Legacy Magazine

www.legacyfights.tv FEBRUARY-MARCH LEGACY MAGAZINE | 3

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Mike Calimbasbarry laminack

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LEGACYMMA Lifestyle

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G’day, 2012 has definitely started off strong with our first Legacy amateur series using the new tournament format January 21st and of course Legacy Fighting Championships coming up February 24th. We like to consider ourselves one of the best MMA promotions in the world while recognizing the UFC as the undisputed number one at this time. For that reason we are always happy when our homegrown talent gets the opportunity to represent Texas at the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Legacy lost two of its champs to the UFC in just a couple of weeks. Featherweight champ Daniel Pineda fought in Nashville winning in under two minutes in the first round and next month Legacy Middleweight champ Andrew Craig will face Kyle Noke in Australia. We are proud of both guys and look forward to seeing both of them win another championships in the UFC. More than anything this shows the level of talent represented at every Legacy event and the world class athletes we bring in from all over the world. Many of our local fighters have continued to move up the national and world rankings as they continue to post impressive victories all over the world. If you have never attended a Legacy event you are missing out on one of the best and most entertaining nights in the city. Tickets are almost sold out for February 24th so please hurry and get yours at www.LegacyFights.tv Best Wishes,Mick MaynardPresidentLegacy Fighting Championships

4 | LEGACY MAGAZINE FEBRUARY-MARCH www.legacyfights.tv


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INTERVIEWwith Justin Reiswerg

By Mike Calimbas

It was July 22, 2011 when Justin Reiswerg (4-1) stepped into the cage against fellow up-and-coming prospect Marc Ramirez at Legacy Fighting Championship 7. The two put on a show that night in a very fitting first fight for HDNet that had many calling Justin the next potential breakout star for the organization following UFC-bound champions Daniel Pineda and Andrew Craig.

Moving on to Legacy FC 8 this past September, he understatedly went about putting in another impressive performance, this time scoring a first-round TKO off-camera against longtime veteran Kenneth Battle on the undercard. Now after several months away from competition, Justin is coming back to Legacy FC on February 24th against his biggest career test yet in UFC veteran Pat “Awesomely Awesome” Audinwood (10-2-1), a ferocious wrestler out of New York looking to make his way back to the octagon.

“All I see is opportunity,” Justin said about this upcoming fight. With college graduation on the horizon and 2012 his potential breakout year in MMA, he has a lot to look forward to in the near future.

Legacy: Justin, give us a quick synopsis of life growing up for you. What was life like before MMA?JR: Life was simple. I grew up right down I-45 South. I lived on a good chunk of land until I was 13 so days included a lot of chores and playing outside. I couldn’t stand being inside. I was always running around doing something. I was very big into martial arts. Unfortunately the type of martial arts that was accessible back then was karate, not like these kids have it these days. I walked to the gym directly after school and did 2-3 hours of work 5 days a week. After I turned 13 , I moved in with my dad. High school was fairly standard. I loved sports.

Legacy: You’re currently studying at University of Houston, right? What are you majoring in and how does it play vs. fighting in terms of what you want to do for a living long-term?JR: I am majoring in kinesiology and minoring in

nutrition. Fighting is a passion but I don’t plan on doing it for a living or anything. I am actually in the process of starting up another business. Expanding and managing my company is my long term goal.

Legacy: It sounds like a mature point of view despite your promise as a fighter. Is your family supportive of your MMA career while you’re going to school?JR: Some of my family is and some aren’t. The only issue was that the supportive part was not the part of the family that was sending me to college. One of the best parts of my life was when we came to an agreement that I could fight and go to school. My life couldn’t be any better right now.

Legacy: How long until you graduate?JR: I graduate this fall...can you say HELL YEAH!!!

Legacy: What do you see yourself doing when you are, say… 45 years old?JR: I see myself running my company and telling my kids about the great times I had during my fighting days. I could also see myself beating up a lot of teenage guys if they look or talk to my future daughter in the wrong way. THB!

ow many of you remember the very first fight that introduced the Legacy Fighting Champi-

onship to a national audience?


Legacy: It sounds like a mature point of view despite your promise as a fighter. Is your family supportive of your MMA career while you’re going to school?JR: Some of my family is and some aren’t. The only issue was that the supportive part was not the part of the family that was sending me to college. One of the best parts of my life was when we came to an agreement that I could fight and go to school. My life couldn’t be any better right now.

