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If you drink beer, read beer, or an spell beer (in any language) at some point of your life you should be drawn to Denver. More specifically Denver in September when something that rivals any sport, any championship, any freaking memorable moment in your life. I'm talking about the Great American Beer Festival. Maybe The Greatest Fucking American Beer Festival was a bit too forward but it's that good.

Current Issue Beer Magazine #15–Check out what's inside here!

What? You want to work in the Beer industry and live in North Carolina? Become a beer rep at Coastal Beverage Company.

Go sample beer from 7 breweries this weekend with the SF Giants...then catch a ball game! All for $20? Sold. The breweries include–SF Brewers Guild and all 7 local breweries are participating including: Beach Chalet, 21st Amendment, ThirstyBear, Social Kitchen Brewery, Magnolia Pub, Speakeasy & Gordon Biersch.

Beer Dinners Rule. Check out the food and beer pair we got to sample (and you didn't)! The good news is if you live near Burbank, Ca you can go have some great food and beer at CiaoCristina.

Summer is on the way and this shrimp salad is one tasty dish you need to make...even before summer is here. Did we mention beer is an ingredient? We used Hangar 24's Orange Wheat!

Before you stick a lime in a Corona...open it with one.

Clever twist on the announcement of winning awards isn’t it? Got my attention. In a recent press release, Ska Brewing Co. announced that they won medals at the LA International Beer Competition (see results here) and the Colorado State Fair. The medaled beers were Decadent IPA, True Blonde, Pinstripe Red Ale and Clancy’s Black. But [...]

This collaboratively-brewed beer boasts that it “unites the 1,000 years of brewing knowledge and innovation” between the two cooperating breweries. It is no disservice to Boston Beer, the American company in the partnership and one of the older U.S. craft breweries, to point out that Weihenstephan, the German partner, accounts for 970 of those years. [...]

Once a month a bunch of guys gather at my house ostensibly to talk about a book we’ve all read. Yes, a guys-only book club. I’m sure you can guess why my house – the beers, including my own cask ale system. However, I have to keep a watchful eye on the rascals, lest they [...]

Some things just sound too good! Imperializing a Berliner Weisse sounds like putting a V-8  in a VW Bug! Ah but don’t be hasty. The folks at New Belgium Brewing Co. are indeed artisan craftspeople. A recent entry into their Lips of Faith program (a series of small productions of bottled beer dedicated to stretching [...]

Odell Brewing Co. has recently announced they will release the latest batch of its Bourbon Barrel Stout on September 13. The beer is an imperial stout aged in charred oak barrels from the Maker’s Marl distillery. The beer has a ABV of 10.5 percent, comes in 750 ml caged-and-corked bottles and conditioned for another two [...]

An Ode To Mythos Mythical, magical, yielding barley refreshment to raise a drooping head. The ice cold glass dripping incessantly, myriad drops hurrying to wet the table through. All condensation, then: “Oh yes, that hits the spot!” Simply perfect, as the sun beats down without remorse. Hello, we’re back! As you can see two weeks in Greece were well spent indulging in things I’d [...]

…Or Why Mythos Is The Best Beer In The World But Only In A Very Specific Situation And With The Correct Weather Conditions When I’m reading on holiday (and spouting verse to rival Simon Armitage) I’m never far from a little notebook where I can jot down [...]

Why buy fresh fruit smoothies when you can have beer instead?! Remember Reefs? Smirnoff Ices? Remember Hooch and Barcardi Breezers? Well this summer you might struggle to fnd the above, but fear not as beer has come to the rescue. If you want sweet fruity flavours and a drink to get you a little on the tipsy side, why [...]

We went to look at a house tonight. ‘Converted chapel in historic Yorkshire mill town‘ certainly has a ring to it, even if it’s probably a bit of a pretentious shrill these days. Still, our jaws had dropped at the 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms over 3 floors, connected with a central spiral staircase and an attic [...]

I’ll be going back to Bar t’at, Ilkley’s ‘North Bar’, because the first time around I wasn’t bowled over. We didn’t need to comment to the forgetful bartender, he only had to see the look on my Dad’s face. Suffice to say my pint of Thornbridge Hopton was just the ticket and our longer than expected [...]

Mac’s Gold All Malt Lager would simply fly off the shelves if you stuck it in UK supermarkets. It’s the perfect barbecue beer: it’s lager, it’s sweet golden nectar with just a hint of pilsner influence from the brewer. It’s gimmicky ring pull gives it points simply for the lack of dependence on those pesky bottle openers [...]

We’ve heard the tale time and again.  A fresh face joins the UFC ranks touting serious wrestling credentials – All-American! D1 champion! Team captain! – and buzz immediately ensues.  Be it Cain and Kos, or Jon Fitch and Jon Jones, one’s performance on the mats almost always clues us into his potential in the cage.

Rich Attonito is the anomaly.

Despite being a former Division I wrestler at Hofstra University, the 33-year-old New Jersey native is something of a late bloomer in the world of competitive sports.

“I have to admit that during my athletic career in high school and college, I never had a chance to achieve the goals I’d set for myself,” he says.  “I would always be one win short of a tournament, or one more match away from state quarterfinals.  There was always a sense of never quite making it.”

It’s not as if Attonito takes pride in these non-accomplishments, but he also doesn’t shy away from them.  He’s a silver lining type of guy.  Disappointments in his youth – and learning to cope with them – have only served him well as an adult.  He says they were especially helpful in maintaining mental clarity during his time on The Ultimate Fighter.

“I was the oldest one in the house, and while I’m not by any means the most mature person, I think my age was one of the reasons I was able to stay focused rather than get caught up in how much some stuff sucked,” he says.  “Having a little more life experience in general allowed me to keep my wits about me in a situation where there are so many unknown factors.”

The worst unknown factor was a broken hand that halted his run to the quarterfinals.  Even in victory (opponent Kyacey Uscola was DQed for illegal knees), the Team Liddell member had once again come up short and was sidelined for the remainder of the show.  It was a twist that could have tested anyone’s sanity.

“At one point during college I was injured and needed elbow surgery,” he recalls.  “It put an end to wrestling during my senior year and my entire athletic career was basically over.  It felt like the end of the world.  But because I survived it, this time I was able to say to myself, ‘Okay, this is just a bump in the road.  You’ve been down it before.  Now you have to just pull over to the side and get it fixed.’  A younger or less experienced version of me might have harder time managing those emotions.”

Staying positive paid off.   After the show wrapped and the hand healed, Attonito was given a chance to face the much-maligned Jamie Yager at June’s Ultimate Finale.  His official UFC debut may not have ended with the coveted prize (that honor that went to Court McGee), but a second-round TKO was reward enough.

