UFC 126 takes place tonight from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and this card is stacked from top to bottom with intriguing and exciting bouts. Here are my picks for tonight’s main card.

UFC Middleweight Championship: Anderson Silva (27-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (19-8) – This is the first time Silva will be facing a striker that may have equal or greater hand speed than him, so this could be his toughest test to date. However, Silva is much more of a complete fighter, as he mixes in kicks, knees, elbows, and has a black belt in jiu-jitsu. While Belfort has one-punch KO power, I think Silva finds a way to get past him and puts on another impressive performance.

Light Heavyweight Bout: Forrest Griffin (17-6) vs. Rich Franklin (28-5) – Both of these guys are former champions in the UFC and both are trying to stay relevant within the organization. This should be a good scrap as both fighters always bring the fight. Franklin should have the edge in striking with his awkward style and angles, but Griffin has a big size advantage and I expect him to use that to smother Franklin and score takedowns, which will earn him a decision victory.UFC Light Heavyweight Bout: Jon Jones (11-1) vs. Ryan Bader (12-0) – This is a fight of the top two young up-and-comers in the division and the winner will be thrust into the top 5 of the division. Jones is such a unique fighter in terms of style and length while Bader is a great wrestler with good power in his hands. I think Jones has more ways to win this fight and will be able to stay off his back against Bader. I see Jones landing a big knee when Bader comes in for a shot, which sets up a TKO finish in round two.

UFC Bantamweight Bout: Miguel Torres (37-3) vs. Antonio Banuelos (19-6): Torres is one of the top bantamweights in the world and he has changed up his training in hopes to becoming a more complete and patient fighter. I see him picking apart Banuelos, who will look to grapple. I see Torres landing a nice combination in the second round before dropping Banuelos and jumping on him to secure a choke for a submission victory.

UFC Welterweight Bout: Jake Ellenberger (23-5) vs. Carlos Rocha (9-0) – Rocha is a very dangerous and slick submission fighter, but I see him struggling with Ellenberger’s wrestling. I look for Ellenberger to land takedowns and ground strikes while avoiding submission attempts to earn a decision victory over Rocha and continue to move up the welterweight ranks.

Heavy.com has learned that former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres will take on Antonio Banuelos at UFC 126.

The Super Bowl weekend event takes place on Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Anderson Silva defends his UFC middleweight title against Vitor Belfort in the main event, while perennial welterweight contender Jon Fitch takes on Jake Ellenberger in the co-main event of the evening.

The bout will serve as the UFC debut for both Torres and Banuelos and will take place on the pay per view portion of the event. Torres recently scored a victory over Charlie Valencia at WEC 51 after dropping two fights to Brian Bowles and Joseph Benavidez, while Banuelos defeated Chad George.
Torres will appear on tonight’s edition of MMA Live.

Head to HeavyMMA.com for more UFC news.

Jose Aldo vs. Manny Gamburyan for the WEC Featherweight Title
Gamburyan started off strong with a big right hand, but Aldo looked completely fine with his power. Aldo looked to get his timing down, while the challenger looked to get to work quickly. Two minutes into the fight, and Aldo seemed content to display his patience. The fans, however, were not thrilled, pleading for some action. Aldo went back to the same style he had in his fight against Urijah Faber, landing several big kicks to the leg of Gamburyan. With 10 seconds to go, the challenger looked for a takedown, but the incredible balance of Aldo prevented that from happening.

Gamburyan came out with some leg kicks of his own to start the second, followed by a takedown, which Aldo easily avoided. Aldo looked completely focused, trying to find his opening to finish the fight. He found one with a quick one-two that staggered Gamburyan. A follow-up uppercut sent Gamburyan to the floor, and Aldo went to work. The Brazilian sensation unloaded on his downed opponent, putting him out after an incredible amount of punishment. Aldo def. Gamburyan via knockout at 1:32 of Round 2.

Read the full article here.

The WEC returns to action tonight on Versus at 9PM ET with WEC 51: Aldo vs. Gamburyan. The card is stacked and is a tremendous lineup given the fact this will be on free television. The main event features a title fight in the featherweight division featuring one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Here are my picks for the winner’s in tonight’s card.

