5 UFC Fights That We Should Expect To See In 2012.

By Sheldan Keay

The Ultimate Fighting Championship has continued to expand each year throughout their existence, and now with the impending arrival of Strikeforce talent and the new TV deal with Fox set to occur in 2012, it is proving to be the biggest year in UFC history. There are a lot of potential fights out there that UFC should be making in 2012, but there are 5 in particular that due to the buzz and revenue they could generate, UFC would be expected to make them.

5. Jose Aldo VS Dominick Cruz

Both men have looked dominant at featherweight and bantamweight respectively, and neither are looking like losing their title anytime soon. With the likes of Chad Mendes and Hatsu Hioki being the front runners for fights with featherweight champion Aldo, and bantamweight champion Cruz potentially having rematches with the likes of Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles and Joseph Benavidez, a fight between Aldo and Cruz could culminate in late 2012. Cruz has stated that he would be interested in moving up to 145 pounds to fight Aldo, and with both men being widely regarded as two of the world's top pound for pound fighters, it is hard to see why a fight between the two may not happen.

Cruz has shown throughout his career that his fast paced style has troubled every opponent he has faced, and with him being a high level athlete both on the feet and on the ground, he has the potential to expose any holes that Aldo has in his game. However, Aldo has rarely shown any holes in his game, and it is for that reason why he is seen as one of the top 3 pound for pound fighters. The only aspect of Aldo's game that may be questionable, is his cardio, ironically the area where Cruz is deemed to be at his strongest. There is no doubt that a fight between these two men would certainly be an intriguing one, and it would help to solidify the winner's pound for pound status.  

4. Frankie Edgar VS Gilbert Melendez

It is widely expected that Gilbert Melendez will be the next Strikeforce fighter to make the leap to the UFC, and with him he brings a serious claim to being the best lightweight in the world. However, another man who can claim that title, has proven time and time again never to count him out, as proven yet again at UFC 136, where Frankie Edgar sensationally came back from a early beating from Gray Maynard on his way to stopping Maynard in the 4th round and therefore retaining his UFC lightweight championship. Unless Clay Guida or Ben Henderson has something to say about it, it would appear that Gilbert Melendez is next for Edgar.

Melendez still has a title defense against Jorge Masvidal in December lined up, and with Edgar being unable to resume training until late November due to his medical suspension, a fight between the two could happen early next year. Melendez has great power, as shown in his recent KO victory over Tatsuya Kawajiri, and that power may cause Edgar the same problems that Maynard caused him in their last 2 fights. Melendez has also shown that he can pace himself well and pick his shots, and if put in a position that Maynard found himself in against Edgar, Melendez may have the ability to end the fight. However, Edgar proved in both fights that despite what you throw at him, he'll never give up, and it is that never give up attitude that helped Edgar defeat Maynard by KO at UFC 136, proving that he can also finish fights.

However, it is obviously not Edgar's mental toughness that is the strongest part of his game, it is his well rounded skill set including a great wrestling base, great boxing, great movement and great speed. It is those assets, and his ability to fight guys who outweigh him by around 20 pounds that recently led to Dana White calling him the second best pound for pound fighter in the world, and if a fight with Melendez does culminate, the winner would certainly have a good case to be known as a top two pound for pound fighter not just to Dana White, but to most fight fans.

3. Georges St. Pierre VS Nick Diaz

For months, MMA fans had been begging Dana White to make Georges St Pierre VS Nick Diaz happen, and a few months ago, White gave the fans what they wanted when he announced on Twitter that the fight will happen at UFC 137. However, Nick Diaz's failure to attend a media week including a press conference led Nick Diaz to be replaced in the main event by Carlos Condit. Diaz has since been booked against BJ Penn on the same event, and if both St Pierre and Diaz are able to overcome their opponents, it is highly expected that a fight between the two would take place in early 2012.

Diaz's fight style has left many to believe that he could be the one who ends St Pierre's dominant title reign, Diaz's desire to make any contest in a war would no doubt leave St Pierre in a position where he may be forced to fight differently to his conservative (yet dominant) style, and engage in a physical battle with Diaz. Diaz is a high level boxer and grappler, and so if the fight remains standing or hits the ground, Diaz would remain competitive throughout and push St Pierre all the way. St Pierre hasn't been forced to alter his fighting style for many years, and although it may receive criticism from fight fans for being 'boring', there is no denying that he is dominant. If St Pierre is not required to risk his strategy in order to defeat his opponent, then that is testament to his ability as a fighter. St Pierre has proven in his fights that he is skilled in every area, most notably his takedowns and wrestling, an area that Diaz has been known to have problems defending.

However, as shown in St Pierre's fight with Jake Shields, when facing a high level grappler, St Pierre may decide to keep the fight standing, and due to Diaz's grappling ability, this fight may indeed remain standing, which could favour Diaz due to his fighting style, and St Pierre may be forced to engage in a physical pressing battle with Diaz, which would certainly make many MMA fans happy. However, both men first have to defeat Condit and Penn respectively at UFC 137 before a fight could happen between the two, but if it did, it would certainly be a possibility that St Pierre and Diaz may find themselves as the coaches on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter on Fox.

2. Jon Jones VS Rashad Evans

Throughout 2011, MMA fans were expecting to see a fight between former training partners Jon Jones and Rashad Evans. This was due to Jones taking Evans' spot in the UFC 128 title fight against Shogun Rua after Evans received an injury, and Jones subsequently defeated Rua for the title. Initially, Jones and Evans stated that they would not fight each other due to their friendship and desire not to cause a rift in Greg Jackson's camp. However, it couldn't be anymore different now, as both men appear to have developed a true hatred for each other, and are eager to get this fight over and done with as soon as possible.

It was expected that Jones and Evans would meet following Jones' victory over Quinton Jackson at UFC 135, however, Evans is still recovering from the broken hand is suffered in his victory over Tito Ortiz at UFC 133, and so Jones will now face Lyoto Machida at UFC 140. If Jones is able to defeat Machida, it is likely that Evans will be his next opponent, and Evans offers a lot of skills that Jones may not yet have come across in his career. Evans is a high level wrestler, and we are yet to see how Jones performs off of his back. While Ryan Bader was also a high level wrestler, and he was unable to get down Jones, Evans' transitions into his takedowns are much better than Bader's, and if he is able to get down Jones, it will be interesting to see how Jones performs. Evans has also proven to have good striking, as shown recently in his KO victory over Tito Ortiz. This is arguably down to Evans' recent training camp with elite kick boxer Tyrone Spong, and if Evans is able to land on Jones, it will be interesting to see whether or not Jones has a durable chin.

However, these claims have been made many times before when opponents have faced Jones, and he has proven on every occasion just why he is now regarded as being a top pound for pound fighter. In his last outing, Jones fought Quinton Jackson, who has proven on many occasions to be a top level striker. However, Jackson hardly landed a punch on Jones, due to Jones' ability to maintain the distance and utilise his long reach advantage, something that will also be the case in his fight with Evans. Add this to Jones' ever improving skills both in his stand up and ground game, and it would be easy to assume that Jones will have another routine victory on his hands. However, when you factor in the fact that these men have trained together and know each other inside out, then that adds a whole different perspective to this potential fight. Both men have claimed that they dominated the other when training together, and while it is unknown which man is being truthful, it certainly means that a potential fight between the two is very intriguing. Jones and Evans would also be ideal candidates for a coaches role on the debut season of The Ultimate Fighter on Fox.

