Posts Tagged ‘highlight’

Bellator: Andreas Spang stays prepared to win at all times

by on April 25, 2012 11:38:31 AM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Andreas Spang landing a left hand on Brian Rogers at Bellator 66 (Photo courtesy of Bellator)

Reacting when face-to-face with adversity, Andreas Spang’s only intention is overcoming obstacles in his way.

Originally moving to Las Vegas from Sweden to pursue a career as a fighter, Spang (Twitter: @AndreasSpang) has since found his place in the world of mixed martial arts. Turning pro in 2008, the Swede has fought for promotions such as Canada’s Maximum Fighting Championship, Strikeforce and most recently, on a week’s notice, Bellator.

Advancing to the finals of Bellator’s Season Six middleweight tournament to face Maiquel Falcoa, Spang beat the five-to-one odds by knocking out Brian Rogers at Bellator 66. Knowing that he was there to win, Spang never saw the victory as an upset.

“I’m feeling great,” Spang said to Mike Fester, Amy Barton and Hector Castro of MMA Beatdown on the MMA Diehards Radio Network. “To me, it wasn’t an upset because I was there to win. I know that I took the fight on short notice and nobody gave me any chance, but I was there to win and I was focused on the goal the whole time. He did put me through some rough times, but my goal was to win the whole time, and I did.”

While having one week to prepare for a bout is not ideal, Spang is still a student of the sport and his constant desire to learn helps keep the middleweight in shape. Traditionally, fighters may have up to eight weeks for a training camp, but with the unique format of Bellator’s tournaments, only half of the time is allotted.

Not having any time to relax, Spang spent his time training with Skipper Kelp at Fight Capital, “One Kick” Nick Blomgren at One Kick Gym and Sergio Penha – all of whom are situated in Las Vegas.

“Lucky I had been training and sparring because I knew that I was on some peoples’ waiting list,” Spang

Andreas Spang on the back of Brian Rogers at Bellator 66 (Photo courtesy of adcombat.com)

admitted. “It was just a matter of time before I was going to get a fight, but I didn’t expect it in one week. I was focused and mentally strong and I did the best with my opportunity.”

“I don’t really have time to relax too much because I’m fighting in the final again on May 18, and that’s four weeks away,” Spang continued. “I have all my people I need here in Vegas, so I’m just going to turn it up more and be ready for May 18. The great thing with Vegas, where ever you go you have someone to train with.”

Following Spang’s victory over Rogers, he was faced with his opponent in the final and a scuffle erupted between the two. Having someone step up into his face for the second time in so few days, Spang’s instant reaction was to push him away. The shove may have cost the “Sweet Swede” 20-percent of his winnings, but he’s still guaranteed his spot in the finals.

“After the fight, I was so high from my victory and still happy,” said Spang. “I didn’t know that we were supposed to face off and I didn’t know that Falcao was in the cage. They said, ‘here is your opponent,’ and there was a guy with a mean look walking straight in my face. With my emotions already high from the beginning, I didn’t really know what was going on, so I reacted and pushed him off.”

“I do apologize for any harm that I did to anybody,” Spang clarified. “I personally apologize to both Brian and Falcoa. I didn’t mean to blow up like this and I have seen fighters get in the face of each other before, but I just don’t like people in my face.”

An apology wasn’t enough, and the Ohio State Athletic Commission stepped in after the bout to give the fighter an ultimatum.

“First they wanted to suspend me,” admitted Spang. “Then they said you can choose whether we fine you 20-percent or suspend you six months. If I take the six months then I can’t fight in the finals and if I take the fine, I can still fight.”

Now that the issue with the commission is behind him, Spang has set his sights on concentrating for the fight ahead. What sets Spang apart from the rest is that he doesn’t concentrate on the attributes his opponent brings to the cage, only on what he has to do for victory.

Once his appetite for the tournament finals has been satisfied, the “Sweet Swede” has another craving to take care of.

“What I like to do on my free time is sit around, watch movies and eat ice cream,” Spang confessed. “I will take my well-deserved vacation after May 18.”

MMA Beatdown radio: Bellator Middleweight Tournament Finalist Andreas Spang

by on April 24, 2012 6:02:16 PM in Radio   |   No Comments »

CLICK HERE TO CHAT LIVE DURING THE BROADCAST

People! It feels so good to be back! Did you miss us? Sorry ’bout last week and everything. Consider it like a mandatory 14-day medical suspension from an athletic commission – there was nothing we could do about it. We had to take the time off. But it’s Tuesday, it’s 8:30, it’s time to party. No Wayne and Garth, but Mike, Hector, and Amy’ll have to do.

