UFC Uncut returns once again for the latest event, UFC 101! UFC debuts in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. This event has already sold out and is said to be the largest gate in the history of Pennsylvania. That’s huge and furthers the case for the rising popularity of the UFC. Let’s get to the card which includes a title fight!

Lightweight Bout: Josh Neer (USA) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (USA)
Josh Neer is one of those guys who is finally coming into his own. His number of wins by knockout and submission are virtually even. After his initial stint in the UFC, he fought in smaller promotions, trying to gain more wins. During his time away, he was 6-1 before heading back to the UFC. He’s been on a few fight night cards but this is his first time back into the main UFC stage. Pellegrino is 6-3 in the Octagon. In his overall career, he’s got nine wins by submission. Training with Kenny Florian will definitely payoff. I think Pellegrino will continue his winning ways by defeating Neer.
My Projected Winner: Kurt Pellegrino

Middleweight Bout: Kendall Grove (USA) vs. Ricardo Almeida (USA)
Some could call this a make or break fight. Grove has won his previous two bouts and the Hawaiian native is looking to get a Middleweight title shot. Almeida has split his last two fights with his most recent win coming against Matt Horwich. Grove has gotten most of his wins by submission with Almeida getting most of his by decision. I think for Grove to win, he needs to stay away from submissions. The fight will probably go to the ground & stay there. But then again, I have been wrong before. I like Almeida in this one.
My Projected Winner: Ricardo Almeida

Welterweight Bout: Amir Sadollah (USA) vs. Johny Hendricks (USA)
The TUF winner Sadollah is finally making his post-TUF debut. After shocking the world against CB Dollaway, Sadollah had a few injuries that took him off his game. He’ll be looking to get his first victory against the debuting Johny Hendricks. After getting to victories in the WEC, Hendricks’ weight class was disbanded. He now moves up to the UFC. Hendricks has great hands and he’s an exciting fighter. I think Sadollah has his work cut out for him. He survived Dollaway but I’m uncertain if he’ll defeat Hendricks. He’s shocked us before so I’m going with him again.
My Projected Winner: Amir Sadollah

Light Heavyweight: Anderson Silva (Brazil) vs. Forrest Griffin (USA)
What’s left to say about Anderson Silva? He’s a monster. He’s destroyed everything that’s been put in his path. However, he’s coming off two fights that have been somewhat lackluster. Thales Leites basically fell on the ground anytime Silva got near him, hoping to take the fight to the ground. Silva never went to the ground and it turned out to be one of the most boring fights I’ve ever seen. Now, Forrest on the other hand has taken the UFC by storm. He’s had a few bumps in the road but he’s a former Light Heavyweight Champion. He’s said he wants to stand with Silva, which might/might not be a bad idea. Being the underdog doesn’t bother him either. Nobody expected him to beat neither Shogun Rua nor Rampage Jackson but he did. I honestly think Forrest can pull this off. Hell, he stood & traded punches with Stephan Bonnar in a fight that got UFC back into the limelight. Since then, he’s become a better fighter than most people anticipated. I’m going with Forrest.
My Projected Winner: Forrest Griffin

UFC Lightweight Championship
BJ Penn © (USA) vs. Kenny Florian (USA)
BJ’s conditioning has been his “flaw” people have always pointed out. They say he’s good for a round then that’s it. That wasn’t more apparent than in his fight with GSP back in January. Penn was essentially dominated from start to finish, even saying he didn’t remember one of the rounds. The towel was thrown in and BJ was down. So he went out & got a top-notch conditioning coach and even moved his training camp to California. However, I don’t think that will stop Kenny Florian. Florian is on a roll, having won his last six fights. He says he’s ready. He’s proven that he’s ready. I think he’s ready. He said he wanted BJ’s belt and now he has the shot. A new conditioning coach won’t help Penn defeat Florian. I pick Kenny “Ken-Flo” Florian to win & become the new UFC Lightweight Champion.
My Projected Winner: Kenny Florian

That’s this month’s UFC Uncut. I think from the success from UFC 100, this one will gain a good amount of buys, definitely more than most WWE PPV’s combined. This will be the last Uncut until about November. I’m a football coach at a local high school and it’s a gigantic task to complete 2 blogs during the season, not to mention while I’m attending classes. Let not your heart be troubled, I’m shooting for UFC 106 to be the return of UFC Uncut. Everybody have a great weekend!

This is a special edition of UFC Uncut. After last night’s event, I wanted to give my thoughts on the biggest night in UFC history. I’m not going to go bout-by-bout so much as I’m going to give my general viewpoint on the entire evening. I wanted to do this in an extra UFC Uncut because my thoughts probably wouldn’t fit into RAW is Blogged so here we go.

As most of you have probably heard/read, Brock Lesnar retained his UFC Heavyweight Championship. Brock’s performance was impressive no doubt. He demonstrated that he’s grown as a fighter by employing new skills he’s acquired.

Despite an impressive performance, Brock did demonstrate some classless behavior after the fight. You’ve probably read or seen it somewhere, liked it, hated it, who knows. Because of my liking of pro wrestling & MMA, my opinion has changed from seeing it live.

Watching it live, I liked it. Lesnar got into it with the crowd, who booed him his entire time in Las Vegas. He talked trash to Frank Mir, who had been running his mouth prior to the fight. He even got into it with Bud Light for not paying him any money, saying he would be drinking Coors Light later on. He talked about “getting on top” of his wife, the former Sable. I enjoyed it but after thinking about it, Brock probably screwed himself over more than he helped the UFC.

