Bleacher Report - Articles by Dorothy Willis

What MMA Has Made Me Thankful For

Dorothy Willis — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:54:34 -0500

While I will not be attending the family Thanksgiving festivities (held in a place which is not wheelchair accessible), I will at least be spared of having to be humiliated by telling the huge gathering what I am most thankful for this year.

Naturally I am thrilled that my husband is doing so well after his surgery. He is not only my devoted caretaker who spots me in the bathtub, he is the man I have loved for almost fifty years, and my very best friend.

The love I have for my family is a given with all who know me.

My dirty little secret, however, is that above all else, I love MMA and all the accompanying joy and excitement it has brought to my life.

Writing sports articles on the Bleacher Report became the most important facet of my world almost two years ago to the day. Since I am more or less confined in a chair by Multiple Sclerosis, writing on my laptop to communicate my love of sports, primarily Mixed Martial Arts, is therapy for my mind and the few other functional parts of my body.

Much to my grandchildren's dismay, I have spent more time writing opinion pieces than I have rolling around and playing with them recently.

Thank God that I can still do something which makes me feel alive and vibrant at the age of sixty three. (With luck, I will turn sixty four on January 6).

My fans think that I am completely obsessed with Georges St. Pierre, which is close to being true, because his manager Shari Spencer and other members of his team talk to me and have been very, very kind.

That may seem to be a curious or humorous remark to some, but when I wrote offering to lay hands on GSP to help repair his pulled groin muscle, Jonathan Chaimberg was very polite and did make me feel comfortable with voicing my concerns for Georges' welfare.

It is true that I could not hear his laughter, but I appreciated his note thanking me for the offer. Bet he had more than a few sent his way too.

So now I want to reassure all my readers that there are other MMA fighters whom I have much affection for, including Fedor Emelianenko. His marriage had me so excited that I would have sent a gift had I known how to address it and where to send it. It would not have been an expensive gift, but his and her towels are always nice, at least in my opinion.

Jens Pulver shares intimate details of his life that have kept me in a state of delight for days on end. Like his son Karson, I once considered dog food to be a delicacy I could not resist. Of course I was slower than Karson and older than eight months when I shared with my dog "Butchie Boy." Kiwi probably tolerated the intrusion into his food bowl just as my dachshund did: with patience and just a little bit perturbed by the theft.

Jonathan Goulet and David Loiseau have chatted with me when I have asked them some of my dumb, but ever so sincere Grandma Dee questions. Just like my favorite dog, they are fierce fighters, but very gentle and understanding of my inquisitive, intrusive nature.

Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes are two fighters that I have enjoyed criticizing for their autobiographies including certain mishaps and adventures they have disclosed . Yes, as a liberated female from the sixties (when women first burned their bras), I have hated Liddell's treatment of the various beautiful young women in his life.

With Matt Hughes, I hardly know where to start. Lets just leave it that our definitions of what constitutes a "good Christian" vary vastly. (Religion and politics find us in quite different camps). I certainly have disagreed with his opinions about his fellow fighters as well.

Josh Koscheck has turned me around enough times to make even a normal person dizzy. I hated him from the TUF house adventures, but warmed up to him when he dreamed of going down a weight class to challenge BJ Penn. More than a few of my many articles have been written about Kos.

BJ Penn used to be considered my worst enemy until he had a beautiful baby daughter and upset my applecart. I do love children and she is a beautiful little island princess in my eyes. How could anyone who loves children hate her doting daddy?

Gina Carano and her rival Christiane Cyborg Santos both fascinate me. I have watched and cheered for other women fighters and am trying to keep up with Bleacher Report's 105 pound spitfire Jen "Tink" Aniano, who just had a fight in the East. Why can't the UFC make the world a better place by including the women in the sport?

Which brings me skidding back to the UFC and my favorite target of them all, who happens to share the same initials that I have. I just adore dissing on Dana White. Heaven knows he gives me so much fuel that I am never at a loss for something to disagree with him about.

Truth be told, I get along with almost everyone I meet and have to try very, very hard to portray the bitter old woman I am in my articles. How can I dislike anyone in the world of MMA when it has enriched my life so greatly?

Happy Thanksgiving to you all and may God bless you and your families!

WEC: a Rapidly Changing Landscape

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:54:53 -0500

MMA is a sport that excites me more than any other.

I love the uncertainty of who will win, because in MMA there is no such thing as a "lock." A person who thinks they figured out every possible scenario, and determined who will win, is likely to be completely destroyed by an unpredictable outcome or unforeseen circumstance; one that will undoubtedly arrive and change the flow of everything about the fight.

As old as I am, I'm not ashamed to admit I live for the thrill of the fights in the cage. How wonderful to be constantly challenged and surprised by a sport!

WEC caught my attention early on, because I once helped sponsor a 135 lb. hopeful MMA fighter. Someday, when he gets out of the military, I hope to see him competing at that level.

Until that time, I am totally immersed in the constantly changing world of WEC.

The WEC combines the drama of the WWE without the predetermined, choreographed matches. Anyone who has not been watching the WEC has been cheating themselves out of some amazing lightweight division battles. I don't think you will be disappointed in watching the WEC, because I certainly haven't been.

I am constantly surprised at the changing landscape, as the champions, who I felt were unbeatable, fall to newer, stronger, faster, and wilier opponents.

For example, witness the fight between Jens Pulver and Uriah Faber.

After the first one, I felt that Uriah was invincible—that is until Uriah fell to the strikes of Mike Brown. Wow! Talk about an unbelievable slug-fests! Both bouts were astonishing wars until the last bell sounded.

Mike Brown then became champ until he met the next star on the rise, Jose Aldo. Talk about upsets! As usual, I was astounded by Aldo's skill, quickness, and power he used to defeat Brown.

When Ben Henderson beat my favorite cowboy, Donald Cerrone, I was speechless. It was so close that I actually believed the commentators who all had but announced Cerrone the winner, before the decision was announced for Henderson. Now that was high drama at its finest!

At this time, I am eagerly anticipating the downfall of the current champion Jamie Varner to Ben, Cowboy, or whomever he meets next. Champions rise and fall so quickly that it is hard for me to remember how to spell their names.

What a welcome scene I have found in WEC! When you talk about being on pins and needles you're talking about my life, as I await the next change of view in the WEC.

Griffin vs. Ortiz Left Me Smiling

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:43:36 -0500

Like most MMA fans, I was eager to watch UFC 106 to see Tito Ortiz in his return to the octagon.

I have had a grudge against Forrest Griffin ever since I shelled out over 25 bucks to purchase his book, which turned out to be nothing more than a long running joke on whomever purchased it.

Although my son found certain nuggets of what he considered actual wisdom about mixed martial arts and fighting within it's pages, I continued to feel empty and cheated.

And then Forrest added insult to injury when he insulted a fan by talking about the fan's mother in lewd terms. Excuse me, fair readers, but first and foremost, I am a mother of two sons who were athletes. If they had ever dared to talk that way about someone's mother, publicly, they would have regretted it for the rest of their lives!

Aside from hating "Yo Momma" dissing, I also dislike unsportsmanlike behavior, so I had taken Forrest Griffin to task for his run from the ring after his fight with Anderson Silva in an article on this very site. I honestly do not remember how many reads it had.

Of course, today's fans may not approve of my opinions, in fact, my fellow writers on Bleacher Report seldom appreciate the fact that I have voiced my opinions on this site as long as I have. My response has been, "tough noogies, kiddies, Grandma Dee speaks what's on her mind, so get over it!"

I am not a particularly PC oldster, or an overly polite one either.

Unfortunately for a lot of people, I am a big Tito Ortiz fan, too. And before you begin to wonder, "yes, I have read his book and did like it." In my demented mind, it was superior to Matt Hughes and Chuck Liddell's books. (I read a lot of MMA books, OK?)

So, as UFC 106 approached, I anxiously awaited Tito's big return bout with Forrest.

I fully expected to see a repeat of their first fight, where Forrest plaintively insisted that he just wanted to win Tito's respect. If I remember correctly, Tito did not mention Forrest accomplishing his goal after winning that match.

Well, you readers must be laughing your heads off thinking how disappointed old Grandma was after this second fight concluded with Forrest defeating Tito.

You would be very wrong to think those thoughts, my friends, because after all was said and done, Grandma had a huge smile on her face and is still very happy with how it ended.

To see Tito being booed was hard on my sensibilities, but when Forrest stepped to the microphone and defended Tito, I had an epiphany of sorts. Forrest is not really a bad guy at all. A smart-ass when he is backed into a corner maybe, but a real sportsman to stick up for the man he had just defeated in front of a booing crowd.

If there is one thing I do know, it is that MMA crowds are pretty much a fickle bunch. It may be the beer, or mob mentality, but they can turn on a favorite fighter in a second. Therefore, what Forrest said certainly won my admiration for his intestinal fortitude in facing down that mob.

Georges St. Pierre, he is not, but still he did a brave and honorable thing in defending Tito, at least in my estimation.

For quite a while I have felt that Tito was greatly wronged by the UFC. I felt like kissing Dana's feet when he accepted Tito so warmly back into the fold. Yes, Grandma Dee had a genuine rush of affection for the other DW! That is certainly newsworthy now isn't it?

The fact that Tito is with Jenna Jameson has never bothered me, because I feel she is extremely intelligent and a very articulate woman. That she has made money making porno movies which have influenced men to talk about her with disrespect sickens me. She made her money in giving men what they like to look at and fantasize about; I don't think there is anything wrong with that.

So, I think Tito should be envied for having discovered what an exceptional woman Jenna is. Their twins are adorable. What a great life they will have raising them!

In the end, though, Forrest got my respect, not by beating Tito, but by standing up to the booing crowd and supporting him in his return to the cage.

Now I have two more men to admire in the world of MMA!

Fedor Emelianenko: A CBS Showcase of Family, Faith, and a Russian Fighter.

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:00:05 -0500

To the Russians who know him, Fedor is not a god of MMA, but a humble man of God. Neither Fedor nor his fellow Russians will put him above God. That is very wise of them.

American MMA fans, or perhaps I should specify, UFC fans, make gods out of men whom they feel are unstoppable.

To my knowledge, Fedor Emelianenko has never claimed to be a great or unstoppable man. He is devoutly Russian Orthodox.

He has remarried and has a two-year-old daughter. A moment that I felt privileged to witness was when his little daughter was hand feeding "daddy" Fedor her peas one at a time. The last pea she had removed from her own mouth to feed to him. With no hesitation whatsoever, Daddy ate it.

How loving! What a wonderful scene to witness. Not an emperor on a throne, but a common man surrounded by his family. How anyone could call this man "arrogant" is beyond my imagination.

With Fedor, what you see is what you get. A quiet and calm individual who does not have to talk himself up or brag. He is what he is and he will not challenge anyone who does not accept him just as he is.

How refreshing!

Let Brock fill the air with his braggadocio. Allow Dana White to question Fedor's worth.

I love a man who will not let himself be baited into a fight or war of words. I love Fedor Emelianenko. His wife and daughter are very, very lucky not to have to walk in his shadow, but to occupy a place in his heart.

