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UFC 100

ufc100

It’s been several UFC events since I’ve written any previews. I knew I could not skip this blog for UFC 100. Many of my friends wanted to know my thoughts on these fights. So here it is:

Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir
Their first fight proved that Lesnar was an inexperienced rookie in a sport that is very unforgiving. But he bounced back with two very impressive wins over Heath Herring and Randy Couture. Who would have thought a popular professional wrestler would storm into the fastest growing sport and quickly rise to the top of the food chain in the UFC’s Heavyweight Division. If it had to be anybody it would be Brock Lesnar. Lesnar is a one-of-a-kind physical specimen. He’s a mountain of muscle that is as agile as a lightweight; a combination that is rare and deadly. His quickness is attributed from his collegiate wrestling career and his professional wrestling days, and one would guess physique and strength is the product of Hercules and some mortal woman.

And across the ring from Lesnar is Frank Mir, the former UFC Heav weight champ. His career has been a roller coaster ride. He quickly rose up the Heavyweight ranks becoming the king of the division. And as quickly has he rose up in the ranks he faded away. It was mostly due to his motorcycle accident and his rough comeback fights. There was almost a time where Mir’s career looked as though it was about over. But then it all turned around after his stint in the Ultimate Fighter show where he then defeated Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Not only did he beat him, he did it in a fashion that we’ve never seen before. Mir’s boxing and movement has improved leaps and bounds. This much improved standup abilities compliments his excellent ground game now makes Mir a force to be reckoned with.

The fight between this time around will be much different. Lesnar now has the experience albeit not as extensive, and Mir’s improvement in his hands and feet will make for an interesting fight. Mir is a cerebral fighter and likes exploit his opponent’s weaknesses. Lesnar’s loss in the first fight was inability to control his emotions. Lesnar came out too excited and was careless and Mir weathered the storm and caught Lesnar in a text book knee bar. In this fight Mir doesn’t have the luxury of waiting it out to find an opening otherwise Lesnar will just impose his will. If Mir keeps his distance when standing he can out-point Lesnar, but to seal the deal he will need to put Lensar against the fence and work for the takedown to get a submission. For Lesnar to win he’ll need to do the same and put Mir’s back up against the fence and take him down and smother him like he did with Heath Herring. In the end I see Lesnar with the win. The biggest factor will be cardio. Mir was always had a cardio problems and going up against a big wrestler he will quickly deplete his gas tank after the first round.

GSP vs Thiago Alves
GSP is as a well-rounded fighter as they come. Whether it’s on the feet or on the ground no other fighter in his division has a significant advantage, if any, over GSP. Marred by an embarrassing loss to Matt Serra GSP has refocused and came back to avenge his loss and beat Jon Fitch and BJ Penn all in less than a year. Standing across the ring from him this Saturday is a fighter the likes he has not fought before will be looking to strip GSP of his belt.

Thiago Alves is a Muay Thai specialist with devastating strikes. His impressive wins over Koshcheck and Hughes earned him this title fight. With 7 straight wins in the octagon, five of which by KO, Alves is looking to add his 8th win by KOing the current reigning champ. A feat that might not be farfetched as one may think.

People said Jon Fitch would be GSP’s toughest opponent, yet GSP steam rolled Fitch. Now everyone is saying Thiago Alves will be GSP’s toughest opponent. This time there’s a difference. Fitch is a fighter that grinds his opponent down using his wrestling. What made Fitch so formidable is that he can equally take the same amount of punishment and still continue to move forward. Alves, on the other hand, doesn’t grind his opponent down, but rather he inflicts as much damage as possible with every strike. So standing toe to toe against Alves is a risky task. Alves will be looking to chop GSP down with kicks which is probably a smart move. So if he wants to walk away with the belt Alves will need to keep his distance, work his lateral movements, and utilize those low kicks to slow down GSP. Alves has great takedown defense, but GSP has always been successful with his takedowns even against high caliber wrestlers. For GSP clearly dominate he will need to take the fight to the ground which I believe he will be able to do so at will. This will be a close fight. As this may be the first time GSP has fought a fighter who is as strong as him if not stronger.

