MEN’S DIVISIONS
Flyweight (Up to 105 pounds)
Super Flyweight (Over 105.1 to 115 lbs)
Bantamweight (Over 115.1 to 125 lbs)
Super Bantamweight (Over 125.1 to 135 lbs)
Featherweight (Over 135.1 to 145 lbs)
Lightweight (Over 145.1 to 155 lbs)
Super Lightweight (Over 155.1 to 165 lbs)
Welterweight (Over 165.1 to 175 lbs)
Super Welterweight (Over 175.1 to 185 lbs)
Middleweight (Over 185.1 to 195 lbs)
Super Middleweight (Over 195.1 to 205 lbs)
Light Heavyweight (Over 205.1 to 225 lbs)
Heavyweight (Over 225.1 to 265 lbs)
Super Heavyweight (Over 265.1 pounds)

WOMEN’S DIVISIONS
Flyweight (95 lbs. and below)
Bantamweight (95.1-105 lbs.)
Featherweight (105.1-115 lbs.)
Lightweight (115.1-125 lbs.)
Welterweight (125.1-135 lbs.)
Middleweight (135.1-145 lbs.)
Light Heavyweight (145.1-155 lbs.)
Cruiserweight (155.1-165 lbs.)
Heavyweight (165.1-185 lbs.)
Super Heavyweight (185.1 and above)

The following is the official proposal:

Proposed Amendments for the
UNIFIED RULES OF MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
Revised Edition II

Presented to the Association of Boxing Commissions
Annual General Meeting
July 2008
Montreal, Quebec Canada

Prepared and Submitted By (in alphabetical order):

Armando Garcia - Sacramento, California USA,
Dale Kliparchuk – Edmonton, Alberta, CANADA
Nick Lembo - Trenton, New Jersey USA
Timothy J. Lueckenhoff- Jefferson City, Missouri, USA
John McCarthy – Los Angeles, California, USA

Introduction:
Every Athletic Commission’s mission statement encompasses the practice of keeping all athletes who engage in combative sports safe and protected. With that fundamental statement in mind, the primary and guiding principle with the development of these amendments is to ensure the safety of the athlete.

The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts
The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts – established by the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board have become the de facto set of rules for professional MMA internationally. These rules have long served the sport of MMA and it should not go without mentioning and giving recognition to those individuals who helped develop and create the original rules for the betterment of the sport of MMA, and the safety of the athletes. If not for the creation and implementation of the Unified Rules, then the sport of MMA may not have developed and maintained the strong safety record that has embraced it.

Why The Need for the Amendments?
The natural question is that if the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts have been sufficient up until now, then why the need for these proposed amendments?

The rapid growth of MMA has allowed more information to come forward about many facets of the sport. Suffice to say that as the sport has grown, the level of understanding of the technical aspects, officiating, types of injuries, match making, and sports administration have become much more developed. Athletic Commissions and their staff of officials, and medical personnel, as well as the athletes and promoters have for the most part, a deeper understanding of the sport of MMA compared to over a decade ago. It goes without saying that as the sport has evolved and knowledge has evolved then rules should also match that evolutionary process, as long as they are governed with the safety of the athlete as the principle factor.

Keep in mind these amendments do not disregard the original Unified Rules. For the most part many of the original Unified Rules have been preserved. However, with the added experience of now countless MMA events that have occurred internationally, some rules have been amended to reflect this experience. These amendments still guard the safety of the athletes, while at the same time keeping the integrity of the sport.

The Referee
MMA can be fast paced, and involve multi dimensional skill sets, including striking, grappling, throws, takedowns, and submissions. The MMA referee has to interpret and react to an ever changing environment of techniques and positions, while at the same time, maintain control of the combatants, and continually monitor all safety aspects of the match. The cognitive skills of a referee are of paramount importance to the safety of the participants. A referee’s reaction time and decisiveness is a critical factor in performing official duties while inside the combat arena. However, a referee cannot just react. The referee must react with the appropriate behavior and make the right choices while officiating the match.

Athletic Commissions – as they should - have relied heavily on the referee for the safety of the athletes involved in sport combat. As such, the intention of these amendments is to create greater clarity for MMA referees, so that they can react quickly and decisively to enhance a athlete’s safety in the combat arena. A referee, who is not burdened by subjective and sometimes ambiguous rules and interpretations, is one that can respond to situations with efficiency, and increase task performance, thereby increasing all safety aspects associated with the combatants and the match.
Along with medical review testing and match making oversight, the training and selection of Referees by Athletic Commissions is crucial to ensuring the health and safety of the athlete and the integrity of the sport.

The Athlete
Secondly, the rules establish clearer guidelines for the athletes and create a level where technical skill is established and rewarded versus the “street fighting” appearance that has been somewhat associated to MMA by critics of the sport. These rules allow athletes greater clarity in initiating their techniques and tactics, with respect to MMA combat. Techniques that are easily interpreted as whether they are prohibited or allowed ensure that the athlete makes the correct skill choice while engaged in combat, creating a safer environment for both his opponent and himself.

The Athletic Commission
The Athletic Commission as the governing organization of combative sports must have clearly defined rules that are not only administratively feasible but also court defensible, should a sport combat incident occur. Commissions must ensure that rules are clear and easily understood by everyone involved in the sport. This not only includes Commission personnel such as judges, referees, and doctors, but also the athletes, coaches, and the fanbase.

DEFINITIONS
1. “Athlete” refers to any competitor, participant or fighter

2. “Commission” refers to the recognized state, provincial, tribal or city authority designated by law to oversee and administer all combative sports within their respective jurisdictions

3. “MMA” refers to Mixed Martial Arts

COMMISSION AUTHORITY WITH RESPECT TO ALL RULES AND TECHNIQUES
This document contains the minimum standard of what is deemed the acceptable safety standards with respect to all rules, fouls and technical applications, as part of the unified rules of MMA. However, the safety limitations in terms of prohibiting techniques can be increased under the authority and discretion of any Athletic Commission.

As an example: A Commission may decide based on its own discretion that elbows-although allowed within document - may not be deemed suitable within the parameters of a Commission’s own governance and bylaws, and wish to increase the strictness of the existing rules of this document, and as a result may prohibit those techniques.

In summary any Athletic Commission can increase the strictness of the limitations found within this document, but cannot decrease the existing safety standards with respect to rules, fouls and technical applications found within this document.

It is advised that all promoters, athletes and coaches consult with the Athletic Commission prior to any MMA contest to verify all rules and policies specific to that Commission

The Original Unified Rules – Fouls:
The following actions shall constitute fouls during any professional Mixed Martial Arts competition.

1. Butting with the head.
2. Eye gouging of any kind.
3. Biting.
4. Hair pulling.
5. Fishhooking.
6. Groin attacks of any kind.
7. Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
8. Small joint manipulation.
9. Striking to the spine or the back of the head.
10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow.
11. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
12. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
13. Grabbing the clavicle.
14. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
15. Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
16. Stomping a grounded opponent.
17. Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
19. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.
20. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
21. Spitting at an opponent.
22. Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent.
23. Holding the ropes or the fence.
24. Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
25. Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
26. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
27. Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat.
28. Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee.
29. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
30. Interference by the corner.
31. Throwing in the towel during competition.

The Amended – Unified Rules
The following actions shall constitute fouls during any professional Mixed Martial Arts competition.
1. Head-butting or striking with the head in any manner.
2. Eye gouging of any kind.
3. Biting.
4. Hair pulling.
5. Fish Hooking.
6. Groin attacks of any kind.
7. Placing a finger into any orifice, or into any cut or laceration of your opponent.
8. Small joint manipulation.
9. Deliberate strikes to the spine or the back of the head.
10. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
11. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
12. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
13. Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent
14. Stomping
15. Pile-driving your opponent into the mat.
16. Purposely throwing an opponent out of the ring or caged area.
17. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
18. Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct
19. Holding the ropes or the fence.
20. Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
21. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
22. Disregarding the instructions of the referee.
23. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
24. Interference by the corner.
25. Smothering (hand cupped over opponents’ mouth)

Definitions and Interpretations:

1. Head-butting or striking with the head in any manner.
Any use of the head as a striking instrument whether head to head, head to body or otherwise is illegal.

2. Eye gouging of any kind.
Eye gouging by means of fingers, chin, or elbow is illegal. Legal strikes or punches that contact the fighter’s eye socket are not eye gouging and shall be considered legal attacks.

3. Biting.
Biting in any form is illegal. A fighter must recognize that a referee may not be able to physically observe some actions, and must make the referee aware if they are being bit during an exhibition of unarmed combat.

4. Hair pulling.
Pulling of the hair in any fashion is an illegal action. A fighter may not grab a hold of his opponent’s hair to control their opponent in any way.

5. Fish Hooking.
Any attempt by a fighter to use their fingers in a manner that attacks their opponent’s mouth, nose or ears, stretching the skin to that area will be considered “Fishhooking”. Fishhooking generally is the placing of fingers into the mouth or your opponent and pulling your hands in opposing directions while holding onto the skin of your opponent.

