In each and every sport there is a discussion between the effectiveness of a stampeding offense versus an impenetrable defense. The old cliché is "unstoppable force meets the immovable object."

In just over a week, on Dec. 30, 2011, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will host a larger than life main event for UFC 141 when massive heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem collide in what will be one of the most anticipated match-ups of the year.

Lesnar will bring with him his NCAA Division I wrestling background. With the explosion behind his 265-pound frame it is hard to stop a man of that size with just agility and technique. Lesnar has always been attributed to having freakish athleticism and deceptive speed and versatility.

With a record of 5-2, Lesnar has consistently fought top fighters but it still relatively young in the sport.

His opponent, Alistair Overeem, will be making his Octagon debut under the UFC banner. At 35-11, "The Reem" is no stranger to competition as he has fought from the light heavyweight division all the way to heavyweight since he started his career as a nineteen year old in 1999. With a primarily kickboxing style, this fight has so many possibilities.

For more on the breakdown follow me into the extended entry.

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This past Saturday (Dec. 10, 2011), the mixed martial arts (MMA) world was treated to one of the more climactic fight cards of the entire year. UFC 140 saw all but three of the evening's 12 fights being finished emphatically with submissions or knockouts.

The night was capped off when light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defended his title for the second time by choking challenger Lyoto Machida unconscious. It would be a strong ending to a pay-per-view (PPV) filled with vicious endings.

Even though knockouts are part of the sport and have become a staple for highlight reel usage, it never ceases to send a shock through fight fans when a top name fighter is finished violently, even more so when it could very well be the end of a storied career.

One of the more overlooked fights from the night was the clash between two light heavyweights, Tito Ortiz and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. The two talented fighters would start very hot and only one would be able to keep that pace going on his way towards a victory.

For more reading and analysis, follow me into the extended entry.

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Royce Gracie once showcased a style of fighting that was previously thought to be unimaginable. The thought of fighting underneath a much larger opponent wasn't ideal and thinking you could actually win in this predicament was simply not a plausible conclusion.

In combat sports, when the fight isn't standing it's always been a common theme to assume the fighter on top would be in control and, eventually, the victor. From street fights all the way down to organized combat, that was the common belief.

Then the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) introduced Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the world in the form of a scrawny 180-pound badass named Royce Gracie, who would end his career with 14 of his 16 career victories coming by way of submission, which including 11 in a row spanning from UFC 1 to UFC 4.

Gracie was the first person to showcase to a large audience that even when you are small and have a much larger opponent on top of you, it is still possible to come away victorious. With his success came the arrival of grappling into a much brighter spotlight and it has only boomed since then. Tournaments like Grappler's Quest and ADCC have become world famous, and several mixed martial arts champions have deep roots in what's become known as "the gentle art."

For the second part of Ultimate Submissions breakdown on what makes a grappler well-rounded, follow me after the jump. To read part one of the series click here.

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In a combat sport that involves being struck in your face repeatedly. it is very important to be well versed both offensively and defensively.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) since the beginning has featured so many different disciplines being utilized and one of the earliest and most effective even in today's sport has been Jiu Jitsu. The discipline that allows a smaller, less imposing possibly (even weaker) grappler to defeat much larger foes. There has never been a better showing than the run Royce Gracie made in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) open weight tournaments.

But just like any strength in a sporting environment, there will always be a counter.

Wrestling has become a staple in mixed martial arts because it can neutralize a striker with takedowns and can stifle grappling with superior control on the ground. From the early days of Mark Coleman and Mark Kerr to the current sport world that boasts fighters with incredible Jiu Jitsu stifling wrestling like Chad Mendes, Georges St. Pierre and Mark Munoz.

Jiu Jitsu has needed its fair share of evolution over the years. It won't be sufficient enough to just have an effective guard to submit from your back or to have a strong top game to control and submit from atop your opponent.

It simply is no longer that easy.

For more on what it takes to become an effective grappler, follow me into the extended entry for animated .gifs and breakdowns.

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In the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA), the fight game is unforgiving and brutal.

Young fighters enter and exit almost in the same breath and the opportunity for success whips right by in the blink of an eye. Thousands of athletes enter into the fight game every year hoping to conquer their regional scene on their way to a big show and world title hopes.

