It’s a hectic week for me in the real world so I’m going to take it a bit easy and recharge the batteries, but here are some quick thoughts:

- UFC 119 was awful.
- My picks were terrible.
- Dunham was robbed.
- What possessed Lytle to get those tattoos at age 36?
- Contrary to my original thought, the bell may toll for Bader – and not Jon Jones.
- Main event was painful, but anyone who says worst ever hasn’t seen Sylvia/Arlovski 3.
- I strongly dislike Frank Mir.
- The Giants sucked.
- The Giants may just suck altogether.
- The KFC Double Down is amazing.

Here are some WEC picks for what should be a great card:

- Aldo over Gamburyan, TKO, Rd. 3
- Varner over Cerrone, Decision
- Torres over Valecia, submission, Rd. 2
- Korean Zombie over Roop, Decision
- Hominick over Garcia, Decision

I’ll be back Friday with some WEC thoughts, a review of Snooki vs. Angelina and Week 4 NFL picks.

Stay lucky,
Ken

F*ck MTV

I’m not even going to talk about Jersey Shore (much).

It’s one thing to tease a fight all week and just show the beginning of it and save the rest for the week after – ala JWOWW and Sammi.  It’s an entirely different thing to tease a fight all week and then not show it at all.  This is exactly what the fat-cats at MTV did last night when there was no Snooki/Angelina showdown in sight after running previews for it all week.  For shame, you bastards.

I will say this though; Pauly D’s line about ‘beached whales on the sand’ in reference to Angelina and her friend was pretty hysterical.

And while I’m on the topic of Jersey Shore…

- With all her talk of ‘gorilla juiceheads’, I’m surprised JWOWW dates an averaged sized (by guido standards), balding, St. Anthony’s graduate (Long Island Catholic HS represent).  This guy must pack some major heat in his trousers.

- This was the second episode in a row with very little Sammi/Ronnie nonsense.  I’m not complaining.

- I am the self-proclaimed King of Awkward Moments – but, in all my years I have never experienced anything as awkward as Angelina’s Mike must have experienced as the Sitch lit into the Staten Island Kim Kardashian.  ‘How many guys have you slept with in the last 24 hours’, ‘you left a used pad on the floor’, ‘you’re a dirty hamster.’  Good lord.  Tell us what you really think, Mike.  On the brightside, at least the other Mike got on TV – so he’s got that going for him.

- Pretty quiet episode from Snooki.  Turns out she is as big a creep as Situation for staring at JWOWW and her boyfriend getting it on.  What is with these people?  How is this considered acceptable behavior in that house?

-  I’m not digging T-Shirt time.  It doesn’t seem to have the same sincerity of GTL.  I don’t expect it to catch-on.

That’s all I got.  Next week looks good, but the fact that I have to wait 7 days to finally see this fight really chaps my ass.

The Office is back and Always Sunny continues

I really enjoyed The Office last night.

Ryan jumping out to promote Woof.com had me in stitches and Creed’s two appearances were priceless – ‘everyone is talking about Betty White.  Finally, one guy isn’t talking about Betty White.  Of course I’m going to follow him.’
Apart from that, Andy brought the funny as always.  ‘I’m the Nard Dog.  My father is the Nard Man.’  I’m interested to see where this love triangle with Gabe and Erin goes.  Why is Andy always in love triangles?  And why the hell did Gabe steal Erin in the first place?  What a jerk.

I kind of wish they kept Michael’s nephew around because I thought he could deliver a solid line once a show – kind of like Creed.  Oh well.

As for Always Sunny – it was good not great.  The show is still trying to hit its stride this season and I’ll think they’ll find it soon.

Last night had its moments though.  Mac bathing at the bar was great and anytime Uncle Jack is in an episode you know you’re in for some laughs.

Week 3 Picks

Philbert got me by a game last week so we are all even heading into Week 3.  Here are our picks:

Ken’s Picks

Giants (-3) over Titans
Steelers (-2.5) over BUCS
RAVENS (-10.5) over Browns
PATRIOTS (-14.5) over Bills
SAINTS (-4) over Falcons
Niners (-2.5) over CHIEFS
Bengals (-3) over PANTHERS
SEAHAWKS (+5.5) over Chargers
Redskins (-3.5) over RAMS
Lions (+11) over VIKINGS
Cowboys (+3) over Texans
Colts (-5.5) over BRONCOS
JAGS (+3) over Eagles
Raiders (+4.5) over CARDINALS
DOLPHINS (-2) over Jets
Packers (-3) over BEARS

