This is the May 2, 2012 episode of Ringside Report Radio hosted by Dave Simon and Kevin “Big Tuna” McKough.

On this episode, Dave and Kevin preview and give their predictions for Bellator 67 including every preliminary bout and the main event of Michael Chandler v. Akihiro Gono.

Dave and Kevin unveiled the Top 10 in MMA for May 2012 in every weight class from heavyweight to bantamweight.

All this plus lots more MMA talk on this 2-hour episode.

Cage Warriors kicked off this weekend in fights on Thursday with Cage Warriors Fight Night 5: Brents vs. Linderman.  CWFN 5 took place at the New Boxing Arena in Amman, Jordan and was broadcast on MMAJunkie.com. In the main event of the card, D.J. Linderman, who lost two weeks ago at Instinct MMA 3, edged out Bobby Brents with a unanimous decision on two weeks notice. Even though he was giving up almost 25 pounds, Linderman bloodied the much larger Brents’ nose in the first round, but the action slowed down in the second. In the final frame, Linderman picked apart Brents with striking combinations to get the nod.

The Cage Warriors Middleweight tournament semifinals took place, with Pavel Kusch and Victor Cheng advancing to the finals for the vacant Cage Warriors Middleweight title. Kusch made short work of John Phillips with a 25 second heel hook submission, the submission specialist has 13 wins with 13 submissions. On the other side Victor Cheng went the distance against Faycal Hucin to  pick up the unanimous decision.  (Full Cage Warriors Fight Night 5: Linderman vs. Brents event results below.)

The action continued on Friday night with Bellator 65 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Emenating from Boardwalk Hall and broadcasting on MTV 2 and Spike.com, Bellator crowned a new Bantamweight champion in the main event. The main event featured the first title defense of Bellator Bantamweight champion Zach Makovsky, as he took on the winner of Bellator Season 5 Bantamweight tournament, Eduardo Dantas. Both fighters came out full throttle, in a bout that didn’t make it past the second round. Dantas completely dominated Makovsky, with an extremely impressive performance both off his back and in mount. Dantas was able to counter Makovsky’s take down attempt, and gain top position. From the mount, Dantas rained down on Makovsky, with a series of blows, followed up with an arm triangle choke. Despite his best efforts to grip his own leg and avoid the submission, Dantas was able to apply enough pressure to force Makovsky unconscious, and claim the title.

In the Featherweight tournament semifinal match up, Daniel Straus handed Mike Corey his first ever loss in Bellator. In the three round affair, Straus displayed his improved stand up, putting the beat down and bloodied up Corey in the first. However, Corey was able to regain his composure in the second, as he scored a take down and controlled most of the round. Straus continued to tee-off on Corey in the third, with punch and knee combinations. Both fighters ended the bout, swinging violently at each other, perhaps in desperation, or an attempt to woo the judges; ultimately, Straus was awarded the bout.

Bellator kicked off the Season 6 Bantamweight tournament with Luis Nogueira and Marcos Galvao both picking up unanimous decision victories to advance to the semifinals. Nogueira counter struck his opponent, Alexis Vila, staying away from his powerful right hand in order to pick the win. Glavao impose his will as he secured take downs, attempted submissions and connected with devastating power punches to pick up the win of Ed West. (Full Bellator 65 event results below.)

XFC 17: Apocalypse took place at the Oman Arena in Jackson, Tennessee and was broadcast on HDNet on Friday. In his second appearance for the promotion, American Top Team’s Eric Reynolds continued winning streak and snapped Luciano Dos Santos three fight win streak, in a three round stand up war, that saw Reynolds come out the victor in the main event.

Marlon Moraes had an early night when he came out swinging with devastating left hands, knocking out Jarrod Card in just 48 seconds.The one armed man, Nick Newell continued his miraculous undefeated streak, with a majority decision over Chris Coggins. The congenital amputee with just one fully-formed arm, Newell now improves to 7-0. Felice Herrig bounced back from her December 2, XFC 15 unanimous decision loss to Carla Esparza, with a unanimous decision victory of her own over Patricia Vidonic.  (Full XFC 17: Apocalypse event results below.)

