SB Nation Tampa Bay - MMA Weekend: UFC on Fuel 5 and Bellator 74https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49019/tb-fave.png2012-09-30T09:00:51-04:00http://tampabay.sbnation.com/rss/stream/31756392012-09-30T09:00:51-04:002012-09-30T09:00:51-04:00UFC Contenders and Bellator Kicks Off Tournament
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlPUf0ehTFoOiFlLADBIPosvqRo=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828137/large_tampabay.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>A busy two days in MMA have come to a close, so before you start watching NFL games get a quick recap of all the MMA action that took place this weekend. </p> <p>Florida based fighter <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/127987/brad-pickett" class="sbn-auto-link">Brad Pickett</a> got a huge win with his knockout of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129232/yves-jabouin" class="sbn-auto-link">Yves Jabouin</a>. Pickett scored a superb upper cut to knock Jabouin down and showed off his ever improving skill set. While Pickett's nickname is "One Punch" early in his career that was largely a smoke screen, while he certainly had knockout power Pickett was primarily a grappler. Pickett's trainers at American Top Team have done a fantastic job helping him become a well rounded fighter, who is a threat to finish fights on the feet or on the ground.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/heavyweight" class="sbn-auto-link">Heavyweight</a> <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122503/stefan-struve" class="sbn-auto-link">Stefan Struve</a> got a big win over another rising Heavyweight <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130549/stipe-miocic" class="sbn-auto-link">Stipe Miocic</a>. The biggest knock on Struve has been his striking defense as his biggest losses have come by knockout. But now Struve has four stoppage wins over powerful strikers. Struve, despite being seven feet tall makes very limited use of his massive reach and allows fighters to close distance on him with no resistance. Improvements are coming in baby steps for Struve, but he threw better kicks at range and actually threw straight punches at times. Struve is also an effective inside fighter, a rarity for fighters as long as he and on top of that he is a very savvy grappler. Struve acknowledged the work still needing to be done with his striking and he still has a lot of time to continue to develop into a real heavyweight contender.</p>
<p>The UFC prospects on the card had a mixed night of results. Newcomers Jimi Manuwa and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/126780/gunnar-nelson" class="sbn-auto-link">Gunnar Nelson</a> both looked excellent in their UFC debuts. Manuwa put a sever beating on former ASU football player <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129242/kyle-kingsbury" class="sbn-auto-link">Kyle Kingsbury</a>, forcing a doctor's stoppage when Kingsbury left eye swelled shut. Nelson easily out grappled <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129163/damarques-johnson" class="sbn-auto-link">DaMarques Johnson</a> in his match and won by choke.</p>
<p>However two prospects with UFC experience suffered their first losses inside the Octagon. English grappling wizards <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122612/paul-sass" class="sbn-auto-link">Paul Sass</a> had the tables turned on him as <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129146/matt-wiman" class="sbn-auto-link">Matt Wiman</a> submitted him and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/143723/john-maguire" class="sbn-auto-link">John Maguire</a> lost a tepid fight against his friend <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122579/john-hathaway" class="sbn-auto-link">John Hathaway</a>. While set backs the jury is still out the impact on either fighter's career, losses are not uncommon in MMA and it is more about how fighters respond to them.</p>
<p>In the first round of the Bellator tournament aggressive Eastern European styles reigned supreme as Russians <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/151055/andrey-koreshkov" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrey Koreshkov</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/161813/michail-tsarev" class="sbn-auto-link">Michail Tsarev</a>, and Lithuanian <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128650/marius-zaromskis" class="sbn-auto-link">Marius Zaromskis</a> all won in impressive fashion. While young fighters from this part of the world often have prestigious offensive skills they often lag behind when it comes to defensive abilities and struggle when faced with well rounded fighters with more MMA experiences. While they all preformed well, there was nothing there to suggest any of them have anything more a slim chance against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/123064/lyman-good" class="sbn-auto-link">Lyman Good</a>, who totally shut down <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122990/jim-wallhead" class="sbn-auto-link">Jim Wallhead</a>.</p>
