March Madness: Caught in a Spider's web

Anderson Silva once again on the top of the world as he blazes through "The First Round March Madness" middleweight tournament

Don't act like you're surprised. Here is the breakdown of how Anderson "The Spider" Silva once again proved his dominance.

Pool A: #1. Anderson Silva vs #4. Denis Kang

Kang has all the potential in the world and is very dangerous on the ground. The problem is so is Silva. But the real problem is Kang loses focus as he did against Alan Belcher when he got caught with a submission. There is no way that should have happened, but it means Silva could easily catch him. Silva wins by knockout though. 

Pool A: #2. Michael Bisping vs #3. Thales Leites

This is the fight that should happen before Leites gets his title shot. I think Leites is very skilled, but Bisping is a big middleweight and fights at a blistering pace. His cardio and pace would be too much for Leites and I think Bisping would overwhelm him and win with some ground-and-pound. 

Pool Championship: Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping

This is the fight Bisping has talked about ever since moving down in weight. The problem is he likes to utilize his Muay Thai and you don't want to do that against Silva. I think the fight would end up in a clinch and Silva is absolutely unbeatable in that position. Some wicked knees and punches would get Silva the win. 

Pool B: #1. Gegard Mousasi vs #4. Jason "Mayhem" Miller

This one would be a war, because it always is with Miller. Mousasi is skilled in every area and reminds me a lot of a Georges St. Pierre type fighter. Miller is very smart and crafty though and I think both men would each have moments of having the upper hand. In the end though, Mousasi is too good and would win on the scorecards. 

Pool B: #2. Paulo Filho vs #3. Vitor Belfort

Fihlo is a big middleweight and Belfort used to fight heavyweights, so this one would be physical. Filho is super dangerous on the ground, but I think Belfort has found his speed again and would be unable to unleash a lightening fast combination on the often uninspired Filho. The older fighter gets the upset and Belfort moves on after a knockout. 

Pool Championship: Gegard Mousasi vs Vitor Belfort

Belfort's weakness has been against great wrestlers and counter punchers. Mousasi does both of those well. I think Belfort would get over anxious and show off his hand speed, but get caught with a counter that would drop him. After that I think Mousasi takes his time and works him over on the ground for a ground-and-pound win. 

Pool C: #1. Robbie Lawler vs #4. Benji Radach

Radach is a physical fighter that likes to bring everything including the kitchen sink. Lawler can do his share of brawling but he is much more technical and would use that to his advantage. I think Lawler sprawl-and-brawls his way to a victory after stuffing the takedown attempts of Radach. 

Pool C: #2. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs #3. Matt Lindland

Souza has looked impressive compiling a 10-2 record but the hardest thing for inexperienced fighters to handle is a strong wrestler. I think Lindland wouldn't waste time playing games on his feet and would take Souza down with authority and try to smother him with elbows and punches. I think Lindland has to work hard but walks away with a decision. 

Pool Championship: #1. Robbie Lawler vs #3. Matt Lindland

This would be a great fight. Lindland has gassed bad in his recent fights at times, but if he paces himself just right, he has all the tools necessary to beat Lawler. Lawler could get frustrated if he is not able to knockout Lindland after landing a few hard shots. After that, I think Lindland takes over as punishes Lawler on the ground to win a decision. 

Pool D: #1. Demian Maia vs #4. Nate Marquardt

This fight could actually happen down the line. The more Marquardt trains with St. Pierre, the more he starts to fight like him, which is a scary thought since Marquardt was already a beast. With that being said, Maia has made his opponents pay anytime the fight hits the floor and I think he gets the biggest win of his career over Marquardt via submission.

Pool D: #2. Cung Le vs #3. Yushin Okami

Okami is going to do whatever it takes to win, even if that means wrestling his opponent to the ground and holding him there. But Le is explosive and one of the best strikers in the world when he puts it all together. To give an example, he knocked out an opponent with a kick to the body and broke Frank Shamrock's arm with his striking and physicality. I think Le overpowers Okami and knocks him out. 

Pool Championship: Demian Maia vs Cung Le

It's hard to tell what either of these man can fully do. Maia is 10-0 and Le is 6-0. Something has to give and I would say it would be Maia. At the end of the day, Le is strong enough to get to his feet if the fight hits the mat and Maia has to get better at his striking while Le could end the fight in one kick or punch at anytime. Le by knockout. 

