Reader’s Verdict: The Laws of the Ring

For years, there has been a debate about whether or not mixed martial arts has hit the mainstream. While there is no definitive answer, the publishing world offers another point to the argument. After a championship is awarded in each of the four major sports, the athletes on the roster try to cash in with a book deal to tell their stories. In turn, you get books written by the backup to the backup.

In terms of sheer quantity, MMA is following the lead of mainstream sports with its foray into the book business. All sorts of fighters, referees and even UFC President Dana White’s mother have tried to parlay the success of MMA into books of their own. Inevitably, the market gets flooded by books we are just not that interested in. The latest fighter to try his hand is UFC 149 headliner Urijah Faber, with “The Laws of the Ring.”

Known for his unorthodox style in and out of the cage, Faber carries that lifestyle into the pages of “Laws,” which turns out to be delightfully different. “The Laws of the Ring” is less about Faber’s life and more about his philosophy, and it is being marketed as a motivational self-help book organized by his “Laws of Power.” With the help of New York Times bestselling author Tim Keown, Faber touches on all 36 laws in an effort to help you, the reader, “embrace the real rather than chase the artificial.”

While the cause is certainly noble, two questions came to mind before reading the book. Do we really need 36 laws of power? Who is Faber to be putting together a motivational self-help book? The latter question was addressed by Faber early on. In an effort to not give away too much, I offer the words on the back cover: “You’d be surprised how much you can learn when you make it your profession to stand in an enclosed cage with another man, with the intention of defeating him ... by strangulation, knockout, submission ... it’s the history of the world compressed into a series of five-minute rounds.”

As for the 36 laws, they do not make for as heavy a read as the number might imply. The book can be wrapped up in no more than a couple sittings. Faber uses “The Laws of the Ring” to focus on self-help and motivation. If he can add his own personal touch by discussing what it was like growing up on a Christian commune, he certainly will, but the book includes just as much about the characters he has met along the way. Readers will find out more about UFC flyweight title contender Joseph Benavidez, and they will also be introduced to Red Robinson, who can only be described as a character. So many intriguing stories being told leave one with the desire to continue turning the page.

Faber has become known as one of the more relaxed fighters in the MMA industry. After reading “The Laws of the Ring,” you come away with a better idea of what went into making the man. You are also left with the impression that, even if Faber were to lose to Renan “Barao” Pegado on Saturday in Canada, it will not be something he allows to define him.

Pros Pick: Faber vs. Barao

A knee injury to Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight kingpin Dominick Cruz set in motion the events that led to an interim title bout between Urijah Faber and Renan “Barao” Pegado in the UFC 149 headliner on Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Faber has recorded three wins in his past four outings. The 33-year-old Team Alpha Male founder last appeared at UFC 139 in November, when he submitted Brian Bowles with a second-round guillotine choke. A former WEC champion at 145 pounds, Faber wrestled collegiately at the University of California at Davis. In 31 professional appearances, he has never been submitted. Faber views “Barao” as a different kind of threat than the man he was originally booked to meet.

“Cruz and ‘Barao’ are polar opposites. ‘Barao’ is a guy that starts hard and looks for the finish right away but seems to fade a little bit as the fight goes on,” he said in his pre-fight interview with UFC.com. “Dominick is really tricky, has great conditioning and is always looking to outpoint you in a long fight. I’m a good combination of those two put together. I’m dangerous and I thrive in long fights.”

Pegado, who trains out of the same revered Nova Uniao camp as UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, has secured 19 of his 28 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. The 25-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt last competed at UFC 143 in February, when he coasted to a unanimous decision over Scott Jorgensen. “Barao” views the fight with Faber as a defining moment in his career.

“Urijah is a great fighter and person,” he said. “It will be the most important fight in my life, and this can put me at another level in the UFC and as an MMA pro fighter.”

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 149 “Faber vs. Barao” main event:

Joseph Sandoval: I’m going for Renan. He’s just too fast and is a smaller Jose Aldo. He’s gonna finish Urijah in the championship rounds; I say [via] TKO.

Keith Berry: Faber is pretty well-rounded, with great wrestling, but Renan is a phenom. I think he will get the TKO in the third round.

Jason Dent: Picking and pulling for Faber. To be honest, I’m not that familiar with Renan just yet. I have to believe Faber has fought the tougher competition, though.

Jeff Hougland: Faber will win, but it will be an awesome fight for the fans. Neither one knows how to have a boring fight.

Mike Ciesnolevicz: I’m going to take “Barao” in this fight. I think he is going to be the next big thing at this weight class. It’s hard to pick against him. I see him outstriking Faber standing, maybe with low kicks like his training partner Aldo did. It will set up Barao-Cruz down the line for the belt.

The pros favor Faber.
John Hackleman: I pick Faber to win because of his explosive wrestling, much improved striking, his very underrated yet dangerous submissions and, most of all, because of his very cute dimple. No one with a dimple like that should ever lose.

Travis Wiuff: Faber wins by decision.

Erik Paulson: This will be a fun fight to watch. Faber needs to take him down and try to choke him to finish. “Barao” could possibly win by KO if he can keep it on the feet.

Mark Bocek: “Barao” wins by decision.

Cung Le: Going with Faber.

Javier Vazquez: This should be a fun fight. I just have a feeling about this one, and I think “Barao” is going to finish Faber. I don’t like to pick against Faber, but I think “Barao” might just be the guy that beats Cruz. “Barao” will finish Faber in a spectacular fight.

John Gunderson: “Barao” is a beast and only 25. This will be a tough fight for Faber, but I believe he will pull out the victory. Faber has more experience in the big show and championship fights. Plus, his work ethic [will help]. His incredibly fast-paced fighting style will prevail. He also has a good team of guys to work with everyday and will dominate this fight later on [in the] championship rounds.

Nam Phan: Faber all the way.

Pros Picking Faber: 7
Pros Picking Pegado: 5
No Pick: 1

One Door Closes, Another Opens

The Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 7 announced that bantamweight titleholder Dominick Cruz had torn a knee ligament while training, necessitating his removal from a rubber match with longtime rival Urijah Faber. It was a pill neither man wanted to swallow.

Beyond Cruz and his inner circle, perhaps no one was more disappointed with the cancellation than Faber, who had designs on avenging his July 2011 defeat to “The Dominator.” Instead, Cruz faced reconstructive surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process. Faber was met with uncertainty, his mantle still noticeably void of the sport’s biggest prize: a UFC championship.

A little less than two weeks later, the promotion pitted “The California Kid” against once-beaten Nova Uniao standout Renan “Barao” Pegado for the interim UFC bantamweight crown. The two will meet in the UFC 149 headliner on Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The situation was less than ideal for Faber, but, with Cruz stuck on the sidelines, he had no choice but to move forward.

Perfect Timing

When Ryan Jimmo steps into the Octagon to fight Anthony Perosh at UFC 149 “Faber vs. Barao” on Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, it will be his second opportunity to make an impression on the world’s preeminent mixed martial arts organization.

In 2008, Jimmo made the trek to Las Vegas to appear on Season 8 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” only to suffer an elimination loss to Antwain Britt in his first fight. Although disappointed, Jimmo had a positive attitude about the experience and expressed it at the time to Sherdog.com: “[UFC President] Dana White said it was probably one of the better fights of the day, so that’s good. The UFC already has their eye on me, and they’re looking to build the sport in Canada and are looking for up-and-coming Canadian fighters. I think they’re going to be very impressed with my improvements when they next see me fight.”

Now, four years and 10 fights later, Jimmo finds himself tied with Glover Teixera for the third longest winning streak in MMA at 16 fights. Coincidentally, the only two fighters with longer streaks are Renan “Barao” Pegado (26) and Hector Lombard (25), and they are both competing at UFC 149. In retrospect, Jimmo believes losing qualifying fight to Britt was a good thing.

“Some guys want to be stars yesterday and might get there a little fast, but they don’t have the skills to keep them there,” he said. “If I had to go a little slower and work on certain things, I’m OK with that.”

Jimmo admits wrestling was a glaring hole in his skill set at the time.

“If I had gone to the UFC three years ago and faced a wrestler, they would have taken me down, laid on top of me and I would have lost,” he said.

Even as a little boy growing up in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, Jimmo always had an unusual focus and dedication toward reaching whatever goal he set. His father, Paul, a fifth Dan black belt in Chito-Ryu Karate, and his mother, Linda, brought him into karate in the hope that it would be an outlet to channel his hyperactivity in a positive manner. It worked.

By the time he was in his late teens, Jimmo was a four-time national champion and had medaled three times -- a silver and two bronze -- at the Pan-American Games. While Pan-Am hardware might have brought happiness to some athletes, Jimmo, according to his mother, only saw failure in them.


Perosh has won three in a row.
“He went to one of his Pan-American Games, and he said, ‘I’m going to come home with the gold medal, mom,’ and there was no doubt in my mind that he would,” she said. “He was within one-one hundredth of a second in overtime, no score, and the other guy popped him first, and he ended up with the silver medal.”

When Jimmo came home, she asked to see the medal. He dismissed it.

“I didn’t go there for a silver medal; I went there for gold,” Jimmo said. “I threw it in the garbage can.”

Looking back, Jimmo feels eternally indebted to his parents for involving him in karate and remaining supportive of his martial arts aspirations.

“I didn’t do so well in school because I was a pretty hyper and rambunctious kid, and in karate I got a lot of positive reinforcement in my early teen-aged years that I wasn’t getting in school,” he said. “For me, it was a source of confidence building. Instead of being the bad kid in class, I was the star pupil, and I enjoyed that.”

Even then, Jimmo had an almost obsessive fixation with training, which made his parents happy because it kept him out of trouble. The 30-year-old light heavyweight concedes his life centered on the work he did in the gym.

“In my later teen-aged years, I became more focused,” Jimmo said. “Friends knew that if there was a karate tournament coming up I just wasn’t available. They would come to my house at nine on a Saturday night, and I’d answer the door dripping in sweat from training. My life revolved around it.”

Jimmo laughs, as he remembers times when he ventured into the woods shirtless during the winter and punched trees repeatedly in a scene right out of “Best of the Best.”

Raising Jimmo was not without its trials. His mother recalls a time when she and her husband returned home from a weekend getaway to discover that Jimmo had sold their couch and television because he wanted more room for his basement gym. While some parents might have been furious, his father was upset over the fact that Jimmo only received $200 in the deal. Then there was the time when his mother absentmindedly entered their home with a cigarette. They had agreed to a smoke-free home because Jimmo feared the chemicals might harm his body. When Jimmo saw her standing there, he took her ashtray and threw it into a snow bank. Then he casually walked over to his mother, picked her up and threw her into the snow bank after it.

“If you want to smoke,” Jimmo said, “smoke out here.”

That singular focus carries on today. Jimmo has enjoyed much of his success while training primarily with Luke Harris at the Hayabusa Training Centre in Edmonton. However, he knew he needed to work with a camp with as much UFC experience as possible in order to better his chances of excelling in the Octagon. As a result, Jimmo joined the “Blackzilians” at Imperial Athletics in Florida.

“Yeah, I’m a white guy from Canada, so I kind of stick out like a sore thumb a little bit,” he said with a laugh. “Me and Matt Mitrione are some of the only white guys.”

Since March, Jimmo has spent all but 10 days in Delray Beach, Fla., training with coach Mike Van Arsdale, Mario Sperry and a slew of world-class mixed martial artists, Tyrone Spong, Rashad Evans, Anthony Johnson and Alistair Overeem among them.

When told the UFC had offered Perosh for his debut, Jimmo was ecstatic. Perosh had defeated teammate Nick Penner at UFC on FX 2 in March, providing him with some extra motivation. Jimmo also thinks the 40-year-old Australian will be an excellent opponent against whom to showcase his skills.

