UFC on FX 8 is in the history books and last night’s event provided some very entertaining scraps, some controversial decisions and some excellent finishes in the final fights. Before getting into my post-fight analysis of this card, including what’s next for the winners of each bout, I’m going to make a slight complaint to the UFC.

I rarely complain about matchmaking or what fights make the televised portion of cards, especially cards that are on free television, but what the hell was the opening bout between Rafael Natal and late-replacement Joao Zeferino doing on the main card? In Natal you have a grinding, plodding fighter who isn’t really known for doing much of anything exciting, unless he’s on the receiving end of a knockout, versus a late-replacement fighter who is making his UFC debut and is likely to gas horribly after taking the bout on only a week’s no tice. The end result was a slow, plodding affair and the UFC missed the chance to show off a couple of exciting Flyweight fights, both of which were buried on the Facebook portion of the prelims. Or even the Featherweight bout between Nik Lentz and Hacran Dias, which had some importance to the divisional rankings in that division.

With that gripe out of the way, let’s go ahead and dive right into the night’s fights and take a look at what happened and what’s next.

Middleweight Bout: Rafael Natal defeated Joao Zeferino via Unanimous Decision after Three Rounds

I’ve already made my complaints about this fight being on the main card known, and it was for good reason. The opening round of the contest was exciting as the two men engaged in mostly a stand up battle over the course of the first, before exchanging knee bar and heel hook attempts. After that, Zeferino was exhausted and his pace slowed noticeably. Natal took control in the final two rounds and used a dominant wrestling and top control game to dominate the action on the mat and pound away at an extremely exhausted Joao Zeferino. In the end he took home the Unanimous Decision nod.

What’s next for Natal? He’s winning fights, but he doesn’t have a whole lot of big name victories on his resume. He probably deserves a step up in competition but if he takes too big a step, he could be in trouble. The winner of an upcoming bout between Tim Boetsch and Mark Munoz could be a decent candidate. As could a bout against CB Dollaway.

What’s next for Zeferino? He was a late replacement and stepped up on short notice when the UFC needed him, he’s more than likely going to get another shot in the UFC. They’ll probably bring him back for another fight in his home country of Brazil. I suspect he could also be cannon fodder for someone like Uriah Hall who will be looking for a bounce back opponent after his disappointing loss at the TUF finale.

Lightweight Bout: Rafael dos Anjos defeated Evan Dunham via Unanimous Decision after Three Rounds

As expected these two Lightweights engaged in an exciting back and forth brawl that was pretty close. Close inspection of the Fight Metrics statistics for this fight showed an extremely close bout. Myself, I scored all three rounds for Evan Dunham, as I thought he was the fighter often landing the bigger punches and who earned more takedowns and had better takedown defense throughout the entire three rounds of the fight. This fight again shows us though how dangerous it can be to leave a fight in the hands of the judges. Despite most fans and observers believing Evan Dunham had won the fight, all three judges disagreed and handed dos Anjos the hometown decision.

What’s next for dos Anjos? He got the victory and although it’s a bit controversial, it was still a very close fight. Still dos Anjos looked entirely too hittable throughout the fight and struggled to keep Dunham under control any time they scrambled on the mat. He’s cracked the top 10 of the Lightweight rankings and will get a suitable opponent, but it might be a dangerous match up. Donald Cerrone and KJ Noons have an upcoming bout at UFC 160, the winner of that fight would be a good match for dos Anjos to test his striking skills.

What’s next for Dunham? Despite taking a loss here, it’s not likely that the UFC will punish him too much for it. Afterwards on Twitter Dana White claimed that ‘Evan Dunham was ROBBED!’ so the boss at least thought he won. I doubt he takes a big step back at all, and may even take a step forward. I expect he gets a top fifteen fighter coming off of a loss. Mark Bocek was the last man to lose to dos Anjos, that fight would make sense. It might also make sense for him to take on Thiago Tavares when he returns from suspension.

Middleweight Bout: Ronaldo Souza defeated Chris Camozzi via Technical Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) at 3:37 of Round One

Domination. Many people figured that despite his impressive winning streak heading into this fight, Camozzi was simply overmatched and was going to get wrecked. They were right. Souza showed off his continually improving Muay Thai skills, pressuring Camozzi on the feet before landing a trip takedown and absolutely schooling Camozzi on the mat. He switched beautifully from an Omoplata to an Arm Triangle Choke and coaxed Camozzi to sleep quickly.

What’s next for Souza? This bout was originally scheduled to be against Costa Philippou. After the bout many people said Jacare should face Belfort in a number one contenders match, but that’s a bit soon and even Souza admitted that himself at the press conference. Top contender Yushin Okami makes some sense, but I think the best bet is to go back to the original match up against Philippou.

What’s next for Camozzi? He stepped up with very short notice to take on a tough opponent. The UFC isn’t going to punish him too much for putting a solid winning streak on the line against Souza in Brazil. Despite the UFC’s preference to face fighters coming off wins against each other, I think Camozzi deserves a chance to face his original opponent for this card Rafael Natal.

