After a highly entertaining event at the end of 2007 for the UFC, they will start things back up on Saturday with UFC 80: Rapid Fire from Newcastle, England. The event will feature the Lightweight championship title bout between Joe "Daddy" Stevenson and the rejuvenated B.J. Penn. Penn will come in as a favorite after easily demolishing Jens Pulver in his previous bout at the TUF Season 5 Finale. After a long wait for the title picture to unfold, Penn is now looking to prove that he is training harder and has refocused his energy to being the best in mixed martial arts. Fabricio Werdum will make his return to the cage after a lackluster performance against Andrei Arlovski at UFC 70: Nations Collide. Werdum has since moved to the renowned Chute Box camp to improve his striking and overall technique in the cage. He'll take on the former #1 contender in Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga who is fresh off a loss to Randy Couture. Let's take a brief look at each matchup, and we'll give you our predictions in the process.

Main Event: Joe Stevenson vs. B.J. Penn
Lightweight Championship Bout

Joe Stevenson will have his work cut out for him in this matchup. B.J. Penn has been renowned for being one of the best fighters pound for pound in the world for many years. His only knock has been his inability to go deep into fights. His cardio training was his most obvious flaw that contributed to that inability and opponents managed to squeeze out victories against him because of it. He'll have to show up in phenomenal shape with his gas tank full in order to take out the pitbull in Joe Stevenson.

On paper, Stevenson doesn't seem to have an overall advantage in any department. B.J. has been known to have very good striking ability, and has put guys out in the past using just his hands. Penn also has some of the best jiu-jitsu we've seen in the cage, and his flexibility only makes it even tougher for opponents to work him on the ground. Again, the one area in which Stevenson may hold an advantage is the cardio area. Stevenson has solid wrestling abilities with some good submission work to counter B.J., especially if he grows tired.

The big problem here for Joe is that he really doesn't offer much in any area of the fight. He shouldn't want to trade with B.J. for very long unless he can catch an aggressive Penn early. The ground is where Stevenson can dominate if he can get on top of Penn, but Penn's jiu-jitsu would likely cause Stevenson to be on the defensive, even while Penn is on his back.

This fight will come down to cardio. If Stevenson can make this 5 round battle last longer and longer as it goes on, he has a much better chance of putting Penn out for good. Penn will probably want to end this within a 3 round limit before pushing his cardio to the max. Penn's jiu-jitsu alone is scary enough to put him on top in this matchup. Stevenson is definitely a good bet though.

Leland's Prediction: B.J. Penn via submission, Round 3

I’m tired of starting my prediction of every B.J. Penn fight with, “If B.J. comes in shape, no one can beat him.” I believe B.J. Penn will come in shape, and I think he will show why many people, including myself, feel he is pound-for-pound one of the best fighters in the world.

B.J. has tremendous flexibility and uses it to his advantage to avoid takedowns. He has dynamic striking and a solid chin, as proven in his fights against Pulver, Machida and GSP.  Of course, his jiu-jitsu is also off the charts. The only knock against B.J. is his cardio. He has shown a tendency in the past to fade in the later rounds. I feel that for once, B.J. has learned his lesson and will be able to take Stevenson out.

Joe Stevenson is a very underrated fighter. Joe has a solid wrestling base, good striking, and an underrated jiu-jitsu game. Stevenson is going to have to control B.J. in this fight and set the pace of the fight. If he lets B.J. control the pace of the fight, it will be a short night for Joe Daddy. The problem for Joe in this fight is he doesn’t have a lot of ways to win. His striking isn’t crisp enough to hurt B.J., he doesn’t have the superior jiu-jitsu game, and I think he’s going to have a tough time taking Penn down. The best bet for Joe is to clinch with Penn and use that to set up his takedown. From there he should look to control top position and work some ground-and-pound. He’s going to have to be on the defensive, because B.J. can take your back at some weird angles. However, if he’s too defensive, the fight is going to get stood up. 

Joe's Prediction: B.J. Penn via TKO, Round 2
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More...

Only four days following the spectacular Ultimate Fighter Finale, Zuffa once again puts on another great show on paper in World Extreme CageFighting 31. A sister promotion to the UFC, WEC has seen a resurgence in its stance in the MMA market with a television deal with Versus and supporting programming that continues to market the WEC well. The card on Wednesday night will only feed the hunger for likeness to the UFC. The event features three... count 'em three title bouts. Urijah Faber will defend the Featherweight crown against Jeff Curran, Doug "The Rhino" Marshall will defend his Light Heavyweight belt against Ariel Gandulla, and PRIDE veteran Paulo Filho, arguably ranked #2 at Middleweight, will defend his title against an able Chael Sonnen. Here's some more in-depth looks at each matchup and myself and John McKiernan weigh in our picks.

