UFC 155 Post Fight Press Conference: Congrats Cain!

Cain Velasquez: Lighter & Faster for Dos Santos Rematch.

Great Questions: Courtesy of MMA H.E.A.T's Karen Bryant.

Countdown to UFC 155: Dos Santos vs Velasquez

The Rise & Faith of Cain Velasquez 2

"I will get this belt back...for sure." Words uttered in his post fight interview with Joe Rogan after his loss to Junior Dos Santos a year ago.

Cain has trained, meditated & visualized his victory. The moment of truth is at hand.

Has Cain learned from the only loss in his mma career? We'll find out in less than a week's time.

Cain has to find a way to get in on Junior. Keeping his hands up is a start. Deflect all incoming blows like a Spartan phalanx or Gandalf, blocking the way of the Demon Beast, protecting & providing the Hobbits & Aragorn safe passage in The Fellowship of the Rings last scene.

Cain is a Demon Beast himself.  He has to impose his Aztec will on the upstart Brazilian. Easier said than done ofcourse, but if anyone can beat Junior its definitely Cain.

If i was Cain's coach i would have called in the U.K's David Hayes, the Ukraine's Klitchko brothers, Mike Tyson & Lennox Lewis. Heck why not toss in Oscar Dela Hoya, Julio Cesar Chavez & Juan Manuel Marquez for good measure, training and advice on how to neutrilize Junior's boxing. Cain is Mexican afterall. Home to the best boxers on the planet not named Mayweather.

When Cain gets in on Junior it'll be his all american wrestling vs the Brazilians top level takedown defense.
It might take 4 or 5 attempts but if Cain's stays with it, he'll get Junior on the canvas,where he'll have the freedom to apply his talent.

Its scary to think how much better Cain's first ever loss has made him now.

A former training partner, the Brazilian/Japanese, Lyoto Machida, has the secret to how beat Junior. Junior's most dangerous weapons are his hands. Lyoto knows how to keep away from all his opponents by covering distance and space. Lyoto stays out of your reach no matter who you are and how long your reach is. He'll zoom in and out before you know what happened. If Cain can understand and adopt a similiar style plus use his hands and arms as shields to block and perry Junior's incoming blows just enough to get him within range to grab Junior. Well then, the entire complexity of the game changes.

Ofcourse the theory is a good one. Applying it while being under heavy bombardment from real time hard and fast shots from Junior is another story. To Cain's favour, he was injured in his last fight and we didnt get a chance to see the real Cain out there. Watching game tape of the Junior vs Mir fight, the fight after his championship win over Cain, we learned that you can come in on Junior. He'll hesitate throwing that overhand right if you dont flinch and more importantly are prepared to block & evade his punches. Mir was able to push Junior back for the entirety of the first round. Boxing, kicking and trying a few takedowns himself.

Very good Frank Mir. You showed some moxy. Before eventually succumbing to Juniors out of this world boxing and power of course. Dont sweat it, you have company in the infirmary unit.

Cain is still a better all around fighter than Junior. If Cain's harnessed his chi, trained with the best, took a nice vacay with the fam and friends, laughed at his own loss while salsa dancing on the beach with his wife under the popverbial latin moon. Rocking an anonymous donors gleaming fictional 24k cross might not be necessary.

Faith is internal and unseen, much like promises.

Immortal Warriors: A Tribute to Pacquiao and Marquez

Fighters are like dancers & lovers.

Passion feeds their fires and movements. As steel sharpens steel, so too do opponents and rivalries.

The ying and yang of what makes life beautiful. Without one, we couldn't have the other, appreciate the other, and inevitably need the other. Just like love & hate, day & night and life &death. Without the contrast there is no point of reference, gratitude and inevitable joy.

Pacquiao vs Marquez is one such rivalry. Not since the Barring Strait (named after some prehistoric caveman and his mean overhand right no doubt), has the connection between Asians and Latinos/ Indigenous First Nations peoples been so closely contested. One perfect for the modern era of boxing, where its pay per view combat sports dominance, revenue and fan base have decisively diminished the past decade. We can thank less blatant corruption, the realization that real fights use kicks, elbows, wrestling and chokes and last but not least, Dana White and his marketing & personality genius. Tip your Badboy fighters cap out to him next time you see him. Heck even flip it over like a street corner mma busker and tell Dana you're an aspiring ufc fighter that needs some training money. See if he's feeling generous.