Middleweight Bout: Vitor Belfort defeated Luke Rockhold via KO (Spinning Heel Kick) at 2:32 of Round One

Go on YouTube and find this knockout. I’m not even going to talk about it, it’s just a thing of beauty. What I will talk about, is that this win possibly is still clouded by all of the TRT questions about Vitor, but he remains a dangerous fighter and is proving that he’s only getting better with age. In his last 11 fights, he’s lost only 2, to the UFC’s Light Heavyweight Champion and Middleweight Champion. Impressive stuff.

What’s next for Belfort? Despite doubting Belfort before the fight, I was proven thoroughly wrong. He was defeated soundly by Anderson Silva in his last Middleweight title shot, but he continues to creep closer and closer to a potential rematch. Unless Chris Weidman upsets Anderson during their Middleweight title fight this summer, Belfort will likely need one or two more wins. Yushin Okami is probably the best available match up for Belfort rankings wise and stylistically. Okami is the kind of fighter who will test Belfort’s ability to keep himself upright against a smothering wrestler.

What’s next for Rockhold? There are a number of decent Middleweights who are coming off of losses to match up with Rockhold here. Alan Belcher is primarily a striker and recently lost to Michael Bisping, matching those two up would make sense. A match up against former Bellator Middleweight Champion Hector Lombard could also make sense, as both are champions from other organizations trying to get on track in the UFC.

GSP – The Way of the Fight Book

Anderson Silva – MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting

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Vitor Belfort is without a doubt a multi-dimensional UFC personality. Only Vitor can thank God for his strength and ask a rabid Brazilian fan base to beat up a reporter that dares ask him about TRT in one press conference.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort may be in the middle of one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history but we all know about the pink elephant in the room, TRT. Belfort is not only blind to the elephant but is willing to assault anyone that has the gall to ask him about it. Threatening physical harm on a reporter for asking the question probably isn’t the smartest way to quell criticism over his TRT exemption.

I have to admit that I have mixed feelings when it comes to Belfort’s TRT. I agree with many that the whole thing just seems kind of dirty. A guy who has a better physique and appears to be in the prime of his fighter career at 36 on TRT seems oh I don’t know…kind of odd to me. On the other hand I want to give the guy credit for putting together one of the most impressive win streaks in recent years inside of the UFC.

I also do find the scrutiny here a bit interesting. A week after a report comes out exposing UFC contracts you have all of these media members with a TRT agenda, yet I don’t recall any of these people pressing the UFC this hard on contracts. I also don’t recall these same media members pressing Chael Sonnen or Dan Henderson this hard on TRT in recent fights.

Reacting to questions about your TRT exemption with threats and blowing off questions makes me wonder even more why Vitor is so scared to talk about it. What’s he hiding? Is he afraid of not answering a question properly? I don’t get it.

Beyond all of that the height of arrogance of any UFC fighter came at the UFC on FX8 presser when Vitor asked to have a reporter beaten up for asking the question. Whether he was joking or not (and watching the presser, he doesn’t appear to be smiling), it is an incredibly irresponsible thing to do, especially in a country with such a fanatical fan following. The UFC needs to act immediately and take action.

Quite frankly if I were the UFC I’d be embarrassed today. Belfort’s high profile win has brought the TRT debate to a level I haven’t seen in awhile. Fans and media in other sports are laughing at the UFC today coming out of this controversy. To cap it all off with their star fighter threatening a reporter for asking is something that makes the UFC look every bit as amateur and barbaric as their critics think they are.

I haven’t seen any kind of response yet from the UFC. If I were them I would have immediately gotten in front of this and not only forced Vitor to apologize, but force Vitor to sit with that reporter and answer any questions asked about TRT. That hasn’t happened as of yet and until it does, this whole thing becomes a bigger circus by the day.

Check it out for yourself at the 18:30 mark of the presser. Am I overreacting? Maybe, but Dana White loves to compare his sport to the four majors. I couldn’t imagine anything remotely close to this happening in the NFL, MLB, NBA, or NHL.

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The UFC has taken a few weeks off to catch our breath after UFC 159. That all ends this weekend as the UFC returns to the land of free television airwaves and to the land of Brazil for UFC on FX 8. In the main event of the evening the final Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold looks to move immediately into contention for the UFC Middleweight title as he battles Vitor Belfort in a Middleweight bout. The co-main event features former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza making his UFC debut against Chris Camozzi; himself a late replacement for injured Costa Philippou. Other main card action features a potential Fight of the Year candidate between always exciting Lightweight bangers Evan Dunham and Rafael dos Anjos.