6. Groin attacks of any kind.
Any attack to the groin area including, striking, grabbing, pinching or twisting is illegal

7. Placing a finger into any orifice, or into any cut or laceration of your opponent.
A fighter may not place their fingers into an open laceration in an attempt to enlarge the cut. A fighter may not place their fingers into an opponent’s, nose, ears, mouth, or any body cavity.

8. Small joint manipulation.
Fingers and Toes are small joints. Wrists, Ankles, Knees, Shoulders and Elbows are all large joints.

9. Deliberate strikes to the spine or the back of the head.
No direct striking attacks are allowed to the spine or the back of the head crown of the head, centerline of the skull, into the spine, down to the tailbone. A direct strike is an aimed and executed attack to the area. The back of the head is considered from the crown of the head down the centerline of the skull into the spine, with a 1 inch variance to each side, similar to a Mohawk haircut. Strikes that are thrown to areas behind the ears but not within the Mohawk limitation are legal strikes

10. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
No directed throat strikes are allowed. Directed throat attacks are not punches that connect during an exchange from the standing position while fighters are engaged in combat. A directed attack would include a fighter pulling his opponents head in a way to open the neck area for a striking attack. A fighter may not gouge their fingers or thumb into their opponent’s neck or trachea in an attempt to submit their opponent. All arm chokes such as the Rear Naked, Guillotine, and Bar Arm are legal.

11. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
Any attack that targets the fighter’s skin by clawing at the skin or attempting to pull or twist the skin to apply pain is illegal.

12. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
A grounded opponent is any fighter who has more than just the soles of their feet on the ground. If the referee determines that a fighter would be a grounded fighter but is not solely because the ring ropes or cage fence has held fighter from the ground, the referee can instruct the combatants that he is treating the fighter held up solely by the cage or ropes as a grounded fighter. A fighter can be kicked to the body when they are on the ground with any type of legal kick except to the head or groin.

13. Kneeing the Head of a grounded opponent
A grounded opponent is any fighter who has more than just the soles of their feet on the ground. If the referee determines that a fighter would be a grounded fighter but is not solely because the ring ropes or cage fence has held fighter from the ground, the referee can instruct the combatants that he is treating the fighter held up solely by the cage or ropes as a grounded fighter . A fighter can be kneed to the body when they are on the ground with any type of legal knee except to the head or groin.

14. Stomping
Stomping is considered any type of striking action with the feet where the fighter lifts their leg up bending their leg at the knee and initiating a striking action with the bottom of their foot or heel. This does include stomping the feet while both fighters are standing (Note) Axe kicks are not stomps.

15. Pile-driving your opponent into the mat.
A pile driver is considered to be any throw where you control your opponent’s body placing his feet straight up in the air with his head straight down and then forcibly drive your opponents head into the canvas or flooring material. It should be noted when a fighter is placed into a submission hold by their opponent, if that fighter is capable of elevating their opponent they may bring that opponent down in any fashion they desire because they are not in control of their opponents body. The fighter who is attempting the submission can either adjust their position, or let go of their hold before being slammed to the canvas. *** This is crucial that referees are properly advised and trained and that
the fighters fully understand this at the rules meeting ***

16. Purposely throwing an opponent out of the ring or caged area.
A fighter shall not intentionally or purposely throw their opponent out of the ring or cage.

17. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent.
A fighter may not control their opponent’s movement by holding onto their opponent’s shorts or gloves. A fighter may hold onto or grab their opponent’s hand as long as they are not controlling the hand only by using the material of the glove, but by actually gripping the hand. It is legal to hold onto your own gloves or shorts

18. Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct.
Any type of behavior or conduct observed or heard by the referee, which can be considered detrimental or disrespectful towards their opponent or the sport of MMA. This includes but is not limited to spitting at your opponent, abusive language, abusive gestures, etc.

19. Holding the ropes or the fence.
A fighter may put their hands on the fence and push off of it at anytime. A fighter may place their feet onto the cage and have their toes go through the fencing material at any time. When fighter’s fingers go through the cage and grab hold of the fence and start to control either their body position or their opponent’s body position it now becomes an illegal action. A fighter may not grab the ropes or wrap their arms over the ring ropes at any time.
If a fighter is caught holding the fence, cage or ring rope material the referee shall issue a one-point deduction from the offending fighters scorecard.
If a point deduction for holding the fence occurs, and because of the infraction, the fouling fighter ends up in a superior position due to the foul, fighters will be re-started standing in a neutral position

20. Attacking an opponent on or during the break.
A fighter shall not engage their opponent in any fashion during a time-out or break of action in competition

21. Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee.
A fighter shall not engage their opponent in any fashion while their opponent is under the care or handling of the referee

22. Disregarding the instructions of the referee.
A fighter MUST follow the instructions of the referee at all times. Any deviation or non-compliance may result in the fighter’s disqualification

23. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.
Timidity is defined as any fighter who purposely avoids contact with his opponent, or runs away from the action of the fight. Timidity can also be called by the referee for any attempt by a fighter to receive time by falsely claiming a foul, injury, or purposely dropping or spitting out their mouthpiece or other action designed to stall the fight

24. Interference by the corner.
Interference is defined as any action or activity aimed at disrupting the fight or causing an unfair advantage to be given to one combatant. Corners are not allowed to distract the referee or influence the actions of the referee in any fashion.

25. Smothering the mouth or nose
A fighter may not place his hand over his opponent’s mouth or nose in an attempt to smother the fighter’s ability to breathe. This does not include choke attempts where a fighter’s mouth is covered by his opponents arm.

What was removed?

10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow.
For historical significance, this rule was based on a technique (a downward elbow strike) that was targeted to the back of an opponent’s head. Instead of identifying that the actual target location (back of the head) was at issue and a cause for concern, the consensus was to prohibit the technique itself.

However, there is already a rule prohibiting strikes to the spine and the back of the head, which is significant in that it prohibits ALL strikes to spine and the back of the head, bringing clarity to this issue, in a single rule.

Downward elbow strikes are no more or less damaging than any other elbow strike, (and elbow strikes are considered legal techniques).

This rule has been confusing to officials, fighters, and Commissions.

13. Grabbing the clavicle
Grabbing the clavicle does little in terms of a direct attack that is likely to produce any injury, specifically a clavicle fracture. Clavicle fractures generally occur from a bad fall or a strong direct blow. Since throws and takedowns are allowed in MMA, as are strikes all of which have a greater probability of creating a collar injury, then this foul serves as being pointless and a bit of overkill.

17. Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
This attack (at one time common while one fighter has another fighter in the Guard), is considered weak and unlikely to produce much damage. Considering kicks and punches and knees, can produce substantially greater trauma (and they are legal techniques) it serves as being pointless as to having this foul in here.

18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck
There is a rule that more definitively describes pile driving as being a prohibited technique.
Spiking is an ambiguous term and in terms of the mechanics of throwing or takedowns, many throws (Seoinage – a legal shoulder throw – as an example) do involve the head being placed in what might meet the description as a spike – the head progressing at a downward angle toward the ground. Fighters have been taught that the one throw that is considered illegal is the piledriver, so the rule should accordingly be changed to no piledriving an opponent onto their head.

21. Spitting at an opponent.
Consolidated with: “Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct. “

24. Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.
Consolidated with: “Engaging in any unsportsmanlike conduct. “

27. Attacking an opponent after the bell has sounded the end of the period of unarmed combat
Consolidated with: “Attacking an opponent on or during the break.”

31. Throwing in the towel during competition.
A fighter’s corner should have the option to retire his fighter in the quickest and most efficient manner possible, during competition.

The general working guideline which involves having the corner try to get the attention of the referee, the inspector, or the Commission does not work while a fighter (in their corners perception) is taking what they consider too much damage. This is too long of a process considering the speed of MMA.
A cornerman having worked alongside a fighter should recognize what their fighters capabilities are from past experience. It makes sense from a safety perspective to allow a corner to retire the fighter.
If there is consideration that debris in the form of a towel entering the ring or cage may contribute to a disruption or confusion in the contest, then color towels or special towels might be a consideration to be used.

What was added?

25. Smothering (hand cupped over opponents mouth)
A fighter may not place his hand over his opponent’s mouth or nose in an attempt to smother the fighter’s ability to breathe. This does not include choke attempts where a fighter’s mouth is covered by his opponents arm.

This should be put in place due to the fact that fighters many times place their fingers in their opponent’s eyes while attempting this technique. It is often frowned on by fans because the appearance tends to lead fans to the conclusion that the fighter can figure out no true technique to use in attacking their opponent. Visually it looks awkward when one fighter is attempting to cover the mouth of his opponent while they turn their head from side to side in an attempt to block the move.

Time Considerations for Fouls

Foul Time Limits:

A fighter who has been struck with a low blow is allowed up to five minutes to recover from the foul as long as in the ringside doctor’s opinion the fighter can continue on in the contest. If the fighter states that they can continue on before the five minutes of time have expired, the referee shall as soon as practical restart the fight. If the fighter goes over the five minute time allotment the fight cannot be restarted and the contest must come to an end with the outcome determined by the round and time in which the fight was stopped.

