UFC 132 – Cruz vs. Faber 2
July 2, 2011
Mandalay Bay Events Center,
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

UFC Bantamweight Championship

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Dominick Cruz (18 – 1 – 0) defeated Urijah Faber (25 – 5 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Cruz, who has not lost in over 4 years, remains ranked at [#1] and jumps 3 spots up the Division Dominance list from [#7DD] to [#4DD].  The fight that makes most sense now for Cruz is a rematch with [#5] Brian Bowles, after Bowles’ unfortunate hand injury cut the first bout short.  A possible rubber match with Faber may be in the cards as well.  Faber, who is 3-2 in his last 5 (1-1 in the UFC), drops 1 spots from [#3] to [#4].  Now might be a good time to pull the trigger on a Faber vs. [#12] Miguel Torres bout, if they do not decide on the immediate Cruz/Faber rubber match.

Middleweight (185 lbs)

Chris Leben (26 – 7 – 0) defeated Wanderlei Silva (33 – 11 – 1) by KO due to punches at 0:27 of round 1.  Leben, who is 4-1 in his last 5 (12-6 in the UFC), moves 13 spots up the ranks from [#23] to [#10].  A bout with fellow rising star [#8] Mark Munoz would most likely dazzle the crowd with wild stand up exchanges and good scrambles.  Silva, who is 1-3 in his last 4 (2-4 in the UFC), after falling off the rankings due to inactivity enters the middleweight “Top 350” at [#21].  There has been retirement talk abound in regards to Wanderlei, and his next fight will most likely be one of his last.  A bout against someone like [#12] Jorge Santiago would help shed light on how far gone Silva’s abilities are.  He could also wait to face the loser of the [#9] Vitor Belfort vs. [#42] Yoshihiro Akiyama bout taking place at UFC 133 in August, provided Akiyama is not cut following a loss.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Dennis Siver (19 – 7 – 0) defeated Matt Wiman (13 – 6 – 0) in a hotly contentious unanimous decision.  Siver, who is 8-1 in his last 9 (8-4 in the UFC), remains ranked at [#8].  Bouts against [#6] Clay Guida or [#14] Sam Stout would help usher a new name into the title discussion.  Wiman, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss (7-4 in the UFC), moves 5 spots down the ranks from [#32] to [#37].  Many people believe Wiman deserved the nod, but the records still show he lost.  He should face fellow loser on the card [#40] Shane Roller in his next fight in an Oklahoma native battle.

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Tito Ortiz (17 – 8 – 1) defeated Ryan Bader (12 – 2 – 0) by submission due to a guillotine choke at 1:56 of round 1.  Ortiz, who was 0-4-1 in his last 5 prior to this victory (and had not won since 10/10/2006), jumps 15 spots up the ranks from [#27] to [#12].  Ortiz should look to face either the winner of [#9] Rich Franklin vs. [#21] Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or a rematch with [#22] Vladimir Matyushenko (should he beat [#25] Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 133).  Bader, who now has back to back losses (5-2 in the UFC), drops 9 spots down the ranks from [#9] to [#18].  Conversely, Bader could face the loser of the Matyushenko vs. Gustafsson scrap.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Carlos Condit (27 – 5 – 0) defeated Dong Hyun Kim  (14 – 1 – 1) by TKO via flying knee and punches at 2:58 of round 1.  Condit, who is on a 4 fight win streak (3 by (T)KO), moves 1 spot up the ranks from [#7] to [#6].  With 4 wins (3 stoppages) in a row over difficult UFC talent, Condit is the logical next contender for the welterweight title.  He should face the winner of [#1] Georges St. Pierre vs. [#4] Nick Diaz coming up at UFC 137 in October.  If he wants to stay busy before then, he could take a fight with [#17] Charlie Brenneman, though the risk vs. reward of the bout is not very tantalizing for Condit.  Kim, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss (5-1-0  1 NC in the UFC), drops 10 spots down the ranks from [#18] to [#28].  He should look to rebound from his first loss by facing either the loser of [#9] Mike Pyle vs. [#30] Rory MacDonald taking place at UFC 133 or [#19] Rick Story next.
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Bellator Fighting Championships 46
June 25, 2011
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino,
Hollywood, Florida, United States

Bellator Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinals

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Pat Curran (14 – 4 – 0) defeated Luis Palomino (16 – 7 – 0) by submission due to a Peruvian necktie at 3:49 of round 1.  Curran, who is 5-1 in his last 6 (4-1 in Bellator), moves from [#39LW] into the featherweight “Top 250” at [#4].   Palomino, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss (3-3 in Bellator), drops 15 spots down the ranks from [#10] to [#25].

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Marlon Sandro (18 – 2 – 0) defeated Genair Martins da Silva Junior (10 – 4 – 0) by split decision.  Sandro, who is 4-1 in his last 5 (3 wins by 1st round KO), holds his rank at [#11].   Da Silva, who was on a 5 fight win streak prior to this loss (4 wins by stoppage), moves 2 spots up the ranks from [#58] to [#56].

