The Froch - Groves Aftermath

So last weekend we saw a brilliant domestic showdown between British Super Middleweight kingpin Carl Froch and the fast rising George Groves. This fight in many people's opinion was an easy bet (including the bookies). Credit must be given to Eddie Hearn for making this happen!

So my own prediction was Groves would be stopped early. Very early and if not he would win a tight decision. What happened shocked me and I'm guessing most of the boxing world. Just before the fight Johnny Nelson was interviewing an ex boxer in the ring. This guy laughed when nelson asked who will win. He said groves has not got enough power and the fight would not last long. Prince Naseem Hamed had a similar prediction much to the crowds annoyance. Naz looked to be buzzing off some sort of drug but we will leave that for another day. I was expecting the usual comeback talk!

Methadone - Maybe not Such An Instant Fix

Methadone Addiction

Methadone is actually a extensively utilized and well known replacement for heroin habit. When first rolled-out several pilot strategies across cultures were believed to afford excellent results. The truth of the strategies is we've seen a tremendous growth in dependence with customers often topping-up with heroin and over-zealous doctors maybe not reducing methadone medications fast enough. Several methadone junkies have been hooked to methadone for a long time remaining on an identical dosage with minimum decrease as well as in certain instances a genuine escalation in dosage because of the heroin habit.

Methadone was initially created in Indonesia in 1937. Methadone was created chiefly since the Italians demanded a dependable supply of opiates and discovered that by simply making a faux variant they decreased the need to transfer opium which was getting increasingly challenging in this interval. Methadone goals the identical opioid receptors within the mind as heroin and other opiates for instance. Methadone overdoses within America are considered around 5000 each year. Whether that is really in conjunction with heroin use it's cloudy, what is obvious is methadone doesn't are a device to quit heroin habit world-wide.

Substance Addiction – Is A Rehab Clinic The Answer?

Addiction to substances can affect anybody I know this first hand. I myself know family members and close friends who have directly been affected by addiction to substances such as alcohol or drugs. Many people suffer for years without seeking or looking for help, often people are unaware they actually have a problem until it's too late. Treatment options for addiction vary worldwide and there is a huge difference in approach depending on where you go. The most common treatment with rehab clinics for addiction is a 12 step program which started out with the group Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Other branch offs of Alcoholics Anonymous include narcotics anonymous (NA), cocaine anonymous (CA), sex addict’s anonymous (SLA), crystal meth anonymous (CMA)… You get the picture.

Rehab - The answer to your problems?

All the anonymous services listed above and others not listed work on the 12 step program. This program is based on total abstinence from the substance involved. The first step in all of these programmes is admitting your powerlessness over the substance or action involved, for many this first step is the biggest hurdle there will ever face and many end up resorting back to it time and time again battling addiction and being unable to continue life with total abstinence. One of the main issues of a programme based on total abstinence is the stigma attached to relapse and the essential loss of face in the community that you have built up during your recovery. I myself know after being in Alcoholics Anonymous for a few years and having various periods of sobriety that returning to a meeting after a relapse is very difficult and often harder than actually the relapse itself. I'm not bashing Alcoholics Anonymous or any of the above groups that just giving my point of view on the system I believe fails many people. I know Alcoholics Anonymous and the other groups have saved millions of lives. The reality is when you look at the figures from Alcoholics Anonymous or the other groups the success rate is normally described at best as around 4%.

UFC 166 - My Views

So on Saturday night we saw the trilogy between the current UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Valasquez and the ex champion JDS. We also saw an interesting under-card that delivered in every aspect.Im in a rush so will only discuss the main event!

• Cain Velasquez def. Junior dos Santos via TKO (strikes) - Round 5, 3:09 - to retain heavyweight title 

JDS After UFC 166

So the main event of the evening was much hyped and rightly so! A quick history on these two... They first met in November 2011 in the UFC's flagship debut on FOX. Cain held the belt and JDS took it with a 1.04 second KO of Cain. They next met in December 2012 and Cain manhandled JDS for 5 rounds beating him silly.

