Instead the UFC has decided to put Nogueira in the Octagon with someone who won’t get fans quite so excited.

MMA Junkie reports that Jason Brilz has agreed to face Nogueira on May 29. For Brilz, who’s 18-2-1 in his career and 3-1 in the UFC, that represents an enormous step up in quality of competition; in his last four fights he has wins over Eric Schafer, Tim Boetsch and Brad Morris and a loss to Eliot Marshall. Nogueira is on a whole other level.

Give credit to Brilz for taking such a big step up in competition on such short notice, but there’s no way to sugarcoat this; the UFC 114 card just got a lot worse. The difference between watching Nogueira fight Griffin and watching Nogueira fight Brilz is like the difference for a college football fan between watching a Florida-Alabama game and watching a Florida-Vanderbilt game. One is a clash of the titans, the other is a possible major upset but more likely a major beatdown.

The UFC 114 card still has the Rampage Jackson-Rashad Evans fight, one of the biggest of the year in MMA, so it’s still going to do solid pay-per-view business. But the undercard has lost a lot of intrigue.

(Source-Sherdog)Mirko Cro Cop used to be one of the top ranked heavyweights on the planet but since coming to the UFC has seen his career go down hill, now the Croatian knows his next bout at UFC 115 against Pat Barry is a must win:

“We are working hard on just about every part of the game. After so many years in this sport, some things need improvements but some are good as they always were. I’ll always be more comfortable with striking, but I do a lot of ground work, takedowns, throws and other stuff. You can expect some new exciting techniques from me, that’s for sure… Yes, the competition is really strong nowadays. These young lions are talented, well rounded and hungry, that’s what makes them dangerous… Barry is young but very talented, I’ve seen his fights. I need this win as it’s important for my future in UFC. It should be a good fight, I’m sure that we’ll deliver an action-packed fight.”

In the main event Jose Aldo proved he’s worth the $44.95 as he absolutely Rick Roll’d the “California Kid” Urijah Faber.

Aldo used his leg kicks as a battle axe cleaving at Urijah’s thigh for five rounds. Faber proved powerless to stop the twenty-five minute amputation on his left leg as the only defense he could muster was to constantly switch stances. It was to no avail as Aldo’s kicks completely neutralized Urijah’s mobility, power and technique, turning the former champion into a zero-dimensional statue rather than the dynamic fighter MMA fans have come to expect.

In the third round, Urijah began to pirouette (that means twirl for those not familiar with ballet) in a vain attempt to reduce the force of the leg kicks. At one point the former champion even somersaulted across the canvas after his leg was bludgeoned. Heading into the final round, Urijah’s coaches had to physically pick the “California Kid” up in order to get him to the corner. Aldo had quite literally cut his opponent’s legs out from under him.

Despite Aldo’s complete and utter domination, the fight ended with a whimper as Jose let up in the final frame, not finishing his deflated opponent. When the judges read the scorecards, it was unanimous, Jose Aldo defeated Urijah Faber and retained the featherweight title.

Heading into the fight many believed Jose Aldo was the superior fighter but that didn’t make it any less shocking to see the the ease with which he dispatched the WEC’s biggest star. Whether or not Aldo can pull a Mega Man and absorbs his defeated opponent’s drawing power and fame will be something to watch in the future but clearly the page has turned on Urijah Faber, the champion.

In the evening’s co-main event Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone met in a rematch of last year’s “Fight of the Year” where Henderson defeated Cerrone in a controversial decision. This time, Henderson left no doubt as he submitted Cerrone in under two minutes.

Former featherweight champion, Mike Brown, was the victim of a shocking knockout upset at the hands of Manny “Manvil” Gamburyan. Manny, a native Armenian, decided to use his post-fight interview to give Americans a history and geography lesson, as Gamburyan went on to talk about the controversial Armenian genocide. “Manvil? will probably be unable to get that State Department job he was holding out for in case this whole beating people up for a living thing doesn’t work out.

Last week, Anthony Njokuani said that he had an improved ground game that would be able to stuff Shane Roller’s takedowns. Unfortunately, his improvements were akin to a Windows Vista update, as Roller took Njokuani down and submitted him with ease.

The fight that is getting the most attention on the card was actually a free preliminary fight on Spike television. Leonard Garcia and Chan Sung “The Korean Zombie” Jung engaged in a three round slugfest (T.J. Desantis would say that’s $lugfest).

For fifteen minutes, these men stood toe-to-toe, exchanging broadsides like some ancient man-of-wars. The fact that neither fighter was knocked out despite throwing punches with the power of bunker busters left many wondering if they were in fact zombies. Joe Rogan marveled at the barrage of haymakers, saying, “It’s like a real life Rocky movie.” All that was missing was Hearts on Fire blaring and the winner screaming “Adrian” in the post-fight interview.

When the scores were read aloud it was Leonard Garcia who edged out “the Korean Zombie” in a split decision. Fans immediately cried foul and the numbers back up a Jung win, but the WEC got their Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar. It’s just too bad that the WEC logo was nowhere to be seen throughout the night. In fact, Zuffa completely whitewashed the WEC brand from the broadcast as the UFC attempted to hoodwink the fans into thinking they were watching a UFC event.

Not that it really matters as both promotions are owned by the same company and fans were saved from a six week MMA malaise with a fight card that was worth every bit of the $44.95

In the mold of extraordinary fighters like Arturo Gatti and “Minotauro” Nogueira, Donald Cerrone has a knack for playing the role of human punching bag in a way that is equal parts mesmerizing, unbelievable and unforgettable. Yet when opponents hurt Cerrone, crazy as it sounds, he seems to have them exactly where he wants them. Time and again the lanky lightweight has been overwhelmed and embattled inside of the cage, particularly in rounds one and two, but he always storms back and transforms into a Cain Velasquez type of terminator who relentlessly stalks winded opponents and pushes them to the brink.

That iron will has earned the Colorado native a reputation as one of MMA’s most exciting fighters; four of Cerrone’s past five fights have captured Fight of the Night honors, an astonishing rate rivaled by only Tyson Griffin (five Fight of the Night bonuses) and Chris “Lights Out” Lytle (4). But for all of the suspenseful and dramatic theater that Cerrone has treated fans to, he has no world title to show for it. Twice he has contended a lightweight world championship – against Jamie Varner and Benson Henderson – and twice Cerrone has fell short by the slimmest of margins. On Saturday in Sacramento, Cerrone will rematch world champ Benson Henderson and the challenger realizes this could be his final crack at the throne.

“I guess the third time is a charm, huh?” Cerrone said. “Ben gave me everything he had last time. I know what I did wrong and what I need to fix.”

Above all else, the Greg Jackson protégé knows he must buck a nagging trend that has caused his undoing in both title fights.

“I used to start slow; I don’t start slow anymore,” said Cerrone, a seasoned kickboxer who has, ironically, won 10 of his 11 matches by submission. “I’ve corrected that problem of starting slow. And Ben can be finished. He’s not super-human. He can be knocked out. His jaw is definitely questionable. I feel like I knocked him out when he was on top of me and fell on me (in the second round). And he can definitely be choked out. I’ve fixed those mistakes and I’m ready to show the world that he can be put away.”

For the record, Henderson (11-1) has been knocked out once in his career. It was three-and-a-half years ago against a lesser-known Colorado fighter named Chad Klingensmith. Since suffering his lone loss, Henderson has ripped off 10 straight wins, eight of them finishes. The 27-year-old Cerrone is one of two men to go the distance with Henderson, though the former college wrestler took Cerrone down at will in the opening stanzas and battered the challenger on top with heavy strikes. But it was Cerrone who came closest to ending the fight with deep submissions that Henderson somehow houdini’ed his way out of. And it was Henderson who, like Varner, ended up spending much of the night in the hospital after the fight.

Indeed, anyone watching Cerrone torment Henderson and Varner in rounds four and five had to be left with the impression that both men may well have been saved by the final horn, and might not have lasted another round if the rules permitted.

“Yeah, let’s make it a 10-round fight,” Cerrone said. “I feel that no one can keep up with my conditioning. The longer the fight goes the stronger I am.”

While Cerrone and former champ Varner have engaged in a well-publicized war of words, “Cowboy” is far more respectful toward Henderson. It’s personal with Varner; but business with Henderson. But, of course, once the cage door closes, Cerrone intends to hunt the champ as if it were round six of their previous battle, which was widely hailed as 2009’s Fight of The Year for all of MMA.

“I want to win the title and then call Varner out and settle the score with him,” Cerrone said. “I have a score to settle with Ben also – it’s not just Varner. I need to finish him this time … Bring that (expletive) on, Ben! … I got a whole ‘nother bag of tricks for Ben. I just keep thinking that after this fight I’ll hear the words, ‘And the new lightweight champion of the world … Cowboy Cerrone!’ That’s what runs through my mind. Ben and I got Fight of the Year last year. I think it will be fight of the year again. So if fans want to see a five-round, all-out war, tune in.”

