By Dan D. Hallberg

Last month had its ups and downs but was generally pleasing. The Strikeforce heavyweight tournament is now a bit of a mess with two of the favorites unceremoniously knocked out of the bracket in the first round, but that’s what you get with tournaments sometimes. UFC and Strikeforce have a busy month in March, so lets take a look!

Dan Hardy (23-8) vs. Anthony Johnson (8-3), UFC Fight Night, 3/26/2011

This spot was reserved for Tito vs. ‘lil Nog, but since Tito is again hurt, this space goes to a more exciting fight with lesser names.  Hardy is coming off a rough knockout to fellow exciting striker Carlos Condit.  Johnson, who still has trouble making weight cuts, is coming off a loss to contender Josh Koscheck.  Both need to get some momentum if they want to stay relevant in the UFC’s crowded welterweight division.  With strikers like this we’re probably going to have a knockout, and the way I see it Rumble Johnson is going to continue having problems cutting the 55 lbs. he normally cuts to make weight.  Look for Dan Hardy to knock Johnson into the middleweight division.

Diego Sanchez (22-4) vs. Martin Kampmann (17-4), UFC: Live, 3/3/2011

Where to start with these two. Diego is stuck between a rock and a hard place. If there were a 163 pound division he’d be king, but as it stands he’s too big to make the cut effectively to 155 pounds and too small to stand up to the bigger 170 pound fighters. Martin Kampmann is a man on the cusp of becoming something special, but he’s had problems closing important fights. He had Jake Shields in his cross-hairs and just couldn’t finish; now Shields is getting his title shot while Kampmann is hoping to rebound. Since Kampmann has shown improved wrestling while still managing explosive striking, it’s hard to see him not just man handling Sanchez. Look for this one to be a short quick victory for Kampmann, and yet another trip to the drawing board for Sanchez.

Champion Rafael Cavalcante (10-2) vs. Dan Henderson (26-8), Strikeforce, 3/5/2011

The Strikeforce Light Heavyweight title is on the line, and Dan Henderson hopes to add some more gold to his already crowded trophy shelf. Cavalcante surprised everybody with the beat down he put on King Mo to win his title, but he has a very different challenge ahead of him with Henderson. King Mo made the mistake of standing and trading with Cavalcante when it was clear that Mo had the better wrestling. Henderson, a legend in the sport, won’t make that mistake, and even if he does stand with him, Hendo has such a good chin that it seems unlikely that the champ will be able to score a knockout. I think Henderson will most likely frustrate the young champ with his wrestling, before finally finding a home for his brick of a right hook; giving him yet another title.

Urijah Faber (24-4) vs. Eddie Wineland (18-6-1), UFC 128, 3/19/2011

Two WEC legends make their UFC debuts as the first WEC Bantamweight Champion, and Chesterton’s own, Eddie Wineland takes on the former WEC Featherweight Champ, Urijah Faber. Wineland has been on a streak lately, scoring impressive knockout victories. At the same time though, he has had several bumps in the road as a result of various injuries. Faber finds himself once again in the mix for a championship, having made a successful jump down to the bantamweight division. You never really know what to expect for a Urijah Faber fight. His style is so different from everyone out there that it’s hard to predict what will happen. That said, Faber has handled every striker he’s faced except for Jose Aldo and Mike Brown who were just too big for him. That won’t be a problem with Wineland, so look for Faber to win and get the next shot at Dominick Cruz.

Champion Mauricio Rua (19-4) vs. Jon Jones (12-1), UFC 128, 3/19/2011

UFC 126 really only had two exciting moments: one was Anderson Silva kicking Vitor Belfort in the face, and the other was Jon Jones getting the next light heavyweight title shot because his teammate Rashad Evans blew out his knee. The UFC had been bringing along Jones slowly, but after showing that he completely out-classed fellow up-and-comer Ryan Bader, the power that be decided to give the 23 year old Jonny Bones the shot. Meanwhile, Shogun Rua is coming off yet another knee surgery and hasn’t fought since winning the title in May of last year. Plus the sudden change in opponents after thinking he was going to be fighting Evans for the better part of a year might throw his strategy for a loop. While I think Shogun has the tools overcome these obstacles, it’s going to be tough to do against a young, hungry, well rounded challenger like Jones. Plus the young guns have been on a surge lately with Frankie Edgar and Cain Velasquez taking charge in their divisions. Because of this I have to go with Jones, probably by TKO after taking a few violent shots in the process.

