A $10 bottle of ketchup!

While in the wake of one of our nation's worst, if not THE worst, natural disasters in history the stories of the rich getting richer are already. We do get the feel good stories of neighbors helping neighbors and our military and cival servicemen rescueing and helping save lives but while all this is going on the rich are getting richer. It breaks down like this.
Rich people #1
In some way or another about 10% of the United State's oil comes through or from New Orleans. Gas prices leaped 15-20% with threats of much much more by this weekend. The repairs to the equipment should be complete in 3 days to a week and the majority of that 10% will be restored. Do you think the gas prices will be restore. If you do I don't know what to tell you but YOUR WRONG! The gas prices are out of control, I make pretty decent money and they are going to affect me before long. I'd hate to be a minimum wage earned and have to come up with an extra $20-40 just to get to work.
Rich People #2
The insurance companies are already chomping at the bit. I've always found it funny how you can pay for insurance month in and month out and then once something happens and you think your covered the rates go up to compensate the people who were supposed to be insuring you. What a scam!

About a month ago there was a USA made for TV movie called Oil Storm. in this movie a hurricane hits New Orleans, taking down the rigs and pipelines and gas prices go through the roof. Hitting $5-7 dollars very quickly.

I wouldn't be surprized to find out that the oil companies paid for this movie to prepare us. Do you think someone in Hollywood had the incredible forsite to see this coming, doubtful!

If, big IF, gas prices do go to just $5 a gallon it would take a pretty average car with a 12 gallon tank $60 instead of today's $33.60 (based on $2.80). If you fill up once a week that over $100 extra per month. Think about all the people you work with, how many do you think could comfortably afford that? This is not even taking into consideration filling up a truck or SUV. I may never drive my truck again!

I say all that to say that our current government will not be coming to the rescue anytime soon. If John Kerry had been elected president and Ketchup prices rose to $10 per bottle he'd have been shot.

It's a good thing Bush is in office, what would we have done if the gays and lesbians were getting married. We may have some kind of crisis on our hands!

Thue Ultimate Fighter

Argh! I was so excited when Team Franklin choose to challenge Melvin Guillard for the elimination this week. Melvin has been my pick from the start, last week! Josh Burkman, his opponent, is a solid fighter with well rounded skills but I thought Melvin would be able to handle him. In Melvin's own words, he choked. he got to the big dance and froze. He did well the 1 or 2 times he threw a punch in the fight but he never followed through with anything. He definately did not deserve to win and the decision was unanimous from the judges. All in all it was a fairly boring fight. Burkman was noticably tired but Melvin would NOT move forward to attack. There was a comment about him breaking his hand with a big punch he threw but there are other weapons in his arsonel.

Overall I was pretty dissapointed in his performance. Maybe he will get a chance to shine in the finale?

PRIDE Final Conflict 2005

So it's the morning of PRIDE and since I was lazy all day yesterday I have not put my picks out there yet. Tonights event is featuring 7 fights including 2 championships, the heavyweight title is on the line and there is a 4 man tournament to decide the 205lb division.

Here is how I think it will play out.

In the 1st round of the 4 man tournament we should see a couple of great fights with a lot of action.

Wanderlei Silva (BRA) vs. Ricardo Arona (BRA)
Silva has been at the top of thePRIDE food chain for quite some time. He did lose for the 1st time earlier this year and I think he will get back on track with this fight.

Maricio "Shogun" Rua (BRA) vs Alistair Overeem (HOL)
Another great match up. Overeem has won his last 3 fights all in the 1st round by guillitine choke. His height and takedown defense have given him the chance to land this submission often and with precision. I see Overeem winning this fight. This would probably be an upset in most people's eyes but I think Overeem will have a big night tonight.

The Championship Match - ? vs ?
This is a little odd because if one of my picks do not with this next fight may not even happend. The winner of those 2 fights will fight for the title. The way I have it laid out it will be Silve and Overeem. Bottom line is that I believe Overeem is going to win this whole thing despite the odds against him.

David "Tank" Abbot (USA) vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (JAP)
I don't like Tank Abbot. Yoshido should have zero problems with Tank unless, as many others have, he decides to stand right in front of him. If you don't stand in front of Tank he has nothing, it's that simple! The good ole US of A is not well represented in this installment of PRIDE. Yoshida is giving up a lot of weight and strength in this fight.

Igor Vovchanchyn (UKR) vs Kazuhiro Nakamura (JAP)
This has the makings of a great fight. These guys can both bang and they both have fantastic chins. I am really looking forward to this fight. Although this is a coin flip I'm taking Vovchanchyn for no particular reason.

Fabricio Werdum (BRA/SPA) vs Roman Zentsov (RUS)
I do not know anything about either of these fighters. I got nothin'.

Heavywieght Championship

Fedor Emelianko (RUS) vs Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (CRO)
Wow Wow Wow. This fight has been in the making for quite some time and now, as they say, IT'S ON! After Cro Cop's last victory he called, in a very respectful manner, Fedor to the ring and challenged him. Emelianko accpeted and.....IT'S ON! I do believe Cro Cop will be victorious even though it will be another upset. At any rate this should be a GREAT fight.

