Recap of Strikeforce Grand Prix: Barnett vs Kharitonov,

On Saturday, Strikeforce held the semi-final in their heavyweight tournament plus a Strikeforce middleweight championship fight.   On paper, the show lacked any sort of big marquee name fighters but proved to be an entertaining show.

"The Babyfaced Assassin " Josh Barnett (3 1 -5) defeated Sergei Kharitonov (18- 5 ) by submission to an arm triangle at 4:28 of the first round.   Sergei landed some good combinations early on that saw Barnett search for the takedown with some eagerness.   Barnett was able to get the mount following a slam and pummel Sergei with punches until he saw an opening for an arm triangle and secured it forcing Sergei to tap out.   Good performance for Barnett who dedicated the fight to those lost on 9/11 and a friend who died in a car accident.   Barnett says he's looking forward to facing Cormier and will be looking to take down the Olympian.  

Daniel Cormier ( 9 -0) defeated Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (16- 3 ) by knockout at 3:56 of the first round.   Although Bigfoot was expected to be Cormiers toughest challenge to date he absolutely destroyed Silva, landing several hard righ hands that sent Bigfoot on dream street and eventually to the ground where Cormier landed some follow up punches until Silva was out an defenseless.   Although Cormier was a late replacement in the tournament, a winning against someone like Silva is a big notch under your belt and Cormier looks like he may be a tough challenge to anyone including training partner and current UFC champion Cain Velasquez.   It's expected that Cormier will face off with Josh Barnett in the finals of the tournament to take place early next year.

Strikeforce Middleweight Championship- Luke Rockhold ( 8 -1) defeated Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (14- 3 ) by unanimous decision.   Real competetive and fun fight here with a surprise winner in Rockhold who hadn't competed for 19 months.   Rockhold is a submission expert who has finished most of his opponents by those means in the first round however Jacare was a big step up in competition and Rockhold definitely passed the test.   Jacare was able to blast Rockhold with some strong punches at the beginning of the fight but by the end of the round Rockhold seemed to find his range and landed some vicious body kicks that hurt Jacare.   From the second round on, Rockhold kept Jacare at a distance and picked him apart however Jacare wasn't going down without a fight and was no pushover.   For Rockhold, this is a HUGE win having just defeated the best middleweight not in the UFC and with a rumored merger between Zuffa owned companies UFC and Strikeforce perhaps next year, if Rockhold can stay champion, he may find himself facing off with the pound for pound best fighter in the world Anderson Silva and presented an interesting challenge to the top ranked Silva.   Although he didn't look to bad in losing, Jacare should be able to defeat 95 percent of his competition in Strikeforce and get back on track late or early next year.   A move to the UFC may in fact be in store for both men in the coming months due to limited competition.

"King" Mo Lawal ( 8 -1) defeated Roger Gracie (4- 1 ) by knockout at 4:33 of the first round .   Mo took some time to find his range here and ended up landing an overhand right to the side of Roger's head when he finally did then follwed him to the ground where he landed another that knocked out Roger cold.   Mo decided not to get the fight to the ground which was the best strategy he could have used.   Mo campaigned for a rematch with Feijao following the fight as Feijao knocked him out a year ago and seems to want to return the favor.

Pat "Bam Bam" He aly (26-16) submitted Maximo Blanco (8-3-1) to a rear naked choke at 4:27 of the third round.   Good opener here with Blanco looking to knock out Healy and Healy to submit Blanco.   Blanco landed some illegal kicks to Healy's head in the first round while the two were on the mat which cost him a point deduction.   Blanco definiitely had Healy in trouble in the first round but couldn't finish him which lead to his downfall as Healy came out strong in the second and third rounds and put Blanco in trouble with a couple rear naked choke attempts that Blanco had difficulty breaking out of.   Eventually Healy made a third attempt at the rear naked and secured it forcing Blanco to tap.   Good showing for Healy who took the fight on short notice and proved to be a gamer, bringing the fight to Blanco.