MyPC Backup - STAY AWAY

Hello, welcome back and all that rubbish. Today's subject is MyPC Backup that comes installed on HP laptops and probably most "out of the box" computers for sale.

Protection Racket?

I bought my HP laptop due to price and specs. As soon as I got it home I removed all of the programmes installed to "help me" such as McAffe security.... whatever - you get the picture.

So MyPC Backup for some reason made me think... "Im gonna look at this!" - It was marketed to me as part of HP's service and I assumed a genuine one. So I began my "backup"! Well after an hour I was receiving emails and pop ups advising me that my PC was not fully backed up and was likely to be hacked by a professional team of hacktivists from Nigeria. The main message was PAY PAY PAY!

Amir Khan to be next victim of P4P King Floyd Mayweather

Well... well.... well.... reports I am seeing are suggesting a fight between the hugely overrated / underrated (depending on who you hang around with) Amir Khan and the Pound for Pound king Floyd Money Mayweather is due to happen in 2014. Yes folks that's correct Amir Khan - Mayweather in 2014!

Yes I am slightly surprised. Shocked? No! This fight makes so much sense for everyone involved. All the British fans can watch the gob shite Khan get beaten by another arrogant wanker. It makes great viewing for anyone! I do believe it will sell massively. I also believe it will be the biggest disappointment of Amir Khan's Career.

Enough of my opinions lets look at the facts going into this fight. We will start with the massive favourite to lose - Amir:

Rolf Harris, Indian Restaurants & Rewarded Loyalty

So as some of you are aware I coincided my return to the UK with the allegations against Rolf Harris & the Great British curry awards.

You know what it is yet?

Rolf Harris?

"Do you know what it is yet?" - I can harbour a guess. Luckily or unluckily for me I never got to meet the likes of Rolf, Jimmy, Michael Jackson or Tony Blair for that matter. I'm not sure who lost out? I Know the game "hide the sausage" from my Cadet days and heard Jimmy was a master.

So good old Rolf Harris faces charges against children and has now been refered to Crown Court. The man who once painted the queen and was given a CBE in 2006 is a nonce? This is nonsense! I know the case is on going but I believe all celebrities are guilty of offences against children. Why else would they get famous? I think all celebrities including Carol Vorderman and Gary Lineker should be arrested on child sex offences immediately.

Money Mayweather or Canelo? An "0" has to go!

So this weekend sees a clash between two unbeaten fighters. Probably two of the best current pound for pound fighters in the world. Old blood against new but who will be victorious? Will the torch finally be passed from mayweather to the new breed?

Floyd "Money" Mayweather goes into this fight as the clear favourite simply due to his record and the calibre of opponents he has beaten. I do however always look at his record and think he beat them at the perfect time in his career and not theirs.

My Alcohol Addiction, The NHS & Rehab Clinics

So through losing a good few years, friends and jobs through addiction to mainly alcohol but basically anything I can abuse I have searched relentlessly for a "cure". This search has led me down many paths. Substituting weed for alcohol, cocaine for speed..... the list goes on. None of these methods were too successful. I also read a few books on becoming a successful drinker or lowering your drinking with various strategies. None of these seemed to work!

Me

I bounced around the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK for a few years. I first went to see a doctor after throwing up blood from drinking up to 2 bottles of vodka a day while holding down a full time job. The Doctor advised me to stop eating spicy food, avoid tomatoes and stop drinking. Sound advice if unicorns were real. I returned to the same doctor a few weeks later with a serious gastric infection, surprisingly he did not link this to my drinking. Eventually after a few more drink related illnesses I was advised to keep a drink diary and meet with a member of the Alcohol action team once every 2 weeks. This again was a fruitless attempt to stop a deadly and progressive obsession with alcohol.