All in all this may be the most anticipated PRIDE for me. A lot of great match ups, this could be a night to remember.

PRIDE vs UFC

So I am a big fan, if you haven't noticed, of all of the mixed martial arts leagues out there. Some people don't know or understand the differences between these 2 organizations and the people who do know them tend to argue about which one is better and why.

HISTORY

UFC -
The Ultimate Fighting Championship began in 1994, I was lucky enough to be there in Denver when they began, and is basically responsibly for brining MMA to the US and is now making strides to bring it mainstream. The original format was tournament style where if you were to win the championship you would have to fight more than one opponent all in one evening. Back then there was also no time limit and no rounds. By changing to a 1 fight per night format and going to a system with timed rounds, along with some other changes, the UFC has gained more acceptance in the US and is continuing almost every week togain popularity and acceptance.

PRIDE -
PRIDE Fighting Championships began in 1997 and is held in Japan. PRIDE also holds a 1 fight per night format in their Bushido (meaning "way of the warrior") series. PRIDE also holds tournaments over several months to crown a champion in the different weight classes. This style of tournament typically brings 1 fight a night until the last 4 people are determined. In the last round fo the tournament there will be 2 fights and the winner of each will fight on that same night to be declared the champion.

Similarities -
Although both are reffered to as "no holds barred" fighting they each have some rules. Eye gouging, head butts, small joint manipulation (fingers/toes), strikes to the groin or back of the head are all not allowed in either organization. They also do not allow the fighters to hold the ropes/cage at any time. Both organizations have weight classes. (this is not a complete list of rules but you should get the picture.)

Differences -
The 1st and most notable difference between these organizations is that the UFC uses and Cage in the shape of an octagon and PRIDE uses a traditional looking boxing ring. Because of this difference the UFC does not allow kicks to the head or knees to the head of an opponent who is on the ground. A fighter can be pinned against the cage with no give in it and a stomp or kick to the head could result in serious injury. Since PRIDE has ropes the kicks are allowed. Although this is legal in PRIDE they do not allow it if the opponent is face down and in a defensless position. The UFC uses 3, 5 minute rounds for a non-title fight and 5, 5 minute rounds for a title fight. PRIDE uses a 10 minute 1st round followed by 2, 5 minute rounds. UFC is scored just like boxing with judges awarding a score in each round, PRIDE judges give 1 final decision at the end of the fight stating who they feel won. (again, this is not a complete list but those are the big ones.)

What do I like about.....

UFC - The UFC is the big show, they started it all here in the states and I believe on a general level that they bring the best of the best of American fighters. I like the idea of the cage, it has a modern day gladiator feel. They have much better marketing and are begining to branch out to cable television through SPIKE TV and their new reality show.

note - I stated that UFC has the best of American fighters. They allow anyone to fight but the big name international guys seem to go to PRIDE.
Although currently the Heavywieght Champ is Andre Arlovsky, not from the US.

PRIDE - I believe PRIDE has the overall best fighters. A quick glance to the UFC roster will show you a majority of Americans, quick glance on PRIDE's roster will show the opposite. PRIDE uses a red card system for no action. Basically, if the fighters are stalling for any reason in the referee's opinion he will issue a red card, when that happens the fighter loses 10% of his money for the fight. This definately makes for some great fights. I think PRIDE is a little slower to offer another fight to someone who doesn't entertain the crowd with action.

Overall Summary -
You know I like them both. That said I enjoy the show that PRIDE puts on just a little more. They tend to have a little more action and the crowd seems to get into it a little more. It's no secret that martial arts fighting is more accepted in Japan than the US. It's like the difference between college and pro football. UFC is the big show and has the big names, if you love MMA you gotta watch it. PRIDE brings lesser known fighters (here in the states anyway) and tends to have a little more action and excitement.

The Ultimate Fighter Season 2

Last night on SPIKE TV was the release of the 2nd season of The Ultimate Fighter. If you'll remember from last year it features up and coming fighters for a chance at a 6 figure, 3 year deal with the UFC. This season features the Welterwieghts (170 lbers) and Heavyweights (205+). Last season I was able to pick the winners in both categories going with Deigo Sanchez and Forrest Griffin. I've done my research and I've got my picks for this season.........
Welterwieght - Melvin Guillard
I've saw Melvin fight in Tunica last February where he earned the right to fight for the FFC Championship, I'm sure that's on the back burner due to this opportunity. He is very heavy handed and not afraid to fight on the ground. I think he is well rounded enough to take this to the next level.

Heavyweight - Mike Whitehead
Now I must be honest, this pick is a little bit of me thinking he is the best fighter and a little bit of me wanting to watch someone from my home state win this thing. I've always believed us Oregon boys are just tougher. (so there) As you'll see in Mikes Bio he hails from southern Oregon, he actually went to my rival high school.

Joe Stevensen - Welterweight
The Victorville, CA native and current resident was an all-state wrestler at Silverado, High School just outside of Los Angeles. The 23 year-old has been competing in mixed martial arts since he was 16 and has a current professional record of 24-6. He has held 5 MMA titles in various weight-classes ranging from 155 to 205. Currently a forklift operator, Joe has two kids, Joey (4 years old) and Tyler (2 years old), and lives with his girlfriend Maria who is a lawyer and female boxer.

