The Good Vitor Belfort – Say what you will about Vitor Belfort’s resurgence and whether or not it’s directly related to his use of TRT but there is no denying the results as for the second time this year he finished a top 5 middleweight by knockout. This time around it was Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold who was looking to make a statement in his UFC debut. Instead it was Belfort who made his mark by dropping Rockhold with a spinning head kick followed by a flurry of trademark punches that forced the referee to intervene and stop the fight. The Brazilian crowd which was lively most of the night erupted upon the bouts conclusion as their fellow countrymen won in emphatic fashion and potentially earned himself another shot at the 185 pound title. This older version of Belfort resembles the old Vitor that fans have clamored for for years.   Lucas Matthysse – It may not have turned into the back and forth war that many fans expected yet even more surprisingly may have been the final result as Lucas Matthysse scored a third round stoppage of Lamont Peterson. Early on it looked as if Peterson would employ more of a boxing style and try to control the fight from a distance but it wouldn’t be long before Matthysse would force Peterson into his kind of fight. The Argentinian sent Peterson to the canvas late in the second round and although the Washington DC product got to his feet it felt like the beginning of the end. Matthysse came out looking for the finish in the third round and Peterson decided to stand his ground which would be a mistake as both fighters threw and landed hooks but it would be Matthysse’s which would do more damage sending [...]

  Lamont Peterson vs Lucas Matthysse – Although we are not even half way into the year, 2013 has already given us numerous fight of the year contenders and another potential entry takes place this weekend as Junior Welterweight titleists Lamont Peterson and Lucas Matthysse face-off. Originally this was scheduled to be a unification fight but the weight limit has been moved up to 141 pounds, yet while no championship belts are on the line the stakes are still high as the winner is scheduled to face current division kingpin Danny Garcia later this year. While this fight is not getting nearly the attention of Floyd Mayweather’s recent contest, it is one that is eagerly anticipated by hard-core fans of boxing. The matchup seems like a can’t miss as you have two fighters in their respective primes and whose styles all but promise to deliver an action-packed affair. Not only is this being viewed as an entertaining fight but a competitive one as well which is evidenced by the numerous differing predictions as to who will emerge victorious. After being out of the ring for over a year due to suspension and other issues Peterson returned in impressive fashion stopping former champ Kendall Holt in eight rounds. Matthysse made quick work of Mike Dallas Jr. via first round knockout when last in the ring. Peterson’s sole defeat is to current welterweight champ Timothy Bradley whereas Matthysse’s two losses are disputed to Devon Alexander and Zab Judah respectively. In what is expected to be a battle of attrition the winner may be the fighter who can take it as well as he can give it, unless of course it goes to a decision in which any outcome is possible.   916Chris’ pick – Being as I am a fan of both [...]

  Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero – This weekend brings us Cinco de Mayo and as it has become tradition in the sport of boxing a big fight is scheduled this one being between Floyd Mayweather and Robert Guerrero. It is no coincidence that this will be the third time in the last three years that Mayweather has fought during this holiday weekend particularly when you take into account that Mayweather defeated Oscar De La Hoya around the same time in 2007, the fight that launched Floyd from boxing star to the face of the sport. Although he is only fought four times in the last four years it is expected that Mayweather will be much more active being as he recently signed a groundbreaking contract with Showtime and that at age 36, time is not on his side. When last in the ring a year ago Mayweather defeated Miguel Coto decisively yet showed that he had lost a bit of speed allowing for him to be hit more often than the norm given his excellent defense. Guerrero himself won by unanimous decision in his last ring appearance against Andre Berto in a grueling bout, which saw Mayweather sitting at ringside scouting what would be his next opponent. Guerrero had been calling for a big fight against the likes of Mayweather for a couple years now and while many doubted he would be granted such an opportunity it is now upon us however there are just as many if not more that thinks he is just another name waiting to be added to Floyd’s resume. On Saturday we shall find out if father time has indeed caught up with Mayweather and if so how it may adversely affect him or if Guerrero has bitten off more than he can chew [...]

