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On May 18, Vitor Belfort will compete in his native Brazil for the third time in his last four bouts, taking on the last man to hold Strikeforce’s middleweight title – Luke Rockhold – in the main event of UFC on FX 8 in Jaragua do Sul. It’s another opportunity for “The Phenom” to make a case for another shot at the 185-pound crown as well as build on the legacy that you can read about below.

Tra Telligman – February 7, 1997 – UFC 12<br>Result – Belfort TKO 1
Few, if any, knew about Brazil’s Vitor Belfort when the fresh-faced 19-year old made his UFC debut against the Lions Den’s Tra Telligman at UFC 12. 77 seconds after the opening bell though, people couldn’t stop talking about his fast hands and fight-altering power. Belfort would win another bout later that night, in 43 seconds over Scott Ferrozzo, and when he destroyed Tank Abbott in less than a minute three months later at UFC 13, the legend of “The Phenom” was born.

Randy Couture I – October 17, 1997 – UFC 15<br>Result – Couture TKO 1
Entering this bout at UFC 15 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, Randy Couture was a virtual unknown in MMA, with two UFC wins under his belt and an impressive resume as a world-class wrestler. Belfort was another story completely. The 20-year-old wunderkind had three UFC victories under his belt, with each of his wins being frenetic displays of Tyson-esque speed and power. No one expected Belfort to lose anytime soon, let alone to the soft-spoken 34-year-old. Couture threw a wrench in the works that night though, stopping Belfort at the 8:16 mark and changing the face of MMA forever.

“I was totally out of focus,” Belfort told me a few years later. “I wasn’t training, I was thinking I was the greatest and that nobody could beat me.”  

Wanderlei Silva – October 16, 1998 – UFC Brazil
Result – Belfort TKO 1
With countrymen Belfort and Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva both possessing the ability to end a fight in an instant, you just knew that their fight at Ultimate Brazil was going to end explosively. Well, it did, with the 21-year-old Belfort stopping his local rival with a dazzling array of strikes that sent the Sao Paulo crowd into a frenzy. Silva, just two years into his career at the time, would soon go on to greatness in Japan. For Belfort, 6-1 at the time, it was to be his last UFC bout for three years, as he proceeded to sign a deal with PRIDE in Japan that saw him win four of five fights from 1999 to 2001, with his only loss coming to Kazushi Sakuraba.

Chuck Liddell – June 22, 2002 – UFC 37.5<br>Result – Liddell W3
After four straight wins in Japan over Gilbert Yvel, Daijiro Matsui, Bobby Southworth, and Heath Herring, Belfort was scheduled to return to the UFC to face light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz on September 28, 2001’s UFC 33 card in Las Vegas. It was the UFC’s first event in Nevada, and the first since the organization got back on pay-per-view cable TV. But it was not to be, as Belfort pulled out of the fight due to injury. Nine months later, Belfort was finally back in action, this time on free cable television via Fox Sports Net against Chuck Liddell, and instead of dazzling the new fans of the UFC, it was “The Iceman” who made his first major move towards superstardom with a three round decision win punctuated by an oft-replayed knockdown of Belfort late in the fight.

Randy Couture II – January 31, 2004 – UFC 46<br>Result – Belfort TKO 1
After getting back in the UFC win column with an impressive TKO of Marvin Eastman at UFC 43, Belfort was granted a rematch with light heavyweight champ Couture, the first man to beat him. And even though Couture was coming off dominating wins over Liddell and Ortiz, he was once again going to be facing a younger, more explosive opponent, making the UFC 46 main event a compelling one.

Adding to the drama was the fact that Belfort’s sister, Priscila, had been kidnapped on January 9th of that year, leaving the recently married Belfort in an understandable state of emotional distress. He soldiered on through training camp though, telling me before the fight, “The only reason I’m here is because God wants me here. He’s given me the strength. If not for that I wouldn’t be here; I’d be very depressed. I’m praying for God to continue to give me the strength until the day of the fight. Then I can go back and hopefully I can have good news of my sister. I’m supposed to go to a honeymoon, but my honeymoon is not going to happen.”

And once the bout commenced, it was over almost as soon as it began.

The two briefly sparred with each other, and then Belfort grazed Couture with a straight left. The two clinched against the fence, with Couture in obvious discomfort. Referee John McCarthy intervened, bringing in ringside physician Margaret Goodman to examine Couture’s left eye, and she recommended that McCarthy call a halt to the bout at the 49-second mark, a stoppage that crowned Belfort the new champion.

The culprit that ended the contest was a gashed lower left eyelid of Couture, a cut caused by a seam on Belfort’s glove, and that exposed the eyeball and required immediate surgery. It was a bittersweet victory for the new champion.

Tito Ortiz – February 5, 2005 – UFC 51<br>Result – Ortiz W3
Less than seven months after defeating Couture, Belfort was stopped in three rounds by “The Natural” and surrendered his 205-pound belt. His next bout in the UFC would be against the man he was supposed to face in 2001, Tito Ortiz, and the three rounder was worth the wait.

Early in the first round, Ortiz quickly drove Belfort to the fence, but the Brazilian was able to escape and soon followed Ortiz across the Octagon with a quick flurry of strikes that put the former champion on the defensive.

Ortiz weathered the storm though, and locked up with Belfort against the fence, controlling the pace with knees and his superior strength. Referee John McCarthy broke the two at the midway point of the frame, and after the two veterans warily circled each other, Ortiz shot in with punches, only to get countered well by Belfort, who put Ortiz in trouble with strikes to the head. Ortiz quickly looked for a takedown to get out of trouble, and wound up in Belfort’s guard with a bloodied nose for his trouble. In the final minute Ortiz pounded away with forearms to the head, looking to exercise his trademark ground and pound as the horn intervened.

Round two saw Ortiz looking for the takedown again, only to be foiled by Belfort’s sprawl, and later by a guillotine attempt that turned into side control by the Brazilian. Ortiz kept his cool as he tried to work his forearm shivers, but Belfort responded with hard forearms of his own to the head, much to the delight of the crowd. Belfort continued to pound Ortiz as McCarthy watched the action closely, but the game Ortiz refused to give in against “The Phenom”. With 1:30 left in the second round, McCarthy stood up the fight, but Belfort quickly pulled Ortiz back to the mat, which was a poor move as Ortiz gained the upper hand in the final seconds with strikes to the head until round’s end.

Ortiz confidently began the final round with a high kick that was deflected by Belfort, and followed up with another takedown. Working with Belfort pinned against the fence, Ortiz’s ground and pound left the tired Brazilian with little chance of escape, though a standup with under two minutes left gave Belfort a brief reprieve – so brief that Ortiz was again in his face within seconds, pinning him against the fence before yet another takedown just before the bell.

And though many felt Belfort had done enough to win, the judges rendered a split (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) verdict for Ortiz.

Matt Lindland – January 24, 2009 – Affliction – Day of Reckoning
Result – Belfort KO 1
Discouraged by the loss to Ortiz, Belfort took his show on the road and outside of the UFC, competing for four different organizations over the next four years. But after his 2006 loss to Dan Henderson in PRIDE, the now 30-year old Belfort started to show the maturity and focus he had lacked consistently over the previous years. Three straight wins over Ivan Serati, James Zikic, and Terry Martin followed – two by knockout – and in January of this year he was matched up with former UFC middleweight title challenger Matt Lindland. The end came just 37 seconds into the bout, and Belfort had scored a spectacular knockout over “The Law,” one of his most impressive finishes since his early days in the UFC. But there would be more fireworks to come.

Rich Franklin – September 19, 2009 – UFC 103<br>Result – Belfort KO 1
In September of 2009, Belfort made his long-awaited return to the Octagon, but he didn’t stay long, earning Knockout of the Night honors for his first round finish of former middleweight champion Rich Franklin. It was the performance all of Belfort’s long-time fans were hoping for, as he showed off the deadly hands that made his name back in the late-90s. Next up – a world title shot.

Anderson Silva – February 5, 2011 - UFC 126<br>Result – Silva KO 1
The highly-anticipated middleweight championship showdown between Belfort and countryman Anderson Silva came to an abrupt end at 3:25 of the first round when Silva landed a front kick to the face that instantly earned a spot on UFC highlight reels for eternity. Left to deal with the aftermath of the devastating defeat was Belfort, who, like he had many times before, would rise again.

Michael Bisping – January 19, 2013 - UFC on FX
Result – Belfort TKO 2
Following his loss to Silva, Belfort was seemingly reborn, using impressive first round finishes over Yoshihiro Akiyama and Anthony Johnson to re-establish his place in the division immediately. And while his next foe after the Johnson fight was expected to be Alan Belcher at UFC 153 in October of 2012, Belfort got an offer he couldn’t refuse for September 22 – an opportunity to regain his light heavyweight title from the most talked about fighter in the game: Jon Jones. It was a risky move, but when Belfort locked on an armbar in the first round, he was moments away from a stunning upset win. Jones would escape and submit Belfort in the fourth round, while the Brazilian returned to 185 pounds in January of 2013, delivering another fantastic finish when he knocked out Michael Bisping in the second round.

The night of UFC 126, I was leaving the after-party at XS, a Vegas nightclub, at 3:00 a.m. As I was walking through the lobby of the Encore Hotel, I saw the fighter Jon “Bones” Jones trot in at a full clip, frantically looking around.

“Hey, Jon,” I said. “What’s wrong? Did you lose something?”

He explained that he needed to pay his cabdriver. “I don’t have any cash,” he said. “I’m looking for an ATM.”

