Author: By Jordan Newmark

The next generation vs. the last. Speed and improvisation vs. power and experience. However people want to categorize UFC 151’s light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and challenger Dan Henderson, it always comes down to the same common denominator: it’s going to be a damn good scrap.

On September 1st at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, a collision of legacies will occur in the main event when one of the all-time kings of this sport will enter the Octagon against the absolutely brilliant current prince. In one corner, a two-time Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling who has won tournaments and titles in every major MMA organization with a career spanning nearly 40 fights over a decade and a half, and success in three weight classes. In the other corner, an unstoppable phenom almost twenty years younger who has redefined what’s possible in the cage in his 11 Octagon outings, including three dominating defenses of the 205-pound belt. A victory for either fighter will easily be one of the greatest accomplishments of their professional careers.

In the lead-up to this momentous matchup, both Henderson and Jones took time out of their busy training schedules to answer questions from the media, along with UFC President Dana White, during a Tuesday teleconference. Many appeared to have lost sight of this impending duel and would rather talk about Jones’ remarkable new sponsorship with Nike or White’s prior announcement that former champion Lyoto Machida is the probable number one contender. Although Nike’s new involvement in MMA and Machida’s future title shot are interesting, a little over a week from now, a former Strikeforce and PRIDE two division champion, and, amazingly enough, UFC 17’s middleweight tournament winner, will be stepping into the Octagon to battle for a belt at 42 years old. And everyone knows he is one H-bomb away from winning it.

“He’s a great wrestler with knockout power with both hands,” says White of Henderson. “He continues to impress no matter how old he gets. He’s beaten a who’s who in this sport in the last year and a half. Whether Dan Henderson wins or loses he’s a Hall of Famer. People thought [Rashad Evans] had Jones’ number. People who think that Dan Henderson doesn’t have a chance to win this fight are out of their mind. Fans that really know this sport know that Dan Henderson is a true threat to Jon Jones.”

Even “Bones” had to set the record straight that “Hendo” is and always been and always should be the focus of this fight. “He’s a monster, he’s a lion,” states Jones of the well-traveled and highly decorated Henderson, owner of a 29-8 professional record. “I’ve talked past Dan Henderson too much this training camp. I kind of regret it. I’m not going to answer any more questions about that.”

For Henderson, with his iron chin and his explosive right hand, a UFC championship belt is about the only thing that has eluded the California native over his stellar career. While most are well into their twilight, Henderson is one fight removed from possibly the greatest MMA fight of all-time in the five round war with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139. That slugfest marked Henderson’s return to the Octagon following a three fight win streak in Strikeforce, which included him claiming their light heavyweight belt and knocking out Fedor Emelianenko. While defeating Jones has appeared to be too much for those who have come before, Henderson has proven time and time again that given the chance, he can beat any opponent in any weight class at any point in his career.

“I definitely plan on beating him to the punch and putting him on his back in the fight,” asserts Henderson. “It’s more about two different styles and more of a chess match. He’s a tougher one to figure out than most guys. His body style works well with his fighting style. That’s a fun challenge to try and figure out. It’s more about the styles than the age. I’m excited about it. It’s a fight I’ve been waiting for and working towards. One of the final things I have left to do is to get that UFC belt and I’m excited for the opportunity.”

Of course, standing in Henderson’s way is the 6’4” frame and 84.5 inch reach of the ever evolving, 25 year old champion Jones. “I think Jon Jones has improved more than anyone I have ever seen in the past two or three years and I think he’ll continue to improve as he gets more experience in this sport,” tells Henderson of the daunting champion, who continues to come up with creative and devastating ways to use his physical anomalies, specifically his elbows. The spinning back elbow against Stephan Bonnar to the tomahawk ground and pound elbow against Brandon Vera to, most recently, the standing lead elbow while holding his opponent’s wrist against Rashad Evans at UFC 145.

If the sky’s the limit, then “Bones” is polishing his UFC light heavyweight belt on the Moon. It’s difficult to gauge when the “Jon Jones Era” began, but, for the sake of simplicity, let’s start with Jones’ Submission of the Night win over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, which earned him a title shot. From there, Jones finished three UFC champions – Rua, Quinton Jackson, and Machida – to close out the remainder of 2011. This year, Jones won a unanimous decision over a former teammate/friend and now bitter rival Evans at UFC 145. As the current champion takes to the cage dressed head to toe in the finest Nike swag, Jones knows that a true test will be waiting for him and he has not overlooked that one bit.

“It’s high risk and high reward,” affirms Jones. “I don’t take his age into consideration. He’s just as dangerous as all the other guys I fought. He beat Fedor and Fedor is one of my idols. To have Dan Henderson in my win column means the world to me. I don’t believe anyone is invincible. I believe I’ll hit him in that spot that will make him fall and I’ll finish the deal.”

In the headlining bout at UFC 151 on September 1st, the UFC light heavyweight championship is up for grabs between two legend beaters in Henderson and Jones. It’s going to be a battle where chins will be tested, styles will clash, elbows and fists will be thrown with vicious intent, and, most of all, fans will be entertained. No matter the outcome, one of these unparalleled talents will have solidified their place yet again as one of the greatest to ever step foot in the Octagon. That sounds like the best way to characterize this fight.

When asked what it means to him to be fighting on the Showtime-televised main card against an internationally accomplished opponent like Tarec Saffiedine, Strikeforce welterweight Roger Bowling responds, “I’m living a dream.”

For all prospective cagefighters, the “dream” is to travel their country then to travel the world, meeting other pursuers of the dream from all corners of the globe and punch them in the face. Specifically in Bowling’s case, a boy born into a tiny existence on the banks of the Ohio river has grown into a man with knockout power in both hands who is excited to take a big step in his burgeoning career by taking on easily his toughest test to date, Saffiedine.

