UFC 110: Review -- Five Fighters In Five Divisions Take Big Steps Up

I had a successful night with my official predictions at UFC 110, going 6-3 (%66.7) with a hit on the main event, but, more importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed nearly every fight on the card. More than just being entertaining, the bouts at UFC 110 were laden with meaning for the future of each of the UFC's five weight divisions because, following the night's events, we ended up with one new, legitimate, contender at every weight-class.

So rather than focus on why Mirko "Cro-Cop" couldn't seem to finish "The Hippo," whether Stephan Bonnar got ripped off, how it is that C.B. Dollaway keeps winning fights, or when there will be another Te Huna sighting, let's focus instead on the fab five fighters who each made humongous splashes down under.

[Picture props: Sherdog.com]


Heavyweight: Cain Velasquez def. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira by TKO, Rd. 1

The Fight: Cain Velasquez (8-0) was a slight betting favourite at UFC 110, but, in the hearts of many longtime MMA fans, this was a major upset. Cain did not simply defeat "Minotauro" Nogueira, he out-classed him on the feet and TKO'ed him in the first round, which had never happened to "Big Nog" before. Cain's boxing looked better than ever, especially the tight right-left-right combination he used to finish the fight, and he also proved that he doesn't need to use his wrestling to beat world-class opposition.

What's Next?: They say that to become a legend you must first defeat a legend. That means two things in this case, one is that Velasquez is now officially a legendary MMA fighter, and the other is that Cain now has a huge bull's eye figuratively pasted on him. If the winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin (UFC 111, March 27th) is medically fit to fight Brock Lesnar in July, which seems pretty likely, Velasquez will likely next fight the winner of Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Junior Dos Santos (UFC on VS. 1, March 21st). In fact, there is really no other option considering what those five big men (Lesnar, Mir, Carwin, Dos Santos & Gonzaga) have done, along with Velasquez, to separate themselves from the pack at 265lbs. At most, two wins in a row for any one of them means a guaranteed title shot.


Light Heavyweight: Ryan Bader def. Keith Jardine by TKO, Rd. 2

The Fight: Forget that it was tied going into the third round, and that Ryan Bader (11-0)'s takedowns, which looked effortless in round one, weren't landing throughout the second. The pivotal moment in this fight came when "Darth" Bader clipped Jardine with a right two-minutes into the third round. Jardine's knees were wobbled, but he would have recovered quickly if Bader hadn't lunged in with a flying-knee-to-left-hook combination that put "The Dean" to sleep. That kind of killer instinct should serve Bader well as he moves up yet again in the most ruthlessly violent division in the UFC.

What's Next?: Ryan Bader, who is now 4-0 in the UFC, will certainly need to take another significant step up after KO'ing Jardine at UFC 110, but I don't think he'll be given anybody in the top-five. That leaves the possibility of a fight against one of the losers of either Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones (UFC on Vs. 1, March 21st) or Forrest Griffin vs. Antonio "Lil' Nog" Nogueira (UFC 114, May 29th). Another option would be Matt Hamill who is currently unscheduled, but is technically coming off of a DQ win.


Middleweight: Wanderlei Silva def. Michael Bisping by Unanimous Decision

The Fight: I may have ultimately been incorrect in predicting this fight as a split-decision win for "The Count," but it was definitely more closely contested than many observers assumed it would be. Bisping feels he was robbed, but I believe the decision was accurate and, in any case, this is a great outcome for fans because another loss for Wanderlei would have spelled disaster for his career. At middleweight, Wanderlei looks quite a bit faster and can probably absorb more clean shots, but we are all going to have to accept that he will never again be as fearsome and ferocious as he was in PRIDE.

