The highly anticipated card that the NAAFS put together for the end of February saw two new champions in the Pro Series. In the Co- Main Event, Daniel Straus notched a fifth round TKO victory over Bellator vet Frank Caraballo to capture the interim Lightweight Championship Belt and a match-up with four-time UFC veteran Jason Dent at Fight Night In The Flats VI in June. In the Main Event, “Big” John Hawk edged out Champion Joe McCall of Matt Hughes’ Hit Squad to become the NAAFS Heavyweight Champion. The Fight was decided by a controversial split decision that upset the former champion. Other bouts that highlighted the main card were two Featherweight Circuit Semi-Final fights that would lead to the Championship at Fight Night In The Flats VI in June. Mike Nesto Defeated Nick Sorg by TKO to earn him a title fight, and in the fight of the night, Donny Walker defeated Dustin Kempf by second round TKO, but in my eyes is the greatest fight I have ever witnessed. Both men gave it their all, and had repeated glove touches throughout the fight.
In the Lightweight Title Fight, Daniel Straus showed the clearly Pro- Caraballo crowd that he meant business and wasn’t going to mess around during this one. He was taking Caraballo down at will and was not giving the champ a chance at getting to his feet. He kept a constant press up against the cage and had no problem passing guard and laying down some lethal elbows, which eventually ended the fight in the fifth and final round. The interesting component of this victory is that less than a month ago, Straus defeated UFC veteran Gideon Ray by decision, and still had the stamina to go five rounds with Caraballo. Straus has the tools to dethrone the arguably greatest fighter in NAAFS history, Jason Dent, because of his ability to neutralize jiu Jitsu. If he can get past the dangerous guard of Dent and stay on top the whole fight, we could see a new, undisputed NAAFS Lightweight Champion. In the main event, John Hawk took a beating, and is going to be feeling this fight for a week or two, but what matters most is he has the belt. In the fifth round, he took four consecutive knees to the head from McCall, but stayed up and lasted enough to take the split decision. The crowd was split between the two, which lead to a mix of cheers and boos after the decision was read, but there will be a big chance of a rematch in the future. The Pro Debut of promising young star Stipe Miocic was concluded by a seventeen second knockout and may be a future match up for McCall. For Hawk, there is no apparent title contender to look out for, but the NAAFS will for sure find someone worthy to put in front of him in the future. The main problem being that most of the top fighters are from the same gym which Hawk comes from, which is Strong Style, so we may see some gym vs. gym fights.
The Second Featherweight Semi- Final fight was one of the greatest fights that not only has the NAAFS ever had, but in my eyes is the greatest fight in MMA history. The first round opened up with a big flurry of kicks from Kempf, which lead to a knockdown with a leg kick, but Walker retaliated with some kicks of his own. Late in the round, Kempf stunned Walker with a press of knees and punches against the cage, which could have stopped the fight, but Walker got up and asked for more, and ended the round strong. Round number one went to Kempf, but was far from over. In the Second round, Walker came out and immediately went for the Muay Thai plum and scored countless strikes to the head and body stunning Kempf, but when they broke from the clinch, Kempf came out with a flying knee that staggered Walker, which lead to a take down attempt against the fence to gain his wits back. Walker then pressed with a big right that took Kempf to his knee, and Walker then charged, dropped unanswered knees and elbows in an attack that lasted close to a minute before referee Richard Fike called a stop to the contest with less than ten seconds left in the round. Walker explained after the fight that he wanted another round for the fans, but of course he wanted a shot at the title. He will be matching up with Mike Nesto at Fight Night In The Flats VI in june to see who will hold the 145 belt.
I had a talk with UFC vet Jason Dent before the fights ended up happening and he shot down the rumors of a contract with the WEC, but said he is trying to get Walker into the WEC, and that he will be returning to the NAAFS for a few fights, then will be most likely be contacted by Strikeforce for a contract. I also had a chance to speak with MMA journeyman Dan Bobish, and he said after two years off of fighting, he has agreed to a fight in Thailand with Eric “Butterbean” Esch that will be No Holds Barred so he will be trying to exploit tactics such as knees to the head from the ground and groin strikes. Bobish is also versed in submissions and could be trying to use his patented key lock that he has a lot of success using from side mount. He stated that both fighters will be given a modest check of thirty thousand dollars for the fight and will be one to watch for in the future. He is also trying to convince teammate Forrest Petz to go over with him and compete, but will have to be down the road because of an upcoming event with Adrenaline MMA. The rest of the night was a showing in a very nice venue of Gray’s Armory that had a balcony and lower level seating. Other than the fights, the bar was a main attraction that served soft drinks for a dollar, which was a serving since of twenty ounces, which is generous, especially for an athletic event. The NAAFS seems to be putting better and better cards together that is growing into one of the top organizations in the United States.

