[bears9]

Well next Saturday the UFC will return England for UFC 80: Rapid Fire. The Fights will air on PPV Live Replay from New Castle, England.

There is a vacant title in the lightweight division. But that will all change Saturday when B.J. "The Prodigy " Penn (12-4-1) face Ultimate Fighter 2 welterweight division winner Joe "Daddy" Stevenson (33-7-0). Stevenson is coming off his win over Kurt Pellegrino at UFC 74. Penn is coming off a win over Jenn Palmer at the Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale. Penn is a very good stand up and submissions. Stevenson has good submissions as well take downs and wrestling. I think Penn will try to keep the fight off the ground and even if it does hit the ground he will survive. I like B.J. Penn hear via TKO in round 4.

The other big fight of the night is in the heavyweight division. Gabriel "Napao" Gonzaga (8-2-0) will face Fabricio "Vai Cavalo" Werdum (9-3-1). Gonzaga is coming off his lost to Randy Couture at UFC 74. Werdum also coming off a lost to Andre Arlovski at UFC 70. Gonzaga's strenghts are his big kick he used to knock out Mirko Cro Cop at UFC 70 and his jijustu. Werdum will look to keep the fight on the ground because he a very good wrestler and jijustist. I like Gonzaga to win this via submission in round 3.

Here is the Full Card:


MAIN CARD

• B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson (for vacant lightweight title)
• Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum
• Marcus Davis vs. Jess Liaudin
• Jason Lambert vs. Wilson Gouveia
• Kendall Grove vs. Jorge Rivera

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Antoni Hardonk vs. Colin Robinson
• Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor
• James Lee vs. Alessio Sakara
• Per Eklund vs. Sam Stout

The Fights are next Saturday January Live on PPV at 3:00 Eastern Live or 10 Eastern on Live Replay also on PPV. Thoughts? Predictions?

[EmpireWF]

I'm going with B.J. Penn in this one. IMO, he's at the top of his game after that loss to Hughes in 2006 where his conditioning was crap. Penn now has been training to improve his conditioning. Stevenson is a good wrestler but I can't bet against Penn. Penn via submission in the 3rd.

Gonzaga/Werdum...I'm going with Werdum although this hopefully won't be a borefest. Gonzaga in his last fight with Couture took a pounding for two rounds. Werdum via TKO in the 2nd.

[EmpireWF]

Here's a piece from Kevin Iole about Joe Stevenson...

"Stevenson says he's put more into Saturday's UFC lightweight championship fight against B.J. Penn than he has into anything he's done in his life.

Stevenson has been fighting professionally since he was 16 and has reeled off 28 victories in 35 fights, including four in a row.

But when he steps into the octagon on Saturday at Metro Radio Arena to meet Penn in the main event of UFC 80, he'll know that he has given more of himself in during his preparations in Big Bear, Calif., than he has for anything he's ever done.

He has been in camp for 2½ months – a lifetime for a guy who is as devoted to his wife, Maia, and his three children as Stevenson – and estimates he's spent $10,000 in making sure he's at his best when the fight with Penn begins.

"I'm not crazy," Stevenson says softly. "These are a couple of months I'll never get back. I'd much rather be spending this time with my family."

But if he walks to the cage in anything but superb physical condition, he'll have little chance against the multi-talented Penn, who is ranked No. 7 in the Yahoo! Sports Top 10. And so Stevenson, who is renowned for his good conditioning, has pushed himself harder than ever.

Penn says Stevenson is one of the best opponents he's faced in his illustrious career and said he knows Stevenson could go hard for 10 five-minute rounds if he had to do so.

"Joe isn't as well known maybe as some guys, but he is good in pretty much everything and you know he's going to be 100 percent ready," Penn said. "When you're fighting Joe Stevenson, you can't focus on anything but him because he's very dangerous."

And Stevenson knows that though he and Penn are friends, a win over Penn would take him to a new station in life.

He was a father by the time he was 18 and barely able to stay above the poverty line. He's had so many twists in his personal life that his life story would be rejected in Hollywood as unbelievable.

He's devoted much of his life to mixed martial arts and to his family and finally stands on the precipice of a breakthrough.

"I'm not really an old guy, but I feel like I've been around forever," Stevenson said. "I've seen a lot and done a lot, but here's the thing about that: It has all combined to make me who I am. It's why I have a shot to win this fight. There are people who say I can't beat B.J.? That's OK. I'm not going to get mad at someone's opinion.

"But you know what, if they knew what I've gone through to get to this point, the sacrifices I've had to make and the things I've had to get over, they wouldn't think that way. I don't worry about those things anyway. My Mom thinks I'll win. My wife thinks I'll win. That's what matters."

UFC president DanaWhite acts incredulous when asked if he thinks Stevenson can win. White has been around long enough to know there are no sure things in MMA fights.

And when considering a guy with Stevenson's record (28-7) and pedigree, it would be a foolish mistake, White knows, to sell him short.

"Joe Stevenson is one of the best fighters in the world, period, and he doesn't have to take a back seat to anybody," White said. "He's a dangerous, dangerous opponent. B.J. knows what he has in front of him."

So, too, does Stevenson. That's why a win would be so significant for him. But he also knows that the biggest jackpot lies about a day after the fight ends.

"I get to go home and be with the family," Stevenson said. "I've made some unbelievable sacrifices, but this is all going to be worth it. I'm going to pave their futures out. I'm going to give them a lot more of a chance than I ever had of making it."

Stevenson wants to be daddy of the 155s - MMA - Yahoo! Sports

[bears9]

Stevenson is a very good fighter but unless he just totally over powes B.J. I don't see him winning that fight.

[EmpireWF]

Here are the official weigh in results for UFC 80...

MAIN CARD
BJ Penn (154) vs. Joe Stevenson (154) (for UFC lightweight title)
Gabriel Gonzaga (255) vs. Fabricio Werdum (247)
Jess Liaudin (170) vs. Marcus Davis (169)
Wilson Gouveia (205) vs. Jason Lambert (204)
Jorge Rivera (185) vs. Kendall Grove (186)

PRELIMINARY CARD
Antoni Hardonk (244) vs. Colin Robinson (238.)
Paul Kelly (170) vs. Paul Taylor (170)
James Lee(206) vs. Alessio Sakara (206)
Per Eklund (155) vs. Sam Stout (155)

[bears9]

Hear is a piece of Yahoo Sports' Dave Metzler on the Gonzaga Werdum bout.

Gabriel Gonzaga is looking to avenge an early career loss. Fabricio Werdum is facing the man who derailed his training partner. And both, coming off high-profile losses, are fighting for survival in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division in Saturday's match, the second-billed attraction underneath the B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson lightweight title match at UFC 80 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England.
A sold-out crowd of 9,000 fans will be at the Metro Radio Arena to see the two Brazilian natives in a rematch of each man's first high-profile showdown, held on September 13, 2003, on a card in Brazil.
At the time, both were decorated jiu-jitsu world champions. Werdum had three mixed martial arts matches under his belt, Gonzaga had two. The show was held in a makeshift arena in a Brazilian jungle. Werdum won with a stoppage from punches at 2:11 of the third round.
More than four years later, as part of a pay-per-view show that airs at 3 p.m. Eastern time, both have reached a level of international stardom. Werdum ended up as the ground coach for Mirko Cro Cop, and parlayed his position into a regular spot in PRIDE in 2005 and 2006, making a name in his first match when he finished off 300-pound Tom Erikson. Gonzaga started in UFC in late 2005 and scored some impressive wins, leading to a match with Cro Cop last April in which he was considered a major underdog.
In one of UFC's most memorable moments last year, Gonzaga knocked Cro Cop out with a high kick in Manchester, England. If it wasn't for Matt Serra's victory over Georges St. Pierre a few weeks earlier, Gonzaga's KO of Cro Cop would have been remembered as the biggest in-the-octagon shock of 2007 in UFC.
But as many times as that high kick was shown, Gonzaga is best known for being the latest in the, "Bigger, stronger and younger than Randy Couture†club, as he went down to an upset defeat against the aging gunslinger on Aug. 25 when he challenged for Couture’s heavyweight title in Las Vegas.
Werdum lost a decision to Andrei Arlovski in his UFC debut in a lackluster match on the same card as Gonzaga’s win over Cro Cop.
Werdum, 9-3-1, has never been finished in a fight. Gonzaga, 9-2, figures to have the on-paper edge. While both are master grapplers, Gonzaga appears to have the better stand-up game. He's a huge man, with the ability to carry 252 pounds and be in condition. Werdum, who still lives in Brazil, is taller and his long legs have been known to set up triangles and armbars on the ground, but Gonzaga should be very familiar in negating that game. Werdum couldn’t knock Arlovski off his feet, and Gonzaga shouldn't be any easier.

Gonzaga-Werdum a battle for position - MMA - Yahoo! Sports

[bears9]

Two Preliminary Fights in the books Sammy Strout defeated Swede Per Eklund via unanimous decsion and Alessio Sakara defeated James Lee via TKO in Round 1.

[bears9]

Paul Kelly over Paul Taylor via Unamious decsion, Antoni Hardonk over Colin Robinson via TKO in Round 1 wrapping up the Premliminaries. On the main card, Jorge Rivera over Kendell Grove via TKO in Round 1, Wilson Goulvia over Jason Lambert via KO in Round.

[bears9]

Marcus Davis won his 11th straight fight defeating Jess Liaudin via KO in round 1

[bears9]

Empire called it, Werdum beats Gonzaga via TKO (strikes) in Round 2.

[bears9]

B.J. Penn dominates Joe Stevenson winning via Submission (rear-neck choke) in Round 2. Penn is now the UFC Lightweight Champion

[EmpireWF]

In the main event, Stevenson was cut along the hairline by an elbow in the first. He spent the rest of the fight covered in blood. So give the guy props for staying in there until Penn locked in the submission hold.

B.J. Penn is the 2nd fighter in UFC history to hold a belt in two weight classes (Randy Couture did it first). Penn will defend the UFC light weight belt against former champion Sean Sherk...down the line.

[bears9]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

In the main event, Stevenson was cut along the hairline by an elbow in the first. He spent the rest of the fight covered in blood. So give the guy props for staying in there until Penn locked in the submission hold.

B.J. Penn is the 2nd fighter in UFC history to hold a belt in two weight classes (Randy Couture did it first). Penn will defend the UFC light weight belt against former champion Sean Sherk...down the line.

I'm hearing April or May