Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Rich Franklin edged out Wanderlei Silva and Cain Velasquez dominated Cheick Kongo at UFC 99 last Saturday. Also, Mirko Cro Cop defeated Mostapha Al Turk via illegal eye-pokes, then told the UFC to kiss his ass.

- We saw some crazy knockouts this week, including Tim Sylvia getting wrecked by a 50-year old boxer, a brilliant flying knee KO at a Bellator show [http://www.cagepotato.com/knockout-day-nick-pace-wrecks-collin-tebo-bellator-xi], and a 9-second head-kick finish followed by a flying referee tackle.

- Brock Lesnar is built like a black man, still not a fan of the gays.

- Team U.K.’s James Wilks cruised to the welterweight finals on Wednesday’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter, ending a season that didn’t really live up to the hype.

- MMA model Penny Mathis’s breasts may not be real, but they’re still fabulous.

- Shaquille O’Neal is seriously considering a switch to MMA after finishing his basketball career, and wants to start off by beating up the giant Korean who smashed Jose Canseco.

- When Cris Cyborg chokes out a reporter, that’s just her polite way of saying she’s finished with the interview.

- Come back tonight [Saturday] at 9 p.m. ET/PT for our liveblog of the Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale show, which will feature Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida, Nate Diaz vs. Joe Stevenson, and the lightweight and welterweight TUF finals. And check out our exclusive interviews with Sanchez, Stevenson, and Chris Lytle.

This weekend marks the return of UFC to pay-per-view as the Ultimate Fighting Championships host UFC 99: The Comeback from the Lanxess Arena in Germany . The live fights start at 3 p.m. ET and will feature six matches on the main card.

Last weekend I had an up-and-down couple of days (2-for-5 on Strikeforce predictions and 4-for-4 on WEC predictions), but I am back to give my take on UFC 99, which is headlined by what should be an exciting fight between Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva in a catch-weight bout at 195 pounds.

Catch-weight (195 lbs)- Rich Franklin (24-4) vs. Wanderlei Silva (32-9-1): This fight would have been a blockbuster main event three years ago as the two were both world champions for the UFC and Pride respectively, but now, this shapes up to be more of a “loser leaves town” type of fight. While the loser won’t be gone from the UFC, they will certainly be out of the main event spotlight. Franklin has lost just two of his last six fights, but both come to the top middleweights in the UFC, which has prompted him to move of to light-heavyweight (205 lbs) where he is unbeaten in the UFC. A win for Franklin would further push his light-heavyweight surge and keep him in main event fights for the foreseeable future. For Silva, who has last four of his last five, another loss would leave him without a place to go. He has already been decisively beaten by top light-heavyweights and a loss to Franklin would already put him out of the middleweight picture. Silva will have place in the UFC because of his aggressive fighting style, it just may not be against top-level talent. Silva made a name for himself by taking the action to his opponents and applying pressure, but UFC has evolved more into a sport for counter-punchers, and that is what has been Silva’s kryptonite as of late. I see Franklin landing a solid shot on a Silva counter and putting him to sleep, much like he did Nate Quarry. Silva always leaves himself open and I think Franklin is too skilled to not capitalize. I take Franklin by KO late in round one.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)- Cain Velasquez (5-0) vs. Cheick Kongo (14-4-1): Velasquez is the hottest fighter in the heavyweight division right now for the UFC. Much like Brett Rogers in Strikeforce, Velasquez has been running through his opponents with ease. His ground-and-pound is some of the most vicious in MMA, but like Rogers , his opponents have not been of a high caliber until this fight. Kongo is arguably the next in line to receive a title fight, having won five of his last six, including three-straight by TKO. Despite his hot streak, Kongo has been vulnerable to the takedown, as seen in a decision loss to Heath Herring. I also don’t feel that Kongo has one-punch knockout power. I can see Velasquez getting Kongo down and having his way with him with his ground-and-pound ability. I will take Velasquez by TKO in round three.

