Eight Reasons You Should Watch UFC Live 4

It may be on the Versus network and it may be smack dab in the middle of a whirlwind of MMA activity but UFC Live 4 packs a punch, big time. Here are eight reasons to tune into a masterfully put together free UFC card.

1. The Nate Marquardt Welterweight Experiment – Nate Marquardt always seemed like a big middleweight to me but apparently he wasn’t big enough. “The Great” found himself a perennial fringe contender in a division with a king he had already been laid slain by and decided to drop some pounds and try his luck at welterweight. Ironically he finds himself pitted against one of the biggest and hottest 170 pounders in the world today. Marquardt can’t concern himself with that though as he finds himself at a crossroads. How many times can he start over? How many more “runs” at a title shot can he begin? A loss here wouldn’t put him away but it would put him well behind the eightball. The shame is that Nate Marquardt is good, really good but despite his nickname he is something short of greatness to this point. I wouldn’t call this a must win but this fight is going to have a lot to say about where his career is headed and at what weight class.

2. Rick Story’s Big Chance – Rick Story finds himself with a golden opportunity to skip about a years worth of work in one night. The UFC has called him up to replace an injured fighter in the main event just one month after the biggest win of his career. After defeating former number one contender Thiago Alvez, Story had converted a lot of fans (including myself) who just hadn’t seen him as a legitimate top 10 fighter to that point. Now he welcomes another former number one contender in Nate Marquardt to 170 pounds. The UFC is fond of this move, take a promising fighter coming off the biggest win of their career and let them to serve as replacement in a big time fight, giving them the opportunity to tally two wins in about half the time that would take with standard booking procedure. Just ask Phil Davis how it works. He was ready to take a year off after defeating Little Nog until he was offered a main event slot against Rashad Evans. This move rests on the same booking priorities. Story has a great chance to make the most of this with everything to gain and almost nothing to really lose.

3. Kickboxing – Do you like heavyweight strikers? Do you like big time KOs? How about giant personalities? If you answered yes to any of these questions then the co-main event is for you. Both Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry have a reputation as lethal strikers with mean streaks in the cage. I would put the chances of this fight being finished by way of strikes at about 60%. Yeah, as much as I would love to hype this fight as a sure fire slug fest there is a solid chance it doesn’t deliver. Kongo is not a dumb fighter and if he feels his best chance is to take the fight to the ground and hold Barry down he will do it. Considering Barry’s previous performances on the ground I wouldn’t be surprised if that was Kongo’s game plan. There is also the chance that one man (cough… Kongo… cough) chooses to clinch against the cage and hold his opponent there. Then there is also the ever-present chance that a Kongo fight ends in controversy. I am not going to say that he is a dirty fighter… but that is sure what it looks like. Lets just say he has had a tendency to find himself on the delivering end of low blows and multiple instances of holding his opponents shorts to gain position. Barry and Kongo could tear the house down but the plain truth of the matter is that it might end up being a snooze fest. Two guys with power like this though are worth tuning in for.

4. Scrapapolooza – If I am skeptical of Kongo vs Barry delivering the goods I have reserved none of that skepticism for Matt Brown vs John Howard. These are two of my favorite fighters to see show up on the card. Both consistently deliver the good and never let off the gas. Matt Brown might be in a must win situation as he is on a 3 fight skid and Howard is not the kind of guy you want to meetin a must win situation, especially since Howard is on a two fight skid himself. This may lead both fighters to be cautions but I don’t think it is either’s nature produce a boring fight. Howard loves to stand and bang but isn’t afraid to scramble. That is good because Matt Brown has a tendency to turn fights into a mêlée of strikes, submission attempts, and sweeps. I expect fireworks in this fight and you should too. Even with lots of probable excitement further down the card, this might be front-runner for fight of the night.