Jorge Gurgel - Welterweight
Born and raised in Fortaleza, Brazil, Jorge moved to the U.S. eight years ago when he was 20 to pursue his career in mixed martial arts. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert is also quite the academic as he received a prestigious scholarship, awarded to only 50 of 14,000 applicants, to study in his native Brazil. After two years of study, he moved to the United States to attend Wright St. University to study international business. Currently living in suburban Cincinnati, Jorge runs seven gyms in the Midwest including ones in Columbus, Dayton, and his main gym in Middletown, OH. Jorge, who is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, trains with The Ultimate Fighter coach Rich Franklin and The Ultimate Fighter Season I participant, Josh Rafferty.

Anthony Torres - Welterweight
The pride of Hawaii, Anthony is currently a federal corrections officer at a prison in Oahu. The 26 year-old is a member of the prison SWAT Team and is a self defense instructor for the other guards. Anthony was a state wrestling champion in the 198lbs weight class at Roosevelt High School in Honolulu and was among the state’s premier power-lifters. He has been participating in mixed martial arts for the past six years and has a current professional record of 3-0. Anthony attended Chaminade University and is a big fan of the hit series CSI (currently airing on CBS and Spike TV).

Melvin Guillard - Welterweight
The son of a Baptist Minister, Melvin grew up in suburban New Orleans and was a wrestling state champion in the 152lb class at Bonnabel High School in 2002. Voted Best athlete in his high school, Melvin was also a star football player, terrorizing opposing offenses as an outside linebacker. A graduate of Colby College in Kansas with a degree in Criminal Law, he currently works in the family contracting business. Melvin has a 36-2-3 professional MMA record and is inspired by his fiancé, Brittney.

Josh Burkman - Welterweight
Josh was a triple-threat athlete at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City making all-state in football (running back), baseball (third baseman), and wrestling (171 lb division). He went to play running back for Dixie State College. To pursue his dream of becoming a UFC champion, Josh moved to Oregon to train with Randy Couture and Team Qwest. He currently has a 14-2 record and dreams to one day open up his own MMA gym.

Marcus Davis - Welterweight
The former pro boxer is no stranger to television, as he fought on ESPN2’s Friday Night Fights while competing for 10 years and compiling a 10-1 record. The 32 year-old native of Bangor, Maine, proudly wears a kilt as a tribute to his Irish heritage. Marcus is a manager of multiple bars and taverns in Maine and is a twice-divorced father to three children. The self-described computer geek is a Star Wars aficionado and lists his favorite movie is the cult classic, “Boondock Saints.”

Sammy Morgan - Welterweight
The Minneapolis, Minnesota native wrestled at Roosevelt High School and attended Denwoody Technical School. The 23 year-old trains in Bloomington for the past 7 years and has current MMA record of 16-5. He currently works as a landscaper and bouncer at a local Minneapolis bar. His favorite movies are “Gladiator” and “The Legend of Josey Wales.”

Kenny Stevens - Welterweight (eliminated day 1)
A butcher by trade, the 23 year-old lives in Slidell, Louisiana with his wife and baby son, Kaden. Kenny was a two-sport star at Ware High School in suburban New Orleans in football (fullback, middle linebacker) and baseball (first baseman). He attended the University of Mississippi for one year and competed in the Kenpo Karate Nationals in 1999. Kenny is also friends with Houston Astros’ pitcher, Roy Oswalt.

Luke Cummo - Welterweight
The 25 year-old Taoist is from New Hyde Park, Long Island and is a graduate of Chaminade High School. He graduated Nassau Community College with a degree in Biology. He currently has a 4-1 professional MMA record and trains with UFC contender Matt Serra. The Bruce Lee fan lists “Sin City” among his favorite movies.

HEAVYWEIGHTS
Rob Macdonald
Rob fulfilled one his dreams in life by becoming a police officer and serving for the past 1 ½ years in his native Mississauga, Ontario. The only Canadian citizen on The Ultimate Fighter Season II, Rob was a nationally ranked wrestler at St. Charles College (high school) in Ontario and also excelled on the football and track teams. He graduated Western Ontario University with degrees in English and Psychology. The 26 year-old has been participating in MMA for three years and trains with Team Tomkins. His current professional MMA record is 3-0. The Toronto Raptors fan is inspired by his father and former railway engineer, Ranald, who passed away. His cousin, Miranda, stars on the cable series, “Degrassi Junior High: The New Class.”
Keith Jardine
Keith previously worked as a real life bounty-hunter for a bail bondsman in Canoga Park, California. The 29 year-old has a 9-1-1 professional MMA record and lives and trains in Albuquerque, New Mexico with among others, Season I middleweight champion, Diego Sanchez. Keith also was a professional boxer with a 3-0-1 record, and professional kickboxer with a 1-0 record. He was a two-sport star in high school, city champion in wrestling in the heavyweight class and All-City Football as linebacker. He attended Pierce College in Los Angeles before playing defensive line at New Mexico Highlands University. The foreign films buff is a big fan of the Coen Brothers.

