ESPN Mixed Martial Arts

The armbar: It’s the signature submission hold of UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. She has finished all seven of her professional opponents in the first round using the technique.

Even the woman who will coach opposite Rousey on this season of "The Ultimate Fighter," which begins Wednesday night at 10 ET on Fox Sports 1, knows what it feels like to be caught in that armbar. Former Strikeforce bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will be the first to tell you that it doesn’t feel good.

Rousey lifted the Strikeforce bantamweight title from Tate via an armbar on March 3, 2012. Tate has been attempting to become champion ever since.

Tate believes that the time has finally arrived to reclaim her status as best women’s bantamweight mixed martial artist. She is more confident than ever of dethroning Rousey and promises the armbar won’t come into play a second time around when they meet Dec. 28 at UFC 168 in Las Vegas.

With each training session, Tate discovers something new about the mistakes she made in the loss to Rousey. She says she won’t make them again. If Rousey is to retain her 135-pound title, she will have to do so with something other than an armbar.

“I learn a lot in every fight, but especially the ones that I lose,” Tate told ESPN.com. “I know the mistakes I made in that [first] fight, and I do believe they are fixable. I’m working on them all the time.

“And I’m keen to the mistakes she made. [Rousey] is not perfect. She makes mistakes in fights, too. It’s a matter of who can exploit them better. In the first fight she was definitely able to exploit the mistakes I made better.

“But I’m much more familiar with her style; I’m much more familiar with judo. I’ve learned a lot. There are things that I’ve taken note of.”

“

I have the skill-set to beat her. She's not invincible by any means. I know that being emotional and being mean-spirited does not serve me well inside the Octagon. So, I'd rather go in there with a positive outlook.

” -- Miesha Tate on fighting Ronda Rousey for the second time.

Tate acknowledges that Rousey won the psychological battle. She was able to get under Tate’s skin, which eventually took her out of her game.

Rousey never hides her feelings. If she doesn’t like you, she will let you know it right away. Rousey doesn’t like Tate -- and the feeling is mutual.

The difference now is that Tate refuses to lose her cool. Rousey can no longer throw Tate off her game, at least mentally. This rematch will come down solely to skill.

And Tate likes her chances in that arena.

“Ronda isn’t particularly stronger than anyone I’ve fought,” Tate said. “But she’s very good at what she does, she’s very smooth. And I’m very well aware of that.

“I wasn’t able to put it all together in time for that fight. Knowing that now and admitting to the mistakes that I made, and not being emotional.

“I have the skill-set to beat her. She’s not invincible by any means. I know that being emotional and being mean-spirited does not serve me well inside the Octagon. So, I’d rather go in there with a positive outlook.”

Being a coach on "The Ultimate Fighter" helped Tate further develop and maintain a positive outlook. Watching her fighters grow and improve brought Tate great joy.

But it wasn’t a one-way street. Teaching allowed Tate to closely examine her own techniques. And she corrected a few flaws in her game.

“I feel I retain more when I teach,” Tate said. “I learn more because I really have to dissect some things; I have to dissect a move, whereas before I was just doing it. Now that I have to think about them, I’ve learned how to do certain moves better.”

Sometimes, the "best" fight isn’t necessarily the "right" fight.

During the news conference following UFC 164, a place where president Dana White typically refuses to answer any of the “Who’s next for so-and-so” questions, he was at least willing to admit the obvious.

What is the most tantalizing, intriguing, fun fight he could make right now for featherweight champion Jose Aldo?

"It’s 100 percent Anthony Pettis," White said. "Yeah, 100 percent. That is a sick fight."

So why then, less than 72 hours later, did White announce Pettis would defend the lightweight title against TJ Grant? Aldo’s schedule is open. Expectations are that his foot injury will heal within the same timeframe of Pettis’ knee. What gives?

We can safely assume here that if Pettis is the best fight available for Aldo, then Aldo is the best fight available for Pettis. Fans, media, probably even Grant would admit that absolutely, Aldo versus Pettis is "a sick fight."

The "right" fight though, is the one the UFC is going with. Grant (21-5) has this strange, unflattering quality of being somewhat overlookable -- but that can’t take away from the fact he is (A) The No. 1 contender at 155 pounds, (B) Deserving of the opportunity to achieve his dream and (C) A pretty sick fight against Pettis, himself.

When a belt changes hands, one of the first questions seemingly on everybody’s mind is: How long before it changes hands again? In the case of Pettis, the quality of the lightweight division suggests it will be difficult to hang on to the belt, but the quality of his recent three first-round finishes say he’s up to the task.

We know, however, that styles make fights and interestingly enough, Grant represents perhaps the absolute worst style matchup for Pettis at 155 pounds. And he happens to be up first.

“

If Pettis defends the title and gets that win, we'll probably be looking at Aldo next.

” --Dana White on a feature fight between Anthony Pettis and Jose Aldo.

If you picked Henderson last weekend, you probably did so because the best way to avoid dynamite is to smother it. Henderson tried to contain Pettis’ flash -- couldn’t.

Grant is big, first of all. A welterweight turned lightweight, who has been dominant since dropping weight classes in 2011. He can smother, but in a violent manner. Whereas few expected Henderson to really hurt Pettis (more control him), the same can’t be said in a matchup with Grant.

Does this fight possess the same combustible nature that Aldo versus Pettis would? We basically already answered that it doesn’t. White admitted as much.

Credit the UFC though, for promoting the correct fight, instead of necessarily the easy fight. Grant is the No. 1 contender at 155 pounds. Pettis is the 155-pound champion. Pettis has never fought at 145 pounds. Aldo has never fought at 155.

Also, notice what White told "SportsCenter" on Tuesday.

“If Pettis defends the title and gets that win, we’ll probably be looking at Aldo next,” White said.

Both Aldo and Pettis are 26. Aldo will undoubtedly become a lightweight at some point and Pettis isn’t going anywhere. If these two still haven’t fought each other by the time they’re 30, we can revisit this topic.

For now, "giving" Grant the fight he earned inside the cage was the right call.

The plan is set, and the wheels are in motion. Hard-hitting light heavyweight contender Glover Teixeira will land a title shot with a victory Wednesday night at UFC Fight Night 28 at Estadio Jornalista Felipe Drummond in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

This isn’t a secret. Everyone is aware of the plan -- Teixeira and titleholder Jon Jones (who’s expected to defeat Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 on Sept. 21) have been briefed. UFC president Dana White has spoken publicly about the matter.

Ryan Bader also knows of the plan, but doesn’t like it one bit. He is the guy penciled in to be Teixeira’s next victim. Bader, however, does not intend to play along. He has a plan of his own -- to dash Teixeira’s hopes of landing a title fight anytime soon.

“It pisses me off that everyone is overlooking me,” Bader told ESPN.com. “He’s talking about a title shot, other people are talking about a title shot. Fans are saying I don’t have a chance and how good the fight is going to be between [Teixeira] and Jones.

