It looks like Team Pain is the company designing Virginia Beach's new Williams Farm skatepark. Come to the design input meeting on April 7th to make sure they don't build some unskatable vertical monster. I'm really hoping for a small bowl that is more fun that scary.
Source: http://whitewaterraftingblog.oars.com/post/whitewater-rafting-in-mystery-fiction
Bas Rutten's reaction to Jon Jones' title shot was similar to many around the sport, "is it too soon?" The former UFC heavyweight champ and analyst for HDNet came around quickly on the style of the fight favoring Jones.
Rutten has already seen Jones toss around solid wrestlers with ease, so how is Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, going to stay off the deck?
Jones challenges Rua for his 205-pound title on Saturday in Newark, N.J. The UFC champ has devastating kicks, but Rutten doesn't think it'll be enough to slow down the 23-year-old freight train.
Rua turned pro in 2003 and has 23 fights under his belt. Jones has only been a pro since 2008, yet he opened as a minus-170 favorite over the champ. The public is firing on Jones, he's up to minus-200 off shore.
You can watch UFC 128 right here on Yahoo! Sports.
Curtis Ciszek crushes the Whistler and Washington backcountry with a versatile mix of tricks.
Curtis Ciszek Shred Flick from DAKINE on Vimeo.
Source: http://www.frqncy.com/news/2011/03/11/curtis-ciszek-at-whistler
On his tour Inside Americas Gyms, Ron Kruck caught up with UFC lightweight Benson Henderson. ; The two talked everything from being on the receiving end of "the kick heard around the world" to who Henderson is taking on next
Autobahn put together a set of three white and one red wheel for Japan relief with All Proceeds going to the Red Cross. See Japanese flow rider Hirotoshi "Buchi" Kawabuchi in action before the disaster.
Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/templeton-elliott/2011/03/17/autobahn-japan-relief-wheels/
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/09/performance-enhancing-surgery-comes-to-mma/
Despite a late rally by Billy Evangelista, Jorge Masvidal won by unanimous decision. Showtime Sports and Heidi Androl interview the young Masvidal straight from the cage.
Crazy mulletted Australian, Nigel Banks gets down in this part for Slam.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MostlySkateboarding/~3/afuA5ZMJPRI/nigel-banks.html
aJon Jones is continuing to make the media rounds and get treated as the Next Big Thing in the UFC -- even though it remains to be seen whether he's the UFC's next light heavyweight champion. The latest media event for Jones was a Thursday morning interview on SportsCenter, where he offered a surprisingly detailed account of his strategy for his UFC 128 bout with Shogun Rua.
Future issues about high-level MMA fighters not squaring off anytime soon were quieted a bit today by the UFC's purchase of Strikeforce.
This afternoon, Dana White announced that Zuffa bought its top competitor in the U.S. He made a point of saying, with fighters contracts and a Showtime television deal in place, Strikeforce will operate under a "business as usual" header for the time being. How long that lasts is anyone's guess. UFC is planning on revealing more details to the media during a Monday teleconference.
The purchase should certainly excite fight fans. A deeper overall roster should eliminate the possibility of the best in the world being kept out of the same cage because of promotional issues.
Who are you most excited to see in the UFC? Here's a list of the top 15 fighters based on ability, mixed with the existing hurdles that could prevent them for stepping into the Octagon.
1. Nick Diaz, Welterweight (23-7, 5-0 Strikeforce, 6-4 UFC)
Outside the cage, the former UFC fighter is a wild man, but White is the first to admit he's a talented kid. The current Strikeforce welterweight champion hasn't lost since 2007. He's also one of the only welterweights outside of the UFC that fans would love to see take on Georges St. Pierre. In less than a month at Strikeforce's next scheduled event in San Diego on Apr. 9, he defends his title against Paul Daley. His brother Nate is currently fighting at 170 pounds in the UFC.
2. Gilbert Melendez, Lightweight (18-2, 8-1 Strikeforce)
He wasn't the first name on the lips of many MMA fans, but he probably should be. He's the most legitimate threat to any of the UFC title holders. Melendez's mix of wrestling, striking, strategy and stamina puts him immediately in the mix with Gray Maynard and Anthony Pettis to challenge for Frank Edgar's title. Just as important, he wants to fight the best and is an easy guy to manage.
