By Bryan Levick, FightTicker.com live-blogger

I would like to welcome myself back as the live blogger here at FightTicker.com. I had a one PPV absence and the job was taken on short notice by Brat who did a wonderful job. Look here this afternoon for my previews of each UFC 84 fight and then I will do a live blog starting at 10 pm eastern time. We got a great card to look forward to and I encourage any & all comments. See ya later today.

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Good afternoon ladies & gentleman, let's do a quick review of each fight starting with the main event.

BJ Penn(C) vs. Sean Sherk for the UFC Lightweight Championship:

The PPV name Ill Will certainly was derived from the feelings these two have for each other. Unless you've been living in a cave with Osama or just crawled out from a rock you know about the background leading up to this fight. Sherk was the champion but tested positive for nandrolone after his last fight with Hermes Franca who ironically tested positive for steroids as well. Sherk fought the California State Athletic Commission and ultimately had his suspension reduced from 1 year to 6 months, but he was still guilty in their eyes and was stripped none the less. BJ Penn finally realized his dream after two unsuccessful tries at the LW title when he defeated Joe Stevenson in England at UFC 80. The win not only gave Penn the LW title it made him one of only three men to hold titles in two different weight classes, with the others being Randy Couture and Dan Henderson who did it in Pride. Penn & Sherk have been jousting back and forth with Penn calling Sherk a cheater and Sherk telling Penn to look in the mirror referencing Penn's alleged marijuana use. The fight comes down to one thing, which BJ Penn are we going to get? The one who dominated Jens Pulver & Stevenson and was in great shape or the Penn who lost to Matt Hughes & GSP due to a lack of conditioning. BJ has better hands, better submissions, great takedown defense and questionable stamina, while Sherk has great stamina, great wrestling and unbelievable strength. If Sherk can weather the early storm and get it into the later rounds he has a chance to pull out a decision, but if BJ explodes like he did on Stevenson, Sherk is in for a long night.

Wanderlai Silva vs. Keith Jardine- Light Heavyweights

This is such an intriguing match-up with serious implications for both men. For Jardine a win puts him next in line for a title shot, there can be no denying him after wins against Liddell, Griffin and Silva. The last time Jardine came into a fight angry about the opponent he was facing he was knocked out in under a minute against Houston Alexander. He can't go into this fight feeling slighted or he will certainly suffer the same fate. Silva is coming in with three consecutive losses, granted the losses were against Cro-Cop, Dan Henderson & the aforementioned Chuck Liddell, they are losses none the less. He has spoken about dropping down to MW, but if he wins here he will look to get another win and if Rampage is successful against Griffin, that sets up a grudge match as Rampage would love to avenge his two brutal KO losses to Silva. If Jardine employees the same technique he did vs. Liddell he could come away with another decision win, but if Silva can get in close enough and unleash those elbows and knees Jardine will be in for a world of hurt. This one should be exciting.

Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic- Light Heavyweights

I know nothing about Reljic other than he's undefeated, and trains in Gracie Barra jiu-jitsu. He hasn't defeated anyone noteworthy but he sure seems to like armbars as he has won 3 fights by armbar, one by kimura and another by arm triangle choke. Gouveia is coming off a KO victory over Jason Lambert at UFC 80. Lambert had won the first round before he got caugh early in the 2nd and was KO'ed. Gouveia's biggest claim is he is the last fighter to defeat Jon Fitch back in 2002, other than that he's lost to Keith Jardine & Rory Singer. He is on a 4 fight winning streak and another win will get him some attention, he is a strong submission fighter who likes to choke people out.

Tito Ortiz vs. Lyoto Machida- Light Heavyweights

Nothing would make Dana White happier than Machida thoroughly embarrassing Ortiz as he exits the only home he has known in his MMA career. Nothing would ruin Dana's night than to see Ortiz derail the undefeated Machida who is coming off a win against Sokoudjou at UFC 79. Ortiz last fight was a controversial draw against Rashad Evans at UFC 73 where he had a point deducted for holding the fence. He says he had back problems leading up tp that fight and he is now finally healthy. I believe that we will see the best Tito we have seen in a long time due to a few things. He would love to leave a winner and be able to give a big F**k You to Dana White and he would love to be able to drive his negotiating power up even more with EliteXC, Affliction or whomever he chooses to sign with. Machida is very unorthodox as he utilizes a form of Karate which is rarely seen in MMA, most of his fights have been conservative but he certainly was aggresive against Sokoudjou a fight in which he won by triangle choke. If Tito gets him down and can utilize his ground and pound he will win, if this fight stays standing Tito will be in trouble, I still look for a three round fight.

Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes- Light Heavyweights

Another LHW fight features an undefeated Thiago Silva who exposed Houston Alexander's lack of ground game in their fight at UFC 78 taking on newcomer Antonio Mendes who is from Brazil. Mendes is 14-2 with no notable victories, he has 7 KO's, 3 submissions and 4 decisions. He trains in Thai Boxing and should be another victim for Silva. Silva is looking to make it 4 straight victories in the UFC, he punished Alexander on the ground and is looking to climb up the LHW ladder and will need better competition than this to make a splash.

Ivan Salaverry vs. Rousimar Palhares- Middleweights

Salaverry hasn't fought since UFC 71 when he lost to Terry Martin, at age 37 how much he has left remains to be seen. With a 3-3 UFC record another loss will probably end his UFC career, although a win doesn't guarantee anything especially with the looming roster cuts. Palhares is 7-1 and is part of Brazilian Top Team, most of his victories have come by the way of submission.

Rameau Sokoudjou vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura- Light Heavyweights

These two have one thing in common as they both have lost their last fights to Lyoto Machida. Sokoudjou arrived in the UFC amid much fanfare after two consecutive KO's in Pride, one over Lil' Nog and the other over Ricardo Arona. Sokoudjou is well versed in Judo and is a part of Team Quest. Another loss for him could spell trouble, Nakamura is another Pride veteran with wins over Kevin Randleman and Murilo Bustamante. He has suffered losses against a who's who of Pride stars including Shogun, Josh Barnett, Wanderlai Silva, Dan Henderson & Lil Nog(2). Nakamura is crafty and will pose a tough test for Sokoudjo.

Rich Clementi vs. Terry Etim- Lightweights

This is Clementi's 6th fight since January of 2007 and his second fight in 5 weeks as he fought in April on the Serra-St. Pierre undercard. He is riding a 5 fight winning streak and has looked impressive in his last few bouts. Will he be able to fight on such short rest? I don't think he'll have a problem as he always seems to be in great shape. Etim is coming off of his first loss whihc he suffered at UFC 75 to Gleison Tibau, he is very well versed in submissions with 9 of his ten victories coming by way of tapout. Clementi has more experience and has fought much tougher opponents he should come out on top here.

Jon Koppenhaver vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida- Welterweights

The last time we saw Koppenhaver he was involved in one of the best back and forth battles of the year with Jarred Rollins at The Ultimate Fighter 6 finale. He emerged victorious in that one, he showed a lot of heart and toughness against Rollins. His opponent is a Japenese fighter with no big fights under his belt. He has fought mostly in the GCM organization out of Japan. He is 9-2 with 6 wins by TKO sue to punches or elbows.

Jason Tan vs. Dong Hyun Kim- Welterweights

This is Tan's second UFC fight with his first coming against Marcus Davis at UFC 72 a 1st round knockout loss. Overall he is 5-2 and could be fighting for his UFC life which seems to be a common them nowadays. His opponent is who is 9-1 with one draw in 11 career fights. This marks his UFC debut and is versed in kickboxing and grappling. He is also proficient in judo and a veteran of the DEEP organization. Nothing spectacular here and neither of these guys is ready to make an impact in an already stacked WW division.

Last but not least.......

Christian Wellisch vs. Shane Carwin- Heavyweights

Carwin comes in looking to make an impact in a division that sorely needs impact players. He is 8-0 with his most recent win coming against former UFC fighter Sherman Pendergarst. Carwin is big and strong and very versatile. He is a former NCAA heavyweight champion wrestler and looks to make a good impression in his UFC debut. Wellisch is 3-1 in the UFC with his last fight coming at UFC 76 in which he defeated Scott Junk by submission. Wellisch is an upgrade in competition for Carwin and has the advantage of having fought in the cage 4 times. Carwin should prevail and embark on what is hopefully a succesful career.

There you have it, I'll be back at 10pm to do the ppv, leave me some comments.

First fight we have Thiago Silva vs. Antonio Mendes.

Both fighters are in the cage, my computer froze, it came on with a body kick from Mendes that knocked Silva down, Mendes on the attack, they tie up against the fence, Thiago with double underhooks, unsuccesful judo throw by Mendes. Silva has the mount, Silva sith a nice right hand, Silva ina dominating position. Silva goes for a rear neaked, Silva tees off with punches and it's over. Silva is now 13-0, he landed some serious ground and pound. Mendes started off nicely, but Silva perseveres. Silva ended the fight with about 8 or 9 serious left hands to the head and face of Mendes. Winner of the fight and still undefeated at 2:24 of the first round by submission(Strikes) Thiago Silva.