Kerry Schall (Hurt and out, day 1)
The 33 year-old is the elder statesman for Season II of The Ultimate Fighter. The Kankakee, Illinois native was a football and wrestling star at Herscher High School outside of Chicago. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in electrical engineering, he spent the next seven years out of the sports arena as a service engineer at a plastics company. One random night he was talked into competing in an MMA fight in Cincinnati and Kerry knocked out his opponent in 14 seconds. Kerry became hooked and began training to hone his natural MMA talents. Six years later this father of two has a 19-6 professional MMA record and trains with The Ultimate Fighter coach Rich Franklin and Season I participant, Josh Rafferty.

Brad Imes
The 6’7 Columbia, Mo. native has only been participating in MMA for the last nine months and already has a 3-0 professional record. Brad played offensive tackle for the University of Missouri and was a starter his senior year. He went on to play professionally for the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers. The former Strength Coach for the University of Missouri and Texas Christian University football teams, Brad is a loan officer in Sacramento. In his spare time he is an outdoorsman and enjoys hunting.

Seth Petruzelli
The Cape Coral, Florida native was a three-sport star in high school -- All-State centerfielder on the baseball team, All-State wrestler at 215lbs., and threw the shot put and discus on the track team. Seth is a graduate of The University of Central Florida with a degree in Psychology. He began studying karate at six years old and currently trains MMA at one of the legendary Gracie Jiu Jitsu schools in Orlando. His professional MMA record is 8-2, and when not training he works in his family’s real estate business.

Mike Whitehead
The 3-time All-American wrestler grew up in Central Point, Oregon and gained collegiate fame on the mat while attending North Idaho Junior College, Southern Oregon University, and the University of Missouri. He graduated with a degree in Education. At Crater High School, Mike was a state champion wrestler in the 189lb division in 1999 and played defensive lineman in football. He has since moved to Iowa to train with the legendary MMA Team Miletich Fighting with The Ultimate Fighter coach Matt Hughes and Season I participant, Sam Hoger.

Tom Murphy
The 30 year-old from Cooperstown, New York was a four-time All-State wrestler in high school was third in the country in the 190lbs. division. Tom, an academic who enjoys classical music and reading Descartes, graduated Summa at SUNY Brockport in Human Psychology. He currently lives in Philadelphia where he works for Rail America. He is married and has four kids ranging from 1 ½ to 7 years old. He trains with Gracie protégé Julie Fernandez and has a professional MMA record of 4-0.

Rashad Evans
The two-time All-State wrestler at Wheatfield High School in Niagara Falls, New York was also a standout football player at running back and safety. He attended Michigan State and wrestled in the 174lb division. Rashad graduated with a degree in Psychology and currently works at a hospital in Lansing, Michigan, where he lives and trains.

Eli Joslin (eliminated, day 1)
The 26 year-old Yosemite, Ca native and Oakland Raiders’ fan played linebacker at Mariposa High School. He currently has a 1-0 professional MMA record and breeds American Bulldogs.

Boiling Point reviews

So in my own mini vicotory tonigh I was undefeated in my predictions, I've had a rough time this past 2 UFC's. What a gret night of fights tonight, it is definately worth catching a replay if you missed the fight.

Undercard -

James "the sandman" Irvin over Terry "I may not ever wake up" Martin
The 1st round of this bout brought us a dominant performance by Terry Martin, he took down Irvin and controlled the action. He did have a couple of submission attempts but nothing to serious. At the begining of the second round Irvin threw the most devastating flying knee in UFC history, couple that with Martin's attempt at a shot and you have KO city. Martin was out cold, no eyes open and both arms paralized up in the air. I think he now resides somewhere in 1927. That knee will definately be on Ultimate Knockouts Volume 4. (it really should be on there 3 or 4 times)

Trevor Prangley over Travis Lutter
They only showed highlights of this fight in the broadcast but it seems as though Lutter controlled the entire fight. Joe Rogan said a couple of times throughout the broadcast that Lutter was pretty dominant.

Matt "the law" Lindland over Joe Doerkson
Very close 1st round, 2 of the 3 judges scored it for Lindland but I did give it to Doerkson. He came out and tookdown a silver medalist in Lindland, something that few have done with success. He did control the 1st round action and looked like his game plan was going to be pretty solid for the fight. In round number 2 and 3 Lindland did what he does best, take down and control the fight. He was unable to ground and pound the way he typically does and dominate Doerkson but I really didn't expect anything less. Doerkson has been in the cage and in the ring with a lot of top flight people, while I don't think he will win those matches very ofter he is definately tough enough to be there.

Live Broadcast Fights -

Georges "Rush" St Pierre over Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg
In the 1st bout of the evening I was excited to see one of my favorite fighters. St Pierre seems to be a classy guy and he definately brings a great show to the Octagon. St Pierre completely dominated this fight. It started with St Pierre landing a couple blows standing up, Trigg attempted a take down but it was stuffed and reversed with St Pierre ending up on top and in the mount. Trigg could do nothing but roll giving St Pierre his back and then roll back into the mount. Trigg did this for the next couple of minutes while St Pierre landed blows from the mount and atempted submission when given back control. Ultimately St Pierre was able to sinc in a rear naked choke and finish the match in the 1st round. This was a good victory for St Pierre and should put him in line for a rematch with Matt Hughes, which he did ask for after the fight.

Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez over Brian Gassaway
If you read my prediction you already know how this fight went. Quite simply Diego went with his usual game plan and stuck with it. he took Gassaway down, gained the mount position and beat the shit out of him! Gassaway did put up a decent fight, in the 1st round Diego was dominant but could not put Gassaway to rest. I can't believe he was able to stay in that long. The 2nd round saw Diego take 1 pretty big punch, which didn't seem to effect him, and then take Gassaway down again. After gaining the mount Gassaway was forced to tap due to the amount of damage he was taking.

Randy "The Natural" Couture over Mike Van Arsdale
This was Couture's 1st fight that didn't involve a championship belt since 1997, that should speak for itself! Regular readers know that he is my favorite but that should give you a little bit of a hint as to why. He is just a great competitor. In round 1 Couture did control most of the action, he was able to go to the ground and pound type offense and control Van Arsdale. There was a lot of very technical back and forth position battles which were pretty even. Van Arsdale's wrestling background is very comparable to Couture's. I thought Van Arsdale was winning the stand up battle but Couture won the round with control of the ground for a longer period of time. overall the 1st round was very close with a slight advantage for Couture. The 2nd round brought more of the same. I do think that Van Arsdale stunned Couture with a couple of big shots in the 2nd, not enough to make me think Couture was in serious danger but he did look a little wobbly. I stick by my prefight assesment of Couture. He is probably the best ground and pound guy in the UFC today if not ever, he has seen some success standing up with people his past couple fights (with the exception of the KO from Liddell of course) but I don't know why he does not stick to his bread and butter. Whe Couture gained position and went to the ground and pound he was in 100% control, looked a little shakey in the stand up game. Round 3 again brought more of the same but Couture was able to submit Van Arsdale with a gator roll choke that he had tried several times throughout the fight.
Can anyone say Couture v Liddell III??????

Tim "The Maniac" Sylvia over Tra "Trauma" Telligman
Sylvia cam out landing good stiff jabs and out boxing the boxer. As I stated before, Telligman is a good solid fighter with excellent boxing skills. Just like Joe Doerkson he is able to get into the cage or ring with anyone but I just don't feel like he is in the same class as Sylvia. With maybe 1 second remaining Sylvia landed a big high kick to Telligman's face sending him down and out. Sylvia has lined himself up for a rematch with Arlovsky if he is (which he will be)victories over Paul Buentello in October.

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell over Jeremy "Gumby" Horn
In the main event The Iceman was getting an oppoortunity to defend his championship against the 1st man to ever defeat him. The 1st round was pretty even and I was probably leaning towards Horn when Liddell landed a stiff right hand that sent Horn to the ground. Liddell jumped on him with a couple more punches and Horn was able to stay in the fight. I do not know how. Liddell easily controlled the last minute and a half after the knockdown although I will say again and again that when Hron tried the takedowns, even though they were not successful, it seemed to take Liddell out of his game a little. In the 2nd round Chuck landed another knockdown blow, keep in mind these would be knock out blows to normal humans. Horn seems to have superhuman recooperative powers. His locker must be next to Superman's over at the Justice League! By this point in the fight Liddell was clearly controlling the action. Both times Horn was knocked down and stunned he bought time be attempting takedowns that Liddell easily defended. The 3rd round brought no knockdowns and I actually gave it to Horn, he started throwing leg kicks that seemed to again take Liddell of his plan. By the middle of the 3rd round horn had created a lot of redness on Liddell's lead leg. I really cannot explain why Horn would then quit throwing the leg kicks. Although I gave the round to Horn Liddell was in his game plan of head hunting, he is a great striker. Round 4 brought the end of the run for Horn, Liddell landed a great right hand and sent Horn to the ground, while it didn't knock him out Horn did quit stating that he could not see out of his left eye. During the final announcement they showed Horn and his face and head were covered with welts and redness showing truely what kind of power Liddell has in both hands. The damage was clear and so was the winner. Liddell looked superb in his 1st title defens and if people continue to stand in front of him he will hold that belt for a long time. If, and believe me this is a big IF, Liddell has a weakness it seems to be when people try and take him down. Liddell is a great wrestler and few people have acutally got him to the mat. Noone has been able to keep him there. But when attempts are made it seems to give Liddell just 1 more thing to think about and I think that was the difference between his loss and win against Randy Couture. Even in tonights fight the small glimmer of hope that Horn saw was when he was either attempting takedowns or leg kicks, once Liddell realized that Horn was going to stand in front of him it was only a matter of time.

Since the UFC has a definate trend of fighters thanking their sponsers I would just like to take a moment to thank......

Adam, my bosses son, for bringing me back a nice Honduran cigar which I smoked during the main event.

Heineken beer for providing me with a pretty decent buzz during the event.

My daughter McKenna for playing with her friends all day ultimately coming home exhausted at 9pm and going straight to bed so I could watch the fights in peace!

