Bloody Elbow

Invicta president Shannon Knapp says Brett Atchley banned from all Invicta events

58 min 50 sec ago

Shannon Knapp, president of Invicta FC, announced that Brett Atchley has been banned from all events going forward. This is a major situation as Atchley has spent several years as one of the top women's MMA managers in the game.

Here's the tweet from Inside MMA:

BREAKING NEWS - According to @shanknapp Brett Atchley has been banned from all Invicata Events moving forward.

— Inside MMA (@InsideMMAaxstv) May 25, 2013

Bloody Elbow has been covering the Atchley story since Knapp posted on Facebook about a manager who was claiming he could blackball fighters from her promotion.

Women's MMA personalities such as Tara LaRosa, Jessamyn Duke, Kim Couture, Sarah Maloy, Alyssa Vasquez, Elaina Maxwell and many others have come forward alleging a wide variety of inappropriate behavior from Atchley over the past several years.

Many fighters have also left Atchley's management company since the story broke, including Taylor Stratford who tweeted "P.S i'm no longer a represented fighter, currently a free agent." And many more fighters may be unwilling to be managed by a man who isn't allowed to attend events for Invicta.

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UFC 160: Junior Dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt Preview and Prognostication

2 hours 14 min ago

In the co-main event of the weekend in Vegas for UFC 160, an unlikely challenger takes on a former champion.

Junior dos Santos (15-2) vs. Mark Hunt (9-7) Heavyweight

Like everyone else, it's still taking some getting used to; "UFC Heavyweight title contender, Mark Hunt!". Hunt's history tends to be overblown a bit, however. Yes, he lost six straight at one point, but look at the list of opponents: Fedor, Overeem, Barnett, Mousasi. The Manhoef loss remains an aberration; not because Hunt lost, but because he was knocked out.

If fans gave up on Hunt it's because he lost to Sean McCorkle. And now here we are, actually considering the potential of a Hunt title shot with a win over dos Santos.

It's difficult to identify just how we got here. Hunt's game is the same. Favorable matchups? Not really. Ben Rothwell, and Stefan Struve were difficult opponents, and stylistic nightmares. Yet Hunt kept on pushing, earning victories and endearing him to fans with his charming indifference.

For dos Santos, the trick will be recovering from a prolonged beatdown at the hands of Cain Velasquez. Most people recognized that the rematch probably wouldn't look the same, but fans still had faith. And that faith was quickly shattered when Cain took complete control, beating Junior on the feet, and getting Joe Rogan to convince fans that the first fight between was meaningless during the commentary. Not that Cain's performance failed to make the point invalid.

If Hunt were to gain a title shot with a victory, this is his best chance: against one of the few heavyweights who will be willing to stand with him.

What both men can do: Hunt's strength is his deceptive speed, and power. His right hand, left hook could best be described as 'carnivorous'. Just look at Stefan Struve's skull.

In addition, his timing and ability to counter strike happen to be impeccable. He's easily the division's best striker. Which is what makes this fight so interesting.

JDS is a great striker too. His jab, and his right hand are enough to be feared, even by a guy like Mark Hunt. Hunt may be able to boast one of the sport's greatest chins, but at 39 years of age, and battleworn, it's not a trait you want to flaunt, or test this late in the game against the sport's elite.

I'd like to mention something about their respective ground games. In JDS' case, his wrestling is quite underrated, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this become a factor. Hunt, despite the fact that it still isn't good, obviously showed signs of life against Struve. Struve has always been a gifted grappler, although I have to suspect Hunt's resilience had more to do with Struve underperforming on the ground than Hunt secretly being gifted from his back (though to be fair, he's shown to be aggressive on top).

What both men can't do: This is where things get interesting. On the feet, the edge goes to Hunt. I won't necessarily call it a wash, however. Cigano's problem is that he still leaves himself wide open. He brings his left hand back too slowly, and this leaves him open for a right hand. If Hunt is looking for Cigano's chin, he won't have trouble finding it.

On the other hand, Hunt's cardio is still a question mark. Struve managed to land hard strikes on Hunt, and if you watch closely, Hunt didn't just shrug them off. Obviously, the difference here is that Struve had a huge reach advantage. At the same time, Struve's punches are less powerful than Junior's.

Obviously, I don't expect Junior to outstrike Hunt. But I do think it can stay competitive. The x-factor in this fight will be Junior's wrestling. I predict he'll use it. Fights like these rarely tend to play like we desire them to. Some of us hope they'll make a gentleman's agreement and stand and bang, and if they do, it'll be because Hunt is able to defend the takedown. However, for all the love thrown Hunt's way, let's not kid ourselves into thinking he's an elite fighter who will one day be mentioned in the same name as Cain Velasquez, or Daniel Cormier.

The man lost to Sean McCorkle before the first round hit the two minute mark. It's only a matter of time before he gives up the ghost, and the weekend of his biggest fight against an elite heavyweight seems like just as good a time as any.

Prediction: Junior dos Santos by Decision.

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Daily MMA 5/24: UFC 160 previews, Cain, Bigfoot, Dana White, JDS, Mark Hunt

2 hours 18 min ago

Kid Nate and Zombie Prophet present a round up of the best MMA and UFC videos on YouTube. Today's list features: UFC previews, 3 reasons why Cain Velasquez will beat Bigfoot Silva, Dana White's UFC 160 pre-fight media scrum and more.

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UFC 160 GIFathon: Velasquez, dos Santos, Hunt, and more!

5 hours 14 min ago

It's Friday, which means it's tie for another edition of the GIFathon! The day before every UFC PPV or Fox card, we (myself, Dallas Winston, and Zombie Prophet) profile several fighters and GIF some of their better stoppage victories on the regional circuit. Oh, and before we continue, there is no hard G in GIF, so the debate is over and I will not accept any other pronunciations.

With Dallas Winston unavailable this weekend, it'll just be my words combined with Zombie Prophet's GIFs. This week you'll see:

• Cain Velasquez's 2nd pro fight.
• Junior dos Santos' 1st pro fight, complete with a typically violent finish.
• Mark. Hunt.

...And more! So let's get this thing started, shall we?

Cain Velasquez vs. Jeremiah Constant (2006)

Mookie: BodogFight: St. Petersburg, Russia was the site of Velasquez's 2nd pro fight (his last before entering the UFC), and it was a total wipeout from start to finish. Jeremiah Constant, who is a former NCAA Division II All-American wrestler, might as well have been moving in slow motion compared to Cain. The whole fight shows how fast Velasquez is compared to just about any other heavyweight on the planet, and after beating him up on the ground and on the feet, he mercifully ended the exhausted Constant's night within a round.

Junior dos Santos vs. Jailson Silva Santos (2006)

Mookie: Here's a side of JDS you probably haven't seen before ... probably because soccer kicks are involved. This was dos Santos' first professional fight, and unlike his UFC performances, he actively pursued the takedown right away. The majority of this bout took place on the ground with JDS on top, maintaining control and landing effective ground and pound. Jailson Silva Santos' striking can only be described as "Karlos Vemola-esque", and JDS notched his first win by tossing Jailson like a child and then sending him into unconsciousness with a soccer kick.

Mark Hunt vs. Jerome Le Banner (2001)

Mookie: Mark Hunt fought Jerome Le Banner about 175 times in K-1, but he only won once. So yeah, of course I'm going to GIF his victory, as this was part of his run to the 2001 K-1 World Grand Prix Championship.

James Te Huna vs. Anthony Perosh (2009)

Mookie: We really have to stop seeing Anthony Perosh's face in a twisted and concussed state. Anyway, James Te Huna and Perosh advanced to the final of the Cage Fighting Championship LHW Grand Prix in Australia. Perosh was just about thrashed and the finish above shows it. What impresses me the most about Te Huna is his hand speed for such a big man as well as his sharp uppercuts, which he's used with great success in the UFC as well. Te Huna signed with the UFC after this fight. Perosh would join him on the UFC 110 card; Te Huna won his debut vs. Igor Pokrajac while Perosh lost by TKO to Mirko Cro Cop in his return to the promotion.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Kadzhik Abadzhyan (2011)

Mookie: I'll admit, this wasn't the first GIF I had on my list. Nurmagomedov actually submitted Bellator featherweight contender Shahbulat Shamhalaev by armbar a few years ago on an M-1 Challenge event, but the video quality is so poor that I had to scrap a potential GIF and find another fight. Instead, here's one of Khabib's seven fights in 2011 under the Pro FC banner. Nurmagomedov choked out Kadzhik Abadzhyan with a beautiful 1st round triangle choke, and went on to submit his next two opponents with the same move in the same round.

