Fedor: “Nature is always more tasty.”
Posted by Dave Walsh on 13th January 2009
Affliction’s second offering, “Day of Reckoning” is right around the corner, and it sort of seems like there is very little in the way of advertising muscle put into it. While one could easily argue that the first Affliction show was not advertised heavily either, there was at least a bit more hype surrounding the show. It even seems like the websites that pushed Affliction: Banned heavily in the lead up to it in July (this one included) have not shown the same levels of support. Let’s face it, this card isn’t the blockbuster that the first card was.
Affliction have been a bit more sparse with sending out interviews and promotional material to the media that supported them the first time around as well. That said, once in a while they send something that is just outrageous, today was one of those times. Today they sent around a press release ‘Demystifying’ the great Fedor. Did you know that Fedor likes American action movies? Apparently he hasn’t seen any in a while, as his favorite actor is Bruce Willis. Here is, in list format, why Fedor is a real man’s man.
Posted in Affliction, Dave Walsh, Fedor Emelianenko | 2 Comments »
UFC 92 has come and gone, and we, the fans were treated to quite an event to cap off another productive year for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Some good, some bad, some indifferent and some just baffling, this was UFC 92. Thoughts.
UFC 92 is a card that offers intrigue to as broad of an audience as the UFC can ever target, with fights that appeal to the newer viewer as well as the established MMA viewer. The Light heavyweight Championship Main Event between Rashad Evans and current defending Champion Forrest Griffin will be the first time that two “home grown” Zuffa stars have fought over a major title on PPV. One of the other main attractions pits Interim Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against former (pre-TUF-era) Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir after a stint as coaches on the most recent season of TUF, as Nog being the most successful submission fighter from Japan in the weight class, and Mir from America. Then Light heavyweight stand-outs Wanderlei Silva faces off with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in what should be a war.
Each fight has their appeals, with Frank Mir vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira for the Interim Heavyweight Championship having weeks of build from this season of the Ultimate Fighter for fans who aren’t familiar with either man all too much. While the animosity between the two wasn’t as heated as some of the past seasons, it was enough build up between them to want fans to see submission artist vs. submission artist. Nogueira having submission victories in UFC over Heath Herring and former Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia to capture the Interim Heavyweight title, and Frank Mir having a submission victory over current Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, both men have proved their mettle at the ground game enough to interest fans in who is the better jiu-jitsu fighter. For older fans, we have two Heavyweight Champions of the same era from different companies facing off. What is interesting is that upon his return from injury, Mir did very little to prove his worth to fans and was, by all means, being fed to Lesnar before he held on for dear life to submit Lesnar, propelling him into insta-stardom in Zuffa’s UFC. Most fans who know both well see this fight as Nogueira’s to lose and Mir getting another chance at the limelight which most likely isn’t deserved.
As the sport of Mixed Martial Arts grows, as does the public’s interest with the fighters, the personalities and the history of the sport. Of course, to meet that demand that means that publishers are going to start to demand books on the subject are available. With that being said, 
So, after a day long marathon of some uneasy moments, some sub-KOTC-level bitch-slapfests and things that make Ivan Trembow feel uncomfortable about watching Mixed Martial Arts, it is time for the finals o this season of The Ultimate Fighter. Hopefully you’ve been following Kendall’s breakdowns of each and every episode, or if you are like me, you are in the process of digesting the entire show on a slow Saturday afternoon, either way, we’ll be providing you with live analysis of The Ultimate Fighter Finale.
The big questions right now seem to revolve around Affliction; will this second show finally happen? Will it draw? 
Well, part of being a fan of MMA and following the careers of certain fighters, or even entire organizations is the understanding that you are going to be continually let down. In recent memory, some of the biggest let downs have been a sober, getting his life back together Evan Tanner going out into the desert without ample supplies and dying alone, baking under a 115 degree sun. It has made the rounds today that 
The fallout over Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote continues on. There is debate pretty much everywhere, with fans and journalists alike taking their sides and sticking to it. I’ve 
I am in disbelief right now. I am in absolute disbelief at the discrepancy between what I saw last night and what I am reading and hearing today. I was hearing the rumblings of it last night, but I decided to sleep on it before writing on it; maybe people would have a more clear mind in the morning. Maybe. I want to start this off saying that martial arts was something that intensely interested me as a child. Watching Bruce Lee movies, Jackie Chan movies, those goofy Shanghai guys-on-wires films excited me enough to get into Kenpo. The ideals of martial arts, the idea of not wanting to brutally assault and harm somebody, and being subtle, has always enamored me.