Last Week: 6-9-1
Season: 16-13-3

Phil’s Picks

Titans (+3) over GIANTS
BUCS (+2.5) over Steelers
RAVENS (-10.5) over Browns
Bills (+14.5) over PATRIOTS
Falcons (+4) over SAINTS
Niners (-2.5) over CHIEFS
Bengals (-3) over PANTHERS
SEAHAWKS (+5.5) over Chargers
Redskins (-3.5) over RAMS
Lions (+11) over VIKINGS
Cowboys (+3) over Texans
Colts (-5.5) over BRONCOS
Eagles (-3) over Jags
Raiders (+4.5) over CARDINALS
Jets (+2) over DOLPHINS
Packers (-3) over BEARS

Last Week: 7-8-1
Season: 16-13-3

Enjoy the fights tomorrow night!

Stay lucky,
Ken

You know, about a week ago I was ready to write this card off completely.  As usual though, I’ve talked myself into it being a barn-burner event with a ton of competitive fights.  I am a puppet and Dana is the puppeteer.

I’m skipping the prelims this time around because, well, I completely forgot to do them.  Much love to C.B. Dollaway though – haters gonna hate, son.

Here are my picks…

1) Melvin Guillard vs. Jeremy Stephens

How we got here:

I forget who, but someone called someone out in this one. I think it may have been Stephens calling out Guillard after the Stout fight – but I could be wrong.

In any event, Joe Silva thought putting two exciting bangers against each other was a fine idea – so here we are. There has also been quite a bit of trash talk among these two going into Saturday. Pretty sure we can expect fireworks.

What’s at stake:

Both fighters are on a two-fight win streak against mediocre competition. The implications of this fight are identical for both men: Win and stay on the main card and get labeled a ‘contender’. Lose and it’s back to the prelims and continue to look like a fighter who chokes in big spots.

The breakdown:

If you’re a fan of grappling, you may want to run out for some dip during this one. This hits the canvas only because one man falls there as a result of losing touch with consciousness.

The funny thing is that trying to take this fight to the ground would be a sound strategy for both guys. I don’t see either being able to do much off their backs and whoever was on top would have a chance at some lethal ground ‘n pound.

Alas, such logic is beyond these two and we will instead see a highly entertaining brawl with each man swinging for the fences. We know they both have power and are planning on using it.

I say:

This is a tough one to call, but in the end I see Melvin landing something that puts Jeremy to bed.

Stephens is coming off a big win over the more technical Sam Stout, but the Canadian didn’t possess the power that Lil’ Heathen will be facing Saturday night. I think his time with Greg Jackson has helped Melvin seal up some of his deficiencies in his boxing and he should be able to avoid the heavy shots from Jeremy. Look for the Young Assassin to use his speed and catch the Iowa native in the second with a hook and follow up with punches on the ground to end it.

Prediction: Guillard, TKO, Rd. 2

2) Sean Sherk vs. Evan Dunham

How we got here:

Evan Dunham has been on an absolute tear taking out four straight UFC opponents in impressive fashion. He is 11-0 and is in need of a top-level name.

Enter Sean Sherk who has not been seen in over a year since being shocked by now UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar.

What’s at stake:

For Dunham, a win would mean just one or two more victories until he challenges for the gold.

For Sherk, defeating Dunham would show the world that the 37-year-old still has something left in the gas tank and has what it takes to challenge the young lions who are quickly filling up the division.

The breakdown:

Evan will have an enormous reach advantage which will be a problem for Sherk who has favored his boxing in recent years. On the wrestling front, Sean should have the advantage. However, putting Dunham on his back is always a scary thought given his grappling prowess.

Injuries are a huge question for the Muscle Shark. He has pulled out of three consecutive fights due to injury and if he is not 100% on Saturday he has virtually no chance.

I say:

I don’t know why I keep picking the old guys in these ‘grizzled vet vs. young gun’ fights, but I’m going to do it again. Look for some old-school Sherk who repeatedly double legs Dunham and shows vintage top control in route to a decision win.

Prediction: Sherk, Decision

3) Matt Serra vs. Chris Lytle

How we got here:

These two fought four years ago to a controversial decision in the finals of TUF4. Serra was given the nod in a fight where there wasn’t a clear cut winner. The decision would end up changing the UFC Welterweight division forever. (I won’t get into details since as far as I’m concerned TUF4 never happened.)