“I’ve watched him with other fighters, like Cyrille Diabate, who is almost a pure kickboxer, and he did really well against [Perosh] on the ground,” he said. “That’s where he wants to take the fight, but I’m not afraid of him there.”

Known for his ground skills, Perosh will enter the cage on the strength of three straight finishes. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt dispatched Penner with punches and elbows in the first round of their matchup. Jimmo does not seem fazed in the slightest.

“I’ve sparred with Alistair Overeem, the biggest, strongest standup guy in the world,” he said, “and if I can do that, then this guy can’t have a whole lot to offer me.”

Beastly Determination

Used often in everyday American English, the word “beast” can mean anything from nonhuman animal, to an adjective for someone considered savage or brutal, to the modern slang which connotes someone who is quite good at something. This menacing moniker was given to Bryan Baker by trainer Thomas Denny, his first coach and the man who founded his career, after “Wildman” saw the hunger and ferocity Baker devoted to training and fighting.

Baker, who has since left Team Wildman Vale Tudo and now represents Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, will face France’s Karl Amoussou in the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 6 welterweight tournament final at Bellator 72 on Friday at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.

Originally from West Covina, Calif., Baker was raised in Apple Valley, where he attended Granite Hills High School. He played football his first three years there and started on the offensive line as a freshman despite being one of the smallest and leanest linebackers on the team.

“Coach saw that I had the heart of a bear,” Baker told Sherdog.com.

He joined the wrestling team as a sophomore and began to develop a love for the sport. “I learned a lot about myself,” Baker said. “In wrestling, it’s just you in front of the crowd. It’s all you -- whatever mistake [you make] or whatever you do well.”

While he did not perform as well as he wanted that first year, Baker was sure he could improve and thrilled with the fact he had found a sport in which winning depending solely on his own efforts. He started training at High Desert Judo as a junior and went on to obtain his black belt under Sensei Gary Moore.

Baker continued in judo and wrestling throughout high school and later earned his place on the Victor Valley Junior College wrestling team. He trained with Olympic judokas and participated in tournaments around the country, taking second place at nationals. Baker’s career goal was to obtain a place on the United States Olympic Team in either judo or wrestling. He was offered a scholarship to Cal State Fullerton, but, just before the wrestling season began, he was involved in an automobile accident in which his car was crushed by a tractor trailer. He was not seriously injured, but his car was totaled and with the loss of his transportation -- Baker commuted an hour each way -- he was unable to attend practices and classes as needed and lost his scholarship.


Denny had a profound impact on Baker.
Believing he had lost his opportunity at a career in sports, he began to work in the construction industry and became involved in an unhealthy lifestyle replete with alcohol and drugs. At some point, Baker realized he had strayed far away from his life dreams.

“God grabbed me and said, ‘What are you doing with your life?’” he said. “I knew I had fallen off the edge, and I repented.”

Around the same time, one of his friends suggested he try MMA. Although he and his friends often watched the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Baker had never considered it as a possibility for himself.

“I didn’t even have any striking,” he said.

That friend brought Baker to Denny, a longtime King of the Cage veteran and owner of Team Wildman. Baker took to the new sport with flair, making his 2007 debut a few months later. His MMA career began with a bang.

“By my fourth fight, I was already on TV,” said Baker, who won his first six bouts in less than a year. “My strategy then was throw a strong right hand to a takedown.”

Even without a striking background, he won three of those fights by technical knockout. Then, he met Chael Sonnen at WEC 33, with a shot at promotional champion Paulo Filho on the line. Sonnen handed him his first loss via unanimous decision.

“I stayed strong for the crowd; I knew I’d given it my all, but when I went back to the room, I was just in tears,” Baker said. “Coach [Denny] just gave me a hug and told me he wasn’t disappointed.”

Undaunted, Baker threw himself back into training and competition, and he won his next seven fights, including victories against “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 alum Rory Singer and former International Fight League champion Matt Horwich. During that time, Denny decided to move to Colorado. He encouraged his fighters to find new places to train but invited anyone who wanted to come with him. Feeling led by God, Baker told him, “If you’re going, I’m going.”

Baker made the move, leaving everything behind to follow the coach who was instrumental in his development. Shortly thereafter, Baker began to experience fatigue, weakness, pain, headaches and other symptoms. On April 19, 2010, he was diagnosed with leukemia. With 94.5 percent of his blood affected, he was only given weeks to live, but Baker never doubted he would recover.

“My faith had grown very strong, from getting out of the drugs and the wrong crowd to my success in MMA. I am in a sport where healthy living is a necessity. Even following the feeling to move to Colorado -- the high altitude forced the symptoms to show earlier than if I had stayed in California -- was a sign to me,” Baker said. “When they told me I had weeks to live, there was never a question that this could not be overcome. I just wanted to know, ‘Am I still gonna be able to fight?’”

Baker fought on -- he accepted four more fights after the diagnosis, three of which he won -- until he could no longer compete at his full potential. He completed tests and was put on the Gleevec program; his body responded to the medication right away. By then, Baker could barely make it through a warm-up, but he never stopped pushing himself. Still, he had slowed considerably.

“I was frustrated,” Baker said. “I had become the slowest on the team, but I kept pushing and testing myself, trying to get back to peak performance. I eventually began to make it through the whole workout again.”

Baker participated in Bellator’s Season 2 middleweight draw and advanced to the final. Even though he did not win that tournament, Baker had made significant progress.

“I was walking in victory,” he said. “I had proved to myself my own mental toughness.”

About a year ago, Baker was declared to be in remission and entered his second Bellator middleweight tournament. He qualified by knocking out Joe Riggs. Immediately after the victory, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, who had been with him since before the move to Colorado. Although he was ousted in the semifinals, he felt better than he had in the previous tournament.

Not long after, Baker began to think about his future in MMA. He had already made it back to the top of his gym, and he was not feeling challenged in training. Plus, he had a new wife and a baby on the way. When fellow First Round Management fighter Travis Marx invited him to come to New Mexico to check out Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, Baker was ready. He visited, trained for one week and realized it was where he needed to be to further his career. A few weeks later, Baker and his wife moved to Albuquerque, N.M., where he has been ever since.

“Coach [Greg Jackson] saw my talent and my potential and accepted me right away,” he said. “Instead of trying to change my fighting style, he helps me play to my strengths, and he fills in the areas that have room for improvement.”

Baker is now in the midst of his third Bellator tournament, this time as a welterweight, and he is one victory away from fighting for the title. He has been working and training nonstop, spending time with Jackson and his stable of coaches, Mike Winkeljohn, Chris Luttrell and Brandon Gibson, all of whom have helped put together each game plan. He conditions with former Marine Rob Ange and supplements his training with boxing at world-renowned Danny Romero’s Hideout.

A man who has faced and overcome trials and obstacles that have defeated many others, Baker has earned his nickname.

UFC 149 ‘Faber vs. Barao’ Preview

It is perhaps the most snake-bitten card in a summer full of them for mixed martial arts’ preeminent organization. To mention every fighter who withdrew from UFC 149 would be both depressing and counterproductive. Instead, it is better to focus on who will be competing on Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, because the show must go on.

Of chief interest is the interim bantamweight title clash between Urijah Faber and Renan “Barao” Pegado. Faber has longed for one more shot at Dominick Cruz since he lost to his bitter rival last summer, but Pegado, with his impressive 18-fight winning streak, makes for a formidable challenge in his own right. In addition, former Bellator Fighting Championships middleweight king Hector Lombard will make his long-awaited UFC debut against Tim Boetsch. Plenty of hype surrounds the Cuban’s arrival, and he will have to deliver against an opponent who is coming off an improbable rally against Yushin Okami.

UFC 149 Prelims: 5 Reasons to Watch

It may be best known to sports fans as the home of the NHL’s Flames, the CFL’s Stampeders and professional wrestling’s Hart Family dungeon, but on Saturday, Calgary, Alberta, Canada will host UFC 149 “Faber vs. Barao.”

Arguably the most injury-ravaged Ultimate Fighting Championship event of all-time, the show was initially expected to be headlined by Jose Aldo’s featherweight title defense against Erik Koch before “Scarface” was forced out with an injury. As a result, the planned UFC 148 co-headliner between Urijah Faber and Renan “Barao” Pegado will now serve as the main event, as the two bantamweights vie for an interim title belt we are told is vitally important and quite expensive.

Despite altering its headliner -- along with virtually every other fight on the bill -- UFC 149 has nonetheless brought some flavor to the table. Prior to the pay-per-view broadcast, the undercard will set the stage at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Here are five reasons to tune into the FX network to catch the UFC 149 prelims:

What’s the Big Deal?

Fans of bald dudes with karate backgrounds, rejoice. Ryan Jimmo is coming to the UFC.

A former Maximum Fighting Championship light heavyweight titlist, Jimmo has not lost since falling by technical knockout in his 2007 professional debut. Since that loss, “Big Deal” has won 16 consecutive fights, rattling off four straight wins in the MFC before stopping Dwayne Lewis to capture the Canadian promotion’s 205-pound championship. Two successful title defenses followed for the 30-year-old, who outpointed former Bellator Fighting Championships and Strikeforce talent Zak Cummings before doing the same to UFC veteran Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou to close out 2011.

Jimmo’s first and only experience in the Octagon came during his brief stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 8, as he dropped a majority decision to future Strikeforce competitor Antwain Britt in the qualifying round. As all fights on the reality show are classified as exhibition bouts, the defeat did not affect Jimmo’s otherwise perfect stretch. Can he erase the memory of that hiccup and score a victory in his official UFC debut?

Hope for ‘The Hippo’

Attempting to prevent Jimmo from making a successful Octagon foray will be Anthony Perosh, a nine-year professional who has finally been given the opportunity to compete in the UFC at 205 pounds.

Known for his ground game, the 40-year-old made two appearances as a heavyweight for the Las Vegas-based promotion in 2006, falling to Jeff Monson and Christian Wellisch before receiving his UFC release. Perosh then returned to light heavyweight outside the organization, racking up a 5-2 record before once again moving up in weight to fill in for Ben Rothwell on short notice against Mirko Filipovic at UFC 110.

Following his technical knockout loss to “Cro Cop,” the Australian began his light heavyweight run with the promotion one year later at UFC 127, submitting Cage Rage vet Tom Blackledge with a rear-naked choke and then doing the same to French striker Cyrille Diabate in November. “The Hippo” most recently competed in March, stopping promotional debutant Nick Penner with just one second remaining in the first round of their UFC on FX 2 clash.

With plenty of miles already showing on his fight odometer, can the Aussie navigate Jimmo’s nimble standup attack and make a run toward the light heavyweight division’s upper echelon?

Free Refill

Francisco Rivera File Photo

Rivera is back for more.
Just two months removed from their last in-cage appearances, Roland Delorme and Francisco Rivera are already back for more.

A cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter 14,” Delorme has done some serious work in his two UFC bouts thus far, submitting game but undersized castmate Josh Ferguson in the season finale before showing some serious heart in his most recent contest against Nick Denis at UFC on Fox 3. After eating some serious shots in the first few minutes of that contest, Delorme somehow weathered the storm and managed to connect with a big left hook of his own, driving his countryman backward before tripping him to the mat and locking up a rear-naked choke to snatch a sweet come-from-behind victory.

Rivera, meanwhile, routinely dismantled Alex Soto in his return to the Octagon, continually staggering the Mexican-American prospect with his power punching attack on May 15 at UFC on Fuel TV 3 and erasing the memory of his ill-fated two-fight stint under the Zuffa umbrella in 2011.