Dan Henderson vs Michael Bisping
Dan Henderson is a veteran fighter that has been in numerous battles. With knockout power in both hands Henderson is always dangerous whether it’s in the first or fifth round. As the former Pride Middleweight champ Henderson is a tough-as-nails opponent for anyone in any weight division. Henderson has always fought top competition and this time is no different.

Michael Bisping has been on an impressive run in the middleweight division. Dropping down to 185 was the best decision for his career. At this point Bisping has not fought anyone with the credentials close to Henderson, so a win on Saturday night will quickly boost him to title contention.

Henderson is a fighter that likes to stalk his opponent and loads up on that right hand of his. The dangerous part is that everyone knows it’s coming yet his opponents still gets caught. Bisping has to use his footwork to keep Henderson at bay, and for him to win the fight Bisping will need to stay away from Henderson’s clinch and street brawl mentality. I’m sure every MMA betting line has Henderson as the favorite, but I think Bisping will pull the win. Henderson’s last two wins weren’t as impressive. It shows that age is catching up with him his reflexes aren’t as quick and his counters aren’t hitting their marks. Bisping is hungry for the belt and just like Henderson he has fought in the Light Heavyweight division before so going up against the strength of Henderson is nothing new to him. If Bisping keeps moving and landing his strikes he can out point Henderson for the decision win.

My Picks:

Brock Lesnar beats Frank Mir
George St. Pierre beats Thiago Alves
Jon Fitch beats Paulo Thiago
Michael Bisping beats Dan Henderson
Alan Belcher beats Yoshihiro Akiyama
Stephan Bonnar beats Mark Coleman
Mac Danzig beats Jim Miller
Jon Jones beats Jake O’B rien
Dong Hyun Kim beats TJ Grant
CB Dollaway beats Tom Lawlor
Matt Grice beats Shannon Gugerty

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iPhone 3GS

iphone-3gs

Some of you may know the the new iPhone is set to release this week. The details of the new phone left people unsatisfied. The most significant change on the new iPhone 3GS is a faster processor, more RAM (256mb), and a different video processing chip. Apple has clearly intended this upgrade to cater to game developers. Early adopters will definitely enjoy the new upgrade as Apple claims the new phone will be twice as fast and in some cases can be 3x faster. Those hoping to get a forward facing camera for video calls or some LED visual notification will be disappointed. Externally, the iPhone 3GS is virtually identical to it’s predecessor.

Also, releasing this week in conjunction with their phone is their new OS, version 3.0. I happen to have the final release and have been using it for over a week. The new updates are welcome but were way overdue. Cut and Paste and the ability to read/write text and emails in landscape view were the most important updates. Sure, sending and reciving MMS is something everyone wanted, but with the release of cut and paste accessing MMS messages is not as painful beofre. But we have to give it up to Apple to take 3 iterations to implement something that was so basic on a smartphone. One very important feature that didn’t make the update was the ability to run multiple apps in the background. This feature alone would have been the deal breaker to ditch my trusty Blackberry completely. Unfortunately, Apple decided it wasn’t important enough. I would have understood if background apps were only available on the new phone since it has twice the RAM and faster CPU, but Apple has no intention of implementing that feature anytime soon.

For those who have been waiting patiently, Apple has finally release a decent phone.  For those who have the 3G model I don’t recommend picking up the new iPhone. The minimal added features does not warrant an upgrade. Those who have been holding out for the past few years can jump in and pickup the iPhone given that you’re able to get it at the subsidized price. If you’re strapped for cash picking up the 3G model instead can save you a $100.

Apple is getting closer to making a phone that people want. It’s so obvious that they are milking the iPhone by adding bits and pieces to each model and charging a bundle for it. At the rate they’re going their competitors will such as Palm and Blackberry will leave them in the dust.

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Mosaic Lounge and Nightlife

mosaic090606

For the past few months I’ve gotten into the night-life-promoting scene. A couple of friends and myself have been promoting parties on the first Saturday of each month at Mosaic, an upscale lounge/bar located in the Hotel Montgomery.