Generous as Pacquiao was with his one sided pugilistic punishment. So much so, he was dubbed the "Mexicutioner", for the way he beat the best Mexican boxers.

Pacman and Martinez went to war four times.

Their fights mimicked a masquerade ball. A who's who of Hollywood and sports celebs would show up to watch the fights, and no one would reveal who they were going for. The victor remained anonymous until the very end.  The same way masquerade balls can hold the illusion of mystery by enthralling its revelers in fantasy and magic, so to do colossal fighting events.

The same way ones voice and eyes are always a dead give away. As one eye looks with calculation and the other with intrigue to gauge the identity of the reveler. So to is one quick punch that ends a fighters night in both a fraction of seconds and marrow.

Their first two contests were a boxers dream as the two rivals had the fans on the edge of their seats, going toe to toe by putting on a boxing clinic of epic proportions; extremely close.
"Pacquiao knocked Marquez down four times in their first encounter in the first round so he clearly won".
The other would say "Yes, but Marquez came back and fought a brilliant fight for the rest of the match by cleverly counter punching and going the distance".

The third one the most controversial as many thought Marquez won decisively. That leaves us with the forth, well the fourth..you cant get any more decisive than a knockout. In hindsight, Marquez was the only fighter that could come remotely close to beating Pacquiao. The Filipino boxer had polished off with an A list of fighters from a myriad of divisions. Cotto. Marguarito. Dela Hoya. Morales,  all executed at the hands of Pacquiao.

Pacquiao was decisively winning in their fourth bout up until the last second when instead of milking the last ten seconds of the round he chose to get overly aggressive and engage Marquez wildly. A decision that would prove his undoing.

Pacquiao got caught with a perfect right hand as he helped the laws of physics by walking right into it.
Unconscious in the air, he fell perfectly and matter of factly like the last domino in a unbalanced game, where the previous pieces had fallen every which way, non symmetrical and unresolved.

What made this affair so closely contested and passionate? Admirers and fans from a distance would say things like "Marquez is the better boxer but Pacquiao is quicker and more explosive". Different fighting styles, the furious pace they both set & chess methodology approach. No one gave an inch.

Immortal warriors.  

The kind that echo throughout eternity doing perpetual battle in diverse timelines and universes as the creator likes to do with so many of his archetypes.

Linked through spirit, the only way fighters are. By fighting and ultimately respecting each other.
and sometimes admiration and friendship like Apollo Creed and Rocky.

Boxing has and always will be a poor mans sport.  A pugilistic one, honed and tested on the streets by immigrants. Closely contested and previously laid claim to in the early days of North American settlers by Irish and Italians and for the past half century, Blacks and Latinos. Who's game is it? The one who plays it the best and one who fate chooses. Not any particular race, ethnicity or culture.

As debates go. This one is over.

We all learned the value of perseverance and cold mathematical calculation. As hard and disappointing as it got with each controversial decision, Marquez never quit trying to definitively beat Pacquiao with both passion and wit. As aggressive as Marquez got he always remained cerebral and patient, looking for that one opening. He waited four fights for one and got it. Like his Nobel prize winning writer counter part by the same name. Marquez and Pacquiao wrote a legendary boxing rivalry.

The ink has dried. Latino boxing fans love Pacquiao. A man who took an entire country on his shoulders and brought them to the Promised Land/ Mecha of boxing glory. Latin Americans and Filipinos, two peoples reunited once again under common Spanish blood and Asiatic ancestral roots to become one nation of boxing enthusiasts under a Manny Pacquiao karaoke groove. Where race and ethnicity dont matter. As long as you can box..its all good.

Please no somber songs for Manny Pacquiao. He isnt dead.  He challenged Mexicans in a sport they hold dear. He made Mexico better.

What's in store for Pacquiao's future? A Mayweather fight is all but out of the question. Pacquiao's place in the history books as one of the all time greats and Boxing Hall of Fame member? Cemented. So too is that of his rival Marquez. Forever written & sealed in the book of boxing legends.

In this pugilistic and passionate dance only giving your absolute best will do. Anything else is fraudulent. Smoke and mirrors, much like a masquerade ball.  Eventually the masks come off, mirrors break and the fog of war subsides.

