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Mike Chiappetta Posts

UFC 105 Main Event Fight Breakdown: Brandon Vera vs. Randy Couture

Every time Randy Couture steps into the cage, the mind can't help but wonder if this will be the last time. For years, the 46-year-old has made a very good living bucking the odds and overcoming expectations, but his UFC 105 bout with Brandon Vera will mark the first time since 2002 that Couture stares a possible three-fight losing streak in the face.

In Vera, Couture will face a mercurial talent who was once seen as a future superstar but has yet to reach the heights expected of him.

So how will the fight go down? Let's take a look.

Spike to Air Davis-Saunders, Rosholt-Grove UFC 106 Undercard Bouts

The UFC's cable broadcast home Spike will air two UFC 106 preliminary matchups prior to the pay-per-view portion of the card, a pair of sources confirmed to FanHouse on Tuesday.

The two bouts scheduled to air include the welterweight clash between Marcus Davis and Ben Saunders, as well as a middleweight tangle pitting Jake Rosholt against Kendall Grove.

An official announcement of the broadcast should come in the next day or two.

Strikeforce Middleweight Title Fight Breakdown: Jason Miller vs. Jake Shields

Jake ShieldsWhen Jason "Mayhem" Miller and Jake Shields step into the cage on Saturday, it will match up one of MMA's best known personalities with one of its most underrated fighters.

For all his verbosity and bluster, Miller is highly skilled and well rounded, and presents the surging Shields with a stern challenge in all facets of the fight game.

So how will the Stikeforee middleweight championship fight go down? Let's take a look.

Strikeforce Main Event Breakdown: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers

Fedor EmelianenkoIn August of 1995, Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci penned a feature about pitcher Greg Maddux entitled "Once in a Lifetime." Wearing an Atlanta Braves uniform, Maddux also graced the cover of SI in that issue. The photo showed a focused Maddux a nanosecond after delivering a pitch. The caption read "The Greatest Pitcher You'll Ever See."

One line in the story has stuck with me for all these years: "Did you see van Gogh paint? No, you could respond, but I saw Greg Maddux pitch." Maddux, of course, has nothing to do with MMA (although he has attended at least one UFC event), but the premise of the story has everything to do with Saturday night.

Fedor Emelianenko is MMA's van Gogh, its immeasurably gifted genius, and Saturday, he will be fighting Brett Rogers in front of the largest American audience ever to witness him.

Georges St. Pierre Signs Endorsement Deal With Under Armour

Georges St. PierreBarriers are not always smashed with a sledgehammer. Sometimes they're chiseled away a little at a time.

A case in point is MMA's move to mainstream acceptance, which has occurred in bits and pieces. The latest step forward comes courtesy of welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre, who has signed a multi-year endorsement deal with top-selling athletic brand Under Armour.

Fight Camp 360: Fedor vs. Rogers Video

CBS' most recent attempt to hype Saturday's Strikeforce debut is "Fight Camp 360: Fedor vs. Rogers," which is airing on Showtime and on select CBS affiliates.

The full video was also just released on online. As Michael David Smith wrote here, the video shows Fedor Emelianenko as the quiet, humble champion MMA fans have gotten to know over the years, and Brett Rogers as a soft-spoken, hard worker who rose from humble beginnings and is now intent on finding glory. One of the best moments comes when we see Rogers and his wife entering the home they bought through his work and determination. It is an "American Dream" moment that encapsulates everything he's been working towards.

If you haven't gotten a look at it, it's worth a view. The full video is below.

After Move and Medication, Jens Pulver To Return To WEC Cage in 2010

Jens Pulver is planning to bring a little evil back to the WEC cage one more time.

The former UFC lightweight champion and MMA legend, who has not been heard from since losing to Josh Grispi in June and was assumed to be finished as an active fighter, plans to return to featherweight action in early 2010, he told FanHouse.

"I'm going to fight again," he said. "And I'm about as confident as I possibly can be."

MMA One Step From Massachusetts Sanctioning, UFC Event in Boston

Sanctioned mixed martial arts fights are one short step from becoming legal in Massachusetts after a bill on the sport sailed through the state's House of Representatives in a 144-10 vote Wednesday afternoon.

Defending The Champ: Sickness, Not Scandal, Behind Lesnar Postponement

Brock Lesnar says he has the flu, and has been too ill to train effectively and prepare for the biggest challenger of his title reign: 6-foot-2, 260-pound Shane Carwin. Because of an extended illness, he's pulled out of their scheduled UFC 106 fight, leading to a postponement that will probably place the bout in the early part of the new year.

That seems perfectly rational and logical. But apparently it's not enough for some, all because of a video of Lesnar appearing at an Oct. 18 Minnesota Vikings game. The cynics believe that video is proof positive that Lesnar is healthy and that something else is afoot in regards to the date change.

What is with the MMA world lately that makes them want to turn every story into a soap opera?

Outrage in Shogun-Machida Decision Unwarranted in Razor-Close Fight

Lyoto MachidaThe final horn sounded and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua raised his hands towards the roof of the Staples Center, sure he'd just won the UFC light-heavyweight championship. The building's 16,000 fans cheered him, ready to shower him with glory to match his new gold.

The judges' decision, they decided, was a formality, but still they'd wait for it. And then it was read. Rua and the fans, it seemed were wrong. At least in the eyes of the three judges who mattered. Lyoto Machida was declared the winner, with 48-47 scores across the board.

The reaction was instantaneous. It was a "robbery," a "farce," and "ridiculous." The audience hurled venom at Machida, the same man they'd adored a few minutes earlier, as the belt was re-strapped around his waist.


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