Thoughts, speculation, and five fights that will make MMA shine in the second half of 2010.

1. Fedor looked more flabby than usual. That said, I still expected him to beat Werdum. I could feel the panic of the Russian M1-Global team in the cage after the loss. The M1-Global team around Fedor has so much invested in the “myth” of Fedor as a tool to leverage on the business side. Fedor needs a rematch immediately and to defeat Werdum in devastating fashion to regain some of his lost mystique … however the “legend” of Fedor will never quite be the same. I would still love to see Fedor face off against Randy Couture. It would be a great chess match.

2. Recent news indicates MMA will not be legalized in New York in the near term. There had been some buzz that the suits in Albany were close to getting the deal done fueling dreams of a 2011 New Years blockbuster PPV on 33rd and 8th. Not so fast my friend (Yo…Lee Corso), you pavement dwellers here in Gotham will need to get your live MMA fix in other ways. Lucky we have Chris Sblendorio (CEO) and the fellas at Urban Conflict Championships ramping up more great MMA action just across the river in Jersey City. UCC is positioning themselves to be a major player in MMA in NYC upon legalization, and have already put on two great shows about twenty minutes from NYC, reachable via mass transit. At UCC2 in May, a rowdy crowd saw two great headlining fights as Dante Rivera stopped Ryan Contaldi and Josh Cholish took out Hitalo Machado. UCC3 is slated for September 10th in Jersey City, NJ.

3. I fully expect Brock Lesnar to handle Shane Carwin. Carwin is a beast but Lesnar is a monster and freak of talent for that size. Much has been made of the similarities between these two, but I think Lesnar has more athletic talent and is just a better overall athlete. That said, we have not seen him take a major blow and fight while in danger. This is a major question and if anybody can rock BL it is Carwin. Must See TV if you are a sports fan.

4. Enough with the Edgar/Penn scoring debate. Frankie Edgar defeated BJ Penn 3 rounds to 2. It was close but a clean verdict, as Edgar clearly controlled rounds 3, 4, and 5. Edgar’s professional and humble public style is one of his great weapons. Everybody underestimates him … usually until it is too late and they are eating leather. I spent time with him after the win and watched him spar with Eddie Alvarez. He won the session. His hand speed and footwork is as good as it gets, and he fights as smart as anyone in the game. Watching him tutor others and impart how to fight in a “thinking” manner is as impressive as his mat brawn. Just two and half years ago he was welding pipe as a plumber … today he is a testament to where hard work can take you. The rematch in Boston … Oh Baby!

5. Five Fights in the second half of 2010 I am itching to watch.

a. Chan Sung Vs. Leanord Garcia 2. Sung is known as the Korean Zombie and these two put on the fight of 2010 already … no discussion. A blistering three rounds of bomb throwing went to decision and Garcia got the controversial nod. This WEC rematch can’t happen soon enough.

b. Ricardo Almeida Vs. Matt Hughes. The buildup to this will feature lots of chum about Hughes beating three Gracie Jiu Jitsu studs in Royce Gracie, Matt Serra, and Renzo Gracie and whether he can take out a fourth in Big-Dog Almeida.

c. Lyman Good Vs Ben Askren. Good showed incredible talent gaining the Bellator 170lb title and I am interested to see his development. Askren is a great wrestler, but will to have show some skills on his feet in this Bellator show-down.

d. Jon Jones Vs. Anybody. Ok, we know Jones is fighting Vladamir Matyushenko Aug 1st but that is beside the point. I think Jones may be the most talented fighter in the UFC and more cage-time should bear this out. Fans will clamor for him to be fast tracked to a title shot, yet Dana White will want to milk his ramp up for all he can get — that is what good promoters do.

e. Randy Couture Vs. James Toney. I think all serious MMA fans want Couture to take Toney down and ground and pound the snot out of him to show the boxing community you can’t just pick up this sport on a whim and roll into the UFC and get a W. This one will be a ton of fun.

6. And finally. ESPN launching MMA Live this year with Jon Anik has been great for the sport. The ESPN packaging puts this highlight show in the sand-box with other major sports promotion vehicles. The MMA universe must continue to support ESPN’s coverage as it drives public acceptance and growth via new fringe ESPN viewers. ESPN reporters in suits, in a million dollar studio, mixed with professional graphics and all that goes with an ESPN show just elevates how a new fan or critic digests the sport, even if they don’t realize it. The optics of the ESPN machine do wonders.

