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Earlier tonight, the UFC turned in their first full-fledged event on the Fuel network, with all bouts drawing in the sold-out Omaha, Nebraska crowd into a frenzy.

In the main event, welterweight contenders Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez met in a pivotal bout which would likely see the winner enter title contention.

Ellenberger came out strong early, rocking and dropping the wily Sanchez with his crushing right, which landed time and time again. Sanchez managed to regroup himself and came storming back in later rounds, where he managed to give Ellenberger some cause for concern in the final stanza.

Sanchez came wading in with wild hooks, some shots connecting, before he opted to take the fight to the canvas, where the Greg Jackson product secured the takedown and immediately worked to Ellenberger’s back.

“The Juggernaut” was fending off submission attempts and a heavy-dose of ground-and-pound. Eventually, Ellenberger managed to reverse positions and wound out on top, though the bell finally rang signaling the end of a rollicking battle.

Ellenberger did enough early to win the decision after three-rounds of action, though both men benefited from their heft $50k bonus check for “Fight of the Night.”

Here are the rest of the results from tonight’s night of fights:

• Jake Ellenberger def. Diego Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Stefan Struve def. Dave Herman via TKO (punches from mount) – Round 2, 3:52
• Ronny Markes def. Aaron Simpson via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
• Stipe Miocic def. Philip De Fries via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:43
• T.J. Dillashaw def. Walel Watson via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-26)
• Ivan Menjivar def. John Albert via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:45
• Jonathan Brookins def. Vagner Rocha via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:32
• Justin Salas def. Anton Kuivanen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
• Tim Means def. Bernado Magalhaes vis unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)

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Tomorrow night, the UFC will make its first endeavor on the FUEL network, as contenders Jake Ellenberger and Diego Sanchez meet in the main event of the evening.

Both men have flirted with title contention as of late, with Sanchez coming off of a string of rousing performances while Ellenberger has looked every bit indestructible in some of his more recent fights.

“The Juggernaut” is undefeated in his last five outings, lastly taking on former Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields last September. Ellenberger made the most of his opportunity, flooring the former UFC contender with a powerful knee before putting him away with some devastating ground-and-pound blows, yielding the knockout in less than a minute.

Sanchez, meanwhile, has been sidelined due to injury for the better part of a year. “The Dream” was last seen inside the cage in March of 2011, where he took on perennial contender Martin Kampmann. Though the Dane got the best of Sanchez early, the Greg Jackson product came storming back in the later rounds, rocking his opponent against the cage with some heavy hooks before bringing him down to the mat in the closing moments of the fight, securing the contentious decision win.

These two dynamos have garnered the respect of their peers, however, have stark contrasts.

Sanchez is not the most refined fighter, but wields an unrelenting pace and unwavering heart, however, Ellenberger will do everything to test the enigmatic New Mexico fighter.

A collegiate wrestler with some of the heaviest-hands in the division, Ellenberger is a bad match up for just about anyone, especially Sanchez, who has a habit of making fights a brawl, which is a recipe for disaster against the California transplant.

Expect Ellenberger to be the bully here, roughing of Sanchez with his superior size and strength, taking him down to the mat over and over again. This will make Sanchez become overzealous on the feet, where an Ellenberger right hand will finish the show before the final bell.

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Tomorrow night, hometown boy Jake Ellenberger will be welcomed back into Omaha, Nebraska with open arms.
Diego Sanchez? Not so much.

The two welterweight contenders meet in the main event for UFC on Fuel TV 1, which takes place at the Philips Arena tomorrow night. The event will feature a special six-fight main card, with a co-main event tilt pitting heavyweights Dave Herman and Stefan Struve garnering some buzz as well.

Just moments ago, all competitors stepped to the scales for the official weigh-ins without incident.

All fighters, including Sanchez and Ellenberger—who both weighed in at 170-pounds on the nose for their five-round non-title affair—made their respective weight limits without issue.