Fedor has walked with Vladimir Putin. He is held in high esteem by his countrymen, yet he does not seek their approval. This is a Russian I would be very proud to know.

On Saturday night, My husband watched the show on CBS with me. He was amazed by the blows Fedor survived and how he was able to feel out Brett Rogers and wait for the most opportune moment to attack.

Like me, he was amazed at Fedor's calm acceptance of everything going on around him and the way he kept his compossure while everyone else was exploding with excitement. This was his first look at my favorite Russian and he was mightily impressed.

Throughout all the fights, we both remarked on what a good show it was and how CBS was doing a terrific job of showcasing the sport of MMA. Of course I may have prejudiced him with my opinions, but we both agreed that the CBS Saturday Night Fights were as good as and perhaps superior to the UFC fights which, consequently were being shown on Spike to detract attention from the CBS show.

Hearing our running commentary would have sent Dana White to the Coronary Care Unit, I'm sure.

After weeks of illness and stress over medical issues and tests, what a wonderful respite this was.

In the end, Fedor was everything I had told my husband he would be.

CBS and Fedor have two more fans.

WEC 43 Saw Henderson Win By A 47-48 Decision

Dorothy Willis — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:31:49 -0400

Brilliant, mesmerizing, unbelievable. As much as I adore adjectives, they cannot describe the flurry of activity that swept through the octagon in the AT&T Center in San Antonio tonight.

The WEC 43 championship fight between Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson much resembled a Texas tornado. When the dust had finally settled the fight ended with a 48-47 decision, proclaiming Ben Henderson the winner.

It was 25 minutes full of action with the usual one minute respites between each of the five rounds lasting five minutes each. With all the submission attempts, take downs, reversals, and knee, heel, and fist strikes that flashed continuously giving the spectators a once in a life time panorama of Mixed Martial Arts in a dizzying array, how could the judges possibly keep track of who did what to whom?

Vertigo initiated by complete disbelief that joints could be bent into such contorted positions without breaking, mixed with breathlessness while watching a variety of chokes applied from impossible positions leaving me weak as I watched in fascination, as neither amazing fighter was able to overcome the other's power.

So close was the decision that it took seconds to realize the name that was announced was indeed Ben "Smooth" Henderson. Donald Cerrone reached out and embraced Ben with a look of complete envy and admiration. Less than a hair's breadth separated winner from loser. How close! How very, very close!

If the judges were as overwhelmed by the contest as I was as I watched, how could they have arrived at that close of a decision? The astounding nature of the whole event, a virtual kaleidoscope of physicality that sped by almost too fast for the brain to register it, yet all three judges had the same result. I am astounded that it was actually possible.

A crowd of appreciative fans who hailed both combatants as heroes, were not as kind to Jamie Varner as he came into the cage to confront his opponent for the final championship title. He first lauded Donald Cerrone as being tougher than he ever realized which is curious in light of their meeting necessitating this interim championship bout.

Jamie made much of his injuries which were said to be potentially career-ending for him. At the time I felt Donald Cerrone had been robbed. Varner won that time, although I don't know how.

Thus it was determined that Varner will be meeting Henderson in Arizona early next year to determine the final, uncontested title holder.

I Hope That Jake Shields Gives Mayhem Miller an Attitude Adjustment

Dorothy Willis — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:23:50 -0400

In the old Western movies I loved to watch with my father, when I was around seven, it was easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys by looking at the color of the hats they wore.

He pointed this fact out to me then, and it remained true for a very long time. In the world of MMA, Jake Shields would be wearing white and Jason "Mayhem" Miller would be wearing black.

Of course in MMA, the color would be in the shorts, since no hats would last very long in the fast moving action within the cage.

Symbolism aside, I see Jake as being very pure of heart, while Jason is more sinister in nature and deserves to wear black to match his less than pure nature.

Although perhaps not literally true, I think of Jake as having been raised in the goodness of nature out in the wilderness, home schooled and untainted by the unwholesome element that has invaded our school and urban society.

Jake has respect for the natural world and has taken a stand for animal rights, even advocating for a bill to have farm animals raised in a natural environment rather than penned up in factory-type farms.

This has made him a soul mate of mine as I advocate for animal rights and the environment in which we live.

Having been a teacher in the school system which is rapidly declining in America, I see the value in home schooling and have sought to educate my grandchildren, though they are attending public schools.

I am proud of their vocabulary and reading skills as well as the artistic skills I have helped them achieve.

Therefore, Jake Shields is a personal hero of mine and I am hoping that he will put a big time beat-down on Jason Miller who feels like an archenemy of mine. He has a wild, and to me somewhat antisocial personality which clashes with many of my ideals.

Now I can almost hear my readers complaining loudly that Jason hosts a show called "Bully Beatdown," which they may feel has some socially redeeming value. Well, unfortunately, I disagree completely with their argument in regards to that program.

While I see that the money Miller makes from the show may be very useful to him, I do not think the format of the show is realistically of much value to society.

It is not what it is represented as being and does not teach any real lessons to bullies or decrease the socially unacceptable behavior that bullies demonstrate, especially in our school system. In fact I feel it encourages the theory that "might makes right."

Mayhem himself represents the type of bully that prompted Georges St-Pierre to take up karate in his youth. Thankfully when Georges met Mayhem in the octagon, he did come away as the victor and put the hurt on Miller that I hope Shields will be fully able of duplicating.

After the match, Mayhem, ever the loudmouth smart-ass that he is, started complaining about "Georges feeling slippery" which later helped give rise to the rumor that Georges was greasing.

That was a common practice at the time, and it has been proven that Matt Hughes and Rich Franklin greased for their fights, so I fail to see that Georges did anything that other highly ranked fighters have done. Miller strikes me as being a cry baby.

Many fighters who have cried wolf in regards to greasing have done so themselves, so to me, Miller is also suspect.

Greasing or griping about it after a fight aside, I have never liked Mayhem. People like or dislike fighters for many different reasons, and I like them have my own favorites and have never apologised for it.

Now that Strikeforce is trying to find a Welterweight champion, I am hoping that Jake Shields will be the won to win the right to wear the belt.

Although there is a possibility that this will one day bring Shields to the UFC to face off against Georges St.-Pierre, I will face that bridge when we come to it, or hope that one of them will move up a weight and not have the other in his sites.

Nov. 7 will be a big night for me as I cheer for both Fedor and Jake Shields to make Grandma happy to be an MMA fan by winning their respective matches, thus cementing Strikeforce as a worthy competitor to the UFC.

BJ Penn, Grandma Dee Thanks You!

Dorothy Willis — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:28:00 -0400

Will wonders never cease?

Here I am, one of the most hated critics of BJ Penn, wanting to embrace him sincerely and thank him with great warmth for something he has recently said about another fighter.

No, he did not compliment Georges St-Pierre on anything, at least, nothing that I am aware of at this point in time, although with all the changes Penn has undergone, I would not be at all surprised if he did have a few kind words for Georges..

What did surprise me before and after his last fight with Ken Florian, was how polite he has become. He not only refrained from trash talking before the fight, he was complimentary to Kenny and acted very graciously post fight. BJ Penn appeared to actually act humbly!

Possibly his new behavior, plus the fact that he took this fight seriously enough to actually hire a trainer with a reputation for his ruthlessness in regards to the strength and conditioning training he requires, amazed me. The results of Penn's turnaround was evident in the effective way he fought and the way he won.

He did not gas, looked full of focused determination and made Kenny look like an amateur. What a surprise!

Now he deserves my thanks and gratitude for defending Quinton Rampage Jackson by sticking up for his decision to walk out on the UFC and pursue a career in acting. I say, way to go, BJ! It may not endear you to your temperamental boss with a short fuse and a long memory, Dana White, but Grandma Dee approves and agrees with you 100 percent.

Thank you BJ! If I were in Hawaii and could catch up with you, I would give you a great big granny kiss. That is, if you would allow me to.

Can Tito Ortiz Make Forrest Run?

Dorothy Willis — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:04:01 -0400

Whew! I think looking Tito Ortiz directly in the eyes is a pretty scary experience. If I were an opponent in the octagon facing him before a fight, I fear I would wet myself in front of God and everybody. How his past opponents have stayed dry is beyond my imagination.

It seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in my easy chair watching the Ortiz Shamrock trilogy. Why that particular match-up held every one's attention for so long, I do not fully understand.

There would be that intense, shiver inducing face off, the fight would begin, fists would flail, then "BOOM!" Ken would be down, pushed up against the cage or curled tightly in the fetal position with his hands protecting his bloodied face. Gosh, I don't remember if it ever even went to the end of Round One.

As much as I was drawn to the "watch Tito kill Kenny" spectacle, to see which saying will be on his shirt, I also loved to watch him fight with absolutely anybody. In the "War of '04" which took place at UFC 50, I truly thought I would see Tito beaten by an as yet unknown Canadian fighter Patrick Cote. What an unexpectedly entertaining match up!

Consequently, I am now looking expectantly forward to UFC 106 when Forrest Griffin, a fighter I have come to greatly dislike, will step in to replace Mark Coleman. To me this will be even better than a rematch with the Predator, which I would have loved to see due to my love for each fighter. They are both fresh from rehabbing from surgeries due to old injuries.

Forrest was never a favorite of mine, therefore I failed to be able to appreciate the fact that he was a favorite of my daughter-in-law's. Unlike her, I never saw him as being particularly well built or handsome. His quirky sense of humor sounded unusually smart-assed for that of a former officer of the law, even from the state of Georgia.

Since reading his book, hearing his excuse for the rapid departure from the cage he made after his loss to Anderson Silva, and taking heat from a friend of his in comments regarding an opinion piece I wrote, I have much less to respect him for than I initially thought.

This has me drooling to see what his response to Tito's frosty stare will be when they exchange blows in the upcoming event. Suddenly this has become the fight of the year for me. Coleman, who Tito referred to as "the mummy" always appeared more stoic than Forrest, so I am fully expecting to see an abundance of tears flowing down Forrest's bloodied face after the match ends.

Whether they are tears of joy or sorrow remains to be seen.

Oh, just one more thing.

War Tito!

Quinton Rampage Jackson: Ain't He Sweet?

Dorothy Willis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:05:52 -0400

Ain't He Sweet? Yes, I am talking about one of my favorite ex-UFC fighters, Quinton Rampage Jackson.

While many would disagree about the "sweetness" factor that Jackson may or may not have, quite a few A-Team fanatics from the old days may feel that the new Mohawk haircut he is sporting is "sweet."

Unlike his predecessor, Mr. T, who portrayed BA Baracus, Quinton Jackson has a charming smile.

I seem to remember that from the time Mr. T portrayed Clubber Lang in the Rocky movie, he was always known for having a very stern expression to the point that on TV appearances, hosts and guests would attempt, but invariably fail to make him break into a smile.

Quinton is a very amiable person and can be very charismatic. To explain the change that came over him as he entered the octagon for combat, he would howl like a wolf. This wolf persona, like an alternate personality, did not smile.

The wolf demeanor was fierce, with piercing eyes hinting of wildness and blood lust lurking just below the surface and ready to be unleashed from the chain that had held it back from society.

Unlike Mr. T, though, Quinton is much more charismatic personally, loves to relax and joke around with friends and fans when outside of the cage, having fun, loving life, being free to be himself and comfortable in his tattooed skin.

