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SBN coverage of Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears

Promoted from the Fan Posts by Kid Nate.

With a potential middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort looking less and less likely for UFC 109, on Super Bowl Weekend in early February in Las Vegas, the Zuffa brass have been struggling to find ways around the injury bug that has been plaguing the company lately and forcing an unprecedent number of feature fights to be re-shuffled.  Although rumored fights featuring Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman and Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen, along with the participation of Matt Hughes, are likely to pan out for the UFC 109 main card, none of these make for a compelling main event.  It now appears that the UFC will turn to their welterweight superstar and a rising British stud to fill that spot.

UFC President Dana White has been dropping hints lately, and if we put the pieces of the puzzle together, it appears that UFC 109 will be headlined by Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy for the welterweight championship. 

Shortly after Dan Hardy dominated Mike Swick en-route to a unanimous decision win at UFC 105 last weekend, White confirmed that the Brit had earned the next title shot.  A few days later, when asked about potential locations for the fight, White had this to say in an interview with MMA Weekly:

"I honestly don’t know where it will be, but it could end up being in Vegas," said White. "Brits have no problem going to Vegas. It’s packed every time Ricky Hatton fights there. We’ll see, probably Vegas though."

Yesterday, at a pre-UFC 106 Q & A session for UFC Fan Club members, White stated, according to Sherdog:

GSP-Hardy will be in February.

There are two February cards currently scheduled: 109 in Vegas on 2/6, and the promotion's Australian debut at UFC 110 on 2/21.  Obviously, only of those cards is the Vegas location that Dana referred to in the response to MMA Weekly, so it looks like we'll be seeing GSP-Hardy at 109.  If that assumption pans out, the card will likely look something like this:

Georges St. Pierre vs. Dan Hardy - welterweight championship

Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman

Matt Hughes vs. TBA

Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen

Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg

Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller

Rolles Gracie vs. Mostapha Al-Turk

Rob Emerson vs. Philippe Nover

Ronnys Torres vs. Melvin Guillard

With superstars and legends GSP, Couture, and Hughes all on the same Super Bowl weekend card, the event could have the potential to do huge PPV numbers.  We'll keep you updated as more news develops, but 109 is starting to look very interesting...provided that the injury curse doesn't strike again.

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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.

The broadcast is live, first fight up shortly.

Kevin Casey vs. Chad Vance - Round 1 - Casey says he is all and only BJJ and he closes the distance quickly.  They are grappling and Vance is way too hesitant to pull the trigger on his strikes and they tumble to the mat.  Casey quickly takes Vance's back and is working to punch and work for the choke.  It's in and Vance has to tap.  Kevin Casey wins by submission (rear naked choke), round 1.

Aaron Rosa vs. Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante - Round 1- Rosa comes forward with combination punching but Feijao clinches him and pushes him against the cage.  Feijao uses a nice trip to get to the ground and Rosa stands right back up but does eat punches on his way.  The ref restarts them after a lack of action and Rosa lands a punch and again they clinch against the cage.  The round ends and I guess it was 10-9 Feijao, but it was a snoozer.  Round 2 - Rosa with a leg kick.  Rosa with an overhand left.  They clinch up again and Rosa pushes him away.  Overhand right and a flying knee to the body by Feijao.  How he gets Rosa to the ground.  Some punches and Rosa gets full guard.  Elbow by Feijao which is illegal in Strikeforce, they're stood up due to the foul.  Feijao lands a knee that hurts Rosa and puts him down followed by a flurry of punches and the fight is over.  Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante wins by TKO (strikes), round 2.

Bobby Voelker vs. Erik Apple - Round 1 - Apple drops him with a series of punches early and keeps pounding but Voelker survives well and they go back to standing.  As Voelker pushes off he eats another punch.  Now Apple charges and pushes Voelker against the fence again.  Overhand right by Apple and they separate.  Voelker lands a punch of his own and then eats another.  Now Apple charges in for the takedown and ends up in Voelker's half guard.  Voelker scrambles and stands up.  They're exchanging shots and Apple is hurt, he dives for a takedown and doesn't get it but does recover.  They clinch against the cage and Voelker uses a trip takedown to end up on top.  Voelker landing some big shots now!  Big turnaround.  The round ends and Voelker stole it in the last minute with the longest sustained offense of the fight.  10-9 Voelker on the BE card.  Round 2 - They're trading big shots and Voelker is getting the best of it and hurts Apple a little bit.  Trip takedown by Voelker again to end up on top.  Apple eats more shots as he stands back up.  Voelker hurts him with a shot and pounces with a flurry of shots!  The fight is over!   Great comeback for Voelker.  Wow!  Bobby Voelker wins by TKO (punches), round 2.

