UFC 110 has been dominating the MMA blogs this week, as fighter stats, rumours and predictions circulate prior to the event. Enthusiasts and commentators, bloggers and writers are all giving their two-cents’ worth on who the best fighter is, the physical and mental strategies to be employed, and who will win the fight.

The buzz created by MMA blogs has led to the massive sell-out of UFC 110 tickets for the upcoming fight in Sydney, Australia. Not to be left out are UFC fans around the world who can get a front-row view of the match albeit via pay-per-view.

UFC 110’s main event is the match between former champion Antonio Rodrigo “Minatauro” Nogueira and undefeated fighter Cain Velasquez. In the co-main event are fighters Michael “The Count” Bisping and Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva.

Nogueira or Velasquez?

Bloggers are skeptical about the return of Minotauro, perceived as an aging ex-champ who lost favour among MMA fans when he suffered a second round TKO loss to Frank Mir in December 2008. While MMA blogs reveal news and rumours circulating after that match indicated that Nogueira was suffering a bum knee and staph infection during the bout, MMA watchers are unconvinced that his loss was a fluke, for many believe that Nogueira’s age is finally catching up on him.

Nogueira, however, is not about to prove his detractors right. That’s just not his style, he says. All the negative hype is simply strengthening his resolve, as he looks forward to proving to people that after 11 years he still has the experience and skill to beat a much younger opponent such as Cain Velasquez.

Nogueira reveals how he conditioned himself not just periodically, but frequently, as a coach and trainer of young fighters like his own brother, Rogerio and protégés Junior Dos Santos and Mark Muñoz. Aside from his impressive fight history against MMA top contenders, Nogueira seems to be highly motivated by his true love for martial arts, something that he has been practicing since the age of 4.

Meanwhile, Velasquez has been focusing on this fight, especially winning it. Many MMA watchers believe he has the upper hand in the match against Nogueira. Having an unbeaten history of 7-0 speaks for itself. As with Nogueira, Velasquez has a strong motivation to win the fight, as the winner of the UFC 110 main event will be another step closer to the competing for the heavyweight title, which is a great career opportunity for younger Velasquez.

Silva or Bisping?

In the co-main event, MMA fans will also be treated to hardcore action as cordiality is non-existent between the 2 fighters, Silva and Bisping. Silva makes no attempt to hide his dislike of Bisping. And with good reason- after all, he needs to win this one after losing five of his six past fights in the heavyweight division.

But there is a purpose behind Silva trash talking his opponent. As Silva later reveals, he needs to hate Bisping. He can use this hatred as it works well with his aggressive and brutal style, and could mean the difference between winning or losing his first fight in the middleweight division.

Discover how the mental aspect of martial arts is vital to success, though this MMA blog.

If you’re seeking to compete in mixed martial arts events, you can’t just concentrate on the physical side of MMA conditioning. Mental conditioning is just as important to producing champions as building your physical skills.

Guys with big muscles are a dime a dozen. You can see them just about anywhere, even on Jersey Shore. Guys with big muscles who know what to do with them, and who know what to do when faced with another guy with even bigger muscles, are more rare. Many of them can be found mixed in the ranks of the leading MMA competitors.

Let’s face it, competing in this dynamic sport does take a lot of physical strength, endurance and heart. No big brain, small bodied man will last a second in the ring. But a physically competent fighter can learn to exceed his physical limitations by perfecting his mental game.

By including a mental aspect to MMA conditioning, good fighters can become great fighters and great fighters can become legendary fighters.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to mental conditioning for fighting, there are some elements common to most successful MMA conditioning programs. These elements include:

Motivation

The fighter who wants to win, will find a way to win. No matter what.

Counter-intuitiveness

Taking a hit where a block was expected may throw your opponent off his game, giving you an advantage and the opportunity to take control of the match.

Emotional intelligence

Learning to control and harness your emotions will make you a more competent fighter. Learning to manipulate your opponents pride, ego, vanity and fear will also give you an added advantage in fights.

Self-awareness

Knowing the limits of your body is important. The timing of executing your moves such as holds that you have trained to use is a key point towards MMA success.

While average people tend to catagorize fighters as big and dumb, in reality the best fighters are generally the more intelligent ones. Knowing when and how to execute moves and how to use your body as a single unit takes discipline and knowledge that comes only with intense and rigorous training.

