Fresh Faces: UFC 126 Edition part I

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The WEC/UFC merger has caused a huge injection of talent into the UFC. With a staggering seven fighters making their UFC debuts at UFC 126 -- including five former WEC fighters -- we have divided up this edition of "Fresh Faces" into two parts. First up, meet the four bantamweights making their debuts this Saturday, then check back tomorrow for part II!

Name: Miguel Torres

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Antonio Banuelos

Record: 38-3 (9 (T)KOs, 23 submissions) mainly in the WEC

Recent body of work: Submitted Charlie Valencia by rear-naked choke at WEC 51 last September

Who he is: The former WEC bantamweight champion, Miguel Torres was once considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. A decision win over Takeya Mizugaki ran Torres' record to a staggering 37-1, and fans were clamoring for a superfight against featherweight Urijah Faber. Torres would soon fall on hard times, though, losing his title to Brian Bowles via first-round KO, then getting submitted by Joseph Benavidez in his return bout seven months later. Suddenly, fans and pundits alike were questioning whether or not Torres' record --which included a 32-1 mark outside of the WEC against mostly unknown competition -- was really smoke and mirrors. After changing his training partners and fight preparation, Torres stormed back at WEC 51 to dominate Charlie Valencia on the feet before finishing him on the ground in the second round. Back on the winning track, Torres will look to use his UFC debut to take another step towards regaining his title.

Name: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Demetrious Johnson

Record: 18-3 (1NC) (13 (T)KOs, 2 submissions) mainly for Shooto, K-1 and DREAM

Recent body of work: Made his bantamweight debut at DREAM 14 last May, defeating Federico Lopez by KO in the first round

Who he is: A star in his native Japan, "Kid" Yamamoto has built a reputation on his aggressive style, highlighted by his four-second knockout of Kazuyuki Miyata in 2006. The former 2005 K-1 Middleweight Grand Prix winner dropped to bantamweight after losing two straight decisions and rebounded with a first-round knockout of Federico Lopez last May.

Name: Demetrious Johnson

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto

Record: 8-1 (2 (T)KOs, 5 submissions) for the WEC and various regional promotions

Recent body of work: Submitted Damacio Page by guillotine choke at WEC 52 last November

Who he is: Johnson raised eyebrows with his dominant performance over former top-ten fighter Damacio Page at WEC 52. Standing at just 5'3'', Johnson clocks in at the shorter end of the bantamweight spectrum, but his cardio and wrestling base have helped him succeed against taller opponents. "Mighty Mouse" has won two straight fights since suffering his first career loss at the hands of Brad Pickett.

Name: Antonio Banuelos

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Miguel Torres

Record: 18-6 (7 (T)KOs, 1 submission) mainly in the WEC

Recent body of work: Defeated Chad George by unanimous decision at WEC 51 last September

Who he is: A ten-year veteran of the sport,  Banuelos has spent the majority of his career --14 fights -- in the WEC. Banuelos is 4-1 in his last five bouts, with his only loss coming to former number-one contender Scotty Jorgensen.

Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg Results

Main Card:
Nick Diaz def. Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos by submission (armbar) at 4:50 of round 2 to retain the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship
Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza def. Robbie Lawler by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:00 of round 3 to retain the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship
Herschel Walker def. Scott Carson by TKO (strikes) at 3:13 of round 1
Roger Gracie def. Trevor Prangley by submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:19 of round 1

Preliminary card after the jump...

UFC Fight for the Troops 2 Post-Fight Thoughts and Analysis

Evan Dunham vs. Melvin Guillard

- Going into Saturday night's main event, Evan Dunham was one of the most touted prospects in the lightweight division. Looking to rebound from a razor-thin loss to Sean Sherk in his last bout, many expected Dunham to submit Melvin Guillard and continue his ascension up the lightweight ladder. Instead, Guillard derailed Dunham's hype train with a series of vicious punches and knees midway through the first round. Most impressive for me was Guillard's ability to get back to his feet after Dunham scored an early takedown, then inflict damage while his leg was still hoisted in the air. This type of complete performance is what fans of "The Young Assassin" have been waiting for, one where natural ability and strategy were equally in display.

