The Best MMA Fighters in the World

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Recently Sherdog.com posted their rankings for the Top Ten MMA Fighters in Each Division.  Here are my Top Five for Each Division:

Heavyweight

  1. Cain Velasquez (9-0): Undefeated and the Champ.
  2. Shane Carwin (12-1): One loss and that’s to the former champ Brock Lesnar.  Carwin was destroying Lesnar until Carwin gassed.  I don’t believe that would happen again and that’s why I rate Carwin ahead of Brock.
  3. Brock Lesnar (5-2): Former champ who surprised me by agreeing to coach on TUF.  Although I think Junior Del Santos would be a favorite against Brock, since they haven’t yet met I’ll give Brock the benefit of the doubt.
  4. Junior dos Santos (12-1): Will coach against Lesnar in the TUF and then fight him at UFC 131.
  5. Frank Mir (14-5): My favorite MMA fighter faces Big Country Roy Nelson at UFC 130.

Light Heavyweight

  1. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-4): The Champ.
  2. Jon Jones (12-1): “Bones” Jones has one loss and that was a DQ for illegal elbows against Matt Hamill.  Jones was destroying Hamill when the fight was called.  No one has come close to beating Jones.
  3. Rashad Evans (15-1-1): Evans has come a long way from his days on TUF when he was a showboating wrestler.  Now he’s a legitimate contender for the belt he once held.
  4. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (31-8): Talks trash as good as he fights… maybe even better than he fights.
  5. Lyoto Machida (16-2): At one time Machida was unbeatable.  Now it seems fighters have his number.  If Couture beats him at UFC 129, Machida’s glory days may over.

Middleweight

  1. Anderson Silva (28-4): The Champ with the longest undefeated streak in the UFC.  Silva dominates or finds a way to win.
  2. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1): Dominated Anderson Silva for 4 and 1/2 rounds until Silva caught him in a triangle and forced him to tap.  Sonnen has had trouble out of the ring and I’m not just talking about the crazy junk that he spouts.  I’d love to see a rematch with Silva, but until and if Sonnen gets his life straightened out that ain’t gonna happen.
  3. Yushin Okami (26-5): Surprised me by beating Nate Marquardt [who didn’t fight at his best].
  4. Nate Marquardt (30-10-2): Should be fighting for the title but his loss to Okami was a major setback.
  5. Demian Maia (14-2): Slapped the stuffing out of Kendall Grove and then played the bongos on his back in route to a win that moved him into my top five.

Welterweight

  1. Georges St. Pierre (21-2): The Champ and my choice for best pound-for-pound fighter. I may be in the minority, but I’d pick GSP to win if he chooses to fight Anderson Silva.
  2. Jon Fitch (23-3, 1 NC): A great grappler who wins fights.
  3. Jake Shields (26-4-1): Made the jump to the UFC after upsetting Dan Henderson.  Shields is going to be a force to be reckoned with.
  4. Martin Kampmann (17-4): His recent split-decision loss to Jake Shields moved him up in my ratings.
  5. Thiago Alves (18-7): A tough fighter looking to get into the title hunt.

Lightweight

  1. Frankie Edgar (13-1-1): Whooped the Prodigy twice in a row and is the Champ.
  2. Gray Maynard (10-0-1, 1 NC):If you can fight the Champ to a draw, you have to be ranked #2.
  3. Gilbert Melendez (18-2): A tough fighter who is looking to move up in weight.
  4. B.J. Penn (16-7-1): I’ve never been a big Penn fan.  He’s talented, but never lived up to the hype.
  5. Eddie Alvarez (21-2): One of the toughest fighters in the division.

Featherweight

  1. Jose Aldo (18-1):The Champ
  2. Chad Mendes (10-0): Has yet to face a fighter who can beat him.
  3. Hatsu Hioki (23-4-2): a seasoned fighter with an impressive record
  4. Joe Warren (6-1): Claims to be the “baddest man on the planet” — did win the Bellator featherweight title
  5. Dustin Poirier (9-1): Impressive punching power — but will it be enough to get to the title?

Bantamweight

  1. Dominick Cruz (17-1): Currently the best in a tough division.
  2. Brian Bowles (8-1): The man Cruz beat to win the title.
  3. Urijah Faber (24-4): Faber is the only man to ever beat Champion Cruz.\
  4. Joseph Benavidez (13-2)
  5. Miguel Torres (39-3): Former Champ and one of the best pound-for-pound MMA fighters in the world.

I’m not familiar enough with the Flyweights to rank them.

 

Dead Island Lives Again?

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There’s a good chance that you’ve already seen the trailer to Dead Island.  The trailer went viral because it’s so good.  It is also pretty gory and very violent.   I’ve watched it several times and although it’s a trailer for a game, it’s as good as any recent movie trailer.   And wouldn’t you know it?  According to JoBlo, Dead Island may soon be on the fast track to the silver screen.

