BlurayMMA.com

Don’t miss UFC 126 to see UFC Middleweight champ Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva challenged by fellow Brazilian and knock-out artist Vitor Belfort. Plus see fan favourites Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin fight and rising octagon stars Jon ‘Bones’ Jones and Ryan Bader doing battle.

Catch it live in the UK on ESPN, Saturday February 5th.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

FIVER are airng UFC 83: Main Event at 11pm. A brilliant opportunity to watch Welterweight sluggers Matt ‘The Terror’ Sera and Georges ‘Rush’ St Pierre do battle for FREE!

If you miss it at 11pm catch it an hour later on +1.

UFC & MMA blog by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

It was time for the men of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to pay tribute to the American armed forces with their latest Fight For The Troops show, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN here in Britain.

The show began with lightweight action as Cole Miller went up against Matt Wiman.

This battle of The Ultimate Fighter 5 rivals certainly proved to be a great opener, and a somewhat one sided affair.

From the moment the fight started Wiman dominated with his striking, whether it be in the stand up or on the ground, even invoking the tactics of the great Sakuraba a few times.

With the fight going the distance the judges were called into action. No surprises here as all three gave the fight to Wiman.

It was up to the heavyweight division for the next fight as Pat Barry went up against Joey Beltran.

It was obvious from the outset what Beltran’s tactics were, neutralise Barry against the cage and try to take him down, taking away his kickboxing skills.

They worked to some extent, but Barry was able to impose his will at times. His leg kicks to Beltran’s left leg looked absolutely evil, with one hard kick in the third sending him crumbling to the ground.

Another three rounder saw the judges put to work again, with Barry getting the unanimous decision.

Featherweight action in the form of Mark Hominick against George Roop followed.

The story here was Hominick’s punching. It began with a big right dropped his man. From there Hominick teed off at will, a left sending Roop down before the referee stepped in after a brief moment of ground and pound, giving Hominick the excellent TKO win.

It was back to the heavyweight division next as Matt Mitrione went up against Tim Hague.

Yet more evidence of how old meat had has progressed. Apart from one moment when Hague caught a leg kick this fight belonged to Mitrione. His left hand shots were lethal, knocking Hague down twice, and after the final knockdown Mitrione followed him down for some ground and pound. The referee quickly stepped in, giving Mitrione another impressive victory.

The main event saw Evan Dunham taking on Melvin Guillard in the lightweight division.

A fast paced fight saw Dunham get the early take down, but after that it was all Guillard as he rocked Dunham with some great combinations, staggering him with a knee to the head. A second knee finished him off, with the referee stopping the fight shortly afterwards.

Filler material in the form of Al Snow look-a-like Cody McKenzie against Yves Edwards in the lightweight division followed.

This was a very good fight, especially on the ground. After some crisp striking from Edwards McKenzie took control with some great ground work in the second round.

But just when it looked like McKenzie would maintain his control Edwards managed to gain the mount, quickly taking McKenzie’s back and locking in a rear naked choke. McKenzie refused to tap, with the referee stopping the fight when he passed out.

In conclusion – the UFC’s first free show of the year was a highly entertaining affair.

All the fights shown delivered in one way or another, with Matt Mitrione’s performance again impressing the hell out of me. He may have failed in The Ultimate Fighter but he looks like he could go a long way outside of the house.

So in all UFC Fight For The Troops 2 gets the thumbs up from this particular writer, a great show for a great cause.

With Sky seemingly uninterested in showing Strikeforce since they purchased Bravo and closed it down I succumbed to the inevitable and went for the download option.

So, a little later than planned, I’m now able to bring you a review of their first show of the year, the 13th in the Challengers series.

The show began with light heavyweight action as Rhadi Ferguson faced John Richard.

This proved to be a great way to start the show. Richard dominated the beginning of the first round, getting the early take down, taking Ferguson’s back and going for a rear naked choke.

But Ferguson managed to escape, taking the guard and unleashing with the ground and pound. Richard, for his part, earned a point deduction when he spat out his gum shield three times.