Fighter who is not fouled by low blow but another foul:
If a fighter is fouled by blow that the referee deems illegal, the referee should stop the action and call for time. The referee shall take the injured fighter to the ringside doctor and have the ringside doctor examine the fighter as to their ability to continue on in the contest. The ringside doctor has up to 5 minutes to make their determination. If the ringside doctor determines that the fighter can continue in the contest, the referee shall as soon as practical restart the fight. Unlike the low blow, the fighter does not have up to 5 minutes of time to use at their discretion.

If the referee stops the contest and employs the use of the ringside doctor, the ringside physician’s examinations shall not exceed five minutes. If five minutes is exceeded, the fight cannot be re-started and the contest must end.

If deemed not fit to continue by the ringside physician, the referee must immediately call a halt to the bout. If the fighter is deemed not fit to continue by the ringside physician and some of the five minute foul time is remaining, the fighter cannot avail himself of the remaining time

This shall be enforced for all listed fouls with the exception of a low blow foul

Techniques Introduction:

Certain individuals were generally not familiar with the technical aspects of MMA and viewed the vast arsenal of the technical elements of the sport of MMA as confusing and in some cases “barbaric”. However, MMA techniques by their definition come from a wide variety of recognized martial arts and combat disciplines, some that are currently in use in the prestigious Olympic Games – such as Judo, Boxing, Wrestling and Tae Kwon Do to some degree, as well as other martial disciplines that have a history of athletic practice such as Muay Thai (Kickboxing), Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Sambo, and other arts, that are routinely practiced throughout North America and around the world with many different cultures. The emphasis being that many of the techniques associated with MMA are routinely utilized and practiced in other combat sports disciplines on an international level and they have been practiced safely.

Legal Techniques

Many of the techniques listed below have multiple names or translations depending upon style or culture. It is the responsibility of the Commission to recognize the similarity or distinction between the various techniques, and to become familiar with the techniques in general.

Striking

All punches
Kicks
Knees
Elbows
Forearms strikes
Shoulder strikes
Hammer fists
Spinning back fists

Throws-Takedowns

Duck Under
Single Leg
Double Leg
Arm Drag
Ankle Pick
Inside Trip
Outside Trip
Body Lock
High Crotch
Suplex
Osoto Gari
Uchi Mata
Hip Toss
Tai Otoshi
Power Bomb
Seoinagi
Iranian Lift
Whizzer
Switch

Submissions:

Armbar
Double Armbar
Kimura / Double Wrist Lock
Arm Triangle
Americana / Keylock
Omoplata
Gogoplata
Rear Naked Choke
Guillotine Choke
Anaconda Choke
Darce Choke
Eziquel or Front Choke
North / South Choke
Bar Arm Choke
Toe Hold
Triangle Choke
Ankle Lock
Ankle Lock from back control
Reverse Triangle Choke
Heel Hook
Inverted Heel Hook
Knee Bar
Twister
Head & Arm Shoulder Lock
Head & Arm, Arm Lock
Peruvian Neck Tie

(All of the above are legal techniques except when used against a prohibited target)

MMA Technical Definitions:
The following are abbreviated definitions found within the sport of MMA. These definitions are designed to be used as an aid to Athletic Commissions, Commission personnel, athletes, and coaches to bring clarity on many of the MMA technical applications found within competition.

Takedowns:
Duck Under
A grappling move in which a fighter “ducks under” the opponents arm in an attempt to get behind him, to position him for a lift, throw, trip, takedown or other MMA attack.

Single Leg
A move in which a fighter takes the opponent down by lifting and controlling one of the opponent’s legs.

Double Leg
A driving takedown which is executed when a fighter engages another fighter by grasping both of the fighter’s legs, generally gripping the back of the fighters knees and lifting to displace balance.
This takedown is known as Morote Gari in Japanese (Judo) and Baiana in Portuguese (BJJ)

Arm Drag
A method of grabbing, pulling and controlling an opponent’s arm in an attempt to throw him off balance and gain positional control.

Ankle Pick
A move in which a fighter takes the opponent down by the grabbing or lifting of the ankle of his opponent forcing him to the ground.

Inside Trip
Is a sweeping motion applied when one fighter sweeps or hooks with his leg, the inner leg of his opponent in an effort to displace their balance and bring them to the ground.

This takedown is also known as a O Ouchi Gari – “major inner reap” in Japanese (Judo)

Outside Trip
Is a hooking motion applied when one fighter hooks with his leg the outside leg of his opponent in an effort to displace their balance and bring them to the ground.

This takedown is known as Kosoto Gake – “minor outer hook” in Japanese (Judo)

Body Lock
A hold in which a fighter locks his arms around the opponent’s body as a method of control and from this position may take him to the ground

Osoto Gari
Japanese (Judo) which translates as a “major outer reap”, which accurately describes the throw. Osoto Gari is throw where a fighter steps to the outside of the opponent, pushing the oponent off balance while at the same time sweeping the opponent’s leg out from under them

Uchi Mata
Japanese (Judo) which translates as “inner thigh”, which describes the action of the throw. It is throw common to grappling arts where a fighter uses both the action of the hip and leg to to displace an opponents balance.

Hip Toss
A forward throw common to most grappling disiciplines where one fighter is thrown over the other fighters hips.

Tai Otoshi
Japanese (Judo) which translates as “body drop”. A throw common in grappling arts which is quickly executed and must be well timed. An attacking fighter will off balance the opponent and at the same time pivot away from the opponent in the same direction of the opponent’s feet. The attacking fighter will extend his leg in front of the opponent so that the back of his calf is practically touching the opponents shin. At this time the attacking fighter will pull the fighter over the extended leg, resulting in a trip as the opponent falls forward.

Power Bomb
A lifting technique generally used, when a fighter is stopped during a double leg takedown attempt. The athlete grabs their opponent by the waist and uses a swinging motion while simultaneously elevating their opponent. The athlete performing the move steps back and throws their opponent onto the mat usually causing the opponent to land flat on to their back and shoulder area.
Seoinagi

Japanese (Judo) meaning shoulder throw. A throw common to many grappling disciplines. It is a forward throwing technique in which one fighter is thrown over the other fighters shoulder.

Iranian Lift
Wrestling technique used when an athlete has pushed his weight too far forward when their opponent attempted a takedown. Usually preformed from the knees the athlete will raise their back straight up while holding their opponents legs causing their opponent to be inverted

Whizzer
Defensive technique used to prevent a single leg takedown attempt.

Switch
Defensive technique used against a single leg takedown attempt to switch the position and gain control.

Submissions:

Armbar
A straight arm lock technique that attacks the elbow hyper-extending the joint.

Double Armbar
Attacks both arms simultaneously. Performed from the guard position, the athlete brings their legs up high around their opponents back and neck area trapping both arms. Athlete extends hips while controlling their opponent’s wrists

Kimura / Double Wrist Lock
Attacks the shoulder. Can be performed from either side while standing or on the ground. Arm needs to be bent at approximately 90 degrees at the elbow with the arm being moved from the athlete’s waist towards their head

This submission is also known as ude garami “entagled armlock” in Japanese (Judo)

Arm Triangle
Performed by trapping an opponent’s arm against their own neck. The head is used to control the arm while the arms are wrapped around the opponent’s neck and arm. Performed correctly the action intensifies when the athlete moves to an approximate 60 degree angle from their opponent
Americana

Also known as a “Key Lock” attacks the shoulder area. Usually performed in a cross body or mount position. Athlete must control their opponent’s head position while keeping the arm bent at a 90 degree angle.

Omoplata
The translation in Portuguese (BJJ) literally means “shoulder blade” and this accurately describes this submission. The omoplata is a submission that attacks the shoulder area by using the legs.

This submission is also known as sankaku garami or shoulder lock in Japanese (Judo)

Gogoplata
A choke hold usually performed from the guard position. The shin is brought across the opponent’s neck while one arm moves under the leg and meets up with the other arm to pull down on the opponents head

Rear Naked Choke
Most common choke used from behind the opponent. Athlete brings their arm around their opponents neck and locks the arm in place by grabbing their opposite arm at the elbow and wrapping the hand behind their opponents head

Guillotine Choke
Straight-arm choke used when facing an opponent. Usually performed from standing or guard position.

Anaconda Choke
Started from North / South position athlete moves hand from neck area to far side of opponent and wraps hand into opposing elbow and then rolls his opponent bringing his hips towards opponent’s hips tightening the hold

Darce Choke
Performed the opposite of the Anaconda Choke, the arm starts from the opponent’s side and moves up along the neck area and wraps into the opposing elbow.

Eziquel or Front Choke
Performed by placing the blade of the forearm across the neck area and grabbing the arm to fulcrum the leverage down into the throat area to create the choke

North / South Choke
Performed while one athlete is on top of their opponent with one fighter facing down and one fighter facing up. The top fighter slips their arm around the bottom fighters head allowing the armpit area to settle into the throat area. The top fighter then settles their weight down applying the choke

Bar Arm Choke
Used by placing the blade of the forearm against the throat and pulling straight back

Toe Hold
Attacks the ankle joint. Athlete grabs the foot and figure fours their arms around the lower leg while applying pressure towards the inside of the foot.

