This video of Jean-Claude Van Damme and GSP is a little too cool for a mere tweet. Yeah, clearly The Muscles from Brussels is taking a page from Steven Seagal’s playbook by hitching his wagon to an MMA star. So what? This video is great for it’s “vintage” production value alone–pure JCVD. Plus, if you can get past the awkward groin stretching, it looks like he’s teaching St-Pierre a bread-and-butter Uechi front kick. Awesome!
If you saw any of the news footage over this weekend, you probably deemed it wise to abstain from Black Friday shopping this year. Here’s a jolly example of what I mean . . .
Makes you glad to know some self-defense, right?
If you’re a wise martial artist like I try to be, then you know the best way to stay safe is to avoid fights in the first place. That’s why I hold out for Cyber Monday–far less bloodshed!
This would probably be a good time to decry the ever-increasing excess of our consumer culture and to extol the true meaning of the holiday season. As much as I would like to do this, I would be A.) preaching to the coverted, and B.) sounding like a hypocrite, as I, myself, am a retailer.
I think we can all agree that some moderation is called for this year?
Okay. Thanks. With that said, here are some sales I personally participated in. Martial artists need gear, and these sales can help you and your favorite training partners stock up for the season.
REI is running a sale on Winter Gear for those of you who like cross training in snow sports.
EMS has a good sale on general items and a “Power Deal” every six hours as well. Great for the adventurer in all of us!
Ring to Cage is giving you 30% off your cart and free shipping. I used some retail jiu-jitsu (i.e. my calculator) to score a $90 set of thai pads for free!
MMA Warehouse has a great clearance section right now that includes holiday bundles. Plus, they have free shipping on orders over $125.
Fighters Market has long been a favorite retailer of mine. For this weekend, they’re offering 15% off and free shipping on orders over $50.
Karate Mart is another great shop with some sweet holiday deals that might appeal to the traditional martial artist on your list.
Another great gift is to sign up for MG In Action. If you click on the link to right, you’ll find amazing lessons from the greatest grappler alive organized in a way that helps you learn at your own pace.
Of course, you could also take a gander at our MMA (Moai Martial Arts) Shop. We’re offering some great products that will suit your favorite martial arts fan (or yourself) perfectly!
Happy Holidays! Stay sane and safe out there!
[Disclosure: I am sponsored by Fighters Market, MG In Action, and Karate Mart. Since I like their sites so much, whatever money I make goes right back to them, but that’s besides the point!]
Depending on how tuned in to the MMA Twittersphere you are, you may or may not have seen a conversation between Ariel Helwani and CBS College Hoops broadcaster Seth Davis yesterday morning. Davis let loose some inflammatory and somewhat degrading tweets yesterday concerning the sport of Mixed Martial Arts. Here are the tweets, that have since been deleted, credit to Black Sports Online for capturing them…
Credit to Black Sports Online
It was alarming to me how someone of such prominence in the world of sports could have such an uninformed opinion on the sport that I love. If you know me, you know that UConn Men’s hoops comes before damn near anything in my life, as well as my father’s (Case in point, we were up until 1 AM the last two nights watching the Huskies play in a tournament in the Virgin Islands, and unlike myself, the old man is the furthest thing from a night owl…)
There aren’t too many of them out there, but Seth is one of the good guys covering college hoops
We have watched Davis cover the sport for years and both agree that Seth’s opinion holds higher regard than many of the other talking heads that cover NCAA hoops. For him to possess the willingness to publish these tweets meant that he truly thought they were fit for public consumption and that his opinion may be akin to that of his 100,000+ followers. Regardless of his opinion on MMA, the use of the word ‘homoerotic’ should land the guy in hot water. We have seen guys like Kobe Bryant and Brandon Spikes catch heat for similar remarks and Davis should not be excused simply because he deleted his tweets. I implore him to show up to any Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, or MMA gym and refer to basic grappling as homoerotic and see what the results are. (I am not advocating violence, but I am sure there are a few guys that would educate Seth on the finer points of a few submission ‘techniques‘.) Kidding aside, even after he apologized to Helwani for the incendiary tweets, I won’t be able to look at Davis in the same light when I sit down to watch a college hoops game on a Saturday afternoon. He may have recanted his thoughts, but it still bothers me as a fan and supporter of MMA that some people are so uneducated about Mixed Martial Arts that they believe that it is still a form of, for the lack of a better term, ‘human cockfighting’. I could use this space to tear apart Davis’ argument about letting his sons watch boxing instead of MMA, but I will let the facts out there about brain trauma do that… Instead I will look at how we can change the minds of people like Davis, who think this sport is nothing short of a live action version of ‘Bloodsport’.
Two fighters, locked in a cage, fighting until one guy submits or gets knocked out. I get it, that premise sounds like a crappy movie from the ‘80s that Van Damme or Dolph Lundgren should have starred in (and by crappy I really mean awesome…).
NOT MMA
The general public is not privy to the intense and devoted lifestyle that these athletes “locked in the cage” need to follow in order to reach the upper echelon of the sport. These fighters aren’t pulled straight from jails or dive bars and tossed into a cage and told to battle to the death. For some reason, it seems like half of the world still thinks they are. Many pundits, especially of the older variety, still describe boxing as the ‘sweet science’ and support prizefighting alongside cultural mainstays of football, baseball, and basketball. They then cast off Mixed Martial Arts as barbaric and overly pugilistic. These talking heads must not be aware of the calculation and intelligence that is required for someone to succeed in MMA. When the UFC signed a deal with FOX, I thought it would turn the tide and begin to expose the sport that I, and many others, enjoy to the masses. Sadly, the obstacle of people with opinions like Davis’ seriously impede the growth of the sport among the mythical ‘casual’ fan.
