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Dec 10, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; UFC fighter Jon Jones wears the championship belt after defeating fighter Lyoto Machida (not pictured) during a light heavyweight bout at UFC 140 at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE

Throughout the history of the UFC we’ve seen many heated rivalries. There’s been Shamrock-Ortiz, Liddell-Ortiz, Evans-Jackson and so on, but this might be the biggest of all, Jon Jones against Rashad Evans.

Evans and Jones are former training partners and friends who over the past two years have started to actually hate each other. It all started when Jones earned a title shot due to an injury to his training partner, Evans. If you believe what Evans has said, he never wanted Jones to join Jackson’s MMA because he was worried that Jones would become champ and wanted to defeat him not train with him, but Jackson convinced him.

Since Jones won the title he and Evans have let the trash talking commence. Evans has called Jones and Greg Jackson fake and according to Evans has ruined his moment twice. Rashad has come in the octagon twice after Jones has won the title and it seems that nothing angered Jones more than Evans ruining his high after winning.

This is a fight two years in the making and injuries to both fighters have set the fight back numerous times. While the card may leave some to be desired the main event couldn’t be better. Jones is the future of the UFC, he will be sponsored by them at UFC 145 and the UFC is definitely putting it’s eggs in the Jon Jones basket. Evans, however, used to be what Jones is now. Some fighters like him, some hate him, although for two different reasons.

Some people see Jones as a cocky, fake fighter while others see him as a faithful, humble champion. Evans on the other hand is definitely a cocky fighter and while being disliked for that he also defeated fan favorite Chuck Liddell in vicious fashion.

Evans recently pointed out that there have been Jon Jones throughout the UFC’s history. Remember the Machida Era, and maybe the most ridiculous statement of all time, Philipe Nover being compared to Anderson Silva. We’ve heard it all before and up and comer who’s supposed to run through the UFC, but ultimately fails. Roger Huerta was supposed to be the fast rising champ, even getting a Sports Illustrated cover, before falling off the map.

Back to the Jones-Evans fight, however. This is a heated rivalry and a title fight, we don’t see this too often. Frank Mir hated Brock Lesnar, but Lesnar was not nearly as talented as Jones is. Sometimes we see fake rivalries, but this one looks legit. Evans left Jackson’s MMA because of Jon Jones and hasn’t forgotten that as we’ve seen from the UFC Countdown episodes.

After nearly two years of waiting we get the fight fans have always been waiting for. Two former friends who are now enemies and a matchup that will be huge for the UFC. Evans knows what it takes to beat Jones and vice versa. This is one of the biggest fights in UFC history and the fact that it’s for a title makes it that much bigger.

Dana White is the king of the world. Source www.mma-roundup.blogspot.com

We all know that relationships can be hard, the classic line “can’t live with them, can’t live without them” comes to mind. Relationships have to be worked at and developed, there are good times and bad. Although this sounds like marriage counselling it is not.

The UFC just like any other company selling a product needs to promote that product. Even if the UFC is the biggest MMA promotion in the world everyone in the office still rules the daily risk that they will fade into obscurity. To garner the level of promotion needed the brand needs to constantly be exposed on a number of different outlets including; TV, radio, internet, newspapers, face to face contact ( UFC Fan Expo) are all vital.

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Jan 28, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; UFC fighter Rashad Evans (right) fights against Phil Davis during UFC on Fox 2 at the United Center. Evans defeats Davis. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-US PRESSWIRE

Saturday, April 21, at UFC 145 Jon Jones will take on Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight title. Many experts and basically everyone who follows MMA are picking Jon Jones to win pretty handily. While Evans has trained with Jones the way Jones has defeated fighters makes it difficult to give the challenger more than a punchers chance. Evans will have to manage to get inside the range of Jones, avoid his takedowns and the wild strikes he throws. That’s a lot to ask for.

Jones is the light heavyweight champ for a reason and he’s made it look relatively easy. His resume isn’t exactly full of scrubs either. He’s fought the likes of Stephan Bonnar, Brandon Vera, Shogun, Rampage, and Machida and beat them all. To put it in perspective Jones toughest fight was against Machida and it only took two rounds two defeat the Brazilian.

