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