Looking for a Fight @ UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi

Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza enters the Octagon to impress on Saturday Night. (yahoo.com)

Just because the fight card for Saturday night's UFC event in Brazil says Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza and Lyoto 'The Dragon' Machida aren't fighting each other doesn't mean they aren't facing off. Yes, UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Mousasi might as well read as UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Jacare. The two Brazilians are the co-main and main event of the evening and while winning their fight is top priority, the biggest prize is the win their fight spectacularly on Saturday to get a shot at the middleweight title.

Both Machida and Souza are more than capable of the spectacular in the Octagon. Souza has finished his last five opponents with four of them coming in the 1st Round. Machida is no stranger to finishing fights, and his debut at 185 ended abruptly with a shin to Mark Munoz's head. As the lead in to this event, UFC President Dana White has said that Machida is the one who stands to get the next title shot after Vitor Belfort should Machida defeat Gegard Mousasi, however, as we all know White likes to see finishes.

It's the reason the UFC implemented the new bonus structure effective immediately changing the KO of the Night and Sub of the Night to two separate Fighter Performance of the Night bonuses. The company slant on this is that sometimes there isn't a KO or a sub so this bonus money goes wasted. Now, since it's more open to interpretation this $50K bonus can go to whomever the UFC wants to give it to. Yeah, right.

The UFC does whatever it wants within the confines of their company. If there isn't a KO or a sub, then I can guarantee they're giving out that money on top of the already infamous backdoor paychecks the UFC cuts for fighters who go above and beyond in the Octagon.

This move directly correlates to UFC 169, which set a record for fights going to the scorecard. White was not happy, so things needed to change. Overall, this isn't going to greatly impact the fights, but the message is clear: just because you happen to triangle choke some guy in a boring fight, you're not walking off with $50K. You have to put on an entertaining fight and you have to go for not just finishes but for 3 or 5 rounds of continual action.

So Machida can't just dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge his way to a decision. Nor can Jacare play it carefully (not that he usually does). This is a fight where not only are the bonuses up for grabs but the caliber in which each fighter is able to finish the fight will directly affect his ability to get a title shot. This is something that both fighters, fighting in front of their Brazilian brethren must be thinking about.

Both fighters are the favorites in their respective bouts, but while Jacare has the higher UFC rank at #3, the newly minted middleweight Machida is right behind him and #4 and taking on the arguable better opponent in Mousasi. While Mousasi hasn't been able to get his momentum going in the UFC, fighting only once in April against unfortunate last second replacement Ilir Latifi, he can't be overlooked as the Iranian has held belts at both DREAM and Strikeforce.

It remains unclear if Jacare and Machida would fight each other for a #1 contender spot, but at this moment that appears to be unnecessary. With Anderson Silva out of the picture for most of 2014 and either current champion Chris Weidman or Vitor Belfort holding the strap come May it'll be the fighter that puts on the best performance on Saturday night who will fight for the title before 2014 is over.

This new bonus structure might not move mountains, but the UFC certainly added an extra element to Saturday's card in Brazil.

BREAKDOWN

If the name of the game is finishing fights, then it's hard for me to think Jacare won't be fighting Weidman in the Fall. Jacare is a scary dude who can now impose his fists on top of his elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu. When we look at Machida though, what can we expect in his second bout at 185? His first ended so emphatically that if he can do something like that again then the title shot is all his.

The shame about Machida is that many probably don't appreciate how good he really is. The guy was almost untouchable at 205 until he ran into Shogun Rua, and then a Jon Jones choke later it was clear he was out of his element. A naturally slender person, Machida probably should have been at 185 all along, but his unwillingness to fight Anderson Silva and probably a heavy reliance on his karate to avoid the damage light heavyweights can inflict kept him up there too long. If 185 Machida is explosive and is more willing to let his fists fly, then we could be talking about a completely different fighter.

In order to make a prediction, I'm going to have to go with what I know. Although I think the upset is a bit more likely with Jacare than with Machida, I think Jacare will be able to finish Francis Carmont via submission and get the title shot.

Looking for a Fight @ UFC 167: GSP v. Hendricks

Johny Hendricks looks to end Georges St-Pierre's reign at welterweight. (scifighting.com)

I mentioned that with the UFC celebrating it's 20 years this week that there's a lot to discuss and review. All networks that cover the UFC as well as the organization itself has done a great job showcasing how far the sport has come along in a short time. There's a lot to digest and a lot to take in, so I highly suggest you go peruse everything places like mmafighting.com and UFC.com have to offer. There is a mega card this weekend, so I'll just pass along a couple of quick thoughts on the UFC and how it's affected my sports fandom then get right to GSP v. Hendricks.

Personally, I first started getting into the UFC the first year after I graduate from college. My best friend from home had apparently gotten into it his senior year with his roommates, so he invited me over for a pay per view. I knew a little about the UFC. Very little. This was probably a couple of months before Roger Huerta's Sports Illustrated cover came out.

I'm a big sports fan, so I was intrigued by a sport that had caught the attention of my friend, who at the time, probably didn't know who Peyton Manning was.

We are sitting in the living room of his apartment, and I just start asking basic questions. Not about the rules, as I thought I'd be able to figure those out, but about the fandom of the UFC.

"Who's the biggest star?"
"Chuck Liddell."

"Who is the biggest fan favorite? The guy everyone likes?"
"Randy Couture."

"Who is your favorite fighter?"
"This up and coming guy, Georges St-Pierre (or how I transcribed it in my mind at the time: George St. Pierre)."

These basic tenants are what started my path to become a UFC fan. I can't remember what really made me decide I'm in on this sport. There wasn't a moment where I realized this sport was for me. What I do remember is just wanting to know about the fighters.

This actually proved to be kind of difficult way back in 2007. There was the Ultimate Fighter, but that didn't show UFC stars fighting. There weren't many options for free fights on YouTube or at UFC.com, and the amount of media (Fox Sports, ESPN, Yahoo!, and such) were barely or non-existent. I've never been a big message board guy, so I wasn't digging a bunker in Sherdog world, just looking around.

Over time though, as my friend and I would order the pay per views and watch them I just couldn't get enough. I quickly acted as my n00b self liking the champs, but as my knowledge of the sport developed I started liking other "non-champs" as well.

Slowly but surely I just kept consuming information. Remembering fights and fighters. Of course also finding a passion for the sport itself. My friend and I also grew up on the WWF. So while the UFC wasn't the spectacle the UFC (except for Dana White) was, I was happy to engage in the realness of the fighters and the storylines that UFC marketing put together. Let's face it, to get into this type of occupation, you probably have an interesting history.

Becoming a fan of the UFC wasn't a matter of getting into it, but rather just opening your eyes to the obvious. This is an exhilarating and thrilling sports event. There isn't a regular season in the UFC, it's the Super Bowl every month.

To this day, when people - notably: my friends who are primarily (not to be sexist, the UFC is fine for the whole family to love) 20-35 year old males - don't like the UFC, don't get it, think it's too slow, or most horridly find it to be homoerotic (another note: this specific person is not my friend he was a friend of a friend) I can't even begin to explain how wrong they are. To have those thoughts while watching the UFC is beyond my realm. I have no idea what these people are watching.

But hey, that's their right. If they're not into it, I'm not going to put them in a gogoplata to make them understand. I just don't get it.