By Dan D. Hallberg

Well January and December certainly turned out to be interesting months. We had two extremely entertaining lightweight title fights. One ended in an upset and the MMA highlight of the year, and the other ended in the first title fight draw in UFC history. Can February match the action? Let’s find out!

Fedor Emelianenko (32-2) vs. Antonio Silva (15-2), Strikeforce, 2/12/2011

It’s the first round of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, with the winner getting a shot at the Heavyweight title. At the same time, Strikeforce champion Allister Overeem will be in the tournament, but his belt won’t be on the line unless he’s in the finals, or if he loses before that, against the winner of the Grand Prix. Mostly, I think this is stupid, since Strikeforce already had contenders lined up to fight Overeem without the tournament but whatever. Fedor’s trying to get back to his winning ways after his stunning upset loss last year, but his management keeping him out of the fight game so long is going to hurt him against Silva who has kept comparatively busy. I don’t think it will make him lose per se, but it may mean that he’ll take more damage then necessary en route to a late fight TKO victory for the Last Emperor.

B.J. Penn (16-7-1) vs. Jon Fitch (23-3), UFC 127, 2/27/2011

Why is a fight with major title implications this far down on the list? Because Jon Fitch, the human sleeping pill, is involved. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great fighter, but he’s stuck between a rock an a hard place. He’s good enough a wrestler to beat anybody in the welterweight division, except the champ. So he’s pretty much stuck fighting top guys until the UFC is forced to give him another shot. Meanwhile B.J. is looking to show that he can be a force at 170 lbs., where he has a dramatic speed advantage while retaining knockout power. The problem is that even though he has some of the best take down defense in the world, he’ll still eventually tire and give up take downs to Fitch. So unless he scores an early knockout, look for Fitch to grind out a very forgettable decision.

Carlos Condit (26-5) vs. Chris Lytle (30-17-5), UFC 127, 2/27/2011

So why is a fight with only minor title implications higher on the list then the last fight? Because these two guys are thrilling fighters with all around skills who put on exciting, yet still technical, performances. Lytle comes out fast so the best strategy is just to make sure and survive that initial storm and then just look for openings the rest of the round while he’s catching his breath a little. I don’t see Condit doing that though, since he has tight boxing technique, I see him going blow for blow with Lytle to start and get the knockout then. But that’s me. However it goes, it will be exciting, and probably fight and or knockout of the night.

Ryan Bader (12-0) vs. Jon Jones (12-1), UFC 126, 2/5/2011

Two of UFC’s brightest young stars go toe to toe in this light heavyweight match up. I’m kind of surprised this match is happening now, since it will stall one of these guys on their way to the title; but I guess when you have a division as stacked as the light heavyweight division is you can afford to do it. Both fighters are for all intents and purposes undefeated, with Jones’ sole loss coming as a result of a DQ due to strikes that most MMA fans don’t think should be illegal. Both are great wrestlers with solid striking, even though their striking styles are extremely different, with Bader using a more traditional boxing style and Jones using an eccentric crazy style that you can only get away with when you have a strong wrestling base like he does. Just for fun, I’m going with crazy on this one, with Jones scoring a TKO at some point in this contest.

Champion Anderson Silva (31-4) vs. Vitor Belfort (19-8), UFC 126, 2/5/2011

The best fighter in MMA squares off against a man hoping to join the ranks of Couture, Henderson, and Penn as the only fighters to win top world titles in two weight classes. This fight, on paper, looks like the last real challenge out there for Anderson outside of Chael Sonnen, who is currently suspended and convicted of money laundering. Belfort has solid jiu-jitsu and the fastest hands in MMA, and can take a punch decently. However, he hasn’t fought as often, nor the same level of competition as Silva. Plus it’s just not smart to bet against Anderson Silva ever. So I’m picking Anderson by TKO sometime before the championship rounds.

(If this is too long, cut the first fight from the article to make space)

By Dan D. Hallberg

Welcome one and all to another installment of face-smashing Forum excitement!    Last month I was an unprecedented 5 for 5 in my picks.  What does that mean for this month’s picks?  Probably nothing…Anyways, 4 of our competitors this month lost title bouts their last fight, so let’s see if they can come back strong and take a victory!

