Eddie Alvarez Signs with EliteXC, Will Fight for M-1 Global, Then Cure Cancer

Former BodogFIGHT champ Eddie Alvarez - one of the most popular East Coast fighters ever - has recently signed with EliteXC, MMA Journalist has learned. Known for his charisma, extremely heavy hands and ability to raise the dead, the Philadelphia native will headline the January 25th ShoXC event at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, squaring off against Hawaiian slugger Ross "Da Boss" Ebanez in a bout that is sure to please the legion of faithful who will no doubt pack the venue. Alvarez will also be fighting for M-1 Global at some future date, EliteXC's notoriously restrictive contracts notwithstanding, and then will either cure cancer or feed thousands with a few loaves of bread and some fish.

A Slew of Surprises

Unpredictability is one of the cornerstones of MMA's appeal, and with the UFC, the IFL, and M-1 Global's Yarennoka event all taking place in the span of a few days, "unpredictability" came at us like a runaway freight train. Who would've guessed that Georges St. Pierre would dominate Matt Hughes with takedowns and ground-and-pound before nearly tearing his arm off? Not I. Who out there really believed Chuck Liddell and Wanderlei Silva would go the distance, knowing they'd be throwing the kind of leather that would render nearly every other light-heavyweight in the world unconscious? Not me, pal. Matt Horwich dropping Benji Radach, Brett Cooper trouncing Rory Markham, and Ryan Schultz beating the tar out of Chris Horodecki? Nope. No friggin' way. Even Hong Man Choi's performance against Fedor was a shock. After over a decade, this sport still manages to surprise and thrill. You've got to love it.

Results of MMA Journalist "Best of 2007" Online Poll

The emails have been read and the results are in for MMA Journalist's "Best of 2007" online poll. Thanks to all those who sent in their opinions, and an even bigger thanks to all those who used a spell-checking program, proper grammar, the English language or managed just the slightest bit of coherence. So without further ado, the best of 2007! -Best Fighter to Party With: Adam Smith, who fought at the September 29th Strikeforce event at the Playboy Mansion and subsequently tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. Blow, weed and Playboy Bunnies? Rock on, brother. Rock on. -Best Sinking Ship: BodogFIGHT. Holy Titanic, Batman! -Best Punch to the Armpit: Kimbo Slice's uppercut to Bo Cantrell at the November 10th EliteXC "Renegade" show. When done right, no can defend. -Best Reporter for Screwing Things Up: Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports. Um, how much did Couture make? Right... -Best Crying: John Koppenhaver, who defeated Jared Rollins at the TUF 6 Finale, then bawled his eyes out. There, there War Machine. Jared didn't die. Look, see? He's standing up and walking around. -Best Stock to Buy: the IFL's. Ha! Just kidding.

A Collection of News Haiku II

1. Eddie Alvarez/ jumps the sinking Bodog ship./ Boss Calvin Ayre weeps. 2. Poor, poor IFL -/ their Grand Prix is a big mess./ Sell your stock soon bro! 3. Fedor will fight a/ tomato can. Surprise! Pride/ never really died. 4. Big John McCarthy/ finally calls it quits. There/ goes a legend, folks.

Who Fights at the UCL? That's a Damn Good Question

Accessibility. That's what it's all about when it comes to fighters competing in NYC's Underground Combat League instead of trekking across the Hudson and taking a sanctioned bout in New Jersey (where the MMA scene is huge). So who competes at these shows? Aside from the random street fighter, wrestling champ, or ringer who's racked up dozens of jiu-jitsu privates and practiced them on his roommate, there are a number of schools who've made their presence known. Here are some recent offenders: New Generation Karate- Don't let the name fool you. These "karate" guys have proven to be badass submission grapplers, as evidenced by 172-pounder Josh Camdon and 204-pounder Lance McDwyer totally handling their opponents before tapping them out. Vamos Jiu-Jitsu- 174-pound James Funaro was smooth as hell this past Sunday, which is a good indication that these guys are doing something right at this Long Island school. PIT/Katsugo-Ryu/Musuko- These locals all come to scrap, and are responsible for some real crowd-pleasing battles - especially at the last event, where the 158-pound Angel Flores went to war. Rhino Fight Team- Do I really need to say anything about one of the top MMA teams in the Northeast? Team United/Kaizen Karate-Do- Headed by 185-pounder Mike Mullero, these dudes have stepped up and faced some tough fighters, proving that they're there to scrap no matter what. Of course there are others, like the boys from American Freestyle or the KTFO gym, but you get the point. New Yorkers in the hizzouse!

