage vs. Jim Hettes: Hettes via 2nd round submission. My 3rd pick for FOTN!
Seth Baczynski vs. Simeon Thoresen: Seth via split decision.
Mitch Gagnon vs. Walel Watson: Watson via split decision.
Charlie Brenneman vs. Kyle Noke: Brenneman by unanimous decision.

MMA Flyweight Rankings: September Edition

As we here at CR continue our rankings, we are heading into the UFC’s smallest division: flyweight.

I was ecstatic when the UFC finally announced that they were bringing in the 125-pound division. It holds some of the best talent in the world and they were going unrecognized, that is, until now.

Since starting the 125-pound division, the UFC has signed several of the biggest names with in that weight class including Yasuhiro Urushitani, Jussier “Formiga” da Silva, Ulysses Gomez, and fan-favorite, Ian McCall. There are still a few left that have yet to be signed.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

10. John Moraga – This guy exploded onto the UFC scene. Going into his fight with former top-10 ranked Ulysses Gomez at UFC on Fox 4, he was a sizable underdog and a relative unknown. That all changed within 3:46. He blitzed Gomez and knocked him out in the first round. The guy looked like a world-beater and is definitely a guy to look out for in the coming years.

Look at that afro. Just look at it.

9. Mamoru Yamaguchi – Mamoru Yamaguchi is awesome. Enough said. The guy is one of the flashiest fighters in the world today and he is still a top-10 fighter. He holds a win over Yasuhiro Urushitani and has been fighting the best in the world for years now. He hasn’t fought since his last decision loss to Jussier da Silva back in August of 2011, but no news has reached of his retirement. Let’s hope he fights in the UFC before he hangs ‘em up.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

8. Darrel Montague – Darrel Montague is extremely well rounded. With a record of 11-2, he has 5 (T)KO wins and 4 submission wins. With his only two losses being to Ian McCall and the oversized Robbie Peralta, Montague still has world-class skills. He holds wins over Ulysses Gomez and Jeremy Bolt and has also had championship experience as his win over Gomez got him the belt at Tachi Palace fighting. He is the main guy in which the UFC still has yet to sign.

Photo via ProMMANow.com

7. Chris Cariaso – “Kamikaze” is insanely under appreciated. The guy was a solid bantamweight and fought fighters much larger than him like Takeya Mizugaki, Michael McDonald, Will Campuzano, and above all, Renan Barao. He beat both Mizugaki and Campuzano and his fight with McDonald was extremely close, no one would have argued if Cariaso won. After his win over Josh Ferguson in his flyweight debut, Cariaso should be only one win away from a title shot.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

6. Yasuhiro Urushitani – Although his UFC debut was far from impressive, Urushitani is still one of the best fighters in the world at 125. He holds wins over Yuki Shojo, Mamoru Yamaguchi, John Dodson, and two draws with Shinichi Kojima. He has amazing Muay Thai that should never be overlooked and although he lacks finishing ability (only 5 finishes in 19 wins) he has the skill to put anyone away at any moment.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

5. John Dodson – Although his last win over Tim Elliott wasn’t particularly spectacular; John Dodson is still one of the best in the world in his division. He’s beaten Tim Elliott, TJ Dillashaw, and John Moraga. With his incredible hand speed that also holds a ton of power, Dodson is one of the top guys up for a title shot. His next fight against Jussier da Silva is undoubtedly a top contender fight.

4. Jussier da Silva – When the news broke that Jussier da Silva was signed to the UFC, hardcore MMA fans around the world were saying to themselves, “finally”! Everyone expected him to be in the tournament that they held instead of Urushitani. He easily holds the best BJJ at 125 including wins over Michael William Costa (twice), Alexandre Pantoja Passidimo, Jose Maria Tome, Shinichi Kojima, Danny Martinez, and Mamoru Yamaguchi. His only loss in his 15-fight career is a decision loss to Ian McCall.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

3. Ian McCall – The former number-1 flyweight in the world, Ian McCall is quite a character. With the best mustache in MMA, possibly the world, Ian McCall’s skill is right up there with his mustache. He holds wins over Coty Wheeler, Dustin Ortiz, Darrel Montague, and Jussier da Silva. In his first fight with Demetrious Johnson, many people believe that he won, showing that he could also hold a win over the former number one contender at 135. With his only losses to the aforementioned Johnson, Charlie Valencia, and UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, Ian McCall is still one of the best fighters in the world at 125.

Photo via FightLink.com

2. Demetrious Johnson – Although his first fight with McCall was very controversial, the second meeting wasn’t. Johnson wasn’t necessarily very dominant, but Ian McCall was the number-1 guy at flyweight and Johnson beat him. His next fight with the number-1 guy will show who is the first flyweight champion in UFC history.

Photo via MMAJunkie.com

1. Joseph Benavidez – Now, although Johnson did beat the number-1 guy at 125, his performance wasn’t extremely impressive in either fight. Benavidez was unbelievably impressive in his flyweight debut. Yasuhiro Urushitani was arguably top-3 and Benavidez dominated him and knocked him out at 11 seconds in the second round. Benavidez will be fighting Demetrious Johnson at UFC 152 for the first ever flyweight title in UFC history.

So what do you guys think? Let us know in the comments on what agreed or disagreed on.

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