The UFC Blog

If theres anyone going to the UFC Expo during UFC 100, Limb Bizkit cancelled their show!  Either way the expo should be sick and I’ll see you there!

I know UFC 100 is coming up and Machida isn’t fighting, but i stumbled upon this cool interview from a portugese website.  Machida will be fighting Shogun Rua sometime in October (24?) most likely UFC 104

IT is long!

Cool interview. Terra.com translated;

Terra.com: Did MMA joined into Lyoto Machida Era?

Lyoto Machida: I think it’s too early to talk like that. Now that I’m just became the champion I still have a lot to prove. It’s very hard to take the UFC belt, keeping it is even harder. There is a lot of good fighters in my division. I think it’s a bit too early to say that we joined an Era of this or that fighter. Someday I’ll be able to talk like that but only if I keep the belt after a lot of title fights.

Terra.com: The fight with Rashad was easier than you would imagine?

Lyoto Machida: The fight was very hard, regardless the fact it was a short fight. In our division any strike can finish the fight. The fight was very strategical. In the beginning I didn’t expose myself, neithere did him. In the first opportunity I could catch him. The fight was very strategical and hard. He wasn’t giving me any gaps to attack. I’ve just commented with my brother that the guy is a bad ass.

Terra.com: When you saw Rashad knocked out and realized that you were the new UFC LHW champion, what was your first thought?

Lyoto Machida: In that moment I just didn’t believe in what I was seeing. I thought "whoa, I really won". I didn’t believe on that. It was just like a dream! The the time was passing by and I saw him standing up, and I saw everything around me and the I’ve realized I was the champion. But when I KOed him, I didn’t get it.

Terra.com: What did you hear from Yoshizo (his father and master) when the fight ended?

Lyoto Machida: He said "Congratulations, let’s keep fighting like that!". He just said that. He doesn’t talk too much.

Terra.com: What was your hardest fight in UFC?

Lyoto Machida: It’s hard to say, because every fight had its own difficulty leve. Some fights were harder, some fights were not so hard. I think the fight against Tito Ortiz was the hardest. There was the psychological factor. He was having some troubles with Dana and had the crowd support, they even shouted his name. Everything for me was new. At the end of fight he almost submitted me. He locked a triangle. I felt like everything was fading out but I wanted to escape from there very bad. Then he got my arm. My arm got injured for a week after the fight but my will to escape were bigger than that.

Terra.com: Did Dana talk to you alone after the fight? What did he say?

Lyoto Machida: Well, he just saluted me for the title. He said he was shocked with the Machida Karate. He was like he wasn’t believing in what just happened. But he didn’t talk too much.

Terra.com: Did the UFC invited you to be a coach in TUF? Why did you refuse?

Lyoto Machida: I didn’t refuse. Actually they said my English is not good enough so they said whenever I improve my English then they will invite me again.

Terra.com: Before you last fight Rampage compared you to a cheetah because according him you only rund around the ring. He even said if he was the UFC president he would never give you a title shot because the lack of excitement your style has. After two consecutive knockouts, what is your answer to Rampage?

Lyoto Machida: I respect his opinion. Actually I don’t care what they think about me. I would like to face him, I would like to test my technique with his technique then we could see who is the best fighter. He already proved he is an awesome fighter but I do believe in my style/technique.

Terra.com: Rampage always trashtalks about you and your style. Does it bother you?

Lyoto Machida: Not at all, this sport is professional. Every single person has his very own opinion. He is a guy who does a lot of marketing, he likes that, trashtalking, insulting, he promotes himself doing stuff like that. I’m the opposite. I’m a quiet fighter. I know I’m not like he says (boring) and it doesn’t affect me, I just get stronger.

Terra.com: Rampage opted to fight Rashad before fighting you. Do you think he is gaining more time to get ready for you?

Lyoto Machida: I think he did this only because the TUF. The fact that both coaches have to fight each other is a consequence. Due the fact I’m not taking part in this TUF he will face Rashad. Everyone in this sport wants to fight every other fighter in his division and they wanna fight me because the belt. It’s just a matter of contract. Rampage will have to fight me sometime…

Terra.com: Do you think in a fight against Rampage, do you think he will require an harder training than you had when you were training for Rashad?

