ESPN Mixed Martial Arts

Stream-of-consciousness-style thoughts on Jon Jones versus Alexander Gustafsson, followed by a light heavyweight edition of Pretenders and Contenders. Let’s go.

I scored the title fight in favor of Gustafsson 48-47. I gave him the first three rounds, Jones the final two.

After the fight, I posted on Twitter that Jones was being packed in a stretcher for the hospital, while Gustafsson was good enough to conduct interviews. Many followers jumped on that as an opportunity to point out Gustafsson had been robbed, since Jones was in far worse shape. I get it, but that’s not how you score a fight.

Even though I had it for Gustafsson, I’m happy Jones won -- if I’m allowed to say that. The most conclusive rounds of the bout, I thought, were the fourth and fifth for Jones, which also happen to be the “championship” rounds. Jones basically refused to lose when it really mattered.

The best moments were in the fourth round. That has to be Round of the Year. I remember seeing, literally, blood from Jones’ facial cut flying in the air when Gustafsson hit him. Midway through the round, it almost looked like Jones was about to go down. The crowd was going nuts.

Then Jones looked at the clock. And maybe I’m totally wrong on this, but I bet if you asked him about it today he might not even remember doing it. It was just built in -- the way some ninja spy might subconsciously, without knowing it, remember the exits of a building or something. Busted up, swollen, exhausted -- something inside Jones said “Look at the clock; OK, 90 seconds left in a must-win round, throw the spinning elbow, stay on him.” I don’t want to get too dramatic, but come on. That’s crazy.

I haven’t watched it a second time, but sitting here days later, I’m willing to say that was the best fight in UFC history -- surpassing Mauricio Rua versus Dan Henderson and Frankie Edgar versus Gray Maynard II.

I also see it as the one that solidifies Jones as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He sort of inherited the spot (in my eyes) after Anderson Silva lost to Chris Weidman, but he really owned it here. Had Silva knocked out Weidman in the first round this year, I think I would still rank Jones ahead of him after the Gustafsson fight. He went to the brink of defeat against a very good opponent who basically forced him to fight his fight, and still left with his arms raised.

We knew about his skills, but now that we know about his heart, it’s virtually impossible to pick against him. But let’s look at the division real close and see.

Really talented fighters with no chance: Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Rua. All four have long roads to even get to Jones. Three of them have already lost to him. Rua appears to me, at 31, pretty much done when it comes to winning elite-level fights. A hard realization, but a realization nevertheless. Bader has plenty of career left, but there’s really no reason to think a second fight against Jones would go any different than the first. On Evans, I know he was the only title contender to go the distance before Gustafsson did, but that grudge match was every bit as one-sided as the fights Jones has finished and Evans hasn’t looked great since.

The athlete: Phil Davis. Davis is more than just an athlete, but I call him this because it’s still his best quality -- at least in a fight against Jones. The problem is, he won’t outwrestle Jones for five rounds. It won’t happen. Jones is a good enough wrestler with good enough intelligence to not let that kind of game plan beat him. You hear this sometimes about great fighters; it’s not really a game plan that will necessarily beat them. You have to be capable of beating them in every area on that one given night. Gustafsson almost did that. Davis, even on his best night, can’t be better than Jones.

The old man and the right hand: Dan Henderson. I would not count Henderson out completely in a Jones fight for three reasons. It’s possible he could defend the takedowns, at least early. He’s crafty at getting inside. His right hand can kill a mule. But yes, I will admit it’s a long, long, looooong shot. It’s going to be very difficult for him to get to Jones and if he did, Jones could probably wear him out pretty quickly, take the right hand out of the equation, and finish him before the end of the second round.

The Olympian: Daniel Cormier. Everyone seems to be putting all eggs in the Daniel Cormier basket, completely ignoring the fact that (A) we don’t know whether he can make the weight; (B) we don’t know what he’ll look like if he can make the weight. You can also add in (C) we don’t know whether he’ll beat Roy Nelson. As much as the UFC’s “Height and Reach” marketing ploy was poked fun at heading into UFC 165, truth is, we saw that having size sure doesn’t hurt in a fight against Jones. Cormier is 5-foot-11, with a 72.5 reach. He’s the only real hope at holding Jones down, but he’s at a huge disadvantage on the feet.

