Martial Base

Frankie Edgar Interview

2009-04-19T08:19:00.002-04:00

Interview by Benjamin Zeidler

XARM Explained

2009-01-07T01:20:00.001-05:00

When I first heard of XARM, which Bloody Elbow was quick to point out is pronounced “x-arm” instead of “zarm,” I knew it would be a mess of an idea. How? Art Davie created it. The co-creator of the UFC, Davie has been itching to get back into MMA ever since he sold the UFC for just a few million dollars. Predictably, he’s been upset that three businessmen tok his creation and turned it billionaire in just over a decade. As a result, Davie is willing to try anything and everything to get back into combat sports. His ideas usually reek of desperation and XARM is no different.

For those of you who have not had the benefit of watching XARM live, here’s the primer. Two fighters (yes, fighters…many of them have real MMA experience) are hooked to an arm wrestling table. The harnesses allow them little movement. Then, hands are bound with duct tape. Little else happens before the match begins, sending the men into a hockey fight frenzy. The punching very much resembles a hockey scrum due to one hand being inactive. XARM takes a noted departure from the rinked sport, however, as the match progresses. Actually pinning the arm results in points that can be added to a decision. However, decisions are rare as the fight usually ends with a fighter kicking around or punching over the chest-level table.

I watched Moore vs. Laupua for free off of the XARM site and while it was mildly entertaining in the beginning, I quickly grew bored. The fighters were doing their best to stay out of combat in this bout, leaning back and then counter punching. The novelty wore off as the same punches were thrown over and over, with little to no effect. The announcing left much to be desired as well, with catch phrases like “he’s a man’s man” substituted for true, knowledge based play calling. The refs didn’t do much for my view of the sport’s legitimacy either, as they did not move for the length of the fight. How is the referee supposed to safely stop or correctly score a fight if he is only seeing one side of the action? XARM made EliteXC look perfect, which should tell you all you need to know.

Will this sport stick around? ESPN seems to think so, as evidenced by its recent column praising the sport. However, I don’t believe that it will have the appeal Davie expects. XARM was created to “take the boring ground game away,” but as a result, it has taken away one of the best parts of MMA stand up: the clinch. Sure, XARM creates a strict, striking only environment, but it no longer remains MMA. Davie has said that the UFC was de-volved from its original creation, but in my opinion, XARM is the epitome of de-evolution.

I would be shocked if this ill conceived lambaste of MMA survives anything more than a trial run on the game show network. With the competitiveness of MMA promotions today, Davie lacks the bankroll and the imagination to create something truly unique.

Get To Know: Gina Carano

2008-11-13T22:14:00.000-05:00

It’s one of the largest paradoxes in mixed martial arts today: the “face of women’s MMA” has no job. That’s right: she’s as employed as the bum on the corner curb. Just a month ago, Gina Carano was pointing and jabbing her way to a seventh win. Now, she’s job hunting like Kimbo Slice and the rest of Jared Shaw’s motley crew.

Carano began on small shows and quickly, within a three fight span, made her way from local stages to EliteXC showdowns. It was there – partially due to her good looks, but more due to her innate ability – that Carano started turning heads. She won fight of the night honors in her first EliteXC bout and went on to produce some of the most watched fights in MMA television history.

It is unknown where Carano will end next, but what is known is that the imprint she has made on MMA is indelible. Not just a factor in the realm of women’s MMA, she has challenged the public’s conception of what MMA fighters should be. Even the UFC has taken note, entertaining ideas of a women’s division. Even if they decide not to implement a division, the mere fact that Carano has introduced the discussion is groundbreaking.

In the last year, Carano was the fastest rising search on google and the third most searched person on Yahoo!. It’s clear that whether in the cage or not, Carano will be making waves in the news.

Couture Vs. Lesnar Presents Compelling Storylines

2008-10-05T18:16:00.003-04:00

The fight between Hall Of Famer Randy Couture and relatively-green Brock Lesnar combines numerous storylines that are sure to pull in all types of MMA fans, hardcore and casual. For Couture, this fight means everything. He has tons to lose: his legacy, his world title, his standing in the UFC. If he wins, it means relatively nothing for his storied MMA career. Despite what the odds might tell you (they are even), this is Couture's fight to win. Yes, his wrestling will now be matched by a younger, stronger, and purer wrestler, but Randy is expected to win this fight.

Cut to Brock Lesnar, to whom this fight means everything. But unlike Randy's quest, which begins with him sitting proudly atop the division, Lesnar has everything to gain. If he loses the fight, who can fault him? Three fights in the UFC and already he's taking on one of the greatest champions of all time. This is the benefit of facing top-flight competition. If you lose, it's no big deal. If you win, it could mean the world. And if Lesnar wins at UFC 91, it will be mean the culmination of his blossoming career. He will have become a champion in less than three bouts, he will have dethroned Couture, and he most likely will have etched a permanent place in UFC history. Need any hint as to who the UFC is rooting for? Just check out Dana White's recent stint on CNBC. Or take a look at who has been included in the first set of UFC action figures. Brock's the answer to both questions, and he is the UFC's future. Once a Kimbo-esque renegade, Lesnar has truly transformed into something worth writing home about.

On November 15, 2008, fans should be treated to one of the greater wrestling spectaculars of all time. The UFC media machine will be pumping hard to get this one the largest gate of all time, and if you'd like to suggest they won't, be my guest. I won't buy anything less than an attendance record.

I expect to see Lesnar work Couture over early, winning the first two rounds with his size and strength. By the third, though, I think you'll see Couture figuring out just how to beat Lesnar. His experience should come into play in this bout as Couture will adapt his plan to Lesnar's particular strategy. I have it tied 38-38 going into the final round, and that's as far as I'm comfortable predicting on this one. The old adage is to never bet against Randy Couture and while I'm tempted to buy that yet again, Couture's never seen anything like Brock Lesnar.

UFC 87 Preview

2008-08-01T00:03:00.004-04:00

There's no tip-toeing around the fact that UFC 87 is one of the most star-studded cards the MMA world has been treated to all year. The main card, specifically, provides both compelling match ups and a variety of weight class battles. For example, the five televised fights will represent all but one weight class (205 lbs.). Throw in a title fight, an ex-WWE wrestlers, and two of the world's top lightweight talents, and you have all the makings for an absolutely blockbuster night.

It will all start with a bout between Demian Maia and Jason MacDonald. The Brazilian and the Canadian are both submission wizards, having each won submission of the night honors on two separate occasions. On this night, however, only one will be able to win the award. Obviously, you can expect this fight to fly to the ground, where each man thinks he is the better fighter. It should be Maia, the former ADCC champion who ends up taking charge. The Base Pick: Maia, submission in round 2.

The next fight on the card, Manny Gamburyan and Rob Emerson, should be just the opposite. Gamburyan, the formerly injured TUFer and judo star (Parisyan's little cousin), can hang on the ground, but he likes to pound it out with the best of them. Emerson recently won a split decision against Nakamura, but was obviously the better fighter, at least in this blogger's humble opinion. This should stay on the feet with little action until a judo throw ends Emerson's night early. The Base Pick: Gamburyan, TKO in round 1.