“Come with me, Jon,” I said, throwing my arm around him. We walked out into the cool night. The cab was parked in front, engine idling, the driver looking annoyed and impatient. I rapped on the window and peeled off a few bills. Sent the guy on his way. I turned to Jon and slipped a hundred-dollar bill in his front shirt pocket.

“What’s this?” he said. “Thanks, Bruce, but I can’t take your money—”

I turned and looked at the six-foot-four-inch man who, just tonight, had won the $75,000 Submission of the Night bonus after taking out Ryan Bader in the second round with a choke that resulted in a tapout. It was Bader’s first loss, and Jon was a rising star; in six weeks he would be challenging Mauricio “Shogun” Rua for the light-heavyweight championship. If he won, he’d be the youngest light-heavyweight champ in UFC history, only twenty-three years old. (News flash: He did.)

“Look, Jon,” I said, “you just won a main card event. It’s a fight night, and there are fans all over the city. You are not to go walking around Vegas alone by yourself, without cash, without your crew, you hear me?”

He nodded. “Yes, Bruce.”

I love Vegas. Know it like the back of my hand. But I’ll be the first to say that you need to stay alert there, the way you would in any big city. Especially if you’re highly recognizable.

I know fighters well enough to know that they are often so exhilarated on a fight night that they can’t sleep. On that night, Jon’s victory over Bader was still so fresh he could taste it. It was 3:00 a.m., but Jon could probably have stayed up till noon the next day. All he wanted to do was have some fun until he worked off that high.

Some people were coming up out of the lobby now. Some of them were my friends. “We’re heading out to another party,” I told Jon, waving over his shoulder to our limo driver. The sleek black ride pulled up. “Come out with us.”

As the limo pulled away from the curb, I made a mental note to talk to Jon’s manager about this. But for now, the night was still young.

I’ve been telling people for a while that my young friend Jon “Bones” Jones is a new breed of fighter. He’s a whirling dervish in the Octagon, a spinning tornado of elbows, knees, and feet. He’s got the longest reach of anyone in the organization. A well-proportioned, wonderful freak of nature, as so many great athletes are.

I started telling people that Jon would someday be the Muhammad Ali of the UFC, and critics knocked me for it, but I’ll stand by it. Ali in his prime had a devastating wit and was a master of psychological warfare, but he also charmed millions of people because he had what Jon has: charisma. Jon’s a gentleman outside of the Octagon, and a cyclone inside it. His technique is indescribable, graceful, yet stylized. He pulls off moves that you only see in the movies. Actually, they’re better than the movies because he’s accomplishing real damage.

Being in his early twenties, he’s still got some maturing to do, as both a man and a fighter. but he’s luckier than a lot of the fighters who came up in the UFC only a decade ago. First, he practices the sport in a whole new way. Second, he’s in the right place at the right time. The 2011 Fox deal propelled the sport to new heights and exposed it to millions of new fans. The UFC’s gone mainstream, and Jon’s in the perfect position to reap some of those benefits.

Another thing Jon has in his corner is a loving family. His dad is a Pentecostal minister in upstate New York; Jon was a church choirboy while growing up in this deeply religious family. He was the middle child, and though he wasn’t exactly a shrimp, his older and younger brother were also tremendous athletes. Both played football at Syracuse. Arthur’s now a defensive end for the Baltimore Ravens; Chandler was selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft by the New England Patriots.

So I don’t really see any weaknesses in Jon’s armor, save a hint of innocence. That’s why the night I saw him alone in Vegas rubbed me the wrong way. People think I make too big a deal about fighters needing protection. Obviously, Jon can handle himself against anything life hurls his way, and his management team can’t be there to protect him all the time, but a champion has bigger things to do than look for an ATM machine or guard himself against drunk idiots.

If you think I’m exaggerating, I should tell you that when the limo pulled up that night in front of the Encore, I got in first with my friends. Jon lingered on the sidewalk. “Jon,” I said, “come on. Get in.”

He did. And the second Jon pulled the door shut—the very second—someone in the crowd outside the hotel threw a punch and knocked a guy to the ground exactly where Jon had been standing a few seconds ago.

Jon looked at me, stunned.

“We should go,” I told the driver, who hit the gas.

Life can change fast on fight night in Vegas. When the parties start winding down, drunk people suddenly find themselves bored and looking for something to do. You’ve got a lot of testosterone flowing. Someone mouths off, and boom, someone takes it in the jaw. If that’s going to happen, I’d rather it happen to someone else, not one of our guys. They don’t need that headache, and they don’t need that publicity.


Excerpt from "It's Time" by Bruce Buffer published on ufc.com with permission by Crown Archetype, an imprint of Random House

Here in Heathrow airport ... Awaiting flight to Norway. It has been a full ten days, teaching a wide variety of people throughout the UK ... And still three more days of teaching ahead of me before flying back home. The thing that never ceases to amaze me is this, people are Passionate about martial arts training ... And I mean people from all walks of life.
People come to training for a variety of reasons ... Who knows exactly why any of us start our training. I think there are any reasons that are hidden deep beneath layers of the obvious, reasons that only be one more apparent as we experience more of life and more of training. One underlying driving force however, that many people share, is this ... We want to improve ourselves in some way ... We want a little more EXCELLENCE in our lives ... This may be in the form of confidence, better health, a new circle of friends .... But most of us are to some degree obviates to lift ourselves out of the 'mundane' , or out of the 'ordinary'. As I look out over the mat, any mat, I see people wanting to improve ... I can only admire that. We all struggle our way through life, each dealing with a never ending cycle of highs and lows ... But like the butterfly fighting it's way out of the cocoon, we strive to escape the ordinary and become something 'more'.
Through our training efforts, whatever they may be, we slowly learn to see things we could not previously see ... We learn to becoming less accepting of the 'good enough to get by' ethos that so many other people fall into ... Troyes dedicated and joyful practice, we may come to deeper understanding of concepts like, integrity, congruence, mindfulness, etc ... These are the real gems to be found in practice. They are words ... Yes ... Easy to say ... Easy to allow them to roll off the tongue ... Just as words like 'leverage' , 'strategy' are EASY to say ... Easy to use in a sentence .. But to understand and embody them as truths ... This is a process that can only unfold over time ... And after some considerable life experience. Such truths and others can almost certainly be found in any type of deep, prolonged, immersive and mindful study ... In the garden, in the temple ... On the mat.
We all set out on our journey, seeking perhaps some dry simple thing ... But as we stumble along, each in our own way, we kick out of the ground a truly precious gem here and there ... If only we look down and notice.
Best wishes all ... JBW

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On April 20th, a powerful statement was made by three members of Team Alpha Male and it was directed at the champions in their respective divisions. It didn’t sound like a pin dropping in a quiet room; it was more like a “BANG”. And, the message was clear, ‘we’re coming for your belts.’

At UFC on FOX 7 in San Jose, California, three members of the premier lighter-weight fight team from Sacramento entered the Octagon with bad intentions in their minds and their fists. This extra fuel in their fire or je nais se quoi in their jabs is being widely attributed to the addition of a new head coach: Duane “Bang” Ludwig. It’s only been four months in the making, but the proof is in this punchy pudding - three fights and three KO/TKO wins.

“I was sure that they would win the fights, but not sure they would run through them,” admits Ludwig. “I thought they would win with strikes from breaking down the footage and knowing what great athletes these guys already are going into the cage. I wasn't sure what round, but that was going to happen regardless.”

Under the watchful eyes of the former K-1 kickboxer, father of two, and UFC welterweight with a pro career of 29-14, the featured fearsome fivesome from Team Alpha Male are undefeated, starting with Danny Castillo’s unanimous decision win over Paul Sass in February. Since that bruising bout of ground and pound from “Last Call” on the British submission specialist, “Bang” has prepared and cornered Urijah Faber to two wins, Joseph Benavidez to one win, Chad Mendes to one win, and TJ Dillashaw to two wins. Minus Castillo’s very decisive victory, the rest have been finishes, with two choking subs by Faber knockouts for Benavidez, Mendes, and Dillashaw.

“I put the information in their head and they put it into motion to tighten up the gap - and they're doing it,” explains Ludwig. “There's one thing to do this with regular Joes, but I have world class athletes out here. I'm going to keep what they've been doing, but add to it and close up some gaps. It's been pretty successful so far and I'm a proud papa that's for sure. Actually, I'm not a papa yet; I've only been here for four months. It's hard for me to say that they're my guys and my team because I feel like I'm stepping on some toes. I didn't build it; I'm just fine-tuning some things. I'm not going to take credit for a lot of this, but I do think I'm helping. I'm actually not doing too much because I don't want to do too much. I want to sprinkle information here and there and let them be their own athlete.”

For the uninitiated, this is not surprising that the 34-year-old Ludwig, with two decades of fighting experience, would be a natural as a head coach for Team Alpha Male. First off, he was more or less self-taught, rising up the ranks of amateur Muay Thai all the way to the elite levels of professional kickboxing. While he did work with the legendary Bas Rutten and boxing coach Trevor Wittman, Ludwig has been a one man team, cultivating fight knowledge, applying what he feels works for him, and evolving his personal style. Second off, “Bang” created a Muay Thai curriculum, which is offered in eight affiliate gyms around the country, including RFLX Training Center near Ludwig’s hometown of Denver, Colorado.

