In his legendary clash with Superman, Doomsday left “The Man of Steel” beaten and motionless.

The same applies to the UFC version of “Doomsday” – welterweight rising star John Howard.

At The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, Howard stood opposite veteran Dennis “Superman” Hallman. After nearly three rounds of battle, Howard connected with a powerful blow that left Hallman laying on the Octagon floor, beaten and motionless. Now, Howard is preparing for his fourth fight under the UFC banner, and faces another fighter with an nickname meant to convey a certain message: unbeaten Daniel “Ninja” Roberts.

While Howard remains keen on settling what he described to this writer as a very real beef with original opponent Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, the Wai Kru MMA trainee has shifted his focus to Roberts and the tough talk the UFC newcomer has been offering up in interviews.

“Really?”

“I heard a little quote he said,” Howard offered between training sessions with Team Grudge in Denver. “Something about my striking isn’t all that good and his ground and pound is better than mine. I just kind of laugh about that stuff.”

Arriving in the altitude of the Rocky Mountains well in advance of their upcoming contest, Howard is referring to remarks Roberts made in an interview with James Ryan of Bleacher Report. In the piece, the confident jiu jitsu player predicts a first round finish over Howard.

“He has some serious balls to say that. I think it’s funny,” continued Howard, clearly amused by the one-sided war of words in the media. “You say you’re going to do it. I want to see you try and if you don’t, I’m going to punish you for it.”

While Howard is no stranger to a verbal battle before a bout, as evident by his back-and-forth with the man he refers to as “Crumble,” he had been taking a different approach to this bout…until now.

“I just said it’s going to be a good fight. We’ll have fun and see what happens,” said Howard, 3-0 since joining the UFC.  “But for him to say he’s going to finish me in the first round? That’s bold. That’s really bold. You’re a newcomer, and for you to come before you’ve even fought in the UFC and say something like that – I think I’m going to finish him in the first round – really?”

Howard doesn’t mince words and he doesn’t shy from the truth either. Where some fighters will offer up their version of the in-ring events to cast themselves in a better light, Howard is frank in discussing his career, including a refreshing admission about his bout with Hallman.

“I got my ass-whooped. I’m a man, and I admit it – I got my ass whooped,” Howard says with a laugh. “He knew exactly what to do. Everything I tried, he stopped it. I was impressed.”

It’s this honest assessment of the clash between “Doomsday” and “Superman” that puts the prediction Roberts has for this Sunday’s fight on Versus into greater perspective.

Backing Up The Talk

If anyone has reason to be talking, it’s Howard. He’s the more experienced of the two and was slated to face a Top 10 welterweight in Anthony Johnson before a knee injury placed Roberts across the cage. Though his opponent enters without a loss in nine professional fights, Howard is quick to counter with his own resume.

“Have you seen who I’ve fought?,” asks Howard. “Have you seen who I’ve knocked out?”

While his lone knockout of note came in his last fight against Hallman, Howard has also earned victories over Tamdan McCrory and Chris Wilson in the UFC, as well as holding a win over recent UFC signee Charlie Brenneman.

“Who takes Dan Miller to a decision?” questions Howard in regards to his 2007 Ring of Fire loss to the current UFC middleweight competitor. “When he first came into the UFC, he was exposing people, submitting them in the first round. I took him to a decision and put him in the hospital.”

Howard was content to head into this fight without saying a word, keen on letting his actions speak for him. With his prediction in print and passed along to Howard numerous times, Roberts backed himself into a corner in this pre-fight war of words.

“To put it out there, now you have to live up to it,” Howard says of his opponent’s prediction. “You better hope I don’t finish you in the first round. That would be really embarrassing. I hope you can finish me in the first round. But when you wake up and realize it was just a dream, don’t get mad at me.”

Daniel Roberts has captured John Howard’s attention with his bold prediction of a first round finish. This Sunday night, he will hope his actions back up his words because “Doomsday” is coming and he’s ready to leave a ninja lying next to the beaten remains of Superman on the Octagon floor.

You can see all the action this Sunday on Versus as the UFC debuts on the sports network. Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera and Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Junior Dos Santos headline. Keep it locked on MMAMadness.com all week for features.

The middle child has always had to fight for attention in a large family, but that is not the case with the UFC’s middleweight division – led by the man UFC President Dana White considers the pound-for-pound best mixed martial artist alive, Anderson Silva.

As with the lightweight and welterweight division, the middleweights have a truly dominant champion who has made extraordinary fighters look less than ordinary. Silva has dabbled in the light heavyweight division and if close friend and training partner Lyoto Machida loses his title, “The Spider” may make a run at the 205-lb title.