Over the space of the next few years I ended up with a list of drink related criminal offences including a banning order from every football ground in Europe, assault on a police officer and various other minor public order offences. Although when I was younger I suspected I may have had a drinking problem I always thought it was the result of circumstance and if I got a new car, house or girlfriend things would improve. Eventually after missing work a few to many Mondays in a row I decided to check into a rehab clinic in the UK. This was Affinity Lodge, a non CQC registered holistic programme that told me the science behind drinking, let me sit on a magic vibrating chair and ultimately gave me no idea how to remain abstinent from drinking. I relapsed within maybe a month of leaving this two week treatment and as far as I am aware everyone I met there also relapsed within a short period of time. I specifically remember being told that AA (alcoholics anonymous) was a cult at this “clinic”. Remarkably someone died while in care at this centre and it subsequently closed down shortly after.

Alistair Overeem - UFC's biggest flop

So this last weekend saw UFC on Fox Sports 1. A big event that delivered on every level. Overeem the former K1 & Strikeforce heavyweight champion looked to redeem himself after being knocked out by Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.

His opponent, Travis "Hapa" Browne was also coming off a knockout loss to Bigfoot Silva. Overeem was a huge favourite going into both of these fights and that prediction was not to far off with the dominance he brings at the start of a fight.

Horse Meat? Failed steroid test!

Against Browne he started viciously with huge knees, I personally thought the fight was going to be stopped as Browne absorbed some huge shots. Browne himself said his body was actually shutting down from the power of the shots.

Then the tide turned..... Browne started throwing a front kick to the head repetitively. Again and again he threw this kick as Overeem seemed to slow and plod forward heavy on his feet. Eventually boom the Reem hit the deck and took a couple of hammer fists before the fight was waved off in round 1.

So many questions about the Reem at the moment! Where now? He was truly dominant in both of these losses but his stock in the UFC has plummeted! The UFC wont cut him but with another loss I see him going. Roy "Big Country" Nelson has been touted as his next opponent on some forums. I see no other great option unless the feed him Kongo.

A fight between him and Nelson would be intriguing. Could he be the first to stop Big Country in the Octagon? Or would he simply become another victim of the overhand right? One thing is sure he cannot take as much punishment as allot of the other heavyweights. His jaw was susceptible in Pride when he fought at middleweight. Lets see what the UFC has lined up for one of their biggest flops.

Gauteng – Gangsters Paradise. Drugs, Addiction & Crime

Gauteng is the smallest province in South Africa that is situated in the heart of Highveld. The Highveld constitutes part of the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Limpopo, and all of Gauteng and northern Free State provinces. Among all the provinces Gauteng has the notorious record of being called the gangster’s paradise. This name was taken from the GP that is put on car registration plates in Gauteng. The residents of Gauteng, themselves, gave this name which reveals the amount of fear that they live in. It is one of the most violent places in South Africa. 

Nyaope Addiction Fuels Crime Amongst Youth

Of the entire crimes that occur in South Africa 50 percent occur in Gauteng province. The gangsters have a free reign over the entire place. The entire Gauteng province has been divided into 138 policing areas. Among all these areas Magaliesburg, Fairland, Hekpoort, Rosebank and Tarlton reported the lowest crimes last year. The murder rate of South Africa is five times higher than the world average rate of murders. The majority contribution is from Gauteng province.

This fear is evident in the streets. Once you roam around the city you will find high walls constructed around homes, fences around the shops and shopping complexes and so on. This picture of the city itself is a reminder of how much fear the residents have in their minds. 

If we take the entire crime record statistic of South Africa, Gauteng is the majority contributor. It is one among the most violent and unsafe places. Armed robberies take place in broad daylight. People are being exterminated for no reason. The criminals move freely in the province. It is the criminals that are ruling the state and other law enforcement agencies seem to be powerless to take action against them. The common people over there are not feeling safe to live. 

