It’s being touted as the biggest fight in UFC history, as former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar faces the challenge of the returning Randy Couture, with the World Heavyweight title on the line. That is what’s in store as I take a look at UFC 91: Couture v Lesnar, shown live here in Britain on Setanta Sports, with Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg handling the commentary side of things.

The show begins in the middleweight division, with Nate Quarry and Demian Maia. A quick one to start with. Maia went for a shoot early, which didn’t quite come off at first, but it wasn’t long before the Brazilian was in the mount position. Quarry then rolled over, allowing Maia to take his back. Quarry did his best to stop Maia applying the choke, but it wasn’t long before the rear naked choke was synched in, with Quarry tapping instantly. A very good performance from the Brazilian here.

Then it’s up to the big boys, as former title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga faces Josh Hendricks in the heavyweight division. Things began quickly as both men tried for a clinch. Gonzaga then took things down to the mat briefly, before the clinch attempts continued. Gonzaga then connected with a couple of good knees in the clinch, before a big right hand sent Hendricks crashing to the mat. He followed this up with one punch as Hendricks was on his side before the referee stepped in. A powerful display from the Brazilian native, taking only sixty-one seconds to despatch the debutant.

The third fight saw welterweights Matt Brown and Ryan Thomas in action. Round one saw Thomas connect with a couple of kicks, with Brown responding with a couple of good shots that staggered Thomas a little. A bit of grappling followed, until the fight went down to the ground with Thomas on top, delivering a few good blows of his own. A clinch up against the cage followed as both fighters jockeyed for position, until Thomas took the fight to the ground again, and again, it didn’t stay there for long. Back on their feet, Thomas’ under hooks meant that he was pulling him around like a rag doll, and a short time later he scored with another take down, taking the guard position. Brown quickly went for a triangle choke, which ultimately went nowhere, before he went for an armbar, which went the same way as the triangle. Thomas then got back into Brown’s half-guard, but Brown was far from a passive fighter here, looking to stay as much on the offensive as he was on the defensive, so much so that it wasn’t long before he took Thomas’ guard. This was beginning to look like a great back-and-forth battle as after a few seconds on their feet Thomas took it back down to the mat, with Brown going for another triangle as the round came to an end.

Round two, and Thomas soon went for a take down which Brown easily avoided, although he was successful at the second attempt. Immediately, Brown went for the armbar, with Thomas trying to break out by lifting Thomas up and slamming him twice. But that didn’t work, and it wasn’t long before Brown had the armbar synched in completely, forcing Thomas to tap out instantly. A good old fashioned back-and-forth battle here, with two very good performances.

More welterweight action followed, with Dustin Hazelett taking on Tamdan McCrory. The fight began with McCrory swinging away early on with a good combination, with Hazelett replying with a big kick that sent McCrory down briefly. The action then slowed down a little, until a Hazelett connected with a big right that had McCrory on the back foot. The action then slowed down a little again, until McCrory grabbed a leg and they went down to the mat, and began working for alma platas and arm bars, which led to Hazelett trapping McCrory’s arm, and a short time later, Hazelett twisted a little, and McCrory tapped. A very interesting fight, with some quiet moments, but a good example of submission fighting at the end.

Then it’s down to the lightweights, with Jeremy Stephens facing Rafael Dos Anjos. Round one began with the feeling out process, with both fighters trying to gauge the distance with kicks and punches. Dos Anjos was the first to try for the take down, which Stephens was easily able to defend against, before the fighters got into a clinch up against the cage, with Stephens determined to keep the fight upright, and Dos Anjos determined to take the fight down. Dos Anjos soon got the take down he wanted, taking Stephens’ back before taking the guard. Stephens’ plan was obvious as he kept trying to push himself up against the cage, before he decided to try for a guillotine which went nowhere. Dos Anjos then kept transitioning from side guard to north/south, and back to side guard, before getting into the half guard. Stephens then managed to escape and get into his opponent’s guard, but it wasn’t long before Dos Anjos locked in the alma plata, taking Stephen’s back as the round came to an end.

Round two, and the feeling out process began again, with Stephens determined to keep the fight upright, connecting with some good right hands, kicks and knees. But Dos Anjos was a match for him at times, before going for another take down, moving his man up against the fence before slamming him down. Stephens was holding on to an arm, but not for long, as Dos Anjos soon took Stephens’ back and synched the hooks in, before switching to a body triangle, going for the rear naked choke. But Stephens was able to escape, and almost went straight into a Dos Anjos armbar before getting into his opponent’s guard, and going for the ground and pound. Dos Anjos continued to try and work as Stephens broke off his attack to connect with a few blows.

Round three, and after both fighters tested the water a little, Stephens connected with a right uppercut that knocked Dos Anjos down. He then went in for the kill, got in another couple of shots, before the referee stepped in and called a halt to the proceedings. To say that this was a good fight would be an understatement.

