Punch Drunk Love 04.16.07: The Hangover Edition
Posted by Bren Oliver on 04.16.2007
Hallelujah! The power of prayer worked and Matt Lindland lives to fight another day! Coming at you like an Emelianenko's fist it's officially Monday and time for the newest edition of PUNCH DRUNK LOVE: HANGOVER EDITION. Always attempting to deliver a more palatable concoction than raw eggs and tabasco sauce, Bren Oliver responds to reader comments/questions and offers up a "hair of the Nog" to anyone dealing with the after-effects of this past weekend's MMA action.
All was relatively quiet this weekend on the Mixed Martial Arts homefront. The BodogFight event went off as planned without any major upsets, i.e. Lindland somehow playing the proverbial "David" to the Heavyweight "goliath", Fedor Emelianenko. He whose last name breaks the Scrabble bank made his comrades in the former Soviet Union proud, allowing his countrymen to tip their Vodka bottles upwards with an expected win (via submission) over the Team Quest Middleweight. Brother Aleks also delivered a roomful of Russian smiles by adding a first round knockout to the night's entertainment. Very little else happened this past weekend other than the Fedor/Lindland mismatch going off without a hitch, a sign that while Couture and Serra are UFC Champions, the PRIDE Heavyweight phenom is a constant in the world of MMA.
However, next weekend promises to be chock full of chokeholds as fans' focus grabs a redeye across the Atlantic for UFC 70 and the second Octo-outing for Mirko Cro Cop. On a side note, anyone looking for a nice lead-in to the card would be wise to check out ProElite's live streaming broadcast of "Cage Rage 21: Judgement Day". It's also broadcasting from the U.K., so the feed will start mid-afternoon States' time meaning you can watch a live card featuring Bob Sapp, Murilo "Ninja" Rua, Vitor Belfort, and Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos (who is one of the scariest looking "human beings" I've ever seen). Remember, UFC 70 is showing on Spike TV for free Saturday night, but it's tape-delayed so make sure you're careful in terms of avoiding online spoilers. Not only does this upcoming week bring those two action-packed events, it also brings today...and your questions/comments!
NOT SO GRAND From Daniel in Cleveland "This weekend I read something about PRIDE's next show, which was to have the LWGP, being postponed by Zuffa. I was a little nervous about how the Fertittas would act and now I know why. Looks like the beginning of the end for an organization I've been a fan of for quite awhile."
The PRIDE Worldwide Era is just getting fired up!
PRIDE fans, put away the Sharpies, shoulder-strapped posterboards, and any whims of scribbling an "End of the World" message. No need for any doom or gloom. Grape Kool-Aid is not your friend. The decision is simple business, and better yet the postponement is being done in the interest of PRIDE FC. Lorenzo Fertitta's official press release explains everything. The actual transfer of ownership does not take place until May 1st, 2007. With the LWGP ( Lightweight Grand Prix) originally slated less than three weeks later it was felt Zuffa could not, in Fertitta's words, "organize the production and promote the event in a manner that reflects our first PRIDE event for the fans". Maybe it's just a company line, but I'll take the statement at face value for now and I honestly think it's a good decision which will ultimately pay off for us, the MMA consumer. In addition to being fully prepared for their inaugural PRIDE broadcast, the delay might allow a few UFC fighters to slip into the tournament and give us a peppering of those crossover bouts we've longed to see take place. I have no idea how far off Zuffa is putting PRIDE 35, but I have to believe the new ownership is excited about putting on a memorable show so I'd lean towards "sooner" than "later".
CHILDREN OF THE CORN From hawkeyeben557 in Cedar Rapids "u obviously have something against matt hughes...its one thing to not root for someone but making fun of him is immature..he is my favorite fighter, a great champion, and the best wrestler in UFC...ur article is ok but lay off hughes...plus he hasnt had a mullet in a long time"
Oh no he DIDN'T just talk about my mullet!
One part of me wants to ask how you question my maturity while not expending the energy to write "you" and "your". Then again, you said my column was "ok", and playing to my ego is always welcomed with open arms. Look, I think Hughes is a jerkoff in terms of personality, but I will be the first to admit he's an incredible fighter. He's as hard-working as you'll find when it comes to training and he's very grounded in his roots, which I think is admirable considering his success in the Octagon. I still don't think he deserves a shot at Matt Serra's Welterweight Championship before St. Pierre gets his rematch. That's independent of my thinking Matt Hughes comes across as a cocky prick. Yikes, I'm not sure I can write those two words in succession! If PDL doesn't show up this Friday you'll know I'm laid up outside the FCC offices in a shallow grave. And seriously, is there a human being from Iowa who doesn't have a man-crush on Matt Hughes? If so, I'd love to hear from you.
HOWLING GOOD TIME From Andrew "Simple: Jackson vs. Liddell at UFC 70. Who ya got?"
Liddell may be #1 for now, but Rampage hopes to take number two from him at UFC 71...
Short, sweet, and to the point! The description of your email and also a possible description of the long-awaited rematch between Chuck Liddell and "Rampage" Jackson. I like both of these fighters a lot. Maybe even like-like. *wink* But seriously, Liddell and Jackson are two of MMA's most exciting competitors at Light Heavyweight and in general. The "Iceman" seems unstoppable as of late, sending opponent after opponent to the canvas courtesy of his rapid-fire striking ability and overhand dream inducers. However, he wasn't so invincible when the two men squared off in 2003. "PRIDE - Final Conflict" was the scene, a moment in retrospect that could be viewed as a precursor to what Zuffa hopes to deliver in 2007 and beyond. The chained-one, Jackson, finished Liddell off via strikes in the second round. Both "Rampage" and Liddell are different fighters now so I have a hard time believing the upcoming fight will resemble their first encounter. I think it's safe to say the fight will end by knockout. I'm just not sure who will deliver said blow. I think Jackson has fought a higher quality of opponent since 2003, facing Wandy twice as well as "Shogun" Rua and Ricardo Arona, but his record has reflected that as well. Chuck fought Couture twice, Tito twice, a poorly planned assault by Renato Sobral, and now-IFL participants Jeremy Horn and Vernon White. Given Liddell's uncanny ability as of late to dominate opponents, I have a hard time picking against him. If Chuck's gloves are five ounces, 3.5 of those suckers' weight is from the sleeping dust he laces them with. "Rampage" is probably in my top five of favorite fighters, but objectivity takes the place of personal preference, and I have to go with another avenged-loss for Chuck Liddell. I'll give the pre-fight trash-talking victory to Jackson, but fight-wise it's going to be something like a second round knockout for UFC's posterboy. Howver, if "Rampage" is able to slip a little cough syrup into Liddell's between-round water, it could be a different story.
Remember, if you're interested in serving up your own frothy mug of personal opinion, send your questions/comments to:
