The 27-year-old Couture, a member of the Las Vegas, Nev., based Xtreme Couture fight team, will face Lucas Stark of Chandler, Ariz. in a three-round lightweight (155 pounds) bout.

Looking to make a name for himself in the sport his father helped pioneer, Couture compiled an amateur record of 5-1-1 competing as a lightweight with all five wins coming by way of submission. He has had access to a who’s who of MMA royalty as training partners and coaches, which, coupled with a solid amateur career, has given him the background and confidence to take his fight career to the next level.

Couture, whose parents split up when he was in sixth grade, spent his high school years in suburban Seattle. With his father being a former wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University, Couture naturally developed into a talented high school wrestler.

Following high school, Couture enrolled in Western Washington University in Bellingham, where he graduated in 2004 with a mathematics degree. He worked at a local bank until he realized his desire to work in the family business.

Couture began his MMA training in 2006, working diligently to mature into a well-rounded fighter, adding Muay Thai and a dangerous submission game to his repertoire. In January 2008, he moved to Las Vegas to train with his father.

In his final amateur bout on March 26, Couture fought to a draw against Sean Bollinger for the Tuff-N-UFF 155-pound title fight at The Orleans in Las Vegas.

Tickets for the Aug. 13 STRIKEFORCE Challengers event are on sale now through www.livenation.com , www.STRIKEFORCE.com , the Dodge Theatre Box Office, any Ticketmaster outlet or by phone at (800) 745-3000

In the main event, Phoenix native and MMA star Joe “Diesel” Riggs will take on knockout artist Louis Taylor at a catch weight of 182 pounds.

The event will also showcase a four-woman, single-elimination 135-pound tournament featuring STRIKEFORCE Women’s welterweight prospects Miesha “Takedown” Tate, Carina “Beauty But The Beast” Damm, Hitomi “Girlfight Monster” Akano and Maiju Kujala.

Dodge Theatre doors will open at 5:15 p.m. MT for the STRIKEFORCE Challengers event. The first preliminary bout will begin at 6 p.m. and the first main card bout will begin at 8 p.m.

STRIKEFORCE Challengers is a proving ground for up-and-coming MMA fighters. The series is designed to provide today’s top prospects with the opportunity to step-up their level of competition and demonstrate their ability in a nationally televised event.

About STRIKEFORCE

STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Michael “The Count” Bisping (20-3), fighting out of Manchester, England with the Wolfslair MMA Academy, was the victor in “The Ultimate Fighter 3” under the tutelage of coach Tito Ortiz in 2006. Bisping won two of his next three fights in the Octagon® before dropping down in weight class from light heavyweight to middleweight, where he proceeded to win his next three contests including a victory over Chris Leben at UFC 89 in front of his fellow countrymen in Birmingham, England. Since then, Bisping has continued to fight the 185 lb division’s toughest competitors, including Wanderlei Silva, Dan Miller, Dan Henderson and Denis Kang.

One of Japan’s finest mixed martial arts fighters, Akiyama (13-2, 2 NC) was the winner of the 2001 Asian Championships and 2002 Asian Games in judo. He made an impressive debut in the UFC at UFC 100 last July with a split-decision victory over Alan Belcher, earning “Fight of the Night” honors. Following a tough loss to Chris Leben at UFC 116, which also earned him a “Fight of the Night” bonus, Akiyama needs a victory over Bisping to continue his path to a title shot.

One of the world’s top welterweights, Hardy (23-7, 1 NC) most recently faced UFC champ Georges St. Pierre at UFC 111 in March. “The Outlaw,” in the biggest fight in his career, dropped a hard-fought five-round decision to the legendary Canadian fighter. Prior to his title shot, the 28 year-old Briton won his first four fights in the Octagon®, defeating such UFC notables as Akihiro Gono, Marcus Davis, Rory Markham, and Mike Swick. A victory over Condit furthers his quest for another shot at the coveted belt.

Condit (25-5), who trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico with the renowned Jackson’s MMA team, is one of the division’s top contenders. Despite being only 26, Condit is a mixed martial arts veteran and was the last man to hold the WEC welterweight belt. He has fought many of the sport’s biggest names including Martin Kampmann, Frank Trigg and Jake Shields.

Rising mixed martial arts star John “The Hitman” Hathaway (14-0), a former rugby player from Brighton, England, is a perfect 4-0 in his UFC career including an eye-opening decision victory over Diego Sanchez at UFC 114 in May. He will be tested by 11-year-veteran Mike “Quicksand” Pyle.

Fighting out of Las Vegas, Pyle (19-7-1) is a former WEC welterweight champion who is known for his world-class submission game and over a decade of pro MMA experience. Pyle most recently defeated Jesse Lennox via triangle choke submission in June at UFC 115.

The Spike telecast will open with a welterweight battle between “The Ultimate Fighter 9” winner James “Lightning” Wilks (8-3) from Leicestershire, East Midlands, England and Canadian Claude Patrick (12-1). Wilks, who defeated DaMarques Johnson last June in “The Ultimate Fighter 9” finale, most recently defeated Peter Sobotta at UFC 115 in June. His opponent, Patrick, fighting out of Toronto, was victorious in his recent Octagon debut, defeating Ricardo Funch via submission at UFC 115 in June.

Also on the fight card, a heavyweight showdown between Paris, France native Cheick Kongo (25-6-1) and undefeated Travis Browne (10-0). Kongo is returning to the arena where he enjoyed his finest moment in the Octagon, a decision victory over Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 75. Kongo recently scored an impressive over Paul Buentello in March. A native of Hawaii, the imposing 6’7 Travis Browne won his UFC debut in June over James McSweeney with a first round TKO.

Other bouts might air depending available time:

Cyrille Diabate (17-6-3) vs. Alexander Gustafson (9-1)

Stanislav Nedkov (11-0) vs. Steve Cantwell (7-3)

Spike TV is available in 98.6 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV’s press site at www.spike.com/press.

Lashley vs. Griggs will be a prelude to a World Championship Doubleheader when STRIKEFORCE World Light Heavyweight (205 pounds) Champion “King” Mo Lawal makes the first defense of his belt against devastating striker Rafael “Feijao’’ Cavalcante in the main event. The co-main event will feature Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Tim Kennedy in a battle for the vacant STRIKEFORCE Middleweight (185 pounds) title.

The former International Fighting League’s Griggs, originally from Phoenix, Ariz., is 32-years-old and currently works for the Tucson Fire Department. He has an 8-1 record with some very early finishes, including six of his eight wins ending in the first round with seven of eight coming by way of knockout.

In his last fight on April 25, 2009, he knocked out Jon Alexander with elbows in the first round. He fought four times in 2007, the same year he suffered his first career loss as a professional. That loss came on April 13 in Connecticut he was submitted by Shane Ott in the first round at 1:09.

A father of two, Griggs said he’s excited about the opportunity to face Lashley. “Of course I am. It’s really a dream come true,” said Griggs, who works out with Joey Rivera at APEX MMA gym in Tucson. “MMA is something I got involved with by walking into a gym. Once I did I fell in love with the sport.”

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Lashley (5-0) is a former collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College and member of The United States Army. He made his MMA debut in December of 2008.

In his last fight and STRIKEFORCE debut, Lashley, 33, scored a first round TKO over Wes Sims at STRIKEFORCE: Miami on Jan. 30, 2010. Prior to that, the former wrestling star pulverized the 6-foot-5, 350-plus pound goliath Bob Sapp.

Lashley’s WWE and TNA wrestling career has helped make him a well-known figure in the sports and entertainment world.

Tickets are on sale at www.ToyotaCenterTix.com, by phone at 1-866-4-HOU-TIX, at select Houston area Randalls locations, and at www.strikeforce.com. Tickets will also be available beginning on Monday at the Toyota Center box office.

About STRIKEFORCE
STRIKEFORCE (www.strikeforce.com) is a world-class mixed martial arts cage fight promotion which, on Friday, March 10, 2006, made history with its “Shamrock vs. Gracie” event, the first sanctioned mixed martial arts fight card in California state history. The star-studded extravaganza, which pitted legendary champion Frank Shamrock against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Cesar Gracie at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, played host to a sold-out, record crowd of 18,265. Since 1995, STRIKEFORCE, sanctioned by ISKA, has been the exclusive provider of martial arts programming for ESPN and, after 12 years of success as a leading, world championship kickboxing promotion, the company unveiled its mixed martial arts (MMA) series with “Shamrock vs. Gracie.” In May 2008, West Coast Productions, the parent company of STRIKEFORCE, partnered with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (SVS&E), an entity created in 2000 to oversee all business operation aspects of the San Jose Sharks and HP Pavilion at San Jose. In March 2009, STRIKEFORCE signed a multi-year agreement with SHOWTIME® to stage live events on the premium cable television network. The promotion has since also produced two live, primetime events on the CBS Television Network.