What's Next?: This one is a no-brainer. Nearly-undefeated middleweight and fellow PRIDE super-star Yoshihiro Akiyama has been calling out "The Axe Murderer" for weeks and to deny him that fight would make zero sense for anyone. In a perfect world for Zuffa, they could put this fight on in Japan, but pulling off such a coup in a short period of time looks extremely unlikely. For that reason, many have already speculated that this fight could occur at UFC 115 in Vancouver B.C.'s GM Place arena on June 12th of this year.


Welterweight: Chris Lytle def. Brian Foster by Submission (Knee Bar), Rd. 1

The Fight: Let's be clear, Chris Lytle (28-17-5) is still the furthest away from a title shot out of anyone on this list, but he did show superb skills in this fight against a hungry young fighter and definitely deserves a step-up in competition. What's more, Lytle showed a lot of heart in weathering an early storm against Foster, while also remaining calm enough to sink in that knee bar.

What's Next?: This victory brings Lytle up to three wins in his last four UFC fights, with his only loss being a somewhat controversial split-decision in a truly epic fight with Marcus Davis. I expect Lytle to get one more shot at the big time in his next fight against the likes of either Mike Swick or Martin Kampmann. "Lights Out" could possibly even face the loser of Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley (UFC 113, May 8th) since a fight against another talented striker is what most fans want to see from Lytle.


Lightweight: George Sotiropoulos def. Joe Stevenson by Unanimous Decision

The Fight: Rarely has such a one-sided beatdown been awarded "Fight of The Night" honours, but, then again, rarely does a local fighter, who happens to be a massive odds underdog, put on the performance of his life against such a well-known fighter as Stevenson. It truly was the highest emotional plateau of the evening, and a moment many Australian MMA fans will never forget. As for the fight itself, what can be said, really? Sotiropoulos was better standing up and much, much, much, better on the ground. Stevenson scored a few takedowns, but did nothing appreciable with them at all.

What's Next: George deserves a step up in competition, but there aren't many clear steps up from Stevenson available. A fight against Gray Maynard might be a bridge too far at this point, but most other lightweights already have bouts scheduled with only the winner of Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi (UFC Fight Night 21, March 31st) or the loser of BJ Penn vs. Frank Edgar (UFC 112, April 10th) representing that crucial step up. As a result, Sotiropoulos may have to accept a high-profile fight against a fairly beatable opponent if only to stay busy. What about giving Mac Danzig a call? Just a thought.

UFC 110: Predictions

February 21st will feature an average Sunday afternoon for most Australians-- shrimp will hit barbies across the nation, surfers will hit the waves at Bondi, and kangaroo meat will hit the spot. But for the UFC's rabid Aussie fan-base at Sydney's Acer Arena, that afternoon will be the greatest moment of their entire lives. Well, it will be pretty close to that, for sure.

Thanks to the combined magic of satellite broadcasting and standardized time zones, UFC fans in North America will receive live video of the event on Saturday, February 20th at 7:00pm PST (9:00pm EST). [Picture Props: Sherdog.com]

My prediction record now stands at 153-87 (%63.8) and 20-6 (%76.9) in main events.

Ranked Fighters at UFC 110 Include:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (#4 HW), Cain Velasquez (#6 HW), Keith Jardine (#16 LHW), Wanderlei Silva (#22 LHW), Michael Bisping (#14 MW), George Sotiropoulos (WW #22), Joe Stevenson (LW #14)

Rankings courtesy of: USA Today/SBN Poll

Main Event:

Heavyweight: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (-110, 3-0 UFC) vs. Cain Velasquez (-120, 5-0 UFC)

When professional oddsmakers offer such evenly matched lines, the odds represent the mathematical equivalent of a shoulder shrug. What I can do is offer three possibilities for how the fight will go:

1) Mostly Stand-Up: If the fight remains upright, Cain Velasquez (7-0) will be at a clear technical disadvantage, but he can make up for it with sheer tenacity. That is to say, (deep breath) Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro/Big Nog" Nogueira (32-5-1) has some of the finest pure boxing in the sport, but can be overly patient in looking for openings. Several of "Big Nog's" past opponents have shown that acting first can put Nogueira on his heels. Once he's backing up, Nogueira has difficulty finding his rhythm as long as the pressure remains constant. Obviously, most of Nogueira's opponents eventually let off the proverbial gas pedal, but no one maintains an all-out assault quite like Cain Velasquez. If Cain holds back for even one moment, he will likely get picked apart. So he would be well advised to throw bombs with controlled ferocity from bell to bell.

