Author: By Thomas Gerbasi

Home to six UFC events from 1998 to 2002, Louisiana will once again welcome the warriors of the Octagon for September 17th’s “Battle on the Bayou” in New Orleans. For the fighters competing that night, it will be another opportunity to establish themselves in their respective divisions and for the main carders, a chance to do so before a national television audience on Spike TV.

But for those in the mixed martial arts community in Louisiana, it’s more than that. Never a hotbed of the sport like California, Las Vegas, or New Mexico, the state has only produced a handful of UFC fighters, with current battlers Melvin Guillard, Tim Credeur, Pat Barry, and Dustin Poirier, and vets Rich Clementi and Kyle Bradley being the most notable. So this isn’t just a fight card – it’s a celebration of the sport by some of its most diehard followers.

And despite not having a dozen fighters on the UFC roster, those who did come from the state didn’t moan about their place in the MMA world though, and instead of leaving for greener pastures, many formed a tight bond together, taking an ‘us against the world’ mentality.

Clementi, a New Jersey native who found a home in Slidell, Louisiana, appeared on season four of The Ultimate Fighter and fought ten times in the UFC. He also acted as a mentor to fighters like Credeur and Bradley, and as he explained in 2008, he was blunt about the obstacles fighters in the state were facing.

“A few years back, like five, six years, if you mentioned anybody that was from Mississippi or Louisiana, people kinda joked about them in the business,” said Clementi. “I promote and I manage guys too, and if you knew you were fighting a guy from Louisiana, you knew he wasn’t gonna have any wrestling, you knew his jiu-jitsu wasn’t gonna be that technical, and you might get a tough guy, but predominantly, if you came from a good camp, you’re gonna beat somebody from down south. That really bothered me, and it bothered me personally because I fell in that category. So it really was a goal of mine to try to create a whole scene and get guys who really had talent and bond everybody together. Now we’re pushing some decent guys out there. We have like 4-5 UFC-caliber guys from down there, and that was important to me. We all help each other out, and even some of the guys who aren’t on that level are still a huge part to being where I’m at.”

At the time, Clementi had used the “comeback” season of TUF to begin a career resurgence, and before losses to Gray Maynard and Gleison Tibau ended his UFC run, he reeled off six consecutive wins that included UFC victories over hot prospects Anthony Johnson, Guillard, Sam Stout, and Terry Etim. 2008 was also a big year for Credeur, who brought a 9-2 record into his own season of reality TV – TUF7. And it wasn’t just big for him, as he looked to change the stereotype of Louisiana fighters.

“It’s really tough out there,” said Credeur after his stay in the TUF7 house. “There’s not a lot of coverage with the media, not a lot of internet sites covering fighting in the south, and it’s kinda like a lost corner. It’s pretty difficult to get out of there unless you get on a show like Melvin Guillard did, like Rich (Clementi) did. And Rich had a lot of the same problems – he fought once in the UFC, lost to Yves Edwards (in 2003), and the guy had like 30-something fights and he was still fighting anywhere anybody would give him a paycheck. And they weren’t big paychecks, but that’s kinda how it is for fighters in the south, and I hope to change that because it’s difficult. If you’re from Renzo Gracie’s team and you’ve got three or four wins, you get a big fight. Down south we’ve got guys with 15-20 fights and they’re trying to get in shows for 500 bucks. Hopefully I can change that and bring some recognition down for some of those guys.”

Credeur’s run to the semifinals of TUF and Clementi’s “prospect killer” persona began to turn the tide, but perhaps the most talented of the LA crew was one of Clementi’s most heated rivals – New Orleans native Melvin Guillard. A veteran of the local scene, “The Young Assassin” first came to the attention of UFC fans on season two of The Ultimate Fighter, but it was what happened after the show ended that really tested his resolve, as Hurricane Katrina hit “The Big Easy” in August of 2005.

“I’ve been through a whole bunch of hurricanes,” said Guillard in 2006. “A lot of them were kinda bad, but for some reason, this was the one. All year we had 23 hurricanes and New Orleans didn’t get hit by any of them outside of Katrina. We thought we were so lucky because we were missing this one and missing that one, but when we did get hit with one, it was the worst one of the whole year.”

That’s an understatement. And Guillard chose to stay behind.

“When the hurricane hit, we were just thinking that we were gonna be here for two days at the shelter, and then we’ll go back home and regroup.”
 
But the water kept rising.
 
“For some reason, after about the second day, it just hit,” he said. “We had about nine feet of water in the street. We were on the second floor, and the whole first floor of the building was drowned in water.”
 
And it only got worse, with Guillard and hundreds of others forced to seek refuge on a bridge, the only place where the water wouldn’t engulf them. Guillard did whatever necessary to get people to the bridge, and along the way he saw the devastation and death Katrina delivered to his city and its residents. It was something no human being could ever forget.
 
“2005 really was a wakeup call for me, and it taught me to look at life differently,” said Guillard. “I used to always want material things because growing up I didn’t get them, but now, I don’t even care for material things as much anymore. I just care that I wake up every day and I’m still healthy enough to get into the ring and fight. That’s what matters to me right now.”

