Eight Sides of Steel 05.18.08

Posted by Wendell Mitchell on 05.18.2008

A title changed hands, I change my feelings towards Kimbo Slice, a look at the number one lightweight in the world, and more. Join me once more for the very best in Sunday morning news. Welcome to the Terror Dome! Err...I mean Eight Sides of Steel.

May 18, 2008

Welcome back to the column that appeals to people of all generations, including my very own mother.

MY VIEWS ON YOUR NEWS

Saturday morning, May 17th, Captain America himself, Randy "the Natural" Couture hosted "Operation Freedom Run."

When it comes to his contract situation, I have no idea what to believe, but when it comes to Randy just being awesome, he's still one of my all time favorites. Operation Freedom Run is a 5K run that raises money to outfit wounded servicemen with the best prosthetics available. How can you not love this man?

International Fight League presented a card featuring three title bouts at the Mohegan Sun this past Friday night.

Here are the results from the preliminary bouts.

Preliminary Bouts
155 lbs.: John Franchi (Cortland, N.Y.) def. Frank Latina (Middletown, Conn.) via submission (rear naked choke), 2:19, 1st
205 lbs.: Aaron Stark (Portland, Ore.) def. Lamont Lister (Philadelphia) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds 170 lbs.: John Howard (Boston) def. Nick Calandrino (Emerson, N.J.) via TKO (strikes), 2:24, 3rd
185 lbs.: Matt Horwich (Portland, Ore.) def. Joey Guel (Oregon) via decision (unanimous) after three rounds
155 lbs.: Josh Souder (Mason, Ohio) def. Zac George (Norman, Okla.) via TKO (strikes), 0:47, 1st
185 lbs.: Danillo Villefort (Pompano Beach, Fla.) def. Mike Massenzio (Paterson, N.J.) via submission (kneebar) 3:44, 1st

Nice mix of finishes and decisions, always nice to see that.

Heavyweight Roy Nelson and Lightweight Ryan Schultz managed to retain their respective titles while Ryan McGivern fell to Dan Miller's knee bar submission.

Carina Damm has tested positive for Nandrolone and is suspended for 1 year: April 3,2008 through April 2, 2009. She has been fined $2,500 and now unable to fight Debi Purcell on Elite XC's June show.

Wow, just last week I mentioned Debi Purcell's big debut and this Damm chick goes and fucks it up. So far I haven't been able to find if they've found a replacement. I'd hate to see Ms. Purcell screwed out of a payday because someone had to go and inject themselves with nandrolone.

Kimbo Slice, one of MMA's most controversial figures granted an interview to MMANews here.

Gotta admit, the guy sounds very levely headed in the interview and talks about respecting the business and just wanting to prove he's for real. As a guy that has in the past been dismissive of Slice, I'm willing to give the guy time. It's not like he's choosing his fights, so instead of talking about how he hasn't fought anyone noteworthy, I'll just watch his evolution.

Nogueira and Silva Mixed Martial Arts Academy is the first academy headed by two current UFC champions. The pair plan on training together, giving seminars and teaching adults and children of all ages and ability levels. Their facility will be located in downtown Miami

I was an underprivelaged kid at one time… This is fantastic news for anyone like me that's serious about training in MMA. Big Nog apparently sponsors 160 kids back home in Brazil. Nog loves the kids.

MMA Legend Ken Shamrock announced that he will be personally conducting tryouts for membership on his Lion's Den Elite Team on June 1st in Scottsdale, AZ..

I'd train with Ken Shamrock. No seriously, I would. If only I had a way to Arizona and a spare $125 to get into the door. That and professional credentials. Oh well. In any event, the Lion's Den is one of the more well known schools in the MMA community and the new location is boasting a full sized professional boxing ring, 3000 square feet of mat space for grappling, and an octagon as well as your standard weight and cardio machines. Sounds like a good place to train.

Keith Kizer, executive director for Nevada State Athletic Commission, said both Sherk and Penn were tested where they train in Minnesota and Hawaii, respectively, and passed the random test.

Even though I'm not as quick to condemn the guy for his alleged use of performance enhancers last year, he'd be a moron to get caught with anything in his system. Let's just make sure you're clean post fight as well, okay Sean?

Mickey's Fine Malt Liquor reached a deal to sponsor Tito Ortiz and cross-promote their band with Team Punishment

Interesting. As bad as Dana White wants Tito's ass handed to him by Machida next week, until that happens, Ortiz still equals $$$ and and you knew someone would want to cash in. Not sure if I'd want to be associated with what appears to be a substandard brew (according to several review sites I visted, the highest grade was a C+) but hey, whatever puts gas in the hummer, right?



BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO MMA

Volume Four: Know Your Weight Class

Welcome back class. I hope in the week we've spent apart you haven't allowed too much VH1/MTV reality programming eat away at your sanity.