“But he has a tough fight ahead of him on Sept. 4 and I’m looking to spoil all their plans. UFC is saying that he gets the next title shot with an impressive win. A lot of people are going to be upset on Sept. 4. I’m going to come out and take everything away from them.”

A lot of hype has been heaped on Teixeira from the moment he signed with UFC in February 2012. Thus far, in his brief Octagon career, he has met all expectations. He has finished three of his four UFC opponents -- only former 205-pound champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has gone the distance with him.

Despite the impressive showings, Bader isn’t fully convinced Teixeira is the fighter folks believe him to be. He’s good, even Bader concedes that much, but title shot-ready? Bader is of the opinion that’s taking things a little too far.

“He’s had his long win streak,” Bader said, referring to Teixeira’s current 19-fight victory run. “But he’s had this long win streak outside the UFC. If you look at his record, who has he fought? If you look at our past six, seven fights and put them side by side, I’ve definitely fought much tougher guys.

“

Definitely; I'm going to go out there to knock him out. No doubt. I'm going to pressure him, pressure him the whole time. I'm going to stay in his face and push him back; he's going to be walking backward the entire fight.

” -- Glover Teixeira on his fight against Ryan Bader on Wednesday.

“His hype is deserved because he has been winning, he’s undefeated in UFC and all that, but he hasn’t fought the right brand of people. If he fights the right brand of people he’s definitely going to lose, and his night [to face the right brand of opposition] is the night we’re fighting.”

Teixeira isn’t angered by or losing sleep over Bader’s comments. He’s heard these sentiments a lot since word of him being next in line for a title shot surfaced. But the comments have served to fuel his determination to put on a spectacular performance Wednesday night in his native Brazil.

When the main-event showdown is over Teixeira expects not only to be victorious, but to end questions about his legitimacy as the No. 1 light heavyweight contender. Teixeira is on a personal mission: Put Bader to sleep and leave fight fans shocked by the viciousness of the destruction.

“Definitely; I’m going to go out there to knock him out. No doubt,” Teixeira told ESPN.com. “I’m going to pressure him, pressure him the whole time. I’m going to stay in his face and push him back; he’s going to be walking backward the entire fight.

“He’s a very tough opponent. But I’m going to go out there and finish this fight before the fifth round.”

Bader, on the other hand, has a slightly different view of how the fight will play out. His approach is to feed Teixeira a heavy dose of wrestling.

“I definitely want to make this a fight he isn’t used to; he’s not used to being on his back,” Bader said. “He’s a strong aggressive striker, he hits hard, he comes out and tries to be in your face but I definitely look to put him on his back in this fight.”

That fight plan is one more reason Teixeira is confident he will beat Bader. According to Teixeira, Bader has several holes in his game -- though he didn’t offer any specifics.

But Teixeira does point to Bader’s fight plan and shakes his head in disbelief. Have Bader or his trainers closely examined Teixeira’s skill set? Teixeira thinks not, especially if they’ve concluded that wrestling is the key to defeating him.

“Ryan is a good wrestler, but I train with much better wrestlers than Ryan Bader,” Teixeira said. “I’m a good wrestler myself. I’m confident in my wrestling, but there is one thing I don’t care about and that’s being on my back. That will make it more difficult for him because I’m confident in my jiu-jitsu as well.”

Finally, for those who say he isn’t yet deserving of a title shot because there are no top-10 light heavyweights on his UFC ledger, Teixeira offered these thoughts: “I don’t mind it too much. I can’t look at it that way. Ryan is a top-10 fighter. When I fought Rampage he was ranked nine or 10; I don’t know.

“Every fighter in the UFC is dangerous. Hey, I will just keep fighting. And if they keep giving me top-10 guys I will keep fighting and winning.”

MILWAUKEE -- The hometown kid did good Saturday night as Anthony Pettis made it two title wins in a row over Benson Henderson with a first-round armbar submission.

The first victory was sweet -- a unanimous decision in December 2010 to capture the WEC belt -- but the second was even sweeter. When Pettis returned to his house (just a stone’s throw from the Bradley Center, host of UFC 164), early Sunday morning, he had the UFC 155-pound championship belt in his possession. There is no comparison.

“[UFC] is the NFL, NBA of mixed martial arts,” Pettis said. “Winning the WEC title meant a lot to me. I was very young. I fought Ben a year and half into the WEC. So I didn’t have a lot of time, a lot of experience to fight someone like Ben Henderson.

“Now, we’ve both grown in this sport. The guy is a great champion. I mean he’s a very respectful guy; he never does dumb things out there. Now we’re both in the UFC and I win this belt. It’s amazing. It’s something I really tried hard to achieve and now I’ve accomplished it.”

What occurred Saturday night was more than two years in the making. Pettis always believed he would become UFC champion, it just took a little longer than he planned.

When he entered UFC in 2011, Pettis was slated to face the winner of then-lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Both those two fought to a split draw on Jan. 1 of that year, putting Pettis’ UFC title showdown on hold.

Injuries would delay the Edgar and Maynard fight. Rather than sit idly, Pettis opted to face Clay Guida in June 2011 -- he would lose by unanimous decision. Pettis hasn’t lost a UFC fight since.

But all that is neither here nor there; Pettis is the UFC lightweight champion now, and that’s a good thing. You see, Pettis is a very athletic, confident and physically strong fighter, who is still maturing as a mixed martial artist.

“I’m not even in my prime yet,” Pettis admitted. He’s only 26 and his body is still growing.

And he already has developed a reputation for putting on exciting fights. You never know what move Pettis might pull from his large bag of tricks during a fight. He keeps fans and his opponents guessing what his next unorthodox maneuver will be. Pettis is fun to watch.

Add to all this the fact that Pettis competes in the talent-rich lightweight division and UFC fans are going to enjoy this ride for a while. Guys like TJ Grant, who Pettis replaced Saturday night, and Gilbert Melendez make their residence at 155. And let’s not forget Henderson, as he remains a threat to one day reclaim the belt.

But there are also potential challenges to Pettis’ reign lurking at featherweight. There’s champion Jose Aldo, who Pettis was slated to face in August at 145 pounds before an injury forced him out of that bout.

And does anyone really believe Edgar will never resume his quest to again place the lightweight title around his waist?

There are several potential high-profile fights awaiting Pettis. And each one looks like it would an action-filled affair. The fun has yet to begin.


But, in what seems to be the case often these days whenever Pettis is involved, there is a downside. Pettis has struggled with injuries the past year. In 2012, he suffered a shoulder injury that shelved him for several months. He later sustained a shoulder injury during a training session for his showdown with Donald Cerrone; a skin infection in his elbow further postponed the Cerrone bout.


Then he was forced to pull out of his featherweight title fight with Aldo due to a right knee injury, sustained during a training session. All was forgotten, however, the past few days as Pettis and Henderson appeared physically primed for their rematch.

But just when it seemed the worst was over, Pettis left the cage Saturday night, belt in hand, with another injury. This time it was his left knee.