Kim Couture vs. Kerry Vera - Round 1 - Kim lands a right and then Kerry blasts her with a series of shots.  Vera with a knee early.  Another knee lands hard.  Jab by Couture.  Couture eats a few more punches as she charges in.  Vera lands a series of hard shots now and she is dominating the round.  Kim with a right hand.  Jab by Couture again.  Big hook connects for Vera now.   Vera unloads on Couture against the cage and Couture is rocked and almost goes down a few times before finally crumbling.  Kerry Vera wins by KO, round 1.

Tyron Woodley vs. Rudy Bears - Round 1- They're striking and Woodley gets in close and gets the quick takedown.  Woodley with a move to full mount.  Bears is looking to scramble out and does so without really taking any damage.  Woodley with knees from the clinch.  High kick by Bears is blocked.  Woodley takes him back down.  Woodley looking for an arm triangle from half guard, he jumps to side control and finishes the submission.  Tyron Woodley wins by submission (arm triangle choke), round 1.

All fighters make weight:

Main Bouts:
Forrest Griffin (205) vs. Tito Ortiz (204)
Josh Koscheck (171) vs. Anthony Johnson (170)
Paulo Thiago (169) vs. Jacob Volkmann (170)
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205) vs. Luis Cane (205)
Amir Sadollah (170) vs. Phil Baroni (170)

On Spike:
Marcus Davis (170) vs. Ben Saunders (170)
Jake Rosholt (185.5) vs. Kendall Grove (186)

Preliminary Bouts:
Brock Larson (171) vs. Brian Foster (171)
Caol Uno (155.5) vs. Fabricio Camoes (155.5)
George Sotiropoulos (155) vs. Jason Dent (155)

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UFC 106: November 21, 2009
Mandalay Bay Events Center
Las Vegas, Nevada

Main card:
Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz

Luke Thomas: I just have no idea what to expect from Ortiz. I also expect Griffin to show the same weakness in his takedown defense that has come to be a liability he just can't shed, but I expect him to stuff Oritz's shots enough to do damage standing. Griffin by decision.

Kid Nate: Tito is a huge X factor here. Has the back surgery really had a dramatic impact? How rusty will he be? In their first fight, Tito crushed Forrest for one round, edged him in the second and faded in the third. I'm going to flip a coin and pick Tito Ortiz by decision.

Brent Brookhouse:  This is just such a hard fight to come back from a layoff and surgery to.  I probably would pick any dangerous striker over Griffin, but Tito isn't that.  Maybe Tito shocks and is explosive in his wrestling and just pounds on Griffin from the top position, but Forrest has very overlooked BJJ should he end up on bottom.  I just don't see too many risks being there for Forrest while I do for Tito.  Forrest Griffin by one sided decision.

Michael Rome:  I think the surgery matters, but not the way everyone else does.  I think Ortiz will be stilted and slow.  Even if it makes him better, I think Forrest is the better fighter.  Have we all forgot how far Forrest has come since their first fight just because he got his clock cleaned by Anderson Silva?  Forrest Griffin via TKO, round 2.

Mike Fagan: I think this fight looks a lot like their first one, except more of the last part of it.  I'm not sure Tito is as "done" as I've seen some people suggest, but three more years on a bad back (even on a light fight schedule) is no good.  And while both guys are largely the same fighters are they were at UFC 59, Forrest has matured and refined his game in the time.  Forrest Griffin by decision.

Chris Nelson: I'd argue that this is almost an impossible fight to pick, given the laundry list of unknowns and intangibles. I see a determined Tito Ortiz doing everything in his power to get the "W" here, even grinding something out on the floor. Ortiz via decision.

Eugene Schelfaut: I don't know Tito Ortiz' current performance level given the surgery and the time spent out of the cage. And that is all I need to not know to pick Forrest Griffin by TKO, Round 3.

Leland Roling: Tito Ortiz's back is the major question here. Was his back actually hurt that badly in his last few fights? Did it really affect him that much? Griffin's striking should be enough to win him a decision if Ortiz can't take down Griffin, but I'm going to bank on Ortiz's training with Roach combined with a healthy back to push him through to victory here. Tito Ortiz via decision.

Nick Thomas: Ortiz said he was 60% in the last fight. If that's true... Ortiz should take this. But we have to factor in the ring rust. But that can be countered by Griffin just getting married. It'll be a close fight, but I going with Ortiz by decision.


Josh Koscheck vs. Anthony Johnson

Luke Thomas: I think eventually Johnson is going to get taken to the floor, but I'm betting over the long run Johnson can find a way to score enough points/land a KO bomb while defending the takedown enough. Johnson by TKO, round 2.