Moosin officials believe Pudzianowski has tremendous potential and that he should be featured on Moosin’s proposed October 9 show in Chicago. Mariusz, who has reportedly been training hard in his native Poland to develop his MMA skills, will arrive in Massachusetts by the end of July to begin training with former boxer “Irish” Micky Ward, as well as two former All-America wrestlers, in order to learn the basics of boxing and wrestling to improve his overall MMA game.

However, based on Pudzianowki’s second-round loss by submission to former 2-time UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia this past May in Worcester, Massachusetts, “Butterbean” doesn’t think Mariusz deserves to be showcased again on a Moosin pay-per-view event, at least not until he proves himself in the cage.

“I know he allegedly broke his foot in the fight against Sylvia,” Butterbean criticized Pudzianowski, “but he didn’t show anything before he quit. Pudzianowski has no stand-up and as strong as he is, he punches like a girl. All he does is throw arm punches. He needs a lot of help. He’s the 5-time World’s Strongest Man but hits like a 130-pounder, not a strong man who weighs 270 pounds. He doesn’t have the skill level to get to the level he wants to fight.

“Once he gets a stand-up game – you can’t have a ground game working without one – he could be a force in MMA. He still needs some work on his ground game, too. We all know he’s very strong but that’s not enough at the highest level of MMA. I don’t know who has been coaching him but that trainer should be fired. Pudzianowski needs to prove himself, showing he has a good stand-up game by beating a good MMA fighter, before he gets another big fight like a spot on the October 9th show.”

Moosin, based in South Korea-based, has promoted MMA shows in South Korea and the United States and, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, plans expansion into to China, Poland and Australia.

Go to www.MoosinUSA.com for more information about Moosin.

Moosin: A global event promoter based out of Seoul, South Korea, in conjunction with the International Taekwon-Do Federation, Moosin is known for bringing fans the finest in mixed martial arts competition. Moosin is revolutionizing the MMA industry by merging an international roster of talented fighters with recognizable stars from the world or music, sports and popular culture. Moosin pits warrior against warrior, featuring a hybrid of MMA and hard-hitting Moosin-style kickboxing, in hand-to-hand battles of skill, honor and art.

The XFC always delivers great fights featuring the best prospects in MMA – and this event is no exception. In the main event of the evening, Bruce “The Noose” Connors (8-1) meets WEC and DREAM veteran Micah Miller (13-4), plus Kim “Sugar Free” Couture meets XFC Connecticut Open Fighter Tryout Winner, Marianna Kheyfets.

On the special early broadcast of “Inside MMA,” Ex-NFL great James Brown (who served as an announcer for the first six UFC events) tells Kenny Rice that the weight classes and rules established by UFC helped give Mixed Martial Arts the credibility that it has today.

Clips for the program can be found here:

http://blog.hdnetfights.com/post/786743118/bobby-lashley-and-jim-brown-on-inside-mma

In Kruck’s Korner, Bobby Lashley tells Ron that he hasn’t been given a chance to take on the big fighters in MMA. Lashley, the former pro wrestler, says he wants the bigger named fighters but promoters haven’t responded to him. He wants Fedor next!

Also, Bas Rutten thinks that Shane Carwin made a mistake against Lesnar. Tune in to find out what it was!

Panel guests for Friday’s “Inside MMA” include Stephan Bonnar; Nate Marquardt; Eddie Bravo and Nick Kalikas.

Tune into HDNet TONIGHT for a full night of hard hitting MMA action!
About HDNet
HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and thought-provoking content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television’s only HD news feature programs “HDNet World Report,” and the Emmy Award winning “Dan Rather Reports,” featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant – telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. “NASA on HDNet” presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, “HDNet Fights” (www.hdnetfights.com). “HDNet Fights” works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet’s “Inside MMA” is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA, while “Fighting Words with Mike Straka,” goes one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the sport. HDNet also features regular season games from the newly formed United Football League.

HDNet also delivers the world’s largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Nickelback and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring “Art Mann Presents,” “Girls Gone Wild,” “Deadline” and “Get Out!”

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, and Verizon FiOS.

The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies.

