Fun Day Monday – Name That Band

So last week, a friend of mine posted something on his Facebook status that got me pretty excited. He said:

“What!?! Color Me Badd and Shai are coming to Honolulu?? Time to buss out the ol’ Z Cavaricci’s.”

I know, sounds kinda da kine to get excited over something like that, but sheez, that be some flashback memories right there (for a guy like me at least).

Color Me Badd – I Wanna Sex You Up

And when I say a “guy like me” I’m talkin’ about a:

* first-CD-I-ever-owned-was-C.M.B.…
* grew-up-on-these-bands-and-used-to-make-“Love-Jams”-mixes-with-these-songs-to-impress-the-ladies…
* listened-to-these-songs-on-my-Walkman-(while-the-teammates-listened-to-n.w.a.-and-nirvana)-on-the-bus-on-the-way-to-a-game…
* put-it-on-repeat-in-the-car-as-well-as-in-the-shower-so-I-could-memorize-every-intricate-detail-of-the-song…
* sang-in-groups-who-used-to-harmonize-(or-at-least-try!)-like-these-bands…

… kinda guy.

So yeah, as you can tell, I was a fan! Hearing that they will be reuniting and doing a show here in Hawaii is of particular interest.

Shai – If I Ever Fall In Love

I’m curious to know what bands excite you. We’re of varying ages, races and sexes up in hurr, so I’m sure we’ve all got our interesting tastes in music. (And yes, though it does sound familiar, we’ve never had this as a topic before (I think). I checked. Feel free to include your favorite fashion stylings of those times as well!

Holla!
* Who were some of your favorite bands growing up?
* What memories do you have of those times?
* Do you remember the fashion then? What were they?

Post um in the comment area below!

—

Hijack This!
* Thoughts on Shogun Rua’s brutal knockout of Lyoto Machida?
* Thoughts on Paul Daley’s cheap shot on Josh Koscheck after the fight?
* Thoughts on Dana White cutting Kimbo Slice from the UFC?
* Thoughts on Iron Man 2 debut?
* Thoughts on Dallas Braden’s amazing perfect game on Mother’s Day?
* Thoughts on the Suns’ impressive sweep of the Spurs?
* Thoughts on Tiger Woods’ withdrawal?
* Thoughts on a Road Runner Mobile if the device was FREE? Special starts today, just FYI… 😛

Advertisement

Fave Five Friday – Celebrity Photo Opps

I’ve never been a fan of autographs. It’s too easy to forge, and, unless you can verify it and possibly even sell it for a premium, to me, it’s worthless. Celebrities are humans too. Some piece of paper with their chicken scratch on it doesn’t hold much weight. That’s just me.

But, as girly/kiddie as it sounds, what really gets me charged is getting a photo with said celeb. I value this the most because it has significance to me and me alone. I don’t care if it’s worthless to anyone else and ruined cause my ugly mug is in the photo, it’s just good kine fun and proof – in that particular moment in time – that I was there and actually met somebody I could tell a story about.

This past weekend in Philly, I had a blasty blast. Not only did I get that interview with Bruddah Shane, I was also able to sneak in some photo opps with “stars” from the MMA world, thanks to our awesome seats at UFC 101 the night before! Peeps like:

Cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran

“Stitch” caught the same flight as us from Vegas. Cool guy!

UFC President Dana White

UFC President Dana White taking the time to greet his fans

Fighter Frank Trigg

Newly signed (again) UFC fighter Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg. Why does Bari look so upset? 8)

Referee Mario Yamasaki

Referee Mario Yamasaki kept coming into the stands for some reason. I caught him one quick one after the event was pau

Phillie All Star Shane Victorino

Me and Bruddah Shane in the Phillie dugout after our interview

Which led me to this week’s Fave Five question. Which 5 celebs would you most like to have a photo with? If photos ain’t your bag, you can use autographs for your list.

