Almost as expected, the UFC’s return to Japan delivered an exciting night of fights. Host to a number of upsets, UFC 144 definitely did not disappoint anyone expecting action. Things got off to a great start on the free Facebook stream, with Issei Tamura delivering an absolutely devastating knock out in the opening bout. Following that was a solid preliminary card featuring some close decisions and a good finishing victory by Takanori Gomi. (Which also offset the letdown of seeing Kid Yamamoto lose, albeit to a very impressive Vaughan Lee.)

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Roughly six years since the closure of PRIDE Fighting Championships — and their subsequent purchase by the the UFC — a big-league MMA card is finally taking place in Japan. Although the UFC has no intention of doing any throwbacks to the PRIDE era, the fact this card is taking place in Japan has seemingly warranted some special attention, as the fight card is absolutely packed with some exciting fights.

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Following a strong offering of preliminary fights, broadcast on Facebook and Fox, the pay-per-view portion of UFC 143 delivered some interesting outcomes and compelling fights, and a few lulls. All told, the event was entertaining, although some fights were a little underwhelming and it’s always tough to swallow a contentious judges decision in the main event. That said, I was just short of a cleansweep in picking all the fights, while Rui slips a little further behind — while still acquitting himself well.

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Once again the UFC brings us another pay-per-view offering, right on the heels of two successful outings on Fox — and their affiliate networks. This week’s card offers up some exciting fights, some relative unknowns (in the eyes of casual fans), and a main event that is all but guaranteed to be an epic throwdown between two of the best welterweights in the world.

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Well, last night’s UFC event in Rio De Janeiro certainly delivered an evening of exciting fights. From the first bout on the card, right up to the conclusion of the main event, the Brazilian crowd proved they are one of the most passionate — and educated — MMA crowds on the planet. The crowd’s fervor only served to increase my interest in the action; making the opening bout seem almost like a main event on a North American card.

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The UFC doesn’t take much time off and, as such, a mere 15 days after UFC 141 – Lesnar -vs- Overeem took place, we’re back with another MMA pay-per-view from the most prominent company in the sport. This week’s fights also mark the UFC’s second trip to Brazil in as many years, with plans to return to the country again some time in the summer of this year. Unfortunately for the co-main-event, the weigh-ins did not go off without some problems.

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After a solid month of build up, UFC 141 has finally come and gone. I guess it was a bit greedy to expect a perfect night of picks, but I didn’t expect to be so wrong about how things unfolded; I was shocked, more than once, at what I saw in the fights. That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed the entirety of the broadcast and certainly cannot claim I didn’t get my money’s worth. In the aftermath of this event, the MMA landscape of 2012 just got rearranged significantly.

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Despite jumping the gun a couple of weeks ago, this is indeed the final UFC event of the year 2011. Upon reflection, I think one of the main reasons I overlooked this pay-per-view is the fact that this has been one amazing year for fights. The fact that December is closed out with an awesome heavyweight scrap and a solid undercard is a yet another reason it’s good to be an MMA fan.

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Last night’s UFC 140 delivered a lot of things; some savage knockouts, slick submissions, a broken arm and a definitive kingpin standing atop the light heavyweight division. Also, as a side bonus, I got my proverbial ass handed to me in the prediction department! My only consolation is that I got ahead of myself in calling UFC 140 the final event of the year; as UFC 141 – Lesnar -vs- Overeem is slated for December 30th, and it will be covered.

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As the Christmas holiday season rapidly approaches, the UFC delivers its second last pay-per-view event for the year. As is normal for any fight card not taking place in the UK, the roster for UFC 140 is packed with some very recognisable names, so we should be in for a great night of fights. My partner in crime, Rui once again provides his picks for this event. The records will be reset in the New Year, so let’s see who’s going to have the last laugh for 2011.

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