UFC 118(post-fight rant)

Another great night of fights(well almost all UFC events feature great fights anyway). I actually almost forgot that this PPV was Frankie Edgar's title defense against The Prodigy that is BJ Penn. I thought that the COuture-toney fight was the main event. So it was like a bonus, seeing the title fight in the end!

The first fight was bloody. It was Marcus "Irish Hand Grenade" Davis against the young buck Nate Diaz. A classic "striker VS grappler" match-up, though Davis has a decent ground game, and Nate isn't afraid to mix it up on the feet. And guess what happened. You would expect Nate to get outclassed on the feet because Davis is a legit boxer(used to box in the amateur circuit). But he was tooled by Nate and was even submitted on the ground. Davis was sleeping when the fight ended.


Here's Davis. Even the ring doctor looks like WTF?!?

2nd fight was a title contender match-up between Gray "The Bully" Maynard and Kenny "Ken-Flo"(yes, I know the moniker sucks) Florian. I expected The Bully to outwrestle KenFlo to a unanimous decision. And that's exactly what happened. Poor Kenny. With all that Muay-Thai and jiu-jitsu skills(he's a black belt), he just can't cut it against the Bully's wrestling.

3rd on tap was the Demain Maia-"Super" Mario Miranda fight. Maia was originally slated to face Alan "Teh Talent" Belcher but Belcher had to withdraw because of a damaged retina or something in the eye. If he doesn;t watch it, he could go blind and won't be able to compete in MMA anymore. But I have a feeling that he would be back.

Anyway, the 3rd fight was kinda' boring. I thought Super Mario was good on the feet. But Maia just managed to strike with him, and even take him to the ground. That fight should've included Belcher for it to be more exciting.

The 4th match was the co-main event of the evening between Randy Couture and James Toney. This was the fight that pits a boxer(Toney) against an MMA fighter(Couture). Just as I predicted, Toney was taken to the ground(where he looks like a fish out of the water). But I didn't expect Randy to submit his ass. It is also kinda' stupid for me that Randy earned his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt(it was handed to him by his Jiu-jitsu coach during the post-fight interview) after he submitted Toney. Randy should submit a black belt too to earn his own black belt, that's what I think how it should be.

The main event surprised me again. This was a rematch between "The Answer" and "The Prodigy"(the Prodigy lost on the first one) so I expected BJ Penn to come out stronger and do a dominating performance on Edgar. Oh how stupidly mistaken my prediction was.

BJ looked like he didn't upgrade anything in his game. It actually looked like Frankie did more adjustments on his game plan. He still looked like Mighty Mouse in that he was whizzing and darting here and there. And what's more, he repeatedly took Penn down! Until earlier, no one at lightweight has actually dominated BJ Penn like that. Frankie Edgar shows us that heart and skill could shut pundits and experts(I being one of 'em) up!

(my 2 cents on)Splice

I admit that I just watched this movie because there were no other movies to watch. I was quite hesitant to watch this flick because I already kinda' knew(based on the trailer alone)what will happen. And I wasn't wrong. this film really didn't leave me feelin' satisfied.

Personal feelings aside, I think this film just had one main theme. Reproduction. Or in layman's terms...SEX!

I also had the feeling that I was robbed. That's because as I've said in the beginning of this rant that I already knew what was comin' even before I witnessed the movie. It was just about "splicing" genes, that's it! They're sorta' like mixing and matching human and animal DNA/RNA(whatever!) to create a new specie. The only thing that I didn't know about was that they're actually trying to synthesize or create a new protein that could battle certain diseases.

Another "robbing" factor of this movie is the fact that it was for 2009. Or if you look on the internet, it would say "Splice(2009)". And it's already past the midway point of 2010. I should've just watched it on DVD. Too bad I don't have that option right now.

Just to get that "robbed" feeling away, I had to convince myself that I was sorta' entertained by everything. I didn't realize that Sarah Polley(who was Elsa Kast in the movie)has a li'l hotness in her. Now why the fuck did I not find that "li'l hotness" in her back in Dawn Of The Dead when she still looks virtually the same anyway?!?

Adrien Brody still looks like Raymond Bagatsing IMHO. He also looks geeky(perfect for his scientist role here). That is I think the "geeky hotness" that some females are looking for.

And I just want to add something completely irrelevant to the film. The lady who played Dren(a.k.a. "The New Specie") named Delphine Chaneac looks a lot like that chick FHM model who lives here in our subdivision named Jane Montemayor.







Being the Russian judge on this one, I give Splice a 5.5 out of a 10.



*images from IMDb and Jane Montemayor's personal Facebook account.

(my 2 cents on) Step Up 3D

3D is the shizzlenit!