WEC Featherweight Title Bout
Urijah Faber vs. Jeff Curran

If there is one defining aspect of one fighter over another, it's experience. Curran (28-8-1) has a plethora of international and national experience in the cage. He has fought some of the best in the world, and still remains an underdog in this battle. Namely, he has recently beaten Rafael Assuncao, Wagnney Fabiano, Charles Bennett, and Antonio Carvalho all within the last 3 years. Fighters who are not slouched in the striking or ju-jitsu arena of the MMA skillset. He's taken on Matt Serra and "Kid" Yamamoto and taken them the distance. We can safely say that Curran is no stranger to high-level competition.

There is one aspect of his skillset that he lacks, and that is his ability to end fights. He is always a danger to submit his opponent, but he also has a tendency to miss holds and allow opponents to slip away from him. Stephen Ledbetter, his most recent win at WEC 29, was a perfect example of that. The question really becomes whether or not his great ju-jitsu background can counter Faber's relentless attack.

Urijah Faber (19-1) is an animal in the cage. His relentless attack has sometimes been likened to that of a Clay Guida, but he has knockout power along with a solid wresting game on the ground. The major X-factor in this fight is Faber's ability to keep the fight standing and putting the leather on Curran's face. If he can keep the fight standing, Faber will prevail. If the fight goes to the ground, Curran must avoid the devastating power that Faber can unleash on the floor.

Leland's Prediction: Urijah Faber by second round TKO

Faber is powerful, has the ability to avoid submissions, and is very strong in both his standup and ground game. Curran's ju-jitsu abilities are world-renowned, but he will have to avoid the fists of fury from Faber. I see Faber putting him out.

John's Prediction: Urijah Faber by second round TKO

Tougher fight for Faber than many expect.  Curran is well experienced with almost thirty wins.  Faber has explosive athletic ability, should look to keep this fight standing and will be able to.  The face of the 145 LB division in the U.S. gets his 20th win.

Joe's Prediction: Urijah Faber by third round TKO

Faber’s wrestling is too good, and he has shown good submission defense in the past. While Curran has great jiu-jitsu, I don’t think he’s going to be able to submit Faber. Faber will look to keep the fight standing for a bit, but then I expect him to take the fight to the mat where he’ll finish Curran with strikes sometime in the 3^rd round.
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WEC Middleweight Title Bout
Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen

Arguably the #2 ranked Middleweight in the World, Paulo Filho (15-0) made his WEC debut in winning fashion with a surprising TKO win over the veteran Joe Doerksen at WEC 29. Filho, primarily known for his ju-jitsu skills on the ground, has fought and defeated some of the best in the world in the weight class. Kazuo Misaki, Ryo Chonan, Murilo Rua, and Yuki Kondo have all fallen to Filho either by decision or by the feared armbar. Filho has some extensive ground game, but his striking has always been lacking. Sonnen will be a test in Filho's standup game to an extent, but Sonnen's ground tactics may not be able to nullify Filho.

Chael Sonnen (19-8-1) is an interesting matchup for Filho. Sonnen is known to have some great knockout power, but he's been known to fade and go the distance on multiple occassions. His one weakness against better competition has been the submission. This is where Filho may have the opportunity to win this fight if Sonnen doesn't land a big punch early. Sonnen has been racking up wins in BodogFight for the last year, and recently won at SportFight 20 up in the Northwest. There is an opponent that Sonnen has lost to convincingly 3 times that really sums up what Filho's gameplan will be, that's Jeremy Horn. Horn has defeated Sonnen three seperate times, two by submission. I wouldn't put Horn on the same level as Filho on the ground, although he is a very good grappler. It does outline a big problem in Sonnen's ground game though.

Leland's Prediction: Paulo Filho by 3rd round submission

This is an interesting fight due to the fact that Filho hasn't faced a hard-nosed wrestler in awhile, if at all. Sonnen will have power, and I think it will take Filho some time to work on the ground. Nonetheless, I believe Filho will submit him late in the bout.

