Got any burning questions about Nick’s life and career? Please submit them to the comments section below by tomorrow night; we’ll award a CagePotato t-shirt to whoever writes the best question that we decide to use. Thanks so much, and please follow @NotoriousNewell and @MMAWorldSeries on Twitter!
Got any burning questions about Nick’s life and career? Please submit them to the comments section below by tomorrow night; we’ll award a CagePotato t-shirt to whoever writes the best question that we decide to use. Thanks so much, and please follow @NotoriousNewell and @MMAWorldSeries on Twitter!
A month ago, we asked you guys to pledge some of your MMA memorabilia to our ongoing “Fight for ALF” fundraising efforts. And while that plea sort of fell on deaf ears — I guess you’re not the obsessed hoarders we thought you were? — two more members of the CP writing staff have stepped up to add some items to the pile. Read on for descriptions of the items, details on what you need to do to get them, and a new update from angrylittlefeet herself.
I was going through some boxes I packed a while back and I found this stuff. A framed signed Georges St. Pierre picture, a GSP action figure from UFC 87 and two Mint Topps UFC GSP cards. One is a “fighter gear relic card” that has a fabric swatch of GSP’s man panties or jock strap or something. The other is a “fight mat relic card” that has a piece of the octagon mat from UFC 100. So long as nobody takes a black light to the photo, all the items are in great shape. Granted, I will play TAPS and cry watching these items go but I already have the life-sized cardboard cut-out of Georges that I shower with and anything I can do to help Laura — I am willing.
A month ago, we asked you guys to pledge some of your MMA memorabilia to our ongoing “Fight for ALF” fundraising efforts. And while that plea sort of fell on deaf ears — I guess you’re not the obsessed hoarders we thought you were? — two more members of the CP writing staff have stepped up to add some items to the pile. Read on for descriptions of the items, details on what you need to do to get them, and a new update from angrylittlefeet herself.
I was going through some boxes I packed a while back and I found this stuff. A framed signed Georges St. Pierre picture, a GSP action figure from UFC 87 and two Mint Topps UFC GSP cards. One is a “fighter gear relic card” that has a fabric swatch of GSP’s man panties or jock strap or something. The other is a “fight mat relic card” that has a piece of the octagon mat from UFC 100. So long as nobody takes a black light to the photo, all the items are in great shape. Granted, I will play TAPS and cry watching these items go but I already have the life-sized cardboard cut-out of Georges that I shower with and anything I can do to help Laura — I am willing.
– Our fundraising drive officially ends on July 28th. At the end of that time, the person who has submitted the biggest donation will win the signed, framed photo of GSP.
– The second-place donation will win the Bas Rutten gloves.
– The third-place donation will win either the GSP relic cards, orthat UFC 127 program from Jason Moles that was signed by everyone from Kenny Florian to Brittney Palmer — your choice.
– The fourth-place donation will get whatever we have left, basically.
At the moment, the highest donation so far has been $500 (!), followed by a $150 bid, so you’ve got your work cut out for you. But as we always say, every little bit helps, so please visit our Fight for ALF Indiegogo page and kick in what you can. Any questions, let us know in the comments. (And if you have any last-minute memorabilia donations to share, please drop me a line at [email protected].) And now onto Laura’s weekly update…
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Hola Taters! It’s Alf again. Just stopping by to let you all know how my latest procedures went.
Monday I had my chemo port installed. They only lightly sedate you for this but I actually fell asleep while they were cutting me open. Yeah. It’s pretty bad when something like this gets to be just another day. It’s much nicer than the PICC line. Nothing actually hanging outside my body to be dealt with. It just looks like an alien implant. Or a third nipple. Whatever.
Tuesday was chemo #2. They went ahead & stabbed right into that brand new port for that. No need to let it heal a little or anything. Reaction to #2 was way less than to the first one thank goodness. We have a nurse in the chemo ward that I swear looks right like Big John McCarthy. Freaks me the hell out. I keep expecting him to shout “Let’s get it on” when he hooks somebody up to their chemo.
Wednesday back to the hospital for another shot. This one is supposed to help my body build my white blood cells back up after chemo. I feel really good today but they tell me that’s from the shot — I will most likely wake up tomorrow with joint pain so bad it feels like I’ve been hit by a truck. Awesome. Don’t sugar coat it. At least my cable should be hooked back up tomorrow I hope. I’ve got episodes of The Wire to catch up on if I can’t freakin move.
So that’s about it. Lotsa procedures, lotsa shots, and a metric fuck-ton of trips back & forth to the hospital.
Oh and I’m back up to 96lbs! That ice cream rx is working!
