Hot Potato Gallery: New Strikeforce Ring Girl Ashley Bradley

Ashley Bradley is a 24-year-old bikini model from Pittsburgh who recently scored a gig as a Strikeforce ring girl, and was part of the “Barnett vs. Kharitonov” festivities on Saturday. Follow her love of coffee on Twitter, and check out 11 of our favorite Ashley Bradley photos in the gallery above.














Props: .cagepotato.com

Amazing Documentary Alert: Frank Dux Biography ‘Put Up Your Dux’

If you’re a fan of martial arts movies from the 80s, chances are you know who Frank Dux is. For those of you who thought he was just a fictional character played by Jean Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport, think again. He’s real and he’s a dangerous mofo.
Did you know he can punch through bullet proof glass?
How about the fact that he was in the CIA and a Navy Seal?
For $4, you can check out the new documentary about the man, the myth and the legend. “Put Up Your Dux” (I know, awesome, right?) is available for download for the next 13 hours via PreScreen.com at a reduced rental price. After that it will go up, so go check it out. There’s no way it isn’t going to be incredible.

Ariel Helwani: Dana White Talks UFC 135, Boxing Controversy and Spike Airing Bellator

DENVER -- MMA Fighting spoke to Dana White following Wednesday's UFC 135 press conference about a whole host of topics: Jon Jones popularity, whether Jones has changed since winning the belt, Jackson's spying accusations, Matt Hughes' future, working with Nate Diaz, the Nick Diaz-BJ Penn fight, the bizarre conclusion of the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz boxing match, Larry Merchant's post-fight interview with Mayweather, Spike.com airing Bellator prelims and why he gave Wanderlei Silva another shot.

Ben Fowlkes: A Night at the Movies with 'Mayhem' Miller and Michael Bisping

DENVER -- Michael Bisping and Jason "Mayhem" Miller make for an unlikely movie date, but in some bizarre way, the pairing works. The two showed up at the Paramount Theater on Wednesday night for a private screening of The Ultimate Fighter season 14 premiere looking less like rivals and more like...well, not friends exactly, but also not quite enemies.

"He's not a bad guy. He's alright," Bisping admitted, nodding over at Miller who was, at the very moment, practically shouting into a video camera a few feet away. "But trust me, that in your face for six weeks? You're going to kill the guy."

Now that filming is over and Bisping can get back to dealing with Miller "in small doses," the two seem to get along just fine. Or at least, that's how it seemed as they sat down together with a handful of media members to watch the first episode of the Spike TV reality show inside the 80-year-old art deco theater.

The show's first episode didn't give the coaches all that much to do, however. After a brief introduction, complete with highlight reels, they spent the bulk of the episode separated by UFC president Dana White, watching TUF hopefuls scrap for a spot on the show inside the empty Mandalay Bay Events Center. Not that there weren't a few barbs here and there, of course.

When Bisping appeared on screen, describing Miller's current bleached blonde look as a cross between "Josh Koscheck and a toilet brush," even Miller reared his head back and laughed along with the rest of us.

And all night long, both on screen and in person, the one thing they agreed on was a mutual respect for the talent level of the fighters in this season of the show. Miller estimated that at least eight of the competitors were worthy of UFC contracts, regardless of how they fared during the reality show tournament.

But while seeking refuge in the lobby during the final half-hour of the show, Miller hinted that some days had been tougher than others when working alongside his British counterpart.

"I wanted to hit him," he said. "I'd be like, today I'm going to hit him."

What stopped him, he explained, was that he worried it would make him look like a jerk once the show aired. "And then my mom would get mad," he added.

The six weeks of filming in Las Vegas and the ensuing media tour to hype the show have ensured that Miller and Bisping hardly go a day without talking about one another. For a fight that's still more than two months away, that's an uncommon amount of preamble, even in the UFC.

In fact, Miller said, it's taken almost every bit of patience he has to keep from freaking out with so much time to think about the fight. In his younger days, he said, this is exactly the kind of thing that might have sent him looking for trouble at a local bar.

"Or I'd start an argument with my girlfriend, just for the drama," he said.

These days, as he jets from southern California to New York for talk shows, then to a private screening in Denver, more often than not it's Bisping who is his date. And as they bickered about practical jokes and busted one another's chops on stage following the show's premiere, they seemed not unlike an old married couple -- though maybe one that's headed for divorce.