The second round was just as action packed, a borderline low kick Richard staggering Ferguson. He quickly followed up by taking the fight to the ground, but a quickly recovered Ferguson soon went for a heel hook, before moving to a knee bar for the impressive submission win.

Action from the women’s welterweight division followed as Julia Budd went up against Amanda Nunes.

The blink and you’ll miss it affair of the show. Nunes came forward with all guns blazing and quickly knocked Budd down with a left, following her down with a series of hammer fists, with the referee quickly stepping in to give Nunes the TKO win after just 14 seconds.

The big boys of the heavyweight division came out to play next as Daniel Cormier took on Devin Cole.

The first fight of the show to go the distance was a somewhat dominating affair for Cormier as he controlled almost every aspect of the fight.

Everything Cormier did looked good, from his striking to his take downs to his ground work. Cole had his moments, but they were few and far between.

So there were no surprises with the judges decision, with all three giving the fight to Cormier.

Then it was back down to the light heavyweight division as Ovince St. Preux faced Abongo Humphrey.

The third fight in seven weeks for OSP may have been a step too far. Although he put in a good effort there were times when he looked a little sloppy, visibly fading as the fight entered the third round.

Humphrey put in a good performance here with some good striking, and he would surely have to the win with a guillotine had it not been for poor positioning.

Once again the judges came into play, with all three giving the fight to OSP. A good fight, but the guy clearly needs a rest.

The main event saw Tyron Woodley taking on Tarec Saffiedine in the welterweight division.

The most even looking fight on the show. Both fighters put in good performances, looking good in every aspect, but as the fight progressed it became obvious that their respective styles were starting to cancel each other out.

I really didn’t envy the judges having to make a decision with this one, with all three giving the fight to Woodley.

In conclusion – Strikeforce’s first show of 2011 proved to be a very entertaining affair. All the fights delivered, although a couple of performances did seem a little below par.

So with Strikeforce’s prospects getting the promotion off to a good start let’s hope Sky pull their fingers out and find a slot for them in their schedules.

Following in suit wth UFC 116, UFC 117 comes complete with another epic championship showdown of the ages.

UFC are brilliant at promoting their top tier fights, some fighters possess the gift-of-the-gab to promote themselves, helping propel their careers into the stratosphere.  Chael Sonnen, Anderson Silva’s challenger for his middleweight crown is one of those fitting into that category.

Sonnen is a talker who can back it up, check out the Countdown show (disc 2) to witness his ‘promo’ highlights plus all the build-up and comments from defending champ Silva. This bonus feature shows some great footage of Sonnen’s college wrestling career and what makes him the MMA contender he is today.

Heading over to disc 1, how did the plot pan out for the 185-pounders title tilt? Value for money is delivered, we are given a near full 25 minutes of championship calibre competition.

Like Lesnar’s title defence against Carwin we see a similar story, but told over more rounds. Silva is on the back-foot often defending against Sonnen’s superb wrestling throughout the majority of the match-up, making a last minute comeback snatching a round 5 tap-out win.

If Anderson didn’t pull out the triangle-choke victory, Chael would have clearly taken it on points. A gripping must see title defence.

UFC 117 DVD isn’t marketed as USA v Brazil, interestingly the supporting cast of bouts featured on disc 1 are all between those 2 nations. A great theme Dana White and co opted not to use, instead pushing the focus on Silva v Sonnen.

First off a personal favourite fighter steps in the cage – Roy ‘Big’ Country Nelson, stepping up to battle Junior Dos Santos. Lack of success here for Nelson, but an awesome performance from the Brazilian striker.

Welterweight legend Matt Hughes is featured, versus Renzo Gracie student Ricardo Almeida, who hoped for revenge for his trainer’s loss.  Hughes puts on a clinic putting the BJJ practitioner to sleep in a choke.

Ultimate Warrior minus the war paint Clay Guida next in the octagon, again it’s another USA v Brazil skirmish, battling Rafael Dos Anjos. Strange Guida’s cage entrance is omitted, it’s part of the hype and excitement of a live bout. Not the most entertaining scrap but a win for Guida due to Dos Anjos injured jaw.