Battle for LA

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Here’s the latest poster for the highly anticipated Battle for LA.  Although the poster isn’t as cool as I’d hoped, it still adds to my interest in the movie.  IMPAwards has LAmongous version that you can see here.

Me from A to Z

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Here are my answers to a fun little personal quiz that’s making the rounds…

A – Available/Single? Nope.  Married for 30 years.
B – Best Friend? Not counting family… John Beatty, but he’s like my brother, so can I count him?
C – Cake or Pie? Depends on the cake or pie and if ice cream is involved.  Most likely pie, though.
D – Drink Of Choice? Diet Coke, water and McDonald’s Frappes!
E – Essential Item You Use Everyday? My computer.
F – Favorite Color? Depends on my mood and the item.
G – Gummy Bears Or Worms? Worms, but the Gummy Squids ain’t bad.
H – Hometown? Terre Haute, Indiana but I now call Port Orange home,
I –  Indulgence? My Sylvester Stallone themed art collection.
K – Kids & Their Names? Mike and Chris.
L – Life Is Incomplete Without? Laughter.
M – Marriage Date? June 28th.
N – Number Of Siblings? 3
O – Oanges Or Apples? Oranges if we’re talking juice.  Apples if we’re talking keeping the doctor away.
P – Phobias/Fears? None.  Although I am pretty jumpy at movies.
Q – Favorite Quote? “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
R – Reason to Smile? The new season of “Justified” has started.
S – Season? Yes, the new season of “Justified” has started.
T – Tag Three or Four People? I stopped playing tag in grade school.
U – Unknown Fact About Me? I can moonwalk.
V – Vegetable you don’t like? Beets
W – Worst Habit? I sometimes bite my nails.
X – X-rays You’ve Had? Teeth, chest, abdomen, hand.
Y – Your Favorite Food? Ribeye Steak.
Z – Zodiac Sign? Libra – I’m all about justice and “Justified.“

Robert Blake Gets the Boot

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This weekend, despite being a scheduled guest, Robert Blake was kicked out of a Hollywood Stars Show.  If you’ve never heard of it, The Hollywood Stars Show takes place every couple of months in Burbank, California.  Celebrities such as Ernest Borgnine, Larry Hagman, Corey Feldman, and others show up to sign autographs and pose for photos with their fans for a fee.  This weekend was Robert Blake’s first and most likely last appearance at the show.  Let me explain.

The Hollywood Stars show ran on Saturday and Sunday.  When Mr. Blake arrived on Saturday he requested and received a private side area for his photos and autograph signings.  After a short period of time, Mr. Blake became upset because his line was much shorter than some other celebs in attendance.  After a shouting match with the show’s organizers, Mr. Blake left.

Then on Sunday, Mr. Blake returned unannounced and unexpected.  According to both sides, Mr. Blake wanted to sign autographs and photos for free.  According to both sides, that was going to happen despite the chaos it caused and the fact that it upset other celebs in attendance who were charging.  At some point everything went south and Mr. Blake was asked to leave.  Before he was escorted out, he stood on a chair telling his fans that he would be out in the parking lot signing for free.  You can imagine the problems that caused.  He was escorted out of the building and then asked to leave the parking lot.

Mark Evanier comments on the incident here.   TMZ has video of the incident.  And there was even an “open letter” from The Hollywood Show explaining what happened.

Robert Blake is such a talented person, but he’s always been a bit out there.

Jim Ivey and Rob Smith

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A little over a month ago my wife and I planned a “breakfast get-together” with Jim Ivey and Rob Smith.  Both Jim and Rob are old friends that I don’t get to see as much as I’d like.

Our meetings start as get-togethers for breakfast, but without fail turn into “gift” exchanges, sketching, reminiscing and a whole lot of laughing.

Jim and Rob just before they break out the sketch pads and throw-down.

Rob breaks out the smart phone to video Jim as he works his magic.

Jim may not have a smart-phone but he was mentally recording his former student’s every move.  Here’s a look at Rob’s creation.

You know, looking at these pictures makes me think it’s about time for another get-together.

Chris Z Runs His 1st Half Marathon

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Last weekend my son Chris, ran his first half marathon.  He was joined in the race by his girlfriend Mikala, and her mother.

Of course Chris’ mom and I were there for moral support.  [I’m the guy behind the camera.]

Before the race Mikala and Chris are all smiles.

In fact everyone is smiling…

Once the race starts Chris moves from smiles to all out laughter!

At the halfway point and he’s still smiling.

Chris about to pass the older couple in the blue.  ; )

My wife is terrible at taking pictures.  She always cuts off heads.  Perhaps in a past life she was an executioner.  Mikala and her mom are also all smiles at the halfway point.

Chris coming in for his final lap!

Mikala and her mom finishing the race!