After DREAM 14 was hailed as one of the most exciting MMA shows of the first half of
2010, all eyes now turn to DREAM 15′s stacked card this Saturday. All ideas of good sportsmanship and the revered Bushido code of respect will be thrown out when the heated rivalry between two of the world’s top 5 ranked Lightweight fighters finally explodes at DREAM 15.

Submission ace Shinya Aoki defends his DREAM lightweight title against arch-nemesis Tatsuya “Crusher” Kawajiri in a blockbuster main event that can be seen exclusively on HDNet!

“The matchups are stacked from top to bottom at DREAM 15,” said Andrew Simon, CEO of HDNet Fights. “With the LIVE broadcast on HDNet, DREAM 15 is a chance to prove to North America that the Japanese MMA community is still at the top of its game and features the best fighters in the world.” The showdown between Japan’s two leading lightweights comes after many months of ill will between the two. Kawajiri has long demanded a showdown with Aoki, promising to knock out the submission specialist. Aoki, who comes off a loss to Gilbert Melendez in the USA, needs to win this match to both silence Kawajiri and reaffirm his standing as one of the world’s best Lightweights.

In more DREAM 15 action, former DREAM Middleweight GP champion Gegard Mousasi looks to rally back from a loss to Muhammed Lawal, as he takes part in the four-man DREAM Light Heavyweight Grand Prix. Mousasi takes on six-time UFC veteran Jake O’Brien, who has gone 7-3 in his last 10 bouts including wins over Heath Herring, Christian Wellisch and Dave Hess.

On the other side of the DREAM Light Heavyweight Grand Prix draw, Holland’s Melvin Manhoef, who boasts 23 KO’s in his 24 MMA career victories, takes on tough Tatsuya Mizuno
Also on the card, brilliant Brazilian JZ Cavalcantereturns to action for the first time in more than a year when he takes on Katsunori Kikuno.Cavalcante, a former two-time Hero’s Middleweight Champion looks to put injuries and inactivity behind him as he takes on the masterful DEEP champion Kikuno.

In another highly-anticipated match, M-1 star Karl Amoussou makes his DREAM debut against Kazuhiro Nakamura, who retired the great Hidehiko Yoshida in his last fight. Amoussou is a ferocious talent who has stopped opponents in 11 of his 12 career wins.

And, for a special treat, Sengoku star Michihiro Omigawa makes his DREAM debut against Young Sam Jung of Korea.
About HDNet
HDNet (www.hd.net) is the independent network with unique and thought-provoking content that appeals to men of all ages and is delivered in true high definition.

HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television’s only HD news feature programs “HDNet World Report,” and the Emmy Award winning “Dan Rather Reports,” featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant – telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. “NASA on HDNet” presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.

HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts with its Friday night series, “HDNet Fights” (www.hdnetfights.com). “HDNet Fights” works with leading MMA promoters including DREAM, Sengoku, King of the Cage, XFC, M-1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet’s “Inside MMA” is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA, while “Fighting Words with Mike Straka,” goes one-on-one with some of the biggest names in the sport. HDNet also features regular season games from the newly formed United Football League.

HDNet also delivers the world’s largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Paul McCartney, Mariah Carey, John Mayer, Nickelback and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring “Art Mann Presents,” “Girls Gone Wild,” “Deadline” and “Get Out!”

Only HDNet Movies (www.hdnetmovies.com) delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow, Eric Bana, John Malkovich, Emily Blunt, Robin Williams, Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger.

In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.

HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.

Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, and Verizon FiOS.

The HDNet networks can be followed via Facebook at facebook.com/HDNet, facebook.com/HDNetFights and facebook.com/HDNetMovies and via Twitter at twitter.com/hdnet, twitter.com/hdnetfights and twitter.com/hdnetmovies.

Some of the best and most knowledgeable MMA writers from across the MMA media landscape have come together to form an independent voting panel. These voting panel members are, in alphabetical order: Zach Arnold (Fight Opinion); Nicholas Bailey (MMA Ratings); Jared Barnes (Freelance); Jordan Breen (Sherdog); Jim Genia (Full Contact Fighter and MMA Journalist Blog); Jesse Holland (MMA Mania); Robert Joyner (Freelance); Todd Martin (Los Angeles Times and Sherdog); Jim Murphy (The Savage Science); Zac Robinson (Sports by the Numbers MMA); Leland Roling (Bloody Elbow); Michael David Smith (AOL Fanhouse); Joshua Stein (MMA Opinion); Ivan Trembow (Freelance); and Dave Walsh (Head Kick Legend).

