In 1989, John Madden Football hit stores everywhere for the popular Sega Genesis gaming console – the world was on the brink of a sports crazed video game frenzy and one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world. Today every sport on the planet can claim a lineage of games and fanatical gamers, usually dating back to the late 80’s. However, MMA is the one sport that had not tapped into its video game niche until very recently.

Published by THQ and made compatible for the popular Play Station 3 and Xbox 360 gaming systems, UFC 2009 Undisputed hit stores around the world in late May this year, selling over one million copies during the first month after its release. The game blasted its way into the last untapped gold mine of sports video games, setting the bar for the next generation of MMA games high while doing so.

The game features over 100 UFC personalities, such as popular UFC figures like commentator Joe Rogan and ring announcer Bruce Buffer, with over 80 fighters from all five weight classes. The game lets players utilize a wide array of fighting styles, all of which are commonly used in real MMA fights. They range from boxing and kick-boxing to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, and wrestling. It is a truly all-encompassing game that endows players with all the skills and talent of a MMA fighter.

Simply entitled MMA, video game giant EA Sports plans on releasing its first MMA game in 2010. However, the UFC owns the rights to most of the top-ranked fighters in the world, as well as many staple trademarks like the octagon ring. THQ’s partnership with the UFC will make it difficult to produce an exciting game with mass appeal.

As reported by fightlinker.com, the UFC warned managers that if their fighters appear in EA’s MMA, they would not be allowed to continue to participate in the UFC. They also threatened to cut several fighters if they did not sign over lifetime video game rights for free.

MMA still has high expectations despite the adversity. They plan to team up with popular game developer Tiburon and MMA legend Frank Shamrock. The two companies are most famously known for the Madden game series. Many gamers think that their product will be superior to THQ’s which limits some game play aspects such as fighting southpaw.

If and when the game comes out, it could shoot the standard for MMA games into the stratosphere, just as the Madden game series did for football. That would be huge for the whole of MMA as a sport, and would solidify its newly found niche in the video game world. For now, gamers just have to sit tight and enjoy UFC Undisputed 2009, which I’m sure they will have absolutely no problem doing.

Heavyweight Champion Of The World – a title that designates one human being on the planet as the biggest and baddest. It is a great crown that should be worn with pride, honor, and class. Most of all, it is something that is obtained through hard work, determination, and sacrifice. Which begs the question: why in the world is Brock Lesnar (3-1), the heavy weight champion?

Lesnar entered the UFC in February of last year, and made his debut during UFC 81. He fought Frank Mir (12-3), to whom he lost, and is currently scheduled to fight this weekend during UFC 100 in what is being called a “revenge match.”

Prior to his entry into the UFC, Lesnar was a “professional wrestler,” and only had one MMA fight (which he won via submission) after he left the WWE. Which begs another question: why was he even signed to the UFC in the first place?

Although Lesnar had a heralded amateur wrestling career, he had not really wrestled competitively for almost a decade.

So, Lesnar who had almost no professional MMA experience and lost his debut fight, was granted a world title shot! Why? All because of his credentials as a “professional wrestler,” and the recognition that he was expected to bring to the UFC?

I can’t ignore the fact that he is now legitimately the heavy weight champion, and that he gained his title by legitimately beating Randy Couture, an MMA legend. I am not going to say Couture was washed up or too old, because the fact is, he was the heavy weight champion.

That being said. I am still not sold on Lesnar, nor convinced that he is worthy of the title. A fighter should have to build up to a title fight, and earn it through defeating the best contenders in the world. Former UFC heavy weight legends Ricco Rodriguez and Tim Sylvia amassed a record of 15 – 1 and 16-0, respectively, before fighting for the title or even getting a title shot. This is how the title is meant to be earned.

How it is not meant to be earned, is by coming into the UFC because you’re a celebrity, and having your celebrity status grant you an opportunity that anyone else would have to dedicate most of their lives to before achieving.