Guillard’s struggles wouldn’t end there, as he battled through the aftermath of Katrina, the death of his father, and out of the ring issues. By 2009 though, he came to the realization that he needed to get his life together in order to fulfill his potential, and after a loss to Nate Diaz, he has run off five straight wins, sailing to the top of the lightweight division.

“There were a lot of disappointing times and one big tragic time for me (in 2005), but all of that I just use for motivation,” said Guillard. “That’s what keeps me striving because now when I step into that ring and I’m representing the UFC, I’m also representing all of New Orleans. From here on out I’m dedicating all of my fights to all those people who lost everything. And I was one of those people; I lost everything. But I don’t let it get me down anymore; I just stay focused and fight to get paid and see another day. It’s a blessing that I made it because a lot of people didn’t make it.”

Heavyweight up and comer Pat Barry was one of the lucky ones who got out, though that’s a relative term considering that he lost his grandmother and his home in the tragic storm.

 “Katrina came and was way more devastating than we actually believed,” said Barry before his 2008 UFC debut. “We heard it was gonna be bad, but no one really believed it was going to be that bad. When it came through, we had an option, which all people do – we could sit in a chair, grieve, rot away and disappear, or we can accept the fact that it happened and that there’s nothing we could do about it, and move forward. It was a devastating situation to be in, and emotionally it was painful, but we evolved and kept moving forward.”

That’s Louisiana attitude at its finest.

“Nobody ever truly leaves New Orleans for good,” said Barry. “You may move away and live somewhere else for a while, but if you’re from New Orleans, you always go back, no matter what happens.”

“All of us are grinders and we never quit,” said Credeur of Louisiana fighters. “Yeah, I might take an ass beatin’ for a while, but I’m not gonna quit unless you almost kill me. That’s the way we fight because that’s how we’ve had to fight. We’ve had to scratch and claw for everything we’ve gotten in our careers. Nothing was given to us, none of us were spoon fed, and we had to fight monsters every fight. And I think that builds a lot of internal fortitude.”

Credeur battled through his own dilemma, as a birthmark on a brain scan was thought to be something worse, costing him nearly two years of his career until he was cleared to fight, but his determination to return, along with Guillard’s resurgence and Clementi’s previous Octagon work and mentoring, paved the way for Barry and Poirier, as well as the next generation of Louisiana fighters. And as Credeur warns, when you’re facing him or one of his peers, being talented isn’t enough – you have to be ready to dig deeper than you ever have before.

“Let’s be honest,” said Credeur, the state’s first Jiu-Jitsu black belt, earlier this year. “I was not a widely recruited high school athlete for any sport, I’m not this great Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion talent that was scouted by the UFC. I’m not that and I never have been; I’m just a guy that worked really, really hard and made sacrifices a bunch of other people weren’t willing to make to be where I’m at. And when I get in there, I’ll be damned if I’m gonna beat myself. As best as I can, I’m gonna fight until either he falls down or I fall down or my heart explodes. That’s the only way that I really know how. Some of that is because of the way that I’ve been raised. In Louisiana, there’s a really blue collar mentality. We work for everything we have. So many things go wrong in our state – hurricanes destroy our homes, our lives are destroyed by the whims of the oil barons, and the oil explosion in the gulf pretty much ruined our economy. I think Louisiana is ranked 49th in the country in everything – education, roads, everything. It’s a hard life down here, and it’s tough. So to get by it takes hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. And that’s all I know.”

 

In just five UFC fights, Jake Ellenberger has gone from underrated and unknown veteran to welterweight contender and main eventer as he approaches his September 17th bout with Jake Shields in New Orleans, Louisiana, and he’s done it with attention-getting power, solid wrestling, and a confidence that doesn’t allow him to let up on the intensity until the fight is over and his hand is raised.

Maybe even more notable is that the Nebraskan is only 26 years old, so the best is clearly yet to come for “The Juggernaut.” But if you’re still curious about what Ellenberger (25-5) brings to the table for his showdown against one of the best 170-pounders on the planet, read on for an in-depth look at how he got here.

UFC Fight Night – September 16, 2009 – L3 Carlos Condit

It took a while, but in 2009, Jake Ellenberger finally got his call to the UFC. That opportunity came after four years on the local circuit, where he battled it out with a host of standouts, including Rick Story, Pat Healy, Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons, Jay Hieron, Gil Castillo, and Laverne Clark. With that cast of characters populating his fistic tale, many believed it was a call long overdue, but the one dissenter in that crowd was the man himself.

“I just wanted it to be the right time for me,” said Ellenberger at the time. “I wanted to make sure that when I go there, I’m going to be a contender and that I’m ready. I do feel right now that I am.”

And against former WEC champion Carlos Condit, he was going to get thrown into the fire immediately.