1. Anderson Silva VS Chael Sonnen

At UFC 117, Anderson Silva was a huge favorite going into his title defense against Chael Sonnen, and Silva was expected to defend his title in fairly convincing fashion following months of trash talk leading up to the fight by Sonnen. However, Sonnen certainly didn't plan on that being the case. He gave Silva the toughest fight of his UFC career, and for four and a half rounds, he completely dominated Silva by putting on a wrestling clinic on the middleweight champion. However, with just under two minutes remaining in the fight, Sonnen's concentration slipped for just a brief second, and Silva was able to lock in a triangle armbar and win the fight by submission. Ever since then, MMA fans around the world have wished for a rematch, and following Sonnen's win over Brian Stann at UFC 136, a 2012 rematch looks very likely.

A rematch was originally planned for UFC 125 on January 1st 2011, however due to Sonnen testing positive for elevated testosterone levels in his first fight with Silva, he was subsequently suspended for a year by the CSAC. Following a successful appeal process from Sonnen that lasted several months, his suspension was reduced, and Sonnen finally made his return to action at UFC 136 with a submission victory over Brian Stann. Sonnen showed in the fight just why he caused Silva so many problems, as he was able to take Stann down with ease and use his superior wrestling ability to keep the fight on the ground. Silva has always had trouble against wrestlers, and Sonnen exposed that weakness by repeatedly taking Silva down and using some devastating ground and pound throughout the fight. If a rematch takes place, it is unlikely that Silva may have been able to develop good enough takedown defense to prevent takedowns from someone as skilled as Sonnen in that area. Sonnen's recent training camps with the likes of Jake Shields and Nick Diaz has also improved Sonnen's submission game, and it is widely expected that due to training with such high level grapplers, Sonnen will no longer find himself in a position where he can be submitted as often.

With these factors to bear in mind, it would be expected that the Chael Sonnen that may step into the cage with Anderson Silva in their rematch would be a much improved Sonnen, so what evidence is there to suggest that Silva would be able to win, after having so many problems with Sonnen in their previous fight. The evidence is that he is Anderson Silva. Silva is regarded as the best fighter on the planet, and has broken countless records since making his debut in the UFC due to his unbeaten status. Since the fight with Sonnen, Silva has recorded KO victories over Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami, and if it was possible, has appeared to gotten even better as a fighter. Whether that be due to the introduction of Steven Seagal into his training camp is yet to be seen.

It was reported that Silva went into the first fight with Sonnen with broken ribs, and due to this, Silva was unable to perform at his best, therefore showing why Sonnen was able to dominate the champion with such ease. These claims was never confirmed, and so it is likely that Sonnen would be able to achieve the same success if given the opportunity. However, Sonnen first has to get the fight to the ground in order for that to be the case, and Silva has proven to have amazing movement and striking ability, most notably shown in his KO victory over Forrest Griffin. Sonnen has proven to have a great chin throughout his MMA career, and if given the option of having the better striking or the better wrestling in a fight, most fighters would choose wrestling.

With all these factors to consider, it is hard to make any case for either fighter on why they would lose this fight. While Sonnen clearly is strongest where Silva is weakest, Silva is the best fighter in the world for a reason, and as proven in the first fight, Silva should never be ruled out. if Sonnen is able to get Silva down, it cannot be forgotten that Silva is a BJJ black belt, which was the key factor in their first fight. Both these men would also be ideal candidates for the coaches role on The Ultimate Fighter's debut on Fox, and with Sonnen's trash talk expected to be in full force, it would certainly be a ratings hit. Long story short, a potential rematch between these two is easily the most desired MMA fight of 2012, and based on Sonnen's comments during his post-fight interview at UFC 136, it could go down as one of the biggest fights in MMA history.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

Gill’s Comments Regarding Transfers Restores Hope Amongst United Fans.

By Sheldan Keay

 

 

Earlier this week, Sir Alex Ferguson left many Manchester United fans frustrated, when he announced that their will be no more signings coming to Old Trafford this season. After the arrivals of David De Gea, Phil Jones and Ashley Young, a large void was still left in the centre of midfield following the retirement of Paul Scholes, a void that many believed Sir Alex would fill with a Summer signing. The likes of Wesley Sneijder, Samir Nasri and Luka Modric were all rumoured to be potential targets for United, but after Sir Alex’s comments, it looked as if those targets were no longer going to be linked with United. That was until David Gill’s interview on Tuesday. Speaking on MUTV, the United Chief Executive claimed that the club are looking to bring in one more ‘world class’ player, a statement that should bring hope back to United’s fan base. However, with the contrasting views between Chairman and Manager, it remains to be seen whether or not the United fans can expect another signing this Summer.

After Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments, the first question many United fans were asking was what happened to the proposed move for Wesley Sneijder. Many trusted news outlets and journalists were reporting that Sneijder had agreed terms to join United, and that the only stumbling block was the transfer fee between Manchester United and Inter Milan. Sneijder had reportedly originally demanded wages of £250,000 a week, but it was then reported that he had agreed to reduce his request to £190,000 a week. A £35 million transfer between United and Inter then looked imminent, but it was then reported that United had no interest in Sneijder. It initially appeared that once again a proposed move for a player fell victim to both internet and newspaper rumours, but many trusted sources still claimed that a deal for Sneijder could still be struck in the near future. However, the proposed move once again hit another setback, following the news from Sir Alex that United’s Summer spending was over. Sir Alex was quoted as saying, “We are always looking for good quality players, however we are satisfied with the players that we started the season with. At the moment we are looking at central midfielders from within the club to replace Scholes.” Sir Alex’s comments put the likes of young players such as Tom Cleverley on note, as it then appeared that they would be called upon this season to step up and try to command the position that was once mastered by Scholes. 

Cleverley had a successful season at Wigan, and many have tipped the England Under 21 star to be the one to replace Scholes, stating that he had the potential to achieve the success that Scholes obtained at United. However, at such a young unproven age, it is unclear whether or not Cleverley is good enough at this stage of his career to carry that pressure on his young shoulders, and with this Premier League season looking to be tougher than ever, it would appear to be unwise for Sir Alex to risk using Cleverley in such a staring role. This is why many United fans felt a Summer signing to replace Scholes was needed. While the signings of Ashley Young and Phil Jones were well received among most United fans, they were positions that United did not necessarily need to strengthen. If money was an object for United, it remained unclear why moves for these players were more craved rather than a move for a centre midfielder, a position which at the start of the transfer market, was arguably the position that needed strengthening the most along with the goalkeeper position following Edwin van der Sar’s retirement. Things then became more unclear when following Sir Alex’s comments, it looked as if United had finished their business in the transfer market for this Summer, that was until David Gill’s interview on Tuesday.

