Sports Talk

With so much going on in this world, Our Pres bowing to Saudi Princes, Our Liberal Senate/Congress working together to end freedom of speech, Barry trying to give your hard earned money (those that make 250000+) to people who would rather wait in line for a welfare check (You may know it as Socialism which if I am not mistaken hasn’t worked in… …ever) you know all that great stuff going on I figured we should take some time to focus on other things like… …Soccer (Josh R. this ones for you).  I was watching the UEFA league of Champions Playoffs, and I must say it has been pretty exciting.  For instance, in the 3rd minute of stoppage time (or injury time) Barcelona scored a goal to tie Chealse and move on due to aggregate tie breaker to the finals against Manchester United.  Man U is impossibly good with Rooney and Ronaldo looking to be on top of their games and Park doing a phenomenal job of getting them the ball in space.  Ronaldo was striking penalty kicks with pin point accuracy.   Their Bench is strong, very strong with young guys like Rafael and grizzled veterans like Giggs and Teves able to come in and tighten the defense or provide other scoring chances.  But all that is not to discount the Barcelona team, they are not shabby by any stretch.  I do not have much more information on them but the fact that they came back a man down with virtually no time left, just simply amazing.

How about some fighting news?

Plenty to talk about, you have Anderson Silva coming off of two very boring, all be it technically sound, fights asking for a chance to fight Renowned and aging Boxer Roy Jones Jr.  And as if that is not enough, Dana White basically saying there is no way he would ever let that fight happen while Silva is under contract with Zuffa.  I can understand this from every ones point of view first lets look at the fighters, Roy Jones Jr (RJJ) wants to get his name back out there and is probably thinking that he would have a “punchers” chance, Anderson Silva (AS) is looking for a way to make things a little more exciting if he can beat up a guy with a good name in exciting and dominating fashion he can start to reclaim some of his stature as the pound for pound king.  On the other hand, I can understand Dana White not wanting to put this fight on, with RJJ fast becoming a name of the past and AS not really doing much (probably due to Boredom with a weight class that can no longer hang with him) he wants him to focus more on fighting in the 205 lbs division.  He owns the middle weights and I don’t believe he could cut enough weight to go down and fight GSP and still be the same AS, so Dana White (DW) is forcing him to focus on the next challenge, starting with Forest Griffen.  DW’s worst fear is for the UFC to become something of a spectacle (Elite XC type) where the fights are put together for money and not for great competition.  He prides himself and the Zuffa company on putting together great fights that are exciting for the high level of competition, not for the Zoo like crap that other productions have put together.  My one plea would be… …DW will you please sign Emelianenko so he can get his ass beat with the real fighters you have in the UFC and not the chumps -no offense Arlovski- that affliction has been throwing at him.  In other fighting news, former Marine Captain Brian Stann got submitted in about 75 sec. by a fantastic up and coming fighter Krzyszton Soszynski you should watch for him in UFC 98.

Finally, I was reading over some pound for pound lists and this one has to be the worse by far, Enjoy!

Iphone iblog

I sit here in my car at 606 am est waiting for someone to open the building I work in. Not that I am excited to actually work but rather because I had to drop me room-mate/friend off early. I decided this would be the perfect time to post the first blog from my iPhone. It is harder then I would like but I am getting pretty good at typing on this thing. My topics are, fighting, work and who knows what else!

Word on the street is Rampage is out of shape and still beat jardine. This is a scary thought because “the dean of mean” Jardine is a great fighter and if you can beat him you gave a chance against any one if you are in shape. The Evens vs Rampage fight should be a beauty!! Frank Mir has postponed his death sentance with lesnar do to surgery he just had on his knee. Kind of a bummer that he just can’t seem to stay healthy for very long.

I was talking with a great friend of mine (www.bretttilford.com) and we were discussing the possibility that “the word” (the bible) could be… …more of an alogorical book (especially earlier books like genesis) One of the topics we discussed was the talking snake we find in chapter three. Was there really a talking snake? Was there really a tree or specific garden? Or is it possible that genesis is written to show the choice man has in his/her life? We have come to the conclusion that we are just unsure of the answer.