“I was a little surprised at how difficult it was to get his timing and take him down,” he says.  “I thought I’d put him on the ground, grind him out, and either TKO him there or submit him, but I ended up using my boxing.  I think it goes to show why I’m not the type to have any predetermined expectations for a fight – except for winning.”

With the victory, Attonito will never again have to long for the missed opportunities of his past.  

“Being depressed or bothered by that feeling of always being one step away… this changes all of that.  Ever since I started training, my long-term ultimate goal was to fight five times in smaller shows – you know, give myself a chance to compete – and then win a single fight in the UFC.  Now I’ve experienced the feeling of accomplishing something.  It’s incredible to reach a point where I get to re-evaluate everything and come up with a whole new set of short and long-term goals.”

With those new objectives in mind, Attonito, 8-3 (1-0 in the UFC), will push toward the next yard line on September 15 when he faces Rafael Natal at UFC Fight Night in Austin, Texas.

Natal, who’ll be making his Octagon debut, will bring a 12-2 record that his opponent has studied well.

“This is going to be a classic wrestler versus BJJ practitioner matchup,” says Attonito.  “And yet it can still go anywhere.  Sometimes you get two guys who can cancel each other out in grappling, and that leaves no choice but to see who’s better at the other things.  Natal’s got a lot to offer – he’s got the jiu-jitsu skills, he likes to strike, he’s got a judo base – and I’m one hundred percent confident in my boxing, so it’s going to be exciting because we can go at it in every aspect.”

Although it’s been less than three months since his last appearance, Attonito – who trains out of Florida’s American Top Team – says fans should expect to see a marked improvement in his game.

“I’ve brought myself up a couple of levels in terms of certain skills,” he says.  “When you take your next fight right away it’s great because everyone is here to help fine tune little details you may not have been paying attention to during the last one.  For instance, I feel like in six weeks I’ve made more improvements to my jiu-jitsu game than I have in six months.”

With the middleweight prospect finally hitting his stride, he expects that the future will bring true justice to his nickname, the Raging Bull.  

“I’m 33 and not 23,” says Attonito.  “Even though I’m in my prime, I don’t want to wait too long.  It’s time to roll with this – I’ve got a path to blaze.”

UFC 118 In the Books
“Looking like Skeletor but I feel like "Master of the Universe" -Kenny Florian

“@Kenny_Florian it's ok bro! U r still 1 of the best. Just gotta look @ what happened n learn. U r the better fighter, just lost points. “  -Nate Marquardt

"THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR SUPPORT! I HAVE THE VERY BEST FANS, FRIENDS, AND FAMILY!" - Gray Maynard

“Soz guys,I tried but was hugged to death” -André Winner

"Won my fight, should have opened up a little more, but he was very tough. Thanks so much for all the support, you guys are awesome!!!" -Nik Lentz

"Thanks everybody for your support! Had to teach Nicky boy a lesson in manners. Don't be disrespectful it'll only get you beat up" -Greg Soto

"Yep, I'm just another American wrestler LoL. USA bitches!!!" -Mike Pierce

"IM SORRY MY FRIENDS... IT S VERY HARD TO ME BUT I LL BE BETTER ON THE NEXT TIME!!!! YOU LL WATCH OTHER GUT INSIDE THE OCTOGON.." -Amilcar Alves

"Thanks everybody! I' m back!!" -Demian Maia

And STILL the UFC LW Champ…
“Leaving Boston now, the show was great and Edgar proved a lot of people wrong.” -Gerald Harris

“Once Again thank you all for your support!! I have the best fans in MMA!” -Frankie Edgar

“Edgar was sooo impressive” -Kyle Kingsbury

“wow @frankieedgar performance tonight complete domination !!!” -CB Dollaway

“Frankie Edgar is awesome!” -Aaron Simpson

“5 rounds to Edgar. Even after being up by 4 he still kept attacking. Congrats to Frankie Edgar.” -Shane Carwin
 
“Wow Edgar vs Penn 2 is way better than the first! Great job guys!” -Phil Davis

“Edgar is like a 155lb Hummingbird! Great fight!” -Gerald Harris

“Frankie just put his mark on the 155 pound divsion. Snookie is going to party her ass off tonight.”  -Miguel Torres (guest tweeting for @UFC)

"The Belt is just an Accessory ;-) " -BJ Penn

Team Meathead! Nice!
“Team Meathead here. We are officially in countdown mode. Let us know who is coming to Indy to UFC119” -Matt Mitrione

Godzilla VS J-Lau
“I gave joe a cake that said "sorry for your loss" at the weigh ins. Looked like his corner was happy.”
“And joe was 156, I was 155. Just saying”
“Off to bed. Talk is cheap, tomorrow means everything” -Gabe Ruediger

“Thanks for all the support! I love all of the #boston #ufc118 fans! Tell @danawhite I should get submission of the night!” -Joe Lauzon Welcome to the dark side.
“Hey everyone. Just getting into tweeting so hope to be in touch with all you over coming months. Thanks for following”  -John Hathaway

Twitter thinks Shane is a bored housewife!
“Why would twitter suggest I follow the Ellen Degeneris show and Jessica Alba? What does twitter think of me?” -Shane Carwin

Don’t Call it a Comeback
“thanks for the support guys im back on the BARONI diet and just trying to put my body back together. ill be back dont worry. big and strong” -Phil Baroni

Mr. Bones Doomsday Rumble Wonderful
“See what u started @ufc i dont know who i am RT @thecodyk Phil so are you Jonny Bones.or just play him on @ustream” -Phil Davis

“@PhilMrWonderful No idea what you’re talking about, Mr. Howard.” -UFC

FREE MARK! FREE MARK! FREE… Oh, Done.
“Just got put in handcuffs, fit the description I guess, lol! The manager of the store ran out and told the cops they had the wrong guy. Wow!”  -Mark Hominick

If Batman gets Gold for 18k, what does Dana get? 
“I feel like I should have a gold metal for reaching 18,000 followers. New goals coming soon” -Kurt Pellegrino

Send Alan Belcher good vibes… and cards!
“This is alans wife @Ashleebelcher Yesterday his vision was blurry again today heading into another surgery on same eye please keep praying” -Alan Belcher

“Several people have sent me @'s asking where they can send Alan a get well soon card to. gym address is 10322 gorenflo rd diberville ms 39340” -Alan Belcher

MMA VS Boxing? 
“MMA! MMA! MMA! :-)” -Jon Bones Jones

“FULL MOUNT within 20 seconds!!! Aaaaaahahahahahahhahahahaah” -Kyle Kingsbury

“Princess won haha” -Brian Bowles

“Don't boo the guy. Props to Toney for getting in the octagon” -Shane Carwin

“James Toney does not speak English, he speaks the truth. We just cant understand what he is saying.” -Miguel Torres (guest tweeting for @UFC)

Fight of the Night!
“I loved the first fight, Diaz looks great at 170” -Shane Carwin