“I've always been in this position as far as head coach and helping people out with things,” tells Ludwig. “People have always gravitated towards me as a head coach no matter where I go, which is nice. With all the information I have, I can't help but to help people. The gym in Sacramento and the gym in Colorado, it's pretty much the same thing, but we have more fighters in Sacramento. I'm just making sure that they're paying attention and looking for openings, which I call the 'counter-eye'. Making sure to look for those gaps before, during, and after. It's all the same to me. I'm the same person no matter where I go. That's why I was asked to come out, because of who I am.”

Specifically, what he brings as a coach are specifics. Ludwig is a highly detail-oriented person, both in and out of the cage, and has a penchant for breaking down everything down to its minutiae. With the affiliate schools, Ludwig sends videos ranging from four to ten a week that he’s pre-recorded of exact drills, combinations, and the surrounding ideas of why and when to use them. The general public can get a taste of “Bang” Muay Thai from his core system DVD set sold on DUANEBANG.com and see a list of the gyms Ludwig’s lessons are taught at.

“My goal is to get my name out there, get my affiliates' name out there, and get these guys world titles,” states Ludwig. “I'm not being coy about it. I'm here to network, I'm here to get these guys gold, take care of my family, spread martial arts knowledge, and build my system and brand. It all goes hand-in-hand.”

As for those UFC belts, it’s no secret Ludwig’s litmus test will be coaching these fighters not only to a title shot, but winning that championship. Before “Bang”, all the members of Team Alpha Male were near the top of their divisions, with Faber, Benavidez, and Mendes earning title fights. This triumvirate in particular has really only tasted defeat in big fights with belts on the line. Each of those three is championship material and it’s up to Ludwig to actualize it.

“I knew that the whole story wasn't just about getting another title shot, but getting the gold,” affirms Ludwig. “I'm here to help bridge that gap and that's what we're doing. We are going to get the gold. That's just the way it is. With Chad, we've got two things to work on. I think he'll be the first to get a title shot out of the three - Joseph Benavidez, Urijah Faber, and Chad Mendes. We'll see what the UFC says. But I don't necessarily agree with people saying you have to sit back and wait for the belt; if you want the belt you ask for the belt. You can't wait for things to come; you have to go after them. It's the same thing in the cage. If you want something to happen, you have to make it happen - you can't sit back and wait.”

Of course, Ludwig knows exactly what gaps and how many he needs to close to get Faber, Mendes, and Benavidez their belt. The latter has one thing to fix, Mendes has two, and the former WEC featherweight champion has three. Of those 3 for “The California Kid”, Ludwig is open about a fairly obvious flaw, which was the main culprit in Faber’s loss to UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo: checking leg kicks. Ludwig’s challenge is to correct these bad habits or tendencies, both physically and mentally, through recognition and repetition.

“In Urijah's case, we all know that he has had an issue with blocking leg kicks and seeing leg kicks,” says Ludwig. “We're putting into his brain something that triggers when he's open and when the guy's open. Every position, I want them to be aware of every position they're in and it to register that I need to do this or I need to do this. They just didn't have my look on striking and mixed martial arts until I got there. I'm the equivalent of a wrestler who grinds with quality reps as a striker. My striking gets quality reps and we're getting after it. There's no lax time. I'm making sure when we're at the gym that we're not taking any breaks. We're there to work, and we get better every day. We get better every day and we get tired - those are our goals. It's pretty easy, all I have to do is put in these ideas and they're running with it - plug and play. Every day, we get better and better.”

While this already successful relationship between Ludwig and Team Alpha Male took over the post-UFC on FOX 7 talk, one thing is missing in all of this: a signed contract. “I just have to make sure this deal benefits me and my family, first,” asserts Ludwig, who at the beginning and end of the day is a father and husband with the same eye for detail about protecting them as he does with throwing counter hooks. “I'm a very strong believer in if you say you're going to do it then you do, whether it's in business or martial arts. There are just some things I want to make sure about that we're all on the same page. I want to make one or two spots my home: one in Colorado and one in Sacramento.”

It’s been a fast and fortuitous four months for the fan favorites and perennial contenders of Team Alpha Male and their new head coach Ludwig. The UFC faithful are used to seeing Faber, Benavidez, Mendes, Castillo, and Dillashaw entering the Octagon with their usual litany of great coaches like Justin Buchholz, Fabio Prado, and, most definitely, Master Thonglor to name a few and, subsequently, walking out of the cage with their hand raised. But these last few fights, the added “Bang” to their line-up, and to their strikes, has furthered the excitement and interest about Team Alpha Male, especially for the ones with UFC belts.

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 25, 2013) –Ultimate Poker, a majority-owned subsidiary of Station Casinos LLC, has launched real money online poker at UltimatePoker.com, making history as the first company in the United States to offer legal and secure online poker. Ultimate Poker is the exclusive online gaming partner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC ®). Ultimate Poker brings the excitement of the UFC® to the online poker arena, offering fans once-in-a-lifetime prizes and rewards and the true thrill of real money competition.

Live now at UltimatePoker.com, Ultimate Poker offers an exhilarating and secure online poker experience to anyone age 21 and over located in the state of Nevada. Whether relaxing at home or hanging out with friends, Ultimate Poker allows players to engage in an unmatched online poker experience on their own time and in their preferred setting.  

“We are proud to be the first company to deliver legal and secure real money online gaming to poker players,” said Ultimate Poker Chairman Tom Breitling. “We have worked closely with state gaming regulators to demonstrate our unique and compelling poker platform that, above all, players know they can trust. Ultimate Poker is dedicated to being the players’ choice for online poker.”

Poker players have shown a strong appetite for online play, and Ultimate Poker is able to meet that demand in a responsible, trusted and secure environment. “We feel our technology is a major advantage. Ultimate Poker’s proprietary software is completely owned and operated by parent company Ultimate Gaming, allowing for continuous investment and product development,” said Ultimate Poker Chief Executive Officer Tobin Prior.  “The technology was acquired in 2011 and initially developed by a U.S. based company with a completely clean regulatory profile.”

“This day has been a long time coming. Online poker in the United States is finally here and totally legit,” remarked brand ambassador Antonio Esfandiari. “I signed on to be the ambassador for Ultimate Poker because I knew the people behind this company would do it right. I signed on because UltimatePoker.com is where I would come to play. Now we all can."

As Station Casinos’ online poker room, Ultimate Poker is the first to bring America’s game to Nevadans and Silver State tourists. Station Casinos is the leading provider of gaming and entertainment for residents of Southern Nevada. For more than 36 years, Station Casinos has been an industry leader in the areas of gaming innovation and guest satisfaction. Ultimate Poker players can deposit and cash out at any of Station Casinos’ 16 locations across the Las Vegas valley after they have created their account online. 

Players in Nevada can make history and play now at UltimatePoker.com, while any player in the world can sign up and deposit at UltimatePoker.com in advance of visiting Nevada.

Zuffa, LLC, owner of the Ultimate Fighting Championship®, released the following statement today regarding drug test results from UFC® STOCKHOLM 2013: MOUSASI vs. LATIFI in Sweden on April 6, 2013.

The UFC organization has a strict, consistent policy against the use of any illegal and/or performance-enhancing drugs, stimulants or masking agents. All fighters on the UFC® STOCKHOLM 2013 card were drug tested at the event and all fighters passed their drug tests with the exception of Robbie Peralta.
 
Peralta tested positive for marijuana metabolites following his bout. He has agreed to attend drug rehabilitation classes and will receive a 6-month suspension retroactive to the date of the event and must pass a drug test upon completion of the suspension before receiving clearance to compete again. The results of his positive test will be reported to the official Association of Boxing Commissions record-keeper.
 

With Anderson Silva defending his title against Chris Weidman in July, Michael Bisping recently picking up a win at UFC 159, and standouts Luke Rockhold, Vitor Belfort, Costa Philippou, “Jacare” Souza, Chris Camozzi, and Rafael Natal all hitting the Octagon in May, the middleweight division looks like it could be in for a shakeup. So what better time is there than now to see how the 185-pound weight class stacks up in the latest edition of the UFC Fighter Rankings?

The Champion: Anderson Silva
After dazzling the UFC faithful since 2006, 38-year-old Anderson Silva may be facing the most pivotal year of his career in 2013. A July bout against unbeaten Chris Weidman is no walk and the park, and if he gets past the New Yorker, odds are that “The Spider” will be setting his sights on a Superfight (or Superfights) with the likes of Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre.

1.    Chris Weidman: Weidman is one of the most talented fighters in the game today. But with just nine fights under his belt, is the Long Islander ready for Anderson Silva? Their UFC 162 main event on July 6th will answer that question, but in the meantime, it pays to point out that Weidman has done everything asked of him since arriving in the UFC in 2011, from taking (and winning) short notice fights to beating legitimate 185-pound contenders like Demian Maia and Mark Munoz. They’ve been raving about Weidman here in the NY area since before he entered the Octagon, and in a couple months he gets to prove that all those raves were warranted.

2.    Vitor Belfort: With only one loss in the last two years (and that was to Jon Jones in a short notice light heavyweight title fight) Belfort should be knocking on the door of a rematch with Anderson Silva after finishes of Yoshihiro Akiyama, Anthony Johnson, and Michael Bisping. But it was the way he lost to Silva in 2011 and the highlight reel fashion in which he was knocked out in the first round that is likely to keep him from another title opportunity unless Chris Weidman upsets Silva in July. In the meantime, the resurgent 36-year-old Belfort will try to do what he did against Bisping: play the spoiler, and on May 18th his chance to do that will come against the last man to hold the Strikeforce middleweight crown, Luke Rockhold.

