Amir Khan believes new coach will make him better than Manny Pacquiao

Amir Khan is four days away from his attempt to become a world champion for the first time and he believes that over the coming year the tutelage of Freddie Roach will make him "a machine", a fighter better than Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound champion who is also trained by the American.

On Saturday evening, at Manchester's MEN Arena, the 22-year-old from Bolton hopes to dismantle Andreas Kotelnik, the Ukrainian who has two suffered two defeats in his 34 fights but has never been stopped, and take his World Boxing Association light-welterweight title to complete his transformation under Roach.

Since he was beaten in 58 seconds by Breidis Prescott in September Khan has trained at Roach's Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. The stoppages of Oisin Fagan and Marco Antonio Barrera have proved that he is learning fast from a man whose former pupils include Mike Tyson and Oscar de la Hoya.

Roach's expertise has made world champions of 24 men, which gives Khan's vision for his future fortunes some credence. "Hopefully in a year's time [or] two years' time Freddie will make me a machine, make me a fighter like Manny Pacquiao or better," he said.

"I'm one of those fighters who want to achieve the best, who never ducks some fights, who always take risks, and that's what I do. And this fight now I'm taking a risk by going up a weight [from his previous 21 bouts at lightweight], fighting someone at a world level for a world title, but that's me."

Referring to his fifth round knockout of the former multi-weight world champion Barrera in March, Khan said: "I took a risk fighting Barrera. But I know in the next 12 to 15 months Freddie Roach will turn me into a great fighter, one of the best fighters out there. And I know the whole world will know who Amir Khan is."

Khan asserts that since beating Barrera his skills on the canvas have improved at least "another 20 per cent, just by having the coach telling me what to do. And he doesn't drum it into you, he doesn't shout, he tells you nicely, tells you how it's done, tells you why you should have your hands up, tells you why should do this and do that.

"He explains it and, when he explains it, it stays in my mind, and that's why, for my last fight, my hands were up," Khan added, suggesting that Prescott's opening-round blitz, which threatened to render his career stillborn, has not been forgotten.

"Freddie said: 'Look, you don't have to be hit, you can keep your hands up and still be flashy, you can keep your hands up and still be quick.' And I thought you always had to be relaxed to throw quick shots and everything, but it's not."

If Khan becomes Roach's 25th world champion, Pacquiao and the rest of the boxing world will take note.

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Pacman camp eyes Mosley at 143 lb

MANILA, Philippines - Shane Mosley is suddenly back in the picture.

Manny Pacquiao’s lawyer, Franklin Gacal, yesterday said if Miguel Cotto insists on the catchweight of 145 lb, the Filipino boxing icon might be forced to consider Mosley as his next opponent.

“We will not agree to 145 pounds. And if Cotto insists, we’ll go for Mosley,” said Gacal from Davao City.

Top Rank president Bob Arum wants Pacquiao to face Cotto, the reigning WBO welterweight (147 lb) champion from Puerto Rico, on Nov. 14 in Las Vegas. But no deal has been forged yet, not on the date, weight or purse.

“No definite date yet or any other details have been agreed upon,” said Pacquiao the other day.

Pacquiao, 30, said he wants to fight on Oct. 17 but Arum explained that it wouldn’t be a good date because of the Major League World Series, and that it would be hard to compete with the mother of all baseball games.

“Regarding the date, maybe we can give in to what Bob Arum wants although Manny really wants to fight in October. But there’s the baseball thing so maybe we can agree on November,” said Gacal.

Both Pacquiao and Cotto are under Top Rank, and it should have been easier for Arum to seal the deal. But again, the weight issue, Gacal added, is turning out to be a real weighty issue.

“Manny will be giving up too much if he agrees to fight Cotto at 145. We want him at 143 and if he insists otherwise, then we’ll look at Mosley if Mosley is still available,” said the Filipino lawyer.

“Cotto is an inch taller than Manny and definitely he’s heavier. He’s got a bigger body, too. I think Manny will be short-changed if he agrees to 145. And it should be us dictating the terms, not Cotto,” said Gacal.

