The crowd in Montreal had just welcomed another Canadian in the cage and was eagerly awaiting a showdown. Instead, three rounds of potential fighting turned into a 15 minute stall tactic riddled with boos from the crowd and taunts in the cage. British Columbian fighter Kalib Starnes tried to do everything but engage with his opponent, Nate Quarry, during their UFC 83 bout. In the final minute of the fight, an extremely frustrated Quarry began taunting Starnes with his rendition of the running man and started blindly punching the air as he covered his face as if he were Screech from Saved by the Bell. As the final bell did ring, name calling between fighters and their opposing corners rounded out what was to be an unforgettable night for many at the Bell Center in Montreal. So what went wrong?

Let’s take a look at some of the possible scenarios.

Read the full story

Being the what the rest of the world would call a dumb American, I assumed that Montreal was much farther away from the United States than what Google maps just showed me. The predominently French Canadian city, on the eastern side of Canada, is less than 50 miles away from the upstate New York and Vermont borders. So while the Montreal crowd will obviously be predominantly Canadian, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a few outspoken Serra supporters mixed in the crowd and ready to support their fighter…and fight against the hometown crowd. It’s New York versus Montreal at UFC 83.

Canada is known for beer, cold weather, and hockey - and the fights that come with the sport. And for the first time, the UFC will be bringing the fighting to Canada in another sport which is quickly gaining mainstream attention by the Canadian press these days. It’s a move that many hardcore fans have been talking about ever since Georges St. Pierre made Matt Hughes verbally tap out during UFC 79. It’s also a move that will make the UFC a lot of money through the nearly-instant gate sellout along with the potential Pay-Per-View numbers which may rival some of the UFC’s other big PPV events if both Canadians and U.S. fans decide to watch the event live on television. And after Matt Serra decided to call out St. Pierre as “Frenchy” last May, you just might see the most eclectic UFC crowd on television ever.

But there’s more than hometown crowds, beer, and PPV numbers when it comes down to fighting. Let’s take a look at the televised matchups, including two of the five middleweight bouts, for UFC 83. (Note to UFC: Just hold a middleweight tournament and left the winner fight Anderson Silva.)

Read the full story