3.    Yushin Okami: He’s the steadiest presence in the middleweight division, and with wins in 13 of his 17 UFC bouts, Okami has cemented his place in the top ten. But after three straight wins, including victories over Alan Belcher and Hector Lombard, what can you do with the Japanese standout, who isn’t exactly known for collecting Fight of the Night bonuses? A third bout with Anderson Silva has little chance of ever taking place, so “Thunder” will have to keep winning and hope for someone else to take over the throne if he’s going to get a second opportunity to become the first fighter from Japan to win UFC gold.

4.    Michael Bisping: You can never count out “The Count,” and Bisping proved it again last Saturday night with his three round technical decision win over Alan Belcher. Standing in the range of the dangerous Belcher and beating him at his own game with quick combinations and effective lateral movement, Bisping rebounded nicely from his January loss to Vitor Belfort, and put himself back in the middleweight title race. The question is, will he ever get his shot at middleweight gold? A couple nice wins in a row should answer that question affirmatively.

5.    Luke Rockhold: The most high-profile middleweight import from the Strikeforce organization, Rockhold was the last man to hold the promotion’s belt and he comes into the UFC with plenty of expectations, both in and out of the Octagon. That’s why he was put in a main event with one of the UFC’s true superstars in Vitor Belfort, and if he pulls off the win, it could have the same impact felt by Rich Franklin’s first headlining win over Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock back in 2005, a victory that kicked off the march of “Ace” to the UFC 185-pound crown. Rockhold has similar aspirations, and on May 18th, his journey begins.

6.    Costa Philippou: New York’s Philippou came out of nowhere to win five straight in the UFC, most recently defeating Tim Boetsch at UFC 155 in dominant style. Next up for the former boxer is a May 18 showdown in Brazil with “Jacare” Souza, and with a win, you would have to put him in the title picture, even if a title shot doesn’t seem likely by the end of 2013.

7.    Mark Munoz: After a devastating July 2012 loss to Weidman and a subsequent layoff due to injury, Mark Munoz has a lot of catching up to do when he returns to the Octagon in July to face Tim Boetsch, and at 35, he needs to do it fast. Then again, if anyone can pull it off, it’s the “Filipino Wrecking Machine,” whose determination to succeed in this sport is second to none.

8.    Ronaldo Souza: Perhaps the most intriguing member of the top ten, “Jacare” Souza is a supreme grappler and former Strikeforce middleweight champion, but what has caught the eye of most in the fight game is the Brazilian’s improving all-around game, which was on display recently in his knockout of Derek Brunson and his submission of UFC vet Ed Herman. Souza has a tough out in his way on May 18 in Philippou, but if he wins, he will have made a statement that he’s ready for the other big dogs at 185 pounds.

9.    Chael Sonnen: The self-proclaimed “Gangster from West Linn” hinted at retirement after his UFC 159 loss to light heavyweight champion Jon Jones last weekend, but if Sonnen decides to stick around and return to the middleweight division, there are some interesting matchups from him, primarily against Wanderlei Silva and Belfort, two fighters that (surprise, surprise) Sonnen got into some trash talking with.

10.    Tim Boetsch: Making his move into the top ten after Alan Belcher’s exit, Boetsch can move up even further should he defeat Munoz at UFC 162. A victory would be the fifth in six fights at middleweight for “The Barbarian,” with his only loss being a punishing defeat at the hands of Philippou last December. If Boetsch shows no ill effects from that bout, he should be in the top ten conversation for a while.

For a look at the complete UFC Fighter Rankings for this week, click here.

My favorite fight has to be Jens Pulver vs. BJ Penn at UFC 35. Click to watch the fight
 
I was a fan of Jens Pulver. He was the fighter I really used to watch a lot of when I first started out. The first fight I saw of him was against John Lewis at UFC 28. He knocked him out with a big overhand left. I was a fan from that point on.

And obviously BJ Penn is more well-known now then he was at UFC 35. BJ had hair at the time, so that’s how long ago that fight was. Both guys were on top of their game.

Future Legends
Jens Pulver was the champion and BJ Penn was the contender. Everybody thought BJ was going to come in and win pretty comfortably but Jens Pulver stepped up his game in that fight – it was a great performance by both of them.

The fight was special to me because it was so evenly matched. They both had great boxing and ground game. For me it was one of those big steps forward in MMA where you could tell that the sport was evolving and everyone was becoming a more well-rounded fighter.

The armbar at the end of the second or third round is a moment in the fight that really stood out to me. BJ had Jens in a pretty much completely locked out armbar, right on the bone. There was a bit of debate whether Jens tapped or not.

On Repeat
When I first saw this fight, I was still very much a kickboxer trying to learn grappling. The fight was in 2002, two years before I had my first pro fight. I first watched the fight by myself on the internet in my room in the UK. After I watched the fight, I immediately went out and bought the DVD.

That fight became something I would watch before I went training. I would watch that fight a couple times a week before sparring. I would watch it early in the morning before I went to the gym. I used to go to the gym, then to university to do some work, and then back to the gym in the afternoon. So basically mixed martial arts was a huge distraction when I was supposed to be studying.

I haven’t watched that fight in a while, but I still have the DVD so I’m going to have to go back and watch it. There are only a few fights I do go back and watch but I am definitely going to go back and watch BJ vs Jens soon.
 
The Underdog
There was no arrogance with Jens. He worked hard and he was so happy that he was successful. I always rooted for him because no matter what, he was the underdog -- even when he was the champion.

I’ve met Jens a couple of times and he is he nicest guy you could ever meet. He had a real rough run where he lost six in a row a while back. I lost four in a row and that was really rough so I can relate. I’m still a Jens fan because he always shows up to fight and perform.

MR. JONES
Guess we’ll be dealing with this Jon Jones guy at the top for a while, eh? Fresh from another dominant performance, one that tied him with Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz for most UFC title defenses at 205 pounds, Mr. Jones is starting to hear that All-Time great talk once again. To his credit, he’s taking it all in with grace and saying the right things, but man, it’s hard not to see that the only thing that may stop him from achieving such a status at this point would be injuries. Then again, he did finish Chael Sonnen off Saturday night after suffering a grotesque toe break, so maybe even broken bones can’t stop the New Yorker. Assuming he’ll be on the shelf for a while to heal up, he’s got either Lyoto Machida or Alexander Gustafsson to look at next, and perhaps those two contenders will fight each other to stay busy while waiting. Well, Jones has already beat Machida, and though Gustafsson is an interesting size and style matchup, he will still enter a title fight with Jones as an underdog. Suffice to say that the future continues to look blindingly bright for the 25-year-old champion.

I KNOW I KNOW
Yes, I am well aware that Sonnen was a sizeable underdog and a contender who did his best work 20 pounds south at middleweight. But what Jones did on Saturday is what you do with a fighter you’re supposed to beat; he got him out of there. There was no dilly-dallying, no attempt to go rounds and show off some new things he was working on in the gym. Jones was all business from the opening bell, and he made a statement that if you sign on the dotted line to face him, do so at your own peril. He fought like a hungry challenger instead of a champion at UFC 159, and the result spoke for itself.

GOODBYE TO THE BAD GUY?
Following his first round loss to Jones, all signs pointed to Sonnen walking off into the sunset and ending his MMA career at the age of 36. And hey, this is a tough sport to be in if your heart and head isn’t in it one hundred percent. But if you look at the landscape at Sonnen’s optimum weight class – 185 – there are still some significant and intriguing fights for the “Gangster from West Linn,” key among them battles with a couple folks he’s waged some verbal scraps with already: Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort. Even at light heavyweight, a fight with Rogerio Nogueira would be an interesting one, as would a meeting with a victor on Saturday’s card, Phil Davis. Of course, there’s no shame in losing three fights to Jon Jones and Anderson Silva, but if Sonnen’s sole goal is to wear UFC gold, yeah, it looks like the odds of him getting another title shot anytime soon are slim. So if Sonnen does retire and move into broadcasting full-time, how will he be remembered? How about like this? He was a hard-nosed wrestler and pressure fighter who fought the best of his era, and though he didn’t always come out on top, he always showed up to fight. And though the late portion of his career garnered more attention for what he said in promoting his bouts, he brought a level of excitement to the game, and by the end, everybody knew his name.

SPEAKING OF PHIL DAVIS…
Despite his stellar wrestling credentials and success in a short time in the UFC, Phil Davis has been underwhelming at times, perhaps not putting on a performance like his Saturday win over Vinny Magalhaes since he submitted Tim Boetsch back in November of 2010. And maybe it was the trash talk with Magalhaes, but more likely it was his greatly improved standup game that saw him draw the rave reviews he was getting on a regular basis in his first year in the UFC in 2010. Davis looked like a complete fighter at UFC 159, and a dangerous one at that. If he can start adding some power to those 1-2s he was drilling Magalhaes with, a serious run at the title may be in the offing sooner rather than later.

BIG COUNTRY DOES IT AGAIN
I know everybody loves Mark Hunt, and for good reason, but for my money, the biggest one punch knockout artist in the UFC hails from Las Vegas, Nevada, and he proved it once more on Saturday with his finish of Cheick Kongo. Telling me before the fight that his work with renowned boxing trainer Jeff Mayweather has him focusing on the second and third punches of his combinations, Roy Nelson only needed a single right hand to put Kongo on the mat, with the another single shot ending matters a second later. That kind of power makes Nelson either a favorite or a live underdog against anyone, and I mean anyone, in the heavyweight division. UFC president Dana White said at the UFC 159 post-fight press conference that Nelson’s future could hold bouts with unbeaten Daniel Cormier or Mark Hunt (should he get by Junior dos Santos at UFC 160 next month), and I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t love to see either fight, making it clear that 2013 could very well be the year of “Big Country.”