Regardless of who comes out on top, do not be surprised if Delorme and Rivera steal the “Fight of the Night” bonus from the boys on the pay-per-view.

Caraway’s Quest

Thought of by many as one of the more talented competitors on Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Bryan Caraway did his thing at the season finale in December after being eliminated by eventual season winner Diego Brandao in the show’s semifinals. The submission specialist rocked Dustin Neace with a hard left hook in the first round of his official UFC debut and dominated “The Beast” on the floor, taking his back in both the first and second frames before finishing him with a rear-naked choke.

Stepping up to face Caraway will be promotional debutant Mitch Gagnon, who has finished each of his wins by submission. Beaten just once as a pro, the Canadian has never been finished and has earned seven of his eight victories inside the first round.

After a failed two-fight stint with the WEC and his loss to Brandao, Caraway could now be on his way to establishing himself as a legitimate UFC bantamweight contender. Can he get the job done in his Octagon debut at 135 pounds and turn away the surging newcomer?

McGee’s Brass Ring

Court McGee and Nick Ring have unfinished business.

The winner of “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11, McGee followed an unorthodox path to the final. Initially, he was eliminated by Ring via majority decision in the show’s preliminary round but was picked to reenter the competition in the quarterfinals after Rich Attonito broke his hand. Set to rematch Ring in the Round of 8, McGee instead topped James Hammortree to advance after Ring was forced to withdraw with a knee injury.

McGee went on to submit Kris McCray in the season finale to earn his six-figure UFC contract and followed that triumph with two more wins in the Octagon. Following victories over Ryan Jensen and Dongi Yang, however, the 27-year-old was handed the first loss of his UFC career on March 3 by hard-punching Cyprus native Constantinos Philippou.

Ring also looks to rebound from his first UFC loss, as he dropped a unanimous decision to contender Tim Boetsch at UFC 135 in 2011. The Canadian had previously edged Riki Fukuda in a controversial unanimous decision at UFC 127 before submitting James Head at UFC 131.

Can Ring repeat his feat in his hometown and best McGee under the bright lights, or will “The Crusher” take back his exhibition loss and resume his climb up the middleweight ladder?

7 Questions: Bellator 72

Bellator Fighting Championships returns with the second installment of its three-part Summer Series, as the promotion touches down with Bellator 72 on Friday at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Fla.

The event features the Season 6 welterweight tournament final between Karl Amoussou and World Extreme Cagefighting veteran Bryan Baker, along with a pair of Summer Series semifinals in the light heavyweight draw: Emanuel Newton vs. Attila Vegh and Travis Wiuff vs. Tim Carpenter. The winner of the Amoussou-Baker showdown will earn a crack at unbeaten Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren.

Amoussou will carry a three-fight winning streak into the cage. The 26-year-old Frenchman advanced to the 170-pound final with a split decision over the previously unbeaten David Rickels at Bellator 69 in May. Amoussou has delivered 12 of his 15 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission.

A 26-year-old judo black belt, Baker secured his spot in the final with a unanimous nod over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 6 alum Ben Saunders at Bellator 67 in May. Now based at Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts in Albuquerque, N.M., he has recorded 12 wins in his last 14 appearances. All three of Baker’s defeats have come at 185 pounds.

Here are seven questions and answers worth pondering ahead of the event, which airs on MTV 2 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT:

Question: Regardless of who wins the Season 6 tournament final, does Amoussou or Baker have a prayer of actually beating Askren?
Answer: A prayer, yes; a good chance, no. Neither Amoussou nor Baker matches up particularly well with Askren, a relentless wrestler and gifted scrambler with a developing submission game. Few fighters in MMA can execute a game plan as well as the 2008 Olympian, and one would have to favor the man they call “Funky” against either of the two finalists, especially in a five-round fight.

Paul Daley File Photo

Can Daley consistently make 170?
Question: Is Paul Daley here for a paycheck or a title belt? Will he even consistently make 170?
Answer: Only Daley knows what goes on in that head of his. It is hard to believe he was within striking distance of a welterweight title shot in the UFC a little more than two years ago, before an ill-advised after-the-bell cheap shot on Josh Koscheck earned him a pink slip. Daley has fought a constant battle with scale over the years, and that figures to continue inside Bellator. With that said, his signing was a calculated risk for a fledgling promotion, as Daley can interject some excitement into the welterweight division even if he never reaches the top. Perhaps his performance against Rudy Bears will provide some clues as to what his future holds.

Question: Will Newton make a statement and show he has moved beyond potential and is now ready to start winning some big fights?
Answer: Newton has a golden opportunity to make waves, as the 28-year-old Reign MMA representative finds himself in the light heavyweight tournament semifinals against Attila Vegh with some momentum behind him. Newton has won his last six fights, including a Bellator 71 submission against Cesar Gracie protégé Roy Boughton. The now-or-never cliché certainly applies here.

Question: Which Vegh will show up, the guy who smoked Zelg Galesic or the one who went three ugly rounds with Dan Spohn?
Answer: His handlers would probably welcome either one, so long as a victory is involved. Like his opponent, Newton, Vegh will enter the cage on the strength of a six-fight winning streak. However, European fighters generally struggle against foes with a hearty wrestling base. That could spell trouble for the Slovakian against Newton.

Question: Carpenter and Wiuff are definitely on the “boring” side of the bracket, but is either man a sleeper to beat the winner of Vegh-Newton in the finals and earn a title shot?
Answer: Many saw Wiuff as a favorite to win the tournament before it began, and he did nothing to change their view in the quarterfinals with a first-round TKO over Chris Davis. Experience, strong takedowns and a heavy top game should give him an edge against Carpenter, provided he can stay out of harm’s way on the ground. Wiuff would be a definite factor against either Vegh or Newton in the final.

Question: Where does Saunders fit in as a Bellator welterweight? Will he ever win a tournament, or is he now trapped in an unenviable long-term contract?
Answer: Saunders is a solid welterweight with an exciting style who will likely never get over the hump against wrestlers with stout submission defense. Depending on how a hypothetical bracket fell, he could certainly win a tournament and find himself in a championship bout. However, as long as Askren remains under Bellator employ, Saunders will likely find the road to promotional gold blocked.

Question: Will Marius Zaromskis and Waachiim Spiritwolf finally finish their fight?
Answer: Odds are they will not. Too much offense and too little defense means one of them will not see the finish line.

UFC 149 ‘Faber vs. Barao’ Results: Live Play-by-Play & Updates

Fight Card

Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao
Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan
Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch
Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle
Brian Ebersole vs. James Head
Anton Kuivanen vs. Mitch Clarke
Nick Ring vs. Court McGee
Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon
Daniel Pineda vs. Antonio Carvalho
Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh
Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera


Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Daniel Pineda vs. Antonio Carvalho


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Nick Ring vs. Court McGee


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Anton Kuivanen vs. Mitch Clarke


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Brian Ebersole vs. James Head


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Vacant UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship
Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao


Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

'Uncle Creepy' McCall Meets John Moraga in UFC on Fox 4 Flyweight Showdown

Former top-ranked flyweight Ian McCall will return to action on Aug. 4 at UFC on Fox 4 against promotional newcomer John Moraga.

Promotion officials announced the news on Thursday afternoon. UFC on Fox 4 takes place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and is headlined by a light heavyweight confrontation between Mauricio Rua and Brandon Vera. The event, which marks the Las Vegas-based promotion's third effort on Fox's flagship network this year, also features a 205-pound contest between Lyoto Machida and Ryan Bader, as well as a heavyweight showdown pitting Ben Rothwell against Travis Browne.

McCall joined the UFC this spring as the reigning Tachi Palace Fights flyweight champion, fighting former UFC bantamweight title contender Demetrious Johnson to a draw at UFC on FX 2 in the semifinals of the promotion's four-man flyweight title tournament. As the contest was incorrectly announced as a majority decision win for Johnson, no sudden victory round was contested, and the two were booked for a June 8 rematch at UFC on FX 3. No controversy would arise in that bout, as Johnson took a unanimous verdict to earn a shot at the newly-created UFC flyweight championship against fellow finalist Joseph Benavidez.

Moraga's UFC debut will serve as his 12th pro outing. The Arizona Combat Sports representative has tasted defeat just once in his two-year career, falling by decision to “Ultimate Fighter 14” winner John Dodson in 2010. Since that setback, Moraga has won four straight fights, most recently earning a June 22 victory over Maurice Senters to capture the vacant Rage in the Cage bantamweight title.

Pat Healy: I Deserve a Shot at Gilbert Melendez

After edging out Mizuto Hirota via unanimous decision at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy,” Pat Healy believes he’s ready for a title shot against lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez.

That doesn’t mean he was entirely pleased with his performance against Hirota, though.

“I think I got a little complacent in my training with my wrestling,” Healy told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Jordan Breen Show.” “I’ve had a lot of luck lately being able to dominate the wrestling and kind of getting takedowns whenever I wanted. I think in my training, I kind of neglected working on it as much as I should have. If anything, that’s what hindered me in the fight.”

Hirota appeared to win the first round on the strength of his striking and a couple of takedowns. Healy got rolling in the second and third, arguably deserving both rounds and the win. However, there have been some cries of foul largely due to the fact that one judge returned a 30-27 scorecard for Healy, who was fighting in his hometown of Portland, Ore.

“I think that card was unfortunate,” Healy said. “I don’t really see how you -- I think I’m pretty honest with myself and I don’t really see how you could score the fight 30-27.”

Still, Healy got the win, and now he’s hoping he’ll get a shot at Melendez.

“I still think I deserve a title shot,” Healy said. “Mizuto’s a solid guy. He was a champ over in Japan in two different organizations. It’s not like he was a low-level opponent who I happened to just barely get by. I think he was a world-class opponent. I’ve put together more wins than anybody. I’ve looked a lot more impressive my last couple of fights. I think I definitely deserve a title shot with Gil.”

If Strikeforce makes the fight, Melendez will be a clear favorite. Of course, the underdog role won’t be anything new for Healy.

“I think that’s the perfect story of my career,” he said. “I’ve felt like very rarely have I ever had people believing in me, or even when I got into Strikeforce, there’s very few fights where I’ve been the favorite in. I’m always the underdog. I’m always the guy they’re counting out. … I think that’s just the story of my career. It doesn’t really bother me what people think. I’ve always believed in myself, and that’s what you’ve got to do: believe in yourself.”

Jose Aldo-Erik Koch, Cristiano Marcello-Reza Madadi Set for UFC 153 in Brazil

UFC 153 now has a headlining attraction, as promotion officials announced Thursday that the Oct. 13 bill will be topped by a featherweight title collision between reigning champion Jose Aldo and challenger Erik Koch.

The promotion revealed the news on its official Brazilian website and also confirmed that “TUF 15” alum Cristiano Marcello will square off with surging Swede Reza Madadi in a lightweight confrontation. UFC 153 is expected to take place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro and will mark the promotion's fourth trip to Brazil since returning to the South American nation last year after a near 13-year absence. The event's main draw is expected to air on pay-per-view and will also feature a light heavyweight bout between former champion Quinton Jackson and hard-hitting veteran Glover Teixeira.

Aldo was initially expected to face Koch this Saturday at UFC 149 in Calgary, but the champion was forced to withdraw from that booking due to injury. “Scarface” has lost just once in more than seven years as a pro and rides a 14-fight winning streak heading into his clash with Koch, most recently knocking out the previously unbeaten Chad Mendes on Jan. 14 to defend his UFC title for a third time.

Koch, meanwhile, has won four straight fights since suffering his lone career defeat to Mendes in 2010. “New Breed” has been perfect in his UFC career thus far, knocking out Rafael Assuncao in March 2011 before outpointing a game Jonathan Brookins this past September at Fight Night 25.

