Long Beach Fight Night 2

So about a month ago I was thinking of ways to help the WarMMA website. I thought, I wonder how you get press credentials for fights? So I found a fight night, e-mailed them and asked. A few weeks later, I had my press pass! The only problem was that they were only giving us one press pass so obviously I sent my husband. He was so nervous; he even left without the press pass! The fight started at 7:00 and at 6:00 my husband calls and says, "Did you know that when I signed in, your name was right above mine? They gave us two passes. Did you want to come?" OK, I knew he was nervous; I don't even know if he ever really wanted to be press at an event. So I say, give me a couple minutes and I'll call you back. I have two kids; what do I do with them? It's 6:00 on a Sunday night. Tomorrow they have school. So, I call up my cousin who lives a few blocks away. "Can you take my kids tonight? Chuck just told me they gave me a press pass." She's so sweet, of course she said yes. I yell at my kids to gather whatever they need. Push them out the door and go speeding down PCH. Drop off my kids at the curb and tell them to call me on my cell when they get in the house to let me know they got there. I drive like a maniac to the event. Oh, and did I tell you I printed out the directions for my husband but didn't for me. So I'm going off my brain on this one. Trying to remember how to get there. I know it's close to the Long Beach Airport. There's a sign for the college; I think that's where I'm going! I get there. Did you know you don't have to pay to park when you have a press pass? I go to the "VIP" check in, my name is actually on it. I don't think I've ever been VIP for anything. I go in and my husband is sitting in about the 5th row, right on the floor, feet away from the ring!

So if you want to read about the fights you can...here: http://warmma.blogspot.com/
If you want to see my lovely picture taking skills...look here: http://www.warmma.com/gallery_page_lbfn_02.htm
But I'm just going to give you some highlights, the way a woman sees the fights!

First off, I'm officially old! The music was so freakin' loud, but it's a fun vibe there. I thought it would be crazy fight-lovin' people, wait, it was; but still fun. We met a guy who was new at this whole press thing as well. The first fight starts and POW, one guy goes in for the take-down and they both go right out the ropes and are hanging off the side! Ref brings them back in and POW again, right out the sides. This is why other's use a cage!!! It's all making sense to me now. So my husband is taking pictures and I'm suppose to be writing down what happens. Yes, you heard it right, I'm suppose to be writing down play-by-plays. You should read my notes. There is red corner and blue corner; R and B. B takes down R, out the side, B takes down R again, out the side, fighting, hit to head, bloody nose, yuck.... What? I actually have to ask my husband, "How did the guy win?" Ok, so maybe I'd be better taking pictures. One problem, I don't take very good pictures! Ok, we'll try. This should be fun! I'm running around the ring, shooting pictures of who knows what. Half of them are blurry. I have to get use to the camera we borrowed. But it is fun walking around the floor like I know what I'm doing and I actually belong there!

The best, or most entertaining fight had to be the 3rd fight. Don't know names, don't know much of anything; all I know is it's a lot more exciting when kick boxing is involved! The one guy (btw, not bad to look at!) kicks the other guy in the leg; you can actually hear the SLAP. It's crazy. Then he kicks him again, and again, and finally in the neck. The guy then kicks him in the chin he starts to go down but not before the kick boxer punches him and the poor guy lands flat on the ground. He is out! No, really, lights out - good night - not getting up any time soon. It was scary. Do I take pictures of this? I'm fear is I take a picture and then he's seriously hurt. Then what. I feel like an idiot for taking pictures of some hurt guy. The crowd is going wild; this is what they are all waiting for, a knock-out. Finally the guy gets up and it fine, but wow, exciting. Most of the fights were ok; not too exciting. I had to remember that these guys, although pro do not have a lot of fights under their belts. They're "newbies".

I did figure out one thing; if you're a dork on your "walk-out", I don't really want you to win. This one guy is all dancing to his music; acting all stupid. I don't want him to win. I want him to get his ass kicked! I want to be the one to do it too! You're a dork! Stop dancing and start fighting. If you want to dance, do on dancing with the stars or America's best dance crew or something. Weird.

So I'm looking at the clock on the wall. It says 8:40. It's almost over. Perfect. The kids can be in bed before 10:00 on a school night!! After about 2 fights I look again; it's 8:40! CRAP. The stupid clock is broken. I look at my phone; it's 9:50PM. My kids are at my cousins' house, no one is ready for bed, nothing is set out for tomorrow. Now I'm getting scared. I call my son on his cell phone. He's having a great time at the cousins' house. As soon as the fight is over, I'm outta there. But I take a wrong turn; yes in Long Beach at 10:00PM! My husband beats me to the freeway and says he'll pick up the kids. Now I get to go home to a dark, empty house! My favorite.

So near the end of the fight I hear about another fight happening next week. I get on my blackberry and request press credentials. Why not? What can they d0, say no? Whatever. Yesterday, I got my answer; Yes, we'd love to have you come. We'll see who goes; husband or wife? I'm pretty sure I'll be watching the kids. It's a school night!

Oh, here's my best shot; a clean shot to the neck!

Chick fighting, fat guys and half-shavin' chests, oh my!