Main event time #1, with Kenny Florian facing Joe Stevenson in the lightweight division. It began with both fighters connecting to get things going, before Florian scored with a big knee. But Stevenson constantly had Florian on the back foot until he grabbed a leg and got the take down, with Florian getting back up immediately. Stevenson continued with his take down attempt, with the attempted slam ending up with Florian on his backside. Kenflo would eventually work his was loose, returning to the centre of the cage. But once again Florian was on the back foot most of the time, with Stevenson continually going forward, until Florian got a take down of his own, taking Stevenson’s guard. Both guys worked well, until Florian got the mount, unleashed with the ground and pound, and then took Stevenson’s back, synching in the rear naked choke. Stevenson resisted for a few seconds, before the inevitable tap out. A good little fight here, and another example of how good Florian is getting as he earned a title shot against B.J. Penn.

Main event time #2, with Brock Lesnar challenging Randy Couture for the UFC Heavyweight title in what many are labelling as the biggest MMA fight of the year. Round one, and the clinch began early, with Lesnar getting in quickly with a couple of good knees. The following clinch up against the cage saw both men jockeying for position, before they returned to the centre of the cage when Couture connected with a strong right. After a few shots were exchanged, Lesnar then went for a take down, defended well by the champion, until Lesnar was able to slam him down and get into the half guard. Couture soon got out, and after grabbing one leg almost took Lesnar’s back, before the former wrestler escaped and got into the champion’s half guard again, connecting with a some heavy blows along the way. But once again it wasn’t long before Couture was able to get up again and engage in another clinch against the cage, trying to get a take down of his own as the round came to an end.

Round two saw both fighters swinging, with a Lesnar elbow rocking Couture slightly, before another clinch against the cage, connecting with a knee to the mid-section. Lesnar soon powered his way out and connected with a knee of his own before they started trading blows in the middle again, with a cut opening up above Lesnar’s right eye. Couture then returned to the clinch against the cage as he attempted to wear Lesnar down so he could attempt the take down. But as this went nowhere, they returned to the middle of the cage, where Lesnar connected with a right hand to the temple that knocked the champion down. Lesnar went in for the kill, unleashing the ground and pound, and with Couture offering no defence to this onslaught, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight, meaning that the UFC had a new heavyweight champion in the former of former WWE Champion Brock Lesnar. A very good performance from Lesnar, who once again proved his doubters wrong against the legend that is Randy Couture.

So with a load of time to spare, it’s on to some of the undercard stuff, beginning with lightweight action between Jorge Gurgel and Aaron Riley. Round one saw the fighters trading early as they moved around the cage, and a few moments later Riley caught Gurgel with an inadvertent low kick. After a brief rest period the fight re-started with both fighters swinging again, both of them connecting with good shots. This was basically how the fight went on for the next few moments, both fighters getting off good combinations for the rest of the round.

Round two, and the fighters continued where they’d left off in the previous round. Each fighter had their moment, with Riley intent on turning the fight into an all-out brawl, and Gurgel failing to rise to the bait. But as time went on Riley began to get the upper hand, and when the fight went to the ground Riley tried for the ground and pound, while Gurgel would later favour the up-kick. It wasn’t long before Gurgel got back to his feet, and the fight returned to type. Gurgel looked a little unsteady on his feet after Riley’s ground and pound, and began to walk right into Riley’s trap by brawling with him. But as the round came to an end Gurgel scored with a take down.

Round three began with the fighters trading offence again, trading kicks and blows as each man looked for an opening, with Riley once again looking the more accomplished fighter, especially as he stunned Gurgel with a head kick that left his opponent staggered. Gurgel countered with a clinch up against the cage, which Riley answered with a couple of knees. Gurgel was now visibly slowing as Riley continued to connect with some good blows. A few moments later Gurgel slipped, and Riley again went for the ground and pound in the guard. Gurgel was able to get back to his feet, but his immediate take down attempts failed, with the second resulting in a brief clinch against the cage. Gurgel’s third attempted take down saw Riley almost take his back, and the fight ended with Riley scoring with a high head kick. So with the fight going the distance, it was down to the judges to decide the outcome as they gave the unanimous decision to Riley, and rightfully so.

Another lightweight fight followed, with Alvin Robinson facing Mark Bocek. The first round saw the fighters swinging early, with Bocek going for a clinch and Robinson pulling guard to take the fight to the mat. Both fighters worked well as they looked for an opening, with Bocek transitioning well, but failing to take Robinson’s back, giving the guard to his opponent. But as Robinson tried to get to his feet, Bocek’s feet took him back down again. Bocek then worked the most, attempting to control Robinson and he laid in the knees and the elbows, before trying to go for the mount from side control, eventually settling for the guard. Robinson now seemed very much on the defensive as Bocek was able to transition at will, moving to north south and going for an arm triangle choke, with Robinson only surviving because the round came to an end.