2) Mostly Ground: If majority of the fight takes place on the mat, Nogueira will probably find a way to submit Velasquez. Contrary to recent comments made by a certain welterweight contender, submissions from full-guard position are not on their way out in MMA. At least not so long as "Minotauro" Nogueira has any say in it. Sure, Velasquez is a strong positional wrestler and often lands in at least half-guard or even side-control following his takedowns, but giving Nogueira ample time on the mat is like standing still in an open field while a trained sniper assembles his rifle. Not smart.

3) An Even Mix: This is where Cain Velasquez possibly has the most significant advantage. Not only because an up-and-down fight will prevent "Minotauro" from finding his comfort-zone in either position, but because Cain, being the vastly superior wrestler and the most constantly active fighter in the division, would likely score on nearly every takedown and land strikes both first and last in most scrambles and short exchanges.

This fight is pretty tough to handicap, but Velasquez' tenacity and wrestling advantage will make it very difficult for Nogueira to win by decision. A submission victory for Nogueira a distinct possibility, but I am willing to bet that Velasquez has developed his mental game and submissions defense enough to successfully execute an extremely disciplined, takedown-heavy game plan. In fact, I even think there is value in a bet on Velasquez at the current lines.

Velasquez by Unanimous Decision

Main Card (PPV):

185lbs.: Michael Bisping (+125, 8-2 UFC) vs. Wanderlei Silva (-155, 2-4 UFC)

After browsing the internet for UFC 110 predictions, one could logically conclude that Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1) is the same beast he was in PRIDE circa 2001-2003. The average breakdown for this match goes like this: "My longtime personal hero "The Axe Murderer" is way too awesome and cool for that jerk Bisping to handle. Wand by early KO as Bisping goes down harder than he did against Henderson." Of course, most of these writers know that Wanderlei was also KO'ed by Dan Henderson (25-7) three years ago, but can't help basking in the image of Wanderlei Silva unleashing a holy terror of strikes.

I don't dispute that Wanderlei might smash Bisping into oblivion, but relatively few seem willing to accept that Bisping, the owner of 12 career (T)KO's, could also finish Wanderlei, who has been KO'ed three times in just his last six fights. Not to mention that Bisping's superior reach, better hand-speed, and greater ability to control range should give him an edge in scoring points. Plus, this is Wanderlei's first fight at 185lbs., so there is no telling how he will look at this new weight until we actually see it.

Wanderlei may have a slightly better chance of finishing this fight, but I am willing to stick my neck out and state that Bisping has a better chance of winning. That said, I would not recommend any bets here as there is too much potential for variance to justify chasing the small potential payouts.

Michael Bisping by Split-Decision

205 lbs.: Keith Jardine (+135, 6-5 UFC) vs. Ryan Bader (-165, 3-0 UFC)

This is one of the most unpredictable fights on the entire card because TUF 1 veteran Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine (15-6-1) tends to do one of two things in his fights. He either herky-jerks his way to a close decision, or gets knocked out early. Nine of his eleven UFC fights have ended in one of these two outcomes. Undefeated TUF 8 winner Ryan "Darth" Bader (10-0), a former NCAA Div. I wrestler out of Arizona State University where he helped win three Pac-10 Championships, definitely has the power in his hands to knock Jardine out, but not the striking savvy to hang with "The Dean" for three full rounds. Therefore, Bader's best bet is to take Jardine to the ground. Of course, that only adds another layer of unpredictability to the fight given how rarely we have seen Jardine's ground game.

