MMA Monthly Matchups: March Edition

By Dan D. Hallberg

February was a somewhat uneventful, but still entertaining month of fights, particularly if you enjoy geriatrics getting crushed by other geriatrics. But March has tons of interesting battles, so lets take a look.

5. Miguel Torres (37-2) vs. Joseph Benavidez, WEC 47, 3/4/2010

Miguel Torres is back, and it’s a good thing. It wasn’t too long ago that Torres was in the discussion for top pound for pound fighter in the world. Unfortunately that all faded away after his stunning knockout loss to Brian Bowles. Now he’s trying to get back in the saddle against a tough opponent and top bantamweight fighter in his own right, Joseph Benavidez. Benavidez is a scrambler, ala his teammate Urijah Faber, so it will be interesting to see how he deals with Torres’ jiu jitsu. However, I still think the Bowles loss was a fluke. Torres wins and with it gains a shot at his old title.

4. Champion Georges St. Pierre (19-2) vs. Dan Hardy (24-6), UFC 111, 3/27/2010

This is the lowest I’ve ever ranked a title fight on my list and there is a simple reason why: Dan Hardy has no business fighting GSP. He’s only getting the fight because GSP’s beaten everyone else. I mean, Hardy has a punchers chance, but ever since the Serra loss GSP has been on guard for that. Pretty much Hardy will be taken down again, and again, and again, until he gives up a choke or gets decisioned.

3. Jon Jones (9-1) vs. Brandon Vera (11-4), UFC on Versus, 3/21/2010

For all intensive purposes, Jon Jones DQ loss to Matt Hamill was not a loss, and the UFC is not treating it like one. He takes a serious step up in competition as he faces fellow young gun Brandon Vera. It seems like every time Vera gets close to cracking into title contention he drops the ball. If he doesn’t win this fight it’s going to be hard for him to convince anyone that they should care about him. The thing is, I don’t care about him now, and haven’t seen anything in him to justify the multiple chances that the UFC likes to give him. Jones on the other hand is a highlight reel in the making. Jones by knockout in a pretty spectacular fashion.

2. Frank Mir (13-4) vs. Shane Carwin (11-0), UFC 111, 3/27/2010

Mir shut my mouth a few months back by decimating his last opponent, lets see if he can do it again. The former champ added on an extra 40+ pounds of muscle in an attempt to prepare for the bigger stronger Brock Lesnar. Now we get to see if his methods will work in a test run against the equally big and strong Shane Carwin in a matchup for the Interim Heavyweight championship. Carwin is essentially Lesnar with less wrestling credentials and without the attitude, so this should make for an interesting fight. Despite being wrong last time, I’m going to go against Mir in favor of Carwin. Mir seems to be doomed to be stuck in the “not quite championship material”zone for the rest of his career; this fight will show that.

1. Champion Brian Bowles (8-0) vs. Dominick Cruz (14-1), WEC 47, 3/4/2010

This fight has almost every element one needs to make a great title fight. Both men can throw, both men have great stamina to go into late rounds, both men are lightning fast, and both men are deserve to be where they’re at. Bowles is undefeated and won his title from top pound for pound regular Miguel Torres and Cruz is undefeated at bantamweight, and his only loss came to then featherweight champion Urijah Faber. I’m actually torn on where to go for this one, and when that happens, I have to go with the champ. Bowles pulls out a decision, leading to his rematch against local boy Miguel Torres.

 Dan is a 1L and can be reached at forum@valpo.edu

Professor Profile

This month I interviewed Professor Sy Moskowitz. Professor Moskowitz has been a Law Professor at Valparaiso University School of Law for over 30 years. Originally he never thought that he would be a Law Professor. His interest was in labor law and civil rights. It is these interests that drove him to become a lawyer. After graduating at Harvard Law, where one of his classmates was Justice David Souter, he started and was the first director of VUSL’s clinical program. During his time as director, he developed an interest in teaching law.
When asked about teaching, Professor Moskowitz said, “Some teachers changed my life and forced me to think about my own ideas. Teachers should make students think about their belief and make them challenge their own beliefs.” Moskowitz added that teaching is a sacred calling.
Moskowitz teaches administrative law, constitutional law, family law, and also teaches family law practicum with a sitting judge. Moskowitz stated that the most important thing students should learn in law school is how to become professional students. “This includes an increased demand upon students and obligations to serve clients with that sense of professionalism.” Moskowitz said. For those students looking for employment, Professor Moskowitz said the more a student is involved with lawyers and the practice of law, the better they know what it means to be a lawyer. His final advice was to 1L’s saying that they should aim at maintaining a balance in life between work and enjoyment in order not to be overwhelmed.
Besides teaching, Professor Moskowitz enjoys a variety of other interests. He enjoys hiking, rafting, camping, and yoga. He also loves listening to music, especially jazz and classical. He still involves himself with some law cases in Indiana.
Originally from New York, Moskowitz has four children of which three are married. He also has four grandchildren. His oldest daughter is a lawyer who works in IP law. His wife was an attorney and later became a nurse and midwife.
“Some of the things I enjoy most about being a teach is being with students and colleagues. I learn about things myself through research and writing and teach people how to learn. I think teaching people how to learn is the most important part of law school. Once students know how to learn, they can go out and learn anything about the law on their own.” Moskowitz said.

John Bayard is a 2L who can be reached at forum@valpo.edu