Nobody likes seeing blood, but if you couldn’t look past this to see the brilliance exhibited by GSP and Condit, I am sure there is a rerun of the ‘Real Housewives’ or ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ that you could catch up on…
If you take a look at the two guys that were in the Main Event this weekend, Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit (and the two guys Davis’ was referring to) you couldn’t find better role models in MMA. GSP and Condit have both been martial artists since a young age. GSP got into Karate in order to defend himself against school-yard bullies, while Condit found an escape from the cruelties of low-income areas of New Mexico at a local MMA gym. Both men have trained their entire lifetimes for the bout that occurred on Saturday night. The two put on a performance for the ages as they attempted to gain the undisputed Welterweight Title. They pushed each other to their limits in order to achieve a goal of which only those two fighters, locked in a cage, could truly understand the importance of. For someone like Davis to discount the moment the two had as they left blood, sweat, and tears in the cage, as ‘two muscular bloody men in a homoerotic fighting pose’ is seriously disheartening to a fan of MMA.
How do we change the opinions of guys like Davis? The answer isn’t clear, but it begins with publicizing the stories behind the fighters in the cage. Sure, promising blood, knockouts, and broken limbs can draw a certain fan base, but that fan base is mostly made up of dudes that look like the ‘Let Me Bang, Bro’ guy and not of the educated martial artist or fight fan.
Baddest man on the planet AND the nicest dude you will ever meet
The UFC’s Primetime specials are wonderfully crafted and give the audience an ‘All-Access’ pass to the life of an athlete leading up to a fight. It really allows us to understand what these guys are like outside of the cage, when they aren’t fueled by adrenaline and fighting for their livelihoods. Some of Primetime’s high points have come when we have seen Frank Mir’s family in his gym as he trains, or when Junior Dos Santos’ showed his exuberant affection for the kids of his neighborhood in Brazil. If I were Dana White, I would be relentlessly campaigning for these specials to take up a time slot immediately following major sporting events on the FOX network. I would want to get as many eyes (especially those of fan’s of other sports) as possible onto a Primetime special that displayed the technique, skill, and intelligence of the best athletes the UFC has to offer.
As fans of MMA, we will never be able to turn every single sports fan out there into a UGer, but we should be able to work to gain respect for the sport we love. Davis’ tweets showed the ugly perception that MMA still has in the public eye. If I am out somewhere and there is a fight on TV and someone throws out a comment about MMA fighters being ‘Roided out D-bags’ or ‘Human Cockfighters’, I make a point to explain to them the legitimacy and skill of the guys in the ring. As exhibited on Saturday night, the sport can tell amazing stories when two guys go toe to toe in the cage. Sure, there could be a little blood spilled and a bruise here and there, but that all heals in time, but the fighter’s stories last forever in the minds of the fans. Tank Abbott and Art Jimmerson aren’t here anymore, we are left in the hands of guys like Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre, and I am sure as hell thankful for it.
Who are you voting for?
Dana White can utter just two tiny words to sell Saturday night’s UFC 154 Pay Per View to the masses: “He’s Back.” Saturday night in Montreal, Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre returns to the cage for the first time since April 2011. Since wrecking his ACL prior to UFC 137, GSP has watched from the sidelines as the 170 pounders became one of the deepest and most talent rich divisions in the UFC. Of all the talented contenders that came to prominence in GSP’s absence, Carlos Condit rose above the likes of Shields, Ellenberger, Fitch, and Hendricks to become the Interim Welterweight Champion.
After Condit “defeated” Nick Diaz at UFC 143 and earned the interim strap, he elected to not defend his belt against a new challenger, but instead wait until GSP was healthy to unify their respective titles. Combine the decision to wait for GSP and the Greg Jackson fueled game plan Carlos used against Diaz, “The Natural Born Killer” hasn’t exactly become a fan favorite over the last eight months or so. The guy has the personality of freshly hung drywall, so don’t expect to be hearing too many cheers for Carlos when fight night rolls around.
Also remember to note that GSP approaches Bieber levels of popularity in Canada, especially in his native Montreal. The guy has been elected as Canada’s top athlete at least three times by Rogers Sportsnet (A.K.A. Canuck ESPN). The crazy Canadian’s have been awaiting the return of GSP as eagerly as a starving pitbull awaits a juicy T-Bone. With St. Pierre back in the sport, the UFC gets back its largest PPV draw and the organization is hoping that UFC 154 can do big numbers in a year that was ravaged by injury. The fights on the undercard show serious promise, but the true draw here is a motivated and focused Georges St. Pierre looking to reclaim his seat atop the Welterweight throne.
My picks for the prelims are in bold…
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 6 p.m. ET)
PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 8 p.m. ET)
Main Card on Pay-Per-View 10 PM Eastern
Mark Hominick (20-11) v. Pablo Garza (11-3)
Throwing Mark Hominick in the cage is one heck of a way to start a show in Canada. He became a favorite son of the nation when he scrapped to the final bell with the lethal Brazilian Champ Jose Aldo at UFC 129 in Toronto. I really thought Hominick was going to remain a top contender for years to come after that battle, but he has fallen on some hard times in the cage. A flash KO loss to the Korean Zombie and an odd decision loss to Eddie Yagin have derailed Mark’s rematch aspirations. Even though Garza has some slick submission skills, Hominick will get back to his winning ways in front of the home crowd. Hominick by unanimous decision.
Try to avoid letting this happen Mark…
Nick Ring (13-1) v. Costa Philippou (11-2, 1 NC)
Two top-level strikers with iron chins as the second fight of the night? Sign me up! Looking back, intentional or not, I have watched Costa’s last four fights and he is quickly climbing up my entertaining brawler rankings. The guy has torpedoes attached to each of his wrists and can throw haymakers at will. If you hit Phillippou, he will simply smile and come right back at you ten times harder. He had a Hulk moment in his last scrap that left me scared for his opponent’s well being. It was AWESOME! Ring is a heck of striker with a serious Muay Thai and Boxing pedigree, but I don’t know if his will is as strong as Costa’s. There is no doubt this bout will be an early candidate for Fight of the Night. Costa takes an entertaining decision win here. Phillippou by unanimous decision.