Anyway, both are coming off wins and since there isn’t much else for them to do at the moment, the UFC decided to run a rematch. Not a bad idea.

What’s at stake:

Not a whole lot to be terribly honest.

I think both men are winding down their careers and we know where both stand at this point. Lytle will be an experienced gamer for years to come. He will put up a fight against anyone in the division and make a nice living off ‘…of the night’ bonus checks. Serra will be a part-time fighter who has a chance no matter who he’s in there with thanks to heavy hands and top-level BJJ. He’s also going to give great sound bites for as long as he’s involved in the sport.

Still, a win or loss here isn’t going to change either man’s standing in the division. If nothing else, at least it will give some closure to a decision that left a bad taste in a lot of fans mouths four years ago.

The breakdown:

Given there is little on the line here as opposed to last time, you can expect both men to open up a bit more this time around. It should lead to an entertaining scrap.

Lytle is the more technical boxer of the two and will likely look to overwhelm Serra on the feet. Chris is a black belt in BJ, but not at the level of Matt. He would be a fool to want to take his chances on the ground with The Terror.

Matty is no slouch in the boxing department himself and probably has the heavier hands of the two. He looked great in knocking out Frank Trigg, but my instincts tell me he would rather get this to the canvas to give himself a better chance at victory. I just hope that strategy doesn’t lead to 100 foot stomps like last time did.

I say:

Finishing Chris Lytle is about as hopeless an endeavor as it gets, but I think Serra can grind a decision. Lytle will get the better of the stand-up and after not finding his home run shot, Serra will look to take things to the ground. My fellow Islander will get things to the ground easier this time around and grind to a decision.

Prediction: Serra, Decision

Fun Fact: Number of Fights since the TUF4 Finale – Lytle 11, Serra 4

4) Ryan Bader vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

How we got here:

After an impressive knockout of Keith Jardine, Ryan Bader was in need of a ‘next step’ fight.

Perennial top-ten light-heavyweight Lil’ Nog will give him this fight. Antonio is coming off an uninspired performance against Jason Brilz where he scored a decision win in a fight that many people say he lost. He will look to re-cement himself as a contender in this bout.

What’s at stake:

The winner will most likely fight Jon ‘Bones’ Jones.

If Bader wins, a Jones vs. Darth fight would showcase two of the hottest young talents in the sport. And, if Nog is victorious, a clash with Greg Jackson’s star pupil will mark the biggest test for Jones to date.

Most importantly, a battle with Angry Jonny would likely be a #1 contender’s fight.

The breakdown:

Nogueira has the more technical boxing of the two, but Bader could put you to sleep at any time. Ryan is also improving his stand-up with each fight – the same can’t be said for the Brazilian.

The wrestling advantage will go to the All-American from ASU. He should be able to take Nog down at will, but playing on the mat with a Nogueira Brother is always a dangerous proposition.

It will be interesting to see where Bader decides he has a better chance of winning.

I say:

In the end, I think Ryan decides he would rather win this on the canvas than on the feet. He will bring down Rogerio early using his superior wrestling to score the takedowns along with his strength and underrated BJJ to stay out of submission attempts. Look for this to go on the full 15. Darth will apply some serious ground ‘n pound throughout as he notches his biggest win to date and announces his presence to the division with authority.

Prediction: Bader, Decision (Listen for the bell, Bonesy. It told for thee.)

5) Frank Mir vs. Mirko Filipovic

How we got here:

This one was originally scheduled to be Frank Mir vs. Big Nog which would have given me a chance at vindication. Unfortunately, an injury to Antonio forced him to pull out of this fight.

Joe Silva put in a collect call to Croatia and got everyone’s favorite politician/fighter, Mirko CroCop, to step up to the plate. (Note: it’s not that hard to get that title when your only competition is Matt Lindland and Chael Sonnen.)

What’s at stake:

Surprisingly a lot.

It’s arguable that whoever wins could be set-up for a number one contender fight to be third in line after Cain and JDS.

The loser, however, will find themselves at a crossroads of their career. If Mirko loses, I can’t imagine him fighting again. And if Mir goes down, it will be a long time before he has another relevant fight.

The breakdown:

CroCop wants this on the feet at all costs. Finding himself on his back with Mir on top is basically a death sentence. He hasn’t been as sharp as he once was, but Mirko is still dangerous with his hands and I’m willing to bet the left-high kick still packs a wallop.

Mir has a bit more versatility on where he can be in this fight. While being on the ground would give him a decided advantage, he has shown some pretty good stand-up skills lately. Given that we are looking at an older, more injured CroCop, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Frank can hang with him standing.