However, Lesnar now has a chance to prove that he is worthy to carry the title and be a great champion, although he did not properly earn it. His rematch against Frank Mir at UFC 100 this Saturday will be his true test of worthiness. If he avenges his loss, and solidifies himself as a solid champion, then he may actually be the greatest publicity move the UFC has ever made, not to mention their luckiest gamble.

At UFC 100,  Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir are scheduled for an encore, hopefully giving fans another great fight. However, very much has changed since their first showdown. When Lesnar and Mir met each other for the first time at UFC 81, Lesnar was just breaking into the UFC. It was only Lesnar’s second fight in the UFC, and only his third MMA fight ever. Lesnar’s “pro wrestling,” career could have hardly gained him any legitimate fighting experience. Mir was a former UFC heavyweight champion and an 8 year UFC veteran.

As many expected, Mir won the fight, but hardly dominated against the rookie. Mir also showed much vulnerability as he was unable to avoid Lesnar’s takedowns. Many felt Mir captured the victory only through capitalizing on some of Lesnar’s rookie mistakes; such as leaving himself vulnerable on the “ground and pound.”

Most UFC fans see their fight at UFC 100 as having a very different outcome. Let’s compare these two athletes on three different important points in an effort to better analyze how their next showdown might play out.

Brock Lesnar

Who did he fight last, what was the outcome?

Lesnar last fought at UFC 91 against MMA legend Randy Couture for the heavy weight title. Couture is a MMA veteran with 25 fights under his belt and over 12 years of experience. It was only Lesnar’s fourth fight in the UFC, and the biggest challenge of his young career. Lesnar pulled out the TKO win for the heavy weight championship against a very formidable opponent — though some question if Couture was too old and washed up — and is now considered one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC.

What has he done to improve as a fighter since their last meeting?

Many UFC fans believe that Lesnar lost their first match up because of over-eagerness and mistakes due to inexperience. However, since their first meeting, Lesnar has shown a vast improvement in his ability to stay calm and less anxious. Take Lesnar vs. Herring for example. In that fight, Lesnar was flying all across the cage, clearly over-anxious. However, in his fight with Couture, he was calm and much less wild. This vast improvement took place in only a one-fight period. Considering Lesnar is a fast learner, heralded NCAA wrestling champ, and a beast with natural power, this rematch should prove to be very interesting; especially now that Lesnar has “found himself” in the cage.

What are his advantages when fighting Mir?

Lesnar’s biggest advantages are his size and power. He is 6’3 and 265 pounds, making him almost 30 pounds heavier than Mir as well as one of the largest and most powerful men in the UFC. But unlike most big men that tire more quickly and are limited in their agility, Lesnar is not plagued by these problems.

He showed no signs of fatigue during a hard fought three rounds against Heath Herring. He is also very agile, which he clearly demonstrated in his first fight with Mir, taking him down almost immediately, and then dominating, for the most part, on the ground with his superior agility and strength (until Mir’s leg lock, which I don’t think he’ll be lucky enough to pull off this time around).

Frank Mir

Who did he fight last, what was the outcome?

Mir last fought at UFC 92 against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the interim heavyweight title. Nogueira was a huge MMA veteran with 37 total fights. Mir won the fight with a strong TKO victory in the first round.

What has he done to improve as a fighter since their last meeting?

Mir was already very well-rounded when they first met. His superior experience became clear when he turned a ferocious beating, and potentially devastating loss, into a leg lock which ended the fight and earned him the victory. There is always room for improvement, but I don’t know how much Mir has improved other than in his experience. I think he will mostly be the same fighter.

What are his advantages when fighting Lesnar?

His biggest strength in fighting Lesnar for the second time, is his experience from their first fight. He knows about Lesnar’s strong ground game, but also knows what to look for when exploiting Lesnar. Mir knows he is not as good a wrestler as Lesnar, but his upright game is much better. Mir’s clearest advantage will be to force Lesnar to stay on his feet, where he is less experienced. He got lucky on the ground against Lesnar in their first fight. Lesnar will not likely make the same mistakes in their second.