Evans has a huge road ahead of him and while he’s talked confidently what happens if he loses? The reason this fight has become so interesting is Jones and Evans went from never fighting each other to hating each other. The two were former training partners at Jackson’s MMA and “best friends.” They were supposed to have fought already, but it’s been delayed due to injuries. In fact the only reason Jones earned a shot against Shogun was because of an injury to Evans.

What’s made this fight so exciting for fight fans is the dislike between the two fighters. Evans has attacked Jones and it’s been pretty extreme in some cases. He has even gone after his old coach, Greg Jackson. If Evans loses easily and doesn’t put up a fight it leaves him in an awkward position. The former UFC champ will have lost two consecutive title shots and in this scenario by brutal fashion.

It would be tough to see Evans earn another shot at a title if he loses decisively unless it’s because of the rivalry factor. Evans has always carried a lot of muscle and even won The Ultimate Fighter as a heavyweight. It isn’t unrealistic to think Evans could make the drop to middleweight especially since he isn’t the biggest fighter at light heavyweight. His main advantage has always been speed, but it’s tough seeing him even get close to Jones. If Evans loses it sets him far down the UFC light heavyweight ladder especially if it’s an ugly loss.

Brian Stann got back on track at UFC on Fuel TV 2 April 14, defeating Alessio Sakara by knockout. He also had one of the classiest moves ever in a fight by immediately stopping to call over the referee when he realized Sakara was out.

Stann was also able to show his improving clinch game, repeatedly kneeing Sakara before using short elbows on the ground to finish him. It’s by far one of the best performances from Brian Stann and it seems he may be on the path towards contendership after a tough loss to Chael Sonnen.

He has gone from middle of the row light heavyweight to a force at middleweight. While Stann is still relatively green in mixed martial arts the former WEC light heavyweight champ keeps improving and does have some big names on his resume. He has defeated the likes of Chris Leben and Alessio Sakara since dropping down and is 4-1 since he switched weights.

Stann’s biggest weakness still is the ground game. In the Sonnen fight we saw him put on his back and wasn’t able to get up against the experienced wrestler. He left himself open for a submission and that’s how he was defeated in the second round. We weren’t able to see if that aspect of his game against Sakara, but judging by how his muay thai improved I bet his ground game has too.

It’s crazy to think that Stann could have been cut after his UFC debut. He lost his UFC debut against Krzysztof Soszynski and lost to UFC newcomer Phil Davis. While Phil Davis is now a top light heavyweight at the time he was just a fighter making his debut. The drop down to middleweight has reinvigorated Stann and made him a contender. Look for Stann to keep improving each fight and a name like Mark Munoz wouldn’t shock me for a next fight.

Dec 30, 2011; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC fighter Alexander Gustafsson (left) fights against Vladimir Matyushenko during a light featherweight bout at UFC 141 at the MGM Grand Garden event center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

It’s safe to say the UFC’s inaugural trip to Sweden was a success. We had great fights and the fans were extremely engaged in the fights. If anything was learned from the event it’s that Alexander Gustafsson is a contender.

He managed to use his range to pick apart the tough Thiago Silva and was even able to connect on a few shots to knock down Silva. Gustafsson keeps improving as he fights and looks like he will be a force at light heavyweight. Silva was a great gauge to see where Gustafsson was at and whether he was ready to fact those top fighters. He is a better fighter than Gustafsson’s original opponent, Lil’ Nog, and definitely gave him a fight. Silva just was never able to get inside the range of the lanky Swede. A possible opponent for Gustafsson next could be Lyoto Machida. Although Machida lost his last bout it was a title fight and shouldn’t knock him down in the division too far. It will give Gustafsson another big name on his record and would be against a fighter who presents a difficult style for anyone he faces.

Brian Stann just keeps improving. While he lost his previous fight to Chael Sonnen against Alessio Sakara he managed to secure a first round knockout. Ever since the drop down to middleweight Stann has looked like a better and better fighter and this was no difference. He is showing that he could eventually be a contender at 185. A fight against Mark Munoz may need be out of the picture for Stann.