I think Lesnar might have turned over the large “newcomer” crowd. This was no question a huge event. It was probably one that casual fans would check out. I rank it up there with Mayweather-de la Hoya. Normally, casual fans check out the big events to see if there’s something there. I doubt you would hear a lot of people talking about a 2nd or 3rd tier boxing match that they might not tune into. This was a huge opportunity to gain new fans for the UFC. Yet, in a matter of minutes, those potential fans might have been turned off.

Lesnar didn’t act like a true champion/model athlete like a Matt Hughes or Georges St-Pierre would have acted. His antics were right out of a segment on RAW or Smackdown, not a post-interview for UFC. Whenever guys are interviewed, they might say something “off the cuff” that you normally wouldn’t hear on TV. Lesnar took it a step further as I illustrated above. It was something he didn’t need to do.

At the post-fight press conference, Lesnar apologized for his antics, even talking about drinking a Bud Light. But, the damage was done. I didn’t see the press conference until Sunday afternoon and I’m a “hardcore” fan as some people describe. What will the casual fans think? UFC already has the rep of being a blood sport. It’s been regaining popularity after years of the threat of being banned.

Now, I don’t think Lesnar’s actions will completely deter the UFC from its growth. There’s a tremendous amount of potential left to be tapped. Dana White is a genius when it comes to getting this sport to the level he wants it to be. I do think that if he doesn’t have a tighter rein on some of his fighters, UFC’s popularity may plateau and its potential never reached.

Another thing that might have deterred people was how Dan Henderson knocked out Michael “I May have ran my mouth a tad too much” Bisping, then landed another shot on Bisping. There’s nothing for Hendo to worry about. He’s doing his job. When an NFL team continues to score on a weaker opponent, they’re doing their job. It’s the other team’s job to stop them. I’m glad Hendo knocked his tail out though.

GSP once again demonstrated that he’s a beast, dominated Thiago Alves despite being hurt. GSP is the damn man. Nothing more needs to be said.

Yoshihiro Akiyama had an impressive debut. I didn’t know the guy is an actor/singer and he’s fighting MMA? Wow!

One of the problems with a sport like UFC is that all 5 main card fights could end with knockouts or submissions and leave the producers scrambling for time. Or, they could have even like UFC 99 where four out of the six main card fights went to decisions. I personally like when non-title fights get ended by knockouts or submissions and title fights go to decisions. That way, you know both guys have given everything they’ve got and it wasn’t ended early.

UFC didn’t realize the Lesnar-Mir fight would end as quickly as it did. They left Paulo Thiago and Jon Fitch in limbo on whether or not they would get to fight or not. The crowd was gracious enough to stick around and watch most of the last fight. It’s like when the NFL has their conference title games (GSP-Alves), the Super Bowl (Lesnar-Mir) and then the Pro Bowl (Fitch-Thiago). They didn’t know how the fights would go but still came through in good fashion.

Perhaps to alleviate this problem, they could perhaps cut out some of the post-fight interviews or maybe the pre-fight video packages. I know that’s one thing people complained about with WWE is how they were scrambling to get the 3 Stages of Hell match in, yet they made time to show a video package. In a scripted sport like WWE, there’s no excuse. In the UFC, it’s a shot in the dark.

I like hearing from some of the top contenders so they could keep that small part. The video packages could just be used for title fights or really big fights. UFC 100 was a tremendous event. I think they did all they could to get the main card within the allotted 3 hours even if it meant having Fitch-Thiago follow Lesnar-Mir.

I’m already excited for UFC 101. It will contain a title fight between BJ Penn and Kenny Florian as well as a bout between Anderson Silva & Forrest Griffin. If you can, check out a replay of UFC 100!

UFC Uncut returns once again for the latest event, UFC 100! It’s hard to believe that UFC has reached this point with it’s 100th PPV event! Only years ago, UFC was on it’s way out of business. A sport that was once considered “too brutal” and “human cockfighting” has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. We’ve got the biggest card in UFC history, complete with 2 featured bouts and 2 title fights! After tonight, we’ll have an undisputed Heavyweight champion and perhaps a new Welterweight champion. The coaches from The Ultimate Fighter: USA vs. UK will have squared off. Let’s get to it!

Middleweight Bout: Yoshihiro Akiyama (Japan) vs. Alan Belcher (USA)
I have to admit that I haven’t covered either of these guys before. Akiyama is making his UFC debut. He’s been in the Hero promotion and has garnered an overall record of 12-1 with 7 wins coming by submission, the other 5 by knockout. He uses Judo & Kickboxing and I think he’ll be hungry to win. Belcher’s makes his return after winning against Denis Kang at UFC 93. His record is 14-5 with similar records as Akiyama. It’s a tossup and these two guys are going on the big stage, that’s for sure. I’m taking Akiyama.
My Projected Winner: Yoshihiro Akiyama

Middleweight Bout: Michael Bisping (England) vs. Dan Henderson (USA)
This is a bout between the two coaches from the Ultimate Fighter: USA vs. UK season. These two had a fun rivalry during the show and Team UK ended up winning both divisions of the competition. It was announced that the winner of this fight will get a future title shot against UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, most likely after his UFC 101 fight against Forrest Griffin. Henderson is a former PRIDE Middleweight Champion who later lost his title in a unification bout against Anderson Silva. He’s been in UFC before and has an overall record of 24-7 with 10 wins coming via knockout. He’s a wrestler that uses boxing as well. Bisping was the TUF 3 winner. He’s only had one loss in the UFC to former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans. He’s dropped weight & made the transition to the middleweight division. He’s got an overall record of 17-1 with 11 wins coming by knockout. This is a draw almost. I think Bisping is on a roll and the roll will continue.
My Projected Winner: Michael Bisping