<p>Good is clearly in the driver's seat of this tournament. Bellator will announce the second round in the coming weeks, but expect them to preserve Good and Zaromskis for a possible finals match.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/9/30/3430512/ufc-mma-weekend-wrap-bellator-74-Stefan-Struve-KO-Brad-Pickett-Florida-MMAT.P. Grant2012-09-29T18:49:58-04:002012-09-29T18:49:58-04:00UFC On Fuel 5 Results: Stefan Struve Wins by KO
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlPUf0ehTFoOiFlLADBIPosvqRo=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828137/large_tampabay.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>The UFC returned to England, putting on a card in Nottingham this Saturday with a card full of contenders and prospects. Find full results right here. </p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/127987/brad-pickett">Brad Pickett</a>, an Englishman and Florida resident, scored possibly the single biggest win of his career thus far with a huge upper cut knockout of Canadian fighter <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129232/yves-jabouin">Yves Jabouin</a>. This win throws Pickett right back into the title picture and continues to show off his improving striking.</p>
<p>In the main event, <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/heavyweight">Heavyweight</a> prospect <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122503/stefan-struve">Stefan Struve</a> showed an evolution in his striking game as the lanky Dutchman was able to punish <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130549/stipe-miocic">Stipe Miocic</a> on the feet, scoring a standing (T)KO. This is makes it four wins in a row for Struve, all against dangerous strikers. Struve is still a very young man and this could be the beginning of a power move up the division for him.</p>
<p>Hometown fighter <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122578/dan-hardy">Dan Hardy</a> won a decision over American <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122897/amir-sadollah">Amir Sadollah</a>. This fight likely means very little for either fighter as neither are likely to be cut or pushed into title pictures.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129146/matt-wiman">Matt Wiman</a> shocked the UK fans as he was taken down by submission specialist <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122612/paul-sass">Paul Sass</a> and didn't just survive, but caught the English grappler in an armbar. This was Sass' first loss and casts doubts over his potential as he got beat in his speciality. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122579/john-hathaway">John Hathaway</a> also got a rather uninspired win over Jon Maguire.</p>
<p>The main card started on a sour note as longtime MMA veteran <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/125022/duane-ludwig">Duane Ludwig</a> injuries his knee during a take down attempt by Che Mills. Ludwig was forced to forfeit the match and is very possibly facing retirement.</p>
<p>The prelims delivered quite a bit of action. Florida based Englishman <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/131649/jason-young">Jason Young</a> suffered a highlight reel knockout in just 23 seconds at the hands of Robbie Peralta. Much hyped prospects <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/welterweight">Welterweight</a> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/126780/gunnar-nelson">Gunnar Nelson</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/light-heavyweight">Light Heavyweight</a> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129081/jimi-manuwa">Jimi Manuwa</a> both won in impressive fashion against The Ultimate FIghter veterans.</p>
<p>There was some controversy on the undercard as the judges show questionable judgement as Akria Corassani was awarded a split decision over Andy Olge, a match which Olge pretty clearly won. Also while <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128564/brad-tavares">Brad Tavares</a> was correctly awarded the win over <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130047/tom-watson">Tom Watson</a>, one judge did go Watson's way making a split decision.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/9/29/3429962/ufc-on-fuel-5-results-stefan-struve-wins-by-ko-brad-pickett-finishesT.P. Grant2012-09-28T22:21:19-04:002012-09-28T22:21:19-04:00Bellator 74 Results: Lyman Good Advances