Triangle Choke
Used primarily from the guard the athlete must pass one leg over their opponents shoulder trapping the head and one arm inside. The athlete then must figure four their legs applying pressure against the neck by forcing the trapped arm against the neck. Pulling down in the head intensifies the hold.

This technique may all be referred to as sankaku jime in Japanese (Judo)

Ankle Lock
Attacks the ankle joint and athlete uses his arms and torso to apply pressure to the ankle.

Ankle Lock from back control
Usually seen when a fighter takes the back and then crosses their feet, their opponent can ankle lock them by using his legs to cross over the ankle and foot and then extends and arches the hip area.

Reverse Triangle Choke
Reversed by the way the fighter positions the legs around the opponents head and arm.

Heel Hook
Attacks the knee joint. Set up in a similar fashion to the ankle lock, the fighter positions their opponent’s foot down past their side and the heel just outside the crook of their elbow. The fighter then applies leverage by pulling the heel towards their nose

Inverted Heel Hook
Set up in a similar fashion the straight heel hook applies pressure by rotating the heel towards the inside. The inverted heel hook applies the rotation of the heel to the outside

Knee Bar
Attacks the knee joint in the same fashion as the Armbar attacks the elbow joint.

Twister
Attacks the spine by isolating the legs in one direction and leveraging the head neck and torso in the opposite direction.

Head & Arm Shoulder Lock
Performed from side control the fighter uses their legs to control their opponents arm. The maneuver masks the movements of the Kimura, only utilizing the legs

Head & Arm Arm Lock
Performed from side control the fighter uses their legs to control the opponents arm. The maneuver masks the movements of the straight arm bar, only utilizing the legs

Peruvian Neck Tie
Similar to the Guillotine choke the move is performed by placing both hands together in the neck area or your opponent. Pulling in and squeezing arms together while using legs to trap far side arm and control opponents’ body

Positions:
Closed Guard
Most common defensive position seen on the ground. Fighter on bottom has wrapped legs around their opponent’s waist and has crossed their feet.

Open Guard
Fighter on the bottom has not closed his legs around the waist of their opponent. Hip movement is key

Butterfly Guard
Fighter on bottom has placed their feet inside their opponent’s legs near groin area. Knees are held high to prevent passing of the guard

X- Guard
Performed by using both legs against opponent’s one leg crossing feet similar to an X. Arms attack opponents other leg attempting to off balance the fighter.

Half Guard
Position of fighting when the bottom fighter controls only one leg of the top fighter with their legs

Side Control
Dominant position of fighting where the top fighter has cleared the legs of the bottom fighter and is now off to one side on top of their opponent

Mount
Dominant position where the top fighter has straddled the bottom fighter with their legs

Rear Mount
The most dominant position in MMA. The fighter who has the back will have his legs hooked into his opponents’ pelvic area or will triangle their opponents body to control position

North – South
Both fighters are on the ground. Fighter on the bottom is facing up, while the fighter on top is facing down. The fighters’ feet will be facing opposite directions

Crucifix
A technique that is used to control an opponent’s arms by the use of your legs and arms. Can be a submission hold when applied as a neck crank. Usually used to control a fighters arms in a ground and pound attack

Can Opener
Used to open the closed guard of your opponent by pulling on the head bringing it towards the chest area. Can be a submission only if the fighter on the bottom refuses to open their guard.

Underhooks
Wrapping the arm under your opponents arm and around the shoulder area or torso

Overhooks
Wrapping the arms over the top of your opponents arms

Double Underhooks
Wrapping both arms under your opponents arms. Usually has connection of the hands for takedown attempt

Plumb
Muay Thai technique used to control the head with both hands clasped around the neck area

Hip Over Sweep
Used from guard position. Fighter traps opponents post arm, elevates hips and rotates opponent over landing in mount position

Scissor Sweep
Used from the guard position bottom fighter traps post arm, brings one leg up high the other leg low and scissor kicks the legs together while pulling on opponents trapped arm

Elevator Sweep
From guard position bottom fighter hooks inside of opponents leg with their foot. Fighter then pulls opponent towards them while lifting with hooked leg. Opponent is rolled over the shoulder area to complete the sweep

Double Ankle Sweep from Guard
From the guard the top fighter stands up. The bottom fighter drops their closed guard and grabs the standing fighter’s ankles. The bottom fighter pinches knees together, lowers their hips and pushes the standing fighter over following the movement in to a top position

Half Guard Escape to single leg
Bottom fighter uses an underhook to pull themselves into and under their opponent off balancing the opponent. Bottom fighter moves to their knees and continues into a single leg takedown

Weight Categories – Mixed Martial Arts

It is recommended that the unwritten custom of the one pound allowance for non-title bouts be discontinued. Athletes must make their contracted weight class by the close of the weigh-in and should not be allowed the one pound allowance.

NOTE: Commissions may however use their discretion to approve certain out of weight class bouts.

For example, if one athlete weighs in at 264 pounds while the opponent weighs in at 267, the Commission may still decide to allow the contest if it feels that the contest would still be fair, safe and competitive. This would be despite the fact that the two athletes weighed in at differing weight classes.

However, in general cases, the Commission should not allow the contest scheduled for the proposed Middleweight division if one athlete weighs in at 185 and the opponent’s final weight is 196.

The following shall comprise the full list of useable weight categories in any Mixed Martial arts competition whether amateur or professional.

MEN’S DIVISIONS

Flyweight (Up to 105 pounds)
Super Flyweight (Over 105.1 to 115 lbs)
Bantamweight (Over 115.1 to 125 lbs)
Super Bantamweight (Over 125.1 to 135 lbs)
Featherweight (Over 135.1 to 145 lbs)
Lightweight (Over 145.1 to 155 lbs)
Super Lightweight (Over 155.1 to 165 lbs)
Welterweight (Over 165.1 to 175 lbs)
Super Welterweight (Over 175.1 to 185 lbs)
Middleweight (Over 185.1 to 195 lbs)
Super Middleweight (Over 195.1 to 205 lbs)
Light Heavyweight (Over 205.1 to 225 lbs)
Heavyweight (Over 225.1 to 265 lbs)
Super Heavyweight (Over 265.1 pounds)

WOMEN’S DIVISIONS

Flyweight (95 lbs. and below)
Bantamweight (95.1-105 lbs.)
Featherweight (105.1-115 lbs.)
Lightweight (115.1-125 lbs.)
Welterweight (125.1-135 lbs.)
Middleweight (135.1-145 lbs.)
Light Heavyweight (145.1-155 lbs.)
Cruiserweight (155.1-165 lbs.)
Heavyweight (165.1-185 lbs.)
Super Heavyweight (185.1 and above)

COMBAT PLATFORMS ( Ring / Cage )
All MMA contests will take place in either a Cage or a Ring that has been approved by the Commission. The Cage or Ring will meet the requirements set forth by each Commission and also be subject to inspection prior to each event by the Commission or a Commission representative such as a referee.

It is advised that all promoters consult with the Commission prior to any MMA contests regarding Cage or Ring requirements and standards.

RULE MEETINGS: ( General Guidelines )
In many states and provinces group rule meetings have been commonplace in the reviewing of rules, fouls and other considerations. It is recommended that individual meetings between the bout supervising referee and each competitor in the contest be conducted backstage in the locker room or another appropriate location. Many times contestants will ask questions of the official when the rules are covered individually in private, when they would have been hesitant to ask the same question in front of their competitor.

This does not supercede the ability of the Commission to have a brief meeting about the requirements requested of a fighter’s time to the location, interaction with the inspectors, available liquids and foods, taping requirements and so on.

On Tuesday night, July 1, Frank Trigg joined hosts Brian Fritz, Dickerman, and Vito DeNucci live on Between The Ropes on ESPN Florida AM 1080 and AM 1060 to discuss his future in MMA, the reaction of other fighters to his involvement in pro wrestling, how he got the nickname ‘Twinkle Toes,” and much more.

The conversation kicked off with Frank being asked how an MMA fighter and all round tough guy like himself wound up with the nickname “Twinkle Toes.” Frank said he got it because he paints his toe nails and he had a fan over in Japan who didn’t know his name, but said “I like the guy with the painted toes. My manager heard it and that was the end of it.”

Next Frank was asked about what motivates him to get into the variety of things he does in addition to fighting, such as television and professional wrestling. “I’m a bit of an attention whore. I love being in front of a camera. Whether it’s as an actor, commentator, wrestler, or fighter I just loving being in front of that little lens.”

The guys followed up on that topic by asking Frank how other mixed martial artists reacted to his recent involvement with TNA professional wrestling.

“I train over at Xtreme Couture’s here in Las Vegas and my son and I went in there yesterday to go hit mitts with my boxing coach Ron Frazier and a lot of the guys were picking on me and teasing me when I went in. But they’ve also got a mutual respect because they realize how you get paid in between fights. You get paid the night that you fight,…but if you don’t have something else that you do in between how are you making your money?…A lot of these guys know that for me this is another extension of what I want to do.” Frank then went on to say that at 36 years old and grew up a wrestling fan and wanting to be a part of it.

Regarding how challenging his pro wrestling training has been Frank said it has been “a lot harder than I ever imagined it could possibly be.” Frank then said that he found the mental aspect of the pro wrestling training to be far more challenging than the physical. Frank also admitted that he would love to do an actual match, but said that it would be up to the TNA management.

