MMA Combat - UFC 138 Main-Event Features Leben vs. Munoz

MMA Combat - UFC 138 Main-Event Features Leben vs. Munoz

Middleweight contenders Chris "The Crippler" Leben (26-7-0) and Mark "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" Munoz (11-2-0) will headline UFC 138, in Birmingham, England, at the National Exhibition Centre on November 5, 2011. UFC officials announced the bout on Tuesday, also confirming details for the event which is scheduled to air free on Spike TV. It was initially thought that November 5's show would be titled UFC Fight Night 25, but later it was determined that the date would have a traditional title, moving back Velasquez vs. dos Santos one number to UFC 139, scheduled for November 19.

Leben last appeared earlier this month, July 2, at UFC 132 - Faber vs. Cruz II where "The Crippler" devastated former PRIDE FC middleweight king, Wanderlei Silva, with a series of short uppercuts that ended "The Axe Murderer's" night 27 seconds into the contest. Leben has posted wins in four of his last five outings, losing only to Brian Stann on January 1 during that stretch when "The All-American" blitzed him in the first round with a barrage of strikes that overwhelmed the soon-to-be 31 year old Portland, Oregon, native.

Munoz is a winner in three consecutive bouts since his decision loss to #1 contender Yushin Okami at UFC Live 2 in August of 2010. Known for his ferocious power and top-notch wrestling ability, the Oklahoma State University alumnus is 6-2 since joining the UFC ranks. Munoz last appeared at UFC 131 - dos Santos vs. Carwin in Vancouver, Canada, June 11, where he salvaged a unanimous decision win over one-time title challenger, Demian Maia. The contest at UFC 138 is reported to be the UFC's first five round non-title fight.


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MMA Combat - UFC 131 - Results and Bonuses

MMA Combat - UFC 131 - Results and Bonuses

UFC 131 went down Saturday, June 11, at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and featured a heavyweight title eliminator in the main-event when Shane Carwin battled division #2 Junior dos Santos for a shot at promotion champion Cain Velasquez later this year.

The Team Blackhouse representative was simply too diverse and precise when standing for the one-time title challenger Carwin to get comfortable. Scoring with jabs and hooks both upstairs and down throughout the fight, dos Santos cruised to a unanimous decision victory and now turns his attention to AKA standout Velasquez with his eye on heavyweight gold.

In the co-main event, veteran Kenny Florian took a unanimous decision victory over a game Diego Nunes in the Brazilian's first UFC appearance, and now lines himself up for a shot at featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo. Nunes pressed the action early, landing the bigger shots and grounding Florian with a big left hand late in the first; Florian dug deep however, putting his man up against the fence while scoring with multiple take-downs in the second and third rounds. Finding his rhythm on the feet, Florian was able to mix more technical combinations with well-timed shots down the stretch to realize the decision win.

The bonuses for the evening's card were captured by Sam Stout, Chris Weidman, Dave Herman and John Olav Einemo. Each pocketed an extra $70 000 for their efforts Saturday night with stunning finishes in their respective bouts. Sam Stout caught veteran Yves Edwards with a thudding counter left hook, keeping his man down for several minutes after the conclusion of the fight. The lightweight out of London, Ontario looks forward to a move up the 155lbs ladder with the knockout of the night performance. Chris Weidman tapped Jesse Bongfeldt with a standing guillotine choke at 4:54 of the first frame to earn submission of the night, while Dave Herman stopped Golden Glory submission specialist John Olav Einemo on third round strikes with both men earning fight of the night honors.

Other results from UFC 131 can be found below:

1 Darren Elkins def. Michihiro Omigawa via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
2 Joey Beltran def. Aaron Rosa via TKO (Punches) rd3 1:26
3 Dustin Poirier def. Jason Young via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
4 Nick Ring def. James Head via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) rd3 3:33
5 Krzysztof Soszynski def. Mike Massenzio via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
6 Chris Weidman def. Jesse Bongfeldt via Submission (Guillotine Choke) rd 1 4:54
7 Sam Stout def. Yves Edwards via KO (Punch) rd1 3:52
8 Donald Cerrone def. Vagner Rocha via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
9 Dave Herman def. John Olav Einemo via TKO (Punches) rd2 3:19
10 Mark Munoz def. Demian Maia via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
11 Kenny Florian def. Diego Nunes via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00
12 Junior dos Santos def. Shane Carwin via Decision (Unanimous) rd3 5:00


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UFC 131 Pick 'em

UFC 131 will go live, Saturday, June 11, from Roger's Arena in Vancouver, Canada and will be headlined by a heavyweight title-shot eliminator when Shane Carwin goes toe to toe with Team Blackhouse star Junior dos Santos.  

