As the UFC schedule continues to roll along at breakneck speeds, MMA fans should be gearing up for an action-packed Spring-Early summer schedule as the world’s leading promotion has a number of events scheduled over the next few months. In this blog we’ll take a look at a schedule of the upcoming cards and highlight the fighters and fights to watch out for. Before we get started, I should point out the usual UFC disclaimer that all fight cards are scheduled to change, and if the past is any indication, there could be a number of these cards shuffled, main events scrapped or changed as fighters become injured.

APRIL

Event: UFC on Fox 7: Henderson vs. Melendez

Date: April 20, 2013

Venue: HP Pavilion in San Jose, California

The first stop on our preview takes us to the Sunshine State of California where Benson Henderson will once again defend his UFC Lightweight title on free television. He’ll welcome Striekforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez to the UFC in a match between two champions. The co-main event will see debut of Heavyweight star Daniel Cormier as he makes his UFC debut by taking on former UFC Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. A lightweight scrap that seems destined for Fight of the Night honors is also on tap as Nate Diaz battles Strikeforce import Josh Thompson. Recently debuted Jordan Mein fresh off his impressive stoppage of Dan Miller at UFC 158 replaces injured Dan Hardy to take on the surging Matt Brown.

CARD GOES HERE

Fight of the Night Award Projection: Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thompson or Joseph Benavidez vs. Darren Uyenoyama

Event: UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen

Date: April 27, 2013

Venue: Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey

Grudge match? Says who? If you watched the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter you certainly wouldn’t think that these two men were bitter rivals preparing for a huge battle against each other. While I’m sure the UFC was banking on fireworks and trash talk, Jones and Sonnen remained mostly courteous and calm when dealing with each other during the show. Trash talk will certainly ramp up as the show ends and Sonnen goes into full on promotion mode. The co-main event of the evening features another grudge match as Middleweight sluggers Michael Bisping and Alan Belcher are set to square off. Also featured on the main Pay Per View card is a Heavyweight fight between Roy Nelson and Cheick Kongo, a Light Heavyweight bout between Phil Davis and Vinny Magalhaes and a Lightweight bout between Jim Miller and Pat Healy.

CARD GOES HERE

Fight of the Night Award Projection: Michael Bisping vs. Alan Belcher or Erik Perez vs. Johnny Bedford

MAY

Event: UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold

Date: May 18, 2013

Venue: Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil

The UFC returns to one of it’s new favorite destinations as they head to Brazil for yet another summer card on FX. The main event is a highly intriguing bout between Brazilian MMA pioneer Vitor Belfort and the final Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold. Both men are well known for their striking prowess, so I would expect that the majority of this bout will take place on the feet, at least until someone gets knocked out. The co-main event of the evening features 2 more rising stars in the Middleweight division as Constantios Philippou looks to continue his winning streak against debuting Strikeforce veteran Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza. That bout will certainly be an interesting styles-clash pitting the powerful boxing of Philippou against the top-level Brazilian Jiu Jitsu of Souza. Other main card bouts include Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham in a potential Lightweight thriller and Chris Camozzi battling Rafael Natal in Middleweight action.

CARD GOES HERE

Fight of the Night Award Projection: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Evan Dunham or Vitor Belfort vs. Luke Rockhold

Event: UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2

Date: May 25, 2013

Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Heavyweight action is on the docket for the UFC’s return to Las Vegas. Although the main event is a rematch that no one was really asking for, it’s nice to see a title bout where the challenger actually earns his shot. Something that Antonio Silva did by smashing former number one contender Alistair Overeem. Speaking of Overeem he was expected to battle Junior dos Santos in a Heavyweight grudge match in the co-main event, but an injury to him has seen him replaced by former K-1 kickboxer Mark Hunt. Other main card action sees Glover Teixeira trying to continue his run up the Light Heavyweight rankings as he battles hard-hitting James Te-Huna. A pair of Lightweight bouts round off the main card in what could both be potential Fight of the Night award winners. First off Donald Cerrone battles Strikeforce import KJ Noons in a battle between two guys who love to stand and trade. The second is a bout between fringe contenders in the Lightweight division TJ Grant and Gray Maynard.

CARD GOES HERE

Fight of the Night Award Prediction: Donald Cerrone vs. KJ Noons or Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

JUNE

Event: UFC on Fuel TV 10: Nogueira vs. Werdum

Date: June 8, 2013

Venue: Paulo Sarasate Arena in Fortaleza, Brazil

This event will serve as the finale for the second season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Head coaches for the season are Heavyweights Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Fabricio Werdum, those two men will square off in the main event with a potential title shot likely looming for the victor. The card will feature the finals of the Welterweight season of the show. Other main card bouts scheduled for the show include Light Heavyweights Thiago Silva taking on former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion Rafael Cavalcante and Welterweight young guns Erick Silva and John Hathaway.

CARD GOES HERE

Fight of the Night Award Projection: Erick Silva vs. John Hathaway or Thiago Silva vs. Rafael Cavalcante

Event: UFC 161: Barao vs. Wineland

Date: June 15, 2013

Venue: MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The UFC makes its debut in Winnipeg as they head to the MTS Centre, the home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. The card features a main event for the UFC’s Interim Bantamweight Championship as Renan Barao defends his title against former WEC Bantamweight Champion Eddie Wineland. A throwback to the golden days of PRIDE is also planned for the co-main event as Mauricio Rua and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira rematch in Light Heavyweight action. Former Light Heavyweight Champions do battle when Rashad Evans battles Dan Henderson. A women’s Bantamweight bout will open the Pay Per View event as Rosi Sexton battles Alexis Davis. Heavyweight action rounds out the main PPV card as Pat Barry battles Shawn Jordan.