For those uninitiated, Sobriety Fighter is my own side-project. I’ve dedicated 2013 to being a year-long experiment where I spend one year as a full-time fighter while also attempting to stay clean and sober. I can’t promise that I’ll be the next Elias Cepeda or that I’ll never relapse, but I can promise that I’ll do my absolute best for everyone. Most of the stuff I post isn’t particularly MMA-related, but this is. Enjoy. – [SethFalvo]
(SF) How do you feel that the lifestyle of a professional fighter has enabled your addiction?
(DF) I started fighting during the first broadcast of the Ultimate Fighter and remember seeing Chris Leben getting drunk and being stupid and then going in and training balls the next day hung over. I glorified that. Being able to fight hard and party hard. Train hard even when drunk and hung over appealed to my vikingesque nature. Pretty soon I developed a name in the sport for being a bad ass drunk who could fight.
I could fight and drink and even though it was very taxing I could pull it off and loved the type of image it gave me. I thought it was so cool. I used to associate airports and flying with drinking and pretty soon I couldn’t fly if I wasn’t tore up from the floor up. I don’t even understand how I would manage to make it from Point A to Point B, but I remember many flights missing my plane and ending up back at the airport pub for another Guinness or shot of Jack. I can really relate to Josh Hamilton’s story because of our obvious similarities.
For those uninitiated, Sobriety Fighter is my own side-project. I’ve dedicated 2013 to being a year-long experiment where I spend one year as a full-time fighter while also attempting to stay clean and sober. I can’t promise that I’ll be the next Elias Cepeda or that I’ll never relapse, but I can promise that I’ll do my absolute best for everyone. Most of the stuff I post isn’t particularly MMA-related, but this is. Enjoy. – [SethFalvo]
(SF) How do you feel that the lifestyle of a professional fighter has enabled your addiction?
(DF) I started fighting during the first broadcast of the Ultimate Fighter and remember seeing Chris Leben getting drunk and being stupid and then going in and training balls the next day hung over. I glorified that. Being able to fight hard and party hard. Train hard even when drunk and hung over appealed to my vikingesque nature. Pretty soon I developed a name in the sport for being a bad ass drunk who could fight.
I could fight and drink and even though it was very taxing I could pull it off and loved the type of image it gave me. I thought it was so cool. I used to associate airports and flying with drinking and pretty soon I couldn’t fly if I wasn’t tore up from the floor up. I don’t even understand how I would manage to make it from Point A to Point B, but I remember many flights missing my plane and ending up back at the airport pub for another Guinness or shot of Jack. I can really relate to Josh Hamilton’s story because of our obvious similarities.
What went through your mind when Dana White cut you from the UFC over your behavior outside the cage? Did you try to get sober after that experience?
I thought, “Man, I need a drink.”
I felt pretty upset that were singling me out after an incident that was simply getting kicked out of a bar for not having a collared shirt. I felt like a victim ’cause guys like Junie Brownie and Jesse Taylor were given several chances to clean up their act – even commended for their actions which brought great ratings to the show – but you know it really just comes to taking responsibility for my actions and realizing life isn’t fair. And the more powerful and influential you become, the more unfair it’s gonna seem, and the more people are gonna try to tear you from your perch.
Would you consider the Ritch fight your “Rock Bottom,” or was there a different incident that comes to mind?
Absolutely not. That was a rough weekend.
What comes to mind: Checking out of the psyche ward for a suicide attempt just to go into a bender in an apartment where I was partying for four days straight with a schizophrenic Vietnam vet who suffers from severe PTSD. I woke up laying in my own shit, vomit and piss. My hand was terribly cut open and my blood was everywhere. The smell was so unbearable that my bum friend Sergeant Steen couldn’t even stick around. I had to be admitted into the hospital because I had a severe Mersa infection in my hand where the doctors talked to me about possible amputation.
Step Nine involves making amends with those you have hurt because of your addiction. Have you ever gotten to make amends to everyone in the MMA industry? Do you feel that there are some people in this business who you don’t owe an apology to?
The first people that I made amends to were my very close friends and family. I’m sure there still remain people that are upset at me for one thing or another. It’s very likely that there are things that I’ve done that I can’t even remember, so if you are listening to this and you still hold resentment towards me, I am truly sorry. Blessings be upon you and I pray that Jesus Christ should enter your life and take all of your disdain and contempt, turning you into a loving grateful individual.
Check out the rest of Seth’s fantastic interview with Fickett over at SobrietyFighter.
Happy 4th of July, Potato Nation! Before you fire up the grill and start tossing around the bang snaps, please read the latest update from our dear friend Laura “angrylittlefeet” Nicholson, who is resting up before her next round of operations and chemo next week. Yeah, it’s a bummer, but that’s life. We’re proud as hell of our girl for hanging tough, under the circumstances. If you haven’t already, please kick in a few bucks to our “Fight for ALF” fundraising drive to help cover Laura’s medical expenses, and send her some love on twitter. Thanks a million, and enjoy the day.