The B-to-the-D is back for another arse-kickin’ show. Mike, Hector, and Amy are joined this week by a relative newcomer who burst onto the mainstream scene just last week in Andreas Spang is gracing us with his presence for another stellar show.

Spang on Friday came into his Bellator Season 6 middleweight tournament semifinal fight against Brian Rogers as a big underdog – Rogers was a 5-to-1 favorite in the fight. And what’s crazier is that Spang, from Sweden, took the fight on less than a week’s notice. In his Bellator debut, with a shot at the middleweight finals on the line, Spang, like the honey badger, didn’t give a spit. He stopped Rogers with a second-round knockout. He’ll talk to us about the short-notice upset and his ambitions for the finals against UFC vet Maiquel Falcao.

Tonight’s show streams live at MMADiehards.com at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, 5:30 Pacific. And if you can’t make it here live, the show is available on demand RIGHT HERE after the completion of the broadcast or as a download at iTunes.

Move over Richard Simmons, Spaniard Fit is here

by on April 24, 2012 3:54:47 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

If Spaniard Fit makes you feel the burn, then Charlie Brenneman is content with that.

Brenneman (Twitter: @SpaniardMMA) is a UFC welterweight and he has recently released a fitness DVD entitled Spaniard Fit.

Spaniard Fit is a 25 minute workout based on the type of training Brenneman does to prepare for his fights.  He said the DVD includes 25 different exercises, but only about a third of them are common knowledge such as push-ups, sit-ups and squats.  Brenneman incorporated the techniques he learned from his trainer with common exercises to hit their target audience with Spaniard Fit.

“I’ve been training with Don Messing for about two years now,” Brenneman told MMADieHards.com.  ”Most of the techniques we used are body related workouts, but there are three that you can use a medicine ball if you desire.  It basically covers core strength, endurance and condition and things like that.  That’s the point we want to get accomplished when we started. I’ve really grown a lot with my knowledge and conditioning, and we thought we should put this out on a DVD.  This is the first edition of it, so hopefully we get some positive feedback and do another one.”

Brenneman is a fine-tuned, elite athlete with the physical abilities to do exercises unlike your average human being.  He took that into consideration when creating Spaniard Fit.

Spaniard Fit caters from the guy wanting to get off the couch and get healthy, to a professional UFC fighter.  The benefits someone will reap from the DVD are entirely up to them.

“I like to go hard, but I’ve realized through training people that some people don’t want to go like that, some guys just want to get in shape,” Brenneman explained.  “Don is doing the instructing, I’m doing the exercises and you go at your own pace.  You can try to keep up with me or you can do two reps a minute if you really want.  It’s really up to you.”

In the first edition of Spaniard Fit, Brenneman and Messing are the only faces the viewer will see.  “The Spaniard” said they will be open to feedback and consider adding another person in the next edition, possibly a female or even a kid.

The idea to make this DVD came about from an idea Brenneman got from a friend.  Together, they created the first edition of Spaniard Fit and it was a long process to produce.  Brenneman felt the urgency to release a legit fitness DVD after seeing all the fraudulent health videos that are so common today.

“I see a lot of people – I don’t want to say they aren’t qualified- but they have all these certification programs like MMA fitness,” Brenneman explained.  “How do you know if you’re not really doing it?  As someone who does it, someone who fights at the highest level, I thought if I’m not credible then nobody is credible to be doing these.”

Brenneman’s lifetime commitment to being healthy and his career as a professional athlete make him an adequate fitness instructor.  His full-time job is a mixed martial artist, but Brenneman would not mind being lumped in the Billy Blank’s and Tony Little’s of the fitness world.

“You can call me Richard Simmons if I get as many sales as Sweatin’ to the Oldies,” Brenneman said.  “Kids can make fun of me like they did to him back in the day, I’ll gladly take that.  I vividly remember when I was a kid; me and my brother would be Sweatin’ to the Oldies by the fireplace in the living room.  If I can get myself into kids’ lives likes that, I’ll definitely take it.”