Costa is a BEASTTTTTT!!!!
Francis Carmont (19-7) v. Tom Lawlor (8-4, 1 NC)
The Frenchman Carmont is a heavy favorite in this one. The Tristar product was a relative unknown on the European circuit for the early part of the decade, but has rattled off 8 wins in a row and finds himself nearly in the proverbial “mix” in the UFC. He is facing off against the outlandish being that is Tom Lawlor. Lawlor has gained a cult following for his impersonations of somewhat forgetful fighters in combat sports history. Lawlor may be a case of when character outshines talent (see Tebow, Tim.), as he has failed to impress against top-level competition in the Octagon. Carmont will use his experience advantage to catch the charismatic Lawlor in a bad position. Carmont by submission.
Ever heard of those things called carbs Francis?
Johny Hendricks (13-1) v. Martin Kampmann (20-5)
Gnarly!
Let’s get this out of the way early; Johny Hendricks has the best beard in the sport. Straight gnarliness growing from the guy’s chin, but I digress… This welterweight tilt is likely a step towards a title shot for either of these fighters. With a win, Hendricks should absolutely (one of Dana White’s favorite buzzwords…) be next in line for a shot at the strap. I see Johny Hendricks as having the edge in this one, and the wise guys in Vegas agree with me. Hendricks has the wrestling base to tangle with absolutely anyone in the division and has a gargantuan grenade for a left hand (ask Jon Fitch about that one…).
On the other side of the cage will be Martin Kampmann, who has been the comeback kid as of late. He looked like he was down and out against Alves and Ellenberger, but managed to maintain his composure which allowed him to comeback and earn stoppage victories. Some people may not give Kampmann the credit he deserves because of the early beatings he took, but hey, a win is a win in my book. Though, I simply do not see Kampmann being able to fall back on his patented comeback routine on Saturday. Hendricks has been thrust in an out of the title picture for the better part of a year now, and no one, even Martin Kampmann, is getting in the way of Johny’s beard and a title shot. Hendricks by KO.
Welterweight Championship Unification Bout
Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre (22-2) v. Interim Champion Carlos Condit (28-5)
As I typed out ‘Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre’, I got chills. Why you ask? In my illustrious tenure here at Moai Martial Arts, I have never previewed or predicted a GSP fight. That is how long the guy has been inactive. Crazy, eh? The fight fan in me wants to see GSP win this fight, merely for the idea of a potential Superfight with Anderson Silva, but that topic is for another post…
How can we expect GSP to return from a serious knee injury and assert the same amount of dominance he has for the last half decade?
One does not simply arm tackle Adrian Peterson…
Let’s look at Adrian Peterson as a parallel for St. Pierre’s comeback. Peterson is as electrifying of an NFL running back as we have seen since Barry Sanders retired. Last December, Peterson’s knee EXPLODED (similarly to St. Pierre’s) against the Redskins and many pundits thought he would miss this season entirely. Fast forward to Week 1 this year, just 8 months after AD’s knee went kablooey, Peterson was in full pads and in the starting line-up for the Vikings. And what did he do that first week? Score two touchdowns. As of today, Peterson is leading the league in rushing just 8 months after tearing his MCL and ACL… Peterson and GSP are similiar in the sense that they are at the highest levels of natural athleticism in their respective sports. Simply put, they both are genetic freaks. Factor in each guy’s devotion to fitness and condition, and you have the recipe for injuries healing in time that only Wolverine could fathom. As Adrian is back to destroying linebackers on Sundays, I expect Georges to be at full strength when he steps in the cage Saturday.
“Strategy”
In my humble opinion, Condit is the toughest fighter GSP has faced since his last scrap with BJ Penn in 2009. Carlos is a precision striker with a gas tank that doesn’t seem to empty. Though, for every positive that Condit has in his game, St. Pierre has an answer for it. St. Pierre can keep distance with his jab, stuff a takedown from anywhere, and slam opponents to the ground with unrelenting force. Condit won’t able to keep his distance from Georges as he did with Nick Diaz, because GSP has the ability to grab hold of Condit and chuck him to the mat like a ragdoll (see Alves, Thiago) Condit hasn’t encountered anyone with the mat skills that St. Pierre possesses, therefore dominant positions will come early and often for the true Welterweight Champion.
St. Pierre has admitted to not having the same fire he had in his early UFC days, and it showed with rather drab performances against Josh Koscheck and Jake Shields, leading to fan backlash about GSP’s finishing ability. St. Pierre is more motivated than ever to prove he has not lost a step and can finish anyone in the division. I expect a heck of a show from GSP on Saturday and predict he will triumphantly return to the Welterweight throne that his rightfully his. GSP by submission. 4th round.
Expect plenty of shirtless antics from GSP after he raises his hand in victory.
Stay tuned to our Twitter account, @MoaiMartialArts! we are planning on live tweeting the event on Saturday. You can expect irreverent humor, top notch analysis, and up to the minute results!
Enjoy the fights!
-ALar out
I generally consider this a family-friendly blog, but please indulge me this PG-13 rated post. (It’s really not that bad!)
First, a story. Teaching high school English is my day job, and we recently held an assembly on how to stop bullying, how to improve school culture, and the importance of social justice with activist and speaker Calvin Terrell. If you’re not familiar with his work, check it out. You’ll be impressed with his positive message for young people.
Searching for REAL warriors.
After what was a revealing and emotional experience I debriefed a few of my classes. Conversations ranged from white supremacy to sexism to terrorism and, eventually, back to bullying. During the conversation it came up that I teach martial arts and self-defense, and the kids were genuinely interested in learning some anti-bullying tips. It turned into the best type of classroom discussion for teachers in which I learned more than I taught. Students were open and insightful and I appreciate that.