MMA Power Rankings

Almost every MMA news source releases their rankings of fighters. Typically, these rankings are divisional or based on the oft-argued pound-for-pound theory. While everyone knows 411mania has the best and most accurate rankings, I’m sometimes left feeling empty ranking fighters solely off their accomplishments and abilities. The divisional rankings you see represent th e sport side of MMA, but to be a successful mixed martial arts organization you must also emphasize the entertainment aspect. I have gathered the MMA Power Rankings; a hardly scientific list of fighters that basically is who I would want most if there was ever a fictional drafting of the fighters. These rankings are based off of:

1) Proven drawing power – How many PPV buys or viewers does this fighter typically bring in?
2) Marketability – Is the fighter a good talker? Can they even speak English? Does that even matter? Does this fighter have a good story for the media to get behind or a built-in following?
3) Importance – How important is/was this fighter to the success of their current/former promotion? Are they someone the organization can turn to when they need them most?
4) Age – Young and old fighters are a risk. Who knows how a young phenom’s career will pan out? Who knows how much time a veteran of the sport has left?
5) Fighting Ability – There are ways to work around it for a while, but eventually a fighter is going to need to perform. Being a great, exciting fighter is always a positive, while someone who’s ‘just a name’ is risky.

Without further ado, the first MMA Power Rankings:

10. Lyoto Machida

Why #10? A year ago I wouldn’t have even thought about putting Machida on this list. Sure, he’d just beaten Tito Ortiz and Thiago Silva, but he hadn’t proven himself as a PPV draw. Then came his title shot at UFC 98 against Rashad Evans. Not only did he decimate Evans, knocking him out in the second round, the PPV was a major success with more than 600,000 buys on PPV. After that night Machida became one of the most popular fighters in the UFC. In his next bout at UFC 104, Machida defended his belt against Shogun Rua. The bout ended in a controversial decision with Machida picking up the victory, but the 500,000 PPV buys made the event, which many thought lacked a truly big draw, a success.

Machida’s karate style has brought back fond memories of Mr. Miyagi and Daniel-san as well as brought the martial art back into the forefront of MMA. He’s not ranked higher because one of the best things Machida had going for him was an aura of invincibility. Before the Shogun fight, Machida had dominated every opponent he’d faced in the UFC while barely getting hit in the process. Shogun Rua proved Machida could not only be hit but also beaten. A strong performance at UFC 113 could shoot “The Dragon” up the list.

9. Urijah Faber

Why #9? Without Urijah Faber, the WEC would not be making their PPV debut on Saturday. “The California Kid” is the most dominant champion in the history of the company having defended the featherweight belt a total of five times. His bouts against Jens Pulver and Mike Brown were the most watched in WEC history. In fact, over the last two years, WEC cards without Faber managed to attract an average viewership of 479,000. Faber’s fights on the other hand were watched by an average of 936,000 viewers. That really says it all and shows why it was a necessity to have Faber main event the WEC’s first PPV. With a win on Saturday, as well as a solid buyrate, he would move up in the rankings.

8. Anderson Silva

Why #8? Had he not showboated his way to a boring decision victory in his last fight, Anderson would be ranked higher, though I’m sure many would argue he shouldn’t be ranked at all. Not too long ago, Silva was the best and most exciting fighter in the world, but couldn’t draw a large audience. Now, he’s had a successful run of PPV’s but has only performed up to his ability on one of them. UFC 97 did 650,000 buys but Silva went to a boring decision against Thales Leites and didn’t look like he was trying. Then the UFC decided to challenge Silva at UFC 101 against Forrest Griffin. Anderson showed why he was the best fighter in the world that night in front of 850,000 people that bought the show on PPV. A little over a week ago, Silva defeated Demian Maia in a fight he clearly wasn’t trying in and many fans have turned against him for the performance. With that said, the show did 525,000 buys, an exceptional number for an overseas event. I can’t rank Silva any higher than 8 after that performance, but I do believe that with the right opponent people will tune in to see Anderson Silva fight.

7. Kimbo Slice

Why #7? Kimbo isn’t a good fighter. I think he’s going to lose to Matt Mitrione. He was beaten by Seth Petruzelli in 14 seconds. For some reason, even though many people know this, casual fans watch in droves when Kimbo fights. Take this in: four fights in U.S. mixed martial arts history have topped 6 million viewers. Three of those fights featured Kimbo Slice. His bout against James Thomson was watched by 7.281 million, 6.451 million watched him get knocked out by Seth Petruzelli, 6.1 million saw him get ground and pounded by Roy Nelson and 5.2 million watched him defeat Houston Alexander. It will be interesting to see how UFC 113 does on PPV with Slice as a featured fighter.