“I like marcus davis but nate diaz is gangsta” -Duane Ludwig

“Nate Diaz is tough as a raptor claw! Big shot out my namesake Marcus Davis for being a beast!” - Phil Davis

"Thanks @jakeshieldsajj @gilbertmelendez Cesar Gracie Nick Diaz Dave Terell David Mitchell Joe soto and @ninjaroberts the whole gracie team" -Nate Diaz

UFC Fan Expo Boston Edition
“Great day at the UFC fan expo. Signing again tomorrow at @headrushbrand 11-1 with @Brad_Tavares and @KrisMccray “  -Kyle Noke

“I want to thanks all of you that came to my booth today you guys are awesome I want to see every body there tomorrow love you guys God bless” -Vitor Belfort

“Just got done being at the UFC expo for 9hrs. Will be back tomorrow at 10am for round two. Thanks for all the fans coming out! Punishment!” -Tito Ortiz

“1st day of BostonExpo was crazy hectic, all the fans were g8, going to train a bit with @effyescudero n Ryan Bader then rest up 4 2morrow...” -Benson Henderson

Chatsworth, Calif. – Some of the greatest fights in the history of World Extreme Cagefighting® will be available on one, action-packed DVD and Blu-Ray®. Image Entertainment, Inc. (OTCQB: DISK), one of the largest independent home entertainment distributors in North America and acknowledged pioneer of the multi-billion dollar optical disc industry, announced today that it will release the “BEST OF WEC” on Tuesday, Sept. 7.

The latest offering from World Extreme Cagefighting® will feature six of the greatest fights in the history of the lighter weight classes, as well as never-before-seen bonus footage. “BEST OF WEC” features over three hours of tremendous action and will be available in DVD and Blu-Ray® format at Best Buy and select retailers across the United States.

“The ‘BEST OF WEC’ release is a superb collection of WEC’s most thrilling fights and features some of the top fighters in the world,” Bill Bromiley, Chief Acquisitions Officer of Image Entertainment, said. “Image Entertainment is very excited to offer fans a front row seat to the best, most memorable fights the MMA world has ever seen.”

Included on the “BEST OF WEC” DVD are the following fights: Miguel Angel Torres vs. Takeya Mizugaki in a bantamweight title clash from April 2009; A lightweight war between Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and “Razor” Rob McCullough from Nov. 2008; Miguel Angel Torres vs. Yoshiro Maeda for the 135-pound title from June 2008; The epic featherweight title bout between “The California Kid” Urijah Faber and Jens “Lil Evil” Pulver from June 2008; The 2009 Fight of the Year featuring Ben “Smooth” Henderson vs. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone for the interim lightweight championship; the five-round featherweight title battle between Mike Brown and “The California Kid” Urijah Faber.

“After the success of our first release, Aldo vs. Faber, we are excited to offer ‘BEST OF WEC’ to our loyal fans,” WEC Vice President Peter Dropick said. “Our goal is to give our following the opportunity to build a library of some of the greatest fights in WEC history. ‘BEST OF WEC’ continues that trend and is an absolute must-have for any mixed martial arts fan.”

For more information on World Extreme Cagefighting®, visit www.wec.tv.

When Julio Paulino went down a couple of weeks prior to UFC 116, Forrest Petz got the kind of phone call blue-collar Clevelanders aren’t normally accustomed to—how’d you like to go to Las Vegas and take on a Ninja on very short notice?

For a cage veteran like Petz though, a former forklift operator who’s been around the block a few times and still works in purchasing part-time for a Northern Ohio industrial supplies seller, the answer was automatic: Sure, that’d be fun.

“My manager Monte Cox called me and asked, ‘how’s your weight? Are you in good enough shape to fight?’” Petz says, recalling how news of his fight with Daniel Roberts came to pass. “I had fought three weeks before that call against Ralph Johnson, so I was in relatively good shape. I just had to really do a crash course for a week or so to get my heart rate back up, but I was in good shape for the fight—better than my opponent, I think, and he had a full training camp.”

Good enough to go the distance against Roberts, who eked out a split decision victory over Petz in his first bout in the Octagon since UFC 77 in 2007. But for the “Meat Cleaver”—a name given to him by a roommate back in the day for no reason other than it sounded a little ominous—there were plenty of positives to come out of it. For starters, the fight was entertaining, which is always a point of emphasis for Petz.

“I’d seen like two of his fights on YouTube before, and I knew he was a good wrestler who didn’t like to strike a whole lot,” he says. “That and he was a southpaw, but that’s about it. You know, I wish it would have worked out better for me, but I don’t think I gave a bad showing. But that’s the past, and you can’t go back and fix it.”

Petz is no-nonsense enough to leave his triumphs in the past as well, such as the four straight victories he strung together before Roberts in other shows. Or his decision victory over Dan Hardy back in 2006, which he shrugs off by saying “we’ve both come a long way since then, and I’m not living in the past.” Or his last victory in the UFC some three (very long) years ago against Luigi Fioravanti at UFC Fight Night 10 in 2007.

Nice little resume boosters, those wins, but Petz (24-8) knows you’re as good as your last fight, and his next scrap against a game Brian Foster at UFC Fight Night 20 in Austin on September 15 is thrice circled on his calendar. Foster (15-5) is coming off a loss of his own to Chris Lytle at UFC 110 in Australia, making him a dangerous wounded animal. The best thing about a clash between desperate, hungry fighters looking to keep their foot in the door in the UFC’s welterweight division is they will fight like desperate, hungry fighters.

And that’s exactly what Petz digs about this match-up. It has out-and-out dogfight written all over it.

“What’s great about Foster is he’s not the kind of guy you have to chase around,” he says. “He’s right there in front of you—you don’t have to look for him. He’s got heavy hands, and you’ve got to be careful with a guy like that. Plus, he’s strong and he can wrestle.

“But he’s the kind of guy I really like to fight because I know it’s going to be a brawl. It’s the kind of fight that’s going to look good. Maybe there’ll be an opportunity to get paid in there, too, with Fight of the Night.”

Petz trains out of Strong Style Fight Team, one of the most accomplished gyms along the Rust Belt, with standouts like Chris Lozano, Jeff Cox and Brian Rogers among his cast of partners. With the luxury of a full training camp behind him and a free-dealing striker on the docket, there’s renewed excitement in the Meat Cleaver’s voice.

And yet, even as a 35-year-old veteran who has fought everyone from Josh Neer to Marcus Davis, when he steps in to mix things up with Foster there’s still that familiar gut-wrenching nervousness that comes on just before the intro music hits the speakers.

“That never goes away man,” he says. “The only thing that changes as you gain experience is your ability to deal with it. Your ability to handle it becomes better, no matter how much anxiety or pressure you might feel. You become more professional at it; you behave better. The day you don’t have those butterflies, that might be time to hang it up.”

Now in his second stint in the UFC, the kickboxer Petz says he’s more than thankful for the chance to prove he belongs fighting at the top level, against the most elite welterweights in the game.

“Any fight you go into you want to win that fight, it’s important to you,” he says. “[Foster]’s the type of guy that, even when he’s on top, he’s not looking to lay on you. He’s looking to really press the action. It’s definitely the kind of fight I want to be involved with.

“But yeah, I’ve definitely got a chip on my shoulder because when this is all over I want to have something I can point to. I want to have accomplishments that are mine, and I want to have a winning record in the UFC.”

KO 1 Igor Vovchanchyn – PRIDE Total Elimination 2003 – August 10, 2003
“Right leg hospital, left leg cemetery.” Maybe the greatest, and certainly the most intimidating, quote in mixed martial arts history, and it definitely applies to the fighting style of Cro Cop, who used his signature left head kick to blast out the vastly underrated Vovchanchyn out in the first round. It was Cro Cop’s sixth MMA win against no losses and two draws, and coupled with his knockout of Heath Herring two months earlier, it put him right on track for a shot at the PRIDE heavyweight title.

KO 1 Dos Caras Jr. – PRIDE Bushido 1 – October 5, 2003
Before Cro Cop would get that shot at the interim heavyweight belt though, there was a little business to be taken care of, as he helped kick off PRIDE’s Bushido series against pro wrestler Dos Caras Jr. Now mind you, this will never match some of Cro Cop’s big wins over legit competition, but as far as being a guilty pleasure, it doesn’t get any guiltier than this. Looking almost disdainful at the mask-wearing Caras (yes, he wore his pro wrestling mask during the bout), Cro Cop walked down his opponent until he saw an opening, and a single left kick to the head dropped Caras as if he were shot. It took just 46 seconds.

Lsub2 “Minotauro” Nogueira – PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 – November 9, 2003
Unbeaten in nine mixed martial arts bouts, the K-1 kickboxing standout finally got his first shot at the belt against Brazilian superstar “Minotauro” Nogueira, and for the first round of their interim title fight, Cro Cop was firing on all cylinders as he inflicted a frightful beating on Nogueira, punctuating the round with a kick to the head that dropped his foe to the canvas. Expected to finish the job in the second stanza, Cro Cop instead got taken to the mat immediately by Nogueira and submitted via armbar. It was a crushing defeat, but the first round did show what Cro Cop could do to a future Hall of Famer.

KO 1 Aleksander Emelianenko – PRIDE Final Conflict 2004 – August 15, 2004
Following the loss to Nogueira, Cro Cop won four of his next five bouts, with the only loss coming via an upset knockout by former UFC heavyweight boss Kevin Randleman (a defeat later avenged). Hoping to put himself in line for another title shot against then-champion Fedor Emelianenko, Cro Cop made his case for a championship fight by fighting the champ’s brother, Aleksander. Only problem was that Emelianenko was perhaps the most physically imposing opponent Cro Cop had met in the PRIDE ring, making him a difficult style matchup. And it was evident in the early going that the Croatian wasn’t going to walk recklessly at Emelianeko, but when he got his shot, he pounced, ripping off straight left hands that would make Manny Pacquiao blush before finishing the bout with – you guessed it – a kick to the head.

KO 1 Wanderlei Silva – PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute – September 10, 2006
After beating Aleksander Emelianenko and sending Josh Barnett, Randleman, Mark Coleman, and Ibragim Magomedov down to defeat, Cro Cop got his shot at the PRIDE belt in August of 2005, but lost a decision to Fedor Emelianenko. Two fights later, he would lose again, this time to Mark Hunt, and some questioned whether he had run his course among the best in the world. But reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated, as he proved in this 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix semifinal matchup against “The Axe Murderer”, who wasn’t only outmatched size wise, but in the striking game. Cro Cop delivered one of his most frighteningly effective performances before lowering the boom 5:22 into the bout.

Wsub1 (strikes) Josh Barnett - PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute – September 10, 2006
There would be no rest for Cro Cop after his win over Silva. In fact, he would fight fellow contender Josh Barnett for the Open Weight Grand Prix crown the same night in Saitama, Japan. But there would be no denying Cro Cop, and after he finished the former UFC heavyweight champ via strikes at the 7:32 mark of the first round, we saw the emotion come rushing to the usually stone-faced Croatian, who had just scored the biggest win of his career.

Wsub3 Pat Barry – UFC 115 – June 12, 2010
Despite three previous wins in the UFC Octagon, there was nothing that brought to mind the fearsome striker that terrorized Japanese rings for much of the previous decade. That changed this June, when Cro Cop survived two knockdowns from equally dangerous striker Pat Barry to roar back, drop Barry with his own strikes and then finish him off with a rear naked choke in the third round. Add in that Cro Cop was more accessible than ever before and after the fight, showing off his sharp sense of humor, and it was as if he finally realized that he’s at his best when he’s enjoying everything in and around the fight. If he does it again this month against Mir, he may be closing in on a UFC title shot.

In a year of spectacular events for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, June’s UFC 115 was one of the best, and it is now available on DVD from www.ufcstore.com and wherever DVD’s are sold.

Featuring the entire card from Vancouver, British Columbia’s General Motors Place, including all the prelim bouts, UFC 115 features the return of Hall of Fame Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell against former middleweight champ Rich “Ace” Franklin, as well as the epic battle between Mirko Cro Cop and Pat Barry.

But that’s not all, as welterweights Carlos Condit and Rory MacDonald put on the Fight of the Night, Martin Kampmann turns in a career-best performance against Paulo Thiago, and Evan Dunham stamps his place on the lightweight map with a win over Tyson Griffin.

Also in action on the UFC 115 DVD are Ben Rothwell, Gilbert Yvel, Matt Wiman, Mac Danzig, Mario Miranda, Mike Pyle, Claude Patrick and James Wilks, and when you add in all the special features and behind the scenes footage from the UFC’s first trip to Vancouver, you have a must-see DVD for all UFC fans.

Las Vegas, August 31, 2010– Dana White, the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® organization, will follow in the footsteps of US Presidents, British Prime Ministers and heavyweights from the political, scientific and sporting arenas when he addresses Oxford University’s famed Oxford Union Society on October 13th, 2010.

Founded in the 11th Century, Oxford University is the oldest surviving seat of learning in the English-speaking world. The Oxford Union was formed by Oxford University students in 1823 as a “haven for free speech during an age noted for University repression” and boasts a guest speaker tradition second to none.

Previous speakers at the Union include former British Prime Ministers, former US Presidents Carter, Nixon and Reagan, over a dozen heads of state from around the world, including the Queen of England, such notables as US Civil Rights activist Malcolm X, US Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, cosmologist Stephen Hawking, biologist Richard Dawkins, theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, and popular icons such as Pierce Brosnan, Clint Eastwood and Martin Sheen.