Here are the full weigh-in results for tomorrow night’s night of fights:

MAIN CARD (FUEL TV)

• Jake Ellenberger (170) vs. Diego Sanchez (170)
• Dave Herman (234) vs. Stefan Struve (256)
• Ronny Markes (185) vs. Aaron Simpson (186)
• Philip De Fries (241) vs. Stipe Miocic (240)
• T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Walel Watson (135)
• John Albert (135) vs. Ivan Menjivar (135)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook)

• Jonathan Brookins (145) vs. Vagner Rocha (145)
• Sean Loeffler (185) vs. Buddy Roberts (184)
• Anton Kuivanen (156) vs. Justin Salas (155)
• Bernardo Magalhaes (155) vs. Tim Means (155)

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Though both men will first serve their stints as coaches on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, a date has already been set for a highly anticipated rubber match between rivals Urijah Faber and champion Dominick Cruz.

UFC 148 has been targeted for a July 7th weekend in Las Vegas, to which UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta confirmed via Twitter.

After earning a submission victory over Cruz some years ago under the WEC banner, Faber this time came in as the aspiring contender in their rematch at UFC 132 in July of last year.

The duo became the first bantamweight’s to headline a major UFC pay-per-view and they failed to disappoint. In a hard-fought five round battle—nominated for “Fight of the Year”—which saw Faber drop the wily fighter several times, Cruz edged “The California Kid” thanks to his punches and bunches and pivotal takedowns, earning the close decision win.

Cruz next made a successful return to the cage last October, earning a decision win over Demetrious Johnson and the Alliance MMA star now awaits his showdown with his rival.

Faber has since bounced back from the decision loss to Cruz with a crushing performance against Brian Bowles at UFC 139. There, Faber was able to rock and drop the former champ in the second round, before cinching up a fight-ending guillotine choke, which earned him “Submission of the Night” and his chance to challenge Cruz for the 135-pound title.

Season 15 of TUF will air on FX this March, where fight days will be aired live to the masses.

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A highly anticipated heavyweight collision now has a date.

Former Strikeforce and Dream champion Alistair Overeem will be taking on UFC stud Junior dos Santos on May 26 as the duo headline UFC 146, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta first made mention of the bout in passing via Twitter.

Overeem was last seen inside the Octagon last December, where he made his organizational debut against former UFC champ Brock Lesnar. In an exciting performance, Overeem was able to deftly stop the behemoth inside of the first round, using knees and a kick to the body to close the show via TKO.

Dos Santos, meanwhile, was last in the cage this past November, where he took on then undefeated champion Cain Velasquez. The AKA product hails from a touted wrestling background, though the action only went to the canvas when Dos Santos scored a vicious right hand, dropping Velasquez to the mat instantly.

A hellish barrage of ground-and-pound blows followed, which earned Dos Santos the “Knockout of the Night” and UFC title in just 64-seconds of action.

Overeem, a former K-1 World Grand Prix champion, is regarded as one, if not the best, striker in the heavyweight class, though Dos Santos has proven that his boxing acumen and heavy-hands are no laughing matter.

In a battle between Striker vs. Striker, it’s all but guaranteed that this fight will not go the distance.

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Last night, fans were teased with a possible rematch in the making between Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit. The two originally battled for the UFC’s interim welterweight title, with Condit taking the contentious decision win.
Immediately, Diaz protested the decision and ultimately, in a fit of frustration, announced his exit from the sport.

UFC President Dana White took to Twiiter and proclaimed that “The Natural Born Killer” would be flying into Las Vegas to finalize plans to set up the highly anticipated rematch.

However, such does not seem to be the case.

Earlier today, Diaz’s head trainer and longtime manager Cesar Gracie stated “no” to the rumored bout, this according to MMAJunkie.com.

It’s unclear whether or not Diaz will stick to his notions of retirement, as the Stockton fighter has seen his popularity reach heights that it’s never been at before.

Whilst under the Strikeforce banner, Diaz went undefeated, earning decisive victories over the likes of KJ Noons, Frank Shamrock, Marius Zaromskis and Paul Daley, among others.

In his initial return to the Octagon, Diaz took on former two-time world champion BJ Penn, battering and bruising the Hawaiian over the course of three rounds of action last October.

Stay tuned to MMALifestyles as the story develops.

