SpikeTV just fired off a fierce press release.

It appears that many of the hardcore MMA Fans that were completely alienated in the first installment of Saturday Night Fights did not answer the bell for the second round.

Here is the release:

SPIKE TV’S RE-BROADCAST OF UFC 84 DRAWS MORE YOUNG MEN THAN A LIVE PRO ELITEXC CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT ON CBS

Need proof the UFC is the preeminent mixed martial arts brand in the world? On Saturday, July 26, more men 18-34 watched a repeat…a repeat…of a UFC event on Spike TV than a LIVE telecast of a Pro EliteXC championship card on CBS. Despite being available in over 17 million more homes, Spike TV drew 27% more Men 18-34 for a re-broadcast of “UFC 84: Penn vs. Sherk” from (9:00-12:00am ET/PT) than CBS’s live show (9:00-11:00pm). Spike TV’s telecast tallied 433,000 Men 18-34 to CBS’s 341,000.

Overall, “UFC 84: Penn vs. Sherk” drew higher ratings than Pro EliteXC in Men 18-49 (1.5 to 1.3) and Men 18-34 (1.5 and 1.0).

Reminiscent of the XFL’s rating collapse years ago, the CBS telecast was 69% lower in Men 18-34 and 57% lower with Men 18-49 than its initial broadcast on CBS in May featuring the “He Hate Me” of MMA, Kimbo Slice.

Compared to last week’s live Spike TV UFC telecast featuring arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, the UFC outdrew CBS by 165% with Men 18-34, 82% with Men 18-49, and 21% with total viewers.

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed an audio book by Eugene Robinson called “Fight”. The audio book was pretty cool and I highly suggest you pick it up.

I have recently received a copy of a hardcover book entitled “Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai”, by Masaaki Hatsumi. Hatsumi has studied Judo, Kendo, Karate, Aikido, Okinowan Karate (Zen-Bei Butokukai), Jukendo (rifle and bayonet combat) and western style boxing. By the time he was 20 years old he had obtained the rank of 4th degree black belt in Judo.

Grandmaster Hatsumi is the author of over a dozen books and 40+ video tapes on the art of Ninjutsu.

Now I know what you are thinking. What do Samurai’s and mixed martial arts have to do with each other? Not a whole lot, but this book demonstrates several useful strikes, throws, and submissions that translate well into MMA fights. As a mixed martial artist, you always want to have a well rounded arsenal of fighting techniques. I like to watch unorthodox fighters, and unorthodox martial arts styles. If you bring something to the table that the typical mixed martial artist has not seen, chances are he will have trouble defending and you gain the upper hand in the fight.

The book has illustrations of some interesting excercises you can do to make your grip stronger, and a strong grip is important in the jiu-jitsu aspect of mixed martial arts.

Some of the fighting techniques in this book are drills that are pretty routine in kickboxing and muay thai. The book describes an counterstrike called “Keto”

The opponent comes in with a right kick. Pull the left slightly, and with the right lef kick up from below the opponent’s right leg. The opponent shifts and comes in with a right strike. Block with the left arm and immediately hit the opponent’s face with a shako te (claw-shaped hand). At the same time kick the opponent with a right kick.

Replace the claw hand with a right cross and you have yourself a pretty nice hand/feet combo. The book is packed with offensive maneuvers like this. There are also photos and illustrations of ancient Japanese paintings.

I found the book to be a great read, and a nice resource to add to my collection of martial arts books. I suggest that you pick it up. You can buy it for about 23.00 at Amazon.

ROBBIE LAWLER
“I can’t wait to fight Scott. I don’t say much at press conferences. You guys know almost everything about me and Scott, so, you know you’re going to get an exciting and memorable fight.’’

SCOTT SMITH
“In the first fight I got hit way too much. In training camp we worked on some things that will remedy that.
“As a fighter you can’t place too much importance on any fight. I think when you do that you start thinking and analyzing too many things at once which can lead to confusion in the ring.
“I can’t let Lawler find any kind of rhythm because once Lawler gets rolling, he’s hard to stop. I have to keep him off balance.
“Robbie is a great fighter and I’m honored to fight him a second time. This fight can only be exciting. Robbie and I don’t know how to put on boring matches.’’