Lyoto Machida: Technically I’ll have to change my strategy because Rampage has other fight style. In the physical view is the same training I do for a five round fight. Rampage is a guy who protects himself very nicely, has an hard chin but I believe in what I’m doing.

Terra.com: When your training to the fight against Shogun starts?

Lyoto Machida: Actually it have already started. I’m training hard since last week. But my training starts like this: I push hard in the training basis to relax a little bit in the end. I’m developing my strenght, power and speed to be very well prepared in the day of the fight. Sometime ago I was used to think that two months of training were enought but now I see I have to train everytime.

Terra.com: Your strategy against Shogun will be the knockout?

Lyoto Machida: It’s true I’ll always look for my main style which is the striking and I’ll be always trying to finish the fight before the bell. So I’ll look for a KO but always preparing myself to fight in the ground. Even more when we talk about Shogun who is a great fighter who was the Pride champion and proved that is a very dangerous guy.

Terra.com: What are the strongest points of Shogun?

Lyoto Machida: I think Shogun dominates all the four aspects of a fight. He is good at striking, he is good taking people down, he has a strong psychological game and he has an accomplished ground game. It’ll be a very hard fight for me and for him.

Terra.com: Shogun was more tested in the ground than you. Are you afraid to grapple with him?

Lyoto Machida: Not at all. Nowadays I see myself training very hard from all the sides, I’m training a lot ground game and lot of takedowns. I don’t want suprises. I know how good Shogun is but I believe in my style and in everything I’m doing.

Terra.com: Is there any difference to fight other Brazilian or a foreign fighter?

Lyoto Machida: Honestly I think in this sport it will always happen. First because Brazilians are among the best, second because there is the professional side. When you step the ring every fighter will be defending his own flag. I defend my name, my state and my country. So does Shogun.

Terra.com: You said you would like to fight Brock Lesnar. Do you think to move up to Heavyweights someday, to face a new challenge?

Lyoto Machida: I love challenges. I always saw Lesnar like a supernatural guy, he is strong, fast, he is learning very fast the secrets of fight. I see Lesnar like a great challenge for me in the future, an opportunity to prove myself. It’s the challenge that makes a fighter to set a strategy, to envolve/improve his game. I wanna test my game against him, I wanna see if my game fits against an athlete like him. It’s a personal challenge to see how I can test me against a guy like Lesnar. I think he is a great fighter, a great champion but I would like to do this in the future. Two or four years from now when I’ll be more experienced. Now it’s time to think on keeping my belt.

Terra.com: Is there any other heavyweight fighter you would like to fight? Talking about other orgs as well…
Lyoto Machida: No… only Lesnar.

Terra.com: Do you think you are attracting a new kind of people to MMA with your fight style?
Lyoto Machida: Yes, I do because I don’t follow the standards. Usually the fighters come from boxing, muay thai and jiu-jitsu. Not me. I come from Karate, a more traditional martial art, an art where respect rules. So the Karate people, Kung-Fu people, Tae Kwon Do people, arts which has the respect philosophy are identifying theirselves with my image as a fighter.

Terra.com: Pitbull will face Georges St.Pierre and Brazil might own the third UFC belt among the five divisions. Do you think Brazil has the best fighters in the world?
Lyoto Machida: Yes because MMA come from Brazil. Brazil is the greatest spot of fighters. A lot of foreign fighters learned the fight fundaments with Brazilians. Brazil is a big fighter factory.

Terra.com: Now your focus is to be considered the best P4P fighter in the world?
Lyoto Machida: My focus is to keep the belt with me. This thing to be the best P4P must be a consequence of a good work that will make me champion for years.

Terra.com: Do you still believe that drinking your own urine bring you benefits? Did you drink it in your last fight?
Lyoto Machida: It’s an old habit from my father. He made us feel very comfortable about it, he said we could make it if we wanted to. If we didn’t want to it would be ok anyway. I do believe on it, I witnessed a lot of situations of people who got healed from diabetes and a lot of other diseases. I read articles that talks about the benefits of the habit. The first urine of the day comes full of vitamins that we drunk in the previous day. It’s a way to reabsorb what was wasted. But i’m not radical. I just do this when I’m training. Barely I get sick and when I drink it I feel better.

