Who's Next?!

In light of Frankie Edgar's incredible title defense at last night's UFC 136 against Grey Maynard, the question of who's next for the champion lingers on the mind of every MMA enthusiast.

The Lightweight devision is unquestionably the most talent rich devision in the UFC and possibly all of MMA as well. While fans and fighters alike waited for a definitive outcome to the Frankie Edgar-Grey Maynard saga, the devision was unfortunately put on hold to conclude the trilogy.

Looking back all the way to December 2010, when the UFC and WEC merged together and Anthony Pettis defeated Ben Henderson to win the WEC Lightweight Championship via the now infamous “Showtime Kick” he put himself in position to face the winner of UFC 125's Edgar vs. Maynard II.

The draw ultimately took away Pettis' looming debut title opportunity and instead put him inside the cage with UFC veteran Clay Guida. Guida overwhelmed Pettis with his aggressive wrestling based attack, ultimately winning a unanimous decision and derailing the Pettis hype train.

In hindsight, Guida defeating the young and relatively inexperienced Anthony Pettis was the best thing to happen to fight fans and Pettis himself. Taking nothing away from Pettis, but putting him inside the cage with one of worlds pound for pound best fighters in Frankie Edgar for his debut fight would have been very detrimental to the up and comers career.

The matchup with Guida was the right move and I applaud the UFC for making that decision. Guida is an upper echelon fighter who has been on the cusp of a title shot for a long time now and he exposed the holes in Pettis' game. Guida's constant in your face, nonstop attack and wrestling prowess taught Pettis a lesson and was possibly the best thing to happen to Pettis as it showed him exactly what he needed to work on.

Like all great fighters, Pettis went back to the drawing board and brought in 2008 Olympic wrestler and current Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren and made the changes he needed to make.

Pettis was in action again last night for the first time since his UFC debut loss to Guida and showed the progress and evolution of his overall game as he earned his first UFC victory by defeating Jeremy Stephens via split decision.

Pettis used excellent ground control, outworking Stephens who in his own right is a very dangerous opponent. While I still do not believe Pettis will garner a title shot any time in the near future, last night definitely proved that Anthony Pettis is improving as a mixed martial artist each and every day.

So if the UFC does not go with the man who previously held the honor of facing the champion next, the question still remains, who will the UFC deem worthy enough to offer the championship opportunity too?

There has been rumblings the past week or two about bringing over current Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez for a title unification bout. While this is without a doubt the sexiest matchup to make at the time, I do not believe it is the best choice to make.

Gilbert Melendez is arguably the best fighter not fighting within the UFC promotion. Fighting out of Cesar Gracie's camp and training with athletes such as Jake Shields and both Diaz brothers consistently, Melendez is ranked as high as number one on some MMA ranking scales. On top of that, Melendez is currently on a five fight winning streak and has not lost a fight in three years. With notable victories over Shinya Aoki, Josh Thompson and twice over Tatsuya Kawajiri in his career, Melendez certainty holds the credentials needed to fight for the coveted UFC title belt.

The reason I feel he should not get the title opportunity however, is due to him never fighting under the big stage and bright lights of the UFC. While this is not his fault, fighting under the UFC umbrella is a whole different game and has crumbled more experienced fighters than Melendez.

It has been seen time and time again that when a big name with a lot of hype enters the UFC, they fail to impress. Back in 2007 when former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua debuted within the promotion he was thought to be the best fighter on the planet. However, when the fight started Shogun looked nothing like the destructive dominant fighter that fans had been accustomed to seeing during his stint in PRIDE. Ultimately, Shogun was submitted by Forrest Griffin with seconds remaining in the third and final round, giving Griffin the biggest win of his career thus far.

The same also happened to Melendez' training partner and friend Jake Shields. Shields came over to the UFC a year ago in October at UFC 121 and faced Martin Kampmann. Although, Shields walked out that night with a split decision victory, he looked nothing like the athlete who had dominated fighters at both Middleweight and Welterweight for years prior. In fact, it could be argued that Kampmann lost the fight more than Shields won since Kampmann did not engage and decided to play Shields' game abandoning his own game plan.

While these lackluster performances may not happen to Melendez, history serves that no matter how great of a mixed martial artist you are, the most difficult opponent you will ever face is the Octagon itself the first time you step inside and the cage doors shut.

I am not a fan of competitors earning a title shot upon first entrance to the UFC. I feel no matter how great your accomplishments are outside the UFC, they are still outside the UFC and you must earn and prove yourself all over again when debuting inside the Octagon. Title unification bout or not, I do not feel as if Gilbert Melendez walks right into the UFC deserving a Lightweight Championship fight.

The question is still lingering now, and if a former number one contender does not deserve a title opportunity and a current champion does not deserve the title opportunity, you are well on your way to believing at this point, that I am the only man alive who should compete for the title. Well you are not far off, but alas I do not feel as if I deserve the title opportunity either, but I did already speak about both men who I feel should next compete for the UFC Lightweight Championship.

The two men are both in-house UFC veterans and have both proven themselves within the promotion. What makes the matter even easier for me is that both men are fighting each other on November 12th and the winner I feel unquestionably deserves the next fight against Frankie Edgar. The fight I am speaking of, is no other then Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson.

Guida has been with the UFC since 2006 and has been a fan favorite ever since. The long haired wild man has been in some of the most memorable bouts in UFC history such as his wars with Roger Huerta and Diego Sanchez. While Guida does not have the most amazing UFC record (9-5) he is currently on a four fight winning streak against the above mentioned Anthony Pettis, Takanori Gomi, Rafael Dos Anjos and Shannon Gugerty, picking up Submission of the Night bonus' in two of those four contests.