“Henderson threw a kick and I went to check it with my left leg and he hit it right in the crook of my knee,” Pettis said. “I felt it go back and forth, but I don’t know yet.

“I was stepping on it and it was hurting a little bit. When he had me against the cage I was standing on one leg because it was starting to lock up.”

Injuries now seem to happen quite often to Pettis. For all the dangerous opponents lining up to dethrone him, staying physically healthy might pose the greatest challenge to the newly crowned champion. Maybe it’s just part of a growth spurt. Perhaps. We can only hope so.

Pettis is an exciting fighter, who is poised to thrill UFC fans for a long time. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that his recent run of injuries is nothing more than a weird coincidence.

MILWAUKEE -- The timing couldn’t have been worse for former two-time UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. He lost to fellow former heavyweight titleholder Josh Barnett in the co-main event Saturday night at UFC 164.

It’s not just that Mir was the victim of a first-round TKO -- the stoppage was a bit premature. It’s that Mir has now lost three in a row, and wasn’t competitive in any of those fights.

Making matters more unfortunate for Mir is that the loss comes against a fighter who hadn’t competed inside the Octagon since 2002. Barnett is still a good fighter, but other than Daniel Cormier, he hadn’t faced top-level opposition of late.

This was the type of fight Mir was supposed to win, or at least be competitive in -- he did neither. Barnett punched him, kneed him and pushed him around. At no time in this brief encounter, which came to an end at the 1:56 mark, did Mir pose the slightest threat to Barnett.

Mir was simply outclassed in his third straight fight. And at 34, and showing little sign of improving, his future as a heavyweight to be taken seriously appears to have run its course.

Never in his professional mixed martial arts career had Mir dropped three fights in a row. If ever there was a worse time to experience such a drought, this was it. And at 34 years old, the odds of Mir rebounding from this hole to get back in title contention are slim.

What Mir has to fight for now isn’t a title shot; that option isn’t reasonable. His goal today is finishing his career on a positive note. It’s about getting wins, even if they must come against second-tier fighters.

“

It felt great to get this win here in the UFC. It's been a long time coming.

” -- Josh Barnett on beating Frank Mir in his return to the UFC.

He may no longer be title-worthy, but Mir has achieved enough inside UFC to retain his spot on the promotion’s roster. No one should, for one second, think Mir will be released by UFC. It won’t happen and it shouldn’t.

But his name should not even be considered for another co-main event as participants are being bantered about by matchmaker Joe Silva. This isn’t a knock on Mir, especially when he is down -- it’s just facing reality.

Mir looks slow in the cage these days, even with the improved physical conditioning he’s been receiving under the guidance of Greg Jackson in Albuquerque, N.M. And Mir deserves credit for taking the extra step to train in Albuqurque, spending weeks away from his family in Las Vegas.

The determination to succeed remains. It’s just that Mir is struggling to find a way to do so in today’s UFC.

Barnett, on the other hand, shouldn’t be pumping his chest too hard. He had the good fortune to catch Mir on the down side of his career. Regardless, competing and winning in the Octagon for the first time in years had Barnett in a jovial mood.

“It felt great to get this win here in the UFC,” Barnett said. “It’s been a long time coming.”

The best time to gauge where Barnett truly stands at this point in his MMA career will be in his next fight. Hopefully, it will be against a fighter on the upswing.

Travis Browne comes to mind. Byt hat might be stretching it a bit. How about Ben Rothwell, who showed tremendous resolve in his come-from-behind, third-round TKO of Brandon Vera in an earlier main-card bout.

Sitting inside his suite at the MGM Grand the morning after stopping Randy Couture to become the youngest heavyweight champion in UFC history, anything seemed possible for Josh Barnett.

"I hope in passing the torch to Josh he will represent the sport in a positive way, and I know he will," Couture said following UFC 36. "He's going to be a great champion."

It didn't work out the way anyone would have imagined, which is why Saturday's fight against Frank Mir at UFC 164 in Milwaukee marks Barnett's first appearance in the Octagon since dethroning "The Natural" 11 years ago.

At ease in a sun-drenched emerald green room with a view on the morning of March 23, 2002, his new belt within arm's reach, Barnett, then 24, believed he should be paid much more than he'd ever been paid in his career.

But his contract was up -- something Zuffa learned not to let happen with future would-be champions -- and rumors were he wanted $1 million per fight from the UFC. Just back on pay-per-view, doing mostly dim numbers on television, the promotion was hardly in position to break the bank. It balked at the young champion's demands.

"I fought when no one was fighting for money, really," Barnett, 35, recalled during a recent conference call. "I fought when you couldn't get MMA gear at your local sports store. We had to make it ourselves. I fought when most of the time we didn't even wear gloves. We were under attack from all angles."

Mir, a two-time UFC champion holding the most victories and submissions of any heavyweight ever to fight in the Octagon, knows this period well. He signed with Zuffa in 2001 -- not something worth bragging about back then, he said -- and was in the midst of starting his career the night Barnett became champion.

"It wasn't something you went and told a girl when you were trying to go on a date with her that you were aspiring to beat people up in the Octagon," said Mir, now 34. "In fact, even if I tried to describe it a few times, it was like no one had a clue what you were talking about. So it wasn't something really to garner fans."

Mir moved to 4-0 at UFC 36 thanks to an iconic shoulder lock against Pete Williams. That win, coupled with his first in the UFC, a fast armbar over Roberto Travern, prompted people to mention Mir as a future champion.

However, he knew he wasn't ready for the likes of Barnett, and showed it in his next fight against Ian Freeman. Mentally, Mir said, he just didn't have it in him then to beat the blond brawler Barnett.

"I think I [would have] had an opportunity early on in the fight to get him, a submission to catch somebody, but if the first couple failed, I would have been in a lot of trouble," Mir said.

Said Barnett: "On paper, I had a lot more fights and experience, but, hey, Frank was going out there and beating plenty of experienced guys, and tapping them out," Barnett said. "I think people would have been interested to watch the fight back then, just as much as they'd like watching the fight now."

Neither fighter is especially hot. Within 11 months of one another, each lost decisions to Daniel Cormier, who's preparing to leave the division and fight instead at 205. They're not kids anymore, either, though Cormier suggested that each man remains capable and because of their styles, the bout should be fun to watch. That could be especially true if they grapple. Mir is thought of as the UFC's best heavyweight submission artists. That may have been Barnett, had he stuck around.

From Cormier's perspective, Barnett's the better, faster fighter right now.

"You know what I think the difference will be, as good a shape as Mir was when we fought, he still wasn't very fast," Cormier said. "Josh Barnett is actually pretty fast, whether he's throwing punches or kicks. Speed will be the real difference."

Any chance of seeing a contest a decade ago between youthful submission mavens took a tumble shortly after Barnett became king. His fate with the UFC was sealed when he became the first fighter to face discipline from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for steroid use. The news came a month after he defeated Couture and shook UFC's heavyweight division. Zuffa stripped Barnett of the title, creating a scenario, by Dana White's own estimation, in which the belt wasn't worth much for a while.