On April 10, the UFC will have a historic night filled with a bunch of firsts with their first trip to the Middle East (Abu Dhabi) and their first event held in an outdoor arena. Silva is scheduled to face BJJ wizard and ADCC champion Demian Maia and will attempt to defend the title he won in October of 2006 for a record sixth time. Vitor Belfort was originally scheduled to face Silva, but was forced out with an injury. If Silva is successful against Maia, there is already a number one contender waiting in the wings.

The Top Contenders

Chael Sonnen earned a shot at the middleweight championship by dominating Nate Marquardt at UFC 109. A former NCAA All-American wrestler, Sonnen has reeled off three straight wins after losing to Maia at UFC 95 last February. In defeating Dan Miller, Yushin Okami and Marquardt, Sonnen utilized his wrestling to control his opponents the entire fight. It may not be pretty, but it is effective. He has also made himself more attractive by calling Silva and his manager out on their treatment of the media. Sonnen truly believes he can beat Silva and his wrestling is the one aspect Silva has a problem with.

Belfort was awarded the opportunity because he is a big name and a former UFC Light Heavyweight champion. “The Phenom” has never competed in a middleweight bout while in the UFC as the closest he has come was his first fight back with the organization at last September’ UFC 103 where he defeated Rich Franklin at a 195-pound catchweight. That being said, once he is healthy, it shouldn’t take him more than one victory to be considered again for a title shot.

Wanderlei Silva made his debut as a middleweight a successful one at UFC 110 as he defeated Michael Bisping. He wasn’t the dominant fighter of years past, but he did what he had to do to win and will face off against Yoshihiro Akiyama sometime this summer. The fighter who emerges from that battle victorious will be a win away from getting a crack at whoever the champion is at the time. Akiyama defeated Alan Belcher at UFC 100 in July and has been idle ever since, apparently holding out for a shot at “The Axe Murderer”.

Marquardt was a win away from getting a rematch with Silva, but unfortunately for him, Sonnen had other plans. He will have to work his way back up the ladder, but with his resume, he should get that opportunity sooner rather than later.

Patrick Cote – who fought and lost to Silva at UFC 90 - is making his return at UFC 113 against Belcher after a year-and-a-half on the shelf. He will need a few wins, but because of the way he lost to Silva (knee injury), he can make a case for a rematch…if he wins his fights.

The Rest Of The Pack

Bisping has yet to prove that he can beat the fighters that he needs to beat to get to the next level. He has come up short in bouts against Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson and Silva. The loss to Evans was as a light heavyweight and via split decision, the loss to Silva was awfully close, but he was crushed by Henderson. Sometimes it looks as though he is right on the cusp, but can’t seem to take the extra step that is necessary to become an elite fighter. Until he can win a big one, he will not be in contention for a title shot.

Okami was once considered a top contender and is technically the last man to defeat Silva (it came by disqualification). Between injuries and the loss to Sonnen, Okami has a lot of work to do to get back to the top of the mountain. Rousimar Pahlares is guy to look out for as he is 3-1 in the UFC with wins over Jeremy Horn, Ivan Salaverry and Lucio Linhares. His one loss came against Dan Henderson in a competitive bout at UFC 88 in September of 2008.

Mark Munoz has racked up two wins in a row and is training with the Nogueira Brothers. He has a wrestling background and seems to be hitting his stride with his next fight set against Kendall Grove at UFC 112.

Much like the lightweight division and the welterweight divisions, the UFC’s middleweight division is under the rule of an all-time great mixed martial artist. We may never see another fighter come in and duplicate the dominant run Silva has had in the UFC. I, for one, truly hope he decides to pack on the additional 20 lbs and set his sights on another championship, the UFC Light Heavyweight title.

(Ed. Note: Thanks to UFCScoop.com for the image. Check them out for some great computer wallpaper designs.)

“I’ve just gotta show up, pour my sweat and blood and tears on the mat,” begins the IFL and WEC veteran. “Get in the cage and put on a good show. That’s my job.”

It’s easy to forget the simple fact that for the athletes we cover and cheer on, fighting is a job. Just as some of us have to get up and sit behind a keyboard (read: me) or fill produce orders in a cold warehouse every weekday afternoon (still me), the man known as “Bartimus” enters the words “professional fighter” on his tax return.

At some point, everyone gets a little disenchanted with their current occupation – even fighters.

“It became too much of a job,” Palaszewski said. The talkative native of Wonder Lake, Illinois, has shifted his focus back to having fun, setting aside thoughts of the WEC Lightweight title for the time being.

“I’m not going to chase the gold. I kind of did that when I first signed – put the WEC belt in my mind – and had a great start with TKO over (Alex) Karalexis,” says Palaszewski. “I think I got ahead of myself too much. Right now, it’s just training and fighting, and try to start enjoying it again.”