Looking for a new workout plan, want to become a fighter or train like a top notch fighter or just like MMA and want to see what World Class fighters put themselves through?

Check out Rich Franklin’s one hour of what he calls "Hell".

One of the most athletic guys you will ever see at this huge size, Brock is one giant dude but can most almost as fast and graceful as many 185 lbs he just weighs aboiut double that.

Check out this video of some of his intense training techniques.

Ok so UFC 100 is just around the corner, and it is one stacked card.

The UFC has really turned it up a notch the last four fights with awesome fights almost throughout every card and it looks to be a new trend continuing through UFC 101 and 102.

As for UFC 100 here’s what my thoughts are.

Brock Lesnar Vs. Frank Mir
Last time these two met Mir caught Lesnar in a Leg Lock, but that was no easy accomplishment as Brock was doing some incredible damage before giving his leg up.

Since then Brock has gone on to beat Heath Herring and The Man Himself Randy Couture.

Mir on the other hand has tuned his game almost to perfection, coming out and running through the always dangerous Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Mir’s boxing game looked top notch this last fight, still I have to say it might not (is not) a good idea to stand with a man the size of Lesnar.

Both men are very big guys and good fighters, Mir definitely has the experience and skill to beat Brock and Brock has some of the most amazing speed and athleticism for a man of his size.

I am pulling for MIr to come out on top this fight.

Georges St-Pierre Vs. Thiago Alves
This is the gonna get fight of the night! In this fight you have to of the best fighters around going head to head.

GSP is the most talented athlete in the world, not just a good fighter but all around athletic. He has changed his game incredibly over the last few years. Since his "fluke" loss to Matt Serra he has run through Koscheck, Hughes, Serra, Fitch and Penn. He dominates the welterweight division and if he comes away with another win against Thiago there isn’t gonna be anyone who can stop him for awhile.

Thiago, at a huge 170 lbs is the biggest welterweight in the UFC. His last loss was in 2006 against Jon Fitch, since then he has dominated his way through alsmot the whole division including a TKO against Chris Lytle a KO against Karo Parisyan and Matt Hughes and then put a hurt on Josh Koscheck with a Unanimous Decision.

These are easily two of the most liked guys around, since GSP was a coach on TUF everyone has come to like the guy and he is a definite "Lady Killer". I had the privilege to meet Thiago about two months ago and got to hang out with him and the awesome guys from Champion Nutrition Mark Post and Michael Crawford. Thiago is a very down to earth guy and very cool.

This is a hard fight to call as for both of these guys are awesome fighters as well as just great guys. This will be an amazing war and a fight I doubt will ever be forgotten.

Dan Henderson Vs. Michael Bisping
After finishing up coaching this last season of TUF these two are finally gonna get to battle it out. This should turn out to be another memorable fight. Henderson at 38 is still a world class fighter and I don’t think age has caught up with him yet.
If you didn’t follow this last season of TUF let me tell you Hendo has said he will be glad to shut Bisping mouth.

Gonna be a good fight but I am pulling for Hendo in this one.

Another fight I am excited about is the  Mark Coleman Vs. Stephan Bonnar match.
I can’t wait to see this one based on the fact that I am hoping it will turn out similar to the Don Frye Vs. Yoshihiro Takayama slugfest.

The rest of the card looks to have some great talent on it as well here is who else will be fighting at UFC 100.

Jon Fitch Vs. Paulo Thiago

Yoshihiro Akiyama Vs. Alan Belcher

Mac Danzig Vs. Jim Miller

Jon Jones Vs. Jake O’Brien

Dong Hyun Kim Vs. Jonathan Goulet

CB Dollaway Vs. Tom Lawlor

Matt Grice Vs. Shannon Gugerty

By: Jordan Blyth

A martial artist should not be defined by their accomplishments alone; rather they should be defined by their entire journey to those accomplishments. With a journey that could be written as a script for Hollywood, Frank Mir is a true martial artist. He has experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, but it is this path that has made him who he is.