“I’m from a super small town,” tells Bowling. “The population was maybe 200. It was a village; not even a town – Neville, Ohio. It’s such a little place on the river. I never got out of there a whole lot, so when I was able at 18 and moved out it was adjustment of just seeing other people (laughs) besides people from my school, which was super small too. To be where I’m at right now is a dream come true. I can’t believe that I’ve come this far from where I came from. I’m very fortunate and happy to be with a good company like Strikeforce. They’ve always taken care of me and given me the fights that I’ve needed to get me to where I am. And I’ve fought my heart out for them.”

At 30 years old with an 11-2 professional record, “Relentless” has graduated from his brush with minor fame on the Strikeforce Challengers series to putting his name into title contention if he can score an impressive win over Saffiedine. In his five years as a fighter, Bowling’s highlights have been lightning quick KOs over The Ultimate Fighter alums Shamar Bailey (28 seconds) and Seth Baczynski (9 seconds), and to a lesser extent coming out on the losing end of Strikeforce’s first trilogy against Bobby Voelker. Most recently, he got back on the winning track last December with a 42 second KO of Jerron Peoples followed by a second round TKO over Brandon Saling in March. Now, Bowling believes he’s ready to make a serious move in the welterweight division, where he will rise to meet the challenge of facing the best that is offered.

“I’m not getting any younger,” says Bowling. “I don’t feel old by any means, but I’m not getting any younger. I want to fight those guys. I need to fight those guys to push me through my training camp. It’s hard to get motivated for guys who you are supposed to go in there and beat. I want to be the underdog. I want to come in and fight at the best I can be. That takes knowing that in the back of your mind that a stud fighter like Tarec is going to come in and bring it. That’s in the back of your mind the whole training camp. This guy is coming to fight, so I need to be in the best shape to do my job. It makes it easier to be motivated and push yourself when you’re fighting guys like him.”

This forthcoming bout with Saffiedine is in direct contrast in every way, shape, or form to Bowling’s beatdown of Saling earlier this year. With the Strikeforce card in Columbus, Ohio and Bowling living in Cincinnati, it was a no brainer for matchmaker Sean Shelby to call Bowling as a last minute addition to the card. In less than two weeks’ time, Bowling focused all his time on cutting the 25 pounds he needed to with little thought of a training camp to face another local in Saling. While the upside of the fight was another stoppage finish and a chance to perform in front of hometown crowd including his mom, Bowling realizes those types of fights are behind him, and he has his eyes on bigger and better.

“I definitely don’t want to get into the habit of thinking I can go into a fight without a camp,” admits Bowling. “That was actually a wakeup call that I can’t do that anymore, especially at the level where everybody is good. It just sucks when you don’t have a training camp. All my confidence comes from my training camps. I’m not one of those guys who like to go into fights out of shape or not the best shape I can be or knowing that mentally. I felt like I had to go in there and knock him out and I pushed and pushed for that. The gameplan all along was to go in there and take him down, but it took getting into a slugfest for me to get back on the gameplan. It wasn’t a good performance, but this fight against Tarec will make up for it.”

Up next for Bowling is an August 18th San Diego showdown with the Belgian born Saffiedine. At 25 years old, “Sponge” began MMA after running off a 12-1-1 record as an amateur kickboxer, then delving into other martial arts like Brazilian jiu-jitsu and wrestling. Saffiedine’s adopted home is Temecula, California, where he trains with the renowned Team Quest, and though he is riding a two fight win streak in Strikeforce, it was his decision victory over UFC/Strikeforce/WEC veteran Scott Smith in July 2011 that truly established his presence Stateside.

“He seems like a humble dude,” reports Bowling. “He doesn’t seem to do any trash talking. Those are the guys I like to fight – guys who respect the sport. I feel like I give this sport a lot of respect. This sport gets a bad reputation anyway. I like fighting the classy guys. And he seems like a classy guy. He’s a kickboxer. He’s a real clean striker. Kicks and punches straight. Everything is crisp and clean. I’m going to need to be on my A game when I get in there.”

In preparation, Bowling lives and trains with the fighting faithful of “The Queen City” at Vision MMA. For his wrestling, “Relentless” trades takedowns with Bellator featherweight tournament winner Daniel Straus. For his striking, Bowling hits mitts with Rob Radford, who is the same boxing coach used by former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Actually, Franklin brought Bowling into his camp to help him prepare for his successful showing in June against Wanderlei Silva. One can easily see shared similarities between “The Axe Murderer” and “Relentless,” as both athletes are full of explosive power and bullying qualities that lead to wins by knockout and ground and pound.

“I feel like I can finish the fight at any time with my left or my right hand,” states Bowling. “I have knocked people out with both. I can finish people on the ground. I feel like my wrestling and jiu-jitsu is good too. I train in all aspects of MMA. I think I can win a fight at anytime against anyone. That killer instinct and that knockout power, I don’t think you can teach that. That’s something you’re born with. I’m blessed to have it and I love it! I think that’s the best aspect of my game, that one zig zag the wrong way for my opponent and the fight could be over for him.”

As “Relentless” gears up for his biggest fight and biggest opportunity to date to impress Strikeforce and its fans, Bowling hopes everyone can see as clear as it is to him how much he loves this sport. “I just want them to see my passion and my intensity in there and to know how much work I do to get me to that point,” asserts Bowling, who balances his fighting aspirations on top of being a husband, a father of two, and managing a full-time job. “It’s waking up early every day and going to bed late every night – they’re long days every day. I would like the fans to know I put my heart and soul into this and I’m not going to lay down for any opponent. They are always going to see me at the best I can be.”

This Saturday, Bowling and Saffiedine will look to make their stamp in the evolving Strikeforce welterweight division. “Anyone is one big knockout away from a title shot and that definitely excites me,” affirms Bowling, who has scored seven of his 11 wins by powerful punches and would like to use those fists on Saffeidine first and, possibly, Strikeforce champ Nate Marquardt second. “I’m sure that excites my opponent as well and that just adds to this fight. I know that Tarec is going to bring it and I’m going to bring it and it’s going to be an awesome fight for the fans to watch. I think it is going to be right up there for Fight of the Night and I expect nothing less from him or me.”

From a small village in middle-America to fighting foreign kickboxers on TV to maybe a shot at a coveted gold belt? Sounds like a wonderful Hollywood movie type dream, which Bowling will do everything he can to make into a reality.