Max Holloway vs. Bryson Kamaka (2010)

Mookie: Max Holloway is the youngest fighter in the UFC at 21 years old, and his MMA career started at 18. He's shown diverse and accurate striking but not too much in the way of big finishing power, hence just 2 stoppage wins out of 6. This was his first finish back in 2010 (at lightweight according to the commentators) against Bryson Yamaka. Both men were quite active offensively, as can probably be expected out of two young fighters. Just before the KO Holloway had made his way back onto his feet after being lifted and slammed to the ground by Yamaka. As soon as Holloway got back up it spelled doom for his opponent. I have no idea what took the referee so long to stop this fight, but I guess the 8th unanswered punch on the ground was enough for Holloway to earn the win. Completely unrelated, but apparently Holloway's nickname is "Lil' Evil" a la Jens Pulver. The things you learn listening to regional show announcers.

________________________________________________

The GIFathon returns on June 14th, the day before UFC 161. If you have any GIF suggestions please list them in the comments section or through Twitter (@mookiealexander). Please note we cannot use footage from the UFC, Zuffa-era WEC, Strikeforce, or PRIDE. Thanks to Zombie Prophet for being the multimedia king, and we'll see you next time with more great GIFs.

SBN coverage of UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2

Categories: StandThemUp.Org MMA Feed

UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Silva staff picks and predictions

6 hours 14 min ago

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

Tim Burke: Do I think it goes the same as the first one? No. Do I think Silva has a short here the second time? Hell no. Silva’s good, but not great. He uses his size well and hits hard, but he’s pretty plodding. Cain’s hands are fast, he’s technical, and that would win him the fight just on the feet. Throw in the gigantic wrestling advantage and it’s a blowout. Cain Velasquez by TKO, round 2

Mookie Alexander: At first I thought about picking Bigfoot just to be the one person on the staff to finally pick him. That thought gave way to reason and rational thought, and short of Bigfoot hitting Cain on the ear like JDS did, there’s no reason to pick against Velasquez. He’s just too quick, too strong, and pushes too fast of a pace for Bigfoot to keep up. I just hope that Bigfoot doesn’t lose the remaining 5% of blood left in his body. Cain Velasquez by TKO, round 1.

T.P. Grant: Bigfoot is a good Heavyweight, the UFC Heavyweight division has gone through a bit of a renaissance and there are a bunch of good heavyweights running around. Cain Velasquez is a great Heavyweight. He is likely the best wrestler in the division, he dangerous on the ground, and on his feet, and on top of that he is a phenomenal athlete. He beats Bigfoot anywhere the fight goes. This is going to be just about as one sided as their last fight. Cain Velasquez by TKO, Round 1.

Fraser Coffeen: Second verse, same as the first. I don’t see what in Bigfoot’s game allows him to avoid the same fate as last time. Cain Velasquez by KO round 1

Zane Simon: I can’t stand how uniform the staff is here with their picks. Does nobody have a mind of their own, is nobody willing to take a chance? Fine, I will. Cain Velasquez by TKO round 2

David St. Martin: I'm not sure how much has changed since their last fight so this is fairly cut and dry for me. Silva's win over Overeem really just told me more about Alistair. It didn't convince me Bigfoot had now somehow emerged as a true threat to Cain's title. I'm giving Silva an extra round to survive this time around. He's wily, after all. Cain Velasquez via TKO round 2

Connor Ruebusch: Is Bigfoot tough as hell? Yes. Can he stop the wrestling and relentless pace of Cain Velasquez? Not a chance. Cain Velasquez by TKO, Round 2.

Chris Hall: There's really no way to predict this any but for Cain. Just two fights ago he completely smashed Bigfoot, then followed that up with probably his best performance to date when he the title back from JDS. So, Despite Silva looking good in his own last two outings, I gotta go with Cain Velasquez by TKO.

Staff picking Velasquez: Stephie, Mookie, Grant, Fraser, Zane, DSM, Tim, Connor, Chris

Staff picking Bigfoot:

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Tim Burke: I keep picking people to beat Mark Hunt and I keep ending up wrong. Every other time, I was incredibly happy to be wrong, but this time he’s facing a guy I have a ton of respect for. Plus, JDS is just the better mixed martial artist. He’s shown he can wrestle, and he’s a BJJ black belt. Stefan Struve fought a stupid fight against Hunt, and JDS isn’t going to make the same mistake. Even on the feet I think JDS could outpoint Hunt in a three-round kickboxing fight, but that’s a lot more dangerous obviously. Personally, I see JDS introducing a new wrinkle into his game and submitting Hunt. But what do I know? Hunt has made me look dumb four times in a row, I’d hardly be surprised if he did it again. But I gotta go with JDS here. Junior dos Santos by submission, round 2

Mookie Alexander: I am picking JDS without much hesitation, but this is one of those fights where I’d be happy with either man winning because JDS is incredibly talented and Mark Hunt … well Mark Hunt. Grant is smoking crack if he thinks JDS will KO him in a round, but yes, dos Santos is faster and is way quicker than Hunt. He’s not going to be a sitting duck for punishment like Struve and Kongo, and he doesn’t have to fear the takedown for the first time since the Yvel fight. Hunt’s best chance at victory is landing the left hook and hoping JDS’ chin crumbles into dust. PRIDE NEVER DIE and all that, but JDS is the better fighter and he’ll show it tomorrow night. JDS by 30-27 unanimous decision.

T.P. Grant: Remember that whole good vs great thing I did like 5 seconds ago? The same thing applies here. Mark Hunt has turned into a nice Heavyweight, a good MMA fighter. Junior dos Santos is great, a beast of an athlete with lethal punching power and excellent speed. While dos Santos’ defensive abilities on the feet leave something to be desired and he can get tired in matches, Hunt shares those problems to something of a greater degree. In the end dos Santos isn’t going to stand there and let Hunt unload punches. So sorry Mark Hunt fans, but the rally ends here, likely dramatically. Junior dos Santos by KO, Round 1.

Fraser Coffeen: This is a brutal pick to make. I have been on the Mark Hunt train for some time (now is a good chance for me to go on record as saying that, not only did I pick him to win against Struve, Kongo, AND Rothwell, I am the only BE staff member to have picked him over Rothwell. Suck it Burke!). I didn’t pick those just because I love Mark Hunt - I picked them because I saw Hunt winning. This one? It makes me sad to say this, but I don’t see it. Here’s my issue - exactly how does Hunt win this? By KO over the hard-chinned JDS? By decision against an opponent with better cardio? JDS is a smart fighter who is not going to stand n bang with the Samoan, allowing him to use his reach to pick Hunt apart over 3 rounds and win a decision. But I’ve been on the Hunt train for too long, and I refuse to get off now. For the first time, I’m not picking him because my brain says he’ll win - I’m picking him because my heart wants him to. Mark Hunt by KO, round 2

Zane Simon: I’m right in line with Fraser. I like to think that had I been around for the other fights I would have picked Hunt in them, but this is really a tough one. If nothing else I haven’t seen a lot of evidence that JDS will actually do anything other than stand and trade with Hunt. He may still win that fight, punch for punch. But I like Hunt’s chances, and I love his story. Mark Hunt by KO.

David St. Martin: JDS already fought a quasi version of Hunt in the form of Roy Nelson, in which he barely broke a sweat. With all that Nike pressure bearing down on him I fully expect Junior to fight the safest bout of his career. He's either going to uncharacteristically take Hunt to the ground or flee from him a la Kalib Starnes. This one could be a snoozer unless Hunt connects. JDS via Decision

Connor Ruebusch: DSM isn’t the first person I’ve heard comparing Hunt to Roy Nelson, but Mark Hunt is more than just a granite-chinned power puncher. I mean, he is a granite-chinned power puncher. But so much more, too. And JDS is the best possible top 5 fight for him, except perhaps for Bigfoot. Whereas JDS wins fights with his jab, Mark wins fights by countering the jab. Whereas JDS has made a career beating up wrestlers, Mark Hunt made his career by beating some of the best kickboxers in the world. JDS might have a Nogueira blackbelt, but he’s no Nogueira. I see no reason to believe that JDS will shy away from a fight on the feet with Hunt. And I see plenty of reasons why that fight should the way Mark Hunt wants it to go. Mark Hunt by KO, Round 2.

