“The key to this fight is me fighting my fight. That’s what I’m focusing on. I’m not focusing on what he can do, but focusing on what I can do. That’s a mistake I started making a little while ago in my UFC career, I started worrying too much about what my opponent was gonna’ do. Now I’m going to focus on what I can do.” – Michael Bisping

Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura spoke with Michael Bisping at the UFC on Fox 2 press workouts yesterday to get some info on his bout with Chael Sonnen and more. Bisping spoke about the differences in fighting Sonnen over his original opponent, Demian Maia, and why changing the opponent is not as drastic as some people thought. He also touched on his submission and boxing skills, his response to Chael’s trash-talk and the reaction of his fans and haters, and if he had his chance to get his chicago hot dog and deep dish pizza, among a ton of other topics in this roundtable interview!

Demiana Maia spoke with Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura yesterday at the UFC on Fox 2 press workout in Chicago to break down his fight this weekend against Chris Weidman. Maia spoke about having his opponent changed on such short notice, his thoughts on Weidman’s grappling abilities, how Maia’s striking has improved since his last time in the cage, fighting on broadcast TV, and why he likes Chicago so much!

Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura caught up with former Bellator FC lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, at yesterday’s UFC on Fox 2 press workout to help with Michael Johnson during his last week of fight prep against Shane Roller. Eddie confirmed his bout against Shinya Aoki for us, saying the fight will be in April and is just waiting to sign the contract to make the rematch happen. Alvarez also talks about his loss to Michael Chandler at Bellator 59 and his outlook on MMA.

Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura caught up with Chris Weidman at the UFC on Fox 2 press workout. Weidman will be meeting Demian Maia on the main card of the show, and spoke about how he expects to fight Maia, how his grappling skills compare to his opponent, taking the fight on last-minute notice, his ranking in the middleweight division, and his thoughts on fighting on the UFC on Fox 3 card that will take place this May in New Jersey, plus legalizing MMA in his home state of New York.

“The fans know the deal and it goes like this right here. When you’re the best fighter in the world today, they have a name for you. They don’t call you the best fighter, they call you Chael Sonnen. Beat me if you can.” – Chael Sonnen

Fight Nerd reporter Hiroko Yamamura caught up with a very sweaty Chael Sonnen at the UFC on Fox 2 press workouts (hence the sweat) to discuss his fight against Michael Bisping. We spoke about his plans on finishing Bisping in the octagon, his thoughts on fighting his coach Dan Henderson, and what went wrong with Yushin Okami’s last bout. Sonnen also discussed his infamous interviews with Michael Landsberg (when he walked off-set during his first appearance on the show), and his thoughts on hanging out in Chicago. We love Chael Sonnen, and this interview continues to prove why!

The Fight Nerd caught up with THQ video game developer, Wes Bunn, to discuss the upcoming release of their new MMA game, “UFC Undisputed 3.” We broke down more details about the new Pride FC mode, including just what exactly it is and how it works with the career mode, as well as details on the overall roster of the game, what is new about this one as opposed to the 2010 edition, and how Alistair Overeem managed to make it into the game on such short notice.

Stay tuned for more info about this game as the day progresses. You can pre-order UFC Undisputed 3 at this link here for PS3 or at this link here for Xbox 360 from Amazon.com!

Welcome to a special day on TheFightNerd.com! This past weekend, I went out to San Francisco for a special event, courtesy of game developer THQ, to get a first-hand look at the new “UFC Undisputed 3″ video game. I have returned with a ton of behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen screenshots and new information about the game, and all day today I will be revealing the goodies that I was privy to.

This post will be the official dumping grounds for all of the info through the day, as I will be breaking it up into multiple posts. Starting things off, I will be featuring four videos of a special demo that I sat through that explained the various modes of the game. Later on in the day, I will also be posting some huge photo galleries, so if you are unable to check my site during your day, you can come back here periodically for all of the important links.

The video above is the first part of the four videos, which runs down the new control schemes, “pro” and “amateur,” as well as new rules and methods for play within the game and on multi-player, how the stamina system works, and some other info related to choosing a character and beginning your career mode in UFC Undisputed 3.

Check out this trailer to get a look at the huge 150 fighter roster of the game!

Here is a link to 28 brand-new photos from UFC Undisputed 3, including Alistair Overeem in action, and 20 new photos from the amazing Pride FC mode with your favorite UFC fighters dressed for Pride!

Hit the jump for the rest of parts in this four-part mini-series, or wait for their single links to pop up later today!

Part 2 – Exhibition Match

Part 3 – Career Mode

Part 4 – Pride FC Mode

You can pre-order UFC Undisputed 3 at this link here for PS3 or at this link here for Xbox 360 from Amazon.com!