5. The Development of Matt Mitrione – Matt Mitrione (pictured - punching) has made some waves with a little runin he recently had with Tito Ortiz. Not to be taken too seriously as big personalities clash all the time, the episode is somewhat indicative of Mitrione’s persona. In short, he has a brash, a little too happy to be alive personality that rubs some people the wrong way. Ever confident in his own ability, some people think he talks out of turn given that he is only 4-0 as a pro fighter and has yet to notch his “big win.” On the other hand, Mitrione has done nothing but impress since coming off of The Ultimate Fighter and gets noticeably better every time we see him. To take nothing away from Christian Morecraft, Mitrione is the focal point of this fight – win, lose, or draw. Morecraft is a very game wrestler and could steal a lot of thunder from the vocal Mitrione but he has his work cut out for him to say the least.

6. Featherweight Showdown – Tyson Griffin vs Manny Gamburyan would have been a surefire main card fight, and a stretch co-headliner on a card like this two years ago. It is not that either man has fallen far from grace, bur rather that both have found consistency hard to achieve. Gamburyan got a shot at the featherweight title and was bested by Jose Aldo and now he will look to spoil the 145 pound debut of Tyson Griffin, who many think could the cream of the crop at this weight. While you can find decisions on both men’s records you will not find a lot of boring fights. Tyson Griffin has a number of Fight of the Night awards under his belt and Gamburyan was widely considered one of the most high octane fighters at any weight class. If you have a facebook account you have no excuse for missing this fight, which will close out the under card and have profound ramifications on the UFC Featherweight Title picture.

7. The Joes – The aforementioned featherweights are not the only ones I am a bit surprised to see on the under card. Joe Stevenson and Joe Lauzon are also featured on the card in separate bouts. Lauzon is coming off a lose to George Sotiropoulos in a high profile match while Stevenson will try to buck a three fight losing skid. A forth lose could spell serious trouble for Stevenson as he too tries to find success at 145 pounds for the first time, a far cry from challenging BJ Penn for the belt. Both Joes need big wins and both have very game opponents, particularly Stevenson. One way or another we are going to learn a lot about both men’s futures and it is highly unlikely that the lessons are boring.

8. Are These REALLY at the Bottom Of The Card? – If that wasn’t enough to convince you that even the under card is worth tuning into guys like perennial spoiler Nik Lentz (pictured - top position), who had a win over Tyson Griffin last year and 14-1 Charles Oliveira might do the trick. Submission ace Oliveira believes he will be the youngest UFC champion in history but he can’t afford another lose if he is to attain that goal. How about former WEC contender Ricardo Lamas? He makes his UFC debut in the crowded lightweight division against Matt Grice who is likely fighting for his job in the UFC. Both are tough guys and neither man can afford to lose. Michael Johnson was a finalist on The Ultimate Fighter. To demonstrate just how competitive MMA is today, he sits at the very bottom of this card where previous finalists have found themselves in much more favorable positions. It is not uncommon to see people fighting for their professional lives at the bottom of UFC cards. It is somewhat more unique to see so many familiar faces and so many fighters known for bringing excitement. This card brings excitement all the way down.

Strikeforce Overeem vs Werdum Fallout

As the dust settles on the first round the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix there is an odd mood circulating with regard to the nights events. There seems to be a certain level of disappointment aimed at the tournament bout winners, a disappointment that I find somewhat unwarranted. Both Overeem and Barnett came out on top against very tough opponents and as much as anything seem to be criticized for smart game plans. That said, there was an air of disinterest in the card. It almost seemed as if some underdogs on the card submitted to their fate, cutting through some of the energy surrounding the fights. This seemed to happen up and down the card and that is not to say that I believe anyone gave less than their due effort but to describe the general emotion that slowly saturated the nights events.