Matt Hume's strong ties to Japan, the place to be in MMA at the time, created a current that carried his charge Barnett overseas. It was a fine fallback: A few months after Barnett bested Couture (a result that stands because NSAC guidelines at the time didn't allow a result to be overturned due to a positive drug test), Pride and K-1 collaborated for an event that drew more than 91,000 fans to Tokyo National Stadium. This was fantastical stuff for U.S.-based mixed martial artists. Also, from a sport perspective, Pride champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira was the best heavyweight in the world, and the following year he was eclipsed by Fedor Emelianenko.

Barnett picked up five wins against a mixed bag of opponents before settling into Pride on Halloween 2004. Mir returned to form following his loss to Freeman by defeating David "Tank" Abbott and Wes Sims. This was enough to get him a shot at the beleaguered UFC belt owned by Tim Sylvia. It wasn't the prettiest period for UFC heavyweights, but the Las Vegas native looked to offer salvation when he snapped Sylvia's forearm.

Mir went from winning the title to vacating it after a motorcycle accident kept him sidelined for two years. He has since fought for some version of a UFC heavyweight belt four times, winning once. Barnett took his share of important fights, but lost big ones as well. He also had more run-ins with performance-enhancing drugs, costing him, most prominently, a contest against No. 1-ranked Emelianenko in 2009.

Having finally returned to the UFC, despite intense moments of disagreement with Zuffa that made any reconciliation appear impossible, Barnett's confidence in his ability to win fights and hurt people at the highest level remains strong.

"The first time around I went all the way to the top and won the heavyweight championship of the world," Barnett said. "I don't expect any different -- other than to get paid a lot more money and a lot more stardom and fandom out of this whole thing because of the explosion of MMA as a whole."

As Mir (16-7) and Barnett (32-6) prepare to face off at UFC 164 for a long overdue, yet barely discussed bout, they'll do so in the final stages of successful, though ultimately wanting, careers.

MILWAUKEE -- Lightweight champion Benson Henderson has successfully defended his UFC 155-pound title three times in a row. The only other fighter to accomplish that feat inside the Octagon is former lightweight titleholder BJ Penn.

But as Henderson prepares to put his title on the line Saturday night against Anthony Pettis, some have wondered whether he has what it takes to retain the belt a fourth straight time. The concern is raised because of Henderson’s previous loss to Pettis and close calls in recent title bouts.

Henderson has won two of his three UFC title defenses by split decision. And the first time Henderson faced Pettis, in December 2010 while defending his WEC lightweight title bout, he lost by unanimous decision.

That loss, however, and the razor-thin outcomes of his more recent title bouts, don’t worry Henderson. His goal remains the same: just win. It’s that simple.

“What it all boils down to is getting your hand raised,” Henderson told ESPN.com on Thursday during a media conference to promote the title rematch with Pettis. “Whether you do it emphatically, impressively, whether you do it by split decision or whatever the case may be.

“Honestly, if a guy walks into the cage and slips on a banana peel and I win, I will take that win. I don’t care. The way I fight, I’m always out there to beat the guy up. I just want to beat him up. I don’t care about judges’ decisions or this or that, I just want to beat the guy up.”

Improved stand-up boosts Mendez’s confidence
Featherweight contender Chad Mendes has been on a knockout tear since coming up short in his title bid against Jose Aldo at UFC 142 on Jan. 14, 2012. Mendes was knocked out during the first round of that title bout, but he's knocked out each of his opponents in the three fights that followed.

Mendes, ranked fourth among 145-pound fighters by ESPN.com, went into that fight unsure of his stand-up skills -- both offensively and defensively. He wasn’t confident anywhere on his feet then.

As a result, Mendes was vulnerable standing against Aldo and got caught by a knee to the chin. His hopes of leaving the cage a champion that night came ended at the 4:59 mark.

But Mendes is better on his feet now. He is comfortable letting his hands go, and moving his feet and head comes naturally now. And he has developed into a solid power puncher. Mendes no longer lacks confidence standing in the cage.

“It’s not that I wasn’t confident as a fighter, it’s just that the stand-up part of the game wasn’t there for me,” Mendes said. “A lot of people said I took that fight too early in my career. But it’s a title fight; I’m not going to turn it down.

"I believe I was winning the first round until the final second. I’m a completely different fighter now. I know I can hang. I’ve grown and gotten so much better. I want another title shot."

With Wanderlei unavailable, UFC seeking foe for Sonnen
There are two things Chael Sonnen wants more than anything else in his professional fighting career right now: a showdown with Wanderlei Silva and a spot on the UFC 167 main card. But it's very unlikely one of his wishes will be met any time soon.

According to UFC president Dana White, a fight between Sonnen and Silva isn’t happening this year. White said Silva is injured and would accept only a pay-per-view deal to face Sonnen.

Pay-per-view deals are given only to champions, and Silva isn’t close to contending for the middleweight title. That puts the brakes on a Sonnen-Silva fight. Besides, Silva’s injury, which White says is back-related, will keep him out of action for the remainder of this year.

“Chael wants to fight in the co-main event of the [Georges] St-Pierre fight,” said White, referring to St-Pierre’s title defense against Johny Hendricks on Nov. 16 in Las Vegas. “Chael wants it. He wants to fight on that card. He has his heart set on it.”

There have been recent reports of Phil Davis getting the fight with Sonnen. White, however, quashed those reports. The UFC is still seeking an opponent to meet Sonnen at UFC 167. It’s possible that Davis is among the fighters being considered, but White refused to reveal any of the potential candidates.

“There’s nothing done [with Davis],” White said.

If Ricardo Lamas fails to receive the next UFC title shot at 145 pounds, Chad Mendes says he’ll feel for him a bit. But Lamas should know: He only has himself to blame.

Twice this year, Mendes says he’s tried to book a fight against Lamas -- only to get the feeling Lamas wants nothing to do with him.

The first occurred when Manny Gamburyan withdrew from a bout at UFC 157 due to injury, just two weeks prior to the event. Mendes publicly called Lamas out, but was told he was already booked to an unannounced fight. Fair enough.

The second time, though, Mendes says he was willing to face Lamas on three weeks' notice at UFC 162, when Lamas’ original opponent, Chan Sung Jung, was pulled for a title fight. It didn’t happen and Lamas was eventually pulled from the card.

“I’ve called him out. I’ve tried to fight him a couple times,” Mendes told ESPN.com. “Once was on short notice for him so that’s understandable, but the other one was on three weeks' notice for me and he still turned it down.

“I think to be the best you have to fight the best and I don’t know if he’s willing to do it.”

Mendes (14-1) has been itching for a high-profile fight after several previous bouts have fallen through due to injury. He has a big one on his hands this weekend, when he meets Clay Guida at UFC 164 in Milwaukee.

A former No. 1 contender at featherweight, Mendes feels a win over Guida should net him a rematch against Jose Aldo, who he lost to early last year.

Even considering Mendes’ current streak of three consecutive first-round knockouts, a win over Guida is nothing to take lightly. Mendes says his veteran opponent has played spoiler to title aspirations before.

