UFC 163: Lyoto Machida vs Phil Davis

UFC 163 was a solid pay-per-view. Nothing special, nothing horrible. However, there was one fight that continues to spark an ongoing debate about an important topic in the UFC: judging. Saying that the judging in the UFC is flawed is a major understatement. Machida vs Davis was just another example of something that needs to change. After the fight was over, many were assuming that Machida would walk away with the win. Even Bruce Buffer was probably getting ready to announce his name. Of course, what would a pay-per-view be without some controversy? To everyone's surprise, Phil Davis was announced the winner by unanimous decision. How Davis managed to win after only having 2 take downs is mind boggling. Machida continuously stuffed all of Davis' other take down attempts and limited his strikes. Dana White said at the post fight press conference that even he had Machida as the winner for all 3 rounds. Judging in a sport like the UFC, a sport that is growing and taking the world by storm, is unacceptable. Sure, MMA is a difficult sport to judge. There is no debate there but that doesn't give judges the right to make bad calls when the answer is that obvious. There has to be a system in place that can assist judges with what to look for in a fight. If bad calls are made then the UFC should reserve the right to reverse the call. It is not fair to the fighters and it isn't fair to MMA fans all over the world.

UFC 168 Silva vs Weidman 2

Just a week after the shocking events at UFC 162, Dana White has announced that at UFC 168 Weidman will defend his belt against Anderson Silva. This will be the co-main event, alongside Meisha Tate vs Ronda Rousey. Does this have anyone else puzzled at the moment? Last I checked, Silva said he wanted to take a couple of months off and think about his future. Apparently all Silva needed was one week. I won't get ahead of myself because I am excited to see this fight but Silva cannot walk into the octagon and put on another lazy performance. With the majority of the UFC community debating whether or not Silva "handed" the belt over to Weidman, the last thing Dana White needs is a rematch that plays out the same way and in the same fashion. Should Weidman retain the belt, this opens up the door for the entire Middleweight division. Especially for guys like Vitor Belfort and Michael Bisping. If Silva takes the belt back, things become a little more interesting. Of course, the demand for a Jon Jones super fight will begin all over again and Dana White will have to do a little more than make promises for fights that have yet to take place. Come on Dana, stop making promises and start making fights. Silva would also have to decide how much longer he wants to stay with the UFC. After all, when a fighter is closing in on 40 that question has to be in the back of their mind. With UFC 168 taking place in December, this would be the year's last fight. With GSP defending his belt in the coming months and with Jon Jones doing the same, could 2013 be the year of upsets?

NY Jets 2013 QB Overview

With Tim Tebow no longer a New York Jet we can now get an idea of where the jets stand, as far as their QB's are concerned. Where better to start than with Mark Sanchez. Saying that Mark Sanchez has had a roller coaster career with Gang Green is a major understatement. From a rough rookie season and back to back AFC Championship appearances (both losses) to back to back seasons without a playoff birth and the infamous Tim Tebow circus act, Sanchez finds himself in a tough situation. He practically remained a Jet because of the $8 million of guaranteed money and the Jets backed that inference up by drafting QB Geno Smith. It is easy to point the finger at Sanchez and blame him for their performance the past 2 seasons but the honest truth is he remains their best option at QB. Geno Smith is a rookie who needs to sit on the sidelines and watch and learn before he starts. New York is not the friendliest place to play, especially now because their patience has pretty much run out. New York demands a playoff birth and a championship, they don't want to suffer through 2-3 seasons of rebuilding. Sanchez is an experienced veteran and he knows how to win games. He is an excellent playoff QB and his performance in January games speak for themselves. If the Jets were to throw Geno Smith into the fire right now, he will not have a chance in New York because the expectations are too high. Now had the Jets won a Superbowl recently maybe the fans and the organization could accept a few seasons of rebuilding but that is not the scenario right now. With Tebow out of the picture Sanchez can begin to build his mental toughness. He does need to stay a few steps ahead of Geno Smith but that is still a better scenario than the one he was in last season. The real problem for the Jets are the Wide Receivers. They have Santonio Holmes who has been inconsistent as of late and a very solid slot receiver, Jeremy Kerley. They are in desperate need of a reliable #2 WR who can get separation from man coverage. Last season, no one was able to create space and get open from man coverage. The QB's had no one to throw to, there wasn't a deep threat on the roster, and more importantly there were multiple injuries throughout the entire season. The running game is another area of concern. With Mike Goodson and Chris Ivory in the backfield, the Jets are taking a gamble because these players haven't proved themselves yet. They have the potential to become great players but who knows if that potential will shine through this season. The bottom line is that there are many question marks on this team. Question marks like Kellen Winslow, Geno Smith, Chris Ivory, and Mark Sanchez. There are a little too many of them for the comfort of Jets fans but the good thing is if these players can play well this season and rebound from last season, there is a realistic chance here that the Jets can make the playoffs.