The Prelims

If you didn’t get a chance to catch the preliminary bouts and you are not a hardcore MMA fan you likely have no reason to go out of your way but two fights deserve mention. JZ Cavalcante and Justin Wilcox was the stand-out fight on the HDNet portion of the card, but ended in lackluster disaster as Cavalcante accidentally poked Wilcox in the eye, halting the fight in the second round. To that point Wilcox seemed to have been winning the striking game and might have been on his way to the most significant win of his career. It was certainly too early and too close to determine a winner so this gets chalked up as a no decision. Conor Heun (pictured) and Magno Almeida absolutely tore down the house with the grappling equivalent of a brawl and stole all the thunder from the early portion of the event. Both men were put in tough spots throughout the fight but the second round found Heun in two submissions that looked to be sure things only for the announcers to eat their words of “this fight is over” as he escaped. The early part of the third round provided more of the same but when Heun escaped this time he wound up in top position throwing everything he had left and Almeida. The action was fast paced and both fighters demonstrated incredible heart. As the bell rang Almeida wrapped Heun up one final time and perhaps dislocated his arm but not before the fight ended and Heun was awarded a decision victory, doing just enough to take the first and third. Anyone interested in grappling and/or submission fighting should make sure to see this fight, its worth the trouble

The Undercard

Alistair Overeem’s big brother didn’t quite live up to the family billing when he fell to Chad Griggs who is steadily becoming one of my favorite fighters to watch. This guy loves to fight and he loves to spoil the ascension of more highly touted fighters than himself. He accomplished this against V. Overeem by pounding him into submission. While the official results read TKO, V. Overeem clearly tapped to strikes as the referee was stepping in. After Griggs made a compelling case for himself to move up the HW ranks in Strikeforce the up and coming Daniel Cormier got his chance to break out against journeyman Jeff Monson. Monson was simply out matched on the feet by Cormier, whom’s two time Olympic caliber wrestling kept Monson from taking him down and allowed him to control the pace of the fight. With over 50 fights, Monson has only been finished 4 times in his career and this would not be the fifth. However, it would be a lopsided victory. Cormier is a dangerous up and coming heavyweight with world class wrestling and fast improving striking. It will be compelling to see just how good he can be. Both Monson and V. Overeem gave off that aforementioned ethos of accepting their fate. No doubt both men gave their all but their defeats and the way in which they came set a mood early in the night. Strikeforce took a small break from clashing titans to make room for two lightweights - two lightweights that may have just stole the show with a 15 minute, albeit somewhat one-sided, all out scrap. Jorge Masvidal (pictured) has arrived my friends and he did so by beating K.J. Noons to the punch – the punch, the kick, the takedown, the ground-and-pound, and the sweep. He did it by being better at every aspect of the game. Noons is no slouch, in fact demonstrating some ground skills that had not been put on display before. Unfortunately for him, they were not enough to be effective against Masvidal. We learn two very important things with this fight. 1) Masvidal is near the top of the heap in the Strikeforce lightweight division and has been somewhat overlooked to this point. 2) Not unrelated, Gilber Melendez has more work to do under the Strikeforce banner. Many fans and pundits have Melendez on a UFC card already but Masvidal proved here that there might be at least one more challenge awaiting the champion before serious talks of a move are had.

Main Events

All eyes were on the heavyweights participating in the Grand Prix Tournament and rightfully so. Josh Barnett (pictured) showed that he was simply in a different league than Brett Rogers, easily taking him down and controlling him on his way to a second round submission victory. The big news behind this fight is the inexplicable backlash directed at Barnett. It seems that many feel his total domination was not enough and that he should have finished the fight earlier. I am not the biggest Josh Barnett fan but I am wholeheartedly on his side here when he cites his desire to exert as little energy as possible, take as little damage as possible, and win as easily as possible. Granted his next tournament fight will not happen for quite some time but with the stakes as high as they are who can fault Barnett for not throwing caution to the wind in the first round of his first fight when he was well in control? Alas, MMA fans tend to demand more than is reasonable, a trend I hope fades as the sport grows. If fans were hard on Barnett they were slightly more justified in their criticisms of Alistair Overeem, but not much. Overeem scored a lackluster decision victory over Fabricio Werdum in a fight that at times was painful to watch but at others was quite exciting. Werdum seemed to have come in with a three-stage plan to get Overeem on the ground. Stage One: Shoot – This was a failure. Stage Two: Pull Guard – This was also largely a failure. Stage Three: Beg – This was just plain stupid. The pace picked up a bit in the second and third and saw some quality exchanges, some of which were won by Werdum but at the end of the day Overeem dictated the pace and location of the fight and scored enough points to win. Needless to say almost no one was impressed. Big Foot Silva has to feel pretty good about his chances against The Strikeforce Champion, whom will need to step up his game if he is going to progress further in this tournament.

