UFC 105 Matchup Breakdown

As we get closer to the main card we take a look at the welterweights Paul Taylor Vs. John Hathaway.

Paul Taylor is 29 years old Brit who stands 6 foot even and fights with a record of 10-4-1-1. Paul is a former WPKC kickboxing champion, Paul got into mma when a freind needed a sparring partner. Paul eventually made the full time switch and now trains at Team Supreme MMA. Paul sent a DVD of his fights to the UFC and they signed him immediately. Paul has gone 3-3 in the UFC, in all 3 of his losses he won Fight of the Night honors. His losses in the UFC are to Marcus Davis, Chris Lytle, and the memorable war with Paul Kelly. He does hold two wins over Jess Liaudin. Paul is a very exciting fighter and will be looking for his fourth Fight of the Night victory over John Hathaway

John Hathaway is 6'1" and fights with a record of 11-0. John was formally a flanker for his local rugby team, he decided to make the switch to mma after seeing the UFC on T.V.. John currently trains with the London Shootofighters gym but has also trained at American Top Team and 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu. After ending four fights in a row in the first round the UFC offered him a four fight contract, John has won two of those fights so far over Tomas Egan and Rick Story. John will try to keep his undeafeted record in tact as he takes on the relentless Paul Taylor.

UFC 105 Matchup Breakdown

The fourth fight on the cards prelims will be a welterweight fight between Nick Osipczak Vs. Matt Riddle, kind of mirror images of each other. As is the case with almost half of the fighters on this card, these two are former Ultimate Fighter contestants.

Nick Osipczak is 24 years old stand 6'2" and fights with a record of 4-0. Nick trains with Andre Winner at team Roughhouse, Nick also appeared on the Ultimate Fighter Team U.K. Vs. Team U.S.A. losing the fight to go to the welterweight finals. Nick attended Loghborough University, while there he tool Kung-Fu classes in his spare time, he graduated with a degree in mathematics, accounting, and financial management. He then became a professional gambler (naturally with that degree;) he never considered mma until he watched UFC Ultimate Knockouts and began training full time at Jess Liaudin's London Pancrase. Nick practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Sanshou, which is the Chinese Kung-Fu's version of Vale Tudo. With only three professional fights this young gun has a lot of room to grow, and round out his skill set to become a force in the UFC welterweight division.

Matthew "Chipper" Riddle is 23 years old stands 6'1" and fights with a record of 3-0. Matt is a former High School wrestling national champion. After high school he worked as a roofer and would train on his Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in the evenings. Because he did not have money to pay a gym he trained in his apartment reading B.J. Penn's book MMA The Book of Knowledge. Matt is now a purple belt in Bjj. Matt received a shot at the Ultimate Fighter season 7 getting into the house with one of the sickest knockouts in mma history over Dan Simmler.(a must see fight!) After making his way on the show Rampage Jackson nicknamed him Chipper because he was always smiling even while getting beat on in practice. Chipper made an impression on the UFC with his willingness to learn and natural talent for such a young aged man. Randy Couture invited Chipper to train full time at Xtreme Couture seeing the potential in him.

UFC 105 Matchup Breakdown

Two UFC veterans square off on the third fight of the card. The always entertaining lightweight Paul Kelly will be fighting Denis Siver .

Paul "Tellys" Kelly is 25 years old stand 5' 9" and weighs in at 155 lbs. fighting with a record of 9-1. Paul fights out of the Wolfslair in Liverpool, England with Micheal Bisping. Paul's first fight in the UFC was at middleweight (185 lbs.) against fellow Brit Paul Taylor, that fight won the Fight of the Night award and was ranked in the top 100 fights in UFC history by the fans. Paul dropped down a weight class and lost to Marcus Davis, the only loss of his career, after winning his next fight at welterweight (170 lbs.) he dropped again to 155 lbs. He is going for his third win in a row try and move up the lightweight division ladder.

Denis Siver is 30 years old stands 5'7" and fights with a record of 14-6. The German is on his second stint with the UFC, the first time around he went 1-3 with losses to Jess Liaudin, Melvin Guillard, and Gray Maynard. After a short break from the UFC he is on a three fight win streak with the last two in the UFC over Dale Hartt and Nate Mohr. Denis is a kick boxer, but with over half of his wins by submission he does have some skill on the ground. All though he has been submitted 4 out of his 6 losses. Denis is hungry to prove his first stint in the UFC was a fluke and that he has the skills necessary to stay in the UFC.