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Nazareno Malegarie (20 – 1 – 0) defeated Jacob Devree (10 – 2 – 0) by submission due to a guillotine choke at 1:25 of round 3.  Malegarie, who has won all but 2 of his victories by stoppage, moves 15 spots up the ranks from [#61] to [#46].   Devree, who was on a 7 fight win streak prior to this loss (4 by choke based submissions), moves from [#272LW] into the featherweight “Top 250” at [#160].

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Ronnie Mann (20 – 2 – 1) defeated Adam Schindler (9 – 2 – 0) by KO due to punches at 4:14 of round 1.  Mann, who is on a 4 fight win streak, moves 4 spots up the ranks from [#43] to [#39].   Schindler, who was on a 6 fight win streak prior to this loss (3 by choke based submissions), moves from [#291LW] into the featherweight “Top 250” at [#170].
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Strikeforce – Challengers 16
June 24, 2011
ShoWare Center,
Kent, Washington, United States

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Caros Fodor (6 – 0 – 0) defeated James Terry (10 – 3 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Fodor, who has won 4 of his 6 victories by stoppage, flies 91 spots up the ranks from [#195] to [#104].  Fodor should look to test himself against someone like [#79] Conor Heun next (if he isn’t off for a long time due to the arm injury he incurred in his last bout).  If he can defeat him, he will be ready for the next level.  Terry, who was on a 3 fight winning streak prior to this loss, moves from [#159WW] into the lightweight “Top 500” at [#220].  He could face [#362] Matt Ricehouse for his next bout.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Matt Ricehouse (5 – 0 – 0) defeated Ryan Couture (2 – 1 – 0)  by unanimous decision.  Ricehouse, who won his first 3 victories by stoppage, enters the lightweight “Top 500” at [#362].  Ricehouse may be ready for a stern test in [#220] James Terry in his next bout.  Couture, who has fought all 3 of his pro bouts inside Strikeforce, remains unranked.  Couture should look to test himself against someone of comparable fight experience like [#479] Anthony Avila in his next fight.

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Lorenz Larkin (11 – 0 – 0) defeated Gian Villante (7 – 3 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Larkin, who has won 8 of his 11 victories by (T)KO (6 in the 1st round), moves 10 spots up the ranks from [#87] to [#77].  Larkin looks like he might be ready for the next level of competition, and could fight veterans [#25] Trevor Prangley or [#18] Renato Sobral to determine where he goes next.  Villante, who is 1-3 in his last 4, moves from [#171HW] into the light heavyweight “Top 250” at [#183].  Villante needs to get back on the winning track, and should look to do so against [#153] Ron Humphrey next.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Jason High (14 – 3 – 0) defeated Quinn Mulhern (15 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  High, who is on a 5 fight win streak, moves 16 spots up the ranks from [#47] to [#31].  High is on a roll, and could possibly be in line for number 1 contendership if he were to next defeat another surging prospect in [#45] Eduardo Pamplona.  Mulhern, who was on a 7 fight win streak (6 by stoppage-4 by rear naked choke submission), drops 29 spots from [#56] to [#85].  Villante needs to get back on the winning track, and should look to do so against [#153] Ron Humphrey next.

Women’s Featherweight (145 lbs)

Julia Budd (2 – 1 – 0) defeated Germaine de Randamie (2 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Budd moves 5 spots up the ranks from [#14] to [#9].  De Randamie remains unranked.
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UFC Live 4 – Kongo vs. Barry
June 26, 2011
Consol Energy Center,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Cheick Kongo (16 – 6 – 2) defeated Pat Barry (6 – 3 – 0) by KO due to a punch at 2:39 of round 1.  Kongo, who is 2-0-1 in his last 3 (prior to which he suffered back to back losses), moves 2 spots up the ranks from [#16] to [#14].  General consensus seems to be that Kongo should face fellow winner on the card [#19] Matt Mitrione next.  This would be a test for both fighters to see who will enter the next tier of the division.  Barry, who is 2-3 in his last 5 (3-3 in the UFC), drops 5 spots from [#44] to [#49].  Barry could either face [#43] Aaron Rosa or [#50] Stefan Struve next, both which would be slugfests.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Charlie Brenneman (14 – 2 – 0), who was a 1 day late replacement for [#5MW] Nate Marquardt, defeated Rick Story (13 – 4 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Brenneman, who is on a 2 fight win streak (3-1 in the UFC), rockets 80 spots up the ranks from [#97] to [#17].  He should look to face the winner of [#7] Carlos Condit vs. [#18] Dong Hyun Kim taking place this Saturday at UFC 132.  Story, who was on a 6 fight winning streak prior to this loss (6-2 in the UFC), drops 9 spots from [#11] to [#20].  Perhaps Story should next face the man whom he replaced in tonight’s bout, [#21] Anthony Johnson.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Matt Brown (12 – 10 – 0) defeated John Howard (14 – 7 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Brown, who breaks a 3 fight losing streak with this win, flies 75 spots up the ranks from [#136] to [#61].  He could face fellow “Ultimate Fighter” alum [#51] Rich Attonito in his next fight.  Howard, who is on a 3 fight losing streak (4-3 in the UFC), drops 13 spots from [#54] to [#67].  If Howard isn’t cut for losing 3 in a row, he could face [#56] T.J. Grant or [#74] Carlos Eduardo Rocha in what would be a must win fight for the Boston native.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Matt Mitrione (5 – 0 – 0) defeated Christian Morecraft (7 – 2 – 0) by KO due to punches at 4:28 of round 2.  Mitrione, who has won 4 of his 5 victories by (T)KO, moves 1 spot up the ranks from [#20] to [#19].  Mitrione should face [#14] Cheick Kongo next.  Morecraft, who is 1-2 in his last 3 (all in the UFC), drops 13 spots from [#91] to [#96].  Morecraft is in need of a victory to stay employed by the UFC,  He should face [#43] Aaron Rosa or [#53] Jon Madsen to see if he will stick around.

