This is the biggest UFC show of the year, and if you believe Dana White, the biggest UFC show of all time. I’m not so sure about that, but this is definitely the most interest I’ve had in a big time main event since probably Chuck Liddell vs. Rampage Jackson. And I might be more excited for this one.

Brock Lesnar punches Heath Herring

1. Demian Maia vs. Nate Quarry

It didn’t take long for Maia to get Quarry down. He got his back, put on a body triangle and eventually got the choke. Quarry never had a chance.

Winner: Demian Maia by way of 1st round submission

2. Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Josh Hendricks

Gonzaga just overpowered Hendricks in the clinch and was hitting him with knees. He knocked Hendricks down with a right hand and Hendricks just laid on the ground waiting for it to be stopped.

Winner: Gabriel Gonzaga by way of 1st round TKO.

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The story out of the weigh ins is that Randy Couture came in at 220 pounds, which is lighter than what he originally said he would come in at.

Also, Brock Lesnar was very subdued.

I just visualize my hand being raised. That’s all I have to say. I’ll see Randy Couture and everybody else tomorrow night.

Thanks to MMA Junkie for the quote.

Here were the weigh in results.

Ryan Thomas (170) vs. Matt Brown (171)
Alvin Robinson (155) vs. Mark Bocek (155)
Jeremy Stephens (155) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (155)
Jorge Gurgel (155) vs. Aaron Riley (156)

Live matches

Dustin Hazelett (170) vs. Tamdan McCrory (170)
Demian Maia (185) vs. Nate Quarry (185)
Gabriel Gonzaga (256) vs. Josh Hendricks (238)
Kenny Florian (156) vs. Joe Stevenson (156)
Randy Couture (220) vs. Brock Lesnar (265)

Weigh in results thanks to Figure Four/Wrestling Observer.

Dana White once said this was going to be the biggest fight in UFC history. I’m not sure if anyone is buying that anymore, but it’s definitely the biggest fight of the year. You have the ultimate legend in Randy Couture, and the new monster in Brock Lesnar. If you think about it, it’s cinematic. You have the aging legend who thinks that he’s always brought in to lose. You have the up and coming star who doesn’t care about the man who stands in his way. If there’s a better reality of the Rocky story, I’m not sure what that is. Well, I guess Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia. But this would be the sequel.

My FightGameBlog brothers have put together their predictions for this fight, as well as the Joe Stevenson vs. Kenny Florian fight. Also, since Cactus Jim is out of the country, I asked Dewey Hammond from Hard For The Yard and Stevie J from Angry Marks to chime in with their predictions.

Kenny Florian vs. Joe Stevenson

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Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg are on the broadcast.

And a very long intro starts the show. Jason MacDonald vs. Demian Maia opens up the show.

1. Jason MacDonald vs. Demian Maia

Just as Rogan said that MacDonald had to keep the fight standing, he clinched and Maia fell into his guard. He sunk in a triangle and MacDonald sat in it for over a minute and rolled over and got out of it. Maia fell into a rear naked choke, but he pulled out of it. Maia tried to get MacDonald to come back to the ground with him and MacDonald did. Maia transitioned in and out of MacDonald’s guillotine (really, he jumped into it) and then got MacDonald’s back for a rear naked attempt. Maia has a cut over his left eye.

Maia was on top pretty much the entire round throwing elbows from the top. He cut MacDonald over the eye. He got the mount and at one point tried for an arm triangle. MacDonald weathered the storm the entire round and even took the top position right at the end.

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News and notes from around the MMA, pro wrestling, and boxing world …

- Big Daddy V and others were released today by WWE.

- Is Lance Storm the most talented WWE superstar to never have a match at Wrestlemania?

- Good ol’ JR talks about Ric Flair’s break up with WWE.

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This might be the underdog UFC show of the year. With three bouts each with their own heavy intrigue, I’m probably more interested in this PPV than even last month’s big main light heavyweight title match.

Your friends at Fight Game Blog have put together a preview of the top three bouts.

Roger Huerta faces Kenny Florian in a bout that has an affect on who will be in the running for a lightweight title shot. Huerta hadn’t faced a true contender until beating Clay Guida in a great fight last year and now faces Florian who seems to be one of the measuring sticks in the division. If you think you are up to snuff in the division, you face Florian.

Roger Huerta vs. Kenny Florian

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Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan are the announcers.

