What's next for the winners and losers of UFC 137

Carlos Condit vs. Josh Koscheck

Being on the short end of the odd situation that UFC 137 has created, Carlos Condit is now looking for a new opponent. While a rematch with Rory MacDonald is destined to happen sooner or later, "Ares" is currently matched up. With the decisive win over Matt Hughes, Koscheck put on a striking display and he always loves to hear from Joe Silva. These two welterweights will hype one hell of a fight for the colossal super bowl weekend card.

Matt Mitrione vs. Pat Barry

 Both these strikers are coming off losses against Cheick Kongo, and both in situations where either fighter easily could have been victorious. Mitrione will grow from his decision loss to Kongo, and Barry will provide a great test for the young southpaw.

Cheick Kongo vs. Roy Nelson

 Both in shaving off mass, and expanding his repertoire in his win against Mirko Cro Cop, Roy Nelson has looked hungrier than we have seen him in a while.  He takes a punch better than anyone in the division, and shoving one of the hardest hitters in Chieck Kongo in his face will not only test the Las Vegas native, but in terms of looks, it will be mismatch of the century.

Scott Jorgenson vs. Demetrious Johnson

These two explosive 135 pounders are both extremely tough and resilient. Mighty Mouse wouldn't let the much bigger Cruz put him away in his recent title fight. Scott Jorgenson won a decision over Jeff Curran while neutralizing Big Frog's ground game and winning the stand up. The victor between the two established bantamweights could very well pose the next threat to the belt.

Donald Cerrone vs. Gray Maynard

Cowboy is one of the most exceptional students of MMA and has improved drastically every single fight. He is now starting to become a serious threat to the lightweight division and luckily there is lots of talent in that department. Seeing how well Cerrone fares against the former number one contender will provide an idea of where he stands in relation to the belt.

Jeff Curran vs. Mike Easton

Although "Big Frog" just dropped a decision he, amazingly after 35 wins, remains to be an extremely well versed fighter. Placing a young and extremely explosive wrestler in Mike Easton could be an interesting fight, and to see how Easton's brute strength fares against Curran's submissions will make for a great matchup.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Diego Nunes

While Hatsu Hioki was victorious against George Roop, it is clear he still has more to prove. His ground game is strong, yet tentative at times, and his striking has been average. Placing him in front of the unorthodox thai kickboxer in Nunes will challenge Hioki's ability to beat a high level UFC fighter.

George Roop vs. Jonathan Brookins

While George Roop was held down for most of his fight with Hioki, his striking looked good and he was frustrated that he couldn't strike the entire fifteen minutes. Jonathan Brookins is a stronger wrestler than Hioki with solid hands and could pose a number of threats to George Roop. If Roop wants to improve he needs to learn to deal with takedowns, and a fight with TUF 12 winner will provide a clear evaluation of both featherweights.

UFC 137 Main Card Picks

BJ Penn vs. Nick Diaz

Both of these welterweights are strong puncher, and they each excel at different aspects of the striking game. While Penn has quicker hands, Diaz groves in his rhythm and is able to get into his opponents’ heads rent-free. Diaz is a triathlon athlete and fights with unmatched endurance. As the fight goes on, he doesn’t fade much, and his striking remains highly precise in the later rounds. Penn is also fighting at his slower weight of 170, which could hinder the Prodigy.

Diaz by Decision

Mitrione vs. Kongo

We were all amazed with Kongo’s resilience against Pat Barry, but really he hadn’t proved his chin. He got dropped over three times in a matter of seconds losing partial consciousness, and although he came back one or two more solid strikes from Barry would have ended the fight. Kongo is strong with his strikes, but Mitrione is athletic, smooth and has the footwork to pick him apart.

