(Props: FightersOnly)

Just because Quinton Jackson is returning to the Octagon to fight Rashad Evans, it doesn't mean things are all lovey-dovey between the former light-heavyweight champ and the UFC. Judging from the above video interview, Rampage still holds a serious grudge about the way he was treated during his un-authorized break to go shoot The A-Team, and he's ready to leave MMA behind and move on with his life:

read more

Five months after hacking through Marcin Najman in his MMA debut, five-time World's Strongest Man winner Mariusz Pudzianowski will return to the cage at KSW 13 (May 7th, Warsaw), likely against 40-year-old Polish fighter Robert Paczków. A former Greco-Roman wrestling competitor and Sumo champion, Paczków's only MMA fight took place at a Cage Rage event in December 2007 against TUF 10 vet James McSweeney, who was 1-0 at the time. As you can see in the video above, McSweeney was taken down and smothered by the 300+ pound Pole in short order. At the vid's 2:10 mark, McSweeney is forced to tap to what the ring announcer calls an "arm choke," but what looked more like a reverse mooboplata from our angle. Though Pudzianowski will still enjoy a strength advantage against Paczków, it'll be interesting to see if Paczków's sheer girth and grappling prowess will pose problems for the 33-year-old strongman. If you can read Polish, you'll find more info on KSW 13 right here.

After the jump: A rockin' music video from Mariusz and his brother Krystian (aka Pudzian Band). Plus, Mariusz shows off his pad on the Polish version of MTV Cribs.

read more

Barca Players Competed With Each Other on being sloppy

This was the worst start to a match you could ever see. After the initial nerves, Stuttgart took full control of the match. Barca were uncharacteristically sloppy with their passing and was struggling to hold on to the ball. Stuttgart Manager had done his home-work and made sure that his midfield closed ours pretty fast. In the 13th minute Cacau had a good chance but he couldn't

control his finish. Stuttgart started to atatck Barca from both the wings, especially the left. In the 21st minute Marquez cleared a dangeroius ball into the box with a sliding leg. In the 23rd minute FC Barcelona defense somehow managed to clear the danger from a Hleb free kick. But Stuttgart was not going to be denied. The deservingly went ahead in the 25th minute. Gebhart's great cross from the right was headed past Valdes by Cacau at the far post. In the 28th minute Stuttgart had a great appeal for penalty after the ball hit Pique's hand, but the referee waived on indicating that it was unintensional. In the 31st minute Stuttgart should have gone two goals up - Cacau used his body strength to turn Marquez and from a one on one situation tried to square the ball, which was somehow cleared by Barca. That was a big let off for FC Barcelona. In the 33rd minute Valdes makes another great save denying Khedira. In the 40th minute Barca had their first shot on target. Messi sets off on a great run and sends in a low shot which was parried by Lehman on to the post. In the 41st minute Valdes pulls off another save to deny Pogrebnyak to make sure the scoreline remain the same going into the break.

Barca's Performance Improved slightly afrter the break

Everyone expected Barca to come out firing on all cylinder after the half. That was not to be the case. Their performance in the second half were better than first half, but nowhere near their usual standard. In the 52nd minute we got the equaliser we were looking for. Busquets played a cross into the box, the Stuttgart defense failed to clear, Pique did well to win the header and the

ball fell to Ibrahmovic, whose first shot was blocked by Lehman but luckily for us the rebound fell to Ibra agains and he made no mistake. We started to take control of the game after that goal, but then it lasted only for five minutes and we were back losing our midfield battle. Guardiola brought in Henry for Toure after the goal. In the 58th minute Milito replaced Marquez. In teh 67th minute Messi send in a great cross from right to Iniesta but his shot was blocked. Then in the 68th minute Barca had a definitive penalty appeal for hand ball turned down. Jens Lehman misjudged the flight of a corner and failed to hold or deflect the corner; the ball fell to Ibra whose goal bound shot was deflected wide by Molinaro elbow. That was a real case for penalty but I thought the referee was playing even after he didn't give the penalty for Stuttgart. The rest of the half ended without too much of a scare. Valdes did really well to cut off any of Stuttgart scare.