Marcello formerly served as the jiu-jitsu coach for the vaunted Chute Boxe camp, making his pro debut in 1997. Now representing his own team, CM System, the lightweight was knocked out by fellow “TUF 15” cast mate Sam Sicilia at the June 1 season finale. Nevertheless, Marcello has won six of his last eight fights, submitting five of his fallen foes in that span.

Madadi rides a seven-fight winning streak into his showdown with Marcello. The Iranian-born Swede made his UFC debut on home soil in April, submitting Floridian prospect Yoislandy Izquierdo at UFC on Fuel TV 2 in Stockholm. “Mad Dog” owns seven of his 12 career wins by submission and has never been finished as a pro.

Report: CSAC Executive Director George Dodd Resigns Effective July 31

George Dodd has stepped down as executive director of the California State Athletic Commission and will vacate the office on July 31, according to a Wednesday report from the Los Angeles Times.

Dodd tendered his resignation Wednesday in a letter to the Department of Consumer Affairs -- the state body that oversees the CSAC -- which reportedly informed Dodd last month that the CSAC’s fund was insolvent due to overspending.

According to a June 27 L.A. Times’ report, DCA budget officer Taylor Schick warned that the commission would finish the fiscal year (which ended June 30) $35,000 in debt. Schick also reportedly stated that the deficit could this year reach $700,000 more than the expected $1.2 million in revenue.

Dodd's tenure as CSAC head began in February 2010. His successor has not been named.

Junior Assuncao Out at Legacy FC 13; 'TUF 15' Vet Chris Tickle Now Meets Douglas Frey

Junior Assuncao [pictured: right] will not compete as expected at Legacy Fighting Championship 13, as the UFCveteran has withdrawn from his Aug. 17 meeting with Douglas Frey due to a recurring elbow injury. In his stead now steps “Ultimate Fighter” Season 15 alumnus Chris Tickle.

Legacy promoter Mick Maynard informed Sherdog.com of the switch on Thursday. LFC 13 takes place at the Dallas Convention Center as part of the 2012 Europa Get Fit and Sports Expo and will be highlighted by a double main event, as Will Campuzano locks horns with Jimmy Flick for the Texas-based promotion's vacant flyweight title, while Jared Rosholt meets Derrick Lewis for the vacant heavyweight strap. The evening's main draw airs live on AXS TV.

Tickle, 30, introduced himself to UFC fans during his lightweight stint on “TUF 15.' After submitting to Joe Proctor in the semifinals of the competition, Tickle made his official Octagon debut on June 1 at the season finale, falling by unanimous decision to Daron Cruickshank. “Bad Boy” returns to the featherweight division for his clash with Frey, which marks the 13th pro outing of Tickle's four-year career.

Frey, 29, enters the cage sporting an edge in experience with 18 pro fights to his credit. However, the Texan has lost five of his last seven bouts heading into his inaugural Legacy appearance, most recently suffering a technical knockout defeat at the hands of prospect Rad Martinez on March 23 at Bellator 62. Frey is a seven-time Shark Fights veteran and holds nine of his 10 career wins by either knockout or submission.

Welterweights Josh Koscheck, Jake Ellenberger Collide in UFC 151 Co-Headliner

Two of the welterweight division's top talents will square off in the UFC 151 co-main event, promotion officials announced Wednesday, as Josh Koscheck faces Jake Ellenberger on Sept. 1 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Headlined by a light heavyweight title confrontation between reigning UFC champion Jon Jones and ex-Strikeforce king Dan Henderson, the evening's main draw airs live on pay-per-view. The event will also see WEC lightweight veteran Danny Castillo lock horns with “Ultimate Fighter” Season 12 runner-up Michael Johnson, while Takeya Mizugaki and Jeff Hougland face off in a 135-pound affair.

Koscheck, 34, enters the cage coming off a contentious split decision defeat at the hands of fellow contender Johny Hendricks at May's UFC on Fox 3. “Kos” had won back-to-back fights prior to his defeat to Hendricks, knocking out former two-time UFC champion Matt Hughes last September before kicking off 2012 with a split decision win over highly-regarded grinder Mike Pierce on Feb. 4 at UFC 143.

Ellenberger also steps into the Octagon fresh off a defeat, as “The Juggernaut” suffered a second-round technical knockout loss to Martin Kampmann on June 1 at “The Ultimate Fighter 15” Finale. Kampmann's come-from-behind victory snapped a six-fight winning streak for Ellenberger, who earned wins over Sean Pierson, Jake Shields and Diego Sanchez in his three bouts leading up to the loss.

'TUF: Brazil' Winners Rony 'Jason' and Cezar 'Mutante' Probable for UFC 153

“Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” winners Rony Mariano Bezerra and Cezar Ferreira have been invited to compete at UFC 153, promotion officials announced Wednesday.

Bezerra accepted the offer immediately, according to the official release, while Ferreira stated he hopes to compete pending medical clearance. Proposed opponents for the pair were not announced. UFC 153 is expected to take place Oct. 13 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The event will showcase former light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson, as “Rampage” locks horns with heavy-handed Brazilian Glover Teixeira.

Bezerra currently rides a six-fight winning streak, most recently outpointing fellow featherweight finalist Godofredo Castro at UFC 147 on June 23. Bezerra's victory over “Pepey” marked just the second time he has seen the judges' scorecards in his six years as a pro. Rony “Jason” owns seven of his 11 career wins by submission and has finished nine of his conquered foes inside the first round.

Ferreira, meanwhile, has accumulated seven pro outings to his credit since beginning his career more than four years ago. Now training in Las Vegas, the native Brazilian took a unanimous verdict over Sergio Moraes at UFC 147 to earn both the "TUF: Brazil" middleweight title and his fourth victory in his last five fights. The result marked the first decision win in the career of Cezar “Mutante,” who has defeated three of his five victims by way of knockout.

Strikeforce 'Rockhold vs. Kennedy' Nets 420,000 Viewers on Showtime

Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy” averaged 420,000 viewers for its Saturday night broadcast on premium cable network Showtime.

Sherdog.com confirmed the figure with an industry source on Wednesday. The July 14 event was headlined by the titular middleweight title confrontation between reigning champion Luke Rockhold and challenger Tim Kennedy and took place at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore. Rockhold outpointed Kennedy in their five-round main event, consistently using his range and defensive wrestling to keep his stockier foe at bay.

The evening's four-fight main card also saw Nate Marquardt capture the vacant Strikeforce welterweight title in the co-headliner, as the UFC veteran knocked out Tyron Woodley in the fourth round with a sharp flurry of elbows and punches against the cage.

Prior to the championship affairs, both Roger Gracie and Lorenz Larkin made successful middleweight forays. Gracie walked away with a victory over former UFC light heavyweight talent Keith Jardine, putting “The Dean of Mean” on his back in the first and second rounds en route to a three-round unanimous decision win. Meanwhile, Larkin used a varied striking attack to outpoint onetime EliteXC champion Robbie Lawler in their three-round contest.

Phil Baroni Faces Rodrigo Ribeiro at One FC 5 in Philippines

Former UFC talent Phil Baroni will return to action on Aug. 31, as “The New York Bad Ass” squares off with Jungle Fight vet Rodrigo Ribeiro at One FC 5.

A source close to the promotion recently revealed the booking to Sherdog.com. “Pride of a Nation” takes place Aug. 31 at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, and will also showcase former UFC champions Andrei Arlovski and Jens Pulver, as they square off with Soa Palelei and Eric Kelly, respectively. Meanwhile, ex- Dream bantamweight titlist Bibiano Fernandes will lock horns with reigning Cage Fighting Championship king Gustavo Falciroli.

According to Sherdog's source, the event is also expected to feature appearances from Shinya Aoki, Renato Sobral, Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon and Igor, Gregor and Rolles Gracie, although no matchups featuring those fighters have been officially announced by the promotion.

Baroni, 36, was previously expected to step back into the One FC cage on June 23 against Roger Huerta. However, Baroni's June 2 technical knockout loss to Chris Holland scrapped that plan, and Huerta instead faced Zorobabel Moreira at One FC 4. Baroni has lost five of his last six bouts and is still searching for his first victory with the Singapore-based promotion, as he was outpointed by Yoshiyuki Yoshida at the organization's inaugural event in September.

Ribeiro, meanwhile, has dropped three of his last four, most recently falling to Rustam Khabilov at February's One FC 2. “Ximbica” pocketed his lone win of 2011 back in September, submitting Wade Henderson under the Thailand-based Dare Fight Sports banner. Representing Evolve MMA in Singapore, the 36-year-old owns a .500 career record and has finished seven of his nine victims by either knockout or submission.

Vinny Magalhaes Expected to Meet Igor Pokrajac at UFC 152 in September

Recent UFC acquisition Vinny Magalhaes now has a date attached to his Octagon return, as the Brazilian is expected to face Igor Pokrajac at UFC 152 on Sept. 22.

The booking was first reported by Sportsnet's Joe Ferraro, and Sherdog.com confirmed with a source close to the contest that bout agreements were issued on Wednesday. UFC 152 takes place at Toronto's Air Canada Centre and will be headlined by a flyweight title confrontation between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson. The evening's pay-per-view card will also showcase a pivotal middleweight collision in the co-main event, as former “Ultimate Fighter” winner Michael Bisping squares off with onetime a WEC champion Brian Stann.

Magalhaes, 28, re-enters the Octagon as M-1 Global's most recent light heavyweight champion. “Pezao” captured the M-1 belt last year by submitting Viktor Nemkov with an inventive gogoplata neck crank and then defended his title last October by knocking out Mikhail Zayats at M-1 Challenge 27. Magalhaes' last UFC appearance occurred in 2009, when he fell via decision to Eliot Marshall following his technical knockout defeat at the hands of Ryan Bader at the “TUF 8” finale.

Pokrajac, meanwhile, has competed steadily in the UFC since 2009, racking up a 4-3 promotional record. The Croat has won three straight fights heading into his expected clash with Magalhaes, earning first-round stoppages of Todd Brown and Krzysztof Soszynski before edging a game Fabio Maldonado two months ago at UFC on Fuel TV 3. A veteran of 33 fights, “The Duke” has finished 84 percent of his career victims and has been submitted just once in his nine years as a pro.

Lorenz Larkin Still Pushing for Strikeforce Fighter Bonuses: ‘We Deserve It’

Lorenz Larkin scored the biggest win of his young MMA career Saturday by outstriking Robbie Lawler at Strikeforce “Rockhold vs. Kennedy.”

Coming off the victory, he joined the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show to discuss his strategy, his plea for Zuffa to give Strikeforce fighters bonuses and more.

On his strategy versus Lawler: “[Melvin] Manhoef stayed in front of him. He lit him up with strikes, but he got too confident and was dropping his hands, and that’s why he got caught. That was just the game plan: stay in front of him, pressure him, and when he throws a shot, we’re in and out. If he throws a shot, we’re going to make him miss or back out and then right back on him.”

On Lawler’s tendencies: “When he bounces around, because he’s southpaw, he’ll step over with his right foot and plant and pivot out. He’ll go back and forth and then he’ll always put his right foot out and then he’ll plant on it and then he’ll throw a strike. He’s flatfooted pretty much, to sum it up. Every time he throws a punch at you, he’s going to do a big plant. That was just the thing my corner was telling me to watch out for. In the first round, he caught me and then after that, we made our adjustments and came out with the W.”