"During the show, I wanted to kill him," Bisping said. "I'm going to kill him."

Miller just rolled his eyes, flashing the same unimpressed expression we'd seen just moments before on the giant screen behind him.

"Save your breath for cooling your pies," he said.

"Whatever that means," Bisping shot back.

As with any couple, few battles are as fierce as the fight for the last word.

Daniel Herbertson:Inside Nippon Top Team: Kitaoka, Kawajiri and Otsuka Train for DREAM.17

In 2008, three of the most ruthless grapplers in MMA, DREAM champion Shinya Aoki, former Sengoku champion Satoru Kitaoka and two-time Deep champion Masakazu Imanari, founded Nippon Top Team.

Three years, and a host of brutal submission victories later, a significant number of top fighters and former foes have joined the quirky trio to make Nippon Top Team the most star-studded team in Japanese MMA.

MMA Fighting was allowed inside the doors of Nippon Top Team to capture Satoru Kitaoka mercilessly piledrive and submit his sparring partner, a slimmed down Tatsuya Kawajiri prepare for his featherweight debut and Takafumi Otsuka work his wrestling with former Shooto champion Hideki Kadowaki, all in preparation for their respective bouts at DREAM.17 on Sept. 24.

Ryan Couture on ABC’s “The Morning Blend”

STRIKEFORCE® lightweight Ryan Couture recently appeared on “The Morning Blend” to talk about his upcoming bout with Maka Watson, making a name for himself in MMA, and why “Star Wars” is better than “Back to the Future”. Click here to watch the full interview.

Larkin Looks to Bring Excitement to Friday’s Strikeforce Show

(Strikeforce light heavyweight Lorenz Larkin delivers a kick to the face of Scott Lighty, whom he eventually defeated via second round TKO in April. Larkin is an undefeated prospect who has quickly gained recognition for his exciting fighting style.)

Everything about Lorenz Larkin screams flashy.
Even though he only turned to professional mixed martial arts two years ago, the 25-year-old Strikeforce light heavyweight has developed a creative striking game. Larkin’s first two Strikeforce bouts have included flying knees, front kicks, spinning elbows and a handful of unorthodox moves.
“I don’t play it safe,” Larkin said. “If I see something that might work, I’m going to try it, no matter how ridiculous it looks. I’m never going hold myself down or restrict myself from something.”
Larkin enters the cage with the appearance to match his fighting style. Before every bout, he shaves an outline of a bell into his hair.
To be specific, it’s the historic bell in Larkin’s hometown of Riverside, Calif.
“It’s just a little symbol of where I’m from,” Larkin said. “It’s an inside thing you could say. Everyone that lives in Riverside knows what it is.”
The undefeated Larkin (9-0 MMA, 2-0 SF) brings his charisma to the Pearl at the Palms Friday in the headlining match of Strikeforce Challengers 20 against Nick Rossborough (18-13 MMA, 0-0 SF).
It’s not the opponent he expected. Rossborough, who was on the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter” but didn’t make it past the elimination round, is actually the opposite of original opponent Virgil Zwicker.
Zwicker, known as a stand-up fighter, had to pull off the card last week with an injury. That meant the opportunity fell to Rossborough, who is primarily a grappler.
The switch annoyed Larkin, who for the first time in his career had implemented a specific game plan based on an opponent he knew months in advance. He was unsure if he would accept another fight for a moment before deciding that a main event in Las Vegas was too much to pass up.
And even if Rossborough spends all his energy trying to score a takedown, Larkin plans to make the fight exciting.
“I don’t necessarily go in and try to put on a good fight,” Larkin said. “I just think when I fight, it’s exciting. I don’t have to force it.”
Larkin may possess the rare combination of talent, confidence and personality that fight promoters crave. He briefly convinced an interviewer that his newfound passion for modern jazz dancing had begun to interfere with fighting.
It wasn’t true. He’s focused on MMA for now. Prominent placement on a Strikeforce card after only two bouts outside of a regional promotion helped to reinforce it.
“I feel like I must have done something right,” Larkin said. “I’m honored being in my third fight in Strikeforce and headlining. It’s surreal.”
Larkin knows his profile is growing, especially in the MMA community and around Riverside. Larkin would like to someday reach the point where he’s an athlete known as much as competing for his city as himself.
Like the rest of his career, Larkin’s synonymy with Riverside is off to a promising start but has a long way to go.
“I’m starting to get recognition,” Larkin said, “but I won’t feel like I’ve made it until I get something for free.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

Thomas Gerbasi: TUF 14 - Episode One Recap

Spoiler Alert - click below for a recap of episode one of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Miller vs. Team Bisping...