While speaking on MUTV, Gill said “Edwin made it known that last season would be his last so we had planned for a new goalkeeper well in advance. With the others, the opportunities came along and we were comfortable with that. We’ve made three signings. We're looking at one more player to bring in.” Gill went on to add “Nothing is happening and nothing imminent is going on at the moment, but we'll see what happens when we get home. There is still be 31 days of the transfer window to see if anything develops. But I'm not working on anything at the moment, in that respect." The news from Gill will bring renewed hope to fans, who only a few days earlier had believed that they would see no more signings this Summer. But with contradicting views from both Manager and Chief Executive, it does leave slight confusion amongst fans as to where exactly United stand. It would not be the first time that after claiming United were no longer in the market, Sir Alex would go out and complete a transfer, however it is confusing as to why Sir Alex would make that statement, only to have David Gill make a completely contradicting view only days later. You have to imagine that Sir Alex can not be best thrilled to have been undermined in such a way, but the relationship between Sir Alex and David Gill has proven in the past to be a successful one, and it is doubtful that any hard feelings between the pair will stem from this situation. Confusion aside, the news from Gill leaves United fans in a much more comfortable position than it had appeared earlier in the week, and it again fuels speculation on a number of potential targets for United, with the most likely option being a certain Mr Sneijder.

 

With no confirmation from within the club, it is still unclear whether or not it is a central midfielder that United are looking to bring in, although it is unlikely that they would be seeking players in other positions where new talent is not required. With the news from Gill that it is a ‘world class’ player that they are currently seeking, it looks more and more likely than it will be Wesley Sneijder who finds himself playing at Old Trafford next season. However, with sources close to Inter Milan stating that Sneijder has no desire to leave, and with him also being at the centre of a new formation debuted by Milan earlier this week, there are also still clear signs that he may indeed stay at Inter Milan. If that is the case, there is also still the possibility that Arsenal’s Samir Nasri may be the one to join Manchester United, but he also found himself the subject of another of Sir Alex’s statements, when it was claimed that United would not be signing Nasri, but it has been proven this week that Sir Alex may not be entirely truthful when talking to the media. The arrival of Nasri would be a great signing for United, however it is no secret amongst most fans, that the player they sought after the most is indeed Wesley Sneijder. If United are able to get Sneijder, it would bring to an end one of the transfer sagas of the Summer, and would arguably be one of the biggest signings of the Summer, and with Sneijder possibly being the face of the new United midfield, it would be very hard to bet against United not only retaining their Premier League title, but also once again becoming the marquee team in Europe.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

James DeGale Given European Title Shot.

By Sheldan Keay

 

James DeGale will fight for the European super-middleweight title on home soil in September, despite surrendering the British strap in his latest bout. DeGale, an Olympic champion, saw his reputation dented when he suffered a narrow points defeat to George Groves, his long-standing rival, in May. But he now has an immediate opportunity to bounce back against European champion Piotr Wilczewski, who has lost once in 30 fights and is ranked third in the world by the WBO.

Speaking about the situation, DeGale said "Challenging for the European title is a fantastic opportunity to get myself back in the big picture in my first fight back, I've been hard in training since my last fight and I'm ready to box tomorrow if I need to, come September I'll be in great shape. The fight with Groves is in the past, I still believe I beat him, but I'm a positive person and now I'm focused on the future and a win will put me in a great position for a world title."

Surprisingly, DeGale's defeat against Groves does not appear to have thrown him off course in his bid to secure a world title-shot by the end of next year. His promoter Frank Warren pulled off a similar trick when he landed Amir Khan in a world championship bout just six months after he lost to Breidis Prescott.
"My promoter Frank Warren has done a great job in getting me home advantage for this title shot and now I've got to go out there, do the business and win it in style," DeGale said. In fact, I'm about to sign a new three-year deal with Frank and I'm really happy that he will continue to build my career as he has done since I turned professional. He brought Amir Khan back from a devastating knockout loss to a world title so I know that he can do it for me."

But Warren has warned DeGale that another defeat would send his career hurtling into reverse. "This is a make or break fight for James. He's got a big opportunity in front of him against Wilczewski and now has to go out there a deliver the goods and show the fans what he can do," he said. The fight announcement puts to an end any speculation that a rematch with George Groves could culminate, and instead it appears that DeGale has come out of the fight better off than Groves, despite Groves being the victor.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

Carlos Tevez Wants To Leave Man City.

By Sheldan Keay

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has put an end to the speculation, and has confirmed that he does wish to leave the club. Tevez has stated family reasons as being the cause for his desire to leave, saying that he can no longer cope with not being able to live in the North West without his daughters. 

The news may not come as a shock to many, however it was just a few days ago that Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was certain that Tevez would stay at Eastlands. Speaking over the weekend, Mancini said "Yes, of course Tevez will stay, he is a fantastic player." There had been talk of a potential swap deal with Inter Milan for Samuel Eto'o, with Mancini adding "here was talk of an exchange with Eto'o but Inter did not want to sell." This statement from Mancini may have calmed the minds of some fans, but others felt that the situation was not over, and indeed that proved to be the case. The situation first began back in December, when Tevez handed in a transfer request, citing the same family reasons that he recently announced in his latest statement. He later removed that request a week later, and commited his future to the club, however many believed that Tevez would still leave at the end of the season, which now appears to be the case.

In his statement, Tevez made it clear that he had no animosity towards the club, and his decision was made based entirely on his family. "I need to be closer to them and to spend more time with them, living without my children in Manchester has been incredibly challenging for me. Everything I do, I do for my daughters. I need them to be happy because my life is about them now. I need to be in a place where they can adapt. I hope that the people understand the difficult circumstances I have been living under the past 12 months, in regards to my family." Tevez went on to say that he thanks for the club for everything they have done for him during his time there. "I would like to state that I have great respect for the club, its supporters and the owner, Sheikh Mansoor, who has been nothing other than respectful to me. I hope that most of the City fans will understand that I have given them my all on the pitch and that my dedication to the City cause has been 100% on the pitch. I hope I have done my bit to help City continue their progress towards their ambition to be champions of England and to advance in the Champions League. I have no doubt that the players and management of City will achieve great success in the future."

Tevez enjoyed a succesful 2 year spell at City, which saw him captain the side to their first trophy win in 35 years when they lifted the F.A Cup, and also securing City's place in the Champions League following their 3rd place finish. There is no doubt that replacing the void that Tevez will leave will be a tough one for City, however, with money not an object for them, it is likely that the Argentinian will be replaced by another world class striker. The likes of Neymar, Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero have all been linked with moves to Eastlands, but City have announced that they are in no rush to sell Tevez and look for a replacement. A city spokesman said "Carlos is a contracted player to Manchester City for another three years and we have had no offers for him." It is likely that if City do sell Tevez as expected, they wish to recieve a fee of over £40 million for the Argentinian's services, a fee that only a handful of clubs around the globe will be able to afford, and with Inter Milan, the team who Tevez was heavily rumoured to be joining announcing that they do not wish to pay Tevez's £200,000 a week wages, where the Argentinian's future lies is anyone's guess.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

Haye Disappoints In One Sided Loss To Klitschko.

By Sheldan Keay

With all the trash talking finally over, the two year wait for David Haye to challenge for the honour of being the first man since Lennox Lewis to unify the heavyweight division, and attempt to cement his place as one of the best heavyweights in a long time was upon us, all that stood in his way was the number one heavyweight in the world Wladimir Klitschko, and we soon found out why Klitschko is indeed number one. 

