Metal Reviews

Yeah I'm listening too. Dana White is fucking furious.

So now Lyoto Machida has turned down the fight with Jones at UFC 152. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was offered the fight, which he also turned down. So now Jones will look for his 4th title defense against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and Middleweight #1 Contender "The Phenom" Vitor Belfort. Chris "The All American" Weidman and Chael Sonnen also said they'd take the fight, but from "true challenger" standpoint Belfort gets the shot.

And, apparently, Anderson Silva, once he learned that UFC 151 had been cancelled, called Dana White and said he'd take a short notice fight against Jones or any other light heavyweight to help save the card, but the UFC had already cancelled the event and started to move fights to other cards.

So yeah, crazy 24 hours in the MMA world.

I want that.

I'm gonna put $100 on Belfort. I'm already in the mindset that I'll be out the money, so if Belfort wins... Well, that would be amazing. Jones opens as a -1300 favourite, Belfort +700. So if I put $100 on Vitor and he wins I get $800? Kneegrow please.

That's ballsy. Belfort can't be hesitant and stand right in front of Jones like against Anderson Silva, he needs to go complete Tim Boetsch on him. Just bum rush and flail around like a madman.

So in other words, he needs to go old school Phenom on Jones' ass.

Exactly. Get those arms swinging!

Could you imagine if he knocked out Jones the way he did Wanderlei Silva back in 1998 in like 18 seconds? Just bull rushed him. That would be huge.

Go Vitor!

Georges St. Pierre has been officially cleared to undergo full contact training, will be back in November.

The king has returned.

Erik Koch injured, former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar now to fight José Aldo for featherweight title in October at UFC 153 in Brazil.

Fuck me, that will be a fight! I like both guys, but I will be rooting for Aldo. But whoever wins, I'll be happy to have(hopefully) seen one of the best fights ever.

Hector Lombard vs. Rousimir Palhares to headline UFC on FX 6.

Sam Stout vs. John Makdessi added to UFC 154.

Chris Weidman vs. Tim Boetsch added to UFC 155.

So lots of shit has gone down the past couple weeks. Jose Aldo is hurt and won't be fighting Edgar at UFC 153. Now Anderson Silva will fight Stephan Bonnar. Big Nog will also fight Dave Herman on that card as Rampage also got hurt and pulled out if his fight with Glover Texeira.

But more importantly, UFC 152 is tomorrow night and I'm going. Picks?

I got Jones, Benavidez, Bisping, Hamill, Oliveira.

You're going? Fuckin sweet.

I got the same picks as you but Swanson instead of Oliveira.

Thank god the fights are tomorrow. I need that. I want to see Jones, Bisping and Hamill win. Other picks Johnson and Oliviera. I have had so much work to do this week. Some beers and some fights will be great to relax to.

Close to perfect. I figured Swanson didn't have a chance with that reach but he just got in there. Excited to see Bisping win. I want to see him and Jones next, if Silva isn't going up a weight class to take him on. Hamill is always such an awkward fighter, but he is just so damn strong. As for Jones, I can't believe he almost got caught by that arm bar, but how he just started dribbling Belfort on his head was awesome. ESPN is telling me that he hyperextended his arm, but the fucking pay per view wouldn't show the replay so I didn't see that. Or that time he was in guard and just lifted Belfort up. Those 'bows were nasty and to catch him and crank that arm back was awesome. At first I thought Belfort just laid down after that sternum kick, not realizing it caught him right wear it hurts.

Even the prelim fights were good.

Anybody see Struve vs. Miocic? When Struve uses that reach advantage he becomes quite the monster in the octagon. His jabs were deadly. And man is he slick in his transitions and submission attempts. He will be a beast in 2-3 years. He wants Febricio Werdum next, I say that or Frank Mir or the winner of Browne-Bigfoot.

also Dan Hardy picking up back to back wins dominating Amir Sadollah for 3 rounds. Sadollah is definitely a talented fighter, and he can take some punishment, but he has no power whatsoever. His kicks looked they hurt himself more than Hardy. Anyway, 2 straight impressive wins for "The Outlaw". He says he's far from being done. I think Thiago Alves, Josh Koscheck(if he doesn't mind waiting), or the winner/loser of Jake Ellenberger-Jay Hieron.

