Observations from My Couch: WEC 36

• Someone needs to let Jake Rosholt know that it's okay to duck and dodge and not get punched in the face. Seriously. The WEC does not have a "Got Punched in the Face A Lot" bonus.
• I can still remember when Jens Pulver was one of the most-feared strikers in the sport. I hate to say it, but he's getting old.
• I would be totally cool with never having to see Paulo Filho fight again. That dude simply did not want to be there, and after three rounds of watching him buttflop, not a soul on the planet wanted him to be in there either.
• Mike Brown took a page out of Seth Petruzelli's book and wrecked a big promotion's poster boy and their best laid plans. Urijah Faber should fight Kimbo Slice to earn his rematch.

TUF 8 Analysis: Episode 8

Another Wednesday night, another TUF 8 episode. Coach Mir grows more and more toolish, Stankie is kept off screen (aside from some crazy, old man gesticulating), and bodily fluids are consumed in "weird German porno" fashion.

• Fruit marinated in urine and sushi coated in man-chowder. Ugh. Why is it that whenever I hype an episode and tell all my friends to watch it, the gay stuff happens? Now everyone is avoiding me.
• Boiled duck fetuses? I guess for Phillipe Nover, fear is definitely not a factor.
• Junie Browning giving out tips on how to beat his teammate Dave Kaplan is only half of what he did. Although it wasn't shown, Browning also let the air out of the tires on Kaplan's dirt bike and ate his pillow.
• Nover hits very hard. So hard, in fact, that not only was Kaplan knocked silly enough to believe he was still the better fighter of the two afterwards, but coach Mir too was concussed into believing Kaplan was superior. I sincerely hope both Kaplan and Mir have since gotten MRIs and brain scans.

Scenes From Phillipe Nover's TUF Screening

The Aviator Recreation Center in Brooklyn played host to Phillipe Nover's TUF 8 episode screening party tonight. In attendance: Nover and a ton of his friends and family, plus jiu-jitsu ace Carmine Zocchi, http://nycfight.com/ founder Eric Joza and a lot of pizza.

Drug-Addled Paulo Filho Thinks He's Gina Carano, Fails to Make Weight

Middleweight belt holder Paulo Filho, whose battles with substance abuse prompted a recent stint in rehab, failed to make weight yesterday for his WEC 36 bout against Chael Sonnen, rendering their championship contest a three-round, non-title affair. The Brazilian Top Team star was reportedly wearing a wig and a skirt at the official weigh-ins, and while insisting everyone call him "Gina", stepped on to the scale at 192 pounds (a whopping seven pounds over the limit). "Paulo is... having some issues right now," said main handler Ed Soares, who ended up chasing Filho around the venue while Filho giggled and squealed. Added Soares: "I assure you, she - err, I mean he - will be ready for his fight." Tonight's WEC 36 will also feature a match-up between minuscule warriors Urijah Faber and Mike Brown and will air live on the "Versus" cable channel.

Rumor: "American Knuckle Star" to Maybe Possibly Hopefully Fight in Atlantic City in January

From the completely unsubstantiated rumor department: Eddie Alvarez, the highly popular top-ranked lightweight dubbed the "American Knuckle Star" by the Japanese (I kid you not), may be fighting at an event in Atlantic City on January 17th. Nothing has been finalized, nothing has been nor can be confirmed, but the rumor floating around is that a very experienced promoter is behind this new show and Alvarez will be part of it. Stay tuned for more.

Chris Leben Tests Positive For White Trashiness

UFC 89 main eventer Chris Leben, who turned in a gutsy performance against Michael Bisping at the October 18th UK event despite losing a unanimous decision, has tested positive for white trashiness according to reports. Although he was sporting cornrows and spending an inordinate amount of time in trailer parks, Leben's positive test results comes as a surprise to many - especially to those who had believed his claims that he'd given up manufacturing crystal meth and had gotten his life back on track. "We're disappointed in Chris," said UFC Chief Welfare Check Co-Signer Dana White. "He's apologized and taken responsibility for his actions, but we don't tolerate any white trash in the UFC." As punishment, Leben faces a nine-month suspension, a substantial fine, and must subsist on food stamps.

Shane Ott Still Hanging in There

MMA Journalist just received this email from Tina Sieracki, a friend of Shane Ott's and his family: "Please correct your blog on Shane. He is very much still alive, although in critical but stable condition. He is still alive and fighting for his life." This is, of course, fantastic news, and according to Sieracki, Ott's family is by his side. She adds: "He has a large group of close friends pulling for him and he is in each and every one of our thoughts at this time." Shane, MMA Journalist is pulling for you.

Rest In Peace Shane Ott (Update: See Above)

Shane Ott, a Combat in the Cage champ and IFL competitor, was in a motorcycle accident yesterday and died from his injuries. He was 36-years-old. Ott last fought in March at BCX 4, where he lost via TKO to Carlton Haselrig, but he was always considered one of the East Coast's most-dangerous heavyweights - and with unstoppable takedowns, fierce ground-and-pound, and a plethora of tattoos covering his body, he definitely looked the part. Ott was, however, extremely friendly and approachable, and when asked what it was like to fight in the IFL in only his second professional bout, he would not hesitate in describing how happy it made him to have made his young son so proud. Shane Ott, you will be missed. (Update: see "Shane Ott Still Hanging in There.)

Ex-Drug Mule Leonard Garcia Focused on WEC 36 Bout

Looking to put his days as a drug mule for the Mexican cartel behind him, 145-pound scrapper Leonard Garcia is very focused on his upcoming WEC 36 bout against former UFC champ Jens Pulver - his first bout back since being swept up in a DEA investigation in March. Garcia's arrest and detainment, which kept him on ice for months, left fans wondering if they'd see the man who battled Roger Huerta and Cole Miller in the Octagon ever again. "That's all behind me now," says Garcia, who sometimes regurgitates old cocaine-filled balloons after intense workouts. "I'm an MMA fighter. That's my job. Not ferrying drugs." The November 5th WEC 36 also features a featherweight championship bout between Urijah Faber and Mike Brown and will air live on the Versus cable channel.

Japanese MMA Scene Still Very Relevant

Tomorrow night, at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan, Sengoku will trudge forward with its sixth event - an event that brings us the final two rounds of its lightweight and middleweight grand prix tournaments, plus some moderately interesting bouts featuring Takanori Gomi, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (yes, the brother of that dude on TUF 8), Jorge Masvidal and Joe Doerksen. Like DREAM, Sengoku is struggling to fill the void Pride FC left behind, and like DREAM, there are some compelling match-ups on deck that could affect fighter rankings worldwide. And sadly, like DREAM, Sengoku will most likely garner the attention of only hardcore fans here in the States. In the past year, Sengoku and DREAM have given studs like Roger Gracie, Eddie Alvarez, Josh Barnett and a ton of others a platform to show the international audience that they're bad, bad men and worthy of respect. It's behooves any true MMA fan to visit sites like http://Sherdog.com and http://www.japan-mma.com/ and check these events out.