As for what specific challenges Guida (30-13) brings to the cage, Mendes admits he’s not sure what to expect. Whether it’s because Guida is “just getting old or what,” Mendes says his style has changed a lot in recent years.

“The old-school Clay would stand in the pocket and throw punches, scramble, grapple -- in your face the entire time,” Mendes said. “Lately, he’s been more of a points fighter. Pitter-patter on the feet and look to take you down and just lay there.

“We’ve definitely prepared for both Clays. I’m ready for whatever one comes out.”

Of course, earning another shot at the seemingly invincible Aldo is only half the goal. Taking the belt from him is what matters, and Mendes knows he’s capable of it.

Everyone asked him before that first title bout in Brazil, “Are you ready? Has this all happened too fast?” The answer, honestly, was yeah. Pretty much. Mendes, less than four years into his pro career at that time, probably wasn’t ready for Aldo.

But as he points out, it’s an irrelevant question. You don’t turn down a shot at the title. And even though things didn’t go his way that night, the loss, as it usually does for great fighters, has made him better. He’s evolved because of it.

Whereas before the Aldo knee, Mendes was typically looking for a “safe” way to outwrestle his opponents, he’s found himself looking for knockouts ever since it.

The wrestling background will always be there as a second option, which now only gives him more confidence in his striking game. It’s a feeling he never had prior to the Aldo fight.

“Going into the first fight after the loss, my mentality was just go pull the trigger and see what happens,” Mendes said. “Bam, I got a knockout. That fight showed me if I just let my hands go, I could put these guys away.

“Before my mindset was to not get hit. I’m becoming more confident on my feet and I’m excited from here on out.”

Of all the members of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Mendes will perhaps benefit most from the addition of head coach Duane Ludwig late last year.

In the first meeting against Aldo, the question was, “Can Chad get him down?” These days, Mendes and his team believe a question around the rematch could be, “Can Chad knock him out?”

“He’s going to be the world champion of the UFC, 100 percent,” Ludwig said. “Most athletes in general, you just have to get them out of position. I won’t elaborate too much on that, but we’re going to get Jose out of position.”

That four-fight winning streak Rafael dos Anjos took into his lightweight fight Wednesday against Donald Cerrone was looked upon with some skepticism.

Just who had dos Anjos beaten en route to earning top-10 consideration, exactly? Mark Bocek, Evan Dunham, Anthony Njokuani: All are formidable mixed martial artists, but not contender-worthy at this time.

During that four-fight run, dos Anjos succeeded in raising a few eyebrows by demonstrating improved striking skills. His submission abilities have never come under scrutiny, and rightfully so. But he was facing a serious challenge in Cerrone, a top-10 lightweight with title aspirations still firmly in his mind.

To earn his way into contender status, dos Anjos had to beat Cerrone. That was something most observers did not expect him to do at UFC Fight Night 27’s co-main event in Indianapolis.

Dos Anjos would prove the skeptics wrong, and in a major way. He handled Cerrone, who began the bout ranked seventh among lightweights by ESPN.com, during the first two rounds, and in surprisingly easy fashion.

His attack was relentless, and his strikes -- both kicks and punches, especially the right hand -- had Cerrone on the defensive just seconds into the fight. By the third round, it was understood by all that Cerrone needed a finish to keep his title hopes afloat. But that never happened, as dos Anjos played a bit safe in the final round to secure a unanimous decision.

With his work against Cerrone complete, dos Anjos’ winning streak sits at five. The difference now: The validity of the streak is no longer questioned.

Defeating Cerrone in lopsided fashion puts dos Anjos on the lightweight contenders’ list. No doubt about it. Another 155-pound opponent awaits dos Anjos. He likely will enter that bout as the underdog as well, but expectations will be higher. And dos Anjos is prepared to meet them.

“This win over Cerrone is my fifth straight, so I’ve taken a big step forward in my career,” dos Anjos said after improving to 20-6. “Whenever the UFC thinks I’m ready for a title shot, I’d be honored to take it.”

Confidence is one thing dos Anjos isn’t lacking. A five-fight winning streak, including one over Cerrone, will do that for any lightweight.

Cerrone, on the other hand, has no excuse for his lackluster performance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. He was adamant before the bout that a pending legal matter was not a distraction.

In every sense, Cerrone seemed prepared to leave the cage Wednesday night victorious. Dos Anjos was not supposed to be in his league -- on paper, at least.

But something just didn’t seem right with Cerrone. Maybe thoughts of that third-degree assault charge eventually weighed on him after all. Maybe it was those hard kicks and right hands -- especially that right hook to the jaw from dos Anjos that dropped Cerrone in the opening round.

Whatever the reason, Cerrone (20-6, with one no contest) must pick himself up, dust himself off and get back in the cage as soon as possible. He loves fighting regularly -- Wednesday’s bout was his third this year. And when he returns, Cerrone must get back to being that aggressive, hard striker fight fans have come to know and enjoy watching.

Cerrone is not completely out of the lightweight title hunt yet, but he is walking on thin ice. Two losses in three fights can’t be brushed off easily.

From World Extreme Cagefighting's launch in 2001 to its eventual merger with UFC in 2010, the WEC produced a number of memorable bouts, typically in the lower weight classes.

With a number of former WEC fighters competing Saturday at UFC 164 and one of its most infamous fights set to headline the card in Milwaukee, we took a look back at the best fights from the WEC's 10-year history through the eyes of founder and current UFC vice president of community relations Reed Harris.

So where exactly does the "Showtime kick" from Anthony Pettis rank among his favorite moments? Let's take a look back at Harris' top 10, including his personal memories of each one:

10. WEC 9: Olaf Alfonso SD John Polakowski, Jan. 16, 2004

Harris: Both guys broke their noses in the first 45 seconds of the fight. It was a war. In fact, [UFC president] Dana White was at the fight and HDNet was at the fight. And HDNet reported back to [channel owner] Mark Cuban, "We have to get this on our network." Polakowski took the fight on like two days. Really good striker but not very good on the ground. But Olaf was such a stud back then, he was like, "You know what? I'll stand with him." He just stood there for three rounds and they threw bombs.

9. WEC 29: Carlos Condit SUB1 Brock Larson, Aug. 5, 2007

Harris: It wasn't a fantastic fight, but what happened was Brock Larson was one of the strongest dudes I have ever seen. Like when that guy shook your hand, you were like, "Holy s---." He threw a punch at Condit, and Condit armbarred him, and it was so fast that I've never forgotten that moment. Larson was throwing bombs at him, he timed it perfectly and put that armbar on him and it was just, "Wow."

8. WEC 43: Ben Henderson UD Donald Cerrone, Oct. 10, 2009

Harris: A lot of my memories about "Cowboy" are tied to Charles ["Mask" Lewis, Tapout co-founder]. Charles had gone and seen Donald, and he came to me and begged me to sign him -- and Charles was a guy who if he asked you to do something, he would call you every day until you did it. I remember how proud Charles was of [Cerrone]. He loved him.