JAKE SHIELDS
“I think Nick is jumping the gun by saying that he is going to be the new welterweight champ. He’s a tough guy, but he’s going to have a lot of trouble with me.
“I’m ready to go. I wish the fight were today.’’

NICK THOMPSON
“I’m excited to be fighting Jake Shields. You’re looking at the new welterweight champion because I intend to beat Shields.’’

NICK DIAZ
“Fighting in Stockton is going to be great for me. I’m pumped to be fighting against Thomas Denny because he brings action to all his fights.
“Stockton is a great fight town because if you drive long enough on some of these roads you’ll probably see a pretty good street fight.
“There’s a little bit more pressure for this fight because it’s in my hometown. I’ll have a lot of familiar faces in the audience. I don’t mind the pressure though. It will just make me mentally stronger.
“I’m happy to be fighting Denny because I always see him on every magazine. I’m never in any magazines so maybe when I win I might get some love from a few publications.’’

THOMAS DENNY
“The odds have me as the underdog and I’m OK with that. I don’t mind that role, I actually relish it.
“I think Nick is a great opponent for me. There’s been a lot of build up for this match. We’re both going to come out aggressively. It’s going to be a great fight with lots of action. Look for a blood bath on Saturday.”

SHAYNA BASZLER
“I want to press the action and give the crowd a fun and exciting fight.
“I want to fight for titles. That’s what every fighter wants. I can certainly compete with elite fighters. I know my time will come soon.
“I’m really honored to be one of the first female fighters on CBS. If you’re a female fighter, your best option is to come to EliteXC because they really do embrace you with open arms.
“My fight against Cris, I think, will be talked about for a long time because she is a great competitor. She’s relentless and aggressive and that’s the type of fighter I want to fight.’’

CRIS CYBORG
“This is a great opportunity for me to show my abilities on national television. I won’t stall the fight. I’m here to show everyone a great time. I want to leave a lasting impression on the fans.’’

ANTONIO SILVA
“I have to give Justin different looks. I can’t let him figure out my fighting style in the first round. By changing speeds and styles, I think I’ll be able to win this fight. Justin is a big guy with good speed. I’m definitely not looking past him.
“I’m coming to win this title. This is what every fighter wants and it’s what I intend to get on Saturday.’’

JUSTIN EILERS
“I’m a gym right now. I’m in the gym six times a week, two or three times a day. You can’t take shortcuts in this business. I’m doing everything I can to be the best.
“I’m a more mature fighter now. I’m lighter, faster and stronger.
“I’m ready to bring it. You guys are going to see a great fight because I’m not a back down type of fighter. You won’t ever see fear in my eyes.’’

RAFAEL FEIJAO
“I have a lot of things to show off in this fight. My ground game is rock solid and now people will get the chance to see how much I’ve improved as a stand up fighter.’’

TRAVIS GALBRAITH
“I’ve added more strength and conditioning training to my routine, which has me much leaner and quicker. I can strike at a much faster pace.
“I took this fight on short notice but that doesn’t matter because I’m ready to go. Feijao is tough and dangerous, but so am I.’’

WILSON REIS
“It’s a big fight and a big show for me. I worked extremely hard for this fight. Bryan is a tough guy who is just as hungry to win as I am.
“I just have to stick with my strategy and build momentum and I should be fine.’’

BRYAN CARAWAY
“I’m really excited to be on this fight card. It’s a great chance for me to show my skills.
“I’ve been fighting for five years now and this is what I do. I don’t do anything else but fight. I love what I do and on Saturday people will see what I’m all about.’’

This Saturday night, EliteXC returns to basic cable with the second chapter of CBS Saturday Night Fights.

I am particularly looking forward to seeing how EliteXC hypes up the forthcoming KJ Noons/Nick Diaz fight. I am curious to see whether EliteXC will promote the hell out of the altercation that occurred between the Diaz brothers and the Noons family on Showtime, or ignore it. I have a feeling they are going to hype it as much as they can; I certainly hope that they do. I can see it now. Numerous shots of KJ sitting in the crowd while Nick Diaz completely dismantle Thomas Denny. Maybe show a few Highlight reel shots of the altercation that happened on the last Showtime card. Get the basic cable fans familiar with both fighters, and set the title fight rematch up for CBS/EliteXC Saturday Night Fights #3.

The first installment of the show left a lot of hardcore MMA fans yearning for more out of EliteXC. This card is pretty solid,though, and should provide be a pretty nice balance for MMA hard cores and newcomers alike.

Here are my thoughts and predictions for the card.

-Nick Diaz vs. Thomas “Wildman” Denny
After the brothers Diaz got into one of MMA’s most notorious melees with the Noons family, this is a must fight win for Diaz if he wishes to get his shot at Noons EliteXC lightweight title. The fans want to see this fight badly, especially after we saw Diaz lose by cut in the first bout.

Denny is an experienced veteran in the MMA game, but he doesn’t throw anything that Diaz hasn’t seen before, and he isn’t going to pose much of a problem to Diaz on the ground. Then again, who does?

A fire has been lit under Nick Diaz. Diaz wants KJ Noons badly, and he has to plow through Thomas Denny to get there.

I don’t think he will have much of a problem doing so. KJ, watch out. Nick Diaz is coming.

My Prediction: Nick Diaz – KO/TKO Round 2

-Shayna Baszler vs. Cristiane Cyborg – Female MMA
The women competitors in MMA rarely dissapoint when they step in the cage. The fights are always action packed, and I think this fight will be pretty good..

This fight pits the submission specialist Shayna Baszler against the relative MMA newcomer Cristiane Cyborg. Cyborg trains with the highly touted Chute Box academy, and has 3 TKO’s to her credit. Still, I think she is going to have a tough time dealing with Baszler. Baszler is 9-4 and has won every single fight by submission. In her last fight, she submitted Keiko Tamai with a twister, a submission that is more rare in MMA then the gogoplata. Cyborg Santos has not fought since November of 2006, and I think cage rust will play a factor in her bout with Baszler. Baszler will try to take her to the ground and work her submissions from there.

My Prediction: Shayna Baszler – Submission: Choke – Round 1

-Jake Shields vs. Nick “The GOAT” Thompson
I am looking forward to this fight. Jake Shields is one of the best welterweights in the world, and Nick Thompson is right behind him. Nick “The GOAT” Thompson is an MMA veteran with 46 fights to his credit. He has a pretty good KO to submission ratio and has only gone to a decision 5 times in his MMA career.

Unfortunately for Thompson, Jake Shields is too hot right now. Shields has drawn a lot of criticism for winning a greater part of his fights by decision, but he is riding a nine fight win streak and is really taking it to his opponents lately. Despite the fact that he is finishing his opponents, I don’t think he will finish off Thompson. I think Shields has the tools to take him to a decision and continue to work his way up the ranks as top-tier welterweight.

My Prediction: Jake Shields – Unanimous Decision

-Robbie Lawler vs. Scott Smith
The last time these guys met, they fight was stopped unceremoniously when Scott Smith was accidentally poked in the eye by Lawler. The fight was pretty good up until that point, and I personally think that Smith was getting the better of Lawler after round 1. Scott Smith was a 3-1 underdog in the last match, but something tells me the odds will be a little closer this time. Lawler is still the favorite in this match, but I think Scott Smith is going to pull this off. He took a really good beating last time and still out conditioned Lawler in the later rounds of the fight. Lawler’s hands were low and Smith took advantage of that. Smith can absorb a lot of punishment, and dish it out just as hard.

I don’t think Lawler has the gas in his tank to make it past round 3 with Smith, and I think this time we will see a definite finish, and a new EliteXC middleweight champion.

My Prediction: Scott Smith – TKO/KO Round 4

It’s casual Friday here. Most days are casual here, but today I am donning my Fedor Emelianenko Affliction shirt. I don’t even think he is going to win this Saturday, but the shirt is pretty cool, and I want to show my support for the organization.

This weekend is filled with a lot of MMA. I already gave my UFC analysis, and I am excited to watch that card, but I will be watching Affliction live while DVR’ing the UFC. I like the fact that the UFC offers free events on SpikeTV, but they hit you with an onslaught of commercials. It takes you out of the fight. Plus they don’t show the fighter entrances and that really annoys me.

I already gave my Ultimate Fight Night 14 analysis here, so here goes my Affliction: Banned predictions.

