Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen Possible For UFC 110

Sportsnet.ca is reporting that a middleweight bout between Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnen is possible for UFC 110 on February 2oth in Sydney, Australia. 

While Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) was awaiting a potentially pending bout with Dan Henderson for UFC 108, it appears he has decided to move on and face Chael Sonnen (24-10-1) instead at UFC 110.  Sources have informed me that the two are awaiting bout agreements and will be added to an already stellar card that the UFC is building for their debut in Sydney, Australia in February.

If this comes to fruition it looks like UFC 110 is shaping up nicely.  The event already is expected to be headlined by a middleweight clash between Wanderlei Silva and Yoshihiro Akiyama.  Also, it is expected that heavyweights MIrko Cro Cop and Ben Rothwell could fight at this event.

Nate Marquardt has had an impressive run in this UFC and looks to geta s econd shot at Anderson Silva.  Marquartd lost to Silva in a previous title fight, but there is no doubt that Nate has shown great improvement since that bout.  Most recently Marquardt finished BJJ standout Demian Maia in less than a minute at UFC 102. 

Chael Sonnen also looked impressive in his last outing when he destroyed top middleweight contender Yushin Okami.  Sonnen, the former WEC star is looking to get his shot at Silva’s belt.

I would have to believe that the winner of this bout would be in line for the winner of the Silva vs. Belfort fight.

Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers Winners and Losers

Winners:
Fedor – It is pretty hard for Fedor’s stock to rise any higher, but he created mroe buzz with his impressive KO victory over Brett Rogers Saturday night. The casual fan will universally see Fedor as the best MMA fighter. The devoted fan gained more respect for the legend. However, the question still has to be why won’t he test himself against better talent? Who is he going to fight? Werdum? Overeem? Lashley? All of those may have some draw, but the real threats to Fedor lie in the UFC. Sorry.

Gegard Mousasi – His win was not as imrpessive as his win over Babalu, but it was a good win on a big stage. Mousasi was the favorite in this fight by a long shot so he did not show that much, but each win does raise his stock in the MMA world. Just like Fedor we have to wonder how many compelling fights there are for Mousasi at light heavyweight outside the UFC? As far as I can tell there is one, maybe two. Ricardo Arona and Dan Henderson. The irony is that neither of them are signed to Strikeforce right now.

Losers:
Mark Miller and Deray Davis – The bout was scheduled for the event, but was cancelled due to time restraints. I understand the time problem with CBS. However, these guys prepared and trained for this fight. I hope they got paid their salary and win bonus. Also, I hope Strikeforece plans better next time.

Sokoudjou – He proved that PRIDE victories over Ricardo Arona and Rogerio Nogueira were a fluke. He proved that UFC Sokoudjou is the real Sokoudjou, which is not good. He can’t hang with the best and this loss really hurt his career. His problem is not simply talent it is a lack of heart. He quits too much.

Jake Shields – I like Jake Shields and personally I enjoyed the Mayhem Miller fight, however it did not go over well with most people. Most people saw Shields as boring. I think he showed great technique and cardio. I still want to see Shields fight the best at 170 in the UFC. Though Shields won the Strikeforce Middleweight title he probably did not win over many fans. But I am sure he does not care about that because he got the “W”.

Up in the Air

Fabricio Werdum - I know Werdum won his fight against Antonio Silva.  I know a lot of people saw him in action on national television. I know that he may be the next in line for Fedor.  I know Scott Coke said that the Wedum-Fedor fight “makes a lot of sense” but I don’t know that it does.  I mean come on.  Werdum is good, but can he really beat Fedor?  I guess the draw will be a jiu jitsu ace taking a shot at the world’s best, but I don’t care to see that fight.  Werdum did well against Antonio Silva, but many think he lost that fight.  Honestly, I would rather have seen Fedor vs Antonio Silva.  So, Werdum becomes a winner if he gets the Fedor fight, but he really did not do much to improve his stock.

Strikeforce/CBS – I will be curious to see what the final numbers are.  I am sure they are strong, but are they good enough?  It may be sad that Kimbo is a bigger draw than Fedor.  This event was important for Strikeforce.  The network deal could hinge on how CBS views the numbers, especially in the key demographics.  Also, this may cause other networks to consider MMA.

The 13 Best MMA Fights in November

November is an exciting month for MMA with many exciting bouts on tap.  Here are the best fights of the month…

13. Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson – UFC 106 – Nov. 21

Someone is going to sleep in this one.  Can Johnson fight the elites of the UFC? 

12. Leonard Garcia vs. Manny Gamburyan – WEC 44 – Nov. 11

A potential slugfest.  Both guys look to get in the title picture again.

11. Jorge Gurgel vs. Billy Evangelista – ShoMMA – Nov. 6

This fight does not have a huge impact on the world of MMA or even the Strikeforce lightweight title picture, but Gurgel always brings it and that means excitment.

10. Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy – UFC 105 -Nov. 14

This fight is for the number one contender spot and that carries enough storyline.  Swick has the experience edge, but Hardy is no slouch.  Willa  Brit finally get a title shot? 

9. Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

Mousasi is the clear favorite and this makes the list just because Mousasi is exciting and fun to watch. 

8. Fabricio Werdum vs. Antonio Silva – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

A great stylistic match between two great ground fighting heavyweights.  This fight could be a Fight of the Year candidate as both guys seem evenly matched.

7. Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin – UFC 106 – Nov, 21

A re-match of a great fight a few years back.  The return of Ortiz.  The return of Forrest Griffin after his loss to Anderson Silva.  A lot of storylines, but we have to wonder if the fight will deliver and live up to the hype.  I’d say it does as both guys want this win. 

6. Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov – Sengoku 11 – Nov. 7

A non-title fight, but still good.  Santiago the champ will face highly toutted Khalidov.  This could be a classic.  I think Khalidov sees this as his chance to make it really big.

5. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luis Cane – UFC 106 – Nov. 21

Not getting a huge amount of attention, but this is the best fight on UFC 106.  Two top 10 light heavyweights collide and move one step closer to the UFC title.  Plus the debut in the UFC of the other Nogueira.  Exciting fight here folks.

4. Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo – WEC 44 – Nov. 11

This fight is exciting.  I believe the WEC featherweight division is one of the most exciting in all MMA.  Aldo is a quick and serious striker.  Will he be able to walk through Brown like he has everyone else? 

3. Jake Shields vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

Shields is a tough dude, especially at 170 lbs.  Now he moves up to 185 to try to get the title.  How will he fair against the well-rounded “Mayhem”?  Will he be able to submit Miller?  Interesting to watch and certainly not a gimme for Shields.

2. Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera – UFC 105 – Nov. 14

Randy dropping to 205 to make a run at the light heavyweight title.  Enough said.  Vera has been less than stellar since dropping to 205, but he will hope to out strike the MMA legend, which is no easy task.

1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Roger – Strikeforce – Nov. 7

The reason this is the best fight is because  of Fedor.  Not to mention the event will air on CBS.  People will be curious to see if Rogers can KO Fedor.  Also, the other storyline has to be the fact that the last time MMA was on CBS was when Kimbo got KO’d.  If fedor loses this fight somehow it would hurt Strikeforce.  However, it is good to see a real MMA fight with real credentials being promoted.

TUF 10: Heavyweight Quarter-Finals Match Ups

My picks for the final four are still alive, but they will not be accurate due to match-ups

Roy Nelson vs. Justin Wren
Brendan Schaub vs. Jon Madsen
James McSweeney vs. Matt Mitrione
Marcus Jones vs. Darrill Schoonover

My picks now would have to be Nelson, Schaub, McSweeney and Jones

Cro Cop vs. Rothwell Possible at UFC 110 in Australia

The popular forum the Underground has surfaced a possible heavyweight bout between Mirko Cro Cop and Ben Rothwell.

Rothwell is coming off of a disappointing loss to Cain Velasquez while Cro Cop is coming off a loss to Junior Dos Santos.   This could be  an important fight for the UFC career of both men.

UFC 110 is slated to take place on February 20th in Sydney Australia with a middleweight bout between Wanderlei Silva and Yoshihio Akiyama headlining.

Cain Velasquez vs. “Minotauro” Nogueira Possible For UFC 108

Tatame is reporting that a heavyweight clash between Cain Velasquez and Anotnio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira could take place at UFC 108 on January 2nd. 

Nogueira, the former PRIDE and UFC champion is coming off of a very impressive win over Randy Couture at UFC 102.  Meanwhile Cain Velasquez is also coming off of an impressive win at UFC 104 over Ben Rothwell.  It is very likely that the winner of the proposes Nogueira vs. Velasquez fight would get a shot at the winner of the heavyweight title fight between Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin. 

UFC 108 is expected to take place on January 2nd, but a main event is uncertain.  It was assumed that the Lesnar vs. Carwin fight would headline this event, but Lesnar is still not training due to an illness.  That fight could be pushed back to UFC 109 on February 6th.  Also, it is unlikely that the middleweight title bout between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort will take place here either.  Nogueira vs. Carwin could headline with a co-headliner of Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva.

Pellegrino and Alves Forced Off Respective Bouts

Kurt Pellegrino has been forced to withdraw from a lightweight bout with Frankie Edgar at the Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale on December 5th due to a back injury. Pellegrino will only be out about 3 weeks, but the injury has forced him off the card. A replacement is expected for Edgar.

Thiago Alves also confirmed the rumor hat he suffered a torn PCL and will be forced out of his UFC 107 re-match with Jon Fitch. The injury will not keep Alves sidelined for long as he expects to be ready to go again by the begining of the year. Fitch is also expected to get a replacement.