Two of New Jersey’s best professional MMA fighters return to action on Saturday June 19th at MMA Mayhem at Six Flags in Jackson, NJ. (Click through for live link to buy tickets)

Chris Liguori from Middletown, NJ - the current Ring of Combat Lightweight Champion and a veteran of the UFC and Elite XC, will be fighting Robert Conner. Dante Rivera, a middleweight from Jackson, NJ is coming off a major victory over Ryan Contaldi at UCC 2 in Jersey City and squares off against former UFC Ultimate Fighter contestant Dan Cramer. These are high quality match-ups featuring fighters at the highest level of professional MMA.

In addition to the great action on the mat, fans will be treated to an “A” list autograph meet and greet featuring UFC Lightweight Champion and Toms River native Frankie Edgar, Former UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra, and the mega popular UFC veteran Kimbo Slice.

MMA Mayhem is an all day event created by Elite Wrestling and is helping raise funds for the Jackson, NJ non profit labor union - PBA 168. Elite Wrestling is a premier wrestling school in the state, and will be holding an all ages grappling tournament during the day ahead of the professional fights which start at 7pm.

It will be great day of grappling and MMA action at one of the best amusement parks in the country. Fantastic to see more and more high quality events in the Tri-State area advancing the sports of grappling/BJJ and MMA.

A variety of ticket packages are available and can be purchased at –

www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/index.aspx.

For more information about Elite Wrestling –

www.elitewrestling.net

Luke Cummo is a unique fighter in the world of MMA. Intelligent, thoughtful, and certainly a bit unconventional. After early success on the Ultimate Fighter 2 and wins over Jason Von Flue and Josh Haynes, the Serra-Longo fighter had issues getting past Luigi Fioravianti and Tamdan McCrory. Now a free agent, Cummo is still adhering to his vegetarian diet and gearing up for a possible return in Japan. Watch.

Whether you were rooting for BJ or Edgar, this video has to inspire. Is there a more loyal hometown base than this one. Watch this!

Long Island sports fans likely know the name Gian Villante quite well. He was a stud football player and wrestler (All-American) for General Douglas Macarthur High in 02′/03′ and proceeded on to a stellar career at Hofstra in football and wrestling as well. After taking a swing at the NFL, Villante turned to MMA in 2008 and has torched his way to the top of the Ring Of Combat - winning the heavyweight title in February over Strkieforce vetetan Mike Cook. This Friday at ROC 29 in Atlantic City, Villante is gunning for the 205lb strap Vs. Demetrius Richards. Take a look at his workout session last Friday at Ray Longo’s gym in Garden City and hear his thoughts about his rising stock in the MMA business.

In recognition of the UFC Lightweight title fight in Abu Dhabi this weekend featuring New Jersey’s Frankie Edgar, I have decided to run a wrestling tutorial from Edgar which he did for TriStateFighter.com in February 2009. Now, this is not a glamorous or controversial spot, but just highlights what makes Edgar so tough to finish on the ground.

I first met Edgar in June of 2007, when I produced a “day in the life” video of him for NBCSports.com when he was still working his full time job as a plumber. I think of that day often, of late, remembering just how hard he worked both as a plumber from 8am to 4pm on-to his four hour training session that evening. I find myself thinking regularly about just how far Edgar has come in 2.5 years and how everything he dreamed of in MMA has come to pass short of victory Saturday. He did not want to install urinals at local high schools his entire life - he wanted to be a full-time professional fighter. With the fight of his life ahead, I believe Edgar carries with him the confidence of someone who has worked hard for every inch of opportunity that has come his way. Win or lose, I suspect he will keep his perspective and discipline which will serve him well in a career that has a long way to go either as a new champion or an on-going contender.

(Click through for video)

WEC play-by-play announcer Todd Harris may be a new face to some first time MMA viewers, but most sports fans have heard his voice across numerous networks the last ten years. In fact, Harris may be one of the most versatile announcers in the sports broadcasting game today. A stretch you say … well here are a few nuggets off the Harris resume. The BYU graduate has been the lead announcer on everything from the Pro Surfing Tour to the 2005 Indy 500 to ESPN College Football / Basketball to the 2010 Olympics Freestyle Skiing events. Now, Harris is a mainstay on the MMA landscape with the WEC on Versus TV. Oh, and lets not forget he host’s everyone’s favorite – The World’s Strongest Man show on ESPN.

So, who helped Harris get his break in MMA with the WEC? How did he pick up the language of MMA and what does he learn from Frank Mir? What two questions is he asked when he visits ESPN headquarters in Connecticut? What are his thoughts on Dominick Cruz and Jens Pulver? And, what in the world does he do with all the frequent flier miles? For these answers and much more, read on …