UFC 68 and 2 become 1

UFC 68

Right I think I may have now recovered from UFC 68 sufficiently to allow me to write something that is more than about 10 words - 2 of which were Randy Couture.

It has to be said that following the fight (one of the few where I was actually shouting at the screen) I was siding with Joe Rogan with this "man I am lost for words" It was one of the best fights I have seen in a long time. Matt Hughes v's BJ Penn had me on the edge of my seat but this one had me on my feet.

You had to know it was gonna be a good fight when in the first 14 seconds Couture had knocked Tim Sylvia back on his butt. That was a good start and not what anyone expected - we were all sat watching and expecting that Randy would go for the take down and that Tim would knock him down and win. Guess that goes to show that you never can tell eh.

From round one Couture's speed and strength were astounding and there were even cases where Randy got Tim on the ground. This was not all one way by any means - Tim is a big guy and Randy would struggle to hold him down and move him around.

As each round went on you were on the edge of the seat knowing that at any second it could all be over. All it would take was one hit from Sylvia and it would be over - we were just waiting for shades of Couture/Liddell 3. Eventually round 5 comes along you hear Sylvia's corner say that he has lost 4 rounds and he has to win this one and Sylvia seems confused and unaware that he is on round 5. Round 5 seems to take for ever as we wait to see just who will make it to the end. By this stage the crowd are one their feet and they seem to be counting down the last 10 seconds. Then the bell goes and the place goes mad - Randy Couture is again a heavy weight champion.

UFC and Pride

These are the cards that the UFC needs to have in order to keep folks coming back to watch the fights. This year there are more fights planned than ever with a minimum of 1 a month and all it will take is one or 2 'dull' shows and folks will stop watching it. This would be bad news for the sport but could have an even greater impact now that UFC and Pride are one and the same. You turn folks away and they will not come back to pay for more fights - thats just the way of it.

It is an interesting thing to ponder (should such things interest you) - what will happen now that Pride and the UFC are one and the same. On one hand it can be good for the fans and even the fighter short term. Fans can see the fights they want (Liddell v's Silva) without there being any inter organization bantering or debate but what will happen when there is no competition for pay - will the fighters continue to work for buttons - when there is no where else for them to go - what else can they do. If the fighters are not being paid well then how will they perform. If they are not performing then will folks want to watch them - who will want to see lack luster fights of possible badly matched opponents.

Time will tell how things will work out and as an MMA fan I hope they work out for the greater good - but I cannot help but have my doubts

History is made - Woo Hoo

5 times world champion

Only man to hold 3 x heavy weight championship, 2x light heavy weight champion

43 years old


Best fight I have seen in years - It has been a while since I stood and cheered at - this was it

Randy Couture - New UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world

UFC UK

Now following on from my last post - I was gutted when I could not get good seats to go and see UFC 68 but have been feeling somewhat more chirpy since I managed to get hold of some other tickets

You see the UFC is looking to have more shows over in the UK (and they can do that by having just 1 this year) and the first one is running with April in Manchester...... and I managed to get tickets!!

They are not ring side seats - they did not seem to have any of those left - but I got some ok seats and can soak up the atmosphere.

The card is looking pretty good too! Having checked on the UFC site the line up so far is

Mirko Cro Cop v's Gabriel Gonzaga
Michael Bisping v's Elvis Sinosic
Andrei Arlovski v's Fabricio Werdum
Forrest Griffin v's Lyoto Machida

Some bigger names in there and I cannot wait to see both Cro Cop and Arlovski fight here.

So now all I have to do it wait - and hope it’s a good show

UFC 68 - Guess who's back

Well this weekend UFC 68 is due to be shown over here on the telly (Sunday to be exact) and I have to say that I am looking forward to it. Why (other than enjoying watching the fights) - well I would guess that it has to be because there is an old favorite of mine on the card. Yep despite the fact that he retired and said he would not be back Randy Couture is back in the Octagon to fight at least one more time.

This time Couture is looking to make history yet again (in terms of UFC champions) by trying to win the heavy weight belt again.

Now there are a number of folks who have won and lost belts but Randy Couture has had a somewhat more unusual path to being a champion. He won his first championship belt in the heavy weight division in 1997 (aged 33) but then left the UFC. He came back to the UFC after resolving his differences and worked back to winning the same title back in 2000 (aged 36). He held the belt for through to 2001 and then after some losses decided to drop a weight category and fight in the Light Heavy weight division. Great success following with Randy winning the Light heavy weight belt (and in one fight spanking Tito Ortiz - one of the funniest things I have ever seen) and at age 40 was declared to be UFC's undisputed light -heavyweight champion having won the title twice and to this day is the only man to have held the belt in two different weight categories.

Anyhow now Couture is coming back to challenge Tim Sylvia for the heavy weight belt and I really want him to win. Not because I don't like Tim but because I would like to see Couture as a champion again - it appeals to my Hollywood ending mentality - so on Monday we will see whether there is a new champ

Aint the internet grand

You know they say that you can find anything you want on the internet......and you know what they may be right. Today I have listened to two songs that made me laugh on the interweb

Ray and the whippin' of some ass

The first came by way of the show with zefrank. The show is - well I am not sure how to describe it - its kinda like you drank a lot of really really cheap drink and then ate some pizza that perhaps had some illegal substance on it and then tried to watch the telly. Its just kinda weird - which is kinda why I laughed at it.

Anyway on the show there was a man called Ray. Ray is a pastor and a psychologist of human kind (at least I think that is what he said). Anyhow his daughter had a bad day at work and called him to talk and me made up a song for her. Now being a pastor you would link - hmmm I bet it was something deep and spiritual and I guess in way you would kinda be right. It gained popularity by the wonder of the web (Which is slightly different from wundaweb - which you use o put up the hems on your trousers) and apparently folks can hum it at work. Now you may wonder what this song was called - well - brace yourselves - Its called I'm about to whip somebody's ass. Catch title huh

The original was sang in a kinda gospel styleee but zefrank had a competition to create a remix. Now while I could see why some people got a lot from the original - there is a very clever remix that I liked. Really you should listen to it by clicking on this link - whip somebodys ass


His code not “functional� or “elegant�

Working in the software industry (along side most of the rest of the world) I find that there are lots of terms that I use which confuse some folks, and just entertain others. For a long time we have used the term Test Monkey to describe what folks do. I am not gonna explain it - we just do. Anyhow I believe (perhaps misguidedly and after too much cheap beer ..... see above) that this terms may have originated from developers where they have code monkeys (or sometimes pigs, but never lions, dragons or tigers .... you would have thought someone would have considered that really. Maybe that will be my new job - I will be a title finder and give people cool titles) .

What you may wonder am I trying to say - well there is a man whose name is Jonathan Coulton - who used to be a developer - but he wanted to be a musician - but all he did was code. So one day Mr Coulton up and quit his job and became a singer song writer. Now rather than hunt for record deals he set up is business on the interweb - where you can find his songs.

Ok so now you go - thats nice but what the heck did code monkeys have to do with this. Well perhaps one of the funniest songs I have heard in a while was my Mr Coulton and is called Code monkey. If you click the link in the previous sentence you will go to his site and can listen to it.

Now just to show how things get about on the interweb if you look on You Tube you can find a WOW video to the tune. To save you browsing- you can see it here. It is well worth a look.

Now I am off to bed with the strains of code monkey playing in my head.

Night Night - where ever you are