Mitrione by Decision

Nelson vs. Cro Cop

As painful it is to see Mirko Cro Cop get so brutally knocked out as he tends to, I am afraid it will happen again. Roy Nelson was able to wear three rounds of non-stop Cigano bombs in his UFC 117 matchup against Junior Dos Santos, and was hardly damaged and did the same with Mir. You can say what you want about Roy Nelson’s cardio or weight, but the man has a solid chin and Mirko just doesn’t.

Nelson by KO

Jorgenson vs. Curran

Jorgenson has fought and won in the UFC, and knows the territory. Curran is going to be facing a new level of competition, and even though he was a dominant fighter in his previous setting it’s different when you’re at the highest level of competition.

Jorgenson by Decision

Hioki vs. Roop

George Roop won his last fight, and he is the bigger fighter, but Hioki’s quickness will win him this fight.

Hioki by KO

Matt Mitrione with a new, natural edge

 Since his days as a hotheaded Heavyweight on the Ultimate Fighter, Matt Mitrione has racked up a perfect 5-0 UFC record. His athleticism and unconventional stand up game have quickly propelled him up the ranks. Mitrione is 6’ 3” 265 pounds but doesn’t move like it.  He has knocked out four out of his five UFC opponents, and looks to do nothing less at UFC 137. Mike Dolce has worked with Matt Mitrione to lean out the Indiana native leading up to his October 29th bout against Cheick Kongo. With his careers’ hardest training,  an improved diet and a plethora of natural foods feuling the monster, Mitrione promises he will be at his best. The big Heavyweight has revamped his cardio regimen and added the Dolce Diet to prepare for his next fight and is now a lean and scary 263 pounds. This heavy-handed showdown between Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione is bound to have a dramatic finish.

Mike Dolce has become an icon in the world of MMA after he developed a simple diet system known as 'The Dolce Diet'. The mission of this program is to have athletes eating whole, earth grown foods that naturally provide the necessary components to perform optimally. A person who is unfamiliar with eating whole foods may look at this diet and be confused, yet it is overtly simple. Eating foods that are in the closest state which they were grown in is a key element in filling the body with natural goods.

Cheick Kongo fought to a draw with Travis Browne, and is now is coming off a win over Pat Barry in a back and forth brawl where he showed extreme resilience. Although Kongo isn’t known for his chin, he was able to weather a ferocious storm of Barry’s punches even losing partial consciousness to come back and hand HD his first knock out loss. The 6’ 4” 240 pound French Heavyweight is one of the most physically imposing fighters in the sport. His lengthy yet seriously powerful striking ability has brought him success on his feet. He can overpower most of his opponents with his assertive clinch game. Kongo also has a wrestling game that should not be slept on as was able to take Paul Buentello down at ease and in his UFC on Versus fight. Kongo’s wrestling will be a test for Mitrione, as he will look to outwrestle the 5-0 Heavyweight.

Having put down some of the biggest fighters in the UFC, Matt Mitrione is no stranger to large opponents. He knocked out the 6’6” 265 pound Marcus Jones with relative ease in his first professional MMA fight. He has an unorthodox style and throws his strikes from all angles. His footwork is much like the Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in that he is surprisingly light on his feet. Circling around opponents to pick them apart with explosive strikes is what the Meathead is so good at, and he will look to lure Cheick Kongo into this type of fight. In addition to his boxing, Mitrione has a granite chin. In his five professional fights in the UFC, Mitrione has worn a serious volume of punches and has never gone down. Mitrione’s offensive attack is backed by one of the best chins in the division, which will pose a serious task for Kongo to overcome. The two big shots Kongo needed to beat Pat Barry won’t be enough to put down Meathead. UFC 137’s relentless battle of big strong strikers will be the fight to beat for knockout of the night bonus.

With a redefined diet, and culinary lifestylye, Matt Mitrione is feeling dangerous and extremely prepared for this fight. His cardio and striking are ever evolving and this next fight with Cheick Kongo will be a great test to see if the Meathead is really a top ten UFC Heavyweight.

