Allow me to start by stating this was one of the best seasons of The Ultimate Fighter we’ve seen in a long time. Great fights, great people and best of all, no goofballs trying to ruin this opportunity for others.

 Kelvin Gastelum came into the house a HUGE underdog, rather you like it or not. He’s the youngest and doesn’t look to be as in good shape as the rest. We’ve learned to not let that fool you…

 Kelvin Gastelum not only won the ultimate fighter but all of his fights were upsets and shocking due to the fact most people didn’t see him making it far in the TUF competition. His biggest upset was last night against Uriah Hall in the TUF 17 finals. Gastelum was able to take control of most of the fight, using takedowns, striking and also always pushing the pace against Hall. Uriah did land with a few good shots and some nice takedowns such as his back suplex but it wasn’t enough to stop Kelvin Gastelum.

 Ultimately, Kelvin Gastelum was able to pick up a Harley Davidson motorcycle but most importantly, a win and a contract to come with.

 Congratulations, Kelvin Gastelum. Welcome to the UFC.

 I was lucky enough to get a hold of UFC fighter’ Nam Phan for a short FightersBlog Q&A. I’d like to thank him for his time and I hope you all enjoy!

 Questions #1: Growing up, what was it that got you interested in MMA and also competing in it?

 Answer #1: My whole family was always into martial arts, it was only natural that I got into it as well. I watched UFC 1 and 2 back in the early 90’s when it was still on VHS, after that i was hooked.

Question #2: For you, what was it like being on the ultimate fighter? Being in the house, living with the people you’re going to be fighting and also your take on the coaches?

 Answer #2: Being in the TUF house was horrible, i hated every second of it. Even though my time in the house was not so pleasant, i had to suck it up because i knew this opportunity was going to benefit my career. I was very blessed to be on season 12 of TUF, my coach was Josh Koshceck and the other coach was GSP. Both men who i respect in and out of the ring.

 Question #3: Your last 6 bouts have been won or lost via: Decision. Is there anything you’re trying to improve on in order to finish your opponent before the 3rd and final bell?

 Answer #3: Yeah there are definitely  a lot of holes in my game and plenty of improvements that i need to make. Maybe i can work on being stronger, more explosive, improve my wrestling, my jiu jitsu, boxing , kickboxing …etc. Every time i fight i am always looking for the finish, but it is not always so easy. i think with just the overall improvement of my game the KO’s and submissions will come.

 Question #4: This almost a question for just myself, do you know when you might possibly be fighting next? We the fans must know!

 Answer #4: I dont know exactly when but im thinking sometime after june. I have a lot things i need to take care before i get back in there.

Question #5: Looking back on your professional fights, who to you (win or loss) was the most challenging? Also, if you could fight anyone in the UFC, who would it be and why?

 Answer #5: I dont know, every fight i have had in my career so far has been very tough for me, i wouldn’t be able to pick just one person. Who ever i fight in the UFC, the most important thing for me is that the guy puts on an entertaining and fun fight.

 Nam Phan - Thank you very much brother. You guys can follow me at www.iamnam.com or on twitter @NamPhanmma

@thefightersblog

(w)Jake Ellenberger vs. Nate Marquard - Round #1:  Starting off, Marquard was throwing leg kicks as he was being backed up by Ellenberger, Marquard then threw a combo which looked to have caught Ellenberger pretty good but he was able to back off and then push the pace again. Marquard continued to throw his legs but Ellenberger was then able to land with a combo of his own which rocked Marquard and ultimately lead Ellenberger to finishing him on the round for a knockout victory. 

 Great preference by Ellenberger. I’m excited to see where this puts him in the division and who he’ll be fighting next. Also have to welcome back Marquard. Even though he lost, he came to fight.

(w)Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit - Round #1: As always, Hendricks came out looking for a big knockout over Condit early on but was unable to get it. Condit was able to keep his cool and land with a few knee’s and punches of his own, also a big front kick but after doing so he would be taken down by Hendricks.

