Some thoughts while I recover from my Lawler vs. Shields hangover...

- Jake Shields is a wizard on the ground and absolutely deserves to be in the top-five of the welterweight division. Shields also thinks that he shouldn't give the time of day to Joe Riggs.

- Can we please see Nick Diaz and Jake Shields fight one another? I know it will never happen since they both train at Cesar Gracie's gym. But how fantastic would it be if two of the three Cesar Gracie black belts fought each other.

- Robbie Lawler looked extremely disappointed in his performance at the press conference. While he made a mistake this guy is only 27 years old. Still a bright future and a lot more fights ahead for him.

- Brett Rogers is good, really good. Or at least he is really strong. I sort of, kind of, really didn't call that upset. But I could claim I did and that is all that matters. 

- Kimbo Slice just keeps getting upstaged by Brett Rogers. Slice may be on TUF but Rogers is beating top-ten heavyweights. I wonder if Dana White would want Kimbo over Rogers?

- Time for some 20/20 hindsight analysis. Brett Rogers knocks people out. Andrei Arlovski has suspect chin and is coming in on short notice. This is not a good recipe for Arlovski. Also, +300 odds for Rogers, kind of a big screw up. Then again I started my gambling advice column by saying this, "Ok let me say this first, there is no way Brett Rogers is winning this fight..." Then again I followed it up with this, "...but at +300 maybe, just maybe this could be a big payday for the more intrepid gamblers out there. After all, fortune favors the bold and I am feeling bold today." Basically what I am trying to say is you should of listened to me.

- Really mad I missed Gus Johnson's call for this fight. It would have been epic, like George Mason over UConn epic.

- All the Affliction heavyweights were in appearance. Fedor, Josh Barnett and even Tim Sylvia. Unfortunately I didn't get to ask Tim about his descent in seventh circle of boxing hell (otherwise known as an unsanctioned fight in Alabama against Ray Mercer) but Tim looked like his usual sea otter self.

- Phil Baroni can't catch a break. Apparently his father is going through some difficult shit and Baroni wanted to pull off a win for him.

- Joe Riggs breaks both of his hands fighting Phil Baroni? I want to see the x-rays before I go all ape-shit over that development.

- So glad I didn't watch the Pens game last night. I read it was a blood bath.

- Speaking of blood, let's talk about Nick Diaz. Diaz utilized his reach and jab quite well. Peppering Smith at every turn with more, and more, and then more punches. But for whatever reason Diaz won't touch gloves with you.

- I really think Scott Smith is playing possum. Not full on faking possum but I think his MO is to lure his opponent in by taking as much damage as possible and then breaking out with his own power punches. A brave strategy but not exactly the best.

- Kevin Randleman is rusty. That is what happens when the last time you fought was 2008 and his last fight before that was 2006. But his wedding was fun.

- Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante should of trained more seriously for his fight. Now he is knocked out, and Anderson Silva wouldn't talk to the media. Way to go Rafael.

- Speaking of the media I do love how we freak out every time we see Fedor. And when I say we I am definitely including myself. It is almost like he is Waldo and we are four, "Oh, look mommy I Found Fedor. Can I have cookie now?"

- One last media thing. MMA media apparently wasn't good enough for the Blues' media room. That makes me sad that hockey is above us.

- I thought St. Louis was suppose to have great fans? Because I definitely heard some unsavory language thrown at Lucas Lopes.