In the wake of Saturday night’s UFC 135 we are left with little new information about our current Light Heavyweight champ, but rather a resounding and entertaining confirmation of what we already knew. Jon Jones is possibly the greatest pound for pound fighter on the planet (contending with Silva, Aldo, and GSP for that honor) and is without question the top 205 pounder in the world. To the credit of the future hall of famer Rampage Jackson, Quentin managed to give Bones his most competitive contest to date. Doing a more effective job of stopping the 24 year olds take downs than any of his previous opponents, utilizing effective head movement, and wisely ducking the majority of Jones’ thunderous spinning back elbows. Rampage clearly did his homework, came in to the fight in excellent shape and put forth a commendable effort. That being said, another completely one-sided and dominant victory for the young champ. Jackson failed to close the distance for four rounds, dangling on the business end of Bones’s various fishing pole like limbs like a prize tuna who doesn’t yet realize that he is caught and will likely be sashimi by the end of the day. Once his opponent was sufficiently battered and winded, Jones closed in with the takedown and the submission followed shortly thereafter.

    Dominance like this is always exciting to encounter, but can often leave the fan wondering- is there anyone out there who can give this guy a competitive fight? Where does he go from here and will it simply be more replays of the awe inspiring, yet totally one-sided beatings that he has authored so far? Fear not MMA fans, my message is one of hope, for many an entertaining fight lies ahead of our new young champ. Here is what I see for the next phase of Jon Jones’ career (the next 2-3 years):

    The next obvious step is his pending encounter with Rashad Evans. The backstory behind this fight could be the bastard child of a fight promoter’s wet dream and a hollywood producer’s coke induced brainstorm session. Think “Rocky 5” but with better acting. As fun as this fight will be to hype, however, I see it as yet another stop on the Jon Jones Whoop Ass Express. Don’t wander far from the train, this layover will be a short one. All the inside information in the world isn’t going to change the fact that Jones appears better than Rashad in pretty much every facet of the game. Rashad is a top quality light heavyweight and looked excellent in his most recent bout with Tito Ortiz, but I don’t see any way that he can get this done. Evans is excellent at mixing up his attack and will likely pull out all the stops here, but Jones will have an answer for everything and will overwhelm Rashad with his reach. I see a 3rd round TKO for Jones.

    After this, Bones’ schedule will be wide open. Now that Dana White has nixed the possibility of a super-fight with Anderson Silva, I see a few more interesting opportunities for Jones as 205. First stop will likely be a title unification fight with another man who is on a roll of his own, Dan Henderson. Though Henderson is literally old enough to be Jon Jones’ father (if you don’t believe me see MTV’s “Teen Mom”), he is on a white hot streak of destruction and with his recent victory over the legendary Fedor Emelianenko his stock is at an all-time high. He is penciled in for a welcome back to the UFC bout against Shogun, a fight I see him winning via decision. Henderson poses some very interesting challenges for Jones, possessing the best wrestling that Bones will have ever encountered, an iron chin and one punch KO power. Not to mention a mountain of experience and tactical excellence. All this being said, I think Jones utilizes his reach and far greater diversity of strikes to pick Hendo apart, possibly becoming the first man to KO the Greco-Roman great.

    After Hendo, fellow Strikeforce stable mate King Mo might make an interesting opponent, who will likely have made his way over to the UFC by then along with all the other relevant fighters in the soon to be dismantled promotion.

    A more well-rounded and experienced Phil Davis could make an excellent opponent for Jones, however, until Mr. Wonderful brings his striking up to speed I’m afraid he would be too one dimensional to last long with the champ.

    As I see it, this will more or less complete Jon Jones’ thorough cleansing of the 205 lb. division...with one exception- the man who may have the best shot against him in all of the division...


