First M-1 Global Pay Per View Possibly Fedor vs Barnett

Sam Caplan has reported that M-1 Global could hold their first Pay Per View in the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The report below.

ProElite.com (SamCaplan.ProElite.com) has learned through multiple sources that M-1 Global is leaning towards holding their first pay-per-view event in the U.S. in Newark, NJ at the Prudential Center, the same venue that hosted UFC 78 earlier this month.

Officials from M-1 recently visited the Prudential Center and were impressed with the venue and are looking at booking a possible date in February or March.

Chicago had been receiving serious consideration for the event but logistical issues are likely to prevent it from being the first host city for M-1.

However, logistical issues could be a factor in Newark as well because it is believed there are no available dates on Saturday in February in March. If the Prudential Center is booked, M-1 Global may have to consider holding an event on a Friday.

Matchups for the first show are already being discussed. A main event between Fedor Emelianenko vs. Josh Barnett is under consideration but Barnett is currently not contracted to the promotion. - Original Source Sam Caplan Blog

This is something that any real MMA fan would pay their hard-earned money to see. A Fedor vs Barnett matchup has long been a fight that fans have begged for. If M-1 Global can pull this off, along with some decent fights on the rest of the card then they may prove to be a real contender in the business of Mixed Martial Arts.

New Interview With Dan Henderson

Hey guys here is an interview with Hendo from mmahawaii.com, pretty good interview except for the first couple minutes all they talk about is supplements?

New Video Interview with Wanderlei Silva

Hey guys, check out this wanderlei interview, he weighs in on a number of issues.

Part 1


Part 2

Why MMA Will Overtake Boxing

Hey guys here's an article I wrote awile back about why I think Mixed Martial Arts will overtake boxing. Below is the article in its entirety.

Boxing has long been the king of the pay-per-view airways, and that still holds true, just barely. Although the recent superfight between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. grossed a record breaking $120 million, this was not the fight to save boxing. This was not even a great fight. The fight sold well on massive hype and the fighters names, but a fight you tell your grandkids about it was absolutely not.

"This puts to bed this theory of boxing being in trouble, or being dead or dying," said Ross Greenburg, head of HBO Sports. "This fight would have never materialized if boxing was dying." Sorry Ross, but he knows whats going on and he knows exactly why his sport is struggling so much. It has become tradition for HBO boxing announcer Jim Lampley to say something derogatory about Mixed Martial Arts, saying after the De La Hoya vs Mayweather fight that "Mixed Martial Arts is entertaining. The kind of skill level you saw in the ring tonight - there's nothing in mixed martial arts which is within light years of what Mayweather and De La Hoya are able to do with their hands."

Cheap shots aside, Lampley knows MMA is winning some battles in the war. Colorful UFC president Dana White knows it too, saying in his 60 minutes interview "When you start watching the UFC, boxing sucks, boxing is boring". He may be right on the money with that statement. Why watch 2 guys use one form of fighting discipline on each other, when you can watch 2 guys not only use boxing, but Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Sambo, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, submissions and many forms of wrestling. If Lampley wants to talk about skill level why don't you ask a boxer to take 4 or 5 leg kicks without crying, protect against a shoot and takedown or avoid getting arm-barred, choked out or leg-locked. Boxer's only have to worry about getting punched and throwing a punch. So don't bring skill level into the discussion.

Lets take a look at the main reason boxing was popular in its hey days. The most often overlooked aspect of boxing's popularity is the presence of one true champion, usually heavyweight. These days we have no clue has to who that is in part because nobody's good enough to completley dominate. Its the allure of being labeled "unbeatable" that draws people to that kind of champion. Where would golf be without Tiger Woods and what happened to basketball when Michael Jordan retired the first time. In MMA there is this "unbeatable" champion, Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor is a mild-mannered stone cold fighter who is versed in every aspect of the MMA game. He is considered unbeatable by most, which makes it all the more appealing to watch his fights. If he ever loses it will be a major shock to anybody watching, which is why people tune-in. This affects all the fights because you watch an up and comer and think "could he be the one to take down Fedor"

UFC owners Zuffa {owned by Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta} recently bought their biggest competitor, Japanese promotion Pride Fighting Championship. From the perspective of die-hard fans Pride was considered to have the best fighters in the world. It was extremely popular in Japan, until Fuji TV terminated their contract. Pride couldn't handle the loss and had to sell. With Pride on board many superfights that was thought never to be possible are. Popular fighters such as Fedor, Wanderlai Silva, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and before the purchase Mirko "CroCop" Filipovic and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson are now able to go up against the UFC's elite such as Randy Couture, Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell, Rich Franklin, B.J. Penn and Matt Serra. Being able to promote these kind of superfights will further cement MMA as a true young contender to an old champion, boxing.