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Now that UFC 143 is in the books, many divisions have now been effectively altered given tonight’s night of fights.
In the heavyweight class, Roy Nelson welcomed back Fabricio Werdum, who served a four-fight stint in Strikeforce before being called back to the UFC.

For three rounds, the Brazilian dominated “Big Country” in all facets—bludgeoning the big man with kicks, knees and punches. When the action did hit the mat, Werdum deftly took the back of Nelson, though the jiu-jitsu prowess of The Ultimate Fighter winner shut down those attempts.

After three rounds of action, Werdum was declared the winner by unanimous decision, though both men walked away with “Fight of the Night” honors.

UFC newcomers Stephen Thompson and Dan Stittgen met in a welterweight affair, kicking off the action for the UFC event. After a contentious first few minutes, the kickboxing prowess of Thompson became evident as a swooping high kick sent Stittgen reeling to the canvas, out could before he hit the deck. The emphatic victory earned “Wonderboy” the “Knockout of the Night.”

Finally, in a pivotal featherweight affair, top contender Dustin Poirier took on undefeated 4-0 prospect Max Hollaway on the FX televised card. Hollaway—who has been likened to a featherweight version of Anthony Pettis—stormed Poirier early, though the 23 year old kept his composure and quickly took his opponent to the mat.

From there, the “Diamond” quickly mounted Hollaway and cinched up a triangle choke from within mount. After a brief struggle, Hollaway finally tapped when Poirier torqued the arm, cinching the win and “Submission of the Night” for his performance.

All bonus recipients earned an additional $65k in earnings.

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In the main event of the evening, former champions Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz vied for the UFC interim welterweight title.

From the onset, Condit began bludgeoning the legs of the Stockton native, who answered by stalking his opponent down for every minute of the fight.

Diaz pressed the action with his accumulating punches, however each time Condit was pressed against the fence, “The Natural Born Killer” circled effectively away from the cage each time a charging Diaz began to engage.

The action was tight-knit throughout, however, Diaz gave Condit cause for concern in the final round, where the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt was able to secure his opponents back and drag him to the canvas.

From there, Diaz continued to hunt for the rear-naked choke. As Condit began to defend, Diaz looked to cinch the armbar in the waning moments of the round, though Condit escaped and came out on top.

In the end, the fight looked to be up in the air, until judges rewarded the Greg Jackson fighter with the decision, with scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47. After five rounds of action, Condit was declared the winner unanimously, claiming the UFC title in the process.

Now, Condit has booked a fight with champion Georges St-Pierre, though it’s unclear if the New Mexico fighter will opt to wait for the return of the injured Canadian or defend his crown before year’s end.

Diaz, obviously frustrated, took to the mic and proclaimed that he would effectively retire, eloquently stating “”That ain’t right,” proclaimed Diaz concerning the contentious decision verdict.

“I pushed him back the whole fight. … I think I’m done with this MMA. … I don’t need this (expletive).”

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In the co-main event of the evening, Strikeforce transplant Fabricio Werdum took on The Ultimate Fighter Season 10 winner Roy Nelson.

From the get-go, Werdum dictated the action with his highly improved strikes, keeping Nelson at a distance with his kicks before battering the big man with close quarter knees to the head and body.

The mounting blows began to wilt Nelson, who visibly tired as the fight wore on, despite coming in a svelte 246 pounds—a far cry from his usual physique.

Safe for a rear-naked choke attempt early in the first round, Werdum was content to trade blows with “Big Country” for the remainder of the fight.

As the rounds began to pile up, it became clear that Werdum was winning the race and in the end was awarded the decision win, with scores of 30-27 across the board.

The victory helped keep Werdum relevant in the UFC’s heavyweight division, while Nelson has now dropped three of his last four fights inside the Octagon.

Nelson could very well be on the chopping block, though the coveted fan favorite may stick around a little bit longer.

“Vai Cavalo” has now won three of his last four bouts and will look to continue to climb the steep heavyweight ladder, where champion Junior dos Santos sits pretty above the rest in the pack.

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In a heavyweight tilt, The Ultimate Fighter season 10 winner Roy Nelson welcomes back the returning Fabricio Werdum.

