News and notes…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
It’s busy time for me right now with playoff coverage of the minor league hockey team the Oklahoma City Blazers here in Oklahoma City. So if you don’t hear from me too much, I apologize.
Also forgot to clarify it the other day, but the card at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami will be on Showtime on Saturday. That’s the second time this year Showtime has come to Oklahoma.
It was in Tulsa in January, now Miami. But if Showtime really wants to throw me a “bone” heading to Oklahoma City is the ticket.
Anyway, that night should be a great night of, like I said before, seeing some rising stars before they’ve got the championships and the million-dollar contracts.
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How about Bobby Lashley? He wins a decision and has the gall to say “I’m not ready.” I don’t know what to say about that, not used to fighters being so honest about everything.
I’ve said before I have a soft spot for Lashley, and I do. I think he’s an extremely hard worker and gives 100 percent to whatever he is doing. He doesn’t believe his own hype and realizes he is a ways off from becoming what he needs to become.
With that said, just give it a little time and maybe Lashley will be ready for the UFC. It’s just refreshing to not hear him calling out fighters he would have no business meeting in the first place at this point.
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Also an interesting little nugget from Anderson Silva. He said his dream bout would be to box Roy Jones Jr. after his MMA career is done.
That’s not so much shocking as the fact that he said it’s an all but done deal. Nothing with RJJ comes easy, so I’ll believe it when I see it.
My other thought is he’ll do it after his MMA career is over. How old will Jones be at that point? Will he even matter? Should he even be in a ring at that point?
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Strong card Friday night on ESPN2, featuring two fighters I hoped could spark life into the heavyweight division but faltered.
Sam Peter, former WBC champion, takes on Eddie Chambers as both look to work their way back up the ladder.
Chambers lost to Alexander Povetkin last year. Chambers held his own in the first half of the fight and then seemingly stopped fighting. It was weird to watch at home. “PUNCH already.”
Peter made his mark with solid outings against James Toney, but Vitali Klitschko absolutely took Peter to school last year in Vitali’s first fight back.
Can’t count out The Nigerian Nightmare because of his scary power (look up the Jeremy Williams KO for proof), but I don’t think Chambers ever gets nearly that close and boxes circles around him for a decision win.
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Lawal wins, suffers injury
Former Oklahoma State and Central Oklahoma wrestler “King” Mo Lawal improved to 4-0 in his Mixed Martial Arts career last weekend.
But it came at a price. Lawal broke his right hand in a unanimous decision victory against Ryo Kawamura at the World Victory Road Sengoku event in Tokyo, Japan.
Lawal said he broke his right hand when he missed Kawamura and hit the canvas instead. Lawal also said a knee injury prevented him from really putting on the pressure to go for a knockout.
Despite his injury, Lawal said he hopes to return to action in May.
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship has offered former Oklahoma State wrestler Johny Hendricks a spot in its organization after the welterweight division was disbanded in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization.
Both groups are owned by the same company, Zuffa LLC.
Hendricks would join Jake Rosholt as another former WEC fighter and OSU wrestler to make it to the UFC. The other member of the OSU trio, Shane Roller, is still in the WEC and has a bout scheduled for WEC 40 in Chicago on April 5.
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Oklahoma lightweight champion Noah Zuhdi and Lawton middleweight George “Comanche Boy” Tahdooahnippah might take some time off, but it won’t be because of injury.
Zuhdi injured his left hand while Tahdooahnippah injured his shoulder in their victories two weeks ago. Neither injury is believed to be serious.
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Also getting my wish for Mike Brown and Urijah Faber 2 in the summer. Brown shocked Faber with a brilliant KO back late last year. Faber has looked good since and so has Brown. One more time, alright, let’s have some fun.
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