Today's lesson will be brief, as we will simply discuss the various weight classes of professional mixed martial arts.

Under the unified rules set forward by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, there are nine distinctive weight classes.

I'm sure you are aware of the premiere division in all of combat sports, that being the heavyweight division, so we'll touch on that division right after we discuss the Super Heavyweights.

King of the Cage is one of the only well known organizations that recognize a Champion over two hundred and sixty-five (265) pounds. "INKED" star Eric Pele, currently holds the distinction of being one of the few men of his size to hold a championship belt.

As with the super heavyweights, the heavyweight division has the potential to create huge discrepancies in weight between two combatants. Theoretically, a fighter weighing in at two hundred and six (206) pounds could find himself staring at an opponent that weighs two hundred and sixty five (265) pounds.

Of course, you'll rarely encounter this outside of smaller, under the radar promotions, especially since 1997. In February of that year, the first lightweight tournament in UFC was held, thus eliminating the spectacle of one hundred and eighty-five (185) pound Brazilians taking on four hundred (400) pound Sumo wrestlers. Today, most smaller heavyweights will simply opt to "cut" weight which means lose several pounds in a brief amount of time, and fight at the next division on our list.

Light heavyweights weigh in between one hundred and eighty-six pounds (186) and two hundred and five pounds. (205) I'd be remiss if I neglected to mention that my favorite fighter is currently the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion.



Middleweights, such as arguably the best pound for pound fighter on the planet Anderson "Spider" Silva, weigh in between one hundred seventy-one pounds (171) and one hundred and eighty five pounds.

Georges "Rush" St. Pierre, UFC's current Welterweight champ and fights all comers as long as they weigh in between one hundred fifty-six pounds (156) and one hundred seventy (170) pounds.

Representing the Lightweights, who weigh between one hundred and forty- six (146) pounds and one hundred fifty-five (155), I thought I'd show a little love to

URIJAH!!! Faber is currently the undisputed king of Featherweights and rules over everyone between one hundred and thirty-six (136) pounds and one hundred and forty-five (145 pounds)

Bantamweights, led by such men as WEC's Miguel Torres, weigh in between one hundred and twenty six (126) pounds and one hundred and thirty-five pounds.

Flyweight is the lightest weight division comprised of fighters under one hundred and twenty five pounds. Currently, none of the American Promotions recognize a flyweight champ.

That wasn't so bad, was it? Join me next week as we learn another history lesson and talk about the match that essentially made UFC a household name. Class dismissed.



THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL…AND BRUTAL

The Gracie Legacy lives on…


Kyra or Kira, both ways spell pain for her opponents.



AND IN THIS CORNER


Arguably, one of the biggest fights in MMA history is nearly upon us. James "The Colossus" Thompson looks to test just how well Kimbo Slice has adjusted to the world of professional MMA.

Let's take a look at our fighters, shall we?

The Colossus


The Man They Call Kimbo Slice


With my newfound stance on Slice, and the fact that Thompson's been KO'ed by Butterbean within the last eighteen months, I'm thinking Thompson is the underdog in this one.



CHAMPIONS COME IN ALL SIZES


For a decade, Pride Fighting Championship existed in the eyes of many MMA fans as the premiere fighting company.

That all came to an end, March 2007 when the owners sold the company to UFC. UFC would eventually eschew their original plan of running both companies as independent promotions and simply bring in the fighters it wanted.

One fighter that has yet to make an appearance in the octagon is Takanori Gomi, Pride's final Lightweight Champion.



Despite holding the belt of a defunct organization, Gomi is still ranked as the number one Lightweight in the world.

The Pride Lightweight Championship's history is very brief. Gomi won the 2005 Lightweight Grand Prix tournament, thus being crowned the first and only Lightweight Champion in Pride. He would defend his belt twice successfully before Pride was bought out by UFC.

The number one lightweight in action




RANDOM MUSING AND BRUSING

So I finally watched Jumper Saturday night and it held my attention. I may even pay homage to the fight scene one day when I actually start making money from these screenplays I've been working on.


I thought it was some good shit. I'd totally throw a truck at a guy if I could.



MY WISH CAME TRUE, SO TIME TO SPREAD THE LOVE

Birthday boy Adam Tool goes Back, back, and forth, forth with the Fighting Stance and brings the news.

Dustin James Ranks the Heavyweights

Ground and Pound specialist Johnny Curry continues his thesis on how the Ultimate Fighter does not help the fighters.

Your favorite rodeo clown and mine Randy Harrison has another Five Rounds of News

Frederick Peterson counts down the days ‘til the summer of MMA in this week's MMA Crap Shoot



OUT OF THE CAGE AND OFF THE CHAIN


Thus concludes our time together. Stay tune for all the MMA coverage you can handle. I'm Wendell Mitchell and you've just been inside the Eight Sides of Steel.

Rampage imitating the Ice Man (video ends at 45 seconds, but keeps going for some reason)