6. Gina Carano

Why #6? Gina Carano is one of two fighters outside of the UFC that can garner mainstream media attention. She’s a solid fighter and a good draw. Not only did her fights with Kaitlin Young and Kelly Kobald draw more than 5 million viewers each, they also gained more than a million viewers respectively. The only thing that’s keeping her from being rated higher is she’s coming off of a loss to Lady Cyborg and I question her interest in fighting full time. She hasn’t fought since August, instead opting to make movies.

5. Quinton Jackson

Why #5? When naming some of the top UFC stars, Rampage Jackson is usually a guy people tend to forget. With his recent fallout with the UFC having been resolved, I feel more than comfortable putting Quinton this high on the list. He’s 7-1 since 2006, with that only loss coming via a highly controversial decision against Forrest Griffin. On top of that, Rampage has developed into a good draw. His quickly thrown together UFC 96 main event fight against Keith Jardine drew 375,000 buys. For comparison, UFC 108 featuring Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva accumulated 300,000 buys and the second battle between Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz was bought by 375,000 as well on a card with more name fighters. The UFC will run a Primetime series leading up to his long awaited tussle with Rashad Evans on May 29. Quinton’s title shot has been held off on for upwards of a year now, so a win over Rashad will definitely earn him a shot at regaining his title.

4. BJ Penn

Why #4? I don’t care that he lost his last fight (on the scorecards at least), BJ Penn is among the biggest draws in the UFC at the moment. UFC 94, featuring his rematch with Georges St. Pierre, received a huge promotional push and was bought by 920,000 on PPV. At UFC 101 he rebounded from that loss and defeated Kenny Florian in the main event. That show got 850,000 PPV buys. In the winter of 2009 every UFC champion was on the sidelines except BJ Penn. His fight against Diego Sanchez at UFC 107 garnered 620,000 buys. UFC 112 was an overseas event and despite that drew 525,000 buys. Even though Penn lost at the event, I don’t believe it drops his stock too much as he will receive and immediate rematch for the belt. Typically, rematches do better PPV numbers than the first encounter, so we’ll see what happens there.

3. Fedor Emelianenko

Why #3? This is where the rankings get easy. When I thought of this concept (after a commenter said Fedor wasn’t a draw because he doesn’t speak English, oddly enough) I knew my top three in order immediately. Along with Carano, Fedor has the power to generate mainstream media attention, a rarity outside of the UFC. For more than 100 years boxing was America’s combat sport of choice. Naturally, the heavyweight champion of the world was seen as not only the baddest man on the planet, but also a big celebrity. Fedor is MMA’s heavyweight champion. For seven years he has stood atop all other heavyweights with nobody being able to take his crown. His PPVs with Affliction did the best numbers of any non-UFC PPV in MMA history. In November his bout with Brett Rogers was watched by 5.46 million people, an impressive number considering the event featured neither the UFC brand name nor Kimbo Slice. There’s something about being the best that attracts viewers, and Fedor is the best.

2. Georges St. Pierre

Why #2? The most popular fighter in the UFC, Georges St. Pierre has developed into their second biggest draw as well. Just look at these PPV buy numbers since winning the title at UFC 83: 530,000, 625,000, 920,000, 1,600,000 and 770,000. GSP has won the Rogers Sportsnet Canadian Athlete of the Year each of the past two years, was named one of the 49 most influential men of 2009 by AskMen.com and was the first MMA fighter to be nominated for the Lionel Conacher Award. The world’s best welterweight has also been featured in ads from Gatorade and Under Armour. “Rush’s” stock is only going to rise.

1. Brock Lesnar

Why #1? Is there really anybody else that could have been #1? His four UFC fights have averaged more than 930,000 PPV buys; his post-UFC 100 antics were covered by major media outlets. When he got sick in the winter, those same outlets ran stories on MMA’s superstar. On top of that, he’s the second ranked heavyweight in the world, the UFC Heavyweight Champion and avenged his only career loss by brutally beating Frank Mir. “The Next Big Thing” has arrived.

The event, which will be held in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, features not only the debut of prized free-agent acquisition Dan Henderson but also three cash-money title bouts that will air live on CBS. Indeed, this could serve as an historic night for the fledgling organization.

One way or another, the violence on tap will make it a memorable night for fans, as the flamboyant Shinya Aoki makes his long-awaited stateside debut in a lightweight title bout with the hyperactive Gilbert Melendez. The light heavyweight crown will also be up for grabs, as Muhammed Lawal attempts to complete his improbable rise against offensive mastermind Gegard Mousasi. Rounding out the trio of title fights, middleweight champion and grappling kingpin Jake Shields will defend his belt against the aforementioned Henderson. The bout could set the stage for Henderson to make moves all over the Strikeforce weight ladder.

