(Bobby Green vs. Charles “Krazy Horse” Bennet at KOTC – Fight 4 Hope.)

For obvious reasons, the main focus of Saturday night’s UFC 156: Aldo vs. Edgar card is on both the headlining title fight and the title implications of an Alistair Overeem win, but that is not to say that there aren’t plenty of intriguing matchups to be had on the undercard as well. Featuring the UFC debuts of a couple Strikeforce veterans and an undefeated Hawaiian prospect, UFC 156 promises to deliver from top to bottom, so join us after the jump to get the inside scoop on all of the unfamiliar faces that will be stepping into the octagon Saturday night.

(Green vs. Dan Lauzon at Affliction: Day of Reckoning.) 

Bobby “King” Green (LW)

Before I was a writer here at CagePotato, some of my favorite columns to read were the “New Guys” features devoted entirely to familiarizing us with the unfamiliar faces sprinkled throughout the average UFC card. It made the preliminary action far more exciting in my opinion, and more importantly made me look like less an MMA fan, more a prophet when making picks against my friends on fight night. I would of course plead ignorance after I had successfully transferred their money into my wallet, but hey, that’s what they get for saying “This Cyprus Diabetes guy is going to get straight up murdered by Luiz Cane.”

So to begin a year in which 95 or so percent of scheduled UFC fights will likely be cancelled due to injury, we figured we would brush off this old feature moving forward, if only to brief you on the no-namers who will inevitably be stepping in on short notice to replace our plagued MMA stars. Today’s edition focuses on the upcoming UFC on FX 7 card headlined by Michael Bisping vs. Vitor Belfort, and features a pair of dangerous, well-rounded sluggers hailing from, you guessed it, Brazil. Funny how that always seems to be the case.

On May 5th, 2006, Canadian welterweight Chris Clements (1-1 at the time) met a first-time fighter named Lautaro Tucas at TKO 25 in Montreal. Putting his lack of experience on full display, Tucas opened the fight by skipping madly across the ring at Clements, his arms draped at his sides. Clements loaded up a right straight and immediately knocked Tucas out cold.

The stoppage was recorded at 0:03 of round 1 — the first three-second knockout in MMA history, establishing a record that has yet to be broken in professional competition. (In case you’re wondering, Kid Yamamoto’s famous flying knee was officially marked as four seconds, and the Harris/Fuller fake-tap backfire KO was recorded as five seconds, even though they both seemed to end just as immediately as Clements vs. Tucas.)

Tucas never fought again, but Clements — now 10-4 with all of his wins by KO/TKO — continued to compete in Canada, and is finally making his Octagon debut this Saturday at UFC 145 in Atlanta. Currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes stoppages of UFC vets Rich Clementi and Jonathan Goulet, Clements will be part of UFC 145′s Facebook prelims broadcast, facing off against Keith Wisniewski (28-13-1, 0-2 UFC), the Indiana-based journeyman who’s perhaps most famous for getting his arm snapped by Shinya Aoki.

After the jump: Two more examples of Clements’s freaky power.

(Magnus Cedenblad highlight reel via zaihtaMHS. Head bussin’, head bussin’.)

After a six-week spring break, the UFC returns from hibernation this Saturday with their first-ever event in Sweden. UFC on Fuel TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva goes down at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, and will feature five local scrappers — red-hot light-heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson, the returning Papy Abedi (who lost his UFC debut to Thiago Alves), as well as three Sweden-based newcomers to help fill out the Facebook prelims. Meet the new guys below, and keep in mind that the six-fight Fuel TV main card will air live at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT.

MAGNUS “Jycken” CEDENBLAD (MW)
Experience: 10-6 record (9 wins by stoppage) with multiple appearances in the Superior Challenge and Vision Fighting Championship promotions. Last fight was an 88-second kimura victory over Dan Edwards in October 2011.
Will be facing: Francis Carmont (17-7, 1-0 UFC)
Lowdown: First of all, “Jycken” means “The Pooch.” A product of Stockholm’s Pancrase Gym, Cedenblad has recently been working out of AKA in San Jose. He started training six years ago because he wanted to learn how to kick like Cro Cop, but has become better known as a ground-and-pounder. As he told MMABay, ”My long term goal is to be ranked as a top five guy. I know that will happen. Just give me four years and then you will see me there.”