Welterweight Bout: Paulo Thiago (Brazil) vs. Jon Fitch (USA)
Jon Fitch is back. After being released from the UFC because of a dispute over a video game, Fitch was back within 24 hours. He has been on a roll with his only loss in the UFC coming at the hands of GSP. I think he’ll need a win here to get back into the title hunt. Thiago is a beast. He’s undefeated but he’s only had one fight in the UFC, which he won against Josh Koscheck. The guy’s 11-0 so he knows something about fighting. I think though that Fitch is ready to get back on top and he’ll win this bout.
My Projected Winner: Jon Fitch

UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges St-Pierre © (Canada) vs. Thiago Alves (Brazil)
I’ll start with the challenger. Alves is 16-3, with 10 wins coming by knockout. It could be safe to say he’s a beast. Despite being from Brazil, he fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida and he’s a member of American Top Team. He uses Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He’s been on some what of a roll with his last loss coming at the hands of fellow card mate Jon Fitch. Since then, he’s won 7 straight fights with notable wins over Josh Koscheck, Chris Lytle, and former champion Matt Hughes. He’s a tough test for GSP. As most of you know, GSP is a bad ass, regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I personally wish he could go against Anderson Silva to settle that dispute. He too has been on a roll, defeating BJ Penn, Jon Fitch, Matt Serra, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck. His last loss was against Matt Serra, whom he would later defeat to become undisputed Welterweight Champion. It’s a tough bout to call. I think though that GSP will continue his hot streak. If he doesn’t, I will be shocked.
My Projected Winner: Georges St-Pierre

Undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship
Brock Lesnar (USA) vs. Frank Mir (USA)
The reason this fight is considered to be for the “undisputed” title is because both men are champions. Because of a one year absence by Randy Couture, Frank Mir fought Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the Interim Heavyweight Championship and won. When Couture returned to the UFC, he faced Brock Lesnar, putting the Heavyweight Championship on the line and lost. Now, it will be a fight to become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion. These two have met before at UFC 81. Lesnar came out kicking ass and Mir caught him in a knee bar. I should say Lesnar walked into a knee bar because he literally did. Mir’s overall record is 12-3, 7 wins coming by submission including his bout with Lesnar. Lesnar’s only loss was to Mir. I honestly think Lesnar has a good shot at winning this bout. If by some chance he were to become very skilled and an overall good fighter, he could become a dominant force like Anderson Silva. Mir’s won his last 3 fights and Lesnar has won his last two. It’s somewhat of a draw. On paper, I would have to go with Lesnar. In my mind, I’m going with Brock Lesnar to become the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.
My Projected Winner: Brock Lesnar

That’s this month’s UFC Uncut. I for one can’t wait to see this card. Calling it a “big” event is a gross understatement. This is freaking huge. I’m predicting about 1.2 million buys, maybe higher with two titles on the line. Make sure you check out a broadcast or at least the results. Have a great weekend!

UFC Uncut returns once again for the latest event, UFC 99: The Comeback. This event will emulate from Cologne, Germany. I made a new logo, that took me a good hour to do and I hope you like it. We’ve got a packed card with 6 fights so let’s get to it!

Heavyweight Bout: Mostapha Al-turk (France) vs. Mirko CroCop (Croatia)
CroCop returns! After getting off to a rough start in the UFC, CroCop ventured to DREAM and Dynamite to get his legs back under him, so to speak. In his UFC debut, he was on the receiving end of the head kick heard ’round the world from Gabriel Gonzaga. If you haven’t seen that, I highly recommend searching for the UFC 70 video on YouTube. To make matters worse, he lost to card mate Cheick Kongo later at UFC 75. He’s a pretty good kickboxer and has an MMA record of 24-6-2 and one no contest, 18 wins coming by knockout. Al-turk will be a nice test to see if he’s returned to his old self. Al-turk is a relative new comer despite being 35. He’s only fought in one UFC fight, also losing to fellow card mate Cheick Kongo. His overall record is 6-4 but that doesn’t bode well against CroCop, who has to smell blood in the water. I think with Cro Cop having a chip on his shoulder, he’s probably going for the kill…literally. Al-turk will have his work cut out for him but this should be a good fight. I gotta go with Cro Cop.
My Projected Winner: Mirko Cro Cop

Lightweight Bout: Spencer Fisher (USA) vs. Caol Uno (Japan)
Caol Uno returns to the UFC after a stint in K-1 and DREAM. In his first stint, he went 3-3-2. He was defeated in his last UFC fight by Hermes Franca. Overall, he’s got a record of 27-11-4 with 13 wins coming by submission. Fisher on the other hand is looking to continue his hot street. He’s defeated guys like Thiago Alves, Jeremy Stephens, and most recently Shannon Gugerty, just to name a few. His overall record is 22-4, with 11 wins coming by knockout and 8 by submission. He’s a pretty well-rounded fighter. I think he has a better shot at winning this bout. I think this win and maybe one more might get him a shot at the Lightweight title. Either way, I think Uno will have his hands full with Fisher & Fisher will take this one.
My Projected Winner: Spencer Fisher

