UFC 164: Hometown Throwdown!

UFC Fight Night 27 is behind us, and all of us here at Rabbit Punch are preparing for UFC 164: Henderson vs Pettis.  Between the Wednesday night Fight Nights and the pay-per-view event tonight, the UFC is putting on 35 fights in the space of just 10 days.  The fact that we have the talent and the fighters to put on that many UFC-quality matches illustrates just how much the sport has grown and evolved, even just in the past few years.  It’s a good time to be a fight fan, folks!

Tonight’s pay-per-view will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a state sometimes overlooked in the world of combat sports.  I, however, will be watching this one from the comfort of my own home, surrounded by about half a dozen friends and exactly 52 rectangular pieces of paper.  I know that all the world is wet over Texas Hold ‘em these days, but I still prefer a nice straight game of 5 Card Draw any night of the week.



But forget the action on the table, you’re here for the action in the cage!  I am legitimately excited about this Pettis / Bendo fight.  It’s one of those real wildcard fights, and both of these guys are so dynamic and so talented that I have no idea how it’s going to go down, except that it should be a thriller.  



Pettis defeated Smooth Ben Hendo back in 2010 for the WEC Lightweight belt, pulling off the now-famous Showtime Kick late in the final round, and really just making Hendo look foolish.  Three years later, and Smooth Ben is the UFC Lightweight champ, going 7-0 against some of the biggest names at 155 since his loss to Pettis.  Pettis has gone 3-1 in the same time period, against a somewhat lower caliber of competition.  Bendo has a myriad of factors going in his favor, including experience, athleticism, and adaptability, but somehow, my head is telling me that Pettis is going walk away with this one.



But my heart still says Bendo.

Outside of the main event, the UFC matchmakers have stacked the card with close, interesting matchups all evening long, including Chico Camus vs Kyung Ho Kang and Louis Gaudinot vs Tim Elliott.

I'm taking Kyung by submission, unless he gets caught with a lucky shot.  Chico Camus is not exactly the world's best striker, but he should be just better than Kang.

Likewise, Tim Elliott should be able to put away Louis Gaudinot, but it's far from a sure thing.  Elliot has the reach advantage and is the technically better striker, but we've seen him fall flat before, and Gaudinot’s explosive, almost reckless style sometimes results in a big win which he could not necessarily have gotten by grinding away.

Aside from those, we also have Rothwell vs Vera, Koch vs Poirier, and Varner vs Tibau, all of which have the potential to be great slobber-knockers with more offense than defense.  The kinds of fights casual fans love.



Also on the card are old favorites Frank Mir, taking on Josh Barnett, and Clay Guida, taking on Chad Mendes.



Guida could be in serious trouble against the monstrous Chad Mendes, who’s only professional loss is to current UFC Featherweight champ Jose Aldo.  While we’ve seen a more measured, controlled Guida as his career has gone one, I think that this passivity will be a liability against Mendes.  Allowing Mendes to set the pace and run his game-plan will result in Mendes’ superior skills in each individual area picking Guida apart and putting him away.  Guida needs to find some way to take the initiative early and change up the fight, or else I don't think that he's going to be able to hurt Mendes in a meaningful way.

Moving on, 

I’m actually a little surprised that Frank Mir is still fighting, not because he’s not still top 10, but just because he’s been doing this for so long.  Props to the guy for keeping it going.

Mir is definitely the superior submission artist in this fight, but Barnett is the stronger wrestler, and has a history of steroid use.  I really can’t give much respect to a guy after that, but if he can avoid Mir’s jujitsu, Barnett should have the tools to grind out a win by decision here. That said, I’ll be pulling for Mir by submission.

A word or two on the betting lines.  Early on, I was going to throw out Jared Hamman in the first prelim as a potential dog play, but the line had moved since then, so now I’m less sure.  He’ll probably still walk away with it, but the return is less attractive.  Then again, it’s not like there are many fights on this card that can be picked with any sort of confidence, and none which offer anything close to even money.



I’ve already picked the Mendes/Guida fight for Mendes, but with Guida giving a return of +400 right now, you’d be a fool not to put down just a little juice.  Guida is smart enough and good enough to maybe pull the upset here, and if he gets lucky, it could pay off for an adventurous play. 

But make it a small play, all the same.