Round two began in the same way as the first, before Robinson went for the take down, with Bocek defending by flipping him over and putting Robinson on his back, taking his guard and quickly moving to side control, where he continued with the tactics he’d used in the last round. Bocek then went for a guillotine from the mount, before returning to north/south and going for another arm triangle choke. This didn’t work, so Bocek re-took side control, soon moving back to full mount, then taking Robinson’s back, synching in the body lock, and unleashing with countless blows,  constantly looking for the rear naked choke. But then, for the first time in the round, Robinson went on the offence, and although Bocek went for an alma plata, Robinson took Bocek’s back. It didn’t last long though as Bocek ended the round in the half guard.

Round three, and it wasn’t long before Bocek slammed Robinson again, taking the guard. It was obvious by now that Bocek was simply out-classing Robinson as Bocek was able to transition at will. Robinson tried to escape, but Bocek was soon able to re-exert control. Bocek soon went for an arm triangle, but Robinson was able to escape. Bocek soon took Robinson’s back and unleashed with the ground and pound, and although Robinson was able to flip back round, the ground and pound continued. Mere seconds later Bocek regained control of Robinson’s back, and after synching in the rear naked choke, Robinson had no choice but to tap. By far the most technical fight of the evening with Bocek putting in an outstanding performance.

In conclusion - I know I say this each and every time, but this was a hell of a card. There wasn’t one bad fight here, and even though Brock Lesnar’s victory of Randy Couture was probably the most dramatic fight of the night, by far the best fight of the night was Mark Bocek’s victory over Alvin Robinson, a great example of mixed martial arts action at it’s finest, and one of the most technical fights I’ve ever seen.

But now all UFC fans will be looking forward to next month, with the second part of the heavyweight title jigsaw being put into place.

This coming Saturday Brock Lesnar will undertake the biggest challenge of his athletic career. Having already attained superstar status in the professional wrestling world, he’ll be looking to attain the same status in the mixed martial arts world when he attempts to dethrone current UFC Heavyweight Champion Randy Couture. So what better time is there to take a look at his MMA debut against Min Soo Kim on the DVD release of K-1’s Dynamite USA, held at the prestigious Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Handling commentary for this one is probably the best play-by-play guy in MMA, Mauro Ranallo, Jay Glazer, and another former pro wrestling superstar, Bill Goldberg.

The main feature disc begins with former NFL star Johnnie Morton, making his MMA debut, and Bernard Ackah in the heavyweight division. This one was quick. Morton immediately began to swing for the trees, scoring with the take down seconds later, with Ackah getting straight back up immediately. Then Ackah connected with a big right hand and knocked Morton out cold, with the referee stopping the fight immediately, with Morton carried from the ring on a stretcher. Explosive stuff from the African, getting the win in just 38 seconds.

Up to the really big guys next, the super-heavyweights, with Mighty Mo taking on Ruben “Warpath” Villareal. Another quick fight, which began in the same way as the previous fight, with both fighters exchanging blows before going into a clinch up against the ropes. When this went nowhere, they began to exchange blows again. Mo connected with a left hook, and with Warpath tripping over the ropes, he was soon down on the mat. Mo took the opportunity by taking Warpath’s back, finishing him off with a left hand to the face. That was it for Warpath, as the referee called a halt to proceedings, awarding the victory to Mo via strikes. I’m not really sure how to rate this one, but because Warpath’s downfall came because he tripped over the bottom rope, it’s a good example of why a cage is sometime better than the ring.

Then it’s down to the light-heavyweight division with Melvin Manhoef and Dong-Sik Yoon. This was originally meant to be the second fight on the show, but a backstage disagreement over ankle strapping saw Yoon originally pull out of the fight, before quickly changing his mind. So with that short explanation out of the way, let’s get back to business. The first round began with the feeling out process, and it wasn’t long before Manhoef went to work, unleashing with the big shots that sent Yoon to the ground. They soon got back to their feet, with Yoon stopping the assault by going for a clinch, before taking Manhoef down to the ground and into his guard. An armbar attempt failed, and saw Manhoef send down another barrage of blows, which Yoon, again, stopped with another clinch, eventually taking Manhoef down and gaining side control, soon getting the full mount. Yoon then connected with a series of blows, trying to set up for an armbar, which he almost synched in. The Dutchman’s response was to unload once more, before he almost fell out of the ring.

Round two began slowly, with each fighter looking for an opening. Yoon soon got the takedown from a clinch, soon gaining full mount and going for the ground and pound, before quickly taking Manhoef’s back, then quickly synching in an armbar. There was nowhere the Dutchman could go as he tapped out immediately. An amazing, action packed, back and forth fight.

Then it’s on to a bonus fight, with Britain’s Brad Pickett facing Hideo Tokoro in the lightweight division. It began with both fighters testing the waters as it were, with Pickett connecting with one shot that caught Tokoro unawares a little. Tokoro then got the take down, which was followed by a couple of quick transitions, and a Tokoro armbar attempt. An overhand right saw Tokoro go over, and when both men got to the mat the Japanese star went for another submission, this time a heel hook. More grappling followed until Pickett got into the half guard. But this didn’t do anything for him, as Tokoro soon succeeded with his second armbar attempt, with the Brit tapping almost immediately. Another fight with some great action. Just a shame that my fellow Brit didn’t get the win!