I say:

I’m looking for some Croatian violence in this one. Mir will get cute with his stand-up early on to show he can go toe-to-toe with the most feared striker in MMA history. This will get him in trouble as CroCop finds a home for his left hand on Frank’s cranium in the second round. From there, Mir will realize he needs to get things to the mat, but it will be too little too late as a now confident Mirko stuffs a takedown and gives a brutal stand-up beating to end things. And, for old time’s sake, let’s say he finishes with his patented LHK.

Prediction: CroCop, TKO, Rd. 2

Enjoy Saturday everyone!

Stay lucky,
Ken

Wednesday MMA Video

Props to my main man Ryan for this one as he sent through Jeremy Horn’s first MMA fight. Which happened to take place in a warehouse. We’re in 1996 here so that puts Horn at about 21-years-old.

While we’re on the subject, Jeremy Horn is the man. He was a staple of the early Miletich camp, gave Chuck Liddell his first loss and holds an 86-19-5 record. That’s bona fide badass, my friends.

Here’s the vid:

Wednesday Random Video

This one cracks me up every time. That monkey, I tell you, what a pisser. This thing looks like Silva vs. Maia in Abu Dhabi.

Wednesday Wire Video

In this one, the boys at The Pit eat some McNuggets and D’Angelo has a pretty memorable rant.

You know, D had a ton of knowledge. It’s a shame he got caught up in The Game because I have the feeling he could have really made something of himself if he grew up under different circumstances. In the end, he wasn’t cut out for a life of hustlin. Neither were Poot or Wallace for that matter. They were just three young cats in over their heads.

Wednesday Music Video

I saw my boys at Closed at Sunset play a reunion show this weekend – so how about we watch one of their vids. Here’s a little Bandit Crue for your bitchasses…

UFC 119 picks tomorrow and make sure you read if you’re looking to throw down some money because I think all five main card underdogs are live.

Stay lucky,
Ken

What the hell is this?

Efrain Escudero has become the first TUF champion to be cut from the organization. (No, Lutter doesn’t count because TUF4 and the events after it never happened as far as I’m concerned.) Fourteen other TUF winners remain under UFC contract (plus Matt Serra.)

This whole thing has me baffled.

I realize he missed weight and put in a god-awful performance against Oliveira, but can’t my dude get a mulligan? He’s 2-2 in the UFC since winning the show and is only 24-years-old – by comparison, Mac Danzig is 2-4 since he won his season. He has some excellent wrestling and power in his hands. Most importantly, from a business standpoint, he is a great ambassador to the Mexican fan base that the UFC is constantly trying to swoon.

I think there has to be more to this story. Efrain must have eaten Dana’s PinkBerry or some such nonsense.

There are plenty of fights for him out there. In Bellator, Escudero vs. Huerta should do some decent business. I’d also like to see him take on Alvarez after a few tune-up wins. And, if he goes to Strikeforce, he can go on a little streak and then take on Gilbert for the title.

On another note, I think now the precedence is set for any TUF winner to get released. Mac and Kendall, take note. In fact, I think this calls for some odds:

Odds on next TUF champion to be released:

Mac Danzig: 3-1
James Wilks: 5-1
Kendall Grove: 6-1
Joe Stevenson: 8-1
Court McGee: 9-1
Ross Pearson: 12-1
Diego Sanchez: 15-1
Amir Sadollah: 15-1
Roy Nelson: 25-1
Nate Diaz: 50-1
Michael Bisping: 100-1
Ryan Bader: 150-1
Rashad Evans: 250-1
Forrest Griffin: 300-1

Stay lucky,
Ken

The Giants got shellacked in Indianapolis last night as the Manning Bowl was a one-sided affair.

Here are some thoughts:

The Good:

1. Matt Dodge

Honestly, nothing from this game should be classified as ‘good’. I have to choose something so I’ll go with Dodge who showed a lot of improvement in his punting. He averaged over 40 yards and had a 62 yard bomb. There was some nice hang time on most of them as well.

So, yea, whatever.

2. Mario Manningham

Again, I wouldn’t call anything ‘good’, but Super Mario had another solid game with four catches for 75 yards and a touchdown.

The Bad:

1. Darius Reynaud

This guy sucks. I knew we would be missing Hixon hardcore.

He gets no field position whatsoever in his returns and he took a kickoff out from about 5 yards deep in the end zone to get tackled at the ten yard line last night. Inexcusable.