A string of injuries has caused UFC brass a headache in scrambling for replacements. Most notablly UFC 106 was destroyed by the Lesnar injury and the UFC idea for a replacement bout was a welterweight clash between Anthony Johnson and Josh Koscheck. The Koscheck vs. Johnson fight would have been a great replacement for the Almeida vs. Fitch fight, but not a good co-main event. Translation…UFC 106 sucks.

News From the TUF 11 Tryouts

MMAPlanet was not at the TUF 11 tryouts Monday in L.A., however we can confirm a number of fighters who were at the tryouts.  It also appears that Dana was disappointed with the turnout for the tryouts. MMAWeekly says there were 190 middleweights and 81 light heavyweights. Also, the rumor is that the show will be strictly middleweights and that the light heavyweights were booted.

Nick Thompson
Giva Santanta
Matt Majors
Bobby Southworth
Brent Cooper
JJ Ambrose
Brian Warren

The Fix For UFC 106

There is no doubt that UFC 106 will not have the same drawing power it did prior to Lesnar pulling out of the event.  Love him or hate him Brock is a huge draw.  The UFC has a solution and it is to simply bump the Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin fight up to main event status.  The problem is that the fans hate the fight.  I for one am on record as saying if that is the main event I will not order (or even watch on a free stream).

I am sure the UFC would love to fix the broken card, but what is the solution.  The biggest problem is finding a new main event that is worthy and the second thing they need to do is find a fight for fourth billing to replace the Fitch/Almeida fight that was cancelled due to Almeida’s knee injury.  So…what possibilities are there for the main event?

1. Do Some Re-Shuffling – Brock vs. Shane is moved to UFC 108.  The options could be to move Penn vs. Sanchez to UFC 106 and Rashad vs. Thiago Silva  to 107, while still probably needing a main event for 107 if that route is taken.  They could swap the Couture vs. Vera headliner with the Griffin vs. Ortiz headliner, but that won’t happen. 

2. Find two guys worthy of a headliner who can be ready to fight.  Let me throw out some possibilities…

• Junior Dos Santos or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez
•  Matt Hughes vs. Josh Koscheck or Matt Serra
• Vitor Belfort vs. Nate Marquardt 
• Rich Franklin is a good company guy, maybe he would come in and fight someone (personally I think this is a good option, but who would he face? Keith Jardine?) Many of your other typical headliners are off the table (Georges St. Pierre, Chuck Liddell, etc). 
• They could go with the Cain vs. Carwin fight that was initially scheduled here. 
• They could re-sign Dan Henderson and make the Marquardt fight work here. 
• There is a slim chance that Shogun vs. Machida II could happen here if Machida was not too badly hurt. 
• I wouldn’t mind seeing Wanderlei vs. Belfort

In other words I think Rich Franklin, Vitor Belfort, Keith Jardine, Junior Dos Santos, Nate Marquardt and Matt Hughes ought to receive phone calls.  A match up with any of those guys is better than Tito vs. Forrest II.

UFC 106 in Big Trouble

Brock Lesnar has been forced to withdraw from his UFC 106 bout with Shane Carwin due to a prolonmged illness.  The heavyweight title fight is expected to be postponed to January 2nd’s UFC 108 fight card.  In the meantime UFC 106 is screwed. 

It appears that the Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin co-main event will take on main event status and if it does it6 will be the first UFC I will not order in a long, long time.  It is the dumbest main event in UFC history.  Griffin lost badly in his last outing and is on a 2 fight losing streak.  Ortiz is coming off of back surgery and he is 0-2-1 in his last three fights and has not won a fight since he beat Ken Shamrock in October of 2006…three years ago.  There is no logic in that fight. Two former light heavyweight champions on their way out and no longer as popular as they once were.  If the UFC thinks that Forrest is the same draw he was prior to his antics after his loss to Anderson Silva he is crazy. 

I am sure some re-shuffling will happen.  Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort will probably be delayed until February due to Silva’s elbow surgery recovery.  And lesnar vs. Carwin will take on the maine vent there.  UFC 108 looks great…really great.

However, UFC 106, which once looked like a very good card now sucks.  First Almeida pulled out of the fight with Jon Fitch and Fitch was moved to UFC 108 against Thiago Alves.  Now Lesnar vs. Carwin is gone.  The event will host an exciting light heavyweight battle between Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Luis Cane.  A less than stellar welterweight bout also is on the card between Karo Parisyan and Dustin Hazelett both coming back from long lay offs.

The point is this.  Dana White and Joe Silva find a headliner or I for one will not be watching.  I can promise you that.  Oh yeah, I am not one of those disloyal fickle fans.  But Ortiz vs. Griffin II by itself does not intrest me at all.