Punch Drunk Hangover 12.03.07: The Day the Music Died ... at a Regulated MMA Event
Posted by Bren Oliver on 12.03.2007
Read ahead for Bren Oliver's thoughts on last week's news including the talent-packed M-1 Global card, the loss of Katie Downes and her cleavage on "Stars in the Cage", the clearing of Din Thomas' name, Cage Rage 24 results including a NASTY cut, and why the untimely passing of Sammy Vasquez is tragic for reasons beyond the obvious.
Good morning, afternoon, evening, or late-night, depending of course on when you decided to do what all the cool kids are doing by clicking on the first PDH of December 2007! Well, only three or four cool kids have read this column....okay, more like one or two....fine, my Mom reads it and she says I am the best "News Report" writer in the world. Are you calling my mother a liar?
Moving forward, thank you for joining me on the text-based adventure known as the Punch Drunk Hangover. As was the case last weekend with the announcement of Georges St. Pierre replacing Matt Serra at UFC 79, this Sunday brought forth a story with as much potential to rock the world of MMA as any title fight - word of Sammy Vasquez's death circulating on the internet.
Sam Vasquez (1-2) died Friday evening at the age of 35. Vasquez was knocked out in the third round of the 10/20 REF card by Vince Libardi, then rushed to the St. Joseph Medical Center after medical complications arose at the arena.
Vasquez's wife is alleged to have spoken on the matter through TXMMA's website where she stated her husband underwent surgery for a blood clot in his brain unrelated to the night's earlier KO loss. He then suffered a second blood clot, followed by swelling in his brain, a stroke, and ultimately slipped into a coma he would never recover from.
This story has received particular attention as it's being stated Vasquez's passing could be the first recorded death in a regulated Mixed Martial Arts event. However, the unfortunate event is a matter still being investigated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and it appears as though Vasquez may have had a pre-existing medical condition going into the fight based on word of the initial bloodclot.
Vasquez's death makes me sad but not for the reasons you might think. The fact is I didn't know the man. I'd never heard of him before today as I imagine 99% of MMA fans hadn't. Hell, I'm from Texas, and I've never even heard of the organization he fought in. He had three professional fights by the age of 35 and hadn't competed since 2006. Yes, his passing is a reminder athletic competition and entertainment mean very little in the big picture, and a wife and child will never again be kissed goodnight by a husband, a father. My prayers absolutely go out to his loved ones. But being real with you all, as I attempt to do every week, I have not shed a tear for Mr. Vasquez and I suspect more of you have looked him up on Sherdog's "Fight Finder" than snagged a Kleenex and had a good cry.
The untimely passing of Sam Vasquez has me troubled for two reasons and neither is related to his actual death. The first has to do with people, especially in MMA media, who have rushed to judgement and published a kneejerk reaction as actual reality ("Sammy Vasquez, 35, Becomes MMA's First Documented Fatality" / "Regulated mixed martial arts has experienced its first casualty"). Are news sites so desperate for a person to die from injuries sustained in a MMA bout that they're willing to state fact where there is none? Apparently so. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is still investigating the matter. No official liability has been assigned and I highly doubt an actual autopsy has even been performed. There has yet to be an actual death certificate issued by the medical examiner's office, but browse a few MMA news outlets and you're guaranteed to find any variation on one - Mixed Martial Arts was to blame for the death of Sammy Vasquez. His own wife does not assign blame, so why should anyone else feel the need other than his own flesh and blood?
Don't get me wrong. My peers on the internet aren't the only ones salivating over a headline they've secretly been longing for as long as the UFC has been around. There are plenty of people out there who are finding great joy in the death of Mr. Vasquez and who will literally grin from ear-to-ear if indeed MMA was at the root of his demise. They are the sect subscribing to the belief Mixed Martial Arts is nothing more than "human cockfighting". Some of them will be boxing purists. Some of them are religious nuts or seeking political gain.
So yes, I am saddened by Vasquez's passing, but not for the reasons many would associate with death. Rest in peace, Sam. Unfortunately, I don't believe you're going to get a chance to until the sport is abolished or enough website hits are garnered.
