If you've never been to a live Mixed Martial Arts event, you should go. There is definitely a "wave of events" sweeping into the lower mainland, so there is no shortage of opportunity. And they really don't cost that much--for most of the amateur events, you can get in the door for thirty bucks. Worth the money if you even kind of like fighting.
I was part of the sell out crowd for "Live in the Cage", the amateur MMA card at the River Rock this past weekend. With events such as these you can never quite be sure of the level of talent that will be on display. But usually, you can expect excitement. The event at the River Rock did not disappoint one bit on that front. I can't recall one fight that didn't at least have a few very exciting moments. Many of them didn't go the distance, with finishes ranging from the ref stopping a viscous ground and pound to a beautiful arm bar.
There was one female contest, which peaked my interest as soon as I saw the card. It was the first time I had witnessed a live caged girl fight. And no, this was nothing like GLOW of days gone by. I was told before the fight the women are usually the most exciting. I figured that was because men love to see women roll around on the ground. But as I watched the fight, which was third on the card, I realised this was not the reason. Burnaby's Sarah McLeod and North Van's Wendy Roy staged an absolute Battle Royale. Both came out swinging and both could have won the fight in the first round. Both were knocked down, and both recovered to come back for more. The bout ended up winning--and deservedly so--Fight of the Night. It was a draw by the way.
I chatted with a war-torn but thrilled Sarah McLeod afterwards, and was even more impressed. She casually mentioned it was her very first fight. And--oh yeah, she only had 12 days notice. And, she'd never been hit in the face before. And, she'd never punched anyone in the face. And, boy, did that feel great. McLeod, it seemed, learned two things after all was said and done: That you can become friends with those you fight--at least afterwards; and that she can take a good shot to the chin.
The other little nugget that caught my eye before the fight was the info on a fighter from Kelowna. While all other fighters were mentioned as coming from this gym or that gym, all it said about Nick Austin was that he was self trained. What did that mean? Did this guy practice the rear-naked-choke on the couch cushions in the rec room at home? Well, as I would find out--not exactly, but that it was probably in the family home where he honed his early skill.
As I watched this "self trained" fighter TKO his opponent--Rami Kadi of the North Van Wolf Den--I knew I had to find out just exactly how self trained this guy was. I caught up with him just as he was leaving. He pushed his dreadlocks aside to reveal a couple of facial contusions and a smile. He said he just loves fighting. Then he revealed he has three older brothers. And that if you're going to get punched in the face, you better be ready to punch back. Thank-you three older brothers for that valuable life lesson.
I should mention I did find out he had had some jui-jitsu training, but no formal striking work. And this was the guy who won Knockout of the Night. Once again, thank-you three older brothers.
The only downer of the evening was that two of the final four fights had to be cancelled due to injury. The crowd didn't appreciate this announcement, but if a fighter pulls out due to injury, what can you do? One of the fighters called that very morning. You can't really bring in a replacement on a few hours notice.
The main event was billed as your classic striker versus your classic ground guy. Versus 21's Kiarash Moghaddam was said to be very good on his feet. Unfortunately for Kiarash, he couldn't stay on them. Dynamic MMA fighter Bastien Huveneers took him down almost from the opening bell, got into top position and that was all she wrote. Fight over a minute and ten seconds in. Entertaining, but too short. Though I'm sure that was just fine with the very talented and very tattooed Huveneers.
Like I wrote up top, if you get the chance to go see a live MMA event, do it. If it's anything like "Live in the Cage" was on Saturday night, you will not be disappointed. The atmosphere is exhilarating, the entertainment is first rate, and if you are privy to them, the stories behind the scenes can be just as intriguing as the fights themselves.
Don't forget to tune into my MMA reports at the top of the "odd" (as opposed to even) hours starting at 9am only on the TEAM 1410.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Hey Dana White--Leave something for us
For the past couple of weeks I've been trying to figure out who might be coming to Vancouver to fight at UFC 115 on June 12th. And it seems every time I come up with someone, the next day they're getting booked or rumoured to fight on an earlier card. I get that UFC President Dana White has fill all his prior cards first, but I'm starting to get a little worried.
