TJ Grant gets his lightweight title shot at UFC 164

Benson Henderson vs TJ Grant title fight announced at UFC 164

by Tommy Strong @Strong_tea

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will be putting his belt on the line for the fourth time against number one contender in the division TJ Grant. Its been announced the fight will take place at UFC 164 on Aug 31st in Milwaukee, and will be the main event of the evening.

Benson (19-2) who is yet to lose a fight since signing with the UFC, will enter the octagon on a 7 fight winning streak with all fights coming via decision. Since beating Frankie Edgar to win the lightweight title, he went on to defend his belt in a rematch with Edgar in what many thought was a controversial split decision win. Next in line for Benson was Nate Diaz who he brushed aside in dominating fashion, this is often forgotten though when people say Benson is always in close decision contests.

Last time out Benson defeated Gilbert Melendez at UFC on Fox 7 in April, which proved to be an epic back and forth battle. Benson finally came out victorious to take a very close split decision win .

TJ Grant (21-5) has shot up the rankings in recent time, currently ranked number 3 in the official UFC Rankings. Grant was announced as the number one contender following a devastating knockout of Gray Maynard at UFC 160 in May. In the process he became only the second fighter to ever stop Maynard. Now its his turn to get a shot at the title. Can he be the first man to beat Benson Henderson in the UFC.... we will find out in August.

Grant will return to the octagon in August in a very confident mood, having won 5 fights on the bounce and his last two fights via KO with wins over Wiman & Maynard.

Lets hope this doesn't come down to the judges score cards and we're not talking about another close decision win that could have gone either way. I feel its time Benson pulled out all the stops and went for a stoppage inside the distance.

Also on the card we will see the return of Josh Barnett who will be taking on Frank Mir in a heavyweight bout. Josh will be making his first appearance in the UFC since March 2002 where he defeated Randy Couture to win the Heavyweight title at UFC 36. Only later to be stripped of the title due to testing positive for banned substances and released from the UFC.

TJ Grant defeats Gray Maynard to earn himself a lightweight title shot

TJ Grant becomes new lightweight number 1 contender

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

On Saturday night TJ Grant had a night to remember. He impressed everyone with his 1st round TKO win over Gray Maynard. Especially impressed was Mike Tyson who was watching on cage side. He was so impressed with Grant's performance that he overrode Joe Silva's decision to award Junior Dos Santos with KO of the night honours. Instead he managed to persuade the UFC brass to award it to Grant for his KO instead!

He was certainly impressive in a stand up battle he handled the always tough Maynard with ease. Like many of his previous fights Grant again came in as the underdog and he again proved many people wrong. He dropped Maynard in the 1st round with a sweet right hook overhand right combo. He poured it on Maynard with a flurry of punches and to Maynard's credit he managed to get to his feet, only to be put back down with a crunching knee to the face.

Grant made no mistake this time and didn't let up until the referee was forced to step in. This was a massive win and a massive performance for Grant and he took his chance impressively. Dana White wanted someone to come in and give him no choice but to give the winner a title shot. Grant certainly did that.

Grant is now the clear number 1 contender and will go on to face Lightweight champion Benson Henderson. The date of the fight is yet to be confirmed with one possible target date being the UFC on FOX Sports 1 show scheduled for August 17th in Boston.

UFC 160: Weigh in Results

Weigh in Results for UFC 160

by Ben Heather @benheather

Tomorrows UFC live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Nevada, is now set after the weigh ins have now made the fights official. The main event sees Cain Velasquez attempt to defend his UFC Heavyweight title against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva and both men weighed in within the 265lbs limit to make the fight official.

In the co main event, we will witness another heavyweight battle and potential number one contender fight between Junior Dos Santos and Mark Hunt. Both men also weighed in under the 265lbs limit at the weigh ins, and they both know that a big win will move them a step closer to a potential title shot. If Mark Hunt wins it will be very hard to deny him his chance to fight for the UFC title which only a year or so ago would have sounded crazy.