Our parties have been epic and memorable. So if you’re in the neighborhood come by and join in on the fun. You can view our website over at www.epicuresj.com for additional info

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Will Be Back Soon

For all of those out there missing my rarely posted blog. I will be back shortly. I’ve had a very busy first half of 2009.

Well, ladies and gents I will see you soon.

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UFC 94

ufc94

I’m here in Las Vegas. I just saw the weigh ins and was at the autograph session. Wanderlei, Kenflo, and Thiago Alves were there signing. I took some pictures with my cell phone. I sent them over to my buddy over at MMA-Extreme hopefully he’ll post them up soon.

This is an amazing event with an awesome fight card.I can go on for days on each match up, but I’ll just focus on the GSP vs. BJ Penn fight. This fight is one of the most anticipated fight in a while. BJ Penn is re-focused on his MMA legacy and wants to win this fight badly. Penn’s talent is ranked right up there among the best in the world. But GSP is very well-rounded and Penn’s raw skills are not enough to defeat GSP. Penn will need to come with the right fight plan to take on the Welterweight King. Penn will need to utilize his stand up skills and set it up for the takedown. Penn will have to use this BJJ to control GSP on the ground. This will help him control the pace and reserve his energy. If history is any indication BJ Penn hasn’t shown any decent stamina in his fights. If BJJ is able to bring GSP down he can win via submission or by decision. The Candadian has the edge in this fight because he holds the win in their last meeting. GSP will need to bring a fast and furious pace and stay away from any takedowns, and he will need to utilize his kicks and jabs to setup takedowns of his own. The Champ will need to wear Penn down with some ground and pound. He probably won’t submit Penn and will have to take the fight to the later rounds and force a stoppage by the ref. In the end, it comes down to who has the better takedowns in this fight will likely win.

My Picks:

George St. Pierre beats BJ Penn
Thiago Silva beats Lyoto Machida
Jon Jones beats Stephan Bonnar
Don Hyun Kim beats Karo Parisyan
Clay Guida beats Nate Diaz
Jon Fitch beats Akihiro Gono
Thiago Tavares beats Manny Gamburyan
Chris Wilson beats John Howard
Christian Wellisch beats Jake O’ Brien
Matt Arroyo beats Dan Cramer

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UFC 93

ufc93

Rich Franklin v. Dan Henderson is a great headliner to start off the New Year. UFC 93 is also stacked with other bouts such as Coleman v. Shogun and the UFC debut of Denis Kang.

The Franklin/Henderson fight will be a great matchup. These guys’ style will make an exciting fight. Henderson has bombs in both hands whereas Franklin is very well-rounded and take the fight on the feet or on the ground. Both fighters are smart and will he who has the best gameplan coming into the cage will win. For Franklin to win he will need to keep his punches down the middle and avoid a slugfest with Henderson. Franklin will need to utilize kicks to keep his opponent at bay and use ring generalship to control positions and wait for Henderson to tire out from throwing his boms. For Henderson, he’ll need to get to the inside and his wrestling background will help him with that. Henderson should put pressure on Franklin early on by pressing him up against the fence utilizing the clinch and take him down ala Randy Couture style.

My Picks:

Mauricio Rua beats Mark Coleman
Denis Kang beats Alan Belcher
Rousimar Palhares beats Jeremy Horn
Marcus Davis beats Chris Lytle
Martin Kampmann beats Alexandre Barros
Eric Schafer beats Antonio Mendes
Tomasz Drwal beats Ivan Serati
John Hathaway beats Tom Egan
Dennis Siver beats Nate Mohr

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Let’s Ring in the New Year

Yeah, I know it’s a little late to say Happy New Year, I had a two week vacation from work a week ago and it’s always tough to be back at work. Anyways, My new year has started off with a hick up. I lost my Blackberry Bold on a ski trip this weekend. A loss like that is almost grounds for suicide, but I’m holding up fine. At least for now. I’m now using a trusty Blackberry 8700c. I haven’t used this phone in a couple of years and it feels weird using a Blackberry without a trackball.

