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Fightin' Words

TUF 10: 'Meathead' keeps shutout intact

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There are two things you need to know about my editor, Mark La Monica:
Mark La Monica

Say it! You care about UFC's Tito Ortiz

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He's the most outspoken fighter in MMA, and you either love to love or love to hate him
Fightin' Words

Brock Lesnar out for UFC 106

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UFC announced Monday that the Brock Lesnar-Shane Carwin main event at UFC 106 on Nov. 21 has been postponed because of an undisclosed illness to Lesnar.
Mark La Monica

Brett Rogers has shot at instant stardom

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Soft-spoken and mercurial, Fedor Emelianenko grows in stature by the hour.
Sports

Gamboa left Cuba but can't escape thoughts of home

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The headlines have been saying there is change in Cuba. Citizens can now own cell phones, stay in tourist hotels and buy DVD players. It all makes for good copy. It reads like hope is flourishing on the small island nation. But please forgive Yuriorkis Gamboa if he does not believe what he reads. He spent the first 26 years of his life in Cuba, enduring the type of grinding poverty that can wear down even the strongest of men. From Gamboa's perspective, a Cuban exile now living in Miami, not enough has changed since February of 2008 when Fidel Castro stepped down and handed the country over to his brother, Raul. "There have been a few minor, small changes," said Gamboa. "Not enough to be revolutionizing the island, which is what we need. It's changing, but at it's own pace, not at the pace the people on the island expect it to." Gamboa won a gold medal for Cuba at the 2004 Olympics. He sold it on Havana's black market so he could throw a proper birthday party for his three-year-old daughter. Hope for Gamboa has never been tied to the promise of propoganda, but rather a good left hook. He knew his future -- and that of his daughter --resided beyond the shores of Cuba. Thus, in December of 2007, Gamboa, and boxing teammates Yan Barthelemy and Odlanier Solis, walked away from a Pan Am Games training camp in Venezuela into a new life. The path to freedom led him to Colombia, Miami, Germany and finally back to Miami. Along the way he signed a lucrative promotional deal with Ahmet Oner, of Arena Box Promotions in Hamburg, Germany. On Saturday, it leads to Madison Square Garden. Gamboa defends his WBA featherweight title against Panama's Whyber Garcia (22-6, 15 KOs) in the co-feature at the Garden's WaMu Theater. In the main event, Juan Manuel Lopez (26-0, 24 KOs) defends his WBO junior featherweight belt against Rogers Mtagwa (26-12-2, 18 KOs). Gamboa has displayed a dizzying array of skills while accelerating through the ranks of pro boxing. He's won all 15 of his pro fights, including 13 by knockout, and has already appeared on Showtime, HBO and ESPN. Saturday's fight, co-promoted by Arena Box and Top Rank, will be available on pay-pew-view. "I dont think he's exceeded expectations because he always had that level of talent," said Tony Gonzalez, Gamboa's manager. "At the same time, there is so much more we know he can give, it's scary."