Chris Hall: #RallyForMarkHunt

Staff picking Hunt: Stephie, Fraser, Zane, Connor, Chris

Staff picking JDS: Mookie, Grant, DSM, Tim

James Te Huna vs. Glover Teixeira

Tim Burke: I just wrote a preview about this (my first preview in a long-ass time), and I explained it in there - Glover’s biggest advantage is on the ground, and he needs to not engage for long in the pocket against the ham-fisted Te Huna. Can Glover get him down? That’s my biggest question mark here. JTH is definitely in this fight if Glover wants to stand with him. But Glover’s going to try and replicate the Rampage fight here, with more success. Glover Teixeira by submission, round 2.

Mookie Alexander: I completely scrapped what I wrote on Tuesday and decided to just pick Te Huna instead of Glover. I’ve been going chalk for much of the year and this seems like the type of fight that merits an upset pick. Te Huna has a damn good uppercut and fast hands, and you could argue he’s the best opponent Glover has faced in the UFC to date -- that includes faded Rampage. Could Teixeira submit or KO him? Sure. He’s the much better fighter and James’ chin has been dented plus he’s been submitted multiple times, but I’m going to ride the Te Huna train on this one just to play the Brent Brookhouse role of being different. James Te Huna by TKO, round 2.

T.P. Grant: Te Huna is kind of where Teixeira was about a year ago. A good Light Heavyweight whose risk when compared to his name valued meant it was hard for him to find the right guy to fight. A tough match for both guys, but I feel Teixeira is better equipped to emerge from the other side the victory. Glover Teixeira by Decision.

Zane Simon: In actuality, I’ve been really impressed by Te Huna’s UFC career, and fairly underimpressed by Glover’s. It feels like Te Huna is constantly snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Conversely Teixeira seems like a frontrunner. He starts incredibly strong, but fades and opens defensive holes as time goes on. His win over Rampage was... not impressive. But the fact is that even as a fading front runner Teixeira has too many tools for Te Huna. I think he gets this done early. Glover Teixeira by KO, round 1.

David St. Martin: Te Huna seems fairly over-matched in this fight and Glover's going to put him in positions where his toughness won't be able to bail him out. My only questions is how soon Teixeira gets a stoppage. Teixeira via TKO Round 2

Connor Ruebusch: I like Te-Huna in this matchup. Glover gathered a lot of hype after he received Chuck Liddell’s stamp of approval, but I haven’t seen enough from him to really validate that hype. If he can get Te-Huna to the ground, then I think he stands a very good chance of winning. But Te-Huna is a very live dog on the feet, and has the wrestling to keep it there. Could Teixeira knock him out? Sure: the man has crazy power. But I think this one ends up looking a lot like Te-Huna vs. Beltran, probably with Te Huna getting rocked a time or two along the way. James Te-Huna by Unanimous Decision.

Chris Hall: I don't think it's unfair by any means to say that Glover is the better fighter in this match. He's more well-rounded and excels where Te Huna is weakest. However, like Muckie, I find myself smelling an upset in this one. It's a real possibility that Teixeira choses to trade in the pocket for too long and gets caught. Te Huna by TKO.

Staff picking Teixeira: Stephie, Grant, Fraser, Zane, DSM, Tim

Staff picking Te Huna: Mookie, Connor, Chris

T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard

Tim Burke: Size isn’t a factor to me, since Grant’s a huge 155er as well. Wrestling is the difference to me. Gray’s one of the few guys that has a nickname that suits him perfectly (unlike, say, The Spider - what kind of spider kicks you in the face?). He bullies guys around with his wrestling and still-underrated boxing. Grant really opened a lot of eyes when he stopped Matt Wiman, but I don’t see him having the tools necessary to overcome Maynard. It’s just a bad style matchup for him. About the only thing that worries me a bit is Gray is 34 and has been out for a year. But wrestlers are durable - he’s not on the downside of his career yet. Gray Maynard by decision.

Muckie Alexander: Gray Maynard is a massive lightweight, and according to Mike Goldberg his walking weight is between 700-875 lbs. As someone who loves watching TJ Grant fight (dating back to 170 lbs), I have not picked TJ Grant since he beat Carlo Prater, and while I think he can hang with Gray on the feet, Maynard is an elite wrestler and he’ll use that to control and tire out TJ. Oh, you were expecting some sort of "The hard way it is, Earnest" reference? I don’t play that game. Gray Maynard by decision.

T.P. Grant: Torn on this one. I want Grant to win because I think he is a fun fighter and a new name near the top of the Lightweight division would be a good thing. But Maynard I think will win. Gray Maynard by Decision.

Fraser Coffeen: Man, between this and the Hunt/JDS pick I’m having a real war of feeling vs. reason with this card. Reason says Maynard takes this - people have kind of forgotten just how good he is at shutting opponents down and wearing them out. But gut says that Maynard has never fully recovered mentally from not winning the 2nd Edgar fight. I just am not positive he has that same fire anymore, so I’ll pick Grant to pull off the upset. T.J. Grant by decision

Zane Simon: While I do think that Fraser’s right, that Draw against Edgar still weighs on Maynard, I think those two fights, as well as his shame-fest against Guida show the fighter as he really is. Maynard is a great wrestler, and he hits hard, but he’s slow as continental drift, is intensely hittable, and for all his great wrestling was entirely unable to hold down Clay Guida or Frankie Edgar. Grant isn’t as fast as either of those fighters, but I think he’s a better striker and as strong as anyone in the division, even Maynard. T.J. Grant by TKO round 2.

David St. Martin: A tough call for me. If Maynard could stick to a bit more regular of a schedule I wouldn't have second thoughts about picking him here. I just worry his inactivity could end up working against him with someone high motor like Grant. Even so, Grant's four-fight win streak doesn't do a lot for me. Two of those wins are against guys who aren't with the promotion. Maynard via Decision

Connor Ruebusch: The third fight with Frankie Edgar told me all I need to know about Gray Maynard. He rocks Frankie with an uppercut; Frankie recovers. So what does he do? Hunt for the uppercut like his life depends on it. Gray Maynard lacks creativity. When something frustrates him, he seems to rely on dumb chance to overcome it. T.J. Grant, however, is a very creative and multi-dimensional fighter. Grant is a bit like Chris Weidman in my mind. Good wrestling, good submission grappling, and good striking. But his real strength is that you don’t know which he’s going to beat you with until you’re in the Octagon with him. T.J. Grant by Unanimous Decision.

Chris Hall: Going into this fight I was leaning toward picking Grant for the upset. Then, BE member Patrick Wyman reminded me that T.J. is taking a 37% takedown defense rate into a fight with one of the UFC's most notable grinders. The stats just don't add up for Grant and Maynard will probably be close to another title shot after Saturday night. Gray Maynard by decision.

Staff picking Grant: Stephie, Fraser, Zane, Connor

Staff picking Maynard: Mookie, TP, DSM, Tim, Chris

Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

Tim Burke: K.J. Noons brings great hair to the UFC. That’s all I got. I believe that his vaunted boxing is overrated and while he does do good body work (an apparent weakness of Cerrone’s, if you’ve seen his last few fights), he’s going to get lit up by Cerrone’s kickboxing game. I highly doubt Cerrone takes it down, but if he ends up on his back, a triangle is probably coming. Cowboy’s getting back in the good books Saturday night. Donald Cerrone by decision.

Mookie Alexander: Noons is going to get steamrolled. Cerrone is better than him at virtually everything, and Noons doesn’t have the power to trouble Cowboy. The only question is whether or not Donald can actually stop KJ. I don’t think he will, but if he does it’ll be by submission and not KO or TKO. Donald Cerrone by decision.

Fraser Coffeen: I’ve picked Noons a bunch of time and been burned by him. I think I’m letting memories of circa 2007 K.J. Noons cloud my vision of modern day K.J. Noons. And modern day Noons has only won 1 of his last 5. He’s still elusive enough to go the distance I think - though maybe I am, even still, overrating him. Donald Cerrone by decision

T.P. Grant: Cerrone is a good Lightweight who can hang with all but the very best in the division. KJ Noons, well, isn’t that. He just struggled mightily with Ryan Couture in a fight that likely should have gone his way, but still. Cerrone wins this one. Donald Cerrone by Decision.