Most people consider Mir to be a big underdog this time around. However, Mir is no stranger to being the underdog and has been for most of his big fights. Fans should be advised not to sleep on Mir during this fight. Mir still has much to offer the UFC, and while Lesnar’s star is rising, Mir’s star has far from gone out.

One of the most anticipated fights of UFC 100 is Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping. Most expect the fight to be won or lost on the ground. This being so, the biggest question is, who will have the overall advantage? Can Bisping out-wrestle a former Olympic wrestler? And does Henderson, who now primarily relies on his fists, still have the wrestling skills to overcome Michael Bisping?

MMA veteran Dan Henderson, is a former olympic wrestler and PRIDE middleweight, and light heavyweight champion. He is also, as of more recently, a largely one -dimensional fighter. One would think that Henderson relies mostly on his strengths in wrestling; in fact, he is criticized for not fighting to his wrestling strengths. He has found most of his success in his cannon right hand.

Michael Bisping is a former kick boxer. He is 18 and 1 in the UFC, his one loss being a close split decision. Bisping is the former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship light heavyweight champ, and former Cage Rage light heavyweight champ. He was also winner of The Ultimate Fighter television series during the show’s third season.

Let’s take a look at both fighters’ wrestling backgrounds.

In high school, Henderson wrestled at both the 1987 and 1988 California State Wrestling Championships, and received medals there for his accomplishments.

The first part of Henderson’s collegiate career took place at Cal Stat Fullerton, and then at Arizona State, where he wrestled at the 1993 NCAA championships.

A year earlier he represented the country in the 1992 Olympics, and then again three years later at the 1996 Olympics.

Since his recent reentry into the UFC in 2007(Henderson participated in the late 90’s, when the UFC was still a single tournament, rather than a “league”) he has fought some of the best strikers and wrestlers. Among the ones he has beaten are Rousimar Palharis at UFC 88 and Rich Franklin at UFC 93.

Henderson made it very difficult for Palharis to get him on the ground, and when he did, Henderson showed superior wrestling skills. In the win against Rich Franklin, Henderson showcased his wrestling abilities by dominating Franklin on the ground for most of round 2, which was the decider in his split decision victory.

Bisping’s background in wrestling is not nearly as heralded as Henderson’s. Originally, he was a kick boxer who had some success and won a British light heavyweight kickboxing title. It was not until 2004 that Bisping entered the sport of MMA.

Bisping relied heavily on his kick boxing experience to carry him to 10 and 0 record in the Cage Warriors league, and made the transition into the UFC in 2006.

He was featured on The Ultimate Fighter, and received training under legendary fighter Tito Ortiz. Although he went on to win the show, he realized that expanding his ground game was crucial to his success in the UFC.

Bisping faced a three time NCAA D III wrestling champ in Matt Hamill at UFC 75, and came out with the split decision win. He showed good resilience to Hamill’s take downs, and a strong ability to get back to his feet. The Hamill fight proved to be one of his best ground-oriented fights.

Since then he has much improved. Bisping faced Rashad Evans at UFC. He took his only loss in the Evans fight, but demonstrated much-improved ability on the ground, only allowing 5 of 15 attempted takedowns as recorded by MMA Madness.

Bisping is also currently training with renowned wrestling coach Zach Lite of the famed, Wolfslair gym. Lite also trained UFC light heavyweight sensation, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Lite is also going to be a coach on The Ultimate Fighter season 10. He is very confident in Bisping’s refined wrestling skills. “He will take Dan Henderson down more than one time in the fight. He will, that’s how he is going to win the fight. That is how I see it. When they start trading I think Mike will win the scrambles,” Lite said in an interview with Fighters Only Magazine.

We will have to settle for making Comparisons and educated predictions while we wait for them to meet in the octagon on July 11th, at UFC 100. The fight is largely up in the air though, and it is anyone’s guess who will come out on top. This is part of the reason it is such a fan favorite. Will the former wrestling star, get the better of the ground action? Can the kick boxer come out on top with the win? Well, we will just have to wait to find out.

