UFC Fight For the Troops Results and Reaction

Quick Results:

• Josh Koscheck defeats Yoshiyuki Yoshida via knockout (Strikes) Round 1
• Mike Swick defeats Johnathan Goulet via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
• Steve Cantwell defeats Razak Al-Hassan via TKO (Referee stoppage due to Armbar) Round 1
• Tim Credeur defeats Nate Loughran via TKO (Referee Stoppage) Round 2
• Jim Miller defeats Matt Wiman via Unanimous Decision
• Luigi Fioravanti defeats Brodie Farber via unanimous decision
• Steve Bruno defeats Johnny Rees via submission (rear naked choke) in round two
• Ben Saunders defeats Brandon Wolff via technical knockout (strikes) in round one
• Dale Hartt defeats Corey Hill via technical knockout (leg injury) in round two
• Justin McCully defeats Eddie Sanchez via unanimous decision

Official Fight of the Night: Jim Miller vs. Matt Wiman

Official Submission of the Night: Steve Cantwell

Official Knockout of the Night: Josh Koscheck

• Josh Koscheck looked to be in a different league than Yoshiyuki Yoshida.  What a KO!  I hope he isn’t done with the UFC following his AKA troubles.  He showed he is improved and well rounded
• Mike Swick also impressed in his quick KO of Jonathan Goulet.  He is a serious contender ay 170.
• Steve Cantwell is known for good Muay Thai and striking, but this submission was sick.  If you didn’t see it check it out.  I think Al-Hassan’s arm is still in the octagon somewhere
• Jim Miller looked really, really good against a tough Matt Wiman.  I think Miller can contend one day for the title.  Remember, this fight was on very short notice.
• Tim Credeur has wild looping punches, but he was effective.  He is improving also.
• Ben Saunders was most impressive.  That was vicious.  Brandon Wolff got dominated.   I have never seen someone eat more knees and have a bigger knot on their head.  Wow.  Saunders impressed me.
• Prayers go out to Corey Hill who suffered a broken leg in his fight with Dale Hartt.  He had to be taken out in a stretcher.  More on this as news comes in
• The fight for the troops idea was worthwhile and handled well.  What a classy event that showed the spirit of MMA.  I liked Goldberg’s comments that the UFC is a “sport”, but the soldiers fight real life.  There are no ref’s, tapouts, etc. in battle.  Very true.  Even hardcore fans ought not loose sight of that.  Also, Rogan had some good political thoughts at the end about the “bulls***” of the bailouts of  GM and AIG vs. the worthwhile cause of the intrepid fallen heroes fund. 
• Overall, a great show with good fights.

This Week In MMA

 ·         UFC Fight Night 16: Fight For the Troops – Wednesday, December 10^th

This event is a special bonus for fight fans.  Also, it is a stand up gesture by the UFC.  Say what you want about Dana White and the UFC, but no other fight organizations show the benevolence that the UFC does.  The goal of these fights is to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen heroes Fund.  Click here to find out more or to make donations.  Not only is it a good cause, but there are several good fights.  We will see stars such as Josh Ksocheck, Mike Swick, Matt Wiman, Jim Miller, WEC champ Steve Cantwell, and Luigi Fiorvanti.  Tune in to SPIKE on Wednesday Night to watch this event. 

o   Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

o   Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet

o   Matt Wiman vs. Jim Miller

o   Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan

o   Liugi Fioravanti vs. Brodie Farber

o   Nate Loughran vs. Tim Credeur

o   Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees

o   Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully

o   Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff

o   Corey Hill vs. Dale Hartt

·         Adrenaline MMA 2 – Thursday, December 11

Some good fights on tap here.  The biggest enw may be the return of legend, Pat Miletich against Thomas Denny.  Also in action will be former IFL Heavyweight champ Ben Rothwell, rising Heavyweight star Mike Russow and several other notable fighters. 

o   Pat Miletich vs. Thomas Denny

o   Ben Rothwell vs. Chris Guillen

o   Mike Russow vs. Branden Bice

o   LC Davis vs. Billy Kidd

o   Mike Ciesnolevicz vs. Derrick Mehmen

o   Gabe Lemley vs. Dan Loman

o   Ryan McGivern vs. Geno Roderick

o   Pat Curran vs. Ramiro “Junior” Hernandez

o   Jesse Lennox vs. Ryan Williams

·         Mixed Fighting Alliance – Saturday, December 13

This boasts a solid main event between two heavyweight legends in Monson and Rodriquez.  The big news will be the debut of WWE star Bobby Lashley.  The question will be can he do what Lesnar has done? 

o   Jeff Monson vs. Ricco Rodriquez

o   Bobby Lashley vs. Joshua Franklin

o   Ariel Grandulla vs. David Baggett

·         The Ultimate Fighter 8 Finale – Saturday, December 13^th                   

I do not know of another TUF finale that I have been so excited about.  This season has all the 16 cast members fighting on this card.  Two exciting finals and two exciting bouts of non TUF cast members in Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia and a re-match between Kevin Burns and Anthony Johnson.

o   Ryan Bader vs. Vinny Magalhes

o   Phillipe Nover vs. Efrain Escudero

o   Jason MacDonald vs. Wilson Gouveia

o   Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns

o   Junie Allen Browning vs. Dave Kaplan

o   Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Shane Primm

o   Eliot Marshall vs. Jules Bruchez

o   Kyle Kingsbury vs. Tom Lawlor

o   Shane Nelson vs. George Roop

o   Rolando Delgado vs. John Polakowski

 

 

My UFC Fights for The Troops Preview and Predictions

Josh Koscheck vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Koscheck is the obvious favorite here, but there has been a lot of drama in his life recently. Koscheck is coming off of a loss to Thiago Silva at UFC 90.  Also, there is all the drama that has been going on at AKA.  Koscheck apparently is right in the middle and will not sign the agreement.  Franklin McNeil, on MMA Live, speculated that this could be Koscheck’s last UFC fight win or loose.  I don’t know about that, but I do know he may have some distractions.  That has to affect him.  If it wasn’t for that I would clearly pick Kos to win.  Yoshida may be a good pick for some of our risky betters out there.  Yoshida is a well roudned fighter who looked very good against War Machine in his debut.  Yoshida is a solid judoka with well rounded MMA skills.  Koscheck is a wretler first, but has much improved striking skills.  Which Koscheck will we see?  There is a part of me which wants to pick Yoshida to win this fight, and he very well could, but the safe pick is still Koscheck.  I will pick Koscheck to win by unaimous decision.

Mike Swick vs. Jonathan Goulet

Goulet has looked better lately than he had before.  However, his lasts two wins came over Kuniyoshi Hironaka and Paul Georgieff.  He has a career 4-3 record in the UFC.  Goulet is a decent fighter who can be very aggressive, however Mike Swick is a legit top ten welterweight and could climb higher.  I do not expect Swick to fall of the horse against Goulet.  When it comes down to it I think Swick is better all around and I think he will take this fight by TKO in round 2.

 Matt Wiman vs. Jim Miller

The original fight was slated to be Wiman vs. Frank Edgar, however last week Edgar was forced to withdraw due to an injury.  Jim Miller is a solid replacement that many feel could really climb into elite status in the UFC.  Miller is a gamer.  He steps in on little notice against a very good opponent in Matt Wiman.  A lot of people forget that Wiman is 4-0 since coming off of The Ultimate Fighter Season 5.  Guys like Maynard, Diaz, and Lauzon have gotten all the attention from that season of TUF, but Wiman is right there with them.  This is a tough fight to pick.  Miller ought to have better wrestling and better jiu jitsu than Wiman.  Whereas Wiman ought to have better striking skills.  When it comes down to it one of the questions would have to be Miller’s cardio in stepping in near last minute.  Will it be a factor?  I see this as a tough fight between two guys climbing the ladder at 155.  In the end I think Miller wins it by decision.  However, watch for the submission and watch Wiman’s hands.

Steve Cantwell vs. Razak Al-Hussan

Cantwell is young and very underrated.  He was not expected to beat Stann in their second fight, but I have to believe that Cantwell got on the radar with his win over Stann.  Cantwell has great striking skills.  Cantwell appears to be fairly versatile as a fighter.  I have a feeling that this fight will stay standing and that Cantwell will win by TKO in round 1.