5. Matt Hughes (45-7) vs. B.J. Penn (15-7-1), UFC 123 11/20/2010

Two UFC greats meet for a third time to decide who the better of the two is.  Hughes has been on a bit of a streak since his losses after dropping the title to Georges St. Pierre.  Meanwhile B.J. has dropped two straight fights and his championship to a younger, faster, and harder worker in Frankie Edgar.  The question here really is going to be B.J.’s motivation.  If he cares enough to put the effort in then he can beat almost anybody, and certainly can beat someone he’s defeated before.  Sadly though, I don’t really see what B.J.’s motivation for this fight would be, and have to pick Hughes since he’ll put in a workman’s performance regardless.

4. Joseph Benavidez (12-2) vs. Wagnney Fabiano (14-2), WEC 52 11/11/2010

Benavidez just came off a hard fought, but tough loss to bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz and is looking back into the title picture.  Fabiano has won two straight since his drop down from featherweight and is also looking to get into the title mix.  Hard to say with this one, they both have the ability to choke the other out, but Benavidez is by far the superior wrestler.  It seems likely that he’ll also be able to fight off Fabiano’s submission attempts.  Chances are Benavidez by decision, unless somebody does something risky and gets choked out.

3. George Sotiropoulos (13-2) vs. Joe Lauzon (19-5), UFC 123 11/20/2010

Again, these are two men looking to get into the title picture.  The lightweight scene could use some new faces and one of these guys would be in line to fight for the title by getting past the other.  Again this fight is a tough one to call for similar reasons to the fight above.  It’s pretty much the same fight but the guys are just 10 lbs heavier.  And since I chose the better wrestler in that fight, I will in this on.  So Sotiropoulos by decision, and a move to bigger and better things for the Aussie.

2. Urijah Faber (23-4) vs. Takeya Mitzugaki (13-4-2), WEC 52 11/11/2010

Given Faber’s surfer good looks, long blonde hair, and chin that looks like Gaston’s from Beauty and the Beast, it should be really easy to hate him.  But it’s impossible not to respect a man who takes the beatings he has and still come out round after round for more.  I’ve seen him break his hands in the first and second rounds respectively before and still continuing all the way to the fifth.  That takes guts, and he’s taking those guts down a division where his lack of reach will be less of a problem.  He doesn’t have an easy task with former title contender Mitzugaki.  However, I can’t really see what Mitzugaki brings to the table that could challenge Faber.  I’m going with TKO for Faber in the second.

1. Rampage Jackson (31-7) vs. Lyoto Machida (16-1), UFC 123 11/20/2010

Two former champs are going to war and it should be…probably a little boring.  That’s the problem with Machida fights, but none-the-less it is an interesting matchup.  Not to mention, nobody is sure how Machida will react to his loss to Shogun.  That being said he’s had no problems with boxers/wrestlers in the past and I really don’t see how he would have problem with Rampage.  So,  I’m going with Machida, by TKO in the third when Rampage tries to make something happen.

It’s week 2 of the 2010-11 NFL season on Sunday night.  As a Colts fan, there is no other place that I would rather be then lounging on my couch ready to take in Manning Bowl II live in prime time.  Those who remember the game most likely will recall that it was the Colt’s running game that did the bulk of the work, but that didn’t stop Peyton Manning from throwing three touchdown passes.  The praise from Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth was high, and who could blame them?  It’s Peyton Manning, first ballot future hall of famer and arguably the best of all time, he deserves the praise.

The next night it’s New Orleans vs. Frisco on Monday night.  Here you have Drew Brees, consummate professional and no doubt one of the most talented passers in the league.  Often spoken in the same breath as the Manning, Brady, and Favre’s of the world.  Again, praise was high and deservedly so.  I don’t think any team except the Colts, Patriots, or Chargers (only because they didn’t want him not too long ago) would pass on having Drew Brees lead their team.

And then we have Alex Smith.  There are rarely sentences that mention Alex Smith and Peyton Manning that don’t have a “he’s no” in between their names.  But he has one good drive down the field and the announce team acts like he’s the second coming of Joe Montana.  During the drive they could do nothing but gush about how Alex Smith was the future of the organization, and how this drive shows just how mature he is.  Alex Smith finished the game with one touchdown and 2 interceptions and a respectable but not great 82.2 passer rating, but if you were reading the transcript from the coverage you’d think that he outgunned John Elway that night.