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep.” – Robert Frost

Do you want to know how long Jake Shields has been a cagefighter?

Shields started training mixed martial arts with UFC Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell in 1999. We’re not talking about “The Iceman” who had his famous trilogy for UFC light heavyweight gold with Randy Couture or the two wars with bitter rival Tito Ortiz. At the SLO (San Luis Obispo) Kickboxing Academy in 1999, Shields began his journey into MMA learning from the Liddell who was only 1-1 inside the Octagon.

13 years later, Shields has accomplished much in his career, including fighting for the UFC welterweight championship in 2011, and, in 2012, he will put forth the first steps on a new path to fight for the UFC’s middleweight championship.

Simply put, Shields has been in this MMA racket for quite a while, and he’s only showing signs that he’s nowhere near done with it.

“I’ve been thinking about it on and off,” tells Shields of making the move up to middleweight. “It wasn’t something I immediately thought about after the fight, but it has been something I have been thinking about on and off. Deciding to gain weight and lose weight is a tough choice. I didn’t feel as strong as I know I could be, so that’s why I decided to make the change to go back up to 185. I decided that I felt good competing at 185 in the past, so I decided to give it another try. As far as training goes, I’m feeling amazing. I feel the best I’ve ever felt in this training camp. You never know how things are going to go in training and then into the fight, but, as of right now, I feel better than I’ve ever felt. I feel better than when I beat Dan Henderson. I can’t wait to go out there fight night and show to the world what I can do at 185.”

Specifically at 185 pounds, Shields can beat Robbie Lawler, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Dan Henderson, and be the Strikeforce middleweight champion. That says it all. From June 2009 to April 2010, the born wrestler from the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California was the best 185-pound fighter that Strikeforce had to offer. Shields submitted Lawler in two minutes, put on a five-round grappling clinic against Miller, and ate Henderson’s “H-Bomb” in the opening moments of their bout and then outclassed “Hendo” for the following four rounds. Shields will bring this impressive resume of wins into his UFC middleweight debut at UFC 150 against Ed Herman and into a division that in recent weeks has had a complete competitive renaissance.

“I want to go out there and be as exciting as possible, as explosive as possible, and I want to finish him,” asserts Shields. “I want to show that I’m a contender at 185. I was a contender before at 185 and I want to get my name into title contention. I think the 185-pound division is up for grabs right now for the next title shot. I want to beat up Ed Herman really bad and then call out one of the top contenders to get myself closer to the title.”

Before the battle with Herman in Denver, the 33-year old returned to his winning ways in a welterweight unanimous decision win over Yoshihiro Akiyama in February in Saitama, Japan. At UFC 144, Shields capped off a 2-2 welterweight stint inside the Octagon, which featured a title shot against current champ Georges St-Pierre in front of a historic 55,000+ crowd at UFC 129 in Toronto, Canada. The victory over Akiyama in Japan was Shields’ fifth bout and third win in “The Land of the Rising Sun” over his incredibly well-traveled career. Also, it was a nice stiff transition for Shields, as Akiyama typically fights at middleweight and dropped down to welterweight as Shields prepared to do the opposite.

“Akiyama is a great opponent, a tough fighter,” says Shields. “It’s definitely cool going back and competing in front of the Japanese fans – they have some of the best fans over there. I felt going in there, I really needed a win coming off a loss. I went out there just looking to get the win. I was expecting him to be tough and he was tough. I’ve watched his fights. He’s got good hands and people have trouble taking him down. I was expecting a tough fight and I got a tough fight. I’m definitely happy. I feel like Akiyama is a great fighter and I beat him, but I felt like I could have done better.”

The W helps, but bouts like the one with Akiyama are not the type that get the crowd cheering or make the fighters in them satisfied with their performances. For Shields, it is a case of “it takes two to tango” where his opponent would rather pick punches from the outside and stay as far away as they can from his vaunted amateur wrestling and black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. It’s an issue that Shields has been known to deal with as well as his illustrious teammates from Cesar Gracie’s gym: Nate Diaz, Nick Diaz, and Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez. Sometimes MMA is more sport than scrap, which is not what the Stockton and San Francisco-based fighters are looking for when they enter the Octagon.

“A lot of guys are moving backwards and then picking their angles and trying to stay away from going to the ground with me,” explains Shields. “I understand and don’t blame them for it. They’re trying to find the best way to beat me. It was the same with GSP. I certainly don’t blame these guys for it. It’s a strategy. Stick and move, and avoid going to the ground. It’s a way to win. GSP is the champ, Akiyama is coming off some losses, and they want to find a way to win. Sometimes that makes for a less exciting fight. Anything can happen. You never know, Ed Herman could try to use that same strategy from watching my fight with GSP. I’m ready for anything. From his past fights, he likes to come straight forward and turn it into a brawl and I’m excited for that.”

Up next for Shields is a mile-high matchup with The Ultimate Fighter season three runner-up, “Short Fuse” Herman. The 31-year old has an overall record of 20-7, with the majority of his wins coming by submission finish. After suffering a terrible knee injury in his 2009 bout with Aaron Simpson, Herman sat on the shelf for nearly two years before returning to action with renewed purpose and skill, scoring back-to-back-to-back slick stoppage victories over Tim Credeur, Kyle Noke, and Clifford Starks all in just over a year. Without a doubt, this is the best version of Herman the Octagon has ever seen.

“I’ve been watching Ed Herman a lot and he likes to come in and fight,” reveals Shields. “He’s not a guy who likes to dance around or run. He likes to come forward and fight and I want to come forward and fight him. I think stylistically, it should be a really exciting fight. I did know about him and have heard his name for years and have seen him fight a couple of times, but I never really studied him until now. I think he’s a much improved fighter. I always thought he was decent, but wasn’t super impressed with him when watching his older fights. In his last several fights, it looks like he’s improved a lot. His boxing, his jiu-jitsu, he looks like a really tough fighter, so it’s a fight I’m really excited for. We’re both really good grapplers with a lot of submission finishes. He likes to come and bang on his feet. A lot of guys who fight me don’t want to go to the ground, they want to stick and move on the feet, which I can’t blame them for. It’s a strategy that others use, but Ed Herman most likely will come forward and try to take my head off. That makes for a really exciting fight.”