Note: Nick Diaz, Jason Miller, and Jake Shields were all recently issued disciplinary suspensions by the Tennessee Athletic Commission for their roles in the post-fight brawl at the Strikeforce event in Nashville. Like all fighters who are serving disciplinary suspensions, these fighters have temporarily lost their eligibility to be ranked, and they will regain their eligibility to be ranked as soon as their disciplinary suspensions have ended. Shields’ three-month disciplinary suspension began on June 9; Miller’s began on June 16; and Diaz’ began on June 23. Gilbert Melendez’ three-month disciplinary suspension has not yet begun, due to the fact that his consent order has not yet been received, so he has not yet lost his eligibility to be ranked.

July 2010 Men’s Independent World MMA Rankings
Ballots collected on July 6, 2010

Heavyweight Rankings (206 to 265 lbs.)
1. Brock Lesnar (5-1)
2. Fedor Emelianenko (31-2, 1 No Contest)
3. Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1)
4. Cain Velasquez (8-0)
5. Shane Carwin (12-1)
6. Junior dos Santos (11-1)
7. Alistair Overeem (33-11, 1 No Contest)
8. Frank Mir (13-5)
9. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (32-6-1, 1 No Contest)
10. Antonio Silva (14-2)

Light Heavyweight Rankings (186 to 205 lbs.)
1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-4)
2. Lyoto Machida (16-1)
3. Rashad Evans (15-1-1)
4. Quinton Jackson (30-8)
5. Anderson Silva (25-4)
6. Forrest Griffin (17-6)
7. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal (7-0)
8. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (19-3)
9. Gegard Mousasi (28-3-1)
10. Thiago Silva (14-2)

Middleweight Rankings (171 to 185 lbs.)
1. Anderson Silva (25-4)
2. Chael Sonnen (24-10-1)
3. Nathan Marquardt (29-9-2)
4. Dan Henderson (25-8)
5. Vitor Belfort (19-8)
6. Demian Maia (12-1)
7. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza (12-2, 1 No Contest)
8. Yushin Okami (24-5)
9. Jorge Santiago (22-8)
10. Robbie Lawler (17-6, 1 No Contest)

Welterweight Rankings (156 to 170 lbs.)
1. Georges St. Pierre (20-2)
2. Jon Fitch (22-3, 1 No Contest)
3. Thiago Alves (16-6)
4. Josh Koscheck (15-4)
5. Dan Hardy (23-7, 1 No Contest)
6. Martin Kampmann (17-3)
7. Paulo Thiago (13-2)
8. Matt Hughes (44-7)
9. Paul Daley (23-9-2)
10. Matt Serra (11-6)

Lightweight Rankings (146 to 155 lbs.)
1. Frankie Edgar (12-1)
2. B.J. Penn (15-6-1)
3. Gilbert Melendez (18-2)
4. Kenny Florian (13-4)
5. Eddie Alvarez (20-2)
6. Shinya Aoki (23-5, 1 No Contest)
7. Gray Maynard (9-0, 1 No Contest)
8. Tatsuya Kawajiri (26-5-2)
9. Evan Dunham (11-0)
10. George Sotiropoulos (13-2)

Featherweight Rankings (136 to 145 lbs.)
1. Jose Aldo (17-1)
2. Manny Gamburyan (11-4)
3. Urijah Faber (23-4)
4. Mike Brown (23-6)
5. Hatsu Hioki (21-4-2)
6. Bibiano Fernandes (8-2)
7. Marlon Sandro (17-1)
8. Josh Grispi (14-1)
9. Michihiro Omigawa (10-8-1)
10. “Lion” Takeshi Inoue (18-4)

Bantamweight Rankings (126 to 135 lbs.)
1. Dominick Cruz (15-1)
2. Brian Bowles (8-1)
3. Joseph Benavidez (12-1)
4. Miguel Torres (37-3)
5. Scott Jorgensen (10-3)
6. Takeya Mizugaki (13-4-2)
7. Damacio Page (15-4)
8. Wagnney Fabiano (14-2)
9. Masakatsu Ueda (11-1-2)
10. Rani Yahya (15-6)

The Men’s Independent World MMA Rankings are tabulated on a monthly basis in each of the top seven weight classes of MMA, from heavyweight to bantamweight, with fighters receiving ten points for a first-place vote, nine points for a second-place vote, and so on.

