UFC Fight Night 11: Fighter paydays and salaries

UFCmania.com has received the fighter payouts for UFC Fight Night 11 from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for the event held on September 19 at The Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The big money winner? Luke Cummo. Good for him — put some of that scratch on the side for diapers for your soon-to-be child … you’re gonna need it.

Nate Diaz — The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 5 winner — brought home the next highest purse with $30,000. And Thiago Alves banked $28,000 after a nine-month layoff from competition.

Not too shabby.

Here are all the UFC Fight Night 11 payouts:

Kenny Florian — $22,000 ($11,000 to show, $11,000 to win)
Din Thomas — $16,000
Florian defeated Thomas via submission (rear naked choke) in round one

Chris Leben — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Terry Martin — $12,000
Leben defeated Martin via knockout in round three

Nate Diaz — $30,000 ($15,000 to show, $15,000 to win)
Junior Assuncao — $6,000
Diaz defeated Assuncao via submission (guillotine choke) in round one

Nate Quarry — $20,000 ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win)
Pete Sell — $10,000
Quarry defeated Sell via technical knockout in round three

Luke Cummo — $32,000 ($16,000 to show, $16,000 to win)
Edilberto “Crocota” de Oliveira — $4,000
Cummo defeated “Crocota” via technical knockout in round one

Cole Miller — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Leonard Garcia — $6,000
Miller defeated Garcia via unanimous decision

Gray Maynard — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Joe Veres — $3,000
Maynard defeated Veres via knockout in round one

Thiago Alves — $28,000 ($14,000 to show, $14,000 to win)
Kuniyoshi Hironaka — $10,000
Alves defeated Hironaka via verbal submission (strikes) in round two

Dustin Hazelett — $16,000 ($8,000 to show, $8,000 to win)
Jonathan Goulet — $6,500
Hazelett defeats Goulet via submission (armbar) in round one

Keep in mind the salaries listed above do not include fight bonuses, sponsorships, percentages and other unofficial payments. For example, fighters receive bonuses for “Submission of the Night,” “Fight of the Night,” and others.

The total fighter payroll for the UFC Fight Night 11 was $273,500.

For results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC Fight Night 11 click here.

Written by admin on September 20th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Jonathan Goulet and Junior Assuncao and Luke Cummo and Thiago Alves and Terry Martin and Ediberto Crocota and Dustin Hazelett and Nate Quarry and Pete Sell and Joe Veres and Kuniyoshi Hironaka and UFC Fight Night 11 and Leonard Garcia and Nathan Diaz and UFC Payouts and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Gray Maynard and Cole Miller and Din Thomas and Chris Leben and Kenny Florian and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and MMA.

UFC Fight Night 11 results coverage and LIVE blow-by-blow-commentary

UFC Fight Night 11 is set for tonight from The Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV.

UFCmania.com real-time quick results for the prelim fights are ALREADY COMPLETE. LIVE blow-by-blow commentary of the televised portion of the main card is NOW UNDERWAY!

Many of our readers check-in before, during and after the Spike TV telecast to share their thoughts on the action. Therefore, feel free to leave a comment or 10 before you leave and chat with many of our readers during the show — it always turns out to be a good time.

Don’t forget also that we will be the spot for the latest news, recaps and post-fight analysis after UFC Fight Night 11.

See below for the latest UFC Fight Night 11 results, which will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest results!

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 11 QUICK RESULTS:

Kenny Florian defeats Din Thomas via submission (rear naked choke) in round one
Chris Leben defeats Terry Martin via knockout in round three
Nate Diaz defeats Junior Assuncao via submission (guillotine choke) in round one
Nate Quarry defeats Pete Sell via technical knockout in round three
Luke Cummo defeats Edilberto “Crocota” de Oliveira via technical knockout in round one
Cole Miller defeats Leonard Garcia via unanimous decision
Gray Maynard defeats Joe Veres via knockout in round one
Thiago Alves defeats Kuniyoshi Hironaka via verbal submission (strikes) in round two
Dustin Hazelett defeats Jonathan Goulet via submission (armbar) in round one

UFC FIGHT NIGHT 11 LIVE BLOW-BY-BLOW MAIN CARD COMMENTARY (will begin at 9 p.m. ET): Whats good Maniacs, Drubysunshine here for live blow by blow commentary. This will be an action packed night of MMA fights not to mention the debut of the latest installment of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Serra vs Team Hughes. Enjoy it folks.