Strikeforce middleweight championship
Jake Shields versus Dan Henderson

The breakdown: Henderson, the UFC expatriate, has his sights set on the middleweight strap that eluded him in the Octagon by taking out his frustrations on Shields, the incumbent Strikeforce middleweight champion. Retaining his gold and preserving a four-year winning streak will be the biggest test of the underdog champion’s career.

The nucleus of Shields’ game centers on grounding his opponents and working them over from top control — a tall order against Henderson, who remains one of the division’s premier wrestlers. Shields has proven himself a solid grappler from the guard, but Henderson seems far more likely to force the champion into a brawl than a grappling match. That’s where the fight gets complicated for Shields, as his fragile chin and notoriously substandard striking make a tempting target for Henderson’s overhand right.

Even if Shields manages a takedown, he hasn’t proven to be an instant tapout machine against competent grapplers, and his recent bout with Jason “Mayhem” Miller exposed some serious deficiencies in his game. Shields has issues retaining his base and holding position against knowledgeable grapplers, a problem only exacerbated by his poor conditioning and history of riding out decisions against opponents he can’t easily overwhelm on the mat.

Henderson’s submission defense may not be airtight, but he will remain in control of where this fight goes. He can stuff Shields’ takedowns and stalk him all over the cage, his right hand cocked like Dirty Harry’s .44 Magnum. This doesn’t seem like the kind of fight in which Shields would have much interest.

The bottom line: This will be ugly. Henderson will force Shields to stand his ground on his feet, much the same way he did with Michael Bisping at UFC 100. As soon as Shields complies, he’ll end up with a fist-sized impression in his face.

Muhammed Lawal has undeniable skills, but he’s considered a prospect for a reason — he may not be ready for a fighter of Gerard Mousasi’s caliber.

Strikeforce light heavyweight championship
Gegard Mousasi versus Muhammed Lawal

The breakdown: This stands as perhaps the most intriguing title fight of the three in the Strikeforce Nashville lineup, as Mousasi and Lawal have emerged as the only serious light heavyweight contenders outside the UFC umbrella. While Lawal, a gifted wrestling convert, remains very much a prospect, the dearth of quality light heavyweights in Strikeforce has made this matchup an inescapable necessity.

To label Lawal a prospect at this point, however, serves only as a reminder of how much more improvement can be expected from him. A talented boxer and one of the best wrestlers in MMA, he can give Mousasi problems he’s unaccustomed in dealing with. That said, Mousasi has proven himself the kind of multifaceted offensive threat that gives developing fighters the most trouble.

The key will be how Lawal approaches Mousasi. His best bet would be to take down and control the Armenian dynamo, but doing so successfully for 25 minutes seems a bit daunting. In addition, Lawal has never been shy about testing out his striking, and although he can crack like few others, Mousasi will enter the cage as the more seasoned and versatile striker. Even if Lawal finds success on the feet, he has to hope he can put the lights out on Mousasi quickly; the longer this fight goes on, the more it favors the champion’s offensive brilliance.

Few prospects with Lawal’s upside exist in today’s game, and it would have been nice if Strikeforce had kept this matchup from happening until he had capitalized on more of that enormous potential. As it stands, Lawal will enter as a live underdog facing a big differential in overall skill and experience, neither of which play well for a fighter who has yet to face someone anywhere near Mousasi’s level.

The bottom line: If nothing else, Lawal will make this difficult for Mousasi, and his wrestling chops could win him a round or two. Unfortunately, winning a round or two doesn’t mean a lot in a five-round fight, unless Douglas Crosby happens to be charged with scoring it. Expect Mousasi to snatch hold of a submission after a rough start in a bout that will once again prove why prospects need to be handled with great care.

Strikeforce lightweight championship
Gilbert Melendez versus Shinya Aoki

The breakdown: As soon as Frankie Edgar and Douglas Crosby put an end to B.J. Penn’s UFC lightweight title reign, the bout between Aoki and Melendez took on a whole new significance. Melendez’s Strikeforce lightweight strap may not be the only prize on the line, as the winner could become the world’s top fighter at 155 pounds.