Legacy: How long until you graduate?JR: I graduate this fall...can you say HELL YEAH!!!

Legacy: What do you see yourself doing when you are,

say… 45 years old?JR: I see myself running my company and telling my kids about the great times I had during my fighting days. I could also see myself beating up a lot of teenage guys if they look or talk to my future daughter in the wrong way. THB!

Legacy: You’ve won 4 in a row and 3 since you arrived in the Legacy Fighting Championship last January. What’s the last year been like for you?JR: 2011 was an awesome year! I went undefeated in a great organization against some tough competition and I kicked ass in school as well. 3.7 GPA!Legacy: Nice! How do you think you’ve grown as a fighter

since then?JR: Legacy has pushed me past my comfort zone and has made me a much more confident fighter and person. Coming back from a long layoff and facing a former champion in Rey Trujillo was tough. Then came Ramirez, another up and comer, in a fight of the night battle that was Legacy’s first live fight on HDNet. Finishing out my year was my fight with (Kenneth) Battle, someone who has been in the Houston MMA scene for a while. It’s been a good year for growing and I want to keep progressing the same way in 2012.

Legacy: You are set for your biggest fight ever on February 24th with Pat Audinwood. What are your

thoughts on fighting the UFC veteran?JR: All I see is opportunity. A guy with that record, that has competed in the UFC, and is coming all the way to Houston from New York. We are main eventing a televised show. I think defeating him on that stage will really skyrocket my stock in the MMA world.

Legacy: What have you done to get ready for this fight?JR: I’ve given lot of blood, sweat and tears. I am always a fan of working on my standup and Jiu-Jitsu but I’ve been working something extra in this camp, working on my wrestling and putting it all together so that my transitions are seamless. This is thanks to Bam Bam Martial Arts and 4 OZ Fight Club. They’ve helped me a ton with all that.

Legacy: Any predictions? How do you see this fight unfolding?JR: All of his wins have come by submission and decision, and his only losses have come by finishes...so I’m gonna go that route. He will not submit me, nor will he outwork me for a decision. With that said...this fight will not go to a decision. I don’t care if it’s in the first minute of round one by KO or the last minute of round three by submission, I will finish it.

Legacy: What do you see as the next step for you after this fight?JR: After I beat Audinwood I envision Legacy finding me more competition and televising their beatdowns. I would love to go undefeated again this year, graduate school, and have my business up and running.

Legacy: Any last words before February 24th?JR: I would like to thank everybody: family, friends, fans, Made To Win, Legacy, HDNet, Proformance Guards. Most of all I would like to thank my training partners and coaches; I would be nothing without y’all.

OPPORTUNITY MAKER


The Pit is gaining a

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t’s begun.

A Legacy champion has gone on to score a win in the UFC with 4OZ Fight Club’s Daniel “The Pit” Pineda beating Pat “Thrilling” Schilling on the undercard of UFC on FX: Guil-lard vs. Miller on January 20th. While

it wasn’t on HDNet this time around, it was a thrilling (no pun intended) perfor-mance much in the same vein as Legacy FC fans have come to expect from Pineda during his tenure in the Legacy Fighting Championship.

Quickly within the first minute-thirty

of the first round in his very first UFC bout, Pineda had out-punched and out-grappled his opponent, quickly taking his back en route to the rear-naked choke submission finish that was one of the most exciting of the evening.

A former construction worker by trade, Pineda quit his day job before his light-weight title bout with Ray Blodget at Legacy Fighting Championship 6 in April of last year. Prior to that bout, he had beaten former champs Rey Trujillo and Levi Forrest consecutively to earn his second title shot.

After that fight, Pineda would go on to say that beating Blodget had been the highlight of his career. He could have called it a day and gone back to work while also maintaining his career as a fighter but he didn’t.

Instead he kept going.

Pineda went on to co-headline Legacy’s inaugural HDNet card (Legacy FC 7) against WEC-veteran Frank Gomez, a

tough-as-a-two-dollar-steak challenger fighting out of the famed Jackson’s MMA camp in New Mexico. Facing his biggest challenge yet, Pineda would pass with flying colors, choking Gomez out in the third round of a war between the two.