John's Prediction: Paulo Filho by 2nd round submission

15-0 and Sonnen is no joke, but also not the guy to give Filho his first loss. The Brazilian is the undisputed #2 Middleweight world (possibly #1 in my mind) and has subbed a number of guys better than Sonnen. Wrestling and ju-jitsu is too good.

Joe's Prediction: Paulo Filho by 1st round submission

Filho is too strong and his grappling is too good for Sonnen. Sonnen has shown weakness in the past against fighters that have a good submission game. I think this fight will go similar to Filho’s last fight with Doerksen, but he’ll be able to finish this time with his grappling. Look for a submission, most likely an armbar, in the first round.
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WEC Light Heavyweight Title Bout
Doug Marshall vs. Ariel Gandulla

I'll make this short and sweet. Marshall (6-2) is a straight brawler. He has good knockout power and standup skills, but to be honest, I've only seen him roll on the ground once to win a fight. This fight wasn't made for a ground war, and it will certainly be a standup fight. Ultimately however, someone is going to shoot for the takedown to ground and pound their opponent or try to clip their opponent's chin and put him to the canvas for the ground and pound. Either way, strikes will end this fight.

Gandulla (4-0) isn't overly impressive in his standup or ground and pound tactics. He's more reserved than Marshall will be as Marshall seems to be overly aggressive at times. Could this be a strength? It's possible because I expect Gandulla to be taller than Marshall, and I think he'll have an easier time keeping Marshall at a distance. Does this equate to a victory for Gandulla? I'm not completely convinced, but I may go with the upset pick.

Leland's Prediction: Ariel Gandulla by TKO, 2nd round.

Marshall's striking is sloppy, and I believe Gandulla's patience can outlast the onslaught. He has some good power and the ability to elude the big blows. Marshall just isn't championship material in my eyes.

John's Prediction: Ariel Gandulla by TKO

Gandulla has proven he's tough and I see an upset.  ATT will have Ariel ready.

Joe's Prediction: Doug Marshall by TKO, 1st round.

As much as I want to pick against Doug Marshall here, I can’t. Marshall is strictly a brawler who likes to bang out his victories. I think Gandulla will be overwhelmed by Marshall’s assault and succumb to strikes early in the first round.
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Jens Pulver vs. Cub Swanson

One of the toughest fights for me to pick because I believe Jens is a class act in mixed martial arts. He's a warrior and trains just as hard as anyone out there and expects results because of it. Mainly known for his striking skills, Jens Pulver (21-8-1) has fought along side the best for a majority of his career. Most notably known for defeating BJ Penn at UFC 35 in a matchup that BJ was expected to win, Pulver went on to fight internationally against many of the best fighters in the world, although not having a whole lot of success. He was beaten by Hayato Sakurai and Takanori Gomi while fighting in PRIDE's Bushido series, and fell on hard times recently by losing to Joe Lauzon and BJ Penn in the UFC. Now, Jens will try his hand at a weight that he should have been fighting at his entire career. The featherweight in the division and around the world has recently garnered more interest and more fighters and has now allowed Jens to move down and fight legitimate competition.

Swanson (11-1) will be no easy fight for Jens Pulver. His most impressive battle as of recent was against Micah Miller at WEC 28. He showed a well-rounded skillset, great striking, some good ground tactics that enabled him to escape Miller on the ground and outlast him. He did a lot of damage once escaping holds and eventually tired Miller. Will we see this type of fight? Considering the fact that Pulver seems uninterested in heading to the mat, I would imagine a good standup war. Swanson does have a good ground game though. He has some nice takedown technique, and it could become a big problem for Pulver.

Leland's Prediction: Jens Pulver via second round TKO

Nearly everyone is picking Swanson, and I like Jens in this fight for the simple reason that he has dynamite in his hands. Swanson looks to be an easy pick, but Jens looks ultra motivated for this war. I think having 2 recent losses and coming down to his natural fighting weight will help tremendously. Look for Jens to feel out Swanson, and then attack in the second.

John's Prediction: Jens Pulver via first round KO

Coming off of two losses, one to a legend and a very devastating upset loss to Joe Lauzon, Pulver needs this win. Swanson is no cupcake, but he's never fought Pulver. All the pressure rests on Jens' shoulders, and the former champ will show he still has the hands that earned him the UFC belt.