and what about Brad Pickett living up to his nickname with a huge 1st round uppercut KO over Yves Jabouin. Sucks for Yves, he was on a 3 win streak and was looking good. But good on Pickett, I like him. Tough bastard who can win the fight anywhere. Pickett vs Mike Easton or Michael MacDonald would be good or maybe Urijah Faber?

and lastly "Hansome" Matt Wiman earning more respect with every fight as he handed Paul Sass his first career loss by the same way he was beating everybody, first round submission. That back and forth on the ground, submission attempt after aubmission attempt, was a thing of beauty. Don't get to see that much any more, most fighters either want to wrestle or use wrestling not to get taken down. But to see some very slick jiu-jitsu was awesome.

honourable mentions to the debuts of Gunnar Nelson submitting DaMarqus Johnson and Jimi Manuwa destroying Kyle Kinsbury both in the first round.

There are so many young talented fighters in the UFC right now it's ridiculous. If they can just shake this injury bullshit, 2013 should be a truly amazing year for fights. I want Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones by the end of next year. I know it's wishful thinking, but Silva will destroy Bonnar, then whoever the next middleweight challenger is Bisping or Weidman or Boetsh or whoever or take the super fight with GSP and destroy him too. All that will be left for huge fights will be Bones. I certainly hope it happens before Silva hits his decline, if he ever does. Captain America fought til he was 47.

Struve fought!? It sucks that I missed it. His submissions are always awesome in just that span and length he has.

Yeah, Jones v Silva has to happen. Don't even know if I'm going to waste my time watching that Silva Bonnar fight.

Does that Friday night card look any good? I haven't given it a gander yet.

The main and co-main are big fights for their respective divisions. Travis Brown vs. Bigfoot Silva being the main, and Jake Ellenberger vs. Jay Hieron being the co. Browne is undefeated in his UFC/MMA career and a win should get him a top 5 opponent. Bigfoot needs a win because he's lost 2 straight and both have been pretty nasty stoppages against him. As for the co, Ellenberger needs a big bounce back after losing to Martin Kampmann, a fight Jake almost won, now Kampmann is a win away from a title shot. I really like The Juggernaut, he's very well rounded with heavy hands. Hieron is making his return to the UFC where he went 0-2 including a loss to GSP. But he's been on a 11-1 run since and has looked good posting that record. Hieron and Ellenberger fought once before outside of the UFC and I'm pretty sure Hieron won, handing Ellenberger his first career loss. So yeah, not huge in name power but in terms of match-ups and what they mean for their respective divisions, they are huge. Also Josh Neer fights, and he's always fun to watch. Lots of lesser "up and coming" fighters on the card as well. It's free so I'll definitely be there.

As for UFC 153, I still highly suggest you watch it. Any card with Anderson Silva should be an instant buy, he's the best ever. And Bonnar definitely has a punchers chance and is tough as nails. I still see Silva stopping this in the first or second. But besides the main event, the entire main card is very good. Big Nogs first fight since breaking his arm as he takes on Dave Herman. Fast rising Glover Texeira, who Shogun Rampage and Rashad Evans have all turned down/backed out of fights against, takes on talented Fabio Maldonado. Maldonado is is much better than his 1-2 record suggests. He should of beat Igor Pokrajac and his body shots are deadly. Not to mention "Mr. Wonderful" Phil Davis takes on undefeated knockout artist Wagner Prado. Former welterweight title challenger Jon Fitch takes on my welterweight sleeper Erick Silva. Silva is a killer, as Joe Rogan would say, he should be 3-0 I the UFC but suffered a DQ loss to Carlo Prater cause a few punches hit him in the back of the head. Silva still got his win bonus for that fight, showing that Dana White and the UFC thought he won too. I hope Silva tears Fitchs limbs off when Fitchbtries to drag in to the ground. And lastly former middleweight title challenger Demian Maia will be fighting his second fight at welterweight after winning a weird one over Dong Hyun Kim. He takes on Rick "The Horror" Story, who is tough as hell and is an excellent grappler. I see Maia winning by decision using his strikes or picking up a vicious submission like old school Maia.

In conclusion, UFC 153 is stacked. Watch it. Buy it. Enjoy it.

Please forgive the spelling mistakes/sloppy grammar. Typed it out fast and on my blessedly holy iPhone.

You the man, dawg. I'm now stoked to watch it. Was it Bigfoot Silva who had his nose busted last time he fought and just bled everywhere? Like seriously like spewing out blood for three rounds.