- The physical talents of Guillard have never been questioned. Blessed with exceptional speed and athleticism, he has the physical tools to be a top-level fighter. However, mental lapses and poor game-planning have been Guillard's Achilles heel, leading to seven of his eight professional losses coming via submission - including six in the first round. Since joining Greg Jackson's camp, though, Guillard has reeled off four straight wins, including Saturday night's blitzing of Dunham, and he looks to finally be putting everything together. Guillard guaranteed in his post-fight speech that he would go undefeated and earn a title shot in 2011. A couple more wins over top-level opponents could see that prediction come true.

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Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Hague

- Matt Mitrione continued the impressive start to his young MMA career, blasting the more experienced Tim Hague for his third (T)KO stoppage in four career fights. The debate has now been raised as to whether or not Mitrione -- at 32 years old and with years of football wear and tear -- has enough time left to develop into a top-tier heavyweight. That remains to be seen, but with all four career wins coming in the UFC, three in dominant fashion, it is clear that "Meathead" is ready for a step up in competition.

- I remember when Mitrione, along with a slew of other ex-football players, joined the cast of The Ultimate Fighter 10, there was a certain backlash that these athletes were just capitalizing on the growing popularity of MMA. With Mitrione, however, I think his background and general lack of experience have actually been positives. His athleticism has been one of his best assets in the cage, and his rawness has allowed Duke Roufus to mold Mitrione from scratch, rather than working to fix bad habits from a previous fighting style.

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Mark Hominick vs. George Roop

- The stakes for Mark Hominick were clear: Win, and earn a title shot against featherweight champion, Jose Aldo. Some fighters would have been entered a fight like that with timidity, content to minimize risk and out-point their opponents. Hominick did the opposite, utilizing pinpoint striking to finish George Roop in under two minutes. Now riding a five-fight win streak, Hominick will find out if his technical skills are enough to dethrone a fighter anointed one of the pound-for-pound best in the world.

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Pat Barry vs. Joey Beltran

- It wasn't the trouncing that some expected, but Pat Barry put a hurting on Joey Beltran's left leg en route to a unanimous decision victory. Beltran stuck to his game plan, clinching with Barry and doing damage against the cage, but he was never able to take the fight to the ground to exploit Barry's suspect grappling. When Barry was able to separate, his kicks were the difference maker.

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Cole Miller vs. Matt Wiman

- Matt Wiman put on a tenacious performance, dominating fellow Ultimate Fighter 5 cast member, Cole Miller and showing no ring rust after he was forced to withdraw from consecutive bouts with an injury. After netting three consecutive Fight of the Night bonuses -- but going 1-2 in those three contests -- Wiman has rattled off three wins in a row. After such a dominant display over a solid fighter like Miller, Wiman is inching closer towards the top of the stacked lightweight division.

UFC Fight for the Troops 2 Results

Main Card:
Melvin Guillard def. Evan Dunham by TKO (strikes) at 2:58 of round 1
Matt Mitrione def. Tim Hague by TKO (punches) at 2:59 of round 1
Mark Hominick def. George Roop by TKO (punches) at 1:28 of round 1
Pat Barry def. Joey Beltran by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Matt Wiman def. Cole Miller by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Preliminary Card (Facebook.com Stream)
Yves Edwards def. Cody McKenzie by technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:33 of round 2
DaMarques Johnson def. Mike Guymon by verbal submission (body triangle) at 3:22 of round 1
Rani Yahya def. Mike Brown by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Waylon Lowe def. Willamy Freire by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Preliminary Card:
Charlie Brenneman def. Amilcar Alves by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Chris Cariaso def. Will Campuzano by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