Mosley, the WBA welterweight champion, was so eager to face Pacquiao he said he’d fight at 144 lb, and settle for 40 percent of the purse. But the native of Pomona, California, had given up on the fight when it seemed all’s well for a Pacquiao-Cotto fight.

“Mosley said he’s willing to fight Manny at 144. Maybe we can drag him down to 143. So if Cotto insists on 145, we’ll got for Mosley,” Gacal added.

At 5’9” Mosley is easily two inches taller than Pacquiao, but the American champion will be 39 by September. Cotto will turn 29 in October.

Mosley is under Golden Boy Promotions, whose president, Oscar dela Hoya, recently played a round of golf with Cotto at the Bahia Beach Resort and Golf Club in Puerto Rico.

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Amir Khan: victory will put me on course for Ricky Hatton fight

As Khan prepares to take on Kotelnik, the World Boxing Association light-welterweight champion, in Manchester on Saturday, speculation has grown that victory for the Bolton fighter will pave the way for an all-North West contest with Hatton.

Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, who masterminded Manny Pacquiao's crushing defeat of Hatton in Las Vegas in May, has added fuel to the fire by confirming that he would be happy to see the fight happen.

And while Khan insists his focus is on the job in hand, the 22 year-old has admitted that with a world title belt around his waist, he would look forward to having the pick of headline contests in his new weight division.

"People keep asking me about the Ricky Hatton fight and other big fights," he said. "I just tell them that I've got a big fight in front of me now. I need to win this fight to take me to the next level.

"There's a lot of pressure on me and I need to win this fight to get me to the places I want to get to.

"I want my fights to be shown on American TV, that's a big thing for me – more attention in America, and then I'll go over there and fight. Everyone's dream is to fight in Vegas and I want to fight in Vegas.

"The fight with Ricky – if it happens, it happens. We are both not pushing it, we're both going to see what the promoters say.

"We'll see what happens in the future but I've got bigger things to do at the moment, a world title fight. To win a world title in this day and age with the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jnr in the same weight category – it's going to catapult me and put me right at the top."

Gareth Williams, CEO of Hatton Promotions, later said: "Any statement regarding Ricky Hatton's future is utter nonsense. The only person who will make a decision about Hatton's future is Ricky himself." 

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Manny Pacquiao favored to win 2009 Fighter of the Year ESPY's

The polls for ESPN's ESPY awards are now closed and everything is set other than the distribution of the hardware. This Wednesday, the biggest names in sports will converge in the Nokia center in LA for the 2009 ESPY awards. The festivities will be aired this Sunday July 19 at 9PM/ ET on ESPN.  I will be at the awards to cover the event.

The award fight fans have vested interest in is this year's Fighter of the Year. Four athletes, 2 from boxing and 2 from MMA made it to the final list but if you ask me the award will truly be contested by two fighters with Asian last names in Manny Pacquiao and Lyoto Machida. Pacquiao is from the Philippines while Machida is from Brazil but of Japanese descent.

According to Vegas bookies, Pacquiao is the odds to win the award. Sportsbook.com listed his betting his line at -300, requiring a $300 bet to win $100 (you get the back $300 plus $100 if he wins). Pacquiao is considered the Pound-For-Pound best boxer in the world and had spectacular performances in 4 four different weight classes dating back from March 2008 over Juan Manuel Marquez. His other victories are over David Diaz at lightweight, Oscar De la Hoya at welterweight and Ricky Hatton at juniro welterweight.

Machida was the second with $250 for every $100 bet. Machida fights in the UFC and has an impressive 3-win streak dating back last year in May against Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva and Rashad Evans. He is currently the light heavyweight UFC champion and listed by Sherdog.com as the best pound for pound Mixed Martial Arts fighter in the world.

Anderson Silva who is also from Brazil came in third with +600 odds. (bet $100, win $600)

And Shane Mosley rounded out the final four with +1000 odds.

This is another toss-up fight fans can definitely debate as both Pacquiao and Machida are deserving. I have to give the award to Pacquiao though because I feel his victories had more of an impact in sports than Machida's. Also, Pacquiao jumped 4 weight classes in four fights and won 3 different division belts in the process. Those feats are unheard of in modern times. 

