WEC 39 Fun Facts

The "Little League World Championships of Mixed Martial Arts" (a.k.a., WEC 39) is Sunday night on the Versus channel, and the Corpus Christi, Texas event features featherweight champ Mike "Holy Cow I Beat Urijah Faber?!" Brown defending his belt against Leonard Garcia. Here are some fun facts MMA Journalist has compiled concerning the event:

• Garcia's success in the sport has led to a dramatic rise in his popularity within the drug mule community. There's even a dusty and trash-strewn path through the New Mexico desert named after him.
• Brown still can't believe he defeated Urijah Faber. To remind himself, he's had the side of his van painted with a colorful mural depicting the WEC 36 TKO win - although in the mural Brown is dressed as a wizard and Faber is a giant dragon wearing a nameplate that says "Urijah".
• Bart Palaszewski's last name is actually a shortened version of his family name. On his birth certificate, his last name is listed as "Palaszewskidgnsklnaseit93^%O)kd".
• Rob McCullough has never seen an adult video.
• Jose Aldo's striking is so feared, the trainer who holds his focus mitts must attend therapy three times a week.

Random News & Notes

• Tim Sylvia will be facing Ray Mercer in a boxing match at Adrenaline's May 30th Atlantic City show. Did you honestly think the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board would sanction the two for an MMA bout?
• Tara LaRosa announced today that she'll be fighting at Extreme Challenge's March 28th show at Trump Marina in Atlantic City. No opponent has been named, but it's assumed it will be a female.
• Check out http://www.mmamemories.com/history/flashback-to-ufc-38-the-promotions-first-uk-show/ . The author really sounds like he knows his stuff. Do you think he was actually there?

Rich Crunkilton Injured Trying to Pronounce Bart Palaszewski's Name; Replaced by Ricardo Lamas

Florida-based fighter Rich Crunkilton, scheduled to face Bart Palaszewski at WEC 39, has injured himself trying to pronounce his opponent's name and is now unable to fight. His replacement will be Ricardo Lamas, grandson of B-List actor Lorenzo Lamas. "Igh urt mah tugh," said Crunkilton in a phone interview. "Dah doctahs tink ib bwoken." At this time it's unclear how long the veteran fighter will be out with this injury. Sunday night's WEC 39 will be headlined by a featherweight championship match-up between title holder Mike Brown and challenger (and former drug mule) Leonard Garcia, and the Corpus Christi, Texas event will be broadcast live on the "Versus" cable channel.

Top Five Backstage Food Spreads

Ah, the backstage food spread... the yardstick by which a promotion's success or failure can be measured. A press credential usually gives you access to wherever you want to go, and through the years where MMA Journalist has wanted to go is where the free grub is at, where one rule has emerged immutable: the more extravagant the selection, the more doomed the organization. (Something about spending money on unimportant things, like feeding the press, being directly proportionate to loose finances. Or something. Who cares?) MMA Journalist regrets never having partaken in Pride's alleged epic epicurean ensemble, but there have been quite a few winners Stateside, so here are the top five.

1. The World Fighting Alliance - July 5th, 2002 - When John Lewis was running the show, the venue was the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, where your press credential got you access to the hotel's staff cafeteria. Was the food good? It was outstanding, and entree selections were changed three times a day. Plus, as the hotel employed paid "beach goers" to populate their pool, the place was littered with bikini-clad babes getting their lunch on. That's always a plus.
2. BodogFIGHT: "Alvarez vs. Lee" - July 14th, 2007 - Sliced roast beef, steamed potatoes, mixed vegetables, plus a table stocked with fruit, juice and granola bars for snacking throughout the night. BodogFIGHT really pulled out all the stops to feed people. Where are they now?
3. EliteXC: "Heat" - October 4th, 2008 - Ken Shamrock and Seth Petruzelli may have conspired to destroy the organization that Kimbo Slice called home, but nothing can detract from this press room buffet. Hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, desserts and more, yet the icing on the cake was the endless supply of drinks (cans of soda and water). Yeah, baby.
4. UFC 32: "Showdown in the Meadowlands" - June 29th, 2001 - The organization may be the very model of success now, but don't forget that Zuffa was bleeding money for years. Case in point, this bad boy in New Jersey, which featured a pre-show dining extravaganza that saw everything from cocktail shrimp to a carving station in play. Oh how I miss the good old days!
5. UFC 37: "High Impact" - May 10th, 2002 - Zuffa still hadn't figured out the whole "not necessary to feed the reporters" thing, so they were still hosting press dinners at this point - which were small affairs where UFC brass would mingle with us scribes at high-end hotel restaurants. I remember the filet mignon as if it were just yesterday. Oh how I really miss the good old days!

