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10 (tie) – Rick Story All right, I know, I’m being indecisive, but when it came to the tail end of the list, I just couldn’t pick two fighters out of the trio of Chris Leben, Evan Dunham, and Rick Story to leave out. One (Story) went 4-0 this year, which is an amazing feat. The second (Dunham) lost a fight, but that one fight he lost he probably should have won on the scorecards. And the third (Leben) won three big fights, but the first was over a fighter (Jay Silva) who can’t be considered on the level of his other two victims. So…a three way tie, and I’m sticking to it. Anyway, Rick Story has always been a tough kid with a lot of potential. In 2010, he started to break through to the next level with two close wins over Jesse Lennox and Nick Osipczak, a brutal TKO of Dustin Hazelett, and a gut check decision victory over Johny Hendricks. Story is the real deal, and he’s only going to get better. 10 (tie) – Evan Dunham Unheralded lightweight Evan Dunham quietly made a name for himself in the UFC in 2009 with wins over Per Eklund and Marcus Aurelio, but in 2010 he moved from prospect to contender with an impressive come from behind finish of Efrain Escudero and a clear-cut decision win over Tyson Griffin. Next up for the Las Vegas resident was former UFC lightweight champion Sean Sherk at UFC 119, and Dunham not only showed his talent against “The Muscle Shark”, but he showed his heart and grit in battling back from a nasty cut over his eye to arguably win a fight which ultimately went to Sherk via a controversial split decision. 10 (tie) – Chris Leben Entering 2010, Chris Leben’s UFC career was on the line after back-to-back losses to Michael Bisping and Jake Rosholt, but amazingly, by the time he forced Yoshihiro Akiyama to tap out in the third round of their UFC 116 bout in July, he was back among the ranks of middleweight contenders. This amazing transformation took place thanks to wins this year over Jay Silva, Aaron Simpson, and the aforementioned Akiyama, with the latter two victories occurring within a two week period. Next up for the resurgent “Crippler” is a January 1st date with Brian Stann. 9 – Rashad Evans Following the loss of his UFC light heavyweight title via knockout to Lyoto Machida in May of 2009, fight fans were wondering how Rashad Evans was going to react in his next bout. Well, in January he decisioned Thiago Silva, going back to his wrestling roots and surviving a late sequence when Silva got him in trouble. And four months later he headlined another major event when he took on – and beat – bitter rival Quinton “Rampage” Jackson with another solid wrestling-based victory at UFC 114 in May. Some would say “Suga” is back, but in reality, he never left, and in 2011 he will be rewarded with a shot at light heavyweight boss Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. 8 – Yushin Okami Long seen as the forgotten man in the middleweight division, Japan’s Yushin Okami always seemed to be one win away from the big one when he would slip back into the shadows after key losses to Rich Franklin and Chael Sonnen. But in 2010, “Thunder” put it all together

The fights – they’re why everyone tunes in when the UFC is on television or in a local arena, and when it comes to classic bouts, 2010 has kept the organization’s history of excellence intact. So without further ado, here are this year’s Highly Unofficial best. 10 – Jeremy Stephens W3 Sam Stout On paper, this UFC 113 bout had all the stylistic makings of a Fight of a Night, and neither Stephens or Stout disappointed, as the lightweights went at it tooth and nail for 15 minutes, with Lil’ Heathen emerging victorious via three round split decision. Early on, it was all Stephens thanks to his harder strikes, but Stout’s resilience and fast hands kept him in the fight, and when he scored with a big body shot in the third, it looked like he was going to pull out the win. But Stephens shook it off, got back to his feet, and the two ended the fight the way they began – by throwing punches. 9 – Diego Sanchez W3 Paulo Thiago Diego Sanchez was running out of options. He lost a lightweight title bout to BJ Penn in 2009, jumped back to welterweight in 2010 but lost his return to John Hathaway, and then he went back to his original trainer, Greg Jackson, in order to find his mojo again. Well, he found it in October, and with his back against the wall, the “Nightmare” returned to pound out an exciting three round decision win over ultra-tough Paulo Thiago. And it wasn’t just that Sanchez got the job done, it was that he did it with the aggressive style and varied attack that made his name in the first place. It may have been the fastest 15 minutes you’ve seen in a long time. 8 – Mark Munoz W3 Aaron Simpson When I think of friends fighting friends, I always refer back to the 1991 welterweight title bout in boxing between Simon Brown and Maurice Blocker, the gold standard when it comes to two buddies putting their friendship aside and going to war. Mark Munoz and Aaron Simpson definitely did their part to add to this combat sports legacy in November with a three round scrap that had you wincing when it came to some of the blows landed by both wrestlers. And when the former college standouts weren’t going toe-to-toe, they were showing off high-level wrestling on the mat, making this a complete and visceral display of why this sport is so great. Munoz got the nod this time, via unanimous decision, but I wouldn’t mind seeing another one in the future. 7 – George Sotiropoulos Wsub2 Joe Lauzon Early in their pivotal lightweight bout at UFC 123, it looked like Joe Lauzon’s striking was going to be the key to figuring out the riddle of George Sotiropoulos. But the Aussie contender had no intention of giving up his unbeaten UFC record yet, and after a fast-paced first round that featured high-level action both standing and on the mat, he made the necessary adjustments in round two, got his own game back on track, and finished Lauzon with a tight kimura. 6 – Carlos Condit TKO3 Rory MacDonald Going into their UFC 115 match in June, fight fans wondered whether 20-year old wunderkind Rory MacDonald had the experience to hang with former WEC welterweight champion Carlos Condit. Well, that answer came early and often against ‘The Natural Born Killer’, as MacDonald took the first two rounds of the bout thanks to a dynamic attack that kept the aggressive Condit off-balance. But in the third, Condit’s experience paid off as he got MacDonald to the mat and grounded and pounded his way to victory with seven seconds left. In the end, Condit got the victory, MacDonald got respect, and the fans got a helluva fight. 