However, the reason I generally don’t share my martial arts background is because of comments like these:
“Which teachers can you beat up?”
“How easy could you kill someone?” (Cue Bruce Lee impersonations.)
and my least favorite . . .
“Why don’t you quit teaching and fight MMA?”
I know I’m naive to think the true nature of the martial arts is better known now than when they started to become more mainstream in the U.S. during 60’s. But the way MMA–more specifically the UFC–has completely dominated our perception of martial arts is starting to trouble me.
Is this really what teaching and martial arts are about?
The above question not only devalues teaching as a profession (whole other blog post coming on that), but it shows that people think the only reason to dedicate yourself to the martial arts is to fight and “make bank,” as my students recently suggested I do.
I hope you did your homework . . .
Sure, there are a lot of reasons to get involved in combat sports. Many athletes love to compete, others want to prove themselves to themselves, some (i.e., the Gracies) want to test their skills, and others do indeed want to make a lot of money. None of these are bad reasons to get involved in fighting–especially considering that fighting is, on the most fundamental level, meant to hurt people.
Call me a relic. Call me what you will. I love MMA (and Bob Seager) as much as the next guy. I want to be able to defend myself and my loved ones from attackers. But to separate things like character development, self improvement, and art from martial arts is like engaging in a shallow romantic relationship. And romantic comedies and reality TV cheapen what our culture dubs a loving relationship–a parallel easily drawn to what has happened to martial arts, after all.
Here’s the “NSFW” part. A poem that further deepens the analogy.
Sex Without Love by Sharon Olds
How do they do it, the ones who make love
without love? Beautiful as dancers,
gliding over each other like ice-skaters
over the ice, fingers hooked
inside each other’s bodies, faces
red as steak, wine, wet as the
children at birth whose mothers are going to
give them away. How do they come to the
come to the come to the God come to the
still waters, and not love
the one who came there with them, light
rising slowly as steam off their joined
skin? These are the true religious,
the purists, the pros, the ones who will not
accept a false Messiah, love the
priest instead of the God. They do not
mistake the lover for their own pleasure,
they are like great runners: they know they are alone
with the road surface, the cold, the wind,
the fit of their shoes, their over-all cardio-
vascular health–just factors, like the partner
in the bed, and not the truth, which is the
single body alone in the universe
against its own best time.
Is it right to have sex without love? Sure, if both partners are consensual about it. Is it right to live a lifestyle that keeps the two at odds? Maybe not. The same goes for the martial arts. Fighting is fun and profitable for some. But can you still enjoy all the great benefits of martial arts if you only focus on the cage or on the streets? I don’t think you can.
The martial arts, at its finest, transcends sport and self-defense. It is beautiful and full of self-expression; it is poetry in motion. Training in the martial arts is a rewarding lifestyle for everyone to engage in. There are no winners or losers in the true pursuit of martial arts, only partners committed to making each other better.
Maybe if we saw education, romance, and martial arts as opportunities to nurture relationships, we wouldn’t need to worry about fighting all the time?
I was really upset when Bruce Lee’s opponent had to pull out due to injury…
I know there are a bunch of you “morning people” out there that have been clamoring for a live UFC card that you could watch as you sip your coffee and practice your Tai Chi… Now your prayers have been answered! This Saturday’s UFC on Fuel card starts at 9 AM EST from the lovely gambling paradise of Macau, China.
Looks like it could be fun…
My knowledge on Macau came mostly from an episode of No Reservations, so what from I gather, Macau was once a Portugese colony that reverted to Chinese rule in the late 20thcentury. It’s considered the gambling capital of the Eastern Hemisphere and certainly rivals Las Vegas for gambling capital of the world.
Saturday’s card features a gang of fighters that should appeal to the Asian market from top to bottom. Even though Tiequan Zhang is the only actual Chinese-born fighter on the card, the UFC hopes that other names such as Dong Hyun Kim, Takanori Gomi, and Takeya Mizugaki can help foster the growth of the sport in the growing Asian Market.
The Main Event of the evening falls into that “fun fight” category we saw with the Jedi-beating Anderson Silva gave a ‘roided out Stephan Bonnar a few weeks ago. Rich Franklin and Cung Le will be squaring off in a booking that has little to do with either’s ranking in the Middleweight universe. It’s well known that Franklin is a true company guy and will show up and scrap anywhere and anytime Dana White asks him to. We know what to expect whenever “Ace” Franklin steps in the cage, but I am not so sure what we will get out of Mr. Le in the Main Event. Last time we saw Cung Le, he was in a wheelchair at the post-fight press conference after his win over Patrick Cote in July. Le had badly broken his foot in the fight, and to Cung’s surprise, Dana basically contracted him to fight on the UFC’s first card in China a mere 4 months away. Le has talked about his extensive and eccentric attempts at preparing his injured foot for this fight and recently stated that he the foot will be at about 80% healed coming into the fight. How much will that injured 20% factor into his bout with Franklin? A whole crap-ton if you ask me, but I will elaborate on that later… On to the Preview!
Main Card on Fuel TV (9 Freakin’ AM EST!)
Takeya Mizugaki (15-7-2) v. Jeff Hougland (10-5)
This engagement was shifted to this card after UFC 151 was scrapped. Mizugaki is well known for his WEC wars with the likes of Brian Bowles, Scotty Jorgensen, and Miguel Torres. He has traded wins and losses for the better part of the last three years. Hougland has solid submission skills, but hasn’t competed with anyone that has anywhere close to the amount of experience against elite competition as Mizugaki does. Mizugaki by unanimous decision.
Tiequan Zhang (15-3) v. Jon Tuck (6-0)
Zhang has lost three of his last four under the Zuffa banner, but likely still has a job just so the company could showcase him on this card. Tuck was a TUF 15 contestant that never made it into the house. He has a legitimate grappling pedigree bout I believe the home crowd will push Zhang back into the win column. Zhang by Decision.