First off I should point out Vancouver's not the only event competing to get that "marquee fight". The UFC will stage pay per view number 114 just a couple of weeks earlier in Vegas. It's an important event for the promotion because they're also staging their big "Fan Expo" that same weekend. It makes me wonder that, if they're looking to find an event for Brock Lesnar's return, it might make more sense for the UFC to have him come back in Vegas. Yeah, Rashad and Rampage are now on that card, but with Lesnar's remarks about Canadian health care, he might not risk a Vancouver fight. Sure, I'd love to see Lesnar in Vancouver, but I'm not holding my breath.
Especially since the rumour-du jour is that the UFC is going to showcase Ultimate Fighter 11 coaches Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell here in Vancouver. I know it's a given that UFC 115 will sell out in an hour, but those who spend the big bucks on tickets will no doubt be disappointed if Liddell-Ortiz is the main event. I'm not saying there isn't some intrigue to the match-up. The two were friends at one point, grew to genuinely dislike each other, then fought where Liddell dominated. They're both looking to make comebacks, but other than each other--who really would you like to see either of them fight? I don't think that fight should be the sole main event of any card.
Right now, barring injury, all of the title holders--with the exception of Lesnar--are scheduled, or rumoured to be fighting elsewhere earlier. All four of those fights are happening much too close to the Vancouver date for any one of the champions to be ready to fight here. The next title fight scheduled is Georges St.Pierre defending his welterweight belt against Dan Hardy on March 27th. As I wrote last week, two and a half months is just not long enough for the winner to recover. Though I must admit, as big name fighters are thrown into other events, I wonder if Dana White is thinking about delaying the main event announcement for Vancouver until after March 27th. That way he could at least see what happens that night, and if St. Pierre finishes Hardy in the first--who knows? Interesting to be sure, but unlikely.
I figured we would see a full stable of Canadian fighters taking to the cage in Vancouver. But, I guess not--at least not the best Canadians the UFC has to offer. They pretty much will now be fighting in Montreal on May 8th. Patrick Cote will likely take on Alan Belcher, Sam Stout looks to square off against Jeremy Stephens, and Jonathon Goulet faces Marcus Davis. That leaves Kelowna's Rory McDonald and a couple others--expect to see McDonald here, unless of course the Montreal date scoops him up first.
And speaking of Montreal--just how many great fights do they need? In addition to the main event with Lyoto Machida and Marucio "Shogun" Rua, they also have Kimbo Slice against Matt Mitrione, Josh Koscheck taking on Paul Daley. Yes, none of those fights have been officially confirmed by the UFC, but they are as good as done barring injury.
So it leaves us with the question. Who will be coming here? A few weeks ago, it was an exciting question. Right now it's more perplexing than anything else. I just hope, in the end, I like the answer.
NEXT WEEK: I plan to write about Saturday night's "Live in the Cage" event at the River Rock, taking place on the 23rd. It's the Lower mainland's first MMA event in a cage.
First off I should point out Vancouver's not the only event competing to get that "marquee fight". The UFC will stage pay per view number 114 just a couple of weeks earlier in Vegas. It's an important event for the promotion because they're also staging their big "Fan Expo" that same weekend. It makes me wonder that, if they're looking to find an event for Brock Lesnar's return, it might make more sense for the UFC to have him come back in Vegas. Yeah, Rashad and Rampage are now on that card, but with Lesnar's remarks about Canadian health care, he might not risk a Vancouver fight. Sure, I'd love to see Lesnar in Vancouver, but I'm not holding my breath.
Especially since the rumour-du jour is that the UFC is going to showcase Ultimate Fighter 11 coaches Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell here in Vancouver. I know it's a given that UFC 115 will sell out in an hour, but those who spend the big bucks on tickets will no doubt be disappointed if Liddell-Ortiz is the main event. I'm not saying there isn't some intrigue to the match-up. The two were friends at one point, grew to genuinely dislike each other, then fought where Liddell dominated. They're both looking to make comebacks, but other than each other--who really would you like to see either of them fight? I don't think that fight should be the sole main event of any card.