The only two, but the best two: Gustafsson, Glover Teixeira. Everyone basically acted like the hardest part was over for Jones at 205 pounds. He beat all the former champs, after all. What challenge could the lesser-known Swede and Brazilian possibly pose? After the whole Silva-Weidman fiasco we really should have known better. Confident, hungry, well-rounded challengers can’t be dismissed. These two have never held the belt, like most of the other men Jones already fought. They are in their athletic primes. They are true light heavyweights. As awesome as Jones has been, he’s never really shown one-punch knockout power. These two are big and athletic enough to stay upright, take a Jones elbow and respond with effective offense. Jones really is impossible to pick against right now, but if you’re willing to do it at 205 pounds, these are your only options.

A rematch between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson has officially been placed on hold. The next time Jones enters the Octagon he will defend his belt against hard-hitting Glover Teixeira.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the news Wednesday night to ESPN.com.

While many fans will frown at this decision -- understandably so, considering the memorable performance Jones and Gustafsson put on at UFC 165 in Toronto -- it’s the right one.

Though a large number of fans are sure to accuse Jones of ducking Gustafsson, the criticism will rapidly diminish should both survive their next opponents. Afterward, the highly anticipated rematch will immediately get placed on UFC’s fight docket; Jones, more than Gustafsson, will demand it.

“I said before the [Gustafsson] fight my sights were set on breaking the record,” Jones said, referring to the UFC mark he set for consecutive successful light heavyweight title defenses, which currently sits at six. “I want to crush the record. I want to beat the record so bad it can never be broken [again].

“I’m going to fight Glover and I will answer all critics about the Gustafsson fight. I will fight Gustafsson after I fight Glover. I won the fight but I look at it as a blemish on my record because some people think I didn't. I promise you, he will be next.”

Jones doesn’t have much of a choice but to fight Gustafsson, should he get past Teixeira. No matter how impressive a performance he puts on, it won’t erase the image of him nearly losing his title to the Swedish striker.

Jones won the fight against Gustafsson and all three judges scored it in his favor, as did a majority of eyewitnesses. But he looked vulnerable during a bout for the first time. Before facing Gustafsson, most viewed Jones as unbeatable at light heavyweight. That vision has since evaporated.

Make no mistake, Jones would love to recapture that aura of invincibility, but the only way to do that is with an impressive win over Gustafsson. Jones needs this fight, and he wants it.

There is, however, a huge risk in foregoing an immediate rematch: Teixeira is no pushover. He will be an underdog against Jones, but has the punching power and submission skills to pose a serious threat.

A Teixeira upset will suck the energy out of Jones-Gustafsson II. Even a Teixeira-Jones rematch would lack the prefight punch Jones-Gustafsson II presently enjoys.

Also keep in mind that Gustafsson is slated to fight at least once before getting a second shot at the 205-pound title. UFC officials have yet to determine who Gustafsson will face next, but it is reasonable to assume that a top-10 contender is in order.

And just like Jones, a Gustafsson victory isn't guaranteed. Putting Jones-Gustafsson II on hold is a huge risk, but it could prove well worth taking; the financial rewards are potentially too great.

If all goes accordingly, Jones and Gustafsson will get through their respective bouts victorious and unscathed, then the rematch is set. UFC can then begin promoting what should turn out to be its most lucrative pay-per-view event in history.

TORONTO -- Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones asked for an opponent who could push him to the limit. Jones got what he asked for Saturday night at UFC 165 in Alexander Gustafsson.

And it was exactly the type of fight Jones needed.

The Swedish contender, who very few thought had a chance against the world’s most dominant mixed martial arts champion, gave Jones all he could handle and more. Gustafsson punched Jones in the face, he kicked him in the stomach, hit him with reverse elbows and uppercuts and even tossed him to the ground. No one had done that before.

By the time they had concluded their five-round title affair, Jones looked like the character from the old Jim Croce’s song, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown." He looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces missing. He left the Octagon with a bloodied, swollen right eye, a swollen lip and could barely walk on his own.

Jones was so badly beaten that he could not attend the postfight news conference. He was immediately taken to a local hospital for evaluation, according to UFC president Dana White. Matter-of-factly, neither did Gustafsson -- he too was taken to a local hospital.

But despite the beating he took, Jones refused to let Gustafsson take his light heavyweight title belt. While Jones was brutally punished, he dished it out just the same. And that says more about who the champion Jones is than any of his previous title defense walkovers.