For those of you who do not twitter I would like to announce something very important, I the author of this post, am engaged to be married to my beautiful and awe inspiring fiancée, Cat!! I am very excited, it will be a longish engagement because wecwant to wait until I am out of the Marines to get married, I am so stoked!!

That is all for now my friends!!!

Quick little Update

I noticed the other day that my enthusiasm for blogging had begun to wain.  Maybe it is because I have been pretty busy and really wanted nothing more then to come home, workout, shower and have a nice stiff drink with my dinner.  Or it could be that I felt I had nothing of value to throw out there.  Not much has changed with these two stances, however, I did have some stuff on my mind and I felt like sharing with my 3.5 readers.

1.  I have begun to notice a few things about myself lately, some new insights into my work habits.  I have noticed that I HATE paper work.  Which for most that can’t be all bad, but for me it is not a good thing.  I plan on getting out and starting to do some Real Estate Re-development with a company that I hope to build (with my beautiful girlfriend) into an empire.  Now I know people are all thinking well you can hire someone to do the paper work and normally I would think that route but I feel that if I am truly going to know my business as I should then at the beginning my hands should be the dirtiest after the days work is done.  By that I mean, I feel I should be rocking out with the paper work, and filing systems just as much as picking out the next project(s) or ripping out some flooring or those terrible cabinets that have been in the house since it was made.

2.  I am out of shape.  Now I am not out of shape as in fat, but I am out of shape for me.  Apparently I missed it but at some point I stopped being able to eat whatever the hell I wanted which really sucks, because I like to eat, I like to drink a beer or 10 on a weekend.  I also learned that my discipline is not as impressive as it once might have been.  Oh wait who am I kidding, I was never the most self disciplined person, but now I find that I am allowing myself to make excuses. Oh well I am tired, or I have to work 12-15hr days!  But all that is BS.  If I really wanted to I could find time, I just… Don’t!

3.  I can not get enough UFC! I love it, GSP rocking and rolling, Mochida knocking little girls out, how sweet it is.

4.  Super Bowl is on tonight and I must admit that I am rooting for the underdog cards.  I like there toughness with Fitzgerald and Bolin.  I like their resolve.  And I make more money by betting on them! haha

Well this was probably a waste of time, but I had to start, just like tomorrow I will restart working out again!!

Until next time, sit back relax and watch the world punch you in the mouth!

OH Dear!

I figured it was high time I got some time in on the ol’ blog.  I haven’t written anything in some time and I can’t say that I have been too busy.  I have merely had nothing I felt like putting into words.  While I have little to say at this time I feel it is high time I wrote something for my readers… …all three of them!  (Thanks Lover!).  First of all a few shout outs to my peeps!

For my lovely Girlfriend, see (Thanks Lover)

I have  a few friends that are always looking for ways to change the way we do things on the Internet, From creating high quality web addresses, to this new thing that is launching in a few weeks.  This is called Nectar.  I would tell you what it is but why listen to me, as my friend, one of the masterminds of this en devour, and one of his partners in crime explain it on tasty logic.  Great stuff.  To get updates you can look at the blog site for Nectar here. Good luck my friend!!

Over the last couple of weeks I have started watching some vlogs.  for those of you that don’t know what a vlog is here is an example.  My friend Josiah, has started some of his own and I must say, they are funny!  Here is a taste.  I would suggest watching the birthday one, it is great!

Oh, and did anyone see Kimbo “I can’t fight, never could, shouldn’t be allowed to degrade the MMA world that Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Henderson, Randy Couture and countless others made such an amazing sport, and I should just stop know and go back to being a bouncer at a Porno Club!” Slice totally get his faced beat in for 14 seconds against a Scrub Fighter.  ( I don’t even know his name, me, the guy who watches every fight he can, reads every story, and studies this sport with the enthusiasm of a 2 your old trying to get at his/her birthday cake).  Kimbo, if you can read this, stop fighting, unlike Brock Lesner, who has shown he belongs, you fight in a chump league, with chump fighters (no Offense Mr. Shamrock- I do appreciate you being willing to go down a few levels in order to show the world that Ho bo, I mean Kimbo, is a chump!) go back to bouncing, I know a club that needs a big scary guy… …err, well wait, get your eye taken care of first!

And I am Spent!