    ...Lyoto Machida. Machida has become the forgotten man at 205 lbs. and unjustly so. He may have well met his kryptonite in the form of Mauricio Rua and a close decision loss to Rampage Jackson (a fight that many feel he got he better of) left him with 2 defeats in a row, effectively deflating the aura of invincibility that he had possessed only a year before. Add to that his difficult negotiations with the UFC and the promotion’s uncertainty as to how to effectively market the Brazilian Karate master and you have a recipe for obscurity. Even his highlight reel KO of Randy Couture does not seem to have put him back in the conversation. Despite this, Machida matches up better with Jones than any other fighter at 205 for the following reasons:

    Lyoto is better at closing the distance than any other fighter in the UFC. Machida’s unique ability to stay out of range, rapidly close the distance to land strikes and then disappear just as quickly is exactly what is needed in order to counter the freakish reach of Jon Jones. Machida will have the best shot yet at getting inside the champ’s range, testing his chin and then escaping.

    Highly underrated wrestling/grappling. Not only is Machida incredibly difficult to chase down inside the octagon, but even when he ties up with opponents his Sumo base is extremely strong, making him very hard to control and take down. In fact, if he were to ever get another shot at Shogun, takedowns and possibly a submission would be his best chance to pull out a victory over his fellow Brazilian.

    General unpredictability. Even for a guy with all of Jones’ tools and the tactical wizardry of his trainer Greg Jackson, Machida can still be puzzling. Shogun seemed to beat him with aggressiveness and a willingness to trade, this has never been Bones’ style (more the patient, methodical tactician).

    Do I think Machida beats Jones? Hell no. Another victory waiting to happen for the man who represents the arrival of the next level of athlete in MMA. But I do believe Machida has a better chance against Jones than anyone else in the division.

    So. Fast forward 1-2 years and Jon Jones has just won a decision over Lyoto in a highly entertaining technical showcase. Barring the emergence of another deadly contender at 205 it will be time for Jon Jones to move up to Heavyweight and attempt to become a two belt champ. In both Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos you have heavyweights who could retain/win and retain the belt for quite awhile. Both very well rounded, both very dangerous, both very tough. So I thinks its a fair guess that when the times comes for Jones to move up, it is one of these two men he will be facing.

    I will stop short of a prediction on this final match-up, if Jones continues to dominate in this fashion we will have the opportunity to preview this match up in another article before long.

     The UFC will return to its roots this Saturday night, gifting its presence to the booty-laden beach paradise that is Rio de Janeiro. We all know the storied history of Brazil’s role in the birth of our beloved sport, so I will not delay you with another synopsis of the Gracie legend, but instead offer you some quick thoughts on this weekend’s card, including a few betting tips. WIthout further ado:

    Starting near the bottom of the card we have a very interesting match up in Dan Miller vs. Rousimar Palhares. The leg-collecting Palhares is a fairly heavy favorite coming into this fight but I question the logic there. Palhares’ Jiu-Jitsu is as deadly as it comes but, perhaps because of this strength, he has demonstrated himself to be fairly one dimensional and the blue print for success against him has been laid out before (see Dan Henderson vs. Palhares). Now, Dan Miller is no Dan Henderson, last names matter, don’t let anyone tell you different. However, Dan Miller is one of the scrappiest, toughest fighters in the UFC and he has NEVER been finished in his MMA career, not even by Jiu- Jitsu wizard Damien Maia. He would obviously do well to keep this fight standing, I do not expect him to have resounding success with that, but if he can keep the fight on the feet long enough to score some points with superior striking and mix things up on the ground a bit he has a very real chance of stealing a decision here. A loss here would be Miller’s third in a row and since he is neither British nor wields a mohawk, that would likely spell expulsion from the organization. I’m betting this brings out the best in him. At +245 at your local internet sports book Miller is a decent wager.

    Next up we have always exciting veteran Spencer Fisher vs. the hometown boy Thiago Tavares. Sadly, I think the curtain may be closing on what has been a very entertaining career for “The King” (but hopefully not before we see him test the waters at 145 lbs.-where he rightfully should have spent his career). Thiago, coming off a tough loss, will be looking to play it smart and get back in the win column. He will take this fight to the ground early and often and grind his way to a decision victory.