Welterweight Bout: Marcus Davis (USA) vs. Dan Hardy (UK)
Hardy has been around the block for a while. He’s 27 and has a record of 21-6, with 11 wins coming via knockout. He’s only fought in the UFC for two fights but he’s won both of them. Davis on the other hand has been on the Ultimate Fighter season 2 but got eliminated. He’s 8-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming at the hands of card-mate Mike Swick. He’s been fighting most of his fights overseas and I haven’t gotten to see him so this will be my first time. His overall record is 16-4 with 8 wins coming by submission. He likes to box so this should be a good fight. I think Davis has more to gain with a win because after a while, he’s going to get a title shot. I think if Hardy gets the victory, he’ll be the next in line to get a title shot. I’m going with Davis in this one.
My Projected Winner: Marcus Davis

Welterweight Bout: Mike Swick (USA) vs. Ben Saunders (USA)
Mike “Quick” Swick took part in the original Ultimate Fighter, so I’m familiar with him. He earned the name “Quick” for finishing opponents rather quickly. He hails from Houston, Texas but fights out of San Diego, CA. With his usage of kickboxing, he’s gained 15 wins and two losses with five wins coming from knockout. Saunders took part in the Ultimate Fighter season 6. He’s another kickboxer compiling a record of 7-0-2 with wins coming by submission & knockout. He’s from Orlando but he fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida. I have no clue where that is. Both of these guys are on hot streaks. Saunders has won his three fights in UFC. Swick on the other hand has won all of his fights in the UFC except one. It could be a tough draw to pick a winner but I’m leaning towards Swick.
My Projected Winner: Mike Swick

Heavyweight Bout: Cheick Kongo (France) vs. Cain Velasquez (USA)
Heavyweight title shot implications are in this bout. If Kongo wins, he gets to face the winner of Mir-Lesnar 2. I don’t think Velasquez has done enough or is a big enough name to garner a title shot. He’s 5-0 with all five wins coming by knockout. Kongo is a beast. Each time I’ve watched him fight live, he’s won so naturally I’m inclined to pick him. He’s defeated quite a few guys but this might be a challenge for Kongo. I think he wins by TKO and if not, I will definitely be shocked.
My Projected Winner: Cheick Kongo

Catchweight Bout: Rich Franklin (USA) vs. Wanderlei Silva (Brazil)
This “catchweight” bout is a bout between two fighters who’ve mutually agreed to “meet in the middle” at a certain weight. Silva usually fights at 185 pounds while Franklin fights at 205. I wouldn’t expect either guy to gain or lose the weight to get in the other’s weight class. So, they’re fighting at 195. You could make the case this is a “do or die” fight for Silva. Since arriving in the UFC, he’s gone 1-2. In the two fights prior to his arrival to UFC from PRIDE, he was 0-2. That’s why you could make a case for this fight being a “do or die” for Silva. For Franklin, he’s gone 2-2 in his last four fights with the most recent loss coming at the hands of Dan Henderson. This was of course the fight to become the coach of Team USA on the Ultimate Fighter. The loss came by decision but no matter how you spin it, a loss is a loss. His two wins prior to that were by TKO. It’s not so much a must-win for Franklin as it is Silva, like I’ve illustrated. I think Franklin’s got a good shot at defeating the former PRIDE champion. Silva needs a win. Sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures. I think Franklin wins in this one and gets back on the road to a title shot.
My Projected Winner: Rich Franklin

That’s this month’s UFC Uncut. This should be a pretty good event with hopefully some knockouts. Have a great weekend!

Middleweight Bout: Drew McFedries (USA) vs. Xavier Foupa-Pokam (France)
James Irvin was supposed to make his Middleweight debut against McFedries but had to withdraw. Foupa-Pokam stepped in has his replacement. McFedries likes to knock people out. Three of his seven wins have come by knockout with one by submission. He’s got an overall record of 7-5, not exactly a confidence builder. Foupa-Pokam, also known as Professor X, likes to use Muay Thai and some kickboxing. He too likes to knock people out with 11 of his 20 victories coming by knockout. He’s got an overall record of 20-9. The Frenchman seems to have it together. His only loss in the octagon came from a decision lost at the last event, UFC 97. I think though he’ll fare better in this fight. I’m going with Professor X.
My Projected Winner: Xavier Foupa-Pokam

Middleweight Bout: Chael Sonnen (USA) vs. Dan Miller (USA)
Yushin Okami was originally scheduled to take on Dan Miller but had to withdraw due to a torn ligament. Chael Sonnen stepped in to take the fight. It’s opportunities like this that could thrust Sonnen back into the limelight. He’s got his work cut out for him. Dan Miller is a beast. He’s 11-1 overall but undefeated (3-0) since coming into the octagon. He’s a freestyle fighter with a good ground game. Sonnen has been around the block more than once. He’s been in and out of the UFC with stops at WEC and Bodog just to name a few. He’s got an overall record of 21-10. I think though his experience will get the best of him in this one. I’m going with Dan Miller.
My Projected Winner: Dan Miller

Lightweight Bout: Sean Sherk (USA) vs. Frank Edgar (USA)
Let’s get one thing straight; Sherk is a badass. He’s a former Lightweight Champion with his only losses in the UFC coming at the hands of BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre. Not bad company if I do say so myself. All of his wins in the UFC have gone the distance with him getting the unanimous decision. Now, that may be something he likes but most fighters live by the saying, “don’t leave the fight in the judge’s hands.” I have to agree with that because who’s to say one of the judges hates your guts and would screw you out of a win? Edgar’s no slouch. He’s defeated guys like Tyson Griffin and Hermes Franca just to name a few. He’s got an overall record of 9-1. He likes some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing and a little wrestling thrown in there. I think this bout could actually steal the show. I’m going with Sherk by whatelse…decision!
My Projected Winner: Sean Sherk