I remember when 2008 started, it’s ironic how many people said it would be a great and fortunate year since the number 8 is considered to be a very lucky number in Asian cultures, but it turned out to be the worse year since the great depression era. But I have a feeling 2009 will be a much better. Much better than 2008 and I know that’s not saying much but at least we can have a little optimism. So far January will be exciting. We’ll be swearing in a new President into office. Not just any President, it’s a Black President. Also, Two big UFC within two weeks of each other each with an exciting headline match. Rich Franklin v. Dan Henderson will be squaring off this weekend, and BJ Penn will be battling George St. Pierre at the end of the month. Yes, it’s very exciting. So here’s to a fortunate and happy New Year. Cheers!

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UFC 92

I’m posting this a little late. I’m on my Blackberry, so I didn’t have the option to add the UFC image.

It’s the end of the year and we get to have one bad-ass fight card. Having two title fights and a highly anticipated grudge match between two very exciting fighters is a great way to cap off 2008.

Let’s start with the Evans v. Forrest. These guys came from obscurity to highly touted fighters in their division. Say what you want about these TUF alumni, but they proved that they deserved to be in this position with every fight they won. This fight proposes an interesting match up. Evans is a great wrestler that has developed into a striking machine and coming from a Greg Jackson camp only adds to his credibility. On the other side of the octagon Forrest is a machine that is almost unbreakable. His impressive wins over Shogun and Rampage catapulted him to the top of the rankings.

Evans has proved he has knock out power and Forrest is as well rounded as a fighter can get. But I see Forrest giving Evans his first loss. Forrest has been in hard fought-battles and came out as the victor. Forrest’s reach advantage and technical striking will keep Evans at bay. As the fight progresses to the later rounds Forrest will have the cardio and experience to shutdown him down.

A grudge match that has been in the making for half a decade is one of the most anticipated fights this year. Rampage will get the opportunity to avenge his two losses from Wanderlei Silva, a fighter who has given Rampage two of the worst beatings in his career. But since those losses Rampage has reinvented himself and in the process won the Light Heavyweight title and defended it against Dan Henderson.

Wanderlei has the mental edge coming into the fight because he has already beaten Rampage twice. Rampage ditched is old trainer and opt to train with Wolf’s Lair. That should definite help his game, but it won’t be enough to stop the Axe Murderer.

Mir and Noguiera’s title fight will be a true battle of attrition. They are both seasoned veterans who had a debilitating accident in their past and has come back against the odds to title contention. Before Mir’s motorcycle accident he was considered one of the top heavyweights in the world, but his road back in the UFC was less than stellar to put it mildly. Noguiera has been in it with the best there is in MMA. His experience and list of victory easily puts him in the hall of fame of the sport.

Mir has his young age to his advantage, where as Noguiera’s long history of being in those brutal battles may have taken its toll. Noguiera is not has fast and nimble as he was 2 years ago. It was obvious in his Heath Herring fight and Tim Sylvia fight. I see Mir coming in and throwing lots of kick to slow Nog down. Mir will keep the fight standing as long as possible and will hold Nog on the ground for a decision win.

My picks:

Forrest Griffin beats Rashad Evans
Frank Mir beats Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera
Wanderlei Silva beats Quinton Jackson
Cheick Kongo beats Mustafa Al Turk
CB Dollaway beats Mike Massenzio
Yushin Okami beats Dean Lister
Matt Hamill beats Andy Reese
Ryo Chonan beats Brad Blackburn
Antoni Hardonk beats Mike Wessel
Dan Everson beats Patrick Barry

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Host jad and cod files on Windows IIS

For those of you who have Blackberry devices you may have downloaded applications over-the-air (OTA). Blackberry devices uses a .jad file to download OTA apps by pointing its browser to that file. OTA apps actually consists of two file types .jad and .cod. The .cod files are actually the content of the application and the .jad files points to it.

If you plan to host your own OTA files on a Windows IIS server you’ll need to make some changes to your web server to process those .jad and .cod files.

You will need to access Internet Information Services and right-click on Web Sites and select properties. Select the HTTP Headers tab and click on MIME Types. Here you will add two MIME Types:

Extension: jad
MIME type: text/vnd.sun.j2me.app-descriptor

Extension: cod
MIME type: application/vnd.rim.cod

You may need to restart IIS once you’ve added the MIME types. Open the command prompt and type in “iisreset” (minus the quotes).