Overall Strikeforce had a solid showing, not its best but not its worst. Fans will want to see more action from the semi-final rounds of the tournament and fights will be looking to deliver as they jockey for ranking positions and a potential shot at the UFC heavyweight crown, clearly the jewel of everyone’s eye. While the heavyweight division might be Strikeforce’s strongest it doesn’t seem prudent to try to stack cards with heavyweight bouts when lighter weight classes more consistently deliver excitement. This sort of organization will be key to the success of future cards and could give insight into how the Strikeforce/UFC relationship will progress.

Why You Should Watch Strikeforce: Overeem vs Werdum

Strikeforce returns with a bang this Saturday in continuation of its Heavyweight Grand Prix. If Strikeforce has an ace keeping it in the big game, this is it. The heavyweight division is the only division in which SF excels, arguably beyond its big sister company, the UFC. While most contend that the UFC’s Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez are the two top dogs, fighters like Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum, Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko, and Big Foot Silva anchor a division that has some fans and pundits questioning the UFC’s supremacy when it comes to the big boys. On Saturday Strikeforce brings four heavyweight fights, two of which will close out the opening round of the aforementioned grand prix. Aside from two haut fights at the top of the card, it offers up four main card fights that will undoubtedly resonate throughout the MMA world into the second half of the year.

Alistair Overeem vs Fabricio Werdum

Alistair Overeem (pictured) is an oddity in the sport, one of the most proficient strikers of today he fails to find himself across from top competition on a consistent basis. Still some contend he is the best heavyweight in the world while others see him as drastically overrated. Werdum represents a significant step up in competition. Overeem will have a size advantage over his Brazilian opponent and should be able to dictate the location and pace of the fight but that is by no means the end of the story. His improved striking and dangerous ground game will tell us a lot about just how far Overeem’s striking can get him against the cream of the crop in Heavyweight MMA. Look not only for Alistair to be tested but also for to see if Werdum can continue to raise his stock following his victory over Fedor. The winner meets Bigfoot Silva in the second round of the tournament, a fighter that Werdum already holds a victory over. This is a key match-up in one of the most compelling tournaments in the sports history and not one to be missed.

Josh Barnett vs Brett Rogers

Josh Barnett (pictured) enters the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix as one of the heavy favorites, particularly following the early exit of The Last Emperor. Many think Barnett has the easiest road to the finals, meeting strikers with perceived limitations against strong grapplers, which Barnett is. Most have trouble dealing with his superior wrestling and ability to control the fight. However, Barnett has to avoid the bull-strong hands for Brett Rogers. Rogers hits as hard as almost anyone in the sport and his technique is nothing to scoff at. If Barnett is forced to strike with Rogers he might be in for a long night. In addition to the action inside the cage, Barnett’s multiple failed drug tests over his career loom heavy over this fight. He will doubtlessly be tested and another failure could spell the end of his career in the United States.