Joe's Prediction: Jens Pulver via second round TKO

This fight is going to come down to Jens’ takedown defense. If he flops around and looks like he did against Joe Lauzon, this will be a very short night for him. However, I think Jens is truly motivated and is ready to make an impact in the 145lb weight class. He has excellent boxing and great power. I think Cub will try to stand and trade for him until he feels Jens’ power, but by then, it might be too late. Look for Jens to wear Cub down and finish him with strikes in the second round.
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Quick Hits

Brian Bowles (3-0) vs. Marcos Galvao (6-1)

Leland's Prediction: Galvao by unanimous decision

All of his fights have went the distance, showing some great cardio. He has a solid ju-jitsu background and has experience fighting some decent battles in Shooto as well. Bowles is a very green fighter, only having one fight in the WEC and two others against low-level competition that didn't present a challenge. I think Galvao will be a challenge and his ju-jitsu alone may be too much for Bowles.

John's Prediction: Galvao by unanimous decision

The Shooto veteran will make a succesful WEC debut.  Look for good jits from Galvao.

Joe's Prediction: Galvao by unanimous decision

Marcos Galvao is a Shooto veteran and possesses some good ground skills. Bowles is a green fighter, and hasn’t faced good competition so far. Galvao should win this fight on the judge’s scorecard.
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Bryan Baker (5-0) vs. Eric Shambari (7-0)

Leland's Prediction: Shambari via unanimous decision

I haven't been terribly impressed with either fighter. Baker was in trouble against Jesse Forbes and managed to reverse his luck and defeat Forbes. Schambari, on the other hand, hasn't been decisive in the WEC as far as finishing opponents goes. He has, however, continued to win against greener competition. I think both will bang, but get tired toward the middle of the fight. I think Eric can do enough early to win this one by decision.

John's Prediction: Shambari via decision

Past two opponents Art Santore and Logan Clark are solid, while giant Baker will be tested.

Joe's Prediction: Baker by second round TKO

The only fight I’ve seen of Baker was his fight with Jesse Forbes. He was getting outclassed for the most part, but managed to come from behind to pull off the victory. I think he’ll do the same against Shambari. 
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John Alessio (20-10) vs. Todd Moore (9-0)

Leland's Prediction: Alessio via first round submission

Alessio has a plethora of experience, but is susceptible to the submission himself. Most of his losses are against top competition, competition that Todd Moore hasn't seen before. I believe Alessio will be too much for him and will be a much tougher opponent than Moore's past opponents. This should be a win for Alessio.

John's Prediction: Alessio via first round submission

Alessio could be a star in the WEC on the way back after a loss to Condit. This is top level fighter, WEC will finally give the mainstream opportunity the seasoned vet has earned.  Moore is undefeated, but large increase in opponent quality here.

Joe's Prediction: Alessio via first round submission

Alessio is a well rounded fighter. He has some decent strikes, and an underrated ground game. He’s had some notable fights, particularly against Diego Sanchez and Carlos Condit. This fight should showcase some more of Alessio’s skills. Moore is undefeated, but he has yet to face any real competition. Alessio is too big of a step up for him at this point in his career. 
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Alex Karalexis (9-2) vs. Ed Ratcliff (5-0)

Leland's Prediction: Ratcliff by second round TKO

Ratcliff has a karate/grappling background as well as some decent striking ability. From what I've seen, his style is very quick and explosive, allowing him to move in for the kill and move away from the counters. I'm going to take the upset pick here.

John's Prediction: Karalexis by first round KO

This fight will have some fireworks! Alex has some real nice hands, and he's a way better fighter from the TUF series than he's given credit for.

Joe's Prediction: Karalexis by unanimous decision

Karalexis has some pretty good power, but tends to rely on his overhand right too much. He has a pretty good wrestling game and I think that’s where the difference in this fight will be. Look for Karalexis to start off striking, but he’ll eventually take the fight to the mat. I don’t think Ratcliff will have the takedown defense needed to stay off his back. Karalexis won’t finish, but it will be a dominating performance.
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Ian McCall (6-0) vs. Charlie Valencia (8-3)

Leland's Prediction: Valencia via second round TKO

Valencia actually has some power when he isn't being pummeled by some of the best in the WEC. I look for him to stop McCall's streak here.

John's Prediction: Valencia via decision

Valencia has fought two stars on this card, Faber and Swanson. Tough guy, I like him here.