As a friend and now co-worker of Kurt Angle’s Trigg addressed whether or not he thinks Kurt will ever actually fight in MMA. “His body is pretty banged up, but I do think that if he really wanted to dedicate himself and get the time off from pro wrestling…and get together a good training camp there in Pittsburgh, then he could make it happen.” Frank then said that he thinks if Kurt did go into MMA it would only add new injures and that “as his friend I try and talk him out of it, which is one of the flaws that makes him want to do it more and more.”

Turning back to Frank’s mixed martial arts career, he was asked what he thought about Matt Hughes and Georges St. Pierre since he has fought them both. Frank said that he thinks GSP is the next Matt Hughes, meaning that he sees GSP going on a long title run where he dominates his weight division. Frank then said Hughes was the strongest guy, pound for pound, that he had ever faced, something he referred to as “retard farm strength.”

On his future within MMA Frank said he feels that his body has about 2 years left as a fighter. Within these two years he said he hopes to take on Robby Lawler again in a rematch from about a year ago. He also said that he’s in talks with Affliction to be the lead commentator on their July 19th show.

The interview concluded with Frank talking about some of the challenges MMA fighters face in training for pro wrestling. “In the time that you train to become a professional wrestler you’ve really got to get rid of your ego as an MMA fighter. You can’t sit there and go ‘wow, this is a guy that I could really slap around right now and snap his neck.’ I have to sit there and take it from him and learn from this guy that I could beat up because he knows pro wrestling better than I do…It’s tough for a lot of guys to let that ego go and admit ‘I suck, I’m absolutely freaking horrible, I have no idea what I’m doing, please teach me.’ I’m lucky because Scott D’Amore (Frank’s pro wrestling trainer) worked with Dan Severn while he was still doing the UFC. So Scotty is the perfect guy because he gets the fact that I’m egotistical and I do feel a little uncomfortable learning this new stuff. He talks me through it and gets be through it so that at the end of a session I’m like ‘this is fun, because now I know what the hell I’m doing.’”

To listen to the entire Frank Trigg interview including the chances of him wrestling over in Japan, his thoughts on whether MMA or pro wrestling is harder on the body, as well as the entire July 1 edition of Between The Ropes in streaming audio, visit the show online at http://www.BetweenTheRopes.com. In addition to listening to this week’s show you can become a site member and access hundreds of previous Between The Ropes shows and interviews. Join us for Between The Ropes for two hours every Tuesday night at 6:00pm ET on ESPN Florida AM 1080 and AM 1060 and worldwide on BetweenTheRopes.com.

Main Event – UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Forrest Griffin (205) VS Quinton Jackson (205)

Ricardo Almeida (185) VS Patrick Cote (185)

Chris Lytle (170) VS Josh Koscheck (170)

Marcus Aurelio (155) VS Tyson Griffin (155)

Gleison Tibau (156) VS Joe Stevenson (155)

Justin McCully (236) VS Gabriel Gonzaga (249)

Cole Miller (155) VS Jorge Gurgel (155)

Dennis Siver (155) VS Melvin Guillard (155)

Justin Buchholz (155) VS Corey Hill (155)

The fight card as it stands today:

- UFC Light Heavyweight title match: Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin (205 pounds)
- Patrick Cote vs. Ricardo Almeida (185 pounds)
- Joe Stevenson vs. Gleison Tibau (155 pounds)
- Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle (170 pounds)
- Tyson Griffin vs. Marcus Aurelio (155 pounds)
- Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully (265 pounds)
- Jorge Gurgel vs. Cole Miller (155 pounds)
- Melvin Guillard vs. Dennis Siver (155 pounds)
- Corey Hill vs. Justin Buchholz (155 pounds)

Main event: Jackson vs. Griffin

UFC thought that there would be a lot more excitement generated for this fight by having two extremely charismatic babyfaces appear as coaches on the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter reality TV show. Instead, both men had little or no animosity towards each other by the end of the TV series and the ‘normal’ TUF formula of having two coaches angry at each other simply did not pan out.

Without the animosity between the two fighters, what we’re left with is a fight involving a heavy favorite (Jackson) against a heavy, scrappy underdog (Griffin). It should be a fun fight to watch and no one at home will likely be disappointed in how it turns out.

The big question is whether or not Griffin has a real chance of winning this fight, and if so, what kind of game plan he needs to pull off the upset. Jordan Breen, writer for Sherdog.com, believes that Griffin needs to pull off a two-pronged solution in order to stay competitive in the title match.

“The most questionable part of Rampage’s game is still his defense in the Thai plumb. Griffin utilized knees well in the past, but has gotten away from it. It may be an interesting angle to test if he can’t strike from a distance. However, on the feet, Griffin would have to be nigh-perfect to score a victory since Rampage is the far better striker at range. The other operative question will be how Griffin can defend against ground-and-pound, and if he can renew the guard game he showed in his pre-UFC career. If he can go back to what initially earned him a chance on The Ultimate Fighter’s first season, he should at least make the bout competitive.”

Semi main-event: Cote vs. Almeida

The semi-main event of UFC 86 features a fight with next-to-no hype whatsoever. Patrick Cote (12-4) is to face veteran fighter Ricardo Almeida (9-2). Cote has won four straight fights and usually looks to finish his fights very quickly. Almeida, who made a name for himself in Japan many years ago, is going to fight for the second time in the last four years. Almeida has beaten a lot of quality opponents, including Kazuo Misaki and Nathan Marquardt. While Cote is the likely underdog going into this fight, it should be a very fun contest to watch.

“Almeida has all the technical skills on the ground to embarrass Cote, whose Achilles’ heel has been poor defensive grappling,” stated Mr. Breen of Sherdog.com. “The last time Cote really spent time on his back with someone who can get it done on the floor, he was embarrassed by Travis Lutter. What
bodes well for Almeida is that the bout can be sized up favorably for him, and that’s with us only knowing what he could bring to the table four or five years ago. If he has legitimately improved himself in the gym in the last four years, he could trounce Cote.”

Undercard action

Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (28-8) faces Gleison Tibau (15-5) in a match that, on paper, Stevenson should win. Joe has won four out of his last five fights (his only recent loss to BJ Penn) and is facing a tough, but beatable opponent in Tibau. Gleison has won four out of his last five fights (his only recent loss to Tyson Griffin).

Josh Koscheck (10-2) faces Chris Lytle (25-15-5) in a match that should be tailor-made for Koscheck to win. Koscheck has won six out of his last seven fights (including a recent loss to UFC’s 170-pound champion, Georges St. Pierre), whereas Lytle has gone 3-3 in his last six fights (including losses to Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, and Thiago Alves).

In a bout that definitely could be fight-of-the-night material, Tyson Griffin (11-1) squares off against Marcus Aurelio (16-5) from American Top Team. On paper, everything favors Griffin in this fight (age, fight style). Despite the fact that Aurelio is an underdog, he is battle-tested and has beaten top fighters such as Takanori Gomi. Jordan Breen, however, thinks that Griffin should win the fight relatively easily.

“Those who believe in Aurelio will champion him until the death, but against wrestlers with decent submission defense he’s generally inert. Clay Guida is perhaps more of a submission liability than Griffin is, and in spite of one ridiculous scorecard in his favor, Aurelio was dominated from start to finish. Griffin should be able to land more on the feet, and control from the top to a decision. Aurelio will probably stick around in the UFC because of both his seemingly undying hype, and the fact that while he’ll lose to the top lightweight contenders, he’ll destroy lower and midlevel guys as we saw in his destructions of Luke Caudillo and Ryan Roberts.”

In a win-or-go-home match, former UFC Heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga (8-3) faces Justin McCully (8-3-2) in a match that Gonzaga clearly needs to win or else his job as a UFC fighter may be in jeopardy. Even with recent losses to Randy Couture and Fabricio Werdum, Gonzaga is clearly a heavy favorite going into this fight and if he doesn’t put on a spectacular performance, it’s off to Elite XC or another promotion for the Brazilian heavyweight. If McCully pulls off the upset, suddenly things open up for him in terms of being booked in higher-profile UFC heavyweight bouts.

Ultimate Fighter 5 alumni member Cole Miller (13-3) faces Jorge Gurgel (12-3) in a match that on paper Miller should win, but will nonetheless provide a good test for the young fighter who trains out of the ATT camp in Florida. Like Griffin vs. Aurelio, this could be a show-stealer and as long as it doesn’t go to the scorecards, it should (well, maybe) air on UFC’s main PPV broadcast.

But the PFC has also added some tough middleweights, such as North Highland’s Jaime Jara (18-5) and Brazil’s Leopoldo Serao (14-7).

Both will make their PFC debuts on July 18 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino at PFC 9’s “The Return”.

“Serao is sort of an unknown commodity in the U.S. He’s very talented, trains with the Fairtex camp in the Bay area and is a legit Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt. Leopoldo Serao definitely brings a dangerous infusion of talent to the PFC middleweight division,” PFC President Christian Printup said.

