The Thursday morning after Richie Hightower's (Pictures) loss to George Sotiropoulos (Pictures) aired on season six of "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFC announced that Hightower would be going up against Team Serra teammate Troy Mandaloniz (Pictures).
"Styles make fights, and Troy and I are going to have a war," Hightower said. "We both wanted this fight; we wanted this fight on the show. We both knew it was coming and we accepted it. It's going to be good."
Though every fighter on the UFC's reality show has become a character that fans recognize, the nonfictional Hightower is calm and humble once the cameras are turned off. After the show wrapped production, he had the opportunity to train at the Legends gym in Hollywood, Calif., as well as at the Lab in his home state of Arizona.
Preparation and setting the tempo will be the key for Hightower as he prepares to face off with his former training partner.
"Troy is a great fighter," he said. "I don't pass judgment on anyone. Anything could happen on any given day. That's the great thing about MMA right now -- everybody has a chance, and there is never a guaranteed underdog or winner in any given fight. The only thing I can do is come in there prepared."
Denver's Robinson looks to climb UFC lightweight ladder
Former Ring of Fire lightweight champion Alvin Robinson (Pictures) is taking a breather after a solid 2007 that saw him go 1-1 in the UFC. The high school wrestler and seven-year jiu-jitsu pro had a rough outing in his Octagon debut at UFC 73.
Robinson and opponent Kenny Florian (Pictures) were subject to the UFC scheduling a "swing bout" that hit the air immediately following the card's main event. With 10 fights to his credit, the bright lights are something that normally wouldn't overwhelm Robinson.
"The main difference between my first fight in the UFC and my second was my mental preparation," Robinson said. "I didn't think fighting in the UFC would get to me, and it did, especially being the swing bout and fighting after the main event. My fight with Jorge, I was ready for anything."
Walking into Jorge Gurgel (Pictures)'s hometown and coming away with a win is not something a shell-shocked fighter would be capable of doing. Robinson's unanimous decision victory has spared him the idea of staring at an 0-2 Octagon record going into 2008.
"I don't know what the UFC has planned for me right now," Robinson said. "One thing is for sure, though, and that is I am here to fight and beat the best. I currently have one fight on my contract. I would like to continue to fight the best fighters my division has to offer."
Dewees joins Lion's Den, ready to upset Trigg
On Nov. 11, 2006, Edwin Dewees (Pictures)' comeback took a wrong turn against Jorge Rivera (Pictures). With the "Ultimate Fighter 4" finale loss behind him, Dewees spent some time away from the cage to focus on his personal life.
In January, Dewees and his wife had their first baby boy. The rest of the year he bounced from gym to gym training for his next fight. His next bout never came, as deals with Hardcore Championship Fighting and Global FC both fell apart. When Ken Shamrock (Pictures) and his Lion's Den came calling in October, Dewees welcomed the stability and hasn't looked back since.
On Dec. 15, Dewees returns to the cage to take on Frank Trigg (Pictures) in a fight that will co-headline the latest HDNet Fights offering in Dallas. The match will be Dewees' 45th since turning pro in 2000.
His seven-year career has been marked by tremendous hot streaks (12 wins in a row) and setbacks (0-3 in the UFC).
"I just want to keep plugging away, and getting better with every fight is my main goal," Dewees said. "I'm only 60 percent of the fighter I could be. I'm getting good training out here, which is really stepping me up another level. Hopefully within the next year or two, I can break the top 10."
The first step to cracking the top 10 is to knock off one of the elite. Having a career renaissance at middleweight, Trigg may be the match in which Dewees showcases his new skill set.
"In my head I've been preparing to go to a decision," Dewees said. "Just because I want to be prepared to go three [five-minute] hard rounds. I'm sure I'll be able to get a submission before that. I'm really preparing to go the full 15 minutes and just press, press, press."
Weekend roundup
Denver, Colorado's Kickdown fight promotion will be holding its year-end show on Saturday at the Fat City Events Center.
Two titles will be on the line. In the main event, the Kickdown welterweight title is up for grabs when champion Bryant Craven makes his first defense against Max Smith. The undercard is highlighted by the promotion's amateur lightweight title bout featuring up-and-comer Nathan Gates defending his belt versus Prentice Ingram.
An eclectic mix of BMX, low riders and MMA will take place Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz., where promoters Mollie Frye and Rhonda Ver Halen's Caged Supremacy will be holding their third event.
The show is the highlight of the Extreme Sports Expo to be held at the Tucson Expo Center. The extreme sports convention begins at noon, with fighters taking to the cage at 7:00 p.m.
Thirty miles north of San Antonio in Boerne, Texas, is where you can find a card of all amateur MMA fights. On Saturday at the Kendall County Civic Center, the nonprofit organization Texas Amateur Mixed Martial Arts will be hosting a night filled with some of central Texas' best prospects.