Heart & Mind overcome all. 

Viva Marquez and Pacquiao! 

UFC Fighter Pays Homage to the Brave & Beautiful Souls of Newtown Connecticut. Well Said Pat Barry!

An Insightful Interview with the U.K's Best Boxer: Amir Khan.

Marquez vs Pacman 4: A Knockout for the Ages. Left More than Pacquiao Breathless.

UFC 155: Nate Diaz vs Ben Henderson. A Stylistic Contrast of Character & Characters.

Its UFC night and Nate Diaz is bringing his high caliber trash talk, vulgarity and 209 hand symbols. More suitable for the mean streets of Los Angeles and gang turf warfare perhaps, but try telling this Stockton, California raised Latino that. "One and the same you %$&%" is what he'd probably tell you.  Mere Semantics, a  fights a fight regardless of where it takes place in Diaz's eyes.

While his opponent Ben Henderson has other plans. He'll look to make his best "300" impersonation as he looks to kick Diaz in the face, pay homage to his korean and taekwondo roots, while battlecrying "this is Octagon!" as Diaz flies into the stands, limp body and lifeless.

Well this isnt a movie or gangwarfare. It's the UFC's world renowned Octagon, less ridiculous hilarity than cinema and in direct contrast to the refereeless bullet riddled battlefields of gang warfare.

This is a UFC Lightweight Championship match, much tougher prospect than both in some peoples eyes, where discipline,talent and faith transcend the prior options. As we prepare for a serious throwdown between Nate Diaz  and Ben Henderson, one thing is certain, this isnt going to be easy for either fighter.

It will be a fight where Nate Diaz looks to exploit his intense gameness, reach advantage, Diaz Brotherz style "gauge & strike" boxing, top level Gracie family taught BJJ game. If there are any chinks in Ben Henderson's armour it would have to be his rudimentary boxing skills and Diaz's superior ground game.

Diaz has been on a tear, beating the likes of Takanori Gomi, Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller in his last three fights.

Ben didnt look good against Frankie in their last outing.  

Considering Ben had a significant size advantage, one he wont have against Diaz, as Diaz stands 2 inches taller at 6'1. Diaz wants the same Bendo to show up Saturday night. The reality is both fighters should show up with their A game.

"Smooth's" key to victory are his leg kicks, athleticism, quickness, versatility and...faith? If faith can be counted as a weapon in the arsenal. God's warrior looks to remain spiritually serene. If he maintains professional in his approach and doesn't allow Diaz to rattle him as he does with almost all his opponents by throwing them off their game ie the way he completly threw Cerrone off his.  

He should employ a similar style Condit used against his older brother, and mix his attack by cleverly counter striking off the back pedal.

As cliche as it sounds, whoever can employ his strategy or will on the other will prevail.  If the way "Smooth" responded to Diaz's trash talk is any sign, "God Bless You Nate Diaz" lol. then we'll be in for a great night of focused fighters.

In Memory of Hector 'Macho' Camacho (1962 - 2012).

Hector Macho Camacho died on the weekend, shot to death while sitting in his car with a friend.

A death not worthy of anyone, let alone a former champ and pride of his country.
Reports of Camacho living a shady lifestyle were reported for years. Hanging out with the gangsters, drug dealers, and the low lifes of society. 

I was chatting with a close friend of mine a few days ago about the matter and he commented that Hector made millions fighting the likes of De la Hoya. Whoever the Golden Boy fought was guaranteed to never have to work again for the rest of his life. There was no need to start a side job as a cocaine trafficker or hang around the Tony Montana's of our seedy world.

There seems something inherently wrong with being a former champ, and then forgetting all that and replacing it with a criminal lifestyle. Is it the neighbourhood one grew up in as a youth? friends and fans growing up in poor environments where making some much needed 'coin' makes the financial ends justify the morally corrupt and violent means? is it the accepted and expected dealings of an infamously corrupt sport? Boxing afterall doesnt apply the same moral ethos of Eastern Martial Arts. Could it be drug addiction used to replace the faded limelight and rush? Maybe it's the cultural prevalance of Blacks and Latinos to be wooed by criminal elements to such an extent that the old adage of taking the #$%^ out da hood out but not the hood out da #$%^ becomes an ingrained cultural truth not easily shaken by an old dog and his lack of new tricks.