Prelim Results

Rafael Cavalcante (1 1 -3) defeated Yoel Romero Palacio (4- 1 ) by tko at 4:53 of the second round

Mike Kyle (1 9 -8-1) defeated Marcos Rogerio de Lima (8- 1 ) by unanimous decIsion

Jordan Mein (2 3 -7) defeated Evangelista Santos (18-1 5 ) by tko at 3:18 of the third round

Alexis Davis (1 1 -4) defeated Amanda Nunes (6- 2 ) by tko at 4:53 of the second round

Dominique Steele (4-1) defeated Chris Mierzwiak (3-1) by unanimous decision

Preview of Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou

With a run of exciting shows over the last two months, the UFC looks to continue it ' s streak with a show eminating from New Orleans.   On paper this card is far lower in quality fights then some of the most recent ones but the UFC seems to have a knack for taking below par fight cards and turning them into something more than watchable.   Lets take a look at the card.

Jake Shields (26-5-1) vs Jake "The Juggernaut"   Ellenberger (24-5) - I don't know how easy of a sell it's going to be to have the two Jake's compete in a main event.   For Shields, who is coming off a terribly boring loss at the hands of GSP he's going to need to win this fight convincingly and in impessive fashion as he's always been given a wrap as a boring, lay and pray fighter.  Shields is 1-1 in the UFC winning a close split decision over Martin Kampmann in a fight that should have gone to Kampmann before his abysmal performance with GSP.   Shields has beaten some of the best in the business   at middleweight such as  Dan Henderson, Carlos Condit , Yushin Okami  and Robbie Lawler using wrestling and Jui Jitsu but I have to say that in the UFC's welterweight division, he hasn't shown to be all that impressive.   There is no denying that Shields is one of the best wrestlers in MMA but that can only get you so far in this game.   Jake Ellenberger has looked really good in his stint with the UFC having just defeated Sean Pierson at UFC 129 as well as taking top five welterweight Carlos Condit to a split decision loss in a 2009 fight that he won in the opinion of everyone but the judges.   Ellenberger pushes a mean pace and fights quite aggressively, almost the complete opposite of his opponent.   Ellenberger seemed to try and make 2011 his year by petitioning for a fight with Jon Fitch.   (Why anyone but GSP would want to face someone like Fitch is beyond me).   Ellenberger seems to have good enough takedown defense to keep fights standing but he's never faced someone with the takedowns of Shields.   Neither man are going to be easy to finish but I think Shields' patien ce should help him to wait for Ellenberger to over commit on some combinations and use that as his opportunity to get the fight to the mat.   If Ellenberger is able to fight his fight, then Shields may actually find himself in an entertaining fight but I think it's a safe bet that Shields does the usual to get a victory here.   Something eles to consider is that only a couple weeks ago Shields' father and trainer, Jack Shiels passed away.   It's tough to say if Shields' is extra motivated due to the loss or mentally broken but on Saturday we'll find out.

Prediction: Shields by decision   

Alan “ The Talent ” Belcher (16-6) vs Jason “ The Athlete ” MacDonald (25-14) - This fight should be real fun with a submission wizard taking on a kick boxer.   Alan Belcher is coming off a pretty big win over Patrick Cote, unfortunatley the fight took place over a year ago and Belcher hasn't been back in action since , after messing up his retina.   Belcher has been up and down in the UFC but seems to be enjoying a wave of success in his last few fights and hopes a win over MacDonald gets him back in middleweoght contention .   MacDonald is another one of those "up and down" fighters who seems to be on an up-swing having just finished Ryan Jensen at UFC 12 9 in the first round to a triangle choke.   Belcher's key to success here has to be standing up with Mac D onald and his takedown defense should help him keep it on the feet where he should finish MacDonald quickly.   MacDonald's never been known for his striking or his chin and if he can't pull gaurd and work off his back quickly then he's going to have a short night.   This one should be fun while it lasts.  