Joe's Prediction: Valencia via second round TKO

I like Charlie Valencia in this fight. He has faced top flight competition, and lost, but he always brings it in each of his fights. Look for Valencia to finish this fight with strikes late in the first round or early in the second. 

With no pertinent heavyweight fights coming up, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the division as a whole. There are plenty of exciting match-ups that could be made, as well as a few fighters that have seemed to be forgotten about. Of course, the division is going to be decided on what happens with Randy Couture’s contract dispute. Earlier this week, Dana White appeared on the Dave Carmichael radio show on KHTK in Sacramento, and revealed that he had met with Couture the night before. He didn’t give out any specific details, just saying, “We’ll see what happens.” White was also asked about a potential fight between Couture and Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko. His response, “Never say never.”

“Never say Never.”

While I won’t say ‘never’, I’ll say the chance of Couture fighting Fedor in the UFC is at about 5% right now. The only possible way that I can see this fight going down is a farewell fight for Couture. The scenario is entirely possible if they can get the contract issues worked out, and Dana can swallow his pride (no pun intended) and bring Fedor into the Octagon. The next heavyweight title fight is supposed to take place in February at UFC 81. We could potentially see a Couture versus former Pride heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. If Couture wins this fight, what better way than to end his career than fighting Fedor? While I think this is a very real possibility, I only give it a 5% chance of happening because there are a lot of issues to consider. The first, and biggest issue, is the contract situation with Couture. I think it would be in Couture’s and the UFC’s best interest to restructure his contract for two more fights, with the promise to bring Fedor in contingent on Couture beating Nogueira.

If he loses his fight to Nogueira, the fight with Fedor makes absolutely no sense, and he should just retire. The next factor holding this up is Dana’s ability to negotiate with Fedor and M-1. There is going to have to be a lot of money at stake for this fight to happen. Regardless of the monetary value, I think it’s a no-brainer for M-1 to take this fight. If Fedor wins, he destroys a legend, one of the most popular fighters in UFC history, and destroys all credibility around the UFC heavyweight title. It also gives them huge exposure on a national scale. All of these reasons will play a big factor into why Dana will be very leery of letting this fight happen. The idea of it being a farewell fight for Couture saves the belt credibility for the UFC. It also enables them to build someone up to “take down the Russian”. It’s an excellent marketing tactic, but I don’t know if it’s a gamble the UFC would be willing to take. There is also the possibility of Fedor losing, which would impact his credibility. There is really only one free agent heavyweight fighter that makes sense for Fedor and that’s former UFC heavyweight champion and Pride veteran Josh Barnett. Fedor losing to Barnett wouldn’t mean as much as say, him somehow losing in one of the freak show fights that he could be taking part in with M-1. The last factor would be an injury to Couture. I am singling out Couture here because he is 44 years of age, and a big injury could definitely end his career.

No Couture? No Problem.

What happens if Couture doesn’t come back to the UFC? Well, regardless of the Couture contract situation, we’re definitely going to see a title fight at UFC 81. So with Couture out, that only leaves one person left to fill his shoes, former champion Tim Sylvia. This is an interesting match-up and could throw a wrench into the heavyweight rankings. Sylvia beating Nogueira is a definite possibility. As much as I hate to say it, that could move him into #1 in the heavyweight rankings. I know, I didn’t want to say it either, but it’s definitely something to think about. The reason for Sylvia passing Fedor is largely due to Fedor’s inactivity and his lack of stiff competition. Now, that’s not saying I think Sylvia would beat Fedor, because I don’t, it will just mean he’s done more for his case lately. To me, this is worst case scenario for the UFC. Sylvia winning brings back a dominant champion that the fans don’t really care for. If Nogueira wins, the heavyweight champion of the UFC has been defeated twice by Fedor and was getting beat badly in another that was ruled a no contest due to an accidental head butt. A third (or fourth whichever way you look at it) fight between them means nothing, and will probably lead to the same outcome. The UFC needs to do everything it can to get Couture back in action, and pray with everything they have that he beats Nogueira.

What happens to Sylvia if Couture comes back?

The most logical fight I can see for the “Maine-iac” is Cheick Kongo. Kongo is a powerful kick boxer who most recently defeated Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic by decision at UFC 75. After Sylvia’s win over Brandon Vera at UFC 77, Sylvia called out Kongo telling him to “pick on someone his own size.” This is an interesting fight, and if Couture comes back, this would set up the #1 contender in my eyes. The problem is neither of these guys will get a chance at Couture. So that leaves the question, who’s going to fight for the belt? If Couture comes back and beats Nogueira, there’s no reason for him to fight Sylvia, who he already beat in dominating fashion, or Kongo, who would not be a big draw. So, further down the road, I think we see Sylvia versus Nogueira for either the vacant UFC heavyweight title or the actual UFC title, if Nogueira dispatches Couture.

