Fightin' Words

By Joe Fernandez

Wow.

First, I want thank everyone for their comments to my last blog. It just goes to show you that mixed martial arts is fighting its way into the mainstream because of its great fanbase. I appreciate the feedback, and I respect your points.

Now to answer some questions. I've been reading the comments and I think I stirred up a bit of controversy by picking Couture to win in the next UFC event.

I said that Couture will fail in his takedown attempts against Sylvia in the first three rounds, and I mentioned that he will win by TKO in the fourth. I realize his age, but that's the round I think that Couture's conditioning will take over. I know he's had trouble with heavyweights in the past, but in the year of Rocky Balboa I gotta go with the older fighter with the big heart. Sorry. Couture will take jab after jab from Sylvia and finally get his big takedown in the fourth and win the match.

I know the MacDonald pick wasn't the most popular one either, but I think that he's on his way up the UFC ladder and I won't believe that Franklin has recovered from the Silva fight till I see him back to Rich Franklin form. (I realize he hasn't had a match since). Either way, that should be a great match.

The reason I didn't attempt to predict the Drew McFedries/Martin Kampmann match, truthfully, was I've only seen McFedries fight once. Usually, if I've only seen a guy fight once I don't think I know enough about the fighter, even though he did have an impressive TKO victory against Alessio Sakara in the first round at UFC 65. Kampmann is 2-0 in the UFC, his last win was against Thales Leites last November. Ok, I'll make a pick anyway: McFedries wins by TKO in the second round.

Someone asked a question about Heath Herring. Will he return to the way he fought during his PRIDE days?

I don't see why not. Look, even Quinton "Rampage" Jackson admitted to being nervous for his first fight in the UFC. I think that's what happened with Herring. He's 26-12-1, I think he'll settle in and give everyone a better show against Brad Imes at UFC 69.

Once again, thanks for reading.

By Joe Fernandez

Not for nothing, but I somehow stumbled into a 9-3 record when it comes to picking the winners for the last two UFC cards.

I know...I'm getting the certificate framed this weekend.

But seriously...UFC 68 is just over a week away.

So here are some predictions for the top fights on the card. Feel free to add your picks to the comments page. Thanks for reading.

Tim Sylvia vs. Randy Couture (Heavyweight championship)

It's tough to call Randy Couture an underdog, but for this fight, he is.

Couture is 43 years old, and is giving six inches in height and about 25-30 pounds in weight to the 30-year-old champion. Obviously, with reach a factor, Couture needs to utilize his wrestling and in Couture's words "get underneath his hands" to be effective. Sylvia has to keep his distance, and keep improving on that solid takedown defense he showed against Jeff Monson during his last title defense.

Call me sentimental, but after three rounds of failed single and double-leg takedown attempts, I say Couture's superior wrestling and Rocky-type heart earn him a referee stoppage win in the fourth round. At 43, maybe Couture DOES have something "left in the basement?"

Chris Lytle vs. Matt Hughes (Welterweight)

This one depends on one thing.

Are we going to see stand-up fighter Matt Hughes? The one who lost the welterweight championship to Georges St. Pierre at UFC 65 last November. The one that tries to go strike-for-strike.

If so, Lytle has a shot.

If Ground-and-pound/hope-he-doesn't-make-weight Matt Hughes shows up, there's no one at 170 that can beat him.

People forget so quickly how Hughes dominated this weight class since 2001. I didn't.
Nothing against Lytle, he's a good fighter, but Hughes is future Hall-of-famer. If Lytle survives the first round, Hughes earns the TKO early in the second, making that Hughes/St. Pierre III fight all the more interesting.

Rich Franklin vs. Jason MacDonald (Middleweight)

Has Franklin recovered from his last fight? -- That's the question.

We're talking about a fighter that was 7-0 in the UFC before that Anderson Silva fight. A fighter that had a 22-1 overall mixed martial arts record before that fight. It will be interesting to see his resiliency after that Silva beating, but the Cincinnati native will have the "home-cage" advantage if that's even a phrase.

MacDonald has two impressive wins in the UFC, one against Ed Herman and one against Chris Leben. His star might be ascending. He fights confidently, and has a nice arsenal of submissions.

Could this be the night of the comeback? (Couture, Hughes, Franklin)

Almost. MacDonald with an armbar submission win in the second round.

Jason Lambert vs. Renato Sobral (Light-heavyweight)

I always enjoy watching Sobral fight because he's always looking for submissions. Sobral was knocked out by Liddell in his last fight, but there are plenty of light-heavyweights that you can fit into that sentence. Liddell is Liddell.

Lambert lost to Rashad Evans last September, but was 3-0 in the UFC before that. I say Sobral catches Lambert in an uncomfortable heel hook in the third round and earns the submission victory.

By Joe Fernandez

Fox Sports Net will debut its International Fight League coverage this week.

FSN's first IFL show will be 11 p.m this Friday, and will show one a week for a total of 22 episodes. The first episode will be from the Jan. 19 Oakland show that featured the Tiger Sharks vs. the Condors.