Now how many times have I said that shite? I dunno'. I'm just a sucker for 3D. I'm actually a sucker for many things. I can suck your blood if you wanna.

This dance movie actually made me appreciate dancers more than I actually do. I often look at 'em as "soft", but they ain't. Their moves are hardcore as shit!

Believe it or not, I actually have watched all the Step Up flicks, thanks to my dancer sister. If I recall right, Chris Brown was in the second installment. I could also clearly remember the "Matrix Breakdancing" back in Step Up 1.

Now this 3rd(and should I say final?) Step Up installment couldn't come at a more timely manner. Not with all these 3D flicks sprouting up here and there. They just decided to cash in on the whole 3D thing, which is good for me personally because my eye always craves for candies.

The plot's kinda' stale and predictable. But who gives a fuck? All I want is for my eyes to be fed visuals. And this movie didn't disappoint.

I was ooh-in' and aaah-in so loudly, but my random movie seatmates didn't bat an eyelash. They were in awe too! Especially during the 2nd battle of the World Jam Dance Battle(or somethin' like that) where they improvised while all the water was ruining their stage. The 3D glasses were drippin' wet! That's the power of 3D!

Well enough of the damned movie experience. Here are my 2 cents...

-The lead guy looked like a rugged version of Ashton Kutcher. No kiddin'! Take a look for yourself.

-Moose was kinda cute in that he could bust moves even with all the scrawniness oozin' out of him.

-The Argentinian twins were just annoyances who added international flavor. Well I guess the black guy who had a heavy Euro accent added flavor to the mix as well. But technically, he looked like an Afro-American.

-The "Robot Dude" was ridic!

-The break-dancin' kids were really cute. Too cute for my taste to be doin' those dance moves.

-The "finger dancer" during the credits was off the chain as well! I didn't know that rollin' a joint could be translated into a dance move!


This movie warrants a passing grade of 7.5 outta 10 just because of the fact that I was blown away.




image source: http://www.i-watchnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Step-Up-3D-Movie-Poster.jpg

(My 2 Cents On) The Expendables

Just when you thought you couldn't inject any more testosterone into a flick, then along comes this Stallone creation. Sly's a fuckin' genius! Who would've ever thought of assembling a gang of(over the hill) Hollywood action studs?!? No one this side of the Milky Way, that's who! Too bad my other faves like JCVD(Jean Claude Van-Damme for all you giblets not in the know), Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal didn't find their way into the Expendable roster.

Seemed like this movie was just about a bunch of guys who just want to hurt each other, as well as other guys. There was really no trace of a plot except for one that involves killing a former CIA agent who went rogue and now holds a small island in the Mexican Gulf named Vilena and controls the dictator there, as well as the drugs that flow out of that place.

But I really don't give a dang about any plots in this movie. I'm just a sucker for cheesy one-liners and massive explosions, plus a lot of blood!

Now let me throw in my 2 cents to the stars of this movie. Here goes...

Sylvester Stallone- could still run through the jungle like John Rambo(though not as fast). Him clashing with Dolph Lundgren brings back memories of Rocky 4.

Jason Statham- still has the 'ole Transporter moves, and the 'ole Turkish(Snatch) accent. Watching a lot of live UFC events proved to be beneficial too because he was able to infuse his MMA moves into the movie fight sequences(that goes for Stallone too, who was doin' an arm bar on Stone Cold).

Jet Li- showed traces of Once Upon A Time In China meets Romeo Must Die fight techniques. Less talk and more martial arts!

Dolph Lundgren- sounds exactly like Ivan Drago who just learnt English or somethin'. Why can't he sound like He-Man?!?

Mickey Rourke- minimum lines equals maximum effect. Less is more indeed.

Randy Couture- has probably done more Superman Punches than any other Hollywood actor in history. Also looks more "Natural"(no pun intended) than Rampage Jackson in front of a camera. Too bad A-Team didn't do as well as this flick when it was released back in June.

Terry Crews- added more muscle to the testosterone. Also busted a move(like he always does in his movies). Dancers really can't help it.

Stone Cold Steve Austin- stuck with his own Texan accent and tried to sound tough[like he always does in WWE]. A Stone Cold Stunner was actually executed in this flick. But it wasn't Austin who did it(could've been either Randy "The Natural" Couture or Jason "The Transporter" Statham).

Arnold Schwarzenegger- try and take a closer look and you will see that Arnold kinda' walks like The Terminator itself.

Bruce Willis- Mr. "Calm Demeanor" himself.


And oh! They could've picked a prettier Latina actress to play the part of the General's daughter(though I wouldn't think twice if this girl stripped right in front of me). The thing was that where were all the women in this film where all the alpha males were at?!?