White said: “It is a great honor to be invited to address the Oxford Union. Anyone who knows anything about me knows I always speak my mind and am very passionate about what I do, and the Oxford Union was founded on exactly those principles. I’m looking forward to meeting the students, and I know they have a reputation for asking tough questions and expecting straight answers from their guests. That’s exactly what they’ll get from me.”

Ash Sangha, the Vice President of the Oxford Union Society charged with inviting guest speakers, added: "Throughout its history, the Oxford Union Society has been a renowned stage for high profile and deeply interesting figures to share their stories and promote their passions.
    
“We are delighted that Dana White will be making his contribution to this great tradition when he visits us in October. As President of UFC, Dana has created a billion dollar global sports company in less than a decade and we look forward to hearing his take on the rise of the UFC and giving us greater insight into this phenomenon."

During his visit to Oxford University, White will visit the historic Oxford Union Library, as well as meet with Oxford Entrepreneurs, another campus student society, who are keen to quiz White on the strategies he deployed to transform the UFC from a money-losing spectacle into the fastest growing company in the history of sport.

White will be in England for UFC 120, which takes place at the O2 Arena, London, on October 16. Headlined by British middleweight Michael Bisping taking on Japan’s Yoshihiro Akiyama, UFC 120 is the fourth consecutive event the UFC has sold out in the biggest arena in Great Britain. The UFC will also be celebrating the first ever British UFC Fan Expo, which takes place at Earls Court, London, on October 15 and 16.

About the Oxford Union
The Oxford Union is hailed as the world’s most famous and prestigious student society, having been founded in 1823 to provide a forum for free speech in an age when the University banned all discussion of politics and religion. Since then it has prospered remarkably. The Oxford Union is run by an elected student committee and students who have won elections here have gone on to do the same later in life, as we have produced five British Prime Ministers and numerous Presidents. The Union’s record of guest speaker visits is world renowned. Its Chamber has played host to some of the most influential figures in the world: Presidents Reagan, Nixon and Carter have all spoken there, as have the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and the Queen of England.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship® - www.ufc.com
Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, USA with offices in London, England, UFC® produces over 30 live arena events around the world.  The world’s largest Pay-Per-View provider, UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.’s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.’s Versus network and ESPN and Channel FIVE in the UK.  UFC content is distributed commercially through Joe Hand Promotions in the U.S. and Canadastar in Canada.  Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in 147 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 19 different languages.  Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 6 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC Undisputed videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym™, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo™ festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a bimonthly magazine.

 

Ian Freeman – July 13, 2002 – UFC 38
Result – Freeman TKO1
Four months after Mir submitted Roberto Traven in his UFC debut in November of 2001, he needed only 46 seconds to submit veteran Pete Williams at UFC 36. Now the question wasn’t if he would make it to the heavyweight title, but how soon. And in how many seconds. But as the UFC made its initial trip to the UK for London’s UFC 38 show, Mir was pitted against a man in Ian Freeman who had more to fight for than just a paycheck. Freeman’s father was fighting cancer, and as it turned out, he passed away the day before the bout. Freeman, who dedicated the fight to his father, didn’t know of the death, and he poured his heart into the Mir match, stopping the highly-touted Mir at 4:35 of the first round. It was an emotional win for Freeman and a devastating ‘back to Earth’ loss for Mir.

Tank Abbott – February 28, 2003 – UFC 41
Result – Mir Wsub1
With his aura of invincibility shattered, Mir was brought back seven months later to face off against returning brawler Tank Abbott, who was fighting for the first time in five years. For some observers, it was as if Mir was being set up as the sacrificial lamb for Abbott’s return; to others, it was the other way around, as Mir was going to show Abbott that this wasn’t the old UFC anymore. The latter proved correct, as Mir easily submitted Abbott with a toe hold in 46 seconds.

Tim Sylvia – June 19, 2004 – UFC 48
Result – Mir Wsub1
Mir took the win over Abbott and two more victories over Wes Sims and parlayed them into a shot at the vacant UFC heavyweight title against Tim Sylvia. Of course, Mir’s image had taken a hit with the loss to Freeman, but a win over Sylvia would erase those memories, and that’s what Mir did, taking only 50 seconds to lock Sylvia’s arm up and break it, forcing a stoppage to the bout. Frank Mir was now UFC heavyweight champion, and the future was seemingly bright and endless until a motorcycle crash three months later nearly ended it all.

Marcio Cruz – February 4, 2006 – UFC 57
Result – Cruz TKO1
A devastating motorcycle crash in September of 2004 broke Mir’s leg in two places and forced him to the sidelines. It was questionable whether he would ever fight again, and eventually he was stripped of his UFC heavyweight championship. After an arduous rehab process, Mir announced that he was coming back in 2006. The buzz got going immediately, and when his opponent was announced as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Marcio Cruz, most figured that Mir would be able to mount enough of an offense to take out the fairly inexperienced (MMA wise) Cruz. Uh-uh. Cruz cut Mir and ground and pounded his way to victory in what was a stunning upset. Said Mir after the bout, “I’m greatly disappointed. It was too much time off. I thought I was ready, but I can’t give up.”

Brock Lesnar – February 2, 2008 – UFC 81
Result – Mir Wsub1
Given a final shot to turn things around, Mir submitted Antoni Hardonk at UFC 74 in August of 2007 and then was seemingly brought in again as the sacrificial lamb to face UFC newcomer Brock Lesnar. But after almost getting steamrolled by the former pro wrestler, Mir showed the presence of mind to look for submissions while under attack, and when he got Lesnar in a kneebar, it was game over for the future UFC heavyweight champion. More importantly, the win resurrected Mir’s career, got him a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter and a shot at Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira’s interim belt. Would he be able to capitalize?

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira – December 27, 2008 – UFC 92
Result – Mir TKO2
One of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira was riding high in December of 2008. After becoming the first man in history to hold heavyweight titles in both the UFC and PRIDE, he also gained a whole new fanbase as a coach on season eight of The Ultimate Fighter. But Mir, his opposing coach and UFC 92 opponent, put an end to the Brazilian legend’s big year in emphatic fashion, showing off new facets of his game as he became the first man to TKO Nogueira. It was a sad night for Nogueira fans, but a joyous one for fans of Mir, who had finally put the demons of his motorcycle accident aside to get back to the top of the MMA world.

Cheick Kongo – December 12, 2009 – UFC 107
Result – Mir Wsub1
After losing the interim title in one-sided fashion in his UFC 100 rematch with Lesnar, Mir was left with a dilemma. No one was going to want to see him in a rubber match with the champ unless he made some changes in his training camp and issued an immediate statement to the world in his next fight. He did both, bulking up to 264 pounds and then destroying Cheick Kongo in just 72 seconds. Suddenly, Mir was back on everyone’s heavyweight title radar, and though he lost to Shane Carwin at UFC 111 on March 27th for the interim belt, he knows that an impressive showing against Cro Cop this September will put him back in the race to make history.