“I know there are a lot of people who don’t like Jones and boo him for whatever the reason is," White said. "Everybody has a different reason for why they are not a fan of Jones, but I don’t care if you like him or don’t like him. You’ve got to respect him, man. Even today with breaking the record [most successful light heavyweight title defense, his sixth] … he went through murderers’ row, Jon did.

“The guy’s got heart, a chin. To get busted up in those first two rounds and to come on the way he did at the end of the fight, he’s a special fighter. He’s a special fighter.”

Jones surely can dish it out, but we knew that before he faced Gustafsson. What we didn’t know is just how much Jones can or is willing to take. We now know that it will take a whole lot to lift the 205-pound belt from him.

Of course, some will say that the fight with Gustafsson proves Jones has benefited from being taller, longer and stronger than the average 205-pound fighter. And because Gustafsson is slightly taller than Jones and equally as strong, that's the reason he came so close to taking his title.

But a less biased observer is likely to conclude that a major part of Jones’ success is that he utilizes his advantages better than everyone else. The difference Saturday night between Jones and Gustafsson is that the champ refused to lose. When he realized his title was slipping away, he dug deep and willed himself to victory.

Before the fight, Gustafsson said he would win because he was hungrier than Jones. That proved not to be the case.

Jones fought for his legacy Saturday night. He also fought to maintain his quest to become the greatest mixed martial artist ever.

We all knew he was a exceptionally gifted fighter. But he taught everyone that he also possesses the will and heart of a champion.

Gustafsson gave Jones everything he could handle, plus some. And it is very likely they will meet again in the not-too-distant future. But after this close call, expect Jones to be a much better champion the next time around.

It’s going to get a lot harder to take that belt from Jones. Every light heavyweight hopeful can thank Gustafsson for that.

TORONTO -- The years of hard work and believing that one day he’d get a world title shot, even during difficult times, had finally come to fruition for TJ Grant.

He’d scaled the final hurdle on May 25 -- a first-round knockout of Gray Maynard. That victory, his fifth in a row, cemented Grant as the No. 1 lightweight contender. Next up: A title shot against then-UFC champion Benson Henderson.

Grant was ready and confident. He’d proven himself a worthy contender. This was his time and he was ready to claim what he always believed belonged to him -- the UFC lightweight championship belt.

But as is always the case with Grant, he wasn’t about to sit around and enjoy the spoils of his most recent accomplishment. Besides, his goal was never simply to land a title shot, Grant wants to be champion. He never takes shortcuts, and wasn’t about to start now. So he immediately headed back to the gym and began working on staying sharp and improving his skills.

There was Muay Thai and wrestling and some boxing. Then it was time to revisit jujitsu workouts. And that’s when Grant’s world turned upside down.

Two weeks after the biggest victory of his professional career, Grant was accidentally kicked in the head twice during a jujitsu training session. It truly was accidental, Grant says. There is no kicking in jujitsu.

A training partner’s foot caught Grant as he was trying to avoid a sweep. These things happen in sparring sessions sometimes, but this particular incident happened shortly after the Maynard fight. And Grant admits he got his bell rung in that contest, which likely caused the kick during training to do more damage.

It was later revealed that Grant suffered a concussion. He was forced to pull out of the Aug. 31 showdown with Henderson. former WEC titleholder Anthony Pettis replaced him.

Grant was devastated. He’d worked so hard to get to that point in his career, but he remained positive that, with rest, his opportunity would soon resurface. But just as he had come to grips with this setback, Grant began receiving attacks on his character.

He didn’t know any of his attackers personally. They conducted their verbal assaults online, accusing Grant of taking money from UFC officials to step aside in favor of Pettis. Anyone slightly familiar with Grant’s values knows he’d never do something of the sort. The accusations, however, pained Grant. And he was angered by it.

That, however, was just the beginning. After Pettis defeated Henderson, UFC officials again penciled Grant in as the top lightweight contender. He would fight Pettis for the title on Dec. 14 in Sacramento, Calif.

But who said lightning doesn’t strike twice. Another medical examination concluded that Grant would not likely be ready to fight in December. He’d made progress, but not enough to begin vigorous training. Grant was again pulled from a title bout.

And again haters went on the attack. But this time, Grant was prepared for the onslaught.