Preliminary Card (Facebook): Lightweight Bout: Lucas Martins vs. Jeremy Larsen

Lucas “Mineiro” Martins is a 24-year-old fighter from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Martins is getting a second chance in the UFC after an unsuccessful UFC debut as a late replacement against Edson Barboza. Martins is a member of the Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil. He holds a career record of 12-1, with the lone loss coming in his UFC debut. Jeremy Larsen is a 27-year-old fighter from Phoenix, Arizona. He was a cast member on the fifteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter and lost at the live finale to Joe Proctor. Larsen is a member of the Arizona Combat Sports Gym in Phoenix. He holds a career record of 8-3.

Quick Pick: Lucas Martins via Submission in Round Two

Preliminary Card (Facebook): Flyweight Bout: Jussier Formiga vs. Chris Cariaso

Jussier Formiga is a 28-year-old fighter from Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. He is a member of the famed Nova Uniao Gym in Brazil and is a former Shooto South American 123-pound champion. Formiga is one of the top Flyweight grapplers and holds a career record of 14-2. Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso is a 31-year-old fighter from San Jose, California. Cariaso trains at the Fight and Fitness Gym in northern California. Cariaso is a talented striker who holds a professional record of 14-4.

Quick Pick: Chris Cariaso via Unanimous Decision

Preliminary Card (Facebook): Flyweight Bout: John Lineker vs. Azamat Gashimov

John “Mao-de-Pedra” Lineker is a 23-year-old fighter from Parana, Brazil. A fairly large Flyweight, Lineker is a former Jungle Fight Bantamweight Champion, winning that title in 2011. Lineker is a tough and well-rounded scrapper who is dangerous anywhere the fight takes place. He is a member of The Emporium Gym in Brazil and he holds a professional record of 20-6. Azamat “Tough Guy” Gashimov is a 23-year-old fighter from Dagestan, Russia. He trains with Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico, one of many Russian fighters to recently flock there. He holds a professional record of 7-2, but will be making his Flyweight debut in this contest.

Quick Pick: John Lineker via TKO in Round Two

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV): Light Heavyweight Bout: Fabio Maldonado vs. Roger Hollett

Fabio Maldonado is a 33-year-old fighter from Sao Paulo, Brazil. A former professional boxer with a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, he is a tough match up for almost anyone. He trains with Team Nogueira in Florianapolis, Brazil. He holds a professional MMA record of 18-6. Roger “The Hulk” Hollett is a 34-year-old fighter from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Hollett is a former MFC Light Heavyweight Champion and spends most of his training camp at Titans Gym in Nova Scotia. He holds a professional MMA record of 13-4.

Quick Pick: Fabio Maldonado via TKO in Round Two

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV): Bantamweight Bout: Yuri Alcantara vs. Iliarde Santos

Yuri “Marajo” Alcantara is a 32-year-old fighter from Marajo, Brazil. After coming to the UFC from the WEC as a Featherweight, he has since dropped to Bantamweight, but his lone bout at 135-pounds is a No Contest. Alcantara is a talented grappler with a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He is a member of the Marajo Brothers Fight Team, holding a record of 27-4 with 1 No Contest. Iliarde Santos is a 32-year-old fighter from Belem, Para, Brazil. He is a member of the Ulisses Pereira Team in Brazil. He is a late replacement for Marcos Vinicius who was forced to pull out of this bout due to injury. He holds a professional record of 27-6-1 with 1 No Contest.

Quick Pick: Yuri Alcantara via Submission in Round Two

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV): Welterweight Bout: Paulo Thiago vs. Michel Prazeres

Paulo Thiago is a 32-year-old fighter from Brasilia, Brazil. He is a member of the Constrictor Fight Team and is notable as one of the UFC’s most dangerous and successful part time fighters. He is a member of the BOPE (Brazil’s Special Forces Unit.) He holds black belts in BJJ and Judo and holds a career record of 14-5. Michel “Trator” Prazeres is a 31-year-old fighter from Belem Para, Brazil. Prazeres is a teammate of Yuri Alcantara who is taking this bout as a late replacement for Lance Benoist. He holds a perfect professional record of 16-0.

Quick Pick: Paulo Thiago via TKO in Round One

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV): Lightweight Bout: Gleison Tibau vs. John Cholish

Gleison Tibau is a 29-year-old fighter from Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Tibau is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who currently trains in the United States with the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. Tibau has been fighting in the UFC since 2006 and this will be his 19^th time fighting in the Octagon. He holds a career record of 26-9. John Cholish is a 29-year-old fighter from Hackettstown, New York. Cholish is notable as a part time fighter, holding down a full time job on Wall Street as a broker and being a Cornell University grad. Cholish trains with the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York, New York. He holds a professional record of 8-2.

Quick Pick: Gleison Tibau via Unanimous Decision

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV): Lightweight Bout: Francisco Trinaldo vs. Mike Rio

Francisco “Massaranduba” Trinaldo is a 34-year-old fighter from Amarante, Brazil. He was a competitor on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil, where he competed as a Middleweight. He is a member of the Brazilian Top Team and the Constrictor Team in Brazil. He holds a professional MMA record of 12-2. Mike “The Wolverine” Rio is a 31-year-old fighter from Miami, Florida. Rio is also a TUF-alum, competing on the fifteenth season of the American version of the show. Rio trains with the Young Tigers Gym in Miami, Florida. He holds a professional record of 9-1.

Quick Pick: Francisco Trinaldo via Unanimous Decision

Preliminary Card (Fuel TV): Featherweight Bout: Hacran Dias vs. Nik Lentz

Hacran “Barnabe” Dias is a 28-year-old fighter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Dias is a member of the Nova Uniao camp in Rio de Janeiro. Dias is a talented wrestler who is absolutely smothering from top position. This will be Dias’ first fight since June 2012, almost a year ago due to injuries. He holds a professional record of 21-1-1. Nik “The Carny” Lentz is a 28-year-old fighter from El Paso, Texas. Lentz is a former NCAA Division 1 Wrestler from the University of Minnesota. Lentz trains with the American Top Team as well as the Minnesota Martial Arts Gym in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Lentz holds a professional MMA record of 23-5-2-1, but is 2-0 in the UFC since dropping to Featherweight.

Quick Pick: Nik Lentz via Unanimous Decision

Main Card (FX): Middleweight Bout: Rafael Natal vs. Joao Zeferino

Rafael “Sapo” Natal is a 30-year-old fighter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Natal now trains stateside in the New York City, New York at the Gracie Fusion Gym. He is a talented grappler who holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Natal was originally scheduled to face Chris Camozzi at this event, but an injury to co-main event fighter Costa Philippou caused the card to be shuffled. Natal is a fairly one-dimensional fighter whose stand up is somewhat lacking, but his ground control is top-notch. Natal holds a career record of 15-4-1.

Joao “The Brazilian Samurai” Zeferino is a 27-year-old fighter from Santa Catarina, Brazil. Zeferino is a member of the Nitrix Fight Team in his hometown of Florianopolis, Brazil. Zeferino will be making his UFC debut in this bout and is entering the UFC on a seven-fight winning streak. Zeferino is tough and well rounded and has a number of victories via Submission. Despite a strong 13-4 record, he lacks a signature win on his resume and the most notable fighter on his docket is probably Sean Salmon.

Analysis and Prediction: Natal has many faults, he’s overly cocky and thinks very highly of himself, which often leads to blunders inside the cage. That same arrogance cost him in his bout against Andrew Craig. Still he should have the skills necessary to dispatch of Zeferino. Natal controls the action on the mat throughout all three rounds as he takes Zeferino down in all three rounds. Rafael Natal via Unanimous Decision

Main Card (FX): Lightweight Bout: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham

Rafael dos Anjos is a 28-year-old fighter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a member of the Evolve MMA Gym, training in his hometown. Dos Anjos is a talented grappler who holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Despite his grappling prowess, in his most recent fights he has been having a great deal of success using his rapidly developing Muay Thai skills. Dos Anjos is currently riding a three fight-winning streak and it includes two dominant decision victories over Anthony Njokuani and Mark Bocek. Dos Anjos holds a career record of 18-6.

Evan Dunham is a 31-year-old fighter from Eugene, Oregon. Dunham trains at the Throwdown Training Center in Las Vegas, Nevada and he occasionally spends time at his former gym Xtreme Couture. Dunham is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who is prone to getting into brawls at times. Dunham is known as a somewhat slow starter, who takes a while to get going in some of his fights, but once he does, he is one of the most exciting fighters in the Lightweight division to watch, holding three Fight of the Night Bonuses. He holds a career record of 14-3.

Analysis and Prediction: This has to be considered a front-runner for the Fight of the Night bonus. Dos Anjos is coming along nicely with his skill development and seems happy to brawl it out on the feet recently. Dunham is a notoriously slow starter, which means he often has to fight from behind on the scorecards. That could be a problem, because dos Anjos doesn’t give up rounds easily. Dunham is a talented wrestler, but dos Anjos’ grappling is top-notch which means he could be tough to corral on the ground. In the end I think Dunham’s slow start will be his downfall. Rafael dos Anjos via Unanimous Decision

Main Card (FX): Middleweight Bout: Ronaldo Souza vs. Chris Camozzi

Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza is a 33-year-old fighter from Vila Velha, Brazil. Souza is a member of the Black House Training Center in Manaus, Brazil. He is one of the most talented grapplers in the world, holding black belts in both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Judo. Souza is a 5-time World Jiu Jitsu Champion, including a number of open weight titles in submission grappling tournaments. Despite Souza’s excellent grappling credentials, his overall MMA game has come a long way as his striking has improved by leaps and bounds since his initial entry into MMA in 2003. Souza is a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion who holds an MMA record of 17-3 with 1 No Contest.

Chris Camozzi is a 26-year-old fighter from Alameda, California. Camozzi was a cast member on the eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter but was ultimately removed from the competition due to injury. Camozzi is a member of the Factory X Muay Thai Gym in Lakewood, Colorado. He is currently riding a four-fight winning streak and is getting a shot in the co-main event after some card shuffling resulting from an injury to Costa Philippou. Camozzi is a grinder who doesn’t really excel at any one thing, but is capable of fighting anywhere the fight goes. He holds a career record of 19-5.