“He’s an aggressive striker and he’s a legitimate threat to anyone at 185 on any given night. He may not be the most well-known guy out there but he’s been in the ring with much bigger guys like Ninja Rua and Assuerio Silva and fought internationally for the most part.”

Serao will take on a very tough Roseville middleweight Dan Molina (10-8).

“Dan Molina will be standing across the ring from Leopoldo on July 18 and Dan is a very tough and well-skilled fighter. He’s a WEC and IFL veteran. He’s legit. This is a good test for Leopoldo. If he gets through Molina, there are some very interesting matchups there for him in the PFC.”

Matchups that could include Jara or former PFC champ Visalia’s Kenny Ento (9-4).

“My fighting style is Luta Livre, which is submission fighting. I come to the U.S. from Cluba De Luta in Brazil. Here in the United States I fight for Cluba De Luta and Fairtex,” Serao said. “The PFC is a great show, and I am happy to be fighting here. I am looking to impress the fans and earn a title.”

Molina was on a 4-fight win streak until a recent loss in April to Cory Devela (9-2).

“I do not know much about my opponent [Molina]. I have seen him fight a little bit in the IFL. He is tough, and it should be a good fighter. I want to make the fans happy, so I will try to win by knockout,” Serao said.

Serao last fought in the IFL in February, losing by decision to Oregon’s Josh Haynes (9-10). Serao’s loss to Haynes was his second in a row.

As the UFC put together a card for July 19 to counter the inaugural Affliction show, it affected the PFC in several ways, as Indiana heavyweight Jake O’Brien (10-1) was scheduled to fight Sacramento’s Jeromy Freitag (6-6), but that fight is now canceled, as O’Brien is slated to compete in the UFC now.
The initial PFC 9 card also had a scheduled PFC World Welterweight title fight, pitting Bakersfield’s Bryan Travers (10-1) and Porterville’s Morris Aldaco (6-0), but Aldaco had to pull out because of an injury and the fight has been moved to September.

PFC World Light Heavyweight champ Brazil’s Jorge Oliveira (3-2-1) was scheduled for a rematch with Arroyo Grande’s Glover Teixeira (6-2), but Teixeira had to pull out and Isaiah Larson (5-2) will fill in.
“Obviously we were looking forward to Jorge defending versus Glover, the rematch. Glover however had to travel back to Brazil and the timing of everything precluded him from being here for the fight. In this game you never anticipate a change in opponents, especially in a title fight, but a change should never surprise a promoter either,” Printup said. “I think in Isaiah Larson we found a great opponent. This guy is coming down from heavyweight; he’s 5-2 as a professional competing in the Midwest circuit. He has a strong wrestling pedigree and likes to stand and bang. It’s going to be a war. It’s Jorge’s first defense. It’s Isaiah’s shot at a championship and I expect both guys to bring it and the fans will be in for a treat on July 18.”

Tickets can be purchased at tickets.com or charge by phone at 1-800-225-2277. Tickets can also be purchased at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino Gift Shop.

Weighins will be held on Thursday, July 17 at 4 p.m. at the Den Sports Bar located on the third floor of the Palace. Fans are encouraged to attend.

On Friday doors open at 5:30 p.m. and fights start at 6:30. The fights will be held out doors for the first time in PFC history.

In other bouts:
— North Highland middleweight Jaime Jara (18-5) vs. Orange Country’s Marcus Gaines (4-4).
—Fresno featherweight Casey Olson (7-2) vs. Sacramento’s Tito Jones (4-1).
—Lemoore welterweight Mickey Martinez (5-1-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Jack Morrison (0-2).
—Hanford lightweight Jeremy Luchau (1-0) vs. Bakersfield’s Juan Lopez (1-3).
—Lightweight Dominique Robinson (12-2-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Chuck Kim (6-6).
—Las Vegas flyweight Ulysses Gomez (1-0) vs. Madera’s Anthony Perales (1-0).
—Visalia lightweight Darren Crisp (4-2) vs. Porterville’s Joe Soto (1-0).
—Lemoore welterweight Paul Gonzales (1-0) vs. Alfredo Mirelas (0-1).
—Hanford featherweight Javier Cervantes (1-1) vs. Corcoran’s Alex Ortiz (0-0).

For breaking PFC news go to www.palacefightingchampionship.com. You can also find other PFC and Palace information at http://www.tachipalace.com.

PFC 9 Full Fight Card
Friday, July 18th, 2008
Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
Lemoore, CA
Tickets can be purchased at tickets.com or charge by phone 1-800-225-2277.

PFC Light Heavyweight Title Fight
Brazil’s Jorge Oliveira (3-2-1) vs. Isaiah Larson (5-2)
*Oliviera is the current PFC Champion and will be making his first title defense.

Middleweights
Visalia’s Doug Marshall (7-3) vs. Merced’s Phil Collins (6-3).

Middleweights
North Highland’s Jaime Jara (18-5) vs. Orange Country’s Marcus Gaines (4-4)

Featherweights
Fresno’s Casey Olson (7-2) vs. Sacramento’s Tito Jones (4-1)

Middleweights
Brazil’s Leopoldo Serao (14-7) vs. Roseville’s Dan Molina (10-8).

Welterweights
Lemoore’s Mickey Martinez (5-1-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Jack Morrison (0-2)

Lightweights
Hanford’s Jeremy Luchau (1-0) vs. Bakersfield’s Juan Lopez (1-3)

Lightweights
Oakland’s Dominique Robinson (12-2-1) vs. Bakersfield’s Chuck Kim (6-6)

Flyweights
Las Vegas’ Ulysses Gomez (1-0) vs. Madera’s Anthony Perales (1-0)

Lightweights
Visalia’s Darren Crisp (4-2) vs. Porterville’s Joe Soto (1-0)

Welterweights
Lemoore’s Paul Gonzales (1-0) vs. Alfredo Mirelas (0-1)

Featherweights
Hanford’s Javier Cervantes (1-1) vs. Corcoran’s Alex Ortiz (0-0)

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

Las Vegas, NV (USA) — In what many are calling the best lightweight matchup of 2008, Kenny “KenFlo” Florian will square off against Roger “El Matador” Huerta in a battle that will move the winner one step closer to a 155-pound title shot. Huerta will take on Florian this summer when the Ultimate Fighting Championship presents UFC 87: SEEK AND DESTROY live from Target Center in Minneapolis Saturday, August 9, 2008.

“Roger Huerta versus Kenny Florian has the potential to be one of the most action packed fights of the year, both have won Fight of the Night awards and they are known for delivering nonstop action,” said Dana White, UFC President. “Kenny has established himself as one of the best in the world at 155 and he wants another shot at the title. Roger sports a 20-1 record and is undefeated in 6 UFC fights. That is an amazing accomplishment in one of MMA’s most competitive divisions.”

Tickets for UFC 87: SEEK AND DESTROY will go on sale Sunday, May 25 at 12 Noon CT and will be priced at $600, $400, $250, $125, $75 and $50. Tickets for UFC 87 will be available at Target Center’s Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling 651.989.5151.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Thursday, May 22 at 10am CT via the website www.ufc.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Saturday, May 24 starting at 10am CT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through www.ufc.com.

UFC 87: SEEK AND DESTROY is available live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST on iN DEMAND, DIRECTV, DISH Network, TVN, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Communications and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.95 for standard definition or high-definition broadcasts (where available).

Kenny Florian (10-3) made his UFC debut on Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter®, advancing to the finals before losing to Diego Sanchez. Since then, Florian has dropped just one fight in the UFC, a classic five-round battle against Sean Sherk for the vacant UFC lightweight title in October 2006. Vying for a second title shot, Florian has proved himself worthy by racking up victories over the best fighters in the division, including Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Alvin Robinson, Din Thomas and most recently Joe Lauzon. Florian’s plan is to move Huerta out of his way at UFC 87 and put himself right in line for another shot at the crown.

“I’m really excited to be fighting Roger Huerta; this is the fight I wanted because he’s the other big lightweight in the UFC, and he is definitely at the top of the division,” said Florian. “I’ve never fought a guy in his hometown, so this is going to be different for me, but no matter where we fight it’s going to be a back and forth non-stop war. We are both aggressive and Huerta is always in great shape; he’s one of those guys who just hangs in there, so when you have the chance, you have to finish him, and that’s what I’m gonna do.”

Hailing from Minneapolis, MN, Huerta (21-1-1) made his UFC debut in September 2006 at UFC 63, where he scored a unanimous decision victory against Jason Dent. The 25 year-old has since tallied five straight wins in the Octagon™ against lightweight contenders John Halverson, Leonard Garcia, Doug Evans, Alberto Crane and Clay Guida, running his perfect record in the UFC to 6-0. The first fighter ever to fight five times in one year, Huerta is on a vision quest to become the UFC lightweight champion, and he will let no one, including Florian, stand in his way.

“This is going to be a really great fight, it will distinguish who will be the number one contender,” said Huerta. “I’m looking forward to fighting Florian, he is a technical fighter and comes in with a great game plan, but I have a game plan too, so I think this is going to be a chess match, one where we both use all our MMA skills to stay in there. I’m really excited to fight in Minneapolis, the support I get here is amazing, this city has adopted me, this is where I train for all of my fights, and I can’t wait to bring it a win in August.”

