Amilcar Alves vs. Mike Pierce

I feel bad for Alves who has shown his finishing ability in his last four not letting a bout get out of the three minute mark. Unfortunately he is making his debut against a VERY dangerous Mike Pierce. Pierce has shown terrific wrestling ability and a stifling top game makes him a nightmare for Alves. Expect Pierce to put Alves on his back early and  often. While Alves has shown to have some serious submissions to his arsenal I doubt he will catch a fighter as game as Pierce.

Pierce by Unanimous Decision

Nick Osipczak vs. Greg Soto

There is alot to like about Osipczak. Versatility and excitement are chief among them. While both fighters are coming off of losses its “Slick Nick” who looked much better in losing a split decision to up and comer Rick Story who as of now has won his fourth in a row. On the other side of the coin Soto was dominated by a game Matt Riddle before losing by throwing an illegal upkick. While Soto has never been finished he hasn’t face a guy with finishing ability like Osipczak who has finished five out of six of his opponents. Two by knockout and three by submission. Long story short it will be a long night for Soto.

Slick Nick by TKO second round

Dan Miller vs. John Salter

Alot of guys know I love Dan Miller but one has to question where his head is at sometimes. When you have a fighter like Bisping who has historically struggled with wrestlers you decide to box with the kickboxer? How does that make sense? Not important what is important is he needs to win this fight if he wants to stay in the UFC. The problem is there are too many question marks on Salter to know how good he is. Lost to Gerald Harris by TKO in round 3, and won against Jason MacDonald by injury. This is a huge step up in competition for Salter. Miller before dropping three in a row to top competition won three in a row. The fact is unless Miller is facing elite competition he should really dominate the fight. So unless Salter is secretely a world beater this should be a no brainer.

Miller by Unanimous Decision

Nik Lentz vs. Andre Winner

Since losing in the finale to Pearson, Andre Winner has strung a couple of wins together. He will have a solid test against Lentz who hasn’t lost since 2007 and since won 9 in a row and drawing 2. Winner has very solid striking and deadly power. Meanwhile Lentz has a good matgame but has shown issues with his standup. Look for a sprawl and brawl victory from Winner. 

Winner by KO round 3

Joe Lauzon vs. Gabe Ruediger

For those of you who remember Gabe from the ultimate fighter don’t let that be the only judgement of the guy. It seems he had a bit of a wakeup call in Febuary of 2009 and has since strung together a winning streak of 6 finishing each one before the third round even began. It appears as if “Godzilla” is making his way back to relevancy. However his dangerous groundgame may be nullified against Joe Lauzon. Lauzon is known for his submission skills but is no slouch standing either with his biggest notable knockout over the legendary Jens Pulver as he made his path into the UFC. Look for Ruediger to shoot and for Lauzon to stuff each one. If Gabe decides to pull guard it will be a long night as he won’t have much luck against Lauzon on his back. Nothing against Ruediger as I believe he has reinvigorated his career and good for him but its a terrible stylistic matchup against Lauzon. 

Lauzon by TKO round 2

Marcus Davis vs. Nate Diaz

While Diaz has underrated striking it wont matter against Marcus Davis. Diaz has to get the fight to the ground and very quickly. He may tap Davis with several shots but Davis will be using his slips and footwork to get inside and lay heavy shots on the jiu-jitsu ace. Diaz has decided that welterweight is a better fit for him and there is no better time to prove it than now against the “Irish Hand Grenade” but I just don’t see it happening. Expect Davis to keep his role as a gatekeeper and send the dangerous young Diaz back to the drawing board.

Davis by Unanimous Decision

Kenny Florian vs. Gray Maynard

Easily the fight I am most intrigued by. While Maynard has not faltered in his last seven UFC appearances he has not faced the obvious number 2 fighter in weight class in Kenny Florian. The winner of this one definitely deserves their shot at the belt. Whether its for Kenny Florians third time showing that persistence pays off or its for Gray Maynard’s first showing new life in the lightweight division. Maynard has good striking but Kenny’s is better and more versatile. Knees, kicks, and elbows separate him from his opponent and while Maynard has great wrestling Florian has terrific Jiu-Jitsu and it wont come easily. There is no reason Maynard can’t win this fight but that being said I don’t think he will.

Florian by submission round 2

Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda

While Miranda isn’t a chump he is for a rough night when he meets up with an elite fighter like Maia. Miranda has very good striking and if he can get inside without getting taken down he has a good chance to put Maia to sleep. But the fact is Maia has no problems shooting and bailing out into guard in the same motion. I don’t think anyone can forget how good Maia is off his back. Even for a BJJ black belt he is superb with submissions from the guard. Look for Miranda to get caught with Maia’s signature triangle choke late in round 1.