Also on Friday, African based promotion Extreme Fighting Championship held their thirteenth even at the GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World, in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. IN a 12 bout card, seven bouts ended with slick submissions, three by TKO and two decisions. One of the three TKO’s on the night came in the main event, which saw Jadyson Costa (8-12-1)captured the EFC Africa Welterweight title by defeating then champion Dallas Jakobi (6-3) with a fourth round TKO. (Full EFC Africa 13 event results below.)

The UFC kicked off Saturday’s fights in the afternoon, with UFC on FUEL TV 2, at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Hometown hero, Alexander Gustafsson headlined the event against heavy handed Brazilian striker Thiago Silva. Due to the Swedish Athletic Commission rules, the bout was on three rounds, as opposed to the new UFC standard five round main events. After dropping Silva in the first round with an uppercut, Gustafsson landed some ground and pound, but was unable to finish Silva. However, the knockdown set the pace for the remainder of the bout, as Gustafsson was able to control Silva. Silva managed to land some heavy strikes, but none effective enough to give him control. Gustafsson’s conditioning proved to be better than Silva, as he continued to connect with punches and kicks. Silva attempted to finish the bout in the third round, chasing Gustafsson with some power punches to no avail. Gustafsson picked up the unanimous decision victory.

In the co-main event of the evening Brian Stann made short work of Alessio Sakara with a combination of knees punches to the head,  dropping Sakara to the mat. Stann began his ground and pound assault, only to be pulled into Sakara’s guard. Breaking free, Stann connected with three solid elbows rendering Sakara unconscious.

Dennis Siver made a successful debut at Featherweight with a unanimous decision victory over Deigo Nunes. In a very stand up heavy match up, both fighters connected with  numerous flurries of punches and knees threw the bout in the clinch. Even with his good take down defense, cutting Siver open, and dropping him to a knee, Nunes failed to win the bout in the eyes of the judges in a very close bout.

In a huge upset of the night Afghani born, product of Golden Glory, Siyar Bahadurzada knocked out Paulo Thiago in his UFC debut in just 42 seconds. Winning the “Knockout of the Night” honors, Bahadurzada landed a  big right hand that cause Thiago to hit mat face first.

The “Fight of the Night” went to Bantamweights, Brad Pickett and Damacio Page in an instant classic. Both fighters went at each other from the opening bell with Pickett ultimately getting the submission victory in the second round. The first round was highly contested back and fourth action with both connecting with heavy strikes. The fast pace action continued into the second round. With Page dazed from all on shots, Pickett took advantage,  sinking his hooks in and applying the rear-naked choke, forcing page to tap.

In a Welterweight match up, John “The One” Maguire squared off against DaMarques Johnson. Sporting the pink and black, cause Bret Hart is his hero, MaGuire was losing the stand up war, as he ate a lot a clearly painful leg kicks from Johnson. Taking it to the mat, Maguire worked his Jiu-Jitsu game and attempted an omoplata, armbar, guillotine choke and rear-naked choke, all unsuccessfully.  In the second round, Maguire took Johnson down with ease, but was on the receiving end of some elbows. Unable to get off his back, Johnson grabbed Maguire’s arm for a kimura, but Maguire snatched Johnson’s arm and wrenched a beautiful arm bar, forcing Johnson to tap in the “Submission of the Night.”

Tristar Gym’s Francis Carmont averted disaster, after being man handled in the first round by Magnus Cedenblad. With his hooks in, Cedenblad had Carmont’s back worked for the rear-naked choke in the first round. Early in the second round, after landing a take down, Carmont rained down on Cedenblad with relentless ground and pound punches and elbows from mount position forcing Cedenblad giving up his back. Carmont would take advantage and sink in a rear-naked choke to score the victory in under two minutes.(Full UFC on FUEL TV 2 event results below.)

Aggression Fighting Championship held its first collective fight card on Saturday night with AFC 8 in Victoria, British Columbia. The AFC was formed as a merger between three of Canada’s premier fight promotions Aggression MMA, Armageddon Fighting Championships, and AX Combat, to be known as Aggression Fighting Championship. Their inaugural show as a collective was held at Bear Mountain Arena and featured both amateur and professional MMA bouts. Teammates of former STRIKEFORCE Women’s Bantamweight champion Sarah Kaufman, Diego Wilson & Ryan Janes were both successful.