1. Flavor Flav – OMG! He’s so flamboyant and out there! This would be the funnest photo, like EVER! LOL!
2. Mr. T – see above! Seems like a nice, humble guy too.
3. Kimbo Slice – he’s crazy intense, but seems like a cool, mellow cat, outside the ring. I give him mad props for starting from scratch in the coming season of the Ultimate Fighter!
4. Michael Jordan/Tiger Woods – gods in their respective games, though I’m not sure how good/genuine their personalities would be.
5. Hugh Hefner – no words necessary! LOL!

I’m sure I’m missing a lot more, so lemme hear it. Send over your list of celebs you’d like to get a pic with/meet/get an autograph from.

Some celebs I forgot to mention were those that would bring the most cashola to my pocket (when sold to the tabloids). *grin* Maybe a scandalous shot with Jon or Kate, or both? Or Brangelina? Or even the Octo-mom? Is she even relevant anymore? 😛

Anyway, I digress. Have fun with this list on your T.G.I. Friday y’all!

Happy VHO7V Friday and have an awesome weekend k? Shoots!

(Editor’s note: Don’t get me wrong. I ain’t no celebrity stalker/groupie type, as the pictures above may make it seem. LOL! If I had to stand in line and wait a couple hours for one photo, I wouldn’t do it. These just so happen to fall into place a-ight? 😛 )

UFC 94 Weekend In Vegas

Every so often, there comes a time in a man’s life when the stars just align. The perfect storm of pleasure if you will. The weekend of January 30th was one such time.

You see, The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) – the most popular Mixed Martial Arts promotion – was having their biggest, most highly anticipated fight card in history: UFC 94. The main event featured Hilo’s own BJ Penn against Canada’s Georges St. Pierre, arguably the two best pound for pound fighters in the sport. Superbowl XLIII (43) festivities, which featured the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Arizona Cardinals, was also going on that weekend. Did I mention that this was all going down in Vegas? ‘Nuff said!

It all started with a confirmation of UFC 94 fight tickets, just a couple weeks before the event (Mahalos to Bruddah DJ and the rest of the UFC posse). From there, it was pure pandemonium as I worked some flight, room and car reservation magic for less than $580 per. Not bad, given the current flight prices.

Wifey unfortunately couldn’t take off of work so my friend Dave “took one for the team” and forced himself to come with me on this once in a lifetime, sport-filled weekend.

We caught the red-eye on Thursday the 29th, and enjoyed breakfast at Ruby’s Dinette on our LAX layover.

Outside Ruby’s Dinette

I’ve been by this place numerous times before, but never had the chance or the time to eat there. With our hunger, and a couple of hours to spare, Dave and I checked it out. It’s a good thing we did because it was surprisingly good.

Ruby’s Breakfast Burrito: “A flour tortilla filled with fluffy scrambled eggs, salsa and shredded cheese. Topped with sour cream, black olives and chopped green onions. Served with black beans. It’s our “South of the Border” specialty!”

Skillet Potatoes

Ruby’s Dinette – LAX
201 World Way – Terminal 6
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 646-2480

We arrived in Sin City at about 10AM on Friday, the 30th, but by the time we got our luggage, stood in line to pick up our rental car, and took my mobile phone in for service (it stopped working for some reason), it was almost time for the first two events of the trip: the exclusive Q&A session with (fighter) Rashad Evans and the official UFC 94 weigh-ins.

UFC 94 Schedule of Events poster

Thanks to Bruddah DJ, we were able to get early access into the event and sit decently close.

Nate Diaz flexes at 156 as announcer Joe Rogan, brother Nick Diaz, ring girls Logan Stanton and Arianny Celeste, his opponent’s brother Jason Guida, UFC President Dana White, and ring announcer Bruce Buffer look on.

Lyoto Machida comes in at 206 as ring girls Logan Stanton and Arianny Celeste, and UFC President Dana White look on.

BJ Penn does his King Kamehameha pose while coming in at 168, as ring girls Logan Stanton and Arianny Celeste look on.