The Ugly:

1. Run defense

Fewell made an educated guess to play the pass over the run last night. Not a bad idea in theory until Addai started to torch us. From there, the gameplan was out the window as Indy continued to run the ball with us helpless to stop them.

2. Offensive Line

I realize this group didn’t get much time together in the pre-season, but their play last night was alarming. Mathis and Freeney completely took over the game and were running wild. Eli is going to get killed if they can’t protect him better than that.

Stand by, Shawn Andrews.

3. Brandon Jacobs helmet

I don’t know exactly what happened, but it’s pretty clear that Jacobs was at fault for his helmet ending up in the 10th row.

He is not happy and is rumored to be asking for a trade today. I hope he gets it.

The rest of the East.

Lucky for us, no one looked that good yesterday. Washington blew a game to the Texans in overtime. Dallas lost at home to the Bears. And Philly nearly blew a game to Detroit that they had a comfortable lead in.

So, despite how terrible the G-Men were, we still may be the best team in the division.

Closing Thoughts:

Going into Indy to play a 0-1 Super Bowl runner-up was going to be tough. The G-Men were clearly not up to the challenge.

There are very few ways to look on the brightside here so I will instead remind myself that its one game and hope we do better against Tennessee.

Stay lucky,
Ken

Hey dudes and dudettes,

Check out the brand-spanking new Intelligently Defending Facebook page and click ‘Like’ to get updates.

You can also check us out on that Twitter jive right here.

A tornado hit my town last night – how about dem apples?

In other news, I nearly tossed a brick threw my TV when I found out Jersey Shore was the same episode from Sunday night and that the Snooki/Angelina Battle of the Bimbos would have to wait until next week. Thank you very much, MTV.

Still, I hadn’t seen the Sunday episode so I took a look.

It was your typical set-up episode with some foreshadowing of next week’s donnybrook. I was stranded in Manhattan for about 3 hours thanks to the storm so I was in no mood to take notes but the main things I remember were:

- I really wish I could have eaten that meal Vinny’s mom cooked. Good lord. To think, I was boasting about my potatoes and pan fried steak the other day. I’m not even in the same stratosphere as Mrs. Guadagnino.

- Uncle Nino is OK in my book.

- The Situation is one creepy bastard. Making a snack and then sitting front row for Pauly’s session. What the hell was he doing?

- The Vin-man got punk’d - and punk’d bad - last night. I don’t know where to begin. First of all, he had no game in the bar. And this is coming from a guy who has less game than Atari. The stuff he was saying was making me cringe.

Second, when the babe cancels you just got to leave it alone Vinny. A buddy of mine compared it to Jon Favreau harassing the girl in Swingers. That pretty much hits the nail on the head. I can’t understand how ‘Cenzo has the biggest Italian Sausage this side of Sicily with the marbles of a field mouse.

I felt bad for my dude. All dressed up and nowhere to go. It’s a major blow to what has otherwise been a breakout season for the youngest member of the cast. Hopefully, he can rebound strong in the closing weeks.

Week Two Picks:

I have a game lead on Phil heading in to week two:

Ken’s Picks:

PACKERS (-13) over Bills
VIKINGS (-5.5) over Dolphins
FALCONS (-6.5) over Cards
Ravens (-2.5) over BENGALS
BROWNS (-2) over Chiefs
COWBOYS (-7.5) over Bears
TITANS (-5) over Steelers
Bucs (+3.5) over PANTHERS
LIONS (+6.5) over Eagles
BRONCOS (-3.5) over Seahawks
Rams (+3.5) over RAIDERS
Jaguars (+7) over CHARGERS
Texans (-3) over REDSKINS
Giants (+5) over COLTS
Pats (-3) over JETS
Saints (-5) over NINERS

Last week: 10-4-2
Season: 10-4-2

Phil’s Picks:

PACKERS (-13) over Bills
Dolphins (+5.5) over VIKINGS
FALCONS (-6.5) over Cards
BENGALS (+2.5) over Ravens
Chiefs (+2) over BROWNS
COWBOYS (-7.5) over Bears
TITANS (-5) over Steelers
PANTHERS (-3.5) over Bucs
Eagles (-6.5) over LIONS
BRONCOS (-3.5) over Seahawks
RAIDERS (-3.5) over Rams
CHARGERS (-7) over Jaguars
REDSKINS (+3) over Texans
Giants (+5) over COLTS
Pats (-3) over JETS
Saints (-5) over NINERS

Last week: 9-5-2
Season: 9-5-2

Enjoy the weekend.

