Three quick hits to feed your Friday combatives needs.
1. He’s Ron Burgundy? If you’re under a rock, you may have missed this week’s bulletin that Will Ferrell will return to the newsdesk in a sequel to “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” (If you’re under a rock and don’t watch TBS, here’s the official announcement, complete with jazz flute). What’s this have to do with combatives, aside from the close-combat skills exhibited when Brick killed that guy? Allow champion MMA tweet-sender Army Staff Sgt. Tim Kennedy to explain:
I know everyone is talking about @_RonBurgund and ANCHORMAN 2. Wait till you see my version of Ron in @Ranger_Up video twitter.com/TimKennedyMMA/…
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) March 29, 2012
Further proof that when you need a video parody, go with a sniper/fighter in a fake mustache: 60 percent of the time, it works every time.
2. Stann vs. Shields? Former Marine Capt. Brian Stann is sent to face Alessio Sakara in a 185-pound bout at UFC on FUEL TV 2, which will air live from Sweden on April 14. Stann is a heavy favorite, but certainly won’t be looking past the 10-year pro.
Thankfully, fans can look past anybody. Who might be next for the Silver Star recipient? One idea: Jake Shields, who’s announced plans to move back to the 185-pound class after a .500 run (2-2) as a 170-pounder. A summary of the rationale presented by Sean Smith at Bleacher Report: Shields would have the chance to take down one of the UFC’s largest middleweights, while Stann could turn heads if his ground game could keep up with a top grappler.
3. Gotta love the XFC: Live from Jackson, Tenn., on April 13 comes XFC 17, the next card from a promotion a step or two below the big boys, but one that always seems to have a former service member somewhere in the lineup. XFC 16 featured a win by former Marine Dustin West and a loss by multiple-time Army combatives champ Staff Sgt. Brandon Sayles. The April 13 event, which will air on HDNet, features Air Force vet Ricco Ralston on the (likely untelevised) undercard.