Main event time #1 in the middleweight division, the battle of the legends, with Kazushi Sakuraba facing Royce Gracie. This was the one I was really looking forward to. Round one began with the feeling out process, testing each other with feigning kicks, before a right hand from Sakuraba sent Gracie down to the mat. After a skirmish on the mat. Sakuraba got back to his feet, while Gracie stayed on the floor, intent on kicking Sakuraba’s legs, who responded with a few kicks of his own. After a few moments Sakuraba went down to the mat, and as both men grappled for position, they soon got back up to their feet in a clinch against the ropes. Sakuraba then failed with his throw attempt, before both fighters returned to the centre of the ring as the first round came to an end.

Round two began in the same way as the first, until Sakuraba went for a take down that was well defended by Gracie. The Brazilian began to mix up his strikes and kicks, until both fighters got into a clinch in the ropes, with Gracie using knees and kicks to attack Sakuraba’s right leg. But when the action stopped, the referee separated them. Back in the middle of the ring Sakuraba went for a take down that Gracie was able to defend, only for Sakuraba to unleash a series of blows and knees against him. Another clinch against the ropes followed, which continued until the end of the round.

Round three saw the same beginning, with both fighters exchanging kicks and, until Gracie pulled Sakuraba into his guard, looking for a submission. But Sakuraba defended well, stopping Gracie’s attempts, until he took the fight back up, with both fighters still looking for a submission. But then the action along the ropes stagnated a little, until Gracie unloaded with a series of shots to Sakuraba’s head. Then the clinch returned, this time in one of the corners, but the lack of activity saw the referee call for a break. As the fight entered the last thirty seconds, both fighters exchanged blows, before going to the ground in the final few seconds with Sakuraba attempting an armbar. So with the fight going the three round distance, it went down to the judges decision, with all three scoring in favour of Royce Gracie. A very good fight here, although some of the fans in attendance clearly didn’t understand what was going on half the time, and given Gracie’s victory, it’s a shame that it was tarnished by his failed drug’s test afterwards.

Main event time #2 in the heavyweight division, with the debuting Brock Lesnar facing Min Soo Kim, a late replacement for the giant Hong Man Choi. This one was quick. Lesnar took Kim down early, and immediately went for the ground and pound, even though Kim was trying to smother him. This was the only defence that Kim seemed to offer, and as Lesnar continued to pound away, Kim tapped. While there wasn’t much to look at it this fight, Lesnar’s power was more than apparent, as it seemed as it Kim had totally underestimated him.

But that’s not all as far as fighting action goes, because as well as the K-1 fights, there’s a few EliteXC fights here with their own separate show in the same venue. This segment begins with heavyweights, as Tim Persey faces Jonathan Wiezorek. Round one began slowly, until Persey came rushing forward into a clinch, which took them to the ropes. This resulted in a stalemate, with the referee rightfully separating them. This only resulted in another, and this saw a little more action as Wiezorek scored with an inadvertent low blow. Persey only took a short rest period, and when the fight re-started he rocked Wiezorek with a big left, sending him to the mat before taking the guard, and while Wiezorek looked to go for a submission, Persey looked for the knockout blow. Wiezorek looked to be winning the battle as first he went for a kimura and then went for a straight armbar. Persey retaliated with a big blow, and with thirty seconds to go in the fight Wiezorek got the take down.

Round two, and Persey unloaded with a couple of shots before Wiezorek got the body lock and took his man down, taking Persey’s back and going for the ground and pound. Persey offered no defence to this onslaught, and it wasn’t long before the referee stepped in and stopped the fight. Good stuff here, the kind of back and forth fight I, and probably millions of others, really like.

Fight two sees welterweight action, with Jake Shields taking on Ido Pariente. The beginning saw Shields test the waters with a kick, before taking Pariente down to the mat. Shields then easily transitioned into the full guard, going for the ground and pound. Pariente tried to buck his hips to escape, but this tactic had little effect. Shields then took Pariente’s back, synching in the rear naked choke. Pariente resisted for a moment, but eventually tapped. A dominating performance from Shields, and an impressive one as well.

There’s also two more bonus fights on this disc, lightweight action with J.Z. Calvancanti facing Nam Phan, and Katsuhiko Takada taking on Isaiah Hill. But that’s not the end of the extras - there’s two more discs worth of them, including special countdown shows, special features on some of the fighters, training session footage, interviews and the complete opening ceremony.

In conclusion - this is a very enjoyable show. I was a little disappointed that some of the fights didn’t last long, but then again that’s the unpredictable nature of the mixed martial arts business, and you can’t have long, drawn-out classics all the time, can you? All the fighters featured on this collection put in good showings. As for Lesnar’s MMA debut, he did a good job here, and it’s interesting to see how far he’s come in such a short space of time.

Production wise, commentators Ranallo, Goldberg and Glazer did a great job of calling the action. However, I’m not sure about the choice of venue for this show. The L.A. Coliseum may have been good for Olympics and big American football games, but there just didn’t seem to be much of an atmosphere for an MMA show, and if I was the head of K-1’s MMA arm, and I wanted to hold a debut show in America, I would have chosen a smaller venue.