Round #2: Again, Hendricks comes out and early on in round #2 he looks to finish with a knockout but Condit not allowing that and landing with a few of his own big strikes. Hendricks which almost looked to be on purpose, back up to the cage in order to surprise Condit with a big take down after a flying knee was delivered by Condit. Once Hendricks got the take down he was more or less able to control the rest of the round on the ground.

 Round #3: Hendricks had stated in round #2 he had hurt or broken his hand but was not hesitating to throw it in the 3rd. Hendricks again was able to get a take down but Condit was looking to lock in a kimura but that allowed him to get back to his feet and land with a flurry of punches and then a follow up by Hendricks. While Condit again was throwing shots, Hendricks was able to get yet another successful takedown on  Condit but was able to get up shortly after, once up he was throwing all he had to try and finish the fight as it neared the end. The end result was Johny Hendricks winning via: Decision in a great fight against Carlos Condit.

 Hendricks now is granted a title shot because of this win. Shortly after this victory, he was interviewed and stated “now I know why Condit has never been finished”.

 (w)George St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz - Whole Fight: Throughout the fight, St-Pierre was able to control with his jabs, superman punches and his takedowns. While there were a few takedowns stuffed by Diaz, St-Pierre was still able to get him to the ground shortly after his first attempted. Diaz also landed some good shots and combos throughout the fight but none were enough to put the champion away. George St-Pierre would continue to take Diaz down, work the ground and pound and come out victorious over Nick Diaz.

 Shortly after the fight in an interview and the post-fight press conference, he stated he would love a rematch because Diaz felt like he was flat that night. He said he had been over sleeping and wasn’t sure if that would work for him or against him. I personally think he’ll have to come back and win a few before any time of title shot but we’ll have to see. Retirement from this sport (MMA) has been a thought of his for quite sometime and it’s still a undecided thing.

(w)Robbie Lawler vs. Josh Koscheck - A great performance and come back for Robbie Lawler. Lawler being away for 10 years, this was his first fight back and man did he make something of it. I do think it was stopped a little early, though. Koscheck was in trouble but didn’t seem to be out of the fight just yet. Few more punches and I couldn’t argue but he got up and was a little upset with the stoppage, along with many other people. 

(w)Court McGee vs. Josh Neer - A great performance by both but McGee was able to come out with the win. Both coming off two loses, they new they both had to leave it all in the cage and go for gold which they did. Great fight in my opinion.

(w)Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Manjivar - Great performance by Faber. Faber coming off a loss and also going back, a controversial win over Manjivar, he had something to prove tonight and did with a submission victory over Ivan Manjivar.

(w)Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson - This was more of a stand up fight with one take down for each Henderson and Machida. There wasn’t to many shots thrown but there were a couple nice shot Machida was able to land throughout the fight. In the end, Machida was victorious over Henderson. Henderson has said he’s not retiring and now Machida will get a title shot against either, Jon Jones or Chael Sonnen, whoever is the winner of their bout.

(w)Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche - The hype was real! Such build up to this fight and man did it deliver. Carmouche early on had a submission sunk in pretty deep but Rousey was able to swing her off and onto the ground, once there, Rousey was able to get on top, dominate from there and then sink in her famous arm-bar in which she was able to pull off yet again making her the winner and STILL! The UFC’s Women’s Bantamweight division Champion.

 Another great year of events/fight passes as we head into 2013 for a new year; A new level of fighting. These 3 picks are my own personal preferences and my top fights of the year. There were so many it was hard to pick but here it is!

 FightersBlog Top Fight #3:The Korean Zombie vs. Dustin Poirier

 A great display of striking, take downs, reversals and over all performance. The Zombie coming off a quick 7 second victory, Poirier knew he was in for a pace pushing scrap and that’s exactly what he got. Him delivering back, also. That night, we couldn’t have asked for a better event closer. It was a great fight with two great warriors resulting in The Korean Zombie submitting Poirier. 

