Michael Bisping may have gotten a raw deal with the judges scoring, but he should be getting plenty of respect from MMA fans following his performance on theUFC on Fox 2 event.

Bisping stepped in on short notice to take on the No. 2 middleweight in the world in Chael Sonnen and performed very well.

Most MMA fans were already previewing a Sonnen rematch with Anderson Silva and expecting Bisping to simply be a sacrificial lamb. Good thing “The Count” didn’t get the memo.

The Brit stopped a handful of Sonnen takedown attempts and even held the Olympic-caliber wrestler against the cage for a considerable amount of time. When Sonnen was able to get the fight to floor, Bisping worked hard to get back to his feet.

Sonnen said in the post-fight press conference that he never really felt comfortable in the bout and looking back, it’s clear that Bisping did everything he could to throw Sonnen off balance.

I’m sure the last thing Sonnen expected out of Bisping was for him to hold him against the fence and beat the wrestler at his own game. Even if Sonnen managed to take Bisping down, “The Count” either maneuvered back to his feet or looked to slap on a submission.

When Bruce Buffer began reading off the judge’s scores, you could see Bisping grimace after hearing the scorecards being read. He knew he was going to get screwed and shouldn’t have let it to the judges.

Regardless of the loss, Bisping deserves a lot of respect for this fight. His stock in the company likely won’t dip too far, if at all. It may even rise given the fact Bisping took the No. 2 middleweight to his limit and did so on short notice.

Both men were cordial with each other at the post-fight press conference and when asked if he thinks Bisping is title-worthy, Sonnen praised his former adversary.

Bisping was one fight away from realizing his goal but he won’t fall off the face of the Earth. Other than Sonnen, it would be a tough task to argue anyone outside of Bisping deserves the next title shot.

It seems as most fans agree with this sentiment as well judging by the online reaction after the official decision was read. Maybe Bisping has turned the corner with fans and can still be his brash self and have a strong fan base a la Nick Diaz.

Hopefully Bisping can use the loss to motivate him for his next bout while keeping his exciting fighting style.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/

Time to see two of the sport’s most gargantuan fighters butt heads for the right to fight for the heavyweight belt. Let’s cut to the chase and make a pick for Brock Lesnar versus Alistair Overeem plus some other intriguing fights on the UFC 141 card, which goes down this Friday night.

Heavyweight: Brock Lesnar (5-2) vs. Alistair Overeem (35-11, 1 NC)

There’s a ton on the line when Lesnar and Overeem clash. The winner earns No. 1 contender status and will face Junior Dos Santos for the heavyweight strap later in 2012.

The pick: Brock Lesnar. I realize this is an unpopular pick. Most pundits have pointed to Overeem’s vast experience as the edge in this matchup. They’ve also suggested that Lesnar, who doesn’t like to get hit, has never faced a striker who hits like Overeem. Sure, “The Reem” may be the most technically proficient striker to battle Lesnar, but doesn’t Shane Carwin hit as hard? Overeem has great submissions, but so does Frank Mir, and Lesnar improved his submission defense immensely after losing to Mir the first time.

On the flip side, I genuinely believe Overeem has never faced someone like Lesnar. He’s never entered the cage with a heavyweight as fast and powerful. I do believe Lesnar will take Overeem down , beat him up, and secure the win. It won’t be easy, and Lesnar won’t escape the bout unscathed, but I think he’ll give the Dutchman a rude awakening.

Lightweight: Nate Diaz (14-7) vs. Donald Cerrone (17-3, 1 NC)

Don’t sleep on this bout, which is a real fight of the night candidate. The winner of Diaz and Cerrone should become, at worst, a top-five contender at 155.

The pick: Donald Cerrone. I realize Diaz looked better than ever in his last outing, a total destruction of Takanori Gomi. But Cerrone is a different beast. He’s underrated and versatile on his feet, he’s great on the ground and he has tremendous cardio. These two fighters are pretty similar – but I like Cerrone’s heart and slight strength advantage to be the difference.

Welterweight: Jon Fitch (23-3-1, 1 NC) vs. Johnny Hendricks (11-1)

Jon Fitch returns from shoulder surgery to battle a fellow wrestler in an important welterweight fight.