Din Thomas vs. Kenny Florian (155-pound limit)

Round one: Well here we go, the fight ive been waiting for it should be non stop action, two top 10 fighters at the top of their games. It should also help clear up a cloudy title picture in the 155 division. Thomas looking for distance. Leg kick by Ken flo followed by a high kick. Another high kick by Florian. Another head kick by Florian and Din lands a right hook and left cross. Leg kick by Florian, check that a kick right to the balls by Florian and the fight is stopped right now. Another head kick by Florian and Din answers with a right cross. Florian goes for another head kick and slips, Din rains down a right punch and couple elbows and now their back to the feet. Ken flo goes for the take down and he gets him down, Din is scrambling and kicks him off and back to the feet. Din again gets taken down and again kicks him off and their back to the feet. Din shoots and looks like he hurt his knee, now Florian is raining down punches while hes on Dins back. Florian still raining punches, and Florian locks in the choke and its all over. Din definitely hurt his left knee while going for the shot. He still hasn’t gotten up and is pointing to his left knee. The replay shows that it looks like he could have very well blown out his knee which would explain why he didn’t put up any fight at the end of this one. Sad to see the fight end that way, but Florian looked great nonetheless.

Result: Kenny Florian defeats Din Thomas via submission (rear naked choke) in round one

-end-

Terry Martin vs. Chris Leben (185-pound limit)

Round one: This one should be a brawl in every since of the word. Im going to go out on a limb and say that someone will get knocked out in this one. This should be the definition of a fan friendly fight. Both fighters exchange blows. Leg kick by Leben. Left hook by Martin. Martin with a nice take down. Leben has full guard. Martin trying to use some ground and pound. Leben looking for an arm bar. Back to the feet. Martin lands two vicious lefts, and Leben answers with a solid knee. Both fighters clinched. Martin with a right. Martin with knees from the clinch. Martin with double under hooks and goes for a nice slam and lands it. Leben looses a point for grabbing the fence. Back to the feet. Leben with a good knee and elbow. Clinched up against the fence again. Foot stomps by Leben. That round goes to Martin obviously because of the point deduction. But otherwise is was an extremely close round.

Round two: Leben looks to be in much better shape than he ever has been and Martin seemingly looks winded. Leben with good knees to the body from the clinch. Leben with a solid uppercut. Martin looks confused and uncomfortable in the stand up game. Back to the clinch against the fence. Leben with more foot stomps. Martin with a nice left hook. Great body shot by Martin. Both fighters exchange knees, and right hooks. Leben with a leg kick. Martin is swinging wildly. Leben with a good knee to the head, but Martin then takes him down. Hes in Lebens full guard. Nice elbows from the bottom by Leben. Martin looks tired, and Leben is looking to lock in a triangle. Its locked in and Martin isnt answering. Leben using elbows to soften him up. ANd thats the bell. Leben won that round easy and looks in much better shape and more crisp than Martin. But we have to wonder how much that point deduction will hurt him if this goes the distance.

Round three: Martin is breathing heavy and Leben looks confident. Nice uppercut by Martin. Back to the clinch. Both guys exchange knees. Martin lands a solid left. Martin with a stiff jab then a right. Martin with a good knee from the clinch. Martin with a huge right and left to the body!! Leben with a straight right. Martin with a take down. Again in Lebens full guard. Martin landing some punches. Lebemn lands a hook. Martin with a knee to the gut. Two left hooks by Martin and another. 2 minutes left. Leben goes for a take down but Martin reverses and again is in Lebens guard. Martin is gassed. HUGE right by Martin and Leben is rocked!!! Hes hurt bad, another right by Martin. Leben out of nowhere with a HUGE left hook!!!!! Martin is out cold!!! Its over Leben wins is an exciting finish!!! WOW!!