At the end of the day though, this is the fans vote. If anything, a Machida win might be an indication of where MMA's popularity is over Boxing. A Pacquiao win on the other hand solidifies Boxing's claim being the world's premier fight sport and it's dominance over the award since ESPN started handing them out in 2007. The first two awards were won by former world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather jr.

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SecondsOut Team Poll: Who Should Manny Pacquiao fight next, Cotto, Mosley or someone else?

While promoter Bob Arum forges ahead in trying to finalise a Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto boxing super-fight for November 14 in Las Vegas, the question remains as to whether it is the best match out there for Pac-Man? Sugar Shane Mosley believes he should be the one getting the next shot at boxing’s pound for pound No.1 fighter. SecondsOut’s team of writers have been polled as to their opinion on who Manny Pacquiao should fight next?

“I’d like to see Pacquiao fight Shane Mosley next. Shane has the ability to execute the proper in-fight adjustments (something De La Hoya couldn’t do) to make for a competitive fight. Mosley .”
- Gregory Juckett, Content Editor - New York, USA

“While Manny Pacquiao facing Miguel Cotto is worthy of super-fight status, I think Sugar Shane Mosley would be the bigger test for Pac-Man. Bob Arum promotes both and maybe he wants Cotto to face Pacquiao before he loses to someone else? Obviously, Pacquiao-Cotto is a better deal for Arum, as there is no other promoter to deal with. I just think that Mosley beats Cotto and would give Pacquiao a better fight. Mosley.”
- Paul Upham, Content Editor - Sydney, Australia

“If I had to choose an opponent to face Pac-Man, it would be Juan Manuel Marquez. We already know that a third match-up between that pair is not going to happen this year so I’d like to see Pacquiao and Mosley face-off instead. Pacquiao has been dominant recently and seems to be getting even better but Shane has the speed, size and ability to cause the lbs for lbs champion fits. Couple that with the fact that both guys aren’t likely to shy away from a good tear-up and you have the makings of a terrific super-fight. Marquez.”
- Michael Norby, Contributing Editor - New England, USA

“Triangles, in boxing there are many triangles. Here we have Cotto beats Mosley, Mosley beats Margarito, Margarito beats (?) Cotto. Perfect triangle, but there are two more sides floating around out there at 147 pounds, Mayweather and Pacquiao. Pac-Man vs. anyone at around 140 to147lbs is interesting. Mayweather won’t be available in November but the others will. Right now Cotto is a touch hotter because his loss to Margarito is suspect and he beat Mosley. So Cotto should fight Pacquiao next with Mosley next in line. Only thing wrong here is that Cotto may or may not have really beaten Clottey last time out but fact is he was the winner, so he should be next. Cotto.”
- Jerry Glick - New York City, USA

“Manny should be facing neither Cotto or Mosley. He should be facing Pretty BoyMayweather Jr .”
- James Smith aka. Smitty, Host, In This Corner TV - USA

“It’s impossible to fault the former flyweight for targeting Cotto - maybe the best welter in the world post - Wrapgate - but I can’t help feeling Pacquiao and crew seem to be ignoring the obvious rubber match with arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez. With a draw and split decision between them, JMM kept his worth and profile high in the wake of his debatable loss, moving up another division and becoming the lightweight king by beating two of the top three boxers at 135lbs. With Pacquiao seeming at his best at 140lbs, why not invite Marquez up for a third battle while they’re both peaking? With Cotto and Mayweather looming as likely opponents, why wait until after what will undoubtedly be gruelling matches for both? This is one of our generation’s great trilogies waiting to happen, let’s see it next! Marquez.”
- Sean Waisglass - Canada