What He Said: “He’s got a lot of pressure on him, to be honest. He’s coming off a loss in the UFC (to Martin Kampmann), and he can’t afford to lose again. I know that’s gonna be in the back of his mind and he’s definitely gonna be ready to fight. He’s gonna come out hard and not let up for 15 minutes. I’m gonna be explosive, and I’ll definitely show my skills. Not taking anything away from Carlos, but I’ve fought guys just as tough and skilled as he is, and I’m very confident in finishing him. Granted, people don’t really know me because I haven’t fought in the UFC yet, but this is gonna put me on the map if I finish him.”

What We Said: Rising welterweight star Carlos Condit saw stars for much of the first round against Octagon debutant Jake Ellenberger, but the Albuquerque native weathered the early storm and got stronger as the fight progressed, eventually eking out a hard-fought and entertaining split decision win over Ellenberger.

Scores were 29-28 twice, and 28-29 for Condit.

The pace was fast from the opening bell, with Ellenberger catching Condit with a right hand that sent him to the mat. Condit recovered quickly, but then had to deal with Ellenberger’s attack from the top position. No problem for Condit, who soon made it back to his feet. Again Ellenberger struck gold with his right hand, seemingly hurting Condit worse the second time around. But the former WEC welterweight champ showed resilience a second time, landing with some knees before Ellenberger attacked with a guillotine choke attempt. If Condit was a cat, he would have already been down three lives, but he kept battling and made it out of the round.

“I saw stars for a second and I knew I needed to come back,” said Condit of his rough opening round.

Having had success on the feet in round one, Ellenberger tried his luck on the mat, and the two battled it out on even terms on the ground, with Condit working for submissions that kept Ellenberger guessing. With less than two minutes left, he reversed position and got into the mount, pounding away until Ellenberger was able to get some daylight. With under a minute left, Ellenberger now moved to the top spot, and the two active welters ended the round on their feet, surely earning a 60 second break.

Ellenberger opened the final round with a nice throw to the mat, but Condit was far from idle while on his back, and though he was now cut over his left eye, he was still pushing the action. So was Ellenberger though, and the UFC newcomer went for another guillotine choke that Condit was able to pull free from en route to the top position and some solid ground and pound. With less than two minutes left, it looked like Condit was moving in for the finish with ground strikes. Ellenberger escaped though, and after the two stood, he shot for a takedown that Condit was able to deny, and it was ‘The Natural Born Killer’ who finished the bout with a flurry of punishing ground strikes.

What It Meant: It wasn’t a win, and Ellenberger isn’t one to be toasting moral victories, but it was as good a loss as a fighter can take if he has to be on the wrong side of a judges’ decision. Why? Because he showed off knockout power, he was exciting, and he was relentless in his attack. If a fighter has one of those attributes, fans will love him. All three, and that’s a star in the making right there. And that was the impression that Ellenberger gave that night; that he was here in the UFC and here to make some noise.

UFC 108 – January 2, 2010 – TKO2 Mike Pyle

Sure, Ellenberger was impressive in a losing effort against Condit, but no one wants to go 0-2 in the UFC with the roster being trimmed, and Ellenberger had to see his second Octagon bout against fellow vet Mike Pyle as a must win. And he was going to do whatever he needed to do – either on the feet or the mat – to get that victory.

What We Said: In welterweight action, Jake Ellenberger kicked off the New Year with his first UFC win as he impressively halted veteran Mike Pyle in the second round.

“This is the greatest feeling in the world,” said Ellenberger. “Mike’s a tough guy.”

Ellenberger went on the attack immediately, using his strikes to set up a takedown. What followed was an interesting stalemate as Ellenberger used his ground and pound attack while Pyle looked for submissions while mixing in strikes from the bottom. After the two stood up and re-started the action on the feet, Ellenberger got another quick takedown. This time Pyle worked on his opponent’s arm, but it was Ellenberger who got last licks in as he pounded away on a hurt Pyle until the bell intervened.

It was Pyle looking for the takedown early in the second round, but Ellenberger fought it off and instead landed with a flush right hand that dropped Pyle against the fence. A follow-up flurry ended the bout moments later, with referee Yves Lavigne halting the bout 22 seconds into the round.

What It Meant: In his previous 25 fights, Pyle had only been knocked out once, and that was by noted knockout artist Rory Markham, so for Ellenberger to pull off the stoppage victory was a major feather in his cap. It also notched him his first UFC victory and a little breathing room, as he could now begin his road toward a title show at 170 pounds.

UFC Live – August 1, 2010 – TKO3 John Howard

An intriguing match against The Ultimate Fighter’s Ben Saunders was next on the plate for Ellenberger, but when Thiago Alves was pulled from his UFC 111 bout against Jon Fitch on fight week and Saunders stepped up to face the top contender, Ellenberger was left without a fight. Sure, he still got paid, but that didn’t really soothe the Omaha native too much.

“I was looking forward to fighting Ben Saunders mainly for the fact of it putting me in the top ten and at least putting me in the mix,” he said. “It was obviously nice getting paid, but I’m not fighting to make money; I’m fighting to become a world champ.”