One more aspect overlooked by skeptics is the fact that MMA has less serious injuries than boxing. Its not like in boxing where you may take over 100 punches to your head and midsection. Furthermore if you get knocked out in boxing you can get back up and take more punishment, in MMA if the ref thinks your knocked out for a second the fights over. So Lampley and other skeptics can moan all they want, but the facts are the facts and pay-per-view has a new shining prince waiting to be crowned king.

quotes provided by foxsports.com

Original Source

The Rise of Mixed Martial Arts

Hey everyone, this is an article I wrote a while back for a website, obviously alot of things have changed since then(like some people thinking Fedor isn't number 1 anymore), but its an educational article for someone who may be new to MMA.



In the early days of mixed martial arts the concept was simple. Fighters used their specific fighting discipline against an opponent with a different fighting discipline. To prove their style was better they simply got in the ring and used the only style they had trained in for years. This mix of styles often resulted in boring matches. In November of 1993 the first event was held by entrepreneur Art Davie and son of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu creator Helio Gracie's son Rorion Gracie. They named their event Ultimate Fighting Championship now known as the UFC.

The only rules in these fights were no eye-gouging and no biting, but other than that anything else was allowed including groin shots and head butts. The event became popular as people were drawn to the violence and technique. Then came politics as many politicians denounced the sport for its brutal nature. Senator John McCain was so adamant about banning the UFC he was successful in making it illegal in all but 3 states. McCain, who is known for having connections in boxing, also had it removed from 90% of pay-per-view providers. While the UFC was struggling mightily, a promotion in Japan called Pride Fighting Championship was flourishing.

Pride fights were fought in a traditional ring and had slightly different rules than UFC. The UFC was bought by the Zuffa organization in 2001 a company with money and connections. Zuffa is owned by Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta with Dana White being the president. Zuffa was able to get the sport sanctioned in most states that McCain got it banned from. They also inserted boxing like rules with a point system, weight classes, outlawing techniques such as kicking a downed opponent along with rules that were already in place such as glove wearing, no groin shots and no head butts. With these rules in place viewers were able to see the amazing techniques used by the fighters realizing it wasn't just an all-out street brawl with no abilities. Fighters now combined many different fighting styles in fights including jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, muay thai, judo, sambo, greco-roman wrestling, submissions and other forms. Fighters in Pride and UFC became celebrities.

UFC owners Zuffa bought Pride recently and is now able to have Super-Fights that many people thought would never happen. Some examples would be Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlai Silva(Now on for December 29th at UFC 79), Fedor Emelianenko vs. Randy Couture and Couture vs. Silva. One of the things that makes MMA so popular now is the fact that there is a consensus greatest fighter in the world in Fedor Emelianenko. Boxing was at its finest when there was one man on top and Fedor is considered unbeatable by most, so if he does lose it would be a major shock. The allure of one guy dominating a sport like Tiger Woods or Roger Federer always makes the sport more popular because everybody is after him but no one can beat him. This sport will continue to grow as the reality TV show "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV lets people in on the world of MMA. MMA is NOT a fad that will go away, its here to stay.

UFC Announces Dan Henderson vs Anderson Silva

The UFC announced at the post fight press conference that Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva will face Dan Henderson in March next year.

Heres the FULL ARTICLE from MMAweekly.

My Take- Man I'm counting the days for this fight to happen, what a war this should be. Both have ridiculous chins so a knockout is not likely, but both have serious power so you never know. The big question I think would be is if the wrestler Hendo will want to take Anderson down and hold him there or will Anderson's muay thai be too much. In any case there is plenty of time to dissect every angle of this fight, so for now I'm just really excited because this will one of the best main events in UFC history.

ESPN Houston Alexander Video

This is a cool short interview with Alexander.

Exclusive Video Interview with Fedor Emelianenko

The fight network recently caught up with Fedor after winning the Sambo championship. Check this out Fedor says some seriously interesting things about the UFC.

Top 5 MMA Submissions of the Last Year

There is nothing I love more than a good submission to end a fight. Its one of the most exciting moments in MMA, you see a fighter caught in a submission and you wonder can he escape it, is he gonna tap, will he go unconscious or will his arm/leg be broken. These are my top 5 submissions of the last year in MMA.