WEC Featherweight Championship – Champion Jose Aldo (17-1) vs. Manny Gamburyan (13-5): Aldo is on a tear right now as he is coming off his dominant win over Urijah Faber at WEC 48. He has tremendous explosiveness with his kicks and punches while also being a jiu-jitsu black belt. Gamburyan is a force UFC lightweight competitor, but has found his home in the 145-pound division of the WEC. Manny is coming off a KO win over Mike Thomas Brown and his style could pose a problem for Aldo as he is short and compact with good wrestling and power in his hands. I think Gamburyan will make a fight of things, but ultimately Aldo will slowly break him down with leg kicks before landing a big punch in the third round to get the TKO win.

WEC Lightweight Bout – Jamie Varner (16-3-3, 2NC) vs. Donald Cerrone (11-3, 1NC): Both men are looking to get another shot at the lightweight title as each were submitted by champion Ben Henderson in recent fights. This is a rematch as well from a controversial decision in January of 2009. These two have bad blood and want at each other badly. Varner brings good boxing to the cage while Cerrone is more of a grappler and submission fighter. I look for Cerrone to keep Varner at distance with his length and then close inside and grapple his way to a decision victory.

WEC Bantamweight Bout – Miguel Torres (36-3) vs. Charlie Valencia (12-5): Torres has lost his last two bouts after being one of the top fighters in the world just about a year ago. In his last loss to Joseph Benavidez, Torres looked tentative and didn’t seem himself. Torres needs to come out with more reckless abandon in this fight like he has in the past because Valencia is a tough opponent that can push anyone to the limit. If Torres is to the top of his game, which I feel he will be, I see him winning by submission in the third round.

WEC Bantamweight Bout – Chan Sung Jung (10-2) vs. George Roop (10-7-1): Jung made a lot of fans with his war against Leonard Garcia at WEC 48 and in this fight, he faces a lesser opponent in George Roop. Jung can take a punch and he always pushes forward so I expect him to overwhelm Roop and earn a TKO victory in the first round.

WEC Bantamweight Bout – Leonard Garcia (18-5-1) vs. Mark Hominick (18-8): This match features two great strikers, but the difference in the fight will be Hominick’s technical superiority. Garcia tends to throw wild punches that leave him open to counter strikes. Look for Hominick to capitalize on one of those counters and dropping Garcia before taking his back and sinking in a choke in round three.

On Aug. 9, 2009, Benavidez suffered his lone loss of his career to Dominick Cruz and since then has rattled off back-to-back wins, including a second round submission win over Miguel Torres on March 6 that put him on the map.

Now, with the MMA eye clearly on him, Benavidez looks to avenge his loss to Cruz this Wednesday at WEC 50 when he challenges Cruz for the WEC Bantamweight title from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event can be seen live on Versus starting at 9PM ET.

I got the chance to speak to Benavidez and ask him about his title match, having his teammate Urijah Faber drop down to his weight class, and his sponsorship with AMP.

The Scores Report: Joseph, thanks for your time. I know you have a busy schedule.

Joseph Benavidez: Not a problem.

TSR: Tell me about when you found out you were getting the title fight and a chance to face Cruz again.

JB: I kind of felt like I was going to get the fight after I beat Miguel Torres and shortly after the WEC 48 Pay-Per-View event, I found out I was getting it. It was 50-50 at one point but I knew I deserved the fight and I pleaded my case some what and the WEC made their choice to have the rematch and the feeling was just unreal. Becoming champion is the reason most people fight and I felt like I took the right steps to get this opportunity. I remember when I got the contract to sign, I had this feeling that I was going to become champion. That really means everything to me. My goal is to be the best and the hardware will be cool to have, but the recognition that you are the best in the world is really what I am after. When I win that fight, my name will be in history forever.”

TSR: Why will this fight turn out differently than the first meeting?