To prepare for Herman’s hustle, Shields has been literally training all over the world in addition to the uniformly world-class training he gets at home with the Diaz brothers, Melendez, and the rest of the Cesar Gracie Fight Team. A little farther south in California, Shields put in three weeks with the UFC fighters at Alliance in San Diego. Being able to roll with some bigger bodies like light heavyweights Brandon Vera and Phil Davis – especially as they have both been getting ready for their UFC on FOX fights last weekend – has helped immensely as Shields is moving up to middleweight. But Shields’ biggest sparring buddy was the greatest distance away and it truly made this an international training camp.

“I’ve been in the sport for so many years and you meet so many people out and around,” tells Shields. “I think I’m friendly and I get along with most people, so I meet lots of fighters here and there. I ended up in Abu Dhabi. [Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan] is a huge jiu-jitsu fan and started Abu Dhabi Combat Club and he invited us out as guests to come train with him, which was awesome. He’s a huge UFC fan, obviously, as he’s a partial owner who bought into the UFC. He invited me out to Abu Dhabi to train with him, which was a great experience. When I was out there training with him, Alistair Overeem was out there, so I got to train with that monster as well. That’s one big dude. Training with him is not much fun (laughs). It’s great training with different people because everyone has a different style and you can see how they attack, how they defend. You train with these people and you see how they do these things. Generally, we spar and we don’t spend too much time trying to teach each other, but you learn by seeing how they do these things.”

Most importantly, Shields feels good, great, and, possibly, better than ever before. Shields now divulges that the cuts to welterweight were impacting him physically, which carries over to confidence mentally.

“There’s a big, noticeable difference for me when training,” admits Shields. “At 170, I would feel great throughout most of the training camp and then the last few weeks when I’m dropping the weight that’s when I would start feeling myself drop off. I would feel great throughout most of the camp and the last few weeks I would feel weaker and not feel like myself. That’s when I decided it would be a better move to just move up. I’m a small 185 pounder. It’s just eating more and eating all the time. At 170, I’m watching what I’m eating and not eating as much. Now, I’m eating as much as I want and just eating more protein, having a couple more protein shakes a day. I don’t get to have as much protein when I’m at 170. I’m not going to have a big weight cut. Hopefully, I just feel the same way I do when I’m in training camp.”

This Saturday, Shields will strive for middleweight gold by first tangling with Herman. “I think we’re both going to go out there trying to finish each other, which should make for a very exciting fight,” states Shields, who will continue his journey toward a UFC belt and being the best martial artist he can be with many, many miles left in his tank. “This sport is young and the fighters are getting better all the time. If you stop evolving you’re going to fall behind, so I am always trying to evolve as a fighter. I still feel like I’m getting better and I still feel like I’ve got a ways to go.”

At 16 years old, most American teenagers are learning how to drive, but one particular Hawaiian started to train in kickboxing. In two years, he smashed his way through the amateur ranks, and turned pro at 18. A year later, he was 4-0 in the cage, being sought out by UFC talent to be a training partner, and highly touted on the internet as a top prospect for a major MMA organization. Now, at the ripe age of 20 years old, this born brawler nicknamed “Blessed” scored his first victory inside the Octagon after putting on a masterful striking clinic at The Ultimate Fighter 15 finale.

In short, Max Holloway is a lightning quick study of the standup game, and he won’t stop his assaulting apprenticeship until he’s considered one of the best at it.

“I try to compare myself all day to other strikers,” explains Holloway. “I like watching Erik Koch and Anthony Pettis. I like watching their highlight videos. I pick stuff from their style. Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, and Renan Barao‘s highlight videos. I would like to get myself to where the fans and the UFC see me as dangerous as them one day. I want to be known like how they’re known – as the best strikers in their division.”

These Youtube sessions are not for sheer entertainment, but used for inspiration, as Holloway has been known to take what he’s seen on the small screen and put it to use in the cage. “That elbow was thanks to Urijah Faber and Anderson Silva,” tells Holloway who peppered Strikeforce veteran Harris Sarmiento with the unconventional elbow strike, first made famous by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in his knockout over Tony Fryklund, after hurting his hands in the opening round of that March 2011 bout. “That back uppercut elbow? Nobody seems to block that. They’re thinking, ‘he’s not going to punch me’ and, boom, you throw that elbow and you surprise them.”

The Oahu native showed off every bit of his nearly never-ending arsenal of strikes in his second UFC featherweight appearance in June against Pat Schilling. The bout was a polar opposite to Holloway’s first round debut loss to Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier at UFC 143. Where once he looked frantic and reckless, Holloway was now composed, calculated, and crushing. For 15 minutes, he dissected Schilling from legs to head with punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, and when it was over, Holloway’s hand was happily raised.

“I was aiming for a big win,” says Holloway. “I was telling myself if I lose this fight, I will lose my job. I knew what to expect this time. It was a little smaller event than UFC 143. But I had been there already. I was calm, cool, and relaxed all week, so I felt great for that fight. I would have loved to get the finish. I thought it would be a little closer fight. I’m glad it came out the way it did – a dominant fight. We trained for three fives. I was training hard. I was thinking that I have to end this guy because I don’t want to end up in a decision. I was training for a finish the whole fight camp. It wasn’t really what I expected and I really wanted a finish, but I’ll take a dominant win any day.”

Even for a novice judge, Holloway made it easy by landing over 100 significant strikes and stuffing every single one of the near 20 takedown attempts Schilling offered. While his opponent was certainly conscious throughout the battering, Holloway dealt most of the punishment to Schilling’s body. If there was any question to be raised after the across the board 30-27, one-sided affair: why was there not a single 10-8 round given? The often quoted phrase from UFC President Dana White “don’t leave it in the hands of the judges” still seems apropos, even though they scored that Holloway won, but not by enough of a margin.

