UFC 146: Junior dos Santos shoots down Frank Mir

In front of a wild cheering crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, UFC Heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos dealt former two-time UFC heavyweight title holder a beat down to retain his belt. Frank Mir, a submission expert, failed to capitalize on his expertise against the heavy-handed Brazilian. Instead, Mir elected to play into dos Santos' gameplan and paid the price.

Frank Mir failed to take the fight to the ground, a milieu where dos Santos was untested wherein he has a greater shot of upsetting the champion. After a failed takedown attempt right at the start of the fight, he elected to trade blows with Junior dos Santos, a decision that proved costly to his cause.

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Who is this boxing media guy?

A prominent member of the mainstream media was the object of disdain and the subject of ridicule by some of his colleagues (?) and the people who attended the weigh- ins. Moments before the weigh- ins the lady host announced to clear a particular area in front of the stage so that some photographers in the makeshift podium could take pictures without being obstructed.

But the moment the weigh- ins started, this particular media character with his massive frame moved and stood into the center of 'no man's land' and despite the protests of the photographers behind him, maintained his ground as if he did not hear all the yelling and hollering directed at him to move out of the picture.

Some media members, particularly the photojournalists, can only shake their heads at this man's arrogance and murmured, "Perhaps, being a prominent media personality gave him the license to throw his weight around."


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Postmortem: Devon Alexander- Timothy Bradley 'super fight'

"Despite the pre- fight rhetoric, Alexander and Bradley did not throw caution to the wind. Despite all the trash- talking, the fighters did not engage in toe- to -toe exchanges. Despite the promised fireworks, the match- up simply failed to explode."

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The Heat is On: Devon Alexander vs. Timothy Bradley at the Silverdome

The HBO- backed light welterweight super fight between WBC champion Devon Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) and WBO titleholder Timothy Bradley (26-0-1, 11 KOs), which will be held at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, MI on January 29th, is definitely the first big fight of the year.

If the fight will turn out to be as promised, this could be an omen of things to come not only for both fighters but also for the sport. If the fight turns out to be as advertised, then this will put the onus on the promoters and matchmakers to make more relevant fights. If the fight turns out to be as projected, then this could help both fighters command more respect and marketability not only from the fans but from the powers that be.


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UFC: 119 Mir lulls Cro Cop to sleep

In the UFC 119 main event, Frank Mir dropped Mirko Cro Cop with a well- timed right knee to the kisser that was followed by a heavy right to the chin for insurance, as the Croatian lay flat on his back, to finally knock him out with just 58 seconds left in the fight. It was the highlight of a rather dull and slow fight where neither fighter was keen on fighting toe to toe as they elected not to engage each other up until the last minute. It was the end of an arduous journey for both fighters who simply did not have the will to fight which was unthinkable in their younger days.

The knockout was the culmination of the match that was spent more on holding and hugging each other rather than fighting. It was the end of a boring fight that put the fans up their seats but for the wrong reasons. It was the zenith of a fight that was characterized more by non- action than by fireworks that left the fans with no other choice but to rain the Conseco Fieldhouse with boos. It was the climax of a slow and tactical fight that ended up with no winner.

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HBO and Golden Boy dissapoints boxing fans again

The HBO and Golden Boy Promotion's extravaganza held at the Staples Center last Saturday night did exactly what the promoters wanted and expected at the gates but the main event did disappoint. The undercards did have some fireworks on the surface, but in reality if you dig and look deeper, they were nothing but just set- up fights to enhance the image and pad the records of Oscar de la Hoya's wards.

The show was dubbed 200: Celebrate and Dominate in honor of the bicentennial of Mexico's Independence Day was headlined by Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora in a junior middleweigt bout. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Victor Ortiz, both proteges of the Golden Boy, were also in the cards to further enhance the Mexican flavor and entice the huge Mexican community to spend their night at the fights.

HBO and Golden Boy did everything to maximize their earnings for the said fight. In the weeks prior to the event, they employed several boxing scribes to help them hype the fight. They tried to make it appear that it was a big and significant event that is worth everybody's time and money. They did everything to sell it and hoped the gullible boxing public bites it.

Yes, they had it for $50 on the cable network's pay-per-view and $20 on the big screen in selected theaters all over the country, not to mention the top $200 price at the Staples Center. If they did succeed and earned a huge profit from it, it remains to be seen though.

