Author: By Frank Curreri

He hails from Jersey and has a good ol’ Catholic name – Frankie. He exemplifies an epic fearlessness and relentlessness, boasts an unbelievable ability to roar back from severe punishment, and has earned spectacular success despite being grossly undersized for his weight class – reminding me of a modern-day MMA version of Rocky Marciano. To top it all off, two of his favorite foods are pizza and pasta.

Do you see where I’m headed with all this? Instinctively, I had always suspected that Frankie Edgar was a product of Italian ancestry. Everything about the former UFC lightweight champ sparked my suspicion that he had ties to Italy. With one exception: His last name. The lack of vowels rolling off the tongue threw me off.

Eager to hear from Edgar, I recently caught up with the 31-year-old Clarion University grad and he finally set the record straight on his bloodline.

“I am mostly Italian even though I don’t have the Italian last name,” Edgar said. “My grandfather is Italian. My mother is Italian. My stepdad is 100 percent Italian and he’s the one who raised me. My parents owned a pizzeria when I was growing up. So I’m mostly Italian but also have some German in me.”

Case solved. Still unknown, however, is the exact date and event where Edgar will make his featherweight debut against 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo. “The Answer” talked with me about cutting weight and his bid to crash the elite list of UFC fighters to win a title in different weight classes.

SACRIFICES TO MAKE 145?

Frankie: Not too much is different. Right now I’m walking around at probably 160, 162. I’m still smaller than most 145 pounders. I’m training twice a day but not super-hard. The intensity isn’t there like it will be when I have a date and I’m in training camp for the fight. If I’m training for a fight I’m beating my body up a lot. This will be my seventh title fight in a row so in between fights it’s important to pull back and focus more on technique and getting better. So when I’m training, in between rounds I must rest more than usual.

As far as weight-cutting, I just eat when I’m hungry. That’s about it. I try to eat clean but I don’t have a strict diet going. By the time training camp comes I’ll probably be within 10 pounds (of making 145). It’ll just be water weight. I don’t really have to cut weight. The week of the fight I will work out to get the weight off. I don’t like starving myself. I’m not into that.
 
POST WEIGH-IN MEAL

I like to eat some pasta and carbs. But during training camp I don’t eat as much pasta. It’s more brown rice. When I do eat pasta, my wife will make me multi-grain pasta. It doesn’t taste bad. We have a garden in the backyard and grow our own tomatoes. So my wife actually homemakes the spaghetti sauce from those organic tomatoes.

I eat a lot of chicken, brown rice and avocado. For breakfast I’m usually eating oatmeal because it’s quick and easy. My wife cooks. I don’t cook – I eat. I don’t have a dietician or anything like that. I’ve just learned about nutrition from coaches, teammates and from being a wrestler (in high school and college). My wife is into eating healthy. She always reads up on organic and superfoods and stuff like that. She makes me shakes with hemp seed, kale and acai. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know how much I’d be into that stuff.

HOW MUCH ORGANIC?

If I have a choice, I’ll definitely choose organic. But how do you really know if it’s organic or not? I question whether much of it is really organic …

RELUCTANCE TO DROP TO 145

I was doing good at 155, so I didn’t get why people were asking for me to drop. Part of me didn’t want to drop because I felt like I always had that option in my back pocket if I needed it. Now that I’ve had two close calls at 155 and no wins, now is a good time to do something different.

JOSE ALDO

He’s got tremendous explosiveness and athleticism. That will the biggest adjustment for me. It’s going to be a good challenge.

SUPPLEMENTS

I’m sponsored by Gaspari Nutrition. I heard some people say that I looked a little bigger in my last fight. It’s probably from the Gaspari protein shakes. I take one a day, sometimes two if I feel I need some extra energy in between workouts. They’ve got amino acids and glycogen recovery without all the high fructose corn syrup you find in other products.

PIZZA

I’m from Jersey, so pizza is my favorite food. My boxing coach, Mark Henry, owns Pino’s Pizza in Woodbridge. It’s some of the best pizza in all of New Jersey. My favorite is called “Upside Down Pizza.’ It has cheese on the bottom and sauce on top on a thin crust. I don’t get to eat it often, though. Luckily I live an hour away from Woodbridge!

