Sponsored by:
Interested in an Entry Level MMA/Muay Thai Seminar?
If you have always been curious about the MMA workout or Muay Thai, you can now sign up for a MMA/Muay Thai Boot Camp being offered on February 21, 2010 for only $20.00 a person. The all level boot camp style workout will be held on Sunday the 21st from 12:30pm to 3:00pm. It will be taught by Said Hatim at POW! Mixed Martial Arts, 950 W. Washington - 312-829-7699. Said is the assistant MMA coach for Dino Costeas and full-time Muay Thai and Kickboxing coach. He is unbelievably dynamic and attentive. He is an ISKA champion and previous member of the Moroccan National Fighting Team. If you are interested in attending by call and register. Please arrive by 12:15pm to enter the seminar on-time. You can call 312-829-7699 to register.
7 States Remaining with MMA Sanctioning
Thankfully Governors David Paterson of New York and Jim Doyle of Wisconsin want to see MMA in their states. Gov. Doyle signed a measure last week, Senate Bill 290 to be exact, making Wisconsin the 43rd state to regulate the sport of MMA. The path for MMA in our neighbor state was short, only taking 5 months for it to be passed. Even Mark Ratner, VP of Regulatory Affairs for Zuffa, said, " This process actually went really quick...we had a wonderful lobbyist."So how did they get it done so quick, and can New York copy this strategy? Senate Bill 290 borrowed heavily from existing Wisconsin boxing regulations. One protective measure in the new MMA regulations is that each combative participant must now provide proof of adequate health insurance, be examined before and after each bout, receive physical examinations regularly and be tested for banned substances.
But all the responsibility is not falling on only the fighter's lap, promoters will need to follow specific safety standards. An ambulance and physician must be present during each match. Promoters must be licensed, they must pay an annual fees, they must have a department appointed inspector present at the fight and all matchmakers, managers, refs, physicians and fighters must be licensed as well.
Ratner Zuffa, Inc point-man on this, is serious about brining the UFC to Wisconsin. However, "we want the commission to have a staff and trained referees. We're serious about coming here," claims Ratner.
As for New York, well they are not moving as quickly, however Gov. Paterson is lobbying for the sport with a strategic plan- MMA could be one element to help balance the budget. But despite this tactic, NY is still slow to go against ex-Gov George Pataki actions who had it banned in 1997 - the first state to do so.
UFC 109 Fight Predictions
It is always fun to do fight
predictions when you are not emotionally invested in the fight. As I mentioned earlier this week, I am
not super-excited about Saturday's card, which actually helps me keep a more
objective point of view on who I would bet on. You would think that owning an MMA school, I talk about
fighters and give predictions all the time, but it is not the case. Even when Dino Costeas (Director of BJJ
and MMA at POW! MMA) and I grab our weekly lunch or catch-up coffee, we try to avoid
MMA in our conversation. But this
week, it was not the case. Because
we are hosting a UFC fight night at The Lucky Strike - River East, we decided
to do some fight predictions together and give you our two cents worth on a
card that we are not stoked about, but acknowledge is truly packed with well-matched
fighters.
Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman
Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
Mike Swick vs Paulo Thiago
Demian Maia vs Dan Miller
Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg
Un-televised Bouts
Mac Danzig vs Justin Buchholz
Ronys Torres vs. Melvin Guillard
Phillipe Nover vs. Robert Emerson
Phil Davis vs. Brian Stann
Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Rolles Gracie vs. Joey Beltran
Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman, This Saturday - Should I be Excited?
Although I am hosting a UFC party for this week's 109th event headlining Randy Couture verse Mark Coleman, it does not get me that excited. Beyond the fact that on paper it is a fight that should have happened years ago, Coleman verse anyone just doesn't do it for me. I know he beat Stephen Bonner recently (which I didn't expect), but that's it. Randy Couture on the other hand, has earned so much respect with his wins and losses. Couture's loss to Nogueira was amazing - he demonstrated more skill in that loss than most fighters do in their wins. I have lost interest in fighters like the Shamrocks, Bob Sapp, Don Frye, Guy Mezger, Mark Kerr, Dan Severn and even Tito Ortiz. I want to see the HERE and the NOW - those that are pushing the sport of MMA forward, evolving it in their training, their technique, their integration of the components of striking, thai kicks, wrestling and BJJ.
Coleman defeated Dan Severn in UFC 12 on February 7th, 1997. As a previous NCAA collegiate wrestler and former Olympic wrestler his foundation is very similar to Couture's. However, his contributions to the sport of MMA in the past 5-7 years does not compare to Couture. Although a PRIDE fighter, Coleman sports a 16-9-0 record - that spans from 1996 to 2009. That is 25 fights in 14 years. Couture carries 17 wins over 10 losses, or 27 fights in a 13 year time span. Couture was born in 1963 and Coleman in 1964, there are 6 months between them. They are both considered legends, they are both Hall of Famers, they both have wrestling pedigrees, yada, yada. So on paper they seem to be well-matched, but I am still not jazzed about this Superfight, with no title on the line.
Help me out? Other than the fact that Coleman and Couture should have fought perhaps years ago, why should I care now about Coleman. Okay, I am impressed with the fact that two men in their mid-forties are headlining the fight, so a fighter's MMA prime has changed or are they just the exception?