I will take Bader here on the hunch that his stand-up defense has improved since his underwhelming win at UFC 104 and because, after his most recent flash knockout at UFC 102, Keith Jardine's chin now looks more suspect than ever. Still, given Bader's massive experience disadvantage, I can't recommend a cash bet on him. If anything, there may be some value in Jardine's underdog line, especially if last-minute betting shifts it even further into the positive numbers.

Bader by TKO, Rd. 2

155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson (-250, 8-4 UFC) vs. George Sotiropoulos (+190, 4-0 UFC)

George Sotiropoulos (14-2), the only Australian on the main card, is a well rounded fighter who was eliminated from the TUF 6 tournament due to an eye poke from Tommy Speer (13-4). Sotiropoulos has finished all four of his UFC opponents to date, and has only lost twice in his entire career-- once by decision in his fourth fight and once via questionable DQ against Shinya Aoki (23-4, #2 LW). UFC fans are very familiar with what Joe Stevenson (31-10) brings to the table. He is a former title contender and has looked great since joining Greg Jackson's camp ahead of is last fight, in which "Daddy" dominated Spencer "The King" Fisher (23-5) en route to a second round submission (due to strikes).

Stevenson is easily the superior wrestler in this fight, but Sotiropoulos creates some difficult challenges of his own. For one thing, George is several inches taller, which should help him to work behind the jab, as well as providing extra leverage to facilitate his slick arsenal of submissions. Sotiropoulos' lanky limbs should also help him to tie Stevenson up if Joe "Daddy" lands in his full-guard following a takedown. Both fighters hold BJJ black belts, but Stevenson has historically relied too heavily on the guillotine choke, while Sotiropoulos has proven himself effective with a wider variety of subs. Stevenson has also shown a tendency to make poor decisions when a fight is not going his way, as he did in the Kenny Florian (12-4) and Diego Sanchez (21-3) fights, while Sotiropoulos always remains composed.

Stevenson represents a massive step up for Sotiropoulos, but the hometown boy knows this could be his best chance to grab an inside track toward title-contendership and I believe he has just the right amount of skill to pull it off. One thing I know for sure is that there is still significant value in George's line, though that has been diminishing fast. Sotiropoulos was originally pegged at +285, but a mountain of money has since come in on him to win, which pushed him back down to +190.

Sotiropoulos by Submission (Armbar), Rd. 3

Heavyweight: Mirko Filipovic (2-3 UFC) vs. Anthony Perosh (0-1 UFC) ***Odds Not Available at this time.***

Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic (25-7-2 1NC) was set to face Ben Rothwell (30-7) before the latter pulled out with an illness at the last-minute, creating an opportunity for Australian Anthony "The Hippo" Perosh (10-5) to step-in. Given that Perosh is a submissions expert with the majority of his losses by (T)KO, and Mirko is a (T)KO master who has been submitted only twice (once by "Big Nog" in 2003 and once due to strikes at UFC 103), I see no reason not to pick Mirko here.

"Cro-Cop" is not what he once was, but he isn't about to lose to a guy calling himself "The Hippo."

Filipovic by TKO, Rd. 1

Under card (May not be broadcast):

205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar (+140, 5-5 UFC) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (-175, 3-1 UFC, CAN)

Everyone remembers Stephan "The American Psycho" Bonnar (11-6) from his epic fight with Forrest Griffin (17-6) at the TUF 1 finale, but "The American Psycho" has fallen on hard times of late. His last win came in October of 2007 and he has lost two clear-cut decisions since returning from injuries and a steroid suspension in early 2009. Nonetheless, Bonnar remains a very real threat to Canadian submissions specialist Krzysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski (18-9-1). For one thing, Bonnar has never been submitted and, for another, his muay thai striking is more varied than Soszynski's traditional boxing.