Middleweights
-Matt Lindland vs. Fabio Negao
Fabio Negao , one of the lesser-known names on the card, has a very tough test ahead of him when he opposes one of the best middleweights in the world, Matt “The Law” Lindland. Lindland has not fought in well over a year, so that may play a key factor in dragging this fight into the later rounds, but I don’t think the layoff will contribute to a loss for Lindland. Negao is not going to throw anything at Lindland that he hasn’t seen before. I think the two fighters will probably stand and exchange for a bit. Lindland will secure a takedown in the later rounds of the fight and ground and pound Negao into submission or TKO.

Prediction: Matt Lindland TKO/KO – Round 3

Light heavyweights
-Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs. Mike Whitehead
Thanks to DavidHeath getting the life nearly choked out of him, we haven’t seen Babalu fight on a big stage since he was released from the UFC. Now Babalu finds himself opposite the red-hot light heavyweight Mike Whitehead. Since losing a unanimous decision to Keith Jardine at UFC 57, Mike Whitehead has been on fire. He has won his last 12 fights, finishing a majority of those fights by submission. Renato Sobral has some of the slickest BJJ in the game, though, and the man is a submission machine. I think that Babalu is going to find a way to get this fight to the ground, enticing Whitehead to play a little jits with him, and eventually secure one of his trademark chokes to end the fight.

Prediction: Renato Sobral – Submission: Choke Round 2

Heavyweights
-Josh Barnett vs. Pedro Rizzo
This is one of those fights where the rising star gets to avenge a loss from earlier in his career. Pedro Rizzo is a former UFC heavyweight champion and owns a KO victory over Josh Barnett. Rizzo is a shadow of his former self, though. Since that knockout, Barnett has made a name for himself over in Japan. Barnett is one of the better catch/submission wrestlers in the heavyweight division and I doubt he will keep this fight standing. The fight should go to the ground, and Barnett should eventually secure a submission.

Prediction: Josh Barnett – Submission: Arm Lock Round 1

Heavyweights
-Andrei Arlovski vs. Ben Rothwell
Another intriguing match up. Once known as one of the most vicious heavyweights in the division, the hype around Andrei Arlovski died down after Tim Sylvia landed a punch to Andre’s jaw that put the “Pitbull” in la-la land. He seems to have picked up the pace in his last few fights, but he has a really tough test in front of him. Ben Rothwell is a huge heavyweight that likes to bang, much like Tim Sylvia. He is riding a 13-fight win streak and has 17 KO/TKO’s to his credit.

Under normal circumstances I would give this fight to Rothwell, but rumor has it that Andrei has been training with famed boxing coach Freddy Roach, the boxing coach of Oscar De La Hoya. I am hoping that Roach has reminded Arlovski how to throw his hands as violently and ill intended as he once did.

Prediction: Andrei Arlovski – TKO/KO Round 2

Heavyweights
-Fedor Emelianenko vs. Tim Sylvia
Well, here is the fight we have all been waiting for. The Russian sambo sensation Fedor Emelianenko is finally stepping in the ring with legitimate talent. Lets face it. Fedor has not fought anyone worth fighting in the last 3 years. The most legitimate name he fought was Matt Lindland, a career middleweight.

Tim Sylvia has been salivating for this fight. I have to believe he is training his ass off. He wants the world to know that he is a legitimate heavyweight, and one of the best mixed martial artists in the world. I think he is going to do everything he can to keep this fight off of the ground. Fedor likes to use that arm bar and we all know what happened to Tim against Frank Mir.

I’m not even a Tim Sylvia fan. I typically find his fights boring, but he is a legitimate threat to anyone he opposes.

I think Tim is going to use his long jab to keep Fedor outside of takedown range. His cardio is good, so I think he will utilize this strategy to take this fight in the later rounds. I don’t think this fight will be terribly exciting; Sylvia will do just enough to squeak a decision past “The Last Emperor”, silencing his critics world wide.

Prediction: Tim Sylvia : Split Decision

This week’s Hits from the MMA blogosphere:

To check out "Weekend MMA Betting Analysis: UFC, Affliction and DREAM" from FightTicker.com, click here.