CARD GOES HERE

Fight of the Night Award Projection: Mauricio Rua vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland

JULY & BEYOND

Event: UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman

Date: July 6, 2013

Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Spider finally returns to the octagon, as Anderson Silva is set to defend his Middleweight title in the main event against undefeated challenger Chris Weidman. Weidman is an interesting style match up for the champion and that combined with his undefeated professional record has many people interested in this bout. The co-main event of the night has fireworks written all over it as top Featherweight contenders Chan Sung Jung and Ricardo Lamas do battle for a shot at the UFC Featherweight Championship. Middleweight scrappers Mark Munoz and Tim Boetsch will look to get their octagon careers back on the right track against one another. More top Featherweight contenders will be in action as Frankie Edgar looks for his first victory in his new weightclass when he battled Charles Oliveira. In the opening bout of the Pay Per View Featherweight sluggers Cub Swanson and Dennis Siver will lock horns.

CARD GOES HERE

Fight of the Night Award Projection: There are just way too many on this card. Without exception all of the fights on the PPV card could be potential Fight of the Night candidates, some of them maybe even Fight of the Year candidates. Since that’s a bit of a cop out, I’ll take Siver vs. Swanson as my pick.

Event: UFC on Fox 8

Date: July 27, 2013

Venue: Key Arena in Seattle Washington

Currently the only bout announced for this card is a bout between struggling Lightweights Melvin Guillard and Mac Danzig. I don’t suspect those two will even earn a spot on the Fox card by the time this event fills up, especially with the way the UFC has been stacking these cards recently. I would expect to see a title defended in the main event. The leading contender is probably the Flyweight title, provided that champion Demetrious Johnson can recover from his injury in time.

Event: UFC 163: Aldo vs. Pettis

Date: August 3, 2013

Venue: HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Georges St-Pierre: The Way of the Fight Book

Anderson Silva: Like Water

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Jose Aldo has become my new favorite UFC fighter. After months of ridiculous UFC championship fights Aldo has become the first fighter to put an end to this farce and Dana White is not a happy man.

Somewhere over the last year the UFC began sacrificing credibility for entertainment in regards to their championship fights. At one time the only way a fighter could earn a title fight in the UFC is by becoming the number one contender. In 2013 all it takes is a tweet and a text and anyone can get a title shot. Finally one champion has had enough.

UFC president Dana White revealed over the weekend that featherweight champion Jose Aldo is refusing to defend his title against Anthony Pettis. Pettis mind you who hasn’t fought in the division, was granted a title fight after he sent Dana White a text after Aldo’s last fight asking for a title fight. Somehow Pettis immediately became the top contender in the eyes of the UFC, but not in the eyes of the champion.

“Jose Aldo came out and said, ‘There’s no way in hell I’m fighting Pettis,’” White said following Saturday’s UFC 157 post-event press conference. “He’s absolutely refusing to fight Pettis – doesn’t think he deserves the shot.”

I say bravo Jose Aldo! It is about time one of these UFC champions stood up like champions and said no to these showtime fights in favor of credible title fights. Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Ben Henderson, and even Aldo have sacrificed credibility for business over the last several months, leaving rightful top contenders in the dust. Finally Aldo has had enough.

Fighters coming off of losses or guys who haven’t even fought in the division are getting more title fights in the UFC than ever before. I certainly understand that the UFC is a business and the number one contender isn’t always going to get the title shot. However, these showtime title fights have become an epidemic where credible title fights are becoming the minority and not the norm.

How many more times are guys like Dan Henderson, Pettis (at lightweight), Ricardo Lamas, Johny Hendricks going to take backseats to fighters who have jumped ahead of them due to anything but their record? The window of a number one contender is short and can close at anytime, as Hendo just found out at UFC 157. Yet these top contenders are expected to keep fighting and fighting for what? These undeserving title fights have gotten completely ridiculous!

Ironically Aldo is coming off a fight where he just fought a guy who had not fought in his division, Frankie Edgar. The difference there is that Edgar was stepping in for an injured fighter as a replacement. It wasn’t right but I have no problem with guys getting undeserving title fights as last minute replacements. The show must go on. But this is a much different situation and I agree with Aldo 100%.

Dana White is talking a big game right now. According to Ariel Helwani, White is already making threats against Aldo.

“Dana said Aldo will fight Pettis or he’s not going to like the way this turns out. He’s absolutely refusing right now.”

What can Dana do? Strip him of the title for not fighting a guy who hasn’t fought in the division? White’s threats are laughable. I have read reports that indicate Aldo would fight Pettis, just not for the title. This is not a case of someone that is scared. This is a case of a guy that wants to be tested and truly fight the best. I say kudos to Jose Aldo.

It’s a shame more UFC champions don’t feel the same way.

UFC: Ultimate Fight Collection 2012

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The UFC has closed the book on another free event on network television and they have to be pleased with the results. Although the broadcast started with some technical issues, and many fans were left complaining when some Fox affiliates switched to re-runs of the Big Bang Theory during the main event of the evening, fans were treated to some exciting fights and brutal finishes throughout the night. Topping it all off is strong ratings results, which peaked at 3.77 million viewers for the broadcast.

Featuring a nasty, bloody and brutally violent ground and pound finish, some of the most scintillating striking on the planet, a Light Heavyweight slugfest and two of the UFC’s fastest athletes battling it out for a full 25-minutes, this card had it all. Let’s take a look at the fights, and see what’s next for each main card fighter.