MMA conditioning is more than just lifting weights. It’s also lifting your consciousness and intellect to a new level that allows you to see all the angles and take advantage of this knowledge to win.

Athletes prepare for competitions by conditioning themselves. Different conditioning techniques apply to different sports. How a basketball player conditions for a game is different from how a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter will be trained.

MMA conditioning is much more than just strength, power, and speed. While these may be major qualities that a fighter needs to win a match, it is mental conditioning that distinguishes the champion from the contender.

Each person has the potential to develop incredible strength, power and speed. There are varying techniques used between fighters, each developed depending on the fighter.

Strength, for example, is merely physical energy that is needed to exert force. Between two physically evenly matched fighters, the fighter that has the mental edge and believes he is unbeatable and unbreakable will usually end up being victorious. When training for strength, mental MMA conditioning is also important.

MMA conditioning necessarily includes developing mental characteristics, which when combined with physical strength, power and speed, produces a lean, mean killing machine.

Some of these mental qualities include the following:

* Refusal to Give In

Training for MMA is physically exhausting. To survive training, your mind must not be the first to quit. As the training level turns up a notch, your body may begin to feel pain and exhaustion. An MMA fighter must be able to work through the pain barrier using the mind that never gives in. Fighters are taught that if your mind will not give in to the pain, then neither will your body.

* Winning Mindset

All MMA champions share a winning attitude, and a common believe that losing is not an option. To reach the top in MMA, you must have a genuine will and mental drive to achieve your goals. When your mind is focused on winning, your body will do whatever it takes to accomplish your aim.

* High Motivation Levels

Just like desire, motivation is a strong internal force that compels you to pursue your goals relentlessly. Motivation affects the quality of your MMA training. To stay motivated, you must have definite goals and a clear reason for accomplishing these goals. Goal setting is therefore important in MMA conditioning.

* Persistence
Training continuity maintained at a high level with increasing momentum in the days leading to the fight increases your chances of winning.

MMA conditioning involves other mental abilities which can turn a strong fighter into a winning champion. High concentration levels, persistence and inner strength are just some of them. These abilities are needed to obtain the attitude to sustain you for the tough and uncompromising sport that MMA is admired for.

Fans of UFC will be happy to know that MMA blogs is where they can read candid and straightforward opinions about their favourite fighters’ skills and UFC matches.

The upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship Event (UFC 110), the first of its kind to be staged at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 20, 2010 pits two world champions against newbies: former UFC champ Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira versus young lion Cain Velasquez for the main event, the world heavyweight title and Britain’s pride Michael “The Count” Bisping against wannabe middleweight entrant Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva.

Minotauro Nogueira vs. Cain Velasquez

Depending on who’s talking or which MMA blogs you find credible, the overconfident Velasquez doesn’t stand a chance against the seemingly unbreakable Minotauro. The speed and stamina required are more often found in younger fighters such as Velasquez. Minotauro’s strong right hand has stopped many of his opponents, as he is known for his strength and brutality.

Velasquez is a strong favourite for the crown in Las Vegas. Considered to be one of the 10 best heavyweights in the MMA, he has remained undefeated and he displays significant improvement in his skills during every fight. But others are not about to put the aging ex-champ Minotauro out to pasture.

Mixed Martial Arts is not purely about physical power, as his record shows. Minotauro is a smart fighter who can bring Velasquez to submission by forcing the 27-year old Mexican-American to the ground.

The Count vs. The Axe Murderer

UFC 110 co-main event is the fight between Michael “The Count” Bisping, MMA fighter from England and Wanderlei Silva who earned the moniker “The Axe Murderer” from his exceedingly aggressive fighting style.

Silva dropped to middleweight (185 lbs.) from light heavyweight. Prior to his loss to Dan Henderson, he was Pride middleweight chamion reigning from 2001 to 2007. He moved and signed up at UFC thereafter.

Bisping is a middleweight fighter of UFC and would have been a worthy contender for the title shot after three straight victories until he lost to Dan Henderson in UFC 100.

UFC 110 sold out the second quickest in UFC history. All tickets were taken on the first day of public sale and at 16,500 pieces, UFC sealed its name as the world’s No.1 mixed martial arts organization.

MMA blogs feature the latest buzz oftentimes containing differing views of MMA enthusiasts, and professional and amateur commentators, that you may have to carefully sift through to distinguish fact from fiction and ultimately decide each fighter’s chances of winning.