Result: Chris Leben defeats Terry Martin via knockout in round three

-end-

Nate Diaz vs. Junior Assuncao (155-pound limit)

Round one: Alright here we go, TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz will get his first test out of the competition in Junior Assuncao and we’ll see what he has to offer. Both fighters come out fast. Junior with a leg kick. Junior with some wild punches and Diaz clinches up against the fence. Diaz using some lefts. Junior has the back, then Diaz uses a Judo sweep and flips him over. Junior on top and Diaz to his feet. Back to the clinch. Diaz goes for a kimura. Diaz is cranking it hard. Junior rolls for the back, but Nate scrambles to the feet. Nate with knees to the thigh. Nate Diaz with a HUGE one two combo and Junior is rocked!!!! He falls and lands into a guillotine of Nate Diaz. It’s over Diaz submits him in an impressive victory. His jiu-jitsu is off the charts.

Result: Nate Diaz defeats Junior Assuncao via submission (guillotine choke) in round one

-end-

Nate Quarry vs. Pete Sell(185-pound limit)

Round one: OK, here we go a rematch that should be a brawl and well see if Drago can come back from the KO he suffered in his first meeting with Nate Quarry, and if Nate’s surgically fused broken back can withhold the rigors of fighting and what affect it will have on his performance. Sell with a HUGE right cross to open things up, Quarry answers with two leg kicks and a combo. Both fighters clinch, and are exchanging knees. Drago with two good punches. Drago with the takedown off a double leg. Quarry back to his feet. Sell landing from rights from the clinch. Nice knee from Sell. Yamasaki separates them and both fighters exchange huge punches. Drago with two stiff jabs. HUGE right by Sell!!! Quarry answers with a left. Now they are clinched up against the fence. Quarry working knees to the stomach. Drago going for the takedown but cant get it. Huge elbow and right by Sell. Followed by a stiff left hook. HUGE left hook by Sell and followed by ANOTHER!!!! 1-2 combo from Sell. Another huge right hook to end the round!!! Gotta give that round to Drago 10-9 easy he had the take down, he was moving forward more, and he landed more shots, threw more shots and they were powerful.

Round two: Nice right by Sell. 2 good right leg kicks by Quarry. Drago with a nice body shot. HUGE right by Sell!!!! Hes down!!! Dropped, but amazingly hes back to his feet. Another huge right by Sell. Hes doing some damage. Quarry with a good right, Sell immediately takes him down. Now hes going for the guillotine. Sell with a knee. both fighters back up to their feet. Superman punch lands flush by Sell. Sell with another right cross. Quarry lands a right. Leg kick by Sell. Jab by Drago. Nice right by Sell. Body shot by Sell. Another straight right by Sell followed by a leg kick from Quarry. ANother solid leg kick with a right by Nate. Left hook by Sell. Thats the bell. Again it goes to Sell 10-9 for all the same reasons especially that punched that dropped Quarry.

Round three: Jab by Sell. Huge right left combo from Sell. Another huge right!!! Quarry lands a huge right hook and drops Sell, thats it its all over!!! WOW! A surprising end to a fight that Drago was dominating up until that one punch, but as we all know one punch is all it takes.

Result: Nate Quarry defeats Pete Sell via technical knockout in round three

-end-

Written by admin on September 19th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Jonathan Goulet and Junior Assuncao and Thiago Alves and Kuniyoshi Hironaka and Ediberto Crocota and Joe Veres and Luke Caudillo and Dustin Hazelett and Nate Quarry and Pete Sell and UFC Fight Night 11 and Din Thomas and Gray Maynard and Leonard Garcia and Nathan Diaz and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Cole Miller and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Chris Leben and UFC Results and UFC on SpikeTV and Kenny Florian and MMA.

UFC Fight Night 11 betting odds: Free tips and advice from Desert Dog

UFC Fight Night 11 is set for September 19 at 9 p.m. ET on the Spike television network.

The main event between Kenny Florian and Din Thomas is a much better match up than the originally scheduled Spencer Fisher vs. Thomas showdown (Fisher pulled out because of a bad staph infection).