The rankings are based purely on the votes of the members of the voting panel, with nobody’s vote counting more than anybody else’s vote, and no computerized voting.

The voters are instructed to vote primarily based on fighters’ actual accomplishments in the cage/ring (the quality of opposition that they’ve actually beaten), not based on a broad, subjective perception of which fighters would theoretically win hypothetical match-ups.

Inactivity: Fighters who have not fought in the past 12 months are not eligible to be ranked, and will regain their eligibility the next time they fight.

Disciplinary Suspensions: Fighters who are currently serving disciplinary suspensions, or who have been denied a license for drug test or disciplinary reasons, are not eligible to be ranked.

Changing Weight Classes: When a fighter announces that he is leaving one weight class in order to fight in another weight class, the fighter is not eligible to be ranked in the new weight class until his first fight in the new weight class has taken place.

Catch Weight Fights: When fights are contested at weights that are in between the limits of the various weight classes, they are considered to be in the higher weight class. The weight limits for each weight class are listed at the top of the rankings for each weight class.

Special thanks to Eric Kamander, Zach Arnold, and Joshua Stein for their invaluable help with this project, and special thanks to Garrett Bailey for designing our logo.

Let’s get right to it.

LESNAR CONTINUES TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE OF GREATNESS

GYI0060958908Brock Lesnar is a baby in our sport. With only five professional fights under his belt heading into UFC 116, his severely limited database of experience left many pundits wondering how he would deal with true adversity when he found himself on the wrong end of a physical beating.

Lesnar answered that question with an exclamation point against Shane Carwin. I don’t think anybody outside of Team Lesnar would have argued too vehemently with referee Josh Rosenthal if he had stopped the action in the first round when Carwin was landing unanswered blows to the champion’s dome during a vicious ground-and-pound attack. But he didn’t intervene because Lesnar moved just enough to show that he was attempting to intelligently defend.

Still, it was obvious from the fight’s initial salvo that Lesnar was a fish out of water compared to Carwin in the standup realm. Thus, many probably thought that the outcome of the fight was a mere formality when the first round finally came to a close.

That obviously was not the case, as Lesnar had plenty left in the tank. Indeed, the champion was able to finish Carwin just over two minutes into the next round.

Lesnar’s ability to weather such a savage storm was impressive, but it was far from the most impressive part of his performance. I was more blown away by his continued evolution as a mixed martial artist, and his confidence in training to trust in his ever-improving skills as he searched for an end to the fight.

Lesnar had Carwin mounted early in the second round. Someone with Lesnar’s size, strength and ground control typically would not give up such a dominant position in search of a submission. After all, moving from mount to side control almost always opens the door for the downed fighter to work back to his feet, which in this case, meant opening the door for a knockout.

Lesnar didn’t care. When he secured the early stages of an arm triangle, he knew that the technique called for him to jump from mount to side control in order to finish the hold. The champion didn’t hesitate. He immediately gave up the most dominant ground position available in order to try a submission that he had never before used in actual competition. The decision was obviously a good one because Carwin was tapping just a few seconds later, bringing to an end the most difficult challenge of Lesnar’s nascent career.

What makes the end of the fight even more impressive is that Lesnar looked lost from a submission standpoint in his previous four wins, never before coming anywhere close to sinking a fight-ending hold. His expert handling of Carwin on the ground is a vivid reminder of what happens when an athlete like Lesnar completely dedicates himself to the world’s greatest sport. The learning curve for elite-level mixed martial arts is unbelievably steep. Yet, Lesnar has climbed the curve at a rate rarely, if ever, seen pace. That is scary enough. But, alas, the scarier notion is that Lesnar will continue his hockey-stick improvement, so the guy who steps into the Octagon for his next title defense will be noticeably better than the one who showed up in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 116.

That is great news for the fans and a daunting reality for the heavyweight division’s number one contender, Cain Velasquez.

With that said, nobody is unbeatable. The world received a reminder of that fact last week. So, I’m not about to label Lesnar as the greatest of all time or the unquestioned champion who will rule until he decides to walk away from the sport. Both of those statements may turn out to be true, but the champion has a long way to go before anyone waxes such opinions with true validity.

Nonetheless, Brock Lesnar proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the baddest man on the planet by surviving unbelievable adversity before executing a highly technical maneuver to score a career defining win over one savage dude. Nobody can put forward an argument with any semblance of credibility that anyone other than Lesnar is the best heavyweight in the world at the moment.

