UFC 143 MAIN CARD
170#: Nick Diaz (26-7, 1 NC) vs. Carlos Condit (27-5) wins by Unanimous Decision!
265#: Roy Nelson (16-6) vs. Fabricio Werdum (14-5-1) wins by Unanimous Decision!
170#: Josh Koscheck (16-5) vs Mike Pierce (13-4) wins by Unanimous Decision!
135#: Renan Pegado (27-1, 1 NC) vs. Scott Jorgensen (13-4) wins by Unanimous Decision!
185#: Ed Herman (19-7) vs. Clifford Starks (8-0) wins by Rear Naked Choke in RD2!

PRELIMINARY BOUTS
145#: Dustin Poirier (11-1) vs. Max Holloway (4-0) wins by Armbar in RD1!
135#: Alex Caceres (6-4) vs. Edwin Figueroa (8-1) wins by Split Decision!
170#: Matt Brown (12-11) vs. Chris Cope (5-2) wins by TKO in RD2!
170#: Matt Riddle (5-3) vs. Henry Martinez (8-1) wins by Split Decision!
185#: Rafael Natal (13-3-1) vs. Michael Kuiper (11-0) wins by Unanimous Decision!
170#: Dan Stittgen (7-1) vs. Stephen Thompson (5-0) wins by KO in RD1!

Ultimate Fighting Championship 143 takes place Saturday February 4th, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first two preliminary bouts will be broadcast free on the UFC Facebook page at 7 PM Eastern. The remainder of the preliminary bouts will then be broadcast on FX channel at 8 PM Eastern, before going live to Pay-Per-View begins at 10 PM Eastern. In addition, the weigh-ins will take place on Friday, February 3rd, and broadcast live on FUEL TV at 7 PM Eastern.

Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz
Current Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre has been sidelined with a torn ACL and subsequent surgery, canceling his scheduled bout with Carlos Condit. Nick Diaz has stepped in to fight Condit and replace GSP with an interim Championship title bout, which many fans find a far more exciting match-up. Carlos Condit was the Welterweight champion in the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting organization, before making the move to the UFC.

Both fighters are the archetypal fighter; hard nosed, aggressive risk takers. Diaz is known for his intensity, pressure, fast pace, and aggression. While he is a Cesar Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and dangerous submission expert, these past few years he has been showcasing his striking ability developed from sparring such professional Boxers as Andre Ward. On an 11- fight win streak, with eight Submission victories and thirteen Technical Knock Outs (TKO), Diaz has shown himself to be one of the most dangerous Welterweights in the world. Diaz has fought for the UFC before, but after a few losses made a move to other smaller organizations in America and Japan.

After seemingly re-inventing himself and making vast improvements, Diaz started to come back into the picture in the Strikeforce organization. He strung together impressive victories over top opponents Frank Shamrock, Hayato Sakurai, K.J. Noons, Cyborg Santos, and Paul Daley, finishing all except Noons. This grabbed the attention of UFC President Dana White and Diaz was brought into the fold where he fought MMA pioneer and legend BJ Penn in October, blodding, bruising and battering Penn en route to winning a Unanimous Decision.

Carlos Condit who is equally as dangerous as Diaz, has only had one of his 27 wins go to a decision. With thirteen wins by submission, and thirteen by TKO his well-roundedness and dangerousness is apparent. Condit has gone 5-1 in the UFC since making the transition from the WEC. His sole loss was in his inaugural bout in the UFC and he dropped a very close split decision to Martin Kampmann which many attribute to “Octagon” nerves. The Jackson Mixed Martial Arts fighter then went on to win his next four bouts earning him a title shot against GSP. The difference between the two fighters is Condit is a bit more technical, composed and calculated and Diaz is willing to take as much punishment necessary and tries to overwhelm you with a volume of punches, aggression and pace. I don’t think there is any way possible for these two styles to produce anything other than a fight filled with fireworks.