In Gauteng, along with a high crime rate there is this problem of drug and alcohol abuse. Gauteng also has another dubious name called the drug capital. All kinds of drugs are easily available in the streets. This makes the younger generation extremely vulnerable to such habits. Children as young as ten years of age get hooked into such habits. It is really a vicious cycle where once you get into it, you will find it difficult to come out.

The place has also seen gang violence. The gang violence sometimes erupts between various drug cartels. Each gang fights with another to make the street come under their drug syndicate. This causes unnecessary violence in the streets. Street violence and armed robbery are on the rise. 

All kinds of drugs are available in Gauteng streets. Mandrax, Crystal Meth (tik), Woonga (Nyaope) are available at very cheap rates. People who are really addicted to it will pay any amount to get their dose. Three out of ten secondary school students in Gauteng use drugs. Cannabis is popular among school students. Many use it for recreational purposes, some use it for boosting their performances during exams.

Those who are in the spell of drug addiction say they go into a higher state after the consumption of the substance.If they do not have money with them then they resort to crime to get money. They steal from people, threaten others, and in some cases kill other people for money and drugs.Drug cartels operate in the most secretive way and the drug mules are trained to conceal drugs in the most innovative ways.

Rehab Clinics offer hope

Along with drugs the alcohol abuse is also rampant in the province. Gauteng has one of the highest alcohol consumption rates in Africa. The administration has started taking enough measures to curb the menace of alcohol. A lot of crimes occur when you are drunk as there won’t be any control on your actions. Many kids have got fetal alcohol syndrome because their mothers were heavy drinkers. In a survey among school students of Gauteng, two thirds of the students agreed that alcohol consumption in youth is becoming more socially acceptable and tolerated. Around 8 in 10 students agreed that they consume alcohol. Education is the principal means of preventing alcohol and drug abuse among youth. Educators should be trained to identify stress related symptoms and how to deal with it. Drug and alcohol prevention in schools need to be adaptable and innovative methods of prevention must be put to practice.

Alcohol and drugs boost the majority of the crimes in the society. The police have incorporated various measures to prevent such crimes in Gauteng. The first step is to be tough on drinking and driving. The police have also short listed the areas prone to alcohol and drug abuse and to make sure that the police stations there are accessible to the citizens for reporting crime. But a main reason that hampers such activities is the street protests the police have to face. The Gauteng province last year was witness to at least 650 protests of which 40 had been violent. So at such times the police will have to move their resources to protest sites which hamper other investigations of crime and drugs.   

Before pointing fingers at others we must ask ourselves on where as a society did we go wrong. To fight against drugs societies should start speaking out.  The society should stand up and expose those who are selling drugs and ruining the younger generation. The persons who are providing safe houses to the youth where they go and smoke need to be punished severely. Many young girls even go to the extend of selling their bodies for drugs.

The crime on the streets of Gauteng is increasing. There are a plenty of laws to deal with the rising crime, but it is the administering of laws that we need to look into and tweak. There are also allegations that the police are also involved in aiding and abetting crime especially with drug dealers. It is something that needs to be taken very seriously. But the onus first lies on the society itself on not to get into alcohol and drug addiction which is the root cause of majority crimes.

UFC 163 - A Viewings Flop?

UFC 163 happens tonight in Rio, Brazil & features a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo & The Korean Zombie. A $50 PPV event in the US and a new venture of BT Sports in the UK. How many people will splash money for the PPV or a new subscription in the UK is unknown but the card has been criticised on message boards as being particularly light on star power or meaningful bouts.

Aldo - Korean Zombie
An intriguing bout but one in which Aldo is expected to take with ease. The Korean Zombie is suprising and it seems at time unstoppable. Aldo on the other hand is a machine who tears through opposition. I don't see the Korean Zombie having much chance of walking into Aldo's kicks or punches all night and lean towards the champion for a stoppage victory. Aldo by clinical masterclass and TKO round 3.

