The MMA thread

[SlideTechnik]

Any MMA guys on the board? Anybody train? If so, what?

I myself am a jiu jitsu man with a smidge of boxing and judo. Been doing it a few years...

[redyps04]

I don't fight, but I watch UFC and some kickboxing.

[SlideTechnik]

I don't fight, but I watch UFC and some kickboxing.

We'll count it even though Dana White has ruined the UFC... :)

[Tank]

Not a fighter but a fan, I mostly watch WEC these days. Don't have to buy PPV to watch the big fights which I think is great.

[jujigatame]

We'll count it even though Dana White has ruined the UFC... :)

Do you want to expand on that? I'm curious.

[CombatGrappler]

Created this username back when I was a lot more active. About 8 years of jiujitsu, 2 of judo, little bit of sub wrestling, some kickboxing. Oh, a tad bit of sambo, as well. Broken leg at judo practice and promotions (= more hours) at work have taken me out of the game the last few years. I like to watch just about any kind of MMA.

I kinda hate talking to most people about it, because they only know guys from the Ultimate Fighter show and the last 30 UFCs. They've never watched King of the Cage, Pride, Rings, Shooto, pancrase, or any kind of vale tudo show. Makes me kinda sad. Any nobody knows who Rickson Gracie is.

[i.v]

I've been training for about 5 years now, mostly BJJ, Muay Thai, Kyokushin and a little bit of boxing.

Also been training a little bit in a couple of other things, but so far, really a little bit :)

[SlideTechnik]

Do you want to expand on that? I'm curious.

Yes sir, however realize that I do still think the UFC has it's highpoints as well and enjoy watching it from time to time.

Fact is, Dana White is a great businessman, but fails to do much for the sport itself. The UFC is marketed to appease the average ignoramus, and as such, biases "showiness" over fighting skill often times. The average viewer wants to see drama, big knockouts, and controversy. They are far too impatient to enjoy or take time to understand the intricacies of a good grip fight, or a technical ground fight. The average viewer will boo someone like Silva when he spends a fight systematically wearing somebody down and asserting his dominance the whole time because he didn't finish with a knockout or sub. Dana White criticizes him and others for "being their game" when stuff like this happens.

The UFC promotes things like smacktalk, storylines, and other general douchbaggery. Dana White capitalizes on this by placing such heavy emphasis on it(think Lesnar). For UFC 100, there wasn't any sort of special anything. They hardly even mentioned it. For White it's about money and only money.

Even the cage itself biases towards brute strength, striking, and knockouts. It gives them excuses to stand people up. Take a look back at Pride...if they got hung in the ropes they'd reset them in the center, same position.

Anyways, I could go on, but that gives you an idea.

[RIOT]

same here not really a trained fighter but i do get into some scraps here and there but love watching UFC and Affliction, August is going to be huge, 2 UFCs, 1 Affliction, and that Gina Carrano vs Cyborg fight, alot of beer time coming up next month

[redyps04]

Yes sir, however realize that I do still think the UFC has it's highpoints as well and enjoy watching it from time to time.

Fact is, Dana White is a great businessman, but fails to do much for the sport itself. The UFC is marketed to appease the average ignoramus, and as such, biases "showiness" over fighting skill often times. The average viewer wants to see drama, big knockouts, and controversy. They are far too impatient to enjoy or take time to understand the intricacies of a good grip fight, or a technical ground fight. The average viewer will boo someone like Silva when he spends a fight systematically wearing somebody down and asserting his dominance the whole time because he didn't finish with a knockout or sub. Dana White criticizes him and others for "being their game" when stuff like this happens.

The UFC promotes things like smacktalk, storylines, and other general douchbaggery. Dana White capitalizes on this by placing such heavy emphasis on it(think Lesnar). For UFC 100, there wasn't any sort of special anything. They hardly even mentioned it. For White it's about money and only money.

Even the cage itself biases towards brute strength, striking, and knockouts. It gives them excuses to stand people up. Take a look back at Pride...if they got hung in the ropes they'd reset them in the center, same position.

Anyways, I could go on, but that gives you an idea.

While I agree with you on the fact that Dana White has taken the UFC in a different direction than some might have hoped for, I don't think thier main focus is on drama and controversy at all- for the main event maybe to gain some hype- but other than that I don't think so at all. And as for Dana criticizing fighters for "wearing them down" I think is way off base. The vast majority of the fighters he's criticized (and kicked out of the UFC) have more than deserved it. There is an obvious difference between "wearing them down" and then just flat out being a wuss afraid of ruining your winning streak.

As for the UFC being only for money, the UFC just like anything else and is a business first. Everything revolves around money and you gotta give the people what they want or you go out of business. It's kind of like how news channels report on things they think people want to hear, and not really so much what they need to hear.

[jritayik]

I now train mostly BJJ and sub grappling. True MMA is a young mans sport, my old bones (35yo) cant take the pounding anymore. You can say what ever you want about Dana White as a person but as a business man he is a genius.

redyps04 was correct, White only criticizes a fighter that chooses not to fight. Silva's fights against Leites and Cote were absolute jokes. If you think any different you don't know Anderson. Sliva deserved the to be call out on those performances. On the other hand White did publically criticize Lesnar after ufc 100. White has never promoted the WWE mentality.


p.s. there is no way Rickson would go 400-0 with todays crop of fighters.

[aebfroman]

I am a fan of WEC, UFC, Strikeforce, Dream and the late Affliction M-1 ppvs. I don't fight in MMA myself but I do have a black belt in TKD and have done boxing for exercise for about 5 years. For the longest I was just a boxing fan and thought UFC was too brutal and things like Pride and WEC weren't even on my radar. Showtime started showing Elite XC a couple of years ago and from there I was roped in.

Now lets just hope that UFC can get Fedor so he can dispatch Lesnar.

[gac]

I watch the some of the fight on Spike TV and the sports networks that carry them.

I'd like to try out the sport as an exercise but there are no offerings in my town and time limitations with my family and work don't allow me to travel around. (Not to mention cost.)

[jujigatame]

Even the cage itself biases towards brute strength, striking, and knockouts. It gives them excuses to stand people up. Take a look back at Pride...if they got hung in the ropes they'd reset them in the center, same position.

Pride also allowed kicks and stomps to the head of a downed opponent, which had nothing to do with being in a ring versus a cage. That led to several nasty blows and knockouts the likes of which would make sanctioning athletic commissions cringe here in the USA.

As for Dana, he knows what sells a fight. He doesn't mind the enmity between fighters, real or imagined, as long as it doesn't cause him problems in terms of upsetting regulators and/or sponsors, e.g., Lesnar taking a swipe at Bud Light in his post-fight promo.

I don't think he cares where the fight goes or how it unfolds as long as the guys fight hard. I love to see a good catch-as-catch-can ground fight. I think the overall audience has become more understanding and appreciative of that style, and that can continue to develop if more and more folks get to like the sport. People that watch for the stand up battles may see a good JJ fight and decide they like it. Whatever gets them to the sport is, past a certain point, not as important as the fact that they're interested overall.

[aj1985]

I have a good pair of running shoes. So I don't need MMA :p :D

aj

[TVOSK]

2 years of training in American Jiu jitsu, 2 years of Judo (green belt in both) competed in multiple submission grappling tournaments in Ohio and Kentucky with pretty good success...started traing in MMA about 6 months ago, but no plans on competing...Im a police officer and my department wouldnt approve..

[SlideTechnik]

While I agree with you on the fact that Dana White has taken the UFC in a different direction than some might have hoped for, I don't think thier main focus is on drama and controversy at all- for the main event maybe to gain some hype- but other than that I don't think so at all. And as for Dana criticizing fighters for "wearing them down" I think is way off base. The vast majority of the fighters he's criticized (and kicked out of the UFC) have more than deserved it. There is an obvious difference between "wearing them down" and then just flat out being a wuss afraid of ruining your winning streak.

As for the UFC being only for money, the UFC just like anything else and is a business first. Everything revolves around money and you gotta give the people what they want or you go out of business. It's kind of like how news channels report on things they think people want to hear, and not really so much what they need to hear.

I think despite some small discrepancies that we're on the same page here. At the end of the day, the UFC is a business and what makes the most money doesn't coincide with the purism of the sport. That was sort of my point.

[Jimd]

Several years of Shorin Ryu Karate, Judo, Kung Fu, a bit of Jeet Kune Do, and some Hap Ki Do. Also, some ground-fighting thrown in there for good measure. I've also studied a smidgin of Kali.

I was a Defensive Tactics instructor for my department for a number of years. I haven't competed very much, only when I was younger. Quite a bit of what I learned, I got from watching inmates fight and having to fight them myself.

So far, I've won a wonderful prize after each one of my fights in the prison: I got to keep my life! It's really cool, and I honestly wouldn't want any other prize! LOL! :D Yeah, I guess I'm a bit warped at this point, lol.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I speak from experience...53 years now involved in Martial Arts...Not trying to start any flame wars here but I have to call em as I see em....
First to answer the OP I don't do any MMA, Mind you there is nothing wrong with MMA, Past or Present... as long as you realize it's a Sport. It has great entertainment value but as a means of self-defense it's not viable. Want something viable?...go to the 50 some odd rules of things you can't do while participating in an MMA official fight. Understand that these rules are to protect the participants (as they should). Also understand that it has been my experience (from teaching the arts over all these years) that people (be they Law Enforcement Officers, or Civilians) will always rely on the training they received when it all hits the fan in a serious confrontation. If you train with rules
(kind of like being a nice guy) then that is how you will react on the streets. The criminal element will not and does not plan on being a nice guy. So take all those rules (things you can't do in the ring) Post them on your wall and begin training in those methods....then you will have something viable and street worthy...BTW I do enjoy watching MMA for it's entertainment value, there are some really well trained pros in this MMA forum and sometimes I laugh so much that I fall off the couch....Doc :D

[redyps04]

I speak from experience...53 years now involved in Martial Arts...Not trying to start any flame wars here but I have to call em as I see em....
First to answer the OP I don't do any MMA, Mind you there is nothing wrong with MMA, Past or Present... as long as you realize it's a Sport. It has great entertainment value but as a means of self-defense it's not viable. Want something viable?...go to the 50 some odd rules of things you can't do while participating in an MMA official fight. Understand that these rules are to protect the participants (as they should). Also understand that it has been my experience (from teaching the arts over all these years) that people (be they Law Enforcement Officers, or Civilians) will always rely on the training they received when it all hits the fan in a serious confrontation. If you train with rules
(kind of like being a nice guy) then that is how you will react on the streets. The criminal element will not and does not plan on being a nice guy. So take all those rules (things you can't do in the ring) Post them on your wall and begin training in those methods....then you will have something viable and street worthy...BTW I do enjoy watching MMA for it's entertainment value, there are some really well trained pros in this MMA forum and sometimes I laugh so much that I fall off the couch....Doc :D

I could be wrong because I don't know everything about all the different kinds of fighting and martial arts, but doesn't EVERY style have rules? I mean, you can't just fishhook a guy in the dojo. When you train, you can't just beat the living crap out of your trainer or sparring partner either. So I guess the only way to train "without rules" is to.... maybe pick fights at bars and learn that way?