Friday, May 15, 2009


Question for the Weekend: Does Dana White Need to Go for MMA to Grow?

Here's a question for you: Does UFC president and head potty mouth Dana White need to step down from his highly-visible position for MMA to grow? It goes without saying that White has been instrumental in taking the UFC and the sport in general to its current heights. But are his profanity, reputation and in-your-face style hindering further growth? Ponder that, then send your response to mma_journalist@yahoo.com . If you say something smart - or at least funny - MMA Journalist will discuss the email next week.

Weekend Schedule

A lot of MMA this weekend. ShoMMA airs tonight on Showtime, while the latest installment of Bellator FC touches down in Chicago and features the welterweight semifinals of Lyman Good vs. Jorge Ortiz and Dave Menne vs. Omar De La Cruz. If Good and Menne win (which they should), they'll be facing each other in the finals (most likely at Mohegan Sun on June 12th). Check out ESPN Deportes tomorrow night for the airing of tonight's Bellator event.

Also tonight is a very hush-hush underground show not far from New York City. The card is a mix of different kinds of bouts, including MMA.

On Saturday night promoters Lou Neglia and Carl Mascarenhas are teaming up for an Asylum Fight League event dubbed "Fusion". Club Abyss in Sayreville, New Jersey is the venue.

ShoMMA Fun Facts

ShoMMA, aka Strikeforce Challengers, aka "Strikeforce Lite", aka "Where the Up and Comers Earn Their Paychecks", airs tonight on Showtime. The card reads like a West Coast regional event - which is fine - but most of the names may be foreign to casual MMA fans, so MMA Journalist has compiled a handy list of fun facts! Did you know...
  • That undefeated lightweight Billy Evangelista is the cousin of supermodel Linda Evangelista? Neither did he!
  • That Mike Aina was the original "Punchy" - the official mascot of the fruit drink "Hawaiian Punch"? When Aina reached adulthood and was deemed "too old" for the role, he was replaced by actor Haley Joel Osment.
  • That neither Sarah Kaufman nor Miesha Tate have ever worked at Hooters?
  • That Lavar Johnson's nickname "Big" is misleading, as the 246-pound heavyweight is actually only 4'6"? He was raised on Jupiter, where gravity is far greater, so his body is more compact and much more dense than that of a normal human!
  • That Bao Quach was named after a Vietnamese sandwich containing pork, pickled diakon, shredded carrots and field mouse on a toasted baguette? The sandwich is delicious!