Featherweight Bout: Ricardo Lamas defeated Erik Koch via TKO (Elbows and Punches) at 2:52 of Round 2

What began as a well-matched chess match between two great fighters got violent quickly. In the first Lamas looked to take Koch to the ground, but Koch defended well and was able to get off some decent shots before the closing of a very close first round. In the second round, an inadvertent slip by Lamas spelled the end for Koch. He tried to follow Lamas to the ground, but tripped himself and ended up underneath of Lamas after a brief scramble. From there Lamas fired off some nasty elbows and punches, one of which opened a gruesome cut on Koch’s face. It certainly left the Fox executives feeling antsy as they refused to show Koch after the fight and even spray-painted over the blood inside the cage.

What’s next for Lamas? Likely the winner of the upcoming UFC Featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar at UFC 156 next weekend. Lamas is now 4-0 since dropping down to the Featherweight division and has looked more and more impressive with each consecutive win. Throw in the quality of names he’s beaten in his past three bouts Cub Swanson, Hatsu Hioki and Erik Koch and he surely deserves a shot.

What’s next for Koch? A bit of time to get back into the swing and a chance to rebuild himself. He needs to prove that he can handle talented grapplers as well as strikers, so someone well rounded enough to challenge his skills. Perhaps a bout with Nam Phan or Diego Nunes who both recently suffered losses would work for Koch.

Lightweight Bout: Anthony Pettis defeated Donald Cerrone via TKO (Liver Kick) at 2:35 of Round 1

This one had Fight of the Night contender written all over it, unfortunately for fans, it didn’t last long enough to live up to the hype. Anthony “Showtime” Pettis certainly lived up to his nickname, throwing a wild variety of flashy strikes at Cerrone en-route to a one-sided beating. In the end it wasn’t a capoeira wheel kick or a Showtime Knee off of the cage that did the job, but a steady liver kick that ended Cerrone’s night. With the TKO victory Pettis became the first man to ever stop Cerrone via Strikes.

What’s next for Pettis? Dana White was finally convinced that Pettis deserves a title shot that has eluded him in the past. With Benson Henderson scheduled to defend his Lightweight title against final Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez at the next UFC event on Fox, I would expect Pettis to be cage side for a post fight stare down.

What’s next for Cerrone? Let’s take a look at the people who have been successful against ‘Cowboy’ in the past, Pettis, Nate Diaz and Benson Henderson, the last title challenger, a future title challenger and the current champion. Cerrone remains a tough test for almost any other fighter and his success outside of the top 3 makes him a viable gatekeeper for the division. A bout with Joe Lauzon could be highly entertaining, as could a bout against Thiago Tavares.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Glover Teixeira defeated Quinton Jackson via Unanimous Decision after 3 Rounds

This was supposed to be Rampage’s final bout in the UFC and many people thought he would come in out of shape and simply there for a paycheck. That proved not to be the case, but he was still soundly outclassed by Teixeira. Teixeira was certainly not flawless in victory but he managed to land some big blows, including a few that wobbled the usually iron-chinned Rampage. He also used well-timed takedowns and ground and pound to control the action the rest of the way. It was a fairly dominant performance, but probably not quite enough to elevate him to top contender status as of yet.

What’s next for Teixeira? He looked good beating up on Rampage, but that story is kind of getting old for a lot of fans. Jackson isn’t the fighter he once was, and although the Brazilian dominated him, he still showed some weaknesses that will need to be shored up before his next contest. Only two fighters really make sense to me for him at this point, Ryan Bader who came off an impressive victory on the undercard, or Rashad Evans should he get by Lil’ Nog at UFC 156 next weekend.

What’s next for Rampage? Retirement maybe? It’s probably his best option, but there’s still a lot of money to be made for him in smaller organizations so I doubt he’ll hang ‘em up. He seemed to be admitting to himself after the fight that he wasn’t a top tier fighter anymore, but he’ll still command top dollar on the open market. I expect to see him in Bellator or regional promotions knocking out cans for years to come.

UFC Flyweight Championship Bout: Demetrious Johnson defeated John Dodson via Unanimous Decision after 5 Rounds

The first title defense for the UFC’s Flyweight champion got off to a bit of a rough start. He was dropped a couple of times in the first two rounds and seemed a bit surprised to be in the cage with someone who could match his speed. Still even after dropping a couple of rounds and being dropped, he continued to push the pace and in the championship rounds he let his conditioning to the talking for him. With Dodson’s gas fading Johnson showed off some impressive Muay Thai skills, battering the challenger with knees from the Thai plum. In the end he couldn’t find a finish in the final round, but he did seal up a Unanimous Decision.

What’s next for Johnson? Unfortunately with a division this young, there is a bit of a lack of challengers. That usually leads to rematches, which is somewhat unfortunate but necessary while the natural contenders emerge themselves. John Moraga and Louis Gaudinot are emerging as contenders, but the biggest stars other than the champion are Joseph Benavidez and Ian McCall. They face off next weekend, with the winner likely to get a title shot even though they have a combined 0-2-1 record against Johnson in the past.

What’s next for Dodson? Anyone really. He’s a tough match up for anyone and he’s highly entertaining. Any Flyweight will probably do, but it’d be best to keep him away from the major up and comers. Perhaps a bout against Louis Gaudinot in a battle of former TUF alums.

UFC: Ultimate Fight Collection 2012

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

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Free fights, free fights, free fights! The UFC continues it’s 2013 roll with yet another night of free fights, this weekend it’s on major network television as the UFC presents UFC on Fox 6. After some weak ratings during 2012, Fox executives must have told the UFC to seriously step up their games for their Fox offerings in 2013, as this is the second straight UFC on Fox event to be headlined by a title fight. This weekend it’s the UFC’s smallest fighters who take center stage as the UFC Flyweight title will be on the line in the main event as Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson takes on TUF-champion John ‘The Magician’ Dodson.