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nFeAmMuIskF5PKatWRSUq1zKpDc=/0x0:730x487/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/256029/bellator-74-banner_standard_1348812400_500_standard_1348868609_730.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>Bellator Fight Champions kicked off their 7th Season and the first round of their Welterweight tournament, which will determine the next challenger for the Bellator Champion. Results for the entire Quarterfinal Round can be found right here on SBNation Tampa Bay. </p> <p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/99520/bellator-74" class="sbn-auto-link">Bellator 74</a> got started with a bang as Russian <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/151055/andrey-koreshkov" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrey Koreshkov</a> had a three round battle with American <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128498/jordan-smith" class="sbn-auto-link">Jordan Smith</a>. Koreshkov clearly won the stand up in the first round, hitting Smith hard repeatedly, but the American show great toughness as he was never wobbled by any of the strikes. In the second round Smith was able to get a takedown early and almost won the fight with a choke, but Koreshkov was just able to escape. The third round was a little more cautious but Koreshkov was clearly able to win as the majority of the round took place on the feet. Koreshkov moves on to the Semifinals of the tournament.</p>
<p>In the second bout of the evening another Russian, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/161813/michail-tsarev" class="sbn-auto-link">Michail Tsarev</a>, punched his ticket to the semi finals. Tsarev had some issues with the language barrier in the first round as he was warned for two illegal kicks. Tsarev was clearly the better grappler and Welch started to actively avoid the ground game. But part way in the second round Tsarev shot for a double leg takedown and landed right in side control. When Welch tried to scramble to his feet Tsarev made an excellent transition to the back and locked in a choke, all in one movement. It was a beautiful display of grappling and makes Tsarev one to watch moving forward.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128650/marius-zaromskis" class="sbn-auto-link">Marius Zaromskis</a> won a match that was not as close as the two 29-28 scorecards suggest. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/148331/nordine-taleb" class="sbn-auto-link">Nordine Taleb</a> was content to strike with the former Dream <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/welterweight" class="sbn-auto-link">Welterweight</a> Champion, and Zaromskis scored knockdowns in all three rounds. Taleb was able to stay on the outside early and use his range to land hard kicks on Zaromskis, but as he tired he was hit with harder and harder shots. Finally in the third round he was wobbled by a head kick and just barely survived an attack by Zaromskis. The Lithuanian born Zaromskis moves on to the semi-finals</p>
<p>In the main event Lyman Good won a dominat decision over "Judo" Jim Wallhead, who did not any answer for Good's length in striking or his ability to defend takedowns. The biggest bump for Good came in the third round when a pair of low blows caused him to lose a point. Good clearly looks like the favorite in this tournament and is the man to beat at this point.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Full Results</b></p>
<blockquote style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;">
<p><b>Main Card</b></p>
<p>Lyman Good defeats Jim Wallhead by Decision (29-27)</p>
<p>Marius Zaromskis defeats Nordine Taleb by Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)</p>
<p>Michail Tsarev defeats <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/161812/tim-welch" class="sbn-auto-link">Tim Welch</a> by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) Round 2, 1:57</p>
<p>Andrey Koreshkov defeats Jordan Smith by Decision (29-28)</p>
<p><b>Prelims</b></p>
<p>Will Martinez Jr defeats <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/172049/casey-johnson" class="sbn-auto-link">Casey Johnson</a> by Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 1</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/172047/michelle-ould" class="sbn-auto-link">Michelle Ould</a> defeats <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/152242/munah-holland" class="sbn-auto-link">Munah Holland</a> by Decision</p>