PENN’S KRYPTONITE?

Frankie Edgar proved to the world on Saturday night that his shocking upset win over BJ Penn in Abu Dhabi was not a fluke.  There was no controversy this time around.  No room for excuses.  None of that.  Edgar outclassed Penn in every facet of the game.  I’m not so certain that if the pair fought 10 times that the outcome would be any different.

While nobody expected Edgar to overwhelm the pound-for-pound great, it became very clear early in the first round that Penn was frustrated with his foe’s speed and movement, just like he was in the first fight.  One has to assume that Penn properly prepared for the rematch.  There is no question that he was highly motivated to exact revenge.  So, the question most are probably wondering in the days following the fight is what went wrong?

The answer is nothing went wrong.  Styles make fights, and Penn simply has no answer for a guy with comfortable speed and footwork advantages who makes him chase.  That hole in Penn’s game wasn’t exposed until Edgar came along and blasted a spotlight on it.  Now that we can see it, the results of the two bouts with Edgar make a lot of sense.

In fairness to Penn, all fighters have holes in their game.  Edgar’s hole is dealing with bigger, stronger wrestlers, as we saw when he faced Gray Maynard back in April 2008.  Thus, while a guy like Maynard may be tailor made to make Penn look good, he will likely experience a lot of success against Edgar when the two men fight again.  

The fact that Edgar is the prototypical fighter to defeat Penn and Penn is the probably the prototypical fighter to beat Maynard does not, in any way, suggest that Edgar will defeat Maynard.  The fight game doesn’t work that way, which is why it is always so much fun to watch.

WHAT IS NEXT FOR PENN?

Penn said after the loss to Edgar that he was going to take his time and figure out what he wants to do next – “no quick decisions,” was his exact quote.  I have no idea what direction Penn will opt to take his career in from this point forward, but the choice seems pretty obvious to me, at least.  He should stay the course of trying to become the first man to simultaneously hold titles in two UFC weight classes.  And the best way to do that is to remain at lightweight.  

A return to welterweight, which is where he won his very first UFC championship, is too rocky of a road when trying to regain his aura as one of the best fighters in the world, pound for pound.  Despite the fact that Penn won his first UFC championship by defeating long-time incumbent welterweight champion Matt Hughes, that remains his only UFC win in the division against three losses.  Sure, I thought that Penn deserved the judges’ decision in his first fight against Georges St-Pierre, but the rematch wasn’t competitive at all.

Four fights against two of the best welterweights in history isn’t exactly a statistically significant sample.  Yet, 1-3 is still 1-3.  

It seems to me that a return to welterweight would be filled with far more ups and downs than staying at lightweight.  Sure, guys should challenge themselves.  But Penn would be better served focusing on putting together another dominant run at lightweight with the goal of recapturing the title if and when Edgar gets dethroned by one of the many contenders lining up to face him.  In the meantime, Penn can use bouts against the litany of big name little guys to refine his game, rebuild his aura as a pound-for-pound great and, if a guy who matches up well with Penn happens to win the 170-lb title, he should absolutely try to convince UFC President Dana White for another crack at welterweight glory.

It may make perfect sense for Penn to remain focused on the lightweight division, but it is impossible to predict what the enigma known as “The Prodigy” will do next.  

TONEY LEARNS THE HARD WAY

James Toney is one of the best boxers of his generation.  He is not a very good mixed martial artist.

The problem with Toney’s effort against Randy Couture is that he allowed nerves and doubt to get in the way of possible success.  It was clear that Toney was extremely nervous as he walked to the Octagon.  He had that deer in the headlights look that is normally reserved for fight novices, not a legend of fistic combat (oh wait, this wasn’t a boxing match, it was a mixed martial arts bout where Toney is, indeed, a novice).  That look did not change during Couture’s cage walk or when the fighters stood only a few feet apart for the final in-ring instructions.

Toney was completely out of his element on Saturday night, and he knew it.  His mouth had written a whole heap of checks that his rear end could not cash.  Still, one had to think that Toney would come out with guns blazing.  He would surely throw a haymaker the moment Couture stepped within reach.  Landing a lone bomb before Couture changed levels and took the fight to the ground was his only chance at winning.  There were moments where “Lights Out” could have uncorked a bomb – whether it would have landed is a different story.  But he couldn’t pull the trigger.  Toney instead stood frozen in the center of the ring as Couture circled and feinted.  Worse yet, he stood there with most of his weight on his front foot, which made him completely susceptible to being taken down.

Self-doubt and nerves led to indecision.  Indecision led to hesitation.  And he who hesitates inside the Octagon loses more times than not.

Toney, of course, lost on Saturday night.

Now, everyone must let go of this whole “boxing versus MMA” thing.  Couture’s win over Toney doesn’t prove anything.  Had Toney knocked out Couture it would have been a case of catching lightning in a bottle and would have similarly proved nothing.  Boxing is a component of mixed martial arts, no differently than running is a component of professional football, yet nobody expects Usain Bolt to step off the race track straight into an NFL game next Sunday.

Fans should instead tip their collective hats to Toney in acknowledgement of his courage for even attempting the unthinkable.  Maybe we would have something if someone like Kermit Cintron or Miguel Cotto, who are both basically 30 years old, begin cross training now, take a few build up fights over the course of the next two years to further hone their skills and then step into the Octagon.   Better yet, if junior welterweight contender Victor Ortiz, who is only 23 years old, made the switch today, maybe we would really get to see what a high level boxer would do once he had three or four years of training under his belt.  Toney attempting it at 42 years old with less than a full year of training was downright crazy.  

But, alas, Toney has always walked to the beat of his own drummer.

MAYNARD FINALLY EARNS HIS SHOT

After eking out wins by the narrowest of margins in his last two fights, Gray Maynard finally gave the fans the no doubt effort that was needed to officially jump him to the front of the 155-lb challenger line.  And he did it against perennial top contender Kenny Florian.

The fact that Maynard-Florian was largely a strategic contest that did not feature much in the way of back-and-forth action is irrelevant.  Maynard knew exactly what he needed to do to bring the ever dangerous Florian out of his comfort zone and score the win, and he did it beautifully.

Maynard knows that he has every opportunity to take the title from Edgar when the two meet later this year.  He knows that because he completely dominated Edgar back on April 2, 2008, when the pair clashed in Denver, Colorado.   Styles make fights, and Maynard’s style is one that gives Edgar fits.  Even though both men have improved a ton in the last two years – Edgar has arguably made much bigger jumps in improving his overall game – it is tough to think that he has figured out a way to prevent a bigger, stronger wrestler from taking him to the mat and keeping him there.  Enough of that for now.  We’ll dive deeply into the breakdown when that fight is officially announced and given a slot on the calendar.