The fight started with Klitschko immediatly taking the centre of the ring, and this would be repeated throughout the fight. Klitschko did what he has done to each of his recent previous opponents and utilised his jab to perfection in order to keep Haye at bay. Haye rarely provided a threat to Klitschko, and it appeared that all he could offer the Ukrainian in the form of an attack was an looping over hand right that was thrown several feet away from Klitschko, who in all but two occasions was about to avoid the shot. The two times Haye did land, Klitschko was able to hold Haye and prevent him from getting in any follow up shots when Haye ran in looking for the knockout. Quite disappointingly, Haye appeared to purposely go down whenever Klitschko leaned on top of him, and on several occasions it was quite clear that Haye could have easily remained on his feet. Haye's actions did result in the referee deducting a point from Klitschko in round 7 but after Klitschko's trainer Emanuel Steward reacted angrily about this decision,  the referee appeared to take no interest in Haye's antics any longer, and instead gave Haye a count in round 11 when he again decided to fall to the canvas.

Haye's ability to avoid many of Klitschko's shots did prove key at times, as Klitschko was unable to connect with any follow up to his jab on many occasions. Klitschko did appear to have Haye in trouble midway through the fight, but Haye was able to recover well get right back into the action. Haye also had Klitschko wobbled in the 3rd round and in the 12th round, but Klitschko also showed good composure to immediately recover, proving that despite the talk of both men having weak chins, they both took several shots well and appeared to show no real sign of being hurt by them. After 12 rounds of rather lacklustre action, the fight went to the judges scorecards, on all three saw Klitschko the victor, with one sided margins of 118-108, 117-109 and 116-110. 

Haye revealed after the fight that he was nursing a broken toe, and he felt that this was the reason for his loss. "I couldn't push on my right leg. I broke my toe on my right foot. I couldn't push off the right foot to throw the right hand. I thought adrenaline would get me through it but it was tough. It's incredibly frustrating. We were thinking about pulling out three weeks ago but we couldn't with all these great fans here. My plan was to win this fight but for whatever reason it wasn't meant to be today. It's frustrating because I'm so powerful, but I couldn't land many punches.I've got a lot of respect for Wladimir and he's a great fighter. Everything that was said in the lead up was for him to come and get me so I could land my shots." Despite the heated trash talk from Haye leading up to the fight, it was evident that he respected Klitschko post fight, and this was shown when the two finally embraced with a hand shake after the bout, there was no denying that Klitschko deserved it, as he outstruck Haye in 11 of the 12 rounds.

Haye made it clear that he had no intention to continue fighting after his 31st birthday in October, but after his loss to Klitschko, Haye has now stated that if he was to get a rematch, he would consider postponing his retirement plans. Haye stated "I’d love the opportunity to do it again. In an ideal world, let’s do it again.”

They say that if it makes dollars, it makes sense. He said he’d knock me out, that I’d be his 50th knockout. I do believe I was not at my best. If I had been 100pc, maybe it would have made a difference, but we’ll never know. If I were to fight him again, I’d do things differently. The Klitschko camp has since said that they have no intention of granting Haye a rematch, but if one was to culminate, then Haye would have a lot of work to do if he is to stand any chance of defeating Wladimir Klitschko, as Saturday showed that Klitschko is a league above the former WBA heavyweight champion David Haye.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

Cruz Decisions Faber In Enthralling Main Event.

By Sheldan Keay

Just over 4 years ago, Urijah Faber earned a submission victory over Dominick Cruz to retain the WEC Featherweight Championship. The two met again in the main event at UFC 132 as bantamweights, and despite this time fighting for over 23 minutes more than their last encounter, it was a much more exciting affair which saw Cruz earn his revenge and come out the victor. After 5 rounds of fast paced exciting action, Cruz got the decision victory with scores of 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47, and proved that the bantamweights have well and truely arrived on the world stage.

Despite the score of 50-45, the fight was a lot closer, and Faber was able to knock Cruz down on several occasions, but the champion was never in any trouble, and he was able to compose himself and cause Faber some problems too. While Faber may have landed the eye catching shots, Cruz landed a lot more strikes on his opponent, and these shots added with his speed and movement were far too much for a much more stationary Faber to deal with. A couple of the rounds could have arguably gone either way, and Faber believes he did enough to get the win. "Congratulations to Dominick, he won. It wasn't enough of an output on my side to make it a decision. I didn't finish him. So, I felt like it could have gone either way. I thought I won the fight. But again, you can't really judge when it comes to that." After each man now holding one victory each, a triology fight may be possible, and there shouldn't be many who would disagree following the exciting battle the two men fought in on Saturday.

Despite the 25 minutes that the two main eventers fought for, the co-main event was much nearer to 25 seconds, as it took Chris Leben just 27 seconds to knock out MMA legend Wanderlei Silva in Silva's first UFC bout in 17 months. Nobody expected this fight to go the distance, and this was proven when the two started swinging wildly after only a few seconds of the bout, but Leben landed flush several times on the chin of the Axe Murderer, and Silva dropped to the mat to then be hit by some of Leben's ground and pound which saw the contest come to a close. Leben weighed in on the situation, stating that "Wanderlei is my hero, he's always been my favorite fighter. I only visualized a three-round war. I never envisioned a knockout. It's unbelievable." It was a sad sight for Silva, who if Dana White gets his wish, may well have had his last bout in the Octagon.

Another man who was expected to be having his last bout in the Octagon, will be back again, after Tito Ortiz ended his 5 year wait without a victory to submit Ryan Bader in the first round. Bader went into the bout as the heavy favourite, and was regareded as being the much better striker out of the two. However, it was Ortiz who dropped Bader with a right hand, and he was able to pounce on Bader and secure the guillotine choke after 1:56 of the first round. Speaking after the fight, Ortiz said "The key tonight was the guys that I've been training with, it's such a positive group of guys, and anytime I thought I wanted to let up in training, they kept pushing me. I put my private life on the backburner for this training camp so that I could focus on performing like I'm capable of performing. It's such a great feeling to get this win. I'm reinventing myself." Where this lives Ortiz is anybodys guess, but Bader was also looking to revive his career following his loss to Jon Jones in February. Bader explained "I just woke up in a guillotine, I got rocked with a big punch and next thing you know, I was in a guillotine. I thought I was doing well with my footwork, but I talked to my coaches and realized I made some mistakes." This bout proved that you can't count anybody out in MMA.

Carlos Condit continued to impress, as he knocked out the undefeated Dong Hyun Kim in the first round of their fight. Kim would have been expected to come into this fight looking to take Condit down,  and he was able to do so early on in the round, but Condit showed that he has vastly improved his wrestling, and was able to get back up, before nailing Kim with a flying knee that left him slouched against the cage. Condit then followed this up with some punches which resulted in the referee waving off the contest. Condit is doing nothing but good things in his quest to get a title shot, and he made this clear after the fight, asking Joe Silva if he was ready for a title shot. Also reflecting on his win, Condit explained "I had an excellent game plan and I trusted in it, every time I go out there, I just fight to the best of my ability and tonight I couldn't be more pleased with how it worked out."