In my opinion, a win over Ben Henderson is more then justifiable enough for Guida to merit a title shot. Fans love him, so marketing him would not be a problem and you can count on him to deliver an exciting fight. Guida has done enough and has improved enough to warrant an opportunity and a matchup with Edgar would be a great challenge for both.

Ben Henderson on the other hand does not have the track record of Guida and has only fought within the promotion two times. The former long time WEC Lightweight Champion, Bendo has two unanimous decision victories since debuting inside the UFC this April.

His debut fight with Mark Bocek was unspectacular and goes back to fighters not looking like themselves in their debut UFC fights. However, Bendo's second fight against Jim Miller was nothing short of amazing and was without a doubt the best performance of Bendo's career.

Jim Miller came into that fight red hot and on a seven fight winning streak and was well on his way to a UFC title shot with a win. Bendo however, had other plans and completely dominated the fight both on the feet and especially on the ground. Not a lot of people had Bendo winning that fight let alone dominating and he opened many eyes to his talents.

A human Gumby inside the cage, Bendo has a unique flexibility ability as to where it is damn near impossible to submit him. Turning his body into different shapes, Bendo is able to get out of almost every opponents submission attempt and turn them into advantageous positions for himself. On top of that, Bendo is an extremely aggressive fighter with a full gas tank who always keeps a high energy pace inside the cage. His fight with Pettis was extremely close and if it were not for the “Showtime Kick” he probably would have walked out that night with the W.

The Clay Guida – Ben Henderson contest has all the intangibles of a fight of the year candidate. Undoubtably, I feel whomever should walk out the cage door November 12th with their hand raised should get the next crack at the UFC Lightweight Championship. Both competitors offer different and unique challenges for Frankie Edgar and that matchup in my opinion is the best decision that the UFC can make.

Houston, We Have A TKO!

Houston, we have a TKO!

On Saturday October 8th 2011, at UFC 136 Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) retained his UFC Lightweight Championship against Grey Maynard (11-1-1-1NC) via fourth round TKO revenging the only blemishes on his record.

After taking a beating which was eerily similar to their classic second encounter, Edgar exhibited why he is the Rocky Balboa of the UFC and defended his title in convincing fashion at 3:54 seconds of the fourth round.

During a scramble, Edgar was able to hurt Maynard with an uppercut sending him backpedaling to cage. A huge right hook followed sending Maynard to the floor where the champion pounced on his wounded opponent leaving him face first on the floor after some ground and pound. The out of nowhere finish, not only allowed Edgar to keep his championship but also resulted in the Knockout of the Night bonus.

The victory was sweet and satisfying for the two time defending champion, but did not come without it's fair share of drama. The first round was essentially a carbon copy of January's bout as Maynard bloodied and dropped Edgar with uppercuts and knees. Maynard remained composed and did not punch himself out, but ultimately enabled Edgar's incredible recovery powers to shine through.

Edgar's heart and refusal to lose once again kept him standing. Mixed in with impeccable movement, the champion was able to remain unpredictable with in and out combinations as he slowly but surely took over the fight. The champion fought relaxed and in rhythm, as Edgar's speed left Maynard mesmerized and fighting air.

The result was devastating for the challenger Maynard, as he once again had the championship within his grasps. Maynard was the much larger fighter entering the Octagon and had the champion badly hurt in two consecutive fights, but was unable to get the job done. Although he made adjustments and remained disciplined during his first round blitz, he appeared too calm and relaxed not wanting to punch him self out again.

On top of that, Maynard abandoned his wrestling opting instead to look for the one punch knockout which he was unable to land. Maynard blew a big opportunity in this fight and it resulted in his first ever career loss to a man he should have beaten three times and sends him back home without the championship belt.

In the Co-Main Event of the evening, Jose Aldo (20-1) defended his Featherweight Championship against Kenny Florian (16-6) via Unanimous Decision (49-46 on all Judges score cards.)

The fight was a chess match and every round besides the third, which was dominated by Aldo was very close. Heading into the fifth round, I had the bout even at two rounds a piece and I felt whoever won the final round would walk away the champion.

The round started off competitive but a Florian slip off of a missed head kick allowed Aldo to gain top control on the ground, where most of the time was spent. Although not a lot of damage was inflicted, Aldo did what needed to be done in order to retain his championship.

In all likelihood, Kenny Florian will not receive any more title opportunities in his UFC career, as he is now 0-3 in Championship fights. Despite being a master strategist and applying a lot of pressure upon the champion, Florian was largely unsuccessful at taking and keeping Jose Aldo down on the ground. In addition to this, an interesting note is that in every fight Kenny Florian was unable to secure a takedown, he has lost.

Aldo was prepared for the takedown's and beautifully defended several attempts by the challenger. Even though, the bout was not the most exciting display of action by the champion, Aldo still proved he is one of the most destructive strikers in all of MMA and landed numerous powerful leg kicks which left Florian's thigh battered and bruised.

Even though UFC 136 featured two title fights, for many the most intriguing match up of the night was the Middleweight title eliminator bout and the return of the most outspoken and quotable man in MMA history, Chael Sonnen.

The contest between Sonnen (27-11-1) and “The All American” Brian Stann (11-4) was a true rebel vs. hero matchup. However, the bout was completely one sided as Sonnen delivered a red, white and blue ass-whipping to the former marine.

