Looking for a Fight: UFC on Fox 4 - Men of Mystery

Rooby-rooby-roo! It's fight night. (wikipedia.org)

Mysteries can be interesting. Most of them are able to bring an entire story full-circle. Develop ideas or drop some hints in the beginning, take the viewer/reader/etc. on a wild chase, and upon the conclusion reintroduce those early hints for the big reveal to get that always important, "Of course!" reaction.

The most consistent form of mystery story telling is of course Scooby-Doo. Just when Shaggy, Scoob (sometimes Scrappy), Fred, Daphne, and Velma roll up in the Mystery Machine and meet the old in-keeper, carnival ringleader, librarian, rich businessman who is apparently in need, by the time the show is over and the literal mask comes off, and every those initial characters were, shock, the villain who would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those meddling kids.

Didn't see that one coming.

Important to how any mystery unravels isn't so much the conclusion, but how everything leading up to that conclusion ties into what you know, what you didn't know, and how unexpected and caught off you were by the result.

UFC on Fox 4 on Saturday will not only be providing potentially the best fight card Fox has ever had, but it will also be taking the viewers on it's on magical mystery tour with some of the most enigmatic fighters in the organization. Mauricio Shogun Rua, Brandon Vera, Lyoto Machida, and Ryan Bader have all shown elite talent and limitless potential, and also seemed incredibly beatable and crushed under the weight of expectations from themselves, fans, and media. Having all been whooped on by Jon Jones doesn't help one's aura of invincibility either.

Each fighter has had their ups and downs. Aside from Shogun's time in Pride, sustained success has been hard to come by. The way the mystery of these fighters' UFC career has converged in Los Angeles. After Dana White's own "Call Me, Maybe" impression with Rua v. Vera being the #1 title contender fight, maybe, after some backlash from fans, the UFC Pres left things a bit more wide open to include both 205 fights.

Sure, this might be to add some excitement to a Fox card, much to Alex Gustafsson's Swedish chagrin, but we do know no matter the winner, should Jones beat Dan Henderson in September it'll be a II.

The fight surrounded in the most mystery is Lyoto Machida v. Ryan Bader.

Machida with his mojo.

Bader himself had a lot of momentum going until he met Jones in the Octagon. Since then, his one-dementional fighting and inability to put the mix in mixed martial arts set him for a shock loss to the nearly (at the time) retired Tito Ortiz and two losses in a row. Two wins followed, and he actually has the most momentum going into this weekend.

Of course, he's also going against a fighter that couldn't be more different from himself, Machida. Bader is a strong, powerful wrestler with a straight-forward mentality has to track down the notoriously elusive Machida. A fighter who once had an era...that lasted for one fight.

As Machida looks to turn around a scary sight after being choked unconscious by you know who. There is a need for him to regain his mojo. The idea that Machida can't be figured out is a myth. People have done it, and the way to do it is to pressure him, but not chase. Overwhelm him, but not open yourself up to counter striking.

It's hard to imagine that the crumpled man on the ground during that fight with Jon Jones also front jump kicked Randy Couture into retirement and one of his canines into press row, but that's how talented Machida is. His reputation of Brockaphobia (fear of punches) has stalled his progression by becoming too passive. He's saying the right things leading up to the fight, although you have to imagine his confidence is high against Bader. Machida should have a big advantage in the striking and footwork categories. A confident Machida is a dangerous one. Also keep in mind he's extremely tough to take down, even for a guy like Bader.

BREAKDOWN


I look for an old school performance from Machida. He wants a shot at the title, and while a presumably great performance by Rua will trump anything Machida does, it will make Machida aggressive and implement his game plan against Bader. Bader will have to move in, lacking the foot speed to really cause Machida much trouble.

With a focused Machida, I would expect a TKO for the former LHW champ. Bader was dropped up close by a punch on the button by Tito, and Machida knows how to pick his spots. 2nd Round TKO.

Interesting note, Jon Jones tweeted that Bader has a big right hand, the same kind of looping punch that Rua used to give Machida trouble. Worth noting because, well, no one solves mysteries like Jonny Bones.

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.

Fantasy Funkhouser: Like Constantinople or Rome Before it...Your Fantasy Team is Beyond Saving and Must be Allowed to Die

The League of Shadows had the right idea in Batman Begins. To start anew, you have to burn this mother down.