$30,000 Bonuses:
Fight of the Night: Yves Edwards vs. Cody McKenzie
Knockout of the Night: Melvin Guillard
Submission of the Night: Yves Edwards

UFC Fight for the Troops 2 Interview: Mike "Joker" Guymon

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Fresh Faces: UFC Fight for the Troops 2 Edition

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Every UFC event, TapouTVTC.com looks at the fighters making their promotional debuts. Three such fighters will make their debuts this Saturday at "UFC: Fight for the Troops 2," including two making the transition from the WEC. Meet them in this edition of "Fresh Faces."

Courtesy of Tatame.com

Name: Rani Yahya

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Mike Brown

Record: 15-6 (14 submissions) for the WEC and other promotions

Recent body of work: Has lost two straight fights, to Joseph Benavidez (December 2009) and Takeya Mizugaki (April 2010), in the WEC

Who he is: A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Yahya won the prestigious Abu Dhabi Submission Championships in 2007. Those ground credentials are reflective of Yahya's MMA style, where 14 of his 15 wins have come by submission, including three straight Submission of the Night bonuses in the WEC. Overall, Yahya went 4-4 in the WEC, including a championship loss against then-champion Chase Beebe.

Courtesy of MMAjunkie.com

Name: Chris Cariaso

Weight class: Bantamweight

Fighting: Will Campuzano

Record: 10-2 (2 (T)KOs, 2 submissions) for the WEC, Strikeforce and other promotions

Recent body of work: Was submitted in the first round by Renan Barao at WEC 53 in December

Who he is: Another carry-over from the WEC/ UFC merger, Cariaso saw his recent six-fight win streak derailed by Barao at WEC 53. The California-based fighter had been 10-1 prior to the loss, fighting for EliteXC and Strikeforce before signing with the WEC.

Name: Willamy Freire

Weight class: Lightweight

Fighting: Waylon Lowe

Record: 17-3 (2 (T)KOs, 9 submissions) for Shooto and other promotions

Recent body of work: Defeated Yusuke Endo by split decision at "The Way of Shooto 3" in May to defend the Shooto Welterweight Championship.

Who he is: Hailing from Brazil, Freire enters the UFC riding an 11-fight win streak, and has not been defeated since dropping a decision to Hacran Dias in 2007. Freire captured the vacant Shooto welterweight (154 lbs.) title with a TKO doctor stoppage victory over Kenichiro Togashi in October 2009, then defeated Mikael Lahdesmaki in a non-title fight before successfully defending the belt against Endo in May.






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UFC 125 Post-Fight Thoughts and Analysis

Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

- Edgar vs. Maynard II will go down as one of, if not the best title fight in UFC history. Frankie Edgar showed that he continues to improve by leaps and bounds every time he steps in the cage, shrugging off most of Maynard's takedowns while landing a few of his own. On the feet, Edgar showed the heart of a champion, rebounding from a brutal beating in the first round to push the pace the rest of the fight. Maynard, meanwhile, checked his 'boring' reputation at the door, blitzing Edgar with vicious left hooks and almost finishing the fight early. Both fighters put forth a championship effort Saturday, and the immediate rematch is well deserved.

- Wrestlers are taught to only shoot if you are close enough to touch your opponent. Of course, being close enough to touch your opponent in MMA means you are close enough to get hit. In order to shoot for a takedown in MMA, you must close the distance, or take a shot from far away. We saw the importance of this Saturday night. Edgar and Maynard both succeeded on takedown attempts when they chained their takedowns with strikes, or when they ducked under their opponent's strikes. When they shot from the outside, their takedowns were easily stuffed.

- Maynard's lead left hooks were devastating in the first round. As a result, Edgar's corner instructed him to circle towards Maynard's right. While it's typically taught to not circle towards your opponent's power hand, Edgar was able to use this movement to jam Maynard up and take away his best punch.