The much anticipated BJ Penn–Georges St Pierre stare down, as St.-Pierre’s head trainer Firas Zahabi, an unknown male, UFC President Dana White, ring announcer Bruce Buffer, Penn’s head trainer Rudy Valentino and fight matchmaker Joe Silva look on.

Following the weigh-ins, I decided to check my voicemail from my friend’s phone and was surprised to hear that my Las Vegas (Hawaii transplant) friend Jen left a couple of messages. She wanted us to meet up for dinner with her and her boyfriend Brandon at an all you can eat sushi spot called Sushi-Mon. Since Dave and I were practically starving, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect!

Sushi-Mon sign

For $26.95 ($21.95 for lunch), you can pick from a large array of sushi/nigiri, rolls, and side dishes, and go to town on them for one hour. And go to town I did!

2 orders of ikura (salmon roe) and 2 orders of masago (smelt egg) (one order already eaten… couldn’t wait! *grin*)

2 orders of hokkigai (surf clam) and 2 orders of hamachi (yellowtail tuna)

Dave’s Moon Roll order (Freshwater eel, yum yum scallop & avocado served on a bed of tempura crumbs topped with eel sauce).

Jen’s recommended Cajun Albacore sushi

Snow crab meat sushi (you’re only allowed one order)

Baked Scallop Shell side dish

Ika (squid) sushi

Sushi-Mon (on Sahara)
8320 W Sahara Ave #180,
Las Vegas, NV 89117
(702) 304-0044
Open 7 Days a week, 11:30AM-2:00AM

And den, it was fight day! After fueling up on the $7.99 Garden Court Buffet Lunch at the Main Street Station Hotel in downtown…

My $7.99 buffet lunch (breakfast actually) at the Main Street Station Hotel in downtown (heart don’t fail me now!)

… we headed towards the Mirage to place some fight bets, as, according to my friend Kippy who messaged me on Facebook, they had Penn at +180, some of the best lines in town! By the time we got there though, the line had moved to +135, but that was still good enough for me to back our local hero. While there, I also dropped a bit on the Super Bowl for good measure (‘Zona with the 7 point spread). What the heck right?

Following that, we went back to our hotel to get a quick R&R before the big day ahead. Then it was time! We started by roaming the MGM casino area an hour before the gates were to open. We saw a cool photo opp set up for fight fans, and, after asking a girl to take our photo there, her friends thought it was a good idea to tell her to jump in the photo with us! Um, yeah, thanks!

Dave and I posing with some random girl.

At 4:15PM we started to slowly make our way to the gates. The heart started a racin’ and the adrenaline started a pumpin’! I couldn’t believe we were actually there son!

Shuffling in before showtime

Here are the results with some personal observations sprinkled in between.

Dan Cramer defeats Matt Arroyo by Split Decision
– I thought Matt Arroyo, The Ultimate Fighter 7 alum, would take this one, but was surprised with Cramer’s perseverance.

Jake O’Brien defeats Christian Wellisch by Split Decision
– Another surprise as I picked Wellisch to come out on top for this one. As you can tell by now, my fantasy UFC picking is pretty horrible. Good to see O’Brien back from his injury and looking strong though.

John Howard defeats Chris Wilson by Split Decision
– This was too close to call, but both men gave it their all.

Thiago Tavares defeats Manny Gamburyan by Unanimous Decision
– Tavares was too big and too strong (and too quick) for Gamburyan, as expected.

Jon Fitch defeats Akihiro Gono by Unanimous Decision
– Gono impressed me by taking Fitch the distance. His entrance performance (where he dressed up in drag with two of his cornermen) had me in stitches!

Akihiro Gono’s hilarious drag queen entrance

Clay Guida defeats Nate Diaz by Split Decision
– Not a huge fan of Diaz, but knew Guida couldn’t finish him. Picked Guida, just based on his energy and spirit. Gotta love someone who is passionate about what they do. Got hooked to his entrance song (Foo Fighter’s “My Hero“).