(Edinaldo Oliveira vs. Jair Goncalves, 9/16/11; two more videos are after the jump.)

A longtime friend and training partner of Junior Dos Santos, undefeated heavyweight prospect Edinaldo Oliveira will be making his UFC debut on the preliminary card of this Saturday’s UFC 142 show, taking on the returning Gabriel Gonzaga. The 27-year-old jiu-jitsu black belt hails from Bahia, Brazil, and carries a record of 13-0-1 (with one no-contest) including eight knockouts and two submissions.

Oliveira’s nickname, “Lula Molusco,” is the name of the Squidward character in the Brazilian version of Spongebob Squarepants. You can’t make this stuff up, folks. We’re hoping that’s due to his lanky 6’7″ frame, and not his voice. After securing free education through a security guard job at a Brazilian college, Oliveira studied criminal law, hoping to become an attorney, but had to suspend his studies to devote more attention to his fight career.

(Stipe Miocic vs. William Penn, 4/16/11)

Out of the 22 fighters competing on this Saturday’s UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III card, only one will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time. That man is Stipe Miocic, an undefeated 29-year-old Croatian-American from Ohio who will be facing Joey Beltran during the prelims. So how does a guy with just six fights, who’s beaten nobody you’ve ever heard of, get an invitation to the big show? By being one of the most decorated blue-chip prospects the UFC heavyweight division has seen since Cain Velasquez. Seriously. Just check out his credentials…

(Oli Thompson, back when he used to lift heavy shit for a living. Photo via powershotsmag.com)

UFC 138‘s main event might be a little underwhelming, but there will be more than enough local talent to keep the Birmingham, England crowd engaged. In addition to well-known names like Paul Taylor, John Hathaway, Brad Pickett, and Terry Etim, there will be at least four U.K. fighters making their UFC debuts at the November 5th event. Here’s a quick rundown, with some videos after the jump…

Philip De Fries and Oli Thompson: The two heavyweight fight-finishers will be facing off against each other. De Fries is an undefeated BJJ specialist from Sunderland whose seven victories have all come by way of submission, with six in the first-round. Earlier this month, the 25-year-old choked out Stav Economou at an Ultimate Warrior Challenge event in Essex. Thompson is a former strongman competitor who won first place in the 2006 Britain’s Strongest Man tournament, and qualified for the 2008 World’s Strongest Man championships. As an MMA fighter, his 9-2 record includes five submissions and three KO/TKOs. He is the reigning heavyweight champion of the London-based Ultimate Challenge MMA promotion.

(Ebersole vs. Lombard, round one. Find round two here, round three here, etc., etc. Vid: YouTube/MMAAustralia)

There aren’t a ton of new faces on this Saturday’s UFC 127 card, but the three newcomers lucky enough to recently sign their lives away to Zuffa, LLC. all seem capable of making notable first impressions. Find out more about this trio of veterans after the jump and let us know how you think they’ll do with your own comments …

(Alexandre Ferreira vs. Lew Polley, 2/29/08. Props: YouTube.com/IFL)

At this Saturday’s UFC 122 event in Germany, four men will begin their journeys from UFC preliminary card prospects to…whatever they end up becoming. For example, our first-ever "New Guys" column included a unknown kid by the name of Jon Jones. Our most recent "New Guys" column included a guy who got beat up by Rob Broughton then fired for steroid use. So, there’s a pretty wide swing here in terms of potential success. Let’s meet the latest batch of Octagon newbies…

ALEXANDRE "Cacareco" FERREIRA (LHW)
Experience: 18-6 record dating back to 1998, with 17 wins by first-round submission, including victories over Heath Herring, Bob Schrijber, Branden Lee Hinkle, and Fabio Maldonado. Has made appearances in Rings, the IFL, and Jungle Fight, among other promotions.
Will be facing: Vladimir Matyushenko (24-5, 5-3 UFC)
Lowdown: A stocky fireplug of a man, the 31-year-old "Cacareco" began fighting professionally while still in his teens. Ferreira comes from a decorated BJJ/luta livre background, and his grappling accomplishments include a 2nd-place finish in the 2003 ADCC Absolute Division tournament, where he placed ahead of Fabricio Werdum, Marcelo Garcia, Saulo Ribeiro, Marcio Cruz, and Jeff Monson.