Stay lucky,
Ken

Here are some thoughts from Fight Night 22:

Cole Miller defeats Ross Pearson via submission, Rd. 2

I pretty much hit this one on the head… Just saying.

Midway through the first round I thought Ross was settling in nicely. I even thought he rang Cole’s bell a few times. It seemed the second round would be the end of the American Top Team Fighter with the Brit pouring it on. I was wrong.

Cole showed tremendous progress in this fight by keeping his calm and not wildly shooting for takedowns. He started to find his range in the second and the combo that sent Pearson to the mat was beautiful. From there, he got the choke and that’s all she wrote. Well done.

Next for Miller: I wish he could have had a rematch with Joe Lauzon since their quarterfinal fight on TUF5 was somewhat controversial. It would have been a nice test for both men and serve as a springboard into title contention. Alas, Joe has instead been thrown to the Saucy Aussie Georgey S. in a fight where he is outmatched.

Anyway, Cole will definitely stay on the main card and a fight with Kurt Pellegrino will give us a better idea of where Magrinho is at.

Next for Pearson: A tough loss for the TUF9 champ, but he can rebound against fellow FN22 loser, Gleison Tibau.

Jim Miller defeats Gleison Tibau via decision

I wouldn’t have complained with whoever the judges gave this to. It all came down to what they hold in higher regard – damage or takedowns. It was one of those fights that lend itself well to those who say MMA needs a more concrete stance on how to judge a fight and what counts for what.

In the end, they got it right as the two times Miller rocked Gleison should have counted more than Tibau’s takedowns that he did little with. That said, I was pretty impressed with the Brazilian’s wrestling. I realize he was the much bigger man, but he still rag-dolled a D1 wrestler on occasion.

Next for Miller: I think a battle with Kenny Florian would make a lot of sense. If Jim wins, he is primed for a title shot. If Kenny wins, he is right back in business.

Next for Tibau: As mentioned, I’d like to see him fight Ross Pearson.

Charles Oliviera defeats Efrain Escudero via submission Rd. 3

Charles Oliviera is good – real good. I saw flashes – albeit to a lesser scale – of Jose Aldo in this fight with his lanky limbs throwing flying knees and leg kicks. Efrain was totally taken by surprise by the stand-up of do Bronx. Once that happened Hencho’s gameplan was out the window.

After getting a knee to the groin in the third, Charles came out with renewed fire to end the fight – a great sign for the size of his heart. Pretty soon he was on Escudero’s back and that was all she wrote.

As good as a win this was for Oliviera, I think something was wrong with Efrain. He missed weight by three pounds and I still haven’t heard any explanation as to why. On top of this, he didn’t look his normal self in there. I would have liked to see him take his chances inside Charles’ guard. He was landing some nice shots in there at the end of round 1.

Next for Oliviera: Hopefully, the UFC doesn’t hot shot him up the ladder. He still has a ways to go before title contention and a bout with the winner of Guillard/Stephens would be natural progression.

Next for Escudero: Hopefully this was just a small bump in the road for the 24-year-old because he did not look good at all last night. I think a bout with Terry Etim would do well to get one of those men back on track.

Nate Marquardt defeats Rousimar Palhares via TKO, Rd. 1

This one was just bizarre. I don’t know what Palhares was thinking protesting in the middle of the fight, but it cost him when Nate smashed his face.

It’s a shame too because that was turning into a really good fight. The whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Thankfully, there will be no controversy as everyone – including Rousimar – has stated that Marquardt was not greased.

Next for Marquardt: The loser of November’s Okami/Belfort clash. Some people are saying he should get the winner to set-up a #1 contender fight, but I think whoever wins in Germany will get the shot automatically.

Next for Palhares: I wouldn’t mind seeing him fight Dan Miller.

The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck

As for TUF I really wasn’t paying as much attention as I would have liked, but here are some guys who looked pretty good. As always, it will take me until about midway through the show to have their names.

- The first dude who Koscheck coached that knocked the guy out in 13 seconds
- The red-headed guy GSP crossed off
- Bruce Leroy
- Michael Johnson (I remember his name because the Giants have a safety named Michael Johnson)
- The fisherman with the cool guillotine

I looked up Nam Phan’s record since I always hear his name. He has lost seven times and outside of those seven losses, I haven’t heard of a single guy on his record. Not a good sign.

Stay lucky,
Ken

Stay lucky,
Ken