5 – Sean Sherk W3 Evan Dunham Regardless of what you think of the controversial split decision rendered in Sean Sherk’s favor, the fact remains that the former UFC lightweight champ and rising star Evan Dunham put on a three round classic back at UFC 119 in Indianapolis. Sherk showed little in the way of ring rust after a 16 month injury-induced layoff, and after a couple big slams and some crisp standup that opened up a nasty cut over Dunham’s eye, it looked like the “Muscle Shark” was going to run over the up and comer. But Dunham, who already had a breakthrough in 2010 with wins over Tyson Griffin and Efrain Escudero, dug deep, put on his hard hat and went to work, apparently winning the next two frames. The judges disagreed, awarding the bout to Sherk, but there were no losers in this one in the eyes of the fans. 4 – Brock Lesnar Wsub2 Shane Carwin If you happened to doubt the punching power of Shane Carwin, it didn’t take long for you to become a believer in July as he cracked Brock Lesnar in the first round and proceeded to lay down a hellacious beatdown on the then-heavyweight champion. It was a stunning turn of events that was topped by Lesnar’s ability to weather the storm to make it out of a round he had no right surviving. Then, as the bell was about to ring for the second round, he smiled at Carwin as if to say “you got yours; now I’m about to get mine.” And he did, taking an exhausted Carwin down and submitting him with an arm triangle. In a nutshell, it’s what all heavyweight title fights should be like. 3 – Stephan Bonnar TKO2 Krzysztof Soszynski The first fight between Stephan Bonnar and Krzysztof Soszynski at UFC 110 in February was damn good. Their rematch at UFC 116 made the first one look like a three round lay and pray fest. Filled with intense exchanges that could have ended the bout at any number of times, Bonnar and Soszynski earned their Fight of the Night bonus checks, but it was Bonnar who resurrected his career with the type of performance that will guarantee him a job for as long as he decides that he wants to put on the gloves, bite down on his mouthpiece and go punch for punch with all comers in the Octagon. 2 – Chris Leben Wsub3 Yoshihiro Akiyama It wasn’t an enviable position to be in – following the third and fourth entries on this list on the epic UFC 116 card in July, but Chris Leben and Yoshihiro Akiyama may have taken that as a challenge, as they went on to put on one of the best fights of the year. Featuring fierce toe-to-toe action, changes in momentum, and a shocking and exciting finish, this bout had it all. And in the process, Leben, fighting for the second time in two weeks, completed his transformation from MMA’s problem child to legit middleweight contender. 1 – Anderson Silva Wsub5 Chael Sonnen The drama before this UFC 117 bout took place couldn’t hold a candle to what happened on fight night, as Silva and Sonnen engaged in a championship fight for the ages. Yes, Sonnen dominated the majority of the bout with his ground and pound attack, but each moment before he would take the previously untouchable title holder to the mat was filled with tension as Silva unleashed the strikes many believed would end the fight. But even though he got rocked on a few occasions, Sonnen was resolute in his attack, and as the seconds ticked by, he was getting closer and closer to one of the sport’s great upsets and the realization of a dream. Then, like the truest of true champions, Silva pulled off a fifth round submission. Calling it a spectacular comeback doesn’t do it justice, but judging this fight to be the best UFC bout of 2010 certainly does. Honorable Mention – Kendall Grove-Mark Munoz, Jared Hamman-Rodney Wallace, Pascal Krauss-Mark Scanlon, Brian Stann-Mike Massenzio, Kyle Kingsbury-Jared Hamman, Michael Bisping-Yoshihiro Akiyama, Matt Mitrione-Joey Beltran, Leonard Garcia-Nam Phan, Nate Diaz-Marcus Davis, Ricardo Romero-Seth Petruzelli, Evan Dunham-Efrain Escudero, George Sotiropoulos-Joe Stevenson, Chris Lytle-Matt Serra II, Mirko Cro Cop-Pat Barry, Sam Stout-Joe Lauzon, Krzysztof Soszynski-Stephan Bonnar I, TJ Waldburger-David Mitchell

Glendale, Ariz. – UFC, are you ready for “Showtime?” Because he’s coming soon. On a night wrapped in historical overtones, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis dethroned WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at Jobing.com Arena to earn a UFC title shot. Both fighters waged a back-and-forth battle that was worthy of Fight of the Night and may have been decided in the final 80 seconds of the fifth round. With the fight apparently up for grabs, Pettis went airborne, acrobatically bounced off the cage fence and executed a beautiful high kick that landed flush on the hometown champ’s jaw and dropped him to the canvas. It was an electrifying and unprecedented move that no one in press row had ever seen, like something out of a “The Matrix” movie. It sent the live crowd at the arena into mass hysteria. Henderson gamely weathered the crucial assault and got back to his feet, but that sequence may have anchored his defeat by unanimous decision. The riveting match was fittingly the last bout ever for the decade-old WEC, which is set to merge with its sister organization, the UFC. That means Pettis, a Milwaukee native who starred in an MTV episode of “World of Jenks,” is slated to fight the winner of the Jan. 1 bout between UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and unbeaten challenger Gray Maynard. An emotional Pettis, whose father was murdered during an armed robbery in 2003, credited his coach Duke Roufus for the one-of-a-kind kick that made a lot of people’s jaw drop. “We practice that all the time,” Pettis said, “and I’ve got 10 more kicks like that coming when I get to the UFC.” Roufus called the kick an “Ong Bak” kick, noting it is an old Muay Thai technique. Pettis dropped Henderson on another occasion with a stiff right hand, but barely survived a rear naked choke in the fourth round that was close to being dead on. Pettis was not the only man to make history Thursday night. Dominick Cruz did, too. Cruz’s handsome reward for a night’s work: Two world titles and a slice of history. The super-quick Californian used his ‘catch-me-if-you-can’ striking style to beat up No.1 challenger Scott Jorgensen for five rounds to become the UFC’s first-ever bantamweight champion.

