Nate Lawson of HeavyMMA.com downloads the news that UFC 123 is heading to Auburn Hills, Michigan this November.

UFC 123 now has a venue, according to UFC president Dana White.

MMAFighting.com reported the news earlier today that the November 20 event is set for Auburn Hills, Michigan and will take place at The Palace at Auburn Hills.

UFC 123 features a light heavyweight match up between two former champions in Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, along with a welterweight contest between Matt Brown and rising prospect Rory MacDonald. Neither fight has been made official by the promotion, but are anticipated to make the card nevertheless. No other fights have been rumored yet.

The event will be the first UFC event to be held in Michigan since 1996 and the second UFC event of November.

Read more mixed-martial arts articles at HeavyMMA.com.

Nate Lawson of Heavy.com (via MMAjunkie.com) is reporting that the rumored fight between former UFC light heavyweight champions Lyoto Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will become a reality as the two have agreed to meet.

Machida will enter this fight coming off a disappointing knockout loss to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 113 that lost the karate ace his light heavyweight title. The loss was also his first as a professional.

Like his upcoming opponent, Jackson is coming off a loss of his own. At UFC 114, Jackson met longtime nemesis and fellow former champion Rashad Evans in the main event, dropping a unanimous decision. The loss was Jackson’s first since losing the 205-pound title to Forrest Griffin at UFC 86.

The bout between the two former champions is expected to serve as the main event for UFC 123 this November. No bouts have been announced by the promotion as of this date.

For more MMA news from Heavy.com, click here.

The main event of UFC 115 next weekend would have been one of the biggest fights ever five years ago. Former champions Rich Franklin and Chuck Liddell will meet in a fight where in all reality, the loser should retire. The winner won’t have much of anywhere to move up the ladder and the loser will really only deserve to be on a PPV undercard.

It is amazing how quickly things have changed in MMA and looking back just five years ago to see who the UFC champions were and where they are now. On June 4, 2005, the UFC held UFC 53: Heavy Hitters where Franklin won the middleweight title over Evan Tanner. As of that show, here is a look at who the UFC champions were and how their careers have quickly headed south.

Heavyweight Champion – Andrei Arlovski: At UFC 53, Arlovski defended his title for the first time defeating the late Justin Eilers by TKO in the first round after Eilers blew his knee out. It was Arlovski’s fifth-straight win at the time, all of which were by stoppage. Arlovski followed that win with a one-punch KO of Paul Buentello at UFC 55 and was largely considered the most dominant champion in the organization. However, a bizarre loss to Tim Sylvia at UFC 59, in which Arlovski has Sylvia beat but then was caught with as straight jab that led to a TKO loss, started the downfall of his career. Another loss to Syliva led to a five-fight winning streak, but the fighter was never quite the same. He lost his aggression and confidence and has since lost three-straight fights and is almost an afterthought in MMA. His most recent fight was a decision loss to Antonio Silva, which was a sad performance where he never showed the aggression that made him the dominant champion of five years ago.

Light-Heavyweight Champion – Chuck Liddell: At UFC 53, Liddell was prepping for his first title defense after winning the title for the first time at UFC 52 by beating Randy Couture. Liddell would successfully defend his title four times, winning by KO in all four fights and emerging as a dominant champion. Many thought Liddell was unbeatable because he couldn’t be taken down and his punching power was greater than anyone’s. But, as striking evolved, Liddell did not. His career began its amazing downfall at UFC 71 when Quinton Jackson knocked him out in less than two minutes. That was followed by a loss to Keith Jardine where he came up short on the striking game. A decision win over Wanderlei Silva gave him some hope to return to title contention, but back-to-back KO losses to Rashad Evans and Mauricio Rua have shown that Liddell can’t keep up with the prime fighters of today. Once considered the most explosive finisher in all of the UFC, Liddell hasn’t had a KO win since Dec. 30, 2006.