In the final main card bout, Dennis Siver won a close decision against Matt Wiman which the crowd certainly didn't agree with. This bout turned out to be a typical striker vs wrestler bout, Siver used his striking ability to trouble Wiman in the first, Wiman then used his wrestling in the second to keep Siver down for the majority of the round and open up a cut on the head of Siver following some vicious elbows. But despite many then scoring the third round for Wiman, Siver was given the decision with each judge scoring the bout 29-28 in the German's favour. Wiman disagreed with the judges decision and referring to the fight, stated that "maybe Siver got the decision because he threw more punches, but they weren't effective. Effective striking and grappling is what they say, and he didn't have that at all."

Notable bouts on the preliminary card saw Melvin Guillard continue to work his way to a lightweight title shot, with a first round stoppage of WEC veteran Shane Roller. Another lightweight bout that featured on the prelims, saw George Sotiropoulos suffer his second straight loss, as he was also knocked out in the first round to Rafael dos Anjos. Brian Bowles has been mentioned as a possible next opponent for Dominick Cruz, and he won a decision over Takeya Mizugaki in his quest to reclaim his belt. Overall, UFC 132 was a great event, and helped to give the lower weight divisions such as the bantamweights the exposure they needed in order to help them become known on the world stage.

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Djokovic Proves His Class To Win Wimbledon.

By Sheldan Keay

Following Novak Djokovic's semi-final win over Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, it was announced that he would become the new world number 1. Many people questioned whether this should be the case if the former world number 1 Rafael Nadal was to beat Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. This was not to be the case as Djokovic blew away the Spaniard on his way to his maiden Wimbledon title.

In a final that pitted the two top seeded players together, both men entered the final with two amazing streaks to their name. Nadal had won 20 straight matches at Wimbledon, having not lost a match since losing the 2007 Wimbledon Men's Final to Roger Federer. Djokovic also boasted an impressive record, having entered the contest with 49 wins from 50 matches this year. The majority of people were torn as to who they believed would win the final, stating that it would be a close affair, but it was anything but that. Djokovic came into the match having beaten Nadal in four finals this year, and it looked like it could soon be a fifth, when Djokovic captured the first set, breaking Nadal in the 10th game after the first 9 games had stayed on serve. The first set may have been close, but the second set was far more dominant, as Djokovic smashed 13 winners on his way to securing a one sided 6-1 set. It looked like Nadal was down and out, but it would be foolish to count out the defending champion, and this would be proved to be correct.

Nadal hit back in the third set to get right back into the match, and earned himself a 6-1 set of his own, and many believed that Djokovic may not have the mental toughness to be able to see off the fierce comeback that was being displayed from Nadal. However, Djokovic was able to keep his nerve, and despite Nadal having break point at the start of the set, Djokovic was able to keep his serve and continue to play the sort of tennis that he has been playing all year to secure the set 6-3, and become Wimbledon champion for the first time.

Speaking after the match, Djokovic said "It's really hard to describe this with any words except as the best day of my life, the most special day of my life. This is my favourite tournament, the tournament I always dreamed of winning, the first tournament I ever watched in my life. I think I'm still sleeping, I'm still having my dream. When you're playing the best player in the world, Rafael Nadal, who has won two out of the last three Wimbledon's and he has always been winning the big matches against me in the Grand Slams, I had to be on the top of my game, I had to play my best. I think I played probably my best match on the grass courts ever." Djokovic sealed his victory by kissing the centre court grass, and if anybody had doubts over whether he deserved to be world number 1, those doubts surely will no longer exist.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

Kongo Stops Barry In Amazing Comeback.

By Sheldan Keay

After the chaos that surrounded the UFC on Versus card following the cancellation of the main event and subsequent release of Nate Marquardt, many were skeptical as to whether or not this card would live up to expectations. The new main event certainly did.

After being promoted from the co-main event to the headlining bout, heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Pat Barry were given the task of making sure that the paying spectators went home happy, and the pair succeeded in doing so. After around 2 minutes of neither man significantly engaging, Barry knocked Kongo down to the mat and followed that up with some ground and pound, that led to UFC commentators Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan both believing the bout was over. However, Kongo was able to get back to his feet, only to then be knocked straight back down, again leading to many believing the fight was coming to a close. It turned out that it would be, but not the way anybody expected it. Kongo again managed to return to his feet, and while staggering back towards the cage, a pressing Barry was soon hit with an unexpected right hook and upper cut, which resulted in him lay flat out on the mat. Kongo followed that up with some ground and pound to Barry, and referee Dan Miragliotta waved off the contest, something many thought he would have done during Barry's enslaught of Kongo, it turned out to be the right decision to let the bout continue.

The unexpected turn around from Kongo was a remarkable one, and one that is up there with previous UFC bouts such as Scott Smith VS Pete Sell as one of the best comebacks in MMA history. It was such a turn around, that it led to Barry stating the following after the bout. "Honestly, when I was laying on my back and (coach) Marty Morgan was standing over me, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, hey man, I killed him!" Barry can not be blamed for believing that he had won when he regained consciousness, as many believed this was to be the case before the shocking turn around. However, it wasn't the only shocking result on the card, as that was also the case in the quickly thrown together co-main event.

Flying high Rick Story was sent crashing back down to Earth, after his high profile victory over top contender Thiago Alves at UFC 130, Story was being praised as a potential future title challenger. While that still may be the case, it doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon, this is due to his shock defeat to relatively unknown Charlie Brenneman. Both men entered the week leading up to the fight expecting to face different opponents. Story was drafted in as a late replacement for the injured Anthony Johnson who was set to face Nate Marquardt in the main event, whereas Brenneman was set to face TJ Grant on the preliminary card. However, Grant pulled out of their bout with an illness in midweek, and as previously mentioned, Marquardt was released from the bout after he tested positive for hormone replacement therapy, and this left both men without an opponent, therefore this bout was thrown together with just over 24 hours to go until the event.

Story was the overwhelming favourite in the fight, and the fight was seen as a lose-lose fight for Story, a win would put him no closer to a title shot, and a loss would sent him right back down the ladder. Unlike the main event, this contest was staged primarily on the ground, which is expected with both fighter boasting great wrestling credentials. However, it was Brenneman who was deemed the more effective following 3 close rounds, and was given the decision after all three judges scored the fight 29-28 in Brenneman's favour. The fight is a huge set back for Story, who went from potentially earning a title shot with a win over Marquardt, to a loss against lowly ranked Brenneman, you cannot take anything away from Brenneman though, as he put in a great performance to potentially prove that the lowly ranked fighters can compete with the best when given an opportunity.

 

Also on the main card, Matt Brown ended his three fight losing streak with a unanimous decision win over John Howard, who now has three back to back losses to his name. Whether or not Howard will still remain with the company following this is up for debate. The final bout on the main card saw a heavyweight encounter take place between Matt Mitrione and Christian Morecraft. Both men were trash talking in the build up to the fight, but it was Mitrione who made the trash talk count, as he earned the stoppage victory over Morecraft in the second round. Some notable bouts on the preliminary card saw Tyson Griffin earn a majority decision victory over Manny Gamburyan, Javier Vazquez defeat Joe Stevenson by unanimous decision, and Charles Oliveira and Nik Lentz fight to a no contest, after the original verdict of Oliveira winning by submission being over turned due to an accidental illegal knee by Oliveira.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

A Hit And Miss Night For British Boxing.