The journey is far from over for Frank. He uses what he as learned as a martial artist through experience to build on his career. As he progressively matures, he continues to give back to the sport. This second time UFC interim heavyweight champion, at the age of 29, has many opportunities left to test his limits.
[ Click Here For The Full Article ]

Article Summary:
- Frank Mir is currently signed with Nutrabolics Supplement Company.
- In September 2004, Frank suffered a devastating car accident.
- He is set to take on Brock Lesnar at UFC 100 on July 7, 2009.

We are less than three weeks away from the biggest UFC card ever!  Heres a little preview.

Can Kimbo survive the house and secure a UFC contract?  Only time will tell!  This should be the most anticipated TUF EVA!

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returned home to Las Vegas after a successful stint in Germany with yet another amazing night of fights.

The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale aired free on SpikeTV from “The Pearl” at the Palms where we witnessed two of the UK’s most talented fighters, lightweight Ross Pearson and welterweight James Wilks earn a six figure contract in the UFC.

However, the main event stole the show.

A battle between two of the UFC’s most aggressive lightweights did not disappoint as Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez edged Clay “The Carpenter” Guida via split decision in one helluva slobber knocker.  

Sanchez came out possessed in the opening round as he threw everything but the kitchen sink at Guida.  Hooks, uppercuts, head kicks and countless flying knees all found their mark on Guida, but like the savage that he is; Guida was able to survive the onslaught.  

It was quite an epic first minute to any fight.

Guida was able out wrestle Sanchez in the second round and controlled “The Nightmare” for the majority of the round.  

The final stanza proved to be the deciding factor as Sanchez weathered the early storm from Guida and counter punched his was to his second straight victory within the lightweight division.  

Sanchez may have secured his spot as the number one contender as we await the BJ Penn/Kenny Florian fight later this year.

Two former TUF winners faced off in more lightweight action as Joe “Daddy” Stevenson used his superior strength to hand Nate Diaz his second consecutive loss.  

Diaz was unable to get anything going as he gazed at “The Pearl’s” lights for three rounds.  Stevenson out muscled the lanky Diaz and earned the unanimous decision.  

Team UK sweeps!

Heavily favored DeMarques Johnson fell victim to a James Wilks’ choke with only seconds remaining in the first round.  Wilks dominated from the get go and found “the golden ticket” in form of a six figure UFC contract.  

Ross Pearson was also an underdog in his fight with fellow countryman Andre Winner in their lightweight bout, but Pearson earned a unanimous decision and a six figure contract.

The first televised bout featured hard hitting Chris “Lights Out” Lytle as he slugged it out with Kevin “Fire” Burns.

In a barn burner of a fight, Lytle out slugged Burns and delivered on his promise on having yet another “fight of the night.”  Lytle earned the victory despite three groin shots and has yet to tap in 48 professional fights.  

It was truly a great night of fights and it was all free!

MAIN CARD

• Diego Sanchez def. Clay Guida via split decision split decision (28-29, 29-27, 29-28)
• James Wilks def. DaMarques Johnson via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:54 to become "TUF 9" welterweight winner
• Chris Lytle def. Kevin Burns via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Ross Pearson def. Andre Winner via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) to become "TUF 9" lightweight winner
• Joe Stevenson def. Nate Diaz via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-29)
PRELIMINARY CARD
• Melvin Guillard def. Gleison Tibau via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Brad Blackburn def. Edgar Garcia via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Tomasz Drwal def. Mike Ciesnolevicz via TKO (strikes), Round 1 - 4:48
• Nick Ospiczak def. Frank Lester via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 3:40
• Jason Dent def. Cameron Dollar via submission (anaconda choke) -  Round 1, 4:46

The UFC has done 99 main cards, about 20 Ultimate Fight Nights and 8 TUF Finales before tonight’s card. But tonight the promotion did something they have never done in the company’s history…they gave THREE Fight of the Night Bonuses, and rightly so. The ground clinic otherwise known as Stevenson/Diaz yielded an extra 25K for each fighter. Ditto for the stand up war between Lytle and Burns that saw both fighters staggered and in deep trouble at different points in the fight. And in what was a complete demonstration of what MMA is all about with devastating striking, submissions. grappling, ground and pound and a pace that would make Lance Armstrong want to take a breather, Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida were equally rewarded for a fight for the ages.