The pick: Johnny Hendricks. I’m calling the upset! I don’t think I’ve ever picked against Fitch in a bout that wasn’t against Georges St-Pierre, but I see two potential problems for Fitch in this matchup: ring rust and overconfidence. Fitch’s body may not respond like it usually does after a 10-plus months off and I wonder if he’ll underestimate Hendricks, especially in the standup game. Hendricks has knocked out some decent UFC fighters, like Amir Sadollah and Charlie Brenneman. He also can nullify Fitch’s usual grappling advantage, as he’s an NCAA Division-I wrestler himself (not to mention a black belt in BJJ). Look for Hendricks to shock the world and establish himself as a legit 170-pound contender.

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

Our Grant Brothers MMA second anniversary party Q&A continues with UFC vet Sean Pierson, who is also the wrestling coach at Grant Brothers.

Pierson (11-5) fights in the UFC’s welterweight (170-pound) division, where he has amassed a 1-1 record.

M.L.: How has your life changed after a year in the UFC?

S.P.: It’s weird – I don’t work anymore. That’s how I put things. I know my job is to go out there and perform and train every day, but when you do what you love it doesn’t feel like work. Coming to the gym is not a problem for me. Going into the office is sometimes the problem. I’m not working as much anymore, and  I get recognized a little bit, but I’m not GSP or anything (laughs), so I realize it’s not happening like that. But it’s fun and I wouldn’t trade anything for it right now.

M.L.: Through one year in the UFC, you’ve won once and lost once. How have you changed as a fighter over that span?

S.P.: To be honest, I don’t think winning or losing changes me. I think you’re a new fighter every time you fight. Whether you win or lose, you’ve got to forget about it. You can’t dwell on your losses and you can’t live off your big wins. You’ve got to move on. Your next opponent doesn’t care. He’s there to beat you and I have to be ready. So I’m always trying to improve after every fight.

M.L. Your next fight is against Dong-Hyun Kim (14-1) on December 30. What are your thoughts on him as an opponent?

S.P.: I think he’s a great opponent. I don’t have a full strategy for him yet. We’ll get some ideas of what we want to do. He’s well-rounded. Some people say he’s a striker, being “The Stun Gun,” but I think he’s more of a grappler with a great top game. So we’ll see what happens. But I’m going to back to my roots a bit and you’ll see a lot more wrestling in this fight, I think.

M.L. Jake Ellenberger knocked you out. He was recently quoted saying he could beat (UFC welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre). As someone who’s faced him, do you think that’s fair? What do you think his chances would be?

S.P.: I’ve never even faced Ellenberger. The Sean of the past faced Ellenberger. Like I said, I’ve got a short memory. That’s the way life is. But I think every fighter (in the UFC) should think they could beat GSP. Every fighter here should think they can beat everybody. Because if you don’t think that, don’t fight. I’m not saying I think I could be Georges St-Pierre right now. But I’m saying if you don’t have the confidence in yourself to win these fights, then you shouldn’t be here. So I understand exactly where (Ellenberger’s) coming from. He wants to fight and good for him. Do I think he’s going to beat George? Probably not, but at the same time, everybody has the chance. These gloves are small and Jake hits hard. Anything can happen in this fight.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA GYM: Serving North York, Toronto and the GTA,  Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.

By Matt Larkin

Guest Writer

The Grant Brothers second anniversary party was just as fun as the first. Once again, everyone in attendance came face to face with UFC fighters. Here’s a look at what Thiago “Pitbull” Alves had to say. Check out the Grant Brothers MMA blog on Monday for Q&A with UFC vet and Grant Brothers wrestling coach Sean Pierson.

Alves (19-8) is a former No. 1 contender and current veteran of the UFC welterweight (170-pound) division.

M.L.: What are your thoughts on the possibility of facing Martin Kampmann in your next bout?

T.A.: It’s just rumors. I haven’t heard anything from my manager, I haven’t heard anything from (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva. It’s a fight that would love to have because he just beat Rick Story and I have a lot of respect for him. I think it would be good to throw down with a high-level guy like that. Just speculation and a lot of people are talking about it. Sounds good to me.

M.L. After fighting so many wrestlers recently, how would your strategy change if you had to fight Kampmann, a kickboxer, or someone like Kampmann?

T.A.: Someone like Kampmann, you just have to be very well-rounded everywhere, because Kampmann’s a good striker, he’s got good wrestling and he’s got good Jiu-Jitsu, too. So today, you have to be ready wherever the fight takes place. Of course, yo have to come with your strategy and decide who’s going to dictate the pace of the fight. But with Kampmann, you’ve got to be prepared for a war, because he’s a really tough guy – not just him, but everybody at this level.