UFC 87 will also feature Brock Lesnar, fighting out of his hometown of Minneapolis, in a battle against UFC Hall of Famer and former PRIDE® superstar Mark “The Hammer” Coleman.

The remaining bouts for UFC 87 will be announced in the near future. All bouts are live and subject to change. For further information on the UFC visit ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or ufcespanol.com.

THE EAGERLY AWAITED MIDDLEWEIGHT SHOWDOWN

Plus more exciting match-ups to be announced

LIVE FROM THE NATIONAL INDOOR ARENA, BIRMINGHAM, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008

Tickets On Sale Next Week!

London, England - The Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) organization will storm into the British Midlands for the first time when UFC 89: BISPING v LEBEN touches down at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, on October 18.

In a middleweight showdown, which has set mixed martial arts fans ablaze with anticipation, England’s own Michael ‘the Count’ Bisping will finally collide with Chris ‘the Crippler’ Leben. Two of the most explosively exciting strikers in the 185lbs division, Bisping and American Leben were originally set to face off in London at UFC 85 in June but, now, are set to do battle in Britain’s Second City.

“This is one of the most exciting fights we could have made in the middleweight division,” said UFC President Dana White. “Bisping has looked a monster since dropping down to 185lbs, and he’s dominated Charles McCarthy and Jason Day inside a round already this year. And Leben is coming into UFC 89 with a ton of momentum, too, having just knocked out Terry Martin and Alessio Sakara; two of the biggest wins of his career.”

White added, “That these two guys were willing to fight each other in London with six weeks’ notice shows you the kind of warriors they are. But now we will see this fight probably as it should have always happened, with both guys getting plenty of notice and coming in 100% ready for each other.”

Tickets for UFC 89: BISPING v LEBEN are priced £40, £50, £75, £125 and £225 and will be available from 10AM on July 2 to UFC Fight Club members, from 10AM July 4 to UFC Newsletter members and then they go on sale to general public at 10AM on July 6 at http://ticketfactory.co.uk, call 0871945 6000

UFC UK Division President Marshall Zelaznik said “We’ve wanted to come to Birmingham for a long time, and we’re delighted to finally be bringing the world’s most exciting sport to Britain’s Second City. In the coming weeks we will be announcing a stacked UFC card for the National Indoor Arena and I know the Midlands are very excited to be able to see Bisping v Leben live.”

The winner of season 3 of the Ultimate Fighter, Michael ‘the Count’ Bisping, 17-1 in MMA, has fought his way to super-stardom in his native England. An attack-minded striker with lightning fast fists, feet and knees, Bisping has been in devastating form since moving down to the middleweight division. The Clitheroe, Lancashire native will be stepping into the Octagon™ for the third time in less than six months when he faces Leben.

Bisping said: “I cannot wait for this fight. Chris Leben is an extremely dangerous fighter, and he will keep coming until you nail him to the floor. Fans were talking about this as a great match-up long before Chris’ name was even mentioned to me as a potential opponent, and I think this fight will more than live up to the anticipation.

“I believe I am now showing what I can really do in the UFC - dominate opponents and get them out of there inside one round. Leben will be swinging every second of the fight, I know, but I don’t plan on anything different happening in this fight.”

Born in Portland, Oregon, and fighting out of Hawaii, Chris ‘the Crippler’ Leben is a human highlight reel of a fighter. Possessing chilling one-punch power, a cast-iron jaw and fiery fighting spirit, Leben has an 18-4 MMA record, including victories over Mike Swick, Patrick Cote,
Jorge Rivera, Terry Martin. Most recently, Leben blasted Alessio Sakara to a Knockout of the Night defeat at UFC 82: Pride of a Champion on March 1, 2008.

Leben said: “I think me and Bisping fighting is the fight everybody wants to see. I really do think this is going to be a Fight of The Year candidate. Michael Bisping is never an easy fight, never an easy win, and he never has been. And it’s the same with me. This is definitely one fight you’re gonna want to watch. It’s a challenge for both of us to see who is going to rise to that elite level.”

And ‘the Crippler’ – added: “I’m super excited about fighting in England. I don’t mind being the bad guy at all, so I’ll go over there, represent the United States, and get some boos.”

Further fights for UFC 89 will be announced shortly. For further information on the UFC visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.com.

About The Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship® brand is the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization and offers the premier series of MMA sports events. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., the UFC® organization produces approximately twelve to fourteen live pay-per-view events annually that are distributed through cable and satellite providers. In addition to its U.S. distribution, UFC fight programs are distributed throughout the world including broadcast on MAIN EVENT in Australia, Globosat in Brazil and Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com or uk.ufc.com or www.ufcespanol.com.

Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Ultimate Fighting®, UFC®, The Ultimate Fighter®, Submission®, As Real As It Gets®, Zuffa™, The Octagon™ and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, trademarks, trade dress or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC or other respective owners.

SIGNAL HILL, California (July 3, 2008) – Former MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy may have retired from working in the UFC® Octagon but he will be a color commentator for the July 19th “Affliction Banned” pay-per-view event, featuring the WAMMA heavyweight championship fight between the most lethal MMA heavyweight of all-time, Russian M1 superstar legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (27-1), and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (24-4), live from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, McCarthy refereed 535 fights during his 14 years as an MMA referee, and he operates an MMA school in Valencia, California. He started refereeing in the UFC’s second show in 1994 and retired this past December. An MMA ambassador all over the world, “Big” John developed into being as much a part of the UFC as the fighters that entered the Octagon. Now, though, he is a member of Team Affliction.

“Affliction Banned,” presented by Affliction Entertainment, is so stacked with talent that it had to be separated into two live shows produced for broadcast. The night’s activities will kick off with a one-hour, free live telecast on FSN (Fox Sports Net) in the United States and on The Fight Network in Canada starting at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM/ET), dubbed “Affliction Live.” Following that is “Affliction Banned” — five incredible fights on pay-per-view starting at 6 PM/PT (9 PM/ET) via iN DEMAND, TVN, Shaw Communications, Viewers Choice Canada, DirecTV, DISH Network, Bell ExpressVue and Star Choice in the United States and Canada for a suggested retail price of $39.95.

Tickets for “Affliction Banned” range between $50.00 and $1,000.00, and are on sale at Honda Center’s Box Office and also online at Ticketmaster.com.

“Affliction Banned” on Closed Circuit TV at Gold Coast Hotel & Casino In Las Vegas July 19 in Anaheim

SIGNAL HILL, California (July 3, 2008) – Dueling MMA events will be shown within walking distance of each other July 19 for fight fans in Las Vegas as Affliction Entertainment presents “Affliction Banned” on closed circuit television at the Gold Coast Hotel & Casino, directly across the street from where UFC’s Fight Night will be broadcast at the Palm Hotel and Casino.

The “Affliction Banned” pay-per-view event, featuring the WAMMA heavyweight championship fight between the most lethal MMA heavyweight of all-time, Russian M1 superstar legend Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko (27-1), and former UFC heavyweight champion Tim “The Maine-iac” Sylvia (24-4), will be broadcast live from Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

Fans at the Gold Coast will watch more than four hours or world-class mixed-martial-arts action, starting at 5 PM/PT with a live one-hour telecast of “Affliction Live,” featuring Fedor’s brother, Aleksander “The Grim Reaper” Emelianenko (13-3) versus Paul “The Headhunter” Buentello (23-10), followed by the exclusive presentation of “Affliction Banned.”

“Affliction Banned,” presented by Affliction Entertainment, arguably is the greatest MMA event ever, headlined by Fedor vs. Sylvia and powerfully supported by four other incredible bouts: former UFC® heavyweight title-holder Andrei “The Pitbull” Arlovski (12-5) faces IFL® titlist “Big” Ben Rothwell (29-5), Josh “The Baby Faced Assassin” Barnett (21-5) fights stateside for the first time in two years in a grudge match against the only opponent to ever knock him out — Brazilian strongman Pedro “The Rock” Rizzo (16-7); three-time All-American wrestler Mike Whitehead (20-5) battles Brazilian sensation Renato “Babalu” Sobral (29-7); 2000 Olympic Wrestling Silver Medalist and Oregon House of Representative candidate, Matt “The Law” Lindland (20-5), meets Brazilian favorite Fabio “Negao” Nascimento (8-3).

The Gold Coast Sports Book will be taking wagers on the entire “Affliction Banned” card in its Sports Book starting July 12th, right up to fight time. The official Las Vegas line on the Affliction Card as set by Las Vegas Sports Consultants is:

WMMA Heavyweight Championship of the World (5 - 5 minute rounds)
Fighters
Odds
% Chance to win

Tim Sylvia
+350
20.00%

Fedor Emelianenko
-450
80.00%

Heavyweights (3 - 5 minutes rounds)

Ben Rothwell
+240
27.00%

Andrei Arlovski
-300
73.00%

Heavyweights (3 - 5 minutes rounds)

Josh Barnett
-360
76.20%

Pedro Rizzo
+280
23.80%

Light Heavyweights (3 - 5 minute rounds)

Fabio Negao
+300
22.70%

Matt Lindland
-380
77.30%

Heavyweights (3 – 5 minutes rounds)

Mike Whitehead
+210
30.30%

Renato Sobral
-250
69.70%

The fight card includes the ultimate ‘clash of the titans’ when two of the UK’s biggest fighters battle it out with Geordie Giant Neil ‘Goliath’ Grove taking on Robert ‘Buzz’ Berry. Phil ‘The New York Bad-Ass’ Baroni is topping the fight card against Scott Jansen in a brawl that has already got the whole of the Cage Rage community talking!