<p>Alexandre "Popo" Bezerra defeats <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/132178/matt-mccook" class="sbn-auto-link">Matt McCook</a> by Submission (Guillotine Choke), Round 1</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/143194/phillipe-nover" class="sbn-auto-link">Phillipe Nover</a> defeats <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/155203/derrick-kennington" class="sbn-auto-link">Derrick Kennington</a> by Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke), Round 2</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/149156/brylan-van-artsdalen" class="sbn-auto-link">Brylan Van Artsdalen</a> defeats <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/152599/jay-haas" class="sbn-auto-link">Jay Haas</a> by Submission (Guillotine Choke), Round 1</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/143910/claudio-ledesma" class="sbn-auto-link">Claudio Ledesma</a> defeats <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129852/kenny-foster" class="sbn-auto-link">Kenny Foster</a> by Decision</p>
</blockquote>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/2012/9/28/3426020/bellator-74-results-RecapT.P. Grant2012-09-28T09:20:33-04:002012-09-28T09:20:33-04:00UFC on Fuel 5 Odds: Brad Pickett favored
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hlPUf0ehTFoOiFlLADBIPosvqRo=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828137/large_tampabay.sbnation.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>Brad Pickett, fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla., is favored in his match against Yves Jabouin at UFC on Fuel 5. What are the odds in the other matches?</p> <p>In the UFC event to be televised on Fuel TV, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/127987/brad-pickett" class="sbn-auto-link">Brad Pickett</a> (21-6, 6 KO), fighting out of Coconut Creek, Fla., is <a href="http://sports.bovada.lv/sports-betting/mixed-martial-arts.jsp">favored in his bantamweight fight</a> against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129232/yves-jabouin" class="sbn-auto-link">Yves Jabouin</a> (18-7, 11). It's one of 11 fights scheduled to be held at Capital FM Arena in Nottingham, England.</p>
<p>On the preliminary card, to be shown on Facebook, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/131649/jason-young" class="sbn-auto-link">Jason Young</a> and Robbie Peralta have even odds for the opening fight at -115. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/126780/gunnar-nelson" class="sbn-auto-link">Gunnar Nelson</a> (-265) is favored against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129163/damarques-johnson" class="sbn-auto-link">DaMarques Johnson</a> (+205), <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128564/brad-tavares" class="sbn-auto-link">Brad Tavares</a> (-160) over <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130047/tom-watson" class="sbn-auto-link">Tom Watson</a> (+130), <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/151647/andy-ogle" class="sbn-auto-link">Andy Ogle</a> (-160) over Akira Corassani (+130) and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129081/jimi-manuwa" class="sbn-auto-link">Jimi Manuwa</a> (-185) over <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129242/kyle-kingsbury" class="sbn-auto-link">Kyle Kingsbury</a> (+150)</p>
<p>On the Main Card, other than in Pickett's fight, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/132857/che-mills" class="sbn-auto-link">Che Mills</a> (-225) is favored against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/125022/duane-ludwig" class="sbn-auto-link">Duane Ludwig</a> (+175), <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122579/john-hathaway" class="sbn-auto-link">John Hathaway</a> (-280) over <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/143723/john-maguire" class="sbn-auto-link">John Maguire</a> (+220), <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122612/paul-sass" class="sbn-auto-link">Paul Sass</a> (-125) over <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129146/matt-wiman" class="sbn-auto-link">Matt Wiman</a> (-105), <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122578/dan-hardy" class="sbn-auto-link">Dan Hardy</a> (-210) over <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122897/amir-sadollah" class="sbn-auto-link">Amir Sadollah</a> (+170) and in the main event, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130549/stipe-miocic" class="sbn-auto-link">Stipe Miocic</a> (-200) is favored against <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122503/stefan-struve" class="sbn-auto-link">Stefan Struve</a> (+160)</p>
<p>UFC on Fuel 5 will start with the preliminary card on Facebook at 1 p.m. ET. The main card will start at 4 p.m. ET on Fuel TV.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/mma-news/2012/9/28/3422430/ufc-odds-fuel-5-brad-pickett-favoredTim Blank2012-09-28T08:05:04-04:002012-09-28T08:05:04-04:005 Reasons To Watch UFC on Fuel on Saturday