    The dangerous and aggressive striking of Luis Cane will grace the presence of Saturday’s card. After blazing a respectable trail through the light-heavyweight division with three straight wins to start his UFC career, Cane dropped a couple first round KO losses, promptly being forgotten about by the general public. However, after a KO over TUF alum Elliot Marshall he appears to be poised to reassert relevance in the division. His competition is a relative unknown, but Cane could fight a lamppost and it would be entertaining, so enjoy.

    Edson Barbosa is a better striker than Ross Pearson. But then again, Edson Barbosa is a better striker than 98% of the guys in the UFC, so relax Ross. The big unanswered question here is the ground game and take down defense of Barbosa. Pearson would be smart to test Barbosa with what he is hoping is a more well-rounded game, perhaps controlling Edson on the ground and in the clinch en route to a decision victory. If they stay upright Barbosa will work Pearson like an albino pinata filled with cherry kool aid. 

  
    The great Nogueira may only be 35, but its a high mileage 35. This is a clearcut case of the young lion being brought in to retire the elder one and it may be the last chance to have Nogueira compete in the UFC in front of a Brazilian crowd. Schaub by KO in round 2.

    The next fight is a potentially entertaining rematch that will look absolutely nothing like the first fight. Years back Forrest Griffin beat an injured, ring-rusted Shogun who was 25 lbs. overweight. If the rejuvenated Shogun who KO’d Machida steps in the ring on Saturday night Forrest Griffin is in serious, early trouble. Rua takes this by first round KO. Shogun is the bet here, even at a healthy -280.

    Ok, main event time. Its always a pleasure to see the brilliant Anderson Silva perform and this event offers for him an intriguing match-up. For starters, its the opportunity to avenge a “loss” (via DQ for illegal up-kick). Its also a tricky stylistic match-up for Anderson who historically has the most trouble with good, strong wrestlers. Now, Okami does not have wresting pedigree or skill of Chael Sonnen, but he still has the strength, experience and grappling skill to put Anderson in some tricky positions. I see Okami taking things to the mat early and attempting, more or less ineffectively, to ground and pound the spider while narrowly escaping Silva’s bottom game. Come round 2 and 3, with Okami losing steam, the take downs will fail and Anderson will find his opening, cracking Yushin’s jaw like young Jimmy’s corn. 

DrunkinMidget187 - You went 3-2 in your last run in the UFC, with only one definitive loss and finishing two of your wins. You are 3-0 all by stoppage since. Do you think the 155 lbs division in the UFC is the widest talent pool in the UFC, and do you think your return may be delayed due to so many 155ers being on the roster?

Din - 155 has always had the deepest talent pool and the best fighters. Think about it, if you look at any other division, there’s like 4 or 5 guys that truly stand ahead of the pack and the rest are just kind of battling it out. 155 has about 15 - 20 guys ahead of the pack. When you consider that even the current champ at 155 has been the underdog in his last 3 fights, that has to say something about the division. Additionally 155 fighters seem to be the only fighters that can fight competitively and excel (in general) in multiple weight classes.

Thorazine - After the Josh Neer fight why weren’t you invited to the WEC at 145lbs?

Din - After the Neer fight, I was in desperate need of a break. Even though my frequency of fighting wasn't always so frequent, I have been able to maintain longevity in mma because I knew when to break, hit the drawing board, and reinvent myself. I have always maintained a good relationship with WEC and could have lobbied to get into that organization immediately. But I chose not to in order to go back in the lab and prepare more. Im in no hurry.


Jrandolph - In your 13 years, was there ever a time you seriously considered walking away from the sport?

Din - In 13 years, I considered walking away from MMA, probably….everyday. But it’s like crack. It just keeps calling you back.

RachHeartsMMA - Do you think you’ll ever go back to lightweight? (DetroitDrew adds) Or do you see your best chance to return to the UFC being @ 145lbs? (Thorazine adds) do you use an IV bag to re-hydrate and about how many MMA fighters do so? (Judopei adds) What is your walk around weight? Basically asking what do you cut?