London City trader Francis Heagney is also stepping into the cage live on Nuts TV to prove that not all city boys are taking a kicking during the credit crunch, by taking part in a British light weight title fight. Porsche-driving futures trader Heagney said he’s not intimidated by the big fight night at Wembley Arena and his appearance on Nuts TV - because he’s used to dealing with bears and bulls on a daily basis.

Heagney said: “People might think it is odd – but I love the sport. It keeps me super fit and helps me vent all the stress that I soak up at work. To be successful in the City you have to be a winner – I am fiercely competitive and channel all my focus and desire to win to come out of the cage victorious.”

“Fighting at Wembley is the proverbial dream come true for me. I think that the lads in the office will be waging a bob or two on me. Even the boss is coming to see me in action.”

A documentary on Neil Grove, said to be Britain’s hardest man, will follow the live Cage Rage broadcast at 11pm. The show is a unique fly-on-the-wall insight into the UK’s biggest Cage Fighter and is a UK premiere exclusive to Nuts TV.

Joe Talbot, director of programming at Nuts TV, said: “I’m delighted to be bringing live cage fighting to Nuts TV - this is a sport that is growing in popularity around the UK, and the chance to bring this incredible fight card to our viewers is a golden opportunity to raise its profile even further.

“The fighters involved in the event on July 12th are among some of the leading names in the sport, sparks are surely going to fly and we’re in store for a dramatic night’s entertainment!”

The solid Piotor Kusmierz against Stav Economou, a heavy weight British Title fight between James Mcsweeney and Mustapha Alturk and even a feather weight women’s fight between Eva Liskova and Aisling Daley are among the other highlights of the event.

It is the second time Nuts TV has broadcast live sport, following the ratings success from the channel broadcasting the PDC darts US Open earlier this year.

Cage Rage 27: Step Up is being broadcast live on Nuts TV - Freeview channel 42 and Sky guide 207 - from Wembley Arena on July 12th, from 9pm until 11pm.

Interview / feature avaibility:

- Joe Talbot, director of programming at Nuts, is available for interview

- Dave O’Donnell, director of the Cage Rage organisation , is available for interview

- Fighters are available for interview, upon request

- Journalists are also being offered the opportunity to try out a Cage Rage training session, to see how tough the sport really is!

For further information on Nuts TV, Cage Rage: Step Up, images or any other requests contact Daniel Lipman (daniel.lipman@ideageneration.co.uk) or Paul Drury (pauld@ideageneration.co.uk) at Idea Generation on 0207 749 6855, or Dan Alexis (dan.alexis@turner.com) at Turner Broadcasting on 020 7693 1194.

For those of you who are interested in the lines that have been set by the online sportsbooks for the upcoming UFC 86 event, we are here to provide you with the numbers. (Informational purposes, only.) The books we will be focusing on here are BetUS, BodogLife, and Bookmaker.

UFC Light Heavyweight title match: Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (champion) vs. Forrest Griffin (challenger)

BetUS & Bodoglife odds: Jackson (-260) vs. Griffin (+200)
Bookmaker odds: Jackson (-265) vs. Griffin (+215)

Analysis: Even if you think that Rampage is a heavy favorite in this fight, you might be getting the right price at +215 to take a shot in the dark on Griffin winning the fight. As Jordan Breen of Sherdog pointed out in our UFC 86 event preview, Griffin has an opportunity to get Jackson in a Thai clinch and punish the champion. Don’t think for one second that this isn’t a priority for Forrest in training, given that he trains at one of the best fight camps in the world (Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas). While he suffered a loss at the hands of Keith Jardine, Griffin came back strong last year with a win over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua of PRIDE fame. You could do worse than betting on Griffin to pull off the upset.

Patrick Cote vs. Ricardo Almeida (185 pounds)

BetUS odds: Cote (-115) vs. Almeida (-115)
Bodoglife odds: Cote (-105) vs. Almeida (-125)
Bookmaker odds: Cote (+110) vs. Almeida (-140)

Analysis: These are some ugly odds and will likely discourage any major action from taking place at the sportsbooks. Your best play is Almeida at -115, but even then… that’s not exactly the most enticing line. Almeida won his UFC 81 fight against Rob Yundt, but you have to go back several years to find some of his big wins in MMA (including good showings against Ryo Chonan and Nathan Marquardt). Cote is a good fighter who is very competitive against strikers, but has had problems in the past facing ground specialists (like Travis Lutter and Joe Doerksen).

FightOpinion.com radio host Jeff Thaler believes that this is a close match-up given the contrasting styles of the two fighters.

“This is a case of one fighter, Cote, wanting to keep the fight standing and his opponent, Almeida, wanting to take it to the ground. Cote has to be able to impose his will standing and remain aggressive without giving an opening for Almeida’s take-down. If Almeida can take Cote to the ground and Cote finds himself on the bottom, he needs to play a very conservative game with his guard and look for opportunities to cage walk or push-Almeida away so he can stand. If Cote cannot get back to his feet, he would be well advised to tie Almeida-up and try to get the referee to stand up the fight. Conversely, you would expect Almeida, a high-level BJJ black belt, to try and play the classic BJJ game - pass the guard and look for a submission. He is definitely much slicker than Cote on the ground, but that will not matter if the fight stays standing or if he is forced to pull guard and ends up getting worn down from a ground and pound attack. The question whether Ålmeida can get top position on the ground will probably be what ends up determining the winner in this fight.”

Joe Stevenson vs. Gleison Tibau (155 pounds)

BetUS odds: Stevenson (-220) vs. Tibau (+175)
Bodoglife odds: Stevenson (-220) vs. Tibau (+180)
Bookmaker odds: Stevenson (-205) vs. Tibau (+165)

Analysis: Tibau is a good fighter, but is he in the same league as Stevenson? Tibau has lost to fighters like Tyson Griffin and Nick Diaz in the past. Plus, three of his last five fights have gone the distance. If you’re feeling frisky, Tibau at +180 might be worth a little (but not a lot of) action.

Josh Koscheck vs. Chris Lytle (170 pounds)

BetUS odds: Koscheck (-330) vs. Lytle (+220)
Bodoglife odds: Koscheck (-315) vs. Lytle (+240)
Bookmaker odds: Koscheck (-320) vs. Lytle (+260)

Analysis: Koscheck should win the fight. How’s that for being succinct? Plus, Koscheck has been recently training with Josh Thomson… the same Josh Thomson who humbled Gilbert Melendez at the recent Strikeforce event in San Jose. I’m not in love with any sort of big play on Lytle, even at +260.

Despite the fact that I think this could be a sucker bet, my radio co-host Mr. Thaler believes otherwise.

“Koscheck has to impose his will with his wrestling. While Koscheck has seemed eager to show off improved stand-up skills, his biggest advantage in this fight will come when he puts Lytle on the mat. If Koscheck does take it to the ground, it will be interesting to see how his improved BJJ skills match up with the experienced and well-rounded Lytle. If Koscheck can pass Lytle’s guard when he goes to the ground it will be a good night for Koscheck. Lytle needs to hope that Koscheck’s explosive athleticism is not too much for him. The old “stick and move” would seem to be Lytle’s best strategy. He should also keep an eye out to see if Koscheck gets careless in the clinch, because a Lytle take-down followed by ground and pound would be huge, and could end up being the difference in the match.”

Tyson Griffin vs. Marcus Aurelio (155 pounds)

BetUS odds: Griffin (-350) vs. Aurelio (+250)
Bookmaker odds: Griffin (-350) vs. Aurelio (+280)

Analysis: This could be a really fun fight to watch. Griffin is 11-1 and always makes things exciting. With that said, three of his last four fights have gone to decision. Aurelio has been heavily touted since his days in PRIDE (where he beat Takanori Gomi). A lot of people may be bearish right on Aurelio in UFC, but you might be bullish on taking him to win a decision at +280. It’s a much more solid play, in my opinion, than laying some coin on Lytle beating Koscheck.

Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga vs. Justin McCully (265 pounds)

Bodoglife odds: Gonzaga (-600) vs. McCully (+400)

Analysis: Stay as far away from this line as you possibly can.

Jorge Gurgel vs. Cole Miller (155 pounds)

BetUS odds: Miller (-135) vs. Gurgel (+105)
Bodoglife odds: Miller (-130) vs. Gurgel (even)
Bookmaker odds: Miller (-145) vs. Gurgel (+115)

Analysis: The most solid play here is Miller at -130 and you should probably play the pick with confidence. In his last five fights, Gurgel has gone the distance in all five of them. If the odds were a little more favorable, then picking Gurgel in this spot might be tempting. However, Miller is the favorite here – and for good reason, too.