Both men will be prominently featured on the main card for UFC 143, which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, where a welterweight collision pitting Nick Diaz against Carlos Condit will serve as the main event.

Nelson recently snapped a two-fight skid with a dominant TKO victory over former Pride champion Mirko Cro Cop—rocking the Croatian with a hook, following him to the canvas where he dropped down some powerful ground-and-pound blows to cinch the late rally finish.

Werdum, meanwhile, recently exited Strikeforce on the heels of a decision defeat to rival Alistair Overeem. The loss came after an upset submission victory over heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko. To date, Werdum is the only man to submit the legendary Russian.

Both men are touted jiu-jitsu practitioners, though Werdum is a cut above most, as the Brazilian is a multiple time world champion, having earned two ADCC Submission Wrestling World titles.

As dangerous as Werdum is on the ground, Nelson is equally vicious on the feet, as “Big Country” wields unwavering power, to which both Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve can attest to, as both men were knocked out by the heavy-hitter inside of the first round.

However, Werdum’s 6-foot-4 frame and significant reach advantage should be able to keep Nelson at bay. As the former IFL champ wades in, in order to land a telling blow, Werdum will duck under and bring Nelson to the canvas. Wash, rinse and repeat for three rounds, as “Vai Cavalo” takes home a decision win upon his Octagon return.

This weekend, the UFC will crown a new welterweight champion.

Strikeforce transplant Nick Diaz and perennial contender Carlos Condit will serve as the headlining act for UFC 143, which takes place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

It’s a contrast of styles, though both men are cut from the same cloth.

Condit is aptly named “The Natural Born Killer”, thanks to his aggressive and unrelenting style of fighting, much like his opponent, who hails from the mean streets of Stockton.

Diaz was last seen inside the Octagon in October where he deftly defeated former two-time world champion BJ Penn, battering and bruising the Hawaiian with his obvious boxing acumen, taking home a clear-cut decision win.

Condit hasn’t been seen since a July battle against Dong Hyun Kim, finishing off the then undefeated fighter in a first round thriller, knocking him out with a flying knee.

These victories for both men have catapulted them now into the limelight, where champion Georges St-Pierre waits on the wings, looking to unify his title with that of the winner’s interim belt.

Condit, a product of Greg Jackson, has many dangerous weapons at his disposal, but Diaz’s best assets are his chin, break-neck pace, striking and jiu-jitsu skills.

For five rounds, Nick Diaz will be there to go tit-for-tat, never wilting under the pressure. Though Condit has never been broken, he’s also never been locked inside a cage with a man that has a limitless gas tank like that of Diaz. If this bout was contested for three rounds, Condit may have an advantage, though Diaz’s triathlon-esque endurance will be enough to edge Condit where it counts, taking home the close decision win.

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Light heavyweights Rashad Evans and Phil Davis were given the task of headlining the UFC’s second endeavor on the FOX network.

However, despite spearheading such an important and monumental event, neither man exactly “wowed” the sellout crowd at the United Center in Chicago.

Though on paper, Davis was the more accomplished wrestler of the two, having earned the NCAA Division I title in 2008, it was Evans’ grappling skills that truly dictated the pace of the fight.

Davis failed on his own efforts to work Evans to the mat, while the former 205-pound champ continued to put “Mr. Wonderful” on his back. On the ground, Evans deftly passed Davis’ guard, momentarily locking in a mounted crucifix while pounding away with some ground-and-pound blows.

The most dander Davis found himself in was the fourth, as Evans clocked the budding contender with a stiff right hand which sent him staggering against the cage, though Davis was able to survive as the horn sounded, signaling the end of the round.

After 25-minutes of action, Evans took home the one-sided decision win, winning every round on the judges’ score cards, handing Davis the first loss of his career.

“Suga” is now riding a four-fight win streak since initially losing his title in May of 2009 to Lyoto Machida. For the last couple of years, Evans has been regarded as the rightful No. 1 contender to the 205-pound belt. Untimely injuries and opting to wait for the championship tilt have set Evans back considerably, however, he’s now back on track.