Still, I will take Soszynski based on superior strength and conditioning as well as his distinct grappling advantage. A bet on Soszynski at these odds is risky, but not necessarily ill-advised.

Soszynski by Submission (Kimura), Rd. 3

170 lbs.: Brian Foster (+140, 1-1 UFC) vs. Chris Lytle (-170, 6-9 UFC)

UFC fans know Chris "Lights Out" Lytle (27-17-10) from the many thrilling striking matches he has been in over the years, but one thing Lytle has never been known for is takedown defense. That fact haunted him when he fought Matt Hughes (43-7) at UFC 68, a fight Lytle lost by unanimous decision after spending the entire fight getting pummeled from above. For that reason, I have reservations about picking Lytle to defeat one Hughes proteges in Brian Foster (13-4), who fights like and actually even looks a bit like a younger, faster version of Hughes. Foster utterly dismantled a savvy veteran in Brock Larson (26-4) back at UFC 106 and, even though Lytle's submissions from guard are decent, they shouldn't be anything Foster can't handle.

This is my third underdog pick at UFC 110, but you only get so many chances to catch a promising wave before others spot it. I think Foster has the goods to do big things at 170lbs. and would definitely endorse a bet at these odds.

Foster By Unanimous Decision

185 lbs.: CB Dollaway (+140) vs. Goran Reljic (-215)

I have never been a fan of C.B. Dollaway (9-2). It is not because I think he is among the worst fighters ever to compete in the UFC, it's just that I am certain he will never be considered among the best. So it frustrates me that he continues to hold onto a coveted roster-spot. If the undefeated Goran Reljic (8-0) weren't coming off a long layoff following back surgery, I would be extremely confident in his chances. As it stands, I am only reasonably convinced he will win. Reljic is strong enough to stop C.B.'s takedowns, skilled enough not to fall prey to one of Dollaway's Peruvian neckties, and is a decent enough striker to put a serious hurting on C.B. standing up. I wouldn't bet on Reljic at these odds, especially not knowing how the layoff has affected his skills, but I will make him my straight-up pick.

Reljic by Submission, Rd. 1

205 lbs.: James Te Huna (-165) vs. Igor Pokrajac (+135, 0-1 UFC)

Igor Pokrajac (21-6) is a shameless lackey of Mirko "Cro-Cop" with no real business fighting in the octagon, while James Te Huna (11-4) is a New Zealander who probably doesn't belong there either, but is getting his shot because the UFC is passing through Oceania for the first time. I'll take Te Huna because he looks like a fully grown bruiser and, heck, I might just slap a shiny nickel or two down on him while I'm at it.

Te Huna by KO, Rd. 1

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Two Late Changes To UFC 110 Card, Including New Opponent For Mirko "Cro-Cop"

In a fairly unusual turn of events, two fights have been altered with less than forty-eight hours to go before UFC 110:Nogueira vs. Velasquez gets underway.

First, an under card fight between two elder statesmen of Australian MMA, Elvis "The King of Rock and Rumble" Sinosic (8-11-2) and Chris Haseman (20-16), has been called off due to an injury to Sinosic's shoulder. This was set to be a rematch of their iconic 1997 match at Caged Combat 1- Australian Ultimate Fighting, which is considered one of the foundation-setting fights for MMA in that country. Haseman won that bout via the aptly named, and now highly illegal, "chin-to-the-eye" submission technique.

In related news, an unnamed illness has caused "Big" Ben Rothwell (30-7) to pull out of his scheduled fight with Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic (25-7-2). A training partner of Sinosec named Anthony Perosh (10-5 [pictured here]) will now step in on short notice to face the former K-1 and PRIDE star. Perosh has fought once in the UFC before, losing to Jeff Monson (32-9) by TKO in the first round at UFC 61. This change is obviously a slight let-down for fans, but it surely would have been much worse if "Cro-Cop" couldn't fight at all. Perosh should be commended for saving the day.