Roy Nelson vs Fabricio Werdum
“Big Country” Roy Nelson will be welcoming Brazilian Fabricio Werdum back to the UFC. While Nelson may be the poster boy for a Pillsbury Dough Boy commercial, looks can be deceiving. The candid Nelson in spite of his appearance, has dynamite in his right hand, a BJJ black belt, and a lot of experience against top fighters. He also demonstrated a granite chin and taking some of the best punches from current Heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos. Nelson came to the UFC in 2009 and beat Stefan Struve and Brendan Straub by TKO before losing a decision to Dos Santos. Immediately following that bout he fought a tough fight with Frank Mir and things began to look bleak for him. A sort of redemption came by way of TKO’ing MMA legend and Croatian native Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic. Cro Cop is far past his prime, so it remains to be seen where Nelson really stands in the division. Many feel he is obese and can lose fat to go down to the Light Heavyweight division and leave a larger mark.

Decorated BJJ’er and highly experience Fabricio Werdum has had an on again and off again career in MMA. Just when he begins to gain momentum stringing together wins, he loses. To be fair, Werdum has always fought top opponents, so his 14-5-1 record isn’t an indicator of how dangerous he really is. While known to be dangerous with submissions as demonstrated in his submission wins over Alistair Overeem (Kimura), Aleksander Emelianenko (Arm Triangle), Fedor Emelianenko (Triangle Choke), and Mike Kyle (Guillotine Choke), he showed a much improved striking ability even in losing against K-1 (Kickboxing) Champion and veteran Alistair Overeem. Werdum will be looking to do what he does best and catch Nelson in a submission, but need to set up any attempts to take it to the ground with striking.

Josh Koscheck vs Mike Pierce
Four time D1 All-American Josh Koscheck has fought for the UFC organization a record 19 times, which is his entire career except his first two fights. With 5 submission wins and 5 TKO wins, earning 2 submission of the night and one Knockout of the Night awards, Josh has shown he is much more than one of the most decorated wrestlers in MMA. Josh made an attempt to take the  championship belt from GSP in December of 2011, but was battered from one end of the octagon to the other, dropping a unanimous decision. Since then he only fought once last year and that was against ex-Champion and MMA legend Matt Hughes, whom he KO’d in the first round. He’d love to climb his way back into contention, but has UFC veteran Mike Pierce ready to spoil it.

Pierce who wrestled for Portland State University, fights out of Oregon’s Team Quest camp. He has had seven bouts in the UFC, running a 5-2 record. His most recent performance was a split decision victory over Paul Bradley at UFC on Fox 1 in September. Since Pierce has come to the UFC he has shown a style of grinding and working his way to a decision. He will have his work cut out for him, fighting Koscheck who has far more experience fighting top fighters, is a much better wrestler, and is always setting a very busy pace.

Renan “Barao” Pegado vs Scott Jorgensen
Brazilian Renan Barao is an incredibly dangerous fighter who combines lethal striking with lightning fast submissions. He in essence, kicks and punches you so much that you want to take it to the ground to get relief, but he has a submission waiting for you. After losing his MMA debut in 2005, Pegado then went on to create perhaps the longest win streak in the sport: 26 wins in a row. Of course, the majority of these wins were club fights in Brazil, he has been able to continue his streak in the WEC and the UFC. After an impressive win over Brit Brad Pickett by Rear Naked Choke, he earned himself a top opponent and got one in veteran Scott Jorgensen.

Jorgensen is a 3x Pac-10 wrestling champion and “salty dog” with fights against some of the biggest names in the sport. After running a 7-3 record in the WEC, he made the transition to the UFC winning both his bouts against Ken Stone and Jeff Curran. Besides his pedigree wrestling Jorgensen brings a decent submission game and with 2 TKO wins has demonstrated that he is somewhat of a threat standing. He will need to pull all his experience and tools together and execute a flawless gameplan to disrupt Pedago’s meteoric rise.