But the truth of the matter is, the fight card was not pay-per-view material at all.


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UFC 118: James Toney tries to prove that he is no joke against Randy Couture

Who would have thought that a fight between two 40-somethings would steal the thunder from the main event at UFC 118: Edgar vs. Penn 2?

Both James "Lights Out" Toney and Randy "The Natural" Couture are accomplished fighters in their own right and in their own side of the fight spectrum. But this fight is more than just what meets the eye if both warriors can deliver on fight night.

Credit James Toney for creating the hype since the 42- year old boxer and many- time champion from Grand Rapids really knows how to catch your attention every time he opens his mouth. Or blame him for making his mixed martial arts debut against UFC Hall-of-Famer Randy Couture a comical one or worse, a freak show.

The match up has the making of a circus or it could turn out to be a classic. The plot line is intriguing and compelling: boxing versus MMA or two old grizzled warriors trying for a last shot at glory. The hardcore boxing and MMA fans in Michigan, though, are not sold out on the fight and are not really treating this match- up seriously. It's obvious that both fighters are way past their prime and are no longer relevant except for entertainment value or some form of nostalgia.

But tell that to the two fighters who are so into it that the verbal sparring was there from the get- go. They proclaim that they are raring to mix it up inside the ring just to prove that they still have it and show the fight world who is the better fighter. The heavy underdog Toney is talking about him showing that boxing is better than MMA while his 47- year old nemesis is saying that his opponent will find the Octagon very different from the ring and vows to teach Toney a neat lesson in mixed martial arts.

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The way to a Manny Pacquiao- Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy is through Amir Khan

Juan Manuel Marquez is still living in the past. If he thinks that his performance against Juan Diaz earns him the right to a third fight with Manny Pacquiao, he is surely mistaken. Ever since their last meeting, their paths have taken in different directions that probably will never again meet.

Juan Manuel Marquez' drumbeaters, which immediately proclaim that the Mexican is ready for a trilogy with rival Manny Pacquiao, are themselves living in the past. After the so-so win over Diaz, those people who said that Marquez deserves another shot at the current P4P king should better consult their ophthalmologists to check on their vision for nowhere in the fight screams the necessity of a Pacquiao trilogy.


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The way to a Manny Pacquiao- Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy is through Amir Khan

Marquez- Diaz 2 Undercard: Linares defeats Juarez, Guerrero edges Casamayor

Jorge Linares gave a clinical performance against veteran Rocky Juarez in their lightweight encounter via a unanimous decision. The judges gave the nod to the Venezuelan fighter with scores of 99-90 twice and 97- 92.

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Jorge Linares defeats Rocky Juarez


Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero knocked Joel Casamayor down in the third round but failed to finish him off in their junior welterweight bout. Guerrero with a well- timed left also wobbled the Cuban who was simply a ghost of his former self at the end of the 6th round.


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Rober Guerrero earns a lackluster victory over Joel Casamayor

Detroit Fight Sports Examiner Digest #85

If there’s one place that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. can call home, it should be Michigan. Hailing from Grand Rapids, Mayweather put the state on the boxing map for years and many Michiganders are proud of his accomplishments inside the ring.

If there’s one place where Floyd Mayweather, Jr. can clearly claim that his fans far outnumber that of his nemesis, Manny Pacquiao, it will be Michigan. The Grand Rapids native enjoys a huge following in the state and Michigan boxing fans have supported him through thick and thin.

And with Bob Arum’s deadline on the proposed Mayweather- Pacquiao megafight hovering on the horizon, many boxing fans and supporters of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. are clinging to the faint hope that their favorite fighter will sign the dotted line on the eleventh hour.

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Michigan boxing fans want Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to 'Man Up'

Detroit Fight Sports Examiner Digest #84

The writing on the wall even before the Manny Pacquiao- Floyd Mayweather, Jr. megafight was conceived was that it would never happen. Still, many boxing fans are hoping that for a multi-million dollar mega prize all the obstacles will be overcome and the fight will push through. And Bob Arum’s announcement that Manny Pacquiao has agreed to all the demands of the Mayweathers including the contentious random blood testing and purse split brought hope to the boxing faithful. Or so it seems.



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Mayweather- Pacquiao debacle: Money May passes the buck to Bob Arum via David Mayo