5. Frank Shamrock Rear Naked Chokes Phil Baroni Unconscious with Baroni's eyes still open- First time I've ever seen someone choked out with their eyes open. These 2 guys hated each other and after the fight Shamrock even admitted to holding the choke a little longer to punish Baroni for talking so much trash. If you watch the video it looks like Baroni is a corpse, its great! WATCH HERE

4. BJ Penn Rear Naked Chockes Jens Pulver at the TUF 5 Finale- The transitions that set up this choke were amazing. Pulver puts his arm up while BJ has his back for a split second, then in an instant secures that arm with his leg while grabbing his neck. Penn admitted later on to holding the choke longer to punish Pulver. WATCH HERE

3. Renato Babalu Sobral Anaconda Chokes David Heath Unconscious at UFC 74, Then Gets Fired from the UFC- Before this fight David Heath was wearing a shirt with Babalu's mugshot on it all weekend in Vegas. Apparently Babalu was pretty pissed off at the guy. Before the infamous choke Babalu had bloodied Heath to the point where it looked like both men were standing next to Stephan King's Carrie at the prom. Then he slaps the anaconda on tight, Heath starts tapping but Babalu keeps it in deep until Heath goes to sleep. Babalu would say that he couldn't feel Heath tapping, but was still fired from the UFC. WATCH HERE

2. Forrest Griffin Rear Naked Chokes Mauricio Shogun Rua at UFC 76- Probably the most shocking outcome to a fight in a long time. Coming into the fight Shogun was considered the second best fighter in any weight class in the world. To the suprise of many Forrest shows better ground skills and even better standup than Rua. Middle of the second round Shogun gasses, by the third he is totally gassed, Forrest gets his back and sinks the choke in to make sure the fight didn't go to a decision(which he would of won anyway) and shock many MMA fans. WATCH HERE

1. Nick Diaz Submits Takanori Gomi with a Gogoplata at Pride 33- This is one my favorite fights ever and a fight that everyone should see. These are 2 of the most entertaining fighters you will ever see and when they got in the ring together chaos ensued. Diaz is known for never letting you breath, he will keep on throwing lighter punches while his opponents throw powerful punches every now and then. Gomi landed a haymaker that dropped Diaz early on but Diaz has the ability to relax in the ring and weathered that one shot with ease. Late in the first round Gomi started to gas and Diaz took advantage with pitter patter punches, landing a ridiculous amount on Gomi's chin. In the second round Gomi gets a takedown, but in the process gets caught in the Gogoplata, amazing ending to an amazing fight. WATCH HERE

There were alot of great submissions the past year, but these are the ones I enjoyed the most.

Fedor Wins Combat Sambo World Championship, Again

We all know that the main reason Fedor Emelianenko didn't sign with the UFC is that Zuffa, and Dana White wouldn't let him compete in Russian Sambo. Now this is something that he has done for years and has a deep passion for. Anyways I'll save my opinion of that for another time, here's a snippet of the story.

Fedor Emelianenko (Pictures) won the open-weight division of the 31st Combat Sambo World Championship on Nov. 10 in Prague. With the win, the 31-year-old Russian, widely regarded as the No. 1 heavyweight fighter in the world, defended the title he won two years ago in the Czech Republic capital.
Read the whole article HERE

Fedor is so far above the competition of Russian Sambo, probably even more so than mixed martial arts. Make sure you check my VIDEOS SITE in the coming weeks, I'll see if I can get a video of this.

MMA Internet Slang for Noobs- Part 1

I've been blogging about MMA for a while and I get alot of emails from people just getting into MMA wondering what some of the things I say mean. Well for those people I'm gonna make a list, a reference for newbs, so when they sign up for forums and discussion boards they know what more experienced users are saying. For the MMA die-hards, feel free to let me know what Im missing. This is part 1 of a 3-part series. If you know someone who is just starting out in MMA, make them read these articles before posting in forums. By the way MMA means Mixed Martial Arts!

*UFC- Refers to the American promotion, Ultimate Fighting Championships, considered the top promotion in the world.

*Pride- Refers to the now defunct Japanese promotion Pride Fighting Championships, which was bought by UFC owners Zuffa LLC.

*Wandy or Wand- Refers to Wanderlei Silva, one of the most popular fighters ever, known for his legendary staredowns and aggressive style, his nickname is "The Axe Murderer". Fought in Pride, now fights for UFC.

*Rampage or Page- Refers to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, the current UFC Light Heavyweight champion. Rampage is known for his signature slams, hilarious commentary and a tense rivalry with Wanderlei Silva that produced 2 unforgettable fights.

*Fedor- Refers to Fedor Emelianenko, A Russian Heavyweight fighter and longtime Pride champion who is widely considered to be the best fighter in the world. Fedor recently signed with the promotion M1 Global, breaking many fans hearts who wanted to see him in the UFC.