The Fight Nerd caught up with Rob Constance, promoter of the “Ultimate Absolute” no-gi grappling tournament in New York City. This past Summer, Rob held their innaugral event, which was an epic hit with amazing matches and the grand winner taking home a $10,000 cash prize (as well as all competitors taking home an additional $1,000 for every submission). The tournament is returning in a little over a month on February 25, with the lightweights getting a chance to show their stuff at the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan.

Constance breaks down the last show and how it got together, as well as his thoughts on why this tournament needed to exist. Furthermore, we get the inside scoop on who will be competing in the next very stacked show. For more info, you can check out their website, and don’t forget to take a look at their main sponsor, Kerberus NYC.

In a sport with the sheer variety of outcomes that MMA has, there’s no specific formula for what makes a great fight. Instead, truly great matches are made when some or all of the elements of MMA come together in two fighters to make something that is both a highly competitive bout and a dramatic story told through action.

2011 served as a flagship year in the world’s largest MMA organization when it came to great fights. To put a bow on this passing age, below are the top ten greatest fights in the UFC for 2011.

10. Pat Barry versus Cheick Kongo

With a total run time of 2:39, the headlining clash between Barry and Kongo at UFC Live on Versus 4 was not the great epic that some of the other top fights of the year were. But, as brevity is the soul of wit, sometimes a single exchange can tell the best story.

A former K-1 competitor with great expectations he hadn’t quite lived up to, Barry was coming in to his fight against Kongo with something to prove. And, for most of the fight, it looked like he did. Just as it looked like Barry was about to usher Kongo to a permanent spot as a heavyweight gatekeeper, everyone’s favorite French superhero through a single counter punch off of shaky legs that brought him back from the dead. With just a few punches, all the major points of a great fight including excitement, back and forth action, and both men being in danger were met.

See the rest of the top ten of 2011 after the jump.

9. Diego Sanchez vs Martin Kampmann

What started out as a clinic by Kampmann quickly turned into a bloody brawl in the second frame. Though Sanchez was getting picked apart on the outside, a glancing blow cut Kampmann under his right eye. The smell of blood and a slight pause against the fence by Kampmann brought back the nightmare.

Sanchez began putting his man to the fence and swinging his way into a trademark dog fight. The result was a battle not of striking versus a takedown game, but one of wills. Kampmann won every second of the fight that he could keep to a contest of precision, while Sanchez won every second he could devolve the action into a battle of wills. While the final decision was controversial, the action in the cage was unarguably spectacular.

8. Leonard Garcia vs Chan Sung Jung 2

While the first bout between Garcia and the self-styled Korean Zombie was one of the most highly praised fights in MMA history, that brutal game of Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots played with real people set the stage for a more technical and definitive second act.

The fast-ball slinging Garcia started this re-match a little more disciplined in his striking, which was somewhat sobering to a crowd expecting more cowboy punches. But soon the action picked up, which surprisingly favored Jung. The zombie still put his unshakeable chin on display against Garcia’s berserker punches. But with each second off the clock Jung proved to be just a little bit faster and a little bit more accurate. Then, when the bout hit the ground, Jung concluded two heart racing bouts with one of the only twister submission finishes logged in professional mixed martial arts.

7. Alex Caceres vs. Jimy Hettes

A lesser known bout for those who don’t watch the Facebook preliminary matches, Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres welcomed Jimy Hettes to the UFC in a bout that featured some of the most fast-paced scrambles and whacky submission chains ever performed. This bout contained the rare combination of grappling that is both highly technical and contains a lot of action. The tilt is a must see for all fans of high-end floor work.

6. Dominick Cruz vs. Demetrious Johnson

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has been one of the top performers in MMA in both skill and entertainment value. In his bout with Johnson, one of the few men at 135 pounds who can match Cruz’s speed and athleticism, all the best of what the champion has to offer a crowd was put on display.

On the round by round breakdown, Cruz was in control for the majority of the fight. But within each round was a tight race by Cruz to try and distance himself against the seemingly indomitable Johnson. Mighty Mouse never truly caved and forced Cruz to work for every point, which brought the full might of Cruz to bare. From his outside striking apparently learned on Mars to his propensity for using full suplexes against the cage, Cruz made his fight with Johnson into one of the foremost battles for fans who enjoy a spectacle.