Getting ahead of himself lead to a pair of losses in fights taken at the 11th Hour. “I dropped a couple of tough fights, both last minute replacements. (Ricardo) Lamas was a last minute replacement and (Anthony) Njokuani I was the replacement there,” Palaszewski recalled. “Not making any excuses, but it doesn’t help when you [don't have as much time to] prepare for a fight.”

The 26-year-old fighter with 46 career bouts on his resume chuckles his way through that last statement. Making excuses had become a bit of a theme for the interview.

For example, when asked how he feels this weekend’s main card match-up with Karen Darabedyan will go, he deadpanned, “If I lose, I’ll probably just make up some excuses, you know.”

The cause for the passive-aggressive attack on excuses was a quote from the last man “Bartimus” beat in the WEC, fellow WEC 47 competitor Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. In an interview with Natalia Baage of Five Knuckles, Pettis stated, “That was a 50% Anthony Pettis versus a 100% Bart Palaszewski and it went three rounds.”

Needless to say, playing the injury card didn’t sit well with Palaszewski.

“C’mon man,” an increasingly annoyed Palaszewski stated. “Everybody has got injuries. I don’t think I’ve ever fought a fight at 100% even when I’ve said I feel great there is always something.” Our back-and-forth on the injury front continued before the heavily-tattooed redhead laid the subject to rest with one final flurry.

“It’s only when people lose that they bring up their injuries. When you win, they keep it to themselves. Why is that?” Accepting that we both knew the answer, silence remained until Palaszewski jumped back in. “Did I have injuries for the Pettis fight? Yeah, I did, but I’m not even going to say what I had and how it affected my camp.

[Pettis] is a very talented kid and I thank him that he didn’t pull out of the fight because of his injuries. But that’s how it works. We’re not playing chess or anything. It’s a contact sport.”

Saturday night, Palaszewski goes back to work against Karen Darabedyan, a young Armenian judoka who earned a split decision victory over former WEC Lightweight champ “Razor” Rob McCullough in his debut. According to Palaszewski, the two match up well, though he hasn’t done much in the way of research.

“I’m sure my coaches have done their homework – watching footage and adjusted things in my training – but I don’t ever really notice it. I just get in, do my thing and get out. They tell me to change things, I change them.”

Get in, do as you’re told and get out. Sounds like work to me.

WEC 47 is this Saturday, March 6 on Versus at 10 pm EST and also features Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz and the return of Jens Pulver. Look for WEC coverage all week on long on MMAMadness.com.

When Anthony Pettis and Danny Castillo meet at WEC 47, one of them will be walking out of the cage on a two-fight losing streak.

With the WEC adding talent to the lightweight division at every turn, the prospect of back-to-back losses is a powerful motivator. Not that Pettis is in need of motivation.

“No one wants to lose two-in-a-row,” Pettis calmly stated between training sessions with his team in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “You lose two in a row and you have to sit down and think about what you’re going to do after this.” Hearing such an honest assessment of what a second consecutive loss would do to his career, you forget that Pettis is just 23-years-old.

“Do you ever want to start the next chapter of life and put the story of your dad behind you?” I ask, acutely aware of the sensitive subject matter that often becomes the narrative of an Pettis story.

“Naw, man,” Pettis laughs. “I’ve been asked that question before, `Do you want to be remembered as the guy in fighting who lost his dad?’ I could never get tired of talking about my Pops.”

Seven years ago, Pettis lost his father, the victim of a robbery gone wrong. “This is my life,” he continues. “This is how I became a fighter and I would like that to remain a part of my story always.”

To this day, his father is a part of his pre-fight routine.

“Before I leave, I gotta go stop at my dad’s grave, spend some time there, talk with him,” Pettis explained. “My coat has him airbrushed on the back or [I bring his] picture out to the cage with me all the time.”

In addition to the adversity put before him by the passing of his father, Pettis has had to deal with a more familiar foe for fighters as well – injuries. In just his third professional fight, he suffered a dislocated shoulder. While the injury had continued to be a hindrance through his bout with Bart Palaszewski at WEC 45, the young Milwaukee native got a good story out of the injury he attained against Mike Lambrecht in March 2008.

“I was lighting him up with punches,” offers Pettis, an excitement in his voice. “I thought I had the better of him – he looked like he was ready to get knocked out – and I jumped in for a Superman punch, and he changed levels and just dropped me right on my shoulder.”

The rest of the story sounds equal parts Hollywood movie and fish tale – too storybook to have happened, but it most certainly did. Pettis knocked him out in the 1st round and got the victory.