But if my only criticism of this show is the choice of venue, then it must have been a good show.

K-1 Dynamite USA is available to buy online at www.mmauniverse.com.

It’s Britain’s answer to The Ultimate Fighter, and I haven’t seen any of the episodes. In fact I didn’t even know that the live final was being shown until I checked the digital television guide to see if there was live boxing on Nuts TV. So this past Saturday, after a near two hour power cut, I tuned into the aforementioned Nuts TV for the live final of Cage Rage’s Fighting Hurts, or as some others would call it, Cage Rage Contenders 11, held at The Troxy in London.

The show begins in the light-heavyweight division, with Peter Bowen taking on Carl Lawrence. No feeling out process for these two debutants in the first round. Bowen swung a little, and Lawrence tried to get a guillotine straight away, but with that going nowhere, he took Bowen down. Quick transitions followed, with Bowen getting into the top position. Both guys worked well, each getting the advantage at one point or another. As the round entered it’s final minute, Lawrence was in the guard, trying to look for an opening.

Round two began with both fighters trading blows, before it quickly went back down to the mat with Bowen trying to synch in a guillotine, which like Lawrence’s in the previous round, came to nothing. The pace really began to slow down early on, and it told as the referee stood the fighters up when nothing was achieved on the ground. When it went back to the stand-up, the fatigue was there for all to see as they tried to land a shot or two. A second trip to the mat resulted in a second order to stand back up. This round was certainly lacking the intensity of the first. Everything about it was so much poorer, as both fighters just looked too tired to fight. But after the referee stood them up for a third time, Bowen got his second wind, knocking Lawrence down with a big right hand, before finishing off his bloodied opponent with the ground and pound, and with Lawrence offering nothing in return, the referee stepped in and called a halt to proceedings. Definitely the proverbial game of two halves, an explosive first round and a somewhat sloppy second round, before Bowen sucked it in and connected with the big blow.

Then it was down to the middleweight division, with Steve Dossett facing Brett Bassett. Round one, and Dossett immediately tested the waters with a couple of snapping low kicks. Bassett responded with a couple of rights as both fighters began to weigh each other up. But then Dossett scored a knockdown, and quickly got into the guard position, looking for the ground and pound, while Bassett responded with a triangle choke, a move which proved successful, as Dossett tapped within seconds of the choke being applied. A very good fight here, even though it was a little short.

Right down to the featherweight division next, with Davin Byfield against Giorgio Andrews. No feeling out process in the first round as the fighters quickly went down to the mat, with quick transitions that saw them quickly return to their feet before engaging in a clinch that took them around the cage, and Andrews soon getting the take down. But Byfield was soon able to get back to his feet, if only for a few seconds as Andrews took it back down to the mat and took side mount, before moving into half guard, with Byfield doing all he could to defend his position. It certainly was interesting to watch as Byfield once again escaped, only for Andrews to return the fight to the ground. As the round went into it’s last minute, Byfield finally went onto the offensive, getting into Andrew’s guard, only for Andrews to reverse the situation, get into the mount position, before taking Byfield’s back and synching in the rear naked choke. There was only one thing that Byfield could do, and that was tap. An extremely good performance from Andrews in this one, dominating for the most part.

Welterweight action follows, with Steve Elliot taking on Richard Griffin. Round one saw the fighters trade early, until Elliot slammed Griffin down with authority. After some quick work on the ground the fighters returned to their feet briefly, until Elliot took the fight back down to the mat. Griffin tried for a guillotine that came to nothing, which was followed by Elliot taking side control momentarily. Seconds later they returned to their feet, and a knee strike from Griffin inadvertently caught Elliot south of the border. After a brief rest period, the fighters began to exchange again, before going back down to the mat, with Elliot looking for the knee bar and then the heel hook. Griffin then went for the ground and pound, before Elliot reversed into the guard position, transitioning into an armbar attempt, which Griffin defended with more ground and pound. After Griffin freed his arm, he upped his ground and pound, and Griffin looked in trouble for a while until the bell saved him.

Round two began with Elliot showing the effects of Griffin’s attack. Griffin went on the offence from the get go, and he was soon in the guard and going for the ground and pound again. All Elliot could do was defend, until he went for another armbar and quickly got back into Griffin’s guard, going for the ground and pound of his own. But Griffin was able to reverse the move himself, getting into Elliot’s guard, only to find himself in another Elliot armbar attempt. Griffin was able to escape, but immediately found himself in a side choke attempt, which also failed. So with Griffin again returning to the guard position, he again went for the ground and pound, but looked tired in doing so. This gave Elliot the chance he needed, locking in a kimura, with Griffin tapping immediately. This was one of those fights you just couldn’t take your eyes off, a back and forth affair good enough to be on a main Cage Rage card, so maybe we’ll get to see these two against each other on the main stage soon.