7. WEC 44: Jose Aldo TKO2 Mike Brown, Nov. 18, 2009

Harris: It was the kind of moment where I really knew how good [Aldo] was. I remember the first time he jumped out of the cage [after knocking out Rolando Perez at WEC 38], I ran him back and I had never yelled at a fighter before. Poor Andre [Pederneiras] was interpreting it and it was basically, "If you ever do that again, I'll cut you." His next fight he won, I walked into the cage and he was running towards the door. He looked at me and smiled, then sat down.

6. WEC 38 and WEC 51: Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner, Jan. 25, 2009 and Sept. 30, 2010

Harris: The fights between Varner and Cowboy [a technical-decision win for Varner followed by a unanimous-decision win for Cerrone] were epic. Those guys hated each other. There was so much going on behind the scenes. Biggest rivalry the WEC saw, by far. When Varner was fighting a year ago [in the UFC], he got sick, and I got a text from Donald saying something like, "You tell Varner to pull up his bootstraps and fight." I thought, "This is still going on and they haven't fought in [almost] two years."

5. WEC 53: Anthony Pettis UD Ben Henderson, Dec. 16, 2010

Harris: The fight itself was great, even without the kick. I'll tell you, when Pettis did that, I literally said, "What the hell just happened?" I didn't process it. I was watching live, and the angle I had wasn't good. I saw what happened, but I didn't know what he had done -- how he had gotten from where he was standing to all of a sudden, Ben was down. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen someone do in MMA.

4. WEC 34: Urijah Faber UD Jens Pulver, June 1, 2008

Harris: I think we did about 1.5 million viewers, which for a company like WEC -- it's hard to be in that UFC space and command viewers. It was kind of a passing of the torch for Jens. I saw a lot of respect between the two but also a determination with Faber, like he was going to get through this. And I remember him dominating.

3. WEC 48: Jose Aldo UD Urijah Faber, April 24, 2010

Harris: I remember [afterward] Faber being hurt. I gave him a hug and asked how he was. His leg was a mess. Aldo cried in the back. He was so emotional. It was like all the work he had done in his life -- that moment was life-changing to him. I remember when he was standing in that cage before the fight and "California Love" came on, Jose's look was like, "Wow. This guy's got a lot of fans."

2. WEC 40: Miguel Torres UD Takeya Mizugaki, April 5, 2009

Harris: It was such a war. I just remember how excited the crowd was and how brutal the fight was. There's nothing like seeing two guys in the dressing room who have given it everything they got. They had gone to battle. And when Miguel Torres was on, he really was like Anderson Silva. He had this aura about him.

1. WEC 48: Leonard Garcia SD Chan Sung Jung, April 24, 2010

Harris: To have those two guys step up and fight the way they did leading into our pay-per-view -- I know it completely bumped our numbers. Part of the story people don't know is after the fight, I went to the dressing rooms and "Korean Zombie" was crying because he really thought he had won the fight. I was able to tell him he won the fight of the night bonus, which was $65,000, and just the elation on his face was something I'll never forget.

There are only two welterweights who can claim to be better than Carlos Condit and neither is named Martin Kampmann. Condit not only exacted revenge Wednesday night at Bankers Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, he dominated Kampmann en route to a fourth-round knockout win.

The victory avenged a split-decision setback Condit suffered to Kampmann in April 2009. Their first fight was closely contested; not so the second time around.

Condit punched Kampmann in the face repeatedly throughout the bout, eventually leaving it bloody and puffy; he connected with kicks to the body, which slowed Kampmann’s attack and evaporated his confidence.

The performance was impressive, but more important it strengthened Condit’s case to get the winner of Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks -- those two are set to meet Nov. 16 at UFC 167 in Las Vegas. Normally it would be unthinkable to suggest that a fighter who lost his two previous bouts to the men slated to compete for the belt deserves to be next in line for the title shot.

Both ESPN.com and UFC.com, however, rate Condit the No. 2 welterweight contender behind Hendricks. Even UFC president Dana White can’t take issue with those rankings.

“It was an absolutely great fight. Carlos Condit just proved why he is the No. 2 [welterweight contender] in the world,” White said after Condit improved to 29-7.

Who deserves the St-Pierre-Hendricks winner more? The guy with the strongest counter is Rory MacDonald. But it’s not clear that MacDonald will step in against friend and teammate St-Pierre, if he is still champion after 167.

Besides, MacDonald needs to prove he has surpassed Condit before his case of being next in line to get a title shot is taken seriously. Condit has a victory over MacDonald -- a third-round knockout in June 2010.

MacDonald can claim that he is a vastly improved fighter since the loss to Condit -- there is no doubting that argument. But he should have to prove it, just as Condit did Wednesday night against Kampmann.

The only way MacDonald moves ahead of Condit in the title-shot pecking order is to prove it. Exact revenge on Condit and the debate ends. Until then, it should be all about Condit. Other than coming up short against St-Pierre and Hendricks, Condit did nothing to diminish his reputation as a top-rated welterweight.

“There are a lot of intriguing matches in the division, but of course, I’d like to get that title shot, possibly Johny Hendricks or Georges St-Pierre, whoever wins,” Condit said. “But there are other fights out here that are interesting also. We will see what happens.”

It sounds as though Condit wouldn’t mind further cementing his position as the No. 2 welterweight contender with a win over MacDonald. That fight, however, only makes sense if MacDonald is successful against Robbie Lawler at UFC 176.

As for Kampmann, he has some soul-searching to do. The loss was his second in a row -- to Condit and Hendricks. Losing to those guys doesn’t place Kampmann (20-7) in the steppingstone category. But the manner in which he went down, getting knocked out in each of those setbacks, will make it difficult for Kampmann to get a sniff at a title shot anytime soon.

Kampmann is now forced to play the waiting game. He entered Wednesday’s rematch ranked seventh by ESPN.com among 170-pound fighters, and sixth by UFC.com. Kampmann must now keep a close eye on where he falls when those polls are next released. Expect him to remain in the top 10 -- but barely.

As lightweight champion Benson Henderson and top contender Anthony Pettis head into their showdown Saturday night at UFC 164 in Milwaukee, much attention has been paid to their 2010 WEC title bout.

The fight was as an action-filled, closely contested affair, highlighted by Pettis’ off-the-cage kick that floored Henderson in the fifth round. Pettis would win by unanimous decision, lifting the WEC 155-pound belt from Henderson. With images of that bout still fresh, it’s reasonable for fans to expect much of the same in the rematch.

While Henderson-Pettis II is a safe bet to deliver in the action department, the bout could look quite different than their initial encounter. One major difference is Pettis: He is a more aggressive fighter than the one Henderson faced nearly three years ago.

As hard as it is to believe, Pettis has evolved as a fighter in more ways than one. He is not just prepared to become lightweight champion again, but to hold the title for a very long time.