With GSP vs. Carlos Condit postponed, a second look at BJ Penn/Nick Diaz

B.J. Penn has fought the best in both UFC’s welterweight and lightweight division and has used his elite boxing to win many fights. This Hawaiian has crazy dexterity and a dangerous ground game backing up his world class striking. He faces off with Nick Diaz at UFC 137 in a welterweight showdown. Diaz is returning to the UFC for the first time since 2006 and must execute certain tactics for his best prospect of victory over B.J. Penn. These are Nick Diaz’s keys to victory.

In Penn’s two losses to the current champion Frankie Edgar, he was completely out-struck. Edgar was able to pick Penn apart with quickness and relentless attacks. Although Diaz doesn’t have this speed factor that Edgar possessed, he does have accurate and deceptively powerful hands. Diaz will never be able to replicate Edgar’s striking but that doesn’t mean he won’t beat Penn. Diaz strikes from unusual angles and doesn’t stop throwing until he is put away. Diaz doesn’t have quickness and devastating power, but his relentless striking wears on fighters and will be vital to breaking the Prodigies’ will. B.J. Penn became noticeably slower as Edgar continued his level-changing onslaught in both of their title bouts. Diaz needs to employ this strategy and work body shots into his repertoire. By stalking and keeping Penn at bay, Diaz must attack with counter strikes both to the head and body. Keep in mind that Frankie Edgar’s body shots against Penn slowed him down at 155 pounds. At welterweight Penn will be slower, and this effect will be magnified.

Although Nick Diaz has not faced the competition that Penn has since Diaz’s past octagon career, this won’t be much of a factor in my estimation. First of all, Diaz has proved his utter dominance in the Strikeforce 170 pound division and although Strikeforce’s talent is not on the level of that of the UFC’s, they are not far apart. Second, both guys always come to fight no matter who is standing in the other corner and once the door closes it’s just the two fighters, no records or past wins matter any longer. Both Penn and Diaz are high intensity athletes and will bring plenty of energy into this fight. Diaz is a vigorous striker who pushes his opponents’ pace to control the distance to take fighters out of their comfort zone. He is also effective when he throws counter shots at forward moving opponents. His knockout over Robbie Lawler was a perfect example of Diaz’s ability to stand and trade with a powerful striker. Lawler was able to land on Diaz a number of times, but it was Diaz that was getting the better of the exchanges and ended up planting Lawler face down on the mat with a back-stepping lead hook. Diaz also will not be out of a fight until he is forcefully put away. His last fight against Paul Daley showed just the kind of heart and undying will that has brought the Strikeforce champion such success.

Penn is going to work to finish this fight, as he infamously hates giving judges a say. However, Diaz has fast recovery power and is tough to finish. Nick can get into an opponent’s head rent-free and disrupt their fighting rhythm. If this was a five-round fight, the edge to Diaz would be greater. Just ask Cesar Gracie. A five round fight would be ideal for Diaz as he would be able to weather a number of takedowns until Penn gets tired and leaves himself open to a brawl.

Nick Diaz’s stiff jab is one of his deadliest weapons and will be yet another critical tool for Diaz to employ against Penn. Diaz has a reach advantage on Penn and must establish his swift jab to keep Penn uncomfortable. When a fighter gets tagged with an abrupt shot, they are immediately thrown off of their game and become mentally preoccupied. Diaz times his jab very well in setting up strong combinations and landing his jab on Penn will set up more opportunities for Diaz to capitalize on while also keeping Penn confined. Getting into a stand up war with B.J. Penn is a gamble, but it is where Diaz’s best shot at victory lies. Staying in Penn’s face will allow Diaz to dictate the pace, and counter takedown attempts with quick shots possibly catching B.J. and discouraging future takedown tries.

