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As with every major show, BloodyElbow.com will be here to bring you live results and commentary for Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley v. Bears.  The live blog will start with the beginning of the Showtime broadcast (at 11PM ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.

As always we have our one rule: NO SPOILERS! In the interest of not ruining anything from the undercard that may make the broadcast we ask that you do not discuss the results of the undercard in the comments until either the broadcast ends or the fight makes the air.

So again, join us for the show and share your thoughts as the event unfolds.

UFC 106's main event light heavyweight tilt will feature the return of what many consider to be one of the most influential fighters among the casual fanbase the UFC has ever produced. Tito Ortiz (15-6-1, 14-6-1 UFC) will finally make his return to the ranks of the UFC following a year-and-a-half layoff due to a contract dispute, free agency talks with other promotions, an appearance on The Apprentice, and back surgery. His return match-up will be a rematch of his  controversial split decision victory over Forrest Griffin (16-6, 7-4 UFC) back at UFC 59. Ortiz will not only get the opportunity to prove that he's finally back to 100% healthy for this fight, but he'll also be thrown into the mix immediately with the chance to redeem himself of his past loss.

Ortiz will enter this contest riding a 0-2-1 record in his last three appearances in the Octagon. His loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 84 was easily his worst performance of the three encounters, but many fans still give Ortiz credit for nearly submitting Machida in a triangle choke late in the fight. Ortiz's draw with Rashad Evans, another eventual champion, was mostly blamed on the fact that Ortiz grabbed the fence at one instance during the fight while fending off a takedown. He was deducted a point, and thus the fight was ruled a draw.

Ortiz has blamed the lackluster performances on an ailing back that has bothered him for a number of years and taken the wind out of his sails in terms of explosiveness in his wrestling ability. While it's a debate among some fans whether Ortiz is simply making excuses for his losses, Ortiz did have back surgery to repair his back and has mentioned that it will be at 100% for his bout with Forrest Griffin.

He's also taken it upon himself to improve his skill-set from its mostly one-dimensional form of takedowns and ground and pound to a much more dynamic skill-set in which he can be dangerous in different areas. He trained with Cleber Luciano, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Judo, for this fight. You may remember Luciano as one of Christiane "Cyborg" Santos' trainers. Ortiz also employed the services of famous boxing trainer Freddie Roach to improve his techniques in the boxing department for this fight.

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With UFC 106 looming on Saturday evening, many fans will be itching for some relevant MMA action to get them in the mood for the big event tomorrow. Fortunately for us, Strikeforce has come through to fill your need. The fifth installment of Strikeforce's Challengers series (ShoMMA) will take place this evening from the Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas, and it will air live on Showtime at 11 PM EST (Delayed on the West Coast).

The card will be headlined by a welterweight bout between Missouri wrestling standout and two-time NCAA D-I All-American Tyron Woodley and Kansas City-native and Chinese Kenpo black belt Rudy Bears. Also featured on the card will be a women's bout featuring the same names as the main event from UFC 105. Brandon Vera's wife, Kerry Vera, will battle Randy Couture's former wife, Kim Couture, in a 135 lb. women's division contest. It will only be Vera's second fight and Couture's third fight professionally. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante will also make his return against Aaron Rosa on this card.

 
Welterweight: Tyron Woodley (5-0) vs. Rudy Bears (10-3)

Woodley's NCAA credentials should be the deciding factor in this fight. He has the ability to be a dominating force on the floor, and his submission game is good enough to get him through some of the lower-echelon fights at this stage in his career. There was some criticism of Woodley in the Zach Light fight as Light gave up some pretty bad positions in the first round, and Woodley was unable to sink in submissions that were there for the taking. Regardless of those faults, Woodley is still a rather green competitor who should hopefully show some improvement in this bout.

Bears has a solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu background coupled with the accolades of being a kickboxer who has won regional ISKA events and titles. He'll be looking to pummel Woodley with strikes early, but he should be adept enough to ward off some attempts by Woodley on the ground. The problem is that Woodley's strength and wrestling should be able overcome Bears' jiu-jitsu tactics on his way to a dominating victory. Tyron Woodley should improve his record to 6-0 in this contest.

Women's Division (135 lbs.): Kim Couture (1-1) vs. Kerry Vera (1-0)

I'm really not sure what to say about this fight. Kim Couture looked absolutely awful against both Kim Rose and Lina Kvokov in her previous professional bouts. She actually broke her jaw in half in one of those match-ups and was commended for her toughness. While she definitely showed she was a tough competitor, a jaw breakage doesn't inspire confidence in anyone thinking she'll win against an adept puncher like Vera.