The Good Jon Jones – At UFC 159 light heavyweight Jon Jones did what what was expected of him by dominating challenger Chael Sonnen, stopping him in the first round with strikes. Jones deviated from his usual strategy of feeling out his opponent early on and attacked Sonnen from the get-go taking him down numerous times in the fight where he used elbows to bust up his challenger. The champ finished the fight with a series of unanswered elbows and punches prompting the referee stoppage with less than 30 seconds left in the opening round. The only damage Jones took was a freak accident at the end of the bout that severely broke the big toe on his left foot. That aside Jones turned in a flawless victory and tied the record for most title defenses in the 205 pound division at six with former champ Tito Ortiz.   Danny Garcia vs Zab Judah – While the aforementioned Jones versus Sonnen contest unfolded as most anticipated, Danny Garcia’s Junior welterweight title defense against Zab Judah was anything but. Garcia looked good for the first eight rounds mixing up punches to the head and body of the former multi-division champion hurting him on more than one occasion and sending him to the canvas in the eighth round. Just when it looked like Judah would pack it in as he has done so many times in the past he surprised those watching and in attendance by not only surviving but thriving in the championship rounds. Judah stunned Garcia in the 10th round and turned on the aggression from that point on forcing Garcia to fight going backwards in a role reversal. While the champ appeared to be fading down the stretch he bit down and slugged it out with Zab in the [...]

  Jon Jones vs Chael Sonnen – At last after all the talking and build up this Saturday Jon Jones will defend his UFC light heavyweight championship against Chael Sonnen in the UFC 159 main event. Those who are unaware of the circumstances of how this fight came to be may be wondering how Sonnen, who is coming off a loss to UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and has not competed in the 205 pound division in more than six years received such a prestigious opportunity. The seeds of this fight were planted in September 2012 when Jones was sent to face Dan Henderson at UFC 151 until Hendo had to withdraw at the last minute due to injury. With little time to find a replacement Sonnen offered to take his former teammates spot in a chance to fight for the title. Unfortunately for the UFC and fans Jones and his coach Greg Jackson declined the opportunity which would ultimately lead to the entire UFC 151 event being canceled. Chael afterwords went on an anti-Jones campaign accusing the champ of ducking him. Jones would successfully defend his title later that month submitting Vitor Belfort in the fourth round and not long after it would be announced that Sonnen would be next in line for the title shot. To help build up the fight Jones and Sonnen would first oppose one another as coaches on the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter.   While Chael emerged victorious on the show seeing to his charges reach the final, it is Jones who is the overwhelming favorite heading into Saturday’s bout and it’s easy to see why. Jones is still essentially undefeated as his sole loss came via disqualification against Matt Hamill who he was in full control of before being disqualified for [...]

  If you watched UFC on FOX 7 last Saturday then you were treated to an entertaining night of fights featuring numerous knockouts and a closely contested title fight in the main event. The most impressive performance of the night however belonged to Josh Thomson who was making his return to the UFC after an almost 9 year hiatus. Not that Josh was inactive during that period as he has competed in Strikeforce from 2006 up until last year when the organization was purchased by UFC parent company Zuffa. Josh’s return to the octagon was a resounding one as he scored a second round knockout of Nate Diaz, a fighter who had never been stopped before in his career and is known for his toughness and durability. You would think such a showing would elicit talks of a title opportunity in the 155 pound division for Thomson but that wasn’t the case as UFC president Dana White announced in the post fight press conference that the winner of the upcoming fight between Gray Maynard and T.J. Grant would be the next title challenger. While the winner of Maynard and Grant is certainly a worthy contender, with Thomson the UFC should strike while the iron is hot and give him the next shot against Benson Henderson and there are a few reasons why.   In stopping Diaz, the fighter formerly known as “The Punk” did something that current UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson could not do. Henderson’s previous title defense was against Diaz and while he was dominant in victory, the Stockton native lasted the entire five rounds. Along those same lines, while Henderson scored a debatable if not controversial win via split decision over Gilbert Melendez in the UFC on FOX 7 main event, it can be argued that Thomson [...]