“My corner’s looking at me, the refs looking at me, and I’m thinking I got one chance, I gotta end this fight. I don’t remember how the kick happened,” Pettis continues. “After the ref pulled us apart, I just went into my corner and popped my shoulder back into place and everyone was cheering. I didn’t really get to enjoy that head kick knockout.”

As epic a story as that is, the injury remained a problem and forced Pettis under the knife prior to his last fight, one he chooses to erase from his memory. “That Bart fight, man…,” begins Pettis, his tone changing to one of frustration, “To me that fight isn’t even like a fight in the WEC. This is my second fight in the WEC…right here.”

In speaking with Palaszewski for an alternate piece, the talkative former IFL fighter had this to say: “C’mon man! Everybody has got injuries. I don’t think I’ve ever fought a fight at 100%, even when I’ve said I feel great there is always something.”

While Pettis has said he would jump at a chance to face Palaszewski again, he’ll first have to get by a tough Danny Castillo at WEC 47 this weekend.

“He’s definitely going to be a dangerous opponent,” offers Pettis. “He’s coming off a loss also, so we’re both like animals with our backs against the wall and we both need a win.”

Castillo, who trains with Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male, is known for his strong wrestling and powerful hands, two things Pettis has worked hard on avoiding heading into this contest.

“He wants guys to defend his punch and then he shoots in for the takedown,” Pettis said. “He’s gonna try to take me down and grind me out and I’m going to be ready for that. I’ve been working my sprawl game, and I’m healthy this time.”

With a healthy shoulder and an angel watching over him, Pettis is ready to get back in the cage and return to his winning ways, starting this Saturday in Columbus, Ohio at WEC 47.

WEC 47 is this Saturday, March 6 on Versus at 10 pm EST and also features Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz and the return of Jens Pulver. Look for WEC coverage all week on long on MMAMadness.com.

Joseph Benavidez didn’t get a quick start as an athlete. In fact, he didn’t start wrestling until the 9th grade but it didn’t take long for him to flourish as he took home the state championship during his sophmore season. He would wrestle his last two years before embarking on a journey that would find him fighting in the co-main event this Saturday at WEC 47.

Not unlike many of today’s MMA fighters, Benavidez was looking to stay competitive after high school and noticed that the sport was gaining in popularity. “It was blowing up everywhere and there were a few people in my town who were training. At first they wanted me to help them improve their wrestling. From day one, I was hooked,” he said.

Benavidez started turning heads and his training partners knew he could be special, but there weren’t a lot of MMA gyms where he was living. He was forced to divide up his time between a boxing gym and a school for BJJ. After one month, he took his first fight…and won.

“I wasn’t making any money, but I fell in love with fighting. I was dedicating so much of my time, I knew I was ready to move on to the next level. I had no ties in New Mexico and I was working as a screen printer so I knew I could find work anywhere I went,” he said.

Fate (and cleaning bathrooms) In Sacramento

Benavidez left New Mexico to chase his dream. He had always wanted to move so he headed to California and sought out Urijah Faber. However, he wasn’t having any luck and was ready to go back home to New Mexico, figuring he’d give uber trainer Greg Jackson a call.

That never happened though and what happened next, according to Benavidez, was fate.

“My flight got canceled which kept me in California for the time being. The way everything went down, I know it was meant to be. I finally met up with him and we worked out together. He told me that I had potential. So I went home, packed everything in my car and drove back to Sacramento,” he explained.

To hear Benavidez tell the story will give you goosebumps in a made-for-TV movie type way. In the beginning, Faber gave Benavidez a job at his gym. He answered phones, threw out the trash, cleaned the mats and bathrooms. Anything Faber needed, he did.

“I was willing to do whatever was necessary to make a go of this. I went downtown and put flyers on cars. I would work in the morning, train afterward and then clean and lock the place up. I was training alongside a world champion, who happened to be one weight class above me.”

Benavidez and Faber clicked instantly and shared a lot of the same interests. There was an energy in the gym that Benavidez felt the first time he stepped inside. He was comfortable and knew he was in the right place.

The Ultimate Challenge

Now, Benavidez prepares for his toughest test yet in former bantamweight champion Miguel Torres.

“Torres is a lot taller than me, but I am used to training with bigger guys. He’s very well rounded, but I’ve rolled with some of the best BJJ guys in the world. Everyone has a weakness and I will look for his tendencies and try and capitalize on them.”

Benavidez isn’t buying into the hype surrounding Torres. He knows he’s a man and can lose just like anyone else. He refuses to take anything for granted and is training harder than ever. Just don’t expect the pressure to get to him as he knows what’s at stake with a win or a loss.

“I knew going into my bout with Dominick Cruz that the winner would get a title shot and I blew it. That was not my best fight, but I’ve grown since then. I am much more focused,” he explained. “That was an old me. My mentality has changed and I am no longer relying on my talent alone. That was the first loss of my career and I think I handled it pretty well.”