In this young sport it is very easy to get caught up in the hype of records, gym affiliation and accolades. But the truth is, MMA is a combat sport where two fighters are locked into a cage and they both try and use their skills to come out on top after dueling hand to hand in a contest of both physical pain, emotional control and mental toughness.

The old clichés like "war of attrition" apply here as well as the beautiful display we often see from guys who have the intangibles. The guys who have heart, dedication and competitive edge, the qualities that no gym could teach and no person could develop.

Either you have them or you don't.

A very good friend of mine has been a staple of consistency in all three of those categories and has proved time and time again to be an inspiration to anyone who can appreciate a gritty, tough fighter with a knack for wanting to entertain all the fans of mixed martial arts.

For more on this young man, a photo gallery and more, follow me into the extended entry.

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In the mixed martial arts (MMA) world, timing and spacing are everything. From landing a strike first or creating the room to sneak your arm in for a choke, a split second and a millimeter in space can earn you a victory or cost you the fight. It is one of the most intriguing aspects of combat sports in that the smallest errors come with the largest of consequences.

In mixed martial arts you have split seconds to adjust and adapt, it can be implied into any technique from slipping a punch to shooting a takedown. It also can be said that the grappling aspect of the sport is the most intricate in terms of hitting the right timing along with the best spacing.

World Class Jiu Jitsu practitioners can make an opponent pay for mistakes with the most subtle of movements and simplistic methods. Chael Sonnen nearly landed three hundred punches on middleweight champion Anderson Silva prior to a triangle choke that was thrown up at the right moment with just the right amount of space.

And just like that the tables can be turned 180 degrees.

Even though we have had breakdowns on the simple chokes like the guillotine choke and simple joint submissions like the arm bar and several submissions in between, there is one technique that can be used for much more then just a submission attempt.

For more on that follow me into the extended entry.

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While on paper, the UFC 139 pay-per-view card wasn’t the flashiest of the year, it ended up being one of the more action-packed and must-see events in recent memory. From an exciting finish by young up-and-comer Michael McDonald to a much needed knockout victory for Ryan Bader, the card delivered from top to bottom.

A lot of talk has been focused on the technical knockout win by Wanderlei Silva over Cung Le and the "Fight of the Century" candidate bout between legends Dan Henderson and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Missed in all of the excitement were two bouts that happened prior to the main and co-main event.

There is something to be said about the impressiveness that comes when you watch a fighter with a world of hype on their shoulders deliver again (and again) in an emphatic nature and similarly when you watch a fighter gasp onto another breath of relevance with a very dominating performance.

Both of those situations were witnessed on November 19, 2011, during the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) 139th numbered pay-per-view event.

And it was as technical as it was memorable.

Follow me into the extended entry for more on the fights, gifs and breakdowns. 

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Later this evening (Nov. 19, 2011) Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to pay-per-view (PPV) as UFC 139 takes place live from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Not only is the area the homebase for Zuffa-owned Strikeforce, but it will also mark the promotion's first-ever "Shark Tank" venture.

Coming off record network television numbers, the UFC hopes to use that fire to promote yet another successful PPV this weekend, which is headlined by legendary light heavyweights Mauricio Rua and Dan Henderson and includes a fight card full of other interesting match ups.

One of those match ups will be between Pride FC psychopath and mixed martial arts (MMA) pioneer Wanderlei Silva and Cung Le, who will make his Octagon debut after a promising and attention-grabbing run under the Strikeforce banner.

The match up itself is one of intrigue as  "The Axe Murderer"  will bring in his vicious, violent and aggressive striking style once again into the Octagon, while Le brings with him a very unique, flashy style.

For more on that, Le's Sanshou striking, follow me into the extended entry as we break it all down (.gifs included, naturally):

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There’s one constant in this world that is day in and day out guaranteed to remain the same regardless of what transpires in life. That guarantee is, your family will always remain your family regardless of circumstance or situation. Whether you see eye to eye or refuse to be involved in one another's life, it still remains that a family connection never disappears.

One of the most debated topics fight fans argue is the willingness to fight a family member, best friend, or teammate. No matter if the opportunity is for a World Title or for a million dollar purse, both sides of the fence often stand very strong by what they believe in.

