Coming off the heels of the Bulls meltdown to the Miami Heat (aka Satan’s team hand-crafted in his likeness), I’ve been sad, depressed, and thoughtful (which one of those 3 doesn’t belong…). Instead of sitting around all day reading books about basketball and eating ice cream to make the pain go away, I decided I’d rank this defeat up there with the other Chicago sports teams I’ve witnessed disappoint me. Before I start, you may ask: “Why a top 7, why no do a top 5 or 10?” Well asshole, it is my blog and I do what I want and 7’s the number for me. Just kidding, I’m doing 7 because I was going to do a top 5, but couldn’t narrow down from 7 to 5 and just said f-it I’ll do a top 7. Yep, that’s my reasoning.

So I’ll rank these heartbreaks/disappointments starting from 7 all the way down to 1, with 4 sections: history up to that point in the season, what happened, my reaction/why it hurt, and the aftermath/ramifications. Confused? You’ll see what I mean. Off we go!

• Sidenote: U of I isn’t in Chicago but who cares that the title is misleading, I do what I want.

7) 2001 Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball Team

History:

The 2000-01 Illinois Men’s Basketball team coached by Bill Self and led by Frank Williams, Corey Bradford, Brian Cook and company were a top 10 team all season, won a share of the Big Ten conference title and gained a number 1 seed in the NCAA’s. Similar to the Bulls of this season (I’ll compare everyone to the Bulls, just watch), they were a team led by a local product at point guard, Frank Williams from Peoria, who emphasized defense and rebounding. You know guys that you wouldn’t want to see in a dark alley in the middle of the night? Well this team had a bunch of those types of guys (Griffin, McClain, Archibald, crazy ass Lucas Johnson). They coasted through the NCAA dominating teams such as Northwestern State, Charlotte and Kansas (yeah we beat those sons of bitches that time!) right up until the Elite 8 in San Antonio where we would face off with Arizona, a team we had already played two tight games with and split. This was the rubber match for the chance to go to the Final Four.

What Happened?:

Admittedly, Arizona had more talent (NBA All-Stars Richard Jefferson and Gilbert Arenas were on that team), but they were kind of soft and Illinois matched up well against them. Arizona proceeded to have the lead the entire game and end up winning 87-81. Illinois would keep fighting back from double-digit deficits, but could never get over the hump and take the lead (sort of like Game 2 of Bulls-Heat, yep already another reference to that series). I swear Lute Olson must’ve blown the refs before the game because Arizona had like 50 free throws that game and fouled out ALL of Illinois’ bigs (6 guys).

My reaction:

So why’s this make the list? Well even in 2001, I knew I was going to Illinois, it was ingrained in me, many of my family members went and it was like tradition (similar to those family traditions such as spending time with fam for Thanksgiving, Easter egg hunts with the kids, cutting the throat of pig and drinking it on Halloween…wait, y’all don’t do that?..me neither). Basically I was already a die-hard, and I followed the team the whole season and everyone picked against Illinois in the Elite 8 and I was insulted because we already beat Arizona once during the regular season, why couldn’t we do it again and that hurt man, I took that shit personal and this is a run-on sentence. I remember during the game I threw a nerf football at my cabinet and broke the door, and looking back on that, I knew that this team had to make the list.

Aftermath:

Arizona went on the NCAA title game and lost to Duke. Illinois lost a few seniors, but returned to the NCAA’s the next year, but lost in the Sweet 16 to Kansas (fuck). Then Bill Self left Illinois and decided to coach, drum roll please, Kansas (fuck fuck).

• Side note: these next 3 are all sort of interchangeable which is why I had to do a top 7.

6) 2010 Chicago Bears

History:

No need to really re-hash this, because I’m sure you all remember (and if you don’t you’re not a Bears fan, but welcome to the bandwagon and my blog). Bears went 11-5, won the NFC North title and beat the Seahawks (the worst team to ever make the NFL Playoffs….ever) in the 2nd round to advance to the NFC Championship against their most hated rival, the Green Bay Packers (another team Satan shat out after one too may trips to Mars Cheese, if you’ve ever driven up to Milwaukee, you know what it is – black and yellow black and yellow).

What Happened?:

Packers won 21-14 on Chicago’s home field. Bear’s defense starts off spotty, but finishes strong. Cutler and the O stink, then he gets injured and proceeds to mope around like he hadn’t gotten any from Kristin Cavalleri, on the sidelines with a knee sprain. Then everyone and their mother questioned his toughness for not coming back because of said moping around. Bears waste 2 possessions with Cutler’s replacement (I won’t state his name because he sucked and should never see a football field again) then finally put in Caleb Hanie who almost leads a comeback before getting picked off with under a minute to go near the end zone.

