UFC on Fuel TV 10 Main Card Result: Antonio Nogueira vs Fabricio Werdum

Werdum defeats Nogueira to line up potential title shot

by Ben Heather @benheather

The main event on Saturday night was an all Brazilian affair as the coaches on the recent TUF Brazil 2 show went in to battle. This fight was a rematch, the pair originally fought each other while they were both fighting for Pride in 2006. Now seven years later would the outcome be different and would Werdum be able to get revenge.

Werdum came in to the fight of the back of a two fight win streak, that same win streak is since his UFC return. He dominated both Roy Nelson and Mike Russow and now was looking to do the same against Big Nog.

Big Nog came in to the fight looking to get back to back wins on his record for the first time since UFC 81 in February '08. Since then he has won a fight, then lost the next most recently defeating Dave Herman via armbar at UFC 153.

Big Nog came out putting pressure on Werdum at close range with boxing and trying to grab the clinch, however it was Werdum who surprisingly got the takedowns by grabbing a single leg takedown and getting Nogueira to the mat. Both men then grappled on the floor and the fight was going back and forth as the two heavyweights were scrambling to get control.

Nogueira kept switching up how he had Werdum in his guard going from full guard to half guard and back again until he got hold of Werdum's knee and was able to get back to his feet. In the process of getting up he did get caught with a few punches and knee.

In the second round, during yet another scramble, Werdum took Nog's back and straight away got one hook in, however Werdum could not get the second hook in he was looking for as Big Nog blocked the attempts with his right hand.

Werdum though was not to be stopped as he got his leg all the way over Big Nog's shoulder and cranked on the arm in an inverted armbar. The end of the fight was a little confusing as Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight, but Nogueira hadn't tapped. It wasn't until Bruce Buffer announced that the fight was ruled a verbal submission and things became a little clearer.

Big Nog did not appear to verbally submit but Werdum let go of the hold at the same time Yamasaki came in to stop the fight. Also, Big Nog did not contest the decision.

A very fitting way to end the night full of some of the best BJJ anyone could ever want to see and I think it once and for all put to bed the question of.... Does BJJ actually work??

UFC on Fuel TV 10 Main Card Result: Leo Santos vs William Macario

Leo Santos is crowned TUF Brazil 2 champion after submitting Macario

by Ben Heather @benheather

Firstly before I begin I am not going to lie to you all. I have not seen a single fight in the whole series of TUF Brazil 2 nor do I know anything about either fighter other than I have researched quickly on the Internet before this fight.

Leo Santos started his MMA career 11 years ago when he lost to Taknori Gomi, that fight is probably the biggest fight of his career before tonight. Since then he has worked his way through various promotions including fights with both BAMMA and Cage Warriors. He was supposed to fight Rob Sinclair for the BAMMA lightweight title before refusing to fly to the UK as he knew he wouldn't make weight.

He came in to the Finale with a 12-3 record and comes from the renowned Nova Uniao team which already boasts two UFC champions in Jose Aldo and Renan Barao.

William Macario came in to the fight with a 6-0 and is the third youngest fighter signed to the UFC.

The fight itself started of as a back and forth affair before Macario worked the clinch to pin Santos up against the cage. Santos then attempted a guillotine choke while still being pushed against the cage. It never really looked like causing Macario any trouble though and his head popped back out a couple of seconds later. The fight then moves off the fence and in to the middle of the octagon where a big exchange is made with both men landing big shots but taking them well.

Then two minutes in to the round Macario lands a trip which is where the fight stayed for nearly the next two minutes with Macario on top trying to find the room to move so he can let off his attacks. With just over a minute Santos gets off the mat and the fight goes back to Macario holding Santos on the cage again. With 45 seconds left the fight comes back in to the middle of the cage where Santos throws a powerful leg kick but Macarino catches it. The round ends with the two on the floor in the but no real action happened when it got to the mat.

The second round opened up with Santos coming out swinging both with some big punches but also with a high kick before shooting to try and take Macario down but did not succeed. Macario then gets hold of Santos and pins him up against the cage again. By this point Macario is looking very tired and cant hold Santos on the cage so he escapes and the fight works its way back to the middle of the octagon. Santos manages to get hold of a decent Muay Thai clinch and lands a good knee to the body of Macario.