 5. Edson Barboza vs. Anthony Njokuani

The undercard tilt between Njokuani and Barbosa was one of the only bouts in the history of MMA that combined a back and forth struggle with technical striking and elaborate kicking displays. Each time that Barbosa would begin to distance himself on the card, Njokuani would return fire with a series of strikes that brought him right back to life. Nearly every hit was both meaningful and technically perfect. The decision was ultimately tipped in Barbosa’s favor with a spinning wheel kick in the final seconds of the bout which, ironically, was a grazing blow unlike the more effective strikes that he could not seem to take the lead with.

 4. Clay Guida vs. Benson Henderson

In the UFC’s debut on Fox proper, the rest of the card had to take a back seat to a heavyweight title tilt between Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos. But fans watching on facebook just a few minutes earlier were privy to the real show stopper between Henderson and Guida. Their bout that November evening was one that showcased the best of both fighters. Each man’s energy was boundless in this fast-paced clash. Guida had showed marked improvement in his striking, actually landing some solid hits to cover his takedowns rather than just flailing wildly. But the stronger Henderson was able to consistently out-work the hardest working man in the division.

This fight did not once pause to catch its breath and neither will anyone watching it.

 3. Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber 2

Everything good that can be said about Cruz’s title fight against Demetrious Johnson goes double for his bantamweight rematch with The California Kid. But, while Johnson was playing catchup to a clearly superior Cruz, Faber traded the lead with the champion right up to the end of round five. Faber proved a true mixed martial artist in the cage that night, seamlessly blending tight striking combinations with lightening fast double and single leg shots. While Faber was demonstrating perfect MMA fundamentals, Cruz was also working every phase of the game simultaneously. Only Cruz was using unorthodox angles and less common wrestling maneuvers.

While Cruz versus Faber 2 only comes in at number three in 2011, it had the greatest level of variety and technical skill of the year. Die-hard purists would put the bout at number one and in another year it probably would have been. Luckily, Cruz versus Faber 3 is looming over the horizon. These men should just fight once a year because they always put on a show.

 2. Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua

The bout that Joe Rogan referred to as arguably the greatest fight of all time started with a dark cloud hanging over it. Henderson had momentum coming in with an upset win over Fedor Emelianenko. But his bout with Rua would be the first time in many years that Dangerous Dan would likely have to go for every second of a five rounder. At 41, there was a pervasive fear among fans that the Pride great was too old to rock and roll. On top of that, unsubstantiated reports were circling around that Rua was having trouble in camp. Those rumors seemed to carry some literal weight as Rua walked in to the octagon against Hendo visibly in the worst shape of his career.

Henderson perceived this weakness from Rua and pounced on it, soundly winning the first three rounds with greater levels of aggression and solid striking combinations. But, come round four, Henderson started to fade in a big way. The once great Dan of Steel could barely lift his arms to defend himself. The real drama of this bout came from the fact that Hendo was fighting an opponent more dangerous than Rua could ever be: time. While Rua carried around a beer belly, Henderson was weighed down by more than a decade of extra wear and tear. A competitor until the end, Henderson was able to hang on just long enough to win the decision off of his earlier success. Seeing Henderson’s corner have to carry him out of the cage after all his fire was spent proved to be a more iconic image than any seen in the actual fight.

 1. Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 2 and 3

These two matches were put together because both tilts told one nine-round story that may have been the greatest in all of MMA. The elements of this quest to decide the UFC lightweight title transcend what makes a great fight and reach the level of moving human achievement. Frankie Edgar is one of the only fighters left at the top level of the game that fights at his walk around weight and, as such, was perpetually underestimated for most of his career. Every major bout at 155 was the one that Edgar was supposed to lose, move down a weight class, and start becoming a world-beater. But that loss never happened.

Against Maynard, the only man with a win over Edgar, the Jersey boy had to vindicate his weight class and defend his title against the largest and in-chargest of all lightweights. Maynard may be the biggest and was certainly viewed as the strongest in the division. And, with one solid blow to the chin early in round one, it looked like reality finally came crashing down on Frankie Edgar. The champion took one of the most tremendous beatings in all of MMA in the first frame of the fight, leaving the audience shocked that he was still standing.

Even more shocked when he won round two.

The back and forth battle was held between Edgar’s in and out of the pocket combinations, along with a categorical refusal to accept defeat, and Maynard’s superior power and reach. Every second on the clock that Edgar tried to wrest the fight back from his opponent was one Maynard could use to knock him out. The battle was fought to a bloody draw, leaving that overarching question unanswered. Could inner fire really beat a larger, equally skilled opponent? Could all the martial arts platitudes spouted in training actually be true?

In Edgar versus Maynard 3, they did it again. The fight played out almost exactly as the first one did. Maynard was the constant finishing threat while Edgar fought desperately against the tide of an opponent too big and too strong for him.