That's my three cents on the matter. Also, credit to Yahoo Sports' Dave Meltzer for taking a responsible route in reporting this story to the masses, as he's very clear the cause of death is still a matter of speculation until something official is announced. Feel free to toss a few coins of your own in my direction by contacting the email address at the bottom of this column. Now on to my humble opinion on a variety of subjects rearing their ugly heads over the past seven days. File your final TPS report, check your Fantasy Football score one last time, and settle into your cubicle - here comes this week's Punch Drunk Hangover...
The following medley of items were reported between November 26th, 2007 and December 2nd, 2007:
Hidehiko Yoshida, one of Pride Fighting Championship's most popular fighters in Japan has been inked to fight for the new World Victory Road promotion in Tokyo at the Yoyogi National Stadium on March 5 against an undetermined opponent.
Though Yoshida's better days have passed him by it's still good to hear the Japanese judoka hasn't hung up his trademark gi just yet. The Judo Gold Medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics hasn't fought since at last year's PRIDE Shockwave on New Year's Eve, and was TKO'd by James "Megapunk" Thompson in that bout, so speculation on his retirement was not without just cause. Yoshida has been in the ring with the likes of of Wanderlei Silva, Mirko Cro Cop, Mark Hunt, Royce Gracie, Don Frye and others. He is a fighter who personifies what the PRIDE promotion stood for not only in nationality, but through his dedication to martial arts, his warrior spirit, his class, and his ability to put on a damn entertaining performance.
UFC 81 has added another fight to its card as David Heath, who most remember as the fighter choked unconscious by Renato "Babalu" Sobral at UFC 74, has been placed against debuting light-heavyweight fighter Andre Gusmao.
I still feel Babalu got a raw deal from the UFC in relation to his extended choke-hold on Heath at UFC 74. I'm not condoning his behavior, but I'm a rational enough individual to take into account Heath's repeated attempts to turn the fight against Sobral into a personal affair. When you mock a man's personal life, as the Oklahoman did in the case of UFC 74, I have a hard time feeling bad for you when the subject of your verbal attack puts a little extra hot sauce on the asswhipping he dishes out.
On to UFC 81, I have a feeling Heath will avoid making the same mistake of talking smack to his Brazilian opponent, though I won't be surprised if the end result is similar to his fight against Babalu. Gusmao lacks experience in the Octagon, but he has fought on a few nice-sized cards based on his four wins in the IFL and appears to be well-rounded enough to contend with anything Heath has to offer.
At a press conference held today by M-1 Global, two fights were confirmed for their inaugural New Year's Eve Yarennoka! show at the Saitama Super Arena.
Former Pride lightweight superstar and current Shooto Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki is set to make his return to MMA after an eight-month layoff to face current two-time Hero's 154 pound tournament champion Gesias "JZ" Calvancante, in a huge battle between two of the best lightweight fighters in the world.
(J)(*#5jojoi09u90823'f32.6%FNJKn, 4m4*&%5...oops, sorry everyone, I accidentally shorted out my keyboard, as has been the case every time I've read this news bit and my mouth turns into a Niagra Falls of drool. Calvancante vs. Aoki is as good a matchup in the Lightweight Division as you will find in Mixed Martial Arts. Both men are extremely talented, well-rounded competitors and are riding a combined 20-fight win streak. For fans more familiar with American MMA than what is offered overseas, who might not recognize either name as neither has ever fought in the UFC, the best points of reference I can give you are Aoki's ring attire, as he opts to wear brightly-colored tights as opposed to more traditional shorts, and Calvancante being the guy who destroyed Nam Phan in 30 seconds at Dynamite USA. Other than that, I advise you to familiarize yourself with both, and the M-1 Global bout is as good a place to start as any. You will not be disappointed.