Mir might also be undervalued, if you’re looking for a third dog play tonight.  All the fights are so close and the favorites are so overvalued that dog may be the only way to go.

That’s it for now, we’ll have a recap tomorrow, if I can get it out in time.

  Don't forget to follow us on twitter during the event at @kevjmahon.

Until then, keep those hands up and protect yourself at all times, this has been the Rabbit Punch!

East Coast Football

A heartbreakingly close end to a fantastic season.  A big congrats to the entire Baltimore Charm organization, and here’s looking towards the 2014 season.



Also on the gridiron last night were the Washington Redskins, who rolled over the Buffalo Bills 30-7.  A winning preseason is great, but I’m waiting for the regular season game to start before I get too into it.  I have a good feeling about this year.

 

That’s it for now, more MMA and global politics posts upcoming.  Hands up, protect yourselves, and this has been the Rabbit Punch.

LFL Eastern Conference Championship

In a couple short hours I'll be cheering Maryland's own Baltimore Charm on to victory over the Philly Passion in the LFL Eastern Conference Championship taking place at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California, and so should you! 

The gals of the Charm whipped the Passion all the way back to that shithole we call Philladelphia earlier this season, and they plan to bring a little East Cost football to the streets of Cali tonight!  

Click for Larger Image

Starting QB Angela Rypien, daughter of Redskins great Mark Rypien, aims to continue her stellar season and lead the team to victory against the Passion, and on to the Legends Cup in Vegas next week, taking on the winner of tonight's Chicago / Seattle game.

We're going to leave Philly the same way we left Cleveland.

Baltimore, hon!

Saturday Recap (UFC Fight Night, NFL Preseason, LFL Postseason)

Last Saturday night was a big one, folks, with UFC Fight Night 26 headlining the launch of the new Fox Sports 1 Channel.  The stacked card exceeded ratings expectations with 1.7 million viewers, and while we can’t expect number like that out of every Fight Night, the hope is that a good portion of those new or casual viewers will transition to more regular fans.  Like I’ve said, I’m always happy when the sport grows, and I hope that this works out for the UFC.



There was some last-minute drama over who would and would not be carrying the rebranded Fuel channel, and while Fox did not get their desired rate hike from $0.23 to $0.80 per viewer, they did get their channel on nearly every TV in America, allowing them to win the time slot with UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs Sonnen.

For reference, ESPN commands $5.50.

Fox Sports 1 hopes to challenge that Goliath of the sports broadcast world, and truth be told, they are going to attract viewers when they broadcast live games.   Outside of this, however, I don’t see many people switching over to them from ESPN for their news and analysis.



On the other hand, ESPN certainly has it’s vulnerabilities, and while the “worldwide leaders in sport” should be able to adapt and hold on to their market share, we’ve seen the Fox empire go up against the entrenched players and change the game in the past, for the better or for the worse.



Now, on to the fights!  As a reminder, here were my (hypothetical) plays for the night:



OPS/Cody Donovan under 1.5 rounds for $110
John Howard over Uriah Hall for $100
Sonnen/Shogun over 2.5 rounds for $180
McGregor over Holloway for $150
Lauzon over Johnson for $125

So let’s start at the top, the main card.

Chael Sonnen defeats Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua via Submission (guillotine choke) at 4:47 of Round 1

While I lost my hefty play on this one (I thought it would go at least halfway), I did predict the outcome.  Rua couldn’t keep Sonnen from taking him down, and Sonnen just dominated on the ground.  In fact, Rua did Sonnen’s work for him, and opted for clinchwork as opposed to standing and striking at range.  Sonnen quickly took the advantage in that situation and used it to finish Rua. 



I suppose Shogun came to the same conclusion I did, and decided that there was no point in dragging the thing out.  Or maybe he really thought he could out clinch Sonnen.  Either way, people are saying that they did not expect Sonnen to win by submission, but I think that’s ridiculous.  Wrestlers love the choke.



So what’s next for Sonnen?  No, not a title run!  He wants Wanderlei next, so I say they keep giving him superfights against the dwindling coterie of PrideFC refugees whenever a free card or a weak PPV needs just a little more draw.



(Dudes, how cool was PrideFC in it’s glory days?)

Travis Browne defeats Alistair Overeem via KO (front kick and punches) at 4:08 of Round 1


Not much to this one.  Overeem started strong, almost put Browne away, got cocky, got kicked in the face by Travis Browne.