UFC on BT Sport in UK

Lyoto Machida - Phil Davis
This fight has potential title implications for Machida and will throw Davis right into the mix with a win. Davis will not stand a chance on his feet against the Dragon and needs to get this to the ground pretty quickly. I think this is too much of a step up for Davis at this point. I see Machida stuffing the take downs and brutally KO'ing Davis in the 2nd.

Cezar Ferreira - Thiago Santos
I don't really know enough about these fighters as I never watched the Ultimatete Fighter Brazil. I am hugely confused why this is on the main portion off a PPV card when Ian McCall is on the prelims? I'm guessing its for the Brazilian fans. Anyway from what I do know about the two I would say Ferreira is the better all round fighter. I see him softening Santos up for two rounds before stopping him late in the 3rd with the overhand left. TKO / KO round 3 fr Ferreira.

Thales Leites - Tom Watson
Now I am a big Watson fan being British but I honestly feel he is going to come up short here. Leites experience wise has been in with the far better fighters and holds wins of Nate Marquadt & Jeremy Horn. Leites also took former middleweight champion and p4p great Anderson Silva 5 rounds in his quest to capture the UFC middleweight title. I see this potentially being fight of the night but feel Watson will lose a close decision. I see Watson gassing mid fight and losing a unanimous decision.

Me & Anthony Perosh

Vinny Magalhaes - Anthony Perosh
This fight I feel will be when Perosh receives his walking papers. An awful match up for him in my opinion. I feel Magalhaes can take this fight however he chooses. Second round submission for Magalhaes.

Ian McCall - Iliarde Santos
I am shocked where Uncle Creepy has been placed on this card. One of the more entertaining fighters in the UFC and in my opinion the only person to beat Mighty Mouse recently. I see McCall taking this fight with ease. Nice easy Unanimous Decision or late submission.

Overall the card is good if your a hardcore fan. For me I would never me any UFC event regardless of price but that's me. I have a feeling viewing figures worldwide will be low for this in comparison to recent PPV events. I shall be watching reluctantly on BT Sport.

Tito Ortiz - Quinton Rampage Jackson - Bellator PPV November 2?

I started to see news of this announced fight bouncing around the Internet late last night and was not all too surprised it has been booked. I am shocked Bellator have opted to screen this on PPV though.

Tito has recently stated he needs to return to the cage due to money problems. These problems are all linked to Tito's colourful love life and failed relationship with porn star Jenna Jameson. The ex Huntington Beach bad boy & now "Peoples Champion" has had a pretty in fact very poor showing in the cage over the last few years. After beating Ken Shamrock back in 2006 he has been on a downward spiral besides beating Ryan Bader in an upset of the year performance in 2011. Since beating Bader he has lost to Rashad Evans, Lil Nog & Forrest Griffin. Tito does not belong in the UFC anymore that's for sure and Dana White has been vocal about Tito never fighting in UFC again.

An then we have Rampage - a pioneer of the sport from the Pride era and aggressive brawler with great take down defence. Rampage has been painful to watch over the last few years. Many argue that his heart is no longer in fighting after starring in a movie. Rampage seemed set to face Roy Jones Jr in a boxing match before his fight with Tito was announced. The man who unified the Pride & UFC light heavyweight titles is currently on a 3 fight losing streak including a failed title big against Jon Bones Jones. Rampage left the UFC of his own accord and doesn't seem to have the money problems Tito is suffering.

Tito

I have seen allot of negative stuff posted about both of these fighters recently regarding this fight. I totally understand the negativity when it comes to it being a PPV event but some of the criticism of these two I feel is uncalled for and from fans who clearly have no idea what these two fighters did for the sport. People seem to forget that Jon Bones Jones has only just matched Tito's record of 5 title defences at Light Heavy Weight. Tito brought so much interest to the sport with all his trash talking and actions towards the Lions Den & the Shamrocks personally. Tito is also a UFC hall of famer and rightly so. He was incredibly dominant in his prime!