What to do with Lesnar vs. Herring? The sexy pick is Lesnar, who should be much improved and much matured since his loss to Frank Mir. The smart pick, however, is Herring, who has had over 40 professional fights. To Lesnar's credit, he's agreed not to take easy fights. It's a credible ethic, but one which will ultimately see him being defeated again. The Base Pick: Herring, unanimous decision.

In one of the most anticipated lightweight bouts of the year (second to Penn/Sherk), Kenny Florian and Roger Huerta do battle in a match of the most evenly paired opponents in recent history. The odds about even on this one, and each man has about as many ways to win as the other. If it goes to a decision, it'll be Huerta. Florian's only chance is to apply a submission sometime during the three rounds. By the way, these will be the quickest and most exciting three rounds we've seen all year. The Base Pick: Huerta, unanimous decision.

The night could have ended with Florian/Huerta and fans would have been satisfied. But to our collective enjoyment, we get a welterweight title fight as well. Jon Fitch will be the toughest test Georges St. Pierre has had since the first time he faced Matt Hughes. Fitch is competent on the ground, on the feet, or wherever the fight may take him. However, GSP is probably just a little bit better in all those categories. Fitch will need to pull a Serra if he wants this one. Sorry, Jon. The Base Pick: St. Pierre, TKO in round 1.

What Does Rampage's Arrest Mean For MMA?

2008-07-16T23:41:00.002-04:00

Within hours of Rampage’s latest tragedy, the MMA world was abuzz, discussing the largest victim of all – itself. Once everyone knew that Rampage wasn’t hurt nor did he hurt anyone else, the discussion inevitably turned to the unwanted publicity’s effect on the sport. Chris Leben had been sentenced to 90 days in jail, but he’s what Evan Williams is to Jack Daniels. Leben drew a blog post here and there, but there was no media firestorm and non-MMA outlets weren’t covering the story. But this is (was) MMA biggest star, its biggest mouth, and its biggest champion. When the biggest mouth goes down for the count, you can expect to hear something.

The actual effect on Rampage will be little, if anything. Early reports had Dana White posting bail for ‘page, so you know he can’t be too mad. You can expect that Rampage will be downplayed as the legitimate star that he is while all of the legal stuff gets settled out, but when he’s cleared, expect to see his “troubles” included in the hype video for his next fight. In his absence, pending a win at UFC 88, you can plan to see Liddell like you saw him before he lost the belt to Rampage. On every billboard, on every magazine, and on every special. It’ll be like he never left. Forrest should also get a nice opportunity to continue his rise to stardom, and it should be easier without the immediate rematch.

Now, onto the real question: what does this do for MMA? Hopefully, not much. And since Rampage didn’t injure anyone, wasn’t drunk or high, and didn’t run once he stopped the car, it might be able to be parlayed into more of a misunderstanding. Without a doubt, there will be those who denounce MMA and its stars, suggesting that this is the kind of behavior the company promotes. However, I don’t expect that attitude to grab any sure foothold. Other stars like Liddell and Forrest will shine in Rampage’s absence, showing the true colors of the sport and its fighters. The key for the UFC, and really MMA in general, is to show that this was an isolated incident.

If Gary Shaw and other promoters use Rampage’s difficulties to help draw negative attention to the UFC, they will only be hurting themselves. For the majority of fans, the UFC is MMA, and if you can convince them that the UFC isn’t a good product due to its sometimes-criminal stars, then you’ll be pushing them away from the product entirely. Other promotions need the UFC to do well in order for them to have a chance to do well, if that makes sense.

It’s unclear exactly how this will affect the sport as a whole, but one point is certain: we don’t need this type of attention again.

Why MMA Doesn't Need NY's Legislation

2008-06-25T00:35:00.001-04:00

While the MMA world seemingly took a huge hit to its expansion with the announcement that the NY legalization bill had been shelved, the effects might not be quite as destructive as thought. It would certainly be nice to have New York and Madison Square Garden under the auspices of the UFC's booking department, but is it necessary? I believe that the UFC (and MMA in general) does not need the state of New York to be successful. Nor do I believe that the UFC will suffer in spite of not being able to host shows in The Big Apple.

First, the UFC has recently expanded its brand to Ireland, Canada, and England. Future plans put shows in Hawaii, Brazil, Germany, and the Philippines. With the burgeoning global feel of MMA, does the UFC really need or want to stay at home? There are bigger fish to fry and larger markets to be won than the already conquered metropolis of New York.

Next, any MMA aficionado will tell you that the Northeast has never typically done well when hosting MMA events. The UFC hasn't been to Atlantic City in over three years. When they did go, at UFC 53, they pulled down a live gate 1.5 million dollars less than the previous event's take in las Vegas. Why would the UFC demand a market which has so often fallen short. Even if MMA was allowed in New York, it's doubtful that the UFC would stop in more than once a year.

It's also possible that New York has found its niche in the MMA business -- advertising. The largest Times Square billboard has been the upcoming UFC event for quite some time now. The people of New York certainly enjoy their MMA, or at least that's what the advertisement budgets tell us. However, they might not have the cash flow necessary to attend events. The city's median household income is less than the state of New York and less than the U.S. average. New Yorkers should be advertised to in the hopes that they will buy the PPV, not attend the event.

Along with that rationale comes the fact that most of the money made from MMA events comes from PPV buys and advertising, which gets paid no matter where the show is held. Considering our numbers regarding Northeast shows (1 million dollar estimate), the marketing put into a New York City show might nullify the live gate.

If New York doesn't want MMA, then we don't want them. You could have Chuck Liddell and Quinton Jackson fight in a dirty basement and it would do just fine. The location is not nearly as important as the product, and as products go, ours is one of the best.

Anderson Silva's Challenges At 205

2008-06-18T01:31:00.000-04:00

Recently, the shocking announcement was made that Anderson Silva, longtime king of the middleweight division, would try his hand at light heavyweight. A move to 205, however, is not expected to be permanent. And that’s a good thing for Silva. As much success as he’s found at 185, 205 is very different animal, with many more challenges and bad style match ups for The Spider. It’s possible that Anderson will have success and if anyone can do it, it will be him – but it won’t be an easy road to walk down. Here are some names that could give him troubles:

Chuck Liddell: The Iceman could potentially be a bad match up for Silva because of Liddell’s counter-punching prowess. Silva defeated Rich Franklin twice as a result of Franklin pressing the action. When Franklin attempted to bang with Silva, Silva was simply able to outpoint Franklin to the win. Chuck won’t do that. He’ll wait, and when Silva comes in, he’ll have a thudding right hook flying towards him.

Lyoto Machida: Who isn’t Machida a tough match for? The only man as technically sound and classically trained as Silva, Machida could use his unorthodox style to eek out a decision over Silva. I doubt that this would end by anything other decision, considering the carefully aggressive style of both fighters. Think about it, when was the last time Machida or Anderson got rocked because they weren’t being careful?

Wanderlei Silva: A match up of the Silva’s would typically favor Anderson, but it’s never smart to cancel out Wanderlei. Franklin is a tough dude for sure, but Anderson’s never hit anyone with a knee who has a chin like Wandy. I could see Anderson getting winded at the 15-minute mark from having thrown so many combinations at The Axe Murderer. Look at UFC 79, where Chuck bombarded Wanderlei for 15 minutes to no avail.

Thiago Silva: While maybe not as well-known as the other fighters on the list, Thiago could pose problems for Anderson based on his sheer speed and athleticism. Possessing a very similar build to Anderson Silva, Thiago should be able to match anything that Anderson would do on the feet.

That being said, I believe that Anderson will walk right through Forrest Griffin, Keith Jardine, and Rashad Evans. Only time will tell us where Anderson’s journey goes, but it’s sure to be as competitive as it is entertaining.

Is Matt Hughes Done?

2008-05-28T14:44:00.002-04:00

Georges St. Pierres’ second destruction of Matt Hughes in as many years seemed to confirm what the MMA world had long suspected. In short, Hughes is done. Once the poster boy of the UFC and the welterweight division, especially, Hughes had made his name with wins over Frank Trigg, BJ Penn, Sean Sherk, Royce Gracie, and yes, even GSP.

His UFC 43 submission loss to BJ Penn was largely seen as a hiccup, and one which Hughes avenged soon thereafter. In between the Penn loss and subsequent Penn win, Hughes ran roughshod over the entire division, racking up five straight wins.

The best fighter to never have a nickname seemed primed to beat St. Pierre in what would be their second match up. Unfortunately for Hughes, even the best laid plans don’t always pan out. However, those who watched the fight at UFC 65 were too quick to attribute the TKO win to GSP’s ability. Yes, the Canadian was brilliant and he did execute a great game plan. But, there was something else. Hughes was not himself.

Matt was sluggish and did not appear to have confidence in his abilities. In the past, he would often press his opponent against the cage or look for an early take down. Instead, Hughes seemed complacent and happy enough to wait for St. Pierre to make a move.

Hughes then took on Chris Lytle, and while he did win a decision, it should not have been that close. The old Matt Hughes would have embarrassed Lytle and finished him in one. After all, this is the same man who once finished GSP in one round!

Matt had another chance to avenge a loss at UFC 79 when Georges St. Pierre agreed to fight him on short notice. Just like their meeting at UFC 65, Hughes seemed tentative – maybe even more so – and was simply outmatched once again. It was St. Pierre who was the aggressor, and predictably, it was St. Pierre who was the victor.

Not since Hughes’ UFC 63 match up with BJ Penn have we seen the killer instinct displayed throughout his long title run. Critics even found fault with his early rounds against Penn and suggest that one must go back as far as UFC 60 to find a great performance from Matt Hughes.

It’s one thing to be past your prime and lagging a little in ability. However, it’s another to disgrace your legacy with lazy performances every time you step into the octagon.

New Coaches Announced For TUF 8

2008-05-16T18:41:00.000-04:00

Before the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter, Dana White booked one of the most gregarious and popular fighters, Rampage Jackson, to be one of the coaches. One of the choice reasons for doing so is that the country’s talent pool is severely waning. Just compare some of the early winners (Forrest, Rashad, etc.) to this year’s favorite (C.B. Dolloway). The point is: the well has run dry. And so, it made complete sense that Rampage was booked in an effort to boost ratings.

For the next season, the eighth installment, logic tells us that the talent pool will be even shallower. The logical thing for the UFC to do, as a result, would be to book coaches even wilder than Rampage. It’s probably impossible to find someone quite as hilarious, but the coaches should be well spoken, talented, and American. Not one, but all of these things.

Instead, the UFC inexplicably chose fighters that, together, represent what one coach should be. You know its trouble when Frank Mir is the more qualified of the two coaches. He is American and well spoken, so he should be able to connect to the fans. That is, if they give him a chance to begin with. Mir is not one of the more popular fighters in the sport and many new fans don’t remember his successes more than three years ago. He may be well spoken, but what if no one listens? His talent is also still at question. Shortly after winning the heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia, Mir was involved in a bad motorcycle accident. His return saw him out of shape and on the wrong end of a knockout loss. While he has started to rebound with the Lesnar victory, Mir has not yet shown himself to be ready to take on top-flight competition.

Even worse, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira has been chosen as the second coach. Yes, Nogueira is one of the most talented fighters in the world – but as a coach, that’s about all he has going for him. As far as I know, he speaks just enough English to ask for a bathroom. In front of skeptical and tough American viewers, they will not give him the time of day. They will turn the tv off or rip him apart in the forums. Will he even appear in front of the camera? Probably not – after all, what would he say? A Brazilian outsider will not relate in the least to even the greenest of TUF fans.

With these men chosen as coaches, the UFC only aims to put an end to its originally groundbreaking series – and maybe, that’s just what needs to happen.

What's Next For Kimbo?

2008-04-02T18:46:00.000-04:00

What began as a sociology experiment has somehow morphed into legitimacy right before our eyes. It was supposed to be a circus side show, but has turned main event. Of course, the topic of discussion is none other than Kimbo Slice. One of the most polarizing figures in MMA, Kimbo has done everything right. He’s respectful to the sport, he trains hard, he works with the legends to improve his game, and most important, he wins.

Love him or hate him, Kimbo wins his fights. Yes, they’ve been against less than stellar competition, but as bad as the opponents have been, that’s how impressive Kimbo has looked. Earning two first round knockouts, Kimbo seems primed to start climbing up the ladder of MMA heavyweights. I would have said EliteXC heavyweights, but there really aren’t any to speak of. There’s not even a champion at Kimbo’s weight in the organization. And so, it’s necessary for Kimbo to move on to bigger and better fights.

As simple (and tantalizing as that sounds), it’s not likely to happen. To Dana White and the Ferttitas, along with many in the mainstream media, Kimbo represents the worst of MMA. However, this is a shortsighted view that ignores that he used to represent the worst of MMA. Now, he’s training and working as though he’s one of the best. The media and onlookers are not likely to ignore Kimbo’s roots in exchange for enjoying his potential fights against top competition.

And so, we wait. Kimbo technically fights, but not the fights we want to see. And certainly not the fights he needs to be fighting in order to improve. He’ll sit on the proverbial bench of the sport until he moves on to another organization with stronger heavyweights or until some challengers are brought into EliteXC. With both those options unlikely, Kimbo will instead chug along against medium-flight competition until the UFC cannot deny his presence.

The Ultimate Fighter 7 Mixes It Up

2008-03-08T16:15:00.003-05:00

On the surface, the biggest change to this season of The Ultimate Fighter appears to be the addition of 16 more fighters, bringing the total to 32. However, the most significant change isn’t the number of fighters as much as it is how they will be showcased. The first two episodes will feature a whirlwind of action, as every single fighter will be forced to enter battle from the start. In past seasons, it would take a few episodes to get into the action. By that time this season, half the original cast will be gone.

The upside to this idea is that it means (hopefully) that the lesser deserving fighters will be weeded out early, leaving only those who want and deserve to be there. The 16 initial fights spread across two episodes also has the possibility of pulling in new fans who might have been previously disenchanted by the slower pace of the opening episodes.

Unfortunately, the negatives of opening the season in this manner outnumber the positives. First, it’s entirely possible that some of the better fighters could be ousted before they even see the house. Previously, the better fighters got some formal training from the legendary coaches before they were thrown into the octagon. Now, they’ll be forced to showcase their abilities from the start, ring rust and all.

Even worse, the UFC has promised us “highlights” of the first 16 fights. This might be sufficient for the casual fan that doesn’t understand the flow and pacing of a mixed martial arts fight. But for veteran fans, or even those who have been around since TUF 1, this highlight format will be wholly unsatisfying.