Zane Simon: Cerrone getting blasted by Pettis really lowered his stock in my eyes, but quite frankly it didn’t lower it down to a level where I think he loses this fight. Noons is a great boxer, but he doesn’t have a ton of power, and without that Cerrone’s combination of solid kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu should give him the tools to take Noons constantly out of his element. Donald Cerrone by Decision.

David St. Martin: Cerrone should be able to cruise here, but you never know. Fighting a guy making his UFC debut on the tail of winning just once in five outings in Strikeforce wouldn't keep me up at night. Unless Cerrone pulls an Overeem he should come out pretty clean on this one. Cerrone via Decision

Connor Ruebusch: As much as I love picking against the rest of the staff, I don’t really see any way for Noons to take this one. It’s almost certainly going to be a decision, with Donald Cerrone chopping merrily away at K.J.’s lead leg the entire time. Though I don’t think this will be as one-sided as the staff picks make it appear, I don’t think that KJ will be able to penetrate even Donald Cerrone’s porous defense. Donald Cerrone by Unanimous Decision.

Chris Hall: Thisis another fight that really only makes sense to pick one way. Even though Cerrone has been falling just short of the elite fighters at LW, he's still a lot better than Noons. Cerrone by decision.

Staff picking Cerrone: Stephie, Mookie, Fraser, Grant, Zane, DSM, Tim, Connor, Chris

Staff picking Noons:

Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story

Tim Burke: Fact - Mike Pyle is 107 years old. He has to be. He’s been training in Vegas since 1924, stayed there through WW2 and the Korean War, took some time off for Vietnam, and went back when Randy Couture offered him a free wheelchair. I honestly don’t know how he keeps winning, especially since he has power now somehow. Seriously though, Story’s bully game is probably going to be Pyle’s kryptonite. He’s not going to drop Story, and he’s not going to go all Demian Maia on him. He doesn’t lose decisions either, so I think Story gets the finish. Rick Story by TKO, round 2.

Mookie Alexander: I have no idea how Mike Pyle suddenly became a dangerous and powerful striker, but he’s won his last 3 by KO or TKO. He could give Story problems with his knees from the clinch, wrestling and his submission game, but I see Story keeping this on the feet, winning the striking exchanges and wearing out Quicksand with some heavy body shots. Pyle also gets finished in just about any fight he loses, so I’m going to go with Rick Story by TKO (punches), round 2.

T.P. Grant: Rick Story is a slightly higher level of gatekeeper than Pyle. Rick Story by TKO, Round 2.

Zane Simon: I don’t know why, but I really like Pyle’s range and striking accuracy in this fight. I think it’s that it feels like a bit of a trap fight for Story, who’s beat better opponents but not recently, and who’s lost to worse. I expect Story to come out strong and aggressive early, get hit hard, and find himself pulled under. Mike Pyle by TKO, round 1.

Connor Ruebusch: Of all the wrestle-boxers in the UFC, Rick Story has some of the best actual boxing. He throws excellent combinations, works the body, and is relatively hard to hit despite his pressure style. Mike Pyle’s resurgence is impressive, but I’ve already made my heartwarming comeback-story pick for this card. Rick Story by Unanimous Decision.

Staff picking Pyle: Stephie, Fraser, Zane

Staff picking Story: Mookie, Grant, DSM, Tim, Connor

Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway

Tim Burke: I have a feeling this is going to look like the Bermudez/Garza fight. Holloway can scrap, but his gangly frame is going to make it hard to stay upright against the compact wrestler. Dennis Bermudez by decision.

Mookie Alexander: Bermudez has massive liabilities defensively, but Holloway has not developed any sort of big power for me to be concerned about this one. Dennis’ wrestling will be the difference in this fight and I think he finishes Holloway with some ground and pound. Dennis Bermudez by TKO, round 1.

T.P. Grant: Holloway has a decent body attack, but he is not impressive when backing up. I think Bermudez puts the pressure on him, gets him on the mat and then its all over because Holloway is not a good grappler. Dennis Bermudez by Submission, Round 1.

Zane Simon: I know Bermudez has good punching power, but honestly I don’t think he’ll put Holloway away. I still think he’ll win, but it’ll be grind, rinse, repeat.

Connor Ruebusch: Holloway has decent striking, but Dennis Bermudez already proved against Matt Grice that he’s indestructible. I think he’s got the grappling to outwork the young Holloway and grind him to a decision. Dennis Bermudez by Unanimous Decision

Staff picking Bermudez: Stephie, Mookie, Fraser, Grant, Zane, DSM, Tim

Staff picking Holloway:

Colton Smith vs. Robert Whittaker

Tim Burke: TUF vs. TUF. Someone get me a beer, this is going to be awesome! Wait, the one guys just wrestles? And the other dude’s probably not that good at wrestling? I might fall asleep just making this prediction. Colton Smith by unani

Mookie Alexander: I actually like the idea of matching up fighters from the US version of TUF with the international TUFers … except this fight. Colton Smith could go down as the least exciting TUF winner in the history of the show. I’d rather FX just put on 15 minutes of ads than the inevitable tedium we’ll get tomorrow night. Colton Smith by unanimous decision.

Fraser Coffeen: Smith is a serious bore, but the man knows how to wrestle his way to a decision. I just hope he has, at some point, bought some new tights. Colton Smith by decision

T.P. Grant: You see the thing about Colton Smith is... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Colton Smith by Decision

Zane Simon: This is where giving prominent spots to TUF winners really doesn’t pay off. Whittaker’s an exciting fighter, but that’s because he’s largely a striker. Colton will get him down hold him down and and go into full fun absorption mode. Colton Smith by unanimous decision.

Connor Ruebusch: Let’s just say this: were Colton Smith not a TUF winner, he’d be just one loss away from Dana declaring him to be "clearly on the downside of his career" and cutting him. Colton Smith by unanimous decision.

Staff picking Smith: Stephie, Mookie, Fraser, Grant, Zane, DSM

Staff picking Whittaker:

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

Tim Burke: Okay, I’m back and well-rested. Why is Trujillo even fighting Nurmy? Generally a 3-0 guy doesn’t get a 1-0 guy who beat Marcus LeVesseur. Is it the wrestling/sambo thing? I guess so. But Trujillo’s gonna learn that you don’t mess with Dagestanis. Or eagles. Eagles are assholes, they’re second on the asshole bird list behind swans. Anyway, Khabib Nurmagomedov by submission, round 1

Mookie Alexander: Man, Abel Trujillo AND Jeremy Stephens on the same card? This is gold for the Culinary Union. Khabib by submission, round 2.

T.P. Grant: If Sambo was easy they’d call it wrestling Khabib Nurmagomedov by SAMBO!

Zane Simon: Khabib has already flirted with the top ten of the division. Trujillo crushed Marcus Levesseur, but so did Cody McKenzie. He’ll hang out in the division for a bit because he looks to be an exciting fighter, but I expect the loss to be bad. Khabib Nurmagomedov by whatever he wants whenever he wants it.

Connor Ruebusch: I like picking underdogs. So sue me. Abel Trujillo by TKO, Round 3.

Staff picking Trujillo: Stephie, Connor

Staff picking Nurmagomedov: Mookie, Fraser, Grant, Zane, DSM, Tim

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Stephen Thompson

Tim Burke: I find it kinda funny how much hate Stephen Thompson gets around these parts. Sure, he was overhyped. But it’s not like he’s Jake Shields out there or something (sorry Jake). He still has a good striking game, and a year off might have helped him round out his game a bit. I think he can take out Burrell, especially if Burrell chooses to engage in fisticuffs on the feet. Stephen Thompson by decision.