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Tyson Griffin (15 – 5 – 0) defeated Manny Gamburyan (11 – 6 – 0) by majority decision.  Griffin, who breaks a 3 fight losing streak with this win, moves from [#37LW] into the featherweight “Top 250” at [#7].  He should look to face rising prospect [#18] Dustin Porier in his next bout.  Gamburyan, who has back to back losses (prior to which he won 3 in a row), drops 5 spots from [#8] to [#13].  Gamburyan will need a win in his next bout to stay relevant in the 145 lb division, and should look to accomplish this feat against [#14] Mark Hominick or [#15] Diego Nunes.
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Armageddon Fighting Championships 6
June 18, 2011
Bear Mountain Arena,
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Middleweight (185 lbs)

UFC vets battled when John Salter (7 – 2 – 0) defeated Kalib Starnes (12 – 7 – 1) by TKO due to punches at 4:13 of round 2.  Salter, who has back to back wins following his release from the UFC last August (after going 1-2 in the promotion), jumps 29 spots up the ranks from [#83] to [#54].  Starnes, who has back to back losses (2-3 in his last 5), drops 28 spots from [#100] to [#128].

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Robert Drysdale (3 – 0 – 0) defeated Mike Nickels (9 – 5 – 0) by submission due to a guillotine choke at 1:04 of round 1.  Drysdale, who has rattled off 3 1st round submissions in a row, flies 55 spots up the ranks from [#144] to [#89].  Nickels, who is 1-3 in his last 4, falls 39 spots from [#108] to [#147].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Derek Medler (6 – 0 – 0) defeated Jaret Evans (7 – 4 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 2:06 of round 2.  Medler, who has won all 6 of his victories by stoppage, jets 85 spots up the ranks from [#334] to [#249].  Evans, who had not fought in 1 1/2 years prior to this bout, remains unranked.
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Ring of Combat 36
June 17, 2011
Tropicana Resort and Casino,
Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States

Ring of Combat Welterweight Championship

Welterweight (170 lbs)

UFC veteran Pete “Drago”  Sell (9 – 5 – 0) defeated Elijah Harshbarger (6 – 3 – 0) by submission due to an armbar at 2:34 of round 2.  Sell, who returned to action after a 2 year layoff, enters the welterweight “Top 500” at [#121].  Harshbarger, who is 1-2 in his last 3, plummets 95 spots from [#231] to [#326].

Ring of Combat “National” Bantamweight Championship

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Aljamain Sterling (3 – 0 – 0) defeated Claudio Ledesma (4 – 2 – 0) by split decision.  Sterling has rattled off 3 wins since going pro in April 2011.  Ledesma had been on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss.  Both fighters remain unranked.

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Sean Santella (8 – 2 – 1) defeated Tito Jones (7 – 5 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Santella, who has won 3 in a row (8-1 in his last 9) jumps 19 spots up from [#81] to [#62].  Jones, who has lost back to back bouts (1-3 in his last 3), remains unranked.

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

Ryan Contaldi (7 – 3 – 1) defeated Rob Wince (20 – 15 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Contaldi, who is 1-1-1 in his last 3 (prior to which he was on a 3 fight win streak), flies 76 spots up the ranks from [#239] to [#163].  Wince, who is on a 4 fight losing streak, remains unranked.
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Strikeforce – Overeem vs. Werdum
June 18, 2011
American Airlines Center,
Dallas, Texas, United States

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Alistair Overeem (35 – 11 – 0) defeated Fabricio Werdum (14 – 5 – 1) by unanimous decision.  In an interesting twist, Werdum landed more strikes in this bout than his stand up based foe.  Werdum tried many times to take the fight to the floor, but Overeem continually stood up from these attempts in the 1st round.  In the 2nd and 3rd, Overeem remained in Werdum’s guard for longer periods of time, but the jiu jitsu ace was able to do nothing with the position.  The result was a prosaic decision for the “Demolition Man.”    Overeem, who is on a 7 fight win streak (has not lost since November 2007), moves up 4 spots from [#8] to [#4].  He will face [#6] Antonio Silva in the Heavyweight Grand Prix semi finals.  Werdum, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 2 spot down the ranks from [#3] to [#5].  Perhaps a bout with the loser of the [#10] Josh Barnett vs. [#13] Sergei Kharitonov semi final would be appropriate next for “Vai Cavalo.”

Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Josh Barnett (30 – 5 – 0) defeated Brett Rogers (11 – 3 – 0) by arm-triangle choke at 1:17 of round 2.  Barnett did not play the striking game with Rogers for long, taking him down with a big slam early in the 1st.  He secured mount and worked for submissions from the top.  The 2nd round ended up in the same position following a textbook lateral drop from Barnett which landed him in mount.  Barnett used his submission prowess to apply a tight arm triangle from mount, and as he transitioned to side control, Rogers tapped.  Barnett, who is on a 7 fight win streak (6 by stoppage, 4  by submission), holds his rank at [#10].  He will face [#13] Sergei Kharitonov in the Heavyweight Grand Prix semi finals.  Rogers, who has lost 3 of his last 4 (albeit against top flight competition), drops 4 spot down the ranks from [#14] to [#18].  Rogers needs to get back on the winning track if he is ever to be seen as an elite heavyweight again, and a fight against [#34] Chad Griggs or even [#33] Jeff Monson could be appropriate next steps.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Jorge Masvidal (22 – 6 – 0) defeated K.J. Noons (10 – 4 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Masvidal used a dynamic strategy which was highlighted by range finding jabs, strategic takedowns and vicious knees and kicks.  One head kick nearly ended the fight in the 1st round, sending the bloodied Noons to the canvas.  Noons was saved by the bell, and was able to get back into the fight in round 2.  Though Noons hung tough and never quit, Masvidal won all 3 rounds.  Masvidal, who has back to back wins in Strikeforce (3-2 in his last 5), moves 5 spots up the ranks from[#15] to [#10].  He is the most likely candidate to face Strikeforce lightweight champion [#3] Gilbert Melendez next for the title.  Noons, who is on a 2 fight losing streak (prior to which he had a 6 fight win streak), moves from [#68WW] into the lightweight “Top 500” at [#47].  Noons is still a very good lightweight, but a 3rd loss in a row would be very detrimental to his standing.  Bouts with [#43] Pat Healey or [#60] Lyle Beerbohm would help bring more clarity to the sub-elite tier of the Strikeforce lightweight division.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Daniel Cormier (8 – 0 – 0) defeated Jeff Monson (42 – 12 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Cormier exhibited improved boxing and used kicks liberally to vex the older Monson in what was a 3 round stand up war.  Only when Cormier would effortlessly toss Monson to the mat to shuck off a clinch did either of the opponents end up on the ground at all.  Cormier, who has finished 6 of his 8 opponents (5 by strike based stoppage), jumps 13 spots up the ranks from [#28] to [#15].  He should face the man he was originally supposed to fight before injury struck, [#38] Shane del Rosario.  Monson, who was on an 8 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 12 spots from [#21] to [#33].  There are interesting matches to be made with Monson.  Fights with [#26] Andrei Arlovski or [#46] Mike Kyle at either heavyweight or light heavyweight would be appropriate, depending on what division he wants to fight in.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Chad Griggs (11 – 1 – 0) defeated Valentijn Overeem (29 – 26 – 0) by submission due to punches at 2:08 of round 1.  Griggs was in control from the start, pressing Overeem up against the cage and hitting a lateral drop.  He proceeded to punch out of an americana keylock attempt from Overeem, then pounded Overeem into submission.  Griggs, who is on a 6 fight win streak (all by strike based stoppages), jumps 12 spots up the ranks from [#46] to [#34].  A bout with fellow prospect heavyweight [#38] Shane del Rosario would be excellent in propelling one of the fighters to the next level in the division.  A bout with [#18] Brett Rogers would be an absolute stand up war.  Overeem, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss (all by stoppage under 1:45), plummets 31 spots from [#98] to [#129].  Other than a fight with [#33] Jeff Monson, there aren’t many bouts that would not have a high possibility of Overeem giving up and submitting to strikes in the end.
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BAMMA USA – Badbeat 2
June 11, 2011
Commerce Casino,
Commerce, California, United States

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

WEC veteran Chad George (12 – 6 – 0) defeated Bobby Sanchez (6 – 14 – 0) by submission due to an arm triangle choke at 2:32 of round 1.  George, who stopped a 2 fight slide which occurred in WEC with this win, drops 2 spots down the ranks from [#93] to [#95].  Sanchez, who is on a 6 fight losing streak (5 by 1st round choke based submissions), remains unranked.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Dominique Robinson (7 – 4 – 0) defeated Dionisio Ramirez (3 – 2 – 0) by split decision.  Robinson, who is on a 3 fight win streak, drops 5 spots down the ranks from [#99] to [#104].  Ramirez, who had back to back wins prior to this loss, remains unranked.