 

* Spaniard Fit can be purchased for $20 through Paypal at http://spaniardfit.com/

Twitter MMA: Best of the Week for April 15 – April 23

by on April 23, 2012 3:00:54 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

Taking off to Atlanta!!!! May 26 th is now Mir vs JDS for the HW title in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand.

juniorcigano ‏ @junior_cigano

Facing a real danger is more honorable than going through an artificial danger.

Stephan Bonnar ‏ @StephanBonnar

Did Kryzstof’s father referee our fight? Hilarious story last time I was on Inside MMA http://fb.me/1CqUV9s6W

Mark Pavelich ‏ @MarkPavelich

I’ve always been grateful for the MFC’s success & at the same time I believe the fighters should be as well & if you’re not, you should GO

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

And whatever jackass said Anderson silva would be stripped of his title is a liar. He is fighting Chael and there has been no issue at all!!

Jimmy Smith ‏ @jimmysmithmma

Really worried about getting punched in the back of the head by a crazy Swedish dude @BellatorMMA @mauroranallo @manny_mma@mercedesterrell

Joe Rogan ‏ @joerogan

Congrats to @EdAlvarezFight on his spectacular revenge victory tonight! I really hope we get to see you in the UFC someday!

Lorenzo Fertitta ‏ @lorenzofertitta

@edalvarezfight hey been meaning to introduce myself.

Eddie Alvarez ‏ @EdAlvarezFight

@Lorenzofertitta lol just seen this ,its an honor brother,I think we already know each other . On my Way to Atlanta 4 some fights

Douglas Lima ‏ @PhenomLima

Anybody else ever got swimmer’s ear from jiujitsu? Too much sweat goes inside the ear… This thing’s painful!!

King Mo ‏ @KingMoFH

Its funny how people try to use ur past loss or losses to determine who u can beat. If thats the case tell @sonnench he cant beat Silva.

King Mo ‏ @KingMoFH

Or tell Serra he cant beat GSP…or tell Werdum he cant beat Fedor…in sports….any man can take a L.

Tyson Griffin ‏ @TysonGriffin

Managed to miss my first flight cause I forgot I had a knife in my carry on. Guess it could have been worse huh @ForrestGriffin lol!?

ROBERT DRYSDALE ‏ @robertdrysdale

When u befriend @ForrestGriffin u eat oreos When u eat oreos u grow a belly When u grow belly u begin to look like him http://pic.twitter.com/ZCfNlGnE

Dana White ‏ @danawhite

Rory is the REAL DEAL!!!!!!!!

Joe Rogan ‏ @joerogan

Fot those asking YES the @rory_macdonald podcast shootout will be included in the intro! I’m honored! Rory is a f*cking BEAST!

Jon Bones Jones ‏ @JonnyBones

What’s Dan Henderson’s reach compared to Rashads?

Dan Henderson ‏ @danhendo

I’m excited to finally be able to get back to work. I appreciate all the support of the fans.

Michael McDonald UFC 145 post-fight media scrum

by on April 23, 2012 12:00:21 PM in Videos   |   No Comments »

UFC bantamweight Michael McDonald. (Photo courtesy of Sherdog)

Michael McDonald UFC 145 post-fight media scrum after defeating Miguel Torres.

Travis Browne UFC 145 post-fight media scrum

by on April 23, 2012 9:00:41 AM in Videos   |   No Comments »

UFC heavyweight Travis Browne

Travis Browne UFC 145 post-fight media scrum after his victory against Chad Griggs.

In Their Own Words: The Week’s Noteworthy MMA Quotes

by on April 22, 2012 3:35:11 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC Hall of Fame member Chuck Liddell. (Photo courtesy of Zimbio)

“The opening line is five, six-to-one? I think it’s ridiculous. Jones is facing a different style of fighter than he’s fought recently. Jones is used to controlling where the fight is, if it’s on the feet or on the ground. He’s gonna have a real hard time with this one. It’s gonna be a good test for him. I like both guys but it’s definitely not a five-to-one fight. It’s gonna be fun to watch.”
- Chuck Liddell gave his thoughts about Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans to Fight Hub TV.

“Anderson think it through,
There’s still a few months before they lock the cage door behind me and you.
Last time they raised your hand,
But it was plain to see
That I took a lot more out of you than you took out of me.
I broke the mirror and I blew away the smoke.
It was me who tapped,
But it was you who broke”
- Chael Sonnen unveiled his poem for Anderson Silva at the UFC 145 Q&A.