Maia by Submission round 1

Randy Couture vs. James Toney

What I want everyone to remember about this fight is that it doesn’t mean anything. If Couture wins it’s because he is supposed to win. He has every advantage over Toney on the ground and in the wrestling game. If Toney wins by a fast punch its because he has spent his entire career focusing on ending a fight with one punch. Not to mention Randy’s chin has not been amazing as of late. He seems to have been in trouble at some point of his fights more often than not. But here is the thing dont get caught up in this MMA vs. Boxing bit. Neither is superior to the other. It’s like saying golf is better than baseball. If Tiger Woods was to step into the batters box would you expect him to get a base hit? If he did would that mean that golf is better than baseball? What if A-rod competed in the PGA and scored a birdie on his first hole does that mean that baseball is above golf? Of course not. And it’s the same thing here. It doesnt mean anything. That all being said I expect Randy to take Toney down early and put him away as quickly as possible. 

Couture by TKO round 1

Frankie Edgar vs. B.J. Penn

Anyone who says that BJ was robbed in the last fight is crazy. If you had the fight scored for Penn three out of five then that’s understandable but what I can’t understand is folks who think that Frankie Edgar won by a fluke. Granted I believe BJ underestimated the Jersey native but I also know BJ did everything in his power to win that fight. I expect this fight to be much different than the last one. I think it will be about the ground game. BJ has never really had to push for a takedown before. He has always relied on his standup to carry him until he was taken down and forced to use his jiu-jitsu. I think that while Edgar has terrific wrestling that doesn’t translate to submission defense as Tyson Griffin no doubt showed him. Unless that is Edgar’s idea of submission defense is him giving up a limb. There is alot to like about Edgar. Great standup, spectacular wrestling, and a heart of a lion. The problem is that BJ has too many weapons and I don’t see Edgar walking away with the title. Limping maybe, but not likely.

BJ by submission round 4

This week we welcome UFC LW contender Gray “The Bully” Maynard. He talks about his current training, his feelings about why Frankie Edger had the first shot at the belt, and who he’d rather fight for the title. We also welcome MMAWeekly.com’s Damon Martin. Damon has a wealth of knowledge and we were lucky to have him share it with us. He also joins us in picking the upcoming WEC card. Shooter battles through massive technical problems and provides us with a bountiful sack. Be sure to check it out.

Blake,  Scorcho, Shooter and Kenny cover the 117 card. They talk MMA news, lament the end of the “Sonnen trash talking era”, and also about the other exciting results from the card. After the 117 wrap up, the show welcomes Bellator FC heavyweight prospect (and Brock Lesnar teammate) Cole ‘King” Konrad to the show to talk about his present and future as a fighter, and how he likes  to relax. Just sit back and enjoy the show.

This week Scorcho and Kenny go on a series of wild tangents. Discussing the growing UFC/Bellator feud, where Semtex should call his home, and how awesome a Maia/Leben fight would be before going over UFC on Versus 2, and then looking ahead to the upcoming UFC 117. Scorcho also decides that he’s going to be Anderson Silva’s trash-talking representative, while Derek Kenny brainstorms merchandising ideas. Check it out!

WEC contender Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is back on the show and talking about his upcoming rematch with Jamie Varner at WEC 51. We also welcome our Michigan correspondent Shannon Hale (www.fightmichigan.com) as she tells us about the latest trend in Michigan Amatuer MMA. The sack is explosive as always and Cheal Sonnen continues to say more innane crap. Be sure to listen to our latest and greatest show.

This week Scorcho and Shooter give us the news in Chael Sonnens world as well as a loaded sack. They then unleash Jens Pulver on the listening audience. Jens talks about his upcoming fight. Tim Sylvia, Uriah Faber and his idea for “UFC Little Guys”. All this and so much more! We’ll be off next week to enjoy our summer. Be sure to check back for future articles!

Don’t show him the door just yet

Kendall Grove once again was saved from the dangerous pink slip of Dana White & Company. By pulling a win out of his rear against a tentative Goran Reljic. Not that Kendall was spectacular in any way shape or form outside of a surprise upkick. But it seemed that someone forgot to send Reljic the memo that he was supposed to fight. He seemed intent to sit in the guard or dominant positions without inflicting any sort of damage or submission. In the second round I had to give it to Grove despite Reljic being on top the for four of the five minutes it was Grove who did all of the damage! I don’t know whats up with Reljic but since returning from his back injury he hasn’t looked like the same guy who destroyed Wilson Gouveia at the peak of his career.

Don’t Blink

You’d think after a 47 second stoppage people would decide just to take down a guy like Schaub who is a great athlete with knockout power and very adaptable skills. However Chris Tuchsherer learned the hard way just how nasty his opponents hands were. After only one punch Schaub had all but sealed the victory as “The Crowbar” hit his ass. Schaub swarmed finished and showed that his spot in the finals of the Ultimate Fighter season seven was ANYTHING but a fluke.

Didn’t learn the first time?