Also announced for the M-1 Global card was a bout between current DEEP champion Hidehiko Hasegawa facing another former Pride standout in Hayato "Mach" Sakurai. Sakurai has also been fairly inactive since his last Pride fight in February with his only competitive action coming in a Shoot Boxing match in Japan in October, while Hasegawa is coming off of a draw against South Korean star Dong Hyun Kim, which allowed Hasegawa to retain his DEEP title following an earlier loss to Kim in a non-title bout.
The M-1 Global card is fast-becoming "must see" television for hardcore MMA fans. Sakurai vs. Hasegawa is another solid addition to the event. If they deliver on the rumored bout between Gilbert Melendez and Mitsuhiro Ishida, as well as the other names stated to be on the show (Fedor, Ricardo Arona, Joachim Hansen, etc.), I would have a hard time arguing M-1's farewell to PRIDE fans isn't as good a card as has been put together in 2007 including every UFC PPV.
The California State Athletic commission released a statement moments ago declaring Ruben "Warpath" Villareal (13-14-3) had tested postive for 4-Hydroxytestosterone which is both a prohoromone and anabolic steroid. Villareal most recently fought at a WCO event on November 7th in Hollywood, California - a TKO loss to Jimmy Ambriz less than 90 seconds into the first round.
According to the CSAC, "Warpath" will be suspended until May 23, 2008 when his athletic licensing period comes up for renewal and then an additional 167 days once he renews in order to fulfill the entire 365-day term. Villareal has also been fined $2,500 for the positive drug test.
With thirteen professional fights on his record over the past two years I'm not surprised Villareal needed to turn to banned substances to compete whether they were of a performance enhancing or narcotic nature. Per the positive drug test, he clearly chose steroids, and to be perfectly honest, if you are aware of how drastically his body changed (from flab to fab) over the last year you didn't need "Warpath" filling a bottle with firewater to know he was juicing. I imagine Villareal needed the 4-Hydroxytestosterone both from a training/conditioning standpoint but to also speed up the healing process thus allowing him to fight more frequently. However, as Jimmy Ambriz can attest to, it clearly didn't help Villareal's stand-up game.
It looks like Michael Myers will be putting the double "M" in "MMA" this December 15th, as HDNet Fights announced earlier today that the Rob Zombie directed "Halloween: Unrated" will be acting as the sponsor at their upcoming event featuring another "M.M.", (Jason) "Mayhem" Miller, in action against the IFL's Tim Kennedy as well as top Middleweight, and the always entertaining, Frank Trigg taking on Edwin Dewees.
Each fan attending "HDNet Fights: Reckless Abandon" on 12/15 in Dallas, TX will receive a free copy of Zombie's "Halloween: Unrated" on DVD. This may be especially exciting for fans of the movie, as the actual DVD will not be released to the public until the following Tuesday (December 18th).
I like the direction HDNet Fights is heading only two shows in. They've put together two headlining fights with mainstream appeal (Trigg/Dewees, Miller/Kennedy) and sprinkled the undercard with local talent and recognizable MMA veterans like Yves Edwards and Pete Spratt. HDNet Fights has Mark Cuban's support financially in a sport where deep pockets can account for a lot, as well as access to the American Airlines Center in Dallas (where the Cuban-owned Dallas Mavericks play)...and the perks don't stop there! Cards can be broadcast live on HDNet and HDNet Fights is also the lone promotion broadcasting 100% of their material in HD quality. These are all significant advantages over other MMA promotions trying to compete with the UFC.
I'm not surprised HDNet Fights already has a mainstream sponsor in the form of Rob Zombie's "Halloween". I will be more than happy to walk away with copy of the DVD after attending the December 15th event. I pitched the idea of storming the cage wearing a mask, butcher knife in hand, to help promote the show but the 411Mania editors advised against it. Go figure?!?
MMAWeekly is reporting Brazilian standout Thales Leites will be facing seven-time "King of Pancrase", and current UFC Middleweight contender, Nathan Marquardt at UFC 81 in February 2008. Leites confirmed the fight to MMAWeekly, the first of two remaining bouts on his UFC contract, and said he expects the February bout to be the "toughest" of his career.
