Who says that fighting based sports can't provide some sort of moral sustenance? In fact almost every victory comes with tales of blood, sweat, defeats, teamwork, and respect (which for some takes quite the journey to give and get).  Many fighters in general all share a poetic journey through broken roads before reaching a level of success.

UFC 111 this past Saturday brought together fighters all with a story, all with goals, and served up some serious dishes of humble pie.  The kind of pie that stuffs your mouth so full, that you have to swallow it in junction with your pride or shut up.  That's the thing with talking a big game, when you win, you can definitely talk an even bigger game, but if you lose it's the biggest slap to the face.  Dan Hardy, a great fighter with an impressive stand up game, proved to be no match for GSP's impeccable takedown tactics, but showed incredible endurance and ground game tactics while getting out of GSP's Kimura, and faltered other submission attempts.

The fighter who in primetime was seen laughing at St. Pierre's calendar and calling his Gi pajamas, took his loss with a touch of unexpected class by giving St. Pierre a hug and then saying to Joe Rogan "it was an honor to fight him" and maintained his spirit by saying "there's no quit in me... i don't know the meaning of 'tap."

Reacting in flux with my resentment to Hardy's typical cocky behavior, I threw my hands up, scoffed and yelled "what??!! now you're nice?" But soon silenced, my lips pursed to a smirk and deep down, I disliked the guy just a little less.  There's something to be said about a guy who doesn't give up and can take a loss like a man.  Unlike BJ Penn who cried for months calling GSP a cheater after losing.


For the co-main event, Shane Carwin continued his first round pattern by knocking out Frank Mir at 3:48.  Prior to UFC 111, when I listed my picks, many people called me crazy siding with Shane Carwin but in my gut I knew he'd deliver.  I've mentioned  that I think Frank Mir has dove off the deep end since losing to Lesnar, and after Carwin pounded him into the ground, a friend looked at me and said, the guy's gonna kill himself, to which I responded "that or we're gonna hear that Brock got taken out in a drive by, by someone who looks like Mir."  I've always liked Shane Carwin, he has this cool and calm demeanor kind of like Dan Henderson, and dealt with Mir's trash talk the same way Hendo did with Bisping in UFC 100 , silence by fist rather than words.

Once again my picks were spot on! Although I was routing for Bocek, I'm glad I went with Miller and despite opposition, I was right about Pellegrino who got submission of the night.  Here were my picks and for the first time I was 100% usually I float between 75 and 90%.  :D

GSP - DAN HARDY = GSP for sure
SHANE CARWIN - FRANK MIR = SHANE CARWIN
Kurt Pellegrino-Fabricio Camoes = Kurt Pellegrino (how do you not pick a guy named batman ;) )
Jon Fitch - Ben Saunders = Would have picked Thiago but will now have to go with Fitch
Miller - Bocek= Miller
Diaz - Markham= Diaz

winner winner chicken dinner! UFC 112, looking forward to it!

I was able to catch up on Dream 13, for those that missed the Bibi Fernandes vs Joachim Hansen fight you can view here