Up next we have:

Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz- Light heavyweights

Wow I am so pumped for this one, I think we are going to see one hell of a war. Two guys with a lot to lose, Tito loses some negotiating power if he loses and Machida falls down a stacked ladder in the LHW division. Here we go with Tito coming our first, nice reaction from the fans. He looks serious, no jumping up and down, he looks very subdued. Machida is out next, my internet went down again, it came back with 15 seconds gone by in the first. Fighters stand toe to toe both looking for an opening. Machida misses a high kick, Tito fakes a shot, Tito shoots but is rebuffed by Machida. Machida stands pretty unorthodox, two minutes and not much action. Tito shoots again, Machida shrugs him off. Right hand thrown by Tito and they clicnh but that doesn;t last and they are standing toe to toe once again. Left thrown by Machida, nice body kick by Machida. Still no action, one minute left in the round. Nice leg kick by Machida. Tito looks upset because of Machida's lack of engagement. Nice take down by Machida, side control by Machida, Tito was in trouble but got saved by the bell. He landed some nice lefts towards the end of the round.

Round two starts, Machida circles around, left hand by Machida. Tito looks hesitant right now, Machida full of confidence. Wild right by Ortiz, Machida with a nice kick. Tito isn't coming close to hitting Machida, this is not looking good. Right hand blocked by Tito, no aggression at all from Ortiz. High kick by Machida, Tito trying to close in. Machida tries for a trip, nice kick to the body by Ortiz, Ortiz shoots, Machida sprawls. Machida in Tito's guard, back to their feet. Less than a minute left, nice knee to Tito's gut by Machida. Tito has to win by KO because he lost these first tow rounds. Tito goes after Machida with a wild right and he does connect on a body kick.

Round three, the last round of Tito Ortiz's UFC career, so far not a good way to say goodbye. Tito is complaining about Machida running all the time. Both fighters on their feet. They touch gloves, the crowd is loudly behind Tito. Machida still moving around, nice left by Tito they clinch, Ortiz looks for the takedown but he's pushed off. Ortiz shoots, no good, Machida shrugs him off. Right hook by Tito they clinch, they are up against the cage, elbow by Tito. Tito has a leg, great defense by Machida and they seperate. Back in the clinch with Tito's back against the cage. Some knees by Tito, they are warned by the ref, he seperates them. Big knee, Tito is down, Machida is pounding him with punches. Machida is in Tito's guard, Tito is hurt. Machida is looking for an opening, Tito has a triangle, Damnit, Machida got out of a combination armbar and triangle choke. That was so close, this fight was just getting good. Machida has this one I think 30-27. Tito is so upset, he had Machida in serious trouble. Fighters are in the center awaiting the decision. All three judges score it 30-27 for the winner by unanimous decision Lyoto Machida.

Will Tito get interviewed? Yes he is, Tito looks so disappointed. He has nice things to say about Machida. He says he will fight another 3-4 years, he said the shit with Dana and he says it's bullshit. He thanks the Fertitta brothers for treating him great throughout the years. He has a book coming out. He thanks the fans, Rogan thanks Tito and the fans give him a nice round. He thanks everyone he trains with, family, friends and Jenna.

Up next we have:

Wilson Gouveia vs. Goran Reljic- Light Heavyweights

Both fighters are in the cage, damnit, why does my connection go out at the beginning of every fight? Verizon sucks. This free crap isn't worth it, I'm paying for it from now on, unless the PPV sucks, like UFC 85, I wouldn't pay for that. Ok, it's back the fight hasn't started yet. Reljic has a 7" reach advantage. The Rock is there, yeah, he has really white teeth. And it's freezing up. It's back both fighters circling, Reljic with some really nice kicks, they got Gouveia's attention. Nice counter left hand by Reljic off of a shoot by Gouveia. Another nice kick to the body by Reljic, he's focusing on the left side of Gouveia. Both fighters land some nice punches. Another body kick by Reljic, two head kicks thrown by Reljic. They are blocked but it has to be killing Gouveia's arm. Nice uppercut and right hand by Gouveia, he lands a nice body shot, he has Reljic in trouble. Gouveia with the takedown, he's in Reljic's guard. Reljic pushes off the fence with 10 seconds left. Round ends with a nice comeback by Gouveia, but I give the round to Reljic.

Round two, they meet in the center. Gouveia's arm has got to be hurting him, it's all red and swollen from all those kicks to the body by Reljic. Wow nice kick by Reljic, that was powerful. If he lands one of those flush, Gouveia's in trouble. Gouveia takes down by Reljic, closed guard, Gouveia lands some elbows and punches. Gouvei is landing some nice punches and has Reljic in trouble. Reljic doing a good job from his guard, they are back to their feet and Reljic eats a right hand. His face is busted up. He drops Gouveia, and Reljic is pounding away and has him in deep trouble. It's over, Reljic wins, what a great fight, back and forth action throughout. Reljic dropped Gouveia with a left to the temple and Reljic went on a relentless attack to win the fight. Winner by way of TKO at 3:15 of the second round Goran Reljic.

Coming up is:

Shane Carwin vs. Christian Wellisch- Heavyweights

Round one starts. Without fail, my computer is freezing up. What the fight is over?
The winner by TKO at :44 of the first round Shane Carwin. Wow he landed a one punch bomb to Wellisch's jaw. He dropped him like a bad habit.