Macario has now started to drop his hands and Santos is certainly making the most of this opportunity. However then Macario goes in for a takedown which succeeds and he ends up in the guard of Santos but halfway through the round the fight ends up back on its feet. Not too much action at this point before the fight goes back to the cage. This time Santos goes for the trip and looks to have Macario falling on to his back before he grabbed the cage and managed to pull himself in to top position. Marc Goddard and everyone else watching clearly saw it happen and so Marc stood the fighters up and warned Macario.

After the fight restarts the fighters go back to the cage and Macario is still holding Santos against the cage, but not for long as Santos gets a trip and throws Macario to the floor. As he lands, he lands in side control and only a couple of seconds Santos manages to get the full mount and from here as soon as he spotted the opportunity he made sure the fight wouldnt carry on as he choked Macario until he tapped and in the proces he came out of the fight as the new UFC TUF Champion.

UFC on Fuel TV Main Card Results: Thaigo Silva vs Rafael Cavalcante

Thiago Silva gets the TKO win as Feijao gasses in the first round

by Ben Heather @benheather

This match was billed as a grudge match going in to the fight and as Dan Miragliotta got the men in the middle of the octagon before the fight they were not interested in touching gloves, more so in touching their gloves on each others heads.

The record of Thiago Silva said he had not won in almost four years before this fight (that's what impact two suspensions for failed drugs tests will do to your record) and it is also his first fight back after his second suspension for a failed drugs test which tested positive for Marijuana after he beat Stanislav Nedkov. That result was overturned. As for Feijao he also came in to the fight off the back of a suspension. Feijao also failed a drugs test but his tested positive for the banned substance stanozolol.

As the fight starts Feijao came out throwing an early leg kick before throwing his right hand. Then the pair trade kicks. Cavalcante starts to work some power shots and looks the busier of the two fighters in the early stages of round one.

Silva starts to answer back by throwing a combination of straight punches and kicks. Its a decent pace to the contest and Silva seems to be pacing himself well unlike Feijao who already has his hands down low and Silva makes the most of this and lands some punches which make Feijao put his hands back up. The pace speeds up as the pair start throwing some good shots at each other resulting in Feijao drilling Silva with a body shot and then just missing with what would have been a huge uppercut.

Feijao already seems to be fading, the pressure/ thought of fighting in his first UFC fight may have got the better of him. Thiago Silva's corner try to tell him to go in for the kill and finish the obviously tired Feijao. Silva obliges and starts throwing some kicks following it up with a right hand which lands. Feijao is now in real trouble and Silva doesn't let up and throws a big uppercut which lands flush and drops Feijao. Once a couple of punches land on the floor the referee calls an end to the fight.

As long as Silva doesn't fail another drugs test this should be his first official win in nearly four years. He improves his record to 15-3-2 and may have surprised a few people by getting the win. I think next up for Silva a test against somebody like Jimi Manuwa in the UK would be a great test for both men and look to push the winner towards the top 10 in the division.

Whats next for Feijao well his record drops to 11-4-1 and in his first UFC fight his performance was poor at best. How any professional athlete can come in to a fight and be gassed halfway through the first round is shocking. Coming in to the fight from a suspension and putting on that performance is shocking. It's going to take a lot to try and convince the UFC fans that he is the real deal and deserves to be in the UFC on the back of that performance.

UFC on Fuel TV 10 Main Card Results: Erick Silva vs Jason High

Erick Silva makes quick work of Jason High

by Ben Heather @benheather

Erick Silva came in to this fight trying to get back to winning ways after he lost last time out to Jon Fitch in the fight of the night at UFC 153. Silva was originally slated to fight British fighter John Hathaway before he had to pull out of the fight due to injury. Jason High stepped up to fill the space in the card and make his return to the UFC for the first time since March 2010.

Erick Silva was again a big favourite going in to this fight with some bookies having him at up to a 1/4 favourite.

The fight starts and High the renowned wrestler goes straight for a takedown but Silva manages to sprawl his way out of the attempt and then manages to turn it around and get High's back.

Silva at first looked like he was looking for a triangle choke from High's back. High managed to get back to all fours and looked like he may get out of trouble. In the process it seemed that he left himself open for a rear naked choke but didn't go for it. Silva instead went for the arm and locked in an inverted armbar only let go once High tapped out within 71 seconds of the first round.