Analysis and Prediction: Camozzi is currently riding an impressive winning streak, but it’s hardly been against top-notch talent. Jacare on the other hand is going to be a whole different animal to deal with. Camozzi is a grinder, but Souza is going to put him through a meat grinder. Souza’s Muay Thai has improved to the space where he can hang with Camozzi on the feet and if he gets Camozzi on the ground, he’s submitting him. By the end of round two, I think he does just that. Ronaldo Souza via Submission in Round Two

Main Card (FX): Middleweight Bout: Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold

Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort is a 35-year-old fighter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Belfort is a veteran of the sport, who has been competing professionally since 1996. Belfort is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and also won a UFC Heavyweight Tournament at UFC 12. Belfort has fought for a number of major MMA promotions, including Cage Rage, Affliction, Strikeforce and PRIDE. He holds black belts in both Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, although he is most well known for his striking skills. Brazil lives and resides in the United States. Belfort is a member of the Blackzillians, training in Boca Raton, Florida at the Jaco Hybrid Training Center. He holds a professional MMA record of 22-10.

Luke Rockhold is a 28-year-old fighter from Santa Cruz, California. Rockhold is a talented kick boxer but is well rounded and can fight effectively both on the mat and at range on the feet. Rockhold is a former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion and was the final man to hold the title when the promotion folded. This fight will mark Rockhold’s UFC debut and will be his first fight since July 2012 after nagging injuries have kept him out of action for 10 months. Rockhold holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has won a number of Gold medals in the IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships. Rockhold is a member of the American Kickboxing Academy training in San Jose, California. He holds a professional record of 10-1.

Analysis and Prediction: Many fans and media pundits have questioned the UFC continually putting Belfort on Brazilian cards, where there is no athletic commission and it’s widely believed that he’s using TRT constantly. I have to agree with them, but like Kenny Florian recently stated on UFC Tonight, this fight isn’t going to be about Testosterone, it’s going to come down to skill.

Belfort is an absolute demon in the first round, but as we’ve seen throughout his career he has struggled in fights where he gets dragged into deeper waters. Rockhold on the other hand is a top-notch competitor with excellent cardio. One thing that could affect this fight is the dreaded case of Octagon jitters. Fighting in hostile territory, in his first UFC fight after nearly a year layoff, could certainly mess with Rockhold’s head come fight time.

I think that Rockhold as the striking skills to exchange with Belfort on the outside without getting lit up. Rockhold is hard to hit and his footwork and timing are excellent. On the ground, Belfort probably has the higher credentials, but Rockhold has shown more impressive ground skills throughout his career and is probably the smarter fighter, which means he might be looking for takedowns. In the end this fight is really close, but I think the longer the fight lsts the more it favors Rockhold who is accustomed to fighting for five full rounds already from his reign as Strikeforce Champion. Luke Rockhold via TKO in Round Four

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Anderson Silva – MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting

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I know Wanderlei Silva has been hit in the head a lot over the last 20 years but this may be one of the strangest fighter-to-fighter threats I have ever heard. The Axe Murderer has a taste for Chael Sonnen’s blood and he wants to savor it.

As a pro wrestling fan I love a great war of words in the UFC. It doesn’t happen enough for my tastes. That is why I have come to enjoy Chael Sonnen’s verbal assaults over the last few years. Chael is a wrestling fan and he gets it. Sometimes what is even better is when Chael’s opponent plays along and it appears that he and Wanderlei are ready to do some serious business.

Just days after being obliterated at the end of the first round and ironically seconds away from winning the UFC light heavyweight title (Jones’ toe would have stopped the fight between rounds), Chael was back at it again and starting to lay the ground work for his next fight. Sonnen not only put the 205 pound division on notice but he singled out one longtime foe, Wanderlei Silva. Sonnen laid out the challenge to Silva who until now remained quiet. The Axe Murderer has finally broken his silence.

Silva officially responded to Sonnen’s challenge on Fuel TV’s UFC Tonight via an interview with Ariel Helwani. Silva not only wants the fight, but he also wants to take a little piece of Chael home with him.

“Wanderlei said that no one’s offered him a fight. But he did want to say that ‘Jon Jones and Anderson Silva have been too nice to Chael. I want to suck his blood. I want to smell it. Not just fight – I want to hurt him. Chael is a joke, man. He’s going to be second forever. He’s never going to be first.’”

Wow! Even better is Sonnen’s response to Wanderlei’s desire to suck Chael’s blood.

“I think the real breaking news there is that Wanderlei Silva put together a coherent sentence that somebody understood. But I can assure you, Wanderlei, I will not be signing a contract for you to suck on any part of me. I suggest you go to a bath and find yourself.”