K.J. Noons vs Jorge Masvidal

K.J. Noons is most famous for his feud with Nick Diaz, beating Diaz as the result of a cut and losing to Diaz in a one sided decision. For the great deal of flack Noons gets for his questionable commitment to MMA and his reaction to a second fight with Diaz, a fight he seemed to want nothing to do with, Noons has found a fair amount of success behind his ultra technical striking. Noons rubs some people the wrong way though because he comes off as thinking he is bigger than the sport, when in reality he is a moderate fish in a relatively small pond, distinct lack of hyperbole 100% intentional. He is going to need every bit of his boxing background against Jorge Masvidal, who is a solid and well rounded fighter. Masvidal will look to use kicks and turn this into an all out fight as apposed to a scientific striking battle in hopes of rattling Noons out of his game. The door is open for either fighter to impress and earn himself a title shot so this fight could very well be for the number one contendership.

Daniel Cormier vs Jeff Monson

The average high-level professional mixed martial artist fights somewhere between 2-4 times a year. Jeff Monson (pictured) has fought three times already in 2011 (this being his fourth) and fought nine times in 2010. When you look up “journyman” in the MMA dictionary Jeff Monson is your operational definition. A short round ball of submissions and muscles, Monson is a dangerous fighter but his limitations are well known. His opponent on the other hand is a quite the antithesis. Daniel Cormier is a world-class wrestler and world-class developmental unknown. There is no doubt that he will be able to use his wrestling effectively in the fight but Monson will represent a stiff test for an unproven fighter. Cormier has one fight that has seen the 3^rd round and Monson is notoriously tough, likely looking look to push the fight into deeper waters. Additionally, Monson’s submission game might keep Cormier at bay, less likely to attack on the ground. Monson is no wizard off his back but if you make a mistake he will take your arm, leg, or neck home with him. This fight is going to let us know just how far along Cormier is and if Monson can make one more push on the big stage.

Valentijn Overeem vs Chad Griggs

Alistair is not the only cyborg looking Overeem fighting this weekend. His brother Valentijn is going to look to continue his momentum over cult favorite and holder of the best sideburns in MMA Chad Griggs (pictured) . Chad Griggs got the pleasure of exposing the muscle bound Bobby Lashley and halting his overhyped star from rising too quickly. Griggs turned the fight into a scrap and beat the athletically gifted Lashley up. There is really no other way around it. That is precisely what he will look to do against the lesser of the two Overeems. While V. Overeem is on a three fight, first round win streak, Griggs is 10-1 for a reason. He is very good at dictating where the fight takes place and how the fight takes place. The most interesting thing about this fight will be to see if Overeem can continue to revitalize his career or if Griggs can thwart another muscle bound monster with his gritty style and deceptive skill.

Gesias Cavalcante vs Justin Wilcox

It hasn’t been a great few years for Cavalcante, who many at one time believed was one of the most talented lightweight prospects in the world. He has been exposed a bit and really needs to find sustained success. On the other hand his opponent, Justin Wilcox, has had a really solid career over the last couple of years. In fact he has only lost once since 2007 and benefits from a solid progression up the Strikeforce Challengers system – Strikeforce’s “minor leagues” or “B-Roster.” Wilcox will look to use his wrestling and Cavalcante will press to keep standing. Whoever is able to impose their will should find success. Both fighters may also be primed to show us something new and will need to if they hope to ascend any further or make the jump to the UFC down the road.

Official Top 10 Ranking

Heavyweight

1. Cain Velasquez (UFC) – We await his return from injury eagerly while the number one contender and former champion coach TUF and fight for a title shot.

2. Junior Dos Santos (UFC) – Another fight, another win. JDS is ready for the only test that remains in his way.

3. Fabricio Werdum (Strikeforce) Werdum dethroned Fedor and now meets Alistair Overeem in the first round of the Strikeforce heavyweight tournament.

4. Brock Lesnar (UFC) – Illness thwarts another fight for Lesnar. All eyes are on Brock to see if he can return.

5. Antonio Silva (Strikeforce) – Calls out Brock as soon as Zuffa buys Strikeforce. Be careful what you wish for Bigfoot.

6. Alistair Overeem (Strikeforce/Dream) – The Strikeforce HW champion could make a case for himself to be the top HW in the world if he wins the heavyweight tournament.

