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.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
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.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Brian Stann: Captain America 2.0
by Siri Karri
While Chuck "Iceman" Liddell may be considered the most popular mma fighter of all time, Randy Couture comes in a very close second. He, however, was undoubtedly the most integral in the UFC's struggle for legitimacy. When the sports was being attacked for being a breeding ground for bloodthirsty hooligans, "Captain America" was a well-spoken and humble military veteran who managed to dominate two divisions. And now, as Randy comes closer to hanging up the wings and shield, the mantle of Captain America has had few viable successors.
- Frankie Edgar, while being scrappy, still lacks the awe factor and charisma of BJ Penn.
- St. Pierre's broken English is the butt of many jokes and his inability to finish his opponents is starting to grate on his fans' nerves.
- Anderson Silva, while wildly talented, has no people skills and his antics in the ring have drawn much ire
- Shogun Rua speaks no English and is injured so much I'm pretty sure he'll fight Rashad Evans from a wheelchair
- Cain Valesquez has no charisma, and Brock before him was basically a cartoon villain.
But as of Jan. 1st at UFC 125, the great new hope has been born. Fight fans everywhere, meet . . . Brian Stann.
Outside of fighting, Brian Stann is a certified American hero. As a US Marine, he personally directed several highly dangerous casualty and vehicle recovery operations (all successful). To cap it all off, his squad was ambushed by insurgents and he directed a defensive measure which allowed him and all of his fellow marines to hold out for six days. For this he was awarded the Silver Star of Valor.
Then he spent a stint fighting at light heavyweight at which he recorded several impressive wins but was ultimately undersized against top flight competition. He dropped to middleweight, won fight of the night, and set off to face Chris Leben at UFC 125 and catapulted him into the spotlight.
Chris Leben, a very dangerous middleweight who has always had a spate of bad luck when it came to getting a title shot, was very well known for several things. One, he could knock out anyone from anywhere with his left hand. Two, he arguably had the best chin in all of the UFC (the only man to finish him till that point was Anderson Silva). What does Brian Stann do?
He hits the MMA equivalent of a grand-slam
Bell rings. Stann is clearly faster, but Leben gets a hold of him and SMASHES him with a left uppercut that clearly hurts Stann badly. Stann backs off and as Leben rushes into finish him, thwacks him with a solid left hook straight to the jaw. Leben is stunned slightly, but continues to pursue.
Thwack
Unbelievable counter right sends Leben sprawling to the canvas. Leben survives the ground and pound and gets back up. Stann is unable to really hurt Leben to the head as he covers up.
Thwack
Stann socks Chris Leben in the liver and drops him again. Yet again Chris is surviving and barely manages to get up. Stann is clearly beginning to tire. He can't keep up this pace forever.
Thud
Knee to the head drops Leben again and the ground and pound at the end is just icing on the cake. The fight is stopped.
Brian Stann has just accomplished 3 unbelievable things for a relatively unknown fighter.
1) He stood with Chris Leben
2) He got ROCKED by Chris Leben and survived
3) He finished Chris Leben
As the crowd oohs and aahs over the replays of Stann's pinpoint striking, Stann gives an unbelievable winner's speech. He fluidly combines his praise for Leben's toughness and dedicating his win to his fellow marine who recently passed away. Unbelievable. Not too melodramatic, just enough emotion and sincerity that you wanna reach out and hug this guy.
I could practically see the flag waving behind him.
Fast forward to post-fight conference.
One of the reporters has the gall to ask, to sum it up, "How did your buddy die?"
Dude, you just watched this American hero put on the fight of his life . . . and you want to probe his friend's death? One could forgive Stann for simply refusing to answer or even calling out the callous reporter on his lack of tact.
Instead, Stann slowly says that it was an IED (Improvised Explosive Device), and that he was a good man who used martial arts to teach traumatized war veterans to cope. He's obviously a little choked, but he's kept his poise. No melodrama, just a concise and sincere answer to a very hard question. You just can't throw a curveball at this guy.
OH. And when asked to call out a fighter, he prefaces his choice by saying the man is a legend and a hell of a fighter: Wanderlei Silva. After knocking out Chris Leben, he could be forgiven for assuming he could just get Wanderlei Silva. But no, he politely asks for Wanderlei as though getting him would be the biggest favor in the world.
Allow me to recap Brian Stann as best I can: A Silver Star of Valor winner who finished Chris Leben, dedicated his victory to his fallen comrade, and offers nothing but respect to any opponent he is given. He represents the finest of sportsmanship, bravery, and humility and the UFC needs to market this man as much as possible.
If I could, I would attend the next fight Brian Stann is at and present him with his superhero costume in the pre-fight locker room. Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present:
Brian Stann, Captain America 2.0.
Overeem is not Overated
Alistair Overeem has accomplished yet another amazing feat in his which looks like a "legendary" career. Overeem who is currently Strikeforce's current heavyweight champion made an appearance at the K-1 World Grand Prix Final and won another heavyweight championship by defeating Tyrone Sprong,Gokhan Saki,and K-1 Legend and 3 time Grand Prix winner Peter Aerts. Alistair Overeem has a fight record of 10-4 as a kickboxer and a 33-11-1 record in mixed martial arts,Overeem has a collective record of 43-15-1 and when you look at the losses many of which came when Overeem was extremely young and inexperienced in his fight career and were against many future hall of famers his notable losses were to Sergei Kharitonov(Last man to defeat Overeem back in 2007),Mauricio "Shogun" Rua(2), Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (2),Fabricio Werdum (Only man to cleanly beat Fedor Emelianenko during Fedors 28-0-1 fight streak), and "The Iceman" Chuck Liddell this is meant to prove any and everybody wrong who wants to say Overeem is an overrated heavyweight. An overrated heavyweight fighter for example is someone like Brock Lesnar,Lesnar although he has an incredible collegiate wrestling background is nothing more than that a wrestler. Whenever the outcome isn't pre-determined Lesnar won't reign with any sort of championship for too long, he will drop it much like he did to Cain Velasquez and almost did to Shane Carwin when you are almost KO'd and then KO'd after Zuffa and the UFC pumped a whole month of Lesnar(BROCKtober) down our throat to purchase a Pay-Per-View in which the "Golden Child" of the heavyweight division gets banged up like he didn't even belong in a cage where striking was legal how can you not call Lesnar overrated before Overeem? Overeem is the subject to many insults and jokes such as the Haley's comet of MMA and also the man who doesn't eat horse meat but horse steroids and the line is going to be drawn right here.How can somebody who yes only defended the Strikeforce title once in 3 years be overrated when he is one of the busiest fighters on this Earth? How does that sentence even make sense here is how. Overeem went into 2008 coming off a loss to Kharitonov since that loss Overeem has been in 19 fights and out of those 19 he has only dropped 2 both of which were in K-1. Now before we jump the gun and say well he's lost two fights since last losing an mma bout step back and analyze where the best strikers in the world are? answer K-1. Why do K-1 fighters have bad records? must mean they are no good. Also an untrue statement and one that must irritate many a fighter and fan alike. K-1 is where the best strikers on this planet are and unlike the UFC and Strikeforce, K-1 pitts the best strikers against the best strikers all the time sometimes 3 to 5 times a night. Another example of this is say the #2 K-1 Fighter in the world wins against #1 now that #2 is #1 he will face #2 in his first defense unlike the UFC where if you win a title you can basically pick and choose who you want to fight and duck certain people and never fight the best if you don't want too. Overeem has nothing to prove by fighting in Strikeforce at all times its a waste of his time and he's losing money why fight 3 MMA bouts a year for maybe 400,000 when you can win one GP and make the exact same amount in a single night and then turn around and try and face somebody two weeks later for the DREAM HW Championship. Overeem is anything but overrated and many fighters need to take a page from Overeem's book and make themselves an icon as a fighter as he is currently doing not an icon of a product or brand but until others catch on we should enjoy the moment because no matter what is said or how its stated Alistair Overeem is the first fighter to hold the Strikeforce HW Championship and K-1 HW Championship at the same time and he may be adding a third with DREAM's HW Championship this is history in the making and if Overeem can pull off this triple crown so to speak wouldn't that mean the UFC HW Championship the only title he would be missing is what's really overrated?
Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix
Strikeforce Announces Heavyweight Tournament
With the UFC's heavyweight division in a remission so to speak Strikeforce has upped the bar.Strikeforce has announced an eight-man heavyweight tournament opening on February 12th,2011 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford,New Jersey . The eight heavyweights will consist of Fedor Emelianenko taking on Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva,Andrei Arolovski vs Segei Kharitonov,Brett Rogers vs Josh Barnett,and the final first round bout with current Strikeforce,DREAM,and K-1 Grand Prix champion Alistair Overeem taking on the last man to defeat Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum. On February 12th, the fight card will consist of two opening round fights as well as two other heavyweight fights. The first bout on the main card will be Valentijn Overeem(Alistair's older brother) vs Strikeforce newcomer and ex K-1 heavyweight Ray Sefo. The second bout will be between two undefeated in Strikeforce fighters as Shane Del Rosario (2-0 Strikeforce 10-0 overall)goes to war with Lavar Johnson(3-0 Strikeforce 15-3 overall).There will be two main events to officially open the tournaments first two bouts. In the co-main event it will be a quarterfinal bout between former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski(15-8 overall) and Sergei Kharitonov (17-4 overall holds a 1-1 record against Overeem) in a fight that has very little chance of going the distance.The main event will feature another quarterfinal bout with Fedor Emelianenko(31-2) and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva(15-2). Although Emelianenko has 2 losses they must be explained,one loss was a doctor stoppage for a cut although Fedor was clearly unphased by it in 2000 and the other coming most recently against Fabricio Werdum after dropping Werdum with a punch Emelianenko followed up to aggressively and was caught in a triangle choke and forced to tap. This is why many feel even with two losses Fedor Emelianenko is probably the greatest fighter to ever compete in MMA since he's only been cleanly beaten once in 33 bouts.Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva on the other hand is exactly that a "Bigfoot" of a man who will have a distinct height and weight advantage over Emelianenko at 6'4 265lbs and Emelianenko coming in at 6' 230lbs.Emelianenko although the favorite in this match needs to be extremely cautious of Silva's power.Strikeforce after this evening of fights will benefit a great deal in popularity as well as gain a few UFC viewers in the process with their current issues at heavyweight.The UFC is currently in a standstill in their heavyweight division since champion Cain Velasquez injured his shoulder and will be out for about nine months.UFC number one contender Junior Dos Santos wants to fight for the interim title but there is no suitable opponent.To top that UFC top draw Brock Lesnar who is coming off a humiliating knockout defeat by the hands of Cain Velasquez may have lost his will to fight, as well as Shane Carwin's recent back surgery and Roy Nelson's contract issues the UFC isn't planning much at the heavyweight level anytime soon.Strikeforce's heavyweight division is arguably the best in all of MMA in terms of overall talent and depth but don't have the fanbase or marketing the UFC has. Strikeforce knows this and this is why the tournament is taking place.By placing Overeem in this tournament US fans can finally see what all the hype is about concerning the current and first Triple Crown Winner in all of fight sports.Alistair Overeem spoke to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker personally on their last visit to Japan, which Scott Coker recently stated in an interview in response to their conversation "When I was in Japan last week, he(Overeem) said, "You’ve got to let me fight Fabricio. I want to avenge that loss. It’s important. So that was an easy fight to put together. Werdum says he’s going to make Alistair go to sleep." The one thing making this fight not for the title, is title fights have to be five rounds and the tournament format should require all fights to be three rounds.Coker went on to state a very likely solution for this problem however "We’re trying to talk to all the commissions in all the states that we are attempting to go to work it out,"Coker said. "But I think we’ll have it ironed out in 24 hours. The goal is to have the title on the line and let them fight it out because that’s our world champion and Fabricio beat Fedor. I think that’d be a great representation of the Strikeforce belt." Coker also addressed Overeem's dedication to Strikeforce stating "This year, we sat down in Japan, and he’s fully committed," Coker said. "We have an understanding, and I have no doubt he’s going to fight for us and I think he’s going to fight very well." Overeem although the Strikeforce champion, has only defended the belt once in three years and that was a KO victory over Brett Rogers in early 2010.Overeem now returning to fight in the states after conquering K-1 and taking the DREAM heavyweight title in a 19 second smashing of former UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee, only signifies the growth of Strikeforce.If Overeem should go deep, even win this tournament which he is easily expected to do even considering the talent and depth of fighters, Overeem will have the U.S. MMA success which is needed by Strikeforce as well as met Coker's request of fighting three Strikeforce bouts,leaving him free to return to Japan as planned.Overeem can continue becoming the worldwide icon in MMA the sport so desperately needs to expand globally, which Fighting and Entertainment Group in Japan has already gotten in the works. Strikeforce has offically upped the bar against the UFC since the UFC's only heavyweight tournament under Zuffa LLC was a three fight four man tournament and a UFC tournament is something of a joke considering what Pride FC used to produce.Showtime has also had a major say in this tournament as they are trying to use Strikeforce to defeat the longtime boxing rivals on HBO in the ratings category.Showtime released an Official Press Release on their partnership with Strikeforce and M-1 Global following Strikeforce's re-signing of Fedor Emelianenko which is posted below.
PRESS RELEASE –
World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotions STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with premium television network SHOWTIME have signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC).
In addition, STRIKEFORCE has assembled eight of the world’s top ranked heavyweights to compete in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that will take place over several events in 2011. The first two quarterfinal fights begin on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J. In the main event, the 34-year-old Emelianenko will face the towering Antonio "Big Foot" Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. Co-featured on Feb. 12, former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) will face Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat current STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem.
The other two quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), while the heavy-handed Brett "The Grim" Rogers (11-2) will meet a hungry Josh Barnett (29-5). The location and date for these quarterfinal tournament fights are to be announced.
"We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 GLOBAL," said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. "To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world."
"I’m very pleased to be working with SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE and Mr. Coker and Mr. Hershman personally. Thanks to their interest and efforts, we’ve created what will go down in history as MMA’s greatest heavyweight tournament of all time," said Vadim Finkelchtein, co-founder of M-1 Global. "M-1, STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME have built a partnership committed to the future growth of MMA—a sport where organizations represent a working collaborative that enable the best fighters in the world to fight each other. This agreement benefits everyone, especially the fans who’ll see Fedor in action more often.
"With SHOWTIME’s significance in the U.S. and M-1’s development of the European and Asian MMA markets, the cooperation will also deliver a global roster of talented fighters to viewers," Finkelchtein continued. "During the coming year, we’ll be showcasing spectacular Grand Prix events using the same M-1 Selection tournament format, a series of events generating enthusiastic spectator interest keeping fans glued to their screens."
"I can’t think of a better way to start 2011 than with this major announcement," said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. "Fedor is universally known to sports fans throughout the world and it is an honor to continue our work with M-1 GLOBAL and STRIKEFORCE in presenting this legendary fighter to SHOWTIME subscribers.
"SHOWTIME has enjoyed great success with its two most recent boxing tournaments—the Super Six World Boxing Classic and The Bantamweight Tournament," Hershman continued. "And now, with the breadth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division, we have the privilege of staging one of the biggest tournaments in the history of this growing sport. With the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix’s single-elimination format and the biggest names in the sport today, this tournament is something that no sports fan will want to miss."
"I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage," said the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko, who hails from Stary Oskol, Russia and is promoted by M-1 GLOBAL. "STRIKEFORCE has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 GLOBAL, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format."
Fedor’s unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 professional MMA bouts without a defeat has prompted many MMA enthusiasts to label Fedor as the greatest of all time. Since his career began 10 years ago, Fedor has faced and defeated many rival superstars and champions of this era including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark "The Hammer" Coleman.
In what ranks among the most watched MMA fights in the United States, Fedor made his live primetime network television debut on Nov. 7, 2009 on CBS, when he defeated unbeaten rising star Brett Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. Despite a difficult first round in which he sustained a deep cut above his eye, Fedor turned the tide early in the second round with one vicious right-hand punch and finished Rogers shortly after.
Then, on June 26, 2010, Fedor suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., in one of the most watched MMA bouts on SHOWTIME. Werdum, who has defeated a host of top rivals including Overeem, Silva and Brandon "The Truth" Vera, trapped Fedor’s arm in a triangle armbar that forced Fedor to tap out at the 1:09 mark of the opening round.
Fedor has only one other official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000. Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first-round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.
Strikeforce has now staked its claim in American MMA and with HBO's boxing special's becoming secondary to MMA, Strikeforce could eventually expand to them as well.This tournament should be something the casual fan and even boxing fans should take the time out to observe, since many tournaments aren't happening in fight sports the way they used to with the exception of K-1. This should be something fight fans will remember for many years or until the UFC attempts to one up Strikeforce.-Sean Farrell
With the UFC's heavyweight division in a remission so to speak Strikeforce has upped the bar.Strikeforce has announced an eight-man heavyweight tournament opening on February 12th,2011 at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford,New Jersey . The eight heavyweights will consist of Fedor Emelianenko taking on Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva,Andrei Arolovski vs Segei Kharitonov,Brett Rogers vs Josh Barnett,and the final first round bout with current Strikeforce,DREAM,and K-1 Grand Prix champion Alistair Overeem taking on the last man to defeat Fedor Emelianenko, Fabricio Werdum. On February 12th, the fight card will consist of two opening round fights as well as two other heavyweight fights. The first bout on the main card will be Valentijn Overeem(Alistair's older brother) vs Strikeforce newcomer and ex K-1 heavyweight Ray Sefo. The second bout will be between two undefeated in Strikeforce fighters as Shane Del Rosario (2-0 Strikeforce 10-0 overall)goes to war with Lavar Johnson(3-0 Strikeforce 15-3 overall).There will be two main events to officially open the tournaments first two bouts. In the co-main event it will be a quarterfinal bout between former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski(15-8 overall) and Sergei Kharitonov (17-4 overall holds a 1-1 record against Overeem) in a fight that has very little chance of going the distance.The main event will feature another quarterfinal bout with Fedor Emelianenko(31-2) and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva(15-2). Although Emelianenko has 2 losses they must be explained,one loss was a doctor stoppage for a cut although Fedor was clearly unphased by it in 2000 and the other coming most recently against Fabricio Werdum after dropping Werdum with a punch Emelianenko followed up to aggressively and was caught in a triangle choke and forced to tap. This is why many feel even with two losses Fedor Emelianenko is probably the greatest fighter to ever compete in MMA since he's only been cleanly beaten once in 33 bouts.Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva on the other hand is exactly that a "Bigfoot" of a man who will have a distinct height and weight advantage over Emelianenko at 6'4 265lbs and Emelianenko coming in at 6' 230lbs.Emelianenko although the favorite in this match needs to be extremely cautious of Silva's power.Strikeforce after this evening of fights will benefit a great deal in popularity as well as gain a few UFC viewers in the process with their current issues at heavyweight.The UFC is currently in a standstill in their heavyweight division since champion Cain Velasquez injured his shoulder and will be out for about nine months.UFC number one contender Junior Dos Santos wants to fight for the interim title but there is no suitable opponent.To top that UFC top draw Brock Lesnar who is coming off a humiliating knockout defeat by the hands of Cain Velasquez may have lost his will to fight, as well as Shane Carwin's recent back surgery and Roy Nelson's contract issues the UFC isn't planning much at the heavyweight level anytime soon.Strikeforce's heavyweight division is arguably the best in all of MMA in terms of overall talent and depth but don't have the fanbase or marketing the UFC has. Strikeforce knows this and this is why the tournament is taking place.By placing Overeem in this tournament US fans can finally see what all the hype is about concerning the current and first Triple Crown Winner in all of fight sports.Alistair Overeem spoke to Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker personally on their last visit to Japan, which Scott Coker recently stated in an interview in response to their conversation "When I was in Japan last week, he(Overeem) said, "You’ve got to let me fight Fabricio. I want to avenge that loss. It’s important. So that was an easy fight to put together. Werdum says he’s going to make Alistair go to sleep." The one thing making this fight not for the title, is title fights have to be five rounds and the tournament format should require all fights to be three rounds.Coker went on to state a very likely solution for this problem however "We’re trying to talk to all the commissions in all the states that we are attempting to go to work it out,"Coker said. "But I think we’ll have it ironed out in 24 hours. The goal is to have the title on the line and let them fight it out because that’s our world champion and Fabricio beat Fedor. I think that’d be a great representation of the Strikeforce belt." Coker also addressed Overeem's dedication to Strikeforce stating "This year, we sat down in Japan, and he’s fully committed," Coker said. "We have an understanding, and I have no doubt he’s going to fight for us and I think he’s going to fight very well." Overeem although the Strikeforce champion, has only defended the belt once in three years and that was a KO victory over Brett Rogers in early 2010.Overeem now returning to fight in the states after conquering K-1 and taking the DREAM heavyweight title in a 19 second smashing of former UFC heavyweight Todd Duffee, only signifies the growth of Strikeforce.If Overeem should go deep, even win this tournament which he is easily expected to do even considering the talent and depth of fighters, Overeem will have the U.S. MMA success which is needed by Strikeforce as well as met Coker's request of fighting three Strikeforce bouts,leaving him free to return to Japan as planned.Overeem can continue becoming the worldwide icon in MMA the sport so desperately needs to expand globally, which Fighting and Entertainment Group in Japan has already gotten in the works. Strikeforce has offically upped the bar against the UFC since the UFC's only heavyweight tournament under Zuffa LLC was a three fight four man tournament and a UFC tournament is something of a joke considering what Pride FC used to produce.Showtime has also had a major say in this tournament as they are trying to use Strikeforce to defeat the longtime boxing rivals on HBO in the ratings category.Showtime released an Official Press Release on their partnership with Strikeforce and M-1 Global following Strikeforce's re-signing of Fedor Emelianenko which is posted below.
PRESS RELEASE –
World championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotions STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL, in association with premium television network SHOWTIME have signed a new, multi-year agreement to co-promote events headlined by the MMA legend Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko (31-2, 1 NC).
In addition, STRIKEFORCE has assembled eight of the world’s top ranked heavyweights to compete in the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix – Heavyweight Tournament, a three-stage, single-elimination tournament that will take place over several events in 2011. The first two quarterfinal fights begin on Saturday, Feb. 12, live on SHOWTIME from the IZOD Center in E. Rutherford, N.J. In the main event, the 34-year-old Emelianenko will face the towering Antonio "Big Foot" Silva (15-2) in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. Co-featured on Feb. 12, former world champion Andrei Arlovski (15-8) will face Sergei Kharitonov (16-4), the last man to defeat current STRIKEFORCE Heavyweight World Champion Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem.
The other two quarterfinal matchups are as follows: Overeem (34-11, 1 NC) will face the only man to tap out Fedor, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Fabricio Werdum (14-4-1), while the heavy-handed Brett "The Grim" Rogers (11-2) will meet a hungry Josh Barnett (29-5). The location and date for these quarterfinal tournament fights are to be announced.
"We are thrilled to have come to a long-term agreement with Fedor and M-1 GLOBAL," said STRIKEFORCE CEO Scott Coker. "To have the greatest MMA fighter of all-time put his legacy on the line in a single-elimination tournament will truly captivate MMA fans worldwide. STRIKEFORCE is home to the best heavyweight division in the world; the athlete who runs the gauntlet in a tournament such as this would have to be considered the best heavyweight fighter in the world."
"I’m very pleased to be working with SHOWTIME and STRIKEFORCE and Mr. Coker and Mr. Hershman personally. Thanks to their interest and efforts, we’ve created what will go down in history as MMA’s greatest heavyweight tournament of all time," said Vadim Finkelchtein, co-founder of M-1 Global. "M-1, STRIKEFORCE and SHOWTIME have built a partnership committed to the future growth of MMA—a sport where organizations represent a working collaborative that enable the best fighters in the world to fight each other. This agreement benefits everyone, especially the fans who’ll see Fedor in action more often.
"With SHOWTIME’s significance in the U.S. and M-1’s development of the European and Asian MMA markets, the cooperation will also deliver a global roster of talented fighters to viewers," Finkelchtein continued. "During the coming year, we’ll be showcasing spectacular Grand Prix events using the same M-1 Selection tournament format, a series of events generating enthusiastic spectator interest keeping fans glued to their screens."
"I can’t think of a better way to start 2011 than with this major announcement," said Ken Hershman, Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports®. "Fedor is universally known to sports fans throughout the world and it is an honor to continue our work with M-1 GLOBAL and STRIKEFORCE in presenting this legendary fighter to SHOWTIME subscribers.
"SHOWTIME has enjoyed great success with its two most recent boxing tournaments—the Super Six World Boxing Classic and The Bantamweight Tournament," Hershman continued. "And now, with the breadth of talent in the STRIKEFORCE heavyweight division, we have the privilege of staging one of the biggest tournaments in the history of this growing sport. With the STRIKEFORCE World Grand Prix’s single-elimination format and the biggest names in the sport today, this tournament is something that no sports fan will want to miss."
"I have been training very hard since my last fight and can’t wait to get back in the cage," said the 6-foot, 235-pound Emelianenko, who hails from Stary Oskol, Russia and is promoted by M-1 GLOBAL. "STRIKEFORCE has assembled a roster filled with the best heavyweights in the world and, together with M-1 GLOBAL, we have the opportunity to fight the best in a great tournament format."
Fedor’s unprecedented, record-setting run of 28 professional MMA bouts without a defeat has prompted many MMA enthusiasts to label Fedor as the greatest of all time. Since his career began 10 years ago, Fedor has faced and defeated many rival superstars and champions of this era including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic, Andrei Arlovski and Mark "The Hammer" Coleman.
In what ranks among the most watched MMA fights in the United States, Fedor made his live primetime network television debut on Nov. 7, 2009 on CBS, when he defeated unbeaten rising star Brett Rogers in a STRIKEFORCE and M-1 GLOBAL co-promoted event. Despite a difficult first round in which he sustained a deep cut above his eye, Fedor turned the tide early in the second round with one vicious right-hand punch and finished Rogers shortly after.
Then, on June 26, 2010, Fedor suffered a stunning upset at the hands of Werdum, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., in one of the most watched MMA bouts on SHOWTIME. Werdum, who has defeated a host of top rivals including Overeem, Silva and Brandon "The Truth" Vera, trapped Fedor’s arm in a triangle armbar that forced Fedor to tap out at the 1:09 mark of the opening round.
Fedor has only one other official loss on his record, the result of a doctor stoppage due to a cut he sustained seconds into a matchup with Japan’s Tsuyoshi Kosaka on Dec. 22, 2000. Fedor avenged the TKO loss with his own first-round TKO of Kosaka at a PRIDE Fighting Championships event in Japan on April 3, 2005.
Strikeforce has now staked its claim in American MMA and with HBO's boxing special's becoming secondary to MMA, Strikeforce could eventually expand to them as well.This tournament should be something the casual fan and even boxing fans should take the time out to observe, since many tournaments aren't happening in fight sports the way they used to with the exception of K-1. This should be something fight fans will remember for many years or until the UFC attempts to one up Strikeforce.-Sean Farrell
Sonnen May Be Prison Bound
Sonnen Suspended by UFC Scratched from 128
Chael Sonnen who reached immediate overnight celebrity status after his recent five round war with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has found himself in more hot water.After the bout with Silva,Sonnen failed his drug test for elevated testosterone levels and had his license suspended for a year.Sonnen appealed the suspension paying a fine and having his sentence reduced to only six months, which the UFC thought was then end of the problems and penciled him in to face fellow middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 128 on March 19th,2011.It was report on January 6th, 2011 that Sonnen plead guilty to money laundering and will be sentenced on March 28th.Sonnen is facing up to 20 years in prison but is expected to cooperate with investigators on the case and should only receive a slap on the wrist, two years of probation loss of his Realtor's license and a $10,000 fine.Sonnen has admitted that he willingly submitted a false letter and sales agreement addendum involving the payment of a plumbing company for repairs to a house that Sonnen knew were not actually going to be made.US Attorney Dwight Holton released a statement saying "This office will continue to aggressively prosecute real estate professionals who committed the mortgage fraud that contributed to this country's economic downturn and wreaked havoc on our community's housing market,We entrusted these professionals to honestly broker real estate transactions and instead, they defrauded lending institutions throughout the country and left financial ruin in their wake." TMZ reported that UFC President Dana White has "frozen" Sonnen's contract with the company "Chael Sonnen has gone through a lot in the last few months and we think it's important for him to focus on getting his personal life together before focusing on his career in the UFC." White adds, "I spoke with Chael earlier today and he agrees that setting priorities in his life is the best thing for him right now. I sincerely hope Chael is able to straighten out his personal life." With no timetable on Sonnen's return the UFC had to move forward and scratch him from his next scheduled fight at UFC 128 with Akiyama. Nate Marquardt who lost against Sonnen at UFC 109 will be his replacement. Marquardt is most recently coming of a loss to Yushin Okami, and is trying to regain his status within the division since Okami dominated him in their fight to determine the number one contender to Anderson Silva's title. Akiyama on the other hand was one of the biggest acquisitions in MMA in 2009 leaving K-1 and DREAM to try his skills in the Octagon.Although Akiyama is 1-2 in the UFC, his three fights with Alan Belcher,Chris Leben, and Michael Bisping have been among the most exciting in all of MMA. With Sonnen's recent problems and Dana White not having much patience with his fighters, this could be strike two for Sonnen and a loss once he does comes back could lead to his walking papers as well.
Chael Sonnen who reached immediate overnight celebrity status after his recent five round war with UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva has found himself in more hot water.After the bout with Silva,Sonnen failed his drug test for elevated testosterone levels and had his license suspended for a year.Sonnen appealed the suspension paying a fine and having his sentence reduced to only six months, which the UFC thought was then end of the problems and penciled him in to face fellow middleweight Yoshihiro Akiyama at UFC 128 on March 19th,2011.It was report on January 6th, 2011 that Sonnen plead guilty to money laundering and will be sentenced on March 28th.Sonnen is facing up to 20 years in prison but is expected to cooperate with investigators on the case and should only receive a slap on the wrist, two years of probation loss of his Realtor's license and a $10,000 fine.Sonnen has admitted that he willingly submitted a false letter and sales agreement addendum involving the payment of a plumbing company for repairs to a house that Sonnen knew were not actually going to be made.US Attorney Dwight Holton released a statement saying "This office will continue to aggressively prosecute real estate professionals who committed the mortgage fraud that contributed to this country's economic downturn and wreaked havoc on our community's housing market,We entrusted these professionals to honestly broker real estate transactions and instead, they defrauded lending institutions throughout the country and left financial ruin in their wake." TMZ reported that UFC President Dana White has "frozen" Sonnen's contract with the company "Chael Sonnen has gone through a lot in the last few months and we think it's important for him to focus on getting his personal life together before focusing on his career in the UFC." White adds, "I spoke with Chael earlier today and he agrees that setting priorities in his life is the best thing for him right now. I sincerely hope Chael is able to straighten out his personal life." With no timetable on Sonnen's return the UFC had to move forward and scratch him from his next scheduled fight at UFC 128 with Akiyama. Nate Marquardt who lost against Sonnen at UFC 109 will be his replacement. Marquardt is most recently coming of a loss to Yushin Okami, and is trying to regain his status within the division since Okami dominated him in their fight to determine the number one contender to Anderson Silva's title. Akiyama on the other hand was one of the biggest acquisitions in MMA in 2009 leaving K-1 and DREAM to try his skills in the Octagon.Although Akiyama is 1-2 in the UFC, his three fights with Alan Belcher,Chris Leben, and Michael Bisping have been among the most exciting in all of MMA. With Sonnen's recent problems and Dana White not having much patience with his fighters, this could be strike two for Sonnen and a loss once he does comes back could lead to his walking papers as well.
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