Fraser Coffeen: My picks are likely already a disaster on this card thanks to Grant and Hunt, so let’s keep it going with the Karate love. Thompson got worked by the much smarter Matt Brown last time out, but Burrell is not at that level, he’s willing to trade, and he’s been KO’d before. Stephen Thompson by KO round 1

T.P. Grant: Thompson is an elite striker. No super elite! No, world class. He was in Chuck Norris’ karate striking thing and won, I saw it on YouTube so he has to be badass. And he is son-in-law to a BJJ guy whose name I recognize, so his ground must be sick also. Stephen Thompson by crescent kick into a flying gogoplata, Round 1

Zane Simon: This is a surprisingly close fight. Thompson took a close loss to Matt Brown, who’s since turned that into an incredibly legitimate stain on his record. Burrell, for his part looked great in his debut bout with Yuri Villefort. I think there’s a very good chance that the more Wonderboy fights the more his mystery is solved. Nah-Shon Burrell by split decision.

Connor Ruebusch: Wonderbody was certainly overhyped, but I think he’s got more than enough creativity on the feet to starch a relatively by-the-numbers striker like Nah-Shon Burrell. Stephen Thompson by TKO, Round 2.

Staff picking Burrell: Stephie, Mookie, Zane, DSM

Staff picking Thompson: Fraser, Grant, Tim, Connor

Brian Bowles vs. George Roop

Tim Burke: Brian Bowles hasn’t fought in forever. Mike Pyle wasn’t even alive the last time Bowles fought, and as we know by now, he’s 107. Bowles last fight was so long ago that I think John Nash covered it in the Martial Chronicles. Okay okay, I’ll stop. If Bowles is anything like the Bowles of old, he won’t have many problems with Roop. If he’s rusty, it could be a different story. And it is easy to break your hand when you punch a skeleton. Just sayin. Brian Bowles by TKO, round 2

Mookie Alexander: This is such a scary fight to pick and to watch. Bowles’ hands are so brittle that they might literally disintegrate just by touching gloves. Anyway, unless Bowles’ long layoff has the worst possible effect on him, he should win this against Skeletor George, whose lack of nutrition is currently grounds for an ABC telethon. Brian Bowles by TKO, round 2.

T.P. Grant: All things equal, Bowles wins this but I think the year and half layoff due to hand injuries takes a toll and we get a real ugly fight here that Roop squeaks by in. George Roop by Decision.

Zane Simon: Bowles is a likely candidate to lose from the lead. I expect him to come out strong against the ever game Roop. But I’m thinking this will be more a late career rejuvenation than a last hurrah. Brian Bowles by Unanimous Decision.

Connor Ruebusch: Roop is a scrappy guy, but aside from his knockout of the Korean Zombie and the awesome teep he showed against Josh Grispi, he hasn’t done a whole lot to really impress me. Brian Bowles on the other hand, is the type of guy you’d expect to be fighting out of Team Alpha Male, if Urijah hadn’t whooped his ass so thoroughly back in 2011. He’s coming off a long layoff, but the combination of his wrestling and powerful hands will probably spell Skeletor’s doom. Brian Bowles by TKO, Round 2.

Staff picking Roop: Stephie, Grant

Staff picking Bowles: Mookie, Fraser, Zane, DSM, Tim

Estevan Payan vs. Jeremy Stephens

Tim Burke: I’ll let everyone else cover the Heathen jokes. If he can make featherweight comfortably and doesn’t end up in handcuffs before the fight, he should be able to take out Payan without much trouble. Jeremy Stephens by TKO, round 2

Mookie Alexander: Jeremy Stephens will be 27 years old on Sunday and it feels like he’s 32. He’s had 15 UFC fights and is still the same wild striker that he was when he first came into the organization. You could even argue he’s regressed based on how Yves Edwards merced him. I’m sure though that he’ll be kept even with a loss tomorrow night because the UFC needs to "stick it to the Iowa police". Estevan Payan by unanimous decision.

T.P. Grant: This drop to Featherweight feels like desperation on Stephens part, and a desperation weight drop rarely goes well. Estevan Payan by Decision.

Zane Simon: Part of me wants to say I want Jeremy Stephens to lose, but that’s really more on Dana than him. I don’t actually know if he’s a criminal, and while I strongly suspect he is, the memory of Dana throwing fits pre UFC on FX 5 vilified both him and the fighter as much as anything. So removing my moral discomfort, Payan has never had a fight nearly this big in his entire career, and considering that it’s the opening card on Facebook, that means something. Stephens may not have progressed a ton in the past half decade, but unless he’s regressed he’ll win this. Jeremy Stephens by TKO.

Connor Ruebusch: Literally the only thing I know about Estevan Payan is that he was spectacularly knocked out by Yahir Reyes in Bellator a few years ago. It’s not a lot to go on, but I think he’ll drop a decision to Jeremy Stephens this time, because I’m not interested enough to research him further. Jeremy Stephens by Unanimous Decision.

Staff picking Stephens: Stephie, Fraser, Zane, DSM, Tim, Connor

Staff picking Payan: Grant, Mookie

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CFA 11 featuring Fallon Fox vs Allanna Jones, Travis Wiuff vs Mike Kyle on AXS.TV live results and discussion

7 hours 12 min ago

Join us tonight at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT on Bloody Elbow for the AXS.TV presenation of the Championship Fighting Alliance 11 main card, live form the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Florida.

The event is headlined by Heavyweight veterans Travis Wiuff and Mike Kyle, while in the co-main event polarising transgender WMMA fighter Fallon Fox has her third professional fight against 2-1 Allanna "Hands of Stone" Jones. Can Jones derail the Fox hype train, or will Fox make short work of Jones as she has her previous opponents?

Bellator Veteran and Olympic Wrestler Alexis Vila also fights tonight at Flyweight.

Read More: After all the hate, Fallon Fox fights tonight in historic match

Main Card

Travis Wiuff vs Mike Kyle (Heavyweight)

Fallon Fox vs Allanna Jones (Womens Featherweight)

Robert Washington vs Luis Palomino (Lightweight)

Sean Soriano vs Elvin Leon Brito (Interim Featherweight Title)

Alexis Vila vs Czar Sklavos (Flyweight)

Oscar Delgado vs Mike King (Middleweight)

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Legend Fighting preview: Badr Hari plus Sapp vs. Emelianenko live stream this weekend

7 hours 14 min ago

Fans looking to fill their Saturday with combat sports have a new addition to the menu. In case UFC 160 and Froch vs. Kessler II aren't enough for you, Bloody Elbow will have coverage of LEGEND Fighting Show, live from Moscow, Russia. Legend takes place this Saturday May 25 with a start time of 11:00 a.m. ET. The show will be available as a live stream via UStream for $14.95. This is the first event from the new Legend promotion, and they have stacked the card with a lot of interesting names.

The biggest international name here: Badr Hari. And for many fans, that name alone is enough of a reason to watch.

The notoriously volatile (and highly talented) kickboxing great will be fighting for the second time since his prison stint last year. (Hari is still awaiting trial, but is currently out of jail). Last time out, Hari defeated Zabit Samedov at the K-1 GP in March. Now, he's back to take on... Zabit Samedov. Who, by the way, Hari also fought and defeated in 2009. Is the world clamoring for Hari vs. Samedov III? Not exactly, though to be fair, Samedov did put up a good fight last time out. But hey, it's Badr Hari fighting - a rarity indeed these days.

The main event of the show is a potential classic for the fans of weird Pride-style matchmaking, as Alexander Emelianenko takes on Bob Sapp. Emelianenko has had a lot of issues in recent years, with controversy surrounding him relating to an accusation that he has Hepatitis C. He's coming off a loss to Jeff Monson. For his part, Sapp is on a truly remarkable 10 fight losing streak in MMA (plus is 1-12 in his last 13 kickboxing fights). This should be weird.

The show does feature some quality kickboxing action as well in the form of a four man tournament featuring Dzhabar Askerov, Enriko Gogokhia, Artur Kyshenko, and Yuri Bessmertny. That's actually a great tournament with an intriguing final no matter how the semi-finals shake out.

Finally, there was once talk of Jon Jones appearing on the show (not fighting of course), though that has not been mentioned in the latest press.

It all happens live from Moscow this Saturday. Join us here at Bloody Elbow for live fight coverage. You know you want to see how this goes down.