Sorry that so many of the links are not working my friends, I will get to fixing it as soon as possible!

UFC 88: Breakthrough

All right fight fans in the words of Bruce Buffer, “IT’S TIME!”  UFC 88: Breakthrough is about to go down in roughly 4 hrs.  It is an action packed card with former champs, undefeated contenders and some rising stars.  Names like Chuck Liddell, Rashad Evans, Nate Marquart, Rich Franklin, Jason Mcdonald and Dan Henderson.  New guys: Matt Hamil (first deaf man in the UFC) and Rousimar Palhares. 

First fight of consequence is Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell (Last Fight Highlights vs Wanderlei Silva) vs. “Sugar” Rashad Evans who is coming off a win vs Bisping.   Rashad is certainly the new blood in the light-heavyweight division, but I am not sure if Chuck is truly ready to give up his spot as one of the top fighters just yet.  I think it will be an all out brawl for two rounds with Chuck winning by TKO in the third. (I was close it was a brawl for two rounds and a knockout in the SECOND round by SUGAR.)

Next fight that I am excited about is Rich “Ace” Franklin vs Matt “The Hammer” Hamil.  I am a huge Ace fan, I like his style and his heart.  He, in my humble opinion, is one of the best pound for pound fighters out there, he just can’t get past The Spyder.  This move back up to 205 is going to be great for him, he was undefeated at this weight before dropping down to the middle weights to take that belt a few years back.  Matt Hamil is no slouch either.  His wrestling is top notch and his heart is un-paralleled.  This should be a great fight with Rich “Ace” Franklin coming out the victor.  No idea how or what round, but if I had to take a guess I would say third round submission. I was close yet again, I got the fighter right, but it was a decision. 1-1

Dan “Hendo” Henderson vs Rousimar Palhares should be an exciting fight, I think Hendo has the edge on the feet, and Rousimar is insane on the ground.  Look for Hendo to sprawl often to avoid the take down.  Hendo needs this fight to stay one of the top tier contenders I believe all the pressure is on him which is why this is my upset of the night fight with Rousimar submitting Hendo in the second.  I was wrong yet again, Hendo squeked by with a decision 1-2

Mark Kampmann vs Nate Marquardt.  With only four fights in the UFC Mark is the less experienced of the two, however, Nate is coming off a loss from Thales Lietes who Kampmann beat back on TUF 4.  It should be a good fight and I think Nates overall experience will help him eek out a decision.  This one I got right, but it was a TKO in the first. 2-2

There are a few other fights that will be fun to Watch, Jason McDonald is going to beat his opponant.  I got this right, Jason McDonald submitted Jason Lambert in the second round.  3-2

I understand that some of my readers may not be big MMA fans so I hope all the pictures and video clips will help put a face to the names I have mentioned. 

Finally, my favorite all time move is the flying armbar for your enjoyment and so I don’t have to try and put it into words here you go!  It happens around 22 seconds or so.

For those of you keeping score I am 7-8 in my predictions since I started making them, I think I should do a little more study.

Holy *^%!

Randy “The Natural” Couture the heavyweight champion of the MMA world is returning to the Octagon to fight the up and coming Brock Lesner!  This is a MMA fans dream fight!!!  Just thought I would let my readers know.  Mark your calanders for Nov 15th!

UFC 87

The newest fight card for the Ultimate Fighting Championship is upon us this evening and it is filled with some very exciting fights.  The biggest fight of the night is the Jon Finch challenging for the welter weight title that George St. Pierre (GSP) currently holds.  I will keep my predictions short as there are plenty of fights to get too:

1. GSP Vs Finch:  I think that GSP ability to out wrestle wrestlers as well as his ability to keep a fervant pace is probably what will allow him to win this fight in the third round via a TKO.  Well GSP did win but I greatly miscalculated the toughness of Finch.  1-0

2.  Brock Lesner vs heath Hearing:  Normally I will go for the texan in any fight, but i really think that Brock Lesner has a ton of upside more then heath will ever bring to the Octogan.  Brock wins this in a good ol’ brawl.  Second round TKO.  I was right about the victor but I missed the round again.  I am fairly certain that Brock lesner did not even get hit once in that whole fight. 2-0