Welterweight contenders collide next – American wrestler John Fitch against Brazilian Muay Thai fighter Thiago Alves. The bout is a decider at another shot for Georges ‘Rush’ St Pierre’s belt. So a lot at stake. Due to Alves struggling to reach 170lbs this fight lacks a little in the entertainment stakes plus Alves doesn’t match well with American wrestler Fitch. Ugly to watch but Fitch gets the job done.

UFC & FightDVD are reliable as ever for bonus material, this 2 disc release includes many extras – prelims, weigh-ins, interviews plus behind the scenes footage. Interviews and behind the scenes are fun for some great moments from Big Country – Nelson.

UFC 117 Silva vs. Sonnen is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

2 Gorillas locked in a cage: Brock Lesnar versus Shane Carwin.

UFC 116, when Heavyweight champ Lesnar made the long awaited return to pay per view TV, following a nasty intestine illness, which the majority of us can’t pronounce, let alone spell correctly. Seeing as Lesnar was unable to defend the belt, Carwin fought Frank Mir to decide the Interim Heavyweight Champion, hence both fighters carrying gold straps over their shoulders on the front of the DVD.

Carwin was clearly the most formidable opponent yet for the former WWE superstar Brock. See the Countdown Show for all the low-down on the then unbeaten Carwin. It’s a great build-up, telling Lesnar’s story battling illness, getting back into champion condition ready to face his rival. The feature also showcases the training and ability of both competitors.

The “clash of the titans” epic main event bout alone is without a doubt worthy reason to purchase this double DVD release. Let’s take a closer look at this epic showdown:

In the pro-wrestling world Lesnar came from, the best wrestlers tell a story in the ring as opposed to just doing flashy moves. The plot here is of the then champ being pummelled by challenger Carwin in round 1, appearing to be down and out. Come round 2 we see Lesnar make the comeback overcoming adversity, thus earning the hearts of many fans in the process, who previously hated on the “heel” from the WWE.

Lesnar’s performance in the second stanza truly impresses, for the heart he shows coupled with pulling out a sidechoke submission win, for the first time, adding a new weapon to the ‘Next Big Things’ arsenal. Epic.

Another further value to UFC 116 is the world class middleweight clash between the always dangerous Ultimate Fighter alumini – Chris ‘The Crippler’ Leben and Japanese superstar Yoshihiro Akiyama. This global showdown will be remembered as a classic encounter, truly an adrenaline-fuelled fight, packed with thrills ‘n’ spills.

Leben v Sexyama (as he’s affectionately called by many fans) is a great example of what an MMA bout can be for the spectator, at it’s very best. A display of hearts and skills by both combatants that draws you in.

Leben’s triangle-choke in the latter half of round 3 is awesome. Following the win Chris calls out Pride legend Wanderlei Silva, the fighter originally penned in to face Akiyama. Leben has got to feature high in a top ten of exciting fighters, no doubt.

As you’d expect from FightDVD, UFC 116 comes complete with the full card of fights from the live event plus you are spoiled with stacks of extra footage, enjoy!

UFC 116 Lesnar vs Carwin is out now on DVD, available direct from www.fightdvd.co.uk and all good retailers.

Keep visiting BluRayMMA.com for more reviews of brand new UFC, related combat sport and martial arts DVD & Blu-ray releases.

UFC DVD review by Duane Farr

duane@bluraymma.com

It was the first pay-per-view of the year as Gray Maynard challenged Frankie Edgar for the Lightweight title in the main event of UFC 125: Resolution, shown live in the early hours of this past Sunday morning on ESPN here in Britain.

The show began with the preliminaries as Phil Baroni faced Brad Tavares in the middleweight division.

This was a great example of how a fight can turn in an instant. Baroni had controlled the majority of the action, but after his knee strayed south of the border Tavares came back strongly.

A left kick to Baroni’s head was the beginning of the end. Tavares followed up with some great combinations, and it wasn’t long before Baroni slumped to the ground. The referee quickly stepped in to give Tavares the knockout win.

It was down to the featherweight division next as Josh Grispi went up against Dustin Poirier.