Welterweight Bout: Matt Hughes (USA) vs. Matt Serra (USA)
The grudge match is finally here. The two coaches from the The Ultimate Fighter season 6 are finally fighting. Serra had won TUF 4 and defeated Georges St-Pierre for the Welterweight Championship. He hurt his back and was out for almost a year. He returned to fight GSP and ultimately lost. Now that he’s good to go, he’ll be facing Matt Hughes. Hughes has been in limbo since losing to GSP and Thiago Alves. Now, the grudge match is finally here! Hughes has been at this for a while with a record of 43-7. He’s a wrestler and has gotten a majority of his wins via submission. Matt “The Terror” Serra is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist with a record of 9-4, four wins coming from submission. I think both guys need a win to get their career going again. Who wins is a tossup in the world of MMA. Unlike pro wrestling, these endings aren’t scripted. I think though that The Terror will prevail although as Hughes has demonstrated, a country boy can survive!
My Projected Winner: Matt Hughes

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Rashad Evans © (USA) vs. Lyoto Machida (Brazil)
“Sugar” Rashad Evans is a former The Ultimate Fighter winner, winning the heavyweight division on season 2. He’s dropped down weight classes and his last two victories have been over Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell and the victory over Forrest Griffin, which gave him the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. He likes to take people down and ground & pount. He’s got an undefeated record of 16-0-1. Now, he’s taking on Lyoto Machida. The first bout I saw Machida in, he defeated Tito Ortiz by decision. It was one of those fights that was overshadowed by the departure of Ortiz. He’s undefeated with a record of 12-0. His strength is karate. Both of these guys are undefeated so something’s gotta give. The Light Heavyweight title has bounced around from Liddell to Rampage to Forrest and now Evans. Hell, with the way things are going, Machida could up & win. I’m going with Evans in this one.
My Projected Winner: Rashad Evans

That’s this month’s UFC Uncut. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and be safe!

Lightweight Bout: Luiz Arthur Cane (Brazil) vs. Steve Cantwell (USA)
Steve Cantwell debuted in WEC in 2007 with a loss. He proceeded to win 3 fights before getting called up to fight in the UFC. He debuted at the Fight for the Troops in a fight that I got to see, in which he defeated Razak Al-Hassan with an armbar. He looked good. Cane on the other hand has fought in various promotions before landing in the UFC. He’s got a record in UFC of 2-1, with both of his wins coming with TKO (strikes) and his only loss coming from a DQ because of an accidental knee to the face. He’s 9-1 overall so I expect him to be pretty good in the first fight I’ll see him in. Cane uses Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. With Cantwell having an overall record of 7-1, this is a tough call. I have to go with the homefield advantage and give the nod to Cantwell.
My Projected Winner: Steve Cantwell

Heavyweight Bout: Cheick Kongo (France) vs. Antoni Hardonk (Netherlands)
Kongo is a beast. I mean, a freakin’ beast. He trains with Rampage Jackson and Michael Bisping, two of my favorite fighters. He’s a former kickboxer and he’s got a UFC record of 6-2. I’m still wondering why he hasn’t gotten a title shot. I figure that if he wins this bout, he might be next in line to face the winner of Mir-Lesnar 2 at UFC 100. Hardonk is also a kickboxer with a UFC record of 4-2. I saw him at UFC 92 when he thumped Mike Wessel. Does he have a chance? Anything is possible in the world of mixed martial arts. Am I picking him? Nope!
My Projected Winner: Cheick Kongo

Light Heavyweight Bout: Brian Stann (USA) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (Canada)
Stann is moving up to the big time. He’s been in the WEC, UFC’s Triple A promotion, most of his career. He’s got a record of 6-1, with all 6 wins coming via knockout. He’s even a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion and a former United States Marine! Stann’s only loss came from Steve Cantwell. Soszynski has been in the International Fight League. He was on the 8th season of the Ultimate Fighter and even won his UFC debut at the Ultimate Fighter Finale. He’s got a record of 16-8-1, with half of his wins coming via submission. I think he’s got a good shot in this one but I’m going with Stann.
My Projected Winner: Brian Stann

Light Heavyweight Bout: Chuck Liddell (USA) vs. Mauricio Rua (Brazil)
The ICEMAN RETURNS! Since 2004, Chuck Liddell has gone on a rampage and kicked nearly everybody’s ass that was put in front of him. After reading his book, he’ll fight anybody, anywhere, at any time. He’s stumbled though against Rampage Jackson, Rashad Evans, and Keith Jardine. I think he’s on the upswing from his previous loss to the aforementioned Evans. He’s be taking on Shogun Rua, the presumed pound-for-pound best fighter in the world in some circles. Rua debuted in a loss to Forrest Griffin but later rebounded with a victory over Mark Coleman. He’s been in PRIDE for a number of years and his record there is exemplary. This is a MMA fan’s dream fight, right up there with Liddell-Wanderlei Silva. I like Liddell in this one to get a knockout of Rua.
My Projected Winner: Chuck Liddell

UFC Middleweight Championship
Anderson Silva © (Brazil) vs. Thales Leites (Brazil)
Anderson Silva is a bad, bad man. I honestly think he could challenge for every belt he doesn’t have and win every one of them. He’s 23-4, having won his last 8 fights, 7 of which were title defenses. Dude has even moved up to Light Heavyweight status and won. That’s why I say he could probably beat everybody. Silva uses Muay Thai and of course, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He’s a f*cking monster. Leites on the other hand is also a Brazilian. He’s won his previous 5 fights, 2 by decision and 3 by submission. Could he finally bring down The Spider? That remains to be seen. I haven’t seen him fight live so anything is possible. I have to go with Silva in this one though.
My Projected Winner: Anderson Silva

That’s UFC Uncut. Make sure you check out the event or at least check out the Silva-Leites fight. Have a great weekend!