Ed Herman vs Clifford Starks
Team Quest and UFC Veteran Ed Herman is a submission specialist with a 6-5 record in the UFC. His biggest wins are over Joe Doerkson, Tim Creduer, and most recently against Kyle Noke. Herman is always exciting to watch, as he lets it all hang out in the ring as evidenced by his 2 submission of the night and KO of the night awards. However, he seems to lose the fights that he must win, and has lost each time he has tried to move up in ranks losing against Demian Maia, Kendall Grove, Alan Belcher, and Aaron Simpson.

His opponent Arizona Combat Sport’s fighter Clifford Starks is undefeated and won his UFC debut by decision against Dustin Jacoby at UFC 137 last October. With half of his bouts being won by decision, criticism is building that he is a grinder and not a finisher. He’ll have some pressure to make a statement and finish this fight.

My picks for fight of the night has to go to Diaz vs Condit, with the possibility of Koscheck vs Pierce stealing it. Werdum or Barao have the best chances to snag Submission of the Night, and Barao or believe it or not Nelson stealing KO of the night. Come back for the results, updates and animated gifs. What are your picks for Condit vs Diaz? The main card bouts? Who wins the bonuses?

The Buzzards Bay Coalition will present the first Buzzards Bay Film Festival (BBFF) on Sunday, November 11, 2012, at the Zeiterion Theater in New Bedford.

The BBFF will consider entries from all film makers, from first-timers, professionals, students and hobbyists. All film types are eligible, including features, shorts, dramas, documentaries, animation, and smartphone videos, as long as some portion of them were shot on the Bay or in its watershed, have the Bay as their subject, or promote the Bay’s preservation and restoration.

The Festival will feature a crowd-sourced film, “The People’s History of Buzzards Bay,” assembled from the public’s contributions of pictures, slides, and videos that depict important historic or personal places and events in the Bay’s history. Video submissions must be between thirty seconds and three minutes long. Festival editors will assemble the entries into a film that will premier at the Festival.

“The Festival is part of our year-long celebration of the Coalition’s 25th anniversary, and ‘The People’s History’ will ensure this will be a festival about Buzzards Bay, by the people of Buzzards Bay,” said Festival Director Tom Gidwitz. “Entries can be serious or funny, and the potential subjects are virtually limitless. For example, a film maker could describe the disappearance of the glaciers, the arrival of Bartholomew Gosnold or places and events in their own families’ lives.”

Festival judges will award a cash prize for Best Film of the Festival and for the best films by college, high school and middle school students.

The BBFF is also holding a cash prize contest for the best 30-second Public Service Announcement about nitrogen pollution. “Nitrogen pollution is an insidious threat to our bays and coves, but people’s eyes often glaze over when they hear about it. We’re looking for new, inventive ways to get the message out,” Gidwitz said.

Festival sponsors include New Bedford’s Jay Lanagan’s restaurants, mediumstudio, and First Priority Media of Cranston, Rhode Island.

Submissions to “The People’s History of Buzzards Bay” are free, but for all other films submitted there is a $10 entry fee. All entrants will receive a membership in the Buzzards Bay Coalition and a link on the film festival’s website to their own website or Facebook page.

Deadline for entry is October 10, 2012.

For more information, see the festival’s website at www.buzzardsbayfilmfestival.org.

Last March, New Bedford Guide featured a bone marrow drive for Baby Chloe, who at 4-months years-old was the youngest child in the state of Massachusetts with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia (ALL). By April a bone marrow match was found, thanks to thousands of people registering with the bone marrow registry. Now there is another young girl that needs our help.

On April 14, 2008, Somerset’s Scarlett Isidoro was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Scarlett spent the last three years in remission, but unfortunately relapsed on January 5th, 2011 and immediately began chemotherapy on January 7th, 2012. She currently resides in the hospital at the Tuff Floating Hospital for Children, and her only hope for a cure is a bone marrow transplant. Please join us in the fight to help the thousands of patients like Scarlett. You have the power to heal the power to save a life by joining the bone marrow registry.

On Feb 4th, 2012 there is a Bone Marrow Drive at St. Louis de France Parish, Church Hall (56 Buffington Street, Swansea, MA) from 10am-2pm to register to become a donor, or visit BETHEMATCH.org to receive your free home kit. Registering is painless and is a simple cotton swab rubbed against the inside of a cheek.