Welterweight (170 lbs)- Mike Swick (13-2) vs. Ben Saunders (7-0-2): This is an interesting fight because Swick has the ability to finish quickly and Saunders is a big welterweight, standing 6-foot-2, that likes to utilize his reach and keep smaller fighters at bay. Swick is 3-0 since moving from middleweight to welterweight, but hasn’t been overly impressive, with two decision wins. His last fight was a 33-second knockout of Jonathan Goulet, but Goulet has been susceptible to quick defeats before. Swick does have big-fight experience, which is lacking from Saunders. Saunders is unbeaten and all of his wins are by stoppage except one. I think the key to this fight is in spacing. If Saunders can use his kicks and clinch to keep Swick from getting in too tight, then I think he can win. Swick needs to look to get inside and work his hooks and uppercuts, and also look for takedowns when they open. I think Swick will win this fight based on having fought tougher fighters. I take him by decision.

Welterweight (170 lbs)- Marcus Davis (16-4) vs. Dan Hardy (21-6): This fight has the most bad blood as Hardy has been calling out Davis for months, claiming his appeal to his Irish heritage is just an “act”. The native of England is relatively new to the UFC scene and looking to get a win over an established name to earn himself a reliable spot with the MMA king. Hardy has won nine of his last ten, eight by stoppage. Davis, who has been on almost every international UFC card over the last three years, was on an 11-fight win streak before losing a decision to Mike Swick a year ago. Since the loss, Davis has won two-straight but has not quite had the explosion that we have seen in the past. The key in this fight will be which fighter loses control of his emotions first. I think Hardy will be that one, as he seems to like to appeal to the crowd more than fight at times. I think Davis will remain poised and land the big punch that will set up the end of the fight. I take Davis by TKO in round two.

Lightweight (155 lbs)- Spencer Fisher (22-4) vs. Caol Uno (25-11-4): Uno is returning to the UFC for his first fight since September of 2003. The streaky fighter was once a contender for the UFC lightweight title, but is now looking to reestablish himself as one of the world’s best. Fisher, a fan favorite for his aggressive style, is a well-rounded fighter that has won his last two fights and looking to break in to the top 10 in the lightweight division with a win over Uno. I don’t see a place in this fight where Fisher doesn’t have an advantage, and expect him to win by TKO in round two or by decision. I just think Uno is past his prime and not going to be able to hang with Fisher for three rounds.

Heavyweight (265 lbs)- Mirko CroCop (24-6-2) vs. Mustapha Al Turk (6-4): CroCop jumped at the chance to comeback to the UFC after an injury opened a spot to face Al Turk. CroCop failed miserably in his first UFC run, losing two-of-three, but has since rebounded with a pair of wins. He has expressed his desire to make a run at the UFC belt and his first test is Al Turk, who lost his only UFC fight, to Cheick Kongo, in December. I expect CroCop to be on his game and that means a bad night for Al Turk, who I think falls to 0-2 in the UFC. I take CroCop by stoppage from leg kicks in round two.

–Written by TSR MMA contributor Drew Ellis

Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

- Jake Shields choked out Robbie Lawler, Nick Diaz dominated Scott Smith, and Brett Rogers scored a 22-second KO over Andrei Arlovski at the Strikeforce show last Saturday. Afterwards, Rogers shared his feelings about Kimbo Slice and Nick Diaz humiliated a reporter.

- A day later, the WEC one-upped Strikeforce by putting on one of the greatest cards of the year, highlighted by Mike Brown’s five-round war with Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo’s latest highlight-reel finish, and possibly the last appearance of Jens Pulver. If only the fighters got paid what they’re worth…

- Team U.K. swept the lightweight bracket on Wednesday’s episode of the Ultimate Fighter; Andre Winner and Ross Pearson will throw down at next Saturday’s finale show on Spike.

- The upcoming title fight between Gina Carano and Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will be contested at 145 pounds. Cross your fingers.

- EA is prepping its own MMA video game to compete with “UFC Undisputed.” Can they succeed without the involvement of MMA’s most powerful brand?

- We looked back at MMA’s first superstars.

- Wanderlei Silva explained to us how life was like a bicycle.

