Cain Velasquez vs Antonio Silva 2 – To think it was just 12 months ago that Cain Velasquez left the octagon looking like the scene of a homicide after bludgeoning Antonio Silva into defeat in less than one round at UFC 146. Fast forward to this weekend and one year almost to the exact day Bigfoot will be getting his chance at redemption as he challenges Velasquez for his recently reacquired UFC heavyweight championship. You would have been hard-pressed to convince anyone that this rematch would be taking place in such a relatively short amount of time but such is the way things have unfolded in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The path to this contest began when Velasquez defeated then heavyweight champ Junior dos Santos in their rematch to reclaim the title you had previously lost to the Brazilian. The prevailing thought was that Cain would face Allistair Overeem once he dispatched of Silva but those plans went awry when Bigfoot upset The Reem, knocking him out in the third round at UFC 156 in February. As few of those that would’ve predicted this fight there seems to be even less that are picking Bigfoot to win which is understandable given the nature of their first encounter. That said the heavyweight division is the most unpredictable weight class in the sport and one in which all it takes is for one punch to change the direction of a fight and the fortunes of those in it.   916Chris’ pick – Count me in with the majority of those that give Bigfoot little to no chance of getting revenge against Cain. I am of course not foolish to think that the giant Silva cannot knock out Velasquez but unfortunately for him the champ is not nearly as foolishly arrogant [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]