This may be the end for Paulo Thiago also. He’s gone 1-3 in his last four fights and may get one more opportunity, but it will definitely be against much lesser competition. A tough stretch for the former top contender who is 4-4 in his UFC career.

Saturday marks the first event in Sweden for the UFC and will be free on Fuel TV. The card is great from head to toe and gives us a look at Swedish light heavyweight prospect Alexander Gustafsson. Below are main card predictions.

Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page

The first fight features a couple WEC veterans coming off losses. Page hasn’t fought in over a year and has dropped two straight to Demetrious Johnson and Brian Bowles. He is in risk of being cut if he loses. Pickett is coming off a submission loss to Renan Barao and is looking for his first UFC win. Look for Pickett to turn this into a brawl and win the ugly fight.

Prediction: Pickett by unanimous decision

DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire

Johnson is looking for his second consecutive win after defeating Ultimate Fighter vet Clay Harvison. He has looked improved in each bout even his loss to Amir Sadollah. Maguire is looking to reach 2-0 in the UFC after defeating Justin Edwards by decision at UFC 138. He was beaten early before taking the next two rounds easily. Johnson is a large step up compared to Edwards and will be a tough fight.

Prediction: Johnson via unanimous decision

Dennis Siver vs. Diego Nunes

Dennis Siver is coming off a loss to Donald Cerrone in his last fight and is dropping down in weight to 145 pounds for the first time. He takes on Nunes who won his last fight against Manny Gamburyan, but seems to shrink under pressure. Siver will be the bigger fighter and use that to his advantage.

Prediction: Siver via 2nd round TKO

Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada

Thiago is coming off a tough 1-2 stretch, but a win in his last fight. He takes on Bahadurzada who has a huge challenge in his UFC debut. I see Thiago getting back to his submission roots for this fight.

Prediction: Thiago via 2nd round submission.

Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara

Stann is working to get back to contendership after a loss to Chael Sonnen while Sakara is looking just to get back in the win column. Sakara is the better technical boxer, but has less power than Stann. This will depend on how much Stann has improved and whether he can stand with Sakara.

Prediction: Stann via 1st round TKO

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva

Gustafsson will have the home advantage and wants to show he’s a top light heavyweight by defeating Silva. While Silva is coming off a suspension he definitely has the stand up and ground game to defeat the Swede, but it will depend whether he can get inside Gustafsson’s reach. This is by far Gustafsson’s toughest fight to date and the first real test for him since his lost to Phil Davis.

Prediction: Silva via 3rd round TKO

Dec 30, 2011; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UFC fighter Alexander Gustafsson celebrates against Vladimir Matyushenko (not pictured) during a light featherweight bout at UFC 141 at the MGM Grand Garden event center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The UFC will be welcomed to Sweden Saturday for the first time in history with top lightweight prospect Alexander Gustafsson. He will be premiering in his first main event and returning to his home to fight. Gustafsson is 12-1, with his only loss to Phil Davis.

Gustafsson has beaten Matt Hamill and Vladimir Matyushenko, but neither is really considered an elite light heavyweight. Hamill was basically prepared to retire prior to the bout and hadn’t been the same since he was destroyed by Jon Jones. That seemed to knock the heart out of Hamill and end his career.

There is no doubt that Gustafsson has improved since his loss to Phil Davis, but I’m not sold that he’s an elite light heavyweight. He has the size and reach to be a problem for everyone, but has shown holes in his game. He was submitted by Davis and wasn’t able to handle the strength of Mr. Wonderful. Gustafsson will mature more into his body, but who knows how he’ll do at heavyweight.

Let’s not forget either than he is basically a less talented Jon Jones from a physical stand point. He also has a very tough test ahead of him in Thiago Silva. This is a huge step up in competition for the Swede especially compared to Matyushenko. Silva has fought Rashad Evans and did well against him. He also beat Keith Jardine and Houston Alexander. Silva’s only two losses are to Lyoto Machida and Evans, those aren’t exactly slouches.