As some one to hang out with and just shoot the sh*t, no one could be as much fun as the man known as Rampage.

What Rampage is not, is a good coach for other fighters. He himself hates to train and spend rigorous hours in the gym or doing road work. He detests having to diet and stay away from the home style cooking he loves.

Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and butter. . . ah, the comfort foods from the South. What tastes better than that?

So coaching others was not what Quinton was cut out for in his life. Joking and goofing off during his own training just did not make of him a passable coach. That is something that could be said for many professional athletes.

Playing well and earning your bread and butter from your excellence as an athlete does not automatically cause one to become equally able to know how to effectively coach and motivate others.

This is why some people succeed as coaches and others fail. It is a hard job that comes from spending years studying a sport and individual athletes to know what makes them tick or if they are even suitable for a particular sport that they are interested in pursuing as a career choice.

Thank heavens for the Greg Jackson's of the world who do know how to coach, plan strategies, and motivate athletes.

Apparently, Greg Jackson also imparts a lot of his coaching talent to his trainees as well, because Rashad seems to have soaked up the ability to empathise and relate to his team and the members of Rampage's team as well, and is not shy about boosting the morale of either, post-fight, of course, with regards to Page's team members.

Now, a critic of Rampage's must realise that he did not volunteer for the job of coaching a team in this TUF series, he was implored by Dana White to coach yet another season.

Rampage was not a happy camper in the first instance and did not willingly sign up for a second season, so this was not his bright idea.

Rashad may or may not have had a burning desire to become a team coach on TUF, but having been a wrestler in college, he did have an advantage over Rampage to begin with, so why would anyone be surprised that Rashad is a better coach under these strange circumstances?

For a long time, Rampage had voiced an interest in playing the role as Baracus. Although I do not know the timeline that was involved in relation to at what point in time he knew he had the part, I do not think there was any subterfuge involved with him deceiving Dana White about his desires or intentions should the part become available.

The fact that he had to be coerced by Dana into taking on the coaching responsibilities in TUF is much more significant to me.

Whether Rashad would have reacted the same way that Rampage did in taking the movie role without considering how it could interfere with the final coaches' confrontation is now a moot point.

Because of the variables concerned and a final confrontation with White, Page has bowed out of the whole situation and may have left the ranks of the UFC for good.

The fact that there may be no final resolution to which coach is the better fighter, is upsetting to some degree, but if everyone considers the bigger picture, I believe it is completely understandable.

Dana is, of course, banking on the possibility that the A-Team will be a flop and Rampage will have to come crawling back with his tail tucked between his legs begging his master for forgiveness.

If the A-Team is a hit and a sequel looms in the future for all involved, then Dana may even be asking the question concerning Rampage's defection: "Well, ain't he sweet?"

Just Ruminating on MMA

Dorothy Willis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:26:54 -0400

With all of the recent new stories, gossip, and upcoming events, it has been very difficult to keep my mind on just one subject. Yes, I am old; I like to ramble on about my favorite subject, which is everything MMA.

In searching the Internet for MMA news, which is my favorite form of entertainment, I watch videos of interviews and find myself talking back to the people on the show. I know that they can't hear me (I am old, not delusional), but sometimes I wish they could answer back. Readers responding to my articles is as close as I can come, so with that in mind, I will venture onward.

Now there is a gigantic debate with a choke hold on late night television viewers concerning David Letterman and his abuse of power concerning a sexual relationship with a member of the Late Show crew.

Well, for heaven's sake, why has no one complained yet about Dana White's misuse of his power and position as the president of the UFC?

Come on, admit it...I am not the only one who has seen Dana's vlogs of him hitting his fighters in their groin and laughing at their reactions. His "gotcha" look of glee while doing this obscene act makes me worry about him having a sexually perverse nature.

Sure, I know all about boys to men using wet towels to snap each other in the shower room, and I have seen plenty of coaches cupping players buttocks as they go on or come off the field.

When fighters are cringing and protecting their genitals from the prank-loving CEO of the UFC, though, I tend to think they are being sexually harassed.

Watching Dana's vlogs was fun for me at first before the Loretta name calling episode wherein even homosexuals were ripped on and Dana showed what a misogynistic homophobe he was.

His shocking people (all men if I remember correctly) makes me wonder about him even more. It is a very strange power trip to witness, in my humble opinion.

Dancing With The Stars never caught my family's attention until Chuck Liddell's appearance as a very unusual contestant.

Actually, as a person who suffered through several cotillions in my youth, I don't think Chuck is as bad as the judges are reflecting in their ratings of him.

Perhaps they are terrified by what he may do if he dislikes the scores they give him. Is that why they now parade the contestant to another room to receive their scores? If it is, the cowards deserve to be choked out for the low scores Chuck and his beautiful partner are receiving.

Speaking of Chuck Liddell, I did not realize that he has the same tradition of having a pedicure with his daughter that my husband has with our granddaughters.

Mel does not go for colors—as does Chuck and all the young ladies—but he enjoys the pedicure, foot rub, and leg massaging just as much as they do.

Mel even took me once and the chair massages the body while the pedicurist works on the feet—expensive, but very addictive.

When I was defending Rampage for leaving the TUF 10 final coaches fight up in the air to film the A Team movie, I wasn't aware of how poorly he would turn out as a coach on the show.

Seeing his fighter left all alone in the ring after losing made me heartsick. My only solace was that now all my readers who saw the show will see the good qualities I have seen in Rashad and know why I stand up for and support him so strongly.

Sugar has a sweetness that is lacking in so many fighters who are afraid of showing their true feelings (like Brock Lesnar and Forrest Griffin, who only show mean spiritedness).

Forrest Griffin responded to a fan asking why Forrest had run out of the cage after the loss to Anderson Silva by insulting the kid and his mother by saying he "did not want to miss a (expletive)" from the kid's mother.

There is just no place for statements like that in our sport! Shame on Forrest for not dealing with his own issues in a classier manner.

Speaking of classless, Mark Coleman's trainer hit the all time low for speaking ill of Jenna Jameson after Tito called Coleman a sissy for pulling out of their UFC 106 fight due to an injury.

People have come to expect brash remarks from Tito, but why was Jenna dragged into the fight? I heard her do one of the best ever defenses of the sport of MMA with despicable TV personality Bill O'Reilly, and she was simply brilliant.

The people who criticise her career choice don't see her as I do. I find her intelligent and articulate as well as being an incredible businesswoman to make millions off of men's greatest weakness. To me, that is smart and certainly no sin.

Waiting to see Lyoto Machida fight Shogun Rua is making me a nervous wreck. I enjoy both fighters' styles and would hope to see them both having more fights in the UFC next year regardless of who wins.

I do not see the loser as being the weakest of the two contenders.

Like GSP has said, "the fighter who fights the best fight will win." To me, that is not necessarily "the best fighter." Both are phenomenal in their art.

All the hubbub over "who can beat Brock Lesnar" is giving me a headache. Someone will beat him, it's what Brock does after he is beaten that will interest me the most.

He has walked away from so many careers that he was successful at initially that I wonder how much he can take before he walks away from the UFC.

The situation with Fedor also concerns me. If Brett Rogers should beat him, I would consider it just one of those things that eventually happens to all of us.

It is not failing, it is what happens after one has failed that is the measure of a person.

Once again, as GSP says, "losing may be the best thing that can happen to a fighter." It was certainly true for him, so why should it be different for Fedor, Anderson Silva, Lyota Machida, Shogun Rua, or anyone else at the top of their game?

WEC has been in the spotlight—as it should be—and now I am of the opinion that if the WEC arm of the UFC can be strengthened by combining it with the UFC, then so be it.

The WEC fighters are so entertaining and ambitious that they should receive greater pay, benefits, and recognition for themselves.

I am so looking forward to the Cerone vs. Henderson interim title fight that I can hardly stand it. Both fighters have amazing speed and submission abilities.

This may be better than having Varner facing off against either of these men for the title. I am not a Varner fan. Surely Jamie will be sweating more in regard to who will win than I will. I feel his days as champ are truly numbered!

I am going to end now, but everyone who knows me knows I could go on rambling about MMA forever.

Hey, Patrick Cote, Have I Got a Deal for You!

Dorothy Willis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:06:40 -0400

Talk about having a real flashback moment! I think I just had one.

Most of the time I find that I look at the sport of MMA, and particularly the UFC, somewhat differently from the young writers that inhabit the keyboards of the Bleacher Report. This time I found myself thinking, "Why didn't one of these sharp youngsters think of this?"

What I am rattling on about is something of a deja vu moment involving one of my favorite Canadian fighters Patrick Cote.

Back in 2004 (since I am old I should say two double ought four, I guess), when Tito Ortiz's opponent dropped out just weeks before their fight, the UFC powers that be approached the then 24 year old Predator, Patrick Cote, asking him if he would be willing to take the fight on such short notice. To paraphrase, his answer I believe was, "Hell yes!"

Fans of Cote will doubtlessly remember how he tore his MCL ligament in his right knee during the early fourth round of the fight in Chicago, IL, UFC 90, while fighting against "the Spider" Anderson Silva. Thoughts on the fight certainly differ.

Dana White downplayed it (much after the fight had ended), as being "boring" and not one of Anderson's best showings.

Naturally, I dispute that fact feeling that Patrick lasted longer than Silva's many other opponents, probably because Silva's spider senses let him know how dangerous Patrick's strikes could be to him.

Silva danced around and kept a respectful distance, which Dana later criticized as "clowning" like Silva's idol boxer Roy Jones Jr. does in his bouts. I think Silva played it safe due to the knowledge that Patrick was a force to be reckoned with early on during the fight.

Since Dana was not in the cage fighting the Predator, how would he know that raised- hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck feeling a combatant gets when facing sure danger? Anderson is not a dumb man, so his feelings about the fight mean more to me than Dana's speculations on it made with the advantage of hindsight.

Patrick was also a threat to Tito in the "UFC 50: War of 04" when he caught the Huntington Beach Bad Boy and almost knocked him out. Patrick learned to box in the Canadian army and added karate, kick boxing, and BJJ after turning to MMA as his career. He is multi-talented and beat many of his opponents before finally having surgery on an old injury he re-injured while fighting with Silva.

So it is deja vu all over again with Mark Coleman pulling out of the fight with so little time left to find a replacement. The odd fact is that both Tito and Patrick are eager to return to action in the octagon after each having recovered from a surgery.

In Tito's case, he has been inactive longer than Patrick, having just settled his feud with Dana and been welcomed back to the UFC (with a kiss, if you can imagine that).

Being a friend on Facebook, I have seen Patrick posting how much he would love to fight again soon. As far as I know, he has nothing coming up that would interfere with a quick training period for UFC 106 to meet Tito for a rematch. As before, Cote would be fighting above his usual weight class of 185, but since he walks around at 205 and met Tito at that weight before, I bet he would go for it.

So why am I the one thinking of this solution when all the B/R hot shots out there love to play fantasy match-ups and I loathe it?

Maybe Grandma Dee is not yet irrelevant to the MMA Community on Bleacher Report.

To Dana White: Why Now, Dana?

