FanNation

The winner and still...wait, what?!

Let's face it, UFC 86 wasn't exactly a stacked card.  The fights weren't "sexy" matchups, there was no bad blood between any fighter, and the title fight was widely believed to be a walk through for Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.  But if you believed that, you missed a hell of a show.  Four out of the 5 "main card" fights went to decision.  Was it flashy?  No.  But it was entertaining.

Hypocrisy in the Beatdown

 I find it rather odd and hypocritical that Mixed Martial Arts is not a unanimously sanctioned sport in the United States. Recently New York, once again, shot down a bill that would have moved forward the potential legalization of mixed martial arts in the state, now placing the bill aside for further review in the near future. Because of this, the sport will now likely have to wait at least another year or two before it is finally legalized.

Assemblyman Bob Reilly complained that since c0ckfighting and dog fighting are both banned in the state, MMA should remain so as well. Really? MMA and those activities are the same to you? People fighting in sanctioned events with referees is the same as two animals fighting to the death.  I must have missed that somewhere.  Maybe, just maybe, you would have a small case when it was billed as "No-Holds Barred" fighting. But not now. Now there are safer rules for combatants. Safer than boxing. Yes, boxing.

Vindicated!! : Paul Pierce's road

Paul Pierce: 6ft 7in, 235lbs, all heart.  And what a heart it is.  From growing up on the streets of Inglewood, California, to his days at the University of Kansas, being the 10th pick in the 1998 NBAdraft, being stabbed 11 times in 2000, answering critics and shrugging off trade rumors, and finally coming through it all as a NBA Champion in 2008.  What a road it has been.

Raised in Inglewood, California, Pierce was cut from his high school varsity basketball team his Freshman and Sophomore years.  Paul was frustrated to the point where he thought about transfering schools.  But in the end, he decided to stick it out and work harder, and eventually became the star of his basketball team his Junior and Senior years at Inglewood High, netting him a full ride to the University of Kansas.

Matt Hughes and UFC 85

UFC 85: Bedlam was a descent showing.  The card was riddled with injuries before the event was even able to kick off.  Chuck Liddell and Mauricio Rua was the originally scheduled main event.  But after injuries and a few card adjustments, the main event was eventually billed as Matt Hughes vs Thiago Alves, the classic Grappler vs Striker matchup.  For UFC/Dana White to even pull off the event was amazing.  This PPV was one injury away from being a SpikeTV special.

3 Things to take away from this MMA weekend (May 31, June 1)

If you are apart of the sports world in any way, shape, or form, you know that this past weekend was a bit of a milestone.  On Saturday was the first of 4 Live EliteXC fight cards to be broadcast on CBS, headlined by none other than Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson.  And on Sunday, World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), sister company to the UFC, billed "The California Kid" Urijah Faber VS Jens "Lil' Evil" Pulver, as the greatest cage fight in history.  I think there were 3 things you should have taken away from all of this.