Fresh Loaf

CL was ring-side at UFC 88, check out photos and a recap of the main event.

Full Contact Talk has all the details.

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There’s criticism flying around in some circles that Atlanta’s first UFC event is a bit lackluster. I have witnessed some say that the card is merely a collection of former champions tossed out into the economy as nothing more than an event to keep fans occupied until the return of Randy Couture at UFC 91. Couture’s return to the cage may have threatened to steal the wind from the sails of UFC 88, but nothing could be further from the truth. Especially from a local perspective.

UFC 88 is a stacked card built of one of mixed-martial-arts most famous stars in that of Chuck Liddell.  Not to mention that massive popularity of fighters such as Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin. But in Atlanta, there’s the long history of civil rights movement and African-American fame. Especially in the sports arena. And it is this idea that paints in my mind a fact that not many seem to be acknowledging currently.

Continue reading at the Full Contact Talk site.

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1) Ultimate Fighting Championship 88: Breakthrough invades Philips Arena.

2) ART Station hosts an opening reception for Gwinnett Techinal College Portfolio Show with artist-initiated organization Women in Focus.

3) Carlos Mencia performs at the Fox Theatre.

4) Dr. Dog plays the Earl.

5) Karen Body’s Birth opens at PushPush Theater.

(Photo courtesy UFC)

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Full Contact Talk caught up with Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans as they both prepare for the headline fight this Saturday at UFC 88. Rashad says he’ll take The Iceman down at least once and that he’s not afraid of the former champion’s punching power. Meanwhile, Chuck Liddell says it will be a lot of work for Rashad to take him down and keep him there if he does so. Liddell also gives a brief response on Randy Couture’s return to the octagon, a potential future fight against Forrest Griffin and Brock Lesnar’s current state in the UFC.

Download all episodes at the Full Contact Talk site.

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Mixed-Martial-Arts is a sport. Yeah, you read it right. It’s a sport. Heck, it’s even a vastly popular sport. And it’s coming to Atlanta via Phillips Arena on September 6th by way of UFC 88 — which will be one of the organizations major pay per view events this year. For a large number of people, mixed-martial-arts is the primal definition of sportsmanship.

An evolved yet ancient form of hand-to-hand combat where two men of equal attributes battle one another until one falls and the other basks in the glory of cheer and admiration. And it’s every bit as much a chess match as it is a clash of fists. Often constructed from more physical intricacies than a typical team of men tossing rubber balls around, mixed-martial-arts still struggles somewhat to break through to a higher level of mainstream success where the sport is recognized by media and humanity alike as much more than just some gladiatorial blood spectacle or some sort of violent pornography.

Over the next few weeks, I will blog about the coming UFC event and serve (for lack of better words) as a local ambassador for those Fresh Loaf readers who possibly dislike or misunderstand the sport of mixed-martial-arts. Or even those curious few still sitting on the metaphorical fence. In the coming weeks leading up to the event, I hope to at least achieve the goal of transforming the often negative cliche of mixed-martial-arts and its fan base.
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