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Bellator vet Georgi Karakhanyan (16 – 3 – 1) defeated Vince Ortiz (7 – 6 – 0) by submission due to a rear-naked choke at 2:01 of round 1.  Karakhanyan, who has scored back to back 1st round choke based submission wins, holds his rank at [#61]. Ortiz, who is on a 3 fight losing streak (preceded by a 7 fight win streak), remains unranked.
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Maximum Fighting Championships 30 – Unplugged 4: Up Close and Personal
June 10, 2011
Mayfield Inn Trade and Conference Centre,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Lightweight (155 lbs)

UFC veteran Brian Cobb (19 – 6 – 0) defeated fellow UFC vet Drew Fickett (41 – 14 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 4:44 of round 1.  Cobb, who is on a 4 fight win streak (3 by stoppage), bounds 9 spots up the ranks from [#18] to [#9].  Fickett, who was on a 5 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 13 spots down the ranks from [#34] to [#47].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

In a rematch from UFC 69, Marcus Davis (19 – 9 – 0) defeated Pete Spratt (22 – 20 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Davis, who has won 2 decisions in a row since being released from the UFC, moves from [#54LW] into the welterweight “Top 500” at [#67].  Spratt, who is 1-3 in his last 4, drops 2 spots down the ranks from [#157] to [#159].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Sheldon Wescott (5 – 1 – 1) defeated Thomas Denny (27 – 19 – 1) by unanimous decision.  Wescott, whose last fight was a draw with Thomas Denny, rockets 100 spots up the ranks from [#290] to [#190].  Denny, who is 1-3-1 in his last 5, plunges 105 spots down the ranks from [#295] to [#400].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Dhiego Lima (6 – 0 – 0) defeated Jamie Toney (14 – 7 – 0) by KO due to punches at 2:47 of round 1.  Lima, who has finished all 6 of his opponents (4 by submission), surges 221 spots up the ranks from [#351] to [#130].  Toney, who had won 6 in a row (excluding 1 No Contest) prior to this bout, plummets 105 spots down the ranks from [#159] to [#307].
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UFC 131 – Dos Santos vs. Carwin
June 11, 2011
Rogers Arena,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Junior Dos Santos (13 – 1 – 0) defeated Shane Carwin (12 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Dos Santos battered his opponent for the better part of 3 rounds, but Carwin showed tremendous heart by battling on and never quitting.  By the end of the fight, Carwin’s face was covered with a crimson sheen of blood and his nose was broken.  Dos Santos, who is on an 8 fight win streak (6 by stoppage), holds his rank at [#4].  He will face champion [#1] Cain Velasquez for the heavyweight title.  Carwin, who has lost 2 in a row, drops 1 spot down the ranks from [#6] to [#7].  Carwin needs to win his next bout to stay relevant at the top of the heavyweight division, and should look to face either a hard nosed up and comer like the iron jawed [#15] Mike Russow or the winner of the [#16] Cheick Kongo vs. [#43] Pat Barry fight at UFC live 4 on June 26th.

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Kenny Florian (14 – 5 – 0) made a successful transition to 145 lbs and defeated Diego Nunes (16 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Nunes came out strong in the 1st, dropping Florian in the closing seconds of the 1st round.  Florian controlled much of the next two rounds, using his range and size to punish Nunes on the feet and on the floor.  Nunes, who looked very fatigued by the end of the 2nd round, stunned Florian again at the close of the 3rd round.  It was too little, too late in the eyes of the judges.  Florian, who is 3-2 in his last 5 (all at 155 lbs), moves from [#8LW] into the featherweight “Top 250” at [#2].  Dana White has said that Florian will most likely be the next opponent for featherweight champion [#1] Jose Aldo.  Nunes, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 2 spots down the ranks from [#12] to [#14].  Despite the loss, Nunes is still a promising prospect who should look to face another game opponent in [#13] Mark Hominick which would surely produce fireworks on the feet.