Browne is a flexible, athletic fighter for a man of his stature (6’7’’).  He landed a sweet flying knee early in the round that wasn’t all that effective, but was cool as shit.  When he started laying in with those front kicks, Overeem did not seem to take them seriously, and Browne was finally able to land one right on his chin.  Not even all that hard, but hard enough to knock Overeem to the mat for long enough for Browne to finish him off with a couple of coffin nails.

I’d like to see both these guys stay on with the UFC.  While they both have serious holes in their game, they also have significant strengths.  Let’s give them the chance the show us that they can tighten up.

Urijah Faber defeats Iuri Alcantara via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)

We all know how good Faber is, and that he has consistently lost his many title shots, so what are they going to do with him?  I don’t really care, actually.  I’ve never gotten all that excited about Urijah Faber, but the fact that Iuri Alcantara was able to put him in danger in round 1 shows how dynamic and unpredictable the sport can be.

Matt Brown defeats Mike Pyle via KO (punches) at 0:29 of Round 1

Yeah, quick impressive win, but did you see Matt Brown calling out GSP?  Mike Pyle is certainly not better than GSP, and neither is Matt Brown.  Good move, though.  Shit like that gets you noticed in the UFC.

John Howard defeats Uriah Hall via Split Decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)

Speaking of unpredictable. . .



This play saved my night.  There was absolutely no reason why Uriah Hall should have been favored so highly by the betting line. 

Hall is overhyped, anyway.  I’m more interested in seeing what Howard does from here.  He better tighten his game before he moves on.

Michael Johnson def. Joe Lauzon Decision (unanimous) (30-27, 30-27, 30-25)

Lauzon was supposed to be my safety that night, but he just laid down in there against Mike Johnson.  I picked him because he was fired up to be in front of a hometown crowd, and because he really should have been able to dictate this fight and dominate Johnson with his ground game.  Instead, he stood and exchanged with Johnson, who was clearly the superior striker.  And he got his ass kicked.

I’ve heard it said that Mike Johnson often gets overlooked because he has a bland, forgettable name.  Well, everyone’s saying his name now, aren’t they?



And what about that scorecard?  30-25, now that hurts!  I do like the fact that judges are less reluctant to score a round 10-8 these days.  Heck, I even like 10-7 if someone’s really getting thrashed, and just barely hanging on.

I actually did not catch any of the TV prelims this time around, with the exception of the McGregor and Siler fights.  Both great striking displays.  Thanks to some last-minute coaching by Manny Gamburyan, Steven Siler was able to set up Mike Brown with a beautiful uppercut that ended the fight just 50 seconds into the first round.  Gotta protect that jaw.



Conor McGregor was not fighting for a belt on Saturday, but you wouldn’t have known it from watching.  That’s probably the first time I’ve seen them bring down the lights for a prelim fight.  I know that the UFC was playing up the Irish angle for the Boston crowd, but all that pomp and hype was ridiculous, and it really backfired on McGregor.  He fought a dominant fight against a skilled, adaptable striker in Max Holloway, but still received somewhat of a backlash from fans for not finishing in dramatic fashion.



McGregor shows a great sense of timing and range.  His shots are fast, accurate, and naturally powerful.  I hope that they are patient with this kid and let the hype die down a bit, but don’t keep feeding him chum.  I wanna see what he can really do, both in the short-term and in the long-term.

After all, t’ree people died making that watch.



Anyway, on to the internet prelims.

Vick over Nijem- one-trick wrestler defeated, no big shock there.  Caught in a guillotine after a yet another failed shoot.

OSP over Donovan- All I really recall about this fight is the end.  Donovan went for a takedown from the clinch, OSP rolled him over and finished it from Donovan’s guard.  



Donovan was completely inactive and did not use his guard to control OSP.  He threw a weak looping shot from his back, and OSP was all over him.  If Donovan had responded quicker or more intelligently, breaking St. Pierre’s posture and disrupting his striking, he could have kept the fight going.



Congrats to OSP on a strong win.

Manny v Miller- Manvel the Anvi Gamburyan defeated Cole Miller in three rounds by unanimous decision.  There is some controversy surrounding this fight, concerning a possibly illegal elbow, an extended round break, and the fight doctor.