“It’s what Dana White says,” affirms Holloway. “It’s kind of weird, the judges’ rating system. I don’t know how they judge. I really do believe judges should look into giving people points or half points for defending takedowns to favor the strikers who do that. I believe defending a takedown is just like getting a takedown. But we get no glory for it. You hear commentators say ‘great takedown defense’. You can beat a guy on the feet for four minutes, but if he takes you down in the last minute and ground and pounds a little bit then he wins the round? I don’t really know about the judges’ score, I was just happy I came out the victor.”

Up next for Holloway’s hitting hostility is an August 11th date with the Knockout of the Night and Fight of the Night winner at the TUF 15 finale: Justin Lawrence. While Holloway’s kickboxing acumen dates back only a few years, Lawrence has been throwing hook-kicks and roundhouses since he was six, while being trained at his stepfather Benny Voyles’ gym in St. Louis, Missouri. Besides a 4-0 pro MMA record, which includes the multiple bonus fetching KO kick win over fellow TUF alum John Cofer, Lawrence has a lengthy list of amateur kickboxing and boxing titles and spent time training at BlackHouse MMA with the likes of “The Spider” Silva. This might all be intimidating for some, but for Holloway it is the opportunity of a lifetime to test his striking skills.

“I got the call not too long after my fight – about two weeks,” discloses Holloway. “They gave me the name ‘Justin Lawrence’ and I was excited. Great guy. This guy is like me – he likes to stand and bang. We don’t need to do none of this wrestling or grappling stuff. They’re always talking about his striking. I want to put his hype to the test. Come August 11th, let’s see who comes out and is the better striker. It should be a fun fight for the fans.”

On paper, these 145-pounders should scrap standing with neither sniffing for a takedown. Not that Lawrence doesn’t have a cache of creative kicks of his own, but “The American Kidd” will look to use his technique and power to beat Holloway. On the other side, Holloway is relentless with punches in bunches and has a penchant for punctuating combinations with flying knees. If you’ve seen him fight, it’s obvious why UFC lightweight Jeremy Stephens brought Holloway into his training camp to act as Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. It’s that rare ability for an air assault that Holloway has, like Pettis, where improvisation meets an opponent’s chin for demolishing results.

“My striking, I don’t really have that one knockout punch, so I tag you and keep tagging you until I catch you with one you don’t see or you just give up,” asserts Holloway. “He’s more of a power guy. It’s going to be pretty much speed versus power in this one. On the feet, I feel so comfortable there. I feel like nobody can beat me. That’s my confidence and that’s the type of confidence I think you need to be successful in this sport. That’s the mindset you need.”

In preparation for Lawrence, Holloway is busy training with the fight team at Gracie Technics in Honolulu. Holloway’s MMA maturation is carefully guided by Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under Professor Pedro Sauer, wildly accomplished local grappler, and owner/operator of the Gracie Technics gym, Rylan Lizares. The steady hand keeping Holloway’s punches and kicks fast and crisp is 7-0 featherweight Dustin Kimura. What was readily apparent in the win over Schilling is that Holloway is beginning to understand how to use the length of his 5-11 frame to his advantage when striking.

“Way before I started training with the guys I’m training with now, I used to like to welcome people into the pocket,” admits Holloway. “I used to feel better in the pocket. Now, I’m trying to use my range and it’s an awesome feeling. It’s great that I have the range and I’m not scared to go into the pocket if we have too.”

This Saturday, two trained kickboxers will seek a highlight reel knockout to the delight of the Octagon audience. “The fans should expect a standup war,” states Holloway, whose goal to have his name read along with the Aldos and Silvas of the world starts through winning a striker’s duel with Lawrence. “I can keep a high intensity and I know how to stick and move now. I just want to keep a high pace and finish people. I’m going to prove to everyone that Max Holloway should be one of the feared strikers of the featherweight division.”

“The value in boxing is not the skill acquired, although that too has real value in hand-to-hand combat, but because it quickly acclimates the mind and body to the violence and shock of combat so foreign to modern day youth, yet so absolutely essential to fighting men.” – The US Navy’s Boxing Training Manual

We get boxing. As human beings, we get boxing. It’s the quintessential combat sport of hitting one’s opponent with one’s fists until they fall down, which intrinsically makes sense. Throwing a punch is as natural of a movement for a person as throwing a ball. We’re instinctually inclined to do it, we understand it upon first viewing, and one can spend a lifetime perfecting the art of throwing a perfect one.

But the truth in boxing isn’t written by one’s ability to throw a punch, but one’s reaction to eating a punch. “If I had to take one thing away from boxing, I would go with the courage that boxing is going to build up when you learn how to deal with a guy trying to take your head off two feet in front of you,” reveals Ray Longo, who is a lifelong martial artist and owner of the Ray Longo MMA gym in Garden City, New York. As a striking coach for boxers, kickboxers, and UFC stars like Chris Weidman, Longo believes boxing breeds a particular mental toughness by forcing its participants to accustom themselves to an opponent trying to do them harm with an onslaught of punches.

“Once I opened up the school, I always put a heavy emphasis on boxing more than anything else at the time,” explains Longo. “When I’m training guys, I force them to box to see how they deal with the adversity of getting hit. What you will get from boxing is the ability to endure punishment. It’s not really how hard you can hit; it’s how good you can take a punch. Boxing tests your courage, it tests your confidence. Some people can never get over the fear of getting hit in the face. That’s just a problem. I’ve seen some guys who wrestle, the first time a punch is thrown they turn their head and run away. When you’re doing jiu-jitsu, when you’re doing wrestling, they’re physically enduring pain on the body that gives you another whole set of skills, but the ability to take a shot, to take a hit, and keep on going is from boxing. Nothing is going to test your courage like boxing.”