To check out "The Razor’s Edge: Rob McCullough’s MMA blog" for the O.C. Register, click here.

My favorite online betting site, Bodog, just sent me this email:

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On Saturday, July 19th, UFC phenom Anderson “The Spider” Silva (22-4-0) will take on James “The Sandman” Irvin (14-4-1) live from The Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas, NV. And we here at Bodog are celebrating the fight in style – by offering you free money!

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This card promises to be one of the best in recent memory as six newcomers – including IFL veteran Rory Markham (15-4-0) – will make their UFC debuts on the undercard. Also featured will be a tantalizing match up between Frankie Edgar (8-1-0) and Hermes Franca (19-5-0), with Franca having won eight of his last nine matches! The full card is as follows:

Anderson Silva (22-4-0) vs. James Irvin (14-4-1)
Brandon Vera (8-2-0) vs. Reese Andy (7-1-0)
Hermes Franca (19-5-0) vs. Frank Edgar (8-1-0)
Cain Velazquez (3-0-0) vs. Jake O’Brien (10-2-0)
Anthony Johnnson (4-1-0) vs. Kevin Burns (7-1-0)
Jesse Taylor (7-2-0) vs. CB Dollaway (7-1-0)
Brodie Farber (13-3-0) vs. Rory Markham (15-4-0)
Nate Loughran (8-0-0) vs. Johnny Rees (10-0-0)
James Giboo (11-2-0) vs. Brad Blackburn (12-9-1)
Dale Hartt (5-0-0) vs. Shannon Gugerty (10-2-0)

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So if you were planning on betting on Ultimate Fight Night 14, here is an added incentive to do so.

if you want a little help deciding who you should bet on, check out my Ultimate Fight Night 14 analysis here.

Spike TV will be seeing Cornhusker red this fall as the network travels to Nebraska for the first ever UFC event in the state with an action-packed card featuring former “The Ultimate Fighter” champions Nate Diaz and Mac Danzig, and Omaha’s own, Houston Alexander. Spike TV’s live “UFC Fight Night” will emanate from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska Wednesday, September 17 from 9:00pm-11:00pm and will lead into the premiere of “The Ultimate Fighter 8.”

Nate Diaz (8-2) rose to national prominence by defeating Manny Gamburyan in the finale of “The Ultimate Fighter 5” in June 2007. Since then, the 23 year-old mixed martial arts prodigy has won three straight bouts, all via submission, most recently against veteran Kurt Pellegrino in April. The Stockton, CA resident trains with his brother, mixed martial arts fighter Nick Diaz, and the Cesar Gracie Fight Team. His opponent in the main event will be Josh “The Dentist” Neer who trains with the Miletich Martial Arts Team in Bettendorf, IA. Neer has an impressive UFC resume with victories over Joe Stevenson, Melvin Guillard, and, most recently, Din Thomas this past April. “The Dentist” will look to extract Nate Diaz from his winning ways in a battle of lightweight contenders.

Mac Danzig (19-4-1), winner of “The Ultimate Fighter 6,” is a rising star in the UFC lightweight division. Fighting out of Los Angeles at the renowned Legends Gym with fellow UFC fighters Karo Parisyan and Manny Gamburyan, Danzig (19-4-1) was among the top fighters in the King of the Cage mixed martial arts promotion before he gained national acclaim as a standout fighter on “The Ultimate Fighter 6.” His domination over Tommy Speer in the finale last December, along with a victory over Mark Bocek at UFC 84 in April, has elevated Danzig to among the top contenders in the 155lb division. His opponent will be Chicago native Clay “The Carpenter” Guida (23-9), regarded as one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. Guida is coming off of an impressive victory over Samy Schiavo this past April. However, it was his epic battle with Roger Huerta last December on Spike TV that places Guida in UFC lore. Unfortunately for Guida, Huerta rallied to win their dramatic duel in the Octagon® with a stunning rear-naked choke submission in the waning moments of the third and final round.