So with the 20th Anniversary approaching and a great card about to take place Saturday night I'll be driving to South Jersey to that same friend's house to have some beer, smoke a cigar, eat some pizza, and watch some fights. Congrats, UFC and thanks.

BREAKDOWN

Johny Hendricks wants to knock out Georges St-Pierre. You don't say? Well, he's going to have to in order to get the belt on Saturday.

It seems every GSP fight is surrounded by the strength of his opponent. What the opponent brings to the table and can do to GSP. The spotlight is on the Champ, but when it comes to the storyline, it's about how GSP's opponent exposes certain risks in GSP's game, thus alluding to a close fight or that shocking potential upset. Kind of like when the Batman movies were always about the villain and never about, you know, Batman. "Hey guys, we got Schwarzenegger to be Dr. Freeze!"

The stance with Hendricks is easy. He might be the hardest pound for pound puncher the UFC has. Regardless of weight class, you don't see people get their consiousness clicked off quite as easily has Hendricks has been able to do in his recent fights. This is one-punch knock out power. No follow up ground and pound, no person that got hit attempting to defend himself. This is punch and goodnight.

Hendricks' power along with his elite wresting is certainly a threat. At this point he's probably better as an all around MMA artist than Josh Koscheck and even Matt Hughes in GSP and Hughes' third fight. I must admit, I wasn't a believer at all in Hendricks until his Carlos Condit fight. He was tenacious, closed ground, and made things difficult for Condit the entire fight. Hendricks ability to continually move forward and threaten his opponents is a unique skill for a UFC fighter, especially once you begin taking on elite competition.

Martin Kampmann and Jon Fitch serve as good highlight reel fodder, but let's be honest with those two fighters. Kampmann has made his livelihood getting clocked and either rebounding or not to win/lose a fight and Fitch just lost to Josh Berkmann. Neither were equipped with the proper tools to defend against Hendricks' assault while standing. GSP has great striking defense, and it doesn't translate to an easy target for Hendricks and his left hook.

We know the wrestling is there for Hendricks, but we also know GSP has some of the best MMA wrestling in the UFC. He's done well against every fighter, including collegiate champs like Koscheck. It is worth noting though that GSP did have to work harder for those take downs the second time against Koscheck.

Hendricks won't eliminate GSP's wrestling, but he will be able to neutralize it greatly. For that reason, I'm expecting this to be much more of a stand up battle early on. Hendricks will look to pressure and challenge GSP, and GSP will look to utilize his jab and leg kicks to attempt to keep Hendricks at bay.

Hendricks' dogged approach and seemingly reckless ability to keep moving forward does present a challenge for GSP, but GSP also has a devastating jab to work with a 7 inch reach advantage against the stocky Hendricks. Hendricks may want to come forward and be aggressive, but GSP has the physical capabilities to make it hard for Hendricks to get near GSP without incurring a lot of damage. Not to go back to Koscheck again, but that fight was a mighty struggle for Kos once GSP popped his orbital bone. This is something Hendricks cannot take lightly.

Furthermore, in regards to GSP's offensive attack, I expect him to be able to maintain distance, force Hendricks to be highly active and be able to stay away from sustaining major damage. The main thing GSP has to keep in mind that when he looks to counter Hendricks, that Hendricks will keep moving forward. When GSP was rocked by Carlos Condit, it was the result of Condit throwing a two punch combo he had probably thrown a dozen times by that point in the fight, however the time he caught GSP, he finished off that two punch combo with a head kick. GSP had expected the same combo, dropped his hands, and got caught. Hendricks will throw multiple punch combinations and won't stop at one or two, but use his power to force his way inside by throwing three or four punch combos to close the distance. This is something GSP has to be cautious of and not be too aggressive in his counter striking.

For GSP to win, I expect him to be highly elusive from Hendricks and utilize his great jab and leg kicks to attempt to quickly tire the #1 contender.

Speaking of that jab, I had an idea yesterday while I was reading up on coverage of the fight. GSP seems to be keeping back a "secret" that he is looking to show off tonight. Speculation has been that this is a possible retirement, rekindling a super fight, or movies or whatever. People have also positioned this secret to happen post-fight, but I think GSP's surprise is a strategy he will utilize against Hendricks to catch him off guard. I think he's going to come out fighting southpaw style. Call it the reverse Rocky II strategy.

Think about it. GSP's striking is dynamic, but when he does fight orthodox, he doesn't typically fight in a standard muay thai stance, which is more upright and tall in order to better utilize leg kicks and avoid incoming strikes. His stance is based in his karate background with some wrestling modifications. This leaves his base wide, but also keeps his head right in the pocket - even leaning forward a bit. He's been clipped multiple times in the nose and forehead against BJ Penn and Koscheck and Condit as a result.

Standing in a southpaw stance keeps him in a better defensive stance against Hendricks' left hand and will certainly disorient a fighter that is expecting to fight an orthodox fighter. In boxing particularly, where the jab is so highly utilized, many trainers have suggested moving to a southpaw stance because if you're throwing your jab, why wouldn't you use your stronger limb to deliver those blows? I'm sure GSP's jab with his right hand doesn't lose any mustard when he throws it. Even during the weigh-ins yesterday, did GSP give away his secret? He started orthodox then jump switched to his southpaw stance with a smile on his face. Granted GSP usually lines up this way for face offs, but the jump switch struck me as interesting.

GSP lined up in his southpaw stance last night.

Wouldn't this be such a GSP thing to do? He always unveils a new trick. Something he's practiced thousands of time at Tri Star. Away from cameras rolling or reporters reporting.

I think GSP looks extremely focused or even obsess with this fight. In interviews, he doesn't look stoic or frustrated like he did leading up in his last couple of fights, he looks energized. I think Hendricks will struggle to get a hold of GSP in the ring and will incur a lot of damage trying to get to him. As the fight wears on, Hendricks will move a bit slower. If he tries to shoot in and take down GSP early, then you know he's in trouble.

GSP will take his normal calculated approach, but Hendricks will put up a fight and put himself in harms way more than previous challengers. GSP may not have knock out power, but his strikes are damaging. GSP will never move away from his takedowns because it's an important part of his striking game and keeping his opponents guessing, but I don't think he'll lean heavily on the takedowns until the third round. As Hendricks tires, he will expose that and utilize his MMA wrestling and jiu jitsu.

GSP wants a finish and fans have been waiting for a virtuoso performance, and I think accomplishes both tonight. GSP by rear naked choke in the 4th round.

UFC: 20 Years

Matt Hughes takes on B.J. Penn. (kickassmma.com)

There's a lot of reasons I love the UFC. As it reaches the 20th anniversary, set to culminate on Saturday at UFC 167 in Las Vegas, there have been multiple media outlets and the UFC themselves parading out some of the greatest of. A retrospective for a 20 year-old sport seems premature, but at the same time the growth and story of the UFC amazing enough that it needs to be documented. I don't have the time or wherewithal to dive deep into my history with the sport, but I'm sure I'll share a couple of thoughts in my Looking for a Fight column later this week when I discuss the Georges St-Pierre v. Johny Hendricks fight, but for now, I wanted to pass along a quick ranking I did on ESPN.com for the best UFC fighters over the past 20 years.