With the All-Star game approaching, the unofficial midway point of the major league season is here. In the fantasy world, it means it's time to take a long hard look at your squad. Players should be slowly coming out of any early season slumps, or if you're unlucky, staying in them. Teams are feeling good or bad about themselves and there's a better understanding about what certain owners need and what certain owners are looking for.


In real life, GM's have to decide if they are going to be buyers or sellers for the rest of the year, but the magic of fantasy baseball is that even if you're in last place, if you've been an active owner...there's still a chance. You can't be timid though. In a standard redraft league there are no favorite players or thinking about the future. It's what can you do for me know, maximizing value, and catching the right player at the right time.


So, if you're in the bottom half of your fantasy standings, let's take a look at some moves you can make to ignite a second half run at a playoff spot. Because we all know, you just have to make it to the playoffs. Anything can happen after that.

Note: There are obviously a million different scenarios for a million different teams, so I'm looking to provide some more generalities for most public, redraft, H2H leagues.

TRADES


Duh.

The most obvious answer is usually the right one. But at this point, the mentality of trading has to go out of the window. If you're finding yourself among a number of vintage wines (in the cellar) then it's clear you've had some bad luck, drafted players that aren't panning out, or just missed completely.

Earlier in the year, the objective of the trade is to get one over on another guy. Propose a deal that seems fair, but in reality you like much more for yourself. Now, it's not about winning or losing it's about reconstructing your team. Depth is needed, not names.

Odds are you must surely have at least a couple of marquee players on your team. Whether it's a Robinson Cano, Andrew McCutchen, or even David Ortiz there has to be someone that is producing and doing a great job. If you drafted Adrian Gonzalez, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Roy Halladay with your first three picks...sorry. You must take these top flight players and get as much for them as possible. One man cannot win you a championship, but trading Cano for Ben Zobrist, Alex Rios, Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Harrison? That's reinforcements. Obviously you'd have to add a couple of more players on the Cano end, but Cano is the other guy's target.


This isn't a trade you would ever consider at the start of the year, but now, it's about returns. Let's look at the stats projected for the rest of the year:

Player	AVG	R	HR	RBI	SB	Column1	W	K	SV	ERA	WHIP
Give:
Robinson Cano	0.320	53	10	72	2		0	0	0	0	0
Total	0.320	53	10	72	2		0	0	0	0	0
Get:
Ben Zobrist	0.265	45	7	50	10		0	0	0	0	0
Alex Rios	0.272	45	11	40	16		0	0	0	0	0
Paul Goldschmidt	0.268	38	13	47	6		0	0	0	0	0
Matt Harrison	0.000	0	0	0	0		6	116	0	3.98	1.32
Total		128	31	137	32		6	116	0	3.98	1.32
Difference	0.268	75	21	65	30		6	116	0	3.98	1.32

These are rough estimates based on remaining games and career averages. Again, the garbage players you throw in will skew the Difference down a bit, but it shouldn't affect things that much. Certainly you can't expect Cano to outperform 3 other major leaguers worthy of ownership in a fantasy league, but look at the outcome. Aside form a loss in average, you'd pick up a solid starter in Harrison along with over 20 homeruns and 30 steals. That's production you won't find on the waiver wire. And while it's not as fun to root for Alex Rios as it is for Bob Cano, if you intend to contend, you have to do this.

The key is realizing that an owner that's feeling pretty good about his team right now, probably has good depth. They'd love to add a flashy toy like Cano in order to bolster their team, and giving up some fringe players like those listed is NBD.

Seriously, think about the kind of mentality a guy has to be in 1st or 2nd and continually rip on a league full of complete strangers. This person certainly isn't making up for anything in his personal life under the guise of fake sports and taunting a room full of people that will never, ever know who he really is. No way.We've all dealt with this kind of person,and the kind of thrills he must get from acting like an eternal bad ass while subsequently living in a world where he is anything but, must be supremely fascinating for shrinks. Even I'm getting a kick out of it.

There are tweaks and modifications you can make in this example of a trade to push for the playoffs. Look at what your team needs. Is it in all 5 catgories? Do you have too much of something?

Trade Cano? You may have no other choice. (AP)

Mainly the types of players I'd look to trade for are high upside guys. Players that either had slow starts (Justin Upton, Gonzalez, Shane Victorino, Jose Reyes) that might be frustrating their owners or post-hyped prospects that have a high ceiling (Goldschmidt, Carlos Quentin, Carlos Santana, Pablo Sandoval) . While it'd be nice to put a package together to acquire R.A. Dickey, how much better can he really get? You'd pay full price for a guy that can't really perform better than he has. This takes a lot of resources that a bad team just doesn't have, and ultimately won't pay dividends.