M.L. Some of your tougher fights have been against Jon Fitch, Rick Story and Georges St-Pierre. How do you feel about the growing belief among MMA fans and experts that wrestling is the best base skill in the sport?

T.A. Wrestling can definitely be beaten. You see strikers taking the belt, you see wrestlers taking the belt. That’s the martial arts game. It’s so unpredictable. Sometimes you have Jiu-Jitsu guys who are champions. So I don’t think that the preference should be wrestling or striking or Jiu-Jitsu. You have to be good at what you do and stick with the game plan. Every technique has a counter-technique. Don’t get me wrong, wrestling dictates whether your stay up or on the ground, so you have to have a very good base of it, but I don’t think it’s everything.

M.L. I don’t want to bore you, but everyone talks about you and weight cuts. My question is not about making weight but more if there’s a certain reason why you didn’t go up to 185. Have you ever thought about it or are you just more comfortable at 170?

T.A. It’s very simple: I’m not that tall for 185. I might be stronger than some of the guys who are there. But the guys who fight 185, they walk around at 215 or 220. (Chael) Sonnen walks around at 225. So I would be fighting some big boys and giving up a lot of reach advantage. I just think at 170 I’m strong. I don’t give up anything. I think I’m stronger than all the guys that I fought. It was never an option to move up to 185. That’s why I got (Mike Dolce of “The Dolce Diet”) in my camp so he could help me with that and take over my life.

M.L. Are you interested in coaching The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil?

T.A. I would love to be a coach. It’s so funny, because a few years ago, when I was a professional fighter in Brazil, I was considered unemployed, ‘you don’t have anything better to do, you’re not a professional athlete.’ Today, it’s MMA fighters, then soccer players. It’s gotten to that point that it’s televised on national TV. Everyone talks about it. It’s the new big thing. We’ve got a lot of good Brazilian fighters. And it would be a great opportunity for me to show a bit of my experience in the Octagon to those kids who are coming up. Again, just speculation for now but I think it’ll be a really interesting Ultimate Fighter in Brazil.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA GYM: Serving North York, Toronto and the GTA,  Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.

Two years in the books and Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym is going stronger than ever. One look around the gym Nov. 27 told you anything you needed to know about how far Grant Brothers has come. UFC contenders signed autographs, TV crews and reporters littered the floor and fans lined up out the door.

The reason: Grant Brothers celebrated its second birthday with a bash inviting students and fans to join in the fun Saturday. UFC veterans Thiago Alves and Grant Brothers’ own Sean Pierson signed autographs, posed for pictures and chatted up MMA lovers. Everyone in attendance enjoyed free food. GP8 Water and Rockstar Energy, the event’s sponsors, gave away lots of cool products. And fight fans on hand got to see Grant Brothers’ MMA expertise first hand via demos in Sambo, Judo, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and boxing.

“It looks great,” said Alves, a UFC welterweight contender who made the trip to Toronto for the event. “It’s my first time here and they have everything a martial artist needs.”

Ryan “RG” Grant, one of the famous boxing Grant brothers and one of the gym’s co-owners, smiled ear to ear as he reflected on how much the school has grown in two years.

“I’m over-passionate doing this, trying to develop the guys, trying to be everywhere at once, and I think it’s starting to pay off,” Grant said. “I don’t want to sound clichéd – but I want to thank God, more than a little, that things are happening a lot faster than I expected.”

Grant added that his elation came more from seeing the gym grow in an athletic sense, not just a business sense. “The younger kids coming up in the gym are fighting and winning and leading up to the Sean Piersons and the UFC guys and the up-and-coming MMA fighters,” Grant said. “It’s amazing to see how, if you want something so badly, things will turn around as long as you work hard.”

No one embodies Grant’s philosophy like Pierson, the Canadian welterweight and Grant Brothers product who has made an impact in the UFC’s welterweight division. At the anniversary bash, he explained that he’s still the wrestling coach at the gym, though he admits his life has changed since he joined the world’s most elite MMA promotion.

“I’m a little bit more of a role model now that I’m in the UFC and trying to help guys mould themselves a little bit,” Pierson said. “I realize a lot of the guys here want to see me a bit more, like the younger kids. I go and help wherever I can, like in the pro classes. And I just see my role progressing further and further as time goes on here.”