Jason High now slips to 16-4 and his 7 fight win streak comes to a quick end he is also 0-2 in the UFC. This was the first time in over three years since High was last in the UFC, he will be hoping it won't be as long before he next gets the shot to finally get a UFC victory.

Erick Silva now has a record of 15-3-1 and now has a 3-2 record in the UFC. I think he now steps up competition again and looks to fight someone bordering on the top 10 in the welterweight division to see if he can prove that he has learnt from his loss against Jon Fitch.

UFC on Fuel TV 10 Main Card Results: Daniel Sarafian vs Eddie Mendez

Daniel Sarafian defeats Eddie Mendez in the first round by arm triangle submission

by Ben Heather @benheather

Daniel Sarafian came in to this fight as the massive favourite with the bookies at odds of 1/5 with sky bet and it didn't take long to see why.

Mendez came out starting with a leg kick as Sarafian looked to throw his hands, then Sarafian misses with a big left hand which leaves him open for Mendez to wrap him up and take him to the fence. Sarafian now scores a beautiful trip to take Mendez down and lands in top position. Mendez only has half guard and tries to get hold of Sarafian's neck but can't make anything come from him.

Sarafian manages to trap Mendez' left arm to set up an arm triangle which looked like he had it locked in deep from the moment he got it. Mendez resisted for a while but it was only a matter of time before Mendez tapped.

Mendez now has a record of 7-2 and this was his first UFC fight so 0-1 in the UFC. It didn't look a great performance from Mendez but that's partly down to Sarafian looking so good in the fight, will he get another fight in the UFC.... only time will tell.

As for Sarafian this was his first official UFC victory and he now has a record of 8-3 going 1-1 in the UFC. He looked very good in this fight and I will be interested to see who the UFC match him up with for his next fight.

UFC on Fuel TV 10 Main Card Result: Rony Jason vs Mike Wilkinson

Rony Jason puts Mike Wilkinson to sleep in 84 seconds

by Ben Heather @benheather

In what was the first fight on the main card of UFC on Fuel TV 10 we had a battle between former TUF contestants. Rony Jason won the inaugural TUF Brazil crown and Mike Wilkinson was in TUF Smashes and never actually lost a fight but had to leave the house due to a eye injury.

Mike Wilkinson came in to the fight unbeaten and was hoping to continue that run. The fight started slowly with Wilkinson circling around on the outside while Jason stayed in the middle of the cage. Then Jason swings for a big right hand which Wilkinson manages to duck and shoots in for the take down, driving Jason to the canvas and landing in his guard.

Wilkinson lands a few shots from the top position while in Jason's guard but it doesn't take long for Jason to raise his legs up and over Wilkinson's shoulders. At this point Wilkinson is in a lot of trouble but still has space but then when Jason adjusts he locks in the triangle. Wilkinson is now in serious trouble and when Jason starts to land a few elbows to Wilkinson's head Marc Goddard realises that Wilkinson is out.

Some may say it was a slow stoppage from Marc Goddard but it didn't take long for Wilkinson to go to sleep and as soon as he spotted he was out he stopped the fight. This was Wilkinson's first defeat in his MMA career and he now has a 8-1 record and 1-1 in the UFC. I hope he gets another shot in the UFC.

As for Rony Jason he now improves his record to 13-3 and is 3-0 in the UFC, I see a step up in competition for Jason now as he looks to work his way up the ranks of the featherweight division.

Interview: Mike Wilkinson Ahead of UFC on Fuel 10 fight with Rony Jason "I Will Fight Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime"

Kingdom MMA talk to Mike Wilkinson about his fight at UFC on Fuel TV 10

by Ben Heather @benheather

On Saturday night British fighter Mike Wilkinson (8-0 MMA 1-0 UFC) steps in to the lions den as he goes to fight the winner of TUF Brazil Rony Jason (12-3 MMA 2-0 UFC) at UFC on Fuel TV 10 in the Ginasio Paulo Sarasate arena in Fortaleza, Brazil. Mike who puts his unbeaten MMA record on line against Rony Jason, who has won his last 7 fights and it is the first fight on the main card. This fight should be a very exciting fight and both will be wanting to keep their streaks alive.