Nate Loughran vs. Tim Credeur

Nate Loughran is 1-0 in the UFC, with his win coming over Johnny Rees.  Loughran also boasts a 9-0 career record.  However, he is stepping in against a solid veteran in Tim Credeur.  Credeur did very will on the Ultimate Fighter 7, loosing twice in the semi-finals to Jesse Taylor and C.B. Dolloway.  Credeur is best known for his very good ground skills.  Loughran also has some ground skills, 8 of his 9 wins have come by way of submission.  I look for this fight to eventually hit the ground and to become very technical.   I look for Credeur to win by submission in round 2.

Luigi Fiorvanti vs. Brodie Farber

The military fans love Luigi Fiorvanti, the ex-marine.  Fiorvanti is coming off of a disappointing loss to Diego Sanchez.  Farber is also coming off of a heartbreaking loss to Rory Markham.  It appeared Farber was about to finish Markham off when Markham landed a head kick that KO’d Farber is highlight reel fashion.  I think Fraber is a solid fighter.  The loser of this fight very well could be out of the UFC.   I really think that Luigi will come pumped and ready to win for the fans at this one.  That is why I think that Fiorvanti wins this win by TKO in round 2.

Steve Bruno vs. Johnny Rees

Steve Bruno, who trains out of American Top Team is 0-1 in the UFC, with his loss coming to Chris Wilson.  Rees is also 0-1 in the UFC losing his bout to Nate Loughran.  This is another bout of the loser leaves the UFC.  Therefore, I pick Steve Bruno to win by decision.

Eddie Sanchez vs. Justin McCully

Sanchez will want this fight to stay standing.  McCully may just want to stand and trade as well.  If it stays on its feet I really expect Sanchez to pull out a win by KO or TKO and that is what I think will happen. 

Ben Saunders vs. Brandon Wolff

Wolff is a highly regarded fighter.  Saunder is a solid fighter and TUF 6 alum.  These guys could really go at it on Wednesday.  In the end I pick Wolff to win by decision.

Corey Hill vs. Dale Hartt

Corey Hill was expected to be a very good fighter and that is why the UFC has kept him around despite his inexperience.  He has no ground game, but he does have great Muay Thai.  The loser of this fight will be sent packing from the UFC.   I think Hill’s size will be the difference.  Corey Hill by TKO in round 1. 

UFC Fight Night 14 Fighter Salaries

Anderson Silva: $200,000

Brandon Vera: $200,000 ($100,000 win bonus)

Frankie Edgar: $51,000 ($13,000 win bonus & $25,000 Fight of the Night Bonus)

CB Dollaway: $45,000 ($10,000 win bonus & $25,000 Submission of the Night Bonus)

Hermes Franca: $42,000 ($25,000 Fight of the Night Bonus)

Rory Markham: $37,000 ($6,000 win bonus & $25,000 Knockout of the Night Bonus)

James Irvin: $20,000

Tim Credeur: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Reese Andy $15,000
Cain Velasquez: $14,000 ($7,000 win bonus)
Jake O’Brien: $11,000

Brad Blackburn: $10,000 ($5000 win bonus)
Kevin Burns: $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus)
Anthony Johnson: $9,000
Jesse Taylor: $8,000
Cale Yarbrough: $8,000

Nate Loughran: $8,000 ($4,000 win bonus)

Shannon Gugerty: $6,000 ($3,000 win bonus)

Johnny Rees: $4,000
Brodie Farber: $3,00O
James Giboo: $3,000
Dale Hartt: $3,000

 

 

My UFC Fight Night 14 Thoughts

Quick Results:

Anderson Silva defeats James Irvin by TKO at 1:01 of the first round.
Brandon Vera defeats Reese Andy by unanimous decision.
Frank Edgar defeats Hermes Franca by unanimous decision.
Cain Velasquez defeats Jake O’Brien by TKO in the first round.
Kevin Burns defeats Anthony Johnson by TKO at 3:35 of Round 3
CB Dollaway defeats Jesse Taylor by submission (choke) at 3:58 of Round 1
Tim Credeur defeats Cale Yarbrough via technical knockout in round one
Rory Markham defeats Brodie Farber via knockout (head kick) in round one
Nate Loughran defeats Johnny Rees by submission (triangle choke) at 4:21 of Round 1
Brad Blackburn defeats James Giboo by TKO (strikes) at 2:29 of Round 2
Shannon Gugerty defeats Dale Hartt by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:33 of Round 1