Making his last appearance this past De-cember (Legacy FC 9), Pineda delivered one last highlight with a second-round spinning backfist KO of Gilbert Jimenez for the live crowd in Houston before emerging in the UFC with his win over Schilling just one month later.

It’s been a joy for many to watch Daniel “The Pit” Pineda perform in the Legacy Fighting Championship over his past five fights.

Both local and nationwide fans have seen the 26 year old develop from a raw, talented fighter to a refined, tal-ented one and he proved it in the UFC’s octagon.

With one win already under his belt, the sky’s the limit from here.

REFINED TALENT

www.LegacyFights.tv Jan-Mar LEGACY - MMA Lifestyle | 9


Legacy: around

the cage



Main Event: Harris vs. LindermanBy Mike CaliMBas

The upcoming main event for Legacy Fighting Championship 10 will be one heck of a contest if past history of any indication when once-UFC fighter Gerald Harris (19-4) steps into the cage against fellow national veteran D.J. Linderman (10-2).

A cast member on season seven of the UFC reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” Tulsa, OK native Gerald Harris parlayed his stint on the show (where he lost to eventual winner Amir Sadollah) into a successful start in the UFC octagon. He won his first three official bouts after the show against John Salter, Marion Miranda, and David Branch while collecting two ‘knockout of the night’ awards in the process. In somewhat of a stunning move, Harris was released after his lone decision loss to Maiquel Falcao at UFC 123 and has been working his way back up ever since, most recently winning his last 2 bouts in a row.

He’ll look to make it three in a row in his Legacy debut in the featured bout of the evening.

Taking on Harris will be D.J. “Da Protege” Linderman, a Bellator veteran and former heavyweight who’s won five out of his last six fights. Fighting professionally since June 2008, Linderman has beaten the likes of Strikeforce vet Devin Cole, Mario Rinaldi, and Bellator vets Mike Hayes and Raphael Davis in his career thus far while displaying a well-rounded skill set that earned him 7 finishes in his 10 victories.

As for how fans can expect this fight to go on February 24th, well that can be summed up in one word – action.

Both Harris and Linderman leave nothing on the table and will do everything in their power to smash whoever is standing across the way once the cage doors close. Harris is known for his spectacular slams and superior strength at middleweight but Linderman is a physically dominant fighter with a wrestling background as well. They’re both known as aggressive fighters who continuously come forward. It will be interesting to see which one can scoop his opponent and slam him to ground and keep him there or take him out by any means necessary.

All in all, this should certainly be one for fans to look forward to with two fighters looking to make their way back up in the sport and primed to do some beginning in the main event of the Legacy Fighting Championship 10.

Make sure to tune in LIVE on HDNet or show up in person to catch this exciting clash at Houston’s Arena Theater on February 24th.


Fight NightPREVIEW

By Barry laMinaCk (TheCageDoor.neT) Fight cards, like the seasons, change over time. I’ve found that Legacy’s fight cards almost always change for the better. I put these previews together several weeks in advance of the actual fights, so sometimes what you read below may not always match the final fight card. That said, the majority of the card should remain the same, so here goes!

A couple of things stand out to me about this card: We are seeing more out of town (read non-Houston) fighters than we ever have before. That’s a great sign for Legacy. It means they are growing!

We have two guys fighting on the card (Beebe and Njokuani) who’s brothers are more well known in MMA, but they could go further.

Several of these fights could are main event worthy.

OK, enough chit chat, lets break down the fights!

MAIN CARDRashon Lewis (2-1-0) vs. Alex Morono (3-1-0)Alex Morono is perhaps one of the most underrated and underestimated fighters in Houston MMA. Maybe it’s his unassuming looks or his quiet demeanor, but anybody that is sleeping on Morono in the cage is making a huge mistake. He’s as strong as an ox and is very skilled. Don’t let his age or his looks fool you, he is very talented and very well rounded. Morono can bang, but he can also submit people so when you here him say he’s comfortable where ever the fight takes place, he’s probably one of the few fighters who means it.

Rashon Lewis is a physical freak! If you

were going to create an MMA action figure, you’d want to use Rashon as the model. His muscles have muslces, and other than me, he’s probably got the best abs in Houston. But much like Morono, don’t let the looks fool you. He’s not just all show and no go. Lewis can fight, and he’s still very new to the sport. He’s a talented athlete and a fast learner, so this former college quarterback is having no trouble adjusting to life inside the cage.