B.J. Penn is a surprising fighter and often has unexpected game plans. He started his rematch with Jens Pulver bringing Pulver to the mat, which is where he finished the fight with a second round submission. At UFC 127 he completely shocked Jon Fitch when he turned the tables and took the wrestler down. Penn is no slouch on the ground owning a black belt under Andre Pederneiras and is capable of effectively ground and pounding his way to a submission or TKO victory. Although Diaz has an active guard, he must stalk Penn and force the fight to stay standing. If Penn is able to get Diaz down, Diaz must be quick in getting back to his feet. He is one of the most athletic fighters in the sport and must use this athleticism to scramble and get back to striking. Respecting Penn’s ability to damage downed fighters will be important to Diaz’s chance at staying toe to toe.

In certain fights in Diaz’s career, he has been able to push an intolerable pace for opponents and quickly finish fights. In his DREAM 14 bout with Hayato Sakarai, Diaz took Sakarai down and overwhelmed him with non-stop strikes until the weary Sakurai left his arm susceptible to a Diaz submission. Nick Diaz hasn’t faced a fighter with the wrestling of B.J. Penn and will need to find a way to combat the takedowns. Diaz has never been great at takedown defense, and B.J. will most likely look for the takedown. Keeping pressure in Penn’s face is going to be a key to Diaz hindering Penn’s takedown game. Making fighters mentally uneasy in a fight is the one thing that Diaz does much better than Penn. If Diaz can keep Penn threatened with his aggressive movement and strikes this will slowly disrupt Penn’s rhythm and provide more openings for Diaz to land big shots.

In the first round, Diaz will be forced to weather a few early takedowns and work hard to get the fight back up. While on top, Penn will be aggressive yet careful of getting lured into one of Diaz’s sneaky submissions from guard. If Diaz even able to get to his feet after being brought down, he will try to get his striking rhythm started will lose the round to Penn’s takedowns.

The second round will consist of Penn coming out looking for a takedown through the clinch or slipping punches, but Diaz is going to push the tempo getting into stalk mode and let his hands go. Diaz will land a number of times and maybe even rock Penn with a combination, but won’t finish. Penn will secure a late takedown but Diaz will have already won this round by landing more shots.

In the final round, Penn will not be nearly as fresh as Diaz and his wrestling won’t be as forceful as it was early in the fight. Penn may get one takedown in this round if he is lucky, but Diaz being the fresher fighter, will get back up and go back to work with his bombardment of punches. Diaz won’t rock or really hurt Penn this round but will bloody him up, and inflict the most damage. Diaz will win the split decision 29-28 taking the last two rounds.

Some of Penn’s best success has come from his uncanny ability bring fighters into striking chess match, and outlasting his opponents on the feet. Facing Nick Diaz will bring an interesting task for the former Lightweight Champion to handle. Diaz’s belligerent style with underlying lethal precision has what it takes to beat the former UFC champion. If Diaz can storm through Penn’s poise and keep the fight on his wild terms, he will be able to neutralize the strengths of the Prodigy and have his hand raised after fifteen “fight-of-the-night exciting” minutes.

The perils of perfection: Silva’s dreaded rematch

Chael Sonnen's Pro Wrestling antics after his last fight in Houston managed to entertain and provoke a lot of people, except for the one he targeted. Telling someone they "absolutely suck" in front of millions of people is a good way to get their attention and in the combat sports business it’s almost guaranteed to get a fight out of someone (“fighting words”). Anderson Silva has gone on the defense after being called out again, believing he does not owe the loud mouthed middleweight another chance at his title. The middleweight champion is practically allergic to losing, and avoids it at all costs. But is avoiding a fight worse than battling it out and losing? Silva is losing respect by ducking this rematch and shouldn’t be at the liberty to make this decision.