3.  Kenny Florian vs Roger Huerta:  this should probably be the best fight of the night.  3 rounds of none stop actions.  I think the end of the fight will see Roger Huerta’s hand raised in a decision.  I missed this one! enoguh said! 2-1

4: Manny G. Vs Rob Emerson:  I have never been a fan of Rob’s fighting style and for that I have to give the fight to Manny G. in the fourth round by submission.  I don’t know why I said fourth round, I meant the second round, but Manny G got knocked the crap out in roughly 12 seconds, so I was wrong again.  2-2

5.  jason Mcdonald vs Demian Miai:  the “Athlete” Jason McDonald is a great fighter who shows he can be tough.  I think he will TKO his opponant in the third round.  Well Demian was amazing and truely showed he is going to stick around for a while. 

Those are the fights that matter to me, and so those are the only ones I will predict!  Iwill post later and show we will see how I did.

The end tally is 2 correct and 3 wrong!  Great fights overall.

WEC Fights 3rd Aug, 2008

Realizing that I am not one that likes to share emotion with anyone i realized that I just did and therefore immediatly wanted to erase my last post.  However for the sake of this blog having some realism to it I have decided to leave my previous post and post something more to my taste.  So with out further beating around the bush here are your WEC LIve fight night pre-fight picks!  As you all know I am an avid fight fan and an inspiring fighter.  Some of the fights on this card are going to be explosive some are going to look like amatuers.  Head lining tonight you have a Marine (Capt Brian “All American” Stann) the light heavy weight title holder in the WEC, Carlos “The Natural Born Killer” Condit the welterweight title holder and finally Jamie Varner the Light weight title holder. 

Capt. Stann, as he shall be referred to on this blog, is coming in having a 5-0 record recording five knockouts having never been taken to the second round in his proffessional career.  He has beaten his challanger once before with an amazing 41 second knockout.  Capt. Stann has really never been challanged only one of his fights was even close to entering the second round and that was a fight that ended in TKO at 4:57 in the first round.  Other then that no man has been able to get him to go longer then 3 minutes.  Having said that his conditioning is amazing, he does not seem to tire in his fights and having been around his training team and seen him in workouts he is relentless in his pursuit to destroy his oponants.  On a side note, leading up to the previous fight Cantwell decided to use a slogan that we marines use and hold very important.  We believe you must earn the right to say what cantwell said and Capt. Stann decided he should be taught a lesson. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRfpsiQEcrA)

                    Capt. Stann Second round (early): Knock out (TKO)

The next fight that should be quite the “bruhaha” is the Condit vs Miura fight.  Condit has proved himself a submission artist having won his last 4 fights via submission.  His favorite? Choke!  He is a very experienced fighter and at the young age of 24 has a huge career still to come.  The other man boasts a respectacle 7-3 record having won two out of his last three.  Those two wins coming from a submission in one fight and a TKO in the other.  I will say that he is coming in heavy for this fight unless he has had to try to cut for a final weigh in for tonight which would leave him terribly dehydrated. 

Condit in the third round: Submission

Finally, the third match up of the night is also very interesting.  Jamie Varner has spent time both in the Cage in the WEC and in the Octagon in the UFC.  That experience should help him when he fights his less experienced oponant Marcus Hicks (6-0).  Hicks is a relative new comer and has won his lasts three fights via submission.  I have not seen him fight.

Hicks in the Thrid: Decision

The next fights: I do not know much about the fighters but there are a few to note:

Micah Miller is a man that can knock you out with his lightning fast hands or he can submit you with his gumby like flexibility.  His only lost came in a close decision against Cub Swanson.  He is fighting a man I have never heard of, but that is also coming in with only one loss.  This should be a fast paced fight at 145 lbs.  Should be pretty volitale, look for a ton of grappling and jui jitsu in this one.

Micah Miller: Second round (Late): Submission

Brian Bowles vs Damacio Page is the only other fight that is scheduled to be aired tonight, I truely know nothing about either of these fighters so this one is a shot in the dark.  But I like that Brian is 5-0.

Brian Bowles: First round Knock out (TKO)

I will post later tonight on my choices and how I did, also on what I thought of the action!