• Anderson Silva is awesome!  If there were ever any doubters he silenced them.  Some people thought that Anderson would have a hard time with the size, but he didn’t look like he gave up much size.  Some people thought he may not want to strike with Irvin, he did and he beat him badly.  Irvin was out of his league in this fight.  Anderson looked awesome!  Wow.  I hope he fights some more at 205 because the Cote fight isn’t what I want to see. 
• Congrats to Brandon Vera for winning one.  I think the move to 205 was good, but he did look tired.  Thats okay the weight cut is tough and many guys have a hard time with the weight cut the first time.  Mike Swick looked poor in his win in his first 170 fight, but looked better the second time.  Vera will be a force at 205 and is right in the mix. 
• Frank Edgar impressed me.  I thought Franca would win this one.  Edgar looked much better than he did against Maynard.  He dominated Franca.
• The other guy I was impressed with was Cain Velasquez.  Could it be a heavyweight star was born?  He looked awesome.  I buy the hype.  I am on the Cain train.  He could hold the title before too long.
• I hated to see the Burns/Johnson fight end the way it did.  I don’t know about the call, but whatever.  I don’t think Burns was poking on purpose, but he was warned.  Regardless of the deicsion Burns is a tough dude.  I gained tons of respect for Johnson too, he is a top notch human being.  How about him telling the crwods not to boo Burns?  He is a stand up guy.   
• C.B. Dolloway did great, he showed his talent.  He is always capable of winning.  Some of the hype surrounding him was lost due to his losses to Amir.  You can’t take anything away from Amir, but C.B. was beating him up both times they fought before he got caught.  The point is that C.B. can hang with anyone at 185.  I was also glad to see Jesse Taylor back, and hope he gets one more shot at least.  By the way, I loved that Peruvian necktie.  What a submission!
• Welcome to the UFC Rory Markham.  That KO was highlight material.  I don’t know who to give KO of the night to, but I think this was a better KO than Silva’s KO.  Ouch.
• I will be interested to see who the UFC keeps and who they cut from this card.  The guys on the chopping block:

                    – Reese Andy – Give him one more shot.  He didn’t look great, but you can’t cut a guy for losing to one of the best.

                   – Jake O’Brien – I was against him being cut the first time, and I think he deserves one more shot, but he can’t hang with the top guys in the UFC heavyweight divison. 

                   – Brodie Farber – Don’t forget he was winning the fight.  I guess close doesn’t count, but I think he is a good prospect who lost to a veteran fighter. 

                   – James Giboo – Cut him. 

                   – Cale Yarbrough – Cut him.  He can’t hack it and I never thought he could. 

                   – Johnny Rees – Give him one more fight.

                  – Dale Hartt

KO of the Night: Rory Markham

Submission of the Night: C.B. Dolloway

Fight of the Night: Frank Edgar vs. Hermes Franca (Not the most exciting, but it went long and there was action)

My UFC Fight Night 14 Predictions

Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin

I am looking forward to this fight.  When I make my predictions I will look at all aspects of the game and some to a decision.  Sometimes I will even pick an upset, but there are several fighters that I cannot pick against right now.  Anderson Silva is one of those guys I cannot pick against right now, the others being B.J. Penn, Georges St. Pierre, and Fedor Emelianenko.  I might miss a pick every now and then with that startegy, but more often than not I am right.  I know Anderson will eventually lose a fight, but I will not pick against him anytime soon.  James Irvin is good and he has knockout power.  He could KO Anderson Silva.  However, Irvin has never been a top 10 light heavyweight.  He is fighting the number one pound for pound fighter in the world.  The blogegrs and fans along with the media will try to hype this fight and give Irvin a bigger chance to win, in then end Anderson is going to beat him.  I do not know how much can be said.  I pick Anderson Silva by TKO in round 2. 

Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy

Brandon Vera beat some good guys at heavyweight, however he was small for a heavyweight.  I believe Vera can bang with anyone.  Reese Andy is not known to a lot of MMA fans, but he was a former IFL fighter who hasn’t fought in a year.  Andy has a decent record and I have heard he is pretty good, but he hasn’t beaten anyone.  Vera will be by far the best guy he has ever fought.  I believe Vera will be fast and strong at 205 and will win by KO in round 1.  Welcome to light heavyweight Brandon Vera.