Cruz is the one who will be fighting Brian Bowles in the main event, (Benavidez doesn’t see him winning) but it honestly doesn’t matter to him. He knows he will get a shot at redemption somewhere down the line, so for now he chooses to concentrate on the task at hand.

Things couldn’t be better for Benavidez as he is happy fighting for the WEC. Now that they are preparing to debut on pay-per-view, Benavidez feels the organization is doing it at the right time and with the right main event.

“They couldn’t have picked a better bout than Aldo-Faber – that’s the fight people want to watch. Jose Aldo is a beast and Faber has always been the headliner in their best shows. They are doing it the right way. It had to happen and the fighters deserve to be paid more money. I will tell you this: the fans won’t be crying about the price when the show is over.”

Despite the success Benavidez has found and despite that he could actually fight on a show that people pay money to watch on TV, he stays humble and still likes his Mickey Mouse from time to time.

“I love to shop at the thrift stores…I find a lot of my clothes there! I also love to watch old Disney movies on VHS, which I also find at the thrift store. My friends think I’m crazy. I’m always late and when I tell them I was shopping at the thrift store. They just laugh.”

Benavidez hopes there will be plenty to laugh about after this Saturday night.

WEC 47 is this Saturday, March 6 on Versus at 10 pm EST and also features Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz and the return of Jens Pulver. Look for WEC coverage all week on long on MMAMadness.com.

overlook (verb):1. fail to notice; ignore or disregard, pass over in favor of another

Seeing Scott Jorgensen’s name on the roster of fighters scheduled for this Saturday’s WEC 47 event wasn’t a surprise.  However, seeing him slated for the non-televised prelims when he originally was one of two guys under consideration for a fight against former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres on the same event?

Some would argue that the former Boise State wrestling star is being overlooked in the bantamweight division.

Heading into WEC 45, many agreed that either Jorgensen or Joseph Benavidez could earn a place opposite Torres in his comeback fight with a victory.  Jorgensen started off the main card with an impressive unanimous decision win over Takeya Mizugaki, while Benavidez stopped Rani Yahya in the first round of the very next fight.

Though Jorgensen took home a secondary Fight of the Night award, Benavidez was selected to face Torres in a bout that serves as the co-main event this weekend. While Jorgensen and fight fans alike could consider this an opportunity for outrage, he is taking it all in stride and explains why the latter should do the same.

“It’s a game of who they can hype up the most, and with Joseph’s record being what it was, I can see their point,” admitted the energetic Jorgensen. “After not getting [the Torres fight], it’s made me sit back and realize I’m young at this sport, I’m still learning. Take each fight as it comes, don’t get greedy and overzealous and just focus on one thing at a time.”

Don’t let the patience and understanding fool you: Jorgensen wants a shot at the title, but he’s not one to lobby for such an opportunity.

“Right now, my mindset is to go out there, do my thing, put victories together and it’s going to be undeniable that I’m due for a shot in the very, very near future,” he said.

The Opponent

Currently riding a two-fight winning streak, Jorgensen will get a chance to extend that streak to three against Chad George. George, making his second appearance in the WEC, is coming off a unanimous decision win in his debut at WEC 45 and has put together six consecutive victories.  Unfortunately for “The Savage,” Jorgensen doesn’t pay much attention to those kind of things.

“A lot of people said the same stuff about Mizugaki, that he’s ranked this (number) in the world,” Jorgensen states with a hint of frustration. Heading into their bout at WEC 45, Jorgensen was the underdog as Mizugaki had taken then-champion Torres to the limit earlier in the year and was coming off a win over respected veteran Jeff Curran.

“I don’t care,”  he said.  “It’s a whole new game every time you step in the cage. It doesn’t matter what you did last time. I’m going to end his streak. I’m going to end his night. I’m gonna leave Columbus with the victory and move on to the next thing, while he’s sitting there wondering what happened to his six-fight winning streak.”

The confident and charismatic Boise, ID, native is quickly gaining popularity in the fighting community. Part of what draws people to the proud father is his all-out approach in the cage, something he describes as part of his education in MMA.

“I’m still learning this sport,” Jorgensen offers with a laugh. “That’s the fun part of MMA. I may not know everything, but I can get someone tired enough that they don’t know shit.”

He’s Got The Look

The man known as “Young Guns” is also highly recognizable.

“It’s because of my hair though, right?” jokes Jorgensen, referencing the fire engine-red mohawk he calls “The Warhawk,” and not the emo-kid haircut he was sporting on the poster for WEC 45. While the hair and his ever-growing collection of tattoos certainly catch your eye, so too do the portions of pigment-free skin dotting Jorgensen’s body. It’s called vitiligo, a disorder that affects less than 1% of the population and it’s a topic Jorgensen is more than willing to address.