What’s next for Grant Brothers at it begins year three? Will it produce a UFC champ someday? Grant is optimistic. He believes anything is possible.  He said Saturday that he never imagined his brother Otis would be a world champ, his brother Howard an Olympian, or that he’d became a successful coach and business owner  –  but they all fulfilled their dreams.

“When I started boxing with my brothers we just did it because we could kick some butt for free and not get in trouble for it,” Grant said with a sly smile. “But now that things are working (at Grant Brothers MMA), I would hope in the next 10 years that we can make a UFC champion. I’d love that. It would be a dream come true.”

Check Grant Brothersmma.com later this week for one-on-one Q&A sessions with Thiago Alves and Sean Pierson and our Gallery Section to view photos from the event.

About Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA GYM: Serving North York, Toronto and the GTA,  Grant Brothers Boxing & MMA Gym offers world-class Boxing, BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai, Sambo, Wrestling, MMA and UFC training at real-world prices.  Classes are taught by certified coaches with classes for men, women, children, adults, beginners and advanced.  Private lessons and boxercise classes are also available. Areas serviced include North York, Etobicoke, Toronto, Scarborough, Thornhill, Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, Brampton and Mississauga.

With no belts up for grabs this Saturday, UFC 139 may seem like a letdown compared to last week, when the heavyweight title changed hands. But to think that way would be to miss an exciting event. The three featured bouts this weekend showcase some of the sport’s hardest hitters. If you like knockouts, make sure you watch! Here are some picks.

Light heavyweight: Maurico Rua (20-5) vs. Dan Henderson (28-8)

In what may or may not be a No. 1 light heavyweight contender match, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, fresh off a summer victory over Forrest Griffin, welcomes Dan Henderson back to the UFC after his lengthy but successful Strikeforce hiatus.

The pick: Dan Henderson. Some people write off the cagey vet and point to his embarrassing loss to Jake Shields as evidence of his decline. But to do so is to forget that the 41-year-old had three-fight winning streaks before and after that bout. He returns to the Octagon riding brutal knockout victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Rafael Cavalcante and Renato Sobral.

Standing up, Henderson isn’t as technical as the exciting Muay Thai master Shogun, nor is he as fast. But Shogun, just like BJ Penn, only “shows up” for some of his fights. If he has any quit in him this Saturday, the tough-as-nails Henderson will exploit it. Hendo has never been knocked out and his hands are perhaps the heaviest of any 205-pounder, as he showed when he put the lifetime heavyweight Fedor to sleep. If Shogun overwhelms him, he can always rely on his wrestling and control Shogun from the ground.

Hendo has more ways to win and, arguably, has been the more consistent fighter over the last few years.

Middleweight: Wanderlei Silva (33-11-1, 1 NC) vs. Cung Le (7-1)

It goes without saying that Wanderlei Silva versus Cung Le will be an exciting fight. There’s no such thing as a boring Wanderlei Silva fight. But what makes this bout especially fun is that Le is just as fascinating to watch.

The pick: Cung Le. There’s always the risk of ring rust for the 39-year-old Le, who hasn’t thrown leather in more than a year. But I’ll take the rust over someone with too much tread on the tires. Wanderlei Silva still has dangerous striking and the heart of a lion, but his chin is beyond gone. Le, blessed with an arsenal of dynamic kicks and punches in the Taekwondo style, just needs one good shot to put Silva away. We may witness The Axe Murderer’s final fight in the UFC here.

Bantamweight: Urijah Faber (25-5) vs. Brian Bowles (10-1)

Faber/Bowles doesn’t have the fanfare of the other two matches but has just as much fight-of-the-night potential. Both men have unfinished business with current bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz. Faber wants a rubber match after splitting the series 1-1 and Bowles wants a rematch after breaking his hand his first time out against Cruz. The winner of this bout should be in line for another shot.

The pick: Urijah Faber. I know it’s important not to underestimate Brian Bowles, as he hits extremely hard for a 135-pounder and can overwhelm opponents. But Faber is so experienced and so used to big fights. He can hang with Bowles standing up and may be the faster fighter, but he can really take over on the ground. He’s simply a thicker, stronger guy and a much better grappler. I think he’ll find a way to get the fight to the canvas and win, probably by submission.

UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHP: Cain Velasquez (9-0) vs Junior Dos Santos (13-1)

In every weight class, we see the occasional fighter rushed to No. 1 contender status too early, the odd dud challenger and a lucky injury replacement once in a while. Not this time. Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos are far and away the top two guys in the world at their weight class. Both guys are also arguably the best in the business at their respective disciplines. Velasquez is among the sport’s most utterly dominant wrestlers; Dos Santos’ boxing is almost unrivalled among heavyweights.

The pick: Cain Velasquez. Even though Velasquez is undefeated, this pick is not remotely easy. Dos Santos is undoubtedly the champ’s toughest test yet. The Big Brazilian has major knockout power in his hands but also great speed for a heavyweight and pinpoint technique as a result of being trained by Brazil’s Olympic boxing coach. Dos Santos has also shown outstanding takedown defense so far in his career.

That said, I’d argue Dos Santos has never faced a wrestler of Velasquez’s calibre. In fact, Shane Carwin is the only real wrestler he’s fought (sorry, but Roy Nelson is a BJJ guy. He’s only looks like a wrester). And Carwin, despite his pedigree, uses his hands far more than his wrestling. Velasquez will be the first opponent who can relentlessly challenge Dos Santos with takedown attempts.

Standing up, while JDS has the advantage, it isn’t as big as some people think. Eight of the Velasquez’s nine career victories are knockouts. He hits hard enough and throws enough combinations to hang with Dos Santos. As he proved against Cheick Kongo, a proficient striker, Velasquez can also really take a punch.

The champ is just a bit more well-rounded and has faced just a bit more adversity in his career. I like Velasquez to win a back-and-forth affair.

Lightweight: Ben Henderson (14-2) vs Clay Guida (29-11)

Expect a furious pace and lots of long hair flying around the Octagon as the similarly feisty Ben Henderson and Clay Guida battle for the right to face Frankie Edgar for the lightweight title.

The pick: Ben Henderson. It’s true that Guida is on a roll. It’s true that he’s broken opponents’ spirits with his wrestling and breakneck pace. But Henderson is a bad matchup for him; he’s too similar. He can match Guida’s fitness and wrestling acumen – and he can best Guida in the striking department. Most of Guida’s losses in the UFC have come against skilled strikers with good fitness. Henderson fits that description.

Middleweight: Chris Leben (22-7) vs Mark Munoz (11-2)

While Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and the winner of Michael Bisping and Jason Miller may be higher in the pecking order, the winner of Chris Leben and Mark Munoz should solidify a top-five spot in the UFC middleweight rankings.

Mark Munoz is expected to win this bout. He is, after all, the more “new age” fighter, a converted NCAA Division-I wrestling champ and a fast learner who has developed some vicious ground-and-pound.

The pick: Chris Leben. Call me crazy, but I don’t know if Munoz is ready for what Leben brings to the table. Munoz is a natural physical specimen. It almost seems like everything comes too easily for him, as evidenced by the perpetual smile on his face. But most of his recent opponents – Demian Maia, C.B. Dollaway, Aaron Simpson and Yushin Okami, to name a few – would not be classified as killers by any means. Maia and Dollaway are known more for their grappling acumen; Okami and Simpson have good standup but aren’t true knockout artists.

Munoz will obviously have a major grappling edge over Leben but he has arguably never faced someone with the devastating one-punch knockout power of The Crippler. That’s concerning considering that, in his last fight, Munoz got careless, even letting himself get tagged by Maia’s remedial strikes. If he leaves his chin wide open the same way against Leben, it’s lights out. He also has to watch out for Leben’s underrated submissions even if Munoz gets the mount.

I would call Munoz the better overall fighter and the one with the brighter future but there’s reason to suggest he hasn’t respected his opponents enough lately. The wily veteran Leben, who has won four of his last five bouts, will make him pay for that.

Welterweight: Thiago Alves (18-8) vs Papy Abedi (8-0)

Is the writing on the wall for Thiago Alves? The former top 170-pound contender will hope to avoid his fourth loss in five fights. It may not be easy against the relatively unknown but unbeaten Swede Papy Abedi

The pick: Papy Abedi. Am I stupid? I’m not so sure. Alves just isn’t the same monster he was in the past. He hasn’t finished an opponent in more than three years and he continues to struggle mightily against grapplers. Abedi is a black belt in Judo and a very powerful welterweight who can slam opponents to the mat. Look for him to get close to Alves, clinch him, try to take him down and generally break the Pitbull’s will. It’s happened several times before. Saturday could be Alves’ final fight in the UFC if he doesn’t tap into his considerable talent.