3. Dan Henderson. Light heavyweight (27-8, Strikeforce 2-1, UFC 5-2)
With just one fight left on his deal, Henderson could be the first Strikeforce star to crossover. His 2009 exit from the UFC was more about ancillary concerns than his performance in the cage.
With his win last weekend over Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Rafael Cavalcante, the 40-year-old proved again that he's a top 10 fighter at light heavyweight. He could also go back down to middleweight if he wants to and the UFC thought that was the best spot.
Henderson told MMAWeekly it's a shocking move, but he's open to fighting for anyone.
"I don't know what to feel about it, I don't necessarily think, it might not be the best thing for the sport. But then again you're going to start being able to see all these match-ups that everyone wants to see. Who knows," Henderson said. "I had no plans of leaving, but I don't know what this is going to do those plans, but I have one fight left on my deal and we'll see what happens,"
Henderson is cool with White.
"I've never said anything bad about them. I always appreciated everything they've done for me and for the sport. It's just I was paid more money to go elsewhere, and that's what I did. Dana's the type that needs to talk a little smack if he doesn't get his way, but I've got no hard feelings about anything."
Strikeforce paid Hendo a healthy salary and allowed him to promote his clothing line, Clinch Gear. Hopefully, this time around the Clinch Gear issue can be resolved so we can see Henderson face the likes of Mauricio Rua, Rashad Evans, Quinton Jackson, Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida.
4. Alistair Overeem, Heavyweight (34-11, 3-0 Strikeforce)
If everything is cool on the pre-fight drug testing front, Overeem would be an awesome addition to the UFC heavyweight division. His pure power, look and striking is very promotable. An Overeem fight against Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, Frank Mir or Shane Carwin would be a seat-filler. That said, he'll have to drop the desire to compete in K-1 competitions.
5. Antonio Silva, Heavyweight (16-2, 3-1 Strikeforce)
This seems high, right? That's how good Silva is now and can be down the road. "Big Foot" is one of the biggest heavyweights in the world and is quickly developing one of the more well-rounded games in the division. His size overwhelmed Fedor Emelianenko and now that he's better managing the weight cut, he's got his stamina up to snuff.
6. Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal, Light heavyweight (7-1, 2-1 Strikeforce)
From a selling standpoint, King Mo has as much potential as anyone on the Strikeforce roster. His amateur wrestling background makes him competitive with any 205-pounder in the world. Once he cleans up his striking and learns how to manage his gas tank, sky's the limit. His personality and willingness to bond with the fans and haters alike, makes him a promotional dream.
7. Tim Kennedy, Middleweight (13-3, 4-1 Strikeforce)
Strikeforce is onto something here with Kennedy. Think Brian Stann, but a lot better in most facets of the game. The Army Special Forces veteran wants to fight all the time and he's a great role model to push to casual and non-MMA fans. More than any other division, the UFC's middleweight class is in need a new blood. Kennedy is a great pickup.
8. Fedor Emelianenko, Heavyweight (31-3, Strikeforce 1-2)
I'd love to have Fedor on top of this list, but the relationship is so frayed between M-1, his management team and White, it's difficult to imagine seeing him the Octagon anytime soon. He also needs to win some fights to rebuild his brand and reputation.
In his first comments about Fedor, White didn't seem optomistic:
"I don't see any irony in that," White told Yahoo!'s Kevin Iole, chuckling. "Even though Fedor is now under contract with Zuffa, I still have a hard time imagining he'll ever fight in the UFC. We'll see, but that's my bet right now."
"You know me," White said. "I'm as big a fan of this as anybody and I love making the fights that everyone wants to see. At the end of the day, it's all about making great fights and the fights the people want to see. That's what we're doing."
9. Jason Miller, Middleweight (24-7, 1-1 Strikeforce, 0-1 UFC)
Miller is far from the best fighter on this list, but he's the most media savvy. His MTV show "Bully Beatdown" and appearances all over satellite radio give him exposure more MMA fighters can't even sniff. He fought for the UFC back in 2005 against GSP, but simply wasn't ready for that level and was draining himself way down at 170 pounds.