At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, the paramount of pugilism will award top honors to the latest crop of amateur boxers from around the world. The United States will send the most boxing representatives of any country, with 12 for the possible 13 weight divisions. Over the last 108 years of Olympic boxing, the United States has won a commanding and coincidental 108 medals, which is 45 more than the second most, Cuba. Many of boxing’s icons like Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Roy Jones, Jr., and Muhammad Ali began leaving their indelible mark with their medal winning Olympic performances on fighters of all generations like UFC light heavyweight Rashad Evans.

“I’m huge boxing fan,” tells Evans. “Boxing is one of my favorite sports and it always has been. A lot of guys I grew up watching I still idolize. It was really my basis to get into fighting. Having the chance to work with them and have them give me pointers has been a dream come true. It all doesn’t translate because of kicks and takedowns, but certain things translate like angles and different positions. There are definitely gaps that MMA fighters don’t exploit that a good boxer with good wrestling could exploit. There are gaps that a boxer could be very effective in in MMA. BJ Penn is a legend in the sport and you could probably count on one hand how many kicks he threw in his whole career. He doesn’t really throw kicks, he gets everything done with his hands. Or the Diaz brothers. They are just amazing with their hands. Their punching style of ‘punches in bunches’ confuses you and they never stop hitting you – it wears on guys. Boxing is definitely necessary for MMA.”

Before the first punch landed and the first point was counted in London, the headline grabbing story of boxing in the Olympics was the historic addition of three new weight classes – women’s weight classes. Finally, women will be able to represent their respective home nation in the “sweet science” with three divisions: flyweight 51 kg, lightweight 60 kg, and middleweight 75 kg. It may have taken the International Olympic Committee decades to recognize the female fighters, but it took almost no time at all for the mass media to recognize the US Team’s boxing beauty at flyweight, Marlen Esparza. In the past year, the 23-year old has received sponsorships from Coke, Nike, Cover Girl, and McDonalds, and has also been the subject of Soledad O’Brien’s CNN documentary entitled “In Her Corner: Latino in America 2”.

“The addition of women’s boxing to the Olympic docket has been huge for amateur boxing and our three female Olympians all have medal potential in London,” tells USA Boxing Public Relations Director Julie Goldsticker. “The first-ever Olympic Trials were held in February and due to there only being three Olympic weight divisions, each of the weight classes were packed with talent. Flyweight Marlen Esparza is a six-time national champion and World Championships bronze medalist. She spent the early part of her career at light-flyweight, but moved up to flyweight after the IOC announced it as an Olympic weight class. Marlen has enjoyed a ton of exposure over the last year and currently has sponsorship deals with Coke, Nike and Cover Girl.”

Looking to be crowned with gold at lightweight is Quanitta “Queen” Underwood. A former competitive track star, “Queen” began boxing at 19, and nine years later is a five-time national champion with something to prove in London. Underwood has had previous success on the international stage when she took bronze at the Women’s World Championships in 2010. Rounding out the women’s trio at middleweight has got to be the baddest high schooler in these United States, Flint, Michigan’s Claressa Shields.

“And Claressa Shields, the 17-year-old phenom, is the young fireball of the group,” adds Goldsticker. “At only 16, she surprised everyone by winning the Olympic Trials as well as the ‘Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament award’. Claressa defeated three-time world champion Mary Spencer in her first international tournament, so she’s got great momentum going.”

The lighter third of the men’s side of the team is led by its smallest and most experienced, three-time Olympian and flyweight Rau’shee Warren. Incredibly only 27 years old, Warren is a former World Champion in 2007, but has yet to make the impact in an Olympic Games the way most would have expected. At 5’4” and 114 pounds (54 kg), Warren is still a favorite to make the medals podium, as he took bronze in the Worlds last year. Following Warren is bantamweight (56 kg) Joseph Diaz, Jr. who is a two-time national champion, who advanced to the quarterfinals at his first World Championships to claim his Olympic berth, and the highly touted three-time national champion lightweight (60 kg) Jose Ramirez, known for his high energy style.

The captain of Team USA Boxing is 26 year old Jamel Herring at light welterweight (64 kg). As a member of the US Marines, Herring continues a proud tradition of Marine Corps boxers in the Olympics like Ken Norton and Leon Spinks. At welterweight (69 kg), Errol Spence is a three-time national champion in his first five years of being in the sport and also placed in the top ten in the 2011 World Championships. Riding an enormous amount of unexpected momentum into the Games is middleweight (65 kg) Terrell Gausha, who won gold in the Americas Olympic Qualification Tournament in May, which included an upset win over the heralded Junior Castillo of the Dominican Republic. For Gausha, a roster spot on the Olympic team has fulfilled a dream of recognition of being one of the world’s best the 24 year old has been working towards since he was 10.

“The dedication, the attention to detail,” affirms Longo. “I think it has to do more with the mindset than the physical capabilities. It’s the desire and dedication to be the best that really holds them to course. No matter what area of the Olympics someone is in, they’re going to have to deal with adversity and they still have to go on. I tell my fighters, I want them to use the Octagon or the ring as a parallel to life. If you’re going to dog it in the ring then you’re going to dog it in life. If that guy makes excuses in the Octagon then he’s going to make excuses in life. If they lie to you in there then they’re going to lie to you outside. If they quit in there then that transfers over to life. With the Olympics, to reach that level, it takes such mental fortitude. It’s learning how to stay on course towards your goals. How to stay established and focused on your goals no matter what happens. If you don’t feel good one day, you still have to get to the gym. You face adversity, you have to pick yourself up, regroup, and still stay focused on what your goal is. People that get to that level have demonstrated that ability to really stay focused on a goal.”

While Olympic boxing is not known for them, if there are going to be any highlight reel knockouts they will most likely come from the heavier divisions. One such power puncher is Staten Island’s own light heavyweight (81 kg) Marcus Browne, who is a three-time NYC Golden Gloves Champion in two different weight classes. At heavyweight (-91 kg) is a former two-time National Super Heavyweight Champion in Michael Hunter, who had a chance to train with the current best, Wladimir Klitschko, in the lead up to his bout with David Haye last year. Lastly, at super heavyweight (+91 kg) is college football player turned Olympic boxer in only three and a half years, Dominic Breazeale.

