Brock Lesnar Will Return To "The Top Of His Game Real Quick" posted by Colin Linneweber

The trainer of current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar said last week that his fighter is “definitely coming back” to scrap in the octagon.

“Brock Lesnar is definitely coming back to fight,” Lesnar’s head trainer Greg Nelson stated in an interview with ESPN.com’s MMA Live. “He’s just kind of coming up slowly, training, trying to get his body ready and being smart with his recovery.”

Lesnar (4-1), a former three-time WWE champion who played for the Minnesota Vikings during the preseason in 2004, has not fought since he successfully defended his title versus Frank Mir (13-4) by TKO (strikes) last July in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Lesnar was scheduled to matchup with Shane Carwin (11-0) at UFC 108 before the champion cancelled the bout due to a previously undisclosed illness.

It was later revealed that Lesnar, 32, had suffered from mononucleosis and an intestinal disorder called diverticulitis.

The disorder badly damaged Lesnar’s intestine and he was forced to undergo surgery November 16.

“Lesnar’s not well and he’s not going to be getting well anytime soon,” UFC President Dana White enigmatically said at a post-fight conference days before his titlist went under the knife.

Lesnar is expected to speak publicly about his illness at a press conference in Las Vegas for the first time sometime this week.

“He’s been going into the doctor and making sure everything is going well for him and he’ll continue to go in for a couple more tests to make sure he is 100 percent ready to train when he starts up,” Nelson said. “He still has a few more things to go through.”

Freddie Roach & Manny Pacquiao are a tandem for the ages posted by Colin Linneweber

WBO world welterweight champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao will defend his crown versus former IBF welterweight titlist “The Hitter” Joshua Clottey March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) was initially scheduled to fight “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) on the identical date.Unfortunately, the two childish camps were ridiculously unable to agree to terms on a matchup that was expected to pay both prizefighters in excess of $30 million.

“Manny is going to fight Clottey on March 13 and we’re just going to move on,” Pacquiao’s renowned trainer, Freddie Roach, 49, told the Las Vegas Sun this past weekend.

Roach (39-13, 15 KOs), a former professional boxer who was born in Dedham, Mass., said he was disappointed that the extremely lucrative bout between Pacquiao and Mayweather disintegrated.

“I definitely thought this fight would happen when Manny beat Miguel (Cotto, in November),” said Roach, a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the New England Hall of Fame.

“Floyd had made his comeback and looked really good against (Juan Manuel) Marquez. He had a tune-up fight under his belt and he’s a talented guy. I was looking forward to the challenge.”

Roach, who has worked with Pacquiao, 31, since 2001, believes that Mayweather, 32, simply cowered and weaseled his way out of the potentially epic matchup because he is afraid of being defeated.

“As we got close to the fight we could see Floyd pulling away,” said Roach, who also works with WBA light-welterweight champion Amir Khan (22-1, 16 KOs), Cuban boxing sensation Guillermo Rigondeaux (4-0, 3 KOs) and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (25-4).

On his deathbed, Brock Lesnar would beat Shannon Briggs posted by Colin Linneweber

Former heavyweight titleholder Shannon “The Cannon” Briggs was suspended for 90 days by the New York State Athletic Commission last week once it was revealed that he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs after he knocked out Marcus McGee in the first round of his comeback fight December 3.

Briggs (48-5-1, 42 KOs), who had previously been retired from the sport of boxing for nearly three years, was considered one of the heavyweight divisions rising stars before his career fizzled in the late-1990’s.

Briggs’ manager, Ivaylo Gotzev, claimed in an interview with ESPN.com that the product of Brownsville, Brooklyn likely tested positive for an unrevealed banned substance because of medication he takes to alleviate his asthma.

“Shannon is on enough medication to kill a horse because of his asthma,” Gotzev said of the past New York City Golden Gloves champion.

“All the medications he takes, other people couldn’t even get out of bed. But he’s out there running and training and fighting. He’s not a steroid user or a drug user. He’s using medication. We’re consulting with his physicians and seeing how we can make the proper adjustments so this doesn’t happen again.”

Briggs, who was homeless for a period in his childhood, has earned a solid reputation as being a genuinely nice individual outside of the ring.

Briggs is tentatively planning his return as a prizefighter in the spring once his ban is lifted.

Boston's Dana White says "boxing has fizzled out" posted by Colin Linneweber

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President Dana White recently announced that his organization will venture to Boston for a card that is tentatively scheduled for August 28 at the TD Garden.

White, who as a young adult lived in South Boston and worked as a bouncer at the famed Irish pub “Black Rose” near Quincy Market, made his announcement just weeks after Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill into law sanctioning mixed martial arts.