Takanori Gomi (33-8, 1 NC) v. Mac Danzig (21-9-1)
I guess you could go that route…
If this fight was booked circia 2008 on a PRIDE Bushido card, I am sure the MMA blogosphere would be buzzing about the matchup, but at the tail-end of 2012, the only thing this tilt will tell us is if either has anything left in the tank to propel themselves to the upper echelon of the division. Neither guy is overwhelmingly old, but both have been in the fight game for over 11 years and have endured some serious battles. Gomi’s best days are certainly behind him and Danzig has seemingly accepted a gatekeeper role in the division. Gomi will have the fans behind him, but I do not think ‘The Fireball Kid’ will be able to defeat the brawling vegan Danzig. Danzig has performed well as of late, earning end of the night bonuses in two of his last three with a 2-1 record. Mac is going to come into the competition in superior shape and pick apart Gomi for three rounds. Danzig by decision.
Dong Hyun-Kim (15-2-1, 1 NC) v. Paulo Thiago (14-4)
Both fighters here are coming off devasting losses and will be looking to right the ship in Macau. We all know Thiago is a bad-ass dude with his special forces training, but he just hasn’t been able to get over on top flight competition as of late. Kim is coming into the scrap as the favorite, and rightfully so. No doubt that Dong will have a fire lit underneath him in this one as he tries to make up for his odd loss to Demian Maia in July. Throwing these two in the cage seems like Joe Silva is just begging for a decision, and I think that is what he is going to get. Kim by split decision.
Let’s hope for no freak injuries this time, DONG.
Thiago Silva (14-3, 1 NC) v. Stanislov Nedkov (12-0)
Hey look! A fight without an Asian athlete in the mix. Though Nedkov does have a connection to the market, as he has had some big time fights with the likes of Travis Wiuff and Kevin Randleman under the World Victory Road brand in Japan. To my untrained eye, it looks like Silva’s job could be on the line in Macau on Saturday. He has not won in his last 3 fights with one of those fights was ruled a no contest because Thiago submitted a urine sample that was defined as “inconsistent with human urine”, whatever that means. Nedkov is no pushover and has serious power in both hands. I think he hands Thiago a Knockout of the Night loss and his UFC pink slip. Nedkov by KO.
A bald, jacked Charlie Kelly??? I think so!
Rich Franklin (29-6, 1 NC) v. Cung Le (8-2)
Let us start with what we know about these guys. First, Rich Franklin. The dude always comes ready to fight, he is a true old school brawler. We can guarantee that he will be in shape and ready to take a punch and throw a few bombs back. Cung Le? We know he has Van-Damme-esque striking techniques that are a blast to watch, but that is about it. Sure, Cung has beaten some notable guys, but he recently got iced by an aging Wanderlei Silva and struggled to put away a less than stellar Patrick Cote. Le is not 100% coming into this fight and for a guy that relies so much on his ridiculous kick arsenal, I can see that broken foot causing real problems against a vet like Franklin. Franklin by KO.
Remember 9 AM start for this one folks! Enjoy the fights!
Another weekend, another set of thrilling bouts for the martial artist in all of us to enjoy. Provided your electricity is on and your cable is working after that witch Sandy rolled through the town; there is enough free fight programming this weekend to keep all of us that dressed up as Tank Abbott for Halloween happy.
Not my costume. Tank himself dresses up like that every day!
The lame-duck Season Seven of Bellator continues on Friday night on MTV2. The card was supposed to feature Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley, but his tilt was scrapped due to visa concerns. The unusually lackluster Bellator 79 card features two tournament semifinals, a heavyweight booking between Richard Hale and Thiago Santos and a featherweight fight showcasing Mike Richman and Shahbulat Shamhalaev. You can expect Bellator cards to be a little more star studded when they eventually switch to broadcasting on MMA stalwart SpikeTV in early 2013. Also going down on Friday is the oddly named Resurrection Fighting Alliance 4 card. Notables on the card are Sergio Pettis, Chidi Njokuani, and Dakota Cochrane. The event is topped off by a scrap between Tyson Griffin and Efrain Escudero, both former UFC contenders. Both Escudero and Griffin’s careers seemed to stall out when they went up against elite competition, so it will be interesting to see what happens when these two collide tonight. Saving the best for last, the UFC will be premiering the Primetime: GSP v. Condit series on FX tonight at 11 PM, I will certainly be tuning in for GSP’s accent alone.
I am all sorts of amped up for the debut of the World Series of Fighting on Saturday night. While last week’s baseball World Series was a snoozer and this week’s World Series of Poker was a bore-a-thon reminiscent of a Nyquil overdose, this World Series of Fighting card engineered by President Ray Sefo and Co. promises to electrify. For an upstart promotion, WSOF is offering up a legitimate card from top to bottom on. The preliminary card (aired for free on Sherdog.com) reminds me of recent Strikeforce MAIN cards and would be a passable card for any regional promotion. Notable names that will be partaking in good ol’ fashioned fisticuffs are UFC-vets Dustin Jacoby, Gerald Harris, Dave Branch, TJ O’Brien, and Ronys Torres. Also featured will be DREAM product and Blackzillian trained JZ Cavalcante. When I look into my crystal ball, I can see UFC contracts in the near future for Ronys Torres and Gerald Harris if they pull off convincing wins on Saturday.
Now the mystery investors involved in WSOF and Ray Sefo have really pulled out all of the stops for this Main Card. They have bought out a time slot on the NBC Sports Network (formally Versus) to debut their product to the public. This is quite the risk considering the exorbitant amount it costs to rent out a primetime timeslot on the network. Though, the gamble could pay off because the WSOF 1 card is absolutely loaded with talent and big names.
Finallyyyyyy! No, the Rock has not come back to Monday Night Raw… Tyrone Motherflippin’ Spong’s MMA debut is upon us!
Check out this slick mini-doc on Spong!