By Sheldan Keay

 British boxing was heavily featured tonight, and while it may have been a good night for one of our fighters, sadly it wasn't for another. Matthew Macklin failed in his bid to win the WBA middleweight championship, after a controversial split decision loss to champion Felix Sturm. However, Kell Brook put on a great display to push Lovemore N'Dou to his limits on his way to a unanimous points victory over the seasoned veteran.

Macklin got off to a great start in his fight with Sturm, hitting the German with punishing shots to the body that left his chest covered in redness and could very easily have left Sturm with several broken ribs. Macklin continued to look strong going into the mid way part of the fight, however Sturm then began to gain his composure and showed why he was the reigning champion. Each round featured some good exchanges with each boxer, and could have easily been given either way. However, due to the great start that Macklin made, most media scoring the fight had him as the victor, this was not to be though as the judges awarded Sturm a split decision, with scores of 116-112 to Sturm from two judges, and 115-113 to Macklin from the other. 

Speaking about the fight, Macklin said "I was very strong, stronger than Felix and I won, no doubt, I hope Felix will give me another fight, maybe in November." It would be hard to find somebody who would disagree with whether or not Macklin deserved a rematch, as the performance he put in showed exactly why he earned this world title fight, and showed exactly why his trainer Joe Gallagher was on a 49 fight winning streak as a trainer. 

 Despite the disappointment in Germany, Kell Brook was able to make the night partly succesful, due to the great performance that he put on in his native Sheffield. In a fight that many said would be the hardest of his career, Brook was able to dominate N'Dou from bell to bell, and won all but 1 round on two of the judges score cards, with the third judge giving one more round to N'Dou. Despite never being stopped in his career, N'Dou was forced to clinch and hold Brook several times in order to try and stop the enslaught of attacks that he was facing, as Brook hurt N'Dou with punishing upper cut and haymakers.

Speaking about the fight, Brook said "I maybe said I'd stop him to hype it up and get people interested, but at the back of my mind I knew it would be a 12-round fight, It's a big learning curve in my career, my first 12-round fight. Maybe I held back a bit and there were some things I did wrong, but that's all learnt now." The win earned Brook the WBA inter-continental championship, and may leave him in prime position for a world title shot at the WBA belt. Current champion Viacheslav Senchenko defends the belt against Marco Antonio Avendano in Ukraine on August 20th, and the winner of that bout could see themselves defending the title against Brook in the UK before the end of the year. 

All in all, both Macklin and Brook can be proud of their performances tonight, while Macklin may have come up short in his bid to become champion, he won the hearts of many with his gutsy performance, and with many feeling that he won the fight, he may have earned himself a rematch with Sturm. As for Brook, he again proved why many are tipping him for great things in the welterweight division, and with a world title shot within his grasp, he is showing why he is regarded as one of the UK's biggest prospects.

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Nate Marquardt Released From UFC.

By Sheldan Keay

 As we prepared for the fighters to weigh in for this Sunday's UFC on Versus 4 event, nobody expected that we would recieve news from Dana White that the UFC has released a high profile fighter, and it was an even bigger shock when that fighter turned out to be Nate Marquardt, who was scheduled to main event the card on Sunday.

The shocking news first came to a head when it was announced that Marquardt was pulled from the card due to him failing a pre-fight test which he is required to take in order to fight. It was initially believed that this could have been due to an injury Marquardt had picked up in training that he had failed to recover from, but after Dana White announced via his Twitter page that Marquardt has been released, it would appear that it is much more serious than that.

Several rumours are floating around that Marquardt's firing could be due to irregularity during his drugs test, however those are just rumours at this current time. Marquardt had already been facing a change of opponent in Rick Story, and now Story will have only 24 hours to prepare for his new opponent, Charlie Brenneman, who was set to feature on the card against T.J Grant, but that fight was called off after Grant fell ill earlier this week.

Despite this set back, all the other fighters on the card succesfully made weight for the event, and due to the cancellation of the main event, Cheick Kongo VS Pat Barry will be promoted from co-main event to the main event on the card, with Rick Story and Charlie Brenneman becoming the co-main event of the evening.

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England Collapse Hands Sri Lanka Crushing Win.

By Sheldan Keay 

Despite a good start, England lost the first Twenty20 match to Sri Lanka after collasping from 95-2 after 10 overs to 136-9 after 20 overs. It will be a huge blow to captain Stuart Broad, who was leading out England for the first time in his career.

England were criticised before the match for their failure to include several high profile names such as Ian Bell in the squad for the Twenty20 game, but initially it appeared that England would be fine without them. After a poor start where England lost Michael Lumb for 2 and Craig Kieswetter for 4, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan steadied the ship on their way to both men nearly reaching their half centuries. However after losing both men in quick succession, the rest of England's order could only make a combined 35, to leave Sri Lanka needing 137 runs to win the match.

England got off to a good start in their bowling efforts, with England debutant Jade Dernbach taking the wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya for 8 in the 4th over. But Sri Lanka didn't look back from there, and eased their way to a 9 wicket victory with just under 4 overs to spare, with Mahela Jayawardena hitting 72, and Kumar Sangakkara hitting 43. Sri Lanka looked impressive throughout the match, both in their bowling and their batting, however it is up to debate whether or not Sri Lanka were that good or if England were that bad.

Several England players failed to impress, with Samit Patel being cheaply run out for 0 on his return to the side. Stuart Broad also dissapointed with the bad, and also went for a duck after 3 balls. Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright were England's opening partnership at the T20 World Cup, and had a brief spell together during the middle order, but Wright could only manage 9 while Bopara briefly impressed with his score of 19. The game got off to a bad start for England from the off set, with Stuart Broad losing the toss in his first match as England captain.

All in all, England were looking promising before a middle order collaspe handed Sri Lanka the victory, despite being Twenty20 world champions, this lacklustre performance will give England little confidence heading in to their one day internationals with Sri Lanka, where the team will once again be altered, causing more disrupt in the England camp.

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Can Anybody Stop Sebastian Vettel?

By Sheldan Keay

Earlier today, Sebastian Vettel stormed his way to his 7th poll position of the 2011 F1 Grand Prix as he set a new record lap time around Valencia's street circuit in qualifying for tomorrow's European Grand Prix. The reigning champion has looked unstoppable this season, and it begs the question as to whether or not anybody can stop the German?

Since Michael Schumacher's 5 year reign as F1 world champion was ended by Fernando Alonso in 2005, the sport has seen 5 different world champions in that time, with Alonso winning twice, and Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and most recently Vettel all being crowned champion. This constant swapping of champions gave the impression that it may be a while until the Sport would see a driver with as much dominance as Schumacher, but funnily enough, it may be a fellow German who appears to have broken this trend.

Vettel burst on to the world stage after sealing his maiden F1 world championship on the final race of the year, after beating off competition from Alonso, team mate Mark Webber and Hamilton, who were all mathmatically eligible of becoming champion. Alonso was leading the championship on 246 points, while Vettel was third with 231 points. Vettel went on to win the race, while Alonso could only manage to finish seventh, which gave Vettel the championship by four points, as he finished on 256 overall points. Despite this close finish to the 2010 F1 season, this season has been anything but close.

