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Jiu Jitsu - wrestling - strikingEver since Royce Gracie schooled a very green group of martial artists in 1993's inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championships - Mixed Martial Arts, as it became known, has enjoyed a meteoric evolution.Initially no one knew quite what to expect when two fighters went at it one-on-one, no holds barred in the cage. Notions of spinning...

  UFC 128 featured arguably the most impressive performance in MMA's short history. Uber-talented Jon Jones simply annihilated 205Ibs great Mauricio "Shogun" in three rounds on way to capturing the light-heavyweight title at the tender age of 23."Bones" fell to the floor in celebration without so much as a scratch on him in contrast to his...

  Saturday's encounter between octagon Wunderkind Jon "Bones" Jones and the ultra-talented, veteran Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua promises to be a stone cold classic.Ever since the fight was announced, following Jones's seemingly effortless dismantling of wrestling stud Ryan Bader, MMA fans have been near drawling at the prospect of...

  The UFC's second offering Down Under turned out to be an enjoyable outing that had a little bit of everything and served up its fair share of talking points.Despite the card (other than a highly intriguing main attraction) looking a bit thin on the ground, the event, coming from the Acer Arena in Sydney, delivered a mix of upsets, seesaw battles, controversy...

  A desperate attempt at a toe hold against Antonio Silva in the dying seconds of the second round could well be the be the last competitive action of Fedor Emelianenko's stellar MMA career.The stoic Russian, who sat at the top of the heavyweight landscape with an aura of invincibility for so many years, strongly hinted at retirement on Saturday night following...

 UFC 126 will live long in the memory thanks to "that kick" to the face of Vitor Belfort - delivered out of the clear blue sky by middleweight champion Anderson Silva.All doubts about "The Spider" following his memorable escape from the clutches of defeat against Chael Sonnen in his previous defence vanished thanks to a most unorthodox and...

  A decisive victory over Anderson Silva at UFC 126, in Las Vegas, on Saturday and Vitor Belfort, perhaps MMA's perennial underachiever, will finally have fulfilled his potential.The prodigiously talented Belfort has carried the ghost of his early fighting exploits on his broad shoulders for far too long. His fans, of which there are many, hope that Saturday...

  In the past 12 months only Anderson "The Spider" Silva and Georges "Rush" St. Pierre managed to hold on to their respective UFC divisional straps. (Silva by the skin of his teeth, choking out shamed Chael Sonnen with less than two minutes left at UFC 117).Messers Penn, Machida and Lesnar all relinquished their spots at the pinnacle of...

  Although the main event of UFC 125: Resolution didn't actually offer a resolution it did produce something of a classic contest that showcased much of what's so great about MMA.Despite many fans predicting something of an uninspiring snooze-fest when their match-up was announced, from an electric opening, the see-saw battle in the middle and the do or die last...

  Georges St. Pierre put on a striking clinic in front of his adoring Montreal fans against Josh Koscheck - once again retaining his welterweight title with a landslide decision.Although Koscheck stepped up his wrestling game since their last meeting and thus was able to keep the fight standing, he had no answer to GSP's jab in any of the five rounds.Save for...