This wrestler- match-made in heaven is just a way to get the Brock Lesnar fans and wrestling crowd something to talk about. I realize that many are saying that wrestling is the current trend and 'thing' in MMA right now - but it won't stick. The wrestler's true short-comings in the sport are clear to the well-rounded MMA fans and practitioners, and will be revealed to the new fan base as fighters, like GSP, Aldo, Penn, SIlva, Fedor, Machida, Mousasi,Torres have bouts this year. Thoughts?
UFC Party for YOU! Blog Readers Join Us for Fight Night
I will be hosting a UFC 109 Party on Saturday, February 6th at Lucky Strike - River East (322 E. Illinois, 312-245-8331) http://www.bowlluckystrike.com/ . All readers and their guests are welcome to join us in a comfortable private room. No cover will be charged to those on the guest list. Additionally you can expect to drink MIller Lites for $3.00 and $15 for Miller Lite buckets. Bacardi U-call its will be $5.00 and there will be $3.00 Bacardi O and Bacardi Limon special. Parking is available at a discount at 456 E. Illinois for $8.00 (up to 5 hours). If you would like to join us please leave your name with me via a comment and the number of people you would like to bring. There is a capacity limit, so make sure you let us know soon.
Nate Marquardt's Training Camp Gives Some Insight Into UFC 109 This Saturday
Nate Marquardt (29-8-2) has had a career filled with great opponents and opportunities. Although he is listed as a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu stylist, Marquardt at 185 pounds has displayed solid stand up skills in his fights against Damian Maia, WIlson Gouveia and Joe Doerksen. Marquardt is scheduled to appear this Saturday on the UFC 109 card where he will meet Chael Sonnen. Although Marquardt admits he'd rather be fighting Anderson SIlva, his camp shared with me that he has been preparing for wrestling pedigreed-Sonnen.
Jonathan Chaimberg, a member of the Jackson Submission Camp in Montreal, Canada has revealed that Marquardt along with George St. Pierre, Shane Carwin and Brendan Schaub spent last week in Denver with one goal - get Marquardt closer to a match with the winner of the Anderson Silva - Vitor Belfort fight and a shot at the title.
Before Marquardt left for Denver, Rashad Evans spent time in Montreal prepping him for a hard week back in Denver. These two key weeks of training helped to sharpen and fine tune Marquardt's skills. Chaimberg shared that explosive power training has been instrumental in preparing him for what they expect may turn into a grinding match. In anticipation of the fight getting into a rough 3rd round, Marquardt's training team has even made sure that he begins fight week only 4 pounds over. This tactic will keep Marquardt's strength, muscle mass and explosivity as sharp as in the previous weeks. Without having to 'cut hard' weight,' Marquardt will be able to eat a balanced diet this week while training, even on the morning of weigh-ins.
Considering Supplements - Some Facts You Need to Know!
Supplements offer a true enhancement for many hard-core athletes. Their purpose is to be an added boost for an already well-rounded training and nutritional program. However, there is no uniformity among products in the marketplace and labels are not written clearly. Supplements are often taken incorrectly because of these two factors and more importantly they are taken in lieu of real food. The industry as a whole is estimated to generate around $2 and half billion in 2008. 
Saturday Strikeforce Fighters Getting Ready
Take a peek at the fighters for Saturday, January, 31st's MMA fight night. Showtime will be broadcasting
Strikeforce is Offering a Dynamic Card this Weekend
Herschel Walker, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner, will make his MMA debut against Greg Nagy. The 47-year-old two-time Pro Bowler will compete in the cage the night before the Pro Bowl and one week prior to the Super Bowl. The 6-foot 1-inch, 220 pound Walker holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has experience in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo.
The 6-foot, 3-inch, 250-pound Lashley (4-0), also a former collegiate wrestling star for Missouri Valley College and member of The United States Army, competed in both the WWE Raw andSmackDown! shows in 2005 and '06. The undefeated MMA heavyweight will face Wes Sims (22-12-1) in his STRIKEFORCE debut.
STRIKEFORCE 145-pound women's champion Cyborg (8-1) will defend her crown against submission expert Coenen (17-3). Cyborg made history on Aug. 15, 2009 when the Brazilian native stopped superstar Gina Carano.
Zaromskis (13-3), the DREAM welterweight champ, will take onNick Diaz (20-7) in the main event and first STRIKEFORCE welterweight championship bout in history. The highly explosive, 29-year-old Zaromskis, who hails from Siauliai, Lithuania, has won his last three fights on first-round knockouts via head kick.
This card will be broadcast on Showtime this Saturday the 30th 10pm/ET. For more information go to: http://www.strikeforce.com
New York MMA Sanctioning Update
Legislation for Mixed Martial Arts in the New York state budget has been advocated by Governor David A. Paterson. Although most Chicagoans are not too concerned about New York, it is important for MMA to expand into new markets. MMA as a sport is drawing millions of dollars in pay-per-views, as well as ticket sales. NY may be facing a huge deficit (something Chicagoans do understand), but the sanctioning of it would drive new revenues for the state. If Gov. Paterson keeps MMA moving along in the schedule for the budget, it could be signed into law as early as April 1 of this year. We'll see - not a priority for many politicians in the state who have shown long time disapproval towards the sport when UFC tried to plan a show back in 1997. I'll keep you posted.