This is going to be a fun buildup! The heat between these two guys seems pretty real as they have been talking trash on each other now since UFC 117. As a matter of a fact there was a real interesting video that made its way on YouTube a couple of years ago that had Wanderlei and Chael traveling together in the same car to an event. Wanderlei started chastising Chael for the things he said about Brazil in the buildup to his first Anderson Silva fight. Chael looked a little taken back but it was an interesting video as Chael just sat in the backseat and listened to Wanderlei preach to Chael about Brazil and the negative things that were said by Sonnen.

I am ready for this fight! No contract has been signed but this has potential to be one of the biggest fights of the year. I can’t imagine the UFC headlining a pay per view event on this fight. My hunch is that this winds up headlining a television event, maybe the first UFC on FS1 show? I have to think that the UFC won’t waste much time capitalizing on this and signing the fight. I expect some kind of announcement in the next week.

The Voice of Reason: A V.I.P. Pass to Enlightenment

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The Reem is gearing up for a comeback! Alistair Overeem hopes to put to sleep the KO highlight of getting knocked cold by Big Foot Silva with a big win at UFC 164. Overeem is ready to return to fighting and early rumors suggest that Travis Browne will get the call at 164.

Alistair Overeem is coming up on what is arguably the most important fight of his career. With only one round to go before earning a shot at the UFC title and his biggest payday, Overeem gassed out and KO’d by Big Foot Silva. A second loss in a row would be devastating. This is as big of a must-win as it gets in any sport and it would certainly be in the best interest of the UFC to see the former Strikeforce champion come out on top.

I like Travis Browne but I don’t think he is in the same class of fighters as Overeem. To me, this is the UFC teeing it up for Overeem with a fight he is supposed to win. That said, I thought the same thing when he was booked against Antonio Silva. This fight with Browne is interesting on so many levels that I am probably more excited about this than most.

Browne is the kind of fighter to me that looks great against lower tier talent but can’t hang with the big boys, kind of like Ryan Bader. Browne looked great against Gabriel Gonzaga at the TUF 17 Finale, KO’ing the heavyweight with elbows shortly into the first round. Yet at the same time Browne was coming off a fight in which he was the victim of the KO/TKO against Overeem’s dream crusher, Antonio Silva.

Overeem has probably had more fights changed since joining the UFC than anyone. Between PED tests and injuries, Overeem has been in and out of the UFC heavyweight title situation a couple of times. Overeem was previously scheduled to fight rival Junior Dos Santos at UFC 160. The fight was scrapped when Overeem pulled out due to injury. On paper Browne is a much easier fight yet that is the same kind of psychology that generally leads to upsets in sports.

I am curious what the plan here will be for Overeem. Overeem would have gotten a heavyweight title shot with a win over either Silva or JDS. I can’t imagine that he would shoot to the top with a win over Browne. Promoting Overeem is a real test for the UFC. Zuffa knows that he is money in a heavyweight title fight but also knows he is susceptible to an upset. A loss here would be terrible for the company. But do they actually have the brass ones to shoot him right into a title fight with a win?

Let’s be honest here. The criteria used for UFC fighters to get title shots has never been more murky for the promotion. The last two guys to get championship fights on pay per view were both coming off of losses, the last guy coming off a second round TKO without even a win in the division. Overeem getting a title shot next would not surprise me in the least as wrong as it would be.

Junior Dos Santos would be the obvious road block here. If JDS beats Mark Hunt there is no way that you can shoot Overeem to the front of the line over the former champion. But what if he doesn’t? I could easily see the UFC moving Overeem ahead of Hunt, which I’d disagree with. JDS and Overeem winning with JDS not being able to take the fight for awhile due to injury is the best scenario for the UFC.

Regardless, Travis Browne has a lot of pressure on him at UFC 164 if the rumors are right but nowhere near as close as Overeem and the UFC will have that night.

GSP – The Way of the Fight Book

Anderson Silva – MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting

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There has been a fair amount of controversy throughout the last few UFC cards, eye pokes, low blows, controversial referee calls and somewhat poor referee decision-making have all influenced fights in ways that they should not have in the past month. The UFC is in a somewhat unique position for an organization as large as it is. The UFC is basically at the will of government regulations and are nearly unable to make decisions about their own organization.

If the NFL wanted to change first downs from being ten yards to fifteen yards they would be able to make that decision themselves, internally. There might be some push back from players, fans, coaches or owners, but it is the league’s decision to make. If the MLB wanted to make Home Runs worth two runs to encourage more homers, then they could do it. If the UFC wants to change the ruling of what constitutes an illegal blow, they are unable to do it without appealing for change to the athletic commissions and government bodies that regulate and enforce the Unified Rules of MMA.

Despite this red tape that holds the UFC back, they have promised to urge athletic commissions to consider some changes to the rules that need to be made. In support of the UFC here are four rule changes that these athletic commissions need to at least consider.

