Step-by-Step: UFC weigh-ins and New Kids on the same day
As I mentioned yesterday, the Matt Hughes question and answer period was enlightening. I knew that Hughes had a family farm, but I didn't know that he farmed corn and soybeans. Just think, the tofu in your chicken fried rice could come from the Hughes Family Farm! The best part of the whole event was that Hughes and Mike Goldberg, who answered questions alongside Hughes, were completely unguarded. They didn't avoid a single question asked by the fight club members. For the record, they both consume a great deal of the company Kool-Aid. Hughes pointed out that the only fighters who are unhappy with their contracts are young ones with little experience, and Randy Couture signed his contract knowing what it entailed. Goldberg referred to Fedor Emelianenko as the "Russian heavyweight not fighting for us."
The weigh-ins surprised me. They were fairly boring. It truly was just guys stripping down, getting on a scale, facing off, and leaving the stage. I expected some more fanfare. Dana White has never struck me as a guy who would pass by a microphone, but he didn't address the crowd at all. Bruce Buffer was there -- wearing a full-length wool coat and a scarf on a 55-degree day -- but he said nothing, as well. My favorite part was seeing the things that happened off the scale. Tim Sylvia, looking pretty chunky, accompanied Drew McFedries onstage, while Sylvia wore an Affliction shirt. Clay Guida snuck out at one point. The faceoff pictures were just plain awkward. If not for the language barrier, I'd think that Anderson Silva and Patrick Cote planned for their nose-to-nose pictures, as it quickly turned into a respectful bow.
The whole afternoon was an interesting peek into the world of the UFC. If it comes to your town, I recommend checking it out. The weigh-ins were definitely an odd set-up for my evening plans, the New Kids on the Block concert. I did find out that I was not the only person headed to see NKOTB after watching fighters jump on a scale. UFC PR rep Diann Brizzolara also spent the evening "Hangin' Tough." I also recommend checking them out if they come to your town.