10. Gegard Mousasi, Light heavyweight (30-3, 2-1 Strikeforce)
I'm still a backer of Mousasi. His calculated style and killer instinct makes him an attractive addition. He just needs to strategize a little more against top level fighters and must shore up his takedown defense. Don't sleep on the Armenian's future. UFC may talk to him about going back down to middleweight. An Anderson Silva-Mousasi fight would be dynamite.
11. Fabricio Werdum, Heavyweight (14-4, 3-0 Strikeforce)
We're still not sure what went down when Werdum was sent packing by the UFC back in 2009. His talent is undeniable. Werdum is a huge dude at 6-5, 245 and his jiu-jitsu is some of the best in the world for the weight class. The win over Fedor was no fluke and don't forget he avoided dangerous situations in getting the win over Antonio Silva too. Grappling matchups against Lesnar, Mir, Carwin and even Roy Nelson would be awesome.
12. Paul Daley, Welterweight (27-9, 1-0 Strikeforce, 2-1 UFC)
The villain of all villians. Whether Daley should've been cut from the UFC is still debatable. His questionable attitude is not. We all have bosses and sometimes have to swallow our pride to co-exist. Daley was supposedly posting today on the Underground Forum today that he needs to "think" about fighting for the UFC and making money for White. Frankly, it's not his decision. It's also pretty stupid to push for your options to only include Japan's DREAM, BAMMA, Shark Fights, Titan Fighting, Bellator and MFC.
13. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, Middleweight (14-2, 4-0 Strikeforce)
Jacare is very intriguing. His submission game is off the charts and would be a great anti-dote against the UFC's wrestlers/grapplers like Chael Sonnen and Yushin Okami. As the Strikeforce middleweight champ, he controls his own destiny. If he keeps winning under the "business as usual" operation, he'll force the hand of the UFC to put him in the mix with the big company.
14. Rafael Cavalcante, Light heavyweight (10-3, 3-2 Strikeforce)
"Feijao" lost to Henderson, but it's just one fight. The guy comes to bang and has an excellent ground game. The UFC could certainly find a home for another huge, well-rounded light heavyweight.
15. Robbie Lawler, Middleweight (18-7, 2-3 Strikeforce, 4-3 UFC)
It would be shocking to see Lawler on the outside looking in. He's a favorite of White's. His style is exactly what fans and the promotion latch onto. Lawler's one-punch knockout power makes him a more talented version of Chris Lytle and we know he's got a job for life with the promotion as long as he remains around .500.
Others possibly in the mix: Josh Thomson, *Shinya Aoki, *Tatsuya Kawajiri, Shane del Rosario, Daniel Cormier.
*Not under contract with Strikeforce. Co-promotional deals with DREAM.
UFC 127 Heated Press Conference Face-Offs Video by UFC 127Source: http://mmalice.com/ufc-127/ufc-127-heated-press-conference-face-offs-video_365ab19c8.html
Source: http://snowboardaction.net/grenade-safety-marshall-snowboard-mitt-black/
Source: http://snowboardaction.net/burton-ltd-love-snowboard-155-2011/
Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce
UFC president Dana White continually makes a point of reminding the fans that he works to put together the matches they want to see. He also consistently reminds fighters that if they're in this sport to be the best, they better be ready to fight anyone at any time, including teammates. Yet when White broke the news about UFC parent company Zuffa buying Strikeforce to MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani, he produced one curious response that contradicted those two mantras.Osiris has video from their time in Las Vegas doing a demo for Industrial.
Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/templeton-elliott/2011/03/14/osiris-at-industrial/
Judging by his footwear and trick selection, Heath Ledger was a big Dylan fan.
Source: http://theskateboardmag.com/blogs/matt-price/2011/03/15/what-a-joker/
Source: http://www.prana.com/blog/2011/03/12/natasha-barnes-baked-kale-chips-recipe/
At UFC on Versus 3, the promotion continues to showcase the infusion of talent from the WEC roster, but the story of the night will be Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann to potentially get themselves in the mix for what could be a vacated UFC welterweight title belt.