In case you don’t stay up until 4 AM to watch crappy streams of kickboxing events in abandoned warehouses in Eastern Europe like I do, you may not know how talented this dude truly is. Imagine if you ran Alistair Overeem through a Xerox machine at .75 size, your end result would be Tyrone Spong. Spong has unmatched Dutch Kickboxing skills, enough KO power to light up the entire Eastern Seaboard, and a physique only the finest laboratories could create. And you are telling me that tomorrow night he is fighting in a cage on free television? Sign me up!
Gregor Gracie, half-brother of Igor and Rolles, takes on Canadian submission artist Tyson Steele in the second tilt of the night. Ray Sefo basically said that they are putting Gracie on the main card to attempt to draw fans with the heralded Gracie name. I expect the fans that tune in solely to see Gracie fight are the same ones that pay to watch Frank Stallone movies…
The WSOF of fighting made a splash when they signed UFC cast-off Miguel Torres. At one time, Torres was one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, regardless of weight class. He could just never transfer the excitement from his WEC days to his UFC run. Torres will look to rebound against young gun, Marlon Moraes, and I expect that he will do so with a his typical punch now, ask questions later approach.
Also around the time that Torres was enjoying WEC success, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson had all the makings of becoming a welterweight version of Jon Jones. Then came the weight-cutting issues… Johnson could not get his massive frame to shed the pounds required to hit the mark for the welterweight division, or later even the Middleweight division…
Sorry Rumble!
After Dana White got fed up with the weight antics, Johnson was jettisoned from the UFC. Johnson has now embraced his size and devoted himself to a career at Light Heavyweight, which makes sense for a guy that is 6’2 and has shoulders as broad as a barn. Johnson is now training with the Blackzillians in Florida and has looked impressive since he joined the 205 pound division, earning two TKO victories. He may be using the WSOF as a stepping stone to earn another call into the big show, but he has to prove that he can make weight and perform in the cage before that happens. His opponent tomorrow is DJ Linderman, a Light Heavyweight/Heavyweight tweener. On talent alone, I don’t see any reason why Rumble would have an issue with Linderman, and Johnson should be one step closer to rejoining the UFC ranks.
What better way to make a promotional debut than to throw Andrei Arlovski in the Main Event, am I right???
Let’s get it on!
You wan’t a straight up brawl that will likely end in a flash KO? Call up The Pitbull! Arlovski isn’t the same fighter he was during his early UFC days, mauling the likes of Ian Freeman and Paul Buentello. His chin is suspect at best and he is obsessed with fighting Tim Sylvia for some god-forsaken reason. He has earned KO wins in two of his last three fights, but it looks like those “opponents” may have been pulled from a barstool and thrown into the ring against the Belarusian brawler. Tomorrow night, Andrei will be scrapping it up against Devin Cole. Cole is likely more famous for his legal troubles than his exploits in the cage. His most notable recent win is over LSU football player, turned punching bag Shawn Jordan. This fight is tailor made for Arlovski to get a highlight reel KO and hopefully get the highlights plastered across the MMA blogosphere, likely with WSOF logos prominently featured.
Regardless, I am looking forward to kicking back and checking out how this newborn promotion goes about business. Their production value and show-running ability will be factors that will determine if the World Series of Fighting can have longevity in a crowded MMA market. Enjoy the fights!
Have you enjoyed the last few posts about fitness and martial arts? Would you be interested in a site dedicated to martial arts, fitness, nutrition, and how to be a good parent and role model for your kids?
I’ve been feeling very passionate about this connection and would love the support of a community. What do you think?
MZPMJSCU82DZ
If you follow this blog, you know why I’m writing this post. I’ve been a dad for a little more than a month now, and I’ve come to realize two things:
1. I love my son unconditionally even though he pees on me.
2. I’m kinda tired all the time.
The first thing is absolutely wonderful if somewhat messy. The second can slow you down a bit–especially when trying to maintain your fitness for martial arts and for overall health.
Here are a few things I’ve learned from others on my position.
1. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This is challenging with a newborn. If you don’t have a partner to cover feeding shifts then forget it. But, if you can keep some sort of sleep schedule for yourself, it will help. Don’t be tempted to stay up late if Junior konks out early. Facebook will be waiting for you during your lunch break.
2. Eat as clean as possible. No matter what diet you follow, eating well will help maintain your energy levels despite a lack of sleep. No energy, no training, right? I’ve had good results with The Paleo Diet lately, but any plan that focuses on protein, veggies, and fruits will help. Carbs and sugars will help you fight fatigue in the short term, but the imminent crash isn’t worth it.
3. Keep workouts brief but intense. This is a good tip for training in general, but it’s vital for post-baby, sleep-deprived fitness. Not only will a fast, hard workout save you time and burn more calories, but it’ll boost mood, improve energy, and normalize sleep (as much as possible, anyway).
Here’s a Ross Enamait workout that shows what I mean.
Be sure to read the accompanying article to learn more about this traing modality.
That’s it for now. I think these tips are helpful even if you’re completing a big work project, taking grad classes, or if you’re just rocking some insomnia. If you have additional advice, please share. Here’s wishing you some . . . zzzzzzzzzz
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Moai Martial Arts 
The ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’: A Chronology
The Baddest Man on the Planet: A Chronology
By Alex Larsen
#1 Google Image Search Result for ‘Baddest Man on the Planet”
All things considered, any man that wants to step into a ring or cage and fight another dude is a ‘Bad man’ in my book. The title ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ has long existed within the English lexicon without an exact definition. When you toss the phrase into Google, you get a whole bunch of results for Mike Tyson, some for Brock Lesnar and Fedor, and a sprinkling for the current UFC Champs. Since Tyson has turned to film-making and Broadway, there hasn’t been a clear cut ‘Baddest Man’ in over a decade. As an avid MMA historian, I decided to take up the task of chronicling and compiling a living timeline of who held the title “Baddest Man on the Planet” over the last decade. In a decade where MMA grew exponentially, nearly every year a different fighter staked a claim to the tag.