My reaction:

Well this was like the game of the century. It doesn’t get any better than Bears-Packers for the right to go to the Super Bowl, so losing this game automatically makes the list. Add to the fact that the offense completely stunk it up, and we could have won that game with a competent QB that day makes it sting more. It doesn’t help that Cutler looked like he could have gone back, but decided to park his rear on the pine (okay, I’m sure he was hurt but that’s the perception folks, and perception = reality..its like the golden rule). I was definitely a mess during and after this game. This is when I started my psycho-for-real hash tag tweets and threatened, on Twitter, to fight Shabomb for being a Packers fan (yeah, I did that).

Aftermath:

Packers won the Super Bowl. Now there’s a lockout and we don’t know when football’s going to be played again. It’s all to be determined, but if you want my prediction the Bears don’t do shit this year (and I call my self an optimist..pffttt).

• Sidenote: no White Sox stuff on here, I’m not a fan and I don’t watch them. Y’all may have won the World Series, but we have more fans that you. It’s like a high school popularity contest, you (the Sox) may have been more successful in life, but we (the Cubs) are more popular than you and have hotter girls and got laid more times, and in the end that’s really all that matters in life.

5) 2008 Chicago Cubs

History:

Coming off the 2007 playoff disappointment, this team came out with a vengeance and just destroyed fools on the diamond. This team had it all, great hitting (Soriano, Ramirez, Lee, Soto, Edmonds), great pitching (Big Z, Dempster, Lilly, Harden) and a great bullpen (Samardzija, Wood, Marmol). Best record in the National League and home field throughout the playoffs (just like the chokers, ahem I mean Bulls). Every sensible baseball analyst was picking the Cubs to win it all that year, and I think they even made a Sports Illustrated Cover (that curse is real by the way and I don’t even believe in curses).

What Happened?:

They meet the Manny Ramirez led Dodgers in National League Divisional Series, a team that was pretty mediocre until the Manny being Manny show (aka the guy that got caught for taking female hormones by the MLB, gimme a second….pfft hahahahahahahaahahah) and got swept. Yep, they got swept. None of those games were close. The Dodgers put a beat-down on the Cubs in the 2 games at Wrigley, then closed them out at home. The Cubs big time hitters didn’t do jack shit during the post season and the team completely threw up all over itself in the infield and made a bunch of errors. I literally remember calling my Uncle during Game 2 when the Cubs made 3 or 4 errors and exclaimed “What the FUCK is going on out there?!?” Yeah that team could not handle the pressure of the 100 year drought and all of Chicago (or more than half of the Chi) rooting for them to finally win it all.

My reaction:

This one really hurt. Every year we Cubs fans aka the most optimistic or clueless (the adjectives are synonymous) fans in the world exclaim that “this is the year!” But really, this was the year, everyone knew the Cubs had the best team that year, but they ended up scoring 6 runs in 3 games and got swept. How shitty is that? My dad called me after the game to let me know that it was just a game, because he knows how I angry I get (I love my old man). I remember being down at U of I watching Game 3 by myself in my apartment and after the game ended I went out to my car and drove around campus for like a half hour listening to Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight” on repeat. Yep, it was a pretty bad breakdown for me. So a breakdown = a spot on this list bitches.

Aftermath:

The Dodgers lost in the next round to the Phillies, the eventual champs that year. Cubs have been on a spiral ever since and haven’t even sniffed the playoffs. Yeah, that loss set the Cubs back at least a good 10 years. Moral of the story: when you get a chance take it, no body said it would be easy, they just said it would be worth it (I came up with that quote on the spot, I’m such a master).

• Sidenote: I’m betting you’re waiting in extreme anticipation for where I’m going to put the Bulls defeat on this list. It’s coming, oh it’s coming like the Rapture (Oct 21, 2011).

4) 2011 Chicago Bulls

History:

No need to re-hash this, but I’ll do it anyways. Best record in the league. Coach of the Year. Executive of the Year. Home-court advantage. Hard-working team that embodies Chicago. And the MVP of the league who happens to be from a little city I like to call the Chi.

What happened?:

Bulls blow the Heat in Game 1 and everyone in Chicago is feeling higher than Miley Cyrus after the one video where she’s recorded smoking salvia and making incompetent statements such as “I feel so halfkajklfjdaljdfakdfad hmmrareaea.” Then they proceed to get out-played in the 4th quarter of the next 4 games and everyone in Chicago realizes that a) Rose can’t do it by himself b) the Bulls need another wing scorer and c) Boozer could be the laziest/dumbest amalgamation of a player of all time (ok I’m exaggerating but the dude is a mental midget and was no where to be found in crunch time, what a great “2nd option”). Particularly disturbing was Game 5 which will haunt us Chicagoans for awhile and make us wake up in the middle of night hoping it was just a dream (it was only just a dream, I was thinking about her, thinking about me, thinking about us, and what we gon’ be).