UFC Boiling Point

That's right, it's time for another fight night. UFC boiling point predictions right here for the taking. Read em while there hot!

Starting out the night and probably not aired unless we see lots of KO's will be...

James Irvin 8-1 vs Terry Martin 12-0
Both of these fighters are relatively unknown (really, on an undercard. Wierd!) Irvin has been the UFC show before in a loosing effort. I believe he will be victorious on this evening. I don't really know anything about Martin so he could be better than he looks, 12-0 isn't to shabby.

Travis Lutter 7-1 vs Trevor Prangley 10-2

I'm looking for Prangley to come out on top in this one although it should be a great fight. Both guys are on the brink of being UFC superstars. Lutter's loss came to Matt Lindland who's fighting later on in the evening and is definately no pushover. He holds a victory over Marvin Eastman who's been in with the best of them. Prangley is also no slouch, 1 of his losses comes to Renato "Babaloo" Sobral and his victory highlights include PRIDE veteren Andrei Semenov. I feel like Prangley will prevail but this may be the closest fight to call of the evening.

Matt "the law" Lindland 14-3 vs Joe Doerkson 27-6
Go Matt, you know I route for all of Team Quest from good ole Oregon. This should be another victory for the team. It's just hard to route for a Canadian, let alone one named Doerkson! Joe is a good fighter but I don't think he's in the same class as the top flight UFC guys, Matt Lindland is one of the top flight UFC guys.

Tim "the maniac" Sylvia 20-2 vs Tra "trauma" Telligman 15-4
Sylvia should get back on the winning track in this one. Tra is another fighter who is good, I don't believe he's Tim Sylvia good. I don't know that anyone but Arlovsky can beat Sylvia (he already did). Not only is Sylvia 6ft8in tall but he may be the toughest man around.
In Tim's 1st loss, to then champ Frank Mir, his arm was broken (yes, he really broke the none load bearing bone in his forearm) and the ref called a stop to the action. Sylvia, who never tapped out on the submission, wanted to continue the fight and was incredibly upset. Even in the post fight interview with Joe Rogan he stated that he didn't tap and still wanted to continue but the Doctor wont let me because they say my arm is broken. That is insane toughness!
Tra Telligman is a great story in the UFC. When he was a child he was in a car accident and has lost most of his right pectoral muscle. His chest looks deflated when he fights. He has overcome this in his life and is an incredible athlete. While I don't think he is in a class with Sylvia, really not many are. Sylvia has beaten some of the best and lost to THE best in Arlovsky and Mir. Telligman also has a proffesional boxing record of 4 -2. I like the story and I will be routing for him but it will definately be an upset if he pulls it out.

Frank "twinkle toes" Trigg 12-3 vs Georges "rush" St Pierre 9-1
This will be a GREAT fight! 3 of those 4 losses posted between these fighters are to the champ, Matt Hughes (Trigg's other loss came to Hayato Sakurai a while back). Trigg is one of the 2 fighters I really just don't like, St Pierre however is a very likeable fighter and I'll be routing for him. I also believe he will win the fight, I think he'll be in better condition and I think he's better on the ground. Why would you give yourself the nickname twinkly toes?

Diego "nightmare" Sanchez 14-0 vs Brian Gassaway 18-9-3
Gassaway is in some trouble here! Sanchez seems to get better and better every fight. He's coming off an impressive run on SPIKE TV's The Ultimate Fighter where he won the car and the six figure contract. I saw him in a King of the Cage fight a while back and he even looked good then. Diego comes in, takes you down, passes your guard and beats the living shit out of you. Period! He's been doing the same thing over and over and over every time he gets in the ring and I don't think he'll be even slowed down until he gets in with some of the elite's like Trigg, St Pierre and Hughes. I'd also love to see a fight between him and Nate Quarry. Come on Dana, I know your reading!

Randy "the natural" Couture 13-7 vs Mike Van Arsdale 9-1-1
I look for Randy to get back on track and back to basics with his ground and pound. Before losing to Liddell he had defeated Liddell and Ortiz by standing and outstirking them. Since Liddell and Ortiz are 2 of the most dangerous strikers I think it gave Randy a little false sense of security. Don't get me wrong, Randy can strike, but I think he game plan should be striking to get to the ground and pound. That's his bread and butter! Van Arsdale is no pushover but I think if Randy does what I've perscribed above that he will have little trouble controlling the fight.

Chuck "the iceman" Liddell 16-3 vs Jeremy "gumby" Horn 85-13-5
1st off let me say that Horn's record is NOT a typo. If you follow MMA or my blog at all you'll notice that few fighters in this sport have over 20-30 fights, let alone 50-70. Jeremy Horn and Shonie Carter (not fighting this night) have over 100. They keep extremely busy! Horn is obviously not a rookie, in fact 1 of those losses in Chucks record belongs to Jeremy Horn a couple years ago. Liddell looks to even things up with Horn and I think he will. Horn has definately got a chance in this one but Chuck will have to make a mistake, which he doesn't really do that often. Chuck should control and ultimately knock out Horn. Horn's chance will come when he takes Chuck down, which I think he'll be able to do. It's just keeping him there! Chuck has this unbelievable ability to just stand up when world class wrestlers are holding him down. If/When Horn gets a takedown he'll need to make the most of it and hopefully frustrate Liddell into rushing things. That's what Couture did in there 1st fight and that's how he was able to win. I don't think that will happen tonight.