This Q&A on UFC.com reveals that Alexandre’s favorite striking technique is the "takedown" (!) so don’t expect the guy to do much standing and banging. When asked which college he attended, Ferreira responded "Unfortunately I could not go to college; my college was my survival as a human." He hasn’t competed since a 70-second kimura victory over Walter Mazurkievicz last October. Ferreira was supposed to face Jamal Patterson at "Shine Fights: Mayorga vs. Thomas" in May, but that event famously imploded at the last minute.

(Stanislav Nedkov highlight reel, courtesy of BGMMAFIGHTER. Check out 0:50-0:59 for yet another example of a guy wearing a t-shirt during an MMA fight and getting absolutely ruined.)

Now that you’ve met Curt, Fabio, and Paul, let’s continue along the UFC 120 preliminary card and see who else will be making their Octagon debuts on Saturday night…

STANISLAV NEDKOV (LHW)
Experience: 11-0 record (8 wins by first-round stoppage), with appearances in Sengoku, Pancrase, and Shooto Bulgaria. Holds wins over Kevin Randleman and Travis Wiuff.
Will be facing: Steve Cantwell (7-3 record, 1-2 UFC)
Lowdown: Nedkov was slated to make his UFC debut against Rodney Wallace at UFC 117, but had to withdraw due to injury. The Bulgarian native comes from a decorated grappling background, and is experienced in freestyle wrestling, sumo, and BJJ. Judging from his fights, he seems to love a good brawl just as much as a ground battle. Causes for concern: At 5’11", he’ll be one of the shortest 205-pounders in the UFC, and his Sengoku fights against Randleman and Wiuff raised questions about his stamina.

(Warburton vs. Ross Pearson, 9/22/07. Skip to the 5:20 mark to see some amazingly irresponsible reffing.)

Half of the guys on the UFC 120 preliminary card will be making their Octagon debuts, hoping to claim some TV time by smashing their veteran opponents — or at the very least not do so poorly that they’re immediately fired. Take a look at the first three today, and keep an eye out for them on Saturday…

CURT WARBURTON (LW)
Experience: 7-2-1 record in various British promotions, with 6 wins by first-round stoppage. Warburton fought TUF 9 winner Ross Pearson three times in the Total Combat UK league, going an even 1-1-1 in the series.
Will be facing: Spencer Fisher (23-6, 8-5 UFC)
Lowdown: Warburton is a Wolfslair MMA Academy product who "used to dig holes for a living" before discovering MMA. He described himself as "gobsmacked" by his four-fight UFC contract, and is humbled by the opportunity that’s been put in front of him. “I got butterflies when I was given [Fisher's] name," Warburton says. "It took me by surprise a little bit, as he’s a top fighter and very experienced. When you get used to seeing people fight on television, it becomes a little strange to then be told you’ve got to fight him. Like everyone else, I’ve enjoyed watching Spencer fight over the years, and it was a bit of a ‘wow’ moment for me when I discovered I’d be fighting him on my UFC debut…I’ve got to go out there and prove to everybody that I belong at this level. This is my chance to keep on doing something that I love. If I can’t perform on the night, and can’t do it on the big stage, I’ll have to give up on something I love and go back to work."

(Natal vs. Travis Lutter, 5/21/10. Props: FightReloaded)

Though you won’t see any new faces on the televised main card, UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs. Palhares will feature three fighters in the prelims who will be stepping into the Octagon for the first time. No pressure, guys. They’ve got the talent, but can they overcome the dreaded Jitters? Get to know these men below, and keep an eye out.

RAFAEL NATAL (MW)
Experience: 12-2 record (10 wins by stoppage within the first two rounds), with multiple appearances in Ring of Combat and various Brazilian promotions. Most recently knocked out Travis Lutter at Moosin: God of Martial Arts in May. Also holds a win over UFC/WEC vet Danillo Villefort.
Will be facing: Rich Attonito (8-3, 1-0 UFC)
Lowdown: Not to be confused with the King of Clay, Rafael "Sapo" Natal is a BJJ black belt under Draculino Magalhaes, and works as an instructor at Renzo Gracie’s in New York. His nickname means "Toad"; he picked it up as a 14-year-old during his first capoeira class in Brazil, and like all unflattering Brazilian nicknames, it stuck. Though grappling is Natal’s strong suit — and carried him to a gold medal at the Mundials as a blue belt in 2005 — Rafael loves a good brawl. As he told UFC.com, "Sometimes in the academy I’ll call a teammate to spar in that style (laughs) – no technique, only brawling, closed eyes, landing fists. This is excellent to take off the stress."

Natal was formerly the middleweight champion of Ring of Combat, but lost his title to Victor O’Donnell last year in unfortunate fashion: "I opted to trade strikes and the first round wasn’t going good for me. At the end of the first round the fight was on the ground and I was on the top, the round finished and I helped him up and went to my corner. The doctor asked me something and I didn’t answer because I didn’t speak English, so he stopped the fight! I tried to complain and nothing changed. Hey, don’t worry I improved my English and I won’t lose this way anymore."

(Props: EASJBS)

Since you’re probably tired of hearing about James Toney and his wack-ass smack talk, we’re going to leave him out of today’s installment of The New Guys. Instead, we’ll focus on a fighter who actually has a decent chance of winning his UFC debut at #118, and will probably stick around for one more fight even if he loses. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the other guy who will be entering the Octagon for the first time on Saturday…

AMILCAR ALVES (WW)
Experience: 11-1 record (seven wins by first-round stoppage), competing for various Brazilian promotions. Last competed in December 2009, avenging his only career loss with a 59-second knockout of Fernando Paulon.
Will be facing: Mike Pierce (11-3, 2-1 UFC), in the first fight of the preliminary card.
Lowdown: A product of the red-hot Nova Uniao team in Brazil, Amilcar Alves is a training partner of such elite fighters as Jose Aldo and Marlon Sandro. The judo black belt plans on being a crowd-pleaser: “I know what audience and the promotion expect from a newcomer: to be a ferocious and hungry dog, and this is what I want to [be]. I know what I’ll bring will please the person who’s a UFC fan, much aggressiveness and versatility…I’m capable of bringing new tricks to the table in any moment.”

(Maciej Jewtuszko vs. Erikas Petraitis, 5/14/10)

Two hot lightweight prospects with identical records will be making their WEC debuts during the prelims of tonight’s "Cruz vs. Benavidez" show on Versus, and if the MMA Gods allow it, you might get your first glance at them. Of course, making the broadcast would require them to either win or lose in spectacular fashion. So which will it be? Get to know them below and let us know what you think…

MACIEJ "Irokez" JEWTUSZKO (LW)
Experience: 7-0 record (all wins by stoppage in the first two rounds), competing in Poland and Germany. Last fought at a Beast of the East event on June 12th, where he defeated Edvardas Norkeliunas by first-round heel-hook.
Will be facing: Anthony Njokuani (12-3, 3-2 WEC) in the last bout of the prelims.
Lowdown: First things first — his name is pronounced Mah-chey Yev-Tushko. The 29-year-old firefighter is a Polish national champion in Muay Thai, but started his fight training with jiu-jitsu. Like his knockout-artist opponent Anthony Njokuani, Jewtuszko prefers to keep fights standing. He admires Mariusz Pudzianowski and Pawel Nastula for representing Poland in MMA, and says "It would be an honor to someday hear me described as the Polish Anderson Silva." Jewtuszko trains with Berzerkers Team Poland. As his manager Shu Hirata explains, "Besides being a great striker and a top grappler, one of the best qualities about Jewtuszko is that he never get intimated with anyone. He is a firefighter so he has gone through many dangerous situations so he has got the heart of a warrior." 

