Coming off what may have been the biggest pay per view event in history the UFC is preparing for a busy month of December.
Coming off what may have its biggest pay per view event in history in November, the Ultimate Fighting Championships is preparing for a busy month of December. In the span of 17 days the UFC will be hosting three separate events, two on free TV and one year end extravaganza that will set the stage for some big bouts in 2009.
To get the ball rolling a three hour live UFC Fight Night: Fight for the Troops event goes down on December 10 to raise money for The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Throughout the show viewers will be encouraged to make donations to help the National Intrepid Center for Excellence, a charity the helps military veterans who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. This charity was first made famous on national TV by Donald Trump's reality show The Apprentice. Season seven winner Piers Morgan chose this charity to help raise awareness and funds for these courageous men and women. The UFC has now followed suit.
What makes this Fight Night so intriguing is that the majority of those in attendance will be military personnel, with only 30 tickets being auctioned off via Ticketmaster. Many of the fighters on the card are former military veterans, with names like Luigi Fioravanti, Steve Bruno, Tim Credeur, Dale Hartt and Brandon Wolff who no doubt will be more than proud to battle in the octagon for their fellow brethren still on duty.
The main event will see welterweight standout Josh Koscheck, coming off a tough loss to No. 1 contender Tiago Alves at UFC 90 going to war against Japanese sensation Yoshiyuki Yoshida. Do not count out Yoshida in this bout; he is a serious contender that will give Koscheck all he can handle. Kos' teammate Mike 'Quick' Swick is on the card and will battle Canadian welterweight Jonathan 'The Road Warrior' Goulet. This is a big test for Goulet as Swick will be looking to make a case for moving up the welterweight ladder.
One gets the feeling that this broadcast will be an emotionally charged event, pulling on your heart strings for a good cause. Look for a plethora of footage that will surely give us all a dose of reality, while providing that extra bit of motivation for each fighter to put on the performance of their lives.
Three days later The Ultimate Fighter Finale will take place on December, 13. Over the next two weeks, Sportsnet will continue to show Season 8 of the popular reality show, laying down the foundation to see who will fight whom for the six-figure UFC contract. Several questions surround Junie Browning, who I predict will not make it to the final. I see Efrain Escudero taking him out while Phillipe Nover does the same to George Roop.
In the light heavyweight semi-finals I see Vinny Magalhaes defeating Krzysztof Soszynski (due to Soszynski's thumb issues) while it's a toss up between Ryan Bader and Eliot Marshall. It's a difficult fight to pick as both have the skills to go to the finals -- so we'll have to wait and see what happens. Will Bader's wrestling get the best of Marshall? Or will Marshall's submission skills catch the big man by surprise?
Recently added to the card are some action packed bouts. Sportsnet.ca blogger Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald will take on Wilson Gouveia, who will be making his second appearance in the middleweight division. Gouveia is a tough cookie and will be looking to put a hurt onto J-Mac, but I cannot see him doing it. MacDonald's game is relentless and if he doesn't submit the Gouveia, he will win a judges decision.
The other match added to the card (which has many a hardcore MMA fan salivating) is the rematch between Kevin Burns an Anthony Johnson. These two fought back in July, where a controversial ending quickly triggered talks of a rematch. Burns accidentally poked Johnson in the eye, making him drop down to the mat. The referee thought it was a knock down and halted to the bout, much to the dismay of a vocal Johnson. This bout will be a striker's affair and one gets the feeling it will not go the distance.
Two weeks later, at the MGM Grand Garden and Casino, UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 will take place on December 27. As is typical with all year end shows, this one is stacked from top to bottom. In fact, it is so good that it has two title fights and a super fight that will raise the roof. First off, there is the interim heavyweight title fight between the coaches of this season's Ultimate Fighter. Current interim champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira puts his belt on the line versus former champion Frank Mir. The winner will not only get the belt, but a shot at current champion, Brock Lesnar. On paper, I see Nogueira winning, but how great would it be if Mir can be victorious, setting up an epic rematch against Lesnar?
The other championship bout pits Forest Griffin defending his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time. His opponent is none other than "Sugar" Rashad Evans, who earned the title shot with a sweet (pardon the pun) knockout of Chuck Liddell at UFC 88. Talk about a barn burner of a bout as the blue collar champion looks to push the pace against a better wrestler with faster hands. Evans is undefeated and Griffin is notorious for surviving beatings (minus the Keith Jardine fight). Will Griffin defend the title successfully, or will Evans shock the world again?
The other mega bout on this card caps off an historic trilogy that was born in Pride. Vanderlai Silva will be looking to prove that he has Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's number once again, as he looks to go 3-0 against the rough and rugged former UFC champ. As ironic as it may seem, this bout could easily be the main event on this star studded card, even with the two title fights up for grabs. Rampage is one win away from fighting for the title and has been salivating for a third bout with Silva, namely because he believes he can defeat him in a cage (as opposed to the first two bouts which took place in a ring). Legal issues aside, Rampage will be desperate for a victory, but must not overlook Silva in hopes to get a shot at Forrest Griffin, the man who defeated him in July, taking the title away from him. Having been to my fair share of UFC's, it's safe to say that nobody will be seated during this bout.
December 2008 is proving to be an MMA wish list come true as the UFC will be providing its fair share of stocking stuffers and gifts under the tree. By the time it's all said and done, one would figure UFC fans would be saturated: Not necessarily. Come January 2009, UFC 93 in Dublin pits Dan Henderson vs. Rich Franklin while a few weeks later, GSP and Penn II goes down on Super Bowl weekend.
So much for the winter blues.