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Wd1Yg8xrwtVau6BFH2Pjrrsf5mQ=/6x0:1093x725/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/195861/uspw_5995140.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matt Ryerson-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Why take time out of your football saturday to watch the UFC host a card in England? T.P. Grant tells you why UFC on Fuel 5 is well worth the watch. </p> <p>UFC on Fuel 5 is this Saturday and will be airing on free TV for all who have access to that ever difficult to find Fuel channel. The undercard will be live on Facebook starting at 1:30pm and the main card will get started on Fuel at 4pm. Here are five reasons why you should tune in to watch.</p>
<p><b>1. Exciting Young Heavyweights </b></p>
<p>The UFC's heavyweight division has been undergoing a renaissance in the last few years and both <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122503/stefan-struve">Stefan Struve</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130549/stipe-miocic">Stipe Miocic</a> are part of this new age at heavyweight. Struve is a towering 6'11" and at just 24-years-old is working hard on evolving his skill set. A lanky and crafty grappler, Struve is known for finishing fights on the ground by submission and ground-and-pound. Miocic on the other hand is a golden gloves boxing champion, and while he does have wrestling experience he clearly prefers striking as all but one of his wins have come via stoppage due to strikes.</p>
<p>It is a intriguing matchup as Miocic has good power in his strikes and Struve, despite his huge reach, is very hittable. Struve also has had the reputation of fighting to his own disadvantage, but recently has been more active when it comes to putting fights in places that favor him. Miocic should have an advantage striking and has the power to knock Struve out, while Struve will be in the driver's seat any time the fight hits the ground. This has all the makings of a very entertaining bout.</p>
<p><b>2. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight/1940/ufc-on-fuel-tv-5-yves-jabouin-vs-brad-pickett">Brad Pickett vs Yves Jabouin</a></b></p>
<p>On the main card two <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/bantamweight">Bantamweight</a> contenders will clash to help solidify their place in a complicated title picture. UFC Bantamweight Champion <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/127865/dominick-cruz">Dominick Cruz</a> is side lined with and injury, and Renan "Barao" Pegado has been crowned Interim UFC Bantamweight Champion and they are expected to meet sometime later this year. For every Bantamweight now to have any chance of getting a title shot after the dust settles they have to stay active and continue to win against upper level opponents.</p>
<p>Pickett already had one chance at a title shot and fell short against Pegado, and is buliding back towards another chance. An Englishman by birth, Picket now trains out of the Florida based gym American Top Team, where he has gone from straight grappler to well rounded fighter. Jabouin on the other hand is hitting his peak and has been in and out of contender-ship his whole career and a win here could finally get over the top and get a title shot. This is a match of two fighters at their peak with a lot of line, expect it to the be a very competitive match.</p>
<p><b>3. The Sass-angle</b></p>
<p>While most causal followers of MMA tend to be drawn more towards the striking aspects of the sport, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122612/paul-sass">Paul Sass</a>' grappling is something every MMA fan can appreciate. Sass is a student of both Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Luta Livre, two rival grappling arts originating from Brazil. And the result is Sass' grappling is technically brilliant, extremely aggressive, and just unorthodox enough to be incredibly effective.</p>
<p>Sass is undefeated in his career with 12 of his 13 wins coming by submission, the triangle choke being his speciality. He is set to face veteran <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/lightweight">Lightweight</a> Matt Wiman who has never been submitted in his career. This is a stiff test for Sass and it very well result in his first loss, but there is sure to be some excellent grappling at some point. If he does pull out a submission win it will be time to give Sass a big named opponent and get his name into title contention.</p>
<p><b>4. Two Prospects Make UFC Debuts</b></p>