Din - Right now, Im walking at close to 170lbs. With my style of fighting I don't see me competing at 155lbs. Competing makes more sense for me at 145lbs. With my frame, I am just hard to deal with for guys at that weight. In the past, I have used an IV to rehydrate. Almost every fighter that I know (that cuts more than 15lbs) uses an IV to rehydrate. As far as my cutting process, I always found it best to start my cut at 160lbs. So right now, Im a fat ass.

Bigger Zino - Does dropping to 145lbs allow you compete at a higher level? In the Florian fight you tore up your knee pretty bad and I’m wondering if you’re still living with pain from that injury and if this drop in weight played any role in the decision? (Ulf Murphy adds) What was the first thought in your head upon blowing out your knee against Kenny Florian? (satarma adds) Would you like to have a shot at Florian again, to avenge that loss?

Din - Dropping to 145 doesn’t allow me to ‘compete’ at a higher level. I can compete at a high level of any weight. My training and style allows me to do so. For instance, ATT main academy sometimes splits the training sessions up by weights, I can get in and work with anybody, regardless of weight. But I could never dominate and higher weight class. I think we saw that on my season of TUF. I was competitive with Chris Lytle, but I couldn’t dominate him. As for the Florian fight, I tore my meniscus. It was the 3rd time that I did it. When it happened, the only thing that popped into my head was, "NOT AGAIN!" Since that fight, I have been to Boston numerous times and developed quite the friendship with Kenny. I have stayed at his house to help him train for fights. Im one of his biggest fans.

Puck Head - Prior to the fight being canceled vs Ricardo Mayorga a fight I was looking forward too, you two had a heated pre fight press conference were Mayorga blew smoke in your face and gave you a quick chop to the neck were it appeared you were in a little bit of Pain could you let us know WTF went down and your thoughts on Mayorga as a fighter and person? Now that the fight is not happening it is easy to say this or that would have happened but how did you see the fight with Mayorga going down? And do you believe boxers have much of a chance in MMA with limited ground skills? (satarma adds) If it were absolutely guaranteed to happen, would you still take a fight with Mayorga?

Din - I remember that as soon as the press conference was released, everybody started asking me if I was ok from the slap. I didn’t know what they were talking about. I had to wait a whole day to watch it because I was stuck in NY with no computer. He barely grazed my face and I was looking to shoot on him immediately. Had that bouncer not been there, we would all be talking about how Mayorga got choked out in a press conference. I don’t really know Mayorga as a person. But I have a lot of respect for him. He had his mother and family at the fight and had a lot of people that cared about him next to him. He couldn’t be that bad of a guy and have so many supporters around him. In the event of a fight with him in the future, I would love to fight him. But I doubt it will ever happen. And for the record, anybody with no ground skills, whether a boxer, kickboxer, streetfighter, etc, will have very little success in MMA. YOU NEED A GROUND GAME. .

DetroitDrew - Din what are your thoughts on the rumors that Nick Diaz is trying set up a boxing match with Ricardo Mayorga?

Din - That could be interesting.

LJ - Din- Will you please drag Mayweather into the octagon and whoop his ass for all of us?!?!?

Din - I have been trying.

Ulf Murphy - You haven’t fought professionally in over a year. When is your next fight?

Din - My last fight was January, 2010. Since then I was scheduled to fight Mayorga in March. Then that was pushed back to April. Then pushed back to May. Then it was ultimately canceled. After that, I was scheduled to fight in the WEF. A week before the fight, it was called off. They couldn’t find a quality opponent in a week’s time. So me not fighting in a year wasn’t really my fault. I should have fought twice since my last fight. But what it did was opened my eyes to my life. Most people don’t realize the sacrifices a fighter makes to prepare and compete at a high level. You don’t just show up and fight when you want. It takes months of physical and mental preparation. And while you are preparing, you are sacrificing time, money, relationships, and life in general. So while I wasn’t able to compete last year, I still spent 6 months preparing as if I was competing. By putting your life on hold like that, a lot of things suffer: my schools, my relationships, and my money. As of now, Im not fighting until I put myself in a position to afford to train and fight as a professional hobbyist. Im not a 20 year old, broke, up and comer, looking to make a name. Im a 34 year old, broke, veteran, looking to keep a name – LOL.