End of Fight result:

Alas, the All American, lost his fight.  He looked fatigued and one dimensional

   Running count: 0-1

Condit won, it took him almost four full rounds, but he won!  that was quite a fight!

Running Count: 1-1

Hicks suprised me, I thought he would be a tougher test, but he proved to need some more experiance.

Running Count: 1-2 (not a good day for me!)

I was a bit dissapointed about Micah Miller’s performance.  Mostly because I feel the ref was a little to quick to stop the fight.

Running Count: 1-3

This is the only fight that I got 100% right, I called for a first round knockout and we got it!!

Running Count 2-3

2-3 is not such a terrible record!

All in all the fights were okay at best, bits of good action but still not quite up to the level we are used to from UFC.

newest thoughts and rants!

I have been doing a fair amount of thinking since I started my blog, most of my thoughts have been on what on earth am I too blog about.  When I was on the outside looking in I always figured that I had plenty to say, cause I do and I am usually quite the loud mouth.  But once you get close to time to hit that “publish” button suddenly a terror hits, “is what i am about to talk about really that important that I need to publish it so that the whole world has an opportunity to read it?”  I asked one of my friends who is a blogger and he said, when asked what I should blog about, “Everything.” was his quick and very enthuesiastic reply.  He went on to explain what he meant but really that is what you write about. No subject, no thought, no discovery not even the newest commercial is off limits in this no holds bar world of blogging.  Instantly after I discovered that I wanted my blog to not fit the mold of everyone eles’s I wanted it to be very disctinctly me.  That is why at times it looks like I am writing for the local sports section.  Sports are a passio of mine so I am certian while I have written about them a few times there will be more.  This blog however may and should be very interesting I have a few things I want to rant about, a few things I want to rave about and I am sure there are some topics some where in between. 

Rant- I am tired of the “Christian” thoughts that no other religion holds any merrit or any amount of truth or value.  Tell me what the world be like if we had the patiance of Ghandi, the Devotion of the muslims, the work ethic of the mormans (giving up two years of their lives for their missions)?  I tell you one thing I can’t imagine we would be in the world we are now, i would be willing to guess that many things would be changed.  “Oh no, is he talking about tolerance?”  Call me a blasphemer, call me a heretic I don’t care what you call me, I have been called worse I promise you (Don’t forget dear reader I am in the Corps!) 

Rave:  Anderson the Spyder Sylva, is the best fighter in the world POUND FOR POUND.  I don’t care what class he fights in he is un-beatable when he fights his type of fight.

What a Night of Fights

I watched the most amazing fight I have ever seen tonight.  UFC 86’s title fight will go down as one of the greatest contests in history.  If you didn’t see it you need to youtube it if you can, or find some way to watch it because that is what the UFC is all about.  It is not about eeking out a decision win (although the fight did go to decision) it is about two fighters letting it all hang out, swinging for the fences, going after submissions, being cut and bruised, being knocked down and bouncing back to land some punches and submission attempts of your own.  What many people do not realize is that Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is not just about fighting, punching and submitting it is the ultimate chess match.  You are using your jabs and straight punches as pawns so you can maneuver your opponent so that your knights and bishops (Crosses, Elbows and knees) can assail him and push him farther into a trap so your queen and rooks (your submissions and knockouts) can finish him all the while protecting your King (you not being submitted or knocked out) so that he doesn’t do the same.  Some see the sport as brutish and barbaric and maybe it has some of those tendencies, but there is a beauty in all the blood and violence.  The looks of focus, determination, the heart and will to never succumb no matter how much the pain, no matter how little air is getting in you will not tap.  The inner struggle that you go through with your body saying tap, quit and give up you lost all ready, but your heart screaming, yelling and at times whispering, you still have a chance.  This is why I watch those fights, this is why I aspire to be near those that are willing,  for it is those with the courage to face any opponent better, bigger, stronger and faster and believe, train and will themselves to victory.  I saw it tonight during the Title fight of UFC 86.  What a brawl, what a fight, what chess match!  Both men went in, Rampage the Heavy favorite (as he should have been) forest the rocky balboa.  Both men laid it out in that Octagon and both were rewarded if not by the giant purse, by the sheer fact that they went and know a little more about themselves.  If you missed the fight, go find it, you must see it!