Vettel has not finished out of the top 2 in any of the 7 races this season, winning 5 of them. He has already amassed a lead of 50 points over 2nd placed Jenson Button, and with another poll position under his belt, it is hard to see any fault in Vettel's game that would allow him to let this lead slip. During the Canadian Grand Prix, it was shown that when under pressure Vettel may let leads slip, as his mistake allowed Jenson Button to overtake him on the last lap on the way to his only win of the season. However, this was a rare occasion for Vettel, and it is unlikely that this action will be repeated by Vettel.

If Vettel is to go on to win the 2011 championship like he is expected, it would appear that Formula 1 would have uncovered a new star, and at just 23 years old, Vettel can look forward to a great career if he continues to produce the hard work and determination that has made his succesful thus far in his career. It would be fitting that it is another German who may be the one to dominate this Sport for the years ahead, following the success that was shown by a certain Michael Schumacher nearly a decade ago.

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Kell Brook VS Lovemore N'Dou Preview

By Sheldan Keay

 

As well as Matthew Macklin's world title challenge on Saturday, another high profile English boxer returns to the ring in his quest for his own world title bout. Highly rated Kell Brook returns to his native Sheffield for the first time in 6 years to face crafty veteran Lovemore N'Dou for the vacant WBA inter-continental welterweight title.

Brook comes into this fight having won all 23 of his previous bouts, and will be looking to extend that record to 24 unbeaten. Having stopped 12 of his last 13 opponents, Brook will believe that has the tools to be able to become the first man to stop N'Dou. At the age of 39, N'Dou be stepping in to the ring for his 63rd professional bout, having previously won 48 of them. Despite being beat 12 times in his career, most recently in his last outing against WBC light middleweight champion Saul Alvarez, N'Dou has never been stopped during his 18 year career.

British boxing fans may remember N'Dou for a number of reasons, he fought former world light welterweight champion Junior Witter to a close decision at the Staples Centre back in 2005, and also lost a split decision to opponent Paulie Malignaggi, which became known as the infamous "hair cut fight" due to Malignaggi having his ponytail being cut off mid way through the fight, that bout took place on the undercard of Rickie's Hatton 2008 bout against Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium. Most recently, N'Dou faced off against Matthew Hatton in November 2009 for N'Dou's IBO welterweight title, in a bout that after 12 grueling rounds, was ruled a draw.

Brook appears to have all the right skills in order to beat N'Dou, being only 25, he is the much younger man, and will have a considerable speed advantage over N'Dou. Brook is also well known for being a heavy hitter, with 16 of his 23 victories coming inside the distance. Not surprisingly, he is being backed as the heavy favourite for this fight, and not only does Brook think that he can stop N'Dou, but he also feels that this fight is a good way to silence those who have doubted him. Brook said "I hope I can be the first guy to stop him, he's never been in with someone like me, that's a challenge, but I'd love to give the fans a 12 round exciting fight. And it's also good for me if I do go 12 rounds because I've never been 12 rounds before." He went on to say "Lovemore N'dou is an ex-world champion, he's tough, game and has been in with the best. He's definitely a step up in class. That's what I want - I don't want to be fighting lesser opponents, I want to be fighting tough people."

If Brook is to win this fight, he would be in poll position for a world title fight somewhere down the line, and Brook also believes that he is ready for such an occasion if it was to arise. "Hopefully my next fight is a world title fight. I'm willing to fight any of the champions. I want to chase the title and get one of those belts. With this bout being contensted over the WBA inter-continental championship, this would appear to put Brook in contention for a fight against the WBA world champion, who currently belongs to Ukranian Viacheslav Senchenko. With Senchenko's last 3 outings having gone to decision against questionable opponents, Brook has every chance of being able to defeat the champion should a bout take place. However, first things first, he must overcome the challenge of N'Dou on Saturday, and then look forward to a potential world title fight at a later date.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

How Will Marquardt Perform As A Welterweight?

By Sheldan Keay

This Sunday night, UFC travels to Pennsylvania for another of their annual UFC on Versus events, in which the main event will be a welterweight battle featuring rising star Rick Story and former middleweight contender Nate Marquardt, who will be making his debut at 170 pounds. Many questions have been asked regarding this bout, perhaps the most frequent being how will Marquardt perform as a welterweight?

Many were shocked when following his March victory over Dan Miller, Nate Marquardt announced he was dropping from middleweight to welterweight. After competing at 185 pounds throughout his career, Marquardt announced that he decided to make the switch after a long discussion with fellow team mate and current UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre. A planned bout with Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson was scrapped after Johnson became injured in training, and Rick Story stepped in on just over two weeks notice. 

 Story is riding high following a unanimous decision victory over former welterweight title challenger Thiago Alves at UFC 130, and many are backing Story to be the future of the welterweight division. Story’s strengths lie with his wrestling ability, and Marquardt has shown in the past to have difficulty in this area, most notably against Chael Sonnen at UFC 109. But Marquardt will have a height and reach advantage over Story, something he rarely had over his opponents at Middleweight, and this could help to give Marquardt the distance he requires to try and frustrate Story when he is expected to look for the takedown. The big factor in this fight is how Marquardt will cope with the weight cut, as previously mentioned, this is the first time Marquardt has competed outside of the 185 pound division, and if he is left drained from the cut, it could be an easy night for Story.

Also on the card, heavyweight’s Pat Barry and Cheick Kongo clash in the night’s co-main event. Barry is coming off the back of a win over Joey Beltran in January, and a win over Kongo would arguably be the biggest of his career, and may see him recognised as one of UFC’s top ten heavyweights. Kongo returns to the cage after a 8 month absence, following a lack lustre draw against Travis Browne at UFC 120. With both men’s specialities lying in Kickboxing, this fight has the ingredients to be a stand up war, but as we have recently seen in other high profile heavyweight bouts, (Junior dos Santos VS Shane Carwin and Alistair Overeem VS Fabricio Werdum) that isn’t always the case. 

 Albeit minor, Kongo does have a wrestling background and could look to take Barry down in this fight as that has been where Barry has looked most vulnerable in the past. However, Barry now trains at DeathClutch along with Brock Lesnar, and there is no doubt that Barry would have picked up some wrestling tips along the way. Perhaps the biggest factor in this fight will be Kongo’s height and reach advantage over Barry, With Kongo having a 5 inch height advantage, and close to a 8 inch reach advantage. If Kongo is able to stay on the back foot and utilise a jab to keep Barry at bay, this could be the best game plan that Kongo could strategise in order to earn him the victory, however Barry has shown in some of his previous UFC outings against Dan Eversen and Antoni Hardonk that he can use punishing leg kicks to cancel out any size advantage his opponent may have. Either way, this fight will be an interesting one.

Rounding up the main card is a welterweight battle between Matt Brown and John Howard. Brown was pulled from his planned under card bout with Rich Attonito and replaced Martin Kampmann following his withdrawal through injury. Both men are known for liking to stand and trade, and this bout shouldn’t be any different, it certainly shouldn’t disappoint. 