Karo Parisyan defeats Dong Hyun Kim by Split Decision
– From my vantage point, I thought Kim got robbed on this one. He impressed me. Looking forward to more from him.

Jon Jones defeats Stephan Bonnar by Unanimous Decision
– Woah! Where’d this guy come from? Jones was very unorthodox, but impressive at the same time. Bonnar must’ve been confused with the strikes coming from all ova tha place!

Lyoto Machida defeats Thiago Silva by Knock Out at 4:49 in the 1st round

Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva stare down each other as they get instructions from referee Yves Lavigne

– ALAS!!! A finish!!! Machida must’ve heard all of our groans from a card filled with decisions. And he made sure to bring it. Silva was completely out for a good minute or so. It was the first time I jumped out of my seat (other that to use the potty! *grin*). Mahalos Lyoto!

Silva still on the ground after a vicious Machida punch

Georges St-Pierre defeats BJ Penn by TKO Stoppage at 5:00 in the 4th round

BJ’s Entrance Video

Animation of opening sequence

– D’oh! What a disappointment. But soooo worth being there in person. I was there when they first met at UFC 58 in March of ’06 so it was inevitable that I be there at this one. Unfortunately, the results didn’t reflect my (and probably most of Hawaii’s) wishes. That’s ok, BJ is still the man in my eyes! He showed great courage by not giving up.

On a side note, was it just me or did BJ not look all there from the very beginning? Even from where I was sitting, I could tell that something was just not right. He didn’t come out with the tenacity and that fire in his eye like he usually does. Something was just off. When I watched it back on my DVR at home, I noticed that his eyes were glassy and puffy and he had a look of stress/worry. Was it mental? Was it physical? Only BJ knows I guess, but the results from the fight seemed to confirm my spidey senses.

Following the fight, the rumors started to fly. My Google Reader started blowin’ up! I heard everything from BJ having a fever, to a stomach flu, to a nervous breakdown. I can’t imagine the pressure of having an entire state (and country) on your shoulders. And I know that BJ has that mental toughness a fighter needs to succeed, but something just wasn’t right.

And then there was the Vaseline(-gate) incident, but we won’t go there.

For you Canadian/GSP fans/readers out there, I’m not making any excuses. GSP followed a perfect game plan and fought a flawless fight, and truly was the better man that night. However, if, indeed, the Vaseline and stomach flu rumors were true, and BJ was able to fight at full strength (mentally and physically) against a fair, Vaseline-less body, I’m absolutely positive that the fight would’ve been A LOT closer than it was. If it turns out that those rumors were false, GSP is undeniably the better man at Welterweight.

Leaving the arena took a ridiculously long time as there was just one exit for all 14,885 of us fans in the Grand Garden Arena (I really hope the folks at MGM do something about this potentially dangerous situation). It did give us some time however, to observe some interesting things like the proud/happy Canadians singing their national anthem aloud and the local mokes trying to call them out fo’ beef. I really wish that that fight broke out to give us some entertainment. Not that I was upset at the Canadians. Heck, they deserved to be proud. I think it was more that my thirst for excitement was not quite quenched, with just two stoppages the whole night.

I got some consolation when I saw Pride fighting legend Takanori Gomi waiting in line for his car outside, and took a picture with him. He seemed intense, but gave me a proper, Japanese bow as I bowed and thanked him with “Arigatou gozaimasu.”

Takanori Gomi and I

Wifey also called me later to tell me that my goal of getting on the historic DVD with my cheesy fluorescent green shirt had been fulfilled, albeit the back of our heads. LOL! So it was not all a disappointing night yo. 😛

Dave and I forever a part of UFC 94 history. LOL!

We thought about going to the Official UFC afterparty at LAX (http://www.laxthenightclub.com/ ) at the Luxor, but decided to grab a bite instead. We called my high school buddy Jeff (another Hawaii transplant) to see if he and his wife Yvonne wanted to join us, but he instead, invited us over to his house to eat leftovers from their UFC 94 party. ‘Twas nice to see them and just chill after a long night.