Rampage made slamming people unconscious cool back in his pride days. One of the most aggressive and brutal fighters in his day Rampage has put it all on the line for years. It seems to me he has lost a fair bit of interest in fighting. Either that or something is going wrong in his fight camps as he always looks gassed after the first round. Maybe Rampage just didn't evolve with MMA? Either way to unify the UFC and pride titles is not an easy accomplishment and hats should be taken off for that alone.

Me personally I wont be paying to watch this fight but I will be interested in the result and viewing figures. I do feel Bellator have dropped the ball in putting this on PPV and I imagine Dana is laughing smugly at that choice. If this was on free to air TV I honestly believe the viewing numbers could have been tremendous and a great platform for Bellator to work off.

UFC not on ESPN in UK - BT Sport takes over

I was slightly disappointed and saddened when I went to see if this was true on my TV guide. The only reason I have ESPN is for UFC and sadly for ESPN subscribers BT Sport  is the new home for UFC. BT sport are even opening their UFC coverage on Saturday night with "The UFC so far" - a documentary on the history of UFC.

My lovely gloves

So my to-do list of the day has changed to cancel ESPN with immediate effect and subscribe to BT Sport. Easy enough I suppose. Okay so I find the BT site, now how much will BT sport be? Well if you have BT broadband its free and if your order before the 1st of August you get HD free, thats great apart from the fact I don't use BT Internet as I find the service slightly retarded. I wont go into my gripes with BT now!

Okay so with an existing Sky package BT sport is a measly £12 a month - pretty damn good. Oh I must not forget the £15 "one off" connection fee (as it costs £15 to push a button to activate the service?). I should not really moan as UFC is incredibly cheap here in comparison to the US where this weekends UFC 163 featuring a featherweight title fight between Aldo & The Korean Zombie is only available on PPV for $50.

One thing I do hope BT Sport do is get the timing correct for the events and put a bit of care in. ESPN often allowed other shows to over-run thus clashing with UFC events and spoiling everything. Also the timing of commercial breaks was appalling at times. I will give my predictions on UFC 163 later during the week.

Addiction hurting South Africa

Officially known as the Republic of South Africa, South Africa has a colourful history. South Africa is separated into 9 provinces – The Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape & the Western Cape. South Africa borders Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe & Swaziland. Lesotho lies completely surrounded by South Africa.

South Africa boasts one of the most multi-cultural populations on the planet. Eleven official languages are recognised within the country but many more are spoken. Over the last two decades cities and towns in South Africa have seen a huge surge in wealth and development.

With the rise in liquid assets and free time South Africa has also witnessed a dramatic rise in drug use and addiction. The alarming trend in South Africa of addiction is actually double per head compared to most other countries in the world. Street drugs in South Africa have also contributed to the epidemic. Previously South Africa was plagued by drugs as a result of being a great shipping route for smugglers from South America looking to move illicit substances to Europe through Africa. Now new street drugs are manufactured in home laboratories by amateur chemists, drugs such as Nyaope are an example of unique cheap street drugs in South Africa. Nyaope a mix of Cannabis (dagga), Heroin and other chemicals has plagued large areas of Northern South Africa. Reports suggest that as many as 80% of households in certain areas are directly affected by Nyaope addiction. It has also been reported that Nyaope has been sold merely as Cannabis to youth who then quicklty become addicted. Admission rates for under 16s to rehabilitation facilities for drug addiction has risen quickly over the last 5 years.  Some schools in South Africa are actually screening students for drug use with random testing.

Crystal Meth (tik) is another huge concern for the country that only 3 years ago hosted the football World Cup. Crystal Meth like Nyaope is also produced in home-made laboratories. Manufacturers are increasingly switching the ingredients to more toxic chemicals in order to make the process of production cheaper and the profits greater. Crystal Meth has caused devastation in the United States and it looks like the trend is having the same effects on South Africa. In 2009 half of all admission to drug and alcohol addiction treatments centres in the Western Cape were for Crystal Meth (tik) addiction. Crystal Meth prices vary but it is generally available for the same price of a packet of cigarettes. With prices at rock bottom and availability on the rise it is little surprise the problem is growing.