Outside of the cage, Sonnen is as looney as they come but inside he is a no nonsense ass kicker. As soon as the opening bell rang, Sonnen smothered Stann taking him to the ground with his powerful double leg takedown. From here it was vintage Sonnen, as he allowed Stann no space and controlled him on the ground with a grinding pace and ground and pound like no other.

Stann was simply outclassed and eventually tapped out to an arm-triangle choke in the second round, giving Sonnen his fourth ever career victory via submission. Sonnen won this fight in dominating fashion resulting in a triumphant return for the self proclaimed “people's champion.”

What followed next, was without a doubt the holy s*@! moment of the night. During the post fight interview, with his Brazilian rival at cage side and the crowd chanting the Middleweight champions name, loud mouthed Uncle Chael returned saying “Anderson Silva you absolutely suck!”

It was at this point, with the entire audience in the palm of his hand that Sonnen went all pro-wrestling and upped the stakes of their rematch to essentially a loser leaves town match. Silva seemed intrigued at the odds which would require Silva to leave the devision for good if Sonnen won and would require Sonnen to leave the UFC for good if Silva won.

The fight would be contested during the mega Super Bowl weekend event in February and had Dana White tweet “Shit just GOT REAL!!!!!!”

In other main card news, the Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia rematch received fight of the night. Phan won a unanimous decision and revenged his controversial loss to Garcia earlier in the year.

These two featherweights left off right where their first fight ended and was nonstop action from bell to bell. Phan used body shots combinations, throwing punches in bunches as Garcia threw wild haymakers. The crowd was on their feet and loud in support of these two brawlers and had Joe Rogan proclaim that the fight was “what MMA is all about!”

As much as I love highly disciplined and technical fighters, Leonard Garcia is the exception and I love watching him fight. One of the most exciting fighters to ever step foot inside of the Octagon, Garcia leaves it all out there and throws big powerful wild punches. His heart and fighting spirit is great and if you're a fight fan, you have to love the man. The fight was extremely fun and I would not mind seeing these two fight once a year every year!

The opening bout of the evening, featured the upset of the night as the red hot Melvin Guillard took on Joe Lauzon.

Guillard who had a definitive speed and power advantage was submitted by Lauzon in .47 of the first round via rear naked choke.

Guillard took the center of the Octagon guns blazing but was careless and was caught with a left hook which hurt him. From here it was fundamental as Lauzon took Guillard's back and locked in the hooks, flattened him out and forced Guillard to tap out to a rear naked choke.

The contest derailed Guillard's dreams of a title shot but earned Lauzon the submission of the night bonus.

For the undercard fights, Anthony Pettis displayed improved wrestling as he defeated Jeremy Stephens via split decision to earn his first ever UFC victory. Damien Maia was also in action as he handed the former Sengoku Middleweight Champion Jorge Santiago his second consecutive loss within the UFC.

That wraps up UFC 136, as both champions retain their titles and a Middleweight Championship war is on the horizon. The UFC returns in three weeks, for UFC 137 as Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre defends his championship against Carlos Condit and B.J. Penn returns to take on Nick Diaz.

Fight of the Night – Nam Phan vs. Leonard Garcia
Knockout of the Night – Frankie Edgar
Submission of the Night- Joe Lauzon

Results:
Frankie Edgar defeats Grey Maynard via TKO at 3:54 of Round 4 to RETAIN UFC Lightweight Championship
Jose Aldo defeats Kenny Florian via Unanimous Decision to RETAIN UFC Featherweight Championship
Chael Sonnen defeats Brian Stann via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) at 3:51 of Round 2
Nam Phan defeats Leonard Garcia via Split Decision
Joe Lauzon defeats Melvin Guillard via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at .47 of Round 1
Damien Maia defeats Jorge Santiago via Unanimous Decision
Anthony Pettis defeats Jeremy Stephens via Split Decision
Stipe Miocic defeats Joey Beltran via Unanimous Decision
Darren Elkins defeats Zhang Tie Quan via Unanimous Decision
Aaron Simpson defeats Eric Schafer via Unanimous Decision
Mike Massenzio defeats Steve Cantwell via Unanimous Decision

UFC 136 Edgar vs. Maynard III Preview & Predictions

The UFC returns Saturday October 8th,2011 from Houston, Texas for UFC 136. The card is headlined by two title fights as the Lightweight and Featherweight Championships are on the line, as well as a number one contenders bout in the Middleweight devision.

Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Grey Maynard will look to settle their score after battling to a unanimous draw back in January of 2011. The Lightweight Championship fight will be rounds 6-10 and will be the third fight between the two.

In order to understand the importance of Saturday's fight, we must look back to UFC 125 which featured the epic second encounter between both men.

Round one was a scary moment for Edgar as he was dropped four times by Maynard and looked as if he was going to lose his championship in embarrassing fashion. The fight came dangerously close to being stopped and when the bell finally rang signaling the end of the round, Edgar was bloody bruised and chicken legged heading back to his corner. If there was ever a 10-8 round, this was it as Maynard absolutely dominated the champion for the entire five minutes.

Watching the fight live, it was amazing that Edgar was able to survive after the bombs that Maynard landed on him. What was even more amazing, was how Edgar was able to recover so well heading into round two. Coupled with the adrenaline dump suffered by Maynard, Edgar came out looking like the fresher fighter. Frankie was light on his feet and even managed a big slam to win the round 10-9.