UFC 105 Matchup Breakdown

The second fight on the Prelim card is Swede Alexander Gustafsson Vs. American Jared Hamman in the shark tank called the UFC Light-heavy weight division. Both fighters will be making their debuts under the big lights of the UFC.

Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson is 22 years old stands 6'5" and weighs in at 205 lbs., he fights with an undefeated record of 8-0, 6 of those wins by TKO. He is known for his boxing, his precision striking and power should give him an edge in any stand up situations. He trains in Sweden with Team Gladius MMA and holds a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jistsu under August Wallen. He is able to keep most opponents at bay with his reach and height advantage. The question will be if he is ready to lead the Scandinavian invasion into the UFC, and if the training and opponents he fought in Sweden are on a high enough level to translate to the UFC.

Jared Hamman is 10-1, all ten wins by stoppage and of those, 8 by knockout. He has a notable win over Travis Wiuff and has headlined 3 ShoXC shows while the promotion was still in business with Showtime. His lone loss was from eating a flying knee 0:14 secs. into the fight from Poai Suganuma, Hamman revenged that loss only 4 months later knocking Suganuma out in the first round of their rematch. Jared has never fought past 2 mins. into the second round. This will be his first fight in 15 months because of injury, he trains with Team VMAT.

UFC 105 Matchup Breakdown

In the first bout of the night on the Preliminary card is a match up between two former Ultimate Fighter reality show lightweight contestants. Rolando Delgado Vs. Andre Winner.

Andre Winner is 27 years old stands 5' 11" and weighs in at 155 lbs., fighting with a record of 12-3. Growing up in England Andre was a natural athlete who never considered MMA. When he got older he attended the Leicester Shootofighting Gym to take self defense classes, there he met UFC fighter Dan Hardy. Hardy talked Winner into trying MMA full time. Winner tried out for the Ultimate Fighter Season 8, but did not make it out of the tryouts. He later tried out again and Andre appeared on Season 9 of the Ultimate Fighter Team U.K. vs. Team U.S.A., he fought his way into the finals of the show losing to fellow Brit Ross Pearson by decision. On the show he demonstrated his work ethic, athleticism, and coachability on his way to the finals.

Rolando "Roli" Delgado is 27 years old weighs in at 155 lbs. and fights with a record of 6-4-1. Roli is about as tall as you can get in the lightweight division, standing at 6' 4" he towers over other fighters in his weight class. Roli owns a gym in Arkansas, it is one of the best gyms in Arkansas (which is not saying much at all). Roli appeared on Season 8 of the Ultimate Fighter losing to Junie Browning by decision. Roli owns a black belt on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, but when questioned on the Ultimate Fighter show about the training and black belt ceremony by Coach Frank Mir, Roli replied most of the training was done over the internet and he spent a week in Brazil receiving his black belt. That defines the term McBlackBelt, where you can receive a Black Belt with your happy meal from the drive thru. Roli's two notable fights are losses to Paul Kelly and Jorge Masvidal, while there is not a lot of weight to support Roli's talents it should be noted he could still kick my ass.

UFC 105 Preview

UFC 105 will take place November 14th in Manchester, England and will be shown free on Spike T.V.. The main event will feature Randy Couture's return to the 205 lbs. division against Brandon Vera. This card could unofficially be called England Vs. the World as 9 out of 11 fights feature a Brit.

Main Card

Randy "The Natural" Couture 205 lbs. Vs. Brandon "The Truth" Vera 205 lbs.
Mike "Quick" Swick 170 lbs. Vs. Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy 170 lbs.
Micheal "The Count" Bisping 185 lbs. Vs. Denis Kang 185 lbs.
James "Lighting" Wilks 170 lbs. Vs. Matt "The Immortal" Brown 170 lbs.
Ross "The Real Deal" Pearson 155 lbs. Vs. Aaron "The Professor" Riley 155 lbs.

Preliminary Card

Terry Etim 155 lbs. Vs Shannon Gugerty 155 lbs.
Paul "Relentless" Taylor 155 lbs. Vs. John "The Hitman" Hathaway 155 lbs.
Nick "Slick" Osipczak 170 lbs. Vs. Matthew "Chipper" Riddle 170 lbs.