The next day was Superbowl Sunday, but with our bets already placed, we said “Superbowl Shmuperbowl” and hit the slopes at the Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort for a lil’ boardin’.

Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort Sign

It was a gorgeous day with decent conditions (mostly smooth with some powder and icey patches), but the best part was that the Blackjack, High Roller, and Keno paths (blue square) and Jacks, Slot Alley and Grandma’s (black diamond) were relatively empty (see trail PDF here). I pretty much had half the mountain to myself! Awwwww yeah!

Empty path… Loves it!

Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard Resort
End of Highway 1506 in Lee Canyon
(702) 385-2754
Lift Hours: 9am to 4pm
Lodge Hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm

After a mandatory Trader Joe’s omiyage run following our boarding sesh, and a quick bite to eat at Panda Express (yes, we had the urge!), we got back to our hotel just in time to catch the most exciting 4th quarter in Super Bowl history.

Kurt Warner’s look of disgust as his Cardinals allow Pittsburgh to move the ball closer and close to the end zone

All in all, it was a quickie, but exciting 3 days of 3 breathtaking sporting events: MMA, football and snowboarding. The perfect storm of pleasure.

MMA Television Programming for August 2008

MMA Television Programming for Hawaii – August 2008 (All shows are in HST on Oceanic Time Warner Cable):
Info may be updated after original post date so keep checking back.