As I said this was the worst performance I have seen in last five to six years. We have played much better even two seasons ago, when we finished third in the league. It was terrible to see we losing the midfield battle so easily. From the performance point of view, it will be foolish to judge who was the worst. The easiest option would be to see who was the best Barca player on the pitch - Victor Valdes. Messi at least showed some interest. Iniesta and Xavi were sloppy throughout the match. It is better not to say anything about Toure and Busquets and their performance. At times Toure looked better than Busquets, then he will commit a no-sense mistake. In the defnse I think Puyol was the only one who can hold his head a bit high. I know many would blame Guardiola for not using Iniesta and Xavi in the midfield from the start. But in an away match in Europe, I thought it was quite sensible to have a defnsive minded midfield. But the idea to use Xavi on the left rather than his usual position on right baffled me.

Many of you may consider that we should forget this performance and move forward. But for the last some matches our passing has been sloppy atleast in away matches. Guardiola needs to qaddress it as early as possible. He should show some confidence in Henry too. Ibrahmovic had a betetr night as far as finishing is concerned, but I am still not convinced with his position in our team.

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

Unbeaten British prospect John Hathaway is having no sleepless nights after accepting a matchup with "The Ultimate Fighter" one alum Diego 'The Nightmare' Sanchez for UFC 115.

Instead, the confident youngster is hoping to defeat the high level wrestler at his own game. Asked if he will look to out-wrestle Sanchez, Hathaway responded in the affirmative.

"Yes, wrestling is a strength of mine," Hathaway told FiveKnuckles.com. "And with the training camp I will be undergoing in the lead up to May, all aspects of my game are going to get better, including my wrestling."

Hathaway believes that both fighters wrestling acumen and intensity will make for an exciting fight come May.

"Diego is a great wrestler," Hathaway said. "We both excel at different techniques. Like me, he likes to keep the pace high so I am looking forward to an exciting fight."

Fighting out of Brighton, England, Hathaway sports a perfect 12-0 MMA record, including three wins in his first three fights in the UFC. He debuted with a TKO victory over Tom Egan at UFC 93, in Dublin, Ireland, before impressive decision wins over Rick Story and fellow Brit, Paul Taylor.

However, Sanchez, going back up to welterweight after a one-sided loss to BJ Penn for the UFC lightweight championship, represents a huge step up for Hathaway, though one he's excited to take.

"[I'm] Excited," Hathaway said. "Diego is a great fighter, and I'm looking forward to stepping in the Octagon with him."

Young, aggressive, confident and both great wrestlers, the two fighters are very similar. Indeed, Sanchez appeared on TUF at only 23, but Hathway made his UFC debut two years younger at 21.

You would be forgiven for thinking that making your debut at such a young age could be a daunting experience. Not for the man nicknamed "The Hitman."

"I thrive on competing and being able to compete in the sport I love and in a federation I have always wanted to be part of," Hathaway said. "Twenty-one didn't feel too young for me, it was a dream I was ready to fulfill."

In fact, fighting in the UFC is a dream that Hathaway has had for a very long time, having been a fan of MMA from an early age. 

"I have always watched mixed martial arts, Hathaway said. "I have a local fight school near by in ZT Fight Skool. I went down there and quickly got involved in amatuer fights. I think those experiences stay with every fighter throughout their career. They gave me the knowledge of competing in this sport and gaining knowledge from different trainers.

"My trainer at London Shootfighters got in contact with the UFC, it is an honour to fight for them. I just try to take each fight as it comes and look forward to each challenge."

As such a good young prospect, it is a wonder there isn't a little more hype about the former rugby player, Hathaway. He is part of a good group of British mixed martial artists making an impact within the UFC. Looking past the obvious candidates, Hathaway could go on to become Britain's best fighter, and there is one thing that sets him apart, his wrestling.

A background in such a physical sport like rugby can only help an aspiring wrestler, and Hathaway insists that wrestling in the UK is improving all the time.

"We have brilliant wrestling trainers now based here in the UK and it's something that is only going to become more widespread," He said. "I think that rugby helps MMA in general because it is such a diverse sport and put's a lot of similar demands on your body."

Hathaway credits his experiences with London Shootfighters, American Top Team and 10th Planet Ju-Jitsu with his improvements on the mat.

"My grappling has improved so much from being at London Shootfighters just because of the amount of combat grapplers they have here, and teaching me to understand how grappling can be used during combat," Hathaway explained. "I gained many skills at American Top Team and it was really good to see how their camp was run. It was also great at 10th Planet because the style of ju-jitsu is similar to what they teach here at London Shootfighters, and because it holds so many strong points in MMA."