Crystal Meth leads us on to another drug that is almost unique to South Africa, Mandrax. Mandrax was initially used as muscle relaxant in the United States. It is now believed to be produced in home laboratories in South Africa. South Africa is by far the biggest user in the world of Mandrax. Mandrax is normally mixed with Cannabis (dagga) and smoked through a pipe. Often it is used to “bring down” the user from Crystal Meth.

Along with drugs South Africa also has some of the highest alcohol dependence rates in the world. South Africa has very strict licensing rules across its cities in relation to the sale of alcohol. The very latest bottle stores close at 9pm. These measures seem to have had mixed effects across South Africa with certain provinces seeing a decrease in the number of alcohol related admissions to rehab clinics and others seeing increases. Kwazulu Natal for example has seen a drop in alcohol related admission to addiction treatment centres but has seen a rise in Crystal Meth admissions. To me it seems to be six of one and half a dozen of the other. Whatever way you look at it addiction in South Africa is a problem, a very big problem.

With all the addiction South Africa has responded and now boasts some of the best addiction treatment centres across the world. People travel from all over the world for addiction treatment in South Africa. Price is a big factor for these people to travel for treatment in South Africa as it is typically allot cheaper than Rehab clinics in the Western World. Also the actual success rates of sustained abstinence from addiction after treatment in South Africa are allot higher than that of anywhere in the world besides the United States.

It also seems that medical insurance (medical aid) providers have realised that they can actually save money in the long run by sending there policy holders to rehab centres. Most providers now offer rehab within their plans. This no doubt saves them money in the long run by preventing numerous hospital admissions related to addiction. This also helps the health services in South Africa greatly. The strain addiction puts on a health service is dramatic and can prevent so many people receiving the treatment they need. The reality is rehabilitation is the answer to this problem as is education and a harder stance on illicit drug manufacturing.

Addiction does not just affect the addict. It is estimated every addicted person can impact on as many as 18 other lives. Relatives obviously suffer tremendously watching a loved one suffer from addiction but so does society. Crime rates in South Africa have risen in line with the rise in drug addiction. The Western Cape is often described as the drug province of South Africa. Statistics indicate that 48% of all drug related crimes were committed in the Western Cape.

The question really lies now with what authorities are going to do to try and stop the spread of these new street drugs. Nyaope is probably the scariest substance spreading across South Africa at the moment. Alarming amounts of children are already dependent on Nyaope and need treatment in rehab facilities. Will drug and alcohol destroy another beautiful country right before our eyes? I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Paul Semtex Daley - Most exciting fighter not in UFC!

Paul Daley's name has been on peoples tongue this last week after he was released from Bellator. The news came shortly after he stopped Lukasz Chlewicki in Liverpool via Doctor stoppage. Bellator stated that Daley had lied about his brush with the law and had actually been convicted of two offences in the UK. As far as I was aware these charges were dropped? I have yet to see proof of him being convicted or not. Regardless Bellator let him go along with Maiquel Falcao (correct decision).

The timing of his release has however proved rather interesting. After Robbie Lawler put on a beautiful display of striking at UFC on Fox 8 at the weekend everyone is wondering who he will face next. UFC is visiting Manchester (UK) later in the year and shouts for Lawler against Daley have been coming from many heads and I'm not just talking fans.

Daley would have no visa issues fighting in Manchester but the real question is would Dana White let it happen? Dana has made many outrageous statements in the past and gone back on them eventually but will he allow Daley to fight in the UFC again? Only time will tell! All I know is a fight between Daley and Lawler would be absolutely epic. Never have I seen Daley in a boring fight (besides when Kos held him down for 3 rounds) and I would like to see where he ranks in the Welterweight division. Gareth A Davies has been calling for this fight on twitter and here's to hoping if enough people call for it, it will happen. Does Dana listen to fans? We will find out when the UFC visits Manchester and Paul Semtex Daley is either on the card or he is not.