On to the lightweight division next, with Sami Berik facing Afnan Saeed. Round one and Berik began to tease Saeed immediately, switching stances as he came forward. But seconds later the fight went down to the mat, with Saeed taking the guard. But they soon returned to their feet, and Berik’s quick fists staggered Saeed, and the fight soon went back downstairs, but a quick return to their feet saw Berik connect with a big left hook which knocked Saeed senseless, but didn’t sent him down, still on his feet but leaning against the cage, but clearly unconscious. Berik hit him with a right, but when he realised that Saeed was out of hit, he immediately apologised to the referee, who called an halt to proceedings straight away. Good little fight here, with Berik’s performance a good one.

Main event time, the Fighting Hurts final, a light-heavyweight fight with Leigh Alliss and Dyson Roberts. The first round began with the fighters exchanging blows, with Roberts favouring the low kick. The exchanges continued for a while, until Alliss’ right hand got the better of Roberts, who responded immediately with a take down, quickly going into side mount. Alliss soon reversed the position, and went for a guillotine, which went to nowhere. Then it was Roberts’ turn to try a guillotine, which Alliss defended by slamming his opponent down. More transitioning followed, with Roberts going for another guillotine. Both fighters remained busy on the ground, but not enough for the referee, who stood the fighters up, and in the last thirty seconds Alliss’ boxing credentials showed again as he connected with a couple of good shots, with Roberts coming back with a take down.

Round two, and both fighters began to swing for the trees again. Alliss got a good shot on Roberts, who responded with another takedown, taking the mount position, and then transitioning with another guillotine. But it wasn’t long before Alliss took the guard, with Roberts responding with an armbar attempt. More work on the ground followed, but it wasn’t enough as the referee stood them up. Back on their feet both fighters began trading blows again, but Roberts’ subsequent shoot was well defended by Alliss, who took control on the ground before going for the ground and pound. All Roberts seemed to be able to do was to hold on and wait for the end of the round.

Round three, and with the fighters clearly looking tired, Alliss once again showed his superior striking ability. Roberts went for a take down, and once again Alliss defended, soon taking Roberts’ back, synching in a rear naked choke which Roberts tapped out to almost immediately. This was an extraordinary fight, with Roberts looking good early on, and Alliss coming back strongly, showing that he’s not just a good striker, but he can work on the ground as well.

In conclusion - having suffered a tremendous blow following the demise of their American partner Elite XC, Cage Rage put on a very enjoyable show. Every fight on the televised card was good, with the Fighting Hurts final probably the fight of the night.

But although the fights were good, the same couldn’t be said of the broadcast itself. While the announcers and the presenters did a good job, some aspects of the show did leave a little to be desired. While the previous shows, held at Wembley Arena, were well put together, there just seems to be something missing from their new venue, The Troxy. The atmosphere there is a lot different, and do we really need Dave O’Donnell or O.J. Borg interviewing drunk punters and fighters who aren’t on the card? I think not. And let’s not forget the technical problems as well.

So in all - good fights, but they need to return to their old production values, as well as returning to a venue like Wembley Arena.

A little later than planned due to a thumb injury and a power cut this past Saturday, this edition of The Two Sheds Review sees me venturing into the stand-up world of K-1 again, with this year’s World Max final, broadcast on Eurosport this past Friday night as part of their Fight Club series.

As is the custom with Eurosport these days, we cut straight to the semi-finals, with Yoshihiro Sato taking on his Japanese countryman Masato. The battle of the kick boxers was action packed from the opening bell. It was nice to see Sato employ the front kick to good effect, something I don’t think I’ve seen in a while in either K-1 or MMA. Both fighters certainly had their moments. While Masato controlled the second round, Sato came back well in the third with a knock down. It was difficult to tell which fighter would get the decision, so much so that the judges called for a fourth round. This proved to be just as action packed as the previous rounds, with Masato doing just that little bit more to get the win and the spot in the final.

The second semi-final saw kick boxer Artur Kyshenko facing karate stylist Andy Souwer. This one proved to be just as good as the first semi-final, even though it was fought at a somewhat slower pace at times. Souwer had his hands full with the relative newcomer. Souwer was the fighter who came forward the most, and Kyshenko seemed happy to counter attack after every Souwer combination. But it was during the third round that Kyshenko began to come forward a lot more, often delivering the first blow in any exchange, forcing Souwer to display his defensive skills. In fact if this fight was scored on the third round alone, then it would probably be scored as a draw, and after three rounds, the entire fight was scored as a draw, so that made it two semi-finals out of two in which the extra round was called for. Kyshenko was clearly confident in this round, which Souwer less so, judging by the fact that his accuracy seemed a little off. Kyshenko was simply outworking the champion, and it came as no surprise that Kyshenko got the judge’s decision.

Then it’s on to a super fight, with kick boxers Joeri Mes and Taishin Kohiruimaki. This one was a little bit messy at times and not as technical as the semi-finals, although Mes looked impressive as he scored two knock downs in the first round with some good shots. Mes’ attack in the second round was relentless, and although Kohiruimaki came back well at times, as well as doing a lot of holding, which earned him a warning, it was Mes who emerged victorious, a hard right knocking Kohiruimaki  down like the proverbial sack of spuds in the final seconds of the fight, with the referee not even bothering to administer a ten count, as Kohiruimaki was out like a light.

