UFC Fight MORNING 66: Edgar vs Faber Staff Picks and Predictions

via wikipedia.com

Hello everybody. Your friendly neighborhood Filipino here to bring you the action from the UFC's inaugural trip to my ancestral seat for UFC Fight Night Morning 66: Edgar vs Faber. The event will be taking place at the Mall of Asia Arena. For anyone that has never been, the Mall of Asia is a preposterously gigantic mall that is basically three malls. It is so preposterously large in fact, that I had no idea they had an arena in addition. The Philippines are known for many things such as tropical beaches, delicious food, beautiful ladies, an uncanny knack for choreographed dancing, and are additionally rabid fight fans. MMA is still in its embryonic stages in the country, but the passion and excitement for it has long been brewing if the massive crowds that GSP, more so than anything he ever received here in the States, are any indication. The Philippines needs a new hero because their last one participated in the most predictably blah fight of the century just a couple weeks ago. Will someone on this card rise to the task?

State of the Middleweight Landscape

Image via terezowens.com

Hey there folks. It has been a while since I've had a chance to comment on all things mma as Comic Con took my attention away for a spell. In my catching up on the mma world it seems like the middleweight picture has become quite a mess and I have decided to take up the duty to try and sort out the picture for all you wonderful readers. (One side Comic Con note: apparently Josh Barnett was there and somehow we did NOT meet him. Lame.) So up next we'll take a look at the top names in the game, where they stand, and where do they go from here.

Anderson Silva: Fresh off the biggest win of his career, it seems most likely that Anderson will take some time off to enjoy his new A-list celebrity status in his home country, and have some fun with those fresh millions in his bank account. It does not seem likely he will fight again any sooner than the Spring or Summer of next year. I don't think he is retiring quite yet, but he might be moving toward the Undertaker annual super fight circuit mode sooner than later.

Chael Sonnen: Poor Chael. Your tremendous wrestling ability and gift of gab got you right near the top, but a "what were you thinking?" spinning back elbow probably cost you all of it. With a second loss, this time in devastating fashion, Chael will not likely get a third crack at Silva. He goes into Jon Fitch mode now with the option of being a gate keeper to the division unless Silva should fall or decide to retire. Next up he likely gets to settle his feud with Wanderlei Silva, or possibly retirement, though I would hope not.

Mark Munoz: Munoz was supposed to be up next, but he was quite simply tooled in his last fight. He's the decorated wrestler whose take downs aren't quite good in an mma setting, whose standup is only ok, and whose chin is questionable. Munoz probably falls out of the title picture and will need to put together 3-4 wins again before he's in it once more.

Chris Weidman: Just like Batman on Thursday, Weidman rises. For Munoz being up next, Weidman made that fight look like some routine can crushing. He probably has more momentum than any other fighter in the division going right now, but due to no one watching Fuel, likely needs another high profile fight as a co-main event to help sell his probably shot against Silva after.