Either way, the Pride of Puerto Rico had a who's who of Puerto Rican boxers show up at his funeral today. Mother sobbing and clamouring "they killed him". Immediately absolving her son of all wrong doing, as all mothers tend to do in similar tragic situations. "Not my little boy"and the packs of cocaine found on him and his deceased friend. A case for Puerto Rican police detectives to investigate further. Its no secret Hector had a long documented history of drug and alcohol abuse.

His professional fighting record was 79-6-3. As much a showman as his super lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight championship belts were testimony to his skill, having fought the great boxers of the 1980's such as Julio Cesar Chavez, Felix Trinidad, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

50 years old is a relatively young age to leave this world. And with things like cancer, we all face lifes tumultuous turmoils eventually, why be 'out for the count' any sooner than we have to.

We all die.

But may we face life with the same flamboyance, skill and bravery 'Macho' showed in his heyday.

Johnny Hendricks: A Decisive Mythical Movie Villan & Ending for St.Pierre.

Johnny Hendricks is truly an animal.

Perhaps animal is an understatement, lets see a wolf knock someone out with one shot. Beastial qualities in appearance alone, and the shaggy beard proof that this homo erectus hasnt completed its full lunar evolution. The power in his fists would dictate a greek,norse or roman god lineage, or that of a mystical beast only vulnerable to silver bullets or perhaps an anime alien come visit us from the northest of stars.

Theres no way GSP will withstand the thunderous onslaught from one of Odins sons. Where's Maury Povich when you need a paternity test?

Perhaps acting is more St.Pierre's schtick?

Bon Cop/Bad Cop 2 "Put your hands in the air St. Pierre and walk away from the UFC Middleweight Belt nice and slowly.."

We dont need any more unnecessary deaths in this bloodsport division. Lest our next Championship bout has our beloved Octagon mired in amber cautionary police tape, while a shocked Detective Carruso, pausing his words and sentences longer than usual, wipes the tears from his Armani shades and with a solemn & shaken voice stoically mumbles "bag em and book em fellas". Mitsou's "Bye bye Mon Cowboy"can be heard quietly playing in the background in this episode of CSI Montreal. Hopefully a pilot that gets rejected at the hands of the only author that really matters, St. Pierre.

Theres no need for him to see the pearly gates so soon.

But one has to wonder if even St.Pierre did a movie would it ever have an ending? or would it be content with the audience just zombishly walking away, yawning after it reached the10th hour, and having a panel of judges outside the popcorn kiosk, throwing up skating judgement. Incomprihensible style decimal numbers.

There's Big Trouble in Little France. Where a certain hairy bearded trucker comes out of St.Pierre's big rig and mauls him to death for lack of indecision.

Yes i think this ending suits St.Pierre best.

Its Friday so Phuket. Peep the Flying Knee Tutorial, Dope Set Ups &Traning Methodology.

Joy & Pain: Hendricks vs Kampmann

Are there two nicer guys in the ufc than Johny Hendricks and Martin Kampmann?

Out of the Octagon they might be fighters you might approach on the street, buy a drink for at a bar or have over and entertain as a special guest fighter at your UFC party.

Surely there is nothing nice about punching another man in the face. Yes, but there is an exception when it comes to these guys and their chosen profession. Honour amongst fighters moreso than thieves.

This is a battle between Hendrick's Sampsonesque beard and all the heavenly feats of strength that come with it ie strong wrestling and a building demolishing left hand. Versus Kampmans, Henry the Eight's "off to the gallows" like guillotine, a powerful muay thai game and a huge heart, tried and tested against Alves,Mc Freddries & Leites.

Forget GSP/Condit. Two fighters whod rather play it safe and run away from each other the entire night. Hendricks/Kampmann has 3 round war and fight of the night candidate written in crimson ink all over it.

They both respect each other and have trained together in the past, which gives credence to a 3 round mayhem melee. When two former training partners fight for real it can only be described as a dichotomous joy and pain", pain from fighting a former ally and joy from fighting someone familiar that you have some "intel" on. 

A favourite childhood hip hop track from the late 80's comes to mind. Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock's, "Joy and Pain".  As confusing as the perplexing line for a friendly and relatively popular kid sounded "Used to be friends now we're foes ask me why man, no ones knows.."