There are a number of other fights that should be very tight contests. No belts are on the line at this event, but as always the special event will help to sure-up the ranks of several divisions and provide some high quality entertainment.

And it’s always fun to spice up the action with a friendly wager.

Without further delay, here are the “Smart Bets” for UFC Fight Night 11:

Main card picks
(Note: + = Underdog, - = Favorite)

Din Thomas +135 (Bet $100 to win $135.00)
Thiago Alves -220 (Bet $100 win $45.45)
Terry Martin -210 (No Action)
Pete Sell +190 (Bet $100 win $190)

Preliminary card picks

Nate Diaz -255 (No Action)
Luke Cummo -140 (No Action)
Gray Maynard -285 (No Action)
Cole Miller -130 (Bet $100 win $76.32)
Jonathan Goulet -145 (No Action)

(NOTE: UFCmania.com recommends BetUS.com to place wagers. However, Bodog.com is also a good place to bet and compare odds.)

As always — if you are going to bet — only play with what you are willing to lose.

Thiago Alves (-220) is the best value on this card with a simple chalk bet. The Miller bet has value but is should be a very tight fight, making a bet a bit risky.

The best probability for an underdog win is with a bet on Din Thomas (+140). A bet on Pete Sell is right on the edge of having value — anything below +200 and it’s probably not worth it.

The bet on Terry Martin is also on that edge of having value. I do believe he will win this fight; however, anything above -190 and he is overvalued.

Now onto a more detailed breakdown of the fights for those bettors who require a little more reassurance:

Kenny Florian (-165) vs. Din Thomas (+135)
This fight is definitely going to determine who the next top lightweight contender is, providing the winner with a probable match up against Joe Stevenson or another top dog.

This situation will become more clear once the final verdict on Sherk comes down on October 31.

Thomas continues to train with American Top Team. He holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and his prowess on the ground shows with more than half of his wins coming via submission. Since his time on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 4 he is unbeaten. Along with his strong ground game, Din has also displayed great technical boxing skills.

Before his fight with Clay Guida I was beginning to question if his heart was still in the game. Needless to to say, his is win over the relentless captain caveman impressed me.

Put simply, the crafty veteran knows where a win here will put him, and I believe he is prepared and we’ll all see his A game.

Kenny Florian — who also holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu — has continued to surprise and improve. Although his submission game and sharp elbows are well-known, his marked improvement in Muay Thai (especially leg kicks) was evident in his submission win over Dokonjonosuke Mishima.

Florian’s conditioning and “Never Say Die” attitude means no rest for any opponent.

Heart, conditioning and technique will determine the outcome of this one. When it comes right down to it, I see this fight as a coin toss, and when one side of the coin is worth more than the other that’s where I’ll put my money. I don’t see a submission (maybe a technical knockout or cut) but most likely this fight will go to a decision.

Prediction: Thomas via decision

Terry Martin (-210) vs. Chris Leben (+170)
Has the legendary Randy Couture been able to teach Leben anything about strategy and game planning? Or will we see another slugfest?

The very heavy-handed Martin is on a tear since returning to the UFC and dropping to middleweight. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’ll say it again:

Terry Martin is a knockout machine.

A quick glance at his record tells you as much. His ground game has not been tested for a while and a well conditioned Leben should look there first for an advantage. Martin wants this win because he feels it will propel him into contention with the top 185-pound fighters.

And he’s right.

So is Leben in the greatest shape of his life? Tomorrow nght will tell a lot, but I would counter that an in-shape Leben should be fighting at 170 pounds. If he chooses to stand up in this fight his iron chin will again be put to the test.

Training with Team Quest will make anyone solid on the ground and if he wants this win, he’ll have to take it there and control to score points. I don’t think he has the skills to finish from there but he could pull out a decision.

The likely scenario is a half a round of dancing around each other and then they move in for a big exchange. This will push Leben’s buttons, leading to him forgetting any game plan and opening him up for another Mike Tyson looking knockout. I won’t bet on this one unless I can get odds less than -200.

Prediction: Martin via knockout

Pete Sell (+190) vs. Nate Quarry (-230)
With Mike Swick out, Pete Sell finds himself again in the spotlight of a televised event.