LEGEND Fighting Show Fight Card, May 25:
Reserve fight. K-1, 71 kg Vyacheslav Borschev vs Alim Nabiev Super Fight, MMA, 77 kg Sergey Khandozhko vs Eduard Vartanyan The Big 4 Semifinal. 71 kg Dzhabar Askerov vs Enrico Gogokhia The Big 4 Semifinal, 71 kg Artur Kyshenko vs Yury Bessmertny Super Fight, MMA, 77 kg Alexei Nazarov vs Mindaugas Verbickas Super Fight, K-1, +93 kg Badr Hari vs Zabit Samedov The Big 4 Final. K-1, 71 kg
TBD vs TBD Super Fight, MMA, +93 kg Alexander Emelianenko vs Bob Sapp

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UFC 160 weigh-ins results: Velasquez 240lbs, Silva 263lbs

7 hours 28 min ago

Bloody Elbow is the place to be if you want to watch the UFC 160 weigh-in, which kicks off at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

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UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Silva weigh-in video coverage

7 hours 28 min ago

Bloody Elbow is the place to be if you want to watch the UFC 160 weigh-in, which kicks off at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

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Championship Fighting Alliance 11: Kyle vs Wiuff, Fallon Fox vs Allanna Jones Preview

7 hours 38 min ago

Tonight on AXS.TV from 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT sees Heavyweight veterans Mike Kyle and Travis Wiuff clash in a main event with familiar names on the main undercard, including controversial transgender WMMA fighter Fallon Fox and Bellator veteran Alexis Vila.

Wiuff, filling in for originally slated fighter Valentijn Overeem, is looking to snap a 3 fight losing streak that saw him knocked out twice in Bellator. In his way is Strikeforce veteran Mike Kyle who had put together a good streak in King of the Cage and Strikeforce until losing by submission in his last fight to Gegard Mousasi. The fight with Wiuff is actually a rematch from King of the Cage Vengeance in 2010 that ended in a No Contest when Wiuff was TKO'd (doctor's stoppage) but it was determined punches had landed after the bell. This is a chance for Wiuff to get revenge, or for Kyle to finally close this chapter in his career.

Featherweight WMMA fighters Fallon Fox and Allana Jones square off in the co-main event and one that is garnering the most interest because of the controversy surrounding fox. Fox is 2-0 as a professional and has a handful of amateur bouts under her belt, while Jones is 2-1 with her sole loss coming by submission, though her last fight was won by split-decision. Fox is a little taller than Jones, but both appeared similarly built if the weigh in photos are anything to go by. This fight looks to be even, but as we know, looks can be deceiving.

Bellator veteran Alexis Vila returns to CFA after losing his last fight by guillotine choke to Joshua Sampo at CFA 9. Having lost his last 3 in a row, the ATT fighter is aiming to rkindle his career at Flyweight, though at 42 years old time is not on his side even with an impressive Olympic Wrestling pedigree. He takes on 7-2 submission specialist Czar Sklavos from Boise, Idaho.

Main Card

Travis Wiuff vs Mike Kyle (Heavyweight)

Fallon Fox vs Allanna Jones (Womens Featherweight)

Robert Washington vs Luis Palomino (Lightweight)

Sean Soriano vs Elvin Leon Brito (Interim Featherweight Title)

Alexis Vila vs Czar Sklavos (Flyweight)

Oscar Delgado vs Mike King (Middleweight)

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UFC 160 Preview: Glover Teixeira vs. James Te Huna

8 hours 14 min ago

The third fight on the main card of UFC 160 features a couple of rising combatants in the 205 lb division. The winner of this bout could bust into the elite of a division that has seen a lot of top fighters lose lately. While the bout probably doesn't have title implications, it will certainly set the victor on the right path.

Glover Teixeira (20-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. James Te Huna (16-5, 5-1 UFC) - Light Heavyweight

Teixeira has now established himself as a big presence in the UFC's 205-pound division after visa issues kept him out of the organization for years. The 33-year-old Brazilian has been a staple of John Hackleman's gym, The Pit, for a long time and has training alongside the likes of former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. He looked very impressive his first two UFC fights, submitting Kyle Kingsbury in the first round at UFC 146 and beating the pulp out of Fabio Maldonado at UFC 153. He faced a much stiffer test in Quinton Jackson at UFC on Fox 6, but won all three rounds with a good combination of striking and wrestling.

Te Huna was brought into the UFC after winning a CFC light heavyweight grand prix in Australia, defeating current UFC fighter Anthony Perosh in the finals. After stopping Igor Pokrajac in his debut, he ran into the up-and-coming Alexander Gustafsson and was submitted in the first round. Since then he has looked excellent though, rattling off four straight victories. The most recent came against Ryan Jimmo at UFC on Fuel 7, where he was clipped by a huge head kick early but managed to survive and take over the last two rounds to win a decision.

Now that we've got that out of the way, how do these two match up? In short, very well. Both are big, strong 205ers with power in their hands, good offensive and defensive wrestling, and decent cardio. Teixeira is definitely the better of the two in terms of submission grappling and is probably the more creative striker, but Te Huna brings better technical boxing and probably has a bit more one-punch power. JTH might hold an edge in wrestling too - no one really thought much of Glover's wrestling until he manhandled Rampage the way he did.

Another minor difference might be each guy's chin - Te Huna's is granite. The kick he took from Ryan Jimmo would have knocked out just about anyone in in the sport, and it did badly hurt JTH, but he held on. Teixeira took some shots well from Rampage, but he was wobbled by a nearly-dead Fabio Maldonado in their fight and his chin doesn't seem to be at that elite level. That being said, Te Huna has to find it to exploit it and Teixiera's striking defense has looked much improved since he came into the UFC.

To me, it depends what kind of fight Teixeira wants to engage in. He probably has the faster hands, but he likes to fight inside and that plays into Te Huna's strengths. If he has the wrestling to take Te Huna down, he holds a wide advantage on the ground in terms of grappling ability. The smart move would be to make it a ground fight, while will also tire Te Huna out. Overall, he just brings more weapons into the fight. Can Te Huna knock him out? For sure. But I don't see that happening on Saturday night, even if Glover does oblige him in the pocket for a little while.

Prediction - Glover Teixeira by submission

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UFC 160 video: Glover Teixeira discusses James Te Huna, explains role in gun control video

8 hours 44 min ago

Top ten light heavyweight Glover Teixeira talks to Ariel Helwani about whether he prefers to fight James Te Huna or Ryan Bader, and also his involvement in a gun control video.

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UFC 160 preview: Is this the weakest MMA's HW division has ever been?

8 hours 59 min ago

Sure we've got a dominant HW champ and a top contender in Junior dos Santos, but where is the up and coming talent? Kid Nate and Eugene S. Robinson look ahead to UFC 160.

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UFC 160 video: T.J. Grant discusses Gray Maynard, potential title shot

9 hours 44 min ago

Lightweight contender TJ Grant talks with Ariel Helwani about his upcoming fight with Gray Maynard, as well as his reaction to finding out that he's one win away from a title shot.

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UFC 160 - Coach Mike's Factgrinder: Cain Velasquez

10 hours 14 min ago

After my post on the actual wrestling accomplishments of Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen, I decided to make this sort of thing a regular feature. My colleague K.J. Gould suggested Factgrinder as the name for these posts, I found the suggestion to have a nice ring, and here we are.

I've said before that I gravitated towards MMA largely due to the presence of my favorite amateur wrestlers. I then fell into writing about MMA in part because of MMA writers' and commentators' lack of any ability to place the amateur wrestling resumes of fighters into proper perspective. The breaking point was when Joe Rogan commented in 2007 that Matt Grice's 4 Oklahoma high school state wrestling championships were worth 6 California state championships. This demonstrated utter ignorance as to the relative importance of different amateur wrestling accomplishments. Now my Factgrinder is here to set the record straight on the exact meaning of a fighter's wrestling resume.

I should lay out a few guidelines about this feature before I discuss Cain Velasquez's amateur wrestling accomplishments.

• This is not meant to be a predictive tool. I am aware of the difference between the effectiveness of wrestling on a mat, and its effectiveness as applied in a cage. Still, it is important to get a handle on the actual meaning of wrestling accomplishments to gain perspective on the qualifications of the athletes in MMA, as well as to eventually determine how faithfully wrestling pedigree manifests itself in a combat athlete once he becomes a fighter.
• I'm not going to spend much time discussing high school accomplishments.
• The highest possible wrestling pedigrees are earned in the Olympic wrestling styles of Greco-Roman and freestyle on the senior level (senior in this case meaning there are no age restrictions). Achievements in these styles and grouping in the U.S. Open, world/Olympic team trials, world championships/Olympic games, and various international tournaments hold greater weight than collegiate accomplishments. If a wrestler does well enough on this level, he earns the right to be called "world class". I attempted to establish a baseline for what constitutes a world class wrestler in my very first post on BE.
• Below senior level accomplishments are collegiate accolades. Among the various collegiate groupings, NCAA Division 1 serves as the gold standard. If a wrestler has competed in a lower division, then his success can only be properly understood by relating it to success on the Division 1 level.