*Crocop- Refers to Mirko "Crocop" Filipovic, A Croatian Heavyweight fighter who is known for his left high kick, kickboxing career and an unforgettable superfight with Fedor. Crocop signed with the UFC, but has lost 2 of 3 fights he was heavily favored to win.

*GSP or Rush- Refers to UFC Welterweight Georges St. Pierre, a Canadien fighter who is known for his athletic style and is considered one of the best fighters in the world. He was the UFC Welterweight Champion, until being derailed by heavy underdog Matt Serra.

*TUF- Refers to the Spike TV reality show about upcoming fighters vieing for a contract from the UFC called "The Ultimate Fighter".

*TTT- Means "To The Top", this is used in forums to bump up threads that have little or no responses.

*TUF Noob- Refers to a person who only started watching MMA because of the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. This is often a means of insulting somebody who makes a stupid forum post.

Those are the first 10, check in tommorow for part 2.

The Axe Murderer vs The Iceman, Who Wins?

With the recent announcement of Wanderlei Silva vs Chuck Liddell at UFC 79 a match that is long overdue, I want to give my prediction on who I think wins this superfight.

Both fighters are coming off two losses and both fighters lost their belts in the process. Silva was knocked out by heavyweight Mirko Crocop and then knocked out by Dan Henderson, while Liddell was knocked out by Quinton Jackson and then lost a split decision to Keith Jardine. Its fair to say both fighters are hungry to get back in the ring and prove themselves, but this is not just another fight, this is a fight that the MMA world has been eagerly anticipating for years. The stage was set at Pride Final Conflict 2003, but Rampage Jackson spoiled the party by forcing Liddell's corner to throw in the towel after Liddell was taking a viscious beating on the ground. Wanderlei ended up winning that tournament with a stoppage of Jackson later that night, thus cementing his place as the best 205 pounder in the world at the time. Oh how times have changed, Pride is defunct and Jackson is now on top of the rankings after beating Liddell and Henderson in the UFC. So who do I believe will win this match for the ages?

Striking- Both fighters are well known for knocking people out while standing. They both strike a little wider than the traditional method of punching. I would give the power advantage slightly to Chuck, while I would say Wandy is a little bit faster. Chuck doesn't really kick or knee anymore that much, while Silva is devasting with knees in the clinch, and to a lesser extent low kicks and kicks to the body. Both fighters can end the fight in the blink of an eye, Liddell more with one punch and Silva more with a flurry of punches, knees and kicks.

Ground Game- Wandy is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, he knows his submissions, he just chooses not to end his fights that way. Liddell hasn't been submitted in almost 8 years and Silva hasn't submitted anyone in 7 years so its not gonna happen. Liddell has an uncanny ability to get back to his feet after being on his back. I would predict that we wouldn't see much ground action in this fight and having Wandy stand over top of you while your on your back is not nearly as dangerous as it used to be because of UFC rules.

Grappling- Both of these guys are well versed in the wrestling aspect of MMA, of course in this fight, which is likely to stay standing, we'll probably see alot more upper-body wrestling than anything else. Of course Silva will want to work the clinch and Liddell will certainly want to avoid that and try for overhooks and underhooks. These guys will want to slug it out with punches, but Silva will certainly try to get in close and use his famous Muay Thai knees.

As for who has a mental edge in this fight, since both guys are looking to prove themselves again, neither of them really have an edge. I'm picking Wanderlei to win the fight. I think Keith Jardine exposed somewhat of a weakness in Liddell's game, low kick defense. Wandy knows how to use low kicks and I think he will use them to his advantage. I think Liddell will have some problems with Silva's Muay Thai clinch, not to the extent of Franklin/Anderson, but I think it will pose a credible threat to Liddell's gameplan, which is probably counter-punching. I can't wait for this fight to happen!

Q & A with UFC Star Houston Alexander

Gary Herman over at cbs sportsline just had an exellent interview with up and comer UFC fighter Houston Alexander about his upcoming fight with the undefeated Thiago Silva. Heres a snippet.

Q: What are your thoughts on the upcoming fight with Thiago Silva?

A: It's going to be a very exciting fight. Thiago likes to come out just like I do. He wants to come right at you.

Q: How long do you think the fight will go? Will it be a quick one?

A: I'm not sure. It can go a minute, or it can go three rounds. It all depends on the type of fighter he wants to be. If he wants to go down quick, we can do it quick. If he wants to go down slow, we can do that also.

Q: One of the questions most people have had about your style is: What is your ground game like?