Round 3-5 were so close that no matter who you speak to you will garner a different view on the outcome. This is evident when the judges that night handed in their scorecards and all three had different results. The scores read were 48-46 Maynard, 48-46 Edgar and 47-47 resulting in a split draw.

Despite the anti-climatic ending, the second battle between these two was without a doubt the fight of the year. Both fighters and fans alike wanted to see an immediate rematch and the UFC granted these wishes, which will culminate this Saturday at UFC 136.

As I watched the promotional videos leading up to the fight, there was one thing which stuck out to me and that was how vastly different the demeanors of both fighters are. For Edgar, he is proud of his performance taking January's bout as a moral victory, and for good reason. Edgar overcame great odds and was able to do enough to beat Maynard in his own mind even after that hellacious first round.

For Maynard, he is treating the fight as a loss and seems to have a chip on his shoulder, also for good reason. Despite believing in his own mind he won, he still does not possess the championship belt he deeply covets.

It is impossible to predict what will happen when these two collide together again in the Octagon. The booking odds say Maynard will come out victorious since he is the much bigger fighter who already holds a victory over Edgar from their first fight back in 2008.

Edgar however, relishes the role of the underdog and is the champion for a reason. Not a single person gave him a chance to beat B.J. Penn and he did so to win the Lightweight Championship. Then afterwards in the rematch with Penn, he thoroughly dominated him again, proving the first fight was not a fluke and that he was for real. The odds finally seemed to be in Edgar's favor until that hook in the first round landed from Maynard, and Edgar had to once again prove himself during the duration of the bout.

I expect the third fight to be a classic just like the second but with a winner emerging victorious. In order for Maynard to win the belt, he needs to remain calm and accurate for the span of the fight. I trust Maynard will look to make this a dirtier, grimier wrestling based fight since he is the much bigger man entering the cage and has outstanding grappling credentials. Maynard is nicknamed “The Bully” because of his ability to dictate where the fight ends up and his impeccable ground and pound skills. This game plan worked in the first fight, and I fully count on Maynard revisiting his wrestling in the trilogy fight and becoming a bully inside of the cage.

For the champ, Edgar needs to make sure his wrestling is crisp and better then ever to keep this fight on the feet. Edgar wants to turn this into a boxing bout and use his footwork to score points since he is the much faster fighter. If the fight turns into a wrestling and grappling match, Edgar may be in for a long night. While he is also a celebrated collegiate wrestler, Edgar is much smaller than Maynard and will not be able to match strength with the bigger grappler.

Edgar's heart is another factor of this fight as the champ has an incredible will to win. It was Edgar's heart which kept him awake during the first round and his fighting spirit which helped him come back and almost win the contest.

Fireworks will be in the air Saturday night, but before the grand finale, another championship will be on the line as Jose Aldo defends his Featherweight Championship against Kenny Florian.

Jose (Joe-say) Aldo is the defending champion and is one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world. When he was competing inside the WEC, Aldo was the most dominant fighter in the promotion and looked unstoppable every minute of every fight. Yet, when Aldo made his way over to the UFC in April for UFC 129, first time Octagon jitters seemed to get the best of him and he did not look so great in his bout against Mark Hominick despite a unanimous decision victory and the fight of the night bonus.

Aldo will need to be in the best shape of his life and preform like his earlier self this Saturday, since Kenny Florian is the best opponent Aldo has ever faced.

Jose Aldo has all the technical skills in the world and is dangerous in almost every position. An incredibly lightning quick striker, Aldo has had twelve of his nineteen professional victories end by way of KO or TKO. This would be a substantial fact on it's own, but what makes it even scarier is that Aldo is a much better fighter on the ground.

His opponent is one of the longest competing fighters in the UFC, Kenny Florian. Beginning during the first season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, Florian has had seventeen of his twenty-one professional fights within the UFC promotion.

While this will only be Florian's second fight at Featherweight in his career, Florian has competed against much better competition over the years. Florian has competed against notable fighters such as Diego Sanchez, Sean Sherk, B.J. Penn, Takanori Gomi and Grey Maynard amongst others in the UFC and will use his big fight experience to his advantage. Along with an edge in the size and reach department, Florian seems to finally be in the right position to win UFC gold for the first time.

An alarming stat about Florian however, is how he has been known to choke in big pressure fights. All four of Florian's losses in the UFC have come in the most important bouts of his career, the first being against Diego Sanchez. The fight with Sanchez was both fighters debuts inside the UFC and was to crown the first ever Ultimate Fighter champion. Sanchez was the much bigger fighter coming into the cage that night and used his size to wrestle Florian to the ground where he used ground and pound to defeat Florian.

Florian's next two losses came in Lightweight title bouts where he lost to Sean Sherk and B.J. Penn respectively. His latest loss was to Grey Maynard in his hometown of Boston, Mass. in a completely one sided affair in which Florian looked horrible and ultimately knocked him out of the weight class. Saturday night may be Florian's last crack at a championship since the UFC has never granted a fighter three title opportunities when they have come up short the previous two times.

Despite the criticisms, Florian has handled himself like a true professional. One of the most respected fighters to ever grace the Octagon, Florian may be the best fighter to never have won a championship. When asked, Florian insists that the challenge Jose Aldo presents is more important to him than the belt but also says the gold would be a great addition.

It has been proven time and time again that anything is possible inside the UFC, and you never know what will happen. Saturday night might be Kenny Florian's time to shine as the old saying goes “three times a charm.”

While these two fights alone could hold their weight and support a PPV by themselves, the UFC is giving the fans two for the price of one as well as a very intriguing match up in the UFC Middleweight devision.