I think this fight is a real estate fight. What I mean by that is, it’s all about location, location, location. Rashon should do well standing up, but if it goes to the ground, he’ll need to out muscle the more technical Morono.

Jonathon Harris (6-1-0) vs. Chidi Njokuani (5-3-0)Jonathon Harris is the real deal. He’s improved his ground game tremendously after working with the famous Draculino, so much so that he’s made a habit out of proven the “experts” wrong after being labeled the underdog in his last two fights at Legacy. Harris owns the fastest KO’s in Legacy amateur and pro history, but the now well rounded fighter is more than just a KO machine, he’s a well rounded fighter looking to prove he belongs in the upper echelon in the Legacy stable of fighters. A win over Chidi Njokuani could go a long way in proving just that.

If the name Njokuani sounds familiar, it’s because he is the brother of UFC fighter Anthony Njokuani. Like his brother Chidi is a muay thai specialist who loves to strike. This could be a stand up war if Harris decides to stand with Chidi.

This should be a fun fight to watch, but don’t blink, it could be over quickly!

Carson Beebe (9-1-0) vs. Tim Snyder (12-8-1)Tim Snyder has been around the Houston MMA scene for a long time. He’s what you might call a savy veteran. With nearly half of his fights ending in KO or TKO, Snyder is always looking to finish and he’s got the power to do just that. The heavy handed featherweight can put anyone to sleep, but doing that against Beebe may not be that easy.

The Beebe name is fairly well known in MMA, but it’s Carson’s brother Chase who put it on the map. That said, Carson is looking to prove that he’s not the only Beebe that can fight. He’ll most likely look to get this one on the ground where he’ll be looking to give Snyder his 9th loss.

Gerald Harris (19-4-0) vs. DJ Linderman (10-2-0)How do you know when a local/regional promotion has made it? When they start booking matches that don’t include local talent. Legacy, my friends, is making things happen. Harris vs Linderman is an INSANE match-up and has main event potential.

Harris is a flat out stud and could be considered the best fighter on this card. He is certainly the most experienced having gone 3-1 in the UFC before being cut…after winning. That NEVER happens. Ask anbody that follows the UFC and they will tell you, Harris should still be there, he’s that good.

Ask those same people what they think about DJ Linderman and they will probably tell you that he SHOULD be in the UFC soon…real soon. Linderman is an up and comer who could be making a splash on the national scene in no time.

He went 1-1 in his brief stay at Bellator.

Both guys have UFC aspirations, and Legacy is proving to be a feeder organization for the UFC.

Pat “Awesomely Awesome” Audinwood (10-2-1) vs. Justin ReiswergLegacy has been known to include what I call tester fights on their cards every since they started bringing in fighters from out of town. To me, this is one of those “tester” fighter for Justin Reqiswerg. Justin is an outstanding talent and should be considered on the short list of fighters to become the face of Legacy, replacing names like Daniel Pineda and Andrew Craig. Reiswerg is very well rounded, tough as nails and has a ton of talent. His only loss is to Bellator vet Adam Schindler. If MMA was the stock market, Resiwerg is a strong buy!

With a name like “Awesomely Awesome” you had better be good. Fortunately for him, Pat Audinwood is good. Really good. He’s got a ton of talent and has fought in the UFC, going 0-2 (losing to Thiago Tavares and John Makdessi). Outside of the UFC Audinwood is undefeated (with only 1 draw). One thing about Audinwood is you know he’s going to be involved in a decision or submission as he has no TKO’s or KO’s on either side of his record.

This fight is going to be crazy fun to watch. If Reiswerg wins this, he could be on the fast track to the UFC.

Mike “The Greek” Bronzoulis (13-4-1) vs. Eric “Big Head” Davila (20-11-0)

Get ready for some fist-a-cuffs, this one has all the makings of an instant classic. Bronzoulis has the heart and will power to fight for days, it’s his cardio that can


sometimes fails him. The good news is it’s never really effective him enough to cost him a fight. He’ll be looking to bounce back after dropping his last fight to current Legacy Welterweight champion Jorge “Macaco” Patino. I talked with Bronzoulis a few weeks before his fight and he seems focused and determined to get back to his winning ways.