Last week Kingdom MMA caught up with Mike before he made the trip to Brazil.

Ben: Firstly Mike thanks for taking the time out of your schedule to speak with us. How did you find your experience in the TUF Smashes house?
Wilkinson: Obviously the TUF Smashes was a dream come true, from the point i found out i was actually getting in until the time i was actually in the house it was like a dream come true. When i was actually in there and saw Dana White i just thought i was in a dream but the overall experience was unbelievable from start to finish. Now i am just blessed to be involved with the UFC.

Ben: Do you still keep in contact with any of the guys on either team?
Wilkinson: Yeah on twitter mostly with a couple of the team UK guys. After the show we went on nights out and even me and Brendan became good friends. Then I got the email to say we was fighting each other so I rang him and he was like "ahh your full of shit, your full of shit" and I went "no honestly i just got the email now" so we said right lets put on a show and then we never spoke until after the fight.

Ben: Speaking of Brendan, How did you find it when you had to fight Brendan, your team UK team mate at the smashes finale? I know Freakshow struggled to cope mentally for his fight with Norman.
Wilkinson: I wasn't that bad because I knew that was my only shot and I knew that if i won i stayed in the UFC, if i lost i was gone.

Obviously I was friends with Brendan before but once you get in that cage you don't have any friends. Your fighting someone who is opposite you, you know they are coming to try and take your head off and your gonna try and take there head off as well so the friendship kind of goes out the window for those 15 minutes. Then afterwards we were back friends and back to normal it didn't make any difference. I don't think it effected Brendan either as we both knew what was on the line so we both gave it everything we had.

Ben: UFC on Fuel 10 will be your second fight in a row outside of the UK do you feel less pressure going into foreign territory as most of your friends and family aren't at the venue watching you?
Wilkinson: Well none of my family came to Australia and I think Australia is the furthest country you can go to fight, so Brazil being only a nine hour flight I'm quite chuffed to be honest compared to going to Australia twice last year. I am just chuffed to be fighting, Ive always said that I'm not bothered where i fight for the UFC as long as they get me a fight I'm happy. I will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime and I'm just blessed to be part of this show and obviously to be fighting on the main card is a dream come true.

I'm not going to let the UK down, I'm going to go in there and I'm going to give it everything I have got and I'm confident i can pull out the win

Ben: You fought in Australia last time against a Brit. This time you are going into the lions den in Brazil to face a hometown favourite. Are you prepared for the hostile atmosphere?
Wilkinson: Yeah, everyone has said that but at the end of the day I know for a fact that I'm not going to get cheered. I know everyone in that arena will be booing me, but I know that everyone in England is going to be cheering for me. That's all I am going to be thinking in my head, that everyone will be cheering for me back in England and at the end of the day there is only me and Rony in the cage all the fans wont be jumping in the cage, well hopefully they wont anyway so other than that i am not that bothered.

I got booed in Australia and obviously going up against the Australians on The Ultimate Fighter series more people favoured Brendan so I got booed then. I didn't really expect that but it didn't make a difference. At the end of the day we are the only two in the cage and one of us has to come out with the win and I am confident its going to be me.

Ben: There are a lot of rumours of a Manchester UFC event in October, have you heard anything about this event and if so would you like to fight on it in the UK again?
Wilkinson: Yeah I have heard rumours, I think they should put me on this one after fighting in Australia and Brazil what do you think? They should do and its in my back yard, that would be another dream come true and it would be a lot easier as well its only 20 minutes up the road so that would be a bonus. I'm going to win this fight i am 110% positive about that and then i will ask for a fight on the October card in Manchester if there is one.

Ben: When do you leave for Brazil, and how many guys from your team are making the trip?
Wilkinson: I'm flying out on the 2nd June early hours on the 2nd and its me, my head coach Daren Morris and my mate and good team mate Chris Hoban. That's enough, that's all i need. As long as I have got them two with me i am happy and we will go over to Brazil and do the business

Ben: Does fighting abroad make the weight cut more difficult, if so what will you do to make it easier?
Wilkinson: Obviously because I was in Australia and I was fighting at lightweight I was only a few kgs out but with dropping down to featherweight for this fight I have been strict dieting for a long time now.