The bouts included:

Lightweight/155 lbs.: Shad Lierley (Tiger Sharks) vs. Adam Lynn (Condors)
Heavyweight/265 lbs.: Curtis Crawford (Tiger Sharks) vs. Antoine Jaoude (Condors)
Lightweight/155 lbs.: Tristan Wit (Tiger Sharks) vs. Danny Suarez (Condors)
Middleweight/185 lbs.: Bristol Marunde (Tiger Sharks) vs. Jeremy Williams (Condors)
Light-heavyweight/205 lbs.: Reese Andy (Tiger Sharks) vs. Justin Levens (Condors)

"Getting a more consistent schedule across the country in terms of both day and time was an important next step in our growth and we are glad to be able to continue to grow our FSN relationship," IFL Commissioner Kurt Otto said via email. "This schedule allows fans to better plan their viewing schedule and to know that they can usually see IFL action on Friday night every week."

Here is FSN's IFL schedule through April, according to an IFL press release:

February 23: Condors vs. Tiger Sharks (Original show: Oakland, Jan. 19)
March 2: Lions vs. Razorclaws (Oakland, Jan. 19)
March 9: Scorpions vs. Sabres (Houston, Feb. 2)
March 16: Anacondas vs. Silverbacks (Houston, Feb. 2)
March 23: Dragons vs. Wolfpack (Atlanta, Feb. 23)
March 30: Pitbulls vs. Red Bears (Atlanta, Feb. 23)
April 6: Condors vs. Sabres (Los Angeles, March 17)
April 13: Wolfpack vs. Pitbulls (Uncasville, Conn., April 13)
April 20: Anacondas vs. Razorclaws (Los Angeles, March 17)
April 27: Dragons vs. Scorpions (Uncasville, Conn., April 13)

Not only will the IFL be seen on FSN, but the team-based mixed martial arts league will also be shown on MyNetworkTV, which in New York would be WWOR-9. MyNetworkTV episodes begin Monday, March 12.

"We are very excited that this schedule, along with our MyNetworkTV show in prime time on Monday nights, will continue to showcase our coaches and athletes and help both the IFL and Mixed Martial Arts gain a stronger footing in the sports landscape," Otto said via email.

By Joe Fernandez

Around Long Island, Jay Hieron was probably best known for being an All-American wrestler for Freeport High School and a national champion at Nassau Community College, but nowadays he's making a name for himself in the world of mixed martial arts.
(Hieron photo courtesy of the IFL)

Hieron has compiled a 12-2 mixed martial arts record and is now with the International Fight League. But the Anaconda team member owes much of his start in MMA to fellow Long Islander and mixed martial artist Phil Baroni.

"We wrestled together all through high school and college," Hieron said. "We went to different high schools, but we represented Nassau upstate [for the state championships] and we were good friends. We went to Nassau [CC] together and went to Hofstra together...He needed help training for one of his fights for the UFC, and he called me to come down and wrestle. A year or two later, I flew out to Las Vegas to help him train for another fight. [Mixed martial arts] was real big and I fell in love with it like I did with wrestling."

Now Hieron lives with his wife in Las Vegas and trains and teaches at Extreme Couture MMA, one of the gym's owned by mixed martial arts legend Randy Couture. Besides training with Couture, Hieron has the advantage of working with Anaconda coach and mixed martial arts great Bas Rutten.

"Those dudes are legends," Hieron said. "And they walk around like regular people -- they're humble."

Hieron, who won his IFL debut in June, will fight next on March 17 when the Anacondas meet the Razorclaws.

"I don't know my opponent yet, but I'm sure it'll be tough," Hieron said. "And I'm ready for whoever they put in front of me...I'm in a great state of mind. I feel blessed. I got God in my life. I got a great woman. I couldn't ask for anything better right now."

By Joe Fernandez

Elite XC, a new mixed martial arts company, debuted on Showtime on Saturday with the fight card ending in controversy.

The main event, which pitted Frank Shamrock against Renzo Gracie, ended after Shamrock was disqualified for landing two illegal shots in the second round. After Gracie took Shamrock down to the ground and had him in side control, Shamrock, from his back, threw two knees that hit Gracie in the back of the neck. The fight was then stopped by referee Herb Dean, and Gracie was given five minutes to see if he could recover. It was ruled by Dean that the illegal knees were intentional, therefore Gracie was awarded the victory by disqualification.

Even as Gracie was being carried away, the unremorseful Shamrock, who kept getting taken to the ground but obviously didn't want to be there, repeated: "I came here to fight."

Elite XC had a decent night, highlighted by the Gina Carano-Julie Kedzie fight, which was a good fight that Carano won by decision. But the post-fight interviews, with the exception of the Carano-Kedzie fight, were way too long, and I didn't like the fact that they interviewed Dean immediately after the main event. A ref's job is difficult enough, don't put them on the spot like that.

By Joe Fernandez

Ladies of mixed martial arts -- Your time is now.

