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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.

Of the 75 fighters making their UFC debuts in 2010, the big names were undoubtedly international stars Takanori Gomi, Jake Shields, Renzo Gracie, Mark Hunt and Gilbert Yvel. Yet most of the newcomers who truly made an impact in the Octagon were the fighters you may not have even heard of before the New Year began, but that you certainly know now. The Highly unofficial UFC awards season begins now… 10 – Claude Patrick Winner of ten in a row (all finishes) when he stepped into the Octagon for the first time in June, Toronto’s Claude Patrick kept the streak going with a second round submission win over Ricardo Funch. And while his decision win over James Wilks four months later was far from a barnburner, the 30-year old jiu-jitsu ace is going to be a tough out for anyone at 170 pounds in 2011 and beyond. 9 – Rory MacDonald Just 21 years old, Rory MacDonald entered the UFC with plenty of hype behind him, and he kept the buzz going with a first round submission victory against veteran Mike Guymon in January. But the kid from Kelowna, British Columbia, made believers out of the staunchest skeptics in June, when he battled tooth and nail with Carlos Condit, a legit and longtime contender who no 21-year old should be holding his own with. But MacDonald is far from your typical youngster, and though he got stopped in the third round of UFC 115’s Fight of the Night, expect big things from him in the future. 8 – Jonathan Brookins ? Jonathan Brookins’ previous MMA claim to fame was a hard-fought loss to Jose Aldo back in a 2008 WEC bout. But two years later, the humble kid from Florida reinvented himself as a star in waiting, as he scored four victories on the 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter before winning the series earlier this month with a come from behind win over Michael Johnson. There are still holes in his game that need sewing up, but as he told me before the Johnson fight, “I’m embarking on a change process that is proving to take longer than I anticipated, so I think the best of me is still yet to come.” 7 – Daniel Roberts With the way he fought in the early going of his UFC debut against John Howard in March, Daniel Roberts could have been 3-0 this year. Unfortunately, Howard ended Roberts’ first night in the Octagon via first round knockout. Undeterred, the skilled and creative grappler bounced back with a safe, but solid, three round decision win over Forrest Petz in July before showing off his goods with a 73 second Submission of the Night over Mike Guymon. Now scheduled for a Jan. 1st bout with Greg Soto in which he hopes to get 2011 off to a rousing start. 6 – Joey Beltran Brought in on short notice to face highly-touted Rolles Gracie in February, Joey Beltran was expected to be the welcome mat for the latest unbeaten prospect from the first family of MMA. Beltran didn’t get the memo though, and he rebounded from a slow start to stop Gracie in the second round. Three months later, ‘The Mexecutioner’ traveled to Montreal to take on home country favorite Tim Hague and again he overturned the apple cart with an entertaining three round win. Beltran’s hot streak ended in September with a decision loss to Matt Mitrione, but with a Fight of the Night bonus and a growing fan base that knows just what they’re getting with Beltran – a fight – 2011 should be an exciting one for the Californian. 5 – Court McGee A fighter whose inspirational comeback from the throes of drug addiction overshadowed his fighting ability slightly during the 11th season of The Ultimate Fighter, Utah’s McGee reminded the world just what he could do in the Octagon with his dominating second round submission win over Kris McCray. It was a victory that opened up the door to what should be an interesting run through the UFC’s middleweight division, and if his stirring third round comeback win over Ryan Jensen in October wasn’t enough to get your blood pumping, you’re watching the wrong sport. 4 – Kyle Noke The fact that he split two fights with George Sotiropoulos and battled Hector Lombard to a draw in his pre-UFC life should tell you all you need to know about Kyle Noke, but in spite of this, the Australian veteran came in under the radar to the mainstream fans on season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter. Yet with two ultra-impressive post-TUF wins over Josh Bryant (TKO2) and Rob Kimmons (Wsub2) that have seen him look comfortable wherever the fight goes, Noke may be entering the ranks of middleweight contenders sooner than you think. 3 – Charles Oliveira If he would have notched his third straight UFC win over Jim Miller last Saturday night in Montreal, Oliveira might have sailed up to the top of the list, but the New Jersey contender let the youngest fighter in the UFC know that a little bit more seasoning was needed before a move to the next level. But the loss far from diminishes what “Do Bronx” brought to the Octagon – energy, athleticism, skill, and a will to win that led him to submission wins against Darren Elkins and Efrain Escudero. If he’s able to take the Miller defeat as a learning experience, this 21-year old will be scary in 2011. 2 – Jake Shields The credentials are impeccable – jiu-jitsu black belt, All-American college wrestler, pro wins over Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler, Dave Menne, Yushin Okami, Hayato “Mach” Sakurai, Carlos Condit, Mike Pyle, Jason Miller and Paul Daley, among others. But whether Jake Shields’ success was going to translate into the Octagon was the big question heading into UFC 121 in October. Well, there was good news and bad news. The bad news was that it was far from vintage Shields in Anaheim that night as he struggled with fatigue from his weight cut.

