Benjamin Tomes's Blog: Recalcitrance: An Unapologetic Free Thinking Forum, page 4

Coaching my first fight in #Florida this weekend. My original...

Coaching my first fight in #Florida this weekend. My original goal was to compete on the night I turned 50, but alas, was told I was too old. Hence, coaching it shall be. The move to #FortPierce gave me a lot of time to think about what my next step would be. I had made the decision to open my own gym, but am several months from being ready to go, so I wasn’t looking to get a #fight team going just yet…but here we are. We don’t have our own building yet, but we’ve got mats, some equipment, and a group willing to learn. I’m forever thankful for a couple of experiences that I’m finding helpful in leaving #education. One, working at a couple of the best gyms in the country and learning to think big, go big, and find unique ways to build a functional business. Two, working for years in #urbaneducation, or #dahood, as some may say. For all the criticisms of the city, I’ve found immense value in the time I’ve spent there. Nowhere else can you find more people that started from the bottom to become something. Day in, day out, seeing uncanny perseverance against heavy odds leaves an indelible imprint on you. I’ve never cared much if I started from nothing, and don’t intend to now. It’s better that way. We may not have much, but we have our 1st tradition in place. Had to do my #spankingmachine tonight. We’ve got work to do…I had welts and red marks for an hour last year. Good times. (at Fort Pierce, Florida)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgBBvS7ujVb/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Nothing says #SummerBreak quite like painting over existing...

Nothing says #SummerBreak quite like painting over existing child labor laws. (at Fort Pierce, Florida)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf7UZ-fu-fP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#UFCVegas58 has a handful of compelling matchups, but definitely...

#UFCVegas58 has a handful of compelling matchups, but definitely feels like a show that is following a big #PPV and lacks star-power. That said, the #mainevent looks to be a good one. I think Fiziev is just too good for this one, though. I took upsets with Nunes, Brundage, but there were a lot of lopsided odds in fights, and there wasn’t much reason to stray from that. I think the more exciting talent is on the undercard today, as there are a few fights with placement on the #maincard that don’t make a ton of sense. I think the first fight of the card might be the best, and the Nzechukwu and Onama are fast-rising talents there are fun to watch. I stand at 164-97 for the year. (at Fort Pierce, Florida)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfy_5mYufVC/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Whilst I am not bothered by the restaurant broadcasting the...

Whilst I am not bothered by the restaurant broadcasting the killing and preparation of the kill served to us in nature’s kitchen on the live feed, it might not be such a hit with all that are here. If you didn’t see it die, did you really even eat? (at Fort Pierce, Florida)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfsFi_NOkhF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The #UFC276 card is undoubtedly stacked tonight with a slew of...

The #UFC276 card is undoubtedly stacked tonight with a slew of big names and a few veterans trying to go out on their sword. In all, this should feature a ton of exciting matchups and different #MMA styles.

I think @stylebender wins this, but the matchup is tougher than his fights against Costa, and maybe even Whitaker. The mistake that others have made when trying to use #wrestling against #Izzy is they focus on the takedown aspect. To beat him, top pressure and control are key. #Cannonier has wrestling skills, but I don’t think he has the ability to hold him down.

After the #MainEvent I like the #underdogs on much of the #MainCard. I think #Holloway is too good to beat three times, and thought he won the last fight. I think his volume wins it for him. I think the #Strickland fight plays out much like Izzy’s; he’ll get some takedowns, but his penchant for staying on the feet gets away from him here. This fight was a literal tossup, but I think the former K1 Kickboxer gets it. I think Munoz is too physical for O’Malley, but can’t make a mistake against the dangerous young fighter. I stand at 155-95 for the year.
(at Fort Pierce, Florida)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfg7tUNOzo-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Is in the Wiz, closing things out here. Couldn’t help but miss...

Is in the Wiz, closing things out here. Couldn’t help but miss the male offspring pretty bad, so met up with his friends and saw @radkeyrock, who killed it. A surreal, cathartic evening. Took the boy here in March to see the same band. 3 weeks down, 5 to go. (at Cactus Club)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfQVJmbu8BD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

The best reason to watch #UFCvegas57 tonight is the insanely...

The best reason to watch #UFCvegas57 tonight is the insanely talented @shavkatrakhmonov94 #ShavkatRakhmonov, who takes on veteran #NeilMagny. It’s not the #mainevent, but #Rakhmanov is a well-rounded, technical assassin from #Kazakhstan. I’ve actually been to his hometown of #Kokshetau in 1994-95, when I traveled there in college. I think he’s as good or better than #Chmiev, with a similar style and skill-set, but with intense discipline. You won’t regret tuning in to watch him. @actionman513 #ChrisCurtis provides another reason to tune in. Already one of my favorites in #MMA, the veteran has turned heads with two big upset wins and finds himself the favorite for the 1st time in his @UFC career.

II took five upsets today, but they’ll all likely be close fights. I like #Kelliher’s grappling, and feel the same for #Paiva. I took an upset in the main, but that was a tossup for me. It stands as a perceived weakness for both their opponents as well. I like #Durden and #Demopolous in their #underdog roles as well. There were some standout betting lines that could be interesting to follow. Seeing #Magny as such a heavy underdog (+375) is tough to see, but speaks to the talent of his opponent. Imagine being Nate Maness, who comes in 14-1 but a +850 dog in this. If I were betting, that’s the big upset I’d take, but think they got the winner right. I had a good week last week, going 9-4 and stand at 147-91 for the year, at about the half way point. (at Cold Spring Park)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfO-61Nuwxn/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

In honor of the @btsbaltimore program heading to a big national...

In honor of the @btsbaltimore program heading to a big national competition this weekend, some highlights of the #wrestling clinic @zandertomes and I did at the gym of @gervontaa this past May. Makes my heart happy to see so many #BeatTheStreets programs developing. This has come a long way since my time at #Milwaukee Custer. (at Baltimore, Maryland)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CfOsLogLpJl/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A pretty good #MMA card tonight for #UFCVegas57, I would argue a...

A pretty good #MMA card tonight for #UFCVegas57, I would argue a better overall one than the #PPV held last week, which was really top heavy. This one is very balanced, with some interesting fights, even if many of them are not going to impact #UFC rankings much. I think #Emmett’s wrestling and more well-rounded approach gets the upset, but that’s a tall order. I think #Cowboy’s been done for awhile, but he changed camps and that may help him, but I think #Lauzon’s been better of late. I took upsets with Emmett, Lauzon, Buckley, and Marquez. The lack of video available last week for many of the fighters made it a tricky one to predict, and it showed in my picks. I stand at 138-87 for the year. (at Fort Pierce, Florida)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce9GdaGO4uv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#UFC275 looks to be a top-heavy #PPV, with a slew of important...

#UFC275 looks to be a top-heavy #PPV, with a slew of important fights at the top of the card, and large contingent of largely international unknowns on the rest. Cards in #Singapore are tough fights for fighters to take, as the tax taken out is significant. After the two title fights and huge rematch, there are not a lot of household names amongst #MMA fans. I think #Prochazka wins by death murder, but anticipate a much tighter contest in the other title fight. I think the champ wins this one. The other huge fight on the card is between #JoannaJędrzejczyk and #WeiliZhang. This one was tough to call, but I think #Joanna gets her this time around. There’s a lot of interesting stylistic matchups between grapplers and strikers, but not a lot of familiarity with the rest of the card. I went 11-3 last week, 133-76 for the year. (at Fort Pierce, Florida)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CerQwsxOCea/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=