Getting the "W"

I don't really get why they give 2nd and 3rd place medals

Been a busy couple of weeks. I quit my job, rather, resigned to be more accurate.

Competed at the Submission Only, took 2nd in the purple belt featherweight, lost first round of the absolute. I've had a nagging shoulder injury that came after getting sick a few weeks back but I'm thankful I've still managed to train a good bit.

Making sure I don't let Jeff Shaw open up his spider/DLR game

The week following the Submission Only, I had a superfight (still hate that term) with a good friend and fellow Jiu-Jitsu addict, Jeff Shaw of Dirty White Belt Blogger Fame at the Bull City Brawl in Durham.

I managed to get the submission win at about the 6:40 mark with an ezekiel I set up by hunting for the arm triangle from technical mount/back take territory.









I played a conservative game on top, not letting him open up his guard because I knew his DLR and spider guard game would give me a lot of trouble if he got it going.

Felt good to get the win if not much else because I didn't open my game up and didn't feel like I had much finesse in the match. I just grinded out pressure passing and the old school Jiu-Jitsu gameplan of smash and pass then threatened submissions until I got the ezekiel.

Coming up I have US Grappling Raleigh on the 18th, a superfight in Charlotte at the Fight Lab MMA event on the 24th, then I plan on competing the next day at the Copa America in Gastonia, NC.

Win or learn.

Combat Sports Weekend: Bellator, WSOF, & a UFC Fight Pass Card Picks

I don't even care that I'm going to miss the UFC Fight Pass Poland non-card that's this weekend. If I had a friend who had fight pass and time to kill I might watch it.
I've posted my pics for the fights I know enough to wager on but the rest of the card is chock full of guys I simply do not know and cannot find much if any information regarding their record and that of their former opponents. Wager at your own risk. 


IN reality, I'm super excited about this Friday night Bellator card.

IT features:

"main CARD

Spike TV, 9 p.m. ET

Will Brooks vs. Dave Jansen
for lightweight title

Rafael Carvalho vs. Joe Schilling

Marcin Held vs. Alexander Sarnavskiy

Tony Johnson vs. Alexander Volko"

 

Brooks vs Jansen will be a great fight. Joe Schilling looks to follow up his KO of Manhoef with another one. Marcin Held vs Sarnavskiy will also likely be a great fight.
It's hard to complain to Bellator for booking this card. I've got Jansen by split decision but honestly this fight is a toss up, Schilling by KO, Held by toe hold in the 3rd round and Volko by TKO.

I'm less enthused about the WSOF card but I'll ask whatever establishment I'm at to put it on another TV during Bellator. I don't know why the only two non-UFC promotions are counter-programming one another on a weekend with NO UFC on Saturday night but people with way more money and TV experience I guess make those decisions.  

Thursday Morning Blow Your Mind Time: 30+ Mins of Mendes Bros Rolling

In case you needed your mind blown first thing, here's 30+ minutes of sparring/rolling/randori/whatever/amazing-ness at the Mendes Bros. Art of Jiu-Jitsu Academy.
Other than the random Bull Terrier event, Rickson Cup or the Worlds, we've only seen two of our sport's best competitors a handful of times this year.

It's tough when you spend much of the year just waiting to see your favorite guys have maybe, what? 15 matches a year? If that. 3 matches at this event, 4 matches maybe at the Worlds....in 365 calendar days a year. I like that the IBJJF will force black belts to qualify but former world champs I take it won't have to qualify. For example, I think this year I'll only get to see Lucas Lepri at the Worlds. One of my favorite competitors I won't see compete for nearly a year.

I have digressed: watching the Mendes Brothers is kind of like watching Moebius working on his craft, or say, a master violin maker: you know that you don't appreciate the vast majority of the finer artistry of what they're doing but even a layman can see that they are light years ahead of many of their peers in terms of application and precision. 

Recent Match - Submission Only & upcoming competition schedule

It's always strange to me in tournaments when I hit triangles, or a straight armbar because it's not that I don't know how to do them, but rather, I don't hit them in training nearly as often as I hit them competing (or at least that's how it feels).

Purple belt has taught me to look at the bracket as only the match I having coming up. I've had some great wins and nearly flawless matches at purple belt, but I've also had matches where I made one mistake and never got it back. I've yet to medal in the absolute at purple belt and that's also on my list of goals for this year.

I've got US Grappling Raleigh coming up on the 18th, and Copa America the weekend after on the 25th in Charlotte.

I am hopefully booked for the 2nd installment of the Toro Cup and will get another superfight (yes, I still hate that term) for the Bull City Brawl event in Durham in June.

Road to Metamoris 6: Season 1, Episode 1

As usual, I'm late to the party....

Click HERE.

Kickin' it with Keenan

As we move into an era where some of our favorite competitors only show up a couple times a year (*ahem* Malfacine, Mendes brothers, Lucas Lepri, et al)....I'm glad Keenan is still cocmpeting regularly throughout the year. 

Keenan Cornelius vs Mike Fowler


Keenan Cornelius vs Lucas Leite

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MMA Betting Man's Picks - UFC Fight Night 63: Mendes vs Lamas

I think Mendes does what Lamas does but better in just about every area. Mendes looks really, really good against Aldo the second time around (but he did pull a Johnny Hendricks and shoot like 2 takedowns in 25 minutes but he also knocked Aldo down in the first round so what do I know?)

It's hard to bet against Masvidal who I think is a more versatile version of Iaquinta whose stoppage of Lauzon hasn't done much to change my impression of him.

Some girls are fighting but I don't watch women fight so I'll go with the submission record of Dudieva over Pena.

Guida is fighting which is interesting I had no idea he was still in the UFC. Gray Maynard also is on the card after some time away as well. Interestingly enough, my coach has helped corner Gray Maynard before. Poirier will try to shake off the sting of getting put down by Conor McGregor earlier this year (my how time flies) and should do so over Ferreira.