 

This week we highlight the diet of Renzo Gracie, easily one of the most eloquent speakers and widely respected gentlemen in the fight game. Before we dive into the interview, I’d like to share a few observations about the 45-year-old New York City transplant, whom I first met nearly a decade ago at the 90th birthday party of his grand uncle, legendary BJJ pioneer Helio Gracie.

If you’ve ever met the perpetually positive Brazilian, you know that a light, an undeniable glow, shines on Renzo wherever he goes. When the philosopher and 6th-degree jiu-jitsu black belt smiles, you can’t resist smiling. When Renzo laughs, you laugh. That God-given natural charm reminds me of a character trait some observed in former U.S. president Bill Clinton. Whether Republican or Democrat, people on both sides of the aisle remarked that when the 42nd president talked to you, he demonstrated an extraordinary ability to make you feel like you were the only person in the world for those moments, as if you were the most important person in the world. Relatively few people possess that skill; I believe Renzo Gracie is one of them. You meet him for two minutes and feel like you’ve been friends for life.

I remember a few years ago talking with Dana White about Marc Ratner, the remarkably even-keeled UFC Vice President of Regulatory Affairs who never loses his cool and amazingly – despite many decades in the professional fight game – has no known enemies.

“If Marc Ratner doesn’t like someone,” Dana said, “then they’re definitely a d—-bag.”

You could say the same about Renzo, who has instructed some of the world’s top fighters, including UFC champions Georges St. Pierre, Frankie Edgar, former champ Matt Serra, unbeaten Chris Weidman and Ricardo Almeida. Turns out Renzo is as gonzo about food as he is about martial arts, as you will see in an interview in which he discusses eating dog and rattlesnake, staples of the Gracie Diet, and why he doesn’t plan on retiring from fighting any time soon (eyeing a reinvention, in fact, at 155 pounds).

THE GRACIE DIET AND THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND IT

Renzo: Basically that diet was developed by my grandfather, Carlos Gracie. His idea was to alkalinize your body. The whole purpose of the diet was to make sure your body wasn’t acidic. He believed this would prevent many diseases and extend your life expectancy. He did a really good job developing that diet.

Today, with all the studies (on nutrition) they are better able to test what actually makes your body more alkaline. So we’ve started adapting superfoods into the Gracie Diet and it has really improved. My grandfather had always banned acidic foods like pineapple, oranges and berries – but in reality those are the most alkaline fruits out there. But back in his day there weren’t ways to test that stuff; today there are.

My grandfather always forbid us to have acidic foods except during the morning time. But I ate them and hid it from my family. I always felt great when I ate berries, pineapples and mangos and fruits like that. So these studies show that I was right and that those foods are very positive for my health.

I’m going to turn 46 years old now and I don’t have one gray hair. It’s just amazing how I feel. On my mother’s side of the family we have great genetics. I feel very young. I feel better now than when I was 23!

HOW MUCH OF THE GRACIE DIET DO YOU FOLLOW?

My whole life I’ve followed the Gracie Diet (http://graciediet.com/). I moved here to the United States when I was 37 and until then I followed the Gracie Diet 100 percent. I’m a guy that, thanks to my genetics, I can eat anything and I’ll feel great the next day. I’m different. I have resistance and I don’t get sick and I’m very thankful for that.

I promised myself that I would try any food given the chance so I’ve eaten the weirdest foods you can imagine. I ate dog in China, I ate rattlesnake in Brazil, I’ve eaten scorpion, I ate alligator, I ate crocodile, ostrich … Man, all of them taste good! Why do the Chinese eat everything – because they fry everything! I just realized that if you deep fry ME, I will taste good! That’s the reality (chuckles).

THE TASTE OF RATTLESNAKE

Many people say that a rattlesnake tastes like chicken. A rattlesnake can never taste like chicken! If the chicken had a tattoo on her neck and an extremely bad-a—attitude then maybe it could taste like rattlesnake. It’s a very unique taste.