“Last time I checked we weren’t living in a perfect world, so I wholeheartedly believe neither Miguel Cotto nor Shane Mosley will be fighting Manny Pacquiao on November 14. Why? Because Floyd Mayweather Jr. came back for one reason: Manny Pacquiao. A Pac-PBF showdown will not be compromised by either Cotto or Mosley because everyone knows they are just too dangerous to fill the time before any fight, never mind the biggest fight in boxing. What should really happen on November 14 is Cotto-Mosley II because right now the welterweight picture is uncertain at the top. Cotto has already beaten SSM, but Shane annihilated Cotto’s conqueror Antonio Margarito. Either man can be seen as number one. PBF and Pac will be fighting for a mythical title, so Cotto and Mosley must try to position themselves as the number one contender to the Pac-PBF victor. Mayweather Jr.”
- Derek Bonnett - Connecticut, USA

“The only person I want to see Manny Pacquiao lock horns with is Floyd Mayweather, Jr. There is a rampant debate as to which of the two are the world’s best pound-for-pound. I believe Money May is but Pac-Man has a strong argument. As much as I’d love to see Pacquiao fight Cotto or Mosley, the fight I really want to see is the perfect boxer versus brawler in Mayweather against Pacquiao, which Mayweather would win via decision. Mayweather Jr.”
- Mike Sloan - Las Vegas, USAMosley’s domination of Antonio Margarito made him the man at the 147lbs division. The winner of Mosley-Pacquiao, against Floyd Mayweather Jr (should Mayweather be successful against JM Marquez), would set up a historic bout for the welterweight and pound for pound championships. Cotto is not going anywhere, and could use a rest after two brutal bouts within a calendar year. And when Floyd finds an excuse, Cotto will be in a much better place to step in to face the winner. Mosley.”
- Jason Pribila - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA

“I think a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto is an excellent match-up and should it be finalized, I’m looking forward to it. However, as much as I respect Manny and his trainer Freddie Roach, this catchweight nonsense has to stop. If Manny wants to take on belt holders in the welterweight division, so be it - but the weight limit is 147 pounds. Period, end of story. Cotto.”
- Matthew Hurley - Boston, USA

“I would personally love to see Shane Mosley vs. Manny Pacquiao next. Why? Well, I think Sugar Shane has all the tools in the world to give Pac-Man a tough and competitive fight. Mosley might be a bit too old, that could be his downfall, maybe, (it remains to be seen) but I really believe if someone could stop Manny it’s him. Mosley.”
- Teddy Stenmark - Sweden

“Speed against speed, power with power and what I like more about Mosley than Cotto is that Mosley isn’t that easy to hit. Mosley.”
- Lwazi Ndzobongo - South Africa

“I would like to see PAC fight Shane. I have a lot of respect for Freddy Roach but for him to ask Mosley to come down to 144lbs is ridiculous. They didn’t have an issue with De la Hoya fight at 147? Maybe because Roach was right, that Oscar couldn’t pull the trigger as he said? On the other hand Mosley can, plus he has speed as well! If you’re wanting to be called P4P then fight Mosley! Yes, Cotto beat Mosley but styles make fights and this is the one I want to see!! I’m sure the fans do too? Mosley.”
- Andy Rivera - New Mexico, USA

“I would like to see Cotto up against Pacquiao as he has more chance of making the fight exciting. He has the fresher legs and has enough energy to keep coming forward for 12 rounds. It’s not that I think Mosley isn’t worthy, I just think he won’t be able to hang in there for 12 rounds. Cotto.”
- Gary Reilly - Scotland, UK