JB: Well, for starters the outcome will be different (laughs). The fight was really close the first time and I was a bit reckless at times and he capitalized on it with takedowns. He beat me with wrestling and wrestling is my strength. I was focused on that fight being on the feet and didn’t think he would look to wrestle. This time, I will have the mentality to be prepared for anything and I think I have improved my wrestling and improved my stand up. I feel great physical and I don’t think he is going to be able to change much from that first fight.

TSR: Who do you think has more pressure on them in this fight, you or Cruz?

JB: I think it is equal. For me, there is no way I will lose to someone two times. We are both driven and the best two 135-pounders in the world. For him, he has already won the title while this is my shot. I think if anything, there is more for me to gain and more pressure on me to achieve that.

TSR: How much does that loss stuck with you compared to getting a big win?

JB: The loss sticks around way more. After a win, you feel great and you just want to get back in the gym and get that winning feeling again. When I lost, I just knew I never wanted to feel that again and I still think about it to this day.

TSR: Your “Alpha Male” teammate, Urijah Faber, is moving down to your weight class of 135 pounds, what are your thoughts on that?

JB: I think it is a great move for Urijah. He is a natural 135-pounder, he just has fought at 145 pounds the last few years because the bigger fights were at 145 pounds. Now the 135-pound division has become very competitive and there are plenty of big fights to have. He is a great draw for the division and he will be fighting guys that are his size instead of fighting bigger guys at 145 pounds.

TSR: Has there been more of a buzz in the WEC since the Aldo vs. Faber Pay-Pre-View?

JB: The pay-per-view was great for us. The show was profitable and we have only been around for about three years now. It was definitely a success and glad we got a chance to do it. I think when people got the chance to really see us, they get hooked. The lighter weights are very exciting and the fights are a lot more technical. We have a lot of pay-per-view worthy fights to put on. Hopefully there will be more chances for pay-per-views down the road.

TSR: Who has been your toughest opponent to date in your career?

JB: I would have to say Dominick Cruz is the best guy I have fought. Miguel Torres was my biggest win and got me the most respect, but Jeff Curran was probably my toughest opponent. He is a tough guy and he is just a survivor. That was a hard fight to win.

TSR: How much have your improved since you made your WEC debut on Dec. 3, 2008?

JB: I have improved so much and matured a lot. Not just as a fighter, but as a person too. I really discovered what I have in me. I hit that un-tapped reserves that I have inside and that came through my training and my teammates. I train with world class fighters and they have improved my game so much. I have improved a lot mentally as well and right now I just know that I am one of the best in the world and I keep working to make that a reality.

TSR: How big has it been for you to get a product like AMP Energy to sponsor you?

JB: Having AMP behind me is huge. It has really been a dream come true for me. I tell myself all the time that I never though when I was a kid in New Mexico that I would have the opportunity to be sponsored or part of an ad campaign or that somebody would want to put their product’s name on my fight gear. It is really crazy, but AMP is a great fit for me and what I do and they take great care of me and I wouldn’t be able to train or be where I am without their support.

TSR: AMP recently put on a promotion called “Homedown Takedown” where they allowed fans to choose from one of 30 possible cities to host a WEC event. If you had your choice of anywhere to have a bout, where would it be?

JB: There isn’t a place in particular I would like to go, just somewhere I have never been before. I like to do and see new things, so I would think it would be pretty cool to have a fight outside of the U.S. and maybe go somewhere exotic.

TSR: Alright Joseph, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

JB: I just want to thank everyone for their support. The things I do are only possible with them. Thanks to all the people of Sacramento where I live and the people in my home town of Las Cruces as well as the people of San Antonio. I also want to thank my managers and teammates as well as the people with AMP and the WEC.

TSR: Thanks for your time and best of luck to you in your upcoming title fight.

JB: Thank you.

As World Extreme Cagefighting jumps into the PPV world, a successful card on Saturday can lead to big things for the promotions other fighters, including Benavidez, who is one of the WEC’s brightest young stars.

“This is huge. It is the start of the WEC growing as big as the UFC,” Benavidez said of the PPV. “I am really excited about it because I know it is going to do well and it is going to give us more respect and it is going to get the fighters more money. I have gotten two bonuses from the WEC for my fights and I know it isn’t anything compared to what the UFC does. We have some great business minds running this organization, so things will be fine. I just need to stay patient and things are going to work out the best for me.”