The fight between Brian Stann (11-3 overall 5-2 UFC) and Chael Sonnen (25-11 overall 4-4 UFC) will decide the next challenger to face devision kingpin Anderson Silva.

Brian Stann has been one of the most improved and impressive fighters of 2011 with two huge knockout victories over Chris Leben at UFC 125 and Jorge Santiago at UFC 130.

Stann who was a Captain in the U.S. Military is a recipient of the Silver Star, which is the third highest award for valor in combat. Before his MMA career, Stann served overseas in the Iraq war and personally led two casualty operations, three vehicle recovery operations and multiple close air support missions under enemy arms, machine gun and mortar fire. He is a true American hero and is one of the best role models and inspirations in not only the UFC but in all of sports.

His opponent, Chael Sonnen is arguably the best wrestler in all of MMA and the only man to ever beat up Anderson Silva. Typically a loud mouth trash talking machine, Sonnen has remained quiet and respectful leading up to the fight saying “Brian's not going to get called out by anybody, and I'm no exception to that.” Sonnen however, will not let his respect for Stann get in the way of his mission on Saturday night which is to ultimately take the title off of Anderson Silva.

Sonnen is returning from a thirteen month lay off due to a suspension, and ring rust might be a factor during this contest. Although, Stann is a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion with big knockout power as well as being a stronger faster athlete, Sonnen is light years better than Stann at wrestling and will dictate how long this fight lasts on the feet.

Stann states that wrestling has been his heaviest trained discipline for the last two years of his fighting career saying “ I don't have to outwrestle him out there on Saturday night” going as far to say that he even checked the bout agreement to make sure he can punch back, since no one is giving him a chance.

While I respect his confidence, two years of training wrestling even if it was for every second every day will still not be enough to stop the take downs of Chael Sonnen. Sonnen's powerful driven take downs are a thing of art and he is relentless with his attempts. I expect Sonnen to play this fight smart and keep it standing for only as long as he needs to before he shoots in and takes Stann to the ground where he will out grapple and control him.

Looking over Sonnen's entire body of work throughout his career, there has yet to be a fight in which Sonnen was beat up in. Even though he has eleven professional losses, he usually lost because he got caught while beating the other person up. With all that being said, I anticipate Brian Stann to be out of his element and Sonnen to get his long awaited rematch with the Middleweight Champion.

Sonnen's fight with Anderson Silva in August of 2010 was by far the fight of 2010. Sonnen did something no one ever thought was possible and that was demolish the seemingly invincible Silva for four and a half rounds before ultimately getting caught in a triangle choke with only two minutes remaining in the fight. Since that time, Sonnen has been sticking his finger in the chest of Silva, picking a fight and promises not quit until he has that title around his waist.

UFC 136 promises to be a great and immensely entertaining night. Along with the two title fights and Middleweight eliminator bout, Saturday night also features the return of Melvin Guillard as he looks to improve his winning streak to six as he takes on Joe Lauzon, as well as Anthony Pettis fighting Jeremy Stephens.

UFC 136 is possibly the most stacked card top to bottom in the promotions history and has been an event I have waited a very long time for. Get ready for one of the best fight nights in quite some time as all bouts look to be highly competitive and feature entertaining athletes.













Predictions:
Grey Maynard defeats Frankie Edgar to become the NEW UFC Lightweight Champion via Unanimous Decision
Jose Aldo defeats Kenny Florian to REMAIN UFC Featherweight Champion via 3rd Round Submission
(Rear Naked Choke)
Chael Sonnen defeats Brian Stann via Unanimous Decision
Leonard Garcia defeats Nam Phan via 2nd Round TKO
Melvin Guillard defeats Joe Lauzon via 1st Round KO
Damien Maia defeats Jorge Santiago via 1st Round Submission (Triangle Choke)
Anthony Pettis defeats Jeremy Stephens via Unanimous Decision

Five Finger Death Punch "American Capitalist" Review

On October 11th, 2011 Five Finger Death Punch will release their third major studio album “American Capitalist.”

Over the past five years, Five Finger Death Punch have launched themselves into the upper echelon of hard rock and heavy metal and continue their fast rise to the top with their new record “American Capitalist.”

“American Capitalist” continues where the bands two previous albums “The Way of the Fist” and “War Is the Answer” left off. However, the hard hitting, melodic tough guy metal group from Los Angeles deliver their most versatile record to date.

The album opens up with the title track “American Capitalist” and hits you hard from the get go. The signature heavy bass drumming sets the tone for the rest of the record as the first line delivered from vocalist Ivan Moody growls “I'm a red blooded rough neck son of a bitch/ I'm a god damned American Capitalist”.

“Under and Over It” is the second song and main single released from “American Capitalist” and continues the pace set from the opening track. It is a romper-stomper song with a high energy vibe and infectious riff perfect for rock radio. Right out of the gate, Five Finger Death Punch hit hard and leave their signature for the rest of the roller coaster ride.

“The Pride” is a unique and clever song and something different from what 5FDP have ever done before. The lyrics fit in with the theme of the album, and speak on major money-mongering American brands such as Starbucks, iPods, Brett Farve, Pepsi and Mickey Mouse just to name a few. In a way, “The Pride” is a mocking metaphor for how the band views themselves as part of living the American Dream.