A: A lot of people have asked me that. I have two words for anyone asking -- Bob Shermer. Shermer has one of the top jiu-jitsu teams in the world, and I just happen to be working with him. I also have one of the best wrestling coaches in the Midwest in Curly Alexander. He has been a wrestling coach for 35 years. My ground game is great. It is just as good as anyone's in the UFC. It probably rates a little better then my stand-up. If these guys can get past my first line of defense, they'll get a chance to see it.

Read the rest HERE

Brock Lesner to Face Frank Mir

Former pro wrestler turned mixed martial arts fighter Brock Lesner recently signed with the UFC. His first match was announced, Lesner will face former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Here's a snippet from sherdog.

The UFC on Monday announced that Lesnar (1-0) will fight former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (Pictures) (10-3) Feb. 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Read the full article HERE

My Take- Frank Mir is obviously not what he once was, but he is still a very tough opponent for someone with only 1 mma fight under his belt. Lesner is obviously the stronger of the 2, but I would predict its gonna be a hard for Lesner to win this match against someone with alot of experience in the octagon.

Top 10 MMA Dream Matches- Sequels

Yesterday I wrote the top 10 mma dream matches with no sequels, today its all about the second, third or fourth matches between fighters who already fought each other.

10. Fedor Emelianenko vs Mirko Crocop 2- The first fight between these was our Ali-Frazier as far as MMA goes. Although Crocop has lost 2 back to back fights in the UFC, many fans would love to see this rematch.

9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs Mirko Crocop 2- The first fight is one of my favorite fights of all-time. Crocop was destroying Nog through the whole first round, landing numorous kicks and punches and stuffing every takedown attempt. Then as the second round started Nog shot in, got the takedown and secured the armbar. Would Crocop be able to finish him this time?

8. Forrest Griffin vs Mauricio Shogun Rua 2- The big question would be, would the real Shogun show up. For whatever reasons in the first fight Shogun did not look like himself, most notably gassing, when he is known for tremendous cardio. Forrest is a tough SOB and a second fight would be a war.

7. Wanderlei Silva vs Ricardo Arona 3- The ultimate grudge match, these 2 guys hate each other. Wanderlei no doubt is itching to get back in the ring with Arona after Arona yelled in his face after the last fight. Both fights were closely fought decisions and a third fight would be a rubber match for the ages.

6. Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn 3- How can fans not clamour for a third fight between these 2, the first 2 fights are classics. No doubt these 2 guys have amazing MMA skills and when they get in the cage together it will always be an entertaining bout.

5. Nick Diaz vs Takanori Gomi 2- The first fight is an amazing fight with a killer ending. Diaz tested positive for weed after the fight, which had nothing to do with his medifast coupons, so his victory is somewhat tainted, so they need to get back in there and bang it out again.

4. Fedor Emelianenko vs Ricardo Arona 2- The first fight is widely considered to be a very controversial decision which Fedor won. After the fight was over you can see the disbelief on Arona's face. Whatever you think of the first decision, a second fight would answer all the questions.

3. Randy Couture vs Josh Barnett 2- In the first fight, Couture was controlling the fight until he made a crucial mistake and Barnett finished him. These 2 guys are as tough as they come and another fight would no doubt be an entertaining affair.

2. Anderson Silva vs Ryo Chonan 2- Was the flying scissor heel hook a fluke submision? Anderson looks unstoppable right now and this would be a chance to avenge one of the more amazing losses I've evr seen in MMA. A second fight would probably see Anderson dominate.

1. Wanderlei Silva vs Quinton Rampage Jackson 3- The first 2 fights are Pride classics that I would show anyone looking to get into Mixed Martial Arts. These 2 have a long history of hating each other, remember the infamous "My Belt" incident. The main question would be, can Quinton overcome the mental aspect of being finished in devastating fashion both fights. Can Rampage avoid the knees of the Muay Thai legend? I really hope this fight happens, I would never be more excited to see a fight.

Ken Shamrock vs Frank Shamrock a Possibility?

The president of the ElieXC is reportedly very interested in promoting a brother vs brother event. There's no blood relation between the 2, they were both adopted. Ken is 44 and Frank is 34. Heres a snippet from Gary Shaw courtesy of thefightnetwork.com.

“I talked to my team about it,” Shaw said. “I would love to do brother versus brother. It would be a great promotion.”

Read the rest HERE

In my opinion this is defenitely a PPV I would pay to see, Im not sure how close the brothers are, but it could sell some PPV's for sure. Frank looked great in his return to the ring against Phil Baroni, while Ken hasn't fought in a year with his last fight being his third loss to Tito Ortiz. Ken is a competitor though and this could be a very interesting fight if it were to happen.