“Although I find it difficult to take a firm stance, I lean toward Miguel Cotto as the man to challenge. In terms of recent accomplishments, Cotto demonstrated tremendous guts and guile in his close win over Joshua Clottey in June. He has been one of the most exciting and successful fighters in the sport this decade, seemingly fighting in a Fight-of-the-Year candidate every year, while establishing himself as a top ten pound-for-pound fighter. Mosley was more impressive than Cotto in his last fight, a dominant TKO win over Cotto-conqueror (and confirmed cheater) Antonio Margarito, but struggled somewhat in his fight before that, a last-second KO of Ricardo Mayorga. Also, remember that Cotto won a close but clear decision over Mosley in 2007. Business-wise, Cotto has demonstrated a far more devoted and passionate fan base than Mosley, who typically relies on his opponent to fill the seats. In terms of style, either fight figures to be tremendous, but Cotto and Pacquiao are closer in size and weight than Mosley (who has fought as high as junior middleweight) and Pacquiao, so they may be more evenly matched. Plus, the potential for drama in a Pacquiao-Cotto war is slightly higher, as Cotto has a greater penchant for suffering cuts, knockdowns, and other adrenaline boosters than the steadier Mosley. Ultimately, I am giddy at the prospect of either fight but, forced to choose, I would say that Miguel Cotto presents the more interesting matchup for Manny Pacquiao on November 14. Cotto.”
- Scott Kraus - Morristown, NJ, USA Floyd Mayweather Jr. That is the fight the boxing world is looking forward to. Floyd was the pound for pound best when he so called retired, he is still unbeaten, and Manny with his explosive wins over Oscar and Ricky has now assumed the top position in boxing. To be honest no matter how Manny might fare against either Cotto or Mosley, he really is too small to be facing them, and should not have to, not with Floyd now back in the picture. Hopefully we see this fight soon.

 

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LOTIERZO: Curses To The Catch-Weight!

Manny Pacquiao 49-3-2 (37 KOs) and Miguel Cotto 34-1 (27 KOs) are two of the easiest fighters in boxing to root for and no one minds putting their money down to buy a ticket to see them fight. Both Pacquiao and Cotto are real fighters and have always sought to fight the best fighters available. They've both shown incredible heart and fortitude and really are at their best and most dangerous when they are faced with adversity. 

As of this writing it looks as though it's only a matter of time before a bout between them is finalized. At stake will be Cotto's WBO welterweight title. However, instead of the 147 pound limit that both Cotto and his last opponent Joshua Clottey had to make when they fought this past June, it will be fought at a 143 pound catch-weight insisted by the Pacquiao faction.

This fight on paper is a terrific matchup. If Cotto wasn't forced to come in below the maximum weight the welterweight division allows, it's one of the best fights boxing could realize in 2009. Since that's not the case it loses some of its luster in the eyes of this spectator. 

The catch-weight nonsense is as old as boxing but became more of a staple after November of 1988 when Sugar Ray Leonard forced WBC light heavyweight title holder Donny Lalonde to come in at 168 so their light heavyweight title fight could also be for the super middleweight title, not that Lalonde cared about winning the lighter weight title. What he did care about was the five million dollars he was making for fighting Leonard. Once again the superstar was appeased. Now in retirement, Sugar Ray Leonard can lay claim to winning world titles in five divisions, which enhances his legacy. If Ken Norton is the only heavyweight champ who never won a title bout, is Ray Leonard the only light heavyweight title holder who never fought at light heavyweight?

Professional boxing is sometimes more about superstars and money than it is finding out who really is the best fighter. Look at De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao. Freddy Roach spouted how bad Oscar looked in his previous fight before Pacquiao and said that's why he agreed to the 147 pound limit. That I'm sure had something to do with it. But De La Hoya was the draw and Pacquiao and Roach had to accept Oscar's terms or no lottery payday or chance to transform Manny into the star fighter he's becoming. And this is exactly what's happening now with Pacquiao. Now he has the power and represents the money fight for his opponents. So he and Roach are only doing what's been done by others in their position. Remember, the fight between Pacquiao and Cotto is intended to make Pacquiao into a bigger star than he already is. In order to do that he must beat Cotto. In order to give him the best chance to do that, they'll attempt to weaken his supposedly stronger opponent taking away his only advantage. 

This is also about helping to insure Pacquiao gets that fifth title. That's not a shot at Manny or an insinuation that he's afraid to fight Cotto or even Shane Mosley at 147, it's just that there's too much money and legacy riding on the outcome. If Roach could force Cotto to have to cut his leg off in order to make weight, he'd do it. Whatever it takes to give his fighter the best shot and bring both men the most money is what it's mostly about.

