There are fighters who are good, fighters who are great and fighters who you’d bet on no matter who their opponents are. Who are the absolute best fighters in the UFC? The fighters who define their weight classes and perhaps could compete at a weight class higher.

The UFC has five weight classes. Each weight class, with the exception of heavyweights spans 15 lbs and each class has their own sets of tried and true stars and outstanding performers.

The lightweight class goes from 155lbs to 170 lbs and features such great fighters as Sean Sherk, Spencer Fisher, Frank Edgar, BJ Penn, Joe Stevenson, Hermes Franca and Kenny Florian.

Welterweights go from 170lbs to 185 lbs and has such notables as Matt Hughes, Matt Serra, Diego Sanchez, Jon Fitch, Karo Parisyan, Josh Koscheck and Georges St Pierre.

Middleweights are between 170lbs and 185lbs. Top level UFC middleweight fighters include Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin, Evan Tanner, Dan Henderson (sometimes), Yushin Okami and Jason MacDonald.

The UFC light heavyweight division is perhaps the most talent deep of all the divisions in the UFC and covers 185lbs to 205lbs. The light heavyweight division has fighters such as Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Keith Jardine, Shogun Rua, Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Wanderlei Silva and Houston Alexander.

Heavyweight is the heaviest of all divisions in the UFC (there is no super heavyweight division). The UFC heavyweight division with it’s recent resignation of Randy Couture has a bit of an identity crisis, but features fighters like Brock Lesnar, Frank Mir, Mirko Cro Cop, Tim Sylvia, Brandon Vera and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Out of these five divisions, I could only find four fighters that I would bet on no matter who they were fighting (within their own divisions), but even having said that there is always one guy who you think might, just might take them down.

As far as I’m concerned, the king of all lightweights in the UFC isn’t even the current title holder, in fact he’s never held the UFC lightweight title. BJ Penn is best known to new UFC fans as a former coach on the Ultimate Fighter TV series and for holding a win over Jens Pulver. Long time fans will remember the younger BJ Penn who completely dominated competition in the UFC lightweight division before being defeated by Pulver and then leaving the UFC. Penn returned to the UFC as a welterweight and defeated then welterweight champion Matt Hughes by submission. In a re-match event, Penn dominated Hughes early on, but was eventually defeated by ref stoppage. It was later determined that BJ Penn had suffered a broken rib in that match up. BJ also had a very good showing against another top UFC welterweight, Georges St Pierre. In that fight BJ hurt St Pierre early on, but eventually lost a very close split decision. If there was one lightweight in the UFC who I would bet on every time, it would be BJ Penn. Honorable mention in this category goes to Sean Sherk, who I would bet on every time, except when he fights BJ Penn.

The UFC welterweight division is full of talent and full of matches which could go either way. For instance Matt Serra poses a problem for many UFC welterweights, but for others I think he is outmatched in size and strength. There is one guy in the UFC welterweight division who I believe stands head and shoulders above the rest, Georges St Pierre can match any of the other welterweights in size, strength, speed, stand up abilities and wrestling. He is likely the most well rounded fighter in all of mixed martial arts. Even with Georges physical advantages you need to look at Matt Hughes as well. Hughes has a victory over St Pierre, but St Pierre avenged that loss with a dominant TKO stoppage of Hughes. If there was one welterweight in the UFC that I would put money on every time, it is Georges St Pierre.

Of all the divisions in the UFC, the middleweight division is the easiest to pick out a dominant fighter. Anderson Silva has dominated just about every match up he’s been in since joining the UFC middleweight division mid way through 2006. Silva has taken out 5 top UFC middleweight fighters and could be king of that division for a long time. In fact, the only guy who I see giving Anderson Silva trouble is his next opponent. Silva will take on Pride 185lb champion Dan Henderson in what should be an outstanding match up at 185lbs, still you’ve got to make Silva the odds on favorite given his performances over the last year and a half.

I do not have a pick in the UFC light heavyweight division. Sure, Quinton Jackson has looked great in his matches against Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson, but still I wouldn’t pick Quinton against say Wanderlei Silva. I believe Wanderlei Silva would have trouble with his former Chute Box team-mate, Shogun Rua, or maybe even against Chuck Liddell, a fight which takes place on December 29th. I cannot find a single light heavyweight fighter in the UFC who I believe can defeat all top contenders, that’s the true mark of a talent laden division.