This FanPost was rewritten and front-paged by James Iannotti of MMAmania.com. World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) is no more. The farewell event for the promotion before merging with the UFC went down earlier tonight from the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Arizona. WEC 53: “Henderson vs. Pettis” featured a blockbuster fight card with two world title bouts and an assortment of other high profile match-ups. Here’s how it all went down: WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson headlined the event, putting his gold on the line for the final time against 23-year-old number one contender Anthony Pettis . The WEC brass couldn’t have asked for a better show out of the two men. They closed the WEC doors in style, complete with a wall walking head kick from Pettis late in the fifth round to secure the upset victroy. It was a back and forth five round war for the ages with both fighters leaving everything they had in the cage. Pettis didn’t finish the fight with the late highlight reel kick, but that’s what everybody is going to be talking about tomorrow. It was something you’d expect to see in a Bruce Lee movie. He had Henderson backpedaling. He ran off the cage and connected with a flying kick right on the chin. Henderson crumbled to the floor, but he somehow managed to recover and make it to the final bell. The fight was very close, but Pettis deserved to win

There’s nothing like a good upset to shake things up in the world of mixed martial arts, and the UFC had its share of interesting ones in 2010. And though the winners in the second installment of the 2010 Highly Unofficial awards were underdogs going into these defining bouts, it’s safe to say that they won’t be sneaking up on anybody else anytime soon. 10 – “El Dirte” shows “Filthy” Tom Lawlor some veteran tricks Despite carrying a five fight winning streak and a boatload of experience into his UFC return against Tom Lawlor, late replacement Joe Doerksen was looked at by many as a mere hurdle for hot prospect Lawlor to hop over on his way to the next level of the fight game, especially considering that “Filthy” Tom was coming off a 55 second submission win over CB Dollaway and a controversial three round decision loss against Aaron Simpson. And early on, the fight went according to plan, as Lawlor rocked Doerksen standing and seemed to be one punch away from finishing him. But hard-nosed vets like Doerksen don’t go away that easily, and in round two, he roared back, catching Lawlor in a rear naked choke that finished matters at the 2:10 mark. 9 – Sonnen decisions Marquardt Everyone assumed that Chael Sonnen was going to be a stiff test for Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 in February, but few believed that the outspoken Oregonian was going to stop the streak that saw Marquardt knock out Martin Kampmann, Wilson Gouveia, and Demian Maia in consecutive bouts. But with an aggressive ground attack and an inhuman pain tolerance, Sonnen kept pushing and pushing for 15 minutes until the judges awarded him a well-earned unanimous decision win that also put him the number one middleweight contender’s spot. 8 – Dos Anjos surprises Etim Terry Etim will never be confused with countrymen Michael Bisping and Dan Hardy when it comes to dominating newspapers and websites with quotes come fight week, but after four consecutive UFC wins from October 2008 to November 2009, he had established himself as one of the UK’s top exports. But at the same time, Rafael dos Santos, in an even quieter manner, bounced back from an 0-2 UFC start to even his slate with wins against Rob Emerson and Kyle Bradley. And when dos Anjos took Submission of the Night honors with his UFC 112 armbar over Etim, it made a statement that when it comes to lightweight prospects, you can’t overlook this Brazilian up and comer. 7 – Pyle delivers career defining performance against Hathaway When your first two professional fights are against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jon Fitch, it’s safe to assume that competing against an undefeated young gun in hostile territory isn’t going to rattle you too much. And that was the case when 11-year vet Mike Pyle traveled to England to face John Hathaway in October. In control from the opening bell to the end, Pyle never let Hathaway get untracked, and the unanimous decision win – Pyle’s biggest in the UFC – was a mere formality. 6 – Bader shows he’s big time with win over Lil’ Nog Ryan Bader has all the tools to make it big in the talent-rich light heavyweight division – physical gifts, heavy hands, stellar wrestling, and competitive drive. The only thing missing in his 12 pro fights was world-class experience. So when pitted against legit 205-pound contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, many expected that the experience gap would be too big for Bader to leap this early in his career. Not so, said young Bader, and though his three round win over the former PRIDE star won’t hit any Fight of the Year lists, the victory was a solid one that has propelled the former Ultimate Fighter winner into a highly-anticipated February showdown against fellow rising star Jon Jones. 5 – McCorkle shows more than internet savvy against veteran Hunt If you knew who Sean McCorkle was before his UFC 119 debut against Mark Hunt, you were either the hardest of hardcore fans or a member of the Underground forum. The rest of you were probably wondering what the unbeaten Indiana heavyweight had done to get UFC matchmaker Joe Silva angry, as there was simply no way he matched up with former PRIDE and K-1 star Mark Hunt. Then the bell rang, and the hometown hero fought like he had been in the Octagon since birth as he submitted Hunt with ease in just 67 seconds. Add in his recent bout against Stefan Struve (albeit a losing effort), and the notoriety of “The Big Sexy” has extended far beyond the internet. 