If you train, be sure to pick up some mma head gear. Repeated blows to the head can cause repetitive head injury syndrome. Stay safe, protect your head – you’ll need it!  Some headgear also provides a face shield or full face protection to protect your nose, from bruises, cuts and breaks if that’s a concern.

As such, Tate will be moved up to #2, and Sarah Kaufman will move in at #3, for the third consecutive year.

In other award-related news, due to recent data changes at Sherdog, we re-assigned the men’s rookie of the year to Sultan Aliev.  Sorry, Levan.

Maybe next year, we’ll wait a little longer to dish out these awards.

[#48HW] Edinaldo Oliveira (12 – 0 – 1) has yet to taste defeat.  At 6’7″ and 238lbs, he is a very lanky fighter that has used his reach to secure 7 (T)KOs and 2 submissions out of his 12 victories.  In the past 17 months, Oliveira has amassed a formidable list of victories over Brazilian heavyweights.  The most notable victories in this time span are:

• 1st round TKO over [#151HW] Jair Goncalves (9 – 4 – 0) in September 2011
• 3rd round unanimous decision over [#167HW] Ubiratan Marinho Lima (13 – 6 – 0)  in July 2011
• 2nd round TKO over [#230HW] Edson Franca (13 – 6 – 0) in May 2011
• 1st round TKO over [#192HW] Geronimo dos Santos (24 – 13 – 0) in December 2010
• 5th round unanimous decision over the one man to defeat [#3HW] Junior dos Santos, [#139HW] Joaquim Ferreira (11 – 6 – 0)  in May 2010

Oliveira’s nickname is “Lula Molusco” or “Squidward” in English, due to his rangy physique.  If he were so inclined, Oliveira could possibly fight at 205lbs.  It would be interesting to see how Lula Molusco would fare against greater competition on bigger shows.  Here’s to hoping we get the opportunity.

On 11/16/11, BloodyElbow.com reported that Oliveira, now (13-0-1) and ranked at [#46HW], will make his UFC debut at UFC 142 in Rio.  He will be facing British heavyweight [#82HW] Rob Broughton (15 – 7 – 1).  Both these fighters are meeting at a veritable crossroads in their respective careers.  It will be an interesting bout; one which will indicate where each fighter belongs in the UFC at this point.

Twitter – @Jonathan_Grand

• 1st round TKO over [#151HW] Jair Goncalves (9 – 4 – 0) in September 2011
• 3rd round unanimous decision over [#167HW] Ubiratan Marinho Lima (13 – 6 – 0)  in July 2011
• 2nd round TKO over [#230HW] Edson Franca (13 – 6 – 0) in May 2011
• 1st round TKO over [#192HW] Geronimo dos Santos (24 – 13 – 0) in December 2010
• 5th round unanimous decision over the one man to defeat [#3HW] Junior dos Santos, [#139HW] Joaquim Ferreira (11 – 6 – 0)  in May 2010

Oliveira’s nickname is “Lula Molusco” or “Squidward” in English, due to his rangy physique.  If he were so inclined, Oliveira could possibly fight at 205lbs.  It would be interesting to see how Lula Molusco would fare against greater competition on bigger shows.  Here’s to hoping we get the opportunity.

• 2nd round KO via punch over rising middleweight [#120MW] Jason Norwood (11 – 3 – 0) in July 2011
• 3rd round unanimous decision over [#64WW] David Hulett (18 – 9 – 0)  in September 2009

Out of Arizmendi’s 15 victories, only 2 have gone to a decision.  In fact, 17 of his 19 professional bouts have been stoppages.  Arizmendi last lost in June 2008 to UFC fighter [#109WW] Seth Baczynski (14 – 6 – 0) via 2nd round submission (triangle choke). The 25 year old Tuscon, Arizona native will attempt to extend his win streak to 10 when he faces [#272MW] Arthur Guseinov (8 – 2 – 0) on October 14th at M-1 Challenge 27.

[#55LW] Alexander Sarnavskiy (15 – 0 – 0) is one of the hottest young prospects developing in Russia.  Sarnavskiy, 22, has already racked up 15 consecutive wins (since his pro debut in December 2008).  In 2011 alone, Sarnavskiy has won 3 bouts with choke based submissions.  Within the last year, his victories include:

• 1st round rear naked choke on lightweight [*] Marcio Cesar (14 – 6 – 1) in August 2011
• 1st round triangle choke on featherweight [#114FW] Douglas Evans (13 – 9 – 0)  in May 2011
• 2nd round rear naked choke over lightweight [#314LW] Beau Baker (8 – 5 – 0) in March 2011
• Rear naked choke in 0:43 of round 1 over lightweight [*] Arsen Ubaidulaev (8 – 4 – 0) in December 2010.
• TKO via spinning back fish and punches in 0:14 of round 1 over [*] Victor Kuku (8 – 8 – 1) in October 2010.

Sarnavskiy is a definite finisher, going to the cards only twice in 15 starts.  Currently toiling on the Russian MMA scene, it is time for Sarnavskiy to come to the U.S. and ply his trade against higher caliber opponents.  Can he continue his winning ways against tougher competition?

Check them out here:

Heavyweight

Light Heavyweight

Middleweight

Welterweight

Lightweight

Featherweight

Bantamweight

Flyweight

By then he was 19-0, 14 of those wins coming by stoppage.  However, following his first loss to [*] Emmanuel Fernandez (9 – 4 – 1) (another talented yet inexplicably inactive fighter), everything changed.  An excerpt from an article written by Chris Cork on mmahitpit.com gives some details on the situation:

“…Like most British fighters, Owen trained and competed part-time while holding down a full-time day job.    For the past eight-and-a-half years he has paid the bills serving as a Police Constable with Avon & Somerset Constabulary – a job which permitted him to fight professional MMA.  That was until July 2007 when, following a loss to Emmanuel Fernandez, Owen was told he would no longer be allowed to fight…”

Owen has not fought since.

Fighters who have the luxury to train full-time should feel fortunate. A story like this illustrates the harsh reality that only a select few will be truly successful in the fight game.  If a talent like Alex Owen could be forced to leave the sport he loved (and did remarkably well in) due to financial issues, then it could happen to any fighter.  We can hope that as MMA continues to grow as a global sport, less and less talented fighters will have to suffer similar fates as Owen.

At the end of the article, Owen talks about his possible return to the cage, but unfortunately the article was written in May 2010.  Perhaps (and hopefully) we have not seen the last of Alex Owen in MMA.

Full Article:  http://www.mmahitpit.com/news/alexowenonhiswayback

• 1st round rear naked choke on lightweight [*] Reynaldo Trujillo (8 – 7 – 0) in July 2010
• 1st round heel hook on lightweight prospect [#332LW] Levi Forrest (6 – 1 – 0)  in January 2011
• KO in under 1:00 of the 1st round over lightweight [*] Ray Blodgett (5 – 1 – 0) in April 2011
• 3rd round rear naked choke on WEC veteran [#141FW] Frank Gomez (10 – 4 – 0) in July 2011.

He has won every one of his victories via stoppage, and he has only gone to a decision once in his career.  These aren’t 0-1 fighters he is beating, they are legit prospects and tough veterans.  At 26 years old, the Houston, Texas native has a lot of time to hone his skills and make it to the big show.