“I think Chael will out-wrestle Anderson and beat him this time, and then I’ll get the rematch with Chael considering how close our fight was. If I had Chael over five rounds, I’d definitely beat him. In that last fight, I’d have stopped him in the fourth for sure. He was spent after trying to submit me in that third round. Towards the end of that round I was raining down shots on him.”
- Michael Bisping told Your MMA what he thinks will happen when Sonnen meets Silva, and when the Brit gets a rematch against the UFC middleweight No. 1 contender.

“I think random drug testing is good. I’ve always been part of a sport where we were always randomly drug tested and that’s good. I’m clean, I don’t take anything and I’m happy to do those kinds of tests. I want to fight against somebody who is clean. If somebody isn’t, that’s definitely a big advantage for them. I want it to be on the same playing field. I’m hoping everyone is clean. With Overeem’s situation, I think the UFC or commission will find something to do and definitely take care of the situation, so I’ll just leave it in their hands.”
- Cain Velasquez told kimura.se he just wants a PED-free opponent.

“Actually, no one in MMA was surprised. I guess it’s impossible to get that big naturally. No one expected it (random drug test), I guess that’s what happened. I don’t know when he stops taking it, I don’t know how these things happen and how he doesn’t not to get caught, but it was a surprise (test)”.
- Fabricio Werdum admitted to Tatame.com that he, nor any of his colleagues are shocked at Alistair Overeem’s testosterone levels.

“Me and Georges are still tight. It’s always been that way he always lived in Montreal, he’s always traveled around. I think people are probing for weaknesses now, anything they can get, but that’s business as usual for Georges. He’s a great guy. Two of my champions are fighting each other and I just step out of it. Let the other coaches get a lot of credit so we have all these protocols now after this situation. Now I step out and those guys will have a lot of fun and I’ll be eating a cheeseburger somewhere. Everything’s cool, Georges is great and we’re the same tight team we’ve always been. I’m not gonna help either of them against each other.”
- Coach Greg Jackson confessed to kimura.se that he will partake in either corner when UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre meets Carlos Condit, two of Jackson’s students.

“There is one thing that is an absolute fact, and no matter how often Greg Jackson pumps that family [expletive], Greg Jackson is a [expletive] businessman. The more top guys he brings in, the more money he makes. There’s nothing wrong with Greg Jackson, but he’s a [expletive] businessman. Some of these fighters, who ought to know better but don’t listen to that [expletive] and don’t take it for the crock of [expletive] that it is. These guys need to make the decision where they train based on where they think they’ll get the best work and develop the best, and not on this [expletive] crazy idea that you’re becoming a part of a family. Greg Jackson [expletive] told Rashad this wouldn’t happen, that they’re family and all that other [expletive], but look what is going on now. Look and see who is at Jackson’s and who is not. Train where you think it’s going to be best for you and if that’s Jackson’s, that’s fine. Just don’t buy into this family [expletive] because there’s nothing to it. This is the fight business, not the friend business.”
- White explained via Yahoo’s Cagewriter that coach Jackson is a business man and that the trainer should not take all the flak from Jones and Evans having a fallout.

“We had a flurry of people contacting us through e-mail, Twitter … Rashad throwing a complete fit … and then Dana having to call him to calm him down. If (people) thought it was just satire, we wouldn’t have had that reaction. Dana had to talk to Rashad on the phone for 30 minutes to calm him down, to tell him, ‘Are you crazy? There’s no way I would ever bet on a fight or bet against you.’ It didn’t read like a joke at all. If you look at the article, when you first read that, it sounds like that they were in a room with Dana, talking to him, and he says, ‘Oh, and he kind of made a mistake and said something, and said ‘Don’t print that.’ We’re currently evaluating whether [their retraction] is sufficient or not. Like I said, there’s been a massive amount of fallout in the wake of them putting out something that is completely reckless in the way that they did. I don’t understand how anybody could defend what they did. It’s a very serious allegation. You’ve got to understand, Rashad’s entire team — his entire camp — was in his ear telling him they read this online and that Dana bet half a million dollars against him. This was a real issue. This isn’t just some kind of slap on the back, funny little joke. This was reckless reporting on their part.”
- UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta spoke to USA Today about the allegations made by a website that White makes financial wagers on UFC bouts.