Fighting in front of his hometown fans, the pride of Omaha who claims to bleed Cornhusker red, Houston “The Assassin” Alexander, desperately needs a victory over Eric “The Red” Schafer to get back in the hunt for the UFC light heavyweight title. The 36-year-old Alexander burst onto the UFC scene in May 2007 with a shocking first round knockout over Keith Jardine at UFC 71. A victory over Alessio Sakara at UFC 75 last September elevated Alexander to the division’s elite. However, losses to Thiago Silva and James “The Sandman” Irvin have derailed his path to a title shot. Alexander will certainly be a local favorite, as the single father to six children serves as a community activist and radio deejay in Omaha.

Schafer (9-3-2), a Milwaukee, WI native, has dropped his last two fights in the Octagon, to Stephan Bonnar at UFC 77 in October 2007 and to Michael Bisping at UFC 66 in December 2006. The 30 year-old veteran looks to disappoint the partisan-Alexander crowd by defeating Omaha’s prodigal son.

Lightweight Joe Lauzon made an impressive debut in the UFC with a knockout over Jens Pulver at UFC 63 in September 2006. Lauzon, from suburban Boston, gained further acclaim as a standout fighter on “The Ultimate Fighter 5.” However, his road to a UFC title shot was thwarted by Kenny Florian this past April in a nationally televised bout on Spike TV. Lauzon looks to get back on the winning track against up-and coming talent, 25 year-old Kyle Bradley (13-5-1), fighting out of Baton Rouge, LA.

Also on the undercard, “The Ultimate Fighter 3” finalist Ed Herman (15-5) fighting out of Portland, OR, who has won three out of his last four UFC fights, takes on Alan Belcher (11-4) fighting out of Biloxi, Mississippi.

Dana White has done it again. With all of the hype around the first Affliction PPV, the UFC president decided to put together a UFC fight night on five weeks notice, an effort to discourage fans from purchasing the upcoming Affliction: Banned PPV.

For being on free TV and assembled in such a short period of time, the card is pretty good. Here are my predictions and analysis for Ultimate Fight Night 14.

Main Card Bouts:
-Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin
-Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy
-Frankie Edgar vs. Hermes Franca
-Jake O’Brien vs. Cain Velasquez
-Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns
-Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dollaway

Middleweights
Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dollaway

When Jesse Taylor was unceremoniously booted from the The Ultimate Fighter 7 finale, Dana White said that maybe one day Taylor would get another shot in the UFC, provided he cleaned up his act. I don’t think anyone anticipated Taylor’s return this quickly, but it makes sense. Dana White needed some recognizeable names to put on a last minute card, and there was little chance Taylor would say no to his second shot in the big leagues. CB Dollaway is also eager to get back into the cage after losing back to back fights to Amir Sadollah fights in nearly identical fashion.

Breaking it down: Two good wrestlers with pretty bad stand up. Jesse is bigger, stronger, and has better ground and pound. I hope I am wrong, but I think this fight will be pretty boring. I see the fight staying on the ground for most of the time, and Jesse Getting the better of Dollaway with hammer fists and submission attempts.

Prediction: Jesse Taylor – Unanimous Decision

Welterweights
Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns

It’s hard for me to call this one because I have never seen Kevin Burns fight. I’m looking at his record and I see he has 6 wins, 4 submissions and 2 TKO’s. I like a guy who finishes all of his fights. He defeated Roan Carneiro in his UFC debut, choking him out with a triangle. I know he was a pretty big underdog in that fight.

Anthony Johnson is a complete beast of a welterweight. The guy hits extremely hard and moves really fast. He did lose to Rich Clementi by submission, a smaller submission fighter, so he has some holes in his game. My gut is telling me to go with Burns, but without seeing him fight, I have to go with Johnson.

If you were looking to make some cash on any one underdog on this card, though, It mind not be a bad idea to throw some money on Burns.

Prediction: Anthony Johnson TKO Round 2

Heavyweights
Jake O’Brien vs. Cain Velasquez

This should be a pretty decent heavyweight fight. Both of these guys are stand up fighters. Jake O’Brien is coming off of a loss to Andrei Arlovski, the first of his career. He was riding a 10 fight win streak up until that point, and finished 8 of those fights by TKO. Velasquez is an American Kickboxing Academy fighter who has won all 3 of his fights by TKO.

I think experience will play the biggest role here, and that edge goes to O’Brien.

Prediction: Jake O’Brien KO/TKO Round 2

Lightweights
Frankie Edgar vs. Hermes Franca

This should be a pretty good fight. Classic wrestler versus BJJ practitioner, with the difference being that Franca also has some decent stand up.