At the end of the first round, Miller landed a buzzer-beating elbow strike to Manny Gamburyan’s head.  Gamburyan went to his knees, clutching the back of his head.  At this point, Manny’s corner entered the ring, with what sounded like Gamburyan cornerwoman Ronda Rousey asking Lavigne “what the f*ck happened?”

Lavigne did not call an illegal strike.



The fight doctor also entered the ring and checked Gamburyan, who by this point had been assisted back to his corner, clearing him to continue the fight.



The whole thing lasted just over two minutes.



The problem being that if it was a legal blow that hurt Gamburyan, and he did not answer the bell after the 60 second round break, then Yves Levigne is supposed to call the fight by TKO.  Instead, he allowed the fight doctor to finish checking and clearing Gamburyan, starting the round over a minute late.



I’ve heard a lot of people talking shit and saying that Gamburyan was acting at the end of round 1, but I’ve also heard people who are more likely to know what they’re talking about say that Gamburyan is not the type to fake and spam.  To me, the strike looked illegal, so I’m actually glad that we got to see the rest of the fight.  It was an interesting match between two fighters of vastly different body type.  Looking at the two, it’s hard to imagine that they are in the same weight class.  Seeing how Gamburyan, a smooth, polished striker, attempted to overcome Miller’s reach advantage made it a fun fight to watch.  While Manny landed less punches than Miller, he was the busier of the two, and the shots he landed did more damage.  Manny also was able to dominate Miller on the ground, leading to his unanimous decision by the judges.



Not to take anything away from Miller, who's athleticism and percision striking were also on display that night.  He hit Gamburyan with a beautiful knee strike to the face later in the round, which further demonstrated the Anvil's remarkable chin.

Miller may have been robbed on the extended round break, but it looked to me as if Manny was robbed on that illegal elbow.  Miller’s camp is asking the UFC to vacate the win and rule the match a ‘no contest,’ but seriously, if you have 7 inches on a guy and you can’t put him away, that’s on you.

So, in the end, this is what I (hypothetically) came away with:


OPS/Cody Donovan under 1.5 rounds for $110 (win $100)
John Howard over Uriah Hall for $100 (win $355)
Sonnen/Shogun over 2.5 rounds for $180 (lose $180)
McGregor over Holloway for $150 (win $90)
Lauzon over Johnson for $125 (lose $125)

Total: Win $240 (36% return)



Could be worse, but I think I can do better next time.



Also on that night were the Legends Football League playoffs, which saw the Philly Passion top the Atlanta Steam 28-20, mostly on the efforts of runningback Marirose Roach.  The Passion will now take on your very on Baltimore Charm tomorrow night, August 24th, for a spot in the Legends Cup.



The Charm’s defense shows it’s holes from time to time, but is very good at stopping the run when it really counts.  We edged out the Passion by 1 earlier this season, and if our offense continues it’s current hot streak, the gals of the Charm look like good picks for the Legends Cup this year.

Let’s do this, Baltimore!



The Washington Redskins were also back in action on Saturday, beating Pittsburg, the latest mile marker on our highway to an undefeated (pre)season, baby!



I don’t really know what this game says about the season to come.  We have at least some talent 3 lines deep at QB, but two of those lines are already hurt.  Still, I like to see RGIII resting.  I really wouldn’t be upset if he took the whole season.  Let our other guys get some more experience out there, shore up the offensive linemen, and I promise you RGIII will still be RGIII year.



RGIII is a competitor, and I’m sure that he wants to play as soon as possible, but that’s because it’s his job to want to play.  It’s the team doctor’s job to keep him healthy.

That’s it for tonight, friends.  More posts upcoming on Bellator, odds and ends from the world of MMA, and maybe some more news and politics.



Until then, hands up and protect yourselves at all times, this has been the Rabbit Punch.

UFC Fight Night 26, Fox Sports 1 (Shippin‘ Up to Boston)



Tomorrow night marks the launch of the new Fox Sports 1 channel with UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs Sonnen. 

With a 7-year contract already signed, the UFC is a planned centerpiece of the new sports channel, which Fox hopes will challenge ESPN’s longtime dominance over the cable sports world and return a profit in a quick 3 years.  I’ll believe it when I see it, but I’m up for anything that promotes the sport and puts more fights on TV, especially free fights (for those of you who haven’t joined the rest of us in the 21st Century and cut the cable).