Since Randy Couture has left the UFC heavyweight division I do see a top dog emerging. That top dog is Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. Big Nog has defeated Cro Cop, Barnett and just about every fighter (except Fedor) that Pride has put in front of him. I expect Nogueira to do the same against all of the existing UFC heavyweights. Fighters like Lesnar aren’t ready for him, fighters like Sylvia and Cro Cop aren’t well rounded enough to compete with Nogueira on the ground. I could see Gabriel Gonzaga giving Big Nog a good match after about another year of experience.

Five divisions, four sure picks to win any match up within their divisions. The UFC is stacked with talent and there are some truly outstanding fighters-athletes who make watching mixed martial arts a real joy. Penn, St Pierre, Anderson Silva and Nogueira are all stand out fighters in their respective UFC divisions and I expect each of them to be title holders some time during 2008.

Tennis drills here will improve your mental abilities – concentration, perseverance, emotion control and so on.

They have other benefits too which you’ll discover when you start practicing them, but their main point is learning to play at your best despite pressure.

A tennis player is most efficient and capable of good results when he is in the zone state. That’s when his mind is empty. If a player is thinking about anything during ball exchange, he disturbs his concentration and consequently makes errors.

Especially damaging are thoughts about negative outcome just before the point. The most common is thinking about double faulting just before the serve. You can almost predict that a double fault will follow.

One of the main purposes of these drills is to show the player how to find this zone state and how much better he performs in that state. And that is actually the only thing besides effort that a player can control.

Many of these tennis drills will put the player under pressure and then he will have to perform a task under these circumstances. Sometimes a player competes against himself and sometimes against a partner.

In any case, if a player wants to be successful in a real match, then he needs to practice his skills with various tennis drills and develop mental toughness through time. A player cannot become mentally tough by reading books or by just going to a sports psychologist.

He needs to experience success in real situation to really become good with his mental abilities. The first step can be information in various forms – books, websites, workshops and so on. The next steps are tennis drills that are designed to improve mental toughness.

Then a player needs to play practice matches where he is playing a match but at the same time also practicing his mental skills. The final stage are real tennis matches where at first a player is not that good with his mental skills, but through repetition and success they become automatic.

Some of the drills are of the more general nature – like serving drills, which apply to all serving situations. Then other drills are more situation specific oriented – like playing for points, but practicing perseverance and playing under pressure.

Some drills are very match score specific - like playing games where the server starts at 30:40.

This question is bound to stir debate and controversy amongst the most ardent of airsoft or paintball fans.

Both airsoft and paintball are both hobbies based on replica firearms and wargames. Is this unhealthy? That depends moreso on the person themselves rather than the hobby. An interest in pursuing a hobby that involves weaponry only becomes unhealthy if taken to extremes - which is true of most things in life. Paintball and airsoft are not morbid hobbies and only run the risk of being dangerous when participated in by dangerous people.

Paintball itself is a more mobile sport. It requires a certain level of physical fitness, mobility and skill - if you paintball then you gotta be able to move fast. The weapons themselves are functional and are only designed to serve the purpose of the sport as opposed to looking good. Paintball rifles are designed to take a real beating when it comes to their use. Paintball fans fall into the ‘extreme sport’ category and enjoy the pure adrenaline of each paintball match and are driven by the desire to win.

Airsoft is a somewhat different sport. The guns used in airsoft are both conversation pieces and are also functional sports ‘weapons’. Airsoft rifles and pistols are capable of firing both small plastic pellets and paint filled pellets so are useful both in the sport itself and also for backyard target practice.

The major difference is the power of the guns themselves. Paintball guns are driven by high powered gas cylinders whereas airsoft guns fire projectiles either through springs, electronic firing mechanisms or with compressed gas. The issue is that most airsoft guns lack the range and accuracy of the larger paintball guns simply because they were never designed with long range fire in mind.