The kinds of guys I'd like to off-load are going to be those big name guys. Anyone that is performing as they should and you can get a big package in return for. Also, I'd always, always, always move pitching for hitting. If you can get a solid group of offense you have to move forward with that. Pitchers can fluctuate greatly, and the standard league has more than enough available pitching that you can stream if need be or maybe get lucky with someone that really takes off in the second half. Riding hot streaks with hitters is much more difficult.

With closers I consider this especially true. You want to be sure to have a couple in your line-up so you don't punt the category, but closers are such a volatile position, you never know what could happen. If someone wants Kenley Jansen or Craig Kimbrel, do it. If you have a lot of depth, then definitely try to overload an owner with saves. Give them two closers for an OF. If he's struggling for saves, two guys with 12+ saves at this point are really enticing.

Closers are always going to be created out of nowhere. While things have calmed down since the beginning of the year, we're reaching the 2nd most tumultuous point of the year, the MLB trade deadline. Closers are always on the market to bolster a contending teams bullpen. Guys like Brett Myers, Rafael Betancourt, Jonathon Broxton or Huston Street have the potential to lose their jobs all together. In their wake, new closers will emerge.


DL SPOTS


If you have them, use them. As much as possible. There's no reason you should have an open DL spot if there is anyone that has ever been serviceable for a fantasy team that will play this year available on waivers. Carl Crawford, Ryan Howard, Emilio Bonifacio? Sign em up. There's no harm in adding these guys. Most of them are nearing a return by the end of July anyway. Holding onto these lottery tickets will provide you with great value if it works out, or if not, just cut them.

Don't forget about those DL'd players (caffeineandcardigans)

The DL spot is also a useful avenue for trades. If an owner is too loaded with DL'd players or in lieu of say Jacoby Ellsbury getting injured they happened to add Edwin Encarnacion well then, guess who doesn't need Ellsbury all that much. Trading active players that can be useful to that team will allow you to get these players on the cheap and store them for their eventual return. For example, I am dead last in one league, so I made a big play for Matt Kemp. I received some high ceiling guys back as well, but the guy had added Mike Trout as a replacement for Kemp, so he was more apt to move Kemp who was just taking up DL space. I wouldn't call this move risky, as what did I really have to lose? There was nowhere else to go but up, and if Kemp can return to his Kemp ways, then that's a huge piece towards getting better.

You have to utilize your DL spots anyway possible. Think of the pitchers alone that are on the DL that are probably available on waivers. Ted Lilly, Derek Holland, Brandon Morrow, Josh Beckett, Ryan Dempster, Drew Storen, Andrew Bailey. Those are all potential contributors in mere weeks, and all it'll cost you is a roster move.

PROSPECTS


Odds are if your team is in the dumps, you weren't early to the Mike Trout party (or if you will, sell him, sell him now!). But the last untapped resource for fantasy owners this time of year is prospects. Those AAA studs that just tasted the majors a bit last year or perhaps not at all have been in the minors all season and are ready to make a difference. Remain vigilant on what you need and who will make an impact. This year has been particularly prospect heavy with Matt Moore, Trout, Bryce Harper, Jesus Montero and Eric Hosmer making early headlines in the fantasy realm. The catch with prospects, as you can tell, is that they can work out or not. Each new Anthony Rizzo could lead to untold success or crippling mediocrity. Beggars can't be choosers, so take a flier with anyone experts say will be a future star. It may not happen this year, but you never know. Look at the case of Trevor Bauer. He made a less than spectacular debut last night, but if he's available, grab hold for at least a couple of starts. This was a guy many people couldn't wait to arrive in the bigs. A 4 inning first start shouldn't deter you from looking for a big K output the rest of the way.

There are a couple of guys still working their way to the bigs this season. Add Danny Hultzen, Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Cashner, and Wil Myers to your watch list. Hitters tend to have a bigger impact than pitchers, but they can be harder to come by. A young pitchers best asset is being unknown to big league hitters.

All of these moves come from an aggressive stance. Patience is for the first half of the year. The second half is for making moves. It's quite possible you could go down in flames, but it's better to go out swinging than bemoaning why Ryan Zimmerman couldn't turn it around, or getting happy thoughts every time Carlos Gonzalez has a multi-homerun game for a team that's losing 4 of 5 categories.

The Funkman says: "I don't want to trade Stanton. If I have to, I'll leave his OF slot open in memoriam."