"Fatal Femmes Fighting," a women-only mixed martial arts event will take place on Feb. 17 at the Japan America Theater in Los Angeles.

The main event will include Lisa Ward (U.S.) against Japan's Masako Yoshida. There will be eight fights in total with lightweight, flyweight and middleweight competitors.

Already signed as a color commentator is "High Stakes Poker" host and former Newsday writer A.J. Benza.

"When I got the call, I was in shock," Benza said. "Don't get me wrong, I've followed mixed martial arts for years. My knowledge of women's mixed martial arts isn't as extensive as my knowledge of pizza, but I'm looking forward to this experience."

Rumor has it that FFF is attempting to get Elite XC fighter and MSNBC's "Warrior Nation" star Gina Carano to call the fight with Benza, but that has not been confirmed yet.

Here are some UFC 67 photos courtesy of the Associated Press and Getty Images.

By Joe Fernandez

At least we know it's official now.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 4 Welterweight winner Matt Serra will finally get his title shot at Georges St. Pierre on April 7 in Houston, Texas at UFC 69.

The fight, which was originally scheduled for this month at UFC 67, was postponed after St. Pierre injured his knee while training.

St. Pierre earned the title last November after he defeated Matt Hughes by TKO at UFC 65.

The other fights which are already set are undefeated Diego Sanchez against Josh Koscheck and Serra's Brazilian jiu-jitsu student and fellow Long Islander Pete Sell vs. Thales Leites.

By Joe Fernandez

Since the UFC signing free-agent fighters Mirko Cro Cop and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is like the Yankees signing David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez away from the Red Sox, let's talk about Cro Cop and Rampage's UFC debuts first.
(Jackson fights against Eastman -- Getty Images)
Rampage admitted after the fight to having some UFC jitters, but that didn't stop him from notching a second round TKO against Marvin Eastman Saturday night at UFC 67. Jackson appeared very humble after the fight. Heck, he even invited Chuck Liddell to his after-party in Vegas. Some say that Jackson wants another tune-up before he fights Liddell for the Light heavyweight championship. I say, UFC 70...come on, UFC, make it happen.

Remember those old nature shows where the lion would eyeball an animal and slowly corner it? Well, Mirko Cro Cop had that look Saturday night. He cut off the ring, cornered and methodically picked apart the less experienced Eddie Sanchez, earning the first round TKO win.
("Cro Cop" earns the win against Sanchez -- AP Photo)
I give Sanchez a lot of credit for showing a lot of heart, in his SECOND UFC fight, and mixing it up with arguably the most elite striker in the world. But why couldn't a more seasoned heavyweight been used for this fight? I really would've liked to see Brandon Vera fight Saturday night. Cro Cop is on another planet when we talk about striking, but at least Vera is very well versed in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Maybe Vera could've tied him up. Either way, I think Cro Cop will probably see the winner of the Randy Couture/Tim Sylvia match.

The main event was a bit soured before the two fighters even made it to the Octagon. It was a shame that Travis Lutter didn't make his weight. But a professional fighter has months to make his weight. They mentioned on the broadcast Saturday that Lutter doesn't have a manager, but I'm pretty sure he has a scale -- You gotta lose the LBs.
(Silva submits Lutter with a triangle -- AP Photo)
I was really looking forward to this fight. I really thought Lutter had a shot. Yes, Silva caught him in a triangle in the second round and earned the tap, but Lutter looked defeated and probably was dehydrated as he was entering the Octagon from attempting to drop that extra weight in such a short time. I want to see Lutter rebound from this. If 185 is too low for him, stay healthy at 205, there's another nasty striker there for ya: Mr. Chuck Liddell.

I thought the Patrick Cote/Scott Smith fight had a chance to be exciting for the striking fans out there, but no dice. They both looked like they were trying not to lose instead of trying to win. Cote did look like he picked up a couple extra leg kicks from training partner and fellow Canadian and UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre. Cote escaped with the unanimous decision victory.

What was maybe the best fight of the night was shown after the main event: The Tyson Griffin/Frank Edgar match. Both fighters were undefeated in MMA and both fighters fought like they absolutely wanted to stay that way. There were submission attempts, near finishes and three rounds of non-stop mixed martial arts. Edgar earned the decision victory, but Griffin nearly stole the victory in the last few seconds with a phenomenal knee bar attempt (For those who don't know what it looks like, it's like an armbar but picture that on your knee: Ouch!). Edgar HAD to be in pain, but did not give up and earned the win.

By Joe Fernandez

Now we definitely won't see a title changing hands.
Silva, left, and Lutter weigh in on Friday (UFC Photo by Josh Hedges)
The Ultimate Fighter Season 4 Middleweight winner Travis Lutter failed two opportunities to make weight Friday at the UFC 67 weigh-ins, and will not have a chance to earn the title tonight.
Lutter, who originally weighed in at 187 pounds, was given two hours to make the required 185, but ended up at 186.5. According to UFC.com, his fight with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will now be a three-round, non-title match instead of five rounds, which all UFC title fights are.

All other scheduled fighters for tonight's card made their respective weights.