FINALLY – A GOOD GUY GETS A BREAK
When talking with Pat Healy before his UFC return against Jim Miller, I joked with him, saying he was almost like MMA’s Charlie Brown, always getting close to that big break before Lucy pulled the ball away at the last second. Last Saturday, Healy kicked that ball through the goalposts, submitting Jim Miller in the third round of a compelling and exciting bout, picking up Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night bonuses in the process. And as much as you want to cheer for Miller every time he steps into the Octagon, it was hard not to smile for Healy, whose career has taken so many twists and turns and gone through so many ups and downs that it boggles the mind. But as you read this today, all is well in the land of Healy, and no one deserves it more.

THE COUNT
One more big win. There I said it. Despite going 2-2 in his last four, I will say that if Michael Bisping gets a big win over a top contender in his next fight, he should get a shot at the middleweight title. His long tenure in the Octagon has earned him that much, and after an impressive win over Alan Belcher, his next fight should put him in line. So who could he beat to convince the fans and the UFC brass that he’s ready? The current top five at 185 looks like this: Chris Weidman, Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Bisping, and Luck Rockhold. Weidman has the next shot at champion Anderson Silva in July, Belfort and Rockhold will meet next month, leaving Okami as the leading available contender. Unfortunately, Okami is a brutal style matchup for anyone, and even if Bisping beats him, it’s likely to be by a war of attrition type decision, not exactly the kind of statement he would need to make. But a fight with the winner of Belfort-Rockhold would be intriguing, especially considering his history with Belfort. A win over either of those two should be enough for him to make his case to battle for the gold.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR SARA?
Sara McMann delivered as advertised against Sheila Gaff Saturday night, using her wrestling and ground and pound attack to score an impressive first round finish. Now the fantasy matchmaking begins for the Olympic Silver medalist, and there are several intriguing bouts out there for her, key among them a scrap with Canada’s Alexis Davis, who first has to get by Rosi Sexton in her Octagon debut in June. Davis is a scrapper of the highest order, she’s won five of her last six, and her only loss came via decision in the best women’s fight I’ve ever seen, her 2012 rematch with Sarah Kaufman. UFC fans who have never seen Davis fight will be in for a treat, and a future bout with McMann could be epic.

THE QUIET RISE OF KID LIGHTNING
Coming in on short notice is no bargain. Ever. Doing so against a tough guy like Johnny Bedford and one who you trained with every day for six weeks makes the upside even smaller. But Bryan Caraway took the UFC 159 fight anyway, and after a slow first round, he progressively picked things up before submitting Bedford in the third. That makes it three of four in the Octagon for “Kid Lightning,” and while he won’t dazzle you with one punch knockouts or flying armbars, he’s a solid and underrated pro who likes to finish. Next up should be a bantamweight contender, and if he beats a top ten foe the next time out, expect people to finally start paying attention.

Main card winners Jon Jones, Michael Bisping, Roy Nelson, Phil Davis and Pat Healy attended, as well as undercard fighter Sara McMann. Chael Sonnen also attended following his failed bid for the light heavyweight title.

UFC president Dana White announced that Healy won two bonuses for the lightweight scrap with Jim Miller that opened the Pay-Per-View -- Fight of the Night as well as Submission of the Night for the third-round rear-naked choke that ended the fight. With each bonus worth $65,000, Healy took home an extra $130,000.

Nelson picked up the Knockout of the Night bonus for his first-round dispatch of fellow heavyweight striker Cheick Kongo. White announced that Nelson's next opponent would likely be Mark Hunt, should Hunt win his upcoming bout against Junior dos Santos at UFC 160, or Daniel Cormier.

Click here to watch the full post-fight press conference video

NEWARK, April 27 – Former United States Olympic Silver medalist Sara McMann made her UFC debut Saturday night at the Prudential Center and she delivered as expected, using her wrestling and ground and pound attack to finish off fellow debutant Sheila Gaff of Germany in the first round of their UFC 159 bantamweight prelim bout.

Gaff ran out of her corner at the bell and right into a McMann takedown, surprising no one. After McMann controlled matters on the mat for a long spell, referee Gaspar Oliver restarted the action with two minutes left. It was a brief reprieve though, as McMann took Gaff back to the canvas, locked her up and proceeded to fire away with strikes until Oliver had seen enough, stopping the bout at the 4:06 mark.

“It was an enjoyable experience," said McMann. "The more fights I have, the better I'm going to get. Her strongest threat was on the feet so I took her down. I'm a wrestler. I can take people down whenever I want to. I put myself in the captain's seat where I could do the most damage and I plan to keep doing that."

With the win, McMann improves to 7-0; Gaff falls to 10-5-1.

See McMann's post-fight interview

KHABILOV vs. MEDEIROS

What was shaping up to be an interesting lightweight bout between unbeaten debutant Yancy Medeiros and Russian prospect Rustam Khabilov came to an abbreviated end when Medeiros dislocated his thumb in the first round, halting the fight and giving Khabilov the win via TKO.

After an attempted suplex by Khabilov, Medeiros put his right hand down to break his fall. Upon rising, he showed referee Dan Miragliotta his hand. After inspecting the injury, Miragliotta stopped the bout at the 2:32 mark.

With the win, Khabilov improves to 16-1; Medeiros falls to 9-1.

Fight recap

ST. PREUX vs. VILLANTE

The debut UFC bout for Strikeforce vets Ovince St. Preux and Gian Villante came to an unsatisfying conclusion after an accidental foul ended matters in the third round, with OSP earning a majority technical decision.

Scores were 30-28, 30-29, and 29-29 for St. Preux, who improves to 13-5; Villante falls to 10-4.

“I definitely felt comfortable in there and I knew I was winning," said St. Preux. "I didn’t feel like I poked him. I got poked too. Stuff happens but I don’t think they should’ve stopped the fight. I would’ve won the third round because I felt great and I was coming on stronger but still it’s unfortunate it had to end like that."

In a nip and tuck first round between the two light heavyweight prospects, it may have been a mid-round sequence that won the frame for St. Preux, as he wobbled Villante briefly with some wild haymakers before the New Yorker could tie up and clear his head.

Villante was the busier of the two in the second round, pecking and poking at St. Preux with kicks to the leg and punches upstairs while the former Tennessee football player kept looking for the home run punch.

The fight came to an abrupt end in the third round, when Villante took an inadvertent poke to the eye and told referee Kevin Mulhall he couldn’t see. Mulhall immediately called the fight, and though Villante protested the decision as his vision cleared, it stood, sending the bout to the scorecards.

“I couldn’t see," said Villante. "He did poke me in the eye, so I don’t know. He said the fight was over and I didn’t expect that because I was just reacting to his question. I got poked and my eye was closed up so I thought he would stop it, but he didn’t; he just kind of looked at me. I don’t understand how you score thirty seconds of a round and that’s how I lost? We were just getting going and I got poked in the eye. I don’t know what to say.”

See what happened

CARAWAY vs. BEDFORD

Late notice was no problem for bantamweight up and comer Bryan Caraway, as he stepped in for the injured Erik Perez in style, submitting his Ultimate Fighter season 14 teammate Johnny Bedford in the third round.

The first round was a perfect example of two fighters who knew each other’s game well, with Bedford (19-11-1) wanting to keep it standing and Caraway intent on getting the fight to the mat. On the canvas, Caraway worked well and almost locked in a rear naked choke, but it was Bedford’s late surge on the feet that saw him do the most damage.

Caraway (18-7) stepped things up in the second and third, showing more effective striking and his usual dominant ground game, and after working overtime to get the finish, he got it late in the third, sinking in a guillotine choke that produced the tap at 4:44 of the final round.

Check out how Caraway set up his 15th submission win

McKENZIE vs. GARCIA

The Ultimate Fighter season 12 vet Cody McKenzie got back in the win column in featherweight action, winning a clear-cut three round unanimous decision over Leonard Garcia.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for McKenzie, now 14-3; Garcia, who has now dropped five straight, falls to 19-11-1.

Garcia had a rougher than rough first round, as he was taken down almost immediately and then subjected to four-plus minutes of ground strikes and submission attempts by McKenzie. To his credit, he survived the onslaught and made it to the bell, but he had a lot of work to do to get back in the fight.

The second wasn’t any better for Garcia, and even though he wasn’t in danger of being submitted, he gave up the dominant positioning to McKenzie and took plenty of punches on the mat throughout the round.

Staying primarily on the feet for the final five minutes, Garcia was aggressive and finally got on the board offensively, but McKenzie was never in danger, even tagging the Texan on several occasions and scoring a final takedown to emphasize his dominant victory.

McKenzie fight wrap-up

SILER vs. HOLOBAUGH

Featherweights Steven Siler and Kurt Holobaugh got the night off to a rousing start with an entertaining three rounder won by Utah’s Siler via unanimous decision.

If Holobaugh (8-2) was suffering from a case of the first time UFC jitters, he knew the way to shake them off, as he came out swinging at the opening bell. But like a veteran of over 30 fights, Siler (22-10) knew how to deal with the onslaught, and his patient clinch work set up a slam that allowed him to take Holobaugh’s back for nearly half the round. Yet despite bloodying his foe and nearly sinking in a rear naked choke, Siler wasn’t able to submit the game rookie.

In the second, the two traded takedowns and ground attacks with a brief period of standup action sandwiched in, as Holobaugh got himself back into the fight with another spirited effort. And while it looked like the Louisianan was going to parlay that strong second round into another positive frame in the third, an awkward fall during a takedown attempt midway through the final round allowed Siler to get the mount position and then take his foe’s back, allowing him to pile up the points and secure the win via three scores of 29-28.

