by Chris Asbrock

I want to first wish my brother-in-law, Andy, a happy 30th birthday.

Now let’s dive into some things I’d like to get off my chest.  

UFC

Last night, the news broke that the UFC stripped Jon “Bones” Jones of his Light Heavyweight Championship and suspended him indefinitely. Jones has had a difficult time this year. He was busted for having traces of cocaine in his system before his fight with Daniel Cormier. Now he has some felony hit and run charges after he was involved in an accident, leaving a pregnant woman with a broken arm. He fled the scene and returned to grab some cash. Reports are the police found marijuana in his car. This is not good for the UFC and Jones and this couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Jones was set to Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at the upcoming UFC 187 card on May 23. The big issue is this card is battling the Manny Pacquiao/Floyd Mayweather fight this weekend for fight fans money. Not having one of the greatest champions in their history on the card is devastating. Daniel Cormier has been moved up and will be fighting Johnson for the interim title. The UFC had no choice but to strip Jones of his title and remove him from the card. Had they allowed Jones to fight, this would have been a PR nightmare. This could be a blessing in disguise for Jones as he can hopefully get his life on track as soon as possible. Good for the UFC and Dana White for making the move they had to do.  

Soccer

Tonight is the Second Leg of CONCACAF Champions League Final and MLS is looking to make history. Most fans have no idea what I’m talking about when I bring up the CONCACAF Champions League. That’s OK. I’m going to enlighten you. The MLS side, Montreal Impact are looking to win the first CONCACAF Champions League title for MLS. Montreal pulled off the unthinkable, getting a result (1-1 draw) at the Estadio Azteca, against Mexican powerhouse Club America. The draw was a huge result for Montreal with the return leg back in Montreal. This has been a competition most MLS sides haven’t taken seriously over the years. Winning the CONCACAF Champions League is big for a couple of reasons: 1) the winner gets a birth into the FIFA Club World Cup 2) elevates the status of MLS. If Montreal were to pull off the victory, MLS would not be elevated to one of the top leagues in the world, but it would certainly bring much needed credibility to the league from people around the world. Best of luck to Montreal tonight and MLS fans need to be very supportive of the Impact. As MLS has been pushing, #MLSforMontreal.

Reds

Today, Michael Lorenzen makes his Major League debut as he pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers. Lorenzen, was the Reds 1st round pick in 2013, was an outfielder and pitcher at Cal State Fullerton. When Lorenzen was drafted, the Reds chose to make him a full-time starter. As of now, Lorenzen has given up two runs, on two home runs through three innings. As a Fullerton fan, I have always been a fan of Lorenzen and were excited the Reds drafted him. He has some serious talent and will certainly be a great addition to the Reds rotation for years to come.

Stay tuned for the next installment of my daily thoughts!