The UFC is eying Portland, Oregon as their destination for UFC 101 in August. Gresham, Oregon is the home of one of mixed martial arts most prolific training camps, Team Quest. The team has produced several UFC and international champions, including Dan Henderson, Matt Horwich, Ryan Schultz, and the late Evan Tanner. Another former Team Quest fighter, Randy Couture, is expected to fight on the card. His opponent is tentatively scheduled to be Brazilian heavyweight Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira, or Big Nog for short. Both fighters are former UFC champions with a tremendous amount of experience. Couture will be 46 by the time this event takes place, 13-years older than Nogueira, a testament to his incredible longevity as a professional athlete. Both fighters are coming off losses: Couture to heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, and Nogueira to Frank Mir. No other fights are prepared at this point but a lightweight title clash between BJ Penn and Kenny Florian seems to fit their schedules. The UFC was originally planning on putting on an event in Portland in November of 2008 (UFC 91: Couture vs. Lesnar) but decided to relocate to Las Vegas.
August? Gives you enough time to roid up, buy some medium sized affliction shirts and get a killer buzz going. I've been to a few MMA events, mainly K1 and Strikeforce...its douchebag city. events are fun live if you're near the cage though.
I think I'd only come to Portland accidentally but thanks for the invitation regardless. The crowds at MMA shows are different than at ball games. Sometimes you will be seated around people who are genuinely excited to be there and enthusiastically cheering their favourites. Sometimes you'll be beside posers. With 18-22 different fighters on the card, the crowd reacts in unpredictable ways. Only a few cities have hometown heroes that everyone seems to pull for. You'll find yourself cheering together with your section for one fighter, then split minutes later for someone else. At a recent show in Vegas I was the only person in my section of a hundred or so people cheering for Rashad Evans when he knocked out Forrest Griffin. Must've felt something like being a Bruins fan in Montreal.
It really is ultimate douchbag city. Every person there is either wearing Tapout or Affliction. It's so annoying. But you all should def go if you get the chance.
The question mark in my thread title means I do not take personal responsibility for the allegations/content in the thread. I'm the Fox News ticker of S2.
Well he just needs to stick to lightweight, that's where he's dominated. But he keeps trying to fight these bigger guys and they woop him.