UFC 136 was home to plenty of great fights and surprises, all topped off by Joe Rogan’s post fight interview with Chael Sonnen. Sonnen had walked through the fan favorite Brian Stann when he immediately went to work in calling out Middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

The history between Sonnen and Silva includes months of talk and build up to one hell of a fight. Silva was not eager to take a fight with the Oregonian the first time around for whatever reason (maybe he was threatened). The champion was busy being the champion, fighting whomever he wanted. Once there was literally no one left for Silva, the Sonnen fight was inevitable. In Anderson Siva's UFC career he had come very close to defeat only two times; against Travis Lutter and Patrick Cote. Lutter was ground and pounding Silva when he decided to for some reason stop, and attempt a sloppy arm bar from mount. Patrick Cote took the champion into the third round of a back and forth battle before injuring his knee. Silva otherwise hadn't been tested, until he fought Chael Sonnen.

The Oracle Arena in Oakland, California witnessed Sonnen fulfill his promise by beating down the champ for four and a half rounds. According to Compu Strike, Sonnen landed 289 total strikes against Silva, 270 of which were from the top on the ground.  In The Spider’s previous 11 fights combined, he had been touched by only 208 total strikes. Sonnen came in and to say he imposed his will is criminally understated. He was just over two minutes away from victory when he was smothered by yet another triangle choke (Sonnen, historically susceptible to triangles). Once the thought of "What in the world did I just witness?" passed through everyone's head, it was the rematch that people wanted.

Chael Sonnen's personal money laundering case in addition with testosterone elevation issues left the 185er inactive and put the rematch up in the air for over a year. Now after walking through, whom many people thought was Silva's biggest threat in Brian Stann; Sonnen is in the perfect position for a rematch with the champion. Right?

Not according to Silva's camp and Ed Soares. Despite the fact that a legitimate argument could have been made for an immediate rematch after the 117 bout, Soares doesn't see it this way.

"I think Chael is delusional. At the end of the day [referring to UFC 117] he tapped, he quit, he gave up" Soares continues, "Take a number and get to the back of the line"

Sure, Chael lost to Silva, in what was one of the most talked about fights in recent MMA history. But by clearly dominating the Brazilian for over twenty minutes and then “tapping”, Sonnen had already done the damage of exposing Silva like he never had been before. Silva may not want to fight Sonnen again, but the fear of losing is a clear motive for Silva’s avoidance of this fight and everyone knows it. People desperately want to see this fight again and they will hold it against Silva and his legacy should he not take it.

After coming back to beat up Brian Stann has Sonnen really not earned a rematch? Dana White even confirmed that the winner of this fight would be awarded a title shot, and if Stann won, Silva would not have complained, right? In fact, many accomplished fighters in MMA believe that after winning, a rematch is almost owed to that fighter.

Silva wants to finish his career strongly and without a blemish, and this fight poses a significant threat. He wants to be perfect and remain to be viewed as the undisputed middleweight champion. Silva’s pursuit of perfection has become detrimental as he is losing his competitive nature and failing to rise to this occasion.

Despite the Spider’s obsession with his legacy, he still must give a deserving challenger a fair shot at his belt, even if it is a rematch. A champion shouldn't be able to pick and choose which fights they are interested in. Whatever fight the UFC throws at them should be the verdict, just like the rest of the fighters in the organization. Not to mention anybody is more deserving than Sonnen to fight for the title now.

Silva and camp are ducking the fight, yet are in no position to have any sway in whether or not it happens.

All of the talk that Sonnen puts out accomplishes exactly what he wants it to; it highlights the fact that Silva doesn't want to fight him. People can love or hate Sonnen, but everyone hears him. Soares and Silva's claim of Sonnen being crazy is a cover for their distaste with fighting against the West Linn self proclaimed “American Gangster”. 

Bones, Untouched

Dethroning a legend is no easy task, especially for a 24 year old. There are all kinds of expectation and pressure on young fighters who are on their way to the top. Apparently Jon Jones didn't get the memo.

