Going to surgery to fix my torn ankle and two broken bones. Sorry for not posting lately, but I broke my ankle the night of the fights. I will be back soon after all is said and done. Be good and enjoy the fights.
Women’s MMA has started picking momentum early this summer, after a failed stint in EliteXC. After Elite fell, women’s MMA was in question. Would the UFC pick it up? Could we see Gina Carano in WEC, or would another promotion pick up the division? All questions were answered when Strikeforce bought EliteXC and re-signed several big female talents. Now the fight that most MMA fans have been waiting for over a year is going to happen. Gina Carano will fight Cris “Cyborg” Santos on August 15, 2009.
This fight has already made history and both opponents have barely started their intense pre-fight training regiments. For the first time in history two females will headline a major MMA card. This speaks volumes to the competitors. In a sport dominated by men, they are shown as equals. It has taken decades for some sports to recognize women athletic competitors. The WNBA, the NPF (women’s pro softball league), women’s ice hockey, etc… In a relatively short period of time women’s MMA has grown, taking the faces of these two competitors and others as the heroes of a new era in women’s sports.
This fight will be for the new Womens 145-lb Championship title and will have 5 rounds at 5 minutes. Something that many women competitors have been waiting for since they started fighting.
Women’s MMA has made leaps and bounds, and will continue to grow. The UFC has argued that there are hardly enough fighters to make a division. With Strikeforce holding a title fight, Dana White might be re-thinking his stance on the subject. And, several sources have heard the rumblings of an all female cast for The Ultimate Fighter. This match may break the mold for women in professional sports, this could be our Billie Jean King vs. Chris Evert.
Raul Rangel
Last night Mirko Filipovic, otherwise known as “Cro Cop”, made his combak to the UFC to take on Mostapha Al-Turk. Now, many were wondering would we see the old Cro Cop of Pride FC or the 1-2 in the UFC. We got our answer in am impressive TKO victory. although there was a poke to the eye that the referee missed. Anyone watching that fight could tell that the outcome was going to remain the same. But, it is what happened after the fight that has most fans stunned. Mirko has not left the UFC again to go back to the promotion DREAM. The question everyone should be asking is why? With UFC adding more and more athletes to their heavyweight roster,Cro Cop would have made a tremendous addition to the weight class. Fights with Randy, Mir, and Brock looked liked ideal fights even rematches with big Nog and Herring looked promising. Now, we start to hear that prior to this fight it was a 1 time deal done over texting, shame on you Dana. And, Cro Cop, who never cared who he was facing, was hand picking his opponent in hoping to get an easy victory. The Cro Cop I know and loved in Pride FC is long gone, MMA now has their version of Randy “The Ram” Robinson.
Raul Rangel
*A note Cro Cop has recently signed a 3 fight deal with the UFC, it’s great to see a man of his word.
The Men’s View, one of the top internet radio shows and podcasts is coming to Texas Fight Fest 13. In 2006 The Men’s View came out like a rocket- a show with comedy and honesty from a man’s point of view. What makes the show a success is the time and effort that each member puts into it. Founder and host H-Dizzle was highly influenced by Howard Stern, and had a dream to one day have a successful radio show.
His success has not come overnight, it took a revolving door of co-hosts before he found his 2 perfect sidekicks, Amaya 4000 and comedian Allen Chao. The Men’s View also has a crew of characters that make frequent visits to the show who leave you thoroughly entertained and curious about some of their stories. For instance people like to hear the sexual escapades of Ron Jeezy, the spending habits of Louie V, and the adventures of the always colorful ex-wrestler Metalhead.
Being ranked number 19 in Podcast voting is a triumph itself. The Men’s View is just behind shows like Adam Corolla, Kevin Smith, and Rickey Gervais- seasoned comedians and radio personalities that one day could be left in the dirt of The Men’s View. Think it’s impossible? I have 3 words for you The Young Turks, a politically charged show, got its start on the internet only to be picked up by Air America Radio (then XM radio). They now have a following on the internet and youtube that challenges the numbers of Sean Hannity.
The Men’s View has also been very helpful in helping Texasfighter get their internet radio station and podcast going. So look for them in the front row of Texas Fight Fest 13, and listen to them Saturdays at 2pm on themensview.com and on your ipod via the itunes store.
Raul Rangel
With Kimbo going to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) series, one has to wonder, has hell frozen over? Kimbo Slice, the man who unfortunately tied street fighting with MMA, and was the face of a bankrupt fighting promotion, is now one of the contestants fighting for a lucrative deal with the UFC. Can this work for everbody in the end? Or will it explode in everyone’s face?
One of the biggest critics of Kimbo has been UFC president, Dana White. Calling him everything from a thug to a guy who can’t fight, Dana White once stated that the only way Kimbo Slice could go into the UFC is that he would have to go through TUF. Many thought this scenerio would never happen as both would have to put their differences on the back burner. And how would a man that headlined the first MMA event on a major network go to a show and prove that he can fight professionally? Imagine many peoples face when they found out that such a deal was met between the 2 parties.
So far this experiment benifits everyone from Dana White to Kimbo Slice to the fans. The UFC gets Kimbo almost for no money to help a show that has seen better days. Not to mention the two coaches for season 10, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans, have a deep dislike for each other. Kimbo gets to prove to all the people that he belongs in MMA and is a real fighter. And, the fans get to reap all the benefits of a hopefully soon to be great season for TUF.
Now, if Kimbo ultimately fails, all responsibility falls on one man, Kimbo himself. Everything that his critics have said will have been vindicated and UFC will be able to wash their hands of him very easily.
However if he does lose a fight in TUF, it does not means that the venture was a failure in any way. Look at some of the other fighters that lost on TUF, only to go on and have a great career in MMA: Stephan Bonnar, Matt Hamil, Keith Jardine, and others.With all the scenerios that can play out this makes it the most anticipated season of The Ultimate Fighter ever.
Raul Rangel