Also on the main event, is another number one contenders fight this time in the UFC Lightweight division as Gray Maynard and TJ Grant will fight to see who will be the next contender to face Benson Henderson. Dana White announced after the UFC on FOX 7 event that the winner of this fight will get the next title shot.

All of the other fighters made weight when they stepped on to the scales, with the exception of Nurmagomedov who failed to make the weight by 2.5lbs for his fight against Abel Trujillo. According to Ariel Helwani via twitter announced that Khabib won't try to shed the extra weight, he will forfeit 10% of his purse to the Nevada state commission and 10% to Abel. Also Nah-Shon Burrell missed weight by 1lb for his fight against Stephen Thompson. I imagine Burrell will try and lose the extra pound.

Full list of results from today's weigh in can be found below.

Main Card - Live on ESPN at 3am Sunday 26th May 2013

Cain Velasquez (c) (240lbs) vs. Antonio Silva (263lbs)
Junior Dos Santos (239lbs) vs. Mark Hunt (264lbs)    
Glover Teixeira (205lbs) vs. James Te Huna (206lbs)
Gray Maynard (156lbs) vs. TJ Grant (155lbs)
Donald Cerrone (155lbs) vs. K.J. Noons (156lbs)   
Prelims - Live on ESPN at 1am Sunday 26th May 2013

Mike Pyle (170lbs) vs. Rick Story (169lbs)    
Dennis Bermudez (146lbs) vs. Max Holloway (145lbs)   
Colton Smith (170lbs) vs. Robert Whittaker (171lbs)   
Khabib Nurmagomedov (158.5lbs)** vs. Abel Trujillo (155lbs)

Facebook Prelims - Live on facebook

Stephen Thompson (170lbs) vs. Nah-Shon Burrell (172lbs)*   
Brian Bowles (135lbs) vs. George Roop (135lbs)   
Jeremy Stephens (146lbs) vs. Estevan Payan (145lbs)

*Burrell missed weight by 1lb
**Nurmagomedov missed weight by 2.5lbs

UFC 160 Main Card Predictions

Kingdom MMA: UFC 160 Main Card Predictions

by Chris Houten @KingdomMMAChris, Tommy Strong @Strong_tea and Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

On Saturday night we will see the UFC heavyweight title on the line as Cain Velasquez will try and defend his title against Antonio Silva at UFC 160 in Las Vegas.

It's hard to forget the first fight between the pair as Cain left Silva a bloodied mess when he finished him in the first round after a very one sided fight. Can this rematch be any different? We will find out on Saturday night.

On top of that we have a number 1 contender fight in the lightweight division between Gray Maynard and TJ Grant and a potential number 1 contender fight between Junior Dos Santos and Mark Hunt. This is the fight a lot of fans have been talking about, can Mark Hunt go from the UFC offering to pay him out of his contract to number 1 contender. We will find out tomorrow night.

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

Jack: I will keep this one short as I think it's very easy to predict. Velasquez may not get Silva down as quickly as last time but he will find a way and pound Silva out eventually.

Prediction: Velasquez by TKO Round 1

Tommy: The UFC are trying to promote this fight, but failing to do so! Bigfoot was destroyed in their first fight inside a round. I just don't see anything changing this time around.
Silva is very lucky to be getting this title shot. He beat a one legged Travis Browne who was dominating until the injury. Then fought Overeem who took Silva too lightly and paid the price for it. I know I'm being harsh on Silva, but I just don't rate him at all. He will be found out again by Cain and I don't expect it to last two rounds.

Prediction: Velasquez by TKO Round 2

Chris: A lot of people have completely wrote Silva off due to the absolute battering he took in the first fight to the point where they don’t even want to see this fight, but I can see this one being a little bit more competitive than the last.