My reaction:

I was resigned to the fact that the Bulls were going to lose this series to a more experienced, better team after the Game 4 loss. But Game 5 was killer. Being up 12 with 3 minutes to play and losing, that sucks. Plus Rose didn’t play well and the critics are going to be all over him. Plus it was at home. Plus it was the HEAT! (in 2025 when people are reading this, the Heat are the team where a bunch of super-friends, Lebron, Wade, and Bosh teamed up and then pranced around Miami talking about how they were going win 7 championships BEFORE a game was ever played….yep, you wouldn’t like this team either.) This series produced a bunch of angry tweets, episodes where I yelled at my parents, going for an ice-cream run after Game 4’s heartbreak (yep, I did that, I’m such a diva), me being just unpleasant to be around at all times during the game, and inspired this blog post. I’d say the #4 ranking for this one is quite justified.

Aftermath:

It’s to be determined. Hopefully Rose gets better and the Bulls add a wing player who can create his own shot and defend. They’re a young team and should be back again. The Heat have moved on to face the Mavericks in the finals as everyone in AMERICA, except the fair-weather fans in Miami, roots for the Mavs, led by a GERMAN (think about this for a second, a German leading America against evil?!..Think this would have flew back in like 1939 when a German named Hi…nevermind) to win and/or the Heat to just lose and embarrass themselves for every minute of every game in the series.

I have to add though, that Pippen proceeds to go on the radio the day after the loss and makes a completely asinine statement saying the LeBron James may be the better all-around player than Michael Jordan, that makes you wonder what kind of drugs Pippen is on and where can you get that shit on the d-l. I bet when Charles Barkley heard that comment, he sat there in between his 2 minute shake-weight routine and just said out loud: “LeBron better than MJ? Pip you serious?…Cmon son, cmon-now.” Pippen says/does dumb things from time to time.

Conclusion (for now):

And that ends Part 1 of this 2 part series on heartbreaks/disappoints in Chicago sports. If you’re still interested (and I know you are), Part 2 will come shortly with my Top 3 as well as some honorable mentions. Only reason I’m splitting this into 2 parts is because my hands are tired and this is already quite lengthy (and lets face it, most people have the attention span of a 5 year old, so if you made it this far bravo to you and your interest in my writing). Hope you enjoyed this masterpiece so far. It’s being written to provoke some interesting conversation points/re-hash my bad memories some where as well as make you think that I’m knowledgeable in sports and quite funny and/or probably more likely made you think that I’m in dire need of therapy for my numerous breakdowns because of a game and that I’m really not funny at all (fyi, I think I’m funny and if you don’t then I probably never thought you were funny either and we should probably never speak to each other again, just sayin’). Part 2 is coming soon!!!

..Yea i found this online and decided to post it (i changed/added things haha) it’s very informative i swear..ENJOY!

From a GUY’S point of view: (in response to the “To the GUYS from the LADIES’S point of view” post)

We don’t care if you talk to other guys.
We don’t care if you’re friends with other guys.
But when you’re sitting next to us, and some random guy walks into the room and you jump up and tackle him, without even introducing us, yeah, it ticks us off.
It doesn’t help if you sit there and talk to him for ten minutes without even acknowledging the fact that we’re still there.
We don’t care if a guy calls you, but at 2 in the morning we do get a little concerned. Nothing is that important at 2 a.m. that it can’t wait till the morning.

Also, when we tell you you’re pretty/ beautiful/ gorgeous/ cute/ stunning, we freaking mean it.
Don’t tell us we’re wrong.
We’ll stop trying to convince you.
The sexiest thing about a girl is confidence.
Yeah, you can quote us.

Push us down on the couch and make a move once in a while. We like that aggressiveness about you and we LOVE the unexpected. When we know you’re really happy, it makes us happy too.

Don’t be mad when we hold the door open.
Take Advantage of the good mood we’re in.

LET US PAY FOR YOU!… DON’T “FEEL BAD”
We enjoy doing it (Paying for you).
It’s expected.
Smile and say “thank you.”
(but if you work and your boyfriend still gets allowance..its ok for the girl to pay ONCE in a while…haha)

Kiss us when no one’s watching.
If you kiss us when you know nobody’s looking we’ll be more impressed.

You don’t have to get dressed up for us.
If we’re going out with you in the first place, you don’t have to feel the need to wear the shortest skirt you have or put on every kind of makeup you own.
We like you for WHO you are and not WHAT you are.