By the way I don't if everybody knows but Frank Shamrock has a blog, check it out.

Graphic Picture of Kevin Randleman's Staph Infection

For those who don't know the story, former UFC and Pride fighter Kevin "The Monster" Randleman has been battling a very serious staph infection. Here's a snippet from mmanews.com.

Over the last two years, Kevin has been experiencing a number of issues. He spent some time in the hospital at the turn of the new year and just recently had a severe bout of staph infection and is still feeling the effects of it.

Read the full article HERE

Top 10 MMA Dream Matches- No Sequels Allowed

Many MMA fans have their own personal fights that they would like to see, but might never happen. Hopefully the list I'm about write with come true and these fights will take place at some point in time. Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva is on for UFC 79, so that dream match has finally come true. Obviously there are many rematches that we would like to see, but I'll save that for another post.

10. Forrest Griffin vs Quinton Rampage Jackson- Dana White is dreaming of the day this fight takes place, both hardcore and reletively new fans would pay to see this fight. Griffin is coming off an amazing victory over Mauricio Rua, a fighter that Jackson lost too badly. Rampage has been on a roll and is getting more and more popular because of his charisma and personality.

9. BJ Penn vs Sean Sherk- This fight was planned and I was really excited about it, but unfortunately Sherk tested positive for steroids and now the lightweight belt is in limbo. Penn was recently quoted as telling Sherk to "grow some balls", this fight should happen down the road.

8. Wanderlei Silva vs Mauricio Shogun Rua- Wanderlei has stated many times that he will not fight his longtime friend and training partner, but what a fight it would be. They know each others styles in and out, it would be a true chess match. One stipulation, the fight has to be in a ring and soccer kicks and stomps are allowed.

7. Fedor Emelianenko vs Josh Barnett- This fight should've already happen but it never materialized. Barnett has long been considered the biggest threat to dethrone the Russian king, Emelianenko. For fans who have followed both of the fighter's careers this would be the ultimate test for Fedor.

6. Takanori Gomi vs Gilbert Melendez- This fight would be a war and both fighters have common opponents. Both fighters like to slug it out and it could be very similar to Gomi vs Nick Diaz which is one of the best fights Ive ever seen.

5. Anderson Silva vs Paulo Filho- Both of these fighters have tremendous Jiu-Jitsu skills, obviously Silva would have the advantage standing, but whatever the strategy would be this would be a dream matchup. Filho is undefeated and Silva looks like he could beat anyone on the planet right now. Dana White if your listening "Sign Paulo Filho!!!!".

4. Wanderlei Silva vs Fedor Emelianenko- Wanderlei has fought heavyweights like Crocop twice and Mark Hunt, why not the Fedor. This fight could've happened if Pride was still around, with their open-weight grand prix tournaments. Both fighters are warriors who give it everything they have in every fight. This fight is unfortunately probably never gonna happen.

3. Dan Henderson vs Anderson Silva- If Henderson were to drop back to middleweight, the hype for this fight would be enormous. Both fighters are so well-versed in every aspect of the game. Would Hendo's wrestling be too much for Silva? Could Hendo avoid the nasty clinch of Silva? Many more questions would be answered if this superfight were to take place.

2. Fedor Emelianenko vs Randy Couture- Whether you hate Fedor or you love him, all 3 fights with him in it that are on this list, you would pay to see. This fight was close to happening, if the UFC could've signed Fedor it would've probably been his first fight. Now that Fedor has signed with M-1 global and Couture has quit the UFC, its only a matter of months left on Couture's UFC contract that we could see this fight. Could Couture press the greco roman clinch and dirty box Fedor to death or would it be just another day at the office for the Russian experiment?

1. Kazushi Sakuraba vs Rickson Gracie- The "Gracie Hunter" against the legendary champion of the Gracie family, who claims to have won over 300 fights without a loss. This fight will probably never happen, but we can dream. This fight would be so huge in Japan you would probably have to kill 3 people just to get a nose bleed seat.

Updated UFC 78 Fight Card- Terrell Forced Off Card

It seems David Terrell had to be replaced by Joe Doerksen due to an ankle injury, an mri revealed torn ligaments.

Main Event- Rashad Evans vs Michael Bisping
Houston Alexander vs Thiago Silva
Ed Herman vs Joe Doerkson
Karo Parisyan vs Ryo Chonan
Frankie Edgar vs Spencer Fisher

Undercard
Thiago Alves vs Chris Lytle
Joe Lauzon vs Jason Reinhardt
Marcus Aurelio vs Luke Caudillo
Akihiro Gono vs Tamdan McCrory

Obviously one of the worst cards I've seen in a long time, but the Fisher vs Edgar fight should be great and Alexander faces his toughest test yet in Chute Box product Thiago Silva who is undefeated.