The facts are Big Foot lost the first fight due to a tactical error… leg kicks against a world class MMA wrestler, really Big Foot?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not saying Big Foot is gonna shock the world and pull off another huge upset to go with his collection – Fedor and Overeem. All I’m saying is while he is still swinging those big Christmas Ham sized hands you never know, however it's more than likely Velasquez with his speed and ridiculous cardio who will try to push the pace and win the striking exchanges to the point where Big Foot can’t keep up.

Prediction: Velasquez

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Jack: This is quite intriguing as at least in my mind Hunt has the edge in terms of power. JDS likely has the technical edge as well as a huge speed advantage. He's also well versed in BJJ but as of yet has yet to show it in the UFC. I wonder if he feels he needs to take this fight to the floor. I think after he tasted a shot from Hunt he will attempt and succeed in getting the fight to the floor.

Prediction: Dos Santos by Submission Round 1

Tommy: A fight the fans have been calling for a while now. Its one that really interests me. JDS coming of the back of a beating by Cain will be looking to bounce back and show he's one of the best in the heavyweight division. Mark on the other hand is on a four win tear up and after his devastating knockout of Stefan Struve which resulted in leaving Struve with a broken jaw.

If JDS can keep Mark at range , using his superior boxing skills it could be a comfortable night for him, though if Mark can get close and land one of his bombs we could see an upset on the cards.

Prediction: Dos Santos by Unanimous Decision

Chris: I love the resurgence of Mark Hunt. Less than 3 years ago the guy was on a 6 fight losing streak and was actually being offer money by the UFC not to fight, now he is arguably one (Dangerous) fight away from a title shot.

Realistically Hunt has a punchers chance in this one, but as have so many before him. Sure Hunt has Knockout anyone with one punch, in fact he is so good doing it he even knows when to walk off before his opponent hits the mat, but that one punch (The overhand punch) is so predictable.
I like Dos Santos to use his hand speed and greater array of striking to beat Hunt to the punch, It also wouldn't surprise me if JDS puts Hunt way by countering the Overhand, with an uppercut.

Prediction: Dos Santos

Glover Teixeira vs. James Te-Huna

Jack: Both guys have proved they have great chins and are willing to stand and trade. Teixera's wrestling could be the key here as he can mix up his game to win rounds if he can't find the knockout blow.

Prediction: Teixera by Decision

Tommy: With a combined 43 fights between them, only 7 of their fights have gone to a decision. This fight really has me licking my lips! Glover has been in against better opposition than Te Huna and has a better all round game. Both are very durable and I fully expect an exciting fight.

I have a bad habit of writing off Te Huna , though Glover will be too strong for him and I can see Glover taking him down and submitting him later on in the fight.

Prediction: Teixera by Submission Round 2

Chris: All day I have been deciding whom I fancy in this one. I think Teixeira is the better MMA fighter; he has crisper, varied striking than Te Huna, and is better in the wrestling / jui-jitsu department.

What worries me about Teixeira is the brief moments in bouts where he loses discipline. He almost has that Amir Khan factor to he him where he needs to prove he is man enough to go toe-to-toe with his opponent, and if Te Huna can drag Teixeira into a dogfight, I think he can make him pay, the way Fabio Maldonado almost did.

That being said I can only judge the fight on skills alone, and Glover Teixera is the better fighter.

Prediction: Teixera

Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant

Jack: This is a great fight and will decide the next contender for Benson Henderson's lightweight crown.

Grant should have the edge in the standup game and will be looking to bully "the bully" and possibly look for the clinch to do some damage. Maynard's game has come on leaps and bounds but you would assume he will be looking for the takedown here. I think he gets it but can he keep Grant controlled for 3 rounds? Possibly not. This looks like a back and forth war and who wants it more?

Prediction: Maynard by Decision

Tommy: With the winner of this fight likely to fight Ben Henderson for the belt (still trying to figure out why) this fight could be very entertaining or very boring! Though its not often we see Maynard in a boring fight.

TJ will have an advantage on the ground, though getting Maynard there will be a different matter! Maynard with the better wrestling will dictate where the fight goes, so I can see this fight being a stand up fight.
If that's the case, I give a major advantage to Maynard to out strike TJ and work his way to a comfortable points win.