Wanderlai Silva vs. Keith Jardine- Light Heavyweights

Jardine is out first followed by Silva who gets a nice reaction from the fans.

Both fighters are in the cage. Both fighters look confident. Jardine has a slight reach advantage as well as a 3" height advantage. Classic staredown by both fighters. Here we go. They meet in the middle, Jardine very aggressive, he pounds him and that's it. Jardine got demolished. Silva is back baby, the crowd is in a frenzy. He rocked Jardine, they show David Spade in the crowd mouthing Holy hit. Right, Left combo dropped Jardine, Silva swarms on him and nailed him with repeated right hands to the face along with a couple hammer fists, that was brutal, classic Wanderlai Silva. The winner at :36 of the first round by KO Wanderlai"The Axe Murdered"Silva. That was awesome, there goes Jardine's title hopes. I am at a loss for words, that was insane.

They are showing the Salaverry fight, I'm gonna take a break and get ready for the maijn event. Salaverry taps due to arm bar at 2:36 of the first round. Sokoudjou won his fight by KO and then called out Shogun. Kim won his fight against Tan by KO in the 3rd round. War Machine lost by anaconda choke at :56 of the first round. Clementi defeated Terry Etim by unanimous decision.

Up next is the main event:

For The UFC Lightweight Championship- BJ Penn(C) vs. Sean Sherk

Out first is the challenger is Sherk, he looks liek he always has, same size, same physique. Out comes Penn and he looks very composed. He is in great shape. These two do not like each other, and now they meet inthe center of the ring. Here we go, Sherk goes for an immediate takedown, great defense by Penn. Leg kick by Sherk, they both throw some harmless punches. Sherk looking to close the gap. Sherk rocks BJ, Penn comes back with a right. They lock-up, BJ with a knee and a elbow inside from Sherk. Both fighters landind some decent shots. Sherk with some nice stiff jabs. Both guys with one shot at a time no combinations. Nice counter kick by Sherk. Both guys opting to box, BJ is landing the cleaner shots, but Sherk is popping off some nice jabs and catching BJ with them. BJ with some nice jabs of his own. Ten seconds left and I think this round goes to BJ, barely. Neither guy did nothing spectacular.

Round two starts with Sherk coming out with a nice cut under his eye. Penn pops a jab, Sherk with a leg kick. Another leg kick from SS, big body shot by BJ. Nice exchange between the two. The crowd is chanting steroids, that's bullshit, let the guy fight. More boxing as both guys seem intent on keeping it standing. BJ is keeping Sherk at bay with a nice jab. I think Sherk is content on fighting like this so the fight will go to the later rounds where he'll get more aggressive as BJ tires. Sherk is coming up short with his punches, BJ is landing his punches and sliding away before Sherk can counter. Good leg kick by Sherk but he gets caught with a right by BJ. Another leg kick from Sherk who is bleeding pretty badly from cuts underneath both eyes. BJ lands a nice leg kick. Sherk shoots and has one leg, but BJ shrugs it off. BJ with a nice left/right to end the round. Another round for BJ who landed jabs at will. Sherk is looking pretty beat up, thank God the cuts are below his eyes or this fight would probably be stopped.

Round three is underway. BJ looks fresh and like he hasn't been hit yet. BJ still landing his jab, he's not allowing Sherk to so anything. Sherk throws a wild left, BJ looks to shoot and the two exchange punches. Another jab by BJ. Sherk lands a couple shots, but they aren't as clean as BJ's shots. I am real surprised that Sherk isn't trying to be more aggressive by now. He is on his way to lose the third round, that will make it 3 for 3 for BJ. 1 minute left and Sherk lands two leg kicks. BJ with a right and a huge knee, Sherk is one lucky bastard because he was in deep trouble. It's over, BJ Penn wins. BJ landed a sick right and a running knee and Sherk crumbled to the ground. BJ followed up with sick right hands and hammerfists. Sherk looked to be defending himself and it didn't look like the ref stopped the fight. After the bell sounded Sherk was still on his knees and the ref didn;t think he could continue. Sherk attempted only one takedown. The winner by way of TKO at 5:00 of round 3 and still The UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn.

BJ hugs Sherk and gives him respect. BJ gives him his props and they shake hands, very classy. BJ asks the fans if they want to see him fight GSP. BJ is the man and that would be an awesome fight. BJ dominated and picked apart Sherk. Here is Sherk, his face is messed up. He said he kept it on his feet because he thought he was being competitive.

That was a pretty good night, Thiago Silva was impressive, Wanderlai Silva is back and that is the best news. Shane Carwin has brutal power and BJ Penn deserves to be mentioned along side Anderson Silva & GSP in the pound for pound rankings.