 FightersBlog Top Fight #2: Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos

 A great display of cardio displayed by Velasquez and the hearts of both. This was their second fight and they both wanted it so bad. Cain in the first fight was knocked out early in round #1 resulting in him losing his title to Junior Dos Santos. Velasquez was able to build his way back up which landed him a chance to fight Dos Santos for the second time.

 This time around, Velasquez was throwing, getting take downs and out doing Dos Santos in every way possible. They both went 5 rounds which was unexpected and resulted in Cain Velasquez dominating Dos Santos all 5 rounds which made him the winner and the Heavyweight Champion yet again.

FightersBlog Top Fight #1: Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon

 Your FightersBlog Ultimate Top #1 Fight of the Year! This was a great display of everything! You name it; Heart, cardio, striking, ground game, etc.

 These two battled all 3 rounds of their fight, either willing to give up. There was blood everywhere, strikes being thrown non-stop and submission attempts being put out. I’d hardly call this a fight, it was a war! Both came in with that warrior mentality and ended up putting on the Fight Of The Night. In the end, Miller was able to take the victory but I don’t think anyone saw a loser in the octagon for that fight.

 I would like to thank everyone for their support towards this blog and the content I put out. I couldn’t ask for a better group of followers and I hope I’m able to keep expanding to new people. Thank you for all you’ve helped with and that’s a wrap on 2012!

@thefightersblog

(w)Derek Brunson vs. Chris Leben - A good display of take downs and being able to control the fight on the ground by Brunson. That played a bit factor in him winning against Leben via: Decision. He also had a few nice strikes landed. Welcome back, Leben, though!

(w)Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher - Okami was able to get a few takes downs throughout the fight but I didn’t agree with the referee standing them up when Okami had side control on Belcher. Yushin Okami was good at keeping Belcher back in which then he would go in for either a take down or to have him up against the cage to work from there. In the end, it was the ground control of Okami that got him the win via: Decision.

 (w)Costa Philippou vs. Tim Boetsch - Early on, Tim seemed to have had an injury that his corner was speaking of. Second round he was headbutted and poked in the eye and kept fighting as long as he could. Shows heart. Philippou had a hard time figuring out the fight and the times to go in. Once in the second round, it seemed to be no problem. Philippou wins via: TKO

 (w)Jim Miller vs. Joe Lauzon - What a fucking fight! Pardon my french as they say… There’s no other words to describe the fight. Miller able to get the upper hand early on and cut Lauzon causing non-stop bleeding throughout the fight. As the fight went on, Lauzon seemed to be making a come back, some nice striking along with a few good submission attempts but it wasn’t enough to take the “W” away from Miller. Making the winner via: Decision; Jim Miller - Fight of the night? Fight of the year!? Could be.

(w)Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos - AND YOUR NEW HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD - CAIN VELASQUEZ! What a performance by Velasquez throughout the fight! Heavyweight with Lightweight cardio without a doubt. He pushed the fight, was out striking Dos Santos and also out wrestling him. In the end, Cain Velasquez retains his championship via: Decision

    I was lucky enough to get a quick Q&A with Dion Staring, the man taking the super fight against Daniel Cormier in the last Strikeforce event.

 Hope you enjoy!

 Question #1: You now being around for a very long while, what is it that got you started in MMA and what is it that keeps you going and motivated?

 Answer #1: When I started training M.M.A. it was around  1998 or so. I just went to the gym and I like the workout so much that I got addicted to train and just fell in love with the sport. Out of curiosity I wanted to experience how it was to get in the ring and compete in a Mixed Martial Arts fight which I did in 1999 and rush of it made me want to do it more. In the beginning it was just recreational and not serious at all but slowly it became more and more serious and the fights where getting bigger so the motivation always was there.

Question #2: You’ve been granted a super fight against Daniel Cormier in Strikeforce on January 12th, what are you thoughts about the fight and Cormier himself?

 Answer #2: A fight against a great fighter and champion Cormier is a dream come true. I always wanted to know how I would handle myself against the big boys and finally I have this opportunity.

 Question #3: After your bout in Strikeforce, do you have any intentions of working your way towards being a part of the UFC?