***Honestly, i think a girl looks more beautiful when she’s just in her pj’s. or my tshirt and boxers***

Don’t worry about your room/apartment being to messy. Chances are our room/apt is alot worse.

Don’t take everything we say seriously.
Sarcasm is a beautiful thing. See the beauty in it.
95% of the time we are joking around
Don’t get angry easily.

Stop using magazines/media as your bible.

Don’t talk about how hot other guys are in front of us.
It’s boring, and we don’t care.
You have girlfriends for that.

We like compliments too once in a while.

Slap our butts…We act like we don’t like it, but inside we do

Girls, I cannot stress this enough:
IF YOU AREN’T BEING TREATED RIGHT BY A GUY, DON’T WAIT FOR HIM TO CHANGE. DITCH HIS SORRY, DISGRACE-TO-THE-MALE-POPULATION SELF, AND FIND SOMEONE WHO WILL TREAT YOU WITH UTTER RESPECT

Someone who will honor your morals.
Someone who will make you smile when you’re at your lowest.
Someone who will care for you even when you make mistakes.
Someone who will take care of you when you are drunk.

ENJOY A GOOD MAN…THEY ARE HARD TO COME BY IN THIS DAY AND AGE!

hope you enjoyed this…peace love and t-gap
and comments are welcome!

So a lot of people blog about feelings or give their advice on life or write some eloquent piece about how life is treating them and such. That’s cool, I know I hate on emo stuff a lot, but I do read that stuff and for the most part there are some excellent writers out there. The reason I blog the way I do is because honestly who gives a fuck about my opinion in life? I’m just a 22 year old douchebag (on the exterior :-p) who thinks he has life figured out, but really doesn’t know shit. Seriously, I’m not Aristotle or Confucius and neither are YOU. Opinions are like assholes, everyone’s got one. It’s cool if you want to give your opinion on things, but a lot of my peers write like they got the world figured out. Sorry but anyone behind a keyboard with some time, a high school education, and a dictionary can write some thoughtful piece and come off like the fuckin greatest philosopher in the world. That’s not real in my opinion. If you want to see real, go have a 1 on 1 conversation with that same person in person or over the phone and see if that same person is as articulate, thoughtful, witty, and wise when they don’t have time to sit behind their keyboard and craft a piece that makes them sound cool. You’d be surprised how different the best bloggers are when you actually wanna have some deep talk with them.

So if you really want to get into my emo mind, don’t read my blog, because I won’t be writing like that for you. Come have a conversation and we can have some deep talk. You want to see the real me? Give me a call. I’ve learned and gained a ton of knowledge so far in my life, but I don’t know it all (not even close), so all I can do is give you my opinion. And that’s why I blog the way I do.

So as I sit here about to write my senior reflection, something I have not been looking forward to, I think back to my freshman year, where it all began. Back then, I was a young, conceited kid (actually I still am, haha) who was looking to party it up in college like Van Wilder. I had two things I wanted to do, I wanted to join a frat and the Philippine Student Association. Why those two things? Well, the frat was obvious, I’m a sporty white guy and I thought I’d fit in perfectly, plus I wanted to be Van Wilder. The reason I usually tell people for joining PSA was because I hadn’t hung out with Filipinos in a high school full of them and I wanted to embrace that side of me. This is only partly true. The main reason I joined was to meet some cute Filipino girls. So the first week or so, I rushed frats and partied it up like a frat boy should. Then it came time for the PSA Ice Cream Social. I had only planned on staying for an hour, then leaving to go to a frat barbeque. Immediately after meeting the people of PSA and the cute girls J, I was hooked and never left. It’s a decision I don’t regret. Why do I tell this story? Well it’s because of the people I have met in PSA throughout my college career that have kept me around and for that I would like thank all of you as all of you have had a big or small part in making my college career special. So with that in mind, I’d like to give some shout-outs to the people of PSA:

Freshmen (So Clean Thirteen) – In getting to know you guys throughout the year through PSA events, parties, and the lunches with Ryan Lee and I, I have learned how unique and special each of you are. You guys have amazing potential for growth and I truly believe all of you will maximize it. I know you guys will be great officers and trust that you will take PSA to the next level. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to join PSA this year.

Sophomores (Dirty Dozen) – Speaking of growth, you guys are the group that has grown the most in my opinion this school year. Personally and professionally, the growth you guys have displayed has been impressive and I can only hope that you guys keep it up. I hope all of you stick around in PSA and continue to be leaders as you become upper classmen.

Juniors (Ill-even) – You guys are my favorite class besides my own to hang out and party with. The personalities in this group are all so different and dynamic which is awesome. I know I will keep in touch with many of you even after I graduate.