One New Mexico promotion will test the boundaries of this controversial subject.

Evolution Combat Sports Championship, better known simply as Evolution, is a Clovis, New Mexico based MMA organization owned by brothers Martin and Sam Singleterry. Their upcoming event on December 10th, 2011, EVOLUTION 2 will be the sixth card promoted by the two brothers. They break up their cards into big and smaller events much like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) does with their numbered PPV cards and their "Fight Night" cards. Evolution Combat Sports titles their events as "Evolution" and "Friday Night Fights."

The promotion has featured such fighters as Ultimate Fighter 14 participant Diego Brandao, Jackson's MMA fighter Heather Clark, King of the Cage Champion Tim Means, rising prospect Jeremiah Cullum who is younger brother to former KOTC champ and current Dream fighter Abel Cullum, one of New Mexico's most popular female fighters Angelica Chavez and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion and undefeated prospect Rafael "Barata" de Freitas.  

The promotion is known for an unorthodox approach to their events as they try to gain steam and attention in such an obscure area. The creative and unique approaches have provided regional fight fans plenty to talk about and the promotion provided a thriller in their last card when headliners Rafael de Freitas and Joshua Montoya fought to a razor thin split decision that was jam packed with action.

On this particular night however, the main event won't be featuring a match between two well known names unless you follow the states regional scene. The main event will be what may be one of the first times in MMA that two brothers fight inside the cage proving once again that the promoters know how to grab the attention of fight fans.

For more info and personal thoughts and reaction, follow me after the jump.   

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This past Saturday (Nov. 12, 2011), mixed martial arts fans were treated to the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on the FOX television network. The historic night was headlined by a heavyweight title fight that saw Junior dos Santos dethrone former champ Cain Velasquez in little over a minute by knockout.

But before that fight, the card was stacked full of exciting match-ups.

One of those fights was a contest between two fighters who were riding very hot streaks. Rising prospect Pablo Garza would enter the Octagon with a record of 11-2 and two very impressive finishes in his first two UFC bouts.

Dustin Poirier would bring a 10-1 record with him on quite a run himself, a four-fight win streak with three of those being under the UFC banner.

In a division that is still looking for contenders to emerge to challenge Jose Aldo for his featherweight championship, these two fighters were one impressive showing from vaulting themselves into the hunt for a UFC belt.

Which one did it? Follow me after the extended entry to find out.

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Later today (Nov. 12, 2011) history will be made within the mixed martial arts (MMA) world when Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will promote its first show on the FOX television network, beginning at 9 p.m. ET. FOX, a premier sports outlet, and UFC, the top brand in MMA today, struck a mega boob tube deal that shook the combat sports world just a few months ago.

And already, the two companies are starting off with a bang.

It has been quite some time since a heavyweight title in major combat sports has been contested on live television for free. Boxing did it in the mid-1990’s. And while the UFC has shown a number of other divisional title fights on "free" television via Spike TV, this is the first time the promotion will offer the colossal heavyweight tilt in this manner.

And it isn’t just any title fight: Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos are the acknowledged two top ranked heavyweights in the sport today. Velasquez, the heavyweight champion, will fight challenger dos Santos in a fight that will not only be for the belt, but for the number one spot atop the sport's rankings. This arguably hasn’t happened since the days of Pride FC, when Fedor Emelianenko fought Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Japan back in 2003.

Bottom line fight fans: This is a fight you just can't miss. And not only for the historical value, but for the match up itself, which should be an all out war between two completely different fighters.

In the extended entry I talk about the match up and showcase some of the better breakdowns of the important fighters, techniques and analysis you need to be fully prepared for UFC on Fox 1 later this evening.

Enjoy: 

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In just two days, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will introduce its product to a considerably larger audience than usual, as UFC on Fox 1 will be the inaugural event held on the network television station.

The promotion and the FOX network recently announced their collaboration to give sports fans a dose of mixed martial arts (MMA) on one of the premier sports channels. UFC on FOX 1 will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between the top two heavyweights in the world today, as champion Cain Velasquez puts his strap on the line against number one contender Junior dos Santos.

As most fight fans already know, the sport is made of thousands of fighters with different combinations of martial art backgrounds. A lot has changed from the early days of the sport, as it now appears each fighter is a hybrid of sorts, mixing several different disciplines to make a complete package.

