As expected, Fedor Emelianenko won again. Brett Rogers did his best to give Fedor some trouble, I think he broke Fedor’s nose with his first jab of the fight, causing some blood in the first round. In the second round, Fedor landed an overhand right that connected on Brett Rogers’ chin, sending him to the mat where Fedor pounced on him and threw a few more punches before referee John McCarthy stopped the fight at 1:48 into the second round. I think Brett Rogers’ thinks the fight was stopped early. Maybe he’s right, maybe the ref should have let Fedor punch him a few more times, but I think Rogers was done for at that point anyway.

I’m sad that CBS didn’t air Roxanne Modafferi vs. Marloes Coenen, and I’m disappointed to find out that Roxanne lost!

In other fights, Jake Shields laid on top of Jason “Mayhem” Miller for 5 rounds to win the StrikeForce middleweight belt. Mayhem had Shields in a dangerous rear naked choke at the end of round three, but Shields was saved by the bell.

Gegard Mousasi defeated Sokoudjou by TKO @ 3:43 into the second round.

and…

Fabricio Werdum won a decision victory over Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva.

I gotta pick Fedor to win this. One of the fights I’m most looking forward to seeing is Roxanne Modafferi vs Marloes Coenen, and I would like to see Roxanne win this one. I think the winner gets a shot at Cristiane Cyborg.

Gegard Mousasi will defeat Sokoudjou one way or another, although Sokoudjou certainly has a punchers chance.

Mayhem Miller vs. Jake Shields is an interesting matchup, I don’t really have a favorite to win. I know Miller is an underdog according to the odds, but he is always able to be competitive, and usually wins.

Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum, I’m picking Bigfoot to win.

Kid Yamamoto loses for the first time in seven years to newcomer Joe Warren in a split decision. Yamamoto now 17-2 and Joe Warren now 1-0.

Jason “Mayhem” Miller vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza ended in a NO CONTEST result after Mayhem tripped Souza to the mat and then illegally soccer kicked him in the head opening up a gnarly gash. The fight continued, but was soon stopped because of bleeding from the cut. Mayhem said “It’s because I’m a fool, I got too excited. Honestly, it was an accident. I do the same technique in training, where I grab a guy’s leg and kick him as he’s falling, but he was already on the ground. And so, here we are.”

Gegard Mousasi submitted Mark Hunt  in 1:19 of round one.

Tatsuya Kawajiri got a unanimous decision victory over Gesias Cavalcante.

In the fight I was most looking forward to, Hong Man Choi vs Jose Canseco, it actually lasted longer than I expected. I was hoping for Canseco to win..seriously..although I knew it probably wouldn’t happen. Canseco threw some big hooks and kicks at Choi, but to no avail.. Canseco fell after throwing a kick, and Choi pounced on him delivering some ground-and-pound, forcing Canseco to tap out at 1:17 of round one. I feel kinda bad for Canseco, considering it was said that nobody wanted to help train him.

Sokoudjou defeated Jan Nortje by TKO at 2:29 of round one, but Sokoudjou kept on punching Nortje for a few seconds after the referee had called for a stop.

Minowa submitted Bob Sapp with an Achilles Lock.

Man this has the makings of the best MMA fight card in the history of ever. Especially if they actually get Jose Canseco vs. Hong Man Choi on the card. There is no way in hell I would miss a fight like that.

Also awesome, is Minowa vs. Bob Sapp (I can’t believe they haven’t fought before). Gegard Mousasi vs. Mark Hunt, Jan Nortje vs Sokoudjou, and a re-match between Jason Mayhem Miller and Ronaldo Jacare Souza. Should be a fun night!

No I’m not doing play-by-play, because I’m not watching the event LIVE, and I’m also too buzzed to do any kind of PBP. I’ve been careful not to read any spoilers for this non-live in the U.S. event…so this will just be random comments from me. First of all, go sign up on our UFC Forum and start a thread about something.

Joe Rogan is rockin’ a phenomenal Evan Tanner Tribute Beard tonight. I tried to grow one, but the best I can manage is some sweet sideburns and an awesome goatee/mustache, with patchy spots in between.

Goldberg said Paul Kelly and Marcus Davis are both freight trains (aka FRATE TRANE!).

I noticed this British referee for the Kelly/Davis fight says “let’s dance!” before the fight. I dig that. I’ve always said that THIS SONG would make great entrance music for a fighter.

Marcus Davis via Guillotine Choke, round 2.

If I don’t post for a few fights, it’s because I’m taking a break…and maybe went to get something to eat frmo the kitchen…or smoke.

Oh and BTW, I still hate those stupid ass Condom Depot ads on the fighters shorts. Ridiculous shit for a sport trying to go mainstream.