Gustafsson will need to use this fight to elevate himself into contendership. If he loses it will send him way down the ladder and give him a long road to get back to prospect status. The key against Silva will be to use his reach and basically outbox the Brazilian. Silva has the ground game and knockout power to hang with Gustafsson and if he gets inside of the reach it may be a knockout for Silva.

This argument has been presented before. Mixed martial arts isn’t the brawl that it once was it. Now it’s a technical sport that has gone global. It’s no longer a battle between two street fighters trying to kill each other, but can the argument be made that boxing is the sport that involves a more “thug” image?

Boxing is viewed as a technical sport. It’s the true competition, two men standing in front of each other using technique and skill to defeat each other. It isn’t a brawl where two men just come swinging looking to knock each other’s head off. Due to boxing’s history however it seems to get a pass when things go wrong.

Mixed martial arts is the “new” sport. It’s been around for a little over 2o years and was started with an emphasis on no rules. Obviously this didn’t help the image of the sport on bit, but it’s evolved since then. Mixed martial arts is a sanctioned sport in 48 states and is in fact safer than boxing, but that’s not what this article as about.

How often have we seen a brawl during an MMA weigh in? Sure we’ve seen some pushing and shoving, but nothing compared to boxing. I’m not just talking about Mike Tyson getting in fights with opponents prior to the match either. Recently there was the slapping incident at the weigh in between Derek Chisora and Vitaly Klitschko.

In boxing matches there’s also been the incident of Tyson biting part of Evander Holyfield’s ear during about. He was also convicted of rape and was welcomed back to the sport without much issue.

Floyd Mayweather, considered by many the top boxer today, is going to prison for a domestic violence charge, but still gets to fight May 5 prior to going to jail. When the Zuffa learned of Brett Rogers being charged for domestic violence he was promptly cut for Strikeforce.

Now we have seen some issues in MMA. Rampage was involved in a high speed chase, but other than that it’s difficult to think of others that have not been quickly acted upon by the UFC.

Boxing tends to get a free pass because it’s the older, established sport. Outspoken promoters like Bob Arum say it’s just skinheads fighting.

However, it has had more publicity issues than MMA has. They are largely ignored by the public and fade away without much talk. It seems that if writers and the media want to condemn mixed martial arts because of how it was once viewed. The sport is no longer close to what it once was and has advanced beyond that image. It is thriving sport unlike boxing and seems to be the image with cleaner, more professional athletes under it’s banner.

Thiago Silva faces Alexander Gustaffson at UFC on Fuel this weekend in his first fight since a failed drug test after a win over Brandon Vera. This was nearly a year ago and we all got a good laugh, but now Silva comes back to a very large drug issue in MMA.

After UFC 125 Silva tested positive for what was called “urine inconsistent with that of humans.” At the time we all laughed and made jokes of it, but now he may be on thin ice coming back.

Since the failed test over a year ago there have been a ridiculous amount of positive drug tests. The MMA world witnessed Cristiane Santos test for a bodybuilding drug, Chris Leben test positive for oxycodone, Diaz test for marijuana and most recently Overeem fail his drug test for raised testosterone.

With all these failed drug tests the UFC needs to start cracking down. It’s likely that Overeem will be cut if he doesn’t get his test overturned and Diaz is no longer fighting, but there hasn’t been a punishment by Zuffa. Silva will need to earn his fans back and definitely cannot fail another drug test.

The best thing that Silva did was come clean after failing his test a year ago. He admitted it and explained why he did it, but still it’s a failed test. If he fails another he will most likely be cut based on all the recent drug issues, but right now it’s all about cleaning up his image and winning back fans.

With the looming suspension of Overeem unless he magically comes out clean in his B sample, many UFC heavyweights have been pining for a title shot against the champ Dos Santos. We’ve heard Frank Mir say he would be willing to fight JDS and now the most recent…Mark Hunt. Yes, that Mark Hunt who recently defeated Cheick Kongo is asking for a shot. Now before someone says I can see that he’s won three straight fights I have nothing against it let’s look at his track recrd. Continue reading this post »