7. Fedor Emelianenko – The fall of Fedor continues. As much as I thoroughly enjoy seeing Fedor fight, I thoroughly hate seeing him lose. Maybe it is time to hang it up.

8. Shane Carwin (UFC) – A valiant effort is not enough to hold ones spot in this division. Carwin needs to come back with a big win.

9. Frank Mir (UFC) – Another win and another ho-hum from the fans. This time he failed to finish a clearly out of shape fighter with his hands at his waste.

10. Cole Konrad (Bellator) – He sneaks in with his 7-0 record but quality of competition is an issue for The Polar Bear.

Light- Heavyweight

1. Jon Jones (UFC) – There is no doubt that he is the number one LHW in the world but now the true test of a champion begins.

2. Rashad Evans (UFC) – Has KO power and knows the strengths and weaknesses of Jones, but everyone is counting him out.

3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (UFC) – Despite all the flack, Rampaged looked great in his last two outings and earned himself a title shot.

4. Lyoto Machida (UFC) – Machida knocked Randy Couture into retirement with ease. What’s next for the Karate Kid?

5. Shogun Rua (UFC) – In such a tight title division, he gets jumped by two guys with recent high profile wins.

6. Dan Henderson (Strikeforce) – Won the SF title and returns himself to the LHW ranks.

7. Ryan Bader (UFC) – Didn’t look good against Jones but still possesses tons of potential and recorded significant success for his age.

8. Forrest Griffen (UFC) – Big win over Franklin propels him up the list. He is probably even a little better than a few guys above him, but needs wins in 2011.

9. Muhammed Lawal (Strikeforce) – Very good athlete but very green. King Mo should continue to improve.

10. Phil Davis (UFC) – Opportunity strikes again as Davis replaces yet another main event fighter and gets a shot at Rashad Evans. A win puts him really close to a title shot.

Middleweight

1. Anderson Silva (UFC) – Anderson Silva is the best fighter in the world and he will look to prove it at home when he meets Okami in Brazil.

2. Yushin Okami (UFC) – Okami has earned his shot but will likely again be passed over. He still gets the number two nod from me though.

3. Ronaldo Souza (Strikeforce) – There is a really good chance that a lot of guys below him could beat him but its hard to argue with his recent success.

4. Chael Sonnen (UFC) – Between the drug test fiasco and the money laundering, I can’t put him any higher than this.

5. Hector Lombard (Bellator) – One of Bellator’s greatest attractions, keep an eye on Lombard in 2011.

6. Vitor Belfort (UFC)– Vitor came to fight and it’s a real shame there wasn’t more time to see what he had. Back to the drawing board.

7. Mark Munoz (UFC) – Huge win over Maia, who was also quite impressive.

8. Brian Stann (UFC) – Stann is the man for now. We will see how he stacks up against the next level of competition.

9. Demian Maia (UFC) – Only drops two spots but with others wining there was no choice.

10. Wanderlei Silva (UFC) – Silva’s inactivity is a problem but his win over Bisping has not been forgotten.

Welterweights

1. Georges St. Pierre (UFC) – Another fight and another win. Some still call for the Silva fight but that seems to be on hold for the moment.

2. Jon Fitch (UFC) – It appears that Fitch would be a dominant champion if it wasn’t for GSP. A win over Penn could put him in line for a title shot soon.

3. Carlos Condit (UFC) – Condit had to pull out of his next fight but barring an extended layoff he should maintain his spot until a result goes against him.

4. Nick Diaz (Strikeforce) – Gets a title shot against GSP. If nothing else this will be worth tuning into for the trashtalk.

5. Rick Story (UFC) – News Flash: This guy is really good. Huge welterweight with solid skill set, Story is a guy to watch.

6. Jake Shields (UFC) – He fought hard but there was never a sense of urgency in this fight. He seemed content with not getting finished.

7. Josh Koscheck (UFC) – Few can match his athleticism. It may be back to the drawing board for Kos but it wont be long till he regains momentum.