On getting rocked in the first round: “It was crazy because he hit me and I wasn’t dazed, but my legs weren’t working. I knew exactly what was happening; just my legs weren’t working. He hit me and I was like, ‘Oh,’ and then I took a step, and it was just like I was thinking the step, but I didn’t do the step. I was like, ‘What the hell?’ I bounced like two times and then it was over. I guess I’ve got a hard head too. He rocked me a little bit.”

On what he expected from Lawler: “We knew that he was going to come out full blown and that he was going to throw all his power on each and every shot. Our whole thing was just to break him down systematically.”

On why he asked for Strikeforce fighters to start receiving bonuses like UFC fighters: “I wasn’t even trying to make it for me. It was just for anybody. I’d be happy if anybody gets it, if anybody gets anything. I just think we deserve it as a whole.”

On why he thinks Strikeforce fighters don’t get bonuses: “I’m not sure. That’s the whole reason why I asked for it. I’m not sure. We’re always told we’re all one family and we’re all under the same umbrella. I’m not sure. That’s for them to answer.”

On whether he expects a response: “Probably not, but maybe. I’d be surprised if I do, if I get one.”

UFC Vet Tyson Griffin, NCAA Wrestling Champ Steve Mocco Sign with Nebraska’s RFA

Nebraska-based promotion Resurrection Fighting Alliance recently announced the signings of two-time NCAA Division I heavyweight wrestling champion Steve Mocco and UFC veteran Tyson Griffin.

According to an official release, Mocco inked a five-fight deal, while Griffin’s contract will see him compete three times under the RFA banner; information on the fighters’ RFA debuts was not announced.

After winning four state and national wrestling titles in high school, Mocco went on to capture the NCAA Division I heavyweight title as a sophomore at the University of Iowa. Mocco then took an Olympic redshirt year in 2004 before transferring to Oklahoma State University, where he would win another national title and the Dan Hodge Trophy for best collegiate wrestler in his junior season. The heavyweight finished as runner-up in the 2006 NCAA championships, as he was defeated in the finals by current Bellator heavyweight champion and former University of Minnesota standout Cole Konrad.

Following his collegiate career, the New Jersey native went on to represent the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, finishing seventh in freestyle at 120 kilograms (265 pounds). Now 30, Mocco has set up shop at the highly regarded American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., in preparation for his MMA debut.

Griffin has not competed since suffering a knockout at the hands of Bart Palaszewski last October. The defeat marked Griffin’s fourth loss in five fights, though the result of his November 2010 split decision defeat to Nik Lentz carried with it much controversy. Following that lightweight bout, the 14-time Octagon vet returned to the featherweight division last June and outpointed former WEC title challenger Manny Gamburyan before missing weight ahead of his UFC 137 clash with “Bartimus.” The 28-year-old is now expected to jump back to 155 pounds, the weight at which he competed for the first 12 fights of his UFC career.

Joe Lauzon-Jamie Varner Completes 4-Fight UFC on Fox 4 Televised Card

A lightweight contest between Joe Lauzon and Jamie Varner is the newest addition to the UFC on Fox 4 main card.

Promotion officials recently revealed that Lauzon-Varner will kick off the four-fight broadcast on Fox’s flagship network. Headlining the Aug. 4 show at Staples Center in Los Angeles will be a light heavyweight confrontation between former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Brandon Vera.

The main card will also see another onetime 205-pound titlist in Lyoto Machida square off with “Ultimate Fighter” Season 8 winner Ryan Bader, while Ben Rothwell and Travis Browne will lock horns at heavyweight.

Six fights are slated for the evening’s undercard, which will be broadcast on Fox-owned cable channel Fuel TV. Highlighting that telecast will be a featherweight confrontation between Nam Phan and Cole Miller, as well as a light heavyweight showdown pairing Phil Davis with Wagner Prado.

Lauzon, 28, had a two-fight winning streak broken in his most recent bout, falling by knockout to former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 in February. Prior to that setback, the jiu-jitsu specialist had submitted two foes in less than three minutes, tapping Curt Warburton with a kimura before doing the same to Melvin Guillard with a rear-naked choke last October.

In Varner, Lauzon will face his second straight ex-WEC champion, as Varner held the title from 2008 to 2009 before going 1-4-1 in his next six fights. Recently, Varner has righted his ship. “C-4” notched quick stoppages of Nate Jolly in October and Drew Fickett in February before receiving his call back to the Octagon at UFC 146, where he would upset Edson Barboza and hand the prospect his first career defeat via first-round technical knockout.

Bibiano Fernandes-Gustavo Falciroli Bantamweight Bout Added to One FC 5

Bibiano Fernandes will make his post-Dream debut Aug. 31, when the former two-division champion is set to face fellow Brazilian expat Gustavo Falciroli at One FC 5 “Pride of a Nation.”

Sherdog.com learned of the booking Tuesday from a source close to the promotion. The fifth offering from Singapore-based One Fighting Championship takes place at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, and is also expected to feature a heavyweight tilt between onetime UFC champ Andrei Arlovski and surging Australian Soa Palelei.

News of the Fernandes-Falciroli matchup comes just days before Fernandes would have made his Octagon debut at UFC 149. Despite reports in early June that “The Flash” had signed on to meet Roland Delorme at the July 21 event, Fernandes later clarified that he had only negotiated with the UFC; he later signed with One FC along with fellow Dream champ Shinya Aoki.

Fernandes fights out of Vancouver, B.C., but has competed exclusively in Japan for the past three years. During his stint with the now-defunct Dream, the 32-year-old BJJ ace racked up an impressive 8-1 record, with his only loss coming against Hiroyuki Takaya in a failed defense of his featherweight belt. Fernandes subsequently captured the Dream bantamweight strap by taking out WEC vet Antonio Banuelos in December.

No stranger to fighting in Asia, Brazilian-born Australian Falciroli, 29, made his bones in Japan’s Shooto organization. Falciroli (Pictured) is the current bantamweight titleholder of top Aussie org Cage Fighting Championship, a title which he defended with a December submission of American Nick Honstein. The grappling specialist made a successful One FC debut in February by tapping Korean youngster Soo Chul Kim.

Alistair Overeem Wants to Return in December, Fight for Title

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Come December, Alistair Overeem hopes to be fighting in the UFC again and he hopes to be fighting Junior dos Santos for the heavyweight title.

“That’s my goal,” Overeem recently told the Sherdog Radio Network. “I know that the UFC will not promote me on their card as long as I’m not licensed. That being said, we’re going to try to get licensed sooner and I’m confident that I will succeed.”

Overeem had been scheduled to fight dos Santos in Las Vegas in May, but a pre-fight drug test revealed that his testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio was more than double the Nevada Athletic Commission’s limit. In April the commission voted to deny Overeem a conditional fight license and prohibited him from applying again until Dec. 27. He’ll be on the shelf at least until then, but he said the time off isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“The last few months have actually been calm media-wise, which was good,” Overeem said. “I moved to Miami. I’m full-time here now and I got all settled there. I’m still training, always training, always improving my game. Basically took a small step out of the limelight, enjoyed life a little bit, did what I wanted to do because the last five years have been totally crazy … obligation after obligation, fight preparation after fight prep. It came up to seven fights a year and at three years consecutively. I’m actually having some time off now, which I’m enjoying. I’m actually feeling very well.”

Some fans haven’t been particularly happy with him, though, since news spread of his elevated T/E ratio. Overeem previously explained that the ratio was the result of an injection he was prescribed for lingering injuries and that he had no knowledge it contained testosterone. Now he wants to prove he’s a clean fighter.

“I’m going to test regularly,” Overeem said. “I’m now the most tested fighter out there. For me, that’s something I can do, but we also have to realize that there will always be people who are negative, who are against me, so to speak. There are also people who are for me. That’s just the way it goes. I can only do so much, and if people accept that, that’s fine. If they don’t, that’s also fine.”

Regardless, Overeem wants to be fighting again by the end of the year. In the meantime he’s kept his eye on dos Santos, who stopped Overeem’s replacement, Frank Mir, in May.

“I think it was good,” Overeem said of dos Santos’ performance. “He won the fight. He won it dominantly. Other than that, you know, dos Santos, he’s a good fighter. He’s a champ. I don’t really see that surprise in his fight style. I think I’m the one to beat him.”

Tim Boetsch: Knocking Out Hector Lombard Will Be an Honor

Tim Boetsch is looking forward to giving high-profile UFC signing Hector Lombard a rude welcome to the Octagon when they meet Saturday at UFC 149.

“The guy’s got an amazing win streak going,” Boetsch told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Jordan Breen Show.” “I certainly feel very lucky to be the first guy to break that win streak and knock him out for the first time. That’s certainly an honor.”

Lombard holds a stellar 31-2 record. He was Bellator’s middleweight champion before moving to the UFC.

“He’s coming from Bellator, but he’s been promised big things over here,” Boetsch said. “Since he has accepted this fight, there’s rumors that he’d be next to get the title shot. Obviously that’s rattling around in my mind: Will I be given the same opportunity if I take him out? There’s a lot of good things about this fight for me.”

The matchup came together after Brian Stann dropped out of an Aug. 4 bout against Lombard due to injury and Michael Bisping withdrew from a bout against Boetsch for the same reason. Boetsch likes the change.

“When I heard the fight got switched to Hector, I kind of breathed a sigh of relief on one hand and then on the other hand I thought, ‘Well, now I’ve actually got a fight on my hands,’” Boetsch said. “But that’s a good thing in this sport. It’s certainly good for the fans. … The game plan with Michael Bisping involves a lot of just chasing him down and trying to get him to engage. That’s certainly not going to be a problem with Hector. He’s going to run across the cage and try to meet me in my corner if I let him. It’s a different fight, but I like it better. He’s going to come straight at me, and I’m going to be able to get him in the clinch and we’ll see whose throws are better.”

Boetsch explained that he’s not too worried about Lombard’s judo background. Instead, it’s the Cuban’s punching power that concerns him. In the clinch, Boetsch thinks he’ll be just fine.

“He’s obviously a judo Olympian, so he’s got to be decent, but that just makes me want to throw him even more,” Boetsch said. “That’s what I’m going to try to do.”

And what Lombard is going to try to do is hurt Boetsch. Boetsch knows that.

“These are the fights that I really enjoy,” he said. “My teammates, we spar hard and we beat the crap out of each other, but at the end of the day, they’re all really nice guys. We have similar personalities and what not, so it’s hard to really turn it on and put it on those types of people and even some of my opponents in the past. … But with a guy like Hector Lombard, it’s easy. He makes the fight easy. You know he’s coming in there to try to kill you. You better be doing the same to him if you want to make it out of there alive.”

Anthony Johnson Admits He Should Have Moved to 205 ‘A Long Time Ago’

After years of struggling to make weight, Anthony Johnson hasn’t just moved up a division -- he’s moved up two.

Now a light heavyweight, the former welterweight recently joined the Sherdog Radio Network to discuss his new division, his relationship with the UFC and more.

Johnson on when he should have moved to 205: “A long time ago actually. Now that I sit back and think about it, it should have happened a long time ago. But things don’t happen until they’re supposed to happen, so I guess right now is the right time for it to happen.”

On his struggles to make weight: “I thought I could do what I did 10 years ago, like in college and stuff like that early in my career, when I could just lose 15 pounds overnight it seemed like. I always heard my grandparents and older people say your body’s going to change, and you can’t do the things you used to do when you get older. Being young, you don’t think about it. You’re like, ‘Ah, whatever. I can do whatever I want to do.’ Now I’m like, ‘Yeah, I should have listened.’ But I don’t regret it. It was just a learning experience and I don’t have time for mistakes anymore.”