<p>Two very hot European prospects will make their long awaited debuts in the Octagon. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129081/jimi-manuwa">Jimi Manuwa</a> (11-0) was a troubled English youth who now credits MMA for turning him away from the path of violence and crime he was on early in life. Manuwa is a powerful striker who can knock fighters out on the feet, but prefers to take them down and then use ground and pound to finish the fight. Manuwa is powerfully built, even for a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/light-heavyweight">Light Heavyweight</a>, but will likely be the smaller fighter when he takes on the hulking <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129242/kyle-kingsbury">Kyle Kingsbury</a>. Bloody Elbow's .gif wizard Zombie Prophet recently posted <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/9/26/3408330/ufc-jimi-manuwa-gifathon">a Manauwa gallery</a> that is worth a look.</p>
<p>The other prospect is Icelandic <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/welterweight">Welterweight</a> <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/126780/gunnar-nelson">Gunnar Nelson</a> (9-0-1). Nelson is an extremely well rounded fighter, with high level decorations in Karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. At just 24-years-old the sky appears to be the limit for this young man. He could have jump to the UFC over a year ago but choose to wait and continue building his skills rather than jump for a chance at the big show before he was ready. Back in July Bloody Elbow published a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/7/9/3139315/ufc-signs-gunnar-nelson-ufc-on-fuel-nottingham">in-depth overview of Nelson</a> and recently Zombie Prophet also produced a<a target="_blank" href="http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2012/9/26/3412760/ufc-gifathon-gunnar-nelson-ufc-on-fuel-5"> .gif gallery </a>for Neslon also, including video of his fights, when it was announced he signed with the UFC.</p>
<p><b>5. The Football This Saturday Sucks</b></p>
<p>Even the most ardent college football fans are feeling underwhelmed by the slate of games for this Saturday. While both Miami and Central Florida will be in action for the noon games the late afternoon games, right during the UFC card, are devoid of real serious action. The national game is #14 Ohio State vs #20 Michigan State, but if you are not a fan of Big 10 like myself and thus duty bound to watch the atrocities they call games this year, I advise you to run away from this game. This UFC on Fuel is the perfect thing to get you from the noon games to #4 Florida State's show down with South Florida.</p>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/mma-news/2012/9/28/3411312/ufc-on-fuel-5-reasons-watch-preview-T.P. Grant2012-09-26T11:00:17-04:002012-09-26T11:00:17-04:00UFC on Fuel 5 and Bellator 74
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BiYAn-QXS33LZJSvfQzOroyDWqc=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57205/20120711_kkt_st3_017.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Even with the cancelled Stirkeforce card there is still plenty of MMA action to be had this weekend and all of it is on free TV. </p> <p>If <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fight-card/95855/ufc-152-jones-vs-belfort" class="sbn-auto-link">UFC 152</a> didn't quench your thirst for MMA action, don't worry this coming Saturday features two televised fight cards. On Friday night Bellator kicks off a new season with the first round of their welterweight tournament and then the UFC will return to England on Fuel TV in the mid-afternoon<span style="line-height: 9px;">. </span></p>
<p>The UFC card will feature mostly European fighters, and pit up rising contenders and prospects against each other. The main event features two young Heavyweights, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130549/stipe-miocic" class="sbn-auto-link">Stipe Miocic</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122503/stefan-struve" class="sbn-auto-link">Stefan Struve</a>, fighting to see who will get to take that next step into the role of contender. This card will also feature two British fighters who train at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/127987/brad-pickett" class="sbn-auto-link">Brad Pickett</a>, a Top 10 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/bantamweight" class="sbn-auto-link">Bantamweight</a>, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/131649/jason-young" class="sbn-auto-link">Jason Young</a>, a struggling young featherweight.</p>