AMP Energy sponsors Benavidez and allowed Bullz-eye to get a chance to speak with him fresh off his victory over former WEC Bantamweight champion, Miguel Torres.

“Torres was definitely the biggest win of my career,” Benavidez said. “I always envisioned myself fighting Miguel Torres. For it to go down like that and the way it happened, it was surreal to me. I can’t lie, after that I felt like I was on top of the world.”
Benavidez was a big underdog when facing Torres, but controlled the fight from the start. He opened a big cut on Torres’ forehead early in the bout and then sunk in a guillotine choke to earn the submission.

Since the win, Benavidez has been a hot name in the MMA world.

“I’ve never had as great of reaction from the fans and my peers as I did after that win over Torres. From what he was considered, as one of the pound-for-pound best in the world, I let it motivate me. People all told me I was the underdog and that was rightly so, but everything he had is what I wanted. I knew it was going to be tough, but I knew I was ready.”
Now, Benavidez is eyeing a fight with current WEC Bantamweight champion, Dominick Cruz. The two met in a three-round bout last August, with Benavidez losing a close decision.

In a rematch, Benavidez believes things will go his way.

“For one the result will be different,” Benavidez said of the potential rematch. “I don’t think I won the first fight. (Cruz) had a good night that night and I had a bad night. I made more mistakes that night and he capitalized on them. I didn’t have a great night and still made it a very close fight and I feel he had one of the best fights he could have. When you look at the fight, some of the turning points came from me slipping instead of him doing something. It was a 15-minute fight. It was a crazy fight, but I know I can beat him.”

While that battle will take place in the near future, Benavidez has his focus on his teammate, Urijah Faber, who is set to face Jose Aldo for the WEC Featherweight Championship on Saturday night.

“Aldo is a tough guy and he is super fast,” Benavidez said. “But that is his strength and Urijah is just as fast and much stronger and much better on the ground. I just think Urijah needs to close the distance a lot and do a good job with his timing and his spacing. He needs to slow things down and fight a smart fight. (Faber) takes pride in being the best in the world and he hates the fact that he isn’t right now, so he is going to go out and show everyone that he still is the best. Faber is going to win by submission in the third.”

One month ago I had a lot of debate as to who is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

After UFC 101, my questions were answered.

Long have I felt Fedor Emelianenko was the best in the world no matter the weight class, but that honor I now give to Anderson Silva following his absolutely flawless win over Forrest Griffin.

The Silva victory combined with Emelianenko opting to sign with Strikeforce puts Silva at No.1 in my book. When making this list I am considering the fighters as they are today, not as they were five years ago. Emelianenko looked a little sloppy in his last fight and is now going to have much easier competition as a whole in Strikeforce, whereas Silva and Georges St. Pierre have fought the best and looked impressive doing so.
So, here is my list. As always, I encourage healthy discussions.

1. Anderson Silva (24-4) – Middleweight/Light Heavyweight – UFC
If you really look at, the Silva vs. Griffin fight was every bit as big as St. Pierre vs. Penn from a standpoint that you had a champion from one weight class facing a bigger fighter that was one fight removed from being the champion in that weight class as well. Silva made Griffin look like Glass Joe from Mike Tyson Punch Out and basically made Griffin quit out of embarrassment (which has caused me to stop reading Forrest’s book, as he know seems to look like a hypocrite). After that display, I truly feel that Silva could not only be Light Heavyweight champion, I have serious beliefs that he is the kind of guy that could actually beat a guy like Brock Lesnar. His accuracy and power while backing up would be a problem for Lesnar in more ways than one. Brock wouldn’t be able to get a takedown without eating a solid knee or punch that could put him down. I know many of you think I am crazy probably, but that is the way I feel.

2. Georges St. Pierre (19-2) – Welterweight – UFC
I used to think GSP could give Silva a fight, but I don’t feel so good about that now. If Silva was to move to Light Heavyweight on a permanent basis, I would like to see GSP move up to middleweight for a new set of challenges. Guys like Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann don’t seem to present much of a challenge and nobody is going to be excited to see rematches with Jon Fitch or Thiago Alves. Middleweight could present some intriguing fights and would really test GSP.