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This week’s Alf update brought to you by Hodgkins Lymphoma……. Still NOT recommended as a diet aid.
Hi Taters! Alf here. Finally have a day between hospital visits to sit down and relax. And eat. At my last visit my Doc said I had lost entirely too much weight (I blame hospital food and boredom) and my job is to put some back on by any means necessary. Fast. Next operation is Monday, next chemo is Tuesday. He even went so far as to say he wants me eating cake and ice cream. Wait — Really? So now I have kind of a dr’s rx for cake & ice cream. Sweet! Now I just need my backwards-ass state to get on the medical weed bandwagon…..
Monday’s procedure is to have my chemo port installed. Somehow I don’t think a body was ever meant to have anything “installed” but what the hell do I know? Also they will remove this god-forsaken PICC line that has been driving my nuts and dangling from my arm since forever it seems. Oh I do hope I won’t need to be awake for all this festivity but I probably will. They seem to be pretty stingy with the sleepy time drugs.
They tell me that the second chemo is when the hair starts to go if it’s going to. Shit. shitshitshitshitfuckshitshit. Really, really bad girl-trauma on the horizon.
That’s it at this point. Just looking to get through next week and then go from there. One fucking thing at a time.
Hope you all have a great 4th of July. Have a beer for me and try not to blow off any goddam limbs or digits.
Alf
XO
Check out previous “Fight for ALF” updates right here.
Happy 4th of July, Potato Nation! Before you fire up the grill and start tossing around the bang snaps, please read the latest update from our dear friend Laura “angrylittlefeet” Nicholson, who is resting up before her next round of operations and chemo next week. Yeah, it’s a bummer, but that’s life. We’re proud as hell of our girl for hanging tough, under the circumstances. If you haven’t already, please kick in a few bucks to our “Fight for ALF” fundraising drive to help cover Laura’s medical expenses, and send her some love on twitter. Thanks a million, and enjoy the day.
**********
This week’s Alf update brought to you by Hodgkins Lymphoma……. Still NOT recommended as a diet aid.
Hi Taters! Alf here. Finally have a day between hospital visits to sit down and relax. And eat. At my last visit my Doc said I had lost entirely too much weight (I blame hospital food and boredom) and my job is to put some back on by any means necessary. Fast. Next operation is Monday, next chemo is Tuesday. He even went so far as to say he wants me eating cake and ice cream. Wait — Really? So now I have kind of a dr’s rx for cake & ice cream. Sweet! Now I just need my backwards-ass state to get on the medical weed bandwagon…..
Monday’s procedure is to have my chemo port installed. Somehow I don’t think a body was ever meant to have anything “installed” but what the hell do I know? Also they will remove this god-forsaken PICC line that has been driving my nuts and dangling from my arm since forever it seems. Oh I do hope I won’t need to be awake for all this festivity but I probably will. They seem to be pretty stingy with the sleepy time drugs.
They tell me that the second chemo is when the hair starts to go if it’s going to. Shit. shitshitshitshitfuckshitshit. Really, really bad girl-trauma on the horizon.
That’s it at this point. Just looking to get through next week and then go from there. One fucking thing at a time.
Hope you all have a great 4th of July. Have a beer for me and try not to blow off any goddam limbs or digits.
Alf
XO
Check out previous “Fight for ALF” updates right here.
(Sometimes, relevancy is not of primary importance.)
The UFC is officially making a serious and sustained play to break into the Chinese market. According to a report from SB Nation, tryouts for the first Chinese edition of The Ultimate Fighter reality competition show will take place this summer.
“According to the Chinese announcement, this edition of TUF will be broadcast on LiaoNing TV, and tryouts will be open for professional featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight fighters of Chinese descent, who can speak the language.
“Tryouts won’t just happen in mainland China, and it will instead be held on different countries to get most of the talent available. These multiple tryouts will happen on July 21 at the Metropark Lido Hotel in Beijing, July 25 at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, and on August 3 at the Venetian Hotel in Macau,” they reported.
The TUF: China Finale, to be held in Macau, will be broadcast globally. Coaches for the season of TUF have not been announced so it is not yet publicly known if the UFC will choose to have English-speaking organization mainstays coach the prospects, or if they will search for coaches who can speak the native languages of the participants. As it stands, the only Chinese fighters currently on the UFC roster are Tiequan Zhang, who has lost his last three fights in the Octagon, and undefeated bantamweight prospect Jumabieke Tuerxun, who hasn’t competed for the promotion yet.