Middleweight Champion – Rich Franklin: Franklin was young and a rising star when he won the title at UFC 53 over Tanner by TKO. He followed up the title win with two dominant title defenses before running into Anderson Silva at UFC 64, where he was dismantled in a shocking display. Franklin sprinkled in wins over mediocre fighters like Jason MacDonald, Yushin Okami, Travis Lutter, and Matt Hamill, but was again dominated by Silva in a title rematch and also lost a close decision to Dan Henderson. Franklin defeated Wanderlei Silva last June, but was KO’d in the first round by Vitor Belfort back at UFC 103. Clearly out of the title picture in any weight class, Franklin has proven he is good enough to defeat the mid-level fighters, but doesn’t have what it takes to beat the elite, leaving him floating around in shark-infested waters.

Welterweight Champion – Matt Hughes: Just recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, Hughes has long been called the most dominant welterweight champion in UFC history. As of UFC 53, Hughes had just defended his title against Frank Trigg at UFC 52 and would go on to win his next three fights before running into the younger and more-talented Georges St. Pierre at UFC 65. Hughes was one of the best wrestlers in MMA during his reign, but his boxing ability was sub-par to say the least. As fighters became well-rounded, Hughes became a sitting duck. St. Pierre destroyed him on their feet to take his belt and a rematch a year later went even worse as GSP out-wrestled the wrestler and made him scream “I Quit” to an armbar. That was followed up with another KO loss, this time to Thiago Alves. Since, Hughes has tried to avoid younger opponents, knowing he can’t hang with them anymore. He has since won two fights over elder fighters like Matt Serra and Renzo Gracie, but it is clear that Hughes will never contend for the title he held for so long, again.

Lightweight Champion – Vacant – Next Champion – Sean Sherk at UFC 64: A lightweight champion wasn’t crowned in the UFC until UFC 64 when Sherk defeated Kenny Florida in a wrestling display. Sherk had one title defense before testing positive for steroids and being stripped of the title. Since then, Sherk has lost two of his last three fights. Like Hughes, Sherk is a dominant wrestler, but his striking game could use work and caused him to lose to quicker-handed B.J. Penn and Frankie Edgar. With his prime behind him, Sherk’s career is at a standstill.

The big trend to all of these fighters is that many of them were very one dimensional where today’s fighters are skilled in all major areas. It will be interesting to see in five years where today’s champions careers are headed.

Photo from fOTOGLIF
]]> http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/06/05/what-a-difference-5-years-makes-in-mma/feed/ 0 http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/05/29/ufc-114-picks-predictions/ http://www.scoresreport.com/2010/05/29/ufc-114-picks-predictions/#comments Sat, 29 May 2010 15:00:58 +0000 Drew Ellis http://www.scoresreport.com/?p=40440

The long-awaited fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans finally takes place tonight, as the main event of UFC 114 from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Here are my picks for that bout and the other four fights on tonight’s PPV card.

UFC Light Heavyweight Bout – Quinton Jackson (30-7) vs. Rashad Evans (19-1-1) – This fight should be exciting as both clearly dislike each other. I think the key to victory will be for Jackson to use his size on Evans and for Evans to use his quickness and wrestling on Jackson. In the end, I like Evans to utilize his hand speed and mix in more wrestling to keep Jackson off guard. Look for Evans to also utilize leg kicks, which Jackson has shown he can’t defend. I am going with Evans to win by decision in a tough fight.

UFC Middleweight Bout – Michael Bisping (19-3) vs. Dan Miller (11-3) – Bisping is hungry for a strong showing after his tough decision loss to Wanderlei Silva. Miller is a game fighter that will keep Bisping on his toes, but Bisping has too much talent and big-fight experience for Miller. Look for the Brit to win by TKO in the second or third round.
UFC Heavyweight Bout – Todd Duffee (6-0) vs. Mike Russow (12-1) – Duffee has been an explosive monster in his MMA career, as he is 6-0 with six KO’s. Russow has the experience edge and will be the better grappler, but the fight always starts on the feet, where Duffee has a clear edge. Look for Russow to push Duffee a little bit before Duffee lands the big punch and scores a TKO late in round one.