MILLER IS THE FEEL GOOD STORY OF THE NIGHT

I don’t often root for one fighter over another.  Nonetheless, it is difficult to believe that anyone outside of John Salter’s friends and family would have rooted against Dan Miller if they knew the things he had been through over the past 18 months.

Entering the cage on the back of three consecutive defeats, there is little doubt that Miller was fighting for his professional life because few fighters in the history of the UFC can point to a four-fight losing streak without also pointing to a terminated fight contract.

Miller has also been dealing with personal issues when it comes to the health of his son. The New Jersey native is a very private guy who doesn’t like to talk about his family’s problems, so this isn’t the proper place to dive into those details, but Franklin McNeil did an excellent job of delicately writing about that subject back in his May 24th article on ESPN.com.  Needless to say, those problems add the sort of pressure to a fighter that can be completely debilitating.  The fact that Miller has shown the courage and strength to continue fighting – and fighting at a very high level – so that he can continue to provide for his family in the best way possible is nothing short of amazing.  And I, for one, was very happy to see him win on Saturday night.  

DIAZ CONTINUES TO SHINE

Nate Diaz is becoming more like his older brother Nick every day.  If I close my eyes and remember back four or five years ago to Nick’s fights and then immediately watch Nate fight, it is tough to tell the pair apart, aside from the obvious differences in physique and hair.  

Stylistically, they are virtually identical.  And as Nate continues to mature as a fighter, he is fast becoming the same level of fighter as the brother he so dearly idolizes.  Saturday’s win over Marcus Davis is the perfect case in point.  

According to just about everyone outside of Northern California, Diaz went into the matchup facing a serious deficit in standup arena compared to his former professional boxing foe.   Yet, Diaz completely outclassed Davis on the feet.  He peppered him at will with right and left hands, proving that there was a disparity in technique, though he was the one with the superior toolset, not vice versa.

I’m torn when I try to think about whether I prefer Diaz as a lightweight or a welterweight.  He seems to be right in between the two divisions.  

Diaz certainly has the height and frame for a successful welterweight career.  In my opinion, though, he still needs to add another 10 lbs of muscle if he wants to compete with dominant wrestlers like GSP, Kos and Fitch.  Similarly, he really needs to add strength and work on his takedowns if he wants to have a shot at beating a monstrous striker like Thiago Alves.

If he opts to return to lightweight, then Diaz needs to figure out a way to maintain his strength and tremendous cardiovascular conditioning while cutting the necessary weight to make the 155-lb limit.  In my opinion, he looks much stronger, more explosive and appears to have a deeper gas tank at welterweight.

Whatever the case, this kid is only 25 years old, so he still has a couple of years before he enters his physical or fighting prime.  He remains a work in progress, and that is pretty amazing considering the fact that he is already one of the best fighters in the UFC.  

BOSTON, August 28 – It was the first UFC bout between a world-class boxer and an equally proficient mixed martial artist, and the UFC 118 co-main event at TD Garden went as most expected Saturday night, as Randy Couture impressively sent three-division world champ James “Lights Out” Toney to defeat via submission in the first round.

Couture vs. Toney
I worked on that triangle for over a year,” said Couture, 19-10, of the finishing move, one that led him to receive his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Neil Melanson in the Octagon after the bout. “A lot of credit to James for stepping up.”

After a few seconds of circling each other, Couture shot in for the takedown and immediately got it as he took Toney down by the ankle. With the crowd chanting “UFC, UFC”, Couture got into the mount position and fired away. Toney held on, hoping to force a standup, but Couture was relentless, bulling his foe into the fence as he looked to sink in an arm triangle choke. Toney gamely resisted and Couture released the hold in order to go back to work with his strikes. But that was only a brief respite for Toney, as Couture sunk in the arm triangle again, this time forcing Toney to verbally tap out at the 3:19 mark.

Toney, 42, who has won major world boxing titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, and cruiserweight divisions, as well as fringe belts in the heavyweight division, falls to 0-1 in mixed martial arts.

Florian vs. Maynard
Unbeaten contender Gray Maynard earned a shot at the UFC lightweight crown as he scored a solid, but fairly uneventful, three round unanimous decision win over Brookline, Massachusetts’ Kenny Florian.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Maynard, who improves to 11-0 with 1 NC; Florian falls to 15-5.

The action was sporadic at best for the first three minutes, with Florian the busier of the two as he shot out quick punches and kicks at his foe. With under 90 seconds left, Maynard finally sprung into action as he shot for – and eventually got – the takedown, and proceeded to bull Florian into the fence, where they stayed until the end of the round.

Maynard’s potshots began to land with more frequency in the second round, allowing him to free up another takedown. This time, Maynard had more speed on his fastball as he began landing strikes on his foe, cutting Florian over the left eye in the process.

Florian’s striking game finally started to pay dividends in the third round, but even though he was scoring more, he wasn’t hurting Maynard, who again took “KenFlo” to the mat. And while Maynard’s methodical attack wasn’t winning him any New England fans, it was effective. In response, Florian kept battling from the bottom, looking for a submission, and with less than 30 seconds left he got to his feet and searched for a haymaker as Maynard ran out the clock. But it was not enough for the local hero to pull out the win.

“I tried to make him chase me,” said Maynard. “He doesn’t chase a lot.”

Maia vs. Miranda
It wasn’t from a lack of effort, but middleweight contender Demian Maia was unable to submit tough up and comer Mario Miranda, and was forced to settle for a three round unanimous decision win in his first bout since his five round championship loss to Anderson Silva in April.

Scores were 30-27 across the board for Maia.

Maia took control of the fight immediately with a takedown and a series of ground strikes, and looked like he was going to finish it quickly as he fished for a submission, but Miranda was able to keep himself out of danger as he battled his way back to his feet. The remainder of the round featured tentative standup from both men, leading the crowd to get restless.

The dominant ground game of Maia again ruled the day in the second round, with only a late, but failed, armbar attempt allowing Miranda to get back to his feet for the final seconds of the stanza.

Despite the pleas and instructions of his cornerman, the aforementioned Silva, Miranda was unable to turn the tide in the third round, and he was quickly taken down by Maia, who took his countryman’s back. Maia then looked to lock up Miranda’s arm, but Miranda escaped, and moments later got to his feet. Fatigue was evident on the faces of both men, and the pace slowed to a crawl, and though Maia made a last charge for a submission, it was not to be, as the bout went to the scorecards.

With the win, Maia improves to 13-2; Miranda falls to 12-2.

Diaz vs. Davis
Nate Diaz was in top form in the main card opener, dominating the standup against former pro boxer and welterweight veteran Marcus Davis before finishing matters via submission in the third round.