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.

MONTREAL, December 11 – The last man to take a round from UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre in a prize fight was Josh Koscheck, back in August of 2007. Saturday night before 23,000 plus at the Bell Centre, Montreal’s own St-Pierre made sure that wasn’t going to be the case the second time around, as he repeated his victory over the number one contender, this time by way of a shutout five round unanimous decision. See post-fight interview “I didn’t reach my goal tonight,” said St-Pierre. “I wanted to take him out, but he’s very tough.” “Georges St-Pierre is a true champion,” said Koscheck, whose one-sided war of words with the champion extended to The Ultimate Fighter season 12, where both were coaches. “St-Pierre is the man tonight. He had a great gameplan, he executed very well, and he showed why he’s the best pound-for-pound.” Scores were 50-45 across the board for St-Pierre, who defended his title for the fifth consecutive time. “My hat is off to him,” added the champion, who squashed his beef with Koscheck following the bout. “He came to Montreal to fight me in hostile territory.” Not surprisingly, Koscheck was bathed in boos as he walked to the Octagon, and the challenger embraced them.? St-Pierre, greeted by the adulation of his countrymen, practically ran from his locker room, eager to get down to business, and after the packed house drowned out announcer Bruce Buffer during the opening introductions, he did just that, taking Koscheck down within 20 seconds of the bell. Koscheck got right back up, but seemed content to let St-Pierre lead, looking for a chance to counter. A second St-Pierre takedown attempt was defended well by Koscheck, who was showing a mouse under his right eye. St-Pierre peppered Koscheck with whipping jabs to the face, occasionally following up with a right hand or kick. With less than two minutes left, Koscheck got more deliberate in stalking the champion, but he still wasn’t scoring or forcing St-Pierre to deviate from his fight plan. Eventually, he attempted a takedown and was able to pin the champion to the fence, but it wasn’t until 18 seconds remained that he got St-Pierre to the mat. As Koscheck walked back to his corner, the swelling under his eye worsened, drawing a roar from the crowd when shown on the big screens.? A confident St-Pierre walked out of his corner and again began to pepper his foe with quick lefts and rights. Koscheck seemed to be in a trance at the end of St-Pierre’s punches, unable to get his offense in gear. The occasional winging right hand would come out, letting St-Pierre know he was still there, but as the round progressed, the prospect of a changing of the guard looked to be slimming for the former national wrestling champion. Both fighters were putting a little more heat on their strikes to begin round three, before locking up against the fence after a failed St-Pierre takedown attempt. Midway through the round, the stalemate ended as the fighters pushed off each other and broke free. Another lock-up ensued, with the same result. Koscheck swung another wild right, not even coming close, and St-Pierre went on to play matador to a wild bull-rush from his challenger before ending the round with another quick series of strikes. Between rounds, the Octagonside physician took a long look at Koscheck’s nearly closed eye, but allowed the fight to continue. St-Pierre went at his foe at the bell, taking him down with a thudding slam. Kocheck battled his way up, but with St-Pierre attached to him against the fence. After a stall in the action, referee Herb Dean restarted the bout, and for the first time it was looking like fatigue was setting in on the champion. Koscheck responded by upping his work-rate slightly, hoping to land the haymaker that would turn the fight around. St-Pierre’s defense was solid though and so were the quick strikes that continued to make his opponent’s night miserable. With a minute left, St-Pierre began opening up, but after a punishing flurry, he took his foot off the gas, keeping Koscheck in the fight for another round. St-Pierre began leading with his left hook as the final round began, and Koscheck wasn’t even seeing them coming. The challenge gamely looked for a takedown twice, only to come up short both times. What followed was more of the same from St-Pierre as he pecked and poked at Koscheck and was safely out of reach when any return fire came. With less than 90 seconds left, St-Pierre took Koscheck down twice in succession, and while he couldn’t keep him on the canvas, the point was made, and St-Pierre had done what he said in pre-fight interviews he wanted to do – he got Josh Koscheck out of his life. With the win, St-Pierre improves to 21-2; Koscheck falls to 17-5.