The UFC gave away $150,000 in those bonuses plus 25K each to Jason Dent for Submission of the Night and Tomasz Drawl for Knockout of the Night for a total of 200K in bonuses alone. When you consider that the gate for the event was $500,000, even the most staunch UFC hater will have a hard time saying anything negative after the company just handed out a whopping 40% of the gate in extra bonuses. Well done.

The main card is Live and FREE on Spike TV with some amazing fights and a huge Fight of the Night candidate with Chris Lytle vs. Kevin Burns and what should be an action packed battle between Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida. Check you local listings and don’t miss it!

We don’t want to spoil the fun and blog the results here in case you haven’t seen the fights yet in your time zone, so check your local listings and tune in to Spike TV.

Remember, we’ll have a full review of the event on this Monday’s Pro MMA Radio at 6PM PST, 9PM EST with MMA Mania’s Jesse Holland. Enjoy the fights!

Gleison Tibau and Melvin Guillard are two of the more densely muscled fighters in the 155 division. In a posedown, it’s tough to say who wins. In a fight, Gleison should have won but the  judges saw it otherwise, awarding Melvin a split decision victory. For some unknown reason, announcer Bruce Buffer didn’t read the scores, just as he did in most of the main card fights in Germany at UFC 99. Tibau dominated the third round and did enough damage in round two to earn the decision in my eyes. Some media members around me had the fight 30-27 for Gleison, I had it 29-28. In any case, I have no real explanation as to how anyone could give the decision to Melvin. To his credit, he was able to survive spending a significant amount time on the ground with Tibau, a BJJ black belt, and not get submitted which has been his achilles heal throughout his UFC career. Maybe I’m just not someone who thinks that getting up after youv’e been taken down should count heavier than the takedown itself. Two judges apparently thought otherwise.

Brad Blackburn was awarded a split decision victory over UFC newcomer Edgar Garcia. The crowd booed so loudly that you could barely hear the post fight interview with Joe Rogan. It was a tremendous fight and could be in the running for the Fight of the Night depending on what happens later tonight. Overall, I thought Edgar landed the bigger blows and controlled the fight as it went on. Late in the third round he landed a huge left on the button that floored Brad that I thought would seal the deal with the judges. I had him winning the fight 29-28 with Brad winning the first and Edgar taking rounds two and three. But, every round was so close that I can see why we ended up with a split. For Blackburn, this marks his third win in three fights in the UFC. He has crisp stand up and may get a name opponent next time out. And based on tonight’s performance  there is no question that you’ll see Edgar back in the Octagon.

And we still haven’t made it out of the first round. Tomasz Drwal was just too much everywhere for Mike Ciesnolevic standing and on the feet. Drwal took the overmatched MFS product down at will on five different occasions, which was surprising given that Mike was the bigger fighter and has a strong wrestling pedigree. When Mike went for a takedown toward the end of the first round, Tomasz caught him with a perfect knee that sent him to the canvas. Smelling that the end was near, Drwal dished out about 10 seconds of ground and pound until referee Herb Dean had seen enough and mercifully stopped the fight at 4:48. Drwal moves to 2-1 in the UFC with his only loss coming at the hands of then undefeated Thiago Silva.  

Frank Lester became the first fighter in TUF history to score a victory after being given a second chance to fight after a loss in the house. He did so with solid stand up, an iron heart and the benefit of his opponent’s gag reflex. None of those factors helped the overmatched Lester against Nick Osipczak. Nick landed a left hook that staggered Lester late in the round. Frank went for a takedown, Nick sprawled, got a hold of Frank’s neck and transitioned to a fight-ending rear naked choke that gave the talented UK fighter his first win in the Octagon.

As if the recession wasn’t bad enough, Jason "Dynamite" Dent submitted Cameron Dollar by Anaconda choke at 4:36 of the first round. Dollar dominated the standup for the entire first round, mixing head and body strikes that seemed to get to his nemesis in the house. But that’s MMA…you can be dominating and all it takes is one wrong move and you quickly go from hunter to prey. After losses to Gleison Tibau and Roger Huerta in his first stint in the UFC, Dent now has his first UFC win on his record.

