Welcome to my MMA Blog!

Hello and welcome to my new MMA blog!

I created this out of a recommendation someone gave me over facebook. I have an opinion about all sorts of things in relation to MMA and now I'm going to blog them instead of just posting facebook statuses.

I got into MMA on my deployment to Afghanistan. On a day where I was walking around in my off time on Camp Bastion, I went into the PX and picked up "UFC Best of 2008". This was also around the time we were bored every night on shift and started grappling eachother. It instantly took as a hobby and a fascination, coupled with my attaining a green belt in Marine Corps Martial Arts.

When I finished my deployment and got back to Okinawa Japan, I got involved in training MMA on my own, and started watching more and more bouts on DVD and youtube. I was hooked. I even competed once (and lost, albeit it taught me that I really enjoy a crowd pleasing fight, and getting paid to throw down is cool too.)

Now i'm in Arizona, training in Sierra Vista at BlackOut MMA. I have learned a lot of new stuff, and gotten into a lot better shape. So when I make my re-entrance to fighting for fans, fortune and fame, I will have them to thank for my success.

SO! With introductions out of the way...

UFC 120 was a night just full of surprises huh? I missed the first fight, but caught the rest. Cheick Kongo and Travis Browne fighting to a Unanimous Draw thanks to a point deduction on Kongo for holding shorts. John Hathaway and Mike Pyle's fight was a good one, if not a dominating performance by Mike Pyle, surely he's someone to look out for in the future. Carlos Condit knocking out Dan Hardy certainly surprised me, and many others. I never counted Carlos out completely, I knew it was going to be a good fight, but I definitely thought Hardy was coming out on top. I also do not agree with the main event decision. Bisping and Akiyama were hardcore throughout, but in my honest opinion, Akiyama would have won had the fight not been in London, England, Bispings home town and crowd. Oh well. I enjoyed watching.

UFC 121 is on Saturday. My prediction is Brock Lesnar is going to come away with a win again, TKO in the 2nd. Cain Velsasquez is simply not big enough to hang with him. We'll see though. Also, Jake Shields makes his UFC debut, and against the always tough Martin Kampmann. Shields by decision if not armbar submission is my call on that one. Diego Sanchez vs. Paulo Thiago will probably mean me texting on my droid, recapping to people who I watch with about the previous bouts, and making a bathroom break. Snore. Sanchez by unanimous decision. Tito Ortiz fights his former protege Matt Hamill. I think Hamill respects Ortiz too much, and Ortiz will TKO him in the 3rd. Brendan Schaub from TUF: Heavyweights vs. Gabriel Gonzaga will be a good kick off to the main event, Schaub being a finalist and losing to Roy Nelson, and Gabriel Gonzaga being the first UFC fighter to knock out Mirko Cro Cop (Kevin Randleman did before him in PRIDE). I'm going to have to say Schaub by decision, but don't take that to the bank.

Stay tuned for more posts, as I'm crazy about MMA and I like to talk about it.

-benclark