What follows next, is a special moment on the album and for fans of 5FDP in general. “Coming Down” is not your typical 5FDP song and musically the band is venturing out into territory they have not yet crossed before. Featuring an acoustic introduction, the song tells the tale of a man who had contemplated suicide before deciding against it. The lyrics are uplifting with a huge chorus, definitely making “Coming Down” a stand out track on “American Capitalist.”

The next two songs are “Menace” and “Generation Dead” which are the typical 5FDP songs on the record. The fast chugging riffs and heavy drumming make both tunes blood boiling, and show the maturity of the group. 5FDP seem more together musically on this record and have advanced in the song writing department.

Continuing the high energy pace, “Back For More” is a hard hitting song featured on the Madden '12 video game soundtrack and will be the upcoming single off the album. The groovy riff and galloping bass are loud and addicting, something 5FDP is known for. Powerful lyrics about never giving up and always rising to the top make it perfect for a gym session where you need to dig deep and finish the last remaining reps

“Remember Everything” is the eighth track and my personal favorite song on “American Capitalist”, despite it being a ballad. The lyrics are honest and heart wrenching from Moody to his family and are by far the deepest words he has ever wrote. The chorus is once again huge and I could picture an entire stadium singing along. The guitar solo is beautiful, making “Remember Everything” the perfect slow change of pace tune and a standout song everyone should listen to.

The fun punkish feel of “Wicked Ways” follows “Remember Everything” and leads to “If I Fall.” “If I Fall” begins with a gloomy intro before transforming into a full out metal assault of epic proportions. The guitars and drums are lightning quick and once again at the forefront. Moody's vocals fit perfectly as he angrily growls “If I Fall I'm Taking Everybody Down!”

The closing track of “American Capitalist” is “100 Ways To Hate” and Moody addresses everything from internet warriors to ass kissers. The track is the big final fuck you sendoff and ends the album heavy and in pure 5FDP fashion.

All in all, “American Capitalist” is good hard rock/metal album and shows that 5FDP deserve their place near the top of the Mount Olympus Metal mountain. While I do not believe they have reached their maximum potential, “American Capitalist” is a step in the right direction and shows that what 5FDP do, they do very well. I enjoyed the fact that the album went to new places at times such as on “Coming Down” and “Remember Everything” and would like to see 5FDP experiment more in the future and further venture out their musical abilities. Still, “American Capitalist” is without a doubt an album every metal fan should check out as it is very enjoyable with a high replay value, which will instantly get your blood pumping.

Based on the Beavis and Butt-Head Ranking System:
3.5 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Head's

Standout Tracks:
Over and Under It, Coming Down, Back For More, Remember Everything, If I Fall

Tracklist:
1. American Capitalist
2. Under and Over It
3. The Pride
4. Coming Down
5. Menace
6. Generation Dead
7. Back For More
8. Remember Everything
9. Wicked Ways
10. If I Fall
11. 100 Ways To Hate

WWE Hell In A Cell Review & Rant

For the second time in two weeks, WWE has held a PPV and for the second time in two weeks, we have a new WWE Champion, and his name is Alberto Del Rio. (but of corse you already know that)

The Hell In A Cell main event featured the first ever triple threat Hell In A Match as John Cena defended his WWE Championship against both CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio. In a noticeably larger Cell, Del Rio was able to once again fulfill his destiny and recapture the title that he recently lost to Cena only two weeks ago.

The finish of the match came when Del Rio locked John Cena outside of the Cell and then proceeded to use a steel pipe to the head of CM Punk covering him for the 1-2-3.

It was a rather odd booking move by WWE, because it essentially brings us right back to where we were two weeks ago before Night of Champions. I can not come up with any possible explanation as to why WWE took the title off of Del Rio in the first place, if they planned on giving it right back to him. If anything, WWE is hurting Del Rio's character by booking him as a weak champion who can not defeat Cena in a one on one match.

WWE is also making the WWE Championship meaningless with their bizarre booking. In the past seventy-eight days, the WWE Championship has changed hands a total of eight times, with Cena winning the belt three times, Del Rio & CM Punk winning it twice, and Rey Mysterio holding it for an hour on an episode of Monday Night Raw.

An astonishing note about this once prestigious title, is that since the WWE Championship was introduced in 1963 all the way until 2005 which covers forty-two years, the WWE Championship had changed hands seventy-five times. This means, that in a forty-two year period, there were only about two champions a year.

Now, when we look at the amount of title changes from 2006 until now, there have been thirty-three title changes, almost half has many changes in a five and half year period than there were in a forty-two year period! It initially took thirty-four years for the WWE Championship to change hands thirty-three times when Bret Hart won the vacant title against Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker and Vadar at In Your House 13 in February of 1997.

Also, John Cena recently broke the WWE record for most title reigns with ten when he defeated Alberto Del Rio at Night of Champions. In the forty-eight year history of the WWE Championship, not one single competitor has held the title ten times and now this historic feat will be tainted seeing as it had only lasted two weeks.

To me, it is mind boggling that the WWE is booking their major championship to be nothing more than a hollow prop. While I will admit I am not for the year or two year title reigns that were defended in the past, I would like to see the belt stay on someone's waist for four to five months at a minimum. Since 2008, the only WWE Championship reign that has even lasted one hundred days was by The Miz when he held the Championship for 160 days.

Speaking of The Miz, him and R-Truth made their returns at the end of the WWE Championship match after being fired by Triple H two weeks ago. Awesome Truth caused total chaos and attacked all members trapped inside the Cell, including the referee and cameraman. In a rather cool spot, all members of the locker room, both heels and faces ran down to the ring to try and open the door to the Cell. Eventually, Awesome Truth was arrested but the seeds are being firmly planted for Survivor Series and a major event to shake up the WWE.