Davis calmly stalked Diaz in the early going, responding to the younger fighter’s taunts with punches to the head that quickly got him the respect of the Stockton, California native. As the round progressed, Diaz began to settle into a rhythm, cutting Davis over the right eye as he put together accurate combinations from long range. In the final minute, it was clear that the blood was starting to bother Davis, as he pawed at the cut in between pinpoint shots from Diaz.

Between rounds, the Octagonside physician had a long look at Davis’s cut, but he allowed the fight to continue, and it was far from foreign territory to Maine’s Davis, who has been cut-prone throughout his boxing and MMA careers. Diaz continued to peck away with both hands, landing much more than he was missing as Davis trudged forward, hoping to land the one punch that would turn things around. It didn’t come though, and as the round closed, Davis’ eye had begun to swell as well.

There was no quit in the “Irish Hand Grenade” though, and his punching power meant that he was still only a solid shot away from getting back in the fight. Diaz’ offense and defense were sharp though, and his unorthodox striking was keeping Davis from getting close enough to tag the rising star. And to his credit, Diaz didn’t take his foot off the gas even though he was presumably ahead on the scorecards, and with under two minutes left, he scored a takedown and sunk in a guillotine choke that finished the fight at 4:02 of the third round.

With the win, Diaz – who believes he broke his left hand in the second round - improves to 13-5; Davis falls to 22-8.

BOSTON, August 28 – Hometown jitters? Not for Bridgewater’s Joe Lauzon, who thrilled his local fans at TD Garden with a one-sided submission victory over his Ultimate Fighter season five teammate Gabe Ruediger, who saw his Octagon return spoiled Saturday night by a first round armbar.

Lauzong vs. Ruediger
Lauzon took the fight to Ruediger at the bell, landing with two quick rights before scoring with a slam to the mat. While on the ground Lauzon got even busier, searching for submissions in between hard strikes to the head. With a little over three minutes left, Ruediger got back to his feet briefly, only to get slammed back to the mat. Moments later, Lauzon ended the bout, sinking in an armbar that produced a tap out at 2:01 of the round.

With the win, Lauzon – who was fighting in Massachusetts for the first time since 2006 -ups his record to 18-5; Ruediger falls to 17-6.

Winner vs. Lentz
Nik Lentz remained unbeaten in the Octagon, scoring an uneventful three round unanimous decision win over Andre Winner in a lightweight bout.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Lentz, who is 3-0-1 in the UFC.

The first five minutes were a war of attrition, with neither man able to impose their gameplans on each other for very long, with Lentz’ ability to control the location of the bout giving him a slight edge. Nothing changed in the second round, and while Winner started letting his hands go in the third, he was locked up shortly thereafter and taken to the mat, where he was pinned for the remainder of the fight, much to the dismay of the Boston fans.

With the win, Lentz improves to 21-3-2; Winner falls to 12-4-1.

Miller vs. Salter
In middleweight action, Dan Miller broke his three fight losing streak with a second round submission win over Alabama’s John Salter.

“It’s been a long time,” an ecstatic Miller told UFC color commentator Joe Rogan after the bout.

Salter and Miller battled it out competitively in the first round, with Miller holding the edge on the feet and Salter controlling matters on the ground.

The fight was playing out the same way in round two, but this time, when Salter shot in for his first takedown of the frame, the New Jersey native was ready – not just with his sprawl, but with an anaconda choke that ended Salter’s night via tap out at the 1:53 mark.

With the win, Miller – whose losing skid came at the hands of Michael Bisping, Demian Maia, and Chael Sonnen - improves to 12-4 with 1 NC; Salter falls to 5-2.

Osipczak vs. Soto
Lightweight prospect Greg Soto looked like a different fighter than the one that debuted in the UFC back in March, as he survived a nasty cut over his left eye to pound out a three round unanimous decision win over Nick Osipczak.

Scores were 29-28 across the board for the New Jersey product, who improves to 8-1; Osipczak falls to 5-3.

Soto came out strong in the opening frame, using solid groundwork to control the first half of the round. But once Osipczak got back to his feet and cut Soto over the left eye, he took over, potshotting his foe until the bell sounded.

After a long look from the Octagonside physician, Soto was allowed out for round two, and his sense of urgency was evident. Osipczak, clearly the better striker, hurt Soto with a knee at close range and began teeing off. Soto, undeterred, bounced back with a takedown and was close to securing a rear naked choke before the England native escaped. Soto did maintain control on the mat for much of the remaining part of the round until a late standup surge from Osipczak just before the bell.

With trainer and lightweight contender Kurt Pellegrino cheering him on, Soto opened the third with another takedown, quickly transitioning into side control. From there, he kept moving and kept making Osipczak’s life miserable with knees, punches, and a choke attempt, securing an impressive first Octagon win.

Pierce vs. Alves
Vancouver, Washington welterweight Mike Pierce made sure that the Octagon debut of Amilcar Alves ended with a loss in the opener, submitting the Brazil native in the third round.

Not surprisingly, Pierce used his wrestling to smother and control Alves throughout the first two rounds, both on the mat and against the fence, keeping his opponent from mounting any offense.

Alves finally got some kicks off early in the third as he tried to turn things around, but after a couple scores, Pierce got his takedown and resumed his methodical attack. This time though, he looked to finish, and at the 3:11 mark he did, forcing his foe to tap out to a cross body armbar.

With the win, Pierce ups his record to 11-3; Alves falls to 11-2.

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Kansas senior volleyball player Melissa Manda prefers to spend her free time outdoors climbing rocks and barreling down a mountain on her bike.

Two Kansas student-athletes joined former Kansas athletics sports nutritionist Randy Bird for an episode of Jayni's Kitchen, a local television cooking show on Sunflower Broadband channel 6 in Lawrence.

Kansas sophomore linebacker Toben Opurum and junior midfielder Jordyn Perdue are featured on an episode of "Jayni's Kitchen", which premiered this week on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6, and will air throughout the month of September.

Junior cornerback Isiah Barfield sat down with KUAthletics.com for a two-minute drill during this week's press conference. Barfield, a native of Haven, Kan., is expected to make his first career start in KU's 2010 season-opener against North Dakota State Saturday. He is currently majoring in American Studies and is scheduled to graduate in 2012.

Kansas volleyball will look to extend its four-match win streak when it hosts the Jayhawk Classic Sept. 3-4. KU, which opened its season 4-0 for the first time since 2005, will matchup with Akron (2-1) at noon and Arkansas (4-0) at 7 p.m. on Friday. The Jayhawks conclude the weekend with a 1 p.m. contest versus Chattanooga (0-3) on Saturday.

Ever wondered what happened to your favorite Jayhawks? Welcome to Throwback Thursday, a weekly spotlight on kuathletics.com where we'll profile two former student-athletes.

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