Both Zugec Ultimate Martial members were featured on this card Bantamweight, Deigo Wilson in the main event. Wilson bounced back from his first ever pro loss with a TKO victory over Corey Gower.  Middleweight,  Ryan Janes picked up his fourth career victory with a submission rear-naked choke over Marcus Hicks. Janes is now riding a three fight win streak. In Featherweight action, Bruno Capdeville rendered Nick Driedger a bloody mess, with a series of lefts, that busted open Driedger so bad that the action was ended after doctor examination mid way through the first round.  (Full AFC 8 event results below.)

Another British Columbia fight promotion held an event on Saturday as AM Ford Fight Night 2012 went down at the Trail Memorial Centre, Trail, British Columbia. The event featured mixed of pro & amateur MMA, including two championship bouts, and two Muay Thai bouts.

In the main event of AM Ford Fight Night 2012, former Ringside MMA fighter Jesse Ronson won the AM Ford Fight Night Lightweight Title Fight by knocking out  Brad Causey with only six second remaining in the first round. In the other championship bout, Stephan Frictra successfully defeated his AM Ford Fight Night Middleweight title against Jason Gorny , also winning with a first round knockout.  (Full AM Ford Fight Night 2012 event results below.)

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Thursday Night Fights-

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Cage Warriors Fight Night 5: Brents vs. Linderman results:

D.J. Linderman def. Bobby Brents via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Pavel Kusch def. John Phillips via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 0:25 – middleweight-tournament semifinal

Victor Cheng def. Faycal Hucin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) – middleweight-tournament semifinal

Liam James def. Jean N’Doye via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28

Mike Ling def. Eric Cebarec via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 2:11

Piotr Hallmann def. Kevin Donnelly via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 4:10

James Brun def. Thomas Back via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-25)

Facebook prelims:

Kris Edwards def. Janne Elonen-Kulmala by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Mohamed Ali def. Doo Hwan Kim by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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Friday Night Fights -

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Bellator 65 results:

Eduardo Dantas def. Zach Makovsky via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:26 – to become new bantamweight champion

Daniel Straus def. Mike Corey via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) – featherweight-tourney semifinal

Luis Nogueira def. Alexis Vila via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) – bantamweight-tourney opening round

Marcos Galvao def. Ed West via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) – bantamweight-tourney opening round

Spike.com prelims:

Duane Bastress def. Plinio Cruz via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:52

Will Martinez def. Terrell Hobbs via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:13

Scott Heckman def. Lester Caslow via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:40

Kris McCray def. Ailton Barbosa via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Lyman Good def. LeVon Maynard via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:13 – welterweight-tourney qualifier

E.J. Brooks def. Mikhail Malyutin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

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XFC 17: Apocalypse results:

Eric Reynolds def. Luciano Dos Santos via unanimous decision

Marlon Moraes def. Jarrod Card via KO (punch) – Round 1, 0:48

Nick Newell def. Chris Coggins via majority decision

Felice Herrig def. Patricia Vidonic via unanimous decision

Charles Blanchard def. Johnny Davies via unanimous decision

Jason Wood def. Ronnie Rogers via submission (guillotine choke) Round 2, 2:13

Joel Cooper def. Amaechi Oselukwue via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Prelims:

Teddy Holder def. Bobby Carter via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:27

Bradley Stafford def. Tommy Roberts via majority decision

Steven Durr def. Michael Manley via unanimous decision

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EFC Africa 13 results:

Jadyson Costa def. Dallas Jakobi via TKO (Punches) -0:39 – Round – New EFC Africa Welterweight champion

Bernardo Mikixi def. Calven Robinson via TKO (Punches) -4:09-Round 1

Leon Mynhardt def. Don Madge via TKO (Punches) -3:23-Round 3

Michiel Opperman def. Martin van Staden Submission (Guillotine) -4:18 – Round 1

Norman Wessels def. Dain Neveling via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 2:31-Round 1