Kerry's debut against Leslie Smith was quite impressive in comparison to that of Couture's debut. She was very quick with her feet, throwing quick lefts and rights and mixing overhands, some decent kicks, and good technique in her delivery. While she didn't show tremendous power, she did manage to land significantly more than her opponent.

Kerry should take this via decision and batter Kim Couture with punches. I don't see how Couture can handle Vera's speed unless she's improved substantially over the last year.

SBN coverage of Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears

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One of the highly-anticipated battles that will take place at UFC 106 will be a welterweight showdown between rising star Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (8-2, 5-2 UFC) and UFC veteran and The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 contestant Josh Koscheck (13-4, 11-4 UFC). The bout will feature the Sanshou striking prowess and wrestling of Johnson versus Koscheck's NCAA Division I wrestling pedigree combined with a newfound powerful striking game, a recipe for fireworks. Johnson enters the contest with three straight victories with his most recent coming only a month ago at UFC 104 against Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Koscheck crushed Frank Trigg in his last outing at UFC 103 in only 1:25 via TKO.

On paper, this is a pretty even match-up with Johnson's striking background and training with Sanshou expert Cung Le as his distinct advantage in the stand-up department. There is, however, a huge disparity in their perceived wrestling ability. Johnson was a national champion in college at Lassen Community College while Koscheck was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American with one NCAA title at Edinboro University. On paper, Koscheck obviously has a huge edge in terms of wrestling talent over his competition.

Unfortunately for Koscheck, MMA has a strange way of making these wide gaps in backgrounds become less of an issue due to the striking aspect of the sport. Johnson's length and strikes could make it a difficult task for Koscheck to explode for takedowns, but if Koscheck can manage to pull down Johnson -- he should be able to win the ground war with his better wrestling skills. If Johnson can tag him with strikes before that happens, Koscheck may be hindered from shooting to avoid that type of damage, which would completely nullify Koscheck's offense.

Johnson does have some physical gifts that will pose problems for Koscheck in a scramble for takedowns however. He cuts down heavily from around 185-195 while walking around well over 200 pounds. At fight time, he'll likely balloon to 180-190, and Koscheck will have to deal with that added wieght and the length of Johnson. After all, Johnson is nearly 4" taller than Koscheck.

Koscheck's heavy-handed striking ability will probably be nullified by Johnson's reach and kicks. He has a lot of power, and it'll be a huge mistake for Koscheck to try to wade through his reach to pummel his chin. It wouldn't surprise me if he tried though, but I think Koscheck's ultimate means to win this fight come in his conditioning and wrestling.

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The sport of mixed martial arts definitely takes some aspects of its inner workings from the pro wrestling world. Fighters playing the role of "heel" in the lead-up to fights, but then hugging each other after a three-round war is a frequent occurrence in this sport, and the back-and-forth jawing between competitors within the MMA community and through the media is always a way to create a little hype for an upcoming bout. One of the absolute best in the business in terms of showmanship and being able to trash-talk his way into relevance is PRIDE and UFC veteran Phil "The New York Badass" Baroni (13-11, 3-5 UFC). He'll get one more crack in the UFC as he's tapped to take on The Ultimate Fighter Season 7 winner Amir Sadollah (1-1, 1-1 UFC) in a welterweight match-up.

Baroni enters the contest following a loss to fellow UFC veteran Joe "Diesel" Riggs back in June at Strikeforce: Lawler vs. Shields. Riggs was able to easily outwork Baroni in the later rounds, and his stand-up skills were much more honed than that of "The New York Badass". Baroni did, however, show some slightly improved conditioning, and he may have potentially tipped off a slight change in his workout routine that could benefit him in this match-up.

Sadollah's second professional bout took place at UFC 101 against a beefy NCAA D-I wrestler in Johny Hendricks. Surprisingly, Hendricks showed quick, powerful striking to down Sadollah early and finish him off in only 0:29 seconds. It was a huge disappointment for Sadollah, but he's a rather green mixed martial arts fighter at this point with only two total professional bouts, both being on the biggest stage in MMA.

Stylistically, Sadollah has all the advantages with the exception of power punching. He holds a black belt in Sambo, which gives him some advanced submission capabilities, and he also has a white belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a color that will probably increase quickly with his experience in Sambo. He trains at Xtreme Couture with some of the best athletes in the sport, and he should be the all-around better fighter.

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About a month ago, I opined that there was one match-up that could potentially break open the top of the heap in the light heavyweight division if Lyoto Machida happens to defeat Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the rematch. While most fans don't see a huge problem with a Machida victory, Machida virtually eliminates all challengers to his belt for a lengthy period as most of those challengers will have already fallen to him. There is, however, the potential for the winner of the UFC 106 showdown between Luis "Banha" Cane (10-1, 3-1 UFC (1 DQ) ) and Antonio "Minotoro" Rogerio Nogueira (17-3) to vault themselves into the mix as a challenger with a win on Saturday night.