Without further ado, let's grind the facts on Cain Velasquez-
I observed a decent level of shock from MMA fans regarding the degree to which Cain Velasquez out wrestled Brock Lesnar when they fought each other. Looking back on their competitive wrestling resumes, it's clear this shock was misplaced. The keen observer could make a somewhat compelling case that Cain had a superior amateur wrestling career.
Cain was definitely a better pound for pound wrestler than Lesnar, and he was certainly more decorated in both of the Olympic styles, where he preformed very well on the age-group level and even on the senior level. Both were junior college national champs, and while Brock did more on the Division 1 level, Cain was in the Division 1 semi-finals twice, just as many times as Lesnar. In both of Cain's semi final appearances, he lost in competitive matches to Cole Konrad, whom I believe was a superior wrestler to Brock. Furthermore, I've heard more than a few claim that if stalling were more aggressively enforced by the referee, Cain would have beaten Konrad in the 2006 semis. This would have been Cain's second win over Konrad, whom he beat in a 2004 dual meet. Cain was also consistent, as a senior, his only loses were to the three heavyweights who placed in front of him at nationals- three very good heavies in Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State, Cole Konrad of Minnesota and Greg Wagner of Michigan (Thanks to my friends as D1CollegeWrestling.net for some research help there).
Velasquez's collegiate career started at Iowa Central Community College, a junior college wrestling power. While there, he won an NJCAA national championship, just like current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who later wrestled for ICCC as well. For the most part, high level wrestlers like Cain wind up wrestling at JUCOs for one of two reasons: either they wrestled in an obscure high school program and didn't get attention from big NCAA programs, or they had grade issues to work out. I don't think exposure was a problem for Cain. While his two high school state championships in Arizona wouldn't garner him national attention on their own (Arizona produces occasional top level wrestlers like Henry Cejudo and Anthony Robles, but it is pretty far from an elite wrestling state), Cain was twice a place winner in both freestyle and Greco at the USA Wrestling Junior National Championships in Fargo. These placings alone would have put him on the radar of top Division 1 programs as a big time recruit.
My guess is that Cain went to ICCC to shore up some academic issues. Unfortunately, when he returned to Arizona to wrestle for Arizona State as a sophomore, he continued to have some classroom struggles. He was declared ineligible for the 2004 post season in what was, up until that point, a very promising debut season on the Division 1 level.
Cain managed to turn things around. His final two years of eligibility saw stellar post seasons with Pac-10 championships, and All-American finishes at the NCAA tournament (All-American-top 8 at the national championship), placing 5th and then 4th at the 2005 and 2006 national championships respectively.
In my retrospective on Chael Sonnen's wrestling career, I mentioned how all NCAA All Americans aren't equal. In all of Chael Sonnen's appearances at the NCAA tournament, he placed eighth once and in the process beat one wrestler who would go on to himself be an All American. In Cain's two NCAA appearances he beat four different wrestlers who would themselves achieve All American status, and placed in front of twelve.
Cain had a great scholastic career, and he holds claim to some fairly robust achievements in the Olympic styles.
In 2002, Cain was a FILA junior national champ in freestyle, and qualified for the junior (20 and under) world team. The USA doesn't always perform that well at the junior world championship, but our junior world teams consist largely of wrestlers who go on to accomplish great things in wrestling. The only other junior world team members currently in MMA who come to mind are Bubba Jenkins(gold at junior worlds) and Mark Munoz (silver at junior worlds); both won Division 1 championships after their time on the junior world team. Some regard the junior world championship as the second most prestigious wrestling championship in the world behind the senior world championships or Olympics. Unfortunately for Cain, he didn't get to compete at junior worlds. From 2001-2005 FILA capriciously followed a policy of only holding junior worlds biennially, and 2002 was an off year.
Cain's 2002 FILA junior freestyle championship was accompanied by a third place finish in the FILA junior Greco national championship. Considering the fact that prior to researching for this post, I had no recollection that Cain had any Greco accomplishments, this result served as a bit of a surprise. Apparently, in high school and his first two collegiate years, Cain was one of the country's best Greco heavyweights in his age group. He was also very close to winning a double FILA junior national championship(both freestyle and Greco), which is a pretty gaudy feat.
Velasquez notched a 7th place finish at university nationals in freestyle, also in 2002. Seeing as how Cain was only 19 at the time, and most his competitors were significantly older, this was a notable result.
This provides reasonable segue to launch into a brief discussion of the significance of university-level achievements. These pop up from time to time in a fighter's background, and seem to lead to some misunderstandings.
The university age group, I suppose, was created by FILA with the intention of providing a world championship for students. This doesn't make too much sense as most the champions at the senior world championships have "student" listed as their occupation. Instead, the university world championships operate as sort of a grouping for wrestlers who are good, but not on track to ever be their country's very best. A University world championship functions sort of like the WWE's intercontinental championship- it's a nice thing to win, but a long way from the top.
Domestically, university nationals is certainly a tough tournament, and place winners are almost always good division 1 wrestlers. That said, an All American finish at university nationals does not hold nearly the same gravity as as Division 1 All American status. When MMA fighters list "university All American" as an accomplishment it often confuses the non-wrestling initiated in the media and elsewhere, who see "university" and assume it means "NCAA". I saw a prominent MMA writer erroneously describe Chael Sonnen as a two time NCAA Greco champion. Chael was a two time university champion, he couldn't have won an NCAA Greco championship as Greco-Roman wrestling is not an NCAA sanctioned sport.
Returning to a discussion of Cain Velasquez, his greatest Olympic style accomplishment was a 5th place finish in the 2003 senior US national championship in freestyle. Senior nationals (more widely referred to as "The Open") is a tournament where you will fairly regularly see NCAA champions fail to place. Making this performance particularly impressive was Cain's age. This tournament occurred before Cain's 21st birthday. Rarely do heavies this young place so high at national tournaments on the senior level. Unfortunately, this would be the last time Cain would place in a senior national championship; subsequent appearances failed to yield comparable results.
The Factgrinder Final Analysis
In the grand scheme of things, how good a wrestler was Cain Velasquez? In college he was one of the very best in a very good crop of heavyweights, he just couldn't quite make it to the top. Had Cain made serious Olympic runs in 2008 and 2012, the story probably would have been the same. I figure that if Cain Velasquez fully committed himself to freestyle wrestling he would probably have placed in the 4th or 6th range at the Olympics trials, just a tier down from the top guys.
The Factgrinder final analysis has determined that while Cain Velasquez was not the greatest that amateur wrestling had to offer, he was pretty damn close and a good bit closer than most would realize.

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UFC 160 preview: Cain Velasquez vs. Bigfoot Silva and the story of the REAL world Heavyweight champion

11 hours 14 min ago

Given the complete 1 round destruction we saw back at UFC 146, it's fair to say that many are not looking at the UFC 160 main event of Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva as a massively competitive match-up. Sure, the cut in the first fight may have stopped things early, but it also didn't seem that Bigfoot had much in his arsenal to stop the Velasquez onslaught. And so why be interested in the rematch? That's a valid argument, but it ignores one very important factor.

The World Heavyweight Title.

No, not the UFC Heavyweight title - I'm talking about the REAL World Heavyweight Title. Prepare for history to be made folks, because Saturday night, at the conclusion of UFC 160, an event 16 years in the making will come to pass. The true World Heavyweight Title will finally be unified with the UFC Heavyweight title.

We're talking of course of the mythical lineal title - a boxing concept that has been adopted by MMA over the years. The idea of a lineal title is simple: to quote the esteemed Ric Flair, "to be the man, you got to beat the man", and that's the philosophy behind the lineal title. For this belt, issues of the sponsoring promotion are irrelevant - it's just a question of who beat who. So how does this relate to Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2? Easy (well, no, not really, but indulge me...)