This is just one example of the football press making it it’s job to place any quarterback who has a good play on a pedestal for all the world to worship.  I read a column in the off season that ranked quarterbacks in three different classes and in the elite class there were 10 people…10 ELITE quarterbacks!  I’m no expert wordsmith, but I’m pretty sure that being elite means that there aren’t a lot of people in that class.  It’s not very elite if a third of the league has quarterbacks of that caliber on their team.

I’m not saying that they aren’t good.  Certainly guys like Joe Flacco and Matt Shaub deserve recognition for their talents and successes, but they’re still young.  They don’t need the added pressure of being put in the same category as Tom Brady.  So people should stop doing that until they’ve actually earned it.  Elite is not some word that you just hand out to anybody who throws a 30 yard pass.  It’s something you have to earn through years of constant excellence.  Otherwise Jake Delhomme and Rick Mirer would be hall of famers, and I don’t think that’s something any broadcaster would recommend.

Dan D. Hallberg

Well, last month was a bad month for the UFC, but WEC did pretty good and they’re free to watch if you get VS, so that’s good!  It’s an all UFC month in October, and everyone’s favorite behemoth will be in action!  So lets hope that things get better this month!

5. Michael Bisping (19-3) vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-2), UFC 120, 10/16/2010

The UFC is heading back to the UK and that means that Michael Bisping has to be in action.  He’s coming off of a quality win against a tough opponent so that definitely works in his favor.  He’ll also be on home turf, so that works in his favor.  And if that wasn’t enough Akiyama just lost to someone Bisping beat two years ago.  That being said, Akiyama is certainly not someone to be taken lightly and Bisping hasn’t fought anybody with the judo cred that Akiyama has.  Still Akiyama seems reluctant to game plan, and Bisping is the best in the UFC at coming up with a strategy (even though he doesn’t always follow it) and will probably be much more prepared then Akiyama.  That’s way too many positives in Bisping’s favor, so look to him for the win, by decision or early TKO.

4. Brendan Schaub (6-1) vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (11-5), UFC 121, 10/23/2010

It’s the new next big thing versus the former next big thing.  Since losing to Roy Nelson in the Ultimate Fighter Finale, Brendan Schaub has been on a tear; destroying his last two opponents in less then a combined two minutes.  He’s looking like the next great heavyweight that Gabriel Gonzaga was supposed to be.  Gonzaga burst onto the UFC Heavyweight scene when the heavyweight division was at arguably it’s lowest point, but he had a lot of promise.  After losing his bid at the title against Randy Couture he’s had a choppy record.  He’s beaten lesser opponents, but every time he goes against some of the UFC’s newer, high quality heavyweights he comes up short.  The heavyweight division needs a gatekeeper and that’s where Gonzaga best fits right now.   That makes him a good test for Schaub.  I think Schaub has the athleticism to become a top guy in the UFC and by beating Gonzaga he will show that he also has the developing skills to become a top guy in the UFC.

3. Carlos Condit (25-5) vs. Dan Hardy (23-7), UFC 120, 10/16/2010

This one is gonna be a war.  Both of these men have been in their share of wars and proven that they can take a lot of punishment.  I, like many people, didn’t take Dan Hardy seriously at all prior to his title fight with Georges St. Pierre, but the fact that he lasted to decision after the punishment he took is a testament to his toughness and durability.  That being said, he also showed that his take down defense is extremely lacking.  Luckily for him Carlos Condit isn’t exactly a wrestling machine.  His run in the WEC showed he has vicious submissions, but he was rarely the reason they got to the ground in the first place.  That means that more then likely this fight is going to be a stand up war.  Both fighters are scrappy, no quit kind of fighters and that means lots of entertainment for us watching at home.  My mind is telling me that Dan Hardy should win, but my love of the WEC has me picking Carlos Condit by rear naked choke in the second.

2. Jake Shields (25-5) vs. Martin Kampmann (17-3), UFC 121, 10/23/2010

It’s the kickboxer vs. the wrestler in a battle that essentially is just here to introduce Jake Shields to the UFC audience.  Kampmann is coming off of an impressive win over Paulo Thiago, where he showed a very much improved ground game.  That being said, Jake Shields is a considerably tougher fighter then Paulo Thiago.  Not too long ago, middleweight Dan Henderson was in line to fight Anderson Silva, now he owns a loss to Jake Shields, a natural welterweight.  So if Shields can hold down one of the top wrestling middleweights in the world, what chance does a non-wrestling welterweight have against him? Shields practices something he calls American Jiu Jitzu, which is essentially a blending of wrestling and submission techniques and it appears to be the kryptonite of strikers.  It doesn’t appear that Kampmann will be the aberration in this pattern, so I’m going with Shield by unanimous decision.