Prediction: Belcher by tko

Erik “ New Breed ” Koch (12-1) vs Jonathan Brookins (12-3) - Koch should be a tough test for Brookins who is making his UFC debut against non TUF fighters after defeating Michael Johnson at the TUF 12 finale.   Brookins has sat out for almost a year due to injuries and decided to make the cut to 145 in that time.   Koch has some aggressive standup while Brookins' submission game is where he shines.   I'm a big fan of the soft spoken and humble Brookins but I don't like his chances here as his stand - up has never really impressed me and if he can't get Koc h down then he's going to have a lot of trouble standing.   Brookins isn't going to be an easy guy to finish but Koch should be able to take the decision.

Prediction: Koch by decision  

Court “ Crusher ” McGee (13-1) vs Dong Yi “ The Hammer ” Yang (10-1) - Yang is a decent little scrapper but not necessarily UFC level, lucky for him the same can be said of his opponent Court McGee.   McGee was the winner of TUF 11 and the only guy to ever lose a fight in the house and somehow still get back into the tournament and win the whole thing.   McGee has gone 2-0 in the UFC with victories over Ryan Jensen and Kris McCray and has a good striking background, having trained with Chuck Liddel and John Hackleman for years.   Yang presents no real threats to McGee and this is little more then a "gimme fight" for Court to get him another win , however as is often the case with those sort of fights, anything can happen.

Prediction: McGee by decision

Facebook Prelims

Evan Dunham (11-2)   vs Shamar Bailey (12-3)- Prediction: Dunham by submission

Ken Stone (9-3) vs Donny "Eagle Eye" Walker (15-7)- Prediction: Stone by decision

Mike Stumpf vs Anthony "TJ" Waldburger (13-6)- Prediction: Waldburger by decision

Matthew Riddle (5-2) vs Lance Benoist (5-0)- Prediction: Riddle by decision

Jorge "Lil Monster" Lopez (11-1) vs Justin Edwards (6-1)- Prediction: Lopez by tko

Seth Bac z ynski (13-6) vs Clay Harvison (7-1)- Prediction: Baczynski by decision

Mike Lullo (8-3) vs Robert Peralta (14-3) - Prediction: Peralta by decision

Vagner Rocha (6-2) vs "AK Kid" Cody Mckenzie (12-1)- Prediction: Rocha by decision

Breakdown of UFC 135: Jones vs Jackson

Next weekend the UFC hosts a pay per view which includes the first title defense for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones as well as a couple intriguing match ups that may see some new contenders emerge for other championships.

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship- Jon “ Bones ” Jones (13-1) vs Quinton “ Rampage ” Jackson (32-8) - Rampage has looked pretty good against wrestlers in the past like Dan Henderson and Matt Hamill but Jon Jones is another beast altogether with wrestling skills that should be enough to get Rampage down.   If Rampage has his way he'll be looking to keep this fight standing and land one of those hooks that have ended several fighters nights but Jones is smart enough to know that , even with a significant reach advantage, he's going to have to refrain from this fight being contested on the feet.   As much as I want to give Rampage a fighting chance in this fight, Jones has looked invincible throughout his career and unless he gives a valid reason not to pick him then you're going to have too.   Rampage d efinitely ha s legit knockout power in his hands but for those to land he's going to need to get in close and with someone having the reach advantage that Jones does , thats going to be difficult.   Rampage isn't going to be easy to finish but then again neither were Matyushenko, Vera and Shogun and Jones was able to stop them both quickly.   Jones should take this one and set up what should be one of the biggest grudge matches in years, his next title defense over top contender and former friend, Rashad Evans.

Prediction: Jones by decision

Josh Koscheck (15-5) vs Matt Hughes (45-8 )- Originally this was to be a fight between Hughes and Diego Sanchez but a broken hand saw Diego forced to pull out and Koscheck sneak in as his replacement.   Tough fight to call as both men have the wrestling pedigree to cancel one another out but Kos has arguably the better stand-up.   Hughes has been winding down his career in the last couple years, choosing to take only big fights as opposed to fights that could see him climb the ranks again.   Although Kos hasn't fought since December of last year, he's still a highly ranked fighter who will push Hughes to his limits.   Coming off a fractured eye socket in his last outing with GSP, Kos should be looking to prove himself against Hughes and stay in welterweight championship contention.   Due to the fact that he's only going to have been training for two weeks in preparation for this one, Kos may be at a disadvantage and a little rusty however I'm sure an athlete the calibre of Kos, has been training at a high level throughout his injury with his team at AKA.   I like Kos's chances here whether he decides to out-wrestle Hughes or keep it standing but a finish on Hughes is not going to be easy.