Light Heavyweight action is slotted for the co-main event as Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson is set to make what is expected to be his final octagon appearance against the man he was supposed to battle months ago in Brazil; Glover Teixeira. A fight with Fight of the Year potential is also on the card as Lightweights Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis lock horns in a grudge match with serious title implications in the 155-pound division. Opening the main card is a Featherweight bout between top-10 fighters Erik Koch and Ricardo Lamas, where an impressive showing by either fighter could earn them a shot against the winner of next weekend’s UFC 156 Featherweight title main event.

Preliminary Card (Facebook): Welterweight Bout: Simeon Thoresen vs. David Mitchell

Simeon “The Grin” Thoresen is a 28-year-old fighter from Sandejford, Norway. He is a member of Hellboy MMA training under famed Norwegian fighter Joachim “Hellboy” Hansen in Oslo, Norway. Thoresen holds a professional record of 17-3-1. David “Daudi” Mitchell is a 33-year-old fighter from Windsor, California. Fighting out of Santa Rosa, California he is a member of the Nor-Cal Fighting Alliance. Mitchell holds a career record of 11-2.

Quick Pick: Simeon Thoresen via Submission in Round Two

Preliminary Card (FX): Middleweight Bout: Rafael Natal vs. Sean Spencer

Rafael “Sapo” Natal is a 30-year-old fighter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu he is a member of the Gracie Fusion Gym in New York City, New York. He holds a career record of 14-4-1. Sean “Black Magic” Spencer is a fighter from Bluefield, Virginia. He will be making his UFC debut and trains out of the Octagon MMA Gym in Virginia. He holds a career record of 9-1.

Quick Pick: Rafael Natal via Unanimous Decision

Preliminary Card (FX): Welterweight Bout: Mike Stumpf vs. Pascal Krauss

Pascal “Panzer” Krauss is a 25-year-old German fighter from Breisach, West Germany. Krauss now trains in the United States with the Roufusport Gym in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Krauss holds a career record of 10-1. Mike Stumpf is a 29-year-old fighter from Crystal Lake, Illinois. He is a member of the Team Curran Gym training under famed coach and fighter Jeff “Big Frog” Curran. He holds a career record of 11-3.

Quick Pick: Pascal Krauss via TKO in Round Two

Preliminary Card (FX): Heavyweight Bout: Mike Russow vs. Shawn Jordan

Mike Russow is a 36-year-old fighter from Kankakee, Illinois. A police officer in his hometown of Chicago, he is also a former NCAA Division 1 Wrestler who trains with the DeatchClutch Gym in Minnesota. Russow holds a career record of 15-2-1. Shawn “The Savage” Jordan is a 28-year-old fighter from El Paso, Texas. He is a member of Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting Camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He holds a career record of 13-4.

Quick Pick: Mike Russow via TKO in Round Two

Preliminary Card (FX): Light Heavyweight Bout: Ryan Bader vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

Ryan “Darth” Bader is a 29-year-old fighter from Reno, Nevada. He is a former NCAA Division 1 Wrestler who was a cast member and the eventual winner of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. Bader trains with the Power MMA Team in Tempe, Arizona and holds a career record of 14-3. Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko is a 42-year-old fighter from Recyca, Russia. The Belarusian now trains and resides in El Segundo, California. He holds a career record of 26-6.

Quick Pick: Ryan Bader via TKO in Round One

Preliminary Card (FX): Featherweight Bout: Clay Guida vs. Hatsu Hioki

Clay “The Carpenter” Guida is a 31-year-old fighter from Round Lake, Illinois. Guida trains with Greg Jackson’s team in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Guida will be making his Featherweight debut in this fight. He holds a professional MMA record of 29-13. Hatsu “Iron Broom” Hioki is a 29-year-old fighter from Nagoya, Japan. Hioki trains at the ALIVE Shooto Academy in Nagoya, Japan but also spends time training in Canada at the Tristar Gym. Hioki holds a career record of 26-5-2.

Quick Pick: Clay Guida via Unanimous Decision

Preliminary Card (FX): Lightweight Bout: T.J. Grant vs. Matt Wiman

T.J. Grant is a 28-year-old Canadian fighter from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. With a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who trains at the Fit Plus Gym in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He holds a career record of 19-5. “Handsome” Matt Wiman is a 29-year-old fighter from Denver, Colorado. Wiman trains with the Kline Brothers at Easton BJJ Gym in Arvada, Colorado. Wiman holds a career record of 15-6.

Quick Pick: T.J. Grant via Split Decision

Main Card (Fox): Featherweight Bout: Erik Koch vs. Ricardo Lamas

Erik “New Breed” Koch is a 24-year-old fighter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Koch has been training in Tae Kwan Do since the age of four. Koch is a member of the Roufusport Gym training out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Koch joined the WEC in 2009 and has compiled a record of 5-1 inside the UFC and WEC, combined with 2 Knockout of the Night performances. He is a talented striker, but is competing for the first time in over a year after a major knee injury. He holds a career record of 13-1.

Ricardo “The Bully” Lamas is a 30-year-old fighter from Chicago, Illinois. He trains at the MMA Masters Gym in Miami, Florida. Lamas is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu who is also a former NCAA Wrestler from Elmhurst College. Lamas is a talented grappler with a smothering top control game, nasty ground and pound and excellent submissions from the top. Lamas is currently 3-0 inside the UFC’s Featherweight division and is ranked in the top 5 in the weight class according to most publications, a strong showing here could catapult him to contender status. He holds a professional fighting record of 12-2.