Dino Bagattin def. Francois Kabulu via Split Decision

Wade Henderson def.  James Le Roux via Submission (Arm Bar) 1:19-Round 1

Mahmoud Hassn (0-0) vs. Ricky Misholas via Submission (Punches) 1:18-Round 1

Arnabd de De Bruyn def. Abri Valentine via Submission (Arm Bar) – 4:50-Round 1

Abdul Hassan def. Leo Gloss via Split Decision

Morne Marais def. Michael Vermeulen via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) -3:16 – Round 1

Jason Culverwell def. Mahmoud Salama via Submission (Keylock)

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Saturday Night Fights -

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UFC on FUEL TV 2: Gustafsson vs. Silva results:

Alexander Gustafsson def. Thiago Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Brian Stann def. Alessio Sakara via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 2:26

Siyar Bahadurzada def. Paulo Thiago via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:42

Dennis Siver def. Diego Nunes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

John Maguire def. DaMarques Johnson via submission (armbar) – Round 2, 4:40

Brad Pickett def. Damacio Page via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 4:05

James Head def. Papy Abedi via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:33

Cyrille Diabate def. Tom DeBlass via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)

Francis Carmont def. Magnus Cedenblad via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:42

Reza Madadi def. Yoislandy Izquierdo via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:28

Simeon Thoresen def. Besam Yousef via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:36

Jason Young def. Eric Wisely via unanimous decision (30-28, 29-28, 29-28 )

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AFC 8 results:

Pro Bouts:

Diego Wilson def. Corey Gower via TKO – 1:27 – Round 2

Adam Smith def. Karel Bergen via Split Decision

Bruno Capdeville def. Nick Driedger by TKO (Doctor Stoppage/Cut) – 2:24- Round 1

Advin Omic def. Marcus Vinicios via Submission  (Arm Bar)- 4:42 – Round 2

Ryan Janes def. Marcus Hicks via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – 2:04 – Round 2

Nathan Swayze def. Derek Mrak by Split Decision

Dajan Kajic def. Ash Mashreghi by Split Decision

Amateur Bouts:

Alexi Argyriou def. Guy Gauthier via TKO (GNP from Mount) – 1:07- Round 1

Bronson Peterson def. Chris Anderson via TKO (Punch) 1:17 -Round 1

Dustin Joynson def. Dylan Moore via TKO (Punches) – 1:51 – Round 3

Dillon Brown def. Brandon Shorter via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – 1:30 – Round 3

Dee Obaro def. Josh Williams via TKO (Pumches) – 2:01 – Round 3

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AM Ford Fight Night 2012 results:

Pro MMA bouts:
Jesse Ronson def. Brad Causey via  KO – 4:54 – Round 1 – Claims AM Ford Fight Night Lightweight Title

Stephan Frictra def. Jason Gorny via KO – 1:42 – Round 1 -defends his AM Ford Fight Night Middleweight Title Fight

Jordan Knippelberg def. Brandon MacArthur via TKO – 2:31 – Round 3

Josh Kitchen def. Shawn Smith via TKO (Ref Stoppage) Round 2

Darwin Douglas def. Sheldon Doll via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – 2:54 -Round 1

Mark Dolbie def. Jason Warshawsky via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – 3:49 – Round 1

Amateur MMA bouts:

River Jones def. Jade DeHaas via TKO – 1:13 – Round 4

Andrew Kloot def. Johnny Forry via Submission (Arm bar) – 1:01 – Round 1

Wyatt Lake def. David Felton via Submission (Guillotine) – 1:55 – Round 1

Muay Thai bouts:
Landon Giguere def. Justin Boardman via Unanimous Decision

Kamryn Winter def. James Sullivan via KO 0:08 Round 1

UFC welterweight Rory MacDonald appeared on this episode to discuss his upcoming bout in the co-main event of UFC 145 versus Che Mills on April 21.

Strength-and-conditioning coach Jonathan Chaimberg was also on this show. Chaimberg discussed some of the Canadian fighters at UFC 145, Jon Jones versus Rashad Evans and Alistair Overeem.

Dave and Kevin previewed and gave their predictions for every fight on the UFC on Fuel 2 card including all preliminary bouts and the main event of Alexander Gustafsson versus Thiago Silva.