4 – Beltran spoils the return of the Gracies The Gracie name is royalty in the UFC, and rightfully so. So when unbeaten Rolles Gracie became the first member of MMA’s first family to appear in the Octagon since his cousin Royce did so in 2006, it was a big deal. And when Joey Beltran was asked to come in on short notice to replace Mostapha Al Turk against Gracie, no one blinked twice, despite the fact that “The Mexecutioner” was coming off a second round TKO over Houston Alexander a few weeks prior to the bout. But Beltran wasn’t coming in to lose, and after weathering an early storm, he finished Gracie with strikes at 1:31 of the second round, shocking the MMA world in the process. 3 – Hathaway becomes Sanchez’ Nightmare England’s John Hathaway was solid in his UFC victories against Tom Egan, Rick Story, and Paul Taylor, but few thought the 22-year old had the experience to deal with veteran Diego Sanchez, whose previous three fights saw him in against BJ Penn, Clay Guida, and Joe Stevenson. Hathaway was a revelation though, as he welcomed Sanchez back to the welterweight division with a master class that left no doubt who the winner was after three rounds. It was ‘The Hitman’ 2 – Russow KO’s Duffee After a seven second KO of Tim Hague that set a UFC record for fastest knockout, Todd Duffee was going to be a favorite over a lot of people, including his second Octagon foe, Mike Russow. And for much of their bout at UFC 114 in May, things went according to plan for Duffee, who hit Russow with everything but the ring stool while building up an insurmountable lead. Well, it was insurmountable until Russow cracked Duffee with a right hand that ended the bout at 2:35 of the final round, capping off one of the more spectacular comebacks in recent history. 1 – Edgar Shocks Penn No surprise when it comes to the fight at the top of the list here, but it was a surprise at Abu Dhabi in April, when scrappy New Jersey native Frankie Edgar put on a career-defining performance by defeating BJ Penn for the UFC lightweight title. And while the fight was competitive and close, there was little doubt that Edgar’s crisp striking and effective movement, as well as a couple points-scoring takedowns, solidified the new champ’s unanimous decision win. And if that wasn’t enough, Edgar repeated the feat in more dominant fashion four months later, proving that the first win was no fluke. ? Honorable Mention: Dave Branch- Tomasz Drwal, Chris Leben-Yoshihiro Akiyama, Dennis Hallman-Ben Saunders, Frankie Edgar-BJ Penn II, Yushin Okami-Nate Marquardt, Nik Lentz-Tyson Griffin, Charles Oliveira-Efrain Escudero, Evan Dunham-Tyson Griffin ?

After an improbable and world-changing 17-year run in the fight biz, the UFC is finally set to crown its first bantamweight champion. The historic honor, and a sparkling new UFC belt, will go to the winner of Thursday night’s battle between Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53 in Glendale, Ariz. The 25-year-old Cruz, who previously lived and trained in Arizona for a time, feels like a man of destiny. “I’ve been put in this position for a reason,” said the reigning WEC titleholder, making his second defense of the belt he won in March from Brian Bowles. “God has blessed me with this position to make history. None of this happened by accident. I’m excited that we’re coming over to the UFC and we get to be the very first guys that have ever fought in this division. It’s just an awesome feeling and I think it’s definitely going to be like a legacy that we’ve all started.” In weighing the gravity of his present situation, Cruz (16-1) alluded to legendary pioneers such as Randy Couture and Royce Gracie and “all those guys that started the UFC.” “Well, in a sense that’s kind of a way a lot of us guys have done for the 135- pound division,” Cruz continued. “We’ve kind of jump-started it and set the bar for everybody else who’s here to follow. So I’m just pumped that God has blessed me with these opportunities.” Standing in Cruz’s way is a former Division I wrestling standout that has skyrocketed up the bantamweight rankings since dropping his WEC debut to Damacio Page nearly 3 years ago. Jorgensen (11-3) credits the loss to Page as the turning point in his career, and has caught fire since by overwhelming seven of his last eight foes. The lone setback during that span – via split decision to Antonio Banuelos – was a contest many believed Jorgensen actually won. Fighting out of Boise, Idaho, Jorgensen has raised eyebrows with a rapidly-improving standup arsenal. He has stood and banged for extended periods of time against Banuelos (twice), Brad Pickett, Takeya Mizugaki and Kenji Osawa, and has never been outclassed in that realm, to the surprise of many. In fact, Jorgensen usually lands the more damaging punches on his feet, and his guillotine choke is downright wicked, making him even more dangerous. But does he have what it takes to dethrone Cruz, who has won seven straight largely by mystifying his opponents, almost toying with them, with his speedy and elusive style of dancing around the cage, landing combos and then darting out of harm’s way? “Dominick, he’s a champ, you know?” Jorgensen said. “He finds a way to win. But his style to me is just – he moves a lot and he’s very mobile but I feel it’s a very defensive style. You know, he uses his strikes to set up his movement and his movement to set up his strikes and in both ways he tries to stay out of big exchanges. He tries to land quickly and get out but I don’t feel like they’re very effective strikes. You know, they’re scoring points but they don’t hurt.