And no kissing scene too? WTF?!? Stallone kinda' feinted a kiss, but that's the nearest thing to a kiss that we're ever gonna see in that movie. Too bad!

Well, that's basically my 2 cents. If you have a sharp eye, you would actually see the Nogueira twins(Minotauro and Minotouro, or probably just one of them) playin' Vilena soldiers. My guess is that Randy Couture invited 'em or something.

For all its worth, I give this a 6.5 out of a 10. A 9.9 out of 10 though for the superb casting and excessive explosions. The missin' .1 was for the MIA(missin' in actions) guys(JCVD, Chucky boy and Steven "Emotionless" Seagal).





*image source: http://www.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Expendables-movie-poster1-404x600.jpg

UFC 117(afterthoughts)

I admit that I was late in tuning into this fight. I was on my way home(I was somewhere in Makati, near Dela Rosa ST to be exact)when Junior Dos Santos and Roy Nelson were goin' at it.

When I got home, Stefan "The Skyscraper" Struve was battling Christian Morecraft(a UFC newcomer I believe). I didn't really watch it because only the main event mattered to me.

Next fight that I witnessed was between the Thiago Alves-Jon Fitch fight. My money was on Fitch but I was rooting for Alves. Though I knew right from the get-go that Fitch would just grind out another decision victory. Man Jon Fitch is so boring!

Then the main event came. I thought it never would. And it didn't disappoint. In fact, it exceeded expectations! I've been watching MMA now for years and years but this fight really made me say WTF because it really was a WTF moment!

If ya'll recall the Mike Russow-Todd Duffee fight, Russow was bein' schooled 'till he tagged Duffee. That is the epitome of a "come-from-behind win". Well it's the same thing with the Silva-Sonnen fight. Silva was being pounded out for majority of the fight 'till he pulled a rabbit out of his ass in the 5th round.

This fight actually showed to us that Anderson is no Superman and that wrestling is his kryptonite. Sonnen is just too good at wrestling so he's able to dictate to Silva where the fight goes. And Anderson clearly doesn't wanna be on his back. Though his elbows from underneath are pretty effective. The elbows were the reason Sonnen was all busted up after the fight.

And did I already mention that Sonnen clipped Silva twice when they were on their feet? That might be age catching up with Silva. He's beginning to slow down I guess.

The 5th round was more or less the same as what happened during the first 4 rounds. Silva gettin' pounded out and unable to get back on his feet. Then the unbelievable happened. Anderson managed to slap on a triangle choke on Sonnen while he was in full guard. Initially there was confusion because Sonnen seemed to tap, but they were still goin' at it. Referee Josh Rosenthal was trying his best to separate the 2. If he wasn't there to stop the fight, Sonnen would've been caught in another submission. He was actually trapped in an arm bar when the fight was officially stopped.

Sonnen seemed to disagree with the stoppage, but a quick glance at the instant replay proved to him otherwise. For me, that gets the nod for one of the best comebacks of all time, in whatever sport. as the cliche goes, "Never underestimate the heart of a champion". Anderson Silva is not out 'till you put him out!

The Bounty Hunter(post-viewing rant)

Two words. Alpha Male.

These two words describe the UK novelty that is Gerard Butler. He is the modern day King Leonidas(who was an alpha male himself).

The plot's pretty predictable. Ex-wife who drove the ex-hubby crazy is now on the run because of felony and the ex-husband is out for revenge to get even with ex-wife and to collect bounty money. You know, that type of story.

Post-Brad Pitt Jennifer Aniston still seemed hot even in her 40's. And Mr. Butler? He is a prime alpha male specimen. I feel kinda' puny and weak when I see this guy. The only bad thing is that Gerard still chose to take on a role with his thick English accent(or Scottish or Irish or whatever. Clearly shows his non-versatility. Though I give him kudos to the fact that he's tryin' his hand at comedy and pokin' a li'l fun on himself. That's the way to go Gerard. Expand your horizons for more film offers!

The Last Airbender(formerly known as Avatar)

I'm just playin' with the title. I really don't have that much to say about Aang and friends. I'm really not a hardcore fan of the animated series on Nickelodeon. Just watched some excerpts, that's all.

This film is boring. Sorry for sounding a bit harsh. But I was sleeping in 15 minute bunches and was even a li'l bit surprised to see the ending credits when I was still expecting to see some action(that I virtually missed out). And the fact that I was well-slept or rested before watching this film bears testament to how boring this film is because I never snooze when a flick is on.

Well M. Night, you're just goin' downhill I guess after you peaked in The Sixth Sense.

I also didn't like to see that many Indians in one Hollywood film(except for Slumdog Millionaire of course). 1 is enough(like in Inception). But that too many makes the Hollywood flick go Bollywood!