A different kind of bad…
This timeline that I have designed will highlight moments in our sport where one fighter clearly classifies himself as the one and only ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’. These moments can run the gamut from a title run, a tournament win, or a series of vicious finishes. It isn’t easy to designate the Baddest Man when the phrase is thrown around so loosely by fans and pundits alike, but the meaning I draw from the title is that absolutely no fighter wants to stand across the cage or ring from the pronounced BMOTP when fight night rolls around. When the mere whisper of said fighter’s name makes another trained brawler weak in the knees, that man is the baddest dude walking the earth.
In putting this timeline together, I am taking into account win streaks, quality of opponents during the streak, ability to finish fights, and overall badassery and thuggishness.
Now let me take you back to a much simpler time, November of 2002…
November 2002
Baddest Man on the Planet: Tito ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ Ortiz
Competitive or not, Tito took care of business.
I can’t think of any way better to start the BMOTP timeline than with the Huntington Beach Bad Boy himself. In November of 2002, Ortiz defended his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for the fifth time. He won the strap in a bout with Wanderlei Silva at UFC 25 back in 2000 and defended against the the likes of Kondo, Tanner, and Matysyenko during the next two years. Tito’s thuggish aura peaked with the drubbing he gave Ken Shamrock at UFC 40. Ortiz may have not fought the toughest guys available at the time, but you can’t argue with the results he gave us in the early days of the Octagon.
August 2003
Baddest Man on the Planet: Wanderlei ‘The Axe Murderer” Silva
The winner of this deserves to be BMOTP!
It just makes sense that the Baddest Man on the Planet is nicknamed The Axe Murderer doesn’t it??? After losing to Ortiz at UFC 25, Wandy went on an absolute tear and DEMOLISHED everyone in his path. His path of destruction reached a peak during the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix. Silva was already the 2x defending PRIDE Middleweight Champ when he entered the tournament that featured the likes of Alistair Overeem, Chuck Liddell, Sakuraba, and Rampage Jackson.
A showdown for the ages!
In the first round, Silva did as he does, and beat the living crap out of Sakuraba. Then on November 9th of 2003, The Axe murderer went on to defeat Judoka Hidehiko Yoshida in an absolute barn burner where Yoshida used his gi to control Silva on the ground in the 1st round, but Silva earned the decision win by using his blitzing attack style to inflict serious damage in the second. Later that night, Wanderlei engaged fisticuffs with Mr. Rampage Jackson, and I still have nightmares about those knees, oh man, those knees… During this run, Wandy was damn near untouchable, his furious style, along with brutal PRIDE rules, made the Axe Murderer a force to be reckoned with.
December 2004
Baddest Man on the Planet: Fedor ‘The Last Emporer’ Emelianenko
Fedor also holds the award for owning the Baddest Sweater on the Planet
I am sure some of you out there would argue that as long as Fedor is breathing, he is still, and always has been, the Baddest dude around. Fedor was so dominant during his days in the ring that I could have picked him as BMOTP at nearly any point across this timeline. At PRIDE Shockwave 2004, an unusually energized Fedor tossed Big Nog around like a rag doll in a unanimous decision win. This victory unified the PRIDE Heavyweight belt and also served as the final for the PRIDE Heavyweight Grand Prix. Fedor nullified Nog’s advantage on the ground on route to another dominating victory for the Russian.
The good ol’ days…
In The Last Emporer’s next bout he avenged his only career loss against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka by using his mitts to tenderize TK’s face, forcing a doctor’s stoppage. Fedor followed that fight by defending his Heavyweight belt against headhunter Mirko Cro Cop in one of the most entertaining fights in the history of the division. Fedor may look unassuming, but during this run, in the words of Mark Jackson, he was one BAD man.
August 2005
Baddest Man on the Planet: Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua
Any excuse to use this picture!
Mere minutes after Fedor defeated Cro Cop, Shogun Rua used a demonic stomp to knockout Ricardo Arona and win the PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix. Earlier that night, Shogun also had a little fight with some guy named Alistair Overeem.
Winner!
Rua used a dominant ground and pound attack to earn a TKO over the Demolition Man. While holding the trophy for coming out on top of this star studded tourney, Shogun announced himself as the one and only BMOTP. Within the previous five months the Brazilian mauler had also defeated Lil’ Nog and Rampage Jackson in the earlier rounds of the Grand Prix. I consider the MW GP version of Shogun to be, one of, if not the most, dangerous fighters of all time. He was a viciously accurate striker with unparalleled athleticism that would give him the edge in any match up you threw at him. If I ever found myself stepping into a cage to fight another human being that had traveled through a time machine, the LAST human being I would ever want to be across from would be none other than the 2005 version of Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua.
February 2006
Baddest Man on the Planet: Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell
Badassery at it’s finest!
Ahhh, ‘The Iceman Era…. MMA really started to pique my interest when Chuck was the undisputed king of the sport, therefore I will always remember his reign fondly. Chuck was on a hell of a run prior to UFC 57, but when he used a savage right straight to beat Randy Couture for the second time in their three meetings, we knew that The Iceman was the toughest man walking this land.
In a seven fight win streak spanning from April 2004 to December 2006, Chuck won every bout he entered by KO or TKO. He also managed to win and then defend the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship four times. The power in Chuck’s kickboxing during this era is stuff of legend, guys with so-called ‘iron chins’ would drop like bags of dirty laundry every time Liddell entered the cage. His dominance over the 205ers in the mid-2000s is what brought me to the sport and I can’t thank him enough for being born with hands of stone and a chin of certified granite. In my mind, Chuck is still the greatest 205 pounder to ever throw on a pair of gloves.
–
September 2006
Baddest Man on the Planet: Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic
Thank god he couldn’t use guns in the ring!