I’M NOT PICKING AGAINST THIS GUY AGAIN Watching Georges St-Pierre basically toss a perfect game against Josh Koscheck, a guy who without a doubt is among the five best welterweights in the world, highlights that he may indeed be the most complete fighter in the game, across all weight classes.? His virtuoso striking performance eliminated any argument that the champion has largely become a one-dimensional fighter over the last couple of years. ? Anyone who read my breakdown of the matchup knows that I viewed Kos as the perfect foil for GSP’s game.? I was convinced that if GSP chose to stand and trade with the challenger, he would leave Montreal with a massive headache and a suitcase that is about 20 pounds lighter thanks to the disappearance of his championship belt. Whoops. GSP proved me wrong yet again.? I’ll bet that I’ve picked against this guy more than anyone else in the business.? I’m not sure why I continually underestimate him.? It is what it is.? The only thing I know for sure is that I’m not doing it again.? I’ll go so far as to say that I’m not picking against him in his next fight, no matter who he faces—Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves, Anderson Silva, King Kong or the Loch Ness Monster Ok, those last few names are a bit ridiculous, but I’m standing by my word.? I’ll pick GSP against anyone in his next bout. Of course, that raises the question of who he should fight next.? Jake Shields is next in line.? Much like Kos, Shields has the right tools to unseat the champion because he possesses a world-class blend of wrestling, ground control and submissions from the top position.? If someone asked me prior to UFC 124 who would win between GSP and Shields, I would have said that I liked Shields in that matchup.? Remember my edict.? I’m picking GSP if they fight next. The winner of the late February matchup between Jon Fitch and BJ Penn is another possibility, if something were to happen to Shields in training.? Been there, done that.? GSP dispatched with Fitch in a spirited affair back in August 2008 and then stopped Penn in four rounds five months later.? Just for the record, I picked GSP to suffer an upset loss in both bouts.? I would pick differently if either man faced the champion again. Thiago Alves looked like a more complete fighter at UFC 124 than he has at any point in his career.? Like Shields and Kos, Alves has a blend of skills and athleticism that should give GSP problems, though his skills are based in Muay Thai, not wrestling.? GSP handled him immediately after stopping BJ Penn in their rematch.? Yep, I picked Alves to win that fight.? I do think that Alves would present more problems for the champion today than he did last year.? But I will not pick Alves to win, if he happens to be next up.? I won’t do it. Other than those names, there is nobody who I view as a legitimate threat to GSP’s 170 pound reign.?? Considering the fact that he already has wins over every top contender in the division, maybe it is time for GSP to begin preparation for a fight of fights against fellow pound-for-pound kingpin, Anderson Silva. Again, had someone asked me about that matchup prior to UFC 124, I would have laughed off GSP’s chances at winning.? Silva is far superior on the feet, has long enough legs to control the action with a body triangle, if he were to suffer a takedown, and, simply put, just do darn big.? The Brazilian is probably 30 to 40 pounds bigger than GSP on an average weekday when both are in shape but not focused on cutting weight for a fight.?? Those are massive mountains to overcome.? I’m not picking against GSP, though.? Ok, I’ll admit it.? I probably will pick against GSP if that fight ever comes to light.? But I’ll try not to. ? Vitor Belfort may destroy any interest in a GSP-Silva fight by stopping the middleweight king during Super Bowl weekend.? I’ll break down that matchup in detail as it approaches, but I really like Belfort’s chances.?? I just don’t see anything that Silva does better than Belfort, other than fighting up to his ability just about every time out, something Belfort has struggled with over the years. ? But even if Belfort defeats Silva, I think that GSP’s next fight (or possibly the one after facing Shields) should be against the reigning middleweight champion.? He should insist upon a 179-pound or 180-pound maximum contract weight, just to make things a bit tougher on his larger foe.? But even if he cannot get that term into the bout agreement, I think that a record-setting fight where he tries to simultaneously rule two UFC weight classes presents him with the sort of challenge that will keep him keenly focused and fully engaged. GSP can certainly remain at welterweight and attempt to put together a Bernard Hopkins-like rule over the division where he racks up 20-plus consecutive successful defenses.? There is a reason that no UFC champion has ever successfully defended his title even half that number of times.? Fights can end in literally hundreds of ways, and all it takes is one mistake to forever alter the course of history.? Thus, the odds would be stacked heavily against GSP accomplishing a goal like that. Moreover, there is a very real chance that he may lose focus if he remains at welterweight because he won’t view anyone, other than maybe Shields, as a legitimate threat to his reign.? One doesn’t have to look far to see the realities of such a mistake.? Remember Matt Serra? GSP has mentioned retirement on a couple of occasions over the last year or so.? Retirement?? This guy hasn’t yet turned 30 years old, which means he isn’t even entered his fighting prime.? Such talk suggests that his focus could be waning.? Kos did him a tremendous favor by trash talking him into a state of heightened focus and determination.? Few other opponents will likely have the same impact on GSP. What is next for the champ?? Probably Shields.? Maybe the winner of Silva-Belfort.? Whatever the case, I’m picking GSP. KOS FOUGHT BRAVELY, BUT SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT Is it just me or did Kos seem more focused on adjusting his shorts and wiping sweat off of his hands than defending the jab in the first round of his inaugural title challenge?? This guy continually pulled up his shorts while standing within striking range.? He repeatedly wiped his hands on his thighs while standing in the pocket.? GSP thanked him for those mistakes by peppering him with jabs each time he lowered his hands and, well, at just about all other moments of the fight. ? What was the problem? I have no clue.? All I know is that Kos didn’t seem like himself in the opening round.? He was far from the calm, focused welterweight contender who dominated Paul Daley, Anthony Johnson and Frank Trigg in his prior three bouts.? He lunged with his punches, rather than sitting down and firing.? He completely ignored his biggest advantage in the fight—his wrestling—aside from a lone takedown at the end of the first.? And he generally seemed fidgety throughout the fight.? In other words, he just didn’t seem like himself. I’m sure GSP’s jackhammer jab had something to do with his performance.? I’m also sure the pressure of a first-time title challenge, particularly in GSP’s native land, had something to do with it. But now it’s back to the drawing board for the talented contender. ALVES PUTS ON CAREER-BEST PERFORMANCE Thiago Alves is one bad man.? Nobody has ever denied that fact.? With 10 wins in 14 UFC bouts, his success speaks for itself.? Nonetheless, coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, Alves knew that he had to make some changes in his game if he wanted to return to the top of the division and earn a second shot at welterweight gold. The Brazilian striking phenom displayed those changes at the expense of a very game, extremely talented John Howard.? Alves not only completely outclassed his foe on the feet, he scored two dramatic takedowns, something few expected from the “Pit Bull.”? I think those takedowns were the most significant moments of the fight because they will forever raise the question of a takedown in the collective consciousness of Alves’ future opponents, and that will make his striking that much more effective. Speaking of striking, is there any welterweight in the world who throws more damaging leg kicks than Alves?? I dare say no.? Watching him hammer away with his right leg is a thing of pure beauty.? The athletic move reminds me a lot of Tiger Woods hitting a driver.? Woods uses his legs to clear his hips long before his hands square up the club face to the ball.? The movement creates a tremendous amount of lag in his swing, which, in turn, generates an insane amount of speed and explosive power.? Guys who clear their hips first in golf hit the ball further than those who don’t.? That is an incontrovertible fact. ? Alves does the same thing with his leg kicks.? His hips clear long before his shin finds the meat of his opponent’s thigh.? He creates the same torque with his hips that Woods does when hitting a driver.? As a result, Alves’ shin arrives at the target with much more speed and explosive power than shins thrown by anyone else in the division, bar none.

The knock on Donald Cerrone used to be his wrestling skills, or lack thereof. Not anymore. Fresh off the finest performance of his career, which saw him take down former collegiate wrestler Jamie Varner on several occasions, Cerrone has definitely served notice to future opponents that he can not only threaten with high-level kickboxing and jiu-jitsu, but also has the tools to put foes on their back. It is a new weapon that Canadian Chris Horodecki will have to cope with when he faces Cerrone on Dec. 16 in Glendale, Ariz. “I’ve been drilling a lot of wrestling,” said Cerrone, 12-3, with 1 no contest. “It’s something I didn’t work on much before. I always hated wrestling, but now everyday I’ve been drilling it so that I can make my weakness my strength.” Despite the leaps-and-bounds growth of Cerrone’s wrestling game, Horodecki’s impressions of the Coloradan’s game pay homage to the old Cerrone. “He’s a Muay Thai striker with a good ground game,” said Horodecki (16-2), who will be seeking his third straight win inside of the Octagon. If fans get lucky, this fight will play out exclusively as a standup war. Cerrone is a super-aggressive kickboxer who has worked closely with Duane Ludwig. Horodecki has been training under Shawn Thompkins since he was 13 years old and has seven wins via knockout. The 23-year-old Horodecki, who had previously studied to be a paramedic, is trying to regain the luster from several years ago, when he was widely regarded as Canada’s greatest MMA prospect who was not named Georges St-Pierre. Not known for his ground game, Horodecki has just two submission victories, but anyone trying to gauge his toughness needs to look no further than his two wins over lightweight standout Bart Palaszewski. “I’m real excited,” Cerrone said. “He’s a standup guy and I think my standup is better than his so I’m excited to go in there and showcase that.” Unlike the vitriol he harbors toward Varner, his arch nemesis, Cerrone struck a much different tone toward Horodecki. “He’s a very tough opponent,” Cerrone said. “He knows how to win big fights. I really respect Chris as an opponent. He comes from a great camp.” With this being his last WEC fight, Cerrone was jazzed about the chance to make a name for himself in the UFC. He realizes that many pro athletes and sports teams have letdowns following great performances and believes he has done everything he can to prevent a letdown against Horodecki. “Absolutely, you need to be concerned about that,” he said. “Anything can happen in any given moment, that’s the great thing about this sport. All it takes is one punch to change the outcome of a fight. I think my wrestling and jiu-jitsu is way superior to Horodecki, so I really I think his only chance is in the striking aspect. So bring that (expletive) on, Chris.”