Prediction: Koscheck by decision

Takanori “ The Dragonball Kid ” Gomi (32-7) vs Nate Diaz (13-7) - This fight should be flat out AWESOME!   Gomi has already fought Nate's older brother Nick in one of the most entertaining fights of 2007 and almost finished Diaz until Diaz was able to secure a gogoplata and force Gomi to tap out.   However, due to Nick Diaz having so much weed in his system (the test results showed he smoked right before the fight as opposed to days before) the results were changed to a no contest.   Nate fights much like his brother as both share a lengthy frame and give problems to their opponents by being able to keep a distance while having a great Jui Jitsu game in case the fight gets there.   Gomi can be finished on the mat but he's smart enough to know that he stands no chance of winning if the fights contested there but Diaz has never had great takedowns and getting the fight to an area he enjoys an advantage is easier said then done.   Despite Diaz's competetive striking game, he doesn't have knockout power and if and when Gomi finds his range and stays in close, he should be able to put a hurt on Diaz.   This is not an easy fight to call and both men are in desperate need of a win which usually makes for an entertaining fight.

Prediction: Gomi by decision

Tony "Cucuy" Ferguson (11-2) vs Aaron Riley (30-12-1) - Poor Riley, between premature referee stoppages and injuries this guy cant seem to catch a break.   Riley is one of those durable veterans who seems to always find himself against young up and comers when at this point in his career he should be taking on established top ten ranked opponents.   Tony Ferguson is the winner of the last season of TUF and the UFC must see something in him, giving him a credible opponent instead of the usual cannon fodder that the UFC usually throws to their TUF winners.   Tony's striking seems to be his strong suit and he should also enjoy a significant reach advantage o n Riley.   Riley has some good takedowns but Tony's submissions are pretty good and the fight should be a stalemate if it gets to th e ground.   Although Riley's been finished due to punches in the past, he has a pretty durable chin and shouldn't be all that easy to finish.   Good fight for Tony to see where they go with him atterwards.

Prediction: Ferguson by decision

Travis Browne (11-0-1) vs Rob Broughton (15-5-1) - Browne's 2-0-1 in the UFC and coming off a brutal knockout victory over Stefan Struve in his last fight.   One would think that a victory over an established fighter such as Struve would grant him top competition in his next fight, however, the UFC match making team doesn't always go with what fans want and instead we see Browne facing off with Rob Broughton who's 1-0 in the UFC.   Broughton seems to be a ground game guy who favours taking down his opponents and works to isolate a limb.   Browne should enjoy a five inch height and reach advantage in this one and he's not going to be a n easy guy to get to the mat or close in on.   Browne has one punch knockout power and I don't see Broughton wanting to get in too close and work for a takedown when it leaves him in range to get rocked with a punch.   Browne should win this one in quick fashion.

Prediction: Browne by knockout

Spike Prelims

Ben Rothwell (31-7) vs Mark Hunt (6-7) - Although Hunt was able to avoid Chris Tuschsherer's takedowns and finish him with a beautiful uppercut in his last fight, he's basically a kick boxer with limited ground skills meanwhile Rothwell is a good wrestler with decent punching power who'se coming off a year and a half layoff due to injuries.   If the fight stays standing, Hunt should have the advantage although Rothwell's reach may not be all that easy to overcome.   As stated earlier, Hunt was able to avoid being taken down by Tuchsherer, but Rothwell should be able to get him down much easier and is disciplined enough to know he can and most likely will finish Hunt on the mat.   Hunt has always had problems working off his back and Rothwell has good enough submissions that he should be able to create an opening and end Hunt's evening with a kimura or some sort of armbar.   Hunt and Rothwell both have good chins and even though they are both quite capable of knocking out opponents, I don't think either lands enough to stop the other guy if they try their luck on the feet.

