WEC on Mar. 1: Another Dilemma!

A thaw has come to Peoria, IL, and it looks like the weather mild for the weekend.

We will be celebrating a 16th birthday on Saturday, even though Cody will not officially turn 16 until Mar. 4.

Sunday, March first, is another matter and once again I will be walking on thin ice, so to speak, as I watch Mike Brown and Leonard Garcia struggle to see who will leave the octagon wearing the 145 belt.

One-hundred and forty-five is what my grandson Cody was wrestling at in high school this year, although I am hoping that next year will see him in a much heavier weight class, considering his height and build.

It is so ironic to me to watch wrestlers at that weight that my grandson would dwarf if they were to stand at his side.

Cody will want to see the fight because it is the weight he wrestled at and it will be interesting for him to see if Mike Brown tries to keep the fight standing, as striking appears to be his fort. Or if Leonard will be able to keep the fight on the ground where he excels with his wrestling skills.

This will be the two-year anniversary of Leonard's membership in the highly touted Greg Jackson gym in Albuquerque, NM. He trains there in the company of champions Georges St-Pierre and Rashad Evans, as well as with several contenders for other championship titles.

Donald Cerrone, one of my favorite 155 pounders, is one of his closest friends and sparring partners and will most likely be present at the fight to cheer Leonard on.

My dilemma, of course is that I have come to respect Mike Brown even more than I used to respect Urijah Faber.

Unfortunately, Urijah sealed his fate when he predicted that BJ Penn would win the fight with Georges St-Pierre.

Yes, I realize that B.J. was somewhat of a mentor to Urijah and had him come out to the islands to train at his camp, but BJ has publicly stated that he would have no difficulty fighting against Urijah. So I cannot understand Urijah's continuing loyalty considering that.

Mike Brown was so cute when he took Georges' side that he wormed his way into my affection with his somewhat comical statements pre-fight. I loved his broad smile and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

It's funny how little things like that will make an impression on me when choosing my favorite fighters.

Since I began writing here I have written articles about Leonard and the legal problems he has had to deal with. This and the fact that he is a close friend of Donald Cerrone has caused me to have an appreciation for his determination to be a champion.

In addition, anyone who saw him kneeling on the mat of the octagon and bonding with fellow Hispanic fighter Roger Huerta after their magnificent fight (which Huerta won), will remember the heart wrenching scene and have to admire his courage and grace.

To me how a fighter conducts himself after a loss shows as much insight into his character as how he wins. Leonard has depth to his personality and I would love to see much more of him.

Naturally I am back to the woe-is-me-how-can-I-choose-who-to-pull-for mode. This is the most painful part of being an MMA fan for me.

In this case I will hope that neither fighter will be badly hurt and that both will put on such a memorable performance, that in the end, it will not matter so much who won as will the fact that they were both real warriors.