Happy Fighting!

They just don't make videos like this anymore!

OK, be honest, who remembers this Great American Classic?


Quite possibly the worst video ever....hilarious

http://web.bitnet.net/rabies/apache.mpeg

large file - about 40megs you can copy this URL, openwindows media player and go to FILE-Open URL and paste the URL in there andit will attempt to stream it as its downloading if your PC will allow it.

The UFC on SPIKE TV

So it finally happened, live MMA fights on cable television featuring up and comers from the recent hit show The Ultimate Fighter against fighters who have already been in the UFC. I must say that the talent on the show must have been good because they went undefeated against guys with experience.

Kenny Florian over Alex Karalexis (I think)
This was an undercard fight that was not aired but I'm almost positive I heard Joe Rogan mention that Florian won.

Mike Swick over Gideon Ray
This was also and undercard fight but they did have a chance to play it between fights. Swick came out swinging and took no time at all knocking Ray out. This is the second fight in a row that Swick has completely dominated.

Josh Koscheck over Pete Spratt
Kos has come a long way, as a wrestler moving to MMA you have to reprogram yourself. While the skills a wrestler brings are vital the way in which you use them to control your opponent are different. Koscheck seemed much more comfortable, he used his wrestling skills to get on top and was able to stay very active forcing Spratt to make a mistake in which Koscheck capitalized and took his back. Koscheck won by rear naked choke early in the 1st round.

Nate Quarry over Pete Sell
I stand corrected, I thought if Baroni could not knock out Sell nobody could. Quarry won with a 1 punch knock out, he followed it up with another punch but the ref was already on his way to stopping the fight. I will say that Sell, along with the fans, protested the stoppage as early. At full speed I thought the stop was early also, the ref was a little out of position when the knockout happened. Quarry landed a huge blow that sent Sell to the ground, at this point the ref was behind Quarry and only could see Sell falling. When hitting the ground Sell appeared to snap out of it and was bringing his hands up to defend himself but the ref could not see this. It is an imperfect system but it is not fair to fault the ref, could you imagine if he didn't stop the fight and another big punch was landed ending his life instead of just the fight! When things like this happen the refs take a lot of crap but their #1 responsibility is to the safety of the fighters, Sell can probably get a rematch if he'd like.

Stephan Bonnar over Sam Hogar
Bonnar just seems to get into wars! These to went toe to toe for 3 rounds just like Bonnar did with Forrest in the TUF finale. I thought he won the decision and so did the judges. I don't know if Bonnar just lacks power or if these have just truly been 2 great fights. Bonnar seemed to have Hogar rocked a couple of times and just couldn't put him away. Something we will have to watch out for in his upcoming fights.

Chris Leben over Patrick Cote
This was another great fight. Leben came out and barely won the 1st round. These two men jockeyed back and forth for position the whole fight. the went toe to toe and traded punches pretty even and consistent. I thought Leben had a slight edge in the stand up game. Leben also ahd an edge in takedowns, when he completed the takedown he was never really able to get out of Cote's guard but the takedowns themselves do earn credit towards a decision. In the end the judges saw it as a split decision for Leben.

Nathan Marquardt over Ivan Salaverry
This fight turned into a yawner! Marquardt definately won the stand up battle and the ground battle but really wasn't able to inflict any damage whatsoever on Salaverry. Both these fighters have been around the block and both have excellent defense. Marquardt did everything he needed to obtain the judges vote for the victory but all in all it was an unimpressive fight to watch. It was like watching a football game that ends 3-0 in overtime. Great job by the defense's but you'd better wake up grandpa, he's been alseep since the 1st quarter!

All in all I love the fact that I can now watch fights on SPIKE TV. Looking forward to next week. Also don't forget to catch unleashed after WWE on SPIKE TV Monday nights.

Self Defense for Women Part 2

OK, hopefully some of you are still with me. Here's where a lot of women get turned off by what I say. We talked about the differnences in striking and grappling. The big question again is what can YOU accomplish against an attacker.
Allow me to generalize for one moment. Most women cannot stand toe to toe and trade punches and kicks with a man. If you are one who can, more power to you. If you are one who cannot why take a martial art that requires you to do so. There are many Tae Kwon Do and Karate instructors who will tell you that you can be taught to do this, and you probably can. But you still have to land that perfect punch at the right time to the right place.
Submission Grappling requires little strength and allows smaller and weaker opponents to control an attacker in that situation. In my 1st article I mentioned that my 6 year old daughter could throw an armbar submission, I have now taught her the mechanics of a rear naked choke. When she gets it on I cannot breath. Now I am not trying to suggest that she could fend off an attacker now, but those 16 year old boys better watch themselves when she gets to that age and has some size to back up her technique.
If you are looking to take self defense I urge you to check out several types of martial arts. If you are here in Nashville there is a studio called Nashville Mixed Martial Arts that offers Jui-Jitsu, Kickboxing and Boxing at the 100 Oaks Malls. Several of the instructors there are current Mixed Martial Arts fighters and have a lot of practical experience.
As always feel free to email or comment if you have any questions.