It does however get tiresome hearing that Pacquiao isn't a welterweight and is at a monumental disadvantage fighting a strong one like Cotto or Mosley. Some like to champion how Pacquiao started at 106 and moved up, something I too have been guilty of, but let’s not forget that he was only 17 then and hadn't nearly filled out nor was he an adult. At age 17 Cassius Clay was fighting as a light heavyweight. Pacquiao won his first title and lost it via knockout at 112. Mention that and you'll hear how he wasn't fully matured and he hasn't been stopped once since he's filled out. Okay, that's fair. So let’s say as an adult at age 24 he's a junior featherweight weighing about 122. Even still, fighting 25 pounds higher as a welterweight is an off the chart accomplishment, but let’s not act as is if his life is more on the line than other fighters moving up.

When Michael Spinks challenged Larry Holmes, Holmes weighed 46 pounds more than any other opponent he ever fought, and if we go back as far as Spinks’ debut weight of 165, we're talking 56 pounds. Spinks was outsized by Holmes more than Pacquiao is by Cotto or Mosley, but never once suggested that Holmes had to come in lighter than what he'd been weighing for any of his previous title defenses. He just wanted to be the legitimate heavyweight champ if he won, and he was. Roy Jones made the same jump fighting John Ruiz and didn't stipulate that Ruiz had to weigh in at a specified weight. Before Spinks and Jones, Sugar Ray Robinson challenged light heavyweight champ Joey Maxim. Again, no catch-weight, Robinson weighed in at 157 and Maxim was 173. Robinson didn't win and the weight had a lot to do with it, being he collapsed due to the heat they fought in that night. Robinson, who was known for being a shrewd businessman wasn't quite as astute as he thought. Today, Maxim would have to come in at 168 and Robinson would be a four-division champ.

Just to be clear -- this isn't an admonishment of Pacquiao. He's being told by Arum and Roach what's going to happen, I believe. The only thing Manny has to do is take care of the fight in the ring, they'll take care of the one outside it. Because they've probably changed his way of thinking and shown him that it's great to be a warrior, but your career lasts longer and you make more money being a smart warrior. Although I know it's business, I think it's ridiculous to fight the title of a champion, Cotto, where he can't weigh up to the maximum weight allowed for the division. As was Leonard's light heavyweight title tainted, so will Pacquiao's by some boxing observers, if he manages to beat Cotto.

As far as the actual fight between Pacquiao and Cotto, it's a fascinating matchup from a style vantage point. Both guys can hit with either hand and both have shown they're versatile and can press the fight and attack, or step back and counter. The problem again comes back to the weight. If Cotto is weak and dehydrated which he will be more than likely, then he'll be fighting with diminished reflexes and skills, not to mention less pop in his punch. And if Cotto can't hurt Pacquiao and make him do physically what he doesn't want to do, he has no tools at his disposal to hope to beat him. In this fight it will be imperative for Cotto to carry his punch because if he can bang Manny to the body and slow him down along with causing him to fight in more measured fashion than he normally does, he'll nullify his hand speed and southpaw style. A slowed Pacquiao will be vulnerable to Cotto stepping on it and pushing the fight as he attempts to impose himself physically, something that he'd have a better chance doing weighing 147 opposed to 143. 

If anyone thinks the Cotto who fought Mosley, Margarito and Clottey is who we'll see fight Pacquiao on November 14, 2009, you're wrong. A week or more before he weighs in for the fight Cotto will kill himself and tear down his body trying to make 143, something that won't be undone in a day of eating and drinking after the weigh-in. To those who think the four pounds isn't a big deal and Cotto won't be severely compromised by sucking down to 143, ask yourself why it's the make or break stipulation in the fight being realized. If Pacquiao wants to fight Cotto at a catch-weight of 143, fine, but the title shouldn't be on the line. I can't blame Pacquiao for making the demands he has and Cotto has accepted to being bought off. Sure, Cotto will try and convince himself that it won't deny him victory, but fighters lie to themselves all the time, especially for more money than they've ever made before.   

If I were a Pacquiao fan I'd see this only from his side and the same if I were a Cotto fan. However, I'm a boxing fan more so than any particular fighter. As a boxing-purist I don't like the catch-weight stipulation in this fight or any other fight. I know Michael Spinks legitimately beat Larry Holmes and Roy Jones did the same to John Ruiz. Just as I know as great as he was Sugar Ray Robinson couldn't quite move up from welterweight and beat the light heavyweight champ Joey Maxim. 