And you know he’s not going out easily.

Sell is an emotional aggressive fighter who has let his nerves and hunger get the better of him in the past. Pete’s bizarre group hug loss to Quarry two years ago told me nothing of what to expect in this fight.

Overall he’s about even in standup with Quarry and holds a decent advantage on the ground. Two years has allowed for improvement in all aspects of his game and hopefully this fight will repair his confidence.

The question for Nate Quarry is. “what have the last two years done for him?” Recuperating from a very serious neck injury, inactivity and removal from Team Quest leaves many open questions for “The Rock” to answer. Standup was always his game in the past and he will likely continue on that road.

Prediction: Sell via decision

Nate Diaz (-255) vs. Junior Assuncao (+205)
This is an excellent test for both fighters. Nate will not have to worry about being overpowered in this fight and he will be able to make excellent use of his reach advantage.

Assuncao is another strong submission fighter, but he still lacks a bit in the standup game. Often in these types of fights the submission skills cancel out and the fight is determined by standup aggression and points scored on the ground. Reach and better boxing skills should provide Diaz with the edge to pull out another win.

Prediction: Diaz via decision

Thiago Alves (-220) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (+190)
Before getting suspended Alves was gaining great confidence and showing some fantastic aggressive abilities in all parts of his game. Alves — another ATT team member — is training with some great competition and that type of work will show again in this fight.

Hironaka is a very solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo and “ground and pound” fighter. However, he tends to move to slow, often not looking to control a fight but find an opening. In this matchup that style will be overwhelmed by the aggression and athleticism of Alves.

Prediction: Alves via technical knockout

Dustin Hazelett (+115) vs. Jonathan Goulet (-145)
Tough fight to call.

The polls have Goulet way ahead. The Canadian import has fought his last four fights outside of the UFC and is looking to make things right after his loss to Josh Koscheck. He has very solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills and even better hands.

Hazelett is training with Team Jorge Gurgel and of course is known for his submission abilities. But those abilities will not be that big of a factor in this fight. Strikes and takedowns will decide this one and Dustin is likely not up to facing this level of competition.

But you never know, it’s a fight and anything can happen.

Prediction: Goulet via technical knockout

Leonard Garcia (+100) vs. Cole Miller (-130)
This is a super close fight.

Garcia impressed the world in his fight with Roger Huerta and commands a lot of respect now for all aspects of his game. He’s a gritty fighter who is hard to put away.

Cole holds as much experience as Garcia and has many of the same skills … they are just packaged very differently. The only advantage I would give in this fight is to Miller’s height, which will allow him to use those bony ass knees inside and solid overhand right on the outside.

Prediction: Miller via decision

Luke Cummo (-140) vs. Edilberto de Oliveira (+110)
Cummo continues to improve under the tutelage of UFC Welterweight Champion, Matt Serra. He should be able to put another win under his belt in the very interesting fight between two odd, but very skilled ground fighters. Somehow I see myself laughing out loud at some point during this fight.

Prediction: Cummo via decision

Gray Maynard (-285) vs. Joe Veres (+225)
Working with Randy Couture should help Gray to get his head on straight and become less of a one dimensional fighter. His wrestling is great and it seems that the UFC has thrown him a bit of a bone with the mostly unknown Veres.

Of course, some unknowns make a huge mark like the one like the ones Alexander Houston left on the faces of Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara.

For now I’ll go with what I know and pick Maynard. No bets though on a fight with little information or background.

Prediction: Maynard via technical knockout

That about does it for this installment of betting tips and advice. UFC Fight Night 11 is a solid card that offers some intriguing betting options.

Remember to bet smart.

Betting is not for everyone. But if you want to take a stab at it head over to BetUs.com (with a deposit you get a $50 free play) or to compare competitive MMA lines visit Bodog.com.

Enjoy the fights and good luck.

