UFC 90: When You Wish Upon A Star

Lately, due to MMA and personal circumstances, I have been overloading my "Wishing Star" with simple requests that I do not feel are too unreasonable.

For instance, I wished for the UFC to hold a fight in Chicago, and can you imagine my surprise, when something I have lobbied for on this very site actually came true. So all you nay sayers and disgruntled readers who are still in a frenzy over my comments on BJ Penn had better believe I have been blessed and wishes do come true!

My hopes are now that I can pull the old "Honey, you didn't buy me anything for our fortieth wedding anniversary, and we did not take a trip to Hawaii as we had planned (before I started throwing BJ Penn 'chum' in the waters surrounding the islands, making it an unsafe vacation spot for me, perhaps forever).

Then when Mel asks what on earth I want now--he is very hard of hearing even when wearing both hearing aids--I will mention tickets to UFC 90 in Chicago--for the whole Willis gang of course.

If this doesn't work I will sell the sterling silver serviceware we received for our wedding, the only gift for which I registered, a couple of rings (no, not my wedding rings, I am not quite that crazy!), and a couple of horses if it takes that much. 

Unlike Mark Spitz, I don't anticipate any free passes for all the work I do promoting interest in the sport on behalf of the UFC, so I will sponsor the trip another way, if I can.

And why am I so desperate to go to Chi-town for a historic MMA fight, you ask?

OK. I will tell you.

1). It is the first fight UFC fight to be held in Illinois.

2). Chicago is not that far from our home in Peoria.

3). I have a new Chrysler Town and Country van and can fit the Willis gang in it for the trip.

4). The UFC 90 card is spectacular with at least one of each family member's favorite fighters on it. 

5). I want my picture taken with Dana White.

6). Several of the writers and fans of Bleacher Report, Fightbook and ProElite will be attending, thus I will have a chance to meet them in person. 

And finally, the real reason disguised by all this subterfuge: I want to be there to cheer "Cote, Cote, Cote, Cote." (I promise I won't try to do Patrick's "happy dance.")

I am sure I have mentioned in at least one other article how impressed I have been with Patrick since he gamely stepped into the octagon with Tito Ortiz at the "War of 04."

Like every MMA fan worth their salt, I love a good battle, and a battle it was; Patrick can be very proud of that.

Watching he "TUF 4 "The Comeback" gave me a close look at Patrick, and of course I quickly added him to my favorite Canadian fighters list, and it is a long one.

In my last article on a Silva-Cote fight (in my archives), I gave a pretty thorough accounting of why I thought Patrick could beat Anderson, so I won't repeat it here, but in watching the Countdown piece on UFC 87, Georges St. Pierre did not hesitate to say that he believed that Patrick would win.  I cannot find it in my heart to doubt GSP.

One of the biggest attractions I have to the Canadians is their closeness, camaraderie and sense of brotherhood. The way they are so loyal and supportive of each other is so beautiful for a jaded old lady like me to see (in this world so full of hate and dissension), that it can swiftly bring tears to my eyes.

If Georges, Jonathan, and David are free, I think they will be in Patrick's corner, so I am anticipating a very emotional experience for me and my family, who suffers everything, including my emotions, with me.

So since I was wise enough not to hint about an anniversary gift or trip at the time, I may be celebrating my good fortune to marry a prince of a man and a new Canadian champion on the same night. And I will cherish every minute of my wishes coming true.

Thank you Wishing Star!