The co-main event will feature Kenny Florian's debut at featherweight as he battles Nova Uniao standout Diego Nunes.  With the performance, Florian will become the first fighter in UFC history to compete in four divisions, but he'll have his hands full with the once beaten WEC veteran.

Below you will find our main card picks for UFC 131 - Carwin vs. dos Santos.  Tune in at 9pm EST, on UFC.tv or Pay-Per-View television to catch all the action live from Vancouver!

Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha

As Rocha has stated in recent interviews leading up to the contest, this match is really a no-win for "The Cowboy," as he takes on a promotion new comer with a fraction of the experience he has in the sport.  Rocha has stopped four of his seven opponents by way of submission, and will pose a threat in that department; however, Cerrone owns twelve of his fourteen career victories by that same method and should have no problems neutralizing Rocha's ground attack while picking him apart with superior stand-up technique.  Cerrone turned a corner in his rematch with Jamie Varner, proving to the mixed martial arts community that he is willing to develop perceived weaknesses in his game after out-wrestling the former champ en-route to a unanimous decision win.  Cerrone will take this one as well, 3rd round TKO stoppage is the call.

Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz

Demian Maia, a one-time title challenger, has the ability to submit any man when the fight hits the mat as demonstrated by his five fight winning streak that began with his promotion debut at UFC 77.  Maia stopped all five opponents by way of submission, including notables Jason MacDonald and Chael Sonnen.  Recently, the highly decorated Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blackbelt has worked diligently to improve his other skill-sets, with good results against the likes of Kendall Grove.  "The Filipino Wrecking Machine" will prove too difficult a test however as this match-up simply does not stack up well for Maia.  Munoz has big power in his hands, and without question is the more comfortable striker in the pocket.  Coupled with his wrestling chops out of Oklahoma, which will dictate where this fight takes place, the pick here is Mark Munoz via KO victory or convincing unanimous decision.


Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman

In a battle of heavyweights making their promotion debuts, wrestler Dave Herman takes on ADCC world champion Jon Olav Einemo.  6'6" Einemo from Oslo, Norway is also a grappler of the highest order, but has not competed in mixed martial arts competition since his armbar submission victory over James Thompson in November of 2006.  Boasting a record of 6-1 with five submission stoppages, Einemo trains out of the Golden Glory gym in the Netherlands, notorious for putting out top-level strikers.  Ring-rust could very well be the deciding factor in this one, as "Pee-wee" has twenty-two professional fights on his resume with only two defeats and fourteen [T]KO victories in that span.  I look for him to be the more comfortable standing, and although a stoppage might be hard to come by, the Bellator and Sengoku veteran will come out with a comfortable win on the judges cards.

Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes
Any time you go up against a Nova Uniao fighter, you know you're in tough.  The camp is without question at the pinnicle of fighter development in Brazil, and has traditionally been strongest in the lighter weight classes.  Cue Diego Nunes, a 16-1-0 twenty-eight year old coming off three consecutive victories under the WEC banner, going 5-1 overall in the promotion.  Nunes' last victory was perhaps his most impressive to date, topping former 145lbs champion Mike Thomas Brown via unanimous decision at UFC 125 on January 1st.  His opponent, Kenny Florian, is a man who needs no introduction when he steps into the octagon.  Entering the UFC through the Ultimate Fighter Season 1, losing the finals to Diego Sanchez at 185lbs, Florian will now compete in his fourth weight class, setting a promotion record in doing so.  The 13-5-0 two-time lightweight title challenger has a tendency to show his best when his back is up against the wall; coming off a loss to Gray Maynard in his most recent performance, and re-inventing himself at featherweight, I expect that kind of display from Florian come Saturday night.  Look for Florian to keep this fight standing, while executing a more diverse array of strikes.  The call is "Kenflo" via unanimous decision nod.

Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos
Another tough bout to call, the main-event at UFC 131 is exactly the kind of fight that fans want to finish the evening.  Both of these heavyweight contenders have made their names by knocking people out, and while the similarities appear to end there, that is the one trait that will make this fight a blockbuster from start to finish.  dos Santos, being the younger, quicker man will look to utilize that advantage standing, while putting on a display with his slick combinations.  Carwin's potential to end the fight with one punch cannot be ignored however, and the Brazilian star will have to be wary of this.  The one tipping factor for myself heading into this contest, as I am a fan of both competitors, is that I can't help but feel dos Santos has been slightly 'spoon fed' his opponents so-to-speak.  When looking back at his list of victims since joining the UFC, while impressive, there hasn't been one strong wrestler in the bunch and the strikers he has toppled are well beyond their prime years.  Dropping twenty pounds of weight since his last appearance, I'm willing to bet the supposed 'cardio issues' Carwin was dubbed to have were little more than a fighter furiously punching himself out over four minutes, in a championship bout.  Carwin took a valuable lesson away from that loss to Lesner, the only time he has ever been outside of the first round... to pick his shots more wisely when gaining a dominate position.  Carwin will use his wrestling base and strength advantage to stifle dos Santos throughout the contest; "Cigano" will have his moments, and certainly threaten on the feet, but the Grudge Training Center product will walk away with his hand raised.