If you saw his submission attempts and defense against fellow prospect Rick Story at UFC 99, or his absolute schooling of experienced striker Paul Taylor at UFC 105, then you wouldn't take what Hathaway says lightly. And the youngster insists he is working hard to make sure he standup is just as solid as his ground game.

"I work just as hard on both aspects of my game, and I believe my stand up can only get better. And with the help of the excellent trainers around me, I am determined to step up my whole game a level for May."

Having fought in Manchester, Dublin and Cologne for the UFC, Hathaway is looking forward to making the trip across the Atlantic, and it is a prospect that excites him.

"It's exciting you know, I was at UFC 109 in Las Vegas and the atmosphere was amazing. It's going to be great fighting over there, I'm looking forward to it."

It seems that there is little to scare Hathaway, as the youngster takes everything in stride. With the world at his feet, 'The Hitman' is ready to put the 'Nightmare' to sleep, and really make a name for himself in the UFC.

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

"Fight of the Night" winner George Sotiropoulos did more than just earn a bundle of money and the respect of hometown fans last night in Sydney, Australia at UFC 110. The TUF 6 contestant "impressed" UFC President Dana White with a dominant performance over Joe Stevenson, and threw himself into title contention.

"Tonight was a big night for Sotiropoulos," said Dana White. "Everybody who knows MMA, knows how good Joe "Daddy" Stevenson is and he got dominated tonight. He stepped up. Not to sound condescending, but I'm really proud of him (looks over at Sotiropoulos). He looked amazing. Big night for him. Big, big night. He's in the mix. He just dominated Joe Stevenson. All the judges had it 30-27 and he just catapulted himself right into the mix. As a guy coming off of the Ultimate Fighter and to go in there and face competition like Joe Stevenson, and do what he did to Joe Stevenson, is very promising for his future. If he continues on the pace he's on now, I wouldn't be surprised if you saw him in a title fight within the next year. "

Sotiropoulos would like to fight for the title in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia should their government vote to legalize MMA. An exuberant White was more than pleased with the UFC's experience in Australia, and publicly announced that they hope to come back and put a show on in Melbourne next year.

Could 2011 see Sotiropoulos fight for the lightweight title Down Under?

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

If there is one thing us Brits are good at, it is losing.

Never was that more evident than in Michael 'The Count' Bisping's narrow decision loss to Wanderlei Silva yesterday at UFC 110. Bisping stayed elusive throughout, trying to counter punch the explosive Axe Murderer, but ultimately an almost successful guillotine and a late knockdown condemned The Ultimate Fighter season three winner to defeat.

Not that we care. God loves a trier, or so they say. So he must love the British. Our sporting heroes are constantly nearly men, from our football (sorry soccer) team to the other heroic loser Down Under recently, Andy Murray.

Despite what a lot of Bisping haters say though, he was capable of winning this fight. Silva didn't walk through him like so many predicted and, if you take off your Pride tinted glasses, Silva wasn't completely 'back to his best' yesterday. But it looked as though Bisping just lacks the confidence at the highest level to beat the best.

Take the Denis Kang fight, Bisping was dropped in the first round, but roared on by the home crowd, he came back to finish his experienced opponent. Fast forward to the present, and Bisping always looked a little afraid of Silva's legendary knockout power, and so he was defeated by another former Pride man.

Pride must be a thorn in the side for Bisping at the moment, with defeats to Dan Henderson and now Silva. But pride is certainly something he can take in himself, and I'm sure every Brit will be proud of him today.

Had he continued to pressure Silva and try to put him on his back, rather than play the role of counter puncher, things might have turned out differently. Maybe the guillotine put a stop to that, but it seems that Bisping lacks the one punch knockout power to be an effective counter puncher, so that constantly leaves it in the hands of the judges. Instead, I prefer to see Bisping putting his opponents on the back foot, mixing up the striking and takedowns to win a stoppage.

Easier said than done against a fighter of Silva's caliber, I know. But otherwise Silva was bound to land with a few flurries, and then Bisping's really playing with fire.