Conversely airsoft guns are available in a huge range of styles and models. Everything from a Glock handgun to a sniper rifle to a CAR15 assault rifle. Airsoft guns are equally at home hanging in your livingroom or at use on the airsoft playing field. You can even go as far as buying an airsoft minigun. Many airsoft fans simply collect the guns and never get involved in airsoft wargames at all. This is the much the same as many sword collectors - they display the weapons at home but don’t go running around waving them at people.

The truth is that neither airsoft nor paintball is superior. They’re both a case of personal preference. If you’re the extreme sports type then paintball will suit you more. If you’re more of a collector then airsoft will be more you thing.

Regardless of whether you’re a paintball fan or an airsoft fan it’s essential to take proper safety precautions when using these guns. Proper eye protection in the form of safety goggles should always be worn and suitable protective clothing to cover your neck and upper torso should also be worn. Even though some people see these as guns as toys they are capable of causing injury either through accident or even deliberate malice.

What’s so good about dirt bike racing?

The adrenalin is flowing, heart beat racing and blood pumping; the dirt bike racing is about to begin. As far as adrenalin fuelled sports go, you don’t get much more action packed than dirt bike racing. It’s fast, and to coin a well-used phrase, it’s furious. People from age 4 to age 64 love the thrill and regularly take part in dirt bike racing.

What should I consider when dirt bike racing?

First and foremost, you should consider your safety. The very nature of dirt bike racing as a sport means it’s dangerous and it’s even more dangerous if you don’t take it seriously. Any reputable dirt bake track won’t let you on if you don’t have a helmet, goggles, a jersey, pants, chest protector and in some cases a neck protector. You should always pick gear that fits because if it doesn’t fit it isn’t safe.

Dirt bike riders don’t appreciate people who ride recklessly, and if you are a reckless rider you will undoubtedly get an ear bashing for your dangerous behaviour and quite possibly kicked off the track. Dirt biking is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, but taking it seriously and following all the proper safety rules will help you make the most of it.

The bike also plays a serious part (obviously) and when you are selecting a dirt bike either for yourself or for your children you should always make sure that the rider can sit on the bike with their feet touching the floor and legs bent slightly. If the bike is too big there is no way you can have full control and the same can be said if it’s too small.

Also, consider how practised you are. The more experienced you become as a rider the better you become. Don’t try getting air of incredible heights until you really know what you are doing. Beginners should be happy with a foot or two of air; the riders you see on TV who are climbing up to ten feet have been riding for years and years to be able to do that.

As a beginner you will probably find a line you are happy with and stick to it. While this is unlikely to win you any big races, it will give you chance to hone your skills and gain confidence. Once you’re a bit more experienced you will be able to take different lines to overtake people and win races.

Dirt bike racing is not something you can just throw yourself into. It takes plenty of practise to become any good and you should never try anything you aren’t confident with. If you stick to this and find yourself a reputable track then you won’t go far wrong.

There is always more to learn about a sport as complicated as gymnastics. Most coaches learn something everyday from the athletes they teach, if they are open to such things. Good gymnasts try to learn as much as they can about the sport. This article is to reveal some sources for gymnastics information that we have found useful.

Those Who Do, Don’t Write (except for us)
There are other ways to learn about the sport of gymnastics. One of the difficulties, however, about researching gymnastics is that the very ones who are at the vanguard of coaching are much too busy with actual gymnastics coaching to write and publish what they are doing. For the very latest in gymnastics research, one must resort to other than traditional methods.

Thousands of Gymnastics Resources
There are literally thousands of books, studies, papers, articles and dissertations about the sport of gymnastics. We have compiled a list of and read over 1500. These are available through normal academic channels at any major University.

Old Gymnast Magazines
There are a treasure trove of back-dated articles from Madamesoille Gymnast, International Gymnast, Technique Magazine and USA Gymnast magazine. Even if there have been new trends in skills and equipment, there are numerous idea inspiring articles available.

A Few Good Books
There are some published gymnastics books that have some merit and even some of the latest gymnast biographies are interesting and revealing.

Insight From Other Sports
Books and research about other sports, for example, weightlifting, strength and conditioning, can give new insights into coaching gymnastics. Any coaching books and manuals can be sources for information and insight.