That won’t be easy as he’ll be facing one tough dude in Eric “Big Head” Davila. Houston fight fans will remember Davila from his fight on Shark Fights against Houston’s Alex Cisna. At the time Cisne’s stock was rising faster than an old mans blood pressure at a strip joint, but the the big headed one sent it crashing down after breaking Cisne’s nose, and then his will.

Both fighters are coming off a loss, so

expect this to be an all out WAR as both guys look to get back on the winning track.

THE PRELIMS

…in the 3 sentences or less.

Jesus Mendez (0-1) vs. Cody Williams (2-1)Mendez is an unknown commodity in the Houston MMA world. Williams is a rising star. Can Williams keep the pressure on, and his right hand up this time?

Ray Blodget (5-1-0) vs. Rey Trujillo (9-6-0)It’s the rematch of two former Legacy Champions. Trujillo out for revenge but Blodget is fighting ring rust. Loser has to spell his name like the winner does.

Jason Carter (2-1-0) vs. Cody Phillips (0-0-0) Both guys love to kick. Carter is a karate man, Phillips a Muay Thai specialist. Winner gets a contract with the Radio City Music Hall Rocketts.

Shawn Machado (2-1-) vs. Lee King (14-17-1)Machado is as wide as King is tall. King has great striking but Machado has a great chin. One will prove better than the other in this battle of the 40 year olds.

Angel Huerta (4-0-0) vs. Mike Sierra (4-5-0)Huerta could be the new face of Legacy soon, replacing Daniel Pineda and Andrew Craig who have moved on the UFC. Sierra is unkown, but unless he’s got ridiculous stand up, he’ll be out matched.

Get on the Huerta bandwagon while there is still room.

William “Bubba” Bush (3-1-0) vs. Patrick “Bam Bam” Hutton (3-3-0)I like Patrick Hutton a lot, he’s a great guy, but I don’t think this one ends well for him. Bush is one of the best fighters nobody talks about in Houston. This fight will be like me arguing with my wife, totally one sided.

Well, that’s it. I hope to see you guys and gals at the fights; and if you see me at the fights, come up and say hello! Get your tickets at LegacyFights.tv, or if you waited too long you can try and get them at the door, but you risk getting turned away if it’s another sold out show!

Follow me on Twitter @BarryLaminack

Fight Night PREVIEW (continued)


Andrew Craigand the big

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The Team Tooke product had himself a banner year in 2011, first winning the 185 title after a thrilling match with Bubba Bush before following that up with an-other exciting win against a very ex-perienced Eric Schambari. Those wins brought his record to 6-0. From there, it was just a matter of time before he was called on to face his biggest test yet.

Now instead of traveling down highway 59 for his next fight, he’ll be traveling across the world when he takes on vet-eran Kyle Noke (19-5-1) in his own back-yard down under in Sydney, Australia in UFC on FX 2.

“I was really, really excited,” he told Lega-cyFights.TV after he got off the phone with UFC reps to accept the fight. Despite having only 19 months of MMA experi-ence, he sees this opportunity as right on target for where he wanted his career to go when he began in the first place.

He recently equated it to another field where people close to him are trying to meet their goals.

“I have a lot of buddies in law school. So, you take law school, right? You got 3 years, and then you got half a year to study and take the bar. Well, since I started training, which was in the fall of 2008—or you know, training like I was actually going to fight—it’s been about 3 and a half years, so I’ve finally graduated and passed the bar (that would be the UFC). Now I gotta see if I can hang with the big dogs or the big law firms.”

Set to fight Noke, Andrew knows he’ll be facing an opponent that will undoubt-edly be the hometown favorite. It’s oppo-site what he’s used to fighting in his own backyard at Houston’s Arena Theater but something that doesn’t bother him in the least.

“I kind of like how challenging it is,” he said. “He’s a 3-1 UFC vet, he’s got about 20 more professional fights than me, and it’s in his hometown, so I’ll be booed at least. I’m actually re-ally excited about it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

resh off Daniel Pineda’s triumphant win at UFC on FOX 1, another Legacy Fighting Championship star has been called in to fight

on the world’s biggest stage: Current middleweight champion Andrew Craig.


t’s hard to overlook a fighter with two sub-30 second knockouts to his record but that’s largely what Jonathan “Hulk” Harris has been over the past two years since his thrilling put-away victories over Lane

Yarbrough and Kenneth Fuller back in 2010. Nobody ever sees him coming.