As soon as I get off the plane I will get straight in the sauna and load on water plus I am going to water load while I am on the plane as well just to keep my body constantly flushing and I think i will be OK. Its part of the job making weight so i am going to make weight no matter what the circumstances are so I have got no problem with making weight abroad.

Ben: This fight sees you drop down to featherweight is that where we can expect you to stay now?
Wilkinson: I was a featherweight before I went on The Ultimate Fighter. Its just that the news came out about The Ultimate Fighter being at lightweight and I had previously fought at lightweight and was victorious so I thought I would jump up a weight just to try and get on the show. I wasn't going to let the opportunity pass and what i visioned happening has happened. I mean getting on The Ultimate Fighter, doing well which i have done and then dropping back to featherweight and its all happened.

Ben: There are a few UK guys making the trip over to Brazil - Vaughan Lee, and the honorary Brit for the night Karlos Vemola, do you plan to meet up with any of those guys upon arrival? 
Wilkinson: No, I know of them but I don't know them to speak to but obviously with us being the only UK guys I am sure we will get talking. If they want to meet up then that's sweet but we have got nothing planned.

Ben: As a young fighter from the UK, coming from a show that didn't really get much exposure in the US, were you surprised that your fight was selected main card? 
Wilkinson: Yeah I was, I was pretty surprised because like you said this Ultimate Fighter was done by another production company and it wasn't aired in America. We didn't have that much exposure but obviously Rony has got a big status in Brazil. They must have been impressed with my last performance and they have put us together to make a good fight to start the main card off. But I am happy and it couldn't get any better.

Ben: At UFC on fuel 10 you will be fighting Rony Jason who won the TUF Brazil crown. Do you feel that by getting such a big fight the UFC believe in your skills and it shows that you are respected as a Mixed martial artist?
Wilkinson: Yeah I think they do because at the end of the day when you are in the UFC there is no bums, there is no chumps.... everyone is in the UFC for a reason. You want to fight and your winning the fights then your doing something right so with the UFC putting me together with Rony yeah they got confidence in me and they must think i am doing well and I want to prove them right, I want to keep fighting, keep winning keep competing and show them that the UK can fight.

Ben: This is a big step up in competition what if anything have you done differently in this camp to prepare for this fight?
Wilkinson: I have not done anything different because I don't need to so anything different. The only thing I may have done is I have bought more stand up coaches in, done a lot more on my stand up but other than that not really. My coach is world class he has got me to where I am today I'm unbeaten and don't change it if its not broke. So yeah I have done everything the same and its going to stay the same throughout my career ASW till i die.

Ben: Both Jason and yourself enter the bout with over half your wins by submission. Do you think your ground skills will cancel each other out and the fight will stay standing?
Wilkinson: I don't mind where the fight goes, i am confident on the floor and I am confident stood up. You get a load of fights where the fighters say they are going to stay stood up but nine times out of ten the fight ends up on the deck so I am prepared in all areas of where the fight could go. All I know is the fight is going to be exciting.

Ben: How would you rate Jason's striking compared to yourself?
Wilkinson: He is game, he's game as fuck he will stand there and he will trade with me all day. I have watched some of his fights and I am game as well. I will get in with anybody all day so its matched to make a good fight and it looks likes its going to be fireworks. Its going to be good.

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone?
Wilkinson: I just want to thank Daren Morris, Chris Hoban, Rob Lloyd and all the lads down at ASW, Adam and Austin from Complemed for treating me well and sorting my body out each week, Paul Wood from Try Fitness and my mum and dad for all the support and thanks to all my mates.

We would all like to wish Mike a safe trip and good luck in his fight. His fight can be seen live at 1am Sunday morning on ESPN in the UK.

Karlos Vemola "I feel like a caged animal about to be let loose"

Kingdom MMA interview Karlos Vemola ahead of his UFC on Fuel 10 fight

by Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

On Saturday night Karlos Vemola (9-3 MMA 2-3 UFC) makes his long awaited return to the octagon and recently Kingdom MMA caught up with him to discuss the fight, Chris Leben and his London Shootfighters team mates. Karlos faces Caio Magalhaes (5-1 MMA 0-1 UFC) as the second fight of the prelims on the UFC on Fuel TV 10 fight card live from the Ginasio Paulo Sarasate in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Jack: It’s been nearly a year since you last fought Karlos, how excited are you to get back in the cage?
Vemola: I have felt very frustrated and I really cannot wait to get back in the cage. I feel like a caged animal about to be let loose.

