Okay, I'm sucked in.
Not to the point of eating Creatine cupcakes, stocking my closet with Affliction T-shirts and putting Newy Scruggs in an arm bar, but I'm intrigued enough by the sport of Mixed Martial Arts that I'm journeying to American Airlines Center Saturday night for UFC 103.
I know Floyd Mayweather makes his first return to the ring since 2007 but at this point, UFC is kicking boxing's ass. Despite what Tim Cowlishaw says, UFC > Boxing, right?
Granted, UFC 103 features no star-studded main event or title fight. There will be 13 fights in all (doors open at 5:20 p.m., tickets start at a cool $100), but none featuring householdish names like Brock Lesnar, Georges St. Pierre or Chuck Liddell. Still, the headline act of Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort will likely produce more hits than Giants-Cowboys. And, for that matter, probably more than the Rangers' bats.
I've seen a couple of these UFC pay-per-view events and there's always that "Wow!" moment. Usually some blood. Perhaps a tooth. Always much, much pain.
As for Frankline vs. Belfort, I've had to do a little research. And I've got only a little insight:
Franklin apparently resembles Mavericks' coach Rick Carlisle and needs this win to get a shot at a light heavyweight title, while Belfort is eyeing a championship bout against Anderson Silva.
If you can't afford the $100 or the pay-per-view, you can catch a free appetizer Saturday night at 7 on SpikeTV. And if you want to challenge one of these badasses to a fight, there's an autograph session Friday at 1 p.m. at the Dallas Convention Center.
You sucked in?
