I’m not usually one for fight card predictions, but I felt the need to step back from my usual social commentary for a moment and just do my best to enjoy the fights this weekend. Then again, I can’t usually help myself: I love MMA. I love to over-analyze. I love to over-analyze MMA. . Anyway, here are my “Quick-like-Mike-Swick” predictions for UFC 109 (grab a pen): . Randy Couture vs Mark Coleman Not sure what I can say about this fight that I haven’t already said. Whatever the outcome, expect a great performance by both men—improved striking by Couture and improved cardio by Coleman. Miss...

Canada’s Health Care: “This is a country in which dogs can get a hip replacement in under a week and in which humans can wait two to three years.”—Dr. Brian Day, 2007-08 President, Canadian Medical Association Just when it seemed that all was forgiven (but certainly not forgotten), Brock Lesnar went and did something completely unthinkable… He spoke his mind. . What on earth was the big man thinking, criticizing the Canadian Health Care System? Doesn’t Lesnar know that he was put on this earth for the sole purpose of entertaining the masses? Beating people up for our own selfish...

“Kumite Express leaves in five minutes!” At the age of 49, Jean Claude Van Damme (yes—the high-powered action movie star) has expressed a sincere interest in setting up a professional kickboxing fight in a regulated K-1 bout against Somluck Kamsing, a 35-year-old former Olympic boxing gold medalist, in March of this year. [PAUSE FOR LAUGHTER] [PAUSE AGAIN FOR THE DISGUST TO SET IN] Are you starting to sense an up-and-coming trend, fight fans? “You always told me to keep an open mind!”—Frank Dux, Bloodsport Sure, Randy Couture is 46 years of age, and Mark Coleman is 45, but can they...

Human nature dictates that we tend to like people that most remind us of ourselves. Not necessarily in appearance (I know what you’re thinking…James Ryan and Brad Pitt must be like two peas in a pod). I’m referring of course, to personality. I took an on-line quiz once that matched up my “management personality” with a famous leader in history. I’ll let you stew on that one for a minute or two first. . This generalization is not set in stone of course, as each human being is different in a variety of ways. Some things however, aren’t as different as you may think. Assuming that...

Dear Jordan, Your lack of professionalism is indicative of your hack editing capabilities. At least you are consistent. You are graduating with a BA in English with a concentration on Professional Writing? What a joke! At this stage, it is probably too late to ask the University for a refund, but if I were you (thank God I’m not), I would ask anyway. Clearly, you did not get your monies worth. I invested two hours writing a piece, that granted, wasn’t meant for everyone – but then again, I don’t write so that everyone will love it. I certainly didn’t write it so that YOU would love it! I...

We can’t go anywhere nowadays it would seem, without having to patiently endure the constant interruption of media as it mercilessly bombards our senses. Our generations (X, Y, and Z) have unfortunately grown accustomed to such intrusions and technological influences on society. “The media has conditioned us to tolerate visually entertaining material measured out in spoonfuls of time, to the detriment of rational public discourse and reasoned public affairs.” The point is that we now live in an age where we have become so completely overwhelmed by information and news that we have allowed...

“Use absence to increase respect and honor. Too much circulation makes the price go down: The more you are seen and heard from, the more common you appear. If you are already established in a group, temporary withdrawal from it will make you more talked about, even more admired. You must learn when to leave. Create value through scarcity.” At the risk of sounding like the ever-classy evangelist, Pat Robertson, I would like to suggest that Brock Lesnar’s illness was in fact, a “blessing in disguise”—at least from a public relations standpoint. Public relations (PR) by the way, is the...

Riddle me this, fight fans… What do Randy “The Natural” Couture and Mark “The Hammer” Coleman have in common with Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua? Each pairing is scheduled to face each other, but win or lose, they absolutely would love to fight the winner/loser of the other scheduled match-up—with or without the championship belt on the line. No matter the outcomes of the next few pay-per-view’s, Couture and Machida have both expressed a great deal of interest in wanting to fight each other (probably more-so with Couture), and absolutely without question,...

Here’s a thought… Why doesn’t Dana White just come right out and say that he feels that Randy Couture has done enough for the sport of MMA (which he has) to automatically deserve a shot at the light-heavyweight championship title? Why make him jump through a dozen hoops just to appease a rather “large” portion of the fans? After all, it’s your monopoly Dana–just do whatever the heck you want! Fight fans can complain until they are blue in the face—Randy Couture should not have to wait in line and the light-heavyweight division was officially put on notice of this fact, once...

Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki is a Japanese mixed-martial artist and former police trainee who also happens to be the current DREAM lightweight champion, Shooto middleweight champion, and the World Alliance of Mixed Martial Arts lightweight champion. Very impressive. Now, I hate to rehash old news, but what’s not so impressive is what happened at Dynamite 2009, this past December. In case you hadn’t heard by now, after breaking the arm of the Sengoku champion, Mizuto Hirota, with a hammerlock arm submission, Aoki followed it up by flipping the bird (middle finger) to an incapacitated Hirota,...