Paul "Tellys" Kelly 155 lbs. Vs. Denis Siver 155 lbs.

Alexander "The Mauler" Gustafsson 205 lbs. Vs. Jared Hamman 205 lbs.
Andre Winner 155 lbs. Vs. Rolando "The Crazy Cuban" Delgado 155 lbs.

Coming back soon!

After a little hiatus mma lights out will be running soon. I will be breaking down the matchups again for UFC 104 on October 24th. Hopefully joining the lights out community as a contributor will be the one known as the Vulture. Check back soon if you have been checking at all!

UFC announces new deal

After fighting in an instant classic showdown against Antonio Nogueira, Randy Couture had one fight left on his contract, or so we thought. Randy and Dana White spilled the beans at the UFC 102 press conference, Randy and the UFC have reached a new 6 fight-26 month deal. That is potentially three fights a year for the next two years. Randy said the UFC is the place to be, and was undecided on whether to fight at heavy or light heavy, even though Dana White kept pushing the light heavy route saying Randy could do very well. To me this is very very exciting news and can't wait to see The Naturals follow up this fight, as he still mantains a high caliber status.

UFC quick re-cap

A quick re-cap tonight and a full report on Sunday with a prediction re-cap also. Wow what a card tonight, every fight filled with action. It seems every card Randy Couture is on the other fighters pick their level up to. We had a record setting night tonight with Todd Duffee's seven second knockout, Thiago Silva proving he is worthy of his high status, and Nate Marquardt proving he also deserves a shot at the belt. But the main fight was an instant classic, with Randy Couture and Nogueira both proving to still have it. Have a good night fight fans and we will see you again. And the biggest news of all Randy Couture has signed a new fight deal for SIX MORE FIGHTS!

UFC 102 Predictions (Updated)

Heavyweights-Randy Couture vs. Antonio Nogueira
Nogueira via Unanimous Decision

Pearce-Nogueira split decision (razor thin)
Volkart-Couture decision
Benny-Couture tko 3rd rd
Hartert-Nogueira submission 3rd rd(see ya Volkart)

Light Heavyweights-Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva
Silva via Knockout Round 1 (1:35)

Pearce-Silva tko rd 1 (Come on silva!)
Volkart-Silva tko rd 2 (wouldn't be surprised if Jardine won given his past wins)
Benny-Jardine tko rd 2
Hartert-Jardine ko 1rd (I just want to say "The Dean of Mean")

Middleweights-Demian Maia vs. Nate Marquardt
Marquardt via knockout Round 1 (0:21)

Pearce-Marquardt split decision (I love Maia, and I think he can win, just setting myself up for failure on this one)
Volkart-Maia submission 1st rd (this is my want pick because of the jiu-jitsu, but you know what I think about Marquardt)
Benny-Marquardt submission 2nd rd (ankle lock)
Hartert-Marquardt ko 2 rd (lets see Anderson/Marquardt part Deux)

Light Heavywights-Brandon Vera vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
Vera via Unanimous Decision

Pearce-Soszynski submission rd 2 (the polish experiment can't be stopped right now)
Volkart-Vera tko 2nd rd
Benny-Vera submission rd 1(armbar)
Hartert-Vera ko 2nd rd (Vera will dissect the "Polish Experiment"!)

Middleweights-Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt
Rosholt via Submission Round 3 (1:30)

Pearce-Leben tko rd 1(Leben has a chip on his shoulder)
Volkart-Rosholt decision (upset pick...banking on wrestling background, see ya Leben)
Hartert-Leben rd 2 tko (no steroids needed)
Benny-Leben submission(ground game)

Middleweights-Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson
Simpson via TKO (injury) Round 2 (0:17)

Pearce-Simpson tko rd 3(nasty tko power)
Volkart-Simpson tko rd 2

Heavyweights-Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Gonzaga via TKO Round 1 (4:27)

Pearce-Tuchscherer decision(my homer and upset pick)
Volkart-Gonzaga submission 2 rd

Heavyweights-Justin McCully vs. Mike Russow
Russow via Unanimous Decision

Pearce-McCully Decision
Volkart-Russow Decision (cop manhandles street fighter, just don't like McCully)

Heavyweights-Tim Hague vs. Todd Duffee
Duffee via Knockout Round 1 (0:07)