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Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann

- Chris Leben has built a successful career on his toughness. You can hit him, hit him again, and hit him some more, but he still keeps coming forward. The only problem with this strategy is that, eventually, you will fight someone that hits hard enough to put you out. This happened Saturday, when Brian Stann pulled off the shocking upset and knocked Leben out in the first round -- something that hadn't happened since Anderson Silva's UFC debut in 2006.

- If you want to learn to strike like Brian Stann, check out his coach Mike Winkeljohn's pro training modules.

Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva

- What impressed me most about Thiago Silva's performance was that he dominated Vera in the clinch, no easy task against an Olympic-level Greo-Roman wrestler. The UFC broadcast team repeatedly pointed out that this is the first time we've seen a healthy Silva in over a year, and he truly looked like a different fighter. Still just 28, Silva's only two career losses have come to former UFC light-heavyweight champions, Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans.

- Vera has always been a dynamic striker, and he showed those features in brief spurts during the fight, even knocking Silva down with a body kick. Unfortunately, Vera showed little urgency on the ground, and seemed content to ball up and hold on rather than exploding and working to a scramble.

Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim

- Nick Diaz and his brother Nate have both had problems against wrestlers in their careers. This was the case Saturday, where Dong Hyun Kim used his superior takedowns and top control to grind out a decision. Diaz was able to mount some offense on the feet in the third round, but by that point it was too little, too late. Kim is a big and strong welterweight, but I would like to see his limited striking game improve before he really makes waves in the division.

- I love Diaz's guard game, where he is constantly searching for sweeps and submissions. Every time Diaz elevated one of his legs to look for a triangle, though, Kim controlled his opposite hip, essentially nullifying the submission attempt. Kim might have looked like he was near giving up a submission, but as long as he controlled one of Diaz's hips, he was safe.

Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi

- Clay Guida used some of the most bizarre movements I have ever seen in order to confuse Takaori Gomi, and it worked. Gomi was absolutely stifled on the feet and never looked comfortable. Guida also threw some unorthodox striking combinations, like following up a level change with a head kick. This is the most impressed I have been with Guida, who has now won three straight fights.

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UFC 125 Results

Main Card:
Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fight to a draw (48-46, 46-48, 47-47). Edgar retains the UFC lightweight title
Brian Stann def. Chris Leben by TKO (strikes) at 3:37 of round 1
Thiago Silva def. Brandon Vera by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
Dong Hyun Kim def. Nate Diaz by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Clay Guida def. Takanori Gomi by submission (guillotine choke) at 4:27 of round 2

Ion Television Card:
Jeremy Stephens def. Marcus Davis by KO (punch) at 2:33 of round 3
Dustin Poirier def. Josh Grispi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Brad Tavares def. Phil Baroni by KO (punches) at 4:20 of round 1

Preliminary Card:
Diego Nunes def. Mike Brown by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Daniel Roberts def. Greg Soto by submission (kimura) at 3:45 of round 1
Jacob Volkmann def. Antonio McKee by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

UFC 125 Preview - Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard

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The Match:

UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar (13-1, 8-1 UFC) vs. Gray Maynard (10-0 (1 NC), 8-0 (1 NC) UFC)

How We Got Here:

Saturday night's UFC lightweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard offers more for both fighters than simply the label of lightweight champion.

For Edgar, it is a chance to avenge his lone career loss, a chance to prove to odds makers and fans alike that, once again, he has been underestimated.

For Maynard, it is a chance to claim a title that many felt he had already earned but was passed over by Edgar. With a finish, Maynard can also silence the critics who bemoan the fact that his last seven fights --all wins -- have gone to decision.

Two and a half years ago, Edgar and Maynard met in a battle of undefeated prospects at UFC Fight Night 13: Florian vs. Lauzon. Edgar was 8-0 at the time, having won his first three UFC appearances. Maynard, after a failed bid to win The Ultimate Fighter 5, rebounded from a double-KO no contest in his UFC debut to win his next two fights and run his record to 4-0 (1 NC).