TUF 9 Finale

Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter has wrapped up and the four finalists have been decided.  Team UK has 3 representatives in the 2 final fights as lightweights Ross Pearson and Andre Winner will battle it out for the six figure contract.  Welterweight James Wilks will face team USA member DeMarques Johnson is the other finale.  

The fights will be aired on SPIKE TV from Las Vegas tonight.  

The main event will feature two lightweight contenders as Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez will continue his ascent up the lightweight ladder as he faces Clay “The Carpenter” Guida.  

2-0 against former TUF winners and currently riding a three fight win streak, Clay Guida is currently one of the division’s hottest fighters.  His ultra aggressive fighting style mixed with his suffocating wrestling has given many fits over the years.  He will have his hands full with an equally aggressive Diego Sanchez.  

Sanchez is coming off a dominating performance over Joe Stevenson back in February at UFC 95 and should feel more comfortable with the weight cut this time around.  Sanchez is also a strong grappler with superior BJJ skills.  His striking and cardio are always improving and he should have little trouble with Guida.  

With a victory over Guida, Sanchez might be next in line to challenge the winner of the Penn/Florian fight.

Bouncing back after defeats is no easy thing to do.  Joe Stevenson and Nate Diaz will both be looking to do so tonight as they face each other in lightweight action.

Stevenson has dropped 3 of his last 4 fights and desperately needs a victory.  Stevenson is known for his strong grappling skills but his striking has been suspect.  Needing a change in camps, Stevenson moved his camp to New Mexico to train with Greg Jackson and gang.  His cardio should have improved and he’ll undoubtedly come with a solid game plan.

Nate Diaz is a wizard on the ground and this Cesar Gracie BJJ stud has been improving his stand up as well.  His boxing has improved and sparring with his brother Nick on the daily will only better him.  Diaz tasted defeat for the first time against Guida, who snapped his four fight win streak.  The Diaz brothers come in with a chip on their shoulders and love to fight.  This should be an entertaining battle.  
  
MAIN CARD
• Clay Guida vs. Diego Sanchez
• Ross Pearson vs. Andre Winner ("TUF" lightweight finale)
• DaMarques Johnson vs. James Wilks ("TUF" welterweight finale)
• Nate Diaz vs. Joe Stevenson
• Kevin Burns vs. Chris Lytle
PRELIMINARY CARD
• Jason Dent vs. Cameron Dollar
• Frank Lester vs. Nick Osipczak
• Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Tomasz Drwal
• Brad Blackburn vs. Edgar Garcia
• Melvin Guillard vs. Gleison Tibau

Just got back from the weigh ins for the TUF 9 Finale at the Palms Hotel here in Vegas. This is my third TUF Finale and I can honestly say there was more fan intensity at this one than the others I attended…combined. Maybe it’s the whole US vs. UK vibe but I was there an hour before the fighters actually hit the scale and there were times when a US fighter, Marques Johnson, for example, stood up and the roped off crowd went bananas. Of the UK fighters, Ross Pearson seemed to have the largest contingent at the event. Michael Bisping was not received too well by the crowd and there were repeated chants of "USA" that broke out periodically throughout the event.

The most popular fighter based on crowd response was Diego Sanchez. As usual, he worked himself into a frenzy and if he and Clay Guida got any closer in the face off they’d need a marriage license from the nearest drive through Vegas wedding chapel. Everyone made weight with the exception of Mike Ciesnolevicz who came in at 208 and couldn’t make it down to the 206 limit (the weight class is 205 but the fighters are allowed to be one pound over in non-title fights.) The two pound gaff will cost him 20% of his purse, which gets forfeited over to his opponent, Tomasz Drwal.

Here are the official weigh in results for tonight’s event.

