UFC

For those that do not know what UFC is, it is mixed martial arts fighting inside of an octagon-shaped, fighting area that is enclosed by about six feet of fence.  Mixed martial arts is a combination of kickboxing, judo, karate, wrestling, and any form of fighting mixed into one big fight.  There are a few ways that a fighter wins; they can submit someone which means that they tap out to stop themselves from breaking a bone or passing out; knocking someone out by kicks, punches, flying knees; technical knockouts, which is when a doctor stops the fight to prevent permanent damage to a fighter; or by decision which means that judges that are all around the cage give scores based on the number of landed punches, kicks, elbows, knees, and other factors.

This weekend, Saturday January 31, 2009, there is going to be a title fight between George St. Pierre (GSP) and BJ Penn.  GSP is the Welterweight Champion of UFC because he beat the former champion, Matt Serra, almost easily.  He is a naturally fit, French-Canadian.  His opponent, Penn is the Lightweight Champion of UFC and is from Hawaii.  He does not appear to be very fit but he is clearly a very good fighter and is also a very natural fighter.  He gained weight so that he could face GSP so that he can prove himself as a fighter, and maybe partly because he will get paid more to have another title fight.  Welterweight fighters are 156-170 pounds while Lightweight fighters are 146-155 pounds and Penn is a normally a big Lightweight and GSP is a big Welterweight.  This is a much-anticipated fight among UFC enthusiasts.   These fights are only available on  Pay-Per-View and are $40 to purchase, however, they are usually shown at sports bars or restaurants such as Hooters or Buffalo Wilwings.