Rumble on the Rez

The second of the aforementioned under-the-radar New York State shows took place last night, this one on an Indian reservation outside of Buffalo. Dubbed "Rumble on the Rez", the event was a mix of professional bouts and amateur bouts, and featured the likes of former BodogFIGHT headliner Matt Lee taking on kickboxer Peter Kalejevic (Lee won the decision), veteran warrior Andrew Montanez rematching with BCX champ Pat Audinwood (Audinwood won the split decision), and the Northeast's top-ranked bantamweight Steve DeAngelis squaring off against Josh Pearson (DeAngelis won via rear naked choke at 2:22 of the first round). Close to 500 spectators came out to watch the action, making this well-run event a nice addition to the Empire State's growing collection of MMA organizations.

Is the Northeast a Breeding Ground for Badasses?

Dan Miller needed only a minute and a half to choke the hell out of his opponent in his Octagon debut at UFN 15. Mike Massenzio damn near ripped Drew McFedries' arm off at the same event. Phillipe Nover sent his TUF foe packing in impressive fashion, and by all accounts Brian McLaughlin was kicking ass until an illegal knee earned him a win by disqualification. What do Miller, Massenzio, Nover and McLaughlin all have in common? They're the cream of the crop in the New Jersey fight circuit, and after spending years honing their skills in events like Reality Fighting, Ring of Combat, and the now-defunct IFL, they're sharp as hell and experienced enough to win at the highest of levels. For the longest time, MMA hotbeds like the West Coast and the Midwest were cranking out the toughest mixed martial artists, but no longer. Is the Northeast a breeding ground for badasses? With a wealth of shows and talent and solid schools focused on MMA, it sure is now.

TUF 8 Analysis: Episode 1

Last night saw the season eight premiere of "The Ultimate Fighter" on SpikeTV, a season dubbed "Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir" that requires captions whenever the Brazilian coach speaks. Excellent. I think the Zuffa and SpikeTV are prepping viewers for a future season where no one speaks any English and contestants live in a big hut deep in some distant jungle. A few things gleaned from the first episode:

• There are rumors that when the DVD of this season comes out, viewers will be able to remove the blurriness that obscured Jason Guida's junk when he was rolling around in his towel.
• Krzysztof Soszynski is an IFL veteran with an 15-8-1 according to Sherdog.com. Does this guy really need to be on TUF facing noobs like Mike Stewart? I think there's a SpikeTV producer out there pulling the strings, and he's got a very dangerous sense of humor.
• Phillipe Nover fainted not from the heat or dehydration, but because he was in the presence of Dana White. Nover has a history of fainting in the presence of superstars; he was backstage at a Barbara Streisand concert and accidentally ran into Babs herself by the vending machine. Boom! Out cold.
• Why you got to knee Brian McLaughlin in the grill when he's on the ground? Not cool, man. Not cool.
• Junie Browning vs. Jose Aguilar was a battle between the douchebag and the dipshit. The fans lose in these match-ups every single time.

Observations from My Couch: UFN 15

• Houston Alexander is built like an action figure and always seems one punch away from knocking someone out. Unfortunately, he needs to be told that mixed martial arts involves at least some grappling, and that he therefore must train in it.
• Alan Belcher looked impressive out-striking and out-working Ed Herman, but who the heck thought it was a good idea for him to wear that diaper? Is he incontinent?
• Mac Danzig had nothing on Clay Guida's relentless offense. It may be time for that steak, Mac.
• Nate Diaz was composed as all hell and very Kazushi Sakuraba-esqe in his transitions and escapes. However, I'm left with a burning question after his bout last night: does the kid eat? Nate, I don't know what Zuffa is paying you, but if you need food I will totally buy you a case of ramen noodles or something.

