MMA Open Mic

  • Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 4:22 pm by Bear Frazer

I haven’t been myself lately. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me for quite some time. Freelancing fulltime for a variety of publications without the fulltime pay is absolutely draining. It really consumes you and burns you out. Hope takes a vacation, leaving you to marinade at your desk with the hot water tank leaking on your rug every time some asshole flushes the toilet.

I tend to push all of that shit to the side though because I’m fortunate to even have some sort of an income. So many people don’t have jobs and are struggling to pay the bills in this shit economy, often leaning on me for a friendly ear or some money help. It’s fucking depressing sometimes, but I’m that dude who keeps it together somehow. It’s like I don’t even have the time to be sad because it surrounds me all the time. That’s probably why I act crazy sometimes. Gotta make yourself smile somehow.

Anyways, I’m not gonna get emo on you. If you wanted that, then you’d stop reading this and listen to an AFI record. I guess I just needed to write shit down, and since I love this publication, I feel like it’s home for me to express some shizzle.

But yeah. For those of you wondering why I haven’t blogged as much lately, well there it is and I feel bad about it because, I know all, like, six of you who read this regularly look forward to my ‘unique’ rhetoric. I’ve actually stopped working on the MMA screenplay for the moment just because it’s been intense lately. No fear, though; I’m looking to finish that up though once I clear a few assignments off the desk and once the rough is copyrighted, I’ll share some of that stuff with you.

In the meantime, however, I got some of that coke to shovel out.

Faber Gets The Next Title Shot. Are Other Featherweights Getting Gypped?

faber_assuncao_seven

So it’s been pretty much declared that former champ Urijah Faber will challenge the reigning champ Jose Aldo for the WEC Featherweight. It’s definitely a fight I wanna see and, like I’m sure many others believe, will be a fight of the year contender. Both dudes are smart, creative fighters with non-stop energy and, if it’s going to pay per view, the best bout the WEC could have as their main event.

But, objectively speaking, does Faber really deserve another crack at the title this soon? After all, this upcoming bout will be his second title shot in three fights. He lost a five round decision to Mike Brown, got surgery to repair his broken hand and defeated Raphael Assuncao. One victory over a top contender, and a helluva lot of popularity, has made him the number one contender again.

I’m not complaining about the upcoming Faber vs. Aldo contest. I like Faber’s style a lot and this could very well be fight of the year. Hell, it’s the most exciting fight anyone could put together at 145-pounders. Still, I can’t help but to feel that Manny Gamburyan, Josh Grispi and former champ Mike Brown (who bounced back from his title loss with a victory over Anthony “Cheesesteak” Morrison) are being gypped.

Henderson Stays At Middleweight, To Challenge Jake Shields For Title

I’m not too surprised by this one, nor should anyone else be. Dan Henderson is a top middleweight fighter and it’s only natural that he challenges Jake Shields for the championship bout.

Nothing but good can come out of this too because if Shields defeats “Hollywood Dan,” then it legitimizes him as a top pound-for-pound fighter and perhaps the biggest threat to Anderson Silva at 185 who isn’t with the Zuffa machine. If Henderson wins, then Strikeforce has the number two guy in the division carrying their strap. Either way, this outcome of this championship fight proves that Strikeforce’s Middleweight division is almost on par with the UFC’s.

Although I’m looking forward to this April showdown, I would’ve liked to have seen Henderson battle Gegard Mousasi for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Title first because there are a lack of quality contenders at 205 and ’cause Hendo could always drop weight for a megafight at 185 when the time is right. Plus, I think his skill set is the perfect nightmare for Mousasi, so it would’ve been nice to see what happened. That fight can still happen though. Just later down the line.

In any event, Strikeforce won’t be running out of middleweight challengers anytime soon. Remember, Jacare, Tim Kennedy, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Robbie Lawler, Luke Rockhold, Trevor Prangley and Melvin Manhoef are lurking in the woodwork. Now, if only Paulo Filho and Jorge Santiago can get over here …

Final Thoughts

- I can not wait to see Fedor fight again. I’m really just praying that it’s against Alistair Overeem and not Fabricio Werdum.

- I wonder is Matt Serra has the same love/hate relationship for Jersey Shore that I do. Speaking of which, I wonder how many calories one can lose fist pumping.

- If I never said it, I’ll say it now: I’m a big Dana White fan. I think he is cool as shit and one of the dopest people I’ve ever had the chance to interview. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Now, although I want his words to be true, I still don’t believe that MMA will be the biggest sport by 2020. I feel that way because a lot of regular people here in the ‘States still have no fucking clue what MMA or the UFC is and that’s a damn shame. Regardless, I try educating people on the sport and culture every chance I get in hopes that one day, they will enjoy it as much as I do.

- A few months ago, I go Mike Pyle and Gray Maynard on an episode of Supernanny. Just thought I’d share that. But while I’m on the subject of Maynard, he doesn’t look ready to fight B.J. Penn for the title. Sure, his 9-0 record and a previous victory over new number one contender Frankie Edgar, could imply that Maynard is probably the most deserving of a title shot. But has looked beastly ever since he entered the UFC. He’s sharp, explosive and fearless, hands down giving Penn the best challenge in the division out of the ones who haven’t fought him yet.

Man … I’m so sad Houston Alexander lost the other night against Joey Beltran. Sucks to see that happen as the “Nebraskan Assassin” is one hella cool dude. Oh well … at least Beltran has a bad ass nickname (”The Mexicutioner”)

The Jets won. Awesome.

That’s all for today. I’ll have some more rhetoric on the way. Until tomorrow,

Your BFF,
Bear.Fuckin.Frazer.
Follow.Me.On.

Leave a Reply