Dorothy Willis — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:45:03 -0400

OK. I have heard that heavy weighs the head that wears the crown.

You, Dana White, have more or less crowned yourself as the King who saved the UFC and now reign supreme over the whole MMA kingdom, at least in the minds of the 15- to 34-year-olds who follow the sport. To that age group, the UFC has become synonymous with MMA.

While the older and wiser people who love the sport, do know there is a definite division between the UFC and the rest of MMA. I am beginning to suspect that one could properly call the difference: Maturity.

Yes, I am one of your most frequent critics. I was a high school teacher once and became used to critiquing the behavior of those around me.

For one thing, it was my job, but mostly it was my sense of impending doom for the American educational system that made me expect better behavior from my students and their superiors than what is expected today.

So I do detect a lack of maturity in you, Mr. White, and I am calling you out on it.

If this situation was not so reminiscent of the tale, "The Emperor's New Clothes," it would be easier for me to remain serious when I say that, "you are exposing yourself to God and everyone on earth, sir," and that is the naked truth!

In this most recent circumstance, I am referring to your kicking Junie Browning out of the UFC. I did read about his OD on 16 or more Klonapin, and realize the serious nature of what he has done.

Hell, I used to be the head nurse on a Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit. I was the one that young angry men like Junie took their frustration out on, when confronted with their own dangerous behavior. My injuries from such instances are documented.

This is nothing new for Junie. It is also old news to you, his enabler, who has allowed this circus act to continue to play out on the public stage and all over the news columns.

When Junie was the worst bad actor on the TUF series, you condoned his outlandish behavior, even though it was outlandish and unforgivable. His foolish and antisocial behaviors put everyone at risk. You did not care.

Time after time in asides to the viewers (on the show), you acknowledged that what you were doing was wrong, then you gave him at least three reprieves.

As a master manipulator, you made Junie's cast mates believe that they were indeed your instrument of punishment by allowing him to remain in the series and "be forced to fight" to take his punishment "like a man." Well, that was wrong on all counts.

Even though Junie did not do anything to deserve a contract, (he did not win or do anything to qualify to be on the finale), you gave him one, permitting him to parlay being obnoxious into a thing of honor. What a farce that was.

How Randy Couture got himself involved in letting Junie train at his facility, I do not know. I more or less felt there was some arm twisting by his "friend" Dana.

Must be nice to be the boss of the UFC and have the sense of entitlement you have afforded to yourself within "your" organization.

The overdose, you over-valued meat-head, was a cry for help!

So where was the benevolent ruler when one of his fighters hit the bottom and really was in need of a helping hand and some fatherly guidance.

Maybe Rashad, the befriend-er of fighters left to dangle and twirl haplessly in the wind, could have helped Junie. No, that would have overstepped his boundaries with the boss man and called down your wrath upon him, I am sure.

As tied up as you have been seeing who can be a bigger baby, you or Rampage, you really haven't given your fighters many options to think for themselves. I pity the fool (Rampage) who tried.

The first thing that was thrown in Quinton's face was how loyal you and the UFC had been to him when he had his mental meltdown.

You did come to his aid, but how many times afterwards did you play the "I am your true friend" card, while rapping him in the balls or shocking him with a pen?

Fun? Innocent? Or symptoms of sadism? I am voting on the last.

Well, I hate to be the one to inform you that regardless of what befalls Junie Browning, it is due to your personal handiwork and pulling his strings like a demented puppet master.

Oh, yes, there was also the money involved in keeping the spectacle going to heighten the ratings. Having Junie's equally disagreeable brother on and pointing out how dysfunctional the whole family was, is not in my opinion an act of kindness, though,

So, Mr. Dana White, I am asking you, "you have kicked Junie out of the UFC and apparently washed your hands of him, but why now, why not a year or so ago when he first F'd up (to use language you do understand)."

Mr. White, I am asking: "Why now?"

UFC: Hoping That Marriage Will Turn Fedor Around?

Dorothy Willis — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:25:45 -0400

Mike Chiappetta, my personal favorite MMA reporter, revealed the news today that Fedor Emelianenko has married for the second time in The Russian Orthodox Church in the small town of Stary Oskol where he lives. His first wife Oksana and he divorced in 2006 and now he has wed his hometown sweetheart.

Weddings, family, children, and pets are my favorite things in life. I drive people crazy by endlessly asking about those subjects. Call it nosiness or me being a sentimental old fool, neither description bothers me.

So while others interested in MMA are wondering about the impact getting married will have on Feodor's upcoming fight with Brett "the Grim Reaper" Rogers. I am left wishing I could see the wedding pictures from the first and second ceremonies, as well as all the juicy details concerning each.

Dana White, of course, may be on Mike's side of the fence and be wondering, nay, hoping, that marriage will in some way change the course of history and be able to pick Fedor up on the rebound should he fail to beat Rogers when they meet in their upcoming Nov. 7 fight.

It is possible that a recent change in marital status could rattle Fedor's resolve to stay with Strikeforce and M-1, although I think it is doubtful that he will reconsider joining the UFC should he lose the fight.

Hopefully, Marina will support her man in his fighting career and be sure that he continues to train with as much passion as before. I like to consider marriage a stabilizing force for a fighter who no longer feels the need to search for someone to complete him.

(Yes, I am a big romantic and still hope that GSP will call me asking to be fixed up with one of our mutual female fans whom I have kept tabs on simply for that purpose.)

Having met Fedor's mother, whom looks like a lovely woman whom I would enjoy visiting with someday (even though it was via video the first time I "met" her), I am now very hopeful about likewise "meeting" Marina soon.

I don't know how much it helps to "meet" the family of the fighters I so admire, it is something I enjoy very much. Whether it gives any insight into the fighter or not, it offers a pleasant pastime to an old woman like myself, who feels like she "knows" the people she meets on the Internet.

My take on Fedor and Marina's wedding is that it will make them both stronger, so don't count your chickens Dana, I think Fedor still has his ducks in a row.

Can "Bones" Break the "Hammer" in UFC Action?

Dorothy Willis — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:26:12 -0400

Here I go again, writing an article when I cannot remember all the facts I would like to be able to use for it. I can hear you young folks groaning at this old girls deficits and wondering why the hell I persist in writing any way.

It is hard to explain in full, but when I get an inspiration I feel compelled to write, regardless of the facts. If I can't remember, I am sure one of my many educated readers will supply me with the facts, even though by then, the article will have been published. Gotta love the fans!

So, after learning that a new face in the UFC may soon be competing with one of my favorite "old faces," I am busy at my keyboard again.

Jon "Bones" Jones is not just a recent discovery of mine. He has a perfect 9-0 record, though I have only seen two or three of those fights myself, I am completely mesmerized by his awesome talent.

Seeing him perform a mind blowing suplex sent me back to a scene from my favorite, very realistically portrayed novel turned movie, Vision Quest. Having read the novel first and making both sons and my husband read it too, sent us all hustling off to our local theater to see Mathew Modine playing the hero and wondering how true to the book the action scenes would be.

For any MMA/wrestling fan reading this, I recommend the book and movie very highly. I was not able to put the book down once I started reading it and the movie was a tremendous treat. I would have given it Academy Awards in every category if had been within my power.

Before I forget my point, there was a scene where a highly ranked wrestler defeated his opponent after delivering a suplex that could kill. The only evidence I have witnessed in my life that has come close to it was when Jones suddenly suplexed Jake O'Brien and won the match. Such power is awesome to behold.

This superman suplex rattled my teeth though I was watching from home and was nowhere near the arena. How Jones managed the feat and how O'Brien survived it, I have no idea. It was like watching my husband throw a runaway horse at a horse show and throw it before it got to the highway. A superhuman effort fueled by pure strength and adrenaline.

Ordinarily, as impressed as I am by "Bones," I would want him to defeat any opponent he meets, however he is meeting another exceptional individual whom I also greatly admire. Oh the agony!

Grandma suffers so much when matches like these loom on the horizon! Though eager for the event to arrive and then be over, the thought of one of my favorite fighters losing is so painful. I am an empath and soak up the pain of people I feel particularly close to, and yes, before you ask—my groin hurt too! I am not ashamed to admit it.

Matt Hamill has somehow been able to rise above his disability in life and become a phenomenal wrestler in the UFC. Although people made fun of him while he was on the TUF series, and Michael Bisping in particular degraded him as a fighter and a person, I thought he was a very exceptional individual to overcome all that he had to even to compete on the show.

Not only is Matt very talented, he is more compassionate than anyone else I have seen on the TUF show. He works with disabled children and coaches wrestling, taking time out of training to meet a young girl and the meeting with him "sent her over the moon," according to her parents.

Matt is a very hard worker and is a very straight forward meat and potatoes type fighter. His strength is very great, but he does not to anything that is very fancy. I will always feel that Matt lost to his idol and friend Rich Franklin more due to his feelings for the man, than due to lack of ability. As I said, he is so compassionate that I don't think he could bear to fight all out against a friend.

Jones has the raw strength, size and ability to be a threat to anyone. Even though Matt benefits from being able to tune out the noise and distractions of the crowd will work for him in some ways, but as fast as Jones is, Matt's deafness will make it hard for his coaches to help him during a fast paced fight.

They could yell until blue in the face to absolutely no avail, Matt can only be coached when he sees them: what are the chances of him having time to study the lips of his coaches while fighting off Jones?

Same old dilemma! Grandma is going to suffer either way. I only hope that whoever loses will not get ejected from UFC contention afterwards.

In life, all is not fair.

What Does Big Country Hope to Accomplish in the UFC?

Dorothy Willis — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:55:45 -0400

A couple of years ago, I saw "Big Country" Roy Nelson fighting in a foreign country, maybe Russia, for Bodog Fighting or some other now-defunct company.

He looked flabby and out of shape compared to the other fighter, but I liked his nickname, being very fond of the country life I am living, so naturally, I ended up yelling my lungs out for him.

The room the fights were held in was rather ornate for a fighting venue, which was a surprise for me. I have never associated a bloodsport with floor-to-ceiling red velvet drapes and chandeliers.

Present in the modest-sized audience were many men dressed in very fancy black suits, possibly tuxedos. There was not an abundance of women, though those present were in evening dresses. I don't remember any high-pitched screaming going on during the fight either.

There was a large ring which reminded me of the many WWE matches that my family used to watch back in the day, as my 40-year-old son likes to put it.

Now, I would not be caught dead watching a "professional wrestling" event no matter who starred in it, although I have seen fights produced by other organizations which held events in the old square rings rather than cages of any geometric shape or size.

Most of what I remember of Roy, though, was that he did appear to be like a country bumpkin who was out of both his depth and typical environment. The announcers made many humorous comments about his appearance and nickname.

I kept hoping that he had not eaten a big country breakfast or lunch which he could lose on the floor of the ring. Cardiac arrest also hovered in the possibilities my mind conjured up. In my recollection, I think he won, to the amazement of everyone watching.

Later, even though I watched the team events by the International Fight League, I recognized many fighters, but do not recall big Roy being one of them. The biggest fighter I do remember was terrific and was nicknamed "the Janitor."

Now I have heard that Roy had a big career in the IFL. You couldn't prove it by me.

