The UFC has announced the signing of James Toney
to a multi-fight deal.

I think hardcore MMA fans probably hate this idea and are insulted that Dana White has allowed a boxer into their sport. I think this is a great move, it gets more boxing fans over and if he wins, more will come. If he loses we get to hear more about why boxing is not superior in an all-around fight. Of course, we know they are gonna get him in there with someone who will trade with him till they can’t take one of his punches or they decided not to take one of his punches and take him to the mat and submit him.

Toney is 41, a boxer his whole life, and now must learn the ground game. How do you change your basic mechanics after a lifetime of using those mechanics? His fight stance has to change to set up his punches, the way he throws punches has to change to avoid being taken to the ground, and he has to learn how to handle himself on the ground when taken down. I’m not saying it’s impossible, just that any real contender with a good trainer should be able to beat him with ease. Then again, we have to remember what happened to Tim Sylvia vs. Ray Mercer, one punch knocked out a former MMA champ who should of destroyed a former -out of his element- boxing champ.

March is gonna be a good month for MMA fights. We get to see Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones, GSP vs. Dan Hardy, Kenny Florian vs. Takanori Gomi, Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin, Dream 13, and WEC 47. Carwin vs. Mir is a fight that I am looking forward to as Carwin hasn’t had a fight past the first round. Eleven fights and none past round one. Can Mir beat another giant, he’s done it to Sylvia and Brock Lesnar the first fight, can he submit another big man in Carwin or will Carwin get another first round KO? I also want to see the Vera vs. Jones, both Muay Thai guys with great wrestling. Jones is very hot right now although Vera has the edge with his JuJitsu.

Lastly, Cain Velasquez looked awesome in his total destruction of Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. His hand speed was something that is hard to find in heavyweights with wrestling backgrounds. I have to wonder though, were his hands really that fast or is Nogueira’s reaction time so slow that he made Velasquez look that good. Everyone was saying the same thing after Mir beat Nogueira and that same hand speed that Mir was supposed to have against Lesnar was not evident. They are talking about matching him up against Junior dos Santos, I say winner of that fight has the potential to rule the division. Then again this is MMA, one punch can change everything.