On the other hand I have to be honest, if I were Pacquiao/Roach I'd do the same thing looking for every possible advantage I could get, and if I were Cotto I couldn't walk away from the money.

I don't know if Pacquiao can beat the real Cotto who fought Mosley, Margarito and Clottey, but I believe he can and will most likely beat the empty package version of him who we'll see this coming November.

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"The day after 100": Thoughts on UFC 100, Vegas and boxing's busy weekend

NO. This is not one of those mixed martial arts or boxing is better than the other articles. I love fight sports, and truly comparing mixed martial arts and boxing is like comparing apples and oranges. What I can compare and share though is my personal experiences covering both sports.

I say this to either or both, to those who bash boxing and mixed martial arts in favor of the other, you are missing out. Both sports involve the same dynamics and similar disciplines. They train, get in shape, study opponents and try to beat the crap out of the man in fornt of them. As a fight fan, what's not to love? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to break it down, but for those who insist the other sport is garbage compared to their preferred fight sport, I'm sorry, I respect your preferences but in my opinion you are wasting you time hating on the other. 

I can understand why you would prefer boxing or MMA from the other but to say the other is the opposite of the hyperboles you describe your "beat-em-up" sport with is simply pretentious or to some degree, ignoramus.

To each his own I guess, and I'm not one to debate another man's opinion. Live and let live.

So I'm here in Vegas and it's a day after the UFC 100 festivities. I covered the event as much as I could but I'm not going into much of the details of the actual fights in this article. If you want a blow-by-blow and in-depth coverage, I suggest you check out our MMA Examiner Eddie Graveline's pages. He is also here in Vegas covering the event and did a great job calling the action. I am here however to share my thoughts on all the festivities that went down together with some developments in boxing and Sin city in general.

UFC and everybody responsible for the weekend that gripped Vegas that is "UFC 100" should all be given praise for the way they hyped up and organized the event and catered to fans. The UFC Expo was a big success- although crowded- fans were given the full UFC experience as the biggest names in the sport all came out to greet and mingle with their fans from WEC stars like Urijah Faber, with his hand cast and all, signing autographs, to the beautiful octagon girls Arianny Celeste and Logan Stanton all the way to UFC's biggest stars such as Lyoto Machida, Forrest Griffin and even UFC legend Royce Gracie. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson was ever his entertaining and comical self as he laughed and joked with fans and fellow fighters alike. During the weigh-ins while standing by his friend and training partner Michael Bisping, Rampage picked up UFC president Dana White acting as if he was going to take him down on the mat. He also did a similar but more elaborate show with Cheick Kongo while inside the Expo.

UFC fever definitely hit Vegas all weekend long.  You'd see the most random UFC fighters walk the Vegas strip like when we bumped into Mauricio "Shogun" Rua together with a couple of females and friends walking by Las Vegas boulevard. At the lobby of Mandalay Bay, you name it, you'd probably come across them, from The Ultimate Fighter 8 winner Efrain Escudero to some of the newer fighters that even I didn't know. The only indication that they were popular to me were fans that came up to them trying to get autographs and pictures. Vegas was truly the place to be this weekend if you are a UFC fan.

I was able to chat with Rashad Evans for a little bit and asked him about the upcoming Ultimate Fighter show this fall wherein he goes up against Rampage Jackson in a season where a not so unfamiliar name tries to get a UFC contract in Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson. Evans guaranteed that it's going to be an interesting season and probably the best ever so all you fight fans should difinitely watch out for that.

While I was enjoying all the festivities, a shocking story started spreading around the media people at the Mandalay Bay. Reports were that Arturo Gatti was found dead in Brazil. Not too long ago Gatti was still significant fighting the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. It was sad news indeed as even mixed martial arts fans were all affected by Gatti's sudden death. I was talking to a random fight fan and he had mentioned to me how he had the greatest admiration for Gatti and Micky Ward during their classic wars in the early part of the century.

Fight night came and honestly, I wasn't all that satisfied with how last night turned out. It was almost as if it was impossible for the actual fights to live up to the hype of the extravagant weekend leading up to it but the way things went, I personally felt it was a let-down regardless if there was any hype at all. 