 Answer #3: Yes, one of the reason I accepted this fight is that this fight can bring me one step closer to the UFC. Fighting such a big name like Daniel Cormier who the UFC is already interested in gives me the exposure to get my name out there. Being part of the main card in the last SF event it gives me the opportunity to showcase my skills as a fighter and impressive the people at the UFC that are watching ringside.

 Question #4: You’ve fought in B2F, United Glory, Slamm and a number of other different organizations; For your fight in Strikeforce, is there anything you’re changing up or doing differently to prepare for your fight?

 Answer #4: The biggest difference is that I now train in a new and better environment. I’m part of the Blackzilians now training at the Jaco Hybrid Training Center in Delray Beach, so surrounded by great talent and coaching staff so I’m preparing myself the best  possible way.

 Question #5: To date, who do you think was your toughest fight? Also, if given the chance to fight anyone associated with MMA, who would it be?

 Answer #5: I have so many fights that it’s hard to pick one but one of the tougher fights was against Lil Nog in his hometown in Brazil. It was not necessary the fight itself that was the hardest but the whole experience. I had only 2/3 weeks preparation as they couldn’t find an opponent who wanted to fight Lil Nog on such short notice. When I arrived in Brazil not everything was organised as I’m used to. I need to cut some weight as we agreed to fight at 96kg but there was no scale available so I need to cut weight and then needed to walk 200 meters at a local drugstore to weigh in there to see if I made the cut. Those are not excuses but it didn’t help for a good preparation. It was hot outside like around 35 degrees (95 Fahrenheit) and when I entered the arena it felt like it was 60 degrees (140 Fahrenheit), so the conditions where very hard to fight in. I’ve managed to stay in the fight which I eventually lost in the third round. After the fight I got the respect of the fans, the promoter and my opponent that although the hard circumstances I managed to keep my cool and make it a good fight for the fans. That’s what I do, I always give my all even if in times I’m struggling I will never surrender, that’s my mentality I learned in the military which I take with me in my fights.

Thanks again to Dion Staring for this opportunity and I wish you good luck in your super fight.

@thefightersblog

(w)Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick - A great display of striking by Matt Brown. Brown through out the fight was landing with hard standing elbows that you could see were wearing Swick down. Early to mid second round, brown was able to land with a right/left combo to rock and knockout Swick and then followed up with some ground strikes before the ref stepped in. Great fight and a great way to start FOX 5.

(w)Rory MacDonald vs. BJ Penn - Huge win for MacDonald. Rory came out looking great and also much bigger then the legendary BJ Penn. MacDonald’s striking was on pound and was able to land 100+ strikes half way into the fight. Rory was close to finishing the fight in the second round but Penn was able to stick it out and go the distance with Rory. Rory won via: Decision (30-26) averaged.

(w)Alexander Gustafsson vs. Shogun Rua - I’d say a great performance by both Gustafsson and Rua. Rua a true warrior, Gustafsson was landing with some hard shots through out the fight, also got some great take downs, a number of them. Shogun was able to grab hold of the heel in round one but unable to finish the fight, also land with some pretty good punches of his own. In the end, Gustafsson was able to take the W via: Decision.

(w)Ben Henderson vs. Nate Diaz - A dominate performance by the champion, Ben Henderson. He was able to dominate with take downs and while on the ground, the clinch and also standing with his low leg kicks. Diaz a warrior and hung through it all but ended up loses to a dominate decision to Ben Henderson.

 I was lucky to get a hold of Matthew Brown, a current UFC fighter, over Facebook to set up this short Q&A. I hope you all enjoy and make sure you tune in for his fight against Mike Swick Saturday, December 8th on the UFC FOX 5 fight card.

 Question #1: Having a fight set and so close to date, what changes do you make in whatever you do knowing you need to be in shape and ready for your opponent?

 Answer #1: Just increase the intensity and lower the volume. I’m already in shape, it’s just time to peak now

Question #2: You’re on a 3 fight win streak, a quite impressive one. Knowing you’re moving up the ranks, what are your thoughts on your next opponent, Mike Swick?