Joe Rogan is right, this is just a set back for Bisping and he will be back in there. He will also learn a lot from these defeats, and you never know, they could help improve him as a fighter. If you consider that the only blemishes on his record are losses to Rashad Evans, Henderson and Silva, there certainly ain't no shame in that.

He might never be a champion, but we Brit's are a stubborn bunch and we will support him all the way, after all, besides Ian Freeman, he was our first, and you always remember your first.

In fact, I think he missed our support last night. I think Bisping performs better when the crowd are on his side, and I don't think he was expecting the boos that rang out yesterday. After all, his girlfriend is Australian, and his kids hold Australian passports.

But now that Bisping has a reputation as a trash talker, it will prove hard to shake. The Ultimate Fighter series which pitted the UK against the US, and Bisping against his nemesis Henderson, hurt his popularity in the States more than anything.

His verbal exchanges with Hendo gave him the trash talking reputation, despite coming across as down to earth on the third series of the TUF show, and being fairly respectful beforehand. Bisping is well known in the U.K. for his down to earth reputation and is extremely popular. But a little smack talking has put payed to that in the States. But doesn't every fighter talk a little trash? Of course they do. But the rivalry between the two countries on TUF season 9 made Bisping public enemy number one leading up to that fight.

Not every American dislikes him though, and Rampage Jackson's presence in his corner suggests Bisping is training with top level partners.

So where does our poster boy turn next? The regrouping Nate Marquardt may seem a step to far at this stage, Yushin Okami fights next month, as does Nate Quarry. Kendall Grove and Mark Munoz also square off soon.

Whatever the opposition, expect to see improvement in 'The Count' and one thing is sure, he will have a little island cheering him across the pond.

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

UFC 110: "Nogueira vs. Velasquez" is officially set to go down as all 18 participants competing in tomorrow night's event successfully made weight without incident earlier today inside the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia. The weigh-ins were broadcast live on FiveKnuckles.com.

UFC 110 takes place tomorrow, Feb. 20, and the event's main card will be televised on pay-per-view beginning at 10 p.m. EST.

The event is headlined by a heavyweight bout between contenders Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez in a bout that could determine the next challenger for UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Both men tipped the scales to cheers from the crowd, as Nogueira came in at 233 lbs. and Velasquez weighed in at 242 lbs.

In the co-main event, middleweights Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping are set to meet in what is sure to be an exciting slugfest. Both men garnered the loudest ovations and also shared the most intense moment of the ceremony. As soon as Silva stepped off of the scale, UFC President Dana White immediately got between them so they would not make physical contact. The tension between the two was quite evident, and they also exchanged words after the separation. Bisping and Silva both tipped the scales at 184.8 lbs.

Other bouts on the main card include a lightweight showdown between Australian George Sotiropoulos and rejuvenated former title contender Joe Stevenson. Also, TUF 8 winner Ryan Bader will take a big step up in competition when he faces experienced veteran Keith Jardine. Also, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic will look to get back on the winning track when he takes on late replacement Anthony Perosh, who is filling in for Ben Rothwell on two day's notice.

Below are the official weigh-in results for UFC 110:

Televised Main Card:

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (106 kg/233.2 lbs.) vs. Cain Velasquez (110 kg/242 lbs.)

Michael Bisping (84 kg/184.8 lbs.) vs. Wanderlei Silva (84 kg/184.8 lbs.)

George Sotiropoulos (70 kg/154 lbs.) vs. Joe Stevenson (70 kg/154 lbs.)

Ryan Bader (93 kg/204.6 lbs.) vs. Keith Jardine (93 kg/204.6 lbs.)

Mirko Filipovic (106 kg/233.2 lbs.) vs. Anthony Perosh (98 kg/215.6 lbs.)

Preliminary Card:

Stephan Bonnar (93 kg/204.6 lbs.) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (93 kg/204.6 lbs.)

Brian Foster (78 kg/171.6 lbs.) vs. Chris Lytle (77 kg/169.4 lbs.)

C.B. Dollaway (84 kg/184.8 lbs.) vs. Goran Reljic (84 kg/184.8 lbs.)

Igor Pokrajac (93.2 kg/205 lbs.) vs. James Te Huna (93 kg/204.6 lbs.)

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

When the UFC makes its long-awaited debut in Australia, the great Aussie fans will be treated to a good one. They'll see a few of their own countrymen compete at the highest level on a card that's sprinkled with legends who have been major cogs in helping to build the sport into what it is world-wide.