Top 10 Funniest MMA Quotes

This whole list could be Rampage quotes but Im only gonna put 2 of my favorites, so I can let some other people have some quote glory. *Warning* Some explicit language!

10. Mauro Ranallo Talking about Minotauro- "He's takin an unbelievable amount of punishment over the years, but the question is will he pay the price later on in life"- This always gets a laugh out of me because he has said it numorous times and whoever the other announcers are, they become totally silent because its obviously not appropriate to say.

9. Wanderlei Silva- "I want to Fuck Chuck"- Those english classes werent going well apparently, as Wandy was trying to say I want to fight Chuck.

8. Rampage- "Is that Heath's nut hangin out"- Quinton was announcing the second fight between Nogueira and Heath Herring, when he noticed how short Heath's shorts were.

7. Ken Shamrock- "I will beat you into a living death"- Ken's quotes could have their own article too.

6. Forrest Griffin- "He did exactly what I wanted him to do and he knocked me the fuck out"- Forrest after getting KTFO by Keith Jardine.

5. Anything that comes out of Bill Goldberg's Mouth- Funny in a sad way.

4. Bas Rutten- "Maybe he smokes"- Basito responding to Rampage talking about Fujita's yellow teeth after being choked out by Fedor.

3. Tim Sylvia- "Bring on Fedor"- Funny because if that fight were to happen he'd probably be out cold or submitted in the first round.

2. Stephen Quadros- "The touching of gloves may be the only punch Fujita lands"- Before the Fedor/Fujita fight, little did he know what would transpire.

1. Rampage- "You can make a mistake and get caught in a submission, but Chuck made a mistake and he got caught in an ass whoopin'."- Quinton after knocking out Liddell.

Well thats my list, if anyone has some good ones leave a comment. If you are going to print out the list, make sure you have enough epson ink in your printer.

Top 5 Most Entertaining Fighters

These are my top 5 fighters who are the most entertaining for me to watch.

5. Antonio Minotauro Nogueira- Theres nothing like seeing a fighter who gets hit over and over again and takes every shot as if a 5-year old were hitting him. Big Nog has been in some of the most entertaining fights ive ever seen. If not for his ability to withstand punishment the Fedor fights may have been over very quickly and not nearly as entertaining. When Big Nog fights I will always watch because you know you might see something you've never seen before. Favorite fights- Nog vs Sapp, Nog vs Crocop, Nog vs Herring 1, Nog vs Fedor 1 and 3.

4. Nick Diaz- Diaz is an animal when he steps into a fight, he has what any great fighter needs, relaxation when things aren't going your way. He never panics in a fight and he is always cocky and confident. You can just tell that he loves what he does, and he can also take some serious punishment. He throws so many punches that his opponents just dont have time to take a break and jiu-jitsu is incredible. After taking so much punishment in the Gomi fight he got taken down, but had the wits to slap on the most beautiful gogoplata you'll ever see. Favorite fights- Diaz vs Gomi, Diaz vs Lawler, Diaz vs Jeremy Jackson 2 and 3.

3. Randy Couture- I will never get tired of watching Couture "shock the world" as he has done so many times. Most recently totally dominating the bigger, younger Gabrial Gonzaga eventually stopping him in the third round. He is the ultimate underdog in almost every fight, whether its size or age it just doesn't matter to the natural. He's a "truth machine" and if your not in supreme mental and physical condition he will expose it. Favorite fights- Couture vs Liddell 1, Couture vs Belfort 1, Couture vs Sylvia, Couture vs Rizzo 1, Couture vs Gonzaga.

2. Fedor Emelianenko- What makes Fedor so fun to watch is you know he's the best and any trouble that you think he's in you stand up and watch to see how he's gonna get out of this one. If you love MMA then you just have to watch and appreciate the incredible skill, strength and intelligence that Fedor exhibits in every fight. He is a champion in every sense of the word, he's humble and has total respect for every fighter who steps in the ring. There is nobody else in MMA that makes a ground fight as exciting as Fedor, you will not see anyone else punch that hard on the ground and any other Heavyweight at least display the speed of which he submits people. Favorite Fights- Fedor vs Crocop, Fedor vs Fujita and pretty much all of them.