As the UFC grows in popularity, more Olympic athletes from events like wrestling and judo are choosing a professional fighting career path in MMA. By and large, the crossover of accomplished amateur boxers to caged combat has not happened, but the future is full of possibilities, especially if one trendsetter does well and shows the rest the way. One that has made that leap of faith is Constantinos Philippou, who is 4-1 in the UFC with a vast amateur boxing background in his native Greece plus a few professional bouts stateside. Hs is also coached by Longo. It’s not a plug and play process going from boxing to MMA and the switch will require a lot of work and dedication, but that’s exactly what Olympic athletes are known for and are held in such high esteem for.

“I’m surprised more haven’t already, but I think that will happen soon,” asserts Longo. “I think you will start seeing more guys who have won Golden Gloves and, maybe, wrestled in high school make their way over to MMA. I think it is an easy transition for them. I think once you get used to absorbing the punishment and you’ve developed the timing of having a live opponent in front of you and the necessary footwork to evade and attack properly, I think you’re building an awareness that transfers over perfectly for MMA.”

From July 28th to August 12th, if you call yourself a fight fan then tune in and watch the original combat sport in the grandest spectacle of them all. “We all grew up watching the Olympics and to be able to compete on that stage is amazing,” declares Evans, who too wants to believe these Games can produce the type of Olympic magic that we remember from boxing’s yesteryear. “To be able to have that chance to get a medal or to win a medal, it has to be the best feeling in the world.”

Just imagine after a lifetime of training having the opportunity to wear your country’s flag with the whole world watching on TV and you could possibly win a medal for punching people in the face. It probably is “the best feeling in the world”.

Judo isn’t “gentle” the way the Pedros teach it.

If you’ve read a story about a judo player from the United States over the past four years then it was probably about the current Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. Rightfully so, as the standout product of the Pedro’s Judo Center in Wakefield, Massachusetts in 2008 became the first American woman in history to medal in judo at the Olympics by winning a bronze at the Beijing Games. The 25-year old’s judo talents have continued to tear through competition from the mat to the cage, where Rousey is undefeated, with all five wins coming by first round submission.

“The Pedros’ judo is very unique in what they taught,” says Rousey. “They focus largely on a developing a good ground game and good gripping. Gripping in judo translates very well to upper body clinch work in MMA. Not only is the judo taught at Pedro’s very effective in international competition, but I think it translates the best over to MMA.”

Before the Strikeforce belt and appearing on major sports magazine covers, “Rowdy” could be found following the simple “no pain, no gain” principle of learning judo from America’s best teaching tandem: Big Jim Pedro, dad, and, son, Jimmy Pedro. As a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in 1996 and 2004, Jimmy fulfilled his father’s dream with this and other success on the international stage of the sport that Big Jim taught him since he was a kid. The Pedro’s Judo Center is the US’ top ranked judo gym and the staging ground for the Olympics, as Jimmy is the team’s head coach. For Rousey, it’s where learning a juji gatame for judo paid dividends when wrenching armbars for championships in MMA.

“I think judo is the best grappling for MMA,” explains Rousey. “What people don’t realize is there isn’t only one style of judo; there are many styles of judo. In judo, I was always a very ground-oriented person and into submissions. Judo in general is one of the only martial arts that promotes good posture, which is good for striking. You don’t have to change levels when you go from striking to changing levels to go to grappling. A wrestler gets really low when they go for a takedown or they hunch over, so they telegraph that they’re going to switch from striking to wrestling. Judo doesn’t have that problem. Also, there’s the emphasis on throws with such little time on the ground. In judo, if you want to be a ground-based fighter you have to be really fast and you have to be able to transition from your throw straight into your submissions almost in mid-air because the referee will only give you a second or two. Some people choose not to develop any ground game at all in judo because of that. Whereas I chose to make myself so fast on the ground that referees couldn’t stop me. That is how my experience with judo molded my style for MMA.”

With the 2012 Olympic Games in London getting underway, the US Team is looking to capitalize on Rousey’s bronze-winning effort and, amazingly, to exceed it. The major hopefuls are the currently top-ranked Pedro products Kayla Harrison at 78 kg and Travis Stevens at 81 kg. Both were in attendance in Beijing for Rousey’s moment on the medal stand and have been furiously training at Pedro’s Judo Center ever since for a similar one, if not a step or two higher. Historically, the US has not been a major player in judo during the Olympics, but Harrison and Stevens are ready to change that perception once and for all.

“They should expect judo to shock the world,” states Stevens. “There’s a very, very high chance that we walk away with two medals, if not three, which would make history for the US. Regardless, whether they are bronze, silver, or gold, three medals at the Games has never happened before. We’re definitely looking to raise the bar, the standard for judo in this country. Also, it should show that our sport transfers well into MMA because we’re not like jiu-jitsu where we just have the ground work or wrestling where we just have the takedowns – we’re a mixture of both.”

If the world wasn’t ready for Rousey in 2008, then nothing will prepare them for Harrison in 2012. “I won’t be happy with anything but a gold medal,” declares Harrison. “That pretty much sums things up.”

To the uninformed, this will be simply dismissed as typical American bravado. To anyone who follows the sport or spends half a minute Googling her name, Harrison’s platinum hair is almost destined to be adorned by gold in London. In the lead-up to these Games and for the better part of the past two years, the 22-year old has fought and defeated just about every top judo player she could, which will make up the same lineup of players Harrison will be prepared to steamroll at the Olympics. Harrison winning gold at the Judo World Championships in 2010 proved she can do more than just walk the walk, but her mission on the mats won’t be finished unless she is standing the tallest on the podium.

“The last four years of my life, every judo competition I’ve gone to, every training session that I’ve done has all been in preparation for August 2nd,” affirms Harrison. “Winning all those tournaments doesn’t mean anything if I don’t win the big one. This is going to define my career. It doesn’t feel like pressure to me because this is something I’ve expected all along. I know that I can beat every girl, everyone in the world. I just have to show up that day and do it. It’s more about me than them. As far as pressure, I feel pressure from myself. It’s the good kind of pressure. It’s the kind of pressure that makes sure I get out of bed at 4:30 in the morning, it makes sure I don’t skip a practice even if I don’t feel 100%. That’s the kind of pressure I like.”

