In this column we debate social events, cultural norms, morals, and argue over the hottness factor present in so many celebrities. We also dissect the ambiguous state of Quinton “Went on a Rampage” Jackson and his lawlessness. Can Jackson dodge a mandated, seemingly closed case regarding his guilt in a case that harbors numerous witnesses, video footage and photographs? Will his “not guilty” plea sink him like a Jason Lambert at a swim meet? Jackson faces an uphill battle due to his explanation for the hit and run and evading episode he took part in. First and foremost, dehydration is not excuse for evading arrest and committing acts of hit and run. Neither is the, “I was strung out on energy drinks” plot going to work well, unless this is based of course on the infamous “Twinkie Defense.“(look it up.) Jackson needs to prove absolutely that there was no malice nor anger in his actions that day. Tough call. If he was suffering mentally he should have simply pulled over and sought treatment. Where was he going? Didn’t someone say he was searching for a lost contact lens? If that’s the case he’s very guilty of putting people in danger. Rampage needs to figure out whats going on inside his own head. If he is preparing to fight in November and also has court in November and is also attempting to get a hold of his well-being all while suffering from being overwhelmed he has some serious prioritizing to do. If being beat once in the UFC sends him over the edge we are terrified of what this schedule may do to him. Hang in there Rampage. And lets all hope for future drivers that he wins in November!
Rampage vs the court system= One tough fight for the big slammer.
Rampage vs. the law= Well, if anyone can beat this it would be him or Fedor.
Rampage and the UFC= Unconditional love for their investment.
Rampage on Forrest= You got beat, fess up. says he to Forrest.
Rampage and Delusion= Hand in hand. Forrest beat you with his energy.

As the fight between Ken “The Grandfather” Shamrock and Kimbo Slice draws nearer we, the fans, are being treated to an array of simple yet poignant talk on who will win and how. The writers and reporters see Shamrock as having no chance in the darkest depths of Hell of beating Slice. Some die hards who refuse to see the light glinting off Shamrock’s glass chin are touting a major submission victory for the man of a thousand losses. They honestly believe that Shamrock will not only submit Kimbo but will do it with grace and tactical movements. Stardum loves a good underdog story but it seems that Shamrock’s underdog will be up against a street fighting lion. Slice is a menace to those who attempt to trade fists with him and in today’s cage if the fight stalls on the ground the fighters get right back up and duke it out. If Shamrock stands he will be hit and if he’s hit he will be hit hard and if he’s hit hard, it’s lights out. Sounds like an EliteXC wet dream but let’s see what Ken Shamrock told sherdog: “[T]he Kimbo Slice thing came up and we said, ‘Wow, this is the perfect fight for me, man. You can’t gift wrap one better than this’…Honestly, I think I can test him anywhere. He’s got big, heavy hands. Everyone says he punches hard and he probably does. But again, he doesn’t punch properly, in my opinion. He swings his hands, he moves his body back and forth trying to get as much power as he can, but there’s really no snap behind it. You can usually see the punches coming. I’m going to do what I need to do. If it goes to the ground, I’ll probably break his leg. I mean, no question. I will break his leg. If he gives it to me, I’m going to break it.”
Will Shamrock break Kimbo’s leg or will Shamrock’s head explode after the first exchange?

SAN JOSE, Calif. —Bombs are bound to be exchanged when K-1 kickboxing veterans Patrick “HD” Barry (3-0) and Andre “The Silencer” Walker (2-3) face off with one another in the cage during Strikeforce “Payback” at Denver, Colorado’s Broomfield Events Center on Friday, October 3rd.

Since making a splash debut in MMA with a first round stoppage of Mike Delaney, a veteran of 39 professional MMA fights, on May 30, 2008, the 29-year-old Barry, also a veteran of Chuck Norris’ World Combat League and a 2003 Kung-Fu World Championship silver medalist, has not been forced to fight a full round. Barry claimed his latest victim in a minute and 52 seconds on Friday, crumbling Simon Diouf with a trio of leg kicks at Green Bay, Wisconsin’s Oneida Casino.

“I started off in kickboxing with the goal of being the world’s best kickboxer and, now, moving into MMA, I want to be the world’s best kickboxer in MMA,” said Barry of his new undertaking. “MMA is turning into kickboxing in the cage, pretty much. That’s just the way the sport has evolved.”

Last year, Barry turned in his most active year with K-1. During the organization’s “Grand Prix” tournament in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 28, 2007, he finished legendary puncher, “Big Daddy” Gary Goodridge, with a left round kick to the head at 1:07 of the opening round. Four months later, he stopped Rickard Nordstrand with an onslaught of low kicks in the second round of their meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Barry lost a grandmother and his family home when Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005. He has since found refuge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the birthplace of his mentor, four-time World Muay Thai Champion, Jeff “Duke” Roufus. With the help of MMA star, Eric “Red” Schafer, a trainer at The Duke Roufus Kickboxing, Mixed Martial Arts, and Boxing Academy, Barry has tackled the grappling aspect of his new occupation.