UFC 110: Nogueira vs Velasquez now moves forward with a total of nine fight scheduled.

Fight Hype For Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping At UFC 110

The main event at UFC 110 has title implications, with the winner of Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez becoming a reserve fighter in case the winner of Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin at UFC 111 is not medically fit to face Brock Lesnar (4-1) right away. Despite that, the co-main event between Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva (32-10-1) and Michael "The Count" Bisping (18-2) is garnering more press as fight day approaches. Maybe that's because it is more difficult to guess how "Big Nog's" fight will play out, whereas we're pretty much assured of a slugfest in the co-main. Or maybe it's because so many people seemingly have a hate on for Bisping and just want to see him lose and animosity between Bisping and Silva isn't hurting their marketability either.

Whatever the reason, if the UFC manages to buck the recent trend of poor pay-per-view performances with a return to form for UFC 110 it will have as much to do with interest in this fight as anything else on the card.



Here, Bisping and Silva get into a verbal battle at the pre-fight press conference. Of course, it is a bit unfair since it is being contested in English. You know, since Silva spoke only Portuguese for most of his adult life and Bisping is from, well, England.



In this video, a more composed Wanderlei gets a chance to explain exactly why he doesn't like Micheal Bisping without the added stress of a gallery of journalists looking on.

"Countdown To UFC 110" Available Now Online, Airs Tomorrow On SpikeTV

The good ship UFC Fight Hype is officially leaving its home port for UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez. It is currently steaming away at full-speed toward Sydney, Australia and arrives this Saturday evening at 7:00pm/PST with a cargo of fights available only on pay-per-view.

To climb aboard, check out the Countdown to UFC 110 show available now RIGHT HERE on the main page of UFC.com. You can also watch it on television tomorrow evening (Feb. 18th) at 8:00pm/PST on SpikeTV. Unfortunately, Spike will not be airing any live preliminary action this time around.

UFC 110 Preview: Three Legends Still Fighting For PRIDE In Sydney

When it broadcasts live from Sydney this Saturday at 7:00pm/PST, UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez will become the first UFC event held outside of North America and Europe since Zuffa first acquired the company in 2001.

Besides rewarding the UFC's strong Aussie fan-base, which sold out Sydney's 21,000 capacity Acer Arena in two hours, UFC 110 was seemingly designed to help Zuffa grab attention in Japan, with three former PRIDE superstars, Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic (25-7-2), Wanderlei Silva (32-10-1), and Rodrigo "Minotauro Nogueira (32-5-1), all set to appear.

Sydney, Australia is relatively close to Japan and shares a similar time zone with Tokyo, which should help, but the Japanese market has proven notoriously difficult for the UFC to crack. In an effort to access it, Zuffa has secured a broadcast television deal there. Now, with UFC 110, they have assembled a fight card that no serious Japanese MMA fan could resist. That's especially true since their longtime heroes, "Cro-Cop," Wanderlei, and "Big Nog," are all approaching the twilight of their respective careers. All three former PRIDE stars have extensive records, but are reaching a point at which physical wear may be overtaking the benefits of vast experience. Each is also entering his mid-thirties, which has fans across the world wondering how many elite-level performances they have left to give.


Mirko "Cro-Cop" vs. "Big" Ben Rothwell-- High-Kick Up, Wayyy Up

There was a time when Mirko "Cro-Cop" was the most feared striker in MMA's heavyweight division. Now Mirko finds himself off the contenders' radar and returning from a lackluster third-round submission (strikes) loss to Junior Dos Santos (10-1) at UFC 103. After that fight, Mirko admitted that he no longer had the drive to compete, so it is a bit surprising to see him back so soon. That said, it is at least encouraging to hear he has begun training a bit smarter:

"To be a successful fighter now you have to go to a camp. For all my career I (was) training at home, sparring with friends who were there to help me as a friend, doing me a favor. They were not A-class fighters. It was a mistake...It was a handicap I should not have given myself. In Croatia, we do not have big camps like in other countries, but I was not willing to go away to train...Now, I am making myself do this...I wish I had done this a long time ago. I went to Holland to train with K-1 fighters for over a month for this fight...These are sparring partners who want to knock me out in sparring."(Props: MMAJunkie.com)

Whether a single proper training camp will be enough to defeat Ben Rothwell (30-7) remains to be seen, but the match should at least play to Mirko's strengths. At 6'5" and 265lbs, physical size is Rothwell's greatest advantage, but his striking, while historically effective, is not "K-1 level." That should provide Mirko with plenty of exploitable openings. The more relevant question, however, is how well Mirko can still take a shot after being literally punched blind in his last fight.


Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping-- Warning: This Fight May Be Closer Than It Appears

The co-main event at UFC 110 features Wanderlei Silva, the most beloved fighter in PRIDE's history, against Michael "The Count" Bisping (18-2) who many UFC fans just love to hate. The risk is that blind support for Wanderlei will lead fans to overrate his remaining skills, while disdain for Bisping could simultaneously cause them to focus too much on his recent KO loss to Dan Henderson (25-7). In fact, many are viewing this as a potentially easy win for Wanderlei, when, in reality, both fighters have clear paths to victory.

Wanderlei's strategy is rarely in doubt, especially against an underpowered striker like Bisping-- he will look to close the pocket and throw bombs. If Bisping gets rocked, or even briefly stunned, Silva will swarm him in a repeat of his devastating finish of Keith Jardine (15-6-1) at UFC 84. Of course, that was also the only win of Silva's current UFC tenure dating back to December, 2007. It is also worth noting that Wanderlei recently underwent plastic surgery to remove scar tissue from around his eyes and nose in an attempt to make him less susceptible to cuts.

Bisping can win this fight by following Rich Franklin (25-5)'s blueprint from UFC 99-- avoid Wanderlei's power whenever possible and score often with leg-kicks, jabs and crisp combinations from outside the pocket. Bisping should be pretty comfortable with this game plan, having already used it to perfection against Chris Leben (19-6) at UFC 89. "The Count" showed renewed-focus in his second-round destruction of Denis Kang (32-12-1) at UFC 102 and will now look to exorcise the remaining demons from the Henderson fight by defeating another powerful puncher in Silva.

Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez-- A BJJ Master And A Mexican Wrestler Walk Into An Octagon

The main event at UFC 110 features Brazil's "Minotauro" Nogueira, a former PRIDE heavyweight champion who recently defeated Randy Couture and twice took, consensus best heavyweight of all time, Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) to a decision. "Big Nog" who is famous for his spectacular submissions and an uncanny ability to absorb punishment, will square off with talented youngster Cain Velasquez (7-0), whose "Brown Pride" tattoo makes clear his deep connection to his Mexican heritage.

Cain is well-known for powerful takedowns, whirlwind ground-and-pound, and punches that don't necessarily pack a wallop, but get the job done with volume. Despite not being known to hit very hard, Velasquez has scored TKO's in six of his seven victories. That is something Nogueira will have to respect especially after an accumulation of blows from Frank Mir (13-4) led to Minotauro's first ever TKO loss at UFC 92. That said, Nogueira has made a career of weathering storms and blames his loss to Mir on a severe staph infection. Assuming that's a fair assessment of the result, this fight with Velasquez should be considered the first true test for a healthy Nogueira against an elite heavyweight since he defeated Josh Barnett (24-5) at Pride: Shockwave 2006.

The biggest questions going in are whether Velasquez will dare to put Nogueira on his back, given the very real threat posed by Nogueira's jiu-jitsu game from bottom position. If it does stay on the feet, Nogueira may have an advantage due to his refined boxing, but a hungry young scrapper like Velasquez could prove difficult to outmaneuver for three rounds.