There was a fight on this past Saturday; Elite XC, whatever that is. My cousin and I went shopping so that we didn't have to watch the fights. Did I know that the fight didn't start until 9pm? Didn't think so; otherwise I would not have come home before 9pm. We did try to stretch our time by going to The Coffee Bean for some Chai Tea Latte's-big mistake, HUGE. The Coffee Bean makes the best Chai Tea Latte's; much better than Starbucks. Or should I say they did make the best. It was horrible; tasted like watered down tea. And aren't they suppose to take the tea leaves out of the tea before it goes in my mouth?! Horrible. Which totally ticks me off because I have such a cold and cough right now that a good Chai Tea Latte would be wonderful.

So getting back to the fight. I sit down and the first fight I see is CHICK FIGHTING! What the ... If I'm going to watch fights...chicks, really? I think they must do it because everyone else in the sport are guys. Why else would you purposefully get kicked in the face? I'm OK with the JiuJitsu part and the wrestling but I don't think I could ever get over getting hit. I bruise easily. The one girl got beaten up; to a pulp. There ain't no makeup going to cover that up girlfriend. I could just see it now; I'm a fighter and I just got beaten to a pulp and now, I get to go pick up my kids at school. What do you tell all the other moms? And my kids' teachers? I fight in my spare time. Then what happens when my kid gets in trouble for fighting at school? "Well, my mom does it." I don't think that would fly. At least not where I live.

Then a fight comes on. It's an image that will never get out of my head. I think his name was Nelson. Anyways, I thought these were athletes. I don't know how you can work out so much and be a professional fighter and have such a gut? How many pounds do you eat a day Nelson? Seriously, what's up? He didn't win. I wonder why? Maybe his belly got in the way.

Then the final fight comes. I've seen the one guy before; Kimbo Slice. He only shaves half his chest. That's right, you heard me, half his chest. So he's walking around with this huge beard, bald head and a half shaven chest. Are you joking me? I thought we were watching MMA not WWF. This isn't a costume party. Then he gets knocked to the ground by some "walk-in" because his opponent had to get stitches during a pre-fight workout. It was right at the beginning. I thought this guy was suppose to be good? It's a crazy world, MMA. I don't know who's good and who's not. Which is why I'm doing this blog; to maybe help other wives or girlfriends know what the heck their guy is talking about.

Never call during a fight!

There was a huge UFC fight on last Saturday. The main event was Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell. HUGE! It was the girls turn to have a night out with the guys "watching" (I say that very loosely) the kids. The reason I say it loosely is that I don't really think they watch the kids, they are more just adults in the house while the kids are also in the house. So after a nice dinner at Marmalade Cafe the girls can't go home. NO WAY. The night before, my husband and "Mango Mouth" as we like to call him, were watching I don't know what; after a while the shows all look the same. All I know is we were way too loud and kept getting shhh-ed by Mango Mouth and my husband. Is there anything new happening? Are guys still fighting? Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? Anyways, the girls and I do not want to go back during the fights - I'm not keen on shhh-ing. So after dinner we decide to go to Target - I know, but it's the only thing open late on a Saturday night! I'm only thinking of my husband and his work. I decide to call him and ask if he would like me to pick up a few necessities that his office was running out of. I know - I'm always thinking of others! ;) Well, of course he's not picking up; "no bars"- can he hear me now? Guess not. Finally my cousin calls her husband, Mango Mouth, and tells him to have my husband call me. OH CRAP AM I IN FOR IT. Little did I know that during my conversation the best knock out would happen when Rashad Evans knocked out Chuck Liddell. What did you just say? I can't hear you. I'm still deaf from my husband screaming so loud in my ear. I think I pissed him off when I told him to forget it. No more thinking of others, at least during a UFC fight. I have learned my lesson!

I ALMOST FORGOT!
My kid would kill me if I didn't announce this: My youngest son was just promoted at the Gracie Academy to the Advanced class!! He is so excited. He's been wanting this for a long time. He had to show his instructor that he could do a combination of moves and end with the instructor in an arm-bar. He's so excited!
CONGRATS

The first WarMMA Wives Club is now in session!

So it's just about time to call it a night. You put the kids to bed, pick up toys, wash the dishes and you think, "mmm...maybe I feel a bit frisky tonight". You go out to the living room thinking, my husband won't say no to ALL THIS...then you see it... He's watching it... No, it's not porn, it's not The Girls Next Door, it's not even COPS...It's MMA FIGHTING!!!! Now, I guess I'll just go to bed because there is nothing in this world, even a naked wife, that would keep him from his MMA. I could be laying in bed naked as a jaybird and he's never going to come to bed, or at least not until I fall asleep. One night I went to bed, fell asleep, woke up hours later to use the ladies room (come on, I'm a mom - I can't go a full night without getting up), it's 2am and he's still up watching fights. How many fights can he watch? How many fights are there? Oh, now I get it...That's why we got a DVR. Now he can watch fights all frickin' night long. He says he's "working" late which is code for "I missed a fight and I have to catch up". Once I told my husband that on the days he watches any kind of fighting, there will be no "fun" after the kids are in bed. I don't know if I have actually kept that deal because I have lost track of the fight watching.

So, my purpose of this blog is to help other "MMA Widows" help keep things in check. Maybe learn a few terms that make your husband think you actually care about this stuff. I tried watching once: some guy got his lip cut open, straight through, cut wide open. As a mom, I can handle myself with the blood thing while I'm makin' sure my kids are ok; but it's a whole different story when some dude's lip is split in half and he's spewing blood all over his opponent and the floor. That's just nasty. All I kept thinking was, "Someone's going to have to wash that floor and try to get the blood out of that guys shorts." Luckily it wasn't me!

Until next time....