In the early days of MMA, it was the UFC who established the first true Heavyweight champion, and so most MMA historians date the genesis of the lineal title to the birth of the UFC Heavyweight title, taking the line through early UFC champions like Dan Severn and Mark Coleman. Where things split is 1997, when UFC Heavyweight champion Randy Couture left the promotion as champ, traveling to Japan where he lost to Enson Inoue. At that point, the UFC crowned their own champion (Bas Rutten), Inoue held the lineal title, and the two belts forever parted ways.

Inoue brought the title into the Pride 2000 Grand Prix, where it passed to Mark Kerr, Kazuyuki Fujita, and finally, GP champion Mark Coleman. Coleman dropped it to Minotauro Nogueira, who eventually lost to Fedor Emelianenko.

At this point, it should be said that there are various discrepancies in how people choose to acknowledge the path of the belt. What I laid out above is, for my money, the right path. Some choose to keep it on original UFC champion Royce Gracie (who then similarly loses it in the 2000 GP). Some opt to not consider Fujita vs. Coleman an actual match since Fujita immediately threw in the towel. But no matter how you slice it, by the demise of Pride, the world's undisputed #1 Heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko was also the true lineal champ.

Fedor brought that belt to the US, defended it in Affliction, and lost it when he jumped into Fabricio Werdum's guard. Werdum promptly lost it to Alistair Overeem by flopping like a fish, and Overeem brought it to the UFC only to lose it to Bigfoot earlier this year.

And that brings us to this weekend, where Antonio Bigfoot Silva defends the Lineal Heavyweight Title against the pretender to the throne, UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Winner take all.

You have to think that Cain will walk away champ, but the lineal belt adds a new wrinkle. Looking at the recent history of the title you see a recurring theme - hubris. Fedor though he could waltz through the guard of Werdum. He was wrong. Werdum thought he could lay on his back and goad Reem into his game. He was wrong. Reem thought he could casually stroll through Bigfoot's punches. He was wrong. Will Cain make the same mistakes as the fallen champions before him?

Either way, this weekend is one for the record books. At long last, the true championship comes home. Be there to see it.

Before I go, a quick shout-out to the superb mjanacek, who contributed this amazing FanPost on this very topic. If you want to know why this is not only a fight for the lineal and UFC title, but also for the belts from Pride, Elite XC, Strikeforce, Dream, Pancrase, Rings, IFL, WAMMA, and many many more, check out his comprehensive post.

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Watch Super Fight League 18: Singh vs. Cabello Live on Bloody Elbow

11 hours 44 min ago

Super Fight League is back in it's 18th bi-weekly installment live from India, streaming on Bloody Elbow at 11:30AM Eastern, 8:30AM Pacific.

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UFC champ Jon Jones meets Fedor, tweets at Alex Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier

12 hours 4 min ago

It's not easy being UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones. For one thing, everyone in the division wants a shot at your title. Last night it was Sweden's top mixed martial artist Alexander Gustafsson:

Fighting me is not good for your image@alexthemauler FYI

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 24, 2013

Gustafsson couldn't resist the opening:

@jonnybones if you think of what is good for your image, maybe you should continue to fight this 185ers??

— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) May 24, 2013

Jones is currently in Russia where he'll be appearing at tomorrow's Legend fight card which will feature Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Bob Sapp and a kickboxing bout featuring Badr Hari. He took the time to pose with the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.

@jonnybones standing alongside HW GOAT @fedoroskol! What a surreal image courtesy of @malkikawa instagram.com/p/ZqquXxJlmy/

— Artem Moshkovich (@RuskiTyoma) May 23, 2013

But never fear, the champ still has the energy to trash other potential challengers like Heavyweight Daniel Cormier who's been talking about cutting down to 205 and taking a crack at Jones:

Someone ask DC when his diet starts #Wolftickets

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 24, 2013

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UFC champ Jon Jones meets Fedor, tweets at Alex Gustaffson and Daniel Cormier

12 hours 4 min ago

It's not easy being UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones. For one thing, everyone in the division wants a shot at your title. Last night it was Sweden's top mixed martial artist Alex Gustafsson:

Fighting me is not good for your image@alexthemauler FYI

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 24, 2013

Gustafsson couldn't resist the opening:

@jonnybones if you think of what is good for your image, maybe you should continue to fight this 185ers??

— Alexander Gustafsson (@AlexTheMauler) May 24, 2013

Jones is currently in Russia where he'll be appearing at tomorrow's Legend fight card which will feature Aleksander Emelianenko vs. Bob Sapp and a kickboxing bout featuring Badr Hari. He took the time to pose with the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.

@jonnybones standing alongside HW GOAT @fedoroskol! What a surreal image courtesy of @malkikawa instagram.com/p/ZqquXxJlmy/

— Artem Moshkovich (@RuskiTyoma) May 23, 2013

But never fear, the champ still has the energy to trash other potential challengers like Heavyweight Daniel Cormier who's been talking about cutting down to 205 and taking a crack at Jones:

Someone ask DC when his diet starts #Wolftickets

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) May 24, 2013

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UFC 160: Gray Maynard vs. TJ Grant Preview and Prognostication

12 hours 14 min ago

The second fight for UFC 160 happens to be a bout with title shot implications at 155. A few years ago, these would not have been names you'd picture on a list of challengers.

Gray Maynard (12-1-1-NC) vs. TJ Grant (20-5) Lightweight

Gray has led an interesting career, starting with a very limited skillset, only to become a title contender without really developing his all around game. It's quite amazing to think he only has one real loss, his guillotine defeat to Nate Diaz on season 5 of the Ultimate Fighter notwithstanding.

It certainly feels like Gray has lost more than he's won lately. In his last three fights, he's drawn with Frankie Edgar, lost to Frankie Edgar, and was awarded a decision more people would likely have a problem with if Clay Guida didn't suddenly start winning fights with a style that wouldn't be violent enough in a mosh pit.

And so that's the last memory fans and observers have of Maynard: with his hands down, egging Guida to punch him in the face because nothing is manlier, only to sprawl with his arms still down, showing us what a nesting doll looks like defending a takedown. It was the single best moment of the fight, unfortunately, but a nice gesture to the fans that Gray really does want to be loved in the end.

On the other side is the silent killer. Grant was always a solid fighter. At welterweight. At lightweight, he's managed to polish an already durable, versatile style into a war machine.

His last bout ended in a singularly brutal, systematic destruction against the very capable Matt Wiman with elbows that were just plain disgusting. And I don't mean "disgusting" as in "awesome". I mean disgusting, as in watching Wiman get torched like that made me physically nauseous. Just brutal.

With that said, how do these two match up?

What both men can do: Safe to say, elbows are one thing Grant does extremely well. He's a very well rounded fighter to say the absolutely minimum. He throws pretty swift punches, and obviously excels in close, where his elbows and knees have become his bread and butter.

Though he hasn't showed much on the ground during his UFC tenure, he's a skilled grappler. There's not much to say about Grant that hasn't already been said.

Same for Maynard. Gray is still a bruising wrestler. He doesn't have a unique, swift, or crafty shot, but what he lacks in agility he makes up for in sheer power. The reason Gray has stayed relevant despite still being fairly limited, is that he has improved his game on the ground. Nowadays you'll see him actively pass guard. Few remember how close he was to ripping Roger Huerta's shoulder off...though that probably had something to do with the fact being otherwise lackluster.

In addition, he's done a good job of getting comfortable with the fact that he has excellent raw power in his fists. He still mostly just throws an overhand right, but he's mixing in just enough strikes these days

What both men can't do: To that end, Gray still needs to sharpen his standup. It's a little telling that he's the only man to be knocked out by Frankie Edgar (though I feel like Edgar was always accurate enough to deserve at least one KO in his career, regardless of opponent). He still relies on his wrestling when he's not comfortable on his feet, and that make for predictability, which you don't want to be a habit against a cerebral fighter like Grant.

However, Grant's losses have traditionally come against fighters with stifling top control. He's shown himself to be somewhat susceptible to the overhand right, and he's not near as effective on the feet from a distance. This is why I lean towards Maynard. It's not the sexy pick I know, but Grant will be most effective in close, and Gray will have a much easier time getting takedowns if Grant decides that's his only mode of offense.

Not that this won't be nip and tuck. In fact, I'm expecting a controversial decision. But as much as I like Grant, I don't expect him to be as effective inside, which leaves Gray to stay in top control.

Prediction: Gray Maynard by Decision.

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