We've also seen a certain evolution. There used to be a day when jiu-jitsu, wrestling and boxing were the predominant disciplines. Now, though, we see arts like sambo, karate and even capoeira being used as often and effectively as any other. 

Each art is unique and can be used to produce the desired result under the care of a skilled practitioner.

I have gone into more detail with each discipline, including jiu-jitsu (here), wrestling (here), Muay Thai (here) and boxing (here). These are the most commonly seen martial arts, or the four that are most often put into practice in high profile match-ups.

But other then the hardcore fans who watch with extreme passion and understanding, does everyone see the differences or subtle nuances in techniques that showcase each individual art?

In case you don't, follow me after the jump and I'll explain.

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In less than three days, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will introduce its product to a very large audience as UFC on FOX 1 will be the inaugural event held on the network television station.

The promotion and the FOX network recently announced their collaboration to give sports fans a dose of mixed martial arts (MMA) on one of the premier sports channels. UFC on FOX 1 will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between the two top heavyweights in the world today, champion Cain Velasquez and number one contender/challenger Junior dos Santos.

As most fight fans already know the sport is made of thousands of fighters with different combinations of martial art backgrounds. But the one common theme seems to be that one single discipline reigns superior to all as the best true base with which to start. Even though we have already previewed the striking and grappling aspect of the sport, we have yet to really look into possibly the most important of them all.

Wrestling.

Ever since the early days of the sport when Mark Coleman, Mark Kerr and Randy Couture helped introduce the wrestling discipline into the sport, competitors and champions alike have captured the effectiveness of wrestling. That can best be seen in UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre, UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones and Saturday night’s headliner, UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez (See the fanpost about successful wrestling in MMA today).

A common theme amongst non-hardcore fans of the sport is that misunderstanding or lack of knowledge in the ground game. To help with that, I have dug into some of Saturday night’s competitors and their usage of wrestling.

For more on this, follow me into the extended entry:

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On Nov. 12, 2011, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will make a giant leap toward carrying the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) mainstream when it showcases a major world title fight, Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos, live (and free) on the FOX television network.

UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. dos Santos" will be the biggest heavyweight clash the sport has seen, as well as the first time two heavyweights that are ranked number one and number two, respectively, will compete for a title since Pride FC heavyweights Fedor Emelianenko and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira collided almost seven years ago.

Since the birth of the sport, we have seen several martial arts disciplines invade and take it over, whether it's the Brazilian jiu-jitsu of Royce Gracie to the wrestling of Mark Coleman to the kickboxing of Mirko Filipovic. From there, it has been an art to integrate all forms of combat to become well rounded enough to compete at any level against any opponent.

MMA has a very diverse audience and most non-fringe fans today are very informed when it comes to knowing what is happening when two combatants step inside the Octagon. Whether it is grappling and submissions like we discussed yesterday, or whether it be the simple, subtleness of the striking game.

With striking phenom Junior Dos Santos and heavy-handed Cain Velasquez fighting on Saturday night, this is as good an opportunity as any to look at some of the most used strikes we may witness on primetime television from our living rooms.

Follow me into the extended entry for the breakdown, analysis and .gifs included:

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In less than one week (Nov. 12, 2011), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) unveil its premier brand of mixed martial arts (MMA) for the world to see on the FOX television network.

UFC on FOX 1: "Velasquez vs. Dos Santos," which will take place from the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., is significant for the sport, featuring the biggest and most successful promotion putting its best foot forward to finally make it mainstream.

For more than one decade, UFC has shined a bright spotlight on many of the world’s finest athletes in their respective combat disciplines. It was one core martial art, however, that rose above the rest in the early days thanks to Royce Gracie and his family's style of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Most non-fringe fans today are very well versed and informed when it comes to knowing what is happening when two combatants begin to grapple, whether it is on the feet or on the mats. However, as we usher in a new audience from the network television broadcast of the promotion's heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos on Saturday night, it is a great opportunity to take a look at some of the most often used submissions we will see executed inside the Octagon in primetime.

Follow me into the extended entry below as we look at the most frequent submissions in MMA, .gifs included:

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Bellator Fighting Championships, since its first show, has taken a back seat to the UFC in terms of buzz and the size of its audience. While the promotion doesn’t attract the high volume of people the UFC consistently does, the promotion rarely fails on delivering a quality product. 