Analysis and Prediction: Erik Koch was most recently scheduled to challenge Jose Aldo for the Featherweight title, but injuries have kept him out of action for over 16 months, that kind of ring rust will always have an effect on your performance. Koch is an aggressive and dynamic striker, while Lamas usually prefers a more ground-based approach, so it’ll certainly be an interesting contrast in game plans. Lamas is a former NCAA Wrestler and Koch has been controlled by a strong wrestler in Chad Mendes in the past. However, he has stuffed almost every other Featherweights takedowns in the UFC and has proven very tough to control. Koch will probably start slow, but he’s young and he can overcome the potential ring rust. After a shaky opening round he rallies back to win via TKO late in the fight. Erik Koch via TKO in Round Three

Main Card (Fox): Lightweight Bout: Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis is a 25-year-old fighter from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the final WEC Lightweight Champion, who holds a career victory over current UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson. Despite being passed over a number of times for promised title shots, he remains at the top of his division and could earn a title shot with an impressive victory. Pettis is a talented and innovative striker who is best known for his famous ‘Showtime Kick’ in the WEC. Pettis owns a black belt in Tae Kwan Do and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Pettis is a member of the Roufusport Gym in Milwaukee, where he trains under famed Muay Thai kick boxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus. He holds a professional MMA record of 15-2.

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is a 29-year-old fighter from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Cerrone is a tough and well-rounded fighter but does his best work in the striking department. Cerrone is a former professional Muay Thai kick boxer and often relies on those skills as the basis of his overall MMA game. Cerrone is a member of Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico where he trains daily with some of the best fighters in the sport. Cerrone is an aggressive and highly entertaining fighter with excellent cardio who constantly puts the pressure on his opponents. Despite his excellent striker he is also a capable grappler with strong submissions from top control. Cerrone holds a professional record of 19-4 with 1 No Contest.

Analysis and Prediction: This one has Fight of the Night written all over it, in fact Dana has probably already prepared the bonus checks for these two. They’ve engaged in a war of words for well over a year now and will finally get the chance to settle their differences in the cage. Pettis is a talented and innovative striker, who is also competent on the ground. Cerrone is also a capable striker who has been much more active since Pettis has been off for injury. If Pettis can shake off the ring rust early and get into a rhythm he has all the skills to knock Cerrone off of his game. However, Cerrone is a dangerous fighter with big power and excellent kickboxing who throws with bad intentions all the time and has the cardio to do it for three full rounds. The only person with a ton of success against Cerrone was the volume-boxing style of Nate Diaz. That’s not Pettis’ bread and butter, but if he’s smart he’s watched that fight over and over and incorporated some of that volume striking into his game, the key for him will be to keep Cerrone on his toes and on the defensive, not allowing him to get comfortable for any extended periods of time. If he does that he takes what will surely be a close and entertaining decision victory. Anthony Pettis via Unanimous Decision

Main Card (Fox): Light Heavyweight Bout: Quinton Jackson vs. Glover Teixeira

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is a 34-year-old fighter from Memphis, Tennessee. Despite being only 34-years-old he has been fighting professionally since 1999, getting his start in King of the Cage, but becoming widely known for his time spent in PRIDE Fighting Championships in Japan. Jackson is highly entertaining both inside the cage and outside of it, but he has struggled in some of his more recent bouts. Many have credited his decision to begin acting on a part time basis as the reasons for his struggles. Despite those struggles, he remains a dangerous match up for almost any fighter as he has decent takedowns and knockout power in both of his hands combined with strong counter punching skills. He is a member of the Wolfslair MMA Academy in the UK, but also trains at his own gym in Irvine, California. Rampage holds a professional MMA record of 32-10.

Glover Teixeira is a 33-year-old fighter from Minas Gerais, Brazil. Despite his Brazilian heritage he now lives and trains in the United States with John Hackleman at The Pit in San Luis Obispo, California. Teixeira is an extremely talented grappler with excellent takedowns, a strong submission game from top control and nasty ground and pound. Teixeira is a former member of the Brazilian National Wrestling Team and combined with his black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has one of the best ground games in the Light Heavyweight division. Teixeira holds a professional MMA record of 19-2 and hasn’t lost since March of 2005.

Analysis and Prediction: Rampage has been exposed on the ground before, most recently by wrestling standout Ryan Bader. While Teixeira may not be as an accomplished amateur wrestler as Bader, he is still a talented and capable grappler with strong takedowns who is sure to use a similar game plan. Rampage has two big weapons, his fists and that’s about it, otherwise he’s fairly one-dimensional. He has trouble adapting a new game plan mid-fight, he rarely checks leg kicks allowing his lead leg to get battered in the process and his defensive grappling from his back is almost non-existent. I hate to bash Rampage like this, but he’s not the feared Light Heavyweight that he once was and to be honest, the UFC probably won’t miss him when he’s gone. Teixeira is too smart to fight into Rampage strengths, so expect a steady stream of thudding leg kicks followed up by takedowns before the Brazilian eventually grabs hold of a submission in the second. Glover Teixeira via Submission in Round Two

Main Card (Fox): Flyweight Championship Bout: Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is a 26-year-old fighter from Madisonville, Kentucky. Johnson is the UFC’s first ever Flyweight Champion and will be defending his title in this bout. A former Bantamweight title challenger, he made the cut down to 125-pounds when the UFC announced the 4-man mini tournament for the title last year. Johnson is a member of the AMC Pankration Gym, training in Kirkland, Washington under the tutelage of world-class coach Matt “The Wizard” Hume. Johnson is a fast, accurate and technically sound striker who uses great movement, speed and footwork to compliment his boxing. Johnson is also a capable wrestler with strong takedowns and an excellent top control game. Johnson holds a career record of 16-2-1.