Right now, barring injury, all of the title holders--with the exception of Lesnar--are scheduled, or rumoured to be fighting elsewhere earlier. All four of those fights are happening much too close to the Vancouver date for any one of the champions to be ready to fight here. The next title fight scheduled is Georges St.Pierre defending his welterweight belt against Dan Hardy on March 27th. As I wrote last week, two and a half months is just not long enough for the winner to recover. Though I must admit, as big name fighters are thrown into other events, I wonder if Dana White is thinking about delaying the main event announcement for Vancouver until after March 27th. That way he could at least see what happens that night, and if St. Pierre finishes Hardy in the first--who knows? Interesting to be sure, but unlikely.
I figured we would see a full stable of Canadian fighters taking to the cage in Vancouver. But, I guess not--at least not the best Canadians the UFC has to offer. They pretty much will now be fighting in Montreal on May 8th. Patrick Cote will likely take on Alan Belcher, Sam Stout looks to square off against Jeremy Stephens, and Jonathon Goulet faces Marcus Davis. That leaves Kelowna's Rory McDonald and a couple others--expect to see McDonald here, unless of course the Montreal date scoops him up first.
And speaking of Montreal--just how many great fights do they need? In addition to the main event with Lyoto Machida and Marucio "Shogun" Rua, they also have Kimbo Slice against Matt Mitrione, Josh Koscheck taking on Paul Daley. Yes, none of those fights have been officially confirmed by the UFC, but they are as good as done barring injury.
So it leaves us with the question. Who will be coming here? A few weeks ago, it was an exciting question. Right now it's more perplexing than anything else. I just hope, in the end, I like the answer.
NEXT WEEK: I plan to write about Saturday night's "Live in the Cage" event at the River Rock, taking place on the 23rd. It's the Lower mainland's first MMA event in a cage.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Who's coming to town on June 12th?
Now that it seems likely the UFC will come to GM Place on June 12th, the speculation on who exactly will enter the octagon can begin. First off--just one rumour I have come across so far. Even though June 12th is before the Ultimate Fighter 11 finale, apparantly coaches Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell might square off as the main event in Vancouver. It's because the UFC wants to drum up excitement for the finale which is a week later. I'm hoping this would be just a co-main event. I think we deserve better than two fighters that are well past thier best years. I'm hoping for a title fight. Or at least something a little more interesting.
We know this, the UFC likes Canada. Dana White has called it the Mecca of MMA. High praise for a country still trying to sanction the sport in it's most heavily populated province. The previous two UFC events in Montreal give us two hints about what we can expect in terms of match-ups at GM Place. First off, the card will feature Canadians. Secondly, we should see at least one if not two big match-ups, quite possibly a title fight--I'm crossing my fingers. So with that in mind, let the prognostications begin.
Let's start with who won't be coming. And yes, it is the biggest name in Canadian MMA. Georges St. Pierre will likely not show his face any closer than ringside on June 12th. He's fighting Dan Hardy on March 27th in Jersey. For him to fight in Vancouver it would mean only a two-and-a-half month layoff. That is just not done for title holders in the UFC. I guess if he knocks out or submits Hardy early in the first round there's a small chance, but even then highly unlikely. Keep in mind the UFC will likely name Vancouver's main event before March 27, and they won't know what St.Pierre's status will be until after.
So, no welterweight title fight. And probably no light heavyweight title fight either. Lyoto Machida is penciled in to fight Mauricio Shogun Rua on May 1st in Montreal. Dana White seems pretty sold on that fight. With that in mind, let's take a look at the other weight classes.
The Heavyweights. It's come out this week that Brock Lesnar is back training and could be back in the octagon in a few months. As of right now the UFC has tentative main events right up until UFC 113. Only 114 in Vegas and 115 in Vancouver are events without main attractions. Lesnar could easily end up headlining one of those two cards. He would likely fight Junior Dos Santos or the winner between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez on February 21st.
The Middle Weights. It is a long shot, but with a little luck, Anderson Silva could come to Vancouver. He's slated to take on the hard hitting Vitor Belfort on April 10th in Abu Dhabi. But Silva has been pushing this fight back since last year. His recovery from elbow surgery last fall has taken longer than expected, and just one more little set back is all he would need for waiting period of, say, two months.
