Man, the UFC just can’t get past the injury bug right now. UFC 85 in London could be the most cursed thing since the Boston Red Sox, as fighters continue to drop like flies from announced bouts. Chuck Liddell, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Rashad Evans, James Irvine, and the list goes on of guys that have had to pull out of the event. Now, the powers that be have had to make a change to the UFC’s debut in Minnesota at UFC 87 in August. The main event was set to be Brock Lesnar against Hall of Famer Mark Coleman, but a leg injury has forced Coleman out of the fight. Now, Lesnar’s opponent is unknown, so they can’t very well hype that as the main event. So instead, enter a new main event, and it’s a doozy. For the Welterweight Championship of the World, Georges St. Pierre will make his first title defence against number 1 contender Jon Fitch. It’s another strong wrestler to go against St. Pierre, but rememember how he tooled both Josh Koschek and Matt Hughes? Add in a defacto number 1 contender match between Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta, and you’ve got a money card.

Speaking of stacked cards, UFC 84 goes this Saturday. That’s 1 day. I fly out nice and early, as in, 6:30 in the morning, with the time change, I’m on the ground at 8:30 Vegas time. I’ve gotta get the rental car, kill a little time, then get over to the MGM Grand, get my picture taken and my media credentials, then check into the hotel, maybe grab a shower, and by this time, it’s already time to head back to MGM. Fight card starts just after 5 PT, the event goes live on PPV at 7 PT. Should be a whirlwind first day in Sin City.

I really encourage you to head on over to the hot audio section of the website. My interview with Mike Goldberg is now up, as are my chats with Keith Jardine and Tito Ortiz. Man, it’s just a sport chalk full of solid personalities. Just nice guys all round, I can’t stress it enough. The interview with Goldberg is especially compelling. He started with the UFC in 1997, when they were not what you’d call a mainstream commodity. Then, the ownership changed, Dana White came on board as pres, and it’s history from there. Really cool to hear how Mike Goldberg puts it, especially coming from a guy with a solid hockey background.

And of course, it’s game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday. I really hope that we see some great hockey and not a lopsided final. I say that because there is a real opportunity for some fan growth south of the border with this matchup, just because Sidney Crosby is there. He’s the face of your league, and he’s playing for the ultimate prize in his 3rd year. So, for the NHL’s sake, hopefully the Pens don’t get completely dominated.

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