Check out my SportsNation Rankings http://t.co/4g1bXZxSft
— Rob Grundlock III (@grundlock_3rd) November 13, 2013

My rankings are also listed below, and you can vote for your own selections as well.

SportsNation Rankings	Points	#1 Votes	Your Rankings
1.Anderson Silva	6312	303	1.Anderson Silva
2.Georges St-Pierre	5552	89	2.Georges St-Pierre
3.Jon Jones	5256	101	3.Jon Jones
4.Chuck Liddell	4478	43	4.Chuck Liddell
5.Randy Couture	3933	31	5.Matt Hughes
6.Royce Gracie	3762	65	6.Randy Couture
7.Matt Hughes	2938	7	7.B.J. Penn
8.B.J. Penn	2683	4	8.Tito Ortiz
9.Tito Ortiz	2588	5	9.Royce Gracie
10.Frank Shamrock	2260	4	10.Mark Coleman
11.Mark Coleman	1407	6	11.Frank Shamrock

Looking for a Fight @ UFC 165: Jones v. Gustafsson

Jon Jones launches a jump kick against Ryan Bader. (mirror.co.uk)

Two and a half years ago Jon Jones fought Ryan Bader. Both were undefeated, both had a lot of hype and potential behind them, and the winner was pegged to be a pretty big deal in the UFC. Jones won convincingly, and he's certainly become a big deal.

With combination of some issues outside of the ring, dominance in it, and a luke warm relationship with fans, Jones has become the UFC star that has the potential to sign the brightest. Deals with Nike and Gatorade (?) have given him the two biggest "on shorts" sponsors in the UFC, and surely he must be in the running to be on the cover of the new EA Sports UFC game.

As we've followed the career and watched the development of Jones as a fighter in the UFC and as an entity in media, it has always been interesting to see how Jones continually tries to develop his media persona. He wants to fight and be the best fighter ever, but at the same time it's confusing how a man who - when he's not trying - comes off as very aware, intelligent, and captivating. When he is at his most distant is when he tries to be someone other than himself or live up to the image of what he thinks he should be.

He's gone from aw shucks, to cookie-cutter fighter mode, to cocky and arrogant, to comfortable in his own skin, to slightly awkward at times, and where we stand today a man at peace looking for new challenges.

Surely, though it must be difficult to restrain any hubris when your job and your success has come from beating up the toughest guys on the planet. Georges St-Pierre certainly does that and does it well. And despite many less fan pleasing performances than Jones, is the most beloved fighter the UFC has. With all due respect to GSP, the UFC does not want another version of him.

The UFC is looking for that marketable star that wants the limelight and can become the guy that everyone and their mother knows. In Jones they have that, and he wants to be that. While his in-ring product might be approaching a polished product at 205, his out of ring persona is far from complete.

What the UFC wants is Floyd "Money" Mayweather. The undisputed champ of boxing and pay-per-view, excuse me May-per-view. Money is as big as the sport itself, maybe bigger. His persona is every bit as perfect as his boxing ability. While Mayweather is a devisive figure, what he does is get a whole lot of people's attention. People want to see him fight whether he wins or loses. People are drawn to him because the idea we all have of Floyd Mayweather is compelling, but honest. You may not like or agree with how he carries himself or lives his life, but what you see is what you get. With Jones, you don't get that feeling. You get the feeling that a part of him would rather be Ronda Rousey.

Jones is beginning to discuss other interests. Whether it's getting into movies or boxing a Klitschko brother Jones is looking for challenge that, frankly, the UFC's light heavyweight divison can no longer offer him. Who knew being the best of the best at something at 26 would be so unfulfilling?

For Jones, the compelling part for him, the challenge is to become an icon and stir an emotion inside of fight fans that compel them to be invested in what he does. To want to watch him. That's a challenge, and that's also a big part of what will bring him the attention, earnings, and fanfare he desires.

Rousey go there faster because she has a crazy story, is an Olympian, is fiery, and is beautiful. People want to know what she's doing.

People are just as inclined to shrug their shoulders when Jones is on SportsCenter.

Jones may be at peace or confident he'll beat Alexander Gustafsson this weekend at UFC 165 in Toronto, and that's fine. But he shouldn't make the fans watching him be indifferent. Talking about how Gustafsson doesn't do anything better than him, or that Gustafsson is mistaken to have a "stick and move" boxing strategy and wax poetic about the art of boxing itself isn't what people want from Jones. He has to make more of an effort, not to be likable, but to just be a person of interest. The answer about what works for Jones is an unknown. Who should he try to emulate? Ah, but that's it, he shouldn't try to emulate anyone at all. It's a matter of how to make yourself as compelling a figure as possible using the tools that God gave you.

As crazy and as mixed up as it sounds, the audience that will be entralled with Jones' pure excellence in the Octagon is much smaller than the audience that is intrigued about a figure or a person (i.e. Kardashian, Kim). There's a part to Jones that seems to think this is all figured out and wins and movies and money and cars and fame and legendary status are all but promised through hard work and dedication, but the truly legendary figures always have a bit more going on than that.

BREAKDOWN

Nitpicking over a champions past fights is never worth it. Fighters fight who is out there at the time. That moments best of the best or best available. Just because Anderson Silva fought Patrick Cote doesn't make him any less of fighter. When you deal with these upper echelon fighters, a lot of opponents they go up against won't seem up to snuff. The names of Rua, Rampage, Machida, Evans, Belfort, and Sonnen are all marquee wins. None outside of Sonnen were complete gimmies, and we all know what Sonnen is capable of. If this was the BCS (RIP!) then Jones would have built up quite the compelling case. Certainly, Jones' severe height and reach advantage has been played up ad nauseum, but it could also be argued that Bones hasn't taken on a fighter at or near his prime since Bader

You can cross both of those items off the list this Saturday when Jones fights Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165. A fighter that is by all means approaching his prime. Again if you want to nitpick, you can say Gustafsson isn't ready yet. Sure, but people didn't think Jones was either when he fought Shogun to win the title on a quick turnaround.

Gustafsson has improved each fight, especially after a submission loss to Phil Davis that exposed his lack of wrestling. Gustafsson actually began training with Davis after that fight to improve. This is an evolving fighter who has showcased a wide variety of skills and a great ability to use his length and body control to give opponents a tough time.

That reach is actually no advantage against Jones who sports the longest reach in all the UFC. Both men will be heading into the fight with, likely, very different strategies. While Gustafsson has worked on improving his wrestling, his game is his boxing and his distance. People are wondering how Jones will handle someone of similar size in the Octagon with him, but I'll be interested to see how Gustafsson does the same.

Bones, will likely want to box and strike with Gustafsson. He doesn't appear to have any doubts when it comes to how good his striking is, and he really shouldn't. Hardly anyone has taken less damage in their fights than Jones. The most severe injury he had was from his own doing against Chael Sonnen when he severely dislocated his big toe pushing Sonnen up against the cage.

We have seen Gustafsson's chin in action, but not Jones'. Undoubtedly, at some point Jones will take this to the mat, where it'll be up to Gustafsson to get back on his feet. These are two major advantages that Jones has.

After the Siva-Weidman fight, there are some extra nerves in the air about champs taking things a little too lightly. While Silva more likely served as a cautionary tale for Bones, it's hard not to wonder if maybe he is a bit more focused on a movie role than a big Swede. I feel it myself, but in all of Bones' fights no matter how big or small he's never been out of control. Never been reckless or in danger. Now, he can't avoid danger at his own behest, but the being in control part is vital.