See the highlights

NEWARK, April 27 – A bizarre ending spoiled a quality performance by middleweight contender Michael Bisping in the UFC 159 co-main event at the Prudential Center Saturday night, but he’ll take the win, as he scored a three round technical decision over Alan Belcher in a bout halted prematurely due to an accidental foul.

The unanimous decision read 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Bisping, who ups his record to 25-5; Belcher falls to 17-7.

Kicks were the order of the day in the opening round, with Belcher throwing and landing more as Bisping stalked, unable to corner his foe long enough to get his offense in gear. With 1:50 left, Belcher reversed gears and landed a hard right that momentarily jarred the Brit, but Bisping shook off the effects of the blow and got back to chasing his opponent, but to no avail.

Bisping began to get closer in round two, as he started throwing punch combinations mixed in with his kicks while Belcher took his foot off the gas, perhaps too comfortable with the way things were going. As the round hit its closing stages, Belcher began to show a sense of urgency, but Bisping’s speed and accuracy were telling the tale, and “The Count” continued to push the pace throughout the third round as Belcher simply was not working effectively enough to discourage Bisping or get himself back into the fight.

Late in the round, Belcher took an inadvertent poke in the right eye (the same eye he had detached retina surgery on) and hit the canvas in pain. After a look by the Octagonside physician, the bout was stopped and sent to the scorecards, where Bisping was ruled the winner.

See Bisping -post-fight interview

NELSON vs. KONGO

Heavyweight contender Roy “Big Country” Nelson continued to impress, winning his third consecutive bout by knockout as he finished off Cheick Kongo in just over two minutes. In the process, he made his case for a future heavyweight title shot.

“I want that gold,” said Nelson. “UFC 160 (Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva), whoever wins that, I want.”

After a fight opening clinch that turned into a stalemate that required a restart from referee Kevin Mulhall, Nelson went on the attack, and with a single right hand put Kongo on the seat of his pants. Kongo attempted to rise, but another right put the Frenchman out, bringing a stop to the fight at the 2:03 mark.

Nelson improves to 20-7 with the win; Kongo falls to 28-8-2.

Hear what Nelson had to say after the win

DAVIS vs. MAGALHAES

After a long pre-fight war of words, light heavyweight contender Phil Davis put on a striking clinic against rival Vinny Magalhaes, winning a three round unanimous decision in the process.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Davis, now 11-1 with 1 NC; Magalhaes falls to 11-6 with 1 NC.

Showing his best display of standup yet, Davis dominated the first round, only going through a brief spell of danger when Magalhaes got him to the ground and looked to lock up his arm for a submission midway through the fame. But once Davis got back to his feet, he tagged Magalhaes repeatedly with 1-2s and hooks.

After continuing with the same strategy to start round two, Davis mixed things up with a quick takedown before getting back to his feet and resuming his striking attack. In the final minute, a bloodied Magalhaes shot for a desperation takedown but came up short, leaving him with a look of discouragement on his face as he went back to his corner at round’s end.

There was no change to the pattern of the previous two rounds in the final one, as Magalhaes had no answers for Davis’ striking and Davis saw no reason to change what was working so well for him as he coasted to victory.

Watch Davis' Octagon interview

HEALY vs. MILLER

Pat Healy’s long-awaited return to the Octagon after nearly seven years lived up to all his expectations, as he wore down and submitted longtime contender Jim Miller in the final round of an exciting lightweight scrap.

I’m here to stay,” said the Strikeforce veteran, who competed in the Octagon for the first time since a 2006 loss to Anthony Torres.

Miller’s standup attacks were on target as the bout commenced, with leg kicks knocking Healy off balance, punches to the face immediately causing bruises, and knees getting the Oregon veteran’s attention. Miller (22-5) opted for a takedown soon after, and despite two armbar attempts from Healy, the Whippany product was able to nullify Healy’s offense on the mat while implementing his own. With a little less than two minutes left, the two stood, with Healy now going on the attack in an attempt to even the score. A takedown by “Bam Bam” ensued, with Healy doing good work thanks to ground strikes and a subsequent slam. It was Miller with the last word in a wild round though, as he reversed position and fired off a series of hard punches that had Healy bloodied and in trouble at the bell.

Battered, but not done yet, Healy (32-15) went after Miller to start round two, tying up with him against the fence. Following some back and forth action, Healy got Miller to the mat and went to work on him. Miller looked for submissions from his back, but Healy wasn’t playing along, swarming his foe and eventually getting a rear naked choke. Miller escaped after a few seconds, reversing position and taking control as the two rose. Miller, looking for a guillotine choke, brought it right back to the mat, but as the round ended, both were standing and trading.

With the fight on the line, Miller and Healy both sought out what they felt they were doing best so far, Miller trying to strike and Healy looking for the takedown. Miller got off some hard shots at his opponent, yet it was Healy taking the fight to the mat and putting his hard hat back on as he used his punishing attack to keep the now bloodied Miller on the defensive. Moments later, Healy struck with a rear naked choke, putting Miller to sleep and forcing referee Herb Dean to halt the fight at 4:02 of the final round.

“I feel so good," said Healy. "You can’t break me down out there. I know I look a little beat up and my eye is swollen but I feel incredible. I’ve been working so hard for this return to the UFC. It’s been seven years since I’ve been here and I’ve gone through so much since I’ve been gone. The only thing that kept me going is my love for fighting."

Healy post-fight interview (and Bruce Buffer gaffe)

NEWARK, April 27 – Chael Sonnen talked the talk leading up to his UFC 159 main event against Jon Jones at Prudential Center Saturday night, but it was Jones walking the walk once the bell rang, defending his UFC light heavyweight title for the fifth time with a dominant first round TKO of his loquacious challenger.

“We went through a lot of drama and it motivated me a lot,” said Jones, who tied Tito Ortiz’ UFC record for 205-pound title defenses. “I really wanted to try to Chael Sonnen Chael Sonnen and I think I did a good job of that.”

He also did it with a broken left toe suffered during the bout. And while Sonnen showed up to fight, he was outgunned by the 25-year-old champion.

“He’s an excellent fighter,” said Sonnen. “When he went for the kill he never stopped. I think he was the better fighter. I’m disappointed. I thought I had more in me.”

The two-time middleweight title challenger also said that he had likely fought his final fight.

“I believe that was probably my last opportunity,” said the 36-year-old Sonnen. Yet despite that announcement, the night belonged to Endicott, New York’s Jones, who was in control from start to finish.

As the champion made his way to the Octagon, Sonnen alternated between staring at his adversary with hands on knees and waving him into the Octagon while yelling “come on.” Jones wasn’t about to give the challenger what he wanted though, taking the long way around before calmly stepping through the door to the cage.

With both fighters both receiving rousing ovations from the crowd, it was hard to determine who the favorite was before the bell rang, but once the fight commenced, it was Jones getting a big roar for his takedown of Sonnen. The challenger quickly rose and the two traded punches on the inside before Jones bulled him to the fence and got a second takedown. Sonnen took some shots before getting up again, but Jones kept him tied up. As the battle heated up at close range, Sonnen tried to stay busy, but Jones wasn’t allowing him to take control as he fired strikes back and dumped him on his back a third time. This third time, Sonnen wouldn’t get back up, as the champion unleashed a barrage of ground strikes that busted his face up and prompted referee Keith Peterson to stop the fight at 4:33 of the first round.

With the win, Jones improves to 18-1; Sonnen falls to 28-13-1.

Following a trip to the hospital for dehydration, Nick Catone has been scratched from his UFC 159 bout with James Head, scheduled for tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The event will proceed as scheduled with 11 bouts.

Across
2. On Joseph Benavidez: “He’s the size of my ____.”
6. On Greg Jackson: “Some smug git from New Mexico who can quote the ____ _____”
8. On Anderson vs. Leites: “I've seen more aggression from my ____ when she hits the January sales.”
10. On Mayhem Miller: “Miller’s mouth is bigger than his ________.”
11. To Ben Askren: “Please enlighten me _______ brush head”

Down
1. On Alan Belcher: “some gobby, ginger _____ with a Rosie O’Donnell tattoo”
3. On UFC on FOX: “Chael was an absolute ________.”
4. On Brian Stann: “I don’t know if you’ve seen the ________ American Dad, he looks like the lead character.”
5. On Hector Lombard: “Who is this little poison ____?”
7. On Munoz vs. Weidman: “Munoz bounced into the Octagon with a haircut that looks like Belcher’s ________ has switched careers”
9. On Chris Weidman: “I had to switch his fight with Maia off. It was like watching ____ dry.”


Click here for solutions.

For a while, Gian Villante fought the way he played linebacker for Hofstra University. And it was working for him up until the time when it wasn’t anymore.

“There were times in the beginning where I thought I was gonna steamroll everyone, and I had to get away from that and realize that I’m not invincible,” said Villante, who makes his UFC debut this Saturday night against fellow Strikeforce import Ovince St. Preux. “You can get hurt in a fight, so fight smarter, fight better, and use the techniques that you learned, and have nothing that you’re not prepared for. I definitely prepared for everything that’s gonna be thrown my way in there. I’ve done a lot of different work with different people, and I have the best training partners to get me ready for that.”

A member of the ever growing Long Island, New York fight scene that includes UFC vets Matt Serra, Chris Weidman, Ryan La Flare, and Costa Philippou, Villante tore through practically everyone put in front of him in the early days of a pro MMA career that came on the heels of a stellar college football stint that saw him garner interest from several NFL teams. But once he got signed to Strikeforce in early 2011, he was forced into a position where he could either elevate his game or get pushed to the side.