Saturday night is the latest “biggest night” of Josh Koscheck’s life. So if he seems low-key, or quiet before his challenge for Georges St-Pierre’s welterweight title, it’s because he’s been here before, whether it was competing for a National Championship in wrestling, participating in big fight after big fight in the UFC, or just in his mind, where he’s probably replayed the scenarios that will present themselves this weekend over and over again. It’s just another night. “I just look at it as if it’s just another fight,” he said. “I haven’t really looked at it too deeply as if this is a monster fight. I’m being conservative and I’m coming into this fight well-prepared. That’s pretty much where I’m at with my mindset right now.” Of course, deep in his heart, Koscheck knows that the UFC 124 main event is not just another fight. A win over St-Pierre will not only net him the 170-pound title, it will change his life forever. When the history of the UFC is written, Koscheck will have his place in the Hall of Champions, something that could never be taken away. He’s also talked about fighting for the money in the past, and having a UFC title belt will significantly impact his bank account in a positive manner. So this is far from just a routine trip north of the border, and he’s smart enough to realize that. But he won’t blink, won’t give a look past the wall he’s built up over the course of an intense training camp. Not now, it’s not time. So when he’s asked if he pictured placing the belt around his waist, his resolve remains strong. “I haven’t thought about it yet, and I’m not worried about it,” he said. “I’ve got a fight to worry about, and I don’t think about the belt. I don’t think about anything but fighting. It’s just another fight for me, and it so happens that I get to go into Montreal, Georges’ hometown, and fight him, and that’s all I’m concerned about right now.” That’s what has brought Josh Koscheck to this moment. He’s the straightest of straight shooters, whether you like what he has to say or not, and he will not play the game just for the sake of playing it. When he does anything, it’s with one goal in mind – to win. And winning has been a habit of his since he was a child. He’s got the accolades to prove it – A 2001 NCAA Division I National Championship for Edinboro University, four-time recognition as an All-American, and 17 mixed martial arts wins against just four defeats, with much of that time spent growing up in public in the UFC. You don’t reach this point without being tough, without having a measure of resolve that allows you to step into an Octagon and be resigned to the fact that another man will punch you for the next 15 or 25 minutes. Every fighter in this sport has that. Koscheck believes he has a little more, and he definitely believes he has more than the champion he faces Saturday night. “I think that is the case on Georges,” he said when asked whether his 2007 appraisal of St-Pierre being mentally weak still applied today. “But the question is, has anybody put him to that test or put him to that point? A couple guys have (Matt Hughes and Matt Serra), and you saw the results. They put him in a position that he wasn’t comfortable with. And that’s the same position that I’ve got to take on this – I’ve got to put him in a position where he’s uncomfortable and make him quit. Every man has a breaking point and I gotta put him in that position to where he’s questioning himself and questioning that he can win this fight.” Years of wrestling will build you into a mentally tough, hard to break fighter, and that’s what Koscheck expects will take him through his first five round bout. In fact, he expects nothing less than to break GSP and to take his belt