 

 

For the first time in the history of The Ultimate Fighter, the bantamweight and featherweight divisions are being featured on the Spike TV reality series, and leading these 32 hopefuls into battle on what promises to be one of the most action-packed seasons yet will be middleweight contenders Michael “The Count” Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller.

“I’m really excited to help a batch of new guys start their UFC careers right here,” said Miller.

“I’m back here for season 14, I’m not gonna do anything differently,” said Bisping winner of TUF season three and a successful coach on season nine. “You either like me, or you don’t.”

As this season opens, UFC President Dana White doesn’t meet the fighters in the UFC Training Center. Instead, the Octagon at the Mandalay Bay Events Center is the setting for his introduction to the 32 competitors.

“The reason I brought you here today is because I want you to feel it,” said White. “I want you to take it in and look around at some of the banners up here. Not only some of the biggest UFC fights in history, but some of the biggest fights ever have been held here at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.”

And the next series of fights, to whittle the field down from 32 to 16, will be held in this renowned arena. In another new twist, fans will vote for the best fight, knockout, and submission of the season, with the winners getting $25,000 each at the finale.

After the coaches are introduced, the fights begin.

Josh Ferguson is up first against 21-year old Casey Dyer in a bantamweight bout. Ferguson wastes no time sending Dyer home, dropping him with the first right hand he landed and finishing him off with ground strikes in less than 20 seconds.

Featherweights Diego Brandao and Jesse Newell get called to the Octagon next, and Newell has some striking success early, but it’s Brazil’s Brandao who finishes things later in the first round with a left hook followed by a flying right forearm.

John Dodson was impressive with his punches and kicks throughout his bantamweight bout against Brandon Merkt, and it was a body shot that spelled the beginning of the end, with follow-up ground strikes forcing referee Steve Mazzagatti to halt the first rounder moments later.

East coasters Dennis Bermudez (New York) and Jimmie Rivera (New Jersey) squared off in a featherweight matchup. Rivera was in total control in the first round, dropping, slamming, and almost submitting Bermudez. The New Yorker got back in the fight in round two though, and after getting Rivera to the mat and taking his back, he finished off his foe with strikes. Bermudez goes to the TUF house via second round TKO.

Josh Ferguson’s brother BJ gets the next call to face Winnipeg’s Roland Delorme in a bantamweight scrap, but he won’t be joining his sibling, as Delorme finished matters in the first round with a triangle choke.

In featherweight action, Marcus Brimage was impressive in his stoppage of game Bryson Wailehua-Hansen. It didn’t look good for Brimage early, as he was controlled on the mat for much of the first round, but after reversing position, getting back to his feet, and opening up with his thudding strikes, he battered the steel-chinned Hawaiian for the rest of the round. In the second, Brimage picked up where he left off, and after another series of strikes, Mazzagatti stopped the fight, sending Brimage to the house.

Texas veteran Johnny Bedford scored the upset in an exciting bantamweight battle, using his wrestling and striking to set up a submission via choke of Carson Beebe, the brother of former WEC bantamweight champion Chase Beebe.

Tokyo native Tateki Matsuda is the first Japanese fighter to compete in TUF, but after two closely-contested rounds, it was Dustin Pague earning the majority decision win in the bantamweight bout.

In a back and forth bantamweight match, Paul McVeigh and Louis Gaudinot went to a sudden victory round, but in the third, Gaudinot surged ahead to earn the decision win.

WEC veteran Bryan Caraway moved on the final 16 at featherweight with a two round unanimous decision win over Eric Marriott, and joining him was veteran Dustin Neace, who upset unbeaten Josh Clopton via unanimous decision.

Highly-touted bantamweight TJ Dillashaw lived up to expectations, stopping Indiana’s Matt Jaggers via first round TKO, but in the biggest upset thus far, unheralded Steven Siler submitted WEC vet Micah Miller via guillotine choke in the third round to move on to the TUF house.