NYC's Underground Combat League Still Going Strong

The UCL's latest incarnation, "Black Sunday", featured nine bouts in a packed venue. It's safe to say this underground show was the best one yet.

Who's Worthy of Busting Some Heads at the January 25th EliteXC Show in Atlantic City?

EliteXC is coming to the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on January 25th. So, who among the ranks of competitors in the Garden State MMA scene is worthy of busting some heads in one of the biggest promotions outside of the UFC? Who could dethrone 160-pound champ KJ Noons, put a hurting on Murilo Rua, or send Paul Daley back to England with his teeth in a glass of milk? (See MMA Journalist's November 13th post "Who Should Jake Shields Fight?" on who would kick Shield's ass.) Without question, grappling studs Jim Miller and Deividas Taurosevicius would have little trouble tearing off Noons' arm and beating him over the head with it. The same can be said for recent ROC tournament champion Brian McLaughlin - and I'm going to go out on a limb and add Jim Bova and Tim Troxell to that list (although Troxell might be a little light). As for "Ninja" Rua, well, ROC tournament winner Ricardo Romero, slugger Josh Rhodes and wrestler-turned-brawler Tim Boetsch could all pound the crap out of the Brazilian wherever the fight goes. And Daley? That one's a no-brainer: Lyman Good would out-strike and out-grapple the Brit. Mr. Daley would literally have no teeth left after three rounds. Yes, the EliteXC matchmakers should have no trouble finding suitable opponents for their roster of fighters.

Observations from My Couch: TUF 6 Finale

-Despite a far from memorable season, these "Ultimate Fighter" finales can really deliver when it comes to action and excitement. Is there a way we can just skip the boring TUF episodes and go straight to the finales? -Mac Danzig defeated Tommy Speer to become this season's Ultimate Fighter. God, I miss the days when those TUF bouts were even remotely competitive. -Clay Guida is the most talented and skilled Neanderthal to ever set foot in the Octagon. When he learns to use complex tools (such as the speed bag and the double-ended bag), he will be a major threat to the more-evolved UFC fighters. -Roger Huerta is the real deal. I don't really have anything witty or sarcastic to add to that statement. -Sean Sherk is officially stripped of his belt and officiating icon Big John McCarthy announces his retirement. And what was the grand announcement Dana White made at the end of the show? Apparently, White saved a ton of money on his car insurance by switching to Geico.

Tom Gallicchio to Stomp a Hole in Rory Markham's Chest, Jersey-Style

New Jersey wrestler-turned-mixed martial artist Tom Gallicchio will be facing Rory Markham at the December 29th IFL Grand Prix Finals at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. Gallicchio, who will be replacing Dan Miller for this preliminary bout, is an accomplished fighter from the Garden State circuit, and sports a shiny Battle Cage Xtreme championship belt thanks to his grappling and ground-and-skills. Expect the Rhino Fight Team scrapper to put the Miletich-trained fighter on his back early and beat on him mercilessly.

Josh Gross Gets it Right

It's hard sometimes to capture what the true story is, especially when the facts are big and ugly and slap you in the face. Sam Vasquez's death had big, ugly facts slapping you in the face - he died as a result of a sanctioned MMA bout, making him the first MMA death on US soil. But veteran journalist Josh Gross over at Sherdog.com got it right. In his article "Ronin's Angel", Gross goes to great lengths to paint a picture of how Vasquez lived, not how he died. And it's a tribute worthy of the first fallen warrior in this still relatively-new sport. Check it out.