8 in a row!!!..

  "I'm still fresh," he laughs. "I'm still a baby in boxing, with only four years of practice. The only thing I don't remember are the uncountable times I boxed in Bahia, but it's only because I didn't count during that time. I know in near future I'll forget all I said in this interview, so record it (laughs)."
"I don't get tired of saying that the Nogueira Brothers (Minotauro and Antonio Rogerio 'Minotouro') are guys that I owe a lot. People questioned me about a fight against Rodrigo and I tried to explain that this isn't just the case of him being a training partner; he molded me," an emotional dos Santos says. "He's my master and he taught me everything. If I face and beat great athletes nowadays, this is because Rodrigo supported me. I hope people understand that the situation is completely different than just two teammates that live in Brazil and don't intend to face each other. I'd probably not have become a fighter or my career would be on a different course than it is today if I didn't have Rodrigo and Rogerio helping me." "When Werdum stated that he'd fight me and Brock Lesnar in same night, he was underestimating me. He didn't greet me when we were in same hotel and when I tried to shake his hand at weigh-ins he avoided me. Afterwards I thought I should never try to shake his hand (laughs). Inside the Octagon, seconds before the fight, he tried to pressure me because I was debuting, and in that moment I realized (laughs) that when I'm challenged this way I fight better. When Bruce Buffer said my name and I do my pre-fight ritual of pointing to the ground, Werdum came in my direction, punching his hand, and said, 'You gonna take a beatdown.' Nobody saw it. He did that and I said, 'So come on,' and walked back to my corner furious, but with a smile on my face. And I felt that when the approach is this way I fight better."

"During the week I treated him normally; we chatted and had a lunch in the same place, and when he saw me he took pictures,” said dos Santos. “But in the fight, I said 'Now I won't be nice.' He extended his hand, I didn't tap it. (laughs) Later we'll chat, now is time to trade punches. He's a nice guy, dangerous on the ground, however I wasn't not going to be his friend inside the Octagon (laughs). Let's fight and become friends only after the fight.""Against Cro Cop, they said, 'If dos Santos stays on the feet, he'll be knocked out.' So let's test if I'll really go unconscious (laughs). I believe a lot in my stand up and in my boxing and once (teammate Fabio) Maldonado told me, 'Cigano, when you look into the eyes of your opponent, he'll not reach you. You're fast, strong, let him know that you're better.' I believed in what he said and I go to knock guys out in all my fights; maybe I can't always do it, but it's my goal."
"I think my ground is good if you want to know," said dos Santos. "I train with great guys in the USA too and I'm always learning. This fight is going to be a test for me; I have a chance to surprise people because I believe Napao will try to take me down. There are positions that I developed in secret and if I've the chance I won't waste them."
 

  "That is really my characteristic," he says. "I like to go with the intention of reaching outcomes by submission or KO. With that said of course you open gaps for a defeat, but when you stall a fight, the chances are reduced for a great win." As Gonzaga said, when you have this type of style, the options are 50-50 for either a glorious victory or a spectacular defeat. Of course, he also knows that there were plenty of questions after his bout against Carwin at UFC 96, where he connected with three early right hands yet opted for a clinch and a takedown instead of following up with more strikes. The end result? Carwin got back to his feet and knocked Gonzaga out at 1:09 of the first round. "I wouldn’t do anything different,” he said. “In a fight, there's a moment when you need to make instantaneous decisions - left or right, wrong or certain. I’ve had examples of it all the time. When I faced Couture, I put him wobbly with a kick and I went after him for a punch, but he noticed and clinched. If I looked for the takedown it could have been one more chance for a victory for me. Was this a mistake to punch? No, this was only one of several options. Against Carwin I put him dizzy and took him down, he tried to get back to his feet and I opted for not keeping the fight on the ground, because I was doing well on the feet. What happened was that he was better and finished the fight, but was it wrong? I don't think so either - my punch could be better, so I’m not saying that I did something wrong; it was just that Carwin executed better than me." With a third UFC defeat on his shoulders and with the pressure to not repeat the end of 2007-early 2008 period, when he lost to Couture and Werdum in back to back bouts, Gonzaga took on Tuchscherer last August and didn't disappoint. Despite the pressure to win, he kept his attitude of ‘now or never’ and dismantled the native of North Dakota in one, showing that he was not influenced by a negative result to switch his game around. "The pressure always exists and there's no special formula,” he said. “One day you win, the other you lose - nobody is unbeatable. With time you control more these feelings. I had a good preparation for the fight and I did what we trained." Whoever watched that fight will remember the inadvertent low kick that dropped Tuchscherer early. Gonzaga knows that the accidental foul affected his opponent, but that he never wanted to hurt him that way. And of course, once Tuchscherer said that it was okay to re-start the fight, ‘Napao’ moved in for the finish. His renowned high kick connected on the nose of his foe and this was beginning of the end for ‘The Crowbar.’

