Jeff Jarrett - My New Hero?

I grew up watching wrestling on TV. Back in the old days of regional promotions like "International Wrestling" from Montreal, the AWA, then later on the WWF in the early to mid-80`s. I then fell away from it and got wrapped up in Monday Night Raw`s Attitude Era in the 90`s. (it was so ridiculous that it was funny. I loved watching guys like the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin).

At any rate, professional wrestling has really tanked in popularity since the early part of the decade as the "real" sport of Mixed Martial Arts made its way into the mainstream.

The clip below is probably the first "pro-wrestling" clip that actually made me laugh in a really long time. Jeff Jarrett, owner of TNA Wrestling actually uses his newfound love of MMA to entertain. Check it out...

UFC 122 and a look at UFC 123

Last night`s UFC (122) from Germany was ok. The main event between Yushin Okami and Nate Marquart wasn`t a fight for the ages, but it was good to see Okami earn a shot at the title after years of falling short. He does have a win over Anderson Silva (prior to the UFC days), but that was due to a disqualification from an upkick to a downed opponent. At any rate, the middleweight division has always been the one division that I`ve never really gotten excited over. With that said, I am pumped for the meeting between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort which has real potential.

For those who didn`t watch the card and want to see some crisp Muay Thai, google the fight between Sobota and Amir Sodallah. Amir`s technique continues to improve...it was nice to watch.

No rest for the UFC. In less than a week, they`ll do it all over again at the Palace of Auburn Hills just outside Detroit, Michigan. The main event between Rampage and Machida should be a good fight. I predict Machida will make a comback from his loss to Shogun and likely pull out a decision over Jackson. The co-main event sees Matt Hughes vs BJ Penn for the 3rd and final time. As everyone knows, they`ve each got one win over each other and this is the rubber match. Hughes has looked better in his last few fights and BJ desperately needs a win after two straight losses to Frankie Edgar at 155. Will size make a difference as it had in the past? Will BJ be in shape at 170? It`ll be interesting to find out.

The fight I`m most excited about isn`t the previously mentionned feature fights, but a bout between Joe Lauzon and George Sotiropoulos. Both of these guys bring it with every fight and the potential for fireworks is there. What I`m most looking forward to is the ground war between these two. They both have incredible grappling skills and both aren`t afraid to have a chess match on the floor. I`m not talking about "lay and pray" wrestling, but an awesome technical match up. I can`t wait for this one!

See you at the club!
Y.

Fighter Biographies

I've read most Fighter autobiographies as they come out. I'm always interested in learning the back story to where these athletes come from. For the most part, I read these stories and get a deeper appreciation for who these guys are.

The first time I read a book and actually disliked the guy more (from his own story) was Matt Hughes "Made in America". I don't know if it's just that I don't connect with the redneck/farmer mentality from the mid-west USA, but that's where I began to find him unlikeable.

This also occurred recently as I just finished BJ Penn's book "Why I Fight". Let me preface by stating that I'm a fan of his fighting style and there is no doubting that he's one of the best ever. His Jiu Jitsu accomplishments are unmatched to this day and his nickname "the Prodigy" was certainly deserved. The more I read into the latter stages of the book, the more the bad rap BJ has gotten since his last GSP have proven well founded. Again, like the Matt Hughes book, this one soured me a bit on BJ. With that said, he's still a great fighter and I'm looking forward to his fight at UFC 123 vs Hughes. It'll be nice to see them beat each other up! haha!

Next book on my reading list...Jens Pulver "Little Evil". I'm told this is a great read and I'm really looking forward to it. Jens has been on a bad streak of late and retirement seemed imminent. He has however just signed to fight in Minneapolis in the new year (for a small organization). I'm hoping he pulls off a win and is able to pack it in on a good note.

UFC 122 this weekend. Not really amped up for any of the matchups in particular, but this doesn't mean it won't be a decent card. The UFC rarely puts on a bad night of fights.

Stay healthy my friends!
Yves

BJJ Superhero?

interesting...

disadvantage: difficult to see & breathe
advantage: easier to slip out of a choke

winner: red man for having fun with bjj.

Bully Beatdown (season 3)

I`m not a huge fan of Jason Mayhem Miller, but the guy could be entertaining at times. In the season 3 opener, Mayhem steps into the cage himself to take on a bully. It`s a pretty good episode...figured I`d post it here.



I really hope Strikeforce sets up the fight between him and Nick Diaz. I don`t know if they`ll get it done due to the weight class as Diaz is the 170lb champion and I don`t think Miller can make the cut past 85, but it would be a great fight. (which I think Diaz would take) Hopefully we get to see it.

WWW.BJJWEEKLY.COM

Last I updated was after day one of the Cooligan seminar here in Sudbury. Day two was even better seeing as the class was much smaller. More room on the mats and a bit more personal attention when working on techniques was a great way to cap off the weekend.

If you`re reading this and you`re a club member, you need to make the effort to come out everytime Pat is in town. A three hour class with Pat will give you some new insight, two 3 hour classes will go even further. He`s only in town a few times a year, so when he is, we all need to make sure we take advantage of the opportunity.

With that, the seminar ended and Steve was packed up and headed back to Ottawa with Pat, his family and Hammer. They flew out to Rio De Janeiro, Brasil early on Monday morning for a week of training at the mecca of BJJ, the world headquarters of Gracie Barra! I haven`t heard much from Steve since he`s been out there, but he did manage to post a message on facebook that he would be training with Kayron Gracie (son of Carlos Gracie Jr) on Tuesday...among many others. I can`t wait to see some pictures, hear stories and learn a few moves he`ll be picking up.

On a different note, here`s a pretty cool video from www.bjjweekly.com. It`s a great site that I check out just about every day. Enjoy!