Sport Psychology
Child development and child psychology research can give insight into dealing with gymnastics coaching, skill progression and discipline problems with gymnasts.

Online Resources
There are an increasing number of gymnastics resources available online on the Internet.

Gymnastics Congress, Conventions and Clinics
The USAIGC and USAG both give seminars at their national conventions and around the country for both coaching and business topics. Some regional gymnastics conventions do a credible job on a smaller scale at the same thing.

Check Out Other Gyms
Visiting other gyms can be a source of great inspiration and new ideas. Every gym has something that you might be able to use in your own gym to advantage.

Network
Develop a network of other gymnastics coaches, gym owners, businessmen etc. to talk with. Bounce new ideas off them and listen to their experiences for insight into how to improve your own program and business.

Ask Other Employees and Staff Members
Ask your employees for new ideas and solutions to problems. They are on the front lines and also may have previous experience that may be of use.

Survey Your Customers
Ask your customers what they would like. Talk with them, survey them, run focus groups, ask for feedback, call program drop-outs for information and advice (don’t forget to invite them back).

Business Development And Research
Reading business publications can give new ideas about business management, marketing and organization. Old issues of Inc. magazine are especially useful.

Learn, Learn, Learn
Keep your eyes out for that one idea that will improve your training, program or gym. One idea per month will contribute to the success of your gym and one new idea per week can turn your gym into an outstanding facility and program.

Have you ever known someone who wanted so desperately to go to the Major League Baseball World Series that they were like a rabid dog? Well, I have…and it is not a pretty sight. I have been married for a few years to “Brian”. Brian is an avid sports fan. Ladies…you know the type I am referring to…the type that can quote obscure sports statistics at the drop of a hat, but can’t seem to remember your birthday. (It is May 5th, by the way!) That’s my Brian! Anyway, Brian has varied sports taste. He loves football, golf, basketball and tennis. But he truly loves baseball. In fact, baseball maybe his one true love…but I digress!

Brian has ALWAYS wanted to go to the World Series. Unfortunately, his team never seems to make it that far. After the past few disappointing seasons, he toyed with the idea of getting tickets to go to the World Series without his beloved team. He worries that this may be seen as “cheating”. However, I encourage it! Afterall, going to the World Series has been a lifelong dream of Brian’s. Sure it would be even better if his team was going with him, but I think he should take this opportunity now. I even offered to purchase his tickets. Now, I know what you are thinking…Sainthood, right? Yeah, me too! But then reality hit me…I have NO idea how to go about buying tickets for the World Series.

The first thing I do is go directly to www.google.com and start looking for World Series tickets. Aaahhh…almost 23 million links!! Many of them are ticket brokers, but which one is the best? Which one is the most reputable? What is the typical price range? How will I get the tickets? How can I be sure the tickets are real and not counterfeit? Should I try Ebay? After a lot of research and worry, I came up with a very simple list of strategies. You may have to use more than one strategy, but it will well be worth the effort.

Strategy #1 Talk to friends, family members, colleagues, and your brother’s-wife’s-sister’s-boyfriend’s-mom’s-cousin who just happens to have season tickets for one of the teams going to the World Series. They have the best chance at getting World Series tickets at face value.
Strategy #2 Watch Ticketmaster or team websites for the scheduled on-sale period. You can do this via the phone or the internet. Keep in mind that these will sell out within minutes, so you have to be on your toes! Also, if you are given multiple phones for the scheduled on-sale, try picking one that will be less busy. For instance, say the St. Louis Cardinals are going on-sale. Instead of calling the numbers in St. Louis; try calling the number for the small town of Washington, MO instead.
Strategy #3 Visit http://www.consumerchoicereview.com. This is a great site that gives you all kinds of information about the major sporting events as well as various ticket brokers who specialize in the World Series. You can feel confident that all of the ticket brokers listed on this site are reputable because consumers are allowed to review each ticket brokers and their level of service. It even provides event information, so that you can impress your family and friends with your obscure sports knowledge!! Consumer Choice Review also gives you helpful information on how to protect yourself from purchasing counterfeit tickets.
Strategy #4 Another option for World Series tickets is www.ebay.com. Ebay will have a plethora of tickets, but consumers should be aware that you could be paying top dollar for a ticket that is fraudulent. I have heard horror stories of people buying on Ebay, so I have always been leery of using it. I found some really good tips on using Ebay on Consumer Choice Review. This site provides a step by step guide to buying on Ebay.
Strategy #5 Go to the stadium and take the risk that there are no tickets available from scalpers. Or that the tickets that are available are ridiculously expensive or even worse, possibly counterfeit or stolen. I would never pay hundreds of dollars in cash for tickets that could turn out to be fake or stolen. You should always use a credit card because they offer protection of purchases that turn out to be fake or stolen tickets. ***Be very careful when taking this approach and be sure to read the tips posted on Consumer Choice Review prior to taking this strategy.