(Sometimes, relevancy is not of primary importance.)
The UFC is officially making a serious and sustained play to break into the Chinese market. According to a report from SB Nation, tryouts for the first Chinese edition of The Ultimate Fighter reality competition show will take place this summer.
“According to the Chinese announcement, this edition of TUF will be broadcast on LiaoNing TV, and tryouts will be open for professional featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight fighters of Chinese descent, who can speak the language.
“Tryouts won’t just happen in mainland China, and it will instead be held on different countries to get most of the talent available. These multiple tryouts will happen on July 21 at the Metropark Lido Hotel in Beijing, July 25 at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore, and on August 3 at the Venetian Hotel in Macau,” they reported.
The TUF: China Finale, to be held in Macau, will be broadcast globally. Coaches for the season of TUF have not been announced so it is not yet publicly known if the UFC will choose to have English-speaking organization mainstays coach the prospects, or if they will search for coaches who can speak the native languages of the participants. As it stands, the only Chinese fighters currently on the UFC roster are Tiequan Zhang, who has lost his last three fights in the Octagon, and undefeated bantamweight prospect Jumabieke Tuerxun, who hasn’t competed for the promotion yet.
Sixteen fighters will be in the TUF: China house and will compete for a six-figure UFC contract. The fighters will be in the house for somewhere near six weeks and the season will last twelve episodes, according to the report.
In the past, the UFC has decided to change weight classes for TUF seasons in advance of filming based on turnout. Given that lighter weight competitors abound in the region, perhaps the organization will consider changing the weight range to include flyweights and bantamweights.
Alf here with an update on the fun ride that the past week or so has been.
First off, the PET scan was no big deal after all. They just shoot me up with some radioactive crap and then stick me in a dark room for about an hour while this works its way thru my system. From there it’s into a big ole scanner that makes some noise & moves around but is really pretty comfy. Again they say don’t move. So…sounds like two medically prescribed naps to me. I can handle this. Pretty much same deal with the CAT scan. Just waiting around for the radioactive stuff to work it’s way thru. Sadly, so far no Ninja Turtle skills have been acquired.
On to the bad news. Scans showed a lot of fluid built up around my lungs and heart. So off to the ER for that to be dealt with. They of course admitted me immediately. This was last Monday. They drained my lungs that night and I felt a whole lot better. But of course that shit just built right back up. Then they put a chest tube in to drain. What fun. Next day the tube came out and the villagers rejoiced. Not for long though. At this point they shipped me off to a second hospital to have the fluid around my heart taken care of. Now in this modern day of technology you’d think they’d have some way to use a small tube thru your arm pit or something. Oh no sir! Five 1/2 hour wait and then they bring out a needle which they proceed to jam into my chest. They don’t put you to sleep for this either, by the way.
(Not the ALF in question, but still…feel better, ALF.)
Alf here with an update on the fun ride that the past week or so has been.
First off, the PET scan was no big deal after all. They just shoot me up with some radioactive crap and then stick me in a dark room for about an hour while this works its way thru my system. From there it’s into a big ole scanner that makes some noise & moves around but is really pretty comfy. Again they say don’t move. So…sounds like two medically prescribed naps to me. I can handle this. Pretty much same deal with the CAT scan. Just waiting around for the radioactive stuff to work it’s way thru. Sadly, so far no Ninja Turtle skills have been acquired.
On to the bad news. Scans showed a lot of fluid built up around my lungs and heart. So off to the ER for that to be dealt with. They of course admitted me immediately. This was last Monday. They drained my lungs that night and I felt a whole lot better. But of course that shit just built right back up. Then they put a chest tube in to drain. What fun. Next day the tube came out and the villagers rejoiced. Not for long though. At this point they shipped me off to a second hospital to have the fluid around my heart taken care of. Now in this modern day of technology you’d think they’d have some way to use a small tube thru your arm pit or something. Oh no sir! Five 1/2 hour wait and then they bring out a needle which they proceed to jam into my chest. They don’t put you to sleep for this either, by the way.
Back to the original hospital we go. Fluid is under control so now it’s time for my first chemo. Not a hell of a lot of fun I must say.
Next morning they come back and take a chest X-ray and lo and behold the fluid is back around that damn lung again. Off to this third hospital where finally a major operation on the lung was done. Hurts like a bastard to move. Hopefully this does the trick though!
And that’s where I’m at now. Still in hospital healing from that surgery. Thank God for the pain meds! I have to try to sleep kinda sitting up too, and therefore my ass is always asleep.
Oh, did I forget to mention the bone marrow biopsy? It’s probably because I’m trying to repress the memory. Trust me… no joy to be had there.
That’s the short of it my fellow Taters. I’m down but by no means out!