John “The Magician” Dodson is a 28-year-old fighter from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is best known to fans as a cast member and the eventual winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Mayhem vs. Bisping season. Dodson is an accurate boxer who throws with a lot of power for a Flyweight. He is a member of Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico and holds a black belt in GaidoJutsu under coach Jackson. One of Dodson’s biggest assets is his physical strength and athleticism, as these traits make him incredibly difficult to take down and control. In fact on the show he claimed to have never been taken down in a fight. Dodson holds a career record of 14-5.

Analysis and Prediction: Dodson is a physically strong and athletic fighter who has speed and big power for the Flyweight division. He often foregoes tight, crisp boxing for wild haymakers that pack more power, but often leaves him exposed to counter-strikes. Sounds a lot like describing Joseph Benavidez there. If you remember correctly, Johnson just defeated Benavidez by using an approach custom tailored to avoid the big power shots of Benavidez and used excellent footwork to outland him. Given the similarities in opponents, I would expect a somewhat similar approach from Johnson this time around.

The key for Johnson against Benavidez was constantly circling away from the power punches of Benavidez and mixing his kicks and punches well to keep him off balance. Dodson is probably a better technical striker than Benavidez, but he often foregoes that technical approach in a more balls-to-the-wall striking style. The problem for Johnson will be that Dodson is probably the most athletically gifted and speediest fighter that he has come up against. Benavidez and Ian McCall are tough fighters who are quick on the feet and have good hand speed, but Dodson is certainly a slight step above them on the speed ladder.

In the end we know that Johnson has the gas tank to go for five solid rounds and while Dodson probably does too, I’ve seen it from Johnson. He keeps up an aggressive but not overly reckless style over five rounds. Ducking in and out and using leg kicks aggressively to keep the New Mexico native off balance and on the defensive. In the end, Johnson takes a close Decision victory. Demetrious Johnson via Unanimous Decision

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Happy Holidays, CamelClutchBlog faithful.  I sincerely hope everyone enjoyed whatever holiday they may or may not have celebrated this year.  I don’t think there is a politically incorrect way (and if there is, please tell me) for me to address the arrival of 2013 so I’d like to start by wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year.

Speaking of healthy, I think we’d all like to wish a healthier 2013 for so many fighters who’ve been injured.  Yes, there is the purely selfish part of all of us who wants them healthier so they can entertain through this sport we love so much, but they obviously suffer from the lack of a paycheck.  Is GSP’s “Camp For Only One Fighter Like In Boxing” approach the answer, as Dana White recently mentioned? I have no idea.  If I knew how to stop fighter injuries, I feel like that information would be very valuable to promoters, gyms and bookies and I’d probably have heard from somebody by now.

But alas, I digress.  With over 30 events between pay-per-view, cable and free TV this year, not to mention compilations and weekly T.U.F. episodes, the UFC has been busy.  With one heavyweight title fight to go and a 2013 that’s shaping up nicely, let’s take a 30,000 foot view of what’s coming up and key fights look for in the year ahead.  Honestly, I could speak at length about each and every one of the fights that’ll be mentioned (particularly the Super Bowl weekend card) but again, this is more of a snapshot.  I’ll leave the in-depth analysis to our very own Lee McGregor, who’ll paint you a detailed portrait, complete with flowers and shading and colors and happy little trees.

These are just my thoughts, mind you, so if there’s something you feel I missed or a grievance with anything I say, throw it in the comments. Just don’t immediately jump to trolling. Let’s talk. No big whup.

UFC 155: Dos Santos vs. Velasquez II

What a difference a year makes.  Last November, the UFC debuted on Fox with then-champ and “we’d-later-confirm-he-was-injured” Cain Velasquez getting KO’d in 64 seconds by Junior dos Santos.   This Saturday, the UFC rings in the New Year with the anticipated rematch.  Since then, JDS successfully defended the title against Frank Mir and Velasquez healed up, turning the Octagon into a crimson Jackson Pollack at UFC 146 (using Bigfoot Silva’s face as the palette) along the way.  A healthy Velasquez looking to avenge his only loss makes him even more dangerous so I don’t see JDS swinging for the fences and clubbing him into 2013, but either way, this is a great fight.  As for the rest of the card, losing Forrest Griffin/Phil Davis was a bit of a blow, but if anything, I am most pumped about Jim Miller/Joe Lauzon in the co-main event.  Other key fights on the undercard are Brad Pickett/Eddie Wineland, Melvin Guilliard/Jamie Varner and the return of Todd “Don’t Let the Mike Russow Punching Bag Punch You Back” Dufee to the heavyweight division against Phil De Fries.

UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping

Time to save your pennies with a PPV-less January since the UFC doubled up for February (more to come later).  No need to go into withdrawal, though, since there are back-to-back weekends of free fights, starting January 19^th with Belfort vs. Bisping on FX.  The Brazilian returns home both in terms of geography (the fight is in Sao Paolo) and weight (his new home of 185) after moving up to LHW against champ Jon Jones.  Barring that near-upset armbar, Belfort spent most of the title fight getting beaten like a redheaded stepchild, but there’s no shame in that considering it was against Jonny Bones.  Bisping rebounded from a questionable decision loss to Chael Sonnen in January with a solid UD win over Brian Stann in September.  A win for either fighter should raise the question of a title shot, if only for the fact that the division is shallow and the idea of Silva vs. GSP or Jones super fights have subsided.  I’m prematurely picking Belfort, but Bisping’s surprising me lately so if he can survive the onslaught, I wouldn’t put it past him to get a tight decision.  Also, T.U.F: Brazil finalist Daniel Sarafian makes his UFC debut against C.B. Dolloway, Gabriel Gonzaga takes on Ben Rothwell in heavyweight action and undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov takes on Thiago Tavares.  Finally, be sure to catch Edson Barboza against Justin Salas on the Fuel undercard.  His hype train got derailed a bit by Jamie Varner at UFC 146, but he’s an exciting fighter with lots of KO power and I see him getting back on track in a big way in his home country.

UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Dodson

I like the UFC’s decision to put a flyweight title fight on free TV with some great support behind it.  “Mighty Mouse” and Dodson, the first T.U.F. finalist to get a title shot since season 5, will make viewers at home think they hit fast-forward with a breakneck pace that’ll hopefully get some lighter weight class fighters their dues.  Johnson has only one finish between his stint in WEC and now the UFC, but I for one didn’t expect him to hold off Joseph Benavidez to become the promotions first 125 lb champ.  I’ll give Dodson the power advantage so if he can frustrate Johnson by stuffing his takedowns and landing a few shots, I think he’ll pull off the win.  Much like a good sitcom with an excellent supporting lead, Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis has early “Fight of the Year” potential and puts the winner in LW title shot discussion (perhaps more so for Pettis than Cerrone given the story around a Pettis/Henderson rematch).  While it might not have direct title-shot implications, Glover Teixeira vs. Rampage is the kind of fight you invite your non-MMA friends to watch since there’s a good chance someone is getting knocked out.  On the undercard, Ryan Bader tries to stay relevant at 205 against Vladimir Matyushenko and hopefully Clay Guida does not employ his “punch and run” game plan like he did against Gray Maynard when he takes on Hatsu Hioki.

UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar

The first super card of 2013 is happening Super Bowl weekend on February 2^nd.  It feels like we’ve been waiting forever now to get the featherweight title fight between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar.  I personally blame motorcycle accidents and rematches.  After questionable back-to-back title losses at lightweight  (I know I’ve said questionable twice already, once when referring to Bisping/Sonnen, but really watch Henderson/Edgar 1 and 2 and tell me Edgar didn’t win at least one of those fights), Edgar moves down to 145, the weight class everyone keeps saying he belongs in.  Aldo has not lost since 2005 and is one of the most exciting fighters in all of MMA. Edgar is going to have to drag Aldo into deep water, where we saw shades of him fading against Mark Hominick. Again, another “Fight of the Year” potential before March.  Before you even get to the title fight, though, the main card has three other fights that could headline a Fox or FX event in Rashad Evans vs. Lil Nog, Alistair Overeem vs. Bigfoot Silva (should Overeem win, he’ll probably be given a shot at the winner of JDS/Cain) and Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia.  Oh, but my favorite fight on the undercard? Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall, who both came up short in the inaugural flyweight tournament, but this could be a #1 contender fight to face the winner of Johnson/Dodson.

UFC on Fuel TV: Barao vs. McDonald

Kudos yet again to the UFC for giving an interim title some legitimacy and not using it as a marketing ploy to be used for unification bouts! Renan Barao, fresh off handing Urijah Faber what seems like his 100^th title-fight loss at UFC 149, will defend his interim bantamweight title against Michael McDonald.  No, not the guy from The Doobie Brothers.  The guy who knocked Miguel Torres out of the UFC at UFC 145 and hasn’t lost under the Zuffa banner. Yup. That guy. Add to that a main card with two swing-for-the-fences LHW fights in James Te Huna vs. Ryan “Greatest Robot/Split Celebration in Octagon History?” Jimmo and undefeated Jimi Manuwa vs. Cyrille Diabate. Oh, and Brock Lesnar’s German kickboxing mini-me (!) Denis Siver looks to extend his featherweight winning streak to 3 against Cub Swanson.  All in all, I love this card and how it’s booked.  The UFC is ever so slightly increasing exposure for up-and-coming fighters but minimizing their own risk of underperforming by putting it on Fuel.  Paul Sass, if you’re reading this, another “Sassangle” submission on Danny Castillo on the undercard would be just fine with me.

UFC 157: Rousey vs. Carmouche

Welcome to the “Rhonda Rousey Show,” ladies and gentlemen.  UFC’s first ever women’s champion Rhonda Rousey will have the first ever women’s MMA fight in the promotion against Liz Carmouche, who’s riding a two-fight winning streak coming out of Invicta FC.  Again, if we’re playing wheelchair matchmaker and the “business” around the card’s composition, the UFC is supporting this inaugural lady’s scrap very well with a potential #1 contender fight at 205 between Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida, perennial contender Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar, two struggling but game HWs in Lavar Johnson and Brendan Schaub plus the return of Robbie Lawler both to the UFC and to welterweight to fight Josh Koscheck.  While I don’t necessarily agree with the timing since the UFC will be hot off a big card like 156 and I fear people might get tight with their wallets with two fights in one month, they’ve paired Rousey up with a tough fighter to build a story around and it should make for a solid landing.  No disrespect to Carmouche, but I, like many, anticipate another armbar victory for Rousey.

Quick Hits – March & Beyond…

- UFC on Fuel TV (March 3): Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann and Stefan Struve vs. Mark Hunt? The fans of Saitama Super Arena will go home happy.  One, if not two, of those fighters will need to be woken up by smelling salts.  Not sure if Siyar Bahadurzada will be able to match his 42 second KO of Paulo Thiago against a durable Kim Dong-Hyun, but it’ll be fun to see him try. Also, Diego “The Dream” (really, you have to chuckle) Sanchez returns yet again to 155 against Japanese legend Takanori Gomi. TONY ROBBINS. YES.