“I like it a lot,” said Barry of his wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training . “I’ve been kickboxing for six or seven years, so this is something different. I like it because it’s not easy and, if we want to train to be fighters, we’ve got to be ready for any kind of fight, any time, on all different terrains.”

Walker’s start will be his first since February 16, 2007, when he was stopped by Carpaccio Owens at the same arena where he will meet Barry.

“I’m going all the way this time. I’m 100% better than I used to be and committed to becoming a champion,” said the 36-year-old Walker. According to the heavyweight, he took a much needed hiatus in order to strengthen his skill set.

Despite only five professional MMA appearances, Walker brings to the cage a rich history in combat sports. During the late ‘90’s, the Denver native was a student of Sabaki Karate under Clarence Thatch and, later, he went on an unbeaten, 5-0 run in “Toughman” competition.

“The Sabaki helps my stand-up (skills) in MMA a lot,” explained Walker. “I’m able to swing my opponent and knock him off balance. It’s using his own weight against him.”

Walker made his greatest impression in the fight world to date on August 11, 2001 when he stopped Carter Williams in the second round of their K-1 matchup at Las Vegas’ Bellagio Hotel and Casino. Williams went on to capture the K-1 North America tournament championship two years later.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) sensation Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (17-6) will face off with Hawaiian star Falaniko “Niko” Vitale (26-8) in the main event of Strikeforce “Payback.”

World Muay Thai champion, Duane “Bang” Ludwig (16-8), will attempt to avenge a previous defeat at the hands of “The Ultimate Fighter” season three veteran, Sam “The Squeeze” Morgan (19-10) in the co-main event.

Also back in action at Strikeforce “Payback” will be “The New York Badass” Phil Baroni (12-10) and “The Ultimate Fighter” season four veteran, “The Secret Weapon” Pete Spratt (18-14). Opponents for Baroni and Spratt have not been confirmed yet.

Tickets for Strikeforce “Payback,” priced from $30, are on sale at Ticketmaster (303-830-TIXS) and Ticketmaster.com.

Broomfield Events Center doors will open for Strikeforce “Payback” at 5:30 PM MST and the preliminary card will begin at 6:30 PM MST. The main card will commence at 8 PM MST.

SAN JOSE, Calif. —A potentially torn ACL and meniscus will prevent Strikeforce Light Heavyweight (205 lb. limit) Champion Bobby Southworth from being able to defend his crown against Renato “Babalu” Sobral (30-7) at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, September 20th. Replacing the ailing Southworth in the fight with Sobral will be Anthony “A-Train” Ruiz (21-11).

The 38-year-old Southworth sustained the knee injury during a routine training session at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose. A physician, who pinpointed the affected areas, has ordered Southworth to undergo an MRI exam to determine the extent of the damage and to go through four to six weeks of physical therapy.

Ruiz, a 30-year-old resident of Modesto, California, is coming off a July 26th unanimous judges’ decision victory over Jeremy Freitag.

Ruiz holds a 1-1 record against Southworth. After their initial meeting, a non-title bout on November 16, 2007, was stopped 52 seconds into the second round due to a cut Ruiz had opened around Southworth’s eye, Ruiz was awarded a win by TKO.

Southworth avenged the loss by legging out a five-round, unanimous judges’ decision over Ruiz at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on June 27th.

“Strikeforce At The Mansion II” will be highlighted by a showdown between 2006 Pride Fighting Championship Grand Prix winner and world top 10 ranked, Kazuo “Grabaka Hitman” Misaki (20-8-2), and 25-year-old former UFC star, Joe “Diesel “Riggs (28-10).

Twenty-four year old thoroughbred Cory “The One” Devela (9-1) will bid for his eighth consecutive victory when he takes on what is arguably his most dangerous challenge to date, heavy-handed Terry Martin (17-5), in a middleweight (185 lb. limit) contest

Newly crowned Strikeforce World Lightweight (155 lb. limit) Champion Josh “The Punk” Thomson (16-2) will also return to action in a three-round, non-title matchup with Lion’s Den prodigy Ashe Bowman (10-4).

In addition to a full night of MMA action, all “Strikeforce At The Mansion II” guests will be entitled to a top-shelf, open bar; buffet-style, gourmet dinner; and wine-tasting party featuring the spirits of various California gold medal wineries.

Strikeforce wrote a new chapter in sports history when it produced the first-ever MMA event at the Playboy Mansion last September. Amongst the host of celebrities who attended the affair were Playboy Enterprises Founder, Hugh Hefner and “The Girls Next Door;” comedians Gary Shandling and Joe Rogan; actress and model Jaime Pressly; actors Michael Duncan Clarke, Christina Fulton, Ethan Suplee, Ernie Hudson, and Page Kennedy; MMA legends Royce Gracie and Bas Rutten; and superstars Cung Le, Frank Shamrock, Josh Barnett, and Andrei Arlovski.
All inquiries regarding tickets for “Strikeforce At The Mansion II” should be directed to Dan Guiterrez at Strikeforce’s corporate headquarters (Ph # 408-998-8232.)