Everyone knows that professional wrestling is highly entertaining, the athletes are extremely skilled, and very real injuries do occur – but all the action, fake! When athletes make the transition from “professional wrestling,” into other sports, there is justifiably a large amount of skepticism about the ability of that athlete to successfully perform. Last year, Brock Lesnar, of WWE/WWF fame, made the bold transition from performer and entertainer, to prize fighter. Lesnar however, does have legitimacy for his transition.

Lesnar had a stellar amateur wrestling career. He went 33-0 his senior year of high school, and moved on to wrestle at Bismarck State College, in Bismarck, North Dakota. At Bismarck, Lesnar excelled, gaining NJCAA All American status and became the 1998 NJCAA heavy weight champion. After two years at Bismarck, he was granted a wrestling scholarship to the University of Minnesota for his junior and senior years. At Minnesota he gained NCAA All American status, and was crowned the 2000 NCAA heavy weight champion. A star was born, but his career after college was uncertain. Lesnar turned to “professional wrestling” as an outlet through which he could continue his success.

Lesnar signed with the World Wrestling Federation, later the World Wrestling Entertainment in 2000, and began his training in what is essentially the “professional wrestling” minor leagues. He was called up in 2002 to join the roster, and his star quickly began to rise. Lesnar was set to defeat The Rock, the WWE’s biggest star at the time, and was crowned the heavy weight champion. After having reached the pinnacle of what he could accomplish in “professional wrestling,” Lesnar stayed in the wrestling game for two more years, until calling quits with hopes of going to the NFL. Lesnar was good enough to get looks from the Vikings, and was allowed to play with them in the preseason. How ever, he was cut late in the 2004 preseason, but given an invitation to be their representative in NFL Europa, which he declined.

Lesnar, with not much else to do, shifted his attention to MMA. After wrestling one year in Japan, and being defeated there, he decided to shift his sights to the UFC, which had gained much popularity since his WWE days. on February of 2008, Lesnar made his debut appearance on UFC 81 against former heavy weight champion Frank Mir. He was defeated but not deterred, and has been creating waves in the sport since. With the UFC having high expectations for his career after the Mir fight, at UFC 82 he fought Heath Herring, a veteran of MMA, and won by UD after three rounds. This was a big step for Lesnar. MMA icon, and heavy weight champion Randy Couture was to be Lesnar’s next opponent at UFC 91. To the surprise of many, Lesnar won via a technical knockout in the second round, and was crowned the new champion. The sport had its newest star, and Lesnar had achieved the success he could not find in “pro wrestling,” or football.

UFC 100, is scheduled to happen on July 11th. It is a milestone for the UFC, marking their 100th event and how far the UFC has come in only 16 years since their start in 1993. A rematch between Lesnar and Mir is scheduled to take place, and is one of the headlining fights on the card.

Lesnar’s successful transition is a rarity in sports. He is a testament to the incredible athleticism and perseverance of mixed martial artists. His star is on the rise, and he will surely find his greatest success in the UFC.

To see athletes of different or similar fighting practices challenge each other – that has always been the goal behind the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

That goal has come a long way since the UFC’s conceptual development in 1991. The original concept was a single event tournament to discover the world’s best fighting style. The tournament aired in 1993, and was a mini-success, with nearly 90,000 Pay Per View buys. At the time the tournament aired, the entire concept of “mixed martial arts,” as we know it today, did not really exist. The tournament placed athletes of only one fighting art against each another, pitting boxers against Karate, and wrestlers against jiu jitsu and everything in between. Most times, fighters did not know what to do to handle the other opponent as they had never faced someone of that particular art, and the matches were often lacking in entertainment value. Another problem also existed. There were no weight classes, usually setting opponents together with huge size differentials. While this proved to be entertaining at times, this was not practical, especially if the UFC had any desire to be a legitimate organization.

Due to its success, the UFC became a recurring tournament, but many aspects of the tournament needed to be addressed. With a tag-line that read “there are no rules!” and “fighting techniques” such as hair pulling, groin strikes and head butting allowed; the UFC had to revamp it’s entire concept if there was any hope in becoming a permanent fixture in the sporting community.