Review:

None of the big three PRIDE stars has an easy opponent, which means Acer Arena could potentially play host to the end of more than one legendary career at UFC 110. Nogueira, who is coming off a win, is the least likely to end his career on Saturday, but, with a loss, even he would be only one win above .500 in the UFC at 3-2. Both "Cro-Cop" and Wanderlei, on the other hand, are already below .5oo in the UFC and another convincing loss would make either fighter a tough sell in the future. The main card also features a great lightweight bout between surging contender Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (31-10) and local, Aussie hero George Sotiropoulos (11-2), as well as the ever-reliable Keith Jardine (15-6-1) who will look to avoid a three-fight losing streak in a fight against undefeated wrestler Ryan Bader (10-0).


Official Full Card:

Event: UFC 110
Date: Saturday, Feb. 21, 2010, at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view (PPV)
Location: Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia

Main Event:

265 lbs.: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez

Main Card (Televised):

185 lbs.: Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
205 lbs.: Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader
155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos
265 lbs.: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell

Under Card (May not be broadcast):

205 lbs.: Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman
205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
170 lbs.: Brian Foster vs. Chris Lytle
185 lbs.: CB Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic
205 lbs.: James Te Huna vs. Igor Pokrajac

Video Blogs From Down Under

The first feature's Ryan Bader (10-0) and C.B. Dollaway (9-2) on an epic 20+ hour journey from Arizona to Sydney, Australia. They still have a week left in which to recover before their fights on Feb. 20th, but, judging from this video, that may not be enough time!



Michael Bisping (18-2), on the other hand, arrived in Sydney two-weeks ahead of his fight date, which apparently left him with plenty of time left to go sightseeing around Sydney with "Rampage" Jackson (30-7). Good times.

Canadian Krzysztof Soszynski Talks Fighting Stephan Bonnar at UFC 110 (Feb. 20th)

In an interview with Joshua Carey of BleacherReport.com, Krysztof "The Polish Experiment" Soszynski (18-9-1, 3-1 UFC), who is arguably Canada's very best MMA light-heavyweight, talks about his upcoming fight with Stephan "The American Psycho" Bonnar (11-6, 5-5 UFC).

It will be a tough fight for both men as each is coming off a loss and both have well-rounded skills. Their fight occurs on the under card at UFC 110: Nogueria vs. Velasquez on February 20th, which means the loser's job will more-than-likely be in jeopardy.

Excerpted From Soszynski's comments (Full Article):

“Full camp is fantastic. I had 14 weeks to get ready for this fight. After the Brandon Vera fight, I had to go through elbow surgery and I had 11 bone chips removed from my elbow...It’s like I have a new elbow. I can do everything with it and it hasn’t bothered me at all. The doctor did a great job on it and I’m ready 100%...I’ve been training with Vera, Phil Davis, Lew Polley and Travis Brown who’s a monster...Dan Henderson - I’ve been working with him twice a week on my wrestling and his great clinch game. That’s where I’m learning my uppercuts and dirty boxing...I’m not expecting to go into this fight and win this fight in the first or second round. Most likely this is going to be a brutal fight, a lot of blood everywhere on both sides...I’ve watched many of Bonnar’s fights and he is very technical, durable, has a great jiu jitsu game, very long and lanky, and has good hands as well...I can finish him on the ground. If I push him hard enough, I could break him too and you know."

UFC 110: Nogueira ve. Velasquez Full-Card:

Main event:

HW: Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez

Main Card:

MW: Michael Bisping vs. Wanderlei Silva
LHW: Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader
LW: Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos
HW: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic vs. Ben Rothwell

Under Card:

LHW: Elvis Sinosic vs. Chris Haseman
LHW: Stephan Bonnar vs. Krzysztof Soszynski
WW: Brian Foster vs. Chris Lytle
MW: CB Dollaway vs. Goran Reljic
LHW: James Te Huna vs. Igor Pokraja