Written by admin on September 18th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Jonathan Goulet and Terry Martin and Junior Assuncao and Luke Cummo and Thiago Alves and Ediberto Crocota and Joe Veres and Dustin Hazelett and UFC Octagon Odds and Nate Quarry and Pete Sell and Kuniyoshi Hironaka and UFC Fight Night 11 and Gray Maynard and Cole Miller and Leonard Garcia and Nathan Diaz and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Kenny Florian and Din Thomas and Chris Leben and UFC betting tips from Desert Dog and UFC on SpikeTV and MMA.

UFC Fight Night 11 weigh-in results (Official)

The 18 fighters on the UFC Fight Night 11 card all tipped the scales earlier this afternoon for the Spike television network special tomorrow evening from The Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In fact, there were no surprises — all fighters made weight and there didn’t appear to be any dust ups.

Here are the official results via UFC.com:

Main Event:
Din Thomas (156) vs. Kenny Florian (155)

Main card (televised):
185 lbs.: Chris Leben (185) vs. Terry Martin (186)
155 lbs.: Nate Diaz (155) vs. Junior Assuncao (155)
185 lbs.: Nate Quarry (186) vs. Pete Sell (184)

Under card (may not be broadcast):
170 lbs.: Luke Cummo (169) vs. Edilberto “Crocota” de Oliveira (170)
155 lbs.: Leonard Garcia (155) vs. Cole Miller (155)
155 lbs.: Gray Maynard (154) vs. Joe Veres (156)
170 lbs.: Thiago Alves (171) vs. Kuniyoshi Hironaka (170)
170 lbs.: Dustin Hazelett (170) vs. Jonathan Goulet (169)

To check out video of the weigh-in head over to UFC.com. If the video isn’t there yet just give it some time.

UFC Fight Night 11 takes place tomorrow (Wednesday), September 19, and will be televised at 9 p.m. ET on Spike TV. Our coverage of the main card action will begin at that time.

Quick results, however, of the preliminary card fights will begin to flow much earlier than that here at UFCmania.com at about 7 p.m. ET.

Remember: The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 season debuts following UFC Fight Night 11 at 11 p.m. ET. Jesse Holland will provide a complete recap and provide discussion for the mixed martial arts reality series.

See you all back here tomorrow (or sooner) for a great night of UFC action.

Written by admin on September 18th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Junior Assuncao and Jonathan Goulet and Luke Cummo and Thiago Alves and Kuniyoshi Hironaka and Terry Martin and Ediberto Crocota and Dustin Hazelett and Nate Quarry and Pete Sell and Joe Veres and UFC Fight Night 11 and Din Thomas and Gray Maynard and Leonard Garcia and Nathan Diaz and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Cole Miller and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Chris Leben and UFC on SpikeTV and UFC Weigh in Results and Kenny Florian and MMA.

UFC Fight Night 11 quick preview, analysis and predictions

UFC Fight Night 11 is set for this Wednesday, September 19 at 9 p.m. ET from the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Spike television special will air right before the debut episode of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 6 mixed martial arts reality series.

Put simply, it’s a great night to be a UFC fan.

We’re getting ready for all the action with our quick preview, analysis and predictions for the televised portion of the main card.

Normally, I go toe-to-toe with UFCmania.com contributor, Jesse Holland. However, after talking to some of our top posters I learned that many of them enjoyed sharing their thoughts in this column while I was on baby “vacation.”

So, every once in a while we will ask a site regular to chip in with some feedback on upcoming events. In the meantime, I’ll try not to take it too personal.

First up: Loyal UFCmania.com reader “Luppers.”

Below, you’ll see that Jesse and Nathan took one fighter in each bout to support. It’s important to note that while someone may be lauding a certain fighter, he isn’t necessarily the guy who he thinks is going to win.

Basically, we never want this to come out sounding repetitive — that happens enough on this site day in and day out. At the end of each analysis, therefore, you will see the picks.