The tournament had aired five times but in 1995, it started to gain negative popularity, attracting wide press coverage from all over the nation, most of it very unfavorable. Political action was quickly taken against the UFC, and Senator John McCain led the campaign, calling the UFC “human cock fighting.” It was dropped shortly after by major cable and pay per view providers, and in 1997, 36 states had banned no-holds-barred fighting. The UFC was launched into the abyss of sports, thought by many to never be seen again.

However, in response to all the criticism, and much to the surprise of many, the UFC began to cooperate with state athletic commissions. The transformation of the UFC into a legitimate sporting event began to take place. The rules were revamped, eliminating the “dirty” aspects of the tournament like hair pulling, groin shots, and head butting, as well as putting an emphasis on the core elements of the UFC as we know it today; striking, grappling, and punching. With UFC 12 came the introduction of weight classes, UFC 14 mandatory gloves, UFC 15 the banning of strikes to the back of the head and neck, and UFC 21 the introduction of 5 minute rounds. By 1999, the UFC had evolved into a full-fledged sport, almost ready to be accepted by both politicians, and the sporting community. With UFC 28 in 2000, the final step was taken in legitimizing the UFC as an athletic organization, and the New Jersey State Athletic Commission sanctioned the event.

In 2001 the UFC was sold to Zuffa LLC and Dana White. With UFC 33 in September of that year, came it’s returned to main stream cable television and PPV. With effective advertisement and a partnership with the Spike TV network in 2005 for the development of the currently running show, The Ultimate Fighter, now in season 9, the UFC quickly gained mainstream popularity.

On July 11th, UFC 100 is scheduled to take place, and will mark a very important milestone for the UFC. Sixteen years and 100 events since its creation in 1993; from a no-holds-barred tournament with sumo wrestlers and kick boxers to what it is known as today. The card will be headlined by Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar. Ten other fights are on both combined main, and undercard, for an event that is sure to out do the last; something the UFC seems to accomplish with all their recent events.

Despite much adversity, the UFC is the quickest growing sport in American and a far cry from its early no-holds-barred days. It is no longer just a tournament but a multimillion dollar organization and mainstream sporting event. The fighters that participate in the UFC are no longer athletes of two very different fighting arts. This current generation of fighters has a very mixed array of skills, and study everything from wrestling to Jiu Jitsu. The UFC is beginning to reach global audiences, and recently held its first event, UFC 99 early this month, in mainland Europe. With good fights, smart advertising, and entertaining television, the UFC’s future is very bright.

Boxing is a sport of controversy and drama, and Miguel Cotto’s showdown with Joshua Clottey last Saturday at Madison Square Garden did not disappoint. Cotto took the win with a decisive yet controversial unanimous decision , and being that the Garden is as close as it gets to a “home game” for Cotto, many believe that he was handed a gift in a fight that could have easily gone the other way.

Both men boxed cautiously at the center of the ring in round 1, establishing their jab. While Clottey’s jab was a bit more powerful and had a 3-inch reach advantage,  Cotto was the aggressor. To everyone’s surprise however, in the last five seconds of the round, Cotto scored a flash knockdown with a jab flush on Clottey’s chin. The crowd of 17,734, — largely Puerto Rican, and there to chant for their country’s fighting pride, on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade – erupted in a roar not even comparable to a full Beaver Stadium. It was a moment that would set the tone for the rest of the bout: controversial, loud, and full of excitement.

Rounds 2 and 3 picked up the pace a little bit. As both fighters continued to get the feel for one another, they became more aggressive, following up their jabs with combinations. Clottey was the aggressor in round 2, demonstrating his incredible ability to fight defensively, which against a fighter like Cotto who attacks the body and creates a lot of open shots is hard to do.  Not only did he prove to fans that he was on the same level as Cotto, but that he actually could beat Cotto. In round 3, Cotto must have realized these things himself, because he turned up the flame, and came out as the aggressor. The action was toe-to-toe and blow- for- blow for all of the round. With 20 seconds to go in the round, they clashed heads, leaving Cotto with a severe cut over his left eye, causing a flow of blood into his eyes, which would persist for the remainder of the 12 round fight.

