UFC 73 - Stacked is looking to be just that, stacked with great matches. First off, we have two Titles on the line, the Middle Weight and Light Weight. With the way favorites have been picked off in recent MMA matches, don’t be surprised if we see both champions fall. My pick for most like to lose the title is Sean Sherk as I feel Hermes Franca is a better all around fighter. His one weakness against Sherk (besides being taken down at will)could be his cardio. There is no quit in The Muscle Shark and rarely gasses.
Besides the two title fights, there is also Tito vs. Rashad Evans, which in itself could be a main event. UFC today announced a couple more fights to the Stacked card.
Press Release from the UFC:
“Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira will take on Heath Herring.
* Former world title challenger Kenny Florian returns to action to face UFC newcomer Alvin Robinson in a lightweight swing bout.
* The Ultimate Fighter 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar is also back in a light heavyweight contest, as he takes on season three’s Mike Nickels.
* Brazilian lightweights will fight it out for local bragging rights when Jorge Gurgel squares off against Diego Saraiva.
* Welterweight veterans Chris Lytle and Drew Fickett meet at the 170-pound crossroads in a three rounder.
* Unbeaten Frank Edgar hopes to carry the momentum from his big win over Tyson Griffin in February into his lightweight bout with fellow unbeaten Mark Bocek.
Along with Anderson Silva vs Nathan Marquardt and Sean Sherk vs Hermes Franca, this could be the best fight card of the year, in any organization.

Joe Lauzon, The Ultimate Fighter 5 contestant and fighter who knocked out Jens Pulver, is also a staff writer for a MMA news/blog site called MassMMA.com.
Sure, tons of MMA sites out there (this included) give recaps of every TUF episode, but Lauzon actually provides an insider’s view point and tells us things we didn’t get to see on the show, such as “Going into the second round, I wanted to fight Brandon or Manny. I thought both fights were good pairings for me. Brandon is a striker without a lot on the ground, while Manny is good on the ground, but I thought I could get the takedown and put him on the fence. I wanted to avoid Corey because he is so tall and can make anyone look bad.”
Check out his latest blog entry and leave the guy a comment while you’re at it. Click Here.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has released the payday figures for UFC 71. These figures are those reported to the Commission, but may not include signing bonuses, sponsorships, or percentage of PPV buys.
Quinton Jackson ($225,000) def. Chuck Liddell ($500,000) by KO - R1
Karo Parisyan ($32,000) def. Josh Burkman ($7,000) by unanimous decision
Terry Martin ($12,000) def. Ivan Salaverry ($17,500) by TKO - R1
Houston Alexander ($8,000) def. Keith Jardine ($7,000) by TKO - R1
Kalib Starnes ($10,000) def. Chris Leben ($10,000) by unanimous decision
Thiago Silva ($16,000) def. James Irvin ($7,000) by TKO - Round 1, 1:06
Alan Belcher ($14,000) def. Sean Salmon ($3,000) by guillotine choke - R1
Din Thomas ($28,000) def. Jeremy Stephens ($3,000) by armbar - R2
Wilson Gouveia ($16,000) def. Cermelo Marrero ($5,000) by guillotine choke R1
Total disclosed pay outs: $920,500
Chuck, half a million for less than two minutes in the ring, not bad!

Just made official, Noah Thomas will get another crack at Marlon Sims on The Ultimate Fighter finale on Spike TV. Unlike their last fight, this one will actually be sanctioned and will take place in the Octagon.
The event will take place on June 23rd at 9pm on Spike. The only other known fight on the card at this time is PJ Penn vs Jens Pulver along with the two finalists of the show, tbd.

Press Release:
Following unforgettable mixed martial arts events in Vancouver, Canada and St. Petersburg, Russia, Bodog Fight is pleased to announce its American debut.
On Saturday, July 14th, Bodog Fighters will become “Garden State” warriors when they visit the Sovereign Bank Arena on the shores of the Delaware River in Trenton, New Jersey for Bodog Fight: Eddie Alvarez vs. Matt Lee. Full press release here

This really wasn’t the MMA barn-burner I was hoping for, but the outcome is what I expected. UFC Light Heavyweight title match below: