Joe Ferraro

Vancouver could benefit in many ways from giving mixed martial arts the long-term approval.

As is the case with many societies in a democratic populous, it's only a small minority of vocal politicians and media folk that seem to have issues with what "the people" truly want.

I have been in Vancouver since Tuesday evening and to say people are excited about the UFC, and MMA in general, would be an understatement.

Twice, I walked from the Sportsnet Pacific studios (which is an arm’s length away from GM Place, the venue for UFC 115) to the hotel I am staying at. Generally, about a 30- minute walk took me about an hour each time. I was stopped every few blocks by MMA fans who couldn't help but share their excitement for Saturday's card. Both days, I stopped to grab a coffee about halfway back, and each time I was met by more fans outside of the establishment(s).

People in Vancouver want MMA here so hopefully local politicians can find a way to remove the two-year trial period and make it a common occurrence. There are legit promoters here -- not the so-called "bad apples of society." There is a plethora of talent in this city and province that could easily join the likes of Rory MacDonald and, historically, Lance Gibson and Bill Mahood, inside the Octagon to represent Canada's west coast.

If Vancouver (which is absolutely stunning -- my first time here) can emulate the MMA sanctioning model set forth by that of the state of Nevada, province of Quebec or even that of the commission in Enoch, Alberta, it would not only reap the economic impact the sport could bring to its municipal borders, but it could foster the development of future MMA stars. If Van-City can do this via sports like hockey, soccer, football, baseball (and don't get me started on the amazing Olympic-caliber athletes here), they can definitely do it for the sport of MMA.

There is simply too much talent in this city and province to thwart its growth because of a few councilors who cannot see the forest for the trees. What also disturbs me is that there are councilors and politicians here -- their sanity and outright intelligence are being mocked by a meager few -- whose opposition and ignorance is so archaic, that I can already see their remains alongside the dinosaurs in a museum.

It's 2010 folks -- not 1993 when the sport first came onto the North American scene. Times have changed. Do your research, get your facts together and stop trying to reinvent the wheel. The successful models are already out there for you to follow. Give the consumers, promoters and, above all, the athletes the right to enjoy what could be a thriving MMA scene here.

Back to UFC 115

Wednesday was media workout day and I was fairly impressed with the amount of coverage UFC 115 was getting. It was often a stampede in the workout room every time a new fighter was cycled into the room and when the UFC's PR staff informed Rich Franklin that his interviews would be conducted by the other UFC banner across the room, the herd of media that ran across to get into a prime position was eye-popping. I've never encountered something similar like that at any UFC event before. It was actually a nice site to behold.

As for the fighters:

Chuck Liddell is definitely in shape and thankfully, is (sort of) making it clear that his past game plans of only looking for the knockout has changed. Look for "The Iceman" to mix it up on Saturday night and use his very underrated takedown, grappling and submission skills to (gasp) set up the knockout against Rich Franklin.

Speaking of "Ace," the Cincinnati native told me he is very well-prepared and is fully expecting an MMA bout on Saturday night, not a stand-up, kickboxing fight that has been the standard as of late. Franklin has his own surprises (aka - setups) for "The Iceman" and knows to expect anything and everything for three straight rounds.

Mirko (Cro Cop) Filipovic -- ah yes, the legend. Well, it's safe to say he's turned over a new leaf. The man brings with him a charismatic, yet deftly respectable, persona into a room. This guy wreaks of MMA greatness and shockingly enough, addressed the media for what must have been the longest scrum in the Croatian's career. Even when the UFC PR staff tried to end the questioning to keep the Croat happy, he stunned us all when he replied back with "No, it's okay. I like this." An awkward silence was followed by a cheerful laugh by many of us; it was definitely unexpected.

As for what we can expect from “Cro Cop” vs. Pat Barry on Saturday night? I believe the standard, stand-up brawl until one of them truly gets into trouble and begins looking for the takedown. “Cro Cop” has come to terms with life after Pride FC and understands the difference of competing inside of a cage vs. a ring, as well as the evolution of the mixed martial artist. He (as well as Barry) mentioned that the days of the single disciplined fighter are gone. To succeed nowadays in MMA, you must be a well-rounded fighter. Here's hoping he and Barry can practice what they preach.

I've also ran into nearly every fighter on Saturday's card and spent some quality time with Kelowna, B.C.'s Rory MacDonald and trainer David Lea from Toshido MMA. You can see our Sportsnet Connected feature on MacDonald here, but I'll be honest: we've just scratched the surface with "The Water Boy." The welterweight is pegged as MMA's version of Taylor Hall, the projected No. 1 draft pick in this month’s NHL Entry Draft, and Stephen Strausberg, the Washington Nationals pitcher whose future appears brighter than the sun.

At the tender age of 20, MacDonald may soon be the welterweight division's Jon (Bones) Jones, the light heavyweight stud who everyone believes will one day be a champion at the 205lbs class. In fact, it was Georges St-Pierre who told me that "The Water Boy" will one day be wearing UFC gold. His time will come, but first, there is the problem known as Carlos (The Natural Born Killer) Condit.

Condit has built a reputation for being unbreakable, so if MacDonald is to begin living up to the hype, he must defeat a former WEC Champion who doesn’t know how to quit and whose will to win is impeccable. Rory will have his hands full on Saturday night and, unfortunately for him, if he defeats Condit I can just imagine who UFC matchmaker Joe Silva pits him up against next.

For more on all of these stories, make sure you tune into our UFC 115 one-hour preview show this Saturday on Rogers Sportsnet. Check your local listings for broadcast times in your area.