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MMA Combat - UFC 131 Prelims to Air on Youtube

MMA Combat - UFC 131 Prelims to Air on Youtube

It was announced on Tuesday, June 7, that the UFC will stream five preliminary bouts from UFC 131 - Carwin vs. dos Santos on its official YouTube.com channel.

The UFC has long utilized its YouTube network with over 200 000 subscribers at present, particularly to upload preview shows, insider interviews and the like; but June 11 will mark the first time the promotion has offered a live stream via the video giant.

Of late, the promotion has been using facebook.com to perform the function of live streaming, but UFC president Dana White has indicated their intention to expand into myspace, orkut, and obviously YouTube as they look to broaden their social networking footprint. Note that the promotion facebook page will also feature the first five prelim bouts from the event, as is becoming tradition.

The bouts scheduled to air on the channel include Michihiro Omigawa vs. Darren Elkins, Aaron Rosa vs. Joey Beltran, Dustin Poirier vs. Jason Young, James Head vs. Nick Ring, and late replacement Mike Massenzio vs. Krzysztof Soszynski

The full card from UFC 131 can be found below:

Shane Carwin vs. Junior dos Santos
Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes
Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman
Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz
Donald Cerrone vs. Vagner Rocha
Chris Weidman vs. Jesse Bongfeldt
Yves Edwards vs. Sam Stout
Dustin Poirier vs. Jason Young
Nick Ring vs. James Head
Darren Elkins vs. Michihiro Omigawa
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Mike Massenzio
Aaron Rosa vs. Joey Beltran


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MMA Combat - Massenzio Replaces Pokrajac at UFC 131, UFC Live 4 Card Shuffled

Soszynski will look to impress at UFC 131

MMA Combat - Massenzio Replaces Pokrajac at UFC 131, UFC Live 4 Card Shuffled

The card for UFC 131 - Carwin vs. dos Santos, next Saturday, June 11, in Vancouver, Canada, has been updated once more as Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski (25-11-1) loses another scheduled opponent to injury.

Soszynski was originally slated to face Anthony Perosh at the event, who was later replaced by Igor Pokrajac; now, the Croatian born fighter has suffered the same fate opening the door for Mike Massenzio (12-4-0) to take on "The Polish Experiment" on short notice.

Also in the news, UFC Live 4, scheduled for June 26, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has been shuffled around with Danish star Martin Kampmann picking up an injury during training.

The promotion announced on Monday that veteran Matt "The Immortal" Brown (11-10-0) will fill the void vs. John "Doomsday" Howard (14-6-0), while Cesar Gracie trained Daniel "Ninja" Roberts (12-2-0) will step in to replace Brown against his original opponent for the event, Rich Attonito (9-4-0).


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MMA Combat - Footnotes for May in the World of MMA

Rampage Jackson can still get it done!

MMA Combat - Footnotes for May in the World of MMA

Keeping in line with our monthly tradition MMA Combat presents to you the May addition of Footnotes for the Month, chronicling the major events and news that passed us by in the last 31 days. Please feel free to join the conversation, adding your own footnotes for anything that I may have missed, or was significant enough for you to feel it should be mentioned.

Footnotes for May in the World of MMA:

• A highly anticipated lightweight match-up pitting Evan Dunham vs. George Sotiropoulos at UFC 132 was thwarted when Dunham was forced to pull out due to an injury suffered while training; Dangerous Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos has replaced Dunham on the card.

• The Score Fighting Series announced its June 10, 2011, card in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, which will feature Strikeforce and UFC veterans in Marius Zaromskis, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Canada's own, Joe “El Dirte” Doerksen.

• **Honorable mention, Manny Pacquiao easily defended his crown against Shane Mosley who threw 5 combinations in 12 rounds of action.... Yes, you heard it right, 5.

• At the Fighter's Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, Zuffa announced it would be extending full medical insurance to all of its contracted fighters, 365 days a year.

• Both Frankie Edgar and challenger Gray Maynard pull out of their UFC 130 main-event, 155lbs championship bout, citing injuries sustained during training. Thank God for that insurance.