“I’m going to bring the fight game back to Boston,” said White, 40, an amateur pugilist who once established a boxing program for inner-city youth at McDonough Gym in Southie. “I’m going to bring back the excitement of big fights, the energy of it.”

White may have never abandoned his boxing gym had he not been threatened with extortion by Whitey Bulger before the Irish gangster went on the lam in 1995.

“I had a kind of run-in with Whitey Bulger and his guys,” said White. “They showed up at the gym looking for money. It was time to leave.”

Prudently, White vacated the Hub and resettled in Las Vegas.

White eventually became involved with mixed martial arts and in due time he helped resurrect the flailing UFC from virtual extinction.

Instead of the utter freak show that Arizona Senator John McCain once labeled “human cockfighting,” the UFC evolved into a mainstream fixture that rivaled boxing in popularity.

Particularly in the city of Boston, mixed martial arts have emerged as a fashionable and legitimate sport.

MMA can't beat boxing...Only boxing can beat boxing posted by Colin Linneweber

There is a widespread belief that mixed martial arts (MMA) have put the sport of boxing on the ropes and near extinction.

The preeminent U.S.-based MMA promotion is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

When the UFC was initially established in 1993, it was essentially an utter freak show that was littered with gratuitous violence inside of a cage that appeared almost medieval.

The UFC and its savage brutality eventually caught the attention of authorities and lawmakers who were absolutely horrified when they witnessed one of the promotions bloody spectacles.

In particular, Arizona Senator John McCain viewed footage of one of UFC’s events and he notoriously labeled the competition “human cockfighting.”

Subsequently, McCain led an exhaustive campaign to outlaw UFC.

McCain’s crusade to ban UFC ultimately led to a litany of rules changes that helped to legitimize and improve the sport.

The noticeable modifications in combat allowed UFC to become more nationally accepted and their events gradually evolved into mainstream attractions.

While the UFC ascended in popularity, the sport of boxing saw their number of followers steadily diminish.

One of boxing’s biggest issues is clearly the dearth of genuine talent that has lately graced the glamorous heavyweight division.

Still, boxing and its many key figures are primarily responsible for hindering the sport with their insatiable greed and rampant corruption.

Hopefully, Brock Lesnar is not the next Bo Jackson posted by Colin Linneweber

UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar was released from a hospital in Bismark, N.D., Tuesday and he is currently recovering at his home in Minnesota from Mononucleosis and a serious bacterial infection in his intestinal tract.

Last month, Lesnar (4-1), the 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion at the University of Minnesota, was forced to cancel his scheduled title defense at UFC 106 against Shane Carwin (11-0) due to a previously undisclosed illness.

The bout versus Carwin, 34, was almost immediately rescheduled for UFC 108 in early-2010.

However, Lesnar, 32, indefinitely postponed his slated match with Carwin last week because his illness had yet to subside.

“Brock’s very, very sick,” UFC President Dana White told TMZ. “He’s not well and he’s not going to be getting well anytime soon.”

White said that Lesnar’s condition would necessitate “major surgery.”

Last July in Las Vegas, Lesnar avenged his only defeat as a professional mixed martial artist when he pulverized past titlist Frank Mir (12-4) with strikes and won by TKO in the second round.

Lesnar, a former three-time WWE champion who was invited to try out for the Minnesota Vikings in 2004, is UFC’s glittering attraction and he seemed destined to dominate his division for the foreseeable future.

“There’s a possibility Lesnar will never fight again,” said White of the native of South Dakota.

If Lesnar is unable to return to UFC, it will be one of the most premature and unfortunate retirements in recent sports history.

Mike Tyson, Ricky Hatton, UFC, Tom Cable, Yankees, Raiders & Manny Pacquiao posted by Colin Linneweber

The Yankees, Not the Red Sox, Were the Team of this Decade

The New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 Wednesday night in the Bronx to win their record 27th World Series championship in team history.

The Yankees, who went 103-59 to establish the best mark in Major League Baseball in the 2009 season, simply outclassed the Phillies over the course of six games.

“I really believe in this club,” said Yankees Manager Joe Girardi, who was widely scrutinized for his decision to utilize a three-man rotation throughout the playoffs. “I’ve always believed in this organization, the job the Steinbrenner family has done, Cashman and his staff and it’s where we wanted to be and the guys did it.”

Despite New York’s exorbitant payroll that exceeded $208 million, Girardi stressed that the Yankees chemistry and perseverance is what ultimately brought another crown to the Bronx.