1. Champion Brock Lesnar (5-1) vs. Cain Velasquez (8-0), UFC 121, 10/23/2010

Brock Lesnar got sick and took pretty much an entire year off.  Now he’s making up for lost time.  Just three months after his inspiring win against Shane Carwin, Lesnar faces the toughest test of his career against fellow wrestler Cain Velasquez.  Though there is no doubt that Brock has the better wrestling pedigree between the two fighters, it appears from my observations that Cain has done a better job adjusting his style to MMA then Brock has.  Brock’s biggest flaw is that he relies completely on his power to get a take down rather then setting it up with his striking.  This has been fine when he’s fought guys with lesser take down defense or guys that have been gassed by a round of hitting his face, but against a guy like Velasquez who has proven cardio and great wrestling, this strategy will be problematic.  That is what I think will be the deciding factor in this fight.  Cain has a better record against more diverse fighters then Brock does, and that puts things in his favor.  I’m going with Cain by TKO in the second unless Brock picked up some better boxing in his short layover.

MMA Monthly Matchups: September

By Dan Hallberg

Welcome to MMA Monthly Matchups, where I give a little dissection of the matchups you’ll want to check out this month. I’ll even make a prediction, which is usually wrong, but at the very least is interesting. Last month was packed with action, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any interesting bouts in September. So, lets get started!

5. Evan Dunham (11-0) vs. Sean Sherk (33-4), UFC 119, 9/25/10

There has been a bit of the changing of the guard in the lightweight division as of late, and this fight represents that trend. Sherk believes that he can make one more run at the title, while Dunham is looking to get his name in the mix for that same title. Nobody in MMA works harder then Sherk, so he certainly has a chance against Dunham, but his achilles heal has always been the predictability of his offense. There’s no way that he’s going to be able to give Dunham any look he didn’t see in his last fight, and Dunham won decisively. Dunham is pretty much just Sherk a few years ago with way better jiu jitsu skills, and that means Dunham will probably take it.

4. Donald Cerrone (11-3) vs. Jamie Varner (16-3-1), WEC 51, 9/30/10

This is a rematch of a controversial decision during a title fight almost two years ago. Since then things haven’t been the best for either of these guys, both lost fights to WEC Champ Ben Henderson and Varner got a draw he should’ve won, but couldn’t keep his knees away from his opponents groin. This fight will decide who is still relevant in the WEC Lightweight division, and while Varner has the more diverse skill set, Cerrone has shown improvement throughout this year which could cause him problems. If Cerrone can get a quick start on Varner then it will be a long night for the former Champ, and I think that’s probably what’s going to happen.

3. Champion Nick Diaz (22-7) vs. K.J. Noons (10-2), Strikeforce, 10/9/10

It’s time for Diaz’s first Strikeforce title defense against fellow striker K.J. Noons. It’s no secret that both of these guys like to stand and bang, and Strikeforce likes to encourage that so it works for everyone! In their first fight Noons destroyed Diaz, but Diaz has improved exponentially. Also, Diaz has become a master at getting his opponent to play his game. With those things in place, I think things are looking up for Nick Diaz, who will retain, by submission after rocking Noons in the early rounds.

2. Frank Mir (13-5) vs. Mirko Cro Cop (27-7), UFC 119, 9/25/10

I don’t want to wish injury on any one, but when Rodrigo Nogueria got hurt, this card got way better. Frank Mir is trying to remain relevant in a division full of people that have 20 lbs of muscle on him. Cro Cop is just looking to have fun in the twilight of his career it seems, but a win over Mir would certainly propel him into the title picture. This fight is really going to come down to how mentally prepared Mir is. If he’s still shaking from his last loss, and lost in the woods trying to change his game then he’s going to get his head kicked off. I don’t think that will happen, but it could. Mir by TKO.