The idea behind the new format is to open with 16 exciting fights, one after another. It’s a nice concept, but if fans can’t enjoy the entire fights and top contenders get knocked out early, the change won’t have been worth it.

Once the season gets past this opening hurdle, it should resemble many of the other seasons, containing a vast continuum of fighter experiences. The usual 0-0 fighters will be there, but you’ll also get a fair share of IFL and World Fighting Championship guys. It’s far too early to pick favorites to win, but a few to at least keep an eye on include Brandon Sene (IFL experience, Gracie Black Belt) and Gerald Harris (IFL experience, 4-1 MMA record).

I’ll be back in touch throughout the season to update the progress of the fighters and, of course, our two coaches.

What's Next For Anderson Silva?

2008-03-06T18:26:00.001-05:00

With Anderson Silva’s sweeping and not-so-surprising win over Dan Henderson at UFC 82, any remaining shred of drama among the 185 pounders has been extinguished. Both Henderson and Rich Franklin, thought to be Silva’s biggest potential challengers, have each proven insufficient. Meanwhile, Silva’s cleared out the majority of the lesser contenders meaning that…well…there’s no one left for him to beat.

If Dana White wishes for Silva to stay at his natural weight, his potential opponents are few and far between. Paulo Filho is the obvious choice, but since he trains with Silva at Black House, both men have stated that they are not willing to fight. Matt Lindland could be a tough test, but his contract dispute with the UFC is far too storied to be resolved in time for Silva’s next fight. The only viable middleweight option has to be Yushin Okami, who holds a DQ win over Silva. Yes, Okami has been impressive as of late, but he also has a loss to Rich Franklin. We all know what Anderson Silva did to Franklin. Using sound logic and basic mathematical principles, it seems obvious what would happen to Okami.

It’s possible that Silva could be bumped up to light heavyweight, but in that case, White would have to offer The Spider a near-immediate title shot. Does the UFC really want either of its champions having a loss on their record? Sure, it would probably be one of the biggest draws of all time, but the result would be a disconfirmed champion.

Same goes for the idea that Silva should cut to 170 and take on Georges St. Pierre. This provide a HUGE draw – probably bigger than if Silva took on Rampage – but can the UFC marketing team rebound from one of these guys losing? Probably not.

If I’m Dana White, I do my best to bring in some MW talent and book Okami in the meantime. I’d even consider signing Ryo Chonan (the guy who infamously heel hooked Anderson Silva) to a one fight title shot contract.

If I’m Anderson Silva, I do the only think that makes sense – retire.

Eating Right, Fighting Better

2008-02-04T22:24:00.000-05:00

When guys like Chuck Liddell, known for his trademark gut, are having every meal prepackaged by a nutritionist and working out 4-5 times a week, 2-3 times a day, you know something is up in the world of MMA nutrition and fitness. Put another way, if a guy works as hard as Liddell on nutrition and still looks like Liddell, then what is Georges St. Pierre eating? Air and vegetables?

Personal trainer to the MMA stars, Mariano Mendoza, operates under a “eat good, fight great” mantra. He has his clients eating 5 small meals a day, primarily composed of proteins, starches, and fruits. His strategy is designed to help fighters stay healthy and lose their weight over a long period of time, not the 10-15 pound cutting routine that can cut down on energy and productivity in the cage.

This seems like an excellent formula considering some of the trouble that UFC stars have had in the past when they combine over cutting with overtraining. Frank Trigg, former welterweight competitor, was notorious for this routine and many speculated that it led to his string of losses.

While eating healthily is a consistent strategy when cutting, fighters may eat fatty foods and extra carbs following the weigh-in in an attempt to be significantly larger than their opponent. At UFC 81, Brock Lesnar weighed in at 265 compared to Frank Mir’s paltry 255. After the weigh-ins, Lesnar commented that he expected to get up to 300 pounds for the night of the fight. He seemed to put on this weight, but perhaps he should have been spending less time eating and more time training – Lesnar was submitted with a knee bar early in the first round.

As far as supplements are concerned, they an obvious (although generally unspoken) addition to a fighter’s “diet.” While a few fighters, such as Forrest Griffin, will do advertisements for their favorite brand of creatine, most keep the discussion on the down low. We asked Sean Sherk about his supplements and while he wouldn’t provide specifics, he did say that when the sanctioning body (NSAC, CSAC, etc.) come out with banned substances, he goes through the ingredients of his supplements one by one Interestingly enough, the UFC sells supplements right in their online store, promoting Xyience, their long time sponsor.

Between a healthy balanced diet and limiting weight gain following the weigh-in, all that today’s modern fighter really needs to worry about is staying legal with the commissions. If he can juggle all that and look like an extra from the movie 300, he deserves to be fighting among the greats.

MMA Styles Collide In Battle Of The Best

2008-01-25T00:35:00.000-05:00

Although Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Kyokushin Karate, and other high-level forms of martial arts have found their way into the UFC (and into the repertoire of numerous title holders), there are two basic skills that are represented in every champion: boxing and wrestling. Not all champions possess both, but any fighter worth his weight knows the ins and outs of at least one. So, which one is better?

Arguably, the UFC started out as a “wrestling” organization. With Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, and Dan Severn winning most of their battles on the ground, brawlers and boxers found little success in the early stages of the fight game. Take Art Jimmerson, for example, who was so confident in his boxing ability that he calmly strode to the ring in UFC 1 wearing just a single boxing glove. Royce Gracie, who took the boxer down in a matter of seconds, quickly submitted him in the first round. Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, and their ilk continued the tradition, using their strength and wrestling ability to execute a variety of submissions from all possible angles, including the Rear Naked Choke and the Guillotine.

A noticeable shift in prevailing styles occurred with the advent of fighters such as Chuck Liddell and Tim Sylvia, known for their punching power rather than their prowess on the ground. Adept at staying on the feet and avoiding half the fight game (grappling), these fighters who debuted during the time when MMA was just picking up steam, only helped the momentum with their trademark knockouts.

However, current MMA trends represent a mixture of both styles that gained use and popularity over the course of the last few years. Georges St. Pierre is extremely dangerous on his feet, employing a variety of punches, back fists, and kicks. Meanwhile, he is just as tricky on the ground, having recently submitted Matt Hughes. Other champions, such as Anderson Silva, follow a similar pattern of being talented anywhere the fight takes them.

While we aren’t in a period of strict grappling or striking dominance, there is a certain pattern among fighters. The smaller fighters and lower weight classes seem to rely more heavily on grappling. BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, for instance, would much rather take a fight down than keep it standing. Meanwhile, the bigger guys in the larger weight classes, such as Tim Sylvia and Quinton Jackson, would prefer to keep it standing.

Of course, there are anomalies to this example. Marcus Davis, a welterweight, is known for his knockout power whereas Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, both heavyweights, have many wins via submission. Although there are precedents as to whether fighters use a boxing or wrestling base in their fights, the old adage of mixed martial arts rings true in this discussion -- the sport is unpredictable.

Ultimate Fighter 2008: Almost Mainstream. Too Tame For Ya?

2008-01-23T21:34:00.000-05:00

Fans are eagerly anticipating another exciting season of "Ultimate Fighter" to be broadcast on Spike T.V. With Dana White at the helm again, it should be another wildly successful season, giving fans and critics alike plenty of material for future debate.

The two coaches for season seven are Forrest Griffin and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
These two experienced MMA fighters are excellent choices to coach the hopefuls. Their legendary exploits fit them for the coaching duties better than anyone. Forrest Griffin won the coveted title of " Ultimate Fighter, in Season 1". Jackson currently holds the light heavyweight world title. These guys don't pull their punches, and will concentrate on skill and morale development among the contestants. They are also scheduled to fight each other in 2008.

There will be sixteen contestants in season seven. These middleweight contestants will film their initial efforts starting in January. The series will air in April, with the finale being broadcast live in July 2008.

Will it be a vicious bloodbath?

UFC's early reputation as " Human cock-fighting, " as Senator Mc Cain described it, was perhaps an accurate description at the time. We're not used to seeing such a display of unrestrained one-on- one violence, except outside the pubs at times!
Here are the top ten moves that got Ultimate Fighting banned from so many States: -

1. Fighters were allowed to head –but opponents. This move can cause serious damage to both fighters.

2. Hair pulling gives an attacker an unfair advantage, by giving him total control of the opponent's head. This move works instantly for dogs, livestock and humans.

3.Using the elbow in a downward jab. The power of this move can incapacitate the victim.

4. Going after a downed opponent who is being examined by the referee. There needs to be a momentary cessation of hostilities while the referee makes his determination.

5. Ignoring clear indications that a contender is afraid to fight. If a contestant won't meet the opponent's eyes with his own, this is clear body language for, " I fear you." Some fighters use this method to cause their opponents to do one of two things:

He may be prompted to beat the shrinking fighter mercilessly and with clear intent to incapacitate him.
He may strive not to hurt him, giving the supposedly terrified opponent an unfair advantage.
Any organized fight in our society must take place between two evenly matched and willing contestants.

6. Contestants are not allowed to attack an opponent during a break. We like to think we're " civilized", and can adhere to pre-arranged rules. Breaking this rule offends our sensibilities greatly.

7. All attacks upon a downed opponent are now fouls. This has banned the shocking sight of fighters kicking the heads of men who have been knocked down. Fighters must never knee or stomp downed opponents' heads.

8. It is no longer permitted to pull, twist or otherwise dislocate the opponent's fingers or toes. Not only is the pain of this move excruciating, but it frequently results in permanent damage. The surgical insertion of screws , pins and plates can never completely return the dexterity of the small joints.

9. Opponents are not permitted to throw each other out of the ring. The use of the octagon with its enclosed sides has virtually eliminated this problem, but the octagon is not always used in every venue.( Interestingly enough, the UFC has been able to "Trademark" the geometrical shape of the octagon. Todd Meacham, a competitor of UFC lost his fight to entitle him to use the octagonal shape in his ultimate fighting activities with the Total Fighting Alliance. He claims that the octagon is a generic shape which has a history of use in the Mixed Martial Arts field.)

10. The final turn-off for the viewing public is the display of behaviors which appear to be completely unsportsmanlike. These include spitting, pinching and twisting skin, ignoring the referee, using foreign objects in the ring, " rabbit punching" and elbow striking.

With the elimination of these brutal aspects of the fighting experience, there is the possibility that the general public may take another look at the sport. But even if they don't , this sport has enough fans now to keep it in the public eye. Anything with the amount of exposure that the UFC is now getting is guaranteed to be around for a long time to come. The UFC is here to stay. Check your T V Guide.

"TUFF" Women Fighters Rebut Karo's Comments

2008-01-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

On a recent episode of Mark Cuban's Inside MMA television show, Karo Parisyan was more than candid in his estimation of women in mixed martial arts. As you can guess, what he said wasn't exactly popular and it probably didn't help that he referred to himself in the third person. "Look, I know all the women are going to hate Karo Parisyan now, but the cage is not for women," he said. "Can't they do one thing that guys do and they don't? Just one? Give me a break. They do weightlifting. They do wrestling. Not MMA, please. It's too brutal for women," Karo continued.

In Virginia Beach, at least, there's a few women who would take exception to Karo's viewpoint on women being involved with combat sports. They're part of "TUFF," which is an acronym for Tidewater Ultimate Female Fighting. In this fighting organization, women of all ages, ability levels, and walks of life compete in a non-striking form of ultimate fighting.

Consider it a women's form of ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club) -- on the night chronicled by the Virginian Pilot, a local newspaper, 13 of the 14 fights ended with a submission maneuver. Gary Pekoe, the owner of TUFF, attempts to make the distinction between what TUFF is and what it is not."We are not fluffy, roll-around, erotic, Jell-O, mud wrestling," he tells the 20 or so spectators before the matches begin. "We are also not full-contact, break-noses, snap-wrists wrestling."

He freely admits he included "ultimate fighting" in the group's name because it created a cool acronym. But he doesn't allow the rough stuff you see on Ultimate Fighting Championship shows that seem to run continuously on cable. "No punching, elbowing, arm chokes, joint locks," Pekoe says. "We've taken Ultimate Fighting and mixed martial arts and stripped them back down to where the girls won't get hurt."

Although the girls aren't being put in the hospital with injuries or suspended by the state's athletic commission for injuries, they do take some knocks. They range from ex-bouncers to former Russian gymnasts. Some are strong, most are trained in some form or another, but all are tough. Ivy, a former MMA fighter, reports that her nose has been broken three times. Where's Karo Parisyan now?

Ivy, the former fighter and trainer to many of the girls, sums up the adventure that is Tidewater Ultimate Female Fighting. "This is real fighting. The goal in the end is for there to be a winner -- and a loser. We're not trying to establish who's the world's best here. You want to get on that mat and get the ultimate workout and, hopefully, you'll have a learning experience."

Traditional Martial Arts Plead No Contest to MMA

2008-01-07T22:50:00.001-05:00

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a sport which brings together all disciplines of traditional martial arts ranging from judo, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu, to boxing and wrestling. MMA athletes are pitted against one another to determine who the best overall fighter is, regardless of form. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is currently the most popular organization that unites these fighters in various tournaments categorized by weight, much alike boxing.

Practitioners of these various forms of martial arts are brought together in a ring. Fights are decided via knockouts or submissions. In cases where such situations do not occur, judging will take place by a panel and winners elected based on a points system.

Which is better - MMA or traditional martial arts? This has been a subject of debate ever since the rise in popularity of the former. Advocates of either form have engaged in never-ending discussions on the topic. It is an open-ended question that has strong support on both sides, and it deserves a closer examination of their merits.

In essence, MMA is an umbrella of traditional martial arts. The sport itself also features bouts where competitors are often encouraged to push the limits in an effort to win at all costs. Different sets of rules are implemented in each organization, and this provides fights with varying degrees of extremity. Traditional martial arts, in comparison, are usually competed within strict rules which protect the participants.

As MMA rapidly develops as a sport, competitors have increasingly become multi-disciplined fighters. No longer can you succeed with just one combat style and raw unbridled aggression. While you may not necessarily be an expert of every field, it requires study and understanding of your opponents’ array of skills, as every MMA fighter seeks to find any weakness that might exist in their opponents. Being skilled in different martial arts also allows one to switch styles during a fight to achieve a result.

With the variety that exists in MMA, traditional martial arts obviously pale in comparison. For example, you do not get to see judo in boxing matches.

This evidently leads to MMA being a more exciting spectacle. Fans get to see matches filled with different fight styles and at a higher tempo and intensity. The lack of rules in certain MMA events, especially those without government sanctions, will further facilitate competitors resorting to extreme tactics such as neck and head hits, which have otherwise been outlawed in legitimate UFC events. While certain traditional martial arts like Muay Thai boxing can sometimes match this, you will rarely be afforded this opportunity at other traditional martial arts competitions. Unless via the fighters’ negligence.

To allow fans the luxury of such colossal confrontations that satisfy their hunger for violence and gore, MMA athletes undergo tremendous training regimes. These include intense conditioning and demanding exercises, coupled with the need for practical knowledge of different aspects of martial arts such as grappling and striking. The fighters’ dedication to their craft is peerless, and not even the strict regiments of traditional martial artists can match the high standards required. The fact that every match could mean the fighters’ last also necessitates such physical conditioning.

While traditional combat styles often require full concentration and dedication to a single specific style, MMA fighters need to be versatile and all-rounded. You may find a top boxer enjoying success due to his raw punching ability, despite weak footwork. Such an athlete can easily be found out in MMA, with opponents targeting his unsound ground game. Thus, a champion mixed martial artist is often touted as the complete fighter, a winner on both the mat, and the stand up aspects of the game.

The format and marketing of MMA tournaments also requires that the fighters serve as entertainers. While traditional martial arts such as judo and tae-kwon-do focus on finding the top fighter of the art, MMA fighters know that to survive in the industry not only requires outstanding fight skills, but an ability to work the crowd as well. Without fan support, there would be little if no money in the sport, especially when fighters are putting their lives on the line.

Overall, the demands of MMA in both the physical and mental aspects, coupled with the need to be an entertainer despite all the occupational hazards present in the job, point to levels of requirement much higher than that of any traditional martial arts. MMA is everything about traditional martial arts, and much more.

The Champions of MMA

2008-01-03T20:52:00.000-05:00

Within the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) arena, there are two names, which commonly crop up in most discussions – Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture. These two fighters are widely acknowledged as the most popular fighters of their generation, with Fedor gaining global recognition and formally ranked as the overall top ranked MMA fighter in the world.

Ukrainian Fedor was born in 1976 into a family, which saw all 3 sons involved in MMA at varying levels. He specialized in the martial arts of Sambo, which was a combat style created in the old Soviet Union, and Judo, for which he won medals competing in the national championships of Russia. Despite lacking in natural strength and talent in his early years, Fedor more than made up with his dogged determination to improve and mental strength.

Due to his then financial situation, or lack of it, Fedor entered the MMA industry in 2000. He was just 25 years old then and trained in his formative MMA years as part of the Russian Top Team. This relationship eventually soured after winning the PRIDE Heavyweight title, where he first fought in 2002 at PRIDE 21. At PRIDE 25 in March, 2003, Fedor finally won his first Heavyweight title as a huge underdog against Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. It was a unanimous decision and entered Fedor into the history books as only the second ever PRIDE Heavyweight Champion.

Throughout his blossoming MMA career, Fedor has only encountered one professional loss while garnering 27 wins and a single no contest. This happened against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in 2000, on the back of a controversial incident where the fight was stopped due to an early injury to Fedor. Displaying his famed resolve and unrivaled fighting skills, the Ukrainian has since then remained unbeaten in all fights, including taking his revenge over Kohsaka a few years later in 2005 at PRIDE Bushido 6. His last professional victory came in April 2007 where he defeated Matt Lindland via an armbar submission at the Clash of the Nations BodogFIGHT.

In a display of his single-mindedness, Fedor has refused to join the UFC after its takeover of PRIDE. In protracted negotiations that saw both sides locked in a war of words, Fedor accused UFC President Dana White of hypocrisy. It was also possible that UFC contract demands of exclusive rights to all fighters’ brands and images did not sit well with the 2007 World Combat Sambo Champion. This endeared him further to fans as they looked up to Fedor going up against Dana, whom many felt had continually disrespected MMA fighters. Fedor has since signed to UFC competitor M1-Global, where his next scheduled fight would be on New Year’s Eve in Japan, against the man-giant Korean kick boxer, Hong-Man Choi.

Prior to this development, the UFC had tried to sign Fedor, as part of a bid to pit him against their current Heavyweight Champion, Randy Couture. While Fedor is regarded as the most popular MMA fighter worldwide, Randy Couture is the poster-boy of the UFC. An iconic figure of the organization and the top MMA exponent in the United States, Randy caught the imagination of MMA fans the world over when he captured the UFC Heavyweight title from Tim Sylvia. This came after his return from retirement and was achieved in difficult circumstances owing to his age (Couture was 43 then).

Randy’s legend has also solidified on the back of being the only UFC fighter in history to become a champion after entering its Hall of Fame. Widely regarded to be one of the most popular MMA fighters of all time, Randy has also cemented his fame by being the only UFC fighter to win titles in two different weight divisions, as well as the only person to win five UFC championships.

Randy has all the pre-requisites of an American sports star. He served his country in the U.S. Army, was an Olympic team representative and multiple college All-American. The U.S. fans love their patriots, and Randy Couture is a man many Americans can identify with.

To illustrate his enduring popularity with MMA fans - when Randy Couture announced his resignation from the UFC in October 2007, citing disgust with his treatment by the UFC and lack of justifiable financial reward, many fans leapt to his side. Fans felt that their champion had been dealt a bad hand as he received even less money compared to other UFC contestants such as Chuck Liddell. The UFC also offered Fedor a $10 million contract, which Randy could never hope to receive, even as their champion. His decision to resign has since then, prompted many industry observers to sound the death knell for the UFC.

Both Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture display all the characteristics of world-class champions – immense physical and mental resolve, dedication to their discipline, vast inner talent, and the personalities and charisma to match. While one rules the roost in his home country and current hotbed of MMA, the other has reached the pinnacle of the sport globally. The mark of champions burns brightly on both men.

The Ultimate Coach (Part 2)

2007-12-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

At first glance, Rampage's path to being named an Ultimate Coach might seem a bit odd. He struggled in PRIDE, knocked out one of the biggest stars on the planet, and then defeated the man who knocked out Wanderlei. However, the man formally known as Quinton holds no candle to Forrest Griffin.

With all of his successes in the Octagon, it's easy to forget that Forrest started his UFC journey as a TUF alum. He won the very first installment of the show with a scintillating three-round slugfest against Stephen Bonnar. The fight was so exciting that it's viewership actually increased during the fight -- people were calling their friends and telling them to watch what was happening. Many recognize this fight as one of the greatest of all time, and even more recognize it as fight that saved the UFC. If nothing else, it at least set the groundwork for the future seasons of this popular series. In other words, Forrest got himself a job that he didn't even know he was applying for.

Ever since that fight against Stephen Bonnar, Griffin's career has been up and down, but it's always been one thing -- exciting. Whether he was knocking out legendary Elvis Sinosic or losing a close but exciting decision to Tito Ortiz (called the fight of the year in 2005), Griffin has done it with a tough guy "I just want to fight" attitude. This is one of the reasons, along with his "everyman" personality, that makes him a great choice for both the show and the title shot.