Prediction: Rothwell by submission

Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch (13-4) vs Nick "The Promise" Ring (12-0)- This is Boetsch's second fight at 185 after dropping down from 205 to defeat Kendall Grove by decision while R ing is now 2-0 in the UFC's middleweight division. Boetsch has some good power in his hands and good wrestling while Ring is a submission specialist , having finished half of his opponents by those means.   Due to being the bigger fighter and having the background to do it, Boetsch should be able to get Ring down when he needs to while mixing it up on the feet but Ring is no joke off his back and Boetsch is definitely someone who can be submitted.   I don't think Ring will be all that competetive on the feet and should be looking to pull gaurd throughout the fight and work his Jui Jitsu magic.   Tough fight to call but Boetsch's size should be too much for the Canadian t o o handle.

Prediction: Boetsch by decision  

Facebook Prelims

James Te Huna (12-5) vs Ricardo Romero (11-2)- Prediction: Te Huna by tko

Junior Assuncao (12-4) vs Eddie "The Philipino Phenom" Yagin (15-4)- Prediction:

Takeya Mizugaki (14-6-2) vs Cole "Apache Kid" Escovedo (17-7) - Prediction: Mizugaki by decision

Upcoming Events

UFC On Versus 6 from- October 1st, 2011

UFC Bantamweight Championship- Dominick Cruz (17-1) vs Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson (9-1)

Charlie "The Spaniard" Brenneman (13-2) vs Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (9-3)

"Handsome" Matt Wiman (13-5) vs Mac Danzig (20-8-1)

Pat Barry (6-3) vs Stefan "Skyscraper" Struve (21-5)

Paul Sass (11-0) vs Michael "The Menace" Johnson (9-5)

Mike "The Hulk" Easton (10-1) vs Jeff "Hellbound" Hougland (10-4)

Yves "Thugjitsu Master" Edwards (40-17-1) vs Rafaello "Tractor" Oliveira (14-4)

Shane Roller (10-4) vs T.J. Grant (16-5)

Fabio Maldanado (18-4) vs Aaron Rosa (16-4)

Josh "The Dentist" Neer (31-10-1) vs Keith "The Polish Connection" Wisniewski (28-12-1)

Joseph Sandoval (6-0) vs Walel "The Gazel" Watson (8-2)

UFC 136 from Houston, Texas- October 8th, 2011

UFC Lightweight Title Fight- Frank "The Answer" Edgar (13-1-1) vs Gray "The Bully" Maynard (10-0-1)

UFC Featherweight Title Fight- Jose Aldo (19-1) vs Kenny "Ken Flo" Florian (14-5)

Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) vs "All American" Brian Stann (11-3)

Demian Maia (14-3) vs Jorge Santiago (23-9)

Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard (29-8-2) vs Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon (20-6)

Anthony "Showtime" Pettis (13-2) vs Jeremy "Lil Heathen" Stephens (20-6)

Dave "Pee Wee" Herman (21-2) vs Mike Russow (14-1)

Joey "Mexicutioner" Beltran (13-5) vs Stipe Miocic (6-0)

N am Phan (16-8) vs Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia (15-7-1)

Aaron "A- Train" Simpson (10-2) vs Eric "Ravishing Red" Schafer (12-5-2)

Steve "The Robot" Cantwell (7-4) vs Mike Massenzio (12-5)

Tie Quan "The Mongolian Wolf" Zhang (13-1) vs Darren Elkins (12-2)

UFC 137 from Las Vegas, Nevada- October 29th, 2011

UFC Welterweight Championship Fight - Georges "GSP" St. Pierre (22-2) vs "The Natural Born Killer" Carlos Condit ( 27-5 )

"The Prodigy" BJ Penn (16-7-2) vs Nick Diaz (25-7)

Roy "Big Country" Nelson (15-6) vs Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic   (27-9-2)

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (16-3) vs Dennis Siver (18-7)

Cheick Kongo (15-6-2) vs Matt Mitrione (4-0)

Hatsu Hioki (24-4-2) vs George Roop (12-7-1)