Please feel free to stay update with Scarlett at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/scarlett

There is also a bone marrow drive from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at:

Dartmouth Town High School
555 Bakerville Rd
South Dartmouth MA, 02748

Members of The City of New Bedford Parks, Recreation, and Beaches have teamed up with members of the New Bedford Public School System and local chefs to create an initiative to promote healthy living and eating by creating awareness amongst families in the community.

With the help of a $40,000 grant from the Wal-mart Foundation and the National Recreation and Parks Association, they have been able to host three Family Food Nights (one at The New Bedford Boys and Girls Club, one at Roosevelt Middle, and the most recent one at Gomes School) to help families learn how to live healthier by eating better and exercising on a regular basis.

Last Thursday, January 26th, students and parents met at the Gomes School, where they rotated amongst three exercise stations- a dance station, a yoga station, and a aerobics station- and then were treated to food demos from local chef JT Ghim of Commons (formerly Ginger Grill) as well as a demo from student chefs at Johnson and Wales and Kim Ferreira, who works with the NBPRB and is a registered dietician.

Ross Moran, a representative of the NBPRB, said they’re targeting populations that don’t typically have access to healthy foods. “We’ve had these (initiatives) at Roosevelt and The Boys Club, and we’re looking forward to the next one, which should be at Normandin in March.”

Ross, along with Renee Dufour, Pauline Hamel, and Ferreira, among others, helped recruit area chefs who focus on healthy dining, as well as some individuals involved in promoting physical activities in the city.

The goal is to promote easy ways to create cheap, healthy meals, as well as to stress the importance of exercise to create a complete, healthy lifestyle. Dufour told me that New Bedford was one of the first cities to get involved with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” program, which was designed to address America’s obesity problems by focusing on the youth of America.

Last July, the state Public Health Council agreed to change lunch menus so that schools are required to provide students with a variety of healthier options. The USDA also has a series of new requirements that must be followed. This grant program is another part of what seems like a nationwide effort to promote health awareness amongst the youth.

Ferreira and Hamel collaborated to bring the healthy dining demos to the schools by recruiting the local chefs. Initially starting on a small scale in May, the program was fully launched in August. Kim said that the idea was, “to get healthy meals in a way that makes sense- by connecting restaurants to the community.”

So far, the program has been considered a success. Over 120 people signed up for and attended this particular session at the Gomes School. “We usually have a tough time getting parents to participate in the physical activities, but overall the night seems like a success,” said Dufour. The kids especially seemed to enjoy the physical portion of the program. “The kids liked it. They like to move, no matter what it is,” said dance instructor and teacher at the Gomes School Rachel Machado.

On Saturday, February 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park will celebrate the 194th birthday of New Bedford’s most famous orator and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. The park will celebrate Douglass and his legacy, from Civil War to civil rights, by showing films, hosting a panel discussion, and showcasing a poetry slam and live music . All of the day’s activities are free and take place at the Corson Maritime Learning Center located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford, Massachusetts. For a complete schedule of activities, stop by the National Park Visitor Center or visit the park on the web at www.nps.gov/nebe.

• 10:00 a.m – 12:00 noon – Exploring the Home Port: The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, and videos by YAP! (Youth Ambassador Program)
• 1:00-2:00 PM: Satellite Panel Discussion on Frederick Douglass hosted by Dr. Edna Medford of Howard University with representatives from New Bedford and Maryland, in collaboration with Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Maryland.
• 2:30 – Poetry Slam featuring Jibreel Khazan, Erik Andrade, Raena Camacho, and Frederick Douglass-Knowles II, Live music by Afrika Rainbow and YAP! (Youth Ambassador Program)

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and made his first home in freedom in New Bedford. He was one 300-700 escaped slaves who called New Bedford home between 1840 and 1860. To learn more about New Bedford’s Underground Railroad history visit www.nps.gov/nebe or www.nbhistoricalsociety.org.