Frankie Edgar vs. Hermes Franca

Both these guys are good fighters.  Edgar has climbed the ladder at 155, but dropped off a bit following his loss to Gray Maynard.  Many people are forgetting that Hermes Franca was the number one contender and fought for the title against Sean Sherk before his failed drug test.  Franca is strong and aggressive.  Bioth guys have wrestling skills.  Edgar can win, but he needs to be more aggresive.  I pick Franca to win by unanimous decision.

Jake O’Brien vs. Cain Velasquez

I am glad the UFC brough back Jake O’Brien and I hope he gets another chance after this fight.  O’Brien has done well in the UFC his only loss coming to Arlovski.  However, I think Jake O’Brien’s strength is wrestling.  Cain Velasquez will be able to neutralize that.  From what I am hearing Cain is the real deal.  I buy the hype.  People say that Cain has great Jiu Jitsu and great stand up.  People are hailing him as the future of the heavyweight divison.  I will pick Cain Velasquez to win by TKO in round 1. 

Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is looking to make an impression.  His KO of Tommy Speer in his last outing was incredible.  Kevin Burns looked good against Road Carneiro and pulled off the submission win.  I think Burns will want to take this fight down.  Johnson is big and strong and can strike with power.  I don’t see Burns being able to get the take down.  He will be forced to strike with Johnson and it won’t work well.  Anthony Johnson wins by TKO in round 3. 

C.B. Dollaway vs. Jesse Taylor

C.B. the odds on favorite to win TUF 7, but lost twice to Amir.  Jesse taylor made it to the finals before being kicked off following his drunken rampage.  This fight is interesting.  It is the TUF 7 cast off versus the guy who replaced him.  This fight is huge for both guys.  I don’t know if it is a winner go home fight, but C.B. needs a win something bad.  Jesse is big and strong and has something to prove.  C.B. is well rounded (except submission defense).  I think that Jesse is stronger and bigger, but C.B. is the better striker from what I saw on TUF. C.B. has better ground and pound, but Jesse does have good ground and pound.  They are similar in style.  They both probably are more comfortable on the ground.  I believe C.B. may stand this fight at first and see how it goes.  I think C.B. wins in round 2 by rear naked choke.

Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough

Cale showed nothing on the show.  I am bothered by this a little.  Let me vent.  I believe TUF 7 only had a few guys with real potenital and talent to make it in the UFC.  The UFC didn’t bring back many guys to the finale.  Why did they bring back Cale?  Cale is a vegetable, isn’t it?  I thought Gerald Harris is the guy that got cheated most, he deserves one shot in the UFC.  With that said, Tim is too experienced and too good for Cale.  Cale can knock him out if that stand, but Tim will take Cale down and soften him up and then submit him with a choke, in round 1.

Brodie Farber vs. Rory Markham

Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo

Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees

Shannon Gugerty vs. Dale Hartt

UFC News: Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dolloway at UFC Fight Night 14

The UFC has quickly put together a good card to compete with Affliction.  All last week it was rumored that Jesse Taylor would be given another chance and would fight The Ultimate Fighter 7 runner-up C.B. Dolloway on this card.  Even yours truly posted regarding this rumor (here). It looks like the fight will happen.  We all remember Jesse Taylor as the one kicked off the Ultimate Fighter after he had earned a spot in the finale or as the pants peeing drunk.  However, Jesse Taylor seems to have it together.  He has quit drinking, and he has said and done all the right things. Jesse Taylor could have cried and made a big deal out of it, but he owned up to his actions, and I respect that.  I still think removing him was the best way to handle what took place, but I am glad to see him get another chance.  This from Dana White on Yahoo! Sports:

I’ve faced a lot of challenges since we’ve had the UFC, but I have a kid (Taylor) who pissed his pants on television and now I have to turn him into a star…. Without a doubt, the kid deserves another chance. He made himself look like a fool, and he’s aware of that, but everyone deserves another opportunity and we’re going to give it to him. He acted like a moron. He’s embarrassed by it, which he should be, but what he did doesn’t amount to enough to ban him forever. Come on. He was just young and stupid, but at least he seems to have learned from what he did.”