Not bad for a guy who has just six professional fights under his belt.

EARLY THOUGHTS: LESNAR VERSUS VELASQUEZ

UFC 116 POST PC BROCK LESNARUFC President Dana White confirmed on Saturday that undefeated contender Cain Velasquez will be next up for Lesnar. Velasquez was in the crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, so he got to witness Lesnar’s continued evolution as a fighter up close. I doubt he was overly encouraged by what he witnessed.

Velasquez is basically a more athletic, albeit smaller, version of Carwin. He moves better on his feet, has more fluid combinations in his striking game and is a much more explosive wrestler. Oh yes, he also has a vastly deeper gas tank. All that will serve him well against a behemoth like Lesnar. Yet, his lack of truly destructive power in his hands and much lighter frame may prove to be hurdles that are too great to overcome.

If Velasquez wants to derail the Lesnar express, he will need to use lots of movement on the feet to avoid the takedown, utilize leg kicks to wear down the massive champion and, of course, let his hands go with ever changing combinations. He will likely open and remain the underdog at betting parlors. But again, nobody is unbeatable, including Lesnar.

CARWIN LIKELY LEARNED A THING OR TWO FROM THE LOSS

GYI0060958950Carwin looked like a monster through the initial three-quarters of the opening round. He landed an attention-demanding punch almost out of the gate. Stuffed Lesnar’s first couple of takedown attempts. And sent the champion crumbling to the canvas with an uppercut followed by a furious two-fisted assault.

The entire world knew that Carwin was a fast starter, so the beginning of the fight was nothing surprising. The big question was whether he would be able to continue his deadly fistic assault if Lesnar was able to survive more than four minutes.

Lesnar did, indeed, survive longer than four minutes, expertly defending Carwin’s ground-and-pound attack by offering timely resistance and then tightly covering up while the challenger expended valuable energy hammering away. As the round came to a close, it was obvious that Carwin’s gas light was on. He was running dangerously low on fuel and, as a result, was unable to offer the same defense to Lesnar’s takedowns in round two, which ultimately led to his downfall.

I’m certainly not suggesting that Lesnar’s victory is solely attributable to Carwin’s noticeable slowdown in round two. The champion has the ability to conquer any man at any time. But the Carwin who started round two was a very different fighter than the one who started round one—actually, I’m of the opinion that Carwin began to fade right around the 3:30 mark in the round.

It is obvious to everyone that Carwin needs to more efficiently use his cardiovascular reserves if he is going to live up to his immense potential and not only win UFC gold but also dominate the division for a prolonged period of time. He might be known as the Energizer Bunny in training, but training is a very different beast than an actual fight.

I rarely disagree with UFC commentator Joe Rogan. I think he is the best in the business, bar none. Yet, I viewed Carwin very differently than he did prior to the fight. He did not appear to be loose and relaxed in my opinion. The lack of affect and, at times, strained smiles, suggested to me that Carwin was very nervous in the hours leading up to his bout. I’m not being critical of Carwin. Pre-fight nerves are completely normal for a guy’s first main event, let alone his first shot at a championship (no, I don’t count interim title bouts as true championship fights).

The point, though, is that Carwin probably felt differently on Saturday than he has in any previous fight. As a result, my guess is that he had a tough time controlling his adrenaline spikes when he landed his first big punch and again when he found himself on top of Lesnar pounding away. If that is the case, then Carwin’s gas tank shouldn’t be a problem going forward.

Controlling one’s emotions and adrenaline are critical to maintaining a steady consumption of cardiovascular reserves. I believe that Carwin burned through his reserves more rapidly than he does in the training room. Some of that occurred before the fight when he was resting back stage. The majority occurred after he hurt Lesnar because he punched with reckless abandon, rather than calculated aggression. Both of those situations can be chalked up to nerves, in my opinion.

Again, none of this is meant to be overly critical of the challenger. He performed tremendously in the biggest fight of his life, even though he came up short. I expect Carwin to grow from the experience and come back a better fighter, not necessarily in terms of his skills but in terms of his ability to more efficiently use his gas tank.

LEBEN DOUBLES DOWN AND COMES UP WITH BLACKJACK

GYI0060958618Everybody knows that Chris Leben is a fighter’s fighter. A lot of guys talk about their willingness to fight anyone, anytime, anywhere. Leben is one of only a select few who truly lives by that mantra.