155 lbs.: Diego Sanchez (156) vs. Clay Guida (155)
170 lbs.: DeMarques Johnson (170) vs. James Wilks (171)
155 lbs.: Ross Pearson (156) vs. Andre Winner (155)
170 lbs.: Chris Lytle (170) vs. Kevin Burns (171)
155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson (155) vs. Nate Diaz (156)
155 lbs.: Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Gleison Tibau (155)
155 lbs.: Brad Blackburn (170) vs. Edgar Garcia (171)
205 lbs.: Mike Ciesnolevicz (208) vs. Tomasz Drwal (205)*
170 lbs.: Frank Lester (170) vs. Nick Osipczak (170)
155 lbs.: Jason Dent (155) vs. Cameron Dollar (154)

Don’t miss it, this is an amazing card for free TV. Chris Lytle vs. Kevin Burns has Fight of the Night written all over it, Stevenson vs. Diaz highlights two very dangerous fighters coming in off a loss (or losses in Joe’s case) and the Diego vs. Clay fight is a must see. Two guys with ridiculous cardio in a fight that will have serious title implications regardless of the winner…and both fighters are well aware of it.

The event airs live and free on Spike TV on Saturday, June 20th, at 9PM in your local time zone. Check local listings…it will air at 9PM EST on the East Coast and will air delayed at 9PM PST in the West. If you missed any of the action this season, you can check out the whole season starting with episode one at 9AM.

I had the chance to do the behind-the-scenes video for this photo shoot and it was bad ass. Nate has some impressive strength and jumping skills. Check out the new cover below, it turned out sweet. You can see video and photos from behind-the-scenes on MuscleandFitness.com.

Pick up a copy to see Nate’s full work out. The issue is in stores now.

The 2009 UFC 100 Fan Expo will be held on July 10 - 11 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. This is the first ever UFC Fan Expo and will include meet & greets with some of the top MMA fighters in the world, training and development seminars, free stuff and much more…

Bodybuilding.com will be there along with ProMMARadio.com, check out a few of the Special Guests that will be at the booth.

Larry Pepe

        Larry Pepe, host of ProMMARadio.com, will be hosting a two day event live from the ProMMARadio booth. He will be interviewing Fighters, Trainers and much more. Larry is a well known radio personality and journalist and has worked in the Bodybuilding industry and also built his name up in the world of MMA.

Monique “MOMO” Minton

        MOMO is a BSN SuperModel, a recent NAGA Grappling Tournament Champion and is currently in the finals for the next UFC Octagon Girl. You can find her gracing the BSN calender, Flex magazine and many other magazines in the Fitness and MMA industries.

Tana Gabrielle

        Tana is a glamour/bikini model in the fitness industry and is also the lead singer for the band POP ROXX in Charlotte, NC.

Fawnia Dietrich

        Fawnia is a pole dance instructor, fitness model, personal trainer, writer, producer and actress.

Nick “The Beast” Scott

        Nick Scott is one of the most inspirational Wheelchair Athletes in the world, it’s worth coming by just to meet him.

Jerome Ferguson

       Jerome “Hollywood” Ferguson is an NPC amateur bodybuilder.

Andy “Chopper” Jones

        Andy just moved to the U.S. from Wales a few months ago, he lives in Boise, ID. He is an amateur natural competitor and MMA junkie.

David Hughes

   NPC National Level Bodybuilder

Lacey Lynn

   Lacey is a personal trainer, fitness model and bikini competitor. She recently won the 2009 Miss Bikini BodySpace contest.

Kit Cope

Atomic Fight Wear Sponsored Athlete, MMA Fighter and Bodybuilding.com Spokesmodel

Michelle Poulin

Michelle is a fitness model, has been in IronMan Magazine, is an NPC competitor and FAME/WNSO Pro.

Isaac Hinds

Isaac Hinds owner of Lift Studios and founder of Hardbody.com has several years experience in advertising, branding, design and marketing. He’s also an accomplished photographer with his work appearing in numerous magazines.  

Ron Avidan

Ron “yogi” Avidan is known for his ability to take interesting photos and revealing videos. Ron has an uncanny ability to get some of the best information out of anyone he interviews

Mick Skinner

Mick is the man, not much to say you just gotta meet the guy.

Michael Brouse

Brouse now works at the Bodybuilding.com headquarters in Boise, before he decided to take it easy and sit at a desk he was a talented boxer and trained multiple areas of MMA.

And Many special guest!!!