Seniors (Big Ten) – We’re finally at the end huh? I could literally write pages upon pages of my memories with all of you guys. But since, this reflection has been limited to one page, I would just like to say I love all of you.

Special Shout-outs – To the Rice Bowl Girls for being a wonderful team to coach and adding a great memory to my college career; to the left-over Oh-Nine guys (Irwin, Jeff, and Louie) for the amazing conversations we’ve had; to my roommates (J-Dub and Adam) for being so damn entertaining; to my adings (Oliver, Alex, Walter, Jackie, Christine, and Alexis) you guys are truly the brothers and sisters I never had; and to Jannell for being my rock here at U of I, I love you.

There is so much I have learned throughout my college career and so much advice that I could give. If you really want to hear the things I have to say, just ask me, I’m never afraid to give my opinion on things. We are all truly blessed to be here, as college is an amazing opportunity to find out who you truly are. In my opinion, the best thing about college has been getting to know the people of PSA. Yes, the parties are fun. Being drunk is amazingly awesome at times. But I cherish those nights and sometimes days I’ve had with people where we just sit and talk for hours. It has been those nights that are the ones I never really wanted to end. And in those times I have learned how truly awesome many of you are. So my advice to all of you is to sit down and get to know the people of PSA. You’ll be surprised how awesome everyone is and in getting to know people, maybe you’ll even learn some things about yourself.

P.S.: I’m the One and Only and I’m beautiful.

Pacquiao vs. Cotto

Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto is a dream fight. I, being half Filipino, am obviously rooting for the Pacman, but I know that Cotto is no joke. A lot of uneducated Filipino fight fans don’t really know who Miguel Cotto is. This man is a straight up killer and has only one loss on his record which looking back on is very controversial. Cotto is the naturally bigger fighter as this bout will be for his 147 lb title. This fight is definitely a size versus speed match-up with Cotto being the big fighter, while Pacquiao will look to utilize his speed. Cotto has very good technical boxing ability, displayed in his fight against Mosely. Pacquiao has been on a tear in his last 2 fights, but looking back on those fights, he took on an over-the-hill, dehydrated De La Hoya, and a fighter in Ricky Hatton who wasn’t really that good. Cotto will be the best he’s ever faced.

So who wins? I know that Pacquiao has looked dominant as of late, but he does have a tendency to get reckless with his punching and he definitely does not like getting hit by these bigger fighters. Cotto has a tendency to take punishment in all his fights and I believe this will be his undoing in this one. I see Pacquiao using his superior speed to blitz Cotto early and often. Cotto has a tough chin, but I see Pacquiao finishing this one off in the 10th. Prediction: Manny Pacquiao 10th Round TKO

Couture vs. Vera

The UFC counters the boxing main event, with a main event of its own featuring a legend in Randy Couture and another Filipino fighter in Brandon Vera. Couture moves down in weight for this fight to 205 lbs. He has looked pretty good in both his fights, albeit losses, but I have noticed that his chin is diminishing. He can’t take shots like he could before. Vera looked unimpressive in his last win. He has been a very frustrating fighter to watch, as I know the potential he has, but he seems to like to play it safe in his bouts. Couture will make him fight in this one, as he loves to push the pace. For some reason, I have a sneaky suspicion we will see Vera’s best performance of his career in this one. Couture’s chin will be his undoing once again in this one. I see this fight as Vera’s breakout performance. Prediction: Brandon Vera 2nd Round TKO

Swick vs. Hardy

Mike Swick and Dan Hardy face off in a bout that should determine the next contender to GSP’s Welterweight Title. Honestly, I think Swick is a boring fighter and a little over hyped. Unfortunately, I think Hardy is a little more over hyped. I think Hardy is in over his head in this bout. Swick seems to have the faster hands and the better overall game. I think Swick rides out a decision in this one, repeatedly catching Hardy with punches and mixing in takedowns. Prediction: Mike Swick Unanimous Decision

Bisping vs. Kang

Michael Bisping looks to bounce back from a devastating loss against Pride Veteran Denis Kang. This could finally be the fight where Denis Kang breaks out into the mainstream. Kang is a very talented veteran of the game with all the tools. Bisping is getting no gimme in this one. Bisping will look to push the pace on Kang. Kang will most likely mix strikes and then pound Bisping on the mat. A couple questions arise when thinking about this fight? How does the knockout loss affect Bisping? And which Kang will show up in this fight? The world beater or the underachiever? I think with Bisping being in his hometown, and Kang’s tendency to not show up in big fights means a close Bisping victory. Prediction: Michael Bisping Split Decision

Quick Results from UFC 104:

• Lyoto Machida defeats Mauricio Rua-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Cain Velasquez defeats Ben Rothwell-2nd Round TKO (Punches)
• Gleison Tibau defeats Josh Neer-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Joe Stevenson defeats Spencer Fisher-2nd Round Submission (Elbows)
• Anthony Johnson defeats Yoshiyuki Yoshida-1st Round TKO (Punches)
• Ryan Bader defeats Eric Schafer-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Pat Barry defeats Antoni Hardonk-2nd Round TKO (Punches)
• Chael Sonnen defeats Yushin Okami-3rd Round Decision (Unanimous)
• Jorge Rivera defeats Rob Kimmons-3rd Round TKO (Punches)
• Kyle Kingsbury defeats Razak Al-Hassan-3rd Round Decision (Split)
• Stefan Struve defeats Chase Gormley-1st Round Submission (Triangle Choke)

I wasn’t able to catch the fights on Spike TV, so this review will only consist of the fights shown on the live pay-per-view broadcast. Overall, a pretty solid night of fights with some controversy in the last 2 main event fights which I will discuss later. I correctly predicted 9 out of the 11 fight results which means I’m awesome. Sorry for getting this out so late once again. Check out Jason Chan’s blog for more coverage.

Light Heavyweight Title – Machida/Rua

Very, very impressed by Shogun Rua in this fight. I was very surprised to see how well he did against Machida. I totally had him winning this fight and it’s a damn shame the judges couldn’t see that. I totally underestimated Shogun’s striking skills in the fight, and he put on the performance of his life against Machida. He was lighting up Machida with body and leg kicks as Machida would try to circle to his left. Shogun had a very smart strategy in that he didn’t really try to punch Machida in the head, as Machida keeps his head very far back. He went after Machida’s body and legs with well-timed counter kicks. Definitely had Shogun winning this fight. It was a close a fight though, and Machida did have his moments with well-timed knees and some decent kicks and punches of his own. The fact is though, Shogun had the harder strikes and landed just as much, if not more than Machida. Machida was the guy with red ribs, legs, and the cut on his face. The UFC has already announced an immediate rematch between the two, which is the right call. I’m sad that Shogun is going to have to perform a perfect fight again to win a title he should have already won. I am excited to see the rematch and to see the adjustments in both men’s games as this first fight was extremely technical and cerebral, which is not surprising in a typical Machida fight, but very surprising in a Shogun fight.

Velasquez/Rothwell Fight

This was Cain Velasquez’s breakout performance. Complete domination by Velasquez in this fight as he repeatedly took Rothwell down over and over and blasted him with punches as he got up. The crowd really reacted to Velasquez like a star in this fight. The only downside was that the fight was prematurely ended. Rothwell should have been given a chance to continue, as he was displaying heart and was not at all finished. The finish came when Rothwell was eating shots to his unprotected face as he was standing up. The fact that Rothwell was standing up as the referee stepped in is just terrible refereeing on Mazzagatti’s (sp?) part. Maz really is a terrible ref. Rothwell really had nothing for Velasquez in the fight and he was suppose to be Velasquez’s toughest opponent. Looking around the rumor mill, it seems as if Velasquez’s next fight will be in the main event against Nogueira at UFC 108 in January. That should be a terrific fight. Rothwell probably gets bumped down to the prelims as he really didn’t show much in this co-main event fight.

Neer/Tibau Fight

Not much to say in this one. Tibau took Neer down over and over, but never really hurt him. Neer would find his way back to his feet and Tibau would slam him down again. Tibau is a pretty boring fighter as he looks to positionally dominate people on the ground and can’t submit high level guys. It looks like one more loss for Neer and he will probably be booted from the UFC. I’d like to see Tibau face Sean Sherk in his next fight, especially since they were originally suppose to fight at this event.

Okami/Sonnen Fight

The UFC has to be thrilled about this result as Sonnen put on the fight of his life in beating down Okami to a unanimous decision victory. The UFC has always thought of Okami as a boring fighter and I’m sure they’re glad to see him lose. In retrospect, Sonnen was the perfect type of fighter to beat Okami, as Okami relys on being a superior, stronger wrestler than his opponents that likes to ground and pound from the top. That didn’t work against Sonnen, as he took the fight to Okami and didn’t let him dictate the pace of the fight. I’d like to see Sonnen get a top contender in his next fight as he was really impressive. Okami probably gets stuck on the prelims in a loser leaves town type of match.