UFC Light Heavyweight Bout – Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-3) vs. Jason Brilz (18-2-1) – Brilz is stepping in late for an injured Forrest Griffin, which you have to admire, but he is stepping into a bad spot. Nogueira has tremendous striking skills and a jiu-jitsu black belt to boot, so Brilz is in trouble no matter where the fight goes. Look for Rogerio to pull off a TKO win in round two over the tired Brilz.

UFC Weltweweight Bout – Diego Sanchez (23-3) vs. John Hathaway (13-0) – Sanchez is making his return to the welterweight division after losing in dominant fashion to B.J. Penn during a lightweight title fight late in 2009. After getting beaten as badly as he did, Sanchez will be eager to have a strong showing in this fight and Hathaway has promise at 13-0, but he has never faced someone with the motor and skills of Sanchez. Diego should be able to overwhelm Hathaway and earn a TKO win in round three.

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.

At one point following UFC 100 this past weekend, I felt like there are a lot of new questions about who the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is.

Georges St. Pierre certainly raised his stock with a definitive win over Thiago Alves, who was considered to be GSP’s toughest fight to date prior to UFC 100.

Brock Lesnar also deserves some consideration for his dominant performance over Frank Mir, which left many wondering who can beat him.

Here is my personalized top 10 ranking of who I feel are the top 10 overall fighters in the world. In making this list, I consider win-loss record, how convincingly the fighters have won their most recent fights, and their appeal to other fans. Well, here we go:

1. Fedor Emelianeko (30-1-1) – Heavyweight – Affliction
About a year ago, I was one of those people that claimed that Fedor was overrated and didn’t fight the best. Well, after two quick KO’s of Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski, you can’t argue that Fedor is not the best. The guy has virtually never lost, with his lone loss coming on a cut. The guy never changes his expression and never makes a mistake in his fights. Until someone beats him cleanly, Fedor will be at the top of my list.

T2. Anderson Silva (23-4) – Middleweight – UFC/ Georges St. Pierre (19-2) – Welterweight – UFC
I have Silva and GSP tied because of pure dominance in their weight class. As of late, Silva has not looked his usual self in his last two fights, but part of that is because his opponents have tried to avoid his lethal strikes. GSP has been dominant in another way, controlling his opponents four as long as it takes to win. GSP has fought the tougher competition as of late, but Silva has tougher fights in his future than GSP with Dan Henderson, Damian Maia, and Nate Marquardt looming while GSP has significantly less talented fighters like Mike Swick and Martin Kampmann to deal with. A super fight between these two is appealing, but it seems like GSP is hesitant to move up in weight right now.

4. Lyoto Machida (15-0) – Light Heavyweight – UFC
Machida is unbeaten which certainly earns credibility, but in his last two fights, he has quickly finished two of the top Light Heavyweights in the world. Machida takes little to no damage in his fights and has pin-point accuracy in his strikes along with a sound jiu-jitsu game. It is tough to think of a fighter that will be able to disrupt Machida’s style, but Shogun Rua will try at UFC 104.

5. Miguel Angel Torres (36-1) – Bantamweight – WEC
It is a shame that not many know about Miguel Torres because he fights in the lesser-known WEC. But, if more fans saw Torres compete, there would be more MMA fans than ever. Torres is complete in every way and is the one fighter I can say leaves everything he has in the cage with each fight. His pacing is incredible and his diverse strikes make him one of the most entertaining fighters in the world. Torres may soon have to face the option of moving up in weight to set up potential super-fights with some of the other WEC’s top stars.

6. Brock Lesnar (4-1) – Heavyweight – UFC
I don’t like Lesnar, I think his attitude and approach to “entertaining” the fans is awful, but I can’t deny his natural ability. He has destroyed Heath Herring, Randy Couture, and Frank Mir in successive order, and he is just five fights into his professional career. As time moves on, Lesnar is only going to improve and get better in each area of fighting, which is a scary thought for every heavyweight. A fight with Fedor is the talk of the town right now, but I think Lesnar would be biting off more than he can chew with that right now. In another year or too, he certainly could dethrone “The Last Emperor”.

