MMA Notes and News

---It was announced today that the UFC's newest acquisition, former WWE champion Brock Lesnar will face off against Frank Mir at UFC 81 on February 2, 2008 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. There had been some speculation about who Lesnar's first fight might be against but the match appears set and ready to go. Lesanar is an accomplished collegiate wrestler who made a name for himself in the WWE. He left the WWE to pursue a career in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings but was cut at the end of training camp. He was been training for a couple of years now in MMA and in his first fight recently scored a 69 second submission victory back in June. Mir is a former world heavyweight champion that had fallen on some hard times, losing the title when he was unable to defend it due to injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. Mir's comback has included losing by TKO to Brandon Vera and then gaining a quick submission via the kumura over Antonio Hardonk at UFC 74. There are a lot of sceptics out ther that doubt the MMA abilities of the 6' 3" 365 lb. Lesnar so UFC is shapping up to be one of the biggest and probably most hyped event in UFC history.

--UFC 79 which will take place in Las Vegas on December 29, 2007 will feature the much-anticipated confrontation between Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Wanderlei Silva. MMA fans have been screaming for this fight forever and even though some of the luster has gone off the fight now with both fighters coming off losses, this should be a matchup for the ages. Liddell desperately needs this fight to get back into serious contention for the title and Silva wants to establish that he is indeed one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. Also on this care with be the Matt Hughes-Matt Serra battle for the welterweight title. I really want to see Hughes get that title back shut Serra up. Serra is a foul-mouth thug punk that has consistently belittled and ridiculed Hughes for his straight-laced beliefs and lifestyle since Serra won the belt. Good Luck Matt Hughes, punch once in the mouth for me, would you?

---No matter what other people want to say about Dana White, make sure you add solid businessman to it. Sports has become big, no make that, HUGE business and the guys putting up the money and making the shows run deserve their cut of the pie as well. Without them, there would be no UFC, K-1, etc. Say what you want, I like Dana. He's a tough, intense guy from the streets of Boston, but yet you see him talk to these kids sometimes after fights and he always tries to pump them up and give them some positive feedback. He speak from the heart and doesn't pull a lot of punches.