Lightweight Bout: Nate Diaz (United States) vs. Clay Guida (United States)
Nate Diaz won the Ultimate Fighter 5. He was on the other team, opposite of “Coach” Penn. He’s been on a roll, undefeated in the UFC so far. Guida is 4-3 in the UFC, after losing to Roger Huerta and Tyson Griffin, to name two. Diaz uses Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Guida is a wrestler. It’s somewhat of a toss up. I think for Diaz to win, he needs to get a submission but keep away from Guida’s wrestling. For Guida to win, he needs to wrestle Diaz to the ground and get a submission. If this doesn’t end in a submission, I’ll be surprised.
My Projected Winner: Nate Diaz

Welterweight Bout: Karo Parisyan (Armenia) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (South Korea)
This is one of these “huh” fights. Both of these guys have great records with Parisyan having a record of 18-5 and Kim having a record of 11-0-1. Both use Judo but Kim also uses kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I haven’t seen either one of these guys fight live but Parisyan has been in the sport since ‘99. Kim has gotten 2 wins in the UFC, one by decision and the other by TKO. I think Parisyan needs to avoid the knockout and get the fight to the ground & work for a submission. For Kim to win, he needs to knock Parisyan out and do it quickly. I think this will be a good fight, probably one that catches people off guard.
My Projected Winner: Dong Hyun Kim

Light Heavyweight Bout: Lyoto Machida (Brazil) vs. Thiago Silva (Brazil)
Both of these Brazilian beasts are undefeated. Silva has won nearly all of his fights by knockouts. Machida has gotten a lot of his wins by decision, including one that many feel was a fluke against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz. Silva hasn’t really beaten anybody I know except James “Sandman” Irvin. Machida has beaten Ortiz, B.J. Penn, Stephan Bonnar, and Rich Franklin. He’s been in the fire against what I feel is better competition. Both naturally use Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in their fighting styles. Silva also uses Muay Thai while Machida uses some Shotokan Karate and sumo. I don’t know how well that Sumo works in MMA but Machida is the real deal. I think he’ll get a title shot soon, especially if he wins this bout. I think for Machida to win, he needs to last the entire bout and get plenty of damage. For Silva to win, I think he needs to get the knockout and get it quick. I’m going with Machida for the win.
My Projected Winner: Lyoto Machida

Light Heavyweight Bout: Stephan Bonnar (United States) vs. Jon Jones (United States)
Welcome back Stephan Bonnar! Bonnar hasn’t been in the UFC since October of 2007. After getting on the map during the initial Ultimate Fighter, he got a few wins before losing to current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans and then losing again to former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin. He got into some steroids trouble and was suspended for nine months. Either way, he’s back! Now, I don’t know much about Jon Jones. He’s had one fight in the UFC that he won. Now, this is his second bout and it’s a tall task. Bonnar of course uses Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well as Muay Thai. For Jones to win, he’ll need to get a knockout victory which will be tough for him to get against Bonnar. For Bonnar to win, he needs to get the fight to the ground and get a submission. If not that, draw out the fight and get a decision.
My Projected Winner: Stephan Bonnar

UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges St-Pierre © (Canada) vs. B.J. Penn (United States)
Calling this fight a “big fight” would be an understatement. This is probably the biggest fight since Lesnar-Couture. I’m not joking about that or trying to blow hot air. This is a big ass fight. They’ve been airing “UFC Primetime” on Spike, following the training of each man. I thought it was a good show. It’s a rematch from UFC 58 back in 2006 where Penn lost in a split decision. Penn then dropped weight to compete in the Lightweight division. He was a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 5 and went on to beat Jens Pulver in the season finale. Sean Sherk got suspended for steroids when he was in line to defend his Lightweight title against Penn. Fast forward, and Penn faces Joe “Daddy” Stevenson for the interim title. Penn makes Stevenson submit, then TKO’s Sherk whenever he comes back. After he won, he asked the crowd if they wanted to see a rematch between himself & St. Pierre. That brings us to now. Penn gained weight to be able to take on St. Pierre. St. Pierre is a beast in his own right. He’s a two-time Welterweight champion and his belt will be on the line. For me to describe St. Pierre would be a disservice to him. He’s a f*cking beast. I’d give anything for him to move up to face Anderson Silva. Penn employs Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing. He’s a good striker. He’s also one of many in his family with the first name “Jay Dee.” Go read up on that. It’s pretty neat. Either way, St. Pierre employs Karate, boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, and any damn thing he wants. I’ll say it again, he’s a beast. I think for Penn to win, he needs to get the knockout early. If he extends it past 3 rounds, I think St. Pierre’s conditioning takes over. For St. Pierre to win, I think he needs to extend the fight and get Penn to tire. He’s somewhat balanced with 7 of his 17 wins coming by knockout, 5 from submission, and 5 coming by decision. It’s Champion vs. Champion! I think St. Pierre wins the fight but I’m pulling for B.J.
My Projected Winner: Georges St-Pierre

That’s this month’s UFC Uncut. I’ll be out of town at a coaching clinic this weekend so I won’t be back on the comment board until Sunday probably. I’ll catch the fight somewhere! Have a great weekend!

