The MMA guide to March Madness: This week doesn't have to suck
If you're a basketball fan, this week can be pure nirvana. Starting with Tuesday's preliminary game, the days and nights are filled with games, analysis and highlights, and discussion with your friends, family and co-workers of games, analysis and highlights. (If this is you, check out the Dagger for the good stuff.)
Of course, if you're not a basketball fan, this week can suck. If you haven't filled a bracket because you don't want to, don't care, or would rather be watching a good ground game with a sick submission attempt, then you feel a little lost this week. Never fear, fight fans! There are bits of solace peppered throughout the week, and we're here to help you find them.
Tuesday, 9 p.m. ET, UFC's Ultimate Knockouts 4, Spike: Escape from the prelim game by watching people beat each other silly.
Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET, Ultimate Fight Night 8, Spike: Watch some early work from the light heavyweight champ in an event that featured Rashad Evans vs. Sean Salmon and Dean Lister vs. Nate Marquardt.
Wednesday, 9 p.m. ET, WEC 31, Versus: Catch Urijah Faber vs. Jeff Curran, Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen I and Jens Pulver vs. Cub Swanson.
Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, UFC Unleashed, Spike: Fights shown include Clay Guida vs. Samy Schiavo and Paul Kelly vs. Paul Taylor. They aren't exactly title fights but it's better than watching Villanova vs. American, right?
Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, WEC Best of 2008, Versus: Get ready for the WEC's big event in April by catching up on the best from last year.
Friday, 3 a.m. ET, Sengoku live, HDNet: If you're lucky enough to have HDNet, and you follow a nocturnal sleep schedule, you're in for a treat. Catch L.C. Davis, King Mo and Hideki Kadowaki. (See more on HDNet MMA programming here.)
Friday, 7 p.m. ET, NCAA wrestling championship semifinals, ESPN 2: So many of the fighters you like to watch now excelled first on this very stage. Look for Brent Metcalf from Iowa (pictured) and Jake Herbert from Northwestern to dazzle you.
Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, NCAA wrestling championship finals, ESPN: The conclusion of the tournament usually features great action, takedowns and defense; last year, it even featured a fast pin. Iowa should capture the team title, but the race for second place will be tight, with Iowa State, Cornell, Nebraska and Missouri all staking a claim.
Photo via Amateur Wrestling Photos