Answer #2: He’s a tough guy that’s been around a long time. I like his style and look forward to testing mself against his style.

Question #3: Being a part of the UFC, do you feel it’s partially your job to set a good example for the people that watch you and look up to you? It either be for fighting or who you are personally.

Answer #3: Absolutely. There are a ton of people watching your every move and following you closely. One of the most satisfying parts of being a public figure is influencing other positively and inspiring others to do good in the world.

Question #4: Is there anyone in your division or another division you would be able to make weight for that you want to fight? There a special someone?

Answer #4: No, I just love fighting. Doesn’t matter who’s standing across from me, I still love it.

Question #5: UFC signed over with FOX Entertainment, there are now these UFC on FOX fight cards that turn out to be big and get big numbers. You’re on FOX 5, what are your thoughts about UFC being with FOX and you fighting for a whole new crowed of people?

      

(w)Pablo Garza. Mark Hominick - Great stand up and ground fight. Both fighters constantly were looking for ways to progress their position and both going for it in the stand up. Hominick rocked Garza with body shots in the second round, looked to be close to a finish but Garza able to work his way back up and from then on get his take downs and dominate from the ground despite Hominick’s ground movement and submission attempts. Over all, great start to a PPV event. Not much more you could ask for. Maybe a finish.

(w)Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Mark Bocek - Great pace/stamina by Dos Anjos. He was able to out strike and throw Bocek’s speed right out the window. Bocek has quite the heart though. Dos Anjos was unable to finish Bocek even with his pace and strikes throughout the fight. Overall, more of a standup fight and again, another good one. Dos Anjos wins via: Decision.

(w)Fracis Carmont vs. Tom Lawlor - Not the fastest moving fight but not a bad one in my eyes. Tom Lawlor able to catch Carmont in two guillotines, one in round one and one in ground two but unable to finish. Was a more or less back and forth fight and Fracis takes the W via: Decision

(w)Johny Hendricks vs. Martin Kampmann - Huge knockout yet again! Very short fight. Hendricks comes out very aggressive after feeling Kampmann out for only 20 seconds or less. Lands with a right/left combo and then follows up with a one shot ground and pound on Kampmann to finish the fight.

(w)George St-Pierre vs. Carlos Condit - Fight of the night? I hope so! Great performance by both St-Pierre and Condit. I myself grew a lot of respect throughout this fight for Condit. His last performance was very controversial but this fight I believe made up for that. Condit in the third round had GSP rocked, then capitalized with some ground and pound but GSP was able to make it out and continue getting the takedowns. GSP and Condit were both good with their striking but where St-Pierre shined was his takedowns and ground work on Condit resulting in a dominating decision win over Condit for your winner and still Welterweight Champion of the world, George ‘Rush’ St-Pierre!

 (w)Cub Swanson vs. Charles Oliveira - Great striking displayed by Swanson. Fast finish, Swason winner via: first round K.O. Impressive performance, on a great winning streak and looking forward to seeing who he’s up against next.

 (w)Matt Hamill vs. Roger Hollett - Round one for Hamill was pretty exciting. He was pressuring Hollett into a standup striking war. Hamill then later in the round able to take Hollett down and land with other 70 ground and pound punches before the round could end. Further into the fight it seemed that Hamill had tired himself out and lost a lot of gas due to the ground and pound from the first round. Round 2 & 3 were slow paced. Hamill now holds the Light Heavyweight record for most significant strikes landed in a fight.

 (w)Michael Bisping vs. Brian Stann - Great standup battle, also on the ground. Bisping did an amazing job at getting the take downs through out the fight. Early on Stann was able to rock Bisping but, Bisping able to recover and make it out of round #1. Bisping in such great shape was able to have the greater speed over Stann and out move/strike him. Bisping wins via: Decision. Title shot? We’ll see!