The lone exciting fight that went down to me was Dan Henderson's brutal KO of loudmouth Brit Michael Bisping. It definitely brought back memories of Ricky Hatton getting knocked out by Manny Pacquiao last May especially when Bisping laid on the mat after the 2nd round KO for quite some time. After the vicious right hook Hendo landed on Bisping's chin, which ironically Bisping was aware of and yet kept sidestepping into the whole night, Hendo gave Bisping a souvenir in the form of a flying right hand on Bisping's mouth while he laid lifeless on the mat. Hendo admitted after the fight that he deliberately gave Bisping that extra blow "to shut him up".

St. Pierre versus Alves was a snoozer. I swear. Not that it was GSP's fault, he actually manhandled the otherwise compromised Alves. I just don't get how you can come in to a title-fight against the best takedown wrestlers in the game and not have any kind of takedown defense. GSP took Alves at will whenever he wanted to, and Alves wasn't able to land any of his kicks and punches all night long because of how GSP would keep taking him down.

Lesnar versus Mir was worse. If this was any indication of the sport's future, then they are seriously in trouble unless they get someone like Batista or The Undertaker to come in and put the tombstone on Lesnar somehow. The main event did not showcase the skill and craft mixed martial arts definitely requires. Don't get me wrong, Lesnar fought a smart fight and stayed within his physical advantages. He imposed his size and strength on Mir and beat the living crap on Mir while pinning him to the ground and the cage. He was simply too big and strong for even one of the best grapplers in the game. It was a great strategy for Lesnar, but it was abolutely boring as well. Luckily last night wasn't an indication of where UFC is going.

If you saw the fight on TV via Pay-Per-View, the night itself started in a controversial manner when Japanese Yoshihiro Akiyama managed to squeeze out a controversial win over Alan Belcher. Belcher looked like he was landing more shots througout the fight but for some reason Akiyama got the SD victory. 

I'm not saying UFC 100 was a total disappointment, but it just lacked the firepower to close out the weekend with a bang. Most of the fireworks and thrills came from outside the octagon in my opinion, but that's just me though. Not a lot of skill MMA is known for were showcased last night. Lesnar looked more like a big brother picking on a smaller brother and just pinning him while beating him down while Alves whom a lot of people picked to upset GSP couldn't even stop a takedown. It would have been nice to have seen the likes of Anderson Silva, BJ Penn and Nogueira in a card like this, but that's MMA and just like boxing, you get your explosive fights from time to time and sometimes you don't.

Before I forget, it was nice to see Mark Coleman make his UFC comeback after 12 years of not having a win in the UFC. Coleman defeated Indy's Stephan Bonnar via unanimous decision. And what's all the fuss Dana White is creating again for Lesnar's antics after the fight. Honestly Dana White to me is the Mark Cuban of MMA. Yea, he did a great job with UFC but I'm just sick of him trying to whore himself out and always diverting attention towards himself. I did not find anything offesnsive with the way Lesnar acted after the fight. He's a fighter for crying out loud. What's next? Penalizing fighters for overly celebrating like the NFL? 

Speaking of boxing, while I was enjoying being part of UFC 100, I read reports that Vic Darchinyan lost to Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko. It's interesting to see where Darchinyan's career leads to now. I got a hold of Nonito Donaire to try and get his thoughts on the Darchinyan loss but he had church obligations last night and has not seen the fight yet. I'll talk to him today or tomorrow and get his thoughts on the fight.

So in summary, I guess a lot of it boils down on hype. UFC 100 was definitely a big success regardless of what I felt about the fights. One thing that boxing can learn from UFC though is the way they package and market their fighters. We need more of the big names facing one another and for promoters to stop getting in the way of the megafights. Boxers need more exposure so fans can follow them closely the way MMA fans get to follow their fighters. Why not a Boxing Expo in Vegas too? Heck that would surely be a hit. It's just a matter of whether these promoters can come together for the overall benefit of the sport instead of their own pockets. Sadly, that's easier said than done.

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