“When I watch my first fights I used to flail. Everything’s flail-y, and I realize the power of flexing your abdominal when you try to strike and things like that. I definitely feel as though I’m hitting harder, and I’m excited. I wobbled Rampage (Jackson) a little bit when I hit him, and I wobbled Lyoto (Machida) when I hit him, and I think out of all those guys, Rashad has the weakest chin. I think he has the weakest chin of anyone I’ve fought since 2010, and I think I’m going to exploit that.”
- Jones said at the UFC pre-fight press conference his previous opponent’s had a more solid chin than Evans.

“I think a fighter like Dan Henderson or even Chael Sonnen who is a very big 185-pounder and used to compete as a light heavyweight with strong wrestling. They have to take him out of his comfort zone and take away his reach advantage. There is no longer in the division and maybe not in the sport as far as Jones reach. His takedown defense is good and he has very good wrestling. He has very unorthodox striking which makes him very dangerous. I think you have to use the fence, use your wrestling and force him to fight your fight. Either one of those guys can do that.”
- Randy Couture predicted to Five Ounces of Pain who he thinks could beat Jones.

“I want to be champion one day, but I’m still very young.  One thing I lack in the top of this division is experience. I need more fights, to stay regular and fight three times a year.”
- Rory MacDonald admitted in a UFC 145 post-fight interview what he lacks and wants.

“I get to eat some pizza, some ice cream; it’s going to be a party tonight! But, no alcohol.”
- Michael McDonald detailed his victory party in a UFC 145 post-fight interview after defeating Miguel Torres.  

“[My performance] sucked. I didn’t get the job done…. I allowed his range to kind of throw me off a little bit. I hurt my foot in the second round, so it kind of messed up my mobility a little bit…. It’s something I’ve got to go back and work on…. I thought I could catch him off [grabbing the hands]. I couldn’t and I should have stopped reaching for his hands. His elbows [laughs]. He kept catching me with those elbows. It’s a lesson learned…. I still don’t like him. He fought a good fight, I have respect for him as a fighter. I had respect for him as a fighter before, but I still … nah. I’ll tell you what: We’re going to fight again.”
- Evans admitted in a UFC 145 post-fight interview that he still doesn’t like Jones.

“If (a teammate) can beat me, they can beat me. It is what it is. They deserve to fight me then. I’m not going to hold back some guy that’s in my camp if he wants to fight me. That’s not my thing. It’s just a personal choice and a personal opinion, but I think eventually, hey you guys are going at it, then go out and have two beers together afterwards. Go out there and prove who’s best that day, and go out and be friends again.”
- Liddell was a guest The MMA Hour, and he gave his best advice for teammates fighting one another.

UFC 145: Jones outsmarts Evans in main event

by on April 22, 2012 12:48:43 AM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

UFC Lightweight Champion Jon Jones (Photo courtesy of Zimbio.com)

UFC 145 ended a long draught for the world’s premiere fight league by delivering a PPV of solid action headlined by a blood feud between two former friends.

Mark Bocek and John Alessio kick things off with a lopsided affair where Bocek smothered Alessio with his superior ground game. Bocek rinsed and repeated during the next round, with Alessio powerless to stop him. In round three, Bocek gets Alessio’s back, remaining dominant until he ekes out a unanimous decision win.

Mark Hominick vs. Eddie Yagin strikes next, with Yagin going big only to go home when splitting Hominick’s left eye doesn’t do anything. Hominick finds his range in round two, only for Yagin to drop him and lose control when the two begin trading strikes on the feet. Hominick goes for a home run after that, striking hard whenever he can, only for Yagin to survive before winning by split decision.

Michael McDonald clashes with Miguel Torres next, the two trading fierce combos before McDonald fells Torres. Once he downs him, he sends him to dreamland ASAP in round one.

“I can finally eat some pizza and ice cream.” McDonald joked. “It’s a party here tonight but not with alcohol.”

Ben Rothwell and Brandon Schaub blast off next, Schaub goes for the kill only for Rothwell to flatten him with a hook and wreck him with ground and pound. It’s over so fast, it almost doesn’t register Rory MacDonald vs. Che Mills is next.

When it happens, MacDonald takes down Mills after a brief moment of indecision and proceeds to rearrange his face with all manner of striking. Though Mills survives, he gives up his back in round two and MacDonald murders him with grounded strikes for the win.

After a long wait, Jon Jones and Rashad Evans deliver on their grudge match in the main event. The two trade hard strikes in the first round before Jones gets an advantage in round two with elbow strikes. Both men survive the round before trading blows in battle three with no clear victor emerging. Jones toys with Evans for a round just because he can. After that, he goes all out in the last minute but can’t finish Evans. It doesn’t matter though – Jones wins again by unanimous decision.

