· MMA Fight Guide - February 2011

February could be called "the calm before the storm" for a March that will see multiple events each week and the return of Bellator’s fury of weekly events. But quality is usually stressed over quantity, and the quality of fights in February is definitely high. Top pound-for-pound fighters Anderson Silva (#1), Fedor Emelianenko (#4), Jon Fitch (#11), B.J. Penn (#13) and more will all be in action, making this one of the deepest months in recent memory. Here’s the lineup:

Feb 04 – Ring of Combat 34
          (GoFightLive.tv, $9.99)
Many notable names will be in action on Ring of Combat’s latest Internet PPV, including top middleweight prospect Uriah Hall, who will face "The Ultimate Fighter" veteran Constantinos Phillopou, and rising female star Jessica Eye, who will take on Justine Kish for the ROC women’s title.

Feb 05 – "UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort"
          (Pay-Per-View, $44.95)
Anderson Silva (#1 middleweight) alone is usually enough to make for an exciting event, but he will be defending his title against another exciting fighter, Vitor Belfort (#8 middleweight). Belfort is perhaps the best striker that Silva has faced, and it will be interesting to see how the champion deals with "The Phenom’s" hand speed. A highly anticipated matchup between top-ranked prospects Jon Jones (#6) and Ryan Bader (#5) will co-headline, with the winner all but guaranteed a title shot.

Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin (#8 light heavyweight) will also face off in what is sure to be an exciting main card bout. The prelims return to Spike TV for this show after making stops on ION TV and Facebook, and top featherweights Chad Mendes (#11 featherweight) and Michihiro Omigawa (#2 featherweight) will be part of the lead-in broadcast.

Feb 05 – "The Return: Cage Fury Fighting Championship"
          (GoFightLive.tv, $9.99)
Known as the first promotion to extend an offer to street fighter Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson to compete in MMA, CFFC closed up its doors in 2007 after an investor pulled out at the last minute. The East Coast promotion will now return, and they are still billing Kimbo Slice—even using his image on their poster for this event.

Feb 12 – "Strikeforce/M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Silva"
          (Showtime - Cable/Satellite)
Yeah, we all miss Pride. That’s part of the reason why the MMA community is so excited about the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, which will kick off February 12 in New Jersey. Fedor Emelianenko (#2 heavyweight) is on the card, and that is really all you should need to know to make sure that you do not miss this event. Just in case you do need some extra convincing, just know that the main card will feature all heavyweights, with Fedor vs. Antonio Silva (#7) and Andrei Arlovski vs. Sergei Kharitonov kicking off the grand prix. Three tournament reserve bouts will also be part of the event.

Feb 18 – Tachi Palace Fights 8
          (Free Stream on MMAJunkie.com)
A host of MMA notables are slated to compete on the latest TPF event, which will stream live for free. Former UFC middleweight contender David Loiseau will battle TPF Champion Leopoldo Serao for the middleweight title, and Bellator veteran Ulysses Gomez will defend his TPF flyweight title against Darrell Montague. Top-ranked flyweight Jussier da Silva will also compete on this card, as will UFC veteran Edgar Garcia and Hulk Hogan’s nephew David Bollea.

Feb 18 – Strikeforce Challengers 14
          (Showtime - Cable/Satellite)
Undefeated lightweight Lyle Beerbohm will finally be a major part of a Strikeforce show, as he will face veteran Pat Healy in the main event of Challengers 14 in Texas. Ryan Couture, the son of Randy, and former WEC title challenger Carlo Prater will also be in action.

Feb 27 – "UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch"
          (Pay-Per-View, $44.95)
The final major event of the month will feature the UFC’s return trip to Australia, where the event is already sold out. Former UFC multi-division champion B.J. Penn (#9 welterweight) will look to capitalize off of his 21-second knockout of Matt Hughes in November, as he will take on top contender Jon Fitch (#3). Michael Bisping (#13 middleweight) will co-headline, and he’ll look to throw his name in the hat for a middleweight title shot with a win over Jorge Rivera. Aussie George Sotiropoulos (#12 lightweight) will take on Dennis Siver as he looks to keep his undefeated UFC record intact, and Carlos Condit (#7 welterweight) looks to continue the momentum from his October highlight reel knockout victory over Dan Hardy.

Other events:

Feb 05 – Shamrock Productions
          (PureFight.org)

Feb 19 – Rumble in the Cage 42
          (GoFightLive.tv, $9.99)