Damn, Sokoudjou is 1-2 now in the UFC. Luiz Cane by TKO.

TEKNO-VIKING POWER ON!!1! WAR JARDINE. I seriously hope Keith Jardine wins this fight versus Brandon Vera. Jardine does the pre-fight nipple tweak, made famous by Greg Jackson’s fighters. First round was pretty damn good. Ended with Jardine swinging bombs upside Brandon Vera’s head.

Well, that fight is over. If I were a judge, I’d give it to Jardine, but maybe I’m just prejudice because Brandon Vera has hyped himself up so much since he began his UFC career, and hasn’t really been super impressive, in my opinion. To quote Georges St. Pierre, “I am not impressed with your performance”. Neither were 2 out of 3 judges, because they gave a split decision victory to Keith Jardine.

Leben vs. Bisping: Chris Leben got picked apart in round one, imo. He moved forward the whole time, but ate a lot of punches and probably got his nose broke. I don’t think he can win this fight, he needs to land a KO bomb to win. LOL @ Chris Leben at the end of the fight. He is a bad mofo for sure, but he got his ass kicked tonight. Then in the post-fight interview, Michael Bisping said his game plan was to get a unanimous decision victory. I wish Leben would’ve KO’d him, but oh well… Leben says it was his favorite fight ever.

“THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER 3” CHAMPION MICHAEL BISPING BATTLES CHRIS LEBEN ON SPIKE TV OCTOBER 18

UFC® 89 From Birmingham, England To Air Free On Spike TV With All-Star Card Also Featuring Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida, Brandon Vera, Thiago Silva, Rameau Sokoudjou, Chris Lytle, and Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis

New York, NY, July 28, 2008 — Spike TV heads across the Atlantic Ocean for the third time to telecast a UFC fight card with middleweights “The Ultimate Fighter 3” champ Michael Bisping and “The Ultimate Fighter 1” standout Chris Leben headlining on Saturday, October 18 at 9:00pm ET/PT (same-day tape delay) from The National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England.

UFC 89 will also include two action-packed co-feature bouts with four of the top contenders in the light heavyweight division. Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva, both undefeated square off in the Octagon® with the winner on the cusp of a title shot. “The Ultimate Fighter 2” alum Keith Jardine looking to rebound from a loss to Wanderlei Silva, takes on veteran Brandon “The Truth” Vera, who is 1-0 since moving down in weight class.

On the undercard, exciting light heavyweight Rameau Sokoudjou takes on Luiz Cane, “The Ultimate Fighter 4” alum Chris “Lights Out” Lytle battles British native Paul Taylor, and “The Ultimate Fighter 2” vet Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” takes on undefeated Briton Paul Kelly.

“The Count” Bisping (17-1) from Manchester, England, who gained recognition from American mixed martial arts fans by winning “The Ultimate Fighter 3,” will be headlining a UFC fight card in front of his fellow British countrymen for the first time. The 29 year-old has won six of seven fights in the Octagon and is 2-0 since dropping down in weight classes from light heavyweight to middleweight this past April. His most recent fight was a dominating performance resulting in a first round TKO over Jason Day at UFC 85 in June.

Bisping’s opponent is the entertaining and enigmatic “The Crippler” Leben (18-4), a breakout star from the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” who has won his last two UFC fights. Leben’s meteoric rise in the UFC included seven straight wins over such notables as Jorge Rivera, Patrick Cote, and Luigi Fioravanti. However, his title aspirations were derailed in April 2006 in a nationally televised main event live on Spike TV by a devastating punch from a relatively unknown Brazilian fighter, current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Now, over two years later, Leben is back fighting in a main event on Spike TV in search of a victory that will catapult him to a long-desired shot at the title.

The co-feature pits two Brazilian undefeated light heavyweights with their sights set on a shot at the UFC crown. Lyoto Machida sports a perfect 13-0 professional record and is coming off a victory in over Tito Ortiz at UFC 84 in May. Thiago Silva (13-0) has thoroughly demolished his opponents in his four UFC fights – all via submission or TKO with only one going more than a round. The black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu will now face his toughest test against fellow countryman, Machida.

Fighting out of San Diego, CA, “The Truth” Vera (8-2) was a rising star in the heavyweight division of the UFC, with wins against Frank Mir and Assuerio Silva under his belt. However, losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum preceded a move to the light heavyweight division, where Vera made his debut at UFC: Silva Vs Irvin on Saturday, July 19. Grinding out a decision win over Reese Andy, Vera, an Air Force veteran, will look to keep on the winning track as he takes on “The Dean of Mean” Jardine.