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Wow! That is how this article will start. The night opened up with a Rockstar Energy Sample Stand that gave out free hats, drinks, posters, and stickers. We each took about 10 bottles of Rockstar Energy shots and as many posters as we could carry. A long wait outside lead to another long wait at the inside gates before finally at around 5:30, they started letting fans in. Right after the entrance, Strikeforce stars Daniel Cormier and Scott Smith were signing autographs so we jumped on the opportunity for a signature and a picture. The next stop in our adventure was down to the first row, where somehow we stayed the whole night, while buying the cheapest seats in the house.

While in the first row, we encountered fighters such as Gilbert Melendez, Dan Henderson, Clay Guida, Louis Taylor, Jeff Curran, King Mo, Fabricio Werdum, and Andrei Arlovski. We got all of their autographs on the official program, which was also free, and obtained pictures from most of them. The one fighter that we had to walk to meet, Miguel Torres, was a cool guy but the journey took a quick downhill turn. While walking through the isles, Connor spilled a drunk guy’s beer and it was not even his fault. The drunk guy threatened Connor’s Life and made him pay 10 dollars for the 8 dollar beer. Connor was not too happy about it, and still is pissed off about it. He did end up paying 9 dollars in a fair compromise.

The Main Card was a very exciting part of the event with fights such as, Jake Shields vs Mayhem Miller and Fedor vs Brett Rogers. Jake Shields Captured The Middleweight Title by defeating Miller by Unanamous Decision, and Fedor retained his WAMMA Heavyweight Title By Defeating Rogers by a second round knockout. After the fights, Jake Shields spent some time with us signing some autographs and taking some time to explain his future plans in the world of MMA. He plans on fighting Georges St. Pierre in 2010 and UFC Middleweight Dan Henderson is close to signing a deal with Strikeforce and is interested in fighting Henderson. The Experience was worth the time, money and effort put into the trip.

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5. Mac Danzig vs Josh Neer- The fight was a back and forth struggle on the ground until Neer pulled a triangle and finished him in the second roung

4. Fabricio Werdum vs Antonio Silva- Silva controlled the fight in the first round and looked like he was going to finish the fight early on the feet, but Werdum showed swift boxing moves and ended up winning the unanamous decision.

3. Donald Cerrone vs Ben Henderson- The first round was a toss up for both fighters, the next two rounds were dominated by Henderson, and the Final two were controlled by Cerrone. It appeared Cerrone won the fight, but the decision was given to Henderson in a controversial win.

2. Diego Sanchez vs Clay Guida- Both fighters came out and gave everything they had, it was a total standup war that would have left any other fighters on the mat.  It was a split decision victory for Sanchez, but either fighter deserved the win.

1. Lyoto Machida vs Maurico Rua- This fight seemed to be totally dominated by Maurico Rua with the brutal leg and body kicks that seemed to end the undefeated record of Machida, but all three judges seemed to see the fight otherwise and Machida kept his belt.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Jake Shields vs. Jason “Mayhem” Miller- Shields (Armbar)
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers – Rogers (Knockout)
Gegard Mousasi vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou – Mousasi (TKO)
Antonio Silva vs. Fabricio Werdum – Werdum (Guillotine)
Jeff Curran vs. Dustin Neace – Curran (Decision)
Roxanne Modafferi vs. Marloes Coenen – Modafferi (Decision)
Mark Miller vs. Deray Davis – Davis (KO)
Shamar Bailey vs. John Kolosci -Kolosci (Decision)
Louis Taylor vs. Nate Moore – Moore (TKO)
Christian Uflacker vs. Jonatas Novaes – Uflacker (Decision)

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Main card
Light Heavyweight Championship bout: Lyoto Machida (c) vs. Mauricio Rua- Rua (KO)

Heavyweight bout: Cain Velasquez vs. Ben Rothwell- Velasquez (TKO)
Lightweight bout: Gleison Tibau vs. Josh Neer- Neer (Triangle Choke)
Lightweight bout: Joe Stevenson vs. Spencer Fisher- Stevenson (armbar)
Welterweight bout: Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida- Yoshida (Decision)

Spike TV card
Light Heavyweight bout: Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer- Bader (TKO)
Heavyweight bout: Antoni Hardonk vs. Patrick Barry- Hardonk (KO)