Final time followed, with Masato facing Kyshenko. Despite their exertions in the previous round, both men went at it full tilt from the get go. An action packed first round was followed by Kyshenko scoring a knock down early in the second. The Ukrainian continued to dominate for the next few moments, until Masato got his second wind and came back strongly, putting the pressure on Kyshenko as the round went on. The third round saw both fighters swinging for the proverbial trees with both hits and misses, and as it progressed it proved to be just as good as the previous rounds. Masato was, well, Masato, constantly trying to look for an opening. But then again Kyshenko was just as good, more than able to keep up with the more experienced opponent. Once again, the judges couldn’t separate the fighters, so once again the fourth round was called for. Masato went to work straight away as Kyshenko began to look weary as the Japanese star began to dominate, and it was this dominance that earned him the victory and the championship.

In conclusion - four top notch fights on the latest edition of Fight Club. I really can’t find fault with any of them.

But what I can find fault with is Eurosport’s coverage of K-1. Once again fights were cut from the broadcast. We missed all of the quarter-finals as well as most of the super fights. It’s about time that Eurosport realises that not everybody here in Britain has access to their high definition channel, which, from what I understand, broadcasts the full shows.

So my final recommendation would be this - as K-1 DVDs are now released on a regular basis here in Britain, wait for that to come out. At least you’d be able to see all of the show, and it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than getting a Sky HD box and an HD television.

Maybe it’s time for me to start a Facebook group calling for either Sky or Setanta to get K-1. Watch this space.

So can Anderson Silva once again prove he’s the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world? Or will Patrick Cote upset the apple cart and take his title? Well, that’s what I intend to find out by once again tuning into the world of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as, just one week after UFC 89, UFC 90: Silva v Cote, makes it way to a live showing on Setanta Sports here in Britain. As always the hosts for the evening are Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan.

The broadcast begins with action from the lightweight division, with former champion Sean Sherk taking on Tyson Griffin. Round one began with the fighters looking for an opening, and Sherk soon found it, taking Griffin down and quickly taking his back. But then Griffin got to his feet, walked across the cage, and proceeded to throw Sherk down to the mat. It wasn’t long before Sherk took Griffin down again, but after Griffin got to his feet, nothing much happened, so the fight returned to the centre of the cage where the fighters engaged in a punching battle. Some good shots followed, but as Griffin went for a take down, Sherk got control, quickly taking his opponent’s back again, but nothing really came of it, and as the clocked tick down towards the end of the round both me scored with some great punches.

Round two, and Griffin began the round with a cut just above his left eye. Sherk went for a quick shot, and soon got Griffin down. But it didn’t last long as they returned to the previous tactics, looking for the knockout blow, and although Griffin managed to get in some good shows, Sherk always looked one step ahead of him. As the round went on Griffin began to get more aggressive, scoring with a couple of good blows, but Sherk was able to counter with his own display as Griffin began to slow down a little. Sherk seemed to up his game a little, while Griffin began to swing for the trees. Sherk then attempted another take down, and after defending against this Griffin seemed to get another wind, connecting with some good blows and a high leg kick, and this went on as the round came to an end.

Round three, and things began quickly. Griffin came out like a house a fire, and it looked as if Sherk didn’t know what had hit him at first. Eventually things slowed down a little as the fighter circled each other, getting off shots whenever they could. Unlike the previous rounds, the exchanges here looked pretty even. It was great to watch as each fighter looked for the blow or exchange that could make the difference, with Sherk seemingly abandoning his take down plan, and Griffin looking more relaxed because of it, and the exchanges continued until the very last second of the fight. So the decision was now down to the judges, with Sherk getting the unanimous decision, which didn’t exactly please the crowd in attendance. A good fight, a good way to open the show, but a little surprising that Griffin didn’t get much from the judges.

Then it was up to the big boys in the heavyweight division, a battle of the Brazilians with Fabricio Werdum and Junior Dos Santos. The first round began with the usual testing of the waters with punches and kicks. But then Dos Santos connected with a huge uppercut. Werdum slumped to the mat, with the referee stopping the fight as Dos Santos went in for the kill. Explosive stuff from Dos Santos, especially considering that Werdum was rated as one of the top heavyweights in the UFC at the moment, and was in line for a title shot.

So after that quickie, it’s back down to the lightweight division, with Rich Clementi facing Gray Maynard. The first round saw over thirty seconds pass before the first exchange after the fighters circled each other, and this continued for a few moments, with both men getting off the occasional blow or kick. In truth, watching the two fighters dancing around and hitting air didn’t make for interesting viewing, and this state of affairs lasted well into the fourth minute until Maynard got a take down. We then saw the most action of the round as both men tried to work on the mat.