The next open slot for Ellenberger was five months later against John “Doomsday” Howard, and he jumped at the opportunity against the dangerous to the last second New Englander.

What He Said: “He’s a perfect opponent for me to get back and prove myself as being a top ten fighter in the division. Howard is coming off four wins in the UFC and seven in a row, so he’s a perfect guy for me to test my skills against. I’ve seen all his fights and really was not impressed, and I think he’s kinda skated by. He (Howard) has got a couple split decisions and a couple knockouts, and he’s not a guy you can sleep on, but I know I’m a better fighter than he is.”

What We Said: Welterweight up and comer Jake Ellenberger ate some hard shots from John Howard in their eagerly-anticipated bout, but with unstoppable takedowns and an effective ground attack that nearly swelled his opponent’s eye shut, he was able to score a third round TKO over the Boston native.

Ellenberger tore after Howard with bombs at the opening bell, and ‘Doomsday’ eagerly fired back. After that initial burst, the two locked up and battled against the fence. After a stalemate, referee Herb Dean broke the two up and restarted the action. Ellenberger responded with a takedown, and though he was landing with strikes from the top position, the crowd was getting restless. Moments later, Dean stood the fighters up, and after landing a few shots upstairs, Ellenberger took his foe down again and landed with more ground strikes until the bell.

Howard opened the second round with a jarring right kick to the side of Ellenberger’s head, hurting the Omaha native. Howard tried to finish matters, but Ellenberger got a takedown that allowed him the time he needed to recover and keep the action on the mat. After an extended period on the mat, the two stood and again Howard got the better of the standup, leading to an Ellenberger takedown and more ground strikes for the rest of the round.

With a nearly closed left eye after Ellenberger’s ground attack, Howard went for broke in the final round, nearly catching his foe flush with a knee to the head. As the two circled each other warily after that exchange, Ellenberger suddenly jumped into action with another takedown. With 2:43 left, Dean halted the bout for the Octagonside physician to check Howard’s eye and he immediately recommended the stoppage, which Dean called at 2:21 of the final frame.

What It Meant: This was a nice second UFC win for Ellenberger because it allowed him to show off his chin and his ground game, both of which came up aces when he needed them to. Howard was riding a four fight UFC winning streak and had never lost in the Octagon, so for Ellenberger to stop that string of success with a punishing three round TKO win, it was a big deal.

UFC 126 – February 5, 2011 – W3 Carlos Eduardo Rocha

Unbeaten Carlos Eduardo Rocha surprised many fans when he easily submitted The Ultimate Fighter 11 finalist Kris McCray in his Octagon debut in November of 2010, so there were many giving him a decent shot at the upset against Ellenberger, who could see his aggression cost him if he got caught on the ground by the Brazilian. Ellenberger was determined to not let that happen though.

What We Said: Jake Ellenberger pinned the first pro loss on Carlos Eduardo Rocha’s record, winning a close three round split decision over the Brazilian in welterweight action.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 27-30 for Ellenberger, who improves to 24-5; Rocha falls to 9-1.

Ellenberger and Rocha traded takedowns in the opening stages of the bout, with Rocha having more success as he pinned his foe to the mat while working from side control. Staying active, Rocha worked on securing Ellenberger’s leg from the north-south position, but Ellenberger worked his way free and got back to his feet with a minute left. Rocha came up short on an ensuing takedown attempt, but while Ellenberger pounded away with strikes, the Brazilian almost scored a rolling kimura that had the fans roaring as the round ended.

Round two was a tactical one, with Ellenberger able to land enough strikes, as well as a late takedown, to win the frame.

Rocha’s final round attack consisted of a steady diet of leg kicks, with Ellenberger unable to get off with his own strikes with any consistency. “The Juggernaut” did score a takedown late in the fight, apparently sealing the victory for himself.

What It Meant: Mama said there would be nights like this, and after putting together a personal highlight reel in his first three Octagon bouts, Ellenberger had to grind out a victory against a tough foe who was determined not to end up on the receiving end of one of those “Juggernaut” bombs. What resulted was a tactical bout that one judge actually saw in Rocha’s favor 30-27. That was a surprising tally, but it showed how difficult that bout was to score. Ellenberger is probably happy not to be seeing Rocha anytime soon.

UFC 129 – April 30, 2011 – KO1 Sean Pierson

After Brian Foster was forced out of his UFC 129 bout with Sean Pierson, Ellenberger jumped at the opportunity to face the Canadian in front of over 55,000 fans at Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Given Ellenberger’s attitude toward fighting, that wasn’t surprise, but what made his short notice acceptance of the bout even more understandable was the fact that despite Pierson’s stellar wrestling background, he liked to bang it out on the feet like he did in his UFC debut win over Matt Riddle. Ellenberger liked that idea.

What We Said: Short notice was no problem for Jake Ellenberger in welterweight action, as he knocked out Toronto’s Sean Pierson in the first round.