 Joseph Benavidez vs. (w)Demetrious Johnson - The speed of Johnson! Holy! Don’t get me wrong, Benavidez is crazy fast but Johnson can almost see everything coming, move out of the way for safety or counter. Throughout the fight we saw great foot work and striking from both, also ground work. Benavidez almost able to sink in a choke in the 4th round but Johnson able to get out and get on top. A very back and forth fight. Demetrious victorious via: decision. Great performance!

 (w)Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort - Such a close arm bar by Belfort in the first round. Had me standing and almost ready for a fight finish. An amazing fight in my opinion. Vitor for some reason would keep pulling guard late in the fight, also in the early rounds hoping for a submission attempt/finish. He was close early on as I said but never followed through with another attempt or finished. Jones able to control Belfort on the ground once brought there, dominating Belfort. (on the ground) Once Jones was back on top in the 4th he was able to sink in a fast and tight americana to win via: Submission. Jones still your Light Heavyweight Champion!

 (w)Yushin Okami vs. Buddy Roberts - A great display of ground and pound by Okami in both the first and second round of the fight. Yushin almost was able to finish the fight at the end of round 1 but Roberts saved by the bell in a difficult spot. Once in the second, Okami was able to get Roberts to the ground yet again, take his back and finish the fight via: strikes. Welcome back to the winners circle!

(w)Jake Shields vs. Ed Herman - A rather boring fight for the fans. Most if not all of the fight was in a clinch up against the cage or Jake Shields on top on the ground. Shields able to control the fight over Herman giving Shields his first win at Middleweight in the UFC.

 (w)Donald Cerrone vs. Melvin Guillard - WHAT A COMEBACK! Early in round #1, Cerrone was very aggressive and then caught off guard by Guillard and rocked. Guillard charged at him throwing more punches and drilling Cerrone with knees. Cerrone able to pull everything together, then threw a high kick landing on Guillard then followed by a right hand knocking out and finishing the fight against Guillard. Huge fight, amazing performance along with a comeback. Cerrone vs. Pettis?

 (w)Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar - Very, very close fight! It was a tough one to score. Both fighters were throwing countless leg kicks, Edgar and Henderson with submission attempts, both good striking and same goes for take downs. The fight ended up going to decision where Edgar had 1 judge on his side but the other two in favor of Henderson making him the winner and still the UFC Lightweight Champion. Winner Henderson now set to face Nate Diaz on an unknown date as of now. I look forward to seeing both Henderson and Edgar back in the cage, that hopefully being soon!

(w)Mike Swick vs. DaMarques Johnson - First off, welcome back Swick! First round was a tough one for Swick. He was put to the ground by Johnson and then controlled throughout the round after some knee trades against the fence. Once Swick was able to weather the storm and make it out of round one he was able to re-group his fight strategy, come out and finish. DaMarkques was going in to strike when Swick was able to over power him, throw him back resulting in a takedown then ground and pound for the finish leaving Johnson out cold. Great fight back and I can’t wait to see him back in the cage.

 (w)Joe Lauzon vs. Jamie Varner - What a fight that was! Varner coming out in round one looking strong, rocking Lauzon a few times. As the fight went on, Lauzon came more together and was able to execute his fight plan. Third round Lauzon swept Varner, then reversed again by Varner which ended up putting himself in Lauzon’s triangle choke for the win. Great fight, great come back!

 (w)Lyoto Machida vs. Ryan Bader - Lyoto Machida looked great tonight, he was able to keep Bader away and control where the fight went. Come second round, Bader rushed in to deliver a flurry of strikes/a takedown but ended up running right into a counter by Lyoto, giving him a K/O finish in the second round. From what I’ve seen and been told, Lyoto will now get the winner of Jones/Henderson at UFC 151.

 (w)Shogun Rua vs. Brandon Vera - Nothing but a great fight in my eyes. Beautiful combinations by Vera which very much surprised me, also by Shogun. Shogun I believe had the better stamina in this fight, you could see Vera late fight keep looking for the clock and slow down remarkably. Nearing the end of the fight, both fighters were going for the finish but it ended up being Shogun Rua rocking Vera and then finishing it on the ground. As I said, great fight, I look forward to seeing where this puts Shogun now.