Georges St-Pierre and Manny Pacquiao. To fans of combat sports, their names are royalty. But for a few minutes in September, they were just two fighters talking shop while St-Pierre went on a tour of the Philippines and Pacquiao prepared for his November bout against Antonio Margarito. Even now, over two months removed from their meeting, St-Pierre beams when he discusses boxing pound-for-pound king. “He’s obviously the fastest boxer that I’ve seen in my life and he’s the best boxer that I’ve seen in my life as well that I’ve been able to interact with,” said St-Pierre. “He gave me some tips, and I learned a lot from (Pacquiao trainer) Freddie Roach and I can’t wait for my next fight. I think it’s gonna be great. I’m going to be able to use some of the things that I learned from them and put them into practice.” It’s an odd statement, hearing one of mixed martial arts’ best, the UFC welterweight champion and the epitome of a complete fighter, speaking like a fan. And when you bring this up to St-Pierre, he explains what that means to him. “Being a fan depends on how you look at it. For me, it’s to recognize the work of someone and appreciate the work, and try to learn from what he does best and try to incorporate that into your game. Of course Manny Pacquiao has a lot of stuff that I want to bring into my game, like Anderson Silva does, like BJ Penn does, like Matt Hughes does, Like Shogun (Rua), like (Lyoto) Machida, like Fedor Emelianenko. I’m a fan of all these guys.” So when St-Pierre wakes up in the morning and looks into the mirror, it’s simply to wash his face and brush his teeth, not to worship at the altar of GSP. And that may just be the secret as to why no one has been able to touch the Montrealer in the nearly four years since his last defeat, against Matt Serra. “I’m a student of the game and I try to learn and get better every time,” he said. “The best way to learn is to watch the best guys and see what they do best and learn from them.” That’s not just a catchy line either; he means it, but what he forgets to add in is that he doesn’t just learn from the best, but that he can learn anything from anyone in the game, including the prospects he recently coached on season 12 of The Ultimate Fighter. “I learned from a lot of these guys,” said St-Pierre. “As a matter of fact, Cody McKenzie, I learned his guillotine, and I gained just as much as I gave, and maybe even more. It was a good, positive experience.” At least when he was interacting and training with his team. When he had to deal with opposing coach Josh Koscheck – who he will face in the main event of UFC 124 this Saturday night – things weren’t so pleasant, as he dealt with his rival’s barbs and practical jokes. St-Pierre never cracked though, never got into a war of words with Koscheck. Instead, he chose to take the high road. “It’s my nature,” he said. “If I don’t want to break, you’re not going to make me break. Koscheck was trying to be arrogant with me, but it was not smart the way he was doing it. He didn’t get into my head; he just wasn’t fun to be around. I was disappointed in his personality, but that was a good thing because it just made me train harder.” That’s a scary proposition considering that St-Pierre is already known as one of the game’s hardest workers. But he needs to do this. He needs to make the trips out west and to New York to train in order to keep his physical and mental game sharp, especially since he already owns a win over Koscheck via decision in 2007. It would be easy to get complacent, especially when you factor in his dominance over the last three years, but he won’t do that again. The last time he did it, he lost his title to Serra. Since then, he has kept his eyes on the elusive prize of bring the best. Not today, but of All-Time. So when you ask if anything from the 2007 bout with Koscheck is pertinent, the answer is what you expect it to be. “I think it’s gonna be a different fight between two different fighters,” he said. “It’s hard to predict, but I’m well prepared wherever the fight goes, and I’m thinking about what I’m going to do to him and not what he’s going to do to me. I’m gonna dictate the pace of the fight and fight him wherever I want the fight.” He emphasizes the last sentence, making clear his serious intentions and sending a message to Koscheck that if he thinks he’s fighting the same person he did back at UFC 74, he’s dead wrong. “My motivation is the result at the end, and that’s to finish him,” said St-Pierre. If he is able to knock Koscheck out or submit him, it will be GSP’s first finish since he halted BJ Penn in their 2009 super fight. After that bout, he went the five round distance twice, shutting out Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy, garnering criticism along the way for not taking his challengers out before the final bell. But when you consider that since the Koscheck fight he has not lost one of the 23 rounds that he has fought against world-class competition, it puts such criticism in perspective. And not just because he’s winning rounds, but that he’s staying focused and winning late rounds in fights he already has wrapped up on the scorecards. This ability to be dominant over the course of a 25 minute fight gives him an edge that Koscheck can’t possibly argue, since he’s never fought in a championship bout. And if it comes down to traveling into deep waters this weekend, St-Pierre is prepared. “I’m ready for a war,” he said. “The day of the fight, I’m expecting five rounds of war at a very high pace, nothing less, and that’s what I’m training for. I can beat him in the first round too, but I want to fight the best Josh Koscheck and I want this fight to make me grow as a martial artist and make me better. I see my career as a marathon and not as a sprint, so in my next fights, I’ll be stronger and stronger.” This is the real Georges St-Pierre – hard-working, never satisfied, always looking to learn. It’s not all glamour, photo shoots, and seemingly effortless victories over top-notch fighters that he makes look ordinary. But he’s had to deal with that end of things as well, being thrust into the spotlight as an ambassador of the sport as well as one of its champions.