After a tentative opening from both men, Ellenberger – who replaced Brian Foster – opened things up with a takedown, but Pierson, a standout Canadian amateur wrestler, jumped up immediately. Moments later though, Ellenberger finished the bout with a crushing left hand that knocked Pierson out before he hit the mat. The end came at the 2:42 mark.

What It Meant: This one was simple. No matter who you are in the welterweight division, you stand with Jake Ellenberger at your own peril. The kid can crack, and if he hits you clean, it’s usually lights out. That was the case for Pierson, who looked to be settling into the bout when lightning struck. It was a chilling warning to the 170-pound division.

Following one of the craziest opening rounds ever seen in the Octagon, Rousimar Palhares eventually settled down at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Saturday night, delivering an impressive and comprehensive three round decision win over courageous American Dan Miller in UFC RIO prelim action. See post-fight interview

The unanimous decision win for the middleweight standout read 29-27, 30-27, and 30-25.

After a brief feeling out process standing, Palhares got close and pulled guard, almost locking in a submission from the bottom. Miller powered his way out and got back to his feet, but midway through the round, Palhares knocked Miller down with a front kick to the face. Miller quickly recovered and got into the top position and then stood, shaking off the shot with no ill effects. Palhares was showing off some improved striking, drilling Miller with a right hand and then knocking him down with a right kick to the head. A barrage of strikes followed, and then Palhares, thinking the fight was over, rose to his feet and raised his hands in victory. After this confusing sequence, the bout resumed, and a left by Miller dropped Palhares just before the bell.

Both bloodied, Miller and Palhares came out fast for round two and Palhares took an early advantage on his foe, pounding away from the top position when they hit the mat. After half a round of this, Palhares looked winded by the assault and Miller’s bloodied face showed the effects of the Brazilian’s punches. Referee Herb Dean warned Miller that he was going to stop the fight, and the gutsy New Jersey native showed signs of life to stay in the fight, and amazingly, he made it out of the round.

Miller patiently worked his standup in round three, remarkably getting himself back in the fight with a stiff jab and the occasional right as Palhares played it safe from the outside. But “Toquinho” was still able to get his shots in, capping off a wild night in the middleweight division.

With the win, Palhares ups his record to 22-3; Miller falls to 13-6 with 1 NC.

FISHER vs. TAVARES
Florianopolis lightweight Thiago Tavares was in top-notch form from start to finish against veteran Spencer Fisher, methodically breaking down his foe until he finished things via TKO in the second round. See post-fight interview

Tavares fired off a number of kicks at Fisher before getting a takedown, and he pinned “The King” against the fence. Tavares did a great job of keeping Fisher from getting back to his feet, but with 2:16 left, referee Marc Goddard restarted things, putting Fisher (25-8) back in business. Tavares quickly closed the gap and forced Fisher to the fence, eventually getting another takedown. With Fisher against the fence, Tavares pounded away with strikes and almost took Fisher’s back before the end of the frame.

Not straying from the gameplan, Tavares (20-4-1) took Fisher down early in round two and was again pinned to the fence. Tavares took his time, but when warned by Goddard to improve position, he did, and he took Fisher’s back. What followed was a series of unanswered strikes, leaving Goddard no choice but to call a halt to the bout at 2:51 of the round.

THIAGO vs. MITCHELL
Brazilian hero Paulo Thiago left his fans happy in his welterweight bout with David Mitchell, scoring a shutout three round unanimous decision win. See post-fight interview

All three judges saw it 30-27 for the contender from Brasilia.

Greeted by a rousing ovation, Thiago tried to get rid of Mitchell early with two huge looping rights, but they just missed the mark. 90 seconds in, Thiago took his foe down, opting to try his luck on the mat. Mitchell held off any danger, and Thiago got back to his feet. With 1:35 left, Thiago was able to slam “Daudi” to the canvas, and he quickly established himself in side control. Mitchell’s defense was solid though, prompting Thiago to let him free as they ended the round standing.

After some fairly even action in the opening minute of the second frame, the two hit the mat three times, with Thiago getting up quickly when he saw nothing substantial on the menu. And though Mitchell was staying aggressive on the feet, Thiago was making him pay with solid counters from long range.

Thiago was in total control in the final round, jarring Mitchell with a flush left to the face, tripping him to the canvas, and even scoring with a left kick to the head in the first half of the round. Mitchell began getting back into the things in the second half of the frame, but even though he was scoring, he wasn’t doing enough to turn the fight around, and it was Thiago who ended the final five minutes with a rear naked choke attempt that was only interrupted by the bell.

With the win, Thiago improves to 14-3; Mitchell falls to 11-2.

ASSUNCAO vs. EDUARDO

Former featherweight contender Raphael Assuncao made a successful jump to the bantamweight division, decisioning Johnny Eduardo over three rounds to earn his first UFC victory. See post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 across the board.

After a slow start, Eduardo got the crowd into it with a stiff right hand that jarred Assuncao. Assuncao shook the effects of the blow off and continued to stand with the Muay Thai expert until he was able to score the takedown midway through the frame. Assuncao was effective with his elbows from the top position, but a stall by Eduardo produced a standup by referee Marc Goddard with a little over a minute left. 

