UFC 131

9:05 Ok, noted douchebag Joe Rogan was shown wearing a do-rag in the promo. Just when you think he can't get any douchier . . .

9:06 Drinking a Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale. Flying Fish is Jersey's finest brewery. Competition is not keen.

9:11 Vagner Rocha enters the ring for his UFC debut. I've never seen a fighter so excited. He's like a kid in a _____ ______.

He's fighting Donald Cerrone, who looks ripped. And calm. Can you be a bigtime martial artist if your name is Donald? We're about to find out. I'm pulling for Donald.

9:17 This first fight seems evenly matched.

9:19 Nice leg catch by Cerrone on a kick by Rocha. Dumped Rocha on his butt.

9:20 Cerrone won the first round.

9:25 Cerrone landing the more powerful kicks. Crazy takedown attempt from the botton by Rocha. He jumped on Cerrone's chest and fell backwards. He got him down but couldn't do anything with it. Again, Cerrone wins the round.

9:32 Cerrone tried hard for the knockout in the final round, but Rocha managed to survive to the end. At which point he immediately sat down, evidence that he's in pain from all those vicious kicks to the leg.

9:34 Cerrone wins by decision. But why does he have to wear that goofy looking cowboy hat?

9:43 Next fight: Indiana's own Dave Herman versus some much-hyped Viking dude.

9:59 Ok, the knees to the head won that fight for our boy Dave. So much for the Viking.

10:04 Mark Munoz, the rare Hispanic born in Japan who went on to win an NCAA Division 1 wrestling title, versus Demian Maia, a Brazilian. This should be a great wrestling versus jiu jitsu bout.

10:08 Oh look, it's ring announcer Bruce Buffer looking debauched in a gold tie.

And much time passes while I Skype with my girlfriend in Atlanta. She's horrified to hear that I'm writing about MMA. She doesn't really get the joy of fighting. What can I say? I'm a man, baby ...

11:02 The main event begins. Shane Carwin gets hammered brutally. Blow after blow to the face. Junior Dos Santos can't believe that the ref isn't stopping the fight. He's looking at the ref even as he continues to punch Carwin. But no, the fight continues. Carwin struggles back to his feet. His nose is broken. He's covered in blood. He's 36 years old, fighting a man ten years younger. He's going to lose.

And he does. But he goes the distance. And we learned something. Carwin has heart. And an iron chin. But Dos Santos is the better athlete and the better fighter, able to beat a champion wrestler with heavy hands. Dos Santos stuffed just about every take down attempt by Carwin.

Dos Santos looked fantastic in this fight. Which means the coming title fight against Cain Velasquez should be fantastic as well.