UFC 145 prelim recap: Decision after decision before Browne submits Griggs

by on April 21, 2012 10:06:00 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Travis Browne flexes during the UFC 145 weigh-ins. (Photo courtesy of Bleacherreport.com)

The much-hyped UFC 145 event began with a stacked undercard of preliminary matches in Atlanta.

Venezuela’s Maximo Blanco fought Marcus Brimage in a featherweight match that opened the fight card. A tentative match, it saw each struggle to find their range before Blanco landed a knee in the second round and slowed the pace. By fight’s end, both men drew boos from the crowd and taunted one another only for Brimage to win a split decision.

Next was Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski to finish the Facebook bouts. The two had a great round where Wisniewski scored an early takedown and manhandled Clements on the mat only for the referee to stand the pair up inexplicably. From there, Clements caught Wiesniewski with a back kick to the liver and rocked him, only for the round to end before he could capitalize. In round two, Wisniewski shrugged off Clements’ striking before taking him down and seeking a rear naked choke. Clements threw mean elbows to survive the round, and the final period saw him rally with a knee that downed Wiesniewski even though he couldn’t finish his foe. Such killer instinct clinched Clements the split decision victory.

The FX prelims opened with Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero. The two fought a furious first round, with Escudero hunting for a heel hook only for Danzig to spin out and frustrate Escudero with some grappling. Round two was more tentative, with both fighters struggling for cage control and Escudero attempting a takedown that went nowhere as the horn buzzed. Danzig utilized the same strategy in the final tilt, smothering Escudero against the fence before claiming a unanimous decision win.

John Makdessi and Anthony Njokuani were next, starting their fight with a slow-boil of wary strikes before slowly ramping things up with more energy. Round two nearly mirrored one, the sole exception occurring when Njokuani caught a kick from Makdessi and briefly sent him stumbling. It was all static after that, Njokuani edging out Makdessi by utilizing his superior reach for a unanimous decision victory.

After this, Matt Brown clashed with Stephen Thompson by aggressively taking down the karate phenom as often as possible for ground and pound attempts. Thompson survived the onslaught, only to face more frantic takedowns in the next round. He returned the favor with clean, angled strikes, and by the time the second round closed both fighters were gassed. Brown relentlessly dogged Thompson after that, taking him to the ground and catching him in a crucifix hold to rain down elbows as the horn sounded. He thus won by unanimous decision and handed Thompson his first MMA loss.

Travis Browne and Chad Griggs close the prelims down, Browne immediately pulverizing Griggs with knees in the clinch before a takedown and locking in an arm triangle choke for the submission in round one. It was the only finish of the prelims, and a convincing one at that.

MMA DieHards Counterpunch: UFC 145

by on April 21, 2012 3:48:21 PM in Features, Fighter Features   |   No Comments »

Rory MacDonald (L) and Che Mills (R) at UFC 145 weigh-ins. (Photo courtesy of mmafighting.com)

MMA DieHards is back with another session of Counterpunch, taking on UFC 145, which takes place Saturday at the Phillips Arena in Atlanta, Ga.

UFC 145 features a light heavyweight championship bout between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans.  Canadian rising star Rory MacDonald taking on Che Mills, Brendan Schaub meets Ben Rothwell, and Mark Hominick will try to snap a two fight losing skid when he faces Eddie Yagin.

MMADieHards.com put together a team of our finest writers to bring you Counterpunch for the event.  The group independently makes its selections for each fight. Minority picks will be defended by one of the panelists making that selection.

Joining us this week will be Robert G. Reynolds, Joe Rizzo, Michael Stets, Mark Hensch and Jason Kelly.

Rory MacDonald, Brendan Schaub, Mark Hominick, Mark Bocek and Maximo Blanco are not covered below, as they were unanimously selected.

Below we list the match, the fighter being defended and the author of the defence.

Chris Clements vs. Keith Wisniewski
Defending Clements: Robert G. Reynolds  

First and foremost, I’m slightly bias towards Clements because he is a local fighter from the Adrenaline Training Centre, which is home of featherweight fighter Mark Hominick.

This is to be Clements inaugural performance with the UFC and is guaranteed to be a barnburner.  The Canadian is set to face Wisniewski, who fell short in his first appearance with the organization.  Clements has yet to hear what the judges think of his fighting skills and I would expect much of the same here.