The Lightweights. B.J. Penn is good to go right now. He's told Dana White he wants to fight ASAP. Penn has gone on the record saying he expects to compete on that April card in Abu Dhabi. But you can't always get what you want, and White and co. know they need to save something for both the Vegas and Vancouver cards, though apparantly Abu Dhabi is getting very close to a done deal.
As for non-title, but great fight options, the possibilities are greater. Forrest Griffin hasn't fought in a long time. Rich Franklin should be ready to go come June. What about a Kimbo Slice appearance? He hasn't stepped in since his win over Houston Alexander. That's just to name a few.
As for the Canadians, I thought White would save Sam Stout for Vancouver. But it's looking more and more like "Hands of Stone" will compete on the May 1st Montreal card. Too bad, his fights are always exciting. Patrick Cote, who hasn't fought since 2008, is back training, but it's believed he will fight in Montreal. And of course Rory "The Water Boy" McDonald would be an obvious choice. The 20 year old Kelowna resident made his UFC debut this week, submitting Mike Guymon in the first round at Fight Night 20.
Stay tuned for all the rumours as they come. And don't forget to listen for my MMA reports on the TEAM 1410.
We know this, the UFC likes Canada. Dana White has called it the Mecca of MMA. High praise for a country still trying to sanction the sport in it's most heavily populated province. The previous two UFC events in Montreal give us two hints about what we can expect in terms of match-ups at GM Place. First off, the card will feature Canadians. Secondly, we should see at least one if not two big match-ups, quite possibly a title fight--I'm crossing my fingers. So with that in mind, let the prognostications begin.
Let's start with who won't be coming. And yes, it is the biggest name in Canadian MMA. Georges St. Pierre will likely not show his face any closer than ringside on June 12th. He's fighting Dan Hardy on March 27th in Jersey. For him to fight in Vancouver it would mean only a two-and-a-half month layoff. That is just not done for title holders in the UFC. I guess if he knocks out or submits Hardy early in the first round there's a small chance, but even then highly unlikely. Keep in mind the UFC will likely name Vancouver's main event before March 27, and they won't know what St.Pierre's status will be until after.
So, no welterweight title fight. And probably no light heavyweight title fight either. Lyoto Machida is penciled in to fight Mauricio Shogun Rua on May 1st in Montreal. Dana White seems pretty sold on that fight. With that in mind, let's take a look at the other weight classes.
The Heavyweights. It's come out this week that Brock Lesnar is back training and could be back in the octagon in a few months. As of right now the UFC has tentative main events right up until UFC 113. Only 114 in Vegas and 115 in Vancouver are events without main attractions. Lesnar could easily end up headlining one of those two cards. He would likely fight Junior Dos Santos or the winner between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez on February 21st.
The Middle Weights. It is a long shot, but with a little luck, Anderson Silva could come to Vancouver. He's slated to take on the hard hitting Vitor Belfort on April 10th in Abu Dhabi. But Silva has been pushing this fight back since last year. His recovery from elbow surgery last fall has taken longer than expected, and just one more little set back is all he would need for waiting period of, say, two months.
The Lightweights. B.J. Penn is good to go right now. He's told Dana White he wants to fight ASAP. Penn has gone on the record saying he expects to compete on that April card in Abu Dhabi. But you can't always get what you want, and White and co. know they need to save something for both the Vegas and Vancouver cards, though apparantly Abu Dhabi is getting very close to a done deal.
As for non-title, but great fight options, the possibilities are greater. Forrest Griffin hasn't fought in a long time. Rich Franklin should be ready to go come June. What about a Kimbo Slice appearance? He hasn't stepped in since his win over Houston Alexander. That's just to name a few.
As for the Canadians, I thought White would save Sam Stout for Vancouver. But it's looking more and more like "Hands of Stone" will compete on the May 1st Montreal card. Too bad, his fights are always exciting. Patrick Cote, who hasn't fought since 2008, is back training, but it's believed he will fight in Montreal. And of course Rory "The Water Boy" McDonald would be an obvious choice. The 20 year old Kelowna resident made his UFC debut this week, submitting Mike Guymon in the first round at Fight Night 20.
Stay tuned for all the rumours as they come. And don't forget to listen for my MMA reports on the TEAM 1410.
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