Stevenson/Fisher Fight

Stevenson did what he should have done. He exploited Fisher’s weaknesses in wrestling and on his back and pounded him out with elbows for a victory. Ever since Stevenson has started training with Greg Jackson’s camp in New Mexico, he has fought a lot smarter and looked a lot better. This is probably Stevenson’s most impressive victory, as Fisher is a tough fighter to finish and yet Stevenson made him tap from elbows. Fisher will probably be nothing more than a gatekeeper in the UFC if he doesn’t improve his wrestling quick. I’d like to see Stevenson against Frankie Edgar or Sean Sherk in his next fight.

Johnson/Yoshida Fight

The fight went how I thought it would. Johnson is a really bad match-up for a guy like Yoshida, as he has great wrestling, size and is more athletic. It didn’t help that Johnson came in way over weight for this fight and because of that looked huge next to Yoshida. Johnson lit up Yoshida on the feet and didn’t let him touch him or even come close. Yoshida really needs to work on his striking to set up the clinch and Judo toss if he ever wants to be successful against the top notch wrestlers in the UFC. Johnson gets Josh Koscheck in his next fight at UFC 106 in November which should be an outstanding fight between two of the more athletic guys in the UFC.

Credits:

Shot by Oliver Peng, assisted by Alex Roy.
Edited by Oliver Peng, assisted by Christopher Sotelo
Directed by Christopher Sotelo.
Song produced by Peter Catanus.
Lyrics by Christopher Sotelo.
Starring Marah Sotelo, Justin Capadocia, Christopher Sotelo
Featuring Special guest: Tony Krzyzak

Once again I’d like to start off by apologizing for not updating this more often. From now until probably the end of the school year, I’ll be updating sparingly and mostly about UFC or other sports stuff. Once again for this event on Saturday, October 24 in Los Angeles, I am using the bloodyelbow.com rankings system for each fighter. This is a pretty decent card with a lot of good match-ups for the hardcore fans. Also, Spike will be showing some of the prelims live at 8 pm central time so if you wanna catch a taste of what is to come later that night, check that out. Now onto my predictions for each fight.

Main Card

Light Heavyweight Title: #1 Lyoto Machida (15-0 Overall, 7-0 in UFC) vs. #4 Mauricio Rua (18-3 Overall, 2-1 in UFC)

The Karate Master, UFC Light Heavyweight Champ and undefeated, Lyoto The Dragon Machida takes on former Pride Grand Prix Champ, Mauricio Shogun Rua. Machida is the most elusive fighter in the UFC today and is quite accurate with his striking. His non-traditional karate stance style combined with elements of sumo and BJJ have made him a tough cookie to crack. That man is almost impossible to hit and no one has been able to figure out how to beat him. Can Rua do it? I’m not so sure. Rua is a balls to the wall type of fighter with a pretty good Muay Thai background mixed with Capoeira and a black belt in BJJ. This type of style plays right into Machida’s hands as he is naturally a counter fighter. Thiago Silva is very similar in style to Rua and he got his ass embarassed by Machida. I think for Rua to have any chance in this fight he has to get Machida in the clinch and unleash those devastating knees and then try to get him to the ground to utilize his black belt in BJJ. Machida simply has to continue what he’s doing to beat Rua. I see this fight going a little while as Rua plays it safe, but eventually Machida will figure out his timing and make him look silly on the feet en route to a TKO victory. Prediction: Lyoto Machida 3rd Round TKO

Heavyweight Bout: #11 Cain Velasquez (6-0 Overall, 3-0 in UFC) vs. #19 Ben Rothwell (30-6 Overall, UFC Debut)

Fast rising prospect Cain Velasquez takes on heavyweight veteran Ben Rothwell who is finally getting a chance on the big stage. Velasquez had a lot of hype surrounding him up until the Cheick Kongo fight back at UFC 99. Although Velasquez dominated Kongo, he was rocked in each round and showed little head movement or striking on the feet. Velasquez was able to show tremendous heart to take down Kongo while he was rocked, but this could be the first sign of a chink in the armor. Rothwell hopes to expose this flaw as he is a huge heavyweight who will likely have 30 lbs on Velasquez during fight time, and he loves to bang it out on the feet. A win here for Velasquez moves him into the title picture, while if Rothwell wins, then he makes a huge splash into the UFC Heavyweight Division. Rothwell will hope to keep this on the feet and scramble back up if he gets taken down to land a huge bomb on Velasquez’s chin. Velasquez should probably look to take down Big Ben and just out work him like he did against Kongo. Rothwell will be the biggest test, literally, to date for Velasquez, but I think Velasquez will out work Rothwell, taking him down repeatedly en route to a decision victory. Prediction: Cain Velasquez Unanimous Decision

Lightweight Bout: Gleison Tibau (29-6 Overall, 5-4 in UFC) vs. Josh Neer (25-8-1 Overall, 4-5 in UFC)