That initial fight I saw did show different versions of the same belly-flopping take down technique he used on poor Kimbo Slice, and also many mounts which sent his skin jiggling like flesh-toned Jell-O.

It was actually repulsive in a fascinating, "oh, look there's been an accident on the highway," sort of fashion.

Although I did not look away, in my naivete I believed that Roy, if he expected to go anywhere in the sport of MMA, would surely lose a lot of weight and began training to firm all the flab.

His excess fleshiness did nothing to enhance his fat-boy theatrics, with the huffing he did while rushing his opponent, the trips and belly flopping on top of him; how strangely obscene for a sporting event.

If he didn't win, it was only his freaky fatness and my own guilt for letting my life circumstances and having Multiple Sclerosis result in my being so overweight.

He was not good looking at all, and I felt great pity that he was willingly making such a spectacle of himself. It would be the equivalent of me trying to perform on a stripper pole: not very pretty!

So seeing Roy again in the UFC TUF series 10 reminded me of seeing Roy perform in the past and having the impression that time had fast-forwarded and nothing at all had changed about Roy.

The fight with Kimbo appeared as sloppy as the last one, and seeing him "win" brought me no joy.

I do not like big-mouthed braggarts and that is how Roy portrayed himself, by crowing about how great his win was afterwards.

Once again, as a fellow fatty, I was humiliated for him and wished he had used the time between then and the present, to make some changes in his life and adjustments in his eating habits.

Roy and I have fat in common, but I am not a fan of his.

Surely he isn't thinking that he will someday unseat Brock Lesnar in the Heavyweight division.

Question is, what is Roy thinking?

Shane Carwin Urges "Bring Your Child to Work"

Dorothy Willis — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:40:18 -0400

***Picture by MMAJunkie.com

Something deep within me loves an apt, memorable slogan, quote or adage.

"Iron sharpens iron," "still waters run deep," and "experience keeps a dear school, but a fool will learn in no other," are some I find to be true and have used in my writing. There are so many others that I love, also many lines from poetry or songs; it can be hard to choose one that is appropriate for what I am trying to get across to my readers at times.

Recently I have read a lot of articles about the future fight between the Heavyweights, Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar, which is on the UFC 106 card. Many fans are as excited as I am that these two fighters will be meeting in the cage to determine who is to be the champion.

It is no secret to my friends, fans and critics, that I dislike Brock Lesnar. My loathing almost took a vacation when I learned he had become the doting father of a newborn son, but was quickly rekindled after the fireworks following his win at UFC 100.

I was compelled to watch the UFC 100 show due to GSP fighting Thiago Alves. Georges is my ultimate favorite UFC star so I would never miss one of his fights. Being a very curious MMA fan as well, I naturally viewed the Mir vs Lesnar match as well. It did not thrill me because my good friend Stoker was hoping Mir would win, which naturally made me side with him.

My cheering for Mir obviously did not help, as Lesnar quickly and completely flattened Mir, then stood over him looking every bit the angry gargoyle, yelling to the point of actually frothing at the mouth, spitting on fans close to the cage.

Good sportsmanship has always meant much more to me than winning has. Still, I have always preached that anyone lucky or talented enough to win, should win gracefully, never boasting or taunting the loser. That is what I firmly believe, so I have passed it on to my sons and grandchildren too. Fortunately, they have yet to disappoint me.

With interest I read Shane Carwin's reaction to Brock's buffoonery, finding an alliance who agreed completely with my impressions of Lesnar, expressing himself very intelligently. Of course this caused Shane's stock to rise in my estimation; being one of his fans already didn't hurt either. Hearing they would be headlining an event has brought a lot of anticipation and excitement to my life.

Tonight, upon finding an unread interview on Carwin, I eagerly read how he was preparing for his fight against the big mouthed bully. I didn't expect to read anything new or surprising, since I have seen so many videos of the Heavyweights pulling cars, pounding huge tires with sledgehammers and all the usual superhuman-strenuous type stuff. What new technique could Shane have discovered?

What I didn't expect was Shane's statement that inspired me to write another article on the subject.

When asked how he was training to handle Brock, Shane remarked, "We are having a bring your child to the gym program to learn how to handle childish temper tantrums and irrational thinking."

As a former school teacher and adolescent psych nurse, I couldn't have said it better!

War Shane!!!

What Grandma Suspects Of Dana White

Dorothy Willis — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:16:58 -0400

Since I have been told by several readers very frankly that I do not know the difference between Shinola and something else someone could get on the bottom of a shoe (in a yard with a dog), I feel impelled to list what I suspect to be true of the man.

Hopefully, my suspicions won't upset as many people out there who love the ground on which Dana walks, (whether a dog has made its presence known or not), as much as other articles I have written has.

Lately, I suspect that the "feud" with Rampage is being milked for everything it can produce, by both men. It could help the draw of TUF 10 and certainly will publicizes the fact that Page will be staring in a movie.

Whether they are actually at war with each other, the issue will continue to remain in the news, bring attention to both the UFC and the A-Team movie. I don't really see a downside here.

If Rampage should return to the UFC, that decision will thrill his fans and encourage Rashad Evans fans to hope that Evans will be able to make Rampage regret going away to make his movie, whether it succeeds or flops.

The lengthy delay of the Hughes v Serra fight did take the edge off of the viewers' anticipation and may not have been what it would have, if it had come more closely following the end of their coaching stint on the TUF series, although we will never know for sure.

Optimist that I am, I think a fight between the two men will draw a huge crowd whenever and wherever it occurs. To me, at least, it would be high on the UFC's must see events of all time.

Dana may not have dreamed this all up and planned it all out, but he, the UFC and both fighters should benefit from all the controversy in the end.

Recently knocking Hershel Walker for being "too old" to be in MMA might be a ploy to hurt the Strickforce organization. Hershel wanting to fight Dana certainly tickled me to death.

What with Tito Ortiz failing to show for the well publicized "fight" with the UFC president, a wise decision in my opinion, and all the viewers who tuned in for the "nonevent" which was aired, Dana missed the punishment he could have endured yet managed to capitalize on the situation anyway.

That Dana can step in it with both feet and still come up smelling like a rose and looking like a hero!

Tom Atencio calling the ex-aerobics instructor out was also quite comical, even though Dana managed to duck the tee-shirt guy with some trash talk and fancy footwork, probably learned during his boxing days as a young man. Dana uses everything to his own advantage.

All these fighters wanting to drag Dana into the cage to see how he stacks up, just adds to his mystique and must make him feel like he really is a tough guy. What an opportunity it gives him to have a f-word fest in the news columns. Young people really eat up all that foul language. One need not be a genius to see Dana's influence breaking out all over our society; it has even invaded the sophisticated world of professional tennis and Saturday Night Live!

Dana certainly is riding his new Kimbo pony all the way to the bank, without even brandishing a whip or sharp tongue. . . so far. The recent "fight" between Kimbo and Roy Nelson was so anticlimactic it was pitiful, though Roy's "where is my whopper" and King comments surely elated the sponsors. Dana the master of hype sold this clunker and got high ratings in doing so.

With Dana that old "fool me once. . ." adage just won't work 'cause he does it time after time, even fooling me twice, thrice, etc. though it does make me foolish and very angry in each instance.

As long as Dana is the idol of the MMA world he can continue to get away with any deception.

The hard part for me to swallow is when he sacrifices his "friends" to boost his income.

Recently, after retiring Chuck Liddell publicly (after the loss to Shogun Rua), he now is saying that a fight between Liddell and Kimbo is a future possibility. His old toy Chuck is being used to rack up UFC exposure on Dancing With The Stars, while his new toy Kimbo is being used to publicize TUF 10, future possible UFC events and to give the Elite XC owners a massive case of heartburn every time they see a headline in the news or in all of the MMA magazines out there regarding "the UFC's Kimbo Slice."

Dana is a sly fox, now isn't he?

UFC 105: Manchester, England

Dorothy Willis — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:31:48 -0400

Suddenly my mind is in a fog. Whether this is a result of watching LardGate and seeing Roy "Big Country" Nelson lay to victory atop Kimbo Slice, my MS plaques increasing, or my diabetes being out of control, I just don't know. Guess it is a toss up, since I can't find my Accu Chek, I will never know.

It suddenly occurred to me that I did not see Brandon Vera fight Matt Hamill, Randy Couture fight Nogueira, or Mike Swick fight Martin Kampmann. Then I started to ask myself "who is/was in UFC 104 and have I seen it yet?" A silence like no other, echoed in my brain. 103 check, 104???, 105—England Nov. 14. How very curious.

So I kind of know what I haven't seen, but not why I haven't seen it.

Unfortunately, my husband Mel, who acts as my blackberry and remembers these things for me is asleep with his CPAP on and I sure do not intend to awaken him, because he is deaf and would yell, startling me and my dog. None of us want that to happen, least of all the oblivious blackberry himself.

Well, I know I have 105 straight. Couture vs Vera, Bisping vs Kang, Swick vs Hardy. So far so good.

Since I like Matt Hamill, I am glad he didn't fight Vera, whom I also like, but now Randy and Brandon will fight and I will not enjoy seeing that either. Darn that Joe Silva!

*Flash from faulty memory*: Nog beat Randy, I remembered! Furthermore, Swick, much like Conan O'Brien, had a concussion, which is why neither of them fought Kampmann (of course Conan never intended to, but at least I am recalling who has fought and who has not. It's a start).

Maybe I can remember 105 because of the "Manchester, England, England, across the Atlantic Sea" line from a song from the sixties which I remember better than current events. Hmm. Could be the connection I am seeking.

Looking forward to seeing the Bisping-Kang fight is another plus to this fight, as I hope Kang, who has fought well in far, distant places, will be up to defeating the cocky Brit on his home soil. That would do a lot for me, the Count haters and put Kang where I am sure he belongs--in the Win column.

Even GSP was in awe of Denis Kang and very eager to see how he would do in the ranks of the UFC, so I know he must be an awesome fighter. Maybe the first time in the UFC cage jitters has jinxed him so far, but that doesn't mean he is out of contention yet, for some very exciting fights once he gets past Bisping.

Let's hope he doesn't leave it to the judges, whom must all hark back to jolly old England in their ancestry if you go by past decisions in the fights over there.

Dan Hardy who looks bizarre but is very quick will be a rare challenge for Swick who is famous for his speed in the octagon as well. Just watching the crazy red rooster comb-hair keeps me in stitches, so I will doubtlessly be very amused, even is the match goes by in a blur. Remember how Joe loves to repeat and slow-mo the various moves from each fight.

Although I can't remember the match-ups on the under card, I remember looking forward to seeing Matt Riddle, whom I think of as Chip for some reason I also have forgotten. Wasn't there a Brown on the under card too, from one of the TUF series?

Oh well, it is enough that I recalled the three major fights, don't you think?

At least I can go to sleep now.

TUF 10: More Like a Slice to Big Country

Dorothy Willis — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:56:06 -0400

Revelation: I missed a fighting opportunity!

Why didn't I intuit that Rampage needed someone with a big belly to lie on Kimbo Slice?

Usually I have very good intuition. I have always thought I had some sort of connection with Quinton Rampage Jackson.