Initially, it wasn’t easy, as he suffered back-to-back losses to Chad Griggs and Lorenz Larkin, but once he settled in and got acclimated to life in the big leagues, his talent began to show. Three wins over Keith Berry, Trevor Smith, and Derrick Mehmen followed, and in his May 2012 victory over Mehmen, Villante – who also wrestled at Hofstra – looked like he had turned a corner.

“I thought my last fight was my best fight of my career,” he said. “Even though it was a three round decision, it was a fight where I completely dominated. I’m starting to feel better sticking to game plans and using all my skills and not just trying to overpower guys and use my speed. I’d rather use all the tools I have: wrestling, the speed, the strength, the boxing, and everything else. I’m starting to use all that a little bit more, I’m sticking to the game plan, and fighting a little smarter. In those other fights, I really wasn’t fighting smarter, I was fighting more on emotion. Now I’ve got to realize I’m fighting the best guys and you can’t just fight on emotion; you’ve got to fight with some sort of technique and game plan.”

The win earned him a co-main event spot against Brazil’s Guto Inocente last September, but when the card was canceled, Villante was out of a fight. He was going to be out of a job soon too when Strikeforce closed up shop, but he was one of the group expected to be immediately transitioned over to the UFC. That’s not to say there weren’t some tense moments as he waited for everything to become official.

“I thought I was safe but then I saw that not too many guys were coming over, so it did get me a little nervous, but I had confidence in my skills that some day I’d be in the UFC,” said Villante, who now joins his good buddy Weidman in the Octagon.

“It was definitely cool,” he said of the moment he got the call that he was a UFC fighter. “I got a lot of congratulations, but I don’t think congratulations are really in order until I go out there and win. I’d rather get the congrats after I win my first fight there.”

If he can get by the always tough St. Preux (a fellow college gridiron star), the 27-year-old Villante will have earned those congratulations. And he knows he’s in for a fight this weekend.

“He’s a very athletic, explosive, strong guy, and he throws hard,” said Villante of OSP. “If he hits you, you’re gonna feel it, so I have to keep the pressure on, stay in his face, fight hard, and look to push the pace. And I know you have to be in shape to fight him because he’s coming for three rounds, and even if he looks tired, he still throws hard.”

But if things get rough, Villante will have plenty of support in New Jersey cheering him on. He expects at least 100 people to show up to the Prudential Center, and those are just the folks he knows personally. As for the first time UFC jitters, he doesn’t expect them to be an issue.

“I’ve been there, I’ve fought on TV, I fought in front of big crowds, so I’ve just got to treat it as nothing too different,” he said. “I’m not really thinking about what organization it’s for. Yeah, it’s the best organization in the world, but I’d rather just think of it as another fight that I’ve got to go out there and win. And instead of being nervous, I should be calm and cool and feel fine in there.”

 
 

It doesn’t seem like it’s over two years since Jon Jones last walked into the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It almost feels like yesterday that the upstate New York native foiled a mugging in the afternoon of March 19, 2011, then finished off his day with a TKO of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua that crowned him the UFC light heavyweight champion.

Then again, almost nothing is conventional in a traditional sense when it comes to Jones. He came into the UFC with just six fights in 2008, having learned striking moves off youtube. Six fights later he was the star of the future in the sport, but that future turned into the present when he took the Rua fight on six weeks’ notice and became the youngest champion in UFC history.

Four successful title defenses have followed, with each name – Jackson, Machida, Evans, Belfort – representing a former world champion and a legit star in the sport. That’s a two year span that ranks among the best ever, but when you hear Jones describing the whirlwind, you get quite a different take on it.

“Over the two years I think I’ve gotten more comfortable,” he said. “I don’t find myself being as nervous as I used to be. I’ve learned to focus on just the training and trusting myself. I’m starting to not really doubt myself anymore. I’m realizing that I’m pretty good at fighting, and that’s the result of the hard work and the time spent studying and training. I don’t spend as much time being a mental wreck leading up to the fight as I used to.”

Pretty good at fighting?

A mental wreck leading up to fights?

Those are two seemingly bizarre comments from the 25-year-old champion. Those who are pretty good at fighting don’t have wins over five world champions and several legit contenders on their resume. And as far as being a mental wreck leading up to fights, that’s not just an honest and revealing comment, but probably an accurate one if you look at where he’s been since turning pro in 2008. How does someone walk into the sport, have so much success, and then face off against the best the game has to offer without feeling a little intimidated at times? Jones has pulled it off though, and after two years on top, he’s starting to find his groove, not just physically, but mentally.
 
“I’m always in my head,” he said. “It’s a mental sport and I’m just starting to believe more and trust that I can win.”

On Saturday, he has every intention of doing it again when he faces Chael Sonnen in the main event of UFC 159 at the Prudential Center. For many, the result is a foregone conclusion, with detractors saying Sonnen, a two-time middleweight title challenger, doesn’t even deserve a title shot, let alone having the ability to beat the seemingly unbeatable Jones. The champion isn’t approaching the bout as an easy payday though. In fact, his motivation is similar to one he has had throughout his pro career. To prove to world-class wrestlers that he had the stuff to not only compete with them, but to dominate them.

“Yeah, definitely,” said Jones, a former junior college national champion who abandoned the possibility of a Division I wrestling career to enter MMA and support his family. “A big part of my motivation in this fight is to prove to myself that Chael can’t outwrestle me. Chael’s a guy who has great confidence in his wrestling, he banks on his wrestling, and I want to take that from him. I want to take everything from him and leave him nothing. A lot of people go out there and feel inferior to him and they start the fight backing off right away. I’m gonna go out there and I want to try and meet Chael right in the middle of the Octagon, not back up at all, and meet him with some punishment.”

Just getting Jones on this topic opens up the floodgates of analysis from someone who isn’t just a competitor in the sport, but a fan and a student of it. And he’s done his homework on Sonnen.

“I looked at Chael’s record, and the only two wrestlers that he’s really beaten were Bryan Baker and Trevor Prangley,” said Jones. “I don’t think people even know that. I think Michael Bisping did a great job against Chael in the wrestling category in their fight, and he’s not a wrestler. I’ve also seen Chael get thrown by Demian Maia, and something that give me great confidence is watching him get taken down by guys that never wrestled. That is something that hasn’t happened to me in my UFC career, and then also knowing that he has the most takedowns in history, but he hasn’t been taking down legit wrestlers. If I focused on taking down all my opponents, then I would have a lot more takedowns. But I look at it differently – it’s not as important in my game as it is in Chael’s game.  So I give him credit for his takedown ability, but at the same time, who has he taken down? I fought a lot of elite wrestlers; he hasn’t fought any.”

It’s clear that if Jones was lacking motivation for this fight, he’s not showing it, and truth be told, there is plenty on the line for him. First, with a win, he will tie Tito Ortiz' record for most UFC light heavyweight title defenses. But more notably, given Sonnen’s pre-fight trash talk and goading, “Bones” has plenty of incentive to produce an emphatic victory on Saturday night. He looks at it in a slightly different way though.

“I treat Chael Sonnen and all my opponents like a final exam,” he said. “You know you have this test coming up, and you have to do everything in your power to prepare for this test. So I study, study, study, and I’m literally on the internet as much as I’m in the gym because I like to know everything about my opponents.”

This weekend, Jones’ third year as champion begins in the place where the journey started. And the way he sees it, the finish line isn’t even close yet.

“It (being champion for two years) was just sheer excitement until I realized that (UFC middleweight champion) Anderson (Silva) has been doing it for six years,” he said. “So I’m proud of myself, but at the same time I’m not satisfied. For Anderson to have been doing it for so long is so extraordinary and so amazing, and it gives me strength to know that I can keep going and keep doing this for many more years.”


 

If the enormity of the task ahead of him is starting to sink in to Chael Sonnen, the self-proclaimed “Gangster from West Linn” isn’t revealing anything. Before his third UFC title opportunity, this one against Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 159 this Saturday, Sonnen is as brash and loquacious as usual, neither showing cracks in his armor or revealing anything regarding what he really thinks about facing one of the most dynamic forces ever to put on a pair of four ounce gloves.

In fact, Sonnen would agree with that assessment of Mr. Jones.

“I’ve never seen a fighter with the skills he’s got,” said the 36-year-old challenger. “He’s a talented guy, he’s got a lot of crazy moves, I don’t even know what they’re called, I can’t do them, and I’ve never even seen them before. He’s young and I think he’s having a lot of fun.”

The compliments are almost shocking considering that Sonnen went on an all out offensive against Jones from late last year in a campaign to get this 205-pound title shot. It all began with the cancellation of September’s UFC 151 event after Jones passed on facing Sonnen on short notice after Dan Henderson was injured.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Sonnen the day the event was scrapped. “I’ve never seen a champion turn down a fight. I’ve never seen a main event turn down a fight, and I’ve never seen a guy that’s healthy and went through a training camp turn down a fight. All three happened today with the same person. And it was so surprising. We’re under attack as a business from all sorts of competitors, and that’s fine, that’s what America’s about. With capitalism, anybody can go down and get a promoter’s license and come in, but we’re still under attack from those guys. We’re under attack every day from states and politicians and different political action committees that are trying to keep our sport out. And even though they’re failing and those guys are becoming few and far between, they still exist. If we’re to liken this to war, this was treason. We were attacked from one of our own, we were attacked from within. Jon Jones delivered a blow from within the organization that attacked and hurt the organization. It’s an unbelievable scenario, and I just don’t understand it.”