In the mean streets of Los Angeles you can always spot a gang member by the way he dresses or by the hairstyle he occupies. An O.G. (original gangster) always has the top button of his shirt buttoned up and tucked in and his pants above his belly button. His shirt preference would be a Pendleton or plaid shirt, well-starched, and his preference for pants would be Dickies, also known as khakis, Stacy Adams or black shoes that are well shined will complete the attire. The O.G.’s hairdo will be slicked back or shaven. The original gangster would always be on his P’s and Q’s when he was out strolling. Unlike today’s gang member, the original gangsters would take pride in the way they looked. The gang member of today is sloppy with his pants sagging, wearing a filthy shirt full of wrinkles. Today’s gang members prefer stupid tennis shoes and are unkempt and uncaring of what they look like. You better not look at them too hard because they will get upset and spray you with their weapons. Today’s gang member does not fight, they just do the cowardly act of using a gun. The real O.G.’s would fight you and every once in a while use a knife. They might maim you, but for the most part you will live the next day to discuss with your friends on what happened. The current state of gang members will try to expire you and even if your not their intended target they will not care one iota about the harm they cause you. Due to the way they are dressed, the gang members do not stray too far from their so-called territorial claim. If they somehow manage to leave their safety zone, they will encounter other gang members that will not be friendly with them. The other jurisdictions will not be as kind to them and they will meet resistance from business establishments and law enforcement agencies because of their appearance. As you can see their sloppy facade induces a negative reaction to all others but not to themselves. This is why they do what they do. They bring it on themselves.
Until the next lesson, “Stay Down.”
Author: OG DUDE

The most lamented and dreaded question that any Angeleno hates to hear, “Where are you from?” This is a question that has no definitive answer. It is an apparent “Catch-22″: Damned if you don’t answer and damned if you do. Too many Los Angeles area residents have lost their lives or have been seriously injured because they have failed to respond or responded with the wrong answer. This is why you have to be aware of your surroundings and be well versed as to what a proper response to this question can be. If you get “hit up” by a gang member it is only because he thinks you look like one or are one. This is why, as described in Lesson One, you should not be a poser. You will only be jeopardizing yourself. Why would any fool try to look hard and be a “Buster” when everybody knows that idiot could not hang with anyone, let alone gang-bangers. Once you get “hit up,” you better react quickly and tell them that you are from a city in another state. This answer will have them scratching their heads because gang members are stupid and do not know their geography. Their rationale is that if they never heard of that area, they will most likely leave you alone because they have no beef with that area. If you do not give them an answer, they will view that as disrespectful and they will attempt to injure you. You have to remember gang members only have their point of view and do not give a shit what you think. So think about that when traveling through Los Angeles.
Until the next Lesson, “Stay Down.”
Written and Reported by: OG DUDE

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson will be facing felony chargesfrom the Orange County D.A.’s office for his wild driving spree. Jackson will be dealing with counts of evading police, wreckless driving and other charges stemming from his inability to pull over and respect the law and lives of those around him. Jackson, if one remembers, was taken at gun point in the incident leading up to these charges. The UFC has consistently stood behind its star, pushing for lesser charges as well as maintaining Rampage’s mental health. Here’s some of the professional talk surrounding the charges and coverage of Jackson as brought to you by mmaweekly.com,(God bless them):
The 30-year-old Jackson has been charged with one felony count of evading while driving recklessly, one felony count of evading a peace officer and driving against traffic, three misdemeanor counts of hit and run with property damage, and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 28. Deputy District Attorney Keith Bogardus will request a $25,000 bail for the fighter.

No matter what Kenny “KenFlo” Florian says, or does, he just seems to end up short of that big compliment, title shot, or ounce of respect he deserves. Yet, the man continues moving up the ladder with humility and pride. When Stardum has had encounters with KenFlo, they have all gone well, with Florian always being a very nice, talkative, guy. That’s why we weren’t surprised to hear he has agreed to fight Joe Stevenson in Oregon for UFC 91 instead of waiting to see if he’ll get a shot at BJ Penn. Florian wants to fight. Florian wants respect. He deserves both. Here’s what KenFlo had to say:“I wouldn’t be surprised if I went out there and knocked out Joe Stevenson in the first 10 seconds and they were like, ‘Kenny got lucky, and he still has to prove himself; he’ll never beat Sean Sherk or B.J. Penn, and Tyson Griffin a better fighter.  For whatever reason, people are still doubting me. It’s normal.”
Florian shared those insights with sherdog.com.