• Fri, August 1 @ 3:30PM on HDNET Channel 1355
  Inside MMA: Guest panelists include MMA legend Randy Couture with details on his new book Becoming the Natural, his co-author Loretta Hunt, and combat sports medical specialist Dr. Johnny Benjamin.
• Fri, August 1 @ 4:30PM on HDNET Channel 1355
  Best of 2008, Vol. 2: The second installment of the best Mixed Martial Arts fights from 2008 on HDNet Fights. Fighters in action include IFL stars Roy Nelson and Waggney Fabiano, former 4-time All-American wrestler Jake Rosholt, and SportFight Featherweight Champion Enoch Wilson.
• Sat, August 2 at the Neil Blaisdell Arena (local event – not televized)
  Icon Hard Times: Kala Kolohe Hose vs. Rolando Dominique, Bao Quach vs. Mark Oshiro, Phil Baroni vs. Ron Verdadero, Ross Ebanez vs. Keoni Bryant, Sidney Silva vs. Hideto Kondo, etc.
• Sun, August 3 @ 3PM on Versus Channel 0210 or HGOLF Channel 1216
  WEC Live on Versus: Brian Stann defends his WEC™ light heavyweight title for the first time against Steve Cantwell, and WEC™ welterweight title holder Carlos Condit takes on Hiromitsu Miura. Watch live on Versus 6pm PT / 9pm ET Sunday night. [Fight Card]
• Sun, August 3 @ 3:30AM on KHNL Channel 0008 or HDKHNL Channel 1008
  Strikeforce on NBC: Strikeforce on NBC brings you face-to-face with some of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the nation, every Saturday night! From top professional competitors and champions to the up-and-coming challengers, you’ll get an insider’s perspective on the world’s most extreme sport. Experience the adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding action that comes with each round in the cage – this is a series that will put MMA fans on the edge of their seats!
• Wed, August 6 @ 3PM on Spike TV Channel 0559
  UFC Unleashed Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin: UFC® Unleashed™ is a themed hour of the best fights, legendary fighters and previews of upcoming battles.
• Wed, August 6 @ 4PM on Versus Channel 0210 or HGOLF Channel 1216
  TapouT: Danny Lauzon: TapouT we follow the TapouT crew as they head out to East Bridgewater, MA to check out up-and-coming MMA fighter Dany Lauzon, little brother to UFC fighter Joe Lauzon. Before heading to meet Dany, the guys decide to stop in Boston to check out some historical landmarks where typical TapouT antics ensue. Once on the road again Mask and Skrape continue the fun by driving Punkass to the edge of losing it. Once they finally reach Dany who lives outside of Boston in East Bridgewater they soon discover that Dany has all the potential to be a great fighter but does not have the proper trainers. TapouT brings Dany to Mark DellaGrotte’s gym to show him that there are other options for him if he truly wants to be a professional fighter. The episode builds to the climatic ending where Dany fights at the World Championship Fighting in Wilmington, MA. Special Guest appearance by UFC President Dana White, who stops by the WCF fights.
• Fri, August 8 @ 3:30PM on HDNET Channel 1355
  Inside MMA: Inside MMA is your opportunity to step inside the world of mixed martial arts and find out what it takes to be a champion. Hosts Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice provide all the latest news and highlights, along with features, analysis, and rankings.
• Fri, August 8 @ 4:30PM on HDNET Channel 1355
  Strikeforce™: Undercover: The best young fighters in action from Strikeforce, one of the top Mixed Martial Arts promotions in the world. Featured fights include: Lightweight contender Nam Phan (14-4) vs. undefeated Billy Evangelista (6-0), and 21 year-old Miesha Tate vs. veteran Elaina “Beef” Maxwell.
• Sat, August 9 @ 4PM on PPV Channel 0701 or HDPPV Channel 1700 (preshow starts at 3:30PM)
  UFC 87 Seek and Destroy: St-Pierre vs. Fitch: Georges ‘Rush’ St-Pierre defends the UFC® Welterweight Championship at UFC® 87: SEEK AND DESTROY, as number one contender Jon Fitch steps up to take on the newly crowned champion. Then, hometown hero Brock Lesnar returns to the Octagon™ to seek redemption in the Heavyweight Division. Plus, in what could end up being the matchup of the year, lightweight contenders face off as Kenny ‘KenFlo’ Florian battles Roger ‘El Matador’ Huerta. [Fight Card]
• Sun, August 10 @ 3:30AM on KHNL Channel 0008 or HDKHNL Channel 1008
  Strikeforce on NBC: Strikeforce on NBC brings you face-to-face with some of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the nation, every Saturday night! From top professional competitors and champions to the up-and-coming challengers, you’ll get an insider’s perspective on the world’s most extreme sport. Experience the adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding action that comes with each round in the cage – this is a series that will put MMA fans on the edge of their seats!
• Wed, August 13 @ 4PM on Versus Channel 0210 or HGOLF Channel 1216
  TapouT: Greg McIntyre: On this episode of TapouT we follow the TapouT crew as they check in with an old friend Greg McIntyre in San Diego, CA who’s reentering the MMA world after having his colon removed. After stocking up on some TapouT gear, the crew heads to Throwdown Elite Training Facility to catch up with Greg and his trainer, UFC veteran Dean Lister. During the episode, TapouT learns more about Greg, his illness and the struggles he has gone through to get back into the cage. TapouT decides to sponsor Greg at the PURECOMBAT fight event in Visalia, CA where Greg will have to prove whether or not he is physically ready to be back in the cage fighting.
• Fri, August 15 @ 3:30PM on HDNET Channel 1355
  Inside MMA: Inside MMA is your opportunity to step inside the world of mixed martial arts and find out what it takes to be a champion. Hosts Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice provide all the latest news and highlights, along with features, analysis, and rankings.
• Fri, August 15 @ 5PM on Showtime Channel 0633 or HD Showtime Channel 1633
  SHOXC Elite Challenger Series: Po`ai Suganuma vs. Jared Hamman. [Fight Card]
• Mon, August 18 @ 3PM on Spike TV Channel 0559
  UFC Unleashed Liddell vs. Silva: UFC® Unleashed™ is a themed hour of the best fights, legendary fighters and previews of upcoming battles.
• Sun, August 17 @ 3:30AM on KHNL Channel 0008 or HDKHNL Channel 1008
  Strikeforce on NBC: Strikeforce on NBC brings you face-to-face with some of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the nation, every Saturday night! From top professional competitors and champions to the up-and-coming challengers, you’ll get an insider’s perspective on the world’s most extreme sport. Experience the adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding action that comes with each round in the cage – this is a series that will put MMA fans on the edge of their seats!
• Wed, August 20 @ 4PM on Versus Channel 0210 or HGOLF Channel 1216
  TapouT: Johny and Jake: The TapouT crew travels to Las Vegas, NV looking for a 185 pounder to fill out their roster – Jake Rosholt and Johny Hendricks are both put to the test it out to see if they have what it takes to be a TapouT fighter in this unbelievable double header.
• Fri, August 22 @ 3:30PM on HDNET Channel 1355
  Inside MMA: Inside MMA is your opportunity to step inside the world of mixed martial arts and find out what it takes to be a champion. Hosts Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice provide all the latest news and highlights, along with features, analysis, and rankings.
• Sun, August 24 @ 3:30AM on KHNL Channel 0008 or HDKHNL Channel 1008
  Strikeforce on NBC: Strikeforce on NBC brings you face-to-face with some of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the nation, every Saturday night! From top professional competitors and champions to the up-and-coming challengers, you’ll get an insider’s perspective on the world’s most extreme sport. Experience the adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding action that comes with each round in the cage – this is a series that will put MMA fans on the edge of their seats!
• Wed, August 27 @ 4PM on Versus Channel 0210 or HGOLF Channel 1216
  TapouT: Albert Manners: On this episode of TapouT, the guys head back to Hilo, HI to scope out fighter Albert Manners who trains with MMA fighter BJ Penn.
• Fri, August 29 @ 3:30PM on HDNET Channel 1355
  Inside MMA: Inside MMA is your opportunity to step inside the world of mixed martial arts and find out what it takes to be a champion. Hosts Bas Rutten and Kenny Rice provide all the latest news and highlights, along with features, analysis, and rankings.
• Sun, August 31 @ 3:30AM on KHNL Channel 0008 or HDKHNL Channel 1008
  Strikeforce on NBC: Strikeforce on NBC brings you face-to-face with some of the most exciting Mixed Martial Arts fighters in the nation, every Saturday night! From top professional competitors and champions to the up-and-coming challengers, you’ll get an insider’s perspective on the world’s most extreme sport. Experience the adrenaline-filled, heart-pounding action that comes with each round in the cage – this is a series that will put MMA fans on the edge of their seats!