All 10 of Clements’ victories have come by way of TKO and the same can be anticipated tonight.  With Hominick on the same card and in the back with Clements, it makes for a more natural environment for the new employee.

I’m looking for a flashy, jaw-dropping finish by Clements to end this bout midway through the second round; watch for it.

Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero
Defending Escudero: Mark Hensch

Danzig vs. Escudero is a battle between two former “Ultimate Fighter” winners who are well-rounded. Of the two, I think Escudero can squeak out a win here given his strong submission game and his history as a wrestler. Though Danzig has solid skills in those areas, his UFC record has a few notable instances were people outclassed him on the mat. As a submission-savvy wrestler, Escudero will have Danzig on his toes the whole match. Should he overreach, this is Escudero’s win for the taking.

Anthony Njokuani vs. John Makdessi
Defending Njokuani: Joe Rizzo 

Njokuani has gone from perpetual favorite to mercurial underdog and back to the favorite. The majority of my colleagues opted for Makdessi, who is the betting underdog in this fight.  Makdessi criticized Dennis Hallman for missing weight well after losing to him in his last outing, then Makdessi went and did what Hallman did – hit the scales at 158 pounds for a lightweight fight.  There was no such drama for Njokuani, who is 1-2 since the WEC merged into the UFC.  Those defeats were razor-thin losses to the highly regarded Edson Barboza, who got the decision edge in an epic battle by landing a head kick near the final bell, and to rising contender Danny Castillo, by split decision. Makdessi was exposed when moving up in class against Hallman, and will come up short against Njokuani.

Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson
Defending Brown: Robert G. Reynolds

Over the last two years Brown has compiled a questionable 2-4 record, but with his knockout win over Chris Cope at UFC 143, I believe that things are about to change.

Brown’s next fight against Thompson – believe it or not – plays in his favor.  Nine of “Immortal’s” 11 losses have come by way of submission and he has yet to lose via (T)KO.  Thompson is a fighter that has predominantly trained in the striking arts of Kenpo Karate and kickboxing, which leads me to think that this scrap isn’t going to the mat.

Having said that, the stars are going to be in line come Saturday night and Brown will take advantage of the timing.  I don’t see either fighter finishing the bout, but I do predict Brown winning the fight via unanimous decision.

Chad Griggs vs. Travis Browne
Defending Griggs: Michael Stets 

He sport’s a mean set of sideburns, and his nickname is “The Grave Digger,” need I say more why I’m going with Griggs over Browne.  My reasoning is simple, both fighters have numerous KO’s and TKO’s on their resume.  Which means this fight isn’t going to the ground, or past the first round either.  Griggs has dynamite in both of his hands, and will put Browne out via TKO Round 1.

Miguel Torres vs. Michael McDonald
Defending Torres: Mark Hensch

This looks like a competitive fight on paper, but I’m surprised I’m the only one picking Torres here. There’s no denying McDonald is a talented bantamweight and a rising division project, but Torres is easily a top ten fighter in the weight class. For all of McDonald’s potential, Torres has him outclassed.

Torres has won 40 official (and more unofficial) victories in his career. Despite such seasoning, he’s in his early 30s and still going strong. He’ll turn McDonald’s body and head to paste with his Muay Thai, and when it comes to ground game, Torres learned BJJ under a Gracie. It doesn’t get better than that. Some say McDonald can pull a Demetrious Johnson and decision Torres here, but I’m not buying it. Even if it goes that far, Torres is more versatile and experienced. It’ll give him the edge here.

Rashad Evans vs. Jon Jones
Defending Evans: Michael Stets

Everyone seems to be leaning towards Jones, maybe it’s just my nature to go against the grain, but here is my reasoning behind picking Evans.

While I don’t think he will necessarily get “Bones” to skip to his lou like he said, he will be one of the first to not allow him to dictate where the fight will take place.  Evans’ hands are fast enough to connect, and strong enough to end Jones’ night.  Evans is easily the best wrestler he’s ever faced, and Jones’ strength is the Greco and clinch area.  Evans will put him on his back, where he  has excellent pressure and control from there.  The Ultimate Fighter season 2 winner will not stay outside and get picked apart, he will move in and out, and score some take downs.  He will not finish Jones but he will frustrate him, and hit him more than anyone else has in the past.  “Suga” won’t be intimidated, and will have an excellent game plan.  Evans wins  by unanimous decision.

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