IrishKev - At 34 years old and having over 30 fights, do you feel you have the skills and experience to rule the 145 division against the younger guys like Aldo, Grispi, Hominick etc. (ricky~dooby adds) What is your prediction on the Jose Aldo/ Mark Hominick fight?

Din - Without a doubt, I do. Generally the talent is deepest amongst younger fighters. But the best fighters are early 30’s or pushing 30. Im about the same age as Anderson. Plus we look alike so watch out. As for the Aldo/Hominick fight. This fight could be a little different since this is the first kickboxer based opponent we’ve seen Aldo fight. This could force Aldo to use his other skills. Or we will see if he is so far advanced athletically from everybody else, that he just gets the job done. Its interesting. But I still see Aldo retaining his belt. Not to take anything away from Hominick. He is a sharp, solid fighter with a tremendous work ethic and big heart. But not sure he has what it takes to beat Aldo.

JamPark - Who would your dream fight be against and why?

Din - The fan in the 4th row of every fight that keeps yelling, "Stand up and fight like a man, you pussy!"

ViolentMike - At UFC 41 when you fought Matt Serra, what were your first thoughts when the score cards were read? Did you feel that you won the fight? Or did you think that the fight was close enough to go either way? Also, who delivered the message to you that one of the judges made an error on the score card and you actually won the fight by split decision and how did that conversation go?

Din - I was %100 convinced that I won that fight. We came up with a game plan for that fight and I felt I executed it beautifully. I didn’t know how I could have lost because I never got hit really and didn’t get taken down until 10 seconds left in the 3rd round. I didn’t know what could have went wrong. I was confused more than anything. Then when I went to the back, Dana White came right in and told me I won. At first, I thought he was just giving me his opinion. But he was, indeed, telling me that I won. My crew got excited. But I was still left with a bad taste. Part of the glory of winning is getting your hand raised. I was robbed of that. Me and Matt joke about that all the time. To this day, he won that fight. haha

Thorazine - You beat Clay Guida in 2007 are you surprised with his success in the 155lb UFC Division?

Din - No I’m not. Clay is a spectacular fighter and a good student of the game. He learns and improves every time. I’m not surprised with his success. I’m really very happy for him. I love when guys do well in their career.

Ulf Murphy - Would you encourage your son to become a professional mixed martial artist? Why? Why not?

Din - I don’t really care what my son does as long as he does it with passion and with 100% effort. He can walk in the room right now and tell me he wants to be a florist. I’ll tell him to take his little ass outside and start picking flowers because he better be the best florist on the block.

Thorazine - When you were arrested in Oct of 2007 in Florida for holding an illegal fight, how shocked were you when it happened? (Of course you were cleared 1 month later.)

Din - I was pretty shocked. Smokers happen everywhere…everywhere. In fact, we had police officers in attendance. I’ve been to smokers that had police officers fighting. I felt like I was being singled out and taken advantage of from a lack of activity in my area. I must be careful and trust no one because you just never know. But what was even more shocking is the "so called" fans that still think I was holding underground, illegal fights in a warehouse. That is disheartening.

Diceman - What is the most difficult thing about training, to you? What is your favorite part of training?

Din - I love training. I love training more than anything in the world really. Training for fights is difficult though. Training to train is different from training for a fight. Training for a fight is only fun for the middle month of a 3 month camp. The first month sucks because you are still adjusting and probably not in that good of shape. The last month sucks because you are so sick of doing the same moves over and over and over again. But the middle of a fight camp can’t be topped.

satarma - Din, is the anti-bullying seminar you held something that you’ll do again, perhaps on a regular basis? Or was that a onetime thing?

Din - I may do that anti-bully seminar annually. I am planning other free community seminars as well. Ricardo Liborio wants me to help him do an anti bully seminar at the main academy in Coconut Creek.