It all makes sense now. as it does to all the fans at UFC 154.

The coveted and shiny UFC Middleweight Belt is on the horizon.

Nike Signs Dos Santos

Add caption

When Nike sponsors you, you know you've arrived on the international sports scene.


Your financial woes can be out for the count for the foreseeable future.

But even much more impactful if your a budding new mainstream sport. Well, if you can call 19 years budding. If Citizen Kane could still remember "rosebud" than we can still fondly recall UFC's Royce Gracie and his BJJ conga line to the octagon as if it was just yesterday.

An Air Jordan type Nike deal has just happened to Junior Dos Santos, the UFC Heavyweight Champion (15-1 MMA, 9-0 UFC. He faces Cain Velasquez again on December 29th.

Junior joins Anderson Silva and Jon Jones as the two other Nike sponsored UFC athletes.

Hurray for mixed martial arts and black and white international motivating ads that became popular with the Jordan era and more recently World Cup Soccer.

Here's to every young kid from the streets of the City of God to Karachi, from Mumbai to San Salvador, rocking a silhoutte of two saints and a swoosh. 

If your an aging athlete thinking about taking up a new sport or are contemplating putting your son or daughter in the sport, the financial and international celebrity cache and status is now worth it.  Dont think too much..

Just do it.

Lest We Forget Canada's Fallen Souldiers & Conquest at Vimy Ridge.

From Russia with Glove : Dope Under Armour MMA Commercial.

UFC Macau: Strate Gangsta.

Macau. Visions of a tropical paradise with a sultry nightlife, legions of salacious women of Geisha pedigree dance erotically in the red light district of our minds. Heads of State, international celebrities and sports stars, gangsters all intermingling at the roullete tables, where snake eyes can ruin someones bankroll for the night, but not the weekend. As an instantaneous exchange of glances has an unusual way of recognizing its kin as its lust for women, liquor and exotic currency. "I hope you fight better than you gamble!" shouts an asian gambler bearing an uncanny resemblance to Andy Lau of 'Infernal Affairs' fame, to UFC Fighter Cung Le.

"Fuck you" retorts Cung, and laughs as he walks away with two ufc ring girls, one on each side.

This is a behind the scenes glimpse of what UFC Macau will look like this weekend. You know, the one your UFC dvd bonus will be missing.

Cung Le vs Rich Franklin looks like a promising main event if Le doens't tire out from all the flashy kicks and spinning back fists. Former high school math teacher Franklin might want to exploit this by reserving his energy by counting as many kicks as cards, and looking to pounce on the "The Man with the Iron Fists" star.

UFC Macau has a definite tropical appeal. Where the exotic environment and eye candy might just trump the fighters, and making the flight over might just be worth it next time.

UFC®

Macao - Saturday, Nov 10

Fight Card

This is a print-friendly fight card listing. For more detailed event information, please visit: http://www.ufc.com/event/FUEL6

Fight Card may change at any time.  Some fights may not be broadcast.

1. Rich Franklin vs Cung Le
   
   

   29-6-0, 1NC	Record	8-2-0
   6' 1"	Height	5' 10"
   185lbs (84kg)	Weight	185lbs (84kg)
   76	Reach

   
2. Thiago Silva vs Stanislav Nedkov
   
   

   14-3-0, 1NC	Record	12-0-0
   6' 1"	Height	5' 11"
   205lbs (93kg)	Weight	205lbs (93kg)
   	Reach

   
3. Dong Hyun Kim vs Paulo Thiago
   
   

   15-2-1, 1NC	Record	14-4-0
   6' 1"	Height	5' 11"
   170lbs (77kg)	Weight	170lbs (77kg)
   	Reach

   
4. Takanori Gomi vs Mac Danzig
   
   

   33-8-0, 1NC	Record	22-9-1
   5' 8"	Height	5' 8"
   155lbs (70kg)	Weight	155lbs (70kg)
   70	Reach	70

   
5. Alex Caceres vs Motonobu Tezuka
   
   

   7-5-0	Record	19-4-4
   5' 9"	Height	5' 7"
   135lbs (61kg)	Weight	135lbs (61kg)
   	Reach

   
6. Tiequan Zhang vs Jon Tuck
   
   

   18-3-0	Record	6-0-0
   5' 8"	Height	5' 11"
   155lbs (70kg)	Weight	155lbs (70kg)
   	Reach