Heavyweight Bout: Cheick Kongo (France) vs. Mostapha Al Turk (UK)
Cheick Kong is a Frechman who specializes in Muay Thai, kickboxing, and a little Greco Roman wrestling. He’s got a record of 12-4-1 with his latest win coming from Dan Evensen at UFC 87. Al Turk is a British fighter with power in his punch. Four out of his six wins have come from knockout. This will be his debut in the UFC Octagon. I really don’t know too much about Al Turk. Kongo is a beast though. I think for him to win, he’ll need to get the fight to the ground and prevent Al Turk from getting a power punch. For Al Turk to win, hit him hard and hit him fast!
My Projected Winner: Cheick Kongo

Middleweight Bout: C.B. Dollaway (USA) vs. Mike Massenzio (USA)
C.B. “The Doberman” Dollaway is an All-American wrestler out of Arizona State. He also employs a little Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He’s had two fights in the UFC, where he’s 1-1. Both fights ended with submissions as Amir Sadollah put an armbar on him and he got a Peruvian necktie on fellow Ultimate Fighter 7 contestant Jesse Taylor. Massenzio is 11-2 overall with one win in the UFC. He too employs three different styles of fighting, the same as Dollaway. I think for Dollaway to win, he needs to watch out for the submission. He’s gotten caught twice by armbars by not paying attention. He needs to use his wrestling skills to get Massenzio down and keep him there. For Massenzio to win, he too needs to get Dollaway to the ground and put him in a hold & get him to submit.
My Projected Winner: C.B. Dollaway

Light Heavyweight Bout: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (USA) vs. Wanderlei Silva (Brazil)
This is a clash of the titans in many UFC fans’ books. These two guys have been around the block a time or two. For Jackson, this is a chance to get back into contention for the Light Heavyweight Championship. For Silva, it’s a chance to continue his momentum build for another Light Heavyweight Championship shot. Silva employs Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu along with some kickboxing. He’s been a star in the PRIDE Fighting Championships but has had a little trouble in the UFC Octagon. Jackson is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion who has knocked out the iron jaw of Chuck Liddell. He was going strong until he lost a decision & the title to Forrest Griffin, a fight who’s also on this card. I think to win Jackson should stand up and use his kickboxing skills. If Silva gets him on the ground, he needs to stay out of the submissions. For Silva to win, get the fight on the ground and make Jackson submit. Another thing to keep in mind is Jackson has never beaten Silva so Silva’s got the mental edge. I think the third time will be the charm for Rampage Jackson.
My Projected Winner: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson

UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira © (Brazil) vs. Frank Mir (USA)
The winner of this fight will face Brock Lesnar to crown an undisputed Heavyweight Champ. These two were the trainers on The Ultimate Fighter 8. Mir has a record of 11-3, with most of his wins coming by submission. He uses Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, and even Taekwondo. He’s riding a two-fight win streak into this bout. Nogueira is in his third UFC fight. He defeated Tim Sylvia for the Interim Heavyweight Championship and now it’s on to Mir. Nogueira uses Judo, boxing, and of course, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He’s got a win-loss-draw record of 31-4-1, with 19 coming by submission. I think this fight will go to the ground and stay there. I would be surprised if it didn’t. I’m going with a tossup in this one with Mir winning. Remember, whoever wins goes on to face Brock Lesnar. Mir’s already beaten Lesnar so start your possible storylines there!
My Projected Winner: Frank Mir

UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Forrest Griffin © (USA) vs. “Sugar” Rashad Evans (USA)
IT’S TIME!!! Sorry, I was doing by best Bruce Buffer impersonation. It’s no secret Forrest Griffin is a favorite of mine. I first started this blog when he won the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. He’s the original Ultimate Fighter and Evans won season 2. He’s undefeated with a record of 12-0-1 with a draw coming against fan favorite Tito Ortiz. He employs wrestling and kickboxing and has four wins via knockout. For Forrest to win, he needs to get the fight on the ground and watch out for the punches. He could use his strategy similar to the fight with Rampage Jackson in standing up. Evans just needs to hit Forrest and hit him a lot. Forrest has an iron jaw and has been known to take punches. See his Ultimate Fighter finale against Stephan Bonnar. I’m going with Forrest though in this one to retain his title!
My Projected Winner: Forrest Griffin

That’s my predictions for UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008. It truly is The Ultimate with that line up. Two title fights along with a huge fight between Silva & Jackson. Everybody have a safe weekend!

Middleweight Bout: Nate Quarry (USA) vs. Demian Maia (Brazil)
Quarry is a former Ultimate Fighter guy. He was on the show until he injured his ankle but stuck around to help coach. Since then, he’s 5-1 with his only loss coming against Rich Franklin for the UFC Middleweight Championship. Maia on the other hand is undefeated. He’s 8-0 but only 3 of those fights have been in the UFC. All of his UFC victories have been by submission so Quarry will need to be on the lookout for that. Quarry is a freestyle fighter while Maia is a proponent of the ever-successful Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. These two will compliment each other well, since Maia likes submissions and most of Quarry’s victories are by knockout. It’s a tough one to call by from my knowledge of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Quarry could be in trouble…big trouble.
My Projected Winner: Demian Maia

Heavyweight Bout: Gabriel Gonzaga (Brazil) vs. Josh Hendricks(USA)
Gabriel Gonzaga is known more for knocking out Mirko Cro Cop. For those that didn’t see it, go look it up on YouTube. It’s a kick to the head followed by Cro Cop dropping like a sack of sh*t. I don’t know too much about Hendricks. Gonzaga suffered two setbacks with losses to Randy Couture and Fabricio Werdum before defeating Justin McCully at UFC 86. I think Gonzaga’s a future Heavyweight champ. He can get back on the winning track with a victory over Hendricks. That’s why I’m taking the Brazilian.
My Projected Winner: Gabriel Gonzaga