The PRIDE Open Weight Grand Prix. Music to any MMA fan’s ears… While Chuck was dropping fools at will over in the US for the UFC, Cro Cop was putting together one of the greatest collective performances in the history of the sport.
No gi, no probem!
The PRIDE Open Weight GP was filled with killers from top to bottom. Cro Cop finished the likes of Minowaman, the aforementioned Yoshida, a bulked up Wanderlei Silva, and finally Josh Barnett to take the Open Weight title. The Openweight GP is one of the most storied tourneys in MMA history, and any guy that comes out on top of that can call himself the Baddest Man on the Planet with little doubt.
–
May 2007
Baddest Man on the Planet: Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson
Tides shifting…
UFC freakin’ 71. In my opinion, the entire arc of the sport changed when one crisp Rampage right hook landed flush on Chuck’s chin and the aura of the Iceman came crashing down. At the time, Rampage was coming over from his days in PRIDE and WFA where he created a reputation as a menacing striker and powerful wrestler. Coming to the UFC, he put Marvin Eastman to sleep with ease and was thrown right into the fire for a rematch with Liddell, who Jackson had already defeated back in 2003.
This very image hangs at Moai Martial Art’s Auxiliary HQ!
Many expected Chuck to continue his dominance over the division against the newcomer Rampage, but that savage right hand shocked the world. I have been an unabashed Rampage fan ever since and believe with every fiber of my being that he was the toughest SOB walking the earth when he sent Chuck packing and proceeded to howl at the moon. Jackson went on to unify the UFC and PRIDE titles with a convincing win over Dan Henderson. His next fight, against Forrest Griffin, is mostly struck from my memory, but I’m not the only person out there that thought Rampage should have retained his belt against the Ultimate Fighter winner that night. Regardless of that blemish on his record, Rampage came to the UFC and dominated in his early bouts. He wasn’t the most technical striker or strongest wrestler, but the guy could drop damn near every fighter in the organization if he connected with one of his patented bombs. Salute to you, Rampage, BMOTP in May of 2007.
June 2007
Baddest Man on the Planet: BJ ‘The Prodigy” Penn
Oh the horror!
After suffering consecutive losses to the two greatest Welterweights of all time, the mercurial Penn decided to drop back down to 155 pounds to make a run at the Lightweight Title. Let’s just say it was a good decision for the Hawaiian brawler. After a stint coaching the fifth season of TUF, Penn avenged his first career loss against Jens ‘Lil’ Evil’ Pulver. Pulver initially beat Penn for the Lightweight title all the way back at UFC 35, but things were VERY different the second time around.
The end is near Sean…
BJ used a relentless ground attack to submit Pulver in the second round at the TUF 5 finale. Next up for The Prodigy was TUF 2 winner Joe ‘Daddy’ Stevenson. All we remember is the blood. ALL THAT BLOOD. After ridding Joe ‘Daddy’ of a few pints of the red stuff, BJ submitted Stevenson in the second round t0 win the vacant UFC Lightweight Title and put together one of the most intimidating celebrations of all time. After being crowned the Lightweight King, Penn took on former Champ Sean Sherk at UFC 84 and proceeded to pick apart the Muscle Shark on the feet and eventually use a well-timed knee to end the bout at the end of the third round. As a 155 pounder, Penn was (and in my opinion still is…) one of the most dominant fighters to ever step in the Octagon. If it wasn’t for lackadaisical approach to training and ventures to fight at 170, Penn could still be sitting atop the Lightweight class. This run proved that he belonged at 155 and could finish anyone, anytime, anywhere.
January 2009
Baddest Man on the Planet: Georges St. Pierre
Dominance.
Back in the day when somebody brought up a UFC Superfight, the hot topic was always Georges St. Pierre versus BJ Penn. These two tangled twice, with GSP winning on both occasions. In early 2009, both fighters were steamrolling through their respective divisions with relative ease. It was only right that the two titans would meet up in the Octagon again after GSP squeaked out a split decision win back at UFC 58.
Superman!
In their second scuffle, GSP dominated Penn on the ground. St. Pierre took the Hawaiian down at will and endlessly rained elbows and punches onto Penn’s increasingly mangled face. The beating forced Penn to retire after the fourth round and left many to question his will to fight anymore. The beating that GSP gave to Penn that night was a serious ‘big brother’ moment, where the bigger guy took advantage of his size at all available opportunities At UFC 94, GSP convinced us that the first win against the Prodigy wasn’t a fluke and that he indeed, was the Baddest Man on the Planet, (even though he was Canadian…)
August 2009 to Present
Baddest Man on the Planet: Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva
Pick your poison!
We could go all the way back to UFC 64 and throw Anderson in the mix for the baddest dude walking on this big blue marble, but he really asserted himself as an MMA Jedi when he stole Forrest Griffin’s soul at UFC 101.
“Your punches do not concerm me…”
We all know Forrest is a tough guy that can take a beating, but Anderson made Griffin look like a puppy trying to fight a grizzly bear. Whether it was when he dodged Forrest’s attacks using the Matrix, or when he dropped Griffin with a jab as he was stepping backwards, we realized on that night that Anderson Silva was a full blown wizard in the cage. Silva had had an odd run leading up to the Forrest fight, with underwhelming performances against Thales Leites and Patrick Cote, but the annihilation he gave Forrest proved The Spider was as deadly as ever. And to this day, Anderson hasn’t lost a step in his finishing prowess. His last four wins have come by highlight reel stoppages, and no fighter in their right mind would want to step into the cage with Anderson right now. He is a living definition of the Baddest Man on the Planet.
I hope you enjoyed reading this treatise on the moniker that is the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ as much as I enjoyed writing it. There is no doubt that at any point on my timeline there is an argument for Fighter X or Fighter Y to be proclaimed the world’s best, so I implore you to share your own opinions about the Baddest Man on the Planet in the comment section!