‘The MMA Insiders’ audio: Roy Nelson talks feuds and Sonnen

Roy Nelson was in studio for ESPNRadio1100's "The MMA Insiders" show on Friday.

Nelson took part in the 10-minute "opening round." Adam Hill and Nelson covered the five big MMA stories of the week - ringside monitors for the judges, Brock Lesnar's illness/heavyweight division, Jon Jones' hand injury, WEC vs. UFC 155 pounders and the Chael Sonnen saga.

The Sonnen story took a twist later on Friday with California changing the date when he could re-apply for a license. Nelson stuck around for Part 2, and in Part 3, Jon Jones joined the show.

If you're in Las Vegas next week, "The MMA Insiders" will be live from the Thomas & Mack Center on Friday from 6-7 p.m. PT before the Tuff-N-Uff fight card.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/-The-MMA-Insiders-audio-Roy-Nelson-talks-feuds?urn=mma-wp2476

Michaela Stahlnecker

New Book about California Rivers

Rivers fans, you might be interested in a new book out by conservationist and photographer Tim Palmer–it’s called Rivers of California: Nature’s Lifelines in the Golden State.� Looks totally fascinating and beautiful–especially if you’re an AO frequent floater and have explored some of these river systems from the top of a raft!� You can learn [...]

Source: http://blog.aorafting.com/new-book-about-california-rivers/

Roger Sandoral

Transformation Through The Viewfinder

The Welder – Notes from WELD's Laboratory The Middle Fork of the Salmon encompasses every aspect that river runners love about rivers. It’s natural flowing, no dams, no water being diverted. At any moment in the journey, there is a very good chance you will see wildlife in its most wild setting. The water is [...]

Source: http://whitewaterraftingblog.oars.com/post/transformation_through_the_viewfinder

Shavon Gillmor

Couture likes Hamill over ‘Rampage’ at UFC 130

Randy Couture is breaking down UFC fights for Affliction. In this video, he likes the stronger wrestler in the Quinton "Rampage" Jackson-Matt Hamill fight. Couture respects Rampage's punching power, but the ground work of Hamill is enough to make him pick the upset.

Jackson is coming off a narrow win over Lyoto Machida while Hamill is fresh off beating up Tito Ortiz. Everyone's old pal Tom Atencio "goes out on a limb" and chooses Jackson. Rampage is a minus-260 favorite.

UFC 130 betting odds (remaining fights posted later):

Quinton Jackson (-320) vs. Matt Hamill (+260)

Roy Nelson (-115) vs. Frank Mir (-115)

Brian Stann (-140) vs. Jorge Santiago (+110)

Thiago Alves (-220) vs. Rick Story (+180)

You can watch UFC 130 right here on Yahoo! Sports

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Couture-likes-Hamill-over-Rampage-at-UFC-130?urn=mma-wp2454

Lincoln Hyre

Nelson’s wife reports that he had pneumonia before UFC 130

Roy Nelson's performance against Frank Mir was nothing short of terrible. He looked out of breath throughout the second and third rounds, and was unable to generate offense for much of the bout. According to his wife, Nelson's problems were from a bout with pneumonia, not a lack of conditioning.

Via text messages with Cagewriter, Jessy Nelson said that her husband had walking pneumonia during the first two weeks of May, and that he spent Monday in a Las Vegas hospital. "He described the feeling like someone is taking a big scab off of his lungs," Nelson wrote.

That would certainly explain the wheezing that went on during the Mir match. It would be easy to blame his conditioning on his appearance, as Nelson flaunts his beer-bellied figure. He even walks out the Octagon to the "Weird" Al Yankovic song, "I'm Fat." UFC president Dana White said that he was unhappy with Nelson's performance and planned to meet with him about it.

But Nelson was just as full-figured in his bout with Junior dos Santos, which also went all three rounds. Though he tired near the end of that bout, it was nothing like the exhaustion Nelson showed in the Mir bout.

His other two bouts in the UFC were both first-round knockouts. Before that, his last three-round bout was a loss to Jeff Monson in March of 2009. His last decision win was nearly four years ago.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Nelson-s-wife-reports-that-he-had-pneumonia-befo?urn=mma-wp2838

Scot Reisig

Now Kimbo Slice wants to box an NFL player?

Kimbo Slice's rise from underground street fighter to network TV star was simply amazing. His fall hasn't possessed the charm, but it seems to have happened just as quickly.

After losing in the first round of the UFC's "Ultimate Fighter" and going 1-1 with the promotion, the man has simply fallen off the face of the earth.

Now we're confused about what he wants to do. Does he ever want to fight again? He's been mum on the topic. His original MMA promoters, The Shaws, continue to push for him to get back in the ring, but we wonder if the latest effort is only making Kimbo look foolish.

Jared Shaw is proposing a ridiculous boxing debut for the former streetfighting king. Shaw�told MMAWeekly Radio:

"I'll tell you right now on the air, I've called Mike Riley to get in touch with Ray Edwards' people and I've made an open challenge to come fight Kimbo Slice. That fight I will deliver.

"If Ray Edwards wants to step up and fight Kimbo Slice I will deliver that to the public. There's two guys that come from athletic backgrounds, that haven't been in the ring that many times, so let's see two big boys bang it out. If Ray Edwards thinks he's a great boxer, then maybe he thinks he can go through Kevin Ferguson very quickly."

Edwards is a defensive end with the Minnesota Vikings. Much like Baltimore Ravens safety Tom Zbikowski, Edwards decided to make a little money during the NFL lockout by stepping into the squared circle. He hasn't made his boxing debut yet, but Shaw is calling him out, saying:

"Some people will call it a circus, but you can call it whatever you want.�It's two guys who are willing to get in the ring and bang it out. I don't really call that a circus."

The 6-foot-5, 268-pound Edwards is slated to fight this Friday against a former kickboxer named T.J. Gibson.

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Randy 'Macho Man' Savage a legend in the ring and out
? NBA hopeful's comments spark feud with player
? MLB player leaves team for patriotic reason

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/Now-Kimbo-Slice-wants-to-box-an-NFL-player-?urn=mma-wp2344

Lincoln Hyre

Thoughts of 2010 and the Role of Tourism in Protecting Biodiversity and Promoting Quality of Life, Part 5

Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Tourism Development What guides the following thoughts on sustainable tourism originate from some of the broader questions we contemplate at TIES, and the work supported by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). I suppose it’s also based on what I think about, rather optimistically, as an academic, tour operator, and [...]

Source: http://whitewaterraftingblog.oars.com/post/thoughts-of-2010-and-the-role-of-tourism-in-protecting-biodiversity-and-promoting-quality-of-life-part-5

Tennille Kozakiewicz