It's reaching that point where Jones wants the standing KO finish in the UFC. I doubt that'll happen in this fight. I wouldn't be surprised if this fight actually started off rather dull. Jones won't force any engagement and if Gustafsson is too concerned with keeping his distance we might hear some boos early on. Ultimately though, things will start moving, and depending on when Jones moves this fight to the ground, that's probably where it will end.

Jones by 3rd round submission.

Looking for a Fight @ UFC 163: Aldo v. Korean Zombie

Aldo is coming into his own as a fighter and a champion. (bleacherreport.com)

Like your MMA without all the professional wrestling mixed in? Well, the UFC has an event for you on Saturday. UFC 163: Aldo v. Korean Zombie live on pay-per-view from Brazil.

While I'd like to say that this main event has already gotten its fair share of coverage, that Jose Aldo's coming of age story has been covered, that the throne of best Brazilian fighter has been temporarily if not permanently vacated, and that there are other really compelling fights on the card to discuss I really can't. This card is about Aldo. Anderson Silva was knocked out, Junior Dos Santos may not beat Cain Velasquez, and there are reports floating around that might concern Vitor Belfort, the Brazilian MMA throne is much more accessible than this one.

On top of all of this there is a strong opinion that Georges St-Pierre will lose to Johny Hendricks later this year. What this all means for Aldo is that by January 1, 2014, not only could he be the King of Brazilian fighting, but he could also be the only fighter worthy of discussing as pound for pound champ other than Jon Jones. While this fight with Chan Sung Jung isn't as tasty as Anthony Pettis, it means a lot for Aldo.

Since being absorbed by the UFC, Aldo has defended his belt successfully 4 times without ever truly being in danger. He gassed at the end of the Mark Hominick fight, but Hominick would have had to finish Aldo for him to win. We have yet to see a signature finish from Aldo. He did KO Chad Mendes with a knee at UFC: Rio, but that wasn't a highlight reel finish - more just right knee right time.

Again in front of his home crowd of Brazil, Aldo appears as confident as ever. Discussion of overconfidence (especially after Anderson) are going around, but as I mentioned in my Aftermath article, this should have only served to put all champions on high alert.

Korean Zombie is deserving of this shot, considering the circumstances. He puts on exciting fights, and he is an extremely technical fighter on the ground and on his feet when he wants to be. It's unfair to treat Jung as an after thought or some monumental underdog. Korean Zombie has fought and has fought well winning all his fights in the UFC (all by finishes). As a half-Asian man, I honestly feel like it's a bit of prejudice. Not racist or malicious in its intent, but to treat Jung like he's much more of an underdog than say Ricardo Lamas makes no sense to me. You see a guy like Lamas who is from Chicago and has the tough guy look to him versus Jung who is Korean (obviously) you're going to feel a certain way. Hey, even I think it sometimes. Will Aldo's kicks just go right through Jung and break his leg?  Will Jung just get knocked out?

It's not that simple. Should Jung get knocked out, it won't have to do with him being Asian any less than Cub Swanson being whatever Cub Swanson is. Just purely looking at the fight though there are ways Zombie could win, and I view him as more of a threat to Aldo than Hominick was.

What should concern people about Jung is that he is a pressure fighter. He'll be moving forward, he tends to get wild at times, and has exploited the fighters he's taken to the mat. This will be virtually impossible due to Aldo's UFC best takedown defense, and his yet to be utilized Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt.

BREAKDOWN

I'm giving the Korean Zombie a shot to take this into the championship rounds as long as he sticks to his gameplan, doesn't get crazy, and can adequately defend Aldo's combinations. While Jung charges in with his combos, he's also extremely effective at standing in the pocket and countering. When Aldo comes in with his cross, jab, right leg kick - yes, KZ will have to defend that - but it's possible he will also stand in there and counter with Aldo as well. Above all else, Aldo will win this fight because there is just no way KZ can out point Aldo until the later rounds, where fatigue may weaken Aldo. KZ will likely be behind from the get go, leaving his only recourse to take chances or accept defeat. Either way he'll put up a great fight, but the result will be Aldo's hand raised.

2nd Round TKO (punches)

All hail the king.

Looking for a Fight @ UFC 162: The Aftermath

This isn't a dream. Chris Weidman is the UFC Champ. (espn.com)

If Helen of Troy had the face that launched a thousand ships, then the title fight between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman on Saturday night at the MGM Grand is the fight the launched a million blog comments.

In one of the most surreal fights in the UFC, the pound-for-pound champion was flattened by 9-0 #1 contender Weidman in the early 2nd round. Like most things though, it's not the final outcome, but how the final outcome happened that left fight fans everywhere speechless. People have read, seen, heard, or absorbed what happened Saturday night, but in short Silva goofed around with a very dangerous opponent and for the first time in his UFC career paid for it.

As I was watching the fight, after Silva got back to his feet after an early takedown and submission attempt by Weidman the Maia/Griffin/Bonnar shenanigans began. This time though, Silva must have attended the Actor's Studio because his motions and antics were even more pronounced and foolish. So seeing him horizontal with the floor of the Octagon was jarring enough, once he had a chance to explain himself in the ring to Joe Rogan, that's when things really went crazy.

Silva was gracious in defeat, but he also mentioned not wanting a rematch. He wanted to get back to Brazil with his family. Weidman was the champion and he deserved respect. For a man that had rarely known defeat, a man who many consider the best fighter on the planet to seem so ... relieved at losing his title this led to a whole new world of questions.

Was the pressure getting to him? Was the fight fixed? Was Silva too confident? Did Silva underestimate Weidman? What the hell just happened?

I'm not conspiracy theorist (although I do love hearing about them) so assuming any sort of fight fixing is a bridge too far for me. What makes Silva's in-ring decisions so hard to grasp is that the man himself is hard to grasp. Dana White has said on multiple occassions that Silva can act erratic and odd. "He's like a great artist," White would say when referencing his handling of Silva. Well, you know what happens to great artists? They go fucking nuts sometimes.

They chop their ear off, they break up a gigantic band in their prime, they disappear, they kill themselves, and on and on. Look, being a genius is all kinds of fun until you have to deal with what goes on inside a genius' brain. It's not all clarity and happiness there. There's a constant search for more, being driven and focused so much that all you want or need is the next new challenge.

Ultimately, after several days to run through a bunch of scenarios, I think Anderson Silva just lost his path. By that I mean, he's worked so hard for so long and been so great, he didn't care anymore about winning. He wanted to do things on his own terms. And you know what, doing things on his own terms has worked out pretty darn well for him so far. He was going to put on a show. He was going to showcase his talents and  win and move on. The path he was going down was, frankly, boring to him. In the eventuality of the outcome and in the challenges it presented.

His intent was to win and keep moving, but it wasn't for his legacy or to defend the belt again, it was just a means to an end. You can't tell me that a guy concerned with his legacy and how history would remember him would fight a person that way. You think Georges St-Pierre is going out there and crazy legging it?

Silva has been so undeniably brilliant in the UFC that with the mentality he has to have to be a fighter, he felt like he could not be harmed. Not by Chris Weidman, not by a grizzly bear.