Uniquely, Bellator has made its fight league tournament based, and each tournament winner fights the reigning champion. It is the epitome of working your way to deserving your title shot. It seems as if in every show Bellator promotes something noteworthy and highlight reels abound.

Each show is a must see event if you are a fan of lesser known fighters who put everything on the line.

Bellator 54, which took place earlier this month on October 15, was no different. Bantamweight Champion Zach Makovsky would take on Ryan Roberts in what promised to be an exciting showdown. The bout was a non-title fight for Makovsky while he awaited the conclusion of the 135-pound tournament currently underway.

Instead of just getting through the fight while waiting to defend his title, Makovsky finished it ... brilliantly.

Let's break down how he did it.

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On October 29, 2011, the UFC will be flying its banner once again inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the injury and drama struck UFC 137 will leave the MMA world abuzz for the highly anticipated showdown between top contenders Nick Diaz and B.J. Penn.

In the months leading up to the event we saw the main event match-up featuring UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre and Strikeforce Welterweight Champion Diaz scrapped after the latter was a no show for the promotions pre-event press conference. The lack of professionalism and loss in trust forced the powers that be to call an audible and insert perennial contender Carlos Condit into the evening’s main event.

Condit, originally slated to be the co-main event, was scheduled to square off with Penn. "The Prodigy," now left without an opponent, was paired with the now former number one contender, Diaz. St. Pierre would go down with an injury weeks prior to the event and the Penn vs. Diaz match-up would be bumped to the headlining slot.

What a complete mess.

UFC 137 will now offer two former friends and teammates meeting up in what many believe to be a number one contender fight for the 170-pound title. What's still a mystery is whether Condit will get the next shot or if the winner of this fight leapfrogs into that position.

Either way, Saturday night we have quite a match-up for our viewing pleasure. Let's take a look at how the two stack up on the ground after the jump.

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Brazilian jiu-jitsu has often been recognized as a discipline that allows the smaller man to conquer an oftentimes over-sized opponent. This perception of the art has been around for mixed martial arts fans since Royce Gracie was submitting fighters over 200-pounds, who were muscular and massive in comparison to his own substandard stature.

While this is very true, as the art of jiu-jitsu is focused immensely around leverage and technique and strays from the need to have brute strength, there is also a need for power. Whether that power comes in the form of amazing wrist control like that of Anthony Pettis or whether it be raw power shown in the upper body of Matt Hughes as he choked out third degree black belt Ricardo Almeida, the need for power remains in grappling.

Not only is power used in takedowns and positional control, it is also highly beneficial to submissions. Prying an arm free for an arm bar or choking someone unconscious in three seconds, as opposed to eight, is a game changer.

Follow me after the jump for a few examples of power induced submission finishes.

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Photo via UFC.com

UFC 136: "Edgar vs. Maynard III" was headlined by two title fights, but it was earlier on the main card where the grappling factored into four men’s futures. With such a top-heavy card featuring Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and undefeated top contender Gray Maynard meeting for the third time, along with Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo looking to defend his crown against veteran and perennial contender Kenny Florian, it was a surprise that the other fights even had a chance to shine.

In one bout we saw a former contender coming back from a long, drama-filled layoff to take on one of the brightest new contenders in the middleweight division. Veteran and always gritty Chael Sonnen would face off against young and explosive former WEC champion Brian Stann in what many had assumed would be to decide who would fight Anderson Silva in early 2012.

In the other main card contest, the fans were treated to a match-up pitting two young fighters with loads of experience against each other. The lethal striking of Melvin Guillard stood in the middle of the Octagon with submission ace Joe Lauzon in a fight that many believed was to showcase Guillard on his way to a title shot.

Submission fans throughout MMA could breathe a happy sigh of relief after the two fights. For more on that, follow me after the jump.

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Does a good defense really make for a good offense?

In mixed martial arts (MMA) it is as important to defend as it is to attack. There are fighters who like to utilize a shootout style hoping to be the one left standing after the onslaught but there aren't many of these men that sit atop their respective weight classes.