“At first I was heated, I was mad,” Grant told ESPN.com. “But now it’s actually hilarious. Since I pulled out of this fight [against Pettis] I’ve seen a couple of people write stuff and I just laugh. I mean I did just buy a new house. Maybe that’s because I got paid off, who knows. To me it’s a joke.

“I’m kind of numb to the whole situation. I’m just worrying about myself, and getting healthy. I don’t really care. I did what I had to do, I won five in a row. If I have to win another one to get a title shot, I will do that.

“If I get a title shot that will be awesome. But right now my No. 1 concern is getting healthy.”

Grant can taste the lightweight title and continues to believe his opportunity will come, sooner rather than later. He remains levelheaded. Grant does not intend to rush back into the gym until he is completely healed. Avoiding another setback is very high on his priority list.

But his patience is often tested. There is nothing easy about training for fights, but it pales in comparison to sitting around doing nothing. Inactivity is killing Grant. He has never experienced anything like it, and doesn’t want to go through this again.

It’s part of the healing process, but Grant doesn’t like it at all. He yearns for the day when he can return to physical contact. And he is slowly getting there. Grant has begun light workouts.

“I find that I have more injuries from sitting on the couch than from going to the gym and going through the grind,” Grant said. “Because my body is so used to being in shape and working all the time that when it’s not I get super tense and sore. I’m looking forward to getting back, though I am doing some light training now.”

Grant can’t say with certainty when he will actually return to the Octagon, but plans to keep a close on Pettis’ first UFC title defense against Josh Thomson. If his recovery continues going smoothly, Grant is hopeful of making his return early next year.

But he can’t make any guarantees. It’s one day at a time, and the first order of business is getting back in the gym to conduct full training. A giant smile forms on Grant’s face at the thought of returning to training camp. Grant knows when that time arrives, his sites will again be set on landing that elusive title shot.

“I really have no idea when I will return, I could be ready to fight in January,” Grant said. “But at the same time I haven’t been on the mats, I haven’t done any training for however long. So I have to get myself acclimated to training and doing all those things.

“I’ve never gone three months with literally no exercise. That’s a big change. But I am exercising now, which is helping to keep me sane. And that’s a good thing.

“I’m optimistic to get back and once I’m 100 percent, I’m training and I feel confident then we’ll ask the UFC to let’s get a fight.”

TORONTO -- The craze from a blockbuster boxing event between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez last weekend in Las Vegas has followed the UFC north.

UFC president Dana White and light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who defends his title against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 on Saturday, were asked repeatedly about Mayweather at a media function on Thursday.

Specifically, questions zeroed in on Mayweather’s much-talked about $41.5 million guarantee for the fight and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer’s comments regarding the pay-per-view breaking buy records set in 2007.

White, who attended the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, said he was flattered the company he’s helped run since 2001 would draw comparisons to boxing, a sport with a much longer history.

“I’m honored we’re always looked at like, ‘Why aren’t you paying people $41 million,’” White said. “’Why aren’t you doing 2.7 million [PPV] buys?’

“What people have to realize, we just started making money in 2007. Do people understand that? This sport is still so young. We’re not even sanctioned in New York, we’ve just been on Fox [Network] for a couple years and we’re talking about doing a $41 million payday. It’s crazy.”

Jones, 26, one of the most marketable stars in the UFC, announced on Thursday he’d signed a sponsorship deal with Gatorade that would feature the brand on his fight shorts this weekend.

On Mayweather’s $41.5 million payday, which, White correctly pointed out, could ultimately become closer to $100 million when final PPV revenue comes in, Jones said he’s happy with his current pay scale but sees room for improvement.

“I’m not even close to that, but I’m grateful,” said Jones, after refusing to reveal his exact compensation for the bout. “It’s nowhere near Floyd Mayweather, but I don’t judge my happiness over somebody else’s.

“I’m really happy with what I get paid. It’s really not on the scale of other professional athletes, but there are a lot of athletes that don’t get paid as much as [UFC fighters]. I know Dana White knows that some of the fighters could be upgraded, especially his top-level guys, but maybe we’ll move in that direction.”

The largest buy-rate ever for a UFC event was reported at 1.6 million, for the landmark UFC 100 card that took place in July 2009. When asked if he thought a UFC event could one day score a buy rate near 2.7 million, White said he hopes so.