In round four, Edgar knocked the tide out cold. A beautiful uppercut closed all questions and settled all bets. Maynard is a great fighter and a good guy, making it unfortunate that he had to play the villain in this scenario. But, what Frankie Edgar did in these fights wasn’t just exciting, it was moving.

Don’t forget to check out our Top 10 fights from Bellator FC in 2011, Top 10 Worst New Year’s Eve MMA fights in Japan, as well as biggest upsets in 2011!

As 2011 comes to a close, MMA fans can look forward to one thing – New year’s Eve MMA events in Japan! Truly the best of the best when it comes to events, these super shows usually have great matches with the top talent fighting each other. In the past, we have seen some amazing cross-promotional events, such as Pride VS K-1, and great moments, such as Dan Henderson and Takanori Gomi winning their respective Grand Prix tournaments, and Fedor crushing many a man placed before him.

However, it would not be a NYE show in Japan without a few freak show fights to drag things on. That is why today, only days before the next big NYE event in Japan, we take a look at some of the worst, strangest, and weirdest MMA fights from Japanese New Year’s Eve shows! Let’s dive right in with number ten!

10. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennett vs Ken Kaneko from Pride Shockwave 2005

Ken Kaneko was a musician, a musician with a dream. Stardom was not enough for this hungry young pop star. No, he wanted to impress the ladies with his MMA skills, and stepped into the Pride ring to show off. Unfortunately for him, “Krazy Horse” was about to burst his bubble.

Bennett toyed with Kaneko through the duration of their very short and pointless match, eventually finishing his opponent with an armbar at 4:14 of the first round. Could Bennett have finished the fight earlier? Of course, but he wanted to earn his money, and do his best to let Kaneko know that he should stick to what he does best – making harmless and tame pop music for screaming Japanese teenage girls.

Hit the jump for the rest of the Top 10 Worst New Year’s Eve MMA fights in Japan!

9. Fedor Emelianenko VS Zuluzinho

The much-touted son of the man named Zulu (who had previously been quite the match for Rickson Gracie in his younger days), Zuluzino had an alleged undefeated streak of over 30 fights in Brazilian Vale Tudo, and made short work on Henry Miller in his Pride debut. It was only logical that this hulking man with an unconfirmed record would fight Fedor Emelianenko. It was also only logical that it would take Fedor 26 seconds to turn him into a pile of mush.

In his post-fight interview, Fedor apologized to Zuluzinho for beating him up so badly, but he should have apologized to the audience for forcing us to watch him beat up a can instead of a legit contender.

8. Fedor Emelianenko vs Hong Man Choi from Yarennoka – New Years Eve 2007

Then there was that time when Fedor fought the giant Korean in 2007…

To his credit, Choi had a good kickboxing record of 12-4 when he met Fedor, and was confident in his skills after an easy win a year earlier against perennial tomato-can to the stars, Bobby Ologun. Fedor had met tall fighters before like Semmy Schilt, but Choi is no Schilt, and the Russian superstar rallied up after being dragged to the canvas earlier and finished “The Techno Goliath” with a picture-perfect armbar.

7. Yoshihiro Nakai VS Heath Herring from K-1 – Premium 2005 Dynamite!!

This fight could have been one of the best fights ever at a NYE show, but things don’t always go as planned. Nakao’s nickname, “Kiss,” was more than earned when he faced off with Herring before the fight. During an intense staredown between the fighters, Nakao leaned in and planted a wet one right on Herring’s lips. Since Herring isn’t a homosexual (a plea he cried out to the audience after this happened), “The Texas Crazy Horse” slugged Nakao and knocked him right out to sleepyland. Even though the bout never officially happened, it definitely was an odd and memorable moment in NYE history!

Hope you don’t mind, but I picked a video of this fight with some background music to really set the mood!

6. Genki Sudo VS Butterbean from K-1 – Premium 2003 Dynamite!!

Genki Sudo was in the start of the prime of his career, and was a free agent since his deal with the UFC ended after Duane Ludwig beat him at UFC 42. He returned to Japan to fight for K-1, and met Eric Esch AKA the man they call “Butterbean.”

Butterbean was making his first steps into the world of MMA and professional kickboxing, and Sudo as his first opponent was an odd choice. The match is better than you would expect, or at least entertaining, as Sudo bounces off the ropes and runs circles around the bulbous Butterbean, confusing him before going in for the kill. You can also thank Sudo for beginning the freak show craze in MMA events, as this was one of the earliest mismatched size fights in Japanese MMA NYE events.

