Do these two guys really dislike each other as much as we have been led to believe? I guess we will find out. Rashad is a tough cat. He is an awesome wrestler but he has won most of his fights standing up. On the other hand, He really throws great hands and elbows with a lot of very clean technique. On the other hand, Rampage is a crazy cat. When he is on, it is like a freaking hurricane is blowing in the ring.

Round 1. For all the prefight huffing and puffing, rampage didn’t do shit. Rashad almost took him with a clean right to the jaw. He was also taken down a couple of time by Rashad.

Round 2 is beginning to look like round 1. For 2 guys who took every opportunity to tell us how their badassitude was off the charts, Rashad and Rampage have been disappointing so far in this fight. We thought we would see fireworks but so far we have not.

Round 3 was going the same way for a while, then Rampage caught Rashad and it looked like he had a chance to finish the fight but he was undisciplined, was Rampage and he did not have the composure that he needed to finish the fight. On the other hand, Rashad kept his composure, gathered himself and took down Rampage a couple of more times to seal the win. It was an easy unanimous call for the judges who correctly called the fight for Rashad.

I like Bisping’s fighting style. Always have. With a few more tools, I think he could be lethal at his weight class. What I have always found interesting is how hard these guys train for all kinds of techniques but come fight time, they generally opt for a pretty much a stand up fight. It is like they are afraid to deploy the other stuff they have learned.

Well, unless Miller comes up with something here soon, we might as well call this one for Bisping. Fight’s over. I think I will go ahead and call this one for Bisping. The judges agree.

Duffee v Mike Russow
This is one of those fights that make you wonder – particularly on the part of Russow. He must know somebody.

Guillard v Lowe
That was quick. Very quick. Guillard caught Lowe with a very clean, very well executed knee. The knee put Lowe out. Goodnight it was for Lowe.

To tell the truth, I am tired of Nogueira. The guy seems to think very highly of himself as a fighter. He is okay but that’s just about it. This Jason Brilz guy is not too terrible actually. The fight itself was not half bad. It turned out to be a pretty decent fight. If it was up to me, I would have scored it for Brilz. The judges apparently so the fight differently. Nogueira won the fight. Whatever.

Diego Sanchez continues to disappoint. We all remember the promise this guy showed early in his career as he came out of TUF. We always watched his fights waiting and expecting to see the brilliance he seemed to promise emerge. It never has, perhaps never will. Tonight, John Hathaway made sure it didn’t, beating Sanchez easily in a unanimous decision.

Lauzon v Escudero
This is a lackluster fight. For smaller guys, this fight is really slow. It looks like Lauzon has the talent edge but not the balls to exploit it. If he really wanted to, I suspect he could press and put Escudero to sleep.

In round 2, Escudero seems like he has found his groove. He looks like the better conditioned fighter and he is looking to kick some ass – with some success I might add.

Chelsea won the Barclays Premier League with unbelievable flourish and style today. They beat Wigan so decidedly, so convincingly, there were times I had this funny feeling that Wigan fans and even some players were just enjoying the show. Chelsea set a ton of records, Didier Drogba won the Golden Boot and I believe Peter Cech did enough with this clean sheet to win the Golden Glove. They set a league goal scoring record. It was fun to watch, Chelsea fan or not. Their badassitude was so apparently evident, one couldn’t help but luxuriate in it. They emphatically made the statement that they were badass, in fact the badassest team in the league and showed off their badassitude to that effect. Those of you who have followed us some, know that we are big Gunners fans (and the Gunners came through by the way at Fulham). But today, our hats off to Chelsea. The Gunners will get them next season though. Of this we are supremely confident.

I was looking forward to Kimbo Slice v Matt Mitrione. Both interesting characters. To be sure though, that Mitrione showed more badassitude as a fighter on that TUF show than did Slice. Kimbo Slice at 245 was giving away 8 pounds to Matt Mitrione at 253 and, as far as I was concerned, quite a bit more in MMA skills. Mitrione has always had a pretty effective stand up style and skill and it looked like he added quite a bit of Jiu Jitsu skill. In round 1,

Mitrione almost had Slice in a triangle after Kimbo had power slammed him to the mat but he just couldn’t get the lock he need to finish it. Kimbo did get in a bunch of take-downs but did not do anything with them. It is beginning to look like Slice was a brawler for too long. There are things in the octagon, against a good MMA fighter that he just does not and will not see. For a while it looked like Mitrione might regret not being able to finish off Kimbo Slice when he had had the chance – twice. But he put it together in the 2nd round and completed the win. It was not much of a fight in my view.

Kimbo Slice has to come to terms with the fact that his day in the sun was as a street brawler. Hopefully he makes a few bucks for himself but it is doubtful that his future is as a fighter in the UFC. I thought going in that both guys were badass. The fight ended and I had not seen any real badassitude. Shame.

A word of advice to any fighter out there who still does not get the message fully: Don’t you dare try to knock out Floyd Money Mayweather. Sugar Shane tried. Sugar Shane came somewhat close. He delivered a monstrous right, twice and both times, particularly the second time, Floyd’s knees buckled. And he paid for it. Sugar Shane that is. He paid for the audacity of coming closer than anyone else ever did to putting the Money man on his ass on queer street.

Floyd is a badass. He is the baddest boxer alive today. I love Pac man, I love Sugar Shane, but there is no doubt in my mind, that when he decides to fight, there is no one and nothing like Floyd Mayweather in the ring. He is amazing for both his offense and defense, and his unequalled efficiency. There is not other fighter that I have ever seen who so clearly understands just how much they need to do to win a fight. He never does, Floyd that is, more than he absolutely needs to do to win. Last night he got lazy for a couple of minutes in the second and almost got knocked out. But the correction he made was amazing. He was untouched for the rest of the fight!

There are some things Floyd does which must just be frightening to an opponent. He is one of the few fighters who will counter the opponents in progress punch every single time. Every single time? Is that some badassitude or is that some badassitude? He will get out of the way and ring your bell at the same time, every single time. He can follow up on a jab, as his opponent steps away from a jab with such blinding speed that the over hand right typically scores. He is stronger, much more so than he looks. And for all the trash talk and attitude, there is not a more studious and serious fighter in the ring.

I like Shane Moseley a lot. From where I sat, it seemed to me like Shane never expected to win. He was surprised that he almost did in the second. The effort and emotion around that event drained him. Once Mayweather made the adjustment, Shane was unable to figure out what to do. There was a moment, I think in the ninth, when I really thought his corner might stop the fight. I am glad they didn’t. Shane is far too good a guy and fighter to have that happen to him.

Pacquiao, if the fight can be made, better bring his lunch. And so should Floyd. Pacquiao is relentless and he hits awfully hard, but I would not be surprised if Floyd knocked him out around the 7th round. Speaking of, I will never understand why Pac’s camp cannot agree to the drug test. In fact all of boxing should be thanking Mayweather for what he is doing for boxing, creating the true image of a dope free sport. If they are concerned about the effect the drawing of blood will have on their fighter, why not just stipulate that both fighters should be tested at the same time? Fairly or not, we can’t help but wonder if they are not trying to hide something. Pac Man’s camp that is. But what a fight it will be when it happens. What a fight! What badassitude!