What about “Cro Cop”?

The problem with Mirko is that he has lost 2 fights in a row, and both of them in pretty devastating fashion. There was the knockout head kick he received from Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 70 and the decision loss to Kongo at UFC 75. Cro Cop looked good in the first round against Kongo, but faded after the groin shots and receiving one too many body kicks. To me, he still hasn’t looked like he’s adapted to the cage. He relies on angles that he uses to cut the ring off, and backing his opponent into the corner before devastating them with straight left hands and that famous left high kick. The problem for him in the Octagon is the size. It’s too big and it doesn’t allow him to cut off the angles like he’s used too. I would like to see Mirko go back to using the stick-and-move strategy. He seemed much faster in Pride, and he seemed fearless. So far, in the Octagon, Mirko has seemed tentative and a little scared. I think that’s going to change now, and I think he’ll come in more aggressive. He has added a scaled down Octagon to his training facility, and I look for it to help him immensely.

I would like to see Mirko get a confidence booster fight, but nothing too dramatic. Heath Herring would be a good fight for Mirko. He’s defeated him once, and it seems to me the UFC is treating Herring as nothing more than a gatekeeper these days. Another possibility is a fight with Vera. Although Vera recently suffered a broken hand, if he gets healed up, it’s a nice match for the UFC. That could be a win/win for the UFC. Vera really needs to move down to light-heavyweight, and a beating at the hands of Cro Cop might just be the motivation for that. Cro Cop desperately needs a win over a credible opponent. He basically suffered two loses to two guys that most fans and experts thought he would walk through. This is a pivotal fight for Cro Cop. 

Hey! You’re forgetting that Brock Lesnar guy!

Ahh, Brock Lesnar versus Frank Mir. I don’t know what to think about this fight. According to insiders, Lesnar requested this fight. To that, I will say, “Be careful what you wish for.” As bad as Mir has looked since his return to the Octagon, he is still very dangerous on the ground. The problem for Lesnar is that’s where he’s going to want this fight to take place. Mir is no walk over, and he was a champion at one time. It’s commendable that Lesnar wants to fight him, and I think it’s a win/win for the UFC. It’s Lesnar’s second professional fight, how much can you expect from the man? If Mir manages to beat him, it immediately boosts his stock. I’d even go as far as boost him near the top of the division right now. Hold your breath fans, we may be on the verge of Tim Sylvia versus Frank Mir II. Has all the talent in this division really come down to this? Wrap your head around that!!

Gonzaga, Werdum, that one guy , what’s his name…Arlovski…?

Former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga will take on Fabricio Werdum at UFC 80. This is a rematch from a few years ago where Werdum stopped Gonzaga with strikes in the third round at a Jungle Fight event. This could turn out to be an exciting fight, but for now, it has no title implications. If Gonzaga wins, I could see a rematch with Cro Cop in the near future. If Werdum pulls off the victory, I wouldn’t mind seeing him fight the winner of Mir/Lesnar. That brings us to our long lost buddy, “The Pitbull” Andrei Arlovski. Where has he been? He’s been locked in a contract dispute with the UFC. Arlovski only has one fight left on his contract and has said that he just wants to fulfill his contract and explore other options. This is an awkward situation for the UFC. Arlovski has credibility, but if Tim Sylvia is the champion, he won’t get another title shot. As far as competition goes, I don’t think the UFC wants to let Arlovski go. He would immediately boost the heavyweight division of any promotion he went too. He could be a good challenge for Fedor in M-1. He could head to EliteXC, or even Strikeforce to take on Allistair Overeem. Although he’s coming off a boring decision win over Werdum, he still has major drawing power. I’d expect the UFC to make a big push to sign Arlovski before his contract expires. 

Final Thoughts

This is a pivotal time for the UFC heavyweight division, and there are a quite a few interesting fights on the horizon. The biggest factor in this division right now is Randy Couture. If he comes back, there’s still a possibility he could fight Fedor. If we don’t see Randy back in action, it could be a few more years before we see “The Last Emperor” enter the friendly confines of the Octagon. What matches are you guys looking forward too? How important is it for you to see Randy versus Fedor? Will it ever happen? 