1. Champion Jose Aldo (17-1) vs. Manny Gamburyan (11-4), WEC 51, 9/30/10

The Featherweight title is on the line, as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world in Jose Aldo takes on former Ultimate Fighter finalist Manny Gamburyan. Gamburyan is mostly famous for throwing his opponents down and controlling, but in his last fight against former champ Mike Brown he looked to be packing some power in those hands. That being said, standing with one of the top three strikers in the sport is probably a bad idea. He’s going to try and throw Aldo to the ground, but Aldo has already proven that if he wants the fight on the feet then that’s where it’s going to be, and Aldo on his feet means that Manny will be on the canvas. Also by KO in the second.

MMA Monthly Matchups: April

By Dan D. Hallberg

Well, it’s a first for MMA Monthly Matchups: this month, they’re all title fights! That’s right, everyone is coming full force and gold is on the line. Who keeps it and who loses it? Well here we go!

5. Champion Anderson Silva (25-4) v. Damian Maia (12-1), UFC 112, 4/10/10

It’s been nearly a year since pound-for-pound kind Anderson Silva defended his title. Unfortunately for us fans, original and more worthy contender Vitor Belfort had to step out due to injury. That leaves Damian Maia as the winner of the “who gets a title shot” lottery. That doesn’t mean that Maia isn’t a threat, but right now the biggest weakness in his game is his striking and striking defense. Now he’s up against the best striker on the planet. Hard to see this ending in any other way then a decision or TKO for the champ.

4. Champion B.J. Penn (15-5-1) v. Frankie Edgar (11-1), UFC 112, 4/10/10

And the pound-for-pound list makes a second appearance as B.J. Penn takes on up and comer Frankie Edgar. I like Edgar, he’s an impressive kid with good boxing, wrestling, and okay jiu jitsu skills. He’s on the rise and could be Champion some day. Unfortunately April 10th isn’t that day. Edgar on paper is very similar to Kenny Florian, but he does focus more on his boxing. That could help Edgar provided he doesn’t shoot for takedowns. In the end though, it’s B.J. Penn, and he doesn’t lose to people his size. Penn by submission in the championship rounds.

3. Champion Jose Aldo (16-1) v. Urijah Faber (23-3), WEC 48, 4/24/10

WEC is live on pay per view for the first time, and they chose a fantastic card to start with. Time for the biggest star in the WEC to try and reclaim his titled against the fierce Jose Aldo. Faber’s style is weird to say the least and hard to explain. But it doesn’t really matter. The only thing that matters is that Jose Aldo is the baddest man in the WEC. He is 145 pounds of butt-kicking wonder. If he doesn’t destroy Urijah Faber I will be shocked. Knockout, early.

2. Champion Jake Shields (24-4) v. Dan Henderson (25-7), Strikeforce: Nashville, 4/17/10

Jake Shields is a good champion and a great young fighter. A prospect that will eventually get to the UFC and make a real challenge for the belt. The problem is that he’s a welterweight pretending to be a middleweight because Strikeforce’s competition is lowsy. That was until they landed number two middleweight Dan Henderson. Like Shields, Henderson has crossed into different weight classes, except he went up from middleweight rather then down. He even held his own against Big Nogueria. Again, it would be a huge shock if Shields wins this and the only way he could would be if he grinded out a decision, which he won’t do because Henderson is such a great wrestler. This fight will probably be on the feet because of the cancelled wrestling, and Henderson’s huge right will be the deciding factor.

1. Champion Benson Henderson (11-1) v. Donald Cerrone (14-2), WEC 48, 4/24/10

It’s the rematch of last years Fight of the Year, and this time it’s for the real title. This fight could very well go just like the last one, but I don’t think it will. Cerrone has learned that his slow starts have been costing him his decisions, so look for him to come out swinging. This could play into Henderson’s favor. He’s got the reach and moves to play a patient game which will frustrate Cerrone. Henderson has new confidence and has been working hard and even helped B.J. Penn train for Diego Sanchez. Cerrone put on an impressive show in his last fight, but I have to keep with Henderson. The man with the smallest waist in MMA retains his title in a five round thriller.