Now, Evans will be meeting champion, rival and former teammate Jon Jones, where the two should be meeting come this April at UFC 145, which takes place in Atlanta, Georgia. The bout will come to fruition so long as Evans has not sustained any injuries, which seems to be the case.

In the unlikely event that he is deemed unable to meet with Jones, former Pride and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson—who bested Mauricio Rua in a five-round thriller last November—will be next in line for the title.

UFC on FOX 2 Results: Chael Sonnen Edges Michael Bisping for Title Shot

In the co-headliner of tonight’s UFC on FOX 2 event, Michael Bisping stepped up to the plate and surprised the sellout crowd at Chicago’s United Center.

The Brit proved to be a difficult challenge for former title challenger Chael Sonnen, who gave champion Anderson Silva a methodical drubbing in their August 2010 battle, though the Brazilian eventually cinched a submission win in the waning moments of their battle.

Sonnen managed to take Bisping several times in the opening moments of the fight, however, Bisping continued to work his way to the feet time and time again. Every time the two separated, Bisping fired off punches and knees galore.
The first stanza was very close; however, the second was all Bisping. The season three winner of The Ultimate Fighter fended off several takedowns from the aggressive Sonnen, popping him with left hooks and right straights, though Sonnen continued to plod forward, desperately looking for the takedown.

After two hard fought rounds, the self-proclaimed “American Gangster” dominated the third. Sonnen closed the distance quickly and took Bisping to the mat, where the Team Quest product proceeded to take his back and eventually mount. A few pot-shots were administered here and there, but nothing telling.

If Bisping can take solace in anything, it’s the fact that he has a “moral victory”, at least in the eyes of the fans thanks to his spirited and very close tilt with Sonnen, though the enigmatic Oregon native did enough to take the unanimous decision win.

Now, Sonnen will vie for Silva’s middleweight crown, where the two are expected to meet in Saol Paulo, Brazil, which unsurprisingly should be a pro-“Spider” crowd.

This Saturday, the UFC will make their second endeavor on the FOX network, as a light heavyweight encounter featuring budding contender Phil Davis and former champion Rashad Evans will headline the event.

The Chicago event proves to be especially pivotal for Evans, who has been regarded as the top contender in the division for more than a year. Thanks to untimely injuries and shuffling, Evans has been passed over for his shot at the belt, which now rests on the waist of former teammate and rival Jon Jones.

In his way to “Bones” Jones is the undefeated Davis, a collegiate wrestling stud who has notched victories over notable opponents such as Tim Boetsch, Brian Stann and Pride veteran Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Despite being a former NCAA Division I All-American, Davis appeared to have trouble implementing his wrestling in the early stages of his bout with the aforementioned Nogueira, as the Brazilian was able to stave off all takedown attempts before “Mr. Wonderful” went from double to single leg takedowns.

Against Evans, Davis may find his match as the former 205-pound stalwart is regarded as one of the better grapplers in his division. Both his wrestling skills and jiu-jitsu prowess is vastly underrated, as Evans has earned his black belt under submission whiz Rolles Gracie.

Though his wrestling is often unrivaled, it’s Evans’ knockout power that is always a cause for concern. As Davis begins to search for the takedown which will come with a great deal of difficulty, the relatively inexperienced fighter will wade in recklessly, allowing “Suga” to counter Davis with a looping over hand right, setting up the knockout finish before the final bell sounds.

Quick Results UFC Live On FX

Main Card (Live on FX)

Jim Miller defats Melvin Guillard via Submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:04
Josh Neer defeated Duane Ludwig via Submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:04
Mike Easton defeated Jared Papazian via Majority Decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-29)
Pat Barry defeated Christian Morecraft via KO (punches) – Round 1, 3:38

Preliminary Card (Live on Fuel TV)

Jorge Rivera defeated Eric Schafer via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:31
Charlie Brenneman defeated Daniel Roberts via Unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Khabib Nurmagomedov defeats Kamal Shalorus via Submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:08
Fabricio Camoes defeated Tommy Hayden via Submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:03
Daniel Pineda defeated Pat Schilling via Submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:37
Nick Denis defeated Joseph Sandoval via Knockout (elbows) – Round 1, 0:22