“It wasn’t like a big shock or an overnight thing, so I just learned to adapt,” he said, recalling that the spots of colorless skin began appearing when Jorgensen was a sophomore in high school. “By the time I hit college, it was noticeable to the point that people started asking questions, but you know, it never really bothered me because it happened so gradually.”

Jorgensen credits his success on the wrestling mat while at Boise State with helping him put his vitiligo into perspective. A three-time PAC-10 champion with the Broncos, Jorgensen’s theory is “If you’re worried about my skin condition, you should be worried about something else. If someone wants to focus on that, they’ve got bigger issues.”

It’s that message that he shares with the people who write him, wondering what advice he has for their friends and family who share the same condition.

It’s also one that can also serve as an overall warning to his opponents, no matter what portion of the card they’re fighting on.

“I just want to go out there and be the best me that I can,” Jorgensen said. “I want to win in impressive and dominant fashion, have fun and walk out of the cage and tell (WEC matchmaker) Sean Shelby and (WEC President) Reed (Harris) that I’m ready to fight next month if they need me which is what I’ve always done.”

Some fight fans and media members might have considered Jorgensen overlooked, but not the man himself. He’s got another word for it.

opportunity (noun): a favorable time or set of circumstances for doing something.

WEC 47 is this Saturday, March 6 on Versus at 10 pm EST and features Bantamweight Champion Brian Bowles vs. Dominick Cruz, Miguel Torres vs. Joe Benavidez and the return of Jens Pulver. Look for WEC coverage all week on long on MMAMadness.com.

A lot of his friends were busy surfing and skating (his older brother is a professional surfer), but that wasn’t what Rockhold wanted. It was a decision by his parents that would set him on the path to stardom and a spot on Friday night’s Strikeforce Challengers card against Paul Bradley.

The West Coast Lifestyle

“I grew up in the lifestyle of a typical Santa Cruz teenager, but my parents wanted me to compete in school sports and kind of forced me to compete,” Rockhold said. “I chose wrestling and stayed with it from seventh grade all the way through high school. I tried to go to a local college but it really wasn’t for me.”

He attended some wrestling camps, but wasn’t interested in the lifestyle that came along with being a college wrestler. He had begun training in jiu-jitsu in high school and decided to go full-time with it from there. That’s where his association with American Kickboxing Academy came into the equation (AKA).

“I was winning some pretty big tournaments and was looking to get into mixed martial arts. It was always a dream of mine. I had heard about AKA from some friends of mine who said that the pro fighters were starting to make decent money and get some exposure on television. I was invited to come down and train, so I went down there and fell in love with it. I went to the store and bought a $2 mouth guard and some other gear and off I went.”

Instructor Javier Mendez thought Rockhold had some potential and a relationship was formed. He’s been there even since and so far, it’s working as he’s 6-1 (all wins via tapout) and with five straight wins going into Friday.

“It’s pretty inspiring being around all of these fighters and watching them reach new heights. Our whole team feeds off of each other, we have a pretty humble team, except maybe one or two guys, we try and stick together. I have grown so much, since starting here,” Rockhold said.

The Opponent

Coming off a big win against former Ultimate Fighter contestant Jesse Taylor in November, Bradley is a step up in competition and one Rockhold knows he can’t afford to make any mistakes against. Bradley is 12-1 and has two straight decision wins.

“Bradley is a really tough wrestler from Iowa with a lot of power. He is definitely going to be my biggest test yet. I know he has some holes, especially in his jiu-jitsu and I will look to take advantage of that. He’s dangerous but he will make a mistake and I will make him pay for it,” he said.

A win over Bradley should get the attention of Strikeforce officials and maybe a spot on their main cards, but Rockhold isn’t in a rush, not yet at least.

“I’ve been asked that question so much lately. Even the Strikeforce officials have been asking me about that. I think I am heading in the right direction and a win over Bradley would be a huge statement. I just want to focus on one fight at a time and when this fight is over, I can start to think about what’s next. If I keep winning, things will eventually take care of themselves.”

Training With Herschel And The Future

With training at AKA, Rockhold has a lot of great fighters he can go to for advice. Surprisingly one he enjoyed working with didn’t have a lot of experience in the cage, but rather on the football field: Herschel Walker.

“That was quite the experience to see a 47 year-old man come in here as green as he was and take to the sport like he did. He was there every day. Here’s a guy who has reached the pinnacle of success in the NFL, and I am working side by side with him,” Rockhold said.

“He was just really cool, very down to earth and quickly became one of the guys. He’s really strong and athletic and he has excellent instincts too. It was amazing to watch how much he would learn day in and day out.”