“Thirteen years ago, people were asking me, ‘Will there ever be a day UFC will get back on PPV?’” White said. “‘Will there ever be a day UFC is on free TV? Will there ever be a day you’ll be doing things in different countries?’ Here we are now so, yes, I like to believe we will.”

White chickened out on Mayweather wager

Ever since it was announced Mayweather was fighting Alvarez on Sept. 14, White was adamant it would result in yet another decision victory for Mayweather.

He mentioned on several occasions his prediction Mayweather would, “Box Canelo’s ears off.”

White says fans pressed him to put his money where his mouth was during a recent online chat, but admitted that ultimately, he had no action on the undefeated boxer.

“I watched all the bull---- leading up to it and I chickened out, so I didn’t bet anything,” White said. “[UFC co-owner] Lorenzo [Fertitta] did really well, though.”

Renan Barao, Eddie Wineland interim title fight will be the last

Whether UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is healthy or not come 2014, the promotion is finished with its “interim” tag at 135 pounds.

Cruz (19-1) hasn’t fought since October 2011 due to several knee operations. The UFC has been unwilling to strip him of the belt, despite the success of interim champion Renan Barao (30-1), who seeks his second defense of the title against Eddie Wineland on Saturday.

White said he’s hoping Cruz could be ready to compete sometime near January. If he’s unable to go, the promotion will make Saturday’s winner the official title-holder.

“If he can’t fight by the beginning of the year, we’ve got to the pull the trigger,” White said.

“It’s been two years. A lot of people think we’re crazy for holding up the title this long, but it’s a tough thing to do to take a title away from somebody. It’s hard to do.”

White has no concern BJ Penn will make 145 pounds

Not too many were surprised when it was announced earlier this week a comeback was in store for former lightweight and welterweight champion B.J. Penn.

The surprise came when it was announced whom he would be fighting and at what weight.

Penn has agreed to coach on "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series opposite familiar opponent Frankie Edgar. The two will then square off for a third time -- Edgar won the previous two -- at 145 pounds.

Penn (16-9-2) has fallen to 1-4-1 in his past six fights, four of which took place at 170 pounds. A cut now, after nearly a year off from the cage, down to featherweight has left some scratching heads.

“No,” White said, when asked if he had any worries Penn would miss weight. “He said he wants to do it. He says he’ll do it. It’s up to him now.”

White was then asked if the fight would be a situation where a loss could likely mean the end of Penn’s career in the UFC, to which he responded, “Yeah.”

Confidence is such a big part of a fighter's success. And every mixed martial artist will mention it before stepping into a cage.

It's no different with UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and top contender Alexander Gustafsson. Both are beaming with confidence as they head into their UFC 165 title tilt Saturday night in Toronto.

But there is something less talked about by these two that is having a far greater impact on each man's psyche than confidence. It's their belief in divine intervention.

Jones and Gustafsson have fully prepared for the fight, with each speaking highly of his own training camp. Neither has a doubt that he is physically ready.

But being physically prepared isn't enough. Faith is proving to be key in determining the outcome of this fight.

Faith has guided Jones throughout his life. He points to his belief in God as the primary reason for his success inside the Octagon. And he is certain that God's plan for him as a mixed martial artist champion won't conclude Saturday night.

"I was praying the other night and thanking God, not only for what He's going to do in my life, in the future, but for what He has already done," Jones told ESPN.com. "Everyone wants to beat me, but my job is to continue to work very hard and pray -- that depends on God. The hard work -- that depends on me."

Gustafsson believes that becoming light heavyweight champion is his destiny. He doesn't mention God directly, but he believes Saturday night’s outcome has been ordained -- and he will be victorious.

"It's my time right now," Gustafsson said. "Everything happens for a reason. It's just my time; I feel it. Jon Jones is not winning this fight. I've never felt this good before -- physically, mentally."

While Gustafsson strongly believes fate is on his side, he hasn't taken anything for granted. His work during training camp was vigorous. Without offering specifics, Gustafsson spoke of doing things in this training camp that he'd never done before.

He says that every part of his game improved, and his training partners picked up the intensity during sparring sessions. Whatever we saw from Gustafsson in previous fights should be tossed away -- he will be a completely different and much better fighter Saturday night.

Jones won't know what hit him, according to Gustafsson. There is nothing the champion could have done to prepare for what he is about to experience in Toronto because he has never seen anything like this new Gustafsson.