<p>Pickett is faced with Canadian <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129232/yves-jabouin" class="sbn-auto-link">Yves Jabouin</a>, who has strong all around skills. While Pickett is an experienced striker, this fight will likely hinge on his ability to get Jabouin to the ground as Pickett is the superior grappler of the two. Jason Young is faced with up and coming prospect <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130341/robert-peralta" class="sbn-auto-link">Robert Peralta</a>, and is likely in a situation where he must win to keep his spot on the UFC roster.</p>
<p>This Friday the Bellator Fighting Champions returns to cable with the opening round of their <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/weight_class/welterweight" class="sbn-auto-link">Welterweight</a> tournament. "Judo" <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122990/jim-wallhead" class="sbn-auto-link">Jim Wallhead</a> (23-6) brings his high level judo background in against former Bellator Welterweight Champion <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/123064/lyman-good" class="sbn-auto-link">Lyman Good</a> (12-2). High flying striker <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128650/marius-zaromskis" class="sbn-auto-link">Marius Zaromskis</a> (18-6) brings his fan pleasing style to bear against Canadian fighter <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/148331/nordine-taleb" class="sbn-auto-link">Nordine Taleb</a> (8-1). On the other side of the bracket <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/151055/andrey-koreshkov" class="sbn-auto-link">Andrey Koreshkov</a> (10-0) takes on <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128498/jordan-smith" class="sbn-auto-link">Jordan Smith</a> (17-3) and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/161812/tim-welch" class="sbn-auto-link">Tim Welch</a> (9-3) faces off with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/161813/michail-tsarev" class="sbn-auto-link">Michail Tsarev</a> (23-2).</p>
<p>While there are no Florida fighters on the card it is still an excellent watch for anybody looking for a fight fix and will be aired live on MTV2 and streamed for free on Spike.com Friday evening.</p>
<p>While the Strikeforce card was cancelled, <a href="http://mmajunkie.com/news/30794/fighters-receive-pay-following-cancellation-of-strikeforce-melendez-vs-healy.mma?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mmajunkie+%28MMAjunkie.com+Feed%29" target="_blank">MMA Junkie has reported </a>that all the fighters on the card have been payed their "show" money, easing the finical burdens on the fighters who are being forced to wait a good deal of time unitl a new pay day.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><b>UFC on Fuel 5 Fight Card</b></p>
<p><b>On Fuel TV:</b></p>
<p>Stipe Miocic (9-0) vs. Stefan Struve (24-5)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122578/dan-hardy" class="sbn-auto-link">Dan Hardy</a> (24-10, 1 NC) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122897/amir-sadollah" class="sbn-auto-link">Amir Sadollah</a> (6-3)</p>
<p>Yves Jabouin (18-7) vs. Brad Pickett (21-6)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122612/paul-sass" class="sbn-auto-link">Paul Sass</a> (13-0) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129146/matt-wiman" class="sbn-auto-link">Matt Wiman</a> (14-6)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/122579/john-hathaway" class="sbn-auto-link">John Hathaway</a> (16-1) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/143723/john-maguire" class="sbn-auto-link">John Maguire</a> (18-3)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/125022/duane-ludwig" class="sbn-auto-link">Duane Ludwig</a> (21-13) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/132857/che-mills" class="sbn-auto-link">Che Mills</a> (14-5, 1 NC)</p>
<p><b>On Facebook:</b></p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129242/kyle-kingsbury" class="sbn-auto-link">Kyle Kingsbury</a> (11-4, 1 NC) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129081/jimi-manuwa" class="sbn-auto-link">Jimi Manuwa</a> (11-0)</p>
<p>Akira Corassani (9-3, 1 NC) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/151647/andy-ogle" class="sbn-auto-link">Andy Ogle</a> (8-1)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/128564/brad-tavares" class="sbn-auto-link">Brad Tavares</a> (8-1) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/130047/tom-watson" class="sbn-auto-link">Tom Watson</a> (15-4)</p>
<p>Robert Peralta (15-3, 1 NC) vs. Jason Young (9-5)</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/129163/damarques-johnson" class="sbn-auto-link">DaMarques Johnson</a> (16-11) vs. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mma/fighter/126780/gunnar-nelson" class="sbn-auto-link">Gunnar Nelson</a> (9-0-1)</p>
</blockquote>
https://tampabay.sbnation.com/mma/2012/9/26/3380094/ufc-on-fuel-5-strikeforce-struve-vs-miocic-Bellator-47T.P. Grant