“My mindset is different; my experience, my striking, my wrestling, my jiu-jitsu, everything is top-notch. My dieting, too,” Pettis told ESPN.com. “This [mixed martial arts] has become a lifestyle for me. When we first met, I was only 22 going on 23 years old. Now I’m 26 and I’ve made this my lifestyle. I’ve learned a lot and I’m way more experienced as a mixed martial artist. I’m definitely a whole different Anthony Pettis.

“There’s no more holding back for me. When I go out there, I’m letting loose. When I hold back, I’m thinking about the other fighter, what’s the game plan and what he’s trying to do and how I’m going to finish him.

“I just need go out there and be myself. When I’m being myself, I’m dangerous. And everybody knows it. That’s why I’ve done so well in my last two fights.”

Pettis put on a striking clinic against Joe Lauzon in February 2010 and against Donald Cerrone on Jan. 26. He finished both fighters by first-round knockout.

“

I beat him once already, so it wasn't my place to call for a rematch. Since he's the champ that's the key for me. I want to be the champion, so whoever has the belt at this time, and it happens to be Ben Henderson, that's who I'm going after.

” -- Anthony Pettis, on fighting Benson Henderson for the second time.

In each of those fights, Pettis showed patience and great balance when delivering kicks that sent Lauzon and Cerrone to the canvas. He finished both downed opponent with punches.

While his striking was impressive, it’s what Pettis did before unleashing his offense that stands out: He controlled the distance. Pettis is athletic and light on his feet.

In the past, he would use that athletic ability to offset deficiencies in his game. But he has tightened up his technique and put his speed and power to better use. This has come in handy in the larger UFC cage, though Pettis doesn’t expect it to be a big advantage against Henderson.

“The WEC cage was about 5 feet shorter than the UFC cage,” Pettis said. “The more room for me, the better. I’m a rangy fighter, I like to fight at a range.

“But it plays well for both of us. Henderson is a rangy guy. He doesn’t like to be in exchanges much and he uses his footwork well to get out of situations.

“The bigger cage benefits both of us. But I’m not going to base my game plan off the size of the cage. I know what I have to do to win this fight.”

Whether in a WEC or UFC cage, where this rematch takes place doesn’t matter to Pettis; his No. 1 priority remains the same: to become lightweight champion again. And having to go through Henderson again to do it isn’t an issue.

For Henderson, the first fight remains fresh in his mind, especially with that now-famous kick repeatedly shown in prefight promos. But for Pettis, a rematch with Henderson was not on his to-do list until the UFC lightweight title changed hands on Feb. 26, 2012. That’s when Henderson unseated then-titleholder Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision.

“Ben’s an amazing fighter; he’s the champ for a reason,” Pettis said. “But I never had my sights set on fighting Ben Henderson again. Once he won that belt, that’s when I said I want to fight him again.

“I beat him once already, so it wasn’t my place to call for a rematch. Since he’s the champ, that’s the key for me. I want to be the champion, so whoever has the belt at this time, and it happens to be Ben Henderson, that’s who I’m going after.”

Call it a sense of urgency, a must-win, maybe even the most important fight of his career. Any one of these phrases would adequately describe how welterweight contender Carlos Condit feels heading into his rematch Wednesday night with Martin Kampmann.

For nearly 11 years as a professional mixed martial artist, Condit has been driven to become champion. He’s sought ways to improve his skills while seeking to develop new ones to increase his fighting arsenal.

This approach has served Condit well, earning him WEC lineal and UFC interim welterweight titles. Even after a loss, including a split-decision setback to Kampmann in his UFC debut on April 1, 2009, Condit went into his next bout with the same level of determination.

But this rematch with Kampmann at UFC Fight Night 27 in Indianapolis feels different. Despite a two-fight skid -- losses to champion Georges St-Pierre and Johny Hendricks -- he remains ranked among the division’s top contenders. ESPN.com ranks Condit third overall, while UFC.com has him second among the contenders.

But for the first time in his pro career, Condit openly admits feeling that he can’t afford to drop another fight. He, especially, can’t lose a rematch to Kampmann, who is ranked seventh and sixth by ESPN.com and UFC.com, respectively.

“Absolutely, it is [a must-win situation],” the 29-year-old Condit told ESPN.com. “I hate to lose. I’m a competitive person; I’m here to win. It would not be good to lose this fight.

“A win puts me right back in the title picture. This is a great opportunity to get me back in [title] contention. I look forward to getting another shot at one of the top five guys.”

Reflecting on losses to St-Pierre and Hendricks, who are currently the top two 170-pound fighters, does not diminish Condit’s sense of urgency, though he performed admirably against both. He went into those bouts expecting to win, and now he wants a chance to even the score with each fighter.

But he prefers to exact revenge in a title fight. And for the record, Condit believes that when he does get another welterweight title shot, it will be against St-Pierre. The reigning welterweight champion and Hendricks will meet Nov. 16 at UFC 167 in Las Vegas.

“Hendricks has the ability to win,” Condit said. “He’s got a puncher’s chance. But GSP is just too technical. I think he’s going to go out there and do what he’s been doing for the last couple of years and get a decision over Hendricks.”

But to keep his hopes of another title fight alive, Condit must first get by Kampmann. And this time around, Condit believes the outcome will be different.

He is a much better fighter now than the guy Kampmann faced four years ago. His ground game is better, as is his takedown defense. Condit also has better control of himself inside the cage; he’s a lot more poised. Mistakes from Condit inside the cage have become very rare.

“I was a little bit raw [in the first fight],” Condit said. “I had the skill, but I wasn’t as polished as I am now. And I’m definitely a smarter, more experienced fighter.”

Experience, maturity and a greater understanding of MMA have turned Condit into one of the best welterweights in the world. But he won’t be the only improved fighter in the cage Wednesday night.

Kampmann, too, has developed into a more skilled, more intelligent mixed martial artist over the past four years. Striking has been Kampmann’s primary weapon of late, but he hasn’t abandoned his submission skills -- as demonstrated during his come-from-behind victory over Thiago Alves in March 2012.

That knockout loss in November to Hendricks notwithstanding, Condit knows that Kampmann is eager to return to the win column.

“I see a lot of improvement,” Condit said. “In his last fight [against Hendricks] he got caught and knocked out. But that aside, I’ve seen a lot of improvement. I know that he’s been working his striking with Ray Sefo over there at Xtreme Couture. I see a lot of improvement in Kampmann’s striking.

“He’s always been so tough as a fighter. And he’s hungry; he’s coming off that loss. He was climbing up the ranks. He had that win over Alves, that win over [Jake] Ellenberger -- a second-round TKO in June 2012 -- then the loss to Hendricks. I’m sure he’s looking to get back in the mix like I am.”

Punches and kicks are expected to fly when these two begin their main-event showdown Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. On a number of occasions recently, Kampmann has stated his intent to finish Condit early.

Condit, however, isn’t insulted by Kampmann’s remarks. He views it as Kampmann just answering questions honestly. That’s Kampmann’s belief, and he isn’t alone: Condit also thinks this fight won’t last five rounds, only it will be his hand the referee raises.