- UFC 99 goes down today [Saturday] in Cologne, Germany, starting at 3 p.m. ET. Swing by CagePotato.com for our liveblog, and get familiar with some of the storylines here.

- Mike Brown beat Leonard Garcia’s ass at last Sunday’s WEC 39 show, proving that yes, he is the real deal. A rematch with Urijah Faber is slated for this summer.

- The UFC will be partying in Boston on St. Patrick’s Day and Philadelphia later this year.

- The weakest, flabbiest fighter from Affliction’s last show just got popped for steroids.

- Kimbo Slice scores a supporting role in a porno flick.

- Major fight-booking alert: Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir in May Wanderlei Silva vs. Rich Franklin in June, and Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida a week later.

- UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock recently shared his life story at a conference for Christian fighters. He’s scheduled to be beaten to death by Bobby Lashley later this month.

- UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine goes down tomorrow night in Columbus, Ohio. Come back to CagePotato at 10 p.m. ET for a liveblog of the pay-per-view broadcast, and get acquainted with the lineup by checking out our betting advice [link: http://www.cagepotato.com/gambling-addiction-enabler-ufc-96], our look at two debuting fighters, and our heated debate about the headlining fights.

- We almost went an entire week without someone getting arrested and then 0-13 Scott Blevins gets popped for child molestation.

Rich Franklin
Nickname: “Ace”
Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 185/205
MMA Record: 24-4-1
UFC Record: 11-3
Fighting Style: Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Freestyle

Rich “Ace” Franklin hails from Cincinnati, Ohio where he was a math teacher before taking up MMA. He began his training in a shed with friends with the use of instructional videotapes. He would later join Jorge Gurgel – a black belt in BJJ – and trained under Neal Rowe for kickboxing. He has since earned a brown belt under Gurgel and continues to improve his wrestling and striking in Ohio.

Franklin got his nickname from Jim Carry’s “Ace Ventura”, which Rich resembles strongly. He is good friends with Tim “the Maniac” Silvia, who was shown crying after Franklin was beaten badly in his first bought with Anderson Silva. He would get a rematch, but suffered a similar fate in the cage.

He has fought at 205 and 185 in the UFC, appearing leaner and quicker at middleweight (185). He holds notable wins over Ken Shamrock, Evan Tanner, and a huge stunning knockout over Nate Quarry. He had run through most of the UFC’s 185lbs division until losing to Anderson Silva. Franklin had recently been on a two-fight win streak before Dan Henderson defeated him. He is set to face Wanderlei Silva at UFC 99.

Wanderlei Silva
Nick name: The Axe Murderer
Height: 5’11
Weight: 205
MMA Record: 32-8-1
UFC Record: 2-3
Fighting Style: Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Born in Curitiba, Brazil, Wanderlei Silva started training at the age of 13 because he wanted to learn how to defend himself. He learned Muay Thai from the famous Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil and eventually earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Carlinhos Gracie.

His professional career started in Vale Tudo (anything goes) competitions in Brazil, where Silva had an impressive 7-1 record. It was then that he started to get noticed by the UFC and he made his debut at UFC 8 ‘Ultimate Brazil’, where he suffered a loss to Vitor Belfort only 44 seconds into round one. The loss was considered his worst showing to date.

After a win and a title loss decision to then champ Tito Ortiz, Silva left to fight in Japan for Pride Fighting Championship. He would go on to dominate Pride and have a 20-fight win streak, earning him a reputation as the killer Brazilian who destroyed many Japanese strikers.

He reined atop the middleweight division until Dan Henderson knocked him out with a huge left hook in Round 3 of a championship bout to take Silva’s belt. This knockout, as well as a brutal head kick KO from Mirko Cro Cop led to more talks about a mega fight with The Iceman Chuck Liddell, which would take place at UFC 79. And even though he eventually lost a decision to Liddell, he viciously knocked out Keith Jardine early in Round One.

The Axe Murderer has now moved to the United States with his wife and kids. He currently trains at Xtreme Coulture, which is Randy Coulture’s training center and home to many fighters, including Forrest Griffin. He’s currently training for his next match at UFC 92 against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and has recently said that he plans to open his own Mixed Martial Arts School in January. The school will offer training camps for fighters as well as classes for the public.