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

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

Congratulations Forum readers! For the next few months you’ve been awarded the pleasure of reading the most in-depth, up to date football news available. Put away your newspapers, log off your computers and set down your remotes. All the information you need is available in this convenient monthly column.
Actually, that’s a lie. You won’t receive any unbiased, truthful, or even logical news during your time reading our column. What you will get is a wealth of useless banter and ramblings from a portly bear and a stocky stallion that both hail from lands where the catfish swim free, the deer run wild and camouflaged Busch Light’s flow like the falls of Niagara. To all the so-called sports pundits who roam the halls of Wesemann and are already anxious to slander this pearl of an article…save your opinions for John Bayard’s columns. He takes criticism much better than us.
Over the course of this football season, we’ll be providing you with expert answers on stimulating questions like: Why is the SEC better than the Big Ten? Is roasted corn really as cool as roasted hog? How many ounces of sweat does Rob produce in a week? Does Hunter love anything more than processed pork and encased meat? These are all questions we can happily answer.
In this month’s edition, we’ve analyzed every major team in every major conference down to the age and country of origin of their water boys. We know more about the 2009 football season than Professor Bushbaum knows about treatises and pocket parts. Be on the lookout for next month’s edition when we enlighten you with a whimsical read about our adventure to a Valpo High football game.
For now, turn your air conditioner on blast, go put on your furry underwear, start a cozy fire, put on the melodic sounds of Europe’s “Final Countdown” and prepare to be entranced by the soothing literature of the Fried Football Report…

Rob and Hunter’s Fearless 2009 College Football Forecast

Pac-10
Favorite: USC-What has 4 legs, is smoother than a Kenny Loggins’ song and will totally crush you? Two fold answer, a sabre-tooth tiger and the offensive tandem of Joe McKnight and Matt Barkley. The early loss to Washington definitely hurt, but expect the Trojans to tear through the rest of their schedule like a gang of bloods bullying the intellectual property club.

Dark Horses: California-With USC coming into Berkley with more injuries than the 7th Calvary after Little Bighorn, this game could have upset potential. Washington-Not only is Seattle home to Starbucks and grunge hippies, it is also home to the most well kept secret in college football. QB Jake “white vick” Locker is keeping the houseboat fans of Seattle begging for more. Oregon-Unless they change their name to the Mighty Ducks and Emilio Estevez comes in to coach, don’t expect much out of the Nike darlings.

ACC
Favorite: Virginia Tech-Chesapeake Bay speed + Lane Stadium = ACC Championship. Look for Tyrod Taylor and the rest of his 757 cronies to run the table. If you’re unlucky enough to draw an invite to Lane after the sun goes down, be sure to bring nunchuks and a coat of armor because the Hokies turn into werewolves at night.

Dark Horses: Georgia Tech-There’s a lot to love about the Jackets this year. They have a rushing attack that is angrier than an old man sending back his soup at Jimmy’s Cafe and former Navy coach Paul Johnson has his team on their P’s & Q’s.
Miami-While football stars in the Midwest are munching down corn, gridiron heroes in South Florida are chasing down rabbits and trying to make a difference. Rick Ross isn’t the only one moving things in the MIA. Coach Randy Shannon has the “swagga” moving back to the “U.”
Florida State-Once upon a time, Seminole players could shoplift at their leisure and Coach Bowden was as regal as King Poseidon. Nowadays, the ‘Noles are like a roast beef dinner. You still think it’s good, but you don’t get excited about it.
North Carolina-Tobacco and basketball. That’s what North Carolina does. Right? ACC champions they are not, but look for them to be the best team east of Tennessee, north of South Carolina, and south of Virginia.

Big Ten
Favorite: Ohio State- Coach “I wear a vest because it looks awesome” Tressel always seems to be the belle of the ball in the Big Ten. Terrelle Pryor may be young and inexperienced, but he still has enough talent to stomp all the other Big Ten donkeys. Look for the Buckeyes to be taking care of the rest of the Big Ten’s proverbial dates at the end of the party this season.

Dark Horses: Iowa-So you pulled an upset against an overrated team coached by a 163 year old man. Big deal.
Penn State-Admit it, you want Joe Paterno to be your grandfather.
Michigan-“Yo, Matt Barkley, I’m really happy for you. I’m gonna let you finish, but Tate Forcier is one of the best freshman quarterbacks of all time!”
Michigan State-Ford’s stock has started to rebound. Why can’t the Spartans?
Wisconsin-We don’t actually believe the Badgers have a shot, but we really like cheese.

Big East
Favorite: Who really cares?