UFC 81 is shaping up to be ridiculously good! Marquardt vs. Leites is an important bout in the Middleweight division giving Nate a chance to work his way back into title contention and allowing Thales to show he can handle the next step up in competition. Leites' comment about the fight against Marquardt being the most challenging of his career could be understatement of the year. Other than talented Martin Kampmann, Leites' lone loss by the way, he's only faced the likes of Pete Sell, Ryan Jensen, and generally lower-echelon talent who 95% of MMA fans have never heard of. If I was picking this fight right now I'd say Marquardt is going to leave Leites face-down on the canvas.
With confirmation from Greg Jackson, his trainer, Leonard Garcia appears to be moving to the WEC to help bolster it's already solid Featherweight division. Garcia adds depth to a 145-pound division that already includes Urijah Faber, Cub Swanson, Jens Pulver and Jeff Curran, all of whom will be fighting on the December 12 WEC 31 card on the Versus network.
This is a good move for Garcia, as he appeared to be an undersized Lightweight, and I'm currently loving the WEC's Featherweight division. I hope the 145-pounders continue to be UFC Jr.'s focus as it makes a lot of sense and there are some incredible fighters at that weightclass.
According to UFC.com, Jason Lambert and Wilson Gouveia are signed to do battle in a light-heavyweight matchup at UFC 80: Rapid Fire from Newcastle, England on January 19.
Both men will have been out of action more than half-a-year by the time UFC 80 rolls around but the wait will have been worth it as far as I'm concerned. Gouveia is on a three-fight win streak and Lambert's last visit to the Octagon saw him dominating Renato Sobral at UFC 68. Neither fighter is quite in the Light Heavyweight contendership picture just yet, but whoever walks away from Newcastle with a win will certainly be on his way to getting the same kind of opportunities to shine in 2008 as Forrest Griffin and Keith Jardine found in 2007.
In the latest Wrestling Observer newsletter, Dave Meltzer reports that there is a possibility that UFC 80: Rapid Fire, the event being held in Newcastle, England on January 19 could be headed to CBS as opposed to PPV as it is scheduled to be at the moment.
I've heard conflicting reports stating UFC 80 will absolutely be a PPV and available on tape delay instead of live, mid-afternoon, here in the United States. I personally think the final decision will come down to whether or not Dana White feels he can make more money in PPV buys than through a contracted deal with CBS. However, I think he'd be a fool to pass on the opportunity for network exposure even if the company breaks even for the Newcastle event. If BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson is as good as it should be, and the event is marketed correctly, UFC 80 on CBS could act as a catalyst in the way "Griffin vs. Bonnar I" did but with ten times the impact based on the audience.
Din Thomas, who was arrested in October and charged with running and organizing illegal fights in his gym in Florida, has had those charges dropped as the state's attorney's office decided not to file any formal charges after a formal investigation.
I was pleased to hear the charges against "Dinyero" were dropped. I'm happy for Thomas on a personal level moreso than because any potential black eye the legal process could have put on MMA has been avoided. Running illegal fights is the kind of the thing that could have cost him his reputation and job in the UFC. It wasn't the kind of thing that would ruin the sport so much as ruin his career. Din has always been an entertaining fighter inside and outside of the ring. He is good for the sport and good for the UFC. Hopefully Thomas can now focus on rehabbing his knee, running his training center in South Florida, and getting himself back into the Octagon.
Chase Farrar and Micah Miller have had their fight removed from the December 12 WEC card due to an injury in training suffered by Farrar. Farrar's training partner, Blake Bowman, confirmed that the fight is off and also said that there were attempts to bring in an opponent for Miller at the last minute but that no opponent could be found. There is no word yet from the WEC as to the severity of Farrar's injury, what the injury is, or what his future with the organization will be.
I found the subtext to this news piece to be interesting and I wonder if it was perhaps a typo. Blake Bowman, who is on the current season of TUF, has stated he is friends with Cole Miller and both are from Georgia. Micah Miller is Cole Miller's brother. I'm thinking perhaps Bowman is also Micah's training partner and has nothing to do with Chance Farrar.