All this and much more MMA on this 2-hour episode.

UFC Welterweight standout, Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) (12-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will be returning to action for the first time since his TKO victory over Mike Pyle at UFC 133. MacDonald was set to return last December  at UFC 140 in Toronto, to face Brian Ebersole, but pulled out due to injury. During UFC 140 weekend MacDonald revealed that he would be returning at UFC 145, but in Montreal on March 24th to face British slugger Che Mills. Due to lack of a main event the event was subsequently cancelled, and moved to Atlanta. Hear MacDonald’s thoughts on his opponent , training here in Montreal, and much more in an exclusive interview conducted by Dave Simon earlier today.

Adrenaline Performance Centre’s Jonathan Chaimberg (@JonChaimberg), who is the Strength & Conditioning Coach to many of the athletes of both the Tristar camp and Jackson’s MMA returns to the program. Chaimberg will weigh his thoughts on tomorrow night’s UFC on FUEL TV 2, as well as the main event of UFC 145, that features two fighters that he is well aquianted with and has trained, in UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and former champion Rashad Evans.

Dave & Kevin get you ready for UFC on FUEL TV 2 with previewing and predicting the entire card from top to bottom. UFC on FUEL TV 2 takes place tomorrow afternoon at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. The main event features a clash of Light Heavyweights, as Swedish native and Light Heavyweight standout Alexander Gustafsson, takes on hard hitting Brazilian, Thiago Silva.

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UFC on FUEL TV 2 Official Card:

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Thiago Silva

Alessio Sakara vs. Brian Stann

Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Paulo Thiago

Diego Nunes vs. Dennis Siver

DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire

Damacio Page vs. Brad Pickett

Facebook prelims:

Papy Abedi vs. James Head

Tom DeBlass vs. Cyrille Diabate

Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad

Yoislandy Izquierdo vs. Reza Madadi

Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef

Jason Young vs. Eric Wisely

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Ringside Report Radio live 10pm – Midnight on TSN Radio Montreal – CKGM-Radio.

How to listen:

In Montreal? listen on 990am on your radio dial.

On the net or out of town:
Listen to the live stream athttp://tsn.ca/montreal/

Join the discussion:
Call: 514-790-0990
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Follow us on Twitter:

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“I have been watching Bellator for a long time,” said Vianna. “They are one of the best promotions in the world and they have great fighters. I’m just really excited to fight in the big show against big fighters, and to have the opportunity to show the world who I am.”

Born in Brazil, Vianna (11-1-1) began his jiu-jitsu training at 15, and since then has become a 2X World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, 6X National Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion, and second degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It’s those accomplishments that led former PRIDE Champion and current UFC middleweight Wanderlei Silva to enlist Vianna as the Head Jiu-Jitsu Instructor at Wand Fight Team in Las Vegas.

“Wanderlei [Silva] had seen me fight in Brazil, and when he opened his school in Las Vegas, he wanted me to become an instructor with Wand Fight Team,” said Vianna. “I train every day with Wanderlei. I also train a lot with Michael Costa, and sometimes Forrest Griffin. I spar with Wanderlei three times a week, every week, and we go 100%. I don’t think anyone I fight is going to have the same power and technique that Wanderlei has. I feel confident that I can stand up with anyone at 185 lbs.”

Beginning his professional MMA career in 2004, Vianna established a near perfect record of 7-0-1 before meeting UFC Light Heavyweight Thiago Silva in 2006. During an intense first round, Silva unleashed a head kick to Vianna that was partially blocked, but broke the arm of Vianna in the process, handing him his first and only loss. After a grueling rehabilitation process that took over a year to complete, Vitor enters Bellator riding a three fight win streak, and is ready to show the world his skills.

“Fighting for Bellator is the best opportunity for me,” said Vianna. “I know I’m going to have a great career here with Bellator. It’s great exposure, being on national television on MTV2, and I know I’m going to make a lot of fans very happy.”