"I went to the fight with a lot of will-power to finish by submission or knockout; this is in my blood," he said. "If a fight ends by decision, be sure this is wasn't because I wanted it that way. We're professional and we're being paid to provide great fights, and this is what I try to do when I enter the Octagon." Sidelined for almost seven months due to bursitis in his elbow, Gonzaga couldn't face his next opponent, dos Santos, at their initial meeting, scheduled for UFC 108 in January. Even though he made an extra effort to get healthy three weeks prior to the fight, at this high level of competition, to step in the Octagon at less than 100% isn't a good decision, and the bout was postponed for UFC Live: Vera vs. Jones this weekend.   With more time to prepare, Gonzaga could push a hard pace while training at Team Link headquarters in Ludlow, MA to stop the rising star, dos Santos. And while people may think that top fighters already have defined games and that changes and improvements are not as attainable as for a young prospect, Gonzaga shows that progression is still a part of his routine.   "We always need to search for improvement in all kinds of work, my job isn't different," he said. "Getting better in physical conditioning, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, boxing, wrestling, Muay Thai and all that can enhance my performance and contribute to my victory. These are small details that day-after-day we add to our game and that can make a big difference at fight time. So I learn from my students, friends and coaches. Once Marco Alvan (Team Link head coach) said. 'there is nobody so intelligent who doesn't have anything to learn and nobody so stupid who doesn't have anything to teach,' so we're always in constant evolution."

It’s a good point by Alvan, Gonzaga's coach, who - despite all the buzz that the fight of his pupil against dos Santos has generated - has what he says to be the real analysis.

"To pick dos Santos as the favorite is stuff for fans or people who don't follow the sport," said Alvan. "Gonzaga is the better athlete overall. Who will win? Inside the Octagon we'll know. For Gonzaga, being doubted is one more motivation for him to give his best performance ever. We're training in the mountains of Utah and he's going to knock dos Santos out."

With all that said, there is still the key motivation for Napao, and he knows that defeating dos Santos is a way to get what he already had once before. A title shot. If the journey was great until that day in 2007 against Couture, repeating it is Gonzaga’s real motivation. "My victory would be the ideal move towards what I want, the title shot,” he said. “Getting close to it pumps me up. I've been training since 2001 and I'm not afraid of trading strikes with anyone on this planet. Although I have much more experience on the ground, I don't underestimate him there. Man, let's play and see who hits harder and has the best submissions."   http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=79310

Did you know the Yankee's have won 26 rings ?  Did you know we blew game 7 in 2003 ?  Do you know how many hits Jeter has ?  Did you know how dumb Red Sox fans are ?  Did you know how much more class the Yanks have over the Red Sox ?  Did you know the Red Sox have only been good since 2004 ?

Well you should,  because everytime you bring up how good the Red Sox are,  and how bad the Yankee's have been considering their payroll...this is what they tell you.  Or how about everytime you mention the Yankee payroll,  they say, well the Red Sox are right up there,  when it comes to payroll (3rd),  the difference is,  since the Red Sox have increased their payroll over the last decade...we've actually won.  Not the Yankee's (1st. in payroll)  Not the Mets (2nd in payroll), hmmmm,  both NY teams.  The difference between these teams now in this day in age is simple.  The Red Sox grow great players and know how to find great clutch hitters.  The Yankee's on the other hand try to buy Championships....well I'll tell you what,  you can't buy chemistry.  Try this Yanks,  leave your team alone for a couple of years and checkout the result.  Imagine being a player that is payed millions of dollars to come to a new team,  and your givin no room for failure.  You are there to win a ring and beat the Sox, if not, your out of here next year and we'll replace you with another guy that gets payed 100 to 200 million.  Imagine knowing your job is always on the line if you don't produce or win a ring in a single season or two.  Imagine being one of these players and watching the best coach you ever had get fired because of it.  Welcome to the life of a Yankee player,  a team that has so mush pressure built up, they destroy talent as soon as they walk through the clubhouse door.

Must blow to live in the past,  I will say one thing on your behalf though,  because of all your winning in the past...made every team around NY need to improve and get better.  Thanks to you we are a little better...but that was the past, this is the present and the beginning of the Red Sox Nation, sit back, get a drink & a snack...because the Sox will be here for a while.

Lets face it, the only problems the Celtics had was injury's this past season.  Getting off to the best start in NBA history this past season it looked as though the C's were heading for the finals yet again.  Then the age set in for the Celtics with the injury to the former defensive player of the year in Kevin Garnett, sent the team in a downward spiral.  Kevin Garnett brings more things to your team then stats,  he changes the motivation of your team completely...kind of like the way Larry Bird did in the past.  You can bet having to watch his team lose in seven games to the Orlando Magic last season, lit a fire under his behind.  With the addition of Sheed,  this will spell health for the big men in Boston and look for the hunger to be revived in Boston after ending the season with a sour taiste in their mouths, but will it be enough to top the beefed up Cavs ?

I think by far this team has had the beat off-season so far,  with the addition of Jefferson, it takes alot of pressure off of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker now that they have the "middle man".  I can see it right now...Tony Parker driving into the lane and having two options to dish to when he draws double teams,  kind of like the way Rajon Rondo does.  Over the past few years Jefferson has improved his outside shooting which will give the Spurs a balanced attack on offense, not to mention it will really help Manu Ginobili out with keeping minutes down for him and Jefferson who both have been known to get injured in the past.  Lets not forget the signing of A. McDyess which really help in the rebounding department, plus cutting minutes for Tim Duncan and a real plus come playoff time with...many playoff games under his belt.

Spurs win the west over the favored Lakers ?

I think the Magic had the worst off-season out of any team in the NBA.  Hedo presented problems for other teams,  being a player who could play the three or the four, not to mention he was a very gifted passer for his size and  could give you 40 minutes a night.

V. Carter could be a problem if he can't stay healthy, yes he brings offense, but they already had that in Hedo.  Their defense went down a notch and they lost a player with quickness and size.  Losing C. Lee I believe was a huge mistake that they will regret down the road.

This team just got alot worse.....

"We have no scripts in this sport, no pre-determined earning amount and no pre-determined outcomes. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it matters how you win or lose.”


What I take from this, is that these two will be in the Octogon very shortly.  Brocks biggest test to date ?