Scott Jorgensen (12-4) vs Jeff "Big Frog" Curran (33-13-1)

Tyson Griffin (14-5) vs Bart Palaszewski (35-14)

Brandon "The Truth" Vera (11-5) vs Eliot "The Fire" Marshall (10-3)

"Crazy" Tim Credeur (12-4) vs Brad Tavares (7-1)

Daniel "Danny Boy" Downes (8-2) vs Ramsey Nijem (4-2)

UFC 138 from Birmingham, England- November 5th, 2011

"The Crippler" Chris Leben (26-7) vs "The Phillippine Wrecking Machine" Mark Munoz (11-2)

Thiago "Pitbull" Alves (18-8) vs Papy "Makambo" Abedi (8-0)

Terry Etim (14-3) vs Edward "Falo" Faaloto (2-2)

Anthony Njokuani (13-5) vs "Relentless" Paul Taylor (11-6-1)

Brad "One Punch" Pickett (20-5) vs. Renan Barao (26-1)

Mark Scanlon (7-2) vs James Head (7-2)

Michihiro Omigawa (12-10-1) vs Jason "Shotgun" Young (8-4)

John Hathaway (15-1) vs Matt "The Immortal" Brown (12-10)

Chris "Kamikaze" Cariaso (11-3) vs Vaughan Lee (11-6-1)

Phillip De Fries (7-0) vs Oli Thompson (9-2)

Che Mills (13-4) vs Chris "C -Murder " Cope (5-1)

Cyrille "Snake " Diabate (17-7-1) vs Anthony "Hippo " Perosh (11-6)

UFC Fox Fight Night 1- November 12th, 2011

UFC Heavyweight Championship- Cain Velasquez (9-0) vs Junior Dos Santos (13-1)

Ben Henderson (14-2) vs Clay "The Carpenter" Guida (29-11)

Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-4) vs Darren "BC" Uyenoyama (6-3)

Ricardo Lamas (10-2) vs Cub Swanson (15-4)

Dustin "The Diamond" Poirier (10-1) vs Pablo "Scarecrow " Garza (11-1)

UFC 13 9 from San Jose, California- November 19th, 2011

"The California Kid" Urijah Faber (25-4) vs Brian Bowles (10-1)

Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (20-9) vs Cung Le (7-1)

Chris Weidman (6-0) vs "Filthy" Tom Lawlor (7-3)

Rafael Dos Anjos (15-5) vs Gleison Tibau (23-7)

Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann (17-5) vs Rick "The Horror" Story (13-4)

Ryan "Darth" Bader (12-2) vs Jason "The Hitman" Brilz (18-4-1)

Kyle Kingsbury (11-2) vs "American Psycho" Stephan Bonnar (13-7)

TUF 14 Finale from Las Vegas, Nevada- December 3rd, 2011

Jason "Mayhem" Miller (24-7) vs Michael "The Count" Bisping (21-3)

UFC 140 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada - December 10th, 2011

Frank Mir (15-5) vs Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogeira (33-6-1)

"The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (16-9-1) vs Antonio Rogerio "Minotoro" Nogueira (19-5)

Rory "Ares" MacDonald (12-1) vs Brian "Bad Boy" Ebersole (48-14-1)

Mitch Clarke (9-0) vs John Cholish (7-1)

Claude "The Prince" Patrick (14-1) vs Rich "The Raging Bull" Attonito (10-4)

John "The Bull" Makdessi (9-0) vs Dennis "Superman" Hallman (50-14-2)

Strikeforce: Melendez vs Masvidal- December 17th, 2011

Strikeforce Lightweight Championship- Gilbert Melendez (19-2) vs Jorge Masvidal (22-6)

UFC 141 from Las Vegas, Nevada- December 30th, 2011

Brock Lesnar (5-2) vs "The Demolition Man" Alistair Overeem (35-11)

That's all for this week but I'll be back in two weeks with a recap of Fight Night 25: Battle on the Bayou and UFC 135: Jones vs Jackson plus breakdown's of UFC on Versus 6: Cruz vs Johnson and UFC 136: Edgar vs Maynard 3.   Take care everyone!