The battle for lightweight supremacy hinges almost entirely on Melendez’s chances of keeping his limbs and airways far away from Aoki’s sadistic submissions. An entirely unique grappler in modern MMA, Aoki’s game employs a variety of advanced and unconventional techniques opponents are simply unaccustomed to dealing with. A fine example of this was his technical submission win over Mizuto Hirota via hammerlock, a technique that requires the grip strength of a gorilla to employ in the arm-breaking fashion Aoki so easily did.

For all of Aoki’s preternatural ability on the mat, his striking remains almost comically inept, and he has a well-known distaste for punishment in a sport that regularly eats the timid alive. That plays into Melendez’s style, as his tremendous work rate and newfound love for the jab make him ideally suited to outwork Aoki from afar — a range where all of Aoki’s foibles are on full display.

The problem for Melendez in maintaining that strategy is twofold: Knockout power is not a weapon in his arsenal, and although it doesn’t take a tactical nuke to send Aoki looking for a way out, the longer it takes Melendez to hurt him, the more time the Japanese star has to take this fight to the mat. Melendez will enter the cage as the better wrestler by a fair margin, but Aoki’s ability to crowd opponents and force fights to the ground has been underrated. Throughout his career, Aoki has managed to get fights on the floor by relying on his ability to effectively pull guard and create scrambles.

That leads to the question of whether Melendez can break a career-long habit. Whenever someone has tried to take him down, his response has been to counter by reversing into top control. That represents a one-man suicide pact in a fight with Aoki, as Melendez lacks the level of grappling necessary to contain him on the mat. Keeping Aoki upright long enough to lay him out or ride out the closing bell seems like an obvious strategy, but executing it will take the discipline of a monk, and Melendez has never looked like a guy who can rock a proper Friar Tuck cloak.

The bottom line: Aoki has been a source of great debate in the MMA community, and it’s hard not to knock a guy who acts like a trauma victim whenever he gets fouled. A soccer player’s flair for the dramatic won’t do Aoki any favors in this fight, but Melendez’s willingness to enter into scrambles will ultimately doom him. The man in the rainbow-colored pants will snatch another submission and, with it, lightweight supremacy.

• Jon Madsen def. Mostapha Al Turk via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Paul Kelly def. Matt Veach via submission (guillotine choke) at 3:41 of the 2nd round
• DaMarques Johnson def. Brad Blackburn via TKO (strikes) at 2:08 of the 3rd round
• Rick Story def. Nick Osipczak via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Paul Taylor was not medically cleared for this fight, and his bout with John Gunderson was canceled
• Phil Davis def. Alexander Gustafsson via submission (anaconda-choke) at 4:55 of the 1st round

Mostapha Al Turk, a star-crossed fighter who has endured eye-pokes and subsequent stoppages in his first two UFC fights, probably has seen the end of his career in the Octagon following his third straight loss. Paul Kelly and DaMarques Johnson made strong cases to be moved up in the card, and Phil Davis, a multi-time former collegiate wrestling champion, cemented his reputation as a rising MMA star. Here is a rundown of the main card, along with my predictions:

• “The Filipino Fight Machine” Mark Munoz (8-1) defeated Kendall “Da Spyder” Grove (11-7) via TKO (strikes) at 2:50 of the 2nd round: What a battle this was. Munoz’s game-plan became apparent early in the first round, as he used his jab a bit before shooting in for the takedown. However, he ate a knee before getting caught with an uppercut and went down. The rest of the round consisted of Munoz trying to get Grove on his back while the Hawaiian tried to inflict enough damage to get the stoppage while avoiding being wrestled to the ground. Munoz survived, but “Da Spyder” clearly took the round. The second round began much as the first, with Munoz charging in and getting clipped by Grove. The East Bay fighter persevered, and ended up dropping heavy shots from the top position. Grove was forced to cover up, and the fight was stopped. A great come-from-behind victory for Munoz, who let the crowd know how close he was to being finished himself: “Yeah, I was,” Munoz answered when asked if he was in trouble. “You’ve got to have will to survive in the cage. That’s what I have.” - Prediction: Grove via submission (incorrect on this one)
• Rafael dos Anjos (14-4) defeated Terry Etim (14-3) via submission (armbar) at 4:40 of the 2nd round: Etim and dos Anjos did their best to exhibit their ground skills in this one, but it was the Brazilian’s avoidance of Etim’s striking advantage that led him to victory. After surviving a very deep guillotine attempt from the Englishman in the first round, dos Anjos got Etim down early in the second. He transitioned from position to position, and with ten seconds left, he switched from kimura to armbar to force the tap with twenty seconds left in the second round. Big win for dos Anjos, who has now won three straight. Etim’s four-fight win streak is history - Prediction: Etim via TKO (wrong again)
• Matt Hughes (44-7) defeated Renzo Gracie (13-7-1-1) via TKO (strikes) at 4:40 of the 3rd round: Hughes took a surprising tack in his bout with Renzo Gracie: he kept it standing. Many expected the Illinois farm boy to follow his usual blueprint of pedestrian striking with takedowns and subsequent ground and pound, but he decided to avoid the area that many felt Gracie had the submission advantage: the ground. He utilized his jab. He battered the lead leg with kicks. He out-struck Gracie, plain and simple. In the third round, Hughes landed a kick that put the pugnacious Gracie down on the mat. In something of a surprise, the former UFC Welterweight kingpin helped his foe back to the feet. But the end was clearly near, and after some more standup, Hughes dropped Gracie with a straight right. The ref stepped in, and that was it. The Gracie family is now 0-4 in their last four outings in the Octagon. They haven’t won a bout in the UFC since Royce Gracie at UFC 4 in 1994. Afterwards, Hughes was asked about his game-plan. “I’m fighting a Gracie,” said Hughes. “Somebody like Renzo, I’ve got to put the odds on my side.” He surely did - Prediction: Hughes via decision (right winner, wrong mode of victory)
• Frankie “The Answer” Edgar (12-1) defeated “The Prodigy” B.J. Penn (15-6-1) via unanimous decision: Yes, you read that right: we have a new UFC Lightweight Champion, and the dominance of B.J. Penn has been ended. Frankie Edgar displayed a perfect game plan against his larger opponent, and took home the belt as a result. The now-former champion came into the bout wearing a knee brace that elicits questions about his health heading into the bout. And in a turnaround from his recent performances, the longtime title-holder displayed less-than-stellar cardio, which perhaps can be owed to his possibly-injured knee. Conversely, Edgar came on stronger as the fight wore on. And now we have a new UFC Lightweight Champion for the first time since January, 2008. “This is it. B.J. is the greatest lightweight ever, and I just beat him,” said a clearly elated “Answer” after the fight. “I just hope I can be half the champion that he was.” He has some pretty big shoes to fill - Prediction: Penn via submission (wrong again)
• Anderson “The Spider” Silva (26-4) defeated Demian Maia (12-2) via unanimous decision: The saga of UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva took another bizarre turn, as the lack of focus that has plagued his recent title defenses showed up again in the third round. After battering and bloodying Demian Maia for the first two rounds, it appeared the finish to the fight was a given. But Silva apparently didn’t agree. Maia became the aggressor in the third round, as he realized he was getting the smack laid down on him, and a loss was close at hand. Rather than return fire, the champion seemed content to dance and showboat. The crowd began to chant Maia’s name, and then George St-Pierre, who sat ringside, began to hear the chants of his own name from the crowd as they became more frustrated with “The Spider.” In the end, he did enough to earn the shutout unanimous decision victory, but felt the need to apologize afterwards. “Demian actually surprised me with some of his punches. I apologize to everybody; I don’t know what got into me,” said the champion after his fight. He needs to figure out what’s gotten into him during his last few title defenses and quickly. Otherwise, his status as one of MMA’s most popular fighters will be lost, even if his championship won’t be - Prediction: Silva via KO (right winner, wrong finish)

Fight fans saw one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, as Frankie Edgar became the lightweight champion. Meanwhile, Anderson Silva’s reputation took another hit. It was an interesting card, to say the least. Look for more coverage on UFC 112 in the coming days.

Today’s weigh-ins took place at Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Concert Arena (at the Ferrari World theme park on Yas Island) plays host to Saturday’s pay-per-view event (1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT).

UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva (185 pounds) and fellow headliner Demian Maia (184), as well as lightweight champ B.J. Penn (155) and fellow co-headliner Frankie Edgar (154), were all well within the limits of their respective title fights.

UFC 112 marks the UFC’s first trip to the Middle East in the company’s history.

The full weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD

• Champ Anderson Silva (185) vs. Demian Maia (184) – for middleweight title
• Champ B.J. Penn (155) vs. Frankie Edgar (154) – for lightweight title
• Matt Hughes (170) vs. Renzo Gracie (171)
• Rafael dos Anjos (156) vs. Terry Etim (154)
• Kendall Grove (185) vs. Mark Munoz (185)

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Phil Davis (204) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (205)
• John Gunderson (154) vs. Paul Taylor (155)
• Nick Osipczak (170) vs. Rick Story (169)
• Brad Blackburn (170) vs. DaMarques Johnson (170)
• Paul Kelly (156) vs. Matt Veach (155)
• Mostapha Al Turk (235) vs. Jon Madsen (252)

Remember Thales Leites?