The final bout featured on the main card is a Heavyweight clash between Matt Mitrione and Christian Morecraft. Mitrione is on a four fight win streak and has continued to impress since appearing on The Ultimate Fighter in 2009, and will look to continue his good run of form against the talented Morecraft. Morecraft is also coming off the back of a win, following his submission win over Sean McCorkle in April. Both men have shown that they have heavy hands, and this fight should be another that will provide fireworks.

Other notable fights that feature on the card include Tyson Griffin and Joe Stevenson making their featherweight debuts, against WEC veterans Manvel Gamburyan and Javier Vasquez respectfully. Lightweight Joe Lauzon returns to the cage for his first fight since his loss to George Sotiropoulos in November, and will face Englishman Curt Warburton. Highly touted prospect Charles Oliveira looks to bounce back to his December loss over top lightweight contender Jim Miller, as he faces off against NCAA Division 1 wrestling Nik Lentz, and lightweight Michael Johnson makes his UFC debut following his stint on The Ultimate Fighter in 2010, as he faces WEC veteran Edward Faaloloto who is also making his UFC debut. This card is stacked from top to bottom, and all in all should feature a good night of fights. 

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Can Matthew Macklin Shock The World?

By Sheldan Keay

 

This Saturday night, Matthew Macklin has the opportunity to become the sixth British fighter to currently hold a world title as he fights for the WBA World Middleweight Title, but if he is to do so he must overcome the talented German Felix Sturm in the German’s hometown of Cologne.

Sturm who is widely regarded as one of the top two middleweights in the world along with Argentinean Sergio Martinez, has held the title for over 4 years, but has gained criticism for the level of opponent he has faced in his last couple of fights, Macklin will stop this trend. The Birmingham man goes into this fight on the back of eleven straight wins since his fight of the year candidate against Jamie Moore in 2006. A string of impressive wins has seen him capture the European Middleweight title, and while he enters the fight with Sturm as an underdog, many involved in the Sport believe that Macklin can cause the upset.

Sturm comes into this fight as the much more technical boxer, and if Macklin is to stand a chance of beating the German he may have to look to finish this fight inside the distance in order to win the belt, something he may find difficult as Sturm has only been stopped once in 38 fights. Although, as previously mentioned, Macklin possesses a much higher calibre of opponent than what Sturm has recently faced, and with 19 of Macklin’s 28 victories coming by way of stoppage, if he does land a big shot on Sturm then it could be curtains for the German.

However, this fight will also be a big step up for Macklin, who returns to the ring for the first time since last December, and competes in his first ever fight in mainland Europe. After 3 stoppages in his last 4 fights, a lack lustre performance against Ruben Varon earned Macklin his critics, but he believes that he has what it takes to earn himself his first world title. Speaking of Sturm, Macklin said “"I think that there is just a chance that he has taken me a bit lightly and that will be perfect on the night. I'm prepared for the fight of my life and I'll have to produce my best performance ever. He probably thinks that I'm an easy touch.”

If Macklin is able to defeat the German, a unification bout with fellow Englishman Darren Barker may be possible for next year, as Barker is widely expected to face Sergio Martinez in October. If that bout is to culminate, it could lead to the same sort of buzz that was created during the rivarly between Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn in the 1990's. But first things first, Macklin must overcome Sturm on Saturday, and I do believe that he can defeat the German to claim his maiden world title, and indeed shock the world.

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay

Can Manchester United’s Youth Step Up If They Don’t Sign A Centre Midfielder?

By Sheldan Keay

This Summer, Manchester United have been linked with a huge list of midfielders, including the likes of Tottenham’s Luka Modric and Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder, but with United already set to have spent over £50 million this season following the expected signings of David De Gea, Phil Jones and Ashley Young, another signing may not be possible. With this being the case, could the youth of Manchester United step up to the plate in their quest to clinch more silverware next season. 

Following the retirement of Paul Scholes, it was widely expected United would sign a centre midfielder to help fill the void that has been left due to the legend’s exit, but if this was not to be the case, could those who have helped Manchester United’s youth team clinch the Youth Cup be the ones to step up and take the place that Scholes once commanded? I think it could be very possible. Manchester United proved this past season that they have one of the best youth academy’s in the world, after their dominant performances in the Youth Cup earned them the honour of being the first team to the win the Cup 10 times, following a 6-3 aggregate win over Sheffield United.

Several players impressed, most notably Ravel Morrison, who finished his season by scoring two goals in the home leg in front of the Old Trafford faithful. The impressive display by Morrison has not gone unnoticed, and has led to him recently earning his first cap for England’s U18 side. It is no surprise that his  performances have led to him being touted as one of England’s best prospects, but he is not the only English talent that Manchester United currently possesses. While Ravel Morrison provides the attacking midfield threat for the youth team, it is another Englishman that provides the defensive side, Ryan Tunnicliffe. 

With the ability to play as either a defender or a midfielder, Tunnicliffe offers United something they have craved over the past few seasons when injuries have left them short of defenders and forced to play the likes of Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick in order to complete a make shift back four. Tunnicliffe has had a phenomenal season for United, one that was capped off with him earning the status of being Manchester United Academy player of the year. It is obvious that the decision to award Tunnicliffe as the player of the year would have been a hard choice, simply due to the hard work and commitment displayed by the majority of United’s youth players this season, including talented Frenchman Paul Pogba. After a slow start, Pogba reached his peak during the culmination of United’s cup campaign, which included a string of impressive outings in the latter rounds of the cup. Pogba has proven time and time again that he has a keen eye for goal, something that would be crucial if he was to make the switch to the senior squad, in fact any of the three mentioned players have shown that they have the skill and ability to be able to fit in perfectly to United’s current side. The only question mark would potentially be whether or not it would come too soon for these youngsters.

There is no denying that the lifestyle of a footballer is an extravagant one, and usually one that results in them making several mistakes off the field, as shown in the problems Ravel Morrison has experienced in the past during his time in court over allegations of witness intimidation. If these players were to be featured regularly in the senior squad, it would result in them being a much more common figure in the public eye, and it is unknown as to whether or not they would be able to cope with the added pressure at such a tender age. Sir Alex has shown in the past that he likes to ease in his young players through a mixture of loan spells and league cup games, and it is likely that he would follow the same structure with this current crop of players. However it has been proven by other top Premier League clubs that age should not come into consideration when debating the ability of a player, most notably visible during Jack Wilshere’s successful season at Arsenal, which culminated in him earning the PFA young player of the year. With the amount of experienced players that United currently possesses, this would help to allow this set of fresh faced youngsters to settle down at United with the guidance of those who have previously been in their position. 

If United do indeed not sign a centre midfielder during this transfer window, then I believe that these players have the potential to initially be a great squad addition there to step in if the likes of Fletcher and Carrick among others are unable to play, but as the season advances and they gain the experience they require, I fully expect to see these players knocking on the door of a first team start to help United in their hopes of clinching not only a twentieth Premier league title, but also their quest in obtaining both domestic and European cup glory. This set of players have been widely tipped as being the most successful crop of United’s youngsters since the famous class of 92, and I personally expect to see them burst onto the world stage with the same brilliance that was once displayed by the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Beckham during their rise through the United ranks. 

Follow Sheldan on Twitter: @SheldanKeay