Dakatak/Thorazine - It is well known that a majority of MMA Fighters will not be able to financially retire after fighting, what are your long-term goals/plans after fighting? What do you see yourself doing after you retire? (Deuce adds) I’ve read that you have 2 gyms, is this true? Talk a little about your relationship with ATT and how they feel about you operating your own gym(s). Do the guys at ATT see this as a positive thing, or does the situation become awkward in some instances? Do you ever have the opportunity to bring over guys from ATT to work with students at your gym? Do you train strictly at ATT for your fights, or do you also train at your gym(s) as well? (Thorazine adds) Are you still with American Top Team and who are your main training partners?

Din - Yes, I own 2 ATT gyms, one in Port St. Lucie, Fl and the other in Stuart, Fl. I’m also the head instructor at the ATT in Longwood, Fl. As I stated in an early question, you can see how preparing for fights all the time can put a strain on some things at my schools. I do not run my schools like most schools. I have structures and systems that require a lot of attention, focus, and manpower to run them. Luckily for me I have a great staff that does a good job for me when I can’t be there. My relationship with other ATT schools and fighters has always been amazing. A lot of other school owners ask me for advice sometimes. The fighters miss me sometimes because I don’t get to train with them too often. I miss that too. In the past, I’ve had some fighters come up. But now most of them are just so busy that its difficult. Same as I can’t go down there to help them train, they can’t come up to make appearances at my schools. But the love is still there. I’m getting excited just thinking about training with my boys. We have some epic battles. Here’s a few guys that I just love working with and the feeling is mutual, I’m sure: Gleison Tibau, Mike Brown, Thiago Alves, Yves Edwards, Tyron Woodley, Micah Miller, Jorge Masvidal, Rich Attonito, Luigi Fiorivante, Ben Saunders, and JZ Calvalcanti. I do train abroad and outside of ATT when I get a chance. I’ve had some good times with Kenny Florian, Eddie Alvarez, Ben Askren, and others. I’m coming to see you soon too. But right now my focus is my students. In addition to that, I just started doing improv and I’m still commentating and just staying as busy as I can in whatever I can do to help.

mmahighlightreel.com

By Chris Steinberger

In an intriguing match up at UFC 126, former Light Heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin takes on former middleweight champion Rich "Ace" Franklin.  Franklin’s recent move to light heavyweight makes an already stacked division even deeper.

When studying these fighters you see that their fighting styles are very similar.  Both Griffin and Franklin like to stand with opponents using an array of attacks including punches, kicks as well as utilizing the clinch.  The difference is the way they utilize them.  Franklin has five times as many knockouts with fifteen.  He has a clear advantage in this category and has a much better chance of ending the fight in KO fashion.  Forrest wants to mix up his skills and make it a long grueling fight.  He wants to wear out his opponent and take advantage of him through any means necessary.

Forrest enters the ring after his absence of over a year and will need some time to get up to speed, especially against an excellent and well rounded guy like Franklin.  Each has an extremely underrated ground game with neither being submitted in their long careers.  At the same time Franklin has ten submissions and Forrest seven.  Franklins ten submissions are only one less than Anderson Silva (5) and BJ Penn (6) combined.  Half of them are by armbar (4) and kimura (1), while over half of Forrest’s are by rear naked choke (4). 

In essence both are tough well-rounded boxers with an above average level of jiu jitsu.  This fight more than likely stays standing.  Although if one gains an advantage in the striking early we could see takedown attempts late.  My guess is that it will be Franklin who gets up early and Forrest who starts shooting late. 

Franklin should and will out class Forrest standing rather easily.  Forrest is a tough fighter though and should battle through a stoppage, but Franklin’s experience against a high-level competition will shine through. While clearlyGriffin is someone who cannot be completely counted out, with my money I’d take Rich Franklin.

 Pick- Franklin (-170) via Decision

See more of my articles, top tens and great videos at mmahighlightreel.com

Who are the most popular UFC fighters on Twitter based on number of followers?   Below is a chart containing the top 10.  With the exception of Chuck (who is now VP of Biz Dev or whatever), all of these fighters are currently active.   For fun, I also included the number of "Friends" the fighter is following.  Because of space limitations, seeing the number of friends isn't always easy unless they have a lot.  I was on the fence about whether or not to even include friend counts, but I figured what the hell.  Might as well.