7. BJ Penn (13-5-1) – Lightweight – UFC
I also am not a fan of BJ Penn for his attitude on his opponents, but I also can’t deny his natural skills either. Penn’s flexibility is something no other fighter posses right now and is the reason he is considered one of the best in the world in any weight class. Penn’s record is not as strong as most, but his losses are deceiving, as he has fought many bigger fighters and given up 30 pounds or more in those fights. Losses to fighters like Machida should almost be ignored. As a lightweight, it is tough to think anyone can compete with Penn, let alone beat him.

8. Jake Shields (23-4-1) – Welterweight – Strikeforce
Shields is as hot as any fighter, winning his last 12, including his most recent win over Robbie Lawler in a bigger weight class. Shields is one of the best submission and grappling fighters in the world and many believe he could give Georges St. Pierre a run for his money.

9. Mike Thomas Brown (22-4) – Featherweight – WEC
Brown proved his worthiness to be WEC champion with a second win over Urijah Faber. Brown is a sound fighter that can stand on his feet and control on the ground. He may not be flashy, but he is dangerous anywhere in a fight and his level-headed attitude makes him a dangerous fighter.

10. Quinton Jackson (30-7) – Light Heavyweight – UFC
Jackson has beaten some of the best in the world, but his split-decision loss to Forrest Griffin set him back. You could argue that Jackson didn’t lose to Griffin and could still be UFC champion, but he hasn’t backed off, beating Wanderlei Silva and Keith Jardine since losing the belt. Next up is Rashad Evans and a win there gives him a title shot that he should have had a lot sooner.

Honorable Mention: Thiago Alves, Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, Urijah Faber, Jon Fitch, Kenny Florian, Shinya Aoki, Nick Diaz.

After two huge shows from Affliction and the UFC, it’s time again for another top 10 ranking of the best pound-for-pound MMA fighters in the world. What will change, who will remain, and who has been all but eliminated from superstardom?

First, let’s look at the mega fights that occurred.

Georges St. Pierre took on BJ Penn, Fedor Emelianenko battled Andrei Arlovski, and undefeated Lyoto Machida went up against undefeated Silva. Opinions on the overall best still may differ but one thing is for sure, changes are still forthright in 2009.

Below is our ranking of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, regardless of weight class.

1. Anderson Silva- 185/205 (UFC)
Most complete fighter in the game. Unstoppable striking and black belt jiu jitsu. Silva has dominated the 185-class like no one has ever before him.

2. Georges St. Pierre – 170 (UFC/UCC)
Best athlete in MMA, a total package of talent from wrestling, striking and solid submission skills. St. Pierre could move up to 185 if not for Silva.

3. Fedor Emelianenko – Heavyweight (Affliction/Pride)
Great ground and pound, heavy hands and sambo submissions. If he faced stronger competition and he showed more dominant control he’d move up higher.

4. Rashad Evans – 205 (UFC)
Great collegiate wrestler who has vastly improved striking with big knockout power. Has a solid camp and the only knock is his conditioning.

5. Miguel Torres – 135 (WEC)
Hardcore jiu jitsu fighter, black belt with devastating power in his striking. He owns the Bantamweight division.

6. Thiago Alves – 170 (UFC)
Big time knockout power and great Muay Thai skills. On a big winning streak and is the number one challenger at 170.

7. BJ Penn – 155 (UFC)
Great flexibility and world level jiu jitsu. Great hand speed and power, belongs at 155 where he owns the weight class.

8. Quinton Jackson – 205 (UFC/Pride/WFA)
Greatly improved hands and overall skill set from his PrideFC days. Still has big slams and ability to escape submissions.

9. Dan Henderson – 185 (UFC/Pride)
Great knockout power in his right hand, Olympic caliber wrestling skills and terrific ground control over opponents.

10. Urijah Faber – 145 (WEC)
Good solid submissions, loves to throw leather and is very athletic and quick. Has owned the 145 featherweight division until a recent loss.

Dropping out of the top 10:

10. Andrei Arlovski – Heavyweight (Affliction/UFC)

Check out the previous top 10 ranking:
Top 10 Pound for Pound MMA Fighters in the World 1/20