Joe Schmitt is a new contributing writer to MMA-Analyst.com.

Joe Schmitt is a new contributing writer to MMA-Analyst.com in the capacity of some opinion writing that will hopefully spark some conversation from all of the readers. He touts his extensive UFC DVD collection, has awareness of the recent happenings within the MMA community, and loves to get down to the details regarding matchups within the UFC's ranks. Please join me in welcoming some of his thoughts that will hopefully get the masses thinking. 

As long as you haven’t been living under a rock the past few days, you’ll know that Matt Serra has pulled out of his very first title defense against former champion Matt Hughes. Serra suffered two herniated discs in his back while demonstrating a move in practice. How serious is the injury? It’s serious enough that the UFC has signed Georges St. Pierre vs. Matt Hughes III for the interim welterweight title. 

A closer look at Serra’s injury

According to WebMD, the bones (vertebrae) that form the spine in your back are cushioned by small, spongy discs. When these discs are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. But when a disc is damaged, it may bulge or break open. This is called a herniated disc. It may also be called a slipped or ruptured disc.

Usually a herniated disc will heal on its own over time. About half of people with a herniated disc get better within 1 month, and most are better after 6 months. Only about 1 person in 10 still has enough pain after 6 weeks to think about surgery.

The extent of Serra’s injury is still unknown and the timetable for his return is still very much in question. If it takes him 6 months to heal, I can’t imagine he’ll be in fighting shape for another 3 months after that. According to Matt Hughes’ blog, he has stated that if Serra cannot return after a year, the interim title becomes the real title.

The “TUF” effect

Before I get started, let me begin by saying that I understand the decision to put Hughes versus Serra as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter” or as I like to call it, “The Ultimate Hype Machine.” What I don’t understand, is putting a division, arguably the deepest in MMA, on hold for a reality television show that draws below-average ratings. Furthermore, I don’t think the show is serving the purpose it once had, to draw new fans to the sport.  Plain and simple, the formula for the show is old and tired. The UFC should really be looking for the best fighters, and stop worrying about personalities that they think will make the show interesting. There are really only a handful of fighters that possess both the talent and charisma like a Quinton “Rampage” Jackson or a Forrest Griffin. The problem is, while some fans are attracted to the high charisma of Rampage, there are just as many who love Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Chuck Liddell and Fedor Emelianenko. None of which are highly charismatic, but they garner fans by winning fights in devastating fashion. The fact of the matter is, the UFC’s plan to use TUF as a marketing machine has failed them this time.

Will we still see Hughes vs. Serra? Probably. Will it mean as much? Probably not. We know Hughes and Serra have a general dislike for each other, that’s no secret. Did it have to take 12 weeks of them taking cheap shots at each other on television to get me excited for this fight? Not a chance. Everyone has gotten to see Serra’s personality, as he was a member of TUF Season 4: The Comeback. Hughes has made multiple appearances on TUF, most notably as he coached against former middleweight champion Rich Franklin in season 2. Serra is a loud, say-anything, type of guy from New Jersey. Hughes is a Midwestern farm boy with an arrogant disposition. The two styles clash, but to be honest, this season did absolutely nothing for me. I wasn’t any more or less excited about the fight than when it was announced. I was actually a little disappointed because of all the potential matches that could’ve been made during this time. Let’s take a look at UFC 78 for example. There was no real main event, and we could have witnessed Serra versus Hughes in Serra’s home state of New Jersey. Instead, we got Rashad Evans versus Michael Bisping, another product of TUF. The only way I can agree with the UFC using TUF like this again is if the champion is injured. Let’s say next season we see Rampage and Forrest as the coaches, with a title match at the end of the season. I like that idea because we aren’t going to get to see Rampage fight in the near future due to his hand injury.

Final thoughts

The Ultimate Fighter needs an overhaul, plain and simple. The show's formula has become bland, predictable, and even downright boring. On top of that, the fans don’t get rewarded for putting 12 weeks of their life into a show that was supposed to hype up Hughes versus Serra. Don’t get me wrong, I’d much rather see St. Pierre and Hughes go at it, but as a fan, I feel that I kind of got cheated. Let this be a lesson to the UFC brass: No more title shots and holding a division stagnant for the sake of reality television. What do you think? Did this season get you more excited for the fight? Or, could you care less?