That night belonged to Maynard, who used his superior size and wrestling to take Edgar down multiple times. Maynard succinctly summed up his success in the fight, telling Joe Rogan, "I'm bigger."

Since that fight, Maynard has yet to taste defeat. He won his next five bouts -- all by decision -- including a win over Nate Diaz, the fighter that defeated Maynard on TUF 5. A recent decision over former number-one contender Kenny Florian earned Maynard a shot at the belt.

Edgar, meanwhile, rebounded from the loss with three straight wins, which earned him a title shot against the champion, B.J. Penn. In a stunning upset, Edgar outworked and outpointed the champion, even taking Penn to the ground. Penn was granted an immediate rematch, and Edgar turned in an even better performance. The victory cemented Edgar at the top of the lightweight food chain.

The stage has now been set for a match two and a half years in the making.

The Keys for Edgar's Success

Edgar has performed his best when counted out the most. When he steps into the ring against Maynard on Saturday, it will be the fourth time in his last five fights that he does so as the betting underdog. The problem with that, of course, is that Edgar keeps winning.

After his loss to Maynard, questions were raised as to whether or not Edgar had the size to compete with the larger fighters at 155 lbs. Even in his submission victory over Matt Veach, which earned him a shot at lightweight champion Penn, Edgar was bullied by his bigger opponent before locking in a rear-naked choke in the second round.

However, the sentiments about Edgar's weight seemed to changed in his two title bouts with the then-seemingly unbeatable Penn, first when stunning the world at UFC 112, then by affirming his win at UFC 118. In those bouts, Edgar used exceptionally quick footwork, a disciplined and varied striking game, and a perfect game plan to outpoint and outwork the slower Penn. And while some fans disagreed that Edgar won the first contest, he left little doubt in the rematch that he was the better, faster fighter, dominating Penn from bell to bell.

No longer was Edgar looked at as a featherweight masquerading as a lightweight. Instead, he was a streamlined fighter, trading size for speed, sacrificing bulk for the cardio benefits of not cutting weight.

In his first match with Maynard, Edgar looked to be the superior striker. However, he was never able to avoid Maynard's powerful takedowns, and that cost him the fight. In order to beat Maynard, Edgar needs to constantly be on the move, picking his times to engage and fire away with quick combinations, then circling away before Maynard can get hold of him.

Edgar tried to wrestle with Maynard last fight. While he did land one takedown, his double leg attempts were always stuffed, leaving him underneath a bigger, stronger opponent. He will not make that mistake again.

We've seen the discipline with which Edgar and his corner stick to a game plan and they will need to on Saturday. One mistake is all Maynard needs to score a takedown, and that can cost Edgar the round. If Edgar can keep things on the feet, he has the speed and boxing prowess to hand Maynard his first official defeat.

The Keys for Maynard's Success

Maynard's nickname is "The Bully," and it tells you everything you need to know about his fighting style. He is, in a word, relentless.

A three-time All-American wrestler at Michigan State University, Maynard comes equipped with some of the best takedowns in the lightweight division. As is typically the case with wrestlers, Maynard also has an unlimited gas tank, which allows him to pressure and grind on his opponents. These will be his biggest assets against Edgar.

The blueprint for Maynard's success was already written in his first bout with Edgar; take the champion down, do damage, and take him down again if he gets back up. Edgar looked more tired at the end of three rounds against Maynard than he did at the end of either five-round affair against Penn. How tired will Edgar look after twenty five minutes of Maynard's suffocating top game instead of the fifteen he experienced last time?

One predominant story in the media has been Edgar's evolution as a mixed martial artist, but Maynard is quick to point out that Edgar isn't the only one who has gotten better. Maynard's original skill set was good enough to beat Edgar last time, and his continued improvements could be enough to do it again.