A SHARK LIKE NO OTHER

I went to Iceland and that’s where I met Gunnar Nelson (world-class BJJ player and UFC fighter). They took me to eat a shark that had been dead and buried for six months. This is how the ancient people of Iceland used to eat shark. The shark dies, they dig a hole and put the whole shark in there and then a whole tribe urinates on the shark to preserve it. Funny thing is, the meat of the shark becomes like a cream cheese. The taste is not bad … but the smell! For that reason when they bury the shark they must do it far away from town. The smell was unforgettable. I wouldn’t eat it again. I can still smell it.

REGRET EATING IT?

You have to regret the things you didn’t do, NOT the ones you did.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT BRAZILIAN FOOD?

I just finished eating a Brazilian dish, a shrimp stew, Moqueca. I ate at Emporium Brazil on 46th Street. I’ve been eating there for many years and I’m friends with all of the managers and waiters. That place reminds me of the homecooking my mom and grand mom used to do. My wife is also an unbelievable cook. My father always told me, “Make sure you marry a great cook because beauty doesn’t last but cooking does!”

REFORM

I’ve been on a very strict diet for the past year and a half. I eat a lot of rice, beans, grilled chicken and salads. I’ve also begun eating a combination of the Gracie Diet with superfoods. I learned this from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, UFC part owner and BJJ black belt under Renzo). We use maca, a Peruvian fruit and pure cacao powder – instead of coffee, which will deplete you. There is a reason every woman loves chocolate: It is similar to a hormone that makes them go into a blissful state.

So every morning I have a shot of mango juice with a little maca and pure cacao powder without any sugar or fat. This kills my hunger and then I go train and then for lunchtime I might eat some berries, fruit, a salad with nuts.

A LARGER MISSION

Right now we’re developing protein bars with goji berries and cacao powder. We just made the first 500 samples of that. I don’t think we’ll call it the Renzo Gracie protein bar, but for sure you can expect something healthy coming from us.

We are in the business of dealing confidence. I’m not just in the business of teaching you how to fight, I’m in the business of making you confident. The jiu-jitsu can improve your confidence. And a good diet will improve your quality of life and life expectancy.

THE R-WORD

I really want to fight again and I’m preparing myself for that. I’m looking to fight at 155 pounds. In reality, when I fought Matt Hughes (at UFC 112 in April 2010) I was walking around at 168 pounds without trying to lose any weight. I feel great right now. I think by February of next year I will be back in the cage. And then I hope to fight one fight after another. I want it to be in the UFC. I’m looking to fight the best. I’m looking to make one last run.

In the cage, Pat Barry has fashioned a 7-5 record. At the dinner table, however, the UFC heavyweight is virtually unbeaten. Broach the subject of food around the Louisiana native and brace yourself for an earful. When the 33-year-old talks food, his pupils dilate, his speech accelerates and his voice rises. His approach to diet: There are no rules. Barry eats vegan a lot of the time, but spontaneously hits up fast food drive-thrus and pizza joints regularly, too. We caught up with the loquacious wonder and quickly determined that no heaping plate of food, no all-you-can-eat buffet, is safe around this man.

A TYPICAL DAY OF EATING IS …

Barry: My mom will make a turkey roaster of spaghetti, freeze it and then (send it) overnight to me in Minneapolis.

My diet hasn’t necessarily changed since I’ve become a pro fighter; my diet has changed since I’ve gotten older and become more aware of my body. Now, my wife and I cook a lot. But we are both not opposed to stopping at a drive-thru on the way home to get cheeseburgers from McDonald’s. I know it’s not for everybody, but personally, eating makes me happy. And when I’m happy I’m DANGEROUS.

If I’m eating totally clean, I might be in the best shape ever, in the best physical appearance ever, but if I’m not happy then I can’t perform. I’ll sacrifice the physical appearance a pinch just to get a taste of those sweet and salty French fries.

PERKS OF BEING A HEAVYWEIGHT

I eat whatever I want. That doesn’t mean that I eat garbage all of the time. My wife and I do cook a lot and eat clean a lot, we take care of ourselves, but we are not opposed to stopping by Taco Bell like we did yesterday. Oh my God we spent $21 at Taco Bell. We ordered two Mexican pizzas and four beef meximelts.

I’M ASSUMING YOU ATE THE MAJORITY OF THAT …

Yeah, I did, but my wife has a ridiculous appetite. That’s part of how we got together. The first time I saw her eat … it was one of the things that attracted me to her, because I could finally eat however I wanted to.