As a final note, I highly recommend checking out the website I used to collect information, http://www.consumerchoicereview.com. They are not just for the World Series, but for any other major sporting event. It truly helped to calm my nerves when looking desperately for these tickets. It helped to guide me on what to expect and, more importantly, on how to protect myself. In the end, I chose a ticket broker whom I found through Consumer Choice Review and everything has gone just as I expected. And Brian…well, he can’t wait for the first pitch!!

On any given day, all around the world, people are playing basketball. Today, basketball rates as one of the all-time most popular sports worldwide. Basketball tournaments are played out between players of all age groups from little five and six year olds to adults of all ages and levels. Sports networks around the world, on any given day, will report on professional basketball tournaments around the world and broadcast local and international games.

Basketball continues to grow in popularity, because it is a relatively cheap game to get into, can be played indoors and outdoors, in summer and winter, by girls or boys, men and women, anywhere in the world.

When one thinks of basketball one normally associates it with the United States and the legendary Harlem Globetrotters. Americans have been playing basketball professionally since 1896, but today, there are up to 300 million people playing basketball all around the entire globe. In fact, these days, American basketball teams even recruit foreign players into their teams.

According to Wikipedia.com, basketball didn’t evolve from older more primitive versions of the game, but was invented by a man called Dr. James Naismith, in 1891, so that his college students could keep fit in the winter. In fact, that’s how college basketball began! The game was initially played with a soccer ball. Then a brown ball was designed. The characteristic orange ball that we know today was designed in the late 1950s.

From American college basketball to professional league, basketball first evolved into an international sport in 1932 and became an Olympic sport in 1936. Since then, its popularity worldwide has grown exponentially.

It is never a good idea to place a wager based strictly on a system or on a trend or because of an injury or just because of a weather concern, the reason why of course is because you can bet your bottom dollar that the odds maker also knows of these factors as well and has already made the adjustments.

Why would the odds maker make adjustments you ask? Simply put my friend, the reason why is because the odds maker already knows what today’s “Joe Public” bettor will do and that is to pounce on the system or trend play or in the case of bad weather jump on the “UNDER” and when hearing about an injury jump on the opposing team like there is no tomorrow.

Personally, when hearing of a team suffering an injury to virtually any player with the exception of the QB, I have found it very profitable to play the ole “wait and see” game, meaning that later in the week once Joe Public has influenced the line that value will probably be found on the side of the team with the injury!

Below you will find a couple of NFL system plays dated since 1990 that have been quite profitable because of the fact that they are very uncommon in frequency and secondly because they combine solid handicapping theory, meaning that there is rhyme and reason as to why they occur!

1) Play against teams playing their 3rd consecutive road game if they lost the 1st game and won the 2nd game. 15-4-1 ATS 79%

What makes this system so useful is the fact that it is based on straight up wins and losses in a teams previous two games which allows a handicapper to see a prevailing pattern, in this pattern the team in question falls into two different handicapping situations that cannot be overlooked as the team in question will not only be in “Road Weary” mode, but they will also be in a prime spot for a “Letdown”.

2) Play against a team playing their 3rd consecutive home game if they are a dog of more than 3 points and they lost their 2 previous games in straight up fashion. 10-4 ATS 72%

Like the above system, is a very uncommon but very effective situation indeed when considering that six different teams played three straight home games during the 2003 season but none ended up classifying for the system.

The last time this system came into play happened at the end of the 2001 season when the Panthers of Carolina played host to the Patriots after coming off consecutive home losses to St. Louis and Arizona.