Cotto’s bad cut changed the tempo for the rest of the fight. In the 4th round, realizing Cotto’s cut could have the fight stopped at any minute Clottey tried to take advantage, aiming for it and trying to open it up, and each tried even harder now to take the other out. The fans realized this too, and as the 4th round begun, every shot that Cotto landed triggered a roaring response from the crowd. Despite his cut and blood in his eyes, Cotto began to establish a rhythm, landing some very thudding body shots, and then pivoting to avoid Clottey’s offensive barrage.

Round 5 fed off the energy of a great 4th round, and both men quickly got back to work. Cotto continued to viciously attack the body, as he is notorious for doing. However, Clottey’s faster hands became apparent, as he began to nail Cotto with counter- punching. The round continued at this pace until there was a minute left to go, and both men clinched up in the corner. As Cotto managed to slip out the clinch, body weights shifted and Cotto got leverage, slamming Clottey  to the floor face first, in what seemed to be an unintentional body slam. Even though it was clearly not a punch that sent Clottey down, the crowd erupted at the sight of their hero standing over his opponent face- first on the canvas. He laid flat for a few seconds, and it became clear that Clottey had hurt his knee, as he grabbed it with his glove and got up limping. After given an ample amount of time to walk it off, the rest of the round proceeded as normal.

As round 6 began, both men came out with a new fire in their hearts. Clottey, irritated from the body slam, and Cotto, fearful of having points deducted from him, and bleeding now more profusely than before, turned up the action to the next level. About a minute into the round, Cotto got the better of an exchange, slamming Clottey with a series of hooks that sent him into the corner. Once Cotto knew he had him vulnerable in the corner, he poured on the offense, landing punches in bunches to the body, then to the head, and then back down to the body. Clottey could do little to retaliate besides hold up a strong guard, and have a big heart.

For the remainder of most of the fight, Cotto danced around the ring, keeping distance, throwing  a few combinations, and keeping it moving. Clottey was clearly the aggressor in these rounds, but did not do enough to take advantage of the situation. Clottey was landing shots on a defensive Cotto, but not enough and certainly not hard enough to take the fight from Cotto. Rallied on by the very vibrant crowd, Cotto executed the rest of the fight to a T, keeping distance from Clottey’s shots and his now open flesh wound, the source of a constant stream of blood down his face, but landing enough shots to win rounds.

As the fight came to a close in the final round, both fighters knew it was going to be a close one, and each knew they needed to take the 12th round to seal their win. Clottey, continuing to be the aggressor, became almost too aggressive and too anxious as he began to get nailed with well timed Cotto counters. Two minutes into the round, Cotto hit Clottey hard in the back of the head with a hook, again an unintentional mistake, in which Cotto’s points came into question. As the round came to a close, in the final minute both men rallied, and once again cheered on by the crowd, Cotto got the best of their exchange, sealing the victory.

Both men fought with exceptional heart and unstoppable will. Both are true champions by any measure and both have bright futures. While, Clottey’s future is uncertain for now, he surely will not be forgotten about, as he fought one of his career defining fights. There are definitely big fights on the horizon for him. Cotto how ever, can look forward to a showdown with a superstar. There is talk of a bout between Cotto and pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao, or perhaps a rematch with Shane Mosley, which would be a huge fan pleaser. One thing is for sure, Cotto has put any ghosts from the Margarito loss behind him, and if anything, was made stronger because of it.

Located in Los Angeles, California, Legends Training Center is one of the country’s premier mixed martial arts gyms. Besides being home to world famous trainers and coaches, who have guided the likes of Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Kimbo Slice, mixed martial arts legends, like Bas Rutten, invest in and frequently train at Legends gym. Their training techniques and focus makes the Legends gym one of the most successful in the country and sets them apart from most of the rest. Legends is one in a handful of professional class gyms that can encompass all the aspects of mix martial arts into their training program, and is one of the foremost sought-out gyms for want-to-be mixed martial artists.