A larger, more interactive version of this chart which includes hard numbers for all 196 fighters can be viewed on the MMA Pop! blog, where I will be covering social media trends in MMA and the UFC with all kinds of graphs and charts and other fun stuff. 

And if you weren't aware of my UFC Bar Guide, check that out too if you're looking for a spot in your neighborhood to catch UFC 126.  

Reposted from: 

http://mmapop.fightnig.ht/who-are-the-most-popular-ufc-fighters-on-twit

Charlotte, NC (January 29, 2011) – Fight Lab Promotions returned to the Grady Cole Center, site of UFC 3, with "Misery Loves Company III" on Saturday, January 29 in Charlotte, NC. The third installment of the popular fight series featured eleven MMA cage fights, with four of the eleven bouts contested for Fight Lab championships. It was a great night of action as several young fighters began their MMA careers, while others continued their journey toward stardom.

The final fight of the night pitted veteran Micah Lail (8-5) against up-and-comer Nick Smith (3-1) for the vacated Fight Lab welterweight title. Lail, a Guerrilla Tactics fighter from Conover, NC, had triumphed in four of his last five bouts. He brings Golden Gloves boxing experience into the cage but has also utilized effective ground-and-pound and submission skills to prevail in past outings. Meanwhile, the upstart Smith had only one loss on his record, and his previous three wins all featured impressive finishes. In the end, Lail just could not overcome the constant pressure from Nick Smith as he was forced to tap out with just one second left on the clock in the fourth round.

The evening’s co-main event was a heavyweight title tussle between Chris Sutton (4-0) and Bobby Gurley (3-1). The 6’ 6" Sutton, fighting out of Wilmington, brought an undefeated record into the bout. He represented a tall order for Gurley. With both fighters having wrestling backgrounds the fight was likely to be contested on the mat. The fight went to the ground quickly, and although Gurley looked stronger throughout the first round, Sutton would win by submission early in the second to fill the vacated Fight Lab heavyweight title.

In additional championship action, Amos Collins stepped in on just three days notice to face champion Chris Smith (5-3) for the Fight Lab lightweight title. Before that bout Fight Lab light heavyweight champion Brandon Beach (3-1) returned from injury to defend his title against Ferdinando Acerra.

"We had a great crowd with some really good fights. I’m very happy with tonight. I want to thank the fans for coming out to support us. And our great sponsors Bojangles’, Monster Energy Drink, and Sam’s Mart for helping us put on another successful event," said Fight Lab executive Kenny Letts.

Full Card Details for Misery Loves Company III - HERE

Although Anderson Silva is one of the greatest champions the UFC has ever hosted, every great fighter’s reign must end.  The man has never lost a title fight, managing to finish six of his eight championship bouts before the judges could have a say.  That leaves two unanimous decisions wins over Thales Leites and Demian Maia.  These, unfortunately for Silva, comprise two of his last three title fights, suggesting that his finishing ability may be escaping him as he enters the latter half of his thirties.  Even though he submitted Chael Sonnen in the fifth round, the beating he took en-route to the submission victory seems to contribute to the case that Silva may be slowing due to age.  In addition to the possibility that Silva is losing his greatest asset, superior speed, he may also fall victim to the execution of a sound game plan. 

            In his last two fights he has shown chinks in his armor in the least likely of places.  Against Maia he came out in traditional fashion and delivered devastating strikes for the first three rounds, landing nearly every shot he threw.  As the fight entered championship territory Silva seemed to become less efficient and less effective with his striking.  His aggressive offense gave way to a more defensive avoidant strategy that left many wondering if exhaustion could explain the fighter’s peculiar shift in game plan.  In the fifth round Maia landed more than twice as many power shots to the head than did Silva.  Maia, not known for his striking, was able to connect with clean punches on the once impossibly elusive champion.  Signs of Silva’s diminishing speed continued, as was evident in his most recent fight with Chael Sonnen. 