Some scrappy back and forth from the two men ended up with Assuncao pinning Eduardo against the fence.  With 90 seconds gone, the two broke, and Eduardo was able to land solid strikes from long range as he kept Assuncao at bay. That didn’t last long, as Assuncao closed the gap and jammed his foe against the fence again, keeping him there for a while before breaking. As the seconds ticked away, Assuncao took Eduardo down and took his back, finishing the round strong.

Eduardo pushed the pace to begin the third, perhaps knowing that time was running out on him, but Assuncao wasn’t flustered by the aggression. Midway through the round, the two tumbled to the canvas, with Assuncao getting a number of strikes as Eduardo looked to lock his leg up. After a standup by Goddard with a minute left, Eduardo made his final charge, scoring a flash knockdown with a right hand, but that was it for the Rio native.

With the win, Assuncao improves to 16-4; Eduardo falls to 25-9.

SILVA vs. RAMOS

Vila Velha, Espirito Santo, Brazil’s Erick Silva delivered a crushing message via right hand to Luis Ramos in their welterweight bout, knocking out “Beicao” in the first round. See post-fight interview

After the two raced around the Octagon at the opening bell looking for openings, Silva shot out a quick left rangefinder, which he followed with a looping right hand that landed flush on Ramos’ jaw, knocking him to the canvas. Ramos initially looked like he would be able to recover, but a few more rights forced Herb Dean to step in and stop the bout at the 40 second mark.

Silva, who was originally scheduled to face Mike Swick before Swick pulled out of the bout due to injury, ups his record to 13-1 with 1 NC. Ramos falls to 19-7.

ALCANTARA vs. ARANTES

Marajo native Yuri Alcantara earned his first UFC victory in featherweight action, unanimously outpointing Sao Paulo’s Felipe Arantes over three rounds. See post-fight interview

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28.

The two Brazilians traded kicks from long range in the opening two minutes, with Alcantara then making the first ground move with a quick takedown. On the mat, Alcantara landed a series of hard shots, bloodying his foe under the right eye. With a minute left, referee Mario Yamasaki restarted the action, and while Arantes tried to make something happen, his strikes were just missing the mark.

In the second minute of round two, Alcantara got Arantes back to the mat, and he was able to easily move into side control and then the mount. A triangle attempt came up empty, but he was still able to maintain top position until Yamasaki stood the fighters up with two minutes remaining. Arantes moved forward for a spell but wasn’t able to get anything going, so he went into countering mode and wound up getting taken down again.

Alcantara jumped into attack mode to start the final round, getting Arantes to the mat and then taking his back. Arantes turned quickly and got into the top position, getting the space and opportunity to drop hard elbows on his opponent.  Even though Arantes was staying busy, Yamasaki saw fit to stand the fighters up again with a little over two minutes left. Alcantara put his countryman on his back when the action resumed, and with the crowd beginning to get restless, another restart ensued. But it was Alcantara refusing to stray from his gameplan, as ended the bout with another takedown.

With the win, Alcantara improves to 25-3; Arantes falls to 13-4 with 2 NC.

JABOUIN vs. LOVELAND

Canada’s Yves Jabouin was sharp in his 135-pound debut, as he held off an early assault from Ian Loveland to pound out a three round split decision win. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 twice and 27-30

There were some varied offensive attacks from both men in the first round, with the unorthodox Loveland controlling much of the round on the feet and the mat until a solid right hand by Jabouin jarred the Oregon native just before the bell.

Loveland (14-9) wasted no time getting the bout to the mat in round two, but Jabouin whipped off a quality reversal to get into the top position. Loveland returned the favor moments later, but 1:30 in, Jabouin (16-7) scrambled back to his feet. There, the Montrealer got a little more aggressive, with a spinning back kick and back fist highlighting his offensive assault while standing before he finished the round with a takedown.

Winging hooks from the time he came out of the corner for round thee, Loveland was obviously trying to keep Jabouin from getting into an offensive rhythm, but the “Tiger” was able to break his foe’s early advantage with a quick takedown. The reset allowed Jabouin to get back to the business of poking at his opponent with a variety of punches, kicks, and spinning maneuvers, and as the round progressed, it was evident that his takedown defense was adding to the list of positives taken from his first bantamweight outing.

He waited nearly four years to get another shot at the man who spoiled his UFC debut, and Saturday night at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua evened the score with Forrest Griffin, knocking out his rival in less than two minutes in the UFC RIO co-main event. See post-fight interview

In September of 2007, the two future light heavyweight champions met at UFC 76, with Griffin submitting the former PRIDE star in the third round.

The striking was sloppy as the bout opened, with both fighters looking to find their range. But a minute in, a hard right uppercut from Rua changed all that, and from that point on, “Shogun” looked like a man on a mission as he pursued Griffin. A right hand grazed Griffin and forced him to the mat, and once Rua had Griffin down, a barrage of hammerfists stunned and then knocked Griffin out, with referee Marc Goddard stepping in to call a halt to the bout at the 1:53 mark.

