Eddie Alvarez: Superhero

Though most fans know of Eddie Alvarez from his exploits in the ring, few are aware of the slugger's career outside of mixed martial arts. Prior to his entrance into the Dream Lightweight Grand Prix in Japan, Alvarez was a superhero and crimefighter based in the Philadelphia area, with his acts of heroism taking him all over the world (and beyond). Here's a list of just a few of the former BodogFIGHT champ's more notable accomplishments: 1. Infiltrating Dr. Klaw's secret mountain lair and deactivating not one, but two doomsday devices. 2. Foiling bank robberies in London, New Delhi and Buenos Aires - all in the same night. 3. Forcing Doctor Octopus to tap out due to strikes. 4. While vacationing on Mongo, instigating a rebellion that eventually overthrew Ming the Merciless. 5. Disabling Sir Hugo Drax's space station, thereby saving the human race from extermination via nerve gas. 6. Working as a training partner for Godzilla for the giant mutant lizard's rematch against Mechagodzilla. 7. Saving over two dozen cats stuck in trees. 8. Talking the Incredible Hulk out of a rampage - and then KOing the Abomination.

Nogueira and Mir Announced as Coaches for Most Unwatched Season of TUF Ever

The UFC has tapped interim heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and former champ Frank Mir to be coaches for the upcoming eighth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" - a season that promises to be SpikeTV's most unwatched ever. Aside from their world-class grappling and top-level competition experience, each coach brings something new to the table: Nogueira an outstanding command of the English language and Mir some kickass motorcycling skills. Expect SpikeTV producers to exploit both those traits in an effort to attract viewers.

IFL to Rely on Gypsy Magic to Save Themselves

As rumors of the IFL's demise flew last week, the ailing organization announced that they'll now rely on dark gypsy magic to lure fans. Dubbed "The Hex", the new initiative will allegedly put a curse on all who choose to watch TUF, Strikeforce or the Iron Ring over the IFL's weekly FSN episodes. Said IFL High Priest Jay Larkin, "Hey man, at this stage we're willing to try anything."

Doug Gordon: Now with More "Wow!"

Fans who made their way to Ring of Combat 19 at the Tropicana Casino & Resort this past Friday were treated to another stellar performance by Doug Gordon. Fresh off his come-from-behind win over Gregor Gracie - which produced a picture-perfect high-kick knockout broadcast live on HDNet Fights - Gordon has become one hell of an exciting fighter. And dangerous, too, which ROC 19 opponent LeVon Maynard can attest to. Maynard fell to a well-placed right uppercut two minutes and 15 seconds into the first round. Who's next for the Master of the "Wow!"?

Noted Fighters Switch Teams

Hot on the heels of yesterday's announcement that UFC lightweight Frankie Edgar and EliteXC lightweight Chris Liguori would be joining Ricardo Almeida's MMA team comes a spate of other sudden fight camp defections. Professor Almeida announced in a press release that he was merging his cadre of elite competitors with Team Tiger Schulmann, while MMA Journalist learned earlier today that Team Endgame founder Eddy Rolon would be pairing up with grappling beast Justin Garcia and the Serra/Longo Competition Team to form the "Jungle Brothers". Also, the Rhino Fight Team announced a strategic partnership with Atlantic City MMA and Bellmore Kickboxing, with training sessions to take place on a barge floating off the southern coast of Long Island. Not to be outdone, the Bombsquad has joined forces with Miletich Fighting Systems, the Anthracite Combat Club and American Top Team, creating a camp called "BombMileAntracATT". Given these dramatic changes and alliances, now no one from the Northeast MMA circuit can fight each other. Stay tuned for more.

May 31st EliteXC to be Most Awesomest Show Ever

With heavy hitters Kimbo Slice, Robbie Lawler, Scott Smith, Phil Baroni, Joey Villasenor, Brett Rogers and Jon Murphy on the card, EliteXC is pulling out all the stops for their May 31st show - and rightly so, as the event will air live on CBS. But fans who forego the network TV extravaganza and instead make the trek to Newark, New Jersey to see it all in person will be treated to an undercard full of some serious talent. Carlton Haselrig, the ex-NFL player who just steamrolled over IFL veteran Shane Ott, will be taking on IFL veteran Bryan Vetell. Does that do anything for you? What about Nick Serra - the "Mad Monkey" of jiu-jitsu - taking on up-and-comer Matt Makowski? How does that make you feel? In a pair of guaranteed fast-paced fisticuffs, featherweight Brazilians Andre Soares and Wilson Reis will face Zach Makovsky and Justin Robbins, respectively. Even perennial local star Chris Liguori is stepping into the cage, taking on grappling stalwart Jim Bova. "Saturday Night Fights" is shaping up to be the most awesomest show ever, and it's enough to make a true MMA fan weep with joy.