 (w)Mike Easton vs. Ivan Menjivar - Great display of striking and cardio. Mike Easton throughout the fight kept coming forward and bringing the fight to Menjivar, landing a great flying knee, head kick and multiple punches. In the end, Mike Easton got the win.

 (w)Chad Mendes vs. Cody Mckenzie - Not much to say other then Mendes with a great leg catch, body shot and follow up/finish with the ground and pound hammer fists.

 (w)Demian Maia vs. Dong Hyun Kim - Maia coming out quick and looking great. Very strange win, as he went to take Kim down he must have popped his rib and then verbally tapped out.

 (w)Cung Le vs. Patrick Cote - Great fight, both fighters kept coming forward and the pace high. Cung Le with some great kicks, also Cote. Cung Le was able to get a couple of take downs which may have been the deciding factor in this fight.

 (w)Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz - Another great fight, both fighters looking to finish the fight. Take down attempts, great striking + more. Forrest rocked a few times by Ortiz but able to bounce back and be victorious. Griffin was able to out strike Ortiz the whole fight which lead him towards the win. Tito Ortiz has retired, he has had nothing but an amazing UFC/Fight career and has done so much for building the sport. He will be missed by many and I (fightersblog) wish him the best. The trilogy is over!

 (w)Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen - Sonnen as in their first fight was able to take Silva down and dominate the whole first round. Coming into the second Silva came out a little strong BUT illegal holding of the shorts by Silva so Chael couldn’t get away while striking and I’m sure a knee that will be looked at over and over to see if it was to the head or body while Chael was on the ground up against the fence. Either way, an amazing come back, a true champion and even Sonnen said so.

 A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a hold of Chris’s wife, Kaleena via: Facebook.com and also granted time for a short interview with Chris Leben.

 Here it is:

 Question #1: What was it like to be on the first season of TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) and not only become a quick favorite to many on the show but end up blowing up in the UFC?

 Answer #1: “It was crazy.  I don’t think any of us knew what to expect.  We didn’t even know if the show was going to be aired or not through the filming of it.  Definitely a life changing experience and a shock, LOL.  Looking back in hind sight, I never realized how important what I was doing then was.  My life has forever been changed.”

Question #2: Once given an opponent, what steps and actions do you take towards preparing yourself for the up and coming fight?

 Answer #2: “I start out by looking at their video assessing their style, their strengths and weaknesses. Then I sit down with my coaches, we all collaborate to develop a game plan: what take downs I should use, if I wanna go to the ground, combination, whether I’m going to be aggressive using footwork, where do I want my weight, do I need to be stronger or faster, down to what attacks I’m going to use from guard, what I’m going to throw off the cage…everything.”

 Question #3: Everyone seems to know you for your standup, ruthless striking game. Do you fight that way to excite the crowed, put on a show or because that’s how you enjoy fighting?

 Answer #3: “It’s not my fault I don’t get to grapple because I hit them and they fall down.  Just kidding.  Absolutely. I believe that although professional athletes, and I wanna be the best, were also entertainers.  The crowd paid their hard earned money to watch me fight, to watch me stand up and bang”

 Question #4: If you could change one thing about the way you fight, what would that be and why?

 Answer #4: “I wouldn’t mind adding a few more inches to my height and being an outside fighter.  Believe it or not, I’m short for my weight division.   My style of fighting, although entertaining, is a little hard on the body and even worse on the brain, haha.”

Question #5: Being this far into your career, what goals do you have left you want to achieve in the UFC?

 Answer #5: “Well right now, with the recent changes in my life and my newfound sobriety, I’m excited to see how far I can go.  I know now I’ve never been 100%.  I feel better than I ever have and I’m continuing to grow.  I believe my peak has yet to come.  I’ll make another comeback, and this time I’d like to take it all the way”

I would like to thank BOTH Chris Leben and his Wife, Kaleena for setting up and partaking in this interview with FightersBlog.

 It’s a great honor to do something for such a great fighter and I hope all my followers via: tumblr.com enjoys.

@thefightersblog