(Morecraft vs. Josh Diekmann, 11/14/09; fight starts at the 2:27 mark.)

Two minor-league MMA prospects will be taking a major leap in competition this Saturday, as they make their Octagon debuts in the preliminary card of UFC 117. As we saw with Charles Oliveira at "Jones vs. Matyushenko" on Sunday, sometimes dreams do come true. And sometimes they get crushed and blown away like dust. Get to know the new guys below and keep an eye out for ‘em this weekend…

CHRISTIAN MORECRAFT (HW)
Experience: 6-0 record (all wins by first-round stoppage, three within the first minute) competing in the Reality Fighting and Cage Fighting Xtreme promotions. All fights have taken place in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Most recently scored a submission-via-strikes victory over Lee Beane in May to win CFX’s heavyweight title.
Will be facing: Stefan Struve (19-4, 3-2 UFC)
Lowdown: Another large addition to the UFC’s heavyweight division, Morecraft is a 6’6, 258-pound smashing machine that has been drawing lots of attention in Massachusetts. The 23-year-old began studying the sport with John Burke at the Dungeon MMA Academy, and now calls the Cape Cod Fighting Alliance his home. His take on MMA: "For every way there is to put somebody (in a hold), there’s a way of getting out if you do it at the right moment. And everything flows. It’s an art.” Morecraft digs ’80s metal, and walked out to Kiss’s "Calling Dr. Love" for the Beane fight.

(As fighter highlight-reels go, this one’s pretty awful. But how ’bout that flying knee KO at 2:44?)

Rejoice! The UFC returns from its four-week hiatus this coming Sunday, when UFC Live: Jones vs. Matyushenko goes down at the San Diego Sports Arena. (Versus, 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT) The only newcomer on the card is Brazilian prospect Charles Oliveira, who will be putting his undefeated record on the line against Darren Elkins — who won his own UFC debut in March when Duane Ludwig’s ankle exploded. Does Charles have what it takes to make it in the big leagues? Get to know him below and let us know what you think…

CHARLES OLIVEIRA (LW)
Experience: 12-0 record (6 KO/TKOs, 5 submissions), primarily in Brazilian promotions. Last competed in a four-man tournament at a Warriors Challenge event in February, where he defeated Rosenildo Rocha by rear-naked choke and Diego Bataglia by slam-knockout. It was the third multi-fight tourney that Oliveira has won during his career. He made his pro debut in March 2008, sweeping an eight-man tournament at a Predador FC event, then cruised through a four man bracket later that year at Korea Fight 1. So fighting just one guy in a night is like a day off for him.

Will be facing: Darren Elkins (12-1, 1-0 UFC)

(Travis Browne’s knockout of Brian Campbell)

(Travis Browne’s knockout of Abe Wagner)

Along with the six TUF 11 castmembers getting a shot on the preliminary card of this Saturday’s Finale show, two Octagon first-timers will also be trying to make a big impression. Get to know them below, and tell us how you think they’ll fare in the comments section…

TRAVIS BROWNE (HW)
Experience: 9-0 record with appearances in Bellator, King of the Cage, and Gladiator Challenge. Five of his wins came within the first minute of the fight. Most recently scored a 35-second knockout of Aaron Brink at a GC event in February, which followed an eight-second knockout of Abe Wagner two weeks earlier and a nine-second knockout of Brian Campbell last November.
Will be facing: James McSweeney (4-4, 1-0 UFC)
Lowdown: At 6’6", 250 pounds, and with a Carwin-like habit of ending fights early, Travis Browne could make a very nice addition to the UFC’s heavyweight roster. Based out of the Alliance Training Center in San Diego, "Hapa" works as a professional dog trainer when he’s not knocking people unconscious. Browne was exposed to drug and gang culture in his native Hawaii at an early age, but escaped his rough upbringing and found a positive outlet for his aggression in jiu-jitsu. He was not selected to appear on Bully Beatdown, which really bothered him.

(Cyrille the Snake’s early kickboxing highlights. Props: Gorgeous PX)

UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans goes down this coming Saturday in Las Vegas, with two new faces casting their fates to the wind in the prelims, both of whom have peripheral connections to TUF 9. Who will survive and what will be left of them? Get to know the guys below, and swing by MMA Fightpicker to make your UFC 114 predictions…

CYRILLE DIABATE (LHW)
Experience: 16-6-1 record competing around the world for promotions like Cage Rage, 2H2H, PRIDE, and ShoXC. Has won nine of his last ten fights, with eight of those wins coming via stoppage in the first two rounds.
Will be facing: Luis Cane (10-2 w/1 no-contest, 3-2 UFC)
Lowdown: A veteran kickboxer and mixed martial artist, "The Snake" has been putting the hurt on people since the ’90s. Diabate spends part of his time training at Team Quest in Temecula, and appeared on TUF 9 last year as Team USA’s striking coach, but is doing most of the preparation for this fight in his native France. Standing 6’6", he tends to rely on his endless reach and striking prowess, but says he’s been concentrating on wrestling recently to become a more complete fighter. He hasn’t lost an MMA match since September 2006, when he was nearly stomped to death by Mauricio Rua at PRIDE Final Conflict Absolute.

(Props: Genghis Con)

Tonight’s UFC Fight Night card will feature three fresh prospects trying to make their names and one MMA legend — all of whom will be competing in the UFC for the first time in their careers. Which ones will rise to the challenge, and which ones will succumb to Octagon jitters and dangerous opponents? Get to know them below and let us know what you think…

TAKANORI GOMI (LW)
Experience: 31-5-0 record w/1 no-contest, with multiple appearances in PRIDE, Shooto, and Sengoku. Notable victories over Tatsuya Kawajiri, Hayato Sakurai, Jens Pulver, and Mitsuhiro Ishida. Most recently won a unanimous decision over Tony Hervey at Vale Tudo Japan 2009 last October.
Will be fighting: Kenny Florian (12-4, 10-3 UFC)
Lowdown: Only the noobiest of TUF noobs would need an introduction to the Fireball Kid, who has already secured his place as one of the greatest lightweight fighters of all time. A legendary former champion in both PRIDE and Shooto, Gomi unfortunately hasn’t looked the same since his gogoplata loss/marijuana no-contest against Nick Diaz in February 2007, as he’s suffered a couple of surprising defeats and struggled to put away opponents that he would have smashed in his prime. Though he vows to "create a ruckus" in the UFC, this bit of info is somewhat troubling: "I don’t have a cage in my gym, but I understand that the cage can either be used for me or be used against me. I’ll try not to think about the cage too much as I fight in it.” He’ll also need to adjust to elbow strikes on the ground, something he hasn’t had to deal with in Japan — which could become a painful factor against Ken-Flo.

(Daniel Roberts grappling highlight reel. Props: YouTube.com/ninjaroberts)

Three hungry up-and-comers will be making their Octagon debuts this Sunday, filling some gaps on the "Vera vs. Jones" preliminary card. But who will explode on the scene, and who will blow the biggest opportunity of their careers like total losers? Read on and get acquainted with…

DANIEL "Ninja" ROBERTS (WW)
Experience: 9-0 record (7 wins by submission), mostly in Oklahoma-based promotions. Most recently scored a submission-via-punches over MMA old-schooler Anthony Macias in January.
Will be fighting: John Howard (13-4, 3-0 UFC)
Lowdown: Roberts is filling in for Anthony Johnson, who dropped off the card last month with an injury. He comes from an amateur wrestling background, and as you can see in the video above, his grappling is ferocious. Roberts currently trains at the Cesar Gracie camp with Strikeforce champions Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, and Gilbert Melendez. He’s thrilled to be fighting John Howard: “I have to say that if I were to pick my opponent for the UFC, it probably would be him. Not to say that he’s a bad guy or an easy win — the fact that he’s 3-0 in the UFC is actually a good thing. I checked him out, I saw what he has, and I definitely feel like my grappling is way ahead of his…if he can last through the first and second round, then he’s pretty tough, because I plan on giving it everything I’ve got…I know a lot of people like to stand up and bang, but I think I’m gonna win a lot of fans over with my grappling. I move really well on the ground and there are not a lot of people that can move like me."