After an up-and-down four years that saw the former Team Quest star lose more fights than he won, Leben gave his career a much needed shot of adrenaline when he scored a dramatic second-round technical knockout win over star prospect Aaron Simpson at the TUF11 Finale. Nobody would have faulted him for taking a few weeks to enjoy that victory and then carefully mapping out the best way for him to leverage that victory in an effort to get himself into title contention.

Instead, Leben agreed to turn around and fight one of the best middleweights in the world just 14 days later. It was a risky move by anyone’s standard. A loss, particularly if it were one-sided, would all but erase the momentum created by the Simpson win. And a loss was a very real possibility.

The risks of fighting on such short turnaround were evident early in the first round. Leben appeared to tire faster than I recall from any of his past fights. That was to be expected. Despite the fact that he was in great shape for the Simpson fight, there needs to be some downtime to rest and recuperate from the long, arduous training camp before preparing to peak for another fight. Leben eschewed that downtime and returned to action without ever fully recovering from his previous training camp.

It was a massive gamble, but Leben made it pay off by maintaining constant, though calculated, pressure on Yoshihiro Akiyama throughout the fight, which ultimately led to the Japanese superstar running equally low on gas by the time the second round was in full swing. At that point, the fight was nothing more than a battle of wills, and I’ll take Leben every day of the week in those situations.

By scoring an emphatic submission win over Akiyama, Leben not only dramatically padded his bank account (he took home a cool $161,000 for winning the fight and earning a $75,000 Fight of the Night bonus), he also instantly made himself relevant in the UFC title picture.

COULD AKIYAMA CUT TO WELTERWEIGHT?

10a_YoshihiroAkiyamaOne of the things that I’ve noticed in each of Akiyama’s last few fights is that he did not appear to cut much weight the day of weigh-ins. That is obvious because his physique looks exactly the same on the scales as it does when he enters the Octagon the next day. It was also obvious to me because he appeared to be the much smaller man against both Leben and his previous UFC opponent, Alan Belcher.

Leben and Belcher are big middleweights, but they are by no means the biggest guys in the division. If Akiyama is giving up 10 to 15 lbs come fight time, he is going to have a tough time climbing the 185-lb ladder. There is such parity in the UFC that size and strength differentials are often enough to decide the outcome of a fight. Akiyama is a great fighter, but I don’t think it is the best game plan to constantly fight bigger guys.

I think Akiyama would be better served trying to cut down to welterweight, where he would, for the most part, be fighting guys his own size.

GYI0060958913“This isn’t about me tonight,” said Lesnar, who was forced to the sidelines for nearly a year due to a bout with diverticulitis. “This is about my family, my doctors, all my training partners and staff. I am blessed by God. I stand before you a humble champion, but I’m still the toughest SOB around.”

At the bell, Carwin and Lesnar circled each other warily, Lesnar shooting out a couple jabs that fell short. As the champion moved closer, Carwin scored with a short right hand and Lesnar shot for a takedown that was turned away. In an ensuing exchange, Carwin rocked Lesnar with an uppercut and sent him sprawling across the Octagon. Carwin threw a series of unanswered blows, but wasn’t able to Finish Lesnar off. Lesnar briefly cleared his head and tried to score with a knee, but Carwin got his foe to the mat and again began teeing off. Lesnar, his face now bloodied from a cut over his left eye, amazingly didn’t give in to the increasing assault, doing just enough to keep referee Josh Rosenthal from stopping the fight. With less than two minutes left, Lesnar finally made his move and got back to his feet. This time, Lesnar’s knee landed hard as the two locked up against the fence, and though Carwin avoided a late takedown attempt, at the bell it looked like a brand new fight was about to begin.

GYI0060958950“I was going after the kill,” said Carwin. “He’s a tough SOB, I tightened up.”

“I just had to weather the storm,” added Lesnar. “He’s got some heavy shots. I knew he was getting tired. Each shot was less dramatic than the one before, I just had to let him go.”

Lesnar smiled as the second round began and he touched gloves with Carwin at the bell. This time Lesnar made the move to get off first, and after a right hand didn’t do the trick, a takedown moments later did. Now in control on the mat, Lesnar locked in an arm triangle with a little over three minutes left. And though Carwin gallantly tried to break loose, he was eventually forced to tap at the 2:19 mark.

“I thought I had enough space to breathe, but he sunk it in tight, and I was going out,” said Carwin.

With the win, Lesnar improves to 5-1; Carwin falls to 12-1.