We’ve got a show to review, three shows to preview, and a former (and maybe) future champion looking to branch out into other areas of entertainment. Who says MMA is getting over exposed?
THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER: HUGHES VS. SERRA
I’ve really been looking forward to this one, and I’ll admit right away that I’m in the tank for Serra. My crew and I have decided that Serra-Longo is our NY Yankees of MMA, plus we all hate Matt Hughes. I caught a sneak preview of the first episode (yeah, I’m special) and the mind games started within the first fifteen minutes. My pick to win is Mac Danzig, for no other reason than he has a really cool name.
ELITE XC: UPRISING
I watched EliteXC last night, and the one person I was really impressed with “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. I never had a chance to see him fight before, but the guy is a monster who just beat the bejebus out of Ninja Rua. I know Lawler rolls with Matt Hughes new H.I.T. Squad, and I hate all things Hughes, but he’s also from Brooklyn so I guess I can be a fan.
Of course there was also the oh so sexy Gina Carano, scoring a first round tap out (her first ever) over Tonya Evinger. For more on Ms. Carano, check this out…
UFC 76: KNOCKOUT
UFC 76 is this Sunday featuring the debut of former Pride fighter Shogun Rua, plus both Chuck Liddell and Diego Sanchez looking to avenge past losses. I like Rua over Forrest Griffin, Liddell over Keith Jardine, Jon Fitch in an upset over Sanchez, Kazuhiro Nakamura over Lyoto Machida, and Thiago Tavares over Tyson Griffin.
ULTIMATE FIGHT NIGHT 11
There isn’t nearly enough MMA on television this week, so Spike TV is airing “Ultimate Fight Night” before the debut of “Ultimate Fighter: Hughes vs. Serra.” Originally it was supposed to feature Mike Swick and Spencer Fisher in marquee matches, but they both had to go and get themselves all injured. As for the rest of the card I like Kenny Florian over Din Thomas, Terry Martin in a kinda upset over Chris Leben, Nate Diaz over Junior Assuncao, and Pete Sell avenging his first ever loss over Nate Quarry.
RICH FRANKLIN
Mr. Franklin has been busy as of late. Besides training for his middleweight title rematch in October and writing “A Complete Idiot’s Guide to Mixed Martial Arts” (which I’ll be reviewing in a week or so), he’s been shopping around a pilot for a TV show called “American Fighter.” The show will spotlight individuals overcoming adversity in their daily lives. While Franklin’s career as an MMA fighter will play a part in the program, the focus will be elsewhere. The goal is to get picked up by a cable channel, and they just debuted the pilot episode to an audience in Kentucky. Here’s a sample…