On how he’ll perform at 205: “I’m going to be a fighter that’s more focused, somebody who has 10 times less stress on his head and on his body because I don’t have to worry about how much I have to lose, how much cardio I have to do to make the weight. Now I’m just happy. I’m happy now, smiling every day in the gym.”

On what it will take to get back in the UFC: “I’ve just got to keep beating people up and get back in. That’s always how it is with the UFC. You get put out, you’ve got to work your ass off to get right back in. That’s what I plan on doing. As far as having communication with them, my manager talks to the UFC and Dana [White] and them all the time. He has to -- we’ve got Rashad [Evans] and Alistair [Overeem] on the team and a couple of other UFC fighters, but I don’t try to ask for brownie points or anything like that to get back in the UFC or any favors. I know I have to work my way back in, which I don’t mind doing. I’ll do what I have to do.”

On his plans for the light heavyweight division: “I plan on being elite level. If I can do all right with Alistair and Rashad, hell, I think I can do all right with anybody. … I’m happy. I’m not stressed like I used to be. I’m just ready to just do what I’ve got to do, just have fun and get paid.”

Bantamweight Prospect Kyoji Horiguchi Edges Manabu Inoue at Shooto ‘8th Round’

TOKYO -- After surviving two hellish rounds of powerful offense from Kyoji Horiguchi, Manabu Inoue’s comeback rally in the final frame brought Korakuen Hall to its feet. Despite his best efforts, however, the former bantamweight King of Pancrase couldn’t take out young prospect Horiguchi in the main event of Shooto “8th Round.”

The opening bell saw Inoue wisely work to take the fight to ground and avoid Horiguchi’s powerful striking. Horiguchi seemed too strong to handle, as he consistently defended takedown attempts and replied with powerful hooks that rocked Inoue and forced him to hold on for dear life.

In round two, Inoue managed to hit a strong double-leg, but quickly lost his position as the Krazy Bee standout reversed and smothered him from the half-guard. After a stand-up from referee Toshiharu Suzuki, Horiguchi landed a hard, straight punch that sent Inoue reeling backwards and running from vicious combinations. Inoue scored a reversal after being put on his back and pounded on Horiguchi until the bell came.

Round three seemed to start bad for the former champ again, as Horiguchi whipped Inoue to the ground with ease. Inoue began his comeback rally from there, reversing position yet again and methodically working through a tired Horiguchi’s guard to side control. Inoue smothered and pounded on his opponent to deafening screams and applause from the audience, taking Horiguchi’s back toward the end and working for the choke until the final bell.

The impressive comeback wasn’t enough to make up for the first two rounds, as judges Suzuki, Tomohiro Tanaka and Hiroyuki Kanno all scored the fight 29-28 in favor of Horiguchi.

“I should really train my grappling more than I do and not just focus on striking,” said the young winner, post-fight. “I grappled with him too much and it really took its toll on my stamina. I should have controlled the distance better in the stand-up. I got too close, and that allowed him to work for takedowns.”

Horiguchi’s Krazy Bee stablemate, Kotetsu Boku, had a much easier time in his fight against Shin Kochiwa. After a brief feeling-out period with Boku’s signature flicker jabs, he landed a huge right hook that put Kochiwa’s lights out just 67 seconds into the opening frame, a rare KO for the veteran out-boxer.

Another Krazy Bee youngster, 2009 Shooto rookie tournament winner Yusuke Yachi, had a technical, back-and-forth grappling match with former Shooto titleholder and WEC veteran Akitoshi Tamura that lasted all three rounds. Yachi controlled the takedown game through the match, but Tamura stayed offensive off his back, threatening with guillotines and omoplatas on multiple occassions. Yachi’s crisp hip-tosses earned the favor of the judges as he came up on all three scorecards, 29-28, 30-29 and 30-29.

In strawweight action, two former title contenders went toe to toe, as Yuki Shojo welcomed Hiroyuki Abe back to Shooto after a three fight stint in Pancrase. Abe landed huge belly-to-belly suplexes and single- leg takedowns to control the fight in the first two rounds. In the final frame, however, Abe spent most of the time on his back before standing up and scoring a leg trip towards the end of the round. The judges weren’t impressed with the flashy takedowns, and all three gave the fight to Shojo via 29-28 scorecards.

Earlier in the night, Ryuichi Miki survived a dangerous heel hook attempt from Fumihiro Kitahara and caught him with a stiff straight right that put Kitahara on the canvas. Miki followed up with a few short punches before referee Suzuki stopped the fight at 4:32 of round one.

In opening fight action, Yoichiro Sato used effective combination punching to exhaust and outpoint Yusaku Inoue, earning Sato a unanimous decision from the judges (30-28, 30-27, 30-27) and Nobumitsu Taison came back from an early knockdown to flatten Takanori Gomi disciple Akira Okada at 1:58 of the second round.

Bellator Kicks Off 7th Season, Welterweight Tournament Sept. 28 in Atlantic City

Bellator Fighting Championships’ seventh season will begin Sept. 28 at Caesars Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., the promotion announced Monday.

Bellator 74 will feature the opening round of the company’s latest welterweight tournament, which is set to include former 170-pound titleholder and first-season tournament winner Lyman Good. No other participants have been confirmed for the eight-man field, the winner of which will earn a title shot at the Bellator belt currently held by unbeaten wrestler Ben Askren.

New York native and tri-state favorite Good, 27, has gone 2-1 since losing his belt to Askren in a five-round October 2010 decision. After being eliminated from the Season 4 welterweight tournament by Rick Hawn, Good returned 12 months later and needed only 13 seconds to knock out LeVon Maynard in their April encounter.

The event’s preliminary card will stream live on Spike.com at 7 p.m. ET, with the main card airing live on MTV2 and Epix HD at 8 p.m. ET.

Andre Arlovski-Soa Palelei, Jens Pulver-Eric Kelly Slated for One FC 5 in Manila

Two former UFC champions will be on the bill when One Fighting Championship rolls into the Philippines next month.

Onetime heavyweight ace Andrei Arlovski and ex-lightweight champ Jens Pulver have agreed to compete at One FC 5 “Pride of a Nation,” Sherdog.com learned Monday from a source close to the promotion. Arlovski will go up against surging Australian Soa Palelei, while Pulver will clash with unbeaten Filipino featherweight Eric Kelly.

One FC 5 takes place Aug. 31 at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City and is also expected to feature the promotional debuts of former Dream champions Shinya Aoki and Bibiano Fernandes. More information about the card is expected to be formally announced Wednesday at a press conference in nearby Pasig City.

Arlovski, 33, resuscitated his career late last year with a pair of wins under the ProElite banner. After suffering four consecutive losses between 2009 and 2011 -- including three by way of first-round knockout -- the Belarusian has strung together back-to-back stoppages of Travis Fulton and Ray Lopez.

His opponent, 34-year-old Palelei, has gone 9-1 since a one-fight stint with the UFC in 2007, his only loss in that span coming against Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix winner Daniel Cormier. The “Hulk” is currently on a seven-fight winning streak, the most recent of which came in a 12-second May blitzing of Bob Sapp.

Like Arlovski, Pulver has returned from what looked to be a career-ending string of defeats. The 37-year-old has alternated wins and losses in his last four outings while moving down the scale to bantamweight. Pulver’s last start saw him win a decision against unknown Jesse Thorton in April.

Kelly, 30, is regarded as one of the Philippines’ best emerging fighters. The current featherweight champ of the country’s leading promotion, URCC, Kelly will return for his third One FC appearance, having previously topped Korean Bae Young Kwon and American Mitch Chilson in the company’s cage.

Week-in-Review: List of UFC, Strikeforce & Other Fights Announced

A complete list of significant new fights reported in the past week.

Paul Daley vs. Rudy Bears, Bellator Fighting Championships 72, July 20, Tampa, Fla.

John Phillips vs. Chris Fields, Cage Warriors Fighting Championship 48, July 21, London

Giovanni da Silva Santos Jr. vs. Antenor Pereira, Demo Fight 7, July 22, Salvador, Brazil

Amanda Nunes vs. Leslie Smith, Invicta FC 2 “Baszler vs. McMann,” July 28, Kansas City, Kan.

Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard, UFC 150 “Henderson vs. Edgar 2,” Aug. 11, Denver

Chris Camozzi vs. Buddy Roberts, UFC 150 “Henderson vs. Edgar 2,” Aug. 11, Denver

Will Campuzano vs. Jimmy Flick, Legacy Fighting Championship 13, Aug. 17, Dallas

Hiroko Yamanaka vs. Germaine de Randamie, Strikeforce “Rousey vs. Kaufman,” Aug. 18, San Diego

Adlan Amagov vs. Keith Berry, Strikeforce “Rousey vs. Kaufman,” Aug. 18, San Diego

Dennis Hallman vs. Thiago Tavares, UFC 151 “Jones vs. Henderson,” Sept. 1, Las Vegas

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson, UFC 152 “Benavidez vs. Johnson,” Sept. 22, Toronto

Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann, UFC 152 “Benavidez vs. Johnson,” Sept. 22, Toronto

Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira, UFC 153, Oct. 13, Rio de Janeiro

Strikeforce ‘Rockhold vs. Kennedy’ Results: Live Play-by-Play & Updates

Jason High vs. Nate Moore

Round 1
Referee Sean Gregory oversees tonight’s first contest. High starts the night off with a kick to Moore’s lead leg. The American Kickboxing Academy fighter shoots in and High catches him in a tight guillotine choke. Moore’s night is done, as he’s forced to tap just 26 seconds into the first round.

Jordan Mein vs. Tyler Stinson

Round 1
Both welterweights come out in the southpaw stance with Stinson the aggressor, but it’s Mein getting the better of the early exchanges with his counterpunching, left hooks and low kicks. Ninety seconds into the bout, Stinson’s right eye is already showing swelling and a trickle of blood from the left hands. Mein’s head movement is keeping him out of trouble from Stinson’s winging punches, even though the Canadian is standing flat-footed. A one-two- combo from Mein busts Stinson wide open and an uppercut finds its mark as well. Stinson comes back throwing hands, takes a left behind the ear and gives Mein one back. Straight left from Mein gives way to another combination and he turns away a half-hearted shot from Stinson just before the round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mein
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mein
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mein

Round 2
Mein is right back to work in round two, laying two- and three-punch combinations on the already bloody face of Stinson. The American is sneaking through the occasional shot, but Mein is just eating him up in the exchanges. Nice straight left from Stinson momentarily slows the offense of Mein, who stands just out of range and waits for Stinson to throw some more. Stinson gives Mein a light, accidental poke in the eye but Mein says he’s alright. The welterweights trade low kicks and Mein socks Stinson with an uppercut. Stinson hits a takedown against the cage but Mein is back on his feet within seconds. Mein closes out the round with a couple stiff jabs.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mein
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mein
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mein

Round 3
Mein lands a leg kick and comes inside to throw, where he’s met with a counter by Stinson. Right hook from Mein cuts off a combo from Stinson, and Mein keeps it coming with a right hand to the body and a follow-up left hook. Jab and a left from Stinson connects, and now he’s coming forward with some more confidence. It doesn’t last long, as Mein begins walking forward himself and stringing together combinations. Stinson gets the better of one exchange with a wide left hook that clips Mein’s jaw. Another left from Stinson finds the mark, but a pair of long, heavy punches from Mein backs him away. The welterweights trade jabs and Mein goes inside with a leg kick. Stinson lands a leg kick but it doesn’t have much behind it and Mein circles away. Pawing jabs down the stretch from Mein, sprinkled with the occasional power punch. Down to the last 30 seconds and Stinson starts swinging for the fences. He clips Mein with one or two punches but the horn sounds and it looks like it will be too little, too late.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Mein (30-27 Mein)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Mein (30-27 Mein)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Mein (30-27 Mein)

Official result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 in favor of the winner by unanimous decision, Jordan Mein.

