The following entry was written by BSN Assistant Vice President and Kickboxer Stuart Dansby.

BSN is the official nutritional supplement provider of the UFC.

To read more of Dansby’s Dirt, go to BSNOnline.net.

September 9, 2009 UFC Fight Night Preview

UFC Fight Night is coming at us next Wednesday, September 16 from the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma and airing live on Spike TV. As is the case with most Fight Nights, this one promises to be filled with the up and comers, the truly hungry and somewhere in here we may also just find a champion or two of tomorrow. The action in these Fight Nights is always high, as you typically have younger gun-fighters that are looking to make a name for themselves, putting another notch on their belts in the process. Simply put, they go all out and you never quite know what to expect … well, you do know that you’re gonna get some good ol’ fashion A** whippins … you just don’t always know from whom and how. So let’s get right in to it …

Nate Diaz (10-4) vs. Melvin Guillard (41-8-3)

Diaz is coming off two tough decision losses to Clay Guida and Joe Stevenson, who are both top notch and highly skilled UFC fighters. On the other hand, Melvin Guillard is an interesting case. He’s only 26 but sports 52 professional MMA fights under his belt already. Huh? Guillard started as a wrestler and then transitioned into a highly skilled kick-boxer. The thing about his record that makes it slightly questionable though is the only big name on there is a loss to Josh Neer. That and the fact that I just can’t picture Diaz losing three in a row says that Nate wins this one. Besides, he’s got the best sneer in all of MMA land.

Roger “El Matador” Huerta (22-2-1) vs. Gray “The Bully” Maynard (8-0-1)

Okay, here’s the deal; “El Matador” has not fought since his loss to Kenny Florian a year ago. Although he is a highly skilled fighter with a great record and his loss to Florian was a decision … one still has to ponder cage rust? A year is a long time to not fight. Sparring is sparring and training is training, but when a man with skill, ability and desire is standing in front of you and trying to literally injure you in any legal way possible, it’s a whole different ball game. “The Bully” on the other hand is on a five fight win streak and has recently beaten two formidable opponents in Jim Miller and Frankie Edgar. This one goes to Gray Maynard. Moreover, if you weigh 155 lbs and your nickname is “The Bully,” then you have to be a bad ass.

Steve “The Robot” Cantwell (7-20) vs. Brian “The All American” Stann (6-2)

Okay, here are two very similar fighters and they know each other well. They were both former WEC Light Heavyweight champions, they have fought each twice with each one earning a victory with a knockout; Cantwell winning the most recent bout back in August of 2008. They are also both coming off losses. Stann’s was a particularly bad showing against Krystof Soszynski where he seemed impotent on the ground and was easily submitted. The question for this once rising star is how much can his game improve. He’s a hard hitter and has solid stand up, but he’s also a straight in your face fighter that takes a lot of punishment, and as mentioned, has highly questionable mat skills. I go with the momentum of Cantwell here; just a feeling that he has the edge mentally.

Carlos “Natural Born Killer” Conduit (23-5) vs. Jake Ellenberger (21-5)

Not many UFC fans likely know Ellenberger. He’s most recently been seen in the defunct IFL and established a worthwhile record while fighting there. Conduit though is his toughest competition to date, and is coming off a harsh loss to Martin Kampmann. He will be motivated and ready for revenge. Respectfully to Jake, this ain’t the IFL and although he can definitely compete and win in the UFC, I don’t see it happening on this card. Carlos Conduit all the way.

Oh yeah and just in case you didn’t notice, September 16 is also the premier of this season’s TUF show featuring none other than Kimbo Slice … more good reasons to tune in next Wednesday.

Thanks for reading and supporting.

Have a powerful day.

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