Taylor will have his hands full against C.B. Dolloway.  This will be a tough match, and is very important for both fighters.  C.B. lost in the finale to Amir, and needs a win in the UFC.  If Jesse gets on top he could just lay there and ground and pound C.B.  Jesse is a big fella.  This should be a interesting fight anyways and I hope it makes it on the televised portion.

Here is the card as we know it today:

Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin

Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy

Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar

Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O’Brien

Jesse Taylor vs. C.B. Dolloway

Rory Markham vs. Brodie Farber

Anthony Johnson vs. Kevin Burns

Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo

Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees

Shannon Gugherty vs. Dale Hartt

I imagine that the battle for the fifth spot on the televised card will fall between Burns vs. Johnson, Marham vs. Farber and Taylor vs. Dolloway.  I would have to say the edge goes to Dolloway/taylor because of how familar many SPIKE viewers will be of the two fighters because of TUF.  I’d also like to see the other two fights.  Markham is aggresive, so if he finishes quickly he may get aired as is Anthony Johnson.  I’d also like to see them pick up the Tim Credeur vs. Cale Yarbrough fight that got cancelled at the TUF 7 Finale due to Credeur’s adderall.

A Host Of Newcomers Added to UFC Fight Night 14

James Giboo vs. Brad Blackburn

Giboo and Blackburn, UFC welterweights newcomers, recently agreed to the bout, sources close to both fighters tell MMAjunkie.com .Giboo, an Iowa-based fighter who’s fought in the Midwest’s top regional promotions, is currently riding a six-fight win streak. The 30-year-old has balanced a fighting career with duties as a high school biology teacher and wrestling coach. The noted ground fighter has finished nine of his 11 career victories via submission, most by rear-naked or triangle choke. Blackburn, a former IFL fighter based out of Seattle, trains under Maurice Smith with Andy Reese, who will meet Brandon Vera at the same July 19 event. The 31-year-old has lost just once in his past five fights, which included a victory over highly touted IFL welterweight Jay Hieron in June 2007.

Johnny Rees vs. Nate Loughran

Two UFC newcomers with a combined 18 stoppage victories in 18 career fights, will meet at UFC Fight Night 14. MMAjunkie.com today confirmed the July 19 bout with Rees’ management. Rees, a veteran of the Indiana-based Legends of Fighting and United Fight League organizations, turned pro in October 2005 and has reeled off 10 consecutive victories — eight via submission and seven in the first round. He’ll now fight for the first time since a November 2007 victory over Jeremy Wingler (7-3) at LOF 22. Loughran, a veteran of Gladiator Challenge and Palace Fighting Championship, has posted eight consecutive victories — seven via submission and six in the first round. In his most recent fight, he picked up the PFC middleweight title with a second-round submission victory over Kenny Ento (9-4). “The winner of the fight will be the fans,” said Ken Pavia, Rees’ agent. “Between the two of them, they are 18-0 with 18 definitive finishes. (UFC matchmaker) Joe Silva did a great job with this fight. I am excited for Johnny because a win over Nate really puts him on the map and puts him closer to his dream of wearing a UFC strap. The kid is legit.”

Shannon Gugherty vs.  Dale Hartt

Lightweight fighters Shannon Gugherty (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and Dale Hartt (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) have agreed to meet in an undercard bout at the July 19 event. A source from Gugherty’s camp alerted MMAjunkie.com  of the bout, though Hartt’s agent, Ken Pavia, could neither confirm nor deny the fight. Gugherty, a longtime veteran of the Total Combat organization, fights out of San Diego with City Boxing. He’s currently riding a six-fight win streak, which includes six stoppages (four of which came in the first round). Gugherty kickstarted his career with a victory over WEC contender Cub Swanson, and in his most recent fight, he delivered Johnny Torres (5-1) his first career loss. Hartt, who’s competed recently for Full Force Productions in Massachusetts, trains under UFC welterweight Marcus Davis in Maine. The 29-year-old is a perfect 5-0 with five stoppages since turning pro in 2004.

UFC Fight Night 14:

Anderson Silva vs. James Irvin

Brandon Vera vs. Reese Andy

Cain Velasquez vs. Jake O’Brien

Hermes Franca vs. Frank Edgar

Kevin Burns vs. Anthony Johnson

Brad Blackburn vs. James Giboo

Nate Loughran vs. Johnny Rees

Shannon Gugherty vs. Dale Hartt