“Forrest is a good fighter, but I trained hard every day for this fight,” said Rua, who improved to 20-5 in his first bout since losing his light heavyweight title to Jon Jones in March. Griffin, who was coming off back-to-back wins over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin, falls to 18-7.

NOGUEIRA vs. SCHAUB

Finally healthy after multiple surgeries and
fighting in his home country for the first time in his legendary career,
former UFC / PRIDE heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro”
Nogueira showed that there’s still some gas in his tank as he scored a
stirring and emotional first round knockout of rising star Brendan
Schaub. See post-fight interview

Schaub and Nogueira took turns muscling each other to the
fence in the early going, but when trading at long range, the edge went
to the faster and younger Schaub.  While standing, Nogueira took the
role of aggressor, and was able to land a solid 1-2, but Schaub held the
edge when he planted his feet and let his fists fly. But just when you
though Nogueira was about to find himself in permanent trouble, another
1-2 hurt Schaub and Nogueira kept coming. A left put Schaub down on his
face, and after one more left on the downed American, referee Herb Dean
stopped the fight at 3:09 of the opening round.

With the win – later announced as Knockout of the Night –
Nogueira, who had been sidelined since a February 2010 loss to Cain
Velasquez, improves to 33-6-1 with 1 NC. Schaub falls to 9-2.

BARBOZA vs. PEARSON

Brazilian lightweight prospect Edson Barboza kept his unbeaten record intact the hard way, surviving a grueling three round battle with England’s Ross Pearson to pull out a three round split decision. See post-fight interview

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Barboza, who improves to 9-0.

Pearson (14-5) got right in the face of Barboza to open the bout, nullifying his reach and leg kicks effectively. But after catching a few punches upstairs, Barboza settled in and began landing his own shots while also tossing in the occasional front kick and spinning back kick to keep the Brit honest. Pearson was on top of his game though, and his confidence was evident throughout the opening frame.

A flush overhand right from Barboza dropped Pearson as the second round opened, but “The Real Deal” shot back up immediately and resumed his forward moving attack. The right was beginning to find a home more frequently though, becoming a key weapon for the Rio native. Pearson’s pressure was paying off though, as he was getting his licks in, taking Barboza’s best, and tiring his foe in the process.

Energized by the between rounds rest, Barboza’s strikes were fired off in a crisp and accurate fashion as Pearson trudged forward. With two minutes gone, Pearson landed a solid combination before pinning Barboza to the fence, but Barboza pushed off and got back to picking away from long range as Pearson’s face continued to show the marks of battle. With under a minute left, both fighters began emptying their clips in an effort to leave an impression with the judges. The fans were certainly appreciative of the efforts of both lightweights, as were Zuffa officials, who awarded both men $100,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.

NEDKOV vs. CANE

It took a while, but after a series of postponed bouts, unbeaten Bulgarian light heavyweight Stanislav Nedkov finally made his UFC debut and he didn’t disappoint, stunning favored Sao Paulo native Luiz Cane via first round TKO. See post-fight interview

Cane stalked the smaller Nedkov to begin the bout, but he was selective with his shots as he moved in. Nedkov was wilder in his return volleys, using his striking to get close enough to score the takedown. As the round progressed, both had success with their diverse strategies, but Cane pulled into the lead when he jarred Nedkov with an uppercut that bloodied his nose.  But out of nowhere, Nedkov’s wild right hand hit the mark and a follow-up left stunned Cane. Cane, on rubbery legs, tried to get out of trouble, but Nedkov wouldn’t let him, and a barrage of strikes finished matters, with referee Mario Yamasaki calling a stop to the bout at the 4:13 mark.

With the win, Nedkov improves to 12-0; Cane falls to 12-4 with 1 NC.

Numbers don’t even do him justice anymore. Yes, Anderson Silva added to his record number of title defenses (nine) and consecutive UFC wins (14) Saturday night at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, but in stopping number one contender Yushin Okami in the second round of the UFC RIO main event, the 36-year old Silva isn’t getting older – he’s getting better.

What’s next?

“My clone,” he laughed.

That might be the only one capable of stopping the reign of Silva, who avenged a 2006 disqualification loss to Okami in the UFC’s first visit to Brazil since Ultimate Brazil in 1998. And as soon as the bout began to heat up, there was no doubt that the Curitiba native was going to send his home country fans away happy.

Showing little emotion before the opening bell, Okami came right at Silva to begin the fight, and the champion smoothly moved around the Octagon, feinting and keeping the challenger from committing. Two minutes in, Silva started opening up a bit, not fully unleashing his arsenal but giving his foe something to think about. Midway through the round, Okami closed the distance and bulled Silva into the fence, but it was “The Spider” who did the bulk of the offensive work as he landed a few knees at close range. Okami responded by looking for the takedown, but when it came up empty, he pushed off and resumed the standup duel. In the final 30 seconds, Okami scored with a couple of punches, which prompted Silva to finish up the round with a jarring left kick to the head.