Those of us that were fortunate enough to have wagered on New England in that contest were rewarded with a 38-6 Patriot win and cover!

take care and good luck this season!

Ron Fowler said it feels like being hit with a wet towel. Bryan Vasaris said it’s like being snapped with a rubber band or stung by a bee. Being shot by a paintball gun doesn’t sound very fun. So why is paintball one of the fastest growing sports in America, according to the National Sporting Goods Association? “It’s a stress relief, because you can go out and shoot at people and not dangerously hit them,” Vasaris said. “But it’s also being with a group of guys that you like to hang around with.”

The most commonly played paintball game is “capture the flag.” There are rules variations, but the object is for a team to capture the opposing team’s flag while protecting its own. Players eliminate opponents by shooting them with their paintball guns.
The games can be played outside in an open field or forest, or inside at a specially designed facility with inflatable bunkers and other obstacles. “It’s not the hide-and-seek game everyone thinks,” Vasaris said. “It’s really action-packed and fast-paced.” Players use carbon dioxide- or nitrogen-powered guns that fire thin, gelatin capsules filled with non-toxic paint - the “paintballs.”

Vasaris, 22, who has been playing paintball since he was in high school, will be a senior at the University of Cincinnati this year and is the president of the school’s paintball team. He said getting shot isn’t as bad as it seems. “After the first time, I didn’t even think about getting hit,” Vasaris said. “There is such an adrenaline rush that you don’t even feel it.”

For those who want to experience that rush, there are plenty of paintball facilities around Cincinnati. A good place to start for beginners is the Hueston Woods Paintball Club at Hueston Woods State Park.

Tom Arvan, who has been the paintball club’s general manager for 12 years, likes to promote the game to new players. “My personal enjoyment is seeing the kids play and seeing first-time players come off the field with a grin on their face,” Arvan said.
Hueston Woods is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and offers two fields, including one that is wooded with some constructed obstacles. The cost to play is $27, which includes a gun, a carbon dioxide tank, 200 paintballs and protective gear. Players who have their own equipment pay $12. The fields are open Monday through Friday by reservation for groups of 15 or more. Arvan said Hueston Woods has catered to birthday parties, bachelor parties, fraternity and sorority parties and corporate outings. “We have had high praises from corporate groups for team-building,” Arvan said. “It’s a game that really fosters some friendship and sportsmanship.”

Arvan said his paintball field is open to players of all skill levels. “Paintball is a sport that isn’t dominated by youth and physical size,” Arvan said. “We’ve had mom, dad, grandma and grandpa out here.”

Back in the day ESPN was merely space fodder for people with cable subscriptions; back when only the “real” sports fan (me) could sit in front of the tube and bear with the constant rambling of numbers and statistics. Oh it was great. Back before they offered a cheap magazine subscription that was nothing more then an extension to their online subscription service they offered through their website. These were the good old days.

No over-sized clowns spraying the screen with saliva as they scream a point that has already been beat to death by every other major sports media outlet. No silly Ebonics from Stuart Scott and his lowly attempts at integrating hip-hop lingo and culture with sports commentating. Back in the day Berman’s sound effects, wit and satirical humor were actually pretty clever; they were fun, and stimulated conversation amongst the boys who played ball out front. Now your left with mainstream content, the “edge” is gone, the only thing that spews out of these writer’s pens, and analysts mouths is sponsor-friendly garbage.

Can anybody take ESPN’s content seriously anymore? Sportscenter was a morning ritual. ESPN the Magazine would have been a no-brain annual subscription; Peter Gammons and his sports monologues–to a diehard–were simply un-passable. Could you imagine how great their magazine’s content would be without ESPN having to be handcuffed by their endless affiliates, and licensing partners? It would be nice to sit back and get the real opinions out of these analysts and writers. Honestly, its probably the only thing I miss about the 80’s.

I don’t want dummied down content from their discount magazine and their trashy over-sized recycled paper they call pages. I want opinions on how they really feel about a controversy in sports. As a long time ESPN fan it has become disheartening watching the network dive head first into homeplate only to have their nose busted by the Catchers shin-plates.