1)    Eye Pokes

Close fight in the third round? Getting tired and think your opponent might start an epic comeback? Poke him in the eye. Under the current rules, there is really no punishment for poking your opponent in the eyes, so long as you make it look like an unintentional foul. At UFC 159 Gian Villante was poked in the eye, and the referee immediately asked him if he could see, when he responded no, the bout was immediately stopped. It awarded his opponent Ovince St. Preux a technical decision victory in a very close bout that Villante could easily have stolen in the third round.

I cringe almost every time I hear Joe Rogan talk about the need for new gloves in MMA and blah blah, although recent reports are that the UFC is in the early development stages of bringing in a newly designed glove to prevent eye pokes. Whether or not these gloves ever make it into the octagon remains to be seen, in the meantime there are however some changes that need to be made immediately.

First of all, there needs to be a better enforcement and a stiffer punishment for eye pokes. Oftentimes the poke is the result of carelessness from fighters, either stepping in or stepping backwards with open hands. Fighters need to be automatically deducted a point for eye pokes, initially this will cause many fighters to lose points, but a stiff punishment will teach fighters that they can’t be careless. I will guarantee that the first time a fighter loses a win bonus because of an eye poke, many others will ensure that they keep their hands closed.
The other problem with eye pokes is the treatment of the foul from referees. With low blows fighters who are fouled are given five minutes of recovery time. With eye pokes, referees can either stop the fight or allow a recovery period based on their discretion. The absurdity of this is hilarious, firstly referees aren’t doctors and they shouldn’t be making decisions about whether or not fighters can continue fighting after an eye poke. The fighter should be given a five minute rest period similar to other unintentional fouls, however, due to the severity of a possible eye poke they should be inspected by the cage side doctor before being allowed to continue. Doctors should be the ones stopping bouts for medical reasons and there needs to be a proper amount of time given for fighters to gather themselves.

2)    Definition of a Downed Opponent

The current rules enforce that a ‘three-point stance’ constitutes a downed opponent. As long as the fighter has three points of contact with the mat, he is considered a downed opponent. Since this means their opponents are unable to deliver knees or kicks, this rule is being downright abused by fighters and is used as a stall tactic when a fighter is in a precarious position.

I agree with the rules of being unable to knee or kick the head of a downed opponent, as those strikes specifically soccer kicks or head stomps can cause serious damage to fighters. However, the definition of a downed opponent needs some tweaks. This rule should be used to protect fighters who are in a dangerous position, it should not be used by fighters who are trying to draw their opponents into accidental fouls or as a stall tactic.

My proposition for this is to use the knees or back as definitions of a grounded opponent. If a fighter has a knee on the mat, he is most certainly downed, similarly if the fighter’s back is making contact with the mat, he is also downed. By enforcing these guidelines to define a downed opponent it will increase clarity for the attacking fighter and will reduce the number of fighters who try to use this rule as a stall tactic, since dropping to their back or their knees would open them up to significant danger.

3)    Marijuana Metabolites as a Performance Enhancing Drug

A number of fighters have recently failed their post-fight drug tests due to ‘marijuana metabolites.’ However many current fighters, including the recently released Matt Riddle and the always controversial Diaz brothers are medical marijuana users, who are registered in their state to use marijuana legally. In addition to that some states have legalized marijuana and it appears as though many more may join in with legalizing or de-criminalizing the use of marijuana.

Despite what your personal opinion is on weed, it’s hard to argue that it’s a performance-enhancing drug. Especially when the only thing that is found in a test is the metabolites. Despite what many people think about Nick Diaz, his recent case against the Nevada State Athletic Commission after his failed drug test brings up a number of interesting points. First of all, his lawyer points out that marijuana is the only substance that is prohibited according to the NSAC, not marijuana metabolites. There is a significant difference between testing positive for marijuana as opposed to marijuana metabolites (which is basically an inactive ingredient as Diaz’s lawyer called it.) According to the World Anti-Doping Agency marijuana metabolites are not prohibited as a performance-enhancing drug.

The only case made for marijuana being performance enhancing is that it’s effects can dull pain, which would obviously be advantageous in a fist fight, however, the metabolites can remain in the system for weeks or months, which is certainly not affecting that fighters performance on fight night. In cases where fighters can be using marijuana legally they should not be punished unless they pop for marijuana on the test.

4)    Definition of the Back of the Head and Blows to the Back of the Head

The Association of Boxing Commissions has clearly laid out the ‘illegal striking zone’ at several times and has a visual definition in their files. The basic gist of the rule is that a strike that touches the ear or forward is legal, while anything behind the ear or towards the neck area is illegal. This definition is fairly widely accepted among all athletic commissions, but the enforcement of the rule about illegal blows needs to be more defined.

Throughout the past year in the UFC alone some fighters have been deducted points for striking the back of the head, some fighters have been disqualified for rendering their opponents unable to continue due to illegal strikes, some fighters have received no punishment at all for striking the back of the head and some fighters have received warnings for it. That’s a very wide gap in enforcement of this rule. Many referees abide by the generalization that if the blows come as the result of trying to land legal blows, they receive warning.