- UFC 158: St. Pierre vs. Diaz (March 16): GSP fighting in his hometown of Montreal again? I’m shocked.  Not sure I agree with Nick Diaz jumping Johnny Hendricks for a title shot after a loss/weed suspension, but it’s a bigger draw and GSP’s been very vocal about wanting to take out the “disrespectful” Diaz.  Speaking of Hendricks, he’s slated to fight Jake Ellenberger and Carlos Condit looks to rebound from his loss to the champ in a rematch against Rory Macdonald.  Lots of potential storylines for the UFC welterweight division hang in the balance.  Grab a Labatt Blue and enjoy.

- BEYOND: April 27 is when Chael Sonnen gets his shot at the LHW belt against fellow T.U.F. coach and current champion Jon Jones in NJ. In related news, Twitter and wit will get you title fights regardless of records in that particular weight class and this season of T.U.F. will actually be worth watching; Anderson Silva will return mid-late 2013 in a non-super fight.  If he wants Anderson Silva money, my bet is he’s hoping Bisping beats Belfort in January; for the love of God, will someone get Eddie Alvarez, Gilbert Melendez and Daniel Cormier in the UFC already?

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

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The UFC is starting to put the wheels in motion for its first FOX special of 2013. The UFC on FOX 6 is coming together with some star power, a title match, and championship eliminator, yet the card appears to be missing something.

I would have though that the UFC learned their lesson when they attempted to headline a FOX special with Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller. For fans like me, I was ecstatic about the fight. However, the lesson learned is that the appeal of fights to hardcore fans and casual fans are much different. The UFC will be taking a big gamble with this lineup in January which follows two stacked FOX events.

The headliner (yes headliner) will feature the first title defense of the first UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson as he battles John Dodson. The idea that the UFC would headline a televised event with a fighter whose fight was just booed out of the building is perplexing to say the least. It is a gamble. If Johnson and Dodson have a good fight, the flyweight title and division are established as exciting. But are casual fans really going to tune in to watch a headliner featuring two guys that are smaller than most people in your audience?

The show will also feature what is likely a lightweight title eliminator between Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone. Again this is a Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller type of a fight that appeals to hardcore fans like me yet probably won’t resonate with casual fans. I like the fight and I think it’ll be exciting but how many fans are going to go out of their way in January?

Rampage Jackson may have given this card a much needed boost of star power when he tweeted that he would be fighting Glover Teixeira on the same event.

“Outside the cage I hate no one. Life is too short for that. In side the cage my Job is to destroy! Glover is done on Jan 26 n Chicago..” – @Rampage4Real

This is a great fight for television and a win-win situation for the UFC. The UFC will certainly capitalize off of Rampage’s star power and draw in some casual fans to the FOX event. At the same time, the UFC will have a chance to showcase Teixeira in front of a large audience. If Teixeira wins as is expected, he could be looked at as an immediate title contender for Jon Jones.

There is still something missing from the lineup. I find it hard to believe that the UFC would go with a flyweight title fight as a FOX headliner. Can the UFC be that naïve or is there another fight the company is waiting to announce? Is the UFC waiting on Showtime to bail from Strikeforce and bring over someone like Gilbert Melendez, Daniel Cormier, Luke Rockhold, or even Ronda Rousey? This one just seems hard to believe if this is the finalized plan going into UFC on FOX 6.

2013 will be a make or break year in the UFC and FOX deal. The first year was what many called a feeling out process between the two entities. The second year will be a put up or shut up year for the UFC. If the UFC numbers fall or lack any real mobility upwards, this relationship could get ugly by the end of the year, which is why going with this card is a curious move at best for the UFC and FOX.

UFC: Ultimate Fight Collection 2012 Edition

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Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar will be staying at 155, at least for one more fight. Frankie Edgar broke the news on Twitter that he has signed to fight Ben Henderson in a rematch of their UFC 144 bout. “Rematch anyone??…….it’s on!!”

An excited Edgar broke the news late on Tuesday night, later confirmed by the UFC president with a retweet.

“Rematch anyone??…….it’s on!! Thanks to @danawhite @lorenzofertitta. Me and Henderson 2. Here we go!!” – @FrankieEdgar

Dana White confirmed the news on Tuesday night. The news comes a little over a week that saw the UFC president try and pressure the former champion to move down a weight class and fight Jose Aldo. After going back and forth in media interviews as to who would fight next for the UFC lightweight title, White is giving fans the rematch most have been asking for.

“Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson rematch will be this summer” – @DanaWhite

This now makes the third time the championship has been defended in dual fights in the UFC lightweight division, going back to Edgar’s series against BJ Penn. I am no MMA historian but I am guessing that has to be a first in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

I am excited about the news. As I wrote in a lengthy blog on Monday, Edgar deserved the rematch. The calls for Frankie to move down in weight were baseless in my opinion. As I said Monday, Edgar has had several years of success at lightweight. Just because he loses one fight to a guy that looked bigger than him, doesn’t mean he is too small for the division. Ask Sean Sherk, Gray Maynard, and BJ Penn about having a size advantage over Edgar.

The championship fight now adds to the fantastic schedule of upcoming UFC championship fights. In addition to the lightweight title fight, Jon Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight title against Rashad Evans, Dominick Cruz defends his UFC title against Urijah Faber, Junior Dos Santos defends his UFC title against Alistair Overeem, and Chael Sonnen will challenge Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title. That is a very impressive docket of upcoming championship fights if you ask me.

Anthony Pettis will be the big loser in this equation. Pettis was in line to challenge the Henderson vs. Edgar winner after demolishing Joe Lauzon at UFC 144. Pettis will now have to wait. This is the second time Pettis’ promised title shot was put on hold since joining the UFC. I would guess that Pettis would have to fight again while waiting if Edgar and Henderson aren’t fighting until summer. Then again, Carlos Condit seems to content to wait Georges St-Pierre out until November.

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