8. Diego Sanchez (UFC) – Diego Sanchez creeps back into the ranks with his recent win but its hard for me to take him seriously till he picks a weight.

9. Martin Kampmann (UFC) – A tough let down against Sanchez in a fight that could have easily been decided the other way.

10. Thiago Alvez (UFC) He is truly at a crossroads. He needs to figure out what weight he will fight at and where he can compete at the highest levels.

Lightweight

1. Gray Maynard (UFC) – The only non-UFC Champ at the top. Maynard has a win and a draw over the champ and is unbeaten as a pro.

2. Frankie Edgar (UFC) – Will get another shot to beat Maynard and silence the critics that are still not sold he is the best LW in the world.

3. Gilbert Melendez (Strikeforce) – Probably as good as anyone in the world at 155. We would all be better MMA fans if we got to see him fight the best.

4. Eddie Alvarez (Bellator) – Another reason big reason to keep an eye on MMA outside the UFC, Alvarez could meet Melendez this year… if we are lucky.

5. Jim Miller (UFC) – On talent I think he is four but achievement counts for something so his patience must hold for now.

6. Shinya Aoki (Dream) – I tend to think he is a bit overrated, especially after taking a beating from Melendez but his record speaks for itself.

7. Clay Guida (UFC) – I may not love how he got there but he did beat Pettis and htat means something.

8. Dennis Siver (UFC) – Takes George Sotiropoulos’s spot with a big win over the Aussi

9. Anthony Pettis (UFC) – A bump in the road to the top is just that… a bump. I think we havne’t heard the last from Pettis.

10. Melvin Guillard (UFC) – His most recent win was the biggest of his career. If he is ready to fight smart the sky is the limit for Guillard.

Featherweight

1. Jose Aldo (UFC) – Good News: He is 2010 fighter of the year and pound for pound rated. Bad News: Top UFC lightweights are moving down to Featherweight.

2. Kenny Florian (UFC) – He made the weight, he got a big win, and now it looks like he has a title shot lined up.

3. Mark Hominick – No one forgot his epic demonstration of will against Aldo. This guy deserves to stay in the mix.

4. Hatsu Hioki (Sengoku) – Quite brilliant over the last few years with only one blemish on his record in that time. Hioki is dangerous almost everywhere.

5. Chad Mendes (UFC) – Unbeaten and rising quickly, Mendes will likely have to fend off a former UFC lightweight before he can get his crack at the belt.

6. Diego Nunes (UFC) No harm in losing to Florian at this point in his career. He will have another chance.

7. Joe Warren (Bellator) – Big questions about quality of competition loom but Warren has beaten his share of game opponents.

8. Dustin Poirier (UFC) – Loads of potential and very entertaining, Poirier is going to have to tighten up his game if he wants to break into the top 5.

9. Manny Gamburyan (UFC) – Manny is though as nails but had nothing to offer Aldo in his last outing and has a long way to go back to the top.

10. Michihiro Omigawa (UFC) Poor judging keeps him winless in the UFC but he still go this win bonus, a nod of confidence from the UFC boss.

Bantamweight

1. Dominick Cruz (UFC) – Simply put, he has been more impressive than anyone at this weight over the last year. He awaits his challengers for his new belt.

2. Joseph Benavidez (UFC) – Benavidez doesn’t lose to people not named Dominick Cruz. Unfortunately that is the one guy he needs to beat to move up.

3. Urijah Faber (UFC) – OK OK OK, I’ll make him number three after an impressive win. Looks like he is next for a title shot.

4. Brian Bowles (UFC) – If he can’t shake the injury bug he may move down further. Bowles has top tier skills at 135 pounds.

5. Scott Jorgensen (UFC) – Back on the winning track, Jorgensen will look to keep his spot among the elite at 135 lbs.

6. Demetrious Johnson (UFC) – Biggest win of his career over Miguel Torres and now he eyes a title shot in the not too distant future.

