MMA JOURNALIST BY JIM GENIA

WEC 39 Fun Facts

The "Little League World Championships of Mixed Martial Arts" (a.k.a., WEC 39) is Sunday night on the Versus channel, and the Corpus Christi, Texas event features featherweight champ Mike "Holy Cow I Beat Urijah Faber?!" Brown defending his belt against Leonard Garcia. Here are some fun facts MMA Journalist has compiled concerning the event:

* Garcia's success in the sport has led to a dramatic rise in his popularity within the drug mule community. There's even a dusty and trash-strewn path through the New Mexico desert named after him.

* Brown still can't believe he defeated Urijah Faber. To remind himself, he's had the side of his van painted with a colorful mural depicting the WEC 36 TKO win - although in the mural Brown is dressed as a wizard and Faber is a giant dragon wearing a nameplate that says "Urijah".

* Bart Palaszewski's last name is actually a shortened version of his family name. On his birth certificate, his last name is listed as "Palaszewskidgnsklnaseit93^%O)kd".

* Rob McCullough has never seen an adult video.

* Jose Aldo's striking is so feared, the trainer who holds his focus mitts must attend therapy three times a week.



Rich Crunkilton Injured Trying to Pronounce Bart Palaszewski's Name; Replaced by Ricardo Lamas

Florida-based fighter Rich Crunkilton, scheduled to face Bart Palaszewski at WEC 39, has injured himself trying to pronounce his opponent's name and is now unable to fight. His replacement will be Ricardo Lamas, grandson of B-List actor Lorenzo Lamas. "Igh urt mah tugh," said Crunkilton in a phone interview. "Dah doctahs tink ib bwoken." At this time it's unclear how long the veteran fighter will be out with this injury. Sunday night's WEC 39 will be headlined by a featherweight championship match-up between title holder Mike Brown and challenger (and former drug mule) Leonard Garcia, and the Corpus Christi, Texas event will be broadcast live on the "Versus" cable channel.



Top Five Backstage Food Spreads

Ah, the backstage food spread... the yardstick by which a promotion's success or failure can be measured. A press credential usually gives you access to wherever you want to go, and through the years where MMA Journalist has wanted to go is where the free grub is at, where one rule has emerged immutable: the more extravagant the selection, the more doomed the organization. (Something about spending money on unimportant things, like feeding the press, being directly proportionate to loose finances. Or something. Who cares?) MMA Journalist regrets never having partaken in Pride's alleged epic epicurean ensemble, but there have been quite a few winners Stateside, so here are the top five.

1. The World Fighting Alliance - July 5th, 2002 - When John Lewis was running the show, the venue was the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, where your press credential got you access to the hotel's staff cafeteria. Was the food good? It was outstanding, and entree selections were changed three times a day. Plus, as the hotel employed paid "beach goers" to populate their pool, the place was littered with bikini-clad babes getting their lunch on. That's always a plus.

2. BodogFIGHT: "Alvarez vs. Lee" - July 14th, 2007 - Sliced roast beef, steamed potatoes, mixed vegetables, plus a table stocked with fruit, juice and granola bars for snacking throughout the night. BodogFIGHT really pulled out all the stops to feed people. Where are they now?

3. EliteXC: "Heat" - October 4th, 2008 - Ken Shamrock and Seth Petruzelli may have conspired to destroy the organization that Kimbo Slice called home, but nothing can detract from this press room buffet. Hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, desserts and more, yet the icing on the cake was the endless supply of drinks (cans of soda and water). Yeah, baby.

4. UFC 32: "Showdown in the Meadowlands" - June 29th, 2001 - The organization may be the very model of success now, but don't forget that Zuffa was bleeding money for years. Case in point, this bad boy in New Jersey, which featured a pre-show dining extravaganza that saw everything from cocktail shrimp to a carving station in play. Oh how I miss the good old days!

5. UFC 37: "High Impact" - May 10th, 2002 - Zuffa still hadn't figured out the whole "not necessary to feed the reporters" thing, so they were still hosting press dinners at this point - which were small affairs where UFC brass would mingle with us scribes at high-end hotel restaurants. I remember the filet mignon as if it were just yesterday. Oh how I really miss the good old days!



Pennsylvania Sanctions MMA; Amish Fighting Championship Set for April

Mixed martial arts is now legal in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to a press release from the Pennsylvania Department of State issued yesterday, the Keystone State - following regulations drawn up by the State Athletic Commission - will sanction mixed martial arts events, a move that brings the land of cheese steaks and the Liberty Bell up to speed with the likes of New Jersey, Nevada and California in terms of embracing the sport. The first scheduled MMA show will be the Amish Fighting Championship in April, which will feature local competitors squaring off in the "Barn of Doom".



Observations From My Couch: UFC 95

* It's been a long time coming, but it was good to finally see Mike Ciesnolevicz in the Octagon.

* Per Eklund, Evan Dunham, Stefan Struve, Junior Dos Santos... I had no idea who they were before UFC 95, and after seeing them fight, I still have no idea who they are.

* What language was Terry Etim speaking? Romulan? Please don't put a microphone in his face again.

* Josh Koscheck. The best welterweight fighter out there capable of getting knocked out by anyone.

* Demian Maia looked great, but how much of that was Chael Sonnen sucking?

* Bravo to Dan Hardy for keeping the mohawk alive. Rock on, punky.

* Diego Sanchez had a decent win, but it wasn't awe-inspiring. His nickname should no longer be "the Nightmare". "The Fitful Dream" would be more apt.