Sonnen wasn’t done yet though, concluding with a salvo that only he could deliver.

“A champion will find a way,” he said. “And the other guys will find an excuse. And the real champion isn’t always the one that holds the belt. There’s a lot more that goes to it. I always knew I’d win the UFC light heavyweight championship; I just didn’t know it would be by forfeit.”

With that, Sonnen had started his grass roots campaign to get a light heavyweight title shot. And it worked. The two were pitted against each other as coaches on the recently completed 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter, and on Saturday, they’ll meet in the Octagon for Jones’ belt. If it sounds like a master plan coming to fruition, it is, even if many felt that Sonnen talked his way into the title shot. That’s not a concern to Chael P.

“Look, 205 sucks and it’s always sucked,” he said. “They had a karate guy that drinks his own piss as their champion. You think I care about these guys? They got a B-level star that calls himself Rampage and wears a chain to the ring. These guys are a freaking joke to me. So yeah, Jon’s the best of the bunch, but I’m the best of all of them. They want to say I don’t deserve title shots; title shots don’t deserve me. I don’t earn my way into main events; main events earn me. I’m the reason Waldo’s hiding.”

He’s also a big reason why fans will be tuning in this weekend. It’s either to watch him win and continue this remarkable run he’s been on since 2010, or to watch Jones give him his comeuppance in front of the world and send him back to either middleweight or the broadcast booth. Either way, people will be buying tickets and Pay-Per-Views to see what Sonnen will do next.

But beyond the talk, can he win? That answer may come down to one thing: whether the former Olympic alternate can use his wrestling to put Jones on his back like he did to pound for pound king Anderson Silva in their two bouts. Not surprisingly, Sonnen still has plenty to say about “The Spider,” even when talking about the Jones fight.

“Jon is an excellent fighter, but I’m the best,” he said. “They try to tell me Anderson Silva’s the pound for pound champion? That guy’s not the round for round champion. I have three 10-8 rounds in my life. A 10-8 round is the equivalent to gymnastics’ perfect 10. It doesn’t happen. I have three in my life and they’re all against Anderson Silva. You can pick Anderson’s scrawny little arm up ten times if he and I fight ten times, but at the end of the day the facts are the facts. I whipped his ass for 30 minutes and he got the jump on me for 30 seconds. You want to act like Jon Jones is somehow gonna win because I fell down and Anderson threw an illegal knee? That’s the dumbest thing I ever heard.”

Outside of Sonnen’s revisionist history, there does lie a simple fact though. If Jones uses his reach and unorthodox striking to keep Sonnen at bay, it will be a long night for the Oregonian. But if Jones wants to get into a wrestling match with the challenger, Sonnen’s deceptive speed and rock solid takedowns may turn this into a possible upset. When presented with these scenarios, the more reflective Sonnen turns into the “Gangster from West Linn.”

“I haven’t given it very much thought,” he bristles. “Jon will bring his skills and I’ll bring mine. I know whenever people try to break down fights, they have no idea what they’re talking about. I hear guys talking about footwork, I hear reach, and this is beyond stupid. One guy’s gonna have a longer arm than the other guy, so if you’re able to hit him, ‘aw, he was able to get inside.’ There is no inside and there is no outside. I have a range that I must be in to get my fist to the target. I need to stand there. And whether he’s inside that or outside that, it’s a bunch of crap. This is a fistfight on Saturday night and one thing’s got nothing to do with the other.”

Mr. Sonnen has spoken.

That’s right boys and girls, it’s time for another New Jersey-based edition of the Downes Side! If you thought the last one was great, this one promises to be more fun than the Garden State's upcoming Earth, Wind & Fire concert.

Even though it’s not September, the Shining Stars of the UFC roll into the Boogie Wonderland of Newark, New Jersey for UFC 159. Live from Prudential Center, Jon Jones will defend his light heavyweight belt against Chael Sonnen. With hostilities beginning in September, the conflict will finally end with some intellectual discussion held in the form of fisticuffs. The co-main event of the evening features two other men who probably won’t exchange Christmas cards, as Michael Bisping and Alan Belcher look to climb up that middleweight ladder.

Jim Miller (22-4) vs Pat Healy (29-16)
The main card kicks off with a lightweight contest between Jim Miller and Pat Healy. At UFC 155 in December, Miller earned his 11th UFC victory (most in lightweight history) by beating Joe Lauzon in an event that was about as bloody as the last Rambo movie. When he’s not busy busting up on opponents with elbows, Miller has used his wrestling and ground game to score 12 career submission victories. Making his UFC return after a one-and-done stint in 2006, “Bam Bam” Healy holds a six-fight win streak and the most takedowns in Strikeforce history.

Relatively unknown, Healy has more than enough skills to compete in the UFC lightweight division. Much like the Soviets in Rambo III, though, he’s simply outgunned by one man. Miller’s superior hands will control the standup exchanges. Healy will move in to initiate the clinch, but Miller will defend. As the fight goes on, Miller will bring the fight to the ground himself and start working submissions. Healy will be able to hold on, but only long enough to see himself lose the unanimous decision.

Phil Davis (10-1 1 NC) vs Vinny Magalhaes (10-5 1 NC)
We bump up to light heavyweight for another grudge match, this one between Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis and Vinny Magalhaes. After his first fight with Wagner Prado ended in a no contest (due to an eye poke), Davis secured an anaconda choke victory in the rematch. A four time All-American wrestler at Penn State, he’s taken down every opponent he’s ever fought. An Abu Dhabi gold medalist, Malgalhaes could arguably be the best pure submission grappler in the division.

Magalhaes finally got this fight after calling out Davis on Twitter. Just like I did with all those POGs I have laying around my parents' basement, Vinny will learn that sometimes you regret getting what you want. This fight will be another textbook victory for Mr. Wonderful. He’ll use his reach advantage to keep the distance, use that to transition to a takedown and control from top position. Magalhaes’ grappling ability will save him from submissions, but not from the ground and pound. Davis by 3rd-round TKO.

Roy Nelson (18-7) vs Cheick Kongo (18-7-2)
We move on to the heavyweight division for Roy Nelson and Cheick Kongo in a playful showcase of the body type spectrum of the heavyweight division. In a performance much more impressive than his 40-yard-dash performance against Shane Carwin in the TUF 16 coaches' challenge, Big Country delivered a first-round KO against Matt Mitrione at the Finale. After suffering a first-round knockout at the hands of Mark Hunt, Kongo bounced back with a win over Shawn Jordan last July. With the second-most wins in UFC heavyweight history, Kongo actually has an underrated takedown game with a 63% success rate.

We all know that Roy Nelson has a great chin and hits hard. If that right hand strikes flush, it’ll be all over for Kongo. That’s not going to be how it plays out, though. Kongo will get the clinch and bring this fight to the ground. Despite his grappling accolades, we haven’t seen Nelson threaten with his ground game. Look for Kongo to smother Nelson from top position and pick up the unanimous decision win.  

Michael Bisping (23-5) vs Alan Belcher (18-7)
We roll onto the co-main event of the evening between Johnny Cash’s #1 fan and the guy that fans would most like to Hurt.  Things certainly aren’t cordial between Michael Bisping and Alan “The Talent” Belcher. Looking to rebound from his recent loss to Yushin Okami, Belcher prepares for another push into the elite level of 185-pounders. Bisping also looks to bounce back from a loss after Vitor Belfort’s brutal head kick in January. Never one to mince words, Bisping has called Belcher’s career “pathetic" said that “No one gives a [expletive] about Alan Blecher.” Certainly not gentlemanly, that type of language will never get him invited to Buckingham Palace for Queen Victoria’s 194th birthday next month.

This fight is going to be a kickboxing fight. The Count’s grappling has steadily improved, but he doesn’t have the same ability as Okami to smother Belcher. The Talent’s superior footwork will allow him to mix his punches with knees and elbows. By the third round, this will frustrate Bisping enough that he will try to rush in for a takedown. This will give Belcher the opening he needs as he locks up the third round guillotine victory. Afterward, I’m sure Bisping will do the proper thing and apologize. Then, and only then, will he be welcome at the Derbyshire Well Dressings.  

Jon Jones (17-1) vs Chael Sonnen (27-12-1)
Time for the main event of the evening! After competing as coaches for our amusement during season 17 of The Ultimate Fighter, Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen will finally fight each other...for our amusement. At the age of 25, Jon Jones is already on the cusp of becoming the most decorated light heavyweight in UFC history. This time around he’ll be making his fifth title defense and seeks to take Tito Ortiz’s record before setting his sights on bigger prizes.  At 36 years old, Chael Sonnen may go down in history as the most decorated talker in UFC history. He steps inside the Octagon for the first time since losing to Anderson Silva at UFC 148 in July.

We all know that Sonnen can’t stand with Jon Jones. That only leaves one other option. While he did have success taking down Anderson Silva, Bones is much larger and holds a takedown defense rating of 100% (that means he’s never been taken down). In recent media events, Sonnen has stated that Jon Jones could beat Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali in the same day. I know Chael is not stranger to hyperbole, but I think this change in tone is significant. Accuse him of being rude and  disingenuous all you want, but the man is cunning. He’s smart enough to know that he’s written a check that he sure as hell can’t cash. Jones via first-round TKO.

Well everyone, That’s the Way of the World. Be sure to follow me on Twitter @dannyboydownes and make your UFC 159 predictions here. Also, don’t forget to leave your own thoughts, comments and favorite 70s funk bands on the page here.