The first fight is Nate Quarry, on the comeback trail, against Pete Sell.

1. Nate Quarry vs. Pete Sell

Both men come out swinging. Quarry looks a tad slow and seems to be willing to eat a few punches in order to land one. Let’s just say that these guys aren’t missing many punches. Sell gets the first.

Sell knocks Quarry down, but Quarry gets right back up. It is more of the same, but Quarry is getting some leg kicks in. Sell is just taking them. Sell wins the second because of the knock down.

Quarry needs to stop him to win the fight. And he did. He hits a short counter right and Sell drops like a sack of potatoes. The fight is over.

Winner: Nate Quarry by way of third round TKO.

2. Nate Diaz vs. Junior Assuncao

Nate goes for the arm early on and sticks with it until he knocks down Assuncao. Assuncao falls into a guillotine and after Nate sinks it in even further by wrapping his leg around Assuncao’s back and shoulder, Assuncao taps.

Winner: Nate Diaz by way of first round submission.

3. Terry Martin vs. Chris Leben

Leben seems to be fighting a smart fight. He’s using leg kicks and his reach advantage. But Martin is a bulldog. He’s getting inside and landing. He gets Leben up for a slam, but Leben holds onto the cage and gets a point deducted. He goes down anyway. Probably Martin’s round and with the point deduction, it’s 10-8.

Leben is fighting a much better second round. He’s connecting with knees and when they clinch, foot stomps. Martin takes him down, but Leben locks in a triangle. Martin is saved by the bell. That was Leben’s round all the way.

Both guys are exhausted. Leben looks ripe for getting knocked out. Martin throws a huge right and rocks Leben, but doesn’t follow up on it. He gives Leben a chance to bounce back, but hits him again. Leben throws a desperation left hook that knocks Martin out and it’s all over. Leben knocks him out.

Winner: Chris Leben by way of third round TKO.

4. Din Thomas vs. Kenny Florian

Florian is going for high kicks, but Thomas is blocking them. He slips throwing one and Thomas pounces. But he doesn’t want any part of the elbows coming from Florian’s guard and gets back up. Florian shoots in and takes Thomas down not once, but twice. Thomas shoots in and Florian stuffs the take down and starts to hammer him while he turtles up. He gets his back and gets both hooks in and sinks in a rear naked choke. Thomas taps out.

Winner: Kenny Florian by way of first round submission.

There were two sloppy boxing matches that ended in knockouts and there were two fights that ended in first round submissions. It was an average show, but if you were a fan of The Ultimate Fighter guys, all four won. Chris Leben, Nate Quarry, and Kenny Florian were all from season one and Nate Diaz was in the last one.

News and notes from around the MMA world …

- Silverbacks vs. Pitbulls on September 20th at the IFL finals.

- Strikeforce heads to the Playboy Mansion.

- Dana White calls Fedor Emelianenko’s handlers “crazy Russians“.

- Diego Sanchez leaves Greg Jackson’s camp.

- Spencer Fisher is out of his match at UFC Fight Night 11 because of a staph infection, but Kenny Florian is in.

- This is what happens when you can’t make weight and you lose to cake.

- Sean Sherk and Phil Baroni were granted extensions at the CSAC meeting on Monday.

- What happens if Sean Sherk’s suspension is held up?

- Zach Arnold can’t believe James Toney’s suspension was reduced.

- Dave Doyle also can’t believe the CSAC reduced James Toney’s suspension.

Talking Points

You have Hermes Franca, who admitted to taking steroids, hoping that his honesty would cause the California State Athletic Commission board to reduce his suspension. Then you have heavyweight boxer James Toney, who denied everything. One was honest. One was in denial. One admitted to taking steroids. One admitted to nothing, even though he tested positive for a horse steroid. Guess who got his suspension reduced? If you guessed Hermes Franca, you are absolutely wrong. Both Arnold and Doyle in the articles I linked above, found the decision to be unbelievable. Since I wasn’t there, I didn’t get to see each man plead his case, but I’ve heard Toney on the radio many times and I wouldn’t necessarily say that he’s an influential speaker. And he’s usually very candid and honest, which is why people like listening him speak. But other than the board simply believing that his horse steroid failure was possibly a false positive, I’m not sure what they were thinking. His record and longevity as a boxer shouldn’t matter in this case at all.

As it is, Sean Sherk’s October hearing is all of a sudden even more interesting.