Kid Nate: These two have trained together in the past and word is that Koscheck had his way with Johnson. I hate relying on Josh Koscheck to fight smart, but he's got to know that Johnson is too formidable on the feet to stand and trade with. Koscheck by decision.

Brent Brookhouse: If...IF Josh fights smart and tries to turn this into a drawn out wrestling match I think he can win a decision.  I don't fully trust Johnson's gas tank at his size in a really physical fight.  But despite what he says Josh is in love with his striking and you just do not want to strike with Anthony Johnson.  AJ will catch Josh early and that will be that.  Anthony Johnson by KO, round 1.

Michael Rome:  The safe bet is Kos, but I'm going with a changing of the guard.  I think Kos wants to trade, and he can win standing, but the odds are against him.  Johnson just has to land once, and I think he will.  Anthony Johnson via KO, round 1.

Mike Fagan: I see this looking a lot like Alves/Kos, though Johnson has a couple more question marks than Thiago.  And while I love superheel Josh Koscheck, Anthony Johnson makes my pants feel funny when I watch him in the cage.  Anthony Johnson by KO, round 2.

Chris Nelson: Koscheck won't be brazen enough to trade with Johnson for too long, but I don't think it'll matter. Johnson's proving too much for almost anyone to handle at 170. Johnson via TKO, round one.

Eugene Schelfaut: Josh Koscheck will not go for the takedown in this fight, I think. Anthony Johnson by TKO, Round 1.

Leland Roling: If Koscheck tries to trade, he'll get busted. But if he decides that this fight is a wrestler's match in which he can control Johnson on the floor, he'll wear Johnson down quickly and gas him out. Josh Koscheck via decision.

Nick Thomas: Will Koscheck go for the takedown? I sure hope so. But he won't. Because of that I'm going with Johnson by TKO.


Amir Sadollah vs. Phil Baroni

Luke Thomas: As underwhelming as Sadollah has been, he's not the one who went from beating Amar Suloev to losing handily to Joe Riggs. Amir Sadollah by submission.

Kid Nate: It's almost as if the UFC re-signed Phil Baroni strictly to give Amir Sadollah a gimme fight. Amir should survive the early blitz and go on to tap out a gassed NYBA. Sadollah by submission.

Brent Brookhouse: Much as dislike Baroni the fact stands that Amir showed some big ol' holes in his striking game against Hendricks.  I also don't know that he has the wrestling to force the fight to the ground.  But, at the same time Baroni has legendarily bad cardio and looks like death from what people who have seen him have been saying as well as in any video interview shows.  So it comes down to this in my mind: can Baroni catch Amir in the first couple minutes of the fight or does Amir take him to the deep waters of the two and a half minute mark?  Amir by submission, round 2.

Michael Rome:  Baroni is dangerous for 2 minutes, but his power is overstated these days.  Amir is the more skilled fighter, and will run away with this in the second and third.  Amir via submission, round 3.

Mike Fagan: For as much as I hate Mike Swick for no reason, I love Phil Baroni for even less.  And I'm not particularly sold on a guy with two professional fights on his record.  Early stoppage or not, Johny Hendricks was lighting him up on his feet.  Plus, how does Sadollah drag Baroni to the ground?   Phil Baroni by TKO, round 3.

Chris Nelson: Can't say I understand the matchmaking here at all. Is the UFC trying to bury one of their most recent Ultimate Fighter(rrrr)s? Because, aside from the cardio issues which everyone's mentioned, I don't know how Baroni loses this fight. Baroni via TKO, round one.

Eugene Schelfaut: I hate this fight in that it makes me think of Phil Baroni as the potential victor. However, against that, I'll take as my pick Sadollah, who will be submitting a gassed Baroni early in the 1st. Amir Sadollah by armbar, Round 1.

Leland Roling: The argument that Phil Baroni has only two minutes of conditioning and that he'll gas on his way to the cage has long been over. His fight with Riggs... he displayed some slightly improved cardio by lasting through the first round, and he's still a formidable force in punching your face in within the first few minutes. Sadollah will have to weather the storm, but I'm taking Phil Baroni purely based on my own fandom. THE BEST EVA!! Phil Baroni via TKO, Round 1.

Nick Thomas: Baroni is back in the UFC but has anything has changed? I'm sure Sadollah plans to test Baroni's gas tank in the later rounds so Baroni will have to end it early. Baroni by TKO.


Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Luis Cane

Luke Thomas: Unless Cane makes a positional error, this is his fight to lose. I think Lil' Nog's boxing is hugely overrated and Cane's aggressive but thoughtfully tactical approach to fights will be the difference. Cane by decision.