The upside of being a heavyweight is that I don’t have to weigh my food when I eat it or restrict myself. I can eat whatever I want. I’ve always been a firm believer in, ‘Eat whatever you want but only if you’re willing to train that much harder.’

Me and my wife love eating. It’s what we do. I’m 33 and I’ve got a hearty appetite. But I train stupid hard, so …

THE HEALTHY STUFF

We make Beet soup. It’s a Lithuanian dish – my wife is Lithuanian. Beet soup is all vegetables and broth. It is outrageously delicious. We call it ‘mush.’ We blend broccoli, carrots and cauliflower and then pour Thai chili sauce on top of it, which makes it like a cream. We put that over rice and that right there is a spectacular dish.

We also eat a lot of Vietnamese Beef Pho (wife gets shrimp), which is probably one of the greatest flavors I’ve ever put in my mouth EVER. It’s like an addiction; we can’t stop. We probably eat that maybe four times a week.

I also eat a lot of oatmeal and clean vegetable dishes. When we cook we don’t cook any type of animal products. It’s almost like we are vegans. But we’re not opposed to hitting a fast food drive-thru, or ordering a pizza or getting a sandwich at Jimmy John’s.

IDEAL FIGHTING WEIGHT

Right around 235, 240 pounds. That’s the weight where I can last the longest (cardio) and have the most strength. When I’m 245, I can hit really hard but I might not necessarily be able to fight 25 minutes. And when I’m 230, I can last all day and night but I’m not necessarily the strongest dude in the world. You know?

205?

I could get pretty low. I’m 252 walking around. My fight weight is around 240. But with a professional dietician and scientists, telling me what to eat, when to chew … I’m pretty sure I could get to 220? 210? I could get to 205 … I could get to 170 with enough time and dedication. I mean, I’m 5’11”. But for me, right now, I don’t see the purpose of losing the weight. I can’t think of one fight that I’ve lost because I was too small. So I stay heavyweight.

DISCLAIMER

When it comes down to it, I don’t know hardly anything about diet and nutrition. So I keep it simple.

STAPLES OF CHILDHOOD DIET

I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana. I come from a heavy Cajun background – red beans and rice, shrimp, gumbo, crawfish. Meatballs and spaghetti was like our Number 1 dish because it was CHEAP and it was EASY. Mom was a single mother of two kids and she worked a lot. As a matter of fact, meatballs and spaghetti and my mom’s tuna fish were easy meals for her to make, they were cheap, and it was something that would last a long time and she could make a lot for a small price.

So I’ve been eating meatballs and spaghetti my whole life and my mom’s spectacular tuna fish for all of my life. But, at the same time, every once in a while we would have holidays … and I would have Road Runner’s pizza delivered to my house… woooh!!!

I learned how to scramble eggs, so I would make scrambled eggs sandwiches for my brother and I when I was really young.

FAVORITE INDULGENCE

Pizza. Any kind, it doesn’t matter. Even if it’s the really, leathery, crunchy one that they sell at the gas station and has been sitting there for years. The pizza jerky? Doesn’t matter. If it’s pizza, I love it. I probably eat pizza once a week.

HOW MUCH PIZZA CAN YOU EAT IN ONE SITTING?

Probably 12 slices, which is one and a half large pizzas.

NEXT FIGHT

Nothing scheduled yet. I’m healthy, ready to go and would like to fight before the end of the year.

FUTURE IN FOOD A LA GEORGE FOREMAN?

Hey man, that could definitely happen. Maybe I could just somehow become a food critic. Barry vs. Food. I could do that for sure. I watch “Man vs. Food” all the time, that’s a great show. And I’m sitting there all the time going, ‘Man, I could do that.”

MINNEAPOLIS, October 5 – Every now and then you see a knockout that makes you go, “Huh?” You know, one of those “right on the button” knockouts where a punch lands and doesn’t look all that powerful but a fighter falls to the canvas out cold. Well, that’s the kind of perfectly-placed punch that lightweight Michael Johnson hit Danny Castillo with in the second round of their UFC on FX prelim bout at Target Center Friday, countering a low kick with a short left to the jaw that put Castillo down and unable to defend three heavy shots that came immediately thereafter.