Pennsylvania Sanctions MMA; Amish Fighting Championship Set for April

Mixed martial arts is now legal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to a press release from the Pennsylvania Department of State issued yesterday, the Keystone State - following regulations drawn up by the State Athletic Commission - will sanction mixed martial arts events, a move that brings the land of cheese steaks and the Liberty Bell up to speed with the likes of New Jersey, Nevada and California in terms of embracing the sport. The first scheduled MMA show will be the Amish Fighting Championship in April, which will feature local competitors squaring off in the "Barn of Doom".

Ultimate Warrior Challenge: "Man 'O' War" Report

MMA Journalist's Adam Butterworth and Jake Blanton were at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia for the Ultimate Warrior Challenge: "Man 'O' War" show, which, despite Chase Beebe's absence, ended up being a pretty solid event. "I was pumped for that fight," says Butterworth. "But the rest of the card made up for it. John 'the Magician' Dodson had the best fight against a very, very tough opponent." Dodson defeated Jose Villarisco via unanimous decision, while local superstar Mike Easton submitted Justin Robbins, female fighters Felice Herrig and Iman Acchal had a battle, and Ron Stallings scored a KO. The action, and the over 6,200 fans in attendance, definitely made for a successful show. Congrats to the UWC. (Pics courtesy of Jake Blanton)

From the Mailbag: "I Love You And Want To Be You."

"Dear MMA Journalist: I read your blog everyday and I think it's insightful and hilarious and a breath of fresh air in a world of stale blogs. It's great that you go to all those shows both big and small, and your refined talent and comedic ability is enough to make any heart quiver. MMA Journalist, I love you and want to be you, and if you ever need a writer, or intern, or even just someone to talk to late at night during Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network... well, I could be that person." - CRS

Uh, thanks for the kind words, CRS. I think. MMA Journalist is always interested in hearing from new voices and seeing things from a new perspective, so anyone who wants to submit something - be it a short, witty article or some pics from a local fight show - should feel free. Send it to mma_journalist@yahoo.com and maybe I'll post it. Also, CRS, please, no more nudie pics.

Chase Beebe Suffers Vagina Injury, Misses UWC; DREAM Tournament Appearance in Jeopardy

Former WEC champ Chase Beebe has suffered an injury to his vagina, causing him to no-show the Ultimate Warrior Challenge event this past weekend in Northern Virginia and possibly jeopardizing his participation in DREAM's featherweight tournament on March 8th. The extent of Beebe's vaginal injury is unknown, although it is believed to be severe enough to warrant his screwing over of the UWC (Beebe was supposed to headline the February 21st event with a bout against Mike Easton) and then refusing to answer their phone calls. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Beebe at this time," said a spokesperson for the Washington, DC-area promotion. "He's a tough and honorable man, and no one with even the slightest injury to their vagina should even consider stepping into the cage against someone of Mike Easton's caliber."

Observations From My Couch: UFC 95

• It's been a long time coming, but it was good to finally see Mike Ciesnolevicz in the Octagon.
• Per Eklund, Evan Dunham, Stefan Struve, Junior Dos Santos... I had no idea who they were before UFC 95, and after seeing them fight, I still have no idea who they are.
• What language was Terry Etim speaking? Romulan? Please don't put a microphone in his face again.
• Josh Koscheck. The best welterweight fighter out there capable of getting knocked out by anyone.
• Demian Maia looked great, but how much of that was Chael Sonnen sucking?
• Bravo to Dan Hardy for keeping the mohawk alive. Rock on, punky.
• Diego Sanchez had a decent win, but it wasn't awe-inspiring. His nickname should no longer be "the Nightmare". "The Fitful Dream" would be more apt.

Liveblog: Ring of Combat Part 6

A middleweight championship bout between Alexandre Moreno and Rafael Sapo is up next. Sadly, I have never seen either fighter fight nor heard of them, so I am unmoved that these guys are fighting for a championship belt in an organization I follow closely. However, for the sake of the sport, I will pretend to care. Woo! The one Brazilian just threw the other one! Now they're up again, fighting as if a plantation full of acai is up for grabs! They're back down again! Oh the humanity. Will someone please think of the children! Ooh, a close triangle choke attempt. Wait, the waiter is coming by with some delicious-looking meat on a sword, and as I ask for some the one Brazilian lands a right hook that stuns the other Brazilian and it's all over. Uh, the announcer says that it's Sapo who scored the KO. Wahoo! Ahem. Okay, now it's time for the heavyweight title bout between Joe Abouata of Alex Wilkie's Scary Motorcycle Gang against Bret Kohan of Ricardo Almeida's Den of Jiu-Jitsu. This bout I care about, as both Abouata and Kohan are very relevant. Yikes, Kohan is large and in charge from the get-go, landing a variety of strikes and finishing Abouata with a knee to the body that drains the life from Abouata almost instantly. That's all, folks.