What makes - let me say that again, what MAKES - Silva the best fighter on the planet is that he did things his way. He finished fights, he displayed his craft, and he was able to execute that like no one else.

The ending of the fight left more questions than answers. It didn't discredit Silva (aside from the showboating) and it didn't undo what Weidman accomplished (as he put it, Silva has done what he did in the ring to a lot of other fighters and they couldn't finish him). Hopefully what it does do is give Silva a chance to refocus himself. To remember what losing feels like. What being mortal feels like. Maybe when Silva is at home in Brazil three weeks from now he'll realize that his "boredom" and taking the UFC for granted has cost him a small piece of his legacy that even a dominant rematch win won't get back. He's lost the opportunity to close to book on any GOAT for this lifetime at least.

This isn't boxing. In MMA everyone loses. But the manner and style in which Silva seemingly threw everything away leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. If he was to lose to Weidman or Jon Jones or GSP, fans who respect and revere him want to see him go out fighting, not trying to be Neo.

It'd be insane, but not impossible that Jones and GSP both lose their next two fights and all of a sudden we're redoing this whole conversation and Jose Aldo is the best fighter on the planet. But I'd say the odds of GSP losing while breakdancing or Jones losing reciting a scene from MacBeth aren't likely. Should they lose, they'll lose fighting. And while Silva was doing what he wanted, he was doing his best to win, it wasn't what he needed to do. In the fight game, no matter who you are, there's a difference.

Looking for a Fight @ UFC 162 - Silva v. Weidman

Anderson Silva is pure magic inside the Octagon. (bleacherreport.com)

A lot of the time it's important to take a look at and appreciate some of the more unheralded fights on a UFC pay-per-view. Just because a fight isn't the main event doesn't mean it won't be entertaining, and it certainly has the potential to be fight of the night. Times like this though, at UFC 162 in Las Vegas on Saturday, no disrespect to Cub Swanson or Frankie Edgar or Chris Leben, but this is Anderson Silva's show.

The 38-year-old middleweight kingpin puts his title on the line for the first time since the anti-climactic Silva Sonnen II almost a year ago to the date (he threw in a light heavyweight match against Stephan Bonnar in between). Silva has been and is the most electrifying fighter the UFC has ever had. Apart from two fights that basically shouldn't have happened (Thales Leites and Demian Maia) Silva has finished every single opponent in the Octagon. In fact, his last decision was September 11, 2004 against Lee Murray.

Since then, there have been elbows, knees, front kicks and chokes exectued by Silva with near perfection. His toughest fight was Silva Sonnen I, where he submitted Sonnen after being dominated for 4.5 rounds. This might be his most memorable fight to date, but certainly not his most memorable highlight.

What Silva is able to do in the cage is unlike what anyone else can do. When he fights it is like a national holiday. Coincidentally, with his first title defense in a year, his bouts are starting to be literal holidays.

The fantastic thing about MMA though is that no matter what you've done, what you've accomplished, or who you are there is always a new challenge. People will poke holes and cast doubts, that's normal, but with the UFC there's always a new contender. Sure if you're Silva list that contender line isn't as robust as say, Jon Jones', but each person that squares off against Silva has a chance to win or at least push the long-time middleweight kingpin.

This is the opportunity bestowed on Chris Weidman. The #1 contender is 9-0 and after a signature win against Mark Munoz, he was being talked about as a serious threat to Silva's reign thanks to his elite wrestling and apparenlty even more elite jiu-jitsu. Weidman, however, has been injured and he too has been out of action for a year. In hearing him talk, it doesn't seem like a deterrent, only a better chance to prepare for a potentially life changing moment.

Much of the hype surrounding this fight has been built around other fighters saying that Weidman can win. Chael Sonnen, Georges St-Pierre, Frank Mir ... the list goes on of fighters that haven't sided with The Spider in this upcoming fight. Now, you have to look at where these fighters motivations really are. Does Chael want Silva to win? No. GSP's jiu-jitsu coach also coaches Weidman. When you're Anderson Silva and you've wrecked your share of faces in the UFC, you won't have to look far to find a fighter or two who wouldn't like to see some of that brutality served back to the champ.

The fact that Silva is so dominant and that the UFC appears to be making a big deal about fighters giving some hype worth quotes could lead many a Silva fan to skepticism. This shouldn't underrate the skills Weidman has shown in the cage. He does possess the skills that have given Silva the most trouble in his time fighting for the UFC. Wrestling and the ground game (not sure if he has a flying scissor heel hook in his back pocket) are areas where the tall, limb-lengthened champ was dominated by Sonnen in their first fight, and clearly an area where he would be less dangerous than on the feet.

However, this is a gameplan that Silva has gone against before. As the old addage goes, the fight always starts on the feet, well, when you're fighting Silva this is most notably the case. When Weidman engages Silva, he won't just be looking for a take down, he'll be defending against severe leg kicks, the best fast-twitch movements in all of MMA, and oh yeah, he might just get a front kick to the face if he's not careful.

And when Weidman is able to get close, if he wants to try to take Silva down that way, he'll have some knees to the ribs to deal with.

Yes, Weidman's wrestling style is far more of the shoot in, double-leg variety, but he has to keep all options open to not be predictable. There is a dangerous test here, but I think the greater challenge will be in Weidman's end, not Silva's.

BREAKDOWN

Have I bought into the hype for this fight? Has the UFC marketing push brainwashed me? No. I'll watch any Anderson Silva fight with great joy. Since this is MMA, anything could happen, and anyone can win at any time. So nothing is guaranteed.

When I do look at this fight though, I see Weidman having a very tough time closing the distance against Silva. Weidman is suprememly athletic and tough, but he'll have to get through a lot in order to lay his hands on Silva. I say this not only in the wrestling game, but also in Weidman's striking game. He is a pressure and in your face kind of fighter that Silva handles very well.

For the takedowns, this is obviously something both fighters will be aware of. I have enough respect to Weidman to imagine he'll be able to take Silva down and might squeak out a close round or two as a result. Silva does have good take down defense. I'm buying that his rib was busted in Silva Sonnen I, hence Chael being able to take him down at will, but at no other time has he gone down that easily.

I keep coming back to my respect for Weidman. He fought the tough fights, came back from injury, had a great belief in himself. As a result I think he won't quit or be scared of Silva. He's mentally strong enough to push past that. However, I think his toughness, his constant need to pressure, and his overall lack of superior skills compared to Silva will be his downfall. I think Silva keeps Weidman at bay with leg kicks and great movement, and if Silva can block or clinch up with Weidman early on and do some damage, that will be a huge thing moving forward for Weidman's gameplan.

I don't think Weidman is backing down, and I'm not sure how good his chin is, but I do think he'll give the fans one hell of a fight. I can already picture Dana White proclaiming how fantastic this fight was and how much heart Weidman showed. I'm going to say 3rd round TKO for Silva after a close first two.

Looking for a Fight @ UFC 160: Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2

UFC fans are hoping this sequel is better than the original.

The Hangover Part III was released on Thursday to begrudging enthusiasm. The tepid response and worse reviews are probably no surprise to anyone that witnessed the glee in which people were ready to jump all over The Hangover Part II when it was released in 2011. As the sequel to the 2009 breakout hit The Hangover, Part II was a giant prosthetic dick slap to the face. Watching it in the theater was a completely jarring experience, as Part II is exactly the same move as the original, only set in Thailand. If you haven't seen it for yourself, I cannot express how outwardly lazy and stupid this movie is. Aside from a couple of minor changes you could probably watch these movies side by side and hit the same notes as the movie progresses.