(Rolles Gracie vs. Sam Holloway, 9/20/07)

A quick look at the four fresh talents who will be hunting for success in the Eight-Sided Shape on Saturday night…

PHIL DAVIS (LHW)
Experience: 4-0 record (3 wins by first-round stoppage) in various regional leagues. Last competed in June ’09, choking out David Baggett at a UCFC event in Pittsburgh.
Will be fighting: Brian Stann (8-2, 2-1 UFC)
Lowdown: They call him "Mr. Wonderful." A four-time All-American and 2008 Division I National Wrestling Champion for Penn State, Davis began his MMA education with Greg Jackson before moving to San Diego, where he now works out with Brandon Vera at the Alliance Training Center. His fighting mentality was instilled in him from an early age, as he had to scrap with his two older brothers for two available seats at their family’s dinner table. By the age of 12, Davis was “eating dinner almost every night.” [Ed. note: Wow, that's kind of fucked up.] Davis thinks it’s pretty cool that Brian Boitano gets roses thrown at him after his performances, and would like that to happen for him someday.

RONNYS TORRES (LW)
Experience: 14-1 record (12 wins by stoppage), with all fights taking place in Brazilian leagues including Shooto Brazil and Jungle Fight.
Will be fighting: Melvin Guillard (22-8-1 with 1 no-contest, 5-4 UFC)
Lowdown: Due to a series of injuries, Torres has been out of action since September 2008, when he scored a first-round submission over Eliene Silva at Jungle Fight 11; Torres was originally supposed to face Guillard last April.  The Nova Uniao prospect with the oddly-pluralized first name has had to cut over 30 pounds to make the lightweight limit. He plans on making his cage-entrance to gospel music. "It is step by step that I will arrive to the top," Torres says. "I only ask that God illuminates me."

(Mike Guymon highlight reel, courtesy of JokersWildFA.)

Two promising welterweights will be making their Octagon debuts against each other at UFC Fight Night 20, which goes down this coming Monday (1/11) at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Allow us to introduce you to…

MIKE "Joker" GUYMON (WW)
Experience: 11-2-1 record (all wins by stoppage), primarily competing in King of the Cage, where he is the reigning welterweight champion. Last fought in October, when he earned a fourth-round TKO over Quinn Mulhern. Hasn’t lost since a split-decision against Pat Healy at an IFL event in June 2007.
Will be fighting: Rory Macdonald (see below)
Lowdown: With a decade of experience in the game, Mike Guymon has been one of MMA’s most respected ambassadors, serving as one of the original members of the TapouT crew and running his own fight school in California. In December 2008, the 35-year-old captured KOTC’s welterweight title with a fifth-round submission victory over Anthony Lapsley; Guymon has successfully defended his belt twice since then. In August, he made news for a near-tragic suicide attempt/armed standoff in Orange County following troubles in his personal life, but has found peace through re-committing himself to the sport that he loves: "I wanted to prove to people that it’s possible to get in the ring after trying to commit suicide. I sometimes need 16 hours a week of therapy to deal with this thing. But this is living proof not to give up and that good things will happen.”

(Foupa-Pokam’s most recent fight, against Kyacey Uscola at PFC 12 in January. The KO comes at the video’s 8:12 mark.)