"I've been pushing my body to a whole other level. I've been breaking records in camp," Gustafsson said. "I've been sacrificing too much and working too much to not win this fight. I'm taking that belt."

Despite Gustafsson's high level of confidence and faith, not many people are buying into it. He is the underdog, and you will be hard-pressed to find a person outside of Gustafsson's inner circle who expects him to defeat today's top mixed martial artist.

But Gustafsson couldn't care less what others think or believe. His mind is set. The hard work has been done. In his mind, his future as light heavyweight champion begins Saturday night. It's his destiny. At least, that's what Gustafsson believes.

"People are underestimating me. That's what they do," Gustafsson said. "Hopefully, Jon will do it, too. That's what I hope.

"But it doesn't matter to me, it doesn't matter what people think. The only thing that matters to me is this fight coming up and winning this fight. It’s the only thing that I’m caring about. I'm feeling comfortable. I'm feeling confident, I'm feeling great. I can't wait."

Neither can Jones. He has been down this road many times. Every opponent believes he has figured out the way to solve Jones. Gustafsson is just the latest to get his turn at bat.

Jones is a dominant champion. Not quite yet on the level of boxing's Floyd Mayweather Jr., but Jones is headed there. Like Mayweather, Jones has gotten to the point of being so dominant that fans are flocking to his fights in hopes of seeing him lose.

"That’s going to be the case in any situation where you have a dominant champion," Jones said. "People are going to want to see you fall, but I really don't focus on that. I focus on the fans who want to continue to see dominance -- how far can this guy go, how much better can he get? That’s why I fight."

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.

CARSON, Calif. -- Drip. Drip.

Red droplets won't stop falling from Steve Mocco's nose.

"It's been bleeding for a while," he said, not needing to be asked before saying something. "You just tap it and it starts bleeding."

Drip. Drip.

The pattern held steady during half-minute intervals, and Mocco made proper use of the paper towel that was balled up in his meaty right hand. Moments after his third professional MMA victory, a decision against Lew Polley, Mocco smothered a folding chair inside his StubHub Center locker room, nodded, dabbed the drips away, and smiled.

Accomplished wrestlers like the two-time NCAA super-heavyweight champion -- one of seven men that comprised the 2008 Olympic freestyle team -- seem to go about their business as if these type of scenarios are normal. Drip. Drip. It's comfortable. Almost reassuring.

Standing a shade under 6-feet, the 260-pound "Bear" is among four members from the '08 freestyle crew doing well in MMA. Mocco, Daniel Cormier, Ben Askren and Henry Cejudo have a smooth 31-0 combined record.

"We all did what normally you do after wrestling," Cormier said. "Just we fight, too."

Positive results have prompted chatter about their success to "pick up steam," said Cormier, who served as team captain at the Beijing Games. When kidney failure tied to weight-cutting prevented him from competing in consecutive Olympics, Cormier shifted his focus to MMA.

Today he's 12-0, widely considered a top-three heavyweight, and is closing in on a UFC title opportunity.

Prior to this new life, Cormier's old one in Oklahoma was uninspired.

Work and video games occupied much of his time, which wasn’t going to cut it after a lifetime pursuing pure competition. Cormier struggled, understandably, and a couple of times had to rely on his close friend and fellow national team wrestler, Muhammed Lawal, to help pay the mortgage.

"It was hard," Cormier said. "After retiring from wrestling, I didn't have much."

The sport of mixed martial arts became a legitimate option after Cormier saw how well "King Mo" did while fighting in Japan. "You should do it," Lawal liked to tell him. In fact, Lawal is credited with planting the MMA seed in the minds of the '08 wrestlers. Being repetitive and consistent, like Mocco's drip, drip, apparently worked.

MMA was familiar to the group, of course. They enjoyed discussing the sport, but it certainly didn't consume them during the run to Beijing.

"I don't think it was ever a 'plan,' " Askren said. "Just each of us found our own way to MMA."

Being in the right place at the right time had a lot to do with that.

During the 2004 Olympic cycle, UFC had yet to launch "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show. Four years later, UFC was pulling huge pay-per-view numbers and attracting many of the sport's best fighters because that's where the money was flowing after the demise of Japanese MMA.

It was no coincidence, Askren said, that "you've got the seven best [wrestlers in America], and four of them decide to do MMA."