Here we go:

Din Thomas (20-6) vs. Kenny Florian (6-3)

Jesse Holland: Kenny Florian versus Din Thomas in any other place and time might be nothing more than a battle of two talented lightweights. But thanks to the Sean Sherk steroid scandal, this match now has an air of title contention surrounding it. And don’t think Din Thomas doesn’t know it. In our conversation with Din back in July, he spoke candidly about getting the title shot he feels he deserves. It won’t be an easy task as he faces The Ultimate Fighter alumnus and perennial lightweight contender Kenny Florian. KenFlo might get goofed on for looking like Ben Stiller and Kevin Richardson, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a skilled fighter. Five of his six wins have come by submission, including his quick disposal of the up-and-coming Sam Stout at Ultimate Finale 3, an opponent many “experts” picked to send him back into obscurity. His losses to Diego Sanchez and Drew Fickett were in a weight class where his body was not welcome, and a five round decision loss to Sherk? Not exactly a blemish considering Sherk’s accomplishments. Thomas is very well rounded and is nearly impossible to submit but I think Florian is a better fighter on the inside and fights the smarter fight. He’s also quicker and assuming Thomas continues his love affair with his jab Florian may have little trouble getting the better of each round.

UFCmania reader “Luppers:” Din has been around for years, fighting hard and being very undersized at 170 pounds. Now that the 155-pound division has returned to the UFC and the weight class is in full swing, Din is back at his natural weight. The match up with Kenny should be a good fight. Din has always demonstrated exceptionally fast hands and refined standup. “Dinyero” also has fantastic submission talent, winning more than half of his fights by submission.Thomas knows this fight with KenFlo is his chance to get back to fighting the top fighters in his division and could earn him a potential rematch with BJ Penn in the near future. Thomas is going to take full advantage of this chance.

Final Predictions
Holland — Florian via unanimous decision
Luppers — Thomas via unanimous decision

Chris Leben (16-4) vs. Terry Martin (16-2)

Jesse Holland: Terry Martin is back by unpopular demand to face the only fighter in the UFC with a mouth that can match his own. Aside from a big trap, Martin also has big power. He’s finished more than 60% of his fights by (T)KO and is 4-0 since losing to Jason Lambert at UFC 59. He’s much quicker and better conditioned now that he’s dropped to a more natural 185lbs. and a win here could put Martin into the title hunt in a division that is quickly starting to thin out. Martin also has an advantage going into this fight in that a loss would be much more devastating for Leben than it would for him. “The Crippler” has been on a downturn since his KO loss to Anderson Silva, going 1-2 and publicly questioning his commitment to the UFC. Whether or not Martin can use this to his advantage remains to be seen. Martin needs to be cautious because he can be susceptible to the haymaker. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him try and outmuscle Leben as he did Ivan Salaverry at UFC 71. In 18 fights Martin has only gone to a decision once so he can’t be accused of not brining it. As long as he keeps that momentum and doesn’t get reckless he stands a good chance of making it up one more rung on the middleweight ladder.

UFCmania reader “Luppers:” Leben is well-known from his time on the TUF series. Not exactly a fan favorite, Leben has always been respected for what he is - a banger. Rogan said it best when he made the statement that Leben’s red dyed head was ‘like a fire hydrant.’ Even though Leben has lost his last two fights in rather undramatic fashion, he boasts wins over such exceptional fighters as Mike Swick, Patrick Cote and Luigi Fioravanti. Leben’s back is basically to the wall, which makes men fight much harder.

Final Predictions
Holland — Leben via technical knockout
Luppers — Leben via technical knockout

Nate Diaz (6-2) vs. Junior Assuncao (5-2)
Jesse Holland: The UFC hopes Junior Assuncao will continue the long and honored tradition of playing patsy to a recently crowned TUF champ. Assuncao on the other hand, hopes to be the first fighter since Josh Neer to rain on the graduation parade. Nate Diaz, like his brother before him, is a difficult fighter to match up against from a style perspective, but that may actually work in Junior’s favor. Assuncao is brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is comfortable tussling on the ground. He also loves to battle but will probably look to avoid striking with Diaz where he has a distinct disadvantage. Even if it stays on the feet however it’s not necessarily a foregone conclusion. Full Throttle fans will remember when Dustin Hazelett turned Junior’s body into peanut brittle only to get knocked out shortly thereafter in a spectacular finish. Assuncao needs to be the smarter fighter to pull this one out and not let Diaz pick him apart in the stand up. To that end, he should try and avoid staying in one place for very long. To me the most interesting aspect of this fight is taking place outside of the Octagon. Will older brother (and EliteXC fighter) Nick be cornering Diaz for Wednesday’s fight?