While everyone is busy scrutinizing the defending light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, there is something that people seem to be overlooking. Realizing what this man has accomplished and the way he carries himself is truly something to recognize and learn from. The fact that Jones has been so successful while still exhibiting tremendous potential is just scary. Jones is a diligent student of the game and is quickly proving himself as a true champion. The way he conducts himself emulates the likes of classy veterans such as Randy Couture and Matt Hughes, yet his talent is off the charts. The extremely exhilarating style of the lengthy and athletic Jones has caught the world by storm and has brought the young warrior instant and well-deserved stardom. 

Certain times a sport brings out a new athlete who is unlike any other in history of the sport. The comparisons, analysis, and immediate criticism engulf the young competitor. Everyone wants to know who this new star is going to surpass in the history books, and what future championship matchup would be the most exciting. For Jon Jones the constant Anderson Silva comparisons and the pound for pound discussion have not stopped. This mixed martial artist is under scrutiny both in and outside of the octagon.

Jones is impervious.

There is something pretty important that people are missing in this situation. While so many were questioning what he needed to do to prove himself and become a legitimate titleholder, "Bones" was busy doing just that. After wrecking his way through Hamill*, Vera, Matyushenko, Jones derailed the hype train of the light heavyweight division when he put away Ryan Bader with utter ease. These wins by the Greg Jackson protégé were just the tip of the iceberg. Jones' consistent decisive finishing of top tier fighters have been impressive while the New York native continues to improve.

The (at the time) UFC light heavyweight champion, and former pride champion Mauricio Shogun Rua was seriously exposed when Jones beat him up at UFC 128. Without hesitation, Jones dismantled Rua like no one had before and Jones became the youngest UFC champion ever. After such an impressive performance, the world of MMA was both in awe giving Jones tons of credit, while also claiming fluke. Without second thought, the always-hungry Jones agreed to his first title defense against Rampage Jackson.

This highly anticipated matchup with the Pride unified champion became curiously heated. Jones appeared to be thrown off by his new adversaries in the built up to this bout, but the secretly unchanged Jones was mentally and physically immersed in training. After long months of stare-down-warfare between the two fan favorites, Jones walked into the Pepsi Center with a relaxed and focused strut. All the hype, talk, and opinions ended for Jones once the cage door shut. He went to work. The champion patiently and explicitly exposed Jackson with dominant striking and footwork. In the fourth round it looked like Jones had been calmly waiting to submit the former champion, when he seamlessly found the rear naked choke to finish Jackson. After fighting two champions (present and former) Jon Jones earned two supremely decisive wins. 

Next on Jones' agenda is another former champion, Lyoto Machida. This 205 pounder is one of the UFC's true mysteries and is dangerous in that nature. His style is so difficult for anyone (especially his opponents) to decode. His lighting fast and elusive stand up game had won him victories over Thiago Silva, Shogun Rua, and most famously Rashad Evans. Machida is very similar to Jon Jones and poses the champion his biggest threat yet. 

By matching Machida up with the champion, the UFC is making a smart move that would have been an acceptable matchup even before Rampage got his shot. Should Machida actually crack this Jones-code and win back the belt, the division will have a brand new spin. Jones would then be on his way to make a comeback and prove he is still the best, while Machida looks at a number of very intriguing rematches. Jon Jones is a -375 favorite two and a half months in advance of the December 10th title bout. While we can expect this to increase as fight night approaches, Jones is not fazed.

Jon Jones has a clear mind, and the poise of a veteran. He has been drowned in pressure from all angles with everything on the line, and has interminably prevailed. Jones' yin yang personality keeps him Zen in his demanding journey to triumph in this intricate sport of MMA. He puts all assumption, expectation, and opinion aside and he fights. Jon Jones' swagger is something many athletes’ egos detrimentally and subconsciously don't allow themselves to have. 

Jones' next endeavor against Lyoto Machida will simply be five more rounds of doing what the champion loves to do. Fight. Jones will prepare and train tirelessly as always, but come December 10^th Jones is faced with just another fight. 

As the Champion himself puts it, "Don't fight the legend. Fight his body, and see what happens."