It’s a fact that can’t be confirmed, but it’s probably safe to say that every fighter has done it, practicing what he would say if interviewed by the worldwide media, dreaming of how he would win his debut on the sport’s biggest stage. Most never get that chance, and many who do freeze under the bright lights. Sean McCorkle got his chance earlier this year, chosen to make his UFC debut in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana against Mark Hunt. It was the classic ‘be careful what you wish for’ scenario, and watching McCorkle in the weeks leading up to the biggest fight of his career was almost like observing a teenage science experiment you almost expected to start sprouting flames and smoke. McCorkle, 34 years old and with a gaudy 9-0 record against a nondescript crew of opponents, was the hometown favorite, but also unproven. In fact, in the lead-up to the bout, the “Big Sexy” got more attention for his pre-fight interviews than for his previous exploits in the ring. It was a recipe for disaster, because it just seemed impossible that he would be able to hold it together during fight week and then in the fight itself. But then a funny thing happened. McCorkle made it to fight week, stole the show with the media, and then as he walked into the Octagon to face the PRIDE and K-1 vet, he didn’t have a deer in the headlights look, but one of confidence, one that said ‘I belong here and I’m about to show you why.’ Then he did, submitting Hunt in just 67 seconds. “This is gonna sound completely crazy, but I never had a doubt in my mind that I was gonna beat Mark Hunt and do it convincingly,” said McCorkle. “I don’t know why, and even walking out there, I’m thinking ‘it’s gonna be so awesome if I go out here and submit him fast.’ I just knew. It’s just a feeling that I have that I feel like I’m finally doing what I was meant to do in my life. Not to get all hokey, but I just feel at home. I thought I would be so nervous, but as I walked around, I was like ‘this is pretty awesome to be able to do this.’” Even back in the locker room after the UFC 119 bout, McCorkle walked around like he was in a dream, prompting a wake-up call from a training partner and longtime fight game vet. “Tom Erikson told me when I came back after the Hunt fight backstage, ‘you know this is real now, you’re not dreaming,’” said McCorkle. “He saw that glassy look in my eyes. I said ‘I hope I’m not knocked out lying in the Octagon right now and I just dreamed that I won.’ That whole night will be tough to top in anything I do because it was in front of my hometown, nobody expected me to win the fight, and I was a 4 to 1 betting underdog.” He wasn’t just an underdog in the Octagon, but an underdog in life heading into the Conseco Fieldhouse, having bounced back in 2010 from a crippling divorce and a three year layoff to run off three straight wins before getting the call to the UFC. “I went through hell for 20 months and it was the worst period of my life,” he said. “I would never say that I was suicidal, but I was on the brink of being down that low to where everything I had ever worked for was taken from me in the matter of three months. And not just money wise, but I had a real bitter, nasty divorce, not from my end, but from her end, and this was someone that I was boyfriend/girlfriend with since third grade. You’re talking a long history there, and the way she did it was just horrendous. I got as low as you could possibly get, so now I appreciate everything that much more, and to have anything go my way is great now. And I just keep hoping that it doesn’t end soon, and maybe that’s why I work so hard at it.” Dropping from over 300 pounds to the 265 pound heavyweight limit, McCorkle showed his commitment for the Hunt bout, but in this game, it’s what have you done for me lately, so just days after his first UFC victory, he got the call to face fellow prospect Stefan Struve at UFC 124 this Saturday in Montreal. On paper, it’s a great style matchup, and with McCorkle at 6 foot 7 and Struve at 6 foot 11, it’s a clash of giants fans will love. But McCorkle wanted more – he didn’t just want a good matchup, he wanted his fight with Struve to be on the main card. So he took his case to the internet, where he has been opening fire on the soft-spoken “Skyscraper” on Twitter. “I had a whole lot of pent-up trash talking from the whole Mark Hunt fight because a guy like him who has accomplished as much as he has and who I was always a fan of, I didn’t feel comfortable saying anything about him and it absolutely killed me because I had great ideas,” laughs McCorkle, who had some reservations at first about engaging in a smack talk war with his 22-year old foe. “I really wanted to be on the main card and I was looking to initiate something with him, but he’s a quiet kid and he seems nice,” he explained. “I kinda hate to do that if he’s not gonna respond, and then he comes out on Twitter and starts saying stuff about me first – and I was like, perfect. Now the chains are off. It’s kinda got out of control, but we got on the main card.” Not just the main card, but McCorkle and Struve will be the last fight before the UFC 124 championship bout between Georges St-Pierre and Josh Koscheck. It shows the power of ‘getting it’ and knowing how to promote a fight. McCorkle gets it, knowing that while this is a sport, people are also paying a lot of money to be entertained. “The UFC is a sport, but it’s also entertainment the way the NFL is entertainment,” said McCorkle. “I always tell people if they want purity of sports, go watch chess or the Olympics or something. (Laughs) This is entertainment and it’s why people come to watch it and pay to watch it – it’s to be entertained. And I look at guys like Struve – no one I know even knew who he was before I was gonna fight him, and he’s fought six times in the UFC. And that comes from just giving the standard answers like ‘I’m really training hard,’ and ‘I’m looking forward to this.’ I consider it as much of a part of my job to entertain people as it is to fight. I’ve seen a lot of guys that don’t have any personality who are really good fighters that the UFC cuts after a boring fight or two and no one cares and no one even knows they fought. If I’m gonna go in there and lose, I’m gonna lose big. People ask me, aren’t you worried about motivating him? No, because number one, Struve’s not the guy to beat me, I can promise you that.