Neer is a tough, scrappy fighter, while Tibau is a big lightweight who loves to control his opponents on the ground with his superior BJJ. In my opinion, this fight plays out similarly to the Pellegrino/Neer fight back at UFC 101. Tibau will continuely take down Neer and work his ground and pound from the top. Neer won’t be able to get off his back and it will cost him once again. Prediction: Gleison Tibau Unanimous Decision

Lightweight Bout: #20 Joe Stevenson (35-10 Overall, 7-4 in UFC) vs. #21 Spencer Fisher (24-4 Overall,  8-3 in UFC)

Very simple fight here as it is your classic grappler vs striker match up. Stevenson will look to take down Fisher and pound him out on the ground, while Fisher will want to keep it on the feet and slug it out. Fisher’s achilles heel is his wrestling and that is what Stevenson excels at. Look for Stevenson to repeatedly expose this flaw in Fisher’s game for another decision victory. Prediction: Joe Stevenson Unanimous Decision

Welterweight Bout: Anthony Johnson (7-2 Overall, 4-2 in UFC) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3 Overall, 2-1 in UFC)

I’m actually very pumped for this fight as it is between two rising prospects in the UFC Welterweight Division. Anthony Johnson is a kid you need to watch out for. Athletically he has it all, and has delivered some of the more devastating knockouts in UFC history. Don’t sleep on Yoshida though, as he has sick Judo skills. Unfortunately for Yoshida, we have already seen him matched up against a similar fighter to Johnson in Josh Koscheck, and he got put to sleep. If Johnson can stay away from the clinch and being tossed on his head, I see this fight playing out the same way as the Koscheck/Yoshida, a devastating knockout with Yoshida on the receiving end. Prediction: Anthony Johnson 1st Round KO

Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight Bout: Ryan Bader (10-0 Overall, 2-0 in UFC) vs. Eric Schafer (13-3-2 Overall, 3-2 in UFC)

This is one of two fights that will be featured on the live Spike TV broadcast before the PPV starts. Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner Ryan Bader takes on UFC Vet Eric Schafer. Schafer’s one and only game is to get you down on the ground and work his BJJ. He’s not as good on the bottom as he is on top. Let’s face it, the UFC is trying to build up Bader here as he is very outstanding prospect. I see Bader keeping this fight on the feet and knocking out Schafer. Prediction: Ryan Bader 2nd Round TKO

Heavyweight Bout: Antoni Hardonk (8-5 Overall, 4-3 in UFC) vs. Pat Barry (4-1 Overall, 1-1 in UFC)

This is the other fight that is being advertised for Spike TV. This has fireworks written all over it as two of the better kickboxers in the UFC collide. If Hardonk is smart, he will take Barry down to the ground and submit him. That is the safe bet, but I’m gonna go with Hardonk letting his ego take over and trying to outstrike Barry on the feet. I see Barry getting the win here as he outstrikes Hardonk. Prediction: Pat Barry 1st Round TKO

Middleweight Bout: #4 Yushin Okami (24-4 Overall, 7-1 in UFC) vs. #10 Chael Sonnen (24-10-1 Overall, 2-3 in UFC)

This is a fight that should be shown on tv as it features two top ten middleweights, but Okami has been labeled as boring fighter, hence the undercard status. Sonnen is world class wrestler, but Okami is the great neutralizer. He is able stuff most middleweight’s gameplans and make them fight his fight. I see this happening once again as Okami wins another boring decision. Prediction: Yushin Okami Unanimous Decision

Middleweight Bout: Jorge Rivera (16-7 Overall, 5-5 in UFC) vs. Rob Kimmons (22-4 Overall, 2-1 in UFC)

Tough fight to predict here as Rivera is the old veteran who still has fight, but Kimmons should be able to take this to the ground and submit him. Prediction: Rob Kimmons 2nd Round Submission – Guillotine Choke

Light Heavyweight Bout: Kyle Kingsbury (7-2 1 NC Overall, 0-1 in UFC) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (7-1 Overall, 0-1 in UFC)

Neither of these guys impressed in their debuts. Kingsbury showed more in his fight though than Al-Hassan, who nearly got his arm broken. Kingsbury should get the W here. Prediction: Kyle Kingsbury 3rd Round TKO

Heavyweight Bout: Stefan Struve (21-3 Overall, 1-1 in UFC) vs. Chase Gormley (6-0 Overall, UFC Debut)

I was high on Struve as a heavyweight prospect, but he hasn’t shown the ability to use his long reach well in fights. He’s mostly a submission guy, while I have to admit I don’t know much about Gormley. Because of that, I’ll go with the safe pick. Prediction: Stefan Struve 1st Round Submission – Triangle Choke