While I doubt either man will be put on the spot with a title shot following the rematch between Machida and Rua, the winner should be in line for a shot at a top five opponent in the division and the potential to become a title contender. After all, the UFC has always liked the concept of a new face in the challenger role versus a rematch that has no bad blood.

It won't be an easy task for either competitor to secure a spot against the top competition in the division in this showdown between two Brazilian fighters who are adept strikers with black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu on the ground. Rogerio is widely known among MMA hardcore fans for his PRIDE performances and his outstanding boxing skills that led him to Super Heavyweight (~201 lbs.) Bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Games and a Gold medal at the 2006 South American Games. He has a plethora of experience against some of the best in the world as he's battled current UFC light heavyweight challenger Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to decision as well as defeating Dan Henderson. In fact, he's one of the only fighters to ever submit Henderson.

Cane isn't at the same level of experience as Nogueira, but he has begun to impressively rack up a list of wins that will soon rival that of some of the best the light heavyweight division has to offer. He's built up impressive victories against Jason Lambert, Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, and Steve Cantwell over the course of his four-fight career in the UFC, but this will easily be the highest level of talent he's faced in his entire career. Cane isn't a slouch on the ground either as he has a black belt as well, but I'm more inclined to think both men will bang it out in this contest.

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As with every major show, BloodyElbow.com will be here to bring you live results and commentary for WEC 44: Mike Brown v. Jose Aldo.  The live blog will start with the beginning of the Versus broadcast (at 9PM ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event.

As always we have our one rule: NO SPOILERS! In the interest of not ruining anything from the undercard that may make the broadcast we ask that you do not discuss the results of the undercard in the comments until either the broadcast ends or the fight makes the air.

So again, join us for the show and share your thoughts as the event unfolds.

The Versus broadcast is live.  First fight up shortly...

Kamal Shalorus v. Will Kerr - Round 1 -Low kick from Shalorus and then a punch that drops Kerr.  Kerr tries for a kneebar and can't get it but it allows him to get back to standing.  Shalorus is pouring it on standing and after rocking Kerr several times and opening a cut Kamal land an overhand right that shuts Kerr down.  Kamal Shalorus wins by TKO (punches), round 1.

Danny Castillo vs. Shane Roller - Round 1 - Castillo jabbing from the outside and has Roller going backward.  Nice body shot from Castillo.  Both guys missing with big punches now. Castillo drops for a takedown and can't get it.  The two men work against the cage and separate after a stalemate.  Takedown by Castillo and he can't hold him down.  Left hook hits air for Roller.  Scramble on a takedown attempt and Roller almost gets a guillotine but Danny is able to stand up.  Now they go back to the ground after a knee from Shane and Castillo is on top.  Elbows by Castillo from the top position.  Roller working for submissions from the bottom but is still eating elbows.  The round ends and Castillo cemented it with the top work at the end 10-9.  Round 2- Castillo charges forward landing shots and now gets the takedown.  As they get back to the feet again Roller is trying to land the knee as Castillo shoots.  Another knee lands for Roller.  Now against the fence Roller is able to get the takedown.  From side control Roller steps over to get the guillotine.  Castillo gives up his back and eats some shots.  Roller landing a lot of shots but Castillo is able to stand up.  Roller turtles and eats some big shots.  They're back to standing and Roller is looking tired.  10-9 for Roller to even it up on my card.  Round 3 - Big body shot early by Castillo.  Roller shoots and Castillo sprawls beautifully and ends up on top.  Roller goes to stand up and Castillo just stops himself from throwing an illegal knee.  Castillo is on top still landing shots as Roller works to try and find a submission.  Castillo passes to mount now.  Roller is able to escape and eats another punch.  Castillo shoots and Roller turns it into a takedown of his own and has the back.  Roller slides the forearm in and gets the tap on a rear naked choke.  Great comeback.  Shane Roller wins by submission (rear naked choke), round 3.