Owner Chris Reilly, who co-founded the gym with former UFC heavyweight champions and legends, Bass Rutten and Randy Couture, has a large professional background in boxing and kickboxing as well as an expansive amateur background in Karate, Tangsudo, Hapkido, and Taekwondo, claiming a black belt in all four martial arts. In 2001 Reilly won the “King’s Birthday,” championship in Thailand, being the only American to ever do so, and was crowned the IKKC Junior Middleweight Champion in 2003.

Eddie Bravo, Legends’ Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor, is a North America pioneer in Jiu Jitsu. Bravo is the founder of 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, a large chain of gyms, that have reached world fame. Bravo is attributed with evolving the sport of Jiu Jitsu to how it is used today in mixed martial arts. 10th Planet Jiu JItsu gyms are located all over the world from Toronto, Canada to Stockholm, Sweden. Bravo is the 2002 North American Abu Dhabi Combat Club champion, receiving “most technical fighter” honors, and is the 2000 Grappler’s Quest champion.

Peter Nylund cofounded the Bomb Squad Gym with Chris Reilly in 2002, the precursor to Legends, and teaches Muay Thai and Boxing at the Legends gym. Nylund was the 200 Swedish welterweight champion in shoot fighting, and in 2001 was the Swedish junior middleweight champion in Muay Thai. He is ranked as one of Sweden’s top 50 athletes.

The rest of Legends trainers and coaches are the best in the business, bar none, and their bios can be found at Who We Are.

Legends has not just changed the way mixed martial arts is trained and studied inside the gym. The Legends mixed martial arts blog has changed the way people talk about and discuss mixed martial arts outside of the gym. Their blog is one of the premiere online sources for amateur and professional mixed martial arts on the West Coast.  the Legends blog gets interviews with up and coming fighters, and keeps fans updated on the latest mixed martial arts news from fight cancelations, to fighter affiliation, and covers the activity of almost all professional mixed martial arts organizations.

The Legends gym is one of the few gyms in the world to reach the iconic status, as a place where champions are bred. Only a few boxing gyms in America claim this status. Gyms such as the Kronk Gym in Detroit, Michigan, and the Wild Card Gym, in Hollywood, California. Even fewer mixed martial arts gyms have claim to this status. Legends, and a few others if any, are among those that have achieved such recognition.

The increasingly expanding fan base of the fastest growing sport of the last decade, is about to make another major expansion. The UFC’s next event, UFC 99 The Comeback, is scheduled to take place in Germany, making this UFC event the first ever to take place in mainland Europe. With one of the UFC’s most promising events, comes an exciting fight card filled with UFC superstar hopefuls and jam-packed with talent and excitement. Among the most exciting fights on the main card is the heavy weight bout between Cain Velasquez of San Jose, California, and Cheick Kongo of Paris, France. In a card packed with exciting bouts, the heavyweight fight between Velasquez and Kongo is a stand out. 

Many eyes of the mixed martial arts world are focused on Cain Velasquez.  Velasquez, a 26 year old Mexican-American who is undefeated in the UFC with five wins all by way of knock out, has a heralded high school and collegiate wrestling background. A two-time state wrestling champion from Kofa High School in Arizona, he also was a junior college national wrestling champ at Iowa Central Community College, and a two-time All-American at Arizona State University. Velasquez is young, exciting, and full of potential.

Cheick Kongo is a 34 year-old Frenchman and a longtime established legitimate contender in the heavyweight division. He was brought in as a replacement for Heath Herring who had to withdraw from the fight due to illness. Kongo was a former kick boxer who went 19-2 before he entered the UFC in 2006 at UFC 61, and was already 7-2-1 in MMA bouts. He has since proven to be a legitimate force in the heavyweight division, having amassed a career UFC record of 14-4-1.