A Work of Art: The NYS Bill to Allow Pro MMA

A well-crafted piece of legislation can be a work of art, akin to a Van Gogh oil painting in its legal nuances or a Renoir portrait in its details. If that's the case, then the proposed bill that would amend the law that bans pro MMA in New York is a fingerpainting done by a circus clown on the tail end of a five-day crystal meth binge. As the current law reads, professional "combative sports and exhibitions" are prohibited, with an exception made for martial arts sanctioned by an outdated list of organizations (the US Tae Kwon Do Union, the USA Karate Foundation, the North American Slapfighting Association, etc.). This is followed by the magic words "the [athletic] commission is authorized to promulgate regulations which would establish a process to allow for the inclusion or removal of martial arts organizations from the above list." There are two issues here: the giant loophole in the law that allows for unregulated amateur MMA and the phrase "authorized to promulgate regulations" (which, when translated into English, means the athletic commission has no obligation to do anything but sit around and drink coffee from styrofoam cups). The proposed bill makes MMA an exception to the definition of combative sport, but it does nothing to address these issues. It even throws in a "the commission is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations" for good measure. Very scary. There will always be an Underground Combat League regardless of whether the amateur MMA loophole is sewn up or not, but New York is a big state with plenty of room for what the USKBA has going in New Jersey. Will the new law allow for a Proving Grounds or New Breed Fighters or Asylum Fight League here? And will the proposed bill permit the NYSAC to tackle MMA regulating with the same fervor as when it took on the "approved martial arts organizations" list? (Note: in eleven years, nothing was ever done in regards to changing that list.) New York State deserves a big UFC at Madison Square Garden, more Vengeance at the Vanderbilts and a half dozen amateur events holding shows from Buffalo to Albany to Long Island. Hopefully a half-assed piece of legislation doesn't screw all that up.

Random NSAC Drug Testing Snags Four

The Nevada State Athletic Commission's new policy of random drug testing throughout the year has netted its first violators. In a report issued by Executive Director Keith Kizer, four people tested positive for drugs of abuse: Milwaukee janitor Clarence Daniels, San Diego claims adjuster Alice Sienna Chamberlain and Wilkes-Barre high school student Lance Dingler each tested positive for marijuana, while Orlando crossing guard Candice McMullin tested positive for cocaine. All four were approached by NSAC representatives in the early morning and forced to provide urine samples. "Anyone who fails to meet Nevada's stringent standards will have their license to compete here revoked - no question," said Kizer, who went on to note that thus far no actual fighters tested randomly have failed their drug tests.

Dante Rivera is Better Than That

Dante Rivera took Brandon Sene to a decision on last night's episode of TUF, and while the East Coast fighter came away with the unanimous decision, it wasn't the most awe-inspiring performance ever. Well folks, having seen 11 of his 15 pre-TUF fights, I can honestly say that Rivera is better than that. Much better, actually. A jiu-jitsu brown belt under Ricardo Almeida, Rivera's bread and butter is his grappling game, and around these parts he's been putting away some seriously tough cats for years. From Jose Rodriguez to Erik Charles to Alexis Aquino to Nissim Levy, Rivera has shown he can ground-and-pound, nail submissions and trade strikes with almost anyone - and he can do it before a cheering crowd of thousands. Rivera is one badass dude. Give him a chance and he'll show you.

To Do: Check Out a New Breed Fighters Show

Even with the massive MMA Journalist staff working full-time to bring you the latest news, the sad truth is that a calendar jam-packed with fight shows means some things will inevitably fall through the cracks. Case in point: the New Breed Fighters amateur events held at the House of Blues in Atlantic City's Showboat Casino - events that MMA Journalist has not yet had a chance to check out. The NBF league has been going strong since December of 2006, has provided scores of rookies their first taste of cage combat, and has produced tough pro fighters like Mark Berraciol, Mike Medrano and Lester Caslow. Want a well-run amateur show to pop your fighting cherry? Want an early glimpse at tomorrow's MMA stars? Then by all accounts, the almost-monthly NBF's are definitely worth the trip.