Adding to the feat: Johnson had been floored by a textbook Castillo right hand in round one and survived a torrent of punches and a head-and-arm choke.

“He caught me with a big shot and hats off to him,” said Johnson, who won his third straight. “(But) he wasted all his energy in that first round trying to finish me. My hands got the best of him and that’s a wrap.

“Whoever wants it, come get it. Joe (Silva) and Dana (White), I’m here and ready for top contenders now. Let’s get it going.”

Castillo had won six of seven heading into the contest.

AARON SIMPSON VS. MIKE PIERCE

For five minutes, it was the most ferocious Aaron Simpson fans have ever seen. For five minutes, perhaps the most impressive Aaron Simpson has ever looked inside the Octagon.

And then suddenly… Simpson was being awakened by the referee.

With one short thump of his right hand, 29 seconds into the second round, Mike Pierce was jumping for joy.

It was a dramatic turning of the tide, considering that Simpson (11-4) had battered and cracked Pierce (15-5) with punches for most of the opening frame. Simpson, whose fights usually go the distance, had uncharacteristically gone for broke and looked formidable in the process.

“He had me rocked pretty good there in the first round but I don’t give up too easy,” Pierce said. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a finish and I love more knockouts more than anything.”

Hear what Pierce had to say following his come-from-behind victory

CARLO PRATER VS. MARCUS LEVESSEUR

Some fights make boredom seem like an attractive alternative. Some fights make you pray for mercy in the form of the sound of the final horn.

This was one of ‘em.

No sense boring you – the fan, the reader – with a long-winded recap unless you are trying to fall asleep. Otherwise, let’s just say that Marcus LeVesseur (155-0 as a Division III wrestler) rode his takedowns and some occasional windmill punching (most not landing) to a split decision win over veteran Carlos Prater. Give a little credit to Prater, who went for a few guillotines and a triangle choke, but other than LeVesseur toughing out chokes and popping his head there was nothing to get your blood flowing in this bout.

LeVesseur (22-6) won for the first time in the UFC by scores of 29-28, 29-28 and 28-29.

Prater fell to 30-12-1.

JACOB VOLKMANN VS. SHANE ROLLER

Jacob Volkmann won Friday night and made it look easy. Then, sporting a bodacious orange t-shirt with the words “Volkmann for President,” the Minnesota chiropractor/fighter started talking a little bit crazy and implored his hometown faithful to take action on Election Day.

“First of all … all you guys that don’t want to vote for Obama, and don’t want to vote for Romney, write my name in because I’m going to write my own name in,” the 32-year-old said.

The Volkmann-Roller scrap had been intriguing, on paper at least. Both are former Division I wrestlers, both dangerous with submissions. There was one substantial difference between them: Roller (11-7) has knockout power, Volkmann (15-3) has zero knockouts. But his light hands were irrelevant once the University of Minnesota grad set up a takedown early, took Roller’s back, and then submitted him with a rear naked choke just 2:38 into the contest.

Though his standup looks odd and ugly at times, Volkmann’s high-level takedowns and submission game have helped him win six of his past seven UFC bouts, certifying him as a threat to anyone at 155 pounds.

Hear what “Christmas” had to say in his post-fight interview

DIEGO NUNES VS. BART PALASZEWSKI

As talented as Diego Nunes is, especially standing, one statistic about his game boggles the mind: Entering Friday’s contest, the Brazilian had never finished an opponent inside of the octagon. In EIGHT tries.

Against Bart Palaszewski, however, Nunes fought like a man possessed to shake his reputation of being a volume fighter, a methodical fighter, a decision fighter.

The 29-year-old was rewarded for his ultra-aggression early and often, dropping Palaszewski in all three rounds and clobbering the Poland native with a relentless display of ground and pound. A lesser man would have went out cold, perhaps, but Palaszewski repeatedly ate hard right hands and kept coming – even stunning Nunes with a high kick and punches in the third round. In over 50 pro fights, competing against all comers, only one man (Anthony Njokuani) has ever knocked out the iron-chinned Palaszewski. Nunes cannot say the same, instead settling for another unanimous decision victory by scores of 30-27, 30-27 and a head-scratching 29-28.
 