Middleweight (185 lbs)

Mark Munoz (11 – 2 – 0) defeated Demian Maia (14 – 3 – 0) by unanimous decision.  This closely contested match showed much improved stand up from Maia and vicious ground and pound from Munoz.  Maia wobbled Munoz in the 1st with a left behind the ear, but Munoz gained control in the 2nd with combinations on the feet and ground and pound.  The 3rd was very close, but the judges had it for Munoz in the end.  Munoz, who is 6-2 in the UFC (and on a 3 fight win streak), jumps 10 spots up the ranks from [#18] and into the Top Ten at [#8].  He should look to face [#6] Brian Stann (also on a 3 fight win streak), who laid waste to [#11] Jorge Santiago two weeks ago at UFC 130.  Maia, who is 3-3 in his last 6 (never losing 2 in a row), drops 4 spots down the ranks from [#8] to [#12].  Maia will be looking to get back on the winning track, and he could face [#11] Jorge Santiago to try and accomplish this feat.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)

Dave Herman (21 – 2 – 0) defeated Jon Olav Einemo  (6 – 2 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 3:19 of round 2.  Herman and Einemo threw caution to the wind in this wild affair that earned both fighters “Fight of the Night” honors as well as a cool 70K each.  Herman incurred damage on the feet in the 1st round while using knees to the head from the clinch to answer his Norwegian foe.  The 2nd round was action packed, with Herman taking a stunning knee to the face from Einemo only to answer with a knee and a left hook of his own that sent Einemo to the mat.  Shortly after action returned to the feet, Herman TKOed his man.  Herman, who is on a 3 fight win streak (6-1 in his last 7), holds his rank at [#23].  Herman should face [#22] Travis Browne next to see which man will come closer to the top tier of the division.  Einemo, who had not fought since late 2006, remains unranked.  Einemo looked like he had many weapons in his arsenal despite losing tonight.  Battles with [#49] Stefan Struve or [#55] Rob Brougton would be perfect for a European UFC card.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Donald Cerrone (15 – 3 – 0) defeated Vagner Rocha (6 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Cerrone used low kicks to nearly cripple Rocha (who was a late replacement for [#30] Mac Danzig), who could offer nothing more than errant right hands and failed takedown attempts.  By the end of the fight, Rocha could barely put weight on his left leg without wincing.  Cerrone, who is on a 4 fight win streak, moves up 1 spot from [#22] to [#21].  A bout next with [#18] Jeremy Stephens would most likely be a barn-burner.  Rocha, who is 1-2 in his last 3, drops 1 spot down the ranks from [#417] to [#418].  If Rocha stays around (which he may based on the fact that UFC praises late replacements) he could face fellow jiu jitsu ace [#398] Kyle Watson on a “Fight Night” undercard.

SPIKE TV Preliminary Bouts

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Sam Stout (17 – 6 – 1) defeated Yves Edwards (40 – 17 – 1) by KO due to a punch at 3:52 of round 1.  Stout waded through Edwards’ punches and landed a counter left hook that left his opponent out cold on the mat.  Edwards did not regain consciousness for a couple of minutes following the brutal KO.  Stout, who is 4-1 in his last 5, jets 30 spots up the ranks from [#44] to [#14].  [#16] Gleison Tibau would pose a poor style match up for Stout in his next bout, while a fight with [#21] Donald Cerrone would produce a stand up war.  Edwards, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops 19 spots down the ranks from [#16] to [#35].  Edwards could face [#30] Mac Danzig in his next fight, which would test the fighters on the ground and the feet.

Middleweight (185 lbs)

Chris Weidman (6 – 0 – 0) defeated Jesse Bongfeldt (40 – 17 – 1) by submission due to guillotine choke at 4:54 of round 1.  Weidman scored the early takedown and tried to secure a kimura from side control.  Bongfeldt returned to his feet following scramble and went for a takedown of his own off a knee to the body from Weidman.  Weidman applied a textbook guilltone choke and forced the submission seconds before the end of the round.  Weidman, who has finished in 4 of his 6 fights, moves 1 spot up the ranks from [#22] to [#21].  Weidman could face fellow winner on the card [#26] Nick Ring for his next test.  Bongfeldt, who was on a 7 fight win streak prior to going 0-1-1 in his last 2 (both inside the UFC), drops 10 spots down the ranks from [#104] to [#114].  Bongfeldt needs to procure his first win in the UFC if he wishes to stick around, so a match with fellow loser on the night [#87] James Head could be appropriate.
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Cage Fighting Championship 17
June 3, 2011
Southport Sharks Function Centre,
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

CFC Lightweight Title

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Bernardo Magalhaes (11 – 1 – 0) defeated Robert Lisita (5 – 3 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Magalhaes, who is on a 5 fight win streak, bounds 42 spots up the ranks from [#208] to [#166].  Previously ranked [#448WW] Lisita, who was on a 4 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops off the ranks.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Adrian Pang (18 – 7 – 3) fought to a draw against Muhsin Corbbrey (9 – 6 – 1).  Pang, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this draw, drops 13 spots down the ranks from [#170] to [#183].  Corbbrey, who is 1-3-1 in his last 5, enters the lightweight “Top 500” at [#400].
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UFC – The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale
June 4, 2011
Palms Casino Resort,
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Final

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Tony Ferguson (11 – 2 – 0) defeated Ramsey Nijem (4 – 2 – 0) by KO due punches at 3:54 of round 1.  Ferguson, who is on a 4 fight win streak (all by (T)KO), jumps 17 spots up the ranks from [#114] to [#97].  Ferguson should face someone next who can test his ground acumen, and [#73] Carlos Eduardo Rocha would do that in spades.  Nijem, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, moves from [#273LW] into the welterweight “Top 500” at [#397].  A bout with [#339] Ryan McGillivray or [#243] Justin Edwards would gauge who deserves another shot and who should probably be cut.