UFCmania reader “Luppers:” Yet another standout from the TUF series on this lineup, many casual fans know of both the Diaz brothers. Nate trains with his exceptionally talented brother, Nick, at Cesar Gracie jiu jitsu. Diaz’ last fight ended early because of a Manny Gamburyan injury during the TUF 5 Finale where Diaz walked out the winner. With Diaz’ exceptional jui jitsu skills he has a great chance of winning against almost any fighter in the lightweight division.

Final Predictions
Holland — Diaz via unanimous decision
Luppers — Assuncao via unanimous decision

Nate Quarry (8-2) vs. Pete Sell (7-3)
Jesse Holland: Nate Quarry returns to the Octagon for the first time in almost two years and his first order of business is to prove his TKO stoppage of Pete Sell back at 2005’s Ultimate Fight Night was no accident. Fans may remember the questionable stoppage for being a bit premature and also for creating a Quarry “Manwich”. While critics may be concerned about Quarry’s ring rust it should be noted that Drago hasn’t exactly been tearing up the division since they last met. He’s 1-2 with back-to-back losses in the UFC including a tough KO loss to Scott Smith at Ultimate Finale 4. Quarry’s strength has always been his hands and he’ll be looking for the KO to put an exclamation point on his return. The last place he wants this fight to end up is on the ground where he is easily outmatched. Look for Quarry to keep away from the shot and set up the big punch. Considering the layoff “The Rock” may have a questionable gas tank but in my opinion he’s not interested in letting this one to go the distance. None of his UFC wins have gone longer than one round and I don’t expect this one too either. I have a feeling history is going to repeat itself.

UFCmania reader “Luppers:” “Drago” is another fighter from the TUF series who fights and trains with current Welterweight Champion, Matt Serra, at Serra jiu jitsu. Sell — like Leben — has lost his last two UFC, holding a 1-3 record in the Octagon. His only win, in fact, is a submission over the hard-hitting Phil Baroni. One of his losses in the UFC has come against Nate Quarry. Pete is a skilled jiu jitsu artist that absolutely needs to win this fight and get back to his winning ways. Look for him to come out aggressive and try to win this fight cleanly.

Final Predictions
Holland — Quarry via technical knockout
Luppers — Quarry via technical knockout

What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and provide your picks for UFC Fight Night 11.

For the complete UFC Fight Night 11 fight card click here.

Written by admin on September 17th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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UFC Fight Night 11: Nate Diaz vs. Junior Assuncao

The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 5 winner Nate Diaz (6-2) will take on two-time UFC veteran Junior Assuncao (5-2) at UFC Fight Night 11 at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 19, according to GracieFighter.com.

Nate Diaz won the TUF 5 finale when opponent Manvel Gamburyan was forced to tap after a freak shoulder injury.

While this bout is by no means a stinker, there’s still some unfinished business between Diaz and Gamburyan.

Prior to tapping, Gamburyan had dominated much of the fight, and the usually wily Diaz was never able to mount much of an offense.

Some fans question as to whether or not Diaz would have prevailed if Gamburyan had not been injured.

That’s a tempting “what if” scenario, but like we saw against Corey Hill, a fighter with jiu-jitsu like Diaz should never be counted out.

Junior Assuncao lost his UFC debut to the always-dangerous Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 64, but quickly bounced back with a submission win over David Lee at UFC 70.

Like most lightweight battles, this should be a fast-paced and exciting bout. I’m also interested to see how Diaz performs in a division that’s as deep as this one.

For more on the upcoming UFC Fight Night 11 click here.

Written by admin on July 19th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Junior Assuncao and UFC Fight Night 11 and Nathan Diaz and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.

New UFC matchups rumored/reported

Written by admin on July 18th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Nate Diaz and Alberto Crane and Junior Assuncao and UFC Fight Night 11 and UFC 74 and UFC and Roger Huerta and MMA.