Now I find out, upon tuning into the latest show in the TUF series 10, that my Page needed someone and the description of who he needed fit me, although it also would fit my husband, incidentally a former wrestler.

Curses! A chance for an oldie to become relevant in today's most rapidly growing sport: MMA. Lying inertly on top of someone else would be right up my alley. Dead weight, but breathing enough to take directions from Rampage and his British coaches.

Boy, did I feel wasted when I saw the "fight," if one could call it that, and knowing I may have held the key to Kimbo's having gotten through Big Country's main offense—and boy, would it be offensive for me to fall on top and lie on anyone, fighters included.

It hurt me to watch Big Country, Roy Nelson, who appears to be a cholesterol disaster waiting to explode, lying on top of the well-chiseled and much more fit body of Kevin Ferguson and having Herb Dean call an end to the "fight." I still hesitate to call it that.

Now I know how to help prepare my grandsons for fighting: I will trip, fall across their poor little bodies, and pin them to the ground. If they can escape my superior weight and inferior ability, they can help me try to resume an upright position, which is never an easy task—just ask my oldest son or husband!

Never once did it occur to me that I could be such an asset to training for MMA. At last, I have a purpose in life! Maybe other obese former athletes will be similarly inspired to become useful, productive promoters of the sport. It would beat being under a big old plastic-covered blue dummy, at least in my opinion, although blue is my favorite color.

An amusing aspect to tonight's fight was that my dog thought I was in trouble because I was yelling so loudly as I coached Kimbo through the television screen from my easy chair. She ran to my side (actually she stood in front of me and kept nosing me) and then ran to my oldest son and roused him to "help me." He did get up and helped me by taking Misty outside so I could see the "fight."

What a disappointment!

Upon reflection, I should know one thing, if nothing else, to be true about Dana White: He will lie to hype a "fight." Why didn't I remember that fact instead of dying to watch the display of "blubbering down an opponent," such as was displayed tonight?

Imagine how humiliating it was for me to see Roy boasting about his "win!"

"Give me a whopper!" I think a bypass would be more appropriate.

Good heavens. Has Roy no shame? If Grandma Dee can accomplish the same feat, can it be that tough for a fat fighter to pull it off? Oh my good heavens!

For this fight I should have designed some 5X-sized fighting shorts with squashed ants all over them, or maybe just pictures of actual road kill.

How disgusting was that "fight?"

MMA: Fighting Shorts, Grandma Styled

Dorothy Willis — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:26:18 -0400

Wishfully thinking, designing MMA fighter's shorts should probably be my next undertaking in life.

I have always loved art, studied it, and still practice creating pieces in almost every medium, so for me, even at my age, I don't think it would be such a stretch.

True, I never studied sewing in Home Economics, and now, having decreased dexterity, I would have to be satisfied with designing the shorts rather than making the finished product, but oh well.

Having been a psych nurse, listening to other's horror stories, as well as surviving a few of my own, I think I have several good ideas about what would truly terrify an opponent, though it might be hard to fit the logos of fighters' sponsors onto my very busy designs.

After doing something completely insane at the age of forty and managing to catch both myself and our family home on fire, I find flames very frightening. This was most evident when I was admitted to a room on a psych floor that had flame patterned curtains shortly after the event.

Imagine awakening to find yourself on fire, seeing your hair flaming, and watching blisters bubbling up on your own face. Now imagine surviving the debriding daily and finally being released from an ICU unit where the curtains around the bed didn't reach the floor and everyone knew when you limped to the commode, only to be put in a room and wake up daily to the orange tinged flames on the curtains of that room every morning. (See, I have had an exciting, crazy life).

Frightening is not the best adjective to use for such an experience! It certainly increased my already high blood pressure, in spite of taking my daily medication, and made me frantic to change rooms.

So I would expand on Tito's Team Punishment's rising flames designed clothing and present my own version called "Shorts on Fire." If this didn't incite the wearer to quickly take down and try to smother his opponent, I don't know what would!

From my own experience, which incidentally did enforce my Christian beliefs in a fiery hell, I would hate to be ground and pounded while under a demon wearing trunks covered in flames (of course I would hate having anyone, regardless of garb, doing a ground and pound clinic on me anyway).

Next, I think "Blood Spatter" chic patterns all over fight shorts would be terrifying to many opponents too. You know I am a fan of the show and character, Dexter, who studies, photographs, and makes many blood spatter patterns on his own. It is one of my favorite TV series...don't you enjoy it on Showtime too?

Now fighters, much like registered nurses, must become used to the sight of blood and still be able to continue performing without fainting. This is essential in either career! I am sure Amir, Rory, and Phillipe will confirm that fact.

Somehow, after watching BJ Penn licking the blood of his opponents off his gloves, I find myself shuddering every time a fighter has a cut that begins spurting. How Daddy Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida can continue to fight with the massive amounts of blood that have been unleashed by an elbow or other vicious strike to the head, is beyond me.

Call me crazy, but I would want an immediate doctor's opinion and some crazy glue or butterfly stitches at least before continuing my onslaught.

How would it be to fight someone in shorts designed to portray blood splattered all over your opponent's lower torso and having to wonder if it is your blood, his blood, or simply a design? It would certainly give me pause; giving said opponent an opportunity to wallop some real blood out of me, which of course, would be exactly the whole point.

Finally, because I suffer from extreme vertigo, I would try to design the most confusing neon colored psychedelic patterns possible to dizzy opponents, making them forget which way is up, and hampering their equilibrium. Hey, at my age, one uses any and everything one can to gain an advantage.

With old age comes treachery...even in styling fighters' pants.

Kimbo Slice:Everything Is Coming Up Roses

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:37:48 -0400

Ok all you fans of Kevin Ferguson, aka Kimbo Slice, start telling me and all the other doubters that you tried to tell us so way back when that he was a legitimate MMA force.

I will admit that all I saw when I looked at Kimbo on YouTube or Elite XC was a new fad. The man was not my idea of an MMA fighter at all. He appeared to me to be a money seeking thug just capitalizing on a new video camera trend of street fighting and juvenile beat downs.

Fight Club seemed to me to have spawned an evil pastime for violent youth and Kimbo Slice. There seemed to be no redeeming value in any of the hoopla, just attacks on the unwary and a new taste in violence in foolhardy teenagers due to all the Kimbo hype that was raging across the nation.

The lawlessness and pointlessness of what the teen wannabes were doing kept me from appreciating anything about Kimbo Slice as a fighter. It appeared that he was a hero of a new rage war which was anything but complimentary to the sport of MMA.

My argument was that Kimbo was a bad influence on his youthful fans and would never fit in a legitimate organization, like, lets say, the UFC. Any fears I had of Kimbo reaching UFC status were squelched by Dana White's many pointed tirades against the Elite XC which was propped up by Kimbo and Gina Carano's presence within their ranks.

Being a Gina Carano fan and seeing her on CBS due to her membership in the EXC ranks was sweet for me as an advocate of Women's MMA. When Gina mentioned what a genuinely nice man Kimbo was, I still was doubtful. "That must be the EXC party line," is what I thought was behind Gina's praise for him. I do not feel the same way now.

It tickles me that as much as Dana seemed set on barring Slice from the UFC, he has now apparently given him a contract whether he wins or loses TUF 10. Could it be that both of us were wrong? Will Kimbo be an even better UFC draw than golden boy Brock Lesnar? Wow, how things can change in a second in MMA!

Mr. Ferguson has become so popular that first Rampage, and now Rashad both wish to be mentors to him. Imagine my surprise when the news that Rashad Evans wants to have Kevin join Greg Jackson's elite gym. Now that is confidence on Sugar's part to bring Kimbo into the fold of warriors that so many fans adore.

Surely all these people from Gina on up to Dana White, cannot be wrong.

Kimbo does claim to be a family first kind of guy, which wins my heart every time. A man who suffers what I consider physical torture to feed, clothe, and educate his family has my old grandmother's heart tucked right in his pocket. Those are my values and the hopes I have for my own grandchildren. This I understand.

If Kimbo Slice can bring glory to the sport, the UFC, and promote sportsmanship to today's youth, then I am all for him. He may be an asset to all of us in the future.

So you Kimbo fans of old can say, "I told you so, Grandma Dee."

And I will say, "Kimbo, welcome home!"

Matt Hughes: Who Is Old Enough To Fight You if Josh Koscheck Isn't?

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:18:27 -0400

Grandma must be dumbing down these days. A lot of what I read about the goings-on in the world of the UFC just does not make any sense to me at all.

For example, Matt Hughes, who will be 36 years old on October 13th, recently signed a contract for six more fights with the UFC, but when called out recently by Josh Koscheck, he stated on his official blog that he didn't want to fight "a kid."

"I find Koscheck calling me out kind of interesting and I actually don’t know why he is doing that," Hughes wrote. "I was used to kids doing this when I was the champ, but as you know I don’t have the belt now and I’m puzzled as to why Koscheck wants to fight me and not the champion in the weight class. I have no interest in fighting Koscheck and, as he was showing everybody, he’s just a kid."

Well, gosh, Mr Hughes, who are you going to agree to fight? Only fighters your age, which would even rule out a rematch with Matt Serra, or do you only want to do battle with the other old guys who have retired and come back to fight? Pat Millitec or perhaps your twin brother, Mark?

Josh Koscheck is 31, Jon Fitch is 31, and Mike Swick is 30. Those are exactly the young guns that I would love to see you fight. I feel each one of them not only has what it takes to beat you, but that each one has earned the privilege to do so.

Somehow, as unpopular as Grandma Dee ideas are, I don't think I am alone in hoping for exactly these three fights, (Anyone out there reading: feel free to chime in on this, OK?).

Since Georges St-Pierre is a mere 28 years old, I would guess he is not on your wish list either, right?

OK. I'll bite, who does Mr. Hughes think would be an old enough opponent to be suitable to step into the cage against himself?

Forgive the sarcasm, but ever since Dana White outed himself and Jay Silva for feeding Roger Huerta "easy fighters," I am wondering how they will handle the former welterweight champion of all time. As a member of the UFC's Hall of Fame royalty, who is worthy of you?

If you are going to be making another run at the title, which I think in your case is very ill-advised, these are exactly the men you will have to conquer to get to the top of the heap. How can you not expect to fight these three?

See, I knew I must be missing something. Will someone please tell me what it is?

Has Forrest Griffin "Got Fight?"

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:30:37 -0400

While reading the latest interview on Forrest Griffin, I was very interested when he said that he didn't and never had liked himself very much.

If you are at all like me, you may have thought by the way Forrest is always joking around, that he is a perpetually happy person. It never occurred to me that such a cut up could have an ounce of self loathing. Maybe the self deprecating jokes should have tipped me off before now.

I used to be a very klutzy person and often felt awkward, so I used to poke fun at myself before anyone else could. It is a sort of defence mechanism and I don't believe it is considered a very healthy one. So I guess I know where Forrest is coming from.

As a fighter he certainly does have very thin skin. Meaning that I have noticed that he bleeds often and is easily cut during fights. But ever since he ran out of the octagon after he was knocked out by Anderson Silva, he seems to have developed thin skin in its alternate meaning.

Forrest does not take criticism about this last fight particularly well at all, in fact he gets down right prickly when asked anything about it.

