Taking my talents to…

For those of you who have noticed or perhaps are new to the site, I will admit that I haven’t been posting much recently.  Well, not here at least.  

“10 Rounds” Featuring Jared Johnson

Jared Johnson – Bethel University’s Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information and Marketing

In the winter of my Junior year of undergrad, I began working as a Sports Information Assistant at Bethel University.  During that year-and-a-half conclusion to my time at Bethel, I was incredibly fortunate to work for Jared Johnson, who served as the school’s Sports Information Director (SID).  

UFC 195 Preview – New Year, New Champ?

What better way to kick off the new year than with UFC 195!  Before we jump into 2016 though, let’s crank up “Auld Lang Syne” one more time and briefly reflect on the year that was with the UFC in 2015.  Seven new champions were crowned, the inception of the Reebok era was rocky at best, and the USADA stepped up their drug testing game to clean up the sport.  New superstars debuted while others emerged, and MMA continues to reach new heights.  The same, if not more, is expected for ‘16, and a welterweight championship bout headlines the card that gets the ball rolling once again.  So stop worrying about that New Year’s Resolution of yours that you’ll probably fail come February, grab some food and friends, and get ready to enjoy one heck of a show!  Here’s what you can expect tonight…

UFC 194 Preview – “The Biggest Fight in UFC History”

We’ve arrived.  Amazing to think the day is finally here.  MMA fans have been spoiled this weekend, and the main course is still to come!  Thirty-four UFC fights in Vegas this weekend, and tonight’s the granddaddy of them all!  UFC 194 is the climax to what has been an unbelievably thrilling and entertaining triple header.  I can’t believe we’ve made it.  In what is the best main card (on paper) in UFC history, fans will lay their eyes on a featherweight slugfest (not the one you’re thinking of), a Brazilian jiu-jitsu showcase, the top-four Middleweights in the world going at it (including the two best battling for the belt), and the unification of the 145-pound title between two of the UFC’s biggest stars in Aldo and McGregor!  And that’s just the PPV.  There’s seven other fights that have loaded this card to maximum enjoyment capacity.  Buckle up as I preview a night that is sure to always be remembered!

A-Town Throwdown VII Fights Live Blog Archive & Recap

Since last Wednesday night, I watched two fights on the Ultimate Fighter, all thirty-four fights from UFC’s glorious triple header in Vegas, announced ten wrestling matches for the Eau Claire Blugolds, and took in Driller’s nine-fight card known as A-Town Throwdown VII.  Throw in the 17-page paper I wrote about MMA for grad school, and you begin to realize the craziness of my week that was.  

UFC 193 Preview – It’s Ladies Night!

The women take center stage when the UFC travels Down Under this weekend for UFC 193!  For the first time in history, both women’s UFC titles will be on the line!  These monumental fights, along with eleven other bouts, intend on smashing the UFC single-event attendance record when the Octagon touches down on a soccer stadium in Melbourne, Australia.  It’s no McGregor in Croke Park, but Ethiad Stadium is sure to be hopping when Ronda Rousey, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, and a card chock-full of Aussies come to town!  Here’s my breakdown of each fight – if you’re nice enough to read the whole thing, I may just even include an optimal DraftKings lineup at the end.

RFA 32: Blumer vs. Higo – Recap & Live Blog Archive

This past Friday night, Resurrection Fighting Alliance returned to Minnesota for RFA 32: Blumer vs. Higo.  I had the 

Real Eau Claire Ends Season on High Note

Before highlighting the final week’s action out on the pitch, I want to take a brief moment to reflect on this journey known as The Cage Bomb.  All you soccer fanatics will just have to bear with me for a second.  When deciding to give this whole writing gig a shot just seven months ago, I never would have imagined that I would already be writing my 100th post and would see that my blog has reached 9,000 views.  It is humbling and very encouraging as this is just the beginning of what is ahead for me in this field.  What was originally an idea to strengthen my craft has turned into a hobby of mine that I thoroughly enjoy.  The support and interest of my readers has been amazing, including that from the soccer community that we’ve become a part of here in Eau Claire (now, how’s that for a transition?!).  So all, I thank you.  

Metropolis FC First to Shutout Real Eau Claire

It took thirty appearances on the pitch (many in which we were vastly outmatched) for history to finally be made in Real Eau Claire’s young existence.  The narrative of Real EC ultimately received its first goose egg in the team’s record book last week at the hands (I should say feet) of Metropolis FC.  A score of 6-0 in favor of the fall season’s top team (now the lone undefeated squad in the league) brought the demise of a year-long goal that Real carried into each game, hoping to never be shutout.

R.E.C. Evens Fall Record with Win

Technically, last Wednesday’s fixture against Just For Kicks will go down as a 1-0 forfeit win for Real Eau Claire (as JFK was unable to field the minimum roster requirement), but who gives a rip about technicalities anyway?  Here at Real Nation, we count all those goals in our stat book, and in our minds, it was an official unofficial 6-5 narrow margin that saw the Reds leave the pitch victorious!