Jorge Masvidal vs. Justin Wilcox

Round 1
Wilcox stays on the outside of Masvidal’s punches through the first minute, trying to stick his hands in his rangier opponent’s face. Some snapping jabs get through for the ex-bodybuilder, though Masvidal is scoring with some counters as well. After 90 seconds, Wilcox decides to tie up. He drags Masvidal to the ground and “Gamebred” takes a knee at the base of the fence. Wilcox tries to throw hands as he backs away, doesn’t land much. Masvidal scores with a jab, an uppercut and backs out of the way of a series of punches. Wilcox misses with a jumping knee and punching combo, then has a double-leg snuffed out. Masvidal catches Wilcox leaning in and drops him with a knee. Wilcox staggers to his feet but he’s just turning and running, trying to survive as Masvidal hits him with a head kick and more punches. Masvidal sprawls on a shot and misses by inches with a hard right hand as they separate. Another takedown is denied by Masvidal and he rocks Wilcox again with another knee. Wilcox seems to have recovered by the end of the round, but his punches are coming up short and he takes a shin to the face.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Masvidal
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Masvidal
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Masvidal

Round 2
Wilcox whiffs on a head kick, grazes with a right hand while Masvidal sits on the outside and turns away another double-leg try. Leaping knee from Masvidal misses but he catches Wilcox with the right hand that comes behind it. Masvidal puts together some outside leg kicks while Wilcox fakes a few level-changes. A high kick touches Masvidal’s head and he retaliates with a right hand. Two minutes left in the round and Masvidal snaps back Wilcox’s head with a strong jab. Wilcox is keeping active with punches but hasn’t been able to land anything big with Masvidal standing out of range. Single-leg goes for Wilcox but Masvidal extracts his leg immediately and hops back to his feet. A knee scores for Masvidal and Wilcox keeps swinging hands to the horn without landing much of note.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Masvidal
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Masvidal
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Masvidal

Round 3
Wilcox begins to find a little more success as the final frame starts, tagging Masvidal with a few solid left hands among many combinations. Masvidal lands a leg kick and steps out of the way of two consecutive Wilcox combos. Nice right hand from Masvidal, then he backpedals out of the way of Wilcox’s offense and pops him with a left and a high kick. Masvidal is starting to take control again, stuffing his left hand in Wilcox’s face repeatedly. Wilcox shoots a single, turns the corner and takes Masvidal’s back standing. Masvidal walks over to the cage and has his leg tripped from under him. Masvidal sits with his back to the cage now, Wilcox clinging to his waist in front. Masvidal stands up with 1:45 remaining and Wilcox backs off. More combos miss from Wilcox and Masvidal returns fire with a pair of single punches which land. Masvidal nicely turns away a single-leg in the center of the cage and lands an outside leg kick. Masvidal is finding success with his right hand now and he shuts down two more takedown attempts to close out the fight.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Masvidal (30-27 Masvidal)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Masvidal (30-27 Masvidal)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Masvidal (30-27 Masvidal)

Official result: Judge Ken Barringer scores the bout 29-28 for Wilcox, while judge Glen Trowbridge has the same score in favor of Masvidal. Judge Laura Gregory scores it 30-27 for the winner by split decision, Jorge Masvidal.

Ryan Couture vs. Joe Duarte

Round 1
Couture has a front kick caught and gets socked by Duarte, but he pulls the limb away. Double-leg attempt from Couture on the fence nearly gets him caught in a choke, so he has to abandon the takedown attempt and pop his head free. Duarte comes forward now as both lightweights paw with jabs and Couture scores with a few outside leg kicks. Midway through the round and neither man has secured a definitive advantage as they move around the cage at range. Duarte lands a hard right, catches a low kick and drills him with another punch. Body-head combination from Duarte is follow closely by a running knee and another right hand. Duarte plows Couture to the ground in the middle of the cage with 30 seconds left and Couture immediately throws up his legs for an omoplata. Duarte stands up to get out of trouble and that’s where the round ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Duarte
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Duarte
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Duarte

Round 2
Couture grabs a bodylock behind a combo and trips Duarte to the floor, but Duarte scoots over to the fence and is quickly back on his feet. They separate and it’s Duarte coming forward, catching another low kick and punishing Couture with a nasty kick inside. Couture starts to put together a couple jabs, but just as he does, Duarte floors him with a takedown. Duarte lets his man right back up and Couture wants a takedown of his own. Duarte stuffs it and Couture puts him on the fence, where he hits Duarte with knees and punches to the body. They split and get back to trading punches with 90 seconds left. Another takedown try from Couture is denied, but he shoves Duarte into the fence and keeps after it. He drags Duarte to the ground and socks him with a couple punches before taking the back with 30 seconds left. Neck crank won’t go for Couture, so he postures up and drops elbows before going for the submission again at the end of the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Couture
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Couture
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Couture

Round 3
Couture hits a knee to the body in the clinch but can’t finish a single-leg behind it as Duarte circles off the fence. Duarte kicks to the body. Couture gets an underhook and shoves Duarte into the cage, can’t do much with the position. Duarte ducks a punch and drives Couture to the floor. With Couture on his knees, Duarte tries to set up a Peruvian necktie but loses it when Couture rolls to his side. Couture powers back to his feet with half of the final round left. The lightweights tie up and trade knees inside before Couture presses Duarte in the cage again. Duarte won’t stay there and pops Couture with a couple punches as he walks him down. Couture turns a Duarte takedown attempt around and trips him down. Duarte stands but gets taken down on the fence again. Armbar attempt from Duarte won’t go but allows him to get back to his feet. Another takedown from Couture with less than a minute to go and Duarte is too spent to get up this time.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Couture (29-28 Couture)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Couture (29-28 Couture)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Couture (29-28 Couture)

Official result: Judge Ken Barringer scores the bout 29-28 for Duarte, while judge Andy Dinger sees it 29-28 for Couture. Judge Nelson “Doc” Hamilton scores the bout 29-28 for the winner by split decision, Ryan Couture.

Pat Healy vs. Mizuto Hirota

Round 1
Hirota gets inside to clinch up and puts Healy’s back to the fence with double underhooks. He takes Healy down at the base of the cage and sits in half-guard on Healy’s left side, socking him in the face with a couple right hands. Healy tries to answer off his back while referee Dave Hagen calls for action. Healy puts a looping left on Hirota’s temple but Hirota gives him a stiff left hand in return. Now it’s Healy putting Hirota on the fence, but Hirota quickly reverses with underhooks. They pummel for position until Hirota circles off and pops him with a left. Hirota scores another takedown, stands and hops out of an ankle pick. Hirota shoves Healy onto the fence again for 30 seconds until Healy gets free. Healy tries to turn the tables but Hirota denies the takedown. Healy lands a nice elbow over the top in the clinch but gets put on the fence again to end the round.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hirota
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Hirota
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Hirota

Round 2
Healy opens up with a short, standing elbow and takes a left hook from Hirota in return. More standing elbows from Healy lead to Hirota grabbing underhooks and putting the American on the fence again. Trip takedown on the fence from Hirota and he keeps the legs wrapped up as Healy tries to hit the switch. Hirota’s nose is busted up, bleeding from one of Healy’s elbow strikes, but he nonetheless keeps the pressure on when Healy gets back to his feet. Healy reverses on the fence and works some short knees to Hirota’s thighs. Hirota gets out of the position with an elbow and stuffs a long double-leg attempt. Healy keeps after it and plants Hirota on the ground with just under two minutes left in the round. Open guard from Hirota as he tries to push off and get to his feet, but Healy is heavy on top. Hirota is cut on the outside of his right eye as he’s muscled into the cage by Healy, who scores with a pair of elbows before exiting. Hirota lands a couple punches and sprawls all over a double-leg.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Hirota
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Healy
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Healy

Round 3
Hirota ducks a combo from Healy and scores with a counter right hand. Hirota punches to the body and clinches behind it, shoving Healy into the fence with a single underhook and drawing some boos from the pro-Healy crowd. There’s not enough action in the clinch for ref Dave Hagen, who splits them up with 90 gone in the round. Hirota is scoring with left hands and leg kicks until Healy slows the pace with a single-leg. Hirota balances on one leg and socks Healy with his left hand, forcing Healy to change levels and work for the takedown from below. Hirota doesn’t allow the takedown but can’t extract himself from the situation either, and eventually Healy gets his way with 1:40 remaining. Butterfly guard for Hirota now in the middle of the cage while Healy works short punches to the body. Hirota is trying to elbow and palm-strike from underneath but Healy is limiting his offense by grinding on top. Healy stands and tries to take Hirota’s back as Hirota stands, and that’s where it ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Healy (29-28 Hirota)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Healy (29-28 Healy)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Healy (29-28 Healy)

Official result: Judge Andy Dinger scores the bout 30-27, while judges Ken Barringer and Junichiro Kamijo see it 29-28, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Pat Healy.

Robbie Lawler vs. Lorenz Larkin

Round 1
The southpaw Lawler fakes a kick and then drives one into the breadbasket of Larkin, who tries a kick up top that’s blocked. Lawler uncorks his right hook behind the ear of Larkin and the “Monsoon” stumbles backward into the fence. Lawler presses Larkin into the cage with an underhook but it’s Larkin who sweeps the leg and sends Lawler crashing to the mat. Hard punches on top from Larkin are mostly blocked by Lawler, who hip-escapes and stands when Larkin tries to pass. Back on the feet, it’s Larkin still in control as he works the clinch and works a few knees inside. Lawler reverses, eats a hook and an uppercut from Larkin, but comes right back with a kick to the body. Lead uppercut from Larkin is followed by a standing elbow and Lawler slows the pace on the fence. Larkin tries some shoulder strikes to make Lawler uncomfortable in the clinch, then grabs the Thai plum and drills Lawler with a pair of knees and an uppercut inside. Larkin lands another knee to the body before the horn.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Larkin
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Larkin
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Larkin

Round 2
The middleweights trade leg kicks and Larkin keeps them coming as he walks forward to start the second. Larkin moves in behind a right hand and delivers a series of knees to the body before Lawler grabs a bodylock and puts him on the fence. Larkin is looking for the Thai plum again, but Lawler throws some haymakers and Larkin backs off. Another clinch on the fence from Lawler and ref John McCarthy calls for action. Lawler changes levels for a single-leg but leaves his neck open for a guillotine attempt. Larkin loses the choke as Lawler flops on the ground, and Lawler regains the outside position in the clinch when they get back to their feet. The ref wants more action and splits them up with 30 seconds to go. Larkin buzzes the top of Lawler’s head with a high kick that cuts the Midwestern veteran open on the hairline.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Larkin
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Larkin
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Larkin

Round 3
Lawler comes out firing and puts a combination on Larkin’s body, then slaps at his ribs with a kick as Larkin moves backward. Another clinch initiated by Lawler on the fence, this time looking for a high single-leg which Larkin spreads out to deny. One-two combo from Lawler seems to have Larkin dazed, but Larkin works his way off the fence and opens up with some heavy shots of his own. A blocked high kick by Lawler draws a grin from Larkin, who rattles off another kick of his own. Larkin gives Lawler a push kick to the gut, then one to the thigh and misses with a big uppercut. Short left hooks from Larkin land as the fight enters the final two minutes. Two right hooks from Larkin are followed by a blocked head kick as Lawler continues to press forward, but isn’t throwing much. Left hook and a right uppercut land for Larkin, followed by a chopping leg kick. Lawler is giving nothing back at this point, just eating sporadic punches from Larkin. A trio of hard, standing elbows closes out the fight for Larkin.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Larkin (30-27 Larkin)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Larkin (30-27 Larkin)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Larkin (30-27 Larkin)

Official result: All three judges score the bout 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision, Lorenz Larkin.