Currently a free agent after defending the Bellator MMA welterweight belt last month for the fourth time, Askren (12-0) said he'd like to wind up in the Octagon, which would bring him closer to being the No. 1 welterweight in the world.

After falling short of qualifying for the 2012 Games, Cejudo and Mocco made their moves and have been busy. Cejudo, a gold medalist in '08, made his MMA debut this spring. He won his first four fights with little problem, and his next contest is expected to be announced on Monday.

Cejudo is regarded as a top prospect in the flyweight division. Mocco, meanwhile, stepped into the cage for the first time last year. Of the four Olympians, he most resembles a work in progress.

"I don't want to compare myself to them yet," Mocco said. "I feel like I have a lot more to prove. They're established, good fighters."

Facing a late replacement during Friday's Resurrection Fighting Alliance 9 card, Mocco engineered a decision win that didn't please many fans seated in the outdoor venue. Still, he showed up punching, and grappled as he pleased. Mocco and his camp, headed by American Top Team's Ricardo Liborio, sounded satisfied. As satisfied as they can be, at least.

"A lot of people expect too much from Steve," Liborio said. "He's a great name in wrestling. There's a lot of expectations of Steve as a contender, and there's no doubt that he's going to be. We just need more time. That's why he's in RFA now. I think there's enough contenders here, people with quality, that we can achieve our goal to get to the UFC and stay."

Competitors on Mocco's level understand the formula well. Work hard, make the most of what you have, and anything can happen. The heavyweight looked noticeably slower against Polley than he should have. He said he needs to work on resetting after exchanging on the feet. There are many nuances yet to be discovered.

"He'll get the most out of what he got," Liborio said. "He'll find out if he can be UFC champion or not."

"I'd like to think so," Mocco said between drips, "but we'll find out one way or the other."

Hope, faint as it was in the moment Travis Browne found it, emerged in the form of a front kick.

Things had gone all wrong until he snapped off that gut-deflating kick to Alistair Overeem's midsection. Browne, 31, allowed Overeem the boost of confidence, which is just about the worst thing a person can do if they're fighting the Dutch banger. No matter what people think about Overeem in the wake of his drug issues and now, back-to-back knockout losses in the Octagon, he can still punch and hit and knee with devastating results.

And for the first half of the first round, Overeem did just that against Browne, who absorbed so much punishment it easily could be used as the counterclaim to the idea that heavyweights can't take more than one punch and survive. We know that's not true because Randy Couture showed it against Pedro Rizzo the same way Brock Lesnar did against Shane Carwin. Those were tremendous comebacks, each unique in their way. So was Browne's rally against Overeem.

The front kick appeared out of thin air. But that's what Browne wanted to do all along, it just took him suffering through a tentative start and subsequent beating to get there.

After finally managing to stand and shake off the assault from a 265-pound threat, Browne told himself he wasn't going down again. Nope, instead, he expected to kick Overeem in the stomach. And if that went well, maybe the face.

"I just felt him hitting me so I knew I needed to get up and get back to work," the 6-foot-7 Hawaiian said.

The front kick became part of the game plan because the brains at Greg Jackson's camp found Overeem's "common denominator for what he did and some of his openings," Browne said.

It was the way in which Overeem held his elbows too far out, Browne said. That led the group to think Overeem could be susceptible.

Brown flinched at the start of the fight. He backed away from Overeem's aggression, which only spurred on more attacks. For that he paid a hefty price, but it hadn't been enough. And when that first kick landed, Browne felt new life. Hope. So he kicked again. It landed. Overeem paused. Browne moved forward. Kicks were aimed at the head, and they landed, too. Finally, one connected with power, and Overeem hit the canvas.

"I kept going back to it and as he kept dropping his elbows further and further," he said, "that's when I saw the opening to the head and I took it."

Browne boasted that Overeem learned what his training partners are too familiar with.

"You can ask just about any of my training partners at Jackson's, because I've hit everybody with that shot," he said. "And they've all pretty much went down."

The win pushed Browne to 15-1-1. His lone loss: a technical knockout against Antonio Silva after popping a hamstring early in the fight. Knockout wins against Gabriel Gonzaga in April and now Overeem make Browne look like a force in the division. ESPN.com currently ranks Browne at No. 9, and he's in line to move up.