Prediction: Maynard by Unanimous Decision

Chris: In the build up to the Edgar vs Maynard fight, I was convinced Maynard was going to become The UFC Lightweight champion, and while he allowed Frankie back into the first fight, and ultimately lost the rematch, I'm still of the belief Maynard can hold UFC gold.

On paper Grant is the better fighter. He has considerable submission skills, and a proactive striking game, but I think Maynards wrestling pedigree will be too for Grant.

I like Maynard to control the fight, and untimely take a decision victory.

Prediction: Maynard by Decision

Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

Jack: Cerrone really is the better fighter pretty much everywhere. If he turns up in shape and ready to go I see no way he can lose this fight. He should dominate start to finish and he has the arsenal to stop Noons.

Prediction: Cerrone by Submission Round 2

Tommy: KJ Noons will be coming into this fight on the back of two losses and only having won one in his last 5 fight (outside of the UFC), he will be looking to stop the rot to keep his UFC career alive.
Cerrone on the other hand lost last time out in by 1st round TKO at the hands of Anthony Pettis. KJ will come into the fight as an underdog but I really like the match up for him here. I feel KJ will have enough to keep the fight standing and if he can will have the advantage.

I'm going against the odds here, and picking KJ to deliver a good performance and to beat Cerrone.

Prediction: KJ Noons by Unanimous Decision

Chris: This fight is basically Cerrone's to lose.

If he can keep his distant, mix up his striking, and not allow Noons to jab his way in he should take this one comfortable. From their I'd like to see Cerrone vs Pearson

Prediction: Cerrone

We will see if any of the guys can predict the results correct. Last week was a great week for the guys predictions as between the four guys who predict the fight results we went 49-3 with Tommy and Ben predicting all 13 fights correctly.

5 UFC fights to watch in the next 6 weeks

5 Fights To Look Out For In The Near Future

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

With a break in the UFC schedule I thought I would take a look at the fights upcoming with some maybe flying under the radar. We have been spoilt lately with UFC events the last few weekends. These are my 5 must watch fights that take place over the next 6 weeks and I have tried to avoid picking the obvious matches and main events. However some main events do deserve inclusion here.

1. Junior Dos Santos v Mark Hunt
For me the co main event of the heavyweight double bill at UFC 160 is the more intriguing fight. Can Mark Hunt's fairy tale rise back up the rankings continue? Can Dos Santos get back into contention after a brutal beatdown and losing his title last time out? It's going to be great whilst it lasts either way!

2.Antonio Nogueira v Fabricio Werdum
What has Nogueira got left in the tank? This kind of fight should suit him stylistically. His boxing ability means this almost certainly will end up as jiu jitsu battle. Is Werdum the real deal and the next title contender many think he is? The 2 BJJ experts go at it in Brazil in June.

3. Gray Maynard v TJ Grant
The winner of this fight will meet Benson Henderson for the chance to win Lightweight gold. Gray Maynard is always a solid contender at the top of the division and Grant has rose very quickly with a string of not only good wins but very good performances to go with them. Can he get past his biggest test to date to get that elusive title shot?

4. Vitor Belfort v Luke Rockhold
If Belfort keeps winning in the fashion he is the UFC can't keep denying him another title shot. He's running through top contenders. Rockhold comes over from Strikeforce as the last Middleweight champion. Can he defeat Belfort and set up his own title shot? It would be hard to argue against the winner being granted a title shot whoever that might be.

5. Rashad Evans v Dan Henderson
Lets face it both men are coming off hugely disappointing losses. Henderson was supposed to fight Jon Jones for the Light Heavyweight title and instead got injured. He lost to Lyoto Machida instead in a very boring fight. An unmotivated  Rashad Evans surprisingly lost to little Nog and that's what makes this fight so exciting. Both men badly need to get back into the win column if they have serious title aspirations. Who wants it more at this stage of their career?