It's too bad this bout is off as I believe it would have made for a fast-paced, well-fought match. Micah Miller has a bright future in the Featherweight division and Farrar gave WEC Champion Urijah Faber all he could handle for the first few minutes of their June 2007 contest.
The Ultimate Fighter on Thursday did a 0.5 rating this week. The Ultimate Fighter Unleashed on Wednesday did a 0.9 rating while the Ultimate Fighter on Wednesday did a 1.1 rating.
This blurb might as well have been written in Chinese. I have no idea what any of these numbers mean. Is there a Nielson demographic out there in the 411Mania universe who come to our MMA zone, see the ratings breakdown, and go back to some discussion board to break down a 0.5, 0.9, and 1.1? God, I hope not...
After almost a ten-year absence from fighting, UFC old-timer Oleg Taktarov returned to MMA in a BoDog Fight event in Russia. Taktarov took on another UFC vertan - John Marsh. The grizzled Russian delivered smiles his comrades' faces when he won by submission early in the second round.
Calvin Ayre seems to have Mother Russia locked down as far as being the country's leading MMA promotion. Unfortunately, that's like being the number one seller of Girl Scout Cookies in Riker's Island Prison. I wouldn't mind seeing Fedor Emelianenko and Oleg "The Russian Bear" Taktarov step into a ring in a clash of Russian superpowers. Sadly, at the rate he's going, it's more likely Fedor will face off against an actual bear than against a threat to his legacy. Black? Brown? Panda? Stay tuned to 411Mania for more!
According to the Wrestling Observer, K-1 has contacted Evander Holyfield about working the New Year's Eve show to be held at the Osaka Kyocera Dome. Holyfield's camp has yet to give any new information on the story.
I sincerely hope the discussion between sides is about Holyfield working as a personality or perhaps on commentary for the American audience. Sadly, I won't be surprised at all if he ends up stepping into the ring against Butterbean. Remember people, this is a Japanese MMA show we're talking about.
Evander is clearly chasing an ill-advised paycheck if he attempts to compete at K-1. He's no longer relevant in boxing and North of forty is the wrong age to start training for MMA.
Murilo "Ninja" Rua (14-8-1) & Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (9-1) have both signed new long term deals with EliteXC. Terms of the contracts have yet to be determined. Rua is coming off a loss to Robbie Lawler while Silva is coming off a submission victory at last month's EliteXC Renegade.
These are both good moves for EliteXC, especially given Rua's win at this past weekend's Cage Rage event. "Ninja" will never be considered on par with his brother, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, but he is a marketable name and is talented enough to compete with any opponent. Antonio Silva is one of the growing names in the Heavyweight division and not just because of his now-resolved medical condition. He's 2-0 in EliteXC (9-1 overall) and constantly improving in a division where few can match his strength and combination of striking and Brazilian jiujitsu. I guarantee the UFC would have taken a run at "Bigfoot" had Gary Shaw and company not locked him up for a few more fights.
411Mania.com has received word that British celebrity Katie Downes is no longer slated as the host of "Stars in the Cage", an upcoming reality show which will feature pro MMA athletes training with real celebrities for actual fights. The producers of the show wish Katie the best of luck in all her future endeavors, and will now be holding auditions across North America and Europe for a new female personality to join pro fighter Bryan Cohen in hosting the show.
There is a problem sweeping Mixed Martial Arts. It has nothing to do with fighters injecting steroids or smoking doobies. Check your "interim" championships and fighter salary disputes at the door. No, the issue is much larger than the bulk of topics we run into discussion on. Hot females are being systematically wiped out of the MMA picture and I for one will not tolerate it any longer! My column will become a voice for their spandex-clad plight whenever the need for justice arises! Fortunately...er...unfortunately, as was the case last week with former UFC Ring Girl Ali Sonoma , the world of Mixed Martial Arts lost another great woman who would have no doubt warmed our hearts as well as other places of our anatomy - Katie Downes.