Browne said he'd like a fight with Fabricio Werdum (ranked No. 3), who has won three in a row over Roy Nelson, Mike Russow and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Many feel Werdum has done enough to merit a title shot, and the Brazilian's trainer, Rafael Cordeiro, told ESPN.com that their intention is to wait for a five-round fight.

Said Browne: "I've never said 'no' to a fight and I've always been ready for anything they've thrown my way.

"It's definitely not out of the question."

Based on his effort so far, neither is a championship.

BOSTON -- Chael Sonnen is never shy about saying who he wants to fight, when he wants to fight them and what he plans to do to them once the Octagon door closes.

But even Sonnen couldn’t have predicted what would take place Saturday night in the UFC Fight Night 26 main event against former light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

After spending the past few days before the bout favored to succeed, Sonnen walked into the cage at TD Garden as an underdog. It’s not that people were completely counting him out; maybe that two-fight skid made many of them forget what a highly skilled fighter he is -- though no fighter should be considered an also-ran after dropping consecutive fights to former middleweight champion Anderson Silva and light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones.

But there is a lot of fight left in Sonnen in more than one weight class. He not only proved that he remains among the best middleweights in the world with his first-round guillotine submission of Rua; Sonnen also added his name to the light heavyweight contender discussion.

Before meeting Rua in their 205-pound showdown, Sonnen repeatedly said he intends to return to 185 afterward. This was to be his final appearance at light heavyweight.

Not only has Sonnen softened his stance, but he’s now the guy other high-profile fighters are calling out. Immediately after improving his professional record to 28-13-1, Sonnen became one of the most sought-after fighter on UFC’s roster.

High-ranked middleweight contender Vitor Belfort made it known that he wants a piece of Sonnen. But he wasn’t the only Brazilian to toss his hat into the Sonnen sweepstakes -- former 205-pound champion Lyoto Machida also wants in.

It didn’t end there: Fast-rising light heavyweight contender Phil Davis is offering his services to Sonnen if need be. For a guy who has a reputation of talking his way into high-profile fights, Sonnen finds himself on the receiving end for a change.

Sonnen isn’t used to being the center of other fighters’ attention, especially those in two weight divisions, so he’s taking time to bask in the moment. All that talk about his next fight being at middleweight has come to an end -- at least for now.

He’s decided to explore his options a bit. Besides, remaining at 205 pounds a little while longer will allow Sonnen to continue enjoying dining out.

“That was the plan [returning to 185 pounds],” Sonnen said. “But I’m going to stick around Boston for a few days and visit a place called Regina’s Pizza.”

Don’t think for one second, however, that all the newfound attention Sonnen is receiving has lessened his desire to fight the one guy he most wants to get in the cage at this time -- Wanderlei Silva. He remains Sonnen’s top priority, though Belfort and Machida are now on his radar.

“Wanderlei Silva drives me insane,” Sonnen said. “Wanderlei Silva tells the media that he wants to fight me. I would love to fight Wanderlei. Wanderlei insists that the fight has never been offered.

“This company puts on marquee fights. To believe that fight hasn’t been offered is ridiculous, and it pisses me off. All I need from him is to say he doesn’t want the fight and I’m out. I’m not a bully; I’m not going to pick on him.

“I will beat up Vitor on the way to the ring to kick Wanderlei’s a--. And I will take care of that third guy [Machida] whose name I’ve already forgotten in the parking lot on my way to my after-party. I would take all three.”

And when Sonnen is done with those three, there is one more fighter still on his hit list. All the attention he is receiving hasn’t caused Sonnen to forget about the unfinished business he has with Anderson Silva.

Sonnen will be chasing a third fight with Anderson Silva as long as he is fighting competitively. He knows it’s all about timing.

“I’m not chasing the belt; sometimes I’m chasing guys,” Sonnen said. “I just wanted to fight Jon Jones. He just happened to have the belt.

“The biggest projected UFC event this year is Dec. 28. I’m not trying to interject myself into that. Anderson has his hands full [the rematch with current middleweight champion Chris Weidman]. But the reality is that [losing to Silva] frustrates me, and there are some losses that do.

“I’m a stubborn guy, and I know he has two wins over me, but I think I can get a win over him in a third [fight].”

For a man who recently had a two-fight losing skid hanging over his head, beating Rua in eye-pooping fashion has changed his fortunes for the better. It’s great being Chael Sonnen today.

The guy earned it. He is proof that being able to talk trash and fight at the same time has its benefits.