UFC 97: Redemption goes down this Saturday in Montreal, and among the card’s horde of Brazilians, Canadians, and TUF vets are three dudes who will be looking to prove themselves in the Octagon for the first time. These are their stories…

***

BRIAN STANN (LHW)
Experience: 6-1 record primarily in the WEC, with all wins by first-round TKO. Holds victories over Aaron Stark, Steve Cantwell, and Doug Marshall.
Will be facing: Krzysztof Soszynski (16-8-1, 1-0 UFC)
Lowdown: Stann became the WEC’s light-heavyweight champion in March 2008 when he knocked out Doug Marshall at WEC 33, but lost the title in his first defense when he was TKO’d by Steve Cantwell — who Stann had defeated in a previous fight. Stann and Cantwell were supposed to have their rubber match at UFC’s "Fight for the Troops" event last December, but Stann was forced to pull out with a foot injury; Cantwell went on to snap the arm of Razak Al-Hassan then brag about it. A former Captain in the U.S. Marines and Iraq war vet, Stann was awarded the Silver Star after saving the asses of his entire 42-man platoon following an unfortunate ambush-situation near Karabilah, which was later portrayed on the History Channel show Shootout! He hails from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

XAVIER FOUPA-POKAM (MW)
Experience: 20-9 record (18 wins by stoppage in the first two rounds) with multiple appearances in Cage Rage and Palace Fighting Championship.
Will be facing: Denis Kang (31-11-1, 0-1 UFC)
Lowdown: Currently riding a seven-fight win streak, the 26-year-old Frenchman describes his Muay Thai-based style as "very violent." Professor X splits his training time between Team Quest in Temecula, California — where he acted as an Anderson Silva-mimic when Dan Henderson was preparing for his middleweight title fight against the Spider at UFC 82 — and Cyrille Diabate’s Snake Team in Paris. Before devoting his life to fighting, Foupa-Pokam was a cameraman and director’s assistant, and calls filmmaking his "second passion." He has three DQ losses on his record, due to an ill-fitting mouthpiece that kept falling out (in a fight against Martin Kampmann), an accidental groin strike, and an illegal elbow on the ground during an event where they weren’t allowed. Canada will be the twelfth country he’s competed in.

(Denis Kang: There can be only one. Photo courtesy of PrideFC.com.)

From international stars to local yokels, this Saturday’s UFC event in Dublin will feature another crop of fighters who will be scrappin’ in the Octagon for the first time. Read on, and you’ll know just as much as Mike Goldberg…

DENIS KANG (MW)
?Experience: 31-10-1 record, with 15 wins by submission and 12 by KO/TKO. Is the reigning Sprit MC heavyweight (80kg+) champion and was a finalist in PRIDE’s 2006 welterweight grand prix. Holds notable victories over Murilo Rua, Amar Suloev, Akihiro Gono, and Marvin Eastman.
Will be facing: Alan Belcher (13-5, 4-3 UFC)
?Lowdown: Chances are, you’re already familiar with “The Super Korean.” Kang became a consensus top ten middleweight (and superstar in Asia) after going on a 22-1-1 run from April 2003 to March 2007, but his momentum was stalled following back-to-back losses to Yoshihiro Akiyama and Gegard Mousasi. Still, the Canadian BJJ black belt is a huge acquisition for the UFC, and the most credible threat to Anderson Silva’s middleweight title since Dan Henderson. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that the UFC has tried to bring Kang aboard; he was offered a spot on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, but turned it down in order to compete in Korea. Kang had previously trained with American Top Team in Florida, but has recently been working out in Montreal with Georges St. Pierre due to some visa issues which are close to being settled.

ALEXANDRE BARROS (WW)
?Experience: 13-5 record, primarily in Brazilian leagues like Heat FC, Meca, and the International Vale Tudo Championship. Currently on a nine-fight win streak. ?Ten of his 18 fights have gone to decision; one of those decisions was a loss to Matt Hughes in 2000.
Will be facing: Martin Kampmann (13-2, 4-1 UFC)
?Lowdown: Who knows, maybe “Baixinho” could pull a Junior Dos Santos, and score a dramatic win over an established UFC vet after being plucked from Brazilian obscurity. But most likely he’s just being brought in to give Kampmann a relatively easy first fight at welterweight. Judging from this highlight reel, the Gracie Barra Combat Team member is aggressive with his hands and likes to throw the head kick. Still, he hasn’t beaten anybody close to UFC caliber. We don’t predict big things.