In the World Heavyweight Championship bout, Mark Henry defeated Randy Orton in a Hell In A Match to retain his World Championship in a surprisingly entertaining match. It was a very good big man, little man match which is interesting because Randy Orton is not a small human being by any stretch of the imagination, just that Mark Henry is an overwhelmingly large man.

Personally, I am ecstatic that Mark Henry is still the champion. While he is by no means the most technically gifted wrestler and is quite limited as to what he can do in the ring, his character and presence alone ooze charisma and make me interested in him. His facial expressions and promos are fantastic and he used the features of the Cell to his advantage providing an exciting match. It took fifteen years, but Mark Henry has finally found his niche and his proving to be worthy of holding the big gold belt.

Other noteworthy events of the night, featured Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes retiring the old title and bringing back the classic White Intercontinental Championship belt held by legends such as HBK, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and the late great Macho Man Randy Savage. Afterwards, Rhodes defended and retained the IC Title in an impromptu match against John Morrison.

It seems, WWE is trying to bring back some relevancy to the IC title after it had been relegated to nothing over the past couple of years. Cody Rhodes is doing an excellent job with his reign thus far, and is restoring some honor that the IC title used to hold of being the belt which propelled you to World Championship contests.

Air Boom (Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne) defended their Tag Team Championships against U.S. Champion Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. It is good to see WWE putting emphasis on the tag team division once again as the division has stunk for a very long time. Air Boom have great synergy together as a team and are bringing excitement back to tag team wrestling.

The best moments of the match, came when Dolph Ziggler was in the ring. Ziggler is quite possibly the greatest athlete on the WWE roster at the present moment and his in ring work speaks for itself. While I am happy Ziggler made it onto the PPV, I would have rather seen him defend his U.S. Championship instead of being thrown into a random tag team with Jack Swagger.

To open the night, Christian and Sheamus put on one hell of a contest to begin the PPV. The match was fun, exciting and intense between two highly skilled in ring technicians in a building rivalry. Ultimately, when it was all said and done Sheamus won with his finisher the Brogue Kick.

In recent months, Sheamus has seen a meteoric rise in popularity. Ever since his face turn over the summer, crowds across the nation have really been into him since he provides them with something different to cheer for. He is still the aggressive badass Irishman and could potentially be next in line to face off with Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Other bouts during the evening featured Sin Cara Blue vs. Sin Cara Black in a Lucha Libre styled match. I expected more then what was shown during the contest and was quite disappointed with the missed spots and the unenthusiastic crowd. Also, Beth Phoenix won the Divas Championship, and that is all I am saying about that.

All in all, despite nonsensical booking it was a decent night of entertainment from the WWE. The performers did their best with what they were given and seeds were certainly planted for a big shocking surprise to be revealed in the upcoming weeks.

Overall, I give WWE Hell In A Cell two and a half stars out of five.

And Still....

An exciting night of fights from Washington D.C. has commenced and in the featured bout of the evening, Dominick Cruz decisions Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson to retain his UFC Bantamweight Championship.

The contest was promoted as a battle between the two fastest men in MMA and both competitors lived up to the billing. In the end however, it was the size, strength and superior wrestling of Dominick Cruz which gave him the unanimous decision victory with scores of 50-45, 49-46, and 50-45.

Demetrious Johnson proved to be a tough challenger and set the pace for the fight on the feet with his quickness, but like all great champions, Dominick Cruz was able to fight out of his comfort zone and adjust to the conditions placed in front of him. Cruz out wrestled Johnson for majority of the contest and used his effective grappling to control “Mighty Mouse” on the ground.

The main event was the highlight of the evening, and showed exactly why the UFC Bantamweight division is the crème of the crop when it comes to pure athleticism. The division is on the rise, and when asked about the long line of contenders knocking on his door, Dominick Cruz showed his fighting spirit and responded “I'm here to make history, let's do it.”

Although it is currently unaware who Cruz' next challenger will be, there are a number of intriguing possibilities out there including a trilogy fight with Urijah Faber in the future. Despite the uncertainty, one thing is guaranteed and that is the fight like all Bantamweight fights will be high paced, exciting and can't miss.

The co-main event of the evening, featured the biggest height disparity in Octagon history as 6'11 Stefan Struve fought 5'11 Pat Barry in a heavyweight contest.

The fight was not as high paced and exciting as the main event, yet it did provide the holy s*%! moment of the evening when Pat Barry who was caught in a triangle choke lifted Stefan Struve above his head and power bombed him to the mat in WWE fashion. Although it was a cool moment, the power bomb hurt Barry more than it did help him as the move allowed Struve to sink the choke in tighter, ultimately forcing Barry to tap out.

UFC once again put on a great night of fights and will be back to action again in one week (Oct. 8) with two championship contests, three if you ask Chael Sonnen. The UFC Lightweight Championship will be on the line as champion Frankie Edgar and challenger Grey Maynard settle the score once and for all, after their absolute war back in January. The UFC Featherweight Championship will be contested as well, when Jose Aldo defends his title against Kenny Florian. Also on the card, is the return of everyone's favorite trash talking wrestling machine Chael Sonnen as he goes to battle against the former marine, “The All American” Brian Stann.

Fight of the Night – Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig
Knockout of the Night - Anthony Johnson
Submission of the Night - Stefan Struve

Chickenfoot III Review

What do you get, when you add two former members of Van Halen, a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and a guitar virtuoso? If you answered one of the greatest new rock and roll bands currently out today, then you are correct!

