Another week in the books, though technically Sunday is the first day of a new seven days. This week to be presents only four days of work before a three-day weekend thanks to the July 4 holiday. Besides fireworks, here's hoping July ushers in consistent sunshine.
I had the privilege of spending a half hour this morning speaking with UFC welterweight contender Brock Larson for a feature I'll be penning for FIGHT! Magazine. He had just landed in Minnesota after seconding Kyle Jensen at an event in Pittsburgh, where Jenson was victorious after a broken clavicle felled opponent and UFC veteran Rich Clementi.
As of now I have no deadline because they want to time it to promote Larson's next fight, in which a date and opponent are both TBD. Larson, who debuted in FIGHT's monthly rankings at No. 10 in his division thanks to his tremendous triangle submisison victory over Mike Pyle at UFC 98, made it clear he desires a rematch with Carlos Condit, who handed Larson his last defeat on August 5, 2007 when both competed in the since discontinued WEC welterweight division.
Since then Larson has won five straight - all via first round TKO - and owns an overall MMA record of 26-2. Not only is Larson a great fighter who at age 31 has yet to peak, he's a great person with an everyman attitude that keeps him grounded, a lot like WEC featherweight king Mike Brown. Larson is hoping to sign on his next fight in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned.
UFC 100 is in two weeks. My Junkie colleague John Morgan took part in a conference call with Georges St. Pierre, who will defend his welterweight crown against Thiago Alves. GSP called it the biggest challenge of his career, one which he's taking seriously. The Pitbull told me exclusively in May he promises to knock GSP out and "shock the world."
Brock Lesnar's success still hasn't swayed the ignorant who consider professional wrestling as "fake" or a joke. Like Lesnar, Bobby Lashley is a former WWE competitor turned Mixed Martial Artist that has yet to be taken seriously. His first-round submission win over veteran Bob Sapp at Saturday's Ultimate Chaos event in Biloxi, Mississippi, should sway a few more who have yet to grasp the concept of wrestling's realism. (Sadly, there are those who never will.)
Another Junkie colleague, Steve Sievert, was in Biloxi. I'm looking forward to his "Building Bobby Lashley" story next week.
"To all the heavyweights out there, if you're not looking at me, you better, because I'm coming. I'll take on all challengers," Lashley (4-0) said.
Three out of Lashley's four MMA wins have come in Round 1, with only Jason Guida, a last-minute replacement for the suspended Ken Shamrock, taking him the distance. It sounds to me like he's ready to compete in any of the Big Three.
Speaking of UFC competition, Affliction vice president Tom Atencio competed at Ultimate Chaos at age 42 and TKOed Randy Hedderick in Round 2. He's made it clear he'd love to do the same to Dana White.
“Screw Dana White for what he said about you," Atencio said to Hedderick. "Anybody who steps in the ring deserves a lot of respect. Win, lose or draw, at least you had the balls."
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