Layin' the smack down

This weekend a buddy and I attended a Rage in the Cage event outside of Phoenix, Arizona. For those who don't know, RITC is like an amateur league for mixed martial artists working their way up in the ranks. This is where the youngsters are given the chance to pit their skills against other fighters hungry for some recognition.

It was a decent event featuring 12 bouts (maybe two or three of them solid fights). I write this, not so much to wax intellectual about one of my favorite sports, but to pass the mike on to someone much more informed about the sport than myself. I love watching MMA and, more specifically, many of the fighters under contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. I will not, however, bore you with my lackluster attempt at commentary.

One of the athletes we watched, Eli Harris, is featured in an article my buddy wrote just days before the event. Harris fell victim to three, count-em, three cheap shots in a single match that ultimately ended in the evening's only draw. Bummer.

Anyway, for those unfamiliar with the sport or curious to hear a story about some small-town grapplers striving to balance their sport of choice with the "real world," I recommend you check out the story. It's guaranteed winter fun for the whole family.