A member of Greg Jackson’s New Mexico based team, Jardine (13-5-1) also broke into the UFC as a heavyweight while being featured on Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Dropping down to light heavyweight after winning at that season’s finale, Jardine boasts an impressive fight resumé, with wins over former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell and current champion Forrest Griffin under his belt. Jardine looked destined for a title shot, but his ascent was derailed at UFC 84 this past May, as he suffered a setback in the form of a devastating combination of punches from Wanderlei Silva, resulting in a TKO loss.

On the undercard, Sokoudjou (5-2), a native of Cameroon who currently trains in Temecula, CA, is coming off a first round TKO over Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 84 in June. “The African Assassin” will take on muay thai expert Luiz Cane from Sao Paolo, Brazil (9-1) whose only professional loss was to James Irvin at UFC 79 last December.

After having a six fight winning streak in the UFC snapped against Mike Swick at UFC 85, “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis (19-5) looks to embark on a new string of victories against British native Paul Taylor (9-3-1), who also fought at UFC 85, defeating Jess Liaudin.

After showing incredible toughness in enduring a unanimous decision loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 86 in July, Chris “Lights Out” Lytle (35-16-4) is looking to bounce back against UK local and teammate of Michael Bisping at Wolfslair Academy, undefeated Paul Kelly (8-0).

Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at http://www.spike.com/press.

ULTIMATE FIGHTING CHAMPIONSHIP®
THREE MORE FIGHTS ADDED TO UFC 89: Bisping vs. Leben
SOKOUDJOU v LUIZ CANE
DAN HARDY v AKIHIRO GONO
SHANE CARWIN v NEIL WAIN

LIVE FROM THE NATIONAL INDOOR ARENA, BIRMINGHAM, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008
Only 2500 tickets remain!

The Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) (UFC(R)) has added three thrilling bouts to the organisation’s next UK super-show. It has been confirmed that Rameau Sokoudjou will collide with Luiz Cane in a battle of light-heavyweight strikers, Japanese submission expert Akihiro Gono will take on on highly-regarded British debutant Dan Hardy and steel-fisted heavyweight Shane Carwin will exchange bombs with England’s own Neil Wain.

These three mouth-watering match-ups join the hotly anticipated main event of Michael ‘the Count’ Bisping v Chris ‘the Crippler’ Leben in the UFC’s third British show of 2008, which emanates from the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, on October 18.

UFC UK Division President Marshall Zelaznik said: “Fight for fight, UFC 89: BISPING v LEBEN is already shaping up to be one of the best events of the whole year. There aren’t too many fights which you could place on a card headlined by Bisping v Leben and still expect that fight to have a chance of being fight of the night still. But Sokoudjou v Cane is one of those fights which – like our main event – you can practically guarantee is going to be a thriller.”

Zelaznik added: “We are also announcing that England’s Dan Hardy, who makes his UFC debut in his native Midlands, will match up with PRIDE and UFC veteran Akihiro Gono in what hardcore fans will know is a fantastic welterweight fight between two very innovative mixed martial artists.

“Plus, British fans will get a chance to see one of the most exciting heavyweight talents in the world, Shane Carwin, lock horns with Neil Wain, who brings his own unbeaten record to the UFC.”

Tickets for UFC 89: BISPING v LEBEN are priced £40, £50, £75, £125 and £225 and available from http://ticketfactory.co.uk or by calling 0871945 6000. Only 2000 seats remain for the NIA Arena.

After stumbling in his UFC debut last December, the man many know simply as “Sokoudjou” returned to his devastating best when he wiped out Kazuhiro Nakamura in one round at UFC 84 in May. Now, the 24-year-old Cameroon born “African Assassin” looks to continue in the form which made his the scourge of the PRIDE light heavyweight division.

The 5-2 puncher said: “Cane is a very good puncher and is aggressive like me. This could be the fight of the night but I am looking to build my UFC knockout streak. I fought once in Japan but this is the first time I am going to be fighting in Europe, and I am looking forward to really putting on an exciting fight for all the fans there. This a fight I am really looking forward to.”

Boasting a 9-1, 1 NC record and coming off a hugely impressive KO victory over Jason Lambert at UFC 85 in London, Luiz Cane returns to the UK for the second time in four months on a quest

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for the biggest win in his career.

He said: “I am very aware of the opportunity in front of me. I realise that success in MMA is judged not only by fighting in the UFC, but by who you are fighting and where and I want to thank (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva, Dana White and the UFC for trusting my skills. It is a great honour to fight a top 10 fighter and I will pay the UFC back by being in the best shape of my life, by being on the top of my game and by not only winning but winning a great fight. Make no mistake, I will be ready for Sokoudjou.”

Further exciting matches for UFC 89: BISPING v LEBEN will be announced shortly.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martialarts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC® organization produces approximately twelve to fourteen live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout the world including broadcast on MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.