With a win over Jake Shields next month at UFC 129, champion Georges St. Pierre is going to leave the division. The rankings from No. 2-6 at 170 pounds in the UFC are pretty wide open. Sanchez is coming off a win over Paulo Thiago, while Kampmann lost a close fight to Shields. A resounding win by either fighter and they're name is suddenly in the mix.
Kampmann is a small favorite in Las Vegas. He's the bigger fighter at the weight, with a more polished game, but he's also a guy whose motor doesn't rev as fast as Sanchez's. Yahoo!'s Kevin Iole joined us this morning on the phone from Louisville to break down the big fights and make some picks.
My strongest recommendation include C.B. Dolloway (+160) over Mark Munoz, Joe Stevenson (-165) over Danny Castillo and Rob Kimmons (+170) to beat Dongi Yang.
Munoz was the accomplish NCAA wrestler, but Dolloway is no slouch. Dolloway is more dangerous in the submission and has a better gas tank. In what is essentially an event, we'll fire on the dog money with "The Doberman."
Losing 4-of-6 fights, Stevenson's back is against the wall. Take a look at the opponents, they're way above Danny Castillo in the pecking order. Castillo is a nice prospect, but Stevenson is still a world class fighter at 155 pounds.
Yang is a banger, but he's sloppy and his stamina is in question. Kimmons is small for the weight, but he is savvy. This another good underdog price. Yang needs to watch out for the guillotine choke.
UFC on Versus 3 betting odds (Courtesy Lagasse's Stadium):
Diego Sanchez (+115) vs. Martin Kampmann (-145) - Welterweight
C.B. Dolloway (+160) vs. Mark Munoz (-190) - Middleweight
Alessio Sakara (+150) vs. Chris Weidman (-180) - Middleweight
Damacio Page (+200) vs. Brian Bowles (-250) - Bantamweight
Danny Castillo (+135) vs. Joe Stevenson (-165) - Lightweight
Cyrille Diabate (-115) vs. Steve Cantwell (-115) - Light heavyweight
Shane Roller (-115) vs. Thiago Tavares (-115) - Lightweight
Reuben Duran (+190) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (-240) - Bantamweight
Rob Kimmons (+170) vs. Dongi Yang (-200) - Middleweight
Dave Branch (+180) v. Rousimar Palhares (-220) - Middleweight
Todd Brown (+180) vs. Igor Pokrajac (-220) - Light heavyweight
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-on-Versus-3-picks-Vegas-style?urn=mma-329136
Source: http://skydivechick.com/2011/02/currency-in-off-season/
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Source: http://www.mmafighting.com/2011/03/03/ufc-on-versus-3-results-danny-castillo-upsets-joe-stevenson/
The National Football League's collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET tonight, and unless there is a miracle at today's negotiations, the league is headed for a work stoppage. That opens the door for Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals' outlandish receiver and fan of MMA, to pursue a dream: fighting Anderson Silva.
He and UFC president Dana White discussed a match-up on Twitter, both pointing out that the expiration of the CBA isn't all bad.
Ochocinco has tried to challenge Silva in the past, and UFC president Dana White has played along, even offering Silva a spot on the 2010 New Year's weekend card. But the fights could never be anything more than a joke because of the NFL's contracts that keep players risking their health.
But without a CBA in place, Ochocinco is open to pursue MMA more seriously. Silva is slated to fight Georges St. Pierre if St. Pierre wins his April 30 bout with Jake Shields. In the meantime, the world needs a Silva/Ochocinco matchup of some kind. Perhaps they can stap on sumo suits, get in a baking competition, or play a game of tennis. "Ocho vs. The Spider" has reality show written all over it.
Source: http://www.dailyscubadiving.com/how-to-choose-dive-instructor/
I met Luke Thorington while on the way to hitchhike up to Mt. Baker. He was filling up at a gas station and gave me ride. This guy has one of the best attitudes ever....must be some good water up in Juneau, AK. This edit is from a few days last week at Mt Baker--it just keeps on snowing...
Contour #2 by Sky Rosveld - SnowBalance.com from Snow Balance on Vimeo.