   
7. Yasuhiro Urushitani vs John Lineker
   
   

   19-5-6	Record	19-6-0
   5' 5"	Height	5' 2"
   125lbs (56kg)	Weight	125lbs (56kg)
   	Reach

   
8. Riki Fukuda vs Tom DeBlass
   
   

   18-6-0	Record	7-1-0
   6' 0"	Height	6' 0"
   185lbs (84kg)	Weight	185lbs (84kg)
   	Reach

   
9. Takeya Mizugaki vs Jeff Hougland
   
   

   15-7-2	Record	10-5-0
   5' 7"	Height	5' 7"
   135lbs (61kg)	Weight	135lbs (61kg)
   	Reach

   
10. David Mitchell vs Hyun Gyu Lim
    
    

    11-2-0	Record	10-3-1
    6' 0"	Height	6' 3"
    170lbs (77kg)	Weight	170lbs (77kg)
    76	Reach

    

SOULDIER MMA Contact Info: souldiermma@gmail.com

Kung Fu Cant Be Spelled without the F & the U.

‘Rumble’ Johnson: 205 is My Home. (Courtesy of Sherdog.com)

‘Rumble’ Johnson: 205 is My Home

GSP vs Condit. I'm Already Bored.

Condit vs GSP is going down. As in ppv ratings.

Condit looks like the favourite given that GSP is coming off a long injury. Condit's avoidance of fighting anyone at all till St. Pierre got back got him in a lot of trouble with the hard core fans. I hate to say this but Condit looks good in this one. GSP has yet to develop that killer instinct. Its hard to fathom such a thing in a sport like the UFC.

Two Jackson camp guys going mano a mano. Condit will look to imply a similar sprawl/stick and move game plan he used against Diaz because he wants to avoid getting taken down. GSP is going to test his octagon rust and his ability to comeback. As a Canadian i have to admit i felt bored of St. Pierre's style when it was still in style. Condit vs GSP offers fans nothing new.

Two new insights after watching UFC Primetime.

1) Zahabi should have his own show. Watching this guy coach is sheer brilliance.
2) I dont know how many times i can listen to GSP say "one ting eemportant een life ees good elt". French sucks.

Ok back to Condit and GSP offer nothing new..
other than perhaps the changing of the guard by default. GSP's injury & ring rust.Where the &#*@ is Nick "Hot Box" Diaz? As these UFC Countdown shows keep rerunning in our combat sports psyche, one wonders what new cliche will be repeated that hasnt already been beaten to death or analogy or quote that hasnt been said in a pre fight interview by a 100 other guys. This fighting thing gets repetitive like sets in a gym. But fuck it, we fight to get out of bed every morning.

And the new UFC Welterweight Champ..

The Natural Born Runner.

How does a fighter who masterfully back pedals for five rounds against Diaz and avoids fighting anybody else for almost a year in order to insure his spot in the GSP sweepstakes get to be called Champ? The Ultimate Point Scoring Championship has a nice ring to it. No, no it doesn't. What is this? 1984 Obsolete Olympic Tae Kwon Do?

P.S All the poor kids whose oblivious parents have enrolled them in these classes should have their money refunded asap.

Bisping VS Belfort, Weidman & Botsch

What do y'all mma "fammatics" think about a possible Bisping matchup with anyone of the following- Belfort, Weidman, or Botsch? It would be very interesting to see all three of these match ups. If ,and only if he gets by all three of these guys will i think Bisping is worthy to challenge for a title. Personally, id love to see him get KTFO ala Hendo in '09. The following is an excerpt from BJ Penn.com

“I’ve heard the rumour myself, but that’s all I’ve heard. If the fight was to happen I’d definitely be up for it. I’ve got a lot of respect for Vitor, he’s a tough fighter. I want to fight for the title and have the best fights possible – and Vitor would definitely be one of them.Based on that, if the UFC were to come to me with an offer to fight Vitor, I would be more than up for it. I’d look forward to the challenge.
I match up really well with both of them. Weidman’s stand-up is very very poor, it’s not good at all. He’s a very good wrestler, very good grappler, but I do well against those guys. I’d get back to my feet and knock him out. Boetsch I don’t particularly rank at all. He’s just a tough bastard! I’d have my way with him all day.” Michael Bisping UFC Middle Weight Fighter.