Ms. Downes, I would also like to express my heartfelt wishes for a success in all your future endeavors, and would be more than happy to privately counsel you in regards to any all and career moves. Have I mentioned Punch Drunk Hangover has an opening for a big-breasted British tart with a propensity for topless tomfoolery? As a matter of fact, the opening is directly below this sentence...
Now the space as been filled. Readers, if you need a few minutes to "collect" yourselves, fear not as my column won't mind a bit. It'll be here when you get back...
From the Ultimate Fighter Season VI...
Tommy Speer def. Ben Saunders - Judges' Decision
This episode is fairly easy to break down as it largely consisted of two parts - the fight between Saunders and Speer, and ironically number two, the "Upper Decker" laid by Jon Koppenhaver in Team Hughes' toilet.
I can understand people getting upset over the prank played by "War Machine", Troy Mandaloniz, and Richie Hightower but Jared Rollins' reaction was ridiculous. Smashing the lid and karate-kicking the door was the wrong way to go. I read a good point made by one of the TUF competitors where he stated it's extremely different to prank friends than it is to engage in such humor with enemies (which is somewhat the case given the team dynamic of the Ultimate Fighter). I was glad the brief tussle between J-Rock and "War Machine" ended up playing out to be more comedy than tragedy. Rollins and Koppenhaver seem to be good kids and it's good neither threw his career in the UFC away over a bunch of feces. It definitely adds some allure to their December 8th bout against each other at the TUF finale.
I wouldn't mind seeing Ben Saunders and Tommy Speer fight again somewhere down the road in their UFC careers, and rest assured both men absolutely have futures in the Octagon regardless of how the season plays out. It was a shame Saunders was ill prior to their fight and has since said he would have never taken the fight were the stakes not so high. All credit to Speer though. He fought without fear which is an impressive task given the still-healing gash in his face. Saunders' armbar was locked in deep and there's no doubt he spent a lot of energy trying to submit Tommy. When he lost the following triangle choke I knew the fight was more or less over in favor of Speer. Ben was clearly spent. Being sick, having a broken nose, and failing on two submission attempts is a wonderful combination for exhaustion.
Back to the armbar, I won't blink twice if it caused some sort of ligament damage resulting in Tommy having to drop out of his semi-final fight against George Sotiropoulos (as we know from the previews someone has to sit out for medical reasons).
From Cage Rage 24...
Marios Zaromskis def. Ross Pointon - TKO (Cut) - RD 2
Ross, you're 5-10 overall and have lost ten of your last twelve fights (more if you include his stint on the Ultimate Fighter Season 3). Time to find a new profession, know what I mean?
And have no fears about the cut stoppage being legitimate. For doubters I'll include a picture of the gash at the end of this week's PDH. It's enough to make Marvin Eastman and Seth Kleinbeck look away!
Paul Cahoon def. Elvis Sinosic - TKO - RD 1
This was a pretty big upset as far as I'm concerned. Sinosic has a losing record, and is a journeyman fighter, but he's shown some legitimate talent in the cage as well. Cahoon is riding a hot streak, having won his last five fights in a row, so perhaps the Kickboxer from Manchester has found his groove in MMA.
Drew Fickett def. Mark Weir - Submission - RD 1
Drew Fickett deserves a multi-fight contract from the UFC unless he prefers the flexibility of free agency. Fickett has a 31-5 professional record and has a winning record in the Octagon. His only two losses in the UFC were to Karo Parisyan and Josh Burkman so it's hard to fault him for either "L".
This was a good win for the other Rua. Pokam, known to fans as "Professor X", was riding a five-fight win streak and "Ninja" was coming off a devestating knockout loss to Robbie Lawler ten weeks prior to Cage Rage 24. He needed the win and now I'd say he needs a vacation. Rua has fought four times in the last eight months. I have a feeling he'll be enjoying some well-deserved time at one of Curitiba's beautiful beaches.
Jibber-Jabber:
The following soundbytes were delivered over the past week...
From Matt Hughes' Ultimate Fighter blog on UFC.com...