The ones who do defend well are, often times, the most successful. A fighter like Anderson Silva has made a legendary career out of knocking opponents out while taking little to no damage in the process. He takes little punishment while handing out massive beatdowns. Ben Henderson and Jon Fitch have become known as being impossible to submit in their MMA careers, fending off submissions as though they're totally immune.

Those who have kinks in their defensive armor suffer heavily from not being able to match their offense with any sort of reliable defense. And that can be very costly with the elite fighters in the sport today who can capitalize on just about any mistake you make, even if it's just a small one.

One of these fighters is Chael Sonnen, a veteran in the sport with 37 career fights spanning several promotions dating all the way back to 1997. Of those 37 fights, Chael has lost 11 times, with eight of those coming by way of submission. And, not surprisingly to most that follow Sonnen, all but one of those submissions are chokes.

How could a wrestler who has been part of this sport for over 14 years have such a debilitating weakness? Knowing his own strengths, such as ground and pound and control from top position, shouldn’t he have trained chokes since that would be the best defense against his style of fighting?

To get more in detail on the errors Chael makes follow me after the jump.

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As all fans of mixed martial arts know, sometimes the way to end a fight comes as easy as a tapout. However, achieving that tapout can be very difficult and when at the sport's highest level -- especially within the UFC ranks -- it becomes even more of an arduous task to gain submission victories.

Submissions can come from a variety of disciplines stemming from the most feared Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), to the under-appreciated Judo and even the often forgotten arts like Krav Maga and Aikido. Regardless of how you learn them, they are equally difficult in pulling off without proper set up and technique.

Submitting people from your back is often considered much more beneficial in the mixed martial arts world since it is a counter to the influx of smothering top game wrestlers. Being well versed from your back makes it uncomfortable for opponents to attempt to fight on the ground.

As we get into more detail in the art of submissions we come across a similarity in wrestling. That similarity is "chaining." I am sure we have all heard chain wrestling but how about chain submissions or chain grappling? It works the exact same way: it is basically throwing combinations (like in striking) except on the ground.

When you set up the overhand right with a 1-2, jab and cross combo, it is much like using full guard and an arm trap to set up a triangle. Then when you use that triangle to finish with an arm bar, you have just chain submitted your opponent.

For more in depth breakdowns, follow me after the jump.

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Tomorrow night, September 24th 2011 the UFC returns to Denver, Colorado and will offer up a highly anticipated Light-Heavyweight title fight between rising star and champion Jon "Bones" Jones and former champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in what will be a gigantic fight in the 205-pound division.

Jones, fresh off a win over perennial contender and Pride legend Mauricio "Shogun" Rua is riding a wave of success in a career that has seen defeat once, a disqualification in a fight with Matt Hamill where Jones was in complete control dominating the fight. The young star will look to make his statement while beating a star that claims he is in the absolute best shape he has ever been.

That star, Quinton Jackson is also fresh off a big win. Rampage outclassed and overmatched Matt Hamill in a fight that saw him shrug off seventeen takedowns. While being a veteran of the sport Rampage has fought a "whose who" list of Light-Heavyweights stemming all the way back to his days in Pride.

Who do you think will win? Some of the regulars here at Mania offer their official fight picks below.  

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This weekend (Sept. 24-25, 2011) will be the biennial competition of elite and world class Jiu-Jitsu practitioners hosted by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). This year's event will be located in Nottingham, England.

For those unfamiliar with the event, ADCC is a no-gi grappling tournament that is usually recognized as the most prestigious of all no-gi tournaments. This is mostly due to the fact that the competitors are always world class (by invite only) grapplers or participants that worked their way through trials after trials to earn their spot.

The purses for this event reward first place competitors $10,000 with second place receiving $5,000 and third place $3,000. Fourth place also receives $1,000. The first place winner of the absolute division receives $40,000, second place $10,000, third place $5,000 and fourth place $1,000. Awards for the tournaments Best Technician, Best Takedown, Fastest Submission and Best Match are worth $1,400 each.

Grappling legends have seen their careers birthed here, a "who's who" of the Gracie family have often competed here as well as mixed martial arts notables like Diego Sanchez, Jeff Monson, Fabricio Werdum and Tito Ortiz, just to name a few.