Dark Horses: Just for the sake of writing, we’ll pick Cincinatti to win the Big East. For the record, we have no respect for the Big East and the only reason we chose ‘Nat Town was because we both really enjoy Skyline Chili.

Big 12
Favorite: Texas-While the beaches of Corpus Christi and the oil patch towns of West Texas might be more unattractive than Andy Erickson in a neon speedo, the gridiron heroes from Austin actually look pretty good this year.

Dark Horses: Oklahoma-Everything is bigger in Texas. Sorry Okies.
Oklahoma State-Recruiting violation? How did you guys land Dez Bryant?
Kansas-Attention: Jayhawk football players, stop fighting the basketball team. They’re the only thing that’s ever happened to Lawrence.

SEC
Favorite(s): Florida-Brett Favre’s illegitimate kid, known to most Americans as Tim Tebow, literally walks on pristine lakes of Gatorade. This kid could probably play 11 on 1 and still score. In the very least he would lose the game, hold a press conference with President Obama and promise to win the next 50 games, cure global hunger and find a way for snaggled tooth pre-teens to straighten their teeth without braces.

Alabama-Julio Jones, who is apparently of both Mexican and African American descent as his name suggests, has the quickness of a puma and the strength of a wild lion on HGH. Even though the Tide lost the massive mound that was Andre Smith, don’t be surprised to see the boys from Alabama doing the stanky leg in post-game celebrations come early December.

Darkhorses-Ole Miss- Coach Spurrier made it known to the world that Jevan Snead was NOT the best QB in the SEC. Turns out the Ole Ball Coach can still call it.
LSU and South Carolina have a chance to contend. However, the odds of that happening are about as promising as Rob and me taking Beyonce and Scarlett Johansson out to nice seafood dinner.
Tennessee-Coach Kiffin, you have an inferiority complex.
Georgia-Choke artists.

Robert and Hunter can be reached at robert.elliott@valpo.edu and samuel.noble.valpo.edu respectively

But what, pray tell, is Eukonkanto. Well, the direct English translation is Wife Carrying: the name gives away about 90% of what you need to know for this sport. It actually started as a practical joke around 1996. Although seemingly silly, there is a specific set of rules that Eukonkanto contestants must abide by. For starters, the female part­ner of the team needs to weigh at least 49 kilos (about 110 lbs), if she doesn’t the judges will add weights to her to make her the minimum weight. Further, she has to be at least 17 and married. Oddly enough, she doesn’t need to be married to her carrier. Apparently the Finns are fine with letting their friends and neighbors carry their wives around like a bag of potatoes.

The course the Eukonkanto con­testants have to run is quite challenging. The length of the track is 253.5 meters, it includes two sand obstacles and one water obstacle that is a meter deep. The winners of the event, on average, do the whole course in about a minute.

I know many of you may be wor­ried about safety, but apparently the Finns aren’t. Although the men get to wear a weight belt, the only real pro­tection the female contestant has is the 15-second penalty allotted to the team if her male carrier drops her. Well, I sup­pose the men may have the additional incentive to avoid the intense scolding that will inevitably come from nearly breaking your wife’s neck by dropping her.

Although the event is primarily conducted with one team completing all three obstacles, there’s also a relay event that features three men and one woman. At each different obstacle stage in the course, the men pass the women off to the next carrier and the fastest re­lay team wins. There is a catch, though, before the new guy can carry the wife, he’s required, by the rules, to drink a beer. Only then may he run with his fe­male companion at a fast rate of speed over a dangerous course.

There are three categories a team may win in at the Eukonkanto champi­onships. The first category is to be the best-costumed team. The second cat­egory is to perform the most entertain­ing, and stylish, carry. Typically these two winners receive a small award and a trophy. The way every man wants to win the competition is to be the fastest in carrying his female partner across all three obstacles. Why, you ask? It’s simple. If you’re the fastest team, you win the woman’s weight in top-notch Finnish beer. That’s right, you win a minimum of 110 lbs of beer.

Easy, though. Before you rush to Finland with your significat other to compete in the Sonkajärvi Champion­ship, you should try your skills here in the U.S. first. The North American Wife Carrying Championships take place ev­ery year on Columbus Day in Newry, Maine. Monona, Wisconsin and Mar­quette, Michigan also host smaller Wife Carrying competitions. If you got a knack for the sport, make sure you have a valid passport and win 110 lbs of beer for America.

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