Nate Diaz Likely to Utilize Some "Jiu-Jitsu" at UFN 15

Tonight's Ultimate Fight Night 15 on SpikeTV features a headlining bout between TUF 5 winner Nate Diaz against Josh Neer - a lightweight contest that in all likelihood will see Diaz utilizing some Brazilian-style "jiu-jitsu". A scrappy, rough-and-tumble youngster from Stockton, California, Diaz has been known to fight from positions called "the guard" and "the mount", and at times has employed fancy moves like the "guillotine" and the "triangle choke" to force his opponents to tap out. Does Neer have the wherewithal to avoid these fancy-schmantzy techniques? Or will he fall prey to that which he does not understand? That's any one's guess, but either way, expect Diaz to impress.

Why Do People Keep Fouling Glen Sandull?

At this past Friday's ROC 21 Glen Sandull took on Ricardo Romero for the light-heavyweight title, and in the heat of battle Romero soccer-kicked the wrestler-turned-fighter in the dome when Sandull was on all fours. The result was a win via disqualification for the AMA Fight Club/Team Renzo representative, a shiny new ROC championship belt, and an exit from the cage on a stretcher. But this was, unfortunately, not the first time Sandull's been fouled in an MMA bout - Carlos Cline repeatedly up-kicked Sandull in their October of 2004 Reality Fighting bout, and Sherman Pendergarst whacked him over the head with a two-by-four in their April of 2006 Sportfighting bout. What is it about Sandull that makes opponents want to disregard the Unified Rules of MMA when fighting him? "He's just so... foulable," says Braden Bice, who faced Sandull at Combat in the Cage in September of 2006, losing in the third round due to exaustion but running Sandull down with his car in the parking lot. "I mean, nothing against the guy, but when he's taking you down again and again, pounding on you like a red-headed stepchild, you just have to break the rules."

Mac Danzig May Hate Meat, But He Hates Cavemen and Dinosaurs Even More

Noted vegetarian Mac Danzig may hate meat, but he hates cavemen and dinosaurs even more, and at Wednesday night's UFN 15 Danzig will face famed dino-rider Clay Guida in a match-up that guarantees fireworks. "I really don't like any carnivores," said Danzig between bites of raw cauliflower. "And as a prehistoric man, Guida is definitely an extreme carnivore. I'm going to kick his ass and the ass of that triceratops he rides around on." The Pride FC vet and lightweight TUF 6 winner, who trains at Xtreme Couture and eats things like radishes and zucchini in lieu of hamburgers and hot dogs, has yet to be tested in the Octagon. Guida should prove to be a tough opponent.

Anthony Johnson Loses Appeal Due to Excessive Blindness

UFC fighter Anthony Johnson, who was blatantly eye-gouged by opponent Kevin Burns at their UFN 14 clash but lost the bout via controversial TKO thanks to a referee's bad call, has had his appeal rejected by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. According to NSAC High Exalted One Keith Kizer, the reason behind the rejected appeal was "excessive blindness", as Johnson was unable to see the requisite forms to properly fill them out. Johnson has since undergone surgery for his damaged eye, and currently uses a prosthetic eyeball as well as an eye patch.

Affliction Teams Up With Golden Krust

Hot on the heels of the postponement of their October "Day of Reckoning" show, Affliction has announced a partnership between themselves and Caribbean bakery giant Golden Krust. In a press conference on Saturday, head seamstress Tom Atencio described the alliance as "ground breaking" and promised that it would "change the mixed martial arts industry forever". No word yet on what this means for the promotion in terms of breaking into the Las Vegas market or selling tickets to shows not headlined by Fedor Emelianenko, but Golden Krust is the world's leading producer of Jamaican beef patties, and its flavorful jerk marinade is heralded as the best jerk around.

Jon Koppenhaver Cut from UFC for Being "Too Classy"

According to preliminary reports, the UFC has released TUF 6 alum Jon Koppenhaver from his contract for being "too classy". Nicknamed "War Machine", Koppenhaver was recently praised for his moving Myspace tribute to the late Evan Tanner, and his tireless volunteer work in the community has left many wondering if he'd one day snag a Nobel Peace Prize. "He's really not what we're looking for in a fighter," said UFC Vice Dictator Joe Silva. "Nice doesn't sell fights. We're all about scum and villainy."