Even though Forrest has written a book titled, "Got Fight," I am beginning to wonder if the bloom is off the rose, as far as his interest in continuing to fight goes. Winning the championship from Rampage in a closely contested match that saw more damage done by Forrest's kicks to Rampage's legs, than strikes to the face of either person.

Losing the title to Rashad Evans did nothing to improve his personal outlook on life.

One thing that should be making him undergo an attitude adjustment is being recently married. Such a change in his life should certainly cause things to look brighter from here on out. It doesn't sound like the happy couple has been on their honeymoon yet, so certainly that is something to look forward to, assuming it happens soon. Postponed honeymoons can cause a lot of anxiety for each half of the couple.

As Forrest's interviewers quickly learn, he usually deflects a direct answer to any question, so one never knows any more than they did previous to asking it. This brings me to another complaint I have about Forrest; something he said on Facebook.

Ordinarily, it takes very little to make me feel guilty, but a lot to make me mad. However, one day on my page there was a message from Forrest informing the world that only an a-hole would use Facebook, a social network site, to ask him for an interview.

Well, although I was not the one who had done this, (I have yet to do an actual interview), I immediately felt a tinge of guilt, (I am a regular guilt sponge), but after spending a while thinking about it, I felt angry. Whoever did ask for this interview did not deserve to be publicly berated. That is just my opinion, because on Facebook I have been asked about everything except my bra size, and I have yet to feel offended.

So, if Forrest is so sensitive about being asked for interviews, I wonder why he wrote a book? Promoting a book usually calls for many interviews to promote it, maybe Forrest has forgotten that aspect of being an author. Facebook is a wonderful place to promote articles and books, so "don't bite the hand," and all that jazz is my advice.

How Forrest really feels about returning to the cage to fight again will have to remain a mystery because he certainly will not answer directly if asked the question.

My question to the author of "Got Fight," is does he?

Brock Lesnar: Will Fatherhood Have Effect Like It Did Dexter?

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:18:56 -0400

After watching Dexter, one of my favorite series on Showtime tonight, I began to wonder how much fatherhood will affect Brock Lesnar and his MMA career.

Of course, maybe it won't be that much of a factor. Brock is a virtual hermit and lives a very private existence, no one may ever know how much into fatherhood he is.

Poor Dexter, if one can empathise with a cold blooded killer, has been changed by having to care for his new baby son. He has lost his focus, as seen during his testimony in court. He is completely sleep deprived, as evidenced by him falling asleep while stalking his foe late at night. Even killing just was not as much fun as in the past.

Of course the climax came when he apparently fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his car on the way home with medicine for Harrison's earache.

Now, I am not expecting as noticeable change in Brock as that seen in poor Dexter, but will there be any change at all?

Matt Serra rejoiced that his wife was breastfeeding their daughter, which meant that his presence during night time feedings was not mandatory. While he was training for his fight with Matt Hughes, I am sure he really appreciated this.

I am not sure how the Lesnar baby is being fed, or if he gets involved in the nighttime diaper changing routines, so perhaps he is not at all sleep deprived; but as a person who has suffered from extreme sleep deprivation for a variety of reasons, I can assure my readers that it is a real b*tch of a bad situation to experience.

Training in itself is no picnic, but with an unpredictable little new guy in the house, I am sure it can be a challenge for even the strongest of men.

With Brock's wife having also been a fighter of sorts, perhaps they have devised a successful "tag-team" approach to handling the new baby.

If they have been very lucky and their little one is colic free and laid back, perhaps they are all sleeping through the night at this point. We were never that lucky, but did have a tag-team to tackle the chores and did manage to survive.

Shane Carwin most definitely does not have a similar situation, so I assume he will be well rested by the time of their match. Lucky man. To have the days of baby diapers and post feeding burp-ups, which look and smell so gross on tee shirts of any color, is quite a relief for a parent.

It is my opinion that parenthood can only make people stronger, but that is me looking back on something that was very difficult at the time I was living it.

I will be looking forward to the Carwin-Lesnar fight to see if any detectable changes have occurred.

Even if the only change is a more mature attitude in addressing the audience after the finish of the fight, I will be happy.

In the meantime, where is Benny?

"Evolving With The Changes!"

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:22:01 -0400

All my readers must know by now that I get Google notices on everything written on MMA.

I don't think of reading all the available articles written by sportswriters as being a rip off or form of copying other's ideas.

What I try to do is find another way of looking at something that is on everyone else's mind or putting a different slant on a current concern.

Just now I read an article on a site I had never visited before. It did not list an author, or give credit for the photo, which I have copied here, which is why I am not citing either. I will say that I hope to return to MMAFIGHT.com and search for more tidbits in the future.

Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez is my grandson's favorite UFC fighter. I have turned Cody and his many friends on to Georges St-Pierre, but Diego was his original MMA hero.

After reading the article, "Diego Sanchez on Cutting Weight for his UFC 107 fight with BJ Penn," I became fascinated with the quote attributed to Diego. "Every fight is different and the camps change, everything is always changing, and here I am evolving with the change!"

Now that sounds like what I would have advised BJ Penn to do long before he fought Georges St-Pierre. "Evolve."

There exist some fighters that buy too heavily into their own hype to the point that they actually begin to believe it.

This is a dangerous thing for even a fighter who is at the top of his game to do. For instance, if you become known as being "the Prodigy." for example, you might begin to believe that you have everything it takes to win fights, and slack off on your diet and training routines.

Slacking off in any aspect will not improve an individual fighter's chance of becoming a champion and ruling a division.

The bar has been raised to such a high level now, that only going beyond the bounds of human limits, will any fighter be able to survive among the new upcoming warriors. When one does not evolve with the changes, one becomes irrelevant in the sport.

Ask BJ Penn about this. Since he has gotten a new "no mercy" trainer, I am sure he will vouch for this as being true.

In MMA, one cannot slack off. Upping the ante is the only way to challenge oneself to train hard enough to evolve with the "new and improved" crowd.

There are many new "GSP models" popping up in the UFC and they do not know the meaning of "quit" or "enough."

Apparently, Diego Sanchez is one of the newest converts to this discipline.

Diego has always had a spiritual nature and tries to be "at one with the spirit." He has known many changes in his young life.

From changing camps to his current change in weight divisions, Diego is very serious in evolving and trying to become a new and improved version of himself. The old version was not all that bad, but the new version is becoming truly incredible.

When Diego met Clay Guida in his last fight, I, like others, wondered if the weight cut would have an adverse affect on his performance.

Since I already knew what a powerhouse the Carpenter was, I was suspecting a lack of cardio, the new MMA slang for stamina, as I watched the fight progress.

Diego was equal to the task, and won the decision, after opening up a large gash on Clays head. It was not a pretty fight, what with blood and sweat flying, but it was full of action and excitement start to finish.

From watching him fight Clay, I can see Diego offering BJ quite a challenge. The cardio was there, the determination was not lacking, and neither was his strength affected by the weight cut, so I predict that Diego does have the secret to success and is in the process of evolving.

All I can say is that BJ Penn had better beware of the change that is coming...it could be his worst "nightmare" yet.

Diego Sanchez is on the prowl...and he is hungry!

Why Must Anderson Silva Lose?

Dorothy Willis — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:44:55 -0400

I adore Anderson Silva. He has charisma, personality to spare, a kooky sense of humor, and he is a hell of a MMA fighter.

Actually, what's not to like about this man?

When I saw Anderson entertaining Rachelle Leah in his own home by dancing while wearing Tazmanian Devil bedroom slippers, I just knew that he was my kind of man. The only time he has disappointed me was when he heard his manager Ed Soares misinterpreting statements to him at a news conference and did not punch him in the mouth.

I believe Anderson's skill with the English language is such that he well knew that Soares was interpreting statements with extreme prejudice and for his own benefit rather than Silva's. Thus I feel he deserved a taste of what his client can dish out.

Anderson is simply one of the nicest adult men that I am aware of in the world of MMA.

He loves his wife, who was his high school sweetheart, loves being silly and playing around with his children, and is the supreme MMA fan. His attendance at the UFC fights has me in awe of his dedication to the sport and his fellow fighters, as well as in awe of the fact that he apparently does not mind flying all over the world. (I am terrified of flying and am waiting for the teletransportation era to travel).

It is true that I was completely horrified when I saw him wearing a beautiful floor length coat to many of the fights and looking very comfortable and GQ in doing so. I am against killing animals for their fur, so this is something that will never sit well with me.

Still, I can hope with all my heart that it was a faux fur, because it certainly did look very elegant and suited to his tall, lean frame.

Not being an apparent member of PETA aside, I do love the shades, caps, tees and other fashion apparel the Spider wears, even hoping to soon have one of his Silver Star shirts myself.

I think I have purchased at least one for my grandson, but I would leave my GSP shirts at home in favor of a new A Silva tee, just to demonstrate my devotion to him as well as to expand my fashion options to sporting events (yes, I am trying to overcome my agoraphobia to go to my grandson's high school football games. Did I mention that he made a touchdown at his homecoming game?).

So now I have to ask the big burning question that is on my MMA loving mind: Why is everyone and their brother trying to figure out who can upset Anderson Silva and take away his belt?

Why is such a thing even necessary?

Anderson has three fights remaining with the UFC before he retires to have the freedom to fight his idol Roy Jones Jr. and live his life the way he wants to, as opposed to being subject to iron willed Dana White's whims. Does he really have to leave as a hero defeated in his prime to keep UFC fans happy?

Well, it certainly will not make Grandma Dee happy at all, even if that coat is not faux fur. In fact, I will be livid if someone (yes, even GSP), wins the right to wear Anderson's MW belt. Some things should be sacred, even in MMA.

It is a mystery why all the experts and sportswriters keep trying to predict "who can beat Anderson Silva." I want him to be able to go out on top, to go out undefeated. Why would that be bad?

Recently I have been boycotting the Yard Barker site because of a ridiculous thread which was started by a BJ Penn fan.

The point of the stupid "article" is simply to discredit Georges St-Pierre, because BJ could not tarnish his record with a win, this tapioca brained poster is trying to hurt Georges by using words. Guess he missed out on the schoolyard rhyme about "sticks and stones."

The most discouraging aspect of MMA, particularly the UFC fan sector, is the fact that everyone wants someone to beat the stars in the different weight divisions.

When I was a baseball fan I wanted all of my heroes to win, I never played the "what is so and so faced off with Mel Ott," could he humiliate him by ruining his record in some way?

Fans should support their heroes, not devise ways for them to be dethroned. What is the point of that? Isn't someone fighting and doing their very best, then winning, what a true fan should want?

I must have missed something on my way to becoming a fan of the sport, as this really, really confounds me.

So here I am to witness to the whole world that I will die a happy old woman if at least a few of my MMA heroes can go through their careers without another defeat. As the current holder of the Middleweight belt, Anderson Silva would certainly qualify for that honor.

If you are reading this Anderson: "War Spider—No Prisoners!"

UFC 103: Waiting Is The Hardest Part

Dorothy Willis — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:10:06 -0400

Has anyone else ever noticed how hard it is to wait for a UFC event? By the time it is only a day a way I am almost crazy with anticipation.