Along with the exposure Vianna will get from being seen on MTV2, a stacked middleweight division certainly made the decision that much easier for the ultra competitive Brazilian. With world class middleweights like Bryan “The Beast” Baker, Russian knockout artist Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko, and Bellator Middleweight World Champion Hector Lombard, Vianna is well aware of the challenges that await.

“Hector Lombard is one of the best middleweights in the world right now,” said Vianna. “I want to fight him, and I’m prepared to do whatever I have to do to get to him. Lombard is in the top five of his division, and fighting him would be the best opportunity for me to show who I am, and what I’m capable of.”

Eager to get his opportunity at the Bellator Middleweight Championship and a fight with Lombard, Vianna hopes to take part in an upcoming Bellator Middleweight Tournament where he can earn his shot.

“We constantly strive to sign the world’s best possible talent for Bellator, and Vitor certainly fits that bill,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebeny. “We’ve been working to bring Vitor to Bellator for quite a while, and as a fan and as Bellator’s CEO I am very excited to see him step into the Bellator cage for us this summer.”

—Bellator Press Release—

Gray Maynard looked to become UFC Lightweight champion early in the first round of his championship fight against Frankie Edgar. Edgar showed the heart of a true champion by surviving an amazing flurry by Maynard. Maynard nailed almost 100 punches which left Edgar with a bloody nose. Edgar was knocked down a number of times, but was always able to defend himself intelligently and did not allow Maynard to trap him in a choke or a lock.

However, the fight ended in a draw.

In the DVD extras Maynard says to his team, “I can’t believe I didn’t f##king win that fight!” Maynard did slow down after the first round and Edgar came back strong in the second. Edgar was not only more effective standing with his strikes, but Edgar was able to takedown Maynard. The championship rounds are the most debatable as Maynard looked to have stronger punches, but Edgar stopped any attempts Maynard made at takedown attempts. In the judges’ eyes, the onslaught Maynard did in the first round was not enough to win the title. Fight fans should watch this to see if the decision was just and to get an idea of how intriguing the rematch will be.

The semi-main event was a lot quicker, but it was exciting for the sheer power and strength of both Chris Leben and Brian Stann nailing each other until Leben shockingly went down. Leben walked right into a left jab, but although he fell, Leben kept getting up. It took Stann a bit of time, but eventually a well placed knee strike took Leben down again. Stann followed up with punches until the ref finally called for the fight to end.

Clay Guida’s tribute to The Big Lebowski, ”If you will, it is no dream, Dude.” Thiago Silva slapping and mocking Brandon Vera and the last UFC fights of Phil Baroni and Marcus Davis were more memorable moments from this stellar combat gala. The DVD edition is also a little more special thanks to a fighter’s profile on Edgar. Edgar’s wife, coaches, and friends help make this more than just a brief look on Edgar’s life story. Edgar having to battle his size issue, bumps in the road in his wrestling career, failing at making into the UFC his first time around, all are given a broader view thanks to Edgar’s support staff. You really get a sense that Edgar has had to battle for everything he has accomplished his whole life.

If you get one UFC fight event DVD this year this one should be it. UFC: 125 might not have the star power of other UFCs, but when it comes to heart pounding action and compelling fight stories, this one does not disappoint.

UFC 125: Resolution

Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada

Releases on Apr. 12, 2011

$21.98

Click here to order the DVD

UFC: 125 Resolution fight card

Prelims

 Jacob Volkmann vs. Antonio McKee

Daniel Roberts vs. Greg Soto

Mike Brown vs. Diego Nunes

Phil Baroni vs. Brad Tavares

Josh Grispi vs. Dustin Poirier

Marcus Davis vs. Jeremy Stephens

Main show

Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi

Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim

Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva

Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann

Lightweight Championship:

Frankie Edgar (c) vs. Gray Maynard

Listen here to the January 5, 2011 episode of Ringside Report Radio hosted by Dave Simon, Kevin “Big Tuna” McKough and Julie V.

MMA manager, Mitch Mayberger appeared on this episode to refute the report that his client, UFC lightweight John “The Bull” Makdessi, would be fighting Jonathan Brookins at UFC 129. Mayberger talked about Makdessi fighting in Toronto and potential opponents for his client. Mayberger also gave updates on Montreal-based fighters Yves Jabouin, Thierry Quenneville and Mike Ricci.