5. Choe Mu Bai VS Giant Silva from PRIDE – Shockwave 2004

You know this fight is awful when I can’t even find a video of it! I searched high and low to find evidence that this fight took place, but there were not even any photos online to prove this fight happened. Unless it was some horrible nightmare of mine, I recall this bizarre match that seemed so very out of place on an otherwise great event.

Truth be told, I used to laugh my butt off watching this fight for one very specific reason. En route to submitting Giant Silva, Choe worked his ground and pound from various positions, nailing his opponent with blows to the face and body. With each strike, Giant Silva bellowed and moaned like a beached whale crying for help, although his sounds were more like Chewbacca growling when Han Solo got frozen in carbonite. If you can find this match, watch it and enjoy the hilarity. If you can’t, you will have to take my word for it.

4. Bob Sapp VS Kinnikumantaro from K-1 – Dynamite!! Power of Courage 2008

“Kinnikuman” is a very famous manga in Japan about pro-wrestling, so much that Ikuhisa Minowa renamed himself Minowaman as tribute to this series. In honor of the comic’s 30th anniversary, Kinnikuman’s son, Kinnikumantaro (played by Akihito Tanaka) would step into the ring to make fantasy a reality. Facing off against him, a living comic book character in his own right, Bob “The Beast” Sapp.

Akihita did the best he could, especially considering he was forced to wrestle in full tights from head to toe, along with a mask that surely must have irritated him to wear. In the end, Sapp was too much for this newcomer to the sport, and sent Kinnikumantaro back into the pages of his comic to battle the likes of Warsman and Terryman, and a character in the shape of a toilet bowl. True story, look it up if you don’t believe me.

3. Royce Gracie VS Akebono from K-1 – Premium 2004 Dynamite!!

Why? Just… why? Here is the best reason that I can see this fight being made. Akebono was in severe financial stress, due to a failed restaurant and lack of money saved from his days as a world-class sumo, so K-1 offered him a chance to fight for them. After multiple losses in kickboxing shows, he decided to try his hand at MMA, and met UFC legend, Royce Gracie, in his debut. Royce was making his return to MMA, following a match against Hidehiko Yoshida a year prior in Pride, and opted to take on the corpulent Akebono.

To train for the fight, Gracie claimed he had two to three men sitting between his legs to simulate the girth of Akebono. Indeed, it was the mass of the sumo that squashed Gracie on the mats early in the fight, but it was also his undoing.

2. Shinya Aoki vs Yuichiro Nagashima from K-1 Dynamite!! 2010

Aoki is one of the most popular homegrown fighters in Japan these days, with his slick submission skills and edgy personality (‘cuz middle fingers are kewl!). The “Baka Survivor” has had some excellent fights on NYE shows in the past, including his epic hammerlock submission of Mizuto Hirota, and defeating Eddie Alvarez in record time to become the first (and only) WAMMA lightweight champion.

At last year’s NYE show, Aoki met Yuichiro Nagashima in a weird mixed rules match, with the first round of their exhibition bout begin under kickboxing rules, and the second round under MMA rules. Aoki blatantly broke the rules multiple times in the first half of the fight, mocking the kickboxer and illegally tossing him to the ground whenever he could. The crowd was completely behind Aoki in spite of this, and after he survived the kickboxing round, the Japanese audience was going out of their minds in hopes of seeing another stellar submission when the MMA round started. Nagashima had other plans, and as soon as the round started, Aoki predictably shot for a takedown, leading the kickboxer to leap into action with a knee that knocked Aoki out clean. That’s what you get for making a farce out of MMA, Aoki – a splitting headache and humiliation via an Otaku cosplayer.

1. Giant Silva vs Akebono from K-1 – Premium 2006 Dynamite!!

Giant Silva vs Akebono by Noubs

Leave it to Japan to book the freak show fighters to fight each other. They could not have picked two better men for the job, as Akebono and Giant Silva were given epic entrances much to the chagrin of the abnormally quiet Japanese audience. Even they knew this was crap, but they were too polite to boo, they just wanted this fight to end as quickly as possible.

The ring could barely hold these two titans, nearly falling over the ropes at the start of the fight. The pair toppled to the ground, where Silva locked up the sumo in a Kimura and graciously ended this “fight,” leaving the Japanese crowd applauding Silva for wrapping up this farce and for letting the show go on with the real fights.

There you have it, ten awful fights from what is typically one of the best MMA shows of the year in Japan. This year seems safe so far from any oddities, but there is always hope for 2012. It won’t be long before we see Kazushi Sakuraba dress up like Eva-Unit 01 and fight Todd Duffee dressed as Gendo Ikari. Actually, that would be pretty awesome… If I missed any of your favorite fights, let me know in the comments, and if you don’t like my list, Nick Diaz has something to say to you.