Roger Gracie vs. Keith Jardine

Round 1
Jardine takes the outside, circling and trying to counter with his hands low. He rushes forward with pawing jabs that miss and Gracie uses the opportunity to clinch up. Seconds later, he’s got Jardine tripped to the floor and sits in the half-guard of “The Dean of Mean.” Gracie works to pass on Jardine’s left side then changes and works on the right. An attempt to mount fails for Gracie, so he grabs for a guillotine choke. Jardine pushes the hands away as he puts his back to the fence. He gets back to his feet, but Gracie trips him back down instantly. He traps the left arm of Jardine and socks him in the unprotected face a few times. Gracie steps into full mount with 70 seconds left in the round but they’re up against the fence and he doesn’t have a lot of room to work. Gracie scoots him away from the fence and creeps his legs up, perhaps looking to peel off for an armbar. It’s too late, so Gracie spends the last few seconds of the round dropping elbows from mount and Jardine is badly cut as he returns to his corner.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-8 Gracie
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-8 Gracie
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Gracie

Round 2
It takes 45 seconds before Gracie brings Jardine to the floor again, behind a wild flurry of punches from Jardine. Another 30 seconds and Gracie has worked his way onto Jardine’s back, with Jardine just gushing blood from his face and forehead. Gracie has a body triangle as he works to break down Jardine from the back, softening him up with short elbows. Jardine’s face is an absolute mess, with tributaries of slick plasma flowing from a large pool between his eyebrows. He tries to twist around in the body triangle but Gracie has him locked down. Gracie lets the body triangle go and moves on top to try an arm-triangle choke, but Jardine gets loose. Gracie is back in full mount with 30 seconds left and drops a couple middling elbows before the horn.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Gracie
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Gracie
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Gracie

Round 3
Jardine thumps Gracie with a left hand to the body and circles away from a clinch attempt. He turns away a shot from the Brazilian and flicks out some awkward jabs. Gracie seems content to stand at range and hike up his knee whenever the shorter Jardine gets near. He flicks out a jab and takes a hard uppercut-right hook combo. The one-two forces Gracie to tie up, but again Jardine extracts himself from the situation. Jardine throws a combo that goes off Gracie’s arms and keeps coming forward. Gracie draws a deep breath, ducks a punch and tries to clinch. He shoots a knee up the middle and Jardine circles out. Down to the last minute now and Gracie gives Jardine a front kick in the guts. Jardine tries to swing a wide right hand and instead eats a stiff jab. One more big right hand misses from Jardine on the backpedaling Gracie before the fight ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Jardine (29-27 Gracie)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Jardine (29-27 Gracie)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Jardine (29-28 Gracie)

Official result: Judge Ken Barringer scores the bout 29-27, while judge Andy Dinger sees it 30-27 and Nelson “Doc” Hamilton has it 30-26, all for the winner by unanimous decision, Roger Gracie.

Vacant Strikeforce Welterweight Championship
Nate Marquardt vs. Tyron Woodley

Round 1
Woodley catches a kick below the belt early but the fight goes on without a pause. He slaps Marquardt with an inside leg kick and misses with one high. Marquardt drives forward to strike but it’s Woodley who clubs the veteran with a right hand behind the ear, sending “Nate the Great” staggering backward. Woodley has Marquardt on his knees against the fence as the wrestler tries to take the back. Marquardt works his way back to his feet and eats a knee to the body, then one to the head. Marquardt breaks loose and drops Woodley with a straight right hand. Woodley hops back to his feet, gets caught in a guillotine and rolls free. Two minutes left in the round now and it’s Marquardt fishing for a takedown on the fence. He lands an elbow inside and Woodley is spouting blood from his nose now. Marquardt punishes the body with a left hand and Woodley returns fire with a right. Marquardt walks through it and clinches on the fence, gives Woodley an elbow up top. Nice knee from Woodley when Marquardt leaves his head low and the two get some space. Marquardt chases down Woodley with right hands and Woodley spins to grab a single-leg on the fence.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Marquardt

Round 2
Marquardt walks down Woodley to start round two, moving the wrestler around the perimeter. Woodley tries a spinning back-fist and connects with a solid right hand as he switches stances. Chopping inside leg kick from Marquardt and he rushes in with a right hand behind it. Woodley doesn’t want to clinch this time and slugs Marquardt with an uppercut in close quarters before breaking off. An outside leg kick nearly takes Woodley’s left leg out from under him, but he grabs the fence to stabilize himself. Marquardt is just stalking Woodley, popping him with right and left hands at will, then loading up on a three-piece combo before plowing “T-Wood” to the floor. Marquardt has less than a minute to work from Woodley’s full guard, and Woodley gets to his feet with 15 seconds remaining. Woodley blocks a head kick, takes a right hand to the body and he’s looking tired as round two ends.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Marquardt
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Marquardt

Round 3
Marquardt walks Woodley into the fence, but Woodley rushes forward and tags the former King of Pancrase with a right hand. Marquardt seems dazed as he moves backward into the cage, catching another right hook from Woodley and falling to the floor. Woodley goes down to Marquardt’s full guard and mashes away with elbows and right hands before trying to trap Marquardt’s arm for a crucifix. From the bottom, Marquardt grabs for an armbar which Woodley quickly snuffs out. Ref Dave Hagen doesn’t like the amount of action on the floor and he stands the welterweights back up with half the round left. Marquardt misses over the top with a right hand; Woodley tries to tie up but they’re too slippery. Marquardt initiates the clinch and knees inside, scoring with a few elbows as he comes back to control Woodley in the last minute.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Woodley
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Woodley
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Woodley

Round 4
Marquardt backs Woodley into the fence again and socks him with a straight right, then follows up with a pair of hard right crosses. A front kick and an outside thigh kick from Marquardt find their marks. He tries to go up top with a kick but Woodley blocks it. Another right cross from Marquardt and he moves in behind it to shove Woodley into the cage. He lets go and decks Woodley with a vicious level elbow, follows up with another, a left hook and a right uppercut. Woodley slumps to the ground in a bad way and Marquardt celebrates with a backflip. Nate Marquardt becomes the new Strikeforce welterweight champion at 1:39 of the fourth round.

Strikeforce Middleweight Championship
Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Kennedy

Round 1
Referee “Big” John McCarthy is in charge of tonight’s 185-pound main event. The middleweights parry punches with Rockhold giving chase until Kennedy lands an outside leg kick on the move. Rockhold ties up on the fence and holds Kennedy there for a minute, working knees to the body while he does. They split and Kennedy lunges forward, missing with a punch. Rockhold lands a left and bullies Kennedy into the fence again. Kennedy puts his back on a cage post and raises a knee to block any potential strikes inside. Kennedy gets loose and swings another wild combo, and Rockhold makes him pay with some tight right hands in the pocket. Kennedy reverses the momentum in the clinch and slams Rockhold to the ground, and the champ is bleeding a little from the outside corner of his right eye. Kennedy works to advance position on top while Rockhold turns to his side and frames up a kimura on the challenger’s left arm. Kennedy waits out the arm-lock and passes to side control, but Rockhold scrambles up. Rockhold gets the final word in the round with a ripping right hand to Kennedy’s body.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Rockhold
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rockhold
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rockhold

Round 2
Rockhold goes up top with a right high kick and Kennedy shoots low to try a takedown. Rockhold stuffs it and spins to take Kennedy’s back with one hook. The champ tries to put the other hook in as Kennedy stands, so Kennedy goes back to his knees and throws a nice elbow over his shoulder. Kennedy grabs the wrist and turns around, escaping to the feet. Front kick from Rockhold and a right hand behind it has Kennedy circling out. Kennedy tags Rockhold with a wide right hand as Rockhold tries another kick. Rockhold sprawls on a shot by Kennedy by widening his base against the cage. Kennedy keeps pressing the matter but lets go when Rockhold tries to reap the inside leg. A left hand from Rockhold catches Kennedy off balance and he follows up with a head kick. Outside leg kick from Rockhold is countered nicely by a Kennedy right hand. Kennedy changes levels again, a single-leg this time, but is turned away. With his back to the fence, Kennedy tries to ward off Rockhold with a kick, but eats a one-two for his trouble.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Rockhold
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rockhold
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rockhold

Round 3
Rockhold attacks with high kicks and Kennedy changes levels to close the gap. Kennedy comes back up to shove Rockhold into the fence with over-unders, but they’re only in the position for a moment until ref McCarthy splits them up. He issues Rockhold a warning for grabbing the fence and Kennedy a warning for a low knee. Rockhold turns Kennedy’s head with a right hook; he’s cutting off the challenger’s angles as Kennedy tries to move and kick along the fence. Rockhold sticks Kennedy to the cage with a forearm across the throat and lands a few punches inside before exiting. Kennedy kicks high, takes a stiff left on the jaw. Another straight left from Rockhold turns Kennedy’s head around. Kennedy ducks a kick and grabs a waistlock, and Rockhold goes to a knee. Kennedy whips around to the champ’s back momentarily, but Rockhold is quickly out of trouble. Kennedy takes the back again with a minute left and again Rockhold slips him off. Kennedy keeps digging for the single-leg on the fence. Rockhold sprawls and turns around to slug with a right hand. A spinning kick from Rockhold gets his back taken again just before the horn.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Kennedy
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rockhold
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Kennedy

Round 4
The middleweights trade kicks as they enter the championship rounds, with Kennedy attacking the legs and Rockhold threatening high. Kennedy is looking a bit weary as he stands with his back to the fence and push-kicks Rockhold away. A left high kick from Rockhold sends Kennedy staggering back, but the challenger quickly moves forward again and throws a slapping leg kick. Left hand to the body from Rockhold and Kennedy circles out again. A right hook from Rockhold drops Kennedy along the fence and Rockhold hops into full mount. Kennedy gets his leg through to push Rockhold back into full guard. With his back to the fence, Kennedy grabs a guillotine, but Rockhold pops his head loose and stands back up. They tie up on the fence with a minute to go and jockey for position. Kennedy turns the corner and tries to hop on the back of Rockhold, who sits down to shake Kennedy and then puts him on his back. Rockhold finishes the round in side control.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Rockhold
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rockhold
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rockhold

Round 5
As the final round opens, they resume the familiar position with Rockhold pushing the pace and moving Kennedy along the outside. Rockhold scores with leg kicks and pawing punches before sprawling on a double-leg try from Kennedy, who instead opts to clinch and knee at the thigh of the champ. A straight left from Rockhold lands square on Kennedy’s jaw and the Army man goes for another takedown. Rockhold grabs the waist and rolls him over, but Kennedy snares a guillotine in the scramble. The choke doesn’t last long, as Rockhold winds up on top, kneeing Kennedy’s body with just over two minutes left in the bout. Kennedy throws a slow left over the top and Rockhold makes him pay with a one-two to the body and head. Rockhold waves his challenger on as he continues stalking. Kennedy takes a little jog before shooting again and being denied another takedown. Rockhold puts him on the fence, fires a knee up the middle and steps away. The fight ends, fittingly, with Rockhold turning away another shot from Kennedy on the fence.

Jordan Breen scores the round 10-9 Rockhold (49-46 Rockhold)
Chris Nelson scores the round 10-9 Rockhold (50-45 Rockhold)
Mike Whitman scores the round 10-9 Rockhold (49-46 Rockhold)

Official result: All three judges score the bout 49-46 for the winner by unanimous decision and still Strikeforce middleweight champion, Luke Rockhold.