Looking for a Fight: UFC 149 Just for Laughs

Tim Boetsch may provide some drama at UFC 149, but you should see his comedy.

Fun is a word often associated with UFC. Funny, not so much. It's not funny to see someone get KO'd or submitted. It's fun. Funny comes around every so often in the Octagon (I'm not including Mike Goldberg-isms). It's a Denis Siver stumble, Nate Quarry chasing Kalib Starnes around, or Matt Riddle throwing 8,000 punches and landing about 7.

One such funny instance served as a launching pad for Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch. On February 2, 2008 at UFC 81, Boetsch was a late fill-in to face somewhat up and coming David Heath. Boetsch was basically an afterthought until he came out and showed his immense strength working over a bewildered Heath and literally throwing him to the ground like a rag doll.

With only a loss to Phil Davis since then, Boetsch is set up to welcome former Bellator middleweight champ Hector Lombard to the UFC Saturday night at UFC 149.

There are a lot of exciting fighters on this card, but with the intrigue surrounding Lombard and the power and fury of Boetsch, this will be an encounter full of bashing.

Lombard is basically a tank. He demolished Bellator while he was there, and the Cuban-born Florida-based fighter is primed to potentially be Anderson Silva's next opponent should he shine. Lombard though, should learn from guys like Heath and Yushin Okami that if you underestimate Boetsch, you're night may not turn out the way you planned. Cancel that after party at Tao.

BREAKDOWN

These are two big and strong middleweights. Ultimately it's better for the UFC if Lombard can establish himself and get to Silva. Without seeing many of Lombard's fights, I think this it's likely a win will be coming his way. Should Lombard lose or win in blah fashion, Chris Weidman is waiting, although probably not ready to fight Silva, but he's taking the Chael Sonnen route and trying to see if his mouth can get him there.

Lombard has experience with high pressure fights. He's looking to make a splash, and unless he makes a mistake by taking Boetsch too lightly, he should be able to finish the redhead. If Lombard wants that title shot, he's going to have to go for it. I say 1st Round TKO Lombard.

Irresponsible Sports: A Rivalry Begins at the 2012 #ASG

Bryce Harper and Mike Trout Hate Each Other!! (mlb.si.com)

While last night's all-star game was the perfect blend of fan event and actual baseball; meaningful and meaningless; out with the old and in with the new what it will be is the beginning of the blood feud between Bryce Harper and Mike Trout.

Both stars are first-time all-stars and under the legal drinking age in the USA. But with so much hype and bravado, these two ill-adjusted youngsters clearly are keeping one eye on the other. Trout threw the veil off of their hatred for each other during the #ASG presser.

Clearly there is only room in this town for one ultra talented future mega-duperstar in MLB, and as far these two go, there's only one way to settle it. Not on the diamond, but in a mega-galactic crescent sword fight battle!

While already deciding that Harper would be Larry Bird to Trout's Magic Johnson in this rivalry, thus taking more claim as the better overall basketball player and wishing HIV on Trout...although Trout does get to own the Dodgers and some nifty movie theaters in the future, I will expect blood to be spilled over this, and the true question being who is Kirk and who is Spock?

Looking for a Fight: UFC 148 Silva Silences Sonnen

Anderson Silva was able to retain his title and definitively beat Chael Sonnen (sports.yahoo.com)

When officials were done pulling Anderson Silva off of Chael Sonnen Saturday night in Vegas, and after we all gained clarity that Silva's seemingly controversial knee was actually expertly placed as only he can, the breadth of UFC fans sat back and said, "Well that was anti-climactic."

This is an all too common reaction by MMA fans expecting the seeming unexpected. Not everyone can pull of a wheel kick KO, or even more improbably expect Chael Sonnen to repeat what he did in Silva Sonnen I regardless of how you feel if Silva was injured during that fight or not.

Although the first round did look like some of the greatest hits, it was clear Silva was at least more prepared to be on his back in this fight. He defended Sonnen well, controlled him from guard and minimized damage. It wasn't until the 2nd round when Silva finally stuffed Sonnen, and Chael's infamous ill-fated spinning backfist left him at the mercy of the champ. The fight was over.

So yes, anti-climactic is one way to describe what was deemed by the UFC as their biggest fight ever (this month or this half of the year or whatever) since Chael had the gameplan, it worked for close to 6 rounds but in an audacious move for anyone not named Chael Sonnen attempted to catch Silva off-guard, thus up-and-ending the evening a little faster than the largest gate in Vegas MMA history expected.

There's no way this was going to be a repeat of Silva Sonnen I, and even if it was there would still be some disappointment in the MMA world about this.

What should be happening is before we all start going crazy for Jonny Bones vs. Anderson Silva, let's take some time to appreciate the best MMA artist that ever lived.

Apparently this guy wasn't the last emperor. There's still one out there, and he was able to further cement his throne with a couple more title scraps left under his belt.

Silva took the biggest challenge of his career, met it head on, and finished his greatest threat to date. There's different ways to look at everything that Chael was never that good or 185 division has been the weakest or whatever you like, but that would be, again, taking away from watching a master at work.

Longevity is not a gift in any sport, certainly not MMA. For Anderson to do what he has done is more than any fight fan could ask for. We just know that he needs to be challenged, he needs to be interested, and he needs to be prepared. With those elements in place, you're going to be entertained, and Anderson will probably win.

Now, whether that lurking challenge is coming at 185 or if he elects to move up to 205, that is his decision. He's earned the right to ride off in the sunset the way he wants. Fans shouldn't treat Silva as though he'll be around forever or if he doesn't fight Jon Jones it'd be a tarnished legacy. Chuck Liddell never moved up in weight, Randy Couture has double digit career losses...anyone mad at them?

Fans want what they want. I'd be happy to pay for Silva Jones, but if it never comes so be it. I'll be looking forward to the next time the Spider struts his stuff in the Octagon.