7. Masakatso Ueda (Shooto) – He may only be on a two fight win streak but he is 12-1-2. Ueda seems to be improving with each fight.

8. Miguel Torres (UFC) – Another set back has a lot of people wondering if Torres was ever as good as his billing.

9. Eddie Wineland (UFC) – As impressive as you can be in defeat against a top-notch guy. Wineland made his mark at UFC 128.

10. Brad Pickett (UFC) – Just one lose in his last 11 fights, Pickett will need to continue his exciting ways if he wants to move up from here.

What We Learned from UFC 131

1. Junior Dos Santos is STILL a Bad Dude – This just in folks, Dos Santos is really good. While that may not be news to most fans of the sport, it is probably the biggest thing we can take away from UFC 131. The number one contender is getting mixed reviews despite his spotlight win. Many fans were impressed by his patience, his technique and his ability to keep the fight where he wanted (a skill that continues to be overlooked). However, UFC president Dana White contends that Dos Santos needs to be more well rounded if he hopes to dethrone Cain Velasquez. Regardless of where you stand, JDS’s mashing of Carwin’s face earned him a title shot and represents another notch his climb to the top of the division.

2. Shane Carwin has Serious Heart – Never having been a big fan of Shane Carwin the fighter I was pretty confident in the outcome of this fight. Much to my bewilderment I found myself bewilderingly impressed by Mr. Carwin after his UFC 131 lose. As I preemptively called the fight in the first round, while JDS beat Carwin’s face, only for the amusement of my friends, Carwin was surviving – little more, but surviving all the same. He took an epic beating from one of the most proficient hitters in heavyweight MMA and he got right back up and went 10 more minutes to finish the fight. Carwin may have lost the fight but he made the judges make that call, a valiant effort by any standard.

3. Kenny Florian Can Make the Weight – The question was never whether or not he could make weight. I always pretty much assumed he could get to 145 pounds. The question was whether he could make weight and still perform at a high level. He may not have finished Diego Nunes but did enough to earn a victory over a very tough featherweight. Florian will likely now pursue his third UFC title shot, this time at 145 pounds against Jose Aldo, representing perhaps his best chance at capturing a title to date. And this is where we learn a lot about just how good Aldo is. Florian should be even closer to form in his second fight at 145 pounds and provide a litmus test for the highly touted 145 pound champion.

4. Mark Munoz Is Ready For The Next Step – It is a real shame that Maia and Munoz couldn’t both win that fight as neither man looked to warrant a step back. Munoz however did enough to earn the judges nod and for that I tip my hat to him. The time is now for a step up in competition. The middleweight division is stacked with talent and will provide no shortage of challengers for the young wrestler. Personally, I wont be surprised if they pit him against the likes of Brian Stann or the Leban/W. Silva winner, all of which I think he would match up favorably against. A tougher test might be Vitor Belfort (if he is able to get past Akyama) or Chael Sonnan (if he is able to sort out his legal issues). One way or another Munoz is on his way up - that much we know for sure. It is his next test that will be telling in terms of the UFC’s plans.

5. It’s Coming! - As eluded to earlier, the biggest fight in HW MMA is now set… again. Junior Dos Santos will step into the cage against Cain Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Since April of 2008 the two have put down 14 heavyweight fighters in the UFC and fallen to none. Key wins for Dos Santos include Shane Carwin, Roy Nelson, Gabriel Gonzaga, Mirko Cro Cop, and Fagricio Werdum – for Velasquez: Brock Lesnar, Big Nog, Cheick Kongo and Ben Rothwell. In that time only three fights have gone the distance. When was the last time that two so dominant fighters have been on such a collision course? While this will likely not break attendance or PPV records it may mark the biggest and most important HW title fight the sport has seen, at least since Fedor vs Cro Cop in the Pride FC days. UFC 131 gave us a lot but most of all it gave this epic bout the gift of life.