So appalled was I, that the only thing I can think of is that the writers basically said, "Well, we can put out anything with these guys (Bradley Cooper, Zack Galifanakis, and Ed Helms) in it, and it'll make bank, so instead of trying and making a sequel people hate, let's give them a carbon copy of the first movie, then make money on the second, and then we'll see what we can do on the third." I can accept that in the same way that if you teleported me into the life of Nickelback's bassist, I'd live making the worst music ever created if it meant making tens of millions of dollars. Yes, artistic integrity means little to me. Man has got to eat!

Anyway, sequels are a tough thing to pull off. Usually they are just tired remakes that reuse the same jokes (take note Anchorman2!), stories, or beefing up the characters/number of characters from the original. Making multiple sequels for The Hangover, which cost $35 million and made $467 million makes sense. Making a sequel of Velasquez vs. Bigfoot I is a much more difficult situation. That would be like making a sequel to John Carter from Mars. It doesn't make sense.

The first match took place as the co-main event at UFC 146: Dos Santos Vs. Mir. Velasquez was coming off his loss to JDS, where it was revealed Cain was nursing an injury that caused him to weigh in above his normal fight weight of around 240 lbs. (oh yeah, well when JDS lost to Cain, he had muscle fiber breaking down into his blood stream! You've been one-upped.) JDS had an undisclosed knee injury as well, so chalk that up for what it's worth. So Cain was looking to prove some of the doubters that he was the best heavyweight (ever?) on the planet and switched his cyborg mainframe to kill and obliterated Bigfoot Silva.

People weren't exactly banking on a rematch a year later. But Silva made that happen for himself. After enough blood donations, the Brazilian got back into the ring and knocked out Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem. The Overeem KO was a massive upset considering everyone was already pondering an Overeem fight against Cain. Again, how can you not love a sport where a guy like Bigfoot is taken lightly? The guy is 6'4 over 265 lbs. with hands that would put man-hands to shame, and a head that served as the inspiration for Easter Island. He looks like a children's nightmare. Then again, if you look like an in shape Overeem, you're probably used to thinking you can deal with pretty much anyone.

Well, as history tells us, The Reem carried his hands a bit too low, and Bigfoot's big hands tattooed loser across The Reem's face. So, here we are. The sequel to the movie no one wanted to see.

Thankfully, nothing lends itself to rematches like sports, more specifically combat sports.

Although there isn't much doubt as the outcome of the main event on Saturday, there is always a curiosity to see what will go down. If that's not enough to spark your interest, then the UFC did what the UFC does. Put together fights that are sure to be crowd pleasers.

However, in adding the likes of Donald Cerrone, Junior Dos Santos, and crew they put together a lot of potentially explosive fights, but fights that are fairly one-sided. What that means to me is that we should all be expecting an upset or two.

If the UFC can recreate the excitement that was the 146 card, then they'd be in good shape. That card too was headlined by a perceived easy match as JDS fought Mir, and while it was, in total there were 9 finishes including every main event fight. That's some damn exciting stuff.

So with the upset patrol out in full force, I'm going with James Te Hua over Glover Teixiera as my upset pick. But I am looking forward to the whole card, as it should be a pulse pounding one.

Looking for a Fight: UFC 159 - Jones v. Sonnen

Jon Jones' greatest weakness has been exposed. His fight promotion. (USAT)

Sports coverage always does seem to amaze me. In a realm where there are more and more avenues for message boards, talking heads, and articles to be written to see many people that cover the UFC simply write-off Saturday night's Jon Jones v. Chael P. Sonnen fight as an afterthought is lazy and not a service to people that read their content. After all, sports in general, and especially combat sports, are built around the humongous upset. The fact that at anytime on any field, in any arena something crazy could happen. That may not mean enough to you to plop down $54.99 for a pay-per-view, but tossing $10 to the door man to have the fight on while you enjoy a microbrew at your local bar sounds fine and dandy to me.

Sure, this fight was put together from the ashes of UFC 151, and while a more credible challenger like Dan Henderson was left to marinate a little - only to lose to Lyoto Machida - leaves a bitter taste in everyone's mouth, it's easy to forget that we've been down this road before. When Sonnen took on Anderson Silva there were just as many doubters about the validity of that fight as this one. Well, Chael P. Sonnen put on an Oregon style butt whooping on Silva, until the Spider was able to wrap his legs around Sonnen and tap him out with seconds left. This was easily the best fight of 2010.

There are other factors that make the Jones' match-up different and probably a higher mountain top to ascend, but if anyone is capable of doing it and at the very least give Jones the toughest fight of his career, it's Sonnen.

The media coverage has fueled the blase fan reaction to this card. While normally the UFC can put Silva, Jones, Georges St-Pierre, or Cain Velasquez to headline a card and fill it with average fights - this time, with a fight that truly is being treated like a foregone conclusion, the card needed to be stronger. It isn't.

Where we are left is for Jones and Sonnen to hype the fight themselves. Oh, that's right, they had 15 hours of TV time on FX to do that during The Ultimate Fighter. What came from that was Jones being Jones and Chael being a great coach and mentor. However, and ironically for the betterment of the show than faking some hostilities, Jones and Sonnen seemed to get along. Jones respected Sonnen's doggedness and personality and jokes (!!); while Sonnen clearly has a lot of respect for Jones. There isn't the hostility and trash talking he's exhibited in the Silva bouts, and with Jones finally laying off the perfect guy act - is just being his normal, confident, fun loving self. This isn't to say both fighters won't put on their mean hats Saturday night, but their promotion of the fight wasn't exactly Nick Diaz-esque (again, that's probably for the betterment of everyone).

So with the trash talking/promoter belt being strapped around Diaz's waist, the UFC and the two fighters had to do something. There were rhymes by Sonnen alluding to Jones' DWI conviction. Jones saying Sonnen is a roider and not a true fighter. None of it resonated. It's clear that in all the press leading up to the fight, these two had their minds in other places.

Jones wants to win a couple more 205 title defenses to beat Tito Ortiz's record, then move on to a super fight and/or bump up to the heavyweight division (which is only logical as by the time he has his two more defenses he would have cleaned out the division and be about a year older, which will allow him to put on more weight). Sonnen isn't a legit threat to Bones, rather just another victim.

For Sonnen - he's reaping the rewards of being a self-made man. Kevin Iole mentions in his article today how Sonnen created this personality to drive his career. It's sure worked. Now moving up to 205 and taking on one of the best fighters on the planet, everything seems lined up for move to greener pastures. Should (notice I said should) Sonnen lose, then his shtick would have certainly worn thing ... still entertaining, but thin. He has a fantastic broadcast career in front of him with the UFC for sure, and UFC President Dana White hinted within the FOX family as well. Sonnen isn't a threat to Bones, rather just one more big pay day.

BREAKDOWN

While writers covering the fight could probably outline 75% of their day after articles today if they wanted, there is still the pesky matter of the fight. I'm of the persuasion where if one of the best fighters on the planet is fighting, I'm watching. I said this when Anderson Silva fought Stephan Bonnar and I say that today. I mean how much fun was that Anderson fight? Did he make it worth your money? Were you not entertained?