Lightweight Bout: Kenny Florian (USA) vs. Joe Stevenson (USA)
Kenny “Ken-Flo” Florian is on a roll. He’s won 8 of his last 9 fights. Does he deserve another title shot? I think so. Enter Joe Stevenson. He’s won 5 of his last 6 fights with his only loss to BJ Penn for the UFC Lightweight Championship. The going word is that the winner of this fight will face Sean Sherk to determine the #1 Contender for the UFC Lightweight Championship. To say this was a big fight would be another understatement. Ken-Flo was on the first season of the Ultimate Fighter while Stevenson was on the second season. These two guys are home-grown UFC talent. I know a little more about Florian so that’s who I’m going with in this one.
My Projected Winner: Kenny Florian

UFC Heavyweight Championship
Randy Couture © (USA) vs. Brock Lesnar (USA)
This is a match that’s peaked my interest quite a bit. Brock Lesnar is a former NCAA wrestling champion. Randy “The Natural” Couture is former collegiate, armed forces, Olympics, etc. wrestler. He’s also a 6-time UFC Champion and UFC Hall of Famer. To say Lesnar is an underdog on paper would be an understatement. Lesnar is 2-1 in his young MMA career. I think he’s been rushed to a title shot a little early. It looks as if Dana White & Co. are striking while the Lesnar iron is hot to get him a title shot. Lesnar seems like one they could build the depleted heavyweight division around. Couture is an aging fighter. I read his book “Becoming the Natural” and I’ve got a whole new respect for the man. He’s been through a lot. I for one am glad to see him back in the UFC. I’m not going to lie; he’s got his work cut out for him. Lesnar is a physical specimen who could kill the average person with his bare hands. I’m not exaggerating that one. These types of fights are tough to predict. I’m still trying to figure out why I’ve taken on this responsibility. As for the outcome, I think Couture’s experience will prevail in the end. When Lesnar walked into the knee bar in his fight with Frank Mir, it seemed like inexperience. I think that will be the same with his fight with Couture. The winner will go on to face the winner of the interim fight in a few weeks between Frank Mir and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira. I’m going with Randy “The Natural” Couture in this one.
My Projected Winner: Randy Couture

That’s this month’s UFC Uncut. I should be back next month with a preview of UFC 92 which features two championship fights! Have a great weekend!

Light Heavyweight Bout: Jason MacDonald (Canada) vs. Demian Maia (Brazil)
Demian Maia is known as one of the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu guys in the world. He’s got 7 wins, 5 of them by submission. His last fight was a win over former TUF fighter Ed Herman. This will only be his 3rd fight of his young UFC career. Jason MacDonald is known as the “Athlete.” He’s got 20 wins, 16 coming via a submission. His last fight was against Joe Doerksen at UFC 83 in which he won by TKO. Both of these guys are Brazilian Jiu Jitsu guys. I expect a submission to end this bout for Maia.
My Projected Winner: Demian Maia

Lightweight Bout: Manny Gamburyan (Armenia) vs. Rob Emerson (United States)
Manny “The Pitbull” Gamburyan is a judo guy from Armenia. Five out of his eight wins have come by submission. His latest win was against Jeff Cox at UFC Fight Night 13. Emerson was a former fighter on TUF 5. He employs the kickboxing in his style. He’s got a record of 7-6 with one no contest. I honestly think Gamburyan will take this one. No disrespect to Emerson but I feel Manny will take him down.
My Projected Winner: Manny Gamburyan

Heavyweight Bout: Brock Lesnar (United States) vs. Heath Herring (United States)
You all know about Lesnar. The former WWE Champion made his Octagon debut a few months ago with a somewhat impressive showing. Lesnar came out against Frank Mir, throwing shot after shot. I figured he would win by knockout until he walked into a knee bar and had to tap. Lesnar can be the face of the heavyweight division, provided he wins some fights. Herring is known as the “Texas Crazy Horse.” He’s best known for knocking out Yoshihiro Nakao after Nakao kissed him on the lips during a pre-fight stare down. Herring responded by knocking him out cold, thus being disqualified. His most recent win was against the Frenchman Cheick Kongo. For Lesnar to win, he needs to come out swinging like last time but stay alert for submissions. He literally walked into the knee bar in his last fight. For Herring to win, he might want to utilize the ground game he used against Kongo. Herring wanted to stand but Kongo wasn’t having any of that. For this one, I have to go with Lesnar.
My Projected Winner: Brock Lesnar

Lightweight Bout: Kenny Florian (United States) vs. Roger Huerta (United States)
This is the most hyped bout on the card, believe it or now. I watched Florian on the Ultimate Fighter. He lost to Diego Sanchez in the final. He’s won most of his fights via submission. Huerta on the other hand is a striking type of guy with 13 wins coming via knockout. Now, people are ready to see this fight. I really can’t hype it up too much. However, I’m going with Kenny “Ken Flo” Florian to win.
My Projected Winner: Kenny Florian

UFC Welterweight Championship
Georges St. Pierre (Canada) © vs. Jon Fitch (United States)
GSP is the shit. He’s one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen. He utilizes karate-type striking, ground & pound and many takedowns. He defeated Matt “The Terror” Serra to become the undisputed Welterweight Champion. Fitch is a great contender in his own right. He’s won 8 straight fights, dating back to 2003. He utilizes more of a submission type style in my opinion. He’s a very worthy contender for GSP’s title. He’s 22-2 and ready to make it 23-2. On the flip side, I think GSP will take this one.
My Projected Winner: Georges St. Pierre

That’s it for this edition of UFC Uncut. Everybody have a great weekend!!! GO TEAM USA!!!