James Kirkland Arrested in Austin

This is really disappointing.

Kirkland, who is on probation for a 2003 armed robbery, was arrested for possession of a firearm.  He is scheduled to appear on the undercard of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight in Vegas on May 2.

A recent episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel profiled his trainer, Ann Wolfe.  Wolfe, who fought from being homeless in Austin to become a world champion, is often mentioned as the hardest hitting female boxer ever.  Becoming a trainer after retiring, she has made it her goal to work with troubled kids, with Kirkland as her star pupil.

Hopefully, Kirkland can learn from this and move forward with what could be a promising career.

King and Money: The "Perfect" Pair

Dan Rafael reported at ESPN.com that Floyd "Money" Mayweather's imminent return may include the promotional wizardry of one Donald "Don" King.

There have been discussions of a fight with current Ring lightweight champ and No.2 P4P Juan Manuel Marquez.  I personally would love to see this fight.  In a perfect world, the winner would face the winner of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight for the P4P crown.

But in a world where Don King is involved, outcomes are far from certain. 

Fight Night: UFC 97

UFC takes its show to the Bell Centre in Montreal for UFC 97: Redemption.  In the main event, Anderson "the Spider" Silva defends his middleweight championship belt against Thales Leites.  Silva is considered by many to be the best MMA fighter in the world pound for pound, ahead of heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko.

Silva (23-4-0) is recognized for his Muay Thai striking proficiency.  His Muay Thai clinch is viewed as the best in the sport, as evidenced by his destruction of Rich Franklin with repeated knees at UFCs 64 and 77.  Despite having received a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu from the Nogueira brothers, his ground game has been viewed as a weakness.  "The Spider" will be seeking a record 9th straight UFC victory on Saturday night.  He is currently tied at 8 consecutive wins with Jon Fitch and Royce Gracie.

Leites (14-1-0) is the number one contender for the middleweight belt.  Given his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, it is not surprising that his style relies on his ground abilities.  He should have the advantage on the mat as Silva is far stronger striking.  In his last fight on the undercard of Silva vs. Patrick Cote, he submitted Drew McFedries by rear naked choke.

The all Brazilian main event (Silva is from Curitiba with Leites hailing from Niteroi) has garnered much fanfare in soccer crazed South America.

I expect Silva to be seeking to make a statement in this fight.  His last outing ended prematurely in a TKO when Cote had to stop with a knee injury.  Silva should work to keep the fight standing up in order to avoid Leites' possible advantage on the ground.  Look for Silva to hunt for a knockout in an effort to forget his flat showing against Cote.

I see Silva keeping his belt and setting a UFC record for consecutive victories.

In the undercard, Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell (21-6-0) takes on Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (17-3-0) in what should be an exciting battle of powerful strikers.

UFC 97 Middleweight Championship Fight (185 lbs)

Here are the latest odds

Anderson Silva

Nickname: The Spider

Record: 23-4-0

Height: 6ft 2in

Reach: 77.5 in

Here is his last fight against Patrick Cote

Watch Silva vs. Cote in Martial Arts  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Thales Leites

Nickname: NA

Record: 14-1-0

Height: 6ft 1in

Reach: 78 in

Here is his last fight against Drew McFedries

Oscar De la Hoya Announces Retirement

More on this later.

Fight Night: Lightweight Lightning

Oscar De La Hoya`s Golden Boy Promotions brings boxing to the Frank Erwin Center tomorrow night. The aptly titled Lightweight Lightning card features several names at 135 pounds.

Former champ and Austin resident Jesus Chavez takes on tough Michael Katsidis. Katsidis likes to wear a Gladiator-style helmet on his way to the ring and has an entertaining offensive style.

Former champ and Olympic Gold Medalist for Cuba, Joel Casamayor takes on another former champ in Julio Diaz. Casamayor lost his belts to the current champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

In the main event, undefeated Edwin Valero takes on Antonio Pitalua for the WBC Interim World Lightweight belt. This will be Valero`s first fight in America after he was suspended following a failed MRI. Valero`s punching power, questionable chin, and lack of defense have made him a fan favorite. However, a skull fracture as a result of a motorcycle crash without a helmet has kept him from getting a license in the United States. Fighting mostly in South America and Japan, Valero was recently cleared to fight in Texas. Much as when Evander Holyfield was suspended in Nevada, Texas appears to be willing to let anyone fight.

While the upset is appealing, I think Valero wins this trinket.

The fight will be on HBO PPV or here

WBC Interim Lightweight Championship Fight (135 lbs)

Here are the latest odds
Edwin Valero
Record: 24-0
Age: 27
Height: 5ft 6in

Valero highlights

Antonio Pitalua

Record: 46-3

Age: 39

Height: 5ft 7in