Pearce-Hague tko rd 1(the trashing machine will make duffee re-todded)
Volkart-Duffee tko rd 1 (by trashing of the thrashing machine)

Middleweights-Nick Catone vs. Mark Munoz
Munoz via Split Decision

Pearce-Munoz submission rd 1
Volkart-Munoz Decision

Lightweights-Marcus Aurelio vs. Evan Dunham
Dunham via Split Decision

Pearce-Aurelio submission rd 2
Volkart-Dunham Decision

UFC 102 Main Event

Here it is the Main Event. A fight between the two most storied and decorated fighters in mma history. Both fighters have won fights from incredible odds. Randy "The Natural" Couture vs. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira is a fight mma fans have been waiting almost ten years to see. This fight is Gretzky vs. Lemeuix, Bird vs. Magic, Donkey Kong vs. Mario. The winner of this fight will probably fight the winner of Lesnar/Carwin for the Heavyweight Belt. If you get to watch this fight I hope you understand what an honor it is to see them in action, as fighters in the future will always be compared to these two men.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira is 33 stands 6'3" weighs in at 231 lbs. with a 77" reach and fights with a record of 31-5-1-1nc. He trains out of Black House with Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, Paulo Filho, Junior Dos Santos, and Ronaldo Souza among others. Nogueira holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo. He has a very long history including fights against Fedor Emailenenko, Mirko "Cro-Cop", Dan Henderson, Frank Mir, and many many other top names. He was the first Pride Heavyweight Champion. He is the first and only man to hold belts in Pride and the UFC. He has never been submitted and only knocked out once, in his last match against Frank Mir. Nogueira is known for his comeback wins, he will take a shot be in danger and then pull a win out of no where. Of his 31 wins 19 are by submission, he is one of the all-time great mma jiu-jitsu players. Even though he is only 33, the prime of most fighters careers, he has been through countless wars and I think he looks to be in the best shape of his life.

Randy Couture is 46 stands 6'1" weighs in at 220 lbs. with a 75" reach he fights with a record of 16-9. He is a Five time UFC Champion and fought in 15 title fights. He is in the UFC hall of fame and one of the best ambassadors the sport will ever have. Randy made his debut at UFC 13 almost 12 years ago. He has beaten Chuck Liddell, Vitor Belfort, Titio Ortiz, Kevin Randleman, Tim Sylvia, and Gabriel Gonzaga. Randy is a three time Olympic alternate in Greco-Roman wrestling for the U.S.A., and he is a Greco-Roman National Champion. Randy recently lost his UFC belt to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91, he did a very good job against Brock, eventually losing due to ground and pound from the enormous Brocks canned hams called fist. Randy is always looking for the hardest fight possible, which is why he fought as an underdog against so many other fighters, almost always coming out on top. Randy is a total freak of nature fighting at 46 years old and still being at the level needed to fight in the UFC. He is one of the best game planning fighters around and is a master of the clinch, dirty boxing, and wrestling. His work ethic is still second to none.

UFC 102 Preview

The co-main event is a Light heavyweight fight between Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine vs. Thiago "Pitbull" Silva. This is a big fight for both men, and a meeting of the to most dangerous bastards I can think of.

Keith Jardine is 33 stands 6'2" with a record of 14-5-1. Jardine is a former bounty hunter before getting his shot on the Ultimate Fighter season 2. Even though he did not win, he did well enough to earn a UFC contract. He now trains with world class trainer Greg Jackson. Jardine has fought nothing but the UFC best, beating Forrest Griffin, Chuck Liddell, and Brandon Vera, losing to Wanderlei Silva and recently to Rampage Jackson. Jardine has a very unique and awkward style, causing many difficulties for his opponents. We know Jardine will always bring it and be ready to bang.

Thiago Silva is 26 stands 6'1" and fights with a record of 13-1. Thiago is personally my favorite fighter. Silva grew up in the slums of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in places police won't even go. He started jiu-jitsu training early in his life and has a black belt in the martial art. He first started training with the Chute Boxe academy with Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, and "Shogun" Rua. He recently made the move to Florida, to train with American Top-Team. 10 of Silvas 13 wins have been by TKO, his only loss has come to Lyoto Machida due to a last second tko. Thiago is a very dangerous man and I can not wait to see this fight.