Kid Nate: This could be an epic war, pitting the up and coming Cane against the old PRIDE warrior Little Nog. Nogueira's boxing should capitalize on Cane's mistakes standing and he'll own Cane on the ground. Nogueira by submission.

Brent Brookhouse: Wow, this is a hard fight to call.  I like Cane's style but I think he fits well into the "guys Nogueira eats alive" category.  Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by decision.

Michael Rome:  Real interesting fight.  Cane has a great chin and slick muay thai, but he has terrible head movement and tends to get hit a lot.  So far he's gotten away with it, will he be able to eat Nogueira's straight lefts with no issues?  I think Nog brings too much to the table.  Nogueira via decision.

Mike Fagan: As others have said, this is an awesome fight.  Really solid matchmaking, though Cane's camp has come out and said they don't really want to fight someone Luis looks up to.  And it's gonna be a tough fight for them.  Nogueira's shown what he can do to more dynamic and athletic Muay Thai guys, and Cane is way more plodding that "Shogun" Rua.  I don't expect this to hit the floor, but if it does, that should be Nogueira's domain.  Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by decision.

Chris Nelson: Joe Silva, forcing the Brasileiros to pick sides yet again - and with such a tough fight to call, too. Haven't looked at betting lines, but I'd guess Nogueira's coming in a slight favorite. I think "Banha" pulls the upset, with youth and aggression overcoming experience and an (almost always) iron jaw. Cane via decision.

Eugene Schelfaut: I'm ready to be convinced, as I cannot make a choice. I'll go with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via decision split.

Leland Roling: Fans need to go back and watch Cane vs. Sokoudjou and Cane vs. Cantwell. There are some glaring problems that Cane needs to correct because he won't be able to gut out exchanges that aren't there against a in-and-out boxer like Rogerio. Rogerio will add to the laundry list of Ed Soares fighters at the top. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via decision.

Nick Thomas: Such a great fight here. Nogueira should have the better stand up but Cane has the UFC experience. If we factor in Nog's debut jitters... I'm going with Cane by decision.


Paulo Thiago vs. Jacob Volkmann

Luke Thomas: I take seriously the wrestling ability of Volkmann and worry he might get himself in trouble going head to head with Thiago, but I suspect he can get the job done. Volkmann by decision.

Kid Nate: This is Thiago's big chance to show what he can do against someone who is NOT a top ten welterweight. Volkmann is coming in surrounded by a cloud of hype about his wrestling abilities, but IMO if Thiago can almost catch Jon Fitch, he can tap Volkmann. Thiago by submission.

Brent Brookhouse: After the Fitch fight I'm sold on Thiago being legitimately dangerous.  Paulo Thiago by submission, round 2.

Michael Rome:  Volkmann is talented on the ground, unfortunately for him he's going against someone better on the ground.  Thiago via submission, round 2.

Mike Fagan: A year ago, Paulo Thiago was the nobody that came out of nowhere to KO Josh Koscheck.  Now, Jacob Volkmann is that same guy.  It's always hard to pick a fight when both guys have little experience against top competition.  With that in mind, I go with the guy who's been here before.  Paulo Thiago by decision.

Chris Nelson: Hard one to call, having never seen Volkmann fight, but the BJJ credentials of these two tells me this could turn into a boxing match. I'll take a flyer on the rangier Thiago handing "Christmas" his first loss. Thiago via TKO, round two.

Eugene Schelfaut: Christmas will be coming only once this year. Paulo Thiago via submission, Round 1.

Leland Roling: I have to switch my stance once again. After reviewing some footage, Volkmann's wrestling is very strong, but he also has multiple ways in which he can gain takedowns and punish his opponents. I don't think he'll be able to finish Thiago, but I think he can control him and wear him out on his way to a decision victory. Jacob Volkmann via decision.

Nick Thomas: I am buying into the hype about Volkmann. Like Rosholt, I think Volkmann can grind out a win as long as he doesn't get caught. Volkmann by decision.

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Chad Dukes: "Anderson Silva has expressed interest in fighting you, and that's a guy that's looking for a big payday.  Clearly you pull in pay-per-view numbers, people pay to watch you fight.  There's a guy like that that wants to fight you, you've seen the strengths he has, you see how tough he is for people to try to fight. 

Tito Ortiz: "Well... it's funny that Anderson Silva wants to fight me. I guess you know you're famous when a world champion can't get the Pay-Per-View buys and wants to fight someone who gets him more Pay-Per-View buys.  That says a lot about my name, and I've got to thank him for calling me out, that's awesome."

Tito Ortiz appearing on the Chad Dukes Show on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C.

Listen to the Mp3

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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