Jack: How do you feel your game has progressed since the last time we saw you in the octagon?
Vemola: Massively I have had lots of time to work on my technique.

Jack: You were lined up to fight Chris Leben at one point last year, how disappointed were you to have to pull out of this fight?
Vemola: The biggest disappointment in my career to date as that would have been a great fight for me. I hope it can be my next fight.

Jack: UFC on Fuel 10 will be your 6th fight in a row outside of the UK where you live and train. Do you feel less pressure going fighting foreign territory as most of your friends and family aren't at the venue watching you?
Vemola: No I would love to fight in London or even in Prague if the UFC ever went there.

Jack: Your opponent at UFC on Fuel 10 will be Caio Magalhaes, from what you have seen of Magalhaes what are you expecting from him in this fight?
Vemola: A repeat of Ronny Markes but this time I am prepared for that.

Jack: Magalhaes is a known to be a jiu jitsu specialist and will most likely want to get the fight do the ground but do you feel your wrestling pedigree with nullify this?
Vemola: As I have said above I know what to expect and this time I am ready for it.

Jack: How confident are you that you can hang with Magalhaes should the fight go to the ground?
Vemola: Very confident and if I get on top then it will be very difficult for him.

Jack: Since joining The UFC you have bounced between, wins and losses. With so many guys being cut, do you feel like its do or die come fight night?
Vemola: Not necessarily as I think the one thing the UFC appreciates with me is that I come to fight and I want a war and my fan mail from the UFC shows that I am appreciated as the UFC fans want to see fighters who go out there and put it on the line.

Jack: How do you see the fight going on Saturday, Decision, Knockout or Submission?
Vemola: KO to me - ground and pound.

Jack: When do you leave for Brazil, and how many guys from your team are making the trip?
Vemola: I leave on Tuesday morning with my two managers Chris Fig and Pan Symeou from Elite MMA Agency. My training is done and my coach Paul Ivens from the London Shootfighters is coming out on Thursday.

Jack: Do you have to do anything differently to stay at middleweight, are the changes mostly in your diet or in your training?
Vemola: Just my diet - I definitely eat less.

Jack: One of your teammates at London Shootfighters John Hathaway, was also meant to feature on the card but had to withdraw due to ulcerative colitis, can you shed any light on when John will be back?
Vemola: I am not sure but John is a great guy and an awesome fighter so the sooner the better.

Jack: You also train with Michael Page who has been getting a lot of attention lately due to his flashy style. Is he the real deal and what do you think he can go on to achieve?
Vemola: He is most definitely the real deal - he still has a bit to learn in terms of ground work but once he has mastered that then he will be a force in the UFC.

Thank you to Karlos for taking the time to answer our questions and we would all like to wish Karlos and his team a safe trip to Brazil.

Feijao vs Silva moved to UFC on Fuel TV 10

Rafael Cavalcante vs Thiago Silva moved from UFC 162 to June's UFC on FUEL TV 10

A light heavyweight battle between Rafael Cavalcante (11-3 MMA 0-0 UFC) and Thiago Silva (14-3 MMA 5-3 UFC) which was originally announced for UFC 162 has now been moved to UFC on Fuel TV 10.

The move was first reported by brazilian website Tatame.com and then later confirmed by MMAjunkie.com with sources close to the fighters, however no reason for the move has been made or is clear as things stand.

This change in schedule means the fight has been pulled forward a month and now takes place on 8th June from Fortaleza, Brazil.

Cavalcante, a former strikeforce light heavyweight champion fights for the first time in the UFC following a year layoff after his win vs Mike Kyle in May 2012 was overturned after he tested positive for stanozolol. This is also the case for Silva who will return to the octagon following a failed drugs test in November 2012 due to a positive test for marijuana metabolites after his win over Stanislav Nedkov. That win was also overturned.

The UFC on Fuel TV 10 card can be found below:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Fabricio Werdum

Rafael Cavalcante vs. Thiago Silva

John Hathaway vs. Erick Silva

Caio Magalhaes vs. Karlos Vemola* (not officially announced)