Earning the final bantamweight slot in the tournament was John “Prince” Albert, who submitted Orville Smith via rear naked choke in the first round. And in the final two featherweight bouts of the elimination round, Stephen Bass submitted Karsten Lenjoint via triangle choke in the second round, and Sweden’s Akira Corassani knocked out Brian Pearman in the first round.

Next week, the coaches pick teams. Here’s the final 16:

FEATHERWEIGHTS
Diego Brandao
Dennis Bermudez
Marcus Brimage
Bryan Caraway
Dustin Neace
Steven Siler
Stephen Bass
Akira Corassani

BANTAMWEIGHTS
Josh Ferguson
John Dodson
Roland Delorme
Johnny Bedford
Dustin Pague
Louis Gaudinot
TJ Dillashaw
John Albert

For weekly recaps of The Ultimate Fighter, as well as fighter profiles, stay tuned to UFC.com.

Thomas Gerbasi: A New Beginning for Ben Rothwell

“My entire goal at all times is that I want to hear the crowd roar,” he said. “That means that they’re excited and that they’re into the fight, and that means everything to me." - Ben Rothwell

 

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If you walked into the post-fight press conference for UFC 115 in June of 2010 and asked who lost that night, your eyes would have instantly gravitated to heavyweight Ben Rothwell. In fact, the Kenosha, Wisconsin native looked so dejected that guessing that he lost, got knocked out, and got his dog taken away from him at the same time was a pretty accurate description.

Funny thing is, Rothwell won that night, scoring a unanimous decision over veteran striker Gilbert Yvel. It wasn’t a Fight of the Year or even Fight of the Night candidate, but after nearly a decade as a mixed martial artist and waiting for this moment, you figured a smile would cross his lips, if only for a second.

But it didn’t. Ask him why, and he doesn’t talk about the torn ACL he suffered in the bout. That healed with surgery and time. No, for Rothwell, his reaction to the fight goes deeper than that.

“31 wins and 28 of them are finishes,” he said. “I have three decisions and I’m not happy about any of them, especially with one of them being in the UFC. If it (the Yvel fight) was a rock ‘em sock ‘em war where it was just crazy and the crowd was going nuts the whole three rounds and my opponent was just that tough, I could have accepted that a little better. But the fact that in the third round I heard a few boos, that just ends it for me.”

A lot of fighters say that they always look for the finish, but how many feel so bad when it doesn’t happen? Not too many. Maybe no one but Rothwell.

“My entire goal at all times is that I want to hear the crowd roar,” he said. “That means that they’re excited and that they’re into the fight, and that means everything to me. I’m also a fan, and when I watch boring fights, I get pissed off too, so I can only imagine watching my own fight. It really upsets me. I’m known to be an exciting fighter, I have a lot of knockout wins, I have a lot of submission wins also; I finish fights, and I try to uphold to that. It didn’t happen that night. Obviously we know that I had some issues in that fight, but even with one leg, I still could have got a submission and I still could have ended the fight.”

If that attitude doesn’t make you a Ben Rothwell fan, nothing will. But before Rothwell could get back to work in the Octagon to follow up his first UFC win with his first UFC finish, there was the pesky problem of that torn ACL, which has kept him sidelined since the Yvel fight.

“I missed not being in there,” said the 31-7 Rothwell. “There are a lot of these guys that already picked up a couple fights and got their names bigger, and I just had to sit on the sidelines, going ‘I know I would smash these guys.’ They’re getting wins, they’re getting exposure, they’re getting fans, getting more Twitter hits, and I’m biding my time. But I used it as fuel and I was definitely in the gym more than I’ve ever been. So it’s a good thing.”

Part of that good thing was reuniting with longtime coach Duke Roufus after they spent the Yvel fight apart. For Rothwell, the renowned former kickboxer is more than a trainer, he’s a friend, so getting back on the same page was important.

“I’ve been with Duke for eight years, he spoke at my wedding, he’s my friend as well as my coach,” he said. “We got to sit down and talk back at the beginning of the year, we got everything straightened out, and I’m in a good place with him right now, we’ve got a really good thing going and I’m just happy to be his heavyweight. Along with him came Ben Askren, my wrestling coach, and I’ve also acquired an outstanding jiu-jitsu coach in Luiz Claudio. So I’ve got a great, well-rounded camp, and I feel it’s the best scenario for me.”