Semifinal: #1. Anderson Silva vs #1. Gegard Mousasi

Mousasi is a very smart fighter and he knows how to survive. He likes to retreat at times though and while that seems smart against Silva, all you have to do is ask Rich Franklin to find out thats a mistake. I think Silva could get a Thai clinch and deliver his deadly knees to floor Mousasi. 

Semifinal: #2. Cung Le vs #3. Matt Lindland

These two are physical and punishing fighters. Lindland does it on the ground and Le on the feet. As I stated earlier, in Lindlands most recent loss to Belfort, he seemed to gas after getting caught with a punch. Le is just as powerful if not more so than Belfort and I think he could catch Lindland with a kick as he comes in for a takedown. 

Final: #1. Anderson Silva vs #2. Cung Le

The young Le gets an early test against the master of fighting. Le is eerily similar to Silva with his devastating striking, but Silva has a jujitsu black belt and is very good on the ground. I think Le would surprise people and go toe-to-toe with Silva and be competitive with neither man getting the advantage. The fight would hit the floor and Silva would lock in the submission and prove he is the best fighter in the world once again. 

Champion: Anderson "The Spider" Silva

March Madness: The Middleweights

The middleweight tournament begins to see if anyone can stop Anderson Silva (who knocked out James Irvin with his eyes closed and his back to him apparently.)

Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua have danced their way through "The First Round March Madness Tournament" and have won the championship in their respective weight division. 

Today's featured division is the middleweights, where one man clearly stands above the rest. Anderson "The Spider" Silva is considered the undisputed best fighter at 185 pounds and the best fighter in the world regardless of weight. 

He has torn through the UFC middleweight division, which as you will see in a second is pretty weak for the most part. Of the 16 fighters in this tournament, only 7 are from the UFC. That's not a terrible number, but I would love to see Silva take on some of the guys that are going to be in this tournament. 

A quick disclaimer before I unveil the pools. Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin ARE NOT in the tournament because their last fight was in the light heavyweight division. I am trying my best just to include current middleweight fighters. So even though Henderson is moving down, he is excluded. 

Pool A

#1. Anderson Silva

#2. Michael Bisping

#3. Thales Leites 

#4. Denis Kang

Pool B

#1. Gegard Mousasi

#2. Paulo Filho

#3. Vitor Belfort

#4. Jason Miller

Pool C

#1. Robbie Lawler

#2. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza

#3. Matt Lindland

#4. Benji Radach

Pool D

#1. Demian Maia

#2. Cung Le

#3. Yushin Okami

#4. Nate Marquardt

Heres a little breakdown of each pool.

Pool A: As stated earlier, Anderson Silva is the clear cut No. 1 fighter in this division and probably the world. Michael Bisping was always a good fighter at light heavyweight, but since coming down in weight he has looked even more explosive and deadly. Thales Leites is the No. 1 contender for Silva's strap and while I think it is a little early, he is 14-1. Denis Kang is loaded with potential and is dominant at times, but he slipped to a 4-seed after losing his UFC debut. 

Pool B: Gegard Mousasi is just a winner plain and simple. 24-2 and the DREAM middleweight grand prix champion. He is the real deal. Paulo Filho was tagged as the man to beat Silva, but a loss to Chael Sonnen put those talks to an end. Filho is still extremely good and has only one loss. Vitor Belfort has incredible hand speed and has defeated top fighters from heavyweights to middleweights. Jason Miller is a tough guy that never gives up. He fights the best around and is always competitive. 

Pool C: Robbie Lawler holds a title, which he means he gets a 1-seed. He is one of the best on his feet and his takedown defense is top-notch after training with Matt Hughes. Ronaldo Souza is a jujitsu ace and made it to the finals of DREAM's grand prix before losing to Mousasi. He is 10-2 and has a bright future. Matt Lindland was the best in the world at one time and an Olympic silver medalist in wrestling. Benji Radach won all but one fight in the IFL and has a win over Murilo Rua. Another tough out at 19-4.

Pool D: Some may say its too early to give Demian Maia a 1-seed, but a 10-0 record with eight submissions is impressive. His ground game could be the best in the world when it comes to MMA. Cung Le is undefeated and for all I know he might never lose, but his inactivity gave him a 2-seed. Yushin Okami is a punisher, and while not always exciting he wins a lot. He is 7-1 in the UFC and its time he gets a shot. Nate Marquardt is very experienced and his domination in Pancrase has to be seen. Wins by a flying knee and broken arm are always impressive. 