"This week there was a lot of action back at the house with practical jokes getting out of hand, and it's not the first time Team Serra has done those antics. I just think it's your job as a coach to keep your team somewhat under control. I know there's not a whole lot you can do since you're not with them the whole time, but you've got to be able to instill some type of discipline and these guys have got to be men and grow up. I blame that on the guys, but I also kinda blame the coach a little bit. Coach Serra just wasn't having these guys be good representatives of the sport."
Hughes is not only one of the greatest Welterweights in UFC history, but the TUF coach also happens to be an extremely skilled ventriloquist. As a matter of fact he has perfected the part of speaking out of his ass while making it appear as though his lips are actually saying the words. Dana White and Ace Ventura would both be proud of you, Matt!
How can any sane individual put an iota of blame on Matt Serra for the actions of his fighters inside the house? It isn't as though he taught "War Marchine" how to cop a squat or mixed "Upper Decker" training in with jiujitsu drills. I don't see Hughes accepting any responsibility for Jared Rollins' violent response to the prank or Mac Danzig's belittling of Richie Hightower.
I'm hoping Georges St. Pierre lands another shin-based "upper decker" on Hughes come their December 29th fight!
From UFC Middleweight Jason MacDonald's blog on his plans for 2008...
"I was told last week that my next fight will be in April. Joe Silva (the UFC matchmaker) told me they want to save me for the April card in Montreal. I don't know the date or an opponent or even if it will for sure be in Montreal. But he said he needed me on the Canadian card. I was slightly disappointed to have to wait until April to fight again, but in hindsight it might be good because I'm pretty busy these days. I don't even know if I can squeeze in a couple hours of training a day."
I believe Joe Silva will set "The Athlete" up with a beatable opponent in order to please fans in attendance and allow MacDonald an opportunity get another win under his belt. Two of his last three fights were against Rich Franklin and Yushin Okami so the slick Middleweight from Edmonton deserves to face someone more on his level. I'm positive the Canadian fans will greet their fellow countryman accordingly.
Mac Danzig reflects on last week's episode of TUF in reference to fellow contestant Richie Hightower...>
"Somehow, in the fight recaps, Richie is again praised for not getting destroyed as bad as everyone expected, disregarding the fact that George had a virtually no-win situation on his hands fighting someone four to five levels below him. It's like a professional chess player playing against a toddler with an extra chromosome, and when the toddler takes a pawn before losing, everyone praises him for it. In that case: Great job, Richie! You are an inspiration to us all. Richie would make one hell of a great T-Ball player. He says that 'my bark is louder than my bite.' I have to laugh at that. This is coming from a guy who submitted by whining like a little girl into George's anal cavity while kicking his feet like Fay Wray in 'King Kong'.
Nice to see Danzig show he has a sense of humor even if it's at the expense of his castmate. The Fay Wray reference is outdated by about fifty years, but the bit about Hightower whining into Sotiropoulos' rectum is classic (especially since it's true).
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to MMAMania when asked about coaching on the next season of the Ultimate Fighter...
"I can't announce none of that. I can't announce the new Rampage energy drink that's coming out, I can't announce my new deal with Affliction, I can't announce the Rampage rims for your ride. I can't announce nothin."
How can you not love "Rampage"?
The other coach I've heard rumored for TUF VII is Forrest Griffin. If speculation turns to fact, I will go on record as saying it will no doubt be the most entertaining season to date. Griffin and Jackson have two of the UFC's biggest personalities and are extremely likeable individuals. A fight between the two for the Light Heavyweight Championship makes absolute sense given Forrest's popularity, ability to verbally sell a fight, and UFC 76 win over "Shogun" Rua.
I've heard Middleweight being the season's weightclass and that's fine with me considering the need for viable contenders at 185 pounds.
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Thanks for browsing through another edition of the Punch Drunk Hangover. Tune in next week, every week...same 411-time, same 411-channel...er...web address! As promised earlier in the column, here is a picture of Ross Pointon's cut from Cage Rage 24...and what looks to be a piece of his skull?!? If there is such a thing as a squeamish MMA fan I implore you to not scroll down...