He’s also got some of the best young guns in the game in the gym, including rising UFC stars Anthony Pettis, Erik Koch, and Danny Downes. That kind of youthful energy can definitely keep a 29-year old vet from getting bored.

“For their age, they’re maturing very quick,” said Rothwell. “Duke has been involved in the fight game for well over 30 years, traveling all over the world, and that gives him a great deal of experience that he’s pushed to all his guys. And his biggest thing is to say that my goal is to help all of you not make the mistakes I made. Basically the sky’s the limit for our whole gym. Our team is like a family, and that makes a big difference.”

And with the exception of talking about the Yvel fight, Rothwell sounds as upbeat and positive as he ever has about his career as he gets ready for a UFC 135 bout with Mark Hunt. But don’t call this a comeback. The way he sees it, this is a debut.

“After the surgery, I went through like a resurrection type of period where I’m coming into this fight 0-0 and that’s just how I feel about it,” he said. “I’m coming to get my first real win in the UFC in this next fight, for sure. I feel like I’ve made a lot of major changes, I’ve got a lot of good coaches around me, I made a lot of good changes in my body and my conditioning, and I’m a new man. I’m very confident in putting in a win and letting everybody in the division know that you might have fought me before, but you haven’t fought this Ben Rothwell.”

Having Roufus on your side is also a big plus when taking on a striker like Hunt, who first made his name on the K-1 kickboxing circuit. So if anyone can break down a kickboxer, it’s a former kickboxer. That doesn’t mean Rothwell is going to stand there and get into a slugfest with the New Zealander.

“I hated that people found out that I have a tough chin,” said Rothwell. “They’re like ‘why?’ That means I got hit, and my whole goal is to use my defense and not get hit at all, and that stands true for every fight. The guy’s got power, and the best thing to do is avoid that power.”

“Gilbert Yvel, with little gloves on, is very dangerous on the feet, but Gilbert never won a K-1 Grand Prix (like Hunt did),” he continues. “That’s an outstanding achievement in the striking world and you gotta respect that. But the difference is, he’s a little bit shorter, I don’t think he’s as fast (as Yvel). Positively, he’s got great striking, but he also has big holes in his game, obviously with his wrestling and his ground. But little gloves change everything too. He did K-1 with 10 ounce gloves on, and in MMA, these are four ounce gloves.”

That doesn’t bother Rothwell because that always present danger Hunt provides means that there’s going to be a fight on Saturday, one that he can be satisfied with and use to make a statement to a division he says is “the strongest that it’s ever been in my whole career.”

And if he needs an extra push, there’s always the Yvel fight to watch. So…has he…watched it?

“Yes.”

How many times?

“A few.”

An uncomfortable pause.

“I didn’t watch it happily. I just sat there and had to take it.”

He finally laughs.

“It’s good motivation for this next fight.”

Michael DiSanto: The Blueprint - Diaz vs. Gomi

Nate Diaz takes on Takanori Gomi this Saturday night in UFC 135 action...Michael DiSanto breaks it down...

 

February 24, 2007.

That was the night that Nick Diaz transformed into the underground icon that he is today. He did it by engaging in one of the most entertaining fights of the year with Japanese superstar Takanori Gomi. Diaz won the bout with one of the most improbable submission holds in the sport. A gogoplata is a move where a fighter uses his shin to choke out his foe from the guard.

The move itself is a thing of lore, a move often practiced in the gym, particularly at Eddie Bravo’s Tenth Planet Jiu-Jitsu. But it is a move that is exceedingly difficult to pull off in competition. Diaz did it while getting punched in the face by his foe.

Despite the fact that the fight result was later switched to a no contest, Diaz officially came into his own as a professional fighter on that night, racking up an 11-1 record in his next 12 fights en route to winning and defending the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship.

Nick’s little brother Nate hopes to follow in his footsteps on Saturday night, when he gets his own crack at Gomi. For the younger Diaz, the fight has major career implications. He is riding a two-fight losing streak. Three in a row sometimes results in a trip to the unemployment line, so one could say that Diaz is fighting for his short-term future.