However, it wasn't long ago that Griffin seemed to be out of the title picture and certainly out of sorts. At UFC 66, he was knocked out early by Keith Jardine, which handed him a second loss in three fights. It appeared that he was destined to remain in that middle class of 205 pounders. He rebounded with an expected win against Hector Ramirez. Unfortunately (or at least it seemed unfortunate at the time), he was booked against newcomer and #1 ranked LHW Mauricio "Shogun" Rua It was well known that if Rua won, he was going to be granted a title shot against Rampage Jackson. In other words, Forrest was the stepping stone. But when the bell rang, all conventions changed. Shogun looked out matched, out cardioed, and out just about anything else you could be. Forrest appeared to be cruising to a decision when, late in the third and final round, he ripped the decision out of the judges hands when he secured a deep Rear Naked Choke for the submission victory.

Forrest earned his initial TUF victory over Bonnar and there's no question that he earned the right to coach against Rampage Jackson in TUF 7. It should be an exciting season with two talented and entertaining coaches.

The Ultimate Coach (Part 1)

2007-12-27T00:44:00.000-05:00

All of the past seasons of The Ultimate Fighter have featured some of the biggest money earners and long-time legends as coaches. Names like Chuck Liddell, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, and Ken Shamrock are just some of the stars who have coached the up-and-coming fighters in the world's premiere fighting reality show. This season, the seventh installment of the popular reality series, should prove to be different. And it all starts with one of the coaches, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

He hasn't been around that long (just three UFC fights), but his appearances have made an indelible mark on both the sport and the organization. He's not one of the biggest money earners or the most well known fighters, but when you don't lose in nearly three years, knock out Chuck Liddell, and have the best sense of humor in the sport, it's easy to rise to the top. And that's exactly what Jackson has done.

After a quick tune up against Marvin Eastman, Jackson made everyone forget about his PRIDE appearances as he made short work of then-unbeatable Liddell. Before the fight, it was easy to call Jackson just another contender, considering his embarrassing losses at the hands of Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua. The knockout of Liddell and subsequent decision of Henderson erased all doubts as to who is the top 205 pounder. It's even made MMA analysts question how the ex-Chute Boxe prodigies would far against the seemingly-changed Jackson.

We may get to see Rampage avenge those brutal losses, but not until he finishes with The Ultimate Fighter and Forrest Griffin. While he's not as well known to the sports world as an Ortiz or Liddell, it should take about ten minutes into the first episode for UFC exes to realize they made a great decision. Jackson's explosive combination of fists and personality should make for excellent coaching and even better television.

Unfortunately, the end of this reality road won't be easy. He'll be rewarded for his coaching and ratings increase with a tough match up against fan favorite Forrest Griffin, who is fresh off a win against the man who destroyed Rampage, Mauricio Rua. This will certainly be a point of discussion when their title fight rolls around.

Check back next week for Part 2 of The Ultimate Coach as we examine Forrest Griffin and his unusual path to coaching stardom.

Ultimate Fighter: From the Gutter to Pay-Per-View - Part I

2007-12-26T22:32:00.000-05:00

Martial Arts enthusiasts have a reputation for being honorable, highly skilled and self disciplined. Their study of the Martial Arts genre of their choice leads them forward on a path of self-improvement. Their physical training requires a mental attitude of devotion to an ideal. They strive to reach their physical potential through time-honored practices and a personal commitment to excellence. However, as well as the student's competition with himself, competition with others is a natural, healthy outgrowth of his pursuit of excellence. Without competition and the honest assessment of their own weak and strong points, how would a student of Martial Arts know whether or not his performance is improving? The drive to excel comes with the inevitable drive to exceed the skill level of comparable students. This normal human desire to compete and to win is the basis for all organized sporting events. It has long been evident that there is an appeal for spectators in sporting displays of Mixed Martial Arts. The spectators are made up of people of all skill levels. Everyone enjoys seeing a competition between experts. Whether the spectator is actively involved in the sport or is a couch potato with no athletic skills, he can appreciate watching a hard-won victory, or a crushing defeat. It is not only entertaining during the match, but spectators frequently become fans of particular contenders. This fan base is the support beneath the current popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

What exactly is the Ultimate Fighting Championship?

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is a business, which was founded in 1993 by Art Davie and Rorion Gracie. Art Davie's background was in advertising and promotion, and Rorion Gracie is a member of the family, which has given its name to Brazilian wrestling, (also known as Gracie Jiu Jitsu.) The Gracie family has long been a multi-generational powerhouse in the Mixed Martial Arts field. Rorion's dedication to Brazilian Wrestling stems from his belief that this style of fighting is the best system for self defense in a street fight. So, when Davie and Gracie combined their skills and interests in the "Ultimate Fighting Championship," it was a real crowd pleaser that struck a chord with certain MMA fans.

The UFC sought to bring more safety and less controversy to matches which are known as No Holds Barred fights. As the name implies, this form of Mixed Martial Arts is a dangerous and sometimes deadly sport. The recent death of Texas MMA contestant, Sammy Vasquez only highlights the extreme nature of MMA fighting. The UFC takes steps to minimize the preventable dangers inherent in the staging of such fights. Despite the UFC's stringent rules, fighters take a calculated risk when stepping up to a UFC challenge.

UFC's New, Improved " No Holds Barred" Competitions.

Even though the promoters of UFC used the line, "There are no rules, " the organizers did, in fact, make it clear to contestants that certain tactics were not to be used. Contestants were warned that head butting was discouraged, along with the pulling of hair, and direct groin strikes. Furthermore, as public outcry caused an outright ban of Ultimate Fighting in thirty-six states more restrictions were introduced. There was a total ban on the gouging of eyes and on the use of teeth by the opponents. With the introduction of weight classes, the five-minute round and the inadmissibility of head and rear neck strikes, the spectacle gradually became less horrifying. All contestants had to wear gloves, also. This reduced the amount of blood spilled, drastically. With all these precautions in place, the UFC finally gained some mainstream acceptance. But it was still a young sport, and selling it to the general public was not yet possible, despite its popularity with its fans.

When the Feritta brothers and Dana White bought UFC in 2001, the entire operation was put under the control of Zuffa, LLC. Although the UFC had been driven underground by public outcry, the new owners were able to re-introduce it in a reality –show setting, with great success. The televised Ultimate Fighter series has now had 6 successful seasons, and is preparing for its 7th. It has gradually grown in acceptability and as it approaches 2008, appears to be the fastest growing sport in the United States.

Has The Violence in MMA Taken Its Toll?

2007-12-23T13:36:00.000-05:00

The death of mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Sam Vasquez on November 30 sparked renewed fears and debate about the safety of the sport. In a sanctioned fight six weeks prior to his death, Vasquez was knocked unconscious by his opponent Vince Libardi. He reportedly had a stroke in hospital, suffered multiple blood clots in his brain, and never recovered from a coma.

MMA is a sport where fighters trained in multiple disciplines of martial arts such as karate, judo, kickboxing; wrestling and boxing are matched against one another in a bid to become the best overall combat artist. The free-for-all aspects of the sport, violence and intensity have contributed to its escalating popularity. Widespread acceptance in the mainstream has increased.