“It’s unbelievable how this team came together in spring training,” said Girardi, who decided when he was hired by the Yankees in October 2007 that the number on his jersey would be 27 to emphasize that his sole mission in pinstripes was to win another championship. “They just kept fighting and fighting and fighting.”

Hideki Matsui, who has twice been selected as an All-Star since he made his debut in the Bronx in 2003, was named the World Series Most Valuable Player after he batted .615 with three home runs and eight RBI.

The Yankees are an extremely deep and talented squad and Matsui, whose contract has now expired, expressed immediate interest in returning to the Bronx to help defend their title.

Wildcat Whining posted by Amari Harris

After the Jets got pushed around by Miami on Monday night football, there were a lot of complaints coming out of the Jets locker room.  Head Coach Rex Ryan said that the Wildcat was “gimmicky”.  Jets outside linebacker Calvin Pace, who returned from a 4-game suspension for getting performance enhancing drugs, said that there was no place for the Wildcat offense in professional football. 

I have loved the swagger and confidence that Rex Ryan has brought to this Jets team with his brash talk, and the ability to back it up.  But this infectious whining is not garnering any respect around the league.  The Dolphins are 2-3, so clearly there are teams who are able to deal with the wildcat offense.  And I wouldn’t call it a gimmick either, seeing as you have at least a thousand plays on tape of this offense.  They can’t do anything out of this formation that you haven’t seen before (except for maybe a fumblerooski). 

Calvin Pace definitely has no room to complain.  I would be more inclined to blame missing four weeks of live football on my poor performance than another team’s offensive strategy.  I figured his MMA training would have taught him how to lose with honor.  And everyone played high school football at some point, right?  Didn’t we all have to stop the Wing-T offense?  If Booker T. Washington high school (anywhere in America) can stop a run based offense, then clearly an 11-man squad of “professionals” can get off blocks and make tackles to stop this “gimmick” offense, right?

UFC's Randy Couture Could Help the New York Jets Defense & Former Duke PG Greg Paulus Will Be A Solid NFL QB posted by Colin Linneweber

UFC's Randy Couture Could Help the New York Jets Defense

New York Jets outside linebacker Calvin Pace will not play in Sunday’s season opener versus the Texans in Houston because he was suspended for four games in July for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances. 

In an effort to maintain his strength and conditioning while he is banished until week five against the Miami Dolphins, Pace, 28, decided to travel to Las Vegas to train for two weeks with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) legend Randy Couture. 

“The Reason why I’m doing MMA is it’s probably the closest thing you can find to football as far as conditioning, cardiovascular and the physical aspect,” said Pace, who signed a six-year contract with the Jets worth $42 million in 2008. “I’m not going to be fighting and I’m not going to get hit. I’m just going to be training my behind off.”   

Pace, who was selected 18th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2003 NFL Draft, will be replaced on defense by pathetic underachiever Vernon Gholston. 

In addition to Pace, the Jets will also be without defensive end Shaun Ellis, who was suspended one game for smoking reefer last November. 

Ellis, 32, and Pace respectively led New York in sacks last season and their absences will badly hinder the Jets pass rush. 

“It’s huge,” linebacker Bart Scott said of the losses of Pace and Ellis. “You can’t replace them. Everybody just has to take a little more on their shoulders.” 

UFC's Randy Couture Could Help the New York Jets Defense posted by Colin Linneweber

New York Jets outside linebacker Calvin Pace will not play in Sunday’s season opener versus the Texans in Houston because he was suspended for four games in July for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing substances.

In an effort to maintain his strength and conditioning while he is banished until week five against the Miami Dolphins, Pace, 28, decided to travel to Las Vegas to train for two weeks with Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) legend Randy Couture.

“The Reason why I’m doing MMA is it’s probably the closest thing you can find to football as far as conditioning, cardiovascular and the physical aspect,” said Pace, who signed a six-year contract with the Jets worth $42 million in 2008. “I’m not going to be fighting and I’m not going to get hit. I’m just going to be training my behind off.”

Pace, who was selected 18th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2003 NFL Draft, will be replaced on defense by pathetic underachiever Vernon Gholston.

In addition to Pace, the Jets will also be without defensive end Shaun Ellis, who was suspended one game for smoking reefer last November.

Ellis, 32, and Pace respectively led New York in sacks last season and their absences will badly hinder the Jets pass rush.

“It’s huge,” linebacker Bart Scott said of the losses of Pace and Ellis. “You can’t replace them. Everybody just has to take a little more on their shoulders.”

Pace, who compiled 62 solo tackles and seven sacks last season, is confident that his foray into MMA training will pay dividends while he is inactive.

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