The UFC is aiming to hook more casual fans into regular viewers, and has stacked this non-PPV card with recognizable names, proven finishers, and promising young talents.  The main event features UFC veterans Chael Sonnen and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, names who casuals will recognize and hardcores will be interested in.  



While I’m leaning Chael, I honestly cannot pick this one with confidence.  Shogun has the advantage on the feet, but I don’t know if he can stop Chael from taking him down and tossing him around.  Rua, however, can be wily from his back, and has decent counter-wrestling, so expect him to drag this thing out, maybe even improve his position.  Shogun has the knockout power to end the fight on the feet, but I think that Sonnen’s strike defense might prove superior to Rua’s takedown defense, allowing him to control the fight, and win rounds.



Expect both guys to get banged up pretty bad, but also expect this thing to go the distance.  At this level of skill, both fighters have an answer for the other guy’s strengths. 



Unless Shogun knocks Chael out like Freddy Roach taught him to.

Also on the card (taking place in Boston), is Boston native Joe Lauzon, and Irish fighter Conor McGregor, who might as well be a Boston native for the reception he is sure to receive in Beantown.  Conor is one of those guys who’s fun to watch because he’s having fun out there.  In the tradition of Irish pugilists throughout the ages (see picture), Conor is a stand-up brawler with fists like rocks and a great instinct for the game.  Not that his opponent, Max Holloway, is any kind of a pushover, but I feel like the UFC is setting Conor up for a triumphant debut in front of America’s most receptive city for an Irishman.



But don’t count Holloway out just yet.  He’s a creative, unpredictable fighter, and he’s just as at home on his feet as McGregor is.  Besides, we’ve seen the UFC’s plans fall through in the past, as in Cat Zingano’s recent face-crushing victory over Meisha Tate.



I’ve got mixed feelings about Beantown, myself.  My grandfather (RIP, 6 months past) was the son of Greek immigrants, and grew up in depression-era Boston.  So I have roots in the city, so to speak.  At the same time, Boston is full to the brim with douchebags.  So while I’m picking McGregor here (and I really do like the kid), I also crack a smile every time I think about how salty Boston will be if he gets knocked out.



One last note: if you’re the gambling type, and happen to reside in a municipality with legal sportsbooks, I would put a small amount on John Howard over Uriah Hall.  While Uriah will most likely come away with the win, Howard, who is currently rated at +355 by 5Dimes, has enough of a chance and is so undervalued that this stands as a potentially profitable play.  Also, go ahead and take Sonnen/Shogun going over 2.5 rounds.  Like I said, unless Shogun gets a knockout, this thing should go the distance.  If you win on both, send a little of that gravy my way, eh?

But if you lose, I don’t want to hear about it.

Keep those hands up, protect yourselves at all times, and keep the action rolling.  This has been the Rabbit Punch.

In Defense of Defensive Fighting (don't leave it to the f*cking judges!)

I’d like to say a word on MMA judging, specifically in the UFC.



Judging has always been one of the most controversial aspects of the sport.  “Don’t leave it to the f*cking judges!” is a favored catch phrase of UFC boss Dana White, and with good reason.  As well trained and qualified as a professional mma judge may be (or not), scoring a bout is always going to be a subjective thing.  The judges’ angle and line of sight on the action, how well they know the sport and the specific fighters, what they notice and what they miss, their own interpretation of the rules and criteria, all these things will effect how a judge scores a match.  What may look on TV (and be called by enthusiastic announcers) as a beautiful headkick may actually have been effectively blocked or nullified.  When a flurry a punches flies back and forth, how well can a judge see exactly what landed and what did not, and how effective these strikes were?  Having competed in a tournament setting once or twice, I have had points called against me for strikes which did not even land.  I long ago accepted that the official outcome of any judged or scored fight does not truly reflect what happened.

 

And at a local rec-level karate tournament, that’s fine.  But on the professional or semi-pro level, where people’s livelihoods are at stake and the level of competition is more intense, this becomes a problem.  Because as much as you really don’t want to leave it to the judges, you really should be able to.  I mean, is the UFC not the world’s premiere fighting league?  Are these people not professionals?

These issues were brought to the surface by the recent Lyoto Machida / Phil Davis fight, which ended in what is being described as a controversial decision in favor of Davis.  I have not seen the fight myself, so while I cannot talk about the match specifically, recent comments on the matter by Phil Davis and Sal D’Amato have provoked me to response.