Rob McCullough vs. Karen Darabedyan - Round 1 - They trade early.  Darabedyan with a leg kick and one in return from McCullough.  Big hook from Darabedyan.  Both guys land a series of punches with Darabedyan getting the better of it.  Darabedyan landing hooks while McCullough is working the leg kicks.  Nice combo from Rob now.  Punch followed by a nice body kick by Rob.  Left hand lands for Darabedyan and he has cut McCullough.  Karen counters the low kick with a double jab.  Again the double jab by Darabedyan.  Now a series of shots to Rob's head.  The round ends and it was a 10-9 round for Darabedyan on my card.  Round 2 - Darabedyan still landing jabs.  Now he catches a kick by Rob and gets the takedown.  Darabedyan landing big shots to the head and the body.  Good elbows by Karen and in a scramble Rob is able to get back to his feet.  Darabedyan lands the jab as McCullough lands the kick.  Both fighters are cut at this point.  Rob lands a jab of his own.  Left hand lands as a counter to the kick for Darabedyan.  Left hand for Darabedyan.  Pretty even second half of the round but Karen won it 10-9 on my card with the takedown and work on the ground.  Round 3 - Solid leg kick from McCullough.  Karen tries a takedown off of a punch but Rob sprawls out of it.  Both guys working slower this round.  Leg kick counter that time by Darabedyan.  Not a whole lot of telling shots this round.  Left hook from Karen.  The right ends and Rob took the third round 10-9 on my card to give Karen the fight 29-28.  Official Scorecards: 30-27 Darabedyan, 30-27 McCullough, 29-28 Darabedyan.  Karen Darabedyan wins by split decision.

Leonard Garcia vs. Manny Gamburyan - Round 1 - Uppercut by Garcia as Gamburyan shoots in.  Gamburyan can't get the takedown and they're back to distance.  Garcia misses with a one-two combo.  The threat of strikes is keeping Manny from getting close.  Manny lands two low knees in the clinch and Herb Dean stops them to give Garcia time to recover.  Manny closes in after a punch now and goes for the takedown.  Manny working hard for the takedown and can't finish it.  They separate after some work against the cage.  Head kick by Garcia.  Garcia lands a kick as Manny shoots and the round ends.  Close but 10-9 Garcia on my card.  Round 2- Manny falls after missing a hook.  Garcia just misses with a hook.  Shot by Manny now and Garcia does a nice job of not being taken down but does eat some punches.  Gamburyan slips again after a punch but uses it to get a takedown.  Manny throwing some elbows from in the guard.  Manny passes to half guard and continues to land punches.  Manny looks for the kimura and Garcia uses it to stand up.  knees to the leg by Gamburyan and another takedown.  The round ends and it was 10-9 Gamburyan to even the fight up on my card.  Round 3 - Both guys land punches to start the round.  Right hand counter to the kick for Manny.  Manny lands a few shots and Garcia tells him to keep coming and lets him land a shot...so Manny does.  Takedown by Manny now.  He does some work and as Garcia stands he charges him into the cage for another takedown attempt.  Garcia just can't get away now.  Takedown by Manny and Leonard stands right back up.  Manny is relentless looking for the takedown against the fence.  Finally he is able to get it and the round ends.  10-9 Manny again to make it 29-28 Gamburyan on my card.  Official Scorecards: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for Gamburyan.  Manny Gamburyan wins by unanimous decision.

Mike Brown vs. Jose Aldo- Round 1 - Brown jabbing early.  They exchange big shots with Brown getting the best of it with an overhand right.  Big leg kick by Aldo.  Kick followed by a knee that was blocked for Aldo.  Big uppercut misses for Aldo.  Head kick blocked by Brown.   Leg kick for brown and a body shot.  Body kick by aldo.  He lands a punch, a kick and a knee and Brown is bothered by the power.  Brown grabs on looking for a takedown but Aldo is defending well.  Brown keeps driving for the takedown but Aldo is doing a great job of staying up.  Brown working knees to the leg up against the cage and Aldo is able to separate finally.  Kick to the body by Aldo.  Leg kick by Aldo. The round ends.  10-9 Aldo on the BE scorecard.  Round 2 - Brown pushing forward early and eats a leg kick and a body shot and now flurries with Brown's back to the cage.  Brown drops down for a takedown and can't get it.  Brown looked to grab a guillotine and fell backward so Aldo pounced.  Aldo to mount and now gives up his back.  Aldo is pouring it on and the fight is over.  Jose Aldo wins by TKO (strikes), round 2.  Jose Aldo is the WEC Featherweight Champion.

Let's be honest with one another.  None of us would be watching the show if we hadn't already invested the time we've put in so far.  Ninety percent of the house gasses within 3 minutes.  The highly entertaining interplay between Rampage and Rashad is hollowed by Rampage going AWOL.  And Kimbo's return has been exploited more than Eddie Guerrero's death.

But for posterity's sake, we trek along.

Dana White enemy Roy Nelson took a two-round unanimous decision over Justin Wren in the most non-controversial controversial decision of the year.  And hey, if that fight goes into the third round, Wren might have had a heart attack.

We continued to watch Matt Mitrione complain about another ailment.  Frankly, I want Kimbo back just so we don't have to watch Mitrione anymore.

Quinton's prank with the chickens didn't go over as planned.  So, he's planned another prank.  Hopefully it doesn't involve energy drinks and a monster truck!