Phenoms of the grappling world are also consistently present with the tournament boasting such names as Marcelo Garcia, Braulio Estima, Roger Gracie and the Ribiero brothers. 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu was also born here when Eddie Bravo defeated the legendary Royler Gracie.

In this post, I will share with you the competitors of above 99kg (over 217 pounds) division as well as the most anticipated matches of the tournament, the "Super Fights." Their respective weights in pounds are 143 and 167. The above 99kg division features the "heavy hitters" of the grappling world.

For more, follow me after the jump.

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It is well known in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) that an aggressive wrestler who has the ability to put his opponent on the mat is one of the most dangerous competitors to face. It has been known for quite some time that to achieve success at the higher level of this sport, you will have to be equipped with the ability to keep the fight in your own comfort zone.

That zone may be different for individual fighters.

Some may be okay with being taken down where they are comfortable with their Jiu Jitsu. Others may enjoy the opportunity to out-wrestle their opponent to be able to achieve their own top position and the others may want to use striking to keep the fight on the feet.

This has been utilized by many successful fighters dating way back to the era of Chuck Liddell and Mirko Filipovic when they were in their prime. Using good takedown defense was only a part of their game; the other part was using striking at the right moments of a fight to negate the chance of a takedown.

More recently, UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz has shown his game of keeping the fight standing when wrestlers like Joseph Benavidez and Urijah Faber attempted to get the fight to the ground.

But there is another fighter who has made a career of beating down opponents with his aggressive striking, a skill that he in fact has used to stifle wrestlers.

Who is that man? Follow me after the jump to find out.

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This weekend (Sept. 24-25, 2011) will be the biennial competition of elite and world class Jiu-Jitsu practitioners hosted by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). This year's event will be located in Nottingham, England.

For those unfamiliar with the event, ADCC is a no-gi grappling tournament that is usually recognized as the most prestigious of all no-gi tournaments. This is mostly due to the fact that the competitors are always world class (by invite only) grapplers or participants that worked their way through trials after trials to earn their spot.  

The purses for this event reward first place competitors $10,000 with second place receiving $5,000 and third place $3,000. Fourth place also receives $1,000. The first place winner of the absolute division receives $40,000, second place $10,000, third place $5,000 and fourth place $1,000. Awards for the tournaments Best Technician, Best Takedown, Fastest Submission and Best Match are worth $1,400 each.

Grappling legends have seen their careers birthed here, a "who's who" of the Gracie family have often competed here as well as mixed martial arts notables like Diego Sanchez, Jeff Monson, Fabricio Werdum and Tito Ortiz, just to name a few.

Phenoms of the grappling world are also consistently present with the tournament boasting such names as Marcelo Garcia, Braulio Estima, Roger Gracie and the Ribiero brothers. 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu was also born here when Eddie Bravo defeated the legendary Royler Gracie.

In this post, I will share with you the competitors of the under 87.9kg and under 99kg weight classes. Their respective weights in pounds are 193 and 218. There are some very high profile names in these weight classes.

For more, follow me after the jump.  

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This weekend (Sept. 24-25, 2011) will be the biennial competition of elite and world class Jiu-Jitsu practitioners hosted by the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). This year's event will be located in Nottingham, England.

For those unfamiliar with the event, ADCC is a no-gi grappling tournament that is usually recognized as the most prestigious of all no-gi tournaments. This is mostly due to the fact that the competitors are always world class (by invite only) grapplers or participants that worked their way through trials after trials to earn their spot.  

The purses for this event reward first place competitors $10,000 with second place receiving $5,000 and third place $3,000. Fourth place also receives $1,000. The first place winner of the absolute division receives $40,000, second place $10,000, third place $5,000 and fourth place $1,000. Awards for the tournaments Best Technician, Best Takedown, Fastest Submission and Best Match are worth $1,400 each.

Grappling legends have seen their careers birthed here, a "who's who" of the Gracie family have often competed here as well as mixed martial arts notables like Diego Sanchez, Jeff Monson, Fabricio Werdum and Tito Ortiz, just to name a few.

Phenoms of the grappling world are also consistently present with the tournament boasting such names as Marcelo Garcia, Braulio Estima, Roger Gracie and the Ribiero brothers. 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu was also born here when Eddie Bravo defeated the legendary Royler Gracie.