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Clay Guida (29 – 11 – 0) defeated  former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (13 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Guida, who is on a strong 4 fight win streak, moves 1 spot up the ranks from [#7] to [#6].  Guida stands on the precipice of a title shot, and should face the winner of [#7] Jim Miller vs. [#21] Ben Henderson to see who will earn the privilege.  Pettis, who was on a 4 fight win streak prior to this loss, moves 4 spots down from [#16] to [#20].  Should [#23] Donald Cerrone defeat [#571] Vagner Rocha, Pettis and Cerrone should face each other in what would be a guaranteed action bout.

Middleweight (185 lbs)

“Ultimate Fighter season 3” finalist Ed Herman (22 – 9 – 0) defeated “Ultimate Fighter season 7” alum Tim Credeur (12 – 4 – 0) by TKO due to punches at 0:48 of round 1.  Herman, who had not fought in nearly 2 years, enters the middleweight “Top 350” at [#55].  A bout between Herman and [#33] Tim Boetsch would send the winner upward towards the top tier of the middleweight division.  Another route that could be taken would pit Herman against [#52] Kendall Grove in a rematch from the “Ultimate Fighter 3” Finale back in June of 2006.  Both fighters are in a different spot than they were at that time, and it would be interesting to see if the bout played out the same way.  Credeur, who had not fought in nearly 2 years as well (0-2 in his last 2), enters the middleweight “Top 350” at [#186].  He could face the loser of the upcoming match between [#40] Aaron Simpson and [#190] Brad Tavares.

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs)

“Ultimate Fighter season 8” alumnus Kyle Kingsbury (11 – 2 – 0) defeated Fabio Maldonado (18 – 4 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Kingsbury, who is on a 4 fight win streak, moves 8 spots up the ranks from [#44] to [#36].  He should look to face the winner of [#48] Krzysztof Soszynski vs. [#125MW] Mike Massenzio, which will take place this saturday at UFC 131.  If Soszynski wins, it would create an “Ultimate Fighter season 8” rematch.  Kingsbury is greatly improved from when he was on the show, and could prove the foil to Soszynski this time around.  Maldonado, who was on an 11 fight win streak prior to this loss, moves 8 spots down from [#51] to [#59].  He should face [#29] Brandon Vera, who was brought back into the UFC after his loss to [#13] Thiago Silva was ruled a “No Contest.”  One more loss for Vera would surely send him packing this time.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Chris Cope (5 – 1 – 0) defeated Chuck O’Neil (8 – 4 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Cope, who has won 2 in a row, rockets 179 spots up the ranks from [#440] to [#261].  Cope could face fellow victor and “Ultimate Fighter 13” participant [#240] Clay Harvison next.   Previously ranked [#298] O’Neil, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, drops off the rankings.  O’Neil could face either [#339] Ryan McGillivray or [#243] Justin Edwards, if any of these 3 stick around.

Preliminary Bouts

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Jeremy Stephens  (20 – 6 – 0) defeated Daniel Downes (8 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Stephens, who is 4-1 in his last 5, moves 6 spots up the ranks from [#25] to [#19].  He should face [#16] Yves Edwards, should he get past [#44] Sam Stout this Saturday at UFC 131.  Stephens vs. [#17] Sean Sherk would also be a worthwhile match to make.   Downes, who is 2-2 in his last 4, moves 4 spots up from [#150] to [#146].  He should face the loser of [#61] Joe Lauzon vs. [#132] Curt Warburton next.

Featherweight (145 lbs)

George Roop  (12 – 7 – 1) defeated Josh Grispi (14 – 3 – 0) by KO due to a punch to the body at 3:14 of round 3.  Roop, who is 2-2-1 in his last 5, bounds 32 spots up the ranks from [#57] to [#25].  It would be interesting to see a battle of 2 of the tallest bantamweights in the UFC between Roop and [#41] Pablo Garza next.  Grispi, whose considerable hype has been derailed by back to back losses, drops 18 spots from [#26] to [#44].  His next fight is an absolute must win if he is to salvage any of the momentum he had built up.  He should look to face someone like [#38] Raphael Assuncao in his next bout.

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Shamar Bailey  (12 – 3 – 0) defeated Ryan McGillivray (11 – 5 – 1) by unanimous decision.  Bailey, who broke a 2 fight losing streak with this bout, flies 173 spots up the ranks from [#377] to [#204].  McGilivray, who was 3-0-1 in his last 4 prior to this loss (all by submission), plummets 123 spots from [#216] to [#339].