By now I have read everyone else's theories on what should happen at the fights, predictions are in, betting odds have been published, weigh-ins are over and all the possibilities have been pointed out and pondered.

What is left to be said? Not anything of importance, at this late stage.

Waiting. . . Any teenager can tell you that waiting for homecoming to arrive is pure hell. A parent who is at home waiting for said teenager to come home after a homecoming event experiences hell of a different sort.

Not that tomorrow's fight is a homecoming for me, but several favorite fighters are returning to the ring in hopes of again feeling at home in the UFC.

Although Rich Franklin has not been away, he has not been able to rest easy after his losses to Anderson Silva and his search for a weight class to call his very own.

Vitor Belfort may want to make the UFC his home, but may have the jinx that so many coming to the UFC have suffered from.

Frank Trigg could not possibly feel at home in the organization where he has been choked out so many times by Matt Hughes and then Georges St. Pierre. Now Josh Koscheck is gunning to stretch out Frank's neck a little longer.

Mirco CroCop has also been leery of considering the UFC his home after the horrendous loss to Cheick Kongo, which he just barely survived. Without Big John's McCarthy's encouragement, would he have even continued on that night? And of course, unless John is in the audience, he will not even be refereeing a fight. (If only he could make calls from the audience! A lot of folks would be resting easier if he could).

Waiting to see which other UFC fighters not on the card will be filling the seats, as well as which celebrities and sports stars will make the event, is another fun factor.

My nerves are fraying as I hear of one more sportscaster calling the sport of MMA gay and homoerotic--what is with these dumb talking heads anyway? Give it a rest, already!

When the fight is at hand, will Mayweather's strategy to sink Dana White's battleship have scored a big hit or miss?

Only time will tell.

Mayweather, Bob Arum on "Mixed Martial Aryans?"

Dorothy Willis — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:56:15 -0400

Grandma Dee is perplexed. If anyone wants to tell me I have gotten this all wrong, they are more than welcome to do so. Subjects like this are confusing and distasteful to me.

In reading an article late tonight in The Boxing Examiner, by Michael Marley, my generation, the Hula Hoop, saying that the sport will be just as short lived.

I am confounded by this as I have purchased hula hoops recently for my own grandchildren. So what is Mr. Marley talking about?

Actually, he had lost me before he even got to the hula hoops, which was near the end of his diatribe explaining how white hoods and burning crosses were closer to being representative of MMA fans than to the fans of boxing which features Hispanics and blacks as its champions.

How did such an inane comparison come about, you ask?

According to Marley, it was a stroke of genius by Bob Arum a boxing promoter to show the inferiority of MMA compared to boxing prior to Mr. Mayweqather's next boxing match.

Huh? My sport, MMA inferior to boxing? Where did all this hate come from?

When Marley stated that the only women in the crowds at MMA events were white, because the only Hispanic women or black women there were selling hot dogs, I choked on my own spit. Luckily he was not within spitting distance or I would have sent him a very messy message.

The nerve of these men. I lived through an era when boxing was popular, but it is way over and done, as far as I am concerned. MMA is much more to my taste because it offers variety.

How many times can you watch one man hit another without getting bored out of your mind? A sweet science? Not in this granny's eyes! I would rather see kicking, flying arm bars, brawling and sprawling, on the feet and on the ground, all over the octagon, than ever have to see a boring one dimension sport like boxing ever again.

MMA has the word "Art" in it for a very good reason. I see nothing artistic about boxing, except for the silky, often colorful shorts the pugilists wear.

Someone has not been paying attention to the crowds present at the UFC events either. Many of the fighters' wives, girlfriend, and mothers are in the audience. Thanks to the fighters who love Asian girls, there are many of them represented in the crowds too.

How this can be compared to a Klan rally is beyond my comprehension, when Rashad, Rampage, Jon Bones Jones, Marvin the Beastman Eastman, Cheick Kongo, and Anthony Rumble Johnson are only a few of the superior black talents to grace the cage.

Aha! That was a subject brought up by Mayweather, "You put animals in a cage to fight, not men."

Could he be a closet dogfight fan to say something so stupid? Move over Michael Vick!

My husband, youngest son and grandson all have shaved heads—they are certainly not "skinheads," do not have swastika tattoos or believe in white supremacy.

Talk about bigoted opinions. Bob, Floyd and Michael need to wake up and quit drinking that brand of koolaide.

How anyone could promote such a view of the sport of MMA is simply asinine! Jealousy of the popularity of MMA is one thing, but preaching racial bias by the sport or its fans is extremely ignorant and contrary to the facts in evidence.

So I am incensed after reading such nonsense and trying to clear my head. I don't drink alcohol and even though I am diabetic, I think this calls for a shot of Coke!

To think, I had almost made it through one whole day without one.

Thanks a lot you bigoted idiots!

What Is Georges St-Pierre's Kryptonite?

Dorothy Willis — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 03:43:38 -0400

You've seen him punch, you've seen him sprawl, but you have only seen him fail to win on two occasions.

When Georges St-Pierre lost his first fight with Matt Hughes, you could tell by his failure to meet Matt's eyes that something was going on in Georges' head. In spite of being in the cage with the man who was his inspiration and hero, he almost pulled off a win.

No, almost and tapping out with a second left does not win a MMA fight, but many of Georges's moves had him within an inch of success. Just one tiny second...

With Matt Serra, Georges never appeared to get his game off the drawing board. He not only slipped in the cage and failed to completely regain his bearing, he had slipped by not being prepared to enter the octagon that night.

Anyone can have an off night, but critics and even Georges' fans were harder on him for that particular loss than they have been with other MMA heroes who have fallen more than twice in their careers.

Georges admitted that he had gone to a sports psychologist, which added grist to the rumor mill which quickly labeled him as being a mental weakling. To strengthen himself, Georges followed his therapist's advice and carried a brick with Matt Serra's name on it around with him, finally throwing it off a bridge into deep water.

By unburdening himself, Georges was free to move on with his fighting career.

And move on he did by ridding himself of a soul sapping entourage, his manager, and turning over a new leaf, thereby approaching his fights with a new fire and sense of purpose within his heart and body. His choices were sound and once again he was on the road to making a legacy that few others will ever accomplish.

The biggest fallacy that his detractors and opponents so eagerly grabbed hold of was that Georges had a "mental weakness." Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Anyone, amateur or pro, who has ever watched the videos of Georges with his strength and fitness trainer, Jonathan Chaimberg, working out with Firas Zahabi or at Greg Jackson's gym will quickly recognize that no mentally weak person could deal with so much pressure.

Georges possesses the entire package of physical and mental strength. Who could now even question this fact?

Such previous accusations were myth rather than fact. No, no kryptonite here.

Does Georges have any type of kryptonite that can be discovered?

The fatal attraction of the movie star Mandy Moore who admitted to "crushin' on him" did not trip him up. Even when Dana White used the poor judgement to bring Moore into the dressing room to meet Georges before one of his most important fights, he was not distracted by her charms, movie star/singer status, or obvious romantic interest in him.

Were Dana to have intended to give Georges' opponent an advantage that evening, it did not go as he intended.

Dana's new rule limiting the number of people each fighter can have in their dressing room, has not been a disadvantage to Georges either. Unfortunately, as everyone could see when Dana continued to bring celebrities into Georges' dressing room (where even his manager Shari Spencer was no longer allowed), he was oblivious to their presence.

If Josh Koscheck sought to throw Georges off by making the comment, "Hey Georges, you've won," to him towards the end of their fight, or if it was a ploy to obtain mercy from some ground and pound, it did not work. Georges was indifferent to the remark and did not miss a beat (or elbow).

Weight isn't an obstacle either. Georges always weighs in at weight. He is as disciplined in his diet as in his training regimen. No sign of kryptonite here.

What is left? No romantic problems, training or diet issues, conflicts with friends or family (both groups are completely loyal and supportive of Georges), no injuries, no "mental" issues...what is there left to consider?

Judging from observing Georges' behavior for a long time throughout his career, I see only one answer that could possibly be considered as a weakness.

Emotions.

Georges would appear to be a very sentimental man. He was nervous upon meeting his former hero Matt Hughes, and he was very concerned about family difficulties including a close cousin's death when he met Matt Serra for what everyone thought would be an easy fight.

Can emotions be predicted to give a rival an advantage over someone? I certainly do not know how to answer that question. Perhaps only Georges himself knows the answer to that one.

And as a good card player knows, Georges isn't about to show his hand.

Will The UFC Become The War Of The Ages?

Dorothy Willis — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:01:25 -0400

Some people may be reacting with pure glee at hearing the news that veterans of MMA Matt Hughes and Randy Couture have both signed new contracts for six more fights with the UFC. As for me, my reaction has been one of utter amazement.

Of course I had been predicting that Randy would go over to Strikeforce to finally be able to fight with Fedor Emelianenko.

Maybe his soon to be ex-wife Kim is fighting for them, though, so it might be the source of too many memories for the big guy to encounter.

Naturally, since I feel most farm boys have enough sense to know not to plow their fields during a thunderstorm, I thought that the easily bored Matt Hughes would stay home on the couch playing video games with his kids and discussing the best way to cook a steak with wife Audra.

Guess that makes me a poor predictor of fighters' future plans, doesn't it?

Consequently, now I am wondering how these two oldsters in the sport will fair against the new upcoming generation of fighters.

Who will have the edge?

The kids with all the new innovations of the sport, or the veterans of the cage with their years of well-earned scars and experience?

It won't be long until we find out about Randy who is set to face Brandon Vera at UFC 105 in Manchester, England. (I love the song, "Manchester, England, England, across the Atlantic Sea. . .").

Unlike in the song, I am not a "genius, genius," although I would favor younger and more physically healthy Brandon "the Truth" Vera to win this particular match up.

I feel that the younger man will recover from his last battle more quickly than the "old guy," likely will be able to.

If Matt Hughes does meet Mike Swick, as my buddy Stoker predicts he will, I would have to go out on a limb and choose Swick to put Matt back in his arm chair "toot sweet." (*note to the editor, I know that is incorrect, I am just attempting some "sic" humor, so to speak).

Maybe Matt should take a page out of Randy's book and go down a weight class to stay more competitive and give himself an edge.

Who knows, Dana might even give him a super fight rematch with BJ Penn and make a couple mil. for them all. I would sure pay to see it.

Oh boy, at lightweight Matt could meet my energizer bunny Clay Guida, Diego Sanchez, Ken Florian, Nate Diaz, and Gray Maynard too!

How sweet would those fights be? (Oops, I am drooling all over the keyboaard).

But on the other hand, I would also love to see Matt Hughes take on another NCAA prepped wrestler like Josh Koscheck or his training partner Jon Fitch.

Both those guys have a loss to GSP in common with Matt and I would bet they could put the farm boy away too. I would even put money on it.

Now that Matt has re-upped with the UFC, I have so many suggestions for opponents that I don't think I can even list them all. Guess I may possibly muster up some enthusiasm for this situation after all.

If there is one thing I enjoy even more than seeing someone I love win a fight, it is seeing someone I dislike (Hughes, not Couture), lose one. Just another way to have fun.

Ah, the Grandma Dee curse!