Fightin' Words

Check out Katie Strang's story on Luke Cummo's unusual training modes.

Check out this video from Katie Strang on Luke Cummo's final conditioning workout before his fight Saturday night with Luigi Foiravanti in UFC 82.

By Hank Winnicki

Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
Here's the thing about this sport, just when someone looks unbeatable, they get beat. For awhile, Matt Hughes looked too tough to lose; then he tried to stand with Georges St. Pierre. GSP looked like he would be a long-time champ; then Matt Serra knocked him into next week. Chuck Liddell looked unstoppable until that right hand from Quinton Jackson.
Silva is on one of those rolls. If there's a hole in his game, no one has found it yet. What he did to Rich Franklin is still a little scary. That said, Silva will win this fight, but it will be close enough to earn Henderson a rematch.
Prediction: Silva by TKO in the third round. Rematch in a few months.

Cheick Kongo vs. Heath Herring
Win here moves Kongo up the heavyweight ladder.
Prediction: Kongo by KO in the second round

Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner
Okami will pull this one out. Hope Tanner goes back to the long hair.
Prediction: Okami by submission in the third round

Josh Koshcheck vs. Dustin Hazelett
Koshcheck is a huge favorite in this one, and for good reason.
Prediction: Koshcheck by TKO in the first round

Jon Fitch vs. Chris Wilson
Another mismatch. Fitch vs. Koshcheck would make a very good match.
Prediction: Fitch grounds and pounds a victory in the second round

Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden
Sanchez will work his way back into the welterweight picture. It starts here.
Prediction: Sanchez wins by decision

Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien
Here's your upset of the night. O'Brien eats a few punches, but keeps Arlovski on his back and grinds out a somewhat boring decision victory.
Prediction: O'Brien wins a decision

Luke Cummo vs. Luigi Fioravanti
Fioravanti is an Iraq war veteran who has lost his last two UFC fights. Cummo should win and deserves a step up in competition.
Prediction: Cummo by KO in the first round

Jorge Gurgel vs. John Halverson
Prediction: Halverson by KO in the third round

Chris Leben vs. Alessio Sakara
Sakara drops to 185 from 205, which was his weight for his January victory over Jason Lee. Leben gets caught by something, a big right or an armbar.
Prediction: Sakara by submission in the second round

By Hank Winnicki

Season 7 of the "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show debuts on April 2 on Spike. With that in mind, here are my top 10 reality show contestants of all-time. Feel free to disagree.

1. Matt Serra (Season 4) -- Stunning Georges St. Pierre gives the welterweight champ the top spot.
2. Forrest Griffin (Season 1) -- He has an amazing heart and a pretty impressive win over Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. Light heavyweight is a tough division, but he could hold the belt one day.
3. Keith Jardine (Season 2) -- Has beaten Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin and probably should have won that decision against Stephan Bonnar. His unorthodox style is giving some fits, but others -- such as Rashad Evans and Houston Alexander -- figured him out.
4. Josh Koshcheck (Season 1) -- Beating Diego Sanchez and going the distance with GSP proves he'll be a force in the division. His only loss other than GSP was a last-second choke-out at the hands of Drew Fickett.
5. Diego Sanchez (Season 1) -- Back-to-back losses dropped him down the list, but he'll be back.
6. Kenny Florian (Season 1) -- Not sure how he does it. Doesn't seem to have the physical tools to hang with the best in the lightweight division, but has trained hard to overcome the holes in his game.
7. Rashad Evans (Season 2) -- His victory over Michael Bisping earns him this spot, but we'll see if he has the all-around game to be a legit contender.
8. Michael Bisping (Season 3) -- A strong win will have everyone talking about him again.
9. Marcus Davis (Season 2) -- Another guy who has come a long way since the show. He's reeled off six straight wins, but we'll see how he fares against a top competitor. Hunch here is he drops off the list.
10. Joe Stevenson (Season 2) -- Still getting better. Was picked apart by B.J. Penn, but that could be the kind of loss that makes him better down the road.

Fighters most likely to crack the Top 10 soon: Nathan Diaz, Mac Danzig, Mike Swick, Joe Lauzon, Patrick Cote, Matt Hamill, Manny Gamburyan, Travis Lutter.

By Katie Strang

There have been plenty of reports around the Web that season 7 of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality show would be in for a few changes.

Sources close to the show confirm that the new season, which debuts on Spike TV on April 2, will depart from its usual format and begin with 32 fighters instead of the usual 16.

The first two episodes will be the fights to make it on to show. Winners will gain a spot in the house and the losers will head home.

Season 7 features only middleweight competitors (185 pounds). The coaches are UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and TUF season 1 winner Forrest Griffin. The show debuts after the UFC Fight Night that features Kenny Florian against Joe Lauzon in the main event.

So, what do you think? Does this sound like a good change?

By Hank Winnicki

Joey Jitsu is on the shelf for a bit, so I thought I would check in to keep the blog rolling.

Chuck Liddell made an appearance on National Public Radio on Saturday to promote his new book, "My Fighting Life." And, by chance, I was listening.

Liddell was on the quiz show "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me." The host of the show wondered how many people are likely to be NPR listeners and follow Ultimate Fighting. I'm one. Liddell was asked three difficult questions about the Bush family. He got one right.

But, while we're talking MMA books, does anybody have any recommendations? Has anyone read Liddell's book?