Ongoing/repeat shows include UFC Unleashed (UFC) on SpikeTV (0559), Various Specials on HDNet Fights (1355), World Extreme Cagefighting and WEC Wreckage (WEC) on Versus (0210) or HGOLF (1216), TapouT on Versus (0210) or HGOLF (1216), UFC Wired (UFC) on KFVE (0005), Strikefoce on NBC on KHNL Channel 0008 or HDKHNL 1008, EliteXC on Showtime (0633) or HD Showtime (1633), and ICON Sport TV on KFVE (0005). See also: Sherdog.com., Yahoo! Sports, Fox Sports, CBS Sports, MMA Weekly, MMA Mania.

If I missed anything, send it on over and I’ll add it to the list. Thanks!

Jesse Taylor Out, Amir Sadollah to Face CB Dollaway in the Ultimate Fighter Finale

So I admittedly haven’t been home long enough to sit down and watch back the entire episode of Wednesday’s the Ultimate Fighter show, but my Google Reader told me that the meathead who got eliminated (due to the kicking out of the limo window) was Jesse Taylor. No surprise. What did surprise, yet delight me was to see that Amir Sadollah moved on to the finale, which meant one thing. Arrogant/Cocky CB Dollaway lost! YES!

So this morning, I had to do a quick fast forward/rewind recap of the show on my DVR to see exactly what happened.