Originally Grispi had been down to challenge Jose Aldo for the newly-created UFC Featherweight title, but that went out of the window when Also withdrew because of injury.

For someone who was meant to be the number one contender in his division Grispi certainly didn’t fight like someone in that lofty position.

Poirier had the beating of his man from the moment the fight began. It was an excellent display by the man, and it wasn’t until the final round that Grispi got in any real offence of note.

But by then it was too little too late, with all three judges giving the fight to Poirier, meaning that Grispi’s title aspirations will probably have to be put on hold.

The final preliminary fight saw Marcus Davis facing Jeremy Stephens in the lightweight division.

The 155 pound debut of the Irish Hand Grenade proved to be an intriguing back and forth affair.

As always Davis put in a strong striking performance, rocking Stephens a couple of times, with Stephens looking to secure a couple of submissions on the ground.

The end came in the final round when a haymaker from Stephens sent Davis crashing. He was out of it, and the referee stopped the fight, giving Stephens the highly impressive knockout win.

The main show began with more lightweight action as Clay Guida faced Takanori Gomi.

Guida came into this fight with some rather unique tactics, dancing around the cage, always moving, and if it was a tactic designed to frustrate his Japanese opponent then it clearly worked.

Guida looked in top form throughout, and even though Gomi got in some good shots Guida had his number, taking the submission win in the second round with a guillotine. Crazy stuff.

Then it was up to the welterweight division as Nate Diaz faced off against Dong Hyun Kim.

This was a very good fight. Kim put on an excellent performance, especially on the ground as he controlled the action. Diaz just didn’t seem to have an answer to the Korean’s tactics.

Not even a knee to the head while he was grounded could stop him, although Diaz came back briefly as the fight came to an end.

No surprise with the judges decision as all three scored in favour of Kim. Well, the crowd may not have like it but you can’t deny that it was a great performance.

The light heavyweights were up next as Brandon Vera took on Thiago Silva.

If you ever wanted to see a fighter getting completely overwhelmed then watch this fight. Silva simply dominated Vera from the beginning, completely controlling the fight on the ground.

Vera looked powerless against the Brazilian, and it was pretty obvious that he couldn’t do anything, especially towards the end of the fight when Silva began to slap him around before breaking his nose.

Once again there wasn’t a surprise with the judges, with Silva taking the unanimous decision.

The co-main event featured middleweight action as Chris Leben went up against Brian Stann.

This would have to be Stann’s best performance in the UFC. It could have developed into the kind of brawl Leben wanted, but Stann was having none of it.

The All-American’s crisp striking knocked Leben down twice, but it wasn’t long before the Crippler was back down after a knee. Stann went in for the kill, and the referee stepped in to halt the onslaught, giving Stann the dominating TKO win.

The main event saw Gray Maynard challenging Frankie Edgar for the Lightweight title.

If the rest of the year is going to be like this fight then I will be a happy man.

Maynard began the fight swinging, visibly hurting the champion and knocking him down time and time again. Edgar looked out of it, and it seemed as if he wasn’t going to survive the first round.

But survive he did, and for the next four rounds he came back strongly in what was a truly astounding performance with some crisp striking and great take downs.

But Maynard managed to stay in the fight, constantly looking for that one knockout blow, much to the chagrin of his corner, who wanted him to inflict further damage on the champion first.

So after five hard fought rounds the judges came into play. One scored for Edgar, one for Maynard, while the third judge saw it as a draw. Edgar had kept the title, but only just.

Filler material followed as Daniel Roberts faced Greg Sato in the welterweight division.

A quick encounter saw Roberts looking quite awkward in his striking game, looking more comfortable when the fight went to the ground. Moments later he managed to lock in a kimura for the submission win.

The show rounded out with a second showing of the Baroni/Tavares fight.

In conclusion – the UFC’s first show of the year proved to be great, with the undercard fights delivering big time and the main event going one step further, already a front runner for fight of the year.

So UFC 125 gets the big thumbs up from this writer. A great way to start the year. I just have to wonder what Edgar and Maynard will have in store for us next time.