Nunes, who had been coming off a decision loss to Dennis Siver, improved to 18-3, 6-3 in the UFC.

PHIL HARRIS VS. DARREN UYENOYAMA

11 months ago, Darren Uyenoyama dominated a legend. On Friday, the San Franciscan outclassed a Brit making his UFC debut.

The Ralph Gracie black belt is now 2-0 in the UFC after an impressive and well-rounded showing that saw him submit Phil Harris at 3:38 of round two via rear naked choke.

The opening stanza was close, as Harris managed two takedowns but got nothing going on top. Instead Uyenoyma (8-3) threatened with a triangle choke and soon returned to his feet, where he seemed totally comfortable mixing it up with the heavy-handed owner of 13 KO’s. In fact it was Uyenoyama who controlled the standup action with an array of jabs, kicks and clinch control. While Harris (21-10) broke out of the gate fast, Uyenoyama seemed to do the opposite, starting slow and gradually turning up the heat minute-by-minute until he eventually took Harris down with a nifty Kimura sweep, and loosened him up with some ground-and-pound, forcing the Brit to give his back in what proved to be the beginning of the end.

Watch Uyenoyama’s post-fight interview
 

Editor’s Note – The lightweight preliminary bout between Jeremy Stephens and Yves Edwards was canceled late Friday night. Stephens was arrested early Friday morning in Minnesota on an outstanding warrant for a 2011 assault in his native Iowa. Despite an effort to secure bail and a release for Stephens, the bout eventually had to be called off. Video: Dana White on Stephens’ situation

MINNEAPOLIS, October 5 – Many expected unbeaten Travis Browne to “make a statement” by knocking out Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the UFC on FX main event Friday at Target Center. But the massive Brazilian rejected the role of stepping stone, instead flooring the Hawaiian heavyweight with a booming right hand and finishing him off with some heavy ground and pound shots.

Referee Herb Dean intervened at 3:27 of the opening stanza, and Travis Browne appeared to lose more than his first pro fight – the 246-pounder also limped badly and needed the assistance of his trainers as he exited the cage.

Earlier in the fight, Browne (13-1-1) uncorked his laser right hand but failed to connect with devastating effect. The bout exclusively played out in the standup realm. It was unclear exactly what caused or exacerbated the injury to Browne’s leg.

Silva, an American Top Team product who lost his UFC debut in May to former champ Cain Velasquez, claimed his first UFC victory and improved to 17-4.

Watch Silva’s post-fight interview

JAKE ELLENBERGER VS. JAY HIERON

In the evening’s co-main event, Jake Ellenberger avenged an earlier defeat to Jay Hieron, winning via unanimous decision, but the judges’ scoring is sure to invite controversy.

The triumph marked Ellenberger’s seventh win in his past eight fights, with his lone defeat coming to Martin Kampmann (Hieron’s teammate and close friend). The Ellenberger-Hieron bout was far from a barnburner, with Hieron dancing and mixing up his attack throughout, scoring frequently with leg kicks and also sprinkling in some high kicks and spinning backfists that didn’t land but made clear that Hieron was the busier fighter.

Seldom able to nail down his perpetually moving adversary, Ellenberger relied mostly on punches while stalking the Xtreme Couture representative.

Ellenberger (28-6) managed takedowns in the first and second rounds, respectively, and on occasion landed a crisp combination. A decent amount of blood marked Hieron’s face as he walked back to his corner at the close of the second round, but the poised veteran never really seemed threatened and avoided the monster right hand that has felled many Ellenberger opponents.

In the third round, Hieron (23-6) got away from his jab but landed often with low kicks, seemingly content to pursue a safe route to victory. The judges, perhaps thinking that Ellenberger was pressing the fight, saw it differently and spoiled Hieron’s return to the UFC after a seven-year hiatus.

Judges scored it 29-28 across the board for Ellenberger.

JOHN DODSON VS. JUSSIER FORMIGA

In a battle for the No. 1 contender slot at flyweight, John Dodson TKO’d Jussier Formiga to earn a crack at Demetrious Johnson’s title down the road.