3. Fedor Emelianenko (30-1-1) – Heavyweight – Strikeforce
Well, again this is all about present day and Fedor hasn’t done anything as of late to keep his top ranking while guys like Silva and St. Pierre are beating some of the best. Fedor had no control over what happened with Affliction: Trilogy, but the option to sign with the UFC was there and he turned it down. He has to know that UFC has better overall talent and hosting an exhibition sparring match with Gegard Mousasi is not going to get me excited. I think Fedor’s career is probably the best of anyone, but in terms of best fighter in the world today, I don’t see him as No. 1.

4. Lyoto Machida (15-0) – Light Heavyweight – UFC
Machida is on his way to building an argument for the No. 1 spot after his quick finishes of Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans. Machida has a unique style like Anderson Silva that has been hard for opponents to figure out. Machida vs. A. Silva is the fight people would love to see, but alas, it will not happen as both have stated they won’t fight each other due to their close bond. Machida is another fighter that seems to be able to transcend his weight class and I think could pose a great challenge to the heavyweight division.

5. Brock Lesnar (4-1) – Heavyweight – UFC
People hated the idea of Lesnar being on this list, but which fighter in the heavyweight division has looked better than him in the last couple years. Lesnar disposed of Randy Couture and Frank Mir and dominated Heath Herring. His speed, power, and agility are equal to any smaller-weight fighter, but he applies it all to a 285-pound frame. Lesnar is still learning but has clearly looked better in his last three fights than other heavyweights like Couture, Mir, Nogueira, CroCop, and Arlovski. Other up and comers like Shane Carwin, Cain Velasquez, and Brett Rogers still have to sustain wins over big names to surpass Brock.

6. BJ Penn (14-5-1) – Lightweight – UFC
Penn showed why he is the best lightweight in the world with his submission win over Kenny Florian at UFC 101. Diego Sanchez in up next for Penn, but I still feel the Hawaiian would rather be fighting at 170, where he thinks he can be the best there too. Perhaps with a few more wins at 155, Penn can take another crack at the 170-pound weight class.

7. Jake Shields (23-4-1) – Welterweight/Middleweight – Strikeforce
Shields is another fighter that has had success in multiple weight classes, but he is not higher on the list because his competition is not as deep as other fighters. I think Shields could be a great challenge for St. Pierre in the UFC, but for now he is set at Strikeforce, where the organization seems locked into to making him their marquee fighter.

8. Mike Thomas Brown (22-4) – Featherweight – WEC
Not much new on Brown, but he does have an upcoming fight with Jose Aldo, which may be a tougher fight than his two with Urijah Faber. Aldo is explosive, but a win for Brown would push him higher up the list.

9. Miguel Angel Torres (36-2) – Bantamweight – WEC
I know many will cry foul here, but I am not going to write off Torres. His loss to Brian Bowles was clear cut, but Torres had Bowles hurt prior to getting caught. I still look at Torres and see him as the best 135-pounder in the world. Bowles will have a chance to show the win was no fluke in the near future, but for now, I look at this loss like St. Pierre’s loss to Matt Serra. We all know then that Serra was not the best in the world, and I don’t see Bowles as the best yet either.

10. Rashad Evans (13-1-1) – Light Heavyweight – UFC
Rampage Jackson held this spot a month ago, but based of Griffin’s loss at UFC 101, I think that hurt Jackson’s stock, as he was unable to really damage Griffin much in their fight last summer. Evans made shorter work of Griffin and seems to be more of a multi-dimensional fighter than Rampage, who hasn’t changed up his game much over the years. When Evans and Rampage fight in December, that will answer the questions as to who should be in this final spot.

Honorable Mention: Thiago Alves, Rampage Jackson, Dan Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Jon Fitch, Shinya Aoki, Diego Sanchez

- On a side note, give me Gina Carano in an upset and Mousasi in a quick win at tonight’s Strikeforce card.