Welterweight (170 lbs)

Clay Harvison  (7 – 1 – 0) defeated Justin Edwards (6 – 1 – 0) by split decision.  Harvison, who is on a 3 fight win streak, jets 110 spots up the ranks from [#350] to [#240].  Edwards, who has won 4 of his 6 victories via guillotine choke, plunges 60 spots from [#183] to [#243].

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Scott Jorgensen (12 – 4 – 0) defeated Ken Stone (9 – 3 – 0) by KO due to punches at 4:01 of round 1.  Jorgensen, who is 6-1 in his last 7, moves 1 spot up the ranks from [#11] to [#10].  Stone, who is 1-3 in his last 4, moves up 2 spots from [#140] to [#138].

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Reuben Duran (8 – 3 – 1) defeated Francisco Rivera (5 – 2 – 0) by submission due to rear naked choke at 1:57 of round 3.  Duran, who is 5-1 in his last 6, moves 11 spot up the ranks from [#53] to [#42].  Rivera, who is on a 2 fight losing streak, remains unranked.

Dream – Fight for Japan
May 29, 2011
Saitama Super Arena,
Saitama, Japan

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Masakazu Imanari (23 – 8 – 2) defeated Kenji Osawa (17 – 10 – 2) by submission due to an achilles lock at 0:58 of round 2.  Imanari, who is on a 2 fight win streak (7-1 in his last 8), moves 10 spots up the ranks from [#15] to [#5].  Osawa, who is 4-2 in his last 6, jumps 13 spots up the ranks from [#38] to [#25].

Bantamweight (135 lbs)

Hideo Tokoro (29 – 23 – 1) defeated Atsushi Yamamoto (15 – 7 – 2) by split decision. Tokoro, who is on a 3 fight win streak, moves from [#55FW] into the bantamweight “Top 150” at [#7].  Yamamoto, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss (and had not fought in 1 1/2 years prior to this night), enters the bantamweight “Top 150” at [#15].

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Shinya Aoki (28 – 5 – 0) defeated Rich Clementi (40 – 20 – 1) by submission due to face lock at 2:17 of round 2. Aoki, who is on a 5 fight win streak (4 by submission), holds his ranking at [#4].  Clementi, who is on a 2 fight losing streak (1-3 in his last 4), drops 1 spot from [#196] to [#197].

Lightweight (155 lbs)

Katsunori Kikuno (15 – 3 – 2) defeated Daisuke Nakamura (23 – 13 – 0) by unanimous decision. Kikuno, who has won back to back decisions (3-1 in his last 4), moves 6 spots up the ranks from [#29] to [#23].  Nakamura, who was on a 3 fight winning streak prior to this loss, drops 16 spots from [#87] to [#103].
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Battlefield Fight League 8
May 28, 2011
Frank Crane Arena,
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

Middleweight (185 lbs)

“Ultimate Fighter season 7” alum Jesse Taylor (19 – 6 – 0) defeated UFC and Pride vet Denis Kang (34 – 13 – 2) by submission due to rear naked choke at 1:57 of round 1.  Taylor, who is on a 5 fight win streak, moves from [#30LHW] into the middleweight “Top 350” at [#15].  Kang, who is 2-2-1 in his last 5, drops 8 spots from [#21] to [#29].

Featherweight (145 lbs)

Graham Spencer (7 – 1 – 0) defeated Bruno Capdeville (3 – 2 – 0) by unanimous decision.  Spencer, who on a 2 fight win streak, enters the featherweight “Top 250” at [#206].  Capdeville, who was on a 3 fight win streak prior to this loss, remains unranked.
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In the last pre-taped episode, the two semi-final fights took place.   Team Dos Santos’ Ramsey Nijem defeated Team Lesnar’s Chris Cope with a TKO in the second round.  In a matchup between two Team Lesnar’s teammates, Anthony Ferguson stopped Chuck O’Neil with a TKO in the third round.

The live finale will take place on Saturday, with Team Lesnar’s Anthony Ferguson taking on Team Dos Santos’ Ramsey Nijem.

The final win tally is 6 Team Dos Santos, 7 Team Lesnar in head-to-head matchups.

Interestingly, the higher ranked fighter won every matchup this season except two: Chris Cope’s upset win over Shamar Bailey, and the first fight between Zachary Davis and Chuck O’Neil.

The following matchups have been announced for the finale:

[#114 WW] Anthony Fergusson (pre-season ranking: #113 WW) vs [#273 LW] Ramsey Nijem (pre-season ranking: #247 LW)

[#440 WW] Chris Cope (pre-season ranking: #441 WW) vs [#298 WW] Chuck O’Neil (pre-season ranking: #289 WW)

[#183 WW] Justin Edwards (pre-season ranking: #182 WW) vs [#350 WW] Clay Harvison (pre-season ranking: #387 WW)

[#377 WW] Shamar Bailey  (pre-season ranking: #364 WW) vs [#216 WW] Ryan McGillivray (pre-season ranking: #200 WW)

Keep reading for the final recap of this season:

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