Joe Ferraro

It’s fight week ahead of UFC 118, which always brings us hype, entertainment and lots of storylines.

As the Sportsnet team sits and waits for the next flight to Boston (our original flight was cancelled), a variety of discussion has ensued pertaining to what we can expect during fight week while covering UFC 118.

Tomorrow's pre-fight press conference at 3 p.m. ET (which you can watch online) will likely see James (Lights Out) Toney in all of his glory, talking smack, while trying to get into his opponent's head. I don't see it happening though. Expect Randy Couture to simply smile and acknowledge James' humour. The Natural, like Toney, has been down this road far too many times, and no matter what is said outside of the combat arena, it has no bearing on what will happen inside of it.

For those who haven't noticed, or perhaps have forgotten, there is a STELLAR lightweight bout on the main card, which features top contenders Kenny (KenFlo) Florian and The Bully, Gray Maynard. While this matchup has not received much love from the UFC PR Machine, the organization did touch on it during the "UFC 118: Countdown Show." But, better than that, has been Florian's decision to hype the bout.

He has picked up his interview schedule and is spewing some quality stuff. He's calling Maynard "boring" and claiming that a lesson is going to be taught in his hometown of Boston.

As for Maynard, he's doing his fair share of hype as well, but, I harken back to a conversation this very Sportsnet team had with The Bully at The Grant Brothers MMA Gym in Toronto earlier this year. One quote specifically stood out, and it has stuck by me ever since. His analogy of fight hype and the stylistic breakdown between two athletes was golden.

We discussed a variety of bouts, where "on paper" there was an obvious favourite. His rebuttal was simply "paper doesn't fight paper," complementing the old adage that many of us have preached for so long -- just put the two athletes in the cage/ring, and let them decide who the winner will be.

As for the UFC 118 main event, lightweight champion Frankie (The Answer) Edgar and former champ, B.J. (The Prodigy) Penn have been lukewarm on their fight hype, with Penn doing a little more to promote the bout. It's evident that Penn is amped for this bout.

A motivated Penn is always a scary proposition for any opponent, but as we get closer to fight time, we will see him begin to verbally shut down. Thankfully, if not solely for this very reason, I am glad the UFC moved the pre-fight press conference from Thursday to Wednesday.

Laugh if you will, but a simple 24-hour difference will likely see a more jovial group of athletes (especially B.J.) than those who often begin to zone in on their gladiator mentality, with just 24 hours until weigh-ins (which always occur on a Friday).

We're also excited to catch up with UFC president Dana White, and the rest of the Zuffa staff, as it will be the first time we will be running into them since the announcement that the sport of MMA will be regulated in the province of Ontario.

Now, with all this being said, this is just the tip of the fight week iceberg.

Come Thursday, we have the media workouts, where at times, the fighters do not adhere to their schedules. This often leads up to them walking into the workout room, with their opponent already doing their thing. That's when you truly get to see where a fighter's head is at and how he feels about his opponent. If a fighter has true disdain for his opposition, it's easy to read (he usually leaves the room in haste). If it's just business, you can definitely see it as well (he smiles, says hello, bows, etc).

Then, on Friday, as mentioned earlier, is the public weigh-ins. This is where the fighters are generally in a miserable mood from having to cut weight. I have a golden rule, since my promoting days years ago. Leave the fighters alone on weigh-in day -- only talk to them after they have weighed in.

The athletes are agitated and one wrong move on the stage, during a stare-down, will have Dana White play physical mediator.

If you've never seen a weigh-in live, and in person, it's a must. The tension between some guys is real, and it spreads through the venue quickly. Penn is one of the better ones, and it will be interesting to see whether or not Toney will continue his verbal jabs. I want to see if he will step up and do it in Randy's face, and to see how Couture will react. Will Toney also take a few verbal shots at Dana White in person, which he continues to do online.

Florian and Maynard are generally tame at the weigh-ins, but there's a lot on the line here, especially for Maynard. Will "The Bully" back down should Florian be aggressive at the weigh-ins? Heck, at the pre-fight press conference, will he keep his talking to a minimum, and avoid rebutting Florian's gift of gab?

Saturday night is when it all comes full circle -- all the talk, all the posturing and all of the predictions mean nothing. The fighters must step into the cage and either back up their talk, or be the one to silence their loudmouthed foe. The moment of truth, for every fighter, takes place in a medium that will be viewed by millions of people.

Will B.J. regain the title he calls "his"? Will Edgar prove he has Penn's number?

Can Couture prove that MMA is superior than boxing, or will James Toney show that a high-level boxer needs a limited amount of training to beat one of the sport's legends? Will "Lights Out" break the rules when he finds himself in trouble, out of his element, in a professional MMA fight, when he cannot get back to his feet and fall back on his instincts -- to stand and trade with his opponent?

Will Kenny Florian bully "The Bully" and earn what will likely be his third shot at the UFC's lightweight title? Or will Maynard prove that KenFlo is just another victim to be added to his undefeated record?

One things is for sure -- and I can guarantee you this: It's mixed martial arts folks, and at UFC 118, expect the unexpected.

Final Note: Don't forget to tune into Sportsnet Connected all week, as we will be providing you with daily updates from Boston. As well, sportsnet.ca will be your host.