Sonnen is certainly more of a threat than Bonnar was to Silva, but shouldn't you expect Jones to put on a show? To leave people saying, wow this guy is talented? A couple elbows to the chiseled chin of Chael won't do that. Jones is coming, and Jones is bringing some Nike swag with him.

The most disappointing outcome of this fight would be for Jones to wrestle and hold Sonnen down. The size disadvantage is too great to have this be an exciting or interesting strategy (see, I got your back, GSP). We need some flying kicks and knees. We need something to put on that Nike commercial.

Bones has never been reckless in any fight, but he hasn't been conservative either. Sonnen won't stop moving forward, and he'll create an interesting canvas for Jones to work with.

Overall, I do think Chael will aim to impress, but without the full use of his elite wrestling it'll be tough. I just think Chael's determination will give Jones a bit more trouble than we are all expecting. However, I'm not here to act like a genius. To predict Sonnen wins so I can say I told you so. It'll be a Jones win, but I'll be tuning in to see how he does it. That ... will be exciting.

Jones 3rd Rd Submission.

Looking for a Fight: UFC on FOX: Henderson v. Melendez

What path will Daniel Cormier take? (facebook.com)

Hear that? That's the sound of another bad pun related to the Uriah Hall hype train. It was a week ago today many were wondering how Ultimate Fighter finalist would fair against Anderson Silva after he dispatched co-finalist Kevin Gastelum with some kind of highlight reel kick.

Well, that didn't happen.

Hall lost, and if he can't rebound from that, we can file him away with Todd Duffee, Brandon Schaub, Ryan Bader, Phillipe Nover, and Houston Alexander as failed next big things. Note that all but two of those fighters came from TUF. That UFC is pretty good at hyping their fighters.

The next, next big thing is chugging towards San Jose Saturday night as Daniel Cormier is set to make his UFC debut against former champ and tattoo makeover star Frank Mir.

Cormier is coming in with some different creds than his predecessors. Cormier is an Olympic wrestler, who since his jump to MMA hasn't tasted defeat. The 34 year-old is 11-0, and the winner of the inaugural Strikeforce Heavyweight Grad Prix where he defeated Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva (who is fighting Cain Velasquez for the belt next month) and Josh Barnett who is one of the best heavyweights of the past decade.

The rise of Cormier in this sport has surprised even himself, but what truly separates Cormier from not only Hall, but a lot of fighters is his supreme confidence. All along the way Cormier has thoughtfully responded to questions like would he fight his American Kickboxing Academy teammate Velasquez for the title? (No, he wouldn't). Would he like to fight Jon Jones? (Yes, he would at heavyweight or at light heavyweight). The responses aren't one of arrogance, but of confidence.

Competing at the highest levels of athletics his entire life allows him to know within himself that he is ready and can succeed at anything MMA can throw at him. Thus far, he's proved himself right.

At 5'11, Cormier is a stocky heavyweight, heck, at that height he'd be a stocky welterweight. But his agility and endurance make him a handful to deal with. His build is not lean, but that of a brick shithouse. Bumping shoulders with him would probably be tantamount to brushing past the HP Pavilion itself.

His striking will never be able to match with the elite heavys or 205'ers, but once he is able to get a fighter to the ground, his strength and ability to keep you there is like struggling against quicksand ... you'll only get pulled down deeper.

Of course, there's always something intimidating about going against someone that has no fear. Cormier is certainly one of those guys. It is his confidence, though, that could get in his way.

The seemingly predetermined nature where Cormier will defeat Mir on Saturday sets him up for either a fight for the heavyweight belt, should Velasquez lose, or a drop down to 205 to fight Jones. Leaving the heavyweight division doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Sure, he doesn't want to fight Velasquez, but in a weak division his star power could be a much needed addition for the UFC - especially since to get there, he would have to put Mir out to pasture as a legitimate contender.

A move to 205 is risky in that Cormier has had weight cutting issues in the past - one instance led to kidney failure and an inability to participate in his second Olympics - and on top of that, fighting Jones is no easy feat. On top of that, Jones' time at 205 appears to be coming to an end before his eventual move to heavyweight. You have to appreciate the doggedness that Cormier is showing, but he might be taking on more than he can - causing a lot more harm than good.

First thing is first though, and as Uriah Hall can let him know - you have to handle your business on fight night before you can take another step forward.

BREAKDOWN

It's certainly possible that Cormier's fight on Saturday won't be his toughest to date. Mir hasn't looked competitive since he broke Big Nog's arm, and since then, well it appears Big Nog shouldn't be fighting anymore. He got a gimme bout against Junior dos Santos and was comically knocked out, and the years are mounting on Mir.

He moved his camp away from Las Vegas to Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, NM to gain better focus and train with some more elite fighters. Jackson has a way of making fighters better, but even his mantras and juju might not be enough for Mir against Cormier.

As noted before, Cormier is an extremely confident fighter. So I'd expect him to want to come out and throw some strikes with Mir. Test the waters and take some joy in his UFC debut. But when the time comes, I expect much of this fight to take place on the ground.

One of the more interesting style match ups I always like to watch is jiu-jitsu vs. wrestling. It's interesting because both styles are set on the ground, and there are some many intricacies to body control and manipulating the right move at the right moment in order to be successful.

Surprising to me is that most of the time, wrestling wins. That's what I expect out of this fight. If Mir can't hang with Cormier on the ground, then this is going to be a quick fight. Mir's opportunity is to capitalize on the ground or surprise Cormier with an overhand right. Which, for Mir, has become his only viable strike in his arsenal.

As I said, I don't view Cormier as arrogant, just confident. He is well prepared and ready to continue his evolution as a complete fighter and move onto his goal of being a UFC champion. While I probably give Mir a better shot than most, I still see Cormier as being too much for the former champ.

Cormier by 2nd Round TKO.

Looking for a Fight: UFC 158

Don't be annoyed, homie. (ufc.com)

Nick Diaz interrupting after a reporter asked Georges St-Pierre if he was pampered: “I hope so, motherf-----. If I had that much money, I’d be pampering myself up and having mother-----s pampering my s--- left and right. Every hour, there’d be [someone] showing up to pamper me. That would be that.”

St-Pierre: “Let me tell you something, uneducated fool. Listen to me. I have not always been rich. I started from the bottom. I made myself and worked very hard to be where I am right now. I know you don’t believe this, because you didn’t succeed yet, and maybe you will never succeed in your life because I don’t think you’re smart enough to understand how you should [act] to reach that point.

“When you talk about people doing stuff for me... when you reach a point for your business, you need a team of people to work for you to make the economy, to keep the money rolling. You don’t know anything about me, man. You have no idea where I come from. You’re not the only jealous guy.”

Diaz: “That sounds nice, Georges. That sounds nice. If I wore some tight shorts out there and got a haircut and had someone buttering me up halfway through [my career] and telling me this bulls---, maybe it would have worked out. You don’t even know where I come from. I’m not jealous, OK? You did what you had to do. I don’t mean to be disrespectful. I don’t have anything against you, and I think you’ve done a great job for who you are and what you have to work with. So what if you’re pampered out? I don’t have anything against that. All I’m saying is that I hope so, motherf-----, because this is some f----d up s---. If I had the money and the right people on my side working with me to make sure I had my s--t ready, I would be doing it. But I’m over here still doing that s---. Try doing that s--- from when you’re 21 all the way until you’re 32, which you are now. It’s a bitch.”