* FF – through Amir vs. CB match
* Stop & Rewind – to watch armbar setup and execution
* Play – through post fight wrap-up and interviews (don’t you hate it when people say their own name in the 3rd person? – “CB Dollaway” – so irras!)
* FF – to Jesse incident and Dana’s speech to him
* FF – through CB vs. Tim Credeur match (noticed it went three rounds. Gotta love and respect Tim.)

So now it’s Amir Sadollah vs. CB Dollaway 2 for the Ultimate Fighter finale on Spike TV tomorrow night (Digital Channel 0559 @ 6PM). When there were four men left, this is the matchup I wanted for the finale anyway. Let’s just see if Amir can pull off the upset again. CB is way too strong and talented, and will no doubt make it as a fighter, but I just hate how conceited he is about it. Amir seems humble and appreciative of everything and you just want to see someone like that win it all. Plus, he can scrap no?

TGIF folks. Have a good weekend!

Talk to me!
* Who do you want to win? CB or Amir?
* What do you think of Tim Credeur? What a good guy yeah?
* What are your big plans this weekend?

Anderson Silva to Fight On FREE TV!

It’s official. The fight for MMA supremacy is on like Donkey Kong!

The rumors were just confirmed that the UFC has put together a card to be aired on July 19th, the very same night that rival league startup Affliction is to air their Banned card on Pay-Per-View. The card will feature Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva moving up to Light Heavyweight to face James “The Sandman” Irvin and will be aired on SpikeTV (Digital Channel 0559) for free.

And that’s not the end of it. There have also been rumors that the UFC is considering putting together yet another card for July 26th to go up against the next scheduled CBS EliteXC event on broadcast television. It’s getting insane in the membrane.

Then again, the UFC has always been the dominant name in MMA. They’re just pushing their muscle around. Ultimately, this is, I think, a good thing for us fans. We get to see the best in MMA competition, regardless of the organization who puts it on.

Talk to me!
* What do y’all think of this?
* Which are you planning to watch? Personally, I’m doing the DVR thang! 🙂
* Do you think Affliction (who is now backed by Donald Trump) can get some traction with their big names?

What Happened to Kimbo!?

On Saturday, I, oh, only spoke of the biggest night in Mixed Martial Arts history, when MMA finally went prime time to the masses on network television. Problem was, I had a previous engagement (benefit dinner). D’oh! So I set my trusty DVR to record the blessed event, and even recorded half an hour of the news that followed in case it went long. That’s an extra half an hour of buffer zone yo!

At the dinner, I frantically looked up the results of the fights on my phone and read that there was some controversy in the Slice/Thompson fight. I salivated even more at the fact of coming home to watch it with my own two eyes. So I get home and study my Real Estate book for a couple chapters (highly recommend Abe Lee Seminars by the way) and decide to reward myself with the fight. I “Skip to end” and rewind.

WHAT THE!

They’re still on the Lawler/Smith fight. I’ll watch that later. So I fire up the 1/2 of buffer recording and start to get upset. Knowing it went three rounds, the meter on my bar was quickly approaching the end by the time the first round started.

!#$%

It got cut off! I couldn’t even watch the most anticipated fight on this historic MMA card. Double D’oh! I’ve since frantically searched all channels at all times for a re-airing, but didn’t find anything. If anyone wants to invite me to their house to re-watch it, let me know. LOL! I can’t believe I missed it. I wanted to see the controversial tap dammit.

What was even more amusing was how outspoken UFC President Dana White talked smack on ESPN about his rival organization, saying “What happened on CBS was horrendous.” Check it out.

Talk to me:
* Are you a Kimbo fan? Do you think he needs to be tested more on the ground and deeper into the rounds (cardio) to legitimize his game?
* Do you think EliteXC is using Kimbo strictly as a marketing tool? Shouldn’t they put him up against good comp soon already?
* Is Brett Rogers hating’ (jealous of Kimbo’s coverage) or does he have a point?
* What do you think of Dana White? Love ’em? Hate ’em?
* How ’bout that Faber vs. Pulver fight eh? I gots new found respect for Pulver man!