Beginning his foray into MMA two years ago, Jonathan lost his first two amateur fights before finally getting a win at Lonestar Beatdown (now the Legacy Amateur Series). Shortly thereafter, he turned pro and won his first four fights in a row as a professional. In all those fights, he spent a total of less than six minutes in the cage while finishing each and every fight with either a knockout or submission. His fight with Fuller

remains the fastest knockout in Legacy history, clocked officially at 5 seconds. That early success led to a welterweight title shot against seasoned pro Mike Bronzoulis in November 2010, a fight he would lose by first round TKO after many local pundits predicted “The Greek” was going to end the fight in just that fashion.

Overlooked and often underestimated, Jonathan

would earn his respect over the course of his next two Legacy bouts in 2011. Taking on then-undefeated John Malbrough and noted toughman Ricardo Talavera, he would earn convincing victories in both those bouts while gaining some hard-earned respect.

Now 6-1 and with the wind at his back, “Hulk” Harris has quietly evolved into one of the city’s top prospects while preparing for yet another tough challenge and opportunity to prove himself among the promotion’s elite.

Gone is the label is one-dimensional power striker that characterized him earlier in his career. Nowadays, Jonathan has proved that he is evolving into a complete fighter after working long and hard with both Submission Boxing and noted BJJ trainer Vinicius “Draculinho” Magalhaes at Gracie Barra Texas. He’s no long just a danger on his feet but wherever the fight goes.

He’ll need that all-around skill against his toughest opponent ever on February 24th when he takes on 23 year old Chidi “Bang Bang” Njokuani, the younger brother of UFC fighter Anthony Njokuani. A Muay Thai fighter since the age of 11 and a former kickoxer for Chuck Norris’ now-defunct World Combat League, Chidi has knockouts of his own in MMA along with a 10-1 kickboxing record.

No matter which way this one plays out, it will definitely be a fight not worth missing or getting up to go to the kitchen. Both Harris and Njokuani are the epitome of the term “finisher” in mixed martial arts. Between the two fighters and their 15 fights, exactly one has gone to the judges’ scorecards. The rest have ended in spectacular fashion.

Make sure to tune in or catch this one live to see how it plays out at the Arena Theater on Friday, February 24th at Legacy Fighting Championship 10.

Jonathan Harris is ready to be recognizedStory by: Mike Calimbas

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www.LegacyFights.tv Jan-Mar LEGACY - MMA Lifestyle | 35

for places in the country--don’t seem to capture any real essence of the places they’re named after. No cows mooing in “Amarillo”, no rusting factories rotting away in “Detroit”, no wind or verticality in “Shy Town” (a lesser-known nickname for Chicago).

Only “California and the Slipping of the Sun”, in its wistful atmosphere of lethargic organs and Albarn’s droning voice drowning in a synthesized smog suggests the Golden State sun setting.

The road Gorillaz traveled on this album is certainly inward, not outward. The landscapes and cities of America are in the backseat of this road trip album. It seems another affect of being on the road takes the wheel in this conceptual voyage.

It’s that feeling of fogginess you get from passing through numerous places without ever stopping long enough to figure them clearly in your mind; the

fatigued sentiment of road weariness, of the mundane transactions of checking in and out of hotel rooms, of unpacking and repacking your bags, of watching the world pass by in an immaterial blur through the car window. And like the streaming blur out the window, nothing on this album really captures your attention. You almost wish they would have pulled over long enough to reflect for a

minute. But these songs just amble along listlessly from one place to another. Gorillaz have humored the idea of a physical release of The Fall in coming months. But why bother with the repackaging of a mediocre album when people can download it for free?

continued from pg 40


MUSIC REVIEW By Chris Zebo

Some have lamented that Nelson hasn’t come out with enough new albums in the past decade. But with a catalog of 62 studio albums, 10 lives albums, 37 compilations, and even 2 soundtracks...who are we to judge? The guy’s got enough music out there, and even if you do have every one of his albums, there’s gotta be one you haven’t spun in awhile.

