Georges St. Pierre still has to get a win against Jake Shields before any move up to middleweight to challenge MMA King Anderson Silva in the super fight of all super fights that EVERYONE is talking about. UFC President Dana White revealed that the biggest fight in the sports history would happen possibly in 2011 if St. Pierre got past Shields (and if Silva got past Vitor Belfort but Silva's front kick assured that), the fight world began gawking over the possibility of the fantasy match up.
There is at least one person against the idea however, Anderson Silva's boxing trainer Josuel Distak, who recently said that St. Pierre should stay at welterweight so that he won't lose or get hurt. "Georges St. Pierre should stay in his division (laughs), because if he moves up he'd have much headache, St. Pierre is a strategic fighter. Besides being very dangerous, Anderson also is strategic, so he has two weapons. Anderson has an advantage over St. Pierre because of his reach and game, he has a more efficient Muay Thai and a tough ground game. Anderson will be prepared for him."
St. Pierre and Shields square off on April 30th in the main event of UFC 129 in Toronto, Ontario. A fight that will make or break the most anticipated match up in MMA history.
If Jake Shields wins against GSP and is the spoiler, he may just become the most hated man in MMA history.
Friday, February 25, 2011
G-Sot Gets a Title Shot With Win Over Siver
Quickly rising fan favorite and the UFC’s most high-profile Australian contender ever George Sotiropoulos will have the chance of a lifetime this weekend to extend his current eight-fight winning streak when he takes on the extremely dangerous German striker Dennis Siver, but an elite opponent isn’t the motivation for victory for Sotiropoulos. UFC president Dana White recently said that Sotiropoulos will position himself right in the middle of the UFC’s lightweight title picture should he defeat the veteren Siver. “If he can win and pull this fight out, he’s in the line for the title shot, There’s no doubt about it.” White said.
Sotiropoulos hasn’t lost since 2006 against submission master Shinya Aoki(who was considered to be one of the world’s best lightweight fighters at the time). Sotiropoulos was disqualified after an illegal groin strike forced the bout to be stopped. Since that loss, he has competed on The Ultimate Fighter and has defeated UFC lightweights like George Roop, Jason Dent, Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Lauzon. Dana White also looked at Sotiropoulos’ dominance in the division as well as the exciting fashion in which he has finished his opponents as the two primary reasons that weighed on why he is being considered for a title shot stating “This kid has been on a tear, He’s so incredibly exciting to watch. You know, a lot of people talk about standup wars. Well, I love jiu-jitsu wars, too, and this guy has been in a ton of them. He’s very exciting, very fun to watch and incredibly talented. And if he wins, he’s on his way.”
Sotiropoulos will be facing Siver in his own backyard as well, as their UFC 127 bout will be taking place at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia Sotiropoulos’ native country this Saturday.
Sotiropoulos hasn’t lost since 2006 against submission master Shinya Aoki(who was considered to be one of the world’s best lightweight fighters at the time). Sotiropoulos was disqualified after an illegal groin strike forced the bout to be stopped. Since that loss, he has competed on The Ultimate Fighter and has defeated UFC lightweights like George Roop, Jason Dent, Joe Stevenson, Kurt Pellegrino and Joe Lauzon. Dana White also looked at Sotiropoulos’ dominance in the division as well as the exciting fashion in which he has finished his opponents as the two primary reasons that weighed on why he is being considered for a title shot stating “This kid has been on a tear, He’s so incredibly exciting to watch. You know, a lot of people talk about standup wars. Well, I love jiu-jitsu wars, too, and this guy has been in a ton of them. He’s very exciting, very fun to watch and incredibly talented. And if he wins, he’s on his way.”
Sotiropoulos will be facing Siver in his own backyard as well, as their UFC 127 bout will be taking place at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia Sotiropoulos’ native country this Saturday.
GSP reminded of Serra facing Shields
UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre has never come off as a man with nerves of steel or acted like a the tough guy to pretend that his mental state of mind remains impervious prior to a huge fight. GSP has been open and honest about recently employing a sports psychologist, something he also did in the past in order to sew up some of his mental weaknesses. French-Canadian poster boy of MMA has remained honest dealing with some of the psychological hazards that many pro fighters face.
St. Pierre must frequently keep himself humble in the face of the great expectations placed on his shoulders. He is currently preparing to defend his welterweight title against a very capable opponent in Jake Shields, but all anyone is talking about anymore is a possible super fight with Anderson Silva that will likely materialize if St. Pierre gets by Shields.
In a interview with Sportsnet.ca, GSP admitted he suffers from overwhelming nervousness for his upcoming fight due to the conditions surrounding this fight with Shields similar to those which existed when he lost his title to Matt Serra, a massive underdog, by KO in 2007 at UFC 69.
St. Pierre said in the interview “With Jake Shields, I’m very nervous for this fight. I have goosebumps, more than ever before, I have the flash of what happened with Matt Serra and I don’t want it to happen again. I’m fighting the most dangerous guy I have ever fought and it’s going to be a very tough fight.”
St. Pierre’s admission of weakness is quite surprising to many in the MMA world, seeing how GSP is revered as one of the best fighters to ever grace a ring or a cage. As he steps in to face a real threat in Jake Shields, there is no doubt the St. Pierre will show up come fight time, maybe St. Pierre is just being the good guy as always.
St. Pierre must frequently keep himself humble in the face of the great expectations placed on his shoulders. He is currently preparing to defend his welterweight title against a very capable opponent in Jake Shields, but all anyone is talking about anymore is a possible super fight with Anderson Silva that will likely materialize if St. Pierre gets by Shields.
In a interview with Sportsnet.ca, GSP admitted he suffers from overwhelming nervousness for his upcoming fight due to the conditions surrounding this fight with Shields similar to those which existed when he lost his title to Matt Serra, a massive underdog, by KO in 2007 at UFC 69.
St. Pierre said in the interview “With Jake Shields, I’m very nervous for this fight. I have goosebumps, more than ever before, I have the flash of what happened with Matt Serra and I don’t want it to happen again. I’m fighting the most dangerous guy I have ever fought and it’s going to be a very tough fight.”
St. Pierre’s admission of weakness is quite surprising to many in the MMA world, seeing how GSP is revered as one of the best fighters to ever grace a ring or a cage. As he steps in to face a real threat in Jake Shields, there is no doubt the St. Pierre will show up come fight time, maybe St. Pierre is just being the good guy as always.
Dana White on Rampage Evans Rematch
It was widely assumed that Rashad Evans would be filling in for Thiago Silva to face Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 130, Matt Hamill filled the void however after Silva’s UFC 125 drug test came back positive for a banned substance. The Jackson and Evans fought last May, with Evans using a wrestling-heavy strategy to score a very bland unanimous decision over his rival Jackson. UFC President Dana White explained the decision to go with Matt Hamill vs. “Rampage” Jackson to the mixed martial arts world today.
White stated today “Who wants to see that shit again?” White asked of a Rampage – Evans rematch. “Rampage-Rashad, the fucking snoozefest? I don’t want to see that fucking fight again. Matt Hamill and Rampage might not talk a bunch of shit about each other before the fight, but when have you not seen Matt Hamill fight? Matt Hamill’s going to go in there and try to beat him.”
“Rampage” rebounded from the loss to Evans by scoring a split decision victory over former champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida at UFC 123 in November of 2010. The case for Hamill, The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 veteran recently scored the biggest win of his career by defeating his coach from that season, MMA veteran and former UFC poster boy Tito Ortiz, by unanimous decision at UFC 121 last October.
UFC 130 takes place on May 28, 2011 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is scheduled to be headlined by UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar defending his title against Gray Maynard, Maynard has never lost to Edgar posting a record of 1-0-1 against him.
White stated today “Who wants to see that shit again?” White asked of a Rampage – Evans rematch. “Rampage-Rashad, the fucking snoozefest? I don’t want to see that fucking fight again. Matt Hamill and Rampage might not talk a bunch of shit about each other before the fight, but when have you not seen Matt Hamill fight? Matt Hamill’s going to go in there and try to beat him.”
“Rampage” rebounded from the loss to Evans by scoring a split decision victory over former champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida at UFC 123 in November of 2010. The case for Hamill, The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 veteran recently scored the biggest win of his career by defeating his coach from that season, MMA veteran and former UFC poster boy Tito Ortiz, by unanimous decision at UFC 121 last October.
UFC 130 takes place on May 28, 2011 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event is scheduled to be headlined by UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar defending his title against Gray Maynard, Maynard has never lost to Edgar posting a record of 1-0-1 against him.
Bisping vs Rivera Its Gonna Be War!!!
Just days before he turns 39, Jorge Rivera finds himself in the co-main event on the UFC 127 pay-per-view show that will air live in the United States on Saturday night. Rivera, a journeyman who has been in and out of the UFC since 2003, has come up with three consecutive victories and faces U.K. native and favorite Michael Bisping in an event being held Sunday afternoon local time in the sold-out Acer Arena in Sydney, Austrailia. The Milford, Mass., native is making the most of his spotlight and has taken to marketing the fight Youtube videos spoofing UFC promos. The clips clown Bisping’s punching power calling him “pillow hands” and claiming Bisping holds the UFC record for most power shots to the head without a knockout or knockdown. Rivera also calls Bisping a “professional decision maker,” a jab at Bisping for going to the judges’ scorecards in his recent wins.
It gets rather silly as one of Rivera’s coaches in a British accent making fun of Bisping’s speaking patterns and accent and ribbing him for getting a decision win in the 2007 Matt Hamill fight, one of the more controversial decisions in UFC history.
Bisping (20-3) hasn’t been amused in the slightest. “It’s pathetic,” said Bisping, who himself has been known for running his mouth but felt this level crossed the line. “He’s 38. He’s in the co-main event of a big show and he comes across like a moron. All he’s doing is embarrassing himself.”
In one of the segments, Rivera (18-7) talked about how Bisping felt Rivera wasn’t on his level and wasn’t happy when Rivera’s name was mentioned to him as an opponent. Bisping acknowledged he wasn’t thrilled when Rivera’s name was brought up at first, as Bisping set a 2011 goal and that was to pick up a few wins which would get him into position for a middleweight title match before the year is out. “I was hoping for a top-five opponent to start building for a run at the title,” Bisping said. “They told me he’s won three in a row. But two of the three, I barely even know. Nissen Osterneck – I’ve never even heard of him. Rob Kimmons, I’ve barely heard of; the only reason I know him is he lost to one of the guys I beat [Dan Miller]. Nate Quarry, he’s a good fighter. Rivera looked pretty good in that fight. I have respect for the guy, but he’s 38, and what he’s doing cheapens the sport and cheapens himself to the fans. What’s he doing it for? A few Youtube hits? Now that boxing trainer of his [who played Bisping in the clips], I’d like to wring his neck.”
Bisping is known for being both one of the most popular and most hated fighters on the UFC roster, depending on where the fight happens. He won the third season of The Ultimate Fighter the season with the second highest ratings in the show’s history. MMA was practically an underground sport in the United Kingdom at the time, and Bisping became the face of the sport. Four years later, he and Dan Hardy are the U.K.’s two most popular fighters.
Bisping started out as one of the most popular newcomers the UFC ever had in the United States also, but several things happened to change all that. First was the UFC 75 win over Hamill in one of the most-watched televised MMA events in history. Bisping was awarded a split decision at a show in London. To the U.S. public it was viewed as an American going to the U.K. and being robbed in a hometown decision.
Then, he was a coach on TUF for the U.S. vs. U.K. season. His opponent was Dan Henderson, a quiet guy, and Bisping’s outgoing, brash, and arrogant personality made for a strong difference in character. Back in England however, they loved Bisping for he coached Team U.K. to great success. But in the States, Bisping was the villain, coaching against a popular fighter who represented the United States twice in the Olympics didn’t help matters either. “But I’d rather be booed than have nobody care,” Bisping said. Bisping acknowledges being annoyed by the criticism, such as he’s not a finisher and has no power and he’s a midlevel talent who has been product of the “hype machine” by the UFC.
There have been so many comments about Bisping being overrated over the years that when look at his record, you see someone who in all honesty is vastly underrated. Has he proven himself to be the top contender to rival Anderson Silva? No. But it is his long-term goal and he’s in the upper class of UFC fighters.
His record also indicates being unable to finish fights is undeserved as well. In Bisping’s 20 wins, four have gone the distance while the rest were finishes via 12 knockouts and four submissions. Every fight that’s gone the distance has been against tough fighters. Besides Bisping’s win over Hamill, only fighters known for iron chins have gone the distance against him.
Yoshihiro Akiyama has only been knocked out once in his career, that was in a fight in which he was outweighed by about 70 pounds against devastating power boxer Jerome Le Banner, one of the world’s best heavyweight K-1 knockout artists. Dan Miller has never been stopped in his career and Chris Leben has only been knocked out twice in his career and has a reputation for eating anything thrown at him.
Of his losses, Bisping was competitive with Wanderlei Silva, a legend of the sport and lost a split decision to Rashad Evans, a former light heavyweight champion. The only time he’s been KOd was by Henderson; it was a devastating overhand right knockout in the most high-profile fight of his career at UFC 100.
“I don’t want to take anything away from [Henderson],” Bisping said. “He’s a big name and a hell of a fighter. I started camp too early, I had a 15-week camp. I was over-trained and came in so skinny.”
When fighting at light heavyweight, Bisping was small for the class and cut no weight. Moving to middleweight, he tried to get his weight down to 185, which he accomplished. But this week, with a few days until fight time, he’s 200 pounds. He will cut water to get to 185 and fight close to 200, like most fighters.
But above all Michael Bisping also says Jorge Rivera’s comedy routine is beyond offensive, Bisping claims the jokes being made in the videos produced by Rivera and company have been coupled with peace offerings sent through an unnamed UFC intermediary. That’s almost as big of an insult. “He’s sending messages to me (that say) ‘Oh, nothing personal, If you’re going to talk shit, be a man and accept responsibility for it.”
Rivera says that the videos were created to entertain MMA fans and build interest in the fight. The jokes are all in good fun. But Bisping is not laughing, particularly when it comes to several jokes about his heritage. He thinks his opponent should grow up. “He’s criticized me and ridiculed me for being English, He’s being racist – let’s be honest. If he was making fun of me because I was Jewish or black, there would be uproar. But because I’m English, that’s OK. He’s out of order, and I’m going to make him pay for it.”
Rivera has promised to make their meeting an all-out war. Bisping has every intention of making his opponent eat his words. “He’s off his fucking head, pardon my language,” Bisping said. “I try to put my opponents away. It’s just that I’ve fought guys that are hard to finish. (Yoshihiro) Akiyama is hard to finish, Chris Leben is hard to finish; Dan Miller has never been finished. These are hard guys, and I’ve kicked their asses, with all due respect. They were a mess after the fight; it looked like a hand grenade exploded in their face. If Jorge Rivera thinks I’m going to be backpedaling the whole time and scared of him, then I want some of what he’s smoking because it’s obviously good shit.”
Bisping originally requested a fight with middleweight contender Nate Marquardt, but when Rivera called him out following his canceled fight with Alessio Sakara at a Nov. 13 event, Bisping quickly accepted the fight.
Rankings wise it’s not the best move for Bisping, who most recently defeated Akiyama and was ready for a step up in the division. But Bisping said it’s always easier to get motivated for an opponent which he has bad blood with. And Rivera fits the bill perfectly. “I felt that with the momentum I’d gained in my last few fights, I was looking to someone who was a little nearer to a title shot, and I still feel the same way, That said, he’s been making these videos talking smack, insulting me (and) insulting my family; insulting my career. Of course it’s made me want to make an example of him. I’m never going to see [Rivera] again, He’s not on my Christmas card list, so it doesn’t really matter whether or not we’ve squashed the feelings or not. I’m going to go out there (and) I’m going to beat him up, make a fool out of him, and that’s that. He’s acting like a child. He’s 38 years old; you’d think he’d know better. I’m just getting on with my training and trying to prepare accordingly. Whereas he’s selling his soul for the sake of a few YouTube hits. Ultimately, he’s making a fool out of himself … acting like a retard. Good luck to him.”
Bisping has also talked trash of his own calling Rivera an easy pay day. “I fought on the same card as (Rivera) 6 years ago for Cage Rage. I would have kicked his fucking ass then. He’s an old man, and I’m in my prime. I’ve got better and he’s gone down hill. He can try and make himself relevant by talking shit and doing stupid videos. … I had to Google his previous opponents to find out who they even were. I’m not overly concerned really (with his right hand). Apart from me making a stupid mistake and him catching me with something flush on the button, I really don’t see what he’s going to do. I’m too fast for him, I’m too technical, I’m a better wrestler, I’ve got better jiu-jitsu and I’m better looking. He’s said that he’s out-smarted me already (by making this fight), but we’ll see who the smart one is when he’s a broken mess on the floor in the middle of the Octagon. … The UFC made the match up, I could’ve turned the fight down but I’ve never turned a fight down in my life and I’m certainly not going to start turning down a fight with Jorge Rivera. I’ve fought a lot harder opposition than Jorge Rivera. This is a free pay-day for me. I’m going to be laughing all the way to the bank.”
Saturday night is going to be full of fireworks down under and the only way to see it is to watch UFC 127 live on Pay-Per-View.
It gets rather silly as one of Rivera’s coaches in a British accent making fun of Bisping’s speaking patterns and accent and ribbing him for getting a decision win in the 2007 Matt Hamill fight, one of the more controversial decisions in UFC history.
Bisping (20-3) hasn’t been amused in the slightest. “It’s pathetic,” said Bisping, who himself has been known for running his mouth but felt this level crossed the line. “He’s 38. He’s in the co-main event of a big show and he comes across like a moron. All he’s doing is embarrassing himself.”
In one of the segments, Rivera (18-7) talked about how Bisping felt Rivera wasn’t on his level and wasn’t happy when Rivera’s name was mentioned to him as an opponent. Bisping acknowledged he wasn’t thrilled when Rivera’s name was brought up at first, as Bisping set a 2011 goal and that was to pick up a few wins which would get him into position for a middleweight title match before the year is out. “I was hoping for a top-five opponent to start building for a run at the title,” Bisping said. “They told me he’s won three in a row. But two of the three, I barely even know. Nissen Osterneck – I’ve never even heard of him. Rob Kimmons, I’ve barely heard of; the only reason I know him is he lost to one of the guys I beat [Dan Miller]. Nate Quarry, he’s a good fighter. Rivera looked pretty good in that fight. I have respect for the guy, but he’s 38, and what he’s doing cheapens the sport and cheapens himself to the fans. What’s he doing it for? A few Youtube hits? Now that boxing trainer of his [who played Bisping in the clips], I’d like to wring his neck.”
Bisping is known for being both one of the most popular and most hated fighters on the UFC roster, depending on where the fight happens. He won the third season of The Ultimate Fighter the season with the second highest ratings in the show’s history. MMA was practically an underground sport in the United Kingdom at the time, and Bisping became the face of the sport. Four years later, he and Dan Hardy are the U.K.’s two most popular fighters.
Bisping started out as one of the most popular newcomers the UFC ever had in the United States also, but several things happened to change all that. First was the UFC 75 win over Hamill in one of the most-watched televised MMA events in history. Bisping was awarded a split decision at a show in London. To the U.S. public it was viewed as an American going to the U.K. and being robbed in a hometown decision.
Then, he was a coach on TUF for the U.S. vs. U.K. season. His opponent was Dan Henderson, a quiet guy, and Bisping’s outgoing, brash, and arrogant personality made for a strong difference in character. Back in England however, they loved Bisping for he coached Team U.K. to great success. But in the States, Bisping was the villain, coaching against a popular fighter who represented the United States twice in the Olympics didn’t help matters either. “But I’d rather be booed than have nobody care,” Bisping said. Bisping acknowledges being annoyed by the criticism, such as he’s not a finisher and has no power and he’s a midlevel talent who has been product of the “hype machine” by the UFC.
There have been so many comments about Bisping being overrated over the years that when look at his record, you see someone who in all honesty is vastly underrated. Has he proven himself to be the top contender to rival Anderson Silva? No. But it is his long-term goal and he’s in the upper class of UFC fighters.
His record also indicates being unable to finish fights is undeserved as well. In Bisping’s 20 wins, four have gone the distance while the rest were finishes via 12 knockouts and four submissions. Every fight that’s gone the distance has been against tough fighters. Besides Bisping’s win over Hamill, only fighters known for iron chins have gone the distance against him.
Yoshihiro Akiyama has only been knocked out once in his career, that was in a fight in which he was outweighed by about 70 pounds against devastating power boxer Jerome Le Banner, one of the world’s best heavyweight K-1 knockout artists. Dan Miller has never been stopped in his career and Chris Leben has only been knocked out twice in his career and has a reputation for eating anything thrown at him.
Of his losses, Bisping was competitive with Wanderlei Silva, a legend of the sport and lost a split decision to Rashad Evans, a former light heavyweight champion. The only time he’s been KOd was by Henderson; it was a devastating overhand right knockout in the most high-profile fight of his career at UFC 100.
“I don’t want to take anything away from [Henderson],” Bisping said. “He’s a big name and a hell of a fighter. I started camp too early, I had a 15-week camp. I was over-trained and came in so skinny.”
When fighting at light heavyweight, Bisping was small for the class and cut no weight. Moving to middleweight, he tried to get his weight down to 185, which he accomplished. But this week, with a few days until fight time, he’s 200 pounds. He will cut water to get to 185 and fight close to 200, like most fighters.
But above all Michael Bisping also says Jorge Rivera’s comedy routine is beyond offensive, Bisping claims the jokes being made in the videos produced by Rivera and company have been coupled with peace offerings sent through an unnamed UFC intermediary. That’s almost as big of an insult. “He’s sending messages to me (that say) ‘Oh, nothing personal, If you’re going to talk shit, be a man and accept responsibility for it.”
Rivera says that the videos were created to entertain MMA fans and build interest in the fight. The jokes are all in good fun. But Bisping is not laughing, particularly when it comes to several jokes about his heritage. He thinks his opponent should grow up. “He’s criticized me and ridiculed me for being English, He’s being racist – let’s be honest. If he was making fun of me because I was Jewish or black, there would be uproar. But because I’m English, that’s OK. He’s out of order, and I’m going to make him pay for it.”
Rivera has promised to make their meeting an all-out war. Bisping has every intention of making his opponent eat his words. “He’s off his fucking head, pardon my language,” Bisping said. “I try to put my opponents away. It’s just that I’ve fought guys that are hard to finish. (Yoshihiro) Akiyama is hard to finish, Chris Leben is hard to finish; Dan Miller has never been finished. These are hard guys, and I’ve kicked their asses, with all due respect. They were a mess after the fight; it looked like a hand grenade exploded in their face. If Jorge Rivera thinks I’m going to be backpedaling the whole time and scared of him, then I want some of what he’s smoking because it’s obviously good shit.”
Bisping originally requested a fight with middleweight contender Nate Marquardt, but when Rivera called him out following his canceled fight with Alessio Sakara at a Nov. 13 event, Bisping quickly accepted the fight.
Rankings wise it’s not the best move for Bisping, who most recently defeated Akiyama and was ready for a step up in the division. But Bisping said it’s always easier to get motivated for an opponent which he has bad blood with. And Rivera fits the bill perfectly. “I felt that with the momentum I’d gained in my last few fights, I was looking to someone who was a little nearer to a title shot, and I still feel the same way, That said, he’s been making these videos talking smack, insulting me (and) insulting my family; insulting my career. Of course it’s made me want to make an example of him. I’m never going to see [Rivera] again, He’s not on my Christmas card list, so it doesn’t really matter whether or not we’ve squashed the feelings or not. I’m going to go out there (and) I’m going to beat him up, make a fool out of him, and that’s that. He’s acting like a child. He’s 38 years old; you’d think he’d know better. I’m just getting on with my training and trying to prepare accordingly. Whereas he’s selling his soul for the sake of a few YouTube hits. Ultimately, he’s making a fool out of himself … acting like a retard. Good luck to him.”
Bisping has also talked trash of his own calling Rivera an easy pay day. “I fought on the same card as (Rivera) 6 years ago for Cage Rage. I would have kicked his fucking ass then. He’s an old man, and I’m in my prime. I’ve got better and he’s gone down hill. He can try and make himself relevant by talking shit and doing stupid videos. … I had to Google his previous opponents to find out who they even were. I’m not overly concerned really (with his right hand). Apart from me making a stupid mistake and him catching me with something flush on the button, I really don’t see what he’s going to do. I’m too fast for him, I’m too technical, I’m a better wrestler, I’ve got better jiu-jitsu and I’m better looking. He’s said that he’s out-smarted me already (by making this fight), but we’ll see who the smart one is when he’s a broken mess on the floor in the middle of the Octagon. … The UFC made the match up, I could’ve turned the fight down but I’ve never turned a fight down in my life and I’m certainly not going to start turning down a fight with Jorge Rivera. I’ve fought a lot harder opposition than Jorge Rivera. This is a free pay-day for me. I’m going to be laughing all the way to the bank.”
Saturday night is going to be full of fireworks down under and the only way to see it is to watch UFC 127 live on Pay-Per-View.
Miesha Tate Interview
Exclusive interview
I recently conducted an interview with Miesha Tate, 11-2, for those of you who don’t know her you must.
Miesha Tate is the new face of women’s mixed martial arts in the United States. She currently fights for Strikeforce and also is the current Freestyle Cage Fighting Women’s Bantamweight Champion. She has also competed and won a silver medal in the FILA Grappling Championships.
Tate was even a star before she started MMA, as she wrestled on the boys’ wrestling team while in high school.
In 2005, she won the high school women’s state championship and went on to win nationals at the World Team Trials in the 158lb division. Tate eventually joined an MMA sports club at Central Washington University that was run by her current boyfriend who is also a pro fighter, love of her life, inspiration, and trainer, Bryan “Kid Lightning” Caraway, 14-5.
Tate has lost only twice in her career, the second fight of her career and a fight taken on short notice against Sarah Kaufman. Since losing to Kaufman, Tate has won five in a row including two wins in the Strikeforce 135 pounds Women’s Tournament, which she won earning her the chance of a lifetime, a title fight with Marloes Coenen, 18-4.
Coenen a Dutch Golden Glory product will defend her Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight belt against Tate on March 5, 2011 at Strikeforce: Feijao vs Henderson. This will be Tate’s first crack at the title in Strikeforce and she easily has the tools to bring the belt back to the United States. Miesha Tate is going to propel women’s mixed martial arts into the stratosphere and its no doubt it’s going to happen.
Tate has the drive and determination to be the best female fighter ever, but she will be remembered for one other thing: Being a true pioneer to women’s mixed martial arts and inspire a generation of females all over the globe, as they will know they can do what the boys do: Fight. and be just as good if not better at doing it.
Did I mention she is an absolute knockout with her looks also? Below is the interview with WMMA’s and Team Alpha Male’s own Miesha Tate.
SF: Do you feel as though the general public has accepted you as a legitimate athlete, or do you still have to deal with the stigma that you’re a pretty face first and a fighter second?
I still feel I have to deal with the Stigma of being a “female” fighter, being a woman seems to trump being a fighter to many people still.
SF: Who is your inspiration that got you into mixed martial arts? And what does it mean to you being a mixed martial arts fighter?
It was my boyfriend, Bryan Caraway. I never knew what MMA was but when I saw him fight for the first time I knew I wanted to be a part of it too.
SF: How would you like to be remembered in MMA when your career is over?
I’d like to remembered as a leader, a barrier breaker and a good role model.
SF: Let’s touch on some of the good you do for the world. What gave you the idea for the women’s rape prevention DVD? My father Kancho John Farrell used to tell me “People should learn two things in life that are just as important as breathing. Those two things are how to swim and how to defend yourself.” Is that the type of approach you took when you and Frank Shamrock did the demonstrations?
Absolutely, I think women should be confident in the ability they have to protect themselves and they should be aware of the potentially dangerous when they walk around every day.
SF: With multiple reality shows and promotions picking up women’s MMA now, where do you see the sport going in the next 5 years?
I want to take my career as far as I can in and outside of MMA, I want to get into some women’s fitness magazines and encourage others to live healthier lives I plan to still be fighting then as well.
SF: Are you going to start using your “cross-over” appeal more to promote the sport or at least yourself much like other fighters have such as Cung Le and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson?
I would if the opportunity presented itself but not for any opportunity it would have to be the right one for fighting is my passion, it would have to be worth the sacrifice and I would definitely still fight after.
SF: Marloes Coenen is who you are getting ready to face for the Strikeforce title. Is this the biggest fight of your career considering it would propel you into the conversation of Megumi Fujii and “Cyborg” as the top female fighters? Or does a Kaufman rematch intrigue you more given it was on short notice?
They both appeal to me but right now it’s Marloes Coenen in the way of the title, so must get through her to accomplish my bigger goal of becoming a world Champ. Kaufman is a personal goal and I’m sure I will have the opportunity to avenge the loss in time.
SF: Given how Carano-”Cyborg” was such a huge draw for women’s MMA, would you consider taking a fight with Carano to further solidify and push women’s MMA seeing how you are the top two faces?
Yes, I would and I think it would be a great draw for Women’s MMA, although, I’d want it at least at a catch weight of 140.
SF: Lastly, I would like to wish you luck on your upcoming title fight. Is there anything you wish to add that I may not have asked?
Thank you! I’d like to Thank God, my teammates at Team Alpha Male my bf/coach Bryan Caraway all my friends/family and my sponsors Raw State, CageHero, Tussle, Cage Candy, Caged Steel, Bad Reputation.
I recently conducted an interview with Miesha Tate, 11-2, for those of you who don’t know her you must.
Miesha Tate is the new face of women’s mixed martial arts in the United States. She currently fights for Strikeforce and also is the current Freestyle Cage Fighting Women’s Bantamweight Champion. She has also competed and won a silver medal in the FILA Grappling Championships.
Tate was even a star before she started MMA, as she wrestled on the boys’ wrestling team while in high school.
In 2005, she won the high school women’s state championship and went on to win nationals at the World Team Trials in the 158lb division. Tate eventually joined an MMA sports club at Central Washington University that was run by her current boyfriend who is also a pro fighter, love of her life, inspiration, and trainer, Bryan “Kid Lightning” Caraway, 14-5.
Tate has lost only twice in her career, the second fight of her career and a fight taken on short notice against Sarah Kaufman. Since losing to Kaufman, Tate has won five in a row including two wins in the Strikeforce 135 pounds Women’s Tournament, which she won earning her the chance of a lifetime, a title fight with Marloes Coenen, 18-4.
Coenen a Dutch Golden Glory product will defend her Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight belt against Tate on March 5, 2011 at Strikeforce: Feijao vs Henderson. This will be Tate’s first crack at the title in Strikeforce and she easily has the tools to bring the belt back to the United States. Miesha Tate is going to propel women’s mixed martial arts into the stratosphere and its no doubt it’s going to happen.
Tate has the drive and determination to be the best female fighter ever, but she will be remembered for one other thing: Being a true pioneer to women’s mixed martial arts and inspire a generation of females all over the globe, as they will know they can do what the boys do: Fight. and be just as good if not better at doing it.
Did I mention she is an absolute knockout with her looks also? Below is the interview with WMMA’s and Team Alpha Male’s own Miesha Tate.
SF: Do you feel as though the general public has accepted you as a legitimate athlete, or do you still have to deal with the stigma that you’re a pretty face first and a fighter second?
I still feel I have to deal with the Stigma of being a “female” fighter, being a woman seems to trump being a fighter to many people still.
SF: Who is your inspiration that got you into mixed martial arts? And what does it mean to you being a mixed martial arts fighter?
It was my boyfriend, Bryan Caraway. I never knew what MMA was but when I saw him fight for the first time I knew I wanted to be a part of it too.
SF: How would you like to be remembered in MMA when your career is over?
I’d like to remembered as a leader, a barrier breaker and a good role model.
SF: Let’s touch on some of the good you do for the world. What gave you the idea for the women’s rape prevention DVD? My father Kancho John Farrell used to tell me “People should learn two things in life that are just as important as breathing. Those two things are how to swim and how to defend yourself.” Is that the type of approach you took when you and Frank Shamrock did the demonstrations?
Absolutely, I think women should be confident in the ability they have to protect themselves and they should be aware of the potentially dangerous when they walk around every day.
SF: With multiple reality shows and promotions picking up women’s MMA now, where do you see the sport going in the next 5 years?
I want to take my career as far as I can in and outside of MMA, I want to get into some women’s fitness magazines and encourage others to live healthier lives I plan to still be fighting then as well.
SF: Are you going to start using your “cross-over” appeal more to promote the sport or at least yourself much like other fighters have such as Cung Le and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson?
I would if the opportunity presented itself but not for any opportunity it would have to be the right one for fighting is my passion, it would have to be worth the sacrifice and I would definitely still fight after.
SF: Marloes Coenen is who you are getting ready to face for the Strikeforce title. Is this the biggest fight of your career considering it would propel you into the conversation of Megumi Fujii and “Cyborg” as the top female fighters? Or does a Kaufman rematch intrigue you more given it was on short notice?
They both appeal to me but right now it’s Marloes Coenen in the way of the title, so must get through her to accomplish my bigger goal of becoming a world Champ. Kaufman is a personal goal and I’m sure I will have the opportunity to avenge the loss in time.
SF: Given how Carano-”Cyborg” was such a huge draw for women’s MMA, would you consider taking a fight with Carano to further solidify and push women’s MMA seeing how you are the top two faces?
Yes, I would and I think it would be a great draw for Women’s MMA, although, I’d want it at least at a catch weight of 140.
SF: Lastly, I would like to wish you luck on your upcoming title fight. Is there anything you wish to add that I may not have asked?
Thank you! I’d like to Thank God, my teammates at Team Alpha Male my bf/coach Bryan Caraway all my friends/family and my sponsors Raw State, CageHero, Tussle, Cage Candy, Caged Steel, Bad Reputation.
Spike TV announces 128 Prelims
Spike TV announced that they will air the “UFC Prelims” special with next month’s UFC 128 event. The event will be on March 19, it will proceed into the night’s pay-per-view UFC 128 event, the Prelims will feature light heavyweights Luiz Cane (10-3) vs. Karlos Vemola (8-1) and lightweight strikers Edson Barboza (7-0) vs. Anthony Njokuani (13-4).
The main event of UFC 128 will be a fight between light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Jon “Bones”. Jones will be fighting right outside of his own backyard of New York at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J so expect him to come ready for this fight.
Karlos Vemola turned around a terrible UFC debut with his most recent performance as he railroaded Seth Petruzelli at UFC 122 in 2010. His debut loss to Jon Madsen at UFC 116 was the only time he failed to execute his game plan of “Blitzing” (a fast bull rush approach which leads to ground and pound) that he employed to finish his first seven opponents within the first round.
Vemola’s opponent however, Luiz Cane, is a very heavy-handed lightheavy who’s looking to get back on track after his last two outings were terrible. It started over a year ago when he proved his was ready to face a step up in competition against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and was knocked out inside two minutes at UFC 106. Then at UFC 114, it only took 17 seconds longer but his next bout ended the same way when Cyrille Diabate finished him. The losses killed any of the hype built from his previous three-fight win streak that included victories over decent fighters in Jason Lambert, Rameau Thierry Sokodjou and Steve Cantwell.
Vemola should be able to bully Cane around quite easily and win with his ground and pound, but if they stand and trade both Vemola and Cane could go down with the first power shot given both of them hit harder than many 205 pound fighters. The ground game could work to Cane’s advantage if he’s able to manage the takedown and control Vemola. Vemola seems to powerful for that to happen but Cane has the ground skills to submit Vemola.
With the lightweights Edson Barboza returns. For anyone who has never seen Edson Barboza fight it is sheer beauty to watch as every strike is almost perfect. Barboza quickly burst on to the UFC scene at UFC 123 in 2010. The 24-year-old “buzzsaw” used a devastating(A word I cant emphasize enough) arsenal of leg kicks on Mike Lullo literally chopping him down like a tree and getting the TKO stoppage from the leg kicks. The win was Barboza’s seventh straight victory to start his career, and all seven wins have come via stoppage.
Anthony Njokuani is a familar fighter to those who followed the WEC, he makes his first appearance in the UFC’s Octagon after fighting seven times for the promotion’s recently merged sister organization (WEC). An excellent striker in his own right, Njokuani earned four wins in the WEC, and all four wins came via TKO. Njokuani last fought at WEC 52, where he earned a second-round TKO win over Edward Faaloloto with a vicious standing elbow.
Altough this is a Prelim fight, this is a must see as Barboza and Njokuani will be putting on a dazzling striking display with a series of boxing and kickboxing attacks. Barboza should win this fight in impressive fashion as it’s been quite hard to ever go against him, he is the real deal and an absolute technician. Njokuani is an excellent striker himself but he doesn’t hold the power that Barboza holds in his leg kicks which should be the deciding factor of the fight.
UFC 128 Prelims should be a pair of excellent bouts which should attract a few more average fight fans or even boxing fans as all four of these fighters will NOT disappoint.
The main event of UFC 128 will be a fight between light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Jon “Bones”. Jones will be fighting right outside of his own backyard of New York at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J so expect him to come ready for this fight.
Karlos Vemola turned around a terrible UFC debut with his most recent performance as he railroaded Seth Petruzelli at UFC 122 in 2010. His debut loss to Jon Madsen at UFC 116 was the only time he failed to execute his game plan of “Blitzing” (a fast bull rush approach which leads to ground and pound) that he employed to finish his first seven opponents within the first round.
Vemola’s opponent however, Luiz Cane, is a very heavy-handed lightheavy who’s looking to get back on track after his last two outings were terrible. It started over a year ago when he proved his was ready to face a step up in competition against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and was knocked out inside two minutes at UFC 106. Then at UFC 114, it only took 17 seconds longer but his next bout ended the same way when Cyrille Diabate finished him. The losses killed any of the hype built from his previous three-fight win streak that included victories over decent fighters in Jason Lambert, Rameau Thierry Sokodjou and Steve Cantwell.
Vemola should be able to bully Cane around quite easily and win with his ground and pound, but if they stand and trade both Vemola and Cane could go down with the first power shot given both of them hit harder than many 205 pound fighters. The ground game could work to Cane’s advantage if he’s able to manage the takedown and control Vemola. Vemola seems to powerful for that to happen but Cane has the ground skills to submit Vemola.
With the lightweights Edson Barboza returns. For anyone who has never seen Edson Barboza fight it is sheer beauty to watch as every strike is almost perfect. Barboza quickly burst on to the UFC scene at UFC 123 in 2010. The 24-year-old “buzzsaw” used a devastating(A word I cant emphasize enough) arsenal of leg kicks on Mike Lullo literally chopping him down like a tree and getting the TKO stoppage from the leg kicks. The win was Barboza’s seventh straight victory to start his career, and all seven wins have come via stoppage.
Anthony Njokuani is a familar fighter to those who followed the WEC, he makes his first appearance in the UFC’s Octagon after fighting seven times for the promotion’s recently merged sister organization (WEC). An excellent striker in his own right, Njokuani earned four wins in the WEC, and all four wins came via TKO. Njokuani last fought at WEC 52, where he earned a second-round TKO win over Edward Faaloloto with a vicious standing elbow.
Altough this is a Prelim fight, this is a must see as Barboza and Njokuani will be putting on a dazzling striking display with a series of boxing and kickboxing attacks. Barboza should win this fight in impressive fashion as it’s been quite hard to ever go against him, he is the real deal and an absolute technician. Njokuani is an excellent striker himself but he doesn’t hold the power that Barboza holds in his leg kicks which should be the deciding factor of the fight.
UFC 128 Prelims should be a pair of excellent bouts which should attract a few more average fight fans or even boxing fans as all four of these fighters will NOT disappoint.
Boxing vs MMA: Aoki's return
Japan is well known for “freak fight” matchups that made many fighters famous from Bob Sapp and Hong Man Choi to the crowd pleasing Minowa. Now it appears the “Land of the Rising Sun” going to America’s playbook, as Japan has matched its top lightweight mixed martial arts fighter Shinya Aoki with former WBA Super Flyweight champion Yokthai Sithoar. This bout was made official by the DEEP organization and The MMA vs. Boxing Showdown will take place at DEEP 50 which is scheduled to take place Oct. 24th at the JCB Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Aoki has long been regarded as the No. 2 ranked lightweight in the world for until he suffered a five round domination defeat to current Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Nashville. Since Aoki’s stateside loss the man referred to as “The Tobikan Judan” has been on a tear in his homeland of Japan as he has looked unstoppable in his back to back fights under the Dream banner when he submitted Tatsuya Kawajiri and handily defeated Marcus Aurelio at Dream 16 both of which are very impressive victories.
While Aoki has been on a winning streak in MMA, he did suffer a crushing defeat in a “special rules” MMA vs K-1 bout at Dynamite!2010. In a match up that pitted him against Yuichiro Nagashima, the 1st round was kickboxing under K-1 rules which Aoki made a fool of himself as he was terrified to engage Nagashima and flailed like a fish out of water to get out of the round without and K-1 action. Round 2 was under MMA rules in which Aoki knew he would win by submission. Aoki shot in for a takedown as soon the round started and Nagashima uncorked a knee to Aoki’s chin that left him motionless on the mat for about 7-10 minutes. Aoki since contemplated retirement until this bout came along with Sithoar. The former boxer Sithoar, hasn’t had the same type of luck as Aoki recently as he has found zero wins in his last five fights and he hopes to change his fortunes in his mixed martial arts debut.
Aoki has long been regarded as the No. 2 ranked lightweight in the world for until he suffered a five round domination defeat to current Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Nashville. Since Aoki’s stateside loss the man referred to as “The Tobikan Judan” has been on a tear in his homeland of Japan as he has looked unstoppable in his back to back fights under the Dream banner when he submitted Tatsuya Kawajiri and handily defeated Marcus Aurelio at Dream 16 both of which are very impressive victories.
While Aoki has been on a winning streak in MMA, he did suffer a crushing defeat in a “special rules” MMA vs K-1 bout at Dynamite!2010. In a match up that pitted him against Yuichiro Nagashima, the 1st round was kickboxing under K-1 rules which Aoki made a fool of himself as he was terrified to engage Nagashima and flailed like a fish out of water to get out of the round without and K-1 action. Round 2 was under MMA rules in which Aoki knew he would win by submission. Aoki shot in for a takedown as soon the round started and Nagashima uncorked a knee to Aoki’s chin that left him motionless on the mat for about 7-10 minutes. Aoki since contemplated retirement until this bout came along with Sithoar. The former boxer Sithoar, hasn’t had the same type of luck as Aoki recently as he has found zero wins in his last five fights and he hopes to change his fortunes in his mixed martial arts debut.
Dan Henderson vs Feijao March 5th,2011
Dan Henderson’s upcoming title fight on March 5th has many convinced he will be champion after his bout with current Strikeforce Lightheavyweight Champion “Feijao”. Dan Henderson’s background is Greco-Roman wrestling, but he is well known in the MMA world for the bombs he packs in both of his fists especially his overhand right. Henderson has displayed his amazing knockout power throughout his career and will now be testing “Feijao”.
“Feijao” is an extremely powerful fighter as well and an opponent who shares the same talent and power for turning people’s lights off. During a recent conference call held in for the event, Henderson discussed his upcoming fight with a fellow knockout artist as he stated “He looks like he works real hard and he’s dangerous up there, He throws a little bit more on the looping side of the punches and not overly straight but still just as dangerous so I need to be careful up there. I don’t think it’s a secret that both of us are probably going to look for a knockout. That’s most of our finishes, when we finish a guy, it’s by strikes. I definitely plan on trying to knock him silly and pressure him the whole fight.”
Akthough Henderson expects them both to be headhunting for a KO, he is also very aware of the need to stay patient and not open himself up to Cavalcante’s punches and kicks. When I asked if “Feijao’s” respect for Henderson weighed in on his motivation Henderson replied “It’s more of a chess match. I need to make sure that I go out there and I implement my gameplan no matter who I’m fighting, whether they’re respectful or not respectful, they’re still going to be trying to knock my head off, So I need to be careful when I’m out there and get the job done.”
Strikeforce: Henderson vs “Feijao” will be held on March 5th, 2011 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The car will also feature the co-main event of Marloes Coenen and Liz Carmouche for the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Title.
“Feijao” is an extremely powerful fighter as well and an opponent who shares the same talent and power for turning people’s lights off. During a recent conference call held in for the event, Henderson discussed his upcoming fight with a fellow knockout artist as he stated “He looks like he works real hard and he’s dangerous up there, He throws a little bit more on the looping side of the punches and not overly straight but still just as dangerous so I need to be careful up there. I don’t think it’s a secret that both of us are probably going to look for a knockout. That’s most of our finishes, when we finish a guy, it’s by strikes. I definitely plan on trying to knock him silly and pressure him the whole fight.”
Akthough Henderson expects them both to be headhunting for a KO, he is also very aware of the need to stay patient and not open himself up to Cavalcante’s punches and kicks. When I asked if “Feijao’s” respect for Henderson weighed in on his motivation Henderson replied “It’s more of a chess match. I need to make sure that I go out there and I implement my gameplan no matter who I’m fighting, whether they’re respectful or not respectful, they’re still going to be trying to knock my head off, So I need to be careful when I’m out there and get the job done.”
Strikeforce: Henderson vs “Feijao” will be held on March 5th, 2011 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The car will also feature the co-main event of Marloes Coenen and Liz Carmouche for the Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Title.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Herschel Walker Should Be Taken Serious
When you hear Herschel Walker’s name many remember the University of Georgia running back that ruled college football and won the Heisman back in 1982.
Yes, that same Herschel Walker who played for the Dallas Cowboys only to have the Minnesota Vikings give up six draft choices to acquire him. It’s the very same Herschel Walker who ran for 8,225 yards in his NFL career as well as score 61 touchdowns. Now it’s 2011, that very same Herschel Walker who was fired by Donald Trump on the Apprentice is now 48 years old and is 2-0 in mixed martial arts.
No that is not a sentence that is a complete typo, Herschel Walker is undefeated in MMA and looks to be very serious on his intentions of winning and continuing his MMA career which seemed like nothing more than a fluke until he hit someone.
Last night at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. “Cyborg”, Walker faced a promising 6’2 215 pound prospect in Scott Carson (4-2) unfortunately for Carson Walker isn’t a normal 48 year old man. Walker even at 48 is a genetic freak of nature he does 2,000 sit ups a day as well as 750 pushups and is an avid kickboxer. All of these things are apparent when he fights. From the opening bell Walker dominated, Carson landed a high kick early and it did nothing but anger the beast for Walker to unleash. Walker destroyed Carson in 3:13 of round 1, using his striking in a fight he wanted to showcase more of his ground game. Walker however showed a little ground game when he picked up Carson and slammed him like he was
Quinton Jackson then landed a huge right hand and ground and pounded his way to TKO stoppage. After the fight Walker stated “MMA is my love,” after improving his record to 2-0, Walker pondered the possibility of a return to football in the days leading up to the fight. “I know I can play, If I continue to stay in the shape I’m in now, I know I can play when I’m 50. Right now, if you asked if I can play today, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind I can play football today, that I can help out a team today. I 100% guarantee you I can help a football team out.” As dominate as Walker looks in MMA at only 220 there is a chance football is only for one last huge pay day but at his age no team would give him more than probably 100,000 for the entire season so expect Herschel to continue to show up in the cage.
By Sean Farrell
Yes, that same Herschel Walker who played for the Dallas Cowboys only to have the Minnesota Vikings give up six draft choices to acquire him. It’s the very same Herschel Walker who ran for 8,225 yards in his NFL career as well as score 61 touchdowns. Now it’s 2011, that very same Herschel Walker who was fired by Donald Trump on the Apprentice is now 48 years old and is 2-0 in mixed martial arts.
No that is not a sentence that is a complete typo, Herschel Walker is undefeated in MMA and looks to be very serious on his intentions of winning and continuing his MMA career which seemed like nothing more than a fluke until he hit someone.
Last night at Strikeforce: Diaz vs. “Cyborg”, Walker faced a promising 6’2 215 pound prospect in Scott Carson (4-2) unfortunately for Carson Walker isn’t a normal 48 year old man. Walker even at 48 is a genetic freak of nature he does 2,000 sit ups a day as well as 750 pushups and is an avid kickboxer. All of these things are apparent when he fights. From the opening bell Walker dominated, Carson landed a high kick early and it did nothing but anger the beast for Walker to unleash. Walker destroyed Carson in 3:13 of round 1, using his striking in a fight he wanted to showcase more of his ground game. Walker however showed a little ground game when he picked up Carson and slammed him like he was
Quinton Jackson then landed a huge right hand and ground and pounded his way to TKO stoppage. After the fight Walker stated “MMA is my love,” after improving his record to 2-0, Walker pondered the possibility of a return to football in the days leading up to the fight. “I know I can play, If I continue to stay in the shape I’m in now, I know I can play when I’m 50. Right now, if you asked if I can play today, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind I can play football today, that I can help out a team today. I 100% guarantee you I can help a football team out.” As dominate as Walker looks in MMA at only 220 there is a chance football is only for one last huge pay day but at his age no team would give him more than probably 100,000 for the entire season so expect Herschel to continue to show up in the cage.
By Sean Farrell
Georges St. Pierre Announces Retirement
Georges St. Pierre the UFC’s golden boy has recently discussed his retirement from mixed martial arts. The current UFC Welterweight Champion, Georges St-Pierre said that he is ready to retire once he’s considered the sport’s pound for pound king, a title Anderson Silva currently holds.
Although this is stunning, St-Pierre said he’s not quite to the top of the heap yet. Usually money is the primary factor but this isn’t GSP’s primary concern, he wants to go out on his own terms his own way. “People are going to be shocked,” GSP stated of his plan for retirement.
Georges St-Pierre is currently 20-2 in MMA and 15-2 in the UFC, and has redeemed those two losses as well. GSP is next scheduled to face Jake Shields at UFC 129 in April in St. Pierre’s native Canada.
In fact, St-Pierre said his potential retirement decision recently came up while he was setting goals for the remainder of his MMA career. “Growing up in my career, I always fix my goals very high,” GSP said. “And every time I achieve one of my [goals], I fix another goal to reach. It’s important as a martial artist [never to be] satisfied because otherwise there is no point to keep doing what you’re doing.” As to what GSP has remaining on his to do list, there are actually a few.
St-Pierre has reached what he originally set out to do, become a professional fighter, get to the UFC, and become a UFC champion. The one goal he is yet to achieve is being considered the best fighter in the world pound for pound? That’s the one goal he personally feels he hasn’t attained yet. St. Pierre recently tied former UFC champion Matt Hughes’ five consecutive successful title defenses record when he decimated Josh Koscheck.
Many believe that GSP already has cleaned out his division. GSP has already beaten all the division’s top contenders for his title Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy there is simply no one left to fight. UFC President Dana White said recently before Fight for the Troops 2 that if Anderson Silva and GSP were successful in their upcoming bouts they will put on the superfight of all superfights and crown a pound for pound king once and for all. It was only a matter of time until GSP was going to be pointed in the direction of a middleweight showdown against current champion Anderson Silva. This would be GSP’s final step to the top of the pound-for-pound ladder.
Silva is widely considered the holder of that unofficial title and it’s hard to argue. But, Georges St-Pierre knows he could snatch it away by beating him but would have to move up to 185 pounds from 170 where he currently fights. “If I go up in weight, it’s going to be hard to go down,” he said. “If I put on lean muscle like I already did recently … it’s going to be hard to come back down. So it’s not like I go up and I go down. I have to be very careful with what I do.” So expect a St. Pierre move to 185 to be permanent if and when it does happen, most likely towards the end of his career. Even if St-Pierre takes a few welterweight fights in the next year or two there is a good chance Silva will still be the pound for pound king at that point. GSP then would consider moving up to middleweight to fight him. And if St. Pierre so happens to defeat Silva, that’s a win worthy of retirement. “If one day I fight at 185 pounds for a superfight to know who is the best pound for pound in the world, (and) if I reach my goal, then my goal will be reached,” St-Pierre said. “There will be no point for me to still compete because I’m not going to have a goal left.”
St. Pierre also said he wants his and his family’s financial future secured before he takes the risk of moving up, though money and fame aren’t his driving forces in his career, this is a highly intelligent move on his part. “Of course, the money’s there,” GSP stated and went on to say “The difference between me and a lot of fighters … (is that) a lot of fighters fight for the fame. They fight for the money. Yeah, the money is there. It’s pleasant. The money is there. It’s good that I have this security. I have a lot of money now. It’s good. But there are a lot of things I can do outside of mixed martial arts…because of the name that I reached with MMA, that the UFC helped me to have. The fame is the same thing. I didn’t have it in the beginning, and now I have it. But if one day I reach my goal of becoming the best pound for pound (fighter) of all-time, it will be time for me to retire. But I don’t know right now, at 29 years old, if I want to retire. So it’s better I have to stick around.”
St. Pierre has reached the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather in boxing, with no one worthy of fighting why not consider hanging it up and venture into other personal endeavors or dreams they may have? GSP is 29 years old, and already has the security to quit work whenever he sees fit. The reason he hasn’t yet is he’s a fighter and he wants to be the best, but once that is attained there is no reason to prove it any longer. St. Pierre might as well walk away on top of the mountain much like Lennox Lewis did, so he isn’t remembered as someone who tried to hang on for to long.
By Sean Farrell
Although this is stunning, St-Pierre said he’s not quite to the top of the heap yet. Usually money is the primary factor but this isn’t GSP’s primary concern, he wants to go out on his own terms his own way. “People are going to be shocked,” GSP stated of his plan for retirement.
Georges St-Pierre is currently 20-2 in MMA and 15-2 in the UFC, and has redeemed those two losses as well. GSP is next scheduled to face Jake Shields at UFC 129 in April in St. Pierre’s native Canada.
In fact, St-Pierre said his potential retirement decision recently came up while he was setting goals for the remainder of his MMA career. “Growing up in my career, I always fix my goals very high,” GSP said. “And every time I achieve one of my [goals], I fix another goal to reach. It’s important as a martial artist [never to be] satisfied because otherwise there is no point to keep doing what you’re doing.” As to what GSP has remaining on his to do list, there are actually a few.
St-Pierre has reached what he originally set out to do, become a professional fighter, get to the UFC, and become a UFC champion. The one goal he is yet to achieve is being considered the best fighter in the world pound for pound? That’s the one goal he personally feels he hasn’t attained yet. St. Pierre recently tied former UFC champion Matt Hughes’ five consecutive successful title defenses record when he decimated Josh Koscheck.
Many believe that GSP already has cleaned out his division. GSP has already beaten all the division’s top contenders for his title Josh Koscheck, Jon Fitch, Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy there is simply no one left to fight. UFC President Dana White said recently before Fight for the Troops 2 that if Anderson Silva and GSP were successful in their upcoming bouts they will put on the superfight of all superfights and crown a pound for pound king once and for all. It was only a matter of time until GSP was going to be pointed in the direction of a middleweight showdown against current champion Anderson Silva. This would be GSP’s final step to the top of the pound-for-pound ladder.
Silva is widely considered the holder of that unofficial title and it’s hard to argue. But, Georges St-Pierre knows he could snatch it away by beating him but would have to move up to 185 pounds from 170 where he currently fights. “If I go up in weight, it’s going to be hard to go down,” he said. “If I put on lean muscle like I already did recently … it’s going to be hard to come back down. So it’s not like I go up and I go down. I have to be very careful with what I do.” So expect a St. Pierre move to 185 to be permanent if and when it does happen, most likely towards the end of his career. Even if St-Pierre takes a few welterweight fights in the next year or two there is a good chance Silva will still be the pound for pound king at that point. GSP then would consider moving up to middleweight to fight him. And if St. Pierre so happens to defeat Silva, that’s a win worthy of retirement. “If one day I fight at 185 pounds for a superfight to know who is the best pound for pound in the world, (and) if I reach my goal, then my goal will be reached,” St-Pierre said. “There will be no point for me to still compete because I’m not going to have a goal left.”
St. Pierre also said he wants his and his family’s financial future secured before he takes the risk of moving up, though money and fame aren’t his driving forces in his career, this is a highly intelligent move on his part. “Of course, the money’s there,” GSP stated and went on to say “The difference between me and a lot of fighters … (is that) a lot of fighters fight for the fame. They fight for the money. Yeah, the money is there. It’s pleasant. The money is there. It’s good that I have this security. I have a lot of money now. It’s good. But there are a lot of things I can do outside of mixed martial arts…because of the name that I reached with MMA, that the UFC helped me to have. The fame is the same thing. I didn’t have it in the beginning, and now I have it. But if one day I reach my goal of becoming the best pound for pound (fighter) of all-time, it will be time for me to retire. But I don’t know right now, at 29 years old, if I want to retire. So it’s better I have to stick around.”
St. Pierre has reached the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather in boxing, with no one worthy of fighting why not consider hanging it up and venture into other personal endeavors or dreams they may have? GSP is 29 years old, and already has the security to quit work whenever he sees fit. The reason he hasn’t yet is he’s a fighter and he wants to be the best, but once that is attained there is no reason to prove it any longer. St. Pierre might as well walk away on top of the mountain much like Lennox Lewis did, so he isn’t remembered as someone who tried to hang on for to long.
By Sean Farrell
Sunday, January 23, 2011
the "Young Assassin" Melvin Guillard Taking His Respect
Many face hardships in what we call life that define and shape us into who we are and what we become. Fighters embark on a career path that comes with many trials and hardships as well as maintaining a life outside the ring. There are fighters who have movie like careers like Rocky Balboa and there are fighters who suffer from major losses and personal problems such as death,jail, and drugs as in the case of the 'Young Assassin" Melvin Guillard. Guillard was a star high school athlete in New Orleans, Louisiana he was a state champion wrestler at 152 pounds as well as one of the city's finest high school linebacker's in football, after high school Guillard remained in New Orleans where he started his professional mixed martial arts career. In 2005 when hurricane Katrina ravaged the city, Guillard was one of many tragically affected by the storm. Guillard's family evacuated several days before the storm hit but Melvin, couldn't leave his fiancee who worked for the sheriff's department behind who was forced to remain on duty. That decision ended up being a life altering one for Guillard as the storm destroyed much of the city, Guillard noticed out of a window of the building he was in that the water levels were an estimated six feet deep. Guillard witnessed police officers transporting inmates from a city jail on pontoon rafts ignoring the screams and pleas of help from the eldery and women with babies they passed by. Guillard knew of a bridge about a half mile away and decided the only thing he could do is help those who nedded it. He jumped out a window and swam to the bridge to investigate the situation because he knew the grave danger the people were in including himself, comfortable in survival mode from many childhood camping trips with his father, Guillard gathered materials from storm debris and makeshifted a raft to transport people to the bridge. Desperate for a drink and food Guillard pushed on knowing many were relying on him for survival, Guillard safely escorted the 90 plus people in his building to the bridge to safety from the water. Another problem arised however as emergency help wouldn't arrive for three more days and the Louisiana heat, Guillard out of desperation commandeered an abandoned water company truck and supplied people on the bridge with water. Guillard then had no choice but to break into a convenience store for food and milk, TV media was crucial about looters during Katrina but Guillard viewed this as necessary to survival for the group. During Guillard's many trips for food and supplies, he came across an elderly man who was very weak who happened to be diabetic and had no insulin. Guillard gave the man water and helped him lean against a railing and tried to find help to obtain medicine for him. Upon his return Guillard saw the elderly man had passed away in the same position he left him in still clutching the water he had given him just before he left his side. Guillard witnessed many deaths until they were rescued, something he never thought he would ever have to witness. Life for Guillard was forever altered, he saved many lives as well as saw many taken away leaving him changed forever. Guillard was signed by the UFC after the disaster and made his debut that November winning his debut by TKO stoppage over Marcus Davis via cut. Guillard started his UFC career at 3-1 all three victories by knockout, he was then given his chance to showcase his capabilities against a top UFC fighter in Joe "Daddy" Stevenson at "Ultimate Fight Night 9". Stevenson submitted Guillard in 27 seconds leaving many to wonder if Guillard was not ready for top level talent, Guillard would face more difficult times as his post fight urinalysis showed very high levels of benzoylecgonine the main chemical found in cocaine, the levels were so high they indicated that Guillard was under the influence during the Stevenson fight. Guillard suffered a eight month suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, but they did not end there for Guillard. Four months later, in August of 2007, Guillard would find himself in trouble with the law as he was placed under arrest for a parole violation stemming from a previous drug charge. Guillard then went through court proceedings and athletic commission trials as he awaited his return to the Octagon. Rich Clementi face Guillard in first fight back from the suspension. It was a heated trash talking battle between the two leading up to the fight that ended in a one sided submission for Clementi. After two consecutive defeats, along with his troubles outside the cage, many people believed he would be headed back to the minors. Melvin went to a smaller organization and won a fight, however that was short lived, as he was called back to the UFC where he managed two consecutive victories and aligned himself with a top contender in the UFC lightweight division. His streak hooked him up with Nate Diaz at "Ultimate Fight Night 19". The win streak gave momentum to Guillard and he was determined to be victorious in that fight, but Diaz had other plans. Melvin came out strong in the first, blasting Nate with hard punches, but when the bell sounded to initiate the second round, Guillard was gassed. He came out of his corner flat-footed and unfocused, looking winded and tired. Guillard admitted that he could not regain his composure between rounds and he was attempting to get his breathing corrected during the second round. Diaz pouned on him and defeated Guillard in the second round by submission. Guillard himself knew he needed to change, he saw his potential was not being utilized to its capacity, he knew he had time to mix things up. Guillard had the talent to compete with anyone in his division, but a mental breakdown was preventing him from defeating elite talent, and it was then that "The Young Assassin" would move from California to New Mexico to train under elite trainer, Greg Jackson. Guillard felt Jackson’s Martial Arts and the fighters that train there could only improve his fight game, and more importantly, Jackson himself could increase Melvin’s mental toughness. Guillard joined Jackson open-minded with intent of becoming an elite fighter, and it is working thus far. Since his arrival at Jackson's, Guillard is 3-0 and his clearly a more focused, patient fighter who believes in himself. "The Young Assassin" is currently exploiting his full potential and he found himself pitted against one of the UFC’s top prospects, Evan Dunham. Dunham had no answer for what Guillard had intent on doing to him leading to a first round knockout victory for Guillard at UFC’s "Fight for the Troops 2". Melvin Guillard has proven if you want to change your life for the better certain sacrifices are required for that to happen. Guillard has never placed the blame from his issues on another soul but himself, He never blamed his usage of drugs on his father’s passing or anything else, he accepted that it was his decision and he took full responsibility when the punishment was handed out. Melvin Guillard is a fighter many need to respect for the person he has become and not the person he was turning out to be. Guillard can only inspire hope to anyone facing hard times and maybe just maybe the "Young Assassin" can keep up this pace and win the championship to make his story complete.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
BIGGEST FIGHT IN UFC HISTORY IN 2011 VERY LIKELY
On Friday in Fort Hood, Texas UFC president Dana White dropped the biggest hypothetical bombshell probably in the history of mixed martial arts. White was speaking with a group of troops when he addressed a potential superfight becoming a reality this year. Speaking at a Q&A session which was for troops only not the general public, White said the fight between MMA's top two pound for pound fighters Georges "Rush" St. Pierre and middleweight king Anderson "the Spider" Silva could happen in 2011. "If (Silva) wins that fight (against Vitor Belfort at UFC 126), then Georges St-Pierre needs to beat Jake Shields in Toronto (at UFC 129)," White said. "If that happens, then we're probably going to do that fight (between St-Pierre and Silva). If they both win, that fight makes all the sense in the world." White also addressed St. Pierre moving up to 185 pounds from 170 pounds indefinetly stating "Georges St-Pierre said he would move to 185 (to fight Silva) and stay at that weight and not go back to 170,Should (they) win (their next) fights, that fight will probably happen this year." Anderson Silva as many know is 11-0 in the UFC, seven of which are middleweight title defenses. Silva also has two wins at light heavyweight and has been the "King" of MMA for years. His upcoming opponent Vitor Belfort is no easy task but if Silva wins that fight and St. Pierre defeats ex-Strikeforce Champion and new UFC signee Jake Shields, This fight will be the one that tops any other fight in mixed martial arts history given both these fighter's pedigrees. With the skill and success rate of St. Pierre and Silva this fight is highly likely to happen and will probably be the most watched fight in the history of all combat sports.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Death toll rises in Brazil... MMA to the rescue but more help needed
In Brazil's Rio de Janeiro
state floodwater has been gushing through hill towns as giant boulders
are launched from hillside, instantly mutilating cars and houses. So far 540
people have been killed and another 10,000 plus people living here have been
affected by the torrential downpours that started with the year, rescuers have
not been able to reach some hard-hit areas and many more people are feared dead,
the conditions are so treacherous that search and rescue called it quits Thursday night and resumed their search and recovery
work Friday morning. The rain is being
predicted to resume for the next several days in areas submerged in water or mud
already. Thousands of families are still living on slopes or riverbanks and face
being washed away. Residents described the disaster as a tsunami that fell from
the sky. Mayhem triumphed in the hard-hit city of Teresopolis, where residents wore masks and helped clean
or deliver first aid. Others swept through the city, searching desperately for
missing loved ones. All of the schools and police stations have turned into
overflowing crypts, where people are waiting to identify their family and
friends. Red Cross volunteer
Maria Helena de Jesus was applying first aid."You have to almost have a heart of
stone," she said. "It was very difficult." Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario
Sedlacek declared this city a natural
disaster area. So far at least 229 people died in Teresopolis, while 246
were killed in the town of Nova Friburgo. Brazilian authorities have been
criticized for their lack of natural
disaster planning and also allowing civilians the right to build homes in
areas known to become dangerous in the rainy season. Brazil is under tremendous pressure to show strong
response seeing how they host the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympics. People used
inflatable rafts or inner tubes to navigate roads. One family was perched on the
roof of their home watching themselves on television. Another civilian clung to
a rope, trying not to succomb to the force of an ocean of muck and brown
water.Brazilian authorities have ordered evacuations for at least 5,000 families
living in especially perilous areas in Rio de Janeiro state, Agencia Brasil
said. Another 3,000 families from a mountain region were homeless and sheltered
in schools and gyms. State officials pleaded for people to donate blood that can
be sent to the Serrana region, where only 36 units of blood remained for
treatment of flood victims.
Sao Paulo as well has been affected
with 24 deaths confirmed there so far, a pair of MMA training camps are turning
to aide the community and ask for assistance in battling mudslides. With
countless hundreds already dead in the Rio de Janeiro municipality, and countless more missing,
Florida camps Team Armory and American Top Team have started a charity fund at CombatAthleteCharities.com and are taking
donations to assist in the relief. MMA manager Alex Davis, a native of Nova
Friburgo is on the ground in Brazil assisting with relief has described the
devastation to MMAjunkie.com. "Dear friends –
MMA friends and everybody – I'm talking to you guys from Nova Friburgo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, It's my hometown. I can't even
begin to explain to you what's happened here. There are entire regions that have
been wiped out. Thousands of people are without water and food. Hundreds of
people, if not thousands, are buried under mudslides so deep that they will
never be found. Whole families have been wiped out. It's to the point that there
may be no one left to even remind us that these people were once there. As I
come back home after working with the relief and rescue teams and I get a
glimpse of what's in the media, I see that what's getting out to the world in no
way does justice to what's really occurred here meteorologically and
geologically. At this point in time, the world cannot see how much suffering is
still in the future of these Brazilian cities and communities. Roads and bridges
have all been wiped out, leaving thousands of people isolated with no water, no
food, no electricity. Big parts of the region are completely isolated. It simply
isn't possible to dig out all the bodies buried in the mud, and the stench and
illnesses will start affecting the population in the next few days. In my
hometown of Nova Friburgo, there are three hospitals that serve the city, the
surrounding smaller cities and the rural areas, but one has also been brought
down by landslides, putting another piece of suffering in the way of the
population. I could go on and on about the dramatic stories of loss of lives, as
well as the heroism of the rescue workers as the population tries to deal with
the calamity that has come on top of them. Rich and poor, cops and robbers,
everybody is working together trying to cope with what has happened. It's a
disaster worse than any of us could have fathomed in our worst dreams. Please
keep these people in your minds. Please help in whatever way may be within your
means. There are thousands and thousands of people in a really, really bad
situation." Brazilian fighters play a major role in the growth of mixed martial
arts, including the Gracie family, who gave life to the UFC. With relief efforts
hampered by continuous rain, fatality reports slow to develop, the mudslides
however have already claimed the life of the mother of famed grappler Pablo Popovitch. MMA manager Joe Mullings told MMAjunkie.com that
American Top Team head Dan Lambert has already made a substantial contribution,
as has corporate sponsor Muscle Warfare, but more help is needed. Relief funds
can currently be donated through Paypal, but
Mullings hopes the newly-established org will have its 501(c) non-profit filings
in place by Monday, which will open up more options for support."We're
expediting the process," Mullings said. "We're getting a lot of support from the
government. Bank of America
has stepped up and done some nice things for us. Probably by Monday, we'll have
it to where you can text money in with your cell phone. We'll also have a Bank
of America account set up. Alex is on the ground in Nova Friburgo. All the money
will go directly to the city for some of the most desperately needed items,
including food, medicine and shelter." Please help these people in a time of
crisis as you would expect the same in return.
state floodwater has been gushing through hill towns as giant boulders
are launched from hillside, instantly mutilating cars and houses. So far 540
people have been killed and another 10,000 plus people living here have been
affected by the torrential downpours that started with the year, rescuers have
not been able to reach some hard-hit areas and many more people are feared dead,
the conditions are so treacherous that search and rescue called it quits Thursday night and resumed their search and recovery
work Friday morning. The rain is being
predicted to resume for the next several days in areas submerged in water or mud
already. Thousands of families are still living on slopes or riverbanks and face
being washed away. Residents described the disaster as a tsunami that fell from
the sky. Mayhem triumphed in the hard-hit city of Teresopolis, where residents wore masks and helped clean
or deliver first aid. Others swept through the city, searching desperately for
missing loved ones. All of the schools and police stations have turned into
overflowing crypts, where people are waiting to identify their family and
friends. Red Cross volunteer
Maria Helena de Jesus was applying first aid."You have to almost have a heart of
stone," she said. "It was very difficult." Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario
Sedlacek declared this city a natural
disaster area. So far at least 229 people died in Teresopolis, while 246
were killed in the town of Nova Friburgo. Brazilian authorities have been
criticized for their lack of natural
disaster planning and also allowing civilians the right to build homes in
areas known to become dangerous in the rainy season. Brazil is under tremendous pressure to show strong
response seeing how they host the World Cup in 2014 and the 2016 Olympics. People used
inflatable rafts or inner tubes to navigate roads. One family was perched on the
roof of their home watching themselves on television. Another civilian clung to
a rope, trying not to succomb to the force of an ocean of muck and brown
water.Brazilian authorities have ordered evacuations for at least 5,000 families
living in especially perilous areas in Rio de Janeiro state, Agencia Brasil
said. Another 3,000 families from a mountain region were homeless and sheltered
in schools and gyms. State officials pleaded for people to donate blood that can
be sent to the Serrana region, where only 36 units of blood remained for
treatment of flood victims.
Sao Paulo as well has been affected
with 24 deaths confirmed there so far, a pair of MMA training camps are turning
to aide the community and ask for assistance in battling mudslides. With
countless hundreds already dead in the Rio de Janeiro municipality, and countless more missing,
Florida camps Team Armory and American Top Team have started a charity fund at CombatAthleteCharities.com and are taking
donations to assist in the relief. MMA manager Alex Davis, a native of Nova
Friburgo is on the ground in Brazil assisting with relief has described the
devastation to MMAjunkie.com. "Dear friends –
MMA friends and everybody – I'm talking to you guys from Nova Friburgo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, It's my hometown. I can't even
begin to explain to you what's happened here. There are entire regions that have
been wiped out. Thousands of people are without water and food. Hundreds of
people, if not thousands, are buried under mudslides so deep that they will
never be found. Whole families have been wiped out. It's to the point that there
may be no one left to even remind us that these people were once there. As I
come back home after working with the relief and rescue teams and I get a
glimpse of what's in the media, I see that what's getting out to the world in no
way does justice to what's really occurred here meteorologically and
geologically. At this point in time, the world cannot see how much suffering is
still in the future of these Brazilian cities and communities. Roads and bridges
have all been wiped out, leaving thousands of people isolated with no water, no
food, no electricity. Big parts of the region are completely isolated. It simply
isn't possible to dig out all the bodies buried in the mud, and the stench and
illnesses will start affecting the population in the next few days. In my
hometown of Nova Friburgo, there are three hospitals that serve the city, the
surrounding smaller cities and the rural areas, but one has also been brought
down by landslides, putting another piece of suffering in the way of the
population. I could go on and on about the dramatic stories of loss of lives, as
well as the heroism of the rescue workers as the population tries to deal with
the calamity that has come on top of them. Rich and poor, cops and robbers,
everybody is working together trying to cope with what has happened. It's a
disaster worse than any of us could have fathomed in our worst dreams. Please
keep these people in your minds. Please help in whatever way may be within your
means. There are thousands and thousands of people in a really, really bad
situation." Brazilian fighters play a major role in the growth of mixed martial
arts, including the Gracie family, who gave life to the UFC. With relief efforts
hampered by continuous rain, fatality reports slow to develop, the mudslides
however have already claimed the life of the mother of famed grappler Pablo Popovitch. MMA manager Joe Mullings told MMAjunkie.com that
American Top Team head Dan Lambert has already made a substantial contribution,
as has corporate sponsor Muscle Warfare, but more help is needed. Relief funds
can currently be donated through Paypal, but
Mullings hopes the newly-established org will have its 501(c) non-profit filings
in place by Monday, which will open up more options for support."We're
expediting the process," Mullings said. "We're getting a lot of support from the
government. Bank of America
has stepped up and done some nice things for us. Probably by Monday, we'll have
it to where you can text money in with your cell phone. We'll also have a Bank
of America account set up. Alex is on the ground in Nova Friburgo. All the money
will go directly to the city for some of the most desperately needed items,
including food, medicine and shelter." Please help these people in a time of
crisis as you would expect the same in return.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Volkmann and Obama
When you hear “Jacob Volkmann,” you immediately say “who?”
Not anymore.
Jacob Volkmann, a 12-2 mixed martial artist, stirred the pot a little too much this past week as he was doing an interview and made some statements about President Obama that our Government was not too thrilled about.
Volkmann in his post fight interview with Ariel Helwani went a little to tongue and cheek when Helwani asked Volkmann who he would like to fight next and Volkmann responded with “Actually, Obama. He’s not too bright. … His health care plan – someone’s gotta knock some sense into that idiot. … I’m a chiropractor, so I know the health care situation – but he’s making it worse.”
Volkmann is a licensed chiropractor in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. His comment spread so quickly that Volkmann became target of standard government operations when he was paid a visit by the Secret Service while teaching a wrestling class. “He just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to D.C. to hurt the president,” Volkmann said. “He said he was actually embarrassed to come in and question me. He saw the clip. He did a background on me. He knew I was no threat.”
Although this situation was absolutely ridiculous, Volkmann said he’ll appear on the Fox Business network tomorrow, and a gag on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno has already gone viral. “I never thought it would go this far,” Volkmann said. “I thought maybe the president would hear about it. That’s about it. Not on the news.”
Volkmann voted for Republican John McCain in 2008′s Presidential Election and said the exposure has brought him his fair share of hate mail his way. He plans to work all the negative attention to his gain. “My manager (Monte Cox) was like, ‘Keep it up,’ so I’m going to roll with it some more,” Volkmann stated. “I got a lot of e-mails (from people) saying they had never seen fighting before, and now they’re interested in it because of what I said. I’ve been getting a lot of hate e-mails and a lot of hate phone calls. It’s kind of irritating. I try not to think about it too much. But there’s been a lot of negative response. I was told by my manager [Monte Cox] that they are trying to cut 60-plus people from the UFC, and 155 is one of the biggest weight classes they’re cutting,” said Volkmann, who doesn’t have an opponent or fight date at this time.
“To know that they’re not going to cut me feels great.” Yes Volkmann’s main reason for “the joke.” was to keep his job it was planned.
Volkmann figured he’d become a more valuable asset to the UFC by becoming known amongst casual viewers. “Yeah, I planned it a little bit,” Volkmann said. “My fight against Antonio McKee was a boring fight. I had to get the attention off that boring fight. Now there will be a lot of people watching me in my next UFC fight. They will be against me, really against me, and some will be for me. But a lot more people will be watching me because of this. It was a real good move on my part. There is a lot of hype around this. Hopefully, the UFC utilizes it, because there will be a lot more people watching the fights.”
Volkman also told ESPN that he sticks to his views on health care but not wanting to really beat up the president “I was just joking around when I said that, but I’m sticking to what I said about his policies,” said Volkmann. “Anybody who watched the video could see that I was laughing at the time I said it. I don’t know how people could actually take it seriously — that I was actually going to try to harm him.” Volkmann may have kept his job but what kind of heat and stigma will follow the UFC with it?
Expect Volkmann to be more careful the next time he decides to open his mouth even though he meant no harm.
Not anymore.
Jacob Volkmann, a 12-2 mixed martial artist, stirred the pot a little too much this past week as he was doing an interview and made some statements about President Obama that our Government was not too thrilled about.
Volkmann in his post fight interview with Ariel Helwani went a little to tongue and cheek when Helwani asked Volkmann who he would like to fight next and Volkmann responded with “Actually, Obama. He’s not too bright. … His health care plan – someone’s gotta knock some sense into that idiot. … I’m a chiropractor, so I know the health care situation – but he’s making it worse.”
Volkmann is a licensed chiropractor in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. His comment spread so quickly that Volkmann became target of standard government operations when he was paid a visit by the Secret Service while teaching a wrestling class. “He just wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to D.C. to hurt the president,” Volkmann said. “He said he was actually embarrassed to come in and question me. He saw the clip. He did a background on me. He knew I was no threat.”
Although this situation was absolutely ridiculous, Volkmann said he’ll appear on the Fox Business network tomorrow, and a gag on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno has already gone viral. “I never thought it would go this far,” Volkmann said. “I thought maybe the president would hear about it. That’s about it. Not on the news.”
Volkmann voted for Republican John McCain in 2008′s Presidential Election and said the exposure has brought him his fair share of hate mail his way. He plans to work all the negative attention to his gain. “My manager (Monte Cox) was like, ‘Keep it up,’ so I’m going to roll with it some more,” Volkmann stated. “I got a lot of e-mails (from people) saying they had never seen fighting before, and now they’re interested in it because of what I said. I’ve been getting a lot of hate e-mails and a lot of hate phone calls. It’s kind of irritating. I try not to think about it too much. But there’s been a lot of negative response. I was told by my manager [Monte Cox] that they are trying to cut 60-plus people from the UFC, and 155 is one of the biggest weight classes they’re cutting,” said Volkmann, who doesn’t have an opponent or fight date at this time.
“To know that they’re not going to cut me feels great.” Yes Volkmann’s main reason for “the joke.” was to keep his job it was planned.
Volkmann figured he’d become a more valuable asset to the UFC by becoming known amongst casual viewers. “Yeah, I planned it a little bit,” Volkmann said. “My fight against Antonio McKee was a boring fight. I had to get the attention off that boring fight. Now there will be a lot of people watching me in my next UFC fight. They will be against me, really against me, and some will be for me. But a lot more people will be watching me because of this. It was a real good move on my part. There is a lot of hype around this. Hopefully, the UFC utilizes it, because there will be a lot more people watching the fights.”
Volkman also told ESPN that he sticks to his views on health care but not wanting to really beat up the president “I was just joking around when I said that, but I’m sticking to what I said about his policies,” said Volkmann. “Anybody who watched the video could see that I was laughing at the time I said it. I don’t know how people could actually take it seriously — that I was actually going to try to harm him.” Volkmann may have kept his job but what kind of heat and stigma will follow the UFC with it?
Expect Volkmann to be more careful the next time he decides to open his mouth even though he meant no harm.
Monday, January 10, 2011
MMA 4 Dummies:An Introduction to Mixed Martial Arts
MMA 4 Dummies: An Introduction to Mixed Martial Arts by: Sean Farrell
History of MMA:
Mixed Martial Arts when many hear this term they immediately think UFC(Ultimate Fighting Championship). While the UFC is in fact Mixed Martial Arts,MMA as it is commonly refered to dates back to as early as 648 BC in ancient Greece where it was introduced to the Olympic games as Pankration.Pankration is a compound word consisting of the two greek words Pan-"All" and Kratos-"Powers",seeing how the sport mixed Hellenic greek boxing with wrestling.The sport of Pankration eventually became the most popular Olympic sport of its time and only consisted of two rules; No biting and No eye gouges.The only way these bouts could end would either be by knockout (Unconsciousness) or by submission (opponent raises his hand to surrender) often time bouts lasted for hours and usually ended in the death of one or both Pankratiast.Pankration is the first ever recorded form of combat sports to later be known as Mixed Martial Arts.Pankration suffered a severe decline in Greece at the rise of the Roman Empire and eventually fell into the shadows for western sports such as wrestling and boxing and traditional asian martial arts.MMA layed dormant from this point on until 1925 until its revival in Brazil.
The revival of MMA took place in Brazil when Mitsuyo Maeda a political figure from Japan taught Gastao Gracie a political figure in Brazil's son Carlos judo. Carlos Gracie trained with Maeda for six years and after Maeda departed back to Japan Carlos taught the art of judo to his brothers Helio, Jorge, Osvaldo and Gastão, Jr. The Gracie brothers did not pertain to the traditions of judo so they adapted the style to better suit their needs. It was in 1925 that Carlos went to Rio De Janeiro and opened a jiu-jitsu academy.After Carlos started this academy he then marketed it with the "Gracie Challenge". The "Gracie Challenge" pitted Carlos Gracie against all comers as he tried to prove which martial art was best in the world much like Pankration thousands of years before it.This challenge was so radical and different that western culture caught on and MMA was revived.When word traveled to Japan about these challenges the Japanese immediately sent over fighters in an attempt to prove their traditions in martial arts was superior. By the end of Carlos' fight career he was in well over a thousand fights.Carlos passed on the traditions to his son Carlson Gracie and later Helio’s sons Rolls, Rickson and Rorion carried on the tradition.
By the 1980's the "Gracie Challenge" was now under a new name Vale-Tudo, it became the nation of Brazil's second most popular sport behind soccer.With regulated things and fight stables Vale-Tudo spread throughout Brazil and the Gracie's decided it was time to branch out into the United States.Rorion Gracie established himself in the U.S. and eventually met a salesman named Art Davie.Davie introduced Rorion to Bob Meyrowitz president of Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG), a corporation that specialized in putting on live pay-per-view sporting events.These three men eventually started the "Ultimate Fighting Championships" which held its first event in 1993.The Ultimate Fighting Championship had introduced fighting dubbed "no-holds-barred,". The first six Ultimate Fighting Championship events had very few rules. There were no weight classes, no time limits or rounds, and no mandatory safety equipment. The only rules were fighters could not eye gouge, bite, or fish hook, and fights could only end with a referee’s stoppage, knock out, or submission, which could be signified verbally, or by a "tap out,"(Submission by tappin mat or opponent to signify forfeit). The UFC found itself in hot water after being marketed as a "blood sport" which found itself the subject of political view.Senator John McCain started anti-UFC campaigns and had the sport abolished in many states.The UFC lost all Pay-Per-View ties and were forced to return "underground".The UFC remained frowned upon until Zuffa LLC bought the rights and tried to get the sport sanctioned which they did. The UFC returned with a stricter set of rules, which included rounds, time limits, five weight classes, a list of 31 fouls, and 8 possible ways to win. The sport since being sanctioned under Unified MMA rules has done nothing but grow in popularity.
Unified MMA Rules
The Unified MMA rules are a set of rules made up by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission in 2000 they are as follows.
Rounds
Every round is 5 minutes in duration with a one minute rest period in-between rounds. Non-title matches must not exceed three rounds. Title matches can be sanctioned for five rounds.
Attire
All competitors must fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Shirts, gis or long pants (including gi pants) are not allowed. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4-6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab.
Judging criteria
The ten-point must system is in effect for all fights. Three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives less than 8.
Legal techniques
The Unified Rules continue to allow all elbow strikes except those hitting downwards with the point of the elbow, or those to the back of the head. (See Fouls for details)
Fouls
The following are fouls, as set out by the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
Butting with the head
Eye gouging of any kind
Biting
Hair pulling
Fish hooking
Groin attacks of any kind
Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent. (see Gouging)
Small joint manipulation
Striking to the spine or the back of the head
Striking downward using the point of the elbow
Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea
Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh
Grabbing the clavicle
Kicking the head of a grounded opponent
Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent
Stomping a grounded opponent
Kicking to the kidney with the heel
Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area
Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent
Spitting at an opponent
Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent
Holding the ropes or the fence
Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area
Attacking an opponent on or during the break
Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee
Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round
Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee
Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury
Interference by the corner
Throwing in the towel during competition
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
General conduct
Fighters are tested for steroids and other illegal substances. [Unified rules provided by Wikipedia]
International MMA Rules
International MMA rules are not a unified set of rules but a set of rules adopted from the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. These fights were similar to those of original MMA they are as follows.
Rounds
The first round is ten minutes in duration and the second and third rounds are five minutes in duration. There is a two minute rest period between each round. Grand Prix matches are two rounds in length if more than one round is scheduled on one night.
Attire
PRIDE allows fighters latitude in their choice of attire but open finger gloves, a mouthguard and a protective cup are mandatory. It is within a fighter's discretion to tape parts of their body but you can not wear a gi top, gi pants, wrestling shoes, kneepads, elbow pads, shin guards and ankle supports.
Judging criteria
If the match reaches its time limit then the outcome of the bout is determined by the three judges. The fight is scored in its entirety and not round-by-round. After the conclusion of the bout, each judge must decide a winner. Matches cannot end in a draw. A decision is made according to the following criteria in this order of priority:
the effort made to finish the fight via KO or submission,
damage given to the opponent,
standing combinations and ground control,
takedowns and takedown defense,
aggressiveness, and
weight (in the case that the weight difference is 10 kg/22 lb or more).
If a fight is stopped on advice of the ring doctor after an accidental but illegal action, e.g., a clash of heads, and the contest is in its second or third round, the match will be decided by the judges using the same criteria.
Legal techniques
PRIDE allowed the following techniques:
Stomps to a grounded opponent.
Soccer kicks to the head of a grounded opponent.
Knees to the head of a grounded opponent.
Fouls
In addition to the common fouls, PRIDE Fighting Championships considers elbow strikes to the head and face to be fouls.
In the event that a fighter is injured by illegal actions, then at the discretion of the referee and ring doctor, the round is resumed after enough time has been given for the fighter to recover. If the match cannot be continued due to the severity of the injury then the fighter who perpetrated the action will be disqualified.
General conduct
If both fighters are on the verge of falling out of the ring or become entangled in the ropes, the referee will stop the action. The fighters must immediately stop their movements and will then be repositioned in the center of the ring in the same position. Once they are comfortably repositioned, they resume at the referee's instruction.
If fighters commit the following actions, they shall be given a yellow card by officials: Stalling or failure to initiate any offensive attack, making no attempt to finalize the match or damage the opponent, and holding the opponent's body with the arms and legs to produce a stalemate. A yellow card results in a 10% deduction/fine of the fighter's fight purse.[Pride Rules Provided by Wikipedia]
Evolution of Fighters
The evolution of MMA has gone from a sport consisting of style vs style to a sport that pits elite-athlete against elite-athlete who are well versed in various forms of martial arts. Styles included in MMA consist of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,Muay Thai,Kickboxing,Wrestling,Karate,and Sambo to name a few. Masters of their craft, MMA has produced champions of almost every different style. Notable champions using these different styles include;
Wrestling-Randy Couture,Brock Lesnar,Matt Hughes,Rashad Evans,Cain Velasquez,Shane Carwin(Interim)
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira,Murilo Bustamante,Royce Gracie(Tournament Champion)
Muay Thai-Anderson Silva,Wanderlei Silva,Jose Aldo
Kickboxing-Alistair Overeem,Maurice Smith,Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic
Karate- Bas Rutten,Lyoto Machida,Georges St. Pierre,Vitor Belfort,Chuck Liddell
Sambo-Andrei Arlovski,Fedor Emelianenko
10 Point Must System
The ten point must system was adopted from boxing and brought over to MMA when the New Jersey State Athletic Commission sanctioned the sport. The official 10 point system for MMA is as follows;
13:46-24A.13 Judging New Jersey State Athletic Commission
(a) All bouts will be evaluated and scored by three judges.
(b) The 10-Point Must System will be the standard system of scoring a
bout. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded
to the winner of the round and nine points or less must be awarded to
the loser, except for a rare even round, which is scored (10-10).
(c) Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques, such as
effective striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting area,
effective aggressiveness and defense.
(d) Evaluations shall be made in the order in which the techniques
appear in (c) above, giving the most weight in scoring to effective
striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting area and
effective aggressiveness and defense.
(e) Effective striking is judged by determining the total number of
legal heavy strikes landed by a contestant.
(f) Effective grappling is judged by considering the amount of
successful executions of a legal takedown and reversals. Examples of
factors to consider are take downs from standing position to mount
position, passing the guard to mount position, and bottom position
fighters using an active, threatening guard.
(g) Fighting area control is judged by determining who is dictating the
pace, location and position of the bout. Examples of factors to consider
are countering a grappler's attempt at takedown by remaining standing
and legally striking ; taking down an opponent to force a ground fight;
creating threatening submission attempts, passing the guard to achieve
mount, and creating striking opportunities.
(h) Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing a legal
strike.
(i) Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken down or
reversed while countering with offensive attacks.
(j) The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the
judges when scoring a round;
1. A round is to be scored as a 10-10 Round when both contestants
appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows clear
dominance in a round;
2. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 Round when a contestant wins by a
close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes,
grappling and other maneuvers;
3. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 Round when a contestant
overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
4. A round is to be scored as a 10-7 Round when a contestant totally
dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
(k) Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognize the length of time
the fighters are either standing or on the ground, as follows:
1. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round on the
canvas, then:
i. Effective grappling is weighed first; and
ii. Effective striking is then weighed
2. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round standing,
then:
1. Effective striking is weighed first; and
2. Effective grappling is then weighed
3. If a round ends with a relatively even amount of standing and canvas
fighting, striking and grappling are weighed equally
MMA has suffered with its lack of MMA judges and the use of boxing judges in their place, leading to many controversial decisions this problem does need addressed but its not something that can be fixed overnight.
Cage vs Ring
Cage vs Ring is an MMA debate that will go on until long after the sport dies. Many feel the cage's "No Escape" feel gives a fight a more dramatic effect. While defenders of the ring feel the ring leads to better fights and causes fighters to actually use their technique and skill-set instead of engaging in a senseless brawl. The cage is manipulated in every single fight held inside it with every fighter employing a strategy utilizing it to their advantage.Many fighters push their opponents up against the cage, or even move them to it after taking them down aiding in a brawl but negating the technique needed in ground grappling and ground striking.Many cage lovers don't believe this fact but submissions are far less likely in a cage then inside a ring.If you look at the previous history of MMA in Japan and Brazil it was always held in a ring or open floor because traditional martial arts was about technique and discipline.Spectators of combat sports can see the significant difference in the action in a cage opposed to a ring as the cage encourages wall-wrestling and wedged between the wall ground and pound.Action in a ring such as Pride FC which was the pinnacle of MMA until it went defunct contains much more stand-up fighting, more movement, and more exciting action in exchanges and engagements. Even corporate sponsors stay away from the cage, if you look at a boxing ring,DREAM MMA ring or a K-1 ring you see sponsors and advertisements from many multi-million dollar industries such as Nike or the casinos holding the venue. Meanwhile in a cage you see smaller industries such as energy drinks and MMA apparel, ever wonder why Nike wasn't all over the Octagon? Even the very casinos in Vegas which hold the events don't always sponsor events in a cage with an advertisement on the floor.The UFC has hopes of going international and may have to eventually adapt to the ring in order for the rest of the world to catch on but don't count on it happening.
Is MMA Safer than Boxing?
MMA is the fasting growing sport in all the world at this moment, however many casual viewers see it as barbaric or inhumane and this is its only major drawback.These fans see and elbow,knee,or kick and they automatically assume "deathmatch" but will be more likely to watch a boxing match even though MMA is a safer sport.MMA has rules to protect injured fighters as well as less rounds making Dementia Pugilistica and death are extremely rare. Dementia Pugilistica is also known as CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.The condition DP/CTE is believed to affect around 15-20% of all professional boxers.The condition is caused by repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows (blows that are below the threshold of force necessary to sustain a concussion), or both. Due to concern that boxing most likely causes DP, there is a movement among medical professionals to ban the sport entirely. Medical professionals have been calling for such since as early as the 1950s. Symptoms and signs of DP/CTE develop progressively over a long latent period sometimes spanning decades, with the average time of DP/CTE onset being around 12–16 years after the start of a boxing career.The condition, which occurs in boxers who have suffered repeated blows to the head, causes dementia, declining mental ability, memory loss, and parkinsonism (tremors and lack of coordination.) DP/CTE also causes speech impediment and an unsteady gait. Patients with DP/CTE are also prone to inappropriate or combustible behavior and may display pathological jealousy and/or thoughts of paranoia. An Individual displaying these symptoms also can be characterized as "punch drunk", another term for a someone suffering from DP/CTE. The brains of DP/CTE patients atrophy(the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body) and lose neurons, for example in the cerebellum the corticospinal or pyramidal tract generally dysfunctions and goes haywire.Sufferers can be treated with drugs used for Alzheimer's disease and parkinsonism. In a boxing match that consist of twelve rounds there are between 350 and 600 punches that land 90% of those are to the head each of these rounds is 3 minutes where in MMA a title fight is five five minute rounds and non-title are three five minute rounds. Even training with headgear it only protects the soft tissue from being damaged not the impact the brain withstands, boxers also aren't allowed to fight in the clinch since it is illegal in the sport. Therefore when a boxer suffers a punch that causes damage he instinctively clinches only to be broken up by the referee and allowed to sustain another blow.In MMA fighters are allowed to fight from the clinch and also have to worry about takedowns,kicks,knees,and elbows which doesn't allow them to focus solely on the knockout unlike boxing which is one dimensional and you can focus solely on punching your opponent. Knockouts and injury are the main debate and the numbers don't lie boxers commonly suffer from brain trauma, hemmorages, and swelling of the brain since a fighter can be dropped and have 10 seconds to recover and continue on. "Fight or Flight response in a human will always allow for this recovery unless a state of unconciousness is met. MMA however when a fighter is hurt or intelligently stops defending himself the fight is stopped, also a knockout is a concussion regardless of how you look at it whenever a person loses consciousness its categorized as a concussion. There has only been one recored fatality in state sanctioned MMA competition in the last 16 years, Sammy Vasquez was the victim and he had a pre-existing blood clot in his brain which required surgery and he sustained another causing a coma and eventual death.In the past 16 years there has been over 110 recorded deaths in boxing an astounding number, boxing claims 30 lives a year on average since 1890 there hasn't been one year without multiple deaths in boxing. This doesn't mean MMA doesn't have risk or fighters are unphased by this, its just a safer way for fight sports to be played.
This has been an education in MMA for all who were ever curious about the fastest growing sport in the world.Please set ignorance aside and make an intelligent judgement on whats considered "Blood Sport" also, if you watch MMA and its not for you that's fine at least give it a chance before you throw it under the bus.
History of MMA:
Mixed Martial Arts when many hear this term they immediately think UFC(Ultimate Fighting Championship). While the UFC is in fact Mixed Martial Arts,MMA as it is commonly refered to dates back to as early as 648 BC in ancient Greece where it was introduced to the Olympic games as Pankration.Pankration is a compound word consisting of the two greek words Pan-"All" and Kratos-"Powers",seeing how the sport mixed Hellenic greek boxing with wrestling.The sport of Pankration eventually became the most popular Olympic sport of its time and only consisted of two rules; No biting and No eye gouges.The only way these bouts could end would either be by knockout (Unconsciousness) or by submission (opponent raises his hand to surrender) often time bouts lasted for hours and usually ended in the death of one or both Pankratiast.Pankration is the first ever recorded form of combat sports to later be known as Mixed Martial Arts.Pankration suffered a severe decline in Greece at the rise of the Roman Empire and eventually fell into the shadows for western sports such as wrestling and boxing and traditional asian martial arts.MMA layed dormant from this point on until 1925 until its revival in Brazil.
The revival of MMA took place in Brazil when Mitsuyo Maeda a political figure from Japan taught Gastao Gracie a political figure in Brazil's son Carlos judo. Carlos Gracie trained with Maeda for six years and after Maeda departed back to Japan Carlos taught the art of judo to his brothers Helio, Jorge, Osvaldo and Gastão, Jr. The Gracie brothers did not pertain to the traditions of judo so they adapted the style to better suit their needs. It was in 1925 that Carlos went to Rio De Janeiro and opened a jiu-jitsu academy.After Carlos started this academy he then marketed it with the "Gracie Challenge". The "Gracie Challenge" pitted Carlos Gracie against all comers as he tried to prove which martial art was best in the world much like Pankration thousands of years before it.This challenge was so radical and different that western culture caught on and MMA was revived.When word traveled to Japan about these challenges the Japanese immediately sent over fighters in an attempt to prove their traditions in martial arts was superior. By the end of Carlos' fight career he was in well over a thousand fights.Carlos passed on the traditions to his son Carlson Gracie and later Helio’s sons Rolls, Rickson and Rorion carried on the tradition.
By the 1980's the "Gracie Challenge" was now under a new name Vale-Tudo, it became the nation of Brazil's second most popular sport behind soccer.With regulated things and fight stables Vale-Tudo spread throughout Brazil and the Gracie's decided it was time to branch out into the United States.Rorion Gracie established himself in the U.S. and eventually met a salesman named Art Davie.Davie introduced Rorion to Bob Meyrowitz president of Semaphore Entertainment Group (SEG), a corporation that specialized in putting on live pay-per-view sporting events.These three men eventually started the "Ultimate Fighting Championships" which held its first event in 1993.The Ultimate Fighting Championship had introduced fighting dubbed "no-holds-barred,". The first six Ultimate Fighting Championship events had very few rules. There were no weight classes, no time limits or rounds, and no mandatory safety equipment. The only rules were fighters could not eye gouge, bite, or fish hook, and fights could only end with a referee’s stoppage, knock out, or submission, which could be signified verbally, or by a "tap out,"(Submission by tappin mat or opponent to signify forfeit). The UFC found itself in hot water after being marketed as a "blood sport" which found itself the subject of political view.Senator John McCain started anti-UFC campaigns and had the sport abolished in many states.The UFC lost all Pay-Per-View ties and were forced to return "underground".The UFC remained frowned upon until Zuffa LLC bought the rights and tried to get the sport sanctioned which they did. The UFC returned with a stricter set of rules, which included rounds, time limits, five weight classes, a list of 31 fouls, and 8 possible ways to win. The sport since being sanctioned under Unified MMA rules has done nothing but grow in popularity.
Unified MMA Rules
The Unified MMA rules are a set of rules made up by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission in 2000 they are as follows.
Rounds
Every round is 5 minutes in duration with a one minute rest period in-between rounds. Non-title matches must not exceed three rounds. Title matches can be sanctioned for five rounds.
Attire
All competitors must fight in approved shorts, without shoes or any other sort of foot padding. Shirts, gis or long pants (including gi pants) are not allowed. Fighters must use approved light gloves (4-6 ounces) that allow fingers to grab.
Judging criteria
The ten-point must system is in effect for all fights. Three judges score each round and the winner of each receives ten points, the loser nine points or less. If the round is even, both fighters receive ten points. In New Jersey, the fewest points a fighter can receive is 7, and in other states by custom no fighter receives less than 8.
Legal techniques
The Unified Rules continue to allow all elbow strikes except those hitting downwards with the point of the elbow, or those to the back of the head. (See Fouls for details)
Fouls
The following are fouls, as set out by the Nevada State Athletic Commission:
Butting with the head
Eye gouging of any kind
Biting
Hair pulling
Fish hooking
Groin attacks of any kind
Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent. (see Gouging)
Small joint manipulation
Striking to the spine or the back of the head
Striking downward using the point of the elbow
Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea
Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh
Grabbing the clavicle
Kicking the head of a grounded opponent
Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent
Stomping a grounded opponent
Kicking to the kidney with the heel
Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area
Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent
Spitting at an opponent
Engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct that causes an injury to an opponent
Holding the ropes or the fence
Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area
Attacking an opponent on or during the break
Attacking an opponent who is under the care of the referee
Attacking an opponent after the bell (horn) has sounded the end of a round
Flagrantly disregarding the instructions of the referee
Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury
Interference by the corner
Throwing in the towel during competition
When a foul is charged, the referee in their discretion may deduct one or more points as a penalty. If a foul incapacitates a fighter, then the match may end in a disqualification if the foul was intentional, or a no contest if unintentional. If a foul causes a fighter to be unable to continue later in the bout, it ends with a technical decision win to the injured fighter if the injured fighter is ahead on points, otherwise it is a technical draw.
General conduct
Fighters are tested for steroids and other illegal substances. [Unified rules provided by Wikipedia]
International MMA Rules
International MMA rules are not a unified set of rules but a set of rules adopted from the Pride Fighting Championships in Japan. These fights were similar to those of original MMA they are as follows.
Rounds
The first round is ten minutes in duration and the second and third rounds are five minutes in duration. There is a two minute rest period between each round. Grand Prix matches are two rounds in length if more than one round is scheduled on one night.
Attire
PRIDE allows fighters latitude in their choice of attire but open finger gloves, a mouthguard and a protective cup are mandatory. It is within a fighter's discretion to tape parts of their body but you can not wear a gi top, gi pants, wrestling shoes, kneepads, elbow pads, shin guards and ankle supports.
Judging criteria
If the match reaches its time limit then the outcome of the bout is determined by the three judges. The fight is scored in its entirety and not round-by-round. After the conclusion of the bout, each judge must decide a winner. Matches cannot end in a draw. A decision is made according to the following criteria in this order of priority:
the effort made to finish the fight via KO or submission,
damage given to the opponent,
standing combinations and ground control,
takedowns and takedown defense,
aggressiveness, and
weight (in the case that the weight difference is 10 kg/22 lb or more).
If a fight is stopped on advice of the ring doctor after an accidental but illegal action, e.g., a clash of heads, and the contest is in its second or third round, the match will be decided by the judges using the same criteria.
Legal techniques
PRIDE allowed the following techniques:
Stomps to a grounded opponent.
Soccer kicks to the head of a grounded opponent.
Knees to the head of a grounded opponent.
Fouls
In addition to the common fouls, PRIDE Fighting Championships considers elbow strikes to the head and face to be fouls.
In the event that a fighter is injured by illegal actions, then at the discretion of the referee and ring doctor, the round is resumed after enough time has been given for the fighter to recover. If the match cannot be continued due to the severity of the injury then the fighter who perpetrated the action will be disqualified.
General conduct
If fighters commit the following actions, they shall be given a yellow card by officials: Stalling or failure to initiate any offensive attack, making no attempt to finalize the match or damage the opponent, and holding the opponent's body with the arms and legs to produce a stalemate. A yellow card results in a 10% deduction/fine of the fighter's fight purse.[Pride Rules Provided by Wikipedia]
Evolution of Fighters
The evolution of MMA has gone from a sport consisting of style vs style to a sport that pits elite-athlete against elite-athlete who are well versed in various forms of martial arts. Styles included in MMA consist of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,Muay Thai,Kickboxing,Wrestling,Karate,and Sambo to name a few. Masters of their craft, MMA has produced champions of almost every different style. Notable champions using these different styles include;
Wrestling-Randy Couture,Brock Lesnar,Matt Hughes,Rashad Evans,Cain Velasquez,Shane Carwin(Interim)
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu-Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira,Murilo Bustamante,Royce Gracie(Tournament Champion)
Muay Thai-Anderson Silva,Wanderlei Silva,Jose Aldo
Kickboxing-Alistair Overeem,Maurice Smith,Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic
Karate- Bas Rutten,Lyoto Machida,Georges St. Pierre,Vitor Belfort,Chuck Liddell
Sambo-Andrei Arlovski,Fedor Emelianenko
10 Point Must System
The ten point must system was adopted from boxing and brought over to MMA when the New Jersey State Athletic Commission sanctioned the sport. The official 10 point system for MMA is as follows;
13:46-24A.13 Judging New Jersey State Athletic Commission
(a) All bouts will be evaluated and scored by three judges.
(b) The 10-Point Must System will be the standard system of scoring a
bout. Under the 10-Point Must Scoring System, 10 points must be awarded
to the winner of the round and nine points or less must be awarded to
the loser, except for a rare even round, which is scored (10-10).
(c) Judges shall evaluate mixed martial arts techniques, such as
effective striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting area,
effective aggressiveness and defense.
(d) Evaluations shall be made in the order in which the techniques
appear in (c) above, giving the most weight in scoring to effective
striking, effective grappling, control of the fighting area and
effective aggressiveness and defense.
(e) Effective striking is judged by determining the total number of
legal heavy strikes landed by a contestant.
(f) Effective grappling is judged by considering the amount of
successful executions of a legal takedown and reversals. Examples of
factors to consider are take downs from standing position to mount
position, passing the guard to mount position, and bottom position
fighters using an active, threatening guard.
(g) Fighting area control is judged by determining who is dictating the
pace, location and position of the bout. Examples of factors to consider
are countering a grappler's attempt at takedown by remaining standing
and legally striking ; taking down an opponent to force a ground fight;
creating threatening submission attempts, passing the guard to achieve
mount, and creating striking opportunities.
(h) Effective aggressiveness means moving forward and landing a legal
strike.
(i) Effective defense means avoiding being struck, taken down or
reversed while countering with offensive attacks.
(j) The following objective scoring criteria shall be utilized by the
judges when scoring a round;
1. A round is to be scored as a 10-10 Round when both contestants
appear to be fighting evenly and neither contestant shows clear
dominance in a round;
2. A round is to be scored as a 10-9 Round when a contestant wins by a
close margin, landing the greater number of effective legal strikes,
grappling and other maneuvers;
3. A round is to be scored as a 10-8 Round when a contestant
overwhelmingly dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
4. A round is to be scored as a 10-7 Round when a contestant totally
dominates by striking or grappling in a round.
(k) Judges shall use a sliding scale and recognize the length of time
the fighters are either standing or on the ground, as follows:
1. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round on the
canvas, then:
i. Effective grappling is weighed first; and
ii. Effective striking is then weighed
2. If the mixed martial artists spent a majority of a round standing,
then:
1. Effective striking is weighed first; and
2. Effective grappling is then weighed
3. If a round ends with a relatively even amount of standing and canvas
fighting, striking and grappling are weighed equally
MMA has suffered with its lack of MMA judges and the use of boxing judges in their place, leading to many controversial decisions this problem does need addressed but its not something that can be fixed overnight.
Cage vs Ring
Cage vs Ring is an MMA debate that will go on until long after the sport dies. Many feel the cage's "No Escape" feel gives a fight a more dramatic effect. While defenders of the ring feel the ring leads to better fights and causes fighters to actually use their technique and skill-set instead of engaging in a senseless brawl. The cage is manipulated in every single fight held inside it with every fighter employing a strategy utilizing it to their advantage.Many fighters push their opponents up against the cage, or even move them to it after taking them down aiding in a brawl but negating the technique needed in ground grappling and ground striking.Many cage lovers don't believe this fact but submissions are far less likely in a cage then inside a ring.If you look at the previous history of MMA in Japan and Brazil it was always held in a ring or open floor because traditional martial arts was about technique and discipline.Spectators of combat sports can see the significant difference in the action in a cage opposed to a ring as the cage encourages wall-wrestling and wedged between the wall ground and pound.Action in a ring such as Pride FC which was the pinnacle of MMA until it went defunct contains much more stand-up fighting, more movement, and more exciting action in exchanges and engagements. Even corporate sponsors stay away from the cage, if you look at a boxing ring,DREAM MMA ring or a K-1 ring you see sponsors and advertisements from many multi-million dollar industries such as Nike or the casinos holding the venue. Meanwhile in a cage you see smaller industries such as energy drinks and MMA apparel, ever wonder why Nike wasn't all over the Octagon? Even the very casinos in Vegas which hold the events don't always sponsor events in a cage with an advertisement on the floor.The UFC has hopes of going international and may have to eventually adapt to the ring in order for the rest of the world to catch on but don't count on it happening.
Is MMA Safer than Boxing?
MMA is the fasting growing sport in all the world at this moment, however many casual viewers see it as barbaric or inhumane and this is its only major drawback.These fans see and elbow,knee,or kick and they automatically assume "deathmatch" but will be more likely to watch a boxing match even though MMA is a safer sport.MMA has rules to protect injured fighters as well as less rounds making Dementia Pugilistica and death are extremely rare. Dementia Pugilistica is also known as CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.The condition DP/CTE is believed to affect around 15-20% of all professional boxers.The condition is caused by repeated concussive and sub-concussive blows (blows that are below the threshold of force necessary to sustain a concussion), or both. Due to concern that boxing most likely causes DP, there is a movement among medical professionals to ban the sport entirely. Medical professionals have been calling for such since as early as the 1950s. Symptoms and signs of DP/CTE develop progressively over a long latent period sometimes spanning decades, with the average time of DP/CTE onset being around 12–16 years after the start of a boxing career.The condition, which occurs in boxers who have suffered repeated blows to the head, causes dementia, declining mental ability, memory loss, and parkinsonism (tremors and lack of coordination.) DP/CTE also causes speech impediment and an unsteady gait. Patients with DP/CTE are also prone to inappropriate or combustible behavior and may display pathological jealousy and/or thoughts of paranoia. An Individual displaying these symptoms also can be characterized as "punch drunk", another term for a someone suffering from DP/CTE. The brains of DP/CTE patients atrophy(the partial or complete wasting away of a part of the body) and lose neurons, for example in the cerebellum the corticospinal or pyramidal tract generally dysfunctions and goes haywire.Sufferers can be treated with drugs used for Alzheimer's disease and parkinsonism. In a boxing match that consist of twelve rounds there are between 350 and 600 punches that land 90% of those are to the head each of these rounds is 3 minutes where in MMA a title fight is five five minute rounds and non-title are three five minute rounds. Even training with headgear it only protects the soft tissue from being damaged not the impact the brain withstands, boxers also aren't allowed to fight in the clinch since it is illegal in the sport. Therefore when a boxer suffers a punch that causes damage he instinctively clinches only to be broken up by the referee and allowed to sustain another blow.In MMA fighters are allowed to fight from the clinch and also have to worry about takedowns,kicks,knees,and elbows which doesn't allow them to focus solely on the knockout unlike boxing which is one dimensional and you can focus solely on punching your opponent. Knockouts and injury are the main debate and the numbers don't lie boxers commonly suffer from brain trauma, hemmorages, and swelling of the brain since a fighter can be dropped and have 10 seconds to recover and continue on. "Fight or Flight response in a human will always allow for this recovery unless a state of unconciousness is met. MMA however when a fighter is hurt or intelligently stops defending himself the fight is stopped, also a knockout is a concussion regardless of how you look at it whenever a person loses consciousness its categorized as a concussion. There has only been one recored fatality in state sanctioned MMA competition in the last 16 years, Sammy Vasquez was the victim and he had a pre-existing blood clot in his brain which required surgery and he sustained another causing a coma and eventual death.In the past 16 years there has been over 110 recorded deaths in boxing an astounding number, boxing claims 30 lives a year on average since 1890 there hasn't been one year without multiple deaths in boxing. This doesn't mean MMA doesn't have risk or fighters are unphased by this, its just a safer way for fight sports to be played.
This has been an education in MMA for all who were ever curious about the fastest growing sport in the world.Please set ignorance aside and make an intelligent judgement on whats considered "Blood Sport" also, if you watch MMA and its not for you that's fine at least give it a chance before you throw it under the bus.
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