Dave, Kevin and Julie re-capped the Sengoku, DREAM and UFC 125 cards including Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fighting to a draw in their UFC lightweight title match. They also talked about Chael Sonnen’s suspension issued by the UFC and the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix that includes Fedor Emelianenko, Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum.

All this and much more MMA talk on this 1.5 hour episode of Ringside Report Radio.

“We always put a huge card together in Vegas to kick off the New Year,” said UFC President Dana White. “As the main event for UFC 125, defending UFC Champion Frankie Edgar is going to take on Gray Maynard who is the only fighter ever to beat him. In the co-main event it’s a heavyweight war with Shane Carwin vs. Roy Nelson, plus Clay Guida vs. Takanori Gomi and Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann – this is going to be a killer start to 2011.”

After shocking many people in the mixed martial arts world twice in a row, Frankie Edgar (fighting out of Toms River, N.J. / 13-1 professional record) has proven without a doubt that he is the best lightweight in the world. Winner of five consecutive fights and eight out of his last nine in the UFC, including his decisive title defense over BJ Penn at UFC 118, the Summit, New Jersey native looks to avenge his only professional loss, a unanimous decision in 2008 to Gray Maynard. A former college wrestler at Clarion University, the 28-year-old has exponentially improved his boxing and has seamlessly transitioned into a complete mixed martial artist.

“I’m very excited to be fighting New Year’s Day against a fighter that has a win over me,” Edgar said. “I’m looking forward to putting on a great show and avenging my one loss. There are still a lot of people that are doubting me and that’s fine. I’ve learned a lot since our last fight and I plan on successfully defending my title.”

A three-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler turned mixed martial artist, Gray Maynard (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 11-0, 1 NC) is unbeaten in nine UFC fights, imposing his will against top tier fighters such as Edgar, Kenny Florian, Jim Miller and Nate Diaz. His unanimous decision victory over Florian at UFC 118 cemented his No. 1 contender status and the decorated wrestler with heavy hands looks to realize his dream of becoming a UFC champion when he takes on Edgar at UFC 125.

“I’m excited and honored to be fighting Frank Edgar in a lightweight title bout for the UFC,” Maynard said. “Edgar is a great opponent; I’m looking forward to an exciting and tough fight with him. After years of hard work and sacrifice, this brings me one step closer to my goal of winning the belt.”

Coming off a near win against UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar at UFC 116, Shane Carwin (fighting out of Denver, Colo., 12-1) realizes just how close he was to becoming the undisputed heavyweight title holder. After ripping through his first four UFC opponents in less than one round, including stoppage wins against Frank Mir, Gabriel Gonzaga, Neil Wain and Christian Wellisch, the former NCAA Division II national champion looked moments away from defeating Lesnar until a dramatic second-round comeback by the champ. Now Carwin knows what he needs to do to return to the title picture and that starts with an impressive performance against Roy “Big Country” Nelson.

A fighter with a wealth of experience, The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 winner Roy Nelson (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. / 16-5) delivered first-round knockout wins over Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve before going toe-to-toe with heavyweight force Junior Dos Santos in a memorable three rounder at UFC 117. The Renzo Gracie Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is dangerous wherever the fight goes and isn’t afraid to stand and trade with anyone. Nelson is aware that a win over Carwin could propel him straight up the UFC heavyweight ladder.

Clay Guida (fighting out of Round Lake, Ill. / 27-8) has built a fan base on the fact that his bout will be a candidate for Fight of the Night each time he steps into the Octagon®. Full of energy and always ready for a three-round war, the charismatic 28-year-old is coming off two straight submission wins over Shannon Gugerty and Rafael Dos Anjos, respectively. With UFC wins over Nate Diaz and Mac Danzig as well, “The Carpenter” is looking to make a run at UFC title contention.

With a reputation for exciting fights and a nickname like “The Fireball Kid,” Takanori Gomi (fighting out of Kanagawa, Japan / 32-6, 1 NC) and Guida are sure to put on a bout to remember. Coming off a devastating first-round knockout over lightweight contender Tyson Griffin, Gomi has definitely acclimated to the Octagon and now the former PRIDE lightweight champion looks to put himself in the UFC title picture.