The “Red Headed Stranger” has just released a new album of 14 tracks, all traditional Willie, and none of them written by him. Instead, this new release is 14 hand-picked country and folk songs from the past 70 years. He interprets old hits such as Johnny Cash’s “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and Merle Haggard’s “Today I Started Loving You Again.” Although they’re not “his” songs, you get the best of both worlds: some of the greatest country music ever written performed by one of the greatest country artists of all time. It’s an omnibus of grand proportions with Willie at the wheel.

If you thought you knew this heavy metal 6-piece out of Orange County (and you certainly can say you do, with 6 albums of music under their studded belts), you might be surprised by this latest album. In the past, their death metal was as dark and as hard as anything out of Sweden—and that’s an accomplishment, considering how bright and sunny OC is compared to the gloomy Kingdom of Death Metal.

But their new album, The Great Fire, reaches back to the band’s hardcore roots. Songs such as “The Devil and Self Doubt” and “Walking Dead” are funereal with an aural backdrop of church organ, giving fans of the band’s goth tendencies a headbanging nod. As with the past 6 albums, this 7th release will make your heart race and your ears bleed.

You may have already heard the lead single, “Ghost Walking”, from their new release, Resolution, this December. But that one song doesn’t prepare you for Lamb of God’s 13 other tracks that bend your expectations and treat you to new innovations the band has made to their sound. LOG has been a barometer over the past few years for measuring new metal acts. They certainly set a standard over the past 18 years.

On this new album, the band offers fans and newcomers the reason why they’re responsible for setting that standard. We get their tried-and-true groove metal sound with new fireworks--embellishments the band has forged to signal to listeners, “We’re still here, and we know we have to become progressive to keep you with us.”

Singer Randy Blythe’s signature voice can still gargle from the lower registers and into the highs without his voice box caving, a feat you might expect a singer to lose after years of tearing at his larynx. Maybe his speaking voice also sounds like stones in a blender.

To say a metal band is angry is almost like saying they’re...metal—they go hand-in-hand. But Aiden’s particular hatred is louder and much more topical. Songs from this second release, such as “Freedom From Religion” and “Grotesque Vanity”, quickly establish that singer Wil Francis is still pissed off since his last album, Disguises. Maybe he just didn’t sit through enough anger management classes, or maybe Seattle’s given him the grungy blues. But then again, the new album’s title IS Some Kind of Hate, so maybe we’re supposed to guess what’s ticking him off.

The new release would make the perfect soundtrack to a hardcore punk Halloween party; “Grotesque Vanity” has a shrilling scream from a girl that sounds like she’s getting bludgeoned. Other songs are less fright night, like a cover of Joy Division’s “Transmission”, paying homage to the band’s punk rock forefathers while also adding their own brand of heavy guitars.

Willie Nelson: Remember Me Vol.1

Lamb Of God: Resolution

Bleeding Through: The Great Fire

Aiden: Some Kind Of Hate


aming is an addictive pursuit in and of itself but if you want to get completely lost in another world, there’s nothing like a good old fashioned role-playing

game (RPG) to get you there. Just ask UFC fighter Jon Fitch – who creating an entire Twitter account solely for his adventures in our latest game review.

The game we are referencing is of course Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim; an all-encompassing massive action-role playing game released this past November by Bethesda Game Studios.

As a series, the Elder Scrolls has always had a following. Their past two offerings, Morrowind and Oblivion both achieved commercial success and many a ‘game of the year’ nomination for their non-linear gameplay, artificial intelligence, and graphics. This latest one could be the most successful of them all with over 12 million copies sold since its release.

Game PlayThe time around, the action moves forward 200 years into the storyline from where Oblivion left off.“The Empire of Tamriel is on the edge. The High King of Skyrim has been murdered. Alliances form as claims

to the throne are made. In the midst of this conflict, a far more dangerous, ancient evil is awakened. Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have re-turned to Tamriel. The future of Skyrim, even the Empire itself, hangs in the balance as they wait for the proph-esized Dragonborn to come; a hero born with the power of The Voice, and the only one who can stand amongst the dragons.”

Skyrim’s main story revolves around the player’s quest to defeat Aldium, a Dragon God who is bent on destroy-ing the world.

True to Elder Scrolls form, Skyrim is the type of game where the player can explore the world as he/she wishes. From city to city and town to town, one can get lost as countless new characters are met and quests dynami-cally altered to accommodate the character’s quests and objectives.