After a conservative first round by both fighters, Dodson put the well-rounded Brazilian on the deck twice with his explosive left hand. On the second occasion, the Greg Jackson protégé unleashed a hail of unanswered punches on a face-down Formiga, forcing a ref stoppage at 4:35 of the round.

A triumphant Dodson (15-5) may have set the UFC record for gloating. The New Mexican celebrated with at least two backflips, by sitting atop the cage, dancing hysterically, yelling at the top of his lungs … and more dancing and yelling.

“He was number one in the flyweight division for the longest time, give it up for him, that guy is awesome,” Dodson said, turning his attention to the looming showdown with Demetrious Johnson. “It’s going to be the superfastest fight you’ve ever seen. Mighty Mouse, He’s going to be just as fast. (For fans) it’s going to be kind of like watching lightning.”

Formiga, an Andre Pederneiras student who had been making his long-awaited UFC debut, fell to 14-2. The only other fighter to defeat Formiga is UFC flyweight Ian McCall.

Watch Dodson’s animated post-fight interview

JUSTIN EDWARDS VS. JOSH NEER

“Fast Eddy” made some fast money Friday night.

45 seconds was all it took for The Ultimate Fighter season 13 cast member to earn the biggest win of his career. The University of Ohio grad slapped a one-arm guillotine on veteran Josh Neer (33-12-1), who passed out rather than tap.

“I know he baits people for guillotines and defends it well, but he’s never been in mine,” said Edwards, a welterweight who improved to 9-2, 2-2 in the UFC. “I thought it was going to be a very exciting fight, I thought it would be fast paced; I didn’t think it would be so fast.”

Hear what “Fast Eddy” had to say in his post-fight interview

TORONTO, September 22 – Two words jumped to mind as the final seconds ticked away in the Fight of the Night bout between Evan Dunham and TJ Grant at the Air Canada Centre Saturday night: Blood and Guts. Blood – as in, ‘That is quite a lot of blood covering the face of Dunham.’ Guts as in – ‘Man, any fighter who finds himself trailing on the judges’ scorecards needs to learn from the sense of urgency Dunham showed in the final round of his UFC 152 prelim against Grant.

Implored by cornerman Ray Sefo to lay it all on the line, Dunham suddenly transformed from the hunted into the hunter, furiously unleashing and landing combinations. The Oregon lightweight found Grant’s chin quite frequently on the night, but Grant never really seemed fazed by Dunham’s punches and kicks (walking right through them during the first two rounds and showing little respect for Dunham’s power). No matter what Dunham threw, Grant walked through en route to a victory by scores of 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.

In a battle of grappling standouts, Grant (19-5) clearly preferred a standup slugfest, and for the most part dictated the terms of battle (the exception being a few Dunham (13-3) takedowns in round one and three). Grant, a Canadian, clearly shined in the opening stanza, though Dunham came on strong in the second, doing enough to win the round (in this writer’s opinion) but perhaps undone by the perception of a deep gash on his forehead that gushed blood combined with Grant’s incessant stalking and noticeably harder shots.

VINNY MAGALHAES VS. IGOR POKRAJAC

Ever seen a UFC fighter basically sleep-walk his way to victory? Me neither. Until Saturday night when world-class BJJ black belt Vinny Magalhaes – showing the remarkable calm one might expect from, say, a mystic Zen master – nonchalantly sucked veteran Igor Pokrajac into a ground battle and finished the 205-pound Croatian with a slick triangle to armbar submission at 1:14 of the second round.

The 28-year-old and uber-flexible Brazilian, making his return to the UFC after a 3 and ½ year hiatus, seemed to concede a takedown just so he could exploit the move by swiftly transitioning to a triangle choke.

It marked the first ever UFC victory for Magalhaes, who went 0-2 during his first stint in the UFC. Magalhaes won his sixth straight and improved to 11-5 with all of his wins coming via finish. Pokrajac, meanwhile, fell to 25-8, 4-4 in the UFC.