St-Pierre: “If you are where you are right now, and I have what I have, that’s not my fault. That’s because of you, man. You did not succeed. It’s on you, man.”

And to think, people wanted GSP to fight Johny Hendricks.

A media conference call for UFC 158 changed the collective course of excitement for the title fight Saturday night between Georges St-Pierre and Nick Diaz.

On October 29, 2011 Diaz had just finished bludgeoning B.J. Penn into another retirement, and the controversial Stockton, CA fighter didn't mince his words after his hand was raised. He called out GSP, who at the time was nursing a knee injury that kept him out of his scheduled title defense against Carlos Condit. As the camera stayed, as it usually is, transfixed on Diaz and cut to GSP to see his reaction cage side to being called scared and his injury being questioned, it's clear something inside GSP was burning.

Those initial reactions were confirmed in the post fight press conference by Dana White. He said GSP came up to him and demanded to fight Nick Diaz. He thought Diaz was beyond disrespectful, and he wanted to give Diaz the worst beating of his CAR-eer (emphasized for GSP). The fight made sense. The fans wanted it, Diaz deserved it, and the UFC was eager to put on a show that could pit the completely opposite personas of GSP and Diaz against each other.

Of course though, things didn't go as planned. GSP was training for the Diaz fight when he tore his ACL. He would be out for a year before coming back and defeating interim champion Carlos Condit. Condit won the title by defeating Diaz. After that fight Diaz was then suspended by the Las Vegas Athletic Commission for a year for testing positive for marijuana metabolites during his post fight drug test.

All the while a bearded wrestler from Pennsylvania and his left hook were causing all kinds of trouble. In the time of GSP's injury and the interim situation was going on, Johny Hendricks was making a name for himself. He knocked out Jon Fitch in 12 seconds, beat Josh Koscheck, and knocked Martin Kampmann across the Octagon in less than a minute.

Where a lot of fans stood was if it wasn't a superfight, then they wanted Hendricks against GSP. GSP, however, saw it differently. Whatever Diaz had drudged up so many months ago was still burning inside the 170 lb. Francophone. GSP wanted the Diaz fight, and well, the UFC and Dana White agreed to give one of their top fighters and earners what he wanted. We don't need no stinkin' rankings!

Hendricks was perturbed. Fans were iffy on Diaz getting the title shot. People saw Nick's bro Nate get taken down again and again by Benson Henderson and expected this fight to be a carbon copy of that.

Then, a simple, standard conference call completely erased everyone's collective memory.

Now what we have is a highly tense fight that can be talked about in a million different angles. There's been soundbites and Twitter hashtags. New commercials have been cut and I'm sure the UFC brass is already upping the estimated pay-per-view buys. This is marketing even the slickest of marketers at the UFC could have done. There is only one reason, and that's Nick Diaz.

Diaz is as interesting a character study as you will find in the UFC. No one appears to really know what drives him, what motivates him to act the way he does or why? Is it anxiety? Is he jealous of the success of a guy like GSP? His erratic behavior is so uncontrolled it almost appears to be controlled. As a person he always seemed to be more introverted and not interested in the glitz and glamour of fighting because basically he feels he's never had any of that. He complains about lack of sponsorship, turning to boxing to get paid more, or people just constantly hating on him.

Is what Diaz portrays on the camera just as 100% true and authentic as it gets, or does he have any concept that cultivating this bad boy image (a la Floyd Mayweather) is some of the best marketing one can do?

In a verbal attack on GSP that was as voluminous as his stirkes Diaz went off - spouting emotions from respecting GSP to being insanely jealous of him. His reactions took everyone, including GSP, off guard. Just deciphering the point of what Diaz was saying is tough enough - let alone listening to him speak. His words go a million miles a minute, and he doesn't seem to take as much as a breath let alone think to filter his words before saying them.

What Diaz is ultimately getting at though is himself. When people cannot filter themselves, what ultimately comes out is a reflection on themselves and how they feel. Diaz probably does think GSP is pampered, but that's not meant to be a knock on the champ. Diaz says that would be "nice" if he could have it. He's saying he isn't getting the GSP money and is still struggling. He'd like to be that, but he isn't and in his mind I'm sure he knows he never will be that kind of guy.

But ultimately, that's not what makes Nick Diaz Nick Diaz. His comments may serve some kind of internal purpose for his actions: motivation or aggravating the champ so he makes bad decisions during the fight. That seems a little too easy for Diaz. The reason he can act aloof or irresponsible is because he's trying to figure himself out. He wants to know why GSP is there and he's here. Or why this "pampered" guy gets more respect and love from fans than a guy like himself who is anything but pampered. The word self-destructive comes to mind, but that's too harsh. Diaz doesn't appear to be personally harmful ... maybe only professionally. He appears to be a person that just functions better when things aren't going right. When he's not getting paid or being disrespected or not on the right side of a judges' decision.

His head trainer Caesar Gracie certainly has no idea what to expect from Diaz, but in the UFC Countdown for 158, he said that Nick is just a person that needs adversity. If something is perfect, he'll find a way to mess it up. Well, GSP is near perfect. Come Saturday, Nick Diaz will find a way to mess that up too.

BREAKDOWN

If there's ever been a GSP fight better geared to be a "GSP fight" it's this one. GSP has struggled to finish fighters, even though he has dominated in all of his victories. It would seem unlikely that GSP would be able to submit or knock out the steel chinned/willed Diaz. Diaz won't quit outside of some kind of mental breakdown inside the Octagon. And both guys cardio can go for miles.

One doesn't have to watch every Nick Diaz fight to try to figure out his strategy because it's the same. It's always the same. Game plan and Nick Diaz don't jive together. Out of pure stubbornness Diaz would prefer to just fight his fight. Walk forward, not check leg kicks, taunt, and wait to unload a fury of punches. What Diaz does that I find most interesting is that if he does engage GSP in a back and forth he throws a lot of punches. A lot of them are rather slow and just lightly slapping or hitting his opponent, but when you watch on replay mixed in with these light shots are whipping jabs and hooks that break through an opponents defense when the opponent least expects it. With his long frame and excellent boxing, Diaz can catch anyone off guard.

I'm guessing GSP knows this, and GSP will work the leg kicks and take downs to grind Diaz down. GSP does bring something new to the table every time he fights, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him utilize a lot of leg kicks to neutralize Diaz's striking as well as keep him at bay. Diaz will have to work hard to corner GSP in order to start striking with him, as well as being vigilant of any takedown attempt. Diaz might be confident off his back, but that's not where you want to be against GSP for long spells of time.

The whole dark place thing with GSP is being blown out of proportion a little bit. Sure it's a nice thing to type or say to bring up cheap thrills, but the one thing GSP fears most is losing the title. He might be a bit more aggressive to finish the fight, but he's not walking into a Diaz haymaker. GSP was amped up against Koscheck and BJ Penn II - both of which went significantly in the champs favor. If anything, this dark place is a place where GSP goes every time he fights and a little extra dark energy will only help him.

As predictable as it sounds: GSP by decision.