            The Sonnen fight was a serious wake up call for Silva and served as a "How to Defeat Anderson Silva Manual" for UFC middleweight challengers.  At the start of the first round, Sonnen quickly sent Silva to the mat with a series of big punches.  By the end of the night Silva had absorbed more strikes in twenty-three minutes than he had in his entire UFC career.  Sonnen managed to outclass the champion in every facet of the game until the opportunistic Silva secured a triangle choke halfway through the final round.  Although Sonnen would test positive for performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) and rumors of Silva’s rib injury surfaced, the fight still showed that it is possible to dismantle Silva.  Sonnen may be a rarity in that he possesses quick enough feet and strong enough wrestling to get Silva to the mat, but his hands have never been considered a real weapon, and they alone put Silva on his back. 

            Vitor Belfort has been afforded the luxury of seeing Sonnen crack the code of an aging Silva.  Regardless of the benefits Sonnen received from the PEDs, Silva is facing an even quicker opponent in Belfort.  For the most part Sonnen managed to outclass Silva’s standup.  Thus, it can be expected that Belfort, regarded as having some the most lethal hand techniques in MMA, will challenge the champion’s legendary striking.  If Silva’s injury was truly to blame for his lackluster standup and Vitor finds himself in trouble on his feet, he can utilize another tactic employed by Sonnen:  Wrestling. 

Silva’s impeccable take down defense has relied on his superior reflexes.  Reflexes that seemed absent during his last fight.  Belfort has solid wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), judo, and is perhaps one of the only middleweights considered to be quicker than Silva.  This combination of technique and athletic ability should allow him to execute the game plan mapped out by Sonnen.  But, Belfort’s black belts in both BJJ and judo should prevent him from being submitted like Sonnen.  Silva is a legendary champion who has dominated for nearly five years while demonstrating immense skill, dedication, and heart.  Unfortunately for Silva, Belfort posses the knowledge and skill to dethrone the champ, and will likely do so come February 5th.

By Eric Warden (See more of my articles, top tens, and videos at www.mmahighlightreel.com)

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Saturday, January 29, 2011,

Fights Start at 7:30 pm EST

http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/mma.cfm?go=events.detail&eid=095a906c-7a68-4fb0-b4d2-e33d37e1c9bf

Should be some great fights and as usual some great title Fights.  I personally will be defending my 155lb Title.  Amos Collins has stepped up and replaced Jason Lineberger on very short notice.

Kevin Forrant will be show casing his  heavy hooks against the crafty Rainbow Bradley Essick

In a 170lb title show down, Michal Lail will be fighting Nick Smith.   Check it out.  Get tickets now it is nearly sold out.

http://www.fightlabpros.com/

Chris "Ace Of Clubs" Smith

http://www.ShuffleGames.Net

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     Fans Interview Fighters is back with our 4th installment. This time we have secured Featherweight Din Thomas. Din recently dropped down to 145lb's after his last run in the UFC and is on a 3 fight win streak. Before dropping down Din fought a whose who of the lightweight division including BJ Penn, Jens Pulver, Caol Uno, Clay Guida, Kenny Florian, Jeremy Stephens and Josh Neer. Din was a participant on The Ultimate Fighter season 4,  was also involved in a botched mma vs boxing showdown with Ricardo Mayorga last year that fell victim to the rath of Don King at the last minute, and has acted in multiple independent films. Din has a career record of 25-8. Din is the first fighter in this series who is not currently under contract with a major promotion. Is that by choice after winning 3 in a row considering the UFC's recent addition of the FW division, or is he still waiting for that call? Let’s ask him and find out.     

     As always if you've read this far I beg of you to please post your comment in the form of a question to save me time on editing. Please do not put half the question in the title of your comment and the other half in the body. Put the whole question in the body of the comment. Also if you are posting multiple questions but really hope that one of them is chosen feel free to indicate which one, you could keep it simple and just add a * before that question.

The TKD Heavyweight

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