Ultimate Fight Night

Tonight is the premier of the Ultimate Fight Night. SPIKE TV and UFC are combining to bring live MMA fights to cable tv. Tonight we will see some of the contenders from the reality show "The Ultimate Fighter" against people with UFC experience. All the contenders had MMA experience but they all also had some things they will have had to improve on to compete in the big leagues. Here's tonights lineup.....

Alex Karalexis vs. Kenny Florian
Both theses guys were contenders on the show. Florian made it to the finals and lost to Diego Sanchez, who will make his debut at the next UFC. Florian has good skills and usually fought at much lighter wieghts, compete on the show at 185 seemed to have him outmatched. I am anxious to see him at 170, I actually think he would be very competitive at 155. I think he will defeat Karalexis who also competed at the 185 wieght class and seemed overmatched. Karalexis was one of the newer cast members to the sport of MMA.

Mike Swick vs Gideon Ray
Mike Swick didn't really get much of a chance on the show to get going. He did show some thunder against Alex Schoenauer in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. Mike has good striking skills and I look for him to showcase them tonight and defeat Gideon Ray early. Ray has one UFC under his belt and sports a record of 9-2-1.

Josh Koscheck vs Pete Spratt
Koscheck was one of the best athletes on The Ultimate Fighter. He is an incredibly talented wrestler who is transitioning to MMA. In the octagon he is known right now as a 1 dementional fighter. In the chat rooms he is known as "the blanket" due to his take downs and basically laying on his opponent. Josh is a great athlete and is going through the same transition pains that Randy Cotoure and Dan Severn (2 of the best in the UFC's history) went through when they transitions from wrestling to MMA. I believe Josh will also make that transition and be successful once he does. Tongiht will be a tough fight, Spratt is no pushover. Although he sports a record of 12-6 he's been in with some great fighters. 3 of his losses come against Chris Lytle, Carlos Newton and Georges St. Pierre, his most notable victory is against Ruthless Robbie Lawler. Kos has his work cut out for him. I Believe he will win but the fight will go the distance. This will be a great victory for him if it works out the way I see it.

Nate Quarry vs. Pete Sell
Quarry was probaly the best of the cast until a fluke training accident eliminated him from the competition. I believe we will see him fight Diego Sanchez, a match that surely would have happened on the show, very soon. Quarry has already fought and won in the UFC but he still has room to grow. He should defeat Sell and boost his career further. Sell has 1 victory in MMA but it came over Phil Baroni in the final seconds of a fight he may have lost had it gone to the scorecards. Quarry has good striking skills but if Baroni couldn't knock out Sell Quarry probably wont. Actually if Baroni couldn't knock him there might not be anyone on the face of the earth that can! (there are other articles about Baroni here if you'd like to read more about him). Sell will certainly get Quarry to the ground at some point in this fight and we'll be able to see a part of his game we have yet to see.

Sam Hogar vs. Stephan Bonnar
These 2 fighters were also on The Ultimate Fighter. Bonnar lost to Forrest Griffin in the final match in what many consider a top fight in the history of MMA. Bonnar showed tremendous heart in that victory. Hogar appears to me to be someone who lacks heart. He seemed to take the show lightly and he was elimeinated. Although he did come back and defeat Bobby Southworth in the finale I don't believe he will beat Bonnar.

Chris Leben vs. Patrick Cote
Leben was the biggest disapointment to me on The Ultimate Fighter. he lost to "the blanket" Koscheck and to Kenny Florian. Florian was getting pummeled in the fight when he landed a huge elbow that opened a cut over his eye, the Dr stopped the fight. Leben is known for being a warrior with great heart and excellent striking skills. I was dissapointed that he could not seem to mount anything against Koscheck. Although Kos didn't really do anything once on top Leben couldn'd get any kind of counter attack going. If you wish to be a striker in the UFC you have to have tremendous takedown defense against these grapplers. Cote will look to take Leben down early and often so it shouldn't take long to find out if he's improved this part of his game. I think Leben has the most difficult road of the fighter tonight. If victorious it will be a big one. Cote's notable fights include a decision loss to Tito Ortiz, just like the Quarry fight my gut tells me that if Ortiz couldn't knock out Cote Leben wont either. I hope I live to regret this but I think Leben will be on the losing end tonight. Both fighters have losses to Joe Doerkson.

Ivan Salaverry vs. Nathan Marquardt
Salaverry was featured in last weeks installment of "Unleashed". He's got a good background and won some big fights. Marquardt is a veteran of Pancrease and has a record of 19-6-2. Most of his fights have been abroad against japanese fighters so I don't know a whole lot about him. he was wrester as a senior in high school in Aurora, CO when I lived there many years ago. Salaverry's 11-3 record includes 4 previous fights in the UFC. I look for Salaverry to win the fight but I'm anxious to see Marquardt in the octagon.

Have fun.