Let’s look at a recent fight between Gabriel Gonzaga and Travis Browne. Browne won the bout via TKO in the first round, due to standing elbow strikes, several of which landed illegally to the back of the head. In this bout he wasn’t even warned about the strikes, and the referee stated that he landed legal blows before and was trying to land legal blows, thus he let the illegal blows end the fight. This ruling in my opinion is pretty terrible.

First of all, that rule is there for a reason as rabbit punches and shots to the back of the head can do serious damage to fighters. Secondly, the onus needs to be on the fighter delivering the strikes. In other sports similar rules are enforce with the onus being on the attacker. It’s not easy for 300-pound lineman to not hit a quarterback after he throws the ball, but it’s expected of him and if he doesn’t do it, he’s punished. The same needs to be said for fighters. There needs to be immediate point deductions for strikes to the back of the head. Like my opinion on eye pokes, fighters who realize that they will be punished severely for these strikes will learn to adapt quickly.

The other side of that coin is fighters turtling up and trying to expose the back of their heads in a chance to earn a brief timeout or get a point deducted from their opponent. By the same token offer a stiff penalty for fighters who act in an unsportsmanlike manner and open themselves up to these shots. Tell fighters that if they turn the back of their heads when covering up, the fight will be stopped immediately. Again, I guarantee that fighters will not be exposing the back of their heads if it means they’ll lose immediately.

Anderson Silva: Like Water

GSP – The Way of the Fight Book

Anderson Silva – MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting

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Cristiane Cyborg vs. Ronda Rousey is the fight that won’t go away. The biggest WMMA fight that the UFC could make has taken on a life of its own. While fans were always led to believe that weight kept these two apart a new report claims that the real issue was the money.

Mike Chiapetta at MMAFighting.com breaks down the timeline of events that led to the monster grudge fight slipping through the UFC’s fingers. For months we were always told that Cyborg couldn’t get down to 135 and Rousey would not move up five pounds. However at the end of the day it appears that money once again is the root of the problem.

Chiapetta talked to one of the sparring partners from Cyborg’s management team, George Prajin. Prajin told Chiapetta , “They were compensating Ronda like she was the only attraction of the fight.” The money and promotion Rousey would have received was much bigger than Santos and while weight was always an issue, there was a belief that for the right price Cyborg would make 135.

Chiapetta also reports that Cyborg’s contract was the other issue. Santos already had a contract with Zuffa, specifically fights remaining on her Strikeforce deal. The story reports that Cyborg made $66,000 on her last fight. Both sides were willing to renegotiate but the UFC wanted an eight-fight deal while Cyborg’s camp did not want her committed to the UFC at 135 pounds for more than three fights.

“Basically, her fighting at 135 is handicapping her,” said Prajin. “We were willing to do that, and cut down and go work with Mike and get to 135 to do the fight because Cris wanted to fight Ronda. However, when they said we had to do it for eight fights? She doesn’t want to do the cut eight times when all she wants to do is fight Ronda and beat Ronda. After Ronda, there is really nothing left for her.”

What is good news here in the story is that this fight is a long way away from dead. According to the story, Cyborg’s deal with Invicta gives her an out-clause after her second fight. The idea behind this was to open up negotiations with the UFC at this point, should Cyborg remain undefeated. The other interesting nugget here was that according to the story, Cyborg’s deal with Invicta is paying her more than the UFC deal.

That could answer the question as to why she went there in the first place. The UFC and Invicta had an arrangement on the table wherein the company would farm Cyborg out to Invicta while she was under a UFC contract. Most wondered at the time why she would not remain with UFC and fight in Invicta as opposed to leaving the UFC altogether to get to the same place. If this is true, that would make sense.

It is hard to say who has the leverage here. The UFC did better than expected numbers for Rousey’s debut against Liz Carmouche and Rousey has been a media darling ever since. Rousey will get a ton of exposure off of the next The Ultimate Fighter but as UFC 159 showed, a great season of TUF doesn’t necessarily mean a blockbuster buyrate.

What is interesting to me about all of this is that the UFC were ready to go with this fight for Rousey’s debut. The UFC has a ton of stock invested into Rousey and that could have taken a nose dive if Cyborg won or even worse destroyed her. In a sense, this is almost playing out like a Rocky vs. Clubber Lang story. At some point if these two women stay undefeated you’d think that this fight just has to be made.

It is becoming clear that the UFC has a lot of trouble closing the deal on super fights. The fighters know that they have the leverage and most demand outrageous money for these fights. I can’t imagine that Cyborg was making any outrageous demands but the fact that the UFC would let five fights on a contract stop this fight from being made is just ridiculous, and to be fair I am sure there was more involved. Yet at the end of the day this is just another super fight hanging out there that the UFC can’t close and that is really all anyone cares about.

Anderson Silva: Like Water

Anderson Silva – MMA Instruction Manual: The Muay Thai Clinch, Takedowns, Takedown Defense, and Ground Fighting

UFC shirts and videos on Amazon.com