• Surging heavyweight Brendan Schaub will get his opportunity to add another PRICE FC legend's feather to his cap when he takes on former PRIDE and UFC champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira at UFC 134 in Rio, Brazil.

• Former MFC welterweight champion Douglas "The Phenom" Lima (18-4-0) signs with Bellator FC, joining their ever-deepening roster of 170lbs talent.

• Top 10 lightweights Benson Henderson and Dan Miller sign on the dotted line to face each other at UFC Live 5, August 14, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; this match-up will have title-shot implications.

• Reports surface regarding a conflict between sister of Charles "Mask" Lewis and TapouT apparel executives over the distribution of some cremated remains of the late TapouT co-founder at a service held in his memory.

• It is announced that UFC 131 in Vancouver, Canada will feature ringside monitors for judges to use as an alternative vantage point. The NSAC would follow-suit shortly after granting permission to use them at UFC 130.

• Zuffa announces that they will begin to award fighters with "twitter bonuses" who meet a certain criteria with concern to creativity, followship, and increase in followship quarterly. Read more: http://www.mmacombat.com/content/294...%94-zuffa.html

• Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesner pulls out of his UFC 131 title eliminator against Junior dos Santos as he underwent a second bout with diverticulitis, again requiring surgery. Shane Carwin steps into the main-event vs. dos Santos.

• Bellator 44, Hector Lombard extends his unbeaten streak to 23 appearances with a third round knockout over Falaniko Vitale, while All-American wrestler Michael Chandler was victorious over Patricky "Pitbull" Freire in the Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Finals

• Consequently, we now know Michael Chandler will be Eddie Alvarez's next test for the promotion's 155lbs title

• After a number of options fell through including Shane Nelson, Jamie Varner, and Antonio McKee, Dream - Fight for Japan finally secured UFC veteran Rich Clementi as a short notice opponent for promotion lightweight champion Shinya Aoki.

• Antonio "Big Foot" Silva was in the news when he had critical words for fellow Strikeforce heavyweight Josh Barnett; Silva believes Barnett has always slighted Brazilian fighters, and looks to face him at some point during the Strikeforce HWGP.

• B.J. Penn calls out Jake Shields via twitter; Shields welcomes the challenge

• One-time UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen receives an indefinite suspension from the NSAC for testing positive for excessively high testosterone levels during his fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 117. The penalty would later be reduced to a 12 month suspension.

• Rumors swirl that Nick Diaz will face Georges St. Pierre at UFC 140, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada later this year. UFC preseident Dana White would later deny there is any truth to the speculation.

• Hermes Franca turns himself in on charges of sexual abuse in the State of Oregon and is released by MFC; Franca used to operate a BJJ facility out of Oregon, but now makes his home in Florida.

• Canadian Ryan Ford deals UFC veteran Karo Parisyan another disappointing loss after stopping the Armenian Judo ace at MMA Live 1 in London, Ontario, Canada via doctor stoppage when a thudding knee opened a severe gash on Parisyan's forehead.

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, despite sporadic activity of late remains in the title picture at 205lbs with an easy decision victory over Matt "The Hammer" Hamill at UFC 130. Rampage was tabbed to fight Jon Jones this fall for the title, but may face a 6-month medical suspension for a fractured hand (pending x-ray results).

• Brian Stann spoiled Jorge Santiago's return to the octagon with a second round TKO stoppage at UFC 130; Stann continues his march up the 185lbs ladder.

• Rick Story also climbed into the welterweight top-five with a solid decision victory over a game Thiago Alves. Story called out Jon Fitch immediately afterward, but Fitch has maintained he's not interested in the match-up (curiously)

• Frank Mir also stayed relevant in the heavyweight division with his second consecutive victory at UFC 130 when he defeated Roy Nelson via unanimous decision

• Dream 17, Shinya Aoki defeats Rich Clementi via neck-crank, while Masakazu Imanari and Hideo Tokoro advance to the Dream Bantamweight Tournament Final.

• Strikeforce announces Dan Henderson vs. Fedor Emelianenko for their July 30, 2011 card. The highly anticipated match-up which has been rumored for months will be contested at heavyweight

• Dream announces that promotion champions Gegard Mousasi and Hiroyuki Takaya will defend their titles at Dream 17, July 16, 2011

• Shooto and Sengoku 143lbs champion Hatsu Hioki announces that he will relinquish his titles under the Japanese promotions to pursue accolades on a 'new stage'. As well, the grappling ace will attend UFC 131 in Vancouver, Canada, hint hint**

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