Gomi also has something to prove. The former PRIDE Lightweight Champion was once the biggest name in the sport among 155-pounders. But he is only 1-2 in his three-fight UFC career. A win over Diaz on Saturday night instantly reestablishes his relevance in the lightweight division.

There is no doubt how Diaz will approach the fight. He is a carbon copy of his brother. He looks to box from a southpaw stance with pawing hands disguising crisp, short punches from unorthodox angles. He drops his hands time and time again, seemingly sticking out his chin in taunting fashion, only to land a jab from his waist or a left hand thrown from the same position.

Diaz does not have knockout power. Not at all. He has only a single knockout on his resume over the last five-plus years. Granted, that one knockout was a jaw-dropping display of precision striking against the bigger Rory Markham. But that isn’t his forte. He instead uses his boxing to dare an opponent to take him down, so he can utilize his brown belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Make no mistake about it: Diaz would be a black belt under just about any other BJJ master. Cesar Gracie gives out black belts like the IRS does tax exemptions. He has sick submission skills. Seriously sick. Very few fighters want to test his guard game. Diaz will pound away at Gomi on the feet, hoping to either get taken down or find an opening for an easy takedown. He knows that on the ground, he will hold a major advantage in this fight.

That is not likely the case on while the fight is on the feet. Unlike Diaz, who boxes with “chip away at the mountain until it crumbles” style, Gomi is a home run hitter. He has no interest in the feeling out process. He is all about firing punches with bad intentions. Those who have long been watching the Japanese slugger know that he is the holder of the fastest knockout in PRIDE history—a six-second obliteration of Ralph Gracie in 2004.

Gomi mixes his boxing with good, solid wrestling skills. He isn’t a slick submission guy. Instead, his ground game focuses on ground and pound. And he fires his strikes on the ground with the same ferocity that he does on the feet, which is why there are a string of opponents he left lying on the canvas in an unconscious heap during his PRIDE fighting career.

Because of that, he won’t have any qualms taking down the younger Diaz brother on Saturday night. Gomi will be in major trouble if he tries to play the jits game with Diaz. He will be just fine if he keeps Diaz busy defending punches, rather than moving through his submission transitions.

If Gomi has a weakness on the feet, it is the fact that he tends to drop his head and loop his right hand when he really wants to load up, which is pretty often. Diaz can take advantage of that by identifying the strike, stepping to his left and firing a right uppercut. That sounds counterintuitive, but by stepping to his left, he can avoid the looping right while still keeping himself in good position to effectively counter with his right hand.

Diaz shouldn’t expect to score a knockout with his punches. As mentioned, he is not a true power

puncher, and Gomi has a very good chin. Sure, he has been hurt several times during fights. But nobody has knocked him out in 40 professional fights, and it is unlikely that Diaz will be the first to do so on Saturday.

Instead, if Diaz can land a good right uppercut, he can clean it up with a left hand down the pipe. Those shots in combination should leave Gomi either wobbly and wide open for a takedown or desperate to score a takedown of his own. Either way, Diaz should then be able to take the fight to the ground, where he can utilize his biggest strength against Gomi’s biggest weakness.

Despite the fact that Gomi is a good wrestler with solid ground-and-pound game, his submission defense is less than stellar. Six of his eight professional losses (or five of seven, if you exclude Nick’s no contest) occurred by submission. That is a big hole in his game, one that Diaz can exploit.

Gomi’s game plan should be to avoid fighting in a phone booth with Diaz. Even though he is the bigger puncher, his foe will be the one who is much more comfortable fighting in close quarters. Diaz trains constantly with one of the best in-fighters in the sport—his brother. Gomi needs space to land his long, looping bombs. Plus, he needs space to avoid getting overwhelmed with Diaz’s swarming, pawing, non-stop punches.

Establishing space means using good lateral movement. Since Gomi is fighting a southpaw, he should circle to his own left behind the jab. The key is to position his lead left foot outside of Diaz’s lead right foot. By doing that, he creates a perfect throwing lane for his overhand right. He can lead with the punch, when the opportunity presents itself, since Diaz will have his hands at his sides most of the time.

That is the fight in a nutshell. I have no idea who is going to win this one. Gomi will have tremendous motivation to try and avenge his former loss to the Diaz family. Nate will have equal motivation to follow in his brother’s footsteps.

Whoever wins, this fight has “Fight of the Night” written all over it.