So is the case with Chickenfoot, the American hard rock super group composed of former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar on vocals, Michael Anthony on bass, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and perhaps the greatest guitarist in the world today, Joe Satriani.

The band formed in 2009, and have just released their second full length album, aptly titled Chickenfoot III. This fun, guitar driven hard rock record is filled with a refreshing energy which bleeds classic rock and roll and is one of the best releases of the year.

The Last Temptation is the opening song on the record and perfectly sets the stage for what is to follow on the coming tracks. The big ballsy bluesy riff of Joe Satriani drives the song as an energetic Sammy Hagar screams about avoiding all types of tasty temptations. This is followed up by one of the coolest rock and roll songs on the album, Alright Alright.

Alright Alright is a great upbeat track with a Rolling Stones type of vibe. It is a fun song despite negative lyrics about being sick of the person you are in a relationship with. Musically, the tune is both stonesy and bluesy with a straight grooving digging bass line, while the guitar at time is reminiscent of Keith Richards.

The next song on Chickenfoot III, is currently my favorite song off of the album and it is titled Different Devil. Different Devil is a potential VH1 radio hit with classic Sammy Hagar vocals. Lyrically, the track takes off where the previous songs ended and is about a relationship losing heat and the appeal to look elsewhere. However, the message Sammy delivers is that no matter who you end up with, you will still be stuck in the same hell only this time the devil will have a different face. The chorus is amazing and will have you playing air drums the moment it hits.

The strongest, meanest riff on the record is up next on the track Up Next. The song is full of attitude with a cool bass line and a dark, disruptive guitar solo which is similar to what you might hear on a Joe Satriani solo album. The darkness of the solo accommodates the song since the track is about potentially being the next to die. This fear however does not resonate with Sammy as he bellows out some of the wittiest lyrics I have ever heard from him in the form of “when I arrive at the Pearly Gates/ gonna have my swimsuit on/ flip-flops and a pair of shades.”

Lighten Up is the fifth song on the record and is a sleazy, down and dirty track with a Humble Pie type of vibe. The slow building budding intro is perfect for this track until the breaking point is finally reached and Sammy lets it all loose.

Come Closer is next and is a different ballad then what most fans would come to expect from a rock and roll band. The track is very tender and is reminiscent of old 1970's R&B soul tunes. Groovy drumming and great bass progression would make Come Closer not feel out of place on an Otis Redding or Teddy Pendergrass album and surprisingly it does not feel out of place on a Chickenfoot record either.

The next song on Chickenfoot III, is a spoken word song with no singing or chorus and is called Three and a Half Letters. It is one of the craziest tracks on the record and features just a bass line as Sammy reads letters from fans who need jobs and are willing to work. The bass line builds until the end of each letter when Sammy lets out a blood curling scream of “I Need A Job!, I Need A Job!” The big bad riff of Joe Satriani follows with Chad Smith going nuts on the drums and Michael Anthony ripping up the bass until the track calms down again so Sammy can read the next letter, and then it goes back to psycho. This track is a real complaint of the statement of our economy and Chickenfoot makes a belligerent musical statement with one of the coolest endings of any song I have ever heard. This is a real highlight on the album, with a fantastic fading screaming guitar and delta blues melody.

The huge riffs of Big Foot is next and is a bad ass rock and roll song about cars and sex. It is on this track, where Chad Smith truly shines as he dances around the riff of the grooving bass and guitar.

Bluesy smoking guitar sounds of Dubai Blues is next and is a song where you just want to jump into your car and go with the explosive bridge that sounds like polished razor blades. Dubai Blues is a great Chickenfoot ensemble jam speaking on how money can buy you everything but love as Sammy sings “I got a hundred acre theme park right there in my own backyard/ 365 Bentleys, 1 day for every car/ But I ain't got you!”

The tenth song is a song in which you can tell Chickenfoot took a chance with. Fortunately, their risk payed off and Something Going Wrong is one of the best on the album. A banjo is brought into play here and goes along wonderfully with the great exploding solo from Joe Satriani. The background vocals of Michael Anthony on this tune are the best on the album and really help the song shine, especially during the huge gorgeous chorus.

The last track is a bonus song on the deluxe edition of the album and is a Michael Anthony bass driven beast entitled No Change. Listening to the deluxe edition is definitely worth it as this is classic Chickenfoot and should not be missed out.

Chickenfoot has really delivered with an all out fun refreshing hard hitting album, that is definitely one of the best releases of 2011. Joe Satriani is an unbelievable musical genius and proves why he is considered to be the best guitarist in the world right now. His musical ability is unquestioned and he has put together a really great album. Vocally, Sammy Hagar has never sounded better and Michael Anthony once again reminds every one how foolish it was for Van Halen to not welcome him back to the band, as his bass playing and background vocals are the driving force of this record. Chad Smith's drumming sounds as good as ever and his craziness is truly exploited on this album.

Finally, one question that seems to be on everyone's mind, is why Chickenfoot decided to name their second record Chickenfoot III. The answer for this is simple as Sammy says it was to avoid making the dreaded second album, so instead they just skipped it and went to three. I wish more musicians would follow this plan as Chickenfoot III completely avoids the sophomore slump and is definitely an album everyone should check out.

On the Beavis and Butt-Head Scale,
4.5 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Heads

Standout Tracks:
Different Devil, Three and a Half Letters, Big Foot, Something Going Wrong