The Legend Of Jon Jones

Jon Jones. Or more specifically, Jon "Bones" Jones. Remember that name because I predict that the simple name Jon Jones would one day go down in the annals of MMA history. I ain't jumpin' on any Jon Jones hype train or what not(I've hopped in the war wagon a long time ago). I knew how good this guy is, and it got verified ever since I saw him do a spinning back elbow strike on a fallen Stephan Bonnar. It was actually the first time that I've seen that kind of strike(I think that shit only happens in video games).

I actually saw Anderson Silva do an upward spinning elbow when he was still in Cage Rage, but he wasn't doin' it while fallin' down on an opponent. That's how good this young buck is. The scary part is that he just turned 23. Freakery!

The UFC should stop throwin' wrestlers at this guy. We all thought Matt Hamill was the better wrestler. Looked at what happened. Jon Jones may have lost(due to the 12-6 elbow strikes to Matt's head), but he was winning that fight. for me, that loss means shit.

Brandon Vera was supposed to be the better wrestler when he was faced with Jones. He was also supposed to be the more technical striker. Look at what happened to Vera. Another disappointing loss.

And now, Matyushenko was supposed to be Jon Jones' toughest test. Though for me, the Brandon Vera dismantling was Jon Jones' comin' out party. Well goin' back, they all said that Matyushenko's experience will surely give Jon Jones a run for his money. They all should've thought otherwise.

Bones just wrestled Matyushenko with ease. He outstruck him too prior to that(obviously, just as expected). Then after some scrambling and grapplilng, Bones caught The Janitor(the Matyushenko moniker, which is easier to type)in a crucifix position. Now for me the crucifix and the full nelson are the rarest grappling positions that fighters end up in. And here was Jones stickin' it to The Janitor with relative ease!

After the trappage(wherein The Janitor's head was trapped in an undefendable[if there even is such a word]position), Jones then proceeded to dish some vicious elbows to Matyushenko's head. Poor Janitor. Ref Herb Dean wouldn't allow that kind of punishment to unnecessarily continue, he promptly stopped the fight.

Knowing that Bones was a former JUCO national wrestling champ, the UFC should now just throw him a top 5er. I know they're trying to slowly build him up because Jones is still young, but I guess it's time. This kid is just too dang good!

Cheers to the future!

The Siakol Experience

There was this gig at school that I attended. It was mostly attended by young kids who were there to get acquainted or whatever.

Anyway, the sole purpose of my attendance to that blasted gig was to witness Siakol. as far as I could remember, I've never witnessed ''em live. And I had fun growin' up in the 90's listening to "Peksman", "Bakit Ba", "Lakas Tama", and other "Squatter Rock" songs as I call it. It was all good back in the day!

So there I was, thinkin' that I was late to witness Siakol. It was a rainy 8:30 evenin'. Good thing it was just the front acts(not my band) playin' so I felt relief sweep all over me.

The band that I watched were from UST named Publiko or somethin'. I was amazed at their perseverance because they were just a 3-piece band. We all know how hard it is holding the musical fort when there are only 3 of you doin' it. But there they were playin' still. Though I wasn't in love with their sound or whatever. They just looked good to me because they were a power trio, and that's about it.

The next band was named Orange Cartel, and they sucked IMO. They were virtually the same band, except that the guitarist/vocalist of Publiko switched to bass and another guitarist joined on board while another vocalist joined the fray, doin' annoying antics.

While all that was happenin', I went out first to eat. I decided not to return when I heard this band onstage doin' covers of COld Play and The Killers. That just sapped my energy right there. I was thinkin', "When the fuck are Siakol gonna play?!?"

Then the next band was announced. It was the Urbandub peeps. They kinda entertained me because I knew most of the songs that they played. And they were humble. Well they should be, because they're gettin' paid. We're paying to see 'em. But I guess that's just the way they are. good for 'em.

Then the gay emcees fucked up. They told the audience that Siakol was up next, when in fact it was Mayonnaise who was about to get onstage. Fuck those faggots! Honestly, "Jopay" and "Sinungaling" were the only songs that I kinda' knew the lyrics to. Thanks to the masa radio stations where these songs are heavily played.

Then the finale came. It was really very fitting, because they were like the main event or something. Too bad for the losers who went home after Dub and Mayonnaise played. They didn't get to witness one of the pillars of 90's Pinoy rock.

The problem was that it's these youngsters who were in attendance. They were probably still suckin' on their mother's tits when Siakol's old-school songs were bein' played in the airwaves. They can't sing to the lyrics of the song while the Siakol classics were bein' played. Only a handful of us old school thugs were joining the Siakol fray. I could see the disappointed face of Siakol's vocalist light up a little everytime he hears us sing-along to their songs.

Long live Siakol! That's all I could say.