Character development is the main focus of Skyrim. At beginning of the game, you can select to be one of sev-eral races – human, elven, or zoomorphic. As expected, each one has their own natural abilities and you can cus-tomize their appearance. From there, the primary objec-tive is to level up and improve your character’s skills.

Your interactions determine what your character learns and the type of character you become.

From the aforementioned side quests through the type of factions you join, you can end up being “good” or “bad,” a wizard or assassin, or much more. The possi-bilities are limitless and this is where you can lose hours upon hours developing and leveling up your character.

The GoodThis game is no doubt the best in the entire Elder Scrolls series. The graphics are amazing, the interface and com-bat controls are awesome, and the story is top-notch. Simply put, the way the game plays in a very captivating way and it will get you hooked.

As a character, you can do pretty much whatever you want. From fighting hand-to-hand the whole time to working on building up one specific skill set, you de-termine what role you want to play. Unlike Oblivion, there’s almost nothing at all pushing towards the pro-gression of the story until you’re good and ready in Sky-rim. Sometimes that can mean you spend more than too much time doing one thing instead of going off on your quest to beat the game but hey, that’s just part of it. You can keep going whenever you want.

GAME REVIEWElder Scrolls V: SkyrimBy Mike Calimbas


The Bad Like most other RPG’s of this magnitude, you’ll notice a few glitches from time to time but nothing too major to scoff over.

The spell system is in-depth and detailed but you’ll find some of them useless or even get you completely off-track. Dual casting is cool but it’s pretty sensitive, mean-ing you have to be completely in sync to avoid wasting magicka, your spell bank in the game.

Likewise, the targeting in the combat sequences could sue a little work. You’ll have to be spot on to hit, other-wise you have to adjust.

Lastly, it’s great to be able to pause in the middle of a fight while you select the spells you want to use but switching between menus to access everything can seem somewhat tedious in the heat of battle.

Other than those things, there really aren’t too many other negatives you can draw from this game.

Overall ThoughtsOverall, as far as RPG’s go, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is

best offering I’ve seen for XBOX 360 since I don’t even remember when. It is a very solid game that’s true to form to the Elder Scrolls saga and about as close to per-

fect as this time of game can be. If you’re into this type of immersive game and have the time to play it, buy it and get hooked like Jon Fitch did.

Unlike Oblivion, there’s almost nothing at all pushing towards the progression of the story until you’re good and ready in Skyrim.


How did you get your start as a ring girl??The way I got started was through working at Hooters. I’ve received so many great opportunities through them and ring carding is definitely one of my favorites!

Which one of your jobs has required the least amount of clothes?Well of course Hooters and I work some car shows that I wear teeny tiny bikinis for 5 hours.

What do you like to wear when you are not working?If I am going out or going to dinner I love getting ready and finding that perfect outfit. I wear a lot of leggings, skinny jeans, and cute tops. If I am at home I am comfort all the way!! Make up off and t-shirt on!!

What are your work outs like?I do a lot of cardio. I love to sweat!! Also I love doing abs! I am trying to find someone to train me to teach me the right way to work- out.

Have you ever trained MMA?I’m a lover not a fighter :)

Did you grow up in Houston?No I am born and raised in Southern California. I loved growing up there but I definitely fell in love with Texas

What are some of your short and long term goals?Short term I want to keep modeling and promotions. I have so much fun and really love it. Long term I want to get into marketing and event planning.

What is the biggest stereotype people have about ring girls?That we are just a pretty face. We are also smart, educated and nice girls.

Have you ever dated a fighter? What’s the best and worst part?No I have not, I don’t know if i could watch them getting hit. Though there are

a lot of hot MMA guys!!

What do you look for in a guy?I need a guy to be genuine and honest. Also they have to have a good sense of humor and light hearted. Lastly they need to be positive and up for anything! I love spontaneous!!

Men yelling things from the crowd- does it make you want to go out with them? No it does not. It feels good when people find you attractive but that is not a good way to get a date. Lol!

What surprises people when they get to know you?That I am nice. People assume I am stuck up or rude but I am not at all. I rarely don’t get along with someone.

Do you have a favorite round card to carry?One of course because no matter how long the fight is number one always gets in the ring!

Briana hilton SlaterLegacy ring girl

Briana hilton Slater

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