He was the solo practitioner given an opportunity to try to wrest the middleweight title from Anderson Silva at UFC 97 in April 2009.

There was a major problem, however: Leites was devoid of any wrestling ability, nor could he box. Forget Muay Thai; fighting on his feet was foreign to him.

His standup game was nonexistent. The only discipline Leites felt comfortable implementing was jiu-jitsu.  To upset Silva, something no one in the UFC has yet accomplished, Leites needed cooperation from the champ. He needed Silva to play the ground game.  Silva, however, was in no mood to fool around with Leites, who lacked any takedown skills. The fighters remained upright for five rounds, much to the chagrin of every paying onlooker.  Leites would earn the ire of mixed martial arts fans worldwide. He’d go on to lose his next fight and eventually be shown the UFC door.

Now comes another jiu-jitsu expert, one who is more skilled at the craft than Leites. The difference is that Demian Maia refuses to rely on Silva’s generosity Saturday night at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi.  If he is to hand Silva his first UFC loss and capture the 185-pound strap, Maia must get the champ off his feet. But unlike his predecessor, Maia does not intend to lie down on the job.

The Sao Paulo, Brazil, native has worked diligently to improve his striking and standup defense. A 21-second knockout loss to Nate Marquardt in August 2009 got the message across.  Maia, a significant underdog against Silva, has put that episode behind him and is confident heading into his title showdown.  “I’m ready for sure,” Maia said during a recent conference call. “That [knockout loss] was something that happens in everyone’s career. … I’m going to do everything to win this fight.  “I went to camp … to improve my standup game. The last fight [a unanimous decision win over Dan Miller in February], I was there, too. That helped me a lot, especially with learning more about the distance in standup. In standing up, it’s not just about striking, but the distance.”

Finding the right distance will be of utmost importance for Maia on Saturday. Though he exhibited vast improvement on his feet against Miller, who has huge holes in his standup game, Maia is light-years from Silva in that department.  He can’t afford to go toe-to-toe with Silva, an accomplished striker who has a professional boxing background. Maia isn’t fooling himself; he won’t end Silva’s title reign with an overhand right.  Footwork will be the key to his standup success. Maia intends to get close enough to Silva and shoot for a takedown.  Once Maia gets Silva on the ground, he intends to keep him there. As far as making that happen, wrestling is a major element in Maia’s fight plan.

“For this fight, I put a little more attention in wrestling, because that’s what I need to do in this fight,” Maia said. “I need to take Anderson down.”  If Maia can get Silva off his feet, the odds shift dramatically in his favor. The fight then becomes a jiu-jitsu battle, and Maia will have many more options at his disposal.  He will even have a psychological edge. Maia regularly trains with Silva’s jiu-jitsu mentors and Black House teammates — the Nogueira brothers.  “Rodrigo and Rogerio have always helped me, even before I fought in the UFC, even when I was just in jiu-jitsu,” said Maia, who owns a 12-1-0 MMA mark. “Rodrigo has the biggest heart — the nicest guy in the game.  “He can’t train with me because I am fighting his teammate, but that is no problem for me. … It’s just normal, no problem. It’s the business.”  As far as Silva is concerned, it doesn’t matter where the fight takes place or whom his opponent has trained with previously. He has one goal: retaining the middleweight belt.

Reaching this goal could prove a bit more difficult against Maia than Leites. Silva (25-4-0) was preparing to defend against Vitor Belfort, but an injury forced that challenger to withdraw.  Belfort is a standup fighter, a power striker; Maia is his polar opposite. Silva had only a handful of weeks to alter his fight strategy for Maia but is taking it all in stride.  “I really didn’t have that much time to change, but a fight is a fight,” Silva told ESPN.com during the conference call. “Regardless, I’m prepared to go in there.”  Part of his preparation includes not focusing on the negative. He would have liked more time to get ready for Maia, but that’s water under the bridge.  Silva is keeping a positive attitude. His accomplishments in the Octagon are unmatched; it’s what Silva can turn to for reassurance. He’s mentally at ease.  “There really isn’t much to think of before the fight begins,” Silva said. “You really just have to think of the months that you’ve trained and your whole lifetime of training, and do your job right to be able to go home safe.”

And with the title belt still in tow.

Silva is expected to leave the cage victorious Saturday night, but winning isn’t a lock. To get past an improved Maia, keeping this fight off the ground is more important than at any time in Silva’s illustrious mixed martial arts career.

Don’t expect a repeat of the Thales Leites fiasco