Rockhold admits he’s a bit of a thrill seeker which is part of his fascination with MMA. A goal-driven individual, Rockhold has aspirations to not just be a top fighter but the top-ranked at his weight class and with Strikeforce.

“I still see myself training at AKA, but fighting in bigger fights. I see myself getting to the top. I truly believe in my abilities and that I will get there,” he said. “I want to fight the toughest competition and the middleweight division here is stacked. They’ve been really good to me, I am happy here and I look forward to the challenges that are in front of me.”

But while fighting for a big promotion and training alongside many of the world’s best has Rockhold optimistically looking ahead, it’s the little things that still get him excited.

“I just found out I was going to be on the EA Sports MMA game. I am so stoked about that and I am looking forward to kicking some ass in the cage and in the game.”

Strikeforce Challengers is on Showtime tonight at 10 pm EST, headlined by Sarah Kaufman vs. Takayo Hashi.

However, it has been eight months since the Victoria, British Columbia, native last stepped into the cage. After watching her bout with Takayo Hashi (12-1-0) for the Strikeforce Women’s 135-pound title bounce from November to January and eventually land in San Jose, Kaufman is ready for the waiting to be over this Friday night.

The bout will be the main event for the Strikeforce Challengers series on Showtime.

The “Bitch” Phase

“It’s been a long haul and it’s been frustrating having the fight been pushed and started and pushed and started,” says Kaufman, sitting in the reception area of Zugec Ultimate Martial Arts (ZUMA) between teaching classes. “It’s hard on training camps too, because you can only peak as a fighter so many times in a year. I’ve started to get ready to peak for this fight four times now.”

“She’s in her bitch phase,” jokes coach Adam Zugec, quickly adding that the grumpy state of Kaufman during a recent training session is exactly where she needs to be heading into this fight.

With women’s MMA gaining more attention with each fight, adding a title for a second weight class into the conversation is the next logical step and one Kaufman thinks will help show that Cris Cyborg isn’t the only talented female on the Strikeforce roster.

“I think that the belt at 135 is a big step in moving it away from that singular focus,” Kaufman said. “I think Strikeforce is starting to get that. They’re starting to really develop the 135 division, which does have all of those fighters constantly coming into it. Hopefully, that will change the whole “Will I go up and fight Cyborg?” question.”

The organization announced Tuesday that the undefeated Kaufman and Hashi was being moved up to the main event, something many fans and media members thought was overdue. Even before that announcement at the time of this interview, Kaufman remained focused on the task at hand.

“I’ve just been waiting for so long that at this point I just want the fight,” she offered. “Whatever their reason is, hopefully they’ll sort it out in time and I’m really not that worried. I’m worried about the fight and they can put me where they put me.”

The Opponent

Where they have put the top-ranked Canadian is across from Hashi, a veteran of the Smackgirl promotion who enters this fight on an eight-fight winning streak. In a recent interview with MMA Weekly, Hashi stated “If she has got a pride in her striking ability, then I would like to crush that pride by striking against her.”

This is a plan of attack Kaufman surely welcomes. After earning finishes in her first eight professional fights, the former dancer who spent two years at the University of Victoria, has gone the distance in her last two bouts with wins over Miesha Tate and Shayna Baszler. Ever the realist, Kaufman knows it’s nothing to worry about.

“Sometimes it’s just hard to finish fights for whatever reason. If someone isn’t standing right in front of you and they’re moving away a lot, you can only chase so far before you risk putting yourself in a bad position as well,” she explained.

Time is also a factor. As this is a title fight and under the new 5-minute rounds the women now enjoy, Kaufman will have a full 25 minutes at her disposal to compete for the title. She doesn’t plan on needing it.

“With the Miesha Tate fight, it was a great fight, but it was only three minute rounds. Personally, I love the five minute rounds because it allows me to push the pace of the fight and tire people out that way as well. Who knows if that fight would have ended differently with that extra six minutes of fighting?,” she said.

“I want to finish this one.”

Friday night marks the end of eight long months of waiting for Sarah Kaufman. It could also mark the beginning of her reign as Strikeforce Women’s 135-Pound Champion.

But for Australian MMA fans, this bout is an historic event.

This is their Couture vs. Coleman, minus the UFC hype machine. These two men helped launch the sport of mixed martial arts in the land of kangaroos and koalas, and now they’re getting a chance to renew their rivalry on the biggest stage of them all: in front of their Australian fans.

At least, that’s how Sinosic sees it.

“I think it is an amazing opportunity for Australian MMA. It is something I have been hoping would happen for a long time,” offered the most well-known MMA fighter to ever come out of Canberra. “It will give fighters and promoters fantastic exposure which help the sport grow and give greater opportunities.”

