UFC tonight on Spike

The UFC returns to Charlotte tonight for an event that will air live on Spike TV at 8 p.m. The card at the Bojangles Coliseum, the site of two of the first five UFC events, includes the lightweight showdown between two-time title challenger Kenny Florian and Japanese superstar and former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi. This bout will headline the latest edition of Spike TV's hit UFC Fight Night series.

LaMotte to fight on television

With his win by submission on the first round over Davin Wesinger in Milford on Saturday night, former Manchester Memorial High School wrestling standout Nate LaMotte has earned a fight that will be aired on television.
LaMotte is now 11-5 and will fight in Bellator XVII pn May 6 at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre in Boston. The fight will be shown on Fox Sportsnet, but it is unclear if it will be a live broadcast. LaMotte said the fight might also be aired on ESPN Deportes.
LaMotte said his opponent has not yet been determined.

Getting to know Dennis Olson

This weekend, Dennis Olson will fight Nuri Shakir in the main event during Triumph Promotions' debut show at the Hampshire Dome in Milford. Olson is described by his peers as a "beast" who is ripped up and ruthless in the cage. The Amherst native is 9-2, loves pizza and would be spending a lot of time in the garden if he weren't fighting.
Just check out this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUXlIeSbVq4 and you'll see why people call him a beast.
Q: You were a good wrestler at Souhegan. How has that sport helped you with your career in MMA?
A: I would have to say that wrestling in high school and after high school was one of the biggest keys in my success in MMA. Even though I did not wrestle all the way through college, I have been active in wrestling for almost 15 years now. I feel that wrestling builds extreme conditioning and mental toughness needed to be a successful fighter.
Q: What attracted you to MMA?
A: My initial attraction to MMA began about 15 or 16 years ago, back in the days of Tank Abbot, Ken Shamrock and other pioneers of the sport. My father and I were renting UFC tapes from the video store for as long as I can remember the sport being around. I went and watched my first live show in 2005 and actually ended up filling in for one of the fighters. I have been hooked ever since.
Q: Over the past decade or so, Norwich University has produced some pretty good fighters. There are Mike Brown, Cody Lightfoot and you (even though you were only there for a short time). Is there something special about the school that helps mold great fighters?
A: I would have to say no… However their wrestling program is of the highest caliber and they are very serious about training and competing.
Q: Six of your nine wins have come by submission. Is that your style?
A: I definitely love to submit people, but I wouldn’t say that I have any specific way of finishing fights. Stylistically I would say that I am more of a grinder, I go where the fight takes me and finish it when I see an opportunity.
Q: What would you say are your best strengths as a fighter?
A: I would have to say that my conditioning and mental toughness are my most prized abilities in the ring. Also the fact that I absolutely hate losing helps me a lot as well, haha.
Q: Who has been your toughest opponent?
A: Hands down my toughest opponent has to be John Manley. In our fight he showed tremendous heart and perseverance. I threw everything I had at him and he would not quit. I was very impressed with how tough he turned out to be.
Q: What is your favorite movie of all time?
A: Haha, I would have to say that there is a tie between the Rocky movies and The Hangover. As random and cliché as that may seem.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Firecracker pizza from Kinsley House of Pizza. Delicious!
Q: What is your favorite song of all time?
A: I love all kinds of different music. I don’t think that I could give an answer to that question, I listen to everything from Kenney Chesney to Cam’ron and back.
Q: What is something most people don't know about you that may come as a surprise?
A: Even though I love this sport and all that it has done for me, if I could do anything else I would be running my own landscape design business. I love being outdoors and working with my hands.

Sneak Peak at St. Pierre-Hardy

UFC Primetime will air Wednesday at 10 P.M. on Spike TV. The shoe is a look into the lives of perhaps the world’s best pound for pound fighter, St-Pierre, and Hardy, the man looking to unseat him at the top of the welterweight ladder. As the two prepare for their meeting in late March, Spike TV will present three special weekly installments that will take viewers across the pond to Nottingham, England as Hardy trains with the rest of his Rough House team, and back to North America to Montreal to see how St-Pierre, one of the most beloved athletes in Canada, is preparing for his title defense. UFC Primetime delivers an extraordinary amount of access to two of mixed martial arts’ best, as they head into what could be the signature fight of 2010 at UFC 111.

Jones win highlights an otherwise forgettable night

Don't get me wrong, it was great to see UFC for free on Versus last night, but overall I'd have to say the show was pretty lame.
The most memorable things about the event were two monstrous blows - one by Jon Jones to knock out Brandon Vera, and the other by John Howard that knocked Daniel Roberts into a different century.
None of the fights were that exciting, and the only one of television that went more than one round (Kongo vs. Buentello) was spent mostly on the mat and one-sided.
I must say I was impressed with Kongo, however, as he never even let the veteran Buentello have a chance in the fight. Kongo had a plan and stuck with it.
He continuously backed Buentello into the cage and took him down, thereby taking away Bunetello's ability to strike. It was genius because not only was Kong safe from Buentello's blows on the mat, but Buentello also used a lot of energy trying to defend himself from submissions and to get up.
Once Buentello got tired he got sloppy. Kongo noticed the openings and started punishing Bunetello with knees. It was a great strategy, but not one UFC fans like to see.
Kongo proved to me that he is a very cerebral fighter and a tremendous physical specimen who is a definite threat in the heavyweight class.
As for the main event, Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones, I don't feel it lived up to the hype.
One thing is for sure -- Jones is the real deal. He absolutely slaughtered Vera and has an unorthodox style that can pose problems for anybody looking to go up against him.
That elbow he nailed Vera with was SICK, and must have sent shivers down the spines of any potential UFC opponents.
I love the attitude from Jones, I love how he called referee Herb Dean "sir" in a respectful manner during the fight and I'd love to see him get a title shot.
As for the Howard/Daniels fight, which seemed to be an afterthought to fill time for the broadcast, that was just scary.
The way Daniels's eyes rolled back into his head after Howard hit him with that first left made me nervous. It was good to see him sitting up by the time they announced Howard as the winner, but MAN, what a blow.

UFC on TV Sunday night

Two of the most dynamic light heavyweights in the game clash on Sunday, when Muay Thai ace Brandon “The Truth” Vera takes on dangerous 22-year-old phenom Jon “Bones” at the 1STBANK Center (formerly Odeum Colorado) in Broomfield, Colo.
The fight will air live on VERSUS at 9 p.m. marking the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) on VERSUS and the first time that a live UFC event will air on a national sports cable network.

Technical difficulties

Sorry to all my EOTL fans out there that I haven't been posting much lately. I've been battling food poisoning and that has taken a lot out of me.
I assure you, I will have a lot leading up to the Triumph Promotions debut event next weekend in Milford over the next week or so.
Sorry for the delay,
Mark