After a couple of late scratches due to illness and injury the card still shapes up nicely and although it does lack a title fight, some of the outcomes will have an impact on the championship pictures in the near future.

Mirko Filipovic vs. Anthony Perosh

Cro Cop could be at yet another pivotal turning point in his career. Not only did he lose his last fight but in doing so he looked very average and even spoke of suicidal thoughts that he had following the sub-par performance. This isn't the first time the former Pride and K-1 star has been at a cross roads. Long considered by many to be the best heavyweight striker in mma, Cro Cop's knockout highlights are among the best ever. At 6'2", 220lbs. with feet as fast as a kangaroo, he's a danger to put anybody to sleep. When talking about his kicks he once said, "right leg, hospital. Left leg, cemetery." If he can find his way back to his former self he'll be more than handful for Perosh.

Anthony Perosh is a late replacement for Ben Rothwell who was forced to pull out of this fight due to an undisclosed illness. Perosh is an Aussie native who trains with Elvis Sisonic. With a 10-5 record as a pro, he's no stranger to tough competition. In 2006 he had two fights in the UFC but did lose both of those, to Jeff Monson and Christian Wellisch. Perosh knows how to finish fights, 7 of his wins have come by submission and the other 3 by knockout. Stylistically this could be a very interesting matchup for Cro Cop.

Ryan Bader vs. Keith Jardine

TUF 8 meets TUF 2 in this light-heavyweight contest. Ryan Bader, TUF season 8 winner, has as good a wrestling pedigree as anyone in the sport. His accolades include two state high school championships (Arizona) and three PAC 10 championships at Arizona State University. He's wrestled his way to a 10-0 record as a pro and although he's taken some criticism for grinding out a few "boring decisions," he's actually finished four fights by (T)KO and three by submission. The UFC has wisely brought him along at a realistic pace to this point, and he'll now face what is by far his toughest test to date.

Jardine is a very difficult fighter to figure out. After beginning his career at 11-1-1 he has dropped 5 of his last 9 fights. The confusing part is that he has a knack for winning fights as a huge underdog (Chuck Liddell) and losing fights as a favorite (Houston Alexander). One thing is for sure, Jardine shows up to fight. He's coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time in his career, losing to Quinton Jackson and Thiago Silva, respectively. He'll definitely be looking to get back on track against the less-experienced Bader.

Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos

Joe "Daddy" was The Ultimate Fighter 2 winner of the welterweight tournament and has been a big fan favorite ever since. He moved to lightweight in 2006 and snapped off four consecutive wins on his way to a title shot vs. BJ Penn. He was defeated via 2nd round rear naked choke in a blood bath and went on to drop 2 of his next 3 fights as well. Stevenson has now joined the ranks of Jackson's Submission Fighting and has been very impressive in his last 2 wins, both victories. A black belt in both judo and jiu-jitsu, he's a versatile fighter and can be dangerous no matter where the fight goes.

Australian-born George Sotiropoulos, a contestant of TUF 6, is also a jiu-jitsu black belt. He's looking forward to enjoying a home field advantage for the first time since joining the UFC where's currently 4-0. His 11-2 overall record is impressive, especially considering that one of his losses came by disqualification (groin strike) to highly ranked lightweight Shinya Aoki. Stevenson will be his toughest competition to date in the UFC and this opportunity is a step toward becoming a legitimate title contender.

Wanderlei Silva vs. Michael Bisping

Wanderlei Silva, crafty veteran, mma legend, and the man with the well-deserved scariest nickname in the sport. "The Axe Murderer" came to the UFC after dropping his last 2 fights at Pride and lost his debut to Chuck Liddell at UFC 79. He roared back at UFC 84 taking out Keith Jardine in 36-seconds and appeared to be back to his vicious self, but has since dropped back-to-back losses to Quinton Jackson and Rich Franklin. Silva doesn't seem to have figured out how to stalk opponents and cut off the octagon-shaped cage as well as he did the square ring in Pride. He's not a fighter that can ever be taken lightly as his right hand is still powerful and his knees from the clinch could total a stainless steel Delorian. A mistake by Bisping could lead to him being airmailed from Sydney to the outback.