HAYABUSA MMA FIGHT GEAR

So You Wanna Be an MMA Coach?

So you want to be an mma coach? Dont waste time. Get started NOW. This is a good video that shows the basic workout regiment a professional mma coach puts his fighters through. Enjoy!

Mens MMA Hoodies and Sweatshirts | MMAWarehouse.com

Now that the weathers getting colder, you can dress like your fav mma legend. Dope Gear for Training, Jogging, & just looking like an MMA Fighter even if youre not lol.

Mens MMA Hoodies and Sweatshirts | MMAWarehouse.com

The Rise & Faith of Cain Velasquez

What makes a man come back from the throws of utter defeat? What makes him return to the battlegrounds where he once got annihilated?

When analyzing the biggest loss of Cain's career, yeah that 64 second one, with a previous unblemished record of one sided mayhem, one wonders, "damn yo, why so quick?"

How does a fighter that once annihilated opponents and went by the monicker of "The Terminator" get terminated himself.

Every fighter eventually loses, but the style and time in which they lose is very important.

Not executing a proper gameplan in expeditious fashion, in a career where every second seems like an eternity is not wise. Letting pride disrupt you gameplan & wanting to exchange blows with the best and most powerful striker in the UFC's heavyweight division is not smart. The merger of both is death. The main difference in their first fight was Dos Santos faith. and Cain's lack thereof or more secular approach to fighting and training. Pre fight nerves are a natural part of the process and build up to a fight. How we handle those nerves becomes imperative,not only in relaxing us, and stopping that dreaded stress response hormone, Cortisol, from taking flight, but also in honing and focusing our internal "chi" energy for positive and powerful results.

In the prefight promotional ufc videos that hype up the fight called UFC Countdown. Cain never once mentioned any God or any faith. I think this is where he went wrong. In the days leading up to the fight and the weigh in, he looked nervous and anxious. The countdown to his demise had already begun.   

Every fighter or soldier has a potent arsenal at their disposal that they use like a special forces soldier uses bullets, grenades, flash charges, laser guided sniper scopes.  etc.

Faith & Prayer: The "bullet" and "grenade" of any successful comeback. In the hearts of Christians,
Jesus is lifting multiverses & sprinting through time & space in preparation for his.

What goes through his head while he's training for the biggest comeback of his career?

It comes down to one word.

Belief.

There is something special about believing.  To know that for whatever reason "luck", Mars and the war gods, your opponents superior skill or your lack of proper preparation and execution had a hand in dealing you a loss, but more importantly the belief in your talents and your ability to bounce back from adversity. True Champions make no excuses. What happened, happened. It cant be changed, only corrected.
In my fictional version of the UFC Countdown show, shows Cain jogging by that coveted golden morning sunrise, that Tolkien Colossal Church Tower, ipod blaring his favourite and most inspirational ballads, a remix of 50cent's "Many Men", Christian Contemporary, Che Guevara U.N speeches. and Joel Orsteen Motivational Bible based monologues. Being the ultimate strategist that Cain is, understanding where he went wrong, a man who once didnt believe, now turns to something called prayer, something called faith, something called eternal love. In his heart of hearts he somehow knows this has to be greater than that of the nemesis who crushed him. His face covered in sweat and tears of faith, he fights and trains beyond the rational, beyond the human limit & beyond this world. Though there is no certainty, he somehow knows, believes with every fibre of his being that he has exhausted every possibility; his comeback is at hand.

Even if the fates have chosen otherwise, he will find away to win. At any cost. As he recites passages from his favourite Bible verses, thanks his new found God as chills of spiritual energy flow through him. He's studied his opponent thoroughly along with game tape on where he went wrong. He seeks out the best trainers, sparring partners & champions in their respective fields. He visits old friends, teachers and sensei's and minimizes the mandatory ufc promotional appearances. He doesnt sleep much as the "all out" training regiment makes trendy workouts like "Crossfit" look like child's play.