Preliminary card
Middleweight bout: Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen- Sonnen (Decision)
Middleweight bout: Jorge Rivera vs. Rob Kimmons- Kimmons (Guillotine)
Light Heavyweight bout: Kyle Kingsbury vs. Razak Al-Hassan- Al- Hassan (KO)
Heavyweight bout: Stefan Struve vs. Chase Gormley- Struve (Triangle Choke)

Fight of the Night: Yoshida vs Johnson
Knockout of the Night: Mauricio Rua
Submission of the Night: Josh Neer

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1. What martial arts or sports lead you to train MMA?
A: Wrestling

2. If you were losing a fight and you had to turn to a grappling technique to finish a fight what would it be and why?

A: I’m not a big bjj guy, I like to hold you to punch or just punish you anyway I can. Id look for whats open, if its not there you’re not going t get it. Elbows are always fun.

3. Was there a noticeable difference in skill level when transitioning from the Amateur Series to the Pro series?

A: No in NAAFS I always had tough people to fight and every one has a different style so each fight is different. Now im not saying theirs not a different the fighters for the most part have more tools, their more vestal, and in better shape.

4. Who are some of your heroes?

A: Matt Hughes, Wanderlei Silva, Georges St. Pierre, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rich Franklin.

5. Who is your favorite fighter in the UFC and why?

A:Georges St. Pierre, he’s so well rounded and fights so hard and smart. He also seems like a good person.

6. What is your favorite type of music and who is your favorite artist?

A:I like classic rock and 80s metal. Led Zepplin, Guns and Roses, Poison, 98.5 is my fav radio station. I like oldies too and a lot of country as well.

7. How much of an advantage is it training with Team Griffonrawl because of how much young talent there is in your camp?

A: Well is defiantly a very good camp and there are a lot of tough dudes, I would still like to float around to other schools and see what they do.

8. What is your favorite sport other than MMA?

A: Wrestling, and buckeye football, well buckeyes anything, big OSU fan.

9. If you were doing something else other than MMA what would it be?

A: Well, I’m a union plumber, but a nutritionist and personal trainer. People just don’t know enough about healthy living or they are too fucking lazy to do anything about it.

10. What has been your personal favorite fight that you have participated in and why?

A: My fries fight was real fun it was a blast. The guy was a BJJ guy and I was all wrestling with a little bit of hands that I taught my self. Right off the rip I push kick him in the stomach and then big blast double, I slammed him pass his guard and stat forearm hammering his face them he throws a triangle and it was tight. I circle to his head and knee him in the throat and get out. I start hammer-fisting him and he puts me right back in to it. I pick him up and slammed him but that only made it tighter. I started to fade out, the light started to go white and I cant hear a thing. At this point his nose is broke and he’s bleeding and really was getting his ass kicked but my in existence ass kept leaving an arm in, so I said no way am I going out like this. I do like a cartwheel kind of thing a get out with five second left. We go back to my corner were Don Frye, my uncial and Rich Fike are there telling me not to go to the ground, which I respond with no shit, the second round was all me I hip tossed him but got up right a way, tie clinch to a couple big knees to a sweep and almost got arm barred but I Rampage slammed him and the time ran out. The 3rd round I came out and TKO him. How’s that, It was at the Arnold classic in Columbus the day before my 21 birthday, In the nationwide arena.

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In February of 2009, Joe Lauzon was coming off of a big submission victory of Jeremy Stephens and was looking to move his way up the 155 pound latter in the UFC. Until he tore his ACL in a training excercise and was declared out of fighting for all of 2009. Well the fights have been scheduled for UFC 108 and guess what, it is in 2010 and in this past week it was announced that Joe Lauzon will be matching up against Kickboxing phenom Sam Stout. MMA fans have waited a very long time to see the return of TUF 5 alumni Joe Lauzon and it will be very interesting to see whether he will come back a weaker fighter, or a stronger one.

Lauzon has jiu-jitsu skills that are paralleled by no one with his quick transitions and crafty submissions that he can pull of from virtually any position. The time off from fighting gave him ample training opportunities and we may see a more well rounded striking Joe Lauzon as well. He does have knockout power in both hands but now there may be a new powerhouse in the lightweight division.

I see Lauzon having a great comeback in his first fight and end up submitting Stout with an arm bar because of the fact that stout wants to stay on his feet so don’t expect to see Lauzon on his back. Stout is one of the best strikers in the UFC, but Lauzon will stand up with him and shoot for a takedown when he finds himself in trouble. Joe Lauzon may be the next big thing.

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Everyone was anticipating the arrival of the Silent Assassin Kimbo Slice, overlooking the UFC Fight Night that would take place shortly before The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. Little did we know, this has been one of the cards of the year in the limited four fights on the main card. The night was opened up with a bout between two hard working fighters that were in the sport for the love of the game. Nate Quarry and Tim Credeur have paid their dues in the sport fighting through the times where MMA was not very popular and have lasted to make it to the glory days.

The fight opened up with Credeur Connecting on numerous shots, dropping Quarry multiple times. Quarry held on when it looked like he was going to be finished, he lasted to the end of the round. Round two was a back and forth war that ended up with Quarry landing a big right that dropped Credeur which lead to Quarry getting the round in dominant fashion. The final round was complete domination by Quarry dropping Credeur Multiple times which ultimately lead to a unanimous decision victory.

The next fight on the card was a match up between the final WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit and UFC newcomer Jake Ellenberger. Many like myself underestimated Ellenberger coming into the fight but he impressed so many with his strength in takedowns, wrestling, submission defense, and striking that will lead to him being a successful fighter in the UFC. Although he dominated the first round and arguably won the second round, Condit found himself in more advantageous positions and did more damage on the ground which lead to him getting the split decision. Condit will be looking to climb up the latter and fight higher ranked opponents in the future.

The Co- Main event was a fight that consisted of two polished wrestlers in Gray Maynard and Roger Huerta. The All three rounds were stand up battles that contained a lot of tentative and conservative striking techniques that did not give the judges a clear advantage to on the cards. What eventually lead to the turning point of the fight was when Maynard shot for a double leg takedown and achieved it. This was enough to convince the judges to give him a split decision victory which brings his record to 9-0-0-1.

The Main Event of the evening was the only finished fight on the main card and was very entertaining to watch. Nate Diaz was coming off of two straight losses and Melvin Guillard just defeated Gleison Tibau by unanimous decision in TUF 9 finale. Both fighters held a distinct advantage in the fight, Diaz with the ground advantage and Guillard with the stand up edge. The first round was uneventful with a few exchanges and shots landed back and forth but nothing to write home about. The second round both men came out swinging. Diaz connected on a shot to the head which drew Guillard back to the cage. Guillard then shot for a double leg, which was not a very smart move knowing Diaz’ submission skills. Diaz caught Guillard’s neck in his arm and finished with the guillotine choke from the body triangle. This brought Diaz back on the map and will be looking to contend for a future title shot. As for Guillard, if he can improve his ground game he will be a very deadly fighter as a huge 155 pound fighter.

This was a great slate of fights which we will be a card that we look back on for months to come. All of my predictions were correct surprisingly and hopefully this is something to come in the future.

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This is a highly anticipated card coming up on the 16th before The Ultimate Fighter, so let’s take a look at some of the fights on the main card….
Quarry vs Credeur- In this fight I see Nate Quarry winning by TKO. Coming off of his big win in UFC 97 against Jason McDonald I think he will build on his success.

Condit vs Ellenberger- I see Condit in this one by 3rd round submission. Condit will show that the UFC is the superior fighting organization and will overwhelm Him on the ground and with the Muay Thai Clinch.

Maynard vs Huerta- I believe this one will go to Gray Maynard by way of decision. I believe his superior wrestling background will decide the close fight by controlling him on the ground.

Diaz vs Guillard- This is a tough one to call but I think Diaz will win by submission, most likely from the guard position with an armbar or Triangle Choke. He will use his long limbs to catch Guillard in a bad position and finish him off.

Fight Award Predictions:
Fight Of The Night: Steve Cantwell vs Brian Stann
Knockout of The Night: Jeremy Stephens
Submission of The Night: Nate Diaz

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Mauricio Rua, the Pride 2005 MW Gran Prix Champion, did not transition from Pride to the UFC as expected. In his first fight, he was put against a good tough fighter, Forrest Griffin who was basically thrown in as a warm up match for Rua to break him in before a Title fight. To the surprise of the MMA world, Rua was dominated the whole fight and was submitted in the third round by rear naked choke. This put Forrest Griffin on the map and subsequently took Mauricio off the map for a short time. He did bounce back with two dominant wins over aged legends such as Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell. They were still formidable opponents, but these men are past their prime. None the less, Joe Silva the UFC matchmaker saw enough to give Mauricio a Shot at Lyoto Machida, who so far has been practically untouched and has statistically taken the least amount of damage in UFC history. I believe that Shogun has a legitimate shot in this fight because of the fact that he is very, very versatile. He can and will stand and bang with you and he also has one of the most deadly clinches in MMA. We will see how this plays out by the time UFC 104 comes along we will see a great slate of fights and the Main Event, Shogun vs Machida

Popularity: 36% [?]