When the UFC announced this event, the Australian media started an attack on the sport, citing John McCain’s infamous “human cockfighting” quote and depicting the sport as savage and brutal.

Less than a week before the event, perceptions seem to have shifted according to “The King of Rock ‘n Rumble.”

“I think since the UFC is such a big event, they have taken the time to try and become educated as to what MMA is. I’ve spoken to quite a few journalists recently and they appear to genuinely want to learn about [the sport] and what is involved. So far it has been all good,” Sinosic said.

For Australian MMA, this bout is actually bigger than Couture vs. Coleman. While the UFC 109 main event was pushed as a fight that was finally taking place after first being scheduled years before at UFC 17, Sinosic and Haseman first met thirteen years ago when Haseman submitted Sinosic with a chin to the eye.

You read that correctly – a chin to the eye. The times have changed since Cage Combat 1. Many fans have been patiently waiting for this rematch, and with his recent comments to UFC.com about this bout, it appears Haseman has been looking forward to it as well.

Despite Haseman admitting that he “honestly just [doesn’t] like [Sinosic],” the feeling is not reciprocated. Sinosic said that avenging his 1997 loss to Haseman, or animosity of any kind, has never been a part of the equation.

“I have no personal issues with Chris and he can say what he wants,” said Sinosic. “Revenge has never been a factor. I have great respect for everyone that steps into the cage. What happened in the past helped build who I am today. Nothing I do now will change that.”

Some of those past experiences include registering a win over Jeremy Horn in his November ‘08 UFC debut – an upset FIGHT! Magazine ranked as their tenth-biggest upset in the sport’s history.

“Really? Who were the other 9?,” joked Sinosic. “Being an upset just means people didn’t know what you were capable of before the fight.”

Looking back, it’s understandable why people underestimated the unknown Aussie as submission specialist Horn had already accumulated 45 wins and was coming off a decision loss to the now iconic Couture. But that night, Sinosic was the better man and he hopes to be the better man again on Saturday.

When asked whether this bout could serves as a “farewell fight” in front of his home crowd, Sinosic offered the same response many fighters have used before him.

“When I started, I told myself I would retire at 30. At 30, I told myself I’d retire at 33. At 33, I thought I’d retire at 35. When I reached 35, I figured I’d retire at 39. Now that I am 39, I figure I’ll retire when the time is right. It will happen when it happens. What is important is the next fight. After that, I’ll take things one at a time.”

Some MMA fans have brought up Sinosic’s age and recent inactivity as reason to keep him off the card, but the Australian MMA pioneer has heard it all before and can look to the last UFC main event as an answer for his detractors.

“With age, you can look at someone like Randy and realize that it is training, not age, that is relevant. As to records, when you look behind the numbers, sometimes it says more than the numbers alone. My record shows that I have faced world class competitors pretty much my entire career. As to recent lack of activity, that was not by choice but circumstance.”

While he hasn’t been in the cage for over two years leading into this event, Sinosic has kept busy, running Sinosic Perosh Martial Arts (SMPA) with business partner and fellow fighter Anthony Perosh.

But when the UFC offered Sinosic a place on their inaugural Australian event, he shifted his focus to getting into shape and preparing for this long-awaited opportunity.

“[I started preparing] when I got the offer late last year. The first part was just getting back into fighting shape here in Sydney, mostly doing cardio and the relevant training drills,” said the now 39-year-old, adding that getting down to fighting weight hasn’t been as hard as he expected.

“I actually thought it would be harder. I started at about 225 lbs when I got the call for the fight. That is pretty much the heaviest I’ve ever been. But as in all my previous preparations I’ve made weight just by training hard.”

Sandwiched between training at his own gym, Sinosic embarked on an overseas training odyssey, fine-tuning his fighting skills at various stops. Included in the training trip were stops at Tiger Muay Thia in Phuket, Thailand, to work stand-up, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Dallas, Texas, with Carlos Machado and a few weeks of work in Las Vegas with Shawn Tompkins and Robert Drysdale.

Saturday night (and Sunday morning in Australia), Elvis Sinosic will step into the Octagon for the eighth time in his career. This time, he’s standing on the biggest stage in the sport in his homeland, something he doesn’t take for granted.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for me. I’ve been involved with the UFC since UFC 30, and I’ve always traveled and faced the hometown favorites. Finally, I get a chance to stand in from of my hometown. That alone is worth it.”

Elvis Sinosic helped put Australian MMA on the map, and that makes him more than deserving of a place on the UFC 110 card. Anyone who can’t see that hasn’t been paying attention.

E. Spencer Kyte is a feature writer for MMAMadness.com