Matt Brown took on Christ Lytle for the second time. And for the second time he lost by submission in the second round. While Brown came out the more aggressive fighter both in the standup and the ground game it was his aggression that was his undoing. Despite winning the first round by assaulting “Lights Out” with strikes and a D’arce that would have put Royce Gracie to sleep. Lytle weathered the storm and while Brown looked great heading into the second round a counter from Lytle buckled Browns legs and used a guillitine to checkmate “The Immortal” with his underrated ground game. Maybe its his nickname that makes everyone think he’s just a striker.

Redemption is so Sweet

I wonder if Stephan Bonnar was having flashbacks of his fight with Forrest Griffin as he continued to trade with the Ox known as Krzysztof. The two seemed intent to trade and swing for the fences Bonnar refusing to drop and Soszynski refusing to change his form of attack. Eventually it was Bonnar who avenged his loss from five months ago. Dropping his opponent with a knee and following up with continued strikes. Now with that win in his pocket he has a little more time to get back to form and start showing us the fighter that we all know he can be.

Just Too late

Kurt Pelligrino was told very seriously from his cornerman Kenny Florian that he had to finish the fight. The words however did not sink in until thirty seconds before the end of the third round in which he hit Sotiropolus with a knee that would have dropped Big Nog in his prime. While George did drop time ran out and “Batman” fell short of saving the day. It seems like Sotiropolus is now neck deep in the title hunt and one more win should give him a shot at the winner of Penn/Edgar 2. Maybe its Gray Maynard who eliminate the other for a title shot but it seems the UFC likes to keep their contenders seperate so they always have someone waiting in the wings. A fight between The impressive Evan Dunham or Gleison Tibau might be in his near future.

Two up and Two down

Chris Leben has gained a three fight winning streak. Something he hasn’t had since 2006. and two thirds of it have come in the last two weeks. He had his big win over Aaron Simpson after weathering his early storm and knocking him out cold. Something that Simpson seemed to have perfected in winning six of seven by knockout. And then again beating a fighter at his own game submitting the much more ground oriented Yoshihiro Akiyama with a quick triangle followed by double punches that seemed like something out of a bad video game. Akiyama has lost for the only the second time and the first time he has ever been submitted. While it seemed that Leben would do anything but fall down Akiyama did everything short of hit him with a truck. And despite the fact that Leben had almost caught him a few times before with armbar attempts, the Judo expert did everything but shy away from the ground game and that was his undoing in the end. It’s hard to believe that just six months ago it seemed that “The Crippler” was going to be shown the door, it seems however that Chris didnt get the memo.

Questions Answered: Lesnar can overcome adversity, and Carwin HAS NO GASTANK!

In the main event of the evening Carwin showed what everyone suspected; he touched Lesnar’s chin and the behemoth hit the canvas. Carwin spent the majority of three minutes pounding away at the all but inept Lesnar. It seemed the fight was in the bag or it would have been if Jake Rosenthal wasn’t sleeping on the job. Second round arrives and no one would have blamed Lesnar if he had mentally cracked in fear of losing or being completely dominated for the first round. However instead the best heavyweight in the world simply took Carwin down and choked him out. Carwin on the other hand had nothing left in his gastank and simply laid upon his back awaited for the end to come. If this is the best the heavyweight division has to offer then I hope you all don’t mind if I fall asleep after the first round of every fight. I think a very different fight is in store however for the champ. A fighter who has very good standup, good strength, superb wrestling and perhaps more speed than Lesnar. Cain Valasquez, a excellent heavyweight who has wins over the likes of Nogiera, Rothwell, Kongo, and of course the legendary Jake O’Brien.

UFC 116 is in the books and we talk all about it. Shooter, Scorcho and Kenny run the event down. They also talk about all the MMA news thats happening as well as previewing the the Dream 15 card. Scorcho explains why Roy Nelson would be the champion now (if we could bend the laws of time and space.) Kenny talks about his opinion of Jake O’Brien’s chances against Gegard Mousasi. All this and lots of intriguing conversation. Be sure to give a listen.

Scorcho, Shooter and Kenny talk about the big upset at Strikeforce as well as the upcoming UFC card. Shooter has notes from the Carwin/Lesnar phone conference as well as alot of news from the sack. Joe Martinez the head of Ohio Cage Combat (ohiocagecombat.com) joins the show and fills us in on the ins and outs of Ohio MMA as awell as the street fighting legend; The Weezy! Be sure to listen and feel free to give feedback at ringsmma@gmail.com.

This week Scorcho, Shooter and Kenny go over the Ultimate Finale 11, WEC 49, Strikeforce LA, Scorcho’s blind hatred of Jamie Varner, and the week in MMA news via Shooter’s Sack. Shooter steps out early, but Scorcho and Kenny give their thoughts on the upcoming Strikeforce card, and explain why underestimating Fabricio Werdum may be a mistake. Check it out, yo!