Silva came out fast in round two, with kicks to the leg and punches to the head. Okami weathered the storm initially, but as Silva dropped his hands, the champion dropped the challenger with a straight right. Okami got back to his feet, but a few moments later he was sent to the mat again with a right hand. This time, Silva knew Okami was hurt, and he finished the bout with a variety of strikes, forcing referee Herb Dean to intervene at 2:04 of the round.

With the win, the champion improves to 29-4; Okami falls to 27-6.

For some, it would have been a bit of a dilemma; for Dan Miller, packing up his bags and traveling to Milwaukee just a couple weeks away from a pivotal fight to corner his brother Jim against Ben Henderson was a no brainer.

That’s pretty much all you need to know about who this 30-year old middleweight is.

“Training was a little harder, but I got my training in out there,” he said. “One of my striking coaches and Mike (Constantino) were out there, so I got to grapple and hit pads and keep up with everything, so it didn’t interrupt my training too bad.”

If it wasn’t for the three year age difference, you would think that New Jersey’s Miller brothers were twins, that’s how attached at the hip they are. So for Dan to leave Jim before a big fight, it was something that just wasn’t going to happen, and Jim would have done the same thing for Dan. And while both were disappointed by the end result – a decision win for Henderson on August 14th – if there was a bright side, it was that the trip back home to Jersey meant that Dan could now focus completely on his own fight this weekend in Brazil without the stress of his brother’s bout on his mind.

“I was nervous, and it was a big fight, so it was kinda good to get it out of the way so I could concentrate on myself,” said Miller, who also had to deal with the emotions that come over him anytime he’s at a UFC event that he’s not competing in.

“When I see him (Jim) warming up and we’re at the event, there’s so much energy it’s ridiculous, and I just want to fight every time I’m there,” he laughs. “I get so pumped up and I want to get in there; even if I’m sitting in the crowd, I get that anxious feeling.”

Now it’s Jim’s turn to get that feeling as Dan prepares for home country favorite Rousimar Palhares. It’s been a constant for the brothers since they decided to abandon dreams of becoming Whippany’s first rodeo cowboys to tackle the world of mixed martial arts. From there, you couldn’t think of one without the other.

“We started together and he (Jim) had a lot to do with my keeping with it and training so hard,” said Miller. “In the beginning, neither of us wanted to say no to each other. I didn’t want to be the guy to say ‘no, I don’t want to go to practice today.’ And he was the same way, so for a long time we just went every day because neither of us wanted to be that guy. (Laughs) We were going five, six days a week because I didn’t want to disappoint Jim and he didn’t want to disappoint me. It was constant training and it got us into it, and we excelled because we just jumped in and trained real hard.”

And the sky’s the limit for both of them. Jim has gotten more attention in recent months thanks to a seven fight winning streak that was recently snapped by Henderson, while Dan has struggled as of late, losing four of six bouts. But when the losses have come against Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia, Michael Bisping, and Nate Marquardt, you tend to give Miller a bit of a pass, especially since he wasn’t blown out of any of those bouts.

But winning pays the bills, and despite a two-fight winning streak that ended in March at the hands of Marquardt, Miller knows the importance of turning Palhares back on Saturday in Rio De Janeiro.

“A win over him helps me keep my job,” he said. “That’s foremost. In my eyes, he’s a great fighter and one of the most dangerous fighters I’ve ever faced. The guys I’ve fought were very, very good fighters, very well rounded, but he just brings another aspect with the leglocks. He’s very dangerous at finishing fights and it’s gonna be a tough fight and I’m really looking forward to it.”

You wouldn’t expect such a cheery outlook from someone who needs that notch in the win column pretty bad, but Miller is a fierce competitor, and when you’ve got that mindset, a win over someone you’re supposed to beat doesn’t measure up to one over a fighter many believe is the favorite.

“Facing really good fighters and testing myself keeps me very motivated,” he said. “When I have to go in against somebody who people say is better than me, that motivates me. I want to go in there and prove that I’m the better fighter and that motivates me and keeps me going and keeps me training hard.”

And as an added bonus, Miller gets to test out his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in the home of the art against one of its top practitioners, a master of leg locks whose finishes on the ground have struck fear into many.

“You definitely have to stay on top of your game with him,” said Miller. “He’s very sneaky with his leg locks and he can come out of nowhere. You can never really relax with him. He can dive in on a leg and once he gets a hold of it, it’s really tough to get out of them.”

True, but as he points out, this isn’t a jiu-jitsu tournament; this is a fight, so there’s more on the table than just jiu-jitsu or leg locks, and Dan Miller plans on proving that on Saturday.

“It’s more fighter against fighter and not so much black belt against black belt,” said Miller. “He (Palhares) is a great fighter, he’s got really good takedowns, and he’s fantastic on the mat. But I’m going in there to beat him and I want to finish him. I’m going in to test myself against him, so it gets me amped up to fight somebody like that. I’m going in there to try and finish him, so whether I do that standing or on the mat, it doesn’t really matter.”