I used to think that Edgar was unstoppable, until Gray Maynard defeated him in his last fight. Edgar has never really impressed me; he uses the classic lay and pray techniques that most wrestlers use, but he is pretty good at keeping his opponent on the ground and eeking out decision victories.

Hermes Franca is a slick submission specialist. He is coming off of a loss to Sean Sherk, where Sherk used much of the same technique that Edgar will try to utilize. Sherk is bigger, faster, and stronger then Edgar, so I don’t think that Franca will be overwhelmed in that department. Franca even managed to land some solid knees to the head of Sean Sherk when he was shooting in to take Franca down. Those knees would have knocked anyone else out, but Sherk has a head made of concrete.

Hermes is coming off of a long layoff. He tested positive for steroids in the fight with Sean Sherk and the CSAC suspended him for a year.

Under normal circumstances I’d be giving this fight to Hermes, but since Edgar has been the more active fighter in the past year, I will be giving him the edge.

Prediction: Frankie Edgar Unanimous Decision Round 3

Light Heavyweights
Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy

Brandon Vera will be cutting down to light heavyweight for the first time in his career. Many have criticized Vera for not cutting down sooner, but Vera has never really been dominated by any heavyweight in the UFC; he has not had a lot of incentive to cut down. I am eager to see what Vera can do at 205.

Reese Andy is an IFL veteran who has a solid record, but has never faced anyone the caliber of Brandon Vera. At 205, Vera will be quicker and more elusive then he normally is, so I expect him to take this fight pretty easily.

Prediction: Brandon Vera TKO/KO Round 1

Light Heavyweight
Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin

The number one middleweight in the world today, and arguably the best pound for pound fighter in the sport, Anderson Silva is jumping up to 205 to test his overwhelming Muay Thai skills in a bigger, stronger division.

The UFC isn’t going to make the transition into light heavyweight easy for Spider Silva. James “The Sandman” Irvin has stepped up to show Silva how things are done in the land of 205 pound fighters.

Sandman is strong and hits hard – 10 of his 14 wins come by way of knockout. This guy is a go’er, backs down from no fight, and is pretty entertaining to watch.

But I don’t care if Spider Silva is fighting Yokozuna, Hong Man Choi, and Hercules in a 3 on 1 handicap MMA fight. I’m sticking with Silva until the bitter, bloody end.

The guy is unstoppable. His punch combinations are so fluent. He moves so well in that octagon and is relentless in his pursuit. Silva does not throw 2 or 3 punch combinations. If he catches you and knows you are hurt, he does not stop punching or kicking until you are a bloody mess on the octagon canvas. He hits you from so many unexpected angles. Every punch and kick he throws counts for something, and he lands such a large percentage of his punches.

On top of all of that, Anderson Silva is a BJJ blackbelt.

I am not really concerned about the strength factor that he may give up jumping to 205. Silva fought in Pride’s “middleweight” division, but the weight limit over there was 205 pounds. There was no 185lbs. division in Pride, so Anderson Silva has proved he can hang with bigger, stronger opponents. I believe that Anderson will remain elusive, and pick his angles and shots wisely. He will hurt the Irvin, and will eventually send the Sandman to la la land.

Prediction: Anderson Silva KO/TKO Round 2

EliteXC returns to CBS on July 26th with the second installment of CBS Saturday Night Fights.

Question: Jake, what are your thoughts on finally getting a shot at a world title? How is training going? How are you physically?
Shields: I couldn’t be more excited about this right now. I think it’s awesome. I’ve been fighting for over eight years. To finally be fighting for a world title on CBS is just phenomenal to me. As far as training, I’m in great shape. I feel the best I’ve ever felt. I had an injury (lower back) that messed me up, (but it) got me more motivated than ever. My training camp is going great. I’m glad to be fighting in Stockton, which is only an hour and a half from my hometown. I feel super excited about my opponent. I’m more excited to be fighting Nick than Drew Fickett. Unfortunately, that fell apart. Nick is just somebody I’ve wanted to fight for a while. I know he’s wanted to fight me. It’s a perfect time for us to fight, go out there and make this a true world title fight.