1. Wanderlei Silva- They call him the "Axe Murderer" for a reason, his intensity and staredowns are legendary. If I was in there nad he was bouncing back and forth staring me down I'd probably bow down, forfiet and kiss his toes. His intensity is only matched by his tremendous fighting talent. When I think of a fighter to show to people who are new to MMA and looking to get into it, the Wanderlei DVDs start popping in and it doesn't stop. Ive had friends who had never seen a MMA match in their life (I know sad, right) and when I show them a Wandy fight they usually say "you got any more of his fights", I say yes and a sleepless night ensues. Even when he loses, the fights are still incredible to watch because you know he's giving it his all in every fight. He also may have the most devastating Muay Thai knees you'll ever see. Favorite fights- Every single one of them.

Top 10 Things Ive Learned From Watching MMA the Last Year

10. MMA is more addicting than cocaine and painkillers put together.

9. Even though I don't know all the facts, I believe fighters are vastly underpaid.

8. When I watch a Boxing match, I yell at the screen "He's open for a knee" or "Take him down".

7. Dana White is that guy at a party that everyone wants to fight.

6. Fedor Emelianenko is still the best fighter I have ever seen.

5. Frank Shamrock should've never retired, the guy is a beast.

4. Matt Hamill won a unaminous decision against Michael Bisping at UFC 75.(Thats what I saw).

3. Forget the boogeyman, children around the world should be scared that Anderson Silva is hiding in their closet.

2. The fighters that I would show to people looking to get into MMA is still Wanderlei Silva, BJ Penn and Fedor.

1. I love blogging about MMA and I will never stop.

Top 5 MMA Pound for Pound Rankings

5. BJ Penn- Although the Prodigy hasn't fought in a while he still retains the fifth spot on this list. When I think of an all around P4P fighter, BJ always comes to mind. He just has incredible ability to dominate his opponents and something all great fighters need, the ability to relax when you get in a difficult position. If he wants to do it he could hold more than one belt.

4. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto- Yamamoto has long been a stable on many P4P rankings. His only loss was due to a cut. Before a decision victory over Bibiano Fernandes in September, Yamamoto had won 7 straight fights by TKO/KO. He is known as a devastating striker, but also has the ability to submit his opponents. As Im writing this I realize I have not posted any of his fights, well look for some soon. Ill try to get the Japanese superfight against Genki Sudo on here soon. "Kid" is someone every MMA fan should get familar with.

3. Anderson Silva- The Spider has completely taken over the UFC middleweight division, in the process of becoming a superstar here in the United States. This guy can do it all and do it all extremely well. With amazing punching power that comes out of nowhere and unbelievable ground skills Silva is on a serious roll. He is fast and accurate with his punches and completely overwelming in the clinch. Silva will indeed dominate the Middleweight division for a long time.

2. Quinton Jackson- Rampage is Rampage again and the only thing that can knock him off is if he has to fight Wanderlei again and can't figure out how to beat his longtime nemesis. He has rededicated himself and he showed what shape he was in when he beat one of the best fighters in the world, Dan Henderson. Quinton has dynamite in his hands and amazing upper body strength. Ever since coming to the UFC he has improved tremendously in every aspect of the game. Jackson beats out Anderson for the second spot because I believe his competition has been a little tougher than Silva's. Taking nothing away from Rich Franklin but he's not Dan Henderson.

1. Fedor Emelianenko- The main reason Fedor remains number one in my eyes is because when you see other fighters interviews and they are asked who they think is number one the answer is always the same. He hasn't fought since the middle of April, but thats not enough reason for me to bump him down the list. Call me a Fedor nuthugger if you want, but you can't argue with his skills and track record. The Russian Experiment can out wrestle most guys in the world, out submit most guys and can strike with anyone. His ground and pound is better than anyone and he is probably the smartest fighter that thinks on his feet. His striking is unorthodox but it certainly works for him, and the speed of his punches is astounding for a heavyweight. If anyone can beat him, they have to get past the mystique first, most of his opponents are beaten before they step in the ring. It can't be comforting for a fighter to look across the ring and see a Emelianenko's stone cold no worries facial expression.

Just Missed- Georges St. Pierre, Paulo Filho, Randy Couture, Gilbert Melendez, Takanori Gomi, Sean Sherk, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Forrest Griffin, Dan Henderson, Frank Shamrock, Shinya Aoki, Hayato Sakurai, Matt Hughes.

Intoductory Post- Ultimate MMA News and Articles

Hello mixed martial arts fans, I love to write about MMA and I already run a blog dedicated to fight videos- Ultimate MMA Videos, but this blog will be all about breaking MMA news, opinionated articles, and live play-by-play of pay per views. Anyways Ill get the posts started right away.