Me & Gareth A Davies

 

UFC on Fox 8 - Correct Predictions

Well I got all the predictions I made for UFC on Fox 8 correct. When it came to the actual fights I was pretty far off the ball when it came to predicting where the action would be.

Carmouche GnP beat down of Jessica Andrade    
This fight did not suprise me result wise but the dominance shown by Liz was shocking. Once on the ground Andrade looked totally out of her depth and was easily mounted and eventually finished through GnP in the 2nd. Where does this leave Carmouche in a still under developed ladies UFC division? Only time will tell but I don't think she should be fighting Rousey again anytime soon.  

Lawlor looking evil
I had a feeling Robbie Lawlor would beat Bobby Voelker but I certainly did not think he would do it so well. Gareth A Davies tweeted mid first round he sees Lawler as a dark horse at Welterweight and with his last stoppage performance (Koscheck TKO Feb 2013) he could be right. Lawlor had it his way completely and was literally sizing Voelker up for the finish towards the end of the first round. The writing was on the wall for a stoppage and it arrived in devastating fashion. A lovely Head kick followed up by a casual finishing punch on the ground and it was over all of 24 seconds into the 2nd round. I feel he was unlucky not to get KO of the night But Melvin Guillard scooped that with a great one punch KO earlier in the night.


Co-Main a lacklustre affair
In the fight I expected to be the barn burner of the night we saw nothing but a game of chess. Both fighters have drawn criticism from fans and Dana White. Rory MacDonald defeated Jake Ellenburger by unanimous decision.I believed Rory would have thrown Ellenburger about for two rounds before stopping him - I was wrong wrong wrong! What we saw was a very cautious MacDonald who worked his jab well using his reach to keep Ellenburger at range. It was evident Rory knew Ellenburger had the power to hurt him early and kept him at range before feeding him his iron jab repetitively. I personally think Rory did what he needed to do, he beat a very dangerous striker. It may have been a dull fight but the decision was clear. Will a title shot be on the cards for Rory now? And where does Ellenburger go from here?

Mighty Mouse Demetrious Johnson Destroys "no name" Moraga
The title may sound harsh but believe me its pretty accurate. Moraga was sold as being the biggest challenge Mighty Mouse had seen because of his vicious stand up and brilliant wrestling. That brilliant wrestling was not so effective. Mighty Mouse took him down at will constantly and completely dominated on the ground. Every time I see Mighty Mouse fight I like him more. Its not that Moraga was rubbish its that Mighty Mouse is so good. Moraga eventually tapped to arm bar in round 5. If people are still complaining about the flyweight division after this great show of technical skill they really don't understand MMA. I was suprised to see how empty the arena was for the flyweight title fight.

UFC On Fox 8 - Co Main the real main?

This weekend we see the flyweight title on the line - The question is will Mighty Mouse bore the casual fans again with a tecnical masterclass? Im almost certain! Moraga is a complete unknown to casual fans and many hardcore fans are actually unaware of him. I see a standard 5 round points win here for mighty mouse while displaying superior speed to any human on earth.

Now the Co-Main with Rory MacDonald & Jake Ellenburger or should I say "real main". This fight is interesting in the fact that if Rory dominates Ellenburger (which he will) then a fight between hiom and GSP is one step closer. If GSP gets past Hendricks later in the year there is no contenders left besides Rory. GSP will either have to hang them up of go after super fights if he wont fight Rory. I predict Rory getting the title within the next year through GSP chasing a super fight. I believe Rory will be a more dominant champ than GSP. Anyway enough for now. More predictions to follow!

Me & Bruce Buffer