Round two, and after a quick exchange, the fighters returned to their previous tactics. A brief clinch against the cage led to nothing, and, thankfully, Maynard scored with another impressive take down. After Clementi tried to escape, Maynard attempted a standing guillotine, before they went back down to the mat, with Clementi trapping Maynard’s arm. Maynard soon escaped, but Clementi soon had hold of his arm again. But after nothing came of it, the fighting slowed down a little, with Maynard maintaining control throughout, and this was how things remained for the rest of the round.

Round three, and once again Clementi began punching air. This didn’t last long as Maynard slammed him down to the mat again. Clementi tried to scramble up, but Maynard soon regained the guard position. Every time Clementi tried something, Maynard was able to escape, and it began to get a bit annoying when the referee kept warning the fighters about inactivity when they were clearly active. As the fight entered it’s final two minutes Clementi got to his feet, but was soon back on the mat. Maynard looked in total control, even when Clementi briefly took his back, while the referee’s pleas for more action continued to annoy. The fight ended with Maynard working on top. So a fight that began slowly got going in the second and third, and the unanimous judge’s decision in favour of Maynard was more or less a given. Good performance from Maynard, and a slightly disappointing one from Clementi.

Then it’s up a division to the welterweights, with Thiago Alves facing Josh Koscheck, who took the fight at two week‘s notice. Round one saw the feeling out process, before Alves suddenly sprang into life, connecting with a left hook that sent Koscheck down early. Alves went in for the kill, but Koscheck recovered quickly, and it wasn’t long before he got off a few shots of his own. It was interesting to watch as both guys had their moments, Alves’ jab and leg kicks meeting up with Koscheck’s boxing. As the round entered it’s last minute Koscheck tried for a take down against the cage, but Alves was soon able to escape.

Round two, and the feeling out process began again. Alves continued with the kicks, while Koscheck, surprisingly, wanted to exchange instead of going to the ground. Koscheck soon rocked Alves, following up with a knee, and then a take down attempt with a clinch up against the cage which ultimately went nowhere. The exchange of combinations continued, with Alves continuing to use the leg kick. Later, Koscheck went for another take down, which Alves was able to defend against in another clinch against the cage, the last meaningful moment of the round.

Round three, and this time things began quickly, with Alves the aggressor. A huge left, followed by a knee staggered Koscheck, and even though he managed to get back to his feet he still looked wobbly. Alves then connected with some more good shots, which Koscheck countered with a clinch against the cage, before trying for another unsuccessful take down. There was a brief interlude after an inadvertent Alves eye poke, and in an ironic twist, Koscheck would inadvertently return the favour a few moments later. As Alves’ left eye began to swell, a leg kick rocked Koscheck again, and despite the eye getting worse as the round came to an end, Alves looked to have the upper hand as the exchanges continued, even scoring a take down as the round ended. The judge’s decision - unanimous in the favour of Alves, and rightfully so. A very good performance from the pitbull, which makes me wonder how long it will be before he gets a title shot.

Main event time, with Patrick Cote challenging Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight title. Round one, and Cote began early with a kick. Silva seemed happy to size the Canadian up as he circled him around the cage. It really didn’t make for riveting viewing, as everyone expected Silva to explode at any moment, and apart from a couple of kicks and a combination, nothing much happened, until the champion connected with a big knee followed by a good combination. The final minute of the round saw it return to type.

Round two, and things were a lot quicker this time, especially Silva. Both connected, although Silva got the better of things, before a clinch up against the fence. When this went nowhere, the exchanges returned, after which Silva avoided a take down attempt and scored with one of his own, getting into the guard. We then got a bit of humour thrown into the mix. As Silva got back up, he wanted Cote to as well, and offered him his hand. Cote refused, but had to stand up anyway after being told to by the referee. Then it took a little while for something else to happen, with Cote catching Silva’s kick, but failing with the take down attempt. The round ended with a clinch up against the cage, and Silva connecting with a series of knees to Cote’s mid-section.

Round three, with Cote taking Silva to this round for the first time in the UFC. As the fighters began to square up to each other, Cote’s knee twisted in an awkward position, and he fell to the ground in great pain. The referee called for an immediate time-out, and despite Cote’s pleas, the fight was called. Silva was awarded the TKO victory, but it looked like he didn’t want the win. An unfortunate end to a fight that looked like it was just starting to warm up. Hopefully Cote won’t be out too long, and hopefully he’ll get another shot at the title when he returns.

So with some time to spare, it’s on to a preliminary fight from earlier in the evening, with Thales Leites facing Drew McFedries in a middleweight contest. Round one saw McFedries land with a big right early, which staggered the Brazilian. Leites came straight back with a take down, soon taking McFedries’ back, synching in the rear naked choke for a quick submission victory. A good performance from Leites, who looked like he was going to be knocked out in the first few seconds of the fight.

In conclusion - two good shows in the space of a week is what makes the UFC so compelling to watch at the moment. Okay, there were some moments that weren’t exactly great to watch, but overall the action was top notch, topped off with an unfortunate ending to the main event, just when things were getting interesting. But now we’re got the big one to look forward to next month, with Randy Couture facing Brock Lesnar for the Heavyweight title, and it’s one I can’t wait for!