The sport was also banned in many states of the U.S. in its formative years before its first official government sanctioned fight staged in September 2000. Prior to the ban, MMA featured matches with a lack of definite rules, and competitors would often resort to underhand methods such as groin kicks, punches thrown to the back of the head and throat, and hair pulling to achieve their aims of winning. Since then, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts have been implemented and adopted in various forms by organizations. A reduction of such fighting tactics has reduced relatively. One could say the introduction of rules have increased the protection of MMA fighters from dangerous techniques.

Sanctioned bouts in reality also provide another layer of protection for the sport’s participants. Promoters are required to purchase insurance for the fighters as medical cover in case of injuries arising from the fights. Ready on-scene medical aid is also a pre-requisite for sanctioning.

Many MMA fights feature brutality and gore of a graphic nature. Bloodshed can occur, and broken bones are often the result of enthusiastic and determined competitors. This nature of the sport has lent fuel to the arguments of MMA’s opponents who demand that it be banned. Some have compared MMA unfavorably to boxing, claiming that while the latter restricts punches to the head and body, MMA allows contact with most areas on a person except the most dangerous like the back of the head and neck. Unfortunately, they also fail to point out the other alternatives to win a MMA fight such as through submissions or tap-outs. These fights can sometimes see no punches or kicks landed.

The negative comparisons to boxing do not end there. In response to boxers facing hundreds of powerful punches to the head, its promoters say thick padded gloves are worn, while MMA fighters only wore light padded ones, which are designed more for grappling than for striking. What they did not mention was that boxing gloves were designed to protect boxers’ hands, due to the ferocity and quantity of punches they throw to knock an opponent out. On the other hand, MMA fighters can resort to other techniques to achieve victory, which do not necessitate forceful impact.

As of November 2007, the Manuel Vasquez Boxing Fatality Collection1 lists 1,465 deaths in boxing. MMA has only 2 documented deaths from fights, one sanctioned (Sam Vasquez) and the other from an unsanctioned fight in the Ukraine. While MMA might not have a rabid opponent collecting such official statistic as Manuel Vasquez, the large gap in numbers does make for a telling fact.

Another argument that lends weight to MMA’s dangerous nature being over exaggerated is the fact that its fights are structured to offer minimal sustained physical trauma to participants. Matches are either 3 or 5 rounds of 5 minutes each, depending on the nature of the fight. Again, competitors are allowed to tap-out, whereas in other sparring sports a win must either be achieved via knockout or points decision if fighters last the pace.

In 2006, the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine2 conducted a survey of the injury incidence rates in MMA relative to other combat sports in the state of Nevada, and found that while it was similar to others, the lower knockout rate in comparison to boxing also leads to less brain injuries (which is a common side-effect experienced by boxers as they age).

As long as the sport continues to improve its regulation and watch out for the safety of its competitors, MMA poses less danger than a sport like boxing. MMA fighters are also known to respect their opponents’ well being in the octagonal ring, and which winning via knockout is a possibility, it is never mandatory nor the primary aim of every MMA competitor. Just as any other sport that features levels of violence, the dangers of MMA will always be subjected to scrutiny. With a concerted effort by the community as a whole to always improve these aspects, MMA should remain a relatively safer combat style than most other established sports.

Footnotes:
1.Archive of the Manual Vasquez Boxing Fatality Collection by Joseph R. Svinth (http://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth_a_0700.htm)
2.Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (http://www.jssm.org/combat/1/18/v5combat-18text.php)

MMA MySpace Layouts

2007-12-20T22:40:00.000-05:00

Martial Base will be designing a few different mixed martial arts fighter MySpace layouts in January 2008. Please be sure to put your vote in and tell us what fighters you would like to have for your MySpace layout! Place your vote in the right-hand column of our blog.

What is the Martial Arts School Finder & How Can it Benefit My Martial Art School?

2007-12-18T19:29:00.000-05:00

Are you eager to attract many more students to fill your martial arts classes? Looking to extend your martial arts school’s reach within the region and beyond? If you are seeking exposure, attention and increased client enrollment to what your martial art school has to offer, the Martial Arts School Finder is your ultimate online advertising solution that can provide all these, and much more.

A brainchild of Martial Base by Terry Doll, the Martial Arts School Finder offers one of the largest online directories of martial arts schools in the United States today, with over 20,000 institutions of various martial art styles listed. Now into version 2, it has extensive search and informational capabilities for all martial art schools that have chosen it as their premier advertising solution.

Anyone keen to find out more and learn any martial arts can simply browse all the martial art schools available within their state and city. They can also search for a martial art school for a particular combat style within any combination of state, city and even zip code within the United States!

The search results not only cover the basic contact details of each martial art school, they are further enhanced by:

A Google map feature that has clickable markers to show any school’s location information;

Personal reviews, where available, are also provided by students;

Easily contact each martial art school directly through the new Martial Arts School Finder communication feature;

Highly intuitive and user-friendly navigation layout;

For non-map readers, the Martial Arts School Finder is a boon by giving directions to the school of your choice.

Above and beyond the basic online exposure for your martial arts school provided by such a platform, what other excellent benefits and additional features does the Martial Arts School Finder offer you?

Dedicated Martial Arts Portal: Unlike traditional offline advertising and other online advertising portals (e.g. Online Yellow Pages) which commonly offer only basic business information, the Martial Arts School Finder is a dedicated and appealing martial arts portal for all martial arts practitioners, perspective students, and fans alike;

Online Authority: Martial Base is a growing online authority on all things martial arts, including news, event and ticketing information, online store, a blog and more. All visitors are relevant and within your targeted market;

Geo-targeted Advertising: Advertising solution based on your martial art school geographic location

High Traffic Site: With opportunities for maximum exposure on the most popular pages, serving several thousands of page views per week;

Featured Martial Art School: Professional review of your school with prominent placement such as on the Martial Base homepage;

Global Reach: Online platform that extends exposure to a worldwide potential;

Brand Development: Build your school’s brand through personal reviews and testimonials from previous and current students;

Communication Tool: Centralized communication management of clients and potential leads (Martial Arts Virtual Lead Box);

Maximum Performance: Optimized and fast platform that enables smooth and seamless navigation and site performance.

Martial Base also strives to provide the best advertising service available anywhere to all our clients. Not only are our advertising solutions affordable, we are dead serious in ensuring that you receive the best bang for every advertising dollar spent.

To assist our ceaseless efforts in improving our services, we have a variety of value-added services designed to greatly increase the chances of your advertising campaigns’ success. These include our in-house SEO excellence and paid programs that invest advertising revenue on focused CPC campaigns to drive highly targeted traffic to your martial art school listings. We also continually enhance our listings to include additional useful on-demand information that highlights your martial art business.

Our Martial Art School Advertising services are not restricted to any one solution. We are always open to any special ideas that you may have. We truly believe in applying a human touch to what we do, and this translates to flexibility and personalization for all clients.

As the premier martial arts online advertising solution, we pride ourselves on “trying harder” than all other online martial art school directories. Our Martial Arts School Finder not only provides breadth, it has depth in its sophisticated search results. This gives us a unique, market-leading product. Our efforts to outdo ourselves will constantly result in creative and innovative services.

We invite you to try our different advertising packages that suit your various business needs. The surge in popularity and increasing mainstream acceptance of martial arts as both a sport and lifestyle has opened up endless possibilities for the industry. Join the over 20,000 martial art schools today that have taken advantage of our relevant and unique solutions, and start to enjoy maximum returns and growth for your martial arts business with the Martial Arts School Finder!