Watch Magalhaes’ post-fight interview

SEAN PIERSON VS. LANCE BENOIST

Sean Pierson clearly didn’t mind the pressure of fighting in his hometown. The Ontario product (owner of seven pro knockouts) stormed after Lance Benoist from the start, landing heavy leather early and often. Unfortunately for the 36-year-old Pierson, 24-year-old Benoist survived the onslaught and pushed matters into the second stanza, where the go-for-broke Pierson retreated to a more cautious strategy and actually began showing respect for the Missouri fighter’s punching power. Buoyed by chants of “Let’s Go Pierson!”, Pierson got the better of the action in the second and appeared to be cruising to a decision victory when, in the final 65 seconds or so, Benoist (6-2) came alive and dropped Pierson with a punch. Benoist swarmed with some powerful ground and pound shots but Pierson would not give in, eventually regaining his bearings enough to eventually get back to his feet. His toughness was rewarded with a unanimous victory by scores of 29-28 across the board.

Watch hometown hero Pierson’s post-fight interview
 
MARCUS BRIMAGE VS. JIMY HETTES

Resembling a featherweight version of Melvin Guillard, a free-swinging Marcus Brimage put Jimy Hettes on the deck with a booming left hand counter early before settling for a unanimous decision victory.

The explosive American Top Team product’s work rate and power faded considerably in the second and third stanzas, but his wild punches continued to find their mark throughout and raised his record to 3-0 in the Octagon. Credit belongs to the previously-unbeaten Hettes (10-1) for weathering the storm early and making the southpaw versus southpaw contest competitive – even stunning Brimage (6-1) with a punch and flying knee, scoring a takedown and taking Brimage’s back. But each time Brimage survived and got to his feet, where he was clearly the busier and superior fighter (even if he did look like he had one eye on the clock, as he had his mouth agape and appeared rubber-legged at times).

See the breakdown of Brimage’s victory

SETH BACZYNSKI VS. SIMEON THORESEN

“With four-ounce gloves anything can happen.”

During interviews leading up to a bout, fighters constantly remind us of that ever-present threat. And no matter how much a fighter is dominating, one mistake can be a game-changer.

Seth Baczynski (17-6) perfectly illustrated that point Saturday in Toronto. For much of the first round, Thoresen (17-3-1) was the man to watch. The hard-nosed Norway native methodically whacked away at Baczynski’s body and legs with kicks and landed some solid leather upstairs for good measure. The assault marked up Baczynski pretty good (welts near the leg and ribs, some light bleeding around the lip). Apparently unfazed by it all, Baczynski patiently waited for the right moment to pounce – and seized it when Thoresen committed to a right hand. Baczynski countered with a jaw-snapping left hook that dropped Thoresen face-first on the canvas and out cold at 4:10 of the opening stanza.

“He has a really long reach so it was difficult, I’m used to fighting smaller guys,” Baczynski said. “Soon I‘ll be fighting better guys so I have to learn to be patient.”

Baczynski also made a point to thank his lady back home.

“You raise the kids at home and I couldn’t do this without you,” he said to her during the live broadcast. “Your job is just as tough as mine, baby.”

Watch Baczynski’s post-fight interview
 
MITCH GAGNON VS. WALEL WATSON

It would have been cool, perhaps, had Walel Watson landed the “Superman Punch” he attempted early in the first round against Mitch Gagnon. Instead, the lanky bantamweight paid dearly for the flashy maneuver, eating a crisp left hook counter from Gagnon that dropped Walel to the canvas.

Canada’s Gagnon attacked with punches, transitioning to a rear naked choke and earning the tap out just 69 seconds in.

In winning his first-ever UFC bout, Gagnon improved to 9-2. Walel fell to 9-5.

Hear what Gagnon had to say in his post-fight interview

KYLE NOKE VS. CHARLIE BRENNEMAN

A little reinvention can do a fighter good. Kyle Noke is the latest example of that promise as the native Australian, making his UFC welterweight debut, showed superb hands before stopping Charlie Brenneman just 45 seconds into the night’s opening tilt. The triumph snapped a snapped a two-fight losing streak for the former middleweight, who immediately found his range with a stiff jab, setting the stage for a sizzling right hand that floored the former Spanish schoolteacher. Noke (20-6-1, 4-2 UFC) attacked with a rapid succession of punches on Brenneman (15-5, 4-4 UFC), who protested what he obviously considered to be premature stoppage, and the New Jerseyian (to his credit) did continue trying to fight and attempted a single leg when the bout was called.

Watch Noke’s post-fight interview