Kongo will be Velasquez’s biggest challenge yet, and one of Velasquez’s major stepping stones in becoming a UFC sensation. Velasquez knows this and has prepared himself for a war. In a recent interview with popular sports blog and news site, FANHOUSE, Velasquez made it clear that he was aware of the challenge ahead. In response to the question of Kongo being his toughest test yet, Velasquez let us know his feelings on the matchup, “Yes. I think with every fight it’s gotten tougher for me, and Kongo is on a winning streak and is my toughest fight to date, for sure.”

All eyes will be watching on June 13th when UFC 99 makes history at Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, and those eyes will be particularly focused on Velasquez – Kongo. Velasquez being a wrestler, naturally looks for take down and submission opportunities. He has a large gas tank and prefers to wrestle it out on the ground, forcing his opponents into submission and then pounding them with punches. Kongo prefers to keep the fight off the ground until he can make a finishing move.  Having a large kickboxing background, Kongo trades punches with most of his opponents until they go down, at which point he smothers them on the ground with punches, elbows, and hammer fists. It will be very interesting to see which style has the upper hand in this fight: the punch and distance approach or the ground game. 

Although they are not headlining the event, their fight is sure to be one of the most exciting of the night on a main card and undercard with six scheduled fights. Their fight is the classic test of age and experience against youth and vigor. Velasquez will either persevere and prove to all UFC fans that he is the real deal, or Kongo will show that he still has what it takes to be a major contender in the sport.

When they meet this Saturday, June 13th, order the fight on Pay Per View, or watch the round by round coverage on ESPN.

In a title unification bout, two-time welterweight champion and former undisputed light welterweight champion Miguel Cotto, hopes to defeat welterweight champion Joshua Clottey to unify the WBO and IBF welterweight titles and become once again, the king of the welterweights. Cotto was dethroned by Antonio Margarito last July in a grueling and hard fought bout. However, Margarito was found with a plaster-like substance on his hand wraps before a fight on January 24th of this year, creating suspicion over his most recent wins, especially his brawl with Cotto, in which Cotto had won most of the early rounds.

Cotto unified all the titles and beat the best in the business at the light welterweight division, defeating the likes of DeMarcus Corley, Paulie Malignaggi, and Lovemore N’dou. In 2006, after the Malignaggi win, there was nowhere else for Cotto to go, except to move up to the star-studded welterweight division in hopes of a superstar bout. He got one six months later, for the WBA welterweight title against Carlos Quintana. After the Quintana fight, and his biggest win at the time, Cotto put on what seemed to be a boxing clinic against a list of superstars in five fights over the next year and a half. In doing so, he claimed wins over Zab Judah, Alfonso Gomez of contender fame, and long-time welterweight “gate keeper,” Shane Mosley. Cotto is now poised and ready to be back on top. A win over Joshua Clottey would once again shoot him into the boxing stratosphere.

Clottey is no newcomer to the fight game.  Although he is not the favorite to win, he will be a stiff challenge for the former welterweight king. Recently beating Zab Judah for the vacant IBF title, Joshua Clottey is ready to seize the glory he failed to attain in a bout which he lost against Antonio Margarito in 2006. Clottey has been a long time welterweight contender, who is now breaking into the spotlight with notable wins over the likes of Carlos Baldomir and Diego Corrales.

No matter the outcome, the fight is sure to please. As the saying goes, “styles make fights,” and if that proves to be the case, which it usually does, these two men are in for a hard-fought bout, which means the fans are in for a night of excitement. Both men fight with a “leave it all in the ring” mentality. Neither fighter is scared to take two shots to give one. However, both are capable of and have demonstrated their abilities to turn a brawl into a boxing match and vise versa. Cotto is a little more affective when he fights inside, and is known for his vicious body shots, which many believe gives him the edge. It is hard to predict how these fighters will handle one another, but it is safe to say that in no way, shape, or form, will this bout be action-deprived.

Their showdown at the Garden Saturday, June 13th, will prove to be one of heart, guts, and desire, and will be a true test and measure of champions. The bout will sell out the garden on the eve of the world famous Puerto Rican Day Parade, which is expected to be mostly comprised of Puerto Rican fans coming to cheer on Cotto.

Order the fight on Pay Per View, or follow the live round by round coverage on ESPN.