Phil Davis, on last Tuesday’s Gross Point Blank podcast, said that “accuracy is not the name of the game.”  In his attempts to justify his win over Machida, Davis did not talk about how he had effectively damaged Machida, only about how he had “kept more busy.”  Since when is “keeping busy” the goal?  I thought that the “name of the game” was to damage your opponent more than they damage you?  And while Davis had some very good points in his interview on The MMA Hour (which ran 3 and a half hours this week, which I'm totally into), he also repeated his assertion that “significant strikes aren’t significant” and what really matters is “who has their back to the center.”

I couldn’t disagree more.  We’re trying to determine who’s the better MMA fighter, not who’s better at walking forward while throwing punches that don’t land.  Octagon control counts, but effective striking and grappling should count more, especially since "control" can be a more subjective measure.  If I've lured you in, avoided your shots, set my range, and landed damaging strikes, haven't I controlled the match, even if your "back is to the center?"

I also think that if Phil Davis feels good about the win, then he shouldn’t feel the need to argue with his critics in public.  He should be telling everyone to kiss his ass and preparing for his next fight.

Similarly, perennial UFC judge Sal D’Amato, on MMAJunkies.com Radio, said that he does not score effective defense.  Sure, don’t give points for stopping someone, but certainly don’t give points for getting stopped.  If my defense stops your offense, there’s no way in hell that you should take the round, unless my offense was even less effective than yours.

Note that I said “effective,” not “busy.”

Personally, I think that judges shouldn’t be afraid to call a round 10-10.  Especially in a three round setting, winning or losing a round which in truth could have gone either way can decide the fight.  If the round was even, or if neither fighter really deserved to win, why give one guy the point?  Make them work for it.  Make a fighter show us that they really won the round in order to take a 10-9 scorecard.  No more squeaking by on controversial decisions, no more winning based on rounds in which you didn’t really outfight your opponent; if you don’t clearly show us your dominance, you won’t take the round.

Of course, I think Phil Davis said it best himself when he said, “There’s no pleasing everyone- I just get out there and do my job.”

Right on, Phil.  We’ll keep flapping our gums, you just keep bangin’.

Keep those hands up, protect yourself at all times, and don’t leave it to the f*cking judges!

This has been the Rabbit Punch.

Aldo/Korean Zombie Revisited, Tito/Rampage on TNA

Everyone, including me, was wondering why Aldo wasn’t throwing his characteristic leg kicks in his match against Chen Sung Jung the Korean Zombie at UFC 163.  Turns out it had nothing to do with Zombie’s reach or aggression; after the fight,we found out that Aldo broke his foot in the first round when Jung checked one of his leg kicks.

That’s why King Mo doesn’t really kick, and I agree.

Aldo, however, was able to compensate and mask his injury, highlighting once more just how far he is above everyone else at 145lbs in the UFC.  Also, he was dealing with a kidney stone that night.  Damn.

Aldo is a big, dominant Featherweight, but if he did make the transition to 155lbs, he would be a small-ish Lightweight, and I’d be interested in seeing how this smart, cagey fighter adapts to bigger, stronger opponents.

Some people think that Aldo should either stay at 145lbs and grow the division, or vacate the championship to fight at 155lbs.  I, personally, have no problem with him defending the Featherweight belt while fighting at 155lbs, or even holding and defending both belts.  It would be hell on his body to go back and forth, so if Aldo is willing, I think that the UFC should let him.

Either way, I think I need one of those Zombie shirts where his right arm's out, held in his left hand.

I’m actually getting slightly more excited about the Tito/Rampage fight with each passing day.  Some people are questioning the cross-promotion with TNA Impact! Wrestling, but they’re just plain wrong.  The first season of the Ultimate Fighter benefitted from their time slot directly after WWE RAW! and if Bellator has the TNA stage to promote their first PPV on and drive up their buys, then why the hell not?   Besides, Rampage has been on TNA before, so he’s not totally unfamiliar to that audience.

I’ve got to watch more Bellator, and so should you.  I like the tournament format, and I've heard more than one fighter say that it's just a better atmosphere over there.  At least the boss doesn't shit-talk you after every fight.

Hands up, defend yourselves at all times, this has been the Rabbit Punch