The snubbed: Murilo "Ninja" Rua, the brother of Mauricio Rua, has a lot of talent but always seems to lose when he fights the elite competitors. Chael Sonnen has a win over Paulo Filho, but 10 losses, including three to Jeremy Horn, keep him out. Joey Villasenor is a fighter I really enjoy and I think he is one big win away from making a tournament like this. 

As always, I will post a full breakdown of the tournament a little later in the day. 

The Quick Hits

I wouldn't mind seeing this fight one more time after the dominating performances from both men in their most recent fights.

It was another top notch weekend of fights and there is a lot to go over and not much time, so I will highlight the main stories and some of the things I saw that got my attention.

Cotto and Pavlik bounce back
The first loss of a fighters career is always a hard reality to accept. But like the old adage goes, a true champion will get back up and learn from the loss, which is exactly what Miguel Cotto and Kelly Pavlik did Saturday.

After losing to Antonio Margarito in an absolute war back in July, Cotto was finally ready to get back in the ring and take on Michael Jennings in Madison Square Garden. Cotto put on a show for the fans at the Garden and looked as impressive as ever.

Cotto had the snap on his jab and power on his hook that has made him one of the most feared boxers in the game. In the fifth round, he unleashed a blazing combination that overwhelmed Jennings and brought the fight to a close.

It was a fight Cotto was supposed to win and he did so convincingly. Now that he has his career back on track he is ready for another big money matchup. I hope he takes on Shane Mosley. Cotto took down Mosley in a very close decision in 2007, but I think it would be even closer the second time around.

Meanwhile Kelly Pavlik proved he belongs at middleweight and should not try to move up in weight. After he lost to Bernard Hopkins in October, Pavlik was ready to put his belts on the line and did so in impressive fashin against a game Marco Antonio Rubio.

Pavlik didn't land any of his famous power shots, but he landed good shots consistently and put on a clinic until Rubio did not answer the bell at the end of the ninth. Now that "The Ghost" is back to dominating, he too is ready for a big money fight.

I would like to see him step in the ring against the super dangerous Arthur Abraham or take super athletic Paul Williams if he is willing to move up in weight. It was nice to see two of the best boxers back in top form.

UFC 95: Forget Thales Leites, you got Demian Maia
If there was anyone doubting the skills of Demian Maia, I think he answered the questions Saturday. The hottest middleweight prospect in the UFC dismantled another opponent by submitting the tough Chael Sonnen in the first round.

Not only did Maia submit him, but he did it with plenty of style. After securing a full mount, he locked in a triangle, rolled to his back and applied the pressure. Absolutely amazing. Putting on the triangle from the full mount is very difficult and he did it in seconds. He is now 5-0 in the UFC with five submissions.

I'm not saying he could beat Anderson Silva, because I don't think anyone can. But he is truly more deserving than Thales Leites, and that is not a knock on Leites. He is a very impressive 14-1, but you can tell when he fights that he is outclassed in every area when matched against Silva. Maia, on the other hand, is the best jujitsu player in the UFC.

After Silva makes his mandatory defense against Leites at UFC 97, please give Maia a shot at the strap as quickly as possible.

In other action, Nate Marquardt looked back to his usual self after some uninspiring performances the last few times out. He beat a dangerous Wilson Gouveia soundly. He used his superior counter punching to dictate the fight and didn't even have to do a lot of work on the ground where I thought he would have the biggest advantage.

As a fellow fan and good friend of mine pointed out, Gouveia could have gotten the better of the stand up action if he threw the leg kick when pushing the pace. He even forced Marquardt into the cardinal sin of moving straight back at one point instead of circling.

Instead of going for a Muay Thai clinch and delivering knees and short, powerful punches, Gouveia let him off the hook by swinging wildly and missing. My friend and I both agreed Gouveia could have made that fight much closer and possibly won with a better strategy.

In the main event, Diego Sanchez defeated Joe Stevenson in a solid effort for a unanimous decision. He looked a lot healthier than I thought he would at 155 and said later he planned on staying in that division for a while. If he does, I hope he keeps his walk-around weight at 170 so he does not have to make such an extreme cut.

Stevenson was unimpressive, trying to show a striking game that he could never get going. He did not throw enough punches, couldn't find a comfortable range and struck from poor angles. Sanchez looks like a threat at lightweight, but Stevenson needs to get back to the drawing board and reinvent his game.