We saw Bisping make that mistake at UFC 100 and Dan Henderson knocked him out cold. He came back at UFC 105 and looked great against a very tough Denis Kang. His record now stands at a very respectable 18-2 and although he might not have a reputation to for power, 12 of those wins have come by (T)KO. He didn't acquire 18 wins by making a lot of mistakes. Look for him to circle out away from Silva's power and look for openings to land big right hands of his own.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez

All indications are that Nogueira is coming into this fight in better shape than he's been in years.   A bonafide legend in the sport, Nogueira has been through as many classic wars as anyone in mma. He's 33-5 with a ridiculous 20 wins by submission. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu is widely considered the best that the heavyweight division has ever seen, but to mistake him for a ground fighter would be a problem for opponents as Nogueira can definitely box. He's been to battle with striking greats like Cro Cop, wrestling standouts like Mark Coleman, Dan Henderson, and most recently Randy Couture, and top level jiu-jitsu practictioners like Fabricio Werdum. "Minotauro" will be looking to draw on his big fight experience to take out a younger and less-experienced Cain Velasquez.

Velasquez' short but impressive career is punctuated by an undefeated record. Twice an All-American wrestler at Arizona State University, we've seen him dominate people on the ground with his strong and technical top position, but in his last fight he put his striking on display with a 2nd round TKO over Ben Rothwell. He'll be entering this fight as the younger and more athletic competitor, but it might be his game plan that decides this fight for him. He trains with a very solid team in American Kickboxing Academy, but exploiting weaknesses in an opponent who's so void of them makes for quite a task. Wrestling is obviously his bread and butter, but does he really want to go to the mat with a guy who has 20 submission wins? His standup is probably the area where he needs the most improvement so it might not be wise to try to box Nogueira either. Whatever the game plan is, he'll rely on his youth and athleticism to try to wear out his more weathered counterpart and possibly look for a late finish.

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

As UFC 110 approaches, all the fighters are making their way to Sydney, Australia. This video blog chronicles Ryan Bader's journey from Phoenix to L.A., and then L.A. to Sydney.

Joining Bader are fellow fighters C.B. Dolloway and Jesse Forbes. The group takes you through their journey from Bader's house to the airports and on board their flights, as well as to some autograph signings in Sydney.

This weekend, Bader, winner of TUF 8, will take on TUF 2 alum Keith Jardine. The winner of the bout will be thrown into the mix in the the light-heavyweight division. Between the two fighters, it will be a contrast of styles as Bader is a celebrated wrestler, and Jardine excels at his stand up game, specializing in kickboxing.

To order UFC 110, which is headlined by a heavyweight match up between contenders Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, it can be purchased in the United States via pay-per-view.

*Please visit FiveKnuckles.com for more mixed martial arts media*

A welterweight bout between UFC newcomer Daniel Roberts and John "Doomsday" Howard is now in the works for UFC on Versus 1 after Howard's original opponent Anthony Johnson was forced to withdraw from the event due to a knee injury.

The Boston Herald was the first media outlet to confirm the change in opponents yesterday.

The UFC has yet to confirm the new bout and there has also been no word if the Howard vs. Roberts bout will remain on the televised main card as the previous fight was scheduled.

Roberts most recently defeated Anthony Macias at a 5150 Combat League/XFL co-promoted event last month. He has competed for other notable organizations such as Bricktown Brawl, Extreme Fighting League and Freestyle Cage Fighting.

Roberts has put together an undefeated 9-0 MMA record since turning pro in September 2007, with seven of his wins coming by submission. He holds other notable career wins over the likes of Brandon Gaines, Levi Avera and Mike Jackson.

Howard (13-4) is coming off a dramatic come-from-behind third-round knockout win over veteran Dennis Hallman at TUF 10 finale. The win moved Howard to a perfect 3-0 with the UFC, with wins in his first two UFC bouts against Chris Wilson and Tamdan McCrory.

Prior to joining the UFC, Howard fought mostly on the east coast for notable promotions such as; the IFL, Combat Zone, World Fighting League, Ring of Combat and Cage Fury Fighting Championships.

The UFC on Versus 1 event takes place on March 21 at the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colorado, and is headlined by a much anticipated light-heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Brandon Vera. In addition, rising contender Junior dos Santos will take on former UFC heavyweight title contender Gabriel Gonzaga in the night's co-main event.