In this post, I will share with you the competitors of the under 65kg and under 76kg weight classes. Their respective weights in pounds are 143 and 167. These are often the more exciting and acrobatic of the bunch.

For more, follow me after the jump.  

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In just a few short days, the mixed martial arts community will be treated to a light heavyweight showdown between Jon "Bones" Jones and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. But before the UFC 135 main event, we will be bear witness to a grudge match in the welterweight division.

Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck will meet in the middle of the Octagon in a fight that many have been waiting for since the first time Koscheck called Hughes out. These two fighters have somewhat of a history coming from a claim that Hughes had been avoiding fights with the guys from American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). Josh Koscheck, of course, the lead mouth for the trio of welterweights at AKA, pushed the issue the hardest and will now be able to square off with the legendary hall-of-fame fighter.

Hughes, despite being on the tail end of his career, is still no slouch. It wasn’t too long ago that Hughes choked Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) Black Belt Ricardo Almeida unconscious. While many will remember Hughes for having powerful wrestling and ground-and-pound, many overlook the fact that Hughes was an Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) participant and many agree that he would be a black belt in Jiu Jitsu had he ever studied under someone who runs a belting system.

With 45 wins in his career, Hughes can boast 20 of those by way of submission. Those taps varied between rear-naked chokes, arm bars, arm-triangles, key locks and his infamous front choke on Almeida.

For some grappling highlights of Hughes, follow me after the jump.  

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Photo via Strikeforce.com

As a fringe contender and borderline top five heavyweight, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett has experienced the more up and down, roller coaster type career than many of his peers.

Coming from an era that produced outstanding heavyweight grapplers Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Ricco Rodriguez and Jeff Monson, the American Catch Wrestler has been a very dangerous foe for the past 14 years.

With a record of 31-5 (losses to Cro Cop x3, Rizzo and Nogueira) Josh Barnett has a very impressive resume. While not being active as most the past few years, Barnett has shown he is still effective at the higher levels of the sport.

Entering into the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, many believed he would challenge one of promotion’s premier fighters such as Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem and Fedor Emelianenko.

Instead, he's made his way through Brett Rogers and Sergei Kharitonov, earning submissions over both to claim his spot in the finals against Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier.

What strength does Barnett offer this tournament and each and every opponent that comes his way? Find out after the jump.

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Tomorrow night (Sept. 10, 2011) the semifinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix will conclude, leaving MMA fans with two finalists who will do battle for the tournament crown at a yet to be announced date and location.

Injuries, postponements and other unforeseen obstacles have taken their toll on the buzz surrounding this tournament, but for the people still tuned into it; we are in for quite a treat on Saturday night in Cincinnati.

Not only will a combatant emerge from the tournament as a top 10 or even top five heavyweight, but we may have a new title challenger in either the Strikeforce or UFC heavyweight division.

Participants for the Showtime-televised broadcast include longtime veteran Josh Barnett and perennial contender Sergei Kharitonov, as well as late replacement Daniel Cormier, who will go to battle against former EliteXC Heavyweight Champion Antonio Silva.

Silva has found himself on the better end of a winning streak, finding his most impressive fights during the span. Since losing to Fabricio Werdum in late 2009, "Bigfoot" has won three in a row over Andrei Arlovski, Mike Kyle and most recently stopping Fedor Emelianenko.

He will look to add another notable on his record when he takes on NCAA All-American and Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier in "Queen City."

Here's how Silva put himself on the map.

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The most dangerous place to stand when fighting within the eight walls of the Octagon is inside the "pocket."

It is a place where both fighters are in range to hit each other and it is a place that makes power shots much more significant. You can produce blistering hooks and devastating uppercuts, throw straights down the pipe and unleash brutal elbows from a short distance.

The pocket is the distance between two fighters when a strike can be thrown without reaching. Often this area is equal for both fighters as most guys in the division tend to be similar in height and build. You will see reach differences of one to two inches and while it does make a slight difference, it isn’t too hard to negate that if you are the shorter fighter.

However, fighters like Brock Lesnar and Jon Jones have ridiculous reaches, which makes it nearly impossible for an opponent not to be hit on the way in to deliver their own strike.

But it isn’t impossible to get inside a longer opponent. For examples, follow me after the jump.

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