“Whether he said it or he didn’t, that’s obviously his intention,” Condit said. “We’re not out there playing patty-cake. We’re there to put each other’s lights out -- to send someone home with a loss and a concussion. We have to do these interviews, but no matter what we say, we know the intention of our opponent.”

Backing away from a fight is not in Donald Cerrone’s DNA. Whether the fight is inside or outside of a cage, Cerrone is up to the task, giving everything he has and always expecting to walk away victorious.

Cerrone has a lightweight bout Wednesday night in Indianapolis against Rafael dos Anjos -- whose four-fight win streak has pushed his pro mark to 19-6 and earned him the No. 10-ranking among lightweights by UFC.com [he is unranked by ESPN.com]. With an improved striking game to sufficiently complement his submission skills, dos Anjos poses a stern test for any fighter at 155 pounds.

Everything these days seems to be working out just right for dos Anjos, even the timing of this fight with Cerrone, who will enter the bout with a legal matter hovering over his head. It would seem that if ever there was a time for Cerrone to be vulnerable, this would be it.

But things are not always quite what they seem. Cerrone is very aware of the third-degree assault charge -- stemming from an incident in June -- that he must face sometime after his UFC Fight Night 27 bout. He isn’t shying away from that situation and has cooperated fully with authorities, according to UFC officials.

The courtroom battle, however, is for a later day. Cerrone isn’t allowing his legal issue to interfere with the matter at hand: beating dos Anjos in order to strengthen his claim for a title shot. Nothing else matters to Cerrone at this time.

“I’m 100 percent devoted to this fight [with dos Anjos] and that’s it,” Cerrone told ESPN.com. “My mind is where it’s supposed to be, and the legal matter has nothing to do with it. I’m 100 percent ready, my camp was good, and I feel great.”

Cerrone is so determined not to allow anything or anyone to disrupt his focus that he refuses to discuss the legal case anymore. Besides, he doesn’t have any answers to give regarding it; his mind is set solely on ridding himself of dos Anjos.

“

My mind is where it's supposed to be, and the legal matter has nothing to do with it. I'm 100 percent ready, my camp was good and I feel great.

” -- Donald Cerrone, on his mindset ahead of Wednesday's contest against Rafael dos Anjos

Interestingly, Cerrone doesn’t have much to say about dos Anjos either. Cerrone hasn’t paid much attention to his opponent since the fight was officially announced in June. Cerrone has spent the past two-plus months polishing his skills, preparing to manhandle whoever UFC planned to put in front of him. Dos Anjos just happens to be the guy.

“I don’t know much about the guy; I haven’t watched much video on him,” Cerrone said. “I know that he is aggressive and likes to come forward. I know that I’m 100 percent ready to throw down.”

Wednesday night’s fight will be the third this year for Cerrone. Staying active keeps Cerrone in rhythm and keeps dollar bills in his pocket -- “I like money, that’s why I fight so often. That’s the best answer I can give.” He fought five times in 2011, twice in 2012.

After stumbling out of the gate this year with a first-round knockout loss to Anthony Pettis, there is no room for error. If Cerrone, ranked seventh among lightweights by ESPN.com and sixth by UFC.com, is to make another serious run at the title, he must defeat dos Anjos.

Cerrone is seeking to win his second fight in a row. In his most recent bout, on May 25 at UFC 160, he defeated KJ Noons by unanimous decision. The victory improved Cerrone’s professional record to 20-5 with one no contest.

It was a win that served to further boost Cerrone’s confidence. He is convinced that a victory Wednesday night puts him solidly in the title conversations. And he strongly believes there is no one capable of preventing him from becoming UFC champion.

“This is the year that I feel I’m getting the belt. I don’t know who is in line, whether it’s TJ Grant or Josh Thomson. I don’t know who’s sitting in the slot,” Cerrone said. “But hopefully a win over dos Anjos will put me in line with them, and then a win over them will get me a title shot. That’s the overall game plan.”

When Cerrone is done taking care of dos Anjos, which he strongly expects to do, he will turn his attention to fighting that third-degree assault allegation. Cerrone is confident he also will leave that fight victorious.

Martin Kampmann celebrated his seven-year anniversary as a UFC fighter this month. Seven years, man. Wow. What is that exactly -- 13, 14 fights?

“Sixteen,” Kampmann interrupts. “Sixteen fights.”

If Kampmann and Michael Bisping ever go out for beers, it’s easy to picture them hugging it out at least once over one brutal similarity. These two have fought consistently well for years in the Octagon but have yet to fight for the title.

How many times has Kampmann pictured a fight against reigning welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre? He can’t give an exact number. But bring it up and he stares at the ground like a kid describing what he’s wanted for the past five Christmases -- and is still waiting.

“I’d love to fight GSP. I’d ... “ He breaks sentence and shakes his head. “I know it wouldn’t be an easy fight, but I feel I could beat him. I’d love to get the chance to fight him -- very much.”

Despite a first-round knockout loss to Johny Hendricks in his last bout, Kampmann (20-6) feels that fight is within his grasp.

To an extent, the UFC must agree. It booked Kampmann to a main event fight against highly ranked Carlos Condit on Wednesday, at UFC Fight Night 27 in Indianapolis.

“I think a loss always sets you back, but I think I’m still one of the guys at the top,” Kampmann told ESPN.com. “I was calling out [Nick] Diaz and Condit. I want to fight those guys coming off losses who are still ranked real high.”

It’s not as though Kampmann gives off a sense of desperation to get to the title, but the veteran understands he’s not an up-and-coming prospect anymore.

Whereas he used to consistently travel to different gyms for different looks when living in Denmark -- including Sweden, Brazil and Thailand -- these days he remains relatively grounded thanks to his wife and two sons.

While younger fighters typically return to the gym quickly following a tough loss or a rough sparring session, Kampmann has been cognizant of the need to let his body heal in between fights.

Even though he’s still confident in his chin, Kampmann knows he’s now suffered four knockout losses in his career.

“Of course I’m worried [about that],” Kampmann said. “It’s not going to make me any smarter getting punched in the head, but that’s the sport. That’s the risk. I think after the [Jake] Ellenberger fight I took a long break. It’s definitely something I’ve gotten more aware of in my career.

“I feel I have a good chin. I’ve had a good chin my whole career. If you get rocked too many times, though, and don’t respect it, I think that’s the problem.”

This week’s bout against Condit (28-7) is a rematch of a bout that took place in April 2009 that resulted in a split decision victory for Kampmann.

Kampmann doesn’t have a long history of fighting opponents multiple times. It’s happened once, against British welterweight Matt Ewin. It went well for him.

“In the first fight, I got on top, elbowed him, and I think I broke his orbital bone,” Kampmann said. “He didn’t come out in the second round. The second fight, he shot in, I sprawled and started elbowing him again, and he tapped out.”

If Kampmann can be as successful in the second rematch of his career, he’ll be once again in striking distance of that Christmas he’s spent seven years working toward.