Steadfastly visualizing his victory with Shadowboxing & Fasting. The utter recreation of his being is metamorphising, like that of the eagle and its rebirth in the highest apex of earths highest heights, bordering Peter's sniper post. Putting all non productive procrastinating habits on the altar, too lazy, too much pride etc. Burned and cremated forever. He gets his "Brown Pride" tatoo altered, it now reads " "Lion's Pride". Gratitude and understanding of the fact that his family, friends & fans are pivotal to his success. The Annihilation of Big Foot Silva is but the prequel/foreshadowing of what will happen to Dos Santos. A new man rises.

This is the story of any man. and every man.

Fighting to come back from some loss life has dealt us. Cancer. Imprisonment. Death of a loved one. Injury. etc.

Whether or not Cain finds faith in God, we can't know for sure. Life and God reveal profound spiritual insights in unconventional and mysterious ways, at their own time. These things can't be forced.

As my fictional recreation of Cain's turn to faith comes to an end, something similar to Paul's conversion at Damascus gets visualized. Only less dramatic. In my version the UFC Countdown Video finishes with a shot a little Mexican girl figthing cancer, running up to him and in Spanish saying "Cain, Cain. It doesnt matter that you lost, you're still our Champion and we love you". As He picks her up, Mexican flag wrapped tightly around his hand, a shinny golden necklace with a "t" props out of his hoodie. She asks him what it stands for. He smiles laughs and says. "Gracias Princesa. Ask your parents on December 30th. If they dont tell you, ill be back to tell you". He puts her down gently and continues running.

The girl looks and smiles as she recognizes the title of the third installment of her favourite fantasy book trilogy protruding from Cain's back pocket..

The Rise & Faith of Cain Velasquez.

Hitler. Captain America. Lance Armstrong & Chael Sonnen Walk into a Bar.

Hitler, Captain America , Lance Armstrong and Chael Sonnen walk into a bar..

What do these desposts,comical, pathological liars, and narcassists have in common?

They were and are larger than life characters interested in power at any cost. Even if it included the chemical enhancement of soldiers/athletes, thus the genesis of the super soldier.

In an ever more competitive world of sport, where winning means everything, should performance enhacing drugs that dont really enhance a fighter beyond the level of combat sports normalcy, be permitted in the UFC? Afterall, it doesnt get any more competitive than combat sports, where your livelihood depends on your own physical survival/avoidance of ending up in an emerg unit with a tube feeding you introvenus fluids. Where the indifferent nurse informs you her son's a big fan, brings you of some anonymous flowers and get well card by your #1 fan/stalker (a sumo fat guy,president of your fan club that has been watching the ufc since its inception in '93) along side a bowl of the hospital's finest, week old stale yellow jello.

In a post "Live Strong" campaign tainted with a well thoughtout and executed plan of mandatory mass organizational cheating and deception on the part of the unrepentant Lance Armstrong, should TRT be allowed in mma? PED's are currently being used by combat sport athletes over 30 years of  age. Where legends such as Dan Henderson. Rampage Jackson. and Chael Sonnen are just a few of mma's elite using this controversial treatment.

TRT is the acronym for testosterone replacement therapy and it essentially gives an older athlete the same competitive edge as a young fighter in his testosterone prime. Is it fair? Do athletes past their testosterone prime need to be elevated to a competitive equal playing field?  Is it just natures way of telling you to settle down and barbeque? Is it good for the sport if legends get a prolonged competitive career and fans get to watch their favourite fighters fight competitively well into their 40's?

I for one am for it.  If it gives our legends more PPV time then lets do it. MMA being the new sport that it is, has come to the Newtonish epiphany that any one fighter has up until his early 30's before his octagon aggressiveness diminishes. Therefore becoming a younger boys game where our divisions are going to be stacked with a myriad of pc no names just out hight school, clogging up the aisles of talent of our staple stars. 

No need to grow and shop around for other legends when the ones we got just need a bit of intravenous TLC, oops i mean TRT.

Lance Armstrong and TRT?

Apples and Oranges.

Both chemically enhanced fruit but not really the same thing. Afterall, older fighters have to make an honest living too.

This is a business first and foremost and if this TRT thing is anything like its acronym cousin TNT, then its bound to give our fading stars such as Rampage his explosive edge back and Chael Sonnen more bark to his narcassistic wittisisms. Is there a hypocritical comparison with Lance Armstrong's doping and TRT? The answer is NO.  Some see this whole sports enhancement fiasco as a bad joke, in this case the punch line here isnt about giving our favourite fighters an unfair competitive edge, just an equal playing field.