If the opponents of Chris Leben (fighting out of Portland, Ore. / 21-6) have learned one thing, it’s that you cannot count “The Crippler” out. On the verge of losing a fight more than one time, the  30-year-old veteran of 16 UFC fights has had a few brilliant comebacks. The feared striker with a limitless chin has won three in a row, including a decision victory over Jay Silva, a comeback KO victory against Aaron Simpson and an inspiring submission victory late in the third round against Japanese star Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Brian Stann (fighting out of Scranton, Pa. / 9-3) will need to put on his best performance ever if he wants to dent the granite chin of Chris Leben. But the retired Marine, who won a Silver Star for gallantry in action has proved he is able to handle high pressure situations. The 30-year-old former World Extreme Cagefighting® (WEC®) light heavyweight champion has developed his entire game since becoming a Greg Jackson disciple, exemplified with his submission victory over Mike Massenzio in his last fight.

A confident fighter that is sometimes considered cocky, Nate Diaz (fighting out of Stockton, Calif. / 12-5) has the tools and the drive to back up any of his pre-fight talk. The 25-year-old winner of the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter and newbie to the welterweight division has won two in a row, including a first-round TKO over Rory Markham and a third-round submission against veteran Marcus Davis at UFC 118.

Dong Hyun Kim (fighting out of Busan, Korea / 13-0-1, 1 NC) will prove to be a true test for Nate Diaz. A fourth-degree judo black belt and solid striker, Kim is comfortable wherever the fight goes. Undefeated in four UFC fights, including one no contest the 28-year-old used effective grappling and striking to earn a unanimous decision win against Amir Sadollah in his last fight at UFC 114.

A decorated grappler and Muay Thai national champion, Brandon Vera (fighting out of San Diego, Calif. / 11-5) can end a fight anywhere in the Octagon. Vera holds wins in both the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions and has been in there with some of the best fighters. Now the Norfolk, Virginia native looks to take on one of his most dangerous opponents to date when he mixes it up with Thiago Silva.

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a devastating striker, Thiago Silva (fighting out of Sao Paolo, Brazil / 14-2) has ended all five of his UFC wins by knockout or submission. A true finisher, the 27-year-old light heavyweight challenger has become a fan favorite because of his aggressive fighting style and is sure to be a true test for the versatile Vera.

UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

FRANKIE EDGAR vs. GRAY MAYNARD

CO-MAIN EVENT

SHANE CARWIN vs. ROY NELSON

CLAY GUIDA vs. TAKANORI GOMI

CHRIS LEBEN vs. BRIAN STANN

NATE DIAZ vs. DONG HYUN KIM

BRANDON VERA vs. THIAGO SILVA

—–UFC press release—–

Against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Thiago Silva, Evans felt he should go back to basics and wrestle his way to a victory. “With Thiago, it was a no brainer with the takedowns because he really doesn’t have good takedown defence so I really worked that a lot, making it a point to try and finish every combination with a takedown.” 

He succeeded in executing his game plan, despite all the distractions outside the octagon, notably with TUF Season 10 rival coach Quinton Rampage Jackson. “It was difficult to focus on the fight, but at the same time Thiago for me was definitely a worthy challenge because of the simple fact that the guy is a great competitor and he beat a really good friend of mine.” 

The rematch between Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson is slated to happen sometime in the first half of 2010. Just exactly how badly does he want to beat Jackson? “To be honest, I want to fight Rampage, but he’s not the champion. He doesn’t hold a victory over me.” Evans feels he is at the point where he was before even winning the belt for first time, and claims that what counts now is just enjoying the ride until he gets another shot at the championship title. “There are some things I want to work on my game that I want to get better at, and I’m in no hurry.”

However, following all the animosity between the two Season 10 coaches, Evans is eager to come out fighting. “I’m just ready to fight and look forward to getting in the cage with him. I just want to get into a scrap because I know he’s been talking trash, so let’s do it. There’s no better venue than in the octagon.”

(quotes from interview on Ringside Report Radio)

Listen to the Rashad Evans interview on Ringside Report Radio here