It was four years ago that Harrison soaked in an Olympic experience from the sidelines as a training partner for Rousey in Beijing. As “Rowdy” kicked down the door with her bronze, Harrison is looking to clean house with ippons, which she most recently did at the European Cup, going 5-0 for the day with 4-5 wins by ippon. Although this year has already been studded with international gold, Harrison’s road to London has been as successful as it has been extra laborious, as the Ohio native battled back from a partially torn MCL in March. Injuries and pressure aside, Harrison’s dogged determination for Olympic gold is perfectly illustrated by her presence on the mat as she comes forward and bullies her opponents.

“I began training with the Pedros when I was 16,” says Harrison. “They definitely have a proven method for winning. It worked with Jimmy, it worked with Ronda Rousey, and it is working with myself. I’m not necessarily the most stylish player, I’m not necessarily the most flashy player, but I am relentless. I will push and push and push until you break. It’s the relentless pursuit of my opponent that makes me stand out against the other competitors.”

Simply put, no one is going to give Harrison a medal – she’s going to take it.

To bookend Harrison’s harai goshi hostility is the Tacoma, Washington native – Stevens. “Travis is just a bulldog – he’s crazy,” says Harrison of the 26-year old, two-time Olympian, and proud owner of over 30 international medals, including six at the Pan-American Games. To prepare for his second Olympic Games, Stevens has expanded his training beyond judo to other martial arts, specifically Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Stevens splits time defending rear naked chokes with UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon at his gym in Bridgewater, Mass and the enigmatic BJJ black belt John Danaher with the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City.

“The mental aspect is what it really helps me with,” tells Stevens. “When I’m at the Renzo Gracie Academy and there is such a high level in the room and I’m no longer the biggest, toughest guy in the room, it helps with that mental side to keep pushing even if you’re getting beat or getting submitted. To work to make sure you get past their guard or get an armlock or whatever it may be. It’s something I don’t face when I’m doing judo because I’m at such a high level. I have to be at a Russian national training camp or a French national training camp to really be concerned with it. I have to train my mental side when I’m doing MMA or BJJ because I don’t really get to do that when I’m training judo here in the states.”

A trip to London is in large part a search for redemption for Stevens’ disappointing ninth place finish in Beijing. Stevens is focused on the medal stand and believes he is better prepared physically and, even more so, mentally for these Games as opposed to the last. The other fulfilling aspect of competing and, hopefully, winning in the Olympics is facing the world’s elite, which will truly challenge Stevens to summon his best effort. The allure of training for hundreds of hours to eventually battle the greats a particular weight class has to offer is as applicable to judo as it is for Stevens’ post-Olympics adventure: professional MMA fighter.

“For me, it’s just about the level of players come in prepared for their fights,” asserts Stevens. “I like to compete against the best guys in the world and the best prepared and those tend to be the guys in the UFC. They train specifically to beat individual players. In judo, we have brackets ranging from 30 to 100 people and you don’t who you’re going to face. Some could get knocked off early or make a mistake – you never know. To compete at a level where the guys are all skilled at all the arts and they can put together gameplans that will supposedly be able to beat you – I want to test it. I want to test myself mentally to see if I can rise to the occasion. That’s the allure for me. I want to rise to the occasion again. In judo, that’s only in the finals at big tournaments, championships, and the Olympics.”

While the highest expectations are reserved for Harrison and Stevens, there are three potential highlight makers to fill out the rest of the team and, on paper, one has real medal possibilities. At 26 years old and fighting at 57 kg, Marti Malloy trains on the left coast at San Jose State University. As of late, Malloy has been snagging silvers in several top events like the past two Pan American Games and the European Cup last month. The Olympics are filled with surprise stories like Malloy’s, who could get on a tear early and find herself on the medal stand in London.

“Marty is a lot like me,” tells Harrison. “We are very similar in our style. She is a very smart and tactical player. She’s one of those girls who will come after you from start to finish. She’s in such good shape that she looks the same at the beginning of the match as she does at the end. To be able to go five minutes hard and still have gas in the tank is amazing.”

The final two men, Nick Delpopolo (73 kg) and Kyle Vashkulat (100 kg), are living the quintessential American dream of emigrating to the US at an early age, growing up to be world-class athletes who represent this country, and are poised for a couple of upsets over big names. “Nick and Kyle are from the same club and they have very pretty judo, very old-fashioned Japanese judo,” says Harrison of the duo who train under former Olympian Jason Morris at the Jason Morris Judo Center in Scotia, New York. “Their game is more classical I would say. They have very good judo and have big wins and then they have big losses when they lose.”

Whether a first time or a long time fan of judo, the pieces are all lining up for the London Games to be a very exciting one, especially for the United States. The furious five coached by the fabulous Pedros should prove to be more than enthralling as they’re gearing up to make their return with some expensive metal in tow. Specifically for Harrison, these Games could be monumental in the United States’ athletic history as a country, let alone her own. Most of all for us watching at home, it’s a chance for fans to fall in love with a sport that has graciously given MMA stars like Rousey and, likely, many more in the future.

“I think people should be excited to watch judo in the Olympics because it is one of the most amazing sports in the world,” states Rousey. “People should love the sport in itself. It is the highest athletic level of grappling. I’m obviously biased, but I think judo players are the most skilled grapplers in the world. I go to judo tournaments and I see throws that I’m shocked ever happened. How could that possibly happen? You’re capable of doing so much more when somebody has ‘handles’ on them. Wrestling is a great sport and I respect it and it’s cool, but imagine if they had handles on them?! Imagine how much more cool stuff they could do if they had handles on them! That’s what pretty much judo is. We’re going to put handles on someone so that the throws can be even more dynamic and we’re also going to have submissions. I still think judo is the coolest sport, hands down.”

Matches start on July 28th and continue to August 3rd, but fandom and respect for “the gentle way” can last a lifetime – especially how the Pedros teach it.