–Written By TSR Contributor John Duke

Cheick Kongo vs. Mufasta Al Turk
The first fight of the evening pits massive heavyweights against each other when French kick boxer Cheick Kongo squares off with British submission wrestler Mufasta Al Turk. Considering the contrast in styles, look for Kongo to keep distance and separation with his brutal leg kicks, which should set up his heavy-handed knockout punches. Conversely, Al Turk will attempt to take the French kickboxer down and catch him at his weak point, which is on the ground. This fight will most likely not go to a judge’s decision.

C.B. Dollaway vs. Mike Massenzio
The first fight is followed by a battle between the ‘The Ultimate Fighter 7’ runner up and UFC favorite C.B. Dollaway and Mike Massenzio. Both fighters are stand out wrestlers so the fight will more than likely wind up on the ground with both men attempting to use ground and pound techniques. The edge should go to Dollaway, with his striking and submission game being more complete than Massenzio’s. This fight may not draw huge excitement in terms of blow after blow punches, but it does have hidden potential for a quick, don’t blink submission finish.

Rampage vs. the Axe Murderer III
After two vicious fights and two even more vicious knockouts in Japan’s Pride Fighting Championship, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson – the former UFC light heavyweight champion – will face the ultra aggressive former Pride champion Wanderlei Silva for a third time. The first two fights were wars, with both ending in knockouts by Silva. But both were also early in Rampage’s inexperienced career when he was just a brawler with a wrestling background, and who was facing a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and Muai Thai expert. Since their last meeting, Rampage has immensely improved his boxing and technical skills, and hopes to avenge his previous losses.

The Axe Murderer will look to go out and attack, close the distance and clinch to unleash vicious knees and elbows, which has stopped Jackson in previous matches. Even though Silva has not used the Muai Thai clinch as much in the UFC, he is still a heavy hitting, wild swinging fighter who is one of the most entertaining and dangerous strikers in the business. Look for fireworks between the two and don’t get up or you may miss a brutal knockout.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Frank Mir
The Interim Heavyweight championship is on the line when Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and fellow Ultimate Fighter 8 coach Frank Mir will put everything on the line for the Interim Heavyweight title and the chance to fight former WWE star and UFC Heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar in a merging of the two titles. Both men have better-than-average striking skills with Mir excelling at kickboxing and Nogueira at boxing, but this is a fight between two Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belts that will likely go to the ground and stay there. Mir is a finisher, but Nogueira has never been submitted or knocked out in MMA. Mir has gassed and been TKO’d a few times before, so look for Nogueira to set him up for very slow and technical Jiu Jitsu styles, and then go for sweeps to mount and pound Frank. Mir’s best chance is to get the take down, pass the guard and hope to choke Antonio out. The winner of the co-main event will get Brock Lesnar next, which should be a great fight.

Forrest Griffin vs. Rashad “Sugar” Evans
The Light Heavyweight Championship features two reality TV superstars in former Georgia cop Forrest Griffin and ex-Michigan State wrestler Rashad “Sugar” Evans. Griffin is the Season One winner of “The Ultimate Fighter,” while Evans was the champ of Season Two. Both will meet to see who is the best at 205 in the UFC.

Griffin is known for his exciting wars with Stephan Bonner, Tito Ortiz and Shogan Rua. He’ll attempt to out-will and out-slug the undefeated Evans, who has a highlight reel of knockouts including a crushing overhand right of Chuck Liddell and a head-kick to Sean Salmon. These two fighters are sure to put on a show and this is expected to be the biggest fight card the UFC has had all year. All MMA fighters and fans alike will be watching to see the ever growing and always exciting 205 pound division in one of the most thrilling sports around.

UFC 92 has the superstars and match up to bring more and more people to the growing sport of Mixed Martial Arts. As usual, Dana White and the UFC team always look to thrill, as well as top previous fight cards and superstar matchups. Don’t miss these fights.

–Written By TSR Contributor John Duke