MONTREAL -- So "rue" means "street." Got it.
I've been walking around Montreal, trying to get the vibe of the city before tonight's UFC card at the Bell Center. Beautiful women line the streets and cafes as shop owners ask groups of guys in UFC t-shirts who is going to win the fight between welterweight champion Matt Serra and hometown hero and interim champ Georges St. Pierre.
It's my first time in this lovely city -- imagine certain parts of Manhattan with a quarter of the traffic. Even though it's no problem getting around town, Montreal is still buzzing this weekend.
Last night, down Montreal's famed Crescent Street or "Rue Crescent" it looked like Los Angeles' Sunset Strip on a Saturday night -- with cars rolling down the jammed block, blasting their stereos while club-hoppers and diners ducked in and out of the collection of trendy joints.
People wearing their favorite fighters names on their chests -- Affliction t-shirts, MMA gear and lots of people you wouldn't want to mess with. But start talking fighters with these men and those scowls go to smiles and the educated mixed martial arts follower comes out.
Going to head to the fights later on today. I will be posting updates live from the Bell Center as they happen -- at least I will try my best to. There's always a lot going on at a live UFC show and it's tough to report the action if my face is buried in a laptop. Thanks for reading.
`A Bientot.
-- Joe